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ICannotStopTwinkling
Does anyone else see the large group of Interpol Agents moving through Luminoise? Seventh Arrodisment, passing by the plaza. It’s very odd.
Edit: SACRE BLEU! @EVERYONE, MALVA IS FIGHTING SEIBOLD!
(link Live Feed)
GirlnoSwear
Normally, I’d be telling you not to use at-Everyone for this thread, but this is important
RedHairedSimps
Okay, why is my favorite League member attacking another leaguer? What’s going on?
User Name
That is… holy shit that is actually a fight, not a battle! @Everyone get in here! This might be the biggest news of the decade!
Broken-Wings
Uhm…Uhhmmmmm… WHY ARE TWO KALOS ELITES ACTUALLY FIGHTING EACH OTHER?! ARE THOSE DEAD PEOPLE?! WHAT THE FUCK!?
PorygonI
Doesn’t look like anyone’s dead, but they could be– hang on, those are Flare gangsters using Malva to push forward. I think we’ve found another traitor
RedHairedSimps
NO, please! Malva, don’t do this, there aren’t enough hot redheads out there for you to be evil!
EVJFEULGS
Not the time, not the place to get involved, red-haired.
Edit: Wait, who’s that getting into things- ooh, it’s Misora!
User Name
Who– well, they’re starting out strong, whomever they are. Bad move to send an Ice Type against a Fire specialist, but she’s making it work
QueenofKalos<3
Misora Hibiki was the winner of last years’ Lumiose Conference. She’s notable for a few things. One: Her starter Pokemon, Mana, is the only known Primeon in existence. You can- could see her on the field at the start of the battle. Two: She’s defeated Siebold of the Kalos Elite Four resoundingly, and managed to win against Gurkinn of the Kalos Elite Four as well. Her challenge run was stopped by Wikstrom of the Kalos Elite Four, where she was defeated by Wikstrom’s Aegislash. And finally, she’s notable for her relatively good performance for a battler in the Contest Circuit.
KirliaGurl
You're just bitter ‘cause she beat you.
QueenofKalos<3
SHE DID NOT! IT WAS A TIE!
User Name
Putting aside the ancient beef between KirliaGurl and Queen, and Misora’s performance (she’s doing pretty well against an Elite going all out) does anyone know why Interpol was actually doing here? If Malva’s outed herself as a traitor, there’s gotta be something big
WalkTheseStreets
According to the location metadata, they’re right in front of Cafe Lysandre, and that’s an awful lot of Flare Grunts coming out of those doors. Maybe someone in Lysandre’s circle was running with Flare?
Noblest_Color
Lysandre would never stoop to working with someone like Flare!
Scrap Iron Scarecrow
Well, we’ve already seen a lot of our ‘upper crust’ revealed as Flare backers, and Lysandre has always run in those circles…
…hey, doesn’t Lysandre mostly dress in red and black these days?
QueenofKalos<3
… I hate that this makes so much sense yet so little at the same time
KirliaGurl
I find myself in agreement with you and I also hate that.
QueenofKalos<3
Bitch. Putting aside- Holy shit did Malva just Mega Evolve twice?!
Broken-Wings
This is a Real Fight, everyone’s pushing themselves to the limits–
-or I thought they were. @QueenofKalos<3, is that normal for that Primeon, or is that some sort of new pseudo-Mega-Evolution? Because it looks unfair, whatever it is
QueenofKalos<3
I fucking give up. @Eeveelution Experts, ya’ll are better than me at this and all of you would kill me for not pinging you directly, and I like my ability to interact with you nerds thank you very much.
KirliaGurl
DID MANA JUST FUCKING CHANGE TYPES?! WHAT THE SHIT IS THIS!?
FlareonBurnstheHottest
OH FUCKING COME ON! THAT’S BULLSHIT! MANA AND MISORA YOU SMUG BITCHES! YOU KNEW ABOUT THIS DIDN’T YOU. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH. This is fine, this is fine! I can still make Flareon Great Again!
VaporeonLiker3
Eighteen Orbs– so Primeon can shift to any type? Hot dog, that means there have to be more Eeveelutions out there! We’re still missing seven types, this is a huge push forward!
…huh, reading back up, is this really what we should be talking about? Seems like there’s something more important to discuss than just Mana
GaeSylveon
Shut your dirty mouth, the fight’s almost over, I don’t think that Torkoal’s going to have much of a chance against a Primeon. And by my count, Misora’s still got two Pokemon left, Malva’s cinders
SageLeafeon
Yup, it’s over. Malva’s under arrest. If we want to continue the Primeon talk, we need to head to a different thread.
For now, anyone have any idea who’s gonna replace Malva? I think Gurkinn is nearing retirement, which would put them down two E4 when Flare’s still raging
User Name
I mean given that Misora just beat Malva, I think you could make a pretty strong argument that she should replace her, though there is the issue that she’s not really got a ‘type’. And traditionally Shittenou are Type Specialists.
EVJFEULGS
Keyword, ‘traditionally’. Gurkinn isn’t, not really, and there’s other E4 trainers who just have a ‘theme’ and not a proper type specialization. Look at Agatha from Kanto, she used ‘evil’ Pokemon most of her career, with Ghost only being her official specialty
TheMysteryofWyrmeon
Okay, the league has released a statement [HERE] about the ongoing action in Luminoise, apparently Lysandre has been identified as a major leader of Flare, if not its actual commander. Malva has been taken into custody pending a full investigation
Flare just lost a major base and significant capital, this might be the beginning of the end
Noblest_Color
That’s impossible! There’s no way Lysandre would be linked to Team Flare!
QueenofKalos<3
Your delusions are adorable but the facts don’t lie, buddy.
____________________________________________________________________________
“...our analysts, political, battle, and social, are still working out what this stunning event could mean for Kalos, and indeed, the world. But it seems that the International Police have things well in hand. Up next, the rise of Shiny Hunting; what it means for society and Pokemon conservation,” The newscaster said.
Blinking, Illya picked her jaw up off the floor, and turning towards Shirou, questions burning in her eyes. They’d both woken up to chaos as news of the recent events in Lumiose came to light, but she and her brother had just watched the battle between Misora and Malva at Cynthia’s request and…
Everything had happened so fast, with so little input on the part of both trainers. While intellectually, the snow-haired girl could understand that this was a pair of trainers that were far above her in skill, the more emotional part of her was simply in shock over how far she had to go - no, could go.
Cynthia hummed as she finished taking notes. “I wonder if Misora will be coming back to Sinnoh any time soon; I’m now very disappointed we didn’t get a battle. She probably would’ve given me a better fight than most of my challengers.”
Shirou raised a hand. “Umm, Cynthia? What were we supposed to learn from that? I could only keep up by reinforcing my eyeballs,” he admitted.
“The fact that you can keep up with the actual play by play and not just have to read the flow of the battle is both a blessing and a curse. It’s a blessing because we don’t need to stop and start play-by-play, but a curse because high level battling is something which is done as much by feel as by rote planning. Some of the best trainers I’ve ever met are artists rather than athletes or geniuses, if that makes any sense.”
Illya nodded. “No, that makes sense. It’s easy to try and frame Pokemon Battling as a sport, but both you and Diantha aren’t really sporty in the same way that, for example, Champion Mustard is. And even he’s a Martial Artist rather than a really ‘sporty’ person.”
“Yes, though I was talking more about mindset than personal skills,” Cynthia clarified. “But all of that’s beside the point. What we saw today was important for multiple reasons; first, this was a real stakes battle between two trainers of comparable skill where nothing was held back. And that’s very rare; even in League Tournaments and Champion Challenges, there’s almost always a certain level of footsies, of each side trying to field out what’s the minimum they can get away with revealing. Strategic considerations on a tactical level. Here, both sides put everything they had into the fight, because losing had higher stakes than a trophy or a prize check.”
Shirou nodded thoughtfully, while Illya raised a hand. “I know you don’t usually need to, but do you pull out all the stops when helping people? Like, when you were rescuing Shirou from that Distortion, if you’d needed to, you’d have gone all out, right?”
“Sometimes, yes. It depends on the context of the situation and if everything is needed or not,” Cynthia admitted easily, frowning slightly. “Consider, for example, that going all out might exhaust certain Pokemon that I may need at considerably more strength during a long running disaster. I wouldn’t go all out from the start there.”
Shirou frowned slightly, then shook his head. He already knew things were more complicated than black and white; here was a reminder that throwing yourself full force into every problem had its own downsides. “I suppose we need to get strong enough to handle our problems without having to give everything we have,” he admitted.
Illya huffed slightly. “More training, then. Not just our Pokemon, but ourselves, too.” She looked Cynthia over. “Umm, do you pursue any of the paths to power we’ve seen? It doesn’t seem like it.”
“No, I don’t.” At the questioning looks from the siblings and their teams, she elaborated. “Rascal did test me to see if I had talent for Aura use, and Banshee looked to see if I was magically active. Neither found anything worth developing. I’m like most people; I don’t have any elemental affinities or potential that’s worth more than training one of my partners to defend me if things get difficult, and though I stay in shape, it’s not going to let me fight Pokemon on an even footing unless I totally dedicated myself to it. And I have a thousand other things I’d rather keep up with, rather than train to box a Machoke with my bare hands.”
Shirou frowned. “That…” He stopped, considering the differences between Garde and Earth. “...isn’t as much of a problem as it might be. I still don’t like it.”
Cynthia gave an elegant shrug. “It is what it is. From what you’ve described, Magi spend almost all of their time studying, and rely on hypnotism or family wealth to do that, right?”
“Correct. The vast majority have little to no combat ability, and would scorn at using their magecraft in such a manner outside of specific families that cultivate mysteries related to combat.” Illya paused, “Or Enforcers. But those are an entirely separate kettle of fish.”
“But they’re set up to be able to pursue magic over everything else. I can’t do that; I train my team, I pursue archaeology, I have a social life. It sounds like you two are used to people who hyper-specialize and devote themselves to one path wholeheartedly. That’s not normal here,” Cynthia explained. “...for that matter, you two are pursuing your goals at a breakneck pace. Maybe it’s a Magi thing, or an Earth thing, but you’re pushing much harder than almost everyone I’ve ever met.”
“... Right,” Illya blinked slowly, nodding slowly to herself as she recalled the fact that most first year trainers would take significantly longer to get to where she and her brother were, if at all. “I occasionally forget about that, but honestly, I’m pretty sure it’s just an us thing.”
“And your friends over in Unova?” Cynthia asked, smiling. “You’re all incredibly driven. I’d suggest you take a break after this year, if you reach the league or not, but I’d be a hypocrite to do so. Just don’t crash out, and you’ll be able to come back another time.” She stood, stretching. “Well, I’m glad you got to see that match, now let’s put it into practice. One more session today, and then we can go over some more fundamentals.”
Shirou and Illya nodded, standing up to walk back out into the training fields the large clearing had become. They’d learned a lot from Cynthia so far, no need to slack off before she left.
____________________________________________________________________________
Sakura studied the still of the Vaporeon shifting into water, allowing her to dance around incoming blows. “...hmm. Ren, Other, we already have the basics of that kind of trick developed. Think we should work on that more? Dodging like that seems really effective.”
“It would take a lot of work to do as effortlessly as that Vaporeon does it. I do believe it would be worth it, but perhaps only as a side-benefit of mastering my ‘unique’ skill,” Ren responded after a few moments of thought, watching as the fish-fox blasted his opponent with a stream of pressurized water. “I do believe I should invest in furthering my ranged repertoire though. We do appear to have mostly picked up brawlers.”
“...there is that,” Sakura agreed. “Dark Pulse for you, then. Other…”
“I’ll see about getting Shadow Ball and Ice Beam working, if possible,” Sakura’s Zorua grumbled, scratching at her chest. “Though I’d like a proper challenge soon. I’m on the cusp, and I’d like to push over before I try learning anything too radical.”
“Evolution, right?” Rin interjected, Agate lazily peering up from where she’d been napping, “You could always try the battle-club Sakura. Always a good fight there. Or we could go all out against each other.”
“Alternatively, you could face one of the Subway Bosses,” N spoke up from the side of the room. “Just because you can’t actually attempt the Battle Subway yet doesn’t mean you couldn’t challenge them.”
“They’ve been a great help, and to be honest, I don’t want to bother them further,” Sakura demurred. “I’ll think about the battle-club, might be worth a visit. Rin, you’ve been watching the same video as I have. Do you have any training ideas you want to follow up on?”
“Several. My team and I aren’t ever really going to be a master of one particular move, but I have a feeling that we’re going to be good at going for wide levels of coverage and unexpected angles,” her sister replied rapidly, a flicker of a competitive smile sparking across her face and eyes. “I have a feeling that Technical Machines and tutors are going to be my best friends fairly soon.”
Sakura thought for a moment, then nodded. “Finally getting your royalty checks?”
Rin smiled. “Your mothers forwarded my available cut to our accounts yesterday. The translation program and the supporting devices have been patented, and the Joy Clan have already paid for a global licence." Grinning, she turned towards Sakura, “While we don’t quite have more money than god yet, it’s certainly going to happen within my lifetime.”
“...will it be enough to pay for all your gem wants? Yesterday, you were eyeing a set of Mega Stones, and those aren’t cheap,” Sakura responded dryly. “None of our teams can even use Mega Evolution… except Libra.”
“It’ll be less expensive to go to Kalos and seek training there specifically if we have downtime before the Ventres Conference, and there’s no guarantee that ‘gimmicks’ will be allowed there,” Rin replied with a firm shake of her head. “Besides, like you said, we only have one Pokemon capable of Mega Evolution between us. I was just curious, and I’ll be restrained on my purchases, don’t worry.”
Sakura nodded, and turned back to the screen. “...I wonder what this ‘Flare’ is really after? An organization like that, with such deep pockets, won’t be taken out so easily.”
Rin huffed. “No doubt. But it’s not our problem, thankfully. Let’s put our trust in the Magus Killer doing what he does best.”
2025-12-01 22:38:23 +0000 UTC
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Fury burned through Misora Hibiki as she pocketed her phone, eyes flashing with contempt. At her side, Mana’s own hisses of disgust and shared anger crystalized into a glacial certainty. Through her bonds, she could feel the rest of her team’s raging emotions, anger, fury, contempt, righteous indignation, and more coursing through the links between herself and her Pokeballs.
“Malva’s a traitor.” An eerie sense of calm filled the girl as she spoke, the Ace Trainer’s eyes finding their reflection in the eyes of her companions. “The rot goes far deeper than we thought.”
In front of the group, a battle raged in the city streets before Cafe Lysandre, and the entrance to the attached lab beside it. The entrance to the lab was fortified, stone walls rising from the earth to block entry, a flood of Flare grunts and lab security forces pouring out through the doors and shattering the cohesion of the gathered Interpol agents, Ace Trainers, and Lumiose gendarmerie who’d been gathering for the assault.
And in the middle of the dozens of smaller battles, fire and water clashed, the two leaders of the attacking force now turned against each other. Siebold, local chef and Elite Four member, desperately shouted orders, his team shielding burned and fallen agents even as they battled the blaze set against them.
Across from him, standing in front of the Cafe and supported by a dozen Flare agents, Elite Four Malva directed her own team. Blasts of fire lashed out at Siebold’s Pokemon and those he protected alike, the glasses on the woman’s face not hiding her pinched, stoic expression, each flare burning away her reputation and all she’d earned even as she sought to bring him down.
Kiritsugu ignored the shouted words and oaths exchanged between the two former comrades, grabbing Misora by the shoulder before she could lunge out of the alleyway and into the fray. “If they’re revealing such a trump card like this, Flare’s either desperate, or their goal is in sight,” he hissed into her ear. “Do you trust me?” He asked, his own heart shivering. He’d only known this woman for a few hours, and right now, he needed her to listen.
“... So long as you’re not telling me to ignore her,” Misora answered, breathing deeply as she got her emotions under a semblance of control. By her side, Mana did the same, the Primeon looking towards her partner with a somewhat annoyed but understanding look.
Kiritsugu winced. “Well… yes. I am. For now.” He pointed past the fighting. “This has to be a stalling tactic, it makes no sense to burn an asset like this otherwise. Besides AZ, there must be something important in there; and we need to go in and keep them from evacuating. And of course, we need to free AZ.” He looked back at her. “I don’t know how many of them will still be in there, or even how big the lab is; there’s already more people coming out than were supposed to fit in the lab to begin with. Elle and I can push in together, but it’ll be much faster with your help. Malva is already occupied; we have our own objectives.”
For a moment, it seemed as if Misora would be willing to hear out his demands, then, she turned her attention towards the battle for a few moments. “... Seibold is going to lose this one unless I intervene. He’s playing for keeps, sure, but he’s having to defend every downed agent and Ace. If things keep going as they are, he’ll lose, and Malva will kill him. Then Kalos will be down two Elite Four Members. It’d be a PR Coup for Flare if they spin it the right way.” Turning towards Kiritsugu with a sad, determined smile, she closed her eyes in apology. “I’m sorry, but I’ll have to turn you down. Go. I’ll keep them busy out here, clean up Malva and her goons in a snap, and join you two afterwards.”
If anyone else had declared that, one might have thought it was bravado. But Misora… Well, Misora had beaten a member of Kalos’ Elite Four, and while she’d been on vacation and was self-admittedly rusty, she had one advantage over Malva.
She was defending her adopted homeland against a Team. And that would give her all the strength she would need.
Kiritsugu nodded. “Once you win, call me, and I’ll have Amelie come and get you.” He turned to Elle, the other woman nodding. “Right, let’s go.” The two agents sprinted back down the alley, rounding the corner.
Elle shot Kerry a look as they circled around. “Back entrance?”
“Loading docks. We had agents back there, so there’ll be a fight, but at least we’re not forging through two Elites brawling it out,” he said as they ducked down the alley. A group of interpol agents were busily hammering against the roller doors, ducking down to avoid gunfire and Moves sent their way through the gaps they’d opened. Kerry pulled out his own pistol and shot through the thin sheet metal, screams and cries of pain echoing into the alley. Without missing a beat, he jumped to the door and wrenched it open. “Let’s go.”
--(o)--
Misora stormed onto the battlefield, Mana striding alongside her as she withdrew Sam’s Pokeball from her belt, a cry of challenge on her lips.
“MALVA!” Her declaration, filled with fury, froze the battlefield for an ephemeral instant, all within turning towards the Ace Trainer as she stepped forth. A confident presence that buoyed the hearts of those she would fight alongside, and one that sent terror into her unhardened enemies. This was a trainer who could stand amongst the Four Heavenly Kings - the Elite Four - face them down, and defeat them.
This was someone with the sheer potential to be champion. A sixteen year old girl who had gone farther than most ever would in their lifetimes.
“Face me,” Misora spat, Sam’s pokeball spinning onto the battlefield and releasing the Alolan Ninetales from his confinement, the majestic vulpine Pokemon hailing the coming of Snow. Without waiting for a formal acknowledgement from her foe, she sprung into action, directing her Pokemon calmly even as she began summoning all but one of her other Pokemon onto the field, “Mana, take the Houndoom. Sam, defensive. Screen the team.”
Malva’s grim expression dropped, a small smirk gracing her lips. Half her team returned to their balls, before she hurled out Torkoal, the fire type releasing a cloud of smoke to obscure his entry and a set of stones erupting to strike at the Ninetails. “I accept your challenge, Misora. Leading by cutting off the sun; clever,” she acknowledged, her Houndoom releasing a Wil-o-wisp to strike at Misora’s ace. “I didn’t expect to see you here,” she admitted.
With the ancient tradition and accord struck, Siebold immediately withdrew his team. Now free to direct his attention towards the suppression of both the Flare and Lab forces pressuring Kalos’ own, and the fires which had begun to rage out of control, he directed his Pokemon to handle the crises, one eye kept on the clash before him.
Both of the Ace Trainer’s Pokemon dodged the opening blows as Misora withdrew the rest of her team out of respect for the ancient customs she had invoked in the first place, offering Malva a terse nod of respect. While they stood as enemies, there was one thing she could acknowledge about her foe - she was powerful. “Nor did I expect a Shittenou to side with a Team. I suppose we’ll all have to be disappointed today, Malva.”
Malva winced. “Believe me, I’m having second thoughts myself. Not enough to stop, mind you.” Her smirk remained. “I won’t stand down, unless you can make me. Can you?” She whipped out a hand, pointing towards her opponent. “Torkoal, Stealth Rock, both variants, Houndoom, hit that fairy with a Sludge Bomb!”
Misora didn’t bother speaking, Sam seemingly to be taken off guard by the poison-type attack only to vanish in a blur of snow powder, the real Ninetails dropping out of his illusion and skipping away from the pointed stones which attempted to burrow into his side. Mana took the opportunity to blur forward, smashing into Torkoal with an Extremespeed, carrying her into close quarters with the two fire-types. Before she could attack again, a bright flash of rainbow light lit the field, and when it faded Mega Houndoom immediately released a Fire Blast, the explosion of flame knocking her back to skid to a halt near her trainer.
“Misora,” Mana declared, even as Sam wreathed himself and his partner in battle in a living aurora. Not even a moment later, the defensive barrier turned aside another attempt to set up the ‘status effect’ form of Stealth Rocks against the Ninetales. “Astolfo. Tag him in.”
With a short nod towards her starter, she withdrew her into her Pokeball for the first time in… forever. In the same movement, Astolfo’s ball flew onto the field, depositing him onto the field. As he wove through another Fire Blast, Misora touched her lips against the ring she wore on her left ring finger, the keystone embedded within shining with inner light. Golden threads of energy connected her and Astolfo as she brought her left hand forward and raised it into the sky. “I’m counting on you, ‘Stolfo.”
“As always, I shall answer, ‘Sora,” Her companion declared, the Mega Lopunny standing on the battlefield with a presence more than equal to that of his opponent. Blurring forward, Astolfo bounded into the air and came down on the Houndoom with a vicious Mega Kick. Malva’s hound wove around the attack, attempted to use the opening to punish the Lopunny for his hubris at using such an ‘inaccurate’ move, only to receive a flurry of punches and kicks for his efforts, the Fire Blast blooming in his mouth sent skyward before Houndoom was sent flying away with a vicious kick to his barrel.
Malva’s eyes narrowed behind her glasses. “Torkoal, Landmine. Houndoom, Protect.” Torkoal rolled forward, getting right underneath Astolfo before his shell began to hiss. No fool, the Lopunny sprang backward, barely escaping the brunt of the Overheat which bloomed outward, searing him and washing over Sam, Houndoom’s barrier flickering as it took the wave of fire. The fox’s eyes shone pink before he fired off a Moonblast, the shot cracking the damaged barrier and searing the dark type with fae energies. Houndoom took the hit with a small whine, before responding with another Fire Blast which struck the ice-type in return, the fox giving his own cry of pain.
“‘Stolfo, don’t give Houndoom room to breathe. Number four special,” Misora called, whipping out Sam’s Pokeball as Astolfo once again began to put pressure on Malva’s Houndoom, a flurry of punches and kicks wreathed in lightning coming from all possible angles as the rabbit bounced around like a demented pin-ball. “Sam, return. Suiko, announce yourself.” Another ball spun onto the field without pause, the disadvantaged fox replaced with one that very much possessed the advantage. As she hit the field, the Vaporeon trilled her greeting to the world, ever the ‘idol’. As she did so, a deluge of sparkling pink water crashed across the battlefield like a tsunami, her combat partner barely escaping the wave of Dazzling Water by leaping to the skies.
Malva spared one glance towards the sky, Houndoom leaping up and trying to blast out of the way as she withdrew Torkoal ahead of the pink tide. “...Scovillain,” She decided, releasing the two-headed plant onto the battlefield. “Cue the sun.” Immediately, the red head of the grass type pointed upward, releasing an orb of light which dissolved the snowstorm, a haze of bright sunlight forming over the battlefield. As soon as the sunlight grew harsh, the green head of her second Pokemon bloomed with green-tinted energy, a Solarbeam blasting towards Suiko. The Vaporeon melted out of the way of the hasty sunblast, reforming a few meters to one side. Houndoom landed, panting slightly as the impact of all the hits he’d taken caught up with him.
Misora rapped out another order. “Finish him before he can–” She stopped as Houndoom took a deep breath, absorbing sunlight, before he blasted out a massive Fire Blast, catching Astolfo square across his torso, before his flames flickered out. Astolfo grimaced as Malva returned her ace, sending out her Pyroar in response, the bulky fire type attempting to lunge forward only to be blasted aside by a Hydro Pump, Suiko calling the switch. “Bring the storm, Suiko.”
“Oh, not again…” Malva muttered as raindrops started falling on her head. She paused for a split second as Scovillain hit Vaporeon with a Seed Bomb, before shaking her head. Getting into a control battle over the weather would do her no good here. “Pyroar, stick to Hyper Voice, the bunny’s weakened,” she ordered, her pride queen nodding before she released a massive roar which splattered Atolfo with both concussive force and the remnants of Suiko’s attack. Astolfo staggered, then darted forward, Quick Attack allowing him to close to quarters and land a short flurry of blows before Pyroar lashed out, another blast of sound and force sending him tumbling, his Mega Evolution fading.
Misora withdrew her champion, watching for a moment as Pyroar turned to face Suiko, the water type focused on keeping Scovillain honest with more bursts of Dazzling Water, dodging Seed Bombs in return as she swayed and danced around her attacks. She palmed another ball. “Mana, your turn.” She released the Primeon, the Eeveelution immediately forming an Aura Sphere in her mouth and firing it at the Pyroar.
Malva smirked, glasses gleaming as her keystone shone once again. “Oh, let’s see if I’ve got the timing right…” She murmured as the blaze of Mega Evolution interrupted the incoming attack, Mega Pyroar roaring to the sky as her mane blossomed.
“Oh, so that’s how we're playing things then.” Misora smirked despite the situation, her own fighting spirit rising to the fore as she mentally juggled how she’d want to respond. She didn’t have an option besides Mega Evolution, which left exactly one option for her. Showing off something new that she and her starter had been working on. Breathing deeply, she nodded to herself. “Mana, we’re testing that out!”
“Oh finally, trainer mine. It was so worth putting a bounty on any information that people could find. I managed to figure something new out, after all~” Her starter replied with unbridled glee, the Primeon’s eyes shining with inner delight.
This time, Misora didn’t bother with her usual flair for Mega Evolution. No such thing was needed. Her keystone simply responded to her will, connecting her aura with that of her partners. Instead of physically changing her, however, it instead simply unlocked something. Temporarily broke Mana’s limits, so that she could fight harder, stronger, and faster than she could otherwise. A halo of eighteen orbs of different colors floated around her neck, a rainbow of Type energies present and ready for use as Mana stopped holding back.
Mana called it “Awakening”. Misora was inclined to agree that it fit.
Malva blinked, then grinned widely. “As far as final matches go, this one’s going well!” She laughed. “I thought you might have a Z-Move, but this is something else!” She gestured. “Pyroar, Burning Voice! Sear your opponent!” she ordered. Her second ‘ace’ responded near immediately, a blast-wave of flames and force forming into a concussive fireball which roared towards Mana.
In response, the Primeon almost dismissively let the light of a dark purple orb wash over her, her form going wispy for a moment before the attack landed. The wave of force passed right through, and without pause she sprang forward and released a blast of brown light in a scatterblast, the Power Gem shredding Pyroar’s mane.
Malva paused at the impossible sight. “Wait, is that some sort of… improved Protean?” She asked, horrified. For the first time since the fight had begun, the Kalos Elite Four member was visibly rattled, shocked in a way that none had truly ever seen her.
Silently, Misora tilted her head to the side, not bothering to answer her foe’s question. Distinctly aware that she and her starter were being recorded and that the secrecy of Primacy was likely at least partially blown, she endeavored to not make it worse. “Vector, Mana.”
Understanding her partner’s command despite how long it’d been since they’d come up with various tactics let alone practiced for the moment when she’d reveal Primacy to the world, Mana once more embraced the light of her dark purple orb. Once again, the Primeon faded from sight, yet this time, she did not reappear quickly. As both Malva and Pyroar near-frantically kept their eye out for the now Ghost, Suiko took the opportunity to once again execute a wide area attack, drowning the battlefield with Dazzling Water once more. Pyroar gave an uncomfortable yowl, even as Malva was forced to dodge the unconscious body of Scovillain, the Elite returning her second downed Pokemon and releasing a Chandelure to replace him.
“They’ve got a– temporary ghost. Find her.” She ordered her own ghost-type. Chandelure bobbed amiably, before getting caught by a Shadow Ball fired from just behind them both, spinning and trying to catch her opponent with Hex.
“Suiko, keep the pressure up,” Misora barked, hiding a wince as Mana took the hit from the Hex, retreating back into the shadows to keep her foes honest more than anything else. This was a combination they’d practiced, adding an unexpected vector of attack to draw the focus of the opposing trainer firmly to her and not her partner for double battles. Once Suiko took center stage again, Mana would actually take advantage of her concealment to support her fellow Eeveelution, but for the moment, her starter would remain the “star” of this show.
Pyroar opened her mouth to blast flames in the general direction Mana had gone, only for her maw to be fouled up by an Ice Beam which left her muzzle locked open and blocked. Spinning around and freeing her jaw with a Fire Fang, she then proceeded to catch another Hydro Pump directly in the face. Before Suiko could blast her again, Chandelure dove into the way, erecting a fast Protect to block the shot, then lashing out with a Wil-o-Wisp which the Vaporeon easily dodged.
Malva’s eyes narrowed, reaching for her Keystone again, only to wince as reality seemed to throb around her. She didn’t have enough left in the tank for another Mega Evolution, and firepower didn’t seem like it was working; Pyroar was a few hits from falling, which left her with few options. “Pyroar, Wild Charge, keep that fish honest. Chandelure, stick to Hex and overwatch for now.” Pyroar nodded, crouching before she leapt towards Suiko, electricity surging across her form as she barrelled into the water-type.
Clicking her tongue, Misora fixed her eyes on Suiko as the Vaporeon dove to the size, wincing as she was clipped by Mega-Pyroar’s Wild Charge. Tilting her head subtly to the side, she spoke, “Intercede.”
Surging forward from the Phantom Force that she’d been concealing herself in, Mana slammed herself into the Chandelure, the retaliatory Hex fizzling away as she Primeon remanifested herself on the battlefield under her native type. With a vulpine smirk, the Primeon followed up her attack against the living chandelier by slamming a water encrusted tail against it, sending the previously floating ghost straight into the cobbled streets outside of the lab.
Malva winced as she watched the twitchy but still functioning Suiko douse both Chandelure and Pyroar with another Dazzling Water, the strike leaving Chandelure water logged and drooping, and knocking the leonine Pokemon to the ground. She tried to rise, then faltered, legs splaying as the transformation of her Mega Evolution gave out. Malva returned her starter, sighing softly as she held the ball in one hand. With a murmured word of thanks, she tucked the ball back onto her belt, and threw out her next Pokemon. “Talonflame, set the stage, and then bring Vaporeon down,” she ordered, and with a cry, the bird complied, wings flapping to form a Tailwind before she dove into a Brave Bird, aiming straight for Vaporeon.
“Swan Song!” Misora barked in response, the Vaporeon trilling in agreement as she gathered energy to counterattack the moment the attack landed. Alas, unfortunately for her, Suiko’s exhaustion caught up with her, and she went down without a fight to the Brave Bird, leaving Mana alone on the field as Misora withdrew Suiko. Another ball hit the court even as Mana lashed out with a volley of rocks, the Stone Edge clipping the Talonflame as they circled around for another pass.
Out of the ball, Sam arrived on field once more, heralding the coming of snow again. Their greeting to the world was an omnidirectional Blizzard, whipping the snowy weather into a frenzy of violent winds laced with shards of ice. He looked up moments afterwards, flicking his tail and sending a barrage of Ice Shards to catch Talonflame in the wing, the hits forcing him to lose speed.
Chandelure switched from ghost energy to fire, sending bursts of flames through the resurgent snow as they tried to pin Mana down, only for the Primeon to grin and vanish into the drifting snow just long enough to lose her opponent. Chandelure pivoted, incidentally exposing their back to a blast of Power Gem, Mana rippling out of the snow as her coat changed from snow white to jagged rock. Chandelure collapsed to the ground, Malva returning her ghost and releasing Torkoal, the smoking tortoise immediately adding to the poor visibility with drifting clouds of white smoke.
“Talonflame, Flare Blitz. That Eevee has to be getting tired,” Malva ordered, her voice still steady, but cooling to embers. With only two Pokemon left, and Misora still having two in reserve, victory was unlikely. “Torkoal, no Overheat. Curse and then Stone Edge. Pick your shots.”
“End it, Mana,” Misora called softly, Sam once more deploying an Aurora Veil to dampen the incoming attacks as Talonflame raced towards Mana. Nodding in response to her trainer’s demand, the fox stilled momentarily, only for her eyes to snap open. Her corona of energy dimmed, fed into the move she was preparing even as Talonflame approached, hampered constantly by support from the other vulpine on the field. Briefly, Mana closed her eyes, before they snapped open once more, and she pulsed with energy, a seemingly endless array of stars and playing cards surrounding her.
With a flick of her tail, the unholy combination of Trump Card and Swift was launched towards two separate targets, the fusilade knocking Talonflame out of the sky and firmly into the snow-covered ground, where he was promptly buried under an avalanche from Sam. Torkoal threw up a protect, weathering the storm, only for the protective barrier to shatter as Mana’s form blurred, the Primeon’s body slamming into her foe’s before he could possibly react. Torkoal was bounced across the ground, landing on his back in front of Malva.
The former Elite Four withdrew her Pokemon, slipped her belt off, and dropped it and her keystone onto the ground before her. She held her head high as Misora approached. “...fire’s out now,” she admitted. “Lysandre said the world wasn’t enough to stop us, not as broken as it is. But maybe we’re the broken ones after all.” She gave a mocking salute to the crowd and news cameras which had gathered at the edge of the battlefield. “For the last time, this was Malva, going off air,” she declared, before offering her wrists to Misora.
Taking the handcuffs she had been provided with off her own belt, Misora solemnly clapped them on the soon to be former Elite. “Malva of the Kalos Shitennou, you are under arrest. You have the right to remain silent…”
--(o)--
Xerosic darted around the corner, hastily stuffing documents and data drives into a satchel. “So much data, plans, structures, lost–” He stopped as the sound of gunfire echoed from the corridor behind him. “-including the suit. Damn them,” he muttered, moving to head back into the cell block only to freeze as he heard gunfire from inside. He peered through the door to see Kiritsugu Emiya gun down the grunts he’d had trying to wrangle AZ from his cage, watching as the ex-hitman unlocked the cell door and let the disgraced king loose from his cage. “...and one last loss,” he murmured, backing away and triggering his panic button.
It was barely a moment before a gateway formed in the shadows next to him, and Xerosic darted through to find himself in a warehouse across town. Lysandre stood in the middle of the chaos as dozens of grunts loaded priceless equipment, books, and documents into boxes and packages to be shipped out to other bases. “Xerosic.” The Flare Leader greeted his first scientific subordinate. “...how bad is it?”
“Bad. Malva is lost to us; burned entirely. The King gave up little we didn’t already know, and Interpol’s dogs advanced too swiftly for us to reclaim or erase everything,” he admitted.
Lysandre’s face pinched. “...we’ll overcome this. Our story is not over yet; they still have yet to find Hearthfire. Come, we need to leave the city before they can capture us. Malva will be freed before the final dawn; I swear it. But this is our greatest loss thus far.” He turned, looking over the remains of what was supposed to be his final sanctum, being divvied up and sent away. “...there’s no PR recovery from this. It may be time to start subcontracting. However distasteful the results might be.”
“At least the Alpha and Omega are contained, yes?” Xerosic offered.
“For now,” Lysandre growled softly. “For now.”
2025-11-15 19:19:36 +0000 UTC
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AZ carefully lowered himself into the beanbag chair, his long legs folded beneath him as he sat. “Thanks.” He offered the group of agents and Pokemon which surrounded him. The group had brought AZ to a small safehouse, the interior set up for the comfort of those who needed its services.
Kiritsugu looked over the man with a frown, examining him closely. “Are you in pain, sir?”
“Not a sir,” the ancient man responded. “Yes. Always.” He took a deep breath. “Judgement for a great sin. The Weapon.”
“Gotta ask, is there another name for it other than ‘The Ultimate Weapon?’ It just seems sorta pretentious,” Amelie asked, a little surprised when AZ turned to her.
“I never named it. Seemed unnecessary. Some after called it the Light of Ruin, or the Maker of Wastes,” he said. “It’s use… greatest regret. It’s not just a weapon; it’s a conduit.”
“A conduit? A conduit for what?” Elle asked, pulling out her phone to take notes.
“Life energy. Drain it from Pokemon, from a place, from a gathered group. Then pour it out, into people or back into the world. A glorified Hyper Beam.” He chuckled dully. “Poured twenty thousand years of life and growth into myself, the same into my partner. And still enough left over, from all I killed, to scour an army into the bedrock.”
Well. That was… definitely terrifying. A weapon easily comparable to the horrifying super-weapons that Atlas was rumored to have. Though twenty thousand years? No. Wait. That made sense. Especially since it explained the existence of a certain ecological phenomena that made no sense otherwise. “It’s responsible for the existence of the Desert right outside Lumiose City, isn’t it?” Kiritsugu asked.
“In part. Both the drain and the beam impacted that area. It was already ruined from the fighting. Then the impact tore away what was needed for it to heal,”hHe confirmed.
Misora interjected. “And Flare is hoping to recover and use it again? What are they targeting?”
“I do not know.” AZ shook his head, grimacing. “I have not asked. They have made allusions to a more beautiful world.” Pausing, he sighed. “I have my own opinions on what they mean by that - mass genocide - but I cannot confirm one way or another. Mildly useful conjecture at most. They are still utterly insane for asking me where it is,” he pushed out before stopping to massage his throat.
Elle coughed. “Kiritsugu, as the one here that’s most knowledgeable about esoteric weapons like this; how hard would they have to work to refit or upgrade something like this to widen the area of effect? Either the drain, or the beam?”
“I’m not certain, but simply via the advancement of technology, and how magic here does not seem to become worse with the advancement of technology, I would assume it could be done. Especially if they manage to… get better…-” Kiritsugu paused, color draining from his face, “That’s why they’re after the Legends. They’d make phenomenal power sources.”
“Life and Death,” AZ rasped. “I sought them for generations; hoping they could drain the life from me, let me go. They never showed themselves. Kalos is their home.”
“They could use any Legendary as a power source, but true deities would be best,” Elle said, hurriedly typing out an email. “We know Flare lacks almost any international presence, but I don’t think the League even knows where either of those two are.”
Misora winced. “How would we even know if they’ve captured them? Or any other legendaries. The league keeps tabs on some legends, but not all of them.”
Kiritsugu closed his eyes. “We either need to hunt down all of Flare’s bases, or we need to find and destroy the Conduit before it can be used. Seeing as AZ won’t tell us, for good reason, we need to step up our persecution of Flare’s bases.”
“Easier said than done,” Misora shot back. Because it was. Flare’s bases were disgustingly well concealed, and given the funds they had access to, that was no accident, “Especially with so much subtle support from the local league and governments.”
“We’re working on that,” Elle snapped back before calming down. “Nothing’s changed, then, except now we know the full stakes.” She stopped as her phone chirped, and she looked down to read the pop up. “Well, that’s interesting.”
“What?”
“The girl we captured, the greenette? She’s been positively identified as Bryony de Gaulle, a member of a local research lab.” Elle explained. “That alone wouldn’t be noteworthy much, but according to her social media, she and her three sisters do almost everything in concert; if one joined Flare, then the other three become suspect.”
“Well,” Kiritsugu mused, a dangerous glint entering his eyes, “That certainly is interesting…”
“Can we investigate?” Misora asked.
“Lysandre Labs is run by… well, Lysander de Lis.” As everyone gave Elle odd looks, she blinked. “I suppose he’s not known internationally. The man’s a politician, researcher, and philanthropist, generous and charismatic. I don’t know how he’d react to one of his personal researchers going rogue like this, much less four of them, and he has enough clout to make getting access to any of his information difficult.”
Kiritsugu hummed in understanding, considering a few things before deciding that it was worth asking. “Is he on the list, Elle?”
Elle gave him a sharp look. “If I had the entire list, I’d have already told you. Hold on, let me… hmm.” She paused. “Let me set up a secure chat client, then I’ll ask Looker.” She started sending messages. “I need to let him know about the current events anyway.”
AZ coughed. “Do you have more questions? I am happy to rest.”
“For now, I believe we have none, AZ.” Misora responded diplomatically. “You’ll be free to go as soon as we have put together an acceptable statement to pass to the police.. Speaking of, for a limited period of time, would you mind carrying a cellular device with you? It would be helpful to be able to contact you, or for you to be able to contact us in an emergency.”
“I carry a cell phone.” AZ produced a weathered flip phone from his coat. “Emergency calls only. I do not keep money for a data program.”
“...we’ll get you on a League plan. As soon as they clear the last of the moles, that is.” Elle sighed, her own phone chirping. “Looker’s gotten back to us. Lysandre is not on the short list, but he is on the list of potential ‘masterminds’ behind the whole affair. He’s not the primary suspect, but the last three most prominent persons have either been cleared or in one case was found to ‘just’ be running a pokephilliac’s dating service.”
“That is mildly suspicious in and of itself,” Mana offered, her eyes narrowing. She didn’t say anything further, not that she needed to. That the top three suspects had been cleared meant that they may have been intentional red herrings. It was paranoid, sure, but when they were actually out to get you, and had proven to have infiltrated the League, the Governments, and the Interpol…
“Not really? Or at least, I didn’t think so…” Elle countered. “Though, I’ll ask Looker to study the source of their suspicions. Anyway, Lysandre’s rhetoric and placement made him a poor choice for a Flare leadership role, at least on the surface. He was on the list due to his rich private life and resources more than anything.” She paused. “...though he does wear red and black and have bright red hair.”
“... Well that certainly is suspicious.” Kiritsugu blinked, tossing a quizzical look towards Misora, who shrugged. Looking lower, he eyes Mana, and, of course, the Primeon was staring blankly back at him, her sides heaving with barely concealed mirth.
“Well, I mean… a lot of the time, Team Leaders openly wear the symbol of their groups. It’s a thing,” Misora said weakly.
“Greevil didn’t,” Elle protested. “He just wore an ominous purple cloak… and walked around with two intimidating bodyguards…” She trailed off, blushing. “Look, it’s only obvious when you think back on it, okay?”
“Trainer mine, they ALL have orange hair, and they all wear red and black.” Mana said to Misora, then turned to Elle. “And was his name really ‘Greevil?’ Greedy and evil?”
“I think he had it changed from Deathgold,” Elle admitted, before quickly moving on to the next subject. “Okay, so Lysandre may or may not be the big bad behind Flare, but we can’t point to his fashion sense to prove it. The League will probably request access to Bryony’s workplace to see if she’s been up to anything, but unless he goes completely nuts and goes loud the moment we touch him, they’ll have plenty of time to clear up evidence before we get permission to search Lysandre Labs.”
“I suppose it’d be a crime to search illegally, yes?” Kiritsugu asked. “From what I remember of the legal code, anyway. It might be worth breaking in.”
“If we did find any evidence, it wouldn’t be permissible in court. And if Lysandre is innocent, he could give Interpol a huge problem at a time we can’t afford a lawsuit like that,” Elle admitted. “Unless you can guarantee we wouldn’t get caught at all?”
Kiritsugu shook his head. “It was more of an idle thought, a habit from back when I was an independent operator. Now that I’m running with a Government Organization I should do things right.”
“Better this way. The days of kings and single men making decisions which haunt the future are gone,” AZ said slowly.
“On that, we can agree. But we should make sure this Lysandre– or whomever’s in charge of Flare– doesn’t get to make that choice for us,” Misora growled. “Is there any way we could get into the Labs to check it out?”
Amelie winced. “I can think of one way.”
“Do tell,” Mana blinked, the Primeon’s large eyes gazing piercingly towards the Kirlia.
“Well… AZ could get caught, and then we can follow them back to where they take him? It’d be really stupid of them to do it, but Flare’s… not that smart.”
Everyone blinked. For a few moments, there was silence.
“She has a point.” Misora was the first to speak, breaking the silence, turning her head towards King AZ. “Provided you’re okay with it, of course, and we clear it with the rest of Interpol and probably the League.”
“...do you have a tracker?” He asked eventually. “I will not go quietly should they approach again.”
“Right, let’s plan this out a little. We can’t hold you, so we’ll let you go with an obvious tracker; your phone will count. I’ll clear it with my boss before we send you on your way,” Elle offered. “We should probably also let the Champion know we’re sending a national treasure out on a possible sting operation.”
“National treasure?”
“You’re old enough to count as a living relic, almost like a Legendary. It’s a thing.” Elle waved off his befuddled look.
“In the meantime, let’s rest and get you something to eat. Any preferences?” Kiritsugu asked the massive man, smiling at him.
“Don’t let him try to cook!” Elle yelled before she stepped into the other room, raising her phone to her ear. “Hello, Looker? Yeah, we’ve got a rather risky plan…”
--(o)--
Kiritsugu looked up at Elle’s strangled choke and Misora’s laughter, the two women looking at the laptop which was tracking AZ’s movement data. “What happened?”
“AZ’s phone wasn’t moving for a while, so we checked the police reports and camera footage. Flare caught him in one of the wild areas, took his phone, chucked it in a garbage bin, and took him to… drumroll please…” Misora gestured to the screen. “Lysandre Labs! Conveniently, the cameras in that part of the city mysteriously malfunctioned in the last five minutes. How interesting!” She poked a few keys on her screen, a new viewpoint appearing in place of the black screens previously shown. “The hidden camera we had Frogadier plant still functioned, though, and we have clear images of them hustling AZ in through the loading dock they share with Cafe Lysandre.” She explained.
“How have these idiots been keeping out of our reach?” Elle moaned.
“Money?” Kiritsugu guessed, because there was actually a certain level of sense in that. Rich fops made mistakes, money bailed them out, they never learned the consequences of their actions, and thus Nepotism over Competence and all that was likely a rampant issue in Flare.
“How much more do they have, then!” She wailed, then pointed a finger at the dancing Kirlia. “Don’t you start.”
Kiritsugu stood up, heading towards the door of the safehouse. “Well, we can’t give them too long to interrogate him. This will be for nothing if they gain the location of the Conduit before we can stop them. Elle, did Champion Diantha get any assets on-site for a quick response?”
“Yep,” Misora answered in place of the still despairing woman, giving her new colleague a very amused look. “Two members of the Elite Four were available. Malva and Seibold. Both of them are on site.”
He nodded as the door swung open, walking into the afternoon daylight. “We’ll link up with them, then assess the situation from there. We’re in the middle of a city, care will be needed.”
--(o)--
“...nitwits! Do you even care about operational security!” AZ blinked languidly as he heard someone ranting nearby, consciousness slowly seeping back into him as he kept his eyes shut.
“Xerosic, we managed to do what your subordinates could not, and captured the ancient before he could slip though our fingers. You should be grateful, not hostile.” A second man, his voice oozing with contempt, followed the accusations from the first.
“We know there are Interpol agents in the city, and we know they’re probably watching him. And you brought him here!” the first voice frantically spat. “This place is filled with research labs, monitoring equipment, and weapons caches!”
“No one saw us bring him in–” The second man’s voice cut off as alarms began to ring throughout the complex. “...what?”
AZ cracked his eyes, to see a portly man in a red jumpsuit digging into his pocket, pulling out a scanner of some sort and pointing it at AZ, giving a chirp as he panned it down towards his knees. “You didn’t even search him properly! He has a tracker in his boot!” the scientist swore, spinning to face the other man in the room. “The alarm is stating that we’ve been found!”
The other man swallowed. “What do we do?”
“You should not have been assigned to anything more intricate than privy cleaning.” AZ interjected.
“He’s right. Get out, I need to make a call.” The man turned and ran out of the room, and the first turned back to the king, who looked through the bars of his cell. “Make no mistake, this will not save you, even if it may damn us,” the man hissed, producing his phone and putting it to his ear. “Agent Apex–”
AZ tilted his head, listening to the person on the other end of the call. “Xerosic, I’ve been called to aid in an interpol raid on Lysandre Labs, Lumiose branch. What’s going on?”
“We’ve been compromised by rank incompetence. Can you delay the raid until we can evacuate?” Xerosic rattled off.
“Interpol is already on-site, with more on the way. The government has express-pushed a warrant for a search. There’s nothing I can do to delay things and keep my cover.”
Xerosic paused. “...then I thank you for your sacrifice.”
“Do you speak for–” The other voice stopped. “-Lysandre agrees. I’ll do what I can.”
Xerosic nodded, hanging up and glaring at AZ. “You do not know what you stand against, elder.”
“The cost of the Weapon is more than you can understand,” AZ replied, slowly coming to his feet. “You know nothing, thinking you know all.”
Xerosic ignored the slight trembling in his hands as he turned away from the cell, moving to retrieve his tools. The utter certainty in the man behind him, it shook him more than the thought of the League’s arrival.
AZ looked up, closing his eyes. Rescue would be here soon.
2025-11-01 23:10:45 +0000 UTC
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Misora stepped off the plane with a frown, Mana trotting at her side as the trainer and her partner made their way into the terminal, looking around with furrowed brows. “Dunno how we’re going to find these agents, we’re supposed to know them when we see them. What does that mean?”
“Given the Moureon waving at us, I’d imagine that they’re waiting over there, Trainer Mine,” Mana deadpanned, looking towards Misora with a mildly judgemental look. “You’re losing some of your edge, dearest trainer.”
“Oh come off of it you silly fox,” the aforementioned woman griped back, her eyes fixing on the selfsame Moureon that her partner had glimpsed briefly as Haboo faded into the walls, quite literally. “Well, I do believe he wants us to follow him to a more discreet location. Mana?”
“Yes yes. Follow me and all that.” Misora’s starter Pokemon was truly such a little shit sometimes, but hey, at least she was reliable, always.
Moving down several hallways and then out into the city, Misora finally found a pair of humans and a half-dozen Pokemon lounging in an out of the way eatery, Emmanuelle carefully looking over a wine list. “...call me uncultured, but–” She looked up, then waved as the two approached. “Oh, perfect, a tiebreaker. Agent… Misora, yes? Tell me, with duck would you say red or white wine?”
“Not a wine gal, or alcohol, for the matter.” Misora shrugged, grinning at the groans emitted from the agents, “And it’s still Ace Misora, if you want my proper title. Just because I’m being seconded to INTERPOL doesn’t mean I’m with ya’ll full time. I have a different path to walk.”
“Sorry, sorry. You seemed to know Kalos pretty well in your interviews, but I shouldn’t have assumed.” Elle waved. “Agent Emmanuelle, longtime anti-cartel and anti-Team operative. My partner, Emiya Kiritsugu. I believe you’ve met his children.”
Kerry gave her a cool look, folding his hands atop the table, a Kirlia teleporting to his shoulder and mirroring him. “I know my son was in no real danger. That being said, I trust Immortal Akari didn’t give you any missions before you came here?”
“I wouldn’t have accepted them anyway,” Misora winced, grimacing a bit. “She got her one favor out of me, and I got my favor out of her. As far as I’m concerned, unless she justifies the order with backing from the Legends, she’s got no grounds to ask anymore.” She paused. “She did pass on something of a lead to me on the way out of the islands.”
“Fill us in on that after lunch,” Emmanuelle said, a waiter appearing at her side. “Yes, we’ll have two bottles of wine, this one and this one, thank you. And the duck is on the way, yes?”
At Misora’s odd look, Kiritsugu clarified. “We get paid far too much but are kept far too busy to enjoy it, at least according to her. So, when we get the chance to splurge on something simple, she insists we take it.”
“Morale is most important,” Mana added, blinking up at the table, “May I have a seat as well?”
“Of course. Most of our teams are having their own days out, excepting Frogadier, who’s watching from the shadows,” Kiritsugu said after checking his phone’s translator, tossing a slice of bread into the air, a long tongue snapping it up in a flash. “But we’re happy to meet you as well. Are you alright with roast duck, trimmings, and potato pave?”
“Neither of us have an issue with that,” Misora answered for the pair of them, the rest of her team already having taken their meals. They’d also been promised another team meal once they got moving, even if Lumiose City was one of the best places in the world to have a meal with your full team.
Leading city for that, honestly.
“That’s good,” he replied, even as the waitsmon started bringing platters and dishes out to cover the table. Several minutes passed as the group tucked into the feast with a will, before Kiritsugu sat back, idly sipping his second glass of wine. “Alright, what did the immortal send with you?”
“A letter, apparently passed along from one of her superiors.” Misora produced a piece of folded paper, handing it across to the two agents. “Apparently she got her hands on your reports, and took special interest in the mention of an ‘Ultimate Weapon.’ She didn’t know much, but according to the letter, there is someone here in Kalos who does. Another immortal.”
“King AZ?” Emmanuelle asked, if only for confirmation. At Misora’s nod, the woman grimaced. “Interpol’s been keeping tabs on him, but we don’t have him sufficiently covered. He’s been a nonproblem for centuries at this point, so we didn’t see the point.”
Kiritsugu looked up from the letter. “According to this, AZ knows all of the details about the Ultimate Weapon; he was the one who built and fired it, and his status as an immortal is a result. A curse.” He folded the letter, then quietly flicked it into the air, Braixen igniting it with a flourish of her wand. As the ashes fell to the table, he looked back at Misora. “Dialga… they are the deity responsible for Time, correct?”
“Correct,” she nodded, furtively casting her gaze around the room before sighing in relief, turning to address Emmanuelle. “He hasn’t had the training yet, right?”
“Nope. Hasn’t been necessary, and we’ve lacked the time,” she responded immediately.
“Right. Kiritsugu. Don’t mention the Legends as if they actually exist. It’s restricted information. Not outright classified, but…”
“The next best thing.” Kiritsugu nodded, then stood, putting money on the table. “We need to move, then. Several lines burned their way onto the paper when I touched it; reacting to my family crest. AZ is nearby, and he has less than a week before Flare catches him. We need to try and find him first. Elle, you said Interpol was keeping tabs on him?”
“We didn’t know he was in Lumiose,” she growled, obviously considering the implications of that, “We thought he was somewhere in Shalour City. We either have a traitor or AZ himself has been upping his game. My money is on the former.”
“Then we need to sweep the city. Does he have any preferences when it comes to haunts? Any residences here?”
“He’s a vagrant, forages or does odd jobs for food, doesn’t own property,” Elle shot back as they piled out into the street. “He’s also three meters tall, but manages to fade into the background most of the time. He likes historic sites and places with flowers.”
Misora raised one eyebrow. “You know a lot about one random guy– immortal, sure, but I barely knew anything about Akari before she barged into my life.”
“I did a deep dive on them recently when I was assigned to Kalos. It seemed prudent, seeing as Flare has been looking into old legends. Interpol knows AZ once ruled the ancient kingdom, which means Flare also must know. It was inevitable that they’d target him,” she answered, rolling her eyes.
Amelie spoke up from her spot on Kiritsugu’s shoulder. “Before we get deeper into the weeds, we should try to find this man before he is captured. There are many places with flowers here, but precious few ruins or old structures; Lumiose tore down their old castles and churches during the revolution, and they were never rebuilt.”
Misora spoke up. “There are the plazas, several parks outside the city proper, and the museum, right? That sounds like the extent of areas he might be visiting.”
“Correct. We’ll need to do a sweep and ask careful questions; make too much noise, and Flare will find him first,” Kiritsugu finished. “Splitting up has its pros and cons. Thoughts?”
“I say we go for it,” Misora offered immediately, receiving a vocal and nonverbal affirmation from Mana. “We have an Ace, two interpol agents, and their teams. We can each hold out if necessary, and while I’m not nearly as good a shot as Kiritsugu is, I do have a firearm and I do know how to use it if it ends up being required."
“So do I. Right, split up, stay in contact, each of us covers a different Arrondissement.” Elle quickly divvied up the map. “Go.”
The three trainers spread out, each heading down different side streets. Behind them, one of the waitstaff shook her head, nudging the Hawlucha helping her bus. “Exercise right after eating. Hmph. I wonder what has them in such a hurry?”
--(o)--
Lumiose City was quite large; not nearly as big as Paris, Kiritsugu thought, but large enough to make searching the entire place for one man very difficult. One of the few advantages they had in their search, Kiritsugu found, were the wild Pokemon nesting everywhere.
“I’m pretty sure I saw a man that tall, yes. He was feeding Ducklett down in one of the Plaza. What do the humans call it?” The Swablu murmured, tapping his chin. “I think they call it Bleu?”
Kerry nodded. “Was this recently? I mean, within the last few hours?” He asked as Amelie relayed the words to him.
“No less than half a day. A very sad perch of a human, he was very gentle with the little ducks. Wouldn’t mind being caught by him, but he doesn’t catch anyone, far as I know,” the little bird gossiped.
“Thank you for the information,” Kerry thanked Swablu, then checked his map, heading towards the plaza in question. “Half a day is a broad stretch, but it’s the first lead we have.” He muttered to Amelie. “Think we’re in luck?”
“Depends. We have the advantage of being able to tap the local Pokemon, which Flare is unlikely to consider quite yet. They have access to tech that will let them, but it’s not really caught ON yet, if you understand what I mean? It’s an assumption that most make that you’ll only be able to understand your own Pokemon, or have a psychic willing to translate for you.” Amelie shrugged, offering her trainer a wan smile. “But they’ve likely been tracking him longer, and if Elle is right, they know roughly where he is.”
“Agreed. Your analytic skills are coming along well,” Kiritsugu commented, the little fairy giving a happy trill as they wove their way through the side streets. As they came closer to Bleu Plaza, he slowed, hearing shouting from up ahead. “...of course our luck would be like this,” he muttered, slowing and ducking into the open space.
In the middle of the open space, a massive man in threadbare clothing stood, eyes carefully passing over the force arrayed against him. Six other men, each wearing some form of red clothing, stood supporting a single woman with green hair, wearing a lab coat and a red suit. “...what you know is vital to our plans of advancement, ancient one. You should be honored to help us remember what we have forgotten.”
AZ shook his head slowly. “...should be forgotten.” He ground out slowly. “What you’re asking for. I buried it myself.”
“Buried, you say? Interesting.” The woman folded her arms. “Where?”
“No.”
“They don’t know we’re here yet, Kiritsugu,” Amelie cautioned. “And it’s likely AZ can hold out while we contact Elle and Misora.”
Kerry nodded, quietly producing his phone and shooting a text to both of the other two, along with his current location, then turned his attention back to the confrontation. By this point, the six men were spreading out, circling around AZ, the larger man watching them with detached interest. He reached into one pocket and produced a Pokeball, a Golurk emerging from the orb to stand at his back. “...keep them off me.”
“I see negotiations have broken down.” The green haired woman produced a Pokeball of her own, a Bisharp emerging from the ball to glare menacingly at the towering man. “Laurant, David, make sure no one’s nearby. Everyone else, dogpile,” she ordered, a half-dozen Pokemon released into the world even as two of their number fell back and spread out.
Three balls sprung into the air as Kiritsugu hucked them then drew his sidearm, Amelie already reading his intentions as she grasped one of the grunts and held them in place - a bullet slamming into both knees on the man in short order. A trio of Kalosian starters hit the field a moment later and added their own attacks to the mix, hyper-pressurized water sending another grunt flying in the same instant a torrent of flames set another alight. Quilladin, meanwhile, intercepted a Houndoom who’d responded near instantly to the attack on their trainers, a Protect momentarily keeping the hound at bay - the followup Drain Punch sending the dog flying backwards.
The woman spun at the sounds of the gunshots, and immediately shrieked. “It’s the assassin! Someone call Xerosic!” she exclaimed, one of the men near her hauling a pistol out of his jacket, aiming it at Kiritsugu, only for AZ to step forward, one hand seizing his arm and dragging him into the air.
Amelie released the man from her telekinetic grip, then looked up with wide eyes, teleporting to Kiritsugu then popping both of them to one side. In the space he’d been a second previously, a familiar armored figure crashed into the ground, emerging from the shine of their own Teleport. EXS rose to its feet, then darted forward to engage the Earthling in melee.
Amelie teleported off of Kiritsugu as the man was forced to grapple with the armored figure, darting over to AZ as the man and his three pokemon – a Sigilyph and a Torkoal having joined the Golurk – fended off the incoming men.
She landed on the massive man’s shoulder. “Apologies for stepping in, your majesty. These men are enemies of ours, and we don’t want them getting the Ultimate Weapon.”
“I’m no king. Not anymore,” AZ sighed. “Thank you for the help.”
“You are welcome. If you would like, I can simply teleport you away to another location in Lumiose,,” she offered kindly.
“Running from things like this… I find it doesn’t work for long,” he said simply, casually picking up a Grumpig and throwing it back to smash into her trainer. “...Flare, right? The heraldry matches.”
“Yes. We are not certain of their goals yet, but if it involves the Ultimate Weapon, I doubt they are benign," Amelia replied, a psychic shield briefly flickering into existence around the pair as she deflected a stray bullet. “Their grunts should learn better fire discipline.”
“Guns should be rarer than this,,” AZ remarked, Sigilyph putting up a Reflect barrier around them to deter more incoming fire. The man who’d shot at them was brought down by Mana, the Primeon hitting him with Extremespeed as she emerged from one of the side streets.
The green haired woman shivered as another of her teammates was brought down. She yanked out a small medallion, triggering it with a pulse of green light. “Odds are against us now…” EXS broke off from where they’d been sparring with Kiritsugu, their Porygon appearing at their shoulder.
It was at that moment that a brown blur slammed into the aforementioned Porygon and rammed it into the nearest wall, a dervish of fur, fang, and claw laying into the poor utterly startled Pokemon. In nearly the same instant, another brown blur of fur slammed their utterly toned legs into that of the EXS themselves, the Mega Lopunny sending the man flying into a wall on the opposite end of the small clearing that had devolved into the battleground for the group.
“Astolfo, keep them occupied. Mana, keep that Porygon honest.” Misora’s clipped voice called from a nearby rooftop, another ball three balls hucked into the air, the Kanto Eeveelutions snapping onto the ground below.. “Suiko, Raiden, Himiko, contain the rest.” The command had barely registered to Kiritsugu before the trio of Eeveelutions blurred into movement. The Vaporeon unleashed a torrent of water - Hydro Pump - at the group of Pokemon that had been pressuring AZ’s, sending them diving for cover or also, slammed into walls. Jolteon followed up moments later, their Thunderbolt electrifying the torrent of water in an expert display of teamwork. Meanwhile, the Flareon blurred forwards, a corona of blue flames surrounding them as they slammed straight into a particularly unlucky Furfrouu, knocking the creature out and, of course, straight into another wall.
‘Misora was making rather excellent use of the terrain’, Kirsitugu noted idly, his brain finally catching up as he himself spoke.. “Frogadier, Quilladin, Braixen, capitalize. Prioritize the HVT.”
The group darted towards the green-haired woman, who only smirked as she returned her team, a Beheeyem appearing at her side and taking one hand. Before they could vanish, Misora snapped out a command. “Block!” sshe yelled, Mana rounding on the woman and flaring her eyes red, the teleport failing immediately. With a cry, the woman was taken down by the three starters, the psychic at her side falling to a fast Dark Pulse from Frogadier.
In the few seconds of divided attention, the Porygon popped out from the spot it’d been pinned, warping over to EXS– but before it could teleport the harried fighter to safety, Amelie warped onto its back, landing a psionic smack which sent it reeling back. EXS crumbled seconds later, Astolfo landing a kick which shattered their faceplate and stunned them.
Elle emerged from another alleyway seconds later, looking around. “Well, looks like we made it here in time!” She laughed. “Your majesty–”
“Please stop calling me that,” AZ rumbled.
“You do realize she’s just giving you shit, right?” Misora called, leaping down from the building she’d been standing upon, Astolfo catching his trainer gracefully before setting her down, “Sup, former Kingman. How goes?”
The massive man gave her a tired frown. “...no better than usual. I’d prefer to be left alone. That seems unlikely now.”
“Not our fault,” Elle huffed, looking over at Kiritsugu, the assassin carefully stripping a man from the EXS suit. The man had a nearly forgettable face, but his body was covered in too-tight, lean muscles. “Well, that’s one thorn out of our side. How is he?”
“Underfed, brainwashed, and wounded. Get a team out here to secure the suit; I want it taken out of Kalos before someone moves to retrieve it,” Kiritsugu ordered.
“I’ll have Interpol teleport it over to HQ,” Elle responded immediately, already whipping out her phone, “They’re pretty sure they know who the traitor is now too. We’re gonna let him think he’s gotten away with it, though. Better the spy you know, after all.”
“Really? She’s not said anything yet,” Kiritsugu shot a look at the green-haired woman.
“She doesn’t have to; there’s only so many people who knew about AZ and had access to other information we know got leaked. If Flare had infiltrated too much, I’d probably been given orders to hunt you down as a murderer, after all.” Elle shrugged.
“I can see it. Easy to frame the incident at the hospital as a serial killing. Just have to silence the witnesses - or enough of them that one speaking out would look insane,” Kiritsugu acknowledged. “It was still fairly fast though.”
“He overplayed his hand. AZ is too niche, and he likely relied on us finding out way too late. He didn’t expect Legend intervention, which honestly was his first mistake after Flare overtly targeted them.” Elle shrugged again.
AZ spoke up as sirens approached the scene. “I appreciate the help. But I would like to be elsewhere before more people arrive. Too much attention, and they will notice me,” he informed them. “You have questions. I will answer what is appropriate.”
Elle nodded, giving Misora a glance. “Escort him, and we’ll meet up with you both later. For now, Kerry and I need to handle the police, and the paperwork.” The younger woman nodded, and the group spread out to secure prisoners or leave the scene as appropriate.
2025-10-15 23:07:06 +0000 UTC
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Elesa smiled as she saw the group of trainers enter, her focus on the girl wearing a witch’s hat and a small, confident smile. Stepping forward, she gave Rin a careful look. “Two weeks, and you’re back again,” she challenged lightly, eyebrows raised.
“I am.” Rin replied firmly, arms folded across her torso as she stared back challengingly. “I’m back to challenge you, as promised.”
“Good. However, I gave you a pass on my gym challenge last time; this time, you’ll need to complete it before our battle.” She took a step back, gesturing to the roller coaster that dominated the center of the building. “The rules are simple; ride the coaster, deal with the vertigo, flashing lights, and bright noise, while your Pokemon hit at least half of the targets throughout the course. It tests accuracy and adaptation to rapidly changing conditions.”
“Or it’s just an excuse to have a roller coaster,” Sakura snarked.
“Or that,” Elesa smiled.
Rin paused. “Do the Pokemon I use for the shooting challenge have to participate in the battle? This seems like something which could wear down my team.”
“Good catch. And no, you do not,” the gym leader responded.
“Good,” Rin nodded firmly. “It’ll be a good chance to work Carrol through his paces.” She headed over to the cars of the coaster, and set about strapping herself in. Behind her, both Sakura and N both followed, clambering in behind her. “Umm…”
“We get to ride a roller coaster, and give you moral support,” N said simply, Zorua returning himself to his pokeball.
Rin nodded, and released Carrol, the Sprigatito looking around with a perfectly suitable feline grin. “Right, Magical Leaf is our best bet. I’m going to have to return and release you in rapid fashion, unless you have a way to hold on during the loops?” She asked, ignoring the Gothitelle which had sat herself in the front of the train.
“You could simply hold me, could you not?” Carrol replied, head tilting to the side as the cat sent his trainer a look. “Though your method is also an eminently viable solution.”
Rin paused, then nodded, reaching out and letting Carrol hop into her arms. “You may not be able to aim properly if I grip too tightly, so I’ll return you if necessary. Alright?” He nodded. “Good.” The ride began to roll forward, and Rin began to peer around for targets, immediately spotting a glowing circle formed out of red Reflect barriers. “There!”
Carrol swiped one paw, a burst of razor-sharp leaves piercing through the barrier and taking it out. As the cars began to accelerate, he shot down two more before the ride began to twist. “Okay, so far so good, can you spot for me?”
“You got it!” Rin nodded immediately, eyes snapping around for more targets. For a while, things continued as best they could, Rin calling out targets while Carrol nailed them with moves. Of course, it wouldn’t be a gym challenge if it stayed relatively simple, however.
The targets started moving first, then started coming in pairs or trios. Rin grimaced as she realized something. “This challenge is meant to be faced with multiple Pokemon… but we need to conserve energy.” She paused, then smiled, reaching into one pocket to produce a handful of quartz beads. “Nothing saying I can’t help out,” she muttered, before flicking her wrist to send a magic missile through one of the targets. “Alright, that’s one.”
Between the two of them, they managed to shoot down all of the targets before coming up on the final stretch, a long tunnel with targets on either side– outside. Rin grimaced. “Carrol–”
“Throw me up, I’ll run up the outside and shoot them down! Go!” Rin nodded, immediately flinging him up onto the pipe before the cars entered, Carrol darting up and blasting away the last of the target before leaping off to rejoin Rin just before they hit the final drop. With a loud cry, trainer and Pokemon both took a second to enjoy the ride before it came to a halt.
Elesa clapped politely. “Well done, though you didn’t need to waste your ammunition like that. You only needed to hit half the targets, remember?” she teased.
Concealing a blush by tossing her hair primly, Rin looked away. “... I have high standards for myself, and I may have forgotten.”
Elesa chuckled. “You managed to not reveal any changes you’ve made to your team, so there’s nothing lost. Come on, it’s time to start the match.” She waved them over to the same battle court, both N and Sakura taking seats on the half-full bleachers as the gym leader crossed to her side of the field.
The ref raised his flag. “This will be a three vs. three match, with a one switch restriction for the Leader.” Rin perked up, noting the differences in the rules for this match. “Trainers, please ready your first Pokemon.”
Rin smiled down at Carrol. “Thanks for your work,” she said before she returned him. She palmed her first Pokeball, glancing at her opponent. Elesa let nothing slip as she gripped her own choice, and both tensed slightly.
“Begin!” The referee called, dropping his flag. Rin threw her ball, releasing Libra onto the field. Across from her, Elesa let out a tiny breath of disappointment as a Galvantula appeared in front of her. “Set up Sticky Web, try to slow her down,” she ordered briskly.
Rin snapped out her own command. “We have the advantage, Libra, hit him with a Flamethrower!” She nodded, then inhaled, before blasting out a cone of flames which scorched Galvantula, at the same time he blasted clouds of webbing over the battlefield. Libra’s form was covered in sticky strands, her movements slowed, yet Galvantula was scorched and hissing.
“Electroball. Don’t give Lampent space to breathe.” Elesa commanded coolly, professional voice firmly in place as her eyes tracked the ghost. Heeding their trainer’s command, Galvantula formed and threw a condensed ball of electric type energy, the sphere rapidly closing the distance between it and Libra. She tried to dodge, but only managed to shift enough to take a glancing below instead of one head on, shaking from the heavy hit.
“Calm mind, then hit him with another Flamethrower,” Rin ordered. “Shift the balance of this trade.” Lampent nodded, body surging with pink energy as she tightened her focus.
“Keep up the pressure.” Another Electro Ball slammed into Libra, the little ghost-type shaken but not taken down by the hit; she released another gout of flames, this one enough to send him to the floor, out cold and smouldering.
Elesa nodded as she returned her first Pokemon, ignoring the judge’s raised flag. Without any fanfare, her next pokeball was sent to the field. “Lanturn, you’re up. Bubblebeam.”
The anglerfish-like pokemon hit the field, immediately surrounding itself with a veil of water, a furious deluge of bubbles erupting from them and streaking across the field to slam straight into Libra. The bubbles popped all over her, forcing condensation on the inside of her globe, her fire reducing to a flickering ember as she collapsed.
Rin returned her first Pokemon, eyeing Lanturn for a few seconds, wincing as she spotted Lanturn pulling back in the tiny discharges he let out. “Volt Absorb… Gordon, you’re up.” She tossed out her little electric type. “Close in, keep the pressure on, and don’t be afraid to cut loose. No sparks.” She rattled off her orders, even as Gordon’s legs touched the webs scattered about before using them to pogo off towards his opponent.
“Ice Beam, Lanturn,” Elesa commanded, the aforementioned pokemon tracking Gordon as he bounced between the various webs littering the field, before lancing out with a beam of Ice Type energy. The cold blast clipped the bug, sending him spinning in a burst of light– a burst which only grew in intensity as he bounced off the floor again.
Midair, one pound became thirty. Lanturn tried to swim backward, but the newly evolved Galvantula slammed into him with enough force to drive him out of his water bubble, the collision and the Mega Drain delivered right at its heel both damaging the now floundering water-type.
“... Continue to barrage.” Elesa commanded, amusement flickering through her voice in the same measure as irritation and excitement. Lanturn lashed out with another blast of ice, this time his attack connecting with much more force, since he was able to better focus on the much larger target.
Rin’s gaze narrowed as Gordon fell back slightly. “Don’t give him distance. Mega Drain him, keep him tied up in melee; if your hits keep connecting, his healing will be outpaced by yours.” The newly evolved Galvantula nodded, barely stumbling over his longer legs as he sprung back into melee, his fangs flashing as he landed another Grass-energized bite.
For a moment, it looked as if Elesa would be content to leave things as they were, an attritional clash that would end in her favor. Then, with a smile, she intervened, "Lanturn, return.” The fish was sucked back into the pokeball, and another one hit the field instantly. “Pawmot, you’re up. Fire Punch.”
The fuzzy fighting type materialized, immediately darting across the battlefield and slamming Gordon with a blazing fist, the impact nearly sending him skidding before he anchored his legs. Rin grimaced, eyeing her Pokedex for a moment to get a quick evaluation of her opponent before she produced her own ball. “Gordon, come back.” The bug-type vanished, and seconds later Agate hit the field, split tail waving.
“Revival Blessing,” Elesa ordered in the short window, Pawmot clapping his hands together with a happy cry. Seconds later, the ball on her belt containing Galvantula was hit with a shining orb of white light.
The ref watched the exchange, then raised a flag. “Leader Elesa is back up to three Pokemon! No more revival techniques will be allowed by the leader this round.”
Rin’s jaw dropped. “That’s… ooh, that’s going to be bad,” she muttered. “Agate, Psybeam, keep him off you; this one’s a melee fighter. Pop off if he closes the distance.”
Agate nodded, her brow glowing as she blasted at Pawmot with a beam of purple energy. The little brawler darted aside, getting clipped in the process, then darting in with a Mach Punch. As he closed the gap, Agate fired off a Teleport, causing him to stumble into one of the few remaining patches of webbing. As he burned away the sticky mess and came upright, Agate landed a blast into his side, smiling as she sent him tumbling.
“Close the distance with Mach Punch, and follow up with Fire Punch,” Elesa barked, eyes fixed on Agate. “Don’t give her space to breathe.” Pawmot nodded, his fists blurring as he sped across the battlefield, fists leading to land a pair of punches, one barely scuffing Agate but the second landing with a blaze of flame, causing her to flinch. Before he could land another paw, she blasted him with another psybeam. After a few seconds of standing with his paws raised, the fighting type slumped over backwards. A beam of red light sucked him back into his Pokeball a moment later, Elesa giving the ball a consoling pat before she immediately flung out her next Pokemon, Galvantula once more hitting the field. “Bug Buzz, box Espeon in. Use the webbing to your advantage.”
“A good strategy, but I still think it’s cheating.” Agate grumbled, teleporting back to her starting position, breathing heavily as the space she’d once occupied was blasted with discordant, hungry noise.
“Not cheating, but not good. Stay in, Calm Mind to tilt the odds, then hammer him with Mystical Fire,” Rin ordered, her Ace taking a moment to close her eyes and center herself, energy from within pooling through her limbs and focusing on her forehead gem.
As Agate once more began to buff herself - flinging Mystical Fires towards both the webbing that was supporting her foe and her foe itself, Elesa watched silently. For now, it would come down to simple attrition. It was a brutal calculus, sure, but such was what some Pokemon battles boiled down to. Not the sharpest commands, not clever tactics, but sheer power.
Agate’s flames scorched her opponent, who faltered under the flames, but still released bursts of sibilant hisses which wracked Agate in turn, the tired Pokemon taking more hits. After one last clash of fire and noise, she slumped, a combination of exhaustion and damage dragging her out of the fight. Her opponent was no better, Galvantula slowly shifting between burned and battered legs, trying to find a set of limbs which didn’t hurt to lean on.
Rin returned Agate, releasing Gordon, who immediately launched off a Discharge.
“Close. Poison Jab. Finish this as fast as possible.” Elesa commanded, reacting as the tide of the battle shifted immediately. Galvantula tried to rush forward, but a second hard shock laid him out. With a grimace, Elesa released her last Pokemon, the wounded Lanturn forming his water bubble even as Gordon hissed once again.
Rin nodded as she took in the field. Gordon was fresh from his ball and had taken only a few hits he’d healed up with Mega Drain; Lanturn was still sporting the sluggishness she’d expect from a Pokemon who’d taken a few hits. “Close the gap, Bug Bite.” She ordered.
“No need,” Elesa spoke, smiling as she withdrew Lanturn into her Pokeball. “I concede. You have passed the test I have set out before you, and I see no reason to force Lanturn to fight a battle he cannot win.”
Rin blinked, then smiled. “Thank you for the match, then.” She walked across the battlefield, looking regretfully at Gordon as he advanced at her side. “Well, your days of riding under my hat are over.”
“Was always going to happen, lass. This was as good a time as any to evolve, and I don’t regret it,” he responded simply.
Elesa smiled. “It is always good to see Trainer and Pokemon getting along. Even better now that we can more easily understand them. Something I believe we have you to thank for, Rin.”
“It’s a work in progress, but with modern tech and a little magecraft…” Rin said, slipping into an investor pitch for a moment before relaxing. “Thank you for the battle, and for the lesson. I think I needed the wake-up call.”
“You trained your team well to respond to the wakeup call,” Elesa commented, walking towards her former opponent. “The Bolt Badge is yours. Along with the technical machine for Volt Switch. May it serve you as well as it does I.”
As Rin slipped the TM into her pocket and inspected her new badge, she heard two sets of footsteps behind her. Turning, she was a little surprised to find N preceded her sister onto the battlefield, his brows furrowed and one tooth snagging on his lips. The green-haired child passed Rin to stop before Elesa. “Leader Elesa? I…” He took a deep breath. “My team would like to challenge you to a battle.”
“A surprise.” She acknowledged, smiling towards the young boy, “But a welcome one.”
“I’ve seen Rin and Sakura challenge a few gyms by now, but it’s never quite the same each time, so do I need to come back another time, or can we just…” He raised a hand and kind of shook it around the room.
“I don’t believe I have another match scheduled.” Elesa blinked, looking towards the ref, who also shrugged. “If you’d like to do a challenge now, I would not be entirely opposed, N.”
“Thank you,” N responded. “I have two teammates.”
“So a two-on-two.” Elesa looked over, a gym trainer in a silver and yellow dress coming out of a side door carrying a tray of Pokeballs. She deposited her wounded team on the tray before selecting two of the balls, moving over to her side of the court. “Ref?”
“This will be a two on two, first badge challenge between…” The ref peered at his smart watch for a second. “Natural Harmonius–”
“N, please,” N said, readying his ball.
“Trainer N versus Gym Leader Elesa.” The ref dropped his flag. “Begin!”
2025-10-01 23:05:55 +0000 UTC
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Shirou looked down at the white fox trotting at his side, then looked up and peered over to where Illya was happily cooing at the little red fox on her shoulder, two curly tails wagging behind the other Vulpix. He looked down at his pokemon once again. “So… going to leave his raising up to Illya and her team?” he asked.
“Absolutely not,” Ritsuka and his Vulpix ground out immediately, their heads whipping towards each other as they unintentionally synchronized. “Takes a village to raise a kit, after all,” the latter continued, Ritsuka nodding sagely in agreement.
“But you’re not going to try to teach him how to be a Vulpix?” At his newest partner’s shaken head, he continued. “I suppose what works for you might not work for him.”
“Pretty much. Besides, the Kantoian Vulpixes have a very different culture from the Alolan Vulpixes. We’re significantly more isolationist than even they are, though ironically more benevolent as a result. Mostly because the Matriarchs want people to get the fuck off our mountain and/or territory,” Vulpix replied immediately, her tone more amused than anything else.
“I did a little research into Kantonian Vulpix when I realized what the egg might be,” Ritsuka spoke up from Shirou’s other side. “They’re not psychic like you are fairy, but they have significantly more psychic potential than a normal fire type. So her tricks wouldn’t even fully work for him,” Hhe added, trotting to keep up. “Speaking of which, for the sake of our humans, one of you two are going to need a nickname. Anything you’d want to be called? We could just call you Senior and him Junior…”
“Ew no. I wouldn’t be opposed to a nickname though,” Vulpix answered, the sheer disgust in her voice at mention of being called ‘senior’ sending the Trainer-Starter pair reeling. Pausing, she turned towards Shirou. “Human! I demand a name.” Her amused, sparkling eyes easily belied her intent to joke, despite the imperious tone.
“Vulpix,” Shirou responded, idly dodging the shard of ice she shot at his head. “Joking, joking… alright, do you want me to just pick a name out of a hat, or do something with some meaning? I can do either.”
“Meaning, please. Or at least history; I don’t want to be named Snowy or something else trite.” Vulpix responded.
“Well, we could do something mythological. I don’t know if the Snow Queen ever had a proper name…” Shirou muttered. He pulled out his Pokedex as they walked, diving into the mythology index Rin had sent over, under the ‘Fifth Grail War Prep’ document.
“Okay, do we want something based on your mindset, or on your typing? We could do Mab, the fairy queen of frost, but considering her mindset that doesn’t work very well.” Shirou offered after a few seconds of browsing.
“You do realize I have no context for any of the people from your world, correct?” Vulpix blinked slowly, huge eyes staring into her trainer’s own.
“Mab has a reputation for being spiteful, petty, cold-hearted, calculating, and warlike,” he clarified. “Only the last of those match you at all, with the next-to-last being debatable.”
“Next.” She waved her paw, very clearly not in approval.
“So there’s Morana… but she’s a death goddess who ‘dies’ to renew the land for spring, so that’s probably not right,” Shirou murmured. “Skadi is much better; a goddess of winter and winter sports, known for her skill with a bow. Sitonai could also work; a heroine of winter who slew a white dragon to save her village. Any of those strike your fancy?”
“Sitonai is the closest to resonate with me so far,” Vulpix acknowledged, humming in something close to contentment but not quite. “Do you have any more?”
“Moving on from winter goddesses and onto warlike ones, there’s Athena, virgin goddess of wisdom and war–”
“I don’t qualify for that one, next.”
“Inanna, goddess of battle, love, civilization, and agriculture. She’s better known as a love goddess, though,” Shirou continued without missing a beat. “Durga, goddess of war, destruction, strength, and motherhood, is another option, and there’s Scathaith, underworld warden and peerless warrior woman and trainer of heroes.”
“Hm. Was this Sitonai related to royalty or nobility in any way, Shirou?” Vulpix asked, shaking her head at all the following suggestions.
“Village chief’s daughter, so… very minor, yes?” Shirou said after checking the text of the document. “Do you want someone related to nobility?”
“Please. I am technically a Princess - albeit one that isn’t’ even remotely in the line of succession as humans would understand it.” Vulpix nodded, “As much as I am fond of pretending it doesn’t matter - for it often doesn’t - for something as important as a name my past must be a part of it.”
“Okay.” Shirou flipped over to the historic characters page. “Slavic princesses… there’s Catherine, she was an empress. Olga, Anastasia, Nadejda, and Tatiana were all princesses of the same nation. From our version of Aloha, there’s Maheha and Pauahi, along with a lot of names which might be too long to be good nicknames.”
“Hmmm. Anastasia, I think. There is a certain resonance. I need not know the history, the name fits.” Vulpix nodded firmly. “Anastasia, then, Shirou,” the newly named mon stated imperiously, before her expression fully relaxed. “Now, I do believe we were discussing the kit?”
“Well, yeah. Joint custody, Illya as his trainer, and I was wondering if you could teach him, Anastasia. But it sounds like that’s not something you can do.” Shioru put his pokedex away and looked back at her. “As a second question, how long will he be unable to speak or battle? Illya won’t force him to fight if he doesn’t want to of course, but when will he be old enough to start training if he does?”
“Should be able to start training in roughly a month or two. Pokemon mature fast - it’s an evolutionary thing in the slow sense, not the Evolving sense,” Anastasia began, humming to herself. “Light training at most though. They’ll be considered something akin to a teen at around a year old, so you’ll want to hold back from serious training or battles until then.”
“A year? Hmm. That’ll leave a hole in her team,” Shirou mumbled. “Not something to worry about right now; she’s got a new teammate to adjust to.” He looked over as they crested a hill, looking down to see quarried stone blocks littering the small valley below. Shirou sniffed; the faint odors rising from the structure's unnatural strength told him magic was afoot. He raised his voice and pitched it to his sister. “Illya, is this the place Cynthia asked us to look at?”
“Yep! And don’t worry too much about my team, Shirou. Matilda is fairly confident that Vulpix is going to mature faster than standard,” Illya threw back. “Something about faller bullshit.”
“Ah, yes. That would in fact change the calculus slightly. Chosen bullshit does tend to offset normal developmental times.” The other Vulpix replied, blushing in embarrassment. Rather interesting that her cheeks actually turned pink. Given that, well… That was supposed to be a human thing.
Shirou eyed his newest teammate for a moment, then shrugged and began to forge their way down towards the ruins, Illya taking a moment to survey the area before following. “So, what was it that she wanted us to look at while we’re here?”
Illya sighed. “Shirou, please pay a little more attention next time. Cousin Cynthia was interested in this shrine, a Celestic ruin which was thought to be dedicated to two separate deities." She pointed, and as Shirou followed her finger he could barely sight still waters through the tree cover. “Lake Valor is over there, so she’s fairly certain it was dedicated to Azelf, but the other one is less well known. And the magic which surrounds the place prevents everyone from focusing well enough to study it properly.”
“You’d think there’d be more people interested in things like that.” Ritsuka mused.
“Yeah, but there’s lots of ruins scattered around with different traps, or guardians, or curses. Some from past generations of our clan, some from the Celestics, some even older. Mount Coronet attracted pilgrims for millennia, and some of them built weird stuff,” Isabella said as they approached the ruin, her brow furrowing as a harsh buzzing stirred in the back of her head. “Ugh, that is nasty…”
“Well, Shirou and I should be fine,” Illya hummed, already adjusting to the rather nasty yet overall rather unrefined bounded field. The fact she could counteract it simply via circulating her magical energy said enough. “I’m fairly sure the local equivalent that Ritsuka and Matilda came up with should be enough for them to resist the field as well.”
Both eeveelutions nodded immediately afterwards. “Yep. It keeps trying to latch onto us, but circulating our energy is definitely counteracting it. It doesn’t help that the field is old and likely in dire need of repair,” Ritsuka stated, receiving a nod from her older sister.
Isabella squinted, rubbing her temple. “Any chance you can magic up some kind of blocker or something? I’m not going to be able to go in like this, it’s hard enough to think just at the edges.”
Illya shook her head. “With a few days' work and a couple of woven codes, maybe I could do it without knocking myself out. But Cynthia just wants us to take a look around, there’s no need for everyone to go in.”
Two of the balls at her waist shook, Milotic and Sligoo both spilling out into the world, neither looking very happy. Milotic shook her head. “You’ll need to leave me behind, this is making me woozy. I haven’t mastered the trick yet, and I know we’ve not even started with Sliggoo.” The shelled dragon shook his head despondently.
Fafnir likewise hissed as she tried to acclimate to the field. “I think I can power through… but not well.”
The newly named Anastasia peered at Ritsuka for a moment, her energy moving sluggishly before it petered out. “That trick has some combat potential, but I’m not going to be able to learn it while under the field. I’m out, sorry.”
Shriou nodded, then looked at Yagi. “So… hard work!”
Yagi nodded, then reached up and tapped his head. “And also– how can an effect which stops thoughts hurt you when your head is empty?”
Three separate paws lashed out and smacked three different locations on the poor Lucario’s body. His head - Ritsuka - his hindquarters - Matilda - and his left knee - Anastasia.
“That was bad.” The simultaneous deadpan from the three separate (currently) female vulpines echoed through space, sending the poor jackal into a brief fit of shudders.
Fubuki peered at the bounded field, her eyes shining. “This is fascinating… Hmm. And it seems like it’ll be us and the starters, this is a nice throwback.” She drifted over to float beside Illya. “Ready to head in, my lady?”
“Always. Hopefully nothing particularly eventful happens,” Illya replied, taking her first step into the ruins proper.
“Now you’ve cursed it…” Shirou smiled as he fell in behind his sister, feeling the burning ache in his body as his internal magic fought off the effects of the bounded field. The two of them looked around as they moved into the main hall, Shirou peering at the crude depictions of a being which looked very similar to Mesprit on one wall. “I assume that’s Azelf?”
“It matches the depictions I know, yes. Vaguely,” Yagi confirmed.
Illya held up a camera, taking pictures, only to be stopped as Ritsuka and Matilda both paused, pressing their noses to the ground. “What is it?”
“Scents. Human, a few Pokemon. And it’s very recent,” Ritsuka told her, nose twitching.
Both the humans frowned, “No one else should be here. For one, this is a known dangerous area, and to the second bit, no one has scheduled a dig here in ages.” Shirou pointed out, Illya nodding in tandem.
“Which is odd,” Illya finished for him. “Alright, let’s investigate.”
“Cursed,” Shirou muttered as they headed deeper into the shrine, the stone floors disjointed thanks to the vines growing through the cracks. He stopped to look at the wall art of a genie-like being floating on a small cloud. “...I assume that’s the other goddess?” He asked.
“Maybe, but I don’t recognize it,” Illya muttered, snapping a quick picture. “We’ll take a closer look later.” She pushed forward at the lead, scowling as they came to a stone door which had been recently broken open, if the bright exposed jagged edges to its pieces were of evidence. “Okay, Cynthia’s going to be pissed,” she hissed as she inspected the damage.
Matilda peered through the broken door and the stairs below. “I’m starting to sense people– feels like four or five, with a few pokemon.”
“Should we even intervene?” Shirou asked, offering his sister an amused look at her shocked expression. “Illya, no one is in immediate danger, so I don’t feel the urge to intervene as strongly as I would otherwise. I am getting better, you know?”
“...you are. Okay, so… maybe we stay out here–”
“I would ask that you go on down.” Everyone froze, then turned to see Azelf looking between them. “Very impressed by collective willpower, even if you are cheating. Cannot interfere directly, links to Mesprit give me leeway to talk to you.”
“... Well, we can’t exactly say no to that, can we.” Shirou blinked slowly, processing the fact that one of the Lake Spirits - a Divinity - was speaking to him.
“No. No we cannot,” Illya hummed, eyes sharpening as she firmed her own resolve. “That said, Azelf, what can we expect down there?”
“Trouble. The first foreshocks of a much greater tragedy. A Team yet unseen,” Azelf said. “Can’t say much more, though they’re nothing compared to you in strength or will.” They gave Shriou and Yagi a long look and a nod each before vanishing.
Shirou looked over at his sister, shrugged, then ducked through the ruined door, his footsteps light as he crept down the stairs, patting his waist as he did so. Bereft of either of his physical weapons, Illya watched as Shirou projected a rough facsimile of a blade, before joining his advance into the underground chamber.
The two trainers and their pokemon moved through the darkness, reaching the bottom of the stairs before they spotted a glimmer of light, and heard voices from up ahead. “...the ritual seen here is no guarantee of success,” someone was saying in a flat voice, and Matilda flinched as she could feel the weight of the bounded field fighting unnatural calm and fanatic devotion. “We will collect what we can find.”
“Good.” The voice on the other end of the conversation was filtering in through a communicator, much more lively than the main. “The Administrators have ordered that you also take all valuables and raze the structure; we cannot leave evidence of our involvement.”
“Understood. Hathor out.” The call cut out, and Shirou peered around the corner to see a gathering of humans and Pokemon. The humans were all dressed in white and black, two of the four having teal hair. Three Bronzong floated around, a field of psychic energy filtering off them into the humans, while a pair of Magneton held orbs of light up so the trainers could see. One man, wearing some sort of spacesuit uniform with gold trim, slipped a cell phone into his pocket. “Strip the place of anything of worth. Then prepare the entropic charges.” The man’s voice rose a half octave.
“That isn’t good.” Ritsuka stated, taking the incredible burden of stating the obvious, “We should… probably do something about that?”
“Agreed.” Yagi said, then paused. “While my first instinct is to leap out and just start hitting them, I think we need a plan. Illya?”
“They seem to be armed.” She said softly, pointedly avoiding whispering. Whispering in and of itself was weird in that while you might not hear what was said, it was suspicious in and of itself due to the sound made, “We’ll have to be fast, or wait for them to separate.”
Shirou nodded, then looked around the room. “It’s not big enough of a room for us to catch them by surprise. We’ll have to rely on speed. Yagi, can you take down the Magnetons before they can switch to attacking?”
“Maybe. Will we be fighting in the dark?”
Shirou nodded, his eyes flaring with aura. “I’m pretty sure all of us have some sort of night vision. Wait, Illya, did you ever figure that out?”
“I can substitute,” she shook her head, pulling wires out of her hair. “I don’t exactly need to see well to hit them, after all. My Storch Ritters don’t share my vision, and I’m not exactly planning on casting targeted spells, just wide area ones before you push in.”
Shirou nodded. “Yagi… and Matilda. Hit the Magneton, knock them out. Ritsuka, Fubuki, you two occupy the Bronzong, focus on dark and ghost moves. Illya, hit them hard enough to stagger everyone, then wait here. I’ll get in close and hit them in the darkness. Ready?” Everyone nodded.
Illya popped out from the stairwell into the light, quickly summoning an orb of flames in one hand. With a boom, she threw the overcharged fireball at one of the Bronzong, the flames and concussive force staggering the steel-type and the shockwave causing all of the assembled grunts to stagger. Hathor winced as the psychic bolstering flickered, one hand clawing for the metallic sidearm on his hip. “Who are you–” He managed to get out before the rest of the group sprung into action.
Yagi blurred forward, Quick Attack flashing into a barrage of Force Palms as he battered one of the Magneton into the ground. In the same moment, Matilda launched a fireball at her target, the Flash it was holding winking out.
In the darkness, everything fell to chaos. Shirou darted forward, conjured sword leading as he bashed its dull backside against Hathor’s wrist, causing him to fumble his gun in the darkness and drop it. Blindly, the man swung his arms around, trying to drive Shirou off, only for the young man to deliver a kick to his knee, sending him tumbling to the ground.
Out of the corner of his eyes, Shirou noted the Storch Ritter providing fire support - each of the four created familiars firing at different targets, swapping between the remaining enemies to keep them honest. In the darkness, the burst of energy harried and stung the remaining Bronzong and the three other humans, the attackers able to focus down one enemy at a time. Fubuki phased in and out of the walls, Shadow Sneaks and Shadow Balls taking down the Bronzong, while Yagi took out the still-conscious Magneton and the two Eeveelutions cut down the humans.
Within a minute, it was all over. The human intruders were laid out in groaning heaps, the pokemon unconscious. Illya emerged from the stairwell, an orb of silver light floating up from her hands to bathe the whole space in moonlight. “Any casualties?”
“None.” Shirou casually stomped on Hathor’s hand, preventing him from scrabbling for the sidearm still abandoned on the ground. “...so, call Cousin Cynthia?”
“Yes. Preferably now,” Illya began, eyeing the groaning grunts and their leader. “Fubuki, call for our other Pokemon. I want them here in case shit goes horribly bad, and if needed I’ll knock myself out to give them what protection I can.”
Shirou was about to say something further, when he glimpsed Azelf waving from a nearby bust of himself. He sniffed as the Legendary vanished, then walked over to the statuette, sensing the tang of strong metal and blood coming from the red gem mounted on its forehead. He peered at it, then reached up and pulsed a tiny bit of energy into the ruby.
With a sigh of releasing energy, the mental weight which had pressed down on all of them cut out.
“Found the anchor to that bounded field,” Shirou explained unnecessarily.
“That works.” Illya nodded sharply, taking more wires out of her hair. Passing some to her brother, the siblings quickly went to work binding the captured grunts.
Hathor looked up as they approached him, fire slowly returning to his eyes as they began to bind his limbs. “...you are interfering with something beyond your knowledge, children,” he told them coolly.
“I dunno.” Illya fired back. “Seems like Celestic Ruins, old and well protected.” Pointedly raising her eyebrow, she cast her gaze towards one of the reliefs, “Seems to depict some rather interesting things, like shackling Legends,” she mused, her eyes panning over the image of a man forging a chain, formed out of a stream of rubies, Azelf forming several of the links between their hands.
Hathor held his silence even as he was lifted to his feet by Yagi. It was only as he was being led to the staircase that he spoke again. “Not this ruin, but us, girl. We who will bring about a new world.” He went silent as Yagi pulled him up the stairs.
“Culty,” Ritsuka muttered, tail lashing. “What was it that they were looking for, anyway?”
“It looks like a way to call up Azelf from the lake, or summon their home to be entered; the wording is imprecise,” Matilda said, reading from the scroll she held out before her. “There are some notes added later that mention its unreliability, especially if done without proper purpose.”
“Huh. Neat. Yet another insane group. I’ve got ten poke on it being another Team.” Ritsuka blinked, turning towards her sister. “Matilda, you want in?”
“I’ll not take a sucker’s bet,” she replied primly.
“So… I sent you on what should have been a simple consultation and a little ruin dive. Maybe you find a few Shards, maybe a statue or two. And instead, you found a group of tomb raiders and disabled the defenses which have kept me and others out for centuries. Is that right?” Cynthia asked, looking between Shirou and Illya.
“That would be correct,” Illya reported. It wasn’t as if Cynthia was wrong. She was just mildly surprised her older sister was surprised by this.
The Champion snickered. “I knew you would get into trouble.” Her smile dropped. “I didn’t expect you to find some sort of organized criminal group. There may be more to those missing relics across Sinnoh than just the antiquities trade,” she muttered, looking over at the four tied up criminals being hauled into a helicopter.
“Who knows.” Shirou shrugged. “That’s your job.”
“That it is…” She looked over at Illya, then produced a phone from her pocket. “I’ll be in touch when we learn more about what they were looking for here. Now, we might be family, but I still probably owe you something for the trouble. Anything you two need from me?”
Shirou immediately stepped forward. “Do you think you could give me a few hours of help training my team? Yagi and Fafnir are both pokemon with senpais on your own, and I wouldn’t mind some general help as well.”
Cynthia smiled, putting her phone away. “That’s no problem at all, though you’re worth more than just a few hours of my time. Illya, would you also like some help?”
“Yes please,” the aforementioned girl answered immediately. Turning down assistance from a Champion would be… insanely silly. “Milotic might not benefit that much from yours, but I’m sure there’s plenty you can give me advice on.”
“Really? Why wouldn’t she…” Cynthia tilted her head, then snapped her fingers. “Right, she’s a brawler where Coronet’s a blaster. She can at least help teach her some endurance tricks. And though I may never have trained a Froslass or a Sylveon, I have trained both ghost-types and Eeveelutions before,” she finished. “So… mind sticking around here for a few days? I’ve cleared three days off my schedule, both to inspect the ruin and to figure out what these raiders were up to, but I can spare a few hours each day to help with training, if you’d like.”
Sharing a look with each other for a moment, the siblings nodded. “That sounds good!”
Isabella watched the interaction, then shook her head and went to set up the camp. As she did so, she stopped and considered. “...maybe she’d be willing to help me with Roselia?”
2025-09-15 23:29:27 +0000 UTC
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Porygon-2-54374372 (Shepherd to his meatspace friends) hummed as it set up the virtual chatroom for their guests. Creating a real-time link between four separate regions was tricky business, and there was the variable number of clients who might be joining. But Shepherd was a simple creature at his core; and tricky work meant fun work.
You could only play so much Dwarf Fortress before you needed a break, after all.
Shepherd paused his work as he felt the first alert as one of his clients logged into the system; Secure League connection, coming from Kalos. With a thought, he added an extra layer of encryption to the video lobby, and split his attention to monitor the external connections; safety was going to be a priority during today’s conversation, it seemed.
“Okay, did I do that right?” A man spoke into his camera, and Shepherd quickly ran the man through his facial recognition software. Barring Ditto impersonation (only 1.53% likely, given the stability of the face), this was Emiya, Kiritsugu, League Agent. Another League Agent, Emmanuelle, stood at his side, verbally confirming their success at the setup, while a few Pokemon lounged nearby. With another split in his attention, the Shepherd started up RT-2.4.5 Pokemon Translator, allowing the nonhuman participants to have their words communicated across the boundaries.
As the system was set up fully, Shepherd received two more handshakes, and quickly opened links to both Sinnoh and Unova. The Unova portal revealed the expected two girls, sitting in a comfortable room filled with railroad paraphernalia, a pair of men in white and black sitting in the background, along with a juvenile boy with green hair. Running a quick systems check, he confirmed that the Subway Masters were expected to be on this call, then checked the other screen. One child adjusted the camera of their display, while three others sat watching them, before sitting back. Most of the expected guests had arrived. The last sent their handshake as the groups settled in and exchanged greetings, and Shepherd finalized the connection from Johto.
…it was a shame he couldn’t ever talk about this. Seeing the Heroine of Hisui in a campsite as Ace Trainer Misora set up the camera was a treat, and one he’d archive as soon as possible. Settling back, Shepherd was able to turn all his attention to the developing conversation.
“...feel like I cheated you, young man,” Akari said, her eyes tracking the part of her screen showing Shirou. “Giving you an egg as a reward that ended up imprinting on your sister.” She rubbed her chin in thought. “I can think of some other lineages who’d be happy to send one to you, if you’d like…”
“I think I’ll be fine. Illya’s joy was honestly worth it,” Shirou replied immediately, a fond smile on his face, “Besides, I ended up with the Vulpix she wanted anyway, so it’s not a large loss. Ritsuka is already fighting his sister for parental rights though.”
“Is it really fighting though?” The aforementioned dragon stated idly, from where he’d wrestled his sister to the ground, “We’re kinda just going through the motions.”
“Otherwise, I’d just Moonblast him,” Matilda said from underneath him.
“Well, if you say so. I’ll just have to find something else to get you,” Akari chuckled. “And these are the two girls stirring up so much trouble in Unova! It’s been ages since I went; honestly, I never did get over there to see you when you returned, Ingo. Sorry about that.”
Ingo looked up from his paper, giving Akari a firm nod. “Our trains diverged, and then ran on entirely different schedules. It seems like only a year since we saw each other, but it has been five hundred for you.” He shrugged. “A track delay is no insult.”
“You meant more to me than you know.” Akari shook her head, then looked back at the rest of the kids. “Is it alright if I stick around? I know you were more looking to speak with Misora.” She inclined her head to the modern Ace Trainer and her Primeon partner, sitting on a log nearby.
“We don’t mind!” Sakura and Rin chimed in pretty much immediately.
“Neither do I,” Illya stated, shrugging nonchalantly. Her grudge had mostly settled. She did, honestly, kinda understand where Akari was coming from at this point, even if her execution was… flawed.
“None here either,” Kiritsugu said simply.
“You won’t hear any objection from me,” Shirou finished. “Right, so… it sounds like the League is actually handling things as well as they can, so… we don’t need to get involved, right?” He asked, a pensive frown on his face.
“We’re already tangentially involved with the gang war, and with Team Plasma. But it sounds like the League will be bringing in professionals, so we shouldn’t get drafted again. And we’re not volunteering until we get our teams strengthened,” Sakura nodded at her side.
“And I’m going to join up with the forces heading into Kalos. Mr. Emiya, anything I should know that the League packet left out?” Misora added.
“Flare plays for keeps,” he began immediately, “I may have some fault in that, but they always escalate and expect you to not do the same in response.” He paused, more for effect than anything else, “Also, most of them might be arrogant, but they do have the sheer funding to back it up to a degree. We have a genuinely difficult time keeping their agents locked up due to obvious sympathies in the Government. Either I or another agent will brief you more in person. As much as I trust the security of this call, this is need to know.”
Shepherd tried not to feel insulted by the insinuation. He succeeded only as he beat off an attempt to gain access to the call; it seemed Agent Kiritsugu’s paranoia was warranted. He turned his attention back to the conversation only after securing the outside channels and contacting a Sysadmin to trace the IP of the attempted hack.
“...nothing to be ashamed of, but I’m still a little grumpy about the loss,” Rin said sourly. “Even more so to hear that no one else here has lost a gym battle.”
“Point of order–” Misora raised a hand. “I’ve lost several gym and tournament battles in my time. Pretty sure Emmanuelle is the same way.”
“Arceus, I’ve lost battles more important than Gym Battles,” Akari hummed. “You can’t win all the time, and that you’re still pressing forward is commendable. How many hotshots drop out after their first major loss?” She mused aloud.
“Too damned many,” Misora chuckled, clearly amused. “Some of em even have the potential to go further if they’d get their head out of their ass, but your mental game is sometimes more important than your innate talent in the circuit."
Sakura, Rin, and Illya all nodded, while Shirou sat back. Shepherd recognized the cadence of the boy; someone who’d lost many times, and simply pressed onward. Admirable, though it invited a different sort of failure.
“Right, well… I don’t want to lose again,” Rin huffed. “I’ve been working on my conditioning, and re-tuned my nutrition with the brothers’ help. Gordon has worked out a couple of strategies to even the odds, Libra’s working on her speed and agility, and Carrol is getting up to speed. He’ll need to evolve to make this match, but right now he’s still adjusting. I don’t suppose any of you have any advice?”
“You could train with your Pokemon,” Shirou suggested, drawing an amused look from Illya and a look of fond exasperation from Kiritsugu. “Using reinforcement should let you keep up, after all.”
“Alright… might help,” Rin muttered. “I wonder if Carrol will be interested in martial arts when he evolves?” At her side, the grass cat wrinkled his nose.
“You need to make sure your team can take a few hits,” Elle advised from her seat next to Kiritsugu. “Teach them to roll with physical strikes or counter ranged attacks with spot blasts to blunt elemental strikes. Endurance is important, too; if your team can’t keep up in extended battles, they’ll suffer. Some gym leaders demand their challengers face a Gym Gauntlet before taking on them, and there’s always a trainer who’ll go for a stall strategy.”
“You should also start leaning into a specialization pretty soon.,” Misora advised, receiving a nod from her fellow experienced trainers. “It’s good to be a generalist, but only the best of the best manage to make it work super well, and even those generally have a niche in their generality.”
“What’s Cynthia’s niche?” Illya asked, her eyes fixed on Misora and Akari’s screen. “I know that’s the person Shirou measures himself against, and I’ve caught myself comparing myself to her on occasion.” She explained.
“Cynthia is one of the rare ‘generalists’ if you ask most people, but if you were to ask me Cynthia is a technical specialist.” Misora responded immediately, “Strange, of course, given her ace is a Garchomp, but Cynthia is an expert in making you battle on HER terms, not your own. Think of her as someone who controls the pace of the battle at all times, with every move.”
Illya took in that information, then slowly smiled, rubbing her hands together. Shirou sighed, looking away from his sister and rubbing his forehead.
On her own screen, Rin tapped the notebook she’s produced. “So, what kind of strategy do you think I should employ?” She asked.
It was her sister who spoke up first. “Perhaps a lockdown or option removal strategy? I think you’d do well with something like what Elesa used on me. Curses, status afflictions, and debuffs are all things your team does well,” she observed.
Rin nodded immediately, “Yes. Takes advantage of my team’s focus on wide movepools as well.” She paused, “Thank you, Sakura.”
“As for you, Sakura… your team is made up of evasive or tanky pokemon, though you seem to have a strong grounding in the fundamentals as well. You might want to adopt a stalling strategy, at least as a base.” Elle advised. “You seem like someone who can adapt to changing circumstances, but it’s always a good idea to have a basic plan.”
“Yes, it is probably for the best.” Sakura nodded swiftly, making a mental note to herself, “If I can outlast my opponent’s initial gambit, I can also adapt specifically to counter them as well.”
“And that leaves you, Shirou.” Kiritsugu said. “...honestly, son, from what I’ve seen you’re going to either need to focus on overwhelming opponents with power, or honing their individual skills to a razor’s edge.”
“Not quite right,” Akari interjected as Shirou looked between the two adults. “Shirou doesn’t have the talent of the other children here; what he does have is a much deeper capacity for bonds and combat instincts. That wouldn’t make him a good trainer, but if he can bond deeply enough with his team to share those instincts, and bolster them as they bolster him, he can walk the path of the old heroes.” She paused. “I’m glad you’re learning restraint, Shirou. Put too much of yourself into your team, and you might fall as they do.”
“I’m aware. Yagi told me about the dangers of over-extending your aura,” Shirou replied. “Thank you for the advice, ma’am. And old man, I’ve been keeping up with my training, don’t worry.”
“I can’t help but worry, I’m a father,” Kiritsugu responded immediately. “You’re having fun, though, right?”
“He has,” Illya interjected with some degree of amusement. “Though he sometimes has trouble letting himself. We’re working on it. Myself, my team, and his team.”
“Yes. Can’t enjoy my fights unless my trainer is enjoying himself,” Vulpix stated with some degree of amusement, from her place at her Kantoian counterpart’s side, the older six-tailed fox taking care of the younger. The little Vulpix gave a rumbling squeal, not yet able to communicate with those around her.
Akari’s smile dropped as the group quieted down. “Kids, I do bring some not-so-great news. When my boss brought you all here, they only had plans for the old man,” she nodded at Kiritsugu, “and even then, it was only putting him in a place to intercept that first raid; nothing more. But now that you’re all getting involved in major events, they’ve marked you all as potential Chosen.” She took a deep breath. “You’ll all need to choose; keep poking your nose into trouble, and let Arceus add you to their board; or step back. They’ll respect your choice.”
“Of course we’re going to keep intervening to help.” Shirou stated, with the same tone one would use to say the sky was blue, or that the Earth, or, perhaps more aptly, that Garde was round.
Illya shot him a look, then nodded. “And I’m following him.”
“I think at this point Other and I are too empathetic to let people suffer. And we’re not abandoning N.” Sakura spoke up, Rin nodding at her side.
Kiritsugu finished. “And Flare’s existence is a threat to me and mine. Either they die, or we do. There’s little room for peace between us.”
Shepherd listened as the group slowly began to talk through their plans for the future; apparently, the Eizenbern-Emiya siblings would be leaving the Mirelands and heading north to Veilstone City, while the Tohsaka-Juniper siblings would be staying to train in their current location a little longer. As for the adults, they were all tight-lipped about their plans, but it seemed they would be joining the planned offensives against evil around the war.
Shepherd approved of this plan. For many reasons, not the least being entertainment.
2025-09-01 23:04:11 +0000 UTC
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Illya shaded her face against the morning sun, looking out over the brown and greens of the Mirelands stretching out before her. “So you don’t know anything about Lady Ursaluna?” She looked over at their temporary travelling companion, raising one eyebrow.
“Nothing I haven’t already told you, Miss Einzenbern,” Donovan said, the Pearl Clan ‘observer’ having come to check in on the kids after their confrontation with the currently-in-disgrace clan head. “While all of us know the legends of all ten of the Nobles, and I know all the legends of the Pearl Nobles in particular, I only met Lord Avalugg, Lord Braviary, and Lord Kleavor before this journey of yours. Lady Ursaluna is known to be quieter than most.”
Illya nodded, looking back into the trees towards their overnight camp. “Well, I suppose a few days wandering the Mire won’t be a problem,” she said, trotting back to their campsite. As they approached, she frowned, the sounds of crashes and yelling audible over the din. “Okay, what’s going on now?” She huffed.
“...not to put too fine a point on it, but as people of importance, probably another problem,” Donovan said, sprinting to keep up as the two emerged into camp to find Shirou cold-clocking a Golduck, his four partners frantically fighting off a mixed group of Psyduck and Croagunk.
Shirou looked up at his sister, breath heaving. “Illya, watch the camp,” he gasped, darting over to collect his folding spear and mud waders. “We need to track that bastard before–”
“Stop,” Illya commanded, Shirou freezing in place at his older sister’s tone. “What’s going on Shirou? Context first.”
Shirou took a deep breath. “One of the ringleaders of this group stole the egg,” he said bluntly, his voice flat. Even as he spoke, the rest of the Psyduck and Croagunk were driven off with a flurry of moves, retreating with their tails between their legs. Idly, Illya unwove a wire from her hair and formed a Storch Ritter, sending the familiar after them. That’d handle the tracking, for now. She’d add more of them later, once her brother gave her more context.
No one touched her and hers.
“What they were saying was… disjointed. Not unusual for their kind, but…” Vulpix spoke, emerging from a mess of frozen muck. “Very odd nonetheless.”
“Disjointed how, Vulpix?” Matilda asked, eyes sharp as her ribbons and tail lashed two and fro, “Forgive me for my irritation, but we’ve been caring for that egg for weeks now.”
“Saying things like ‘there’s the kidnappers’ and ‘they brainwashed a Lucario’. Ridiculous rumors, babbling at each other about being heroes,” Vulpix sniffed. “Golduck here was more trying to ride herd on his family, but between him and Toxicroak, they managed to pass the egg and carrier off.”
“So someone was likely spreading rumors that we were abusive trainers, or bad for the egg,” Illya hummed, narrowing her eyes as she added more Storch Ritters to the skies. “Well, we’ll track them down soon enough. Shirou, start cleaning yourself up, and get prepared. My familiars are following them, and we’ll want to make a plan once we know more so that the egg doesn’t get hurt in the fighting.”
“The Toxicroak darted off ahead of the rest, so try to track him down in particular,” Shirou said, moving over to his gear.
“Working on it.” Illya noted, adjusting some of her commands to her familiars. Thankfully, being flying constructs made from alchemy, it didn’t actually take them that long to canvass the area and find the target that Shirou had mentioned, “Found him. He’s running towards the lakes to the southeast, still has the incubator.”
Donovan coughed. “I’m calling Isabella and the local Rangers; hopefully we can get Clan or government help. Anything else you want me to tell them?”
Illya shook her head, Matilda at her heels as she moved over to pull on her own mud gear. “You might as well stay here and watch the camp; you’re not dressed to follow,” she ordered, the Pearl Clan boy giving a snap salute.
Shirou growled, pulling on his waders. “Let’s go.”
--(o)--
Normally, a trek through the Crimson Mirelands is something to be done slowly and carefully, avoiding mud pools, water, treacherous ground, and Pokemon habitats. The siblings’ headlong rush ignored all these things, putting to use both their own enhancements and the strengths of their teams. Thankfully, the kids had a major advantage over most in their position.
“No, I can guarantee my friends would never do such things! I swear upon my youth and soul!” Yagi barked, giving a thumbs up as he disarmed a group of Roselia who’d nearly ambushed their pursuit.
“He’s fine.” A Gardevoir poked her head out from behind a tree. “No influence on him, I think there’s been a miscommunication.” She advised, emerging fully.
“Thank you. We’ll be on our way…” Shirou said, then trailed off as the Gardevoir moved to block them from progressing. “What?”
The Roserade leading the group coughed. “That way’s heading towards the Holm of Trials. You should go around; they’re a rowdy bunch.” He explained.
“But that’s the direction where the kidnapper went,” Illya growled lowly, eye twitching in irritation as she looked towards the Gardevoir. “Miscommunication?”
“Word came from trusted sources that a group of humans had stolen an egg. I can’t imagine a Chansey lying about such a thing, but rumors get garbled over distance and time.” Gardevoir shrugged. “You can cut around the Holm by following the river to the cliffs, scaling them, then heading East until you hit Slipstream Pass,” she offered.
Filing away the potential source of the… slander leveled at her and her brother for the moment, Illya nodded curtly. “Thank you. We’ll be on our way, in that case.”
Shirou looked at the cliffs in the distance. “...Illya, we need to split up,” he said bluntly. “I don’t know how long it’ll take to scale the cliffs, and we might lose the trail.”
“I have several familiars following them, Shirou,” Illya pointed out, not actually denying the possibility of losing the trail. It was, in fact, possible. Just currently unlikely. “But if you insist, I’m not exactly against it.” She paused, looking at their groups. “You take the cliffs, then. I’m assuming that Yagi won’t be a deterrent in the Holm.” She looked at the locals, who nodded in agreement. “I’ll blast my way through, and we’ll meet up on the far side; maybe you can cut Toxicroak off.”
“Better you than me for endurance fights,” Shirou offered with a nod. “I’ll see if I can’t catch up and cut off our thief."
“Good. Stay safe.” Illya gave him a brief hug, before heading towards the river, releasing both Fubuki and Milotic. “Ready?”
“Always,” Fubuki hummed as they reached the creek, a quick gesture with her hand forming a raft of ice her partner leapt across to the far bank. Immediately, she could feel the eyes of dozens of Pokemon fix on her.
A Lopunny hopped out of the tall grass, looking over the little trainer and her team. “Okay, can you warn your trainer that she’s about to head into dangerous terrain?” she drawled, inspecting her forepaws.
“I can understand you just fine,” Illya remarked, eyes sharpening. “And I’m aware. I just don’t particularly care at the moment. The safety of the egg I was entrusted with comes first.”
“Oh, chasing that asshole?” Lopunny barely seemed surprised that Illya could understand her. “Right, well, if you don’t wanna get jumped by everyone here looking for a novel brawl, you should probably make a Challenge. You’ll need to go through with it, of course, but no one’ll jump you if you’re going for a fun fight.”
“So long as it’s friendly I don’t really mind,” she replied instantly. “Is this… ‘asshole’ a known factor?”
“Yeah. He’s a known factor, never stops for a fight. A shame, I need practice against fighting types.” Lopunny blew on her paw. “And if you’re following him, that means crossing the whole Holm. Better make it a big challenge. If you want, I can go ask the Tyrant to fight; she’ll just have one of her kids handle the actual challenge.”
“That works for us.” Illya nodded decisively, “If you wouldn’t mind, Lopunny?”
“No problem.” She skipped back and barked into the air. “Alright, this girl and her team are challenging the Tyrant, let them through!” she screamed, the swamp and grasses moving rapidly. “Follow after me, I’ll go set things up. Tootles!” She bounced off, and Illya started following at her heels.
Ten minutes of slogging through mud and through waterlogged grass, Illya came to a large clear pool of water, a pristine lake in the middle of the mire. Goomy and Feebas splashed in the water, while both a few Milotic and many more Sliggoo watched over their younger cousins, the Milotic rising up to wave fins at Illya’s partner of the same species. At the edge of the lake, a Goodra with a metal shell sat in the mud, rising to turn and face the human and her partners, Lopunny backing away as the Tyrant rose to her full height.
“Heya. Here for passage?” The dragon type asked lazily, waving one arm. Despite her easy tone, her eyes were intent and fixed on the four guests in her domain.
“We are. An interloper stole an egg from us, and we are on the way to retrieve them,” Illya ground out, eyes more than a bit flinty. This disruption wasn’t ideal - to be tolerated more than anything else.
Goodra leaned back. “I see–”
“Mother, may I?” Looking over, one of the Sliggoo popped out of the water, rolling to face Illya. “I will test her heart,” he said, puffing up out of his shell with his horns swinging. “Not her team. Her.” The watching pokemon murmured in interest as they looked at Illya.
Goodra peered down at Illya, eyebrows rising. “...hmm. She has power, yes. She is a viable challenge, but only if she accepts,” she reasoned.
“I’m down for it,” Illya said, shooing her team aside.
Sliggoo smiled as the area before the pool cleared, readying himself as Illya did the same. “If you are following a noble quest – and I believe you do – you cannot waste time. Release your restraints, and show me your steel; I shall do the same,” he intoned, before he took a breath, light forming before his head in a spinning ball of silver.
Illya immediately yanked a single hair out, flinging it forward into a dagger-like blade which detonated her opponent’s Flash Cannon before it was fired, the flash barely staggering Sliggoo but rocking him slightly, giving her an opening. She darted forward, reinforcing her limbs and slamming an open palm against his shell, letting out a burst of force which spun him across the battlefield.
Sliggoo shook off his unsteadiness, quickly blasting at Illya with a burst of Dragonbreath, the purple flames barely blocked by a quickly formed barrier, the wire-frame shield eroding under his assault. He immediately launched himself into a rolling strike, the Flail clipping Illya’s leg as he skidded past, leaving her limping but still well enough to blast his back with a few curses, each one lowering his defenses, before forming an orb of purple fire which smacked into his rear.
“I didn’t know a human could learn Will-o-wisp! Did you die?” Sliggoo asked, ignoring the lines of fire now coating his shell and sapping his strength.
“No, but I am using magic,” Illya chirruped back, an amused expression flickering across her face. Because what she used in this world, at least, the magic of this world, was magic. Sure, it was maybe replicable by technology here, but, well… It wasn’t really magecraft. Besides, when in Rome…
“Spirits, fae… and aura. You use magic to mimic the powers you’ve encountered,” Sliggoo trilled as the burn seared him. “Fun! Can you mimic water?” He opened his mouth and gave a cough, an undulating disc of water blasting across the battlefield. With a grimace, Illya formed a Protect before her, the move parting like waves before a wavebreak against the cocoon of protective energy. Her response, was, perhaps, a bit prideful, but the Scald she fired was one that Milotic was proud of.
Even if her silly little water snake couldn’t aim to save her life.
The hot water seared into the dragon’s burns, and he winced in pain before rearing back for another Flail – only for his mother’s tail to land between the two.
“Enough. Someone get him a Rawst,” Goodra ordered, one of the Milotic diving into the pond and emerging with a berry. “I think she’s proved her mettle, and seeing as she’s not here for glory, let’s not see a human wounded here.” She said as the burn was treated.
“Quite right. Apologies, I got a little too into it. Your win, young lady,” Sliggoo offered, inclining his head.
“Thank you. Now, if you don’t mind, I do have an egg to retrieve,” Illya curtsied daintily, looking the Matriarch in the eyes.
“If what I expect is true, you’ve got more than that to deal with.” Goodra’s words were heavy. “Sliggoo, are you recovered enough to escort them?” At the dragon’s nod, she continued. “Go and herald their victory and quest, explain on the way.” She turned one green eye to fix on Illya. “When you depart the Holm, know your protection is over, understood? Next time, I’ll take your challenge myself, should you use this method again.”
“Thank you, Matriarch,” Illya nodded sharply. “Your kindness is appreciated.”
Goodra tossed her head, and the group set off, Sliggoo heading off at a roll beside them. As they slogged through the mud the dragon slid over with ease, he explained what he knew. “I know not how much you understand of Pokemon communities, but we honor healers. Always have, and always will. Chansey are regarded well.” He paused as the group made their way through a stretch of reeds, following the trail of the Toxicroak. “The Lady of Cliffsides, though… she’s not been well these last few seasons.” He said sadly.
“I can’t imagine a Chansey ordering an egg be stolen either, not from us, anyway.” Illya agreed, filing away that particular nugget of information for later.
Sliggoo shuddered. “When I say not well… her hatchery was caught in a landslide last year.” He said mournfully. “Two dozen eggs, crushed. The whole region was distraught, none more than she. Of late she has seemed better, but desperate to rebuild, and erratic in her care for those few eggs trusted to her.”
“That’s… not great. Have any of the more emotionally inclined Pokemon tried forcing her to talk about it?” Illya asked, more for insight into their culture than anything else. There was no sense in not asking questions about it, after all.”
“I think some have?” Sliggoo said hesitantly. “The local Gardevoir court did the rounds after the disaster. Beyond that I know not.”
Matilda gave a quiet chirp as they emerged from the fen and reached the river, spotting a lanky blue Pokemon evading mud blasts from several Whiscash, juggling a glass dome. “My princess, there, the egg!”
“Then we go after them.” Illya barked out, “Matilda, Fubuki, both of you keep our path clear. Milotic, focus on getting us close!”
All three of her partners sprang into action, while Sliggoo dove into the water alongside Milotic. Toxicroak whirled, clutching the egg incubator as the group approached him knee-deep in the water. “Oh hello there! Just keeping this safe for you, taking it for a checkup, you know?” He giggled nervously as the Whiscash were driven back and the two swimmers began to circle him.
“There was no request to do that, and a Joy checked up on the Egg, along with her Chansey, not even a week ago,” Illya ground out, eyes flinty. “I’d appreciate it if you returned it, but I am not opposed to forcing the issue if need be.”
“Listen…” Toxicroak started, backing up towards the shore only for Sliggoo to cut off his escape. “...yeah, no, I’m not doing this. Here.” He offered the egg to Milotic, only for a thump to sound from the shoreline. Sliggoo immediately bounced into the air on a burst of water, intercepting a pink missile with a grunt of pain.
Chansey bounced off the dragon’s shell, landing in the mud with a splat. Her eyes were bloodshot and narrowed, feathers ruffled. “Now children, that egg needs to be kept safe,” she chirped, eyes flickering over the group.
“And she’s perfectly safe with us, Miss Chansey,” Illya declared neutrally, eyes narrowed. “I mourn for your loss, but that does not give you the right to steal eggs from trainers or other families passing through the area.”
“You cannot keep a child safe on the road like that, dear.” Chansey launched into another Seismic Toss, Milotic barely warding off the strike, her sickly sweet voice completely at odds with the way she bashed into the defender. “Much better to have them safe in my home, You can come pick up the kit in a few moons, hmm?”
A full body shudder ran through Illya at the sheer wrongness of those words in the utterly deranged tone of voice the Chansey was speaking in. She was… Definitely not okay. Probably hadn’t been for a while. But even through all that the matron was still… motherly. If in an extremely creepy, dark way. “Matilda, move to assist Miltotic, Fubuki, keep the rest of them off us.”
Toxicroak took one look at the battle, then threw the egg carrier into the air, drawing a hideous shriek from Chansey and a quick move from Fubuki, who snatched it from the air. Toxicroak darted out of the battle, Chansey screaming after him. “Wretched, cowardly little beast, I’ll have you buried for that!”
Chansey darted in, small fists catching fire as she blurred at the ghost, trying to wrestle for the egg carrier. “You can’t let it get cold! You can’t keep it safe!” she cried, Matilda and Milotic bouncing off her bulk as she struggled with the ghost. “Listen to me!”
“WE ARE!” Matilda roared back, panting as she struggled to keep the Pokemon away from her fellow member of the court, “You are overstepping, motherly one! The egg is already fairly close to hatching, and we have been taking good care of them - even better now that we have a Vulpix in our group that KNOWS what an egg like this needs, even if only secondhandedly!”
“IF I COULDN'T KEEP THEM SAFE, HOW WILL YOU?” Chansey shrieked, bashing aside the Sylveon and trying to charge in, only for Sliggoo to interpose himself, triggering Shelter to endure the bash. Chansey smashed two more Fire Punches into the dragon before he retaliated with a Flail, knocking her into Milotic, the serpent landing a vicious Aqua Tail and knocking her back to shore. “IF YOU CAN’T STOP ME, HOW–”
She was interrupted as a pair of Pokemon slammed into her side, Fafnir and Ritsuka both smacking her to roll along the beach. Behind them, Shirou, Vulpix, and Yagi closed in, with a much larger form rustling through the forest behind them. “Illya! Is everything alright?” Shirou asked, his face slightly flushed from his headlong rush.
Illya nodded as Fubuki set the incubator into her arms. Chansey came upright, light flickering around her as she tried to rise for another attack, before the large shape behind Shirou leapt from the woods and slammed down between her and the incubator. For a moment, Illya could only gape at the massive wall of brown fur sitting between her and the crazed healer, before she recognized the form before her.
Lady Ursaluna gave a long, sad growl. “Chansey. I’d hoped you’d recovered from the catastrophe. It seems I was wrong.”
“My Lady, you need to take that egg from them, it’s, it’s stolen, it’s not safe, it’s–” Chansey’s protests slowly trailed off, devolving into nervous ramblings as she tried to find some way to right a situation which had only ever been terribly wrong.
Ursaluna looked over her shoulder, one paw gently reaching forward to push Chansey to the ground, the Pokemon almost melting as her eyes rolled up in her head. “Challenger, come forward. We must speak, you and I.”
“I.. see?” Illya blinked, doing as she was asked, hands clenched tight around the incubator, her eyes scanning over the readouts even as her magical energy scanned the incubator and egg to make sure everything was fine.
Ursaluna shifted slightly to the side, showing her Chansey’s form, the maniac energy which had driven her into battle absent, leaving her barely conscious upon the ground. “Do you know the story, how Lady Akari harmed and helped my ancestor in that time when the sky cracked?” she rumbled softly.
“I’m reasonably familiar, yes,” the snow-haired girl nodded swiftly, eyeing the Chansey with a strange combination of pity and distaste.
“Then you know her actions were born of suffering. My Ancestor suffered, to signal to all that attention needed to be brought to the mire; and Akari had to inflict yet more so all suffering could be relieved,” Ursaluna said simply. “You and your brother both know personal suffering, and you already seek to inflict it. There are two other forms of suffering here, exemplified before you. Do you know what they are?”
“If you’re talking about the suffering that’s occuring,” Illya stated cautiously, humming to herself as she took some time to settle her anger and thoughts, “Chansey is suffering because she’s bottling up her feelings and trying to pretend nothing is wrong. She’s also suffering because she believes she failed in her purpose - despite the events that caused it being likely completely outside of her control. Natural disasters aren’t… something you can reasonably predict. Not always, anyway.” Pausing, the homunculus took a deep breath again. “There’s also the ‘suffering’ you’re undergoing by not being able to fix the problem. Kinda like Shirou. He doesn’t like it when he can’t help people, and from what little I can guess of your personality I doubt you do either.” Another breath. “And Chansey inflicted suffering on us, by taking the Egg from us.”
“Well said. Many of those who seek my Trial come not understanding that suffering is not just pain, but pain that one cannot alleviate. You knew this already. But to emphasize enough to understand the suffering of others is the first step to fix it,” Ursaluna turned sadly to Chansey, who now lay unconscious. “This suffering will end, though it will be a long road. But I am glad you understand the gravity which comes from a loss of purpose. Your brother and you both are learning to be more than the weapons you were forged to be; and thus, you escape suffering yet to come.” Ursaluna turned to Illya, peering down at her. “I don’t think you need to suffer to understand my trial, and thus, I declare it done.”
Blinking slowly, Illya nodded.
She would take that. It’d been a… pretty shitty day, all things considered, and this definitely helped make it a bit better.
Ursaluna dug one paw into the earth, pulling up a clod of the loose soil before shaking her paw slightly. As the dirt fell away, a familiar brown slab was left behind. “My Earth Plate. May the ground be steady beneath you.” Illya took it from her, and the bear turned to face Sliggoo. “Dragon, you know what being sent from the Holm means for you.”
“I do.” Sliggoo bowed, then turned to face Illya himself. “It is the time of my wandering, when every dragon goes to seek their own strength.”
Fafnir rumbled, nudging Ritsuka. “One of many variants of a coming-of-age trial. Don’t worry about it.”
Ignoring the peanut gallery, Sliggoo bowed. “Noble Lady, would you allow me the honor of being at your side in your future Trials and challenges? You know much more than I, and I can tell you would be a good master to serve.”
“I would be honored.” Illya nodded sharply, inwardly buzzing with excitement. While the dragons of Garde weren’t NEARLY as impressive as the true dragons of Earth, they were still dragons. And she could not deny that there was a part of her that was practically cackling with glee.
Illya blinked as she realized the buzzing she was feeling wasn’t just because of her glee. The incubator in her hands was chirping quietly, the egg rocking rapidly. “Ah!” she said, setting it down on the ground and having it open. “What do I do?”
Ursaluna chuffed. “Hold it steady, and just wait. Unless everything goes wrong–” Her ominous speech died as the egg erupted into bright light, shell fragments flying off as the light within resolved into a tiny, red-furred Vulpix, a single white tail curled around his body. “No, it’s alright.”
Illya bent down and stroked the little fox, watching as he opened his eyes. He rose up on shaky legs toddled forward two steps, and fell into her arms. Wordlessly grumbling, he curled up and went back to sleep.
“You’ll want to let him sleep,” Vulpix of the more feminine inclinations stated, trotting over towards the smaller fox and looking up towards Illya. “You’ll want to wait to ball him too. We’ll wanna make sure we see a Joy before we do that.” She tossed a glance towards the Chansey, “We could ask her if she wasn’t mentally unstable, but I don’t think it’s a good idea right now. Could help, of course, but it’s not worth risking a kid to help an adult. Especially not a newborn.”
“Right.” Illya stood, shooting Shirou a regretful look. “Sorry Shirou, I know–”
“Don’t worry about it,” Shirou laughed. “I know you’ll take good care of him. Now then, I suppose we’re heading back to camp?”
“And from there, back to the Clan Village.” Illya nodded. “Come on, let’s get moving.”
As the group began their trek back to their camp, Ursaluna remained behind, sitting beside her broken subject. “...what a mess… I suppose the Rangers might be the best place for her…” she mused, sniffing the air. “At least there’s been something of a happy ending, despite some suffering,” she sighed.
2025-08-15 23:00:53 +0000 UTC
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International League conferences were not uncommon affairs; both bureaucratic and combative meetups had been a mainstay of Garde since the League’s founding. That being said, those conferences were typically scheduled well in advance, and were positioned in or near major cities, allowing their guests or contestants time to schedule flights, make arrangements, and other travel concerns while having civilian comforts and infrastructure in place.
Misora had been very surprised when she’d received a priority request for her to attend a conference in the Johto region; and she wasn’t alone in her confusion. While the League preferred discretion for such events, they’d not bothered to block the Pokenet speculation as hundreds of Gym Leaders, Ace Trainers, Elite Four, and Top Rangers cancelled engagements, caught flights, and otherwise made tracks for the Silver Range, and the Conference Center a few miles north of Maroon Town. Misora and Mana themselves had quickly packed their bags and made tracks from their vacationing in Sunyshore City to the nearest airport.
The fact that they’d had an infant to take care of the entire time was… trying. Nor was the fact that both of them knew they wouldn’t be called up like this without reason.
While the partners vaguely recognized a few of the trainers making their way into the building, there was one in particular which stood out to them. Dressed in a simple coat and slacks, most people ignored Immortal Akari as she lounged on the short grass outside the door, the Spiritomb at her side drawing more attention than the seemingly young trainer.
“Yo, Akari!” Mana chirped, raising a paw in a vague imitation of a handwave before she strolled towards the immortal at a leisurely clip. “How was your… experience?”
Akari gave a wry smile, coming to her knees to offer the Primeon a paw shake, one the ‘mon eagerly accepted. “Well, the Boss did have words for me after my little blunder with you and those kids. According to him, I need to remind myself I’m still human, and that means getting involved in current events.” She brushed off her knees as she stood, Spirtomb helping clean the grass off the back of her legs. “I can sense you managed to make a very good impression on the folks I sent you to find. How’s the little one doing?”
“Irritated,” Misora reported, giving a fondly exasperated look towards the ball on her belt. “Thankfully, she seems to understand the necessity of obscurity despite being young as she is, and is content to remain in her ball for the moment.”
“I’ll have to meet them later.” Akari returned her Spiritomb, walking towards the doors. “Now, I’m here under another name, so if anyone asks, I’m Tasogare.”
Misora simply nodded, Mana snickering slightly at the woman calling herself ‘Twilight’ as they made their way inside. Unlike a normal convention, every one of the guests were being herded into a single hall, the massive ballroom set up with chairs and a stage. Misora’s eyes passed over the room, blinking as she fixed on the people sitting behind the podium; an older man in a brown jacket, a stern-faced woman in a uniform with silver hair, a ranger with blue-gray hair, and two Champions; the red-haired Lance, and the elegant Diantha, the two trainers talking to each other as the people settled in.
Casting her gaze around the room, Misora took in the other leaders present in the room; elite four members were the most prominent, with Lorelei, Agatha, Malva, Glacia, Drake, Lucian, Marshal, Wikstrom, and Hassel with seats near the stage. Closer to the front, gym leaders from multiple regions took prime spots, Misora recognizing Pryce, Olympia, Wulfric, Ramos, Giovanni, Chuck, Morty, and someone she thought might be Wattson. There were others in that group, but seeing as Gym Leaders rotated more often than Elite Four members, she wasn’t surprised she didn’t recognize some of the fresh faces.
“Wouldn’t be shocked if some of them were moles,” Mana grumbled. Wincing, Misora nodded in agreement. It was always a risk. Being powerful didn’t always mean you were the best person ever, after all. And the League was often more accepting of those with… not ideal mentalities than they probably should be. They took their seats, watching the crowd as the last few people straggled in, the doors shutting behind them.
The gathered trainers slowly quieted as the unfamiliar man stood up and took the podium. “Good morning, everyone, and thank you for your quick response to our summons. I am Gerald Forester, Director of the International Pokemon League’s Intelligence and Security service.” He waited a moment as a quiet series of whispers rose from the crowd before he raised one hand. “I will get directly to the point; as of now, the League is quietly escalating our state of readiness to a pre-disaster footing, where it will remain for the next five years. All forecasters and consulted experts agree; we are entering a Time of Troubles.”
“No shit,” Mana grumbled under her breath as most of the crowd either murmured in confusion or let out cries of shock.
“Yeah, but we’re also way more plugged into this than most of the people are, idiot.” Misora shot back, rolling her eyes at her starter.
“It’s been easy enough for most people to ignore; since hardly anyone’s been impacted up until the last two months,” Akari said softly. “I knew, of course, but then it’s hard to miss the Chosen One becoming active.”
Director Forester waited for the hubbub to die down before he continued. “This is not an overreaction, or a power play. Our ability to hide Legendaries from the attention of the wider public is fading quickly, and there is significant evidence showing that multiple prophecies and portents are about to trigger. And, unfortunately, the League did not realize this until others began to move on things first. Multiple criminal and terrorist organizations, Teams both region-local and disparate, have begun moving, and there is evidence they are attempting to capture, enslave, or manipulate Legends to do their bidding. To go into more detail on some of these threats, I will cede the stage to our host, Lance of Clan Blackthorn.” The director turned and took a seat, one of the people behind him standing and moving to replace him at the podium, the Dragon Master of Kanto and Johto clearing his throat.
“When I came to my position two years ago, Kanto and Johto had obvious but small problems–” Lance’s speech was cut off as one of the people behind him coughed, and the dragon master shook his head. “Right, no politics.” He folded his hands in front of him. “Two weeks ago, the international criminal syndicate known as Team Rocket attacked a major city and took control of the headquarters of Silph Co. I know the attack and the response by locals have made international headlines, but what was not published was the primary goal of the organization, and the hole card they deployed to escape capture. To wit, Team Rocket was seeking both extant Master Balls, and the methods of their manufacture; to aid their takeover, they deployed an unknown Pokemon, believed to be a high-level artificial Legendary.” The projector behind Lance displayed a single image, a still of a humanoid Pokemon garbed in black armor, casually tossing aside a Venusaur. The crowd burst into furious exclamations, Lance silencing them by pulsing his Presence a few times.
“He’s right. That tail… it’s like a Mew, but much larger. Someone’s been playing with the Gods’ toolbox,” Akari said breathlessly. “...and if this is a Time, the Boss is going to have to leave it to mortals to deal with any consequences.”
“That is not good,” Mana stated flatly, her tone devoid of anything. “When the Boss can’t intervene, it usually means the Boss has fires to put out.”
“I… do not like the sound of that,” Misora added her two cents, before holding up her hand. “Lance is continuing.”
Lance swept his gaze over the room. “There is evidence that a Chosen One, or multiple Chosen Ones, will arise to deal with the direct impacts of such transgression. But make no mistake, there is always a chance for them to fail, and even if they succeed, the shockwaves from such events can be catastrophic.” The man began to pace, his voice reaching out even as he left his podium behind. “The League, unfortunately, is stretched thin. Team Rocket is the most immediate problem, but there are other stirrings around the world. Hoenn has recently become aware of two radical environmentalist groups, Teams Aqua and Magma, which have styled themselves after the Legendaries of Sea and Land. Unova and Kalos are both embodied in conflicts, with more mundane issues flaring up in Sinnoh and Oblivia. I refuse to believe, however, that the League alone can handle these threats, and I am the one who proposed this gathering.”
He turned and braced himself on the podium. “This is a call to arms. I have proposed a group called the G-Men to fight against evil; but that program focused on League Elites, which has proven too limiting. We will be going into more detail on the threats we face, but our goal in bringing you all here is to search for trustworthy trainers to commit themselves to action outside of the standard League response system.”
To the shock of the crowd, the man stepped to one side of the podium and bowed to the crowd. “After all of this, you will receive dossiers and signup information to join our ranks for the duration of this crisis. To any of you who are willing to fight, knowing the risks and responsibilities; thank you. I cannot blame those of you who choose not to join any of the expeditionary groups, but we need your help.” He straightened, returning to the podium. “Hoenn has not entered crisis mode yet, but my friend Champion Stone has agreed to accept pre-registrations for their expedition. As for us, our efforts here in Kanto and Johto will consist of investigation, counter-corruption, and police action against Team Rocket, in order to cut off their resources and prevent the capture or manufacture of more Legends.” He looked across the room. “I look forward to any help you can offer.”
“... A Dragon just bowed.” Mana blinked, looking rather baffled by the very thought. Not that many could blame her. Dragons were prideful beings. And while bowing was polite and expected in the culture Lance came from, the depth he had offered was certainly not. A good way to depict his sincerity and the desperation the League was facing.
“Yeah, but I’m more worried about Diantha. Let’s see what shit Kalos is facing,” Misora muttered back as Lance took his seat, the aforementioned Champion taking her own place at the podium.
The elegant woman adjusted the microphone. “I’m sure most of you recognize me, but to those who do not– bonjour, I am Diantha, Champion of the Kalos league.” She turned and gave Lance a nod. “While we do not have any confirmed cases of Legendaries in Kalos captured as our hosts do, Kalos is currently beset by a Team which has made such a capture a priority; Team Flare.” Diantha clicked a button on the podium, a series of video clips and images flashing on the projector behind her. “Team Flare is a domestic terrorist group which has operated in the shadows of Kalos for many years, to the point of having established bases and moles within our League ranks. They have been confirmed to have attempted to capture the Mythical pokemon Hoopa and a Moltres in the last two months alone. They are armed, well-funded, and fanatical enough to do anything in pursuit of their goals.” She took a deep breath. “And as best we can tell, those goals are a mix of genocide and ascension.”
“Wat.” Misora blinked. “Genocide and ascension? Seriously?!”
“Not particularly surprising,” Mana stated near instantly. “People are just like that, sometimes. Especially the cults. Gotta watch out for them damned cults.”
“Is now really the time for humor, starter mine?”
“Says you.”
“Touché.”
“Flare’s leadership, organization, and methodology remain opaque, but we have confirmed their infiltration, or perhaps patronage, of the equestrian and noble classes within Kalos. One of their captured leaders was a former lord, and evidently knew much about their operations; rather than allow himself to be interrogated, he took his own life.” Diantha gripped the podium. “While local law enforcement and League assets are already responding to the threat, Flare has released documents and information tying up our people in corruption investigations and uprising suppression, allowing their elites and leaders to continue to work unopposed while they sacrifice their pawns and mercenaries to buy time.”
Diantha continued. “I am seeking no grand army, but a core of dedicated men and women to join the Kalos Expedition to assist in rooting out Flare. Make no mistake, this is a counter-terrorism operation, not a battle against criminals or the misguided. Those who join our cause must be willing to take lives and defend their own, deal with entrenched foes, and fight alongside unconventional allies.” She rapped her knuckles on the podium. “Flare is an existential threat, and Kalos is committed to driving them to extinction. We will only be capable of mercy if we can present a strength exceeding their own.” Her words were cold.
“We should probably go back to Kalos, shouldn’t we,” Misora sighed, attention raptly fixed on the Champion of her adopted home. “We can’t in good conscience not. We want to be an Elite of that Region, and that means we have a certain responsibility to it.”
“I’ll start whipping the team into shape,” Mana declared, and that was answer enough for anyone who knew her. “We’ve let ourselves go slightly. Not enough strong trainers to hone ourselves on. At least none that we could battle without leaving our “vacation”, anyway.”
Diantha returned to her seat, passed by the silver-haired woman, Misora frowning as she studied the tall trainer. She wore what looked like a police uniform, though the cut and make were finer than normal, as best she could tell from this distance. The woman came to attention behind the podium. “Good morning. I am Captain Selvaria Bles, of the Unovan Regional Police force… and, as of three days ago, a probationary member of the Unovan Elite Four,” she said crisply. “I do not know how many of you have participated in the Unovan League in the last five years, but you are likely familiar with the current state of the League there. That has not been a problem until now, as you may have heard.” She paused, letting the crowd settle down from the muttering she’d provoked.
“To be blunt; Unova’s problem is more endemic than those of Kalos or the Indigo League. Right now, our problems are home-grown criminal groups which are being handled; the issue comes with the slow rise of Team Plasma, which up until now has mostly appeared as a home-grown activist group, with the majority of its members being law-abiding and well-meaning citizens. We only recently learned that their inner circle is far more ruthless, militant, and devoted than their public face. Worse, like the other groups mentioned, Plasma’s ultimate goal appears to hinge upon the local legends, with aims to gain a monopoly on Pokemon interaction in the Unova region, and perhaps the world.”
“Like that’ll happen,” Misora grumbled, before pausing for a moment. “Wait, no, it’s Unova. It might happen but if it does it’ll only be because the ‘MUH RIGHTS’ crowd did more than yell about their rights online.”
“Now, their original plan is being dismantled, but there are signs that this will only radicalize the group if things continue as they are,” Selvaria continued. “To that end, the volunteers we are requesting for the Unovan expedition are not expected to act as soldiers or special forces, but as examples and agents of outreach. While there may be clashes with the core of Team Plasma, there is still time to deescalate and deradicalize the majority of the movement. Team Plasma has the potential to become a massive threat to the world order, but their membership is not yet hardened into an army.” She placed her hands on the podium. “That being said, any members who come with the first wave may become involved in dealing with the current gang war and rooting out those elements. So there will still be fighting; but there will be no glory and little reward for joining our group.” She inclined her head. “Thank you for your time.” She turned and stepped back to her seat.
A muffled sound drew Misora’s eyes to Akari, the immortal shaking her head. “...so much pain to bring us together, and someone wants to rip it all apart for power. We forget the lessons of the past so easily… though at least this time it seems to be coming from good intentions.”
The last figure stood up, the red-haired ranger approaching the podium nervously. “Um, hello.” She raised a hand with a small wave. “I’m Ranger Yamazoe Mason, Silver Range Reservation.” She coughed. “I’m just a normal ranger, even if the Silver Range reserve is pretty important… I was sent here because I’m close, I have experience with ornery Legends, and the Top Rangers are busy, and getting busier.” She pulled out a device and set it on the podium. “Listen, everyone here is talking about dealing with Teams, trying to handle the human element. But even if all of these groups go down in a matter of weeks, they’re already stirring up local populations, causing ecosystem disruption, and provoking Legendaries. The Ranger Union and their regions know how to handle that sort of issue in their own territories, but it won’t be enough. I’ve been read in on what happened in Kalos, where Flare tried to catch a Moltres in her nest. The resulting weather disruptions have potential to cause a three-month drought, and that’s just one knock-on effect from a single, resolved incident. To be blunt, there’s not enough Rangers in the world to deal with all the issues that are going to crop up.”
“So, I’m here to make a different offer from the rest of these good folks. Starting in two weeks, the Ranger Union is officially declaring a partnership program with the Pokemon League, allowing trainers to join as auxiliary and assistant Rangers, without giving up their Pokemon.” Mason said, clasping her hands behind her back. “This isn’t going to be a short mission, this is a lifelong commitment. Spread the word to any trainer who you think could handle the dangers and responsibilities of the Ranger lifestyle.”
“That’s… not shocking, but it feels like it should be,” Mana blinked, giving Misora a significant look.
“If it were anything other than a global disaster, I’d agree, yeah,” the aforementioned girl replied immediately. “But the Ranger Union has always been pragmatic about this stuff. Their first priority is making sure the ecosystems don’t break because of angry Legends and/or Pokemon, after all.”
Akari nodded. “Mason might not be a Top Ranger, but she’s better suited for this than she thinks. I wonder if she’s being groomed to take on Regional responsibility?” she mused.
As they chatted quietly, Forester took the space at the podium, looking over the crowd. “Within the next few weeks, the League will be placing a general bulletin outlining the possibility of trouble to all League Affiliates, trainers of fourth-badge rating or above, and selected news agencies. We will be emphasizing that there is nothing to fear in the upcoming years, but that there might be disruptions to the world as we know it.” He stood straighter, many in the audience following his lead. “We will be working to make that statement true. It is my hope that many of you will do the same. Garde has made it through troubled times before, and emerged stronger for the trials. The upcoming events we face should be no different.” He bowed. “Thank you for coming here today. Every attendee is welcome to join us in the dining rooms for a luncheon, to talk with each other and take time to look over the documents and information you’ve been provided.”
As the rest of the trainers and attendees began to disperse, Misora stood, her starter and partner doing so in sync. “We’re going to go find Diantha, Tasogare. If you wanna follow us, be our guest, but otherwise we’ll see you outside.”
“I’m going to go mingle, actually. There’s a few people that caught my interest in the crowd, and I do want to give Lance a wave.” Akari nodded at Misora before ducking into the crowd, her presence restrained enough for her to blend in without issue.
Misora turned and walked over to the stage, catching Diantha as the movie star moved to head towards the dining room. “Champion Diantha, a word?”
“Hmm?” Diantha stopped, then brightened as she saw Mana. “Bonjour, Mana. And Misora, how nice to see you two.” She gave a starlet’s smile, the only strain showing in the tightness around her eyes. “If only it was under better circumstances.”
“I hadn’t realized Flare had become such a problem,” the Ace trainer admitted with a frown, shaking her head in self-deprecation. “I’d have never left for my vacation if I’d known.”
“It’s been a slow realization, Misora. We are handling it, just not quickly, and the longer our response takes, the more time they have to stir up trouble. Will you be joining the expedition?” she asked, going down on one knee to give Mana scratches.
Amusement flickering through her eyes as Mana melted into the Champion’s scritches, Misora nodded. “Of course. Kalos is my home, after all. Even if it’s not my homeland, it’s the home I chose.”
Dainath smiled up at the trainer. “Thank you.” She stood, leaving the puddle below to reform back into a Primeon, looking regretfully at the Indigo Champion standing near the doors. “I need to go and speak with the other officials, and go around scouting other potential trainers. Will you be joining us for lunch?”
“Of course. I do intend to challenge your Elites again at some point, when this all concludes,” Misora stated, more out of amusement than anything. “And that requires that I know how to be sociable with the ‘upper crust’ as it were.”
Diantha chuckled. “I had an advantage in that realm, to be sure. And considering how much of the ‘upper crust’ are being implicated in Flare, you may not need to learn. I think you already know most of what you’ll need to know.”
“Are the nobles really going to need us to teach them that lesson again?” Misora rolled her eyes. “It’s like they forget sometimes that Kalos is Kalos.”
Diantha laughed as they walked towards Lance, the small knot of people leaving the room as another woman watched behind red sunglasses. The woman turned and walked out the back of the room, heading towards the many empty hallways of the complex, snapping out a phone.
Malva stopped as she heard someone talking, peeking around the corner to see a suited man – Giovanni, a Kanto Gym Leader, if she recalled right – speaking into his own phone. “...could disrupt everything, yes. Nothing to be done about the ground-level employees, but we need to make sure our core businesses…” He stopped as he saw Malva. “Do you mind?” He asked icily.
“Apologies, I’ll find a different spot,” Malva said, waving her own phone, before turning and heading the other way down the empty hallway. Things would be heating up, and Lysandre should probably learn about this sooner, rather than later.
2025-08-02 00:33:33 +0000 UTC
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Tohsaka Rin was proud of her heritage. Less proud than she’d once been, to be honest, but there was much to be proud of. Wealth, power gained through effort, accumulated wisdom and a heritage which unlocked the secrets of the universe, or at least the barest vestiges. That pride had sunk into Rin herself, which was one of the reasons she’d not really thought hard about accepting the Gym challenge alongside Agate three months ago. She’d succeed, because that was what a Tohsaka did.
Seeing Sakura, who was decidedly better than her when it came to Pokemon training, struggle so much with this match, put things in perspective. Rin took her hat off and ran her gaze over her team. “Okay, thoughts; do you think we’ll win this match?” She asked bluntly.
Libra wobbled in midair. “Strong doubts. We are strong for what we are, but I for one cannot keep up the pace I’d need to match the Leader’s own. Sorry, my lady.”
“Don’t be, I was looking for an honest opinion,” Rin huffed, looking at Gordon.
“Lass, this is the hump when it comes to Gyms. Fourth or Third gyms separate the hobbyist from the dedicated,” Gordon squeaked. “Of the three of us, I need to evolve, and Libra’s too slow. Agate’s the only one of us who could fight at this level, and she’s not strong enough for a three-on-one.”
“I concur,” Agate nodded, gazing into Rin’s eyes with a ghost of a smile on her catlike face. “Yet you still wish to challenge the leader. Not as an act of futility, but rather to mark where you need to be, yes?”
“I do,” Rin said. “But I wanted to make sure you all were okay with going into this match knowing a loss is almost certain.” She caught herself before she could bite her cheek. “I have my pride.”
“Well I don’t. It’ll be a learning experience,” Libra said simply.
Gordon buzzed. “I don’t mind getting into a scrap with no stakes. If we do this, we’ll need to give our utmost, even if a fall is certain,” he added.
“Of course we have to do our utmost!” Agate declared, offense lancing her tone at the very idea of doing anything but her best. “Even if we all agree we can’t possibly win, we can’t know how far we have left to go if we don’t push ourselves to our reasonable limits.”
Rin nodded, giving her team a smile. She rose from her crouch, turning to face Elesa, the gym leader watching with a small smile. “We’re ready for the fight, Gym Leader.”
“Very well,” Elesa nodded, something akin to respect entering her eyes as she spun around and began walking towards her position once more, “As I’m sure you are aware, Gym Leaders are not just versed in one method of combat.” Spinning around, she grinned, spinning to face Rin from across the battlefield, “I hope you’re ready for a show of a different kind than your sister got!”
Rin bit back a snarky comment, instead returning her team and advancing to her side of the stadium. “I’m happy to see more of your skills,” she said truthfully.
“This will be a three-on-three battle, between challenger Tohsaka and Gym Leader Elesa. Leader Elesa has no switches, Trainer Tohsaka has one. Trainers, are you ready?”
“Yes,”bBoth women spoke, before tossing out their Pokemon. Gordon manifested on the battlefield, looking around, before he flinched, the Magneton across the battlefield looking down at him.
“Ah, bugger. Lass–”
“Lead Shot!” Gordon nodded, before turning into a black blur and smacking into Magneton, the dark-type energy letting him through the steel hide of his opponent, but the bulky mechanical pokemon barely flinched. With a hum, they fired back at the tiny bug with a Flash Cannon, Gordon barely dodging the attack.
“Gravity,” Elesa decreed, Magneton turning their diodes towards the ground, and releasing a burst of gray light which soaked into the floor. With a hum, a sheen of black light spread over the battlefield, Gordon’s hops suddenly reduced in height and speed.
Rin winced. Without his natural evasiveness, Gordon couldn’t draw this out. “Infestation, then try to keep close enough to put their aim off,” she ordered.
Gordon immediately flickered, a half-dozen little copies of him forming around him before buzzing into the Magneton, the insect clones latching on and biting deep. Magneton shook off the hit without too much effort, but the little bugs continued to gnaw at its form. In response, a trio of brightly colored orbs formed around the steel-type, a Tri Attack lancing across the field to connect with Gordon squarely.
“Follow up with Flash Cannon. Barrage format,” Elesa commanded sharply, clearly not at all interested in letting Gordon meaningfully attrit her lead Pokemon. Agreeing that such a course of action was the utmost of prudence, the aforementioned Pokemon briefly paused in mid-air, shining with steel light.
“Sucker Punch, get another hit in!” Gordon started moving before his trainer finished, blurring into a dark blob which slammed into Magneton, causing the much larger electric type to shudder in midair. But while Gordon bounced off, Magneton started firing. One burst of light caught the tiny bug before he could land, blasting him back into the air. Magneton’s focus allowed them to juggle him in the air, each shot pushing him higher before the Joltik finally landed on the ground, out cold.
Rin pulled back her first Pokemon, flicking out her second. “Libra, you’re up.” Her Lampent materialized across the battlefield from Magneton, immediately blasting it with Fire Spin, adding more ongoing damage to her wounded opponent.
Nodding in approval, Elesa issued her next command, “Discharge. Don’t give the ghost space to maneuver."
Libra took the burst of electricity with aplomb, whistling as she drifted aside and blasted Magneton with more fire. Magneton’s smoking form emerged from the flames shuddering, but intact.
“Gravity,” Elesa commanded, her deadpan once more letting some emotion slip. Not quite desperation, but certainly urgency. With a pulse, Libra was dragged to the ground, Magneton immediately charging up another Discharge on its diodes.
“Keep firing–” Rin said, trailing off as Magneton blasted off another Discharge which caught her on the ground. Libra survived the hit, firing off another Fire Spin. Rin watched as Libra took one more hit and fell unconscious.
Rin winced as she realized her mistake. “I should’ve used my switch sooner,” she observed as she pulled back her second Pokemon, releasing Agate onto the battlefield. Agate took one look at the smoking Magneton before blasting them with Mystical Fire, sending it tumbling to the ground.
Returning her first Pokemon, Elesa palmed another ball and then flicked her wrist, sending out a serpentine eel Pokemon that floated a few inches over the floor. The Eelectrik eyed Agate with some concern, before darting across the field with its maw open wide, dark energy gathering around its mouth.
Rin called out. “Psybeam, knock it back!” With a blast of psionic energy, the Eelectrik’s alpha strike was foiled, the electric eel driven back by the blast. More warily this time, the eel-like Pokemon slowly creeped around the battlefield, orbiting Agate with a certain amount of menace.
“Thunderbolt,” Elesa decreed. “Box her in.” Eelectrik’s fangs and crest sparked, sending off bursts of electricity to force Agate into a smaller and smaller area as Elesa’s pokemon circled, hemming her in and pushing her into a pattern of spinning in place to keep her eyes fixed on her opponent.
“Light Screen, Agate. Don’t let him wear you down,” Rin ordered, her Pokemon standing still to set up a hazy barrier of energy around herself.
“Continue your barrage,” Elesa declared, a not so subtle twitch of her hands belying the concealed order within. Heeding their trainer’s call, Eelectrik continued to suppress Agate, all the while floating closer and closer to the Espeon. Agate responded without prompting, hammering Electrik with psybeams now that her guard was up, even as she was pulled into a pattern of spinning more and more.
Elesa finally dropped her hand. “Pulse her.” Eelectrik reared back and released a shriek of electrical energy, the disorienting sound waves striking Agate– only to immediately bounce off and strike Eelectrik, causing the eel to shudder in shock. “Mystery gift, of course it would have Magic Bounce…” Elesa cursed herself. “Dispense with the pretense, Eelectrik. Force the engagement.”
Rin flinched as the eel coiled for a lunge. “Reinforce your legs, keep out of his range and pepper him with Power Gem!”
Eelectrik immediately dove in, fangs getting coated in darkness once again. Agate desperately blasted back with blasts of red light from her forehead gem, while her psionic might was woven into her legs as she darted away. The Power Gem bursts burst off the already wounded electric-type, Eelectrik keeping up and landing glancing blows with his dark-enhanced maw. Finally, he seized Agate on one flailing leg, biting in deep and drawing a yowl of anguish, before the cat overcharged her gemstone and blasted him with one final psybeam, throwing the two combatants apart.
There was silence on the battlefield, but unlike the last fight, neither pokemon rose from where they’d fallen. The referee raised both his flags. “Both trainers’ Pokemon have been defeated.” He then dropped one flag, keeping the other raised towards Rin. “With no usable Pokemon remaining, the challenger has lost this battle. Gym Leader Elesa wins!”
“Well done,” Elesa decreed, her cold demeanor fading away like morning dew. “I had been concerned you had challenged me out of arrogance.” She smiled as she began making her way across the battlefield, taking a moment to recall Eelectrik and give his Pokeball a pat. “I see that such concern was unneeded. Should this have been any other badge challenge, such a performance would have seen you walk away with a badge of merit.”
“I think taking the last merit badge was what led to this loss,” Rin admitted quietly. “Do you have any restrictions on how close my next match can be? I’ll be taking at least a week to train up Libra and Gordon, but…”
“No. No leader worth their salt would impose such restrictions,” Elesa replied immediately. “We are here to test, to drive growth, and to ensure that trainers who wish to follow in our footsteps are equipped to do so. Setting restrictions for re-challenges goes against the spirit of this. We cannot force you to grow, you must choose to do so yourself.” She paused, before smiling. “However, a leader may ban a challenger from gaining their badge should they fail to learn their lesson. If only for a season.”
“Undertood. I’ll schedule a match once I figure out a training plan, then.” She gave a short bow, drawing a raised eyebrow from the Leader. “...umm. Could I bring Gordon here for some training? If you’re willing to let a challenger train here first; he’s committed to evolving, and you seem to know his evolutionary line.”
Elesa’s eyes lit up in glee. “I would be more than happy to participate in the training of someone that Ingo thinks highly of.”
“Thank you.” Rin sighed as she straightened. “Now, I need to go confer with my sister. Thank you for your time, Gym Leader. Our next match will be different,” she promised, a spark of defiance in her eyes.
“Of that I have no doubt.”
--(o)--
Ingo looked over the picnic spread, before glancing back at the green-haired boy on the other side. “Is there a track delay, N?” He asked, the subject of his gaze being much slower on the uptake of food of either of the two girls currently talking to their teams.
N took time to think before responding. “It’s… I guess I’m thinking,” he said eventually. “Trainers I heard of always hurt their Pokemon upon loss; or so I was told. I know that’s wrong, but seeing how they’re reacting… it’s nice,” he said, watching as Sakura set her team to dodge drills.
Ingo sighed. “There are conductors who uncouple their cars at the first sign of engine trouble,” he admitted, before interpreting his words for N’s sake. “A Pokemon does not live up to their initial success, and rather than work on maintenance or improvements, their trainer cuts them loose. Such tactics cannot work forever. But then, men and Pokemon sometimes behave that way towards their own kind as well.” He took a sip of his flat soda. “It's slightly easier when we are so different, unfortunately.”
“Empathy is harder when you don’t understand,” N nodded easily. He himself had the benefit of being able to outright speak their language and understand it, so it was much easier for him to associate with Pokemon, and being raised by them, to some extent he understood Pokemon better than his fellow humans. “I was forcibly reminded of that fact rather recently.”
Ingo nodded, thinking back to much darker days. “Emmet and I… we are not normal, and that set us apart. We had to board the trains of our dreams, no matter the price of the ticket, because dreams were all we had, besides each other.” He looked back at N with a stern smile. “Do not give up the Ideal in slave of the Truths you’re told. And don’t let Ideals cloud your sight of the Truth as it is. Unova is worse for the loss of the balance between the two,” he finished.
“Thank you for the advice, Warden Ingo,” N replied, tilting his head in acknowledgement. He turned, the two men watching as Rin shooed away a Rufflet who was attacking her team. N frowned. “I suppose that brings up a question. What drives Pokemon to stay with trainers who mistreat them?”
“Sometimes, conditioning, especially for purchased or inherited Pokemon. Other times, it is more calculating. Human training can make a weak Pokemon strong, and a few years of suffering for a lifetime of strength can be tempting. Sometimes, a Pokemon is too used to being fed and cared for to consider striking out on their own.” Ingo shook his head. “Why does a man run the rails when doing so hurts him? Perhaps the joy of working the engine is enough.”
N pondered that as the Rufflet returned to harass Rin more, the magus girl finally snapping and sending Gordon to fight back against the flying type. “Team Plasma is supposed to be better than normal trainers. Maybe that could be our goal, rehabilitating or helping abused Pokemon,” he mused.
“A noble ideal, more help in those cases is always welcome,” Ingo acknowledged. They watched as the battered Rufflet stood up, and tried to lash out at Gordon one more time, before a Pokeball struck him in the head and sucked him up. “Ride that train another time, we have a track diversion,” he said as Rin approached, holding the Pokeball with her newest catch.
“Warden Ingo, I think I need your assistance.” She said grumpily. “This one demanded to be caught, but I don’t think I’m a good fit for him.”
Ingo chuckled, coming to his feet. “Let’s get him in working order, and we can work out what to do, then.”
A few minutes later, the three were cluttered around the Rufflet, the little scrapper pecking at a sandwich while Rin set up her translator. “Alright, Rufflet. I can tell you really want a trainer, right?”
“Yup! You have a strong team, and I want to be strong too!” Rufflet puffed up, chirping proudly. “I’m going to be the strongest! And being the strongest requires a trainer!”
“I understand. And by strongest, you mean…”
“I can defeat anyone! When my wings can crack boulders and my talons can rend stone, and I can defeat my father; that’s when I’ll know I’m the strongest!” Rufflet screeched, dancing in place.
“No thoughts on how to better manipulate energy, no deeper philosophy?” Rin asked, getting a head tilt from the little bird. “Okay, you do need a trainer. But you don’t need me; I make Pokemon strong, yes, but mostly through broadening their skills and honing their talents in shaping power, not through raw conditioning. That’s not my skillset.”
“But… Trainer!” Rufflet declared, stomping one of their feet against the ground.
N thought for a moment, then coughed. “Warden Ingo… is it true that trading is still an accepted practice? I was always told it was somewhat of a foul thing, but I’m no longer certain of that.”
Ingo nodded. “Yes, trading is still a practice.” Pausing, Ingo held up his hands, “Explaining this must be done carefully, and my cars are still boarding.” After several moments of silence, the former - now honorary - warden nodded firmly to himself. “Trading is, to put simply, the practice of exchanging a Pokemon between trainers in a permanent measure. The term itself comes from slang and lingo, but does aptly describe the process. Trading, when done as intended, is, as I recommend to Miss Rin, the act of exchanging Pokemon that do not necessarily suit the temperament and mentality of their trainers, but still wish to be trainer Pokemon.” Taking a deep breath, Ingo smiled. “If you will join to my carriage, it will be easier to show you.”
“So we just need to find a trainer who can handle Rufflet?” Rin asked, frowning. “Do we just, ask random people, or…”
“No, technology is quite helpful for this. Our route takes us this way,” Ingo said, leading them in towards town.
--(o)--
Rin looked over the machine with a gimlet eye, watching as various people deposited Pokeballs in the lower slots and saw them lifted into the ceiling. “So, you just… put the Pokemon in and someone who meets the criteria does the exchange?” She asked, watching as one person approached one of the machines and took a Great Ball from the tray, inspecting it with a smile. “That seems impersonal.”
“Originally, trades were always done in person, and such transactions could be done for money, items, resources… anything.” One of the nearby trainers interjected. “But that also meant you couldn’t get Pokemon not available nearby, leading to people paying for rare foreign mons.” As everyone looked at the man, he shrugged. “You can only trade Pokemon here if they’ve let themselves be registered as a trade partner, and you have to confirm that you’re the trainer for the Pokemon, which is really the best we can do.”
Rin’s team watched their trainer nod, walking up to the machine and keying in her preferred prerequisites. Libra bowed her head in prayer. “...grant us fortune and victory, oh scion of assurance,” she murmured, her flame shifting gold for a few moments.
“Prayer?” Agate asked, looking askance at her friend.
“It is a ritual, albeit one with a very low success rate,” Libra said simply. “But one risks nothing by asking the Legends to aid in events such as these.”
Rin had barely stepped away from the machine when her phone buzzed, and she turned around to see a Pokeball descending back into the cradle, locking itself in place until she scanned her ID card. Taking the ball, she walked back to the group, examining it. “...I don’t recognize this Pokemon’s name,” she admitted. “What’s a Sprigatito, and why are they named Carrol?”
Ingo’s eyebrows metaphorically rose to the ceiling. “A Paldean Pokemon. Specifically their ‘Grass Type First Partner Pokemon’.”
“A starter?” Rin eyed the ball with some shock. “Who’d trade their starter?”
“Not everyone cares for their partners the same way… and not all ‘starter’ Pokemon end up as the engine in a train,” Ingo advised.
Heading outside, Rin released the Pokemon, her teammates gathering around as a small green cat manifested in front of her. The little cat looked up, eyes half-lidded. “Hmm. Hey,” He said, tail flicking. He looked down at the other three Pokemon. “Oh good, I didn’t end up as a gift for a new kid. That’s nice.”
“Be aware that our human can understand you,” Agate warned, amusement flitting through her voice. “I do believe your ritual worked, Libra.”
Carrol looked up, blinking as Rin crouched. “And why would me being a new trainer be a problem?”
“Oh, well. New trainers have these big dreams, and they push hard. Or so I’ve heard, maybe my old trainer was just an outlier,” the cat replied, tail swishing. “Me, I’m happy to battle, be a lap cat, do whatever, so long as I get my ten hours of sleep and six hours of downtime, you know? Start insisting on ‘training until you drop’ or ‘all nighters’ and we’ll have problems.”
Rin blinked. “Was your trainer a tad… overenthusiastic, perhaps?”
“That’s a way to put it. She finally figured out I wasn’t on her wavelength and sent me back. Good luck with her, whoever took my place,” Carrol yowled.
Rin nodded. “Alright. Well, I am a battling and research team, with an emphasis on tricky fighting and clever use of expanded movepools. Is that going to be a problem?”
Carrol tilted his head. “Only one way to find out. Let me see how we’re training, and then we can deal.”
2025-07-15 23:14:51 +0000 UTC
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Rin’s head was on a swivel as she and her sister walked around Nimbasa City. Despite learning to use modern technology at a nearly unheard of level for a traditional magus family member, she still found herself a little overwhelmed by the sheer amount of lights, theme parks, and attractions littering the modern city streets. Neon and bright signage everywhere she looked. “How does anyone find their way around in this city?” she asked, dodging a group of tourists heading into what seemed to be some sort of Game Parlour, based on the name and imagery on the signs.
“Likely by using a map. Or a GPS,” Sakura replied blandly, looking at her sister with a mild amount of confusion, “Are you feeling okay, Rin-nee? You’d usually be able to figure that out yourself.”
“Just tired.” Rin yawned, Sakura nodding along in agreement. Though they’d had a day of rest after their late-night battle, both girls had tried to get up before noon and handle their affairs, including a debriefing and some significant paperwork. Even with a full night’s sleep behind them, they still felt a little drained. “Everything’s marked on those maps, but I can’t stare at them all the time. Having your nose in a phone while moving around seems very rude.” She shot a glare at one girl passing by in a hoodie, her phone out and plugged into a set of headphones, people having to scramble out of the way of her oblivious power walk.
“Only if you aren’t capable of multitasking and keeping an eye on your surroundings,” Sakura corrected, nodding towards another teen - this one occasionally glancing at their phone while deftly avoiding the foot traffic around them. “Don’t make it other people’s problems and it’s fine, you know?”
Rin smiled. “I wish more people were so considerate,” she said, before pointing. “Oh, there’s the gym!” She led her sister out of the crowded street, walking towards the dark building lit up with colored lights. “So, fourth badge challenge. Are you ready, sis?”
She nodded, “Of course. I’ve been keeping up with my training while we’ve been traveling.” Left unsaid was the fact that Rin was far more casual about training her team than Sakura was. While it wasn’t as if Rin and her team didn’t train, they did not train nearly enough to be taking the Gym Challenge seriously.
Which was fine, but knowing her sister she’d take a loss poorly.
Rin noticed Sakura’s reserve, but after a quick glance to confirm her sister wasn’t feeling poorly, she shrugged and led them towards the gym doors, stopping only as she saw the familiar face of the dark-clad Subway Boss conversing with a glamorous woman with blonde hair and a poofy dress. “Warden Ingo, it’s good to see you!” She called out. “I’d have thought you’d have been at the reserve with N.” Their friend had decided to spend the day outside the city, speaking with the Hisuian Pokemon in the nature park Ingo managed. He’d apologized for missing their battles, but the girls had understood.
“Your friend is trustworthy enough to handle delicate luggage and passengers alike. I do not need to keep a station watch on him.” Ingo retorted, turning on one heel with a clack of polished shoes.
“Warden Ingo? Someone else calls you by that old title?” The woman elbowed Ingo with a smile. “Sorry Ingo didn’t introduce me. I’m Elesa, gym leader here.”
“A friend in Sinnoh would eviscerate us verbally if we didn’t,” Rin replied primly, “Greetings, Leader Elesa. Both of us are here to challenge you for your Gym Badge.”
“Well, as Ingo would say, ‘All Aboard!” Elesa laughed, leading them inside. The interior of the massive building was dark, lit with neon; a massive roller coaster filling the towering space. “Now, I do have a gym challenge; it involves riding to me while targeting deployed targets, but considering your services to my friend, I can waive that.” She motioned to a wide set of stairs leading to a covered walkway, where dozens of people were making their way to the battle court at the back of the gym. “I’m not going to waive the battles, though. Even if you are a couple of do-gooders, the league frowns upon giving out too many badges to one trainer for service or effort. Best not to double up.”
“Better to let them show their skill to make sure they’ve earned it and aren’t called in erroneously in cases of emergency,” Sakura guessed, though it was more of a statement than a guess, really.
“That too. There’s also been a couple of times where people have tried to buy their way into a set of badges; League agents investigate if a person gets more than one or two ‘service’ badges, and effort badges can’t be awarded over a certain level. So, are you riding the Shining Coaster, or are you going to walk with me?”
“We’ll walk with you,” Rin declared, Sakura nodding her agreement without hesitation. The Gym Challenge was a rite specifically to prove worthiness. If the Leader waived it you respected their decision.
Elesa nodded, and the group made their way down the long hall to the battle court behind the roller coaster, the Gym Leader speeding up to head towards her spot on the far side of the court. “Alright, now… Sakura Tohsaka-Juniper, please step forward. You’re up first.”
Sakura nodded, moving her hand over her belt. Stepping over to her side of the field, she cleared her throat. “Gym Leader, were you planning on a three-on-three battle, or a four-on-four? My newest team member is eager to prove herself, but she’s not yet up to the standards of a four-badge match.”
Elesa paused briefly as she walked towards her position, turning her head to face Sakura, “What would you prefer, Challenger? Though I will warn you that starting from the fifth badge onward, you are expected to have a certain amount of combat ready Pokemon.”
“I am aware. Sneasel will be ready to fight at our level in a few weeks; she is dedicated and talented,” Sakura responded. “But I also know Ingo probably informed you of my newest team member, and I wouldn’t want to start without checking. I’d prefer a three-on three,” she finished.
“Then a three on three it shall be. Referee?” Elesa replied as she resumed her march to her side of the field.
“This will be a three on three battle between Leader Elesa and Challenger Sakura. Substitutions are not permitted by the Gym Leader, while the Challenger may freely do so.” The League Representative present declared from his place on the refereeing podium, a severe look in his eyes that seemed omnipresent on all his ilk. “Are both trainers prepared?”
Sakura nodded, eyes narrowing. No switching, sure. She’d watched some of Elesa’s matches; the Gym Leader didn’t switch, but she did swap out her teammates a lot. Everyone was prepared to deal with Volt Switch. She flicked a ball into her hand, looking across at the diva holding her own ball.
“Begin!”
The first Pokeballs spun onto the battlefield releasing their fighters. Ana smirked as she materialized, looking across the battlefield as she ruffled her leaves. Across from her floated an Emolga, the flying-squirrel like Pokemon chittering in amusement as she alighted on the field.
Sakura immediately called out. “Reflect, then slow her down, Ana.” The Servine immediately pulsed, a barrier forming around her even as the beginnings of a swirl of leaves manifested around her tail.
“Encore.” Elesa’s command was simple and brutal. With a chittering laugh of faelike amusement, Emolga clapped her paws together and manipulated type energy - throwing the resulting spray of streamers and hearts towards her serpentine foe. Ana scowled as the power settled over her, her Leaf Tornado snuffed out.
Sakura bit her cheek, considering. That… was bad. Not irrevocable, but bad. Encore would wear off quickly, but against an opponent who had a type advantage, that wasn’t great. However… “Ana, looks like we’re tussling.”
Ana nodded, springing forward towards the giggling Emolga, smashing the rodent with her tail and sending them skidding across the ground. Without any energy behind the blow, it was only a little damage, but every bit counted.
“Acrobatics.” A note of approval echoed through Elesa’s voice as she issued her command, simple and to the point without any sense of flair. There was a quiet expectation that she would speak and her Pokemon would know exactly what she needed them to do. Vindicating her trust and training, Emolga surrounded herself with Flying Type energy and threw herself into the brawl with shocking eagerness, the small flying rodent brawling right back against Ana. The energized attack hit Ana like a truck, blunted as it was by the Reflect.
Sakura watched for a moment as Ana was forced back. “Shape yourself a Reflect Blade, counter-attack,” she ordered, her Pokemon grinning wickedly as she swung her now barrier-sharpened tail across in a wicked arc, catching Emolga with the blade and sending the flying mouse tumbling before she could dart away.
Not visibly reacting beyond a small twitch of her lips, Elesa offered her next command, “Volt Switch”
“Reflect!” Sakura yelled, Ana moving before her to shape her barrier back into a guard– just in time to intercept the bundle of electrical energy that crashed into her, causing a wince before Emolga vanished back into Elesa’s belt, the residual electricity forcing out another Pokemon. A Zebstrika formed on the battlefield, Ana readying herself to face her second opponent.
Sakura felt out her Pokemon’s energies, and noted the restraints on her were quickly dissipating. “Ana, prepare to intercept; dodge or deflect.” She ordered, Ana nodded and shifted her stance to bring herself closer to the ground.
“Flame Charge.” At his trainer’s command, Zebstrika surged forward in a burst of speed, cloaked in a corona of flame. Ana smirked as she formed one last Reflect barrier; Zebstrika galloping over the short ramp she formed and skidding to a halt past Ana’s ducking form. Ana spun to face her opponent, the slight sheen of white over her body breaking.
“Leaf Tornado!” Sakura bit out, a storm rising around her Pokemon and hammering into her opponent.
“Take it, continue your charge.” Elesa remained cool despite the command, Zebstrika executing a frankly impressive turn as he continued to doggedly pursue his foe. Ana launched a second burst of leaves which battered him, but his blazing hooves drove her into the ground, blunted by the lingering barrier, but not enough to keep her from crying out from the damage of impact. For his own sake, Zebstrika grunted as the hits he’d taken sapped his strength.
“Mega Drain.” Sakura ordered. It’d be a lot better for Ana to hit Zebstrika with Leech Seed, but with Elesa’s key stratagem of swapping teammates around, that wouldn’t last long enough to matter.
“High Horsepower, knock her away.” Another command, another move executed with brutal precision. Rearing back, Zebstrika slammed his rear hooves into Anna’s torso, sending the grass snake flying. Ana skidded to a halt, panting, before taking a deep breath. She narrowed her gaze, leaves shifting to reveal two long vines which shifted to extend her arms, waiting patiently.
“Volt Switch.” Once more, Elesa completely upset the tempo of the fight, Zebstrika launching twin disks of electricity before he withdrew himself back into his Pokeball. Ana intercepted the shocks with her vines, grounding them out, then grimaced as Emolga appeared on the other side of the battlefield again. She immediately dropped Vine Whip and blasted the flying rodent with another Leaf Tornado. As Emolga got her bearings, the blast of leaves intercepted her, some of the fragments catching in her eyes and forcing her to rub them.
“Acrobatics. Force a close-range fight.” Emolga nodded, blurring across the battlefield, smashing into the barrier and rocking the larger Pokemon back.
“Going down… but not just yet.” The grass type hissed, before her eyes gleamed. At such close quarters, Emolga couldn’t dodge the a blast of Seed Bomb directly to her face, sending the flying type tumbling across the ground.
“Another!” Sakura yelled, Ana gathering energy in her throat for a second blast as Emolga rose into the air again. Flying undaunted towards the Seed Bomb, Emolga wove underneath the type construct with the grace and agility of an acrobat, and slammed into the grass snake. Sent flying across the battlefield, Sakura could only wince as Ana collided against a wall, sliding slowly to the ground - clearly knocked out.
“Servine is unable to battle. Challenger, send out your next Pokemon.” An interjection by the referee cut through the battle like the crack of a whip.
Sakura nodded, holding up a Pokeball and recalling Ana, before palming a second ball. “Other.” She tossed out her Pokemon, eyeing the winded and wounded Emolga. “Ice Shard.” The spray of icy blades flashed out before Emolga could react, the super-effective attack downing the flyer in one clean hit. Other huffed, a small cloud of mixed murk and haze forming around her muzzle.
After waiting a few beats, Elesa nodded towards the ref.
“Emolga is unable to battle. Leader, your next Pokemon.”
Without any pause, Emolga disappeared into her Pokeball, only for Zebstrika to once again hit the field. Sakura smiled, nodding to Other. The Zorua immediately sank into the ground before any orders could be issued, popping up much closer to her opponent and blasting him with purple flames.
Elesa narrowed her eyes, not reacting as Zebstrika ignored the flames which raced across him, responding with a fast High Horsepower, forcing Other to leap out of the ground lest be she caught in the pulse of energy from his hooves. She pointed. “Spark.” Zebstrika snorted, lunging into a shoulder tackle to strike at the ghost. Other took the hit with a hiss, but rebounded and fired back a Shadow Ball, staying out of range and smashing the weakened equine with a staggering blow.
“Volt Switch.” Perhaps sensing that the tempo had turned against her, and perhaps sensing that a new approach would be needed against a Ghost, Elesa issued her command. As her lips twitched into a smile, twin disks of electricity slammed into Other, briefly stunning the fox as Zebstrika retreated into his Pokeball. In almost the same instant, another Pokemon presented itself upon the field.
From the sidelines, Gordon perked up as something which might have been his kinsfolk took center stage. “Rin, study the blighter’s fighting style. I won’t be able to scrap like I’m used to once I evolve, and this is a good chance to ready myself.”
Sakura frowned at the new opponent, then gave a sharp gesture. Within seconds, another barrage of Will-o-Wisps sailed towards the Galvantula. Perhaps not particularly surprisingly, such a move was expected and accounted for. “Discharge.”
A deluge of electricity covered the field, each of the ghostly flames utterly drowned out by the sheer amount of electricity. Other ducked underground just in time to avoid the surge, emerging to find Galvantula charging up another strike–
“Other, return.” With a pulse of red light, Sakura pulled back her second teammate, rolling her last Pokeball to her other hand. “Ren, close to quarters.”
Elesa nodded even as the Umbreon hit the field, springing into his own shadow and racing over to his foe, the Shadow Sneak taking him from behind. Bouncing off him, he bared purple fangs and sank a Poison Fang into his opponent. Without an order from his trainer, Gavantula retaliated immediately, a swarm of generated insects forming around him and darting at the Eeveelution latched onto him, Ren barely able to let go and shadow hop out of the way in time.
Sakura frowned, seeing Struggle Bug nearly catch her partner. “Ren, fire off a couple of Snarls, soften up his attacks. Try not to get hit, but don’t exhaust yourself.” Having poison take root in the bug would’ve changed the calculus of the match, but Galvantula lacked the distinctive purple coating such an infection would’ve shown; and once Struggle Bug landed, Ren’s ranged attacks would be weakened. Shadow sneaking out of the way of strikes wasn’t something her partner could keep up for too long; the technique was too draining to rely on. Ren’s current kit was insufficient for a close-range fight, so losing Snarl’s effectiveness would be devastating.
…she’d need to expand her team’s movepools, now that she thought about it. If Ren had Dark Pulse, or better yet Fire Fang, this would be a very different battle.
“Thunder Wave.” At his trainer’s decree, Gavantula immediately sprung into action, fighting through a deluge of Dark Type Energy to throw a debilitating jolt of electricity towards his opponent. Ren sent a Snarl back at his opponent, but doing so took long enough to slow him down; both hits landed, both lurching from the hits. Ren shuddered as the electricity sunk in, his limbs seizing momentarily before he forced them to relax, popping out another Snarl to hit Galvantula before the bug could fire again, though he ate a Struggle Bug for his troubles.
Evidently quite satisfied with the match turning into an indeterminate slugfest, Elesa simply continued to issue frank, no nonsense orders, until, finally, Gaventula shuddered, ceased standing, and did not get back up again.
“Gaventula is unable to battle. Leader Elesa, send out your next Pokemon.”
Without any fanfare whatsoever, Zebstrika hit the field once more.
“Spark.” Ren, legs shaking from failed dodges and worn down by multiple hits, froze up as his limbs seized in the process of trying to get a move out. Sent flying by the attack, the Umbreon landed hard on the ground, clearly knocked unconscious. Zebstrika winced as his burn singed him, the equine Pokemon trying to catch his breath even through the pain of his bruises and burn.
Other materialized on the battlefield once again, tail flicking as she took in her opponent. With a bark, she shot a Shadow Ball to impact the wounded Zebstrika, causing him to stagger before setting his stance and giving an angry whinny. “You’re not strong enough to take me down, kit.”
Other just grinned. As Zebstrika charged, flames forming across him, she fell into the ground once again, her opponent galloping over her and skidding to a stop just too slowly to prevent her from materializing and basting him with a spray of Ice Shards. Spinning, Zebstrika brought his hooves down into a High Horsepower, Other blasting back with a Shadow Ball. The pulse of Ground-type energy caught her in the same moment her attack caught him, both tossed back off their feet.
The referee and the crowd watched with baited breath as both Pokemon lay still on the battlefield, before one quadruped managed to stagger to her feet. Other righted herself and stood, light flickering off her before dying out, the fox letting her rear impact the ground but remaining upright.
“Zebstrika is unable to battle! Gym Leader Elesa is out of usable Pokemon, the challenger wins!” the referee called, raising a red flag towards Elesa. The crowd broke out into cheers and whistles as Sakura walked onto the battlefield, scooping up her last standing Pokemon and cradling her in her arms. Sakura looked up to see Elesa swaying over to her, an earnest smile on her face.
“Well done,” she began, reaching into her coat with a smile on her face. “Gavantula was a bit more of an unorthodox choice for a 4th Badge Challenge, but you handled it well.” Pausing, Elesa finished fishing through her pockets. “I do however, have a few recommendations.”
Sakura started to voice her own realizations about her deficits, before catching herself. No need to put words in the leader’s mouth. “I’d be happy to hear them.”
“You need to take some time to properly train your team. I’m sure you have ideas in your head about how if your team’s roster was larger you’d have more options, but your fundamental issue at the moment is the lack of time you’ve spent training your core team and yourself,” Elesa stated bluntly though not unkindly, nodding towards Other and the Pokeballs on Sakura’s belt. “You would not have won this fight if not for your own talent and the talent of your partners. But raw talent is useless unless refined.”
Sakura nodded. “Would it be better to focus on move development, or more general strength and skill training? I’d like to draw up a proper schedule.”
“I would personally recommend strength and skill training. Your movepool will always naturally grow over time; however, strength and skill training will always make that process easier,” the Gym Leader’s response was immediate. “Especially with your particular talents.”
“Thank you,” Sakura nodded. “I’ll keep that in mind.” She turned, her eyebrows rising as she saw Rin releasing her full team. “I wonder what sis is doing?”
2025-07-01 23:58:22 +0000 UTC
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Crystal watched her sister as she sat cross-legged, face twitching slightly as she floated a few inches off the ground. With both their parents gone shopping, it was the perfect time for the girls to do some real delving into the more esoteric powers provided by their spirits.
And get some answers.
Melody had been slowly diving into the force more and more over the two years since their gear had half-awoken, and had started having weird dreams; fire and blood, light and howling madness, and reality shattering like cheap glass. Obi-wan had plugged them as some sort of vision, and now…
Crystal jerked as Melody dropped out of her trance, falling back to the cushion beneath her butt. “Well, that was bloody fucking terrifying.” The more studious twin groaned, eyes still closed, “Can I get brain bleach? I want to unsee some of that… shit. Yeah, shit works. For the lack of a stronger word at least.”
“Evocative. Not helpful.” Crystal muttered, looking up as Obi-wan detached from her sister. “So, what’s happening?”
“War. Or at least, something comparable.” Obi-wan’s voice was grim. “Flashes of combat, a pair of figures in red and white armor, and something worse roused by the chaos. Beyond that, it became too disjointed.”
Melody shook her head. “Ten years. Ten years before things start to break.”
“Well, you’ll just have to do your best to stop that, right Melody, Crystal?” The familiar peppy voice of a certain Pokemon trainer called from their side, “After all, you’ve both grown, and both of you have said you want to make a difference.”
“Ten years is a nice timescale, too.” Shepard spoke up from her spot nearby. “We had two years against the Reapers, and that was with almost everyone putting their hands over their ears. You’ve got time.”
“We can’t tell people, though. Not this far out, and not at our age.” Crystal grumbled. “I hate being magically-augmented prodigy geniuses sometimes.” She paused. “Rarely, but it happens.”
“At least you don’t have to worry about a Holy Grail War with the literal incarnation of All-The-World’s Evils embedded in it,” A dry, purposefully childish voice added, a familiar face stepping into the circle of ghosts, “Hello again Melody, ready for your magecraft lessons?”
“Didn’t we deduce that those-”
“You aren’t gonna convince nee-chan to not teach you, Melody.” A peppy voice chirped from behind Crystal, “That said, Crys, whaddaya say about going for a spin with me later~”
“Depends, are you going to let me try out that bow?” Crystal came to her feet. “Then hell yes.” She paused. “Yeah, we’re going to have to get stronger and find some allies, aren’t we?”
“Probably sis.” Melody stated sadly, sighing, “Including our spirits. We’re going to have to find more permanent ones to bolster our roster.”
“...for now, let’s focus on mastering what we have. And making some waves.” Merging with Chloe, Crystal summoned a silver, nameless sword. “You think we can sell these? We’re going to need some cash.”
“There’s no reason you couldn’t.” Illya giggled, looking at her not quite sister and summoner’s merged form, “Onii-chan’s magecraft doesn’t ever degrade, and lasts until you will it out of existence.”
“Cool, so… can we melt this down, then sell the metal?” She hummed, spinning the sword. “Experimentation is necessary.”
“We can also start making some gear with Shepard’s technical knowledge too, sister.” Melody added after a few moments thought, “And Illya’s been trying to teach me Alchemy.”
“And failing, honestly. You’ve hit a kind of wall that I can’t really help you overcome, though you are showing promise with the basics of Wishcraft.” The magus pouted, sighing, “Ah well, it is what it is. We’ll have to make do while both of us are merged, or once you figure out how to give us bodies of our own, we can start supporting you better.”
Crystal nodded, setting the sword down before releasing Chloe’s ghost. “So.. let’s get started. We’ve got some stuff to do.” She paused. “Also, should we tell Mom and Dad?”
Melody started to shake her head, only to abort and nod, “Actually, yeah. They deserve to know why we’ve been amping up our training now that we know fairly conclusively why our visions are happening. Apocalypses aren’t… well, yeah.”
“Okay. So… right now, or…” Crystal hedged. “Don’t want to worry them too much…”
“They’re our parents Crys. They’ll worry no matter what we do.” Melody replied softly, hair shadowing her eyes, “... I don’t want them to be sad or worried either.”
Illya swallowed. “If you guys are serious about all this… tell them. If something happened, they’d want to know what was happening. Just… for closure.”
“... Yes. What Illya said.” Chloe added somberly.
Melody and Crystal nodded as one. “...let’s hope they understand…”
--/o\--
“-and that is why we were both grounded ‘for the foreseeable future.’” Crystal explained to Steven. “They let up after a few weeks, but Mom is now sitting in on all our training.” She paused. “Apparently, she’s better at Magecraft than sis is.”
“Stupid mom getting science better than I do…” Melody pouted, poking the sand of the playground with a stick she had found, “Illya was giggling for hours…”
Steven blinked. “So wait– the world might end in ten years?” His eyes dilated. “What– why haven’t you told anyone?”
“We aren’t oracles; no one would actually take us seriously enough to prevent the apocalypse.” Melody winced as her unseen mentor flicked her ear, “Master Kenobi also says that it could very well be the force showing me the consequences of telling someone about this. Apparently Force Visions are notoriously unreliable, mostly because they can be influenced by almost anything.”
Crystal humphed. “It’d be almost worse if we were believed. This sort of thing doesn’t come out of nowhere; there’s got to be some people already getting things going. If we start talking about their super-secret plans, making two little girls vanish is pretty easy.”
“... Yeah, it would be.” Steven shuddered, “Can we talk about something else?”
“Sure! You have talked to Rias, right?” Crystal perked up.
“Yep! We’re friends now, actually. She apparently doesn’t really get along with anyone at school because and I quote; ‘No one except you actually bothers to get to know me beyond my public face’.” Steven gushed, “She’s a huge Japanophile, kinda like you Melody.”
“... I cannot deny that I like anime, but I’m not quite a Japanophile Steven…” The aforementioned girl pouted, “You take that back.”
Crystal bopped her sister over the head. “Nope, he’s kinda right. You spend a lot of time comparing Drag-so-ball to the Anime in Illya’s world. Like, hours.” She peered at Steven as her sister fumed. “So… you don’t seem giddy when you talk about her. Still have that crush?”
“...not really.” Steven admitted. “I like her a lot, but she’s not who I thought she was. She’s not perfect at all. Not bad, but not perfect.” He frowned. “Also a little lazy? She started training more after I won a practice match, though.”
“So competitive but also assured of her place in the world?” Melody ventured.
“That sounds about right.” Steven nodded, smiling at his two human friends, “I’m glad I met you two, by the way. I would have been content to be mediocre if I hadn’t. I’m beating several pillar heirs now.”
“My training dummy is growing up!” Crystal sniffed happily.
“Hey, he’s my training dummy too!” Melody interjected moodily, before suddenly blushing, “S-sorry!”
Steven looked back and forth between them. “Ah…” He swallowed. “I… Assume you both aren’t really interested in becoming a Devil, are you?”
“Not at the moment Steven,” Melody admitted, “Though if we do get a burning urge to go to hell, we’ll think of you first~”
“Well, that’s the thing.” He sighed. “Since I got stronger, I’ve gotten some opportunities. For recruitment.” He looked up at them shyly. “And I did check you two. I’d need to use a double Rook, all eight pawns, or my queen piece. For either of you.”
“Then we’re honored you considered us first, but we’d rather remain human, sorry Steven.” Melody sighed, “I hope that you-”
“I’m not going to stop being your friend over an honest refusal, Melody. What's up with you today? You’ve been really moody?” Steven interjected.
Crystal shook her head. “It’s… not your fault. She didn’t get the regulatory implant before Mom banned me from more cybernetics.”
“What does that even mean– wait, cybernetics?” His eyes boggled. “What did you do?”
Crystal shrugged, pulling up the edge of her shirt, not even noticing her sister or friend’s blush as she pointed to a scar on her abdomen. “See, I implanted the core there, where it reacts to–”
“CRYSTAL!” Melody roared, “SHIRT DOWN!”
“I’m not at the bra line– okay, okay, stop hitting me–” Crystal muttered, dropping her shirt. “Anyway, I’ve got full control over a lot of little things, plus slightly improved healing, and an integrated Omni-tool uplink!” She grinned, forming an orange interface over one hand. “Mom stopped me before I could integrate a micro-fabricator, so I don’t have the knife function or tech powers inbuilt yet.”
Steven blinked twice. “Umm. Did you install a prototype on yourself?” He scowled. “That’s really dumb.”
Melody nodded. “Thank you.”
“Hey, Shepard’s world has refined the design over millennia! It’s not a prototype.”
“Yes, it is!” Melody growled back, “You built it in an artisan format rather than on a production line! By dictionary definition it’s a prototype!”
Crystal stuck out her tongue. “I had to anyway, to integrate it with magic.” She drooped. “So… I guess you’re right. But it works!”
“And you scared half my lifespan away in the process!” Melody choked out, “I was the one who called mom on you in case we had to go to the hospital!”
“Hey, I had half the spirits supervising. They would have let you know if anything went wrong.”
“... Melody, Crystal, please stop arguing…” Steven interjected in a strangled tone.
“Never!” Two voices sounded, once again, as one.
“... We have… guests?” Steven ventured, finally catching the twins’ gaze as he looked past them.
As one, both girls turned to look at the group of people surrounding their table, the picnic bench now shadowed by the five figures. Crystal blinked as she looked at the five identical black hoodies, each marked with a spray-painted orange symbol. “...you know, I’m pretty sure that’s not a sports logo. Who are you guys, and why are you crowding us?”
“BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD! SKULLS FOR THE SKULL THRONE!” All five roared at once, “SOULS FOR THE DEMON FOX!”
“... What?” Melody blinked in utter confusion, having reached for and installed Obi-Wan out of pure habit, “Come again, this time without pop-culture references?” Beside her, Crystal began to laugh so hard she fell off the bench.
One of the leaders of the group stepped forward. “You have been chosen, children! Your blood shall bring about the glorious return of our master, a sacrifice to bring about a new age! Submit, and the Demon Fox shall–” His rant was cut off as Melody slammed a force push into the man, sending him arse over tea kettle, bits of mulch flying everywhere.
Steven groaned, standing as his fists lit up with green flames. “Dammit girls, are we really doing this?”
Crystal snorted as she picked herself up off the ground, still shaking slightly. “Hehe– well, I have been looking for some action.” She pulsed with red light, pulling on Shepard to form her armor. “I need to practice my biotics. So, let’s see…”
The other four cultists roared, fur spreading across their bodies as bone talons ripped through their fingers. With a howl, the cultists sprang forward, eyes alight with madness.
Melody grunted. “So uncivilized…”
With the necessary words said, the young Padawan ignited her borrowed lightsaber (there was no way in hell she could actually make one on Earth anyway) and intercepted the incoming bone-talons; blinking in surprise when the blade of superheated plasma failed to cut through. “... I call bullshit.”
“Do you believe in magic? In a young girl’s heart, how the music can free her…” Crystal hummed as she ducked a claw swipe and countered with an uppercut. “Come on, if my Omni-blades can resist your sword, so can other magic stuff.”
“... You make an excellent point sister.” Melody replied, before smiling darkly and applying pressure, “But just like your omni-blades… there is nothing my lightsaber cannot cut.” The pained howls of the werefox weren’t enough for the ten-year old to let up as the lightsaber sheared through hardened claw and dribbled the melted result onto his fur. The creature screamed as its hand burned.
Steven blocked one clumsy swipe, before smashing his first opponent with a fist. “Want to take bets on whether these were the only ones?”
Crystal sighed as she hit her opponent with a warp, sending him crashing to the ground. “No bet.”
“Dang.” Steven mumbled as his boot connected with a kneecap. “You know, this sort of thing never happened before I met you two.”
“Fate doesn’t like us, methinks.” Melody sang, her blade pointed at the throat of the fox she had burned indirectly a few moments prior, “I would rather not have to kill you-”
The cultist lunged, and was decapitated for his trouble. “... Deal with it later, okay. Put it in a box, deal with it later.” Melody continued, falling back on her Jedi training.
Crystal sighed as she jammed an Omni-blade through one skull. “I think we’ve been desentized to all this through the installs.” She muttered to her twin, before she turned to look at the last cutlist, the one still gagging from Melody’s first punch. “This sort of channeling… I don’t think they’d last much longer.”
“... I’m honestly more concerned I felt nothing rather than feeling anything at all, sis.” Melody gagged, before shaking her head, “Not that any of them were long for this world anyway, but a life is still a life.”
“Yeah. Speaking of which…” Crystal walked over, pinning the only untransformed cultist beneath her heel. “I wonder if we were the first they tried to take.”
The man looked up, fear warring with wrath as his face contorted. “Our failures mean nothing! The Demon fox will rise at the hands of our brotherhood, now that we have found the perfect vessel!”
“... No,” Melody stated, oddly serene, “You won’t. Goodbye, you poor, sick soul.”
Crystal grabbed her sister’s wrist. “First things first, mind rip him. We need to find their base.” She shot her sister a glance. “Also, anger, hate, dark side, etc.”
“... Fair.” Melody sighed, releasing the install and pulling on another soul, “Set. Install.”
“Thank you, Crystal. She was entering a feedback loop with the Force.” Obi-Wan shuddered, “And I could not stop it.”
“Lovely. More side effects.” Crystal muttered as Melody knelt beside her target and began to use hypnosis. “I know you’re not up to it, so we really need to summon a therapist soon.” She flexed her wrist, trying in vain to gain active control of her powers. “...ugh.”
“The mnemonic triggers are different for you, and I’m going to have to teach you how to access Eezo when you only have it with me installed.” Shepard grunted as she separated from Crystal, “That’s not going to be easy, sorry kid.”
“Yeah, I know that.” She muttered, looking over at their male teammate. “You alright, Steven?”
“Yeah.” He sighed. “Honestly, not my first time killing. The academy bloodies us on Stray Devils. Most of them can talk.”
“Right. Devil culture.” Crystal muttered as Melody finished with her subject, standing slowly. Before anyone else could, Crystal stepped forward, reinforced her leg, and snapped the drooling man’s neck with one kick. “Even in a pocket space, we still need to get rid of the bodies… Melody, anything?”
“... You do realize I’d already killed him, right sis?” The girl stated tiredly, “Hypnosis doesn’t make someone drool like that unless the user made them a literal vegetable. He knew too much, and he’s definitely connected to a fairly large network of cultists in Texas. Thankfully, they’re fully local, and the US apparently has a supernatural investigative branch, so they’re staying low.”
“I wasn’t thinking about that, but I’d rather not leave the bodies around for kids to find. Or show up on said government agency’s radar yet.” Crystal looked over at Steven. “So… fire, or is there a special Devil way to dispose of bodies?”
“... One second, I’m on the phone with dad. He’ll be here shortly.”
Crystal paled. “Wait, but he’ll tell mom and dad!” She screeched. “And they won’t let us go loot– I mean, search their base for prisoners to rescue!”
“... Crystal no, I am not starting a two-girl war with a cultist network that spans the entire state of Texas without backup.” Melody groaned, “Even if we would actually win.”
“We have Steven! Two-girl, one devil-boy!” Her sister shot back. “And a lot of ghosts. We’ll be fine.”
Steven coughed, “Too late, dad’s here.”
Melody blinked in tandem with Crystal, even as the bulky figure of Paul Melladux appeared out of thin air.
“... Well, this is indeed quite the mess, Steven.” Mr. Melladux grunted, “This is going to be such a pain to deal with… Ugh, the FBI’s Supernatural division is such a hassle to deal with sometimes.” He looked around.
Crystal raised one hand. “Sir?”
“Call me Paul.”
“Sir Paul?”
“Not what I meant, but go on.”
“Would the paperwork increase or decrease if we just wiped the whole cult out?”
“... you know, it would actually decrease. And we’d get money out of it too.” Paul mused, grinning, “How much information does your sister have?”
“... I know every base in a fifty mile radius of Houston.” Melody answered, her expression pained, “And I know where to find out where all of the bases are.”
“Well, well. Steven, today, I teach you breach and clear tactics.” Paul chuckled. “We’re going hunting.”
Crystal grinned. “Since my sister is too kind for her own good, I will generously allow a 70-30 split of the spoils, in exchange for your family's help.”
“Hmmm, 50-50, mostly because I need the 20 percent to bribe your parents.” Paul countered, “Otherwise you’ll be grounded for life instead of a few weeks to a year.”
“Oof, true. Alright then, I concur.” As they shook hands, Crystal blinked as she felt the contract form in her soul. “Hmm, a deal with the devil. How interesting.”
At the same time, Paul’s eyebrows rose. “You’ve got a strong soul, I can actually feel that weight.” He eyed her speculatively. “Say, if you two die, mind putting a reincarnation contract with me?”
“... Dad no!” Steven shouted immediately, “I have dibs!”
“... I am your father?”
Melody cracked a grin as the father and son began arguing, nodding at her sister, “I could use some percussive therapy now, so thanks for convincing me to go play whack-a-cult.”
--/o\--
“So, what do you think this was, Scully?”
Scully sighed. “Look, we know magic is real, Mulder. This isn’t like it used to be.” The female of the duo muttered. “Magic. Why not aliens? I could deal with that.” She crouched down, examining the bisected corpse of a twisted fox-monster. “Looks like the Local Branch of the Demon Fox Cult got whacked.” She eyed the walls. “Or maybe the main branch. This place is big.”
“But by whom?” Mulder muttered, pulling out a spectrum analyzer. “I’ve got evidence of Devil magic, but most don’t bother with projectile weapons.” He eyed the neat holes drilled through the walls of the mansion. “Those are some really big holes. Think our mysterious vigilantes were using Anti-Material Rifles?”
“Rapid fire Anti-material rifles? That set the wall on fire?” Scully replied as she inspected the edges of the holes. “I’ve seen marks like this from experimental coilguns. High-tech weapons. But none of the local factions bother with them, not when you can toss around lightning bolts.”
Mulder nodded as he walked deeper into the mansion, passing around multiple bodies before he stopped beside a puddle of blood. Crouching, he eyed the footprints coming out of the puddle. “...no normal tread, and deep prints from something so small. Scully, what size shoe is this?”
“... You want that in kids or adults Mulder?” The agent groaned, “Please tell me this isn’t a real life immortal vampire girl. Please.”
“... Adult?”
Scully eyed the prints. “Don’t lie to me. Either we’re dealing with an armored midget, or someone brought a child in battle dress to fight cultists.” She groaned, approaching an open door to the cellar.
“Oh joy.” Mulder deadpanned as the pair of agents climbed down into the basement, “Next you’ll be telling- HOLY SHIT”
“What- DEAR LORD!”
The two agents stared at a rather macabre sight of a pile of bones; old ones. Gnawed ones.
“...I think the threat rating on the Fox Cult needs to be upped a bit.” Scully managed to push out, pulling out her camera. “Damnit, this is bad…”
Further into the room, Mulder cursed. “This was definitely their main base.” Scully walked over to join him, inspecting the carved altar set at one end of the massively expanded basement. He looked over, noting the cages lining one wall. “Some of these held people up to recently. What were they planning?”
Scully walked over to one open cage, leaning down to pluck some short reddish hair from the cushion. “...they had a fox here. But…” She looked at the bars. “There are fingerprints here. Why would they keep an animal and a person in the same cage?”
“Kitsune.” Mulder answered, flipping through a notebook he had found, “Don’t worry, this one isn’t one of theirs. One of our mysterious vigilantes left it behind with very clear instructions to read it.”
“...a list of targets?”
“Yes, with Xs through all of them. They basically handed us every base the Cult had on a platter and went to the effort of casting preservation spells on all the evidence, apparently.” The agent whistled, “Someone has a pro helping them. That or the cult pissed off a powerful family or group.”
Scully sighed. “So. We need to tell the chief that our agencies will just be on cleanup?” She sighed. “Breach and clear tactics, ruthless efficiency, and thumbing their noses at us? We’re dealing with professionals.”
--/o\--
Melody hummed happily as she braided the snow colored hair of the twelve year old girl sitting in front of her, careful to thread the strands between the two fox ears protruding atop her head. “Kaede-chan, how are you settling in?” She asked, continuing to hum the tune that’d been stuck in her head this week.
“...um. Better.” The fox-girl murmured as she relaxed. “...you do know I’m from Oregon, right?”
“I didn’t, sorry. I’ve been learning Japanese as a hobby, so I wanted to make sure I was pronouncing things right.” Melody replied sheepishly. “Born here, or did you immigrate?”
“Dad came over a while ago.” Her ears drooped. “Dad… he ran afoul of a group of mundane hunters while he was drunk. And I really couldn’t go into the foster system.”
Across from the girl, Steven watched with interest. “You’re a ways from home.”
The girl shuddered, hugging her legs. “Someone picked me up off the streets a few months after dad died. I wasn’t the only kid they had, but they were able to sell me fast.”
“... Wonderful, slave traders.” Steven growled, looking genuinely annoyed, “I’ll have to have a chat with some of my contacts. The Federal Government and Lord Lucifer have a tacit agreement.”
Kaede nodded. “Um. Good?” She looked around, in time to see Crystal walk in with a checkerboard box clenched in her hands, eyes dilated.
Crystal sat down with a thump, the Evil Pieces in her grasp landing on the table. “Melody, never try to use Structural Analysis on these things.” She breathed out, voice strained. “Feels like someone poured neon and synthwave into my skull with a LSD chaser.”
“So a mix of dubstep and synthwave remixed into some horrid abomination of music?” Melody mused aloud, tying together Kaede’s braid to keep it undoing itself, “I’m done, Kaede!” She continued in the same tone, snickering at the baffled twitch of the fox’s ears. She was so adorable!
Steven eyed the pieces and the girl that tried to study them. “Did you learn anything from my property you ‘borrowed’?” He asked sarcastically.
“Yes. These things don’t butcher the soul, they add to it.” She looked up, eyes still dilated. “The instability is why a new Devil is at risk of going Stray.”
“... Crystal warn me before you send Illya-nee into a fit.” Melody grimaced, her eyes tightening as her current install metaphorically rolled around on the floor laughing out loud, “She’s mumbling something about magecraft on the level of a true magic in an artifact now, and it’s creeping me out.”
Steven nodded. “That’s more than any of the research I’ve heard of understands of them.” He admitted.
“It’s imitating how the original Devils were shaped from demon-touched humans.” Crystal frowned. “Or… from Demon-human chimera? There’s an essence in Devils tied more to the soul than any body, and blood matters less than that piece…”
“... Nee-chan please stop sending Illya into fits of laughter. You know she’s one of those weighty souls I can’t install cheaply, and uninstalling her when she doesn’t want out is hard.” Melody continued grumbling, sending a mild glare towards the current source of her annoyance. And building migraine.
“Oh my god I have to find a way to reach the 3rd if only to shove it in Acht’s face. By the Root accepting the call of that random thing was the best decision I ever made!” Illya cackled from within the younger twin’s head, laughter slowly dying off, “Sorry Melody. But your sister singlehanded advanced my stalled ‘research’ by several decades, if not a century or two.”
“Yay… now please stop.” Crystal moaned. “...you were gonna offer Kaede a piece. Please wait until I can watch the process, if she accepts.”
“I wanna watch too. If only so that Illya doesn’t bug me to record it.” Melody chimed in.
Kaede eyed the box with some trepidation. “So… this peerage thing. Am I your slave, then?”
“Yup.” Crystal acknowledged. “Or, kind of? See, you’re technically only an indentured servant, since once you reach Middle Class, you’re allowed to petition to get released from your master’s peerage and become an ordinary devil. Of course, the courts in the Underworld are really biased, and there’s a hundred and one ways to deny the advancement to Middle Class, so that’s not something that happens a lot.” She pulled out a pen and paper. “Fortunately, since you’re not being press ganged or resurrected, you can draw up a binding employment contract first, which can lay out all the things Steven can do, cannot do, and is obligated to do in regards to you.”
Steven coughed. “I wouldn’t do anything bad! I know better.”
“Better to have it in writing, bro.” Crystal shot back. “I will note that breaking an ironclad contract like this will slowly break and drain a portion of a Devil’s power. There’s a reason devils are bound to contracts.”
“That’s why Devils and Angels are so big on contracts and promises. Ironically, it’s only the fallen that are not explicitly punished for breaking a written contract; they’ve already been punished for ‘falling’ either way.” Melody added seriously, eyes sharpening as she looked between the Kitsune and Devil, “It’s also in a devil’s nature; not that it cannot be overcome by any individual who wishes to, not to bind themselves to contracts written on a document. However, a spoken contract is also binding, it just doesn’t punish the devil for failing to fulfill it; it just removes that source of power from them.”
Kaede nodded, eyeing the papers Crystal produced out of thin air. “So… I could be a Devil, and get something in return?”
Steven nodded, even as Crystal spoke up. “We’d keep him honest anyway, but if something happened and you had to be taken in by another devil, the contract would follow you.”
Kaede eyed Steven, then shook her head. “I’m not saying no, but I’m not… I don’t know you yet.” She looked askance at the girls. “Also, I think you guys are being straight with me, but you’re also his friends, and that’s… not reassuring.”
Crystal blinked. “Huh, a smart one! Ooh, even if you don’t join him, we need to hang out more. There aren’t enough smart people close to our ages.”
“Mood.” The other twin nodded severely, her smug smile ruining the whole look.
Steven sighed, putting his board and pieces away. “Damnit.” He huffed. “Well, when you decide, let me know.” He paused. “This may sound callous, but did you know of anyone else who might want to get reincarnated? I really would like to get some peerage members.”
“Honestly, that sounds less callous and more like a good business decision.” Kaede mused, giving the devil an appraising look, “Better to reincarnate individuals who would want to be under the contract you impose than force it upon someone who’ll rebel at first opportunity. Maybe put out a recruitment ad? I’m sure you could conduct interviews for it.”
Steven gagged. “Ick no. Do you know how many crazies that sort of thing brings in?” He shuddered. “My parents both get letters from devil groupies, looking for immortality and expecting to just use their bodies to get in.” He shuddered. “You only do that if you’re desperate. Targeted recruitment is a much better idea.”
“Kaede-chan did suggest a screening process Steven,” Melody dryly interjected, rolling her eyes at the devil’s theatrics, “She also never said you had to deal with them yourself; you could always hire someone to do it, or have one of the peerage members you must have sort through the trash and only send the gems your way.”
“Hmm. When I get one, that would work.” Steven responded. “I also kinda want to recruit some folks who wouldn’t have access to the magical network, though.” He blinked, then his eyes brightened as he looked back at Melody. “Hey, you have prophetic visions, right? How much to scout me a good member or two?”
“Uhhh… Hm. Obi-Wan?”
“I do not believe we can call a Force Vision on demand; though if you wish to inform him of that and charge him anyway, I will not exactly blame you.”
“You wouldn’t approve, though.”
“Obviously.”
“Meh, sure. I can give it a shot, but I’m not charging you unless I actually see something. They aren’t exactly something I can call up on demand, but I can try.” Melody shrugged, before she uninstalled Illya.
“Aww, not going to see soul infusion today…” Illya sighed. “Meh, it’ll happen soon enough either way.”
“Give me a minute…” Melody muttered, reaching out and drawing in Obi-Wan. “Now, I can’t promise anything–” She stopped as her vision warped, showing a hospital sign. “...really?” She mumbled, even as she was warped in to view a hospital bed, a decrepit girl whose parents were arguing with a group of angry nurses. “...okay, so… there’s a little girl whose parents are refusing to let her get lifesaving treatment because they think prayer is enough? And she’s fed up with that entirely?” She paused. “And it’s partially because her sacred gear is turning her blood to iron, what the fuck.”
“Address?” Steven stated urgently, practically vibrating in place.
“Denton, Texas. Medical City, north of Dallas.” Melody replied. “Also, Illya demands to accompany you; oh god damn it nee-san.” She trailed off in Japanese, grabbing her head in keening pain as the female spirit forced an amused Obi-Wan out of install and ‘possed’ Melody herself, “Warn me next time?”
“No time, research awaits young magus!”
Crystal paused, raising one finger. “You should probably wait for nighttime. Or at least, wait until you’ve scouted the place. No need to go scaring everyone, unless you want to swoop in, capture the girl, and run off with her in broad daylight.” She paused. “Actually, that sounds pretty fun!”
“... Melody, how long does the girl have?” Steven asked severely.
“Honestly? She was pretty injured, and her blood is turning to literal iron. Fair chance she dies within twenty four hours.” The more ‘responsible’ sibling shrugged, grimacing in annoyed pain, “It’s the only reason I suggested going now rather than later.”
“Well, in that case…”
--/o\--
Eleanor grimaced as she heard her parents walk off down the hallway, feeling her bones creak as they shifted beneath her skin. The ‘calcification’ that she’d always had was always present; her scant research had shown that over time, her bones and nerves were becoming caked with… something. It was like heavy metal poisoning, from what she’d read.
This accident? The fall from her roof?
Was speeding it up. At this point, Eleanor was certain; whatever this was? It was trying to help her, fix her bones and reinforce her nerves. But it was killing her by degrees, and now every broken and poorly set bone was being wrapped in metal, and her parent’s weren’t willing to let a doctor actually put her back together properly and slow the process down!
She listened as the nurses outside her door spoke, her ears shifting as she strained to hear them speak. “...if it weren’t for how frail she was, she might make it, really. But without any sort of intervention, the internal bleeding might kill her. Can’t we–”
“No. It’s shitty, but if we intervene at all, her parents will pull her from the hospital, and from there, they can claim anything happened to her. At least here, when she dies, we can make it painless, then smash the bastards with a suit or manslaughter charges.”
“Shouldn’t we be…”
“She’s got to be unconscious from the pain, Dan. She’s likely to never wake up.”
“...god, what a mess, Mab.”
Eleanor seethed as she sunk down, ignoring the pain. She was used to it. At least it’ll be gone at the end… She thought sourly.
Suddenly, the window at one end of her room shot open, the broken girl looking up as her window was obscured by unnatural darkness. A figure seemed to melt out of the shadowy mist, an impeccable suit on a figure barely six inches taler than her. “Hello there, Eleanor.” The boy drawled, striding forward. “I am– ack!” His steady advance was interrupted as he tripped on a power cord, leading him to face-fault into the floor with a crash.
As Eleanor gaped, a pair of near-identical female faces peered out of the mist. One of them, an orange visor over her eyes and nose, smirked. “Smooth move, bat-boy. eight out of ten, no question.”
The other, wearing a white dress revealing enough skin that Eleanor was one hundred percent sure her parents would have an aneurysm upon seeing it, snickered in delight, “Actually, sis, that’s gotta be a ten out of ten. Strong entry, then properly humorous event to diffuse the tension!”
Eleanor looked over at the door, blinking as she saw it undisturbed. She cleared her throat with a gulp, her voice rasping out. “...how are you keeping the orderlies from noticing this?”
The boy came upright, brushing himself off. “Wait, all that and you’re questioning that?”
“Girl has her priorities straight,” The dress-wearing girl smirked, “After all, a trio of strangers just entered a room she’s helpless in. It’s what I’d be concerned about.”
“Nah, you’re all just entertainment. I’m dead anyway.” Eleanor tried to joke, her voice going flat. “And with my arms broken, I can’t try to grab the remote and turn on the TV.” She tried to shrug, daggers of pain running through her. “How’d you get in here?”
The other girl, this one wearing some sort of armor, drooped as she stepped fully in. “...listen, we… well.” She swallowed. “Saints and stones, this is hard.”
“You’re going to die, and we can offer two different solutions.” Dress interjected bluntly, rolling her eyes at what was probably her twin, “Solution one; I heal you, try to use my gear to fix yours, and we forget this ever happened.” She ignored the dirty looks the other two were shooting at her and continued anyway, “Solution two; We reincarnate you as a member of the devil species, and yes, the biblical factions are real. I’m offering solution one because I personally value my humanity enough to choose it. Not everyone does.”
The other girl coughed. “Ah, there is an option three and four, of course. I mean, I could probably patch you up with medi-gel, then convert you into a cyborg… eventually.” At the dirty look her sister shot her, she shrugged. “What? My augments work fine, and she’s dying anyway.”
“No human experimentation!” A paradoxically layered voice responded, both feminine, one annoyed, one flat.
“It’s a choice!” Armored girl shot back. “Anyway, the last option is you reject all offers, and die to spite your parents. If you do that, I’ll make sure they suffer, and these two guys will probably help!” She grinned, shooting a thumbs up.
“...gear? Biblical factions?” Eleanor pushed out, eyes glancing over the figures, absently taking in the fancy gilded dress, high-tech armor, and exposed bat wings on the boy. “More details, please.”
The boy coughed. “The Lord of Hosts, in his ‘infinite mercy and wisdom’, set up a system wherein great weapons, known as Sacred Gears, would be bestowed upon human souls upon birth.” He shrugged. “It’s supposed to be a way to give humanity a way to fight on equal terms with the supernatural if need be. But it doesn’t always work properly, like yours.”
The armored girl pulled out a device, aiming it at Eleanor. “This thing’s not a great example of a Sacred Gear tester, but it works pretty well for basic gears! It can only tell yours is a High-Class one, though.”
"It’s the one we looted from those insane cultists. I wouldn’t trust it that much sister.” Dress added again, moving to Elanor’s side and mumbling an incantation, “Oh jeez you’re fucked up. Yeah, I’m gonna start fixing this while you decide. I’ll just reverse the work if you decide that death is your choice.”
Steven frowned as he stepped up. “...why would anyone let a pretty girl like you die?” He muttered, looking her over. “This… do your best, Melody. I’m not going to leave her to die.”
“Even if she refuses?”
The boy shrugged. “I’m not the one healing her. She owes me nothing, so I’m not breaking any devil laws, spoken or not. This is… wasteful.”
“I don’t object personally, but we’re going to ruin her parents if she wants to die. Classic signs of abuse here, and Illya’s already feeding me… a frankly absurd amount of ways to accomplish it.” The now named girl grunted, eyes alight with inner light as she held up a hand, “Incanting a ritual now. Don’t interrupt me, Crystal.”
Eleanor glanced between the three, then narrowed her eyes. “...don’t leave me here, whatever you do.” She hissed, even as she felt her pain ebb away. “I’m not letting my parents be proven right about their prayer fixation.”
“...so, huh.” The armored girl tapped her device, and Eleanor felt something cool form on her brow, a circlet of dense material forming around her skull; a perfect circlet of iron, she could see in the black screen of the TV. “There’s a manifest function. Any idea what it could be, Steven?”
“...I’ve seen it in a book before.” The boy murmured. “Unknown Dictator. Allows the creation and manipulation of ferrous objects and machines.”
“Matches what I know about my condition…” Eleanor muttered. “Trying to help me? Huh.” She looked at the group. “So. Who’s taking me out of here? I can pay in metal magic, apparently.”
“Melody and I gave you your options already. We’re waiting on you to choose, and then Steven will draw up a contract as needed.” Crystal replied gruffly, giving her sister a look of concern, “You still in there sis?”
Melody, of course, being busy with a fairly major ritual, did not bother to reply. Crystal sighed. “Look, we could… I dunno, drop you off with one of the other factions, if you don’t take Steven’s offer. We’re already going to have to talk mom and dad into letting a friend hang out as a pet, and there’ll be people looking for you, so you can’t stay in the normal world.”
“What does becoming a Devil mean, anyway?” Eleanor mumbled.
Steven raised one hand. “If I may?” As Crystal nodded, he continued. “The Devil race was nearly at the edge of extinction after the last major war and the following civil war… well, ‘near’ extinction.” He admitted. “If everything was peaceful, we would have been fine… but it’s never peaceful, and we’d made a lot of enemies. So one of the Devil Kings, Lord Beezelbub, devised a way to turn other species into new devils, using a set of Evil Pieces.” He pulled out a folded chessboard, opening it to reveal sixteen chess pieces made of red stone, glistening as the light hit them. “So… yeah. With a bond to a strong devil, you can use these to become one yourself.”
“...has to be a catch.”
“At least short-term servitude, and possibly nasty slavery, depending on your new boss.” Crystal admitted. “Steven’s not like that, but Devils love their noble ranks and might-makes-right bullshit, so another’s offer might be at sword point.” She shrugged. “A contract would make it a lot better.”
“And it is something that I would offer, miss.” Steven stated strongly, “Melody would kill me otherwise.”
“Hey!”
“You’d kill me for shits and giggles Crystal.” Steven deadpanned.
“He’s got you there sis~” Melody chimed, wiping sweat from her brow, “You're all good, by the way. Gear is fixed, and it is now going to turn you slowly into a… pretty insane human-cyborg-robot thing. I think it got extremely inspired when I showed it Megaman ZX.”
“...man, even bootleg Third Magic is insane.” Crystal mumbled. “OP, plz nerf.”
Steven chuckled. “It’s Sephirot Graal without the drawbacks. There’s a reason I wanted to recruit you two.” He looked back at them. “Again–”
“Hard pass.” Both girls said in synch.
“Damn.” He looked back at Eleanor. “So.. how do you feel?”
For the first time in months, the girl took a deep breath free of pain. “I feel… anticipation.” She smiled. “Thank you. Now, let’s go and write up a devil’s bargain; tutoring, to start with.”
Crystal chuckled. “Another smart one! Oh, this was a great idea!”
Melody frowned as Eleanor peeled her way out of bed, the small girl marveling at the strength in previously broken limbs. “Hmm. We need a dummy. Or a corpse.”
“For-”
“Need a convincing dead body to make into a puppet thing.” Melody interjected, cutting Steven off, “Or a dummy to make into a convincing corpse. Which is… not really that easy, and it is going to be exceedingly annoying to pull off properly. Or we could have new girl play dead if someone’s decent at illusion magic.”
Steven pulled out his phone. “You do know there’s a service for this, right?” He tapped a few buttons, then reached out and pulled a hair from the discarded pillow. “Hang on, Crystal, do you have a scan of her?”
Crystal flexed her wrist, an orange glow forming around it. “I can try, but I don’t know if they can handle the scan data…”
“Magic makes everything better.”
“So, to summarize. Today, you girls raided the hideout of a cult, kid- sorry, foxnapped a the girl they had captured, brought the girl home, tried to convince her to join the Melladux family, and then when she wanted to wait, went and found another girl who did agree, and faked the second girls’ death.” Stephen stared at his daughters, one of whom was holding an adorable red fox in her arms. “Right after getting off your last grounding. Girls…”
Crystal raised one finger, than lowered it. “...things escalated quickly, and we had to adjust to rapidly changing conditions. And then we had to save a little girls’ life.” She shrugged. “Other than that… I got nothing. Melody?”
“I regret nothing.”
Stephen sighed, then reached down and gently pulled Kaede from Melody’s hands, calming the transformed fox with ear scritches. “Grounded. Again. One month, this time.” He looked up, triggering his vision spell. “You two will make certain they don’t get up to more trouble or install anyone except for training, correct?”
John Marston and Obi-wan nodded, even as Shepard pouted behind them.
2025-05-26 22:58:42 +0000 UTC
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Lance shook Kiritsugu’s hand, a tired smile on his face. “Thank you for your time, Mr. Kiritsugu. I don’t think I’ll be able to repay the favor anytime soon, but if you ever need anything here in Indigo, please feel free to reach out to my office.” He paused, tilting his head. “And if you need a pardon for any prior crimes, I’m sure we could work something out.”
“None I’ve committed in this world,” Kiritsugu replied blandly. “I’ll be doing my best to repent for them either way. There are things I’ve done that I regret, even if the goal I was pursuing by doing them isn’t.”
Lance nodded quietly. “I’ve met a few men who said the same thing.” He clapped Kiritsugu on the shoulder. “You’ve done well by our world, at least. That means something.”
Kiritsugu moved to respond, only to be interrupted as Elle quickly entered the room. “Partner, we have a situation back in Kalos. Flare just staged a terrorist attack on Dendemille Town, for reasons unknown. Looker wants us back in Kalos, to respond as soon as we know more.”
“That’s… odd,” Kiritsugu stated, offering Lance a look of apology. “My partner and I must be going now, Lance. Where are we heading to be picked up, Elle?”
“To the teleport point we came in at, the League is linking up local assets from both Kalos and Kanto.” Elle said, leading him down the hall. Lorelai gave them a wave beside Will and Fergus, not interrupting them as they entered the chamber they’d come into.
Inside, a young woman with long blue hair stood in front of a much older woman in an intricate, star-studded dress. The two broke their glowing gaze from each other, the young woman giving a shallow bow. “Greetings, Kiritsugu-san, Emmanuelle-san. Thank you for coming to help relieve my city while I was absent.”
“Leader Sabrina,” Elle greeted professionally. “It was our pleasure. However, we do not exactly have time for pleasantries.”
“I know. Your concern is evident–” Sabrina began, before she was cut off by the woman beside her.
“Young one, do not intrude on others’ minds without pressing need.” The star-studded woman gave them both a nod. “Forgive Sabrina, her family trained her for power but left other things– such as control and ethics– from her until it was nearly too late. I am Olympia, Gym Leader of Anistar.”
Sabrina ducked her head, a blush spreading across her face. “...sorry.”
“It is likely not your fault,” Kiritsugu stated blandly. “However, as my partner stated, we are operating on a tight schedule and don’t have time for pleasantries.”
“That is true.” She nodded to Sabrina. “You are learning quickly. Remain open, and you shall go far. Nothing you have done has damned you, though I suggest following your heart as much as your head in the years to come.” Sabrina bowed, then linked hands with the older psychic, both lighting up.
“Take Our Hands,” they spoke as one, and both the agents did so. As soon as the circle was complete, Sabrina and the world around them seemed to vanish, replaced by a Kalosian pasture outside a small town.
“Welcome back to Kalos.” Olympia grimaced. “I, unfortunately, cannot stay. Flare has come out publicly, and we leaders have been ordered to secure our homes against further attacks.”
“That is not protocol,” Elle frowned, raising an eyebrow as she released her team onto the field, “Regardless, do what you must. We’ll do what we can as well.”
Olympia frowned. “I can do little, as I do need to keep fear from spreading through Anistar. I will say this; this attack is only a distraction.” She pointed away from the city, and both agents turned to see a forest surrounding a spire of rock. “Unless you follow the paths into the forest, I foresee a wildfire, and perhaps worse.”
“I see,” Kiritsugu nodded, letting his team loose as well, “In that case, we’ll leave the aftermath of the attack to the other Interpol forces.” Whipping out his phone with admirable alacrity, Kiritsugu dialed Looker’s number.
Thankfully, the man picked up. “What is it, Kiritsugu?”
“We’re breaking off from the aftermath of the attack to investigate a tip from Olympia. She foresees a wildfire or worse if we don’t, and I’m not inclined to ignore a Seer.”
“More details, please. I will scramble agents and fire-dousers,” Looker said hurriedly.
“We’re being sent into… Ashsprout forest, aiming at the mountain in the middle.” Elle paused as Looker cursed violently. “Chief?”
“That is Mount Molteau, a semi-active volcano… and a restricted Pokemon habitat. There is a Legend which has made her nest there for the last fifty years,” Looker explained.
“I think that merits a mobilization of local League assets, Looker,” Elle replied immediately, already picking up the pace as she and her team advanced towards the boundary. “Kalos’ legends aren’t to be trifled with. It’d be worse than XD001.”
“It is not a local legend, thankfully. This is a transplant, a Storm-Level threat. Reports are not conclusive, but given both the location and the descriptions, we believe it’s a Moltres,” Looker responded.
“Still not ideal, Looker,” Elle grumbled, looking towards Kiritsugu, who thankfully didn’t look lost. “Are there any Ace Trainers in the area? Heck, I’d take some Rangers at this point.”
“We can get Rangers on-route.” Looker responded immediately. “Ace Trainers will be more difficult. I will interject if we can wrangle some who are rated to deal with a Legend.” He stopped. “And speaking of which– is there a method for you to call Lugia? She might be able to help.”
“Regardless of if you can or not, we’ll likely be on our own for a bit, Elle,” Kiritsugu cut in as the group of humans and Pokemon crossed the boundary into the forest. “Speaking of, it’s too quiet. Looks like Olympia’s vision was correct, at least to some extent.”
“Whatever she sensed is definitely a threat,” Braixen added. She paused, looking up on a branch. “Excuse me, did you see anything interesting?”
A Vivillion shifted on the branch she was looking at. “I’ll say I did! A bunch of humans in red, ploughing their way into the forest, scaring everyone! Trampled through territories, shooting guns. Guns!” Vivillion hissed. “And they’re heading straight for where the Lady has her nest. No respect.”
Kitisugu stepped forward, Amelie relaying the gist of what the bug-type was saying. “How many of them were there? Did they have any vehicles with them?”
“None of their metal machines, no,” Vivillion relayed. “As for size… one-third of a flutter, or thereabouts?” The bug hummed. “I was busy ducking.”
“She means about twenty people, Kerry,” Amelie passed to her trainer.
“We’re going to need backup,” Kiritsugu grumbled immediately, nodding towards Elle. “That said, we’ll have to do our best to stall them. We can’t afford to let a Legend fall into Flare’s hands. Hit them hard, hit them fast, and don’t give them a second to breathe.”
Elle nodded, and the two agents and their Pokemon set out at a fast jog through the underbrush. Haboo spent just long enough to give Vivillon a grateful nod before they ducked into the shadows and ripped off to race through the forest.
--(0)--
By the time the forest started to thin and the ground began to rise, the advancing party could hear the sounds of battle from the slopes of the volcano above. Peering upward, Kiritsugu could see Flare grunts clashing with wild Pokemon along the rough trails leading to the peaks, Magcargo, Rhydon, Fletchinders, and Torkoal fending off a force of Grunts mainly fielding rock, water, and electric type Pokemon, the water types having the most success against the defenders. Kiritsugu did a quick head count, and cursed. “I count a dozen Flare humans. We’re missing a lot.”
“Doesn’t matter. We can worry about them after we clean this group up,” Elle stated without pause, gesturing to send her team forward. The Flare grunts were sent into disarray as Braviary, Ampharos, and Houndoom charged into their ranks, while Jumpluff, Meowstic, and Haboo moved to support them.
The Flare leader spun, snarling, only to pale as he saw Kiritsugu and his team clear the treeline. “Oh schiesse. It’s the reaper!” He screeched, yanking a phone and a gun out of his jacket. Sadly for the man, he had absolutely no chance to react beyond that as a bullet slammed into his leg. As the leader fell, Kiritsugu urged his team forward, Amelie and Braixen opening with a volley of ranged attacks as Frogadier and Quilladin surged forward to engage their own targets. Kiritsugu himself fired another shot directly next to the leader’s head as he moved to rise, keeping the man pinned for fear of death.
Amelie popped over and yanked the phone from his shaking grip. Peering at the screen, she chirped in amusement. “Apparently, we’re worth a dedicated panic button now.” She informed her partner, absently levitating his gun into the air and fired it at an incoming Herdier, the dog yelping as the bullets connected.
Elle ducked behind a barrier thrown up by Meowstic, firing her own sidearm to peg two of her opponents with her gun. Growling as they started to get back up, she swapped magazines. “I should really stop using rubber bullets. How does Agent Chisato make it look so easy?” she grumbled. “Kerry, do you even use the rubbers?”
“No. No sense in using them when they aren’t going to offer us the same courtesy. Easier to aim for nonvital points if we need to incapacitate,” Kiritsugu replied blandly, dropping an unimportant grunt permanently. They only needed the one who’d actually have information alive, after all, and it wasn’t as if Flare wasn’t coming at them with lethal force.
“I’m already dead. What excuse do you two have to be trading banter right now?” Haboo asked while he slammed down on one of the few still upright Pokemon.
Kiritsugu looked around, keeping his gun out as he looked around the unconscious, dead, or writhing Flare Pokemon and grunts spread across the slope. “You may have a point.” He strode over to the downed leader, levelling his weapon at the man’s forehead. “One chance, and I give you medical attention. What are you here for?”
“Moltres! We’re here for the bird!” He clutched his leg, staring up at Kiritsugu. “We need its power, and the scientists need to check how to control such a creature!”
“Good enough for me.” Kiritsugu nodded towards Elle, who immediately returned the gesture. Turning his head towards Amelie, he continued speaking, “Secure him to a tree, if you’d please, then teleport to catch up. The rest of us are going to continue forward.”
“Got it.” Amelie levitated some rope out of their bags, going to work on the man as the two agents and their teams advanced up the hill. Before they could get too far, the wild Pokemon who’d been attacking Flare stopped them, a Magmar brushing up to the head of the gathered group to eye the trainers.
“You’re not locals, rangers, or Chosen, strangers,” the fire-type rumbled, crossing his arms. “You helped fry those trespassers, but I’m going to need a good reason to let you up to see the Lady.”
“We have reason to believe your lady is being attacked by those who will field Master Balls to catch her without her consent.” Frogadier stepped forward and bowed. “We should–”
“Nah, I got it. Militia, fall in! Magcargo, Torkoal, you watch the idiots and burn the dead, everyone else, let’s rumble.” Mgmar barked, turning to lead his team uphill, before glancing up at the sky. “Huh, those yours?”
Three Rangers dove onto the scene, riding on a Corviknight and two Altaria. One of the Rangers winced as he took in the scene. “Interpol Agents Kiritsugu and Emmanuelle?” he asked, even as one of the other two retched as one of the Magcargo turned a flamethrower on one of the corpses.
“That’s us. You our backup?” Elle barked, waving them forward. “Regardless, we don’t have time. Flare likely has access to Master Ball technology and are going after the Moltres said to reside here.”
“Master Balls? Ugh.” The Ranger grimaced. “Lee, you stay here and watch the prisoners, Gabby, you’re with me.” The Ranger remounted his Corviknight, taking off and heading uphill. “I’ll go ahead, follow fast!” He said as his partner’s wings began to beat.
When he took off, the female Ranger of the group fell beside Elle and Kiritsugu as they advanced uphill. “Don’t mind Leonell, he’s a bit headstrong. I suppose poachers and terrorists are kind of a normal fit, eh?” she asked as they ran.
“Seems that way,” Elle muttered as the whole group approached the caldera of the volcano, heat slowly rising just as the sounds of battle could be heard.
Leonell landed, panting. “Moltres is fighting back against the poachers, but she’s hemmed in; they managed to force her mate and their chicks into firing range, and they’re pinned down. They’re trying to surround her.”
Kiritsugu nodded as they continued to dash uphill. “Which way to the nest? We need to get the pressure off her,” he said, outpacing Elle and Gabby as he reinforced his limbs. Leonell panted as he struggled to keep up, pointing in a direction which pushed them closer to the magma basin. Clearing the ridgeline, Kiritsugu took in the tableau in front of him, slowing time to look over the battle.
Kiritsugu hadn’t known what to expect from a Legend, the first time he’d heard about meeting Hoopa. The little gremlin had been extremely powerful, but he’d been more capricious than any sort of nature spirit or deity Kiritsugu had considered from his past life. But as he watched Moltres flap her wings, waves of heat and fire battering at the eight trainers and two dozen Pokemon arrayed against her, he couldn’t help but see a natural disaster, barely contained by a slowly closing cage of water, barriers, and stone. Behind her, on a spire of rock jutting from the caldera, a massive Talonflame fanned his body over a trio of much smaller golden birds, one wing crooked. Moltres hovered in front of the nest, keeping herself between the attackers and her family.
One man, wearing a more ornate outfit than the rest, was shouting orders, his Blastoise and Rhyperior watching the battle with guns fixed on the legendary bird. “Eight o’clock, second form! Two o’clock, third form, rotate defender, sci-three get on healing!” he yelled, his words slowly becoming easier to comprehend as he got closer.
The last figure on the battlefield was a familiar one, the metal-suited infiltrator Kiritsugu had fought before standing impassively beside the commander, unmoving and silent. The only differences from his last engagement was a small metallic backpack hooked into his rear, and a pair of pistols holstered at each hip.
Kerry paused, letting the rest of the team catch up, then pointed at the Flare agents on the left flank. “Militia, hit there. Rangers, go over the battlefield and hit the right flank. Elle, you and I will ambush the center.”
Magmar didn’t even hesitate before he blasted forward, leading his pack to smash into the rear of the left flank, instantly forcing the well-oiled machine on that side to fall to pieces, trainers and their Pokemon desperately trying to fend off the swarm of attackers. The rangers remounted and took to the air, dive-bombing the right flank.
Elle and Kiritsugu darted in, the last group pivoting to face the mess developing on the left flank and spotting the incoming ambush. The commander spotted the tall ex-assassin, and immediately pointed at him. “EXS, kill him!” He barked, the suited elite immediately moving into high gear, feet digging into the rock as he hurled himself at Kiritsugu, one hand drawing a pistol.
“Amelie, Braixen, Quilladin, Frogadier, you’re all with me. Elle, deal with the chaff and the commander,” Kiritsugu barked calmly, a quick burst from his own firearm forcing the EXS to dodge, snapping off a few bullets in response. “I’ll take the EXS,” he finished, ducking the incoming rounds.
EXS was, for obvious reasons, unphased by the gunfire. Resuming his charge, the human triggered the metal box on his back. A near imperceptible field of energy snapped into existence around him moments later, absorbing both the deluge of flames from Braixen and blast of pressurized water bullets from Frogadier without any issue. Undeterred, EXS continued forward to strike at Braixen. Utterly unbothered, the vixen continued forming her next move, her more defensively oriented teammate jumping in to take the strike with a shimmering shield of his own. The Protect faded smoothly the moment the pressure from the blow let up, and Quilladin was quick to bring his arms down in a textbook execution of Hammer Arm.
Unfortunately, any picture perfect execution of a move was wildly predictable. EXS dodged the blow without any issue, though he was sent flying regardless. Frogadier smirked a froggy smile as the human managed to bring his abrupt flight to a halt, Braixen’s followup psybeam deflected to the side as a Porygon 2 emerged from the pack on the man’s back.
A shockwave from the aforementioned ‘mon discouraged the water-type from pressing his attack, and for a moment, there was a pregnant pause in the battle.
“Psychic, get that Porygon away from them,” Kiritsugu barked, cursing as he reloaded. Responding to his command, Amelie reached out and blasted the artificial Pokemon, the duck rolling back through the air before Quilladin was on it with a Rock Smash. With a flash of light, the Porygon 2 did something to itself, its new opponent’s second attack phasing through it.
“Frogadier, seek it out,” Braixen said, a pre-prepared Shadow Ball crashing into the temporary Ghost-type.
“On it.” Frogadier used Pursuit on the temporary Ghost, intercepting the data-duck with a surge of Dark energy.
EXS, meanwhile, was busily keeping Kiritsugu occupied, fists, feet, knees, and elbows flying at the man as he ducked, weaved, dodged, and shot in response. The EXS suit was absorbing more force than he’d previously seen, the bullets which had impacted the armored plates causing them to crack and distort but not break. Kiritsugu darted back as a fast rabbit punch darted through the space he’d occupied.
Narrowing his gaze, Kiritsugu triggered Time Alter, holstering his sidearm, and drew his Contender. As the armored warrior slowly closed in, Kiritsugu leveled his weapon at his opponent’s chest, letting time resume as the high-caliber bullet careened into his opponent’s chest.
As he did so, Amelie jolted, gaze spinning to look at the faceplate of EXS. “Kerry, I can feel him–” Her words stopped as the armored figure saw the bullet coming, and rather than dodge, dove.
The bullet impacted the top of the helmet, sending the shield generator into an absolute fit before it gave out entirely; the helmet itself buckled, bent, and shattered, leaving a face half-exposed. EXS kept his forward momentum, bowling over Kiritsugu and leaving the assassin with the armored man atop him. For a few moments, Kiritsugu could see half of his opponent’s face; blood dripping from shrapnel wounds, one exposed eye flatly twitching, and metal plating fixed into the side of his skull.
Kerry prepared to defend himself, his situation untenable, but before he could act, EXS threw himself off his opponent. The armored man scrabbled at his collar, trying to yank off the remains of his helmet, before the Porygon 2 broke off from his battle and dove into the suit. Seconds later, man and suit vanished in a pulse of pink light, even as Kiritsugu rolled to his feet.
Amelie moved to speak, only for a loud round of cursing to sound from the Flare Admin, the pompous man scrambling away from Elle’s bullets even as the last of his team fell to her own. “You thrice-damned bastards, how did you show up so quickly? This was supposed to be easy!” He screeched, pulling a Pokeball from his belt– a familiar purple-and-red pokeball. He turned, about to throw the Master Ball, only to see Moltres fixing both blazing eyes on him, the forces he’d set to distract and harry her broken and in disarray. “Oh–”
Moltres opened her beak, a jet of blue flames consuming the man in one fast exhale. Flesh, metal, cloth, and bone were carbonized in seconds, scattering red-hot fragments and blackened fibers through the air.
Motres landed, breath coming in long, harsh gasps for a few moments, before she straightened, looking around. After a few seconds, she focused on Elle. “Human. I can tell you are not with those who sought to bind me today, and I thank you for your aid.” Her eyes narrowed as weighty words filled the minds of every Pokemon and human present. “But I wonder how a man such as that came to bear a device which by treaty and promise is not to be given to those in whom trust absolute cannot be confirmed.”
“It was stolen, ma’am,” Elle said, holtering her gun. “Along with several others. We came to retrieve it, and prevent its use on your person.”
“Good. Now, go. I must set my mountain back in order, reward my guardians, and calm my chicks.” Moltres swept her gaze over the defeated Flare grunts, eyes hardening. “The Rangers may stay, of course. But you agents take those that survive and take them from here immediately; or I will burn them to ash.”
“Understood, we’ll get out of your way.” Elle began to round up the captives, leaving Kiritsugu to overwatch and observation. Amelie appeared on his shoulder, shifting nervously.
“That was awful…” She mumbled.
“Indeed. Flare is hunting legendaries, and they attacked a nesting mother as a trial run,” Kiritsugu murmured in response.
“Well, yeah, that’s bad. But the man in the suit… when he dove into your shot, he was trying to get his helmet off, doing everything he could to do it. And he didn’t care if the bullet went too deep and… killed him.” Amelie shivered. “When he was trying to take it off… it was like chains around his mind. Who did that to him?”
Kiritsugu pursed his lips, drawn back into bad, old memories. “Monsters in the form of men, or men who pursue goals not caring what they become,” he said slowly. “Flare has victims within their own ranks, it seems.”
“...we’ll have to save them, then. And hope our salvation isn’t the permanent kind,” Amelie said in a resigned response, her partner nodding along sadly.
2025-04-01 23:32:58 +0000 UTC
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Kiritsugu looked over his coffee, eyeing Elle with some trepidation as she stepped in from outside. “Who was that you were talking to?” He asked.
Elle sighed. “My mother. The news of what happened in Dahara finally entered the news cycle back in Orre, and she wanted to check on me.”
“I see,” Kiritsugu responded, briefly considering leaving the matter alone before he shook the thought aside and continued. “Are you feeling okay? I’m aware that you don’t exactly have the best relationship with your family.”
Elle sat down, shaking her head. “It’s always a little stilted, interacting with her. Mom knows she messed up, but she’s never really apologized. She doesn’t really understand, but she does make the effort to acknowledge I transitioned. So… we’re not close, but she wants to be close again? And we can’t until things change, and she’s not going to unless she actually puts her foot down with my sister.” She quirked her lips. “She’s getting closer, though. She actually expressed frustration in Jovi this time, rather than cover for her, and she is concerned for me. And proud.”
“I’m happy for you,” Kiritsugu replied. Family was important. He would thank Arceus till his dying day that he had a chance to actually have a functional and healthy relationship with his daughter, after all. So he did understand.
Elle just chuckled in response, taking her seat across from him at their breakfast table. After the lab raid a week prior, the two agents had been dispatched to raid a small slew of safehouses and possible rally points for Flare, but the resulting gains had precious little in the way of actionable intelligence. Looker had put them on reserve, sending them to a small villa to rest and await further orders. Sipping his coffee, Kiritsugu looked out to watch the two teams wrestle and play on the lawn outside. Braixen stopped in the middle of talking to Frogadier, and motioned to Amelie.
“Braixen just told me there’s been a major shift in fate– but one that’s been predicted?” Amelie told her partner as she teleported inside, landing next to him. “It’s not our problem, but it’s about to be. Her words, not mine.”
“Looker will probably be calling us soon then,” Elle mentioned offhandedly, something resembling a grimace crossing her face. “And I was looking forward to having an actual break of some kind for once.”
Kiritsugu shrugged slightly. “We had that time in Sinnoh, short as it was. And I tend to get antsy without something to do,” he admitted.
Before Elle could respond, Kiritsugu’s phone rang. He pulled it out, noted that it was a video call, and set up the device on the table, Elle circling around to see the screen. Looker’s face appeared as soon as Kiritsugu accepted the call.
“Hello, hello!” Looker gave a tired wave. “Apologies for interrupting breakfast, but there is an issue we need to talk about. First, poor tidings; our leads on Flare are slow in pursuit. The location of this ‘ultimate weapon’ is unknown, and our attempts to corner the former king to ask him have not gone well.”
“Unfortunate, but not unexpected, given how little hope you had on him revealing anything regarding the weapon,” Kiritsugu commented. The update was still useful regardless, and handily explained why nothing had really been happening for the past few weeks. There had been nothing to send a pair of field agents after.
“This is true. However, that has changed. Secondly, there has been a major incident on the other side of the world.” Looker’s face went cold. “How much do you know about Team Rocket?”
“I know they exist. Big on making money by trafficking Pokemon,” Kiritsugu posited. “I assume this involves them?”
“Rocket’s more than that, at least in the Indigo island chain.” Elle said grimly. “They’re career criminals, money-focused, but willing to co-opt local businesses and establish themselves as ‘community partners’ to make them hard to uproot. They provide funding to a lot of more radical groups in exchange for ‘product’ which they then smuggle and sell elsewhere. And because they’re not starting wars, committing terrorist attacks, or trying to poach legendaries, we don’t deal with them directly.” She looked back at Looker. “What’s changed?”
“We have enough intelligence that they’ve been starting to deal with legendaries,” Looker groaned, shaking his head slowly. “Kanto and Johto’s League also directly petitioned the International Police for assistance with them, so we’re not exactly in a position to refuse either.” He continued speaking. “They made a major attack on Silph Co. Headquarters in Saffron City. Silph is part of making Master Balls for League use, and the attack claimed one of their shipments. Coupled with other evidence, they’re at least moving into obtaining high-level mons for use as private weapons. We’re sending you to Saffron as a vanguard.”
Kiritsugu winced. “That’s disconcerting.” He’d seen just how powerful one Legendary could be, Hoopa’s powers closing in on True Magic, if not possibly equalling the Second in power. To have that power seized by anyone with ill-intent would be catastrophic. “Are they holding Silph Co. to continue production?”
“They’ve already been repelled,” Looker replied with a shake of his head, “We are, however, sending you two due to the unique combination of skills you bring. Both of you have experience searching for evidence in the aftermath, especially for large organizations that prefer to stick to the shadows or remain unnoticed through other means.”
“...the local police are corrupt, aren’t they?” Kiritsugu sighed.
“We are thinking so. Rocket managed to get a sizable army into city limits while the local gym leader had been pulled for a psych evaluation,” Looker said. “Many did fight when it turned out how many there were, but there were just as many who were busy elsewhere until a group of Ace Trainers and one possible Hero stormed Silph Co. and drove Rocket out.”
“So likely corrupt to some degree but not completely,” Elle grumbled. “Not shocking.”
“No. Go in, secure evidence, make sure nothing gets covered up, and our full teams will be there in three days. Lights on, make sure everyone knows we’re not playing the same games as the locals. The possible Hero, one Suzumi Scarlet, be sure to interview her before she leaves town; early reports had her facing an unknown Pokemon, one strong enough to almost solo a competitive level team,” Looker ordered, sending an email with more details which landed in Elle’s device as he spoke.
“Understood. Pickup in 30?” At Looker’s nod, Elle stood and went to the door. “Guys, playtime’s over, come on in! We have a mission!”
Kerry looked back at Looker. “Will you be there?”
“No, I am still busy working here. Good luck, and mind the guns. Kanto has very odd firearms laws.” The screen blinked back to the background as the Pokemon gathered up, getting ready to head out.
--(0)--
Instantaneous transitions from one side of the globe to the other cause very strange forms of jet lag. Going from early morning to late-afternoon in a single flash caused Kiritsugu to just blink and reset his watch. Elle rubbed her eyes, taking a look around. “Okay, our league contact–”
“Hello again!” Will popped up, waving at the two agents as he stood up. “Emmanuelle, good to see you, Kiritsugu, we have to stop meeting in these unfortunate circumstances.”
“Hello, Will,” Kiritsugu answered, returning the man’s wave. “I suppose we should, at some point, grab tea or something.”
“I’d like that!” Will sobered up quickly. “However, things aren’t going well right now, so let me take you to your Indigo and League contacts here.” He led the two into a hallway, from what was obviously a makeshift staging chamber to what appeared to be an ordinary office space. “The Silph attack has set Kanto up in arms, and has agitators in Johto making noise as well. Lance is currently working to clean up the corrupt officials who let this happen, which is why I’m here, but…” He shrugged as they entered a cafeteria, the space now filled with people bustling about and trading documents. “There are laws against forced mental walks, so I’m on standby.”
“Doesn’t help that a strong enough psychic can usually shield memories as well,” Elle grumbled, shaking her head.
“Nor does the fact that doing a walk on an unwilling target is, bluntly, near impossible if they’re conscious, and unconscious mental walks are not always the most useful,” Kiritsugu added. There was a reason psychics hadn’t completely replaced standard interrogators. There were limitations, very real ones as well. They were often only brought in to confirm or otherwise expand upon information that the interrogators had already obtained.
“All of that, yeah. Thankfully, we can at least truth-check things. And here’s your partners in this case.” Will swept his capelet to one side, extending an arm to the two figures seated at the nearby table. “Representing the League, Sir Fergus of Clan Gordon,” he said, motioning to a scarred Lucario tapping one finger on the table. “And locally, Lady Lorelei Kanna, of the Kanto Elite Four.” The redhead looked up over her glasses.
“Interpol agents?” Lorelei stood, looking them over, then smiled. “Well, you seem seasoned. As my replacement–”
“Possible replacement, my lady,” Will cut in.
“Possible, yes, but the point stands. As he said, I’m Lorelei. And you are?”
“Emiya Kiritsugu. Former assassin-slash-mercenary. Faller,” Kiritsugu responded.
“Emmanuelle, longtime league agent, former Hero of Orre. His handler and partner. Call me Elle,” his partner chimed in.
“A Faller? Hmm.” Lorelei appraised Kiritsugu again. “A bit older than most visitors. All the better, to be fair. Well, you’ve landed on your feet.”
“You feel like silver so deep in tarnish no shine remains,” Fergus said, rising to meet Kiritsugu. “But you’re still silver, and strong regardless. Well met.”
“I may be jaded, but I’ve tried to never lose sight of my wish,” Kiritsugu replied simply.
Lorelei picked up a pair of files, handing them off to the two agents. “Here’s the compiled data we already know. Lance and his team are handling the human side of this, working through the people involved; the few Rockets we captured, the turned officers, and some of the Ace Trainers. But a lot of the vigilantes who participated in the raid scattered into the city before first responders got to Silph Co., and their apparent leader, Suzumi, has vanished entirely. We’re certain she hasn’t left the city, but beyond that, nothing. We also secured Silph tower, and sealed it to prevent evidence from walking off. That’s where you should start.”
Elle spoke first. “Since Silph is a modern building, I assume they had a camera system. Was it still active, or did Rocket fry it during their infiltration of the building?”
“So far as we’re aware, Rocket has already accounted for that. They either deleted the footage or corrupted it beyond recognition. We have a few more technically minded members of the League attempting to restore it, but we’re not holding out much hope,” Lorelei responded. “If you’d like to look at the files, you are more than welcome to. We’re aware Interpol has access to more sophisticated methods of restoring corrupted or deleted files.”
“We do.” Elle pulled out one of their assets provided for the mission, the loaned Pokeball releasing a rounded, avian Normal-type. The Porygon2 trilled. “This is Chatterbox, one of the League’s data recovery and security specialists.”
Her phone turned on. **Greetings, I’m here to help!**
“I’ve worked with some of their coworkers before,” Fergus said. “Our chances of success just improved.”
“Then let’s not waste time,” Lorelei said, leading them towards the exit. “Come on, let’s head to midtown.”
--(0)--
The Silph Co. building was a marvel of engineering, architecture, and unnecessary opulence; the whole building had been designed to be a self-contained ecosystem, with cafeterias, rest rooms, and bathing spaces built into the tower and accessible by a network of teleporters. Armored security doors could seal off the main hallways, and every approach was covered by multiple acuity cameras. All told, it could’ve held off a siege for days, if the security system had functioned.
“Rocket snuck an infiltration team in here at the outset of their attack,” Lorelei informed them as Kiritsugu and Elle followed her into the two-story room, filled with damaged computers and iron-red stains on the carpeted floors. “Codenames Jessie and James. They disguised themselves as maintenance workers, got in here, and then hit the room with a gas attack while their heavies moved in. Before the security teams could respond, they were downed; some fought back, and Rocket made examples of them.”
“A well planned and executed assault,” Kiritsugu hummed, pausing as he looked towards the damaged computers and bloodstains a bit more closely. Pointing towards the damaged computers, he nodded, “Collateral, I assume?”
“Not sure,” Lorelei said. “The interviews haven’t gone that far, I don’t think. Wouldn’t surprise me; the vigilantes assaulted this room, and they were more concerned with hitting Rocket than limiting property damage.”
Chatterbox dove into the main terminal at the front of the room, their ‘voice’ emerging from the attached screens. **Rocket wanted to use the system to control the building; their wipe of the system was a rush job. The backups aren’t fully intact, but I can piece together much of the system and recordings. Give me ten.**
“Understood. In the meantime, I’ll see what I can glean from the crime scene.” Kiritsugu nodded, “Elle, if you could help me with more mundane methods, I’ll see if I’m able to find any anomalies with magecraft.”
“Right.” Elle studied the room for a moment, then released Haboo, the Moureion sniffing the ground. “Anything unusual about the scents?” She asked.
“Many different attacks used here, but only a few cover the whole room. Poison gas and smokescreen, used beneath everything else. Coupled with… sleep powder?” They sniffed harder. “It’s spread too much to knock anyone out, though.”
“Classic crowd control methods; nausea, fatigue, and disorientation before an assault. Did anyone take Pecha or Chesto before they were hit?” Elle asked.
“No idea. I’m not a bloodhound,” Haboo huffed.
Before he fully finished focusing on his magecraft, Kiritsugu paused, tapping Braixen’s Pokeball and releasing the fox, “Braixen, can you manage any postcognition?”
“... Potentially. Something important enough happened here that I may be able to pull it off, but precognition is more of my species speciality. It doesn’t hurt to try, though none of it will be coherent enough to use as evidence,” the fox responded, looking mildly put off. “If you could release Amelie as well, she can help me focus.”
Amelie emerged. “Right here, let’s take a look.” The two psychics focused, before Braixen’s eyes opened, a flame appearing in front of her nose.
“One person… knew what was coming. She downed a potion just before Rocket entered.” Braixen turned and pointed to a desk. “There.”
Lorelei moved over, opening the desk drawers and withdrawing a plastic bottle, then digging deeper to uncover a few files. “I have her name. She might not actually be one of the infiltrators, but we’ll focus on her for interrogation. Good work.”
Chatterbox appeared on the main screen. **I’ve managed to reconstruct some of the recorded video for the two days Rocket controlled the tower. Not all of it, but some. More may come with time.**
Elle looked over at the computer duck, nodding. “That’s good news. Anything important we should see?”
**A few things. First, we have some clear facial shots of several Rocket Administrators, though their leader was careful to remain obscured at all times.** An image of a tall man in a sharp suit and overcoat appeared, a dapper fedora, a rocket bandanna, and a pair of sunglasses obscuring his face. Putting that image aside, four more images flashed on-screen. **Two of these individuals are registered as both Kanto Pokemon Trainers and ex-soldiers. The other two are not in the Kanto League registrar, though one may have a match from Sinnoh. The last is an unknown.**
“Good information so far.” Kiritsugu grunted, standing up from his kneeling position. He had, perhaps not shockingly, found no signs of anything particularly wrong with the structure he had been analyzing. At least beyond the immediately obvious. Not ideal, but it eliminated a potential infiltration point, so that was good. “Elle, we should probably move to another room. I think we’ve exhausted this one.”
**Before you go, I have also accessed the records of the battle between Miss Suzumi and the leader.** A short video appeared, showcasing a battle between six Pokemon, desperately trying to wear down a single, humanoid figure in black armor, pale skin and fur poking through the gaps in its defenses. **Suzumi used her Ace Team: Arcanine, Ivysaur, Starmie, Mismagius, Cloyster, and Magnezone. They barely managed to beat off the unknown facing them, who retreated with their trainer when their armor cracked.**
“Where did the fight take place? We need to see it,” Elle said.
**According to this, the executive battle boardroom, on the fifty-third floor.**
Kiritsugu nodded, heading towards the door. “Then we’ll head there next.”
--(0)--
The ‘battle boardroom’ was the height of luxury; ringed by well-appointed boxes and seating, with all the most recent technological bells and whistles to allow for Pokemon battling in a space hundreds of feet above the ground. It was also completely trashed, the barrier emitters broken and scorched, the composite flooring warped and torn.
Elle looked between Braixen, Amelie, Kiritsugu, and Haboo, the three Pokemon and lone Magus taking in the energies of the battered battleground. “Have you all found anything?”
“Whatever was here was powerful. Champion level. Easily. Potentially even a Legend.” Braixen intoned gravely, her mental voice having more than a bit of fear contained within. For good reason. If Team Rocket had had or continued to have access to such a Pokemon, it spelled nothing but bad things for the future.
“Psychic. STRONG psychic. Something old, dead, made new? Elle, do you remember that maniac who tried splicing the incomplete fossil DNA with modern Pokemon?” Haboo said worryingly. “Like that. Alakazam, Hypno, Gallade, and something old and powerful.”
Kiritsugu nodded. “That armor, I can feel echoes from it. It’s reminding me of bindings, or chains, as much as enhancement or protection,” he summarized.
Elle took in all the input with a grimace. “We know most Pokeballs just fail outright when used on a Legend. Master Balls are theorized to work, and there’s some evidence that a legend can suppress the destabilization on their own, but even a weakened or unconscious legend shreds regular Pokeballs. If Rocket doesn’t have full control of this Pokemon, then were they looking for alternative solutions?”
“That would be my guess,” Kiritsugu nodded. “With significantly increased chances if this legend is artificial. They would have wanted a method to control their created weapon, after all.”
“And once they have one…” Lorelei trailed off in horror. “Mass production?”
“No.” Both Kiritsugu and Elle traded looks, the Magus taking the lead. “Even with a Master Ball, controlling a god will only go so far. And the resources needed to produce even one being like this… if it’s comparable to what I know about artificial Phantasmal Beasts back home, it’s ruinously expensive. More likely, they want more Master Balls so they can use their one superweapon to claim those that already exist.”
Elle nodded grimly. “That, and fossil reanimation consumes the fossilized material. If they did find legendary genetic material to make this one, who knows if they can find any more.” She said simply.
Amelie spoke at last, hovering over a few shards of black metal in the middle of the room. “...it’s a he. And he felt… almost empty.” She murmured sadly. “He’s starting to feel, but it’s all negative. Awful.” She shuddered.
“Another will help him,” Braixen intoned. “It is written.” The flare in her eyes went out and her nose scrunched. “Whether they will succeed or not is more uncertain.” She sat down, rubbing her temples. “Ow. I’m going to refrain from looking into his situation more any time soon; it’s a mess of conflicting possibilities.”
“That’s fine.” Kiritsugu sighed.
Lorelei coughed. “If Rocket really is prying into the affairs of the Kami, they’re no longer a criminal organization to be taken apart. Lance will want to escalate them to terrorism, and he might be right. Though we’ll want more proof.” She looked between the two agents. “So, where to next?”
“We need to look over the ingress points and any place Rocket might have stolen items; this is still too big of an action to procure two dozen Master Balls,” Elle ordered. “And after that, we need to track down Suzumi. If you want more evidence for Champion Lance, we’ll need her testimony.”
--(0)--
Lorelei and Fergus watched as Kiritsugu and Elle moved through the suburban streets of Saffron, the twilight before dawn casting them in deep shadows. Fergus coughed. “I believe I missed why we were leaving behind the scene of the crime. Are you tracking Miss Suzumi by scent?”
“No. For one, it’s been over a day, and with this many humans around, that’s not feasible. Maybe with a trained bloodhound you could track one scent through the city, but not without that,” Kiritsugu responded. “Secondly, we don’t have to do that; people are creatures of habit, and will retreat to safe spaces when hurt.”
Elle picked up their conversation. “Suzumi Scarlet didn’t check into a Pokemon Center after entering the city the first time, and her league accounts don’t show her getting a hotel or hostel room. Accessing her social media shows her taking a picture with a friend two days ago, before the raid; a friend living here in the city. Put those together, and you have a Journey trainer crashing on her friend’s couch to save money.” The group arrived at a small house, an Ivysaur bearing multiple plasters half-rooted into the ground in the front yard, leaves shifted to catch the rising sun. “And here we are.”
Ivysaur opened her eyes, shifting as if to emerge from the earth. Fergus trotted forward, kneeling before her. “Continue to rest, warrior. We are not here to harm your trainer.”
As the Lucario soothed the wounded starter, the door opened, revealing a young woman with red hair, holding a baseball bat. When Elle flashed her league badge, she relaxed a hair. “Oh, hello. Better late than never, I guess.”
“Apologies, Ms. Suzumi,” Elle replied, sympathy filling her voice. “The League was scrambling. Both my partner and I are from Interpol, and we have questions for you.”
Suzumi nodded. “Alright. Can we do it out here? My friend and her parents are late risers, and I don’t want them to wake up.”
“That’s fine.” Kiritsugu pulled out a pad of paper, flipping to a clean page. “Now, before we begin, nothing you say here today will be used against you in any court of law, as all testimony rendered will be treated under the League Vigilante and Heroic Reconciliation laws. So, don’t hide anything that happened, understood?”
“Got it.”
“To begin with, what led you to rally the assault on Silph Co?” Kiritsugu asked.
“Well, me and my team were duking it out in the battle courts in midtown. The ones near the Wishiwashi Tropic Sushi restaurant. And a group of Rocket bozos walked up and started demanding a ‘toll’ to use the courts.” Suzumi snorted. “Some of the kids wanted to pay up, but I refused, and when I kicked their asses they ran off ranting about their bosses and how they owned the town now. And that tipped me off that something weird was going on.”
“Do you have photographs or physical descriptions of those Rocket Members?” Elle asked.
“No photos, but I do remember them. One was a girl…” Suzumi briefly described the three criminals. “I asked around after they fled, and while a lot of people clammed up, others were angry enough to tell me. As we talked, it turned out both a lot of travellers and locals were mad about what was going on, but no one was willing to stand up alone. So we got on the Pokenet, and I got maybe fifty people interested in kicking in a hideout or two.”
“...fifty? There were, as per our last estimate, nearly eight hundred people who joined the mob outside Silph co, and over a hundred who participated in the tower assault,” Lorelai interjected.
Suzumi chuckled. “People joined in as we approached the first target; some office building in midtown. More and more joined up as we took down Rockets, and after that first building, we just kept going. We hit Silph tower as our fourth target.” She clenched her fists. “We didn’t mean to chase them all the way there, but we were following the gang members who escaped us in the first waves. When it turned out Silph had fallen, the crowd helped us pull down the gates and break in the doors, and we went in looking for blood.” She grimaced. “It got out of hand fast.”
“That’s to be expected,” Kiritsugu nodded. “Mob mentality is a known human bias. None of you are likely to be prosecuted for it.” His word choice, of course, was very intentional. While it was unlikely that anyone who harmed a Rocket would receive anything more than a slap on the wrist, it was highly likely that if anyone unaffiliated with Rocket had been harmed that someone would come down on them.
Suzumi smiled weakly. “If you say so. We were lucky someone stepped in to organize those of us who’d stormed the lobby; I think she might have been a Joy, considering her team and her looks, but she wasn’t wearing a uniform, and she didn’t act like a normal Joy. Real authoritative. She set up a med-station down there, and made sure no one got… any worse.” She swallowed.
“There were some off-duty cops and ex-soldiers, and they organized teams. Don’t ask me for names, I didn’t get any I think are real. I led the vanguard, hitting the big knots and groups of Rocket bastards; I know there was one team that stormed the security room, and a second that worked with ghosts and psychics to get the hostages out. But I was focused on the battles,” Suzumi said.
“That’s more information that we had before, Miss Suzumi. We’ll likely investigate some of the other members of the raid on our own time.” Given it was fairly likely that the soldiers wouldn’t be opposed to talking to Interpol or the Kanto League, it was simply a matter of finding any veterans in the city and hunting them down for a debrief. “If you could continue on the battle? We have suspicions regarding the Pokemon Rocket’s boss utilized, and would like your opinion on them.”
“Oh… that guy.” Suzumi shuddered, her Mismagius emerged from her shadow and giving her a brief hug. “We got up to the boardroom, and found this masked asshole monologuing to the board members. He told his Pokemon to ‘demonstrate our might’.” Suzumi swallowed. “I’ve fought strong Pokemon before, even some which… might have been stronger. But that guy? He was in our heads, all of our heads, at the same time,” Suzumi iterated. “He was never surprised, couldn’t be ambushed, used Protect and dodged perfectly at all times, even had the right barriers up to block our finishers, before we started them up. I only saw something like that from a fucking Metagross, and he only managed it on a trainer and Pokemon, not me and my whole team.”
“... Elle?” Kiritsugu asked, grimacing more than slightly.
“That’s a Legend, all right,” the woman answered, nodding towards Lorelei. “You need to update Lance as soon as possible. Legends are… Well, XD001 is a good example of what happens when humans with malicious intent take control of a Legend.”
Lorelei nodded grimly. “I’ll let him know.” She looked sharply at Suzumi. “That’s not something which should be spread around, ma’am.”
Suzumi nodded. “I got it.” She looked back at Kiritsugu. “We still managed to wear him down a little; six on one isn’t a fair fight, even if the one is teleporting and can’t be surprised. Eventually, Arcanine managed to chomp down on his armor, tear off part of it. When it started sparking, the leader called the battle off, and every Rocket in the room was teleported out. The board members were mostly left behind, and they thanked me, promised me a lot of stuff. Is that allowed?”
“Yes.” Kiritsugu nodded. “Please contact the League to ensure they fulfil that promise. It’s highly unlikely that they will not, even if that promise was made in an emotional moment.” He paused, “But it never hurts to be careful. Verbal promises are significantly less binding than ones in writing.”
“Thanks.” Suzumi said. “And… after all that, I got patched up downstairs, went to a Pokemon center to be checked over more thoroughly, then came back here and crashed. Backlash from a dozen faints across the whole day… it’s pretty draining,” she muttered.
“You could handle that many?” Lorelei immediately asked, surprise and respect filling her voice. Backlash was a complicated topic, but it had to deal with both the bond a trainer had with their Pokemon and the cost of keeping a Pokemon who was particularly injured in stasis inflicted on their trainer. Pokeball technology had long since advanced to the point where it only started to become an issue after several back to back instances of fainting, so the fact a young girl like Suzumi could handle that level of auric backlash was worth noting. It spoke of either a strong aptitude for aura or the strength of her bonds with her partners. It could also, of course, be both.
“Yeah. I had to chug lemonade to keep going after a couple of downs, but it’s not my first time rushing a nasty fight.” Suzumi shrugged. “I always keep a couple dozen revives in my bag, just in case.”
“Smart,” Kiritsugu praised, eyes crinkling in delight. It was good to see someone else who appreciated the value of being prepared. “If you haven’t already considered it, I’d recommend buying some stimulants for yourself too. Revives can only help so much, and you aren’t useful to your team if you also go unconscious.” He paused, tilting his head to the side as he considered something, “You should also consider learning a method of self defense. Rocket knows you exist now, and you’ve made yourself a problem for them. Given that this is going to make them enemy number one in Kanto, it’s highly likely they’ll opt for retaliation.”
“Thanks.” Suzumi sighed. “Dammit, this got out of hand… really fast.”
“It often happens that way.” Elle murmured. “But you instigated something which has helped a lot of people.” She smiled at the younger girl. “As a former maverick myself, don’t lose that spark. The world needs people like us.”
“I won’t,” Suzumi nodded, a bit of fire reaching her eyes.
Kiritsugu nodded. “I think that’s enough for this interview. We may have more questions, but this summary, and your insights, will be useful.”
Elle coughed. “Considering the situation, you may be asked to provide psionic testimony. I will let you know that this is in no way required, and you should remember that if someone tries to push you.”
“Got it. You’re good guys, and I’ll help how I can,” Suzumi responded. “Now, I need to go and get some more sleep. That alright?” At the nods from the league officials, she turned and went back inside, giving a quiet wave as the door swung shut behind her.
--(0)--
Lance grimaced as he took in the information provided him. “A legend, possibly a resurrected or engineered legend, at least partially under the control of Team Rocket.” He looked around the room, the rest of his Elite Four, multiple league officials, Looker via viewscreen, and all three of the investigators. “Does anyone here have any ideas on how to deal with this without having to deploy in force to stomp any Rocket Raid?”
“My Braixen informs me that, distastefully, leaving this situation alone and simply preparing for the moment things come to climax seems correct,” Kiritsugu began, easily cutting through the silence that had briefly settled over the room, “I happen to agree with her. While the League should absolutely prepare for the worst case scenario, I believe it better to act as if we know nothing. Rocket is obviously emboldened, and as distasteful as it may be, an emboldened Rocket will make mistakes.”
An older woman gave a tired cackle. Agatha leaned forward. “A good point. No point in breaking with Prophecy, it never ends well. We do need to be ready for Rocket to make another major strike, but if this is a proper Legend, he won’t be chained for long. We’ll have to be ready for the explosion after he breaks loose, but then Rocket won’t be much of a problem.”
Lorelei grimaced. “That doesn’t mean we should make it easy for them to move. If our investigation into Saffron has shown anything, it’s that Kanto has been badly mismanaged over the last ten years. Since my grandfather stepped down, in fact.”
“Not the time or place,” Bruno growled. “Gerald was too passive, yes, but he kept the peace. This corruption would’ve festered even if we’d had a more active Champion. Now, we need to tear it out, simple as that.”
“The League is happy to provide resources and forensic accountants for your use, though you will have to be scratching our backs later,” Looker chimed in. “As for our special agents, they are needed back in Kalos within a week. Do you have anything to add?” He asked his people.
“It’s highly likely that a Chosen is going to rise from this mess,” Elle noted, nodding towards the Kanto League members, “You’ll want to keep an eye on them, but be aware that messing with the ‘Journey’ of any Chosen tends to go poorly for most people.”
Every local in the room groaned in one voice, with the exception of Agatha, who just kept snickering. Lance massaged his brow. “...we’ve already seen a Hero show up in this episode. If there’s a Chosen on the ground, we should be able to track them down…”
Bruno perked up. “Wasn’t there some kid who dealt with the SS Anne incident, and who won his badge off of Sabrina and broke that mental loop she’d been stuck in?”
“Ah, Ash?” Kiritsugu blinked, vaguely recalling his son and daughter’s correspondence with the young man, “Ketchum, specifically. Yes, that’d be him.”
“Know of him already?” Looker asked.
“My son is helping him brush up on his Aura Training. A request from Lady Akari, I think.” Kiritsugu said.
The shouting took several hours to die down after that.
2025-03-16 00:19:44 +0000 UTC
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Narimasa stopped in his box, swivelling to meet Illya’s gaze. “Your team, Lady Einzbern… I can tell you did not structure them to bring Dragons low. But your team is made up of latent dragonslayers. You hold an advantage that, against a lesser challenge, would trivialize this fight.” He withdrew his first ball from his belt. “Let us see if you are prepared for that advantage to be mitigated. I think you are ready, but let us prove that.”
Ball in hand, Illya nodded sharply. “Indeed,” she stated, right hand clenching and unclenching against Milotic’s ball. “I am ready to test myself, Leader Narimasa.”
“This will be a three on three battle between Illyasviel von Einzbern and Leader Narimasa Tetsutetsu,” Otoshi declared, eyes firmly fixed on the field. “Both trainers will be allowed a single switch out. On begin, you will both release your Pokemon. Leader Narimasa, are you ready?”
“I am.” He readied himself.
“Challenger Illya?”
“I’m ready.” As soon as Otoshi dropped his hand, both trainers flung their Pokeballs into the courtyard, Milotic manifesting on Illya’s side of the field. Across from her, a lengthy pokemon sat upon the ground, before a familiar weave of water lifted them up into an upright position, the seahorse-shaped dragon glaring across the battlefield. Illya listened carefully to catch both the spoken ‘Dragalge’ and the conveyed message of “Not the best match up… but this should be fun.”
Shirou sniffed twice, before calling out to his sister. “That’s a poison dragon, sis.”
“I am aware,” Illya huffed, eyes tracking the seahorse, “Milotic, Aqua Ring.”
Milotic twisted, forming the distinct rings of water flowing through and around her. In response, Draglage’s wing arms shifted, thorns forming within the water before being blasted out, caltrops of poison energy scattering across the arena.
Narimasa nodded as the toxic spikes settled, eyeing Milotic thoughtfully. “Acid. Keep blasting until her scales have dulled,” he barked, Dragalge’s throat bulging before rapid fire blasts of green-tinted poison began to shoot towards his opponent.
“Dragon Tail,” Illya chirped, more than happy to get her foe off the field for now. Setup wasn’t something she was going to allow easily. Milotic darted across the field, taking three of the small acid bursts without flinching, and smashing into Dragalge with a tail smash, the impact of the Dragon Tail forcing the ball on Narimasa’s belt to open and pull him back in.
With a flash, a round, stubby dragon appeared on the battlefield, yellow eyes blinking as she peered around. The Shelgon looked at Milotic, then grunted. “Did that seahorse lose already? Doesn’t seem right.”
“Forced switch out, Shelgon! Hit her with Double Edge!” Narimasa called out, adapting to changing conditions.
“Right.” Shelgon immediately launched into a spin, smashing into Milotic, who rolled with the hit as she was forced back.
“Much better,” Illya grinned to herself. “Draining Kiss Milotic! Then go for the physical fight!”
Milotic nodded, getting in close to land a kiss, only for Shelgon to block with Protect, then attempt to retaliate with a lunging Dragon Claw. The dragon grunted as she was hit by a follow-up kiss, retaliating with a Thunder Fang as Milotic prepared for melee. “Not interested in girls that way, so stop it.” She rumbled, lashing out with another Thunder Fang.
“Not my problem,” Milotic verbally shrugged. “Take it up with Arceus if you have an issue with Draining Kiss.” She lashed out with her modified Dragon Blade, a Dragon Claw layered over her sharpened tail-blade. Striking Shelgon, she sent the round dragon rolling across the field.
Shelgon came back upright, then used Dragon Rush to boost her speed, trying to smash into Milotic only for the lithe water-type to dodge out of the way, leading Shelgon to roll across the field and smash into a pillar. Unharmed, the little dragon came upright only to eat an Icy Wind as Milotic crossed the field to get back in her face.
“Oh, you’re good,” Shelgon rumbled. “I’ll need to rise to meet this challenge,” she murmured, bracing her legs and beginning to dash back at Milotic. Light began to shine from between the plates in her armor as she closed in on her serpentine opponent.
Narimasa smiled broadly. “Ms. Einzbern, thank you. This member of our brood has had difficulties being challenged enough to break her shell,” he said as for the second time in an hour, the light of evolution washed across the field.
“You’re welcome, no matter how irritating this will be,” Illya grimaced, eyeing the emerging Salamence with more than a little annoyance. “Icy Wind, Milotic. We need to cripple her, if not take her out completely.” Milotic nodded, a cone of cold sweeping over Salamence as she stretched out her limbs.
Salamence hissed as the ice coated her new wings, then lunged inward, claws and fangs both flashing as she got within melee range. Thunder Fangs and Dragon Claws ripped into Milotic, who retaliated with Breaking Swipe and more Icy Winds, the clash of lightning on ice causing flashes which filled the entire room.
Narimasa’s eyes bulged as he saw his dragon move to do a full-body slam on her opponent. “Wait, no, you don’t have–” Salamence used Double-Edge, smashing into the weakened Milotic and slamming her into the ground before she in turn cracked her side on the ground. “-Rock Head anymore,” he finished, wincing.
Salamence staggered back to her feet, Milotic rising from her own collapse, both ignoring the trainers as they reared back, Dragon Rush meeting Breaking Swipe in a final burst. The eruption of golden flames from the clash blinded all, and when the light cleared, both combatants collapsed on the ground.
Otoshi winced as he looked across the field, counting down. “...both combatants are unable to battle. Challengers, return your Pokemon, and wait for my signal to dispatch your next combatant.”
Illya gave a quiet sigh as she returned Milotic. On the one hand, losing her first Pokemon to a draw wasn’t the best start. On the other hand, dealing with a preplanned, midbattle evolution into a top-tier dragon with a draw was about as good as she could hope. Reaching for Fubuki’s ball, she considered it for a moment before she plucked Matilda’s from her belt.
As the flag dropped, Matilda landed, wincing as the poisonous barbs still perched upon the ground dug into her flesh. Across from her, a bulky armored Dragon landed, the Turtonator eyeing his opponent even as he rotated to place his back facing her. “Huh, was hoping to fight the ghost.” Without saying a word, he blasted a Flamethrower across the battlefield, the stream of flames akin to the real weapons of war it was named for.
“Refresh, Matilda,” Illya barked as Matilda strafed to the side, avoiding the oncoming attack even as she focused her energy to cure the toxins she was ailed by. The flames licked her coat even as she dodged, the pain of the spreading poison replaced by the burning feeling across her back. Matilda shook off her pain, immediately retaliating with a pixilated Hyper Voice which staggered the armored Pokemon.
Narimasa snapped off a command. “Shell Smash, then switch to Heat Wave; she’s too agile to catch with targeted attacks.” Turtonator nodded, his shell glowing white before it burst, the power shed from his protections flowing back into his limbs. With a grunt, the bulky Pokemon spun around and released a wide blast of burning air from his snout, the spread of the blast covering much of the battlefield.
“Calm Mind, Agility,” Illya barked. If setup moves were the game Narimasa wanted to play she was more than happy to oblige. Matilda took the Heat Wave with a pant, before rapidly pulsing both buff moves in succession, speeding up to match her opponent and armoring herself against his attacks. She then opened her mouth, another blast of Hyper Voice connecting with the armored Dragon.
Narimasa watched as his partner staggered, the attack hitting harder without the protective aura his shell had provided. “Echo–” he cut himself off with a curse, then chose a different move. “Flash Cannon, use it to break up the incoming attacks!” He ordered, Turtonator nodding before a chrome glow formed in his snout. With a burst, the steel-type shot popped the next fairy Hyper Voice, detonating in a splash. Raising his voice, the gym leader spoke. “I applaud you on the range of moves your Ace is capable of. But how is her endurance?”
“Wish, Matilda,” Illya ordered rather than answer, letting the delayed healing move do the speaking for her. “Follow up with Misty Terrain. Make this a battle of attrition.”
“Got it. If he wants to make a mistake, we’ll make him pay for it~” Matilda responded, before channeling her energy into a plea. The rising star of her delayed healing rose above the battlefield, before she pulsed, pink mist covering the battlefield and causing the already fading poison spikes to vanish entirely. With a chuckle, she ducked into the mist, avoiding the next Flash Cannon lobbed her way, then blasting back with another Hyper Voice.
Turtonator managed to intercept the first sound blast with another shot, but the second and third coming out of the mist sent him reeling. In response, the fire type shuddered, then slammed down his foot, the Bulldoze barely catching Matilda, but making her stumble enough for another Flash Cannon to connect.
Woozy from the hit, Matilda perked back up as the star she’d evoked fell back upon her, reinvigorating her and giving her the boost she needed to smash Turtonator with another Hyper Voice– and this was enough. The bulky dragon turtle slumped, still upright but clearly out of the fight as the mist cleared from the battlefield.
Narimasa returned his fire-type with a sigh. “Well done.” He produced the first ball he’d used over the course of the match, throwing out Dragalge with a smile. “Sludge Bomb, before she can set up the Terrain again!” He barked.
“Baton Pass!” Illya barked, watching as Matilda retreated into her ball, passed her buffs to Fubuki, and the latter slammed onto the field, taking the Sludge Bomb full on yet managing to tank it with ease, considering both her typing and Calm Mind, “Snowscape!”
Narimasa flinched as ice was whipped up across the battlefield. “Rain Dance, then hit her with Hydro Pump!” Dragalge began to move, the ice around him slowly turning into water as he attempted to seize control of the weather from his opponent.
“Ice Beam,” Illya barked out, giving up on the weather for the moment. “Use the rain to your advantage!”
Fubuki nodded, conjuring an orb of icy energy out of the fading snow, then blasting it across the field to strike the still-stationary dragon. The kelp dragon groaned as the ice covered his form, before responding with a massive blast of water, forcing Fubuki to dive into the ground. Moments later, she rose again to fire off a second beam of ice. Dragalge took the shot before he shot forward, riding a Surf to attempt to close in upon Fubuki.
“Shadow Sneak, get behind him!” Illya called, grimacing slightly as her second Pokemon took a glancing hit from the Dragale as she repositioned, “Icy Wind!”
The ghost sunk into the ground, coming up behind Dragalge and landing a glancing blow before she spun away. Fubuki waved one arm, the icy spray bursting through the water and peppering Dragalge with ice. In response, the Dragalge injected more power into his watery cloak, the suspension of liquid turning into a proper Aqua Ring, easing the pain of his frostbitten scales. Dragalge fired a Hydro Pump at Fubuki, who dodged to one side with relative ease.
Narimasa winced as his final Pokemon missed his shot, panting slightly as Fubuki took the opportunity to turn the rain back to snow. “Sludge Wave, try to poison her. Stick to wide-area attacks,” he rattled off, not giving up the fight, so long as Dragalge was willing to try.
“Blizzard,” Illya countered simply. Fubuki lashed out, a building storm washing over the battlefield, freezing the liquid toxin, the remaining water, and the final dragon in a wave of cold. Fubuki drifted over the battlefield, winded but hale, while her opponent was locked, frozen in his own water bubble. With a crack, it shattered, and the unconscious form of Dragalge was withdrawn into Narimasa’s Pokeball.
“Leader Narimasa is out of usable pokemon! The challenger is victorious!” The stands erupted in polite applause, and Narimasa smiled as he stepped across the battlefield to meet Illya.
“Well done, young lady.” He said, holding out her Eternal Badge. “I chose my team with the intention of countering yours; you did well to break the pattern and force Dragalge to retreat early.”
“Thank you for your kind words, Leader Narimasa.” Illya demurred with a quick curtsy, withdrawing Fubuki into her ball in the same movement. With a pat and softly muttered; “well done”, she returned the ball to its place on her belt and fully focused her attention on the Leader. After a few moments of simply staring at him, she nodded and accepted the badge.
“I am sorry to say I don’t keep Technical Machines on hand to give out, and despite your Milotic’s relation to my specialty, Echo of Time is not something I can teach to her.” The leader ignored her reserved behavior. “You are, however, welcome to come to your brother’s training sessions; I may not be able to teach our move to her, but I still know how to train serpentine Pokemon, and I suspect I have a move or two which I could teach the other members of your team.”
“I would gladly accept,” Illya answered far more rapidly this time, finally smiling openly. “I would like to apologize, Leader Narimasa. My first impression of you was far less kind than it should have been, and it has definitely been affecting how I perceive your actions.”
Narimasa chuckled as the group started making its way outside. “Believe me, you’d not be the first. I am a bit imposing, and busy. I also prefer to interact with those that prove their strength, when I have the time.”
“You will have more time soon, Narimasa.” The group was stopped near the entrance, a tall man with traditional Diamond robes meeting them at the entrance, his gray hair tied back in a ponytail and streaked with dark blue.
“Chief Ferrus.” Otoshi said, greeting the older man. “It’s good to see you.”
Ferrus nodded, before turning his gaze to Illya and Shirou. “So, these are the travellers who have come here this day.” His face was a placid mask. “From the cheers I heard, they both succeeded in their challenges.”
Narimasa nodded. “They did, yes. Impressive for those so young.”
“Mm.” He looked between the siblings. “So they will be departing tomorrow, yes?”
“No,” Illya stated flatly. Turning towards Shirou, she shook her head. “I’m not dealing with this. I don’t have the patience right now.”
“Fair enough.” Shirou sighed, “What my sister was attempting to communicate politely was our intent to remain here and seek the training we were offered by Leader Narimasa. And Lady Lilligant.” Looking the man dead in the eyes, he continued, “You know what they say about assumptions, sir.”
Ferrus’ eyes narrowed. “I assume that Leader Narimasa–”
“Will not be breaking his word,” Narimasa said sternly, unruffled.
“The safety of the Diamond Clan relies upon–” Ferrus began to speak, his voice rising.
“Is not impeded by two young people, here on good faith on their journey, no matter how odd their origins. Or how foreign, if we were to use your oft-repeated words.” Otoshi stepped in. “Chief Ferrus, you are trying to order guests out of the clan grounds, before one of them has even been able to complete her second trial. Why?”
“They are outsiders, and though mystery gifts may be divine, they also bring trouble. It is unfortunate, but for the safety of the clan, they must leave,” Ferrus said matter of factly.
“So, how would you enforce this?” Narimasa asked blandly.
Ferrus stopped, staring at the Gym Leader. “As Chief, I declare that they will be turned out of their rooms tomorrow–”
“And the Gym will host them, gladly. If Aster would even follow such an order. He takes his duties to the Center seriously,” Narimasa cut him off, some heat entering his voice.
Ferrus bristled, but Otoshi intervened. “Chief, before you waste any more time… look around.” The Warden said simply. Illya and Shirou followed the Chief in panning their gaze over the clansmen who’d emerged from the gym, and others who’d come out to watch the confrontation from the nearby buildings. While a few were sending aggrieved looks at the siblings, many, many more were muttering and glaring at their chief. Ferrus paused as the weight of the crowd revealed itself– firmly against him. “I’d advise you not to push this further, sir,” Otoshi said as his chief paled slightly.
Ferrus paused, trying to puff up, before turning and stalking away, the crowd parting as he left. Otoshi sighed. “Sorry you had to see that.” He muttered. “Though, he was right; you did stir up trouble.”
“Not our problem,” Shirou shook his head, grimacing as he realized that could have come across as entirely too insensitive. “Not exactly what I meant, but I want to be clear that both my sister and I have been nothing but polite as guests. We have honored your customs to the best of our ability and have followed your laws. None of this was deserved.”
“No, you do not. Thus, Ferrus’ gaffe.” Narimasa sighed. “Ferrus, as a youth, had to deal mostly with foreign poachers or thieves, and then the more recent surge in tourists caused his animosity to solidify.” He stroked his beard. “It does not help that his council, which once consisted of people of all generations of the clan, has become older and older as he too aged, which means the town hall has slowly become an echo chamber.” He offered the siblings a tired smile. “Today, he overstepped his bounds, clearly and publicly. Time will tell whether he will recover, but I doubt it.”
Isabella snorted. “Nah, he won’t. Times change, and he’s failed to change with them. Next time he tries to convene a clan gathering, which he’d need to do to kick you two out– well, I suspect someone will call for a vote of no contest.”
Everyone took in that before Narimasa sighed. “That’s not your problem, but ours, as you said, Mr. Emiya. Come, let’s go get our partners healed up, and then we can discuss training schedules for the next week…”
2025-03-02 00:05:41 +0000 UTC
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Shirou pulled on his jacket, looking across at his now four-mon team. “Alright… we’re going to fight a Gym leader who’ll likely outclass us. We’ve trained hard, but this’ll be our toughest fight yet,” he said firmly. “That being said… Vulpix, will you be participating here?” he asked. On the one hand, her help would be very valuable, on the other… well, she was a new teammate, and it’d look an awful lot like someone borrowing an elite to sweep a gym.
“It is up to you. It’s highly likely that if I participate the Leader will raise the challenge beyond the point that the rest of your Pokemon can compete,” Vulpix began, formality briefly overtaking her voice before she crushed it. “Anyway, I’m always down for a good fight, but your job as trainer is to decide when and where I get to fight. I won’t be annoyed if I don’t get a fight here; we’re a new pair and it’ll take us some time to get used to each other.”
Shirou closed his eyes. “We’ll take this challenge with you observing,” he decided. “If we have to make a second attempt, you’ll join us, but this time…this is a matter of pride.”
Fafnir grinned. “It is. We’ll make a Dragonhearted out of you yet,” she huffed.
Shirou produced two Pokeballs, returning both Fafnir and Yagi, his two four-legged partners falling in beside him as he walked out of his room, meeting his sister in the hall. Illya and Matilda fell in beside them, the five figures making their way to the gym, where Isabella waited beside Otoshi, the Warden giving them a wave. “Yo! How’s it going, kids?”
“Things are going well, Warden Otoshi,” Illya bowed respectfully, her brother doing the same mere moments later. “As promised, we’ve returned to challenge Leader Narimasa.” A spark of competitiveness flared through her voice, a fire in both her and Shirou’s eyes as they fixed a stare upon the Warden.
“He’s right inside. I think he’s actually looking forward to this; he mentioned possibly getting a chance to put some of his youngsters through their paces,” Otoshi said with a grin. “Come on in! I’m reffing for this match, hope you don’t mind.”
“There’s no official ref here?” Shirou asked as they were led inside. Several ledges had been pulled out of the rock walls around the central courtyard, blue-clad Diamond clanspeople taking seats alongside their Pokemon partners. Most interestingly, Shirou caught sight of Lady Lilligant herself sitting atop one of the stone pillars dotting the outskirts of the training areas, looking down with interest.
“We used to have one assigned, but he got promoted, and this is a backwater position. Not many want to get assigned out here. Still, I’m a certified referee, and I swear on my Lady’s name to judge this fairly.”
“I’d not assume otherwise,” Shirou said diplomatically as they reached the courtyard, Leader Narimasa waiting with his hands clasped behind his back. The man’s simple samue and overcoat had been replaced by a set of light armor, emblazoned with the league symbol and the Diamond Clan emblem on the blue lacquer.
Narimasa nodded. “Welcome, challengers. It’s been a few weeks since the last trainer came to face me, and to have two in one day is a pleasure.” He gave a short bow. “Since we did not have a formal introduction last time, I am Ban Narimasa, leader of this gym. Please, introduce yourselves for the community.”
“Emiya Shirou,” Shirou began, bowing towards the crowd.
"Illyasviel von Einzbern-Emiya,” Illya curtsied, the very image of grace.
“Well met,” Narimasa said as the slight murmuring from the stands ceased. “Normally, for low-level trainers, this is where I would explain the nature of Dragons, but I don’t think it necessary for your group. You travel with two dragons of your own, one of which I have not seen before, and a third who many would call a dragon, even if she does not bear the type.” He looked between the two challengers. “Dragons are creatures of Power, Pride, and Will. They bow only to those stronger than them, in one form or another, and fight fiercely for what they consider theirs. Today, what mine shall fight for is victory itself, and the badge it might yield to you. Which of you will challenge me first?”
“I will,” Shirou stepped forward, a determined glint in his eyes as he recalled his team with a nod. “I will not be using Vulpix, given how she is a new capture and significantly more experienced than the rest of my team.”
Narimasa nodded once. “I see. There is no shame in getting a teammate who can cover for your weaknesses, but in this case, I can see why you would refrain. Wishing to show the fruits of your labors, rather than the labors of a new arrival is laudable.” He turned and walked to his spot at one end of the arena, handing off two Pokeballs to one of the gym trainers. “I have my team ready, then.”
Shirou nodded, taking his space at one end of the arena, Narimasa mirroring him. Then, as one, they sent out their first Pokemon.
“Fafnir, I choose you!” Shirou called, his shark dragon manifesting in the arena– across from her mirror. The two Gabite sized each other up, Shirou narrowing his eyes.
“We shall start by testing your conditioning,” Narimasa said, gesturing with a snap. His Gabite dashed across the arena, readying a Dragon claw. “I can tell she is in good health, but let’s see if you have brought out her strength.”
“Fafnir, Dragon Dance if you’d please,” Shirou called calmly, ignoring the jab from the Gym Leader with the greatest of ease for the moment. For now, he withheld the snark that was bubbling at the back of his throat. Until he proved himself, he wouldn’t bother voicing it.
Fafnir darted away from the strike, speeding up and sharpening herself in the face of the older Gabite, grinning as she savaged him. “Not fast enough,” Fafnir growled, landing a headbutt onto the chin of her opponent, a three hit combo off a pair of Dragon Claws.
Narimasa’s eyebrows shot up, nodding in acknowledgement. “You’ve trained her well. She has a lot of grace.” He raised his voice. “Swords Dance! Match her in power, if not in speed!”
“Dragon Dance again, then get back in there!” Shirou called back, Fafnir going through the motions of Dragon Dance once again, as her opponent honed his wrist blades. With a roar, both dragons clashed again, Fafnir’s claws and blades just as sharp as her opponent, though she landed hits more rapidly. Within moments, the two had smashed each other apart, Fafnir getting the better of the clash with each exchange of blows, ducking out of strikes which would lay her out and retaliating too quickly to be beaten.
Narimasa watched for a few more moments, then nodded, barking once. “Echo the lord!”
Gabite opened his mouth, a roar with physical force impacting Fafnir, her steps slowing as the concussive power washed over her. The crowd erupted in applause, but Narimasa himself simply grimaced.
Illya started as Fafnir charged back in. “What was that?” She asked Isabella.
“Echo of Time,” the Diamond clansgirl responded. “No one has ever managed to replicate Lord Dialga’s power, but attempts to recreate his roar have produced this lesser replica. It’s not the strongest move, and it takes much out of its user, but it slows the opponent down through the weight of ages. Or so it’s been described. Narimasa prefers not to use it, because it’s still not close to complete.”
“Bulldoze, change it up!” Shirou barked immediately, Fafnir responding in kind moments later as the ground trembled, staggering Gabite briefly as a gout of dragonfire connected a scant few moments later, Fafnir following up her disruptive attack with a weak Dragonbreath. The burst of flames staggered the weakened dragon, whose flames blasted back in retaliation was positively anemic, his previous roars having weakened him to the point he couldn’t sustain his breath. Fafnir ripped through the curling fire, slamming a still-enhanced claw in under his guard. With a grunt, Gabite collapsed, leaving Fafnir huffing over his form.
Otoshi raised one hand. “Leader Narimasa’s Pokemon has been defeated. Leader, send out your next Pokemon!” The crowd applauded politely, a few yelling or shouting encouragement, but most holding their voices.
Narimasa withdrew his first Pokemon, smiling. “Well done.” He looked at Fafnir, his throat twisting. The next words were spoken more with draconic aura than a human throat. “Will you remain in, guardian? There is fight left in you, but your next opponent will be fresh.”
“You good, Fafnir?” Shirou cut in sharply, disapproval radiating from the young man at the intrusion.
“I am, Shirou.” Fafnir answered, ignoring Narimasa completely. It was, after all, not his place in the slightest to ask her such things. Her remaining on the field was a choice that only she and Shirou could make. No one else. No one else should even ask such a thing unless they wanted to piss off a dragon.
But perhaps that was the point. Focusing, Fafnir took in a deep breath, clearing the haze of anger that had started to creep towards the edges of her vision. She was not fresh. But she also had absolutely no intention of letting her new opponent escape without wounds, if at all.
Narimasa smiled, reaching down to his belt and hovering over one ball before selecting the second. “Not how I intended this fight to go… but then, nothing ever does.” He spun out his second ball, the buzzing wingbeats of a Flygon filling the massive room, to the shock of many of those listening. “I meant to use her to test your starter’s skill in the air, but then needs must.”
Flygon buzzed into the air above the battleground, taking a breath and then blasting violet flames down towards Fafnir.
“Dig,” Shirou barked, more to abort Fafnir’s desire to directly compete with the Flygon while it had the range advantage than anything else. Fafnir snorted, but immediately dove into the ground, the land shark parting the hard-packed earth like water as she dove beneath the rush of flames.
Narimasa watched her submerge, making a note to teach Shirou his tricks with Dig, Fly, and the synergy between the two with ground-dragon types. Flygon, meanwhile, scowled and dove to the ground, only stopped by Narimasa’s raised hand. “Earthquake is a bit much for their level. Dragon Dance, wait for her to emerge.”
Shirou winced as he heard Narimasa speak; he hadn’t considered Earthquake. He had, however, considered something else. As Flygon stilled to begin dancing, Shirou stamped twice, and with a surge, Fafnir jetted from the earth. She rode a wave of draconic and ground energy, clipping Flygon who barely dodged aside, then raking the startled desert dragon with a burst of Dragonbreath.
Flygon flew back, eyes narrowed. “Agile style… or linked moves? Your trainer is more competent than his age would suggest.” She blasted back with a Dragonbreath of her own, catching Fafnir before the dragon could hit the ground.
Fafnir grunted as her landed, scrambling back to her feet and using Protect to intercept a Dragonclaw. “I fight someone who’s a genius of hard work daily. It would break my pride if I didn’t do the same as he.” She lashed out, a Dual Chop smashing into Flygon, only for the flying dragon to retaliate with a vicious uppercut, laying her out.
“...so I see,” Flygon muttered as Shirou returned Fafnir. “Will I fight him next, then?” She asked the young trainer standing across from her own.
“Ritsuka, you’re up!” Shirou called, throwing his starter’s ball onto the field in a masterful pitch.
“Aye aye!” The Wyrmeon chirped, taking flight from the moment she left the ball.
“Agility,” Shirou barked.
“Dragon Dance again, then prepare for aerial maneuvers,” Narimasa called. Both dragons sped up, Flygon matching Ritsuka’s speed before darting in, only to be intercepted by Ritsuka’s Protect barrier, the fox-dragon lashing out through the fading bubble to blast her opponent with Dragon Pulse. Flygon hissed in pain darting back. Her wings began to buzz, earth below her churning into sand and rising to shroud the battleground.
“Calm Mind,” Shirou called, narrowing his eyes as the sandstorm Flygon had whipped up kicked off in earnest. Heeding his instructions, Ritsuka stilled momentarily, fortifying her mind as she kept her senses sharp, ears straining for the buzz that would indicate Flygon’s position. Her ears twitched, wings flapping before she barely dodged a swipe from Flygon, the bug dragon swapping to a burst of Bug Buzz to swat her before she retreated back into the storm. Ritsuka, however, dove through the sand in hot pursuit, raking her opponent with another Dragon Pulse.
Narimasa reached into his pockets, producing a pair of sand goggles as Shirou reinforced his eyes. The gym leader watched the skirmish, eventually smiling as his pokemon outpaced her pursuer, hiding within the sand. “This will not become a battle of attrition. Screech, then Dragon Rush,” he called into the storm.
“Dragon Pulse, you can’t evade in this weather!” Shirou barked, eyes straining as he did his best to make out the blurry silhouette of his foe. A tense second passed, “Twelve o’clock high!”
Ritsuka shifted in midair, Dragon Pulse passing through the Screech which wracked her, her own attack striking Flygon before the other dragon dove in, a full body blow connecting. The one-two hit staggered Ritsuka, but Flygon was clearly struggling, the repeated blows from two consecutive opponents causing her wings to shudder at the force of her own impact.
Shirou saw their chance as Flygon tried to disengage back into the storm. “Ritsuka, Hyper Voice, wide spread!” The fox-dragon opened her mouth, a loud ‘WYRM!‘ roaring through the air as the sand was knocked aside, Flygon following the shout to the ground with a crash of limbs.
Flygon struggled to rise to her feet, only to look up and see Ritsuka diving down on her, a whistling sound whipping around her as she dove. Releasing the energy gathered in her dive, Ritsuka unleashed her Dragon Bomb, the blast knocking Flygon out cleanly. With a thump, Ritsuka landed in front of Shirou, panting slightly before she gathered her wits and took a deep breath.
“Leader Narimasa’s Flygon is unable to battle! Gym Leader, send out your final Pokemon!”
Narimasa smiled as the sandstorm abated, removing his sand goggles as the applause sounded once again. “Well done,” he said as he returned his unconscious ally. “I intended her to be your final opponent, but no matter.” He readied his final Pokeball. “Will you recall your starter, give her time to rest?”
“Ritsuka?” Shirou ignored the leader once more, hiding his irritation with his opponent’s concern for the moment.
“Don’t forfeit me, but I’ll accept the substitution,” his starter answered after a few moments, grimacing slightly as she gingerly shook herself out.
“Done,” he answered, recalling her into her ball. “Yagi, you’re up!”
Yagi landed, posing slightly as he took in his opponent. The dragon which formed across from him blinked languidly, only partially uncoiling from his metal shell. “Oh, hello there,” he offered, uncoiling further to place his legs on the ground. “A bit small, but that’s no slight, I can tell you’ll be scrappy.”
Yagi grinned, taking a stance. “Yosh! You are correct!” He didn’t bother to posture further, instead rapidly closing the distance with a Quick Attack, launching into a rapid series of Force Palms. In response, the Sliggoo burst out a blast of Dragon Breath, the attack allowing him to skid across the ground and out of range. Sliggoo then withdrew into his shell, Shelter triggering to harden him against incoming fire.
“Fighting types are a weakness of mine,” Sliggoo admitted as Yagi closed in again. “But–” He juked, his shell spinning aside as Yagi attempted to slam into him for another hit. “I’m not just going to stand there and take it.”
“Yagi, Bulk Up,” Shirou barked, “Then dive in with Double Team!”
“I would not want you to just stand there! This will be reaction training!” With his piece enthusiastically stated, the scrappy little jackal did exactly that, focusing his internal energy to reinforce himself even as a myriad of illusory copies of himself burst into being. Without a singular pause, they charged towards the Hisuian Sliggoo, all of their palms alight with aura. Yagi’s illusions spread over the field, forcing Sliggoo to spread his feelers to try and find the true Riolu, which in turn slowed him down. Yagi slammed a blow into him, only to take a Dragon Pulse in return.
Narimasa growled. “Shelter again, then rake the field with Dragon Breath, dispel the copies,” he shouted. Sliggoo braced himself, skin and shell hardening further, before he rotated his neck, purple flames spilling over the field, causing the various illusions to pop and forcing Yagi to do a forward flip over the wave of fire. Yagi sprang to his opponent and landed another Force Palm, only for the reinforced shell to take the hit without being scuffed, Yagi springing off and shaking out his paw.
“Yagi, can you manage an Aura Sphere?” Shirou asked, voice less sharp and more questioning.
“I believe I can, though it will take time,” Yagi responded immediately, springing backwards as he intuited his trainer’s next command. He crouched, pulling power in between his paws, shaping the power, closing his eyes to focus on the energy.
Manipulating power like this… was always tricky. Fists, feet, muscles and bones were easy. Manipulating the power within was harder, and he’d always had issues focusing on it. But Shirou had the same problems, and together, they’d managed to work out the mechanics, found a way to channel the power. And that meant the greatest skill of his lineage, the Aura Sphere, was…
…coming a lot easier than it should have.
Yagi blinked his eyes open, looking at the orb held in his paws. The paws which now had metal spikes poking out of the back. He kept his attention in check as he lobbed the sphere across the battlefield, towards the now perspectively smaller Sliggoo.
“...well, damn.” Sliggoo muttered just before the sphere impacted him, sending him spinning across the battlefield.
Yagi felt himself over, then cleared his throat and focused. “Well, this is unexpected!” He shifted on his feet, frowning as his center of balance nearly caused him to trip. “Hmm. Well, time to learn to use a new body mid-battle, yosh!” he cheered, pumping his arms as Sliggoo blearily emerged from his shell to look across the battlefield.
Narimasa blinked as he took in the rapidly changed battlefield,the silence of the watching crowd giving him a moment to gather his thoughts. “...well, this will be our loss,” he muttered, then raised his voice. “I can tell you didn’t plan this, but… well done, young man,” he called out to Shirou.
“Are you conceding, in that case?” Shirou clarified, because it was definitely worth checking. Dragons did have their pride, but assuming that a specialist would completely align with their type was a logical fallacy.
“Of course not. We do need to test your partner.” Narimasa responded, looking back to the battlefield. “Mud Shots, and use Muddy Water to push him back if he closes!” he ordered. Sliggoo nodded, cheeks bulging before he blasted out a bullet of mud.
“Detect into Aura Sphere! Play at range!” Shirou ordered, Yagi’s eyes gleaming as he wove between each of the Mud Shots with unnatural precision. As the wave of mud finally petered out, an Aura Sphere was smoothly formed and shot towards the Sliggoo, not giving the dragon any semblance of a break. Sliggoo took the second blast of fighting type energy with a groan, attempting to surf away from the blast with a burst of brown water, but the Sphere tracked them through their dodge, laying him out once again.
As he struggled to raise himself again, the dragon heard clinking rapidly approaching. Looking up, Sliggoo flinched as Yagi seized his shell, flipped him over, and drove him into the ground. Yagi dusted off his paws as Sliggoo passed out. “Excellent, I have the measure of my body again. Now I just need to redesign my workout routine.”
Narimasa withdrew his final Pokemon, advancing onto the battlefield, taking Yagi’s paw with a solid shake. “Congratulations on your evolution.”
“Ah… thank you,” Yagi demurred.
Narmada nodded, then let go and advanced to the middle of the ring. “Emiya Shirou. I expected you to do well, but you exceeded my expectations.” He said as Shirou came up to meet him. “For your victory here, I offer you the Eternal Badge.” He held out a pentagram of metal, the blue symbol marred with a single scar. “Well done.”
“Thank you, Leader Narimasa,” Shirou answered, bowing briefly to accept the badge and pay his respects before he turned his attention to Yagi. “Congratulations Yagi. Your hard work was rewarded.”
“Our hard work,” Yagi responded pointedly. “I couldn’t have done it without you. We are geniuses together, after all!”
Narimasa cleared his throat. “Your victory is also worth more than just my badge, especially given your defeat of Flygon. I offer my training to your team, including tutoring for the Echo of Time.” He coughed. “There’s no Technical Machine for the move, as it is still not complete.”
Shirou nodded, then turned to lead his newly evolved Pokemon off the battlefield. Narimasa looked past the boy to see a smaller figure step up to the challenger’s box. Illya’s eyes narrowed as she met his gaze.
“...hmm. An altogether different challenger. Good,” the gym leader muttered as he turned to walk to his box. “I wonder if we’ll have a repeat performance?”
2025-02-15 21:07:10 +0000 UTC
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“Okay, so, I’m going to need you to cover for me tomorrow.” Crystal muttered to her twin. “I’ve got something I need to do with Shepard, and I can’t have Mom catching me.”
“Can I get more details than something I need to do sis?” Melody asked gently as she slowly brought her swing to a stop, using her fledgling skills with the grace of a flying brick, “Not that I’m opposed…”
“Umm… it’s Mom’s birthday coming up, and I think I can make her a signal blocker. She always says she hates people talking on the phone when she’s making a presentation.”
“Okay sis! I’ll run interference, just make sure to show up every so often so she doesn’t get too suspicious~.” Melody chirped, kicking her swing back into the air, her own little way of declaring the matter settled.
Crystal grinned, shooting her sister a thumbs up. “So, how’s your training with Obi-wan going?” She asked, even as the ghost in question phased into existence right over her sister’s shoulder, floating in pace with her swinging to Crystal’s amusement.
“Good! He’s a really good teacher; don’t you look at me like that master! It wasn’t your fault that Anakin was your first student!” The younger twin pouted up at her master, before grinning, “We’ve moved on from Form One to Form Three! Soresu is fun~”
“I am still baffled that you consider a passive, defensive form fun, Padawan.” Obi-Wan stated with a raised eyebrow, “Most younglings and Padawans consider it boring to the point of tears.”
“You beat several masters of offensive forms with it. Hush.”
Neither girl was that good at shielding, and the presence of multiple ghosts (as Shepard, Marson, Haku, and Ash joining Obi-Wan) drove up the feeling of ‘weird’ in the corner of the playground. While most of the local kids, long endured to the weird surrounding the twins simply ignored them, one little man visiting the human world for the first time peered at them with interest.
“Excuse me, ladies.” Both twins looked up, blinking as the sky went pinkish. The boy was handsome, blonde hair perfectly arrayed and perfectly fitting polo shirt over his tan slacks complimenting his classic looks. “May I have a moment of your time?”
Crystal tilted her head. “Um… Melody, why is the preppy boy talking to us?” She stage whispered.
Shepard snickered. Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow. Melody poorly concealed a giggle, even as the Specter spoke “Aww look, it’s a little politician. Maybe if we can adopt him, we can stop him from growing up wrong.”
“Now now Shepard.” Obi-Wan chided with perfectly concealed amusement, “Politics is a perfectly respectable career.”
Struggling to contain her mirth at her ghostly companion’s comments, Melody nodded at her sister, eyes twinkling in delight, “I haven’t the slightest clue Crystal. Perhaps he knows dad and mom? Or perhaps we are secretly long lost Royalty of some forgotten nation?”
The boy’s smile twitched into a frown, looking at them with some irritation. “Now, you’re probably wondering what happened to the light–”
“Yeah, a little. Some sort of barrier space? Magic, right?”Crystal interjected.
“Well it is–” He paused, then huffed. “Yes. It is.”
“Oh poop.” Melody grumbled, amusement overtaken by annoyance, “Now mom and dad aren’t going to let us be weird in public anymore.”
“I dunno, maybe he can keep it quiet? We could probably convince him…” Crystal murmured, considering who she’d merge and what weapon would work.
“Well, you do not need to worry about that!” The boy spoke, trying to regain his aura of control. “After all, after you join me, you will never need to worry about your parents again!” He allowed his black wings to spring from his back. “I am Steven Melladux, first son of the Melladux family; and I believe you two will be fine additions to my peerage!”
The boy paused, obviously expecting a response. Melody looked around. “...feels like there should be a sound effect here. Either lightning, or crickets, maybe…”
“I could build you something for that later…” Crystal offered.
“Ooh, thanks!”
Steven coughed. “A-hem, this is where you thank me–”
“Oh, right! Thanks but no thanks.” Crystal waved one hand. “So, sound effects–”
“But that’s not how this is supposed to work!” The devil pouted, barely avoiding stamping his foot into the ground obviously, though both girls could tell he was desperate to, “You were both supposed to bow in gratitude to my gracious offer and come with me to school so I could show off!”
“...that assumes we don’t have our own plans.” Crystal replied. “I mean, I don’t want to stop being human, at least not for a long while yet.” She sniffed. “So, yeah. Also, you have no idea what we can do.”
He huffed. “You can obviously talk to ghosts! That’s the first seeds of necromancy, and I could teach you two to harness your powers over the grave!”
“... Sure, necromancy. That works!” Melody nervously stuttered, concealing her fear with some difficulty. Chaplain Johnston had warned the pair of girls about devils, and now those warnings were crashing into her emotions with the force of a raging hurricane.
Crystal, on the other hand, had far less cool or panic. “Nope. We’ll get training on our own time, thank you.” She waved one hand. “Swing back by in… huh, maybe eight years? We can talk about it then.”
“That’s my girl.” Shepherd praised, earning an eyeroll from the far more composed Jedi Master, “What? She’s like a mini-me but better! What’s not to love?”
“Sis, I think mister devil’s processing center crashed.” Melody stated after a few moments of silence, recovering from her momentary panic in haste and walking up to the poor, confused child and poking his frozen face, “He seems to have lost all comprehension of reality.”
Steven twitched, then began to growl. Crystal blinked, then grinned as she watched his hands light up with green energy. “Hey, if he attacks us in a space normal people can’t get to, that means we get to fight back, right?”
“Yep!”
“Ash when did you get back?” Melody blinked, looking at the trainer with already fading incredulity, “And yes, Crys, we can fight back if threatened or attacked. Daddy said to be especially harsh on pushy boys.”
“Dialga says hi!” The trainer snickered in reply, before pulling out what appeared to be ghostly popcorn.
“Okay!” Crystal pulsed, and Steven blinked as a set of dark gray armor wrapped around her torso. “Try not to pass out too quickly, please! I need to practice my headbutts!”
--(II)--
“I am so sorry about Steven’s behavior. I don’t know what his nanny was thinking when she went off and left him alone.” The beautiful blonde woman groaned as she sat across from Stephen and Natalie. “He really should know not to be so pushy. Really, he only has his pieces so that he can go the familiar forest in a few months.”
“But mom–”
“Steven, enough.” Mrs. Melladux cut off her son’s protests, making sure not to jostle his black eye, dislocated shoulder, and swollen ear as she cut him off.
“I’d apologize for my girls rough treatment of your son, but I’d be lying.” Stephen answered dryly, noting with some pride that Melody had gotten her licks in, few as they may be. Girl was too passive. Crystal had done a phenomenal job, as always, accounting for everything except the ear.
The other man in the room, a bulky devil in a suit, chuckled. “Now, I’m not going to say Steven wasn’t in the wrong, but I can’t deny he has an eye for talent.” Mr. Melladux (who’d asked to be called Paul with limited success) carefully ruffled his son’s hair. “Keep those eyes open, so long as you let us know before you make any moves.” His smile dropped. “Otherwise, well… this can happen.” He gave Crystal a wink. “Good hits, little lady.”
Crystal huffed. “Devil magic is cheating. That first fist should’ve laid him out…”
“... Dear sister, have you perchance forgotten my entire lecture on how much stronger devils are than baseline humans?” Melody interjected dryly, brows twitching in annoyance, “I wouldn’t have had to throw a rock at the poor boy’s head if you had remembered…” she continued dangerously.
“Dear sister? Now you’re talking like him!” Crystal paused. “Where did he learn to talk like that?” She asked Steven’s parents. “Neither of you do.”
“From his peers at school, I’d imagine.” Mrs. Melladux said politely, “He insisted on attending to a well regarded pillar school because his crush-”
“Mother!”
“Rias Gremory attends there.” The aforementioned woman continued without regard to her son’s desperate interruption, “We’ve talked about how you are to refer to me, Steven.”
“...yes mom.” Steven muttered.
“Wait, Gremory?” Natalie interjected. “As in, Ars Goetia Gremory? As in, Devil Nobility Gremory?”
“My boy aims high!” Mr. Melladux chuckled. “Maybe a bit ambitious, but that’s fine.” He paused. “Tempered with caution, of course.”
“He could have picked worse pillars, at least.” Mrs. Melladux sighed. “Even if… well. She’s engaged.”
“Riser’s an idiot, though!” Steven protested. “If I were her fiance, I’d treat her right! Not like he does.” He grumbled.
Crystal tapped her chin. “So, you wanted peerage members to impress her.”
Steven sulked. “Yeah.”
“Not the right idea.”
“Huh?”
“Girls don’t really get why boys like showing off so much, most of the time.” Melody interjected kindly, shooting her sister a mild glare, “We’d much rather have a friend.”
“Yeah, I guess. How’s she treat you, anyway?” Crystal blinked as the boy went red. “Okay, you have talked to her, right?”
“...she’s really pretty… and powerful… why would she want to talk to me?”
“We also like it when boys are confident.” Melody said flatly, “and don’t pursue us solely cause we’re pretty.”
“Dears, you two are eight.” Stephan groaned, “Why.”
“Shepard has no filter, Ash got curious, and Obi Wan didn’t see any reason to stop them. Until Chloe got involved at least, then everyone dogpiled her. Except Illya. Illya just laughed the whole time.”
Crystal ignored her sister, looking directly at Steven. “Okay, first rule; talk to her. Like, seriously, see her doing something interesting, go and talk to her.” She huffed. “Even if you turn into supercaptaincoolman, if you can’t talk to her, you’re getting nowhere.”
“But–”
“No buts! I will sic Shepard’s ghost on you, if I can figure out how!”
“I’ll do it too. I swear, if more of the men that were interested in me actually had the balls to ask they’d get somewhere.”
Crystal looked up, tilting her head. Melody did the same, eerily mirroring her sister, “Didn’t you hook up with a girl, though?” Both girls chorused.
“Yeah, because she had more balls than any of them.”
“Oh good, you haven’t elected to make me explain the more nuanced bits of romance yet Jane. Do keep that up, my dear.” Obi-Wan called from elsewhere, “I’m busy wrangling the Einzberns into compliance at the moment. Both seem to wish to stick around.”
“It must be fascinating, to have so many other people only your girls can interact with.” Ms. Melladux observed.
“We can interact with them at home, using a ritual circle. They are fine people, just different.” Stephen countered. “But it can be interesting. Unless we ask, it makes understanding a conversation very difficult.”
Steven stared in the general direction of Shepard. “So Ms. Shepard is like the Sitri family?”
“Sitri?”
“Ah yes, the lady Sitri married another woman, then a man, then another woman.” Ms. Melladux hummed.
“Force damn it now I have to explain polyamory. Blast, I was hoping to avoid that until they were twelve.” Obi-Wan grumbled totally not petulantly, ignoring Jane’s full-bell laugh as it echoed throughout the house with the greatest of ease as he floated into the living room, shaking his head at the twins, “Later, Melody, Crystal. I’m sure your parents or our guests will give you a somewhat detailed version of it, which I will expand upon later.”
“Okay.” Both girls said at once.
Steven tapped his fingers. “Um. So, I need to talk to her? I don’t know how to do it without looking like…”
“A brownnoser?”
“Social climber?”
“Yeah. Those.”
“Well,” Natalie interjected, “I’d just start by talking to her. Don’t make it romantic at first; be her friend. If it goes somewhere from there, you’ll both know when the time is to ask.” Unsaid by the older woman was that most childhood relationships tended not to last for a lifetime, but the boy didn’t need his dreams crushed to accomplish the goal of the day. That being hopefully helping the young boy be more socially active with his crush without mixing her girls in with him.
“...okay.” Steven nodded. “I’ll try.”
“Let us know how it turns out!” The twins piped up at once. “I still need a good sparring buddy.” Crystal finished. “You did have that neat trick with the slime shot.”
“Please. I get tired of sparring constantly with Crys. Even though I win more.” Melody chimed in, eyes twinkling in mirth.
“For now. For now.” Crystal muttered. “Stupid neo dodges…”
Natalie shot her husband a glare. “Dear, did you show them the Matrix?”
“...ah…”
“Daddy’s in the doghouse~” Melody singsonged, ignoring her father’s betrayed look with feminine glee, “Also, Neo’s got nothing on me~”
Ms. Melladux pursed her lips as the mortal family began to needle each other. “We should make these visits more regular, I think. We could use some lively discourse, don’t you think?”
Mr. Melladux grinned. “Why not?” He paused. “However, Steven, tell no one about these girls, okay son? Not yet, at least.”
Steven blinked. “Why?”
“Our turf now, at least in one way of thinking. In another, well, some Devils like to poach. Or fail to ask nicely.” His face went grim. “Obscurity is better, until they’re stronger.”
“Steven.” Mrs Melladux stated severely, “I am going to need an oath that you will not talk.” At her husband and son’s baffled look, the female devil grimaced, “Those girls share a powerful Sacred Gear. That should be explanation enough as to why, husband dear.” She snorted, not even noticing when both of the twins swiveled to face her.
“... Oh.” Melody blinked. “Do you know which one it is? Seeing and allowing spirits to possess you isn’t one we know of.”
Ms. Melladux winced, before coughing. “I have no idea. Most Sacred Gears are very obvious in their applications and activation. In fact, as best I can tell, you two haven’t actually fully activated yours.” She shook her head. “There are some who would sell more than their own soul for a chance to study you two.”
“... Honestly, that’s fair.” Melody shuddered, “Given what little Obi-Wan has told me, I should be surprised there aren’t more people finding us with how careless we’ve been.”
“Being normal is boring. Besides, so far everyone just thinks we’re doing the creepy twin thing, or talking to imaginary friends.” Her sister spoke up, then paused. “Actually, can we be sure you guys are real?” She reached out, poking at Shepard, who poked her back.
“... Crystal why.” Melody despaired dramatically as she collapsed theatrically to the floor, “Why must you use your impeccable skills in making no sense to make sense.”
“I think it’s because we constantly share thoughtspace with beings a lot older and more experienced than us, which leads to blendings of higher concepts and childish free-thinking.” Crystal countered. “Or at least, that’s what I got out of all this the one time I merged with Obi-wan.” Her face scrunched up. “Also, how can you stand being tranquil all the time? Introspection feels like your brain is eating itself.”
“I mean, the secret is that I’ve acknowledged my impending mortality as our uncaring universe neverendingly marches on towards its inevitable heat-death because I am but a mote of dust on a tiny spec in the middle of infinity.” Melody deadpanned severely, before brightening, “Oh, and it’s fun to fuck with you when you think I’m tranquil when I’m basically having an anxiety attack in my brain half the time.”
Natalie spoke up. “Language.” She said distantly, as all the adults wrestled with the words coming out of the mouths of the twins.
Steven raised one hand. “I think I’m ready to take that oath now. I don’t want to think about this, much less talk about it.” His eyes were wide and his pupils dilated. “I can’t tell if they’re messing with us, and I really want them to be.”
Paul nodded. “Okay, tea time is over. Remind me, how old is the mortal drinking age these days?”
“... Not nearly low enough for this shit.” Stephan groaned, sending a pleading look towards the uncaring heavens, “Why are my daughters philosophizing.” He despaired.
Both girls pointed at Obi-wan.
2025-02-06 19:39:00 +0000 UTC
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Sakura studied the map Other had sketched into the sand between their feet. “This is big,” she said simply. “I thought this was just a few raiders, not a major group.”
From her vantage point out of Rin’s device, Captain Bles pursed her lips. “It doesn’t match the number of local raids either, but the descriptions of the human captives clued me in. This must be a distribution hub for all of the peninsula. With those descriptions, I’ve mustered a twenty-man team to hit the camp, but that’s still not enough to sweep them all up cleanly. Thankfully, we’ll have more help.”
“The League?” Rin asked, largely to clarify that her suspicions were correct.
“...of a sort. There is only one person in Unova with rights to breed and raise Hisuian Sneasel. He’d assumed the little one had just run away–”
Sakura’s phone rang. She moved to silence it, only to stop as Bles motioned through the screen for her to look at it. Seconds later, she made the connection, and turned on her device. The stern face of Subway Master Ingo appeared, shaking slightly. “Sakura. Is it true?” His voice was noticeably tight, hat slightly askew.
“Ah,” Sakura winced, grimacing a bit as she nodded. “Yes. I believe Other. Which means someone decided to piss you off. I… Almost pity them.”
“Pissed. No. I am apoplectic.” Ingo’s voice cracked slightly. “And worse, the Young Lord is beside himself with regret and rage. We will be diverting all cars to this broken track, in order to fix this situation.” He shot a short salute. “Do not pity them. Ensure they cannot flee before we arrive.”
“We believe the last hostage, the one kept in the main house as you described, may be someone of importance to the local government. If so, it would explain why no one reported the camp before you contacted us.” Bles let out a harsh breath. “Which is why it pains me to ask you all to try and get inside that house, secure the hostage and as many others as possible, and hold out until we can hit the camp.”
“We can do that.” Rin nodded, grimacing slightly at the thought of the amount of gems she would likely have to spend on doing this, “If absolutely necessary, we can have Agate teleport him out.”
“But-”
“Not the time Agate. As much as we both hate it, the hostage’s life is more valuable than mine. Granted, that’ll be a last resort, but I want it to be on the table,” Rin cut her starter off, eyes hard. “These poachers are essentially slavers, and I will not abide by it.”
“Thank you. Honestly, it’s rather embarrassing; our teams are excellent battlers, but in stealth you have us beat,” Bles admitted. “We’ll give you the signal to raid the camp; if you can stir up trouble early, that’d be great, but you cannot enter the camp until we’re within rapid response time from hitting them. If they scatter with the captives and hostages, we’ll never catch them all.”
“Agreed,” Sakura nodded sharply, looking towards Rin. “ETA, Captain Bles? We’ll time our approach so that even if we’re discovered on approach we’ll have backup coming shortly.”
“We’re coming in with three low-flying choppers and mounted fliers, but our need to spoof detection is slowing us down. I think the Subway Masters are concealing their own approach using a sandstorm. We both should reach the camp in approximately three hours, just after dawn,” Bles explained.
N, from his place at the table, cleared his throat. “We should discuss our plan with the adults before we go in, right?” he asked, looking between the two Eeveelutions, Other, and the two girls.
“Yes,” both Sakura and Rin chorused. “Right now,” Sakura began, grabbing a stick as she began drawing in the sand, “we’re planning on approaching under the cover of an illusion provided by Other and Zorua. After we approach, we’ll make our way to the hostage site, breaking out the Pokemon we can afford to break out and directing them to either escape or rally to us.”
“Captain Bles brought up a distraction, and considering the nature of these people, I have an idea on how to keep them occupied once they figure out we’re there. If we set up some blasting charges in and among their parked vehicles, they’ll be divided between capturing us and fighting the fires,” Rin said, thinking back to the large number of Fire Gems and bits of quartz she could turn into small bombs. “Between freed hostages and Pokemon, our teams, and the structure afforded to us by the house, we should be able to hold off a divided enemy.”
“We’ll hopefully arrive as those explosives go off; we’re not going to let them turn this into a siege,” Bles growled. “A handful of hostages is bad enough, adding you all to the captives would be bad.” She paused, then smiled as something chimed off-screen. “Ah, good news. We’ll be joined by several vetted local rangers; that puts the odds at closer to even.”
“If you could give us a call right when you’re about to attack? We can detonate the explosives then,” Rin suggested, mentally adjusting her plan on the fly as she did so.
“Perfect. Don’t take unnecessary risks, and we’ll see you soon.” Bles nodded before her image blipped out.
Ingo touched the edge of his cap. “We will be there soon. Let us prepare for a derailment, and hope it doesn’t occur.” His own image vanished.
Rin nodded as the group began to gather up. Turning to their mounts, she gave them all looks. “We didn’t pay for the combat package, so…”
“Yeah, we’ll stay here. No offense, you’re nice kids, but getting the whole family together to overrun a gang and rescue us would get pricey for everyone.” The lead Cyclizar quipped. “We’ll hang back, and if we see you running away, we’ll swing in and give you a lift, how about that?”
“Thank you.” Rin looked around, eyes narrowing as everyone suited up. “We leave in one hour.”
--(0)--
Sneasel was… bored wasn’t quite the right word, really.
She’d been terrified when she’d first been captured, but that had quickly given way to anger at herself and rage at her captors. She’d scratched, bit, and torn her way through the first few cages they’d put around her, only to be hunted down by hounds or chased to the ground by fliers.
Seriously, weren’t dragons supposed to have pride? Why would a Flygon work for slavers like that?
After the first time they’d whipped her fellow escapees and left her untouched, Sneasel had realized she would have to escape alone, or fail trying. Her most recent cage was much more sturdy, but she’d been confident she could’ve broken out in time.
And now… new hope. But fighting that hope; the chance of rescue, was the slowly growing numbness, an apathy of repeated failures which seemed… oppressive. She wasn’t really bored, more… listless.
But she refused to accept that. Glancing out into the predawn darkness, the fighting type summoned her inner power, focusing it to beat back the listlessness. She closed her eyes, then focused on the other half of her, trying to increase the potency of her venom. Opening them, she tried to sear her way through the bars, grimacing as the acidic poison only succeeded in eating away a tiny portion of the metal.
“You’d be the escapee, then.” Sneasel’s head snapped up to see a pair of red eyes looking through the bars. An Umbreon flicked his head, staring at her. “We’re moving on the camp and need your help.”
“Oh, really?” Sneasel perked up. “That’d be nice. Did you bring the keys?”
“No need.” The Umbreon ducked down, and Sneasel’s eyes widened as he melted into the shadows, emerging into her cell. “My name is Ren, and I am here to rescue you. Grab on.”
Conceptual darkness control. Using the shadows as a path, which should be impossible. Sneasel grinned as she latched on. “Thank you.” She said as they emerged back out. “Now, I have questions.”
“I may have answers,” the Umbreon stated with more than a bit of amusement. “If it relates to what I just did, however, I don’t have any. My siblings in Sinnoh might know since they’ve run into another Mystery Gift like us, but they have yet to convey to us any information.”
“I know what you did, I just don’t know how. You’re connecting to your type at a fundamental level, where things blur into magic.” Sneasel snapped quietly as they darted through the cages, Other and Sakura prying open the ones which contained the two human hostages as they approached. “Do you know magic?”
“I do not believe so. This is always something I have been able to do on some level.” Ren shook his head as he continued to lope forward, “Though getting it to this level of smoothness has required a level of dedication that most would consider… insane.”
“...so a combination of cheating and hard work,” Sneasel muttered as she approached the accumulating group of freed Pokemon and humans. One of the humans, a little boy in a dirty dress shirt, was clinging to Sakura, while the other, a hiker, was hugging a trembling Timburr to his chest. “Right, okay.”
Sakura looked up as she gently pried the little boy off her. “Rin is still setting the charges. Two minutes after they blow, we need to run to the main building and secure the last hostage.” She whispered.
“Charges?” Sneasel muttered, before offering one paw for Other to fist bump. “Nice rescue, by the way. He’s easy on the eyes, too.”
“Thank you,” the Umbreon huffed, amused yet also definitely somewhat embarrassed. “Sakura. We should push onwards quickly. They will likely start suspecting something is wrong soon.”
“Yeah, the dogs will smell us soon,” Sneasel chimed in.
Sakura was about to reply when her watch began to vibrate. “...the Captain is five minutes out, and Ingo is coming up on the other side. As soon as–” Her words were cut off when a series of loud blasts sounded from nearby, bright flashes lighting up the air over the palisade walls in the direction of the parked cars and ATV. “-charges are blown, knock down that gate now!” She yelled.
Ren nodded, turning to the gate and dashing towards it, his quick attack causing the doors to buckle but remain in place. Other Pokemon, now rallied, joined him and within seconds the doors were open. Not wasting any time, Sakura followed them as they streamed towards the camp’s command center.
Almost immediately, the hounds were on them, several groups of canine Pokemon converging on their wave in a flurry of paws, fangs, and howls. Sneasel grinned as she smashed one Houndour with an uppercut, the last of her apathy fading.
One way or another, this is going to be fun!
--(0)--
Rin glanced over the small cluster of rocks she’d ducked behind, frowning as she saw some of the guards still manning their spots at the central house despite the yells and calls for water echoing over the campground. Three humans, a pair of Gurdurr, a Cacturine, and a Seviper waited at ground level, while on the roof, a man perched upon a Flygon looked in the direction of the prisoner’s palisade.
Agate nudged her trainer telepathically. “N is on his way, as is Sakura. But if they arrive while these guys are still fresh, they’ll be taken down; her horde is being worn down by the groups she’s fighting through. What’s the plan?”
“We wear them down,” Rin huffed, smiling towards her starter. “No holds barred. These people won’t have any mercy for us, so we won’t have any mercy for them. I want an alpha strike on the Gurdurr to hopefully take them out of the fight, and I’m going to use one of my Dragon Gems to hopefully weaken or knock out the Flygon.” She looked back at her team, Gordon and Libra nodding as Agate peered over the top. “As soon as N gets here–”
“I’m here,” N said, Zorua dropping the illusion covering his approach. “We can help.”
Rin nodded, then blinked as she saw the bulky ground-type guarding N’s back. “...hello, Excadrill. Where did you come from?”
The steel-type huffed. “This is my home, and I want the squatters out. Come on, let’s go.”
As the mole pokemon vaulted the rocks and charged at the house, Rin looked back at N. “Making friends?”
“Yes, now come on.” N followed the mole over the rocks, Rin at their heels. Libra lifted off, blasting out a stream of Shadow Balls which were joined in their barrage by Electro Balls and Psychic bursts, slamming into the two fighting types guarding the house. As they fell, the Flygon lifted up, sand beginning to shift and rise as they beat their wings to summon a localized Sandstorm.
“No you don’t,” Rin growled, palming one of her most expensive and valuable gems with all the care it deserved. With a muttered incantation and a brief surge of mana, she flung it into the air, “Draco Meteor!” She grinned as the gem shone, and this time didn’t go out prematurely.
The gemstone flew upward in a blaze of purple light tinged with gold, false stone coalescing around the gem as the bottled move triggered properly. Flygon’s eyes widened behind their lenses as the meteor barreled into them, slamming them back in midair and nearly unseating his rider. Wounded, the Flygon dove down to get out of the line of fire from further attacks, leaving only the Cacturine, the Seviper, and three humans, only two of them armed, to face down an Excadrill, five Pokemon, and two kids charging them.
Excadrill hit the Seviper with a Bulldoze, ground energy savaging the poison type. As he tore into the snake, Cacturine was being bashed apart by Noibat and Libra, a combination of ghostly fire and torrential sound buffeting the cactus in a seemingly inexorable tide of moves.
One of the humans drew a pistol, aiming at N. Moments before he could fire, a small yellow blur slammed into the man’s arm, arcs of electricity sending the now screaming man to the floor, gun forgotten before it could even fire. The other armed man’s shots blew through an illusion set by Zorua, before the little black fox smashed into his stomach with a quick attack.
The last man, unarmed, darted back behind him through the door, slammed it shut, and threw the lock shut. Rin just blinked, walked over to a nearby open window, and motioned for Agate to hop on through. “Did he really think that would work?” She asked her starter.
“Less talk, more saving the hostage,” Agate grunted, the psychic cat-fox making her way into the house as she absently unlocked the door with a basic application of telekinesis. “We’re racing against the clock now.” There was a yell from inside, and Rin opened the door to find Agate perched on the chest of that last man. “... Nevermind. He was being stupid instead of moving to hold the hostage more hostage.”
“Right,” Rin muttered as Excadrill tossed the two unconscious gangsters into the building, even as a tide of Pokemon began to arrive at the former farmhouse. She looked over to see N and Sakura coming in the door. “Did either of you see what happened to the flier and his Flygon?”
“They headed out to gather more people, I think,” Sakura muttered, her shadows slamming the door closed. Sneasel purred in appreciation as she joined the group. “We’re all here, though. That Excadrill is digging out a ditch.”
Rin nodded. “Search the building, find those sealed Pokeballs and the hostage.” She ordered. “N, you go upstairs, Sakura, check the basement, I’ll handle the ground floor.”
“Right.” The two other humans chorused, moving to their assigned tasks.
“Ren, you’re out front. I’ll head to the roof with Libra and any of the poached Pokemon who are confident in being long ranged support. Ana, if you could support Ren, that’d be fantastic. Other, Zorua, Gregor, if you could lurk around and take out targets of opportunity?” Agate began barking out, the Espeon directing her comrades around confidently.
Upstairs, N opened a room to find a young girl chained to a bed, looking out the window with wide eyes. She turned to see N, the sneer on her face fading as she saw him. “Who…”
“My name is N.” He smiled at her. “And you are?”
“Alice Koch,” she said, her eyes watering. “Are you here to rescue me?”
“We aren’t. We’re just here to keep you safe until the police and League get here.” He blinked as he was wrapped in a hug. “...Zorua, could you break her chains?”
“Nope, too sturdy. Hang on, I think there’s a Pawniard in the rescued Pokemon, I’ll go get them.” The fox hopped off his partner’s shoulders and darted back out and down the stairs.
--(0)--
Agate looked around the slowly lightening campground, watching as gangsters began to rally to retake the farmhouse, the Flygon trainer releasing a full team of Pokemon at the head of the gathering group. At her side, Ana spread her leaves to gather the light of dawn. “This is going to be fun. How much longer for the adults to get here? There’s at least a hundred Pokemon down there, and they’re going to hit us hard. It’ll be fun, right up until we collapse.”
“One minute.” Agate grumbled, fur standing on end as she worked overtime to try and get any advantage she could, “Though I am not entirely certain we can stall their assault long enough for them to arrive with force. That is… a lot of Pokemon.”
The array of Pokemon was a little daunting. Poison types, grass types, ground types, and more were slowly gathering around the farmhouse. Fliers, led by the still wounded Flygon, circled in the air as the sun began to rise.
Libra floated up through the roof, hovering near her friends. “We’ve used the secure line to call the captain and Warden Ingo. They’re within sight of the Crag, but it’ll take them a little time to get in position. We do not need to hold out for long.”
“So less last stand, and more hold the line. We can work with that,” Ana hissed. “No more time, here they come!”
Not all of the trainers and their Pokemon charged in at once; the Flygon swooped down, leading a charge of dozens of the faster Pokemon in a tide to strike the house quickly, even as the slower Pokemon and armed humans began to advance. Libra inhaled, before blasting outward with a hail of Wil-o-wisps and a scattershot of Embers. Agate flared her gem, Psybeams raking the ground pounders even as Ana’s Leaf Storms joined the barrage, a dozen other attacks erupting from the other Pokemon on the roof.
The Flygon and his rider dipped down, strafing the roof with Dragon Breath. The man called out. “Give up, kids! You won’t hold out forever.”
From the second floor window, Sakura yelled back, intercepting a blast on a hastily thrown up shadow barrier. “You want us, you’ll have to bring us down!” At her side, Other manifested a blast of ice which ripped out to smack into the Flygon, sending it spiralling down. One of the man’s other Pokemon, an Intellion, sprung up the side of the house, blasting into the room before an Electro Ball from Gordon cut off the attack and sent him tumbling back down to be smashed by a freed Hitmonchan, a Thunderpunch smacking his chin.
More Pokemon arrived, biting, smashing, and blasting. A Scovillain bathed the front line of the defenders with fire before a barrage of wind and poison attacks blasted it into unconsciousness, a Tropius swooped down to bomb the roof before being blasted down by an Ice Beam from Agate, and Rin was forced to get into melee with a Bisharp before Sneasel got into Close Combat and tore the dark-type apart.
Rin panted as the first wave fell back or lay where they fell, the slower groups of Pokemon rallying for the second surge. She looked out the window, counting the next wave and wincing– then looked a little higher, at the land behind the gangsters and the ridge above it. And the two dozen lanky, purple clawed fighting types charging down the slope towards the rear of the gathering horde. Behind the charging Sneaslers, dozens of other Pokemon, led by uniformed men and women, descended like a falling hammer. Two figures, one white, one black, led the charge.
From the roof, Agate watched the Flygon rise, only for its trainer to peer into the air behind her with wide eyes. Looking back, she saw four helicopters and a dozen fliers crest the other side of the crag, a loudspeaker coming on. “Members of the Wild Men, stand down. You are under arrest for Pokenapping, kidnapping, smuggling, illegal camping, disturbing a wildlife sanctuary, littering, and anything else we can charge you with!”
“Well, they certainly were punctual,” Agate hummed, fatigued snark issuing forth from the Espeon with extreme alacrity. “Certainly a good thing too. They had a lot more forces than we expected. Things were not going to be ideal if the cavalry hadn’t come as intended.”
“If we’d had more time, we might have been able to set up a bounded field. But we did not, so…” Libra let out a hiss of agreement, even as the mass of gangsters below shattered, some few throwing down their arms or Pokeballs and kneeling, while others turned to sprint for their vehicles or began firing on the incoming police. A few, smarter than the rest, charged the house, but their ragged line was repulsed by the defenders, preventing them from seizing hostages. The Flygon and their rider took off, angling to escape, only for a familiar Latias to slam into them. The ghost type hummed. “I think Ranger Summer may be here. That’s nice to see.”
Other poked her head up through the roof. “Everyone’s getting refreshed and healed up downstairs. We’ve done our bit, now we can relax.” She peered out and chuckled as the Sneaslers and the trainers backing them ripped through the Wild Men trying to flee, one of the lanky fighting-types flipping an ATV one-pawed. “Leave them to it.”
--(0)--
“Well, her presence explains a lot,” Bles commented as Alice Koch was tended to by a Ranger medic. “I suspect the Mayor of Castelia is going to want to give you all medals, right before he resigns from office.”
“Corruption is a universal truth,” Rin sighed, grimacing a bit at the familiar memory of a parent who hadn’t done what any parent arguably should have, “Even if it was for an understandable and even perhaps justifiable reason.”
“Which is why he’ll be resigning and not arrested,” Bles replied. “His daughter left on her journey six months ago, which coincided when he started getting obstructive in his policies. Now that she’s freed, I suspect he’ll spill everything he knows about the corruption in his office, which is probably going to tie me up for the next three months.” She sighed. “Regardless, that’s another merit on your sheet, and a major cash payout into your accounts. Along with League Credit, which is… significant.”
N tilted his head. “League Credit?”
“After a certain point, regional governments and the League stop paying cash to helpful trainers, and start offering League Credits instead. Those credits are typically only acquired by Ace Trainers, and they allow those who accrue them the ability to trade them for trainer upgrades, licensed eggs, unbreakable Technical Machines, or other restricted rewards,” Rin explained absently. “That we’re getting any as young as we are… that’s going to raise eyebrows.”
“Two smuggling rings, the Castelia Siege, and the cock-up with the rangers. You’ve earned the points, spend them wisely,” Bles shot back.
“Fair enough,” Sakura shrugged, accepting their due reward with nonchalant grace. “Is there anything else, Captain Bles, or are we free to go?”
“You’ve been debriefed, and I’m sure I’ll see you eventually,” Bles said, waving with a smile. “I won’t say ‘stay safe’, but do keep in touch.”
N nodded. “Thank you.” He turned as four Pokemon and two humans walked up, the two humans in familiar black and white outfits, both stained with dust, and the white one also stained with blood splatters. He blinked. “Ah, Subway Head Emmet?...”
“Hmm? Oh, it’s not mine.” The man waved it off. “I am fine!”
N nodded, focusing on the bulky ground type trundling up. “Hello, Excadrill.”
“Good to see you survived, child. The rangers have promised this place will calm down again.” He nodded once. “Goodbye.” He turned and walked off.
“...abrupt,” Ingo murmured, then walked over to Sakura. Behind him, two Sneaslers and the rescued Sneasel walked over to her. “Our tracks converged again, Sakura. Thank you for your efforts here.”
“You are welcome.” She looked back and forth between the Sneasers and their little ward, who was tapping her paw on the ground. “Hello there.”
One of the Sneaslers, the female of the pair, stepped forward. “Our child often talked of running off to find adventure, and when she went missing, we assumed she’d done so. That she had been captured is something we never considered, much to our regret.” She grinned, giving her daughter a pat. “Then again, she did find adventure, and a gateway to more, no?”
“Maybe.” Sneasel took a breath, then stepped forward, looking between Ren and Sakura. “I want to join your team.” She said bluntly.
“I see.” Sakura hummed, more than a little taken aback, “I have no reason to refuse, but may I ask why?”
Sneasel flexed her claws, poison beading on the tips. “I want to learn how to use Poison conceptually. I think you’re my best bet.”
Mama Sneasler elaborated. “Fighting and Poison are contradictory in temperment, much of the time. Our lineage tends to favor the fighting type, using poison to supplement our melee combat. My kit wants to learn the more esoteric aspects of poison, to corrupt, wither, and confound; as a mage, she thinks you might be able to help her.” She looked down at Ren. “And she wants to puzzle things out about the ‘handsome dark-type.’”
“Ah, Ren,” Sakura nodded, giving her starter a fond look. “Very well then. Would you prefer a battle beforehand, or do you simply want me to ball you?”
“I think I need a few days rest and a weeks reconditioning before a battle, thanks,” Sneasel huffed. “Does she pass muster, dad?”
“Her aura is dark, but pure. No stains, just the night sky and stars,” the male Sneasler rumbled, eyes flaring with aura for a brief moment. “Take care of our kit, please,” he asked Sakura.
Ingo coughed before she could reply. “I will put a note in the logs that you are permitted to adopt a protected species. I know you are trustworthy, but rules must be followed.”
Sakura smiled, producing a Pokeball. “I will care for her just as well as I care for all of my other Pokemon,” she said simply. “Welcome aboard.” She held out the ball, Sneasel tapping it and disappearing into the light, before emerging with a grin.
“Nice. Now, I need you to show me how you do the shadow-merge thing. A few dozen times. Slowly,” she ordered, grabbing Ren and trying to drag him off.
“Ah… I don’t think so,” Ren said in response.
As they bickered, Ingo motioned to the prisoner transports arriving. “Now, the League will be heading south back to Castelia, but our track diverges with theirs. If you would like to attach your carriage to ours, we can all go to Nimbasa City together.”
Rin stepped forward, stifling a yawn. “I say we do it. We need sleep, and Pokemon riding when we’re this tired seems dangerous.”
Sakura nodded along. “Alright. Thank you, Ingo.”
“Thank you. You’ve done much good for Unova already; I think your tunnel is on an upward slope,” the Subway boss said, looking back at the vehicles pulling up. “A journey is supposed to be an adventure, and you have certainly proved it may be.”
2025-02-02 00:09:10 +0000 UTC
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Rin pushed up her witch’s hat, glaring out over the dunes stretching before them, her mount shuffling beneath her. “...Sakura, why is there a desert in the middle of a temperate peninsula?” she asked grouchily, sweat beading on her forehead. Her sister, predictably, frowned, and shook her head,
“Don’t ask me. You’re the one that’s good at research.” She paused for a moment, drawing a scarf around her mouth before she looked towards Rin again. “Maybe Libra knows, if you’re really curious?”
Libra bobbed up and down, the fire type unbothered by the heat of the sun above. “Well, people didn’t know it was weird up until a few centuries ago, and then scientists did look into it. It was a hotly debated topic when the library got sealed, actually.” She let out a small puff of purple smoke through the holes in the bottom of her lamp-body. “Anyway… it’s Thundurus’ fault.”
“...what,” Rin said incredulously.
“It turns out, when you have a local who blasts areas with lightning enough to cause constant forest fires, it can cause areas to get… broken. This part of Unova has been where Thundurus and Tornadus have clashed for generations. Thundurus blasts apart all the vegetation, Tornadus blows away any nutrients which would result, and pretty soon there’s no way for anything to grow outside of sheltered areas. It’s not a natural desert, and the heat is mostly a result of congregating Pokemon which like the empty land.” The ghost finished.
Sakura looked around. “...well, it exists. And we need to cross it.” She fished her phone out of her pocket, glancing at N. “How’re we doing on supplies?”
“We have plenty of water, even without magecraft,” N said, checking the saddlebags on his own Cyclizar. “Though we’ll have to walk our mounts unless we bounce from oasis to crag; their running will dry them out faster than if we walk.”
“Hey, we can handle ourselves. It’s nice you’re thinking of us, but we’ve done desert runs before,” Cyclizar hissed.
“Maybe, but it’s still something to consider,” N said, then turned back to Rin. “Are we really going to go after those poachers? In this heat?”
“We have to. They’ve managed to avoid law enforcement; Captain Bles is pretty sure the local rangers and police are compromised somehow,” Rin said grimly, taking off her hat to put an ice pack inside. “Three kids on an adventure are not something they’d avoid; we have a chance to find them.”
“Then call for backup, like Captain Bles told us to,” Agate deadpanned, looking her trainer in the eyes, “This isn’t our problem to solve. We’re just to inform the police and rangers where the crooks are and book it. Hopefully, that’ll let the ones Bles has confirmed as clean catch the dirty ones, and if they’re lucky, get the jump on the poachers.”
“...right,” Rin agreed after a moment’s thought. “I’ll let the captain know we’re serving as bait, and the minute we hit the signal, she should be able to drop in with a teleporter,” she offered, getting out her device and sending off a message, then waiting until a response popped up. “That was fast. Captain Bles says we should be on the lookout for men and women using camouflage cloaks. She also advises that these are likely Wild Men offshoots, so expect ATV.”
Sakura looked over the desert with a frown. “It’s still a large area… but if they’re ambushing travellers, all we need to do is visit tourist spots or watering holes.”
“Then let’s be off,” N said, his eyes a bit sharp.
Within minutes, pounding claws tore up the sand as the three hired Cyclizar dashed over the hills, making their way towards the first oasis. They were halfway there when the roar of engines sounded over the dunes, two tan-colored four-wheelers ripping out from behind a ledge.
As the group skidded to a halt, Rin braced for a fight– only to stop as the four men and women on their vehicles called out to them, laughing. “Hey, kids! Wanna race?”
In the few moments it took for Rin and N to process what was going on, Sakura was already nodding. “Sure. Rules?”
“First one to the Prickly Pear Oasis wins! No attacking each other, no bashing, no regrets!” one of the camo-dressed men called back. “Need a waypoint?”
“Yeah, sure,” Sakura nodded, getting a marker dropped into her device. Showing the map to her mount, they prepared themselves for the run. One of the men tossed a rock into the air, and the moment it landed, two ATV and three dragons dashed across the sand, weaving their way through and over the dunes, Sakura leading their little pack.
N called out to Rin as their group was separated from the motorized riders. “Do you think this is an ambush?”
“Not sure,” Rin called back as the group of Cyclizar vaulted a small stone formation, using their ability to climb to catch up with the ATV. “They’re not herding us, at least. Just be ready.”
Their run eventually ended at the aforementioned oasis, the four vehicle riders cheering as they barely reached the edge of the water first. “Well done!” one of the men called out as the kids rumbled up. “Man, they might be from overseas, but those lizards sure can run!” He dismounted from his vehicle, moseying over to the water and letting the cool air wafting off it chill him down. “Those your Pokemon, or are they part of that rental program I’ve heard about?”
“The latter,” Sakura answered politely, seeing no reason to be rude to a man that had been nothing but polite so far.
“Aw, be nice to meet some racers,” he said. “Anyway! You kids interested in some ante battling?” He tapped the balls at his belt. “This place makes a nice battlefield.”
“Ante?” Rin asked, cocking her head to the side as her hand slid down to her belt, touching against Gregor’s Pokeball, “What exactly is that?”
“Mon for mon!” The man laughed. “Not for everyone, but sometimes, you want to really make a proper bet.”
“Pokemon choose their trainers, their lives are not to be gambled away,” N growled.
“Eh, sure. Trading is a thing, though. And sometimes, people don’t have a choice in things,” one of the other men spoke up. “You don’t wanna, that’s fine.”
One of the women spoke up. “Course, if you don’t wanna ante…”
“No, Sherrel. They raced well, leave ‘em be.” The first man spoke up. “Sorry kids, if it’s not your style, that’s fine. You might have trouble getting out of here without getting challenged by someone, though,” he advised, sitting down by the water.
“Well,” Agate hummed, blinking slowly at how easy this had all been, “time to leave then.”
Rin nodded. “We’ll take our chances, thank you.”
“Suit yourselves,” the first man called out. “We just like to ride, but the other Wild Boys around here are more aggressive. Stay away from Yuma’s crag!” He called out.
“Come on, Adam, they’ll want these kids’ pokemon!” Sherrel called out.
“And they can go robbing them if they want. I joined up to be free, so did you.” Adam leaned back into the sand behind him. “Get along, kids. We won’t bother you none, have a good trip.” With a minimum of grumbling, the rest of his team joined him sitting by the water, releasing a few Pokemon and pulling coolers out to set up a small camp.
Sakura looked at the obvious criminals, then turned and motioned to her two companions, the group gathering at the edge of the oasis. “...so, they’re Wild Men. But they’re not… doing anything? Can we call them in, and if not, should we just make our way to Yuma’s Crag? Sounds like that’s where the other gangsters are hiding out.”
“Or,” Rin began, only to frown as Agate shot her a glare, “Ah, right. We should call Captain Bles.”
“On it,” Sakura said, pulling out her device, gesturing at Other to obscure their conversation from the relaxing gangsters. After a few rings, the imposing face of Selvaria Bles appeared on-screen.
“Sakura, please tell me you’re safe,” she led, smile tempered with a furrowed look.
“For now, yes. We met some… relatively unobjectionable Wild Men. They’ve not done anything illegal in front of us, and they’ve told us to avoid a place called Yuma’s Crag, apparently a central spot for their group.”
“Not everyone’s the same level of criminal,” Bles responded. “Let me check… Yuma’s Crag is a large area, an oasis surrounded by cliffs and filled with cacti. It’s well off the beaten path, a perfect place for a camp.”
“So, can you send a team to sweep it clear?” Sakura said, her smile falling to a deadpan to match the captain’s own. “You can’t, can you?”
“I could dispatch a small team, yes. My own. Without more info, I won’t be able to authorize a full sweep from multiple precincts, and any moles will be able to set the Wild Men to scatter. Look, you can fall back now; I can send one of my own scouts to get the info, and it should only take a few days for us to handle it. You’ve given us a lead to get started with,” Bles explained.
“In that case,” N frowns, more than a bit petulant, “Shouldn’t we scout out a bit further so we can get the information you need, Captain?”
“You could, yes. However, the gangs do not fight fairly, and they have absolutely no problem making an example of anyone poking their business where it doesn’t belong. I would not recommend that course of action, though I am woman enough to know that if you all make up your mind on the matter, I cannot stop you without teleporting over,” the good captain replied immediately. The immense weight of her disapproval blatant and obvious.
“... But the information would make it easier for you to conduct a raid that would bring an end to all of this,” Rin hummed, looking consideringly towards the canyon as she weighed the pros and cons. “Potentially hundreds, if not thousands of lives saved at the risk of only a little more than a dozen.” She paused, looking towards Agate. “Seems worth it to me.”
“... Not just over a dozen. You, N, and Sakura won’t be going. Instead, you’ll be setting up camp while Ren, Other, Zorua, Gordon, and I scout them out,” Agate countered steadily, looking her trainer dead in the eyes. “I can teleport out. Ren can take care of himself, Gregor is small enough to not be noticed, and both Other and Zorua can cast illusions to conceal all of us.”
“Sister, that’s too many of us,” Ren protested bluntly, looking towards his trainer with a note of concern, “You stay with our trainers. I’d feel better with you here to teleport them out if need be.”
“... Fair enough,” Agate hummed, looking towards Rin with a feline shrug, “Though you are free to countermand me, Rin, I doubt you will. You know this is more sensible.”
“No, that makes sense,” Rin said, turning back to their dragon-bikes. Mounting up, she laid in a course on her device, Sakura mourning up with Sakura still on the line. “Captain, we’re heading to set up camp overlooking the Crag. We’ll stay out of sight and let our teams scout.”
“Stay safe, and check in every four hours. If we don’t hear from you, we’ll come ASAP.” Bles advised.
“Of course, Captain.” Sakura nodded. “Thank you, we’ll have the info for you soon.” She ended the call, stowing her device. “Right, Rin, you lead. If we run into any marauding or patrolling Wild Men, are we fighting or running?”
“When I said you’re making camp, Rin, I meant you’re making camp somewhere where there isn’t any chance of you being spotted by ‘maraudering wild men’,” Ren replied dryly, looking towards his trainer with more than a bit of amusement. “We stay away from the ridgeline, and find a nice little spot to set up camp, cook, and generally be good little trainers. And if the Wild Men do notice us thanks to smoke or something, then we can fight if need be.”
“...right,” Sakura said. “Other, Zorua, can you… maybe haze our passage? Make us look like a mirage?”
“Oh, I can do that!” Zorua chirped, standing up on N’s hat. “Let’s see…”
Two minutes later, a group of cloaked children passed over the dunes, dodging the few patrolling Wild Men as they made their way towards a small cluster of stones a half mile from the Crag. The group moved quietly to set up a small camp amidst the stones as the sun slowly began to set.
N looked out into the desert as the shadows lengthened, staring at the distant Crag with narrowed eyes. Rin came up on him as he looked at their goal, laying a hand on his shoulder. “N. You feel very strongly about this, don’t you?”
“I do.” N looked over the desert, Noibat landing on his shoulder. “Rin, after everything I’ve learned from you about Pokemon, and all I know from before… poachers and Pokemon thieves are the worst.” He grimaced, looking down. “They’re villains. Nothing more. And that’s comforting, in a way.”
Rin smiled back. “Not quite true… though in this case, the difference is not big enough to matter.” She stared out over the desert. “Everyone has layers. Those men and women we met back at the oasis; they just wanted to ride free. They ended up joining something awful, though.” Pointing at the distant crag, she continued. “They need to be stopped, but let’s avoid doing anything permanent, okay?”
N blinked a few times, then blanched. “I wasn’t talking about killing them!”
Rin paused, recalled that N wasn’t a traumatized Magus child, and nodded. “Good. Not the only thing I meant, but good.”
“Good,” Agate hummed, eyeing their surroundings with a wary eye. “But we should keep the chatting to the minimum. We’re tempting fate as is. Ren, Zorua, Other, Gordon. If you could leave now?”
“We’ll be back within the next three hours. If we are not, call for backup and assault the camp.” Ren answered, melting into the shadows. Gordon saluted, before using Agility, then zipping across the expanse, Other and Zorua both fading into the twilight as they bounded after him.
N bit his lip as Zorua vanished from sight. “...be safe,” he whispered.
Sakura came up on his other side, pulling him back into the cleft in the rocks they were sheltering in. “They’ll be alright. Now come, I’ve got some rations warming up.”
--(0)--
Ten minutes later, four little Pokemon peeked over the edge of the cliff, looking down into the mostly shadow-strewn valley between the rocks. The flat area surrounding the shallow waters of the crag’s oasis was the size of two football fields, surrounded by rapidly rising rock faces and clefts leading through to the desert. The rough grasses and cacti which clung to the edges of the oasis and trailed up into the rocks were the only splashes of color amongst the browns, grays, and yellows of the canyon, but they didn’t draw the eye nearly as much as the small cluster of structures near the water. Four rough little buildings, sheet metal and stone, surrounded and covered in string lights, with two dozen ATV and trucks parked in the shadows outside the lit area. Dozens of men and women in camouflage and leather talked, yelled, and laughed as they partied in the lit area, moving between tents and buildings as they laid out food and exchanged objects too small to see.
The sight would’ve been cheery, even pleasing, if it weren’t for the cages stacked near the buildings and in a small palisade, surrounded by a pit. From his vantage point atop the cliffs, Ren could smell dozens of Pokemon, and a few humans, languishing there.
“Right.” Ren began, Sakura’s starter peering over the edge of the cliff with an unamused expression, “Other, you and Gordon are on infiltration. Zorua and I will stay here and provide backup in case you’re discovered. Try to find something we can use as evidence, and come back safely.”
Gordon hopped down into the canyon, bounding over the landscape. “Right. Stay alert, everyone, I’d not be surprised if they had hounds.”
“Got that.” Other faded from view, skulking down the slope and into the camp.
Gordon was the first one to reach the outskirts of the camp, shifting from bouncing to crawling as he closed in on the light cast by the fires and string lights above. He ducked into a shadow to avoid a group of humans, their Pokemon fortunately all balled or busy with their own discussions. Under his breath, Gordon muttered. “Tsk. Always rotten to see Pokemon gone bad. Loyalty to your trainer, sure, but active participation…”
“Humans and Pokemon both are self-aware. That means they’ll always have the potential to be good or bad. For better or worse,” Other shrugged, her voice low as she slowly stalked forward herself, illusions covering her every step.
Gordon nodded. “I know. I don’t have to like it.” He peered around the camp, taking in the gathered gangsters. “Cages, eavesdropping, or should we see if there’s anything in those buildings for use as evidence first? I vote we check on the cages first.”
“Reason? Not disagreeing, but I want to hear your rationale,” Other asked.
Gordon shifted. “Honestly? If we take something, you’ll need to carry it out, and then I’ll be down here alone. I’d prefer you to stay close.”
“Aww, sweet. And of course,” Other murmured back, the two Pokemon moving outside the firelight and around to the palisade holding the majority of the cages.
The two scouts paused as a small group of Pokemon, one each of Herdier, Yamper, and Houndour, trotted near the palisade. “...when she’s going to escape again? That little weasel is always a hoot to chase down!” One of the Yamper yipped as the group of dogs settled outside the palisade.
“Dunno. She tries to break out at nights, but after her last attempt and laying up Michael for a week, they put her in a much more secure cage,” a Herdier sniffed. “I’m just glad she stopped trying to break out the others on her way out; boss had the right idea, punishing them for her actions.”
“You all can respect her if you want, but I’m tired of having to chase her down,” the Houndour groaned. “I know she’s valuable, but can’t we just chew off her leg or something?”
“No, and don’t suggest it again,” the Herdier shot back, growling. “She’s worth all three of us and the rest of our teams to the right buyer. We cripple her, he’ll sell us next.”
“Fine, fine…” Houndour sniffed twice, glancing around. “...electric. Hey, Yamper, you need a bath.”
“Hmm? Yeah, probably.” The group started padding off, Yamper’s stubby legs churning to keep up. “The heat is killing me…”
As they departed, Gordon eased out from his hiding spot. “Hmm. Interesting, but is it relevant?”
“Potentially. There’s not a lot of ‘weasel’ like Pokemon, and she’s worth a lot. That’s already actionable intelligence. But we should confirm if my suspicions are right and these Poachers are playing with something that’ll get them on an international wanted list or not,” Other mused slowly, scenarios running through her mind as she nodded towards Gordon. “Can you try and see if you can make it to her cage? We won’t want to break her out just yet, but we can hopefully talk with her a bit and get some more intel.”
“Hold on, let me check…” Gordon hopped through the spiked pit and up the palisade wall, peering down into the space within. Hopping back to Other, he spoke. “No guards that I could see. Three dozen cages, six empty. Mostly Pokemon, two humans in there as well.”
Other nodded, drifting across the pit and phasing through the wall. Shimmering into transparency, she moved between the despondent Pokemon and humans in their cells, looking around for anyone who could fit the bill, before coming across a cage that had been reinforced on three sides with stone and equipped with an alarm.
Through the narrow open door of the cage, the ghost-fox could see a bipedal figure, claws tracing a pattern on the back wall of her cage. The matted fur of the gray-coated Sneasel was barely visible in the dim light, but Other’s ghostly eyes could catch the determination burning in the captive.
“You the escape artist?” Other asked quietly.
Sneasel flicked her eyes up, red meeting gold. She walked up to the door of her cage, eyes glinted. “I am.” She scowled. “If you’re truly free, spirit, stay out of sight. You’d be a prize beyond even myself.”
“That’s the plan. However, I am a trainer mon, and my trainer doesn’t necessarily agree with these… poachers or their practices. We’re planning to bust all of you out, but we need more information. Defenses, how many of them are here, the layout of the camp, how many captured mons there are, the whole dealio.”
“...well.” Sneasel’s grin shone in the dim light, even as Gordon hopped over to join them. “I can give you all you need to know.” She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. “There are few static defenses, beyond the palisade and ditch. There are between forty and fifty Wild Men here at any time, some carrying no Pokemon, most carrying one or two, and their four ‘Alphas’ each have three or four. I think there are only three Alphas here right now, though; Morgan had a falling out recently, and took their eight closest friends with them when they left.”
Gordon perked up. “Trouble in the ranks?”
“Morgan likes money, but from what I’ve heard they wanted to shift to something less objectionable. Not sure if it’s morals or just trying to keep the heat down.” Sneasel shrugged, then continued speaking. “All the activities in the camp are centered on the campfires, with humans peeling off to use the tents and two of the structures for privacy. The other two buildings, including the old farmhouse, are reserved for the Alphas; they have their secure transceiver in the farmhouse. Deliveries and sales are picked up via convoys; there’s one coming next week, supposedly.” She motioned to the camp. “There’s three human captives; one a hostage, two for ransom purposes. One of the ransoms is kept in the farmhouse. There’s about seventy captive pokemon kept in cages, but I know they keep locked Pokeballs with more in the old workshop. That’s also where they keep the armory; they stopped letting folks carry their weapons around after the third time these idiots dueled drunk.”
“... Well, I do believe that’s more than enough actionable intelligence, Gordon. Shall we go deliver the good news to Ren and Zorua?” Other asked her fellow mon.
“Of course. We will be back soon.” Gordon squeaked.
“...ugh, I’ll have to put off springing loose until you bring the cavalry. Mind setting me loose when you attack? Even if you fail, I could probably get away and back to Nimbasa,” Sneasel asked.
“Of course.” Other responded decisively, before turning tail and slowly ‘booking’ it back towards safety. They had intelligence to deliver and a raid to plan, after all…
2025-01-16 00:53:00 +0000 UTC
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Illya looked up the hill, shading her eyes in the dawn light. “Brava Arena?” she asked, looking up the stairs with some trepidation. “I thought Lady Lilligant was going to do something… special.”
“Every trial is special. More seriously, she eventually decided if you came early, you’d get to see her Sun Praise exercises, and then have the battle,” Otoshi responded blandly. “If you’d like, she had some plan involving fighting over the river, and forcing you to use your Froslass to keep you on the water the whole time.”
Illya shook her head. “Morning battle is fine,” she responded, considering what it would take to walk on water with magecraft. Something to modify surface tension?
While her thoughts turned over, she, the warden, and her friends ascended the stairs, Illya breathing slightly heavily as they crested the hill and reached the arena. As the sun rose over the mountains, Illya’s gaze was drawn to the grass-type Lady, the chosen of Arceus raising her arms to salute the sun. She began to dance beneath the dawn, giving praise to the power above and the land around her, grass blooming across the packed earth of the arena.
Flowers bloomed around Lilligant, even as she moved through a series of martial arts kata. Fluid, rising motions demonstrated impressive strength and flexibility, and as she finished her motions, a burst of green light flared from her arms. Lady Lilligant erupted into a Solar Blade, shredding the tall grasses and flowers she’d summoned, letting her spin disperse the grasses into the rising wind.
In a word, it was mesmerizing. The dance was practiced, flowed like the most violent of rapids and yet at the same time, had a tranquility about it that Illya couldn’t exactly place. Perhaps the best thing she could compare it to was the sense of tranquility she got from watching masters of an art perform their, well, art. But it was more than that. A supernatural component perhaps? But honestly, Illya wasn’t worried about the how so much as enjoying the moment. The dance itself was beautiful, and honestly, that was all Illya cared about…
At least beyond the fact that the form of dancing her host had decided to show had a myriad of combat applications she was now analyzing. Pity that she couldn’t enjoy the dance simply for what it was, but her understanding of how battle worked gave her insights that the layman wouldn’t have, so she supposed there was that. It was more beautiful for it, even if there was more work on her end to truly appreciate it.
As Lilligant finished, she turned to bow to her audience. “Well? Challenger, what did you think?”
Illya paused. “I think I learned a little of what you can do. And how much you train.”
“Indeed.” Lilligant turned, walking to the edge of the arena. “When the Heroine came to Hisui, she had little in the way of power. Against Kleavor, she showed perseverance and courage. But here, in her bout against my ancestor, she showed compassion and grace, revealing the skills she brought from the future that has come to be.” She turned back to Illya. “I really like those principles. I seek to emulate them. You do not have to do so to succeed, but they make a powerful person more complete.”
“Compassion is the privilege of the strong in a lot of ways,” Illya hummed, frowning as she looked towards Matilda and nodded. “But it is also something all those who are strong should be able to show to anyone.”
“Yes! Very good.” Lilligant spun to the other end of the arena, bowing low. “Testing you in compassion is difficult, and grace is something you will gain with age. But are you strong enough to make those matter? If you are, come and prove it.”
Illya didn’t speak, instead striding forward to the edge of the arena, rolling a Pokeball into one palm. She let it go, Fubuki appearing as the ball bounced back to her. “One at a time, ma’am?”
“Oh, yes, Kleavor fights three on one. One at a time is fine.” She tittered. “I hope you’re not expecting type advantage to make this easy.”
“No, but it should help.” Fubuki nodded, then winced as Lilligant shone gold. “Work Up… alright.” She whirled her sleeves, summoning a cloud above which began to hail on the arena.
Lilligant tittered, dancing forward at a blinding speed, a Leaf Blade flickering into Fubuki’s torso, sending the ice-type tumbling. “I don’t know, this seems easy.” She stopped as Fubuki righted and sunk into the ground. “Good recovery!”
Looking up at the rising sun, Illya gave a quick call. “Cover the sky, let it snow! We can’t afford to make it easy for her to heal.”
Fubuki emerged from the ground, sleeves waving as she rose above the battlefield, snow beginning to fill the cool morning air. Lilligant seemed to wilt slightly as the sun was obscured by the rapidly forming icy haze. In response, Lilligant shifted, dipping low to the ground as she pushed her feet against it, dust becoming smoke as she focused on the heat the act generated. She leapt, the ad-hoc Blaze Kick whipping into Fubuki’s face.
“How are you mustering flame?” Fubuki groaned as she was nearly annihilated by the flaming strike. She sent a Blizzard blasting into Lilligant, frost forming across leaves and legs, snuffing the fire.
Lilligant giggled. “The sun gives me her power, as always. I’m still learning, though.” Her left arms flexed, sloughing off the ice. “So are you. Can you show me what you’ve discovered thus far?”
Illya grimaced. “Fubuki… show them what happens when you wrong a magus, or a fae.”
Fubuki nearly wilted as Lilligant approached. “...yes. Yes I can. Let me show you what I figured out since I garnered magic.” Pink and purple gathered around her hands. “A Curse upon thee– but not of normal get.” She flared her fingers, her lifeforce drained to blast her opponent, collapsing even as Lilligant shuddered, dark energy coalescing around her while pink chains formed, draining her vitality.
“A sacrifice. And you learned from your Mystery Gift friend… well done.” Lilligant spun as Illya returned her ghost. “Is she next, then?”
“No.” Illya produced a second pokeball, flicking her wrist to let out Milotic. “You said you wanted to dance, right? If I sent out Matilda, it might all be over before you got the chance.”
“Ah, I see!” Lilligant tittered. “So you’re going to face me?” She winced as the curse wore away at her. “Well, let’s get to it.”
“Indeed.” Milotic ceased talking, instead blurring forward in a spinning blow, meeting the Leaf Blade with her own Aqua Tail, the watery coating forming ice crystals in the snowy environment.
Lilligant took the first hit, then lashed out with a flurry of blows, each strike of her arms met with an answering one from Milotic. It really did seem almost like a dance as the two blitzed against each other, neither hesitating to batter the other heedless of the damage.
Illya grimaced. Lilligant was waning due to the curse, but it was happening slowly, so slowly. And despite her strong showing, Milotic was definitely coming across worse from their clash. She spoke up as the two disengaged. “Aqua Ring, then use Icy Wind to slow her down,” she instructed.
As Milotic moved through the movements to set herself up, Lilligant moved through a few katas, looking up at the still snow-covered sky, the fae bindings fading. She didn’t bother to speak further, instead moving to close with the now-bolstered Milotic, who blasted her with frost as they closed. When they met in the middle, Lilligant’s strikes were far stronger, but now Milotic had the speed advantage, dodging incoming strikes and responding with attacks which broke the Lady’s guard, at the cost of rapidly draining her stamina. As the moments stretched into a minute, Milotic started to slip.
As Milotic ducked another chop at her head, she was met with a swift kick knocking her off-rhythm. Lilligant closed in, feet joining arms as she tore apart Milotic, each strike shaving off more and more of the eel’s health. With a desperate burst, Milotic blasted ice in Lilligant’s face once again, backing off slightly to heal from her Aqua Ring, Lilligant’s attempt to re-close stymied by her ongoing Curse. Milotic took the moment to blast her with another attack, this time a burst of dragonfire, which unfortunately failed to Paralyze.
“You have an interesting fighting style. But it’s not quite fleshed out yet,” Lilligant observed, leaping into the air and over another Icy Wind, closing to quarters and smashing her opponent with one last kick. “Maybe I could help, once you’re done?” she hummed as Milotic collapsed into coils. “Think about it.”
A crimson beam of light hit Milotic before she could give her response, Illya returning her water-type with haste. Giving the ball a pat before she placed it back on her belt, she snatched the first ball off her belt with a smile. “Alright, Matilda,” the snow-haired girl began, arm rearing back as she prepared to throw out her starter, “;et’s do this!”
She didn’t need to think about the future right now. Liligant’s offer could wait until their battle was over. Right now, she needed to fully focus on defeating the obstacle placed before her.
Matilda entered the ring, looking up to see the snow fade away. She immediately tapped her paws against the ground, the pulse of Misty Terrain covering the arena. “So then. Last call.”
Illya coughed. “Fairy moves, Matilda. We need every edge, not just showing off here.” Her starter nodded resolutely
Lilligant nodded, immediately dropping into a sliding kick which Matilda evaded with a swift leap, responding with a bust of Disarming Voice. Landing and immediately dodging aside, she managed to evade two Poison Jabs and a Bullet Punch in rapid succession, her own barrage of Disarming Voice and Draining Kisses being batted aside with ease, although each block left fresh cuts on her opponent’s arms.
Illya watched the fight, the rapid exchange giving her little time to chip in. Though she did notice… “She’s slowing down, get her with one solid hit and we can turn the tide. Act like Yagi!”
“Not my style, my lady.” Matilda finally stopped, unfurling her bows to their longest reach, and capturing the next strike with a grunt. “But it does work.” She opened her mouth wider, a pinked Hyper Voice knocking Lilligant back several paces. With her stance broken, Matilda fired off a second shot, then a third– then had to abandon her blasts as Lillgant blurred into motion, a Bullet Punch turned into a full-body movement making up the distance once again. Matilda barely managed to pop a Protect, Lilligant’s leaf fist turning on the briefly impenetrable barrier.
“Oww… You really are a little spellcaster.” Lilligant hopped back, shaking out her bruised limb, then wincing as the Curse took a further toll. “Sun’s high again. Let’s make this one count.” She raised her arms, each glowing with the energy of growth and the sun.
Illya’s eyes widened as she recognized the Solar Blades forming in front of her. If they hit… “Matilda, Moonblast and follow-up!”
As the barrier around her dropped, Matilda was already forming a silver-pink orb of energy. She blasted it at Lilligant, who cut through the blast with one arm, then was caught by another Hyper Voice, throwing her off her stride. Staggering to a stop, she fell to her knees, tapping the arena with one arm. “...I…I think that’s enough.”
Matilda heaved a sigh of relief, panting harshly. They’d won.
Illya stepped onto the arena, glancing at her starter. Matilda wasn’t wounded… but she was exhausted. If they hadn’t managed to get off that Curse… She looked back at Lilligant, who was shaking off the blackened bands and rising back to her own feet.
“Thank you for the Trial, Lady Lilligant.”
“Thank you for the battle!” Lilligant chirped, swaying over to the young lady. Her bloom shone, gathering light, and she plucked a bright green slab of stone from the air, handing it to her. “My Meadow Plate. Come back anytime! I won’t have to hold back at all if you added another teammate or two.” She tapped her chin with her other arm as Illya accepted the plate. “I typically get my mate to dance with me if you bring six, though. Or set up a few Victory Dances beforehand.”
“That certainly makes sense,” Illya hummed, a complicated expression playing out across her face at the news that her foe had, in fact, held back. It did, of course, make some degree of sense. Lilligant was a lord. She wasn’t attempting to fight all out against Illya, that would entirely defeat the purpose of the Trial. But it still was a reminder that she had further still to go until she reached her goal, “I think I’ll be back, eventually, for a proper rematch. Once I’ve completed the first leg of my journey.”
“Excellent! You’re very strong for someone who’s been training for… three months? Two?” Lilligant hummed. “But again, larger team, more experience. You have the potential, it just needs some polish!”
“You’re right on those fronts.” Everyone turned as Vulpix trotted into the arena. “Lady Lilligant, I apologize for asking so soon after such a battle, but…”
“You want to test yourself again?” As Vulpix nodded, Liligant looked her over. “I need a few minutes to get healed and salute the sun, but I could handle a bout. Though, I’m not sure you’re at your best. You seem to have lost a bit of grace.”
“There’s a reason that Pokemon go on journeys.” Vulpix hummed, acknowledging her opponent's verbal jab with grace, “While I am certain some Pokemon can get as strong as they could with a trainer without one, I am not one of them. My skills have rusted from disuse, despite my best efforts otherwise.”
“Well observed. Give me a moment.” Lilligant spun around to the eastern side of the arena, raising both arms to frame the sun.
Shirou looked down at Vulpix, then withheld any comment. He could read the resolve in her body, flaring through her aura. And though it wasn’t the resolve he felt, he wasn’t going to stop her from pursuing it. Not like this, at least.
Lilligant lowered her arms, turning back to the arena. “Alright then. I’m ready.” She set her stance. “Shall we dance?”
“We shall,” Vulpix acknowledged, stepping out onto the field with purpose. “Until we’re knocked out? Or until we tap out? I’m game for either, Lady Lilligant.”
“Knock out is fine.” Lilligant shrugged, then immediately launched into an Axe Kick.
Vulpix somersaulted out of the way, tails waving as she set up a snowstorm. She bounced across the battlefield as Lilligant pursued, chops and strikes harrying her as she blasted back with icy wind and ice beam, the bursts frosting over the leaves of the Lady.
“Ugh, more snowstorms.” Lilligant stopped and ran through a rapid dance. “Not this time! PRAISE THE SUN!” she crowed, as a Sunny Day blew away the clouds and bathed the arena in sunlight.
“Weather wars it be,” Vulpix chirped coolly, tails alight with ice energy as she once more called forth the snow, the utilization of snowscape both fully expected and accounted for by her opponent, who took the opportunity to close the distance. “... Shit.”
Then, without any further fanfare, the small fox was sent flying as a brutal Close Combat connected. Swearing a blue streak as she rose to her feet, Vulpix then grinned as she retaliated with a Blizzard, the flurries of snow surrounding the pair of them brought under her command as they assailed Lilligant. The grass-type Lady dug her feet into the ground, a Blaze Kick taking the edge off the powerful ice-type move even as she once again got back in range.
As Lilligant lashed out with her feet and fists in a blur of motion, she still had the energy to speak. “I was right. You aren’t rolling off my punches as you once did, or using my kicks as springboards. You couldn’t do it all the time, but it was wonderful when you could.”
“I get too focused, and can’t account for all the variables on a battlefield. A trainer would help me with those a lot,” Vulpix admitted, weaving between the punches and kicks as best she could, tail and paws alight with Ice type energy as she used Triple Axle. Occasionally she would successfully parry or brush aside a strike, leaving her opponent wincing. Yet, though the fox hadn’t quite realized it yet, she was being pushed towards the edge of the arena, “It’s why I’m testing your previous challenger’s brother. I feel like he may be the one for me.”
“Really? His Riolu is fairly close to evolving… maybe I should teach him some tricks?” Lilligant responded as she continued to push forward, guiding Vulpix gently to put her back to the ring’s edge again and again. “Speaking of your focus, we never did mention what I meant by knock out.”
“Unconsciousness- oh.” Vulpix wilted as her rear touched the edge of the arena. “Ah.”
Lilligant winked, then launched a Vacuum Wave and Leaf Storm in rapid succession. Knocked up by the airburst and then juggled over the edge by the spinning leaves, Vulpix tumbled to the ground outside the arena. “...and I’m too used to wild fights these days,” she admitted reluctantly.
Lilligant nodded, then turned back to the small, watching crowd. “Thank you all! Talk to Otoshi if you want to come train with me, but for now, I’ve got the H&H. Have fun, and enjoy your time in the Mirelands and Adamant Town!” She bowed once, then skipped to the edge of the arena and somersaulted into the highlands.
“Well. That was somewhat embarrassing,” Vulpix huffed, standing tentatively on her feet before she sighed. “Definitely need a trainer again. I would have never lost track of that back when I was properly training.”
Shirou walked over and crouched down. “So… you want to get stronger?” At her nod, he smiled back at her. “So do I. You’ve seen what I get up to– I can barely hold back when I see trouble. If I’m going to jump into things, I owe it to everyone to be able to get out as intact as possible.”
“He means he needs to be strong enough that his headlong attitude won’t get him killed,” Illya drawled. “Fafnir is helping him take care of himself a little. But he does need the help.”
“Well. I did say I was testing you,” Vulpix huffed, looking more than a little amused, “But if you’re going to be so kind as to offer, who am I to decline? If you wouldn’t mind waiting a bit, however, I’d like to actually get a battle in against you before I allow myself to be caught. Tradition, if nothing else.”
Shirou extended a hand. “Perhaps when you’re a little less battered? You did just fight Lady Lilligant.”
“...agreed.” Vulpix winced, then placed her paw in his hand. “We have a deal.”
As the group gathered to depart, Illya took a moment to look over the brown, red, and green mottled landscape below. “Even if I don’t agree with a lot of how your leaders are handling things… I’m glad I get to see the Mirelands so pristine,” she acknowledged.
“I’m glad you think so,” Otoshi agreed. “And time will change things. Or perhaps you’re just in time to bring change?” He chuckled. “Win Lady Ursaluna’s Trial… and there might be some people asking questions.”
“Well,” Illya hummed, smiling faely, “we might just do that, then.”
2025-01-04 00:14:43 +0000 UTC
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Vulpix nosed aside a curtain of hanging vines, closely followed by three humans and their Pokemon companions. “And here’s the path. Why you all thought it was best to go overland to reach Adamant Town, I’ll never know.”
Illya frowned. “I thought this was the Diamond Clan village?” She asked, looking up the steep cliffs visible in the near distance. A collection of houses and other structures could be seen perched atop the brown stone and earth which rose from the mires.
“It used to be called that. But eventually it got too big, and people started breaking off to settle other little villages throughout the mire and the forests north of it,” Isabella said. “Course, that meant that we needed to call the old village something special, so we named it after one of the greatest of our tribe; the Speaker of Time, Adaman.” She grinned, looking up the slope. “Outsiders, though… they call it the village. Kinda an in-joke, ya know?”
“Interesting enough,” Matilda hummed, head tilted to the side as she considered the bustling civilization that had been built. “Though I am not sure what the joke is. Then again, it is an in-joke.”
“Kinda more like a joke on tourists. ‘Of course there’s only one Diamond Clan village’, like we’re some sorta backwoods hicks.” Isabella’s sarcastic imitation had a resigned edge. “Ferrus even has some of the other villages pretend to be the ‘actual’ Diamond Clan village on occasion so outsiders don’t know where Adamant Town is. I’d say it’s just paranoia, but too many of the other clan members go along with it just so they can giggle at the tourists behind their backs.”
“Ah, that kind of joke,” Ritsuka rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed. “The mean-spirited kind. Though I can somewhat understand the desire. Tourists do tend to be the worst.”
“Yeah, well. Not everyone agrees with it, and times are changing,” Isabella said firmly. “They always do.” She hitched up her backpack and began walking. “Come on.”
As they began to ascend the slope, Illya looked over at Vulpix. “So, what’s Ursaluna’s trial? I know in the stories she fought the Heroine due to sickness, but I don’t know how that translates to her trial.”
“Well, if she’s busy, you’re not going to be doing her trial anyway. But Ursaluna usually asks her trial goers to locate something of interest in the bogs instead of asking for a battle. Lilligant usually handles the combat trial, around here. And they’re flexible on who goes first,” Vulpix explained. “The current lady Lilligant… she’s a very active Pokemon. Dancing, battling, running– you might get challenged by her before you get the chance to even meet Ursaluna.”
“Which is why you said to onii-chan that I’d want to challenge Lilligant first,” Illya declared with a firm nod to herself. The white-haired girl then turned her attention towards the town they were about to enter, eyes drawn towards the winding stairs leading up to the gate near the top of the pass. Her eyes were drawn to the arch at the top, gray stone topped with a pentagon-shaped blue keystone.
“Will you want to challenge her before or after we make an attempt at the gym?” Shirou asked. “I’ve heard they use dragons here, which we’re both pretty well equipped to handle.”
“It’ll depend on the Wardens, really.” Isabella interjected. “Though both Usagi and Otoshi are fairly lax about letting their Ladies take the lead on matters. You’ll have the chance to ask Otoshi when we get up to the town. Usagi is usually contactable via shortwave, even if she’s not part of the village proper.”
“Then we’ll set a date for both of them,” Ilya declared firmly, nodding her head as if it resolved that matter. Mind you, it largely did, but now the question was how. Thankfully it did not take the party of several long to make their way into the town and the existent Pokemon Center, one shockingly not manned by a Joy, but rather a local clansman.
“Thank you for visiting,” The man said, sliding a tray filled with Pokeballs back to them, even as Vulpix emerged from the healing bays. “We hope to see you all again soon.”
“I thought all Sinnoh Pokemon centers were Joy-staffed?” Shirou asked, collecting his team.
“Ah, only visited big city centers, hmm? Well, the Joy clan is sizable, but not big enough for every town. I actually apprenticed with the Joy clan, but I didn’t join myself.” He gave a swing of his arm. “It’s not as if they and the Jennys have a monopoly and being nurses and policewomen. Though the Joy family does tend to operate in every major Pokemon center due to their influence.”
“I see,” Shirou acknowledged. “Thank you. Do you know where the gym is, or where Warden Otoshi might be? We’re here for the gym challenge and the Champions’ trials.”
“A gym challenger? We’ve not had one in a few weeks, after the initial surge from the season’s start. You want right down the road, to the gym. You’ll probably be able to find Otoshi there, too.”
“Thank you!” Rejoining the party, Shirou followed them out onto the streets of Adamant Town. The traditional buildings were stained blue and marked with ubiquitous use of the pentagram of Dialga, with people in both modern garb and the dark blue clan wear of Diamond moving between buildings. “Isabella, the doctor says there isn’t much foot traffic to the gym. Is that normal?”
“Yeah. One, it’s a dragon gym, usually pretty tricky. Second, We’re out of the way, and not on the main routes. Third, even though the way here is technically open to anyone, it’s a lot of work to hike through the bogs, and most Diamond outriders turn people back rather than bring them in.” She shrugged. “Narimasa isn’t just the gym leader, he’s also one of the clan’s peacekeepers, so he’s not too concerned with low turnout.”
“... Wouldn’t it be more productive to bring in the prospective gym challengers rather than gatekeep them?” Illya drawled, baffled. Because it truly was a… choice. A politically motivated choice that she was having trouble wrapping her head around the logic of.
“Yeah, it would. But then, that’s Ferrus’ mandate.” Isabella grumbled. “You’ve heard about why he does all this. Preserving Diamond’s culture.” She waved her arm. “I think that time pushes onward, and we should change with it. Hell, he’s not stupid enough to keep out modern tech and foreign Pokemon– he just wants to keep out as many foreign people as he can.”
“...it won’t last, I don’t think,” Shirou mused, glancing over the city as he easily spotted several ‘foreign’ influences. “This city is too big to keep hidden, and if most of the people your age feel like you do…”
“Yeah, change is coming. But he’s digging in his heels, as stubborn as anyone. And most of the clan is willing to let time take care of it, so long as he doesn’t actually hurt the clan in the meantime,” she agreed. “Still, we’re here.”
Illya and Shirou looked to see a stone tower and accompanying building, adorned with the League symbol beside the Diamond Clan’s own. In front of the doors, a young man in the traditional blue robe and mud-splattered boots waited, leaning on one of the heavy wooden doors. He looked up, blue eyes peering through red locks of hair. He raised one hand, giving a wave. “Good day! Glad neither of us kept either waiting!” He called, leaning off the doors and approaching the group.
“A good day to you as well, sir,” Shirou answered politely, Illya echoing him only a moment later, “You have no obligation to not keep us waiting, so we do not mind in the slightest.” He continued, actually bothering to put the lessons in formality his sister had drilled into his head to use.
“Sir? Oh, I’m not the gym leader.” The young man turned to Illya and extended a hand. “I’m Warden Otoshi, and I’ve heard you’re the most recent walker upon the Heroine’s Journey.” He grinned. “We spotted you entering the mire a week ago. Hope you don’t mind, but my Lady wanted to make sure you got through alright.”
“We do not,” Illya answered immediately, Matilda adding her own agreement moments later, “You are a credit to the duties of your clan for bothering to be concerned for travelers.” The sneer on the white-haired girl’s face is something of legends, as if she was thinking of something particularly foul. “Unlike your Gym Leader.”
“Oh, he deals with lost trainers, too. Prioritizes the nasty ones, though; poachers, raiders, cutlists, and the like. We help,” Otoshi shrugged. “Honestly, we could use more help.” He shook his head. “Kinda the problem right now. Narimasa’s out leading a group of visitors from Kanto, here to see if they can get a breeding group of iron-strain Goomy. He’ll be back tonight, and available for matches by tomorrow afternoon.” He pointed up. “So while he’s gone, she wants a word.”
Every human looked up, to see a white head crowned with leaves and a pink flower peering back at them. With a hop, a slender but weighty figure sprang off the roof of the gym, landing with practiced ease behind them in a shallow bow. “Welcome, all of you! Ooh, I’m so excited!”
“Your humans would benefit from a lecture.” Vulpix answers dryly, because the fox apparently has opinions as well, “They are being ignorant fools again, just as they were during the age of the Heroine.”
“Some of them are, yes. But I only have one human.” Lady Lilligant danced past them in a blur, patting Otoshi on the head. “And in two decades, the ones who are the real trouble will be gone, and people like my Warden will be in charge.”
“People are being hurt, even indirectly, right now, though,” Shirou observed. “That lecture might be a good idea.”
“Yes, but I don’t think my perspective would help all that much. Honestly, letting your sister challenge me will do a lot to break open things for Elder Ferrus.” Lady Lilligant spun away from her Warden, inspecting Illya. “Speaking of which, do you dance, young lady?”
“No,” Illya shook her head. “And I have no particular desire to learn. That may eventually change, but I do not.” She smiles, looking fondly towards one of her Pokeballs. “I do have a Pokemon that may enjoy it, however. Similarly to how the stereotype of your species does.”
“Hmm. While I’d enjoy meeting another dancer, I was more checking to see if you’d be interested in my alternate trial condition. I do love a good dance, or a martial arts match. But a battle is just as good,” Lilligant said, standing back. “Is your team ready right now, or would they prefer a day of rest?”
“I would prefer a full day of rest,” Illya says firmly, her impatience tempered by her concern for her team, “In addition, I would like the rest of today to train, since we haven’t been able to truly take the day off and do so due to the Mire’s… unique conditions.”
“Oh, sure. However, the longer you take, the more hyped I’ll be. I’ve already thought about having a running parkour battle through the whole town, but Otoshi talked me out of it.” Lady Lilligant giggled. “Tomorrow, then!” She sprang up, somersaulting to the top of the gym, bowed to Mount Coronet, and then leaped off towards the mountains behind the town.
“...well, she’s excited. Hope you’re ready for a challenge; I haven’t see my Lady this upbeat about a potential challenger in a while.” Otoshi said, eyes twinkling in amusement. “Gym’s open if you want to use it for training, otherwise please don’t do anything too destructive in-town.” He waved languidly. “And hey, if you want a battle–” for a second, his relaxed face sharpened. “-I’m not opposed.”
“Not today,” Illya refuted easily, looking towards her brother with a raised eyebrow. “Shirou might be up for it, though.”
“I-”
“Please?” The fox at his side immediately cut off him off, turning big, blue eyes towards her prospective trainer, “I would like to get a feel for how you battle.”
Now, it’s often noted that men can be dull sometimes, and Shirou could occasionally be as dense as the swords he summoned. But he was getting better about that, and this little plea made his perspective on why Vulpix had been following him snap together, confirming something he’d already suspected. With a soft huff and a wry smile, he looked up at the Warden. “Well, it seems we’re facing you today. I have three teammates, and we’re safe in town, so we can go all out, yes?”
Otoshi laughed. “Alright, and yes, we can! Now, I have more than three Pokemon, but my starter is… probably out of your league. Delcatty is my Partner, and she’s someone who fights Lady Lilligant’s kids for fun. But… you’re four, maybe five badge level, yeah? I can match that.” He turned and opened the doors to the gym. “Let’s have it out in here. No reason not to.”
The inside of the gym was entirely cast of stone, many of the pillars and menhirs marked with claw marks or warped by heat. Otoshi led them into the main chamber, flipping on the lights as they approached the gym court, the standard flat terrain surrounded by rock pillars reaching partway towards the cavernous ceiling. “Narimasa often takes his fights out into the mire for high-level challenges, but this space will fit our bout just fine. League rules alright, or do you have any preferences?”
“League rules are fine.” Shirou said, crossing to one side of the court. “Isabella, ref for us?”
“Sure. Send out your first Pokemon on my mark, please.” She said, standing offsides.
Shirou nodded, palming Yagi’s ball, then launching it upon her yell. Seconds later, the little pup formed on one side of the court, a fanged grass type appearing on the other. The Carnivine grinned, teeth showing. “Oh cool, didn’t think we’d be fighting today.” He snapped out, vines lashing. “What’s up, snack?”
“Not much, weed!” Yagi shot back, a cheerful grin on his face as he shuffled in place, raring to go, “Yosh! Let’s have some fun!” His opponent cackled in response, spreading his tendrils.
Otoshi watched for a moment, then gave a fast chop with one hand. “Let’s blunt his attacks! Stockpile!” Carnivine gulped, energy gathering in his mouth before rolling to leak at the edges of his cheeks, a sheen of light spreading through his body.
Shirou narrowed his eyes, then rapped out his own orders. “If he’s going to set up, we’ll do the same. Bulk up, then dance.”
“Dance?” Otoshi muttered, then blinked as Yagi threw himself into a rapid set of pushups, then sprung up and began to do intricate, fluid movements with his arms and legs. He paused as he caught a flare of violet-blue energy around the pup’s arms and legs. “Dragon dance? How the hell-”
“Effort!” Yagi cheered, hindpaws dancing on the ground far more rapidly as his opponent responded by Stockpiling again, “Yosh, here I go!” With his ever jubilant exclamation issued, Yagi rushed towards Carnivine, arm encased in flames. Despite a calmly issued command to evade, Carnivine did not manage to get out of the way quite in time, flames licking against his flesh. Pressing his advantage, Yagi’s other fist became encased in flame as well. For an instant, it looked like the blow would land. Then, Yagi was thrown violently away, the Carnivine managing to snag the jackal with a vine whip and create some space.
Yagi burst back in with a quick attack, hammering Carnivine’s torso, but not before Carnivine took one last stockpile. Metal claw slashed through vines which whipped at him, while Carnivine’s bites were intercepted by a rough uppercut. Yagi was an infighter, but Carnivine’s flexibility kept him in the game even as the little jackal brawled in the melee.
“I am too used to fighting upright enemies! But here, in the melee, I vow to be king!” Yagi crowed, shifting back a step.
“Maybe someday, but not today,” Carnivine growled, landing a Power Whip on the briefly still pokemon– only to watch as Yagi flared red. “Oh?”
“Endure. Counter,” Yagi voiced, blurring as his paw smashed into Carnivine’s gut. The upright grass-type’s eyes went white, but he coughed up his stockpile in the same moment. The detonation of unstable energy knocked Yagi across the arena, while Carnivine slumped in place.
Shioru winced as Yagi tried and failed to rise. “Well done. Rest now,” he murmured, returning his little scrapper. He tossed out his second ball. “Let’s go, Fafnir.”
“You’re in the right place if you want some dragon-type training,” Otoshi remarked as the Gabite appeared on the field. “N I’m glad to see you’re teaching your team to fight independently,” he continued, a Monferno appearing before him as he continued to speak. “Most trainers wait far too long.”
Monferno glared at his opponent, letting flames coat his limbs. “Huh, we see a lot of dragons here. Think you can keep up?”
Fafnir watched the monkey shift. “I think I can make you pay for a win, if you win at all,” she snorted. “You’re old for a second stage. Old and treacherous.”
“And you grew up a little too fast,” Monferno crouched, then threw himself forward in a brutal spin, feet and fists connecting on Fafnir’s raised arms. The dragon roared in response, her brutal Bulldoze not connecting with the fire-type save for a glancing blow. Unbothered by what most would have perceived as a failure, Fafnir rushed forward with a Dual Chop. Though the blow landed, Monferno took the blows on his own fists and responded with a Mach Punch to her jaw.
Fafnir took the hit with a grunt, then mashed the ground, kicking up a blast of dirt in all directions, catching Monferno in the improvised Mud-Slap. She didn’t bother speaking, instead moving directly into another Bulldoze, only to miss by inches as Monferno evaded. Seeing her struggles, Shirou yelled from his side of the battlefield. “He’s been using Flame Wheel to speed up his movements! Use Dragon Dance and catch up, fast!”
“Got it,” Fafnir pulsed and moved through the motions of the dance quickly, only briefly wincing as Monferno landed another set of rapid hits. She then immediately launched into another Bulldoze, her enhanced movement just enough to slow down her opponent and hit him squarely. The fighting type didn’t stop, insead throwing himself into a swarm of fists and feet, the Close Combat pushing Fafnir to the limits.
With a roar, the Gabite spun, slamming her tail into Monferno before he could recover from his all-out attack, only barely managing to connect the blow. However, she hit with enough power to put him on the ground, laying him out, unconscious. She heaved, feeling each point where the blows had connected, and took a deep breath as Otoshi returned his second Pokemon. The third member of Otoshi’s team formed across from her, and for a moment, she thought the other man had to be mad.
Then Raichu's muscled leg crashed into her face faster than she could see, and she fell over without another word.
Shirou returned his second Pokemon, looking down at Ritsuka. “Alright, partner, your turn. Think you can beat him?” He looked over at the Raichu.
“Can I? Yes. Will I?” The fox-dragon flared her wings. “Let’s find out.” She took off, blasting Raichu with a Dragonbreath. The bulky mouse pokemon grinned, content to take the blow before blasting off from the ground in a flare of lightning, smashing his new opponent with a thunderpunch.
Otoshi frowned as Raichu fell back to earth. He gave new orders for the first time. “Agility, you need speed to keep up with her air game.”
“Ritsuka, take a moment and Dragon Dance. Don’t let them take over with a speed advantage,” Shirou ordered in response, both pokemon buffing as ordered before their skirmishing resumed, Raichu blitzing across the battlefield launching off the ground to smash with his fists while Risuka countered with Dragon Claw, Dragon Pulse, and whipping strikes of Iron Tail.
To the side, the sharp eyes of several observers tracked the battle, none more interested than the recent addition, who hummed. “... It is likely that Shirou and Ritsuka will lose this battle.” Vulpix stated softly, more to herself than anyone else. “Through no fault of their own beyond a gap in experience.”
Shirou didn’t acknowledge the words, though he heard them clearly. Above, however, Ritsuka’s eyes narrowed. Vulpix may have been right– but that didn’t mean she’d go down easily. She flared her powers blasting out various elemental attacks as Raichu dove and ducked between them, landing hits of his own with Quick Attack, Thunderpunch, and the occasional blast of lightning. Ritsuka scowled as her opponent landed another blow, knocking her out of the air.
“Are you just trying everything and seeing what works?” Raichu spoke for the first time. “Still getting used to being a dragon, then.”
“Yeah, but I’ve not forgotten I’m an Eevee.” Ritsuka’s grin turned feral, as she launched herself forward. “LAST RESORT.”
Raichu was blasted backward as the star-shaped impact smashed into him. For a brief moment, Ritsuka stood on trembling legs, before Raichu launched himself out of the crater he’d left, the spinning of a Volt Tackle smashing her into unconsciousness. He stood for a moment, grinning. “Urgh. Gave it your all? Great…” He murmured before collapsing.
“... Good effort,” Vulpix acknowledged, inclining her head towards the unconscious Wyrmeon, “ten out of ten for effort. Well, I was right to be interested, I suppose.” She turned towards Shirou, miming a bow to the best of her ability. “I meant no insult, Shirou. You have extremely talented and powerful partners. But all of them lack experience. Experience I have in spades.”
Shirou nodded as he returned his last partner. “Yeah, I know. Yagi is the most skilled of us, and he’s not powerful enough to keep up with the others.” He smiled as Isabella called Otoshi’s victory by knockout. “But I learned a lot from watching, and I think we’ll get a lot out of training here.”
“I think so, too!” Otoshi laughed, stepping in close. “None of those three are monsters, but they’ve all gotten training from Lady Lilligant herself. Speed, grace, and precision with power; we train to keep up with her movements.”
“I think I’d enjoy learning under you and gym leader Narimasa,” Shirou responded.
“I’m glad to hear that.” Everyone turned to see a bulky man in a leather overcoat, over a Diamond Clan samue. At his side, a Salamance trundled into the building, flapping to enter a small cave near the top of the gym court. The man stroked his dagger beard with a smile. “A young dragon master, hmm? I only saw the end there, but for one so young, that new kit held their own.”
“Thank you, sir,” Shirou replied after a few moments, offering a respectful bow, “Leader Narimasa, I presume?”
“Yes,” he replied simply. “Two new challengers? For… hmm.” He paused, stroking his chin. “I hope you aren’t looking to challenge me today, either of you.”
“No. We want to get in a little training first,” Illya informed the gym leader, her eyes narrowed slightly. “And my brother needs to rest and heal his team.”
Glancing at Shirou who gave an accepting nod, Narimasa smiled. “Good. Don’t rush into things. And I need to check your league records, figure out how strong of a challenge you’ll need. We get a lot of seventh, eighth, and elite challenges here, but not many youngsters. It is hard to convince a dragon to be at any less than their best.”
Shirou nodded. “Would you be amenable to training my two dragons?” He asked.
“After at least your first challenge, if I have a team suitable for you,” Narimasa replied. “You’ll leave with training, don’t worry. But I won’t be showing off my secrets before a bout. It’s just common sense.” He looked up to his Salamance’s nest, and the group turned to see a few Bagon glancing out to look down with their mother. “I do have a pair of gym trainers, if you’d like some practice battles, though their teams are more varied.”
Shirou bowed. “Thank you for the offer. I think we’d both like a few days to gather ourselves, and Illya wants to go ahead and handle Lady Lilligant’s trial. Do you have an open slot for the two of us in three days?”
“Of course,” Narimasa said. “Ah, emergencies permitting. But nothing else would keep me from challenging you.” He nodded. “Enjoy your stay here. It’s good to see strong new blood around.”
As the man left, Vulpix turned towards the siblings, eyes briefly closing as she considered something. Then, without any fanfare, they opened. “So. Training. Would you like me to participate? Or would you prefer to have me as an advisor?”
“Well, that depends on you. To be honest, after this, I think we could use your tutoring on skill,” Shioru said as they led the group from the room. As they exited, his voice faded as they walked back into Adamant Town.
Narimasa watched them go, eyebrows high. “...Pokemon speakers?” He asked after a moment.
Otoshi shrugged. “Apparently.” He grinned. “Strong, talented youngsters… think Time’s about to change?”
“Hmm. Might be. Or might just be a minute before,” Narimasa responded. “...I think it’ll be a good fight.”
2024-12-16 00:19:53 +0000 UTC
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Shirou stabbed the butt of his naginata into the peaty soil, sighing as it drove in several centimeters. “This spot’s still too soft to set up a campsite. We’ll need to keep looking.” He said, glancing around the area as the shadows continued to lengthen. The siblings had been travelling through the mirelands for a while now, and the unpleasantness of the area was starting to get to the both of them.
Illya nodded with a grimace, hopping over a standing pool of brackish water. “Well, it’s just about as bad as we expected it’d be. Thankfully, Isabelle knows some of the better spots, but this was one of them.”
The Crimson Mirelands were a verdant, lush area, filled with rustling grasses, rich loamy soil, and swaying trees, and the arching roots of mangrove trees. Those same features, however, slowed down walking and made finding stable ground for campsites difficult. It was still infinitely nicer to traverse than Earth’s swamps and bogs, lacking the stinging insects, threat of snakebites, and lack of pleasant company; but it was not easy going.
Isabella slid down a tree, landing next to her friends. “Sorry about the shifting mud, Illya. I think I spotted some stones over that way. Might be solid ground, if there’s not someone nesting there.” She looked at the sky. “We should make it before twilight. Forage anything interesting today?” She asked Shriou.
“Found some pep plants, softfoot roots, and berries. Lots of berries.” Shirou responded.
“A bunch of outcroppings of useful materials. I already collected what I could carry. Should have enough to craft some rather interesting things.” Illya remarked as well, humming to herself in delight. She had definitely come to enjoy the traditional methods of crafting. It gave her something to do, and provided a creative outlet that she had not had prior to her journey.
“Cool, cool.” Isabella grinned as she hitched her pack over her shoulders, easily drawing her boots from the soft soil. This was familiar country to the girl, and it showed in how appropriate her gear was to the terrain. “Going off the beaten path has some benefits, at least.”
As the group advanced through the soggy ground and around the standing pools of water, a familiar serpentine form slithered out of the bog, moving alongside through the puddles. Milotic crooned, Yagi perched on her head. “I know you all are more unsuited for this terrain, but this place is lovely.”
Yagi sighed. “For you, yes.” He held up a small sack. “We have found some items of interest in the bog, as well as having some youthful fights!” he said, perking back up at the memories mentioning such those battles had brought.
“Any word from the locals about nearby paths?” Shirou asked, hiding a smile at his second Pokmeon’s now much more familiar love of battle.
“Not yet. We’re heading in the right direction, but most of the ones we talked to do not go far from their pools or dens.” Milotic replied with a slow head shake, the murky water rippling around her. “We did hear there’s a Gardevoir Grove somewhere around here; they advised us to keep our distance, and watch out for glowing mushrooms.”
“That’d be the territory markers.” Ritsuka called from the skies, the dragon lazily orbiting the group as they traveled. Mostly to keep an eye out for any potential trouble, of course, but also because he quite enjoyed flying. It was, in hindsight, perhaps unsurprising that he had evolved into a form capable of flight, “I don’t see any from up here, but I do see the rocks that Isabelle mentioned. We’re pretty close.”
“Good.” Matilda huffed, grimacing as she looked at her paws, caked in mud as they were, “I am not very fond of this bog.”
“It’s rather unfortunate that you cannot float, Lady Matilda.” Fubuki hummed, clearly amused at her friend’s distaste for the ground as she phased through the trees, “Though, have you considered trying to emanate misty terrain?”
“That could potentially work.” Illya remarked as she came to a pause, bringing her hands up into a thinking pose, “Mind, I could also probably figure something out with Alchemy, but frivolous use of magecraft is generally not the best idea. Mostly since it’s agonizing to use.”
Shirou blinked slowly. “...it is? I mean, it’s extremely unpleasant, but it’s not that bad.”
“Shirou, you’re comparing opening your circuits to literally burning out your nerves, and before that, literal cursed flames.” Illya responded in a complete deadpan, her expression and voice flat as a cutting board. Pausing, her eyes glowed briefly, before she shrugged, “Also, you’re cheating a bit using Aura. I’ll have to steal that trick at some point.”
“Right.” Shriou said as they broke through the treeline, looking at the piled stones. “...this looks a bit regular. Did we stumble onto another ruin?”
“Yeah, looks like it. But it’s not an important one.” Isabella observed, pointing at a metal pole staked into the ground near the stones. “See that pole? The bands around it indicate what the site is. White means safe, blue means no intact relics or spellwork, and that band of green means it’s a viable campsite or pokemon habitat.” As everyone looked back at her, she shrugged. “There’s a lot of old Celestic and other ruins here in what used to be Hisui. Part of the clans’ duties are making sure the ruins are contained, or safe.”
Illya nodded at that tidbit of information, “That definitely makes sense. It also gives you a reason to be around, no offense.” She continued, well aware that people tended to be rather fickle when it came to their money and where their taxes went. Especially after she had gotten out of her castle in the middle of nowhere and started interacting with them on a regular basis, “Now, Shirou, I do believe we set up camp?”
“Sure.” As they advanced on the ruins, Shirou paused, his eyes flashing blue. “Huh. We may need to negotiate a bit before we set up, though.”
Illya opened her mouth to ask why, only to slam it shut as a pair of brown, fuzzy cubs tumbled out from behind a boulder, the Teddiursa busily roughhousing. Behind them, a similarly fuzzy but much larger form trundled out, keeping an eye on them. The Ursaluna shot them a glance, unruffled but watching closely. Almost immediately, all three trainers held out a hand to stop their Pokemon from reacting poorly to the sudden intrusion.
“Apologies,” Illya began, staying quite still, “We didn’t realize we were intruding on your territory.”
The Ursaluna grunted. “Polite human. Don’t worry, you’ve not done any harm.” She sniffed. “No grown humans around. Cubs off on their own?”
Shirou coughed, more to center himself than anything else. “We are on your journey, ma’am. Our parents aren’t anywhere near here.”
“You understand me?” The bulky beast rumbled, nodding along with Shirou. “Makes it easier. So, cubs are off on their own. It’s not safe for you to be without shelter at night.” She lumbered closer, then spotted Yagi. “Hmm. And you have a guardian. You may share our den tonight, so long as I don’t see any Pokeballs near a cub. Understood?”
“Of course.” Illya nodded firmly, “That would not only be the height of stupidity, but it would also go against our beliefs.”
“I’d think so.” The group fell in as the bear turned and lumbered back, pushing the Teddiursa before her. Following along, the group was led into a ruined courtyard, much of the stonework covered in mosses and leaf litter, a dozen Ursaring and twice that many Teddiursa bounding around. Scattered among the brown bodies, a few other Pokemon had places in the small community; a Heracross sat across from one Ursaring arm wrestling, while a pair of Hippopotas laid in a small pool of mud in one corner.
Shirou looked around, passing over the gathered Pokemon. “Guests like us?” He asked quietly, mindful of a group of flying types dozing on hanging roots from the ceiling.
“Some, not all. Promises given, and they may stay.” Ursaluna rumbled. “Your promise, you should keep for all those here.”
Isabella spoke up. “Not too unusual in some parts of Sinnoh.” She looked over her shoulder, vaguely in the direction of its tallest peak. “See, Mount Coronet brings in… I guess you could call them pilgrims. Pokemon here to pay respect to or ask forgiveness from the Lord of All. And a lot of those foreign Pokemon settle in Sinnoh, at least for a while. And that leads to mixed Pokemon communities you don’t see in a lot of other places.”
“She is right.” Ursaluna rumbled. “Our den has hosted foreign born before. But it is the eggs they leave behind which have joined the sloth.” Peering to one side, the group looked to see an Absol grooming the head of a Litleo, the little fire type’s eyes closed. “I do not think that cub will stay here in the marsh. But we are family, so long as he wishes it.”
“I see.” Ritsuka spoke softly as they landed within the courtyard, wings folding by their side as they looked curiously around with their nose flaring. “I smell a lot of Pokemon that were here very recently but are not now. Was there a group of pilgrims that came before us?”
Ursaluna chuffed. “Good nose. Yes. They were from the isles of sun, sand, and gaps in reality. Alola, humans say. They were friendly, lots of fairies but jolly ones. Dogs with strong jaws, walking mushrooms, jingling metal.” She paused, glancing to one side. “...and the fox. She came back. In the cold room.”
“An Alolan Vulpix or Ninetales.” Illya muttered, humming in consideration as she tapped a finger against her cheek, “I assume they aren’t common here, given what I’ve heard of their communities?”
“Not down here.” She looked up as a group of Zubat and Golbat descended from the ceiling, whirling around before they left through the doors. “The fliers say there are groups up north. None down here. And they are skittish, like the ghost foxes.”
Shirou nodded, moving over to an open patch of dirt, heaving his gear onto the soil. “We won’t bother them, then. Though, if you’re able to supply some ingredients, I could make a curry for the whole den.” He said as he began pulling out the group’s tables and cooking gear. “Curry is easy to scale.”
Ursaluna hummed, even as the nearby Pokemon began to perk up, looking at Shirou with more than a little interest. “Cooked food… we can help, yes.” She rumbled.
Illya sighed as the wild Pokemon began piling berries, vegetables, roots, and a small selection of Slowpoke tails and other meat products near her brother, pulling off her gloves and rolling up her sleeves. “I’m going to have to help you with ingredient prep, aren’t I?”
“You have two hands and you want to eat, so yes. Isabella–”
The diamond clan girl was already rummaging through her own pack. “I’m on it.” The group had already worked out a system for large meals during the trip, and this one would be no different. However, as the wild Pokemon carried a few Magikarp filets from the cold room, a small white figure padded out behind them, lidded blue eyes watching the ongoings with a spark of interest.
--(0)--
Shirou happily ladled curry into a wooden bowl, smiling as the teddiursa held the rough-carved platter with a happy growl. Toddling away, the little bear joined the rest of its family, happily dipping a paw in and licking up the orange roux. “Well, this seems to be popular.”
“Cooked food is good, and not a lot of Pokemon learn the skill.” Ritsuka explained rapidly, sighing as her trainer once more stated the obvious. Lapping some of the leftover curry from her paws, the Wyrmeon tucked herself up into a rather prim posture, staring up towards Shirou with only a bit of mild annoyance and judgement in her eyes, “You knew that already though.”
“I did, though I am surprised every Pokemon here wanted a bite.” Shriou shrugged. “I’d have thought some of them wouldn’t like the taste of curry. It’s nice to have everyone liking my food.” He paused before he ladled some of the remnants into his own bowl. “Did everyone get a taste? Cooks eat last.”
“Besides the Vulpix that’s been patiently waiting for everyone else to go first, yes.” Ritsuka nodded, paw coming out of resting position to gesture towards a tree stump. Upon which, a white-furred Vulpix sat patiently, alert eyes scanning over the clearing as they observed everyone else eating. “Yagi walked up to her and asked earlier, but she said something about waiting for everyone else to eat first.” Pausing, the Wyrmeon scrunched up her face, frowning as she tried to recall the exact wording her teammate had used. Moments later, a lightbulb went off behind her eyes and she continued, “He told me she said, and I quote: ‘I’ve had this kind of food before. None of the others have. So I’ll wait.’ Probably a former trainer mon, and going by her disposition it wasn’t a traumatic parting.”
“Oh, huh.” Shrou ladled out three bowls from the remainder, scooping them all up. “Alright then. Let me go give this to her. Want to come with me?”
“Sure. Got nothing better to do.” His starter shrugged, a flap of her wings sending her up onto her trainer’s shoulder, where she grandly pointed a paw forwards, “Onwards, my valiant steed.”
Shirou laughed slightly at her antics, the now familiar routine bringing a spark of warmth rather than guilt. Marveling a bit at how far he had come since coming here, the red-haired boy then walked over to the Alolan Vulpix, easing himself down to set the bowl in front of her. “Hey there, mind giving me your real opinion of my work tonight?”
“Not at all.” The fox replied with what he’d come to recognize as their equivalent of a smile, paw pointing towards an empty spot on her stump. Looking expectantly towards Shirou, the Alolan Vulpix spoke once more, “If you could put it down here?”
“Sure. It’s hard to get an objective review of my work– most of my Pokemon have nothing but praise for it, and both Illya and Isabella are much the same.” Shirou said, placing the bowl in the indicated spot, placing a second to his right for his starter, and plunking down cross legged nearby. “I didn’t go hard on the spice, so I toasted the herbs and aromatics before adding them to the dish to get more subtle flavors. I think it worked fairly well, but after cooking, your taste buds get numbed to the dish.”
“... Huh, so you do understand me.” The Vulpix replied, tilting her head to the side as she blinked towards Shirou again, paw slamming against her face as she mimed a facepalm, “I should have just believed the cubs instead of assuming they were playing a prank again. In that case, may I have a spoon, Mr. Emiya? I desire to consume this without having to exert my psychic abilities all that much. Lifting a spoon is significantly easier than lifting grains of rice combined with sauce.”
Shirou nodded, absently projecting a spoon before he put it in the aforementioned bowl. “Valuing neatness? That’s fine.” He looked at Ritsuka, who was a few inches above burying her muzzle into her own bowl. “Most of my Pokemon just ask me to help them clean up later.”
“It’s a personal preference.” The wild Pokemon explained absently, Extrasensory refined to the point where it was nearly as versatile as a psychic Pokemon’s innate abilities lifting the projected spoon, the Vulpix giving no indication that the show of magic had impressed her, “Cheers for the food. It’s been a long time since I’ve had time to head into a restaurant.” With her piece said, the Vulpix began slowly eating the food, appreciative noises ringing out occasionally as she hummed, actually taking the time to taste the food before she nodded and took another bite.
“You’re welcome.” Shirou took a few bites of his curry, humming appreciatively as he savored his own cooking. “You’re also a long way from home. Ursaluna mentioned a pilgrimage?” He asked, continuing to eat.
“I actually requested my trainer release me in Sinnoh.” The fox replied with a shade of her head, pausing in the consumption of her food to explain, “Mostly because of the Lords. I’ve been testing myself against them occasionally as I wander through the region, though I have yet to properly win a duel. It’s been good experience though. I’m glad I did it.”
Shirou raised his eyebrows. “Huh. Illya might want to speak with you. She’s taking the trials herself, and might want your insight. And before you ask, she’ll insist on paying you for the favor, don’t worry.”
“I would not be opposed. Will you be translating, or does your companion also possess your rather rare ability to communicate with us?” The Vulpix answered after a few moments, taking the time to actually consume her food as she chatted with Shirou, “Though I will not share any weaknesses as I have gleaned. Triumphs must be earned on their own. At most I shall offer vague advice.”
“My sister can speak Pokemon, yes. I use aura, she cheated with a magic wish.” Shirou explained. “Which of the lords and ladies have you faced off against? I can’t imagine you’ve gone against Lord Avalugg.”
“I have, actually. Though that wasn’t a battle and more of a test of endurance. Also advice on the utilization of more physical Ice Type moves. He was rather fun to speak with. The only Lord from the era of the Hero who remains. He will likely be here when I am approaching old age, and he will likely be here long after I have died.” The Vulpix continued, finally turning her attention fully to her food as she indicated via her actions and not words that the conversation was done for now.
Shirou nodded absently, eating the rest of his meal in companionable silence, while Ritsuka vainly tried to use a fork with her forepaws, eventually giving up and just putting her muzzle into the bowl. As they finished eating, he looked back at the fox, even as the other pokemon began to wander back into the dusk light or began bedding down for the night. “Well? What’d you think?”
“It’s well made for home cooking, but has nothing on some of the better restaurants I’ve had the pleasure of dining at. Good quality for a hobbyist, but it has absolutely nothing on that of a proper chef.” The Vulpix replied after a few moments of consideration, raising her paw towards Shirou, “Can’t tell you how to improve though. I’m a fan of good food, but it isn’t something I know how to make particularly well.”
Shirou nodded, pulling out his notepad. “Thank you. I think part of it is the variation in ingredients and the lack of specialized gear and seasonings. Restaurants can adjust…” His words trailed off as Ursaluna shot upright from her dozy slump near the rest of her den, yellow eyes shooting towards the entrance. Shirou could feel the confusion of the mother bear quickly shifting to horror and RAGE as she began to growl, surging to her feet and ripping out through the passage. “...Ritsuka, get in the air.” Shirou said, springing to his feet and dashing in pursuit.
“Wonderful. Someone’s been an idiot again. Or one of the cubs decided to be an idiot. One of the two.” The fox grumbled, leaping from her stump onto Shirou’s shoulders as Ritsuka vacated the spot and sprung into flight, “I’ll help you out. I know these ‘mons well, and the trainers that frequent this area know not to piss this den off.”
Shirou exited the cave, following the roars as Ursaluna crashed into the shadowed light of the twilight mire. He flared his aura sight, following her tracks. “I think I saw some of her cubs leaving for a few minutes. Why would they–”
“What do bears do in the woods, kid?” Vulpix mewled into his ear, sounding rather snarky for the first time tonight.
“Right.” Shirou leapt over a fallen tree trunk, wincing as he found Ursaluna trying to tear her way through a tangle of fallen trees and brambles. “Hey, is there a way around?” He asked his new rider, straining his sight to spot three human auras running deeper into the woods.
“No, but I can provide a path.” The fox replied immediately, breathing deeply as she screwed her eyes shut, “Shield yourself as best you can. This will be cold, and if you are the kind of person I believe you are, you’ll accept this to go faster.” With that said, she exhaled, a thin, concentrated beam of ice carving a path through the brambles as they rapidly froze then shattered. Looking rather smug with herself, the Alolan Vulpix breathed deeply and spoke once more, “Go. The humans are running, and by doing so are simply making things worse.” She advised even as Ursaluna began to pull herself free of the branches and towards the new path.
“Going.” Shirou responded, showing absolutely no indication that the chilling cold right near his face and neck had bothered him as he beat feet down the new path. “Ritsuka will probably intercept them before they make it much further, but we need to get to them before mama bear does.” He agreed, speeding up as his aura flared. Pounding through the woods, he frowned. “This doesn’t seem like a targeted capture, though.” He hazarded between hard breaths, spotting Ritsuka diving down on the three humans.
“Unlikely.” The vulpix agreed, ducking under a bramble as Shirou passed through it, “It is also entirely possible the cub chose to be caught. Clan Lands are sacred, and poachers well know the consequences of poaching here, unprotected by the more ‘civilized’ laws of man.” The Vulpix tensed, ears snapping towards the Ursaluna as her head did so as well, “I would advise hurrying and preparing your other Pokemon. You may be required to assist me as I pacify this mother.”
“What do you think I’m doing?” Shirou hissed as he leapt over one last fallen log as he cleared the patch of brambles. As the iced-over thorny ground gave way to the moss-ridden mud of the mirelands, he continued. “And the rest of my team is back with the food and eating. I’ll handle this myself.” He growled, landing and summoning a naginata as he approached the trio of trainers.
“... Why are you pointing your weapon at them, child.” The Vulpix sighed, exasperated. Though she opted not to intercede.
“Gotta get them to stand down somehow, this tends to shake people. Now, shush.” Shioru muttered as the first man turned.
The trainers, one of which looked back in alarm, balked as he saw the long-bladed spear point at him. “Oh shit! Guys!”
“Stand down, and release your most recent capture.” Shirou barked. “If it was allowed, his mother will want to see him one last time. If not…” He trailed off, Ursaluna’s roars drawing closer.
“... Well, shit.” One of the three groaned, looking accusingly towards his fellow trainer, “Sora, you idiot, did you seriously forget to explain to the den-mother that you and that cub had an agreement?”
“I could have sworn the cub said he had taken care of it.” The brown haired boy in the group scratched his head, immediately palming a ball and releasing a bulky little cub, who spun around and faced their new trainer, tilting their head to the side. “Hey, Pooh, you did tell your mom you were leaving, right?”
“... I distinctly recall telling mother last night that I was planning on leaving, yes.” The bear cub stated, nodding firmly towards his trainer so they could fully understand, only to pale moments later as another enraged roar reached him. “... My mother definitely didn’t process it though. Arceus dammit. RUN.”
“That won’t work.” Shirou groaned, spinning around. “Hold up, let me–”
“Ah. No.” The Vulpix stated, slamming her paw against Shirou’s shoulder and sending him tumbling to the ground as she leapt off, his reflexes barely saving him from planting his face into a bunch of mud, “This fight is beyond you. While it is admirable that you would attempt to reason with an infuriated mother, what she needs is to cool off.”
Ritsuka flapped over, snagging her trainer and with a few heavy wingbeats hoisted him into the air, dropping him over a tree branch as the three trainers edged back. “Let’s let the trusted friend and the family member hash this out, hmm?” She purred, eyes fixated on the small fox. “While I think Illya could put you back together, she’d probably tear strips off you if you needed that sort of treatment.”
“...right.” Shirou groaned as his brain caught up with the situation fully. “Yeah, okay.”
--(0)--
Breathing deeply, Vulpix let the sounds of Shirou’s conversation with his starter fade from her mind, the small Pokemon turning to full face the Ursaluna standing before her. Standing authoritatively in front of the trainers who, quite intelligently, had ceased all attempts to flee, she continued her assessment. Pooh was, intelligently (for once, that damned cub really needed to get that chip off his shoulder) standing idle, making it clear with his body language that everything about him being with the human was a willing exchange. Now, the matter became breaking through the haze of rage that the Pokemon standing before her had given herself into willingly.
Likely trauma, if Vulpix had to guess. Most Pokemon tended to not assume the worst of humans right off the bat, and clan-lands Pokemon tended to assume the best of humans more often than not. Not that, of course, any of that particularly mattered to Vulpix. Especially not when the only thing stopping Ursaluna from charging her was a merited weariness of the obstacle in her path. Not enough to break through the rage, of course, and she’d charge here in moments if Vulpix didn’t do anything, but, well, it gave her a second to think and organize her raging thoughts.
Speaking of doing something though. Vulpix cried in challenge, wordless largely due to a mild sense of embarrassment that her usual manner of speech might… come across as a bit childish to the child she was quickly becoming fond of (damn him for reminding her of Akamu before he’d lost his spark). Hell, she’d even been speaking formally because that was her damned coping mechanism when confronted with situations she wasn’t familiar with.
Curse her den-mother for that. Damned Vixen had infected her with her mannerisms before she’d finally gotten tired of their attitude towards the world and left.
Snapping back to reality and out of the sea of regrets and fond memories that she often sunk herself into, Vulpix took a deep breath and charged, the familiar embrace of Quick Attack surrounding her just as Ursaluna issued her own enraged roar. Colliding shoulder first with the far larger Pokemon only mere moments before the enraged mother attempted her own charge, Vulpix pivoted quickly, paws finding purchase against the muddy ground with an old technique she had learned from her former trainer, flecks of frozen mud clinging to her formerly pristine fur as she leapt backwards into the air.
It was an old trick. Exchange the momentum of a charge to send yourself flying into the sky, giving you a chance for a potentially free attack against an unprepared or unaware opponent. Something that Ursaluna would normally not be, but she was currently experiencing the wonderfully inhibiting emotion known as rage. Specifically hot rage, one that took control of your thought processes and clouded your mind. Not the more useful directed rage, where you used those emotions towards a more singular purpose, sharpening your mind to a knife’s edge. In any case (She really really needed to stop having internal conversations with herself while she was in battles. It was probably not a good sign of her sanity, and even if it was it was hella distracting), Vulpix gathered the cold within herself, a globe of ice-white energy forming before her open maw. Not even a moment later, the energy lanced outwards, the Ice Beam slamming into the undefended back of her foe, drawing a screech of pain from the Pokemon as the impact area froze and mist began to gather around it.
She was rather proud of that trick. It wasn’t easy for an Ice Type to learn how to truly chill their attacks to the point that it burned. Vulpix landed on all fours, crouching but speaking for the first time. “Ready to have a chat yet?” As Ursaluna roared again, she prepared for another round. “Well, that answers my question…”
Ursaluna tensed, some of the rage draining from her eyes– not enough to stop her attack, but enough to make her dangerous again. With a roar, the mother bear smashed one paw into the earth, spires of stone piercing up through the ground as she blasted a Stone Edge at Vulpix. Wheeling rapidly on her paws, the fox sprung off the ground as a jagged stone erupted beneath her, launching into the air again to blast her friend slash acquaintance with more ice. Ursaluna responded with a series of fast swipes, one paw launching shards of rock into the air, the other attempting to bat aside the ice with a metal claw. Dividing her attention between attack and defense failed somewhat in both directions; some of the icy shards peppered her hide, and Vulpix easily maneuvered around the launched stones with a directed blast of icy wind.
However, as she came down, Ursaluna slammed her back paws into the ground, High Horsepower gathering in her lower limbs. As her opponent prepared to headlong charge, Vulpix blasted the ground before her with Freeze-Dry, turning the marshy earth into ice and slush. The bear’s rush turned into a graceless tumble, Vulpix ducking as her opponent barrelled overhead, landing closer to the panicking, awed humans and her missing child. With a growl, she sprung upright, focus entirely on Vulpix–
-only to be jarred out of her anger as a tiny brown paw uppercut her jaw. Teddiursa glared at his mother. “HEY! Mama, SHUT UP!”
“...cub?” Ursaluna rumbled, eyes losing their red sheen. “Are you alright–”
“No! I found my trainer, and we were going to leave, and now you ruined it!” He yelled, stomping. “Oh, don’t give into rage, dear, it’s not good for you– take your own advice!” He screeched, jabbing one blunt claw into his mom’s face.
“...oh. Oh dear.” Ursaluna rocked back. “You never said anything.”
“Because I knew this would happen!” Teddiursa huffed.
“...that’s fair.” Ursaluna said, bowing her head. “You are right. I was unclear about my expectations, I think.” She winced, looking at Vulpix. “...did you know about this?”
“No.” The fox shook her head, blinking slowly at the rather fast resolution to the problem. ‘And things were just getting good,’ She mused mournfully to herself as she turned to face the Teddiursa, “I thought you told her?”
“I told the den-mother. Not mamma. Didn’t lie.” The child huffed, the very image of technically correct.
“... I suppose not.” Vulpix acceded, hiding her amusement. Technically correct was some of the best kind of correct, after all, and the cub did deserve to stretch his wings should he wish.
“Cub–”
“Pooh.”
“...really?” At the smaller bear’s nod, Ursaluna chuffed. “Pooh it is, then. I should have been clearer– you did not need to beat me for me to let you go. Just show willingness to try.”
“Really?! Should’ve been more clear indeed.” Pooh groused, looking more than a little annoyed by the revelation. “That’s so dumb.”
“Your siblings, most of them are strong enough to make it in the world. But without will, you could become dependent or even subservient to your trainer.” Ursaluna huffed. “Not right for one of our lineage. If you have the will to stand up to me, you’ll never become a pet for humans. And that’s all I want. If your trainer sees you as a partner, a friend… I have no right to stand in the way of that.” She sighed. “We should have talked about that, as a family, moons ago. I’m sorry.”
“Yeah, we should have.” Pooh nodded, something akin to anger briefly flickering onto his face as he turned around. “Well, we’re leaving.”
“No.” As Pooh whipped back around and glared, Ursaluna elaborated. “You’re not wandering off through the marsh, at night, after slipping away from the den saying you were going to the bathroom. You are bringing your trainer home for the night, and we will send them off properly tomorrow.” She growled, firmly putting her metaphorical foot down.
Meanwhile, Shirou slid down the tree, walking over to the bear as he sensed the potential resumption of hostilities between the mother and cub. “Ah, should I translate?”
“Yes.” Vulpix rolled her eyes, “You absolute monkey, you should translate.” Pausing, she blinked, blanched, and looked away. It wouldn’t do for a potential future trainer to see her being embarrassed about this, “... You heard nothing.”
Shirou, well used to Illya’s own slightly tsundre tendencies, did not react, knowing that reacting was probably the worst thing he could do. “Ah, Ursaluna has calmed down and has accepted your partnership, Sora. She has also offered her den to you all for the evening, so you don’t have to stumble through the mirelands at night.” He relayed. Glancing to one side, he waved off the Gastly peeking out from behind a tree. “Unless you’d like to play with the ghost-types until dawn?”
“No… I don’t think so.” One of the boys muttered. “And you promise she won’t eat us?”
“I swear upon my sister’s title no harm will come to you.” Ursaluna rumbled.
“Sister?” Shirou asked.
“Lady Ursaluna.” Vulpix explained with an amused bark, “one of the ‘Lords’, though not one of the ones that is traditionally challenged in a battle. Your sister will likely not be ready for her challenge quite yet, so I would recommend returning later.”
“I think Illya wanted to go after her next, but we’ll probably visit the Diamond Clan village first.” Shirou told the fox. To the humans, he relayed “She’s sworn on one of the lords of Sinnoh not to harm you.”
“Alright. Not like I wanted to wander in the dark.” Sora said, looking fondly towards his new Pokemon before he turned his attention back to Shirou. “And it’d be nice to meet Pooh’s family.”
As the group started to walk back to the den, Shioru glanced at the ice fox at his side. “Thank you for stepping in. I think I’d have survived her rage, but I wouldn’t be in a good way.”
“Of course.” The Vulpix replied curtly, a wan smile making it’s way to her face, “It was the right thing to do, and I’ve never been the type to turn down a fight.”
“Don’t all pokemon?” Shioru asked rhetorically.
“She likes it more than I would. You have some serious skills, ma’am. Might want to ask you for tricks before we leave; I’ll need them to keep Shirou safe.” Ritsuka purred from the other side of her trainer.
“Does this happen often?” Vulpix asked, perking up at the very mention of ‘interesting times’.
“Well, there was the time we got challenged by a patsy of the Heroine of Hisui, the duel with a pair of trainer scam artists, the investigation which led to a duel with a group of criminals, and the Spiritomb monstrosity. Am I forgetting anything?” Ritsuka rolled out her sarcasm. “At least this time, we left the literal mamma bear to someone else to handle.”
Vulpix gave a slow blink, processing the information as she trodded back towards the den by the pair’s side. “I knew you were a trouble seeker, but this sounds ridiculous.” She snorted, mist forming in front of her muzzle. “Alright, you’re going to the Diamond Camp, and then to the two trials, right? I’m coming with you.”
“Really?” Shirou looked down at her, a light frown dusting his face. “I don’t need another minder.”
“Not my intent. I need to see this for myself.” Vulpix chuckled, “The more opportunities for fights I have, the happier I will be. Chosen ones tend to be rather good for that, and from what I can tell you are one of the ‘chosen ones’.”
“Dammit, I thought it’d be your cooking that’d attract the next one.” Ritsuka grumbled as Shirou began to protest.
2024-12-02 00:49:02 +0000 UTC
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She was, in the greatest of ironies, looking around Pokenet again, clicking around the various websites with a bored expression on her face. Then again, it wasn’t everyday you had a small, tiny hedgehog nestled against your chest for days on end.
To say her meeting with the Shaymin had gone well would be a minor understatement. Not everyone came away from meeting Legendary Pokemon with an egg, after all. Nor an egg that was near ready to hatch.
Honestly, she still didn’t understand why Mana of all people had burst into gales of laughter when the Shaymin had presented her with it. Seriously, her starter had… issues.
“You were browsing forums, Misora.” The aforementioned menace to society idly mentioned, looking slightly put out that her usual spot was occupied by the tiny thing. Misora would probably pay for that later.
Or she might not, considering how taken Mana was by their new teammate and… daughter? That was probably the proper way to phrase things.
--(PKMNet)--
NotGrimGrin
Okay, gotta know, most people here use ‘Team’ to reference any evil org, but I heard something different in my classes and the news anchors don’t explain. What’s the big deal?
Boys_on_the_Tracks
@NotGrimGrin This one’s a bit of a history lesson, so buckle up
The term ‘team’ is a rough translation of the Sacillia ‘Militia’, meaning military organization, which since then has been translated through Nipponese and then back to Europan. It was originally used for vigilante and activist organizations in Sacillia, and spread outward across the world. Trouble is, several of those organizations started as shady but noble groups and then went bad; the current foremost example is Team Rocket, which was originally a neighborhood protection group which turned into a nation-spanning criminal cum terrorist organization. But the mixed meaning of the original term, and the more common use of the positive term in Europa means both the positive and negative uses stay alive. Negative is winning out, though, since these days most protest groups can organize without rank structure, weird uniforms, and mottos.
DaBigApplesauce
So that’s why they’re talking about gangs and not teams here in Castelia? After everything that went down the Uptown Men and the Reapers are both getting blasted, but they’re not being called teams
HoustonNoProb
Yeah, if they’re not pretending to be good people, they’e not teams. Just criminals
Stony
So, I’ve been watching the news, and it seems like there’s a lot more team and criminal trouble popping up. Flare showing up in Kalos, Rocket making a mess in the Indigo Regions, the gang war in Unova Center… is this normal?
FourSord
nah bro, they were always there, now we can see them
Shodai (Pokemon Citizen) (Verified Eeveelution)
No, this isn’t normal @Stony. But the Legends getting more active again isn’t normal either. Nor are the whispers that a Chosen has been born, or become active (The rumor mills are wild right now, let me tell you). Chosen with a capital C, not a lowercase c. Always means interesting times are ahead.
Looker_Official (INTERPOL)
Porybot informed me you were online, @Shodai. Please do not share any additional information. Also, sending you a DM, if you are back in cell range, we may need your help.
FourSord
damn, it’s the fuzz
User Name
Both of them, even.
--(PKMNet)--
“Mana!” Misora softly stated harshly, “What are you doing?”
“Not classified information~” Her Primeon smugly sang, before her expression turned serious, “The people will know soon enough anyway. The League can’t contain this.”
With that lovely thought, Misora rolled her eyes, gave the squirming Shaymin on her chest a gentle pat to settle her, and went back to browsing.
--(PKMNet)--
CynthiaOfficial (Verified Champion) (Verified Masters 8) (Sinnoh League)
->PINNED COMMENT
As one of the foremost researchers of myth, legend, and legendaries who’s also computer literate, it falls to me to write this blurb. As a Pokemon Trainer or even just an ordinary civilian, it is highly unlikely you will ever encounter any legendary, and if you do it will likely be what we call a ‘class E’, or a ‘lesser Legend.’ However, if you’re on this forum, you have an interest in legendaries, so we need to lay down some ground rules, both in the world and for this forum.
DO NOT TRY TO CATCH LEGENDARIES WITHOUT PERMISSION: this shouldn’t have to be said, but I’ve met more than one trainer who thought seeking out and catching Ho-oh, a Darkrai, or an Articuno would give them an edge over me in their rematch. Most of the people who try this sort of thing don’t come close to succeeding, and most of those who get close just end up with a defeated team and a bad memory. But there are instances of mass destruction happening because someone wouldn’t take no for an answer, and tried to track a legend back to their lair or tried something underhanded to make a capture. It never ends well. If the legend doesn’t explicitly offer to allow you to attempt a capture, BACK OFF.
Be Respectful: Legendaries are always powerful in their own ways, and all of them are sharply intelligent. Don’t treat them like animals, don’t expect them to consider you their equal, and for your own sake do not try and forcefully interact with them if they’re being skittish. Some legends will treat your disrespect as a sign to become violent, and they may not stop at blacking out your team.
Do Not Spread Your Findings Here: Despite what most people on this forum would claim, many Legends are in contact with the League, the Ranger Union, or human representatives. Legendaries are still Pokemon, and most of them like socializing to some extent. But all of them like their privacy. If you’ve been lucky enough to find out some private details of a legend’s typing, location, appearance, and/or personality, please use restraint when sharing it. We likely already know about it, and we don’t want a rush of people breaking rule 1 or 2 to try and get a glimpse or a capture.
On this Forum, No Location Data: Some legends will let you take pictures; in fact, some are vain about it. But if you post pictures, or stories, or even factoids, do not share where you got that data, and please scrub your metadata on any pictures or videos. Also, in conjunction with Rule 2, get permission before you share the media to the site.
No Trade Requests: If someone says they’ve earned the trust of a legendary enough to permit a capture, that’s a bond which is typically non-transferrable. This is not a place to ‘shop’ for legendaries. Don’t even mention it. Similarly, breeding rights are right out; most Legends have particular circumstances for egg-laying which cannot be replicated by humans regardless.
We reserve the Right to add more rules: Be sensible, please. We had to add rules 4 and 5 after some particularly dumb people tried to squeeze metadata out of this site.
Broken-Wings
New here, hi chat! Was reading the above data. Are there really people dumb enough to try and buy a legendary?
Beholder
Yes. Yes there have been. People are, in fact, capable of immense stupidity. So are Pokemon, for that matter!
WeNeedNoName
Look, there’s lots of evidence for legendaries taking offense to people trespassing on their turf, even in a more abstract sense. @Broken-Wings, just look up the destruction of Tapu Village, in Alola. Even the benevolent legendaries can be dangerous, even if there were no deaths.
BalderDash
So, to get back on topic before Broken-Wings got on, what’s the news out there?
MTSilverFireWatch
I can confirm Ho-oh has been spotted crossing back and forth between Johto and Kanto. They’re not really avoiding human-habited areas, so that’s a change in behavior
Kaze Tachinu
Bets on when someone will try to catch them. I bet two months
Writer_of_Bad_Fiction
Please don’t spark a thread derail like that
MTSilverFireWatch
Nah, Ho-oh isn’t approaching the ground as best I can see. I’m spotting them with my binoculars, and they’re staying well above ball height. Unless you want to contest them in the sky, there’s no way to get to them
Tobias_Official (Verified Ace Trainer)
Not impossible to reach. But even for me, not a good idea.
PORTPOWER
Oh, hell, it’s this guy again. Tobias, deflate your ego
Misora_Official (Verified Ace Trainer)
Tobias isn’t even that special. Sure, he’s a statistical anomaly for managing to earn the trust of two different Legends, but he’s also been in the circuit for a decade at this point. He’s had the time, after all.
Tobias_Official (Verified Ace Trainer)
Not an unfair observation, Misora.
Broken-Wings
So do you have any advice? I mean, I wouldn’t want to miss a chance to get a legendary friend
Tobias_Official (Verified Ace Trainer)
No. And not just because you’re very new here. Every legend is a little different. My partners (Darkrai and Latios) both are very different, and both had radically different expectations before they joined me. And according to Latios, he knows others of his own kind which would use different criteria again. In short, there’s no guide I can give. Only experience and dedication can help you, so keep your expectations low for now.
Misora_Official (Verified Ace Trainer)
Yes and No. Like Tobias, no just because you’re new here and this is in public. Echoing what he said, each Legend is different, has different expectations, and even among their species will have different trials. As for advice, however; If any of the Chosen with a Capital C ask for your assistance, give it to them within reason. Not only is it the morally correct thing to do, but generally there’s a reason they ask.
WismurnoEvo
i thought chosen were a myth theyre real?
Writer_of_Bad_Fiction
Yes, Chosen are real. No, this is not the place to discuss them, besides the fact that a lot of Chosen end up with or fight against legendaries during their career.
BalderDash
Yeah, following a known Chosen around is really helpful to fill out the Rare mons section of the Pokedex.
In other news, did anything ever come of those idiots flocking to Dahara City seeking Hoopa? This chat was full of them for a while, but they got banned or left eventually
Ezio_de_Aud.
Local to Dahara here. Hoopa actually showed up a few times to talk to the tourists and legend seekers, but tended to drop anyone who tried to challenge him into the bay via portal. I think there’s some videos online, actually. But they’ve moved on; apparently Hoopa loves to drop in on Dahara, but doesn’t live here.
ThreePanelWoe
Did they mention any interest in being caught?
Ezio_do_Aud.
No, and he also mentioned technically already being caught? He said his ‘keeper’ was as close a trainer he’d ever have
WismurnoEvo
also we have confirmation hoopa is male which is cool
--(PKMNet)--
“And now who’s spreading technically not classified but really should be classified information around, Trainer Mine?” Mana griped, leaping up to the bed that Misora was laying on and giving her a nudge, “Hello again, little one. Still enjoying your sleep?”
Rolling her eyes at her starter’s antics, Misora huffed, “She’s been squirming because you keep interrupting her nap, Mana.” The girl stated, looking in vague disappointment towards the Primeon.
“Pah. Attention hog. That was my spot once, you know.” Mana grumbled towards the Shaymin, who simply flicked a small ear in response, “You’re lucky you’re cute and adorable and tiny and that I consider you my daughter, hedgehog.”
“Now you’re just doing this for the bit.” Misora accused, turning her attention back to her phone.
“When am I not doing things for a bit, Trainer Mine.”
--(PKMNet)--
Faller Four: The Eevees Enter
Original Poster: VaporeonLiker3
<<-- <- Page 145… ->
QueenofKalos<3
Still disappointed none of them have done any contests yet. I’d have thought Einzenbern might have been interested
GaeSylveon
Just because she has the best Eevee, doesn’t mean she’s going the contest route. Sylveon are great at contests, sure, but really any Eevee can do well on the circuit
QueenofKalos<3
I was more talking about her Feebas. Don’t they need contest wins to evolve?
VaporeonLiker3 (Original Poster)
Common misconception, they need to feel pretty to evolve. Speaking of which, they finally showed up for their third gym battle!
[LINK]
And there’s a faller grade piece of bullshit, one Feebas evolving mid-battle. Who’da thought?
TheMysteryofWyrmeon
Aww yeah, Ritsuka coming in clutch! Shirou’s going to go all the way to the league this year, I’m betting!
SageLeafeon
I’d have thought Shirou would’ve had a tougher match here, what with his team leading with a fighting-type, but Fantina took Illya to the ropes. That was not a two-badge team.
Speaking of ghost-types, do we know when the other fallers will be doing their matches? It’s been a while on their end, what with the delays in Canalave.
WitchyBuisness
My sister’s match can be found [here], while you won’t find my match for my (Gym Badge Number). Mostly because I accepted the badge from Leader Burgh on account of community service. My sister did as well, but requested a battle anyway.
SageLeafeon
Oh hey, the summoning worked! Hi Rin
My_Espeon_Is_a_King
So we won’t get to see Agate battle? Much sadness.
Good to hear you’ve stayed safe through all the troubles in Canalave, Witchy.
WitchyBuisness
Safe might not be the right word, but none of us got hurt. Speaking of which, I see a few comments about our third travel partner. He’s kinda shy, but he’s thinking about joining the chat sometime soon.
UmbreonLairdofShadows
Excellent match, but Sakura seemed at a disadvantage for a lot of it. Two pokemon weak to bug makes for an uphill battle, I suppose, and Burgh’s no pushover.
WeLoveTape
I know the mods clamp down on lot of discussion of them, but I’m still fascinated by the ghost Zorua. @WitchyBuisness, is the little fox doing well?
Also, WHAT’S IN THE BOX?
Silk_Hiding_Steel
Other is doing fine. Beyond still struggling to come up with a name she finds fitting, since she’s not particularly fond of ‘Other’. She’s definitely still rather odd in comparison to most Zorua though, even for a Ghost.
MoureionMourner
Weird even for a ghost? Now I’m very curious. Is she a trueborn, a manifestation, or a second lifer?
Silk_Hiding_Steel
Had to do a little research. She’s somewhere between a manifestation and a second lifer
MourieonMourner
Very weird indeed. You don’t need to give details, but I’d be interested in meeting her some time
TheMysteryofWyrmeon
Heya, does anyone know the three people in the box with the two Einzenbern-Emiya siblings? I recognize the girl from earlier pictures, but I don’t know the other two.
QueenofKalos<3
I recognize the man! That’s Emiya, their dad. Don’t know the woman, though
ItGetsInEverywhere
I do. That’s Emmanuelle, one of the few Ace Trainers to come out of the Orre region, and a known member of Interpol. Since we know Emiya is working for them these days, she might be his parole officer or partner
FlareonBurnstheHottest
Unlikely to the extreme that she’s his Parole officer. Mr. Emiya may have killed people, but no charges stuck (let alone filed) due to a rock solid self defense and blanket ‘pardon’ by the League and Interpol. Ms. Emmanuelle isn’t just an ACE trainer, however, and it’s important to remember that she is arguably the strongest trainer to come out of Orre in recent memory.
DesertRat
The other being Wes, right? Two of Orre’s national heroes.
FlareonBurnstheHottest
Yes. Both of them are suspected to be Champion Level, though neither actually take part in official League Circuits anymore. Ms. Emanuelle works for Interpol full time and is one of their more publicly known agents. Mr. Wes’ current status is unknown, though there are some that suspect he works for Interpol as well.
Fedorable
I’d never really thought about Interpol agents having histories… or lives at all. The uniform is rather distracting
Writer_of_Bad_Fiction
A lot of Ace trainers end up working for Interpol or other agencies if they don’t take a bunch of sponsorships. Feeding a whole stable of Pokemon is expensive, and if you’re not backed by someone, you spend most of your time working instead of training.
White_Fairy_Queen
I heard my dad got mentioned in here, so I came to take a look. Anyone have any questions for me?
GaeSylveon
Sure, who’s your next teammate going to be? Your Milotic is a good brawler, but you don’t have a dedicated physical specialist yet
White_Fiary_Queen
Whatever encounter I happen to meet and click with. Also, Milotic is very much my dedicated physical specialist. For some reason, she struggles quite a bit with aiming (we checked her eyesight, it’s not that) at anything beyond close ranges, so she decided to lean fully into being a brawler. As her trainer, it’s my job to ensure that she can be the best she can be, and if that’s the path she’s chosen, then I’ll help her walk it. Or swim down it. Either or, really.
AuraGardian
Click with? Where are you heading next?
I_Forge_My_Steel
Dad advised us to not say. Apologies.
Hard-Boiled
Well, we know they were in Hearthome last. They could’ve taken a train to get anywhere in Sinnoh like that, but I heard most people on their Journey don’t do that? It’s not an option in Paldea. Otherwise, they could’ve gone any of three ways to get to a different gym.
MoureionMourner
Even if we knew where they were going, that wouldn’t mean anything; there’s underground Pokemon and foreign Pokemon all over Sinnoh.
SageLeafeon
It is a bit of a problem, to some extent. But most of them behave, so close to the God’s Mountain
QueenofKalos<3
Do people actually call it that?
AuraGardian
Not often, but it comes up occasionally…
--(PKMNet)--
Private Message Server: I_Forge_My_Steel(Shirou_E online), Pokemon Master sAtoSHi(Ash_K, online), Walked-500-Years(Akari_B, offline), RileySteelBones(Riley_H, offline)
Trouble Magnet Aura Tutoring
Shirou_E: Ash, I’m going to be out of normal service for a while. I should be able to keep in contact, but the Mirelands will make video chats expensive.
Ash_K: okay, thanks for the heads up
Ash_K: i’m doing a lot better with the strength thing, still working on the communication
Ash_K: sorry for being out of contact so often, things keep happening
Shirou_E: So I’ve heard. You’ve run into those Team Rocket grunts how many times by now?
Ash_K: dunno, two or three dozen? lost count
Ash_K: they’re really stubborn
Ash_K: have you caught any more pokemon? I’m up to seven now
Shirou_E: No, but the egg I have is fairly close to hatching. It’s a Vulpix Egg, so I’ve been preparing for quite a while to receive them into the world to properly care for them. Ritsuka has been… looking forward to it quite a lot. I have a feeling that they want to be a parent quite badly.
Ash_K: huh, I don’t know much about eggs
Ash_K: should probably learn about that, if I’m going to be a master
Shirou_E: If you have an incubator, they’re not high maintenance. Have things worked out with Pikachu and your Charmander?
Ask_K: charmander is moody, but he’s getting better
Ash_K: managed to communicate with pikachu a bit more. He’s not interested in evolving, and that’s why he didn't want a trainer
Ash_K: he’s glad i told him it’s his decision, not mine
Shirou_E: I’m glad I was able to help a little. Any questions about the training before we head into the mire?
Ash_K: not right now. I have something that’s on the tip of my tongue but I have to go break up some play-wrestling that seems like it’s getting out of hand
Shirou_E: Understood. I’ll talk to you when I get a signal.
2024-11-16 00:06:38 +0000 UTC
View Post
Isabella looked up from her phone, peering over at the rest of her group as they started breaking down camp. “Hey, everyone. I just heard from Donovan. The Pearl clan’s given up on tailing you two, so he’s just going to be doing his own thing and checking in on occasion.”
Fafnir looked up from where she was carefully folding the latrine into the ground. “Who’s Donovan?” She rumbled, puzzled.
“Isabella was supposed to have a counterpart, a Pearl Clan boy named Donovan who was keeping ‘space’ with us,” Illya explained offhand. “I haven’t seen him in weeks.”
“Yeah, turns out he lost us for a while during our detour around Coronet, and then only found out about where we’d ended up via social media.” Isabella chuckled. “That, and since you’ve done nothing wrong, Pearl’s leader has decided to just… let him take a Journey.” She shrugged. “We’ll see him again, he’s a responsible sort. But we’re not his mission anymore.”
Folding up the last of their cooking gear into his backpack, Shirou slung it over his shoulder. “Good. He won’t be peeking in on Illya’s showers anymore.”
“That was only once. And it was an accident. I checked.” Illya’s eyes flared pink before they subsided. “Still was awkward.”
Shirou nodded, turning to lead the group out of the glade they’d set up in and back onto the path south. He leaned back, basking in the sunshine. “Hey, Illya? You don’t need to answer if you don’t want to, but how have things been going with Mesprit?” He gently asked as they made their way down the road.
“It’s been okay. I’d rather not talk about it beyond that, though,” she responded immediately, shaking her head. “I’m still coming to terms with things and I’ll share when I’m good and ready, if ever.”
Shirou simply nodded in response as the group continued down the road, their Pokemon walking beside them. For a few minutes there was nothing but silence as the group trundled down the rolling hills, but as they crested one small plateau they found a man waiting for them. The older gentleman smiled to see them, rising from the small bench beside the path. “I thought I’d seen a group of youngsters heading this way. How do you do?”
Shoving down the instinctive response to be wary of the man - they were in a far kinder world now - Illya bowed politely towards him. “Well, thank you sir. What brings you out here?”
“Well… it’s not common practice anymore, but it used to be that when two trainers' eyes met, a battle was inevitable,” the man chuckled, revealing a trio of Pokeballs on his belt. “Would any of you be willing to give me a battle today? I’m happy with two on two, one on one, or a double battle.”
“Of course,” Illya nodded, offering her hand for the man to shake. “Illyasviel von Einzbern. Does two on two work for you?”
“Shiro Takeshi. I will forgo any prize money should I win,” he said with a smile, taking her own. “Challenging up and comers is its own reward.” He walked over to the other edge of the hilltop, while Illya returned her own team and moved over to the other side. The gentleman plucked two balls from his belt. “Who will ref? We have enough people for it.”
“Isabelle?” Shirou asked, turning towards their mutual friend. “I think you’d be best. You’re the least biased of us.”
“Sure.” The Diamond clanswoman walked over to the edge of the natural space, raising her arm. “Send out your teammates on my mark.” She waved down. “Mark!”
Illya’s arm whipped forward, Milotic swimming into existence a few feet in front of her, and a few yards away from a bulky, scarred Machoke, who slammed one fist into a cupped palm with a smile. Takeshi pointed forward. “Mach Punch, close the distance!”
“Aqua Tail!” Illya barked, throwing her hand out as she issued the command. “Take the hit and brawl with that Machoke!”
The man’s eyebrows shot up as Machoke got in close, only to meet a strong blow in counter. The two figures began to brawl, water rising to allow Milotic to flow across the battlefield and duel with her opponent. “Ha! Unexpected! But I hope you have more answers than just the brawl. Thunderpunch, Machoke! Put her down!” The scarred brawler slid back after an exchange, lighting gathering around a clenched fist as he laid in with a vicious hook.
“Evade and use Wrap.” Illya commanded, and Milotic obeyed, weaving around the blow with serpentine grace before wrapping her foe in her coils. “Dragon Pulse!” Opening her jaw, she blasted the immobilized Machoke with dragonfire, the fighting type trying to seize the eel with both hands, and having minimal success. Finally, he managed to force her to let go by slamming himself into the ground, the chokeslam forcing her to disengage unless she’d be suffocated.
Takeshi sighed as he watched his partner straighten, breathing heavily but not yet downed. “He’s more of a boxer than a wrestler. That was a good call.” He snapped a hand forward. “Brace and get ready to hit back!”
“Swap to ranged, Milotic, Bubble Beam!” Illya called, not about to pass up an advantage when it was offered. Milotic opened her mouth, the sudsy blast smacking into the braced Machoke, causing Takeshi to huff.
“So that’s Counter out…” Watching his partner take another hit, he finally lowered one arm in a chop. “Alright, all or nothing. Mach punch into Reversal, try to even the score!” Machoke grunted, then darted in, his fist landing, before all of his scars began to glow with a furious red light.
“Aqua Tail,” Illya ordered simply. “Don’t let him get that Reversal off!” Milotic lashed out, her tail smashing her opponent into unconsciousness, but her timing was not quite on par, the length of her tail forcing her to give a windup to land the blow. The furious overhand chop smashed into her, sending her reeling even as her opponent landed on his back and failed to rise. Aching slightly, she came upright, the Aqua Ring around her soothing her wounds somewhat as the fighting type vanished into red light.
Takeshi sighed. “That was almost a lock-out. Your partner knows her stuff.” He flicked his wrist, a Chatot flashing into existence before him. “I do believe I’m going to lose this match, but we won’t go down without a fight.”
“I look forward to it!” Illya answered with a massive grin on her face, one reflected by Milotic’s cheerful cry. This, this was what she lived for. The thrill of overcoming an opponent with strategy and the fruits of your training, alongside your partners. She hadn’t fully decided to fully commit to battling yet, but this? This was just even more evidence to add onto the mountain she already had that she well and truly had fallen in love with battling.
The man across from her chuckled. “So good to see enthusiasm– I suppose there’s no holding back! Hyper Voice, as loud as you can get it!” He called out, gesturing forward.
“Chat-Let’s Make Some NOISE!” The bird squawked, the amplified vocalization blasting across the short arena, kicking up dust. Assessing that Milotic could probably take exactly one of those before she was out of the fight, Illya immediately made her call.
“Mirror Coat!”
Immediately, Milotic glowed pale blue, storing the ‘damage’ she’d taken from the Hyper Voice, before reflecting it back twofold. The shattering barrier tore into Chatot, sending the bird tumbling to the ground, nearly spent– and then Milotic was on her, ramming her tail into her opponent with a decisive smack.
Takeshi laughed loudly as he recalled his second partner. “Hahaha! Coming for Cynthia’s title, Ms. Einzbern? Very well done!” he called, crossing the space with a smile. “Ah, I do owe you a prize…”
“We said that we weren’t bidding, didn’t we?” Illya shook her head, “It’d be dishonorable to demand a prize when you stated you didn’t wish to battle for one.”
“Young lady, I told you I do this to support new trainers.” Takeshi replied, clicking his tongue. He rummaged through his jacket and pulled out a full restore, offering it to her. “Consider this a gift, then.”
“In that case,” Illya accepted the rather expensive item, carefully placing it in her bag, “I accept. Thank you, Mr. Takeshi.”
“Thank you for the magnificent match!” The gentleman chuckled. “You know, between the three of you, you seem to have a lot of very rare Pokemon. I’m sure you could get a reaction out of Mr. Backlot if you were to go see him.” He pointed down the hill, and the group could see a large mansion fronting a massive garden in the near distance. “He’s a bit of a blowhard, but the man is generous with his time, and he does love to see rare Pokemon. If you wanted to get a free meal, and maybe rooms for the night, he’d likely be happy to host you. Though you may have to listen to his ramblings.” Takeshi shrugged and dusted off his coat.
Illya considered that for a moment, moving over to Milotic to apply some much needed love and some medicine (though not the full restore) to some of her injuries, “We’ll definitely keep that in mind, Mr. Takeshi, but that’s something we’ll need to discuss as a group. Is there anything else we can do for you?”
“Nothing really. I think I need to go take Balrog and Jessica to get patched up. I’ll be keeping an eye out for you in the conference next year!” He gave a wave, heading over to the bench to scoop up his hat. “Good luck to all three of you.”
“Thank you, Takeshi-san,” Shirou responded as the man trundled off down the hill. “...did he remind you of the old man? They have similar vibes, if dad was twenty years older.”
“I can see it,” Illya hummed, tilting her head to the side. “The papa of today is a lot happier than he was, back from my memories of when I was younger. Not by much, but he seems a lot less… lost.”
Isabella nodded as she hoisted her bag back onto her back. “Having a Ralts-line around always helps people, best I can tell. Not as good as a ghost type for depression, but…” She shrugged. “So, are we going to go to the mansion, or just keep moving? We could probably make it a lot further than there if we kept walking, but I’m all for a night with hot showers before we hit the Mirelands.”
“It’s not a bad idea,” Shirou considered, holding up a hand as he thought of something. “Actually, let me check our status on supplies. It might be a better idea than I thought, if it comes with a free meal.”
“Are we running out of food?” Illya asked, to which Shirou immediately shook his head. “Ah, did we use up those perishables then?”
“Yes. We used them all up today since you realized they were going to go bad if we didn’t. Good catch, by the way. I figured you’d both appreciate another hot meal that isn’t, well, nonperishables made as tasteful as I can make them,” he replied immediately, giving Illya a high-five.
“So canned stuff all the way to Pastoria?” Isabella huffed. “There are some small communities down this way, and I think we can forage…”
“But that’ll slow us down.” Shirou sighted on the mansion. “Yeah, let’s head there tonight, and see if they know of any place we could resupply before the next leg.”
Half an hour of walking later, the group approached the mansion as the sun began to set in the sky, the shadows just starting to lengthen. At the gate, a young lady with a familiar face but an unfamiliar uniform was slouched against the wall, watching their approach. The Jenny stood up, holding up a hand. “Hello there! I’m guessing you three are trainers on your journey, but I do need to confirm that.”
“We are.” Shirou nodded firmly, Illya echoing him moments later, “May I ask why, Officer?” The only male human of the group continued, curious.
Jenny looked to one side, an Absol emerging from behind the gatepost with a happy nod. “Just checking. There’s been a few times we’ve had trainers break in to raid the Trophy Garden. No one the staff couldn’t deal with, but there are always idiots trying to get rare Pokemon.” She looked across the spread in front of her, a wry smile crossing her face as Absol took a seat beside her. “Granted, I think you might have most trainers beat. Here to spend the night? I think Backlot will love having a chance to meet a Riolu, and having some inspiration might help his Feebas bed.”
“... Feebas bed?” Illya asked, tiling her head to the side as she tried to imagine exactly what that could mean, before a spark lit in her eyes, “A flowerbed based on Feebas?”
Isabella coughed. “Um, a group of Feebas is called a ‘bed’,” she explained quietly.
The Jenny laughed. “That too, but there is a flowerbed surrounding their pond, with Feebas and Milotic imagery. Mr. Backlot has been helping them, but even though a few have evolved, he’s not had a good success rate,” she explained, even as she tapped on a communicator. After a few moments, the gate swung open. “Anyway, head on in. Don’t catch any Pokemon unless they challenge you, don’t tear up the lawn, and don’t damage the mansion. Other than that, please enjoy your stay at the Pokemon Mansion,” she rattled off.
“Of course,” Shirou replied, leading the group into the outer garden. The manicured lawns were interspersed with deep pools of water, hedges bordering tall grasses, and even some small groves of trees and artfully placed stone features. And wandering through, around, and atop all the landscaping were Pokemon. Mostly more common species, but interspersed between the Kricketot, Pikachu, and Roselia were a few scampering Eevee, a group of Mime Juniors imitating one of their evolved kin, and even a Happiny pack darting around a harried Audino matron.
“Okay, yeah. I can see why they need a guard or two around here,” Isabella remarked, peering into a long pond to see a group of pale-striped Basculin peering back at her, before darting back into the reeds. “I’m guessing he has more security than just the one girl, though having an Absol at her side probably helps a lot.”
“More than likely. Especially since Officer Jenny is a police officer,” Illya acknowledged, humming as she watched the Pokemon go about their daily lives. “I’d imagine this is also a league sanctioned reserve, considering she’s here.”
“It is indeed!” The group looked over to see an older, well-dressed man flanked by a maid and a man in a gardener’s uniform emerge from between two hedges. “Welcome to the Pokemon Mansion, children!” Once he got close, he knelt to offer one hand to Yagi. “And hello there to you all, as well! I’ve never seen some of these Pokemon, and it’s always a pleasure to welcome a Riolu to the mansion.”
“Greetings! It’s nice to meet you, good sir.” Yagi stated, accepting the hand of the well-dressed man, “Your home is very well kept, worthy of Lucario and Riolu, I’m surprised none of my kin have settled down here.”
“I will admit to having tried, but we don’t typically have much in the way of training space, and we try to keep the grounds calm for all the baby Pokemon who live here. There has been an order recently which considered moving one of their outposts here, but so far, there are other places in need of protection.” He laughed as he stood. “Ah, but I understand that.” He looked over at Ritsuka. “You, though… you I do not understand. Obviously an Eeveelution, but I’ve not seen a dragon before.”
“I’m new. Much like Mana. If you aren’t familiar with her, she’s a Normal Type evolution. Eevee apparently are capable of evolving more than the standard eight, though the rest are rarer or undiscovered.” Ritsuka shrugged, recalling the Ghost Type Eeveelution that had stuck to Elle’s side like glue throughout the time she had spent with them. It had not been hard to figure out that the Ghost was classified, especially one Haboo had explained the method of evolution.
“I have heard of the multitudes Eevee could become, but I’ve not seen one before.” Mr. Backlot said gaily. He then clapped his hands excitedly. “Oh, and you can speak as well! Marvelously done, is that normal– no, you wouldn’t know, would you?” As he applauded the little fox-dragon’s skill, a skulk of Eevee gathered, many looking at Ritsuka with starry eyes.
“Hey!” One kit, a bit rougher of fur than the rest, tumbled forward and skidded to a halt in front of Ritsuka. “Can I be a dragon?”
“I mean, yes?” Ritsuka huffed, “Clearly, I am standing before you as a living example.” The she-fox continued, rolling her eyes.
“Cool! How?” The Eevee asked, bouncing back and forth on his feet.
“I have absolutely no idea.” Ritsuka chirped, patting the Eevee on the head, “More seriously, we have a few theories. Try to learn a dragon type move and then bond with someone really closely. Professor Rowan is almost certain that’s the natural evolution condition.”
One of the older Eevee in the group got a grumpy frown. “Do we even learn any dragon moves? I don’t know any…”
The ruffle-furred Eevee chirped angrily. “Quitter talk! Hey, dragon-vee, what’s the first dragon move you learned?”
As the Eevee clustered around Ritsuka, and to a lesser extent, her sister, the humans made their way a little ways off to a small pavilion. “Well, of course you are welcome to stay the night; Monica, please inform the rest of the staff to make up three beds.” He paused. “Ah, unless any of your teams would like their own rooms? Unusual, but some Pokemon can be picky.”
“I don’t believe so,” Illya replied, slowly shaking her head as she looked towards her Pokemon, “They tend to prefer simply staying outside when we’re camping, sans our starters, who generally sleep with us.”
“I will instruct the staff to have your rooms placed where you can oversee the west lawn, then,” the maid, evidently named Monica, said with a small bow. “And we will have some bedding placed out there.” She moved to one side and pulled a small phone from her apron, speaking into it rapidly.
“I’d lose my head if I didn’t have such wonderful staff!” Backlot chuckled. “Poached them from the places I’ve visited over the years. Travel is wondrous, but the home is where one finds their soul again!” He moved to the table set up on the pavilion, the butler rolling out a small map. “Let me show you a map of the grounds, and we can plan out where you want to go. Sorry to say we don’t have many dragons, ghosts, or ice-types here, saving the small pack of Vulpix who frequent the slopes. So your teams do stand out, for many reasons.”
Shirou looked over the map, eyes passing over the clusters of Pokemon with some interest. “I can almost understand not having many dragon-types, but I’ve seen plenty of ghosts around.”
“Ghosts like places with history and darkness; neither of which this mansion has much of.” Backlot responded simply. “Give it a century and this place will probably have plenty of ghosts, but I built this place myself not thirty years ago! No time for them to settle in, and I don’t have any haunted woods or caves for them to inhabit on the property.”
“That makes some degree of sense.” Illya acknowledged, humming to herself, “I’d imagine that if there were any, they would be few in number, and mostly haunting the mansion itself. Have you considered getting some older relics for them to either inhabit or draw them in with?”
“I have! And I’ve managed to find a few, though they’ve not drawn any takers yet. Not like your blade, young man.” Backlot said to Shirou jovially. “By chance, any interest in leaving them with me? A young Honedge would be a wonderful addition to the mansion.”
Shirou blinked twice and looked over at the pack he’d set down, the blade he’d been carrying and practicing with since their encounter with the Spiritomb hooked below the straps. “A nascent Honedge? I was just practicing with it.”
“Hmm! Very interesting!” The older man chuckled. “There are two kinds of ghost-types, young man; the born, and the created. Those ghosts born like any other Pokemon are typically rather… well, typical when it comes to Pokemon.” He said with a smile. “But those which are created, by tragedy, emotion, power, or simple happenstance; well, they tend to be stronger, but harder to control. And with the age of that blade and the shadows surrounding it, I’d say it won’t be long before it comes to life.” He frowned. “Monica, would it be life or unlife?”
“Life, sir. Most ghosts are not dead, per se,” Monica responded duly.
“I’d say,” Illya nodded sagely, humming to herself. “Ghosts are alive and have registered as alive to most of the spells I use. I’d say that unlife only really applies to very specific ghosts.”
Mr. Backlot perked up. “Magc, hmm? I wouldn’t mind asking some questions about that. Other than the man I had put wards around the property, I’ve not had the chance to meet a mage in years.” He chuckled. “But we’re getting off subject. So! Honedge, will you be keeping them?”
“Yes, I think so,” Shirou replied immediately. “Technically, that blade is a historical artifact, and I don’t think our big sister would appreciate me giving it away without giving her first dibs.”
Illya snickered softly, considering Cynthia’s reaction to such disregard of history. “She’d probably let the sale go through. But she’d want to make sure you’d be keeping good care of it.”
“She’ll likely want to interview them when they wake up,” Yagi remarked, getting in close to study the blade. “It belonged to Benni, the Last Shinobi.”
Backlot’s eyes widened. “A relic from the Heroine’s era! Wonderful!” He looked at it appraisingly. “You might be lucky enough to meet her, should you carry it.”
“... We already have,” Illya grumbled, a light of anger briefly flickering in her eyes before it passed. It, quite honestly, wasn’t worth the effort to get angry at her anymore. It helped that, well, the other woman involved had already apologized in a way that Illya could actually understand, and both Matilda and Ritsuka had largely forgiven everyone involved in the ordeal. There was a point where holding a grudge was pointless, and she could now recognize when that point came, thanks to Mesprit.
“...I’m starting to think you two are living a very interesting life.” He looked over at Isabella. “And you?”
The Diamond clanswoman shrugged. “There’s a reason I’m following them. I’m not nearly as weird as they are.”
“Well, if you are keeping the blade, I will insist on hearing how you found it,” Backlot said, turning back to Shirou. “It must have been an interesting experience.”
“Certainly, in exchange for some information in return.” Shirou responded. “We do need to resupply, and I was wondering–”
--(o)--
Over breakfast the next morning, Shirou shot his smallest teammate a perplexed look. Normally, the little Riolu was chipper and active first thing in the morning, but today he was a little reserved, eating his food with relish but no energy. “Something happen last night, Yagi?” He asked, buttering a croissant and taking a bite.
“Not what you’re thinking.” The pup yawned. “There’s a den of Magby and their parents living in the back areas. I ended up fighting all of them back to back, then several of the Magmar.” He smirked, waving his fist to produce a corona of flame. “On the plus side, I learned Fire Punch. On the minus, I was up too late sparring.”
“So that’s the annoying sound that was keeping me up last night,” a rather irritable dragon trilled, a tired glare sent towards the jackal, “You’re paying for that later in the ring, Yagi.”
“I needed a chance to spar with new opponents!” Yagi snapped back before he rubbed his face. “Sorry, sorry. I’m just trying to get prepared.”
“Ah, pre-evolution jitters,” Fafnir rumbled from her own place at the table. “I’ve dealt with those before.”
Mr. Backlot yawned, sipping his tea and peering at the small device in front of him. “Ah, so nice to be able to follow these conversations. As for you, Mr. Yagi, I’m glad you found some sparring partners, but next time you visit, please keep it to waking hours.”
“We apologize, Backlot-san,” Illya said, much more chipper than the rest of the table, having tossed up a cone of silence over her room.
“No harm done in the long term, young lady. You’ll be welcome back if you come by again; you have wonderful stories.” He laughed. “So then! I have a chest of fresh produce, and even some meats, waiting for you when you leave. I will not send you all away empty handed, especially not with the help you’ve given my Feebas and Eevee!”
“They were rather insistent on speaking with us,” Matilda stated with a fond huff, tossing her currently a sister a significant glance. “I do believe they had a favorite though.”
“Well, I am fairly unique. I do wish I could have given them more advice.” Ritsuka shook her head. “I wonder if there will be any successes? Sir, could you let me know?”
“Of course,” Backlog replied. “Do you have your own contact number, or should I get one from your trainer?”
“My trainer’s, please. I don’t have a phone. Nor am I interested in getting one at the moment” Ritsuka answered simply. “Hard to hold them, and Rotom Phones are expensive in Sinnoh.”
Backlot opened his mouth, only for Monica to cough politely. He paused, then nodded. “Indeed. Monica, please get Mr. Emiya’s number, and we’ll remain in touch.” He laughed. “And if I end up with a little purple Eevee, I will let you know immediately! Ah, wouldn’t that be a wonder…”
--(o)--
Isabella looked out over the landscape as the group headed out through the gates, Shirou smiling as he hefted his bag over his back. The siblings looked at the clanswoman as she compared the landscape to her map. “Alright, guys.” She said seriously. “We have two options from here.” She pointed towards the road as it meandered south. “That way follows Route 212, which takes us through the edges of the Mirelands, and is the fastest route to follow if we want to reach Pastoria.” She turned, pointing East towards the woods, the trees in the distance shrouded in moss. “Or, we can head towards the Mirelands directly, and head into Diamond Clan Territory. Illya, if we did that, you could take your trials sooner, and we could face Diamond’s Gym before Crasher Wake. But it’d be a harder trek.”
“... Shirou?” Illya asked, turning to her brother, “Your vote, first? You should know what mine is.”
Shirou thought for a moment. “I’m really good with either… but if I had a preference, I’d rather take the known routes.”
Illya glanced at the woods, nodding sharply. “I’d rather head towards my trials first.”
Isabella turned off her device. “Then we’re going through the Mirelands,” she said simply. “...better to get to the clan grounds first.” Turning, she started walking downhill, heading for the woods. “Come on, we’ll need to ford some mud pits before we reach the trails, but it shouldn’t be too bad.”
The group fell in, advancing towards the woods. Out of sight of their advance, on one of the hills poking out of the Mirelands, a young man peered through a set of binoculars.
“Huh, she’s coming early.” The redhead lowered the goggles. “It’s been a while since we faced challengers. Ready, my Lady?”
Lilligant’s expressionless face crinkled in a smile.
2024-11-01 23:06:19 +0000 UTC
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“You seem better at ease recently. I think seeing your family has done you well,” Amelie remarked to her partner. Kiritsugu was looking out the window of their car as it rolled through the near-pastoral landscape, cutting over rivers and between low mountains. “Do you wish you could’ve stayed longer? I’m sure Looker could’ve given us a few more days.”
“I do. But I also want to ensure Team Flare won’t be a problem for them,” Kiritsugu admitted, his eyes entirely fixated on the road. “Besides, they also are on their journey. It would be a massive cultural faux pas to delay it even more.”
“Yeah, that’s the right read,” Elle said from the passenger’s seat. “I think your kids would’ve been alright with you sticking close to them, but most people would’ve been looking at us weird.” She checked the map as they approached a fork, briefly waving to direct Kerry towards the left. “And this is real work; something we can do while the League gets their act together.”
Kerry grunted. “Renault’s death is unfortunate, as were those riots in Castelia. Seems like it’s not just Flare causing trouble.”
“Not hardly. Rocket’s making a comeback in Nippon, I’ve heard rumors about Hoenn’s conservation groups militarizing, and there’s always domestic crime,” Elle sighed. “Following this lead is important, but it’s not something that needs a lot of firepower in the wings.” She paused. “Hopefully.”
“We should probably keep a few ACE trainers on standby in case it does,” Kiritsugu suggested, considering things. “While we aren’t expecting trouble, we have access to League resources. It would be a waste to not use them if needed.”
“...I can give my old ex a call,” Elle mused. “He’s a good guy, Psychic type specialist. He’d probably be willing to pop over just to hear about Hoopa.”
“Ex?” Amelie asked, a fae smile stretching across her face.
“Not a bad guy, just couldn’t handle long distance. We’re both too busy to interact with people who aren’t actually around.” Elle waved off the grin. “Yeah, I’ll call him. Not sure how soon he could get here, of course.”
Kiritsugu nodded as they turned towards Langres. “Well, we shouldn’t need him immediately, but the sooner we can get in contact, the better.” He casually banged on the roof. “Everyone alright up there?”
Frogadier curled their body so they could see into the passenger side window. “We are doing fine, the view is wonderful. No enemies sighted yet.”
“I’ve been staring into my flames, but beyond a vague feeling of danger, nothing,” Braixen reported, sounding a bit annoyed at that. “I’d recommend being careful as we enter the lab.”
“Yes ma’am!” Quilladin chirped. “What Lady Braixen said.”
“Stop it with the Knight LARP, brat. You know you aren’t required to do it, right?” The fox muttered, more fond than annoyed.
“Yeah, but it’s fun. Also, gotta prep for my next evolution,” the grass type said, Kiritsugu hearing him wiggle around on top of the car. “Hey, we’re all middle evolutions now. Wonder which one of us will evolve first?”
“Amelie or myself, likely,” Frogadier croaked. “We are both of an age for it.”
“Screw you, frog. I’m going to beat you there.” Braixen cried back competitively, Amelie helpfully providing an illusion of them glaring at each other, sparks erupting between their eyes like some kind of anime.
Kerry shot his partner a bit of attention, still not taking his eyes off the road. “...do they know you’ve only been keeping from evolving to stay shoulder sized?” he murmured to his first partner.
“...I don’t know what you’re talking about, and they definitely don’t know what you’re talking about.” Amelie responded impishly.
Elle finished texting and looked back up at the road. “Good news, bad news, and good news again. Good news is that he can join us for a while; there’s something he’s preparing for in a year or so, but this’ll be good practice. Bad news, he can’t come immediately. Good news again, he can get over here within an hour once he’s free from his current engagement.”
“He has a teleporter on call?” Kerry asked, raising one eyebrow.
“More than one.” Elle said as they started to pass more buildings. “He’ll have to do several teleports, though. He can get to Luminoise in one jump, but then will have to close in with shorter hops settlement to settlement.”
“That’s good news,” Kiritsugu agreed, eyes minutely widening as he looked at where they were. “We’re close. One more exit.”
“Alright. So, we’re going to meet with the Professor’s assistant, figure out why he never properly inventoried and locked down his lab, and work from there to figure out what else besides that Master Ball ended up being lost.” Elle said, straightening up and checking her watch. “Corruption is an old song, I suppose.”
Kiritsugu sighed. “Yes. Let’s hope he comes quietly.”
--(0)--
“I’m sorry, did you say Adrien has been missing for three years?” Elle shook her head, nearly spasming in confusion.
The mayor of Langres, an older woman with a pinched face, shook her head. “Not officially.” She sighed. “Monsieur Gallant was the Professor’s arms and legs during his waning years. But they had a very close relationship; I would say something akin to father and son, or perhaps uncle and nephew. From what I understand, the Professor in one of his more lucid moments asked Adrien to go into the wilds, searching for something before his faculties took a turn for the worst. Him being gone for a whole year was not unexpected.” Her lips thinned. “He was still gone when the Professor began hallucinating, and was still out of contact when he was remanded to care in Aquacorde.”
“I see,” Kerry frowned, with a significant look towards Elle, one which the Interpol agent returned. “How long has it been since Monsieur Gallant has contacted anyone, Mayor Francine?”
“Too long, at least twenty months. You would need to ask the lab aides to be certain, but he has not reached out to anyone here in that time,” she said tightly. “He was a private man, but they have not told anyone if he has been in contact.”
“The aides? I thought the professor had only one assistant?” Elle asked.
“One Assistant, yes. But it takes more than just two people to run a lab the size of Ruscus’. He had five aides, people who helped with the research, cleaning, pokemon care– the usual,” she explained. “Not registered to go out and act in his stead, but employees, non?”
Kiritsugu nodded. “If that’s the case, are any of those aides still keeping up with the property?”
“I know the caretaker, the secretary, and one of the researchers have left. Mme Ludvilla left town after her paycheck stopped being paid, and both Mssr Douglas and Mssr Adolph moved on to other employment; I believe they bought a ranch together with their savings,” Francine explained. “The other researchers are still visiting the lab regularly, though both work odd jobs in their spare time.” She smiled. “It is wonderful to see such loyalty.”
“I see. Is there any other information you believe would be useful, Mayor Francine?” Elle asked, jotting down a note and flashing it to Kiritsugu. Assistant likely murdered. Aides who retired may have been encouraged to do so. Aides that remain are likely Flare plants.
Kiritsugu gave a tiny nod. “We’d like to interview all the aides, if possible. Who is left working at the lab?”
“Mme Melanie Reale, and Mssr Jean Ferdon. I don’t have their numbers, but both of them visit the lab at least twice a week. They both typically meet there on Saturdays, so they should be there today, in fact!” The mayor beamed.
Kiritsugu stood with a clipped smile. “Thank you for your time, madame. We won’t waste any more of it.”
“Pas de probleme, young man.” She said in response, standing to clasp his hands. “I can see about getting you the address of the other gentlemen still local. It is good the league is finally trying to find Gallant, he may have been a quiet man, but he’s still one of us.”
Elle accepted the shake as the mayor moved to her. “We will keep you informed on whatever we find, madame. You have been a great help.” She shook the hand firmly. The moment the Mayor saw them out the door, her face dropped like a rock. “This is beyond my expectations,” she muttered lowly. “I was expecting one person pawning things to the black market, not what seems to be a conspiracy.”
“The League didn’t know any of this, or at least, we didn’t see any of it when the records were checked,” Haboo added, melting out of her shadow. “We should have known Gallant was off on Journey, the aides should’ve shuttered the lab without the Professor active.” Their tread on the ground was finger-light. “Did Flare muddle the sand with the league?”
“The Mayor isn’t in on anything,” Amelie said, popping back onto Kerry’s shoulder. “She feels… simple? Worried, but it’s small. Like nothing can really be wrong.”
“Naive,” Kiritsugu replied as he opened the door to his car, “Naive is the word you’re looking for, Amelie. Braixen, do you have a more specific lock on that sense of danger now that we have more information?”
“Yes. It’s most certainly in reference to this conspiracy,” the fox replied instantly as she emerged from her ball, before holding up a paw. “But I should gaze into my flame for a while to make sure I am correct on that. Please, do not disturb me while I do so. I will begin now, on the roof.”
For a few minutes, she meditated, the flame on her branch burning gold while they waited. Finally, her eyes sprung open. “There is definitely a fight in our near future, one which will quickly escalate. I sense… two opponents, perhaps three?” She shook her head. “Beyond that, I’m uncertain. It may come down to what we do.”
Kerry nodded, climbing back into the driver’s seat. “Is your friend–”
“Still on his way,” Elle murmured. “But I don’t think we can afford to wait, word we’re here will get around as soon as the mayor starts talking to people,” she said as she slid into the passenger’s seat.
“Okay then. Let’s go.” Kerry started the car, rolling out of the parking lot and towards the edge of town.
A few minutes later they’d come up upon a wide building, two stories in one part and a single story in the others. The grass out and around the building was high enough to hide ankles, but not enough to reach their waists, and the paddocks for Pokemon were empty and overgrown. The gate was open, and two cars sat in the small parking lot out front, along with a rusty van with bulging tires.
Rolling into a parking space, Kiritsugu shut off the engine and climbed out, returning his team to their balls. Elle emerged from the passenger seat and let Haboo slip into her shadow, both of them looking around the dilapidated space with assessing eyes. Elle spoke first. “...well, if there’s a trap, it’s not an obvious one. There’s no welcoming crew here.”
“They’d be inside,” Kerry stated immediately. “Better kill zones.”
“Mm.” She looked over at Amelie. “Anything?”
“Two human minds, and a half-dozen pokemon.” The Kirlia shrugged. “I’m not sensing any worry or aggression right now.”
Kiritsugu nodded, walking towards the doors. “I suppose we’ll find out if that’ll stay the case.” He reached the doors and gave them a rattle, the wooden slab remaining closed. “Locked.” He eyed the nearby intercom and keypad combo, then looked at the lock on the door. “Call in, or break in? I have lockpicks if need be.”
Elle sighed, producing her Interpol Agent badge. “That’s a league standard reader, should accept my override.” She passed the badge over the reader, frowning as it beeped shrilly. “...or not. I think that did trigger a bell of some sort, though.”
“... Elle, you’re covering me now. We’ll take them alive.” Kerry sighed, having reached out too late to stop the Interpol agent from making the mistake she’d just made. Pulling out a brick of explosives from his coat, the former assassin expertly prepared the door for breaching, then, with a nod to himself, blew the door.
The lock busted off, and Kiritsugu entered with a bang, drawing his sidearm to point down the exposed hallway, just as a young woman with strawberry blonde hair emerged from a lab. She immediately screamed, raising both her hands. “AHHH!”
“Melanie?” came a voice from deeper in the building. A young man with black hair emerged from an office further down, Pokeball in hand. “Hey! What the hell are you doing?” he yelled at Kiritsugu.
“Put the Pokeball down,” Kerry ordered calmly, weapon already drawn towards the man with the live weapon in hand. “This is an Interpol Raid. Please don’t make my job harder by resisting.”
“You should probably listen to him.” Amelie added darkly, ready to forcibly remove the Pokeball from the man’s hand if he made a move to release the Pokemon within. “My trainer is a firm believer that kneecaps are a privilege, not a right.”
“Interpol?” The man, likely Jean Ferdon, scowled. “Badge, then.”
Elle snapped her badge out, revealing it to both people. “We’re here investigating the sale of restricted materials on the black market. Please stand down.”
Jean’s scowl intensified, before he let his arm fall and the ball returned to his belt. “Great, people are missing for years and now Interpol shows up and breaks our fucking door,” he swore.
“Jean, not the time,” Melanie snapped. Turning back to the two agents, she gave a tight smile. “I wish you had called ahead, but we will cooperate. Let me turn off the experiment I was running, and we can talk. Oui?”
“No,” Kerry and Elle replied in tandem. “You’ve already violated league rules by modifying the external scanner,” Elle continued, nodding towards Haboo, the Moureion leaping into the shadows to go scout ahead, “Hands up. On the floor. We are going to secure you, and leave a pair of our Pokemon to guard you while we inspect this facility.”
“Wait–” Melanie started out before Jean groaned, grabbing her shoulder and pulling her to the ground. “Jean!”
“We don’t have anything to hide, and it doesn’t do us any good to argue.” He jerked his head towards one of the labs. “When you head in there, turn off the shield generators, they might fail if they run too long without adjustment.” He groaned. “Fucking hell, what happened to make you so pissed?”
Elle moved over, producing two pairs of cuffs. Loosely securing both of their arms behind their backs and sending out Houndoom and Ampharos to watch the labbies, she spoke quietly. “Master balls in terrorist hands. At least one, and there were supposed to be three secured here, then returned to the league. Don’t strain against them,” she warned.
Kiritsugu ducked into the hot lab, eyeing the odd projector firing a pulse of blue energy at a backstop, before hitting the red ‘emergency shutoff’ button. Behind him, he could hear rising protests from both of the aides. Kiritsugu looked on his shoulder, Amelie peering back at them with furrowed brows. “Well, getting anything from them?”
“A bit of guilt from Mr. Jean, but not sharp guilt, if that’s any help. He’s more angry, frustrated, and just kinda grumpy. Melanie is more afraid, though it’s tempered with… resolve? Not sure what to make of that.” She reached up and rubbed the base of one of her horns. “I’d need to be a lot more obvious if I was going to read their minds. It’s not something I’m great at, anyway.”
Pulling a pokeball from his belt, Kiritsugu tossed out Braixen’s ball. “Braixen, what do you think?”
“The sense of danger is intensifying.” She hummed, pulling out her stick and lighting it, “Buy me about five minutes and I can probably get an exact fix. But I doubt we’ll need to. I am almost certain that this Melanie is one of our Flare plants.”
“Melanie?” Kiritsugu murmured, peering back into the hallway, where the two aides were still talking with Elle. “I’d have…” He paused, back straightening as he shook off his first impression and actually thought about her reaction, “... No, she tried to get time alone, to set us at ease. That makes sense. I agree, Braixen. Good work, I would have missed it without you saying something.”
“No fear, either. Like there’s something she knows that no one else does,” Braixen growled. “We felt it all the time back at our prison. This sense that, no matter what… they were safe, or at least beyond reach.” She paused, then shuddered as her ears shot up. “Teleport signature! Incoming!”
“Elle! Prep for combat!” Kerry roared, throwing out the Pokeballs for Quilladin and Frogadier, “Quilladin, move to support and defend Braixen and Amelie as they suppress their Pokemon. Frogadier, knock out our captives and ensure they aren’t liquidated!” In the same movement, he pulled out one of his holdout weapons, grimacing as two well-dressed Flare grunts popped into the corridor, immediately being driven back by Elle’s team and Frogadier. As he turned to head into the hallway, another teleport triggered right in front of him, a single figure appearing.
Dark dress swishing, the Contessa sighed. “Monsieur Emiya.” She took a step to one side as he snapped his gun up, a Mismagius rising from her shadow to pop a portal to intercept his bullets. “Pardon moi, but I was really hoping you were still on vacation.”
Melanie lurched upright before Braixen could hypnotize her. “Madame, you came!” She said, awe and reverence coloring her voice.
“Of course, my dear.” The Contessa scowled as an Alakazam popped into existence, only stopped from reaching the bound aide by Houndoom’s snapping bite. “I wish it were someone else here, Mr. Emiya; otherwise I would just take her and go. But with you here, I must try to claim your life before departing.”
“Take it if you can,” he growled, eyes flashing in rage for the first time in a while. They knew he’d been on vacation. Someone had leaked. He’d be cleaning that up later. No more words were exchanged. Without hesitation, he began firing, pulling his Thompson Contender from the holster he had kept it in since the fateful day he had been brought to this world.
Contessa grimaced as Kerry’s standard bullets pinged off a barrier, Alakazam shifting to covering her with a shield. She drew a sidearm of her own, firing back as her Furfou, Goodra, and Florges tried to battle against Elle’s team. The elegant woman smiled as Kiritsugu’s sidearm clicked empty, raising her own pistol and firing as he dodged. “I won’t give you time to reload, assassin.”
Kiritsugu raised his Thompson in response, sighting down and pulling the trigger as he aimed for the center of mass. The moment his gun came up, Alakazam jerked, swiveling rapidly towards his mistress, then teleported in to grab her, just in time to draw her away from the collapse of his barriers, the Origin Round parting the reflect shields like paper.
Contessa seemed shocked. “What– Gabriel!” She shrieked as the psychic type collapsed, convulsing as his own powers turned on him from the bullet’s effects. Everyone stopped as he spasmed, Contessa looking up with a stricken expression. “What did you do to him?”
“Fought back,” Kiritsugu muttered, face pinched. He didn’t like using the Rounds– it was a cruel way to kill. But undeniably effective. He slid a fresh magazine into his standard pistol at triple speed, then raised it towards the woman, only for Mismagius to grab her mistress and drag her into the shadows, beams of light catching all of her Pokemon as they fled. Melanie watched in horror as her escape was pulled clear.
One of the Flare grunts blinked from the floor, Frogadier sitting on his chest. “...um. Weren’t we supposed to leave with her before the bomb went off?”
“Frogadier, Quilladin, Braixen, spread out and search for any explosive devices,” Kiritsugu barked towards all but Amelie, moving over towards the grunts. “You have ten seconds to tell us exactly where that bomb is before I have a psychic rip it out of your mind.”
The grunts glanced at each other, desperate confusion evident, before Melanie screamed from her spot on the floor. “On the generator in the basement! The lab is off the grid, we use a type-reactant generator, and there’s a bomb on the pressure chamber!” She struggled against the hound holding her down. “I don’t want to die!”
“Elle, I’ll handle the bomb,” Kiritsugu barked. “Amelie, with me. Prep to teleport the bomb into orbit.”
“My range does not extend that far. Let’s hope you can disarm it,” Amelie said as they sped up, Kiritsugu darted around the corner and reached the stairs within seconds, not even bothering to use them as he leapt to the bottom in one go. Dodging around the boxes and shelving units, the two reached the obvious generator with time to spare, Kiritsugu taking a page from his son’s book and quickly using Structural Grasping to find the book-sized explosive. Eyeing the device, Kiritsugu simply ripped the detonator off the brick of explosive putty, sighing with relief.
Amelie looked around, head tilting. “Did this seem too easy to you? Three people and one bomb doesn’t seem like enough against what we’re capable of.”
“That’d be on me!” Both of them turned, gun coming up and psychic power igniting as they faced a man with short purple hair, hands raised. “Whoa there, I’m here because Elle called me in. Maekawa Will, at your service, here to block reinforcements and prevent ambushes.” The man gave a bow, a slight tightness in his movement the only visible response to the gun still trained on him.
“You interdicted them?” Kiritsugu asked, lowering his weapon but not holstering it quite yet. After all, he wasn’t entirely sure this man was who he said he was.
“Yeah. Three additional teleport rounds before someone wised up,” Will sighed. “They were good enough not to get caught in a redirect, but not good enough to break through before they gave up.” His expression turned serious. “When Elle told me she was handling something serious, I wasn’t expecting bombs and guns. Should’ve known she wouldn't be kidding when she said this was as bad as Cipher.” He crossed his arms, looking Kiritsugu up and down. “At least you seem seasoned. Better backup than I was, probably.”
“Flare started this by attacking the hospital that was graciously treating me for curse damage,” Kerry explained, nodding towards Will. “I intend to finish it.”
“...yeah, that sounds bad.” Will clapped his hands. “So, I can’t be here all the time; I’m not getting paid, and I’ve found getting shot at is very bad for my mental health. But you seem like you need psychic support, and I can deliver. Also, I’ve sent Xatu to let the league know you guys need a transport and an interrogator,” he finished, clapping his hands.
“...you are a very flamboyant man.” Amelie managed.
“Coping mechanism,” he replied frankly. “Also, you are a cute one, and do you have a little brother or sister I could recruit? Never did find a Ralts who wanted to come along with me, they’re often reclusive.”
“I have a few younger siblings, but as far as I’m aware, none are looking for a trainer. I can write you an introduction to one of the psychic enclaves near Lumiose, though,” Amelie replied instantly, curtsying towards her fellow psychic. “If nothing else, many will find your mastery of your own psychic powers of interest.”
“More than I could’ve hoped for,” Will said. “Now then, I assume you will want to hear the interrogation? This will be messy, I suspect.”
--(0)--
“...and it wasn’t until after a few months passed that I realized they’d killed Adrien,” Melanie said with a sigh. “It was… disheartening. In the extreme, in fact. Sacrifices, yes, I understand, but to kill someone who was just trying to do his job?” There was old grief there. “I raged at the man who was my handler, then. It was la Contessa who comforted me, after.” Her face went gentle. “She’s a wonderful person, I can barely understand why she works with the brutes who have hitched themselves to Flare’s coattails.”
Kiritisugu watched through the camera as the interrogator leaned forward. “And Flare’s goals? Why did they come to the lab in the first place, you’ve not said.”
“Ruscus was not always the man I knew. He once made weapons for the military, yes? For the Great War. And though he swore never again to make weapons, there were so many ideas he developed which could be used as such. So many techniques, and of course, his studies of the old weapons. From the First War.” Melanie explained. “That first man, Gaston, presented himself as wanting to see those old notes, study them. Jean would have none of it, but he was persuasive. But it wasn’t enough to see the old notes, he wanted samples, items from the lab. Which Adrien would’ve spotted.”
“So they killed him,” Kiritsugu muttered to himself, shaking his head at the justifications the woman was providing for her actions. Pathetic, but expected.
“Seems like they eased her into it, slowly bringing her around to their way of thinking,” Elle said. “Dunno if Contessa was their ‘friendly face’ or if her presentation was genuine; most of the time they’d break down the patsy more, not show friction in the ranks like that,” she commented. “Either way, Melanie is… complicit in a lot. Grand theft, at least, possibly accessory to murder.”
“Prison it is." Kiritsugu stated uncaringly. “She made her choice.”
“I’m not protesting. It’s just good to remember that not everyone involved in groups like this are so evil and arrogant to want some world altering disasterm” Elle replied sadly. “Even in Cipher, there were people who just wanted to provide for their families. It doesn’t excuse what they do, though.”
Kiritsugu tightened his lips, turning back to the camera feed as Melanie spoke again. “...Contessa told me that the results of their plan were… extreme. She said there was debate among the upper echelons, about what they would do when they found the Ultimate Weapon. If it even still existed.”
“Hold on, are you speaking of the weapon which was said to have ended the First War, three thousand years ago?” The interrogator asked.
“Yes. That’s what they’re still seeking, even nowm” Melanie responded. “Contessa said some of Flare’s leaders want to use the weapon to force the world to bow, and make it better. Some want to use it for immortality, like the ancient king did for his partner and himself. And some want to use it to wipe away the stains of the world.”
Kiritsugu sighed behind the glass. “...another apocalypse cult? Let’s hope this one doesn’t have vampire backing,” he groaned.
Elle paused, tilting her head. “You did mention those dead apostles once. Or twice.” She looked back at the screen. “The Ultimate Weapon… that’s supposed to be just an old legend.”
“You’re not going to tell me not to believe in it, are you?” Kirtisugu asked rhetorically.
“No. We both know better than that. I just wonder what it’s really capable of.” She pursed her lips. “The professor’s weapon research might be what they’d need to reactivate it, but I wonder what the cost would be to use it? The legends say it had a ‘great cost’, which was one of the reasons why the King lost his partner and abandoned the throne after its use.”
“We’ll have to look into it,” Kiritsugu stated firmly. “Starting by having Interpol sweep the entire lab.”
“Already on it. They got there minutes after we left with the prisoners.” Elle looked back into the cell. “This went a lot smoother than it could have. But this is evidence Flare’s been working on its master plan for years. We’ve got an uphill battle taking them down before they get desperate enough to employing extreme measures to complete their plans more quickly. I know the type.”
Kirtisgugu nodded, frowning slightly. “Considering what they’ve already done, whatever’s worse will likely be catastrophic. We need to be prepared for anything.”
--(0)--
“Well, Xerosic? I have one of my best agents down her most flexible team member, and she’s not going to go into battle against the assassin without knowing why an Alakazam suffered a stroke.” Lysandre entered his chief science officer’s lab in a swirl of fancy coat and flapping scarf.
Xerosic looked up from his microscope scanner, pulling his glasses back down over his eyes. “Sir, I’m still analyzing the bullet we removed from her partner, but I can already tell its mechanics are outside my bailiwick.” He motioned to a screen, the device lighting up with a material composition. “So far, all I can discover is that it’s made of bone. Human bone, of all things, and treated with several exotic compounds.”
“Magic, then,” Lysandre grunted, grimacing at the very thought. “A very putrid and disgusting form of magic.”
“Likely. We will need the help of a mage to analyze it fully. For now, all I can say is that it forced a feedback effect on her Alakazam, causing him to suffer the equivalent of a major stroke. There may be more to it than that, but so far I cannot say more.” He looked over at the computer. “However, based on the effects, I can say that normal armor may provide protection, as might fully technological barriers.”
“See about setting some of your underlings to design such,” Lysandre ordered immediately. “Countermeasures to such a tool will be important in the future. Damn that interfering man.”
“Yes sir.” Xerosic looked in the corner, where their pawn sat unmoving, his suit holding him in place. “I’ll see about refitting EXS to handle the impact. He’s proven to be a good counter in the past.”
“Do that. Today was no great loss; but it proves once again that we are facing a truly evil man. Our efforts must not fail to stop him,” Lysandre instructed, before turning and walking from the room. “For a perfect world.”
“For a perfect world,” Xerosic echoed, turning back to his computer. He didn’t see his creation twitch, a flash of violent intent entering his eyes before they smoothed out once again.
2024-10-16 00:10:51 +0000 UTC
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Rin frowned as they walked down the busy street, dodging pedestrians and Pokemon as they made their way towards the Castelia Gym. “While I didn’t like the atmosphere when the gangs were still around, these crowds are horrible,” she groused. Beside her, N nodded, Noibat angrily squeaking at anyone who tried to bump the small boy.
“I don’t mind them,” Sakura shrugged, weaving in and out of the crowd with almost inhuman grace. “It’s nice to see such a large city this lively, after all.”
Rin huffed fondly, reaching out to take her sister’s hand. “Well, I’m glad you’re happy,” she said as they came up to the small park which fronted their second museum based gym. She winced as they beheld the crowd of people, weathered and young, who were crowded around the entrance of the gym, a pair of people in colorful, paint splattered outfits wrangling the mixed bunch of youngsters and professional trainers. “And I’m glad we have a reservation. Looks like there’s a lot of backlog.”
“That makes sense,” N nodded severely, his effort to look mature and knowledgeable honestly more adorable than anything else. “People would have been waiting for this with the gangs warring in the streets.”
The group forged ahead, two ticket windows labeled ‘Challengers’ and ‘Visitors’ both doing a brisk business, the former slowly forming a line as they watched. Before Sakura could decide whether or not to go up to one of the gym trainers and ask about where to go, the main doors were flung open and the flamboyant figure of Burgh stepped through.
“Wonderful, wonderful!” The crowd and spectators went nearly silent as Burgh stepped into the sun, the Leader giving a half bow as he strode forward. The man pitched his voice to carry as he advanced. “So many challengers, swarming to meet me! It’s so good to see the city back to normal, or what passes for normal here in Castelia!” He spun, clapping his hands. “Now, if there’s anyone here looking to sign up for a match today, I’m sorry to say we’re booked solid!” He motioned to the Challengers desk. “You can still sign up for a session tomorrow or later in the week, though I’d recommend you just do it online; skip the line!” He turned and motioned to the Visitors desk. “And if you’re going to do it from your own devices– well, we have plenty of seating to see our matches today!” He nearly spun to Sakura’s side, giving her a grin. “And here’s our first match now!”
“It will be a pleasure, Leader Burgh,” Sakura replied, her will to fight coming to the fore in the same instant a challenging glint entered her eyes. “I look forward to our match.”
“I should hope so!” Burgh turned and led them both to the entrance, pausing only long enough to accept three tickets from the woman at the visitor’s desk. “Here you are.” He turned over three museum tickets. “Normally, spectators have to pay to see the museum– just a token amount, but the galleries are beyond my League stipend. But challengers get free entry, and it’s not right to have you two have to pay.” He motioned to Rin and N. “Also, the least I can do for your help. Things could have gone… so much worse,” he said, spirit falling as they entered the museum, heading straight for the double doors leading to the central courtyard and battle space.
“Yeah. They definitely could have been,” Rin mused softly to herself as they walked into the gym,leaving the ‘museum’ space to enter a courtyard made into an indoor jungle, with a central area dominated by a courtyard. Trainers and well dressed spectators filled the chairs and bleachers set up around the battle court, talking animatedly.
Burgh sighed as they reached the courtyard. “Gym leaders are supposed to be the bulwarks against evil and destruction. To me, that’s always meant inspiring creative passions and working out differences constructively. I didn’t expect to run into a war in my own town in the second year.” He shook his head. “The League said I did well, but ultimately, the urban chaos has played havoc– internally and externally.” His smile returned as they reached the court. “But you two managed to help end the chaos before it went too far. And to show my gratitude, I shall give you the best match I can!” He bowed to Sakura, scarf fluttering like a cloak. “Shall we?”
“We shall.” Sakura nodded firmly, brushing her right hand against the pokeballs on her belt, “I’m ready.”
“This will be a three on three match between Challenger Sakura Juniper and Gym Leader Burgh. The Challenger may substitute pokemon twice. The Gym Leader is restricted from making substitutions. When I lower my flag, you will send out your Pokemon,” the referee called out, standing in his box on one side of the arena. With a hum, buried shield generators came to standby mode.
Palming Other’s Pokeball, Sakura nodded firmly to herself. Only Other was not weak to bug on her team, so she’d make a good lead, especially since she’d be entering the field with an illusion. Hopefully, she could bait a resisted move from Burgh while landing a punishing status move. As the referee let the flag drop, both sides sent out their first Pokemon.
Other landed, disguised as Ren, while a Whirlipede dropped to the opposite side. Burgh gestured, smiling. “Hit him with a Struggle Bug!” The mid-evolution insect whirled forward, attempting to bowl over the disguised fox while sticky green energy formed around him.
‘Yes!’ Sakura internally pumped her fist, eyes sparking with anticipation, “Dodge and close with Quick Attack!” She commanded, sweeping her arms to the side. Struggle Bug did have to be dodged either way, because accepting the attack this early wasn’t worth it. Especially not with the special attack drop that came with being hit.
Covered in a corona of white energy, Other leapt aside as the Whirlipede skidded by. Feet slamming onto the ground in a complex maneuver, the disgusted Zorua coming about face to slam into Whirlipede. The bug was sent skidding backwards, smarting but still very much in the fight.
“Shine on, then put some paint on him!” Burgh called out. The bug seemed to shine with steel energy as he triggered Iron Defense, preparing himself for a melee encounter, then began to prepare a barrage of brightly colored needles from within his shell.
“Snarl!” Sakura called, Other complying with her hidden command as ghostly flames flickered around the fox, each wisp of flame slamming into the preparing Whirlipede, leaving nasty red burns behind, “Take the hit and use Hex!”
The time for deception had passed, after all. Sakura had gotten what she’d wanted. Burgh gasped as the illusion collapsed, the poison stings revealing Other as her retaliation savaged her opponent. All around the arena, gasps and applause sounded as people took in the rare shiny and her impeccable tactics. “Magnificent! I was not expecting that.” Whirlipede shuddered as he wobbled, the hit and the burn building up to hurt him badly. “Ghost types are not his strong suit… but I believe he can still deal some Payback!” He called out, the wounded bug’s eyes flashing red as shadows gathered around him.
“Hex again. Don’t let that attack go off!” Sakura called, eyes narrowing as another aura of ghostly energy surged, inflaming Whiripede’s burns in the same instant it dealt even more damage to the bug. It almost wasn’t enough. However, seconds before the Whirlipede could collide with Other, she dropped into her shadow. Moments later, the opposing Pokemon came to a stop, falling softly to the ground, obviously unconscious.
“Well done.” He smiled, tilting his head. “I’d say elegantly done, but that’s… not quite right. Still, I’m always impressed by Zorua, they need to understand everything about their subjects to fool people. But, as you’re using a rare mon, I will do the same.” He pulled out a second ball. “May I introduce Lokix!” Across from Other, an upright black cricket landed and began hopping from foot to foot.
Not taking her eyes off the battlefield for a moment, Sakura pulled out her Pokedex, already barking her next command, “Other, Will-o-wisp!”
With most of her attention on the unknown threat, Sakura could just barely pay attention to both the battlefield and the incoming information about the Paldean Pokemon as her Other self bombarded her opponent with a barrage of ghostly fire, aiming to once more inflict the same condition she had inflicted on her previous opponent. Lokix was not having that, though, springing to one side, then sweeping across the battlefield in a flurry of stances to land a darkness-enhanced blow. Assurance hit Other hard, nearly laying the little fox out. Before she could take the second blow he directed at her face, she spat blue flame over him, and as she collapsed the bug shuddered in pain as the burn settled in.
Sakura withdrew Other, frowning as she processed the information she’d found out. Dark-Bug was a nasty combination, but not an insurmountable one. Ren would better resist the attacks Lokix was likely to be able to dish out, but she wasn’t…
Who was she kidding, she’d swap Ana in after Ren had taken out the Lokix.
“Ren, you’re up. Swift!” Sakura called, throwing out her starter Pokemon out onto the field.
Responding to her command, the Umbreon landed on the field and immediately surrounded himself in an orbit of stars, flinging each out as Lokix. The hits landed, while Burgh called out quickly. “You’re on a timer! Double your rhythm, then get into melee and keep styling on him!” Lokix nodded, channeling his energy into Agility before blurring across the field to close the distance on Ren.
“Calm Mind,” Sakura intoned, seeing a potential path to victory. After all, Agate had recently taught Ren how to use baton pass, and while she wasn’t the greatest fan of her sister’s usual strategy, it did have its merits. As Ren stilled, uncaring of the Lokix closing in on him, Sakura called again, “Swift.”
Lokix took the second hit, Lunging in to smash the tough fox-cat. Ren winced as he felt his power drop, the move sapping his attack and sending him skidding back a few steps. Lokix, meanwhile, shuddered as the burn raked his exoskeleton with a trace of flames.
“Moonlight.” Sakura barked, “Wear him down.” Her starter’s rings glowed, and he leaned back and let a burst of blue light rise from his throat, forming into a false moon above him, soothing his wounds.
Burgh whistled. “Ah, a long match, then? I’ll match that. Lokix, switch to Leech Life.” Lokix nodded, green light gathering around his hands before he darted forward once again, attempting to seize his opponent and drain his vitality.
Having absolutely none of that, Sakura immediately called for a counter, “Body Slam, Ren.”
With a cry, the Umbreon briefly took a portion of the attack, before slamming his opponent away with a picture perfect body check, sending the significantly smaller bug flying towards the barrier. Bouncing off, the cracked bug looked up at Ren with narrowed eyes. “You are… a tough one,” he acknowledged, darting into a fast Lunge with fluid grace.
Ren countered with a hit of Iron Tail. Clashing once, twice, and then he slammed him down with one last somersault tail smash. “If it weren’t for that burn, this would’ve been different,” the Eeveelution acknowledged before Burgh could return his pokemon.
Burgh smiled, pulling out his third Pokeball. “I suspect you already know what my third Pokemon will be.”
Sakura nodded, and the light formed into the expected, upright grass-bug type. Leavanny smiled, limbs unfurling to their full extension. The weaver bug smiled, then began to dance, light collecting across her form and concentrating in her arms.
“Ren, Baton Pass,” Sakura called immediately, watching as her stater disappeared into his Pokeball, holding out her other to accept the status boosts as she sent her next Pokemon out. “Ana, you’re up!”
Ana materialized as Leavanny finished her Swords Dance, the Servine receiving the boosts and smiling boldly as she eyed the bug across from her. Leavanny’s eyes narrowed, touching each other then separating to form a line of green energy, quickly dulling into silver strands. With a flick, the weaver bug started sending lines of string shot cascading across the battlefield, forming traps and patterns as she shifted her blades. “I sense you’re a contrary sort, so I’ll rely on physical traps, not tangling you directly.” She mused.
“Good guess,” The serpentess admitted. “Not that it’ll help you much.”
“Ana, Swift.” Sakura called, eyes narrowing as she tried to figure out the best way to tackle the Leavanny.
‘Foul Play. But I have to make Burgh repeatedly use Swords Dance first, and hope that Ana can whittle her down enough for it to be a guaranteed knockout,’ she decided. Burgh was perhaps one of her greatest counters right now, and was definitely throwing home the fact that she’d have to take a break from gyms to properly build her team after this. She shouldn’t be running into these situations at this point. She let a smile flash across her face. “Stay evasive, let her ruin her own traps trying to get to you.”
Ana nodded, intercepting a Razor Leaf swung at her with another Swift. She deftly hopped one low trap, then lay down and went serpentine to slide under another, popping up to send another Swift peppering into Leavanny, the bug giving up on a distant attack and closing across the laid webs with elegant stride. Burgh cupped his mouth. “Give us another dance, weaver! We need to lay her out in a single blow.”
“Well said.” Leavanny began to move her arms through a second pattern dance, eyeing Ana’s form thoughtfully. “Do you have any interest in providing me some material after this? Your coat is exquisite, I rarely get to work with that sort of dark green.”
Ignoring her opponent's attempts at distraction, the serpent simply replied with another Swift, not even waiting for Sakura’s command; which came a moment later. After all, Sakura didn’t seem all that concerned with Leaveanny boosting, which meant that, for sure, her trainer had a plan. One that probably involved her getting knocked out, but her pride was in her team before her personal performance. That meant that if Ren could knock this bug out, she would be more than happy.
Leavanny got within spitting distance, accepting the hit as she raised her blades for an X-Scissor. Sakura called out at just the right moment. “Slam!” Ana responding with a furious tackle which smashed her tail into the bug’s torso as the blades came down. Leavanny staggered from the vicious hit, but Ana was taken down by the doubly-enhanced strike.
Burgh applauded as Ana went back to her ball. “It’s good to see that you’ve stuck with your core team, and not added a partner just for this battle. But here, I think, is a good reminder about adding more colors to your canvas.”
Sakura said nothing as she sent out Ren, her starter crouching briefly. “Foul Play,” She said simply, her starter pulsing with dark energy before he darted forward, smacking the Levanny with a single paw. Her own blades erupted, the power gathered to them revolting against her grasp and wracking her as her own strength turned against her, leaving her slumped and broken. As she struggled to rise, the Umbreon somersaulted, one last Iron Tail finishing her off.
“Not an unexpected outcome,” Burgh said, clapping his hands. “But well done, regardless! I’m glad to see you had a solution for my final fighter. I thought they might be a bit much for you.” He returned Leavanny and stepped out onto the battlefield as Sakura did the same with Ren.
Reaching out her hand, Sakura smiled towards the Gym Leader, “It was a good match, and a challenging one. If I hadn’t figured out my out, I would have lost.”
“Well, you have earned your Beetle Badge, despite not needing to fight for it.” Burgh handed over the emerald badge, Sakura smiling as she inspected it. “Now, normally I give out Struggle Bug to interesting trainers, but I’m not sure if you’d have a use for it. I do have TMs for U-Turn and a few for Fury Cutter on hand. Do you have a preference?”
“U-Turn,” Sakura replied instantly, her mind already analyzing all the ways she could utilize the fantastic utility move. “No question.”
“Done!” He produced a disc from his pocket. “I hope your future endeavors meet with as much success as your gym battle came today.” He stopped and looked over at the crowd at the edge of his gym area. “I do need to go freshen up and prepare for the next match, so I don’t have time to show you around the museum, but do take a look. Many of my own pieces are exhibited here, and there’s historic and modern pieces as well.” He shook her hand, then turned and walked back towards the Leader box.
Rin stepped up beside her sister. “Any interest in the museum? I’d rather spend the day prepping for our departure tomorrow, but we can plan our trip in the morning if you’d rather take it easy.”
“What does N think?” Sakura asked, answering the question with one of her own.
“Burgh put a few pieces on display made by his Pokemon, and it expanded into an entire wing created by Pokemon artists,” N said, pointing at a section on a brochure map. “May we take a look?”
“I have no objections, N. That’s why I asked. I just didn’t feel strongly one way or another.” Sakura replied with a smile, “That said, Rin. In the future, we might want to ask our partners if they wish to visit the Museum. Just a thought?”
“Ooh, right, they are open to Pokemon.” Rin perked up. “Sakura, revive your team and we can show them the exhibits!”
Sakura smiled as she reached for their overstocked medicine pouch, chuckling at N and her sister’s enthusiasm. Art was art, but she wondered how different art made by Pokemon could be?
--(0)--
N grinned as he lifted the small binoculars to his face, peering at the spartanly-touched canvas. “So that’s how some Bug-Types see the world…” He whispered, the canvas coming to light with impossibly vibrant hues.
Rin flipped through the guidebook on her device. “I suppose with hues unable to be seen by humans, there’d be paintings incomprehensible to us.” She said as Sakura held up a pair of the binoculars for Ren to peer through. “Apparently, this work was made by an Orbeetle painter who realized his partners couldn’t see the patterns he took for granted.”
“Interesting.” Sakura hummed, binoculars lowering as she finished taking in the rather fascinating painting, “Are there any other paintings you and I might be interested in?” She glanced at N, who was practically glued to the painting, “I don’t think N is going to be moving for a while.”
Rin blinked a couple times as she read over the document. “There are some interpretations of the Four Swords Compact signing by some very long-lived Pokemon, both dictated and made by surviving viewers. But there’s also a series of energy-reactive sculptures which change based on what Pokemon are nearby, and what I think might be a mirror enchanted to show you what type of Ghost-type Pokemon you’d become after you died.” She eyed Sakura, Other perched on her shoulder. “...that last one might be too obvious for you.”
“Not necessarily,” Sakura hummed, a considering look towards the fox on her shoulder. “Other is and isn’t me. Thus it stands to reason I may not end up becoming a Hisuian Zorua.”
“Yeah, not sure if sis would be like me. She might end up a Froslass or something, certainly pretty enough. Although… how’d they even get that to work?” Other wondered aloud. “A ghost had to be involved, right?”
“Yes, though also a fairy? Apparently it was a partnered pair of a Hatterene and his partner, a Mismagius,” Rin said, engrossed in the information pamphlet. “Having works like that in the open… back home, someone would’ve stolen it already, even if people didn’t know it was a mystic code.”
“It’s highly likely that it shows what you would become if you were to drop dead of completely natural causes in that very moment, actually,” Ren hummed. “Humans becoming ghosts is rare as is, after all. It only happens in exceptional circumstances, so the Hatterene must have wrought some sort of fairytale into the mirror proper so it could extrapolate?”
Agate nodded, “Yes. You are likely correct, brother. It is rather fascinating to ponder though, isn’t it?”
“Ponder nothing,” Rin muttered. “It’d be extremely rude to study the mirror while it’s on display, but I bet I could get Burgh to–”
N cut her off with a chop to the back of her head. “You need to ask the creators, who still own the piece,” he admonished.
“Ergh, right…” Rin sighed. “Sorry, magpie tendencies.” She shook off her genealogical instincts and turned back to N, who was studying the painting again. “You’re really engrossed in that one.”
“It’s more about what it means,” N said after a few moments of silence. “Bug types see the world this way– it is natural to them. Orbeetle didn’t make it for other Pokemon, but because of his connection with humans. It’s wonderful.” He lowered the binoculars. “It seems Pokemon and humans enriching each other's lives is far more normal than I thought.”
“Indeed. There is a reason why our society operates the way it does, N. Pokemon are more than powerful enough to put a stop to this arrangement if we truly wished to,” Ren answered in lieu of the humans. “You should know this, should you not?”
“I knew there were some. But I thought there was more bad than good,” N admitted, setting the binoculars into the cubby before the painting. “And I understand it now.” Zorua pressed one cheek into his human’s, the two finding comfort in each other. “...I still want to stop the problems I see. What the brothers and Captain Bles talked about. But I don’t think separating us will do that. Not anymore,” he whispered.
“Then you’ve learned the lesson you need to,” Agate nodded decisively. “Now, I do believe we should continue enjoying the art standing before us…”
2024-10-01 23:10:18 +0000 UTC
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Rin watched as Agate and Ren loped away from their park bench, the girl smiling briefly before she turned her attention back to the email she’d been sent. After a few minutes, she frowned. “Sakura, our partners are really only two months old, yes?”
“I’m not entirely sure.” Sakura shook her head, humming in amusement as she stared in the direction their starters had gone, “Given they’re mystery gifts, it’s likely Arceus simply chose the most likely age to be of the most help to us.”
“I suppose. But in life experience, we just sent two friends with less than a year’s life between them into formerly gang-infested land. On their own.” Rin looked up from her tablet. “Is it weird that I’m not worried for them?”
“We’ve talked about this before, lass. Age is not equal to maturity. Otherwise, Libra would be the wisest one here,” Gordon said from his spot atop a muffin, slowly eating his way into the treat.
“What Gordon said,” Sakura shrugged as she browsed through Sufficient Battling. “I don’t think it’s strange, neesan. I’m not particularly worried either.”
“I suppose we’re hardly normal.” She opened her mouth, then looked over at N, the boy meditating while covered in wild Pokemon. “...no, he’d be no help.” She shrugged, and went back to her emails. “...do you think we’re going to run into any of the legends? The Emiya family have already had several encounters.”
“... I would hope not,” Sakura hummed with a soft shake of her head. “Legends mean trouble, and there’s already more than enough trouble as is.”
“And a lot of them are assholes,” Gordon grumbled.
“Might be a good fight, though!” Ana chirped from her own spot in the sun.
As the whole group erupted in a conversation, Sakura glanced over to see the tail end of her starter and his sister vanish into the brush. She smiled and returned to her book, Other curled up at her side.
Meanwhile, Agate led her brother into the underbrush, cutting through the leaves as the sun slowly set. “I’m fairly certain our hosts are back this way.”
“My nose works just as well as yours does, sister,” Ren responded, sniffing the air and catching the scent of a dozen Eevee up ahead. Rounding the corner, both Eeveelutions looked out over a horde of brown fox-cats interspersed with two dozen of their evolved brethren.
Many of the nearest Eevee perked up and turned to see them, bounding over with a deluge of welcome and rapid questions. Agate threw up a quick barrier to keep from being swarmed under by the tide of fluff. “Well, they’re enthusiastic.”
“It’s not too often that we invite trainer pokemon around. And much longer since anyone here’s seen a Mystery Gift.” The crowd parted, a larger Eevee with gray streaks in his hair and tail padding forward, coming to a stop before the two. “Well met, strangers and kinsfolk. Welcome to the Tussle.”
“You’ve been around a long time, elder,” Agate observed, absent any other way to proceed. “We are honored that you would greet us.”
The older Eevee tilted his head back letting out a conjoined series of chirps. “Veeveevee… It’s not like there’s that much for me to do tonight. The big issue has been resolved; the gangs are on the run or quiet, and the foreigners are leaving soon. The tourists will be back, as will the street vendors; and winter is still a ways away.” His gray-streaked tail wagged happily. “The kits want to ask you what being a trainer partner is like, but that’s something that can wait. Come along, and meet the rest of us older folks.”
The three fox-cats advanced through the crowd, the elder leading them to a quieter spot in the eve of several large trees. “We don’t have shrines or hollows like some communities do, but this spot’s been used as a meeting ground for centuries before humans settled. We have it at the dusks at each quarter moon, and many other days besides.” He explained, as he led them to the clearing. Most of the Pokemon awaiting them were evolved Eevees, with a smattering of larger or visibly scarred unevolved members. “We hash out any conflicts and coordinate when necessary here.”
“I see,” Ren answered simply, casting his gaze around with wide eyes, “It is… good to know one of the cultures my species tends to practice.”
The elder chuckled. “Fighting wastes resources. A lot of species meet up like this to hash out differences before it comes to blows; or escalates into feuds.” He padded into the midst of the leaders, turning around twice to perch on a patch of moss.
One of the other elders chuckled. “Like the humans generally tend to. Our ways of life are not so different that we cannot understand each other when we bother to try.” With a hum, he nodded. “That is why we make it a point to impart our way of life onto trainer Pokemon that pass through here, especially those Eevee that have never seen our way of life and express interest.”
“We’re both interested, to be sure,” Agate nodded, taking a seat near the center of the gathered elders. “I can’t help but notice that not every evolved or even old Eevee back there came here. Is there some criteria for joining these councils, or…”
“Nah, kit,” a Jolteon with ruffled fur spoke from her spot. “Packs don’t have alphas or anything like that; the Pokemon with the most patience and responsibility gets suckered into talking at these meetings.” One paw pointed at a tiny Eevee with bright, focused eyes. “Junior over there represents his pack, since he’s suited for it.”
The little Eevee waved. “Kinda weird being the elder when I’m so young, but I think I handle it pretty well.”
“So by merit of patience rather than by simply outliving everyone else,” Agate hummed. “A good system. One that is fairly new, I’d imagine?”
With an amused huff, the first Eevee laughed. “Yes. We began our experimentation with this system around when the humans in Unova were doing something of the same; experimenting with democracy. Our old system was far more akin to that often depicted in feudal dramas.”
Ren tilted his head. “I wonder who learned from whom?” His ears twitched. “A question for another time. So, beyond Eevee, do you all meet with other Pokemon groups? I know there are Patrat, Purrloin, and Lillipup groups here in the city, and you probably run into other Pokemon, too. Do you negotiate with them for space?”
“You can’t just claim space. There’s plenty of room for coexistence,” a Vaporeon instructed. “We do share places to gather food, and there’s cooperation to keep the rat population going.” They tapped the ground with her tail. “And keep the humans from just bulldozing all the places we live in…”
“Now now, they’re not all bad. Hell, they’re usually nice. But they do have a tendency to expect their old buildings to be up for grabs twenty or thirty years later,” one of the Eevee elders chimed in. “The local Zoroark matron actually owns a lot of communal properties under her human identity. We all chip in with found wealth to let her keep up with the taxes, and it keeps our sanctuaries running.”
“Well, some of you do,” the young elder snarked, shaking his head fondly, “Some of us also went ahead and got paying jobs to contribute to that fund too.”
“...paying jobs?” Agate muttered. “Do some of you moonlight as therapy or petting Eevee, or are you online these days?”
“Little bit of A, a little bit of B, and some of C,” the ‘elder’ singsonged, his eyes alight with mischief as the rest of the elders groaned with old frustration and amusement in equal measure, “Some of us work for the local kitchens, some of us work directly for major companies, some of us work as therapy mon, and some of us do online streaming, despite most of our audience being utterly unable to understand us, though that is changing thanks to your trainer, Miss Agate,” he explained more seriously, several elders nodding severely. “The ‘C’ in this instance refers to commissioned work. It’s a practice that was brought by word of mouth to Unova in times long since forgotten, but Pokemon often post jobs they don’t want to do themselves, and offer various rewards for doing so. Some of those rewards can be sold to the humans, either through the Zorua skulk or through the more liberal humans - who kindly act as our intermediaries for a price.”
Ren perked up. “So if our trainers are taking jobs, we might be able to take a few ourselves? Not sure what I’d do with the money, but I’d be game for that.”
“We were practically already working for the police during this last op,” Agate mused. “And I know Rin or Sakura would happily give us a cut of their checks.”
“Now you’re thinking like a businessmon,” Little Eevee chortled. “Don’t forget that even other Pokemon might have money or jobs for you.”
“We are getting a little off-subject,” the gray-streaked Eevee interjected. “Do you have any other questions, kits? We do have a few of our own, but they’re not urgent.”
“I’m guessing you let your youngsters choose whether or not to seek out trainers. But how do you deal with poachers, or even normal trainers, trying to seek out you?” Ren asked. “We’ve dealt with a lot of smugglers, and it seems like a common problem.”
“Violently in the case of poachers and smugglers,” the Vaporeon from earlier stated severely, her tail curling at the very thought.
“As for trainers,” the female Jolteon from earlier added, “it depends on if they can take no for an answer or not. Generally, we let them be. They aren’t causing harm, and especially if they’re Castelian, they generally know what lines exist and which lines result in you getting mauled by an angry mom for daring to think of poaching her children.” Pausing, a flicker of electricity danced through her fur. “As for the ‘stronger’ trainers who think their strength means they can simply take what they believe to be theirs by right?” She grinned nastily, her eyes tracking a Eevee vigilantly standing watch over the clearing from the vantage point on a tree-branch, “Well, there are more than a few of us here who have gone through full journeys and parted ways from our partners amicably. Some of us here even returned to our homes after our partners died.”
Ren’s ears drooped. “Sorry to hear that. But I suppose the humans don’t object when you get… aggressive?”
“The locals know better. Hell, if you get a gang of Pokemon trying to ambush a trainer with a fresh catch, nine times out of ten the police or rangers will go after the trainer, not the Pokemon,” the lone Sylveon in the group said, grinning. “If a kit of age chooses to let a trainer attempt a catch, that’s sacred. If we’re protesting, the humans know that’s a Follow Me.”
“That makes sense,” Agate hummed, eyes alight with curiosity despite the turn the conversation had taken. “...actually, speaking of sacred, something came up recently. One of the officers we were talking to mentioned that the legendaries are supposed to be treated as myths by the public. Is there any normal way you guys discuss legendaries, or what?”
“Hmmm.” The silvered Eevee hummed, “We are aware the Legends are real. We simply do not advertise that fact beyond those that need to know.” Severely, he looked at the pair of mystery gifts, “I would advise you and your trainers to keep mum about the Legends. The humans have the right idea when it comes to the control over the realities of the so-called myths. They have done us great services.” He paused, looking towards the Sylveon, who winced slightly, shifting on her leg, which was missing much of its fur.
“They have also caused us grievous harm. It is simply not worth the risk of bothering them,” she finished with a huff. “Just because I’m the keeper of lore doesn’t mean I need to field all of these questions, old man.”
“You’re older than me, woman!” The Eevee shot back with a huff, receiving only a cackle from the fairy in return.
Ren chuckled as he watched the byplay. “Thank you for the advice, but I think our trainers are going to end up dealing with at least a few legends. We’re proof that might happen.”
“Mystery gifts do tend to bring a bit of trouble.” The Sylveon laughed. “I’ve a few stories about those. Any interest?” She smiled as both the younger pokemon nodded rapidly.
--(0)--
Sakura looked up as a loud call sounded through the park. She stood, Other hopping off her lap to pad by her side as a loud man in a black cap trailed by two lighter-dressed figures made their way into the picnic space. “Ingo, it’s good to see you again.” She offered the man a handshake, reinforcing her wrist as she went. “Subway Master Emmet, Captain Bles–”
“At this point, I think it’s just Selvaria, Miss Sakura.” The officer responded with a small smile. “Thank you for inviting me along; getting some time away from the station has been difficult.”
Ingo released Sakura’s hand, voice carrying as he nodded. “Necessary maintenance, I think. Or rather, just some time to rest the wheels.”
Emmet lifted his own arm. “I brought something to pad out the meals. My personal chili recipe, and fresh sourdough.”
“Thank you kindly,” Rin said, helping the man set up his addition to their picnic. She winced at the spice she could smell wafting off the crock of stew; it wasn’t nearly as pungent as her guardian’s favorite tofu dish, but there was some heat there. “I don’t think any of us could focus on small talk before we discussed the Cufant in the room. How did the raids progress?”
“The threats were neutralized handily,” Ingo stated blandly, filling a bowl with chili and accepting sandwiches and a water bottle from Sakura. “Your information was exactly what was needed; none of the local leadership managed to escape our arrival.”
Emmet chimed in. “A lot of the foot soldiers managed to escape, but there has been a sudden exodus of criminals from the city. Without leadership and with the police on high alert, it seems most of the local gangs are seeking depots outside the city.” He chuckled darkly. “We’ll run them down eventually.”
“Your work was very well done,” Selvaria finished with a smile. “It was a pleasure working with you all, despite the ninja issue.”
“It was a pleasure to be of assistance to the Pokemon League after all they’ve done for us.” Sakura demurred, bowing from her seated position. “However, now we come to another matter.”
“Payment. Policy indicates that the league is to pay trainers impressed into service during a crisis depending on their badge level and contributions.” Rin recited, a small smile on her face, “It may seem extremely mercenary of us, but.”
“We know what we’re worth, and definitely could use the supplies purchased with that money to improve ourselves. Which in turn will benefit the league more should our services ever be required again,” Sakura finished, giving her sister a high-five.
Emmet and Ingo both laughed. “No, this is the right line to travel.” Ingo said with a chop of his arm. “You are right to ask about that.”
Selvaria nodded. “There are some trainers who defer taking payment, but I wouldn’t have allowed you to walk away from this one without payment.” She produced her tablet and pulled up a file. “Since you were technically involved in an Interpol-League operation, I sent them the paperwork for your payment.” She tapped the screen. “They’ve approved of specialist payment in combat operations; 20000 each, with some adjustments. However, before I finalize the payments, I should ask: do you want to be kept on the list for consideration for future police or league operations? Local ones, of course.”
Sharing a glance, the pair of preteens nodded to each other. “Sure,” they answered in tandem, “We have no issue with assisting interpol and the league.”
“I’ll leave you on the contact list, then. Hopefully, this won’t come up again, but considering the current situation, that’s unlikely,” Selvaria said with a sigh, tapping her pad a few times. “The paperwork is being processed, it shouldn’t be more than two days before you get your payments.” She coughed. “As league associates, you can also expect a discount at Pokemarts. Five percent adds up.”
Emmet chuckled slightly as Rin perked up. “You might want to look into expanding your teams a little, if you will keep doing operations. It’s always best to have cars in reserve, very good idea.” He stretched out the word ‘very’, rolling his tongue.
Ingo nodded. “While the engines of the gangs were captured at their stations here in town, some of their passengers and cargo made it out.” He said bluntly. “Without Castelia, operations will slow, but those who are left will likely not vanish.”
“We understand the dangers.” Sakura replied instantly, “We still feel an obligation to help.”
All three adults nodded, Ingo and Selvaria sighing as they did. The captain gave a bitter smile. “Just don’t get in over your heads.” She then looked over at the third child in the clearing, N looking back at her with a frown. “And hope those assassins don’t make another appearance.”
“I’ve written to my sisters. Before, and again now,” N muttered, Zorua pushing into his hands from underneath to reassure his partner. “They’ve been honest. And… I think they’ve been smarter than me. About father.” He swallowed, looking down and stroking the red tuft of fur atop his partner’s head. “Not all of Plasma is wrong. But I don’t know what part is.”
“Until you know who you can trust, I can’t recommend you go back,” Selvaria said firmly. “Honestly, I’d want to put you in protective custody, but there are a lot of problems with that. Not the least being that you should stay with people you feel safe around. And that seems to be constrained to these two for now.” She looked at Rin. “The gangs are one thing, but a full-fledged Team is another matter. It may be excessive, but I’d appreciate twice daily updates when you’re out on the road; dawn and dusk.”
“Given what we’ve been told of teams, I cannot object,” Rin replied severely, glancing at her transceiver. “I should probably give Professor- Mom updates as well, so she doesn’t get overly worried.”
Selvaria shuddered. “She passed on her… displeasure with me for conscripting you two, by the way. When you call her, could you please let her know it was your choice to remain on the League roster?” she asked plaintively. “I don’t know if her wife really can make me have constant nightmares about the police academy, and I would rather not find out for sure.”
“Of course,” Sakura answered immediately, tapping on her transceiver to do exactly that, fingers slowly but surely typing out a text message for her mother, along with a promise to call later. “Is there anything else, Officer?”
“Nothing urgent.” Selvaria looked out from the park, gaze passing over the treeline towards the waters of the bay and the setting sun visible there. “Ingo, Emmet?”
Ingo shook his head slightly, focusing on his meal. Emmet, meanwhile, had his hand out, Gordon perched upon it and buzzing back and forth with the white-clad conductor. “This one is very knowledgeable, and has not evolved yet. I wonder why?”
“Food’s always an issue when you’re traveling. Being a little squirt means I can get by with a lot less grub,” the Joltik responded.
“...I did not understand that.” Emmet’s eyes brightened as Rin handed over her translator. “Oh, wonderful! Are you thinking of evolving soon, since you now have a trainer to feed you?”
“I’m thinking about it.” Gregor hummed, “I’m familiar with being a little tyke, but there is a part of me that’d like to get big enough to throw my weight around. Sadly, no going back if I like being small to big, and I cannae tell without trying.”
“I think I understand, ser Gregor,” Libra hummed, looking towards her comrade. “There are times when I do miss being smaller. Yet,” with a look that wouldn’t be out of place on a particularly elderly woman, she smiled, “I do enjoy being a Lampent. I do believe I would enjoy being a Chandelure as well.”
“And that is why you ask your partners if they want to evolve and do not force it,” Emmet said firmly.
Selvaria nodded. “That’s actually a crime on the books in a lot of districts around here. It only barely failed as a law for the full region; apparently there are some tourist areas which didn’t want the headaches of enforcing it on foreigners.”
Sakura tilted her head, shooting a short glance at N, t “...Pokemon rights have come a long way here, it seems. I wonder why Plasma even exists here?” She asked, mostly to herself, her voice still reaching the rest of the group
“Because,” N began, catching himself instantly and taking a breath. “Because even if there are protections in place for Pokemon, they still do not have a say in our government. The wild pokemon have no protections beyond those offered by the Compact of the Four Swords and the unspoken understanding between our people and theirs. Because legally, our Pokemon are little more than well treated slaves, and given my very very basic research so far, this loophole in the law has been exploited more than once before.”
“Well reasoned, N,” Selvaria nodded, “You are correct. Pokemon in Unova do have rights. However, they are not legally equal to humans, nor are they equal to humans in fact. There are cities where they are, Castelia City is one such example, in fact, but the protections Castelia can provide are extremely limited beyond her borders and the courts can overturn her laws if they so desire.”
Ingo made a chopping motion with his hand. “All correct! But it does lack cultural context, too. Though laws are more sparse, most Unovans– indeed, most people– would protest any harm given to Pokemon, and listen as best they can when they speak. One of the reasons those laws don’t exist is because many people argue they aren’t needed. Which is wrong, but coming from a position of ignorance, not malice.” He brushed the Pearl Clan sash at his waist. “Also, some traditional societies argue Pokemon should not be subject to human laws, because if angered, they need to be able to respond decisively through battle. Which is again, short-sighted.”
Rin chuckled. “When I thought Pokemon were phantasmals, I wondered why they put up with being treated as pets. But there’s a lot more nuance than ‘Pokemon are strong, and can defend themselves.’ And if they want to join society as equals…”
“They need the same laws,” Sakura finished.
“Mmm. New laws do need nuance, and there are study groups and think tanks, joint operations with humans and Pokemon working on legislation, but that takes time,” Selvaria admitted. “And in the meantime, we get protests, exploitative criminals…”
“And now, a Team,” Emmet finished grimly. “Verrrrry concerning.”
Other yawned. “Problems on both sides, doesn’t excuse the idiocy. We’ll deal with it once we know more.” With that simple truth laid out, the comfortable silence of a sundown picnic slowly seeped back into the world.
2024-09-15 23:09:05 +0000 UTC
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Illya ascended to her spot at the podium, letting a smile stretch across her face. “Hello, everyone!” She waved to the crowd, drawing a round of polite applause.
Fantina looked across at her with a smile of her own. “Magnifique, young lady. But no matter how cute you are, I know your strength.” She flicked her wrist, Gengar passing her three new Pokeballs. “I will not underestimate you.”
Illya let her smile transition into a wide grin. “Good.”
“The challenger has two switches available, the gym leader has none. This match will be a three-on-three battle, fought at a fifth-badge level.” The referee raised his flag. “On my signal, both trainers will send out their first Pokemon!”
Illya waited for the flag to fall, then cast her ball forward. “Matilda, you lead!” The Sylveon materialized on the battlefield, tendrils waving, as a Mismagius did the same across from her. The witch ghost reached up with her own ragged cloth arms, touching her hat as if to give it a tip. She then began to cackle softly, dark energy gathering around her mind in the trademark haze of Nasty Plot. “Calm Mind, Matilda.”
The Sylveon responded to the command immediately, eyes closing as she adopted a more meditative stance, her body relaxing as her mind cleared. As both Pokemon ended their setup, Mismagius whipped her arms, sending a pair of Shadow Balls whistling towards Matilda. Responding to her trainer’s command, Matilda expertly intercepted the pair of ghostly orbs, flinging two instances of Mystical Fire from her feelers. For a few moments, both parties simply sat there assessing each other, waiting for the other to make a move; or a mistake.
Mismagius was the first to move, darting to one side as she spun one of her arms, forming a magic circle featuring a lightning bolt. An oddly slow burst of electricity rolled towards Matilda as she launched her own counter-attack, breathing deeply before she screamed, the Hyper Voice commanded by her trainer slamming into the Mismagius despite her best efforts to prevent it. Accepting the Thunder Wave in turn, the Fox grimaced as electricity danced across her limbs, yet…
For some reason, she was grinning.
“Refresh!” Illya called more than a little smugly, her research into the moves her team could learn paying off. She’d wanted the opportunity to do this ever since she’d lost Matilda to a poorly calculated acceptance of a status move during her battle with Roark. It was always a good idea to have a fallback plan, after all~
“Fantastique! Wide-ranging utility, powerful moves; I see why your brother named you stronger than him.” Fantina snapped her fingers, causing Mismagius to vanish into a swirl of purple light. “But then, we knew that.”
Illya narrowed her eyes, not recognizing the move for a moment. Then she called out once again. “Misty Terrain Matilda, and then prepare a-” She paused, then cursed. “No, Protect won’t work… aura sight, and be ready to dodge!”
Matilda looked about, eyes shining blue as she strained to catch a glimpse of her opponent, barely glimpsing Mismagius’ return in time to leap aside, though she was only able to partially avoid the attack. Not about to let her opponent escape before she could get her own licks in, she lashed out, tendrils dragging her opponent in for a kiss, draining her opponent before the Mismagius could break away.
Down below, Illya could barely hear the words spoken by the ghost-type. “Taking a maiden’s purity like that, have you no shame?”
“None whatsoever!” Matilda chirped, reminding the ghost that talking was not, in fact, a free action with a fast Bite to her opponent’s torso. Mismagius responded with a point blank Shadow Ball, hitting her opponent twice before a second bite laid her out into unconsciousness.
As Matilda hopped back, wounded but still able, Fantina returned her signature Pokemon, frowning. “Hmm. I meant to leave him for last, but needs must as the devil drives.” The ref raised his flag, then dropped it as Fantina cast out her second Pokemon. “Go, Dusclops!” The bulky form of the second ghost of Illya’s match materialized.
Illya paused as the ghost manifested, single red eye fixed on Matilda. After a few moments where both sides held their breath, Dusclops’ hands began to move, its hands and eyes glowing pink with psychic energy. In response, Matilda immediately threw up a Protect shield only to tilt her head as the energy vanished, Dusclops bouncing the energy elsewhere.
“Future Sight is set up. Get in close, hammer her with Shadow Punch!” Fantina commanded, her Pokemon darting forward with shadows gathering around both fists.
“Hop into Hyper Voice!” Illya called out.
Matilda hopped up, letting loose a “SYL!” at the top of her jump and letting the recoil from the move push her back. Dusclops hit the pink wave of energy without slowing, the hit staggering but not stopping him from closing to melee with a savage uppercut. Matilda barely managed to retake her feet before Dusclops was on her again, his other fist clipping her as she staggered aside. As he straightened from the second punch, she spotted a black ribbon held around his throat, cradling a pink gemstone. “My queen, that’s…”
Illya grimaced as she recognized the item held by her opponent. “An Eviolite, no wonder he took that hit. Tag out, Baton Pass!” With a pop, Matilda shifted into white light, compacting and bouncing back to her Pokeball. Illya already had a ball ready, tossing it out to accept the inherited boosts. Fubuki materialized over the battlefield, sleeves flapping. The snow woman immediately spun her hands, the roof of the battlefield rapidly obscured by a fluffy layer of dark clouds. Before either side could move further, Fubuki rocked in midair, psychic energy enveloping her as the attack cast into the future found its mark.
As the snow began to fall, Fantina called out. “She’s a fragile one, dearest, and has already taken a hit! Phantom Force, do not let her guard!” Dusclops nodded, vanishing into the shadows, while Fubuki slid into the thickening snow. For a few moments, no one in the audience could see either combatant, before a detonation occurred on one side of the arena. Blue-white met purple-black in a blast of force, Fubuki countering Dusclops’ return with a Blizzard. Duscops landed in a kneeling crouch before standing up, while Fubuki was drifting limply.
Fantina snapped out one last order. “Leech life.” Dusclops slammed one buzzing fist into Fubuki before she could recover, stealing the last edge of her life, and bringing him enough energy to stand solid once again. “Dusclops is a tough one. To be honest, I’d hoped to use him to wear down your Matilda. Bring her back out, and I’m sure–”
“Don’t count out my last teammate,” Illya nearly hissed. “Feebas.” She said, tossing out the small fish, who immediately shaped the melting snow into an Aqua Ring cloak.
“I do not discount her. Thunderpunch!” Fantina called, Dusclops moving to cut through the rising snow with one electrified fist.
The crowd gasped as the punch landed– only to be blocked by Feebas leaping from her water orb to counter with a blue-glowing tail strike, the blow turned aside with grace and ease. Dusclops’ single eye flickered, then it lashed out a second time, Feebas turning the second strike aside with a near effortless leap and swish of her tail. The fish somersaulted, bouncing off her opponent before slamming into him with an Aqua Jet and then bouncing back into her water globe, maneuvering it to stay mobile as Dusclops swung once again.
“...I was not expecting that,” Fantina allowed, Feebas maneuvering her aqua orb while firing Scale Shots to harass her opponent. Dusclops, in contrast to the liquid movements of his opponent, lumbered and stumbled, attempting to close in for an easy knockout but meeting nothing but air. Fantina shook off her confusion, then gave her Pokemon new orders. “That poisson is grace incarnate, Dusclops. Take her at a distance, you’ll not lay a hand on her.”
The little fish couldn’t help but wiggle happily as the comment reached her. “Thank you for the compliment. It’s nice to be recognized by such a–” Feebas’ words trailed off as her fins began to glow a brilliant white. “Oh. Oh wow~”
“Incredible,” Fantina murmured as the light came to a crescendo, watching as the water spilled out on the floor. Milotic uncoiled from her evolution, tail flicking around to catch another Thunderpunch, then retaliated with a slash. “Well done! Beauty in battle is just as magnifique as in a contest!” She frowned as the newly evolved Pokemon attempted a flip and nearly brained herself on the floor. “On the other hand, now she will need to relearn her body type. Hmm.”
“Fee- Milotic, Aqua Tail, smack him around as much as possible!” Illya called out, her newly-evolved dragon-eel responding quickly, lashing out with her tail.
“Fall back, open the range, then Shadow Ball!” Fantina called out in response, Dusclops slipped backwards, the ghost blasted by a shower of Scale Shots as he tried to open the distance. However, even with her awkward new form, the lumbering ghost was too slow to make any meaningful progress through the hail of moves, eventually resorting to using Shadow Sneak to get enough distance to matter. As soon as he pivoted to fire a barrage of ghost attacks, he caught another barrage of cutting scales. He managed to connect with a pair of Shadow Balls before Milotic got back into quarters, sweeping her tail across in another Aqua Tail. Rather than trying to dodge, he retaliated with a Thunder Punch uppercut.
The serpentine Pokemon reeled backward, shaking off the heavy hit with difficulty. Her opponent did not rise from where he’d fallen, the slow build up of strike after strike wearing down even his enhanced bulk. Fantina returned her second pokemon with a smile. “Well done. You are certainly worth five badges in this challenge– perhaps even more.” She lobbed out her last Pokeball as the ref dropped his flag. “Sableye, time for a surprise!”
Milotic almost smiled as the small gremlin appeared, before the little bastard leapt up and smashed his hands together, a flash blinding her while the little ghost leapt forward and bounced off her head. Shaking off the flinch from the Fake Out, Milotic opened her eyes just in time to take a rabbit punch coated in electrical energy. The second Thunderpunch in as many seconds was too much for her; especially after so many Scale Shots, and she collapsed.
The Referee raised his flag. “Challenger is down to her final available Pokemon. This will be the final bout.”
Illya nodded, returning Milotic. Pausing, she whispered to the ball. “You did awesome, Milotic. We’ll have to decide on your name, and celebrate your evolution.” She shrunk the ball down and cast out her last Pokeball once again. “Matilda, finish this.”
The signature, toothy grin on Sableye’s face vanished the second Matlida returned to the field, somewhat recovered from her time off it. “Aw hell. Weren’t you supposed to already be down by the time she called me out?” they squeaked incredulously.
“I’m in no mood to banter, so SHUT UP!” Matilda responded, letting loose a Hyper Voice on the last two words. As Sableye desperately sank into his shadow in an attempt to avoid the sweeper move, Matilda immediately set up Misty Terrain, nullifying her opponent’s follow-up Will-o-wisp. Sableye grimaced, before darting in close with a Shadow Sneak.
Matilda took the hit with a grunt, staggering as the hit took its toll – but the pain wasn’t enough to stop her from wrapping her opponent in her tendrils and leaning in for a kiss. As the Draining Kiss restored her, Sableye’s struggles grew weaker and weaker, until he turned to shadow once again to escape. Emerging from his shadow, panting and stunned, the gremlin looked up to see another wall of pink Hyper Voice roaring towards him. “This is why I hate fairies,” He mumbled seconds before the wave of sound struck him unconscious.
Matilda let out a sigh, her rear hitting the floor as she took a moment to compose herself. She looked up as the Referee raised his flag. “Leader Fantina is out of usable Pokemon! Challenger Illya is victorious!”
Illya returned Matilda, stepping off the podium to walk across to where Fantina awaited her in the center of the arena. The gym leader extended one hand. “This has been a wonderful experience and performance, Illya. Merci.”
Illya smiled at her as she accepted the handshake. “It was a wonderful challenge.” She accepted the badge she was passed, glancing down to peer at Gengar, who gave her a grin. “Between myself and my brother, I don’t think we were as shaken as most people are when exposed to ghosts.”
Fantina gave a chuckle. “Ah oui. Your Fubuki is well-developed.” She accepted several TMs from Gengar, fanning them out. “I believe you heard what options your brother had. So, which move would you like? Froslass cannot learn Shadow Claw, but the others might add some variation to her natural abilities.”
“Will-o-wisp, if you’d please, Leader Fantina,” Illya bowed, giving each of her Pokeballs a gentle pat. “All of them did well, but I really need more moves in my arsenal that afflict my opponents with negative statues.”
“A good choice.” Fantina flicked the disc out of the stack and passed it off to her. “You have done a wonderful job raising your Pokemon, Illya. I wonder if you’ve given any thought to joining the contest circuit? Between the skill and grace you showed with your team and your own appearance, I think you’d do quite well.” She gave a grin. “The battle alone would’ve been worth at least a top eight, anywhere but here. Discounting the evolution, of course; unless you planned it?” Fantina slid the remaining discs back down to Gengar, placing her other hand on one hip.
The albino girl shook her head. “I didn’t plan it, Leader Fantina, and I’m not planning on entering the contest circuit. I want to focus purely on battling this year, and see where I am after the conference.”
“Understandable. One thing at a time, then?” Fantian asked, leading the young lady over towards the box. “Not a poor choice.” She looked up, and for a moment, her smile dropped as she peered Emmanuelle. “Honestly, I’d like to be able to show off the city a bit more for you all, but I have more matches and a performance after. You’re welcome to stay and watch the next match if you’d like,” she offered as some members of the audience rotated out, a trickle of new spectators coming in to fill empty seats.
“I think we both need to get our teams checked out, thank you.” Shirou said as their party rose up, Kiritsugu standing alongside his son.
“Ah, that is fair.” As they began to leave, Fantina coughed slightly as Elle stepped beside her. “While I know it was likely not your intention, I know of how your partner took his second breath.” She looked down at Haboo, who peered back at her with lidded eyes. “You are a magnifique partner, I can tell. But one I would never seek.”
“I’d be worried if you wanted to try,” Elle agreed. “Though, have you had any luck in other methods?”
“It’s not something one tries to pursue. I can at least say the normal methods, Reaper Cloth, Dusk Stones, and the like do not work,” Fantina said quietly. She knelt and ran one hand over the ghost-eevee’s cool back. “Guard your lady well, chevalier.”
“I always have, guide.” They said in response.
--(0)--
The living space of the rented townhouse was crowded, what with the presence of nearly two dozen pokemon and half a dozen humans. As the various Pokemon talked to each other and Shirou held a quiet conversation with Elle, Yagi walked over to the most recently changed Pokemon, gazing up at her with polite attention. “Yosh! I wish I had not missed your evolution, Milotic. It was well-earned.”
The former Feebas nodded her great head, a pleased smile plastered upon it. “Thank you, Yagi. It feels fantastic, having the body I have desired for so long.”
“What does evolving feel like? I am looking forward to it, myself,” Yagi admitted. “Though my transformation is not going to be as… transformative as yours.” He admired the new scales of his friend. “And how long will it take you to adjust to your new body, do you think?”
“Likely the foreseeable future. It will be an adjustment, being able to function fully on land without Aqua Veil, though I do not believe I will fully give up on that quite yet. I have… ideas.” She smiled, wistfully looking towards the sky. “The Magikarp can eventually fly, after all. Why should I not also be able to?”
Yagi’s eyes erupted into blue stars, and he pumped his fists. “I look forward to seeing you soar, Milotic!” He stopped and tilted his head. “Ah, speaking of which… have you put any thought into a new name? Given that you’ve evolved, I can’t imagine you want to keep using Feebas, and the meaning behind it in our tongue.”
“... I have put some thought into it, though like all of Illya’s other Pokemon, I may opt for a nickname instead, Yagi. I haven’t quite decided yet, and would like to get the rest of the court and our allies’ opinions on the matter.” Milotic uncoiled slightly, slithering across the floor towards the buffet Shirou had set up. “And it’s not a decision I need to make right now. Fafnir took her time on her name.”
“I did, and I don’t regret it,” The dragon-shark rumbled. “Have I said it’s good you evolved? It’s nice to have another dragon around,” she said, raising a mug of foaming liquid.
“I don’t count?” Ritsuka said from the couch, his tail lashing.
“You do, but more dragons are always better. Unless they start crowding each other,” the dragon acknowledged.
Shirou ambled over, his conversation finished. “Everyone enjoying themselves? This is going to be our last party for a while; tomorrow is going to be focused on resupplying after dad leaves.” A chorus of affirmatives greeted him like a wave, and with a smile, he waved them over, “Come on, let’s go speak with Illya and dad.”
At his gesture, everyone piled up near the couch, where Illya sat beside Kiritsugu. The man smiled, seeing everyone together. “This has been a wonderful vacation, and it’s…” He paused, then let his head drop. “It’s been good to see you both again. I didn’t think I would, back on Earth, and I’m very happy to be proven wrong.”
Everyone nodded, Illya grabbing her dad’s hand. There was silence for a few moments before the ex-assassin continued. “I almost wish I could stay, but what’s happening in Kalos reminds me of both of terrorism and Magi predation. I don’t know how much you’ve heard–”
“Team Flare, right?” Everyone looked at Isabella, who shrugged. “I keep an ear out for info about Teams in general. We’re too close to Rocket territory for anyone’s comfort, and the clans don’t want anyone similar causing trouble here. Sounds like there’s a lot of them coming out of the woodwork right now,” she said darkly.
“Indeed. Flare needs to be stopped, and our boss has asked us to stay on the case; it seems the investigative skills I use are different enough to circumvent their counter-intelligence.” At the blank looks from half the room, Kerry sighed. “I come at them from angles they’re not used to.”
Illya kicked her legs petulantly. “I wish you could stay longer. I get it, but I don’t like it.” She huffed. “You’d think they wouldn’t need outsiders to do their job for them.”
“Could be Arceus’ fault,” Shirou interjected, Isabella clasping her hands for a moment at the mention of the god’s name. “They put dad in a place he could do good.”
“Maybe,” Elle acknowledged. “Wouldn't be the first time.”
“Getting back on topic, this will be our last night here for some time,” Kiritsugu said firmly. “Hoopa will be here tomorrow to pick us up–”
“Hoopa will be spending the night,” Hoopa said, every eye in the room whipping around to look at the little mythical as he filled a plate from the buffet. “This is very good!”
“...ah, Hoopa, I don’t suppose you’d be willing to bring Papa back sometime?” Illya asked, getting over her shock in seconds. “It’d be nice to see him again sooner than however long it’d take to charter a flight or get a strong enough psychic.”
“Hoopa can do that!” The little ghost said with a grin. “For a full ring cake!” He bit down on a slice of pie. “Shirou is a very good cook. Once a moon, too! Not something Hoopa should do too often, get Palkia mad.”
“I’d be happy to cook for you, Hoopa.” Shirou smiled. “So, this isn’t really good-bye, then. Just ‘see you later’.” He looked back at his dad. “Please stay in touch, old man.” Left unsaid was the same sentiment his sister had voiced days before: and stay alive.
“Of course,” Kiritsugu replied to the words said and unsaid, then stood up, pulling his son into a hug. Letting him go, he looked between them both. “Ah, and I suppose I should ask, do either of you need any money? The hazard pay from our last encounter came through, and I can afford to send you some if you need it…”
As the group collapsed into planning and small talk, Elle gave a tiny smile under hooded eyes. “...family meetings, huh?”
“Yeah, and you’re invited,” Illya said back, shifting to sit beside the older girl. “Dad’s… well, I don’t know if he’s adopted you yet, but I think it’s only a matter of time.”
“...let me think about that, then,” the woman said to her prospective little sister, watching their teams intermingle. “Though on the surface, I don’t think I’d mind.”
2024-09-01 14:04:28 +0000 UTC
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Kiritsugu looked up at the mansion marked with the gym symbol, eyeing the stained glass windows thoughtfully. “I’ve seen a couple of gyms in passing, but not one like this,” he commented as they walked closer. “I really can’t tell how standardized gyms are supposed to be.”
“It varies from region to region,” Elle remarked as they approached the double doors. “When I did the Unova circuit a while back, every gym was different inside and out. But the main gyms in Galar are all done to the same design, Paldea has cookie-cutter gym buildings but has all their battles in different places in their towns… really, it’s a bit of a mess.”
“You’ve done a gym circuit? Was it part of a mission?” Shirou asked, looking over at his dad’s partner.
“No. Being an agent for interpol is really demanding and dangerous, but there are serious perks; the pay is great, and we get two months of vacation and a month of mandatory leave every year,” Elle responded with a grin. “I built up a full season’s worth of time off, and decided to test myself.” She let her smile fade. “We enjoyed the gyms, but most of my team is too aggressive or skittish for a League. Still, I earned ten Unova badges; I’ll probably go back sometime to keep my collection current.”
Kiritsugu chuckled. “I’ve got other things to spend my time off on– after Flare is dealt with. But I wouldn’t mind seeing you fight someone on your level. Speaking of which,” he said, turning to his kids, “Which one of you are going first?”
“It’s Shirou’s turn to go first,” Illya said simply.
Shirou shook his head and he pulled the door open for his family and friends. “Illya also knows the gym leaders have advance notice we were coming, and wants to have me feel out how much they’re prepared for us.”
“Really?” Kiritsugu mused. “I suppose you two are fairly memorable.”
“They are!” The group looked up to see a statuesque woman with a unique hairstyle sweeping down the grand staircase in the gym’s entry hall. The morning sun shining through the windows illuminated her descent, the room framed with blue-light candles. “Welcome, children. And you would be their father, yes?”
“I am. Gym Leader Fantina, I presume?”
“Indeed.” She offered her hand to each of the group in turn. “Gardenia and Roark had much to say about you two. A few warnings, even!” She stepped back, smiling. “Now, I do have a gym trial, but from what I’ve heard, you both prefer just to come to the battles, yes?” At their nods, she clapped her hands. “Wonderful. Time to put on a show!” She turned and walked back up the staircase. “Follow me, s’il vous plait! The audience is waiting!”
Kiritsugu shook off his intrinsic urge to retreat at the mention of an audience, following his children through the doors at the top of the flight of stairs. The chamber within was set up like an orchestra chamber; seats on one side overlooking a standard battle court. In fact… “Did this building use to be an orchestra pit?”
“Indeed. Hearthome has a wondrous, vibrant artistic community, non? But always, always competition and temperment issues. The investors who built this structure a century ago were unable to hold up against the other houses, and shuttered its doors.” She waved one arm at the small crowd of watchers filling the darkened stands. “When my predecessor came here, he found the building overrun with ghosts, and rather than just drive them out, he made it home to them and a gym for the city! Magnifique!” She led them to one of the boxes close to the stage. “Now, sit here, and I shall take my place onstage! Young man, take your place when ready.”
As she trotted down the stairs towards the stage, Shirou slung his backpack into a seat, took a deep breath to set his focus, and tapped the balls at his waist. Each Pokeball shook in anticipation of the battle to come, and not for the first time, he let himself share in their joy of battle as she began walking down the stairs, following in Fantina’s footsteps. “Right, let’s go.”
Reaching the stage, Shirou caught the smile of the woman across from him, a polite round of applause rising from the crowd now covered in rather tasteful ghostly shadows. “Well, young man, I’ve heard you have an affinity for dragons.” She tapped her jaw. (with a finger? Add a bit of clarity here Brian, I think) “I have a partner in fashion and battle who should test your mettle.” She pulled out her first ball, the premier ball marked with purple paint. “Are you ready?”
His own vast experiences with Matilda coming to mind as Fantina mentioned “dragons” and “testing his mettle” in the same sentence, Shirou pulled Yagi’s shaking pokeball off of his belt, enlarging the sphere and nodding towards his opponent with a neutral expression that couldn’t quite conceal how excited he was for this. “I am.”
“This will be a three-on-three battle at the– fifth badge level, correct?” The referee, dressed in a suit and tie asked Fantina, who nodded in response. “Challenger is allowed two switches, Gym Leader is allowed none. Leader Fantina, you have the floor.”
“Then allons-y!” Fantina tossed out her partner, Shirou echoing a similar sentiment moments later. What manifested before the blue jackal was, at first glance, a Misdreavus; but as it settled on the floor, Shirou could see the cloth the body of the creature was made up of, and the two button eyes upon its head. More importantly, he could see the shadows lurking under the creature, and the obsidian eyes peering through slits in the disguise.
“Mimikyu!” The little creature cried.
Not at all recognizing the Pokemon, Shirou took a quick moment to pull out his Pokedex, his eye on the battlefield as he barked out an order while he waited for the Pokedex to provide him with the information he was seeking from it via audio. “Yagi, Odor Sleuth.”
With a nonverbal acknowledgement, the Aura Pokemon focused his senses, sharpening them to the point where he would be able to bypass the Ghost’s immunity to Fighting and Normal attacks. As he did so, his opponent leapt forward at Fantina’s command, an aura of fairy type energy surrounding them as they did so.
Play Rough, Shirou identified with a scowl, his eyes tracking the move. Thankfully, he likely wouldn’t need to intervene with a command here, which gave him some time to think up some basic strategies and keep a sharp eye on both Fantina and Mimikyu, searching for any advantage he could possibly glean through observation.
At the same time, not about to take a hit from a super effective attack if he could avoid it, Yagi deftly front-rolled out of the way, barely managing to avoid the shockingly fast ghost through his quick reflexes. However, the moment he came out of his roll, the ghost was gone, and the Riolu spent precious time searching for them-
“Yagi, Metal Claw on your shadow!” Shirou barked.
Heeding his trusted commander's call instead of continuing his fruitless search, Yagi spun, his right paw alight with Steel, just in time to intercept a Shadow Sneak from the Mimikyu as it appeared in his shadow, only to wince as a ghostly claw slammed into his stomach and sent him tumbling back.
“Well executed!” Fantina clapped. “Most trainers pulling out their device lose track of the battlefield, but you have a firm bond with your chien.” As Mimikyu pulled itself out of the shadows, its disguise limp but the creature beneath unharmed, she grinned. “First blood is mine, however! Mimi dear, Shadow Ball!”
As a wave of ghostly orbs began to rocket their way towards Yagi he gathered energy in his palms, anticipating the order that was soon to come.
“Detonate them with Vacuum Wave.” The calm order came in just as Yagi began to launch a series of quick jabs, the earlier odor sleuth allowing the Riolu to actually meaningfully tag each mass of shadow before it could land. “Close with-”
“Down, give him a scare!” Fantina called out, and Yagi skidded to a halt as Mimikyu fell into the floor. He closed his eyes, his feelers flaring with aura, then lashed out with a quick Force Palm as Mimikyu attempted to pop up from under him, forcing the ghost to abort the attack. “Ah, aura sight. Not something I face often!” She laughed as Mimikyu recovered. “Stay at range, dear!” Mimikyu purred, forming a quartet of ghostly flames around herself before launching them at Yagi.
Deftly weaving through the flames, Yagi burst forward, his body wreathed in a familiar sheath of Normal, closing the distance that Mimikyu had opened in a matter of seconds at his trainer’s follow-up command. Slamming into the busted doll, the plucky Riolu followed up with a nasty uppercut, his paw wreathed in Steel, his opponent briefly sent reeling by the Metal Claw, leaving a moment for Yagi to set up at Shirou’s next command.
“Nasty Plot!”
Fantina gestured forward Mimikyu snapping into a shadow sneak to send the pup tumbling. The Mimikyu paused, only for Fantina to shake her head. “Five badge challenge, darling, no more Play Rough. Shadow Claw!” Nodding in response, the little ghost lashed out with a massive shadow hand as Yagi landed in a three-point stance.
On the side, Kiritsugu leaned over to Elle, his voice hushed and low. “No more Play Rough? It would be very effective…”
“Fantina is already pushing things using an out-of-region Pokemon, but I recognize that one. That’s one of her seven or eight badge pokemon, Fantina brought her out specially. But it’d be unfair to have her fight like a top-tier; Gym Pokemon have to learn to fight while sandbagging if they want to participate in more matches. Not that they’ll throw the fight, but…”
“More of a spar, not a slugfest.” The former assassin nodded. “Using it once as an untested move, or an attempted alpha strike…”
“Would be fair, but repeated uses would not be, especially when considering the general unspoken code of conduct that Gym Leaders adhere to,” Elle nodded. “Honestly, if Yagi was any less well trained, he’d have been wiped out by now, even with her handicaps.”
Down below, the blue jackal proved the words he couldn’t hear true as he intercepted the Shadow Claw with a Metal Claw, the clash of Ghost and Steel issuing forth an otherworldly ring; the sound of steel on steel distorted as though it was coming from somewhere beyond. For several moments, it seemed as if neither side would gain an advantage, both trainers content to use the time to plan out their next move; in Shirou’s case, or simply using it as a test of their opponent’s worthiness; in the case of Fantina. Finally, the younger broke the stalemate.
“Vacuum Wave with your other paw!” Shirou barked, hoping that Yagi would come through with something they hadn’t really ever practiced before.
Thankfully for the redhead, his Riolu was extremely adept at the more technical side of battling. With a furious bark, his left paw came thrusting forward, a wave of Fighting slamming into the Mimikyu with enough force to briefly stun her, allowing Yagi to break the clash and land a punishing blow into her side, sending her reeling before he kicked the doll away, his hind paw glowing with the embers of the Mega Kick he had just used.
As Yagi recovered from his three-hit combo, the wounded Mimikyu slipped into the shadows. Blinking away his extension, he realized what was happening quickly enough to bounce off the ground, avoiding the initial swipe from his own shadow, but not the follow up grab which ripped him out of the air, the modified Shadow Claw scraping him as he was hurled across the ground. Mimikyu launched herself from the shadows, shrieking as she prepared to barrage him with a swarm of ghostly talons. Yagi interposed his arms, taking the first hit on Steel appendages, but not the second or third, the Ghost slipping past his fading guard as he began to lose the fight to stay conscious. Sensing correctly that he had only one opportunity left to dish out any sort of meaningful damage, he lashed out, one last blow smacking Mimikyu back as he tumbled to the ground, fighting to remain in the fight for just a second longer.
The referee watched until Yagi stopped struggling, then raised his flag. “The challenger’s Pokemon–”
“And mine. Mimi dear is on her last legs; if she was at his level, she’d have been out,” Fantina called out. Mimikyu chirped mournfully, though there was no small amount of respect for her opponents present, and gathered the few scraps of her outfit which had been torn off in the final melee. Fantina returned to her teammate the moment the little ghost stopped gathering the bits, leaving the field clear.
“-very well. Both Pokemon are unable to continue, trainers, select your next Pokemon to send out on my mark!” The referee called out.
Shirou palmed his second Pokeball, waiting for the flag to fall. As it did, he threw the ball forward, Fantina’s own matching his pitch. Their typings were foregone; one released a ghost, the other a dragon. Fafnir snorted, crossing her arms, while the Drifblim across from her groaned lowly, rising into the air.
“I was rather hoping Mimi would last a little longer… but you’ve proven your elegance and skill exceeded my expectations! Drifblim, begin the rain of fire!” Fantina called out, her Pokemon beginning to spit purple flames to mist down onto the battlefield.
“Dragonbreath, clear the air. Follow it up with a Rock Tomb!” Shirou called. Grinning, Fafnir took a deep breath, before in one smooth motion she unleashed a violet gout of flame overpowering the ghostly wisps. In the same motion, she slammed her foot into the ground, sending a hail of stones careening towards the hapless Drifblim. Pushed back with a pained groan, the Drifblim rallied as their trainer called out.
“Blim, retaliate with a breath of frost, then close to recover!” Fantina ordered, her partner responding with a massive, exhaling sigh which filled the air with Icy Wind, the cold front covering the stage and quickly closing on Fafnir. The dragon responded with a blast of fire, the Flamethrower breaking the cold front with ease, but revealing the absence of her opponent. As she swept her gaze around, Drifblim popped up out of the floor, their tendrils striking Fafnir multiple times lit with green light, before rocketing back into the air.
Eyes narrowed, Shirou whipped Fafnir’s Pokeball off his belt, “Return. Ritsuka, you’re up!” He called, throwing out his third and final Pokemon.
With a trill, Ritsuka emerged, immediately taking wing as they assessed the situation. Fantina gave a single, polite clap. “Taking to the air, a good plan. Let us see who handles it better!”
Kiritsugu frowned. “Why did he do that?” He asked Elle quietly. “Fafnir didn’t seem wounded…”
“Strength Sap isn’t a normal draining move.” She responded as the two Pokemon began maneuvering in the air above the ring. “It drains offensive power, not health. It would’ve turned this into a battle of attrition, and Fafnir isn’t built for that against a flying opponent.”
Down below, Shirou studied the flight patterns before barking his first order. “Swoop, then fang it!” Ritsuka responded by diving down, bouncing off the ground, then springing behind the bulky flier and chomping down with Thunder Fang.
Fantina was only briefly stunned by the deft maneuver, giving a wide gesture. “Gyro Ball!” The bulky flying-type spun, tendrils briefly shining silver as the move rotated it to face and smashed aside Ritsuka, the smaller flier taking a glancing blow before he got far enough away. “Shift lower, and open fire with Shadow Ball!”
Shirou shouted his own order as the Drifblim floated closer to the stage, a barrage of shadowy orbs springing towards Ritsuka as they evaded, snapping off a quick Dragon Breath every so often either to threaten Drifblim or intercept a Shadow Ball they weren’t likely to be able to evade. As the dogfight continued, Shirou searched for an opening to take advantage of with a frown, eyes narrowing as he found one. “Dragon Pulse.”
On his mark, Ritsuka snapped off the far stronger attack, the lance of Dragon slamming home dead on target, sending the balloon plummeting towards the floor as they desperately tried to recover. Fantina’s eyes narrowed as Ritsuka lunged into another attack, both their wings glowing as Fantina clenched her fist. “Double Edge.” The dragon’s attack clashed with Driftblim’s own, throwing Ritsuka back, though at a cost. With a sad trill, the balloon fell to the floor, out of the fight. “Very good, it is now two to one.” She palmed her final Pokeball. “Banette, show them the final act!”
The pure ghost type formed a few inches above the stage, a wide grin made up of metallic teeth forming on her sackbody face, a zipper dangling at one end of her mouth. Without prompting, her jaw unhinged, a burst of purple goop flying from her mouth and rocketing towards Ritsuka.
“Agility!” Shirou barked, the dragon flying above trilling as they threw themselves into a barrel roll, dodging the Gunk Shot within the barest of safe margins. “Keep the range open. Dragonbreath bombardment!”
Banette hissed as purple flames scorched her body, before gesturing to send a hail of seeking fireballs back at Ritsuka. As the dragon blasted them away with their own dragonfire, the ghost sunk into its own shadow, flickering through the dancing light and darkness cast by the bursts of flame to close in.
Ritsuka’s eyes gleamed blue, before smashing one paw down on Banette’s approach, forcing the ghost type to manifest and dodge backward. Fantina raised one eyebrow. “Do you teach all of your team how to use aura sight?” She asked, clicking her tongue.
“Ritsuka, Dragon Pulse!” Shirou commanded in lieu of answering, the Dragon chirping as they breathed deeply, the lance of Dragon once more slamming home on the ghost, sending the Banette careening back towards the earth. It responded with a deep hiss, before lashing out with a shadow ball that Ritsuka casually dodged. Blurring forward, they slammed into the Banette with a quick attack, purple energy covering their body and allowing them to connect before the ghost could make another play.
Fantina watched as Ritsuka seized her last Pokemon by the neck and began shaking it. “I believe it’s your win, young man. You’ve trained your team very well.” She signaled to the referee.
The man raised his flag as Ritsuka released the ghost. “Leader Fantina has signaled that her final Pokemon is unable to battle! The challenger wins!” Polite applause rose from the stands, along with a small amount of grumbling. Ritsuka gave a happy chirp before returning to their trainer’s side.
“It might be my instincts showing, but I was annoyed when my last move didn’t snap its neck. Is that weird?” Ritsuka asked their trainer as Shirou descended from his box to walk over to Fantina.
“I’m pretty sure that’s just your instincts as an Eevee,” Shirou answered with an amused hum. “Though I’m not sure when you started perceiving your opponents as prey instead of competition.”
“Might just have been the biting. I’ll have to think about it.” Ritsuka responded with a shrug of their wings. As they did, Shirou reached Fantina, the elegant trainer smiling down at him.
“Well done, young man. This battle was magnifique, and not too easy for you. It matched the strength of your team, but not their skill– something I will refrain from passing on to my colleagues.” She held out a small circle of purple metal. “Your Relic Badge.”
“Thank you,” Shirou accepted with a polite bow. “It was an excellent match.”
“I’m glad you enjoyed it.” Fantina reached down, a Gengar popping up from her shadow to hand her a trio of disks. “Yes, thank you dear. Now, young man, would you prefer Shadow Ball, Shadow Claw, or Will-o-wisp? All multi-use, I assure you.” The gym leader asked, fanning the selection of TMs for him to examine.
“Shadow Ball, I think.” Ritsuka mused, looking towards Shirou with an assessing eye, “Both Yagi and I can use it. In addition, most of Illya’s Pokemon can use it too.”
Shriou nodded, taking the Shadow Ball disc. “Thank you for the choice.”
Fantina nodded, passing the remaining discs back to her shadow ghost. “It is no trouble. I suspect your sister will choose another, so you may share.” She looked at Illya as she descended to the court. “Ah, I have heard your sister is stronger than you. Is it true?”
“She is,” Shirou replied simply.
“Well, I shall be prepared.” Fantina’s smile widened. “Time for the second act, then!”
2024-08-15 23:13:40 +0000 UTC
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Shirou gave a quiet sigh of relief as they came up to the Hearthome City limits, shifting his backpack around as the party finished the long trek over and through Mount Coronet. Oblivious to the actual reason for his relief, Isabella chuckled. “Yeah, it’s always nice to get back to civilization after a long trek. Though I gotta say your meals make it a lot nicer to camp out.”
“Mhm,” Illya hummed, looking at her brother with measured suspicion. “You’ve been oddly quiet for a while, Shirou. And you don’t usually sigh when we reach cities.”
“Well…” Shirou chuckled. “You’re very observant, onee-san,” he said. “Have you been tracking the number of days since we arrived in this world?”
“...no?” Illya said after a few moments. “I haven’t. It’s been longer than a month, but I don’t think it’s been a full hundred days, so it’s not the anniversary of our arrival.” She paused. “Though that’d be worth celebrating.”
“Mm. We left our world in mind-september, and arrived here in late spring. And I don’t know if you’ve been keeping track, but we’re coming up on your birthday.” He pulled out his phone and sent a text. “Today, in fact.”
Blinking, Illya made a small “o” with her mouth before whipping out her phone, gawking at the message within, “Papa’s arranged things so that he can spend the day with us?” She squeed, visibly restraining her excitement in a poor effort to appear at least somewhat dignified.
“He did. He should be here–” A loop of gold spun into existence, a black-suited form dropping through to land gracefully on his feet. The hoop then shifted to one side, lowered significantly, and deposited a woman with red hair and a much more casual form of dress. “-right now.”
“Hoopa is pleased to help with travel! Hoopa will also help back, if Hoopa is provided with cake!” The mythical Pokemon waved through the hoop before vanishing back into the aether. “Bye!”
Kiritsugu Emiya had a lot he wanted to say, and a lot he wanted to do. But actually being within yards of his daughter for the first time in years prompted an entirely unscripted response, and within moments the ex-assassin had folded his daughter into a hug, which the little albino returned with crushing force.
After a few, long moments, the two separated slightly to look each other over. Illya sniffed. “...you look a lot smaller than I remember,” she said weakly, something inside her clenching even as she luxuriated in his presence.
“...it’s been four years. You’re growing so fast,” Kiritsugu responded quietly. “More like your mother every day, and I’ve not been there to see it. I’m sorry.” His voice was throaty, the man keeping it from quivering as he took his daughter in.
Opting not to respond, Illya simply tightened her embrace around the man that she had held complicated feelings towards for so long, basking in his presence. With him here, and knowing so much more than she did before, the old bitterness had long since faded away like dust on the wind, and all that had been left behind was the simple need to be family again.
After a few minutes, there was a firm trill from one side. The two disentangled themselves, finding two fairy types in a tense standoff; Matilda glaring at Amelie with lidded eyes. Shirou coughed. “Old man–”
Kiritsugu cut Shirou’s speech off with a second hug, wrapping his son in his arms. “I’m glad you’re getting along with your sister,” he said simply after a few moments, releasing the redhead with a smile. He then turned to the two fairies, who were now being watched by the two other Eeveelutions and a few members of both teams. “Now, what’s going on?”
Amelie sighed. “Well, your daughter’s partner has a bone to pick with you. Or at least, she has a little grudge about Illya, and she wants to make her displeasure known.” Amelie tapped her foot. “I can’t say I’m entirely opposed, but this isn’t the time. Remotely.”
“Indeed. And my grudge is admittedly not at all rational, so it can be settled later,” Matilda acknowledged with a huff, tossing her head to the side as she turned back towards her trainer. “Before you say anything, my lady, it is entirely because it is not rational that I cannot let it go easily. I will resolve it at some point.”
“...I get it,” Illya said after half a moment’s thought. “There’s a lot tangled up in all this. And we’ll talk about it, make some promises, maybe have our team smash his…” She looked across at the gathered Pokemon. “After full introductions.”
Half an hour and a lot of meetings later, the five humans and their partners wandered their way into Hearthome proper, Kiritsugu explaining his circumstances. “...the whole incident over in Unova, Looker had to divert the teams he was sending to Kalos for a week. We’ll need to be back before that, but we have five days until we need to call Hoopa to take us home.” He smiled at his kids. “At the very least, I’ll be here to see your gym battles.”
Eyes sparkling in delight, Illya nodded, “We already have them scheduled; which is how I assume you knew that you’d be able to stay.” At her father’s nod, she grinned. “I’m glad, papa. It’ll be fun to have you watching.”
“It’s been a long time since I’ve done a gym battle,” Elle mused as they made their way in-town. “I might be able to give some training hints, myself.” She looked down at her map, frowning. “Kerry, we’re moving away from the Pokemon Center and the hotels.”
“I rented a house for the week,” The ex-assassin replied. “More privacy, more space–”
“-built in kitchen for your son to cook…” Isabella cut in, eyebrows wagging.
“I don’t mind,” Shirou said evenly. “Though not tonight, I don’t think.”
“No, tonight, we’re eating out. Illya, do you have any preferences? The League and Interpol are paying me very well, so price is no object.” Kiritsugu offered.
Humming in consideration, Illya shook her head, “Not really, no. A nice place would be good, though you’ll have to give all three of us and our Pokemon some time to prepare, since we’ve been on the road for a while. All of us need to take a good shower or bath and then make ourselves presentable.”
“Of course.” Kiritsugu said as they arrived at a small brownstone building, Kiritsugu produced his device and scanned it at the door. As the lock clicked open, he swung the portal open. “You three get washed up, and we’ll find a place to eat tonight.””
As the kids spilled into the house and began divesting themselves of baggage, Kiritsugu looked at Elle with a pleading look. “...you’ve never been here, have you?” As she shook her head, he sighed. “Please help me search the network, I’m still terrible at it.” He got a quiet laugh in response.
--(0)--
Any person undergoing the shift from Earth to Garde would be in for serious culture shock, even if they were familiar with the Pokemon world. Having Pokemon everywhere would be the most obvious issue, but many smaller things are different in their own way. And to an American, the most egregious difference would be the massive spike in the price of meat relative to other ingredients.
For Kiritsugu to decide upon a Yakiniku restaurant… Well, it was obvious to all the passers-by that this was a special occasion. Especially since he’d shelled out for the Human and Pokemon option.
Fafnir grinned as she laid a prime cut onto the grill just long enough to sear before tossing it in her mouth. “I always knew there was a reason the gods allowed humans such prominence. This is one of them,” she said happily.
Shirou smiled as he laid out some of the thin cuts on the grill, basting it just a little in sauce as they were laid on the heat. “Sorry we can’t get you hamburger steak, dad.”
Kiritsugu smiled, biting into his own meat with relish. “I’m just glad to have your cooking– and company- again, Shirou.” He sighed as he took another bite, swallowing slowly. “This is as close to what I wanted as I could have dreamed of, after the fire.”
Illya took a sip of her soup, setting down her bowl. “I’m glad you’re here too. Is there any way you could just… stay?” She asked quietly.
“I could.” Kiritsugu answered, “But I will not.” Holding his hand up to forestall his daughter and son’s protests, he continued, “I’m already known in the underworld, and I’ve risked you both significantly by coming here; if it wasn’t for the fact that Lady Akari put up a bounty on anyone willing to take a crack at both of you, I wouldn’t have risked it. Even putting your safety aside, I’m unwilling to abandon the cause that Irisviel was willing- wanted to die for.”
“Peace and justice,” Shirou said evenly.
“Indeed.” Kiritsugu sighed. “Flare is willing to go to extreme lengths to secure their hold on Kalos. I’m not going to go questing for more fights, but I’m not going to leave until we handle this one.” He pursed his lips. “I suspect their goals would be intolerable to all of us, really.”
“Your father is wise, young one. And if he had not helped us, we would still be suffering.” Braixen chimed in from where she was turning small chunks of fowl on her own grill. “I’m sure you’ve spoken to Feebas about her own time in captivity. And we are, unfortunately, the least of their crimes.”
"llya hissed through her teeth. “I don’t like it. But… come home, dad. Stay alive. Mom died for this dream of yours; don’t have it cost me you both. Please?”
“Of course.” Kiritsugu smiled, then let it drop. “Speaking of homes, Illya, Shirou, do you have any idea how to get back to Earth? I was… not well when we were pulled through, and I was wondering if either of you had any idea.”
Looking at each other, the younger of the pair spoke first. “We believe that once we do what Arceus wanted us to do, we’ll be sent home to resolve our unfinished matters back there. After that, I hope they’ll let us back, because I think I’d prefer to stay here, quite honestly.”
“There are certainly perks for staying. And I don’t think I want Amelie exposed to the Clock Tower any time soon,” Kiritsugu admitted. “Do you have any idea what Arceus might have wanted, then?”
Shirou shook his head. “No. But it’s the best idea we have, and the few people we’ve chatted with agree that it’s a perfectly reasonable; and even likely, theory.”
“Hmm. Seems like he gave me a job, and gave you a second chance at childhood,” Elle interjected. “I can’t speak for myself, but most Journeys are about self-discovery and growth. You’ve been doing fairly well on that front.”
Illya paused. “Now that you mention it, I have a question. Miss Elle, you told papa you’ve been fighting Cipher since you were young. But when Shirou and I looked into it, Orre’s Cipher was undone by a traitor the first time, and a young lab trainer the second. I didn’t see your name.”
Emmanuelle sighed, setting down her chopsticks. “I’m guessing you saw that the second time Cipher made a comeback, it was thwarted by a boy named Michael?” At Illya’s nod, the redhead leaned back in her chair, eyes closing. “Yeah. That was me.”
“Oh.” Illya blinked twice. “Umm… wait, how does that work?”
Kiritsugu sucked in a breath. “Illya–”
“Wait, is it like Ritsuka? I think I remember something about that…” Illya muttered, even as the Wyrmeon looked up from his meat bowl. “Transgender, where their gender isn’t the same as the biological sex they were born with?”
“...yes, actually,” Elle said simply, her eyes opening. “It was a couple years later, and the fame was… kind of grating, actually. I’d known I wasn’t a normal boy for a while, but it took meeting some people outside of Orre to put a name to who I really was.” She sighed. “My mom wasn’t too mad, more like she just didn’t understand. But my little sister had a massive snit, and after a massive argument, I was told to leave the lab until I apologized. Fat fucking chance.” She clenched her fist, only releasing it after Haboo set one paw on her leg. “I keep in touch with my mom, if distantly, but I haven’t talked to Jovi or the lab in ages. I was glad to cut ties, get space and anonymity. I miss some of the people from back then, but I’m much happier now than I ever was before.”
“Please pass on that I’m sorry about her sister,” Ritsuka said quietly to Shirou. “And Matilda? Despite your exasperation at times, I am very glad to have you as a sister.”
“Likewise, sib.” The Sylveon’s tendrils were lashing. “Hmm. No, it’d be too much trouble to go all the way to Orre for a curse, but maybe if we end up nearby…”
Shirou sighed. “No, Matilda, no cursing.”
“Spoilsport.”
Bopping her Sylveon on the head, Ilya shook her head, “Not our place. Besides, I’m fairly sure Ms. Elle is more than capable of dishing out any punishment her sister required if she felt the need to do so.”
Kiritsugu chuckled. “Well, Elle, I’m glad to know the current you, and I don’t have any problems with your past.” He considered, for a moment, asking how comprehensive transition was in Garde, before deciding that it was not a tangent which needed to happen at dinner. “So, Illya; I’ll be honest, I couldn’t decide on what kind of gift to give you. Is there anything in particular you might want? Black market and foreign products are possible,” he said glibly.
“Honestly, I just want time with you, papa.” She reached down and lifted up her fish. “Also, I think this one counts, doesn’t she?”
“Thank you again for gifting me to your daughter,” Feebas burbled. “She is an excellent trainer.”
Hearing the translation from Amelie, Kiritsugu smiled. “I’m glad you appreciate her.” He said simply. “I’d be happy to spend a day or two with you, although–”
“If you’re worried for my sake, don’t be.” Shirou interjected. “If that’s her birthday gift, I’ll just spend the day shopping and training. So long as you do the same on mine.”
“That wasn’t what I was worried about, since I doubt Illya wants complete alone time with me.” Kiritsugu waved his youngest’s concerns off. “Besides,” he continued, gauging his daughter’s reaction and finding it more than acceptable, “Simply spending time with my daughter isn’t enough of a gift, so I’ll need to spend some time with my son to figure out a suitable one before our week is up.”
Shriou looked down, a small smile breaking out. “I’d like that.” He sniffed, then hurriedly looked up and flipped the meat he’d put on the grill. “Whoops, almost too long.”
Elle looked over at Isabella. “Going to be bored this week?”
“Nah, I should probably contact the clan and start setting up some lodging. We’re heading south soon, and after Pastoria, we’ll be heading into my home country.” She gave a wry grin. “Not like we couldn’t just walk in, but better to make everything solid. Plus, I could use a week to myself, you know?”
“I understand,” Elle nodded.
The night went long, but the birthday girl had a wonderful time. And that evening, just for one night, a little girl fell asleep on her father’s back, just as she’d been carried years before.
--(0)--
Illya adjusted the hem of her kimono, looking up at the temple gate with a frown. “Papa… do you think mama’s watching?” She asked as the father and daughter duo walked towards the shrine, the dark banners marked with a three-pronged symbol fluttering in the breeze. The two were both dressed in remembrance, white robes matching both the colors of mourning and Irisiviel’s own colors, their first partners following along behind. Amelie and Matilda had come to an accord earlier in the day; some agreement passed between them which no one else was privy to.
“Hmmm.” Kiritsugu hummed, before shaking his head. “I don’t know. If our understanding of how our universe works is correct, she is likely not,” he acknowledged. “But, I think as long as we both remember her, she’ll always be with us in some way.”
“Yeah…” Illya smiled sadly as they walked up the stone path, passing under the torii gate and into the temple. Lining the walls were small alcoves, bronze pots holding fine sand awaiting incense. “Do you think there’s something here?”
“There might be. But even if there is something beyond death here, your mother passed in our old world.” He reached into his overrobe, removing the box of incense they’d purchased. The white sticks rattled as he plucked a few, planting them in the sand upright, then snapped his fingers to light them. Illya took the box and added a few as well, her own sparks igniting the remains. “There’s no shame in hoping for something greater after death. But that can’t stop us from trying to make a better world in the now,” he said slowly and quietly. “It’s something your mother and I agreed upon.”
“Which is why you fought the war. And why mom… gave herself up.” Illya bowed her head, feeling the ache of tears long shed. “I miss her. More than I did, really.”
“So do I,” Kiritsugu admitted. “She wouldn’t want us to fixate on her, though.”
A lone stick was levitated up to bury itself in the sand. “I think that’s a healthy attitude.” Amelie’s mental voice was gentle and distant. She clapped her hands. “We can’t obsess on death, no more than we can ignore it. That balance is king in Kalos.” She turned one eye towards the crimson banners before shaking her head.
“Indeed. The dead are gone. We, the living, are left behind. It’s why we bear grudges, why we try to convince ourselves what we do is for the departed,” Matilda added, gently grabbing a stick of incense with her feelers and placing it on the floor, a wisp of Mystical Fire igniting the object as she drew away. “But in the end, we do it for ourselves.”
“Yes.” Kiritsugu folded his hands in prayer, Illya joining him. For a few minutes, they let themselves be carried by the quiet and the scent of cherry rising from the sticks burning before them, each of the four lost in their own minds. As the man finally opened his eyes, he instinctively drew his daughter into a hug. “For the living. Illya, if you do seek revenge– well, I think you’re wise enough to have a plan afterwards to live.”
“I’ll live, Papa.” Illya said quietly, opening her own eyes. After a few moments, she paused, looking around, her voice rising slightly. “I’d have thought there’d be some other people here.” She said finally, putting a finger on the thought she’d had percolating through her brain.
“The shrine’s been blessed for privacy. Other people aren’t… apparent, I think,” Matilda observed. “They’re here, but it’s behind a curtain.” For an instant, the group could see vague outlines of other mourners at different parts of the shrine, before they faded back into the background.
“Thoughtful of them. Do you want to stay longer, or move on?” Kiritsugu asked Illya.
After a few more moments of quiet contemplation, the girl nodded. “I think we should move on.”
Kiritsugu nodded, turning to leave, his hand sliding down to grip his daughter’s own. No more words were spoken as the family left the shrine, leaving behind the burning incense; a memorial for their missing third.
--(0)--
Shirou raised one arm, bracing it against the strike leveled against him. His opponent, larger and stronger by far, followed up with a quick bash to the ribs and a fast rabbit punch to his face, only for Shirou to use the momentum of the torso shot to fall and roll backwards. Within seconds, the young man had rebounded off the ground and smashed a blow of his own into his opponent’s torso, leaving him gasping.
Yagi took notes. “You know, I’d have expected an assassin to be unable to keep up with an Aura user. I always thought of them as preferring ambushes and speed.” He remarked to Frogadier, the young water type watching the spar with both teams of Pokemon arrayed around them.
Frogadier shrugged. “Sir is not an expert in fighting at melee, but he is practiced and capable. Ultimately, he does rely more on tools and weapons than brute force. Less samurai, more ninja,” they said evenly. Do you disapprove?”
“Not really? We all use different methods to fight, and his works for him.” Yagi replied, making a note of the pattern in which Kiritsugu used his magic to speed up his body; something like agility, perhaps? “There are some fighting types who hate ghosts or psychics as cheaters, but I never understood that mindset. Guts and will over all, of course,” Yagi flexed, corded muscles standing out through his fur. “But how you use those guts is most important. Youth comes in many ways.”
“Indeed. Youth?” Frogadier asked as Kiritsugu finally pinned his son.
“Vital energy, spirit indomitable in the face of challenges. Youth!” Yagi yipped, springing upright. “Well done, Mr. Emiya! I learned a lot by watching you!” The Riolu cheered, pumping one paw as the man helped his son to his feet.
“Thank you, Yagi. I’ve had a lot of practice, though I much prefer keeping my range open from my foes,” Kiritsugu answered with a crinkled eye and honest smile, “Would you like your critique now, Shirou, or would you like to guess what you did wrong first?”
“I think I’ve gotten too used to using a weapon in my fights,” Shirou said after a moment’s thought. “I don’t know how to deal with someone whose longer reach I can’t match, and I didn’t go for crippling moves when I did get close enough to hit.” He paused, scratching the back of his head. “I think that’s right, but I know I’m missing something.”
Kiritsugu nodded. “You’re doing very well for technical skills, but you’re not using reinforcement quite right. You need to learn to reinforce your entire body. Everything in it. Reinforcement improves the very concept of everything you’re reinforcing, and if you forget to reinforce even a single part the entire thing will suffer for it.”
“I suppose Illya doesn’t know enough reinforcement to teach me that?” Shirou asked.
“Yes. It’s not common knowledge, and I didn’t teach you about it before. Along with a lot of other things.” Kiritsugu ran his hands through his hair. “I think I owe you an apology. Half-teaching you like I was doing… Illya was incensed when she found out.”
Shirou nodded slightly. “I think I get why you were trying to stop me, dad. And I really did just want magic because it seemed cool at first.” He set his jaw. “But… yeah, you should’ve either not taught me, or taken it seriously. No half measures,” he said firmly.
“Understood.” Kiritsugu paused. “Shirou, does it bother you at all, what I used to do?” He held up a hand, forestalling a fast response. “I’m not asking if you love me despite it; I know you do.” He said it matter of factly, and Shirou nodded in agreement. “I’m asking because there are some aspects of my skills which I won’t teach until you’re older, and even then only if you’re resolved to take lives.”
“I think there are better ways,” Shirou said after a few moments thought. “Not that I hate what you did, dad. You did the best you could, with the skills you had. But I don’t think I want to walk the same path, and I don’t need everything you needed.” He looked his father in the eyes. “But I still need to learn the basics, because there are some enemies you have to kill.”
“Like that ghost?”
Shioru nodded resolutely. “Like Spiritomb, yeah.”
Kiritsugu nodded, then turned and returned to the other side of their impromptu arena. “Alright, a few more rounds?” He looked over to one side. “Maybe with our partners? Teamwork is something I’m still learning, but we could learn together.”
Shirou nodded, moving back to his own starting position. “Ready, old man.”
2024-08-01 23:08:37 +0000 UTC
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