Micromission: Liberty Garden Island- Veni, Vidi Victini?

[Requiem of Whyspers]

Wren seemed a bit amused by Ulla and her Riolu's antics climbing in the trees until the young girl called back to the group. "Hm... I suppose children can be helpful in a battlefield setting after all." He noted to himself, walking toward Liberty Tower. "I don't think they'll bother us without a good reason." He told Ulla, attempting to reassure her a bit. "I get the feeling they're more interested in Driftveil and maintaining control over the drawbridge... for now." He made sure to emphasize the importance of the time frame. Clearly the dreadlocked male had plans to contribute some kind of assistance to that fight at some point in the near future.

As he headed into the tower behind Crystal, however, he would release his Deerling. "Asphodel, use Odor Sleuth. See if you can smell anything that might come across as a Legendary Pokemon. Not like either of us know what that smells like." The latter half was aimed more at himself than Asphodel. The Deerling nodded and took a deep breath through his nose, filtering the scents inside Liberty Town apart from one another very carefully. "We're looking for Victini, if that helps?" Wren offered. He'd never actually seen the Pokemon despite coming here for Unova's independence day celebration every year throughout his childhood and adolescent years.  

[Cecile Silverstone]

||Ulla Hanabi||

Ulla and Riolu both stopped hopping from branch to branch and met back up on a tree close to Crystal. "No. I'll join you. If you meet Victini, I want to be friends with it as well. Rowlett, you stay here ok? Make sure nobody gets past you. Rowlett nodded as both Riolu and Ulla jumped down. Riolu held Ulla bridal style as they landed. Riolu helped her on her feet as they followed the group. "Well, if I was a villain. Which a 10 year old girl would not be. I would want every advantage I could get. But, I'm not one. I wanna make sure Victini is safe and not living in fear. Ulla said to Wren.

Riolu tried again to read Victini's aura. But nothing, frustrated, he punched the nearest tree. The little girl rested her hand on Riolu. "Hey hey hey. It's okay. Vicitini is here. They just are very well hidden. They don't want to be found because of what is surrounding us right now okay?" Riolu's temper calmed a bit. The little girl then smiled and gave Riolu an Oran berry for him to snack on.  

[Requiem of Whyspers]

Asphodel couldn't seem to find anything special in the air as he walked into the lighthouse alongside Wren. Perhaps it was because the whole place smelled the same all over, like a combination of charcoal and innocence.

Heading down into the lower level of the tower, the pair began to look around along with Crystal. "These books..." Wren started, opening several and leafing through them before finishing his thought. "A lot of them look like they were drawn by children, don't they?" He finally asked, pointing out the one he was holding. "They're all picture books with no words." He added, opening the book and showing a page with a collection of figures that looked strangely familiar poorly painted onto the page showing with finger paints. "You don't think Victini has been drawing pictures of your group, do you?" He questioned. He couldn't know about Victini's involvement in the defeat of the Zekrom that had nearly been allowed to awaken so many years ago over Black City or how the Snagems had been involved at the time so he was merely speculating. But what if it was true?  

[Cecile Silverstone]

||Ulla Hanabi||

"I always had to play the villain back home. But the boys always ended up playing the hero. But now, it's different." The little girl giggled, wondering what those boys were doing now. She felt like she got the bigger change from the group. As the group went downstairs, Riolu and Ulla followed right behind. When they saw the downstairs, Ulla looked at all the drawings. She looked at the one Wren was holding up. "Who are they suppose to be? She questioned as she looked at more of the drawings that were around. She found some blank pieces of paper as she looked around some more and found some finger paint. "That may be the case. She looked back at the finger paint as it looks like some paint was left on the side. "It's still wet, it must have been recently used.

Rowlett was perched on a tree branch as he was looking around but not his entire body. Just his neck. He then looked at Kairos as he was basically sticking out like a sore thumb. Rowlett hooted as if to introduce himself. The owl then went back to watching the surrounding area, but this time...he would turn his entire body to different directions instead of just his neck. What a strange bird.

The little girl sat in an open spot of the room, as she started finger painting. Riolu looked around a bit as he sat on the bed and watched.He looked under the pillow and found and Oran Berry. Riolu put another Oran Berry under the pillow, just to make sure Victini wasn't starving. "Riolu look! I drew the four of us!" Ulla showed Riolu her painting. It was her, Riolu, Rowlett, and Victini. All of them were smiling and holding hands, except for Rowlett who was perched on Ulla's head. "I'm sure Victini is really lonely being on the island by itself. So when we meet Victini, lets be friends with them ok?" Ulla smiled as she had some blue paint on her face. Riolu just simply chuckled under his breath, then he suddenly felt a spike of strong aura in the same room as them. Ulla noticed Riolu's expression change she put her painting down. "Riolu what's goin-"

As Ulla was about to finish her sentence, something tried to smear the paint off her face. Riolu stood in front of Ulla as he looked around vigilantly, trying to find the source of the strong aura.  

[Cecile Silverstone]

||Ulla Hanabi||

Rowlett nodded as he heard the Swablu tweeting furiously. Before Kairos could say they needed to be informed, Rowlett flew to the Swablu to make it fly faster to them. It wasn't safe for any of them. As he brought the Swablu back towards Kairos, Rowlett hooted to tell Kairos that he was gonna go tell the group.

As the Gengar appeared, Riolu used Iron Tail to pin him to the wall. Riolu, his eyes started to change to a slight purple as he started to fill with rage. The Gengar cackled as he hid in the shadows again as he left the room. Riolu was still able to feel the Gengar's aura as he was about to go chase after it. "RIOLU STOP!" Ulla shouted as she felt the Shadow growing stronger in him. Riolu couldn't hear her voice as in his eyes, everyone was just in his way. He lunged forward as if he was gonna go for a knock out point on Ulla. The little girl looked scared then her complexion changed to a calm face. Ulla blocked Riolu's shot as he went for a leg swipe. Ulla then jumped over his sweep as she used her weight to make him fall forward with his arm behind his back. At the same time Rowlett came it hooting furiously to tell them what was going on.

Ulla looked at Rowlett as it was panicking. "Our cover has been blown cause of that Gengar huh?" She said to everyone as her attention went back to Riolu struggling to get out of her hold. "I'm sorry buddy....I'm sorry your this way." She whispered softly as she started to hum a lullaby. Riolu struggled more and more, but then he started to calm down. The purple in his eyes started to go back to red. She smiled, "There's my best friend.... She got up off of him. Riolu got up as well as he looked a little ashamed, the little girl looked at everyone if they were shocked that a 10 year old girl can fight. "....I train with Riolu. Even before this happened. He thinks, I can read aura in no time."  

[Requiem of Whyspers]

Wren considered Crystal’s question for a moment but he couldn’t be sure. He wouldn’t know who was around in those days and certainly wouldn’t recognize them if they were in the picture. And then Ulla tripped a trap with. Gengar that suddenly charges toward him as he walked past the stairwell. When it came at him, he dropped the book of pictures in his hand, throwing his arms up to defend himself. A flash of green light erupted from his bracelet with it’s large rose blossoming from it and a thicket of large, thorn-covered vibes sprouted into life from it in the few seconds it took for Gengar to reach him. Fortunately for the Ghost-type, it appeared to phase through the vines and the man on the other side of them without even slowing down.

“What just happened?!” Wren practically screamed, terrified of the vines that kept appearing around him when he was in danger.

And then he saw Ulla take down her Riolu. That Pokémon had some kind of problem that needed dealing with. That much was obvious. Unfortunately, he had his own problem . He’sbonly Just realized those vines were still attached to his bracket and he couldn’t figure out how to get them off.  

[Cecile Silverstone]

||Ulla Hanabi||

Ulla and Riolu looked at each other then back at Crystal. They both nodded, they depended on each other. Rowlett then chirping more loudly as the ship started coming even closer. Ulla grabbed Rowlett to calm him down, "Are you guys ready to start your first battle" Both of them nodded. Looks like they had no other choice on getting out of here. Her team ran upstairs and out the door as the island was being raided by Team Flare soldiers.

"Did they notice us here?" She asked herself as she heard the Hybrid's orders. Her team nodded as they went a little off to the side of the lighthouse. Riolu and Ulla had there back against each other, while Rowlett was in the sky flying right above them. "No matter what, do not stray to far away from one another. Riolu, let me know if you don't feel good. Understand?" Both of them nodded as some Flare soldiers and their Pokemon were coming at them in different directions. "Rowlett razor leaf!" Rowlett started using razer leaf around them to stop them in their tracks as Riolu charge at them as he was using quick attack, iron tail. Soon enough he was faced against a Dragonair that was much bigger than him. Riolu! Shadow Wave!" Riolu looked back at Ulla a little concerned. Don't worry. We have your back. She smiled towards Riolu with confidence. He nodded as he was surrounded by darkness as he focused that energy towards his hands. The Dragonair was about to attack but then Riolu shot a dark laser as the Dragonair knocked out. Riolu fell to one knee for a second as a Flare soldier was about to grab him. Ulla charged at the grunt and did a jump kick to knock him out.  

[Requiem of Whyspers]

Wren heard Crystal's suggestion and froze for a second. There was that word again, 'Channeler'. What in the world did that even mean? How were these crazy vines following him, where were they coming from and, more importantly, was it really possible they were his own doing? He tried to calm himself down as she had suggested and, almost like magic, the vines retracted back into the depths of his silken bracelet.

It was about the time he calmed down, he realized something was going on outside. He'd been so panicked by the Gengar fleeing through him that he hadn't paid any attention to what was happening around them all.

When he headed outside, he realized they were now under attack. "Great..." Luckily, Asphodel was still standing beside him. When the Flares started unloading off the ships, Wren staggered backward for a moment before remembering that he was a trainer as well as a businessman. He had Pokemon for a reason and his homeland needed him to fight for it.

Stamping his foot against the ground and twisting his toes slightly, he dug his bare foot into the earth beneath it and braces himself against... himself. His pacifistic nature told him to turn tail and run from the danger but his pride as a Unovan wouldn't allow him to let these people go unpunished. "Asphodel, Agility!"

"Liepard, Assist!" The feline nodded and with a flash of it's paws, it began to cough furiously before a glob of poisonous fur was hacked up and flung toward the speeding cervine Pokemon via a borrowed Acid. Asphodel dodged it with relative ease thanks to the speed booster he was still employing.

"Giga Drain!" Aspohdel darted across the space between himself and the Liepard, jumping into the air and over the cat, a small orb of green appearing around the Dark-type before it compressed around it and, within seconds, had stolen away some of it's vitality and shot back toward the Deerling.

"Seed Bomb!" Wren froze for a split second. "How? How does your Liepard know Seed Bomb?" He demanded to know, refusing to believe the feline could know such a move. Only a moment later, however, an acorn-like seed had form in the hook of Liepard's sickle-shaped tail and was flung at Asphodel with great precision.

"Tank it, Asphodel!" The brunet told his Pokemon, watching as the Deerling stood his ground and allowed himself to be hit by the attack. When it exploded, however, rather than seeing the small Pokemon go flying as expected, the Flare grunt saw it racing out of the smoke with a green aura around it as it's Sap Sipper ability activated. "Double Kick!" Asphodel raced forward with grand speed thanks to Agility earlier, jumped into the air and crashed down onto Liepard's back with his rear legs, extending them into a full kick and using the force to launch himself skyward again. Flipping over in midair and turning back toward Wren, Asphodel came down once more with a second kick with both rear legs, slamming his hooves into Liepard and crushing it into the ground as he jumped off.

As Asphodel pranced back over to his trainer's side, the Flare grunt recalled his Liepard. The cat was out cold after such a blow, especially with it empowered by that Sap Sipper boost a moment before. "Try my Skrelp on for size!" He called out, releasing the Poison-type into the water nearby. "Go, you hideous thing! You need the experience so you can evolve, already!"

Wren balked at the Flare's words, caught completely off guard by the thought that anyone could talk to their Pokemon in such a way. "You don't deserve that Pokemon if you're going to talk to it that way!" He snapped at the man.

"Mind your own business and finish losing already!" The Flare snapped back, eyes narrowed behind his tacky sunglasses. "It's my Pokemon and I think it's ugly right now. It won't be when it evolves, though, so it needs to hurry up! Now use Sludge Bomb!"

Wren recalled Asphodel before the attack could hit him and pulled out another ball in it's place. "You stand a better chance at winning this without harming it..." He told the ball before releasing Altissima. "Be careful!" He urged her, knowing she was still weak from her previous life in the near-eternal shade of Castelia's Central Garden. "Use Sleep Powder!" Altissima's body rattled and a powdery narcotic agent drifted from her head leaves.

"Icy Wind, Skrelp! Blow it away!" Flare Grunt called out, watching his Water-type issue a frigid gale that blew away the powder.

"Fine. Blow this away. Grasswhistle!" Wren called to his small Grass-type.

"Cut it off with Water Pulse!" Flare Grunt called out as the Bulb Pokemon's leaves began to twitch and vibrate, a melancholy lullaby beginning to hum from them. The Mock Kelp Pokemon released a vibrating orb of water and sonic waves towards the Petilil but when it hit, she barely reacted. The only difference in her at all was her song rose in pitch slightly as her leaves recovered somewhat from their dry and withered state. After a moment more, Skrelp and Flare Grunt both found themselves beginning to drowse.

"Altissima can't be confused, if that's what you were aiming for." Wren piped up, though by the time he spoke it appeared that both his opponent Pokemon and it's trainer had fallen asleep. "Hm...Altissima. Try to ease it's slumber. Use Dream Eater." He instructed. Altissima nodded and approached, using her limited psionic abilities to extract the sleeping Skrelp's dreams. And along with them, perhaps, some memories associated with self confidence due to Flare Grunt's abuse. "I didn't think I'd find myself wanting to use this so soon but..." He pulled a Heal Ball from his pocket and held it in his right hand -the one equipped with his new Snag Machine- and allowed the machine to do it's job before throwing it at the dual-type slumbering across from him.

He watched it draw inside the ball and, after a few moments of it twitching, the ball stilled and "pinged". "This leaves a bad taste in my mouth..." He said to himself as he picked the ball up. "But this Pokemon deserves a trainer who will love it unconditionally. Altissima-" He turned to his Petilil and pointed to the Flare Grunt. "Use Grass Knot to bind him up. I feel like we could get some information from him about what these people are here for if we take him back with us." Altissima nodded and approached, her leaves glowing bright green before growing and winding around the Flare Grunt, tangling around themselves until they had created a thick binding of rope-like leaves knotted around their victim. At that point, they "snapped" off of Altissima's head and her leaves returned to their normal state if a bit healthier looking than they had been a bit ago.