Pokémon Legends: Court of Kings

[Klarp Glornharm]

Cyllage Gym - The Fall
Benedict let out a breath he hadn't been aware he was holding. The gamble hadn't paid off, he saw. Francis was stricken by the thunder, and dropped easily. The bird fell with it for a time, and it was a moment before the beam of red light returned it properly. Francis was down, but safe. Not dead. With a sigh, Benedict felt himself sitting down on the cliff's edge. The plan was to wait there for the battle to be his.

For now, he simply stared out into space, as calm as could be. He'd lost. Again. It felt almost as if he only really fought people with pokemon stronger than his own.  

[Marsuru]

((Remember, it's not the size that counts, but the frequency of posting. And since I'm a few days late with posting this one, I hope the size makes up for it))

Cyllage City Gym - The Arena

When you were at Grant's level, the majority of matches became by-the-numbers affairs against trainers who were vastly outclassed. Most people who challenged the league did so with thoughts of grandeur, of becoming the Champion and entering the ranks of nobility. Most gained one or two badges, but not if their first challenge was Grant. He made more trainers quit than any other gym leader; showing them the reality of turning pro. Salieri, at least, was eager. Perhaps this battle would be interesting.

Grant pursed his lips excitedly once the battle kicked off. Biz was opening with Seed Bomb, so he commanded an 'Ancient Power!'

When Biz fired his bomb, Amaura stomped on the floor, channelling its power into the rock of the arena. Quick as a flash, it morphed the rock, dragging a square chunk from the arena to act as a wall that would block the attack. The Ancient Power was quite close to Biz and far from Amaura, meaning that when the Seed Bomb made contact, the only direction the blast and shrapnel would go in were back towards the Quilladin, leaving Amaura safe. Ordinarily, Ancient Power would then surge towards its target, but instead the super effective Seed Bomb blew it apart, scattering it into fragments of rock and dust.

Then Grant followed up with 'Aurora Beam!', and before the rock could finish shattering, his Amaura blasted a long bolt of ice energy into the fray. With any luck, the Seed Bomb backblast and exploding rock would act as perfect cover for the move, though Amaura couldn't see Biz either. If Biz dodged, Amaura would bend the Aurora Beam after him, aiming to tag him with the attack, forcing him to keep moving lest he be hit.

If he was hit, then Biz would be blasted to the edge of the battle plateau. Falling out meant disqualification.

Battle Chateau - The Courtyard

Elizabeth met Juliet's blade with a clatter. Her form went loose at the wrong moment, and was brushed aside. Juliet's lunge found its mark atop Elizabeth's right breast, the foil bending as its tip made contact, ending the duel for a moment. Juliet wasn't at all the courteous host she'd pretended to be, which hadn't been what caught Elizabeth off guard. That she was still suspicious of her reasons for meeting Nostrad; the sudden interrogation stole her focus.

'A touch!' the referee announced, holding his hand up. 'Point one to Nostrad.'

Her foil went to her side as she turned back three paces along the beam. Elizabeth caught her breath, realising that the intensity of Juliet's assault had left her arm feeling a tad numb. She passed her foil between her hands, shaking out her fingers then cracking her knuckles. She remembered Juliet's mid-duel transformation and almost mocking mimicry of her own form.

'This was never about the duel,' Elizabeth thought, turning on the spot and crossing her sword over her chest. Elizabeth gazed into Juliet's faceless mask, which gave her as good a read of the girl as her true face. She had an agenda; that much was certain. She was also out of tricks. Her sudden shift had caught Elizabeth on the back foot, which made it difficult to recover, but now they were starting fresh and she knew what to expect. Juliet had also blown her surprise questioning; there was now nothing short of announcing she knew Gabriel Leroux's killer that could surprise Elizabeth.

She went into a limber stance, edging along the beam. The referee announced the second round and his whistle peeped, setting them off. Elizabeth was back on form, going into the duel with renewed vigour despite the sweat draining down her cheek. Her moves were quick, precise. She fought for Juliet's heart, to strike her just as she had been struck, to put the young Lady in her place.

'It's as I told you,' Elizabeth said as she jabbed and swiped. 'We're creating a charity for my father. Don't you believe me?'

Sycamore Research Lab

Zack frowned, pulling his eyes from Helena to Lysandre. 'I don't know anything about the scientist. He could've been the boss Jump mentioned.'

'So what happened then?' Sina asked, and Dexio gave her a nudge, pointing to the notepad with a pleading look and mouthing Read it. She returned his concerns by smacking him lightly on the head.
'What happened next is that we got into a fight and our mine carts came off the tracks. Then we fell for a while.'
'Into the gorge?' Dexio gasped, 'Zack, that gorge is said to be over a mile deep.'

'Really? Seems about right,' Zack said, thinking back. With how dark the fall into the gorge had been, the most prevalent memory was the wind biting into his skin. And the sick crunch as Serene bounced off a scaffold bar. But mostly it was the weightless cold.
'Explains all the mud,' Esme smirked. Zack caught her eye, and despite what she'd said earlier, he couldn't help his cheeks going hot.
'Yeah,' he said. 'Anyway, that's when the dinosaurs woke up.'

'Hold on,' Sycamore cut in, raising his hand, drawing the room's attention with a wave of turned heads. 'The dinosaurs only started rampaging after you reached the bottom of the gorge? Not before?'
The wave turned back to Zack. 'Like I said, they woke up.'
'That's interesting,' Sycamore muttered to himself. 'Now carry on. We don't need to hear about how you escaped the gorge or your harrowing mano a mano with our friend here.'

Aerodactyl let out a long, rumbling snore and shifted in its sleep, flopping comfortably onto its side. Sina looked aghast.

'But Professor! That's clearly the best bit!' She looked back with a sweet smile. 'Isn't that right, Zack?'
Zack shrugged. 'You've already seen the ending.'
Just as Sina's face began to drop again, Sycamore cleared his throat. 'Is there anything else that you can tell us? Anything that jumps to mind? No matter how inconsequential it seems.'

Zack looked to the ceiling, running the events through again. Nothing leapt out at him except: 'Jump did say that Flare were looking for Diancie.'
Sycamore stared. 'And you didn't think to mention this right away because...?'

'Because?' Zack nearly laughed. He hadn't heard of Diancie until coming to Kalos. It had appeared in the book he'd read in the Moreau Library, the one he'd been using to research the creature, and the one he'd struggled to concentrate on once he'd spotted Esme. The Creatures of Kalos. It described a pokémon that rode a floating gemstone, creating diamonds from thin air. 'Because they might as well have been looking for the tooth fairy. It's a legend. It's been 800 years since anyone even bothered to claim that they've seen one.'

Sycamore sighed, pinching his brow. He turned to Helena, wagging his pen between his fingertips. If Lysandre wasn't doing it, then Sycamore was the only person bothering to take notes. 'What about you? Did the scientist mention anything about Diancie? Or anything else for that matter.'

Lumiose City - North Boulevard

'Ahhh, the city!' Wayne said, breathing in a hefty lungful of air. He breathed out again comfortably and gave Bridgette a grin. 'See? If I did that in Unova, I'd be coughing my guts up by now.'

Lumiose was crowded. The percentage of trainers to non-trainers had dwindled following the league's opening; those that hadn't thrown in the towel were filtering off into other parts of Kalos, training and exploring. Still, it had hardly made a dent in the city's density. By acting as a hub city, Lumiose ensured that it always had people passing through, which helped its affluence. Wayne stood on his tip toes but could barely see over the crowd. Aipom stood on Wayne's head and didn't fare much better.

'I cannot see the Center,' Wayne said, dropping to his heels.
'Me either,' said Aipom, sliding onto Wayne's shoulder. 'Isn't it supposed to be bright red? How is that not possible to see?'
'Maybe it's like ultraviolet,' Wayne suggested. 'Except ultrared, which is why you can't see it.'
Aipom gave the trainer a light slap on the cheek. 'Wayne, focus on the task at hand here, okay? I know what you humans are like; get much hungrier and I'll start to look like Aipom a la mode.'

'That does actually sound pretty tasty, but I get your point.' Wayne looked about, eventually spotting his target. Pulled up by the curb, its driver nose-deep in a newspaper with the heading La Folie et la Terreur à Ambrette, was a baby blue taxi. Wayne nudged Bridgette and pointed it out.

'That guy's bound to know where the Center is,' Wayne said, heading towards the taxi. He turned around as he walked, calling out, 'Don't worry! I'm sure it's nothing like those movies where the taxi kidnaps you and harvests your organs!' He span around. 'Isn't that right?'
Wayne leant through the taxi's window, grinning as the driver lazily met his eye. The driver was old and smelled of cigarettes, and apparently hadn't shaved for a while, his white vest reeking of days old sweat. Trustworthy enough, Wayne decided. The man spoke National in a thick Kalosian drawl. 'Where are you wanting?'
'My friend and I just need a ride. Oh, and Bridgette too,' Wayne said, jabbing a thumb over his shoulder. 'We're going to the pokémon center for Waffle Day, and to get our pokémon healed.'

The driver popped his doors, and Wayne pulled one open. He paused before getting in, then called to Bridgette. 'Hey, hurry up! You coming?'  

[Spinne Biss]

Sycamore Research Lab

"Um," Helena piped up, "yeah. The scientist said that they had captured Diancie." She looked over at Zack, who had dismissed the entire possibility. "Sorry," she mouthed. She hadn't intended to make him look silly, but she resolved that he'd done that pretty much on his own.

"The prehistoric Pokemon did start rampaging after the stampede had already started," she added. She couldn't positively confirm this for herself, but she had been given one - Tyrantrum - and had only seen him after the stampede had begun. She left out this bit of information, however, hoping to aid Zack's credibility.

Lumiose City - North Boulevard

((There's a more distinc air quality, too, that you can feel. It's basically the literal difference between being able to feel air hit the back of your throat when you take in a deep breath and not.))

"Oh!" Bridgette shouted when Wayne called her over. He probably didn't notice it, because his eye was mostly on the ball, but Bridgette had turned to look at a passing cosplay - or it seemed like a cosplay of something given how ridiculous it looked to the girl from Sinnoh - and losing sight of Wayne for that moment had immediately gotten her lost.

When he called her over, she turned in the direction of his voice and managed to spot the Aipom. Only then did she recognize Wayne and realize that she didn't know, by heart, what he looked like. His features weren't distinct enough for her to tell him apart from any of the number of Unovan males that were out and about.

"I wouldn't want to live here, I'll say that much," Bridgette said as she arrived at the taxi. She looked at the taxi driver who looked like he was probably scowling and said "sorry."  

[TheOnlyMadHatter]

Lumiose City - South Boulevard

"Wow, this place is huge! Eh, Vaporeon?" Thad exclaimed, looking down at his blue companion. The Vaporeon trilled as she looked around the city to take in her surroundings. It was true that she and Thad had been in some big cities before but this was by far the largest city she had ever seen. She looked back up at her trainer and nudged him gently with her tail. Thad looked down and then back up. "I know, I know. Look, I'm just here because I think I might have a megastone and a keystone and Professor Sycamore is the leading expert in the field of mega evolution. Who knows, maybe Professor Sycamore has heard of me. I have worked for a few of his colleagues. So we'll just pop in, introduce ourselves, ask a few questions, and then get to work. Deal?" he asked, glancing at the map on his PokéNav Plus. Vaporeon rolled her eyes. She knew Thad would probably want to sightsee before he got to work. Thad closed his PokéNav and looked up. "Looks like we are here," he said.

Sycamore Research Lab

Thad and Vaporeon peeked into the lab and walked in. The blond looked around. "Hello? Professor Sycamore? Are you here?" he called out. Vaporeon sat down and looked around lazily.  

[Jump Einatz]

Cyllage City Gym - The Arena

Shrapnel blasted back at Biz Marquis when it blew up on the Ancient Power, but it just bounced off him harmlessly. The shockwave didn’t faze him, his tough legs withstanding the force. Salieri took note of this development. Did the backlash damage him? I can’t know for certain without Ivan if his hit points drop, but maybe the training already paid off. Time to find out.

Dust and stone lingered in the air, and Salieri had a feeling Grant would take advantage of it for a counterattack. Before she even saw the rainbow glow of the Aurora Beam, Salieri called out for a “Bomb Jump!”

The tactic was one Sal had told Biz about during their morning training. The Quilladin curled into a tight ball, then bounced into the air. He arced forward straight over the beam just as it pierced through the cloud of rock dust. Before he could fall into it, he dropped a Seed Bomb below himself. This one was primed to blow much faster than the last: it blew up directly beneath him.

Recoil pushed him back up for another, smaller jump, and his newfound Bulletproof hide protected him from damage. Now he was above Amaura, the beam following him up. Though the Tundra Pokémon’s long neck gave its head great flexibility, it still wouldn’t be able to look directly behind itself, which was where Biz was about to land. Aurora Beam wouldn’t be able to reach him.

As he fell, Salieri rode the momentum with a “Vine Whip!”, and Biz produced a long lashing vine from inside his wrist to snap at Amaura’s neck. It looked to be the most vulnerable part of the dinosaur’s rough body. The Vine Whip was aimed to strike the neck and then lasso around it so Biz could hoist Amaura into the air for a whole new meaning of the word “chokeslam”.

Battle Chateau - The Courtyard

The laws of nature changed once more. Juliet became the mountain and Elizabeth morphed into the sea, sending wave after wave with each sword strike. Juliet parried and dodged, sometimes using the same motions Elizabeth had performed barely moments beforehand. Her defense was as solid and varied as her offense, yet she found herself being pushed back by Elizabeth’s relentless determination.

“Strange, isn’t it? That such a charity would be so private. And such an extreme grievance against the Leroux’s would be settled amongst the Nostrads.” Now it was Juliet’s turn to sweat. Nearly losing her balance, she counterswiped with her foil, clashing against Elizabeth’s. Foil pressed to foil, Juliet struggled to lean in and whisper, “I might believe you, if you spoke the whole truth.”

Before she fell off the beam, Juliet slid back her blade to readjust her step. The move saved her from falling, but allowed Elizabeth’s foil to strike her over her heart. The referee called it, giving a point to Elizabeth. Juliet’s hidden gaze lingered on her chest until she spun around to walk three paces back.

“Your swordplay doesn’t lie.” Juliet turned and crossed her sword over her chest, as was custom. When the next round began, she held her left hand out wide in front of her, and positioned the back edge of the foil between that hand’s thumb and index finger, almost like holding a pool cue. It was one of the few stances Juliet used frequently in tournaments.

She edged her feet closer to the center of the beam, still in her stance, waiting for Elizabeth to come closer. “I’m just curious if a charity will really give you the type of closure you seek.”

Sycamore Research Lab

Lysandre kept a straight face throughout the debriefing, even when Zack scoffed at Diancie’s existence only to be humorously proven wrong seconds later. His eyes shifted between the two siblings as he judged them. They were either still razzled from yesterday, purposely hiding information for reasons unclear, or simply forgetful. Perhaps a combination, but it didn’t matter to Lysandre. The orange haired CEO stood up tall. “I believe I have a few answers to these questions.”

He glided slowly towards the window, hands held behind his back. “It was a project that started back in the 1970’s, one of the first of it’s kind,” he explained wistfully with his back to everyone else. “Parliament began at the same time, but it couldn’t stand up as a revolution on its own. With its sister act, an entirely new era was created. An era…of funk.”

Eyes closed, he sighed. “To think Funkadelic would be involved in such a calamity such as the Route 9 incident pains my heart. True human talent is rare. To think it could play a part in ruin...” There was a pause as he contemplated the merits of the various lineup changes in his head, but that information was neither here nor there. Lysandre turned around.

“As for Diancie, the legends concerning it are scarce, though it appears those legends may be rooted in fact after all.” He gestured with a head nod to an atlas plastered on the lab wall. “Throughout the world, there are places -sanctuaries- barely touched by human kind. Normally, Pokémon live in harmony in these sanctuaries. And sometimes, the ecosystems in these sanctuaries are maintained by a particularly powerful Pokémon.”

Lysandre stepped back to the table and clutched its side, leaning forward towards the group. “My theory is that this Diancie was the guardian of the sanctuary known as Glittering Cave, and the stampede was caused by its disturbance-”

Thad's voice echoed through the halls of the building. Lysandre's eyes shifted towards the door. "Were you expecting other visitors, old friend?" he asked Sycamore.

((NYC air smells like pretzels, the subway, and metal, and for some reason I love it))  

[Marsuru]

((That's just the euphoria you get when pollutants slowly burn your brain into mush. It's science))

Cyllage City Gym - The Arena

Once Biz vanished from Amaura's view, there was only one place he could go. So before he landed, the gems on Amaura's back crackled blue and sent 'Thunder Wave!' sweeping behind the rock type. If Biz cancelled his Vine Whip before it grabbed Amaura, he might still have a chance to avoid paralysis. If he went through with it, he'd latch onto Amaura but become paralysed in the process.

If that happened, Amaura wouldn't give Biz a chance to lift him into the air. Instead, he'd rush forward with the breakneck power of 'Take Down!', and charge across the arena towards the edge. Unless he let go, Biz would get dragged along in Amaura's wake, scraping along the arena floor. Then Amaura would slam on the brakes, swinging sideways to throw Biz in an arc, then in front of him. The idea was that the sudden shifts in momentum would cause Biz to lose his grip on the rock type's powerful neck and get thrown out of bounds.

Sycamore Research Lab

Zack flexed his jaw and stared out the window once Helena started speaking. He could feel everyone's unspoken laughter burning into his face, but refused them the pleasure of an overt response. Instead he listened. Lysandre's theory sounded plausible enough, so the question became why were Flare after Diancie in the first place? Were they trying to cause the rampage, intent on destroying Ambrette, or was it some kind of test? Was Ambrette an accident, or was the rampage itself unintended? They might look like colourful jerks but it'd be foolish to assume that they had no goal.

'Hm?' Sycamore sat upright when Lysandre noticed Thad beyond the door. 'Oh. My job.'

The professor's chair screeched as he stood up and clapped his hands together. He wore a carefully practised smile that made him seem every bit the ideal pokémon professor, but Zack detected a weariness behind his eyes. The Route 9 business was getting to him more than he let on. 'Well, I think that's a good place to stop for now. If we need to go over this again, Dexio will give you a call.'

Finally, Zack folded his arms. The aides got to their feet - Dexio stood while Esme and Sina hopped down from the side counter - and gathered up their paperwork. Several sheets were topped by the word 'Ptéra', and Zack frowned, wondering what it meant. Zack meant to collar Sycamore before he left to deal with the person in the hallway, but the professor was already on the move, the door swishing shut behind him.

---

'Welcome to the world of Pokémon!' Sycamore announced as he left the rear lab, holding his arms wide in greeting. After years of being a professor, he'd gotten his greetings down pat, and old favourites never failed.

'You must be, uh,' he paused, giving Thad a look over. He seemed fairly normal and he had, aha, a Vaporeon. The professor grinned and finished, '...a trainer!'  

[Jump Einatz]

((Okay, 1 is fully paralyzed. I hope my manipulating-dice-rolls classes paid off! I mean... ninja

EDIT: They did!))

Cyllage City Gym - The Arena

As Biz spun in the air, he restrained himself from fist pumping. The close range Seed Bomb gave his backside a sting -a hint that his Bulletproof ability hadn't fully emerged yet- but the Bomb Jump was every bit as effective as Salieri hoped it would be. So cool!

Sal was also pleased, but not enough to let her guard down. Grant was just as serious a contender as Viola, and it appeared that his dinosaur was part Ice type, one of Biz's weaknesses. Should've guessed, it's so blue. Thunder Wave, a move Salieri was quite familiar with, crackled on Amaura's back. "Biz!"

It was too late to dodge: the Thunder Wave coursed through Biz Marquis' body, causing him to clench his teeth in surprise. It didn't hurt, but his muscles felt numb and stiff. He was now paralyzed. This didn't deter Sal, who ordered a "Bulk Up!" right before he landed.

Biz pumped up his sore muscles and maintained a solid stance, using his sturdy Quilladin legs to brace himself. Try as it may, Amaura wouldn't be able to overcome Biz's superior strength and pull him with the Take Down. The dinosaur's Refrigerate ability gave the Take Down an Icy aura, which began to freeze the Vine Whip. In a moment, the vine would become too brittle around Amaura's neck, and it would shatter.

Before it happened, while Biz still had a grip on Amaura, Sal shouted "Chance!" That was his cue to attack again. Within an instant, he formed another arm cannon on his free arm and shot another Seed Bomb at the dinosaur.

Sycamore Research Lab

"There is still much we don't know, but I'm sure the professor and I will work out a solution," Lysandre assured the teens, as if they wanted to know. He took another look at the Redgraves, this time more overtly.

"You two are not from Kalos, are you? It must be difficult trying to fully understand a foreign country without the proper tools." His eyes narrowed at their x-transceivers. Lysandre thought the inferior technology looked gawdy, but he didn't say it out loud. "I have something that may help."

He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out two wristwatch-esque devices, quite similar to the x-transceivers. "These are Holocasters, created by my company. They're much like your x-transceivers, but with more applications, including a connection to the Kalos newsfeed. You won't be in the dark about major news again. Additionally-"

With a tap at his wrist, Lysandre activated his own Holocaster, which displayed a small blue hologram detailing a map of Kalos. "It has holographic features. It may seem like overkill, but you can never do too much for beauty." The CEO held out the two spare Holocasters to the siblings.

"These are promotional, but they work just as well as the rest. Consider them a gift. Knowledge is power, after all. Put them to good use."  

[TheOnlyMadHatter]

Sycamore Research Lab

Thad stopped when the the professor came out and gave him the beginnings of a rehearsed greeting to newbie trainers. The youth noted that the professor seemed almost pleased that Thad was a trainer and not a new charge. He supposed he couldn't blame him. How often did Sycamore have to deal with new trainers? Thad shook himself from his thoughts and smiled. "Hello, Professor, it's nice to meet you. My name is Thad and this is Vaporeon," he said, nodding down at the Eeveelution. Vaporeon trilled a greeting and did a small bow at the professor. "I'm from the Hoenn region and I just arrived to the Kalos region. I hope I'm not disturbing you, but I just have a few questions."

Thad fished the Sceptilite and it's companion keystone out of his bag. "I was hoping you could tell me what this is. I was working a job for Professor Birch and he told me to keep it. When I asked him what it was he really didn't have much of a clue, but he thinks it's a megastone and he told me you were the leading expert in this field," Thad said, looking down at the rocks in his hands. He looked back up. "I'm here in Kalos for an employer and I figured since I was here I would drop by, but I didn't quite remember that just randomly dropping in without notifying you was rather rude of me."

Thad coughed and looked down at Vaporeon who merely rolled her eyes at him. The trainer looked back at the Professor and shrugged. "Sorry about the intrusion."  

[Marsuru]

Sycamore Research Lab

Zack followed Lysandre's gaze to his Xtransceiver. Scuffed and tattered with a cracked screen, it had certainly seen better days. He'd be kidding himself if he said it didn't need a replacement. In contrast, the Holo Caster was all shiny and blue, not to mention free.

'Yeah, okay,' Zack said, taking the device. He wasn't above accepting charity, and free was free. In fact, charity had something to do with why he needed to speak with Sycamore. He held the Holo Caster up by its lace, letting the device dangle. Something nagged at him. It was a strange move to just give out free Holo Casters, but then few things had been normal lately. Chalking it up to Kalosian weirdness, Zack dropped the Holo Caster into his bag, which he zipped up and reshouldered.

'Thanks. I guess,' he muttered. Sycamore's aides buzzed around the lab, compiling their notes on Aerodactyl. They put paperwork into binders and shelved them on wall-mounted cases, sliding glass panels shut to seal them in. It took Zack a second to notice that Aerodactyl had vanished. Luckily, it hadn't strayed far. Sina held the ball out for him to take.

'Here you go,' she chirped. Zack picked the ball from her palm and turned it over. She kept smiling. Zack frowned.
'What do you want, a treat?'
'Oh you,' Sina shoved Zack's shoulder playfully. 'You're so funny! Did I mention how much I like that? I like it a lot.'

Zack paused, then sighed, turning his attention to the door.

---

'Hm? Oh, think nothing of it,' Sycamore waved his hand dismissively at the notion of Thad being rude. Even if he'd burst right into the meeting, it would've been par for the course in Kalos, as Lysandre had demonstrated.

Sycamore took the Sceptilite from Thad and held it up to the ceiling light, letting it shine translucent green. It was definitely a mega stone, though not one Sycamore had encountered often. Traditionally, the stones were rarely found outside of Kalos, leading many to believe that they were native to the region. But recently, Sycamore had heard reports of stones appearing in Hoenn, far, far away from the Kalos region. It was too early to say whether it meant anything significant though he suspected aliens.

He looked Thad over once again and smiled, passing the Sceptilite back to the trainer. 'Well, I can confirm that you've found yourself a Mega Stone. If my guess is correct, you can use that stone to trigger a Sceptile's mega evolution. If you don't have a Sceptile, well, my lab's always open for donations.' A thought occurred. 'Actually, if you wanted to learn more about the battling side of mega evolution, you could visit the Tower of Mastery in Shalour City. Look for a fellow named Gurkinn and tell him I sent you. Just don't stare at his eyebrows.'

((Seriously, holy crap. You should never let it reach a point where people could conceivably steer you around by your eyebrows. Also, more posts incoming... tomorrow, probably ninja ))  

[TheOnlyMadHatter]

Sycamore Research Lab

Thad looked at the Sceptilite and nodded, slipping both it and the keystone back into his bag. "I have a Sceptile and I almost died getting my hands on this stone so I'll think I'll hold on to it. Thank you for letting me know what it is though!" he said, nodding at the professor. He listened as the Kalos professor told him about a man named Gurkinn and battling with mega evolution and avoiding staring at this man's eyebrows. Thad nodded once more and looked down at his belt where his Pokeballs rested. "I'm not really into battling, but learning how to use mega evolution is probably a good idea. I don't know why, but I have the strangest feeling something is about to happen and I can't quite put my finger on it."

The trainer looked back to the professor. "Thank you again for your help. I think I'll go to Shalour City. It's near where I need to go anyway," he said, pulling out his PokeNav Plus. Thad pulled a card out of his pocket and handed it to the professor. "If you ever need any help with your research or field work please give me a call. I usually go where other people can't or are too busy to go to. Since you helped me out I'll owe you a job pro bono. Well, I should be going. Come on, Vaporeon," he said. He turned and started to walk out, his blue companion next to him.

(Dear God, that man's eyebrows are horrifying.)  

[Spinne Biss]

Sycamore Research Lab

New holocaster replacing her old x-transceiver, Helena made a mental note to copy the contacts over later.

"Hey, I'm sure he'll let you ravish him later," Helena cut in, trying to get Sina's attention, "but I need my Pokemon, please and thank you."

Helena then turned her gaze to Zack. "I'm going to visit the gym."  

[Jump Einatz]

((Mars is out til the end of the week. So maybe tomorrow? Either way, he asked me to fill in for Sycamore in the interim, soooo...))

Sycamore Research Lab

Sycamore took Thad's business card and gave it a once over. Pokémon Research was not as lucrative a business as many thought, so having an I.O.U from a fellow researcher was quite appreciated. "Good luck, Thad!" Sycamore called after the trainer. "Remember, watch the eyebrows! No, I mean, DON'T watch the eyebrows. I...you know what I mean."  

[Marsuru]

((Here I am ninja Sorry for the wait. Also thanks for the Sycamore thing, Jump 3nodding ))

Cyllage City Gym - The Arena

Grant welled up with fire. 'Ancient Power!' he called again, fighting a grin. For once, his opponent was a real contender; most trainers were quickly overwhelmed by the crushing power of his rock types, but Salieri had shown enough cunning to stave off defeat. At least for now. That alone was worth a badge in Grant's eyes, but rules were rules. The girl would have to scale a second mountain today.

As Biz fired his arm cannon, Amaura surged power into the arena floor, raising a pillar with the ice type on top. The Seed Bomb would detonate against the Ancient Power tower, shattering it as Amaura leapt skyward, evading damage, propelled by momentum of its own attack. The rock ruptured, its power crackling between shards and whirling out of control. Ancient Power exploded, spraying Biz with a hail of energised rocks that, unless he somehow backed off with his paralysis-impeded body, would slice and stab into his hide.

Amaura righted itself in the air, twisting its body so that it faced Biz and would hit the floor feet-first. As it fell, Grant called for 'Mist!', which hissed from gems embedded in Amaura's sides. Amaura touched down, mist gushing. The arena would soon be flooded, masking the combatants' movements in a frigid grey fog.

'I'll admit you've done well so far,' Grant said, his voice echoing, breath swirling in the mist. 'But the ride's over. Icy Wind!'

Amaura's fins quivered, their colours deepening into a radiant hue. The mists shifted, turning in a circle around the arena. Within seconds they swelled, speed kicking up, transforming Amaura's mist cloud into an icy tornado, the arena floor freezing blue and cracking. Already slowed by paralysis, Biz would find moving in the Icy Wind next to impossible as it bombarded him with shifting pressure. If it all went as planned, Biz would be unable to dodge the finale: 'Aurora Beam!'

Sycamore Research Lab

'Knock yourself out,' Zack said to Helena, ignoring Sina as she froze up all red in the face, mouth hanging open like she was going to say something. Nothing escaped her mouth but a squeaky croaking noise. Zack couldn't really blame her for wanting a piece; after all, it was only natural. But that didn't mean he had to pay her any attention.

'Allow me to help you with that!' Dexio announced, hurrying over and gently placing his hand on Helena's shoulder. 'Um. Not the knocking you out part. The uh, the other part. With the pokémon. Just follow me!'

And so, if Helena went with Dexio she would soon gather her pokémon and be on her merry way.

((And now nobody's main character is waiting on me emotion_omnomnom ))  

[Jump Einatz]

Cyllage City Gym - The Arena

For such a slow looking creature, Amaura was looking very mobile to Salieri. She ordered for Biz to “Counter!” when the Ancient Power blew up his way, and the Quilladin fired another Seed Bomb into the mix. The chunks of prehistoric rock shattered further into dust, and the backlash of the Seed Bomb bounced harmlessly off of Biz.

Dune looked up at Salieri, who was sporting her cat-like battle grin. Making an intense workout out of climbing the rocky hill didn’t seem to slow her down. Whatever worries she had before were left outside the battlefield. She was playing hardball, forcing her opponent of the defensive, and that was her element. “Leech Seed!”

The Mist filled the arena, and soon Biz would be just a silhouette in the white. And after that, he wouldn’t be seen at all. Neither would Amaura. But before that happened, he used his arm cannon to fire a group of tiny seeds at Amaura. The effect wouldn’t stack with multiple seeds, but the odds of hitting the dinosaur would. “Now get ready to roll-“

Time seemed to slow down for both Salieri and Durendal as they felt a sudden rush of air shifting behind their ears. A tiny projectile, a compressed orb of acidic fluid, whizzed right by them, and as Biz was about to curl into a ball to charge a Rollout, he was hit in the knee.

Biz stumbled back, yelping from the Acid Spray. That and being Paralyzed slowed him down to the point where he was too late to make adjustments for the Icy Wind pressure. Something in the back of his mind told him the Acid Spray hadn’t come from Amaura. Sal and Dune were thinking the same thing.

Durendal whipped his head back towards the giant indoor waterfall on one side of the cave, the place where the trajectory led him back to. Salieri’s worries came back, stronger than ever as a sweatdrop rolled down the side of her head. “Do you see him?” she whispered, unmoving. Dune shook his head. Sal gulped. “He followed us in here.”

Biz swayed back and forth in the wind as tiny ice crystals pelted him, blindsided by the change in battle flow. The rainbow glow of Amaura prepping its Aurora Beam was right in front of him, but he was too battered and shocked to move.

With a loud whistle the Aurora Beam collided with the Quilladin, blasting him back. He was KO’ed before he stopped rolling along the ground. Salieri stared at Biz, tensing up her hands before she returned him to his Pokéball. Hypotheses ran through her brain, trying to make sense of what happened. He won’t shoot at me, that’d draw too much attention in the gym. But he’ll shoot my Pokémon, make it look like an accident. I’ll lose the match, the badge. That’s what darkhorse hunters do.

“He wants us to give up the fight,” she told Dune with uncertainty. “If we give up, then…no, I won’t do it. I won’t stop this battle…I can’t.”

They were determined words, but Salieri could barely contain her doubt. With a deep breath, her demeanor changed. Instead of a battle grin, she sported an intense expression, amber eyes blazing. “You’re up, Durendal.”

The Pawniard hesitated. He had the Inner Focus to keep his cool under any circumstance. It didn’t stop him from wanting to find The Sniper and get justice. Now three of his friends had been shot by that menace.

But he stepped onto the battlefield anyway, the thin sheet of ice cracking under his footsteps while he marched slowly towards Amaura. The red parts of his armor began to shine brightly, practically glowing as Rock Polish enhanced his speed.

Now it was Salieri’s turn to be on the defensive, but not from Grant. Grant would have no idea what had transpired through the Mist. It was a gym match against two opponents now.  

[Spinne Biss]

Route 5 - Pangoro's Nest

Pancham's eyes were locked with the ground as he walked toward the lone tree that had become their dwelling. It was a place for outcasts, those that were no longer useful to the clan.

[My son.]

Pancham's eyes rose when he heard the old man's voice. The man who had birthed him, and the outcast to the entire clan, his father.

A powerful looking Pangoro to Pancham, but to everyone else he was just a pathetic mess. Scarred, matted and old fur. One of his eyes was missing from a fight long ago, as was his right arm - without which he was no longer capable of hunting.

[You are hurt. What has happened to you? Where is your leaf?]

Pancham felt the shame on his cheeks and cast his gaze away from his father. He'd been fighting the other children again. They had tried to banish him because of his relation to the clan's biggest shame. It was only because of his father's strength that he hadn't been left behind - because he wanted better for his son.

[It was those other kids. They attacked me and took it. Said an outcast like me didn't need one.] Pancham looked back up at his father, seeing the sorrow in his one eye.

[Why don't we just leave, father? We could go anywhere, start our own clan. We don't need these jerk.]

His father let out a deep breath that seemed to age him as his shoulders slumped and his eyelid fell to a half-lid. [The world is dangerous, my son. Your best chance at a good life is here. We just have to win them over and we can't do that if you're fighting all the time.]

Pancham crossed his arms. [I don't want to win them over. I want to leave.]

[My son, you must promise to never go beyond the territory of our clan. You are young, impressionable, and you do not know this world. You could be hunted, killed, captured or worse. I forbid it, even if you fight the other youth every day for the rest of your life, I still forbid you leaving here.]

[Yes, father,] Pancham said, aware that he couldn't hide the resentment in his voice. He would obey, though, because his father was all he had, and meant the world to him.

Sycamore Research Lab

Helena had her Pokemon once again. The young trainer went over the mental checklist of things that she needed to do for the day and resolved to sate her curiosity first. Standing before the Wondertrade machine, Helena took Caboose the Pikachu's pokeball. Zack had caught him and then immediately traded him to her. It was like a gift, but she didn't feel sentimental toward the Pikachu.

Zack would want her to grow stronger even if it meant giving up a weak Pokemon for a stronger one. Helena knew that she needed to, even if it meant sacrificing something. Neither of these reasons were why she chose to give up Caboose, however. Helena simply wanted to see the machine in action.

It was less than a minute before Helena got her new Pokemon. The great ball held a Mothim and with a shrug of her shoulders, the teen locked the ball onto her belt and was off to complete her first task.

Lumiose City - South BLVD Pokemon Center

Helena's first order of business was to fulfill her promise to Écarlate. The Scizor had joined her with the promise to help find Zack if she, in turn, found his trainer. Taking him to the Pokemon Center would be the fastest way that she was aware of.

The Pokemon Center wasn't as packed as it had been the day before. People had already begun moving on, and most of the people that were injured were staying at hospitals and not centers.

Quicker than anticipated, Helena was the next in line at the counter.

"Hello! How may I help you today?" The nurse asked. She wore a half smile, faded by the growing hours. Despite that, her voice was practiced. Even though Helena was sure that she'd been saying the same thing over and over again for hours, the nurse spoke as if it was the first time she'd ever said it. No robotic monotone tainted any aspect of it.

"I need help finding the trainer for this Pokemon," Helena said as she handed over Écarlate's ball.

The nurse took it, moved across the room to a machine which she used to scan the ball. As she read the information that flashed up, her faint smile faded into a frown. Whatever joy she had, or pretended to have, was slowly washed away by the news she was reading.

The nurse returned with the ball. "The trainer's name is Alice Olivier. She was injured during the attack on Ambrette town yesterday and is currently being treated at Haven International Hospital in Anistar City." The nurse's voice wavered when she uttered the next words, "she's in critical condition." Taking a moment to collected herself, she added, "I can put Écarlate, that's the Scizor's name, into her box if you'd like. "

Helena took a moment to take it all in. If Alice took a turn for the worst, then Écarlate would never see her again. That wouldn't be making good on their promise. Helena frowned as she took Écarlate's ball back. "Could you print me a copy of all the information you just got, please?"

The nurse nodded, "of course." She moved across the room as Helena looked down at the Scizor's ball and planned out her next move. It wouldn't be easy to get all the way to Anistar City. Still, Helena had to try. She could buy a ticket using the Pokemon center, but that required more money than she had. However, it was possible that beating the gym leader would cover the expenses. It the ticket costed a whole lot, Helena felt it was possible that she'd have to beat the gym leader in Anistar City as well, just to get back.

The nurse returned with the papers and Helena thanked her. Thanks to the short line, she had more time than originall anticipated. Helena decided to read the information that had just been printed over breakfast before moving on to her next task.

Alice Olivier, age seventeen. Pokemon trainer with one badge, from Grant. Several badges from other leagues around the world over the years. The documents also had details of each league she took on. How far she went, how many badges she got, as well as Pokemon registered to her. At the upper right corner of each page was a picture of Alice at the time.

Always smiling, the caucasian girl started with platinum blonde hair that faded to look brownish-gold by the most recent photo. Helena looked into the girl's green eyes for the last picture and let out a sigh.

It wasn't going to be an easy thing seeing Alice.

Route 5 - Versant Road

Helena had made just one detour before her arrival at Versant Road. She stepped out onto the route in her new boots, and let Loki out of his ball.

The Kadabra had experienced an inconsistent and confusing previous day, which each new time he was called out to be for battle or something terrifying. Helena couldn't blame him for being on edge the moment he was free.

"Loki, I'm sorry but this time won't be any better," Helena said. What she was about to do would be dangerous. "We need to find a place away from other people." She held out her hand and Loki slowly took it. With a flash of light, the two were teleported into the sky.

Helena felt the vertigo in her stomach and sucked in a deep breath. She searched over the route and finally found a location where there were no people that was far enough away to avoid attracing any. "There," she pointed and Loki followed her finger.

The two arrived at the spot a moment later. "When this is over," she said as the teen turned to face Loki, "I promise, we'll do something fun."

One by one, Helena let her Pokemon out. All except for Tyrant. She last one she released was Écarlate. He looked around and Helena was sure he was looking for Alice. "We're not there yet, but I know where she is. It's going to be a difficult journey to get there."

Écarlate's eyes fell on Helena, he remained quiet and motionless.

"I need to get stronger in order to do it." She didn't need to get stronger in the way she was about to force them all into, but she wouldn't admit that. She needed Écarlate, he was too strong to let go of. At least for this part of her journey. If she could forge her Pokemon to be as stronger, or even stronger, than him she would benefit greatly from it. "Will you still follow me?"

Écarlate remained motionless as his eyes searched her face. He was looking for honesty and betrayal. Helena wasn't sure how to show one and hide the other. Instead, she met his gaze and did her best to look determined. After a minute, he nodded.

"Good." Helena stepped away from him and then turned to face the rest of her team. "This is going to be the hardest fight of our lives, but I'm confident that we can win if we stick together." Helena sucked in a breath, feeling herself suddenly growing nervous. Her stomach twisted into so many knots that it bordered on painful as she grabbed Tyrantrum's ball from her belt.

Turning toward the clearing, away from her Pokemon, she released the Pokemon. He materialized and Helena froze.

Tyrantrum took in a breath, causing his body to grow bigger, and then smaller as he exhaled it. Tyantrum slowly turned to face Helena and her Pokemon, a low growl rumbling around in his throat. When he faced them, his eyes locked on to the group.

The giant maw opened and Tyrantrum let out a Roar and then he charged.

Helena gasped, felt her heart skip a beat, dropped Tyrantrum's ball and barely managed to force herself to throw her arms up and flinch at the oncoming threat.

The next thing she knew, Helena was in the sky. She looked over to see Loki, arms wrapped around her. She hadn't even felt him, but was immediately grateful for the save. "Thank you." The two teleported back down away from the conflict.

Helena tried to get an assessment on the match as she collected herself. Her actions would cost them, she knew that. "We have to get his ball!" Helena shouted as she realized it was lost. The trainer looked back to where she was standing, the space now occupied by Tyrantrum. One foot was on the ball, and with a bit of force as he pressed down on the foot to launch himself at Helena's Pokemon, the ball cracked, then shattered.

"Oh, s**t."