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 Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2013 12:48 am
Letting himself land had been the trick once, though that had been burned into his mind. The lad was let down lightly, and only gave a short glance around, away from his work, before gesturing to Henrietta. "Nope."
If someone watched him as he worked long enough, or was oddly stalkerish, they would have noticed that he'd recently taken to shrugging or wiggling uncomfortably occasionally, like someone trying to get the straps of their backpack just right.
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Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2013 12:20 pm
~5 Days Ago~ Driftveil City: Police StationOfficer Jin walked down the hall with a new stack of wanted posters. Nothing too special. A few new names popped up and a couple of criminals had their bounties increased, but it was by the books. Officer Leslie came down the opposite hall, putting on her jacket in a hurry. “Just got the call. A group of Team Plasma activists are going around stealing pokemon. You’re with me.” Jin swiveled on his heel, walking her direction now. He put the posters on a desk he passed by. “Where are they headed?” “They’re not leaving town, that’s for sure. I ordered a blockade at Route 6, and the drawbridge has been up since that mess at the Big Stadium.” The officers stepped into the night. As soon as they did, they could see people dressed as knights running down the streets, carrying armfuls of pokeballs. “Looks like we’ve got our work cut out for us.” Driftveil City: StreetsTeam Plasma ran around, screaming cries for liberation while grabbing any pokeball they could see. Citizens chased them helplessly to get them back to no avail. Reid’s unit loomed in the shadows of an alleyway, watching the chaos unfold. They must be the new recruits. No wonder Zinzolin wanted us here to back him up. We’d be better of without these imbeciles, he relayed telepathically to his teammates. Let’s round them up and get out of here, Jaiden thought. Reid shook his head. We’d be associated with them. It’d spell the end of our cover. We retreat for now.And they slunk deeper into the shadows. Driftveil City: HarborMotorcyclist Charles sat on his bike looking out at the ocean, which purred like a well-oiled machine. Because it was. He was the only one at the harbor currently thanks to the fiasco in town, so he was the only one to see a massive blue ship dock a half an hour ago. It looked similar to the airships the World Government used, but bulkier. Perhaps it was modified. All Charles knew was that his ride was sweeter. Someone jumped off the deck of the ship, landing a good twenty feet below on the wooden docks. He was a thirty-something year old man wearing an open black longcoat, showing his muscled bare chest and a heart shaped tattoo over his real heart. The inked on banner over the heart read “GOLD”. His jeans were faded with use, and his red boots looked seaworthy. His blue beanie covered his matching blue hair, a large lock of which covered his right eye.  The sailor man popped a piece of gum into his mouth, walked over to Charles and nodded hello. “Ay mate, this is Driftveil, yeah?” His accent sounded Australian. Charles guessed that he was from the region of Orre. A long distance away. Charlies nodded back. “I’m a heartbreaker…My name…Charles.” “…alright. I’m Ska.” “If you’re a trainer, how about a Rotation Battle?” Ska grinned and shook his head. “I’ll have to pass on that, Charles. I wouldn’t call myself a trainer…” He gestured past Charles at town. Faint cries for help could be heard. “What’s goin’ on up there?” “Not sure. I’ve been here all night. Breaking hearts.” “Can you give me a lift into town, mate?” “Will you have a Rotation Battle with me?” “If I can’t get into town then I won’t be here long enough for that. So it depends on you, doesn’t it?” Charles nodded. “I like that logic.” He revved up hys cycle. “Hop on.” Ska jumped onto the back of the bike. “Need a helmet?” “Nah. Helmets are rubbish.” They drove into town. Driftveil City: StreetsAnd a few minutes later, they reached the streets bustling with Team Plasma activity. “Aces. Thanks mate, be seein’ you around then.” Ska gave Charles an offhanded wave as he walked away, drinking in the sights of the industrial port town as people yelled for their pokemon back. “I could get used to this place.” A lightbulb clicked on in his head. Ska grinned slyly, still chewing on his gum while he walked over to a Plasma grunt harassing an old man into handing over his pokeballs. Ska tapped the grunt on the shoulder. The grunt spun around and looked at Ska’s belt. Hidden behind his jacket was a set of pokeballs. “Those pokemon aren’t your to have! Give them to me, now! I’ll show them true freedom.” “Damn straight they’re mine,” Ska answered back. “There ain’t much in the world that shouldn’t be.” The Plasma grunt dove madly for the pokeballs. Ska spit out his gum directly into the gruns forehead. The gum stuck to him with a solid THWACK, forcing him backwards hard enough that he was thrown into the trash bin behind him. The other grunts all stopped when they heard their comrade get knocked out. Everyone on the street watched Ska gesture for them all to come closer. “Sorry mates. Don’t have enough gum for all of you.” He cracked his knuckles. “So this is gonna sting.” ***** Officer Jin and Officer Leslie’s cruiser came to a stop at the center of town, where a large cheering crowd had amassed itself. They pushed through the people and saw a pile of KO’ed Plasma grunts, all tied up. Sitting on top of that pile was the sailor man, handing out pokeballs to the gleeful townsfolk. He waved at the astonished officers. “Been wondering when the blokes in blue would show their faces! I’ve been in this city for less than an hour and I’ve done your job for you. I get a badge now, yeah?” “Thank you for the citizen’s arrest. We’ll take it from-“ Jin stopped Leslie from getting closer. He took a pokeball off of his belt. “You’re the one million pokedollar man. Ska, the Ocean’s Phantasm. You’re a pirate.” The crowd stopped cheering and all looked to the savior of their pokemon. His eyes grew wide. “One million? Is that new? It’s gotta be new.” He grinned and held up a hand for a high five. “Anyone? Anyone?...alright then.” “I can take it from here, officers.” Now the crowd’s attention turned to a new voice poking through. A businessman dressed as a cowboy walked to the center of the crowd, holding his belt buckle in front of him. “Name’s Clay. Gym leader and mayor of Driftveil. ‘Preciate what you’ve done here boy, but I don’t take too kindly to criminals. So why don’t you git back on yer boat and git on outta here?” Ska rose an eyebrow, still grinning. “You askin’ me to leave, mate? Or you tellin’ me?” “I’m askin’ for now.” Clay tipped the brim of his hat down. “But that won’t be the case for long.” There was an unspoken realization between them: Ska figured out that Clay didn’t have the force to back up the law, and Clay realized that Ska was going to call his bluff. Ska shrugged and stood up, stepping down the pile of grunts to Clay’s level on the ground. “The sea’s callin’ my name, mate, but my ship’s gotta restock and refuel before I can go anywhere. I was thinkin’ about stayin’ for a few days.” Clay shook his head. “I reckon a few more minutes is more than enough.” The pirate sighed and stepped back. “You really gonna send us out to the ocean like that, mate? I captured more criminals in five minutes than those blokes have all day, and you want me gone? I haven’t done anything. It’s not like I’m gonna bite you.” Clay grit his teeth. A man in the back of the crowd jumped up. “He’s a hero!” The rest of the crowd got restless as well. “He saved our pokemon!” “Give him some respect!” “The FLF was right about you government folk!” That last statement lit the fuse of a whole new slew of angry yells. Clay clenched his fists. “You restock, you refuel, you leave. Simple and plain. I ain’t puttin’ up with more.” Ska pumped his fist into the air, grabbed Clay’s hand, and shook it. Clay looked disgusted. “Thanks for seein’ it their way, mate. You’re not a bad mayor at all.” “OIII! SKAAAA! WHERE’S THE GRUB?” The crowd all spun around. From the direction of the harbor came a mob of rowdy people, dressed in bandannas, sea travel clothing and sporting boisterous, dangerous laughs. Pirates. Ska clapped his hands and whistled for his crew. The crowd was still excited, but there was an air of anticipation hanging over them as well. The pirates began talking to them, spreading the party mood around like an infection. Ska turned back to Clay with that same grin. There was a twinkle in his eye. The mayor still looked bitter, as did his officers. Pirates winning favor over the police? Not a good sign. “I told you,” he said to Clay. “We don’t bite, mate.”
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Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2013 12:27 pm
As Salieri neared the bathroom; a troupe of 3 Takamaru's burst out from behind the door. "No, Stop! Get back here you two!" The real Tk yelled after his two clones. Recently his clones had taken to materializing on their own, not only that but they started developing varying personalities as well.
"Hey sal!" a Devious variation of Tk called as he passed the battle girl.
"Bye Sal...” followed a very nervous, anxiety stricken looking Tk.
"I Said Stop! Get back here!" The real Tk called as he bound down the stairs after his clones. The course of the past four days with similar out bursts from His clones. Each varying in embarrassing situations.
"Hey Hey Food!" the Devious Tk said, licking his lips before looking over to Henrietta. He threw her a sharp nod before saying, "Hey toots, got any plan lat-" He was cut off when the original Tk tackled him to the floor if the kitchen.
"Ger'off me!" The Clone cried before fading away into wisps of energy.
"God, I really can’t stand it when they do that!" he original Tk whined before standing and looking to Henrietta. "Sorry bout' that." he said sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck.
He flopped into a chair at the table and poured himself a glass of the freshly squeezed OJ.
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Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2013 1:07 pm
The sound of continuous explosions roared like the beat of an enormous
drum. A pair of Maractus paused, staring curiously toward the valley that lay
beyond the hill of sand, before deciding it better to make themselves scarce,
quickly hopping away. Loose sand shook free with every blast, the desert
quaking in a steady rhythm as Zack trained alone.
Although it was daytime, a thick shadow hung over the former government
agent, formed by the tall valley walls either side of him. He had to make sure
that his training took place away from normal people; his attacks were too
dangerous to risk an accident. Zack stood in place, his movements a series
of swift kicks and punches. They weren't on the same level as people like
Jackie, and especially not Jump, but his years of combat hadn't left him entirely.
Anyone looking at him wouldn't think that he'd spent the past decade as a
civilian.
Especially not when huge blasts of fire shot out of his hands and feet following
each punch and kick.
He kept the blasts directed, focused into cones. Zack's Aura ability was to
generate explosions by gathering Aura together and quickly releasing it. It let
him attack with the force of a bomb blast at the risk of quickly depleting his
Aura reserves.
Zack's usual course of action was to hit as hard and as fast as possible,
but the recent battle with Gorm coupled with Jackie's reprimanding had
coaxed him into learning to perfect his technique. If he wanted to be of any
use in the coming battles, Zack had to make sure that his abilities were as
efficient as possible. Lack of practice had led to Pinwheel Forest being
destroyed. Luckily, Zack had more than the usual amount of leeway with the
WG thanks to his time as an operative; if anyone else had blown up a forest,
they probably wouldn't be seeing sunlight for the next 50 years. It was that
same privilege that had let him pass through the lock-down in order to train.
He paused for a moment, wiping the sweat from his brow before flying sand
had the chance to stick to it. Jackie wanted him to come back to the WG;
she hadn't been on board with him leaving to live an ordinary life in the first
place. Zack could sense the self-satisfaction in her voice each time they
exchanged words. He thought of his family, how he didn't want them to be
dragged into his battles. He thought of Katelyn. It seemed everyone else,
even his loved ones, knew of the monster that Zack could be. He didn't
begrudge them for it since it was true. But to Katelyn, Zack was just daddy.
It almost made him feel like he could have a normal life.
But still, with the FLF attacking stadiums, with Plasma targeting his father's
home, he might need the resources and protection that siding with the WG
could offer.
He grit his teeth and punched the air, Aura radiating in his hand before turning
into an enormous, uncontrolled explosion that briefly lit up the dark valley.
Anger made it harder to control his Aura radiation. He had to look out for that.
Zack's Xtransceiver vibrated for a single beat, telling him that he had a text
message. He checked the display. The message was from Elizabeth.
["It's been four days. Katelyn's been asking after you. Please call soon."]
Zack frowned and dropped his hand to his side. He'd planned to be out in the
desert for a few more hours. He could call Katelyn from the Battle Institute
once he got back to the city; the videophone line quality would be better, even
if it meant that the WG would be screening his call. Whatever. Let them look.
It just meant that some poor guy would have to share Zack's pain.
He had been tortured before. Sometimes with methods that made the World
Government's own brutal techniques look amateurish. And every time Katelyn
went into an hour-long ramble about how she was going to be a princess in a
faraway kingdom someday, he started to have flashbacks.
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Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2013 5:14 pm
~Present Day~
Salieri swayed side to side, brushing past the Takamarus. "Watch it!" she called out down the stairs, but they were gone. "Hmph, what kind of training is that supposed to be?" She went into the bathroom...
...and came out a few minutes later, wearing a bathrobe and coming down the stairs she stopped at the door to pick up the newspaper.
[Let's go to the amusement park,] Salem asked Chen Zhen, poking at his tummy. The Pansage giggled and lazily tried to avoid getting tickled.
[And do, ha, and do what? We don't have, haha, quit it. We don't have any money.]
[I know, but I want cotton candy,] Salem pouted. Chen Zhen put his arm around her shoulder and reeled her in close.
[Okay, I'll get you some! Somehow. I'll use Acrobatics for cash! Yeah!]
[On the street? I can help you with that!] the Espeon meowed.
Salieri walked into the living room to see her pokemon expressing way too much PDA. She never knew Chen Zhen even liked girls until Salem came along, but it had become evident to her over the past few days that they were dating. Or whatever the pokemon equivalent to that was. Maybe it was dating.
I can believe they’re in the same egg group…no, I can’t believe my pokemon are going out with each other. What does that even mean? Wait, do they make out? Do they do…it? Oh my god! I should give them the talk. Bleh! Ugh, what if they have a kid? We can’t take care of a baby, can we?
Her thoughts slowed down and she sighed. I’m getting ahead of myself when I’m at a complete standstill of my own. Still can’t believe I’m under the same roof as N and Wayne…
She walked into the kitchen, took one look at the front page of the paper, and a vein pulsed on her forehead. Nianzhy rose her body heat, which dried her hair faster and made steam rise from her head. Appropriate considering her temper.
“The Nimbasa Beacon does it again. I’m sick of these guys!”
She threw the paper onto the table. The front page was a story with candid photos of the crew telling about sighting of them around Nimbasa during the lockdown.
When the Legends Crew fought Celt, a lone reporter from the Nimbasa Beacon had been on the scene taking photos when other news networking technology was down. They had doled out nicknames for each member of the crew that the press had taken to calling them. So now, Salieri was staring at the nickname she was given, which she had been called several times too many: The Anti-Hero.
“I mean, it’s not even a good name!” she ranted, plopping down next to Takamaru and pouring herself OJ too. “They twisted around what I said to that cop and now I sound like, like, Aladdin or something. They couldn’t even be creative with it! I’d rather be called Miss Monk.”
She paused to take a sip. “You know what? If they want an interview so bad, I’ll call them up and give them a piece of my mind. I’m sick of my new public persona.”
((Me and Ava came up with nicknames for the press to call the LC, but I kinda forgot most of them. But you guys should totally make your own! Remember, they'd be based on what your character did during the Celt and Pachi fights))
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Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2013 6:49 pm
((whats the one you came up for Tk?))
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Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2013 7:06 pm
((TK is clearly Clone Saga. I don't know if the news would call him that but
they definitely should))
"Thanks for calling," Elizabeth said to the familiar face on the videophone
screen, "You'd think having all the technology in the world, we'd be less bored."
"Any time," Wayne said, his crayon moustache failing to follow as he moved
slightly, "It was good seeing Katelyn. Even if she did end up going to prison."
"Wayne, Time Out is not like going to prison."
"You say that, but I've been on the receiving end. No snacks or TV for a whole
hour? I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy." He shuddered and Elizabeth
smiled.
In truth, she probably wanted to see him more than Katelyn did. The girl was
too young to pick up on the tense atmosphere at Silph Co. tower, but it had
been stifling ever since they'd arrived. Elizabeth was not on best terms with
her father, President Silph. He was normally a kindly old man, but he hadn't
approved of her taking over Wayne's care. It had made any meeting between
father and daughter awkward at best.
Still, he'd agreed to let them stay at the tower. It was the famous company
headquarters located in Saffron City, Kanto. After the attack by Team Rocket
over two decades prior, the tower defences had been brought onto par with
the government's own. She looked out of the window at the cityscape, and
doubted that even one of Zack's explosions could penetrate the glass. For a
second, she could've sworn she spotted a dark shadow lingering on one of
the buildings opposite, but when she checked again, it was gone.
A part of Elizabeth felt guilty for wanting to leave. The place was beautiful;
far nicer than many people would ever get the chance to experience. But
while they lived on a private floor that had been outfitted with luxurious
furnishings, leaving had been forbidden. It was one hell of a gilded cage.
"Okay, I should get going. I heard they released the lockdown so I'm gonna
set off for Driftveil sometime today."
"Oh, I think Silph Co. has contracts with the mayor there. He also runs the
gym, from what I've heard. And Wayne? He dresses like a cowboy."
"Seriously?! Aw sweet! My friend's always calling me that. I never say
anything because I don't think she knows what a cowboy looks like. It'd be
embarrassing for her, y'know? Maybe I can get a hat..."
"I thought you'd like that," Elizabeth said with a smile, "I'd better let you go.
I need to make sure your little sister doesn't have any more crayons before
we end up with another 'Wall Incident',"
The call ended and Elizabeth ran her fingers through her hair with a sigh. She
found Katelyn in the next room, which was a wide, open-space lounge. One
of the walls was made up of windows that stretched from floor to ceiling,
letting in light. There was a fireplace on one side with a huge rug stretching
out in front of it, with comfy sofas positioned to face the flames. A world-class
kitchen took up one of the corners, and Elizabeth could have practically any
chef she wanted called in to prepare a meal.
'Stop trying to tempt me back, dad,' she thought, 'It won't work.'
Katelyn was sat sulking near the fireplace. Elizabeth noticed that she'd
chosen a position that framed her next to the large yet dormant television
screen; Elizabeth had no choice but to see her daughter upset, and the thing
that would make her feel better sitting right nearby. Crafty.
"Come on now, how old are you?" Elizabeth asked, putting a hand to her hip.
"Five..." Katelyn said into her knees, trying her best to sound like she could
burst into tears at any moment. Elizabeth shook her head and squatted down
next to her.
"That's right. You're way too old to be a baby now, I'm afraid. Acting like one
won't get you anywhere with me." 'Even if your dad would've given in by now...'
"I'm not a baby!" Katelyn protested, hiding her head with a huff.
"Ms. Silph," said a terse voice from the doorway, "I hope I'm not interrupting
anything."
Elizabeth stood up. It was Brady, an attendant employed by Silph Co. to
look after its guests and family members. He was a tall, thin man approaching
50, with a quiet, observing face and a long, sharp nose. Elizabeth knew him
well. He'd raised her.
"Brady, you know I'm Mrs. Redgrave now," she said with a playful chiding.
The attendant tilted his head back slightly, his version of a nod, and looked
over at the girl on the floor. Elizabeth knew what he was thinking. Aside from
the dark, slightly red hair that she'd inherited from Zack, Katelyn looked
exactly like Elizabeth did at that age. It probably stirred memories for the older
man. Fond ones, she hoped.
"Yes, quite," Brady said as he aimed his nose back at Elizabeth, "I'm afraid
I have some rather pressing news. Mr. Silph - your father - would like to have
a word with you."
"If it's so important, he should come down here himself," Elizabeth said,
arms folded defiantly.
"This is a matter beyond petty bickering, Ms. Redgrave," Brady said in his
stuffy, formal voice, "It concerns your continued residence here at the tower
and," he glanced briefly at the sulking girl, "the future of your child."
---
"Come one, come all! Test your mettle against one of the greatest trainers of
our age! You know him! You love him! It's me, Wayne Lee! From TV!"
Crowds passed by indifferently, on their way to more interesting attractions.
Wayne deflated slightly and scratched his head. He must've already managed
to exhaust Nimbasa's supply of willing trainers with his stint at the Battle
Institute. What time he hadn't spent hanging out with the other members of
the crew, he'd been going between the Institute and the Subway, looking for
challengers. Unfortunately, neither of those places added funds to his trainer
card. Or had anything to do with sandwiches, as he eventually understood.
"I guess people are more interested in that giant, inflatable Pikachu and its
v****a," Wayne said. PokéLand was teeming with people. Boring people.
Who didn't get their thrills from losing to him horribly in a battle. His stomach
growled and he was forced to check his trainer card. "Wow. I didn't think
numbers could go below zero. That's like university-level stuff right there."
Wayne wanted to one day make it as a pro-trainer. Getting to that level was
probably the hardest thing any trainer could do. Salieri had similar dreams
with her gym leader business, but Wayne wanted to be the kind of trainer
that made his living off of tournament appearances and interviews. Out of
everyone in the crew, Wayne probably took the most kindly to the sudden
media attention. The reporters hadn't bothered him for a couple of days,
actually. He was a little worried that they might have grown bored of him and
moved on to more interesting quarry.
"I wonder if they'd let me challenge the gym again," Wayne said to himself
as he pinched his chin, "probably not after last time. Aura's making all these
regular trainers way too easy. Them and their stupid, easily-destroyable
arenas. At least I got the badge."
"Wayne, are you talking to yourself? I suppose that's one way to attract
attention." It was the posh, slightly-condescending voice that Wayne knew
and, at one time, loved. He almost jumped out of his skin.
"Tess!" he span around with a start, "when did you get here?!"
Tessandra smirked and shook her head. She was of Indian descent on her
mother's side. Her dark skin was marked by intricate henna around her eyes
and a single white jewel on her brow. Her neat hair had turned an icy white
some years before, making her look older than her age of 19. She was also
strikingly beautiful.
"I think it was around the time you were talking about Pikachu vaginas.
Honestly, you should keep your pokémon out more often," she smiled and
Wayne felt his heart jump, "At least then you can pretend to be talking to
something."
"That's a good point," Wayne said, "I'll totally keep that in mind. Um... you're
not going to freeze me to a wall again, are you?" He looked around. There
weren't any walls nearby. There was a smelly-looking bin not too far away
though. PokéLand was kinda filthy.
"I am sorry about that," she said, not sounding very sorry. Slightly amused
was more like it, "it was a stressful few days."
"Yeah, I heard you were breaking into Plasma buildings," Wayne said, his
face turning serious, "That's pretty dangerous. What if they caught you?"
"Hm." Tess smiled, "You're one to talk. I saw your battle with the FLF. You
could have been killed and now you're lecturing me."
"I had back-up," Wayne said, stepping towards the other trainer, "Tess, I
know you don't want us to be together any more. I get it. I totally do. But that
doesn't mean I'm not allowed to get worried about you. Plasma are a bunch
of psychopaths!"
"Oh, Wayne Lee. There is so much you do not 'get'. Totally or otherwise."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Wayne wasn't sure whether or not to feel
hopeful. Knowing Tess, she was probably just playing with him. "What are
you here for anyway? If you want an autograph, I'm gonna need a pen."
Tess cracked another smile, "Not quite."
She took out a pokéball and flicked the button on its side, making it swell into
the size of a tennis ball. Wayne took a step back. Tess was a powerful
pokémon trainer. She'd been his rival in the days where he had his original
team. Her pokémon would be even stronger by now. His eyes darted to her
excitedly.
Tess snatched her hand into a closed fist in front of her. "Bring it on, Wayne
Lee from TV!"
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Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2013 11:32 pm
"Haha! Miss monk, That suits you" The silver haired youth laughed, biting into some delicious bacon. "I dunno, im liking Clone Saga myself" he said with a grin before piling his plate with Pancakes, egg's and more bacon.
"Ne ne, So what r' they callin' you guys again?" The youth asked between mouthfuls of food, his question was directed towards Robby and Henrietta . Unlike Wayne, Tk was not shy when accepting food.
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Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2013 6:42 am
PokéLand didn't have dedicated battling arenas, but it did have a car park.
The citizens of Nimbasa City had flocked to the theme park for the first
couple of days of the lockdown. Many had gotten bored with the attractions,
which had always been right on their doorstep. The visitors were mostly just
children and teenagers; the lockdown hadn't been over long enough for
tourists to come from neighbouring cities. So right now, the almost-empty car
park was the best place to have a battle.
They just had to make sure it didn't get wrecked.
Tess threw out her battler. Wartortle materialised, landing in a crouch before
slowly climbing to his feet. He let Mist float around him as an intimidation
factor. Wayne didn't get out his pokédex, which Tess found strange. He must
be feeling confident.
"Not bothering to read up on him, are we?" Tess called across the makeshift
arena. Wayne shrugged.
"What's the point? I've been living with one of these things for days now! I
know exactly what they're capable of!" he launched his own pokéball onto the
battlefield, releasing his Lilligant, Daphne.
It looked well-trained. Tess knew that Wayne had only been with his new
team for a short period of time, but his Lilligant already looked battle-
hardened. It must have been an effect of Aura-conditioning. Now that Wayne
had time to practise with his new-found abilities, his new pokémon were
already feeling the benefits. Tess smiled. She couldn't wait to see what he
could do.
Daphne rushed forwards, spinning once with what Tess recognised as a
Quiver Dance. Tess didn't want to tip her hand just yet, so she let the
pokémon get in close, its speed increase letting it zip across the car park
towards Wartortle. The water type didn't bother to pay his attacker much
heed. He'd seen it all before.
Tess let her Aura radiate, linking up with her pokémon. Daphne released a
Magical Leaf, and sent a flurry of leaves towards the turtle pokémon. He
leaned slightly, avoiding the majority of the barrage, allowing a pair of leaves
to slice him on the side and shoulder. Once they hit, the rest of the leaves
lost their homing-in effect and scattered behind him.
Wayne looked surprised for a moment, then settled his expression back into
determination. Tess thought of a strategy and Wartortle acted. The Aura link
between the trainer and pokémon loaned him Tess's Natural Infusion, which
enhanced his strength and speed. The water type launched himself into the
air above his opponent, who readied another Quiver Dance.
Wartortle's momentum let him position his head downwards and he released
a blast of Ice Beam, a thin bolt of power that froze the air around it, right on
top of his foe. Tess caught Wayne grinning, but missed the command he
called out as the air cracked between them. Ice particles kicked up like dust,
obscuring the trainers' view of the fight. It soon cleared, and it was Tess's turn
to be surprised.
Daphne was unharmed; a ceiling of Ice hanging in the air above her, which
had Wartortle's Ice Beam growing out of it like a tree. Wayne's single note of
laughter rang across the battlefield.
"Ice Beam works by freezing the air. It can't get past anything that's already
frozen!" Wayne said, "And Daphne's Hidden Power Ice is the perfect defence!"
Wartortle still hung in the air, his Ice Beam having pushed him higher up.
Tess flared her Aura and mentally commanded another beam. This time, the
beam wasn't just a thin bolt, but an overbearing, wide blast that engulfed
Wayne's grass type, ice shield and all. When the ice particles cleared,
Daphne was trapped beneath an enormous column of ice.
"No!" Wayne screamed, "Daphne!"
Tess could see it in his eyes. He couldn't comprehend what had happened.
His experience with Aura was still lacking. Wartortle landed, looking slightly
drained, but returned to normal within a few seconds. He sniffed, closed his
eyes and began to walk away. Wayne carried on screaming. Tess felt his
Aura flare.
The column of ice began to rumble and Wartortle looked back in surprise.
It exploded at the base, a whirl of green at the centre. A storm of pink flower
petals erupted from the ice, the grass type spinning so fast that she looked
like a blur at the petals' core. Wartortle leapt back before the cloud of petals
engulfed him. Tess grit her teeth, and the water type released a thick black
Haze from his shell.
The Haze hit the Petal Dance storm, causing it to slow down. Above, the ice
column toppled as Daphne rushed towards her opponent, the column
smashing apart as it made contact with her petals. Haze had managed to
remove the upgrades from Quiver Dance, but Wayne's Aura was still flaring.
Daphne was still a threat.
Tess flared her Aura as well, and Wartortle erupted into a hundred copies.
The flared Double Team created dozens more duplicates than normal. They
all started running around at once, completely hiding the original Wartortle.
Daphne tore into them, wiping out large chunks of the fakes all at once. It
was a war of attrition. He just had to stay hidden for long enough.
Wayne was still flared, and it became his downfall. The storm of petals that
surrounded the Lilligant died, disintegrating until only a few measly flakes
remained and she came to a slow stop. Wayne had burnt out. Tess had only
a few seconds to act. Wartortle rushed his opponent while her defences
were still down. Tess flared again as Wartortle used Blizzard.
He leapt through the air, swinging his arms forward as his shell released a
powerful barrage of ice and snow the size of a small building. The blizzard
was so thick that it looked like a solid mass of white; jagged strips of ice shot
forward like knives fired from a rocket launcher, while the snow threatened to
freeze solid whatever it touched. When it was over, there was a long streak of
frozen ground, with a flurry of snow falling around the two pokémon.
Tess felt her strength plummet. Her Aura had burnt out from flaring twice in a
row. Wartortle looked weakened as well, turning back to make sure his foe
had really been defeated. It worked! Because Wayne had burnt out just before
Wartortle launched his attack, Daphne hadn't been able to muster the
strength to defend herself. She was frozen solid. Beaten.
The female trainer let out a short sigh of relief. If Wartortle's flared Blizzard
hadn't worked, then he'd have been left wide open for a counter-attack.
Luckily for her, Wayne didn't understand how flaring and burning out worked
yet. If he had, then their battle could have been considerably more
destructive.
Wayne recalled his pokémon, a bitter expression on his face as he swallowed
his defeat. He put the ball away and looked back at Tess, looking betrayed.
Tess gave a respectful nod to Wartortle, who closed his eyes and allowed
himself to be absorbed back into his ball. As she walked forward, she felt
her Aura return to normal. The burn out effect only lasted a few seconds, but
they could prove to be vital.
"Come with me," she said to Wayne, "we have things to discuss."
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Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2013 10:50 am
Elizabeth stepped into President Silph's office. He had the floor to himself, and
the office took up the majority. There was only a small corridor separating it
from the elevator; Elizabeth had to stand outside of the door with Brady and
Katelyn while the scanner checked their biometric data. Once approved, they
were admitted into the main room.
The rear wall was made from floor-to-ceiling windows, similar to the ones in the
residential floor where Elizabeth was staying with Katelyn. President Silph sat
behind a large desk beside the windows, and had three pairs of black leather
sofas facing each other between his desk and the door. Elizabeth noticed a
hexagonal cut in the floor, which hid a large conference desk that would rise
up for meetings.
Brady took his place at President Silph's side while Elizabeth crossed the
room, holding Katelyn's hand. The five year old broke free and ran forwards
excitedly.
"Grandpa!" she cheered, rushing around the desk and leaping up into his
arms. He chuckled as he caught her, wheezing slightly like a simple old man.
Elizabeth narrowed her eyes.
"Oh, my dear!" he said, scooping the child onto his lap, "my dear Catherine,
is that you?"
"My name's Katelyn!" the girl huffed indignantly, hands on her hips and
pulling a face.
"Ah yes, of course," President Silph adjusted his glasses, and let Katelyn
slide back onto the floor, "it's just I haven't seen you for so long!"
"Yesterday isn't long, Grandpa!" Katelyn squeaked. President Silph started
laughing again. Elizabeth felt her teeth grind together. Silph took out a
pokéball.
"Now what do we have here?" he asked as Katelyn's face lit up like it was
Christmas.
"Pokémon!" she reached up with stubby arms, fingers clawing the air.
"That's right! I have a pokémon for you to play with while I talk to your mother.
Would you like that, Katelyn?"
The girl nodded like her neck had become a spring. Silph threw the ball across
the room and it released a small Growlithe. Katelyn chased off after it.
Elizabeth felt a slight sense of apprehension, but it soon passed. That
Growlithe would have been bred and trained to be especially docile. Her
father wouldn't risk an accident.
"Are you done?" she asked. Katelyn didn't know her grandfather. Not like
Elizabeth did. And if she had her way, the girl would forever be ignorant of the
old man's manipulations.
"Is that any way to speak to your father?" Silph said, peering over his
glasses. Elizabeth stepped forward.
"Brady said you wanted to speak to me," she shot a glance at the tall, thin
man, "he said it was urgent."
"It is. But not so much so that we should suspend all civility. Take a seat."
He gestured to a large, comfortable-looking chair on Elizabeth's side of his
desk. She eyed it, but kept her gaze cold.
"I'd rather stand," she said.
"I insist," Silph said firmly.
Elizabeth sat, keeping her arms folded, trying to ignore the triumphant glint
in the old man's eyes. She cocked an eyebrow. "What's all this about?"
"Brady should have offered some level of explanation," Silph said, giving the
attendant a look of feigned exasperation, "I summoned you to discuss your
continued residence here at the tower."
"And Katelyn's future."
Silph's thick moustache twitched. "Precisely."
He pressed a button on his desk, and a holographic display came between
them. It showed news footage of the stadium battle. Of the devastation left
in its wake. It looked like the video had been edited to show only the most
gruesome parts of the fight.
"Four days ago, Nimbasa City's largest stadium came under attack by
members of a terrorist group calling themselves the FLF," Silph said, "In the
centre of it all was a young man you may find yourself familiar with."
"Wayne."
Silph smiled. "Mr. Lee has a habit of getting himself into dangerous situations,
doesn't he?"
The news footage changed to other pictures, which seemed to have been
taken at the scene of the events in question.
"Shortly before the stadium attack, he was also involved with the fire at
Pinwheel Forest and the destruction of Striaton City's Dreamyard. You... are
aware of this?"
Elizabeth nodded slowly, carefully. What was his game?
"Well, at least there's that. Elizabeth, my legal team is already using young
Mr. Lee's escapades to build a case against you."
"What--"
"They intend to prove your incompetence as a parent and guardian. I cannot
allow my granddaughter to be raised by someone whose guidance resulted
in--"
The display switched to an interview between Wayne and a news reporter.
"Are you pleased with the outcome of the battle?" the reporter asked.
"Yeah, definitely! Except for all the death..." Wayne said. Elizabeth's hand
covered her face. "But I'm totally gonna kick their asses solo next time. Just
wait and see!"
With a beep, the hologram shut down. President Silph sat back in his chair,
fingers bridged as he observed his daughter's reaction. He was smiling.
"--Nothing but foolhardy and brash behaviour. Rather like someone else you
know, wouldn't you say?"
"No," Elizabeth said, almost growling, "No I ******** wouldn't. Wayne's 17,
he can make his own decisions."
"Poorly. And in the eyes of the law, the boy is still a minor. His actions are
your responsibility. You allowed him to expose himself to these dangerous
situations. I won't permit you do the same with Katelyn."
'That's what this is about,' Elizabeth thought, 'He lost control over me,
so he wants Katelyn as a replacement. I won't let him. I can't!'
She stood up. She could hear Katelyn playing behind her.
"In the meantime, I offer you these choices," Silph said, not bothering to look
up at his daughter. "You may stay here at the tower as my guest, assuming
you surrender all rights to Katelyn's future schooling and living arrangements.
Or you may leave the tower, attempting to keep hold of the girl, and
my legal team will destroy you. And then I will take Katelyn."
"Mommy!" Katelyn called across the enormous office. "Growlie did a poop!"
Brady leapt out of his skin and rushed over to clean up. Elizabeth swallowed,
wet eyes on her smiling baby girl. She looked back to her father, seated
smugly in his seat.
"I can give you until tonight to decide," he said, "if that's what you need."
Elizabeth turned away from him, standing upright as she walked away,
towards the door. She took her daughter by the hand, barely looked at the
Growlithe quivering behind one of the sofas, or at Brady getting ready to
reprimand it. She pushed open the office door and led Katelyn into the
elevator.
Once the doors were closed, she slid to the floor and started to cry.
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Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2013 10:57 am
((I think it was something to do with Double Team? s**t, I can't remember. Ava, do you still have that list of nicknames?))
"Shuddup," Salieri told TK, shoving him lightly while stuffing way too many pancakes into her mouth. Her power had the side effect of making her way hungrier than usual. The Battle Girl couldn't compare to Robby or Chen Zhen, but she could eat more than her fair share. "Ish a shtupit name. 'Ere both shtupit."
Speaking of Chen Zhen, Salem was telekinetically feeding him sausages. The Pansage just left his mouth open as the breakfast meats floated in. One, then another, then another. Then a dozen as Salem decided to cram in a whole bunch at once. Chen Zhen struggled to eat them all, making Salem giggle.
Sal swallowed her food, ate more and pulled the paper closer. The Nimbasa Beacon's number was on the front page. It was about time she properly constructed her public persona.
Her sixth sense sent a shiver down her spine, signaling Haizhe's arrival. He floated up from below the floor, bloated from eating all the ink at the closest newspaper stand. The Frillish hovered towards the newspaper and reached for it slowly.
"Not done with it yet, you creep" she told him, returning him to his pokeball. Now she only had to find Wukong before battling Elesa. Hopefully she could cram an interview in before then.
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Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2013 11:50 am
The Battle Institute's healing machines may have been overused lately, but
they were still free of charge. Wayne's bank balance sighed with relief. He put
Daphne's ball on the tray and placed it inside the machine, a glass window
sliding into place while light shone on the balls. He had no idea how it worked,
but he didn't really need to. All he knew was that if he released the ball now,
Daphne would be thawed out and ready to go.
Thankfully, her wounds hadn't been too severe. It looked like Wartortle, in the
heat of battle, had still managed to avoid vital points. If she'd been seriously
injured, then Daphne would've had to go through surgery and outer-ball
recovery. And that could take days.
"All done?" Tess asked, sounding impatient. Wayne gave her a glance. He
knew that in her opinion, Daphne's recovery could have easily been delayed.
It wasn't like the grass type was going anywhere.
"Thanks for waiting," Wayne said, "I know 10 minutes is a really long time
for you."
"Oh, stop sulking. I've beaten you before, don't forget," Tess said with a wave
of her hand, "and besides, you're going to want to thank me."
"Why is that?" Wayne eyed her suspiciously. Maybe she was going to make
up via ice cream. His favourite make up method. Tess had scoffed when he
told her this years ago, and he still never got why.
"Because," she said, "I'm going to tell you how to use Aura properly."
((Later though. I am way too tired right now cry ))
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Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2013 3:33 pm
((Okay, peoples, Auntie Tessandra's going to be explaining the fundamentals of our Aura-based combat system. You saw it in action during my last battlepost. Now you get to read all about it!)) "You can think of Aura as a light that nobody can see," Tess said as they stood against the railings outside of PokéLand, "it radiates inside of you, making you more powerful." Wayne looked up from his ice cream. Strawberry. His favourite. He may have been poor but Tess never seemed to have to scratch around for funds. Her cone didn't seem to get all over her hands like his did either. Wayne narrowed his eyes. Suspicious. "Oh yeah, like when Robby busted Henrietta's favourite seat in the living room," Wayne said enthusiastically, "he used his superhuman butt to do it." "I don't think that's Aura-related," Tess said, "what I mean is..." She tossed her ice cream cone up and it span in the air. Tess caught the cone by its tip, then threw it skyward where it whipped away and vanished. "I don't think it's coming down," Wayne said through a squint. "Not for a while at least," Tess smirked, "when you let your Aura give your body strength, it's called letting your Aura Radiate. When you radiate, it's also possible to link up to allied pokémon. The stronger your bonds, the better the connection." "Okay, that sort of makes sense," Wayne said, "explains why all these regular trainers have turned into such chumps all of a sudden." Tess nodded, "You're on good terms with your pokémon. As you get better control over your Aura radiation, the amount of strength loaned to them will go up. All the strongest battlers have at least some degree of Aura control." Even gym leaders? Wayne thought about it. There had to be a reason why they were kept in their stations when their jobs were essentially to wait around and get their asses kicked. Not that he'd ever describe them that way to Sal. He wasn't stupid. "Wait, so does that mean Ronin secretly likes me? Sweet," Wayne grinned. "Focus, Wayne," Tess said softly, "Once you learn how to make your Aura radiate at will, it'll start to become a subconscious process. Like balancing when you've learned how to ride a bike. At this point, you'll be naturally stronger in every way. We call this process Natural Infusion. Think of it as being similar to a pokémon getting a boost in every stat. The stronger the Aura user, the greater the boost." So the better you were at Aura control, the more powerful you could become. Wayne ate the last of his cone and wiped his mouth. That meant he had to practise just as much as his pokémon did. Great. He was never much of a martial artist or fighter, but with his ability, he could probably become one relatively quickly. He flexed his fingers in front of his face. If he were a super- villain he'd have probably started cackling by now. "But you do have to be careful. If you don't have absolutely perfect technique, then your Aura will start to drain every time you radiate it. If you attack too much, too quickly, and without good form, you'll burn out. And burning out is the most dangerous thing to do in the middle of an Aura battle. You'll be completely drained of power; actually even weaker than if you weren't using Aura at all. "You saw it happen in our battle. You burnt out and your Lilligant went from having incredible power to barely being able to stand." Wayne thought back. "Didn't your Wartortle do the same thing though?" "Right. That was after what we call Flaring. It's when you dramatically intensify your Aura radiation. Your power will be through the roof for a short period of time, but afterwards your Aura will fall below normal for a few seconds. It's the bread and butter tactic between two Aura users. If you flare your Aura at the right moment, you can end battles quickly. "The double-edge comes when you flare too much or at the wrong time. If you flare in order to attack or defend, the best thing to do is to avoid flaring until your Aura returns to normal. If you decide to flare again straight away, you'll still get the huge power boost, but your Aura will burn out." Tess stood up and folded her arms. "Now recap for me." "Erm," Wayne went slightly pale, "so using Aura is called letting it Radiate. When you radiate, you can link up to pokémon to give them a power boost called Natural Infusion. If you want to be overpowered all of a sudden, you can Flare your Aura, but doing it twice in a row burns you out. And when you burn out, you're pretty much screwed." "You actually were listening," Tess said with a smirk, "You can accidentally cause your Aura to flare through strong emotions. If you lose your head in a battle and start to flare, you should try to collect yourself before you burn out. Aura regenerates quickly, so I suggest you practice flaring outside of battle to get a handle on it. Your pokémon will need the experience of handling such power as well, don't forget." "Thank you, Tess," Wayne said like a student before a master. The girl tipped her head back proudly. "Hm. Any time," she said with a glint to her eye.
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Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2013 6:35 pm
((And then the ice cream fell on Wayne’s head))
In the Gear Station, morning commuters were too busy to care much about the mundane spectacles of the city. N found that he was included as a spectacle as well, ever since his fifteen minutes of fame started. So he enjoyed being a wallflower in the train tunnels while he waited for the next train to arrive.
And when it did, people poured out and flooded back in. One of them came up to N. She worse a long light tan coat over a tight black shirt and beige khakis. And aside from the fact that she wore different clothes and was clearly female, she looked just like N.
The girl sniffed at the air and then pinched her nose. “You wanted to meet me here? It’s sticky and smells like feet. I expected more from you, N.” Her tone was light and sweet, betraying her blunt rudeness.
She brushed past him and kept walking towards the exit. N kept up alongside her. “It’s nice to see you too, E,” he said flatly. The lack of emotion behind the line showed his sarcasm. Sarcasm was something he’d picked up around Henrietta’s house. He was still getting used to it. “How was the trip?”
“Tolerable. I managed to get here and not deteriorate from the sheer stench of all those people.” She shuddered. “I don’t understand how you could live among these humans for the whole lockdown.”
“It wasn’t easy.” He looked off distantly ahead. “But it wasn’t terrible.”
E stopped walking and put a hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry, brother.” Despite her overall attitude being spoiled rotten, she sounded genuine. N removed the hand and gave her a tiny smile.
“It really wasn’t so bad.”
“Oh N. Childish N.” She pinched his cheek then kept walking. “You put up with so much. So? Have you gauged the candidates? I hope you could collect a lot of data.”
N rubbed his cheek, glaring at E from behind. “I did. There are many new variables to work with.”
“Are they worth being chosen?”
“I’m not sure yet.”
“Are they worth keeping alive?”
The reached the exit of the Gear Station and stopped on the building’s stairs under the sun. N tilted his head slightly, his face masking all emotion. “Why would you ask me that?”
E sighed and ran a hand through her hair. “Ghetsis says it’s time to go public. Team Plasma needs your help for public support.”
N looked off to the side for a moment, running quick mental calculations before returning eye contact. “Today?”
“As soon as possible.”
He took a deep breath. “I need to tell them before I do.”
E covered her mouth with her hand as she laughed. “I had a feeling you’d say that. You’ve grown attached to them, haven’t you? Oh, that’s precious. It’s why I asked you that question.”
N’s eyes narrowed at E’s, who’s deviant twinkle did not falter before him. “They aren’t bad people, E.”
“Sure. You say that now. But they aren’t with us. If anything, they’re against us. The enemy. Even if you don’t tell them yourself, they’ll find out who you really are. And then you’ll be their enemy too.”
She stepped just past him. “Don’t think they’re your friends. When you put your cards onto the table, you’ll see their true colors.” she whispered over her shoulder. That sweet tone had taken on a hint of venom. “You’ll remember why it’s up to us to solve this equation plaguing the planet, and not those frail ignorant beings.”
N balled his hands into fists at his side. He closed his eyes, trying to figure out a scenario where no one would be hurt. The equation seemed unattainable. “This city appears to be depraved, as expected. But I heard there are delicious sweets in that overgrown toy box. Perhaps humans haven’t failed at everything.”
She laughed to herself. N felt her put a hand on his shoulder again. “Don’t look so down, brother. Tell me when you’re done with your little arbitrary chore. I’ll be in the amusement park.”
He heard her skip away, merrily whistling the tune of Frere Jaques and leaving N alone at the Gear Station with his thoughts and plans.
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Posted: Sun Feb 10, 2013 9:02 am
((Shhh. I was hoping someone else would let it land on theirs))
Zack slid backward, sand spraying either side of his feet. He radiated his
Aura and kept balance. The beast flew at him, snapping fangs and he had a
second to retaliate. Flaring his Aura, sand swirling around him, he felt his
power course through his body, into his fist. He swung, colliding with the
beast's skull, and sending it speeding back in the opposite direction.
It caught hold of its momentum mid-air and span, paws hitting sand, flames
spilling from its maw. The white and black Arcanine roared, making powerful
waves of sound echo throughout the valley. It was almost deafening. Zack
ignored the pain in his ears and carried forward. Ferox - the Arcanine - did
the same, dashing with a speed Zack could never hope to match.
He swung again, this time not flaring, allowing his Aura to recover. As he
punched, he took a chunk out of the sand hill in front of him, but Ferox
zipped away. The force exploding from Zack's fist was invisible. He seemed
to be punching the air so hard that it moved, but in reality it was a facet of
his Aura ability. He created Aura explosions, but they didn't have to be
fiery ones. The pure force version of the technique was more difficult, but
against an opponent who could absorb flames, it would be vital to master.
Who better to spar with than his own pokémon? Ferox landed behind him,
jaw hanging open and a bright light building at the back of her throat. She
was giving him warning, going easy. Zack grit his teeth and threw up his arms
in an X shape. As he did so, trails of flames followed his arm movements,
then exploded just as Ferox blasted fire from her mouth.
The explosion threw him backwards, tails of smoke attached to his clothes.
He couldn't be harmed by his own Aura explosions, but foreign sources of
fire were still a threat. Ferox flew backwards as well, absorbing the brunt of
Zack's attack, letting the heat settle on her bones. It made her more powerful.
Flash Fire; one of her line's basic abilities. It was a valuable asset, but only
when Ferox was on Zack's side.
She raced towards him again, long white tethers of fur attached to her paws
giving the impression that she was running on a cloud. Ferox didn't look like
most other Arcanine. She was ancient, sealed away in a preserved state
centuries before Zack was born. She'd originally belonged to one of his
ancestors. Something had happened to her. Something that changed her.
She was smaller than the rest of her species, with finer features. The fur that
should be orange was instead a deep black, the normally dark markings a
pure white, and her tail was larger than the rest of her body.
The Arcanine ignited, covering herself with flames. Zack recognised the
Flame Charge. He wouldn't be able to touch her without getting burned. And
her speed gave him few precious seconds. He acted, blasting Aura from his
feet and launching himself into the air above his pokémon. Zack twisted,
swiping down at her, releasing a wave of force that pelted the sand below.
Ferox was gone. Sand exploded upwards from Zack's blast. He couldn't see
anything. She must have teleported away. In addition to being incredibly fast,
Zack's Arcanine possessed the ability to Teleport. Over the years, Zack had
never encountered another Arcanine with this ability; he assumed that
current generations were incapable of it. She could be anywhere.
He gathered his Aura at his core and flared, throwing his arms out to the side.
The flameless blast shot out in every direction with Zack at the epicentre. It
blew away the cloud of sand that obscured his vision, and would prevent
Ferox from reaching him for a second. He landed, the roar of the blast howling
through the valley, sand scattering away and hanging in the air like a fog. The
valley grew even darker as Zack hunched, preparing to counter the next
assault.
Something shot past to his left. His right. He turned his head, trying to keep
up with the shadow as it sped around him, masked by the sand. Zack grit
his teeth, realising that he couldn't flare again so soon. Ferox lunged, and
Zack shot a blast in her direction. She avoided it through Agility, which let
her build momentum. Her fangs sunk into Zack's pants leg and ripped him up
from the ground. Electricity from Thunder Fang jolted through his body.
Ferox twisted her head to the side, Zack's body was dragged along with it.
Then she slung him in the opposite direction, and he crashed into the valley
wall, shattering the rock. Ferox zipped through the air again, landing in front
of him. His Natural Infusion saved his spine, but Zack was still dazed. Ferox
put a decisive paw down in front of her and built fire in her mouth. She'd won.
"Alright," Zack said, coughing, waving a hand "You've beaten me."
He coughed again, pushing against the stone wall to climb to his feet. Ferox
let her flame die and she sat on her haunches, quietly observing her master.
Zack didn't know why it was that she continued to obey him. She once
followed his commands in order to fulfil her purpose. To protect Alexander's
descendants while they fought global annihilation. Or something like that.
Zack didn't put much stock in ancient prophesies; there was no reason why
dead men would talk any less bullshit than the living.
But Ferox had believed it. Now the Sinnoh War was over. Reality was saved
from the threat of Cyrus and his men. So why did Ferox still serve a master?
Why bow to someone weaker than herself? She seemed too proud.
"Give me a minute," Zack said, hands on knees. The pain in his leg was
vanishing. Natural Infusion gave an Aura user enhanced strength, durability
and the ability to heal faster than normal men. Ferox's teeth hadn't cut deep,
so the wound was already starting to mend. The leg would be completely
healed within a day or so. In a few minutes, he'd be able to fight on it. A part
of him wished Aura reduced pain sensation; that was something he'd just
have to shoulder on his own.
"Ready for another round?"
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