[PKMN OPEN] Pokémon Spear [M] [IC]

Sapphire Rose · Jan 22, 2021

[PokeCommunity.com] Pokémon Spear [M] [IC]

Simon Pearburgh

Spoiler: Inventory

Spoiler: Memories

Pia McGuire

Milla ♀️ Static Thunder shock, Charm, Tail Whip, Thunder Punch

Prim ♀️ Natural Cure Peck, Sing, Fury Attack, Disarming Voice, Mist, Dragon Breath

Soma ♂ Infiltrator Fairy Wind, Mega Drain, Stun Spore, Poison Powder, Razor Leaf

Spoiler: Inventory

Raphael Allard

Spoiler: Inventory

Route 4

Route 4, it was as beautiful as the pictures made it out to be. Sweeping fields of gold and brown, plants and crops growing apace. A harvest of food soon to come for the new year. The young trainers would had thought there'd be nothing growing during the Winter time, but with the assistance of pokémon, the lack of snow and the hardy Galarian crops being as they were, seemed things were still plenty fertile. Once they'd reached the end of the caves their Joltik escorts had retreated back into the darkness, leaving just the three of them traveling.

It was late afternoon on a brisk Winter's day. The sky was blue, the clouds were minimal, the sun was shining, but the air was still frosty enough to catch. Raph was busy checking messages on his phone while sitting on a tree stump… while Simon and Pia were attempting to set up the groups tent. He'd told them it would be good team building for them. Realistically he just wasn't bothered. Pia had protested but as Raphael was obviously not going to help, she felt it unfair to let Simon (who had eagerly taken on the task) do all the work alone.

Not every nearby field was able to grow quite so bountifully unfortunately. A number of the nearby paddocks had been flooded by melted snow and following rain over the past few days. Apparently there had been quite the downpour during the trainers trek through the mines. Lucky they had missed it. Raph had been casually watching one of the flooded fields down the side of the hill they had decided to camp upon for a few minutes now.

"You guys struggling?" Raph haphazardly called over his shoulder, while watching the fields below.

Simon groaned as he pulled on a rope with Pia holding the other end. Panting, he responded,"N-nope…! All good h-"

"We wouldn't be struggling if someone would maybe get off his bum and help us." Pia called back at him with a sneer.

Before Raph could properly respond to that quip, however, something caught his attention. At the edge of his vision he saw what looked like a pair of people, sprinting across the flooded field to a barn just elevated enough to avoid the water below. The larger one, a man, was struggling to trudge his way through the water which almost reached his waist, weighed down by two muddy lumps held in one arm. His other hand was gripping the arm of a child, who had the water reaching her chest.

"What the…?" Raph's question was quickly answered as bursting out of the water behind them was a green vine; thick, strong and glowing with some sort of energy. The attack of a Pokémon?! With a splash and a crash the vine struck down into the water, a trail of red smokey energy following it closely. The little girl might have been crushed had the older man not swept her up, now struggling to carry both the child and two brown lumps. Though he was slowed down, he seemed to be attempting to use his body to shield the girl from any further incoming attacks.

Before he could even bring himself to utter a word to Simon or Pia, Raph had jumped to his feet and begun sprinting down the hill, sure that his sudden outburst would prompt the other two to investigate and follow him.

"What is happening over there?!" Pia shouted as soon as she heard a very loud crackling noise, startling her, coming from where Raphael was running towards. She didn't think another second and started running in the same direction, prompting Milla to follow her. As he was slapped in the face by the support beam Pia had let go of, Simon stumbled backwards, clutching his nose.

"Oi, shit! What gives?" he called out, before realizing the girl had sprinted off down the hill along with Raph. "But… the tent…" his voice trailed off as he realized it was probably some sort of emergency, and quickly ran after the two.

As Raph ran, he grabbed a pokéball from his belt while approaching the wooden fence surrounding the field. "Carmen!" He leapt over the fence as he reached it. Already he felt a burning sensation rising in his chest from the rundown, but he couldn't let himself stop yet. His mind was already cast back to Cecil and Petal, the twins from Route 3… if they were in this position then… there was no way Raph could let this happen to a child. With a swift toss he unleashed Carmen from her ball, the Magikarp dropping into the murky liquid below. At first she seemed perturbed as to where her foolish trainer had allowed her to swim, but as she saw him proceed to desperately drag himself further through the liquid, she realized the gravity of the situation.

Another vine rose upwards, now poised and aimed to crack down hard on the old farmers back. He winced and braced for the impact, but it never comes. "Tackle, Carmen!" Raph cried as the blow was about to be struck. His Magikarp responds in kind, with Splash she launched herself out of the brine, slamming her tail harshly to meet the incoming blow. There's a sickening crack sound like a whip as Carmen is launched back into the liquid, quickly righting herself and the vine is pushed off course, missing the farmer entirely. As Raph drew closer he saw the sobbing little girl in his arms, as well as the two muddy lumps… that on closer inspection were a pair of Eevee. "Go, don't stop until you reach the barn safely." Raph told the elderly farmer, but being occupied with the fleeing group left him vulnerable for another one of those vines. It was unlike him to get distracted, but the thought of the twins still surfaced in his mind.

"Milla! Thunder Punch!" Pia commanded, not entirely sure if she wanted her into battle but also not wasting another second calling out either Prim or Soma. Milla struck the vine with an electrified punch as hard as she could, being very excited to be in battle again. She even gave Raphael a thumbs up as she flew by as she successfully knocked the vine off course before it could hit Raphael or the fleeing innocents at all. Pia quickly entered the scene as well, not at all bothered by the dirty water.

Panting, Simon finally reached the bottom of the hill and watched the chaos unfold. He looked frantically between the underwater vines and their targets, his eyes growing wide as he noticed the crackling energy surrounding the appendages. It looked almost identical to what he'd seen on the attacking wave of Joltiks… and if that was the case, this was far more dangerous than a regular Pokemon.

He did a quick check of the bugs in his coat, finding two snuggled in the pockets. "Snom, Caterpie!" he fished them out and placed them on the fence, "Go help the guy with the kid! Freeze the water to help him get into the barn then seal it shut!" As the two bugs nodded he picked both up and tossed them towards the old man, Snom screaming a war cry as she soared forward.

"Princess, you're with me!" Simon said to the Joltik on his shoulder, before jumping into the murky waters behind Pia. "Guys, you need to be careful with this thing, it's-" Before he could finish, a third vine burst from underneath him, knocking him off his feet and into the water.

As Raph positioned himself between the vines and the fleeing innocents, he quickly scanned the surface for the source, but he couldn't see an originating pokémon at all. Were there many? Just one? He wasn't sure, but if he didn't figure it out quickly then they'd be here swinging back at nothing until they were overwhelmed. He bit his lip, he has to think, what could he do in this situation? As he focussed an idea slowly started to form. It was a stupid idea, for sure, but if anyone should be taking risks like that it was him. He was the one who could afford to, the others couldn't, he had to work fast to keep them safe.

Pushing through the murky water, Raph found a small rock that elevated him slightly above the pool they all stood in. Once in a high up and open position he let out the loudest whistle he could. "Hey! Ugly!" He remembered a pokémon with a similar aura back in Motostoke, the enraged Chandelure that Piers had encountered. They weren't like the dark ball pokémon those assholes in the suits used, these things were just the opposite. Full of emotion and anger and, Raph hoped, easily goaded. "If you're weak enough to pick on little girls then I won't even need my team to mess you up! You listening?!"

There was a momentary silence, before bursting up from the water with great rage and speed was another green glowing tentacle, trailed by a red smokey aura. It was aiming right for him, flying down towards him like a guillotine, but that had been exactly his hope. At the last second Raph shifted to the side, the vine crushing down into the rock below him, splintering it into rocky shards and sending him stumbling back into the water. Soaking wet and desperate, Raph immediately turned himself back around and lunged, wrapping his arms around the vine and grabbing a hold with both arms, digging his heels into the much below and not letting go for the life of him.

"Raph!" Pia yelled with worry written on her face like the cover of a book. That was some of the most reckless shit she had seen. What was this Pokémon even?! It looked so abnormal compared to other Pokémon she had encountered! And Milla was standing right there, right in the center of danger...

Immediately the pokémon on the other end began to buck and struggle, waving itself around frantically to try and toss the trainer off, but somehow he held on. "C-Caaarmeeen!!!" He wheezed out, still gripping on as best he could, trying to keep the vine close to the waters level. "F-Follow! The vine! Follow it!" The Magikarp burst up from the water behind her trainer and plunged back down in front of him, swimming swiftly through the murky depths, following the life line that Raph had created for her to the source. The vine was soaking and about to fall out of his grip however, he couldn't keep holding it alone. "S-Simon!" He called out to the other trainer who was standing close by. "S-Stop standing around and help me!"

Wiping the mud off his face, Simon rushed over to the flailing tentacle as quick as he could, "Shit, sorry! Don't worry, I got you-" Before he could finish his sentence again, the vine that had thrown him off the first time grabbed him by the ankle, the weight of the younger boy much easier to carry compared to Raph. It then proceeded to slam him violently against the other trainer, in another attempt to shake him off. Raph stumbled at the impact but barely managed to hold his ground.

He could feel himself slipping, his chest was tight and burning, his vision was starting to blur. Damn it, not now, he looked towards Simon who was being dangled like an unwanted toy. He had to save him, to save himself, but what could he do?! He had to hold the tentacle, taking one hand away for a second was one thing, but both? He'd lose their only chance.

However, a sparkling flash of yellow gave him an idea.

Moving one hand from the vine he quickly grasped at Simon, but didn't grab the trainer himself. Instead he pulled the small Joltik from his body and dropped it roughly on his shoulder before quickly gripping the vine again with both hands. "P-Princess!" He calls out, getting the miniscule pokémon's attention. "I- I need- ACK!" He pauses, almost slipping in the mud. "I need you to get Simon loose! Attack the vine with- Arceus um, with anything! Something buggy! Please!"

The little bug trembled slightly, her purple eyes darting between her trainer and the waters below. She could feel the same energy coming from the vines that had been used to attack her mother, and the fear of that encounter was rushing back… But she had made a promise to stay safe, and to keep her trainer safe too. Giving Raph a shaky squeak, she reared back and shot an Electroweb at the vine holding Simon. Immediately the electricity traveled up the entire appendage, shocking it and the water around- including Simon. It seemed to work however, as it immediately let go of him and retracted lower, sending him splashing into the water below.

"Si-?!" Raph calls out, but doesn't get an immediate response. He should have thought about that, electricity, water, hell even at the end of a different tentacle Raph could feel tingles. He hopes the bug type bastard would be okay, but right now he had to focus on what was right in front of him. The shock had made the vine go limp, but that moment of weakness gave him all the time he needed to reaffirm his grip.

A few meters away in the water, he saw bubbles begin to rise en masse… and the tentacle suddenly became taught again. Digging his heels in, Raph did his best to hold on as he felt something pulling back against him, bouncing around beneath the surface, what the hell was going on down there?!

"...aaaaaAAAAARP!" With a backwards spin and flick of her tail, Carmen sent a massive metal object flying out of the water, like a solid steel wheel it clattered through the air and smashed against a large rock, lodging itself out of the water. It was a pokémon Raph had heard lived around these parts, but evolved to its final stage. Ferrothorn. No wonder it had managed to cause all of them so much trouble alone.

Still he got little time to think about this, in his distraction and awe, the tentacle spasmed, sending him clattering backwards, sprawling through the water with a gurgled groan to the area where Simon had landed. He wheezed as he pushed himself up from the water soon after and barely staggered to his feet. He tried to immediately take a few steps forward but a sharp and piercing pain triggered in him. Barely making a silent gasp, he grasped at the fabric of his shirt in front of his chest and coughed into his hand. His blurry vision barely managed to focus on the red that had splattered over his fingers.

He was at his limit, he couldn't keep pushing himself.

"C-Carmen… keep… don't let it get away…" Raph stumbled a little and let his hand drop into the water, washing away the blood before anyone could see, then with that same hand he gripped Simon's collar and helped pull the younger boy to his feet.

Simon coughed out the water he'd swallowed and regained his footing, dazed but otherwise just lightly fried. Seeing Raph in much worse shape than he was, he took the older boy's arm and slung it around his shoulder. "Princess!" he called for his Joltik to hop back onto him, "Keep those things away- I'll take Raph to safety!" He looked at Pia in the distance, hoping she'd be able to hold her own long enough till more help came.

Carmen cast a concerned look back at her trainer, but unlike Vito or Lumi, she was a soldier. A fighter who had been battling long before meeting her trainer. From her time facing it underwater she knew that this pokémon, Ferrothorn, had some ability tied to its spiked body. Whenever she struck it, from any angle, she was taking damage herself, maybe even more than she was doing. Still, she knew if it slipped back into the water again that Raph wouldn't be able to protect himself any longer. She would follow her orders. She wouldn't let it escape.

Ferrothorn immediately attempted to slip back into the water but Carmen was having none of it, looping around she burst from the liquid and slammed hard against the iron body, ignoring damage to herself as she did minimal damage, but applied enough force to knock Ferrothorn back onto the rock. So she continued, looping back around, again and again, time after time, hurting herself and barely denting her opponent but holding it in place for as long as her body would allow.

Pia, being the only one with still both feet on the ground, just stood there and glanced between the Pokémon and Milla unsure of what to do. They were massively overpowered and it was obvious she didn't want Milla to fight but everyone was in grave danger here. Watching Simon get thrown off the Pokémon was already bad enough but Raphael also didn't look too well.

"Chu Chu!" Milla squeaked at her, indicating it was ready for a command. Pia, however, wouldn't budge. She gritted her teeth and slowly grabbed Soma's pokéball. Every ounce of confidence she had shown with Oleana was just gone like snow before a burning summer sun. Milla looked disappointed with her ears hanging and all, but also frustrated. This was the.... How many times had her trainer deliberately kept her out of a battle? Did she not… trust her…? After all this time spent together?

"Pichu!!" Milla protested again.

"No! I can't let you get hurt!" Pia shouted, a bit emotionally as tears filled her eyes. The thought alone was bad enough. "Get back here! I'll have Soma take car-"

"PICHU!!" Milla angrily yelled. She was called out of a battle before and that humiliated her trainer in the process. Why was she being so goddamn stubborn?!

Pia still stood there, staring at the Pokémon. With a vision playing the back of her mind, she tried to think, but the thought was too overwhelming and instead she froze where she stood with Milla still shouting at her.

"Pia! Pia it wasn't your fault!" a familiar voice yelled at her in the back of her mind, it wasn't hers. It was someone from long ago.

"Please! Snap out of it! It wasn't your fault! You couldn't have known that would happen! You were playing!" The voice kept calling out.

"PIA!" Another voice cut through and dragged her back to reality, still struggling to stand and barely held back by a concerned Simon, Raph was pushing past his friend to shout at the girl standing there in a daze. "Look at what's in front of you! Do you understand what's happening right now?!" He had seen enough, back in the cave, back in the train. Pia had potential as a trainer, but she was over-protective, too over-protective of her partner. That desire to protect her held Milla back, it held both of them back and even if it hurt her, Raph wasn't going to hold back anymore.

Just like on the train, Raph knew that even if it meant Pia hated him, he wasn't going to hold back the truth from her.

"If you keep holding Milla back she's going to get hurt, we're all going to get hurt! Or worse! There's no time left to hesitate or make different choices!" He spat, struggling and slouching now in Simon's arms. His eyes were bloodshot but he still forced himself to look up and meet Pia's gaze. The lazy Raphael she knew wasn't there, what she saw was raw emotion, a burning fire behind his eyes. "Pia, grow up and fight! Fight with the pokémon that wants to save you!"

Pia's eyes were only widened. She trembled right where she stood, the tears she had desperately been holding back running over her cheeks but her face that of utten fright. She was crying but didn't look like she was crying.

"Azurill didn't lose its tail because of you!! IT WASN'T YOUR FAULT!!" The voice in the back of her mind yelled louder. Now she finally recognized it. It was her mother holding her while she sat in her bed after having screamed at night… and many more of those nights would follow. She was only a child… a foolish child that tried to play Pokémon trainer and choose a wild opponent that was too strong.

"SNAP OUT OF IT!" her mother's crying voice shouted through her entire being together with another call for her name from Raph, waking her up on the spot and once again shooting her back to reality. In front of her was a half-conscious Raph who had tried to shout some sense into her… it frustrated her. This was just like the train but… he was right. They were losing. They were losing hard and it was getting more dangerous with the second.

She looked at her hands, then balled them. What would all this effort she had done until now mean if she would just get another Pokémon hurt? Was she really going to allow the same mistakes to be repeated?

"Milla…" her eyes shot towards her Pichu, also on the verge of crying. "Grow up and fight… you say…" she repeated Raph's words. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She was… foolish indeed. While she had constantly been battling with Soma and Prim, Milla had always eagerly stayed at the sidelines. Just waiting to be called. Milla was desperate for Pia to just… trust her. To have a proper battle with her. Deep down she had known this since the train.

"Milla!" She yelled out once again, her eyes shot open and her entire being radiating a whole different aura. "Give this abomination the best Thunder Punch you can give it!" Pia finally yelled out her command towards Milla. The Pichu's ears shot up in surprise. What…?

"Show me what you can do! You got this!" Pia yelled out once more. The same confidence she had shown in Prim and Soma were now also in Milla… if not more. Milla's posture eased, almost not believing what she was hearing. Pia gave her a small but warm smile. "I trust you." She cited.

Milla's eyes widened at the words, the tears in her eyes sparkling while her mouth curled up into a laugh. She closed her eyes. Pia… trusted her. Finally…

A white light enveloped the Pichu's body. Surprising both the female trained and the mouse Pokémon in question. When Milla opened her eyes, she was no longer the same Milla.

"Pikachu!" She sounded.

"You… evolved…" Pia whispered, thinking her eyes were playing tricks on her.

Back at the scene of combat, Carmen witnessed the event unfolding and heard her trainers' words. Between the swinging vines and the iron barbs of her opponent, it was miraculous that she was still conscious at all… but hearing Raphael shout like that? She smirked. He was an idiot and way too dramatic, but sometimes he knew just the right thing to say. "Karp!" She screamed out towards the newly evolved Pikachu, before dashing forward beneath the water towards the stone where Ferrothorn still awaited. Even if she had all but fallen, the small dents and whittling away she had done to her opponent had taken some sort of toll. Covered in water as it was, just one good strike would be enough, Carmen had to create the opportunity. Even if it cost the last point of HP she had.

Bursting up from the water and swinging with her scar covered tail, she slammed hard against Ferrothorn, the impact cracking the steel beneath the pokémons body. The impact drained what little she had left, but her eyes blazed with fury, forcing herself forward she completed her attack and flipped the Ferrothorn with all her might. Dragging itself and its vines skyward, the blow sent Ferrothorn's main body, covered in a cloud of red smoke, catapulting upwards, high into the air. For the first time since the battle had begun, all of it was revealed. An opportunity was made, that was all she could do, she could vaguely hear Raphael call out her name as she sunk back into the water unconscious.

Immediately, however, Milla went into a fighting position. This was not the time to feel all emotional, there were people and Pokémon to save. She remembered the battle Pia and her bird friend had against the woman in the cave where the Snorunt made copies of itself to attack simultaneously. Her body now did the same. Multiple Milla's appeared in front of Pia, Simon and Raph and surrounded the Pokémon that had so rudely attacked them and the farm. Double Team.

"Chuuu!" The fists of all Milla's doubles started the glow and they all leaped into the air after their enemy, all colliding to attack the Ferrothorn. One by one they jumped around and hit it with thunder punches. Each impact struck the Ferrothorn hard and juggled it in the air, the electricity coursing through its vines and body as it cried out in pain, the water carrying the electricity throughout its entire body. "F-FERROOOOO-!!!" It's scream could be heard echoing across the field as it lit up like a bulb, its iron body glowing white hot from the repeated impacts.

And then, as soon as it had begun, it stopped. With a burst of red light, Ferrothorn's body seemed to burst outwards. It… disintegrated. Like red dust floating in the wind, the powder that remained was carried away by the wind and the expected impact of the pokémon upon the water never came.

Silence, for a moment there was no noise at all.

"Just like… in the caves…" Simon mused, furrowing his brow. On his shoulder, Princess shuddered, feeling shaken but glad she had helped keep these two humans safe.

"C-Carmen…" Raph had finally begun to collect himself, standing still in Simon's grip had settled his heart enough for him to recover his vision and functions and he finally managed to break free of the younger man's grasp. He struggled forward through the water, nearly tripping over himself before he reached the Magikarp, floating alone on the surface, thank Arceus, still breathing. He lifted her gently, holding her close, covered in wounds. He smiled down at her for a moment, breathing a sigh of relief seeing that she was alright. "Thank you… I'm lucky to have a pokémon as strong as you." Taking her pokéball in hand, he returns the Magikarp to rest properly, before turning back to Pia. Still ragged and worn, but he looked a lot better than he had now at least.

"...you finally listened to me, rather than getting annoyed." He sighed, before smirking just a little to follow. "...and not a second too soon it seems."

Pia flinched at the words directed towards her. She dried her tears and tried to muster up a smile. "... stubbornness runs in the family. I suppose…" was all she could let on. The moment she did, a certain mouse Pokémon jumped into her arms and nuzzled her cheeks. Pia patted Milla, who was now a Pikachu. The flashback had her trembling still but she started calming down. Not to mention they could have very well been killed there. Was Milla always this strong…?

"Guys, we should probably get to safety before any more of those things arrive." Simon approached the two trainers. "Last time I saw a Pokemon with that aura, there were dozens of them… and you're looking pretty banged up, Raph."

His concern was noted, but Raphael shrugged it off. "I'll be fine, Si… just ended up glugging some of this water on the way down. Has me feeling like shite." He rubs the back of his head with an awkward smile.

Raph of course wasn't being honest, but it was a start.

"Thankfully I doubt there are that many Ferrothorns on Route 4 whatsoever, let alone with that weird red glow…" He spoke about it like it was normal, but the red glowing pokémon were definitely a concern. Simon had seen them in the caves too, compiled with the one he and Melody had encountered in Motostoke…

"What was that even…" Pia whispered, looking down at Milla.

"I'll settle for getting out of the water for now." Raph eventually said with a small nod, turning his head towards the distant barn, where the old farmer was slowly peeking out the door. With a small, tired nod to his companions, Raph made his way in that direction. Though the thoughts of the red sparking pokémon still lingered in their minds, exhaustion took precedence.

------------------

"I just… I can't thank you three enough."

The three trainers stood, soaked through with towels over their shoulders in front of the elderly old proprietor of the farm. His bushy grey facial hair bellied the muscles lining his arms. He was a man who'd worked the fields his whole life, his name, he said, was Peter Farrow. The little girl he had carried was his grand-daughter Tiffany and she was recovering in the next room.

"We didn't do it looking for a reward, to be honest, no reward is worth that stress…" Raph mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. His chest had finally stopped hurting but he could still taste the blood at the back of his throat. He'd have to check in with a doctor in Turfield… this whole endeavor had been too much for him. He should have held back.

Yet, he couldn't fully commit to that narrative looking at the gratitude in Farmer Farrow's eyes. "Look, if you've got something to give, give it to these two." He shrugged, gesturing with each hand to his companions. "Simon got you to safety and Pia dealt with the enemy, I just held it down and kept it distracted."

"What matters is that everyone's all safe!" Simon beamed at the group. He crouched down to pat Caterpie and Snom, "I'm proud of you two." The caterpillar nodded happily before crawling off towards the young girl, while the ice worm breathed a hiss of triumph at Simon's feet.

"I insist, you children deserve this reward at least." The farmer smiled and reached into his pouch, from it he retrieved a small plastic case. Opening it slowly he took out two discs from within, one green and the other a pale blue. He handed one to Pia and one to Simon in turn. "We use these two to teach our farmhands pokémon some useful skills… but for skilled battlers like you, I'm sure you'll discover a use."

Pia stared at the disc before turning her glance to Raphael. She felt uneasy about the whole situation earlier and he honestly still didn't look all that good. Besides… It felt unfair receiving this when both Simon and Raphael had been put in terrible danger because of her indecisiveness.

The old man's smile was infectious and Raph found himself with a slight smile just watching the exchange, but he quickly pushed that away before turning to leave the barn entirely. "Well, I guess that's that. Keep careful old timer, I'm going to go make sure that our camp hasn't all been stolen yet."

"W-wait, young man…" The elderly voice called out and Raph peeked briefly over his shoulder. "There's one more thing I think might interest you, I'm not the only one who wishes to thank you after all."

The three trainers had followed the old man to the back of the barn, where he had stepped aside to allow them access to a cubby built into the wall. To greet them, slowly stepping out of the shadows therein, were two pokémon caked in mud.

"Vee..!" The first cried, brown fur muddied by the murky depths outside.

"...Vee." The second mumbled, so dirty it was hard to make out its fur at all.

The pokémon that had the farmer had carried, of course. Two Eevee's no doubt native to the route, were looking at the trio standing before them with admiration and awe, though one expressed it with far less enthusiasm than the other. A little timidly, the farmer approached from behind them. "I could barely keep them still while you were fighting… seems these two were inspired by your bravado…"

To which both Eevee nodded. It was truly a sight to see them so covered in mud.

Raph craned his necks at the two in front of him. Now this was an interesting proposal. TRs he could live without, all things considered, but the opportunity presented to him was different. A new member to his team, an Eevee no less, one of the most popular and versatile pokémon around. Sure it was a little overdone, but if he was given the chance to take one without the hassle of a capture.

He turns his head to the other trainers first however. "Seems these two want to tag along. What about you guys? Interested in taking them on?"

Simon crouched down to meet the eevees at eye level and pet them both on the head, looking into their eyes. The Pokemon buried their heads softly into his palm as he managed to get some mud off their faces, but after a moment, he got up. "I think they're much more impressed with what you two have done, honestly." He looked at Raph and Pia, his gaze lingering on the newly-evolved Pikachu. "I think they should probably go with the real winners of this battle." He added with a slight hint of self-pity, before grinning back at Raph. "I'm more of a bug guy anyway."

Pia sighed but tried to keep a smile up. Simon really looked like his pride had taken a beating. "I'm impressed with you, really." Pia hit Simon's head with the side of her hand, softly of course, but enough to grab his attention. "Despite having a team with just bugs, your ideas are quite something. Honestly, people are going to underestimate you." Pia shrugged, then turned to the Eevee's. She hadn't been planning on taking on another member on her team yet but this little girl needed a home and… well. There were worse punishments around than getting a super cute Eevee.

Milla hadn't given her trainer a moment of respite though. She had already jumped down to befriend both of the Eevee's. Of course they saw Milla as some sort of hero right now and while the Pikachu tried to stay humble, she was certainly enjoying the attention. One of the Eevees in particular seemed all too eager to be joining her and sat down in front of her, staring at her with two big sparkly eyes.

"I guess I'll be taking one then." Pia rested one of her hands on her hip.

So Simon didn't want one and the other had already made up its mind. Raph furrowed his brow a little, but then relented, this had been the outcome he had been hoping for regardless. The pair were both female, according to the farmer, thick as thieves when he scooped them up and ran. They had tried fighting Ferrothorn alone but had been losing badly. One of the two sisters, Raph assumed they were sisters, had taken a back seat and allowed the other to bask in the presence of the newly evolved Milla. While Pia entertained the more enthralled of the two, Raph kneeled down in front of the quieter Eevee.

It was caked in dirt, to the point where Raph couldn't even see its fur. He shook his head gently and closed his eyes with a sigh. "Man, that doesn't look pleasant, but I suppose I'm not much better, soaked as I am." He opened his eyes again with a smile then places his hand upon the Eevee's head. "First things first, I think we should both find some fresh water and wash off, yeah?"

For the briefest moment the Eevee, which had regarded him with an empty stare, had its eyes flare with intrigue, but it quickly settled its emotions. How familiar. Without much fuss, he scooped up the pokémon in his arms, it didn't resist, seemingly accepting that Raph was her lot in life now.

"Then that'll be us, Mr. Farrow." Raph said with a tired sigh, before moving to the door. "C'mon, there's a small pond near the campsite, lets at least try to wash these two off." He shrugged his shoulders and yawned, but as he did so, he slapped his hand on Simon's shoulder suddenly. "Don't bother with the woe is me act either alright? I'm not bothered to deal with that. I'd be seriously hurt, or probably worse, if not for you. Twice over now if we count Dusknoir. Don't insult me by counting yourself short, yeah?" It was phrased in an apathetic way, but the intention was there… without giving Simon much of a chance to respond, he pushed past him again and started walking towards the exit.

"U-Uh... Raphael!" Pia shouted after him. It was obvious she was going to try to say something, though he didn't stop walking until he was standing just outside the barn.

He gave her a tired side glance, still holding the rather content Eevee under an arm. "Pia, Turffield is waiting, what's the word?" He was curt as always.

Pia sighed. How rude… but she started to accept a tiny little bit that this was just Raphael. Just a tiny little bit. She gathered her act back up that she had been dropping up till now and took a deep breath.

"Thank you. For snapping me back to reality. I guess I needed that." She said as if it were nothing, back to her confident self. Her pride had taken a beating but Milla had evolved from it and with that… they had grown just a bit closer together. She was able to forgive him for it. This time.

"You know that's what I wanted to tell you on the train too, I probably should've followed you that day." He pondered, scratching his nose a little with his free hand. "...Pia, looking at you, I think I understand you a little better now." Something was shining in her, something he hadn't seen before, underneath that facade she kept putting up. Since Route 3, he was able to see it so much better, like his eyes were open to emotions once locked away. The fire that Pia didn't want to show. He smiled and shook his head with a sigh. "It's good you gave Milla some more credit; do the same with yourself okay? Maybe you'll evolve as well."

With that he turned away, whistling a little as he placed a hand behind his head. "Man, I'm beat… these past few days have been a hell of a ride. I need to sleep and then we're going straight to Turfield, no more distractions. That means you too Simon." he grumbled at the bug boy.

That was, once again, wishful thinking.

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The moon was shining high in the sky on a cloudless night upon Route 4. A small distance from their shared camp, Raphael sat by the edge of the water with an Eevee in tow. He had volunteered to fix the tent himself this time, while Pia had gone to clean off her own Eevee, and Simon was preparing what he had called a 'cinnamon bun curry' - Arceus knew how that boy survived in the wild. It took a bit of time, but it definitely gave Raph the time to himself that he had been desperately wanting since the mines.

The Eevee sat serenely in the water, gazing up at Raphael calmly while gently swishing her tail. The second she had hit the liquid the mud around her paws had started to break away. She didn't seem to emote this one, but Raphael still smiled apologetically. "Sorry miss, I shouldn't have made you wait all muddy like I did, but I really needed to clear my head." Her eyes followed his own and she nodded slowly.

Eevee had some respect for Raphael, his strength hadn't been as flashy as the Pikachu's but… it didn't have to be. She was the type who valued that which was understated. So it was she allowed this human to accompany her, as well as to clean this filthy brown murk from her fur. Raphael lifted a cloth with water and dabbed it across the fur of her head. "About time I got a proper look at you, ri-"

His eyes widened as he slowly moved his hand from her forehead. The brown melted away in the water and the moonlight caught the fur beneath… it shimmered silver. He washed more of the dirt away, piece by piece, until he could see her properly. A silver hued brown, almost platinum, that reflected the moonlight with small flecks of sparkling light. The Eevee, now mostly cleaned, preened her fur and gazed at Raphael expectantly, waiting for him to clean the rest.

His initial shock faded to an incredulous stare, then a small laugh of disbelief, before he continued to clean her fur without comment.

"I think I'll call you… Selene."

Joint post of Jay, Sapphire Rose & Foxrally

PastelPhoenix · Jan 23, 2021

Achille Béringer || 18 || ♂️
Location: Galar Mines
Current Status: Cavebound.

Joiuse - Shadow Sneak, Fury Cutter, Autotomize, Metal Sound, Block, Aerial Ace

Proudhon - Tackle, Splash, Thrash

Alizé - Absorb, Tackle, Gust, Supersonic, Double Team, Wing Attack

Ignace - Powder Snow, Tackle, Taunt, Bite, Avalanche, Work Up

The caves making up the Motostoke Mines were an entirely different beast than the caverns Achille trudged through in the Wild Area. The most welcome addition were the footpaths that had been slowly smoothed through the human traffic through here. Not having to worry about a misplaced step sending you sliding into the darkness made the trip through here actually pleasant. And speaking of not sliding into darkness, this cave was lit. In the illuminated sense of the word. The side tunnels were dimly lit in comparison to the main tunnels, but, again, it beat having no idea where a 5 foot tall angry bat Pokemon was hiding.

That was not to imply that this cave was exactly comfortable, however. As he walked along the well traveled main tunnel he couldn't quite escape the noise. The chattering of other people just trying to get to the other side of the mine, a rumble of heavy machinery, and the general shouting and noise of a worksite combined to create a constant stream of noise that only reverberated and echoed down the tunnels. That wasn't to mention the odd swings in temperature he felt. Some areas of the mine with little active work had the usual slight chill in the still air he expected knowing it was a tunnel. When passing by some of the equipment or, Arceus forbid, a nest of some fire type species the temperature often swung in the other direction, and the stillness of the air produced an oven like effect. He swore slightly under his breath as a couple walking side by side forced him to squeeze against the rail a bit to accommodate them. The claustrophobia that came from having this many people pass through what was still a tunnel didn't need much mentioning.

Luckily he didn't need to suffer the main tunnel for too long. According to a map he grabbed near the start of the mine there would be a side tunnel open for public use that he could take which should ultimately prove faster than the normal route. He'd find good places to train in here later, for now he just wanted to get a good lay of the land and get the sky back above him. He walked through the entrance to a particularly large cavern and checked the various forks in the path to his own map, confirming the side path branched off from this tunnel.

The difference in environment between the tunnels struck him not long after stepping onto the shortcut. The voices of the people sticking to the main path reverberated down the tunnel, changing from distinct words to muffled noise as he continued. The path ahead was lit by cheap incandescent lights, casting a pale yellow light on the tunnel and radiating a small amount of heat against the colder air.

With no one to bother with having loose pokemon about, Achille pulled out a pair of Pokeballs and called out Joiuse and Proudhon. Proudhon looked around, confused why he was being called outside of a fight, while the Honedge took up position behind Achille's shoulder. "Hey," Achille greeted the two, getting the Magikarp's attention. "It's been a while since we talked about training and plans. Just wanted to chat."

Proudhon took another look around, slapping the stone floor twice with his tail and looking back to Achille. "The other two? Bit too young to really participate." Proudhon considered it for a few moments before nodding his head and letting Achille pick him up. Transferring the fish to a more comfortable position under his arm, he set off down the path again.

"Right, so, I think we should probably talk about the first gym about now." He began, clearing his throat nervously for the next announcement. "I think we should go after Milo. That means you might have to sit out this time… Proudhon."

A violent shaking began under his arm as Proudhon took the news about how he expected. "Nom de dieu! Listen to the reasoning, you fucking fish." Proudhon stopped struggling and chuckled to himself. Achille got the feeling that he did that all for show anyways.

"It's a grass gym, salopard." Achille adjusted his jacket with his free hand. Rolling his eyes at the Magikarp. "Alizé and Ignace have such a good advantage that I'd be stupid not to bring them. Joiuse doesn't have a type weakness to this gym. If I need you, I'll call on you. But no need to throw you into danger more than you need to."

"... karp." Proudhon admitted after a moment of contemplation.

"Good to have you on board, ami." Achille couldn't help but laugh as he realized how much of his life was now going to be spent negotiating with a fish. The laugh caused some Pokemon to skitter out from behind a boulder. Before Achille could even identify the Pokemon there was a blur and a sharp THWACK sound as Joiuse unsheathed and lunged at the sudden movement. The attack missed, luckily for the poor Drilbur who seemed like it was about to faint from shock alone. The mole Pokemon scurried off into the tunnel, back the way Achille came, as the Honedge grabbed its dropped scabbard and resheathed.

"Well," Achille began, clearing his throat, "I think that was a Slash attack actually." It all happened too quickly for him to be sure, but Joiuse wouldn't have missed if it was an Aerial Ace. "So… we need to work on getting that down consistently and not attacking scared wild Pokemon thinking they're bad guys. Good job on the attack though!"

Joiuse took her position behind the trainer again, avoiding his eyes after nearly skewering the poor Drilbur. Achille only chuckled at the Honedge's reaction and waved them along, beginning to speak about his plans for each individual Pokemon.

----------------------------------------------

Achille was only a few minutes into his discussion when he found himself interrupted again, this time by an unexpected barricade. For some reason this portion of the tunnel that was supposed to lead to a large cavern was blocked off from public use, despite the map indicating it should still be open. Beyond the barricade looked like an active work site with no one actually working. The workers were instead gathered in two large groups on opposite sides of the cave, muttering amongst each other and occasionally shooting angry glares at the other. Even the Pokemon in the groups were participating in the staredown; a pair of Machokes grunted angrily with their trainer's comments on the left and three Diggersby stood on the right, one tapping its foot anxiously. The most curious thing about the scene, however, was the faint glimpses of something golden shimmering at the bottom of a hole in the stone floor.

Achille craned his head to try and get a better look when the workers took notice of him. One of the workers on the right pointed him out to the group, saying something Achille couldn't hear. One of the workers turned to face the trainer, sighed, and started towards the barricade. The large man scratched his thick beard as he approached, in no particular hurry.

"Oi," he said loudly as soon as he heard without full-on shouting, "this area's closed off. Active work site." The man spoke with a raspy voice and had to clear his throat while switching to a quieter voice. When Achille didn't immediately head off the man sighed again and stepped close enough to actually have a conversation at a civil tone. The smell of cigarettes flooded the air as he stepped up to the barricade, giving Achille the impression he was interrupting a break if it wasn't for the angry glares.

"Sorry," Achille said, his tone not exactly apologetic after the sigh from earlier. "I thought this tunnel was open for foot traffic. Map says so. Will it be open soon?"

"Dunno." The man responded gruffly. "Contract was just signed earlier this week, prolly why the map isn't fixed. We just got the approval to close this cavern for mining, they told us we could block it off."

Achille looked at the scene behind the man again. It did look like they had just started mining, as there were very few areas of broken rock aside from the glimmering one in the center. Most of the chips in the stone were located across opposite walls, oddly enough, with only a few in the center floor. "Doesn't look like you're doing much work right now though. Just staring each other down. Mind if I cut across real quick?"

"Look kid, busy or not it's still an active-" the worker began to object before giving another large sigh and rubbing his temples, sounding defeated. "Okay, just this once. Follow me, and don't touch anything."

Silently cheering to himself, Achille withdrew Proudhon to his Pokeball and hopped the barricade, Joiuse following right behind. The worker watched Achille's every move, seemingly convinced the teen was about to run off at any moment. Without a word the older man turned and began to walk towards the other side of the cavern, leaving Achille to trail diligently after him. Not wanting to press his luck, Achille kept the various questions he had to himself. Joiuse actually kept pace with the trainer for once, although Achille couldn't help but notice how her eyes flickered back and forth between the two groups.

The cavern was surprisingly much larger than Achille anticipated. It took several seconds of walking to even begin approaching the glimmering crater, but Achille's eyes remained glued to that spot in the floor as they slowly approached. The worker's eyes stayed glued firmly ahead, not even acknowledging the golden shine as he passed. Taking a quick look as he passed, Achille fought the urge to stop and stare as a pile of rough looking gold nuggets lied among rubble within the hole. No small amount either, this was a hefty haul.

Achille let out a short whistle, causing his guide to turn his head and glare at the Kalosian. "What?" Achille asked, putting his hands up in a mock surrender. "You guys don't seem that happy with this. Looks like a pretty big find for you guys." His comment earned him another glare from the worker, who gave another of his patented sighs before waving Achille forward and clearing his throat again.

"The gold is ours," the worker began, his voice just above a whisper, so as to not be heard by the other group. Nonetheless, the group of workers with the Diggersbys hushed and watched the pair make their way across, not even hiding their attempts to eavesdrop. "We dug it up earlier today, but this cavern is contracted just to us." He motioned to each group with his hand as he continued. "Titan Mining bought the right to the west half of the cavern, while the bastards at Thornbriar Engineering took the eastern half. We struck the gold, but they claim it's over the boundary line and actually on their side."

"We've been stuck in this stalemate since. We've got some corporate negotiators coming out here this week to clear this up." The other side of the cavern was coming up now, leaving Achille no time for follow up questions. The worker noticed as well, smiling as he stood next to the barricade on the other sider. "Well, it looks like your little tour is over."

"Yeah, yeah." Achille griped, jumping the second barricade and turning to look at the scene again. The worker was already going back to the group, but something about the entire scene felt off to him. There were pretty much no holes in the floor itself, all the tools and prior work had been on the walls of the cavern, for both companies.

Still, he made a promise to leave for today. He motioned Joiuse to follow him, and started a plan to come back that night.

Inventory:

Spoiler:

Jay · Jan 23, 2021

Raphael Allard &
Arrietty Maverick
> Route 3
> Past and Presents - Finale

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After such a booming entrance, the tense silence that followed felt all the more ominous. Arrietty was frozen in place, afraid any unexpected movements would set off the threat in front of them. So this was what she heard above her earlier? Wren rushed back over to stand in front of his trainer, but held still, readying himself for a command or an attack.

Raph struggled on the ground some distance away, dragging himself back to his feet using the machine he had been launched into. He could see Vito staring uneasily up at the massive black bird that stood between them. The pain that surged through his chest was unbelievable, the stress of the situation, the cold and the sudden and harsh impact sent his pulse and pain receptors into a crazy state of overdrive. He clutched the shirt covering his chest with one hand as he finally staggered to his feet. His vision blurred for a moment, but he focused, taking deep breaths to steady his breathing as best he could until the pain started to fade and the fear he hadn't even realized was creeping onto his face, slowly faded away.

What now?

Corviknight glared down at the little Spheal with an imposing presence. His intimidating presence sent ripples of tension through the air and he reveled in that power. Yet the little ball in front of him, so unfamiliar to him, stared back at him. A single metallic eyebrow raised at the tiny pokémon. It's brashness was so surprising that Corviknight let the tension hang rather than immediately striking out. Even as its body shook and its brow furrowed, its lip were curled into something resembling a smile as it returned its gaze unflinchingly.

A similar expression rang out as it turned to look at the small bird that stood in front of the female human, no smiles here, but despite its clear fear it stood adamantly in front of the girl it travelled with. Corviknight knew what these humans were, they were trainers of pokémon. Though his ears perked up at a sound behind him.

Slowly Raph had tried to inch towards Vito as Corviknight looked away, but even the slightest noise alerted the raven pokémon. With an echoing screech it turned and Raph had to quickly cover his ears to avoid being deafened entirely by the metal sound attack. He froze in place soon after, unsure of what to do next.

Unlike Corvisquire, Corviknight hadn't immediately attacked them. Even the beam it had fired hadn't struck Raph directly. It acted far more used to humans than any wild pokémon he had encountered before. Still completely under the fully evolved pokémon's gaze, his eyes slowly shifted towards Arrietty.

With the Corviknight turned away from her, the girl managed to shake her freeze. The standoff was prolonged, indicating to her that perhaps it didn't want to fight, just protect the Corvisquire. Or perhaps they were trespassing on their home turf. Either way…

"Wait."

She didn't have to raise her voice for it to echo across the factory hall in this silence. Arrietty raised her hands in an attempt to show she wouldn't attack, and slowly walked, giving the Corviknight a wide berth, until she stood beside Vito, in front of Raph. Wren watched warily, but eventually made his way to join them as well. Frozen in place Raph watched the whole thing, cursing under his breath. "A-Arrietty, wait..!"

Standing before the large raven was a little more nerve-racking, but she'd come this far. Pokémon were understanding creatures, and since it hadn't attacked yet, surely this one was particularly wise. "S-sorry, if we intruded on your home, and about harming your friend," she nervously started, her voice shaking a little as she continued. "I um, I could even heal him if you— er, well, maybe that's a bit much to ask. The main thing is, we just came to retrieve the item he took, and if we could have that back, we'll be out of here, okay?"

The Corviknight's chest swelled, as if meaning to make itself seem even more massive in comparison to the girl before him. She barely resisted cowering. Raph had seen Corviknight before, big ones, bred to carry taxis not to battle. The fact that this one seemed even bigger than them said a lot.

As it watched the girl and listened to her words, Corviknight's memories sparked. He wondered, how long had it been since a human had spoken to him in such a way? She was terrified, yet still she stepped out in front of him so boldly. Offered to heal his young, even though she had played such a role in harming them. The more she spoke, the more he understood. His eyes slowly moved to the small box beside the injured Corvisquire by his side. It was damaged and ruffled, slightly singed, but inside there was a small silver locket. A trinket. Corviknight, the raven pokémon, was one of the few pokemon who understood the value of such a thing bar humans themselves.

Raph watched as the bird looked between the present and the girl he had dragged into this mess. Arceus, she was standing so close to it, if it wanted to, it could tear her in two before Wren or Vito could do anything about it. His chest tightened again at the thought, it was terrifying. He staggered slightly in place, eyes focussed despite the pain, his mind racing with things to do, choices to make. Corviknight however, had already made up its mind.

With a piercing gaze it looked down at Arrietty and opened its beak while facing her. With a gasp, she raised her arms in front of her in a last-ditch defense. Behind her, Raph's legs activated before his mind could even catch up. "Arri!" He cried her name and dashed forward, attempting to do something, attempting to get in the way, but before he could even get close-!

Corviknight gently picked up the necklace from the box with the end of its beak… and gently draped it over Arrietty's arm.

Raphael was stunned. A moment passed, and Arrietty very slowly lowered her arms to look at the trinket presented to her. She took a breath, and nodded as calmly as she could muster.

Corviknight screeched once more in the direction of Raphael, before turning and chittering lowly at the Corvisquire beside him, as if scolding one much younger and less experienced. It looked back towards the female human once more and gave a small nod of its head. One that spoke of an understanding, but the glare accompanying it spoke a clearer message. "Leave this place, before I return." Those words were carved into its eyes in that moment.

The girl before him nodded once more, and whispered a word of thanks, before slowly taking a step to back away from the imposing Pokémon.

Satisfied, it turned, and scooped up the injured Corvisquire in its talons, before with a beating of its wings powerful enough to nearly knock all present off their feet, it bolted into the sky once more. It vanished as quickly as it had appeared, its speed unbelievable had they not seen it with their own eyes. It was gone.

Raphael nearly collapsed, stumbling forward with his hands on his knees, but dragging himself to Arrietty's side all the same. "Arri, are you… are you alright? Are you hurt?"

This close, he could tell she was shaking a little, but kept her eyes locked to the hole in the roof a moment longer. Taking another breath, she quickly turned back to him proper. "Y-yeah, don't worry… Nary a scratch." She smiled weakly, and held out the trinket to him. "Mission complete… But rather we should be worrying about you, I think. Can you walk?"

He had placed his other hand on her shoulder instinctively, as if to try and steady her. She had seemed so still and confident before, but in the end she had been scared as well. With his other hand he took the trinket, before wincing at the pain in his chest. It was awfully well timed for her question, but he smiled back at her in turn. "I'll be fine, I just… had the wind knocked out of me." He grit his teeth through the pain and with her help, pulled himself to his feet, gingerly taking his hand back as he looked back up towards the hole in the roof.

The clouds had parted to reveal a beautiful starry night sky and Raphael focussed for a moment on the twinkling lights above. A thought connecting in his head. "The picture we saw… of that Corvisquire with the factory workers." He ponders. "You don't think, hmm… well it hardly matters now." He smiles and finally releases the breath he was holding, looking down at the silver locket in his hand, slightly ajar, he opened it… and found a picture of each twin inside. The sight brought a rare, but warm smile to his face, which he then directed to Arrietty. "You were pretty amazing just now… I don't think I could have gotten this without you." The smile transitions into an awkward smirk. "...I guess that's twice you've helped me out now huh? Careful, I might start coming to rely on you."

She was unprepared for a compliment like that, and instinctively averted her eyes towards Wren and Vito as an embarrassed smile formed on her face, and her cheeks reddened. "Ah, no— well, that is… Y-you did really well too. Up there, I mean, especially." She gestured towards the office above, vaguely referencing how he'd saved her earlier, eventually managing to meet his eyes once more. "We should… get that back to its owners."

Raph noticed the redness in her cheeks and pulled back a little instinctively, rubbing his nose lightly and looking up towards the office as she gestured to hide his face in turn. Something about this girl really made him… animated. He took a deep breath, to overcome those emotions, then smiled a little. He couldn't quite drag himself back to a face of pure apathy this time. He quickly looked to the box, but it was in tatters, so he clutched the necklace as it was and nodded resolutely to the girl who accompanied him. "Right!"

"W-waaah..!" Cecil rubbed his red eyes as Petal held the necklace up in front of his face. "Whatchu' cryin' for!! We gots it back right?!" She bemoaned her brother, but little wet droplets were at the corner of her eyes too as she clutched the small silver chain tightly in her hands, almost as if she couldn't believe it was real.

"Y-you guys… beat up da mean pokémon right!" She pouted, her gaze turning towards Raph and Arrietty, both trainers stood side by side before the troublesome twins. Raph smiled and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. It was hard to talk to this kid, but he understood they were probably worried sick considering how pricey this present must have been. "Yeah, we um, gave it a good thrashing… though I'm pretty sure its Dad gave it the worst of it soon after."

Petal looked confused by Raphael's musings but didn't question him further. "Hmm well…" She mumbled before tugging Cecil's arm to get him to follow along. Once he had calmed his tears, both give little nods of their heads in unison and spoke. "T-Thank you so much!" Raph had a small, warm smile at that. There was something about this moment that stuck with him, Christmas Eve, under beautiful starlight, doing what he could to help others in need. This was… what he had always wanted.

"Here girly!" Petal declared, taking few plodding steps through the snow and holding out something to Arrietty. "I found this in the snow and Daddy says it's good for trainers so-! Iss for you!" In the girls hand was a small, pink coloured disk, covered in a plastic film. "Wait, is that a TR..?" Raph mumbled, surprised to see the child was carrying such a thing. Arrietty bent down just enough to accept the gift with a smile. "Thank you, Petal, and Cecil too."

"U-um! Mister Raff!" Cecil tugged on Raphael's trousers, getting his attention while he turned and dug his fingers into the snow. The trainers looked on in surprise, but when Cecil turned back around, he was wearing a proud, if somewhat goofy smile, and held out what looked like a pure white ice cream cone.

This was… Raph looked at it for a few moments, unsure of what to make of it. He had quickly crafted together some sort of ice cream treat out of the snow on the ground. Was Raph supposed to eat it? He hesitated a moment, but seeing Cecil's expectant eyes gave him cause to just go with the flow. That seemed to kind of be his way of doing things when with Arrietty anyway, just, going with the flow. "Thank you Cecil." He smiles and takes the cone gladly, before lightly patting the young boy's head, causing him to place his hands to his cheeks and smile with glee.

That is until Raph takes his hand away and Petal bonks him again. With a frown she waves her hands around and points to a nearby clock. "Cecil lookit da time already! We gotta get this to Mommy before iss bedtime!" Cecil looks about to cry, but upon realizing the urgency of the situation, nods seriously instead… prompting Petal to start dragging him away. "U-um!" He calls back to the two trainers watching them go, waving with his free hand. "T-thank you, Mister Raff! Miss Arrietetty! We won't forget this ever, I-I promise!"

Then just like that, the two were gone. Raph could only hope they didn't immediately lose their gift again. "What a handful…" He sighs, but a small smile still stays on his face. "This… isn't how I expected to spend the holiday season, that's for sure, but…" He gets a little awkward, rubbing the back of his neck. "...thanks Arri. I feel like we did something good today."

"Yeah, I think so too." Somehow, the children's presence had brought out the calm of an older sister in Arrietty. With them gone, she was a little more on edge again, but all the excitement had left her too tired to worry overmuch anymore. "Thank you as well, I suppose," she added with a slight smile of her own.

Her smile caught him off guard, but he quickly shook away the notion. He had been meaning to ask her something throughout the day, but the time had never seemed right until now. "I should really get going, but…" He stumbles, before quickly pulling out his phone. "If it's all the same to you, we should exchange numbers. Being classmates and all, it'll probably be useful to stay in touch, right?" A little bit of an awkward delivery, but overall he was pleased with how he had delivered that one.

"Oh, yeah, good idea," she responded, and quickly dug her phone out of her bag to exchange their contact details. After, she took a small step backwards, getting ready to part ways.
"Thanks again, and um… Merry christmas."

That had been… easier than he expected, huh. He smiled a little as he sunk the phone back into his pocket, before listening to Arrietty's goodbye.

Her goodbye, huh?

"Actually, y'know." He blurted out in an attempt to sound natural. "It's not that late yet… and I never did get a chance to look around the Christmas market properly so." He paused. "Well if you hadn't either, it might be more efficient to cover ground with two people right? If you've any interest, I'd gladly just sleep either way." He returned to a more apathetic tone near the end, passing off awkwardness as laziness worked as fine as anything else.

The request came as a surprise. Arrietty defaulted to doubting the reason, but looking over Raph… perhaps she was in a good mood because of helping the children, but she wasn't as worried about ulterior motives on his part somehow. And she was going to return to the market on her own otherwise anyway, so… "Well… why not? I would've probably gone back there anyway." She tried her best to sound equally nonchalant, but couldn't hide a smile sneaking into her voice as she turned away to go.

"Right..!" He says, a little bit of one sneaking into his tone as well. "Y'know, it's not usually my thing, to put this sort of effort into looking around, but they did have this stall selling some sort of ginger biscuits…"

He quickly followed after her and fell in with her stride, the pair taking off to the markets just as the two children before had sprinted on home. The night was young, after all and the festivities of the season had only just begun.

Neither of them noticed the small pokémon floating just a short distance above, the blue tags on its yellow, star shaped head, waving gently in the wind as it vanished once more into the night sky with a smile.

Sapphire Rose · Jan 23, 2021

Pia McGuire ft. Ruben Sancho
Poké:

5550 ♦ Pokémon: 4

Coach McGuire

Ruben dabbed his boots against the turf. It was softer, damper than he remembered it. Seven months without football was really starting to take its toll in both mind and body. A few rolls of the ankle gave him all the looseness he felt he needed to get started. He planted his foot on the ball. He was home.

Except, he wasn't faced with the familiar sight of beefy defenders twice his age. This group were probably half his age. Though some wore the shirts, these weren't Motostoke or Wyndon defenders. A few were even wearing Wedgehurst shirts with 'SANCHO' printed on the back. These were kids.

Dickey had called Ruben to let him know he had a coaching gig the club wanted him to attend as part of his contract. It wasn't optional. A bunch of the clubs young players were assigned one of the partnered coaching regimes to make an appearance at. Show your face, teach a few techniques, answer a few questions, have a kick about. Ruben figured it would be easy enough. Travelling around the region anyway, Ruben had 'lucked out' and been assigned to the furthest school. Of course, he actually had lucked out because that school just so happened to train just on the outskirts of Turfield, where Ruben already found himself.

"Alright guys, who's excited to jump straight into a match?" Ruben asked confidently, earning cheers and enthusiastically raised hands from the kids. "Before we start, does anyone have any questions?"

One girl though, sat in her pink Ballonlea shirt, didn't seem quite so convinced. She sat amongst the group, ball behind her, hand raised. Once Ruben gave her the nod of acknowledgement, she straightened her back. She pointed straight to the large tree off in the distance where a girl with short wavy platinum hair was sitting and watching the kids with a book in her hand. Occasionally she'd look up at the kids and Ruben with her green emerald eyes, almost lighting up while she sat in the shadows.

"Who's that?"

The girl in question was Pia who arrived here a little while ago because Ruben had asked her before to meet him today. She was expecting another date, and it still sort of was… just not in a way she had imagined. The kids were loud enough for the girl to hear and when she noticed she got their attention, she waved. She reckoned Ruben would make up to her later. It's not like this was going to take all day after all. He'd better make that apology a good one though.

"Is she your girlfriend?" The little Ballonlea fan persisted as Ruben took too long to answer her initial question. There was a murmur about the group as that question was asked, the excitement of the football match now taking a back seat in favour of the deep dive into Ruben's private life but the footballer wouldn't go down easy.

"Remember this is a football session guys, let's stay on topic. We're here to improve our skills and to have fun." Ruben explained with the dull tone of a player navigating his way through a press conference. It was clear that the kids cared little for his diplomacy. A whole host of hands flew up and Ruben doubted any of them were volunteering to put out cones. With the room now hers, the Ballonlea fan spoke up again.

"She's pretty, have you tried asking her? I think she likes you." Were she not badgering him with questions he didn't want to answer, the posh little girl's accent would've been adorable. As it was, she was the bane of Ruben's existence. He checked back to see if Pia had heard any of it.

… And she had. She was enjoying the commotion a lot in fact. That much Ruben could likely read from the smirk on her face. Kids were so very honest and Pia couldn't help but enjoy that fact.

Being someone's girlfriend… it was a nice thought. Just not one Pia considered would come to fruition while on her pokemon journey. She'd romanticised it, sure, but had she expected to find romance? No. Finding a possibly rich husband eventually was always part of the plan though… and here Ruben was. Coming out of nowhere, actually seeming interested in her.

The thought alone caused an inner conflict. Did she like Ruben or his money? She never thought of herself as a good person but rather a villainess and up until now she had only looked at people asking herself what benefit befriending them would give her. The more she thought about it though, the more she found herself thinking about his directness, his semi-aggressiveness in some situations and how well he reacted to her teasing. She had a crush on someone before and this had a similar feeling… Soon enough, she found herself blushing.

"I can ask her for you if you'd li-"

"Alright that's enough!" Ruben interrupted before the little pink shirted punk could get another embarrassing word in. "C'mon, two captains, bibs are over there, we're picking numbers! Let's go!" He ordered, sending the kids to excitedly scramble to follow his instructions. Before turning to face Pia again, he let himself sigh. He was flustered and his body language hid nothing.

Once he found his cool again, he approached Pia. "On me, when I said I was a third date kinda guy, kids aren't exactly what I had in mind." He said with a sigh and half a chuckle.

"Well, what did you have in mind?" Pia grinned playfully, putting away her book to spend some time with the guy that invited her on another date. She took a sip from her water bottle to hide another smirk as the boy cleared his throat to buy himself some time.

"Aha…" Ruben masked his own uncertainty behind the fist he'd raised to catch the cough. He hadn't expected a verbal ping pong and was admittedly frustrated the girl had been so sharp in her reply again. He knew what he meant. She probably knew too. Most girls Ruben had dealt with in the past were a lot easier to read than Pia was, so it was difficult to tell when she was trying to tease some directness out of him and when she was questioning him to make him reconsider what he was saying. It was always a double take in that regard. He wasn't about to say that until he could tell she was on the same wavelength. "Something quieter," he admitted as the sound of screaming kids subtracted from the tension. "I know it's no Pokemon contest, but you're more than welcome to join in if you want." There seemed to be a breeze that stole some of the leaves from the trees and rolled a ball toward the duo. "From what I can tell, they like you already if that makes your decision any easier." He added, gesturing to the stray ball and to the bounding pre-teens who had sprinted over to reclaim it.

"Hmmm?" The proposition was an interesting one. She was quickly reminded of that time when she and Melody had to kick a football back and forth. She wasn't great at it but also surprised herself with how well she did. If she embarrassed herself here she could play dumb and act as though it were her first time…Ruben would've surely leapt at the chance to step in and be the hero. The thought made her smirk. She was determined though. The guy she was dating is a famous footballer. She figured that eventually she'd get caught up in it either way, whether she wanted to or not.

"I guess I'll go make myself useful." She decided and kicked the ball that was in front of her back to the kids, giving Ruben another playful smile.

"Huh…" was all Ruben could muster in response to that. The ball went straight to the kids, so cleanly they could take it in their stride and carry on playing in a single motion. Pia had a right foot on her. Who knew? He couldn't help but smirk back at her before he joined them on the field.

"Take him on! Take him on! Awww..." A frustrated Ruben watched defeatedly as the young boy in the Circhester shirt turned and passed the ball backwards, robbing all the attacking momentum his team had built up to that point. Despite the ball still being in play, Ruben ran onto the pitch and put an arm around the boy, going into what must have looked like a thorough explanation of what he could have done in that situation. Though the glasses-wearing young boy just looked baffled by the acting coach's suggestions.

While that played out, the little Ballonlea fan crept her way out of Ruben's session and found her way to Pia, who was busy monitoring a team building exercise with some of the kids who who missed out on the first game. Ruben had even given her a whistle and a clipboard, just to help her look the part.

"So, are you his girlfriend?" The girl said with a determination in her scrunched expression, checking over her shoulder to make sure Ruben was distracted enough to miss the conversation.

Pia noticed the presence behind her and shot the little girl a glance. "Well, aren't you wearing a cute shirt?" Pia asked the girl with an uncomfortable grin. Giving out instructions was fine, but she wasn't particularly good with children and this kid approaching her straight up was going to be a test. What she did know is that they get distracted easily and that was something she could use to her advantage.

The truth is, even she didn't know what she and Ruben were at this point. They were just dating and enjoying each other's company…? Or something…? She didn't even know if Ruben wanted to bring this dating to a next level. "Aren't you supposed to listen to his lectures? You'll miss it if you stay here." she went on. She noticed her question caused the girl to examine the shirt as though she hadn't even remembered she was wearing it.

"Oh? This thing? I guess." The little girl shrugged, her excitement at the prospect of gossip simmering. "My father got it for me so I could represent his team while I play his sport." She added both with a roll of her eyes.

"Oh?" Pia responded, a bit taken aback by the sassy nature of this girl but also quite enjoying it. She was a clever one. She could appreciate that. "You don't want to become a footballer?"

The girl scoffed, looking over to where Ruben was celebrating like a maniac as the glasses-wearing boy slipped the ball through his defender's legs and went on to score a goal. She looked back to Pia as if to say 'are you seeing what I'm seeing?'. She vehemently shook her head.

"I've played a lot of sports with boys, which is fine because they're dumb but..." She bit her lip, unsure how much more she wanted to divulge. "My dad wanted a son." She sighed in defeat.

"Alright everyone, we're gonna do some shooting drills!" Ruben's voice called across the field. The girl looked to Pia, before sighing and starting to join the group.

Pia felt a string being tugged at in her heart as the girl just sadly stood up like that. This girl… Did not get the chance to be girly at all. She thought it was sad to not have a father at all but at least he doesn't know you exist. Having a father that outrights rejects you for your gender? That's some heavy stuff for such a young girl to deal with.

"Your dad sounds like… not someone nice." Pia told the girl before she actually ran off back to the rest trying to not outrightly call her father out for being an asshole. "But do you like football?" She asked right after, as the girl did not outrightly answer, Pia continued. "You see… Ruben is very passionate about Football. We're supposed to be on a Pokémon gym challenge but as far as I'm concerned, he'd much prefer to play football. It's very important to him. You can see that just by watching him out there, right?" She gestured towards the boy that she had taken quite a liking to. He was in the thick of the drills, even getting a little carried away with nudging one of the kids off the ball. "It's important to have something you're passionate about. If you don't like football, find something you really like. It's your life and your future. No matter what your dad thinks." Pia stood up, completely intending to join the shooting drills that Ruben was about to teach the children but the few times she had glanced towards him during this conversation showed her he was starting to get over-competitive. It was time for her to step in before he started bullying these poor children.

"Well, mind me for a second." she told the girl and hastily walked over towards Ruben and the other children. Just before Ruben could notice her running up to him, she playfully took over the ball he had taken from the children and was defending as if it was his life. When he noticed the ball was gone and looked up at Pia, she winked with a playful smirk spreading across her lips as if to remind him this is just a game. Not a match.

Ruben a brow raised. His eyes examined all that stood before him, the pretty face of the girl he'd invited here on a date then the ball at her feet.

Many of the kids watched on in awe: tackling Ruben Sancho was no mean feat, they'd know, they were trying for the best part of ten minutes. One of them even mouthed a silent 'thank you' to the girl now in possession of the ball. Ruben scoffed at her, gesturing for her to pass it back to him.

"You'll have to take it from me." She said, holding her foot sternly on the ball and her smirk growing wider. It was fun to tease him because the reactions he had were cute. She rolled the ball over the floor with her feet and challenged him to a small match.

Again, Ruben scoffed, strolling confidently toward her as if the ball would be drawn to his feet like nails to a magnet. He lazily outstretched a leg in a half hearted attempt to take it from her. Pia instead took the ball a bit further away from him as she stepped back. She wasn't going to make this easy for him.

Some of the kids gasped as Ruben's challenge failed. The blushing footballer dabbed his tongue on the roof of his mouth a few times, keeping his cool and reminding himself he still had to hold back. He stepped in with more intent this time, dummying one way before committing to a tackle the other once the girl had committed. He took the ball from her, but also took her leg in the process, instinctively shifting his weight onto his left leg to catch her before she fell. The pain shot through his ankle, but it wasn't nearly severe as it had been when he leapt for her necklace or even back in the mine. Though, being so close together gave him the opportunity to look into her eyes, getting lost in them. They had been this close together before at the festival but this was perhaps the first time he was drawn to something other than… you know. Still holding that position wasn't to be on his injured ankle and he soon found himself toppling to the ground with her.

With the two of them on the ground, the kids had free reign over the ball and they made good use of that opportunity to take it away from them. Perhaps for the better, as Pia's face had flushed red from the sudden body contact. The only one that remained was the little girl from before but as she snickered watching the two like this, she ran off as well.

"I'm sorry… I forgot your ankle for a moment. Are you alright?" Pia asked the boy on top of her, her face still somewhat red.

"Naw, it's good." Ruben smiled, obviously still wincing from the pain. "If it was hurting while playing with a bunch of kids, that'd be pretty embarrassing…" he managed to force out with a pained chuckle, his eyes drifting away from her for a moment. The boy made a task of getting off her, enjoying the closeness for as long as it lasted. It wasn't long before he was right back next to her, falling on his bum as his weight carried him. Finally he allowed himself to stretch out, leaning back on his elbows and watching kids enjoy their kickabout. "I suppose I can only say sorry so many times before it becomes redundant," was all Ruben could think to end on, stifling it with a chuckle.

"It was partly my fault for provoking you." Pia sat up as well and brushed some of the dirt off her. She felt her heart throb inside her chest but it was slowly calming down now that Ruben had taken his weight off her. Still, at that moment it felt like it was going to burst. She found herself longing, yet couldn't gather the courage to admit that. Not yet, at least.

As the two of them watched the children have their fun and occasionally saw them pointing back at them, they sat there in silence until Pia opened her mouth again.

"Forgive my curiosity, there's something I've been wondering." She started, gazing back upon the boy next to her. "You have a football career that's going strong and as far as I can tell, you really enjoy it. Why did you decide to do the gym challenge as well?" Pia asked him, the curiosity and confusion written all over her face. It had struck her as odd that he didn't seem that much invested in it at all. Rather, it looked like someone was making him do this challenge. Much like the little girl that kept throwing them glances.

Every assumption the girl made had Ruben wincing. Career's going strong? Decided to take the gym challenge? He fidgeted a little. It was comforting to know that she didn't know about his injury history, but a part of him felt guilty for that. The girl really thought his ankle was a one time situation. Maybe he could admit he was playing next week after all. The passion and fire that was in his eyes seemed to simmer for a moment before a shot of excitement shot through him again.

"It's what you gave Arietty so much hassle for, isn't it?" Pia teased, trying to lighten the pull on whatever chord she'd struck with the question.

"Yeah, the career's going great," Ruben lied with a smile, "the journey is basically rehab." The shrug he added was a warning to himself. He opted to distract himself with football again, looking away from Pia and watching the kids again. "Let the body heal, keep fit, collect a few badges…I've got my first game back next week, so it's worked!" He faux cheered, wearing a brave smile to hopefully satisfy the curiosity.

"Oh that's great!" Pia reacted in support of his upcoming match, still… something was odd. She couldn't quite place her finger on it though and this was also not the moment to try and figure it out. "I see, so the challenge keeps you fit for your football games." Pia nodded in understanding and stared up at the sky above them. A Passion… Ruben definitely had a passion for football. She would say that Aeliana had one for dancing. Valerie for meeting Mew. Some people weren't straight up about it like Rosa and even Raphael, although seeming lazy, seemed to have something that was driving him.

What was driving Pia other than earning a lot of money? What was her endgame? Was it truly acting? Then shouldn't she be working towards it more like Ruben did for his football matches? She felt dull, very dull. She always thought of herself als goal-oriented but what was her passion? Did she have one? Was it becoming an actress? Or Master coordinator? Or… both?

"You see… That girl over there, with the Ballonlea shirt?" Pia shook her head and pointed out the girl she'd spoken to earlier, not giving another thought to her possible lack of passions.

"Yeah, she's a tough one to deal with. Mouthy." Ruben sighed in response.

"Yeah, her father is making her play football… Apparently he wanted a son." Pia explained what the young girl had told her to Ruben.

Ruben raised a brow, unsure what to make of the news. A pang of guilt hit him as he gained context for the comment he'd just made about her.

"I could talk to her...?" he said as he sat up straight and watched the disinterested girl meander about the pitch. It seemed so obvious now and he'd completely missed it. He eased himself back again. Pia, somehow, had gotten through to the kid that was giving Ruben so much trouble.

"Maybe… talk to her dad instead?" Pia looked at him with almost pleading eyes. She was feeling bad for this girl and such was obvious.

"I'll try." Ruben winced. He just couldn't say no to this girl or disappoint her, looking at her gave him a tight feeling inside. He once again found himself drawn towards her just as he had earlier. He gazed over to the kids shortly, making sure they weren't watching this time around. He had held himself back long enough now. This was supposed to be a date after all.

Ruben could feel his heart beating in his chest at his next few thoughts. He even gulped a little.

"Hey, Pia…"

"Hm?" Pia responded with a smile.

"I think I was right, with what I said." Ruben began wistful gazing at the clouds a moment before letting his eyes fall on her once more.

Pia furrowed her brows but said nothing. The ambiguity he spoke with drew her in. She eased off as he leant in too, but she didn't back away. They were practically nose to nose as he spoke again. "I am a third date kind of guy." With that he leaned in and locked lips with her. Both of them enjoying the heat of that very moment.

Wind blew in Pia's hair as she once again sat in the shelter of the old tree. It wasn't snowing anymore, but the shelter made her feel some sense of security from the cold. She was watching Ruben as he held a conversation with a middle-aged man wearing a Ballonlea shirt. It seemed to be going better than expected, seeing how she saw the man nod several times, really taking in Ruben's words. Seeing the boy sign all those autographs for the other parents really made him feel like the real deal and the way he was talking to this man as though he had authority over him. This really was Ruben in his element. She was pleased to see he was using that status to do some good.

Pia flinched as the duo seemed to look in her direction.

"...ahem!" Pia had been so lost in her thoughts that she hadn't noticed the very girl they tried to help out ran up to her. Pia looked back up in realisation. They were looking at the little girl. "Here." The girl said, holding out a double folded note with a smirk that just screamed 'I'm being mischievous!'. Pia raised a brow but took the piece of paper from the girl nonetheless. "See you!" With a bright smile on her face, the girl ran off back to where Ruben and her father were talking while she left Pia behind with question marks almost springing from her face.

'R Ruben and Pia cyoot 2geva?'

The note read. Pia scoffed at the deliberately misspelled words. That girl was far too clever for her own good. It worked though, Pia let her guard down a little as she unfolded the page.

On one half was a page labelled 'yes' and another, a page labelled 'no'. A whole host of doodles and attempts at a signature covered the page labelled yes. Pia's only reaction was a small smile that was spreading across her lips. She once again looked up towards the boy that had invited her on a date today. Although it wasn't exactly what she had expected from it, she still had fun. Besides, they promised they'd travel together to Turrfield seeing as they have to go in the same direction anyway. No doubt they'd get to spend even more time together.

The very thought alone made Pia blush and slightly bashful. She softly touched her lips, then once again looked at Ruben before giving off a bright smile of her own.

"Yeah, I really like him."

Pia's Party

Memories

STAGE 1: Wedgehurst -> Wild Area -> Motostoke

Wedgehurts
I choose you part 1
I choose you part 2
I choose you Final

Wild Area
Train to Wild Area ft. Raphael & Aeliana
Two birds with one stone
Two birds with one stone part 2 + Bird Brain
Wild Area with Arrietty

Motostoke
Double Trouble part 1
Double Trouble part 2

STAGE 2: Route 3 -> Galar Mine 1 -> Route 4

Route 3
It's the most wine-derful time of the year | Part 1
It's the most wine-derful time of the year | Part 2
A Festive Fight to the Finish
The Mystery of Mew! | Part 1
The Mystery of Mew! | Part 2
The Mystery of Mew! | Part 3
A Two headed reflection

Galar Mine 1
Galar Mine #1 | Part 1
Galar Mine #1 | Part 2
Galar Mine #1 | Part 3

Route 4
Route 4

Pia's journal

Arrietty Maverick
Pia and Arrietty met in the Wild Area although the two have shared classes before. It struck Pia as odd that the girl seemed to have no ambitions or goals at all. Although disappointed upon finding out this girl had no fire burning that would light her path, Pia made it her mission to help this girl get a goal and become a bit more social. Arrietty is the closest Pia can consider a "friend".

Ruben Sancho
Pia met Ruben during Motostoke while on a double date with him, Arrietty and Ainsley. The date went disastrous with both Arrietty and Ainsley running off but Ruben and Pia were able to grow just a tiny bit closer during their search for Arrietty. They have been texting since and are on good terms with each other. They both seem to be interested in just a little bit more...

Ruben and Pia are officially dating since the end of the year festival on Route 3 following their "official second date" that went well. Pia knows about Ruben's ankle and that it's still hurting. They're in close contact with each other through calling and texting.

Raphael Allard
Pia met Raphael during her train ride to the wild Area together with Aeliana. Thinking that he had a lot of potential in becoming a chamption which would benefit her, Pia approached him thinking they could become friends. Their interactions didn't go as smoothly as Pia had hoped. After their argument at the end of her battle with Aeliana, the girl ran off thinking she had blown her chances. Raphael doesn't harbour any ill intend towards the girl and only hoped to give her some advice.

They have resolved their issues in Galar mine 1 and worked together to battle Oleana in which they were victorious. Raphael brought the issues with Pia's overprotectiveness of Milla back up on Route 4 when Pia was refusing Milla from battling. Raphael spoke some sense into her, prompting her to finally trust Milla. Raphael understands Pia better now and Pia has a better opinion of Raphael now too.

Aeliana Kekoa
Pia met Aeliana during the train ride to the wild Area together with Raphael. Although her interactions with Aeliana went a little bit more smoothly than with Raphael, Pia still ran off at the end of their battle in an attempt to distract her since Pia owed her money for losing. Although Pia has declared Aeliana her rival, they haven't spoken since and Pia attempts to keep it that way.

Pia met Aeliana again on Route 3 when she was on her way to the end of the year market. Together with Rosa and Valerie they went into an haunted mansion. Although they didn't converse much, Aeliana made some comments that Pia saw as snarky that were meant well by Aeliana. This indicates that Pia still thinks that Aeliana is out to get her.

Ainsley
Ainsley was Pia's date partner during the double date in Motostoke and is Ruben's best friend. Ainsley pretended to be rich and paid for the date with Ruben's money. Pia saw through the charade and called him out on it after Ainsley suggested they'd book a hotel together and make love. He ran off afterwards, angry that the feelings of lust he harboured towards Pia were not returned. Pia doesn't think highly of Ainsley and told Ruben that he needs "better friends".

Melody Argent
Although Pia and Melody attended the same Trainer school and were in the same class, they never once teamed up for an assignment. Both didn't have a very good impression of the other and avoided them like the plague. It's not until the Festival Fun-time Flurry that they have tried teaming up to win a competition as both of them were interested in the prize. They chased down a cheater together and have a better opinion of each other since their teamwork. They figured out that they're a pretty good team actually. Both of them thinks "the other is not so bad after all".

Valerie Amity
Pia met Valerie on route 3 where they went inside a haunted mansion together with Aeliana and Rosa. They didn't get to converse much but it was enough for them to establish some sort of familiarity. Valerie calls Pia "Lady P" as a nickname. Pia thinks of Valerie as someone with too much energy but not a bad person overall, maybe a little too naïve.

Rosa Valdés
Pia met Rosa on Route 3 and went inside a haunted mansion together with Aeliana and Valerie. They were stuck inside a room together where Rosa found golden nuggets and shared one with Pia. Rosa's small moments of kindness seemed insincere in Pia's eyes, someone who is well versed with duality. When Rosa left the end of the year market after they had gotten out of the haunted mansion, Pia followed her and saw her crying. Pia comforted the crying Rosa but as soon as Rosa had gotten herself together again, Pia fell the need to call her out on her duality, telling her that how she was acting now was quite different from before. Rosa denied at first but as soon as Pia had driven her into a corner, she stopped trying. After Jirachi appeared for a brief second, Rosa walked off. They're neither on bad or good terms but both have things they probably need to speak off.

Simon Pearburgh
Pia met Simon in Galar Mine 1. Pia thought nothing more of him than a bug nerd. They partnered up to battle against Oleana and his clever strategies impressed Pia, prompting her to compliment him after their shared life/death situation on Route 4. They're neutral with each other.

Kit
Pia met Kit in the Wild Area. Kit had been trying to catch a Pokémon for days but had yet to catch one. He begged the girl to help him in exchange for money and a strange rock that he found. Pia taught him how to catch a Pokémon but after hearing that Kit is in search for his father, she decided to only take the strange rock as her reward and left the pouch with Poké behind for the boy to keep. Kit seems to have developed a crush for her because of that.

Trainer ID

Pia McGuire:

Pia was born in the town of Hammerlocke in the Galar region and is part of the first graduating class of the Wedgehurt trainer's academy. Despite having lived in poverty, her mother has been able to pay for her tuition in alternative ways. She's quick witted and rather clever but is sometimes a bit "too" honest. Pia dreams of becoming an actress and does almost anything to get more money. When it comes down to it, what she really wants is to no longer live in poverty and live a bit more happily.

Inventory:

4x Pokéball
Galarian Pokédex
Xtransceiver
Broken Flashlight
King's Rock

Outfits:

Daily Outfit:

Spoiler:

Ribbons:

Badges:

Sapphire Rose · Jan 23, 2021

Pia McGuire ft. Ruben Sancho
Poké:

5550 ♦ Pokémon: 4

A failed attempt.

With days of travelling behind them and still a few more days ahead of them, Pia and Ruben set camp in an open spot in the middle of the fields of Route 4. As the night sky was slowly covering them and the stars revealed themselves, Ruben set the tent up with help from Pia's Pikachu, Swablu and Cottonee while Pia kept herself busy with preparing the curry for dinner with her freshly caught Eevee cuddled up against her looking like a furball. Ruben insisted she let him do it alone; who was she to say no? Clumsy as he was setting up a tent looking at previous attempts, Pia's pokémon having experience with this was certainly a blessing. Now he at least wouldn't look completely idiotic while trying to impress the girl. Occasionally they'd throw some doting glances at each other too.

It wasn't long until Pia noticed that only her own Pokémon were out and about. She knew that some trainers didn't take out all their Pokémon for lunches and dinners but Ruben's Pokémon had rarely been out at all over the past few days. She at first thought it was because he wanted alone time with her but that would've been a good excuse for only a few days. Thinking of it… She only ever saw Lesca and only once saw the Tranquill he had at the ceremony.

"Hey Ruben, can you take out your Pokémon?" Pia asked the boy kindly.

"Huh, why?" The boy responded, turning to look at her as he reached up to connect the last two links atop the tent.

"What do you mean why? I'm not cooking for just my Pokémon and us." Pia looked at him with a puzzled yet determined expression. Almost as if she knew something was up.

"Yeah, good point." Ruben smirked back, realising he didn't have much of a quip to jab back at that one. In truth, he hadn't thought much about releasing his pokemon since meeting up with the girl. Lesca and Chrome had both done a job in the cave, but since the Dugtrio incident, he had no real need to call on them. All in all, it had been pretty damn peaceful. He looked at the pokeballs. Bounsweet and Rookidee. It wasn't the most emphatic line-up. It sort of made him thankful he'd effectively been knocked out of the league challenge in his battle with that kid with the glasses. ****...if only he'd remembered to do that research on his other league challengers.

That pokemon Avril had. That's what his egg was, right? Imagine if he'd had that thing against the kid and his Tranquill. Ruben sneered at the thought. Dismissing it, he tossed the pokeballs, Lesca the Bounsweet and Chrome the Rookidee emerging from their respective capsules.

Pia watched as Ruben released his Pokémon from their pokéballs, though surprised upon the sight of a rookidee instead of a Tranquill.

"Oh? You have a new Pokémon!" She put whatever she was cutting aside and called everyone else over to meet the new Rookidee. Of course Milla didn't need to be told twice and she was first to stand in front of the Rookidee and held out her Pikachu tail to introduce herself. Now that she had a longer and bigger tail, she was putting it to good use. Looking upon Lesca, Milla remembered how it was her fault that Lesca fell in the mud last time. Next time that definitely wouldn't happen! Milla was determined!

Prim and Soma followed right after Milla, both of them landing just before the Rookidee while the Eevee that she had dubbed Cinta perked her ears up from her spot. With a tilted head she now looked at the group or Pokémon.

"Where is the Tranquill you had before?" Pia asked curiously. She noticed Ruben eye the Pokemon he sent out as though he was trying to calculate for some detail he'd overlooked.

The raised brow on the boy's face made it clear he was. Somehow it completely slipped his mind that she would've seen him with Tranquill at the ceremony and unlike at the festival, the flying type's size wasn't a convenient excuse. Ruben sighed, recognising the corner he'd been backed into. Even if he told some lie about him trading it away or releasing it to preserve some Pidgey nest on route 3, it wasn't implausible that the girl may run into the other gym challenger at some point.

"He left. Found himself a better trainer and left," Ruben said with a shrug. His pained gaze wandered to the two Pokemon he did have left, his Rookidee taking a regal stance at Lesca's side while the rest of Pia's Pokemon ran in to give them a warm greeting.

Pia knew she had hit a string when she saw Ruben like that. Instead of asking more, she just let out a small sigh. Smiling just a tiny bit. So that's all it was, huh? She thought that, yet this "betrayal" must've been quite a punch in the stomach. The way he gazed at his Pokémon did show that he had some love for them left at least. She wanted to help him better understand his Pokémon's needs but she had to be subtle about it… it wouldn't do to trample on his pride.

"Did you know? It can get quite stuffy in a Pokéball." Pia began, scratching Cinta's chin and scratching through her fur. "I make it a habit to let them out of their Pokéballs at least for dinner and let them decide whether they want to go back to their Pokéballs for the night. Milla doesn't like staying inside a Pokéball. She likes meeting new people and Pokémon way too much. Prim is naturally very curious and will sometimes wander off during the night so I sometimes have to keep her inside to prevent that. Soma acts all tough but is a sweet boy, he likes staying guard at the tent during the night." the girl explained each of her Pokémon's characteristics. They were each unique and the look she gave them was like a mother looking at her baby. It was obvious she cared for each of them. "They each have their own needs and personalities."

Ruben furrowed his brows. The implication was obvious but he wasn't about to accuse her. He patted himself down, looking for anything to justify his argument.

"No, I know exactly what you mean. Like how Lesca likes plushies and..." he explained as he continued to pat himself down. He was looking for the Corviknight plushie. The same plushie that attracted his newest teammate to the team. "Well Lesca's prissy and Chrome's...well I haven't worked him out yet but he seems to be protective of her for some reason." He sighed, giving up on his half hearted attempt to match Pia's assessment of her Pokemon. Point taken. It was the same point he always had to take. 'You never spend time with us Ruben', 'you don't ever talk about work', 'you don't do enough PR', 'treat fans like family'. Now he had to do the same with his Pokemon? Keeping them fed was never enough, no matter how much work it took to do it. He fought off the frustrated scowl he'd been wearing in favour of a plastic smile.

Pia turned her gaze towards the sky and sighed. Ruben didn't like the subtle hints she was throwing but it's not like she could allow him to neglect his Pokémon. At least it did seem like he was making an effort. For now that was enough. Prim and Milla liked him enough to sit next to his feet.

It was then that both them heard a moving sound from Ruben's bag.

"Ruben? What is that?"

"Oh ****, the egg," Ruben gasped as he scrambled over to grab it, "it must be ready to hatch." As he held it up, waiting for the spectacular, the egg just...sat there. He gulped in anticipation...but the egg still just sat there. "Guess not…" he sighed, putting the egg back among his mess of football boots, antiperspirant cans and shin pads. Pia stood up almost immediately upon the sight of that, startling Cintra in the process.

"Oh my god, Ruben. Is this how you have been treating an egg?" Pia walked up to him hastily, a little disappointed with how he was mistreating the egg, but not before getting a small blanket from the tent and grabbing the egg with that to cloth it in. Why was it not in an incubator?

"What?" Ruben recoiled, throwing his arms out in protest. "The incubator broke," he lied after a quick and probably apt decision not to tell the girl he'd lost it while showing off the egg. "Besides, that bag's practically a hammock compared to where it was before. I got that thing from a serial ki...ller." He stopped himself, but not before admitting to just one thing more than he would've liked. "It's a long story, please don't ask." There was a heavy silence. "So, tell me about why you wanna take on the contests!" He asked, perking up in a desperate attempt to sway the conversation.

Pia blinked… and blinked again… and again. Then she stared at him intensely. Did he just say… serial killer…? It sounded so ridiculous, it must've been another one of those misleading stories but… the more she stared, the more she found he was telling… the truth?

"You're… not lying." Pia spoke in disbelief. "Ruben…" she continued, coming closer with every step. "What is this about a serial killer?" She asked, a bit ominousness in her voice telling every fiber of his body that he was not going to be able to avoid this. She still came closer, at some point she was basically against his chest with only the egg between them.

Milla decided to distract every other of the Pokémon around them into a game of tag a little bit away from them. Lesca almost tripped over but Milla's bigger tail gave her the opportunity to catch her before she fell into the mud again. The Pikachu gave the bounsweet a warm smile but the pink Pokémon would raise her nose at the "kindness". It was only befitting that her "servants" would catch her. No need to praise them for it.

Only Cintra would stay in her spot and pretend she was sleeping while curiously staring at her trainer.

"They're not still after it or anything…" Ruben said before checking his surroundings, only just now realising how dark it was outside of the little area they'd established as their camp. "...I don't think." His attempt to maintain his defense was crumbled by the girl's glare. "It was in the Wild Area. Got caught up with some private detectives who went after some Serial Killer. Avril Morris. She didn't seem so bad and her last kill was in self defence...well, Aeliana's defence…" The footballer mumbled as he tussled with his stance on the morality of the situation. "I can take it somewhere else if you want. I hadn't thought about it, but it might be kinda dangerous keeping it here."

"Did you say Avril Morris?" Pia repeated, finally letting him free from her clutches. The name surprised her. Although Pia didn't know a lot about the Z incident, she had read books and articles about Avril. She was like a legend. "You don't have to take it anywhere else. If they truly wanted it then they would've come after you by now…" She sighed, pulling it out of Ruben's reach to wipe a speck of mud from its shell. "...but please take better care of the egg." She finally relented, pushing the egg gently into his arms with the blanket still around it. The story still sounded ridiculous for words but he seemed to be really telling the truth, although a worrying one. She couldn't get mad at that.

"Well I'm glad that story hasn't scared you off." Ruben remarked with a sneer. In truth, it terrified him to think about. Just looking at the egg again made him consider what could have happened if he made a wrong move. He shook the fear from his mind, opting to feign dropping the egg to give the girl a bit of a fright and hopefully lighten the mood. Pia glared at him for pulling such a joke.

"It's funny…" Ruben began with a scoff, "...all this getting to know your pokemon, nursing eggs, I reckon you'd make a great mum Pia." Ruben said wistfully as he examined the egg himself.

"A m-mum?!" Pia retaliated, her face flushing as red as a tomato. The flustered Pia had no comeback on that and thus admitted her defeat on that one. She sighed and shook her head with a smirk. "Fine, you win this one." She said quietly and turned herself back towards the pot for the curry.

Later, Pia and Ruben sat with their dishes with curry near the campfire that was made, watching as their Pokémon ate their portions. Some were enjoying it a little more than others. We say some… but it really only was Lesca who was probably used to the high end food her trainer spoiled her with. This had been a problem for days but, with Ruben quickly running out of her favourite, even she succumbed to the ache in her stomach now and allowed herself to eat a little bit. Milla and Prim were very pleased with the sight while Soma and Chrome just watched the three girls, glanced at each other and shrugged.

"I wasn't joking, with what I said earlier." Ruben stated bluntly. "And this curry's good too." He smiled, speaking more into the food than he was to her. "You must've come from a great family."

Pia flinched upon hearing his last few words. She stuffed her spoon back into her curry, her appetite betraying her for the moment. There was nothing wrong with the question itself and it's not like he knew anything… she just… couldn't bring herself to tell him the details.

"As far as families go I guess. I grew up without a dad so it's just been me and my mother." Pia explained, although a bit quietly. Just enough information so she didn't technically tell him nothing but not explaining the situation well enough for him to know anything. Now she just had to deflect the question. "What's your family like?" She asked, throwing a glance at him.

"Ohhh, I get that. Mine bailed early too. Wasn't much use. It was me and mumsy for a while until little sis was born. Then she met some other guys, had my little brothers...things got real messy after that. Nan stepped in, mum left and we've got a cosy little setup going now." Ruben shrugged, easing himself down. The relaxation didn't last long though as he found himself growing curious. "Tell me about her. You mum, what's she like?"

Pia's eye twitched. It was interesting to hear about his family, especially since he apparently has lived without a dad either. It was surprising too. Despite finding it nice that he wanted to share this with her, her family was really one of the few things she didn't want him to know about. It was risky seeing her mothers previous occupation.

"My mother is a kind woman…" Was all she could muster to say. She and her mother… their relationship was strained due to reasons. She didn't know what else to say other than that. She had to deflect the question again to prevent him from asking more but what…?

"Just kind?" Ruben asked, his curiosity drawing him. Her mother was all she had and kind was the best she had to describe her. "C'mon, there's gotta be more to her than that. Do you reckon she'd like me?"

Pia smirked. It was cute that he asked if she would like him. Thinking back, she actually might… but his line of questioning started to go into a direction she really didn't want to go. She was more than ready to distract him with something completely different as deflecting questions was not gonna work. She put her plate away and stood up from her spot to move over towards where he was sitting as his questions persisted. "Is she happy about you leaving to take on the contest circuit? What does she do for work…"

There it was, the question about her mother's occupation. The thing he absolutely couldn't know. It was now or never. Pia raised her hand and put it on his cheek gently, then pulled him in to plant her lips on his.

Ruben tried to ease away, still having more to say, but any words he may have had were lost in the kiss.

"So umm...yeah…" The boy stammered as she let him go, biting his lips in a bit of a daze.

"It's getting late, we should go get some rest." Pia winked at the boy, a rosy glow appearing on her cheeks. The distraction seemed to have been successful although it was partly catering to her own needs too. With their Pokémon done eating and ready to go hit the sack as well, Pia returned her team, except for Milla, to their Pokéballs.

With Pia returning her team, Ruben excitedly did the same. He'd been tempted to make a move the first night they camped together but hadn't managed to find a vibe that felt right. This was it.

One thing bothered him though. He looked at the Pikachu as she looked up at him.

"Pia, you're not gonna? Y'know...the Pikachu?" He gestured toward Milla, hoping Pia would get the gist.

Pia blinked a few times, glanced at Milla and then back at Ruben. She now realised what kind of signal she might've been giving off and her face flushed red once again. "A-Ah… I just mean… really sleep." Pia tried to explain, feeling a little bad for turning him down and getting a little bashful over it.

"Oh. Oh! Yeah no I meant the same thing."

Pia smiled at him. She knew he didn't mean the same thing but it was fine like this. She gave a peck on his cheek and returned to the tent, they would clean the stuff in the morning anyway when it was light again. Milla followed the girl swiftly, having no idea what the conversation was about.

Ruben watched her walk back to the tent. He touched his cheek softly, shook his head slowly and put a smirk on his face before returning to the tent as well.

"Huh...this is something different, I like it."

Pia's Party

Memories

STAGE 1: Wedgehurst -> Wild Area -> Motostoke

Wedgehurts
I choose you part 1
I choose you part 2
I choose you Final

Wild Area
Train to Wild Area ft. Raphael & Aeliana
Two birds with one stone
Two birds with one stone part 2 + Bird Brain
Wild Area with Arrietty

Motostoke
Double Trouble part 1
Double Trouble part 2

STAGE 2: Route 3 -> Galar Mine 1 -> Route 4

Route 3
It's the most wine-derful time of the year | Part 1
It's the most wine-derful time of the year | Part 2
A Festive Fight to the Finish
The Mystery of Mew! | Part 1
The Mystery of Mew! | Part 2
The Mystery of Mew! | Part 3
A Two headed reflection

Galar Mine 1
Galar Mine #1 | Part 1
Galar Mine #1 | Part 2
Galar Mine #1 | Part 3

Route 4
Route 4
Couch McGuire

Pia's journal

Arrietty Maverick
Pia and Arrietty met in the Wild Area although the two have shared classes before. It struck Pia as odd that the girl seemed to have no ambitions or goals at all. Although disappointed upon finding out this girl had no fire burning that would light her path, Pia made it her mission to help this girl get a goal and become a bit more social. Arrietty is the closest Pia can consider a "friend".

Ruben Sancho
Pia met Ruben during Motostoke while on a double date with him, Arrietty and Ainsley. The date went disastrous with both Arrietty and Ainsley running off but Ruben and Pia were able to grow just a tiny bit closer during their search for Arrietty. They have been texting since and are on good terms with each other. They both seem to be interested in just a little bit more...

Ruben and Pia are officially dating since the end of the year festival on Route 3 following their "official second date" that went well. Pia knows about Ruben's ankle and that it's still hurting. They're in close contact with each other through calling and texting. They went on another date on Route 4 where Ruben had a gig for a coaching session with kids with the promise to spend time together after that. Both confirmed their feelings for the other by sharing a kiss. Pia likes him a lot.

Raphael Allard
Pia met Raphael during her train ride to the wild Area together with Aeliana. Thinking that he had a lot of potential in becoming a chamption which would benefit her, Pia approached him thinking they could become friends. Their interactions didn't go as smoothly as Pia had hoped. After their argument at the end of her battle with Aeliana, the girl ran off thinking she had blown her chances. Raphael doesn't harbour any ill intend towards the girl and only hoped to give her some advice.

They have resolved their issues in Galar mine 1 and worked together to battle Oleana in which they were victorious. Raphael brought the issues with Pia's overprotectiveness of Milla back up on Route 4 when Pia was refusing Milla from battling. Raphael spoke some sense into her, prompting her to finally trust Milla. Raphael understands Pia better now and Pia has a better opinion of Raphael now too.

Aeliana Kekoa
Pia met Aeliana during the train ride to the wild Area together with Raphael. Although her interactions with Aeliana went a little bit more smoothly than with Raphael, Pia still ran off at the end of their battle in an attempt to distract her since Pia owed her money for losing. Although Pia has declared Aeliana her rival, they haven't spoken since and Pia attempts to keep it that way.

Pia met Aeliana again on Route 3 when she was on her way to the end of the year market. Together with Rosa and Valerie they went into an haunted mansion. Although they didn't converse much, Aeliana made some comments that Pia saw as snarky that were meant well by Aeliana. This indicates that Pia still thinks that Aeliana is out to get her.

Ainsley
Ainsley was Pia's date partner during the double date in Motostoke and is Ruben's best friend. Ainsley pretended to be rich and paid for the date with Ruben's money. Pia saw through the charade and called him out on it after Ainsley suggested they'd book a hotel together and make love. He ran off afterwards, angry that the feelings of lust he harboured towards Pia were not returned. Pia doesn't think highly of Ainsley and told Ruben that he needs "better friends".

Melody Argent
Although Pia and Melody attended the same Trainer school and were in the same class, they never once teamed up for an assignment. Both didn't have a very good impression of the other and avoided them like the plague. It's not until the Festival Fun-time Flurry that they have tried teaming up to win a competition as both of them were interested in the prize. They chased down a cheater together and have a better opinion of each other since their teamwork. They figured out that they're a pretty good team actually. Both of them thinks "the other is not so bad after all".

Valerie Amity
Pia met Valerie on route 3 where they went inside a haunted mansion together with Aeliana and Rosa. They didn't get to converse much but it was enough for them to establish some sort of familiarity. Valerie calls Pia "Lady P" as a nickname. Pia thinks of Valerie as someone with too much energy but not a bad person overall, maybe a little too naïve.

Rosa Valdés
Pia met Rosa on Route 3 and went inside a haunted mansion together with Aeliana and Valerie. They were stuck inside a room together where Rosa found golden nuggets and shared one with Pia. Rosa's small moments of kindness seemed insincere in Pia's eyes, someone who is well versed with duality. When Rosa left the end of the year market after they had gotten out of the haunted mansion, Pia followed her and saw her crying. Pia comforted the crying Rosa but as soon as Rosa had gotten herself together again, Pia fell the need to call her out on her duality, telling her that how she was acting now was quite different from before. Rosa denied at first but as soon as Pia had driven her into a corner, she stopped trying. After Jirachi appeared for a brief second, Rosa walked off. They're neither on bad or good terms but both have things they probably need to speak off.

Simon Pearburgh
Pia met Simon in Galar Mine 1. Pia thought nothing more of him than a bug nerd. They partnered up to battle against Oleana and his clever strategies impressed Pia, prompting her to compliment him after their shared life/death situation on Route 4. They're neutral with each other.

Kit
Pia met Kit in the Wild Area. Kit had been trying to catch a Pokémon for days but had yet to catch one. He begged the girl to help him in exchange for money and a strange rock that he found. Pia taught him how to catch a Pokémon but after hearing that Kit is in search for his father, she decided to only take the strange rock as her reward and left the pouch with Poké behind for the boy to keep. Kit seems to have developed a crush for her because of that.

Trainer ID

Pia McGuire:

Pia was born in the town of Hammerlocke in the Galar region and is part of the first graduating class of the Wedgehurt trainer's academy. Despite having lived in poverty, her mother has been able to pay for her tuition in alternative ways. She's quick witted and rather clever but is sometimes a bit "too" honest. Pia dreams of becoming an actress and does almost anything to get more money. When it comes down to it, what she really wants is to no longer live in poverty and live a bit more happily.

Inventory:

4x Pokéball
Galarian Pokédex
Xtransceiver
Broken Flashlight
King's Rock

Outfits:

Daily Outfit:

Spoiler:

Ribbons:

Badges:

Dragon · Jan 23, 2021

Valerie's Quest for 100 Friends
Poké:

1000 ♦ Friends: 16

vs. Timburr

"Blimey Flame, what's with these guys?!"

Valerie had recently gotten herself out of a sticky situation involving a gigantic Vespiquen... only to find herself within a new conundrum: a pair of overly violent rock-type pokemon: a Geodude, and a new pokemon that Valerie could not help but giggle the first time she heard this name from her pokedex: a Rolycoly. But there was something odd about them... they were up and about, causing a ruckus in the area, as if they were... controlled by something. And not just that, that sinister red aura they were exuberating... what does that mean? But one thing was for sure: they were angry, out for blood. Flame panted out of exhaustion, battling these two for a little while, but with no meaningful or successful results.

"Double Kick!" Valerie and Flame had done their best up to this point to try and fend them off, but they were strong, and resilient. Take this instance, lame had to run up to deliver a super-effective Double Kick attack to both of these pokemon, which connected, but even as super-effective hits, the blows were quickly shrugged off that only made them retaliate with greater force. The following Rock-type attacks from the two were enough to overpower the small Fire-type pokemon, sending Flame tumbling and rolling on the dirty, grassy field.

Valerie gritted her teeth and sweated trying to give out her trademark yet wearily smile. "Geez, these guys are OP... I guess they don't wanna be friends, huh?" she remarked, with her worries flashing in between her smile. Flame, injured and tired from battling throughout the day, tried to power through it all and tried standing back up, but there was no rest for the weary as the enraged pokemon made their way over to deliver their respective attacks once again.

However, their attacks never made it through.

They were interrupted, by a sudden log that came crashing down in between Flame and them. Valerie blinked, surprised by the sudden commotion by the log... like, logs just don't... crash in from out of no where, right? To see where it came from, she looked above, to see a small hill.

But sitting on top of the hill, was him.

Valerie and Flame could only stare in their own ways of awe of what they saw next: Illumined by the light of the warm sun, his red cape fluttering with the gentle breeze, arms crossed as he dashingly wore black red mask... a super hero.

And his name... is Captain Timburr.

Oh, the earth carries my name...
From Timburr Island far away...
When I use Pound, it is strong and true...
Lu lu la la lu...

Whether you're a man or a Joltik...
KAPOW!
I will put your heart in my sights...
KAAAAPOOOOOW!

No one knows what secrets hide...
Behind this mask, cape and my brawn...
Lu lu lu lu lu la la!
POWER ON!

Ohhhhh Caaaaaaaptain Timburr, We! Love! You!

Kono bangumi wa goran no suponsaa no teikyou de okurishimasu.
(This program is brought to you by the following sponsors.)

Tim tim timmm tim timburr burrr... burr tim burr bur, bur timburrrrr.... was it... humming his theme song?

"That is sooooooooo awesomeeeeee!" Valerie squealed, starry-eyed, almost a bit tearful. Flame glanced back at her then back at the Timburr with more confusion than astonishment. Still, the Timburr gracefully descended down to the field, now face to face with the two Rock-type pokemon. He picked up the log he threw from earlier with one hand, a feat that's pretty impressive on its own. Not very impressed were the Geodude and Rolycoly who both ragingly stormed their way towards the Timburr.

Not skipping a beat, the confident Timburr tensed his free muscles to bulk up his body overall. With his new power in hand, he used his log to leap over the incoming pokemon, delivering a swift kick from above to the Geodude, and a right jab to the Rolycoly, knocking them both down within the instant.

"Whoa, brilliant!" Valerie complimented. The Timburr, odd as he may be, was for sure strong. The battle was not over yet, as the Geodude with its remaining power, thrusted himself towards the Timburr, but the Timburr with all his strength, used his log to block the Geodude's incoming tackle. He then gave a sly grin as he used said log to bash the Geodude - right towards the Rolycoly. When the two collided, the impact was so strong that it caused a dirt grove on the ground, with dust that gathered upon impact. The victor, Timburr, stood proudly over the two fallen Rock-types.

"Wooooo! EZ!" Valerie cheered on. "Man bro, you were just the best! Like... the BEST!" The Timburr nodded, basking in Valerie's continuous compliments, but, Flame meanwhile wasn't as cheerful. He, out of jealousy of the Timburr and frustration over another moment of his helplessness, kicked a small rock over towards the fallen pokemon.

But all of a sudden, he saw that they both gathered an even more intense aura. Valerie, the Timburr and Flame gazed on quite a sight that followed: with a burst of red light, the two's body... burst outwards, as if... they disintegrated. In their place, speckles of powder remained that scattered by the breeze. Valerie was perplexed, shocked and puzzled - the whirlwind of emotions. "The heck..." she whispered to herself. While it was a puzzling sight, she knew that she couldn't understand it. So, she shrugged it off as one of those, "Weird Z-Files wonders of life?" sort of things. She turned to the Timburr.

"Ahhhh, I can't get over how great you were! Like a super special awesome amaaaaazing hero, dude!" she was like a fangirl who had just met her hero. The Timburr collected his log, giving Valerie a assured cry, perhaps saying something like, 'Just doin' my job!' But Valerie had then, an idea that sparked in her head faster than a Voltorb's Thundershock.

"Ohhhh please, please, please - you should come with us and be our buddy!" she suggested. "We're travelling all over the place to see a pokemon called Mew! And y'know, there might be a lotta people like me who needs saving, y'know? They need a proper hero too! So? So?! What do ya' say?!" The Timburr rested his chin with his free hand, thinking on the idea for a moment or two. But, after which and showing no hesitation, he nodded in agreement. Flame was shocked. Just like that?! Perhaps it was part of the Timburr's code: Never abandon a fair maiden!

"Hell yeah! Timburr hyyyyype!" Valerie excitingly pointed out, but interrupted by Timburr who gave her a wagging finger. Name's Captain Timburr! Or at least, some sort of motion that indicated his proper name. "Right, right! Captain Timburr!"

Flame gave Valerie a puzzled, side look. She can understand that nonsense? And at any rate, this was a situation filled with the obvious question for the young Cyndaquil, that Valerie did not bother thinking upon. Why was this Timburr going around dressing like some sort of comic-book like hero anyway? What's his aim at? But even so... at least he was strong, and useful. And once again, Flame was once again faced with his own reoccurring problem: he was too weak.

Meanwhile, Valerie had made friends with a new, powerful, heroic ally: Captain Timburr. But, Valerie will just call him 'Captain' for short.

And by the way, if you're wondering where Timburr Island is?
It's inside... your heart.

New Pokemon!

Used: x1 Pokeball

P1 Valerie's Party

Journal

STAGE 1 - WEDGEHURST & ROUTE 2
vs. Zigzagoon pt.1
vs. Cyndaquil
vs. Zigzagoon pt.2

STAGE 2 - THE WILD AREA
vs. Morpeko
vs. Zangoose & Seviper
vs. Nidoran

STAGE 3 - WEDGEHURST
Opening Ceremony Pt. 1
Opening Ceremony Pt. 2
Opening Ceremony Pt. 3
vs. Swirlix
vs. Meowth

STAGE 4 - ROUTE 3
The Mystery of Mew ACT I Pt. 1
The Mystery of Mew ACT I Pt. 2
vs. Cherubi

STAGE 5 - GALAR MINE NO. 1 / ROUTE 4
vs. Dugtrio
vs. Vespiquen

Current Location

Route 4

A road dotted with wheat fields, long dirt paths and rolling hills, Route 4 is where most of the crop focused farms of Galar find a home, as opposed to the livestock trade of Wedgehurst and surrounding regions. Route 4 is the heart of this cultivation, the source of food, hard work and life across Galar. A bright and happy place to contrast the gloomy overcast of the mine before it, the hopeful atmosphere is known to attract some species of rarer, popular pokémon, making this place popular for trainers as well.

Trainer ID

Valerie (Val) Amity

Her main goal for her journey is seek at least 100 friends - humans, or pokemon. So, she seeks to meet and obtain as much pokemon as she can for friends. She also seeks a successful endeavor within her Gym Battle challenge in Galar, in the hopes of one day, becoming champion, like many other trainers who have the same dream.

Items

Pokeball x1

Greatball x1

Moomoo Milk x3

--

TR: Rock Tomb x1
TM: Dig

Badges

---

Galarian Pokédex V. 8

#032: Nidoran♂
#035: Clefairy
#172: Pichu
#155: Cyndaquil
#158: Totodile
#246: Larvitar
#255: Torchic
#263: Zigzagoon
#270: Lotad
#293: Whismur
#335: Zangoose
#336: Seviper
#384: Rayquaza
#416: Vespiquen
#420: Cherubi
#546: Cottonee
#582: Vanillite
#684: Swirlix
#778: Mimikyu
#821: Rookidee
#824: Blipbug
#867: Runerigus
#885: Dreepy
#887: Morpeko

Remember: Val loves you! ♡♡♡
Struggle: Valentine ♡ Chatter: @WillUBMyVALentine? ♡ Dizcord: Valentine#1196

Sonata · Jan 24, 2021

Poké:

5020 ♦ Pokemon: 4

CHAPTER 5.3 - BUGGIN' THE COSMOS

Rosa walked through the fields of Turrfield, waiting for her meetup time that was set for the next day. She glanced down at her pokedex every so often, wondering how she should spend the last of her time. She could go ahead on to the city, but at the same time, she would rather arrive roughly at the same time as other trainers so she didn't have any issues like she had in Motostoke.

The girl kicked at the hay bales and then took a seat on the ground, watching as more and more battles took place in the makeshift arenas. So many trainers passed by, happy to take the organizers up on the chance to freely hone their skills without having to wager anything of their own.

Hours passed, and with them, swarms of Pokemon routed themselves around her. She'd seen the herds of Yamper and Elektrike, along with a few stray Budew that waddled along the path - prompting Zorro to peek out and wave excitedly at them.

It wasn't terrible out - the weather had been rather favorable actually, despite the chill in the air. The small girl released her Pokemon from their balls, giving them some time to stretch out before they moved on. Ezra was infatuated with the new form that Wyatt had taken, while Yzma and Zorro just shared stories about the battles that they'd seen. Budew was a gold mine for the balled up Pokemon, being the only one of them that was small and tame enough in demeanor to remain free from its ball.

The Pokemon started showing off the new moves they'd learned, targeting the nearby bales of hay as they did so. Wyatt Stomped his new feet, and used his larger ears to direct the sounds of his Voice attacks better into a single direction. Zorro showed his Growth off to the others before using his Extrasensory skills to cause the bale of hay to shudder slightly before laying back down to take a nap, happy with the results of his training.

And then, Yzma. The Snorunt looked over at Ezra, who was choosing not to participate in the activities, but rather was simply nibbling away at the leftovers which continued to eerily reform around the bite marks. Yzma shuddered, before forming several small Ice Shards in front of her. As the last of the five shards formed, she lobbed them up into the air. The Snorunt followed up as quickly as she could with a makeshift Blizzard, created from the combination of her own Powder Snow and Icy Wind.

"Runt!" Yzma proclaimed, catching the falling shards up in the small snowstorm, allowing them to travel a short distance before the pseudo-blizzard dissipated.

Rosa smiled, nodding her head as she clapped. "Very good!"

The girl watched as all her Pokemon slowly wore themselves out and made themselves comfortable around her. Wyatt wrapped himself around her, laughing uncontrollably as he wrapped his arms around her once more. Yzma took her place in between the girl's legs, and Zorro wrapped himself up on her shoulder. All that was left now was-

"Munch." Ezra looked at her feet, kicking at the dirt in between the stolen glances that she took in the direction of Rosa.

The girl smiled and patted her leg next to where Wyatt had settled in. "Don't be a stranger now."

"Munch!" She exclaimed, rushing quickly over to wrap herself around the girl's leg.

Rosa looked up at the sky and sighed. This was nice. These moments were nice. But she couldn't help but wonder, how long would it all really last? With all the things that she'd been through since leaving Wedgehurst, it seemed like she'd been travelling for an eternity. She'd gotten wrapped up into so many things that she would have never thought about; she partially helped to solve a murder, she'd entangled herself with the mafia, she'd gotten involved with a cult, she'd seen literal ghosts, and now… now she was about to meet more mafia members.

She shuddered, wondering how the Sisterhood would differ from the Family. Her mind filled with awful thoughts as she considered all of the worst case scenarios, fighting off all of the what ifs and how abouts. She had to occupy herself with something else, just anything else to take her mind away from…

She looked down at the bag, catching a glimpse of the stone that lay within. That miner had said something about it helping to evolve Yzma, but how? She reached slowly into the bag, pulling it free from between the two packages she'd been tasked to deliver. The girl turned the stone between her fingertips and then slowly pressed the pointed end against Yzma, gently nudging her every few seconds.

But nothing happened.

Of course nothing happened. When she'd first encountered the Pokemon, she'd wrapped herself around the thing and nothing happened. She really didn't know why it would be anything different for her to force it onto her now. Maybe that miner was just lying about its use… maybe she should just sell it off in town.

"Cucucucucucu?"

The girl swatted away at the buzzing around her head, still considering what to do with the stone. Yzma was most likely going to be her go to for the upcoming gym battle, but then she still had to think about who to enter into the contests. Yzma also seemed like the most viable option for that, given her combin-

"Cucucucucucu!"

"Ugh," Rosa swatted away at the buzzing around her head once more, leaning over to get a look at what was hovering around her ears, but finding nothing. The girl slowly shook her head and tried to return to the thought she was having pr-

"Cucucucucucucucu!"

"Ok, what the fuck?" She shouted, rapidly rising to her feet. As she rose, all the Pokemon which had made themselves comfortable against her suddenly fell, no longer having the support of the girl's body. Rosa fumbled in her pocket for her dex and quickly opened it. "If I can't see you myself, at least the pokedex will be able to pick you so I can know what's irritating me."

'Cutiefly, the Bee Fly Pokemon. Myriads of Cutiefly flutter above the heads of people who have auras resembling those of flowers. Cutiefly can pick up the auras of living things. It skillfully reads those auras to predict its foes' movements and make fools of them.'

"Cutiefly, huh? Little yellow annoyances… would probably right up Simon's alley. For me though," she looked at the Pokemon which were slowly coming back upright, wiping the sleep from their eyes as they took turns yawning.

"So, this is where you've been."

The sound of the voice coming from behind her grabbed her attention moreso than the buzzing nuisance. "Who are-"

"Oleana - Chairwoman of Macro Cosmos. A pleasure, as I'm told. That being so, It'd be great if you could return the favor." The woman quickly pulled two balls from her dress and tossed them out, revealing the Trubbish and Snorunt.

Rosa stared at the woman, barely even noticing the tiny weight that landed between her buns. "You're the chairwoman of Macro Cosmos?" She whispered to herself, glancing behind her at the Pokemon she'd already released. A battle here would round out her little pre-gym training arc, but… there was something else that she needed to get out of this battle. She needed revenge.

"Yzma, Ezra. Show her what you've got."

"Thanks for making this easy." Oleana quickly pulled a laptop out of her bag and began typing on it, paying no real attention to the Pokemon in front of her. "Trubbish, set the field. Snorunt, provide aid until he's done."

Rosa glanced at her chosen Pokemon as they made their way onto the field just as Oleana gave her own orders. "Set the field," Rosa questioned, not really sure what that meant for the Trubbish, since she'd not fought one before. But there was something she did understand, having a version of the very same Pokemon. If they didn't get rid of that Snorunt before it had time to set up, it could prove to be the more troublesome of the two.

"Focus the Snorunt you two!" Rosa called out, pointing towards Oleana's Pokemon. "Body Slam, and Ice Shard!"

"Runt!" "Munch!" The Pokemon responded in unison, closing the distance between them and their opponents as quickly as they could.

The Trubbish scooted and hopped across the ground, digging around in its mouth before tossing out small purple spikes all across the ground in its wake and just around it. Meanwhile, the Snorunt did its best to keep up, throwing out Light Screens every so often before finally being forced to put up a Protect from the pressure of Ezra throwing her weight onto the Pokemon.

Yzma rushed quickly around the back of the other Snorunt, tossing out her Ice Shards as quickly as she could, only for Oleana's Snorunt to drop the Protect and quickly turn to face the Pokemon, throwing out her own Ice Shards - causing a frosty collision in the air just before Ezra managed to land a Critical Bite on the Pokemon's back.

"Back her up, Trubbish. Snorunt, don't try to focus them both and set up a Powder Snow."

This is exactly what they'd just been practicing before. If she wanted to use a Powder Snow, then she'd have just set up the first half of the combo on her own. "Yzma, Icy Wind! Ezra, don't let up on that Snorunt! We need to take her out first!"

The Pokemon nodded, starting in on their attacks. The two Snorunts clashed with their ice-type attacks, but Yzma managed to overpower the Snow with her Icy Wind, forcing the pseudo-blizzard back onto the Snorunt. It admittedly didn't do much to the Pokemon, but the Trubbish was coming in behind her to attack Ezra who was throwing lethargic jabs at the opposing Snorunt.

Trubbish came in quickly, letting the Sludge drip from its mouth onto the Munchlax only to be hit by the pseudo-blizzard immediately after.

"T-T-T-Trub!" The Pokemon stuttered, shrinking away from Ezra as it fled from the storm.

Thanks to her Thick Fat ability, Ezra was managing to withstand the makeshift blizzard almost as well as the two ice-types that had created it, allowing her to comfortably continue the assault against the opposing Snorunt.

"Munch, Munch, Munch!" She grunted with each punch, leaning in with every third or fourth throw to Bite the Snorunt, ensuring that she was staying where she was supposed to.

"That's great you two," Rosa called out, quickly considering the next steps to the battle. If they could hold the Snorunt there, they could effectively trap it and move on to the other Pokemon. "Ezra, I need you to hold that Bite a little longer while Yzma hits her with a few more Powder Snows!"

Oleana looked up from the laptop, her eyes darting around the field before she tilted her head back and looked at the fleeing Trubbish. "Snorunt, Protect. Trubbish, Poison Gas."

Ezra wrapped herself around the Snorunt, letting her teeth sink into the Pokemon as it threw up a Protect in front of her in an attempt to block the Powder Snow that was coming. Meanwhile, the Trubbish waddled around to the side and began to lay out a thick layer of Poisonous Gas, which all three of the Pokemon quickly and unknowingly breathed in as it mixed with the icy haze which covered the battlefield.

"That's not good," Rosa whispered.

"Cucu! Cucu!"

Rosa winced, the buzzing having returned to her ears. "Leave me alone, won't you?" She muttered, swatting away at her ear.

The small bug-type flew around in front of her and darted around her vision. "Cu! Cu! Cucucucu!"

"I thought… aren't Cutiefly supposed to be yellow? Why are you-"

"Cucu!" The Cutiefly cried out, bumping against the girl's face before motioning towards the poisonous gas which was continuing to creep from the Trubbish's mouth.

"Yes, yes, I know it's dangerous. Now just let me-"

The Cutiefly bonked into her forehead again, causing the girl to wince. "Cu! Cu! Cucucucuuuuuuuu!" The Pokemon spun in quick circles just in front of the girl's face before darting back and forth from the battlefield.

"Oh!" the sudden realization set in of what the Pokemon was suggesting. "Yeah, that could work." She glanced up at the mound of snow that was beginning to form over the opposing Snorunt, and noted that all three were growing progressively more lethargic as the gas continued to thicken. "Alright girls, get out of there! Ezra, use Lick on that Snorunt's back! Yzma, use that combo!"

The Pokemon quickly carried out the plan, with Ezra paralyzing the Snorunt with a disgustingly slobbery and leftovers covered Lick and Yzma following up her last Powder snow with an Icy Wind. The newly created snowstorm lifted the poisonous gas which had propagated on the battlefield and dispersed it away from them, all the while covering the opposing Snorunt and freezing it in place beneath the mound of snow which had built up around it.

"Hey, good job little girl!" Rosa smiled and held out her fist towards the pink Cutiefly hovering around her face.

"Cucu!" The Pokemon cried, bumping gently into her fist before falling back between the buns on her head. "Cu!"

Rosa nodded. "Yup, time to send it. Ezra, use Body Slam! Yzma, use-"

Oleana snapped the laptop close and quickly pulled out the two pokeballs, recalling Rosa's opponents. "I've got all I needed. Thanks again."

Rosa watched, dumbfounded as the chairwoman quickly turned and began to walk away. "Woah, woah, woah," she started quickly, rushing to catch up with the woman. "Hold on just a minute. Where do you think you're going?" Rosa questioned, finding herself struggling just to keep pace with the woman.

"Well obviously I'm leaving. I'm a busy woman, you understand, don't you?" She stated bluntly, not looking back at the girl as she proceeded back towards the Galar Mine.

Rosa let out a half-laugh and rushed to catch up, shaking her head the whole time. "No, that's not how this works. You challenge me, you forfeit, and I get-"

"Sorry, I've nothing to give you right now. I'm in quite the hurry, so if you wouldn't mind, I-"

"No!" Rosa cried out, leaping out in front of the woman and almost stumbling forward into a faceplant as she did so. "N-No! I need you to atone for what Rose did!"

"I'm… sorry?"

"Yeah… yeah, you better be!" Another unexpected encounter, and something that she'd never expected to actually come up, let alone this early on. "You're the new chairwoman, so I need you to do something for me!"

Oleana furrowed her brow and looked down at the girl. "And what do I need to do, exactly?"

"Y-you need to… you need to-" she wet her lips repeatedly, looking all around for anything that could force the words to the surface. "I need Simon's dad to have his job back."

"I'm sorry, Simon? Am I supposed to know this person?"

"Y-yes! Simon Dansen, his father was Ulric Dansen. We came to this region two years ago and-"

Oleana held up her hand to the girl. "Say no more. Give me some time to look into it - but as for right now, as I said before, I've got other places I need to be. So, if you'll excuse me," she said as she stepped around the girl and continued on the path back towards the mine, increasing her speed just enough to keep out of the range of Rosa.

The girl watched her leave before slowly placing her hand on top of her head, feeling the tiny Pokemon sitting atop it. "Oh," she whispered, feeling the Pokemon brush past her palm and appear in front of her face. "Well, aren't you special?"

"Cu!" The Pokemon replied, buzzing all around her face.

"So, what do you want from me?" She questioned, struggling to follow the tiny pink Pokemon's movements.

The Cutiefly hovered in front of her face for a few seconds and looked off into the distance before swaying rhythmically back and forth. "Cu cu?"

"Uh," was it trying to say something? This little bug was so much more full of expression than a lot of her other Pokemon, but she still couldn't make out its intentions. She let out a soft sigh as she suddenly wished she had Simon's ability to just know what Pokemon were trying to say. "Sure," she said with a light shrug.

"Cu cu!" The Pokemon cried, flying in circles around her body, starting with her head before coming to her waist. The Cutiefly circled her waist several times and then bonked against one of the empty balls on her waist before coming back up to eye level with the girl. "Cu?"

"Uh, okay?" The girl picked the ball from her waist and let it enlarge before tapping the center button against the small bug. The ball flashed in her hands for a few seconds before coming to a stop. "I guess I caught a bug?" she shrugged her shoulders, not really sure what to make of the shiny new addition to her team.

Rosa's Party

Memories

CHAPTER 1 - WEDGEHURST & ROUTE 2
GOODBYES, AND HELLO TO A NEW JOURNEY
TROUBLE'S ON THE TRACKS
NAMES AND NIGHTMARES!

CHAPTER 2 - THE SOUTHERN WILD AREA
ENTER THE WILD AREA!
NEW BIKING BIKERS!
THE MYSTERIOUS SHINY POKEMON!
RANGER DANGER! PT.1
RANGER DANGER! PT.2
RANGER DANGER! FINALE!
RED-EYES BLACK-HAT!

CHAPTER 3 - MOTOSTOKE
INN FOR A PENNY, INN FOR A POUND
INN FOR A PENNY, INN FOR A POUND PT.2
SHADY SHOPPING
THE OPENING CEREMONY
THE OPENING CEREMONY PT.2
THE OPENING CEREMONY PT.3
INN WITH THE FAMILY
ALL BETS ON BLACK
LATE NIGHT LULLABIES

CHAPTER 4 - ROUTE 3
VS SIMON
VS SIMON PT.2
MYSTERY OF MEW
MYSTERY OF MEW PT.2
WINTER FESTIVAL
A TWO HEADED REFLECTION

CHAPTER 5 - GALAR MINE AND ROUTE 4
DAYDREAM OF MINE
DEVELOPMENT AND MISSED CONNECTIONS

Rosa's Journal

Simon Dansen

My childhood friend. Absolute idiot. Can't ever get a read on him anymore. Buttface. Always there when I need him. Always there when I least expect him. JERK. Showed me up in battle and evolved his Pokemon before me.

Jasper

An ex-classmate. He took my bait and threw me for a loop when we were fighting a group of Munchlax together. Not as bad a guy as I thought. Because of him, I have to re-evaluate my notes on everyone else just in case. I'm interested in trying a different approach with him when next we meet.

Helped out a wrongfully arrested girl. Really smart. Observant. Kind, but doesn't like to show it. Isn't a terrible cook.

Charles the Biker

An eccentric, but strong man. Indulges in bad puns. Love for bikes. We left on good terms.

Nat the Ranger

A doting older brother to several sisters. A strong trainer who follows their duty. Only spent a day with them. Not sure if I want to meet again or not since I stole a broken styler from his scene of investigation. We left on good terms, I think? Unless he notices that something's missing.

Budew Girl

Never got her name. Apparently she's a challenger like the rest of my classmates. Comes from a family of Budew fanatics. They breed Budew in their hometown and journey around with all three forms of it. She seems endearing. It might be interesting to meet her again in the future. As long as she's not being accused of theft, that is.

Achille Béringer

Rich kid. Pays his debts. Is keen on rich kid things. Doesn't seem much different from how he was in school, but still need to reevaluate.

Melody Argent

Cute and kind. She keeps to herself kind of like I do. Loves music. Feels similar to Simon. Still need to reevaluate because of interactions with Jasper. Kind of maybe, possibly, a small amount of a badass. Finger guns - super corny. Don't harp on the idea of being in contests. If that culty stuff doesn't get figured out by the time we come back to Motostoke, I'll have to remember to find her around town. She's much more attuned to pop culture than I am.

The Family // Damien(?)

Not the family himself, I don't think. I still haven't got his name or what role he really plays in all this. He's a shady motherfucker - pardon my Kalos. I still don't know how much of the stuff I've gone through in Motostoke has been orchestrated by him, but for the moment I'm not planning to try anything. I still don't know enough about him to make any real guesses. The longer that I stay around this town, the further behind the veil that I see. I'm scared even to go to sleep at night so long as I'm here. They have eyes... everywhere.

Buggy Simon

Some kind of freak of nature. I guess he understands Pokemon in some way that I can't; like, he understands what they're actually trying to say when they speak? Kind of cool, but also weird. Him and Simon used to hang out every once in a while at school. He knows about my "secret styler".

Valerie

An absolute ray of sunshine and happiness. She's also a streamer, and earns enough money from it to show it off. Not put off by literal ghosts. Has some kind of dream of meeting Mew.

Aeliana Kekoa

Alolan dance girl. She's supposed to teach me sometime. Pretty much just how I remembered her in school. I didn't get to spend much time with her when we all hung out. Didn't seem too bothered by the ghosts.

Pia McGuire

Pia... definitely is afraid of literal ghosts. I had a few choice words for her, but... after we saw Jirachi, it just felt like the time had passed, so I gave up. She's seen me without my mask, so next time we meet up is probably going to be awkward.

Haleigh Windsor

TBA

Outfits

Spoiler: Here be a number of large images

Inventory

Spoiler:

Notebook and Pen
1 Pokéballs
Galarian Pokédex V. 8
Rosa's ATC
Old Rod
Simon's Knit Wooloo Sweater
Rotom Brand Electric Bike
Dawn Stone
Wishing Piece
Fancy Metal Flower Crown - Gift for Jasper
Pokemon Styler
Mysterious Package A
Mysterious Package B
Blackspear Industries Job License
Odd Incense
Lagging Tail
Revival Herb

Fen-Fen · Jan 24, 2021

Haleigh Windsor
17 | Female | From Circhester and Spikemuth

Corey (Male, Blaze) - Flame Charge, Double Kick, Headbutt, Agility

Coraline (Female, Weak Armor) - Tackle, Harden, Astonish, Spite

Cornelius (Male, Synchronize) - Disarming Voice, Confusion, Draining Kiss, Hypnosis

Orion (Male, Snow Cloak) - Powder Snow, Tail Whip

Lonely Girl Livin' In a Lonely World

Winter. It was such a beautiful season, even for a place like Route 4 whose charm was mostly found in the summertime. The sun was starting to go down over the landscape, painting the wheat that still stubbornly clung on to life during the winter months in a golden glow. A few snowflakes hovered in the air, falling with an ease and grace that Haleigh found soothing. Despite what she had told Rosa about the holidays, winter itself was her favorite season. Perhaps it was the fact that she was from Circhester that inspired her to like the cold weather, much as she'd like to forget that part of her life. It could also be the various things that one can do to get warm - though by far her favorite was cuddling up with her Pokemon (Corey especially being a great choice) and sipping a cup of coffee or cocoa.

Walking alongside her, Orion was also enjoying the wintry landscape. Wide open areas to explore and play in, snow, his mommy who could pick him up and give him pets, what more could the young Pokemon ask for?

Orion started looking up on a hill, his gaze fixed on a small rock on the horizon. He sniffed the air, his ears perking up as he caught wind of an interesting scent.

His trainer looked down at him, wondering what caught the Vulpix's attention. "What is it, Orion?"

The Alolan Vulpix started bounding ahead of her, his trainer picking up her walk into a light jog as she started to say, "Oi, don't go running off on me. You're still a baby!"

Orion slowed his pace, hesitating for a second, seemingly about to comply with the instruction before deciding to instead go for the thing that had caught the young Pokemon's attention and dashing for it.

"Hey! Get back here!" Haleigh had a concerned look on her face as Orion started picking up the pace. From where she was situated, the purple haired girl could see some pointy ears sticking up from the rock, indicating that the something that Orion was after was a Pokemon.

"Orion-" Before the trainer could properly intercede and prevent her Pokemon from engaging with a potentially dangerous Pokemon, the Vulpix had already reached the rock and had chirped a greeting to the Pokemon with a cry of "Vul!" However, the Pokemon that was on the other end of the rock was less than receptive to the idea of playing with Orion and growled at him.

Haleigh finally caught up to the Vulpix and from her vantage point, got a look at the Pokemon that Orion was trying to interact with. Brown, pointy ears, tuft of fur bordering its neck like a collar; she didn't even need to be a trainer to recognize the very recognizable shape of an Eevee.

Her eyes lit up at the sight of the cute little Eevee. Despite the attempts at trying to scare off the Alolan Vulpix, it was not in the least intimidating to Haleigh, who found its attempts of being tough even cuter.

She chuckled and cooed at the little Pokemon. "Aww...you're so cute!"

The Eevee turned its scowl towards the gushing trainer. No, that couldn't be right. She thought she was...cute? Orion, ever the oblivious Pokemon, only added to her annoyance when he emitted some yipping sounds, wagging his tails and adopting a playful stance.

"Ev-vah!" The Eevee barked at them, getting closer to Orion - though seeming reluctant to actually attack him.

Haleigh started to bend down and scoop up her Pokemon before he'd have to find out the hard way about going up to random wild Pokemon, whining as he was pulled away from his new playmate. "Alright, that's enough lil' guy. They're not in a playing mood."

Unexpectedly, the Eevee got closer to Haleigh, looking up at the Vulpix and nodding her head down. "Ev-ah!" The other Pokemon's eyes shone with a fierce, determined gaze, glaring at the human and her Pokemon.

Haleigh furrowed her brow. How odd, it almost seemed as if-

Of course!

"Ah, I see what you want." She giggled as she added, "You're looking for a battle, eh? Orion here thinks you want to play, but I suppose in a certain sense a battle can be playtime for a young Pokemon."

She put the fox Pokemon back down and patted his head. "Well, go get 'em, Orion!"

"Vul-pi!" Orion made his way towards his "opponent", a happy expression on his face once again.

She knew full well that apart from being able to do the obvious thing of tackling, the Vulpix could also use his tails to whip her and whip up a little flurry of snow. Not exactly A tier battling moves, but it was hardly necessary for this kind of fight.

"Try and make it snow on her with a Powder Snow!" The Vulpix complied and started taking a deep breath before unleashing a small barrage of snow onto the Eevee, coating her with it to her chagrin. However, it was hardly a Powder Snow that could effectively damage the stronger Eevee, acting more as an irritant than anything else.

Still, the Eevee was indulging him and opted for a simple Tackle in return, shaking off some of the snow that stuck on her coat. A concerned look flashed on Haleigh's face, wondering how strong the attack was gonna be. When the attack connected, she was relieved to see that either Orion was growing stronger than she gave him credit for- or that perhaps the Eevee was purposely holding back- as she saw that Orion easily rebounded from the Tackle and stood back up, oblivious and happy.

"Alright Orion, whip your tails at 'em." She smiled, figuring that the Alolan Vulpix's Tail Whip would be more of a diversionary attack than anything else.

The young Pokemon wheeled around to prepare using its tails on the Eevee. However, the brown Pokemon was far more nimble than Orion and dodged the barrage of tails headed her way, a sly grin on her face.

Haleigh mused to herself, "If I didn't know any better, I'd reckon that our little Eevee friend really just wanted to play too." An amused smirk on her face, she called out to the wild Pokemon and told her, "Having fun?"

The Eevee chose not to respond, focusing on the "battle" at hand. She got down to a pouncing stance and started to dash toward Orion, dashing in a zig-zag until her body connected with Orion's. The ice type Pokemon was sent backwards, landing in a pile of soft snow.

It was a bit rougher than he was expecting, but that hardly deterred him. In fact, it seemed to do just the opposite as Orion got back up and without even waiting for his trainer's words, dashed for the Eevee and opted to whip his tails at her again. The attack also didn't connect, with the momentum of the attack causing him to wobble over onto his side.

The wild Pokemon let out a series of giggles at the failed attempt, her guard fully down and the pretension of being serious all out the window.
Haleigh joined in with her own mirthful laughs, fully amused at the situation. It was so adorable and wholesome. "Looks like the huffy little Eevee has a playful side."

The wild Pokemon turned to face the human, a scowl returning to her features. She tried again to look tough, but the damage had been done.

"Oh come on, don't be like that, I know you were having fun." Haleigh knelt down, ruffling the fur on the top of her head. The tension that the purple haired girl felt from the initial contact was lessening until the Eevee dropped her scowl and it was replaced with a more content expression.

Haleigh's expression changed a bit as she looked into the Pokemon's eyes. So big and expressive, shining with a sort of admiration for her; the sight was absolutely heartwarming for the girl. "See, you don't have to hide who you are. You're a big softie. Ain't nothin' wrong with that."

A lightbulb went off in Haleigh's head as she realized the opportunity she had in front of her. "Say, I know it's kinda a big ask, but why don't you come with us? We're a nice little family. I ain't got much, but we got food and shelter. Oh and of course, battles." She chuckled a bit as she added, "A bit more intense than the one with Orion, but I gotta say it's a hell of a lot of fun."

The Eevee looked back and forth between the landscape behind Haleigh and the girl herself. She...really didn't have much reason to stay. It was pretty lonely out there.

She nodded, ready to go with the human and see what she had to offer.

Haleigh fished an empty Pokeball out of her pocket, bringing it up to the Eevee and letting the ball envelop her. The capture went without a hitch, not a hint of resistance from her.

Orion bounded over to her, happy that his new friend was going to be a member of the team. Haleigh looked down at him briefly before fixing her gaze on the quiet city that lay ahead of them. It was an unassuming looking place, but her eyes shone at what the sleepy town represented. This was what it was all going to come down to, just her and her Pokemon becoming the best possible team they could be.

"Watch out Galar, me and my 'Mon are gonna blow you all away. You'll see us for who we really are…"

LinearAxel · Jan 24, 2021

Aeliana and Melody
Where There's Smoke, There's Battle!

"There was a Chandelure in Motostoke that had a black and red aura. I just… figured it was shiny. Guess that doesn't explain why it was attacking the city." Melody explains as she walks across the field with Aria. She didn't have a chance to explain where she had seen the Pokemon with the black and red aura before, what with the Vespiquen attack and all. "Piers' Obstagoone fought it off."

"What happened after it was defeated?" Aria asks.

"I… dunno. I was in a burning building at the time."

Before Aria can question why, the pair are interrupted by a high-pitch shriek followed by a cry for help. From the nearby wheat field, two Pokekids come running-- and not far behind them are a group of Pumpkaboo… with that very same red and black aura the pair had just been discussing.

"Over here!" Aria calls to the pair of terrified children. "Get behind us!"

The pair of children dart behind the two trainers as Aria brandishes a Pokeball. "Can your Pokemon handle another fight?"

"Oh, hell yeah." Melody says with an eager smirk.

"Kaboo! Kaboo!" Piper cries out defiantly from atop Nightshot's head.

"... Don't tell me those are your friends." Melody says with a frown, earning a nod from the tiny Pumpkaboo.

"Maybe knocking them out will put them back to normal?" Aria questions as the Pumpkaboo fly closer, each opening their mouths in preparation to fire a Bullet Seed.

"-- Sorry, Pipe, we gotta try. Bishop, let's go!" Melody says as she calls her Corvisquire free from his ball.

"Kiki, Wing Attack!" Aria says as she tosses her own Pokeball, revealing a very eager Noibat.

The group of Pumkaboo encircle the trainers, seemingly unworried - or maybe not even noticing, the trainers that are in the midst of releasing Pokémon of their own. All of a sudden, a blue, scaly, moist Pokémon comes charging from behind. It's a Totodile! She leaps high into the air, her sharp, pointy fangs snapping onto one of the wild Pumpkaboo.

"Dreep-y!" Nightshot cries out excitedly at the sight of the blue Pokemon.

"Tampa?" Melody asks as Bishop plows into one of the Pumpkaboos with a powerful pluck. That means-- "Aeliana?!" The punk teen shouts out. "Ael! Where are you?" Oh ****. Did these things get her?

"Hey!" Aeliana cries out, the pinkette running towards the two trainers. A look of relief washes over the girl's face as she reaches Melody. "What in the w-world is going on…? I got out of the mine and saw an Eevee… It was fighting these weird Pokémon and…" She pauses, eyes widening as she took in the sight of the Pumpkaboo. "Just like those…"

"Something's wrong with them!" Melody shouts out. An extra large Pumpkaboo floats above the others and prepares to fire a Shadowball. With a cry of desperation, Piper flies between the trio of trainers and the significantly larger Pumpkaboo. Tears form in the tiny ghost's eyes as she pleads for the other to cease fire, but her plees land on deaf ears and she takes the Shadowball head on.

Melody's eyes widen as the tiny ghost plummets to the ground. She lunges forward with her arms held out, snatching the poor pumpkin before it smashes into the ground. "Piper…?"

"DREEEE!" Nightshot cries out in fury as he flies up and smashes into the giant Pumpkaboo with an Assurance attack.

Aeliana takes focus on the giant Pumpkaboo as well. She orders Tampa to attack with another Bite attack, which the Totodile is all too eager to assist with. She charges towards the giant ghost, chomping down hard onto its spectral body.

"Something about these things aren't right…" Aeliana muses aloud. "They remind me of that Zangoose and Seviper from the Wild Area…"

"They're crazed--! this Pumpkaboo is supposed to be their friend!" Melody explains as she tucks the tiny pumpkaboo against her jacket to keep her hidden from view.

The giant Pumpkaboo opens its mouth to fire another Shadowball at the gator clamped onto it-- yet it can't seem to do it. Nightshot's Cursed Body has disabled the raging creature's most powerful move. The large pumpkin lets out an indignant scream that catches the attention of its fellow flying pumpkins, each of which begin to incircle the chomping Tampa, opening their mouths to prepare an onslaught of Bullet Seeds.

"Bishop, use Thief!"

"Kiki, Gust!"

The raven Pokemon swoops down onto the extra-large Pumpkaboo and smashes into it, snatching onto Tampa with his talons in the process. The Pumpkaboo that aren't swept away by the small bat's gust fire their Bullet Seeds-- striking one another rather than the absconding Bishop and Tampa… yet they don't seem to even register that they're attacking their own comrades.

"How did you stop the Seviper and the Zangoose?" Aria questions.

"Valerie and I just… beat them down in a battle," Aeliana explains. Bishop releases Tampa's from his grasp, the Totodile quickly waddling towards her trainer with a protective glare in her eyes. "Those two back then were being used by some weird looking trainers, dressed in all black and carrying some weird briefcases."

"Beating them down it is! Nightshot, use Hex! Bishop, Hone claws!"

"Kiki, Gust! Orochi, Leaf Tornado!"

A dark aura dances around one of the Pumpkaboo as two different sets of wind combine to heave several of them into one another. The extra-large Pumpkaboo sets its sights on the mouthy blue gator and sinks into the ground for a Shadow Sneak. The Totodile looks around, eyes narrowing as she tries to locate the giant Pumpkaboo. Unfortunately by the time Tampa manges to locate it, the wild Pokémon has already risen from her shadow and slammed her large body into the unguarded Pokémon. Tampa lets out a pained wail, the gator staggering backwards as she tries to catch her balance.

"She must be tired from the mines…" Aeliana whispers. She reaches into her bag to try and grab Tampa's poké ball, when a sudden bright light shines out from within it. The pinkette watches as Clara suddenly emerges from within. A look of concern stretches across the Ralts' face. Her cheeks are flushed as she seems hesitant, but before Aeliana can even issue a command the small Psychic is crawling to Tampa's side, placing a hand on the gator's shoulder before placing herself in between the ghost and the Totodile.

"Clara, be careful!" Melody shouts as the Pumpkaboo set their sights on the fresh target. She's in serious trouble if they decide to follow up their leader's example and Shadow Sneak the little psychic type. "Bishop, Power Trip! Nightshot, follow it up with Assurance!"

Nightshot hangs back while the slower Pokemon delivers a powered-up strike. His patience is rewarded when the power of his own strike is doubled. The Pumpkaboo that took both attacks falls to the ground with a heavy thud. Is it down? Is it--

The punk teen's eyes grow wide as the fallen creature's body begins to crack apart. The smoke around its body grows stronger as more cracks form all over the Pokemon's body. Within a matter of seconds, there is no body left. Only black and red smoke that soon wafts away in the wind.

"...They're… what are they…?" Aeliana questions. She doesn't take her eyes off the smoke as it travels away, before making her way quickly towards Tampa. The Totodile offers her trainer and Clara both a reassuring smile, one that the pink-haired trainer returns before calling the tuckered out Totodile back into her ball. "They seem so lifeless… and then there's the whole smoke thing…" Stating the obvious isn't getting her very far, so she glances between Melody and the stranger beside her.

"... Sorry, Piper." Melody murmurs through gritted teeth.

"Kiki! Supersonic!" Aria calls. The small bat releases a sharp, high-pitch cry that flows over an enemy Pumpkaboo, causing it to sway uncertainty before using an Astonish on another Pumpkaboo. "Don't worry, they're not real!"

"-- But Piper thinks they're her flock!" Or whatever you call a group of sentient pumpkins.

"Real Pokemon don't evaporate when they're defeated. Whatever these are-- their genetic structure is breaking apart because it can't sustain itself after that much damage."

"Are you--" Wait. That sounds familiar actually. The fall of Shalour. The cloned Mewtwo. ****. "Bishop! Nightshot! Again!"

The raven Pokemon cries out before colliding with another demon-Pumpkin. Immediately after, his dragon companion flies behind him and strikes with a powerful strike of his slender arms. Another Pumpkaboo hits the ground and begins to crack at the seams. "... Those guys you mentioned," Melody says as she cuts her gaze towards Aeliana, "are they trying to revive Team Cinder?" -- Is that why Avril Morris is in Galar?

"Cinder…?" Aeliana questions, but a screeching Pumpkaboo descends with an Astonish before she has a chance to ponder what the punk means further. "Clara, Confusion!"

The small Ralts takes focus at the false Pumpkaboo. The ghost halts in its tracks, a pained wail echoing out from the creature as it thrashes about in pain before collapsing on the ground and beginning to crumble into pieces.

Aeliana turns her focus back to Melody. "I don't know anything about how that Team Cinder might be involved. The guys that Val and I dealt with were hunting Rayquaza. They didn't give a reason."

"Do you know anything about Team Cinder, Aria?" Melody asks the white haired trainer.

"I wouldn't call myself a historian-- Kiki, Wing Attack! Orochi, Twister!"

The bat and snake combine their gales and send them twirling into the final Pumpkaboo. It spins, trapped in the gale for a few seconds before beginning to break apart. By the time the winds have dissipated… there is nothing left. "I think you could be onto something though." She adds as if nothing has happened.

"Yeah. Team Cinder had cloned Pokemon that crumpled into dust once they were defeated. Dunno where random goons would get their hands on that sorta tech, but…" Melody motions to the skid marks where the fallen Pumpkaboo had crashed. "If you have a better explanation, I'm all ears."

Aeliana glances at the white-haired trainer curiously as well. "That team was from Kalos, right? If they were posing a threat, wouldn't they have sent their champion to help sniff them out…? Um,.. Sebastian Allendar, right?"

"He's one of 'em. They have two. Dunno who's on the throne right now." Melody says with a shrug. "Maybe they don't know yet. If it's just some dudes with briefcases running around the wild area and some Pumpkaboo outside some mines." The punk teen looks to Aria. "How did you learn about them?"

"News reports." Aria says casually. "There's nothing about them dissolving though."

"Maybe they're tryin' to keep that part hush hush so no one panics." Melody glances between the two trainers. "Oh. Aria, Aeliana. Aeliana, Aria." That won't get obnoxious to say.

"A pleasure to meet you." Aria says with a delicate bow.

Aeliana returns the greeting with a smile and a wave. "Alola! I've always heard the best way to meet someone is through battle… Guess I've experienced that now."

Aria blinks slowly as Orochi slithers his way up to her shoulder for a better angle to observe the pink haired girl. "You'd like to battle me?"

"I mean, I would… But… I've been out here for a while now. I don't think most of my team is in fighting shape at the moment," Aeliana explains. She gestures down to her Ralts, who aside from potentially Jet is the only Pokémon that hasn't been put through the ringer just yet. "Maybe some other time, though. You look like you know your way around a battle for sure."

"Thank goodness." Aria gives a tiny laugh. "My team's still pretty wiped out from our battle with Vespiquen." At her words, Orochi looks his trainer dead in the eye and gives the most dramatic, chest-puffed out, open-mouthed hmph he can muster. How dare she.

"Someone disagrees." Melody snickers. Something underneath her jacket begins to rustle, and Piper peeks her head out to observe the scene.

"Pum?" She questions as she turns her head back and forth. Where… is everyone? "Pum…?" She floats out of Melody's arm and spins in a small circle. When her eyes land on the three trainers, she tilts her body to the side in a questioning manner.

"Oh…" Melody grits her teeth. How can she explain…?

Aeliana watches the scene carefully. "...Piper, was it? Your friends they…" She pauses, the pinkette hesitating for a moment as she tries to word it carefully. "They were… sick… Very sick. We don't know what happened or why, but... when we battled them to save you…" She trails off. Her words fall out of her mouth and just disappear into the air, much like the Pokémon they had just finished battling. Aeliana's lavender eyes move their gaze down to the ground, hands shaking as she speaks. "...I'm sorry."

Piper looks all the more confused as Aeliana speaks. Sick…? But… where did they go? Did they run away after the fight? Why is the human so sad?

"Kaa…?" The tiny plant whines as the pieces come together. Tears form in tiny little eyes and she releases a tiny sniffle. Is she… all alone now?

"Piper…" Melody bites her lip. She's thankful Aeliana took this one. There's no way she could have broken it that gently. "... I'm real sorry." She doesn't know what else to say. There's nothing she can say to make this better. There's nothing she can do to make this better. No amount of sneering nor punching is going to bring back Piper's friends.

Aeliana bites her lip. She feels Clara's hand touch her leg, the Ralts staring up at her and then back towards Piper, asking if there's something she can do. The way the Pumpkaboo cries strikes a chord. The pink-haired trainer takes a nervous step forward. Slowly, she reaches out and gently begins to stroke the top of the Pumpkaboo's head before gently embracing it… well, as best as one can for a Pokémon that is part ghost, anyway. She takes a deep breath, and then just like the night on Route 3… and the night in the Wild Area when she first met Mahina… Aeliana sings.

"Shine… bright morning light
Now in the air the spring is coming
Sweet blowing wind
Singing down the hills and valleys
Keep your eyes on me
Now we're on the edge abound
Dear my love, sweet morning light
Wait for me, we'll go much farther
...Side by side."

The tiny Pumpkaboo sniffles and hides her face in Aeliana's chest. Little sniffles turn into quiet cries as the pinkette sings the lullaby. When the song ends, the tear stained face peeks back off. Nightshot drifts over and offers a tiny pat to his fellow ghost's head before wiping the tears away from her face with his nubbed hands.

Piper sniffles once again before peering up to Aeliana and giving a thankful nod. She then slowly floats out of the girl's delicate embrace and positions herself back atop the ghost-dragon's head. Nightshot locks eyes with Melody and makes a throwing motion with his hand before pointing to Piper. "Py?"

Melody blinks slowly. "If she wants to stay…" now that we've potentially murdered her friends… "she can."

Nightshot crosses his eyes in an attempt to look at the pumpkin atop his head. Still teary eyed, but no longer looking nearly as hopeless and lost, she gives a tiny nod. Her friends are gone… but she isn't alone. These are good humans… they tried to help. They… took her friend's pain away.

Melody cracks the smallest of smiles. "That song of yours is really somethin', Ael."

Aeliana feels her face heat up from Melody's compliment. Her eyes drift away from the punk girl and back to the ground. "I… um… It's n-nothing, just something someone taught me back home is all."

"Piper disagrees." Melody points out as she gestures to the sad little Pumpkaboo, who replies with a soft pum! of agreement. The song wasn't magic, no, it didn't rewind time and it didn't give Piper her friends back. What it did do was communicate that the little Pokemon wasn't totally alone. It was a kind gesture that Aeliana did without hesitation, knowing she wouldn't really get anything out of it. She was just… kind, and it looks like it helped a great deal more than anything Melody herself could come up with.

The punk teen looks over to Aria, who is giving the pair of Pokekids directions on how to get home. "You wanna get the hell outta here?" She asks Aeliana. "Turfield's not far."

Aeliana's eyes widen. "Wait, the Eevee! I forgot all about her!"

"Where did you see her last?" Melody questions as Aria walks back towards their little group.

"Just when I came out of the mines," the pinkette gestures behind her. "We had just gotten outside when we heard a cry. It was the Eevee and she was being hounded by three or so Elektrike, but… they were kind of… off. Like, earlier."

"****." Melody pops her neck before turning her attention to Aria. "Got a round three in you?"

"Absolutely." Aria says calmly.

"Lead the way, Ael." Melody says while calling Bishop back to his Pokeball. "We'll back you up."

The trio began to make their way across Route 4. Aeliana wasn't exactly sure just where the wild Eevee had taken off to, only the general direction she had seen the Pokémon go running in. It's a search that proves to be difficult before too much time passes, as the majority of the route is soon discovered by the pinkette to be covered in wheatfields. She isn't sure how small kids don't manage to get lost in these endless golden fields, let alone Pokémon.

As time passes by, Aeliana starts to feel like their hunt for the Eevee is going to prove fruitless. That or it's too late. Neither is a thought that the Alolan wishes to harbor. Thankfully, it soon appears like she won't have to. A feral growling is soon heard by the trio, directing them to a wheatfield over off the outskirts of Turfield. There, the three trainers would find an Eevee backed up onto a stone ledge of sorts. Her tail swishing back and forth as she leers over the edge, staring down at three circling Elektrike. The electric types are practically chomping at the bit to get a hold of the Eevee, both literally and figuratively as the trainers would quickly discover. Any time that the wild Eevee would slip on her footing or even just her tail would happen to flop over the edge, one of them would make an attempt to hop up and take a bite out of the Eevee.

Before Melody can even begin to think of a way to get to the Electrike without knocking the Eevee down, Piper leaps (floats) into action. The little pumpkin puffs her cheeks out angrily as she pushes herself off of Nightshot's head and glides closer to the green pups. She opens her mouth and releases a string of bullet seeds that pelt the angry electric types.

"-- Guess we're going for the direct approach." Melody thinks aloud.

"Do we do it any other way?" Aeliana questions, before turning her focus back towards the Elektrike. She takes hold of Jet's ball, knowing that it's a bit of a risk given his… attitude, but decides not to hesitate for too long. "Let's go, Jet! Rolling Kick!"

"Tyyyyyyy!" Jet cries out as he is released from his poké ball.

The Tyrogue glances around, eyes narrowing as he takes aim at the Elektrike who have now shifted their focus from the trapped Eevee to the trainers and their Pokémon. He quickly charges forward, nimbly side-stepping one of the Elektrike who attempt to take a bite out of Jet, only to be greeted with a foot to the head as he sends them stumbling back.

"Piper! Help him out with Leech Seed!" Melody calls. If battle is how Piper wants to work through her sadness, Melody won't say no; however, she'll need some energy back if she wants to keep going. That Shadowball hit its mark pretty damn hard.

Piper floats behind Jet and releases a tiny seed from her hollow pumpkin body. It shoots forward and sprouts, wrapping around one of the Electrikes and slowly, steadily seeping power from it.

"Mimi, Helping Hand!" Aria calls the little rodent from her Pokeball for a second time. The Minccino lands beside Jet and gives a happy wave in greeting before excitedly cheering him on.

Jet scoffs in response to the greeting, but he feels a sudden surge of power from within. Without even waiting for a command from Aeliana, the Tyrogue charges towards the Elektrike he had kicked just a few moments ago. He tackles his body into the Elektrike, sending tumbling back into the ground, wherein a familiar pillar of smoke rises as its body crumbles.

Piper quivers slightly as the Electrike begins to crumble away. So that's what happened… the little Pumpkin shakes her head and puts on a determined face. These Pokemon must be really sick and in a lot of pain to be doing this. If this is the only way, then she'll do what she can. "Pum!" She cries as she looks to Melody for instruction.

"'At a girl! Use Razor Leaf!"

"Use Swift!" Aria joins in. The two Pokemon combine their forces, sharp leaves gathering together with shining stars that crash into the remaining Electrikes.

"Orochi, help Eevee." Aria speaks to the small snake on her shoulder. Vines extend from Orochi's back and wrap around the stone where Eevee is taking refuge, allowing the grass type to pull himself up to her.

The Eevee looks over at Orochi, sniffing him cautiously before suddenly puffing out her chest and turning her nose in the other direction. Just who in the world was this lowly Snivy and what did he think he was doing just pulling himself up into her presence? The very idea that these commoners even thought she needed their help was insulting!

"Rogue!" Jet cries out as an Electrike slams into him with a Spark attack. The Tyrogue staggers back, bracing himself as the wild Pokémon prepares to follow up. The Electrike stops short as it staggers, however. Jet looks around curiously, eyes widening as he spots Clara assisting with a Confusion!

"Way to go, Clara! Now use Disarming Voice!" Aeliana cries.

The Ralts takes a deep breath. Her mouth opens wide, a shrill voice echoing out into the area that forces the Electrike to try and bury his head into the dirt to try and drown the noise out. Up on the rock, the wild Eevee also shudders in annoyance. What a bothersome cry!

"Piper, Shadow Sneak!" Melody cries out. The small Pumpkin squeezes her eyes shut briefly before looking at the punk teen with astonishment. She doesn't look bothered at all by this obnoxious sound! Piper happily dives into the shadows, the cold earth serving to drown out the noise. She reappears right underneath one of the Electrikes and lunges straight upward, sending the green Pokemon flying upward.

"Orochi, Vine Whip!"

A rather perturbed Snivy stares at the Eevee before redirecting his vines, striking the airborne Electrike back down with a powerful lash.

The Eevee stares back at Orochi. It looks like these commoners have taken care of things rather nicely here. While climbing down wouldn't be too much trouble, her legs are growing rather tired from all this running she's had to do today. Yes, perhaps she will give this Snivy the honor of bringing down to the ground after all. The Eevee proudly prances forward, before yawning and swishing her tail as if impatiently waiting to be lowered down to the ground.

Orochi's eyes narrow into the squintiest of squints. After turning her nose up to him when he came all the way up to help, now she wants to be brought down? He crosses his arms over his chest and looks away-- for about a second and a half. Ari will be unhappy with him if he comes down without her. With a tiny grumble under his breath, the banana snake wraps his vines around the Eevee and delicately lifts her up and eases her down to the safety of the wheat fields below.

"Thank goodness." Aria gives a small sigh of relief. "She doesn't look hurt. Good job, Orochi."

The Eevee looks around, her ears perking up as she listens closely. It seems the growling and barking of those slobbering Electrike are nowhere to be found. This can only mean that these lowly creatures did an acceptable job of clearing out the rabble. The problem now lies in getting home. Of course, she is fully capable of traveling on her own. However, someone as delicate as she is could use the extra protection. She begins to walk circles around the three trainers, examining them from every angle as if looking for even the slightest sign of defect.

"...Um… What is she doing?" Aeliana asks, glancing over towards Melody.

"Uh." Melody looks towards Aria. "Does your Eevee ever do this?"

"No. Orochi does though." Aria says as said banana snake weaves his way back through the field and onto her shoulder. "I think it's to see if someone's worthy to battle or not."

"So… she's sizing us up?" Melody questions as she stares at the Eevee circling them.

The question is answered when the Eevee pauses in front of Aeliana. She doesn't know why, but this trainer is… different. Of course, the appearance makes her stand out much more. The girl's hair color is so pretty, there must be more to her than these other two common folk. The Eevee puffs her chest out, pointing at the pinkette with her front left paw.

"Me…?" Aeliana asks.

Aria laughs softly into her hand. "You seem to be the chosen one." As she speaks, Orochi continues to glare at the other Pokemon, his vines now wrapped possessively around Aria's arm. Back off.
"Is that a good thing?" Melody questions as Piper floats over and sits on the punk teen's shoulder. The small ghost doesn't seem nearly as bothered by the Eevee as their snake companion does. Melody pets the top of the Pumpkaboo's head with her finger while tilting her head ever so slightly at the Eevee. It's awful… stuck up, isn't it? Well… maybe someone like Aeliana will be good for it.

"Alright then…" Aeliana replies. She seems unsure, but inside she's screaming with excitement. Eevee has always been one of her favorite Pokémon and they're so cute. Sure, this one is a bit… prissy to say the least, but it's still a win in her book. Aeliana rustles around in her bag, pulling out a poké ball and kneeling down to the Eevee's level. "Alright then, here you g-"

Before Aeliana can finish her statement, the Eevee is already sniffing the ball. It looks so… bland. So ordinary. It really isn't fitting of one that is of elite blood like herself. The Eevee huffs in response, flicking the ball away with her tail. A better ball is a must.

"...I don't understand," Aeliana states bluntly. Jet is already rushing past her, preparing himself for another battle. Thankfully, Clara is able to help the Tyrogue keep his… well, not fly off the handle entirely.

"Change your mind?" Melody asks. Does Eevee need a song and dance routine in order to convince her that she should get in the ball?

Aria studies the scene for a few seconds before giving a tiny giggle. "No, that's not it." The white haired trainer reaches into her backpack and takes out a luxury ball-- much to the chagrin of the snake on her shoulder. "Try this one."

Aeliana's blinks in disbelief. "A luxury ball? Those things aren't cheap!"

"That's why I think she'll like it." Aria explains with a knowing smile. "If you don't want to just take it… you can trade me the one she rejected?" They have the same catch rate, this one's just… fancier."

Aeliana glances down at the Eevee and then back at the discarded poké ball. Aria seemed to be pretty sure of this situation and… while Aeliana wasn't really keen on handing her something worth less money…

"Alright then, let's trade balls then," she relents.

Aria offers the luxury ball and picks up the rejected Pokeball to put in her bag (ignoring the glare she's receiving from her partner Pokemon all the while.) "Well, what say you, Eevee?"

Aeliana repeats the process, this time holding out the luxury ball for the Eevee. The Eevee sniffs the ball again, a satisfied smile gracing the Pokémon's features as her tail swishes back and forth. Yes, this is much more acceptable. The Eevee presses her nose against the ball, allowing herself to be pulled inside. The ball rattles only once before coming to a stop.

"Wow… I caught an Eevee..." Aeliana whispers, her eyes shining brightly and betraying her attempt to keep her usual calm demeanor.

"Nice catch." Melody says as she flashes the girl a thumb's up. She's not sure how much help such a prissy Pokemon will be to Aeliana, but hopefully the pinkette will be a good influence rather than the Eevee making Aeliana positively miserable. Only time will tell, she guesses.

With Eevee saved and things finally calming down, Aria leads Melody and Aeliana back to the main road which would take them to Turfield. It wasn't too far away from where they had wandered off from in search of the Eevee, but Aeliana didn't mind the escort. What she didn't expect however, was an older couple waiting for them in the middle of the road. Standing beside them, were the two children that Melody and Aria had been protecting earlier.

"Is… something wrong?" Aeliana asks as the trio reach the main road. "There aren't more of those weird Pokémon around, are there?"

"No-- well, none that we've seen anyway." The man speaks up.

"These are our parents!" The girl dressed as an Eevee exclaims happily. "We told 'em that you saved us from the mean Pumpkaboo."

"We can't thank you enough." The children's mother continues with a grateful smile. "I know this is an odd way of saying thanks, but… we would like you to have these." The woman reaches into her bag and takes out three TRs.

Melody glances at the number displayed atop the TRs and tries not to smirk too much. These are Burning Jealousy TRs… Annabelle could really use one of these. "Are you sure? Those're pretty rare."

"We're more than sure. Please, take them." The mother replies. "You saved our children's lives. We only wish we had more to give."

"It was no trouble, really…" Aeliana replies, gratefully taking one of the TRs. She smiles brightly at the woman. "Helping others is just what trainers do, right? I'll make sure to put this to good use so your gift won't go to waste."

"I hope you think a' us when you use 'em!" The young boy says with a bright grin.

"I think we can manage that." Melody says as she takes the TR and slides it into her satchel.

"Thank you for your generosity." Aria says softly before giving a polite bow.
"You're gonna go to Turfield to fight Milo, right?" The young girl asks.

"That's the plan." Melody answers.

"We'll all be cheering for you." The mother says as she puts a hand on each of her children's shoulders. "Good luck."

PastelPhoenix · Jan 25, 2021

Achille Béringer || 18 || ♂️
Location: Galar Mine No. 1
Current Status: Curious. Planning something likely illegal?

Joiuse - Shadow Sneak, Fury Cutter, Autotomize, Metal Sound, Block, Aerial Ace

Proudhon - Tackle, Splash, Thrash

Alizé - Absorb, Tackle, Gust, Supersonic, Double Team, Wing Attack

Ignace - Powder Snow, Tackle, Taunt, Bite, Avalanche, Work Up

The evening sun cast an orange glow over the rocky landscape outside the mines. Achille sat alone at a bench overlooking the mine entrance, just another kid checking his phone to a casual passerby. He was waiting for the mine workers to fully leave the mine for the night, however, looking for a moment that he could sneak on and poke around the odd work site from earlier.

He scrolled through the recent contacts on his phone, a disappointingly small list, trying to find someone who he could talk this through. There was no need to tell this person the full extent of the plan, especially not when it comes to potentially incriminating evidence. Still, it would help him feel like he wasn't going crazy overthinking this. The only question at this point was who.

His finger hovered over the call button next to Haleigh's name. For some reason she was the first name that spring to mind when he thought of doing dumb and dangerous shit, but for a good reason. He did just get done apologizing for the Froslass incident though. The next name that caught his eye was Max, but he already had too many owed favors to the guy. He didn't want to spend his entire life indebted to him.

Beyond those two there was really only his family. His dad probably had some insight into business in Galar, but he really didn't feel like speaking to him at the moment. His successor though… He pressed on Jean's name and raised the phone to his ear. The phone speaker crackled to life and played a few rapid dull tones as it began the international connection. It rang a few times before the call was accepted, and he heard the voice of his eldest brother through the speaker.

"Hello Achille," Jean greeted. He sounded tired, but he always sounded a little tired in most of Achille's memories. He was a college student for much of those though, but now he had a more active role in the transport company and a kid that seemed to be causing the same issues.

"Hey, sorry if I woke you up." A few stragglers wandered out of the mine as Achille watched. It looked like the remainder of the employees were finally leaving, and the mine should be down to just guards soon.

"Don't worry about it," Jean replied, stifling a yawn. "I just put Emilie down to sleep and was about to sneak out for a smoke break. Is something wrong?" His brother sounded concerned, which was probably not undeserved. Achille usually called Jean for issues he didn't feel comfortable going to his father for, but still needed someone responsible to help.

"No, not this time." He downplayed the incident. No need to mention anything about sneaking in after hours. Especially no mention of helping his classmate dislocate a man's jaw and liberate some Pokémon. "I was passing through the mines here and they blocked off some of the tunnels. Said it was due to some kind of labor dispute. Do you know anything about this?"

"Labor disputes? Things are different legally than here in Kalos, so I couldn't tell you for sure. Someone like Max Ivers might know more. Why?" Merde, he sounded suspicious.

"They've locked down the fastest way in and out, and there's a very good training spot on the other side of the work site." Achille stretched the truth, it was the fastest way in and out, and it was a good spot for training. "They're working on the sides of the cave, except right in the middle of the floor they apparently hit gold and have two companies fighting over who owns it. Until they settle it I can't get through, and that main path is a pain in the ass."

"Let me guess, one of those companies is Blackspear?" Something about that sentence seemed to pique Jean's attention judging by his tone of voice. "I'd recommend not getting involved in it if that's the case."

"I keep hearing that name. Who exactly are they? Should I know anyone there?" Achille recalled the name from the opening ceremony and that job application they wanted trainers to sign up for back in Motostoke. He'd dismissed the offer, it wasn't like he was hurting for money. "Anyways, it's not them though. Two small companies when I looked them up, less than 100 employees each."

There was a sigh from the receiver that Achille couldn't identify as relieved or frustrated. "I suppose you're fine not knowing anyone there. They haven't done much business outside Galar, so we don't work with them that often." Jean's voice was briefly muffled and the sound of a lighter could be heard faintly in the background as he presumably lit his cigarette. "They primarily dabble in energy, basically filling the gap the former Galarian League Chairman's company left vacant. A lot of people were just banking on Rose's company being split into smaller ones and breaking the virtual monopoly they had, but Blackspear moved fast. I assume you have heard of the Rose incident at least?"

"I at least heard that, tête de nœud," Achille scoffed, earning a chuckle from Jean on the other end of the line. "It was unavoidable news in the school. I just don't care to check the stock market, okay?" A group of people tried to enter the mine, but were turned back. The mine now appeared to be closed for the night. "What about the gold situation anyways?"

"If you want my honest suggestion, leave it alone and call the cops. I know you're going to keep poking at it until you get an answer though, so I did a bit of searching while we talked. It made a small local news story there. Both companies took a high risk contract on that cavern knowing that nothing was discovered there yet. They both have a chance to make a huge profit, but only if there is something actually in there."

"If it's nothing, they bought a bunch of rocks." Achille concluded.

"Exactly. So they're both going to fight tooth and nail over every centimeter of cavern when it comes to something as valuable as gold."

"Alright, thanks for that." It wasn't going to deter Achille, as he still felt something about this whole situation was off. It did give him some good context though. "Get some sleep now." The two exchanged goodbyes, and Achille pocketed his phone again. He'd have to come back when it was fully dark, but if anything his people watching gave him a sense of how many people would go through the mine normally. He could see why someone would be reluctant to close a tunnel used for traffic. He stretched, shaking off the effect of sitting on that bench for so long, and set off to grab a bit of food while the sun fully set.

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For some reason breaking into a guarded mineshaft was easier than Achille expected. The guard outside that normally turned people away also had to patrol the outside of the mine should any potential disturbance be found. Something Achille took full advantage of by having Alizé rustle around in some nearby bushes while Achille slipped in the entrance with Ignace.

After that he just had to wait in a side tunnel for Alizé to meet back up with them. Guards mostly walked the main hall and were easily spotted by Alizé, who would return back to the trainer when one of the three rent-a-cops got close. It was almost boring ducking from tunnel to tunnel, it was far harder to sneak away to the Gym back home. The only problem came from keeping an eye on Ignace, who liked to attempt to wander off in search of another Pokemon or a kinda shiny rock.

There was no incident retracing his footsteps back to the locked off tunnel. The disappointment in the ease of infiltration began to dissipate as he moved closer to his destination; the curiosity of the situation taking its place. He waited at the entrance of the side tunnel for a moment, just looking ahead at the darkness beyond the stone entryway. Ignace looked with him for a second before getting bored and finding a pile of rocks to dig through. Alizé looked concernedly at Achille from her shoulder perch, gently poking him in the cheek when he didn't move after a few seconds.

"It's nothing," he whispered, easing the little Noibat's worries. "I think I'm just done with caves for a bit after this, no offense." The whispers drew the attention of the Darumaka, who rejoined the two and held aloft a perfectly round rock that caught his attention. "That's a good rock." He acknowledged as he took the rock and pocketed it. He needed to get the Pokemon his own bag if he was going to end up with a little collection.

With a deep breath, the Kalosian advanced towards what he hoped wasn't a well patrolled cavern.

He moved as quietly as he could, avoiding areas with a lot of loose stones or areas that looked uneven. The pale light of the sporadic halogen light bulbs cast large shadows across the tunnel walls. It looked like they also turned half the lights off during the night, causing the tunnel to be even darker than he remembered. But it allowed him to remain in the shadows for most movements, and the barricade blocking the cavern proper soon came into view.

And behind it, a humanoid figure crouched over the gold pit. The figure was moving, but the darkness made it impossible to tell what it was actually doing. Achille ducked behind a large rock as soon as he realized the shape was a person, slowing his breath out of fear of any noise giving him away. He felt his heart rate skyrocket, but the figure didn't move to confront him.

He waited for a moment, holding onto Ignace lest the ape wander off again. "Hey, Alizé," he whispered to the Noibat, currently perched atop his head as a vantage point. "Make some noise on the other side of the cave please!"

Alizé let out a small squeak of acknowledgement and took to the air. The dragon-type was soon invisible in the darkness of the cave. Moments that felt more like minutes ticked past as Achille waited for the distraction. Then, the sound of rushing wind through the cavern. The sound of pebbles clattering against the stone followed, disturbed by the sudden Gust. A few moments later and it was over. Gone as soon as it started.

"What was that?" Came a hushed voice from the blob near the gold pit. It sounded feminine, and younger than Achille was expecting. The person said something that he couldn't discern, and a roundish figure hopped out of the hole, disappearing deeper into the cavern. It was almost certainly a pokemon of some sort, but exactly what it was eluded him.

Alizé could be in trouble, however. Plenty of small, round pokemon could prove dangerous to the even smaller bat. "Ignace, follow me closely." He placed his hand atop the Darumaka's head, rustling its cold, stiff fur. "Try not to make noise until I do."

Achille slipped out from his hiding spot, moving incredibly slowly and rigidly to minimize sound. The figure kept staring off towards the far side of the cave, so the Kalosian felt emboldened enough to move faster. There was no sound of conflict nor any indication that Alizé was in any danger, but the feeling of being on borrowed time persisted. He sped up even more, getting close enough to make out that the person was dressed in a trench coat and some kind of hat was keeping a bundle of curly hair largely in place. The figure also seemed to be wearing some kind of face covering.

And then he accidentally kicked a rock, making a loud clacking noise.

"What the?!" The person suddenly stood up and turned around, looking Achille in the face. Fight or flight kicked in, and the trainer followed the urge to rush at the stranger before he could get another gun pulled on him. "DOYLE!" The stranger yelled, backing up and starting to fall backwards into the hole.

Achille's instincts changed to reaching out for the stranger's hand. Before he could grab it to save her, something fuzzy latched onto his face and something sharp sank into his nose. Achille was now the one screaming, trying to get the fuzzy beast off him. Ignace, doing the best he could, threw a rock at the stranger.

"Oi, was that a fuckin' rock?!" The stranger yelled. "Doyle, down! Let him go!"

The creature thankfully jumped off Achille's face, leaving the teen to fall onto his ass and grab his nose. He was definitely bleeding, but the wound wasn't too deep. He saw a white and purple blur in his periphery as Alizé and Ignace rushed over to him. The both looked panicked, and looked towards each other with no idea of what to do.

"What the hell are you doing here?" The stranger demanded, now looming above Achille. He remained on his side, plugging the bloodflow. She stepped into the light, revealing a woman not much older than Achille with a newsboy cap and a shock of curly red hair. Her face was obscured by a plain black bandana, and she was holding her lower back. "Oh bugger me, it's a kid."

The woman knelt down next to him, wincing as she did so and reaching into a pocket in her trench coat. Achille wanted to ask questions, but he really wasn't in a position to at the moment. She pulled out a pocket sized medical kit, unzipping the cloth case and pulling out a few small adhesive bandages. "Hold still," she commanded, grabbing Achille's face. "You can explain what you're doing here after we get that patched up."

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Achille sat on the stone floor after giving his story to the woman, rubbing the bandage on his nose. A Sentret, the presumed Doyle who caused the wound, glared at him angrily. The woman thankfully just chuckled softly to herself. Alizé took up her normal roost position, while Ignace sat in his lap.

"So some mine workers are assholes to you, and you decide to break in and do some investigating yourself?"

It sounded silly when she put it like that, sure. "It wasn't just that they were assholes," Achille objected, petting the Darumaka on his lap. "The gold didn't look right. It sounds weird saying this, but it doesn't look like gold you'd just dig up out of the ground."

"And what do you mean by that?" She asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

"It looked too nice from the glimpse I saw of it." He explained, swallowing nervously. "I once went to an actual place where they made the gold nuggets that you see sold or collected. The kind that are prettied up, polished and turned into the small round chunks of gold. Before that they didn't look nearly as nice. These looked like someone took the commercial product and scuffed it up."

The red-headed woman stared him down for a few more moments before breaking into laughter. Achille didn't see what was so funny, and worried if he sounded like an idiot. "Good eye kid!" She said after catching her breath again. "Yeah, this gold wasn't originally here."

"Can I finally ask who the hell you are?" Achille snapped. The woman looked at him and smiled again. She reached into another jacket pocket and pulled out a scrap of paper, presenting it to him. Achille grabbed the piece of paper and reviewed it. "A ticket to The Honchkrow Father from yesterday?"

"Wrong pocket!" The stranger exclaimed, snatching the movie ticket back and passing over a business card this time: the Locksure Detective Agency. The card introduced the woman as Clari Whitlocke, an associate of the business.

"So, you're a private detective?" The woman seemed a little… wiry compared to the detectives he pictured. The Sentret didn't seem like too big of a deterrent either, his nose notwithstanding.

"That I am!" She replied in a proud tone. "It seems your investigation and mine have intersected. I can see the pieces all coming together… Mister?" She held out her hand to lift him up.

"Achille. Achille Béringer." He took her hand after moving Ignace from his lap, pulling himself up. "I guess it's good to know a real detective is on the scene."

Clari beamed at the words "real detective", her chin high in the air as she paced towards the pit in the ground. For a second Achille though she was going to end up falling into the hole a second time, when she suddenly stopped and kneeled down.

"Well, Achille." She shuffled through the pieces of rock before pulling out a roundish chunk of gold. "My client is Motostoke Mining Incorporated. They hired Locksure after a crate of gold went missing from their processing facility before it could go out for sale. The area it was stolen from was mostly occupied by other mining companies, and access is gated. Kind of hard to sneak into that part of town and make off with a crate full of gold."

"I think I see where you're going with this. I'm guessing you found the gold."

Clari tossed the little nugget of gold. She was short about a foot, but Achille managed to catch it before it clattered off into the darkness. He looked the gold over, feeling the areas where it felt entirely too smooth. His fingers ran over an odd groove, and an engraved M.M.I. was visible upon further inspection.

"I feel stupid now." Achille admitted, feeling his face flush.

"Don't." Clari responded, walking back over to join him. "It was an awesome observation and you were on the right track. I just had a head start on information."

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The two had parted ways not long after that, Achille leaving her to finish her investigation. Knowing the investigation was being handled by professionals let him safely put it in the back of his mind without worry.

He was on his way to the mine for the last time, ready to finally put Motostoke and Route 4 behind when one of the guards stopped him.

"Achille Béringer?" Achille nodded. "This was left for you."

The man handed over an envelope and a small jewelry sized box to the trainer's confusion. He looked over the envelope before spotting a familiar name, Clari Whitlocke. He tore open the envelope and read it on the spot.

Hey Achille,

Investigation is wrapping up, I just wanted to let you know what went down. In a twist of fate we got a confession from both companies. It looks like some Thornbriar employees made off with the gold and decided to hide it here after lining their pockets with a few nuggets. How exactly they expected to get away with it eludes me.

Plot twist though, they started burying it on their side of the mine when some Titan employees caught them. They wanted it, and they foolishly decided to bury it in the middle in the hopes that a big company argument would wipe away any suspicion from them instead of… you know… bringing in people to investigate.

Anyways, I'm going to be stuck here for a while longer while we wrap up the specifics. We did get paid though, and MMI included a little bonus after we managed to actually recover the gold. In the face of this unexpected reward, I felt it only right to include you in it. Consider it an apology for the whole nose situation.

Maybe I'll be searching for a sidekick someday. Until then, keep my number,

Clari.

Achille had a hunch at what was in the box, but wanted to be out of prying eyes before opening it. Once safely out of view, he cracked open the jewelry case and looked at the lumpy sphere of gold, awkwardly repolished and etched with a C.W.

Got Item
Gold Nugget

Inventory:

Spoiler:

Sapphire Rose · Jan 25, 2021

Pia McGuire
Poké:

5550 ♦ Pokémon: 4

A nightmare from the past.

"Pia! Breakfast is ready!" A voice calls from downstairs.

Rays of sunlight escaped through the open window into Pia's room. A breeze of fresh air blew on the face of the girl, waking her up along with the wakeup call from her mother. It was a beautiful day in Hammerlocke and it was a waste to stay inside with the sun showing up like that. A big smile appeared on Pia's face thinking about the fun things she was going to do today. No school meant more playtime with her Pokémon friends from the neighbourhood! She had made a new friend the other day and she was only hoping it would be around today to play as well!

The girl acrobatically jumped out from her bed. With a leap towards her mirror she grabbed for her brush and putted her long wavy manes into a ponytail. She undressed herself as if it were a race and put on her mint coloured shorts and pastel pink shirt in a very clumsy way as she stumbled down the stairs towards the kitchen. Their house wasn't very impressive but it was cosy and enough for just her mother and her. Recently an Azurill had added to their little family and Pia tried to train her like a real Pokémon trainer! Like the ones she saw on TV! Today she's going to train with Azurill as well!

"Good morning, mom!" She grinned at the dark haired woman in the kitchen. Much like Pia, she had wavy hair but while Pia's eyes were emerald green, hers were a beautiful ocean blue.

"Good morning, honey. I made you blueberry pancakes. Your favourite." Her mother smiled warmly at her with doting eyes. The precious little bean she had raised on her own and kept safe with whatever means necessary. Pia only just turned 8 and she was as cheeky as ever. It was truly a happy sight for the young mother. One that made everything worth it. She placed a small dish with three pancakes in front of her daughter, decorated with butter and maple syrup. Pia's mouth was watering just looking at it.

While she was ready to cut the first piece of pancake off to devour it, her mother's Azurill jumped on the seat next to her. Despite living in poverty, lately her mother had gotten a job that was able to pay the bills a little better. That they were able to have a Pokémon for a pet now was truly a blessing! Except… that it would often come and beg for her delicious food.

"You're not getting any today, Lana!" Pia told her sternly, waving with her fork at it much like a child would do. Azurill looked disappointed. With her big eyes tearing up, Pia sighed. All her mother did was chuckle at the sight. Not a moment did she regret expanding their family. With no father in sight, it had just been the two of them. The asset to the family made the household just a little more lively and such was the picture of this very scene. At least… that's how Pia remembered it.

"Fine but you will have to play with me today!" Pia finally yielded. She winked at the Pokémon and held out the fork with a bit of pancake in front of the Azurill. She tricked the Pokémon into thinking she wasn't going to give her any to bribe her into playing with her today. It was a genius plan and one Pia was very proud of! Azurill leaned in forward to grab the pancake from the fork. Immediately right after it started jumping around on its bouncy tail. Her approval was given! Soon they would come back for more. The teasing between the Pokémon and the little girl went on for moments until Pia's plate was finished. The moment she got up, however, her moment stopped her right on the spot.

"Be careful outside. Don't go to the wild area today. Okay?" Her mother warned her. Pia immediately started pouting. How did she even know she wanted to go there?!

"But mooooooommmmm… Why not…?" Pia placed her hands in her tiny sides. A small child like her making such an angry face was more cute than intimidating. Her mother, whose name was Cordelia, had trouble keeping her laugh in check but managed. It didn't fool the little girl though.

"Because scary Pokémon walk around in the wild, dear. What will I do if you or Lana get hurt?" Cordelia told her daughter, tapping her chin and tilting her head.

"But I am a Pokémon trainer! Someday I will be a gym leader! I'll be just as amazing as granny Opal!" Pia laughed and ran around the kitchen table, Azurill joined her in a game of tag which was randomly decided upon. Chairs were shoved around that Cordelia put back in place. She sighed and shook her head but she was truly feeling blessed with such an energetic girl. She had so much life in her.

"Ohhh~ But even Gym Leaders know when to listen to their mother." Cordelia smiled at the girl, this time in a much more ominous manner. One that Pia would often use today. It was a mother telling her child not to disobey and Pia knew this smile all too well. Her mother was indeed serious. She nodded… although with clear disappointment. Cordelia patted the girl on her head. "I'll make you your favourite dinner tonight too. So be a sweet girl okay? Don't let your Pokémon friends wait."

"Okay mom~" Pia agreed with the sweetest smile she could give the mother. With another warm, motherly smile, Cordelia saw her daughter off. Pia watched her wave as she closed the door. Now that she had freedom to do whatever she wanted with Lana the Azurill at her side.

"Let's go to the Wild Area!" She confirmed with Lana, who then happily jumped around on her tail.

"Azurill!" She called happily. Pia gave her a cheeky grin and held a finger against her lips.

"Shhhh."

Moments later, Pia found herself at the gate of Hammerlock. Her platinum blonde locks were shining in the sun but something was blocking her path, or rather… someone

"Your mother doesn't want you to go the wild area, Pia. It's not a place for children." An old man at the gate spoke to her. He looked like he was somewhere in his fifties. The grey hair in his moustache and the strand of grey hair peeking underneath his hat made that evident. He was wearing a brown leather coat and trousers to fit the entire image of someone's grandfather. He often stood at the gates to keep the children from going to the Wild Area since Pia obviously wasn't the only mischievous one.

"But I'm a Pokémon trainer! I will be the new gym leader when I grow up!" Pia huffed and crossed her arms. The Azurill beside her did the same thing and pouted, copying the young girl in her behaviour. The old man laughed at the girls words.

"You're cute but you're still not going past me, Pia. Strange things have been happening lately. We can't let you and the other children get caught up in it." The old man tried to wave her away but the girl wouldn't budge.

"I will take care of it! I got Lana!" Pia threw him a thumbs up. The smirk on her face was confident, very befitting of the girl but the old man shook his head in response. Pia knew what that meant.

"Pia, I'm not going to warn you again. Go play at the playgrounds like the other kids." He told her off. Pia sighed…

"Fine… You win this round…" She declared. The moment she turned around though, a mischievous grin blessed the girls lips. This wasn't the last he had seen of her.

The young girl wandered through the streets of Hammerlocke, she kicked a peddle with her feet away as she walked, constantly kicking it further and further away as she got closer to it. She was pouting, obviously. She had tried getting past the old man several times now but he was really too smart. Even sneaking wouldn't work and when she thought he was in a conversation with one of the other mothers, he was in actuality still keeping an eye on the gate. He kept catching her in the act. She needed something bigger… something cleverer. She needed to outplay this old geezer. She needed…

The new friend she made yesterday!

Her eyes sparkled at the thought of having her Pokémon friend from yesterday help out. She turned to the Azurill. "I have an idea! Come with me!" She told Lana who seemed confused. What was the girl up to now?

The girl ran through the dark alleys behind her house. Occasionally almost tripping over lose street tiles that weren't repaired. People didn't come here often so there was no need to spend the time and energy into such small things. She passed a certain someone's window and sticked out her tongue. One of the bullies lived in that house… She remembered that all too well. A few streets further she saw her friend sit on top of the treasures he had found that day. His black feathers shimmering in the shadows, on top of his head was a hat that seemingly belong to him as part of his body.

"Krow!" The Pokémon spread his wings upon seeing the girl close in on him. This was the girl that helped him find shiny things yesterday! Murkrow liked this girl! Girl was cute! Girl was very helpful!

"I need your help!" Pia called to it, not wasting another moment. Her eyes fell upon the pile of trunk that was below the crow Pokémon. She had questions marks by some of the shiny things she saw but that was not important right now. Murkrow huffed his chest forward, feeling like a true hero. This girl had helped him find so many nice trinkets the other day, it felt only right to help her out this time. He tilted her head towards the girl. "Do you have more friends? Do you think you can distract someone for me?" Pia's eyes ones again shimmered, her ideas almost flooding over through her eyes. This girl had so much ambition, so much potential…

"Murkrow!" With another spread of his wings, the crow Pokémon seemed a bit confused and hesitant… It was true he wanted to help but why would she need help from others too? Surely they wouldn't do that for free. Would that mean he had to… share… his… TRICKETS?!

Murkrow shook his head aggressively. Disagreeing with the girl's plan. Pia pouted in response. Of course it wouldn't be this easy. Lana could only look at the young girl, wondering if they really should be doing this. They could have lots of fun in the city too, right? What about their Chingling and Teddiursa friends?

"Ah! I know! Mom is getting a lot of jewellery lately that she says she has no need for! I'll give you those!" Pia promised the Murkrow. Murkrow still looked a bit hesitant and once again tilted his head. "Look! I found this last night!" The girl grabbed in her pockets and out of it fell all kinds of different jewellery. Something that shouldn't be in possession of a young girl but none of that mattered to the crow Pokémon whose eyes only widened. One necklace in particular caught his attention. It was a beautiful golden chain decorated with big Clamperl pearls. Shinyyyyy!!

The disagreement the two had seemingly disappeared like snow before the sun and the Murkrow wholeheartedly agreed on helping the girl out. Now to set the plan in action…

Pia stood in an alley where she had a good view on the old man and the gate. The moment she waved her tiny girl arm towards the old man, a group of wild Murkrow targeted the poor unknowing man. They weren't exactly subtle with their approach but they weren't exactly the smartest Pokémon around either, it was the result that counted in this plan. And the result was indeed a good one. One Murkrow grabbed for the man's hat while a few other ones tried to peck at his leg to grab his laces or trousers. Watching the man struggle to get the Murkrow to leave him alone made both the Azurill and the girl laugh at the sight. Lana still wasn't too sure about this plan but what could go wrong? ~~Famous last words…~~

Both the girl and the Azurill tip-toed behind the old man while he was distracted. Her Murkrow friend gave her a thumbs up while they walked past, that's how they knew she could pass safely. She waved as both her and Lana ran down the stairs, in front of her a wild field of grass, mountains, lakes and everything else. It would take weeks to just get across all of this. For now, she'd just play near the entrance. This wasn't the first time Pia had successfully gotten into the wild area and it was not going to be the last time either. She was definitely going to travel through this wild area if she grew older though!

"Zu Zu!" Lana bounced around once again. This was the first time the tiny baby Pokémon had seen something like this. It was big and so beautiful! It was a totally different view from the city.

"Let's go Lana! Our adventure awaits!" The girl pointed out towards a hill and bit further away that she had chosen as their playground for today. Both made their way towards it, running happily like the children that they were.

Pia and Lana the Azurill had been playing all day. The sun was starting to set and Pia was waiting at the edge of the lake near the hill they had been playing at to dry herself in the last few rays of the sun that were raining down on them. It was time to go back. Suddenly she noticed something.

"What is this horrendous scent…?" She pinched her nose and made a distasteful expression. It smelled like they were plumbing the fields again with Miltank poop but this was surely not the time of the year for that, right…? Besides… this was… Hammerlocke…? What fields?

"ZU ZU! ZURILL!" Pia heard her little water Pokémon friend behind her scream. The screech was enough to have the girl hear a tut in her ear as a result.

"Yeah yeah I know we have to le-" As the girl got up she noticed a huge shadow coming closer. The moment she turned around to face her friend a large Pokémon towered out over them. The awful scent she had been smelling originated from this huge monstrosity. It looked like it was made out of a pile of garbage. Pokémon like this existed too…?

"Gaaaaaarrrrrrr….." The Pokémon that was in their presence looked at them with a glare. It was a piercing look that made the Azurill in front of him tremble while the girl didn't look all the impressed. Pia was more impressed by the stench this Pokémon gave off than the intimidation. It became even more hostile knowing it wasn't taken seriously.

"Oh? It wants to battle?" Pia asked as she saw the huge garbage Pokémon take on an attacking stance. Lana didn't look too sure about battling at all. She was terrified. "Don't worry Lana! I'm a Pokémon trainer! We'll get through this together!" Pia gave her a thumbs up and a confident smirk. She looked quite something with that tiny bit of dirt on her cheek. Lana was calmed down by Pia's confidence. She nodded and agreed to battle the Pokémon, identified as a Garbodor. A strong Pokémon that roamed around the wild area, not that Pia knew that at the time. Or… knew how to battle at all.

"I'll be just like granny Opal! Lana, do a Hydro Pump! Let's show this baddie who is boss!" Pia excitedly jumped around with her fist pumping into the air. Lana looked slightly confused. Of course Pia had attempted her to use a Hydro Pump before but… It was nothing more than a stream of bubbles. That's what she did in the end. Lana unleashed a stream of bubbles to the Garbodor but it looked even less than disappointed. It felt like it was being mocked.

"GAAAARRBBBBOOOODDDOOORRRR!!"

He unleashed the anger he was building up and grabbed the tiny mouse like Pokémon from the ground.

"AZURILL!!!" It screeched in fear, seeing how Pia flinched from the sudden development making her insecure as well. Pia looked at them with widened eyes. She was strong, right? Why did the Hydro Pump not do anything? What was happening?

"Gaaarrrrrrrrr…" The Garbodor sounded, looking like he was pumping up something, gathering all of his energy to unleash something horrible. He squeezed the Azurill in his pipe like hands. Pia's fears in her eyes led her to tearing up as she heard the baby Pokémon cry in pain. Why were they so out powered?! What was this thing?! This was so unfair!!

"Stop hurting Lana! Let her goo!!" Pia leaped towards the Garbodor and the Azurill that he was holding. Garbodor let go of the power her gathering due to its concentration being broken by the sudden girl kicking hanging on one of his arms.

"GARRRRBOODOORR!!" Truly angry now, he swinged his arm to the right side, throwing the girl away from him on the ground and making her roll even further away.

"AZU! ZURILLLL!"

"Stop hurting her!!" She cried as Lana kept screeching as well. The girl picked herself up from the ground, now covered in dirt and ran up to them once again. Garbodor, however, was done with this little play hour. He grabbed Azurill's tail with his other hand and looked at the girl intensely.

"N-No… Let her go…" Pia's eyes widened and she stopped. Moving just a tiny bit closer every time but eventually she just froze in place as it became clear he would pull harder at Lana's tail the closer she came. "P-Please… we'll leave…" The girl pleaded.

"Garr…." Garbodor smirked.

*PLOP*

Pia's vision became blurry. The last things she remembered she saw was blood streams, Azurill crying out and the tail the Garbodor popped off being dropped next to her. It had been "playing" with them.

"There she is! Pia! Lana!" Were the first things she heard from people running up behind her before Pia felt herself regaining conscience. The sight of a small Chingling and a Teddiursa being the last things she saw.

Pia woke up from her sleep and sat up in her bed immediately, feeling streams of sweat flowing from her face or where those… tears? She turned her glance beside her. Ruben was still sleeping and so was Milla. Both seemed like they were having better dreams than her at least. Her eyes lingered on Milla, who had recently evolved, and her tail…

She sighed, almost in relief and laid back on her back, feeling the arm of Ruben immediately around her. It was a nice feeling to know that she was no longer alone at night, no longer alone with the nightmares that kept pestering her. No longer alone in the… dark. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the warmth of the arm being wrapped around her and Milla who sheepishly came in to cuddle closer with her. She smiled. The nightmare was a bad one… but at least she wasn't alone anymore… and so she fell back asleep.

… Almost. The buzzing of a phone made her reopen her eyes. What was that annoying buzzing she kept hearing. Was it her phone? No, her phone was right next to her. It had to be Ruben's. She only now realized how she had it heard buzzing a lot throughout the day too. She carefully grabbed the phone the boy had placed beside him and searched for the silent button. Of course this was a far more advanced phone than Pia had herself and the silent button was no longer on the side of the phone… her eyes accidentally lingered on a message as she searched.

"Glad to have you on board for the Under 23s game mate. Turffield's are tough tackling, so make sure that ankle's fully healed or it's gonna be a tough afternoon. Wouldn't want you getting injured again :thumbsup:"

Ah, it was about a football match. Pia found the silent button and pressed it before returning the phone to Ruben's side. It then hit her. Wait, a match? While his ankle isn't fully recovered yet? Pia once again looked at the boy. He was hiding something. Was it the pain? Did he want to play again so badly he had truly been covering up his pain? That would explain why the physio cleared him…

She thought a bit more about it. Obviously she couldn't out rightly tell him that she read messages on his phone. She had to be tactful about it. He probably wasn't going to listen to what she had to say anyway but the least she could do was try and help his ankle get better, right? She'll have to look more into that tomorrow…

For now, she laid back on her back and closed her eyes once more, hoping to be able to sleep through the rest of the night with all that was on her mind.

Pia's Party

Memories

STAGE 1: Wedgehurst -> Wild Area -> Motostoke

Wedgehurts
I choose you part 1
I choose you part 2
I choose you Final

Wild Area
Train to Wild Area ft. Raphael & Aeliana
Two birds with one stone
Two birds with one stone part 2 + Bird Brain
Wild Area with Arrietty

Motostoke
Double Trouble part 1
Double Trouble part 2

STAGE 2: Route 3 -> Galar Mine 1 -> Route 4

Route 3
It's the most wine-derful time of the year | Part 1
It's the most wine-derful time of the year | Part 2
A Festive Fight to the Finish
The Mystery of Mew! | Part 1
The Mystery of Mew! | Part 2
The Mystery of Mew! | Part 3
A Two headed reflection

Galar Mine 1
Galar Mine #1 | Part 1
Galar Mine #1 | Part 2
Galar Mine #1 | Part 3

Route 4
Route 4
Couch McGuire
A failed attempt.

Pia's journal

Arrietty Maverick
Pia and Arrietty met in the Wild Area although the two have shared classes before. It struck Pia as odd that the girl seemed to have no ambitions or goals at all. Although disappointed upon finding out this girl had no fire burning that would light her path, Pia made it her mission to help this girl get a goal and become a bit more social. Arrietty is the closest Pia can consider a "friend".

Ruben Sancho
Pia met Ruben during Motostoke while on a double date with him, Arrietty and Ainsley. The date went disastrous with both Arrietty and Ainsley running off but Ruben and Pia were able to grow just a tiny bit closer during their search for Arrietty. They have been texting since and are on good terms with each other. They both seem to be interested in just a little bit more...

Ruben and Pia are officially dating since the end of the year festival on Route 3 following their "official second date" that went well. Pia knows about Ruben's ankle and that it's still hurting. They're in close contact with each other through calling and texting. They went on another date on Route 4 where Ruben had a gig for a coaching session with kids with the promise to spend time together after that. Both confirmed their feelings for the other by sharing a kiss. Pia likes him a lot.

Raphael Allard
Pia met Raphael during her train ride to the wild Area together with Aeliana. Thinking that he had a lot of potential in becoming a chamption which would benefit her, Pia approached him thinking they could become friends. Their interactions didn't go as smoothly as Pia had hoped. After their argument at the end of her battle with Aeliana, the girl ran off thinking she had blown her chances. Raphael doesn't harbour any ill intend towards the girl and only hoped to give her some advice.

They have resolved their issues in Galar mine 1 and worked together to battle Oleana in which they were victorious. Raphael brought the issues with Pia's overprotectiveness of Milla back up on Route 4 when Pia was refusing Milla from battling. Raphael spoke some sense into her, prompting her to finally trust Milla. Raphael understands Pia better now and Pia has a better opinion of Raphael now too.

Aeliana Kekoa
Pia met Aeliana during the train ride to the wild Area together with Raphael. Although her interactions with Aeliana went a little bit more smoothly than with Raphael, Pia still ran off at the end of their battle in an attempt to distract her since Pia owed her money for losing. Although Pia has declared Aeliana her rival, they haven't spoken since and Pia attempts to keep it that way.

Pia met Aeliana again on Route 3 when she was on her way to the end of the year market. Together with Rosa and Valerie they went into an haunted mansion. Although they didn't converse much, Aeliana made some comments that Pia saw as snarky that were meant well by Aeliana. This indicates that Pia still thinks that Aeliana is out to get her.

Ainsley
Ainsley was Pia's date partner during the double date in Motostoke and is Ruben's best friend. Ainsley pretended to be rich and paid for the date with Ruben's money. Pia saw through the charade and called him out on it after Ainsley suggested they'd book a hotel together and make love. He ran off afterwards, angry that the feelings of lust he harboured towards Pia were not returned. Pia doesn't think highly of Ainsley and told Ruben that he needs "better friends".

Melody Argent
Although Pia and Melody attended the same Trainer school and were in the same class, they never once teamed up for an assignment. Both didn't have a very good impression of the other and avoided them like the plague. It's not until the Festival Fun-time Flurry that they have tried teaming up to win a competition as both of them were interested in the prize. They chased down a cheater together and have a better opinion of each other since their teamwork. They figured out that they're a pretty good team actually. Both of them thinks "the other is not so bad after all".

Valerie Amity
Pia met Valerie on route 3 where they went inside a haunted mansion together with Aeliana and Rosa. They didn't get to converse much but it was enough for them to establish some sort of familiarity. Valerie calls Pia "Lady P" as a nickname. Pia thinks of Valerie as someone with too much energy but not a bad person overall, maybe a little too naïve.

Rosa Valdés
Pia met Rosa on Route 3 and went inside a haunted mansion together with Aeliana and Valerie. They were stuck inside a room together where Rosa found golden nuggets and shared one with Pia. Rosa's small moments of kindness seemed insincere in Pia's eyes, someone who is well versed with duality. When Rosa left the end of the year market after they had gotten out of the haunted mansion, Pia followed her and saw her crying. Pia comforted the crying Rosa but as soon as Rosa had gotten herself together again, Pia fell the need to call her out on her duality, telling her that how she was acting now was quite different from before. Rosa denied at first but as soon as Pia had driven her into a corner, she stopped trying. After Jirachi appeared for a brief second, Rosa walked off. They're neither on bad or good terms but both have things they probably need to speak off.

Simon Pearburgh
Pia met Simon in Galar Mine 1. Pia thought nothing more of him than a bug nerd. They partnered up to battle against Oleana and his clever strategies impressed Pia, prompting her to compliment him after their shared life/death situation on Route 4. They're neutral with each other.

Kit
Pia met Kit in the Wild Area. Kit had been trying to catch a Pokémon for days but had yet to catch one. He begged the girl to help him in exchange for money and a strange rock that he found. Pia taught him how to catch a Pokémon but after hearing that Kit is in search for his father, she decided to only take the strange rock as her reward and left the pouch with Poké behind for the boy to keep. Kit seems to have developed a crush for her because of that.

Trainer ID

Pia McGuire:

Pia was born in the town of Hammerlocke in the Galar region and is part of the first graduating class of the Wedgehurt trainer's academy. Despite having lived in poverty, her mother has been able to pay for her tuition in alternative ways. She's quick witted and rather clever but is sometimes a bit "too" honest. Pia dreams of becoming an actress and does almost anything to get more money. When it comes down to it, what she really wants is to no longer live in poverty and live a bit more happily.

Inventory:

4x Pokéball
Galarian Pokédex
Xtransceiver
Broken Flashlight
King's Rock

Outfits:

Daily Outfit:

Spoiler:

Ribbons:

Badges:

Jay · Jan 25, 2021

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STAGE 6 - TURFFIELD

Spoiler:

The first true hurdle approaches!

After what has already been a long journey of development, growth and newfound perspectives... our heroes have finally arrived at the first true leg of their journey! The first major focal point of conflict for all to face, ready to stand in their way. Those challenging the Pokémon League won't be skipping out this time... as waiting for their approach is Turffield's own pride and joy, Gym Leader Milo! With his powerful grass types and pleasant demeanor, he's a fan favorite who can be difficult to stand against for his popularity alone. Don't underestimate him though, even as the most popular choice for a first challenge in the minor league circuit, he's a not a force to be underestimated!

However more than just League hopefuls will find their first major challenge here.

The Turffield Barn Bonanza has been recognized as the first official contest to be hosted in this years build up to the Galarian Grand Festival. Hosted alongside the League Challenge for the first time since both events conception in Galar, coordinators both skilled and novice approach the makeshift dance floor to put on a routine with their darling pokémon for the entire region to see. Those placing high enough and impressing the judges and crowd alike will receive one of the three contest ribbons they require to reach the illustrious Grand Festival and thus, will earn the chance to claim the lofty title of Galar's Contest King or Queen.

An eventful locale to be sure, excitement abound at every corner and challenges of character and might to be faced... and as for our heroes, the bonds they've formed might just be put to the test as the class of Wedgehurst Academy reconvenes for the first time since the Opening Ceremony...

What's going to happen next? Only time will tell!

WILD POKÉMON AVAILABLE THIS STAGE

Pokémon available to those on Mission 4:

Pokémon available to those on Mission 9:

Pokémon available to those on Mission 10:

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MISSIONS:

[OPEN][GYM] ★ 1:
The recommended first gym of the Galarian League is within your grasp... the battle against Leader Milo! A skilled trainer with the diligence and hardworking attitude of a farmhand, Milo grew up helping on his families farm before realizing his outstanding talent with grass type pokémon. Put your strength to the test against The Fighting Farmer of Turffield!

GYM BATTLE - VS. MILO

Spoiler:

The Fighting Farmer, Milo of Turffield City. His primary directive is to encourage new trainers and to have fun doing it. Battles are all about excitement and hard work, he's not satisfied in a victory unless he's certain his opponent is giving their 100% best effort. Complete his Gym Mission and earn the right to battle him!

Gym Mission:
Only those with the diligence and efficiency for the farming and ranching lifestyle can stand a chance to beat Milo and his Gym Mission is a test of just that. Before meeting Milo on the pitch they're taken to a separate field stored inside the stadium. In the center is a large corral, a fenced off paddock with open gates where Wooloo are kept. Or more, where they're supposed to be kept. Ten Wooloo have been scattered about the open field and you have Ten Minutes to round them up and herd them back to center field! Get every Wooloo inside before the timer runs out and you've succeeded. You're free to use every pokémon at your disposal in whatever ways you like to shepherd the herd, but knocking the Wooloo out is a no go! Doing so is instant disqualification.

Battle!
Complete the Gym Mission and earn the right to challenge Milo to a battle! Milo's preferred battle format is a 2v2 Single Battle, i.e. a Single Battle where each trainer uses two pokémon and can switch them around at will. The first trainer to have both of their pokémon KO'd is the loser. A very direct combatant, Milo attempts to overwhelm opponents with his grass type moves, either via hit and run tactics or by barraging enemies with Special Attacks before they can get close. He's liable to have his pokémon retreat and shift tactics if they're on the back pedal, but very rarely if ever switches them out. Milo uses his ace pokémon, Eldegoss, in every battle and pairs her with either Flapple or Appletun interchangeably for his 2v2 Single Battle format.

Pokémon:

Moves:
- Cotton Spore
- Leaf Tornado
- Leaf Storm
- Hyper Voice
- Synthesis
- Pollen Puff
Ability:
- Cotton Down

Moves:
- Grav Apple
- Acrobatics
- Grassy Glide
- Protect
- Dragon Claw
- Sucker Punch
Ability:
- Hustle

Moves:
- Apple Acid
- Leech Seed
- Grass Knot
- Energy Ball
- Protect
- Rollout
Ability:
Thick Fat

[OPEN][CONTEST] ★ 2:
The Turffield Barn Bonanza! The first contest of the Galarian Contest Circuit is here and ready to begin in the coming days! Stand alongside your pokémon center stage and perform a routine to strut yourself and impress the onlooking judges! For this contest and this contest only, those that place in the top 5 positions will receive a Ribbon, rather than just the top 3. Use this as an opportunity to jump start your contest careers.

Note:
All contests in Z-Verse and thus in Spear, are considered events where many people attend to watch. It's likely many players will write posts where they attend the event, if not participating in it. Participating players must make sure to mark a solo post as their PERFORMANCE POST to assure that their contribution is marked and their characters are counted in the running for a ribbon.
Each contest has three unique factors that must be acknowledged if one wishes to win;
- The Guest Judge
- The Venue
- The Objective
Think about how your character would react to these things and do your best to write a performance that will blow away the competition! We're going to try to make sure that everyone who wants to participate in the Grand Festival gets a chance so do your best!

Guest Judge:

TOP COORDINATOR - RUBY

Spoiler:

A famous name amidst the Hoenn contest circuit, Ruby is a young man with a passion for contest that has stuck with him since he was a boy. Having won the Grand Festival once already in his tenure, he has been studying under his mentor Wallace for a number of years and is, by this point, an iconic name in the game of his own right. Ruby admires all facets of a pokémon and above all admires trainers who can bring out the individual talents and identities of their pokémon. To Ruby being a contest idol isn't just about beautiful pokémon, but intelligent, charismatic and powerful pokémon as well. During your routine focus on what makes your pokémon unique to achieve the approval of this judge!

Venue:
The Barnhouse, an old, massive barn at the edge of Turffield that has been converted into a contest hall. With a rustic exterior and a pair of massive open doors leading inside, the floor has been refurbished with fine, polished wood, while the old upper loft and wooden beams have been left untouched to keep with the rustic appeal. The area outside the barn had been decorated with fountains and topiary depicting various native pokémon and are known to be a lovely place to stroll at night.

The center floor of the barn has been cleared and cordoned off to create a floor level stage for performers to walk upon and take part, while the judges table has been placed on the upper loft where they can get a perfect view of the entire scene below. Places around the center platform at a safe distance are a number of beautifully decorated tables where staple dishes of the region are served along with freshly brewed wine to guests watching the festivities. A cobbled pathway leads from the town proper to the barns entrance, lined with intricately forged iron lamp posts. In the distance from outside one can see a hillock that sits pristinely before the rising moon, the shadows of Stonjourner highlighted by the luminous visage.

The dress code for this venue is formal. All those participating and in attendance must dress in outfits suited to the aforementioned. Due to this years contest circuit being so closely interlinked with the League, sponsored gym trainers are offered audience attendance, drinks and dinner free of charge.

Objective:
The goal of this contest is a single performance. Trainers will perform a single act of their choice, with a maximum of three pokémon involved in the performance. The guest judge has decided that the theme of this contest shall be freeform, allowing new coordinators to bring any form of routine they want to the table. When it is their time to perform, contestants will take to the stage from the audience and release their pokémon, they will then perform their routine from start to finish, pause for applause, then return to the surrounding audience if they wish. Individual results will be withheld and the final rankings will be announced at the end of the event. Be creative and express yourself with a custom routine built around your pokémon in this freeform contest!

IMPORTANT FOR COORDINATORS

Contests are expected to occur with all participants posting their routines at around the same time, with all other contest centric posts happening at around that time as well. As such it is extremely important that you have your performance ready and prepared before the contest begins. On Thursday the 4th of February, the contest will begin with an announcement in the discord and you'll have 24 hours to post your performance. If it's not posted during this time your performance will not be counted! So make sure you have your piece ready!

[OPEN] Mission 1:
The Turffield farmers market! In celebration of the new Turffield Gym Stadium challenges, and the anticipation of the upcoming contests, Turffield is having a town wide farmers market! Everyone is free to get a wide selection of products from a different variety of stalls.

Reward: (Choose One)
- Sitrus Berry
- Pecha Berry
- Chesto Berry
- Poke Ball
- Great Ball

[OPEN] Mission 2:
The Ball Guy is in a pickle! He's been asked to gather the objects needed to create the balls he hands out by the League, Apricorns! Not a problem right? Well it wouldn't be... if they hadn't asked him to gather them in full costume without breaking character and handing out copies of Milo's Collectable League Card all the while. Not to mention, if that wasn't bad enough already, seems some local pokémon have been hoarding any apricorns they can find for themselves! How could this day get any worse for our favourite League Mascot?!
Reward: 1 x Apricorn Made Pokéball of your choice.

Mission 3:
Hop is hopping in! Professor Sonia's assistant is in town and he's doing some casual research on the old legend he knows so well, the Darkest day. He's been watching the old ruins and crop circles on the nearby hills for ages, but has noticed something amiss. Some of the local stonehenge looks a little more padded than usual? Well that could mean one thing and one thing only, Stonjourner are causing some trouble. Usually it'd be fine but these are some priceless ruins we're talking about! Someone has to set these stoney something or the others straight!
Reward: 1 x TR Stealth Rock

[CATCH CHANCE!] Mission 4:
Hmm, something isn't quite right here. Some of these Wooloo are not like the others, some of these Wooloo just don't belong. Wait a second, why are they sparking? W-Why are they so angry?! What are these pokémon and how did they get in with the flock?! H-Help!!
Reward: 1 x TR Thunderbolt

Mission 5:
Stampede! A local farmer has lost control of his Tauros and they're stampeding like crazy through the farmer's market! Move out of the way, everyone dodge! A single Tauros in the pack is leading the charge, driven wild by some cause unknown, if he could be knocked out the others could be calmed down, but how are you even supposed to get to him?
Reward: 1 x Macho Brace

[OPEN] Mission 6:
A shady looking salesman has been hanging around the base of the legendary Geoglyph selling souvenirs and and knick knacks. He's got pin wheels, wooden stands, t-shirts and the like. Still, something seems a little off. Who is this man really..? And what other items is he hiding in that cart of his? Worst case scenario, could he be tied to those shady suit wearing suspects?
Reward: Peculiar Pinwheel + TR Curse

Mission 7:
A Floette without a flower is a sad thing indeed, and just such a pokémon is accompanying their trainer at a local flower shop as we speak. The flower shop owner can't seem to find something to fit the little pokémon but they have an idea to the contrary. In the fields at the edge of Turffield, far from the civilized parts of town, there's said to be an elusive wildflower that usually only grows in the Sinnoh region. Floette seems intrigued, but their trainer doesn't feel confident searching alone. Maybe you can help them out?
Reward: 1 x Wild Gracidea + 1 x TR Petal Dance

Mission 8:
Solve the Stonehenge Mystery! Overnight, a mysterious circle of stone pillars appeared in a nearby field... and they're not just random Stonjourner this time. A few locals have quickly turned it into a tourist trap, advertising it as a special place of mystery and intrigue... offering a reward to those who complete a scavenger hunt there. Still, you can't shake the feeling that there really is a mystery here to be solved.
Reward: 1 x Turffield Themed Souvenir + 1 x Evolutionary Stone of your choice.

[CATCH CHANCE!] Mission 9:
A local Kalosian farmer is trying to set up shop in Turffield, breeding and selling Skiddo as farm hands and labour animals... though so far nobody has paid him any mind when options like Tauros and Dubwool are so readily available. Still he believes in his little grass types and wants to prove their worth! To that effect, keeping in line with recent festivities, he's holding an event of his own. A Skiddo race! The winner is sure to get a wonderful prize... and if you end up attacked to your mount the owner probably won't mind some region wide advertising, right?
Reward: 1 x Basket of Farmyard Vegetables

[CATCH CHANCE!] Mission 10:
The Corviknight line is well loved by the people of Kalos, the black raven symbolizes their efficiency and cohabitation with nature, but not all black feathered pokémon are so beloved. Especially not those damn crows! That's right, Murkrow has become a bit of an invasive species and Farmer Brown is sick and damn diddly dastardly tired of those black feathered fiends makin' off with his corn! Somebody needs to put the scare in scarecrow and teach the local flock a lesson!
Reward: 2 x Bottles of Moomoo Milk + 1 x Miracle Seed

Sonata · Jan 25, 2021

Poké:

5020 ♦ Pokemon: 4

CHAPTER 6 - GAMBLE FOR A RUSE

Rosa stared up at the board - illuminated with a number of names which appeared to be in alphabetical order before transitioning to a new page. Her childhood friend's name was lit up on it, accounting for one of the Simons she'd seen as she scanned the slides. She smiled softly, disregarding the rest of the information that was to be gained from watching any longer. Simon was here. He'd made it ahead of her. It had been months since they'd seen each other, and after having lived together for so long... It seemed like it had already been years since they'd last met. If she hadn't had his sweater…

"Miss Valdés, I thought you were using the restroom." A slender, but tall woman was standing just behind her now. She was staring down at her with crimson eyes, and from a height similar to the boy she was just thinking about. "I do hope you don't intend to waste my time any longer." The woman pulled up her suit jacket, revealing the pistol that she still had strapped to her waist.

The pit in her chest had faded as she came across Simon's name on the board, but as that woman had found her way over to her, she'd also found a way to bring that darkness back up within her. "I- I-" she stammered, her eyes quickly darting about as she searched for an escape from this particular situation.

"Sorry," Rosa whispered. "I got distracted. I'll be right back." She panicked, and walked off quickly towards her destination, cutting through the actively praying businessmen as they glanced fervently between their personal devices and the screens above them. What she needed was a witness. Someone that could be there with her, just in case things went wrong. Someone, but who? She laughed uneasily to herself, running her hands through her hair as she hurtled through the restroom door. Who even really was here that she could count on?

A few hours prior

The road into Turrfield was quiet, which was to be expected, given that it was much too early in the morning for anyone with good intentions to be out and about. Rosa glanced at the Pokedex, viewing it from within the neck of her sweater so as to protect it from the chilly rain which had started to fall not long before. It was 4:15 A.M. - just fifteen minutes before the time she was supposed to make her delivery in Turrfield.

She dropped the device into the pocket of her dress, and pushed her arms back through the sleeves of her sweater. She clumped up the fabric at the end of each arm before cupping them together and blowing as much warm air as she could afford at them. It was the dead of winter, with temperatures undeniably below freezing, and yet it was raining - pouring, even, despite having no business doing so. For whatever reason, the rain wasn't freezing, and so instead of trudging through inches of snow and ice, she was sloshing through a frigid slurry that formed from the snow which had previously fallen, and then new torrential downpour which had taken its place.

The girl spotted a gazebo a short distance away, and quickly made for the safety of its coverage. A lone bench sat in the center of the dry pavement which was raised over the surrounding area, presumably for situations just like this. The girl quickly pulled the hooded piece of her battle outfit out from the neck of the sweater, tactfully removing it from the rest of her attire under the cozy comfort of the knit Wooloo. The girl wrapped the hoodie around her hands, placing the hood back over the front of her face as she began to breathe into it, hoping that the heat of her breath would be trapped in the arms of the sweater.

She sat for several minutes, waiting for the sound of the rain to die down at least a little bit. She counted the seconds, not wanting to let any of the trapped heat escape as she would go to check her dex for the time. She thought about the man from Motostoke, wondering what he would do to her if she failed to make the appointment. The thought was followed by her consideration towards what the person she was supposed to meet would do to her when they found that she'd not arrived by the promised time.

"No use worrying about it now," she whispered, fighting off the chill of the wind as it blew through the open legs of the gazebo. "I'll just have to make an excuse… I'd rather be warm when I die than trudge through this shit and have them find out that why I didn't show up wasn't because I chose not to or was scared, but because I turned into a human popsicle."

The girl shook her head as she rocked gently back and forth on the seat. As she warmed up, the sound of the rain actually started to become soothing to her nerves. The sound of the drops as they pelted against the metal roof above her, the sploshing of droplets into the puddles which had already formed. And it was all brought together by the rhythmic sploshing of… rhythmic sploshing?

She listened closer, tuning out the sound of the rain and focusing on that… whatever, or whoever it was. The longer she listened, the more and more likely that the answer came in the form of the latter. Someone was walking, towards her, without any sense of urgency. Her breathing hastened as she felt her chest tense up, hearing the sound of boots clacking against the pavement.

The sound stopped, just a few feet from her, followed lazily by what sounded like the ruffling of clothing. Something… something metallic just clinked from whoever was out there, beyond the safety of her hood. The shuffling of paper, followed by another clink, and an audible inhalation. Were they… smoking? The last sounds she heard all added up to that, but that first clink… were they just testing the lighter? Or…

"Hey."

Rosa pursed her lips, as her concentration was brought to a standstill. It was a clearly feminine voice, but most definitely steely and coarse from years of smoking. She tried to recall what that man had said… Damien… she was looking for the Sisterhood of Turrfield, and she needed to tell them-

"What's your name, kid?"

The sound of boots clacked closer to her, and she could almost feel the stare of the woman who was now hovering over her burning a hole in the hood of her sweater. She wanted to ignore her, but… she slowly pulled the hood of her sweater down, looking up into the crimson eyes of an angel.

Spoiler:

"I'm-" she started, before her eyes fell to the woman's chest and her own heart stopped. A gun. And not a small one either. She knew nothing about weapons, but-

"Your name." She stated, more adamantly this time, lifting the gun from the strap it was dangling from and leveling it at Rosa. "I won't ask again."

She was an angel; a sign of the inevitable that was to come. Rosa's lower lip quivered as she wetted them. "Rosa."

The woman stared her in the eyes, pulling the cigarette back up to her mouth as she took another long drag off of it before dropping it to the ground. "What's his name."

It was a question, but the way she spoke, it was more like a statement, or a demand even. Rosa stared down the barrel that inched closer to her in her hesitation. "D-Damien!" She shouted out, her whole body shaking, but no longer from the cold.

The woman stared at her. Her face devoid of emotion as she continued to hold the firearm steady. Several more seconds passed before she let the gun drop and nodded. The weapon clanked against her chest, held up by a single strap around her neck. "Let's go. You're late."

"Are you with-"

"No questions." the woman said, walking out from under the gazebo. She raised her hand into the air, twirling her finger around - a motion which caused a Pelipper to Roost on a perch coming out from the Gazebo. "Let's go, Miss Valdés."

Rosa stopped just as she'd started to get up. A chill ran up her spine, and immediately she contemplated running. It was stupid, and she knew that. But still. The reality of the situation she was in was finally, truly, starting to set in. Everyone in these groups would know who she was now, and even if she tried to escape, she'd be found, just as she had been now.

"I wouldn't stop if I were you." The woman stated, turning away from the girl as she started to walk away.

"Wh-" Rosa started before feeling the cold point of something metallic in the center of her back.

"Bish."

A Pokemon. She turned her head slightly, catching a glimpse of the Dark-type in her peripheral.

"He won't wait on you, and neither will I. You may be important to that man, but you mean nothing to us. A Starly could replace you, as far as I'm concerned, so don't test my patience."

Rosa pursed her lips and stepped forward without hesitation, wanting to distance herself as much as possible from the Pokemon behind her.

As the two girls walked, Rosa glanced behind her every so often, seeing that the Bisharp was still there. The Pokemon walked ominously behind her with its arm outstretched and a look on its face that said 'yes, please stop walking.' The girl turned back to face straight ahead of her, watching the Pelipper as it did a short flight every so often when the rain slowed down, evidently being the Pokemon that had summoned the showers.

They walked in relative silence, accompanied only by the sound of the rain as it pelted off their own bodies. Rosa looked off towards the path that they had been on, watching as the stadium which was dimly lit just over the horizon began to get further and further away. They were supposed to be meeting up in Turrfield, but… if that were the case, why were they not heading towards the city itself?

"Where are we-"

The woman held up her fist, silencing the girl as soon as she started to speak. "We're almost there. We'll talk once we get settled."

Rosa shuddered. This woman was much more terrifying than Damien was, and she'd only been in her company for a short while. She pursed her lips and leaned as she walked, attempting to look around her escort.

A short ways ahead was what appeared to be a small cottage. From where they were, it seemed to be a tiny thing, and definitely not the type of place that an entire criminal organization would be run out of. But, she shook her head. She didn't know what kind of front the Motostoke Family was running out of either, so it's possible this was just a meetup spot or a waypoint. If that were so, would she be handed off here? How much longer was it going to take before she found herself in the right place, and how would she have known to come here if she headed straight for Turrfield to begin with? And on top of that, if she were to be handed off to someone else, how would they differ from her first travelling companion?

The girl reached around to her bag, feeling the soft heaving of the two sleeping Pokemon contained within. Zorro was still a baby, and Dahlia was small enough to fit in the palm of her hand. It felt cruel to lock either of them up in a ball as they travelled when it wasn't at all necessary. At least if something went wrong and she had the opportunity to react, she'd be able to call on them without exposing herself by reaching for a pokeball.

"We're here." the woman stated bluntly, walking up to the door of the cottage. She rapped her knuckles against the wooden frame in a relatively normal fashion. A few moments passed with no answer, and she rapped against the door a little harder. The woman looked through the window, ensuring that the lights were on. "Old hag." she muttered as she reached for the gun, only to be greeted by a sweet looking elderly woman with a walker as she shakily swung the door open.

"Oh, hello there Priscilla. So nice of you to come home." The woman's voice was soft and sweet, greatly contrasting that of the suited woman who'd led Rosa here. "Care for a bit of tea before you move on?"

Rosa immediately pondered if this would be an opportune time to make an escape. Priscilla had recalled the Pelipper, so the downpour outside was no more, and now she had a witness in this kindly elderly woman. The girl wetted her lips, running through the scenario in her head when Priscilla pushed her way through the door, causing the elderly woman to shuffle backwards and nearly fall.

She'd not gotten far enough into the planning of her escape to make any use of it at the moment. The elderly woman beckoned her in with a few quick and short waves that came with an inviting smile. "Come in, girl. Come in. You must be cold out there in the rain, Miss Valdés."

As she stepped through the door, a sharp pain shot through her chest. She'd referenced her by name. All hope of escape quickly disappeared as she turned to look at the elderly woman as she peered out the door and then quickly pushed it close, revealing that from behind the safety of the door, she'd been holding onto a long string which was connected to the lever of a shortened shotgun mounted to the door's back.

Present Time

Rosa quickly used the restroom, taking some extra time to look herself in the face. She was ragged, and the torrential rain had done a number on both her makeup and her hair. She really needed to stop worrying about her appearance, especially at this moment in particular. She couldn't help but shake the feeling however, that if she didn't make it out of this alive she'd at least like to look pretty in a casket. It was more than either of her parents could be afforded - not that they deserved it.

The girl looked over towards the exit of the restroom, reconsidering escaping for the final time. Right next to the door was a woman with silver tunnel earrings, similar to the ones that both the elderly woman and Priscilla had worn.

"A towel for your hands, Miss Valdés?"

There it was again. No matter where she went in this building, they would know who she was. There was no escape for her - at least, not in the literal sense. All she needed was a witness, anyone to go along with her to the meeting, whether she knew them or not. Of all the times to not have been able to afford a cell phone…

"Y-yes, thank you." she answered shakily, reaching out towards the restroom attendant and gingerly taking the extended towel.

It was warm. She rubbed her hands across it slowly as she looked at the rest of the items that were on the table. A tip jar - to be expected - feminine products, perfumes, gum and candy, and…

"Is that… liquor?" She innocently questioned, gesturing toward the assortment of baby liquor bottles on display as she handed the towel back to the attendant.

The girl looked suddenly uneasy and then quickly nodded her head. "It's uh, yeah. Complimentary bottles of liquor, one per guest."

Rosa looked at the table and then back at the girl. It might be just what she needed to calm her nerves, but she hadn't drank since… a chill ran up her spine as she wetted her lips. "I'll take one."

The attendant looked at her and then glanced at the door quickly. "I-I'm not sure that-"

Rosa quickly pulled out her ATC and tapped it against the reader next to the tip jar and let the entry screen remain blank as she stared at the attendant. "How much?"

The girl shook her head. "I'm sorry, I don't think I can. The mother would… she'd… well…"

This was more resistance than she thought she'd get for a single shot of liquor. She looked back at the table and then at the attendant. 'Mother'. She repeated the word in her head, wrestling with its meaning. Was she talking about the elderly woman upstairs? If so, why was she so worried about the exit to the restroom? Priscilla was referred to as 'Sister' by the 'old hag'. Was there-

"If you'll excuse me, Miss Valdés. I must clean the restroom before the next patron comes in. Have a wonderful day."

The girl hurried off with some sanitary wipes and a spray bottle of some kind of liquid. As she disappeared into the stall, Rosa quickly punched in 100 Poke on the machine and snagged a bottle of peach vodka from the table before exiting.

She exited the bathroom and quickly ducked down, clinging to the wall as she followed the perimeter of the room. Priscilla hadn't seen her, but she definitely felt bad for the restroom attendant. When Rosa didn't come out and immediately find her guide, she'd probably get irritated and go in to find out why she was taking so long - only to find that she'd left several minutes earlier. But, she needed to do this. Escape wasn't an option, so she needed something else to protect herself with.

The girl soon found herself on the other side of the room, surrounded by waitresses, slot machines, and flashing strobe lights of every color. She sat hurriedly at one of the machines and tapped her ATC against it, giving her a notification that a waitress would be with her shortly as the reels began to spin.

The girl looked at the machine, bewildered as the lines spun and flashed in ridiculous colors before coming to a stop. A massive red 'X' appeared on the screen along with an alarming sound that seemed to be somewhat sad in nature 'Bop Buhp'. Rosa shook her head, a confused look quickly creeping up on her face.

"Who really enjoys playing these things?" she muttered, looking at the dozens of patrons around her that were glued to their screens and sipping on their drinks.

"What can I get for you -" the girl paused looking down at the device on her tray as she bit her lip, only for her eyes to slowly widen before looking back at Rosa. "Miss Valdés?"

Rosa glanced down at the name tag on the girl's suit jacket, and then looked quickly back at her face. The hesitation in her introduction meant that she might be able to get away with being over here for at least a few seconds. They weren't expecting her to be here, and that would be used to her advantage.

"Lynn, huh? Let's see, I'll take a… hmm, can I actually get two Vodka Sours? I'm waiting on a friend, you see."

An obvious lie, and one that if the waitress were more confident she'd be able to see through. But Lynn simply nodded and looked around. "O-Okay, sure. I'll get those right out for you."

Rosa turned, watching Lynn as she walked back to the bar and handed in the order before pointing and turning over towards her. Rosa quickly turned in her seat, tapping the 'Spin Again' button on the array in front of her. It was the only thing she could do to buy herself time. She wasn't sure what the girls would do, but she had to think while they figured it out.

She sat there, thinking about all of her options. She ran through the list of illuminated names she'd seen on the screens before, wondering if anyone there would be able to help out. But, nothing came to mind immediately. As time passed by, it seemed more and more likely that she'd just have to bite the bullet - which would hopefully remain a figure of speech.

"Your Vodka Sours, Miss Valdés."

Rosa looked up at the girl from her game, noticing that she had the same silver piercings that the other two girls she'd seen had. Matter of fact, didn't that old woman upstairs have some too? And the elevator operator, and… she took the drinks and quickly looked around, finding all the women in suits that she could. Each and every one of them wore the same piercings in both ears - silver tunnels.

"Sister, she's had a different one of us to her room every night this past week. Soon enough, we'll all be-"

Rosa glanced over at the bar behind her, pretending to be looking out at some of the other patrons as she sipped her drink and listened in to the conversation that was going on between her waitress and another girl.

"Stop it!" Lynn hissed, looking quickly around. "Poppy, don't you know what they'll do to you if they hear a Sister dissing the new Mother?"

"So what?" Sister Poppy whispered back, glancing over at Rosa who was quietly sipping her cocktail and pretending not to pay attention. "What's she going to do to me that hasn't already been done? You know where I came from - this is the only option that was-"

Lynn quickly closed the distance between her and the other girl, placing her hand over the woman's mouth. The girl leaned in close to her and whispered something that was completely inaudible, but whatever it was had clearly hit the mark. Poppy looked completely defeated, and with a slight heave of her shoulders, shook her head.

"I know, I'm sorry, Sister. The Mother chose her. It's out of our control - for now."

"Don't say things like that!" Lynn hissed, once more clasping her hand over the girl's mouth. "Do you want us both to get excommunicated?"

Poppy slowly shook her head and then turned away, breaking free from the hand across her lips. "I'm sorry. I'm just tired… my shift's nearly over, and… it's me. I was the one called in tonight. She's planning to make an example of me for the guest."

"You don't mean-" Lynn quickly glanced over at Rosa.

The girl knew her time was up. She was supposed to have been in a meeting hours ago, and now that this girl - Poppy - had spilled the beans that she was going to be there too, there was no longer any way to hide herself. She picked up the drinks and quickly downed one, leaving it on the game that she was at as she made her way through the machines.

"Dammit, dammit, dammit," she muttered, wiping the vodka from the corner of her mouth. She quickly scanned the area, looking for literally anyone that looked moderately important. "Just give me anything," she hissed as she downed the other drink, holding it in her mouth for a minute as she winced at the burning sensation in the back of her throat.

And all of a sudden, she stopped. She cleaned the liquor from the second drink away from her face and stared dead-on at the top of the head of her target. It was the perfect find. Just who she needed; someone or something that wasn't as disposable as her. She'd needed, and found, someone, like him. She'd seen him from across the room, having only just recently studied up on the man's profile after a recent meetup with her old classmates. This… this was perfect.

She sat at a nearby machine, going into pure blinder vision as she waited in silence, replaying the situation in her head. She'd made sure that the girls weren't following her anymore, and she began to run through each scenario. She considered the different responses that he might have. She'd play it kind of soft first, see where the truth got her, and then if he refused - that's when she'd bring out the big guns; blackmail. She smiled wickedly, thanking whatever Pokemon she'd been born under to finally have a stroke of luck at such an inopportune moment for her.

There he was, her golden goose - her ticket to live another day. She stood slowly, and walked purposefully towards him before tapping his shoulder with an innocent smile plastered across her face.

"Hey there."

Less Than An Hour Prior

The elderly woman closed the walker and placed it just behind the door before walking normally over to the table. "So, Sister," she stated, the warmth of her voice quickly dissipating as it was replaced with a similar steely coldness that was reminiscent of Rosa's guide. "You sure she's safe?"

Priscilla glared at Rosa, and then looked back at the elderly woman. "Yes, Mother. She's safe." The woman pulled a cigarette from her pocket and lit it quickly before taking a long drag off of it. "I can tell she wouldn't have gone to the police about it. She was already late, so I figured it wouldn't be worth the time to pat her down."

The elderly woman gave a deathly stare at Rosa and then slowly panned back to Priscilla before shaking her head. "Your ass, not mine."

Priscilla took another puff on the cigarette before turning the firearm which was now resting against her knees as she sat towards the elderly woman. "Want to say that again?"

The woman turned deathly white as she started to take a shaky breath. "No, no." She sighed, walking into the small kitchen. "I'd just hoped that after all that we've been through, you'd be a little kinder to me."

Priscilla finished off the cigarette and put it out in the teacup in front of her before slowly rising to her feet. "What'd be the point?" She shook her head, stepping towards the door which was just beside the kitchen. "If this doesn't work out, we'll all be dead anyways."

The elderly woman nodded solemnly as Priscilla rapped her fingers against the new door, causing it to creak open slightly and reveal another woman with red hair hiding just behind it. As the figure looked out and then settled her sights on the woman in front of her, she let out a little cough before pulling the door the rest of the way open. Priscilla looked over at Rosa and motioned for her to come over.

There was no turning back now. Rosa pursed her lips and stood slowly from the seat that she'd taken and walked slowly over to join her escort as they walked through the door and into what appeared to be a completely normal - albeit empty - bedroom. She turned on her heels, looking around at the empty walls for any indication of what was about to happen.

"Simon Garfield just recently arrived, so they're in a bit of an upset."The red-headed woman said softly to Priscilla as she turned to look at her without making eye contact. "Are you going to the main floor?"

Priscilla nodded. "That's good profit for us then. And no, game floor."

The woman glanced up, meeting the red eyes for a second before immediately turning away. "Oh, sorry. Of course, Mother." She reached out to a dimmer switch on the wall - the only thing which seemed out of place given that there were no lights to note in the room. "We'll be at the game floor in just a few minutes. Please, brace yourself Miss Valdés."

It was getting more and more uncomfortable for the girl with each new person she met that automatically knew who she was. She was like a niche celebrity, but one who was known for all the wrong reasons. But… What did she mean by brace herself? There was nothing to hold on to and-

Just as she had started to consider the woman's words, the floor beneath them began to shake, and suddenly the walls of the room around them began to grow longer, and longer, until… "An elevator?" She whispered, looking at the massive moving machinery which had taken the place of the room's walls.

"Courtesy of Damien." Priscilla murmured, with a shake of her head. "You're a lot less likely to get raided if you're underground, after all."

"Raided?" She questioned quietly to herself, but still receiving a look of dumbfounded disapproval from the woman next to her. It was silly to think that a criminal organization wouldn't be subject to regular investigations or raids, but at the same time, because of her experiences in Motostoke she had considered that all the police she'd run into from now on would have been bought off. But… was that not the case? She assumed it would take quite a bit of capital to buy off a single officer, let alone an entire police force in a way that left nobody willing to ask questions or fight back.

Priscilla sighed and shook her head. "City based police aren't the only issues. Your average beat cop is pretty easy to buy off; the real trouble comes with secret investigative units and the Rangers. Those types are…" She shook her head, her eyes momentarily widening as she was clearly recalling something important at that moment. "We're nearly there."

Rosa looked back at the conductor, seeing that she was slowly turning the dial back to its 'off' position, consequently causing the elevator to slow significantly in the process. They'd passed by a few more regular looking rooms as they descended, but evidently none of them were their destination. They'd been travelling relatively quickly, so she had no real idea just how far underground they were. She walked over to the walls which were carved directly into the stone of the earth and rubbed her hand against the face of it.

"It's cool…" she whispered, placing her clammy hands against her face.

"No dawdling." Priscilla looked at Rosa with cold eyes.

The girl stepped forward, closing the distance between herself and her escort. She'd long since passed the point of no return, and the only way out now was through. The conductor for the elevator quickly opened the door in the new room they'd come into, revealing another mostly empty room.

"Check her in." Priscilla commanded, stepping into the room with authority as she swung the suit jacket off her shoulders. One of the two men quickly stepped towards her with another jacket to change into, while the other beckoned Rosa over to a small table which was next to a walk-through metal detector.

It was only now, looking at her in this check-in room with the two security agents to judge her against that Rosa realized just how tall that Priscilla really was. It very well could be that she was the largest woman that she'd ever met, falling just a few inches shorter than some of the taller boys she'd known in school. She could very well have been a sports star with a figure like she had, and yet she was here.

"Your bag, Miss?" the man at the table held his hand out towards Rosa, who was still preoccupied with watching Priscilla.

"Oh, yeah." she carefully took the bag off and placed it on the table, opening it just enough for him to look in.

"They got balls?"

Rosa nodded, pulling the two empty balls from her pockets.

"Any other Pokemon?"

Rosa hesitantly pulled the other three filled balls from her waist and placed them on the table. The man held the balls up, looking at the Pokemon contained within before placing them on a six-slotted tray beside him. "And what are you going to be-"

"She's not here for games, Stewart." Priscilla hissed, walking around the metal detector as she pulled off the strap from around her neck, having disarmed herself at some point while Rosa was busy. "Just check her in and make sure she's not dangerous."

"Yes, Mother." The man replied before the muscles in his neck tensed up.

The girl slowly glanced between Stewart and Priscilla… who was she, exactly? With the way that she'd been talking to everyone since they got here, and how they reacted to her presence… she was just an escort, right?

"You're good to go, Miss. We'll keep your Pokemon for safekeeping while you're inside, but you're free to take everything else in your bag through. Just step through the detector and your check-in will be complete."

Rosa nods her head. It's understandable. When they flew over to Galar two years ago they were made to leave Simon's family's Pokemon at the check-in to board separately. This was obviously a little bit different from that, but it seemed like a similar idea. They didn't want her to pose any threat to them. She grabbed her bag and stepped towards the metal detector, staring up at Priscilla's glowing red eyes as she walked slowly through.

As she made her way across the room with her escort, she heard an oddly familiar sound. It was… cheering. Like what she'd heard a few days before with Haleigh, just outside Turrfield. It was cheering, but also screaming, and even crying along with some other unnatural sounds that she couldn't place.

The man who'd taken her jacket - and presumably her weapon - hurried to catch up with the two of them as Priscilla walked purposefully to the door. "Welcome-" The man did an awkward little jog, rushing around in front of the woman as he reached out for the door, just barely beating her to the exit. "Welcome home, Mother."

Priscilla nodded at the man as the door was pressed up, revealing an utterly blinding light which assaulted Rosa's senses. The accompanying sounds instantly filled her ears and drowned out her thoughts, leaving her stunned and speechless as Priscilla disappeared beyond the threshold.

"Come, Miss Valdés. We've still got a ways to go."

Rosa shielded her eyes, finally accustomed to the over the top lighting of the betting floor. It was a massive room, roughly the size of a stadium floor all on its own. This was also the most people she'd seen in one place since being in a stadium herself. The ringing of the machines, shuffling of chips, and the screams and cries of both joy and anguish from the patrons rang against her ears, causing her stomach to turn as she stared blankly forward.

"Hey kid, you alright? Valdés?" Priscilla waved her hand in the face of the girl, trying to call her back to reality.

"There's so much," she whispered, not able to take it all in at once. It was her first time being in a casino, and her first time being up close to so many people. There'd been no real warning, no indicator that she'd need to prepare herself. She felt a tightness forming in her chest, which she quickly moved to clench with her fist as a high pitched whine cut through everything else and caused her to wince.

"Let's. Go."

Rosa looked up at those red eyes, and quickly felt something press against her stomach. The girl looked down, seeing the handgun's extended barrel pushed into her gut.

"Oh," she whispered, not fully taking it in. "I guess."

Priscilla quickly grabbed the girl's hand and dragged her out of the doorway before pressing her up against the wall. "I'm not your fucking babysitter." She hissed into her ear as she leaned in close. "If you don't move when I tell you to move, I'll have no qualms about putting a few holes in you and passing your job off to someone much more capable. This. This," she stated calmly, slightly shaking the gun in her hand as she let it brush against Rosa's sweater, "is your last warning."

Rosa nodded slowly, glancing around the room as the barrel in her stomach disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. The room was filled with lights, most of which were centered around the scantily clad men and women that danced within the cages that hung from the ceiling. The girl's eyes drifted away from the brightness, finding a section of the floor that had no tables or machines, and instead was occupied by a number of monitors and a large gathering of people all standing with their various devices out and ready as they watched.

There were nearly a dozen pillars in the area, each of which was very nearly covered from floor to ceiling in monitors, each of which had what appeared to be a live camera feed from a different part of Turrfield. From what she could see, the rain had stopped outside, and now trainers and random country folk were making their way into the city, excited for the festivities yet to come. A number of buzzers began to fire off in rapid succession as different people appeared on the screens.

"What's that all about?" Rosa whispered, wobbling as she walked over, snaking lethargically through the rows of machines.

"Miss Valdés."

The girl turned slowly, knowing what was coming after. "Sorry, I should have asked earlier, but is there a bathroom I can use? I think I'm going to be sick."

Priscilla took a deep and long breath, pinching the skin between her eyes together as she dropped her head. "Other side of the room, through the monitors."

Rosa nodded, continuing on her way towards the gathering of people as Priscilla followed behind at a small distance. As the girl came out into the clearing, she began to see a greater number of the monitors which had been hidden behind other pillars, patrons, and the nearby machines. A large trio of screens glowed vibrantly a short distance away from the pillars, hanging above a small bar.

Just above the setup, was a large display that was set to some sort of countdown which seemed to be about a month away from zeroing out. On the leftmost main screen was an interior view of the Turrfield stadium. The one on the other end was a moving shot of the city itself, taken presumably by some flying Pokemon which had been fixed with a streaming device. And on the middle screen… names; names and numbers, some of which seemed vaguely familiar.

The girl scanned the middle screen in between its transitions as it struggled to show all the names they'd listed at once. It seemed to be in alphabetical order from last names, but even though they sounded familiar, she couldn't place them at all in the moment. The numbers were even more so confusing. 6:5 - 10:1 - 8:7. What were these ratios? What did the words above them even mean, and why were some of them colored while others weren't?

'Simon Garfield just recently arrived, so they're in a bit of an upset.'

The line played through in her head as the names flashed across the screen. Arrived? Why did that seem… the first line. The first column of numbers next to each name was labeled as 'Arrived'. Is that what they were talking about? If so, then what were these numbers, and why were people upset that someone showed up?

She waited patiently for the screen to loop back around to the first slide, and then hastily searched for the name she'd overheard. "Garfield. Garfield. Gar… Akabane? Why does that name sound… oh yeah, wasn't she one of those girls that challenged Kabu? Looks like her name's lit up too… and Simon, and Simon... and Simon."

Her childhood friend's name was lit up as well, accounting for one of the Simons she'd seen as she scanned the slides. He was also one of the only ones to have more than one of the columns lit up at once. She smiled softly, disregarding the rest of the information that was to be gained from watching any longer. Simon was here. He'd made it ahead of her. It had been months since they'd seen each other, and after having lived together for so long... It seemed like it had already been years since they'd last met. If she hadn't had his sweater…

"Miss Valdés, I thought you were using the restroom." Priscilla was just behind her now, staring down at her from her towering stance. "I do hope you don't intend to waste my time any longer." The woman pulled up her suit jacket, revealing the pistol that she still had strapped to her waist.

The pit in her chest had faded as she came across Simon's name on the board, but as Priscilla had found her way over to her, she'd also found a way to bring that darkness back up within her. "I- I-" she stammered, her eyes quickly darting about as she searched for an escape from this particular situation.

"Sorry," Rosa whispered. "I got distracted. I'll be right back."

She panicked, and walked off quickly towards her destination, cutting through the actively praying businessmen as they glanced fervently between their personal devices and the screens above them. What she needed was a witness. Someone that could be there with her, just in case things went wrong. Someone, but who? She laughed uneasily to herself, running her hands through her hair as she walked into the restroom. Who even really was here that she could count on?

- - - - -

The heavy *thunk* of clashing metal cracked through the gym as Ruben dropped the weighted bar into the stand that was just inches above his face. He lay there for a moment and let his thoughts wander. Football. Family. Big Mike. Ainsley. Pokemon. Pia. All of it just seemed like a puzzle he couldn't solve, and on the sixth time of repeating those words during sets, they were honestly starting to lose meaning. Everything was always his responsibility and no one else ever seemed to be able to shoulder those burdens. What was his reprieve supposed to be? When did he get a break? He sat up to look over the communal gym again.

Private or not, his secluded section of the gym looked like any other. Sure it was smaller and had premium furbishing but all the familiar tells were there. The same machines, the same leaflets, the protein shake meat heads, treadmill junkies, glute gurus grabbing the right angle near the mirror to bolster their social media pages. He'd seen it all. It wasn't the worst thing though. Glute gurus were rarely ever hard on the eyes and the one he'd been exchanging glances with for the past twenty minutes certainly wasn't. She'd be a hell of a lot easier to talk to than Pia was right now. The stakes would be lower at least. Being with Pia was weird. Ruben hated the fact it wasn't something he didn't quite have a grasp on. It was something he couldn't explain away with a few minced words. He shook the thought from his mind; the view from the window gave him a great view of the common rabble below. Even at 4am, he couldn't help but check every passer by to see if it was her.

On the receptionist's recommendation, he booked a room with separating beds just in case the proximity made the girl feel uncomfortable. Ruben himself had planned on just booking separate rooms entirely. Somewhere deep down, he wished he had the courage to follow the receptionist's advice. He scoffed at himself. Imagine telling Ainsley he'd thought about booking a completely separate room for a girl he was inviting to a hotel. He'd be crucified. No guy with that many girls in his DMs should be 'settling'. That's what Ainsley always preached to him. Watching the girls on the glute machine made him wonder if Ainsley was right...and yet his mind refused to even let his imagination wander.

His body tensed up even more as he noticed the very same 'glute guru' he'd exchanged glances with earlier was now watching him. He'd be the first to admit he was watching her discreetly as she worked out but her disregard for discretion was admittedly unnerving. She wasn't wearing much; sports bra, gym shorts, training shoes. Even in all the attractive woman's glory, it was the silver tunnel piercings in her ear and bright red hair that stood out most to Ruben.

She stood confidently from the machine and approached him.

"You're really gonna keep a girl waiting?"

Ruben looked the woman up and down. He was in a state of uncertainty between guarded and intrigued.

"Depends what she's waiting for." He said coldly, grabbing the bar and starting his next set. His eyes were still drawn to her despite his facade of disinterest.

"Relax, I'm not here for what's in between your legs." The woman sighed as she walked over to the bench beside his and sat facing him. She looked at him, then around the room as though what she was about to say was for his ears and his ears only. "I'm sure your little girlfriend would be quite disappointed if I were to go for that."

Ruben loosened his grip on the bar. She had his full attention now. With a smirk, she continued, leaning in closer. "I reckon I could…"

"I don't have a girlfriend." The footballer grumbled, returning to his bench press.

"I'm not here to dig into your personal life." She began, walking over and leaning a portion of her weight on the bar in Ruben's hands. He pushed against it and she let up, just enough to feed his ego and convince him he was lifting the bar along with her. The woman smirked. He was focused on her. "From what I hear, you're a gaming man."

"That's not...digging?" Ruben asked with a strain as he let the bar *thunk* into the stand again. The woman smirked. She flicked a card from her bra and let it fall down onto Ruben.

"Completely discreet. No press, no receipts. Easy betting. All it is. Think about it." With nothing more to say, the woman turned and made her way out, checking back to make sure Ruben was watching her leave. He definitely was.

Rosa's Party

Memories

CHAPTER 1 - WEDGEHURST & ROUTE 2
GOODBYES, AND HELLO TO A NEW JOURNEY
TROUBLE'S ON THE TRACKS
NAMES AND NIGHTMARES!

CHAPTER 2 - THE SOUTHERN WILD AREA
ENTER THE WILD AREA!
NEW BIKING BIKERS!
THE MYSTERIOUS SHINY POKEMON!
RANGER DANGER! PT.1
RANGER DANGER! PT.2
RANGER DANGER! FINALE!
RED-EYES BLACK-HAT!

CHAPTER 3 - MOTOSTOKE
INN FOR A PENNY, INN FOR A POUND
INN FOR A PENNY, INN FOR A POUND PT.2
SHADY SHOPPING
THE OPENING CEREMONY
THE OPENING CEREMONY PT.2
THE OPENING CEREMONY PT.3
INN WITH THE FAMILY
ALL BETS ON BLACK
LATE NIGHT LULLABIES

CHAPTER 4 - ROUTE 3
VS SIMON
VS SIMON PT.2
MYSTERY OF MEW
MYSTERY OF MEW PT.2
WINTER FESTIVAL
A TWO HEADED REFLECTION

CHAPTER 5 - GALAR MINE AND ROUTE 4
DAYDREAM OF MINE
DEVELOPMENT AND MISSED CONNECTIONS
BUGGIN' THE COSMOS

Rosa's Journal

Simon Dansen

My childhood friend. Absolute idiot. Can't ever get a read on him anymore. Buttface. Always there when I need him. Always there when I least expect him. JERK. Showed me up in battle and evolved his Pokemon before me.

Jasper

An ex-classmate. He took my bait and threw me for a loop when we were fighting a group of Munchlax together. Not as bad a guy as I thought. Because of him, I have to re-evaluate my notes on everyone else just in case. I'm interested in trying a different approach with him when next we meet.

Helped out a wrongfully arrested girl. Really smart. Observant. Kind, but doesn't like to show it. Isn't a terrible cook.

Charles the Biker

An eccentric, but strong man. Indulges in bad puns. Love for bikes. We left on good terms.

Nat the Ranger

A doting older brother to several sisters. A strong trainer who follows their duty. Only spent a day with them. Not sure if I want to meet again or not since I stole a broken styler from his scene of investigation. We left on good terms, I think? Unless he notices that something's missing.

Budew Girl

Never got her name. Apparently she's a challenger like the rest of my classmates. Comes from a family of Budew fanatics. They breed Budew in their hometown and journey around with all three forms of it. She seems endearing. It might be interesting to meet her again in the future. As long as she's not being accused of theft, that is.

Achille Béringer

Rich kid. Pays his debts. Is keen on rich kid things. Doesn't seem much different from how he was in school, but still need to reevaluate.

Melody Argent

Cute and kind. She keeps to herself kind of like I do. Loves music. Feels similar to Simon. Still need to reevaluate because of interactions with Jasper. Kind of maybe, possibly, a small amount of a badass. Finger guns - super corny. Don't harp on the idea of being in contests. If that culty stuff doesn't get figured out by the time we come back to Motostoke, I'll have to remember to find her around town. She's much more attuned to pop culture than I am.

The Family // Damien(?)

Not the family himself, I don't think. I still haven't got his name or what role he really plays in all this. He's a shady motherfucker - pardon my Kalos. I still don't know how much of the stuff I've gone through in Motostoke has been orchestrated by him, but for the moment I'm not planning to try anything. I still don't know enough about him to make any real guesses. The longer that I stay around this town, the further behind the veil that I see. I'm scared even to go to sleep at night so long as I'm here. They have eyes... everywhere.

Buggy Simon

Some kind of freak of nature. I guess he understands Pokemon in some way that I can't; like, he understands what they're actually trying to say when they speak? Kind of cool, but also weird. Him and Simon used to hang out every once in a while at school. He knows about my "secret styler".

Valerie

An absolute ray of sunshine and happiness. She's also a streamer, and earns enough money from it to show it off. Not put off by literal ghosts. Has some kind of dream of meeting Mew.

Aeliana Kekoa

Alolan dance girl. She's supposed to teach me sometime. Pretty much just how I remembered her in school. I didn't get to spend much time with her when we all hung out. Didn't seem too bothered by the ghosts.

Pia McGuire

Pia... definitely is afraid of literal ghosts. I had a few choice words for her, but... after we saw Jirachi, it just felt like the time had passed, so I gave up. She's seen me without my mask, so next time we meet up is probably going to be awkward.

Haleigh Windsor

TBA

Outfits

Spoiler: Here be a number of large images

Inventory

Spoiler:

Sonata · Jan 25, 2021

Poké:

5020 ♦ Pokemon: 4

CHAPTER 6 - GAMBLE FOR A RUSE PT.2
Ft. Ruben Sancho

"Your pokemon, Mr. Sancho."

"Yeah, only two."

"Just for safekeeping?"

"What's the alternative?" Ruben, decked out in a full three piece, and sunglasses to boot checked out his own reflection in the metal tray handed to him to place his pokeballs. He glanced back at the woman in the elevator, as she turned the dial to rise back to ground level. He glanced down, below the elevated platform he and a few other much older men in suits were on. The common rabble. In the hands of a shady looking geezer type, was a struggling Cleffa, which he forced into the hands of the man behind the check-in desk in exchange for a wad of cash. "Never mind, just safe keeping." He fiddled with his cufflinks. Admittedly curious but wanting no part in whatever that was.

The light shot in as the double doors at the lower level were opened. He could only imagine what was on the other side. Slot machines, roulettes, blackjack tables. Ruben could barely catch his breath. He was gawking with lust at the thought of it all.

As he stepped through his doors, things weren't quite what he imagined. He was surrounded by men four times his age. The waiters were barely clothed, beautiful, the tables were pristine and they were playing with raw money rather than chips but still. Ruben couldn't help but peer down into the main hall. That was where he wanted to be. It was a little scruffier, but there was a life to the place. A buzz. A youth and an exuberance that those in VIP had long since lost while the luxury and self importance of VIP was something those in the main hall just couldn't afford.

"Can I offer your a complimentary bottle Mr.Sancho"

Ruben glanced back. A bottle of champagne the size of his head was being held out to him. He shook his head and peered back down into the heart of the casino where a herd of the patrons gathered around a collection of monitors.

"Valdés!" One of the men that gathered around the screens in the centre of the room shouted to the disgust of a good portion of his peers. Ruben noticed that prompted a silver haired, suited woman in the opposing VIP section to hurry off.

"Bitch!" Another man screamed from among the rabble. In his rage, the man tossed a pouch that spilled out a small pile of chips onto the ground. The man ran up and punched the screen that showed a tiny, tired, timid looking girl lumbering her way into Turffield under the pouring rain.

"Wait…what's that about?" Even from where he was, he recognised some of the names on the screens. Simon Pearburgh, Pia McGuire, Haleigh...he assumed Windsor was the one he'd met in the publishing house. He watched as the column with the name 'Rosa Valdés turned green. That prompted him to scan the room again, in search of the redhead who approached him in the gym. 'I'm sure your girlfriend would be quite disappointed if I were to go for that.' Ruben really didn't like that. In scanning the room, he caught sight of the man who punched the screen being dragged to a door at the back of the room, opposite of the entrance.

"Oh, they're betting on who's going to arrive in the city first. In the league challenge that is." She smiled with her words, overdoing it to the level you'd expect anyone trying to give five star customer service to do. "The green ones are those that have arrived, the grey ones haven't. I suppose your insight on something like that would be invaluable to them." She added. That made Ruben perk up. He glanced down at the main hall again.

"Ruben!"

"Ruben Sancho!"

"Oi, Boltund Blitz!"

Crowds of people gathered just to get a word with Ruben as security escorted him through the casino. Ruben flashed a winning smile at those that reached out to him. It wasn't long before he found himself at the monitors, among the rabble.

"Gentleman! Please, let our guest enjoy the games!" One of the women, silver tunnel piercings in her ears just like the others, separated the adoring fans. She turned to Ruben, as attentive as the woman in VIP had been before her. "Is there anything I can get for you Mr. Sancho? A drink? Some extra security?"

"Actually, I'll lay off on the security. I'll take it from here," the celebrity waved dismissively. He stopped to examine the girl more closely, particularly the nametag on her chest. 'Poppy'. He pulled a note from his pocket and handed it to the girl. "Here Poppy, get yourself something nice." Once Poppy hurried off, Ruben found his attention drawn back to the lists at the heart of the hall's setup. Ruben couldn't help but look for Raph's name. Green. "Bastard." He grunted to himself.

His disappointment quickly turned to a smirk as he fell into a stool next to the dice table. The dealer accepted the briefcase he raised, opening it to check the authenticity of the chips before dealing.

Rosa waltzed over to the football star, wondering how best to get his attention. What had Pia done to get closer to him? She felt around in her pocket and produced the shot bottle she'd taken in the restroom encounter. It was now or never. With their body types, Rosa assumed that Pia would have absolutely been a lightweight - since their experiences with liquor more likely than not were completely different - and that probably made her an easy target for a man of this type. She'd try imitation first, and just try to not let things get too far. The thought of acting so… a chill ran up her spine as she imagined being with the footballer, and she could feel her stomach turning as the thought continued to play through her mind.

She quickly downed half the shot, ready to let the smell of the liquor linger on her breath as she approached him. She'd play at sipping on it while they talked, and hoped that he'd take the bait for the easy target. And if not…

"Hey there."

"Eh…" Ruben waved dismissively as if on autopilot.

Rosa cringed slightly, considering the options to move forward with now. The boy was hypnotised by the screen in front of him, his motions practically routine as he grabbed another chip and shoved it in the slot. She should save herself the embarrassment, and skip straight to what she'd assumed would work best. But… doing that ran the risk of ruining any sort of relationship with both of them.

"H-Hey there," she got closer to Ruben, leaning on his shoulder after taking a small sip of the drink in her hand and letting her breath flow straight under the man's nose as she whispered to him.

The zombified Ruben wrinkled his nose, edging away from the girl but not taking his eyes off the screen. He even went so far as to gently shove her away so he could re-centre his alignment with the screen.

Rosa stumbled backwards, caught off guard from the shove. "What the fuck," she whispered under her breath, downing the rest of the shot. "Fuck it, have it your way then. I don't have time for this." She leaned back in, placing her hands firmly on both of the star's shoulders before pressing her lips against his ear. "Ruben, they've got her." she paused, wetting her lips as she let the words sink in. "You bet too much, and they've got Pia."

Like lightning, Ruben snapped out of his trance. He jumped out of his seat and looked at the girl who had just been hovering over his shoulder.

"What? Who? What?"

Rosa looked at him wide-eyed as he shot up. "Pia." She got on her tiptoes and leaned into his chest - the highest she could reach with the difference in stature - "Your girlfriend. She's in trouble. It's because you bet too much, Ruben. They took her."

"No. Who took her? Where is she-wait..." Ruben stopped, only just now registering what the girl had said. "What was the first thing you said?"

"We have to save her, Ruben! If you care about her, there's no time for questions. She's in trouble- Pia is in trouble, and I'm… I'm too weak to save her." Rosa's eyes quickly filled with tears as she looked up at him. "Please… we have to…"

Without another word, Ruben though hesitantly, headed in the direction Rosa pointed him in. The mad rush she had him in meant he didn't even have time to reclaim the briefcase of chips he had beside him.

Ruben had rushed off in the direction that Rosa had pointed, leaving her just slightly behind. The girl glanced over at the game that he'd been sitting at, taking in the sight of the briefcase which was still mostly filled with chips. "Hmm," she mused, taking another step away from the machine before hesitating. That much money would surely make things easier for her for a good while…

She shook her head, not wanting to anger Priscilla any more than she surely already was. Besides, it would look weird for her to go digging around for a handful of the celebrity's money when he hadn't even considered it. The girl rushed to catch up with Ruben, finding him waiting just a short distance away since he didn't know where exactly he was going.

"Here," she said, looking up at him with an extended hand. "So we don't get separated." She smiled innocently at him, the tears still wet in her eyes as she struggled to keep up with his stride.

Ruben hesitated, his expression telling the story of shock, confusion, fear and utter uncertainty. He looked around again, looking for either Pia or the redhead woman. Once he was sure the coast was clear, he reluctantly took Rosa's hand. How could he say no when the girl had just been so distraught?

Rosa smiled and nodded, holding his hand tight as they made their way through the gambling floor. As they came to the clearing where Rosa had left Priscilla, it was immediately evident that the woman wanted blood. Her hand was already on her hip where the pistol was holstered, and her eyes were scanning the room. As the duo came into sight, the suited woman leveled her gaze at her first, and then at Ruben - the rage looming within those crimson eyes not even trying to hide itself.

"Where have you been, Miss Valdés?" She questioned, trying her best to put on a sweet voice as she inched closer to the pistol on her waist, even going so far as to preemptively unclip the holster.

"I found a friend of mine," she said excitedly, without a hint of fear as she looked up at Ruben. "I'm sure you know him, the Boltund Blitz? Ruben Sancho?"

Ruben reactively glanced down at the girl, still breathless in his confusion. He looked at the woman in front of them, then down to Rosa again and leaned in.

"Is she the one who has Pia?" He whispered, urgency in his voice.

Rosa quickly glanced up and smiled, nodding as she pursed her lips. "Yeah," she whispered back, leaning in closer. "She's in the back, somewhere. This one's going to take us to her."

Priscilla glanced at Rosa and then fixed her gaze on Ruben for several seconds. "A friend, huh?" She questioned, letting her gaze rest on the man, tracking his movements as she registered his confusion.

"Listen, I've stopped betting. I'm done." Ruben sighed, stepping forward and raising his hands. "Just let her go. Please." He pleaded with another deep sigh.

"Well, regardless, it's too late now." She stated bluntly, moving her hip towards the footballer to show off the weapon on her hip that she'd already had in a full grip, ready to rip it out. "If you say he's your friend, then that's what he'll have to be." She narrowed her eyes at him, hoping that the deathly intent in her words made it across. "We're running far beyond late now, so let's get a move on. There's not much time left now."

"Ruben, please. There's no other choice." Rosa pleaded, placing both hands on his. "If we don't go then… it won't just be what happens to Pia, but also…" she glanced back over at Priscilla's waist, adorned with the polished pistol.

The lovestruck teen stared over at the woman's waist. When Rosa said they had Pia, he thought she meant in a holding cell or something. This was worlds beyond what he could've imagined he was getting himself into. He could feel his stomach turning in fear.

"How-how did you know Pia?" He asked, slowly starting to realise the worst case scenario in his mind.

Rosa looked up at him without answering, taking a step towards the direction that Priscilla was beginning to lead them down as they headed to the back room. "Well, we all went to school together." She started uneasily, not sure herself now of what was going to happen but a little less fearful now due to the shield she'd brought with her. "We've met a couple of times since then, and she mentioned you the last time we were together."

Ruben let out a deep shaky sigh.

"Fuck sake." His breath shuddered as he turned away from the girl. He gave his eye as a sly a rub as you could give when someone is looking right at you. "Fuck," he grumbled again, his voice cracking. "Let's go." He said coldly, walking in the direction the armed woman had left in with a sniffle.

The girl looked up at him quickly, hearing the whisper of his words as he turned his head from her. If he was coming to understand what he'd truly gotten himself into, then it was completely understandable. She'd surely be feeling the exact same way - but she was disposable. Ruben was… something else entirely. Even if they wanted to get rid of him it would be-

"We're here," Priscilla turned, having come to a door. "Go on inside, and make yourself welcome. We'll be in with you shortly."

Rosa nodded solemnly, pressing the door open slowly, revealing a massive reception room that was completely decked out. An array of massive televisions that sat flush against the walls, a fireplace in the center of the floor, surrounded by Pokemon pelts, gold and marble benches, and a large desk at the back of the room which was framed by an entire wall of glass panes which revealed a massive aquarium filled with various water-type Pokemon.

The girl walked in, letting go of Ruben's hand at last as she made her way to the opposite side of the room - finding an egg chair that she managed to crawl up into and disappear under a nearby blanket.

Ruben leaned against the door. He was barely in the room at all. He looked up at Rosa, who somehow managed to get comfortable with all that was going on.

"You're not worried?" He asked, his tone lined with spite.

Rosa peeked out at him from beneath the blanket and then rolled over, blocking the view once more. "Of course I'm worried. These people are dangerous… that's why I brought you."

"Fuck man…" Ruben muttered again, his eyes tired and red. He sniffled again, unsure what accusation to even level at the girl who so aloofly crafted herself a blanket cocoon. Instead he just huffed and began pacing. "It's my fault...my nan's been trynna stop me for ages. I didn't fuckin' listen. I didn't think it would lead to something like this. It's not like I can't pay what I've lost." He stopped, seemingly on the verge of realisation. He stopped himself looking to the sky as if pleading to Arceus. "Fuck, I was gonna take her to a game when I got fit…" He sniffled again, finally letting a tear roll down his cheek. "I was gonna go watch a contest or something, try and help her train…" His verbal train of thought stuttered once the sound of the rocking egg chair reminded him he wasn't alone in the room.

Rosa turned in the chair, peeking out at the man from beneath her cover. There was a pang of guilt that struck her heart - it was her fault that he was in this moment after all, but why was he down here to begin with? She watched him quietly as he rambled on, watching as the tear formed and streaked down his cheek. As he came to a stop, she swung the chair back around, turning her back on him again.

She pursed her lips, bringing the blanket up to them as she mouthed out what she wanted to say. She'd been fine with throwing him under the bus before, only judging him based on what she knew and how she'd felt. But… there was undeniably guilt now, hearing him stress out over his situation and the supposed endangerment of Pia. She had to do something for him. It's not like she was trying to save face at this point, since once everything came out he'd probably hate her anyways. But…

"Ruben," she muttered, turning slowly in her chair. "Why are you here? If you've got all these things going for you… why risk it? Why bother coming to this place, why bother risking yourself for someone else? Someone like you can… someone like you..." she paused and then shook her head. She didn't know exactly what she wanted to ask, to be honest.

"Huh?" Ruben asked with another sniffle. "I dunno. I'm fuckin stupid, I guess," he added with a shrug. "That's what you do. That's what being a man is, right? You throw yourself into the fire to keep everyone you care about warm. If you get to where I am and you don't need a fire because the sun's out all the time...you keep staring up and see if it blinds you." He gulped, not even sure himself what it meant but from the bottom of his heart knowing it meant something. "I guess what I'm saying is, if she's gonna be my girlfriend...how could I not?"

She felt her lip twitch as she breathed in deep. She turned to look at the door on the opposite end of the room, and then glanced over at Ruben who was still standing there. "How would I know? I'm always the one being protected, never being allowed to put myself out there…" she looked back into the darkness of the sunless world within her, recalling her father, and the role that he'd played in creating that void. It wasn't wrong to say that she'd never really had a proper idea of what it was that a man should be, so Ruben's answer was slightly intriguing to her, if nothing else. "Is that… is that what's expected of you as a celebrity, or just from you, being a man?"

Ruben backed into the wall, sliding down it as if to transport himself back to the root of that answer. He barely knew his father. How was he to know where his perception of what being a man meant came from? He'd always been a father, with no torchbearer to show him how it was done. He shrugged, mirroring Rosa's body language as he shrunk into his suit as much as he could. His mind took him back to his time spent with Pia. To Daija. To his mother. It almost seemed an obvious answer until his mind took him to the reporters, to the club hierarchy, to the Wedgehurst fans.

"I dunno, both?" He shrugged, his demeanour more evasive than it was uncertain.

"Heh," she started, shaking her head as her own mind raced with his short retort. "I guess… I suppose it's not easy for anyone - not when you're forced to juggle the person you want to be and who you're wanted to be." She shook her head, wincing at the words as they came out of her own mouth. She bit her lip, reconsidering her decision to force Ruben into this position now more than she had before.

Ruben glanced at her. Just watching her for a moment before turning his body even further away. His breaths were growing heavier but he refused to crack. Not in front of her.

"What do we have to do to get Pia back?" He asked bluntly, sick of the topic and sick of the way she'd summarised it.

Rosa turned the chair away from him, biting on her nail as she considered the options. He could hate her now, or he could hate her later. Either way things went, she already knew that reconciliation between them would be rough - if not impossible. She took a quick, sharp breath as she opened her mouth, ready to just let it all out. "I'm so-"

"They need to know that I'm serious!" Priscrilla screamed from beyond the door at the far end of the room, breaking Rosa's resolve to reveal the truth of the situation. The sound was followed by some muffled arguing, only to be interrupted by Priscilla's screaming once more. "I don't fucking care! They wasted my fucking time, and then she brings in some useless fucking sports **** to protect her or some fucking shit, and now they're just-"

Rosa's eyes widened as she looked beside Ruben, focusing her gaze on the red velvet door at the other end. Every now and then the door would budge out, as if it were being pushed against only to pull back in almost immediately. Several seconds of silence passed before one of the doors swung slightly open, revealing Priscilla, Sister Poppy, and a random man who was gagged and bound to a chair.

A dejected Ruben jumped once the door swung open next to him. He scrambled to his feet, hoping and praying that Pia would be brought in safely. Instead...the woman who brought them here was accompanied by...the waitress he tipped earlier and the...the who punched the screen? Ruben squinted unsure if his memory was betraying him or not. He glanced back at Rosa, and backed out of sight, hoping his supposed classmate would be more informed on what was going on than he was.

Rosa stared wide-eyed, watching the scene unfold. Was this… her father had told her about his own heroics, regaling her on how he'd escaped from situations that seemed eerily similar to this very one rolling out in front of her. But those stories were always so...

"I need her out of here. She needed to be out of here hours ago, when she first arrived. Now, things are more difficult. There's witnesses, there's misdirection - there's lies in my own Sisterhood. And do you know what happens, when I find liars in my Sisterhood, Sister Poppy?"

The once muffled voice from the other side of the door choked out a weak and pitiful, "N-No, Mother Priscilla."

"The same thing I do to thieves, and braggart bumpkins." The words were immediately followed by the echoing sound of a gunshot. The two flinched and stared in silence as a pool of red, viscous liquid began to creep from beneath the door, followed shortly by a now blood-stained Priscilla who walked straight over to the desk and took a seat in the chair before propping her feet up on the table. "Now, what do you say we get started then, yeah?"

Spoiler:

Ruben glanced between the pool of blood and the woman. Somehow, that sight seemed to calm him. It was the second time he'd been faced with a terrifying woman who could end his life at the pull of a finger. Again, he looked to Rosa. He had no idea what was going on or what these people wanted with him or Pia. He had even less idea what they wanted with Rosa.

Priscilla sat at her desk, cleaning the splattered blood from the pistol as she watched the two guests. "Well?" She asked, motioning towards Rosa expectantly. "Do you have something for me, or have we completely wasted my morning with this little game?"

With the woman's focus entirely on Rosa, Ruben opted to hold his ground, watching the scene with uncertainty. He looked at the pool of blood again, a gut wrenching feeling twisting his inside out.

Rosa shuffled out of the egg chair, having finally regained her composure after several minutes of a basic rhythmic breathing exercise. The girl slowly pulled the bag from off her shoulders and began to dig through it, finding the two packages. She retrieved the one labeled as "Sisterhood" and walked slowly towards Priscilla's desk, placing the box gingerly in front of her while not taking her eyes off the gun still in her grasp.

"It's about time. This was supposed to be here hours ago." Priscilla placed the gun on the table and sat up in her chair, turning the parcel between her fingertips before looking up at the two of them. "I have something for you," she said softly, placing the parcel on the corner of her desk.

"For me?" Rosa replied weakly, wondering what was about to follow.

Priscilla shot her a glance as she pulled out another package, a piece of paper, and an envelope. "Yes, for you to carry. You're already heading towards Hulbury, so I'll have you take this with you." Priscilla began to write out something on the paper before glancing back up at Rosa. "And I'd hoped this wouldn't have to be stated, but do not open this."

Rosa pursed her lips and nodded. "Yes, of course not."

"What about Pia?" Ruben blurted out, his heart in his throat as he spoke up but his brow furrowed in determination. He took a few steps closer to the desk. Any intended assertiveness was lost in the shakiness of each step.

Priscilla stared at him while she wrote out the letter and then shook her head, slowly lowering it back towards the paper as she more or less ignored his outburst. "Good, as long as you understand. I'll have one of our Pokemon follow you once you leave Turrfield - just in case something should happen."

A Pokemon to follow her? Not a person? And what did she mean by in case something happened?

"I'm serious. If you've taken her…" The nonchalance of the woman in front of him weakened his resolve. What were clenched fists turned to rubbing fingers. "...I can negotiate."

She looked up at the footballer for a moment before glancing towards the door she'd walked out of, seeing the puddle of blood still leaking out from under the door. "Fucking ridiculous," she muttered, looking back at Ruben before rising quickly from her seat. "If you'll excuse me, I need to check on something really quick."

As the woman walked away, Ruben scowled. He was seething with fear and rage. As if she just...ignored him. He gritted his teeth, looking down to Rosa as if to check he was still even in the room. He glanced down at the desk. The gun the woman had been so proud of, just sitting there. He grabbed it, toppling forward a little on account of the surprise weight the weapon carried. He clutched it with both hands and turned to point it at the woman.

"Hey! Where's Pia?" He scowled behind the iron sights.

Priscilla walked quickly towards the door she'd come in from, leaving everything on her desk as is while she walked away. She flung the door open, revealing Poppy struggling to move the man's body, having only dragged it a few feet away from where they'd seen him sitting before.

"This. This is why I was made the Mother, you daft ****." She scoffed, the door just barely open as it slowly creaked shut after her. However, the woman turned to face Ruben, who'd taken the opportunity to present himself with her weapon. "So, Mr. Sancho," she started, walking slowly back towards the table, not taking her eyes off the boy. "What do you intend to do with that exactly?"

"If everything goes well...nothing." He said coolly, holding his very tested nerve.

Priscilla scoffed, walking past the star without a care as he followed her figure with the gun. She plopped back down into her chair, wheeling back against the massive glass aquarium behind her. "And? What if it doesn't? You going to shoot me, is that it? Then what? You think you'll walk out of here alive if you take me out? You think you'll ever see your little girlfriend again?"

I hadn't thought that far ahead, was a statement Ruben used very often. With his nan, with girls asking him what they were after he'd slept with them, when his coach asked him why he didn't play that long ball rather than trying to take on a defender. Never did he think that would be the first thing that came to mind while standing in front of someone with a gun in his hand. Even in his Motostoke days, only the real top boys were even able to get a hold of a gun. They were never just lying around on desks.

"Why? I don't get what this came from. You guys brought me down here...just to kidnap Pia? What did you want? Money? A story? Are you Motostoke fans or something? I don't get it." He glanced down to Rosa again, as if pleading for her to fill in the gaps for him. He was a man that had enemies everywhere. For all he knew, even the girl sitting in the seat next to him was just waiting to stab him in the back.

"What did we want?" Priscilla smiled and chuckled, rolling the seat back up to the desk before pulling open a drawer that was filled with manilla folders.

Rosa returned the glance, not really knowing what to say. He'd taken this farther than she'd intended him to. And now… "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I just needed someone, anyone… it didn't have to be you, but… I was afraid. I've never had a sun that was so strong or so quick, and I… I'm sorry." she finished, the tears filling her eyes as she dropped her face into her knees, audibly sobbing as she fought to bring out anything else to de-escalate the situation.

The world seemed to freeze around Ruben for a moment. He looked down at Rosa, then at Priscilla, then at the gun in his hands. What could he even say?

"What?" He asked, his expression devoid of any joy, rage, remorse, fear. An emptiness swallowed the boy as he tried to make sense of the girl's outburst. He looked at Priscilla again, down the barrel of the gun. "You don't have Pia at all, do you?"

"Mr. Sancho, we don't want anything more from you than the money you've already spent here. But, now that you've put yourself into this position, you have to understand that there will be consequences for your actions." She stated rather bluntly, pulling out a folder from the drawer, tossing it out in front of Ruben. "Why don't you take a look through that for me? Tell me what you think - for me personally, I feel they captured your character quite well."

Ruben lowered the gun as he searched through the folders. Pictures of him with the drunk girl in Motostoke, pictures of him with Ainsley, a tall dark skinned boy with dreadlocks and a sharp featured tanned man with scarring on his face all four of them with a girl they were practically shoving into a taxi. Most alarmingly, at least to Ruben, pictures of him and Pia at the winter festival. It was a still shot of the exact moment he chose to take a peek into the girl's winter coat.

"Where'd you get these?" He gulped through his words, genuine fear in his voice. Ruben held them away from the still sobbing Rosa, hoping she hadn't seen the contents.

Priscilla leaned across the table, whispering towards Ruben as she locked eyes with him. "Company secret. You understand, I'm sure." She leaned back, pressing a button on the desk which opened a channel to some other room.

Rosa looked up, her makeup completely smeared as she'd let herself go into her crying fit. She was still silently struggling to breathe, but the lack of tension in the air had dragged her out of her knees. She'd wholly expected things to go to the worst case scenario, but now...

"Yes, Mother? What can I do for you?" The voice which responded back from the page was pretty and practiced, perhaps even faintly familiar to the athlete.

"I have in my office right now, a very uncooperative young footballer by the name of Ruben Sancho. I'd like for you to run that picture."

"Wait." The heavy *thunk* of metal cracked through the reception as the gun rattled against the marble floor. Ruben stood with an outstretched hand, both hands empty. "Please, I'll do anything. Just don't send out those pictures. Please. I made a mistake."

Priscilla looked up at him, releasing the button on the table. "Yes, I'm afraid you have. Do you not understand where you are right now, Mr. Sancho? You seem to be mistaken about what I am, since you seem to be treating me like I'm some sort of joke - and as I'm sure you've been able to decipher by now, I am not much for joking. You've made a mistake, and for that, there are repercussions."

Priscilla glanced over at Rosa who was still sitting in relative silence, just barely peeking above her knees as the exchange went down. "Make yourself useful, won't you?" She said coldly to the girl, motioning towards the gun which had just recently been dropped.

Rosa shot a glance towards Ruben and then quickly reached down from her chair and lifted the gun, surprised by the weight of it in her hands. The cold of the steel against her clammy fingers, and the pinkish-brown sheen that sat on part of the silver surface from where the blood hadn't been fully cleaned off. The girl stared at the weapon as she placed it on the desk and began to scoot it slowly across the table to the woman.

Priscilla picked up the weapon, pressing the release on the clip to look at the bullet count before pressing the clip back in and pointing the pistol at Ruben, leveling at his head. "You're nobody, Mr. Sancho. If you died, nobody would really even notice. You've been out of the game so long, the only thing people care about is how much longer you're going to steal their club's funds for. If I wanted to, I could do so much more than ruin your image."

Ruben bit his quivering lip. His body was shaking. He curled his sinking frown into a scowl, maintaining his mask of defiance for as long as he could. I daren't say a word, but there was still fight behind the tears in his eyes. Those eyes fell and with them so did Ruben. His legs gave way, sinking into the chair behind him.

Priscilla smiled and took her seat, placing the handgun back in its holster. "Good. Now that you know your place, shut the fuck up. I have other meetings to get through before the day's over," she looked over at the velvet doors and shook her head, "and that blood still isn't fucking cleaned up!" She shouted, causing a thud to echo from the other side of the door. "Don't cause me any more trouble, and you'll be fine. That's all I asked from the start."

The woman shook her head, clearly irritated from the setbacks as she picked up the pen. "Now, where was I."

Rosa's Party

Memories

CHAPTER 1 - WEDGEHURST & ROUTE 2
GOODBYES, AND HELLO TO A NEW JOURNEY
TROUBLE'S ON THE TRACKS
NAMES AND NIGHTMARES!

CHAPTER 2 - THE SOUTHERN WILD AREA
ENTER THE WILD AREA!
NEW BIKING BIKERS!
THE MYSTERIOUS SHINY POKEMON!
RANGER DANGER! PT.1
RANGER DANGER! PT.2
RANGER DANGER! FINALE!
RED-EYES BLACK-HAT!

CHAPTER 3 - MOTOSTOKE
INN FOR A PENNY, INN FOR A POUND
INN FOR A PENNY, INN FOR A POUND PT.2
SHADY SHOPPING
THE OPENING CEREMONY
THE OPENING CEREMONY PT.2
THE OPENING CEREMONY PT.3
INN WITH THE FAMILY
ALL BETS ON BLACK
LATE NIGHT LULLABIES

CHAPTER 4 - ROUTE 3
VS SIMON
VS SIMON PT.2
MYSTERY OF MEW
MYSTERY OF MEW PT.2
WINTER FESTIVAL
A TWO HEADED REFLECTION

CHAPTER 5 - GALAR MINE AND ROUTE 4
DAYDREAM OF MINE
DEVELOPMENT AND MISSED CONNECTIONS
BUGGIN' THE COSMOS

Rosa's Journal

Simon Dansen

My childhood friend. Absolute idiot. Can't ever get a read on him anymore. Buttface. Always there when I need him. Always there when I least expect him. JERK. Showed me up in battle and evolved his Pokemon before me.

Jasper

An ex-classmate. He took my bait and threw me for a loop when we were fighting a group of Munchlax together. Not as bad a guy as I thought. Because of him, I have to re-evaluate my notes on everyone else just in case. I'm interested in trying a different approach with him when next we meet.

Helped out a wrongfully arrested girl. Really smart. Observant. Kind, but doesn't like to show it. Isn't a terrible cook.

Charles the Biker

An eccentric, but strong man. Indulges in bad puns. Love for bikes. We left on good terms.

Nat the Ranger

A doting older brother to several sisters. A strong trainer who follows their duty. Only spent a day with them. Not sure if I want to meet again or not since I stole a broken styler from his scene of investigation. We left on good terms, I think? Unless he notices that something's missing.

Budew Girl

Never got her name. Apparently she's a challenger like the rest of my classmates. Comes from a family of Budew fanatics. They breed Budew in their hometown and journey around with all three forms of it. She seems endearing. It might be interesting to meet her again in the future. As long as she's not being accused of theft, that is.

Achille Béringer

Rich kid. Pays his debts. Is keen on rich kid things. Doesn't seem much different from how he was in school, but still need to reevaluate.

Melody Argent

Cute and kind. She keeps to herself kind of like I do. Loves music. Feels similar to Simon. Still need to reevaluate because of interactions with Jasper. Kind of maybe, possibly, a small amount of a badass. Finger guns - super corny. Don't harp on the idea of being in contests. If that culty stuff doesn't get figured out by the time we come back to Motostoke, I'll have to remember to find her around town. She's much more attuned to pop culture than I am.

The Family // Damien(?)

Not the family himself, I don't think. I still haven't got his name or what role he really plays in all this. He's a shady motherfucker - pardon my Kalos. I still don't know how much of the stuff I've gone through in Motostoke has been orchestrated by him, but for the moment I'm not planning to try anything. I still don't know enough about him to make any real guesses. The longer that I stay around this town, the further behind the veil that I see. I'm scared even to go to sleep at night so long as I'm here. They have eyes... everywhere.

Buggy Simon

Some kind of freak of nature. I guess he understands Pokemon in some way that I can't; like, he understands what they're actually trying to say when they speak? Kind of cool, but also weird. Him and Simon used to hang out every once in a while at school. He knows about my "secret styler".

Valerie

An absolute ray of sunshine and happiness. She's also a streamer, and earns enough money from it to show it off. Not put off by literal ghosts. Has some kind of dream of meeting Mew.

Aeliana Kekoa

Alolan dance girl. She's supposed to teach me sometime. Pretty much just how I remembered her in school. I didn't get to spend much time with her when we all hung out. Didn't seem too bothered by the ghosts.

Pia McGuire

Pia... definitely is afraid of literal ghosts. I had a few choice words for her, but... after we saw Jirachi, it just felt like the time had passed, so I gave up. She's seen me without my mask, so next time we meet up is probably going to be awkward.

Haleigh Windsor

TBA

Outfits

Spoiler: Here be a number of large images

Inventory

Spoiler:

Sonata · Jan 25, 2021

Poké:

5020 ♦ Pokemon: 4

CHAPTER 6 - GAMBLE FOR A RUSE PT.3
Ft. Ruben Sancho

Rosa walked through to the room where she'd given up her Pokemon. The package and letter she'd been given by Priscilla still in her hands as she rushed to get out of the gambling hall. "R-Rosa Valdés." She said shakily to the man, opening her bag on the table as she started to put the new items in it. The letter and package were addressed to someone named 'Christian', but that was as far as she cared to look into it.

A few minutes passed before the man returned with the tray of five balls, placing it on the table. "And here you are, Miss Valdés. Shame you've no interest in passing off that shiny - given your current lack of finances."

Rosa winced, dropping the balls of Zorro and Dahlia into the safety of the bag before placing the rest of them on her belt - she made the mental note to release them at some later point, but for right now... "Thanks," she said hoarsely, looking behind her at the looming figure of Ruben who was still following behind her. It wasn't exactly as if he could leave her, after all - seeing as how Priscilla had told them both off and had the Sisters escort them to the exit.

His eyes as dull as rubber, Ruben stared at the ground, every now and then glancing around at the lights and down at the back of Rosa. He took his belongings and pokemon with no fuss at all. No words, nothing. He just followed.

They both made their way through the next door, guided by the two sisters who had walked them out. They found themselves back on the elevator, staring at the empty and open air above them, showing just how far down they'd gone. Rosa stared at the ceiling of the room the lift dropped from, likening it to a window to another world as it lay waiting above them. The girl glanced over at Ruben, feeling the growing distance between them as the same operator that had taken her down turned the knob, taking them slowly back up.

Ruben glanced at Rosa, then let his gaze fall forward. He peeked back at the operator then looked forward again. The silence was burning away at him, but he opted to endure the pain. He stared up at the ceiling again...endure the pain. He glanced at Rosa...endure. He glanced forward… "So you know Pia?" There were a plethora of things he wanted to latch on the end of that but none of them found their way out of his mouth.

Rosa nodded her head. "Yeah, I mean-" she paused, considering how she should portray their relationship. They'd not exactly had the best of interactions, but they definitely knew each other as more than just strangers. "We've met a few times outside of school… one of those times was when she told me about the two of you."

Ruben sighed. He wasn't sure why he expected more of an answer than he got the first time around, but he found himself disappointed he didn't nevertheless. There was a Copperajah in the room and it was taking up most of the oxygen. Ruben could barely breathe in the tension. He opened his mouth to speak again but couldn't really think of anything worthwhile. All the questions he had for her in the reception area seemed to be evading him.

"You okay?" He asked, unsure how much he really cared about the answer as opposed to just wanting to kill the silence.

Rosa shrugged. "Not the worst thing I've ever been through… although, now that it's more out in the open-" she glanced over at the operator before stepping back towards the footballer. "I'm… I'm sorry. It would have been a lot worse if you hadn't been there, but it still… it wasn't right. I looked at you and made the assumptions that made things easier for me to…"

"Yeah…" was all Ruben could say without outright lying. Somewhere deep down he was still angry, upset, hurt with what the girl did but he couldn't bring himself to surface those emotions. He looked up, just letting the pain wound him for a moment before he spoke. "Welp...sun's out." He said with a sigh.

It was only two words, but it cut her like a knife. The girl stepped away, finding a space far enough away where she could stand and not be immediately within earshot. She felt incredibly bad, despite the feelings of necessity that had prompted her to drag him along in the first place for her own protection. At least the silence would hopefully linger for a little while now that he'd got that out of him.

It wouldn't. Ruben noticed the girl step away and immediately the gears in his head started work on another topic to bring up.

"Wait, I-" the footballer began before he was cut off by a barrage of texts, Chatter notifications, and updates. Then E Double-D's voice began playing through his phone. Ruben pulled it out and looked at the Caller ID. "Shit. Sorry, gotta take this."

"Ruben…" The voice of Wedgehurst Town's PR manager, Tania, whispered through the phone and cut like a cold blade. "...what am I looking at right now?"

"Listen, Tania before you eve-"

"Ruben...I literally just started mending your last PR disaster. Now you're looking down girls shirts...IN PUBLIC? IN FRONT OF PEOPLE'S CHILDREN, RUBEN? Please keep my blood pressure low and tell me you're in a secret relationship with her."

Ruben looked at Rosa and the elevator operator, shielding the phone as best he could. "No."

"Ruben…" Tania knew, just her saying Ruben's name was enough to get him to wince. "You have two choices. Either you claim she's your girlfriend, in which case this little 'lad' stunt you think you're pulling becomes little more than a poorly timed PDA...or you publicly apologise, take on a sexual harassment course and go off grid for about two months. Since I know the latter is impossible for you…"

"I can do the PR."

"I thought you were one of the good ones." Tania groaned through the phone. Ruben again checked to make sure his company weren't overhearing any of his plan of action. "Ruben...I'm begging you now. As the angry old lady who gives you a slap on the wrist whenever you're naughty...if you consider doing anything stupid, consult me first. Okay?"

"Ok-"

"Good. Then she's your girlfriend. Let her know. If she says no, you know the alternative. Ugh...why couldn't you still be a cute fifteen year old that loves football? That was so easy. " She mumbled before properly hanging up the phone. Ruben took an inhale and checked Pia's name on his phone then looked to Rosa. He recentred himself in the elevator as if nothing had happened.

Rosa stared at the floor with wide eyes, glancing up to look at the operator that seemed to be seemingly caught up as she was. She shook her head slightly, rubbing her face against the sweater as she listened in. It wasn't any of her business. She watched the operator slowly turning the dial back to its off position as the walls of the room connected back to the sides of the lift.

"Thanks," she muttered to the operator, walking out the door as quickly as the lift came to a stop.

Ruben stepped out of the elevator, letting his shoulders hang limp as if to shake the stress off. He checked his surroundings, the smell of soup taking over the room. Ruben sighed, and followed behind Rosa, heading to the exit without a care for the cooking woman.

The moment the duo got outside, Ruben matched Rosa's pace not letting her drift off like a ghost type pokemon.

"How exactly did you get wrapped up with those guys?" He asked, genuine concern in his voice now.

Rosa turned her head, looking at him from the corner of her eye as she continued to trudge along. "You're famous. You've seen what they are. Isn't it better that you don't involve yourself any further than you were already forced to?"

"What? I'm just supposed to turn a blind eye while you're delivering parcels for a woman who wears a gun on her waist like a belt? I think you can understand why that doesn't reflect great on me either. I'm sure you've got people who care about you that don't wanna see you doing this."

Rosa shook her head and slowed to a stop. "That would be for the best… they already had so much on you, and it didn't even seem like they'd been trying - let alone expecting you to come after them." She paused, biting her lip. "Besides, everyone that should have cared about me are... they're…" she bit her tongue, not really wanting Ruben to be the first person that she had to outright tell about her family situation. She assumed that people had figured it out during school, given the home situation of her and Simon, but nobody ever came out directly and asked her about it.

"I don't have anyone like that, not anymore." She stated bluntly, lifting her gaze to meet Ruben's. "I have to do this, regardless of how it makes me look. I have to find out why it couldn't have been me… why it had to be him. But you have a choice - you have a future that you'd be willing to risk everything for..." she trailed off, letting her gaze fall to the man's feet as the pit in her chest began to creep its way up. "You have to be someone's sun."

Ruben's eyes widened and cheeks flushed at hearing his metaphor be used unironically. A smile crept onto his face.

"The sun was supposed to be the resources you have to protect people...but thanks." He smirked. He paused thinking about his interaction with Haleigh. There seemed to be a trend of people who felt they had no one left. Ruben couldn't find it within himself to dismiss that. There was a lot wrong with what she said though. "Why what couldn't be who? I hope you're not talkin' about what I think you're talkin' about."

Rosa shook her head. "There's nothing that can be changed about it now. But I still-"

"Ruben Fucking Sancho!" A man's voice screamed into Ruben's face as he tackled him to the ground, cutting off the relatively decent wrap-up they were having following a completely shitty re-introduction to one another. The man let out a vicious roar in between hammer fists which bounced off of Ruben's crossed arms which he'd raised to defend himself with after the fall. "What did you do to her! What were you doing with her in there!"

"Simon, stop!" Rosa screamed as she rushed over and started tugging at the boy's sweater. "He didn't do anything, get off of him!"

"You, get off! What the fuck?" Ruben growled as he struggled beneath the weight of the six foot Simon. The moment he found an opening, he shifted his own weight and unbalanced the skinnier boy before kicking him off. Both teens scrambled to their feet, with Ruben taking all the distance he could. "Who the fuck are you? Always some nutjob who thinks he'll get famous throwing a cheap shot." He scowled. "Fuck man." Ruben rubbed his cheek where Simon landed a particularly hard punch. He spat, a glob of red hitting the floor. The sight startled him. "Valdes?"

"Simon, please! It's not what you think! He didn't do anything wrong." Rosa stood between the boys, pressing both hands into Simon's chest as he looked between her and Ruben.

"The fuck did he think?"

"Fuck you, Ruben!" He shouted again, before looking down at Rosa. "What's going on here, Rosa? Why were you in there… out here in the middle of bum-fuck nowhere... with him? Everyone's already seen the news about him and Pia McGuire from the academy, and now he's-"

"Simon, please. Just, just go wait somewhere else for me, please. I promise I'll find you, but… I have to apologize now, and not just for myself anymore." Rosa looked up into the boy's face with her pleading eyes. "Please… I'll tell you everything later… I promise."

Simon clenched and unclenched his fists, looking quickly between Ruben and Rosa as he bit his lip. "Fuck!" He pointed quickly at the footballer as he took a step back. "If I find out anything funny happened between you two, I promise I won't be satisfied with just landing one punch next time."

Ruben just tilted his head in response to that. Judging from the punches, the boy wouldn't have gotten much off if not for the sucker punch. With a sigh and sarcastic expression, Ruben simply raised his hands in surrender.

"Guess I'm on your boyfriend's bad side then." He scoffed.

Rosa shook her head, turning her head slowly after Simon had gone and went. "I'm sorry about that, and no... not my boyfriend." She laughed uneasily. "Not by a longshot. If anything, he's more like my brother… his family took me in when I… when there was nobody else that would." She looked up at Ruben, noticing the redness of his cheek where he'd been hit.

"Here, let me help with that." Rosa pulled one of the balls from her waist and released Yzma at her feet before tearing a bit of the fabric from the dress she still had on beneath her sweater. "Yzma, Ice Shard if you'd please."

"Runt!" The Pokemon replied, forming a small chunk of ice in the torn cloth as Rosa held it out.

"Here," She muttered, wrapping the chunk in the cloth before handing it to Ruben. "It's not much, but it should help with the swelling, right?"

"Thanks…" Ruben grumbled, accepting the aid. "This is starting to become a habit." With a wince he dabbed the bruise on his cheek with the impromptu ice pack. "Well...this is the second time." He flushed, realising how that might have sounded after the events of the day, particularly if Rosa had caught a glimpse of the images Priscilla had in her desk. "I'm not routinely getting injured to get girls to patch me up...well, not to get girls to patch me up anyway…" he ended, defeating himself with a sigh. "Thanks." He repeated.

Rosa shook her head. "Literally the least I could do. I'm really sorry, again. He's just… he's really overprotective of me. Despite being a few months younger than me, he still treats me like a little kid sister. Though I guess it's to be expected given-" she put her foot out and turned on the toe of her boot, motioning towards her figure. "Not a lot of supporting evidence in that regard."

Ruben laughed uncomfortably as if a subject he'd been avoiding bringing up had finally aired out. He looked the girl up and down, then glanced over at her friend. A chuckle escaped through the smirk of his lips.

"For sure. My little sister's the same. She's sixteen and she thinks she's the mum of the house or something." He ran his hands through his hair and smiled, almost glancing around to check the coast was clear. "Say uhhh...when you said it should've been you and not him..." He inquired, gesturing toward the still waiting Simon.

The pang of guilt struck her in the chest, and the weight was doubled down upon by Ruben as he dragged up the words she'd uttered previously. "It's… not important." She looked up at him, putting on the most genuine smile she could afford at that moment as she pushed that pain back down inside of her. "For the sake of both of us, what do you say we just leave it at that?"

Another smirk took Ruben's face as he nodded.

"Another new habit," he scoffed. He found his earlier comment wasn't completely unfounded as the sun began to rise over the hills of Turfield. "I'm guessing you're heading to Turffield now? I dunno if you've got a place to stay but…" he began to explain, even losing himself in his long winded explanation. "I booked two rooms." He finished with a shrug. "It's gotta be better than being here."

Rosa looked off in the direction that Simon had gone and then faced back towards Ruben. She could ask why he'd rented out two rooms, but if she sat and let the possibilities multiply in her head then she's sure she'd be able to figure it out eventually. Though, if he was offering it without question and respecting her desire to retain some privacy, it was quite literally the least that she could do to thank him. "That sounds great. I'd really appreciate it."

Even after all she'd done to him this morning… he wasn't nearly as bad as she'd initially thought. It was probably going to hurt Simon when she didn't go off to meet back up with him, but… despite everything, she'd managed to hold onto the strands of a somewhat positive relationship with Ruben. "I could use a shower... and a mirror," she laughed, waving her hand towards the face that looked like she'd walked out halfway during a costume test for a horror show.

"Shit...I gotta pick up some laundry," he realised, laughing along with her. "Let's get a move on. I'm not trynna pay a late fee again."

Rosa's Party

Memories

CHAPTER 1 - WEDGEHURST & ROUTE 2
GOODBYES, AND HELLO TO A NEW JOURNEY
TROUBLE'S ON THE TRACKS
NAMES AND NIGHTMARES!

CHAPTER 2 - THE SOUTHERN WILD AREA
ENTER THE WILD AREA!
NEW BIKING BIKERS!
THE MYSTERIOUS SHINY POKEMON!
RANGER DANGER! PT.1
RANGER DANGER! PT.2
RANGER DANGER! FINALE!
RED-EYES BLACK-HAT!

CHAPTER 3 - MOTOSTOKE
INN FOR A PENNY, INN FOR A POUND
INN FOR A PENNY, INN FOR A POUND PT.2
SHADY SHOPPING
THE OPENING CEREMONY
THE OPENING CEREMONY PT.2
THE OPENING CEREMONY PT.3
INN WITH THE FAMILY
ALL BETS ON BLACK
LATE NIGHT LULLABIES

CHAPTER 4 - ROUTE 3
VS SIMON
VS SIMON PT.2
MYSTERY OF MEW
MYSTERY OF MEW PT.2
WINTER FESTIVAL
A TWO HEADED REFLECTION

CHAPTER 5 - GALAR MINE AND ROUTE 4
DAYDREAM OF MINE
DEVELOPMENT AND MISSED CONNECTIONS
BUGGIN' THE COSMOS

Rosa's Journal

Simon Dansen

My childhood friend. Absolute idiot. Can't ever get a read on him anymore. Buttface. Always there when I need him. Always there when I least expect him. JERK. Showed me up in battle and evolved his Pokemon before me.

Jasper

An ex-classmate. He took my bait and threw me for a loop when we were fighting a group of Munchlax together. Not as bad a guy as I thought. Because of him, I have to re-evaluate my notes on everyone else just in case. I'm interested in trying a different approach with him when next we meet.

Helped out a wrongfully arrested girl. Really smart. Observant. Kind, but doesn't like to show it. Isn't a terrible cook.

Charles the Biker

An eccentric, but strong man. Indulges in bad puns. Love for bikes. We left on good terms.

Nat the Ranger

A doting older brother to several sisters. A strong trainer who follows their duty. Only spent a day with them. Not sure if I want to meet again or not since I stole a broken styler from his scene of investigation. We left on good terms, I think? Unless he notices that something's missing.

Budew Girl

Never got her name. Apparently she's a challenger like the rest of my classmates. Comes from a family of Budew fanatics. They breed Budew in their hometown and journey around with all three forms of it. She seems endearing. It might be interesting to meet her again in the future. As long as she's not being accused of theft, that is.

Achille Béringer

Rich kid. Pays his debts. Is keen on rich kid things. Doesn't seem much different from how he was in school, but still need to reevaluate.

Melody Argent

Cute and kind. She keeps to herself kind of like I do. Loves music. Feels similar to Simon. Still need to reevaluate because of interactions with Jasper. Kind of maybe, possibly, a small amount of a badass. Finger guns - super corny. Don't harp on the idea of being in contests. If that culty stuff doesn't get figured out by the time we come back to Motostoke, I'll have to remember to find her around town. She's much more attuned to pop culture than I am.

The Family // Damien(?)

Not the family himself, I don't think. I still haven't got his name or what role he really plays in all this. He's a shady motherfucker - pardon my Kalos. I still don't know how much of the stuff I've gone through in Motostoke has been orchestrated by him, but for the moment I'm not planning to try anything. I still don't know enough about him to make any real guesses. The longer that I stay around this town, the further behind the veil that I see. I'm scared even to go to sleep at night so long as I'm here. They have eyes... everywhere.

Buggy Simon

Some kind of freak of nature. I guess he understands Pokemon in some way that I can't; like, he understands what they're actually trying to say when they speak? Kind of cool, but also weird. Him and Simon used to hang out every once in a while at school. He knows about my "secret styler".

Valerie

An absolute ray of sunshine and happiness. She's also a streamer, and earns enough money from it to show it off. Not put off by literal ghosts. Has some kind of dream of meeting Mew.

Aeliana Kekoa

Alolan dance girl. She's supposed to teach me sometime. Pretty much just how I remembered her in school. I didn't get to spend much time with her when we all hung out. Didn't seem too bothered by the ghosts.

Pia McGuire

Pia... definitely is afraid of literal ghosts. I had a few choice words for her, but... after we saw Jirachi, it just felt like the time had passed, so I gave up. She's seen me without my mask, so next time we meet up is probably going to be awkward.

Haleigh Windsor

TBA

Outfits

Spoiler: Here be a number of large images

Inventory

Spoiler:

Jay · Jan 25, 2021

Raphael Allard
> Turffield Stadium
> Mood: Breathless
> Vs. Milo - Part 1

..

....

The wind was sweeping through Raphael's hair on a blustery day. He stood at the end of a grass lined dirt path, towering over him was what he had been building up to since Motostoke. Since the moment of his first abject failure, he had been waiting and training like crazy to get to this point. Every day, every route, every chance he got. Battle, after battle, after battle. This was the second step, after the first had missed the mark. His heart was beating faster than usual, which was saying something for him, this second of quiet, calm before the storm, it was the greatest hurdle for him. This was his last chance, if he fell here, after everything he had done, he'd have to admit to a truth he didn't want to accept. The truth that he really had no chance of succeeding. No chance at saving his own life.

Raphael had arrived at Turfield stadium.

It didn't surprise him that Simon and Ruben had lagged behind, he had never takes their flippant interest in racing him here seriously. He was sure they weren't far behind of course, but for now, he stood here alone.

Well, not quite alone.

Upon his right shin, he felt a small nudge. The tiny flipper of Vito was pressed against him… and as he looked down towards his partner, the Spheal furrowed his little brow and gave a confident smile. They were ready, they had to be. With a small nod to the pokémon by his side, he pressed passed the automatic doors, ignored the looks of those around him as he pushed towards the sign up desk so early in the morning and spoke the words he had been choking on since the night before.

"Number 810, Raphael Allard. I'm here to challenge Milo."

Dressed in his league uniform, Raphael stepped out slowly onto the first stage of his challenge. The Gym Mission was simple, ten Wooloo spread out across this open field. All he had to do was round them all up into a corral in the center. He had ten minutes. It was easier than the Motostoke mission on paper and he had completed that with flying colors.

Still, after the last time… the Crowd he could hear in the main stadium beyond and the cameras set up on fence posts, which he knew were filming him and streaming to the crowd even now, made him uneasy. The memory of hundreds of people booing him was still fresh in his mind.

The mission allowed him to use whatever pokémon he wanted, but Raphael had still only sent out two. Lumi was slow and far too timid and as for Carmen… well there were two problems with using her. The first was that she was a fish of course. The second, well, he had been told he'd be disqualified if the Wooloo were knocked unconscious.

So it was that Vito stood beside him, alongside his new pokémon. Selene, the shiny Eevee. The crowd had enjoyed a moment of surprise and glee upon seeing the now clean and sparkling pokémon stand by his side. Selene herself had enjoyed the attention for the moments it had lasted, but as things progressed she had lost interest in the crowd. They were fun for her for a few moments, but she quickly found them tiresome.

Selene herself was now focused on the Wooloo meandering about her peripheral vision. Her goal oriented mind was honing in on the task at hand, her new trainer had explained the focus of this Gym Challenge to her some few moments before its beginning... and considering how much she now owed him, she did not plan to fail here. In fact, she planned to complete this task with the utmost efficiency.

To her, that mindset was all she needed. She would make certain Raphael did not lose.

"Challenger 810, are you ready?!" A voice blared over the speaker, some over-eager young man with a strong Turfield accent. Raphael groaned internally, but spoke. "I am." His response was curt and cold, as he barely even registered saying it.

"Then… 3! 2! 1! Begin!"

Raphael quickly sprinted forward, Vito breaking into a quick roll and swiftly overtaking him while Selene dashed swiftly to his side. He scanned the field around him as efficiently as he could, watching every nook and cranny until he spotted each of the Wooloo grazing and made a note of their location. They were relaxed and had barely even registered his presence. Despite being in the middle of a gym as they were, the screaming crowd just beyond the Northern wall did nothing to startle them, Milo must have ensured these few were well used to this environment.

Without missing a beat Raphael dashes to the nearest Wooloo and takes a deep breath. He puffs himself up and makes himself appear as intimidating as possible.

"Go on! Get moving!" He shouted, doing his best to sound like an aggressive predator or something of the sort.

A second passes. Then another. Three for luck. Nothing. The Wooloo stares back at him with the same blank and empty expression that he himself usually dons. He cringes slightly at that and hesitates. His initial plan hadn't worked, at all, he had to think of another way to get these things moving or-

Eh?

He suddenly felt very uneasy. As if a great danger now resided near him, his fight or flight was being triggered and he instinctively looked around for the source, until his eyes fell to the Eevee beside him.

Selene's stare was empty and hollow, her features gaunt bar a twitch of her left eyebrow to represent a regressed and building rage. Her stare would be enough to shatter even the most iron of wills, it was one of the most frighteningly empty things he had ever seen. Combined with her silvery hair, this Eevee looked more like a ghost than a normal type pokémon. The Wooloo had also taken notice by this point, shivering a little as it struggled to look away from the terrifying little furball now standing so threateningly before it.

In response to it meeting her gaze, Selene's lip curled in disgust and she released a quiet, low and guttural growl. "...vee."

Like lightning had jolted through it the Wooloo leapt and yelped, crying out and rolling away as fast as it could towards the corral. Gone was its lackadaisical attitude, replaced with abject terror as it made an effort to stay as central in its pen as possible, glancing back the Eevee constantly to make sure she didn't follow. She didn't of course, instead Selene's expression returned to neutral and she glanced up at her trainer for approval. Raph, on the other hand simply stared at her incredulously for a moment before slowly lifting his hand into a thumbs up. "H-Haha…"

"7 minutes left for our challenger!" The announcer blared, causing Raph to snap back to reality. The trainer quickly searched around for the next opportunity, his eyes shifting from Wooloo to Wooloo. Time was already starting to run short and only one of his ten objectives was complete. "No way I'm losing the gym mission, of all things… Vito!" Raphael called out to his starter who had been grazing blissfully in the field, completely unaware of the urgency of the situation that currently befell them. "You know what happens when a ball hits another right?"

Though confused for a moment, it seemed that Vito quickly got the memo.

Raph took off once again, his chest burning, but he was careful to pace himself as Selene and Vito followed along. He pointed out targets as they went, to each of his pokémon in turn. "Selene, scare it into place! Vito, pinball tactics!" The vague commands were perfectly understood, Selene rushed to the Wooloo she was directed at and used her overwhelming presence to scare them as she had the first, as she darted about the field from Wooloo to Wooloo the fluffy pokémons screams of abject terror were audible. Cruel as it seemed, right now, that was music to Raphael's ears.

Vito's tactic was a little more direct. Looping around in the dirt with a rollout, he got enough speed to impact but not so much that it would seriously hurt… then crashed with that force into the Wooloo that stood in his way. A resounding clap echoed across the arena as one ball hit another and the Wooloo were launched unceremoniously into the goal with dissatisfied bleating. The crowd was… unsure of how to react. This tactic was certainly not the intended method of completing the challenge but, it was working.

Eventually the antics of Vito and the pristine character of Selene melded with Raphael's determination and the crowd began to cheer along regardless.

Three Wooloo!

Five Wooloo!

Nine Wooloo!

"Ten!" Raph cried at the top of his lungs as Vito launched the final target into the pen. With his fist raised the crowd went wild, screaming the number 810 in the midst of their excitement. Raph was already exhausted from all of the running, but he took the moment of succor to steady his breathing.

"Congratulations, number 810! With 24 seconds to spare, your mission is a success!" The announcer roared and the crowd responded with further cheering. Raph let out a massive sigh of relief as his pokémon stood proudly by his side. "Hardly a new record time… but we did it." He wasn't full of confidence just yet, but this had been a success. The first hurdle of today's challenge was clear. Finally regaining his composure he pulls himself back to standing straight and shakes himself off.

"Selene, Vito, thank you. You did great." With a bright smile from one and a subtle nod of affirmation from the other, Raphael returned both of his pokémon to their capsules and looked towards the now opening automatic door that lead to the pitch.

Another gym mission cleared with relative ease, but beyond that entryway waited the real challenge. Another leader that this time, he couldn't afford to underestimate. This was the moment that everything so far had been building up to. Every moment, every meeting, every second of his life where he had doubted himself. This was the culmination of it all. The moment that decided what direction his life would go from here on out.

He took one step towards that gateway, then another, then another. His pace increased as he moved towards the future he had been seeking. His thoughts raced with visions of his journey thus face, the trials he had faced. The people he had met... even if to him knowing them was selfish, their memories offered him strength in this moment.

"Simon, Pia, Ruben, Melody, Arrietty… maybe even you too Catherine." He repeated their names and remembered their faces, those of their pokémon as well. Holding his partners pokéball in his hand tightly, he raises it upwards and lightly kisses the surface for luck, before transitioning to a run, right towards that open gateway.

"Let's go, everyone..!"

Jay · Jan 25, 2021

Raphael Allard
> Turffield Stadium
> Mood: Breathless
> Vs. Milo - Part 2

..

....

"You're… Raphael, right?"

The cheery greeting echoed from just in front of him at the center of the battlefield. The atmosphere, the pitch, the cheering crowd, the wind rustling his hair. Everything about this scenario was familiar and yet so alien to Raph. It struck him like a wave, hit him hard in the chest and forced him to face the reality of his own circumstances in this moment. So much so were these thoughts dominating him that he hadn't even realized that he was already standing at center pitch, across from the man who was to be his opponent.

Milo was a well built man, that was for sure. A farmers tan and a freckled face atop rippling muscles built up from years of work. Raph wondered if this was the image of a man like Farmer Yarrow in his prime. The grass type leader smiled at Raph welcomingly, his aura was different from that of Kabu. He seemed far less serious, way more relaxed, were it not for the overwhelming list of external factors, Raph might have felt his worry melt away. "That's me, right." He eventually responded, realizing the leader had been waiting for him too. "Number… 810."

Milo smiled brighter. "I saw your battle with Kabu, I'm happy to see you weren't discouraged." A moment of silence followed, the words both encouraged Raph and struck him like a knife to the chest. "It was impressive, you got far considering you're new to the game… though you'll have to forgive me if you think I'm going to let you off easy here." He pulls a pokéball from his belt and grasps it tightly, his winning smile still present. "I grew up on the farm, which is a school of hard knocks at the best of times, I expect nothing but your best if you want to beat me Raphael." To which the trainer nods seriously. "I'm not cutting any corners, Milo. I'm winning today, no doubt about it."

Milo's smiles grew even wider, but his only response was a satisfied nod… and with that the two trainers took their positions on either side of the pitch.

The crowd was cheering, both sides had their pokéballs at the ready, the familiar music once more began to play and Raph watched a string of letters appear on the big screen, broadcasting this battle across the world at large.

"Flapple, go!" Milo cried to the cheers of the crowd, his green coloured Nest Ball flew through the air, in a burst of similarly coloured light came a small pokémon flapping its wings wildly to keep itself in the air. Milo was known for using both of Applin's potential evolutions interchangeably, Flapple was the more aggressive and more physically offensive of the two, which Raph furrowed his brow at. The majority of his team at this point was focused on physical attacks and he didn't feel confident having any of them go blow for blow in close quarters with this pokémon. Was that why Milo had selected the Flapple in the first place? Did the gym leader know that much about Raph's team?

He took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. He had to focus right now and keep a cool head, not let himself get drawn into fantasy. He still had one pokémon that could fight Flapple effectively while keeping it at a distance.

"Let's go, Lumi!" Raphael tossed his pokéball skywards, allowing the small purple flame bearing pokémon to erupt onto the field. Lumi the Litwick, in the end he had been the positive Raphael had taken away from Motostoke. He was timid, but Raphael had already seen it… when the chips were down and a fight was underway Lumi would rise to the occasion. With both Mel and Arri he had been an important factor in standing strong in the face of danger. This was no different.

While the small candle pokémon shivered gently in the face of its opponent, as it looked back and saw the re-affirming look of its trainer, it nodded gently (as best as it could), then turned with a shaky but determined expression to face the Flapple in front of it. "Aha… you guys sure look serious." Milo commented, grinning as he placed his hands to his waste. The comment frustrated Raphael, of course he was serious, this battle meant the world to him, it was what was going to decide everything for him going forward. Of course, Milo couldn't have understood that but-

"Let's get started! Flapple, Grav Apple!" As he called out the Pokémon's signature move, the crowd cheered loudly, the battle finally underway. Materializing in the air above was a green apple formed of grass type energy, it quickly burst downwards, using gravity to its advantage as it stormed towards Lumi below. "Lumi, use Ember then shift to the side!" Obeying the order quickly, Lumi shot embers upwards towards the attack, catching the apple mid air and singeing it, holding it back and lessening its effectiveness. The momentary pause in its descent gave Lumi the chance to glob out of the way just before it cracked down to where he had been standing.

Even weakened by an ember, it left a small dent in the pitch, silly as it was at face value that move wasn't to be underestimated.

Raphael couldn't let this devolve into a game of apple tennis however, he had to respond quickly. "Lumi now, hit Flapple with an ember directly!"

"Wiiiicku!!" Taking a deep breath and puffing out his cheeks, Lumi caused the flame on his head to roar, before it shot out quick bursts of purple fire towards the floating Flapple, a barrage of small fires spiraled towards the little dragon's position. "Don't let it hit you Flapple!" Milo was quick on the reaction however, Flapple started darting through the air without stopping, its constant movement making it a hard target to hit, but also preventing it from responding.

"Lumi, keep it up! Maintain position and take turret stance!"

Raphael had trained a lot with his pokémon, despite his condition, despite his reputation as lazy… when it came to training he was intelligent, he had the talent to back up the work. He had worked harder than most to ensure that he and his team had reached a place where their unique strengths and tactics could come into play. In the case of Lumi, the small pokémon's speed was very poor, being made of wax and lacking proper legs, but its fire power was immense for such a young pokémon. When Lumi stopped focusing on speed and hunkered down, diverting everything into its attack, it could produce results that a Litwick normally couldn't. This was Lumi's 'Turret Stance' as Raphael had dubbed it.

Puffing his cheeks out even more, Lumi settled in place, letting his waxy body rest and diverting all his energy into his flame. It grew to what was surely twice its regular size and continued to fire embers out rapidly, following the flight path of Flapple through the air like a burning stationary LMG. "Haha, amazing! That's incredible Raphael!" Milo called with a beaming smile from across the pitch, causing Raph's brow to furrow further. Was Milo trying to mock him? Throw him off with kindness? "But we won't be stopped so easily! Flapple, now! Acrobatics!"

Wait, what? How had he gotten so close?!

As it was dodging the embers, Flapple had been drawing closer and closer to Lumi, inches at a time and Raph hadn't noticed a thing. He cursed himself internally, he should have been paying more attention. The physical flying type attack struck Lumi and sent him flying backwards, the flame on his head still burning brightly shifted and flickered. That had been a critical hit, the damage dealt was enough to put Lumi on the edge already while Raph hadn't even landed a single hit yet.

No. He couldn't give up yet, not this early. "Lumi fire another Ember before you hit the ground!"

Lumi's eyes snapped open as it was hurtling through the air and it righted itself quickly. He knew that Raphael trusted him, even if he was timid and small, even if he was just some pokémon captured for a gym mission. A gym that had nothing but bad memories for his trainer. Even still, despite all of that, Raphael trusted him. He swelled the flame on his head bigger and felt a new kind of fire burn, a slowly shimmering, sickly looking orb of purple flame that shot outwards like a ball of dripping lighter fluid.

"That's not ember, it's- !" Raph mumbled and Milo's eyes widened at the sudden change of attack. "F-Flapple, you have to dodge more precisely, that attack is-!"

Lumi learned Will-O-Wisp!

The orb of flame somehow tracked the crazed Flapple with ghostly energy, making wild dodges without planning a complete bust. Before it could react, the orb slammed into its head and small purple flames started singing into its wings and body. Lumi landed with a small wince by now, the pain of the acrobatics attack was hardly matched by a burn, but this situation should have at least granted some kind of advantage. An advantage Raphael had been ready to press.

"Excellent, Lumi!" He cried gleefully, his gaze focusing on the Flapple once again. This wasn't the only new trick in his Litwick's arsenal. Raphael had been waiting for Lumi to unlock the power of Will-O-Wisp for some time, as combined with the strength gained from their intensive training, Flapple was in for a nasty surprise.

"Now, focus on your opponents burn… and use Hex!" Lumi's flame shrunk down once more, but his eyes opened wide with spectral energy.

Hex was a move that dealt more damage to a pokémon when it was suffering from a status condition, with Lumi having access to both Will-O-Wisp and Hex he had unlocked a new method to do serious damage. A power that would grant him the edge in the here and now. Ghostly energy swirled around Flapple who at this point wasn't prepared nor particularly able to dodge. It burrowed into it and intensified the pain surging through it because of the burn. A critical strike in return for one received, Flapple collapsed out of the air and seemed unlikely to pick itself up again. All Raph had to do was-

"Grav Apple!" Before his thought could even finish, Flapple had burst up from the ground and summoned another attack, another apple formed of grass energy plummeted down towards the injured Lumi and before Raph could react, conked the small ghost type square on the noggin. Even with the burn weakening the effectiveness of physical attacks, Lumi had already been on the brink of a KO.

"W-Wicku-!" Lumi was sent sprawling backwards, rolling across the ground this time to Raph's feet. He struggled to right himself once more, but found himself unable to push his body any further. With a small whimper, he drifted into an unconscious state. "N-No…" Raph grit his teeth and growled at his own incompetence. He couldn't afford to get cocky, how had he not been ready for his opponents to recover so quickly. "Lumi, return." He sent his small ghost type back to its capsule and closed his eyes for a moment. Lumi had done his best, Raphael had been the one to let his guard down. He thanked his pokémon and apologized before reattaching the ball to his belt and pulling another one loose.

Had this been another one on one battle, like the one against Kabu, he'd have already lost. That thought stung him and the crowd were already cheering out praise for Milo after as the leader took the lead. Those people... they had already counted him out, of course they had, all they'd ever seen from him was failure.

No! He couldn't fall into this trap again, he couldn't! He had to win, he HAD to!

Milo's smile slowly shifted into a look of… concern. Raphael's expression was contorted and full of panic, the idea of a loss to this young man, it was a thought full of fear, dread and regret. Why..? Milo couldn't understand why a pokémon trainer would feel that way.

Raph forced himself to breathe, he had to stay calm, not just for himself, but for his pokémon. This was when he had to redeem himself, not fall apart. He would redeem himself. He WOULDN'T fall apart.

"Vito!" He called out and tossed the pokéball in his hand, the small starter pokémon bounded onto the field with excitement, his eyes full of vim and vigor..! But it dampened a little as he sensed his trainers emotions, looking over his little shoulder a moment, he gazed at the manic, painfully determined face of Raphael.

"Hey, Raphael, I-" Milo opened his mouth to speak, but the challenger was lost in the moment, tossing his hand outwards he issued a command. "Powder Snow, Vito!" Despite his momentary hesitation, Vito surged forward, his trust in Raphael overcoming his trepidation in response to the current feelings of the aforementioned. Milo was caught completely off guard by the sudden command cutting him off and Flapple was struck hard by the ice type attack, the little dragon still reveling in its victory over Lumi.

The attack hit as hard as Raphael had anticipated, four times the regular damage due to Flapple's severe weakness to ice type attacks. That dragon typing may have allowed it to overcome its weakness to fire, but it created an opening that could easily be exploited. Just like that the battle was on equal footing again. One on One, Vito… vs. the gym leaders ace.

A lump formed in Raphael's throat and he had to swallow hard to overcome it.

Milo was frowning now, but with a sigh he relents, returning his first pokémon and sending out his second. "Eldegoss!" The Cotton Bloom pokémon burst out of its pokéball to the uproarious cheers of local fans, Milo's most famous pokémon and most likely, the strongest on his team. The pokémon he'd used in the gym bracket for years. It had the same reputation as Centiskorch as being a blockade for new trainers, though it was far less infamous than Kabu's partner.

"Vito, Powder Snow again!" Raph felt a vein on his forehead about to pop, the stress of the entire situation was forcing its way into his head and clenching his heart like sharpened claws. Vito quickly rolled, forcing itself to go even faster than usual, shooting clouds of ice at his target as best as he could.

In his head, Vito was scared as well. He couldn't tell why, but he knew that if he lost this battle, Raphael wouldn't be okay. His trainer was already on the brink because Vito had let him down once already. He closed his eyes for a moment as that memory had flooded back, if only he had been stronger back then… then maybe Raph wouldn't be-

"Vito, look out!" The words came a little too late as Eldegoss maneuvered her way in front of the rolling ball during his moment of weakness.

"Eldegoss, Hyper Voice!"

In response to Milo's cry, Eldegoss let out a scream of its own. The almost deafening noise struck Vito like a truck, sending him bounding and sprawling through the air back towards Raphael. The trainer's eyes widened, bloodshot veins creeping along them as his heart clenched, almost stopped in his chest. "No, no, no, not again." The words repeated in his mind over and over again, he thought back to all his failures, all the times he'd hesitated. The disappointed face of Kabu dominated his mind, Milo had that same expression now. They were judging him, judging him for his inability to succeed.

Vito clattered to a halt in front of him and the crowd went silent once again. The quiet killed him, but the slow murmurs that crept in only made it worse. As Raphael looked down towards his partner pokémon, already injured, he saw that same pleading look from Motostoke.

He was going to lose, again. He really couldn't do this, he really couldn't succeed.

He was going to die.

Raph felt his hand instinctively reach up to his chest, clenching his shirt meekly, waiting the inevitable final blow.

Jay · Jan 25, 2021

Raphael Allard
> Turffield Stadium
> Mood: Breathless
> Vito - Vs. Milo Finale

..

....

"Hey…"

Milo's voice cut through the cacophony of his own thoughts, hesitantly, Raphael slowly looks up to meet his gaze, amidst the silence of the crowd. Milo was… smiling again.

"I think I understand what has you so worked up, mate." He beams, much to Raph's confusion. "You're really focused on winning and I think that's good, but we don't battle pokémon purely to win, right?"

The silence still hung in the arena, there was a moment of clarification as the eyes of the audience fell onto Milo and Raphael too was just standing and staring.

"Raphael, you want to be a trainer, because it's fun right? Because you can make a difference." The sinking feeling in Raph's chest stops, like something grabs it and pulls it back. "I think you can do it, I really do, but you're not focusing on that, right? You're focusing on nothing but the victory, not the battle, that's holding you back. Your partner seems to get what I'm talkin' about, yeah?"

Raph's eyes trail back to Vito, that same pleading look. It all fit together, the pieces clicked into place. That look wasn't Vito asking Raph for help, it was… Vito was saying…

"Don't give up."

His emotionless façade snaps for a moment and a single tear fell down Raphael's face. For all the advice he had given people like Pia and Catherine, the source of his own problem was him, the one who wasn't trusting his partner was him. He had been a fool, he had almost thrown away everything, because he couldn't stop looking to an ending where he succeeded, to the point where it blinded him in the here and now. For someone with so little time left, he couldn't bring himself to live in the moment.

"Milo…" He eventually spoke, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. "I..."

The crowd was still silent, but it was a different quiet, not one of judgment, but one of understanding. Milo smiled even brighter still and clenched a fist to tap to his chest. "You don't have to say anything, all you have to do is try again! I'm not letting this close out until I see the challenger in front of me fighting at one hundred percent. So I expect you to pull yourself together! Especially since I'm still your opponent, or did you forget?" His bright smile turned into a confident grin and he settled into a focused position, Eldegoss also bounced back into frame, her cotton puffed and her disposition confident.

In his moment of absolute weakness Milo had seen something in Raph that almost disappeared. Raphael looked down at his hand... Calm down. Focus. Preserve. Overcome. This was the time, this was the moment that would decide his future, not the outcome of this battle. If he could learn to live in the moment, if he could focus on the here and now, if he could let go of his vision for the future and take a moment to bask in what was around him...

Then maybe it wasn't too late.

Raph shifted his gaze to Vito, who still looked at him with concern… and smiled brightly. "Vito, let's win this alright? Together."

The Spheal's eyes widened and he smiled back with abject glee, bouncing in place, then turning towards his opponent once again. "This battle… isn't anywhere near over!" Raph called out and the crowd bated its breath in anticipation. "Vito! Ice Ball!"

The crowd roared into a cheer as Vito burst forward, he grinded and drifted across the ground as he froze the air around him, solidifying into a solid ball of frost. He charged towards Eldegoss and quickly closed the distance of the pitch.

"Eldegoss! Leaf Tornado!" Milo smiled brilliantly as he let loose the command. Eldegoss jumped forward and whipped up fallen leaves upon the pitch into a whirling dervish, the wind from the attack rapidly cut through the air, lifting everything it touched skywards. Even Vito started to bounce and hover from the floor as the attack chipped away at his outer shell of ice, damaging the little spheal within.

Raph closed his eyes and took a deep breath, focusing as best he could, this was it, this was his moment. The moment he chose to live in was now. He embraced what was happening around him and smiled, enjoying the battle for what it was… and letting the excitement take hold of him. Ideas started to click and form as he felt his flow coming back and his creativity and talent shone through.

"Vito! Lean into the tornado!" A confused gasp echoed around the crowd as Vito obeyed without question, he spun himself into the Leaf Tornado taking even more damage than before, but being launched up from the ground and high into the air. Rollout and Ice Ball were Vito's most potent moves and both got stronger with more momentum. Milo's own attacks had inspired Raphael, thinking back to Flapple, Grav Apple was an attack that also relied on accumulated force.

The force of gravity.

The pieces seemed to click for the gym leader as well, but a little too late to stop the challenger's plan. "Eldegoss! Stop the tornado and move away now!"

"Not so fast! Vito, plummet down and strike Eldegoss before it can move away!" As the tornado came to a stop, Vito whipped around with the force of the grassy wind high into the air, his ice ball spinning rapidly with more momentum than ever before, momentum he carried into the fall. Like a homing beacon he raced down towards the fleeing Eldegoss, who quite simply lacked the speed to get away.

A resounding smack echoed across the arena as the Ice Ball struck its target, Vito's ice capsule bounced hard off the back of Eldegoss, sending the grass type sprawling with the sheer power of the super effective attack. Vito bounced backwards, upwards into the air and the ice cocoon began to crack, Raphael prepared to cry out another command but was instead stricken with complete surprise by what happened next.

As the ice ball cracked, brilliant, bright white light began to shoot out of it.

The entire crowd was in awe as the ball fell once again, cracks forming along the surface, light bursting from every seam… and when it struck the ground and shattered, the pokémon that had entered emerged changed.

With a pair of well defined whiskers, a more developed head, tail and flippers, but still a familiar plump body and a goofy grin… Vito was no longer a Spheal.

Spoiler:

"Seeeaaaallll….. EeeeO!" Vito puffed up his chest and did a proud sort of pose, holding his head up high as he showed off his newly evolved form with intense amounts of swagger.

Wait, swagger?

Vito learned Swagger?!

At the other side of the field Eldegoss was near fuming with frustration in response to Vito's new move. It seemed angrier than ever before and bounced forward with a mixture of rage and confusion against Milo's wishes. "W-Wait, Eldegoss, I didn't tell you to attack yet!" Milo called out, trying to regain control of the enraged pokémon, but it was no good. Eldegoss waved its leafy arms and prepared to launch another attack, charging its energy even further, the leaf tornado from before was replaced by many, blitzing across the battlefield in a leafy storm.

The Leaf Storm itself was misaimed and poorly timed however, as some of the whipping winds and razor sharp leaves cut across Eldegoss itself, causing it to wince.

It hurt itself in its confusion!

"Vito!" Raphael called out, prompting a silly looking over the shoulder smile from his newly evolved partner, a smile he couldn't help but return.

"Now's our chance! Rollout!" Vito pulled his flippers in, folded his whiskers, tucked in his head and tail and formed a perfect ball once more, before bursting off with greater speed and power than he had ever possessed as a Spheal, with speed and grace he rides along the side of the pitch, dodging swirling pillars of leaves and wind as Milo tried to get through to his confused ace… but before the command can even be given-!

Vito collides hard with Eldegoss to the result of a loud bashing noise and a sudden poof from a burst of cotton, the impact is enough to cast away the raging leaf storm and send shockwaves rippling through the grass surrounding the two pokémon, but Eldegoss holds its ground! "E-Eldeeeee….!" Eldegoss maintained its position, standing strong as the rapidly spinning Vito pushed against it, forcing it back, slowly grinding it across the ground.

"Go! Vito!" Raph cries at the top of his lungs and the crowd responds in kind, chanting the Sealeo's name as loud as they can. Their words reached the newly evolved pokémon and filled him with greater determination. Vito spun faster and faster and faster! "SEEEAAAAAAALLLLL!"

Until with one more shockwave of force, Eldegoss was sent catapulting backwards, bouncing and breaking across the pitch until it grinds to a slow and silent stop a few feet from Milo himself.

Silence.

Vito sits, stunned and a little dizzy in the center of the field, Raph watches with bated breath and a heavy heart. The crowd goes silent as Milo looks out to his ace pokémon.

Then, with a small smile, he retrieves his empty pokéball from his belt… and returns Eldegoss inside. "Well done, Raph..!"

Music the young trainer had never heard before blared through the speakers.

"THE WINNER IS THE CHALLENGER! NUMBER 810 RAPHAEL ALLARD HAS DEFEATED TURFIELD'S LEADER MILO!"

The announcer's voice screamed out of the intercom and the crowd erupted into an uproar of extreme and excited applause. They chanted the number 810, over and over, the spite they had held for him in Motostoke was gone, now they only offered their cheers of support and validation.

Raph stood there, stunned beyond belief as Vito happily flopped his way over. "Seal! Seal!" He exclaimed excitedly nearly knocking Raph over as he hoisted himself up on his tail and clung to his trainer with his newly developed flippers.

They had done it. They had won.

Rather than meeting him halfway, Milo slowly crossed the entirety of the pitch and grabbed Raphael's arm. "H-hey!" The younger man tried to protest, but the firm and fierce grip of the farmer was impossible to break free of as he jostled Raph's arm in the firmest of handshakes. "Incredible! Absolutely amazing! Riding the storm was such a neat tactic… and that evolution too! Wow!" Milo beames a massive smile before finally letting Raph's arm fall limp. "Congrats challenger! You've beaten me fair and square."

Milo reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out a small piece of a larger circle. The golden pin had a leaf embossed upon it… and it looked heavier than Raph had anticipated it would. Milo handed it out with a smile.

But Raph pushed his hand away.

"You stopped." He states plainly. "Stopped when I almost lost myself, called me back, if you hadn't taken pity on me like that… I wouldn't have won. I don't deserve this." However as Raph finished speaking, with his superior strength, Milo pushed his open hand towards Raph once more, the badge still held inside.

"Raphael." He repeats the challenger's name again. "I'm the one who decides who deserves this badge. I called out to you because you had lost your way, you weren't battling me at your best. A victory over you when you were like that…" Milo shakes his head with a smile. "That'd be no victory to me. I simply reminded you to do the best you could… and once you did, I couldn't stand against you at all!" Raph's eyes widened with surprise, he was unsure of what to say, so Milo grabbed his other hand and placed the badge in it gingerly, before closing Raph's hand around it with another wide, beaming grin.

"As the gym leader of Turfield gym, I bestow the grass badge to you. Challenger 810, Raphael Allard." Raph looked at the small piece of metal in his hand, like it was a dream, like it wasn't real. He opened his mouth to thank the gym leader, but nothing came.

The crowd had already started to clear out and Milo stretched himself before taking a step back. "Well, I've got to go get these guys healed after the thrashing you gave us!… From what I've been told, your classmates are eagerly following you!" He gives a softer, warmer smile, before turning to leave Raph alone.

"Raphael, you can be a great pokémon trainer, if you try."

The words hit him like a truck and nearly knocked him off his feet. As Milo began to walk away, Raph broke. His apathetic face fell away and his face contorted, he buried his eyes in his arm. He would have fallen to his knees had Vito not still held strong, hugging his trainers legs tightly.

All the words that said he couldn't.

The doctors who said his dream would never come true.

His mother who told him not to be selfish.

The voices in his head that screamed over and over and over again that he couldn't. That he would never be allowed to pursue his passion. That his life was defined by the conditions of his birth.

Those words from Milo clung to the image of the badge in his hand and screamed back. Fighting back the negativity and the pain, fighting against everything that had stood in his way. He realized all his life, ever since he was a child, all he had wanted was to hear those words.

"Raphael, you can be a great pokémon trainer, if you try."

"Seal..?" Vito questions his trainer with concern, but as Raph wipes away his tears and looks down at his partner, the concern melts away and the human rubs his Sealeo's head with the widest, most genuine smile he'd given in a very long time. The joy in Vito's eyes as a response was nothing short of heartwarming.

"C'mon, buddy." Raph says, turning back to the dressing room exit. "Let's get you and Lumi healed up too."

Raphael Allard obtained the Grass Badge!

LinearAxel · Jan 25, 2021

Melody Argent

18 | Female | From Spikemuth

Inventory

Spoiler:

Reflection

With Turrfield on the horizon, Melody decides to take a short break from the month-long trek it took to get this far. She takes a seat beside a winding stream and watches as Nightshot, Annabelle, and Piper make silly faces at their own reflections. It was never her intention to catch a bunch of ghosts, and yet here she is with half a team of them. Ah, well, it's not a fantastically balanced team, but if working for Black Spear taught her anything… it's that people have a lot of weird uses for ghosts.

Flashback

After her coffee break with Aeliana and Valerie, Melody decided to head to the Black Spear HQ. The journey to Turfield was going to be a long one: Route three, a mine, and then route four. It was going to take a good month for them to walk that far, and unless she intended to eat coal for a few meals, she didn't have the funds to supply her awful habit of needing food to survive. Becoming a corporate stooge for money it is then.

The doors swing open as Melody approaches and Melody strolls towards the front desk. Manning said desk is a younger looking gentleman, around twenty-four, with wavy blond hair being blown behind him by a Rotom-Fan. Damn, Melody thinks to herself, she knows a lot of women who would kill for hair like that.

The man seems to be absorbed in his computer as Melody approaches the front desk, and it's not until the Rotom lets out a soft brrrrr! in greeting does he peer over his glasses to see her. "Oh, pardon me! Welcome to Black Spear Industry, how can I help you?"

"First day on the job?" Melody asks.

The blond man chuckles and shakes his head. "This isn't my usual job. I'm holding down the fort while Lizzie's on her lunch break. Are you here to take a tour?"

"I'm good, thanks." Melody says with a dismissive wave. "I heard you guys are hiring trainers."

"You heard correctly." He says with a cheery smile.

"What do I have to do to get one of those?" Melody asks.

"May I have your name first?"

Melody hands her Pokedex to the blond man. "Everything you need to know."

The man takes the Pokedex and scans the back of it with a small device that Melody swears looks like a tiny face with glowing eyes. A picture of Melody appears on the screen and the cheery man gives it a quick read over. "Ah, alright. Miss Argent then. First, we'll put you on a trial job of sorts. Depending on your performance, we'll see if we'll take you on for good." With that, he hands the Roto-phone back to the punk teen.

"Cool. What's the trial job?"

The blond man adjusts his glasses before flashing that cheery smile towards the Doom Noodle hanging on Melody's shoulder. "I think I have the perfect one for you." With that, he spins in his chair and begins typing away on the computer once more. "Let's see here… ah, yes, this one!

We firmly believe that surprise is the spice of life. We'd like to get Pokémon that can bring people's orders with a little dash of horror. In other words, they want ghost Pokemon to deliver food for them."

Melody and Nightshot exchange a glance. "Uh… sure, why not?" That sounds simple enough.

"Wonderful. I'll inform the restaurant that you're on your way. They'll tell you where to go from there."

"Thanks-- Mister?"

"Zelkova."

"Mister Zelkova."

Zelkova gives a friendly nod. "I'll send the directions to the restaurant to your Roto-phone."

"Neat. Ready to get your menial labor on, Noodle?"

"Py py!" Nightshot calls with a raise of his arm.

Melody's phone gives a soft ping! sound as the screen lights up, displaying a map. "Later, Mr. Zel." Melody says before turning on her heels and making it back out the door.

Melody and Nightshot find themselves outside of a small diner that Melody swears she's heard of before-- yet can't quite place. She pushes the door open and feels no less than a dozen eyes on her when the bell above the door jingles.
"Welcome to the Cozy Fried-- are you our new delivery person?" A less than enthused teenage boy asks.

"You're as thrilled as I am." Melody muses.

"The guy on the phone told me to be on the lookout for a girl with a bunch'a holes in her face." The teen mumbles before practically dragging himself behind the counter to collect the two to-go bags. "Hiro, you ready to go? New delivery girl's here."

"I need an escort for this?" Melody asks with a raised eyebrow.

The less-than-enthused-teen narrows his eyes even more before heaving a deep sigh. "Look, the last two people we hired to do this just took the food and ran off.

"Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice… do you really pay me enough for me to care?" A voice comes from the kitchen. Another young man leans against the doorframe-- likely in his early twenties with red hair that's grown down to his shoulder blades, wearing a subtle smirk.

"Arceus, just take the food and go." The teen says with a rather annoyed sigh.

"Aye aye, Captain." Hiro says before grabbing the two bags and pushing the door open for Melody with his back. "Ladies first."

Melody does a sarcastic curtsying motion before walking out the door. "Is that guy with the stick up his ass your boss?"

"No. Our boss is worse." Hiro explains. "So you can imagine how many people are tripping over themselves to work here."

Melody holds her hand out to take one of the two bags. "Livin' the dream, huh?"

Hiro looks between Melody's face and her hand several times before handing over one of the bags. "It's better than the last place I worked. There's this Noodle shop in Hammerlocke called 'Send Noods. Guess what the customers ask you to do."

Melody lets out a short laugh before covering her mouth with her hand. "You're ****ting me."

"I wish." Hiro says with a small chuckle at his own expense. After sheepishly rubbing at the back of his neck, he offers an inquisitive tilt of his head. "You're a gym challenger, right?"

Melody glances down to the challenger band on her wrist. "Oh, yeah."

"Am I talking to the next Galar champion?" Hiro asks.

"Nope." Melody answers bluntly, the brashness of her comment surprising Hiro enough that he briefly pauses his stride.

"What?" Melody asks with yet another eyebrow raise.

"I don't think I've ever heard a challenger say that before." Hiro admits.

"I'm not tryin' to be a downer or anything, I just know the odds." Melody shrugs. "No matter how good you are at something, there's always someone, somewhere who's better. Being champion is just sitting just sitting around, twiddling your thumbs until that person comes around and takes everything you worked so hard to get. It sounds a lot more miserable than rewarding."

"Sure you're not trying to be a downer?" Hiro asks only to be met with a very harsh glare. He raises his hands up defensively and chuckles. "I'm kidding! I see where you're coming from." The redhead lowers his arms once he's certain the punk teen isn't going to punch him. "This is our stop."

Melody looks across the street to the house. "They just want a ghost Pokemon to deliver their food?"

"Yeah." Hiro nods.

Melody looks down at the bag of food in her hand and to the ghostly dragon on her shoulder. "Then let's have some fun with it."

A gentle knocking on the door alerts the owners of the house to an arrival. A man opens the front door and frowns when he sees no one. Not to the left. Not to the right. He then looks down to find two bags of the food he ordered. He reaches down to pick up the bags, and when he stands back up, Annabelle and Nightshot burst from the shadows and cry out in surprise.

The man fumbles backward and bumps into his door. When the shock wears off, he begins to laugh jovially. "Mr. Nomis is in the business of jump scares now, huh? Well, ya spooked me good this time. I'll be sure to tell him ya did a good job." The man takes two small bills out of his pocket and hands them to Nightshot, who holds them between his nubbed arms. "You two be good." He shuts the door and Nightshot zips over to the large trash can that Melody and Hiro had ducked behind.

"Nice job, guys." Melody says with a small snicker as she stands up. She holds her arms out and catches Annabelle when the ragdoll glides over and leaps into her arms. "Is that a mission clear?"

"Yeah. You gave a guy some food like a champ." Hiro says as he stands up.

"Awesome. I'm gonna need you to tell the pretty guy at Black Spear that."

The pair make their way back to the large building and are met at the door by the golden haired man from before.

"Welcome back, Miss Argent." He greets cheerfully.

"Thanks, I brought a witness who can vouch that I'm not a complete idiot." She says as she motions to the redhead, who laughs.

"Yeah, she did what we asked and she didn't take off."

"I figured as much, so I took the liberty of printing this out for you." Zelkova reaches into his pocket and takes out a laminated card. "Welcome to Black Spear Industries."

"Nice." Melody says as she takes the card. "You need anything else done?"

"Afraid all of our jobs are given out for the day. You'll receive a call next time we need assistance in your area. You'll be heading to Turfield soon, correct?"

"Yeah." Melody shrugs. "Got a long way to go for that."

"Check in when you get there, and good luck on the journey."

"Aye aye." Melody says with a short salute. "And thanks."

With that, Melody leaves the building. "Thanks for… being my babysitter, I guess."

"Heh… No worries, I guess?" Hiro answers. "When are you leaving for Turfield?"

"I should probably head out tomorrow." Melody shrugs. "It looks like a long-ass walk."

"It's not so bad. You'll get some nice scenery anyway." Hiro pauses. "... Hey, Melody?"

"Yeah?"

Hiro shifts his weight from foot to foot. "You said you didn't want to be champion, and I get that, but… you've gotta be doing this challenge for some reason, right?"

"I… guess." Melody says with a raise of her eyebrow. What's he getting at?

"When you come back to Motostoke to challenge Kabu, will you tell me what that reason is?"

Melody blinks slowly before smiling just slightly. She raises her hand to brush a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Sure, Hiro."

"Great." The redhead gives something of a relieved smile. "Don't give up before that, okay?"

"I think I can manage. Later, Hiro." Melody raises her hand and fires a playful finger gun before making her way back to the hotel. Time to rest up for the trekk ahead. Next stop (after an incredibly long journey) Milo.

Foxrally · Jan 25, 2021

Simon Pearburgh

Spoiler: Inventory

Spoiler: Memories

Turffield

Shortly before Raph and Simon had reached Turffield, the pair had separated, with Raph saying he would be beelining straight to the stadium, straightforward as he always was with his parting words. It had taken Simon every bit of self-control to not literally run after him to beat him to Milo, but he'd promised Ruben that he'd wait- and besides, he had a job to do first. As he walked through the streets of the village, much wider and spacious than the cramped industrial alleys of Motostoke, he looked up at the one building that stood out slightly from the rest in the distance... the local Blackspear Industries office. It was by no means a large building, dwarfed by the size of the one in Motostoke, but the clean, black architecture stuck out like a sore thumb among the plain, cozy houses and shops around it.

A quick trip to the Pokemon center had fully healed up all of his team. Amped up by the excitement of their trainer, all five bugs were hanging on to Simon's coat and clothes, watching the new environment curiously. Princess was particularly intrigued by all of the new sights- atop his hat she would gasp squeakily at every new Pokemon she would notice walking by; Simon assumed she had spent all of her short life in the caves, and this was the first time she'd actually been allowed to leave. The rest of the team had been quick to accept her (bar Snom, of course), and he'd even seen her teach Burmy how to improve his Electroweb. The journey from Motostoke had been exhausting indeed, but it had been worth it - both in the friends he'd made in Princess and Pia, and in the valuable training he'd gotten.

The young man finally reached the Blackspear office, and thought of checking his phone to be sure- though the large circular logo made it pretty clear. He stepped through the automatic glass doors, and was immediately met with the familiar scent of spearmint in the lobby. This one looked almost identical to the Motostoke one, albeit smaller. He walked over to the front desk and flashed his Blackspear license to the receptionist, a young man in a black turtleneck.

"Delivery for Blackspear! ...I think." Simon flashed the man a winning professional smile.

The receptionist took the card, raising an eyebrow briefly before returning it to the boy. "Thank you. Please make your way to office 124 upstairs, I've notified Mr. Zelkova you're here."

Simon nodded and took the flight of stairs beside the desk. After a few minutes of walking through black-carpeted hallways, he found himself in front of a placard that read '124', with an open door beside it.

He peeked inside and knocked sheepishly on the door. A man in a large, black swivel chair was sitting at his desk, his back turned to Simon as he faced the window behind him. "Delivery for Mr. Zelkova...!" Simon piped up, trying not to startle the manager.

"Ah, fantastic! Leave it on my desk, I'm starv- oh!" As the man spun around to face Simon, he stopped when he noticed who had knocked on his door. "My apologies, I thought you were my lunch order. Come, take a seat, young man!"

As Simon sat down in front of him, he got a better look at the manager himself. He was a lot younger than Simon had expected, looking to be around his early thirties, with a sharp jawline, a neatly trimmed goatee and luscious locks of long blonde hair. He lifted his sunglasses once Simon sat down, revealing two piercing amber eyes. "I understand that you're Simon?" he asked, smiling.

"Y-yes!" the boy nodded. This man certainly was nothing like the first Blackspear manager he'd spoken to. "I'm here to deliver the contents of this tablet, and the receptionist told me to see you, Mr. Zelkova."

"Please, call me Flynn. Can't stand formalities. That's more of my brother's thing, if you've met him." the manager waved his hand with a chuckle. "What an adorable little squad you've brought along today!" he added, wiggling his fingers at Burmy who had peeked out of Simon's jacket.

"Oh, s-sorry!" Simon stammered, pushing the Pokemon back down. "I told them to behave while we're here- I can return them to their Pokeballs if you'd like!"

Flynn laughed and shook his head, "No, no. Frankly, you remind me of myself when I was younger. Had an affinity for bug Pokemon myself, in fact!"

"What? Really?!" Simon's eyes lit up.

"Yes, yes! I was even a league challenger all those years ago, along with my twin brother. Endorsed by the bug-type gym themselves!" Flynn beamed proudly. "Never made it past Kabu, sadly, but alas." He shrugged. "I found my calling with Blackspear instead."

"Whoa…" Simon mouthed in amazement. He had so many questions- "What Pokemon did you use? Do you have it?" the boy asked excitedly.

Flynn chuckled again, "My dear Illumise and I were to take on the world together. She still served me well even after our defeat, but she unfortunately passed a few years ago."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that…" Simon replied.

"No, no, don't be- for I know that her eternal spirit remains with me, in her offspring. In fact, I'd like you to meet it!" Flynn reached under his desk and pulled out a Pokeball, before releasing the creature within onto his desk. The light materialized into a small, white Pokemon with brown pincers, and a pair of green wings on its back. Its antennae scanned the area around as it approached Simon.

"Whoa, a Nincada!" Simon exclaimed, leaning forward to get a better look at the bug. Those bugs were considered particularly rare in Galar, living almost all of their lives underground, so finding one at the surface was particularly exciting. As it approached, one of its antennas touched Simon's hat and it squeaked softly.

"Nice to meet you too, laddie." Simon responded.

Watching the boy interact with his Pokemon, Flynn tapped his chin. "So it's true…" he muttered.

"Hm?" Simon asked, looking up.

"Just thinking out loud, don't mind me- anyways, we've dillydallied enough now. Could I please have this tablet you were speaking of?"

Wow, this guy was nothing like the first manager. Simon thought as he pulled out the device and handed it to him. Flynn examined it for a second, tapping his chin almost theatrically before snapping his fingers with an 'ah' and rummaging around his drawers for a cable. Once the tablet was connected to the computer on his desk, he typed a few commands - none of which Simon could see, as the screen was turned away from him.

"Ah, Mr. Flynn?" the boy piped up, after a few minutes of watching the man work. "If I may ask, what was this tablet transporting exactly?"

Flynn looked at him momentarily as he typed, as if sizing Simon up. "Hmm, well… I suppose there's no harm in divulging some company secrets to a trusted employee." he said, winking. "It's just some sensitive business intelligence concerning the mines. Certainly not anything we'd like our competitors to get their hands on, is all."

"Ohh…" Simon nodded. "Makes sense. That weird hacker girl who uploaded it was being really sneaky about, and it had me wondering why."

"That 'weird hacker girl' had her reasons." a familiar voice suddenly sounded behind him.

As Simon turned around to see who it was, he saw the familiar face of the young black woman he'd met a few weeks ago, followed by her Elgyem at her side.

"Ah, Aurora! Perfect timing, darling." Flynn greeted her. "Please, take a seat as well."

"I wasn't aware we were giving away important information to every fresh hire of the week." the young woman said rather apathetically, sitting down in the chair beside Simon. She almost reminded him of Raph in that sense, except more put-together.

Before Simon could say anything, Flynn responded, "Now now, I'm sure Simon here is perfectly trustworthy and eager to help. Besides, he ought to know what he's delivering, after all."

"Hm." Aurora shrugged and tied her hair back, glancing over at the bug catcher.

"Hello!" he said sheepishly, unsure how to approach the girl after their last interaction.

"I'm so glad you two get along so well!" Flynn clasped his hands together. "You've truly done a wonderful job with bringing us this data, both of you. In fact, I plan on pairing you again in the future - it'll do wonders for your resume, believe me."

Simon raised an eyebrow, expecting the girl beside him to immediately protest. Instead, she remained calm, bored even, and shrugged again.

"Now, speaking of… I have another delivery job for you, Simon. This is bound for the Pokemon Nursery on Route 5 - please exercise the same amount of discretion with it as you did with the tablet. Trade secrets, and whatnot." Flynn said, handing Simon another sealed box, similar to the moon stones he'd given Tim in Motostoke. "Speaking of, I hope you'll find the payment of 10,000 Poke adequate for your delivery services."

Simon nodded, the sound of money like music to his ears. "You can count on me, sir!"

"You'll be meeting Aurora at the laboratory after that, and she'll brief you on what happens next. Aurora, I trust you already know what to do." Flynn grinned.

"Yep." The girl nodded, crossing her arms. She appeared to be sizing Simon up herself now, and looked briefly into his eyes before looking back at the manager.

"Then in that case, you are both dismissed! I wouldn't want to keep you from challenging Milo any longer, Simon." the man winked. "You've got a fellow bug enthusiast cheering for you."

"Thank you!" Simon replied, as both him and Aurora got up. As the two exited the office and made their way downstairs, the girl grabbed his arm.

"Alright, Pearburgh. If we're going to be working together long-term, you need to learn a few things." she snapped, startling Simon a little.

"Oookay?" he responded, raising an eyebrow.

"Stop asking too many questions. It's the kind of shit that gets you in trouble around here." she began. "Zelkova is a chatty guy, but don't go around thinking everyone we work with is as amicable."

"Ah, so… like you." Simon responded, smiling cheekily.

Aurora sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, muttering something about why she'd even tried. "Just know that it's for your own good, okay?" she hissed.

"And for the love of Arceus, please take a shower next time you come into the office. You smell like you've been dragged through a swamp." Aurora added.

Before he could tell her that was precisely what had happened to him, the preppy young woman turned around and walked out of the building, her Elgyem following closely behind. Simon sniffed his armpit and reeled back - maybe it was best if he did go clean himself, especially if he was going to see Sachi later.

-----------------

After a while longer of walking down the street, the trainer took a turn away from the Blackspear building, before stopping in front of a smaller one, labeled with a large, golden Grapploct symbol that read 'Platinum's Gym'. The sound of metal clanging and creaking could be heard from the outside. Noticing the Pokemon-shaped sign, Spewpa squeaked at Simon in curiosity.

"This is a gym!" the boy responded. "A people gym. There's an old trick my dad taught me - if you've got a membership at one of these, you basically get a free shower you can use whenever! And there's one in almost every town. Plus, they're probably streaming the challenge in there, so I can get to watch Raph too!"

A poster on the wall advertising discount prices caught his eye. "I guess I can afford it… And it wouldn't hurt to get some actual human-training in." he mused.

[PKMN OPEN] Pokémon Spear [M] [IC]

Hep

How did this even happen?

[font=Brawler][color=#91a8d4][i]Here comes the boi

Hep

Hep

lover of milotics

Trickling away

Me but more fabulous

Lonely Girl Livin' In a Lonely World

That Dream...Make it Come True!

How did this even happen?

Hep

[font=Brawler][color=#91a8d4][i]Here comes the boi

Trickling away

Trickling away

Trickling away

[font=Brawler][color=#91a8d4][i]Here comes the boi

[font=Brawler][color=#91a8d4][i]Here comes the boi

[font=Brawler][color=#91a8d4][i]Here comes the boi

That Dream...Make it Come True!

always sprinkle when you tinkle