Pokedex One-Shots (PG)

[MarshtompMan]

The Shaymin entry was great!
I liked how you turned the cities of Sinnoh into warring "countries".
And it's good to "see" a Shaymin that isn't a whiny ungrateful brat.
And I know it's a bit late, but maybe you should make a Giratina entry for the Platinum release, but if it's too late then you should reserve it for the European release.
And are you talking about the thread's anniversary?
And can I request a Pupitar/Grotle entry?

And I think you should ask "Pokemon Mage Ruby" to be moved to the "Completed fics" section.

[crimsonsapphire92]

I'm a bit late, but I've read all of your fanfics. I loved all of them, especially the Gible one.
I'm so glad Shaymin's personality is completely different than from when she appeared in the movie. >.<

[Killer_Squirtle]

Yay! You took my idea, thank you. I agree with the guys above me, shaymin's personality is more like a legendary should be.

[Ysavvryl]

Really, Shaymin had a weak personality? Maybe it's a good thing I haven't seen those movies, cause I like Shaymin. It's cute.

I know about Ruby; I was just holding off on it. Anyhow, the milestone isn't the anniversary (that's in July). No, it'll happen with the next story, which should appear Sunday or Monday. I'll think about Giratina; I forgot exactly when the Platinum American release was.

In Process: Squirtle/Buizel
On Deck: Electrike/Manectic, Milotic/Dusknoir, Pupitar/Grotle
Reserve: Meowth/Voltorb (4/1)


GLALIE
Ruby entry: Glalie has a body made of rock, which it hardens with an armor of ice. This Pokemon has the ability to freeze moisture in the atmosphere into any shape it desires.

BELLOSSOM
Leaf Green entry: Bellossom gather at times and appear to dance. They say that the dance is a ritual to summon the sun.


The air was cold and damp. The skies were cloudy and dim. The ground was icy and hard. Although it was below freezing, Duke Glalie was perfectly happy with the circumstances.

Some said that Duke had once been a Geodude, with a heart so frozen that the ice spread out to protect his body. Others said that he was a vengeful ghost, keeping the land as cold as it had been when he had died. And it was even said that he was the son of Winter itself. The stories were all ridiculous, but he enjoyed them secretly.

He lived in a castle that he had built himself, although no one else knew how. It was made of clear ice, warping the light into cold glares and bright spears. It had corkscrew spirals instead of stairs, open slots instead of windows, and frozen sculptures instead of furnishings. In the central and highest room, Duke had made a grand throne from which he liked to gaze over his creation and, indeed, what he thought of as his lands.

Most of the Pokemon living near Duke’s Castle were too busy trying to survive the harsh winter to challenge his rule. And the Glalie never demanded anything, unless one strayed into his courtyard. Then he wanted unquestioning respect. So most would leave him and his castle of ice alone.

One day, a stranger came into the castle. He was a small Pokemon, with a bright green body, red flowers for hair, and a thick grass skirt down to the ground. He shuffled into the throne room. “Hey, what’s this castle here for?”

“It’s my castle, and it’ll be where I want it to be,” Duke replied. “What are you dong here, you... plant?”

He made a dramatic bow, then twirled around. “I am one of the Bellossom. I come here every year, about this time, to dance and make the sun shine!”

“You can’t do that. This is my land and I don’t want it to be sunny.”

“But I have to make it sunny. Spring is upon us.”

“Not anymore. I like winter and so it’s going to stay winter.”

The Bellossom put his hands to his mouth in shock. “But spring has to come! Or we will all die.”

“That’s not true. And I won’t allow any sun dances to go on.”

“But you can’t do that.”

“I can make you stop!” He took a deep breath, then blasted a stream of ice at the smaller Pokemon. The Bellossom squealed and ran out of the castle. “Stupid plant.”

Five minutes later, another Bellossom came into the throne room. She pranced in by twirling in a zig-zag fashion rather than walking in straight and practical. “Hey, what’s this castle here for?”

Duke Glalie growled. “Are you here to dance for the sun too?”

She smiled, bowed, and twirled around. “Yes! Every year, I...”

“Not this year!” He nearly hit her with his ice breath as well, but she managed to rush out before he did.

Five minutes later, another Bellossom came in. Duke didn’t wait for this one to say anything. Instead, he drove her out immediately. Four more came in, but also got driven out. After a while, the seven Bellossoms gathered near the outer wall of the castle.

“What do we do now?” the youngest one asked. “We have to dance and bring the sun back out. But that mean Glalie has put his castle right on our dancing field.”

“Can we dance somewhere else?”

“No,” the oldest one said. “It has to be this spot, because it’s always this spot.”

Another one clapped her hands together. “I know! Can you see that mean Glalie from here?”

“No,” the others said.

“Because the wall’s there. That means he can’t see us either. So, we can dance right outside his wall!”

“Great!” the oldest one said. “So let’s begin right away.”

In most cases, they would sing as they danced for the sun. Since they had to be careful, this time they danced in silence. It was an ancient dance passed on through generations, two circles around a leader, twirling and swirling in graceful patterns. As it was still cold and icy, the dance was solemn. But once the air grew warm and the land grew green, they would repeat the dance in cheer and celebration.

It took many rounds, over an hour of constant dance before the cloud cover broke, allowing golden rays to filter down to the ground. Once it broke through, the sun quickly dispersed the clouds and shone bright over the white landscape.

Squinting, Duke looked at the now cleared sky. “Bah,” he said to himself. “So they got the sun to come out. But that doesn’t matter! They cannot end the winter where I rule.”

But as the clouds went away, they pulled warm air into the area. The sun reflected off every icy surface, further bringing the temperature up. The ice weakened over the rest of the day, dripping down to the ground and cracking as various Pokemon came out to explore. And Duke’s Castle became frail.

He became angry. “They can’t do this to me! I’m the ruler here! I’ll show them.” He began rolling around his castle, using the sheer frigidness of his power to enforce the supporting columns.

But as soon as he’d strengthen one column, three others would begin to crack. The floor creaked and trembled under his weight. The reflected light became spread out and brighter. Finally, as the sun was close to touching the horizon, there was a mighty crack and the whole ice castle crumbled in on itself.

The seven Bellossoms clambered onto the pile of ice shards and approached Duke Glalie. “You should come dance with us!” the youngest said. “Dance for spring!"

He burst out of his broken castle. “What? Never! I’ll be back next year, and you won’t be able to defeat me then!”

Then he fled for the icy caves of the north.

[MarshtompMan]

Forget about the US release, since it's on Sunday, just reserve it for the European release.
And Shaymin's personality wasn't weak, it was just a brat that expected to be thanked for everything since it's the "Gratitude" Pokemon.
On Topic:
This entry sounded like an old folk tale.
It seems the shorter the one-shots are, the better.
Like I say: Short and sweet!
I like how you made it so that winter is made by the Glalie and spring is made by the Bellossom; I knew it was a good idea to request that.

[Ysavvryl]

It does seem odd, that many of my stories are either really short or really long. Anyhow, the extended version of the Gallade/Gengar entry should go up in its own thread sometimes this week. I'm still deciding if I want to post all 36 pages at once or split it up.

So, with this entry, I have written up Pokemon 124 and 125 on my list. So, what's that mean? It means that I've completed a quarter of the whole Pokedex! Woohoo! And with the lovely guest entries, this thread has featured a total of 135 Pokemon (counting Lucario only once). How many other threads in the FanFic section can boast that?

*throws confetti*

On a side-note: it took me some time to figure out how to interpret Buizel's method of swimming.

In Process: Electrike/Manectric
On Deck: Milotic/Dusknoir, Pupitar/Grotle
Reserve: Meowth/Voltorb (4/1)


SQUIRTLE
Emerald entry: Its shell is not just for protection. Its rounded shape and the grooves on its surface minimize resistance in water, enabling Squirtle to swim at high speeds.

BUIZEL
Pearl entry: It swims by rotating its two tails like a screw. When it dives, its flotation sac collapses.


A small flame from a lighter burst to life. A small shelled Pokemon nearby watched it warily as it bowed into the wind. While its only purpose was to light the cigarette in the stranger’s hand, the Squirtle shuffled to the other side of his Trainer.

The boy looked down at him. His pale skin was unscarred, but that was due to skilled surgeons. “Todd, you... I never knew a Water type that was afraid of fire,” he grumbled.

“<Water can’t put out a grease fire,>” the Squirtle replied shyly. He might be able to put out that lighter. But still, it was too soon.

He touched the collar he was wearing. A small silver bell hung off it, chiming gently when moved. It was a soothing thing to have, even if he wasn’t sure why. A quiet call from the spirit world, perhaps, telling him that everything would be okay, that he wasn’t a bad Pokemon. Sometimes, though, it was hard for him to believe that.

The collar had been given to him by a kind man who had visited Todd and his Trainer while they were recovering from massive burns. It had been an accident and he had tried to stop it. Unfortunately, he made the fire worse. His relationship with his boy had been strained ever since. Todd sometimes wondered why he was kept around after what happened.

In fact, he suspected that this trip was to turn him over to a Ranch. But he didn’t say anything. Things might be better that way.

The boy Trainer sighed and leaned over the edge of the ship. He brought out an old pocket watch. Its golden gleam was brilliant in the sun. Like fire? Todd trembled. The boy’s eyes softened. “Grandpa. I wish you were still around. I wonder if you would have taught me how to use this for hypnosis.” He swung it gently back and forth.

Todd watched it for a moment. Could something that simple really work? He tapped the bell on his collar and watched.

Another watched as well, a Wingull. But it was not drawn into falling asleep. It was drawn by the gleam. The bird Pokemon swooped down and snatched it out of the boy’s hands.

“Hey!” the boy shouted. “Give that back!”

Todd leaned out from the rail and shot a Water Gun at the bird. His aim was perfect. The Wingull squawked, dropping the watch right into the ocean.

‘Oh drat, now you’ve gone and made things worse again,’ he thought, angry at himself. He jumped into the sea without a second thought.

“Todd!” he heard his Trainer call, but he swam hurriedly into the vibrant blue sea. It was warm and salty, not like the lake he had known before. It gave a different resistance, but he paddled with his four paws and darted for where the watch had fallen.

For a second, he spotted the golden gleam. But then a reddish-brown body darted in and grabbed it. It continued swimming on.

Todd turned right quickly and raced after. It was harder to see in these waters, but he could still feel the ripples from the thief. Then he saw the reddish-brown fur again. This time, he could see the Pokmon better. She had a yellow skin that hung limply around her shoulders, like a neck brace.

“<Okay, thief, give back the watch,>” Todd demanded.

“<What watch?>” she asked, playing clueless.

“<The gold watch you stole! It dropped into the water and I saw you grab it.>”

“<But I don’t...>” She put a paw to her chin. “<Oh, I think you mean my brother. He takes stuff from time to time and I saw him just now zooming along.>”

“<I need to get that watch back; it belongs to my Trainer.>”

“<I’ll help. Follow me. I know where he hangs out.>”

The strange Pokemon twisted up her two tails, then dashed ahead using them as propellers. Todd had to hustle to catch up, but then she was swimming normally. Apparently their tails were good for getting a burst of speed, but not for long.

After a minute, they came upon her brother, floating on the surface. She surfaced, then inflated the yellow skin for use like an inner tube. When Todd came up and started treading, he saw that the guy had the watch. He was examining it by shaking it while floating on his back. “<Hmm. I’m not sure this is food.>”

The sister bonked him on the head with her fist. “<You bad Buizel! That’s not food! It’s a human thing, a watch.>”

“<Well how was I supposed to know that?>”

“<You do now. You need to return it to this Squirtle and apologize.>”

“<Why should I? It just fell into the water and I got to it first, so it’s mine.>”

“<It belongs to my Trainer,>” Todd insisted, causing his bell to jingle as he nodded. “<It’s very important to him, so give it back, thief.>”

He huffed. “<I’m not a thief! I didn’t take it from nobody.>”

She bonked him on the head again. “<I say it’s not yours. Give it back.>”

“<Cut it out, sis. Okay fine, here.>” He turned upright in the water and handed the watch over. “<And sorry.>”

She frowned at him. “<You didn’t mean it.>”

“<I didn’t steal it, so I don’t have to mean it.>”

“<Yes you do. Now I’m gonna punish you.>”

He blanched. “<Ack! I’m sorry! Okay?>” He dashed off with a blur of tails.

She pursued him. “<You’d better stop taking stuff that’s not yours!>”

Todd watched them rush off across the sea’s surface. “<Huh. Now I’m glad that I don’t know any of my siblings.>” Then he swam back for the ferry, carrying the watch in his mouth.

Partway there, the space around him turned hazy. It reverted to his Pokeball space, a small sandy beach by a pretty lake. He was released onto the deck of the ferry almost immediately, still holding onto the watch. His Trainer knelt down by him. “Todd, what was that... huh? You got Grandpa’s watch back?”

He took it in his forepaws and held up out. “<It’s still ticking.>”

He took the watch back and opened up the cover. “It looks like it’s working. These old things do work the best.”

“<I’m sorry,>” Todd said, hanging his head. “<I keep messing up.>”

“Oh Todd.” He picked his Squirtle up and hugged him. “Thanks for getting it back. And I’m sorry about blaming you for the fire. You’re a good Pokemon.”

Todd hugged him back. His bell jingled as it was knocked around. Things had been bad, but they would get better.

[Killer_Squirtle]

So cute <3 what a heart warming story (Cept I was hoping for a female squirtle but oh well)

[SugarPesticide]

A quarter of the whole dex already? Awesome! Just goes to show what great work you're doing. ^_^

Ooh, Shaymin. My fave legendary~ She was so sweet, and her ability to bring life out of death is depicted really well. The cold and bitter Glalie also made a great counter to those *shudder* overly cheery Bellossom. And I loved this:

The sister bonked him on the head with her fist. “<You bad Buizel! That’s not food! It’s a human thing, a watch.>”

For some reason the image of a Buizel bonking another Buizel on the head made me giggle. XDDD Great job as usual.

[Ysavvryl]

I like how this story turned out.

In April, I'd like to do reserves for Easter and Earth Day. I picked Manaphy and Phione for Easter; the idea I have in mind has a better theme for that holiday that what could be done with Lopunny or Chansey, the other two I considered. Earth Day, I'll let you guys choose.

Also, there's only two on the waiting list. If you've been thinking of a particular Pokemon, now's a good time to request.

In Process: Milotic/Dusknoir
On Deck: Pupitar/Grotle
Reserve: Meowth/Voltorb (4/1), Manaphy/Phione (4/12)


ELECTRIKE
Sapphire entry: Electrike runs faster than the human eye can follow. The friction from running is converted into electricity, which is then stored in this Pokemon’s fur.

MANECTRIC
Sapphire entry: Manectric discharges strong electricity from its mane. The mane is used for collecting electricity in the atmosphere. This Pokemon creates thunderclouds above its head.

GASTRODON
Platinum entry: Long ago, its entire back was shielded with a sturdy shell. There are traces of it left in its cells.


A herd of Stantlers were grazing peacefully in the meadow. It was a lazy afternoon, with hot dry air, cloudless skies, and not a hint of a breeze. A pack of Poochenyas lay in the shade of a lone tree, but made no signs that they were on the hunt. The Pokemon sought to move as little as possible, to avoid getting overheated. At least, most avoided motion.

There was a violent ripple in the tall grasses, a straight line shot that was easier to see the result than the cause. The Poochenyas lifted their heads, to see what had caused the shifting. And then a sound hit them, a strong sound that they could feel in their bones.

ZOOM!

The Stantlers panicked and ran away. The Poochenya herd growled, bracing for battle. But the zooming Pokemon was already long gone.

At the start of the grass ripples, an Electrike started his slowdown stride. He dropped to subsonic speed, then dug into the ground to slow himself further. Bursts of sparks started to appear; his fur was already filled out with static energy. There didn’t seem to be enough room for his slow down, though, and he ended up crashing into a pond.

The water hissed as his electric charge leaked out into it. Electrike shook himself, sending off another shower of sparks. Then climbed up onto the shore. “<That was a great run!>” He turned to get a long drink of water.

While he was at it, a Magikarp popped up and splashed him. “<I keep telling you, stop doing that! It hurts when you shock the water! And you knocked out three of my cousins because they were too close to you.>”

He stopped drinking and stuck his tongue out at the fish. “<Well bad luck for you if your pond is at the end of my cool down stretch.>”

“<Can’t you stop before you crash into the pond?>”

“<Maaaybe,>” he replied, toying with Magikarp. “<But it’s so nice to have a cool dunk in the pond after a run.>”

“<But we live here!>”

“<So do I.>”

Magikarp shook a fin in the air. “<Well I’m sick of this daily routine. Gastrodon, get him!>”

The pond’s surfaces gurgled. Then a large slimy Pokemon burst out into the open. He had pink skin with a two-horned helmet. The back of his neck and body were covered in a brown skin that seemed like it should have been armor. Gastrodon snarled, then said, “<Rude one, you are to be punished for your indiscretions.>”

His deep earthy voice was intimidating at first, but Electrike recovered quickly. “<Hah! What’re you gonna do? Slime me? You can’t catch me!>” He darted into the tall grass, which grew well above his head. “<You won’t even be able to find me,>” he added in a singsong tone.

Gastrodon glowed for a moment, then shot a stream of slick mud into the grass. Electrike easily dodged it. However, that kind of mud would ruin his built up static. So he raced back across the field to the hole where he lived.

-+-

For the next week, this afternoon repeated itself. Electrike would race across the field and crash into the pond. Gastrodon would rise up and fight him. The battles never lasted long. Because Electrike was short to the ground, green as the grass, and fast like the lightning, the muddy Pokemon could never hit him.

As much fun as it was, Electrike was tiring of being lectured every day. “<He says respect your neighbors,>” he grumbled one evening. “<He says to control my powers. Well who does he think he is to ruin my fun? I shouldn’t fight him like this... but if I was bigger, I’d show him who’s boss. Yeah.>”

He went to sleep thinking these thoughts. When he woke up, he was in fact bigger. And blue. And with a large yellow mane that lay across his neck and down his sides.

He saw this all in a small stream next to his hole. Smiling to himself, the new Manectric puffed himself up with pride. “<Now that’s a handsome face! Let’s see that slimey fiend take me on now.>”

A crackling above his head responded. Looking up, he saw a small gray cloud hovering over him. It was little more than a puff now, vibrating the air so that what little moisture was there appeared. It just amused him.

Later that day, he went on his daily run. He was certain that he was going faster now. And yet, his fur didn’t fill up like before. It was building up even more static. His mane hairs began to stand straight up, like a steeple. He changed directions to gather up more static, startling even more Pokemon with this change in routine. In the end, though, he crashed back into the lake to stop.

When he came out to shake himself, all the water drifted up into the little thundercloud. It had grown more solid and darker. Little sparks flashed across it occasionally. Manectric laughed. “<Well, I suppose you’re a new friend.>”

The pond surface gurgled as Gastrodon came back out. “<I know it’s still you, Rude One. You must stop disturbing the fish of this pond.>”

He lifted his head haughtily, sending a couple of sparks to the ground. “<Whatever, slimeball. I’m sure it would only make their day even more boring if I didn’t stir things up like I do.>”

“<You injure your innocent neighbors. This is unacceptable.>” Gastrodon glowed, preparing his mud attack.

Manectric threw a jolt of electricity at him, then darted into the grass as usual. This time, however, his rival nailed him. The mud coated his fur, negating the static charge and making him sticky all over. He howled. “<What was that for? How did you do that?>”

Gastrodon made a jabbing motion with his helmet horns. “<I can see you now from that cloud above your head. In the end, you cannot escape justice.>”

“<Whatever, freak,>” he grumbled, then went to run away.

However, the stickiness of the mud made it harder to move. It clumped his fur, preventing any static buildup for now. As it hardened, its weight was a burden. But that wasn’t the worst of it. No, the worst was how the other Pokemon saw his state and laughed at him. None offered to help him. In fact, they seemed jolly that someone had gotten the better of him.

By the time Manectric made it back home, he felt miserable.

-+-

For a few days, Manectric didn’t run across the field to gather static. He ran around his home area instead. He missed having a nice dunk in the pool after his runs. It had always been so refreshing. But he didn’t want to mess with Gastrodon.

Then, as he was drinking out of his stream, he heard a familiar gurgle. He looked up to see Gastrodon wading along the stream. Manectric sniffed, but poised himself to run. “<You... what do you want?>”

Oddly enough, Gastrodon bowed his head politely. “<I want your help. We may need your help.>”

“<Why’re you asking me? You kept badgering me about not coming into the pond.>”

“<That is because I owed the Magikarp school for letting me stay in there. But the problem that drove me to seek their help now drives me to seek yours.>” He looked up at the sky.

“<Like what kind of problem?>”

“<This weather. The sun shines brightly on cloudless days, over and over again. The air is dry; the ground is dry. This drought is bad for me. It is becoming bad for other Pokemon as well. Bad for you, even.>”

He shook his mane, sending a shower of sparks over his body. “<How so? It’s good for static.>”

“<But you need water to survive, as does most life. The water is drying up.>”

“<This stream is slower and smaller than normal.>”

“<It may stop in days to come. We need more water to come.>”

“<How can I solve that?>”

Gastrodon then made a strange gurgling-warbling sound and shifted his body back and forth. The air shimmered and then raindrops began to fall lightly. But he shook his head. “<I can make it rain. But these days, my power is weak and it hardly fills the ground’s needs. You now have that cloud that hangs over your head.>”

“<Really,>” he grumbled, recalling how it had betrayed his position.

“<And I know that when electricity is strong, the storm will be strong. I thought, perhaps, if we worked together, we could call a rain shower to end the drought and satisfy everyone.>”

“<You want to work with me?>”

“<I believe that you have learned your lesson. And I am not one to hold grudges, especially in a time of need.>”

Manectric felt impressed, and further humbled, by Gastrodon’s words. Would it be better to be more like him? It used to be just about having fun, but the drought was an important issue. He nodded slowly. “<All right, I’ll see what I can manage. But you’re right, this rain you’ve called isn’t strong.>”

“<I can make it stronger by continuing to call it, but that wears me out. That is why I want you to affect the electricity, to encourage it.>”

The Electric Pokemon closed his eyes so he could focus on the electric charge of the objects around him. He hadn’t paid much attention to this lately, so he was surprised when he could read this energy all the way into the sky. There, he sensed a dead pool of air. It was keeping the weather of the area stagnant. But just beyond this pool, there was a massive dense flow of water and air.

Gastrodon began his gurgle-warble again. The local rain tried to strengthen itself. Manetric felt that if he could break up the dead pool above, it would help. He focused his energy on that area, gathering a charge around himself and in that air. Electricity didn’t like to build too much, so the energies sought out paths to opposite charges to release. He felt a touch from the dead pool above and...

KRA-KOW!

The surge of power left him frazzled, but mostly unharmed. The dead pool weakened greatly. With this slid towards atmospheric instability, the water dense air rushed in to fill the gap. Manectric’s actions had shifted other charges as well, setting off a chain reaction of lightning bolts distrubing the quick moving black clouds. Wind whipped up sharply, trying to stabilize everything, but it was too late. The storm had been born, and it doused the thirsty plains in rain.

Gastrodon made a pleased gurgle, shaking himself in enjoyment. “<Thank goodness it worked. You did well.>”

“<You too...>” he paused as he saw a thick curtain of rain approaching them. “<Wait, now my home is going to flood!>” He rushed back to his hole and began anxiously checking the strength of the dirt walls.

Before long, Gastrodon was at the entrance. “<Don’t fear, my friend. I can drain any water that would try to invade.>”

Manectric paused, then came up and sniffed him. “<Friend, huh?>”

He bowed his head. “<If you wish.>”

Touched, he bowed back. “<That would be great, thank you.>”

[Animorph]

I liked it! It was rather...endearing. *And, of course, Electrike and Manectric are my favorites...*
Umm...could I request that you do something with Tailow or Swellow? And have you done anything yet with Treeko in it?

[Ysavvryl]

Okay, got those three. Still looking for something on Earth Day. Or, would Treecko work for that?

This one came out a bit longer than I expected. Again, it's two Pokemon without much in common... no, wait, they do have common ground! Weirdness.

In Process: Meowth/Voltorb (4/1), Pupitar/Grotle
On Deck: Taillow/Swellow, Treecko
Reserve: Manaphy/Phione (4/12)


MILOTIC
Sapphire entry: Milotic live at the bottom of large lakes. When this Pokemon's body glows a vivid pink, it releases a pulsing wave of energy that brings soothing calm to restless spirits.

DUSKNOIR
Platinum entry: It is said to take lost spirits into its pliant body and guide them home.


Ghosts are everywhere; you just can’t see them most of the time. There are ghosts like myself, Pokemon who have earned the blessing of the Guardian of the Dead and come back into the world in a new form. Most of the others are spirits of the newly dead, lost and confused without the presence of their body. These ghosts generally figure things out on their own and find the final path that leads to an unknown world. At least, unknown to you.

But there are plenty of spirits that can’t or won’t start on that path. The lost souls of children cannot grasp their death and latch onto people like those they left behind. The bitter souls of murder victims can harbor intense hatred and seek revenge, even when they cannot identify their murderer. Mind you, this is only a sampling. There are many more reasons why a spirit will not leave this world.

Some can be coerced into leaving this world by a sympathetic listener, but most people are too afraid. Or the ghost may be particularly stubborn. This is where I’m called in, me and my kin. I am one of the Dusknoir, chosen to be a Reaper. Nothing to be frightened of, I assure you. We deal with the lost souls of the dead, not the living. It’s a very important job, but one that you shouldn’t ever notice. A good Dusknoir will find the lost souls before they can become a problem.

Still, even the best of us can miss a troublesome soul. Then people who would normally avoid mausoleums and spirit towers will come in search of us. They’re afraid, but I understand why and tolerate any cross-making or warding signs they make. I don’t mind if they avert their eyes; I hold no illusions that I am anything like attractive. I simply get the information I need, then seek the spirit out.

Most cases I get from humans. But one that stands out in my mind actually came from a fellow Pokemon. It was in the last weeks of a terribly hot summer. Even the nights were scorching, with stored heat rising from the ground, only to be replaced by a merciless sunny day. I was spending the afternoon in a fairly new graveyard. All of the stone markers were clean, bearing few signs of weathering or cracking. The memorial gardens were pristine. It wasn’t my preferred place of rest, but it was where the dawn had caught me.

Having slept my fill, I was passing time in a shaded pavilion, waiting for the sun to sink low enough for me to venture out comfortably. I noticed her enter the graveyard and was quickly aware that she was unfamiliar with the place. She slithered along the path at a hesitant pace, watching around as if not certain what may have been there. Not only that, but in all my life, I had never expected to see a Milotic, especially one out of water.

I’m sure you’ve heard of them, or see one of the many artworks featuring them. So I don’t need to tell you that she was one of the most beautiful creatures I have ever seen. The front half of her body was pearl-toned peach, while her tail end was covered in scales of the rainbow. Still, even I could tell something was wrong with her. Her eyes were dull and her long antennae, which should have stood tall, were hanging low behind her head with her red hair.

I wondered what would bring a Water Pokemon this far from their normal habitat; there was a reflection pond out front, but nothing lived there yet. I made a motion to catch her attention, then waved her to the pavilion. The fact that she came right over gave me a good idea of what she wanted. “Have you come looking for my help?”

“Yes,” she replied. Her voice was weary, but still sounded as lovely as she looked. “I’ve come a long ways, but there isn’t anyone where I live that could help.”

“Come rest in the shade.” It seemed like she needed a moment to arrange her thoughts, so I added, “My name is Dusty.”

She came in and circled around so she could face me in her most stable land stance. She held her wide tail fin up and waved it slowly to alleviate the heat. “I am called Luna. I live in a lake west of here, in a valley the humans don’t live in. It’s usually quiet, but...” she looked anxious.

“Take as long as you need,” I told her. You don’t get to be in a position like mine if you don’t have patience.

“Thank you.” She was quiet for a minute, then told me her problem. “I can deal with most spirits. They come when they hear me sing and I know how to bring them peace and acceptance. But there is one that has persisted, staying for months. I thought it simply needed time to come to terms with death. It reached out to me and I thought nothing of it. However, I’ve become fatigued and weakened somehow. It got to the point where I had to leave my lake and come here, to seek healing.

“When the doctor looked over me, he said that something has been draining my energy. It’s only little bits at a time, apparently, but it could come to the point where it might kill me. I’m afraid that this lost soul is the cause of this. But if it stays because of me, I need someone else to get it to move on.”

Luna stopped then, looking tired out from talking at length. I nodded. “Very well, I will come with you. You should rest for the last hours of the day. I believe the reflection pond out front is shaded by some trees.”

“Yes, I saw that.”

I followed her out to the pool. She was asleep as soon as she settled herself into the manmade pond, just large enough for her to fit in. During that time, I noticed that she wasn’t sleeping well. Her mind was restless and tried to wake her up, but her body was worn out. That is a sign I notice on those who are haunted by lost souls. It can persist for a nearly a month after the ghost is taken away, depending on the strength of the haunting.

As the sky was turning orange, she came awake and wouldn’t go back to sleep. Luna and I set out to her lake. There were still many questions I had to ask her to know what I was getting into. “Do you have a mate who lives with you?”

She lowered her head and shook it. “No... I am a widow.”

“My apologies, but I must ask: could it be your mate’s soul hanging on?”

Her reaction was stronger. “No, it couldn’t be. He would never harm me. And he died nearly a year ago.”

I didn’t quite believe that. Ghosts can do harm without realizing it. That is, in fact, the most dangerous thing about them. They can see a living person suffer, but not understand that it is their presence causing that suffering. They can try to help the victim, but only make things worse. But I said nothing more about this. In my duty to the dead, it can be just as important to deal with the living.

We traveled for two nights. The distance we crossed, I could pass that in a half-night on my own. But Luna was in a weakened state and needed to rest often. That, and traveling across land was difficult for her. I was of no mind to push beyond her limit.

Around two in the morning of that second night, we arrived at her lake. It was a charming little place, allowed to grow free and natural. A stone shrine was on the east end of the lake. I knew the place as a sacred lake to the humans, which was why they only visited there. Over the years, I’ve rarely found spirits there. It’s likely because Luna has her own ways of calming such ghosts. So it wasn’t part of my normal travels.

She slipped under the water, grateful to be back home. I followed after her; water affects me no more than air does. The lake was deep and clear, lit brightly by the full moon overhead. As we went deeper, my senses alerted me to several lost souls underneath the surface. Most of them seemed puzzled, as if expecting her to be there.

There was one that was different. This one had been badly confused by his death. He had a deep-seated loneliness and a yearning for something he missed. I was certain that this was the one causing her problems. He was trying to grasp life as tightly as he could when it had left him. I kept alert to feelings from him as he circled the bottom of the lake.

At the bottom, we came upon a human structure. It was curious to find something like that on the lake bed. It had a square floor made of white stone and twelve tall columns made of the same. A few of these had fallen over while others had damage, but some were still whole and standing. Extra rubble scattered around seemed to indicate that it had a roof at one point, but no longer.

She settled herself on the stone floor. “This is where I live and sleep.”

“Why is such a structure underwater?”

“I’m not certain. It’s always been here as long as I’ve known this lake. The humans say it used to sit on the surface, but they did something wrong and the lake swallowed it whole.”

“I see. Now, when do the ghosts usually show up around here?”

“They would come whenever Edwin and I were singing at night. We were fine with that, bringing peace to restless souls. But they’ve never caused problems like this before.”

“Would you mind singing now, to bring it out?”

“No, I understand. Give me a moment.” She took a little while to catch her breath and prepare herself. Then she started singing.

I think it was simply practicing her scales, but it was still lovely. The ghosts were attracted to that beauty and began to gather. Most seemed content just to hear the music. But that one still paced around, his heartache only deepening to the sound.

That confirmed my suspicions. “Would you sing something you used to with your mate?”

She got anxious. “Oh, well... there’s some songs I haven’t sung since his death. It’ll be hard, but I’ll try.”

Then she began singing a song I’d never heard before. I’m not certain, but I think these are the words:

I saw her caress your shining scales,
But it was just the silver moon.
I saw her tease at your gentle hair,
But it was just the silver moon.

The silver moon,
Witness to our love.
The silver moon,
Keeper of secrets.
The silver moon,
Our friend in the sky.

That may not be right. I’ve never been much for music or songs. But that’s what I remember it being like.

That caught his attention. As she started in on the chorus, he came to the columns with the rest of the souls. As she started a second verse, he began singing with her.

She recognized him. I gave her a hurried sign to keep going before her faltering turned into a full stop. Her voice was shaky and weak for a few lines, but as the chorus came back, she stopped worrying and put her heart into singing with her mate Edwin once more.

The pain in his voice turned the song bittersweet. He circled around her, trying to find some sense of normalcy and failing. His form became clearer to me as the song went on. He was a Milotic, just like her. Beauty was his strength as well, although his hair and antenna fell shorter. Noticing her weakness, he became fretful and worried. He drew closer to Luna, trying to reach out and comfort her.

But he couldn’t, not without hurting her. “Stop it, Edwin,” I told him.

She stopped singing mid-line, shocked at having his identity confirmed. By then, he had grown visible enough for untrained eyes to see as well. He was furious with me. “How dare you interrupt us like that! Who do you think you are?”

“Dusty’s one of the Dusknoir,” Luna explained, uncertain of what she should do now. “I brought him here.”

I drifted over to him, stopping when his posture got too defensive. “You have passed the divide of life and death. You cannot cross back this way. When you try to touch her, you wind up hurting her little by little.”

He shook his head violently. “No, I’d never harm her! I couldn’t ever do that...”

“I realize that you wouldn’t. But like this, you can hurt her without knowing it.”

“Edwin,” Luna cried softly.

The ghost Milotic turned to her. “Don’t believe what he says. I’d never hurt you. But it’s been so long since I’ve seen you. Sometimes I hear your voice, but I’ve been lost in dark tunnels. I... I don’t know what’s happened, but I’ll never leave your side again.”

In response, she lowered her head. A warm pink glow formed around her body. I wasn’t sure what that indicated, but then she started in on another song.

I wouldn’t dare write down this song. It’s probably not one that should be written by someone like myself. It’s a holy song, I know that much. I had heard of this kind of power before, a different form of what I use to calm ghosts. But that was the first time I had felt it in person.

And I did feel it. I am still a ghost, even if I have a heart that beats once again. The holy song added to the aura she was emitting gave us a sense of peace and expectation. It is something like being at the end of a long journey and seeing your home in the distance. You are not there yet, but seeing it begins to ease your heart and your soul feels eager to feel welcomed home at long last. It might be something like seeing the Gates of Heaven. I wouldn’t know; I haven’t been that far down the final path.

For a little while, I had completely forgotten why I had come to the lake. The other ghosts around us were able to take that song and find the final path on their own. However, it didn’t affect Edwin in the same way. Perhaps it was because he had done this himself many times in his lifetime, but he became horrified. “No! That’s not it! It can’t be...”

His panic grounded me. Luna was faltering again. She wanted to comfort him, but realized that she shouldn’t touch him. Being unaffected by such powers, I went over in her stead and put my hand on his head. “It is so. You died a year ago.”

He began wailing. It was obvious that her song wouldn’t be enough. So I used my own touch to strengthen it. I’ve always used touch to calm lost souls. I’m one of the few who can do so. It is often a thing they miss.

After five minutes, Luna couldn’t keep up her aura anymore. Edwin had subsided into trembling while looking between us uncertainly. His heartache had taken on a new turn, as he was realizing that he could not stay with her. “You seem ill,” he said.

She brought her tail up to her nose, shyly. “I’ll get better. But you never did.”

He started forward, but hesitated. “I don’t want to leave you.”

She brought her tail down and smiled sadly. “I... it’ll be okay. Our hearts are connected. I’ll find you again.”

“We will find each other. Then... I must go.”

“I can bring you to the path you must take,” I told him. “The rest is up to you.”

“I see.” He hesitated a bit longer, then added, “I don’t want to say goodbye, so... I will swim with you again someday, Luna.”

She nodded. “Yes, we will swim with each other then, Edwin.”

He then released his hold on this world and I was able to bring him out of it. I can enter that world from anywhere, but can only return to this one at certain points. So, I never saw Luna after that. I am not sure what came of her.

Even if I do see her again, I wouldn’t ask for anything in return. I usually want some kind of payment, most often in the form of food. But in that case, I don’t mind. The holy song she sang still echoes in my soul. I know, should I ever find myself unable to return to this world, that I have nothing to fear. That song promises me peace.

[MarshtompMan]

I'm not one for Romance stories, but I really liked this one.
It was so sad that Edwin was unable to touch Luna without hurting her.

May I request a Magby/Smoochum/Elekid entry?

[Ysavvryl]

First Quarter Review

130/493

BY GENERATION:

R/B/G/Y: 40
G/S/C: 31
R/S/E: 32
D/P/P: 27

BY TYPE:

Normal: 24
Flying: 20
Grass: 18
Water: 18
Ground: 13
Poison: 13
Psychic: 10
Fight: 10
Ghost: 9
Dark: 8
Bug: 8
Electric: 7
Ice: 7
Fire: 6
Dragon: 6
Rock: 4
Steel: 4

BY SPECIAL TYPE:

Starter: 12
Legend: 4
Shadow: 1
Shiny: 1

Guests: 11
JammyU, Kutie Pie, darkdragontamer (2), #Chimecho# (2)

THOUGHTS

Normal type is still ahead, while Rock and Steel are still straggling at the end. Grass, Poison, and Water all jumped up several positions, while Fire fell. And Psychic and Fight have been keeping up with each other, neck and neck...

I think first gen is ahead of the other groups because if I pull in extra entries, they tend to be from the games I've played most, 1st and 3rd gen. But that's also what lots of people request.

A little over three months and this thread will be a year old! July is also where Serebii's calender lists a birthday... anybody know if this is the creator's b-day, or the site's? Cause I still have in mind to do Celebii for the latter if I know the date. I pretty much want Gyrados for this thread's anniversary, since I started with Magikarp.

[MarshtompMan]

If I'm not mistaken, Serebii's birthday is July 28 and the Site's anniversary is October22/24.
Also, I realized that you finished a quarter of the Pokedex on Page 25.
Weird.

[Smear Vinci]

Very nice, as always. look forward to tomorrow's ^^

May I request the Aron/Larion/Aggron line, or if that is done, Politoed?

[Ysavvryl]

I did Aron, with Sableye, but not the other two. I'm also moving Treecko to Earth Day.

April Fool's Day, when you'd better be skeptical of anything that appears for the first time. Despite that, the truth is that 4/1 was also my cat's birthday (one of them, anyhow). She died a few months back, but would have been 19 years old today.

So, in honor of my cat Amber, I cast her as the Meowth in this story.

In Process: Pupitar/Grotle
On Deck: Taillow/Swellow, Magby/Smoochum/Elekid, Lairon/Aggron, Politoed
Reserve: Manaphy/Phione (4/12), Treecko (4/22)


MEOWTH
Leaf Green entry: Adores round objects. It wanders the streets on a nightly basis to look for dropped loose change.

VOLTORB
Sapphire entry: Voltorb is extremely sensitive - it explodes at the slightest of shocks. It is rumored that it was first created when a Pokeball was exposed to a powerful pulse of energy.


The factory guide was quite enthusiastic about his job. “And this is where we are manufacturing Pokeballs! Yes, no longer do you have to spend days carving an apricorn just so, or building one ball at a time over a period of weeks. Now we can put together Pokeballs in the matter of a day.”

“But they don’t work that well, do they?” one of the schoolkids asked.

“I hear you have to use like half a dozen trying to catch strong Pokemon,” another added.

“Even the older models could fail,” the guide pointed out. “The good thing about these factory balls is that they’re cheaper and will soon be readily available wherever you live.”

Amber yawned. As a Meowth, she wasn’t that interested in the tour. She was simply along because her Trainer was. She glanced at her reflection on a shiny piece of equipment and noticed that the coin in the middle of her forehead was a bit smudged. Not wanting to put up with that, she paused to rub the spot until it shone clean again.

When she was done, the group had moved on. But that didn’t worry her. She went exploring.

-+-

There was a buzz from the intercom. “Hey, you want to go over to the sub shop for lunch?” one of the factory workers asked.

“What about those power cords over there? Those sparks seem ominous.”

“Nah, it’s in an insulated spot. It happens from time to time.”

“Really? Isn’t that a waste of energy?”

“That’s management’s concern, not ours. Still, they haven’t done anything about it yet. Forget about it and let’s go.”

“All right then, if you say so.”

Amber squinted, looking under the conveyor belt. “<Aw, come on,>” she said, then reached under the metalwork and swiped. A sparkling orange-brown penny came out. “<Jackpot!>” She picked it up with her teeth and walked out to the door.

As she approached, they made an ominous clack. When the Meowth tried to push against the door, it wouldn’t budge. She got up on her hind legs and tried beating on it. Nothing happened. She dropped the penny and called as loudly as she could.

“<Come on, dummies! Open the door! I’m still in here.>”

Nothing happened.

Amber flicked her tail. “<Well. Inconsiderate humans. Forget about them. I wonder if there’s anything around to play with.>”

She looked around, but the factory floor was full of large metal equipment. None of the big stuff was on, just fans and lights. There was a dangerous looking group of wires off by themselves; bright sparks occasionally snapped between them. Although enormous, the room was pretty much spotless. Over by the wall, there was a bin labeled ‘Invalid’.

Twitching her whiskers, she went to the Invalid box and jumped on the edge of it. Inside, there were about twenty Pokeballs. About the size of an orange, they were white on one half, red on the other. There was a thin crack at the divide; a circular latch kept the ball securely shut. It wasn’t quite like her apricorn ball. Then again, she couldn’t play with her Pokeball.

Leaning in, she snagged a ball on her claws and flipped it out of the bin. It landed on the concrete floor with a hollow metallic sound, bouncing once before rolling away. So it wasn’t much for a bouncing ball, but it could roll well. Amber jumped down and batted at it. Ir rolled a couple of feet before she went chasing after it.

She captured it from escaping her, but then smacked it the other way. Then she had to go chase it down again. And smack it again. It might have seemed pointless to others, but there was no one around to play with her. She had to keep the game moving all on her own.

Thrilled by the chase, she hit the Pokeball as hard as she could, sending it flying towards the sparking wires. Right as it reached there, a large pulse of electricity jumped between the wires, catching the ball between them. It caused a huge “Crack!” and flash of light, so she scrambled for cover under a desk.

She heard the ball rolling back, so she cautiously peered over there. The Pokeball rolled in an odd curving pattern. Only mechanical balls rolled like that, and they weren’t that interesting as toys. But it was interesting when the ball opened its eyes and spoke. “<Uuuhh... what happened?>”

She came out and sniffed. It smelled like electricity. “<I didn’t know you were alive.>”

It turned to her. “<Me either. What’re you?>”

She sat up proudly. “<I’m a Meowth. My name is Amber.>”

“<Oh, hi Amber. Um, what am I?>”

Twitching her tail, she considered. “<Hmm... I don’t really know either. You were a Pokeball. I tossed you into those sparking wires.>”

It turned and looked. “<Then... you made me?>”

“<It seems so.>”

It spun back around and titled itself forward in a bow. “<Oh, thank you! I suppose this is better than not existing. Now, where are we?>”

“<A Pokeball factory. The workers locked me in here on accident.>”

The ball growled. “<What?! How inconsiderate!>” Then it blew up.

Amber ducked back behind the desk, managing to avoid most of the explosion. When things got quiet, she peeked back out. The ball Pokemon was unconscious, but the scent of electricity was a hopeful sign that it was alive.

Also in sniffing the air, she noted the distinct tartness of a Revive crystal. It came from the desk. There was a hinged door instead of a sliding drawer, so she grabbed it with her paw and pulled. It took a couple of tries, but she got in. There were three Revives in a small bin, so she plucked one out and placed it in front of the ball.

“<Hmm...>” She sniffed it. “<I think my girl has always snapped these to get them to work.>” When she bit down on it, the smell intensified. Amber then placed it under its face. Presumably it had some kind of nose hidden there.

It came back awake groggily. “<Ooo, my mind is spinning.>”

“<You blew yourself up,>” she pointed out. “<You’d better be careful about that. There aren’t many more Revives in there. Or maybe...>”

It looked at her, expectantly. “<Maybe what?>”

“<That explosion was pretty strong. I wonder if it could open the door. I dunno if one of you is enough, though.>”

“<Are there any more like me?>”

She shook her head. “<Not now, but in that bin,>” she pointed to the ‘Invalid’ one, “<there’s lots more Pokeballs. I guess if tossing you into that bunch of wires worked once, it could work again.>”

“<Great, let’s do that!>”

“<Okay.>” she hopped onto the bin’s edge again.

Amber fished out another one with her claws, then tossed it out onto the floor. The ball Pokemon then rolled up to it and pushed it into the jumping sparks. It wasn’t as quick about it as she had been, but once there were there of them, they managed to keep up.

Before long, it was her and twenty of the strange Pokeball Pokemon. “<All right, how are you all doing?>”

“<Great!>” one of them replied. They all looked pretty much the same, so she wasn’t sure if it was the first one or another. “<We are a new life thanks to you. We’re gonna remember you forever.>”

She smiled; that was a great idea. “<Good. Now the problem is, we’re still stuck in here. But I’m sure those doors over there can’t stand up to your powers. Then we’ll all be free.>”

“<Right, we’re doing this for freedom!>” one of them yelled, causing the others to cheer. They rolled up to the door. Amber stayed behind a short ways, not wanting to get caught in another explosion.

After discussing things, three of the balls volunteered to take out the door. They parked themselves right next to it. “<Okay, one... two... three!>”

KA-BOOM!

There were some screams from the hall on the other side. The rest of the ball Pokemon rushed out the door, rolling past a group of startled humans. “<Ha-ha, you can’t keep us caught!>” they jeered as they searched for a way out of the factory.

Amber walked into the hall with her tail held high, as if their antics had absolutely nothing to do with her. Her girl came up and grabbed her. “Oh, Amber, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to leave you behind.”

She licked the Trainer’s cheek. “<No worries.>”

She looked up to one of the factory workers. “Hey mister, what were those things that went by just now?”

“I... have no idea,” he replied, flabbergasted.

Amber flicked her tail, pleased. “<Just some new buddies of mine, no biggie.>”

[MarshtompMan]

I thought I edited my old post, but I meant to suggest a Muk/Cherrim entry for Earth Day.

[SugarPesticide]

The ball growled. “<What?! How inconsiderate!>” Then it blew up.

I love how casually it blows up. XD

“That’s management’s concern, not our’s.

There shouldn't be an apostrophe there. That's the only error I noticed, though. Great job otherwise ^_^

[Ysavvryl]

So, people complain about the Pokedex stating that Garchomp can fly and I showed how that could be twisted into an accurate statement. However, I don't think I've seen a complaint about Pupitar's entry. While being hilarious if you think about it, the one I used also states that it avoids damage when hitting solid steel when, by its typing, it takes major damage from steel attacks.

I guess there's a difference between taking a steel Pokemon's attack and what happens here.

In Process: Taillow/Swellow
On Deck: Magby/Smoochum/Elekid, Lairon/Aggron, Politoed
Reserve: Manaphy/Phione (4/12), Treecko (4/22)


PUPITAR
Ruby/Sapphire entry: Pupitar creates a gas inside its body that it compresses and forcefully ejects to propel itself like a jet. The body is very durable - it avoids damage even if it hits solid steel.

GROTLE
Diamond entry: It lives along water in forests. In the daytime, it leaves the forest to sunbathe its treed shell.


Rain softly pattered on her dirt shell. Light was scattered by the clouds, but still, the Grotle came out by the lakeside. It was a gentle enough shower that most Pokemon went about their business as usual. For her, that meant sunbathing, or rainbathing, by the lake and reflecting on her past.

The day passed as expected. The humans were less, and those that came wore rain gear and carried umbrellas. Other Pokemon went about daily routines she knew by heart. After years and years of sitting here, watching, thinking, it was always the same. Sometimes people made an attempt to capture her, but she didn’t let them. Eventually, they gave up and sought a more cooperative team member.

Every day, practically the same.

There was a fizzle right before a dark streak zoomed across the lake’s surface and crashed into a pickup truck. A clamoring wail filled the air as the truck’s alarms went haywire. Before long, the dark fizzle returned, this time landing close to her. It fumbled and rolled until the Pokemon came upright with considerable skill. It was a blue cocoon creature, with a mask of hefty spikes warning predators away. Grotle had seen something like that once, long ago.

The Pupitar hopped around and looked at the scene. “<Phew. Guess I should watch where I’m going.>”

“<Are you all right?>” she asked.

It hopped around and faced her. “<Well of course! A little crash like that ain’t gonna hurt me.>”

She looked over at the parking lot, where the truck had been knocked several feet to the side. Its door had a punctured dent in it. “<Little?>”

“<I’ve been in worse.>”

“<What’re you thinking? To be flying around that recklessly, it’s irresponsible.>”

“<Not flying. Rocketing.>”

“<Still...>”

“<And I’m having some issues with controlling my trajectory,>” he grumbled, looking at the ground.

“<Then why?>”

“<To see the world, of course! And to find a great Trainer. It might be a little hard, though, considering that I’ve already evolved. But I’m sure that if one comes up, they’ll realize how great I can be!>”

She nodded slowly. “<I see. At least you have enthusiasm.>”

The spiky cocoon Pokemon looked to her again. “<So, what do you do?>”

“<Why are you interested?>”

“<Why not?>”

“<I suppose that’s as good a reason as any. I’ve been sitting here, thinking... trying to find myself.>”

He leaned over a bit, apparently puzzled. “<Trying to find yourself?>”

“<Isn’t that what you’re doing, in a different way? Looking within to find out truths about yourself?>”

“<Huh. Well...>” He considered it. “<I know that I’m gassy! That’s a truth.>”

Despite herself, she chuckled. “<That’s not quite what I meant. I mean, why you are at the stage of life that you are.>”

“<I just evolved a few weeks ago. Although, it will be a stinker when I evolve again. I’m pretty sure that as a Tyranitar, I won’t be able to rocket around so much. But I’ll be good and strong! Isn’t that the same way with you?>”

“<No. I evolved fifty years ago.>”

Pupitar’s eyes widened. “<Seriously? You don’t look that old.>”

She lowered her head. “<Thanks, I guess. Nothing’s changed for me since then, though. I spend my days wondering why. I consider all sorts of things about the world: how the sun changes its path across the sky over the year, how the surface of this lake changes in the same ways, how the plants bud, grow, bloom, fruit, then die, only to come back and do it all over again. There seems to be nothing new.>”

He hopped up with a short fizzle. “<Then you should travel, like me! Then you’ll see all sorts of new things.>”

“<Are they truly new? Or are they variations of the same old things I see here?>”

“<You never know. So then, why here?>”

“<Why here?>” She gazed across the lake, a tired old melancholy stirring. “<My Trainer drowned in this lake, all that time ago.>”

“<Really? Sorry to hear that. That’s gotta be tough. But, why’re you still here after fifty years?>”

“<I don’t know. Surely I should have moved on now, with someone else, or just on my own. But while time carries on, I feel like I’ve been in a standstill. Like my life has been frozen to this spot, at this stage in my life.>”

He watched her for a bit before saying, “<Weird. Why are you frozen?>”

“<I don’t know. I keep thinking about it and I can’t figure it out. I should be able to just move on, and yet...>” Grotle shook her head.

“<Hmm.>” He hopped around for a bit.

“<You don’t have to stay. You can move on like everyone else.>”

“<I could, but I might regret not being able to do anything.>”

“<You did break up the daily monotony, if that’s any consolation.>” She turned her head back to the parking lot, where the truck’s owner was cussing to someone over his cell phone. “<Not much happens here.>”

He hopped up onto her shell. She didn’t mind; she often let small Pokemon take the berries that grew there. Before long, he prodded at something. “<Hey, what’s this?>”

She craned her neck around. “<What’s what? I can’t see there.>”

“<Something’s stuck in your shell. It doesn’t look like anything else up here.>” He jumped up and chipped away the dirt. “<Oh, sorry. Does that hurt?>”

“<No, it’s pretty thick.>”

“<I see.>” He hopped a few more times, eventually knocking out an oval-shaped rock. It was dark-gray with flecks of pink in it. Pupitar hopped to the ground beside it and looked it over. “<There’s something odd about it.>”

Grotle’s memory flickered, recalling the painful last day she had spent with her Trainer. “<That’s... he gave it to me while we were traveling near this lake. He said there was something odd about it, that it could be valuable. But we had picked up quite a few things from the forest and he didn’t have room in his bag, so he gave it to me to hang on to.>” She touched the rock with her nose. “<It was really there, after all this time?>”

“<It looked like your shell had grown up around it. It probably has been there for fifty years.>”

“<That’s very strange. I wonder... I’ve heard that some rocks emit strange energy that affects us. If I didn’t know it was there, could this rock have kept me pinned here?>”

“<That’s some pretty strong rock. But it’s gone now! You can move on.>”

“<Maybe. Thank you.>”

Pupitar hopped around, considering the area. “<Then, are there strong Trainers around here?>”

“<Sometimes. There were ruins we were exploring back then. The humans couldn’t enter without strong Pokemon.>”

“<Excellent! If I go there, I might be able to find one for me finally. Where are these ruins?>”

“<Off to the south.>” Grotle looked over the lake. It had really been too long that she had been here, just thinking. “<I could show you the way; I think I remember it.>”

“<Awesome. Let’s go!>”

[Killer_Squirtle]

This is definately your high quality work. One question... Is the pink rock spose to be an everstone? Cuz they're spose to be more bluey grey...