Pokedex One-Shots (PG)

[Ysavvryl]

She didn't have to tell him it was a fake, as he would have found out eventually.

This pair was one of the harder ones to put together. That could be why it turned out how it did. I still think it's interesting. Influenced a bit by a particular scene in PMD2.

In Process: Lilligant
On deck: Jigglypuff, Munna/Musharna, Dialga/Palkia, Samurott/Bisharp, Skarmory/Seismitoad
Reserve: Volbeat/Illumise (6/21)


Sealeo and Luxio


Two different paths converge…

The snowy fields were a calm peace. It had been a quiet day, under a cloudy sky. In this slow tundra, things took time to change. A white Sealeo slid around the field, pushing herself towards some bushes. There was no need to hurry, no reason to fret. She was simply checking out some berry bushes she had planted several days ago. If they were growing strong roots, that would give her a closer patch to retrieve them. Too bad they did not grow underwater.

The snowy fields were a large danger. It had been a frantic day, battling angered locals and running away from a stubborn Mamoswine. Still running, the pack of five Luxio were headed for a set of mountains ahead. Anywhere to get out of this wide open space where anyone could see them. They were nomads who could never find one place to settle down. Whenever they found a good spot for a home, someone was already there and insisted that they leave. Were they cursed? Sometimes it seemed so.

On her own, the Sealeo was relaxed. She knew all the Pokemon that were usually around here, and they would appreciate more healthy berries. She had located some good earth near a group of rocks. Once she had broken up the dirt, she planted plenty of berries there. The rocks would protect the bushes from most winds. Although some berries had failed to start, the bushes that had broken through were doing well. After a pause of admiration, she began snuffling a bush to check on how well it had taken hold.

A bellow from the furious Mamoswine caused an increase of fright for the Luxio pack. It had to be tiring soon; they were tiring and only the fear of what would happen if the Mamoswine caught up kept them running fast. But then one of them stumbled, crashing into the snow. Another Luxio shouted out in concern, causing the others to turn and run off another way, trying to give their comrade time to get up. But the Mamoswine kept charging.

The Sealeo nosed one berry and found it smelling ready. Carefully, she plucked it off its branch by rolling it up with her nose. Then she held the berry up high, examining it. A Chesto berry, good for when a Pokemon had a lot of work to do. It didn’t have as many minerals and vitamins in it as the usual berry, so these bushes needed some more time to establish themselves. However, a storm was brewing for tonight. She should gather up snow and increase the wind barrier around the young plants. Tossing the berry into the air, the Sealeo ate it, then moved on to check another bush.

A short distance away, electricity crackled through the air as three of the Luxio attacked the Mamoswine. The fourth tugged at the last member, gently biting his ear, encouraging him to get back onto his feet. Yes, they were all exhausted, but they needed to keep going until they lost their enemy. He forced himself upright and got out of the way just in time for the Mamoswine to tumble on the ground itself, thanks to being paralyzed. But the Luxio pack wasn’t about to savor victory. As they still had to get away, they went right back to running.

Two paths collide.

The Sealeo investigated a Rawst berry bush. It was small, not even producing berries yet. Maybe it was too cold for that one. But the Oran berry bush right next to it was thriving, with a good-looking first crop. While she checked it over, the Luxio pack paused at the new garden. The one who had tripped was struggling to keep up, so some healing berries ought to help. if they could just talk the Sealeo into letting them, without the Mamoswine disrupting them.

“Hey, miss?” one of the Luxio asked, breathing heavily due to the recent long run.

Although they had approached without warning, the Sealeo was unconcerned. It was a nice day and she wasn’t expecting a battle. She pulled an Oran berry off and balanced it on the end of her nose, focused on assessing the state of her garden. In her view, they could wait a minute for her to finish.

In their view, they couldn’t afford to waste a minute. One of the braver members hopped up onto the top of her head and balanced there with her paws on the Sealeo’s snout. “Pay attention a minute, will you?”

Squashed Oran berry trickled over the Sealeo’s face and mouth. She hadn’t had time to assess how healthy the bush really was! Angered by their rudeness, she growled. “Why you little…”

Recognizing yet another enemy, the Luxio perched on her head panicked and had her claws spark brightly as she jumped off. The jolt was too much and the Sealeo passed out. Another member of the pack snorted. “Well that went well.”

“Shut it,” she replied. “I don’t get why nobody will listen to us.”

“Let’s just grab some of the berries and get,” another suggested. The others agreed and swiped what berries they could carry. When they heard a loud call from the Mamoswine, they all bolted. It was back on the run until they knew they weren’t being pursued. Much of their life was spent this way, waiting for some hopeful time when they could permanently settle in one place.

Half an hour later, the Sealeo revived and found a friendly neighbor watching over her. The Mamoswine picked an Oran berry for her. “Oh good, you’re up. How do you feel?”

“Nasty.” She pushed the berry against her nose this time, spreading its healing pulp over the wounds where the claws had dug in. "Some crazy Luxio came up and attacked me out of the blue. And I was having such a good day too.”

“They’re not around anymore, so they won’t be worrying us.”

And the two paths diverge, never to meet again.

…

Sapphire entry: Sealeo often balances and rolls things on the tip of its nose. While the Pokemon is rolling something, it checks the object’s aroma and texture to determine whether it likes the object or not.

Luxio Diamond entry: Its claws loose electricity with enough amperage to cause fainting. They live in small groups.

[Ysavvryl]

This entry deals with death, so some readers may be bothered. This is the 'more depressing' entry I skipped over for Mother's Day.

In Process: Jigglypuff
On deck: Munna/Musharna, Dialga/Palkia, Samurott/Bisharp, Skarmory/Seismitoad
Reserve: Volbeat/Illumise (6/21)


Lilligant


It was one of my neighbors who had this Pokemon first. Young college woman, you see. I met her when she moved in just before classes started; seemed like a real bright and cheery girl, one who wouldn’t be much trouble. And she moved in with the Lilligant, who was a sweet and lovely Pokemon that loved to dance and sing. The college folks move in and out all the time, usually with a Pokemon or two, so it wasn’t new. They were a nice pair when we first met, but then college got them busy and I didn’t see them much.

And it was the Lilligant who showed the first obvious signs of trouble. When they moved in, the Pokemon had this gorgeous red flower growing on the side of her head. Had a fine strong scent too, one that they say is good for reducing stress. But about a month into the school year, I saw the Lilligant again and the scent of her flower was far weaker. Its petals seemed pale, pinkish instead of bright red. The girl told me the Pokemon was homesick, so I told them to take care.

After that, I saw even less of the pair. The girl would come back and go straight to her apartment after class, often without her Lilligant out. I didn’t know them very well, so I didn’t want to pry much. While most of the college folk would have friends over, I never saw her bring anyone else home. But some folks don’t socialize as much.

In the last month of the semester, I saw the Lilligant again. She was on her own and she looked terrible. The flower on her head had completely wilted and turned brown, while her grass dress was dry and brittle. With Grass Pokemon, many of them will be fine with enough sunshine and water, so a decline this bad usually indicated something was emotionally wrong. I had read that her particular species can only be obtained by making the Pokemon happy and friendly, so I wondered if there was some trouble with the girl too.

It was a bit eerie, though. The Lilligant was wilted and dry, but she was out there in the apartment hallway dancing and swaying around. All the while, she repeated a melody of three notes. It was one of those times when I wished I understood Pokemon, although one didn’t need to know that to know that she was unstable. Since she was out, I knocked on the girl’s door, even though it was open a crack.

The girl had committed suicide, which is always a terrible thing to find out. One would think that someone would intervene before something like that happened. But I didn’t know her all that well and her friends and family had been shocked too. I called the police and brought the Lilligant into my apartment, to keep an eye on her.

With her Trainer gone, the Lilligant was devastated. She seemed to be distracting herself with her song and dance, although there was noticeably no spirit to it. I tried to get her to drink some water, but she didn’t seem interested. While she moved around, her dry leaves flaked off along the edges. It was hard to see a formerly healthy and happy Pokemon depressed into ruin.

When the police came, they asked me some questions, then had me drive the Lilligant to a Pokecenter for medical care. I talked with her on the way, but she kept continuing her three note song. Later, I met with some of the girl’s friends and told them about the Pokemon.

I still checked into the Pokecenter about her. She was brought to the funeral, but that didn’t turn out well. On meeting with the girl’s parents, the Lilligant shrieked and would have attacked them if she hadn’t been in a weakened condition. And while no one was watching her closely, she took the blooms off a flower arrangement made by the family. They decided not to take her to the cemetery due to her disruptions.

Even now, I’m not sure what had incited that behavior. Was it a bad history with them, or did she put the blame on the death on the parents? It may even have been simply an irrational mood brought on by the tragedy. But it made an impact on the family, who decided to not take in the Lilligant after the funeral. Even the girl’s friends didn’t seem too enthused to take care of her.

Since the Pokecenter knew me and I had been checking up on her regularly, the doctor there offered me the chance to adopt her. I had to think about it for a time. I lived right next to the girl’s former apartment, after all. But since no one else connected to her wanted the Pokemon, I agreed to take in the Lilligant and help her recover.

It was many months while she was still suffering, alternatively keeping away from her old home and wandering in there. She started out indifferent towards me, sometimes even angered as if I could have done something to stop the suicide. Perhaps if I had been a better neighbor to the girl, I might have had some impact. But I did my best for the Lilligant when she became my responsibility.

I’ve really grown fond of her in this time, and she has shown many signs of being out of depression. Her leaf dress is looking healthy and full once again, while she sings happier songs when I’m around. As for her flower, she has a bud that’s been there for a couple of weeks now, but it’s not showing signs of blooming soon. But she’s my friend now, and I believe she sees me as her’s too.

…

Lilligant White entry: The fragrance of the garland on its head has a relaxing effect. It withers if a Trainer does not take good care of it.

[Legend of Lucario]

Awww, for such a sad story this did at least have a happy ending...

This story reminded me of "Where The Red Fern Grows" but with a happier twist thank goodness!

I'm just glad that the Lilligant recovered, I mean I know it's just a fictional Pokemon story but it's not easy overcoming the suicide of someone close to you...I've been there...but anyways I liked it!

[Sgeckledorf Spoongeblorb]

That was a really good one.

[Totodile is BEAST]

I just saw this and read the totodile one... I LOVE IT! Please add me to the PM LIST!

[Monster Guy]

Oh gosh, that Lilligant one was depressing.

Why did that girl commit suicide anyway?

[Ysavvryl]

^don't know the answer to that.

Anyhow... I've reached 400 Pokemon!!! Crazy. I celebrate by bringing in a cameo of another video game character.

In Process: Munna/Musharna
On deck: Dialga/Palkia, Samurott/Bisharp, Skarmory/Seismitoad
Reserve: Volbeat/Illumise (6/21)


Jigglypuff


There she was at the bar, looking mighty unhappy. She had a round pink body that was like a balloon, with tiny little arms and feet. Flowing from her great big blue eyes were twin streams of tears. She had an ice cream sundae in front of her, but the ice cream was melting away and the hot fudge had gone cold. It was such a sight as to make your heart tremble in sympathy, that such a lovely girl should be so upset.

Not only that, but everyone else in the bar was fast asleep, passed out wherever they sat. Now that was kind of creepy. But I felt I could deal with that later. I went up to the bar and jumped onto one of the bar stools next to her. “Hey, are you gonna eat that ice cream?”

She shook her head no (well, her body), but then looked at me. Her eyes didn’t blink, but they were such a watery blue that I didn’t really mind.

But there was melting ice cream, and that was a crime. “Then, can I have it?”

“Uh, okay, I guess,” she said in a gorgeous voice with a strange accent. I suppose it’s that Pokespeak accent, because Pikachu does the same thing. But it was so lovely coming from her.

I grinned. “Yay, ice cream!” I opened my mouth and chomped down the whole thing: melted cream, cooled hot fudge, cherry on top, soggy sprinkles and nuts, oozed whipped cream, pretty glass container, and a metal spoon. So good, but I spit the container and spoon back out onto the bar.

Her tears stopped a bit as she just stared at me. “Um, you’re not another Jigglypuff,” she said, uncertain. “But you’re not a Clefairy either.”

“Nope,” I told her. “Hiya, I’m Kirby, the hero of Dreamland! That was great ice cream. So what’s going on? Is it nap time?” I brought out an orange nap cap and put it on.

“Um, no,” the Jigglypuff said. “I came here to get the ice cream while there wasn’t much going on in the stadium, and I told the bartender that I’d sing for it if he’d let me. He laughed and said, ‘Sure, give it a shot’. So I sang my very best song so that everybody could hear it. But by the time I was only halfway through it, everybody was asleep.” Her tears started up again. “That always happens. I try to show people how well I sing and they always fall asleep in the middle of the song. Am I that boring? I never ever get to finish my song ever.” Then she started sobbing again.

I pouted. “Aw, that’s terrible. But it must be a great lullaby.” Then I got an idea. “Hey, can I hear your very best song?”

She brought her hands to her sides. “Um, you’d fall asleep too.”

Winking at her, I said, “Don’t worry! I’m the hero of Dreamland, so it’s no big deal. Come on, I wanna hear you sing.”

“Well, all right,” she said with a sigh. She wiped away her tears, then took a few deep breaths. Then she began to sing.

It was really amazing. Jigglypuff’s voice was so clear and smooth; she might be able to touch the hardest hearts and amaze the most cynical jaded ears. Although, she was right about one thing. After hearing the song, I got really drowsy. So I pulled out a pillow and took a nap.

Back in the Dreamworld, I heard her starting to cry again. “Keep singing!” I called out to her mind, which surprised her, but she went back after a brief faltering. I took the Star Rod and made sure that everybody who was sleeping in the room could hear Jigglypuff’s song, no matter how deep in Dreamland they were. And her voice made my home seem more vibrant and peaceful than ever before.

Once she finished the song, I left Dreamland and woke back up. She wasn’t teary-eyed anymore, but she looked uncertain. “Did you hear it?”

“Sure did,” I told her. “It was amazing! You made the Dreamlands even more beautiful. You’re really really amazing, you know that?”

Her pink cheeks turned a bit red, but she smiled. “Oh, you think so? I’m happy to hear that.”

I jumped up and down on the bar stool. “I gotta take you to Dreamland sometime. It’ll be lots of fun! Oh, but right now, I want more ice cream. Do you want some more ice cream?”

She laughed, which was also beautiful. “Well I haven’t had any yet, so I can’t have more. But yeah, I’d like to actually eat my sundae this time.” She looked around at the snoozing patrons and staff. “But, we’d have to wait for them all to wake up.”

“No problem!” I jumped up onto the bar itself and pulled out a microphone. After taking a quick breath, I went, “BUUUUUUUUURRRRP!”

Seconds later, everyone in the bar was awake again, complaining about my epic belching. But they did compliment Jigglypuff on her fantastic song, so she was beaming all evening. Nobody wanted to hear her sing again, though.

Except me.

…

Emerald entry: Nothing can avoid falling asleep hearing a Jigglypuff’s song. The sound waves of its singing voice match the brain waves of someone in a deep sleep.

[Monster Guy]

Kirby! 8D I always liked the Kirby/Jigglypuff pairing. With that Pokedex entry, I wonder why Sing doesn't have 100% accuracy.

Funny how this story involved Dreaming, and the next one is about Munna/Musharna who eat dreams. xD

[GenosectArceus]

The Jigglypuff and Kirby story was really good. I liked how Kirby used Jigglypuff's Sing to congratulate her.

[Ysavvryl]

This entry turned out to be a nice one for Father's Day. It's early, but all well.

In Process: Volbeat/Illumise
On deck: Dialga/Palkia, Samurott/Bisharp, Skarmory/Seismitoad
Reserve: ??? (7/12)


Munna and Musharna


“Daaaaddy!”

The Musharna snorted, then opened a half asleep eye. Blurrily, he saw a lavender flower on pink skin. “Hmmm? I’m sleeping…” he closed his eye again.

Huffing, the little Munna bumped into him. “Daddy Daddy Daddy Daddy Daddy Daddy Daddy Daddy Daddy DAAAAADDDYYYY!”

This time, he awoke abruptly. “Huh, what?” He looked around in a panic. “What happened? Is something wrong?” He was afraid that those people from yesterday had come back.

His daughter looked mad, a trail of pink mist curling around her head. “Yeah, you said you were gonna take me to the gardens today, and the day’s almost over. You promised.”

“Oh.” It wasn’t dangerous, so he nearly went back to sleep. But then he realized that the day was almost over, and woke up fully. “Oh! I’m sorry, sweetie. I was up late into the day. But I’m up now.” He uncurled a bit, then floated off. “Well let’s go.”

The Munna cheered and followed after him. As she chattered, they went through the woods around Straiton. This way, they avoided the people. The Musharna had always been wary of humans. Some were good, but many would force a Pokemon to battle. And then there were the two guys from yesterday. They were definitely bad.

When they got to the gardens, there were some humans around the fountain. But a corner of the place was empty, so he felt safe in letting her play here. He got a drink of water from the pools, then watched as the Munna hovered just above the water’s surface and patted it with her hooves.

The Musharna yawned, but he wasn’t going to fall asleep again. Not while they were here, closer to the humans than usual. He looked to the mist coming off the Munna. “You seem to have eaten a nice dream.”

Eagerly, she came over to him. “Yeah, yeah, yeah! Guess what it was.”

“Is that rhetorical?” he asked, because sometimes she said for him to guess, but told him immediately instead of waiting.

She giggled. “No, guess!”

“Hmm, all right. Was it about love?” He manipulated his own mist to form a nice pink heart. “I always like the romantic ones.”

“No, no, no! Guess again.” She seemed excited to play the game.

“Was it about an Audino?” The form of a curly-haired Pokemon appeared near him. “They’re so sweet, and nice singers. I don’t think I’ve met anyone who hates the Audino.”

“Audino is nice,” she admitted. “But it wasn’t that.”

Thinking, he made images of colorful dream flowers appear. “Was it about flowers?”

“No. Try again.”

“Airplanes?” He formed one to fly above his head in circles.

No, it wasn’t airplanes. Or boats, or fountains, or trees, or music, or food, or clouds, or dragons, or the moon. The Munna seemed a bit disappointed that he wasn’t guessing right. But there were so many good dreams out there, especially when one figured personal opinions into it.

He sighed eventually, forming a question mark out of his mist. “Oh, I’m sorry sweetie. I’m a terrible guesser.”

“It’s okay, Daddy,” she said sympathetically, rubbing her head against his. “It was a hard guessing game. Anyhow, the really nice dream I had last, it was about you!” She tried to form her own dream mist, but her Psychic powers were developed enough to do that.

That startled him. “About me? Heavens… I don’t know who around here would dream of me.” If it had been his soul mate, her mother, then yeah, he would expect that. But since she was gone, it was surprising.

The Munna twirled on the spot, excited. “Yeah, yeah, you! It was that girl from yesterday; she had a dream that you were awesome, which you really were cause controlling a nightmarish figure like that scary guy was amazing! And she loved you and thought you were the most amazing Pokemon she’d ever seen, but she was worried about me and liked me a lot too. I want to travel with her, Daddy. I can tell from her dreams that she’s really sweet and kind, and great. Can I go with her, please, please, please?”

Although she was excited, the Musharna felt a knot of anxiety grow in his stomach. He’d tried to avoid being seen by humans; getting seen by three yesterday was the most he’d shown himself to his whole life. And now his only child wanted to go travel with one. It was normal for young Pokemon to want that. But, he had hoped that she wouldn’t like humans either.

“The girl from yesterday?” he asked. There had been the boy who had fought off the two bad men (he quietly thanked the gods that she didn’t want to go with him), but there had also been that blond haired girl and the older woman. She probably meant the blond one. “Are you sure about that?”

She nodded. “Yeah! I know there’s scary things out there, like the men from yesterday, but she’s a Trainer and I’ll be safe with her. And see? She’s just over there. She’s a good person, I know it.”

And on one of the garden paths, he did see the blond girl again. She was standing near one of the pools, watching the Pokemon swimming down there. Even though she hadn’t been the one to battle yesterday, she had attempted to stop the bad men from hurting his daughter. Observing her thoughts, the Musharna could tell that she had a good heart, although she wasn’t quite as bold and brave as her friend. But then, maybe being more cautious would be better.

He nuzzled the Munna. “You know that if you leave, I’m going to miss you lots.”

At that, her eyes did get a bit watery. “I know. I’ll miss you lots too. That’s a bad thing about going. But, I think there’s a lot more good things that can happen. And if she comes back here, I’ll come visit, and you can see how much I’ve grown.”

Part of him wanted to insist that she not go. She was going to get hurt again. But, he couldn’t protect her forever and a human Trainer would help her learn to fight and defend herself. Maybe if she liked humans, in particular this one, he should honor her feelings. “Okay, you may go with her. Be careful out there.”

Excited, she squealed and nuzzled him again. “Thanks, Daddy! I love you muchly.”

“I love you muchly too. Goodbye.”

“Bye!” Then she flew out of their cover and went over to the girl. The humans seemed surprised, but then delighted to see her. She even asked if she was the same one from yesterday, and if she was all right.

That let him know that she would be loved. Before he left, though, the Musharna carefully came out of cover, just enough so that the girl could see him. Then he manipulated his dream mist in order to form words in her language. “Take good care of her… she’s my only child.”

And the girl promised she would. Feeling a bittersweet satisfaction, the Musharna left the girl and the Munna to travel together.

…

Munna White entry: It eats the dreams of people and Pokemon. When it eats a pleasant dream, it expels pink-colored mist.

Musharna White entry: With the mist from its forehead, it can create shapes of things from dreams it has eaten.

[Monster Guy]

The Munna/Musharna one was adorable. :3 Although in my game, Hilbert caught a Munna himself, two in fact (Though I ended up evolving the female of the pair. She was awesome. xD) I'm probably one of the few people that like them.

Nice use of Dream Mist.

[Kuraikarasu]

that was on e of the sweetest stories I have ever read I alomost cried

[Ysavvryl]

I cried a bit when writing the previous one.

I had picked this pair out way back in February, for Valentines Day. I ended up changing it a few days prior, because I felt that this pair was really better suited for the summer solstice. So enjoy the longest day of the year, and the beginning of summer!

A little bit of scientific background on this: some insects, primarily ants, communicate through scents rather than sounds. I don't know if fireflies are one of them, but it works for me.

In Process: Dialga/Palkia
On deck: Samurott/Bisharp, Skarmory/Seismitoad
Reserve: ??? (7/12)


Illumise and Volbeat


The sky was black, spotted with stars. There was no moon in the sky, although a town several miles off gave a brown cast to the air around it. All around the meadow, there were Pokemon and humans scattered about in small groups. They kept quiet, speaking only in hushed tones. And they all watched the sky.

Then, a brilliant series of lights appeared in the air. Beautiful bright glows cast a great deal of light onto the ground, briefly eliminating the darkness. It appeared as though a shimmering ripple was moving through the air, like the sparkle of sun off a rushing river. Flowing over the crowds, it caused several calls and claps of admiration. Within the light formation, one could see the Illumise and Volbeats who were putting on the show.

After a minute, the swarm descended to a quiet part of the meadow. On the ground were a good number of Illumise, standing near a stream. The one who had been leading the last dance joined them, while the males landed in another spot to wait for the next round. “A flawless start like always, don’t you think?” the one Illumise said to the others.

“And it’s The River Rush as usual,” another one said. “That’s your best one to the point where it’s your only one.”

She twitched her antennae, trying not to look as insulted as she felt. “At least you all know that whatever I do, it’s to perfection. Some of you try to do too much and make all kinds of mistakes.”

“Well are you gong to try any new dances this year?”

Over near the edge of the group, one of the younger Illumise looked over the group of Volbeats. She had been chosen as the leader of the next round and it would be her first light dance at a large gathering. And such an important gathering too, the midsummer courtship dances where she would chose her Volbeat partner; he would be with her until the next midsummer dances. If she messed up, then none of them would want to be with her.

Her mother tapped her abdomen. “Remember what I said, dear: relax and have fun with this.” The older Illumise smiled. “You’ll be leading several more rounds, and a good many of them don’t care about minor mistakes in formation.”

“I’ll try,” she said. “But it’s a much larger swarm than I’m used to leading. There’s so many of them.”

“It makes the light show even brighter, and more beautiful. And they’ll follow your lead without hesitation.”

Over in the Volbeat group, the males were getting a drink of water or boasting to one another. A few of the young ones were nervous, but joined in on trying to one-up each other without breaking out into a fight. That was a definite bad move here, as the Illumise might tell them to leave the dances for the whole night, making the perpetrators unable to be chosen. Sometimes, the more devious-minded Volbeats might try to get others to pick fights with them to get rivals kicked out.

One older Volbeat found three others and waved them to come in closer, so they could talk without being overhead. “You’re doing well so far, boys,” he said quietly. “Seems like the next round is going to be led by a first-timer, so we’ll stick around out of courtesy. The next time one of the older Illumise comes up, though, we’re going to sit out one round.”

“Sit out?” one of the three asked in disbelief. “But won’t they see that as being lazy?”

“Yeah, we’re supposed to show them how tough and strong we are,” another said.

The older one nodded. “Yes, but there is a bit of strategy involved if you really want to succeed. The night is still young and everybody is full of energy. But this is going to go on without stop until the glows of dawn begin. The Illumise might not remember who takes breaks every now and then as there’s so many of us. But they make their choices at dawn, and they will know who is passed out of exhaustion at that point. If you take breaks every so often, you’ll still have the energy to look bright and healthy by dawn. If you try to dance in every single round, then you’re definitely not going to look your best. Stick with me; I can help you learn when to sit out and when the last dozen rounds come up.”

One of the younger ones smirked. “That might work for you old bugs, but I’m tough enough to do this. Just you watch.” He then left to go speak with another.

“Yeah, we’ll be strong enough to even fight in the morning,” a second said, taking off after the other.

The third looked to them, but stayed. “Hey Dad, why are there so many people watching? The Illumise smell wonderful tonight, but some of the ones out there stink and nearly throw me off the call.”

“I don’t really know the answer to that,” the Volbeat said. “I remember when I was your age, the crowd was maybe a third of this. But as long as they don’t disrupt us too much… although that one person did smell pretty strongly of cigarettes. Was that the one who disrupted you?”

The younger one nodded. “Yeah, I almost missed my instructions last round because of that.”

“Let’s see if it bothered anyone else. The Illumise might let us do something if enough of us complain.”

A couple minutes later, the young Illumise flew into the air over the Volbeat crowd. She produced a sweet aroma that caused the Volbeats to take off into the air after her. When in flight like this, the swarm could communicate through scents far more efficiently than through sounds. The Volbeat were trying to be interesting by being obedient to her lead. However, there was also an undercurrent of discontent. She asked what it was.

From a good number of them came the complaint that one of the witnesses was smoking a cigarette and that was disrupting communications for them. There were some parts of the swarm that assured her that she didn’t have to take care of it; it was her first midsummer lead and an older Illumise could handle it. But, if this smoker disrupted her signals, then her first lead would be a disaster. So she let them know that they would handle the smoker this round instead of a regular dance, then asked them where the problem was.

She kept high while they told her where. Down below, she could see a small red glint. Since her instructions could be blocked by the smell, she informed them that they were going to dive down to surround the man, then use Flash to discomfort him with blindness. The other humans should be able to see him then, especially if some of the Volbeat kept alit longer to reveal the issue. From what she had encountered with humans, they would help Pokémon with such troubles.

They did as she said, diving down when she directed them to. When they got close to the smoker, the conflicting smells gave her a chaotic mess of signals. No wonder the Volbeats didn’t like it. As planned, she used Flash, which visually signaled them to do the same. The scene briefly turned brighter than noontime daylight, causing anyone nearby, not just the smoker, to try covering their eyes. Before long, a park ranger came up to the man and spoke sharply to him.

Flickering her light at normal brightness, she rose up and tried to give the signal for the rest to do the same, including the light flicker to get anyone who was still confused by the smoke. When she had the swarm back up, the ranger was taking the smoker away. She led them back to the stream, ending her round even though she hadn’t used a pattern dance.

“What was that about?” the leader of the former round asked. “That was no pattern.”

“There was a smoker in the crowd,” she said. “And, um, he was throwing off the Volbeats, so I helped them get rid of the smells.”

“But you were supposed to make a beautiful dance,” she scolded.

“No, no,” another Illumise said. “I think that was the responsible thing to do. If the smell got spread and set in, then all of our dances would have been thrown off. Good choice.”

“Yeah, that’s the kind of decision you’d want a swarm leader to make,” another said.

The one bug fumed silently, but the young one felt proud.

…

Sapphire entry: Volbeat’s tail glows like a lightbulb. With other Volbeat, it uses its tail to draw geometric shapes in the night sky. This Pokemon loves the sweet aroma given off by Illumise.

Illumise Emerald entry: A nocturnal Pokemon that becomes active upon nightfall. It leads a Volbeat swarm to draw patterns in the night sky. Over 200 different patterns have been confirmed.

[Sgeckledorf Spoongeblorb]

Beautiful.

Nothing like fireflies getting down and dirty!

[floracat]

Looks like I missed a few stories.

The Boldore and Woobat story was cool. I liked how you discribed the plates in there. I've always wondered about them. Woobat has always been an interesting Pokemon.

The Luxio were interesting, always traveling. Although, knocking an innocent Sealeo out and stealing her berries isn't very nice. Even if one was just trampled by a Mamoswine.

The Lilligant story was sad. Poor Lilligant, her poor trainer died and she's wilting. I was thinking, Lilligant was wilting before, right? I wonder if she started to wilt because of her owners suicidal behavior. That would explain it. So sad...

JIGGLYPUFF! HOW COULD I MISS JIGGLYPUFF!!?? It was a really cute story. Poor Jigglypuff, she doesn't realize people fall asleep because of her soothing voice, not cause she's boring. And you included Kirby! Yay!! I love Kirby and all his pinkishness!

The Munna and Musharna entry was sweet. I loved how much Musharna cared for his daughter. I always wondered about the Munna and Musharna Team Plasma tried to take. And I always thought that that very same Munna became Bianca's Munna. Good story!

And then Volbeat and Illumise. I always liked those two Pokemon. And I loved it when they all teamed up to get rid of that one smoker. YES! Down with cigarrettes! I've been trying to get my dad to quit.

Very nice job! Keep up the good work!

[Ysavvryl]

And another nice beginning that I probably won't follow up on. hah!

I'm getting through that long request list! New requests would be good.

In Process: Samurott/Bisharp
On deck: Skarmory/Seismitoad
Reserve: ??? (7/12)


Dialga and Palkia

The church of Hearthome was grand and elegant. Its structure allowed it to be bright and airy inside without sacrificing stability or size. Large stained glass windows and painted murals on the wall depicted many old myths, like the creation of the world by the Pokémon god Arceus. In the middle of the afternoon, it was usually visited by curious sightseers, although a few devout stayed in solitary worship. Still, it was not often that one of the Pokémon gods came into the church itself.

Especially not two of them. They had come in disguise. Somewhat. Dialga and Palkia looked much the same as they usually did, but only a foot tall like many of the small Pokémon of the world. Being that size, they had been able to get in and move around underneath the pews without being noticed as anything unusual.

“They keep this place, like, pretty nice,” Palkia said, looking up at the preacher’s area of the room.

Dialga noticed a bit of old fur clinging to the bottom of one corner of the pew. “Not entirely,” he said.

“Well it’s not fallen to ruins like other sacred buildings,” she retorted. “That’s much better than some places we’ve seen on this trip. Oh hey, lookit!” She pointed up with one of her clawed hands, twitching her wings in excitement. “That painting looks as good as ever. I still say you look all burly and no-nonsense in that one.”

He lowered his neck so that he could see the painting better, then walked up to the edge of the pew with her. “And what’s wrong with that?”

Giggling like there was some secret joke she wasn’t going to share, she said, “Nothing! Should we stick around or skip some time so we can see a service?”

Dialga considered it, then yawned. “Eh, we’ve had a long trek to get here, at this size.” His sister beamed, looking proud of herself. While it was her doing, it wouldn’t be that hard to alter sizes for someone of her ability. “I’d like to get some rest. Relax a little while. This town’s so noisy, though.”

She tapped her chin. Sometimes he was jealous of her having hands. “Hmm, relaxing would be nice. But hey, it would be nicer if we could find one of those Pokémon spa places. Wouldn’t that be great? We could convince the workers to treat us like other guests and get pampered for a while.”

“How are you going to hide the fact that we’re gods?” he asked. “Traveling around like this is one thing, but letting humans see us like this for an extended period of time isn’t good. We’re not like the Psychic ones who can fully bluff them.”

“Oh don’t be such a grumpy Gloom,” Palkia teased him. “If we get into too much trouble, we could ask those guys for assistance. Besides, those Plasma weirdos that were trying to enslave us got totally burned trying to mess with Giratina. Well not burned, per say, but he messed them up for, you know, messing with him.”

“What’s with your language today? And most of this trip?”

“I’m fitting in to this time! I talked with some Pokémon and listened to their Trainers to find out, like, how they talk now. I think it’s fun!”

“I think it’s silly,” Dialga countered.

Before their conversation could continue, a preteen girl stopped by them and dropped down onto her knees. She had black hair in pigtails and when she grinned, she showed off some silver braces. “Hi cute little Pokémon,” she said. “Whatcha doin’ down there?” She reached in to touch Dialga.

He leaned his head back, causing her to lower her hand. Someone reaching out to him was much different on this size scale. Once she seemed less threatening, he sniffed at her fingers. Pen ink, salt water taffy (lemon flavored), and Combee. Nothing too surprising for this era, but something beyond scent was surprising about her.

“Hey, bro!” Palkia said, looking up at the girl. “Somebody’s marked her aura as a potential hero!”

“I’ve noticed,” he replied as the human then tried to touch Palkia. She was more willing. “But she’s not one who was there when we were awakened. I wonder what’s in store for this one.”

“We can tag along and find out,” she suggested.

“Aren’t we supposed to be on vacation?” he asked.

Before his sister could reply, she was picked up by the human. “You two look strange,” the girl said. “You’re like the ones in the picture up there, but you’re little Pokémon, not giants. I wonder if Dad knows.” She walked over to the front of the aisle, carrying Palkia with her.

“And we’re not supposed to be noticed,” Dialga grumbled, following after. He didn’t come out in the open, not yet.

At that point, the quiet of the church was broken by a shout from a man in the back. “General Woodard!” Then the man in the black mask threw something at the girl and Palkia.

Although he doubted that girl was a General, Dialga wasn’t going to let his sister be in a dangerous position again. Causing the jewel on his chest to glow, he slowed time save for himself, the girl, and Palkia. That made the object, a dart with Murkrow feathers on the end, seem to slow down to a crawl. The girl was frozen in fear for a moment, but a little nip from Palkia got her to move out of the way. Once they were safe, Dialga let time flow naturally. The dark flew past them and embedded itself in a wooden podium. To anyone else, it would have looked as if the girl had dodged supernaturally fast.

Another man in the back got up and went to the attacker. He was middle-aged, but a powerful looking human. “What do you want?” he asked in a firm tone edged in danger.

Perplexed by the miss, the attacker glanced at the general, then rushed up the aisle. “Oo, oo, let me!” Palkia called. After a pink glow from her, the church suddenly expanded to have a center aisle that was a mile long. Thousand of pews lined the path between the attacker and his targets.

Dialga came out from his cover and walked up to them. “This is exactly why I wanted to remain inconspicuous,” he said. “I don’t want anymore trouble after that maddening mess that was the red chain.”

“But, but, aren’t you like curious now about what’s going on?” Palkia asked, still in the girl’s arms. “We’ve been hibernating for so many centuries, but now we can be involved in big things again. Maybe even make some new legends. That would be totally awesome!”

He looked over at the girl, who was perplexed by the strange events happening around her. Then he looked over at the attacker and the ‘general’ (probably the girl’s dad, now that he thought of it). If they went with this girl, there would be adventure, but there would be danger. If they carried on with their own travels, there could be relaxation, but not much of consequence.

The choice was difficult.

…

Dialga Diamond entry: It has the power to control time. It appears in Sinnoh-region myths as an ancient deity.

Palkia Diamond entry: It has the ability to distort space. It is described as a deity in Sinnoh-region mythology.

[floracat]

Ah. Dialga and Palkia, legendary Pokemon of time and space. I've always liked them. Good job with this story. I wonder who the heck the girl was though.

P.S. If I was Dialga, I'd go with the girl.

P.S.S. Can you do Cressila? She's one of my favorite Pokemon.

[Rotom310]

A nice beginning indeed. It's a shame that it won't be continued; that has great potential for an actual chapter fic.

I also found one small error:

Thousands of pews lined the path between the attacker and his targets.

Thousand was singular instead of plural, if I guessed right at what you had intended it to be.

And since you're ready for more, I have a couple requests. =3

Sigilyph/Golett/Golurk (or Sigilyph and then Golett/Golurk, whichever works best for you), Joltik, and then Bouffalant. =3

I've actually heard a lot of theories behind Sigilyph and the Mechas, most of which involve a mysterious ancient civilization, sometimes around the time the two brothers in Unova's legends had started fighting, sometimes even farther back. It'll be interesting to see what you come up with. =3

[Monster Guy]

Why does almost every fic I read treat Palkia as female?

I understand that it's pink/purple, but it doesn't look remotely feminine IMO. :/ (Then again, neither do a lot of Pokemon that can be female same with the other gender. xD)

Good story though.

[Riarra]

I found it funny how Palkia was talking like a modern teenager. An ancient deity speaking like that (while being just a foot tall) is just a very funny image.

Also, it seemed kind of strange to me that the girl didn't quite recognize Dialga and Palkia just because of the difference in their height, but it was a very original and nice story.

I'd like to request Surskit/Masquerain/Golduck and Machop/Dewott.