Cortoza's Recorded History

[fishyfool]

fishyfool: Your small Geodudette evolves into a Golem in the center of the relaxation room after being treated to a bunch of rare candies. After recalling Infernape, you approach the pair of people that you'd overheard before, putting on your sternest look and inflecting your voice with a commanding tone. The men turn slightly as you approach them, and look warily at you as you reprimand them, demanding an explanation. The man on the right, a stocky, well-built military-esque brute, glares at you as his companion, a crisp businessman, grins cockily in your direction. Sarcastically complimenting you on your keen eavesdropping skills, he presses a button on his watch and motions for you to look at a holoscreen on the wall. You gasp as it shows a Pokemon labor camp producing cheap furniture and other technological objects... and nearly throw up as you see a human whip a small Wooper who wasn't working fast enough.

"Pokemon labor is free, and we can run it under the disguise of being a Pokemon Training group. We trained that Ambipom to beat up wild Pokemon so we can just ride around and catch them. Watcha gonna do about it?" And with that, the two men walk cockily out the door, laughing at the nerve of trying to hold them accountable. A businesscard falls to the ground from the businessman's pocket...

Howard Spovelli, Volcanity Inc.

What will you do?

Jamie stood, simmering with rage as the sights he witnessed on the holoscreen, including the merciless whipping of a mere Wooper, infuriated him. As the businessman and bulky human walked out of the door, Penance lifted the small card from the floor after it had fell out and handed it to Jamie, the trainer noting the point of it being at Volcanity Inc.

With some thought, he nodded to the Golem and Mudkip, recalling the latter before heading out of the lounge and towards the receptionist, hoping to enquire about the health of the injured Aipom and the events he overheard inside the room, as well as seeking directions to Volcanity. He wasn't planning on complaining about it, but rather to find a way inside and destroy the illegtimate business, something he wished to keep between himself and his team.

[Amras.MG]

-Hayward-: Medeo begins to Meditate in an attempt to block out the Supersonic waves bombarding his head, and you smile as his expression calms, the Meditative technique rending Wingull's attack ineffective. Wingull caws, and your order Meditite to use a Psycho Cut as Wingull comes for another pass. Wingull fires a Gun like stream of Water at Meditate, who just sits there, leaping up at the last second. As Wingull passes below the Fighting/Psychic type, Medeo's eyes snap open, and his arm begins to glow with a brilliant purple. The Psycho Cut deals good damage to the sea bird, slamming it down into the sand and filling Wingull's beak with the small stones. Medeo lands agilely on his feet, summoning up a Protect as Wingull fires a Water Pulse. The orb of concentrated water splashes against the Protective shield, but as the layer recedes, Wingull moves in for a Wing Attack, striking Medeo hard and flinging him against the sand. Wingull Quickly follows up with another Attack, forcing Medeo on the defensive, although the bird seems to be tiring from its repeated attempts to take down yourself and Meditite...

What will you do?

fishyfool: The rage practically pours out of you as you are forced to view the atrocities against a helpless Pokemon. Deciding to recall Mudkip and move back towards the receptionist, you quickly check up on the status of the injured Aipom, and are pleased to hear that he is doing much better. However, the Nurse at the counter says the little fellow is lonely, and that he's got some itchy feet; "why not take him with you?" The nurse explains that he's being plagued by dreams of the Ambipom, and it's her medical opinion that being on the move will help him. The subject changes to your sudden departure, and if the lady is surprised at your quick turnaround, she doesn't say anything about it. Grabbing a map to the VRI building, she quickly marks the route with a highlighter, but quickly marks an alternate route.

"The first road I've marked is used mainly by the indigenous folk of the island, so it's less charted and you can run into more trouble there. This path is also a bit more dangerous this time of year, and it can tend to flood. The other path takes a bit longer, but is much more safe. Remember, if you ever decide to come back, I can get you in for free. Have a nice trip, sir!"

What will you do?


[Reposts]
Fangirl: You withdraw mentally and decide to rethink your strategy quickly, fighting the urge to get extremely competitive against the Bider. Having had previous bad experiences with that particular move, you notice that Levi's competitive streak was being exposed as well, the water type's eyes narrowing with anger as she launches an Ice Beam at Kricketot, though the opposing Magikarp, Splashes water in the direction of Vaporeon, intercepting the Ice Beam and redirecting it into creating a wall of ice. Magikarp dives into the water and jumps over the ice wall, attempting to Tackle Vaporeon, although Levi is able to dodge it and circles around, pumped up for the battle. Meanwhile, you stare at Flare, sitting on the shore confused at the Bide, having never seen one before. Ordering Flare to help Levi out, the little Cyndaquil Howls loudly, raising her confidence and releases a billowing smoke at the Kricketot, who merely blinks, still glowing red with the Bide. Magikarp suddenly leaps out of the water again and rams itself into Flare really hard, Tackling it for some good damage before Flailing back into the water.

What will you do?

Ytnim: Bolstering your Pokemon's confidence with a small peptalk, you keep your attention tuned to the battle. Manectric growls and rushes Skarmory, tendrils of electricity Sparking through the birds wing while Skarmory is breathing heavily from its Hyper Beam. The bird cries out in pain before Manectric gets close using Quick attack. Blitz' Fangs glow with a bright Fire just before he chomps down on that same wing, and the Skarmory gives a last cry before fainting. Level up for Blitz. Skarmory's form doesn't stay on the ground though, and a red light engulfs the steel bird, summoning it above you and to the right a bit. Dr. Hserf's eyes flash to the location of the beam, and he dashes over to you while Tonic and Rapidash exchange Hydro Pumps and Fire Blasts. The doctor's eyes radiate concern, and he quickly informs you that you need to get going... NOW. Rapidash is knocked against the canyon wall while you're talking, and Tonic uses the opportunity to draw the fire away from you. Grabbing your arm, Dr. Hserf sprints across the canyon and ducks behind a rock. From this angle, it looks as though there is a robot standing just above the cliff where you were, clearly directing Rapidash and supposedly the Skarmory before it. Rapidash neighs in pain, clearly battered by Tonic's Mind Reader-Hydro Pump combination. The robot looks straight at you, and points. Your ears give out for a second, and you feel strange experiencing the world with no sound at all. Dr. Hserf pulls out a mirror from his pocket and aims carefully, and sound comes rushing back at you all at once. It seems he does in fact have some idea of what's going on...

What will you do?

Tale: You recall your Houndour, Simone, and cautiously take a few steps closer to the weird sight, dread rising in your gut as you contemplate the possibility of zombies or some other strange creature. The low moaning gets more intense, and around the corner you find something more horrible than the worst zombie. The acrid smell of rotting, burnt flesh fills your nostrils, and you make out the words... help... Laying in front of you is no zombie. Laying in front of you is a human, missing his left arm and right leg, blood slowly oozing out of the exposed veins. A reflexive gag shoots up through your stomach, and the man groans again, the exposed nerves in his throat trembling with the effort. One of his eyes catches your shadow, while the other hangs out of the socket uselessly.

Misery... make it... stop...

Your eye catches something it had missed before. Kneeling at his side is a Ralts, its body convulsing with pain and rage. The small Psychic type snaps his neck up towards you, eyes glaring a deep blood red. It jumps towards you, waves of Psychic energy curling out towards you.

What will you do?

arcanumghost: The teamwork and collective power of the Diglett make you smile; perhaps this situation isn't quite as bad as it looked before! Deciding to ask the Diglett to coordinate their movements and techniques, you quickly order Lucy to keep Forretress busy while you help the Diglett, and nod in approval as Sableye leaps at Forretress, claws glinting. Adam starts to Focus all his Energy while Sableye hits Forretress hard with a Scratch, although this time the steel bug shrugs off the attack, flinging Sableye against the wall with a powerful Flash Cannon. Lucy blasts a ghostly Night Shade at Forretress, who uses a Rapid Spin to break the momentum of the beam, shooting a Spike at Sableye, while she burns it up with a Firestream, preventing a bad situation. The Diglett Growl and summon the Power of the Earth along with Adam, forming a giant fist of earth the slams into Electivire, bashing it against the wall. The Diglett sway and the earth shifts, pulsing around the electric type and forming a giant orb, while Electivire moans in pain. A giant spot of yellow appears through the earthen orb, and with a Discharge of energy the Electivire bursts out of his trap. A giant Roar escapes from her maw and he sweeps a large portion of the Diglett aside with an Icy Wind, eye glowing with hatred.

What will you do?

atlantis_kid99: Growlithe's suicidal protection of you and your Pokemon tugs at you and Mystic's hearts, and you thank it quietly while pulling out a pouch of Sacred Ash, spreading it over the wounds covering Growlithe's chest. The Ash just sits there, until Mystic leans over and drops a single tear into the wound, which closes up before your very eyes. Growlithe barks weakly, and starts to breathe a little more regularly. It looks like she'll be fine, although she won't be running around anytime soon. Breathing a deep sigh of relief, you congratulate your Pokemon on their successful moves, but are interrupted when Golem appears in the cavern, intent on attacking you. Your will hardens and Azure and Mystic leap into action, Mystic moving Growlithe deeper into the cavern with you, while Azure conjures an orb of Water and Pulses it at the incoming rock, shattering it before firing off another Water Pulse at Golem who grunts as the orb slams into him, dealing very good damage. Mystic glows green and Drains energy from Golem at a Giga rate, gaining some strength back, although the rock beast seems to shrug it off and he rushes Azure, fist blazing as he Punches the ice type with a fist of Fire. Azure stumbles backwards in pain, but is saved from another Fire Punch when Mystic summons the Frenzy of Plants and directs it into Golem, making it Roar in distress. Golem glares at you angrily and Mega Punches Kirlia in the face, slamming the Psychic type into the wall and leaving a deep indent. Azure dashes over to Mystic and summons a Safeguard while Golem summons the Power of the Earth, attempting to finish off Mystic, who looks like he's about to faint. Successfully fending off the Earth Power, Azure sways slightly, getting very tired.

What will you do?

OOC: In retrospect, I've decided to give Mystic and Azure a level each for the aerial maneuvers and this first round of battle.

[Tale]

Tale: You recall your Houndour, Simone, and cautiously take a few steps closer to the weird sight, dread rising in your gut as you contemplate the possibility of zombies or some other strange creature. The low moaning gets more intense, and around the corner you find something more horrible than the worst zombie. The acrid smell of rotting, burnt flesh fills your nostrils, and you make out the words... help... Laying in front of you is no zombie. Laying in front of you is a human, missing his left arm and right leg, blood slowly oozing out of the exposed veins. A reflexive gag shoots up through your stomach, and the man groans again, the exposed nerves in his throat trembling with the effort. One of his eyes catches your shadow, while the other hangs out of the socket uselessly.

Misery... make it... stop...

Your eye catches something it had missed before. Kneeling at his side is a Ralts, its body convulsing with pain and rage. The small Psychic type snaps his neck up towards you, eyes glaring a deep blood red. It jumps towards you, waves of Psychic energy curling out towards you.

What will you do?

With every inch of his approach, the intensity of that blood-curdling moan escalated as though it was triggered by his inquisitiveness. With the lack of response following his call, Oscar reluctantly concluded to combat his frustrating nescience through headlong discovery. As the bloody foot gradually neared, the ever-intensifying conviction of an undead presence percolated his every instinct, and by the time he’d reached the corner, he had almost already anticipated the lack of body that was expected to conjoin with the foot. Halted by the throws of utter shock, his widening eyes dared not register the source of the moaning immediately, but crawled with disbelief from the severed foot to the body itself. While what he faced invalidated his faith in zombie presence, his perceptions screamed the opposite, settling upon the implausibility of an undead creature. Nonetheless, staring back at his sodden, bewildered form was a human whose claim to life clung helplessly on a string of sinew. As he stood, watching a man - a human man - who lacked his left arm, and right leg, Oscar failed to suppress a physical demonstration of his initial revulsion.

Around him, the dank cave walls seemed to tighten, further saturating the atmosphere with the repulsive odour of flesh and blood, and as he steadied his posture through placing a hand upon the cave wall, the once indistinguishable moans had attained distinction in the form of pleas for help. Having temporarily averted his gaze in an attempt to recompose, Oscar glanced back and registered a second presence that had initially slipped his notice. A tiny figure, barely the size of his victim’s severed foot, was knelt at the side of the tormented man, convulsing ominously with amalgamated pain and rage.

“Surely not…” Oscar whispered, inducing from past scholarly pursuits the apparent bond between a Ralts and the intermediary emotions that encircle it. Noting the tool through which this process occurs as the horn adorning its pea-green scalp, a brief consideration of forced removal flashed through his mind. He decided that the execution of such an inglorious feat advocated an inhumanity most unlike him, in spite of all that which he currently witnessed.

His momentary pause proved to be the first of his mistakes. With uncanny haste, the Ralts adjusted its view to gaze directly at Oscar, through blood-red eyes that struck tension inside him. His hand instinctively snapped to Simone’s Pokeball once more, allowing but an instant in which the Ralts vaulted from the ground and hurtled towards him, a forebodingly powerful psychic aura surrounding its otherwise dainty frame.

With but a moment in which to react, Oscar launched the Pokeball from his grasp. In a space of time too fast to register, he frantically called the words, “Pursuit and Ember,” to his canine companion.

[-Hayward-]

-Hayward-: Medeo begins to Meditate in an attempt to block out the Supersonic waves bombarding his head, and you smile as his expression calms, the Meditative technique rending Wingull's attack ineffective. Wingull caws, and you order Meditite to use a Psycho Cut as Wingull comes for another pass. Wingull fires a Gun like stream of Water at Meditate, who just sits there, leaping up at the last second. As Wingull passes below the Fighting/Psychic type, Medeo's eyes snap open, and his arm begins to glow with a brilliant purple. The Psycho Cut deals good damage to the sea bird, slamming it down into the sand and filling Wingull's beak with the small stones. Medeo lands agilely on his feet, summoning up a Protect as Wingull fires a Water Pulse. The orb of concentrated water splashes against the Protective shield, but as the layer recedes, Wingull moves in for a Wing Attack, striking Medeo hard and flinging him against the sand. Wingull Quickly follows up with another Attack, forcing Medeo on the defensive, although the bird seems to be tiring from its repeated attempts to take down yourself and Meditite...

What will you do?

Ben watched by the phosphorescent light of his work-issued headlamp as the events of the battle unfolded before his grey-green eyes. Nearby, Medeo nimbly sprang to his feet, brushing gritty, black sand off his thin frame. A direct result of having been knocked down by the wild Wingull’s Wing Attack. Only moments ago, the teenage Trainer and small Meditite had been attacked without warning by the tiny seabird as they guarded Volcanity, Inc.’s Sea Barrier. Ben had heard from his co-workers that the enormous research facility had seen an increase in seemingly unprovoked assaults from wild Pokemon, and Ben wondered if there really was a cause for the attacks. Momentarily distracted by his questions, Ben quickly shook his head from side-to-side as he tried to refocus his thoughts on the battle at hand. Perhaps there would be time for solving this mystery later. For now, they still had an overly-aggressive Wingull to deal with.

“Brilliant work, so far, mate!” Ben praised his diminutive companion. Medeo beamed and Ben issued further encouragement, “Just keep your cool and stay sharp! Wingulll looks like it can’t go much longer!” Medeo nodded his onion-shaped head to show that he was of the same opinion, and Ben continued issuing instructions. “Go with ZEN HEADBUTT and THUNDERPUNCH! Try to DETECT Wingull’s moves ahead of time and be ready to defend yourself from any incoming attacks! Let’s see if we can finish things off now!”


__________________
fb

[atlantis_kid99]

atlantis_kid99: Growlithe's suicidal protection of you and your Pokemon tugs at you and Mystic's hearts, and you thank it quietly while pulling out a pouch of Sacred Ash, spreading it over the wounds covering Growlithe's chest. The Ash just sits there, until Mystic leans over and drops a single tear into the wound, which closes up before your very eyes. Growlithe barks weakly, and starts to breathe a little more regularly. It looks like she'll be fine, although she won't be running around anytime soon. Breathing a deep sigh of relief, you congratulate your Pokemon on their successful moves, but are interrupted when Golem appears in the cavern, intent on attacking you. Your will hardens and Azure and Mystic leap into action, Mystic moving Growlithe deeper into the cavern with you, while Azure conjures an orb of Water and Pulses it at the incoming rock, shattering it before firing off another Water Pulse at Golem who grunts as the orb slams into him, dealing very good damage. Mystic glows green and Drains energy from Golem at a Giga rate, gaining some strength back, although the rock beast seems to shrug it off and he rushes Azure, fist blazing as he Punches the ice type with a fist of Fire. Azure stumbles backwards in pain, but is saved from another Fire Punch when Mystic summons the Frenzy of Plants and directs it into Golem, making it Roar in distress. Golem glares at you angrily and Mega Punches Kirlia in the face, slamming the Psychic type into the wall and leaving a deep indent. Azure dashes over to Mystic and summons a Safeguard while Golem summons the Power of the Earth, attempting to finish off Mystic, who looks like he's about to faint. Successfully fending off the Earth Power, Azure sways slightly, getting very tired.

What will you do?

OOC: In retrospect, I've decided to give Mystic and Azure a level each for the aerial maneuvers and this first round of battle.

Since it's finally school holidays and I'm not overloaded with work, can finally get back on track with my adventures...

With relief she watched the brave Growlithe's wounds close up rapidly and the rise and falls of her chest were much smoother and stronger. Her injuries still quite severe, at the moment things didn't look so bad- Nikki hoped she would recover, in time.

Azure's Water Pulse signalled the start of a second, grounded, battle, smashing cleanly into one of Golem's Rocks and knocking it aside. A second blasted its way forth this time, drilling into Golem itself. The Rock/Ground type winced in pain as the quad-effective attack scored in his rocky hide, to which Nikki felt somewhat satisfied at but she was also shocked- how could such a beast withstand so many attacks over such a short period of time? It was more powerful, much more powerful than Nikki had thought. Her determination remained unwavering, but she had a few more questions swirling around unanswered in her head.

Her faithful Kirlia Giga Drained the Golem soon after, the ambient green orbs snatching away some energy from the enormous Pokemon, who looked slightly more tired but seemed otherwise unharmed from the Grass-type energy. Its Fire Punch nailed Azure directly as she cried out in pain, only barely escaping from another via Mystic's Frenzy Plant. The stout, spiked vines bursted from the earth to lash out with fury. This time, given the power of the attack, Golem's pain was much more noticable as it Roared in distress, now setting its sights on the Kirlia instead with his Mega Punch sending Mystic flying towards a wall. He hit it, slumping to the ground weakly; the accumulated damage he had taken was severe, it looked clear he was about to faint if he took another attack.

Nikki looked on, silent and anxious.

This time it was Azure's turn to come to Mystic's aid with her Safeguard saving him from a surely fainting blow from Golem's Earth Power. Nikki did a damage check. Mystic was on his last legs in terms of health and Azure looked utterly exhausted. She wasn't too sure about Golem's condition at any rate, but she hoped they would pull through. Casting one last glance at the two and also Growlithe, she gave her orders, her voice coming out with mixed emotions.

"Hang in there for one last stretch, guys. Mystic, Aqua Ring followed by a bright Flash to blind Golem while Azure closes her eyes. Azure, Water Pulse if you can handle it without fainting... then Magical Leaf, Mystic, if you've got a clear shot. Otherwise Teleport everyone out of here if things get too rough."

...On second thoughts, wasn't there medicine in her sidebag? She ran over as fast as she could, administering her Super Potion to her Kirlia and a weaker Potion to her Froslass. The cool fluid settled on their wounds, healing them somewhat.

Then Nikki stepped back, her resolve hard as she gave a long, hard, glance at their monstrous opponent. Even though they had been fighting what she felt like was a losing battle, they could at least try, right?

EDIT: Also raising Mystic from Lv. 27 --> Lv. 28 and Azure from Lv. 14 --> Lv. 15. Thanks!

[fishyfool]

fishyfool: The rage practically pours out of you as you are forced to view the atrocities against a helpless Pokemon. Deciding to recall Mudkip and move back towards the receptionist, you quickly check up on the status of the injured Aipom, and are pleased to hear that he is doing much better. However, the Nurse at the counter says the little fellow is lonely, and that he's got some itchy feet; "why not take him with you?" The nurse explains that he's being plagued by dreams of the Ambipom, and it's her medical opinion that being on the move will help him. The subject changes to your sudden departure, and if the lady is surprised at your quick turnaround, she doesn't say anything about it. Grabbing a map to the VRI building, she quickly marks the route with a highlighter, but quickly marks an alternate route.

"The first road I've marked is used mainly by the indigenous folk of the island, so it's less charted and you can run into more trouble there. This path is also a bit more dangerous this time of year, and it can tend to flood. The other path takes a bit longer, but is much more safe. Remember, if you ever decide to come back, I can get you in for free. Have a nice trip, sir!"

What will you do?

With some information from the desk lady, Jamie was relieved to hear the Aipom was doing rather well, albeit it seemed somewhat lonely: A classic euphemism among wild pokemon for 'I want to join your team of awesomeness.' Noting the poor chimp's nightmares, Jamie nodded before turning to the map, highlighted with two paths. One path was through some ruined areas, while the other tended to flood often, which could pose a problem. Although the indigenous natives could prove hostile, he had no idea as to what lay through the watery zones, but eventually opted to head down the safer route through the waterlogged grounds. However, there was one small matter to take care of beforehand, namely the smaller chimp.

"Of course I'll take the little guy along. In fact, I've a poke ball here to keep him safe during the journey, if he wants to join the team."

Proferring the ball (2 of 10) to the Aipom, Jamie made a note with the map to head through the path usually flooded at the time of year, his transportation problems noted.

[Amras.MG]

Tale: The ferocity of the normally tranquil Ralts strikes a chord deep inside you, invoking a terror greater than even that you have witnessed in the torture chamber. The man's groans of pain set the mood of the encounter nicely as Ralts' eyes glow a deep blood red, summoning a wave of energy. Grabbing Simone's Pokeball from your belt, you call out the Houndour, fear and terror driving your hands faster than normally possible. The small canine appears in a burst of red light, fear barely registering in his eyes for a second before Houndour leaps through the Psychic wave. The aura of energy deflects off of the Dark type, and Simone uses his Pursuit to smash into the small Pokemon. Ralts quickly adjusts himself with another Psychic and points at the ceiling, the energy ripping off portions of the ceiling and flinging them at Houndour. The small fire type growls and breathes a wave of Ember at the rocky substance hurtling towards him, although the stone smashes through the Ember and crashes into Simone, sending him flying into a far wall.

The tortured soul laying near you grunts a little more forcefully, sending a gush of blood streaming out of his neck. Through sheer strength of will, the shattered remnant of a man points his remaining eye at you, his strong gaze belieing his broken body. A voice resonates in your head, and you're bombarded with images of the man and a small Pokemon climbing up to the very cavern you were in before... the man and his best friend finding the receding wall... the trainer and his Ralts being captured and the man's body being tortured by an unseen evil as Ralts was forced to sit by and watch. Do not blame him... he has been far more tortured than I... please... save him. End his pain... set him free...

Ralts tears his gaze away from his broken friend as a single tear runs down his face. Twisted into madness, he lifts his arm and screams, Magical Leafs whipping towards you as his trainer gasps for air again, hoping for a death he can't do himself.

What will you do?

-Hayward-: Thoughts swirling through your head as you analyze the battle, you wonder if there could be something provoking these Pokemon. However, you realize you need to push these thoughts to the back of your head for the moment, and decide to focus instead on the battle, confident in Medeo's ability to wrap it up quickly. Meditite's breathing starts to slow down in response to your orders, and the onion head begins to glow as he reaches a state of temporary enlightenment. Wingull sqwauks loudly as she is hit by a Zen Headbutt, flinging her into the rock behind you. Wingull launches a last-ditch attempt to save itself and fires off a Water Pulse which Medeo nimbly dodges by Detecting it beforehand. Meditite smiles confidently as he plows a Thunder-charged Punch into Wingull, grinning as the bird crumples to the ground, smoke rising off her wings. Level up for Meditite. However, you are unable to take much joy from defeating Wingull as a Corphish and Poliwag spring out of the ocean, blasting twin Bubblebeams at you.

What will you do?

atlantis_kid99: Your tired Pokemon smile thankfully as you administer material aid to them, and both manage to get to their feet again, grim determination indicating they're ready for another round. Golem grins evilly and jumps into the air, Headbutting the ceiling as Mystic creates a Ring of Aquastuffs around himself before creating a brilliant Flash of light. The beams of light are magnified by reflecting off the Aqua Ring, and Golem roars in pain as he loses his concentration for whatever move he was about to do with the rock pieces from the ceiling. Azure fires off a Water Pulse, forcing Golem on the defensive again as the orb strikes a piece of Earth Golem had lifted from the ground with his awesome Power (whew, barely fit that one in there). Azure falls to its knees as her energy loss begins to catch up to her, and gasps, barely concious. Golem Mega Punches the slab of rock he had just summoned, sending shards of stone flying towards you. Azure looks up to see a piece of rock flying towards her and Mystic and jumps in front of it, sacrificing the last of her energy and health reserves in order to keep Mystic in the battle. Mystic fires off a few Magical Leafs before the smoke even clears, and the razor sharp leaves rake Golem hard. Golem teeters back, his body finally showing the signs of wear and tear from his long battle. Mystic looks up at Golem with half closed eyes, ready to Teleport in an instant.

Golem begins to shift with a brilliant white glow, and a much smaller version of your foe glows purple, Imprisoning yourself and your Pokemon in the cavern. The rubble finally clears, and you look in shock at the Kirlia standing before you, and even more shockingly the lack of a Golem. It seems Golem has just Transformed into a Kirlia and Imprisoned your use of Teleport, although it seems the Kirlia before you is as hurt as yours, although is more tired...

What will you do?

fishyfool: You accept the map and Aipom graciously, and chuckle slightly as Aipom jumps up into your arms, pressing the center of the Pokeball with a little paw and disappearing in a small burst of light. The nurse gives you a firm handshake and wishes you well on your journey, reminding you to come back once your quest is over for a nice relaxing stay. Verbalizing your thanks, you check your map and set off a nice bit, anxious to cross the path before any flood water starts to trap you. Your water path takes you in the opposite direction of the humid jungle, and this part of the island looks nice, serene even. Every once in a while you can hear a Pidgey chirp or a Starly squawk, and notice that the Pokemon around here seem more accustomed to being around humans. You finally pass the far edge of the Resort, and the undergrowth immediately begins to thicken, although it's not quite as bad as you had previously trekked through. A small Finneon pops out of a small stream you're coming up on, and chirps sadly, a small spot of deep purple spreading over its body, engulfing the fish before your eyes. Finneon suddenly begins to scream as its spot of Toxic begins to grow exponentially, burning the fish alive...

What will you do?

[Pearl's Perap]

Mt. Infernus

The second largest of Cortoza's mountains, Mt. Infernus is now extinct. Many Pokémon have made their homes within the vast network of tunnels and caverns deep within the mountain, and aren't all that accustomed to seeing people. It's become the primary breeding ground for many of the rarer Pokémon who tend to shy away from humans, and due to the protective nature of the parent Pokémon, quite a hazardous area to traverse.

Areas:
Scenic Walk: A long path comprised of slopes and stairs leading up and around the mountainside. With Mt. Infernus being an extinct volcano and Cortoza's second tallest mountain, most tourists feel more comfortable sightseeing from here. The views are spectacular, and there are several campsites manned my Cortozan natives who will provide food and shelter for weary travellers.

Having read up on the Cortoza island chain, Zak had wanted to visit for quite a while. When the day finally came, he set about choosing the perfect island for him. Not being a great fan of heat or fire, the extinct volcano sounded more like his cup of tea.

"Where to begin..." Zak spoke to himself, pondering over a map of the Mt. Infernus area. Unable to decide, he grabbed a pokéball from his belt, one he seldom used. In an instant and a flash, the royal pokémon, Slowking, appeared before him. "What's up? I was napping." Doug yawned, glaring at his trainer, looking over a piece of paper, "Well, I wanted you to help me decide on an area, this island seems the best one in terms of encountering rare pokémon."

When Zak finished speaking, the Slowking wandered up to him, closed his eyes and slammed his tiny pink hand on an area of the map that read 'Scenic Walk'. With a location settled upon, a relaxing walk up the volcano's side, the two set about walking briskly toward and onto the path, wondering what they would end up encountering higher up...

[-Hayward-]

-Hayward-: Thoughts swirling through your head as you analyze the battle, you wonder if there could be something provoking these Pokemon. However, you realize you need to push these thoughts to the back of your head for the moment, and decide to focus instead on the battle, confident in Medeo's ability to wrap it up quickly. Meditite's breathing starts to slow down in response to your orders, and the onion head begins to glow as he reaches a state of temporary enlightenment. Wingull squawks loudly as she is hit by a Zen Headbutt, flinging her into the rock behind you. Wingull launches a last-ditch attempt to save itself and fires off a Water Pulse which Medeo nimbly dodges by Detecting it beforehand. Meditite smiles confidently as he plows a Thunder-charged Punch into Wingull, grinning as the bird crumples to the ground, smoke rising off her wings. Level up for Meditite. However, you are unable to take much joy from defeating Wingull as a Corphish and Poliwag spring out of the ocean, blasting twin Bubblebeams at you.

What will you do?

Shutting his eyes, the Meditite Medeo brought his palms together and interlocked his tiny fingers. Head bowed in quiet contemplation, he quickly ran through a series of intricate finger gestures known as Enlightenment Jutsu. As he tapped into the spiritual energy of the cosmos, his small onion-shaped head began to give off an curious, faint glow. When the wild Wingull made it’s next pass, he unleashed a crushing Zen Headbutt, slamming the little seabird into a nearby rock. From there, the battered bird fired off a retaliatory Water Pulse attack that Medeo Detected and deftly dodged. Standing over the fallen Wingull, Medeo wasted no time in delivering a stunning Thunder Punch that proved to be the finisher.

Seeing Wingull down, Ben was just about to let out a cheer for Medeo’s victory, when out of the corner of his eye he glimpsed the shadowy figures of two wild Pokemon emerging from the darkened sea. He had only enough time to identify them as a Corphish and Poliwag before the duo fired off a pair of high powered hydration streams. No time to think, no time to strategize, no time to plan. All Ben could do was react. And react he did.

“Look sharp, mate! Dual Bubblebeam coming your way!” Ben barked, as Medeo swiftly turned to see the aquatic blasts headed their way. “Quick, use DOUBLE TEAM to dodge!” he yelled as he instinctively threw himself to the ground and scrambled for cover.

“Use that rock that Wingull crashed into for shelter!” Ben instructed his diminutive companion. First the seabird and now the crustacean and the tadpole. Those veteran guards were right about the wild Pokemon becoming more bold and aggressive. Maybe this security gig wasn’t such a good idea after all, Ben thought to himself ruefully. There had to be an easier way to make some quick money. On the bright side though, at least Medeo was getting a good workout. Grinning, Ben turned to the yoga Pokemon, then motioned with his head in the direction of the wild Pokemon before calling out, “When you get a clean shot, mate fire off an ENERGY BALL at Corphish and then another at Poliwag!”


*For reference: level 23 male meditite is now level 24*


___________________________________________
fb

[Tale]

Tale: The ferocity of the normally tranquil Ralts strikes a chord deep inside you, invoking a terror greater than even that you have witnessed in the torture chamber. The man's groans of pain set the mood of the encounter nicely as Ralts' eyes glow a deep blood red, summoning a wave of energy. Grabbing Simone's Pokeball from your belt, you call out the Houndour, fear and terror driving your hands faster than normally possible. The small canine appears in a burst of red light, fear barely registering in his eyes for a second before Houndour leaps through the Psychic wave. The aura of energy deflects off of the Dark type, and Simone uses his Pursuit to smash into the small Pokemon. Ralts quickly adjusts himself with another Psychic and points at the ceiling, the energy ripping off portions of the ceiling and flinging them at Houndour. The small fire type growls and breathes a wave of Ember at the rocky substance hurtling towards him, although the stone smashes through the Ember and crashes into Simone, sending him flying into a far wall.

The tortured soul laying near you grunts a little more forcefully, sending a gush of blood streaming out of his neck. Through sheer strength of will, the shattered remnant of a man points his remaining eye at you, his strong gaze belieing his broken body. A voice resonates in your head, and you're bombarded with images of the man and a small Pokemon climbing up to the very cavern you were in before... the man and his best friend finding the receding wall... the trainer and his Ralts being captured and the man's body being tortured by an unseen evil as Ralts was forced to sit by and watch. Do not blame him... he has been far more tortured than I... please... save him. End his pain... set him free...

Ralts tears his gaze away from his broken friend as a single tear runs down his face. Twisted into madness, he lifts his arm and screams, Magical Leafs whipping towards you as his trainer gasps for air again, hoping for a death he can't do himself.

What will you do?

The horrific scenario hurtled before him like a vivid nightmare, and as Simone scuffled valiantly with her incensed opponent, Oscar’s gaze betrayed his stomach, relentlessly returning to the mess of a man that lay upon the solid ground, inches from a death he no doubt craved. The blood poured at a morbidly unnatural rate, from innumerable wounds he’d daren’t contemplate the origins of. The mere sight of the blood-soaked vicinity caused a damp sensation to wash over his skin. The source of this situation escaped his every contemplation. His initial perceptions may have been foolishly misconstrued. As if ripped from a daydream, Oscar’s focus readjusted to the Ralts’ onslaught of Psychic power, just as portions of the cave interior were flung through powerful psychic ability towards Simone, who helplessly shot an ineffective wave of embers at the oncoming rock, before receiving the full-blow of a rage-invigorated Psychic. Her pained howl reverberated from the stony walls.

His next move, whether formulated or instinctive, was suddenly seized by a flurry of disturbing images in which the man - perfectly intact and barely recognisable as a result - and his Ralts engaged in an excursion mirroring that of his and Simone’s current venture, only to be captured and brutally tortured by an entity unseen. Evidently, in the trainer’s current state the Ralts was immersed in a torture that echoed his. As a voice then entered his head, Oscar found his thought settling on an undesirable conclusion.

Before he could utter a word, however, the Ralts had unleashed a daunting Magical Leaf. Oscar threw himself out of harms way - ordering an ember to attempt and burn through the onslaught. Then, turning to the repulsive image of a man, he uttered his next command,

“This man is the target, Simone. Kill him.”

[atlantis_kid99]

atlantis_kid99: Your tired Pokemon smile thankfully as you administer material aid to them, and both manage to get to their feet again, grim determination indicating they're ready for another round. Golem grins evilly and jumps into the air, Headbutting the ceiling as Mystic creates a Ring of Aquastuffs around himself before creating a brilliant Flash of light. The beams of light are magnified by reflecting off the Aqua Ring, and Golem roars in pain as he loses his concentration for whatever move he was about to do with the rock pieces from the ceiling. Azure fires off a Water Pulse, forcing Golem on the defensive again as the orb strikes a piece of Earth Golem had lifted from the ground with his awesome Power (whew, barely fit that one in there). Azure falls to its knees as her energy loss begins to catch up to her, and gasps, barely concious. Golem Mega Punches the slab of rock he had just summoned, sending shards of stone flying towards you. Azure looks up to see a piece of rock flying towards her and Mystic and jumps in front of it, sacrificing the last of her energy and health reserves in order to keep Mystic in the battle. Mystic fires off a few Magical Leafs before the smoke even clears, and the razor sharp leaves rake Golem hard. Golem teeters back, his body finally showing the signs of wear and tear from his long battle. Mystic looks up at Golem with half closed eyes, ready to Teleport in an instant.

Golem begins to shift with a brilliant white glow, and a much smaller version of your foe glows purple, Imprisoning yourself and your Pokemon in the cavern. The rubble finally clears, and you look in shock at the Kirlia standing before you, and even more shockingly the lack of a Golem. It seems Golem has just Transformed into a Kirlia and Imprisoned your use of Teleport, although it seems the Kirlia before you is as hurt as yours, although is more tired...

What will you do?

Mystic is technically now a Gallade, but I'll be keeping him a Kirlia for the purposes of the adventure until I can find a more opportune time. Thanks for an epic adventure so far btw ^^

Medicine administered, Mystic at least looked positively better as did Azure, however both of them knew that her wounds were less of an issue compared to energy levels. Golem's huge mass jumped up into the air with a mighty Headbutt into the ceiling which if this was a better time Nikki would have found herself slack-jawed- how did a Pokemon weighing the greater part of seven hundred pounds jump so high? Her Kirlia glowed with Aquatic, using the opportunity, creating many Rings of healing energy that would hopefully help him in the battle. A short while later a blinding Flash illuminated the cavern which was amplified by the transparent Aqua Rings in the air around the Kirlia, blinding enough that Golem was startled out of performing its own follow-up technique.

It was clear Azure was on her last legs but she was determined to end the battle on a valiant note. Her Water Pulse blasted towards the Rock-type, only to be blocked in turn from a well-played defensive manoeuvre from Golem, after the Earth Power summoned was sent flying towards Mystic by a Mega Punch. Azure gave a small cry as she dived in Mystic's way to save him from what would have been a surely KO'ing blow as she fell, knocked out. The red recall beam from the Froslass' Christmas Ball hit her a few seconds later as Nikki clasped her Froslass' ball tightly, whispering a few words of praise. "You did well, Azure. Have a good rest."

The Kirlia seemed to take the initative as his Magical Leaf raked Golem in multiple places even before the smoke cleared. As his eyes half-closed and glowed faintly in a sure move to Teleport to safety, shockingly Golem didn't make a move to attack, however glowed with a brilliant white, its form shrinking and shifting, the glow shifting to purple. The obvious signs of an Imprisoning force made itself clear, and all inhabitants of the cavern not named Golem simply stood there, however Mystic's expression was furrowed and had an unrecognisably intense mood surrounding him.

The rubble and smoke cleared finally. Two things made itself clear upon first glance. Firstly- the complete and utter lack of a Golem. Secondly- there were now two Kirlia in the cavern, the other a complete copy down to the facial structure of Mystic. Suddenly, some pieces of the puzzle started to piece itself together and things started making sense again. It seemed unbelievable that this "Golem" could quite possibly be a Ditto with its clear use of Transform. Still, there was a battle to be done, and this Kirlia seemed equally hurt as the one before it, but noticably more exhausted than Mystic as well. It was lucky that he had some useful super-effective moves in his arsenal. Her Kirlia seemed well aware of this as well.

"End it, Mystic. Shadow Sneak, then let's give that Kirlia a double dosage of your strongest Signal Beam."

[Amras.MG]

Pearl's Perap: You arrive at Cortoza and immediately begin to think some sort of crack about tea. Bloody Brits and their obsession with diuretics. Ahem, anyways, you pull out a map and summon your Slowking in order to help you decide. Doug saunters up to the map and randomly points at the Scenic Walk, a well traveled path that lead to several different areas on Mt. Infernus. Offering your agreement with the Slowking's random action, you and Doug set off at a brisk pace, noting the immediate increase in air quality as you get higher up the mountain. There are many trainers and stalls set up, selling goods such as Lava Cookies and Pokeballs to enterprising customers. However, the higher up the mountain you get, the less Trainers you see and the more indigenous people seem to mill about. A native man stops you, offering to take you up to the Mountain Peak if you'll provide protection for him. He doesn't seem dangerous in the least, and good guides rarely ever offer to take you to a sacred indigenous area.

What will you do?

-Hayward-: A split second reaction saves Medeo as he splits into a few Double Team clones, which the Bubblebeams smash through. However, the real Medeo has avoided any damage from the attacks, and skids to a halt in the sand behind his opponents. Watching from the cover of a rock, you smile as Medeo leaps behind another large rock, evading another Bubblebeam barrage. Panting slightly, Medeo calms himself down a bit and stretches out his awareness before backflipping over the rock, a green Ball of Energy forming between his palms. In midair, Medeo fires off the Energy Ball at Corphish, the Grass energy dealing massive damage and forcing it into the sand. Landing on his feet, Medeo turns around to hit Poliwag with an Energy Ball but is surprised by a quick succession of Doubleslaps by the tadpole, forcing him to abandon the move for the moment. Corphish manages to dislodge himself and whips around with another Bubblebeam, slamming Medeo into a rock. The Meditite rises uneasily to his feet and fires an Energy Ball at Poliwag, who is sent flying off a bit. Corphish Digs into the ground as Poliwag gets to his feet....

What will you do?

Tale: Sensing the incredible torture the man and his Ralts were suffering through, your mind is conflicted with a series of not-so-happy thoughts. Simone breathes out an Ember at the Magical Leaves flying towards you, burning the sorcerous leaves instantly. Your eyes turn to the man again as you realize what you have to do, and Simone begins to whimper slightly when he notices the sadness and grim resolve in your eyes. Simone leaps over to the man quickly, wary of any attacks from Ralts and quickly snaps the man's neck. With his dying breath, the tortured soul's eyes clear and a single tear drops down his exposed check. Thank... you... Ralts screams, evidently conflicted with a large variety of emotions at once, and ripples of pure energy pulse out of him. Sad, happy, angry, hateful, loving, suicidal, and hopeful all at once, Ralts' mind begins to overload and his Psychic abilities begin to spin out of control, lifting up objects and throwing them around the room dangerously close to you and Simone. It doesn't look like Ralts will be able to deal with the emotional confusion and stress on his own, but he's way to dangerous to talk with right now. Out of the side of your eye you notice a Pokeball broken in half next to the man; it appears that this Pokemon cannot be called back at all.

What will you do?

atlantis_kid99: Mystic faces off with the newly morphed Kirlia in front of him, staring at his replica in hope of trying to find some sort of vulnerability or such. Mystic keeps staring down his opponent as he uses Ghost energy to Sneakily manipulate his Shadow into rushing at the opponent, catching the foe Kirlia off guard and knocking it back some. Foe Kirlia brings its arm back and thrusts a strong Signal Beam directly at the Signal Beam created by Mystic, nullifying the effects of both attacks. Foe Kirlia leaps over to Mystic in a single bound and blasts him back with an Energy Ball, sending Mystic flying into the wall. Mystic turns around with difficulty and brings a Signal Beam to bear on his copy, forcing the opponent to scream in pain as his body is blasted with the super effective attack. The foe crumples to the ground, evidently in too much pain and way too exhausted to continue. A bright light fills the room and you gasp as the Pokemon returns to its original form, barely able to float off into the cave, seemingly confused as to what is going on.

Why would a Mew attack you?

What will you do?

[Pearl's Perap]

Pearl's Perap: You arrive at Cortoza and immediately begin to think some sort of crack about tea. Bloody Brits and their obsession with diuretics. Ahem, anyways, you pull out a map and summon your Slowking in order to help you decide. Doug saunters up to the map and randomly points at the Scenic Walk, a well traveled path that lead to several different areas on Mt. Infernus. Offering your agreement with the Slowking's random action, you and Doug set off at a brisk pace, noting the immediate increase in air quality as you get higher up the mountain. There are many trainers and stalls set up, selling goods such as Lava Cookies and Pokeballs to enterprising customers. However, the higher up the mountain you get, the less Trainers you see and the more indigenous people seem to mill about. A native man stops you, offering to take you up to the Mountain Peak if you'll provide protection for him. He doesn't seem dangerous in the least, and good guides rarely ever offer to take you to a sacred indigenous area.

What will you do?

Having made their way quite a distance up the path, passing a wide variety of people hawking their wears at the side of it, both Zak and Doug noticed a distinct change in the area. The stalls seemed few and far between now and the people seemed to look less like trainers and more like the sort of people you would imagine to inhabit a volcanic area such as Mt. Infernus.

"This place is quite relaxing, I like it..." the Slowking spoke into Zak's mind as the two padded onwards. Soon on, one of the native looking people approached the two. He spoke with a strange accent, but Zak clearly understood what the man was saying, he was offering to lead them to the peak of the mountain if they would protect him on the way, "Sounds reasonable to me, we planned to head there anyway, so it's no skin off of my nose..." Zak smiled at the man, patting Doug on his stone crown.

"Cut it out, Zak..." Doug whispered into his mind before punching him in the stomach. Not having heard the Slowking's telepathic voice, the native man looked on in confusion as the boy reeled over, his tummy in pain from the Slowking's tiny pink claw, "Ergh, you ***. Wanna get going?" Zak changed his attention from the Slowking back to the native, looking further upwards the mountain, towards the peak...

[-Hayward-]

-Hayward-: A split second reaction saves Medeo as he splits into a few Double Team clones, which the Bubblebeams smash through. However, the real Medeo has avoided any damage from the attacks, and skids to a halt in the sand behind his opponents. Watching from the cover of a rock, you smile as Medeo leaps behind another large rock, evading another Bubblebeam barrage. Panting slightly, Medeo calms himself down a bit and stretches out his awareness before backflipping over the rock, a green Ball of Energy forming between his palms. In midair, Medeo fires off the Energy Ball at Corphish, the Grass energy dealing massive damage and forcing it into the sand. Landing on his feet, Medeo turns around to hit Poliwag with an Energy Ball but is surprised by a quick succession of Doubleslaps by the tadpole, forcing him to abandon the move for the moment. Corphish manages to dislodge himself and whips around with another Bubblebeam, slamming Medeo into a rock. The Meditite rises uneasily to his feet and fires an Energy Ball at Poliwag, who is sent flying off a bit. Corphish Digs into the ground as Poliwag gets to his feet....

What will you do?

On the sea barrier side of the imposing research facility Volcanity, Inc., Ben watched as Poliwag scrambled to its feet and Corphish disappeared beneath the sand. He threw a quick glance at his small Meditite partner, Medeo. The yoga Pokemon was gasping for breath, having been attacked by their current foes, only moments after defeating a wild Wingull. Ben knew his diminutive companion would never ask for help. At times Ben admired his little friend’s never-give-up attitude, but sometimes it bordered on recklessness. It was all because Medeo had too much pride; a flaw Ben knew, one that they would have to work on -- later. For now, they had other problems to deal with.

Ben had lost time of how long they had been on guard duty. It seemed to Ben like days, although in reality, it had probably only been a little while. The veteran security guards had explained that the attacks from wild Pokemon were becoming both more severe and frequent, and Ben realized that Medeo wouldn’t be able to keep fighting solo all night long. So Ben did the only sensible thing he could; he went for back-up, quickly unclipping a festive, half-red, half-green Christmas Ball from his belt. Holding out his hand, he pressed the round trigger switch. A flash of scarlet light suddenly appeared, followed by a little Pineco. Grateful to be out of his artificial prison, Forteo spun around merrily on his bottomspike then swayed from side-to-side. Glancing at Medeo, Ben noticed a grin and a brief look of relief pass across his tiny face. It didn’t last long however, as the Meditite quickly replaced it with a more sombre, determined expression. Having observed the antics of his friends, Ben momentarily chuckled to himself. It was ‘Polar Opposites’ when it came to their personalities.

Redirecting the beam of his phosphorescent headlamp so that it once again illumintate their opponents, Ben wasted no time in issuing his instructions. “Teamwork now, mates!” he called out. “Forteo, use your body to block off Corphish’s tunnel -- but PROTECT yourself so it doesn’t hurt. When Corphish reappears, go with RAPID SPIN into BUG BITE!” In response, Forteo revolved merrily and Ben continued, this time directing Medeo. “Alright mate, keep working on that Poliwag! Go with THUNDER PUNCH and CONFUSION. Be ready to dodge with TELEPORT if you get into trouble!” Medeo nodded and Ben looked on through his grey-green eyes as his two comrades prepared for the next round…


_________________________________________
fb

[Tale]

Tale: Sensing the incredible torture the man and his Ralts were suffering through, your mind is conflicted with a series of not-so-happy thoughts. Simone breathes out an Ember at the Magical Leaves flying towards you, burning the sorcerous leaves instantly. Your eyes turn to the man again as you realize what you have to do, and Simone begins to whimper slightly when he notices the sadness and grim resolve in your eyes. Simone leaps over to the man quickly, wary of any attacks from Ralts and quickly snaps the man's neck. With his dying breath, the tortured soul's eyes clear and a single tear drops down his exposed check. Thank... you... Ralts screams, evidently conflicted with a large variety of emotions at once, and ripples of pure energy pulse out of him. Sad, happy, angry, hateful, loving, suicidal, and hopeful all at once, Ralts' mind begins to overload and his Psychic abilities begin to spin out of control, lifting up objects and throwing them around the room dangerously close to you and Simone. It doesn't look like Ralts will be able to deal with the emotional confusion and stress on his own, but he's way to dangerous to talk with right now. Out of the side of your eye you notice a Pokeball broken in half next to the man; it appears that this Pokemon cannot be called back at all.

What will you do?

The embers proved successful as the Ralts’ leafy onslaught was halted mid-flight, the airborne leaves withering to ash as Simone intrepidly leapt to her new target. Oscar, struggling beneath the weight of conflicting emotions himself, the kindness of death in this instance prompting a satisfaction that contrasted a better nature he couldn’t quite subdue, ascertained from Simone’s reaction that her mind was scarcely touched by her already volatile conscience. Oscar stood with his hand upon the rocky wall, gazing at Simone’s unhesitant fulfilment of her command. It was with a callous glare that Simone snapped the neck of her adversary’s trainer.

Out of sheer indifference, the canine registered not the tear that rolled down her victim’s cheek - but Oscar regarded it with a melancholic nod of his head. With the loss of his life, the bond between him and his receptive companion would have been forcefully severed - that was his deduction. However, the ensuing turmoil that rippled as physical energy from the tiny bipedal creature indicated that with death, came a painful and chaotic amalgamation of emotion with which the Ralts evidently struggled. Before long, its Psychic ability had erupted and prompted a chaotic vortex of debris - Oscar in the midst, found himself as vulnerable as ever, and hit the floor with a thud, a firm hand upon his hat. Spying the broken shell of a Pokeball he induced used to contain the Ralts, it was from the ground that he yelled at his vicious canine, whose attentiveness had increased tenfold in light of the danger surrounding them.

“Simone! Stop that thing! Use Pursuit and Thunder Fang to try and subdue it! Hurry, before you’re struck!”

[fishyfool]

fishyfool: You accept the map and Aipom graciously, and chuckle slightly as Aipom jumps up into your arms, pressing the center of the Pokeball with a little paw and disappearing in a small burst of light. The nurse gives you a firm handshake and wishes you well on your journey, reminding you to come back once your quest is over for a nice relaxing stay. Verbalizing your thanks, you check your map and set off a nice bit, anxious to cross the path before any flood water starts to trap you. Your water path takes you in the opposite direction of the humid jungle, and this part of the island looks nice, serene even. Every once in a while you can hear a Pidgey chirp or a Starly squawk, and notice that the Pokemon around here seem more accustomed to being around humans. You finally pass the far edge of the Resort, and the undergrowth immediately begins to thicken, although it's not quite as bad as you had previously trekked through. A small Finneon pops out of a small stream you're coming up on, and chirps sadly, a small spot of deep purple spreading over its body, engulfing the fish before your eyes. Finneon suddenly begins to scream as its spot of Toxic begins to grow exponentially, burning the fish alive...

What will you do?

As the Aipom hopped onto Jamie's shoulder and into the ball, he gave his thanks to the receptionist and started on his journey towards the VI building, noting the serenity of the island. Eventually, he reached the undergrowth and as the two continued through, the sudden interruption of a Finneon in some trouble due to the toxic spot on it burning into him tugged at the trainer's heartstrings as he rifled through his bag for a simple healing item such as an Antidote, and frowned when he noted nothing. Mentally cursing himself for his poor preparation, Jamie thought into his team's abilities and frowned even harder when he realised that the closest was his Honchkrow's Psycho Shift, which was only capable of instigating neurological changes. However, as the fish suffered on the ground, the poison sapping at its health, he wondered what could have done this to the poor little guy, gritting his teeth at the lack of healing items, and realised there was only one thing to do: Grab the poor little fishy and hightail it back to the resort to get it healed up there, preferably before it fell unconscious. Revenge could wait.

Pullin his sleeves back, he whispered to the pained Finneon in a soothing tone.

"Don't worry, little guy, I'll get you to safety."

[Amras.MG]

-Hayward-: Calling out another of your Pokemon friends to help Medeo in battle, Pineco emerges onto the battefield in a burst of red light. Both of your Pokemon nod as they recieve orders, and leap into action. Forteo moves over to the spot where some sand is caving in, and Protects himself as the Corphis emerges from that spot, sending Pineco flying into the air, though Forteo's Protect proves effective as the little pinecone bounces on the sand with no damage taken. Meanwhile, Medeo's fist begins to crackle with electricity as he Thunder Punches Poliwag, shocking the tadpole and singing his stomach with the impact. Poliwag glares at Medeo and spins his tummy at the Meditation Pokemon, Hypnotizing it into sleeping. Medeo's tired eyes shut and he slumps to the ground, forgetting to use his Confusion in the midst of dreamland. Forteo Rapidly Spins as Corphish charges for a Crabhammer, the reverse momentum deflecting Corphish's blow with ease and flinging the crab into the rock. Corphish growls angrily and blasts a Bubblebeam into Pineco as he rushes for a Bug Bite, preventing the attack from landing and damaging him the Bug a bit. Poliwag leaps up and uses his momentum to land a critical Doubleslap on Medeo, who wakes up and Teleports a bit away from the battle, breathing more noticeably but still capable of lasting another round or two.

What will you do?

Tale: The Ralts' anguish and relief clash inside the mind of the small creature, and his extreme emotional state begins to distort his power, creating a maelstrom. Simone growls and begins to glow with Dark energy, Pursuing Ralts and slamming into him with good power. Ralts' eyes glow blood red, and the Pokemon screams, using Psychic energy to pour fire from the flame straight onto Houndour, who shakes off the attack and leaps towards Ralts, Fangs beginning to spark with Thunder energy. Ralts cries out again and his eyes glow a deep blue, enveloping the emotionally disturbed Pokemon in a Safeguard, which protects him from the Thunder Fang. Simone begins to whimper slightly, but not in a response to any attack... the Ralts has eyes blacker than the darkest void.

Around you, the volcanoe begins to rumble, and in awe you realize that the Ralts' severe distress has just triggered a volcanic eruption! The walls begin to shack, groaning as the Goddess responds to Ralts' cry for answers. In front of you, the little guy collapses from the massive energy usage, laying amid the rubble. If he stays here, he'll be killed.

What will you do?

fishyfool: Aipom giggles and jumps into the Pokeball you proffered, and it's probably a good thing so the young monkey doesn't see the gasping, hurt Finneon just up the path. A Lv. 3 Female Aipom has joined your party! Your good Samaritan instincts kick in and you run through your options trying to find a way to help the little fishy (ah ha ha I just realized that your username is fishyfool and I have you helping a fish ah ha ha I'm slow). Cursing yourself for not having stocked up on any healing items before arriving at the Volcanic Isle, you gently pick up Finneon, heart bursting at it's pained look and shallow breathing. The fish doesn't struggle as you jog back to the Resort, but it does seem to be rapidly getting worse, to the point where it looks like it's having a seizure at times. Your footsteps padding through the undergrowth are the only sounds besides' Finneon's labored breathing, and suddenly they're the only sounds.

The Finneon's dead corpse begins to glow slightly, and a laser from inside the fish begins to etch a message upon the small Pokemon's lifeless scales.

"Imagine this is your Mudkip. You don't stand a chance."

It seems that those evil men have left you a message asserting their power. However, this can also been seen as a sign that they regard you as a threat of sorts...

What will you do?

[-Hayward-]

-Hayward-: Calling out another of your Pokemon friends to help Medeo in battle, Pineco emerges onto the battefield in a burst of red light. Both of your Pokemon nod as they recieve orders, and leap into action. Forteo moves over to the spot where some sand is caving in, and Protects himself as the Corphish emerges from that spot, sending Pineco flying into the air, though Forteo's Protect proves effective as the little pinecone bounces on the sand with no damage taken. Meanwhile, Medeo's fist begins to crackle with electricity as he Thunder Punches Poliwag, shocking the tadpole and singing his stomach with the impact. Poliwag glares at Medeo and spins his tummy at the Meditation Pokemon, Hypnotizing it into sleeping. Medeo's tired eyes shut and he slumps to the ground, forgetting to use his Confusion in the midst of dreamland. Forteo Rapidly Spins as Corphish charges for a Crabhammer, the reverse momentum deflecting Corphish's blow with ease and flinging the crab into the rock. Corphish growls angrily and blasts a Bubblebeam into Pineco as he rushes for a Bug Bite, preventing the attack from landing and damaging the Bug a bit. Poliwag leaps up and uses his momentum to land a critical Doubleslap on Medeo, who wakes up and Teleports a bit away from the battle, breathing more noticeably but still capable of lasting another round or two.

What will you do?

Ben winced as he watched the events of the battle unfold before his grey-green eyes. He never thought being a security guard would have been such a difficult job. Medeo and Forteo had both been on the receiving end of some nasty strikes and Ben could only marvel at how well the wild Pokemon fought. For a moment, he wondered again why they would even be attacking Volcanity, Inc. in the first place. If he could determine what was causing them to battle, maybe he could put a stop to their assaults altogether. If not, he had a bad feeling that it was going to be a very long night.

Dragging a hand through his short, brown hair, Ben thought hard to come up with a strategy. “Forteo, I want you to TAKE DOWN Corphish with a full body TACKLE. After that, try one more time to give it a BUG BITE while it’s still on the ground!” The Pineco spun around dizzily, then beamed at Ben and swayed merrily from side-to-side. Ben continued, this time addressing the small Meditite who stood nearby, doubled-over, tiny hands on his knees, trying to get a full breath. As he watched Medeo’s thin chest rising and falling erratically, he jokingly remarked, “Don’t tell me you’re tired, mate -- you just had a nap!” The Meditite nodded lightheartedly, but straightened himself and fixed Poliwag with a determined stare. “You look like you could use a little pick me up…” Ben continued. “Use FLASH to try to blind Poliwag! While it can’t see, BULK UP and hit it with a DRAIN PUNCH!”

____________________
fb

[Amras.MG]

-Hayward-: The wild Pokemon's ferocity and planning continues to surprise you, prompting a quick think-through of if this is really all that random, and why the Pokemon are doing this in the first place. Nevertheless, you realize that you still have at least 2 hours until your shift is over, and refocus your attention on the battle, formulating a plan for victory. Pineco nods at your first orders, and Takes Down Corphish, pinning the crustachean underneath his prickly pinecone body. As you rush over to Meditite and employ some good humor trying to pick his spirits up, Pineco Bug Bites Corphish, making the small Pokemon groan in pain before he's hit with the follow up Tackle you had requested earlier. Corphish groans and collapses to the ground, KOed. *Level up for Pineco* Meanwhile, Medeo picks himself off and, raising a small arm in front of Poliwag, letting off a Flash of bright light. Poliwag sways a little bit as his eyes mislead him, and he stumbles around, obviously unprepared for the sharp contrast between light and dark that had just assaulted him. Medeo Bulks himself Up during the tadpole's disorientation, and leaps forward for a Drain Punch as Poliwag goes for another Doubleslap. Medeo's speed pays off and he hits Poliwag in the center of the swirl with his glowing fist, holding contact with his foe for a few seconds before backflipping to land a few feet away from his foe, slightly rejuvenated. Poliwag gasps and falls towards the ground, KOed. *Level up for Medeo*

A shadow begins to crawl onto the shore of the beach, and a large claw snaps as a small crab-like Pokemon sidesteps onto the battlefied. The Krabby looks at the three other knocked out Pokemon on the shore, and whips his large claw around, spraying a Bubblebeam directly at Medeo, knocking the Meditite over the edge, healthwise. Meditite crouches to a knee, obviously unable to battle any further...

What will you do?

[-Hayward-]

*EDIT- OOC: This is a repost, because I wanted to drop Pinceo in the Daycare and give Poochyena some RP experience.*

-Hayward-: The wild Pokemon's ferocity and planning continues to surprise you, prompting a quick think-through of if this is really all that random, and why the Pokemon are doing this in the first place. Nevertheless, you realize that you still have at least 2 hours until your shift is over, and refocus your attention on the battle, formulating a plan for victory. Pineco nods at your first orders, and Takes Down Corphish, pinning the crustachean underneath his prickly pinecone body. As you rush over to Meditite and employ some good humor trying to pick his spirits up, Pineco Bug Bites Corphish, making the small Pokemon groan in pain before he's hit with the follow up Tackle you had requested earlier. Corphish groans and collapses to the ground, KOed. *Level up for Pineco* Meanwhile, Medeo picks himself off and, raising a small arm in front of Poliwag, letting off a Flash of bright light. Poliwag sways a little bit as his eyes mislead him, and he stumbles around, obviously unprepared for the sharp contrast between light and dark that had just assaulted him. Medeo Bulks himself Up during the tadpole's disorientation, and leaps forward for a Drain Punch as Poliwag goes for another Doubleslap. Medeo's speed pays off and he hits Poliwag in the center of the swirl with his glowing fist, holding contact with his foe for a few seconds before backflipping to land a few feet away from his foe, slightly rejuvenated. Poliwag gasps and falls towards the ground, KOed. *Level up for Medeo*

A shadow begins to crawl onto the shore of the beach, and a large claw snaps as a small crab-like Pokemon sidesteps onto the battlefied. The Krabby looks at the three other knocked out Pokemon on the shore, and whips his large claw around, spraying a Bubblebeam directly at Medeo, knocking the Meditite over the edge, healthwise. Meditite crouches to a knee, obviously unable to battle any further...

What will you do?

On the sea barrier side of Volcanity, Inc., Cortoza Island’s imposing research facility, by the phosphorescent light of his work-issued headlamp, the trainer Benjamin Hale watched as the concluding events of the battle unfolded before his grey-green eyes. As the Meditite Medeo and the Pineco Forteo put the finishing touches on their wild adversaries, Ben breathed out a grateful sigh that perhaps now they would get a minute’s peace. For now it looked as though the assaulting Pokemon had been dealt with.

“Brilliant work, mates!” Ben praised his weary, but victorious comrades. Beaming, Forteo bounced up and down on his bottomspike happily, while the more stoic Meditite merely nodded. “Thanks for your help, Forteo.” Ben unclipped a Pokeball from his belt, pointed it in the little Pinecone’s direction, and recalled him. “Enjoy your rest,” Ben said cheerfully as he replaced Forteo’s Pokeball. At that moment though, a sudden movement near the water’s edge caught the corner of his eye and attracted his attention. He turned the headlamp up to full power and directed it at the shadow slowly making it’s way up the beach. As the concentrated beam of light fell on the dark figure, Ben bolted in surprise to discover that the latest mysterious Pokemon intruder was none other than a wild Krabby. He could hardly believe his eyes or contain his excitement. Frantically, he fished around inside the brown canvas messenger bag he had slung over his shoulder. After a moment of searching, he extracted a thin, flat, rectangular object. Flipping open a previously hidden view screen on the top of the device, he pointed it’s sensor in Krabby’s direction.

Blip-blip. Bleep-bloop. A faint, cobalt bulb winked in the darkness as the sable colored Pokedex whistled harmoniously to life. “Krabby. The River Crab Pokemon,” a robotic, nasally-sounding voice intoned. “It can be found near the sea. Krabby live on beaches, burrowed inside holes dug into the sand. On sandy beaches with little in the way of food, these Pokemon can be seen squabbling with each other over territory. If it is unable to find food, it will absorb nutrients by swallowing a mouthful of sand. If it senses danger approaching, it cloaks itself with bubbles from its mouth so it will look bigger. The large pincers fully grow back if they are torn out of their sockets or broken in battle. Its pincers are not only powerful weapons, they are used for balance when walking sideways.”

“…used for balance when walking sideways.” Familiar words. Ben echoed them as he shut off the electronic encyclopedia and quickly stuffed it into his bag. He hadn’t needed the Pokedex’s reminder of what they said, he had committed the entire entry to memory many years before. Watching Krabby scuttle closer, he was instantly transported in his mind to a time and place long ago.

In his memory, he was a still a little boy, standing on the wooden deck of a floating house, marveling at the sun rise over Route 131. Every morning he watched as the golden orb smiled upon the waters; then he would grab his surf board and ride the waves out to the jagged sea rocks not far from his hometown of Pacifidlog. There he spent hours observing the complex behaviour patterns and peculiar way of life of the River Crab Pokemon. Studying the countless Krabby that inhabited the tropical waters surrounding his home, Ben had learned that they were almost always fighting over something, whether mates, hunting ground, or the best hiding holes. Most fascinating to Ben however, had been how they had developed a means of communicating to one another by drumming or waving their pincers. Ever since his youth, Ben had had a fondness for the aggressive crustacean.

Now he was a teenager; many years removed from those halcyon summer days. He had traveled to this curious, unfamiliar land, many, many miles from the place of his birth, in order to atone for the sins of his past. Since his arrival, he and his longtime Meditite partner Medeo, had freed a tortured Machop, helped to apprehend a lunatic trainer, traveled through a passage in time, investigated an abandoned amusement park, and accepted temporary positions as security guards for one of the planet’s top research facilities. The two friends had seen many unusual things, experienced many wonderful adventures, and met many unforgettable individuals. Face-to-face once again with the River Crab, the Pokemon that reminded him most of his home, he couldn’t believe he had encountered one so soon. Fate had certainly been kind to him. Ben knew he had to do everything he could to catch it. He couldn’t let this opportunity pass him by.

Ben had only been reminiscing for a few moments, but Medeo was growing impatient. Krabby was sidestepping onto the battlefield and Ben hadn’t issued any instructions yet. Awaiting his orders and unaware of his trainer’s flashback, Medeo regarded Ben with a quizzical expression. Before Ben could remark however, Krabby whipped one of his claws around in a show of power and blasted Medeo with a Beam of highly-concentrated Bubbles. Ben wore a shocked expression as he watched the equally-surprised Yoga Pokemon tumble backwards uncerimoniously. Medeo’s eyes were wide at Krabby’s apparent critical hit. Caught off guard, Krabby’s attack had seemingly nailed one of Medeo’s weak spots and further depleted the already-weakened Meditite’s health.

“Are you okay, mate?!” Ben quickly asked Medeo. In response, the Meditite slowly shook his tiny, onion-shaped head from side-to-side and took a knee, too winded to go on. Ever the picture of determination though, Medeo refused to let himself grimace or any show pain. “Just rest a bit -- Hyneo can handle Krabby. If you can manage an AQUA RING, it might help to reenergize you for later.” Medeo nodded feebly and Ben regretted the lose of his best partner in the upcoming battle, but knew the diminutive Meditite was in no condition to go on. He quickly unclipped a pink Pokeball from his belt and pressing the round trigger switch, released the Poochyena Hyneo. In a flash of scarlet brilliance the monochromatic wolfpup appeared in front of Ben. “I need your help, girl,” he explained as he motioned in Medeo’s direction. “Are you ready to fight?” Wagging her tail excitedly, Hyneo barked and Ben quickly reached down and scratched her behind the ears.

Wasting no time, Ben straightened and issued instructions, “Now’s our chance, mate! Let’s try to catch this Krabby.” Even after having seen the fainted bodies of the other wild Pokemon scattered across the battlefield, Krabby had still chosen to attack Medeo, and Ben marveled at its fearlessness and the strength that had been displayed in its aquatic strike. Perilous and powerful. If he could catch it, this Krabby would definitely make a good addition to his team. “Watch out for Krabby’s pincers,” Ben warned. “Use SAND ATTACK to help you dodge -- then go with two quick TACKLEs. Be careful not to knock Krabby out though, because I want to catch it.” His mind made up, Ben reached once again inside his bag. This time however, he pulled out a Pokeball, just waiting for fate to provide him with the perfect opportunity to use it…



* for reference: level 25 male meditite is now level 26 *

* for reference: level 21 male pineco is now level 22 *

_____________________________
fb