Chronicles of Unova (PG-15)

[Vaco]

I've just finished reading the whole thing (at least what's posted), and I'm actually regretting not reading it more slowly so that I would still have some left to read. I like how you took the game's characters, and stayed true to their personalities, but didn't leave them as open as the games did. Naturally most fanfics would at least attempt this, but you actually succeeded. I'll admit, I (being somewhat OCD) was a little bit irritated by the non-Unova starters at first, but Paula is such a great character that my irritation didn't last long. I'm currently playing through my White version, and at every single turn I'm finding myself comparing the game to your story. It was really disappointing when I went to Relic Castle. Excellent job.

[ChaosBlizzard]

Chronicles of Unova

Chapter 1: C'est la vie
Updated Version

“David! Bianca and Cheren are walking up the drive!”

“Alright, Mom, I’ll be down in just a minute!” David shouted back. He was gathering all the essentials and gear for the start of his Pokémon journey. It had been 5 years since their pretend battle at the League Championships, and he and his friends were now adults. Having turned 18 and finished school, they were now eligible to become real, League sanctioned Pokémon trainers. This was a dream that all children shared, and was a rite of passage that he, Bianca and Cheren would all take together. Children in his world attended a primary and secondary school until age 18 where they learned things like reading, mathematics, history and the sciences. Starting at age 13 however, their regular education was supplemented with classes on Pokémon theory, biology, mythology and battling strategies; these classes were taught by the resident Pokémon professor, and at age 18, when their schooling was complete, it was that professor that would give them their first Pokémon to begin their journeys with. Pokémon journeys lasted as long as the adventurer saw fit. Typically they lasted for only a few years, taking the place of a traditional college experience, and then they would return to civilization in pursuit of a career; some trainers however made battling their career.

As he made one last pass around his room, he heard the door bell ring and the family Houndoom bark in unison with it.

“It’s okay, Shadow, it’s just Bianca and Cheren. We’re going on our adventure today!” he reassured the dog; it whimpered sadly in response however and laid its horned head upon his lap.

“Aww, don’t worry. I’ll come back and visit all the time once I get a Flying-type Pokémon. Don’t worry, pal.” he continued as he stroked the short black hair on its head. The Houndoom sighed dramatically and slowly went and laid down on David’s bed. With a nod good-bye, David went downstairs to greet his friends.

“Eeeeeeeeh! David David David David David EEEEEEH! We’re going to be real Pokémon trainers! This is so exciting!” Bianca squealed as he walked down the stairs to greet them. “We’re going to have real Pokémon and go on adventures and have lots of battles and see lots of places and and and-”

“Bianca!” Cheren said sharply. “Please, you’re going to give me a goddamn migraine…” he continued, turning away and holding his temple.

“Oh lighten up, Princess, let her have her moment.” David said back with a smirk. “I’m excited too, just… not as… ‘vocal,’ about it as she is.”

“David, did you get everything you’re going to need?” David’s mother asked soothingly as she entered the room. “How about you two, need any last minute supplies?” she asked Bianca and Cheren.

“Yep, I’ve got everything, Mom.” David replied; two mimicked responses came a moment later.

“Well then, I guess we’ll all head over to Professor Juniper’s lab.” she responded. “Let me just get my keys…” she trailed off, leaving the room again.

“You two put any thought into what Pokémon you’re going to pick?” Cheren asked conversationally.

“Yeah, I’m thinking a Snivy.” David answered.

“Oshawott Oshawott Oshawott Oshawott Oshawott Osha-” Bianca murmured repeatedly as she looked around the room, much to Cheren’s annoyance. He sighed and shook his head, turning his gaze away.

“Well, that works out great.” he said softly. “I actually wanted a Tepig.” he continued; David smiled and nodded at their good fortune.

“Alright, kids, I’m all ready to go.” David’s mother said, interrupting them as she reentered the room. The four of them strode briskly towards the door at her signal, leaving David standing alone in his childhood home. He turned to put out the lights and follow them, but was suddenly overcome by a wash of memories. He smiled as the life he knew gave way to the journey he was about to undertake. He hit the switch and muttered something beneath his breath; he then closed his eyes and shut the door.

“C’est la vie, said the old folks; goes to show you never can tell.”

* * *

It was a moderately long drive to Professor Juniper’s lab. David’s mother drove, with Cheren sitting in the front seat (he had “called it”) and Bianca and David next to each other in the back. Cheren looked out of the window stoically, trying to act cool and deep in thought before the momentous occasion. Bianca was bouncing up and down in her seat like a child on a sugar rush, her hands clasped on her skirt and grinning a big, toothy grin. She was totally oblivious to her surroundings, only interested in the prospects that lay before her. It was understandable, given her enthusiasm, but David couldn’t help smiling to himself at how excited she was. He was happy too, sure, but there was so much joy in her; a carefree spirit that he envied and appreciated.

“Look, look! Here’s 6th Street! We’re almost there!” Bianca said excitedly, pointing to the street sign.

“Yes, Bianca dear, we know. You’ve let us know every time we change streets for the past 10 minutes.” David’s mother said with a chuckle.

“I know! Can you believe it?!” Bianca said absent-mindedly, practically bubbling with energy.

“Bianca, your enthusiasm is contagious.” Cheren murmured drily. “And nauseating. Please stop.” he continued. David shot him a contemptuous smile in the rear-view mirror and spoke.

“Oi, Cheren, don’t be such a killjoy, will’ya?” David scolded. “We’re finally done with school and about to become Pokémon trainers. Do you think you can put Scrooge away for just one day?” he continued; Cheren ignored him and Bianca seemed to have not heard either of them in the first place. David sighed and looked back out the window.

The small town he had grown up in was virtually all that he knew of the world through first-hand experience. He knew of other regions and other parts of the world, and he knew the other towns in Unova very well thanks to his Pokémon classes, but Nuvema Town itself was the only place he had ever lived for any length of time. The world as he knew it was whizzing past the car window outside, decaying into nothing more than mere memories in his mind’s eye as Professor Juniper’s lab drew ever closer. He was excited about getting to become a Pokémon trainer, that was to be certain; all his time now would be spent exploring the region and raising young Pokémon with his two best friends. But there was still a bittersweet feeling to the start of the trip. His mind was awash with these thoughts, looking out as houses and buildings passed by; he was almost so caught up in his memories that he didn’t feel Bianca’s touch against his leg. His mind drifted back into focus as he tried to rationalize the new sense.

David turned away from the window, his eyebrow raised in mild confusion at the foreign touch. Bianca was seated next to him, looking out her own window and seemingly unaware that she was even touching him. She was bouncing in her seat as if there were springs underneath her. Just as David drew a breath to question her, she turned sharply and suddenly towards him.

“This is so exciting, isn’t it, David?!” she said in an overtly feminine tone. As she said this, she moved suddenly and grasped both of his hands in hers. She brought them up to collarbone level and spoke again in a noticeably softer voice “We’re going to make great trainers, David, I know it! Don’t you think so too?”

Her voice had taken a significant and noticeable drop in volume, and she almost cooed out the words. David was instantly set ill-at-ease; his eyes opened wide and he leaned back away towards the window awkwardly. In an instant, she had gone from being naively child-like and bubbling to… what was this? Flirtatious almost? His expression went blank and he could feel his face grow warm.

“David? Do you think we’ll be great trainers too?” she asked again innocently; he shook himself awake and stammered out a reply.

“Uhh… y-yeah…? Sure.” he croaked out. Bianca smiled her Pachirisu-esque toothy grin and released his hands. She scooted back away and in an instant, everything was back to normal. She went back to looking out the window and grinning.

“I hope so.” she murmured. “I know you and Cheren will be fine; you two always got better marks than me in Professor Juniper’s class. I just hope I do okay too.” she continued. She trailed off and continued staring off into space.

David stared at the back of her head for a moment in disbelief. She seemed to think nothing of what had just happened, as if it was totally normal. It had been but a few brief seconds, but they had dragged on into what felt like minutes. Did she not realize how she had acted? Was it all innocent to her? Maybe he was the one taking it out of context; why had it felt so awkward having her so near? It had all come so clear out of the blue, David really didn’t know how to rationalize it. Luckily he didn’t have to think about it for too long; the car began to slow as they pulled up to Professor Juniper’s laboratory.

“Forget about it; put it out of your mind.” he thought to himself. “Bianca’s just another one of the guys, nothing more. I’m about to become a Pokémon trainer, that’s what’s important.” he continued. He forced the experience out of his mind and focused on the task at hand. The car rolled to a stop and he undid the seat belt. “I’m sure she didn’t even know she was doing it.” he tried to reassure himself. He smiled and opened the door.

* * *

The four of them piled out of the car and looked up at the humble Juniper Research Laboratory. It was just a small addition to the house Professor Juniper lived in, but some incredible work in the origins of Pokémon had been done there. Cheren stood with his hands in his pockets, but with a suppressed grin slowly spreading across his face. Bianca was bouncing up and down on her heels, hands clasped in front of her chest and positively beaming with anticipation as she giggled to herself. David stood and focused with razor sharp attention at the building, trying to keep Bianca out of his line of sight as best he could. They walked up the driveway towards the door; Bianca grabbed the knocker and knocked. The door was simple and rustic, but with a grand carving of Arceus etched above it as a tribute to her work in the origins of Pokémon. It opened a moment later; standing in the doorway, a hand on her hip and a grin on her face, was the sleek, attractive young professor, Dr. Aurea Juniper.

“Ahh, my favorite students, David, Cheren and Bianca, right on schedule. And Susan, how nice of you to have joined us! Would you care to come in and see our young adventures off?” piped the professor.

“Oh no no, Aurea, thank you, but I can’t. Shadow is back home all by himself and I need to go let him out. Besides, they’re adults now; they should do this by themselves.” David’s mother responded; Professor Juniper closed her eyes and nodded in agreement.

“Alright then, as you wish; shall we go inside, kids?” the Professor continued, folding her arms and smiling.

“Yes ma’am!” Bianca squeaked, almost bursting now with anticipation. Professor Juniper grinned at her protégé’s excitement and motioned for them to enter.

“Very well, follow me into my humble home.” she said.

Cheren, Bianca and Professor Juniper shuffled in, but behind them, David paused a moment and turned to take one last look at his mother. She folded her arms, smiled, and gave him a nod before silently walking back to the car; that was all they needed from one another. David turned to face Professor Juniper as she held open the door. She smiled knowingly and motioned for him to follow his friends. Through the threshold he went, in to receive his starter Pokémon…

* * *

“Mind your step, kids; I’ve been pulling some late nights lately and haven’t had a chance to clean up.” the professor said, stepping over a few discarded Styrofoam coffee cups and loose paper leafs. She lead them past whirring machines and large computer arrays into her office, where on the desk sat three red and white Pokéballs. Inside were the Pokémon they would start their journey with and would utilize to catch many more Pokémon in the months and years to come. They were the partners they would develop bonds with, go on adventures with, and train to mastery for the Pokémon League challenge. This was what they had come for, and they could hardly wait.

“Here you are, kids; your starter Pokémon! One for each of you!” she continued. At the sight of the real, genuine Pokéballs, Bianca simply lost herself and leapt into the air with a yelp of joy.

“I wanna go first, I wanna go first! Please please please please, Professor Juniper?!” she screamed. The professor stifled a laugh behind her fingers and nodded in affirmation.

“Hahaha, oh alright, dear, you can go first.” she said lightly. “But before you take your Pokémon, I must explain one thing to you all first.” she continued. Bianca was already reaching for the centermost Pokéball; Professor Juniper took a long, graceful stride between her and the desk, surprising her young student with the sudden obstacle. Bianca wore a startled look and looked up at ex-teacher to explain; Professor Juniper folded her arms, resting her back on the edge of the desk, and began her explanation.

“Normally, as beginning trainers in the Unova region, you would have a Snivy, a Tepig or an Oshawott available to you for your beginning Pokémon. Seeing as there are three of you, assuming no overlap, that would be perfect and you could each choose one for yourselves.” she began. “But I’ve known the three of you all your lives, and practically helped raise you. I’ve been friends with your families for many years and I like to think I know each of you pretty closely.” she continued.

“Did you know David still wets the bed- OOFH!” Cheren said with a glance towards his friend, but David silenced him with a quick jab in the arm.

“Come, come, Cheren! This is not a time to take things lightly.” the professor half-heartedly scolded. “Today is a day to remember always, so it’s best to behave with some formality. Nerves are one thing…” she said, glancing at Bianca, “…but please show at least a bit of restraint.”

“Yeah, Cheren.” David joked. Cheren made a face and then turned back towards the professor.

“Now then… since I’ve known you all for so long, and since you are some of my favorite pupils, I’ve decided to give you a slightly different opportunity than most beginning trainers have. You all are familiar with the work of Professor Oak in Kanto, correct?” she asked; the three of them all smiled at the mention of his name and nodded in affirmation.

“Professor Oak? Of course, everyone knows him.” Cheren answered proudly. “He’s the most famous Pokémon researcher of the last hundred years, and his radio show is broadcast all over the world from Goldenrod City.” he continued.

“Very good, Cheren, you’ve been studying.” the professor praised him. “Well, he has a young aide named Red who he tasked many years ago with completing the Pokédex. He has become somewhat of a Pokémon catching phenom in recent years, and even became the Indigo League Champion a while back. He is truly a remarkable trainer, so I asked Professor Oak a few months ago if he could enlist Red in a little Pokémon catching expedition for me.” the professor said slyly, putting her hand to her cheek. “Instead of the usual Unova region starters, I handpicked three species of Pokémon for you all to take, specifically chosen for you as individuals. Professor Oak’s aide bred them for me and delivered them especially for you.” she continued with a grin.

“This is incredible!!!” Bianca screamed, staggering to take in the news. “Not only do we get to become trainers, we get special surprise Pokémon?! This is AMAZING!” she squealed, bending over and waving her arms together with glee. Cheren and David exchanged a smirk and a look and high-fived audibly behind her, clearly just as pleased with the news.

“Bianca, as requested, you can go first. Yours is the one on the left.” the professor murmured, stepping out of the way and smiling along with them; the moment had finally come.

Bianca slowly walked forward with reverence and anticipation, cupping the Pokéball in her hands. It shone in the light and she could see herself reflected in its surface. She extended a slender finger and gently pushed the button on the front to open it and release the Pokémon inside. A bolt of light shot out and materialized on the table in front of her, startling her with the suddenness of it all. She leaned forward, putting her face right next to it in curiosity as it rematerialized, and in a flash, an adorable young Pachirisu appeared and exclaimed its name.

“Pachi! Pachirisu!”

Bianca hesitated for a moment, trying to take it all in, then blinked and grabbed it suddenly with both arms.

“IT’S A PACHIRISU!!!” she screamed. The young Pokémon squeaked in equal delight upon garnering such a strong reaction. She started emitting sparks and covered the pair in them. Bianca held the Pokémon tight against her face and spun on her heels in a circle as it loosed its sparks, spinning like a figure skater with a pair of sparklers in each hand. Bianca held the young Pokémon up as it squirmed with joy, and nearly fell flat on her back out of dizziness and glee. While Pachirisu and her new owner continued playing, giggling and squirming over each other in the corner, Professor Juniper chuckled and motioned to Cheren to go next.

Calmly and coolly, he walked forward and picked up the Pokéball on the right. He tossed it lazily on the floor to catch the clasping mechanism, throwing it as if he were initiating a battle. The seam opened and a blast of light shot out from inside. The Pokémon popped out and materialized into the form of a spry, healthy young Eevee, its coat a polished, coffee brown in color. The Eevee turned to face its new trainer as its eyes adjusted to the light; with a tilt of the head, he murmured ever-so-softly, “Ee?”

Cheren walked up to it calmly, stoically and silently, showing virtually no emotion. He picked it up off the ground and looked it straight in the eye; the Eevee had a large smile on its face and looked at Cheren with warmth and expectation, again repeating its previous cry. Cheren had a completely blank look on his face, but slowly, the twinge of a smile crept up along the edges of his mouth. It slowly grew and spread along his face into a full blown smile, then a grin, then finally into a laugh. He and Eevee chuckled together and he stepped back, his new Pokémon tucked safely under his arm. He thanked the professor and stepped to the side where Bianca was. Bianca and Pachirisu had settled down for the time being, but were still happily embraced with the occasional spark flying off of Pachirisu’s cheeks. Bianca and Pachirisu, and Cheren and Eevee all looked at David expectantly; silently, his friends motioned for him to open his own Pokéball.

“Well, it won’t be a Snivy, that’s for sure… what could it be?” David thought to himself. As he walked forward and picked up the ball, thoughts of Pokémon he thought he might like ran through his mind. Could it be a Growlithe? Or an Aron? Maybe if he was really lucky he’d get a Gible. “Man, how sweet would having a Garchomp be?” he thought. Whatever it was, Professor Juniper said she had handpicked it for him, so it seemed logically like he should be able to guess what it was. He opened the ball and released the clasp. From within the seam, a small sphere of light drifted out. The wisp emerged gracefully and floated just in front of his face for a brief moment, almost as if it were sizing him up. It flew around him and then drifted lazily around the room for a moment, inspecting its new surroundings both playfully and curiously. Finally, the wisp settled on the desk to land. The little ball of light pulsated for a moment, and then in a flash, materialized itself as a petite, graceful little Ralts.

David heard a soft, childlike, feminine voice inside his head speak.

“Hello! My name is Paula, and I am a Ralts! What is your name, human?”

David looked at Professor Juniper in shock, but she nodded and mouthed the words “I heard it too.” David turned his startled gaze back to the diminutive Pokémon standing before him on the table; he again heard the voice inside his head speak.

“I am a Ralts, so that means I am a Psychic-type Pokémon. Unlike other Pokémon, I can communicate with you telepathically; that is one of the abilities of my species.” she explained. “What is your name?” she continued cheerily.

“I, uh… m-my name is David, P-Paula…” David stammered. He could hardly believe this sensation; not only was he talking out loud in response to a foreign voice he had heard inside his own mind, but he was talking with a Pokémon. “It’s uh… n-nice to meet you.” he continued.

The voice rang through his mind for a third time “Your name is David? That is a lovely name.” she said politely. The Ralts covered her mouth with her hand and shook as if she was giggling, but no audible sound came. David raised an eyebrow in surprise at her gesture, as if he could be any more shocked by recent events. Before the newly united pair could further their conversation however, Professor Juniper rose from her perch leaning against the far wall and began pacing forward, speaking as she went.

“Well, I hate to break up the love fest, and I’m sure you all want to play with your Pokémon some more, but I’ve got one last thing to give you all.” she began. “Bianca, you now have your partner, Pachirisu; you two are the spit and image of each other, I must say.” the professor commented; Bianca gave a big, toothy smile and Pachirisu mimicked it perfectly, inducing another big hug from Bianca and more giggling.

“Cheren, I have entrusted you with an Eevee. You seem like two different people at times; on the one hand calm and calculating, and on the other a rambunctious prankster. The evolutionary path you and Eevee decide on will be most interesting to see…” the professor continued.

“Well, there’s Vaporeon, Jolteon, Flareon, Espeon, Umbreon, Leafeon and Glaceon.” Cheren commented to himself. “You can bet the farm it’ll be one of those, ma’am.” he continued with a cheeky laugh.

“Haha, yes indeed.” the professor laughed politely. “And David, for you, I have chosen this delightfully well mannered little Ralts. The elegance and grace of a Gardevoir will be something I think you can appreciate.” she noted.

“But Professor, Ralts evolve into Kirlia, and Kirlia can evolve into either Gardevoir or Gallade, right? Couldn’t Paula evolve into either one?” David asked.

“Normally you would be correct, David, but only male Kirlia can evolve into Gallade.” the professor corrected him. “As her name would suggest, Paula here is a female Ralts. She will one day evolve into a Gardevoir; end of story.” replied the professor with a flick of her wrist.

“I will be a Gardevoir some day, master! I will be tall and elegant and have a flowing dress, and you can teach me how to be one!” Paula said excitedly in David’s head. David pondered the thought for a minute, staring off into space.

“A Gardevoir, huh?” he mused; he paused and scratched his chin for a moment. “…that’s okay by me.” he continued with a grin; Paula smiled a tiny smile at his approval.

“Getting back on track, these three Pokémon have been hand chosen for each of you, and I’m sure you will go farther with them than you ever could with a generic starter.” Professor Juniper continued, straightening her skirt as she spoke. “As such, I am entrusting you with another special responsibility. You will also be official Pokédex bearers for the Unova region.” she said proudly.

The room was quiet enough to hear a pin drop upon Professor Juniper giving such news. Cheren and David both dropped their jaws and Bianca again squealed with joy. All children went on adventures with Pokémon when they came of age, but only a select few became Pokédex holders.

“Red is nearing completion on the Kanto, Johto, Hoenn and Sinnoh Pokédexes, but has made little progress on the Pokémon of Unova. That is where you three come in.” she explained. “You will assist Red in cataloguing all the Pokémon in the Unova region, and hopefully we will soon be one step closer to having field data on every Pokémon in existence!” Professor Juniper continued excitedly; there was a gleam in her eye at such a prospect becoming reality. The three of them all high-fived each other and cheered for the news, and the Pokémon all lifted a paw in celebration as well. Professor Juniper reached into a cabinet next to the desk, pulled out three shiny red Pokédexes, and handed one to each of them.

Bianca’s new Pokédex sparked to life and crackled on. “Pachirisu, the Ele-Squirrel Pokémon. A pair may be seen rubbing their cheek pouches together in an effort to share stored electricity.”

Cheren activated his and also pointed it at his starter. “Eevee, the Evolution Pokémon. Because its genetic makeup is irregular, it quickly changes its form due to a variety of causes.”

Finally, David turned his on and directed it towards Paula. “Ralts, the Feeling Pokémon. If its horns capture the warm feelings of people or Pokémon, its body warms up slightly.”

“Oh good… that must explain why it is so warm in here then…” Paula mused half-jokingly to herself; David snickered at her comment.

“Well, that’s that then…” Professor Juniper said calmly under her breath, folding her arms again. “It’s getting a little late to head out for Route 1 today, so you all are welcome to stay here tonight and head out on your journeys first thing in the morning.” she continued. The new trainers thanked her and collected their new Pokémon. Though her offer was a kind and generous one, dinner was still several hours away; in the meantime, the excited new Pokédex holders had new friends to go and play with.

* * *

A few hours later, as evening began its slow creep into darkness, Professor Juniper retired to her own quarters and set up the three new adventurers in her guest room. With the Pokémon put safely away in their Pokéballs, the three new trainers rolled out their sleeping bags to accustom themselves to them for the journey ahead.

“We’ll be spending a lot of time in these from here on out, huh?” Bianca commented.

“Well, we’ll be able to stay in real beds at any Pokémon Centers we come to, but when we’re out in the wilderness, yeah, these will be our beds.” David replied. “No more cushy mattresses or pillows on a regular basis.” he joked.

“But we’ll have our Pokémon with us, and we’ll have roaring campfires and the bright night sky, so it won’t be so bad.” Bianca quipped with a tired smile; before David could comment back, Cheren spoke up from behind them.

“David’s weird little Ralts aside, one nice thing about Pokémon is that they don’t talk when people are trying to sleep.” Cheren said in annoyance, already curled up in his bag and facing away from them. David turned to snit back at him, but Bianca reached out and put her hand on his shoulder to stop him. It sent a shiver down his spine, as it unfortunately and uncomfortably reminded him of what had happened in the car earlier that day.

“Forget you, Cheren. You’re turning into a big grumpy old lady lately.” Bianca chided him. “You’ve never been this lame at our sleepovers before. Sleep if you want, but I’m too excited for sleep. I can’t stop thinking about my little Pachirisu and all the adventures we’re going to have.” she continued.

David muttered some small token of agreement underneath his breath, but Cheren made no response, so he let the conversation wane. He crawled into his own sleeping bag and curled up, pulling it above his shoulders and turning to face the wall. Bianca and Cheren were silent, save for a few rustling sounds as they adjusted themselves, and with the quiet came an opportunity for his mind to wander. Though he had tried to push it out of his thoughts in lieu of the excitement of getting his starter Pokémon that day, her touch a moment ago had brought memories of the incident in the car earlier to the forefront of his mind. As sleep began to wash over him, the filters on his mind began to deaden and he was brought back to that short interval of time. Why had she done it? What did it mean? Did it even mean anything, or was he just overanalyzing? Most importantly though, why was it so jarring to him? He and Bianca had been wonderful, close, plutonic friends their entire lives. She had touched him before and it hadn’t meant anything then, so why now? There was something different about it this time; there was a certain grace and femininity to her touch. He didn’t want to admit it, but perhaps he was starting to actually acknowledge Bianca as a girl; as something altogether different than he or Cheren were.

Speak of the devil, as these rationales and considerations mulled about within his brain, he heard her yawn behind him and finally lay down in her bag. He lay still and stared at the wall, listening for her to stop moving, but before that moment came, he felt something that made him shutter. In an unassuming and innocent gesture, his lifelong friend had decided to lay next to him; directly next to him, unfortunately. Bianca laid her hand over top of his shoulder and curled up next to him. She was already out like a light and was doing it only half consciously, but she nevertheless still was. David could feel himself grow warm.

Turning over on his other side to inspect just what it was she was doing, David saw her peacefully asleep in her bag, an angelic smile spread calmly across her lips. Though everything from the collarbone down was obscured for obvious reasons, he also noticed, much to his guilty pleasure, that she was dressed only in her undergarments beneath the bag. David couldn’t shove it out of his mind any longer; he couldn’t simply keep ignoring it or brushing it off as coincidence. For whatever reason, something about finally becoming Pokémon trainers had changed Bianca; it was as if her own mental inhibitors were turned off by the excitement of it all, but she was acting in a decidedly new and different way than what he had always known. It was all unintentional and perhaps even subconscious to be sure, but there could be no more denying that it was there. Strangest of all however, much as he wanted to act offended and put off, David was not unreceptive to her change.

A wave of stinging pain washed over his eyes as the clock struck a late hour on the mantle behind them. There were altogether too many difficult and life-changing thoughts trying to compete for dominance in his mind, and his body was reminding him it was time for sleep. Maybe Bianca was acting different, and maybe she wasn’t; perhaps she had always been this way and he had just never noticed. Whatever it was though, there was no sense in worrying about it now. Content to call a spade a spade, David had to acknowledge that, childhood friend or not, there was a beautiful blonde asleep next to him who had at least some valid intention of wanting to be physically close to him. Remembering the adage that had helped him earlier in the day, David laid his own hand over the exposed, pale skin on her shoulder and murmured the lyric to himself for a second time that day.

“C’est la vie, said the old folks…” he whispered. “…goes to show you never can tell.”

[ChaosBlizzard]

Chronicles of Unova

Chapter 2: First Steps, Long Strides
Updated Version

“Paula, use Psychic!”

The forest was calm, and all was quiet. Not a single Pokémon was out; they were all tucked away, hiding in their homes. The sun shone into the clearing, illuminating the impromptu battlefield. The only sounds were the gentle rustle of the wind through the leaves, the sound of a distant creek, and the behemoth opposite David plodding the ground menacingly. The wild Bouffalant was staring him down, seething with rage and defiance; it had suffered Will-o-Wisp burns, been thrown about the clearing repeatedly, and hadn’t landed a single blow. It was breathing heavily and knew it was down for the count; unwilling to give up without at least landing some kind of hit though, it took in a large breath of air, snorted menacingly, and kicked up the dirt under its hooves, ready to risk it all on one final attack.

Opposite it stood the dainty figure of a Gardevoir, the very pinnacle of health, grace and elegance; her arms were at her sides, and her long gown flowed gently in the wind. The Gardevoir had been toying with her opponent during the entire battle, and wasn’t ready to give up on her fun just yet. She smiled and winked at the mighty bull, putting a graceful hand to her cheek and the other below her elbow. The Bouffalant fell for the Taunt; it reared off the ground and roared, then tucked in its head and prepared to charge. It took off like a bolt of lightning towards the slim silhouette of the Gardevoir, putting the pain from its burns out of its mind and throwing everything it had into this one final Head Charge attack. The Gardevoir stood perfectly still and focused her mind. The charging bull came closer and closer with a bloodlust in its eyes. It tucked in its head, came up to full speed, and launched itself at the enemy.

Paula didn’t flinch.

At the last moment, she gracefully sidestepped and spun around it, floating gently into the air for a moment before slowly gliding back down. The Bouffalant kept going and crashed into a tree across the clearing. It roared with pain as its whole body shook. It turned back around to face the Gardevoir, wobbly and disoriented from the crash, and saw her behind him gently drifting back down to the ground. As she landed, she brought her hands up to her horn and gracefully straightened out her gown. Satisfied it was unruffled, she brought her sharp gaze upon her opponent and sneered mockingly.

“Let’s finish this, Paula.” David said. “Use Psychic!”

She closed her eyes and lowered her head; a moment later, the ground began to shake. The Bouffalant looked around in terror and confusion for the source of the quake; still disoriented from the crash, it got wide-eyed in panic as it slowly felt its feet leave the ground. It flailed and screamed, trying desperately to reconnect with the planet. The Gardevoir brought her hands together to form a triangle in front of her horn, and then began to finish her attack.

“Gaaaaaar… deeeeee…” she said, her voice rising with time.

The Bouffalant was doing everything it could to escape the impending pain. It would be to no avail however. The Gardevoir opened her eyes quickly and shouted.

“VOIR!”

The whole forest shook. The Bouffalant flew across the clearing, striking another tree and falling to the ground in a slump. The Gardevoir composed herself, lowered her arms, and gracefully walked back to her trainer. Suppressed as it may have been, there was a kind of girlish spring in her step at her success.

“Excellent work, Paula; just what I’ve come to expect from you.” David said in a very business-like tone; a sheepish grin was creeping along the edges of his mouth however out of pride.

“Thank you, master. That was more fun for me than I would imagine it looked like however.” she replied with a giggle. David nodded and recalled her to her Pokéball.

David resealed the ball and reattached it to the holster which hung from his belt loop. He reached to adjust the brim of his cap and heard a small noise from behind him as he did so.

“Is it… is it gone?” Bianca asked timidly. David smiled coolly and answered without turning.

“Absolutely. That poor sod won’t be terrorizing this forest again.” he said.

“Oh, David… you’re my hero.” Bianca said femininely, emerging from her cover and putting the back of her hand to her forehead. In any other circumstance, such a cliché remark would have made David laugh, but there was a kind of twisted logic to this place; that logic was beginning to subtly fray around the edges however if one watched closely enough…

“Twas nothing, milady.” he said with a smirk, turning now to face her. She looked down and smiled, then ran into his arms and embraced him. She looked up at her protector, trembling in anticipation, and moved in to give him one… big… long… ki–

The ground shook again; this time it wasn’t Paula’s doing however. The forest around them began to dissolve. The trees rippled then winked out of existence. The sky turned grey and fragmented, then fell from the Heavens to the ground in shards. Bianca turned to dust and blew away in the wind from David’s arms; then, slowly, David himself faded away from this world, and in an instant, everything vanished.

The sun shone in through the window. It hit David squarely in the eyes, gently waking him and returning him to the land of the living. Slowly, reality began ebbing back into existence and David remembered where he was. As the room began to materialize, thoughts of his would-be kiss faded from his memory, and the dream became a haze. There was a look of confusion and shock plastered on his face as he tried to reconcile the bizarre implications of the dream.

“What the Hell was that?” he murmured silently under his breath. His thoughts were shortly interrupted though, and his expression quickly vanished.

From across the room, he heard a soft, muffled laugh, and looked up to see Professor Juniper leaning against the doorway, covering her mouth and giggling. Had she heard what he had just said? Then it dawned on him however: Bianca was still curled up beside him.

As this realization dawned on him, his look of confusion and shock turned to one of terror and worry. He looked at Professor Juniper, then to Bianca, then back to Professor Juniper and shook his head “no” very quickly several times. Professor Juniper again stifled a laugh at his panic and waved her hand dismissively. She held up her outstretched hand and mouthed “five minutes” before walking out of the doorway. David watched as she left, then exhaled a sigh and put his head back down. He looked over at the sleeping angel beside him and sighed again, longing to know what to think of her. He eventually slipped out of his sleeping bag and proceeded to get up.

* * *

Five minutes later, Professor Juniper came back into the room to wake Cheren and Bianca.

“Breakfast, you three.” she said in a somewhat business-like tone. Bianca’s eyes opened slowly and she sat up and stretched. She yawned before finally speaking.

“Morning already?” she asked.

“Yes, dear, it’s going on 9 o’clock. There’s breakfast in the kitchen when you’re ready.” Professor Juniper replied. She walked out of the room as the newly sanctioned trainers rose.

“Cheren, wake up.” David said curtly, realizing Cheren had not heard Professor Juniper, but his friend didn’t stir.

“Hey, Cheren, come on, get up.” he said again, but his friend simply let out a stifled snore and rolled over on his back.

Bianca began to say something to try and wake him herself, but David was already on it. He walked over to his dozing friend and pinched his nose between his fingers. Cheren tried to breathe in, struggled, and then jolted awake.

“What’s going on?! Who’s there?!” he gasped. His shocked gaze faded when he realized what David had done though; Bianca giggled softly and David replied.

“Wakey-wakey, Princess.” he cooed sarcastically. Cheren slumped over and moaned as his heartbeat returned to normal. As David began to stand back up, Cheren lashed out at his friend’s knee cap, inciting a muffled grunt from David and more laughter from Bianca as he fell over in pain. After a few more shenanigans like such, the three young trainers rose and left the room after Professor Juniper.

* * *

As the four of them sat around Professor Juniper’s breakfast table, the professor began to speak.

“The closest city from here is Accumula Town. Follow Route 1 straight north and you’ll reach it in a couple of hours.” she began. “I assume you all are planning on partaking in the Pokémon League Gym Challenge, correct?” she asked. They all answered that they were and she continued. “Then your first major destination should be Striaton City. The first Gym you can challenge is there.”

“Can you tell us anything about the Gym, Professor?” David asked. The professor took a sip of her tea and nodded her head.

“Striaton City’s Gym is operated by three brothers, Cilan, Cress and Chili.” she explained. “Cilan specializes in Grass-type Pokémon, Cress in Water-types, and Chili in Fire-types.” she continued.

“How do they decide who will battle?” David continued to ask. It was Cheren who spoke up this time however.

“It’s determined by your starter, dude.” his friend explained. “If you chose an Oshawott, you would battle Cilan, whose Grass-types would have a type advantage over you. Choosing a Tepig would mean you battled Cress, whose Water-types would have the advantage. Finally, Chili battles those who began with a Snivy, his Fire-types having the type advantage there as well.” he continued. Professor Juniper smiled and took another sip of her tea.

“Impressive, Cheren; that’s exactly correct.” she praised. “Since you three didn’t start with the typical Fire-Water-Grass Unova region starters, I have called ahead and arranged the battles for you.” she said. “Bianca, you and Pachirisu will be battling Cilan; he won’t have a type advantage over you, but Pachirisu’s Electric-type attacks will be ineffective against his Grass-types. Cheren, you and Eevee will be battling Cress and his Water-types. Finally, David, you will be battling Chili and his Fire-type Pokémon.” she explained.

“A Fire-type opponent, huh?” David thought to himself. “Interesting…”

“Once you reach Accumula Town, head west to Route 2 and follow the path north to Striaton City.” Professor Juniper continued to explain. “I have an associate there who can show you around town if you like; her name is Fennel, and she is a Pokémon researcher too.” the professor continued, sipping at her tea.

“We’ll leave right away, Professor. Thank you for your hospitality.” Cheren said. Bianca and David mimicked the sentiment and excused themselves from the table.

“Good luck, kids. Remember to come back and show me your Pokédexes any time.” the professor shouted after them. They bade her farewell, gathered their things, and left to begin their Pokémon adventure.

* * *

The lab was on the northwestern side of Nuvema Town; it was just a short walk to the start of Route 1. As they neared it, Bianca stopped them and made a suggestion.

“Hey! You know what we should do to make this even more special?” she asked. “We should all take our first steps onto the route together! We can start our journeys all at the same time!” she continued. Cheren looked at her with an utterly perplexed look on his face, the thought seeming infantile and senseless to him.

“Oh come on, Cheren, don’t be like that!” she whined, seeing his confused look. Cheren shook his head and looked away.

“Does it matter who sets foot on the route first?” he asked disinterestedly. Bianca frowned though and grabbed a hold of his wrist.

“Come on, it’ll be fun!” she exclaimed. Cheren sighed and continued walking.

“Fine, whatever, I guess…” he muttered. Bianca smiled and they resumed walking towards the head of the route.

“Route 1. Now leaving Nuvema Town. Accumula Town, 5 miles north.” Bianca read off the sign when they got there. “This is it! Beyond this sign is the start of our adventure!” she continued excitedly. They all lined up side-by-side next to the sign, and David and Bianca counted off.

“1…” Bianca began.

“2…” David continued.

“3!” Cheren said quickly. He took one large step ahead of his friends and stepped onto the route first. David and Bianca stumbled to catch up to him as he turned around laughing.

“Che-reeeeen! We were supposed to go together!” Bianca said angrily.

“Hahaha! Bianca, who cares? In 20 years, are you really going to remember which of us stepped onto Route 1 first?” Cheren replied, still laughing insatiably. Bianca stamped her feet and crossed her arms, pouting, and Cheren began walking away. David felt sorry for Bianca, but at the same time he knew he had to agree with Cheren; it didn’t matter who took the first step, but he was sorry Bianca didn’t get her way. The three of them began walking north up the route, and slowly, Nuvema Town faded into the tree line and out of sight. It would be the last time any of them would see it for a very long time…

* * *

It had been about an hour since they had left the sign. The group was making good time and they were about half way to Accumula Town. They were passing by a river, so Bianca suggested that they stop for a moment and rest. Cheren was impatient, but he agreed. The three of them went down to the waterfront to top off their canteens and rest for a moment, but when they got closer to the water, they could see that they were not alone.

“Wow, what is that?” Bianca asked. “Is it a Pokémon?” she continued.

“Shhh, yes. It’s a Patrat. Let’s not spook it.” Cheren replied. Standing at the edge of the river, its back to them, was a tiny young Patrat, oblivious to the three pairs of eyes staring down at it. Before Cheren could stop her though, Bianca rose and started running towards it.

“Aww, it’s so cuuuuuute! I’m going to go say ‘hi.’” Bianca said excitedly, getting up and jogging down to the bank of the stream.

“Bianca, wait, hold on!” Cheren stammered after her, but it was too late.

“Hellooooooooooo, little Patrat! My name is Bianca. What are you doing here?” she asked, rushing down the hill towards it. The Patrat turned in shock at the unexpected disturbance and saw her running at it. It bared its teeth and growled at her, thinking she was trying to attack. Bianca saw its hostile gesture and tried to stop, but she lost her footing and began to slide down the steep, rough hill uncontrollably. She had picked up too much momentum and couldn’t stop or slow her descent. She slid down the hill towards it, and seeing this, it jumped at her to defend itself and attack. Bianca screamed and ducked as she reached the bottom, the Patrat sailing past her face narrowly and landing behind her. She slid to a halt at the shore of the river and saw the little rodent turn around to make another pass.

“Eeeeeeeeeh! Pachirisu, help me!” she screamed, releasing her Pokémon for their first ever battle. Pachirisu leapt from the ball to defend her trainer, landing gracefully and striking a fighting pose. The Patrat was baring its fangs and sizing up its new adversary. Pachirisu waited patiently for a command from her trainer, itching to start her first real fight.

“Pachirisu! Um… use… um…” she stammered, but the Patrat was too quick for her. It leapt from the ground before she was ready, claws drawn, teeth gleaming, and threw itself at Pachirisu.

“Eeek! Quick, Pachirisu, get out of the way!” Bianca shouted. Pachirisu leapt into the air from where she had been standing and jumped onto a low-hanging tree branch. The Patrat landed squarely where Pachirisu had been a moment earlier and spun around to find its opponent.

Cheren saw Bianca’s dilemma and shouted down from the embankment where they had been watching; “Bianca! Have her use ‘Spark!’” he cried.

“Okay!” Bianca shouted back blindly. “Pachirisu, quick, use ‘Spark!’” she commanded. Pachirisu began charging electrical energy, her cheeks crackling with electricity and her body flush with sparks. The Patrat looked up just then and found its foe, leaping up for another attack. Pachirisu leapt from the branch, her whole body covered in crackling sparks, and the two collided head first in midair. An explosion of sparks and dust surrounded the two Pokémon, and Bianca had to shield her eyes from the debris. When the dust eventually settled, the wild Patrat lay on the ground defeated, while Pachirisu stood triumphantly next to it, breathing heavily but otherwise unscathed.

Bianca stood dumbstruck for a moment. She staggered to grasp the concept that she had not only just completed her first real Pokémon battle, but had been flawlessly victorious. Slowly, the realization of what had happened dawned on her. A grin spread across her face and she jumped into the air with a shout.

“Y-y-y-YESSSSS! Pachirisu, that was incredible! You did it!” she shouted, running up to her Pokémon and embracing it. Pachirisu let out an excited and celebratory cry of her own and squirmed in her trainer’s arms. Cheren and David came running down from the road towards the stream to congratulate her as well.

“Holy crap, Bianca, you actually did it! You just won your first Pokémon battle!” Cheren shouted with a mixture of genuine surprise and congratulations.

“That was sweet, Bianca, you did amazing.” David echoed. Bianca blushed and held up Pachirisu proudly.

“Don’t give me the credit; Pachirisu did all the work, didn’t you, sweetie?” Bianca replied. “Besides, you were the one who suggested Spark, Cheren. I guess I probably should try and figure out some of Pachirisu’s moves, shouldn’t I?” she continued.

“Hey man, you won, didn’t you? Let’s not overanalyze this; you won and that’s all that matters.” David said jokingly. “That Patrat was crazy; I wonder what pissed it off so badly.” he continued, looking down at the unconscious form of the Scout Pokémon that lay beside them.

“I’m just glad little Pachirisu is alright.” Bianca mused, returning her Pokémon to its Pokéball. “I could sure use that rest now though!” she continued.

* * *

Cheren sat by the riverbed, finishing his lunch and staring off into space. Bianca was out in the water, splashing around with Pachirisu in the warm morning sun. David sat next to Cheren, watching Bianca and remembering his dream from the night before. Why did these thoughts keep coming back to him, he wondered; why did everything constant about Bianca suddenly seem to be changing? Cheren stood up and stretched, announcing that they should get back on the road. Bianca came wading back to the shore and gathered her things, but as the two of them left, David stayed seated, looking out at the clear blue water before him, lost in thought. As his friends began to walk back up the hill, Bianca called out to him from over her shoulder.

“David, are you coming?” she asked; David looked down and away before standing and replying though.

“Actually, no, you guys go on ahead.” he said, turning to face them. “Seeing that battle of yours made me want to go train Paula a little bit.” he continued with a sly grin. “I’ll meet you guys in Accumula Town; you go on without me.” he appended.

“Okay, will do.” Cheren replied. “It’s 12:30 now; we’ll meet you in the main square at 2:00, deal?” he asked. David smiled and nodded his head.

“Sounds good, Cheren.” he responded. He watched as his friends walked back up the hill to the main road, and then walk out of sight. He took out Paula’s Pokéball and released her from it. The little Ralts popped out and stood on top of a fallen branch on the ground, smiling and looking up at him expectantly.

“Hello, master!” she exclaimed excitedly with her telepathy. “What are we doing here?” she asked curiously.

“Cheren and Bianca have gone up ahead. I think we should do a little training before we get to Accumula Town. What do you say?” he replied.

“Of course, master. How shall we train?” she asked politely.

“I guess we should find a wild Pokémon to battle and practice some of your attacks.” David responded. He began looking around, curious to try and see where the Patrat from earlier may have come from, but Paula spoke up before he could identify the source.

“Very well; we should check the tall grass to the north. There is bound to be something we can battle there, master.” she said cheerily. David smiled and picked her up; the pair returned to the road and started heading north.

* * *

A tiny Lillipup walked along the road, swaying to an unheard beat with each cheerful little step. The sun was shining, birds were chirping, there was a spring in his step, and the weather was just as pleasant as could be. The Lillipup didn’t have a care in the world, and was just happy to be out in the warm sun. As it walked along, a Pidove flew by and startled him. The little dog barked at the Flying-type Pokémon and leapt in the air after it, snapping his teeth playfully. The Pidove turned around to look at him and cooed chidingly when it realized what he had done. The Lillipup yipped a small, fierce bark at it in warning, but the Pidove paid him no mind. It flew off, and the Lillipup went back to his stroll.

A little farther down the road, he heard a rustle and saw the grass move. “Something else to bark at?” he thought to himself. The Lillipup slowly crept up as so to not spook whatever the tall grass was hiding. It crawled right up to the edge, hunched over on its front paws, wagged its stumpy tail to ready itself, and then dashed into the brush, yapping and growling at whatever variety of beast the treacherous grass may have been harboring from him. Suddenly, it grew quiet though, and a moment later, the small dog came sailing back out of the grass, yelping in terror and soaring across the road. David and Paula emerged from their cover a second later and Paula giggled as the Doppler Effect modulated the Lillipup’s defeated yelp.

“Great work, Paula! That’s the twentieth one so far.” David said proudly, looking down at her and smiling.

“Thank you, master. I can already feel myself growing stronger.” she responded modestly.

“Your Confusion attack is getting really powerful. Did you see that little bugger fly?” David said with a laugh. “You knocked it right on it’s ass! Chili’s not going to stand a chance against us!” he continued proudly.

“Soon I will evolve into a Kirlia, and I will be much stronger then, master. It is all thanks to you!” she replied, equally proud of her new trainer.

“I think that’s enough training for now. We should head on to Accumula Town and find Cheren and Bianca.” David said, looking down the road stretching onward to the north. “I think I can see the buildings from here actually.” he continued.

“You can?” Paula asked in surprise. “May I try something then, master?” she continued.

“What are you going to try?” David asked quizzically, raising an eyebrow in concern.

“You will have to wait and see, master!” she said with a giggle. “Please just pick me up and hold me as high up as you can.” she continued. David picked up the little Ralts under her arms and placed her on top of his head. He turned to look at the city and could feel her start to shake.

“Con… cen… trate…” she murmured. “Con… cen… trate…”

Paula shook in concentration. David didn’t know what she was doing, but her efforts quickly paid off and manifested themselves. There was a blinding flash, he felt the ground disappear beneath his feet, and he suddenly felt weightless. His hair blew, he drifted through space as if surrounded by water, and felt as though the planet’s gravity and the gravity of everything else around him had suddenly been turned off. The sensation lasted only an instant, but it was all so vivid that he took it all in immediately. Suddenly, the sensation left him and he felt the ground beneath his feet again. He opened his eyes and saw the entrance to Accumula Town before him; in literally an instant, he and Paula had traveled a good quarter of a mile.

“Ho-oh-ly CRAP! What the Hell was that, Paula?!” he asked in shock. Paula giggled and held her arms up proudly.

“I used Teleport, master! I got the idea to try it earlier when we were training, but I did not know if it would work or not.” she exclaimed. “I just saw where I wanted to go, focused on it in my mind, and poof, here we are!” she explained. “Are you proud of me, master?” she asked with expectation and joy.

“Dude, that was AWESOME! Hell yeah I’m proud; that was great!” David replied excitedly. “If we can really dial that in, it could eliminate the need for a Flying-type Pokémon potentially! That is definitely something we should keep practicing; excellent work!” he praised her. Paula blushed faintly and smiled at his overt ovation.

“I am glad that you approve, master. I am getting stronger and stronger with you.” she replied shyly. David nodded and put her back in her Pokéball; he then began walking towards the city to find his friends.

* * *

David looked down at his Xtransceiver to get the time; 1:55pm. He had to meet Cheren and Bianca in the main square in five minutes. He turned the corner and saw a small park on the other side of the street. There was a crowd growing in the middle of the park, and he could see what looked like a man giving a speech of some kind to them. He could see Cheren and Bianca standing at the edge of the crowd, trying to squeeze in to listen, so he jogged over to them to find out what was going on.

“Bianca! Cheren! Hey! What’s going on here? What’s this crowd for?” he asked as he ran up to them. They turned in mild surprise upon hearing his voice and greeted him; Cheren spoke to answer his friend’s question.

“There’s this guy from some cult or something giving a speech. He’s been here for the last half an hour or so.” Cheren replied. “He’s been saying some really whacked out stuff.” he continued, muttering slightly under his breath.

“He says that if we keep Pokémon as pets or for battles that we’re hurting them and we should let them go!” Bianca explained in disbelief. “I only just got my darling little Pachirisu and I couldn’t stand to let her go!” she continued, raising her arms above her head for dramatic effect. David got wide-eyed at such a prospect and turned to Cheren for an explanation.

“What? That’s the craziest thing I’ve ever heard. This dude’s just been shouting this crap at people in the park all day? Is he homeless or something?” David asked.

“See for yourself.” Cheren said, stepping aside for David to get through.

The three of them pushed their way to the front of the crowd, intent on seeing the man who was saying such outlandish things. When they got to the front, they saw a middle-aged man standing on a small, impromptu stage, flanked by eight armed guards. Three stood on either side of him, standing at attention with one hand gripping the hilt of a sheathed sword; the two on the edges also stood at attention, proudly gripping a flag with an odd insignia adorning it. The symbol the flags bore was that of a shield, the left half white and the right half black. On it was a backwards “Z,” with a “P” inscribed over it. The letters were electric blue with a black trim, and looked as if they had been slashed onto the flags with some kind of mystical sword. The guards all bore the same insignia on their uniforms; a grey cloak that obscured their faces and which covered their whole bodies. The man speaking in the center supported himself with a large, ornate cane, almost resembling a scepter fit for a king. He wore a giant, ornate tunic with a lavish neck piece of gold, shaped like the tower of a castle. His tunic was purple and gold, royal colors, and had a design resembling two large, menacing eyes, staring coldly out into the crowd. He had flowing gray hair that went past his shoulders, but the color and a gently receding hairline betrayed his age. His left eye was stern and cold, a demonic red in color, but he wore an eye patch over his right, adding to the mystique. He continued his speech…

“And so, ladies and gentlemen… what is our responsibility towards these magnificent beasts? They control the very elements of nature, help build for us our homes and communities, brighten our lives and even fight to defend our honor! These creatures are the vastly superior life forms, and we owe them a debt of gratitude. Our responsibility, I assert, is liberation! If you have agreed with the logic and evidence I have set forth this day, then you must reach the same conclusion I have which is that Pokémon and people should be separated and the Pokémon should be freed from our tyranny! I ask only that you consider my words, and if the spirit of Arceus moves you to do so, release your Pokémon and join us, such as these brave men and women surrounding me have done too.” he said.

“We… are Team Plasma.” he continued, emphasizing the words. “The Pokémon liberation movement begins with us, but it ends, dear citizens of Accumula Town, with you. I thank you for your time today, and I hope to have a chance to speak to you all again soon.” he concluded.

As he finished his speech, the guards snapped their arms to their sides and bowed. With mechanical, robotic precision and movements, they gathered the flags, the podium, and all they had brought with them, and in one, unified movement, left the stage and exited the park.

“Wow…” David murmured.

“I know. It was like that for a solid half an hour too. I thought I knew what crazy was, but man… that dude set the bar pretty high.” Cheren replied.

Before Cheren could say more or David or Bianca could add a further comment of their own, a soft-spoken voice murmured something from behind them. There was an airy quality to his sound; a certain smugness and self-righteous air about it.

“Did he now?” the voice said. “That man is ‘crazy,’ do you think?” The group turned to see a young man standing behind them. As the rest of the crowd dispersed, he stood rooted in place, standing like a statue as he spoke to them. “I for one think he made perfect sense.” the man continued.

The man was still in his adolescence, but was perhaps two or three years older than they themselves were. He was strikingly tall, but of a slightly thinner build than his height might otherwise suggest. He wore what was to them rather ornate seeming clothing; a white tunic, khaki trousers, a black baseball cap and many pieces of jewelry. Large bracelets hung from his wrists, he wore a top hung from a string as a necklace, and a curious level-1 Menger sponge hung on a chain from his belt loop. Perhaps most striking of all however was his flowing green hair; the man brushed it aside from his face as Cheren snapped back a reply.

“Yeah, I think he’s crazy. How can you not?” Cheren said shortly. “Why would we ever release our Pokémon like that? That makes no sense; Pokémon aren’t ‘slaves’ like he made them out to be, Pokémon are the partners and friends of trainers. We work with them to make them stronger, and they, in turn, teach us as well. It is a symbiotic relationship, not one of master and slave like that loon made it out to be. I feel no greater urge to arbitrarily ‘release my Pokémon’ than I do to take off my clothes and run through this park screaming obscenities at the top of my lungs. His ‘evidence’ and ‘logic’ were anecdotal at best.” he continued. The man smiled and closed his eyes.

“Anecdotal, you say?” the mystery man replied. “Is that so? Tell me… were you raised by humans?” he asked.

“Was I raise- WHAT? Yes, of course I was!” Cheren replied, flabbergasted. The man chuckled a tiny laugh.

“Well, then you can’t really say it is ‘anecdotal evidence,’ can you?” the mysterious stranger continued calmly. “Unless you were actually raised by Pokémon as I was, nurtured and surrounded by them every waking hour of every single day, then you really don’t have as much exposure with them as I do.” he continued.

“But I’m sorry, I seem to have lost my manners.” he said. “My name is N. I am a beginning Pokémon trainer, much like you three appear to be. My goal in life as a trainer is not to challenge the self-righteous ‘Pokémon League’ or to become stronger; I wish to hone my abilities to understand Pokémon, and I seek to create a better world for my Pokémon brethren.” N continued. “You three seem to be something quite special though, actually. May I inquire as to your names?” he asked.

“My name is Cheren, and this is David and Bianca. Your aspirations are noble, Mr. N, but if you align yourself with that Team Plasma crowd, you’ll be sacrificing the ends for the means.” Cheren responded bluntly, trying simply to make the strange man go away.

“Hmm… is that so, Cheren?” N said with a laugh. “Well, we’ll have to agree to disagree I’m afraid. You… on the other hand…” he continued, turning and sizing up David.

“Me?” David asked in surprise.

“Yes… there is something remarkable about you, I must say… most remarkable indeed…” N murmured. “Tell me, friend… would you like to have a Pokémon battle?” he asked, a smile spreading across his face.

“What, here? Now? Well I… I mean I guess…” David stammered.

“David’s not afraid of you! He’ll take you down, you creep!” Bianca shouted, energized by the frantic, unstated energy of the situation.

“I, um… wait, what? I will?!” David stammered again, surprised at Bianca’s boldness.

“Excellent! Then it is decided.” N said. He took out a Pokéball from his holster, took a step back and threw it forward to the ground. A Purrloin came out of the ball and growled, ready to start the battle.

“Go, Purrloin!” N shouted. “You’ll have to excuse me, my friend, but we of course must play within society’s rules for the time being.” he continued, seemingly talking more to the Purrloin than to David.

“I can’t look like a coward in front of Bianca and Cheren… especially not Bianca. I guess I have to do this.” David thought to himself. He took out Paula’s Pokéball and threw it into the air. “Paula, go!” he shouted.

The little Ralts flew out of the ball and appeared opposite the Purrloin, ready to fight. A large smile spread across N’s face and he looked pleased.

“Oh my, how darling!” he shouted. “Your Ralts is named ‘Paula?’ Oh, it looks like I was right about you after all!” he continued.

“Um… I… thanks?” David stammered. Before he could readjust his mindset back to the battle though, N called out his first attack.

“Purrloin, use Fake Out!” N shouted. The Purrloin made a quick jab towards Paula, not actually attacking but feigning with its claws perfectly. Paula jumped back in surprise, tripped, and then stumbled and fell over, startled by the Purrloin’s quick motion. As she stood herself back up, the Purrloin took up a fighting pose and prepared to attack in earnest.

“Paula, use Confusion!” David shouted. The little Ralts steadied herself, focused, and let loose the counter-attack. Just like she had practiced, the blast of telekinetic energy shot forth and flew towards her opponent; much to her and her trainer’s surprise however, the Purrloin appeared utterly and totally unphased. It grinned a devilish grin, then lunged forward at the Ralts, claws drawn and ready to swipe.

“Crap, no! Paula, quick, get out of the way! Use Teleport!” David shouted blindly, but it was to no avail.

“Purrloin, use Pursuit.” N said calmly. Paula quickly Teleported away, but the Purrloin grabbed a hold of her just before she could make her escape. Paula rematerialized across the clearing, but N’s Purrloin was still doggedly hanging on. The Purrloin raised a paw, its claws glowing with black, malevolent energy, and it took one powerful swipe at the little Ralts. She flew across the clearing, fell to the ground, and slumped over, too tired and defeated to go on. The Purrloin gracefully fell to its feet, licked its paws, sat down and purred; N recalled it to its Pokéball, saying quietly under his breath, “Excellent, Purrloin. Thank you for putting yourself in danger for my sake. I appreciate your contribution.”

David ran towards his Ralts, both worried about what his friends would think and terrified that she was permanently hurt. He knelt down next to her and began to inspect the damage, but she looked up at him and began to speak.

“It is alright, master, I am fine.” she murmured softly in his mind. “I am sorry I could not win.” she continued. With that, her mind slipped and she fell into unconsciousness.

Though she wouldn’t hear it, David thanked her for the effort and recalled her to her Pokéball. N strode over and extended a hand to him.

“A word to the wise: Psychic-type moves like that will have no effect on Dark-type Pokémon like my Purrloin.” he explained. “Your Pokémon put in a tremendous effort however; you should be very proud.” he continued as he helped David up.

“Despite your loss here today, I sense great things in you, David. You and I will meet again in the future; our paths will cross many times in fact.” N said ominously. “I hope someday you will consider what I have said and you will help me create that new world for Pokémon. Until that day, I will bid you adieu.” he continued. With that, he put his hands in his pockets, and slowly walked away.

* * *

Later that night at the Accumula Pokémon Center, after all the Pokémon had been healed and they were all resting, David, Cheren and Bianca sat in the Center’s lobby and discussed the events that had transpired that day.

“I just don’t understand it. ‘Pokémon Liberation…’ what a load of Bouffalant crap.” Cheren scoffed.

“Do you really think that strange man meant what he said? About being raised by Pokémon?” Bianca asked nervously.

“Who knows… probably not.” Cheren replied. “I think he’s just crazy, but whatever.” he continued, staring off into space.

“I just wish I had been able to win my first trainer battle.” David muttered disappointedly. “We beat a bunch of wild Patrat and Lillipup on the way here, but my first battle against another human trainer will always be a loss now…” he continued, putting his palm to his cheek. Bianca frowned and put her hand on his arm.

“Oh, David… don’t be down on yourself about that.” she said soothingly. “It was just a bad type matchup, but you’ll get the next one. Your little Ralts is really strong, I can tell!” she continued. David looked at her and saw a real sense of conviction in her eyes. She wore a big smile and her eyes gleamed in the light from the fireplace. She was right; Paula wasn’t upset, N wasn’t a jerk about it, and it was technically a bad type matchup. He shouldn’t feel too down about it, and try as he might, he couldn’t even bring himself to be with Bianca’s pretty, innocent face smiling at him.

“Thanks, Bianca. I guess you’re right.” he murmured silently.

“Well kids, I think I’m going to turn in.” Cheren grunted as he stood. David and Bianca broke their gaze and turned to look at him, Bianca trying to suppress a laugh at his peculiar remark.

“Turn into what? A bigger dweeb?” she asked as she giggled. Cheren drooped his shoulders and glared at her. His expression practically dripped with sarcasm and contempt.

“Hey, Bianca, I uh… I think I’ve got something in my eye. Can you take a look?” he said, stretching his eyelid open with his middle finger. Bianca gasped and brought a hand to her mouth. She extended her arm and flicked him in the nose with her ring finger. Cheren smiled and stood back up, walking off out of sight towards his room. Bianca turned back around to David and suppressed another laugh.

“I guess I should go too. Good night, David.” she said as she stood.

“Night, Bianca. See you in the morning.” David replied. As she walked down the hall, he watched her until she rounded the corner and was out of sight. His first day as a Pokémon trainer had been quite eventful; this was bound to be one Hell of a ride.

* * *

David rose to go to bed himself a while later. As he walked down the hall, he passed by Bianca’s room and noticed that the door was slightly ajar. He took a quick peek inside and saw her sound asleep in her bed. She was resting like an angel, the light from the hall playing across her golden blonde hair, the blankets covering her body, silhouetting it against the light. She looked so peaceful and calm, it made him strangely happy. As he continued down the hall, he heard a voice inside his head.

“I believe that you like her romantically, master. Am I correct in this assumption?” the little voice murmured.

“Paula, is that you?” David thought back.

“Yes, master. My Psychic power is growing stronger by leaps and bounds.” she responded. “I am mentally aware of my surroundings and can hear your thoughts even from inside my Pokéball now.” she continued proudly. David winced a bit and looked away.

“That’s cool, I guess…” he muttered. “Try not to eavesdrop too much though, okay?” he continued, a weariness staining his voice.

“You do like that girl though, correct, master?” Paula asked again. “Ms. Bianca is your friend, but you are attracted to her, no?” she continued. David glanced around furtively and rubbed the back of his head.

“What, Bianca? Well, we’ve always been best friends, but no, I’m not sexually attracted to her if that’s what you mean.” he lied.

“Master… I am talking to you in your mind.” Paula responded patronizingly. “You cannot keep secrets like that from me.” she continued with a giggle. David hesitated for a moment, pondering what to say next.

“Well… you know… she’s alright…” he finally admitted.

“Hehehe… I like you, master. You will be a good trainer, and you will make that girl happy some day.” Paula said, ribbing her trainer good naturedly.

“How will I make her ‘happy,’ Paula? What does that even mean?” he asked in confusion. Paula was silent for a moment before she replied.

“Young as I am, I can see things in your mind, even if you do not yet wish them to come to the surface. Give it time, master; accept the things you know to be true.” she responded cryptically. Then, there was only silence.

“What are you talking about, Paula?” David asked skeptically after a moment, but no answer came. “Paula? You still there?” he asked, but she didn’t speak.

“Selective muteness, eh? …that’s convenient for you…” David muttered in mild annoyance. He had made it into his room now and was lying down in bed. As he turned out the light, he thought about what she had said and about the events of the last two days. Given their plutonic history together, it pained him to admit it, but yes, to some extent, whether she meant it or not, he was perhaps starting to fall for his childhood friend. As he closed his eyes and let himself drift off, reluctant as he may have wanted it to be, David thought to himself an emphatic “Yes. Yes, I do.”

As consciousness left him and he drifted off to sleep, Paula whispered a quiet “I knew it.” to herself. The little Ralts was quite content with herself…

[ChaosBlizzard]

Chronicles of Unova

Chapter 3: Dreams of Bianca
Updated Version
Part 1 of 2

“Eevee, Tackle!”

Cheren’s voice carried down the hall and into David’s room, gently stirring him from his sleep. Reminded of where he was, he turned to the dresser next to the bed and looked at the clock: 7:30am.

“What the Hell? Is Cheren having a battle this early in the morning?” David pondered. Slowly, he rose from his bed to inspect the commotion.

Walking into the lobby, he could see his friend outside through the window, a look of determination and grit plastered over his face. Bianca was in the lobby too, sitting in one of the plush lounge chairs with her feet up, watching the battle unfold. David walked up silently and stood behind her, curious now himself as well.

Following his trainer’s command, Eevee threw himself full force at his adversary, smashing into it with tremendous strength. The foe’s Blitzle tried to dodge, but it had suffered so many Sand-Attacks that it was almost completely blinded. The Pokémon took the hit full force and was knocked to the ground, struggling to find the will or even a means to stand back up. Sand in its eyes, bruised and battered from the numerous Tackles it had taken, flailing just to regain its footing and find its target, the opponent’s Blitzle finally gave up the ghost and lay still, losing the urge to continue the fight. Eevee puffed out his chest proudly and stood up straighter. A smile of satisfaction spread across Cheren’s face and he called out to his Pokémon.

“Great work, Eevee! Stopped ‘em cold!” he exclaimed. Eevee turned to face his trainer and mewed proudly in response.

The opposing trainer walked over to his Blitzle, knelt beside it, and laid a hand on its face. Wiping the sand from its eyes, he said to his Pokémon, “Good job, Blitzle. You gave it your best.” He returned the Pokémon to its Pokéball and shook Cheren’s hand. The trainers exchanged a few pleasantries and then walked back into the lobby to heal their tired warriors.

“He’s been at it all morning, you know…” Bianca said calmly. “He and Eevee woke up early this morning and went out for some training. They make a really great pair, I think.” she continued. David looked down at her, surprised she had even heard him walk up. He looked back out the window and responded.

“I wonder what he’ll evolve it into.” he mused. Bianca stretched and looked up at him behind the chair.

“I would think that’s something he’d leave up to it.” she said. “If I had all those options open to me as to what I could spend the rest of my life living as, I wouldn’t want the decision being made for me. I’d want to pick for myself.” she continued.

“True, but I’ve heard Pokémon start to resemble their trainers after a while. I think whatever it evolves into will be a reflection of Cheren personally, even if only subconsciously.” David replied. Bianca shrugged as Cheren walked in from his battle. The trainer he had been battling against continued over to the counter to have his Pokémon healed, but seeing that his friends were awake, Cheren walked over to greet them.

“Hey guys, did you see that battle just now? Eevee totally kicked ass!” Cheren said excitedly.

“Yeah, we sure did! You two are getting really strong. You’ll beat Cress no problem; you too, David.” Bianca said excitedly. Cheren grinned and rubbed the back of his head.

“Thanks. I hope you’re right.” he replied. “Hey, Eevee and I haven’t eaten anything yet this morning. You guys want to grab some breakfast?” he asked. David and Bianca looked at each other for a moment, and then David spoke.

“I could eat.” he replied. Bianca shook her head though.

“Pachirisu and I already had a bite to eat, but I’ll come sit with you boys if you like.” she mused; the word’s stung David’s ears. There it was again; that subtle difference in how she was behaving. “You boys,” insinuating she wasn’t one herself. Not that she was, David knew that, but she had never gone out of her way to act so feminine before. Was it something about starting the Pokémon journey that was making her this way? Or something different about him? David couldn’t keep forcing the thought out of his mind when it came up so often; for the first time in his life, David was becoming increasingly aware of the differences between Bianca and himself or Cheren. Much as he didn’t necessarily want to admit it though, his receptiveness of the idea was also changing. The more and more he allowed himself to think of Bianca as a girl, and a pretty one at that, the more and more he appreciated and welcomed it.

“Sure. You can show us where it is.” Cheren replied. Bianca rose from her plush seat and stretched.

“Right over here…” she said, pointing down a hallway; Cheren and David followed after her, but David’s motions were on autopilot.

“Oh what the Hell; what’s the harm?” David thought to himself. “We’ve always been best friends anyway; so what if Bianca is pretty?” he continued. David smiled as they entered the dining room after her.

* * *

A while later, after breakfast had been eaten and showers had been taken, the group of adventurers left the Pokémon Center and headed out for Route 2. Upon exiting the city, they had to pass through a large gatehouse. As they ambled through, the attendant flagged them over to come and talk.

“Hey, are you kids Cheren, Bianca and David?” the attendant asked.

“Yes, we are.” David replied. The man smiled faintly and retrieved a package from beneath the desk.

“I’ve got a package here for you folks from a ‘Professor Juniper’” he stated. “Someone stopped by here earlier and said to catch you three when you came through. Said you know her, and that you guys would need these. Let her know they got to you OK, will’ya?” the man explained. He pulled out a large box, and inside were three sleek new pairs of Running Shoes, two boys’ and one girl’s. The trainers were glad to have received their new present and thanked the man for holding them. They slipped them on and left the gatehouse; stepping onto Route 2, Cheren made them a proposition.

“These shoes are designed for running, right? There’s not a whole lot on Route 2; what do you say we have a race? First one to Striaton gets to challenge the Gym first, deal?” he asked. David grinned subtly at the bet, but Bianca’s face grew worried.

“I’ll take that bet.” David replied.

“Oh Cheren, no, come on. You know I’m no good at running, and even with these new shoes, I can’t really run in this skirt and heavy vest.” Bianca said dejectedly; Cheren wasn’t hearing it though.

“Too bad! Two out of three, Bianca! Last one there’s a rotten Exeggute!” he shouted as he took off running.

“Ack! No, Cheren, come baaaaaaaack!” Bianca shouted as she took off after him.

David grinned to himself and took off too, not trying to catch up to Cheren, but simply trying to keep pace with Bianca. He knew he couldn’t beat Cheren in a foot race, Cheren had always been faster, but he knew this would distract Cheren and he could have some alone time with Bianca. Maybe a little unassuming 1-on-1 time with his old friend would help him sort out his feelings for her. Cheren quickly ran out of view, and Bianca struggled to keep up the pace. David caught up to her and began running backwards next to her.

“Hey. How’s it going, porky?” he ribbed jokingly. Bianca shot him a piercing glare and a venomous, sarcastic smirk.

“Oh shut up, David. Screw this, I’m walking…” Bianca said, thoroughly winded from her short ordeal. David slowed his pace and continued jogging backwards just in front of his friend, still grinning faintly. She hung her arms and began walking slowly, trying to catch her breath; she noticed David wasn’t passing her up to catch Cheren though and asked what the matter was.

“Eh, I don’t really care about Cheren’s stupid race. I just wanted him to bugger off for a while.” David said, widening his smirk. Bianca regained her breath and straightened out her vest and skirt. David stopped and let her catch up, then the pair kept walking together at a normal pace.

“Mission accomplished.” David thought to himself proudly.

* * *

The pair had been walking silently for around ten minutes. David had just been enjoying her company and presence, but he feared that if he didn’t say something soon, it might seem awkward. He decided to ignore his own personal elephant in the room with her and instead opted to ask her about Pokémon.

“So have you thought about how you’re going to beat Cilan yet?” he asked. “Pachirisu’s Electric-type attacks won’t be very effective against whatever Grass-types he throws at you. Did you ever even figure out what other attacks she knows besides Spark?” he continued.

“I’ve actually been a little worried about that.” Bianca replied. “My little Pachirisu and I have only been in that one battle. Cheren and his Eevee did all that training this morning, and you and Paula trained a bunch on the way to Accumula Town; I should probably train some more before I try and battle him too.” she continued; a mischievous grin began to peck at the edges of David’s mouth.

“Hmm… is that so?” he said, pondering something; Bianca raised an eyebrow and turned to look at him in confusion.

“Yes…? Why do you say it like that?” she asked. David stopped walking and put a hand to the holster on his hip. Bianca stopped a moment later and turned around to look at her friend. “David, what are you doing?” she asked.

“Bianca, I challenge you to a Pokémon battle! Right here, right now! You say you want to do some training, so let’s have at it!” David said commandingly, albeit with a grin. It was said that you could learn the most about a trainer from being in a battle with them and having to adapt to their movements; if he wanted to gauge his feelings for Bianca, this would be the way to do it.

“Wha-? Right now? But I-” Bianca stammered. Before she could protest, David took Paula’s Pokéball off of the holster and threw it out in between the two of them. The little Ralts popped out and struck a tiny fighting pose, already aware of what was going on.

“Ack! Geeze, alright. Pachirisu, go!” Bianca shouted, throwing the ball out to meet the challenge.

“I know we need to practice a bit before our Gym battle too, Paula, but what do you say we go a little easy on her? Let her gain a little confidence.” David thought, trying to broadcast the sentiment to his Ralts.

“As you wish, master. I will restrain myself, but I will still leave the strategy up to you.” Paula replied. David nodded and looked across the clearing at Bianca.

“Your move, Bianca. Hit me with your best shot!” David shouted at his friend.

“If you say so! Pachirisu, use Spark!” Bianca replied back. Pachirisu began charging energy in her cheeks and readied the attack; Paula stood still, waiting for either a command or to take the blow. After giving Pachirisu some buffer time to build her charge, David issued his own opening command.

“Paula, use Double Team!” he shouted. The Ralts levitated off the ground a few inches and illusory copies of her tiny body began flooding the clearing, encircling Pachirisu. It caught the Ele-Squirrel Pokémon off guard and she flinched, trying to determine which one to attack.

“Target practice… if you will.” David said to Bianca with a wave of his hand and a twist of his wrist. Taken aback at all the new targets, Bianca struggled to think of a command to issue.

“Pachirisu, um… let’s see… how about you try Quick Attack!” she shouted; Pachirisu looked back at her trainer with a keen look in her eye, obviously having heard the move she was hoping to hear. The little squirrel began running very quickly in a circle, building up a small dust cloud in the dirt around her. She widened the radius of the path little by little with each pass until it was almost as big as the ring of fake Ralts surrounding her. She reached her top speed and then leapt into the air, crashing through each illusory Ralts one by one at a lightning speed. After exhausting every copy in practically the blink of an eye, Pachirisu found her mark and slammed into the real one; caught off guard by Pachirisu’s speed, Paula flew through the air and landed in a heap, dazed but not out. Pachirisu skidded to a halt and looked back at her trainer, a sharp grin on her face. Bianca was wide-eyed and shouted out to her Pokémon in congratulations.

“That was incredible, Pachirisu! You’re just full of surprises, aren’t you, sweetie?” she exclaimed. David had to admit, that was an impressive move. Any short comings Bianca had from inexperience were made up for by her Pachirisu’s natural skill. It was a very adept little Pokémon and knew how to handle itself. Play time was over now though; he wanted to at least land one solid hit before he gave the victory to Bianca.

“Good hit, Bianca, but consider it your last!” he shouted. “Paula, use Confusion!” The Ralts focused her mind and launched forth the blast of telekinetic energy. It caught Pachirisu head on out of surprise and knocked her backwards into a tree. The little squirrel sloughed off the blow though and jumped right back into the action.

“It’s tenacious too, I’ll give it that.” David thought to himself.

“Is it time to lose now, master?” Paula asked him.

“I think so, but let’s try and make it convincing.” David answered. “Dodge her next attack with Teleport, and then let the hit after that glance you; fake going down from that.” he commanded.

“As you wish, master. I am happy we are helping your friend grow stronger.” she replied.

“Pachirisu, use Spark!” Bianca shouted. The Pachirisu took in a deep breath and charged up instantly. Taking that Confusion attack had really fired her up; she was getting much more adept at preparing the move, no longer having to charge up the energy beforehand. She charged at Paula, already covered in crackling electricity and power. Paula Teleported just in time to dodge it, but Bianca’s Pachirisu managed to catch her as she reappeared and course corrected almost instantly. Paula barely had time to cover herself before the attack hit. It hadn’t been enough to actually defeat her, but it was so well executed that she pretended like it had and went down.

“Ack! Paula, no!” David shouted, doing his best to hide his excitement for Bianca. He ran up to his Pokémon and knelt next to her. As he bent over her, he winked and Paula returned the gesture.

“You okay?” he thought to her.

“Achy, and a bit out of breath, but nothing a short rest won’t cure, master.” Paula responded. “I am glad we could help your friend. Her Pokémon is impressive.” she continued.

“Good job, Paula. Thank you.” David said aloud for show as he returned her to her ball. He stood up and looked at Bianca with a big grin spreading across his face. Bianca looked confused and excited as the realization that she had won crept in.

“Did we… did we win?” she stammered. “Did we just win?! Oooooooh YEEEEEESSSSS!!! Go Pachirisu!” she exclaimed as the little squirrel jumped into her arms. She held her close and patted the joyous little Pokémon on the head, pleased beyond measure at her success.

“Fine work, Bianca. I’m proud of you.” David said.

“Oh David, we did it! Did you see that? Pachirisu was amazing!” she exclaimed.

“Haha, see it? I was the one you beat, remember?” David chuckled.

“Thank you, David! I feel so much more prepared for my battle now! I was so worried when you said we should battle, but I’m glad we did. Thank you.” she said as she returned her Pokémon to its ball.

“Sure thing, bud.” David said, trying to hide how pleased he really was. This was the happiest he had ever been to lose to one of his friends at something before.

“Are you sure you didn’t just let me win?” Bianca asked with a wink. David’s expression blanked for a moment and his grin vanished.

“So uh hey, we should probably try and catch up to Cheren, huh?” David stammered nervously, trying to change the subject; Bianca giggled and the pair headed off.

* * *

After their battle, the young pair continued on their way to Striaton City. As they neared the city gates, they could see Cheren off in the distance pacing back and forth very angrily. He was muttering to himself with a hand on his chin and the other in his pocket. Occasionally he would shout something and raise his hands up before returning to his pattern.

“Where the Hell have you assholes been?! I’ve been standing here for like an hour waiting!” Cheren shouted angrily as they approached him.

“We took the scenic route.” David responded with a smirk. “Did a little training, saw a little nature… you know… adventure stuff.” he continued. Cheren shot him a glare that could have burned through steel.

“Well thanks the Hell for telling me that before I ran all the way here!” Cheren shouted; Bianca stepped between the boys and shot Cheren a similar look.

“I DID try and tell you that, Cheren!” she said indignantly. “I said ‘Oh Cheren, no, come on. You know I’m no good at running, and even with these new shoes, I can’t really run in this skirt and heavy vest.’ But you just went off running!” she continued; Cheren’s expression quickly blanked.

“Well yeah, but… even if you didn’t want to run, you could have at least not taken so damn long.” Cheren said dejectedly. “I’ve been standing here for ages…” he appended; David laughed at his friend’s sad response.

“Aww, poor baby. At least you won though; you get to challenge the gym first.” David responded.

“Yeah… well…” Cheren started to say, but he trailed off.

The reunited group started off into the city together and quickly found themselves in an urban metropolis. Striaton City was much more advanced than rural Nuvema Town or Accumula Town. Large apartment complexes dotted the streets, spread amongst the many office buildings and historical landmarks. For as urbanized as the city was though, there were still many old world charms about it; many of the buildings were designed in a turn-of-the-century style and were made of laid brick, aged and worn by soot and dirt. Portions of the city had cobblestone streets, and there were trees and small parks all throughout the town. There was one massive park on the western side of the city; mid-morning joggers were out and about and elderly couples had brought bread crumbs to feed the Pidove. It was beautifully landscaped with many sculpted bushes dotting the path in the shape of various Pokémon. A long, circular stream ran alongside the winding path, and Basculin and Goldeen jumped from the water’s surface into the air before returning to the cool blue depths below.

Eventually they came to a brightly adorned restaurant. The building was made of solid old brick, and had a veneer of aged, dark brown oak wood. Multi-colored flags hung from the face of the building, almost obscuring the large, carved Pokéball etched into the siding. The smell of New England chowder was drifting through the air as the restaurant began serving its lunch specials. There was a small amount of outdoor seating in the front of the building, and as they passed by, a young woman called out to them from it.

“David! Cheren! Bianca! You hoo! Over here! Come here!” shouted the woman, waving them down.

“Is that lady yelling at us?” Cheren asked in confusion.

“Seems to be. Maybe this is Professor Juniper’s associate.” David replied. “Let’s go see what she wants.” The group left the road and approached her.

The woman was much younger than the professor. She had fair, white skin and tired looking eyes. She had a grin that seemed almost permanently etched onto her face. She wore rimless glasses and a large white overcoat. She had a small pink flower in her hair, matching her slip-on shoes and the pink sundress she wore beneath her coat. Her hair was long and straight, a deep purple in color and falling almost to her ankles. As the group walked over to her, she began to speak loudly and excitedly, rising from her seat to greet them.

“Oh it’s so nice to meet you!” she said excitedly. “Professor Juniper has told me so so so much about you three. I’m so happy you’re finally here!” she continued. Composing herself, she put a hand to her chest and continued.

“My name is Fennel. I am a Pokémon researcher just like your old teacher, Professor Juniper. Aurea and I actually went to college together if you can believe it. I was going for my Bachelor’s when she was trying to get her Ph.D. though.” she said with a laugh. “Aurea was always such an overachiever.” she appended.

“Well, it sounds like you already know our names, but this is Bianca…” said David pointing to her, “…and Cheren…” pointing to Cheren, “…and I’m David.” ending on himself. “It’s nice to meet you, ma’am.” he concluded.

“Oh it’s so nice to meet you three too! I’ve heard such wonderful success stories about you three. You’re Professor Juniper’s star pupils; that’s why she gave you such unique starters.” Fennel commented. “Come, would you care to join me for some lunch?” she asked.

“Sure! Thank you!” Bianca said happily. The group of adventurers walked from the sidewalk around to Fennel’s table and sat down on the patio to join her.

* * *

A short time later, as the group decided what they would have, a young waiter came up to the table to take their order. He wore a smart black tuxedo with an apron and had short, spiky green hair. He had small beady eyes and large ears.

“Hello, welcome to Château de la Ligue, may I take your order?” he said with a fake French accent. Fennel looked at her new friends and began to giggle to herself very softly when they didn’t respond to him. She looked up at him, still laughing, and replied.

“Yes, I think, hehehe, I’ll have the uh, hehehe, the um… hehehe, the clam chowder please, hehehe.” she said. The waiter winked at her and answered back.

“Ahh but of course; the chaudrée de palourdes for the elder madame.” he said. “And how about for the younger madame? What will you have, miss?” he appended, looking at Bianca.

“I’d like your filleted chicken breast please.” Bianca answered him politely as she closed the menu. Fennel began to crack up and laugh again as she saw Bianca finally look at the waiter.

“What are you laughing at, Fennel?” David asked in confusion. She waived her hand dismissively and composed herself, still grinning a big grin.

The waiter continued to smile. “Ahh, but of course. Un petit poulet for the young madame. And for you, sir?” he asked, looking now to Cheren.

“Hmm… what’s your favorite pasta dish?” Cheren asked. As Cheren now too acknowledged the waiter’s presence, Fennel began to snicker wildly once again. David shot her another confused look and she again dismissed him, composing herself but still grinning.

“We have a lovely fettuccine alfredo that is the specialty of the chef. May I recommend that for you, monsieur?” the young waiter said, now starting to chuckle to himself along with Fennel.

“That sounds great, I’ll have that.” Cheren said as he closed the menu.

“And for you, sir?” the waiter said, looking at David. David looked him squarely in the eyes and placed his hands on top of the menu on the table.

“I’d like to refrain from ordering until you two…” he said as he turned his gaze now to Fennel “…tell me just what is so damn funny.” Fennel couldn’t contain herself now. She burst out laughing and patted the waiter on the back. The young man rose with a grin of contentment on his face. He cleared his throat and clapped his hands together over his shoulder twice. From inside the restaurant, two other young waiters came to join them, their features similar to the first but one with red hair and one with blue. The three of them stood side by side and brought their arms together in front of their aprons. Fennel composed herself and spoke up.

“David, allow me to introduce you to Cilan…” she said, pointing to the original waiter, “…Cress…” now motioning towards the blue-haired man, “…and Chili…” she explained, indicating towards the red-haired waiter, “…the Striaton City Gym Leaders.” The trio bowed in unison before their audience and spoke in a like-manner.

“How do you do?” they said in chorus.

Fennel continued, “…and this…” indicating to the building, “…is the Striaton City Gym!”

“We three own and operate this restaurant, which we inherited from our parents before us, and which they inherited from their parents before them.” Cilan explained.

“The fine service industry has been in our family for generations. We now carry the torch, and have combined our passion for fine dining with our responsibilities as Gym Leaders.” Cress continued for his brother.

“This restaurant is a working storefront most of the time, but when we get a challenge, the tables and chairs are put away and the battlefield comes to life! Sizzle!” Chili concluded electrically; Cilan piped up again.

“Madame Fennel is a regular customer. She has informed us of your impending challenge, and we accept. The battles shall commence tomorrow at 10 o’clock sharp, right in between the breakfast and lunch rushes.” he explained. David sat dumbstruck as this wash of information flowed over him. He struggled to think of something clever to say back, as so to not look like a complete ignoramus in front of his friends. He slowly picked up the menu, looked it over, and spoke calmly.

“Well, in that case, I’ll have the filet mignon.” he said softly. Fennel chuckled to herself again, covering her mouth to be polite.

* * *

Once their food had arrived and they began to eat, Fennel piped up again conversationally.

“Well, seeing as you have the rest of the day to train for your Gym battles, what would you three say to assisting me in my research?” she asked. Cheren didn’t look up from his plate, but Bianca and David turned to hear her proposition.

“Are you three familiar with a Pokémon called Munna? Or its evolution, Musharna?” she asked.

“I’ve heard of it, but I’ve never actually seen one in person.” David said. Bianca mimicked his sentiment.

“Munna and Musharna are Pokémon very heavily associated with dreams. They are able to visualize and even enter the dreams of people and Pokémon as they are happening.” Fennel explained. “My current research goal is to understand the science of how they actually manage that. Munna have the ability to visualize the dreams of anyone they are near, but its evolved form Musharna can create a special ‘Dream Mist’ that allows one to actually enter the dreams themselves. Think of it like a portal that you can step in and out through to enter the dream world.” she continued.

“Wow, that’s so cool!” Bianca said. “Imagine, being able to see and even interact with a person’s dream while it’s happening!” she continued.

“Yeah… super…” David muttered, remembering the dream about Bianca he had had a few nights prior; some dreams were best kept a secret.

“It’s more than just ‘cool,’ Bianca. It could be the scientific breakthrough of the century!” Fennel exclaimed excitedly. “In dreams, you control the logic and physics behind all of reality. You could simply materialize anything you wanted into existence. If we could enter a person’s dreams and bring things back out from those dreams into the real world, anything could be possible! We could have time machines and flying cars within the decade!” she continued, her high energy not abating. “Other possibilities exist too. Many Pokémon tend to dream about other Pokémon, typically ones that can’t really exist. Imagine being able to obtain a Pokémon with a different ability than it typically has, or special attacks they can’t normally know! It could be revolutionary for trainers as well.” she concluded.

“That’s actually pretty amazing, Fennel. How is your research going? Is it all mostly theoretical or are you hitting any breakthroughs?” David asked. Fennel smiled at his intrigue and took a sip of her tea before responding.

“My associate and I are actually making excellent progress, but we have run into one snag. That’s why I asked if you three would like to help me.” she said. “We have been receiving monthly shipments of trace amounts of Dream Mist from a foreign supplier for the past six months or so, but the amounts we are getting are outrageously expensive and not high enough in quantity to really put to any use. We need to obtain a Munna or Musharna of our own in order to make any real progress.” she continued.

“There is an abandoned factory to the east of the city that was condemned and eventually destroyed many years ago. It has become overgrown with weeds and foliage and is now considered an excellent training ground for beginning trainers.” Fennel explained. “The citizens of Striaton City refer to it as ‘The Dreamyard.’ Many Munna live there, and I would like for you three to catch me one. I would do it myself, but I have no Pokémon of my own to do it with.” she continued. “It would be an excellent place to do any last minute training before your Gym battle too, so doing this for me would be beneficial to all of us.” she concluded. Bianca and David jumped at the opportunity and agreed immediately.

“Wow, sure! I’m in!” Bianca said excitedly.

“I’m in too.” David mimed. “If Bianca is going, I’m going.” he thought to himself. He heard Paula giggle very faintly in his head at that remark.

“Cheren, how about you?” Fennel asked. Cheren had been silent the entire time and had been focused simply on eating. Looking up from his plate, a bit of sauce dribbling down his chin, he replied.

“Nah, that sounds lame. You two can handle it.” he said tartly; David and Bianca were appalled.

“Cheren! Don’t be rude!” Bianca shouted at her friend; Cheren shrugged.

“Striaton City has a world famous Pokémon Trainers’ School that Professor Juniper used to teach at. I’m going to go study there as my last minute practice. Eevee is plenty strong; I just need to hone my own technique. I’ll meet you guys at the Pokémon Center later tonight.” he explained. David was surprised at his friend’s blunt rudeness, but on the other hand, it meant more alone time with Bianca, and he couldn’t argue with that. The four of them finished their meals and prepared to go their separate ways.

* * *

[Continued Below]

[ChaosBlizzard]

Chronicles of Unova

Chapter 3: Dreams of Bianca
Updated Version
Part 2 of 2

Leaving the restaurant, David and Bianca left for the Dreamyard, Cheren went to go find the Trainers’ School, and Fennel returned to her laboratory. She gave David and Bianca the address so they could find her and instructed them to come straight there once they had obtained the Munna. She gave them five empty Pokéballs each and sent them on their way. The farther east into the city they went, the more and more trees they began to see. Slowly, the city began to naturally meld into the forest and the skyscrapers and apartment complexes became pine and evergreen trees. They walked through the forest a ways and eventually came to the abandoned factory, just outside of town.

“Wow, Fennel was right. This place is a wreck!” Bianca said. The “Dreamyard” was nothing more than a large clearing in the forest, littered with the broken, abandoned pieces of a dilapidated factory. There were young trainers all around, having Pokémon battles and running and playing with their young Pokémon, but it hardly seemed like a safe place for children. There were gently rolling hills, small cliffs to jump from, ramps and stairs to play on and run around, and plenty of tall grass to house wild Pokémon to battle against. It was definitely a good place for trainers, but caution would certainly have to be exercised.

“You can tell there definitely was some kind of building here before, but it looks like it got hit by a goddamn bomb or something.” David mused.

The factory, or what was left of it, stood to the north of the field, rooted defiantly against the march of time. The poor old building was unwilling to completely fall, but it was unable to shine in its former glory. The roof was missing in most places and there were gaping holes in most of the walls. David suggested that they move farther into the facility, and Bianca followed right behind.

As they passed abandoned factory equipment and office furniture, they heard a sound coming from deeper inside the warehouse.

“W-w-w-what was t-t-t-that?” Bianca asked nervously.

“I don’t know. It sounds like people talking.” David whispered back. They were quite far within the old factory now, and the sounds and sights of the field outside had long since left them. They were all alone in the old building, the light from the holes in the roof casting menacing shadows on the derelict machines.

“Should we go check it out? It sounds… menacing, almost.” Bianca said timidly.

“I don’t know. Remember our objective, we need to find a Munna.” David replied.

“We’re also here to train and get stronger for our Gym battle though.” Bianca protested. “If someone is in trouble back there, this could be the perfect opportunity to do just that.” she continued.

Bianca had a good point, but this place gave David the creeps. He didn’t want to look unmanly in front of her, but he also didn’t want to get wrapped up in something bigger than they were anticipating. As David stood there considering his options, he suddenly heard Bianca whisper something to him.

“David… David!” she whispered in a panic. “There’s… something… behind… me!” she said. David slowly turned around and saw her frozen in place, a look of panic in her eyes and a cold sweat forming on her brow. Her body was stiff and her teeth were gritted in fear. He didn’t see anything behind her though, and didn’t know what she felt.

“I don’t see anything, Bianca; what do you feel?” he whispered back.

“Something… is… fiddling… with… my… hair!” she whispered in a panic. She felt a cold, clammy hand touch the bare flesh on the back of her neck and she shrieked.

“EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKK!!!”

David jumped back in shock and saw the dark silhouette of a Duskull go flying off, chuckling to itself over its latest prank.

“You rotten little bastard.” he said under his breath at the Pokémon. Ready or not though, Bianca’s shriek had alerted the voices in the next room.

“Hey, did you hear that?” one of the voices said.

“Yeah, come on!” a second voice answered.

“Oh shit, Bianca, hide!” David whispered to his friend. The two of them ran behind a broken down machine and waited to see who, or what, came through the door…

“Alright, who’s in here?!” said the stern voice of a man.

“Show yourselves!” the second voice continued.

“David! I’m s-s-s-scared!” Bianca whispered in his ear. They were hunched over in the corner, hidden behind the machine for cover. She was knelt right behind him; he could hear and feel her breath and could practically feel her heartbeat.

“Well, at least one good thing came of all this…” he thought to himself.

“We know you’re in here! We’re giving you ‘til the count of three to come out!” the first voice continued to say. “One…” he began.

“David, what are we going to do?!” Bianca whispered.

“Two…” said the second voice.

“I don’t know. I guess we’re going to have to battle them. Get your Pachirisu ready.” David whispered back.

“Thre- AAAH!” the first voice shouted. “Goddamn it, what WAS that?!” he screamed. The errant little Duskull went sailing off through the air again, laughing to itself wildly over the grand success it had been having that day. While the two men were distracted, David and Bianca leapt out from hiding and released their Pokémon.

“Go Paula!” David shouted.

“Pachirisu, help us!” Bianca chimed in. The two men stood to face their attackers, still reeling from the shock, but quickly realized just what they were up against.

“Hey, wait a minute, mate. These are just a couple of snot-butted little kids!” said the first man.

“Hey yeah! It’s nothing but a couple of no good kiddies.” his partner replied. “What the Hell are you two doing here? Trying to find a nice dark place away from mommy and daddy to go make out?” he continued mockingly. David blushed at the thought, but quickly snapped back.

“We should ask you the same thing! We heard sounds like an animal getting tortured coming from back there. Who the Hell are you guys?” he asked commandingly. The two men chuckled and stepped into the light, revealing their attire. They were dressed in the same uniforms as the Team Plasma guards they had seen in Accumula Town the day before.

“We are noble operatives of Team Plasma. We are here doing the valiant work of our Lord Ghetsis, and you little brats will not stand in our way.” the goon said menacingly. As he said this, he and his partner grabbed Pokéballs from beneath their cloaks and threw them out together to oppose Paula and Pachirisu. A Patrat and Purrloin popped out and stood to face their attackers.

“We’re going to have to Double Battle them, Bianca. You take the Purrloin, I’ll take the Patrat.” David said.

“I, uh… uh, okay!” Bianca stammered nervously.

“Paula, use Double Team!” David shouted. Paula hovered off of the ground and flooded the room with her doppelgangers, just like she had done against Bianca earlier in the day. The two Plasma grunts were taken aback and looked exceedingly annoyed.

“Screw this. Purrloin, use Fury Swipes!” one of the grunts shouted. The cat leapt into the air, bounced off of a machine and flung itself towards Pachirisu. Pachirisu took a startled step back, worriedly awaiting an instruction from her trainer.

“Pachirisu, try using Bide!” Bianca shouted. “I looked up some of Pachirisu’s moves in my Pokédex earlier. I want to try this one out.” she commented to David. Pachirisu curled up into a ball and flared out the sharp points along her tail and spine. The Purrloin slashed away with the first scratch of Fury Swipes and struck a powerful blow, but Pachirisu took it like a brick wall. The Purrloin grew annoyed and continued hacking away with the rest of the attack.

Meanwhile, the other goon was working his way through Paula’s Double Team, and had whittled them almost all the way down.

“Patrat, just keep using Tackle!” the grunt commanded. The little rodent flung itself at the nearest copy of the Ralts and, upon dissolving the fake, moved onto the next one. David knew he had to act before the real Paula got hit, and he leapt into action.

“Paula, use Confusion!” he commanded. Suddenly, all of the copies disappeared and the Patrat stumbled, surprised and shocked as the one he had been grappling with dissolved before his eyes. Paula floated off of the ground a bit and launched the blast forth towards the Patrat. It took it head on and was flung across the room. It knocked into its partner and fell to the ground in a slump, defeated.

The Purrloin got right back up and continued hacking and slashing at Pachirisu. She had taken quite a bit of abuse at this point though and started to twitch. The bundle of white fur and blue spikes that was Pachirisu’s body began to glow a bright red, intensifying in strength with each slash. The light grew stronger until it burst open and launched a hot wave of energy out at the enemy Purrloin. The little cat was flung across the room and moved no more. Both of them were down for the count; Bianca and David had won the battle.

“Yeah! Go Pachirisu! We did it!” Bianca shouted. “That’s a really great move.” she continued, speaking of Bide.

“Alright you bastards, nowhere left to run. What are you lot doing here?” David asked sternly. As he said this though, before either of the Plasma agents could speak, a timid “…munn?” came from behind them. A Munna poked its head into the doorway from the room where the grunts had been and looked around in shock.

“Forget this; quick, grab it!” one of the men shouted. His partner lurched forward and grabbed the little Pokémon; it squealed wildly in terror and pain, struggling to break free of his iron grasp.

“I’ve got it, let’s get out of here!” the man holding the Munna shouted back; David wasn’t about to let them get away that easily however.

“Oh no you don’t! Paula, use Confusion!” David shouted. The Ralts again loosed a telekinetic blast towards the man, knocking him over and freeing the Munna. It floated towards David, trying desperately to escape its captors.

“I’ve got’cha!” shouted the first grunt, grabbing the Pokémon before it could escape completely. “Give! Us! The! Damn! Dream Mist!” he shouted, smacking the little Pokémon with each word; the sight of such violence from a human to a Pokémon made Bianca shriek.

“Hey, stop that! Don’t hurt it!” she shouted. “Pachirisu, use Quick Attack!” she commanded. Pachirisu leapt into action and kicked the man squarely in the jaw. The shock and pain from the blow loosened his grip and the Munna was able to escape. It flew quickly across the room and hid behind Bianca, trying to stay as much out of sight as possible. David ran across the room, took a flying leap, and smashed into the grunt, delivering a tremendous Superman-esque punch to his face. The grunt flew back and landed square on his ass, dazed and bleeding from the surprise blow.

“Bianca, go! Get the police! I’ll keep these two here, hurry!” David shouted. Before Bianca could move though, an echoing voice spoke from the room behind the Plasma grunts.

“That will not be necessary…” the voice said. The stern, imposing figure of a man came walking slowly in through the doorway in front of David. The man was dressed in eccentric clothing and David recognized him immediately; it was the man from the park in Accumula Town.

“My operatives and I will take our leave now. There will be no need for further violence.” the man continued.

“Holy crap, it’s Ghetsis himself!” one of the grunts whispered, sitting up and holding his head. The ornately dressed man spun on his heels and turned to face the pair with fire in his eyes.

“You!” Ghetsis shouted at the man. “You two imbeciles shall be SILENT. You two have failed me this day, and shall be punished for it. Such violence towards Pokémon shames our name and hampers our cause!” he explained. “Run! Run from this place while you still can. We shall rendezvous at point delta where I shall dole out appropriate penalties.” he continued, stroking his chin and seething with anger. Sensing his extreme hostility, the grunts quickly stood and backed away from him.

“Come on, let’s get out of here!” shouted the grunt David had hit.

“Our apologies, my Lord. We shall make right this mistake.” the other grunt stammered. The two of them quickly stood and bolted past David and Bianca, running out of the factory and screaming bloody murder. They were gone in practically an instant.

David stood staring at Ghetsis, not knowing just how to handle the situation. Ghetsis stood staring blankly back at him, and after a moment said, “Are they gone?”

David was taken aback at this comment, growing wide-eyed and confused; a moment later heard Paula say “Yes, it is safe to come out now.” though. The man standing before him faded from sight, dissolving into thin air before David’s very eyes. As he vanished, the Munna floating behind Bianca came out from behind her protector and a fully grown Musharna came into view from the other room.

“Oh wow! It was all an illusion!” Bianca said. “That Musharna saved us!”

“Saved us?” David shouted. “We had those two cornered and it let them get away!” he continued. Bianca put a slender finger to her lips and pursed them together though, indicating for him to be quiet. The Munna and Musharna had floated together in front of them, nuzzling up to each other affectionately.

“Aww…” Bianca cooed sweetly. “If that isn’t just the cutest thing you’ve ever seen…”

The mother and daughter floated together in harmony and happiness, joyous to be once again safe in their home. A mysterious purple gas began drifting out from the Musharna in her joy: Dream Mist.

“Bianca, quick, grab that jar over there.” David whispered, pointing to a jar sitting abandoned on a nearby desk. “Try and grab some of this stuff for Fennel.” he continued. Bianca began collecting the Dream Mist, and once she had filled the jar, the two loving Pokémon separated. David approached the pair with a proposition.

“Munna, Musharna, there’s a nice young doctor back in town who could really use your help. Her name is Fennel. How would you two like to come live with her?” he offered. “You’ll be safe from those Plasma goons if they ever come back, and you can live in a nice apartment instead of this run-down factory.” he continued. The pair of Pokémon looked at each other, considering the proposition and speaking amongst themselves telepathically. A moment later, the Musharna uttered a few strange sounds and nodded its head.

“They said they would be delighted, master. Job well done, if I do say so myself.” Paula translated.

“Then it’s agreed. Bianca, could you hand me two of the Pokéballs Fennel gave us?” David asked. Bianca handed him the balls and he gently pushed them up against the two Pokémons’ foreheads to catch the latches. They fell to the floor, wiggled three times, and then were still.

“Well Bianca, it looks like we just caught our first Pokémon.” David said with a sheepish grin.

* * *

“Oh, you two did wonderful! This is better than I could have ever hoped for!” Fennel shouted joyously. Bianca and David had just returned with not just the Munna she had asked for, but a fully grown Musharna and a full jar of Dream Mist. Needless to say, Fennel was very pleased.

“Glad we could be of service, ma’am.” David said with a nod.

“When your research makes that big breakthrough, I get dibs on the first flying car!” Bianca continued with a giggle. Fennel laughed along with her and embraced her two new Pokémon.

“You’ve got a deal, Bianca! Oh, thank you ever so much, kids; this will help my research tremendously.” she said, cuddling up to the Pokémon. “Actually… how would you two like a little down payment on that flying car right now?” she asked. A mischievous grin began to spread across her face as she made her offer.

“What do you mean?” Bianca asked. Fennel held up her index finger, indicating “just a moment,” and went over to a cabinet across the room. She opened the top drawer, rummaged around for a bit, and then found what she was looking for. She returned with a small disc-shaped machine and presented it to Bianca.

“Here you are, kids. This is a little something for all your hard work. It’s called a Technical Machine, or ‘TM’ for short.” she said.

“Oh hey, I’ve heard about those things.” David said. “You can use them to teach moves to Pokémon, right?” he asked. Fennel smiled brightly and nodded in affirmation.

“Yes you can, David! And this one contains a very useful move indeed: Hidden Power.” she explained. “All Pokémon have a hidden power, buried deep within themselves. This move allows Pokémon to tap into that power and unleash it in a powerful bolt of energy. Each Pokémon’s Hidden Power is different, and it can be any type of move. You could have Hidden Power Fire, or Hidden Power Steel, or Hidden Power Rock… anything! It all just depends on the Pokémon using it.” she continued.

“Wow, that’s awesome! I want to know what my little Pachirisu’s Hidden Power is!” Bianca exclaimed. She took the machine from Fennel and activated it. Small motors within the thin machine whirred to life and began to hum. Bianca called Pachirisu out of her Pokéball and presented the disc to her to use. Pachirisu seemed curious as to how the machine worked, but upon sensing her touch, it acted on its own and began to glow a brilliant, ice-blue color in Pachirisu’s paws. The light filled Pachirisu’s eyes, seeming to send her into a trance for a moment, and sent a battery of information streaming through the air in an instant. When the machine cooled down and the light faded, Pachirisu blinked her eyes a few times to clear her vision and had learned Hidden Power.

“Let’s go outside and see what it does, David. Thank you, Fennel! Good luck in your research!” Bianca said excitedly.

“Thank you, love. Good luck in your upcoming Gym battle too. Come back and visit any time.” Fennel replied as they left the apartment. Bianca, David and Pachirisu went down to the street and walked up to one of the decorative trees lining the sidewalk.

“Pachirisu, use Hidden Power on that tree!” Bianca commanded. Pachirisu doubled over on herself, charging up the energy buried inside of her small form. Once it had charged up, she spread her arms and let loose the blast. The tree shook and instantly froze solid.

“Hmm… so it looks like Pachirisu’s Hidden Power is Ice.” David mused. “That’s actually really awesome; Ice is very effective against Grass-types, so you should have no problem beating Cilan now.” he explained.

“Wow, that’s great! Pachirisu, you’re getting stronger every day!” Bianca exclaimed.

* * *

Later that night at the Pokémon Center, Bianca and David were catching Cheren up on the events that had transpired. They explained about the Dreamyard, finding the two Plasma grunts, about “meeting” Ghetsis, and about catching the Munna. Cheren was enthralled by the whole story.

“Man, I really wish I had gone now. I just spent all day sitting in a library reading dusty old books. What you two did is way more exciting.” Cheren said dejectedly.

“Well, that’s what you get for being a prick to Fennel.” David said back mockingly, stretching in his chair. “She even gave us a TM she was so pleased.” he continued. Cheren turned to face him in surprise at the news.

“Really? Which one?” he asked.

“Hidden Power, and you can’t use it. You didn’t come help us, so pppppth!” Bianca answered, sticking her tongue out at him.

“We taught it to Pachirisu. Her Hidden Power is Ice, evidently.” David continued.

“Oh, well that works out great. You get the easy Gym battle now, Bianca.” Cheren said jokingly. As he said this though, his face grew somber and he looked down at his lap. “That Team Plasma lot has me really worried now though. If they’re just a bunch of loons yelling at people in the park, that’s one thing, but such outright violence towards Pokémon… this won’t end well.” he continued.

“I’m sure the police will handle them, Cheren. I doubt we’ll ever have to deal with them personally like that again.” David said. “I’m just glad Bianca and I got out of there alright.” he appended.

“Can’t say the same for that one goon though!” Bianca commented. “David smacked him right in his face! It was awesome!” she continued excitedly. David blushed at the praise from his crush.

“Oh… yeah, well…” he stammered. Before he could say more, Cheren spoke up and interrupted him.

“When you say ‘smacked,’ what do you mean by that? Like, he ran up and gave him a sissy little slap?” Cheren asked mockingly.

“How about I show you?” David replied in equal jest, getting up suddenly to scare Cheren. Bianca giggled and Cheren shifted away in his seat.

“Now now, boys, let’s save the fights for the Pokémon, shall we?” Bianca giggled.

[ChaosBlizzard]

Chronicles of Unova

Chapter 4: The Striaton City Gym Battle
Updated Version

“Pansear, Incinerate!”

The day of David’s first official Pokémon League Gym battle had finally arrived. After dreaming about it all his life, David was finally about to challenge a real, certified Gym Leader for an official Pokémon League badge. Typically it was Bianca’s modus operandi to get super excited over things, but today he was right there alongside his friend in that regard. Though he had only been a trainer for a few days, he and Paula had already made leaps and bounds in their training and coordination. He felt confident in their ability to win against Chili and bring home the coveted Trio Badge.

He, Bianca and Cheren walked into the Gym and approached the reservation table. All the tables in the large, extravagant dining room had been pushed to the sides and the chairs placed neatly on top of them. Cilan was sweeping up the clearing in the middle of the room where the battles would take place, Cress was in the back washing a few final dishes from the morning rush, and Chili was practicing attacks with his Pansear. Upon hearing its trainer’s command, the fiery little monkey grabbed its tail and shot out a stream of fire from the tip, spraying a flamethrower that heated the whole room instantly. The move was quite impressive, and as quickly as it had started, the Pokémon cut the stream and leapt into the air behind itself. It spun around, performing a back flip, and landed on one of its hands on top of one of the tables. It was not just strong, but acrobatic and nimble; David reconsidered just how “easy” this battle might be.

As the group approached the reservation table, the young receptionist behind the counter spoke to them. “Ahh, bonjour, bonjour. You, ah… you have ze, ah… appointment, ze ah… rendezvous, with ze Gym Leaders, oui oui?” she asked in a thick accent. David nodded and answered affirmatively for the group. “Ahh, zen you follow me to ze, ahh… ze battling arena, ze colisée, s'il vous plait.” she continued.

The young woman picked up a menu off her table and walked the group over to the middle of the room where Cilan and Chili were. Cress came out of the kitchen to meet them as well.

“Thank you, Colette; please go and wait for us in the judge’s booth, s’il vous plait.” Cilan said. She curtsied and walked over to the far side of the room.

“Welcome, friends. Château de la Ligue welcomes you into its doors and hopes you will have a splendid experience. May we start you off with any appetizers this morning before we get started?” Cilan asked. They politely shook their heads and he continued. “Then we shall begin. Who shall be taking the stage first this morning?”

Cheren spoke up and said that he was; he had won the bet the day before and earned the right to battle first. Bianca would go next, and David last. Cilan bowed his head and stepped aside for his brother Cress to take the field. The two trainers stood opposite each other in the room and readied their Pokémon. Bianca and David sat behind their friend, while Cilan and Chili took up positions behind their brother. The young receptionist stood in the middle of the room and raised her arms up straight.

Ah today…” she said in a projecting voice, “…we have ze battle between Monsieur Cress, of ze Striaton City, and Monsieur Che-Ren, of ze Nuvema Town.” She stressed the two syllables in his name, pronouncing them carefully. “Zis vill be ze un à un Pokémon battle, ze ahh… bataille, comme il était, between Monsieur Cress’ Panpour, et Monsieur Che-Ren’s Eevee. Vill ze trainers please release ze Pokémon, s'il vous plait?”

Cheren silently drew Eevee’s Pokéball from his belt and threw it out into the room. The Pokémon leapt from the ball and stood proudly in the large dining hall. The scale of the room and the high ceilings dwarfed the tiny Pokémon, but he stood proudly and defiantly, ready to face the challenge.

Cress also drew his Pokéball and released it into the air with a triumphant shout of “Panpour, go!” The little blue monkey leapt from the ball in midair and gracefully grabbed a hold of the exquisite chandelier hanging from the ceiling. It swung from the beams daintily and landed with a soft “pat, pat” on the ground opposite Eevee.

“I vill be ze judge of zis match, le juge, and shall determine when ze losing Pokémon is unfit to continue.” Colette explained. She stepped back towards the kitchen at the far end of the room to get out of the way of the opposing Pokémon and swung her arms down in unison. “Aaaaaand, begin!”

Cress was faster and called out the first move. “Panpour, use Water Gun!” he commanded. The little blue monkey swung its tail around from behind itself and held it in both hands like a hose. It sprayed a fierce jet of water from the tip and hit Eevee dead on with it. Eevee went flying back across the room, trying to regain his footing to get out of the way of the blast. He couldn’t get traction before he hit the wall behind Cheren though and slid to the ground, leaving a trail of water as he went. Panpour stopped the stream, raising its arms in the air and shouting in celebration; there was a blank, almost unnerving stare plastered on its face as it cried. Eevee stood back up and ran back to the battlefield, shaking the water from his coat and clearing his head. He puffed out his chest defiantly, ready for his turn to strike back.

“Good hit, Cress, but here’s an even better one. Eevee, let’s use that new move we discovered!” Cheren shouted across the field. In acknowledgment of Cheren’s command, Eevee sat down on his hind legs and closed his eyes. His fur began to rise and flare up with mystical power. The room and even the very building itself began to shake, and Panpour and Cress looked around in shock. Eevee reopened his eyes; his pupils flashed every color of the rainbow and seemed to be channeling the very powers of Arceus himself. A blinding flash shot out from Eevee’s eyes and all returned to normal in an instant. Cress and Panpour looked around to see what had happened, but nothing appeared different. Eevee rose and puffed out his chest proudly and defiantly, mewing in challenge to his opponents.

“What was that? What did you just do?” Cress stammered.

“Never you mind that, pretty-boy. Now for some power; Eevee, use Tackle!” Cheren followed up. Eevee moved as if he were a flash. He launched himself at the Spray Pokémon, hitting it before it could even see where Eevee had gone. The hit knocked the Panpour off its feet and sent it flying. It did a tremendous amount of damage, disorienting and severely wounding it.

“Wow, that looked like it really hurt!” Bianca exclaimed.

“That’s because of Adaptability, Eevee’s ability.” David explained as he folded his arms. “When a Pokémon uses a move of the same type as itself, such as the Normal-type Eevee using the Normal-type Tackle attack, it gains a little power boost known as ‘STAB,’ or ‘Same Type Attack Bonus.’ Pokémon that have the Adaptability ability increase that boost by a small margin, making their STAB attacks much more powerful.” he continued.

“Oh wow, that’s awesome! Cheren’s really smart for utilizing that.” Bianca commented.

Panpour stood itself back up, clutching its head and trying to find its opponent. It was disoriented and tired, the Tackle attack having done a tremendous amount of damage to its frail body. It leapt back into the fray and Cress shouted for it to use Water Gun again; it readied its tail and fired, but this time Eevee jumped out of the way.

As Eevee landed, the flash of light that he had shot off earlier flew through the walls and came back to him, causing his fur to rise and swirl with power and energy again. Eevee had a look of grit and determination in his eyes; suddenly all the damage he had endured during the battle washed away, healed in an instant by his Wish.

Cheren turned to face his friends and grinned. “I discovered Eevee could use Wish yesterday while I was at the Trainers’ School. Red must have bred it into him. Guess my day wasn’t a waste after all, huh?” he said excitedly. Turning back around, he faced his opponent and shouted a final command. “Now that Wish has kicked in, it’s time to finish this. Eevee, use Quick Attack!” he shouted.

Eevee bobbed his head in acknowledgement and then simply vanished. He was moving so fast that he couldn’t even be seen. Panpour looked around in a panic for its foe, still disoriented from the Tackle it had sustained earlier. Suddenly, Eevee struck from behind and hit it square in the back. As it was falling forward, Eevee struck again from the side, then the other side, then the front, and so on. Eevee was unrelenting and uncounterable, moving so fast he couldn’t even be seen. As Panpour fell backwards, nearly on the verge of defeat, Eevee ran up behind it and stopped. The Panpour tripped over him as it fell, stumbling and landing on its head. Eevee jumped up with all his might, launching Panpour off of his back and high into the air. It came sailing back down to the ground and landed with a “thud!” It lifted its head and waved an arm, then collapsed, too exhausted to continue the fight.

Colette raised her left hand and turned to Cheren. “Panpour is unable to battle. Monsieur Che-Ren is ze winner!” she announced in her thick French accent. Eevee ran back to Cheren joyously and leapt into his trainer’s arms. Cheren was grinning a massive grin and pet Eevee on the head, congratulating him and giving him praise. He took a small Pokémon treat from his pocket and gave it to the little fox, which Eevee devoured happily.

Cress recalled his Pokémon and walked to the middle of the room. Cheren met him half way and the two trainers shook hands. Cheren was victorious, and had earned his first official Pokémon League badge.

* * *

After clearing the field and readying for the next match, Bianca and Cilan took up their positions opposite one another in the massive room.

“Ah next…” Colette shouted, “…we have ze battle between Monsieur Cilan, of ze Striaton City, and Madame Bianca, of ze Nuvema Town. Zis vill also be ze un à un Pokémon battle, between Monsieur Cilan’s Pansage, et Madame Bianca’s Pachirisu. Will ze trainers please release ze Pokémon, s'il vous plait?”

Bianca took Pachirisu’s ball out of her bag and threw it high into the air. The ball opened midflight and the Ele-Squirrel Pokémon leapt out, striking a pose and bristling with electricity as she gracefully touched down on the wooden floor. Cilan also drew his Pokéball and threw it underhanded into the center of the room, a smile of contentment and ease lining his relaxed face. A small green Pansage popped out and smiled at Pachirisu, preparing to spar with its new opponent.

“I shall again be ze judge of zis match and shall determine when ze losing Pokémon is unfit to continue.” Colette continued. She raised her arms above her head and swung them down in unison. “Aaaaaand, begin!”

“Femmes first…” Cilan said with a flick of his wrist. His accent was strong.

“You’re going to regret underestimating me, buster! Pachirisu, Quick Attack!” Bianca shouted back bluntly. Pachirisu went down on all fours and began to charge at the Pansage, moving as quickly as her short legs would take her. Pansage stood perfectly still, waiting and watching as its opponent draw closer, all the while maintaining its vacant grin. Cilan stood calmly too, his eyes closed and a hand on his hip. At the last moment, he audibly snapped his fingers and Pansage dodged. It leapt straight up, Pachirisu running blisteringly quickly underneath it.

“Pansage, use your Vine Whip, s'il vous plait.” Cilan said calmly. As it fell back down, Pansage did a backflip and shot out the vines from the tip of its tail. The speeding vines launched forth to Pachirisu and caught her mid-stride, swinging her back around the room and crashing into the opposite wall. Pansage landed gracefully and stood to face Pachirisu, who herself stood back up and shook off the disorientation. Pachirisu was still very determined, but the first bout had fairly solidly gone to Cilan in terms of grace and damage output.

“Pachirisu, try it again! Hurry, Quick Attack!” Bianca shouted. Pachirisu shot towards Pansage again at lightning speed, determination and rage burning in her eyes for being duped. Cilan and Pansage were again calm and still, and again at the last moment, Cilan ordered his Pokémon to attack, this time calling for a Scratch attack. Pansage nimbly sidestepped just as Pachirisu reached it, extending its claws and raking the little squirrel as she ran past. Pachirisu yelped in pain and stumbled, falling to the ground and skidding to a halt on her face. Pachirisu stood up again, burning with anger and lusting for revenge, but she had taken considerable damage by this point and it was visibly showing.

Bianca knew trying the same attack a third time would be pointless; it was time to call out the big guns and use her secret weapon. “Pachirisu, use your Hidden Power!” she shrieked. David could hear the fire and passion in her voice, and suddenly got that funny feeling again unexpectedly.

Pachirisu was seething with rage and strength, just like her trainer. She launched off the powerful attack, filling the entire room with a wave of frost.

“Ack! Pansage, quick, run away!” Cilan shouted. The blast of cold air filled the entire room however, catching Pansage from behind as it tried to escape. The winds knocked it to the ground and did severe damage; Pachirisu composed herself and bristled with extraneous electricity. Bianca ordered a finishing blow of Spark and she charged forth at the Pansage angrily. Pansage turned over its shoulder, still trying to stand after being knocked down by the Hidden Power, and saw the bolt of lightning screaming towards it. It tried to roll out of the way, but Pachirisu’s aim was true. She smashed into the Grass Monkey Pokémon and filled it with blistering current. Pansage was down, laying flat on its face, and Colette raised her left hand again, signaling that Bianca was the winner.

“Pansage is unable to battle. Madame Bianca is ze winner!” she shouted. Pachirisu ran back to her trainer, bruised and aching, but full of pride that she had won for her. Bianca squealed and ran out to meet her Pokémon. Pachirisu leapt into Bianca’s arms and she embraced it, cuddling her next to her face. She knelt on the ground, hugging her Pokémon and losing sense of everything else around her. Cilan returned Pansage to its Pokéball and, like his brother before him, walked out to shake Bianca’s hand. She too had won her Gym battle, and had earned herself her own Trio Badge.

* * *

Now it was David’s turn. He was the last one to battle, and the only one without a badge. Everything was riding on this battle, and as certain as he was in he and Paula’s abilities, he couldn’t help but feel nervous. Colette began her announcement for the third time that day.

“Ahh finally, we have ze battle between Monsieur Chili, of ze Striaton City, and Monsieur David, of ze Nuvema Town. Zis vill be ze final un à un Pokémon battle of ze day, between Monsieur Chili’s Pansear, et Monsieur David’s Ralts. Will ze trainers please release ze Pokémon, s'il vous plait?”

David took hold of Paula’s Pokéball and threw it gently into the arena. The little Ralts popped out and floated off of the ground, filling the room with a soft, melodic cry.

“Have no fear, master; we will win. I have a few tricks up my sleeve even my wonderful trainer does not know about yet.” he heard Paula say in his head. He wondered what she could mean, but noticed that she did seem to have a certain sheen to her; a glow that seemed to resonate with power, energy and strength. “Thank you, master; I noticed it too.” she interrupted.

Chili clutched his Pokéball and threw it emphatically into the middle of the room. He was the most rough-and-tumble of the brothers; his choice of Pokémon was a reflection of his fiery personality and battling style. His Pansear flew out from the ball and landed with an audible “thud!” on the ground; it was a striking difference to the more graceful entrances his brothers’ Pokémon had made.

“Get ready to get burned, kid! We’re about to sizzle, yow!” he shouted. David turned his gaze from Paula to his opponent, not sure if he should be intimidated by the comment or amused by it. Colette spoke up and repeated her instructions to the trainers for the final time that day.

“I shall be ze judge of zis final match and shall determine when ze losing Pokémon is unfit to continue.” she said. She brought her arms above her head and swung them down in unison. “Aaaaaand, begin!”

“Paula, use Double Team!” David commanded.

“Pansear, hit ‘em with Incinerate!” Chili shouted in unison.

Paula quickly flooded the room with her copies, but Pansear shot them with the blast of fire as quickly as she could make them. Just as the blast was about to reach the real Paula, she Teleported away and out of harm.

“That’s a real fast-paced start to such a hot battle, yow!” Chili shouted. David mentally agreed, but he agreed by keeping up the pace Chili appreciated so much.

“Paula, hit it with Confusion!” he shouted. She reappeared from her Teleport and shot forth the blast, striking Chili’s Pansear, but it was just a glancing blow. Pansear sloughed it off and charged towards her, ready to strike back. Chili called for a Fury Swipes attack and it dashed towards the Ralts, claws bared and screaming wildly. It took a mighty swipe at her, but she again Teleported away.

“Keep it up, Paula; just keep Teleporting! Stay safe and we’ll wear it down.” David shouted reassuringly. Paula reappeared a short distance away from where she had Teleported from and the Pansear took another swipe at her; she Teleported away from that one as well and the pattern began again. The two Pokémon had a sort of dance going of Pansear taking a slash at Paula, Paula Teleporting away, and then rematerializing a short distance from it and starting over again. After several seconds of this back-and-forth though, Pansear managed to catch a lucky shot and glanced a blow, spinning her side-over-side and knocking her to the floor.

Paula was in a dire straight. She lay defenseless on the ground, trying valiantly to get back up and defend herself as the fiery monkey quickly closed in for the final blow. She was dazed from the hit and couldn’t Teleport away in time to avoid the impending attack; Pansear wasn’t going to let this opportunity get away.

“Let’s finish this, Pansear. Burn it with Incinerate!” Chili shouted with a devilish laugh. Pansear bounded towards his enemy, tail in hand, ready to launch the small flamethrower to finish the match. A Cheshire grin spread across its face as it anticipated its impending victory. David was out of options; he didn’t know what to do. He desperately called for Paula to Teleport away, but she was still reeling from the Fury Swipes. Paula leaned herself up on one arm, shielding her face with the other, and looked up to see her would-be attacker closing in. Just as Chili’s Pansear prepared to launch the blow, David heard Paula’s voice speak inside his head.

“This is not over yet, you ne’er-do-‘ell!” she cut. “Master, watch this!”

In a brilliant flash of light, Paula summoned all the energy her tiny little body could store and evaporated in a blaze. It blinded the Pansear, spraying its fire all throughout the room in uncontrollable shock and surprise. Paula reappeared just below the chandelier, hovering gracefully in the air. She let out a cry and began to glow in a brilliant white. A blue aura formed around her silhouette and rings of like-colored light emanated from the glow. They wrapped around her body in a cyclical fashion, increasing in speed as they went. She slowly began to morph from one form to another, flooding the room in light and temporarily stopping the match. The light began to strobe and the blue rings moved up and down her tiny form too quickly to follow. They grew more and more frantic in their motion; in an instant, when the strobe got too jarring to stand to see, the bundle of light and energy that had been Paula burst, and something altogether new took her place. Floating delicately below the chandelier, the sight of a beautiful young Kirlia floated down to the ground.

Paula sang out a brilliant note and drifted daintily to the ground, pirouetting gracefully on her long, slender new legs as she landed. She turned to look at her opponent and struck a fighting pose. The Pansear was taken aback by the new form of its opponent and didn’t know what to do.

“Whatever; you think you’re so hot? Pansear, Fury Swipes!” Chili shouted. Pansear shook its mind clear and again rushed towards his new foe, claws bared and ready to strike. As a Kirlia, Paula was much faster now and Teleported away from the danger easily. With each Teleport to evade his Fury Swipes, she warped behind the High Temp Pokémon and gave it a taunting little smack on the back of the head. This enraged it, making each swipe more powerful but less controlled than the last. After several iterations of this, Pansear went into a frenzy and slashed wildly at the air. The newly evolved Kirlia teleported to a safe distance away and watched as confused little Pokémon flailed in desperation.

“May I please put it out of its misery, master?” David heard her say. He grinned and gave her the nod.

“Kirlia, use Confusion!” he shouted triumphantly, knowing that victory was now within their grasp. Paula loosed the blast, now much more powerful than before, and it struck the confused Pokémon squarely, tossing it against the far wall with great power. Chili’s Pansear slumped to the ground in a tired mess and gave up the ghost; Colette raised her left arm for a final time and declared David as the winner.

“Pansear is unable to battle. Monsieur David is ze winner!” she cried. David let the sound of her voice wash over him. He lowered his head and tried fruitlessly to restrain the massive grin that was spreading across his face. He had just competed in his first Pokémon League Gym battle with his two best friends watching, and he had won. He looked up at Paula; she smiled and closed her eyes. She Teleported over to him and stood by his side, looking up lovingly at her newly victorious trainer. David put a hand on her shoulder and tried to think of the biggest cake he could imagine; Paula put a hand to her mouth and giggled at the message.

“Man… burned out…” Chili said, dejectedly recalling his Pokémon to the ball. He closed his eyes and grinned though, running out to the field to congratulate his opponent. David walked over calmly and shook his hand, then turned around to look at his friends. Cheren flashed a thumbs up and Bianca waved and blew him a kiss. He blushed at her gesture in particular and turned back to his opponent, releasing his grip. Cilan and Cress walked up to join their brother and began to clap politely for all three trainers. Cheren, Bianca and David had all won their Gym battles that day.

* * *

As the last of the lunch rush began to pour in, Cilan looked to his brothers who stood in the wings. They nodded to him in unison and he in turn nodded back at them. On their signal, he walked to the center of the restaurant with a Champagne glass and a butter knife in hand. He tapped them together several times to get the restaurant’s attention, and then began to speak.

“Welcomed and respected patrons of Château de la Ligue, we, the Striaton City Gym Leaders and purveyors of this fine establishment, would like to congratulate and recognize the latest group of trainers to leave our fair city with the honored Trio Badge.” he said in a booming voice. David, Cheren and Bianca rose from their seats at one of the centrally located tables as the crowd began to applaud. David and Cheren shook hands and bowed, while Bianca curtsied and giggled.

“It is my honor as a Gym Leader to award these talented trainers with their first Unova region Gym badge. May it be the first of many on their Pokémon journey.” he continued. Colette walked up to him and handed him a case with three shiny new badges in it. She too curtsied and backed away, returning to her post near the door. Cilan walked up to his brothers and they each took one from the case. Cress awarded a badge to Cheren, Cilan awarded one to Bianca, and Chili awarded one to David; the three friends looked at each other with mile-wide grins staining their faces. The novice trainers raised their badges in unison for all to see; the restaurant again erupted into applause and congratulated the young challengers on their victories.

“One down, seven to go…” David thought to himself. This was bound to be the start of something great.

[ChaosBlizzard]

Chronicles of Unova

Chapter 5: Preschool Daze (Bianca Catches a Pokémon)
Updated Version

The morning sun shone down on Route 3 from a perfectly clear, blue backdrop. The sun was shining, the Pidove were chirping, and the ground was ever-so-slightly damp from a drizzle the previous night. The mist on the plants accentuated their smells, carrying the sweet scent of ripe fruit and freshly cut grass through the air. Wild Pokémon frolicked and played along the side of the road as David, Bianca and Cheren walked along it, and all of nature seemed to come alive around them. Route 3 was renowned across all of Unova as one of the purest and most beautiful portions of the region; with its rolling hills, lush green pastures, beautiful sparkling lakes and bright, inviting forests, how could it not be?

Having defeated the Striaton City Gym and won their Trio Badges, the group’s next destination was Nacrene City to the west. The city was a one-to-two day walk from Striaton, passing through the beautiful, winding countryside of Route 3. The area was home to a famous daycare center and preschool, with a sister location right next door for Pokémon. The daycare had been started by a young couple many years prior who had always loved children and Pokémon, but could never have a child of their own. Deciding to do the next best thing, they opened their doors to the citizens of Striaton and opened a daycare mixed with a preschool, which quickly grew and became famous around the region for producing gifted students and talented businessmen. They later opened a sister location in the building next door especially for Pokémon, which in time also grew famous in its own right for producing top-quality Pokémon eggs. It was said that the Pokémon born at the Route 3 Day Care Center always grew to be powerful warriors, so it was a hotspot for trainers too.

As they walked along the road, passing by the gates to the legendary establishment, they could see small children running and frolicking on the grounds of the campus. Teachers pushed their students gently on the swings, children played and laughed in the sandbox and on the slides, and the little boys always held the door for their female classmates and minded their manners among the adults. It reminded David of his own childhood, and gave him a warm feeling for the future; the institution was continuing to hold their standards high and produce well mannered citizens that would benefit the world. Next door, he could see small Pokémon in much the same role; being fed by their handlers, running and playing Tag in the grass, and enjoying the beautiful day as they awaited their trainers’ returns.

As these thoughts filled his head, he moved his gaze toward Bianca and watched as she took in the same sights and sounds. She had a calm smile on her face and her eyes shimmered in the sun. She swung her arms ever-so-slightly more quickly as she passed the school, and she had the slightest of springs in her step which wasn’t normally there. He knew he was beginning to fall for his old friend and think of her in a romantic light, he couldn’t keep denying that, but they were just kids themselves; they were only eighteen, just now reaching the prime of their lives and newly having embarked on their Pokémon journey. They would be on the road traveling and going on adventures for several more years before they settled down and returned to society; while the prospect of a romantic relationship with Bianca was starting to become an appealing one, the thought of children with her was something so completely distant to him that he almost couldn’t even imagine it. Watching her as she gazed at the tikes made it seem like something not completely unappealing at some point in the distant future though. She was swinging her arms right along side of him and her hand would occasionally brush up against his. He wished he could hold it as they walked, but knew he had to restrain himself; so close, and yet so far away.

A little boy who had been sitting on the swings and watching them as they passed jumped down and ran across the field to a little girl who was sitting on the stoop. He ran over and whispered something in her ear. A smile spread across her face and she looked at him and nodded. The little boy helped her up and the pair ran up to the fence.

“Hey! Are you guys Pokémon trainers?” the little boy asked. David shot his friends a quizzical look; Bianca and Cheren returned the sentiment and shrugged.

“Um… yeah? We are.” David replied curiously. The two little kids turned to look at each other, large grins spreading across their faces at David’s answer.

“Would you like to have a Pokémon battle with us?” the little boy asked politely.

“We have Pokémon too!” the little girl chimed in. A grin spread across Bianca’s face at their request and she clasped her hands together in front of her chest.

“Awww! How sweet! You two are just adorable!” she cooed. “I’ll have a battle with you if it’s alright with your teachers.” she continued. “Cheren, will you and Eevee be my battle partners?” she asked, turning towards her friend.

“Sure…” he replied coolly, “…but you’re right about needing to get permission from their teacher. Can you kids go get your teacher, please?” he continued.

“Sure! I’ll go get her.” said the little boy excitedly. He ran back to the swings and began talking excitedly to the young woman who had been pushing him. He took her hand and pulled her over to where the group had been talking.

“Hello, kids. Mikey tells me you three agreed to have a Pokémon battle with him. Is that right?” the teacher asked as she and the boy approached the fence. Before they could answer though, she looked down at the little boy and folded her arms. “Mikey, you haven’t been bothering these nice people, have you?” she asked disapprovingly. Mikey’s eyes opened wide in surprise and he shook his head “no” very quickly.

“No, Ms. Perkins! I would never do that! They said they would, didn’t’cha, guys? You said it!” Mikey insisted, looking up at his new friends. Cheren nodded in affirmation and walked closer to the fence.

“We did, ma’am. We’re in no rush, and Bianca here was so enthralled by his polite little offer, we just couldn’t say ‘no.’” Cheren replied. “Bianca and I would be happy to have a battle with them if it’s alright with you.” he continued.

“Well, they are much too young to be real trainers obviously, and their Pokémon are very young too, so please go easy on them, but I suppose it’s alright with me.” the teacher said. The little children looked at each other with grins as big as their faces and shouted “Alright!” in unison.

* * *

A small crowd had drawn to watch the battle. All of the school children were anxious to see their classmates in a real Pokémon battle with real-life, actual trainers. Even some of the teachers were in on the action. Bianca and Cheren released their Pokémon and prepared to fight.

The two children stood opposite them on the field, chomping at the bit to begin. “My name is Mikey and this is Amy. Get ready, trainers; here we come!” Mikey shouted. The little boy threw out a Pokéball and a small Lillipup jumped out, barking excitedly and wagging its tail. The little girl then threw out her own Pokéball and a Pidove flew out, cooing and spreading its wings as it took to the skies. The Tiny Pigeon Pokémon flew happily through the air, enjoying the feel of the warm, late-summer sun. The children’s teacher looked at Bianca and Cheren, and then to Mikey and Amy; satisfied they were all four prepared, she shouted, “Begin!”

“Okay Lillipup, here we go! Use your Bite attack!” Mikey shouted. The little dog ran clumsily towards Eevee and took a snap. Eevee jumped out of the way and landed to the side of his opponent.

“Sand-Attack.” Cheren ordered calmly. Eevee picked his hind legs up and kicked backwards at the ground. The Lillipup turned to face its opponent and took the spray of dirt right in the eyes. Blinded, it tipped over while trying to regain its vision.

Across the field, Amy shouted for her Pidove to use Gust. The Tiny Pigeon Pokémon flew up high into the air and flapped its wings with all its might at Pachirisu. Pachirisu dug in to try and withstand the strong winds, but was knocked off her feet and flew back.

“Ack! Pachirisu, use Quick Attack!” Bianca shouted. Pachirisu was still stumbling and flying backwards through the air, but as soon as she managed to find the smallest bit of traction, she took off, bolting forward towards the enemy. She leapt into the air and kicked at the Pidove, knocking it from flight and sending it spiraling towards the ground.

As Mikey’s Lillipup tried desperately to blink the dirt from its eyes, Cheren gave Eevee a finishing command. “Eevee, use Tackle.” he said; Eevee hunched over, wagging his tail in anticipation, and launched himself towards the Lillipup. The attack sent the Puppy Pokémon flying back, and it landed in a slump before its trainer.

Pidove was still reeling from the Quick Attack. It flapped desperately, trying to regain altitude, but was unable to catch the breeze. Pachirisu landed nimbly and stood, waiting for Bianca’s next command.

“Pachirisu, use Hidden Power!” she shouted.

“Pidove, use Gust again!” Amy shouted back desperately.

Pachirisu let loose the blast, the freezing winds rushing towards the spiraling Pidove. Amy’s Pidove tried with all its might to flap a whirlwind back, trying to use the strong winds it was generating to push the freezing blast back towards Pachirisu. The two forces met in midair, struggling to overcome each other; the tug-of-war was short lived, though to Amy it seemed to last forever. Pachirisu’s Hidden Power eventually overcame the Pidove’s winds though and shot towards it, striking it for one final blow. The little bird fell from the sky and landed next to its partner, tired and defeated by the type-advantageous Ice-type attack. Bianca and Cheren had won the battle.

“Yeah! Nice work, Cheren!” Bianca shouted.

“You too, Bianca.” Cheren said back calmly. Though they were happy to have won, the pair quickly remembered who it was they were fighting and looked at their opponents, worried at how they might react. The young kids looked at their Pokémon in shock. Bianca put a hand to her mouth and became worried, sensing the tears that were sure to follow, but to her surprise, none came. The kids leapt into the air shouting “Yeah!” and high-fived. Despite the loss, they were ecstatic to have simply had the opportunity to battle. It was something they wouldn’t soon forget.

The small crowd began to applaud for the trainers, clapping for Bianca and Cheren for their decisive victory and for Mikey and Amy for their good sportsmanship. The whole campus seemed alive and happy, proud of all their students and friends. The moment seemed to last forever, it occurred to David, and nothing could spoil their day. This was the kind of perfect, flawless moment that storybooks wrote about.

“Quick, grab ‘em!”

Two hooded figures ran from the road and onto the campus. They bolted onto the field and snatched up the defeated Lillipup and Pidove in their arms. As quickly as they had appeared, the pair dashed back towards the road and ran off with the little Pokémon. The entire campus sat dumbstruck at what had happened.

* * *

“‘Team Plasma?’ That’s what they call themselves? What kind of name is that?” the teacher asked, having listened to David and Bianca’s explanation. David sighed and shrugged his shoulders in response.

“I don’t know, ma’am, but they’re a bunch of crooks and loons. We’ve run into them before. They’re very dangerous and not exactly the sharpest tools in the shed.” he replied.

“Teacher, those men stole our Pokémon!” Mikey whined worriedly, tugging on his teacher’s apron for attention. The teacher sighed and put her arm on his shoulder to try and calm him, shooting him a strained smile.

“Yes, Mikey, I know. We’ll find a way of getting them back.” she said reassuringly. To be honest though, she had no idea what to do. Calling the police would do no good because by the time they arrived from Striaton, the Plasma agents would already be long gone. She couldn’t go after them herself because the school was already short staffed as it was. She wanted to appear calm and in control of the situation in front of the students as so not to worry them, but she was out of options and starting to panic. What’s worse, every second she wasted in indecision was another second the men were using to get away. A look of sickness was spread across her face.

Seeing her trouble, David spoke up. “Uhh, miss? You know… we could go try and get the Pokémon back for you… if you can’t.” he offered in a low voice. “We’ve dealt with them before.” he continued. Bianca turned to look at him with a gleam in her eyes, a large smile beginning to spread across her lips at his suggestions.

“Hey yeah, we can get those crooks for you!” she said, snapping her fingers as she spoke.

“I’ve never actually fought Team Plasma personally. I’d love to get my hands dirty in that regard, given the option…” Cheren followed up, rubbing his hands together and trailing off as he spoke. The three-pronged offer had a both instant and noticeable effect on the young teacher’s visible expression; her eyes unclouded and she looked up at them in surprise.

“You… you will?” she stammered. “Oh my, oh thank you! Oh my, oh my… thank you!” she shouted. She embraced each of them, wiping her eyes and laughing as she went.

“Yay! The Pokémon trainers are going to get our Pokémon back, Amy! Yay!” Mikey shouted with pure, simple joy. The look of worry was also gone from his small face, replaced in an instant by cheer.

“Come on, guys. We’ve got to hurry if we’re going to catch up to them!” David shouted, turning to run back down to the road. It had been only a few brief minutes since the robbery, not even halfway to being measured in two digits, but any time the Plasma agents had on them was time they could use to escape.

“We’ll be back before you know it, kids!” Bianca shouted too. The group of adventurers ran off towards the road, utterly determined to get the Pokémon back. They sprinted away, and slowly, the school faded from view.

* * *

Lennon was tired. Oh my God, was he tired. “The things I do for Pokémon…” he thought to himself. He was winded and breathing heavily. His legs burned and his heart felt like it was beating out of his chest. The heavy cloak he wore didn’t exactly help lessen the burden, and his sheath banged against his thighs with each agonizing step.

But he kept running. He ran without looking back. He put the pain out of his mind and just focused on putting one foot in front of the other, trying to put as much distance between himself and the school as he could. The Lillipup in his arms was passed out from its battle, unaware of anything that had happened in regards to its capture. Lennon looked down at the little Pokémon and redoubled his efforts; if he had to endure a little bit of running to keep that little guy safe, well… that was just a damn fine trade off.

He took a quick look behind himself to make sure his partner was still following. He was… good; and no one else appeared to be following them either. He could no longer see the school, so he shouted back to his partner.

“Hey! McCartney! Hold up a minute.” he shouted. The two men let their momentum run out and they eventually stopped. They ducked into the forest off the road and hunkered down, fading away into the shadows.

“Were we followed?” Lennon asked.

“Doesn’t look like it, mate. Team Plasma strikes again! Haha!” McCartney replied. Lennon shot him a grin, but he was breathing heavily and knelt over to catch his breath.

“I’m about to keel over. We gotta rest for a minute.” he wheezed. “Wellspring Cave is right up ahead; let’s duck in there for a little while and wait for the dust to settle. We’ll come out once night falls and return to the rendezvous point.” Lennon continued; McCartney returned his partner’s grin and nodded in affirmation.

“Sounds good to me. Let’s go.” he replied. The two men checked down the road to make sure no one was coming and then started back along the path.

Lennon’s heart rate had returned to normal and he had caught his breath. The Lillipup he held in his arms began to stir, so he looked down at it.

“Hey, McCartney, my Pokémon is coming to. Help me out, will ya?” he said. McCartney reached into his pack and took out some food and water. He handed the supplies to his partner and Lennon began to feed the little Pokémon.

“Hey there, Lillipup. How do you feel?” Lennon cooed soothingly. “You want some water? Are you hungry?” he said, offering it the food. The Lillipup looked up at him, its young mind utterly confused and befuddled by the strange new man looking down at him. It tried to let out a weak little bark, but it was too tired. It took a small dribble of water and then fell back asleep in Lennon’s arms.

“Don’t worry, Lillipup; you’re safe with Team Plasma now. No evil humans will ever hurt you again.” he continued to murmur reassuringly. “Those stupid kids think they can control you, but they can’t. We can help you reach your full potential. You’ll be fine, don’t you worry.” he continued. He looked over to his partner and nodded with a smile.

Lennon had been walking as he tried to feed the Lillipup and hadn’t been watching exactly where he was going along the generally straight path. He had been accidentally veering a bit too far towards the southern side of the road and felt something tug at the bottom left of his tunic. The grip tripped him and he stumbled, hearing his clothing rip as he fell. He regained his balance before he tripped completely, but looked down and saw that his tunic had snared on a branch and torn. A small patch of it was waving in the breeze on the side of the road.

“Damn it… Goddamn it, I just got this uniform.” he muttered angrily under his breath. McCartney caught up to him and put a hand on his shoulder to calm his partner.

“Hey, don’t worry about it, mate. We rescued the Pokémon, didn’t we?” McCartney said. “That’s all that matters. We can fix it later.” he continued. Lennon looked down and sighed, but knew that McCartney was right.

“Yeah… yeah, you’re right. Thanks.” Lennon replied. “Come on, I can see Wellspring Cave up ahead.” he continued. The two men continued on their trek and eventually entered the cave.

“Thank Arceus for Team Plasma.” Lennon thought to himself.

* * *

The group sprinted blindly down the road, Hell-bent on catching up to the thieves. Bianca wheezed and could hardly keep up, but she pushed herself with all of her might. She had always been a little big, and she knew it, but she had hoped going on her adventure might slim her down a bit. “I guess it has to start somewhere…” she thought to herself.

They ran forward, not knowing where they were going or what lay ahead. For all they knew, the Plasma agents had already left the road and begun traveling through the forest, but such thoughts would imply that they had failed; that was something they wouldn’t accept. Things looked grim, but they pushed on, knowing they couldn’t return empty handed and crush the children’s spirits. Suddenly, Cheren spotted something that gave him hope.

“Hey guys, look at that!” he shouted. They ran up to the little bush Cheren had spotted, sitting proudly along the side of the road. On any other day it would have just been a rosebush, looking pretty and adding color to the highway, but today it was so much more. Flapping in the wind, proudly on display for any kind-hearted passersby, was a small piece of gray cloth; the very same that had torn from Lennon’s tunic.

“It’s a piece of one of their uniforms!” Cheren commented excitedly. “We must be on the right path!” he continued.

“I see a cave up ahead. Maybe they ducked in there.” David mused; Cheren smiled and adjusted his glasses.

“It’s not just any cave, David. That’s Wellspring Cave.” he explained. “It was in the news a few years ago. You guys remember the Pokémon Roggenrola, right?” he continued. David and Bianca both shook their heads “yes.”

“Oh yeah, I remember about that. Something about them discovering it here or something, right?” David replied; Cheren nodded in affirmation and continued to explain.

“Right. Wellspring Cave, as the name would suggest, contains a natural freshwater spring, and a crew was trying to set up a piping system from here to Striaton a few years back to supply water to the city. The mining equipment accidentally disturbed a colony of Roggenrola, but they had never been seen by people before, so the crew essentially “discovered” the species. They’ve started cropping up elsewhere since then, but this was where they were first discovered.” Cheren explained. “You’re probably right, they probably did go to hide in there. It’s pretty secluded, so they could hide out until nightfall and make their escape in the cover of darkness. The natural spring could also be useful to them. We should definitely check it out.” he continued.

“Wow, Cheren, you’re pretty smart.” Bianca said, catching her breath. Cheren smiled again but turned away towards the cave as he spoke back.

“Thanks, but we should get going.” he said as he took off running again. David took off too, right on his friend’s heels, and the two of them ran for the cave. Bianca stared at them in tired disbelief and put her hands on her knees.

“Great, more running…” she thought. “Remember your love handles, Bianca. Think ‘thin.’”

* * *

Lennon sat next to the small lake inside the cave. The “liberated” Lillipup and Pidove were sleeping peacefully next to him, recovering from their battle earlier in the day. He looked at them and smiled to himself, knowing in his heart that what he was doing was good. He turned his gaze towards the clear blue water beside him and saw a colony of Basculin swim by.

“You see that, McCartney? That’s how Pokémon should be; free and wild, able to control their own destiny.” Lennon said to his partner. McCartney stood on lookout near the entrance to the cave. He looked to his partner and smiled.

“I tell ya, Lennon… Joining Team Plasma is the best thing that ever happened to me.” he said stoically. “You know my story, right? I was a nobody, working for some shithole corporate behemoth, toiling away 9-to-5 for the man, and for what? What was I trying to accomplish with my life? I didn’t want to keep making widgets forever; I wanted to do something to help the world.” he recalled. Lennon smiled, remembering when he had first met his partner. They had been a perfect match from the start.

“It was like a… like a shipping company or something, wasn’t it?” Lennon asked. McCartney shook his head and chuckled out a sigh.

“Aye, mate. It was rotten work. This job has its ups and downs, but at least now I feel like I’m really making the world a better place.” he continued. The pair smiled and looked away in silent reflection. It was a pleasant, strangely relaxing moment, but their tranquility was to be short lived.

“This way!” a voice shouted from outside. The noise jolted McCartney back from his daydream. He poked out from behind his cover and inspected the path leading up to the cave.

“Hey! Hey, Lennon, come here! There’s someone coming!” he whispered. Lennon’s face grew stern; he rose to meet his companion and inspect the danger, but he was in fact right. Though they didn’t know them yet, David, Bianca and Cheren were running up to the cave, intent on finding them and returning the Pokémon. They looked ready to fight if it came to it.

“Get ready, McCartney. Time to prove our worth to Team Plasma.” Lennon said with determination. The two men backed away from the entrance and found cover deeper within the cave. They steeled themselves, ready to fight to protect the newly freed Pokémon.

Cheren and David burst into the cave, Bianca following a moment later. David spied the stolen Pokémon and pointed them out to Cheren.

“Jackpot.” David murmured. “We know you’re in here, Plasma. Come on out and we’ll give you a fair fight.” he announced to the cave. The two hooded men leapt from their cover and struck fighting poses.

“You’ll never take these Pokémon back! We are noble operatives of Team Plasma, and we have sworn to protect them with our lives!” Lennon shouted.

As he said this, they pulled Pokéballs from beneath their cloaks simultaneously and threw them out to meet the challenge. Lennon released a Roggenrola and McCartney a Trubbish; the Pokémon stood defiantly in the clearing, ready to fight for their cause.

David and Cheren shot each other a look, each seeing the gleam in the other’s eyes, and released Pokémon of their own. Cheren threw out Eevee to do battle with the Trubbish and David sent out Paula to fight the Roggenrola.

“It doesn’t have to come to this, Plasma. Just return the Pokémon and we’ll let you go.” Cheren said sternly.

“Screw! Off!” McCartney shouted back defiantly. “Trubbish, use Poison Gas!” he appended. The Trash Bag Pokémon opened its mouth and let loose the stench. It filled the room, choking Eevee and blinding him.

“Eevee, Quick Attack!” Cheren commanded. Eevee squinted, his eyes stinging from the thick cloud of noxious fumes. He found his mark though and took off like a rocket, shooting towards the Trubbish at tremendous speeds. Eevee’s aim was true and he slammed into it, sending the small Poison-type Pokémon flying back through the cave.

“Paula, use Confusion!” David said. The young Kirlia levitated slightly off the ground and loosed the blast towards the enemy Roggenrola. Lennon called for his Pokémon to use Harden, and at his command, the Mantle Pokémon became still. It stood like a statue, letting the attack wash over it. It hurt him, but he weathered the attack, his Sturdy body unfaltering.

“Roggenrola, hit back with Rock Blast!” Lennon shouted. It relaxed its body again and began hurdling projectiles towards Paula from its large ear. She moved out of the way just in time to dodge the first one, but the second caught her in the side of the head, knocking her to the ground.

Eevee was beginning to really suffer from the poisonous gasses, and was growing visibly faint as a result. Trubbish leapt back into the action after taking the blow, McCartney calling for it to use an Acid Spray attack. It shot the fizzling blast towards Eevee, the green liquid sparking and crackling menacingly as it sailed through the air. Eevee dove out of the way, not caring where he landed so long as the spray didn’t hit him and not being able to see anyway. The puddle of acid landed on the cave floor where he had just been and burned through the rocks, creating a small crater about an inch or two deep.

The battle began to disturb the wild Pokémon in the cave. The school of Basculin that had so interested Lennon just moments before swam to the far side of the lake, the local Roggenrola population scuttled into the dark recesses of the cave, and the Zubat and Woobat that hung from the ceiling began to fly out of the cave and into the evening sky. They swarmed towards the trainers en masse, screeching and causing a big commotion. David and Cheren ducked as the swarm flew past them, but they were heading straight for Bianca, who was still standing in the archway. Seeing the hoard of bats flying towards her, she shrieked and covered her head with her arms, shutting her eyes tightly in fear. They flew past her, ruffling her hair and knocking her cap to the ground. When she finally reopened her eyes, one lone Zubat had still yet to fly past, trying to catch up to the rest of the pack. This one was different than all the rest; it had a certain shine to it that the others lacked. It caught Bianca’s eye as it flew past and time seemed to slow as she watched it escape into the night sky.

Paula picked herself up from the Rock Blast and stood to face her opponent. David began to call for another Confusion attack, but he heard her speak in his mind.

“Master, I believe I have an idea. May I try something?” she asked. The last time she had asked if she could test something out it had resulted in her learning Teleport; if this was even half as useful as that, he would be a fool to deny her request. He nodded and she closed her eyes, focusing intently. David heard the wind outside begin to whistle, and then suddenly a torrent of leaves flew into the cave, shimmering in a mystical purple light. The Grass-type stream of foliage flew towards the Rock-type Roggenrola and slashed away at his sturdy form, soundly defeating him; Paula had learned the attack Magical Leaf.

The smog of Poison Gas was beginning to clear, and Cheren ordered Eevee to launch one final Tackle attack. He threw himself at the Trubbish, leaping over the puddle of acid that was still burning away at the floor. He smashed into the opposing Pokémon with a resounding “thud!” and sent it flying. The young Trubbish lacked the defenses to withstand Eevee’s powerful attacks and lay still, unable to keep up the fight; the Plasma grunts had both been defeated.

“Nowhere to run now, Plasma. Give it up, you’ve lost!” Cheren shouted defiantly. Lennon and McCartney both seethed with rage at his indignance.

“No more games, you brats.” McCartney growled. Recognizing they had lost the Pokémon battle, the pair of men decided to take it upon themselves to fight. They both drew their swords slowly and stepped forward to fight in place of their defeated Pokémon. David and Cheren gasped as they realized their intents.

“Paula, Confusion!” David stammered quickly in fear. Recognizing the rather quickly impending danger, Paula acted immediately and launched twin bolts of her telekinetic attacks at the two blades. She snapped the swords before Lennon or McCartney could react, the broken metal clattering to the ground noisily. Lennon and McCartney grew wide-eyed as they realized what had happened.

“Holy shit, man!” Cheren stammered. “I thought those things were just ceremonial; are you people crazy?!” he continued. While the trainers were still reeling from the shock, the defeated Plasma agents decided to cut their losses and just escape. Quickly scooping up their own defeated Pokémon, having to forego the kidnapped ones out of necessity, they dashed between David and Cheren and made a break for the exit.

“Hey, wait, stop!” David shouted as he realized what had happened. He turned to follow after them, but Cheren grabbed his shoulder and stopped him.

“What, are you crazy too?! You want to go after those maniacs? After they just tried to attack us with swords?” he asked. “We’ve got the Pokémon back; I say we let them go and just stay safe.” he continued. David scowled and sighed, turning away angrily, but had to admit that Cheren was right. He and Bianca went to go make sure the Lillipup and Pidove were alright, but Cheren stayed back.

As much as he knew he ought to follow his own advice, something was now burning within Cheren’s mind. He stepped away from his friends and ran towards the entrance of the cave.

“Hey Plasma!” he shouted after the escaping criminals. “Can I just ask you lot one question?” he continued. Lennon and McCartney were a safe distance away by now, nearly out of sight; Lennon shouted back.

“Whadd’ya want, kid?” he snarled impatiently.

“If you’re all about Pokémon Liberation, how come you use Pokémon yourselves? How are you any better than us trainers?” Cheren asked. Lennon’s face grew visibly angrier, which was surprising given his already enraged look of defeat, and he bellowed back.

“We don’t use Pokémon, you stupid cretin! Only wicked Pokémon trainers use Pokémon. Our Pokémon are our partners and friends. They are as committed to the Pokémon Liberation movement as we are!” he shouted back. With that, the two men turned back around and ran out of sight.

“Bah, what a bunch of loons…” Cheren muttered under his breath. He turned back around and returned to the cave.

“We don’t ‘use’ our Pokémon either though!” Bianca shouted as he approached, having overheard their short conversation. “Pachirisu and I are friends, and I know the same is true of you and your Pokémon.” she said to the boys. David sighed and picked up the two kidnapped Pokémon.

“There’s no reasoning with them, Bianca. They’re going to see Pokémon battles as cock fighting no matter what you tell them to the contrary.” he explained. “The only thing any right-minded person can do is stand to oppose them, and unfortunately, it looks like we’re going to have to keep doing just that.” he continued.

“I wish you were wrong… but I know you’re right…” Bianca said dejectedly. “Pokémon battles are about developing skill and understanding. Trainers don’t fight to hurt their Pokémon, we do it to improve ourselves.” she continued. The group grew somber and slowly returned to the school.

* * *

“Oh my goodness! They’re back!” the young teacher shouted, covering her mouth as she saw them approaching. David, Bianca and Cheren were slowly walking back up the road towards the school, carrying the stolen Pokémon safely in their arms. The students and teachers all rushed to the gates to meet the wandering heroes and learn the outcome of the chase.

“Trainers! Pokémon trainers! Did you bring us back our Pokémon?” Mikey and Amy shouted in unison. Bianca smiled and showed Amy her Pidove.

“We sure did! Your Pokémon are perfectly safe and sound!” she said cheerily. David and Bianca set the Pokémon down on the ground before their trainers; the kids ran towards them exclaiming cries of joy. The Pidove and Lillipup saw their trainers and ran up to meet them; Lillipup leapt into Mikey, knocking him down and licking his face excitedly, while Pidove flew into Amy’s arms and cooed lovingly. The children embraced their Pokémon and screamed with joy.

“Thank you, trainers! We love our Pokémon, and you brought them back to us!” Amy shouted through her laughter.

“All in a day’s work, ma’am.” David said, bowing dramatically in jest.

“I don’t know how I can ever repay you, kids. You’ve done a wonderful thing today. Thank you, thank you, thank you!” the teacher said excitedly. The three young adventurers turned to face her and smiled with a nod.

“We don’t need any kind of payment, ma’am. We’re happy to have helped.” Cheren replied. “Our Pokémon grew stronger, we logged a few new Pokédex entries, and David’s Kirlia even learned a new attack. Helping the kids is reward enough for us.” he explained.

The group said their good-byes to the kids and headed on their way back down the road; they needed to make a bit more progress through Route 3 before making camp if they were going to make it to Nacrene City on schedule. It had been a rocky day, but it had all turned out in the end.

* * *

Bianca sat still, looking out at the crystal clear lake as it shimmered in the moonlight. Her friends were sound asleep next to her, their campfire dying down and the sounds of the night growing softer around her. She looked up at the stars and drifted off into thought. She kept thinking about the battle earlier that day and the wave of Zubat and Woobat that had rushed past her as they fled. She could still feel their wings slapping gently against her face and arms if she thought about it; it made her shutter to remember. Normally she wasn’t afraid of bats, but being so surrounded by them made her feel uncomfortable. Beside her, Cheren let out a loud snore and broke her concentration; she looked at her sleeping friends and tried to do the same.

She lay in her bag, watching the campfire die off and trying to let sleep come to her. She could feel her eyes sting with tiredness and her legs still ached from before, but try as she might, she just couldn’t sleep. She kept thinking about that special Zubat she had seen fly past her last; there was something about it that had caught her eye. It had a shimmer to it, a kind of a shine, and in the dim cave light, it had almost looked green as opposed to the standard blue. She shut her eyes tightly, trying to forget about it and go to sleep, but she couldn’t. Frustrated and determined, she got out of her bag and slipped into her clothes.

She gathered her things and walked a short distance from their campsite. She released Pachirisu from her ball and the little squirrel popped out, wiping the sleep from her eyes.

“Pachirisu, are you awake?” Bianca whispered. “How would you like to go catch a new Pokémon?” she asked. Pachirisu looked tired, her eyelids drooping, but she shut her eyes tightly and bristled with electricity for a moment to wake herself up. The small jolt shocked her awake and she growled with determination.

“That’s my girl.” Bianca murmured.

* * *

The pair approached Wellspring Cave nervously, armed with only a flashlight and their wits. Bianca shuttered, but Pachirisu reassured her trainer; technically they were armed with a flashlight, their wits, and Pachirisu’s modest command over one of the very elements of nature itself, so the Ele-Squirrel Pokémon was obviously a bit less worried than Bianca was. They walked into the cave and shone the light around. It was pitch black inside, the moonlight unable to penetrate its dark recesses. Many Zubat and Woobat hung from the ceiling, sizing her up as she entered their domain.

“Zubat?” Bianca whispered nervously. “Zuuuu-bat? Where are you?”

Suddenly, the mass of Woobat and Zubat that had left the cave earlier flew back in, returning from their night of hunting. Bianca turned and saw the mob of flesh approaching her; she fell to the floor in a hurry, covering her head with her hands. She heard their wings flapping and could feel the wind being blown over her. As they passed, she rose and stuck her tongue out at them.

One lone Zubat again flew in behind them, unable to keep up with the pack. It shimmered in the moonlight and caught Bianca’s eye. It was the same one from before, she knew it. She was right about the coloring too; it was a distinctively green color with pink wings, markedly different from the standard blue-and-purple combination. She wanted it, and this was her chance.

“Hey! Zubat!” she shouted. The Zubat turned around to face her and heard a rock go sailing past its head. Bianca stood with a hand on her outstretched hip, hefting another one in her other hand.

“Now that I’ve got your attention, I challenge you to a battle! If I win, I get the right to try and catch you.” she shouted.

The Zubat screeched and stretched its wings. It flew towards her at tremendous speed and started to attack. Bianca fell to the floor again, covering her head with her hands. Pachirisu leapt from her side and grabbed hold of its tail though, taking the immediate initiative. The Zubat screeched again, but this time it was in pain; the Ele-Squirrel Pokémon hung on for dear life.

“Pachirisu, use Spark!” Bianca shouted up to her Pokémon. Pachirisu coated herself in electricity, and the stream of current ran up her arms and into the Zubat’s body. The Zubat fell to the ground in a slump, flopping around numbly and trying desperately to get back into the air. Bianca took out one of the Pokéballs Fennel had given her and threw it authoritatively at the little bat. It struck the Pokémon squarely on the back and sealed it inside. The ball landed on the ground with a “clink!” and was still.

It shook once; the Zubat trapped within was trying to fight its way out.

It shook twice, weaker now than before.

It shook a third time, and then… it was still.

Bianca walked up and picked the ball up off the ground. She stepped out into the moonlight and looked at its surface, utterly numbed by the success of her feat. She could see herself reflected in the ball’s shell and was reminded of when she was given Pachirisu. The little squirrel walked out of the cave to join her trainer and jumped onto Bianca’s shoulder. Bianca turned to look at her little friend and wrapped her hand around Pachirisu’s cheek.

“Pachirisu, I think we just caught our first Pokémon.” she whispered proudly.

* * *

“David…” Bianca said softly. She shook her friend gently to try and wake him, but he didn’t stir. She repeated his name again, a bit louder now, but he remained stubbornly asleep. Cheren stood up from in front of the campfire where he had been sitting and moved her aside. He pinched David’s nose and he jerked awake, gasping for breath.

“Let’s see how you like it, ‘Princess.’” Cheren muttered, walking calmly back to his seat.

“Wha- what?” David said sleepily. “What’s going on?” he stammered.

“Bianca says she has some announcement for us.” Cheren muttered in a bored and tired sounding tone. He was lazily and uninterestedly poking their campfire with a stick. “She wouldn’t tell me what it was though; she said she wanted us both to be awake for it.” he continued.

“I didn’t say ‘both,’ Cheren, I said ‘all.’ I want everyone to see this.” Bianca corrected him. “David, please let Paula out of her ball; Cheren, you too.” she continued, a grin growing on her face. David and Cheren let their Pokémon out and they all gathered around the campfire; Bianca stood opposite them with Pachirisu seated on her shoulder, both of them beaming a huge grin. She cleared her throat and straightened her skirt.

“Everyone, Pachirisu and I have a big announcement. We would like to introduce you to the newest member of our little family, Zubat!” Bianca said as she threw his ball into the air. The little bat flew from the Pokéball in midair and flew around the campsite a few times before landing on Bianca’s wrist. He shone in the morning sunlight, shining a dark moss green color. “Pachirisu and I met him yesterday when we stopped those Plasma goons, and I caught him last night while you two were asleep.” she continued.

David and Cheren both dropped their jaws. “Oh my God, Bianca, that’s amazing! Do you know what that is?!” Cheren asked, flabbergasted.

“Um, yeah! I just told you, he’s a Zubat!” Bianca answered, thinking he was trying to make fun of her; Cheren shook his head and rose though, recognizing that she didn’t understand.

“No, I mean, do you know what that IS? You found a shiny Pokémon, Bianca!” he quipped back; Bianca still seemed to not understand the significance however.

“Oh, what, the coloring? Yeah, I know, pretty, huh? He must be like… an albino or something…” she mused. David rose as well and tried to help explain.

“Bianca, I don’t think you quite understand what you did. It’s great that you caught your first Pokémon, but shinies are incredibly rare. Only 1 in around every 10,000 Pokémon in the wild are shiny like that. That Zubat is incredibly valuable and rare.” he said. Realizing why they were so surprised, a third jaw, Bianca’s, now too hit the floor.

“What?! Really?!” Bianca stammered. “Wow! That is not a small number! That is a big number!” she continued. She turned to look at her new Pokémon, smiling a mile-wide grin at the sight of him. “I knew he was special, but that’s incredible!” she appended.

“You’ve got to be extra careful to take super good care of that little guy. He’s quite the catch.” Cheren spoke up; Bianca shook her head “yes” so fast it looked like it might snap off.

“You bet I will!” she exclaimed. “Zuzu and I did a little practicing last night before I came back, and he’s really strong. I didn’t want to make the same mistake I made with Pachirisu, so I made sure to learn all his moves right up front.” she explained. “He appears to know Leech Life, Bite, Wing Attack and Confuse Ray, so there’s that.” she said excitedly.

“Well, welcome aboard, Zubat! You’re in capable hands.” David said, patting Bianca on the back and petting the Zubat on its head.

“He is difficult to read, but he indicates his pleasure to be with us, master.” Paula said to them all. “I welcome our new friend.” she continued. The Zubat let out a screech and leapt from Bianca’s arm. It flew around the campsite several times, joyously screeching to its new friends below.

A few hours later, after a short trek across the lake, the gang reached the entrance to Nacrene City. Their adventures in Route 3 had proven to be both exciting and beneficial; they had protected the school from Team Plasma, Paula had learned a new move, and Bianca had made a first for the group, being the first one to catch a new Pokémon. These memories swam in David’s head as he entered the city, but as happy as he was about these strides the group had made, he couldn’t stop thinking about his fight with Team Plasma. He grew more and more uncertain that Cheren was right about them being simply “crazy” every time he thought about it. They had such conviction and determination; they didn’t seem to be in it just for profit or self-gain. They seemed to almost think they were in the right, as if stealing people’s Pokémon made them the good guys. He knew they would be trouble in the future, and worried that future battles with them may not go so well.

Such worries when there was nothing he could do about them for the time would surely only lead to early aging however, he thought. He still held fast to his belief that while they may have to face small skirmishes against Plasma agents here and there, a larger police force of some kind would eventually be the ones to deal with the organization as a whole. Taking his mind off his worries with Team Plasma, the group entered Nacrene City and began to explore; it was here that they would battle for their second Unova region Gym badge.

[ChaosBlizzard]

Chronicles of Unova

Chapter 6: The Dragon's Skull
Updated Version
Part 1 of 2

The group of adventurers had finally reached Nacrene City. The pleasant little town was quiet and quaint with many shops and boutiques lining the streets. All of the buildings were made of wood and stood in neat rows and columns along the cobblestone roads. The town was surrounded on all sides by lush, thick pine forests, and the air was cool and thin. Many people could be seen talking around town as bells rang to mark their arrivals and departures from stores. Commerce hustled and bustled in the quaint, small-town Main Street, and flags flew in front of every shop. The people here were simple and good, living on their means and enjoying the atmosphere of community and family. Many travelers like David and his friends passed through this town, sampling the wares and goods of the local merchants and bringing a steady flow of goods and cash into the small economy. Everywhere one went, the people looked wholesome and friendly. This town was the epitome of “good,” and it resonated with the group.

“This city is so… well, charming, I guess.” David commented. “Everything looks so old and rural, like it sprang up from the ground a few centuries ago and hasn’t changed since.” he continued.

“That’s because it hasn’t.” Cheren mused, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “Nacrene City used to be a logging settlement and eventually grew into this town. The warehouses were abandoned and the people moved into them, repurposing them as homes or shops. That’s why everything looks like it does and is so simple; these people live with what they found and have opted not to change it.” he explained.

“So what’s that big building over there?” Bianca asked. She pointed at a massive stone building, towering over the rest of the city, sitting against the northern edge of town. No matter where you were in the city, you could see at least some part of the giant structure, its aged white bricks shimmering in the sunlight. It was designed in a Greek style with massive columns supporting the triangular ceiling. Large marble steps rose up from the street into its open doors, giving the building an imposing air.

“That’s the Nacrene City Gym, Bianca.” Cheren answered her. “The Gym Leader there is a woman named Lenora. It doubles as an archaeology museum, of which she is also the curator and number one contributor. She is an archaeologist by trade.” he continued.

“An archaeologist you say?” David asked. “Does that mean she uses Rock-types then? Or Steel-types maybe?” he continued. Cheren shook his head though and chuckled slightly.

“No, actually, believe it or not she uses Normal-type Pokémon.” he answered. “Unova has one Ground-type Gym Leader, Driftveil City’s Clay, but no Rock or Steel-type Gyms.” he continued. “Why an archaeologist would use Normal-types I can’t answer, but you’re right in that seeming strange.” he appended.

“Oh… well, okay…” David muttered, trailing off. “Do you guys want to go check it out? We can look at the museum today and battle her tomorrow I guess.” he continued.

“Sure. Going to a nice, quiet museum sounds pretty nice after all the excitement on Route 3.” Cheren said. The group headed off towards the building, anxious to meet their next opponent.

* * *

The town was quiet and peaceful, all save for one exception. A construction crew was noisily doing work on the roof of the Gym, hauling equipment and tools up and down the walls of the eastern side of the building. The commotion was noisy and broke the quiet air of the little town, but for a building that size, maintenance had to be done regularly, David assumed.

They approached the grand marble steps and spied someone sitting on them, looking up at the workers with a subtle grin on his face. They recognized the man immediately and walked up to him.

“N? Is that you?” David asked in shock. N turned his gaze towards the group and a look of happy surprise spread across his face. He rose to meet them, his imposing height dwarfing them by comparison.

“David! And Bianca and Cheren; how nice to see you three again!” he exclaimed both excitedly and politely. “David, how is Paula doing? She recovered from our battle speedily I hope.” he continued.

“You– …what? You remember Paula’s name?” David stammered in continued surprise. “…um, yeah, she’s doing fine. She evolved into a Kirlia, by the way.” he murmured.

“Oh, wonderful!” N exclaimed. “May I see her please?” he asked cheerily. David was a little taken aback by his sudden request and overly pleasant demeanor, but he saw no reason to say “no.”

“I… um… I suppose you can.” he muttered, taking out her Pokéball. He released her from it and she gracefully popped out. N stared intently into the Kirlia’s bright, red eyes, a large smile spreading across his face. He put his hands on his knees and bent down to her level. He tilted his head back as if about to speak, but no words came. Paula looked puzzled and shocked, a look of surprise showing in her eyes. A moment later, David heard her speak.

“I am fine, Mr. N, thank you for asking. How are you managing to–” but she was cut off.

N continued to stare at her eyes, bobbing his head and making expressions as if he was speaking. Still no sound came however. David again heard Paula speak.

“Master David is a fine trainer, and I am very happy with him and Mr. Cheren and Ms. Bianca, but I am truly very curious; how are–” she said, but she again was cut off.

N continued his strange facial contortions and then David heard Paula speak again, now for a third time.

“No, sir, the thought never crossed my mind. I was bred in captivity; I have never known the wild. I do not think I would like such a lifestyle very much though, if compared to what I have now.” Paula said. N chuckled to himself and stood back up.

“You have such a polite Pokémon, David. You truly must take good care of her. We have just been having the most delightful conversation.” N said.

David heard Paula speak inside his mind. “Master, this man was just speaking to me in my mind just as we often do, and are doing now in fact, but I was not using my own psychic powers to make the connection. He managed the feat on his own accord; it was most peculiar indeed…” she said. David’s look of mild confusion turned to one of instant surprise; he turned towards N with a ghastly look on his face.

“Paula says you were just talking to her, but she wasn’t using her powers. N… are you… are you psychic?” David asked bewilderedly, slightly embarrassed for asking the question. N chuckled to himself though and responded.

“No, not quite, my friend.” he said through a chuckle. “I have spent so much time around Pokémon that I can speak to them and understand them non-verbally like that, but I cannot do it with humans or other animals. Pokémon are such wonderful and mysterious creatures, I do love them so.” he continued. There was a carefree, almost mystified sounding tone to his voice as he said the last sentence; he sounded as if he were on a cloud.

“Master, this man is most peculiar. He is not like most other humans; I can sense it in his heart.” Paula said to him in private. David heard a slight tremble in her voice; an uneasiness that wasn’t normally there. He mimicked her sentiment; something about N just didn’t feel right, but he could quite place his finger on it.

“David, do you remember in Accumula Town when I said you in particular were special?” N asked. “May I give you a little test to see just how developed your special power is? All I ask is for another Pokémon battle. You don’t have to use Paula if you would prefer another Pokémon.” he continued. N’s request snapped David’s mind back into focus; when he realized what the request had actually been though, he blushed and lowered his gaze.

“I, um… oh…” he stammered. “I uh… haven’t… uh… caught any other… um… Pokémon…” he continued, looking at the ground in mild shame. N seemed extraordinarily pleased by this news however.

“Oh you haven’t?! How wonderful!” he exclaimed. “I knew you were a good person, not wanting to keep the Pokémon trapped under our control. I like you even more, my friend. How about it then? Will you battle me with Paula?” N said excitedly. David remembered the resounding loss he has suffered to N in Accumula Town and was scared he would repeat it. N was so polite though, he couldn’t say “no,” even if the strange man was a little off the deep end.

“Sure, I suppose…” David stammered. “Can you not use another Dark-type though, please?” he continued reluctantly. N laughed heartily at David’s half-joking request.

“Oh I certainly don’t have to! Thank you for agreeing to take my test, David; let me just give you some room…” he said, backing away. David and Paula took up their battle positions opposite him in the street and N took out a Pokéball of his own. He threw it into the impromptu clearing, releasing a cheerful little Tympole to use in the battle. The Tadpole Pokémon flopped on the ground between them, humming a happy frequency to itself.

“You may make the first move, my friend.” N said with a smile. David cocked his eyebrow and loosened his shoulders.

“Uh… okay then. Paula, use Magical Leaf.” David said calmly. Paula focused her mind and the trees beside the museum began to rustle. The leaves flew from them, racing toward the Tympole and surrounded in the mystical purple light.

“Oh no! Tympole, quick, roll out of the way!” N shouted. His Tympole flopped on the ground with a look of worry on its face, trying to evade the storm of leaves. For every one it dodged though, another took its place, and the evaded leaf circled back around for another pass. Eventually the leaves began to strike the little Pokémon, draining it of energy very quickly.

“Magical Leaf is a move that never misses.” Cheren explained under his breath to Bianca. “Being a Grass-type move, it’s also very effective against N’s Water-type Tympole. Why would N tell his Pokémon to try and dodge it? I thought he said he’d spent so much time around Pokémon.” he mused. Bianca pursed her lips and shrugged her shoulders.

The leaves struck the Pokémon, stinging it and hurting it very badly. Tympole flopped on the ground a few last times, trying to stave off the pain as long as it could, and then collapsed. N ran out to his Pokémon and picked it up in his arms.

“Oh my, that was a resounding loss, wasn’t it?” N murmured. “Thank you, Tympole. We’ll get you medical attention at once, my friend.” he continued.

“Oh, uh… well… that was easy.” David thought to himself. He heard Paula chuckle mentally at his comment and he smiled at her, turning his gaze from N down to his Pokémon.

“So did I pass, N?” David shouted across the clearing with a smirk. N looked up and smiled back, nodding in the affirmative.

“You certainly did, my friend. It is I who has failed this time.” N replied. “You have the power to make your ideals come to life and make everyone listen. I need more power if I am ever going to create my perfect world for Pokémon…” N trailed off. “I need a Hero…” he appended under his breath.

“Oh yeah, that reminds me…” Cheren began to say. “We’ve had a few more encounters with your Plasma buddies since we last met. They’ve attacked us twice, stole some Pokémon from a couple of toddlers, and Bianca and David found a pair torturing a Munna. Can you explain that to us, maybe?” he continued venomously.

“Oh noooo!” N said with faked sincerity. “They’ve been doing that? Well that just won’t do. Those people are officially on my bad list now. Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Cheren. I will not associate with those people any further!” he continued.

“Well yeah I- um… wait… oh…” Cheren stammered. “Well then… good for you.” he continued awkwardly.

“David, I really must get my little friend here to the Pokémon Center.” N said politely, indicating to his Tympole. “It was lovely seeing you all again, especially you, Paula.” he said, looking at the Kirlia. Paula felt uneasy being the center of attention; she took an uncomfortable step back.

“It was, erm… nice seeing you too, Mr. N.” David heard Paula say awkwardly. There was an almost nervous, uneasy tone to her voice; as N began to walk away, David heard her append something in private. “…you sad, strange little man.” David couldn’t help but snicker.

“Oh hey wait! N!” Bianca shouted. “Do you know what all this construction is about?” she asked politely. N stopped but did not turn to look at them. His silhouette went rigid and, though they couldn’t see it, his expression turned stern.

“I would leave them alone if I were you, Bianca. Those men are busy and working very hard.” he said sternly and condescendingly. N resumed walking and vanished from sight.

“Well gosh… I was just asking a question…” Bianca said, taken aback.

“That is one weird dude…” Cheren said dismissively, turning to walk into the museum. David looked up at the construction workers and shrugged, following his friend in.

* * *

“Hello, young people! Welcome to the Nacrene Museum of Natural History. My name is Hawes, and I am the assistant director of the museum. What brings you here today?” a dapper older man said as they entered the museum. He was short and clean cut, with short hair and beady eyes.

“Hello Mr. Hawes. My name is David and this is Bianca and Cheren. We’re Pokémon trainers and we’ve come to challenge the Gym. We were also coming to look around the museum if that’s alright.” David responded. Hawes’ eyes lit up and a big grin spread across his face.

“Oh wonderful! I’ll let Lenora know about your challenge.” Hawes said excitedly. “I’m so glad you’ve come to see the museum too though; so many challengers come to do the first thing and not the second…” he trailed off. “Would you like a tour of the museum?”

“Wow, that’d be really nice, Mr. Hawes. Aren’t you busy though?” David replied. Hawes chuckled and strode briskly towards them from his post behind the front counter.

“Never too busy to teach inquiring minds, young man!” he said with another chuckle. He began walking and motioned for them to follow.

“We here at the Nacrene Museum of Natural History have a massive collection of ancient Pokémon fossils and artifacts.” Hawes began. “Lenora is the Gym Leader, curator, and our chief contributor; she has found many of the objects on display that you see here today in our travels abroad.” he continued as they walked.

“‘Our?’” Bianca asked. Hawes again chuckled and adjusted his spectacles.

“Oh, haha, yes. I guess I neglected to mention, Lenora is my wife. We’ve been married for… well, for as long as I can remember.” he explained. “We traveled the world in our younger days, collecting artifacts for the museum.” he continued.

“Here you can see a wide variety of ancient Pokémon fossils.” he said, pointing to some stone tablets that were on display. “These ancient Pokémon were caught up in some sort of volcanic activity or massive flood in their time, and their forms were impressed into the rock below. They leave behind cavities in the Earth’s crust as their bodies slowly deteriorate away. Fast forward a couple million years to when we find the cavities; we fill them with a special plaster, break the surrounding rock, and voilà! A perfect replica of the ancient Pokémon’s bones!” he said excitedly.

“That’s super neat! I always thought you just found the bones lying preserved in the ground, but you learn something new every day!” Bianca said. Hawes beamed at her enthusiasm.

“Many fossils are discovered that way, but more frequently they are discovered via the cavity method. Constant learning is what we strive for at the Nacrene Museum of Natural History though, Bianca!” Hawes said excitedly. “The plaster technique was first used by Giuseppe Fiorelli in 1860 for the excavation of Pompeii. Nowadays a kind of clear resin is used instead of just plaster, but the concept is still the same. It is a common practice.” he continued.

[Author’s Note: On the excavation of Pompeii and Giuseppe Fiorelli’s plaster method. Yes, this is real.]

“Now this piece…” he said, walking towards a large skeleton, “…is my favorite object in the whole museum. Are you kids familiar with the Pokémon Dragonite?” he asked. David and Bianca shook their heads “no,” but Cheren said that he was.

“Dragonite is a Dragon-type Pokémon that is extremely rare and endangered nowadays. It evolves from a Pokémon called Dragonair, which in turn evolves from a Pokémon called Dratini. The species was long thought to be extinct, but in recent years, small schools of them have been found around the world.” Hawes continued. “This skeleton is a perfectly preserved replica of a Dragonite; a relic of the time when we thought they were extinct. Looking at it fills me with such a sense of majesty; I would love to see a Dragonite in real life…” he trailed off.

“Hey Hawes, what’s this little stone?” Cheren asked, pointing to a display. A small black stone with some ancient markings on it sat on a small pillow, sitting in the open air on display. It was perfectly round, like a ball.

“Oh, that? That’s just a stone Lenora and I found in our travels. It isn’t valuable or anything, we just always thought it looked neat…” Hawes said. “We discovered it in the Desert Resort on Route 4.”

Hawes turned to look back at the Dragonite skeleton and folded his arms. He looked up at the massive beast and smiled to himself.

“This skeleton truly is remarkable I think. Even though it has become markedly less rare since Dragonite were discovered not to be extinct, I still think it is just so beautiful.” he said, almost daydreaming.

Hawes began to walk away from the skeleton, moving on to show them something else in the museum, when suddenly, all of the lights shut off in unison, plunging the giant room into darkness.

“Hey! Whoa! What happened to the lights?” Hawes exclaimed in a startled voice.

“It must be a blackout or something.” Cheren commented calmly. “But in the middle of a clear day like this?” he pondered.

“Someone get the backup generators!” Hawes shouted to an aide.

“It was probably one of those construction workers outside, Hawes; one of them must have blown a fuse or something.” Cheren suggested. Though he couldn’t see it in the dark, Hawes shot him a curious glance.

“Construction workers? We haven’t contracted any construction wor– ” Hawes started to say, but the lights came back on before he could finish.

“–kers… oh… hmm, the lights are back.” he said casually. Everyone looked around curiously for a moment as their eyes readjusted to the light. Nothing seemed disturbed, though the reason for the short plunge into darkness was still unexplained.

“Well that was very pecul–” he began to say, but turning around, Hawes saw something that made him gasp. “THE SKELETON!!” he exclaimed.

Hawes turned around to look at the large Dragonite skeleton and saw, much to his dismay, that the skull of the proud beast had inexplicably vanished. There was a gap in the ceiling above it, one of the acoustic tiles from the roof lying next to the display on the ground. Some heavy cables dangled gently from the hole; someone had broken into the museum and stolen the skull.

“Oh no! Ooooh no! OOOOOH NO!” Hawes began to shout frantically. He bounced up and down on the spot, fanning himself with his hands. He pulled an inhaler from his pocket and took several deep swigs from it.

“Hawes! Hawes! Calm down, they couldn’t have gone far!” David shouted, but he couldn’t be subdued.

“I must go and tell Lenora what has happened! She’ll know what to do! Honeeeeeey!” he shouted, running towards the back of the museum.

“Come on, let’s go check outside. That skull had a big silhouette; they couldn’t just go running through town with it.” David said to his friends. The group ran outside and looked down the street for any sign of the thieves.

“Are these the kids you were with, sugah?” they heard a woman shout from behind them. They turned and saw a heavy set, elderly black woman jogging towards them, Hawes following right in tow. She was very dark skinned with a kind looking face and flamboyant green hair, standing up in an afro. She wore simple work clothes which matched her hair and a salmon colored jacket draped over her shoulder. She was very tall, just slightly taller than David.

“Yes, Lenora my dear, these are the kids. David, did you see which way they went?!” Hawes asked impatiently; David shook his head “no” however.

“No, we didn’t. I don’t understand; how could they get something with that big of a silhouette out without being spotted? How did nobody notice them?” David replied. As if on cue, before anyone could answer him, a man shouted something at them from down the street.

“Howdy, Lenora! You having a yard sale?” the man shouted. Whoever he was, he was walking up casually with a hand in his pocket, the other outstretched above his head in a wave. A cheerful, lighthearted grin was spread across his face.

“A yard sale? Wha-? Boy, you out of your flippin’ mind? What makes you think we havin’ a yard sale at a time like this?” Lenora shouted back to the man. His grin suppressed and he took a step up the marble stairs towards them.

“Well because…” he started to say back. “I just saw a couple of guys running away with some old junk from the museum. I thought you might be selling off some stuff…” he said; everyone else gasped at the news.

“You did?! What did they have, sugah? Was it a big skull?” Lenora said excitedly; the man cocked an eyebrow and answered back.

“Yeah, why?” he replied.

“Quick, Burgh! You must follow them! Those men stole it!” Hawes shouted in response. Realizing what was happening, the man gasped as well and took a step back.

“What?! Why didn’t you say so? Come on!” he shouted. Hawes turned towards David and his friends as the man began dashing away.

“David, Bianca, Cheren, you three go with Burgh. Lenora and I will stay here in case they come back for more. Hurry!” Hawes shouted. Without wasting another minute, the four of them took off down the street, heading west towards the forest.

* * *

The group ran through the streets, desperately looking for the men who stole the skull. They had no real leads aside from the fact that the robbers had been running in the opposite direction of the young man they were with.

“What’s your name, stranger?” David asked as they ran.

“The name’s Burgh. I’m the Gym Leader of Castelia City. Lenora and I go way back; I’ll tell you about it some time. What are your names?” he replied, still keeping up the pace; he was extremely tall and took very long strides.

“I’m David, and this is Bianca and Cheren.” David replied, motioning to his friends.

“Nice to meet you kids, though I wish I could do it under nicer circumstances.” Burgh replied.

They slowed to a stop, looking around for any sign of the thieves. Burgh put a hand to his hip and looked around, shading his eyes with his other hand. He was extremely tall and lanky, a good foot taller than David even. He had pale white skin and very large facial features. A carefully styled mop of large, wavy blonde hair adorned his head, and it bounced when he walked. He wore a tight, green V-neck shirt and striped pants with fancy leather shoes. He was very trendy and fashionably dressed, a scarf tied casually around his neck and a belt buckle adorning his trousers in the shape of a butterfly. Burgh looked towards the forest to the west and spoke.

“If they were running opposite me, they must be heading into Pinwheel Forest. That’s the way I came, and it would make sense; that’s the fastest way out of the city.” he explained. Content with that rationale, the group took off running again, heading towards the forest.

There was no gentle gradient into the wilderness for this city like there had been in Striaton going into the Dreamyard. Given that it was an old logging settlement, the town ended abruptly where the tree line began. They exited the city and ran through the forest a short ways. After a distance, the forest canopy became thick enough to obscure the sun and the path forked.

“Alright kids, I think this is where we part ways. The path forks here, one way leading to Skyarrow Bridge and one way leading deeper into the forest.” Burgh explained. “There’s a nice paved road leading to Skyarrow going this way…” he said, pointing north, “…and an animal trail leading into the woods this way.” he said, now pointing west. “Bianca and Cheren, you two head up north to Skyarrow and block the exit; see if you can cut them off. David and I will circle through the forest and see if we can rout them out. There’s no other way in or out of the forest, so unless they’ve already made it to Skyarrow Bridge by now, then they’ll necessarily have to pass by one of us. Take your time; we’ve got them cornered.” he continued.

“Sounds good, Burgh.” Cheren replied, taking off down the road. Bianca waved nervously and followed after him.

“Come on, David, let’s roll!” Burgh said with determination. The pair began into the deep woods to give chase to the fleeing criminals.

* * *

David and Burgh walked through the woods calmly. As Burgh had explained, there was no way the museum thieves could escape the forest without passing by one of the two scouting groups first, so they knew there was no rush. The sun was mostly obscured by the thick canopy, scarce amounts of light streaming in through thin pockets in the leaves. Wild Bug and Grass-type Pokémon could be heard chirping, buzzing and flying around them in the dense growth; David was a little creeped out by it all, but Burgh seemed perfectly at home among the foliage and insects. Since they were in no rush, David decided to try striking up a conversation with his new partner.

“So Burgh, you’re a Gym Leader, eh? What type do you specialize in?” David asked.

“Bug.” Burgh answered. “I’ve always loved bugs, ever since I was a small boy. The complexity of their little bodies fascinates me so.” he continued, looking around at the beauty of the forest.

“Oh, huh… wouldn’t have pegged you as a Bug-type user…” David murmured. “How do you know Lenora?” he continued, trying to keep the conversation alive.

“Much like how the Striaton Gym Leaders are restaurant owners and Lenora is an archaeologist, I am an artist by trade. All of the Gym Leaders in Unova have active careers in addition to their responsibilities as Gym Leaders. Elesa is a fashion model, Skyla is a pilot, Brycen used to be an actor, et cetera!” Burgh said excitedly. “Nacrene City is full of ambitious young artists, and the good ones, like yours truly, move to Castelia City across the bay like I did when they get recognized. When I need inspiration for a piece, I always come home to Nacrene and go to the museum; Lenora always finds the most scrumptious objects that strike my fancy.” he explained.

“Oh, that’s pretty cool.” David said. “I thought it might be fun to be an artist when I was younger, but I can’t draw realistically.” he appended mournfully.

“Art is not about drawing realistically, my young friend! Art is about expressing how you feel! Art is about letting loose your deepest feelings and letting them explode onto the canvas!” Burgh replied excitedly. David’s “deepest feelings” were exactly the kind of thing he didn’t want exploding onto anything; putting his sarcasm aside though, he replied.

“Not to offend you, but that’s kind of a big qualm I’ve always had with professional artists. That kind of art doesn’t take any real skill. It isn’t something you can develop and get better at, it’s just something you’re either born with or you aren’t. Being able to sit down at an easel with a pencil or brush and replicate the thing you are looking at in front of you realistically is a skill that can be taught and honed. It is something that an unskilled person can, over time, learn how to do better. Expressionistic art is, as you say, just an explosion of color.” David said.

“But that is the best part, David! Don’t you see?” Burgh asked, still overly enthused. “Expressionistic art is some of the most beautiful. Anyone can go down to the dime store and buy a camera if they want ‘realistic’ images; a good artist can paint or draw what they feel and create something much more beautiful than anything you could draw if you wanted it to look ‘realistic.’” he responded.

“And that’s where artists and I start to diverge.” David replied. “Art isn’t a science; it isn’t deterministic or procedural. There are no formulas you can plug variables into and get a consistent, solid answer out from with art. Something so…” he struggled, looking for the word, “…inconsistent and undocumented just gives it an air of unprofessionalism to me. I was always much more interested in the sciences as a kid, and I like things where you can get an answer to a scenario.” he continued.

“I suppose what you find unappealing about art is what I love so much about it.” Burgh replied nonchalantly; there was a pleasant airiness to his voice. “The freedom to simply create and to breathe is what I love about it. I feel like my truest self when I’m at the canvas, simply able to express what I’m feeling in the rawest, most simplistic form. It makes one feel alive and happy.” he said calmly.

“But you have an unfair bias, Burgh; you’re actually talented.” David quipped back. “Like I said before, expressionistic art like that isn’t something you can learn or be taught, it’s something you’re either born good at or you’re not. You can slap a wet paintbrush at the canvas and call it art; someone like me slaps a wet paintbrush at a canvas and calls it a blot of paint on a big white board. There’s a degree of luck associated with what you do, and you turned out lucky. Being a doctor or a computer programmer is something that can be learned, but takes years of schooling, making it a high value career. Art is, well… not as valuable.” he continued, trailing off.

Burgh shrugged. “We’ll have to agree to disagree, my friend. You raise some valid points, but we simply aren’t looking at the issue through the same lens. I make money and earn fame doing what I love to do; I don’t care if there is a ‘science’ to it or not, because at the end of the day, I love what I do and I enjoy the final product of my work.” he said calmly. David let the argument drop and they continued walking.

They had covered quite a bit of ground by now and hadn’t run into anybody yet; maybe the thieves really had found a third route through the forest that bypassed both scouting parties. They passed a stream and stopped to rest for a moment. Burgh knelt down to the water’s surface and splashed his face, grinning to himself as he stood back up; he seemed perfectly at ease, but David was beginning to worry.

David turned to walk back to the path, but his worries were quickly both quelled and replaced by altogether new worries all at once. He turned and saw a shadow move out of the corner of his eye; slowly, hooded figures began to step out of the dark undergrowth, menacingly walking towards them. He began to walk backwards toward Burgh, but he felt himself bump up against the Gym Leader’s back after only a few paces. He turned over his shoulder and saw that they were coming from the other direction too, surrounding them.

“Two against ten?” Burgh said under his breath. “…I like those odds.”

A man stepped forward from the group, dressed differently than the rest of them. He moved silently and did not speak. He stepped into the light and motioned for the rest of them to follow suit. As the sunlight hit their clothing, David realized they were all with Team Plasma; assorted goons working for the twisted cult. The man who had stepped forward was dressed like Ghetsis had been in Accumula and the Dreamyard, but slightly less ornate. He spoke in a calm, elderly voice.

“I am Gorm of the Seven Sages. I believe I recognize Burgh, the Bug-type specialist of Castelia City, but I do not recognize you, young man. What is your name?” the man asked. He spoke slowly and ornately with careful, deliberate language; David quipped back in a similar style to mock him.

“My name is David. I have stood to oppose you goons several times in the past and I guess my efforts are needed again. In short… don’t you bastards ever quit?” he replied with a sneer.

“Such a sharp tongue in front of your elders; I am shocked. But I suppose it is understandable, given the circumstances.” Gorm said back. “I believe this is what you are looking for?” he asked; Gorm lifted his cloak and held up the Dragonite skull into the light.

“You lot always act so smug and self-righteous. Don’t you people realize you’re stealing? How does that make you the good guys?” David asked incredulously; Gorm snapped back at him.

“I have neither the time nor interest to argue the logistics of our operations with children!” Gorm spat. “I am, however, interested in making it out of here safely with the skull. Since you both have proven to be adept Pokémon trainers in the past, I suppose the only thing stopping me is you. Guards, dispose of them.” he commanded.

The grunts standing around him took a step forward in unison and put their hands beneath their cloaks. They all drew Pokéballs and released them to the air. Ten Pokémon landed in the clearing and all stood to oppose them, growling and glaring menacingly.

“Feel like a little warm up before your battle with Lenora, David?” Burgh asked.

“Hell, Burgh… I might actually break a sweat.” David replied sarcastically.

David and Burgh released their Pokéballs in a flash and the battle began.

* * *

Bianca and Cheren stood in the middle of the road on the edge of Pinwheel Forest, staring off into space and simply waiting for something to happen. Bianca spied a small rock on the ground and kicked it into the nearby stream. It landed in the murky water with a “plop!”

“Hey.” Cheren said casually.

“Yeah?” Bianca replied.

“You ever wonder why we’re here?” he asked.

Bianca paused as she considered the question. “It’s one of life’s great mysteries, isn’t it? Why are we here? I mean… are we the product of some cosmic coincidence or… is Arceus even real, watching everything, you know… with a plan for us and stuff… I dunno, Cheren… but it keeps me up at night…” she trailed off.

Cheren stared at her, the most perplexed and confused look on his face she had ever seen.

“What?!” he said. “I meant why are we out here, in the middle of this forest?”

“Oh… uh… yeah…” Bianca stammered.

“What was all that stuff about Arceus?” Cheren asked.

“Uhh… hmm? Nothing…” Bianca said, trying to ignore the question.

“You… wanna talk about it?” Cheren asked, concern creeping into his voice.

“No.” Bianca said quietly.

“You sure?” Cheren continued.

“Yeah.” Bianca said, turning away and blushing.

“Seriously though, why are we out here? How come we’re never the ones in the middle of all the action?” Cheren asked.

“I was with David when we got attacked at the Dreamyard. That counts.” Bianca quipped.

“Fine, why am I never the one in the middle of the action? Why does David get all the fun?” Cheren asked angrily.

The two of them stared back off into space in silence. The forest was completely quiet. Nothing moved. Nothing exciting happened. Just… nothing.

“Yep.” Bianca said.

“Yep…” Cheren replied.

They were bored.

* * *

“Paula, use Confusion!” David shouted. The blast flew towards the final opposing Pokémon, knocking it to the ground and defeating it. Burgh recalled his Pokémon and they stood triumphantly before the Plasma grunts, staring at them coldly and sarcastically.

“That the best you got, Plasma?” David shouted, raising his fist into the air. The grunts were all taken aback, shocked the ten of them had lost to just two opponents. Gorm seethed with rage at their incompetence.

“You fools, do something! Protect your Sage!” he shouted at them angrily. They were out of Pokémon though, so there was nothing they could do.

“Hand over the skull, Plasma. We’ve got you trapped in this forest. There’s no way out, so just make it easy on yourselves and surrender.” Burgh said proudly.

“Never! I will never give you this skull! It is absolutely, unequivocally, beyond any shadow of a doubt vital to Team Plasma’s continued–” he started to say, but he was cut off by a dull beeping noise. Gorm was startled by the noise and almost leapt out of his skin. He quickly realized where it was coming from and began fidgeting in his cloak for whatever was making the sound. He pulled a small headset out from somewhere beneath his cloak and put it on.

“This had better be pretty Goddamn important!” he shouted into the device.

“Yeah, what about it?!” he yelled. “It’s… uh huh? …uh huh? …uh huh? …right, the dragon’s skull, uh huh? …IT’S WHAT?!?” he screamed again. “What do you mean ‘not the right Pokémon!?’” he bellowed.

Burgh and David shot each other an utterly befuddled look. “Was this really happening?” they both thought. Gorm finished his call and cleared his throat, turning back around to face them and trying to hide his beet-red face.

“Ahem, yes, well… hmm… I have just been informed that this is NOT in fact the skull of the legendary Pokémon we were thinking it was, and is in fact just a worthless heap of trash…” he said, embarrassedly trailing off. “You can… erm… have it back… I guess…” he muttered, handing the hefty object to Burgh.

Burgh took the skull quizzically. “Thank… you? …I guess?” he said in a confused voice. Gorm again cleared his throat, stepping back into the shadows with his minions dramatically.

“Just know this, Pokémon trainers…” he said angrily. “…Our leader Ghetsis, another of the Seven Noble Sages of Team Plasma, has decreed the Pokémon Liberation movement to be fully and officially in operation, and has ordered his compatriots to take all the Pokémon they can; by force, if necessary…” he continued. “Heed my words, Gym Leader and trainer, for you shall soon know them well: Know your enemies, know yourself, and know you need not fear the result of a hundred battles… This time, we shall retreat quietly, but steel yourselves for the coming war. For… PLASMAAAAA!” he shouted.

The group of defeated Plasma agents surrounding him echoed his battle cry and raised their arms triumphantly into the air. They then threw them down in unison, dropping tiny smoke balls to the ground as they went. The smoke rose quickly into the air, covering their retreat as they slipped past Burgh and David. The pair choked on the noxious smoke, blinded and unable to breath, and could do nothing to stop them. Once the smoke had cleared, they were again alone in the woods. The pair looked at each other, confusion plastered across both their faces.

“Well… that was a Deus ex machina if I’ve ever seen one…” David said quietly.

“I… um… I guess I’ll take the skull back to the museum then.” Burgh murmured. “You can go get your friends and tell them it’s okay to come back to the city. I’ll set up your battle with Lenora for you; tomorrow morning good for you?” he asked.

“Yeah, we’ll be there.” David replied. Burgh nodded and began walking away.

“Cool. See you ‘round.” he replied. With that, he casually strode off with the skull in hand.

David looked at the ground and shook his head. “What the Hell have I gotten myself into?” he thought. He took off down the road to find his friends and return to the city.

* * *

“So they just gave it back and left?” Bianca asked quizzically as they walked through the woods.

“Yep… damndest thing I ever saw…” David said, looking down at the path and frowning in confusion.

“I know I said they’re crazy before, but I’d like to amend that statement.” Cheren said calmly. “They’re not just crazy, they’re Goddamn morons.” he continued.

Bianca giggled to herself and started to speak again. “Well, at least we got the skull back, that’s all that mat… um… ters…” but she said, trailing off. “Hey, uhh… do you two see that?” she asked.

Bianca pointed to a bush sitting along the side of the path. The little berry bush appeared to be rustling, as if it were moving on its own. The wind was still, but yet it rustled and shook very violently. Small Oran berries dropped from its branches, falling to the ground and rolling away.

“What the Hell?” Cheren murmured in a confused voice. “Hello? Is someone in there?” he asked. The bush stopped rustling upon hearing his words. It was silent for a few seconds, and then slowly, a small green paw began to reach out from inside its depths. The paw crept out, reaching towards a berry that had fallen and was sitting on the road. The group watched dumbstruck as the bush inexplicably reached out towards the fruit. It found its target, and then quickly scooped it up and pulled it back inside the foliage. The little plant began to shake again as it had before, and more berries continued to fall from it. Quiet chewing noises could be heard coming from inside the bush.

“Ummm…” Cheren said. “I’m just gonna… yeah…” he murmured under his breath.

“Alright, enough of this.” David snapped in an annoyed tone. “Come on out, you little bugger.” he said tiredly. The bush again stopped moving and was quiet for a moment. A little green creature stepped out from the bush cautiously, looking at the group inquisitively. Satisfied there was no danger, it stepped out and waddled slowly into the middle of the road. It walked very fast, its stout legs waddling quickly, but it took a great many small steps. It reached the middle of the path, turned to look at them with a blank expression, and promptly sat down. It looked up at them, and they looked back at it. After a few seconds of this vacant exchange, it grinned a big grin and said audibly, “Munch!”

“It’s! So! CUUUUUUUTE!!!” Bianca squealed. “Oh my gosh, one of you two has to catch it!” she said, turning and grasping them both by the wrists.

“I don’t even know what it is.” David said, utterly perplexed.

“It looks like a Munchlax.” Cheren said studiously, adjusting his glasses. “It’s the pre-evolved form of Snorlax. Bianca’s right though, actually, we should catch it. We still only have one Pokémon each and Snorlax are very powerful.” he explained.

“You want it, Cheren?” David asked; Cheren chuckled though and shook his head “no,” backing away slowly and waving his hands in front of himself.

“Oh-ho no; I’m not getting up in the middle of the night to feed that little bottomless pit. He’s all yours, David.” Cheren replied through a chuckle as he stepped back. David sighed and turned his gaze back to the dopey Pokémon.

“Okay, well… here goes…” David said. He took out Paula’s Pokéball and threw it opposite the little creature in the path. She popped out and struck a fighting pose; the Munchlax however stayed seated and tilted its head, seemingly not understanding the significance of David’s action.

“Ready to catch our first Pokémon together, Paula?” David shouted.

“Yes indeed, master. I could use a little company.” she replied.

“Alright then! Paula, use Confusion!” he shouted. She closed her eyes and focused, letting loose the blast towards the little creature. It sat perfectly still, letting the hit wash over it. It seemed to not even feel it, letting the blow glance right off. It stood back up and walked over to its bush, plucking more berries from it and continuing to satisfy its hunger.

“Wow, it’s really bulky!” Bianca said, surprised it had withstood the hit so effortlessly.

“Don’t worry, we’ll get it.” David replied. “Paula, use Magical Leaf!” he shouted. She focused her mind and the bush began to rustle again. The leaves dropped from it in an instant and swarmed the little Pokémon, hacking and slashing at its thick hide. It hurt the Munchlax, but it still seemed more interested in eating than in defending itself. Paula ceased the attack and stared at it, taken aback by its apparent disinterest in battling her. The Munchlax continued to eat, faster now that the leaves had fallen from its bush. She looked to David in confusion, not at all sure how to proceed.

David pinched the bridge of his nose and lowered his head. “Oh for crying out loud… why am I catching this thing?” he thought to himself. He looked up at the little Pokémon, eating happily, oblivious to everything around it. It plucked the last berry from the bush, tossed it casually into the air, and let it land in its mouth, happily enjoying the succulent juices and pulp inside. Seeing that there were no more berries in the vicinity left to eat, the Munchlax sat down again and promptly proceeded to doze off, having temporarily satisfied its hunger.

“Psst, David.” Cheren whispered. “I think this is your chance. Paula’s Special attacks are never going to wear this thing down enough; try and catch it while it’s asleep.” he advised. David reached into his pack, pulled out one of the Pokéballs that Fennel had given him and threw it sharply towards the little monster. He struck the Pokémon in the head, jerking it awake and causing it to fall over on its back. It flailed its arms in shock, trying to regain its balance, and was zapped inside the ball. It shook only a single time, but did not break; it was still after that, not caring enough to try and break free. David walked over to Pokéball as it sealed, picked it up off the path and looked at it quizzically.

“Well guys, I… um… I guess I just caught a Munchlax.” he murmured.

“Yay!” Bianca shouted with childlike glee. “It’s such a little cutie-pie! You’re lucky, David!” she continued.

“It doesn’t seem too bright, but it can sure take a hit.” Cheren said, folding his arms. “He’ll probably be a good addition to your team.” he commented.

David looked back down at the Pokéball and thought about exactly what it was he had just seen.

“Jesus, this has been a long day…” he thought to himself tiredly.

* * *

The night passed uneventfully, and the group rested comfortably at the Pokémon Center, preparing for their upcoming Gym battle. When the morning came and Cheren and Bianca headed outside, David and Munchlax were already up doing a little practice in front of the building. Cheren spoke.

“Hey David, how’s training Munchlax going?” Cheren asked as he and Bianca walked up. David turned to look at him with a big grin spread across his face.

“Pretty great, actually.” David replied cheerily. “He’s surprisingly strong in addition to being so bulky. You were right; he’s going to be a big asset to the team. He’s pretty easy to train too; not surprisingly, he’ll do anything for a bite of food.” he continued, pulling a kernel of food from his bag.

“Munchlax, show Cheren your moves! How about you give us an Earthquake?” David said, holding up the kernel. Munchlax held up his arms excitedly and leapt into the air. He curled himself up as he began to fall back down, slamming into the ground with a mighty crash. The ground shook from the force of his landing, knocking them all over harshly. Munchlax jumped up and down with his arms in the air, happily awaiting his treat for such good work.

“Holy crap! That was something else!” Bianca shouted as David helped her up. David tossed the kibble into Munchlax’s mouth and he happily devoured it; the little Pokémon seemed much more awake now than he had the day before.

“I know; he’s pretty great. It looks like he’s got Earthquake, Body Slam and, not surprisingly, Crunch. We’re going to beat Lenora for sure!” David said, making a fist.

“You ready to head on over to the Gym?” Cheren asked.

“Yeah, let’s get going.” David replied as they took off. The group walked towards the building and prepared for their match against Lenora. The tension was building as they anticipated their second official Pokémon League Gym battle.

* * *

[Continued Below]

[ChaosBlizzard]

Chronicles of Unova

Chapter 6: The Dragon's Skull
Updated Version
Part 2 of 2

“Hello, kids. Here for your Gym battle I take it?” Hawes asked them as they entered.

“You bet, Hawes! Is Lenora ready for us?” Bianca said excitedly.

“She should be. She’ll be in her private study in the back. Thank you ever so much for helping us get the Dragonite skull back yesterday by the way. Burgh explained what happened; that Plasma lot are, um… quite odd, to say the least.” he replied.

The three trainers began to walk towards the back of the room, but Hawes stopped them. “Wait, wait! You can’t all go back at once.” he shouted. “I’m sorry, I left out one detail. Lenora doesn’t like to be disturbed when she’s doing research work, so she set up a puzzle to get back to the Gym portion of the building. Only one of you may go at a time, and you may not tell the others how to solve the puzzle.” he explained; the trainers looked at each other, surprised by this bit of news and trying to decide who would go first.

“Well, in Striaton it was Cheren, then me, then David…” Bianca said, “…so here I guess it should be David, then me, then Cheren. Does that sound okay to you boys?” she continued.

“Fine with me.” David said, and Cheren mimicked the sentiment. David waved to his friends and began to walk to the back room. He left the museum’s large exhibition hall and walked into a darkened room in the back with many bookshelves lining the walls. Ornate, crimson colored curtains hung from the ceilings and lined every wall. Many candles sat atop the bookshelves, giving the room an eerie, mystical feel to it. A young girl, maybe around N’s age, sat at a desk in the middle of the room; she was resting her feet upon it, reading to herself in the low light.

David cleared his throat politely and she looked up, surprised to see another person in her lair. She closed the book and sat up straight in the chair, taking off her glasses and looking at him squarely. She put her hands together on the table and began to speak.

“Oh! Hello! I didn’t hear you come in. Take a seat, will you?” she said, pointing to a modest wooden chair opposite her. David sat down and she continued. “You are here to challenge Lenora, yes?” she said. David replied that he was and she smiled. “Good, good, always nice to get challengers. Mrs. Lenora is a very busy woman and does not like to be disturbed when she is working, as I’m sure Hawes explained to you. She has instructed me to ask any challengers who come to the Gym a riddle, and only if they answer correctly may they proceed. You may have paper and a pencil if you wish, and can utilize any of the books in this room at your disposal. Are you ready?” she asked. David said that he was and she spoke.

“There is a muscle in your body that is perhaps the most important of any that you have. It is not made of flesh, and requires no proteins. It requires minimal effort to keep it in shape, but if you get lax and skip even a single day, it will wither away and die. We here at the museum cherish this muscle above all else, and strive to help people exercise it. What is the muscle?” she asked.

David sat staring at her, watching as a smug look of satisfaction spread across her face. He had no idea what the answer to the riddle was, and he knew the longer he took to answer, the worse he would end up looking. She stared back at him and pursed her lips, putting her feet on the table again and opening her book. She said calmly without looking up, “Take all the time you need…”

David stood up and began pacing along the far wall. He put his hand to his chin and thought, trying to figure out what she could possibly be referring to. “A muscle that isn’t made of flesh? What does that even mean? If it isn’t made of flesh, how is it a muscle? And if you don’t exercise it every day it dies?! What the Hell is she talking about?” he thought. He decided to take her advice and look in one of the books. He took one off the shelf at random and opened it. He began to read quietly to himself, letting the words wash over him. It was a book on trains; their inner workings, how the coal was processed, their history and uses… it was all very boring to him and he knew he was just wasting time. He put the book back and continued pacing, trying to sort out the question with all his might.

“Master, why do you not answer that girl?” Paula said quietly. She spoke suddenly from within her Pokéball and startled David. The “noise” almost made him jump.

“Because I don’t know what the answer is, Paula.” he replied evenly; there was an awkward silence before Paula spoke again.

“You… you do not know?” she asked in a shocked voice. “Are you trying to be funny, master? You are not very good at it like I am.” she continued.

David stopped pacing and an angry expression spread across his face. He looked down at his waist and glared at her ball venomously.

“Master, do you really not know the answer to her riddle? What is a muscle which you use on a daily basis that is not made of flesh?” she repeated again; David continued to scowl at her ball angrily.

“No, Paula, I don’t know. If you aren’t going to help me, then just fu-” he started to say, but she cut him off.

“Master, what am I using to communicate with you right now?!” she asked sarcastically. David looked up, a blank stare spread across his face. He smashed his outstretch palm across his face and hung his arms dejectedly.

“Paula… am I an idiot?” he asked pathetically.

“Only on Tuesdays, master. Only on Tuesdays.” she replied with a chuckle.

David walked back over to the table and sat down; the young woman set down her book and looked at him. “Do you have an answer, challenger?” she asked.

David nodded and looked her straight in the eye. “A muscle that is not made of flesh but is the most important in your body. The mind.” he said. The bookshelves along the back wall began to slide away from each other as he said this, revealing a secret passageway behind the wall. They creaked as they slid, causing some of the books to fall from their shelves. David looked behind the girl and stared down the inky black passageway as candles sprung to life along the corridor, illuminating the path. The girl nodded her head in affirmation, a tiny smile spreading across her pouting lips, and went back to reading. David stood up and began down the passage, ready for his battle.

* * *

“Howdy, sugah. You solved my riddle I s’pose?” Lenora shouted warmly as he entered the room. It was made entirely of stone and was illuminated only by candlelight. It felt damp, almost like a dungeon. At the opposite side, Lenora stood behind her desk, hands on her hips and ready to battle.

“Took me a minute, but yeah, I got it.” David shouted back.

“Good ol’e Burghy told me ‘bout what happened yesterday. Says you’re quite the trainer.” she said across the room. “I appreciate what’cha done for me and all, but I’d like to see the trainer what took down ten Plasma grunts with my ol’e pal. Show me.” she said determinedly.

She walked slowly down the steps to the arena and pulled out a Pokéball from the holster on her hip. She threw it onto the field and a Herdier leapt out, baring its fangs and growling fearsomely. David walked out to meet her and threw Paula’s Pokéball to meet the challenge. She sprung from the ball and pirouetted gracefully on the stone floor.

“Since you were such a sarcastic little brat, you get to go first.” David thought patronizingly.

“It was necessarily going to be either Munchlax or myself, master. At a fifty-fifty chance, that is not particularly much of a threat.” she said through a giggle.

“Herdier, use Bite attack, baby!” Lenora shouted enthusiastically. Her Herdier sprang to life and caught Paula off guard, snapping at her neck and just barely missing. Paula Teleported away just in time to avoid its fangs, reappearing behind it; Herdier turned to face its adversary, growling menacingly in warning.

“Paula, use Confusion!” David shouted. She focused her mind and launched the blast. Herdier took it head on and flew across the room, slamming into the wall and yelping. It fell to the ground, but stood up and shook off the disorientation, determined not to lose. Paula grinned, feeling confident about her ability to win. It was short lived however, as the Herdier sprang in to attack a second time.

“Herdier, use Take Down!” Lenora shouted. It leapt toward Paula, jumped on her and pinning her to the ground. Paula shrieked as it roared at her and bared its fangs, just inches away from her face. It stood over her, menacingly glaring and snarling; its Leer attack was lowering her physical defenses. Just as it went to snap at her neck again, David shouted for her to use Magical Leaf. She shut her eyes tightly and focused; the storm of leaves flew down the corridor, smashing into Lenora’s Herdier from behind. It sent the pooch flying, freeing Paula from its grasp. She leapt up, breathing heavily and clearly quite shaken; the wave of leaves flung Herdier into the brick wall again and it fell to the ground in a slump, unable to continue.

“That’s pretty good, sugah. That little lady of yours is quite the fighter. You’re up, 1-0.” Lenora shouted.

“Are you alright, Paula? That got pretty hairy.” David asked, concern creeping into his voice; Paula answered in a huff.

“We Kirlia are a dainty species!” she said angrily in a shrill voice. “Being manhandled so violently… I am still unharmed, just a little shaken is all, master.” she continued with contempt for her opponent dripping from her voice. She had a point though, David thought; technically, Lenora had yet to land a hit. Maybe he wouldn’t even need to use Munchlax…

Lenora released her second, and last, Pokémon, sending out a tall, proud Watchog to finish the fight. It stood high on its legs, sizing up the room and sniffing frantically; Paula Teleported to the middle of the field, ready to oppose it for the win.

“Watchog, use Retaliate!” Lenora shouted smartly. The Pokémon leapt toward Paula, launching a mighty kick. With her defenses lowered from the Leer attack, she never stood a chance. She was launched from her feet, flying through the air and knocking into David. He caught her, but the pair was knocked to the ground. Paula lay in his arms, dazed and confused; she could not continue the fight.

“Yeah-hah! That’s what I’m talkin’ about, baby!” Lenora shouted. “Retaliate’s power doubles the turn after a teammate faints; it’s all tied up now!” she continued.

“Are you okay, Paula?” David asked; Paula looked up at him and shivered in his arms.

“I am very tired, master. My body aches and my consciousness is fading quickly. I will be fine this evening, but I cannot continue the fight. I am… sorry…” she said, and dozed off. He squeezed her tighter, shutting his eyes, then returned her to her Pokéball. He stood up and walked back to his spot, ready to finish the battle.

“I have no choice; I’m going to have to use Munchlax. Good thing I caught him when I did…” David thought. He drew his newly captured Pokémon’s Pokéball and threw it into the field. The little green tike leapt out and shouted a battle cry.

“Let’s finish this safely; use Hypnosis, Watchog!” Lenora shouted. Her Pokémon’s eyes began to swirl and it waved its paws in front of its body hypnotically, staring menacingly at Munchlax. It moved rhythmically, lulling the Pokémon to sleep.

“Don’t look at it, Munchlax!” David shouted, but it was too late. Munchlax had fallen over on his back and was sound asleep, a content smile spread across his face.

“That’s good, sugah. Now hit it with your Low Kick!” Lenora shouted. Watchog sprang into action, rushing toward the little Pokémon and beating it unmercifully. Munchlax did not stir from his slumber, taking the hits like a champ but unable to defend himself.

“Munchlax, you’ve got to wake up! Wake up!” David shouted in desperation, but it was to no avail. After several seconds of this beating, Munchlax had sustained quite a bit of damage, but was still fast asleep. Lenora prepared to use her final move.

“Watchog, use your Tackle attack!” she shouted, a determined smile spread across her face; Lenora’s heart was beating fast as the prospect of another victory being added to her long career started to come within reach. Watchog backed away from the sleeping form of Munchlax and backed up to its trainer. It braced itself against the wall and then began to charge towards Munchlax, ready to pounce.

“Munchlax, no!” David shouted, desperately trying to wake his sleeping Pokémon. Watchog reached its target, took a flying leap, and prepared to slam down on its opponent, finishing him off. In a flash, Munchlax opened its eyes and grinned a Cheshire smile. He shouted an authoritative “Munch!” and opened his mouth as wide as it could go. Watchog realized what it was doing and flailed in terror, trying to evade it, but it was useless; it had gained too much momentum in an attempt to make the blow more powerful and couldn’t stop. Munchlax had been feigning sleep to lull Lenora’s Watchog in; he swallowed the enemy Pokémon whole as it fell and took a mighty bite down with his Crunch attack. The Watchog yelped in pain, taking the mighty Crunch full force. Munchlax continued to bite down, eventually standing up and swinging his opponent around. Munchlax spat it out, shooting it powerfully against the far wall with his strong neck and jaw muscles. The Watchog slid to the ground, covered in drool and with a tired and disgusted look on its face.

“OH MY GOD, GO MUNCHLAX!!!” David shouted excitedly, utterly flabbergasted and enthralled by Munchlax’s brilliant strategy. “That was AWESOME!” he screamed. Munchlax turned to look at his trainer and winked, smiling a big grin and knowing he was about to win. David shouted for Munchlax to finish the battle with a Body Slam; the little Pokémon began to charge, scuttling as fast as his little legs would carry him toward the enemy. Lenora’s Pokémon was still laying in a disgusted slump on the ground; as it stood itself up, Munchlax leapt into the air and a look of terror spread across the Watchog’s face. It tried to run, but couldn’t get away in time. Munchlax landed with a “plop!” on top of it, crushing it beneath his tremendous weight. Munchlax stood up a moment later and inspected his impromptu cushion. Lenora’s Watchog was soundly defeated, giving final victory to David and Munchlax.

“Yeah-hah, Munchlax, we did it!” David shouted proudly. Munchlax ran back to his trainer and leapt into his arms. David struggled to lift the heavy tike, but managed it for a few seconds. He gently put Munchlax back down beside him and the pair walked over to Lenora. She returned her Pokémon to its ball and slowly began to clap. A grin spread across her face and she congratulated the young victor, shaking his hand and patting him on the back.

“Well done, sugah, that was a great match. You’ve earned yourself this Basic Badge.” she said, walking back to her desk behind her. She opened a drawer and took out a long, thin, purple badge. She handed it to David and smiled; David had won at the Nacrene City Gym.

* * *

David and his Pokémon were resting comfortably in the lobby of the Pokémon Center. Paula and Munchlax were playing keep-away with a little red ball, laughing and having fun together. Whenever Munchlax would get near, Paula would Teleport away with the ball, giggling to herself as she went. Munchlax would then chase after her when she reappeared, grinning a big, dopy grin to himself. David sat in one of the lounge chases, watching his Pokémon play and polishing his new badge. It gleamed in the light and reflected his smile.

Bianca came running into the lobby, holding a shiny new badge of her own above her head. Cheren strode in calmly behind her a moment later.

“David! Hey David! We did it, we both won too! We got our Basic Badges!” Bianca shouted. “Oh, Pachirisu did wonderful! Zuzu too!” she continued, spinning on her heels and plopping down into the chair beside him. She sat very low, almost laying on the small of her back more so than sitting, and laughed. She held up her new badge and grinned a big grin as she admired it. Cheren sat down next to her and put his feet up, showing David his badge too before putting it away in his bag. Cheren was much calmer about his win, but still wore a sheepish grin.

“So how did Munchlax do? Did you have to use him?” Cheren asked, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

“Yeah man, Munchlax kicked ass!” David answered enthusiastically. “He’s super strong. I’m really glad I decided to catch him; we would have been toast if I hadn’t.” he continued.

“Cheren, are you ever going to catch a second Pokémon of your own?” Bianca asked innocently; there was a trace of concern staining her expression as she spoke. “I’ve got Pachirisu and Zubat, and David’s got Paula and Munchlax; Eevee is strong and all, but shouldn’t you start looking to expand too?” she continued.

“I don’t want to just catch any old thing, Bianca. I’ll catch a Pokémon when it interests me and if it seems like it would be a benefit to my team.” Cheren explained. “Until then, Eevee and I have run into no major snags.” he continued, trailing off.

Cheren rose from his seat and walked across the room to fetch a glass of water. “That said, I’m looking forward to reaching the Desert Resort on Route 4 in a couple of weeks.” he said as he rose. “There are a lot of rare and interesting Pokémon there.” he appended.

“That reminds me, Cheren; where is our next destination?” Bianca asked; Cheren took a sip of his water and leaned against the wall.

“Mmm… Castelia City on the other side of Skyarrow Bridge.” he murmured. “We’ll be battling that Burgh guy and his Bug-types. We could actually see the city from where we were standing yesterday.” he replied.

“Hey yeah, that reminds me; what were you guys doing all that time?” David asked. “Burgh and I fought off like ten Plasma grunts all on our own; when I walked up, you two were just standing there contemplating your navels.” he continued; Bianca blushed, remembering her awkward little speech.

“We talked about some stuff… I dunno…” Cheren muttered; David let his answer sit.

“So we’ll be heading out for Castelia City tomorrow then, eh?” David asked.

“I know I will be.” Cheren said, crushing his paper cup and throwing it in the bin. “You two Slowpokes are welcome to join me if you don’t slow me down.” he continued.

David looked back down at his happy Pokémon. Munchlax had just caught up to Paula at long last and had taken the ball. He opened his mouth wide and swallowed it, eating the entire rubber orb in one gulp. Paula put a hand to her mouth in shock; Munchlax let out a little burp and laid down, falling asleep instantly. Paula giggled to herself and lay down next to him, cuddling up to her new little brother and resting too. David smiled to himself as his thoughts drifted to Castelia City and his Gym battle with Burgh.

“Two down, six to go…” he thought to himself.

[ChaosBlizzard]

Chronicles of Unova

“A Challenger Appears” Contest

Hi everyone,

As David, Paula, Bianca and Cheren collect their final remaining badges and Part 1 draws close to a conclusion, we’re quickly approaching the League Championships at the head of Victory Road. In the games, players scale the cliff to the Elite Four’s pavilion, defeat each of them for a first time, and then have their final confrontations with N. At this point, the credits roll, Eastern Unova is opened to you, and players are expected to train in preparation for their second match with the Elite Four and their Championship battle with Alder. This is not the approach I will be taking.

Similar to how the anime has always handled the League Championships, David, Bianca, Cheren and N will have each earned 8 badges and will have earned the right to enter the Unova region Pokémon League Championship Tournament, held at the location that in the games is the Elite Four’s pavilion. A series of elimination battles will be held, leading up to the exciting conclusion of Part 1. The tournament will feature four Quarter Final battles, two Semifinal battles, and one Final Battle, detailed in (at time of posting) Chapters 29, 30 and 31 respectively.

In a tournament, the Quarter Finals represent matchups between the top eight competitors. To make things more realistic, fleshed out and interesting, David, Bianca Cheren and N will not be the only competitors in the tournament, and will have to earn their placement in the tournament’s higher tiers against four other skilled trainers that will be introduced in (again, at time of posting) Chapter 28. I have plans for a Quarter Finals opponent for David, an opponent for Bianca, and an opponent for N. I do not yet have a planned opponent for Cheren however; this is where you come in.

I have been planning this for a while, and I’m now proud to announce Chronicles’ “A Challenger Appears” contest. I will be taking fan submissions for a League Championship opponent for Cheren, and the winner will appear in the story.

The rules summarized in a single paragraph:

Any registered member of the Serebii Forums has between the date of this post and the time Chapter 27 is posted to send me (ChaosBlizzard) a private message containing information which will be detailed below. The information will describe a Pokémon trainer who will represent Cheren’s opponent in the Quarter Finals of the Unova region Pokémon League Championships. The winning entry will have their submission featured in Chapters 28 and 29, and potentially any other chapter I see fit; the winner will be credited in Chapters 28 and 29 (probably in the Author’s Notes) for their submission, along with any other chapters their trainer appears in.

What to submit:

Please follow this format when submitting. Examples are included for your convenience; please follow their format. Items marked with an asterisk (*) are optional. Teams MUST consist of two Unova region Pokémon and one Kanto, Johto, Hoenn or Sinnoh region Pokémon.

Full Name: Ash Ketchum

Age:* 10

Hometown:* Pallet Town, Kanto

Pokémon #1:

Species: Pikachu
Gender: Male
Personality: Spirited, fun-loving, determined
Battling Style: Fast-paced, hard-hitting, nimble
Move 1: Thunderbolt
Move 2: Quick Attack
Move 3: Iron Tail
Move 4: Volt Tackle

Pokémon #2:

(See Above)

Pokémon #3:

(See Above)

Physical Description of Trainer:

Physique: Medium-to-short height with average build. Caucasian skin-tone with an adventurer’s tan. Brown eyes with spiky black hair.

Clothing: A red-and-white baseball cap with a blue Pokéball embroidered on the front. A short-sleeve jacket with a standard blue top and a white bottom; gold zipper, zipped all the way up. Black cargo pants. Bright red shoes.

Garnishes:* Frequently seen with a wide smile and a twinkle in his eye. Makes a fist when he is determined or excited. Was raised by his mother with little to no apparent contact with his father.

Introduction, written in-character:

“Hi guys! My name is Ash, and this is my buddy, Pikachu! We’re super excited to be here, because this will be our fifth League Championship Tournament yet! We’re from Pallet Town in the Kanto region, and we’ve been together for as long as I can remember. We’ve traveled all over and met lots of exciting people. I want to win this tournament so I can become a Pokémon Master! I want to be the very best, like no one ever was. I’m sure we’ll do it this time though; right, Pikachu? [Pikachu confirms excitedly] Ahahahaha!”

[Note: Apologies if that wasn’t very good or in character. I haven’t seen the show in English since early Sinnoh, and even then I’ve only seen one or two Japanese subs since then. You get the idea though.]

Suggestions on Strategy:*

You should have Cheren lead with Umbreon and Ash lead with Pikachu. Pikachu should try and use Quick Attack to get an early lead, but have Umbreon quickly Baton Pass away into Gus so that the attack misses. This will give Cheren early momentum in the battle.

Do’s:

Please DO…

- Remember the context your trainer will exist within. This is a skilled, competent trainer who has managed to earn eight badges against Unova Gym leaders. (S)he probably has a good, balanced team with few (if any) NFE Pokémon and a diverse range of types. Monotype teams are discouraged but not prohibited. However, remember that (s)he has to be beatable. Cheren specifically, with his team of a Baton Passing Umbreon, a Nasty Plot boosting Cofagrigus and a Stealth Rock-capable sweeping Aerodactyl, has to be able to win this battle in a believable and interesting fashion. I can handle that part, but I need a good opposing team to work with. As a reminder, Cheren’s team is as follows:

Umbreon (M)
Ability: Synchronize
Moves: Faint Attack, Baton Pass, Wish, Work Up

Cofagrigus (M)
Ability: Mummy
Moves: Energy Ball, Shadow Ball, Will-o-Wisp, Nasty Plot

Aerodactyl (M)
Ability: UNDECLARED (Pressure)
Moves: Stealth Rock, Fly, Earthquake, Rock Slide

- Feel free to go into more detail than what I put for my examples. I wrote a very business-like example because it clearly and succinctly states the facts about the trainer. However, you can be more personable if you wish. Providing more details will always help.

- Give me a sense for your trainer through both the physical description and the introduction sections. The physical description describes what this trainer looks like, what kind of image they want to present to the world, and perhaps a small glimpse into their psyche if they are dressed in very unusual clothing. The introduction is to be written IN CHARACTER and should be your trainer introducing him/herself to the seven other entrants into the tournament. (S)he is up on stage, looking down at the seven other trainers (s)he is about to be battling for the right to challenge the Elite Four, and (s)he has fifteen to twenty seconds to introduce him/herself and say anything important they feel the others ought to know. Everything I write about your trainer and any dialog (s)he will have will be based on the feel I get from this paragraph; give me a good feel for who (s)he is.

- On that note, for various reasons that will become more apparent when the tournament actually starts and we reach those later chapters, I will be slightly biased towards female characters over male ones. Don’t let this discourage you from submitting a male character however.

- Remember that your trainer’s team must consist of two Unova region Pokémon and one non-Unova region Pokémon. This is the reverse of the rule David, Bianca and Cheren’s teams had to follow. From the example above, an acceptable team might consist of Pikachu, Snivy and Oshawott for example (although having Pokémon be in their final evolutionary form is probably better than having them not be final form; no Eviolite).

- Feel free to submit more than one time. If you have multiple trainers for me to consider, go ahead and send them all in. Obviously only one entry will win, but you are not restricted to sending only one entry. The only thing I ask is that they be in separate PMs.

- Name the subject line of your PM “A Challenger Appears Contest.” You won’t be disqualified if you don’t, but I will regard entries that actually read and followed these rules more favorably than ones who didn’t.

- Follow formatting and use proper spelling/grammar/et cetera. If you’re taking your time to submit an entry into a contest run by a Pokémon fan fiction, I would assume you are at least somewhat meticulous when it comes to following formatting and spelling correctly.

Do Not’s:

Please DO NOT…

- Submit an entry via visitor message, as a reply to this thread or to any other account but this one. Visitor messages will not be considered, replies to this thread will not be considered and will be reported as spam, and any submission to any registered user other than this account (ChaosBlizzard) will not be considered. Please send a private message to this account, subject line “A Challenger Appears Contest,” to submit an entry.

- Copy another character from anywhere else in canon. This means no Gym Leaders, no Elite Four members, no trainers from other regions/games, no randoms from the anime, no actually submitting Ash Ketchum, and definitely no submitting a character from another fan fiction, here or from another forum. This includes characters from your own stories if you have them. This must be a completely original character. There is one exception to this rule. If anyone wants to try their hand at submitting Volkner, the Sunyshore City Gym Leader from Sinnoh, I would not be opposed to that. It would have to be a really good entry though.

- Include any Legendary Pokémon (Ex. Articuno, Ho-oh, Deoxys, Palkia, Victini, etc…), Pokémon on anyone’s currently established team (Ex. Gardevoir, Haxorus, Aerodactyl, Zoroark, etc…), or Pokémon that have been in a Gym battle thus far (Ex. Excadrill, Cryogonal, Leavanny, etc…). Also, just as a general rule, try to stay clear of any Dragon-types.

A page from the book of “Let me just say this now…”:

- I reserve the right to use any text from the winning entry of this contest in any part of the story and any future chapter. However, any time that I use text from the winning entry, I will credit the winner in a way I see fit. If you have a specific way you wish to be credited, should you win, feel free to alert me of this at any time.

- I reserve the right to modify the winning entry before using it in the story. Such modifications might include but are not limited to: removal of a Pokémon (for reasons such as it existing on another trainer from the tournament’s team or it existing on a trainer from Part 2’s planned team), modification of a physical feature or article of clothing, modification of a personality trait, or modification of the trainer’s name.

- Along those same lines, I reserve the right to interpret an entry in any way I see fit. If your entry gets picked but I don’t write them into the story in the way you anticipated, consider the fact that I may have either modified something about him/her intentionally, or that I interpreted something you wrote differently than you meant it.

- The age of your trainer is an optional field in the submission form. If it is omitted, I will assume 18 as the default age.

- I reserve the right to select a winner or reject an entrant based on any criteria I see fit. Entries will be judged based on how well the proposed trainer would fit within the established story and how good of an opponent (s)he would be against Cheren. Ultimately, this is all meant to be fun and to give you as a reader a chance to have an impact on the story that you love enough to actually want to enter this contest in the first place; don’t be upset if you don’t get picked. Like… maybe three people Thousands will enter, one will win.

Good luck, everybody!
-ChaosBlizzard

[jstinftw!]

Hey David!

WHEW! Finally have some time to actually sit down and write a review. Good thing iMovie's taking a while; gives me the time (iMovie? *wink wink*). I'm not sure right now (writing this particular part of the post), but I hope it's a post that you'll either learn from or appreciate. I prefer appreciate, but learning's cool too?

Anyways, ON TO THE REVIEW!

1. (I'm going to start with Chapter 23). VERY clever idea. For starters, I could not get the rhythm of the original story out of my head for hours. I was sitting there thinking to myself with that rhythm in my head. Definitely a cool thing to do for a Christmas themed story.

2. Despite how clever it was, some parts didn't seem to fit, or seem to really flow. But I also understand how difficult it is to keep everything as close to the right amount of syllables and still make sense, so I don't blame you. Just thought you'd like to know.

3. It was a little difficult for me because I wanted everything to follow the actual rhythm of the original story, and sometimes (how I read it) it didn't fit. But even with that, it was a very nice, entertaining read. It was nice how you kept it in canon too, instead of just throwing it in there randomly and calling it a Christmas thing. If anything, I found quite a bit of the poem/song/verse/whatever quite witty. And the ending; O_O. It's ok, we're adults here (well. Speaking at least for you and I, assuming you're 18. I'm 19). I always find that part of normal life a bit awkward in Pokemon, although it's not bad at all to include it. Your inclusion of it was at least very vague, and swept under the rug. Not the important part of the story, but something nice for the David/Bianca fans out there. (:

4. Overall, the Bianca's Bianco Natale was a very interesting read. Humorous breaks in the fourth wall, some nice interaction with all the Pokemon along with the actual trainers, some David/Bianca fluff. Oh, and of course, it was Christmas themed! Very cool of you not to exclude that. Christmas specials are always awesome.

Ok, so now we move on to Chapter 22. I've read a few B/W Remake stories, and by far, this is one of the best I've read of this specific part. Only rival is CoffeeIncluded's Alphabet Soup on ff.net, but I still loved this one.

1. This chapter was definitely one of your best chapters. Maybe not my favorite, but it was one of your best.

2. Your lead on was great! You led everyone on, thinking that they were going to just breeze right through like you did in the game. Nuh uh. You let us believe that with the first fight; then you threw everyone into the hell-hole. Not at all expected, and definitely a very nice touch.

3. In regards to those fights, your description throughout was wonderful! I really loved the fights, and your description of them was really nice. I again most add that I love your inclusion of the in-game mechanics while writing these things. It happens in the games for a reason! One nitpick; Iron Defense raises Defense. Why would Focus Blast (or was it Psychic?) barely hurt Boldore just because of Iron Defense? Boldore do not have the best Sp. Defense either. It kind of threw me off when Iron Defense saved it so greatly that Sturdy was still able to take affect. Maybe Protect would have been better? I dunno, in-story universe is also something that you've done very nicely with, so I wouldn't be shocked if you had some in-story explanation. Either way, it was an awesome fight.

4. You just rock these evolutions, don't you? Umbreon's evolution was awesome. But Fraxure's evolution was. So fitting. So beautifully written. And it fit so well! Axew's inability to frickin just nick Gurdurr causing it to keep Dragon Dancing just to boost its power. But to no avail; the steel pillar keeps it out of reach. But you use those Dragon Dances to evolve Axew? And turn it into this killing machine? MAN! I just. I really liked how it all went down! Then he frickin turns around and murders everything. Just. Wow! I was mind-blown while reading that part. It was really, really, really beautifully written. I'm not sure if that was grammatically correct, but the point gets across, no? Umbreon's evolution ties with this one for best evolution so far. (:

5. Now, let's talk about a killer-god coming to life, right before your eyes, by the guy who's saying you gotta beat him and before mentioned killer-god to save the world. Actually, let's not. You already did, and David's reaction, Bianca's reaction, Alder and everyone barring Cheren's reactions were spot on. I would not be excited to be alive at that point in time, nor would I be excited to be any of them. And then, as if to prove your point that Cheren very easily could have, should have, would have been perfectly capable of being the Hero of Truth. But, as if to show some character building, you get him to encourage David. I really liked that little touch in the story.

6. Besides the evolution, one thing that really impressed me in this chapter was N & Ghetsis. I love that you tried to include a father-son, king-sage relationship between the two. N genuinely showed his care for Ghetsis, and how he actually valued his father. Ghetsis seems to have some kind of attachment to N, although nowhere near as much as he is attached to the fact that he is this close to ruling the world, but it's still there nonetheless. And then the thing between Ghetsis and the grunts; adding that in there was smart. They are N's men; why would they listen to Ghetsis. Reading this part got me thinking about just how intimidating Ghetsis would be in real life. He got them to listen to them by glaring. Whoa, everyone back off! We got a bad-*** over here!

7. I think one of your oversights was that you had very little interaction between N and Zekrom at his reawakening. Wait. I'm this almighty, powerful, killer-god, and this little boy comes out and calls me a monster? Why don't I show him what a monster is? Or maybe show the connection between N and Zekrom? There had to have been something personal between the two.
Granted, it's a very rushed seen, everything's blowing up out of control, and it's kind of hard to do that. And it would seem a bit out of place I guess, considering the gravity of the situation. But it's something to nitpick on?

Anyways, very good two chapters that I missed reviewing. They were good reads. I read Chapter 23 to Ren. She liked it. (:

Ok, so I'm going to go work on those character submissions. I might send in. Like. 50. But I know for sure I'm sending in two. And I have to read the new chapters, although they might not be a huge priority. Although I'm definitely reading them. (:

Good luck with everything! I really like what you're doing with fan fiction. All these little things that you're doing for and with the readers. Very cool. (: And thanks for the StriatonRadio shout out! And I looked at the titles. 8)

[ChaosBlizzard]

    Spoiler:- Author's Notes:

Show Spoiler

 
Author's Notes:
Hi everyone, here's Chapter 24. I hope you all can excuse my recent absence. Posting the updated chapters was the last thing I was able to do on my break before the semester started and it's been a kick-you-in-the-face kind of semester right from the get-go. There was also a full week in which the power was out from a freak (for my area) snowstorm, so I had no means of working on the story even if I wanted to. Apologies again.

With the last update I launched the "A Challenger Appears" contest, and I've already gotten several good entries. We've had five properly entered submissions thus far and they've all been really good. I'm excited to see what else you all come up with.

I'll be honest with you guys: I know I'm not great at this, even by amateur standards (think back to the opening of "Separation"), but I can admit when something isn't my best work (such as the original six chapters). I think this chapter represents one such example. I had a very difficult time starting this chapter, and continuing difficulty with it even after I got rolling. I think I've salvaged as much as I can and I think it's in a postable state if you will, but I know I'm showing some rust with this one. I think things are starting to stabilize now though and I'm back in practice, so hopefully this will just be a blip on the radar. To be fair, this is also a portion of the game where several critically important things all happen back-to-back, but they're all a little disjointed and "Okay, well I guess that just happened..."-ish. I did the best I could with what I've got.

The name of the chapter is of course a play on the expression "The belle of the ball," referring on the one hand to Drayden's ball and on the other to the romanization of Bianca's Japanese name, Bel. The two short pieces of music were performed by my father; you can read and listen to more here. And one final note, to anyone who only played White and never played Black, while this is an interpretation of the games collectively, it is really more set in Black than it is in White. Reshiram is the player's dragon, Zekrom is N's dragon, Opelucid City is the advanced version instead of the old version, Drayden is the Gym Leader instead of Iris, Black City will be there instead of White Forest when we reach that point, et cetera.

I'll leave you to it on that note. Thanks for reading guys.

 

Chronicles of Unova

Chapter 24: The Bel of the Ball
Part 1 of 2

It was the morning of New Year’s Eve. David, Bianca and Cheren were just venturing onto Tubeline Bridge, leaving snowy Icirrus City and Route 8 behind. When their journey had begun in Nuvema Town, the adventurers had headed north along the eastern peninsula of Unova until they had reached Nacrene City. Skyarrow Bridge had connected them from Eastern Unova to Central Unova, and the Driftveil Drawbridge had connected them from Central Unova to Western Unova. Having explored virtually all of Western Unova, their winding journey around the region had now led them to Tubeline Bridge, which would connect them from the northern portion of Western Unova back into Central Unova. It was here in the northern half of Central Unova that Shopping Mall Nine and Opelucid City lay, and it was at Shopping Mall Nine that Alder had said for them to meet when they were at Dragonspiral Tower. They had called him earlier that day and said that they were ready, so they had to get a move on to keep their appointment.

Tubeline Bridge was something of an engineering marvel in the industrialized Pokémon world. The span was similar to Skyarrow Bridge in the south in that it featured an upper portion for pedestrian traffic and a lower portion for motorized traffic, but while Skyarrow’s version of “motorized traffic” meant cars, Tubeline’s version mean subway trains. Trains of all sorts from Gear Station in Nimbasa City ran across Tubeline Bridge, giving the large span a constant rhythmic clacking sound as they passed by. When two trains passed each other on the bridge, the whole thing would sway just slightly. The bridge was constructed of bare steel girders with no façade to cover them; it gave the bridge a very industrial look, further exemplified by the pedestrian walkway itself. The pedestrian portion of the bridge was constructed of nothing more than a long metal grate; this allowed travelers to look down and safely watch the trains as they passed below.

There was a gatehouse on the Route 8 side and a sister gatehouse on the Route 9 side. Both gatehouses featured identical museums documenting the bridge’s construction process. As the group set out from the gatehouse onto the bridge and continued their march towards Shopping Mall Nine, throngs of people joined them in their stride. Trains passed below and gave the spotty crowds a rhythm to walk to; there was a kind of hypnotic allure to their drone. David and company began blindly heading across, but many miles away, unbeknownst to the adventurers, vengeful eyes were watching from afar…

“We are prepared, master. We await your signal.” a man said. The robed figure he had spoken to nodded his head and waved them off. The man who had spoken and his two companions bowed and then disappeared into the shadows. Back at Tubeline Bridge, David and his friends had just reached approximately the halfway mark of the span.

While there was still definitely elbow room, the bridge had a fairly sizable number of people trying to cross it along with the trio of adventurers; surely enough to take notice if something fundamentally out-of-the-ordinary were to occur. Despite this fact however, no one but the wandering Pokémon trainers seemed to notice when three shadowy figures materialized and surrounded them. The men had appeared suddenly, seemingly from within the steel itself; David, Bianca and Cheren gasped as they rose from their black portals and hovered like phantoms before them, forming a triangle around the group. Their menacing silhouettes gave the air an unnerving chill, and before they could defend themselves, the Shadow Triad grasped the trainers firmly and spoke but a whisper.

“…Come.” they murmured in unison. David blacked out as he teleported into darkness.

* * *

“…Ghetsis. We brought the ones you wanted.” a member of the Shadow Triad said; his words stirred David back into consciousness.

“Good. You are dismissed.” Ghetsis answered back. The Shadow Triad members bowed and once again vanished into the shadows. Bianca and Cheren were coming to now also; David began to take in his surroundings. Though he had only been out for a moment, wherever he was, “time” seemed to hold no relevance to this place.

Wherever they were hardly seemed to be any place on Earth; the small, dungeon-like room smelled of brimstone and was illumined only by two torches which hung on the side walls. Dark, menacing, almost sentient-seeming shadows filled the room and gave the atmosphere a dizzying, other-worldly feel. Opposite them sat Ghetsis on a modest throne; he was dressed in his usual ornate garb and wore a condescending smile on his face. Remembering the events of Castelia City, among other things, David’s blood boiled at the sight of the smug Plasma Sage.

“You.” David spat. “Of course.” he appended. “What the Hell do you want this time?” he asked as coldly and intimidatingly as he could muster. Ghetsis did not break his smile and showed no emotion at David’s comment; he merely shifted in his seat and drew a breath with which to respond.

“I have summoned you to give you a warning, ‘Hero.’” he sneered back. “Both for your own safety and for the safety of my plans.” he appended.

Ghetsis rose from his seat and began pacing about the room. He exuded the same sense of command that he always did, but there seemed to be something… off about it. David couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but it seemed almost as if it were a façade and not as genuine as it had always appeared.

“Recently, N reawakened the legendary Pokémon Zekrom at Dragonspiral Tower. In doing so, he has fulfilled his destiny and has finally done what I spent over twenty years training him to do.” Ghetsis began. “Zekrom’s power could finally give us the authority to end humanity’s interaction and association with Pokémon wholesale. While N does seem committed to this ideal, he has certain fairytale notions that he believes must go along with it. Namely, he believes that the Hero of Truth spoken of in the prophecy must rise with Reshiram and oppose him in battle before he can see the enactment of our ideals. As you know, he believes this person to be you.” he explained.

Ghetsis paused for a moment but did not stop pacing, giving himself a moment to collect his next queue of thoughts. He carried himself as if he were sipping at a rare and valuable wine as he spoke; there was an air about him of forced aloofness, as if he were trying to repress anger while maintaining his aura of control. When he began again, he made ornate hand gestures as he spoke and seemed disheartened by the content of his own words.

“I am not as enchanted by sparkly things as N is…” he continued, “…and I believe this to be an unnecessary risk he is taking. I tried to stop you as you came after us at Dragonspiral Tower, but our operatives failed. When N found out about my command which was contrary to his wishes, he was angered with me and I have subsequently lost some of his trust. For this action and for not realizing the danger you pose to Team Plasma, he is a fool.” Ghetsis spat outright. Bianca gasped at his sudden and somewhat startling condemnation.

“Hey!” she shouted unexpectedly. “That’s not a nice thing to say about your own son!” she continued. Ghetsis turned and glared at her viciously for her interruption.

“N is a bastard.” he growled angrily. “N is not my son.”

Bianca wasn’t the only one who was startled this time. When N had told David that Ghetsis was his father during their meeting on the Nimbasa City Ferris wheel, David had assumed he meant his biological father; suddenly that assumption seemed hastily made.

“Does… does N know he’s adopted?” David stammered. Ghetsis did not answer and simply sneered, calming himself somewhat.

“‘Pokémon Liberation’ is a lie.” Ghetsis crooned slowly. He pronounced the words carefully and made them drip from his tongue. “It is nothing more than a hoax; a guise I created to pursue and fulfill my endgame. I don’t care any more about the suffering of a captured Pokémon than I do about the dirt beneath my feet. Team Plasma, our operatives, the Pokémon we free, the mindless public we manipulate, even ‘King N’ himself… they are nothing but stooges and pawns in my master game.” he continued. “The one thing about ‘Pokémon Liberation’ that is true is the fundamental strength that Pokémon have. The common Patrat is capable of summoning bolts of lightning, bundles of pure shadow energy and even changing the weather! Imagine the vast power a person would have if they were the only one in the world who could command such strength…” he explained. There was a leading tone to his voice; suddenly David had a moment of clarity.

“Wait! You’re not trying to free Pokémon because you care about them!” David exclaimed. “You’re doing it so you are the only one who can use them!” he accused. Ghetsis laughed menacingly at David’s final, long awaited understanding.

“Haha, yes! Now you see! All trainers will become helpless to resist us! We alone will be able to use Pokémon!” Ghetsis cried. “When my perfect plan is set in motion, first a few gullible Pokémon trainers who are unable to resist Team Plasma will release their Pokémon. Then that number will become a hundred, then a thousand! In no time, even the Gym Leaders and Champions will become unable to fight us. Having a Pokémon will be considered a bad thing; a cultural taboo of sorts. Soon, none shall be able to fight public opinion and all shall release their Pokémon. With no one who can oppose us and the might of Zekrom on our side, we shall rule the world!” he shouted. Ghetsis began to laugh maniacally at the brilliance of his plan; David and his friends were appalled as all suddenly became clear.

“You’ll never get away with it!” David shouted back. “N is the Hero, not you. He’ll find out about your deception and he’ll fight back!” he continued. Ghetsis’ laughter subsided naturally and he continued to stare at David with evil glee.

“N will stop me? That candy ass?” Ghetsis chided. “I have brainwashed that boy for twenty years; do you honestly believe that just telling him the truth about Team Plasma will sway his mind? Why should he even believe you?” he asked. David took a step back and cocked an eyebrow in surprise.

“Why should I believe you?” he parroted back. David had a point; why was Ghetsis revealing his plan to them?

“Ahh, yes, but of course…” Ghetsis murmured, calming back down after the high of explaining his master logic. “Why would I explain my plans to you? What do I stand to gain from enlightening my enemy?” he asked rhetorically. He began to pace again, putting his hand to his chin.

“I am a reasoning man. Every action I have taken since crafting my master plan has been taken deliberately and with its logical ends considered to their fullest.” he explained. “N wishes you to combat him with Reshiram. Despite my best efforts to keep him from you, I cannot overpower his will now that he has Zekrom, nor explain the dangers you pose to our ideals if you succeed.” he continued. “As such, failing to keep N from you, I have decided to keep you from him.”

Ghetsis returned to his throne and sat, facing the spellbound adventurers as they listened to him pontificate. He rested his head lazily upon his arm and waved his free hand in the air beside himself as he spoke.

“N is an idealist and seeks only sport and competition from you. I am a tactician, out to rule the world, and I would not hesitate to use Zekrom’s power to drop you where you stand.” Ghetsis contrasted, beginning to draw near to the end of his speech. “N is developmentally but a child; he has been merely playing games with you, and you are in no true danger from him. If we succeed however, I am the one you ought be afraid of.” he continued. “I am giving you the choice now, ‘Hero.’ Abandon your search for Reshiram, do not stand to oppose us further, and you shall be spared under the New World Order. I warn you now however; continue to oppose us, and your death shall not be quick. I have told you the truth about Team Plasma not to arm you, but as a warning. Do not test me, or you shall feel harsher consequences than you ever dreamed.”

Before any of them could respond, the Shadow Triad appeared again suddenly and took a firm grasp of each of them. David blacked out again momentarily and saw Ghetsis fade from his vision. As David’s sight left him, he saw Ghetsis sneer a final time and wave a condescending, sarcastic farewell. When David came to again, he was standing just where he had been before on Tubeline Bridge, and the Shadow Triad was nowhere to be found.

David grasped his temple as a wave of lightheadedness washed over him. He looked at his friends and saw them in similar distress. Strangely however, none of the people around them seemed to have noticed their sudden disappearance or reappearance. They seemingly hadn’t seen the Shadow Triad, nor the three of them vanishing and rematerializing a moment later. It was almost as if they had simply been frozen in time for a moment; had they really even gone anywhere in space at all?

“That… that just happened… right?” David stammered. Cheren and Bianca both nodded in agreement, but they wore ghastly, gaunt looks as the gravity and severity of what they had just learned sunk in.

Shaken by their affairs, the trio nervously continued across the remainder of Tubeline Bridge; the knowledge that had just been afforded to them weighed heavily upon their minds however. Team Plasma could no longer justify their actions under the guise of Pokémon Liberation, but only Ghetsis knew the truth. N was being played, and he was clueless to his stepfather’s deception. Team Plasma was even more dangerous than anyone had previously thought, even if, for the majority of them, only accidentally so. The one holding the proverbial gun however was blind to his puppet master stepfather controlling his mind.

* * *

Route 9 was technically a proper route unto itself, but for all practical purposes it was just a scenic expansion of Opelucid City to its east. As Tubeline Bridge ended and stretched its reach onto the rocky shores of Central Unova, civilization wasted no time promptly meeting travelers with open arms. There were forests and caves a short distance to the south of the bridge’s exit, but Shopping Mall Nine was the dominant landmark the route displayed.

Built along the northern side of the path, the mall was the largest shopping center in the entire Unova region. It was modeled after the department stores of Celadon City in Kanto, Goldenrod City in Johto, Lilycove City in Hoenn and Veilstone City in Sinnoh. Everything a Pokémon trainer could need and more could be found with easy access at the gargantuan store. The route was more or less just a large conduit out of the city towards the mall; as such, it was here that Alder had said for them to meet him.

For as famous of a celebrity as Champions typically were, Alder managed to maintain a fairly low profile as he traveled around the Unova region. Seated just outside of the mall, simplistically enjoying the cool refreshment of a winter breeze, Alder awaited them as they made their approach.

“Hallo-ah, kids!” came his catchphrase greeting as the travelers approached. Despite the gravity of N’s recent feat at Dragonspiral Tower, he seemed rather at ease with life, all things considered; his never-abating grin lined his lips as they came within earshot of him.

“Hi, Alder.” David answered, still somewhat shaken by their recent meeting with Ghetsis. The group had agreed on their way to the mall that they wouldn’t mention what they had learned from Ghetsis to Alder; while he meant well, they worried that the Champion may get sidetracked trying to inform the public of Ghetsis’ deception and forget about introducing them to Drayden. Knowledge of how to reawaken Reshiram was the most important thing for them to attain for the time being, so that had to remain at the forefront of their minds; Alder seemed perhaps too easily distractible.

“Did you three have a pleasant holiday?” Alder asked politely. The group nodded a warm affirmative, David and Bianca shooting one another very subtle looks at the question. Alder laughed his magnanimous laugh before motioning for them to sit down with him. He sighed and smiled at them reassuringly before continuing to speak.

“Well, enough pleasantries I suppose; I guess we all know why we’re here…” he began. “As I explained at the tower, Drayden is one of the world’s leading experts on- and trainers of- Dragon-type Pokémon. He knows as much about the wars between Reshiram and Zekrom as you’ll ever find in a person. If anyone can tell you how to summon Reshiram, it would be Drayden.” Alder explained. “He is also the Opelucid City Gym Leader, so since that N guy wants your battle to be at the League Championships, you all need to see him anyway to earn his badge.” he appended.

“When will we meet him?” David asked. It was a logical question; Alder smiled again, but it was a bit more of a mischievous, guilty smile than one of the reassuring ones they knew him for. He scratched the back of his head and chuckled nervously before answering.

“Ahh… well… see, here’s the thing about that…” Alder stammered. “See, Drayden is the mayor of Opelucid City. Naturally he has a lot of obligations and meetings on a daily basis. It’s a little difficult to schedule something with him if you don’t have significant clout.” he explained. Cheren cocked his eyebrow at Alder’s weaseling explanation.

“You’re the Champion of the region; how much more clout can you get?” he asked. Alder chuckled and continued to scratch the back of his head.

“Well… more political clout, Cheren. Don’t worry though, I have a plan.” he answered.

“As I’m sure you all know, tonight is New Year’s Eve.” Alder continued to explain. “Drayden is a very old fashion kind of guy. As the mayor of one of the most modernized cities in the region, he believes it is his cultural duty to stimulate the public’s collective mind and hold balls for times like these. He wants to make sure we don’t lose the sophistication and elegance we used to have, so when I say he throws balls, I mean he literally throws the town a proper ball. Banquettes, ballroom dancing, high society schmoozing, masquerade masks, the whole nine yards; New Year’s Eve is the night of his biggest party of the year.” he continued. Though it was subtle, David felt one of the Pokéballs on his hip wiggle at the news.

“Paula? Was that you?” David asked mentally as so to not interrupt Alder; no answer returned from the ether however.

“Drayden will be more easily approachable at tonight’s gala than perhaps any other time of the year. I would suggest you three try to attend the ball and see if you can steal him away for a moment; if you explain to him what it is you want, I’m sure the prospect of teaching someone about the Legendary Dragons will peak his interest.” Alder concluded. Though the plan seemed like a reasonable enough solution, David was skeptical of his own abilities. He sighed and sat forward in his seat.

“Alder, um… how old is this guy?” he asked.

“Oh, middle aged or so. Why?” Alder answered curiously. David sighed again, having heard the answer he feared he would.

“We’re 18-year-old kids, man. You’re asking us to go to a high society ball and schmooze with career politicians and stuff? He’s the mayor of the city for Arceus’ sake. We don’t know anything about how to handle a setting like that.” he continued; his Pokéball holster yet again shook very slightly however.

Alder smiled and chuckled at David’s answer. Seeing the subtle motion coming from the young trainer’s hip, he pointed at it and spoke back.

“You don’t, but I think I know someone who does…” he said wryly. A vacant look spread across David’s face, trying to sort out what Alder could have possibly meant.

“You know someone who-” he started to say, but before he could finish his question, one of his Pokéballs burst unlatched and fell from the holster. Paula sprang out and wore the biggest beaming grin on her face that David had ever seen.

“Oh master, how wonderful!” Paula exclaimed without provocation. She enunciated the syllables in “wonderful” in a drawn out fashion. “A real, honest, high society masquerade ball? With dancing and music and culture?! Oh, this will be the best night of my life!” she continued. Alder’s previous statement suddenly clicked in David’s mind.

“Ooooohhh…” he murmured softly, looking back at Alder. The Champion put his hand to his smirking lips as he watched Paula dance excitedly.

The franticly joyous Gardevoir seemed lost in her own little world. The four of them watched her from behind veiled smiles as she danced, twirled and hummed to the inner music of her own fascination and excitement. While Paula enjoyed her thoughtful daydream, Alder chuckled and turned back to the group.

“It’s a masquerade ball.” he explained. “There’s no better judge of how to behave at one than a Gardevoir.” he continued.

The group had turned their attention away from Paula as she twirled and spun around the picnic tables laid out in front of the mall for just a second. Just as Alder finished his statement however, she made her presence abundantly known again by finishing her dance and dashing up towards Bianca. The Gardevoir startled her by grasping both of her hands excitedly in her own and beaming; she held her shining face just inches away from Bianca’s and spoke.

“Come, Miss Bianca! We must find you a proper gown for this evening!” she exclaimed; Bianca started to protest, but with that, the girls vanished as they Teleported inside the mall. The three boys sat dumbstruck for a moment at the speed at which Paula had switched gears.

“Bwahaha!” Alder finally spat after the initial shock passed. “What a card she is!” he appended. Cheren leaned back in his seat, folding his arms and cocking an eyebrow.

“Wait, does Bianca even have any money?” he asked in disbelief. As if on cue, Paula reappeared for a moment just behind David.

“Pardon me, master; need to borrow this!” she said quickly. She reached into David’s pocket and fished out his wallet before he could stop her or even figure out what she was doing. She Teleported away again, having found what she came for, and exclaimed, “Do not wait up for us, master. We will meet you three there tonight!” David’s expression turned to one of shock as he realized what she had done; Alder burst out laughing again.

“Hey!” David shouted indignantly; she was already gone however.

Alder rose from his seat, wiping his eyes as his second bout of laughter subsided. He stretched as he rose and began heading away from the mall with his usual carefree air.

“The ball will be at City Hall. I’m sure you won’t be able to miss it.” he said over his shoulder as he left. “See you two tonight.” he appended. David and Cheren sighed and both sat back in their seats as he left, resting their backs against the round metal table. The two boys looked away and shook their heads tiredly.

“Paula is going to go spend all of my money on a dress for Bianca, isn’t she?” David muttered. Cheren sighed and nodded in affirmation.

“Yeah, probably…” he affirmed half disinterestedly. David parroted Cheren’s exasperated sigh and rolled his eyes.

“Come on… let’s go see if this place rents tuxedos for cheap.” Cheren continued. David looked across the bay they had just crossed and rose to join his friend. It was the start to what was surely going to be a very long night…

* * *

[Continued Below]

[ChaosBlizzard]

Chronicles of Unova

Chapter 24: The Bel of the Ball
Part 2 of 2

Evening fell and the sun set for the final time that year. It was around 5 o’clock when David and Cheren finally reached the city. They had found a pair of nice, albeit inexpensive, tuxedos to rent, but had managed to not run into the girls at all during their time in the mall. Upon reaching the city, they began their short lived search for City Hall.

Opelucid City was a technological marvel. Every street and every building was made of a futuristic-looking alloy, basking the city streets in a dark, charcoal black and the buildings in a cool, cybernetic blue. When the sun set, no streetlights came on; instead, the whole city was illuminated by veritable rivers of LEDs that wound around nearly every surface in the town. They were built into the ground and into the exteriors of the buildings themselves, drawing little power and adding to the mystique of the city’s atmosphere. With black roads and dim, neon lights at every corner, the city seemed almost more like a club or a Hollywood rendition of a server room than a town; it was certainly one of the most visually appealing places they had been on their journey.

As Alder had predicted, they had little trouble finding City Hall. A massive crowd had drawn outside the building, and more still were congregating inside. Soothing classical music drifted into the more nearby streets from the band inside, and there was an air of sophistication amongst all of the people outside. The men all wore tuxedos and the ladies beautiful evening gowns, ranging from the simple and elegant to the flashy and extravagant in design. David and Cheren worked their way past the crowd and eventually got inside.

There was a threshold which, when passed, seemed to amplify the music. While the crowd outside mostly drowned it out as they enjoyed the winter air and schmoozed in the high life as they killed time before midnight, the people inside were more spread out and interested in dancing through the large ballroom set up in the massive lobby. The sprawling room at the center of the dome-shaped building was dimly lit by proper candle chandeliers. A tall stairwell opposite the door led into the ballroom; occasionally a richly dressed couple of modest local notoriety would approach one another at the top, be introduced to the gala and then descend together to the polite applause of the crowd awaiting them below. David and Cheren tried to blend in as they waited for the girls, but a fair amount of time passed with no sign from them.

“Where the Hell are Bianca and Paula?” David asked impatiently after checking his Xtransceiver for the umpteenth time. It had been just under an hour since they had arrived by now, all of which had been spent awkwardly mulling about doing nothing. “I don’t even know what to do here…” he continued. “And didn’t Alder say he was going to be here too?” he appended anxiously. Cheren shrugged as he snatched yet another hors d'oeuvre from a passing waiter, adding to his already somewhat impressive collection for the evening.

“Isn’t the more important question, ‘Where’s Drayden?’” Cheren asked, beginning to stuff his face again. “I mean, the guy’s the mayor, right? Shouldn’t he be at his own shindig?” he continued, the food in his mouth somewhat obfuscating his words. David stared blankly at Cheren as he wolfed down his nth crab cake for the night; Cheren stared back, not understanding David’s vacantly disapproving stare.

“What?” he muttered just before swallowing the entire morsel. David sighed and turned away.

“This is why we can’t have nice things…” he muttered. Cheren shrugged and began looking for another platter-toting waiter.

“Hallo-ah!” Alder’s voice bellowed from across the room. Even with the drone of conversation from the crowd around them and the, albeit soothing, loud music from the band, the Champion’s deep voice carried and reached their ears crystal clearly, marking his position for them. He was dressed in a tuxedo just like all of the other men were, but his chiseled physique seemed to be taxing the poor buttons of his jacket. His flaming hair still stood out like a bursting sun as well; he looked a little out of place in such a high society gathering.

“Hey Alder.” David said conversationally as the Champion approached. Reaching the same conclusion that David had just prior to his arrival, Alder spoke up in mild confusion.

“Where are Bianca and Paula?” he asked. David and Cheren shrugged in unison however and had no answer.

“We were just wondering that ourselves…” David muttered. Alder scanned the room for himself, able to see over most of the other patrons’ heads, but he didn’t see them at first.

“I don’t see them anywhe-” he started to say, but he cut himself short as he finally noticed something. A smirk very quickly spread across his lips and he had to bite his lip to keep from laughing.

“Don’t turn around.” he said quickly through his smile. David and Cheren both cocked an eyebrow at his remark.

“What? Why?” David asked. On cue, he heard his Gardevoir’s voice speak inside his head.

“Hello master, Mr. Cheren. Turn around, please; we have something to show you.” she cooed. There was a restrained, mischievous excitement in her voice; David smirked as he heard them walking up.

“Hello, boys. Can you tell who’s who?” Bianca asked. The same mischievously restrained excitement broke at the edges of her tone as well, but it sounded a tad more seductive to David’s ears when it came from an actual fellow member of his species. David and Cheren turned around and saw the girls approaching them, but the two of them laughed when they saw what the pair had bought. Dressed in a flowing white gown and lime green gloves, Bianca smirked at them from behind a white masquerade mask designed like the face of a Gardevoir. They had even found a pair of red contacts to make her eyes look like a Gardevoir’s as well. Still smirking, David walked towards Bianca and took her hands in his own.

“Well, you’re definitely Paula.” he answered jokingly. Bianca giggled back and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. The real Paula smirked as well and hung off of her trainer’s other arm opposite his date.

“You look very lovely, Bianca.” Alder said politely, still smiling to himself at their gag. Bianca smiled again and nodded at him in appreciation.

“Thank you, Alder.” she replied.

The clocks in the hall and around the city began to ring as they struck six. “Gang’s all here…” Cheren murmured just as the sound started.

“So where is Drayden? Has he not shown up yet?” Bianca asked. David and Cheren both shook their heads “no” however and frowned, looking around again to see if they could see him.

“No, he’s not.” David answered. “We don’t know where he is. Cheren was just mentioning that before you guys showed up.” he continued. As he finished his statement however, the sixth chime of the massive clock at the head of the stairs sounded and the band grew quiet. Everyone seemed to know that something was about to happen except for the passing Pokémon trainers; the three of them looked around, trying to discern what exactly it was that was happening.

“Why did it just get so quiet?” David asked. Alder held his finger to his lips however and shushed him; he pointed to the top of the stairs where a spotlight had just come on.

Approaching from the shadows at either end of the balcony, a pair of figures walked slowly towards each other, meeting at the tip of the spotlight’s reach. The crier who had been announcing well-to-do couples for the past hour turned to address the crowd again, but for some reason, this couple seemed to have much more prestige associated with them, as evidenced by the spotlight and hush of the crowd. The man grew rigid as he stood at attention, drawing breath to address the audience.

“Ladies and gentlemen, as the clock has now struck six, it is my honor and privilege to present our fair and noble mayor and his apprentice, Master Drayden and Miss Iris.” he bellowed. The pair of figures at the head of the stairs now entered the spotlight and were revealed to the crowd; the crowd in turn began to politely applaud for their hosts, but more warmly and fondly than they had for any of the other couples. Drayden and Iris stood proudly at the top of the stairs, inspecting their patrons momentarily before beginning to descend into the ball together. Iris was Drayden’s junior by many years, but he was unwed, so he escorted his apprentice as he would a daughter or a niece. They reached the crowd below and began to mingle and shake hands as the applause died down.

“Okay, that answers one question I guess…” David murmured. “Now to get over there…” he continued. David, Bianca, Cheren and Paula began trying to politely push their way through the crowd towards the pair, but they were not the only ones seeking an audience with the mayor; not by a long-shot. Drayden and Iris were clear across the room and, not surprisingly, didn’t notice David and his friends amongst the sea of other people trying to do just the same thing. Making little headway, the pair began to move out of David’s line of sight as the band began to play again; Drayden had of course not seen them and they had made virtually no progress towards getting to them.

“Well that was a great plan, Alder; any more bright ideas?” David asked scornfully as he was forced to give up. “We can’t even get over there to them. Why was this a better idea than actually scheduling a proper meeting with them again?” he continued. Alder laughed good-naturedly at David’s biting jab. He laid one of his mammoth hands on David’s shoulder before speaking back.

“I didn’t say it would be easy, I only said it would be easier.” he answered. “We’ve just got to find some way of getting his attention.” he continued. “Think of something creative.” he appended; David slanted a frown at Alder’s supremely indecisive answer. He began trying to think.

[Author’s Note: For an enhanced experience, listen to this on loop during the next few paragraphs.]

While this conversation had been happening, the band had begun playing again following Drayden’s entrance. Not surprisingly, Paula had been keeping her usual modest, low-profile, but the music was already beginning to get to her and she was beginning to sway to herself as she listened. She had tuned out their conversation in large part, rocking back and forth in rhythm to the waltz and humming to herself with her eyes closed. Smiling, she decided to speak up.

“Master, if I may, I believe I might have a solution.” she said surreally. There was a dream-like quality to her speech.

“Really?” David asked in moderate surprise. He turned to her and cocked and eyebrow. “What is it?” he asked. Paula reopened her eyes and flashed her warm smile. Turning to Bianca, she spoke again.

“Ms. Bianca, may I borrow your date for just a moment?” she asked politely. Sensing where Paula was going, Bianca giggled and nodded her head.

“Of course.” she answered back. Paula thanked her and turned to David.

“Master, may I have this dance?” she asked sweetly. David was startled by her request, not particularly knowing what to say.

“What?” he stammered. “Paula, I don’t know how to dance, let alone do a waltz.” he continued. Paula giggled and took one of his hands in her own.

“Do not worry, master; leave all that to me. Would you do me the honor?” she asked again. David was still apprehensive, but nodded in agreement.

Paula led her trainer out towards the open dance floor of the ballroom and the pair melted in with the flowing crowd. The dance was still in its infancy and had yet to reach any kind of speed. Paula turned to face David and smiled, but David still didn’t know what to do.

“So… um… now what?” he asked telepathically. Paula simply continued smiling.

“Just relax, master. Slack all of your muscles and do not fight my control.” she answered. Her eyes then began to glow just faintly and David felt his arms move without trying to. He felt one hand loosely rest around his Gardevoir’s waist and the other lift her hand into the air; Paula laid her own free hand over his shoulder as she continued smiling. The rest of his body then began to move as he expertly began to dance.

The sensation was a strange and disorienting one. Paula had telekinetically controlled his muscles before, but only for small things; never his whole body at once. As she had predicted, he had virtually no control over his own motor functions anymore; Paula was in control of everything as she danced simultaneously for the both of them. With her species’ intuitive mastery of the subject, she was able to control her partner’s movements and her own; the ensuing dance she generated was breathtaking to behold.

David and Paula danced with the mastery of competition veterans. They were in fact so flawless that other dancers soon began to take notice as the pair flowed around them; just a few at first, but soon more began to notice as the piece drew on. The music was beginning to speed up now and become more full-bodied; Paula increased the polish on their flourishes in response. Their movements flowed like water and the space around them distorted very subtly from Paula’s radiating psychic aura. Their timing and synchronization were perfect, being controlled entirely by one mind, and their technique was superb. The beauty of their movements and the novelty of the Pokémon among the dancers was continuing to catch wandering eyes; the members of Drayden’s conversational party along the sidelines were also beginning to notice.

The short piece drew to a close and Paula moved them into a suitable ending. The dancers bowed to one another, Paula and David doing the same, but the band themselves had now also taken notice of the strange sight. The other couples around David and Paula backed away and gave the young pair the whole stage. Suddenly, all eyes seemed to be upon them. Paula was unfazed however; after all, this was what they had hoped would happen. Drayden finally seemed to notice the oddity capturing the hall’s attention himself; Paula prepared for their second dance to truly prove themselves to him. The band followed her lead and again began to play.

[Author’s Note: For an enhanced experience, listen to this on loop until the end of the dance.]

The band began the second piece, this one much slower than the first. Paula laid her head on David’s shoulder, trying to make him seem like the one in control, hiding their secret of her telekinesis. The massive crowd around them watched intently, but they were completely silent; David and Paula hardly noticed them, focusing only on the moment. The piece was a beautiful one, played with a mastery faithfully becoming of the sight of the pair. Paula’s psychic powers and elegant form had enraptured the entire hall seemingly effortlessly; the short piece drew to a close after just moments and the couple bowed to one another again. The crowd remained silent as David and Paula departed the stage.

“Have you ever had a bad idea, Paula?” David asked telepathically as they returned to their friends. Paula smiled as she returned his motor functionality back to him; she bumped him slightly with her hips however in response.

“No…” she whispered back playfully; David smirked as they broke contact and returned to their little circle.

“That was a mighty fine idea you had there, Paula.” Alder commented upon their return. “Don’t look now, but Drayden is coming over; I’d say mission accomplished.” he continued in a hushed tone. David smiled at their success, but tried modestly to restrain it in an attempt to maintain the composure their dance had made it seem like he commanded.

“I see the Champion has decided to grace us with his presence here tonight. How do you do, Alder?” Drayden asked as he approached. Alder smiled and met Drayden’s outstretched hand with his own.

“Grand, Drayden, just grand; always a good time at your parties.” Alder replied with his magnanimous grin. “I’d like you to meet a few young friends of mine. This is David, Bianca and Cheren.” he continued. Drayden looked down his nose from his imposing height at the trainers as Alder introduced them.

“It’s a pleasure.” he said, folding his arms and straightening his back. “That was an impressive little show just now, young man. Well done indeed…” he continued.

“Thank you, sir. It was my Gardevoir’s idea.” David said back.

Drayden was extremely tall, even compared to David, and wore high-quality clothing designed to look like working class attire. Almost everything he wore was a shade of white or gray, save for his gloves, suspenders and shoes, which were a deep, royal purple, and his bolo tie, which was an emerald green. This regal appearance was continued into his face; his bleached white hair was styled carefully and conservatively, but a sprawling, snow white beard covered the entirety of his face from the nose down, obscuring his mouth even when he spoke. He had just as defined of a physique as Alder did, which his working-style clothing showed off; were it not for the fact that he was hosting it, he may have almost appeared underdressed for the occasion. Drayden nodded his head at David’s remark and unfolded his arms again. Iris had been standing just behind him during the brief exchange; he laid a hand on her shoulder and motioned for her to step forward.

“This is my apprentice, Iris. She must be around your age, correct?” he asked. David smiled and nodded, but he and Iris spoke up to correct him almost simultaneously.

“We’ve actually met before, sir.” David said.

“I met them when I went to Castelia to see Burgh last fall, Drayden. Long time no see, guys!” Iris continued for him excitedly. She and David locked gazes for a minute in acknowledgement.

“Oh! Really? So these are the kids you told me you met; small world…” Drayden said upon the realization. “Bianca, was it? Your Zubat has been managing to avoid further poachers I trust.” he continued. Bianca giggled and nodded in affirmation.

“Well, I’m sure you’ve got a lot of people you need to see, Drayden, so we shouldn’t keep you too long, but David had something he wanted to ask you.” Alder said as the conversation began to wane. Drayden cocked a bushy white eyebrow at the Champion’s statement; it seemed to catch his interest.

“Oh? Tell me, young man.” he said, once again folding his arms. David nodded at Alder to thank him for the reminder and began to speak.

“Oh, right. Well, that’s actually why we’re here, sir. I was wondering if you could give us some information on the Legendary Dragons, Zekrom and Reshiram.” he said. Drayden’s quizzical expression turned to one of outright surprise; a gleam of genuine interest showed in his eyes as well however.

“Zekrom and Reshiram? Really? My my, what does someone your age want to know about them?” he asked. David smiled and began to explain in earnest.

“Well, it’s funny you should mention those men who stole Bianca’s Zubat when Iris was in Castelia with us, because they belonged to an organization called Team Plasma. They stole him from her because Team Plasma wants to ‘liberate’ the world’s Pokémon from humanity.” he began. “Normally it would just be a job for the police, right?” he asked rhetorically. “Well, I don’t know if you’ll believe me, but Alder can back me up on this; they’ve reawakened Zekrom and want to use him to achieve their goal.” he continued. Iris gasped subtly at the news and Drayden’s stern gaze turned to a true scowl.

“Alder, is this true?” he asked instantly, turning his gaze from David to the Champion. Alder returned a similar, albeit more saddened look, and nodded in the affirmative.

“Aye, Drayden, I’m afraid it is.” he answered. “There’s actually more than that. They’ve determined David is the Hero of Truth; he has to find a way to resurrect Reshiram to combat them with. We were hoping you could tell us what you know about them.” he continued.

Drayden became sullen and stoic for a moment, looking down and lost in thought. He looked back up after a moment and surveyed the party around him, still wearing his stern scowl, but he sighed after seeing what he needed to see. He turned back to David and Alder after just a moment and spoke.

“If what you say is true, then it is indeed grave news…” he began solemnly. “I want to help and I will give any relevant knowledge that I have to you, but I have very little time in the coming weeks in which I could meet.” he explained. “Give me until 11:30 to tie up loose ends and make appearances here at the ball, and then meet me in my office and I will answer anything you like.” he continued. David smiled and nodded his head.

“Okay, great! Thank you.” he said excitedly. Drayden mimicked his gestures and folded his arms again, arching his back as he went.

“Excellent. Enjoy yourselves and we shall meet again at 11:30.” he said. He excused himself and began shuffling back into the crowd.

“His office is up on the second floor. You can’t miss it.” Iris said for him as she began to follow suit. David laughed as he realized Drayden had gotten away without actually telling them where to go; he thanked her as she waved and vanished after her mentor.

David gave a sigh of relief as he turned back to his friends. Team Plasma was still a major threat, but securing the meeting with Drayden was a relief; his knowledge would surely be an invaluable asset. There was nothing to be done about Team Plasma for the time being now however; the night was still young and there was still a solid amount of time before 11:30. For now, they would just enjoy the ball.

* * *

11 o’clock came and went and the party began to wane before the final push that would be midnight. The group of trainers began to make their way past the crowds to the second floor to find Drayden and Iris. The throngs of people thinned the farther away from the main hall they got; the back portions of the stately government building were quiet and dark at this time of night, the music of the band and the drone of the crowd only just barely audible. Iris had not been true to her word however; setting out to find his office a full half-hour early proved to have been a necessary precaution. Finally just about 11:30 they found the tucked away little office and gave a sigh of relief as they saw Drayden and Iris waiting for them.

“Ahh, good, you found us.” Drayden said, folding his arms and nodding as they approached. “Come inside.” he appended as he opened the door to the office and motioned for them to follow him in.

“Have trouble finding it?” Iris asked. David chuckled and didn’t answer.

Drayden’s office was sparsely furnished and not terribly big. Though David and his friends were unaware of this title, oblivious to the local political goings-on of a town clear across the region from where they had grown up, to the people of Opelucid, Drayden was known as “The Spartan Mayor,” and it reflected in his office décor. Leaving the duty of seating his guests to his apprentice, Drayden walked with long strides to a cabinet behind his sturdy desk; he opened it, pulled out a crystal bottle and began to speak.

“Iris, child, remind me, how old are you?” he asked. Iris turned the gaze of her massive brown eyes away from seating Cheren and towards her elder.

“I’m 18, Drayden.” she said with a smile. Drayden coughed a grunt of acknowledgment and sighed.

“Ahh, yes, quite right… too young then, so they must be too young too…” he murmured to himself, speaking of David, Bianca and Cheren. “Alder, would you care to join me for a glass of whiskey?” he asked in a louder voice. Alder smiled and nodded silently in affirmation. Drayden poured himself and his elder guest their drinks and then sat them gently on the desk appropriately. He sat across from his guests at his desk and once again folded his arms, looking very commanding and powerful from behind the sturdy barrier. He looked down his nose at them and began to speak.

“Alright then, now that we can speak more freely, someone tell me what exactly is going on. What’s all this about you being chosen as the Hero of Truth from the prophecy, boy?” he asked David. David nodded and collected his thoughts to answer the question thoroughly.

“Team Plasma is an organized group with the goal of ‘liberating’ Pokémon from humans. They claim we are oppressive towards them and that Pokémon should either be allowed to live freely or be the dominant species on the planet.” he explained. “They use outright thievery and aggression to liberate Pokémon, but they publicly deny it. Many people, much like yourself, know nothing about them yet.” he continued. Drayden raised a finger to indicate for him to pause momentarily.

“The cooperation of people and Pokémon is how Unova came to exist to begin with.” Drayden said quizzically. “If a Pokémon really didn’t want anything to do with humans, it would simply leave. Capturing a Pokémon in a Pokéball doesn't mean you’ve captured its heart.” he continued. David chuckled and pointed dramatically to his host with both hands outstretched.

“Thank you! Glad you’re on the same page about all this!” he said, laughing. Drayden cocked an eyebrow quizzically, sighed, and then leaned forward on his hands against the desk. He muttered something about “quite…” and motioned for David to continue.

“You’re right, they’re a small-time organization with a fundamentally flawed premise, or at least they were, but something has happened recently which made them a much more grave threat.” David continued from his explanation before. “The ‘King’ of Team Plasma, a man named N, was raised to lead the organization from a young age and was trained to become the Hero of Ideals from the prophecy. We don’t know a whole lot about that yet to be honest, but we made the mistake of brushing him off as crazy for a long time.” David said.

“As you were right to do…” Drayden interrupted in a murmur.

“Just before Christmas, N and some operatives from the organization broke into Dragonspiral Tower across the bay and somehow managed to reawaken Zekrom. I saw him with my own eyes; I… well, I don’t know how he did it, but N was really telling the truth…” David trailed off, feeling a slight sense of shame at the memory. “Long story short, my friends and I managed to catch N’s interest before all this started and he decided in whatever deranged state his mind exists in that I’m the Hero of Truth, analog to him being Hero of Ideals. He believes we are supposed to fulfill the prophecy together, presumably to battle for the fate of Pokémon and humanity’s continued involvement together, at the Pokémon League Championships.” he continued. Drayden once again sighed and leaned back in his chair.

“Alder, is all this really true?” he asked tiredly. Alder was silent and simply wore a grim stare. He nodded but once and then closed his eyes. Drayden sighed again and rose from his seat.

“So tell me then, young man, what is it you need from me?” he asked. “How much about Zekrom and Reshiram do you already know?” David nodded again and collected his thoughts.

“N actually told me a good deal about them already once. He, erm… got the jump on me and incapacitated me. He explained about the wars between Zekrom and Reshiram in the past because he wanted to face an ‘informed opponent.’” David explained. “What I really need to know most is how I would actually summon Reshiram, going off the premise that I really am the Hero of Truth.” he then appended. “I saw Zekrom with my own two eyes, but he was simply there when we finally reached the top; I have utterly no idea how N summoned him. If I really do have to reawaken Reshiram like N says and battle him against Zekrom at the League Championships, then I need to know how. I guess that’s what we were hoping you could tell us.” he finished. Drayden had walked to a bookcase on the far side of the room and was mindlessly skimming the titles that were at eye-level. He took a sip of his whiskey and pulled one out, thumbing through it for a moment before simply closing it again and returning it.

“I’m afraid that’s not a simple question…” he began, continuing to stare at the bookshelf as so to not have to catch David’s gaze. “It is a two-part process, but unfortunately, I do not know the specifics of how the second part works.” he continued. “After the second war between the Dragons at the end of the Secunda Pax Unova, Zekrom and Reshiram were sealed away inside Relic Castle in what is now the Desert Resort. This was done because their legendary power could not be contained, nor could it be trusted to any human vigil besides the ancient fraternal kings. Even Relic Castle was not enough to contain them though; as a secondary failsafe, they were first turned to stone by the ancient holy men of the region. The unyieldingly powerful body of Zekrom became nothing more than a small black rock known as the Dark Stone, and the graceful, flowing elegance of Reshiram was turned to a similar white rock known as the Light Stone. In this stone form, they were sealed away inside Relic Castle; to reawaken Reshiram, presumably one would first have to find the Light Stone, as that literally is her remains.” he explained. David frowned and looked away at such impossible sounding news, but Cheren sat forward in his seat.

“Mr. Drayden, has the excavation crew at Relic Castle actually uncovered the Light Stone yet?” he asked, speaking up before David or Drayden could continue. Drayden was surprised at the relatively foreign voice inquiring towards him; he turned away from the bookshelf and looked at Cheren before answering.

“Ahh… no, not to my knowledge they haven't…” he answered, slightly confused. Cheren’s eyes began to gleam subtly at the news.

“Sir, do you think you would recognize it if you saw it?” he asked again. Drayden scratched his massive beard as he pondered the question, but responded a moment later in affirmation.

“Well, yes, I think I probably could…” he murmured. “What’s this all about, young man? The Light and Dark Stones were lost to the eons of time. Frankly, the fact that this N fellow managed to find the Dark Stone somewhat boggles the mind.” he continued. Cheren grinned and reached for David’s backpack swiftly.

“Hey! Cheren, what are you doing?” David asked, surprised at Cheren’s invasive gesture. Cheren did not answer; he simply grinned to himself as he rooted around in David’s bag. Finding what he was looking for, he pulled out an object and held it up.

“Is this it?” he asked excitedly. Drayden squinted to examine the small object Cheren held on display, but felt his face immediately grow numb after just a moment’s examination.

“Great Scott… it is…” he answered in but a whisper. “Where… where did you find that?” he stammered. Cheren handed the Light Stone to David and continued to grin to himself.

“When we were traveling through Route 4 last autumn, we took a detour in Relic Castle and got trapped by a cave-in. That’s a whole other story entirely, but we found that thing in the deepest part of the catacombs and used it in a round-about way to escape. We never knew the significance until now, but David, we did notice Gus seemed to be guarding it at the time; now we know why!” he explained. David was almost as shocked as Drayden was; he had completely forgotten he even had that thing. He stared off into space as a flood of memories from their night in the castle came back to his mind.

“Cheren…” David stammered. “You’re a bloody genius! How did you even remember that?!” he shouted, turning to his friend and grasping his shoulders enthusiastically. Cheren grinned smugly and sat back in the seat coolly. Drayden shook off the shock of the previous exchange and stood back up straight.

“Well… hmm…” he muttered, taking a sip of his drink to calm himself. “I guess that actually solves the first part…” he continued. “Unfortunately, as I said before, that’s only one half of the process.” David’s elation at Cheren’s discovery faded quickly as Drayden drew him back down to Earth. He sat up straight in his chair again and paid attention.

“You are now as well equipped to summon your respective Dragon as that N person was going into Dragonspiral Tower as you claim. However, what you lack that he did not is knowledge of how to actually turn Reshiram back into flesh from the stone. I am afraid that no one knows how to do that; not even a scholar such as myself.” Drayden explained solemnly. The group collectively oh’d at Drayden’s unfortunate news; they were virtually as in the dark as when they had started.

“I guess that answers that then…” David murmured. Drayden sighed and laid a hand on his shoulder.

“I am sorry, my friend. I wish I could be of more help.” he said. David smiled though and shook his head.

“No no, don’t say that, you’ve been a huge help. Now I know that I’ve got Reshiram sitting right here in my hand; I just have to figure out how to reawaken her.” David said, rising from his seat. “If I really am the Hero of Truth and N was right, then I’m probably the most adept person for the job in the world.” he continued with a chuckle. Drayden smiled at David’s optimism and shook his hand.

“Good on you, lad; don’t let this get you down.” he said in a deep, booming voice. “If Alder has confidence in you, then so do I.”

“Me too!” Iris said from the corner. “Dragons are some of the smartest, most observant creatures on the planet. Reshiram is still in there somewhere; I’m sure she’ll appear when the time is right.” she continued.

“5 minutes everyone!” came a shout from through the door. It was followed almost instantly by a chorus of cheers. Reminded of the occasion for their meeting, Drayden quickly looked back at his desk to the clock: 11:55.

“Well David, you said before that N wants your final confrontation to be at the Pokémon League Championships in a couple of weeks, right?” he asked. David nodded and Drayden smiled. “Then as the Opelucid City Gym Leader, I accept your implied challenge to my Gym. You’ll need my badge if you want to enter the tournament.” he continued. David chuckled and shook his hand again.

“You got it, Drayden. Thank you for all your help.” he said politely. Cheren and Bianca approached the pair too, smiling with the good humor of their surroundings.

“Hey, don’t forget us!” Bianca said.

“We need to enter too.” Cheren appended for her. Drayden smiled and straightened his back.

“Of course, of course.” he said. “Allow me a few days to get government paperwork for the new year squared away and then we shall set up an appointment. Now come; I think the countdown is about to start.” he continued. The group left his office and returned to the main hall.

“…10! …9! …8!” the crowd was shouting. A deafening cheer rang throughout the crowd as Drayden and Iris stepped back into the spotlight and began counting along with them.

“…7! …6! …5!” they shouted together. David, Bianca, Cheren, Paula and Alder were lined up just in the shadows behind the mayor. The knowledge Drayden had imparted them with was comforting and allowed David to free his mind for the celebration.

“…4! …3!” the crowd cheered. The massive clock beside them was nearing its zenith.

“…2! …1!” they cried. Bianca subtly took David’s hand in anticipation of the impending New Years’ tradition.

“Happy New Year!” came the blaring call. A cheer sounded throughout the crowd as fireworks boomed outside. Couples kissed as singles began the chorus of Auld Lang Syne, and David and Bianca were no exception. The cheerful festivities continued for hours as the citizens of Opelucid rang in the New Year.

Though N was no less of a threat now than he was at the start of the day, he was equally no more of one. David still didn’t exactly know the specifics of how summoning Reshiram would work, but his meeting with Drayden had at least served to calm his nerves in regards to the previously hopeless seeming nature of their predicament. Drayden’s explanation of the ancient stones and Cheren’s revelation of what the artifact they had obtained from Relic Castle really was had served as important milestones along their attempted path to stopping N and Team Plasma. Maybe it was the high of the party and the sweet embrace of his love clouding his judgment just slightly, but David couldn’t help but feel hopeful for the impending battles, both against Drayden and N. As he and Bianca kissed and the bells began to ring, he had only one emphatic thought on his mind:

“I’ve made my choice, Ghetsis.” he thought to himself. “I’m coming for you.”

[Glover]

I wondered if you were alright. Glad to see you back, if only briefly.

This would be why Iris is gym leader in White then, I suppose.

Nice touch with the Ball and New Years. Is that in the Black version? You speak of Drayden's Ball like it means something in your intro.

While I can see what you mean by not your best work, I think yhat you're not seeing is becvause it's an interlude. It does serve a purpose, but it's an interlude. Maybe more could have been said at the Ball itself, it kind of felt like we dressed Bianca up so she could stand there, and I think Paula was a little too restrained after going all giddy schoolgirl at the mall.

Rattling Pokeball: Nice touch.

Also, and so you know, I had a lovely entry for you. Was nice, then I went and re-read the rules, and discovered I'd missed the one at the bottom about "No Fan Characters" and that pretty much shot down everyone in my head worth writing about, so I'm still trying to come up with someone that I can use for moi if they don't get picked.

[jstinftw!]

Finally was able to find time to leave a proper review! For the record, this is my fourth time starting this. XD (I read this the first day you put it out.)

Ok, so, first thing's first; why is David thinking those thoughts when he's kissing Bianca? :O I dunno about you, but I think I'd be a bit preoccupied if I were him.

That aside, I can see why you say this isn't one of your best chapters, but on the other hand, this is by no means your one of your worst chapters. As Glover said, this isn't as outstanding as other chapters primarily because this isn't a super eventful chapter. No Gym Battles, battles, or anything that required a lot of heart-pulsing, spine-tingling, adrenaline-rushing action.

This was, essentially, a transitional chapter, which is much needed in any fan fiction. If anything, it was worth the 2-3 week wait for the chapter. I think it was that long. Might have been longer, but whatever. It was worth the wait.

So, I think I've established this as the norm, so we shall continue as is.
1. The Ghetsis scene was freaky. I've read other BW fix's take on Ghetsis, and yours is by far the most... Creepy of them. He's scary in this one, and you do a great job at portraying that. He's genuinely intimidating, in a scary way.
2. I have to applaud you on the whole ball scene. I don't want to, but I must. XD The lead up was great; the whole transaction between David and Alder, with Paula coming in at the end was great! I will admit, maybe more protest, or thoughts and words from the others could have been nice, but as is, it's fine. Pokeball rattling was quite nice. And then you have the actual ball scene.

I never knew how to describe a dance. I never knew you really could. But this showed me that you can, and you can do it beautifully. I love the enhanced music effects that you put in, even if some find it rather breaking of the story. It just adds to the mood. But this was quite clever, and I really liked it.
3. The whole thing with Drayden and Iris was also very cool, and to be honest, very much needed. Drayden is an important person to his city, and I imagine it wouldn't be that easy to get a hold of him. To think you could just grab him whenever and pull him away from his duties is a bit silly. Although, it could happen that way, since David's mission is important and Alder is the [i]Champion[i]. But I like your idea much much better.
4. Overall, the dialogue in this chapter is, as usual, very good. I enjoyed it, and all of it flowed quite nicely. Just thought you should get some notice for that.

That's pretty much it. Good stuff, but not a whole lot of it due to it being a less-eventful chapter. But very much needed. I liked it. (:

On a side note, a new episode of StriatonRadio will be up very soon, aaaand... I will send in my characters very soon as well. (:

Good luck and great chapter once again!

P.S. Why is no one else reviewing? Must be a lull in the Pokemon community; RMTs are feeling the side effects of this too. School's maybe kicking everyone's butts?

[Shale]

A. Maz. Ing.

This is the most ridiculously amazing, funny, and detailed Pokemon story I've ever read. It accurately covers all of Black (so far). Unlike the games, you give Brycen, N, and the Team Plasma grunts a personality, something the writers forgot to do. Paula is one of my favorite characters in the fan fiction, who's like an actual person with psychic powers. I can't find any criticism to give you, this is freaking amazing.

I caught one mistake though: in the Christmas chapter, you called Snorlax a Munchlax.

[ChaosBlizzard]

    Spoiler:- Author's Notes:

Show Spoiler

 
Author's Notes:
Hi everyone; new forums, eh? Well, here is Chapter 25, "The Opelucid City Gym Battle." As I'm sure you can surmise, this covers the final Gym Battle for David, Bianca and Cheren.

I know typically we only see David's battle, and I know during Mistralton when we saw all three, a common complaint was that the battles got repetitive. Given both the significance of this battle and the type Drayden uses however, I didn't think it was believable or fair to you guys to make the assumption that Cheren and Bianca also somehow magically won off camera. It also allowed me to further Cheren's character a little bit, though I fear it may retcon a few entries to the contest unintentionally.

Speaking of the contest, we got one new entry since the last chapter. It was a good one, but I know there are quite a few of you out there who haven't submitted anything yet. It's actually been rather surprising; most of the entries have actually come from people who never post replies and therefore I've never seen before. Maybe this thing actually has a bigger following than I thought...

Anyway, here is Chapter 25. After this chapter we'll be going into a two-part chapter series on Anthea and Concordia before finally reaching Victory Road and the League Championships. We've got two more chapters until the contest closes, so hurry up and get submissions in!

Thanks for reading, guys.

    Spoiler:- Read this after the chapter...:

Show Spoiler

 

252 +2 SpAtk Cofagrigus Shadow Ball vs 252 HP/0 SpDef Zweilous: 44.83% - 53.16%
0 +6 Atk Umbreon Faint Attack vs 252 HP/0 Def Zweilous: 35.06% - 41.38%

48.995% + 38.22% + 12.5% (Stealth Rock) = 99.715%
 

 

Chronicles of Unova

Chapter 25: The Opelucid City Gym Battle
Part 1 of 2

The day had arrived for David, Bianca and Cheren to battle Drayden for their Opelucid City Gym Battle. A crisp breeze blew around the city as the group headed out for the Gym; it sharpened the mind and reaffirmed the spirit. The cool winter sun was shining brightly from a cloudless sky and the city around them seemed to move like clockwork. The pulsating rivers of light that wove through the buildings and streets were reminiscent of a heart-rate monitor for the city itself. With every element seeming to come together, David couldn’t help but smile and feel confident heading into his last Gym challenge. With this, their last badge, they would earn entry into the Pokémon League Championship tournament.

The Opelucid City Gym lay in the northwest corner of the city; it stood out as a very sharp contrast to everything else around it. As they had noticed when they first arrived in the city, everything for as far as the eye could see was constructed of a highly polished alloy. Buildings seemed to just be natural extensions of the street, and the streets all seemed to flow together as one uniform entity; everything about the town radiated “futuristic” and “high-tech.” The Gym however sat in the middle of a vacant dirt lot, with nothing more than a simple chain-link fence lining the premises. It looked extremely out of place amongst the technology and development, but the building itself fit Drayden’s character flawlessly. The massive stone structure was built like a giant, vertically stretched igloo; the truly impressive part was the two massive heads which rose from either side of the building however. Each shaped like the head of a Charizard, the ominous gargoyles stared at passersby and were each nearly half the size of the building. The stonework alone must have taken a tremendous effort to complete, but in a city such as Opelucid, the bold, against-the-grain statement made a clear mark on Drayden’s traditionalistic character. It could only be properly described as “epic” in the mythic sense.

Completing the fortress motif, the entrance to the garrison was blocked by two massive, sturdy oak doors. Aged knockers hung from either side, the rings hanging from the mouths of two dragons just like the ones above. David reached for the closest one and went to knock, but to his surprise, the sturdy door creaked open at the slightest prod. A bit confused at the apparent façade, David poked his head into the darkness and looked around.

“Uh… hello?” he asked into the building. It was pitch black inside, but he heard his voice echo, implying a deep chamber in the darkness beyond their vision. A response from behind them made him jump.

“Hi-ya, guys!” Iris exclaimed. The three of them cringed in surprise and leapt around, having been so entranced by the ominous building that they hadn’t heard her sneak up. Drayden was standing a few feet behind her as well, his arms folded as usual and looking down at them from atop his tremendous height and across his bushy beard. He looked as if he was scowling, but he almost always wore such a look, even if he didn’t intend to. “Were you guys looking for us?” Iris continued with a sarcastic smile.

“Jesus, Iris, don’t sneak up on us like that.” David said, shaking his head and putting a hand to his heart. Drayden grunted and began walking toward the door.

“Lacking confidence, are we?” he asked in a gravelly voice. David smirked at his light taunt however and stepped aside.

“Bring it on, old man.” he prodded back, rasping a chuckle beneath his breath. Drayden murmured another acknowledgment but did not respond verbally; internally he liked David’s attitude, but nothing about his outward appearance would have given it away. He walked into the darkness and motioned for them to follow.

“Iris, child, close the door, please.” he murmured when they had all shuffled in. Iris reunited the oak doors and plunged the room into even more complete darkness; while the entranceway had been at least lit partially by light from the street, now everything before them was entirely black.

“Uh… Drayden?” David asked. Drayden remained silent however and found a panel against the wall. He flipped a lever on it and the rumble of an engine in the back corner of the room began to sound.

“Yes?” he asked. It was David who was silent now however; the stone roof of the massive dome was beginning to retract at Drayden’s command, flooding everything before them in daylight. As David had predicted from the echo, the building was all one giant room. Ornate stone pillars held up the concave part of the roof, but the center under where the more flat part of the roof was being retracted was cleared for a grand battlefield. There was nothing else in the entire building save this one sprawling room; Drayden truly was “Spartan” in all aspects of his life. David stammered at the engineering spectacle before him.

“N-nothing…” he murmured as the roof finished retracting. Drayden unfolded his arms and began walking towards the battlefield.

“Who’s going first?” he asked without turning to look. David blinked away his stupor and turned to his friends.

“Same as always?” David whispered. Cheren and Bianca shrugged and nodded respectively in affirmation.

“You then Bianca then me?” Cheren parroted.

“Sounds fine; just as long as I’m not first.” Bianca chimed in. David nodded back and jogged up to meet Drayden on the battlefield.

“I’ll be first.” he answered. Drayden grunted a third time in acknowledgment and took up his position on the field. He folded his arms and waited for Iris in the judge’s box.

“Oooookay, guys; everyone ready?” she asked, taking long, whimsical strides to reach her post. The trainers nodded seriously and drew their opening Pokéballs.

“Three Pokémon each, first to lose all their Pokémon loses, yada-yada-yada… you can start whenever you’re ready!” she continued. With the epic grandeur of everything around him and the ominous tone Drayden and his preferred type carried with them, David was pleasantly surprised and amused by her lighthearted demeanor. Drayden showed no outward indication that it was out of the ordinary however, no matter how clashing with his own personality it may have been. Drayden primed his opening Pokéball and threw it onto the field to meet the challenge; the battle for the Legend Badge was underway.

* * *

“Fraxure!” Drayden bellowed. The scrappy Dragon-type leapt from the ball as it struck the ground and hunched over into a defensive position as it waited for David to counter. The Axe Jaw Pokémon was a bit bigger than Bianca’s own Fraxure; it looked perhaps more disciplined than hers, but maybe less powerful too. David acted in turn and released his own opening Pokémon.

“Go, Snorlax!” David shouted. The titan emerged from the Pokéball midflight and landed on the ground with a mighty “stomp!” The ground beneath their feet shook ever-so-slightly upon his landing, foreshadowing the powerful Earthquake attacks he was capable of summoning. With the battle set to begin, Drayden called out to his opponent.

“Our very ability to interact with Pokémon in this way rests on your ability to defeat N, my friend. To earn your place in the tournament, you have to first earn my badge; you may have the first move.” he offered. David chuckled and scratched his forearm.

“Right, so no pressure.” he joked back. “Okay then, Snorlax, use Fire Punch!” he commanded. With the first attack issued, the match was underway.

Snorlax roared a rumbling, low-pitched cry and shot his fists to his sides. Standing proudly before his enemy, the twin flames ignited and filled the air with a muted popping sound. Snorlax set himself, similar to his opponent’s own defensive stance, and then charged with all of his strength towards the stocky dragon. Though it was a relatively slow advance, it was no less threatening or potentially destructive than a company of tanks rolling towards a target; Fraxure braced himself and waited for a counter-command.

Snorlax was drawing close and tightened his fists to strike. Drayden stood stock still, rigidly waiting and watching for the right moment to defend. His scowl tightened and his arms were still folded. As Snorlax hopped into the air to deliver the punch, Drayden barked out his own first command.

“False Swipe, now!” he ordered strictly. Fraxure pushed off of the ground and caught Snorlax’s wrist mid-stride. Snorlax’s determined look turned instantly to one of surprise.

Snorlax was nearly thirteen times his opponent’s weight. Nevertheless, between Fraxure’s incredible strength and his nimble placement, he had masterfully managed to redirect all of that weight from a destructive force to a harmless, misdirected one. Now in close quarters and with an opportune moment to attack, Fraxure grinned to itself fiendishly and twisted its neck for the strike.

“Snorlax, get away!” David shouted, but it was too late. Slicing at Snorlax’s thick hide with his iron-strong tusks, Fraxure delivered two powerful blows back-to-back. For as bulky and unstoppable as Snorlax typically was, his physical defenses were still the weaker of the two compared to his Special Defense; the blow was perfectly placed for maximum damage. Fraxure reined it in just a bit on the second swipe, leaving Snorlax just barely strong enough to continue the fight, but the first blow alone had been enough to knock Snorlax from his feet. David’s Pokémon rose after taking a tumble nearly half way across the field and stumbled to stand up straight, but he had only the tiniest bit of fight left in him.

“False Swipe is a move that always leaves a little bit of health remaining.” Cheren whispered to Bianca on the sidelines. “It never KOs. I think Drayden is going easy on David; he wants to give him a fair chance and see what he’s capable of.” he continued. Bianca oh’d and turned her gaze from Snorlax to Drayden’s piercing stare. She could believe it; he looked as if a hundred different thoughts were racing through his mind as he assessed the situation.

“Snorlax, are you sure you’re okay?” David called out to his Pokémon. Snorlax was woozy and could barely stand, but he grunted a disoriented, warbling cry in affirmation, not wanting to let his trainer down. Snorlax had always been tenacious and unable to let any objective go; David was especially grateful for that quality now.

“Alright then; Earthquake, Snorlax!” he continued fiercely. Snorlax tiredly lifted one of his squat paws and smashed it against the ground, but to David’s chagrin, the ensuing tremor hardly lived up to one of the ones his Pokémon’s entrance has promised. The weak quake went out and managed to knock Drayden’s Fraxure off its feet, but it had taken only minimal damage from the blow and was ready to strike back after only seconds. At Drayden’s command, Fraxure took a running charge at his opponent and outstretched one of its sharply clawed feet for a flying kick: Assurance. Snorlax simply lacked the stamina or the strength to try and dodge the attack; it was little more than a light tap, but the force alone toppled Snorlax from his feet. He collapsed to his back and was out for the match.

“Snorlax is unable to battle; round one goes to Drayden!” Iris shouted. Drayden remained motionless and made no more than a sigh of acknowledgment. David dejectedly recalled his first Pokémon, having made little headway into breaking through Drayden’s team. Snorlax had fought as best he could, but his lumbering speed had been his demise. David drew his next Pokéball and prepared for round two.

“Go, Galvantula!” he shouted. The EleSpider Pokémon broke free of the ball and scuttled nearly to centerfield tenaciously to meet his opponent’s challenge. Paula’s poor physical defense would make her easy prey for such a powerful physical attacker as Fraxure; he needed to save her for last and hope Galvantula could soften up some of the bigger targets for her first. Drayden nodded, beginning to mentally plan his counter-strategy; the second round was underway.

“Begin!” Iris shouted.

While Snorlax’s low speed had given Fraxure an easy time redirecting his raw power, Galvantula would suffer no such fate. Galvantula had terrific speed and David capitalized on it, issuing his opening command nearly as soon as Iris had exhaled the breath.

“Signal Beam! Let’s go!” he said quickly. Galvantula acted with computer-like reflexes and began immediately pummeling Fraxure with the iridescent ray. Fraxure wasn’t ready yet and took the attack head on. The beam washed over his face and tusks and began chipping away at his weak special defenses. Drayden recognized what was happening even before Fraxure did and angrily gave a counter-command, but the surprise damage was already done.

“Fraxure, stop flailing; defend yourself! Dual Chop.” he bellowed. His trainer’s harsh voice jarred Fraxure’s mind back into cohesion. He brought his tusks to bear and, bracing off of the pressure from Galvantula’s Signal Beam, pushed off with them to get out of the way. He slid to a halt a few feet away and tucked in his head to launch off a counter-attack. Charging towards Galvantula, the EleSpider Pokémon ceased his Signal Beam dug in to brace for the hit.

“Wait for it, Galvantula. You know what to do.” David called out reassuringly. Galvantula sounded a combination hissing-purring noise in acknowledgment and recognition of his trainer’s implied plan. It was a strategy they had practiced to great success many times before; it had never failed, and it wouldn’t fail now.

Fraxure was sailing towards his opponent, ready to swiftly put an end to opponent number two. The Dragon-type Dual Chop attack would be more than powerful enough to take down Galvantula if it hit, and if Galvantula fell to Fraxure’s sweep as well, David would almost definitely lose; strong as she was, Paula couldn’t single-handedly beat Fraxure and Drayden’s two other remaining Pokémon. A bloodlust in his eyes and enraged for having been duped by the speedy Signal Beam, Fraxure roared and twisted its neck to strike. With no distance left to maneuver away for either of them, Galvantula’s response came crackling through the air.

“Electroweb!” David shouted as his Pokémon acted.

Galvantula turned and hit his opponent dead on with the ensnaring web of crackling, hissing static. Completely bound and unable to complete his own attack, Fraxure fell and skidded to a halt against the ground, crying out in pain from the electricity’s residual damage. The net stung Fraxure’s body everywhere it touched; unable to break free, it just kept doing more and more damage. Fraxure as a species were much less specially defensive than physically so, and when combined with the damage it had taken from Snorlax’s Earthquake and Galvantula’s earlier Signal Beam, the enduring pain proved to be too much for it. Galvantula had won the round unscathed.

“Fraxure is unable to battle; round two goes to David!” Iris announced excitedly. David’s face burst out in a proud grin and Galvantula’s dangling feelers did the analog. Drayden was once again virtually emotionless, but a twinge of annoyance at having his would-be sweep halted lined his lips behind the beard. The Gym Leader recalled his Fraxure and exchanged its Pokéball for the next. Wasting no time releasing Pokémon number two, the third round began.

“Druddigon, now you.” he barked. Soaring from the ball in midair and flying low to the ground, the scaly beast roared fiercely and sized up his opponents with an air of confidence matched only by his trainer. Though neither more nor less of a Dragon than Fraxure was, seeing Druddigon’s large, beating wings opposite his Electric-type gave David reason to smile.

“Alright… begin!” Iris shouted. This time it was Drayden to issue the first command.

“Don’t you fall for that too, Druddigon. Use Chip Away.” he said sternly. Druddigon roared in acknowledgment and began soaring towards Galvantula, picking up speed as he went. Recognizing a winning strategy however, that same tactic was exactly what David had in mind to do. He called for Galvantula to begin firing off Electroweb attacks to try and ensnare the Gym Leader’s Druddigon, but the Cave Pokémon was just a tad too fast. Druddigon was content to soar around Galvantula in circles, maintaining a safe distance away and dodging attacks. When he thought he had a clear shot, Galvantula would turn and fire off the snare, but Druddigon would increase or decrease speed just enough to narrowly dodge. While Galvantula was turning back around then, Druddigon would swoop in and take a quick potshot at the EleSpider’s back. This happened several times, each slightly more powerful than the last, before David decided to change tactics; Galvantula was getting angry at the constant, taunting blows and appreciated the decision.

“Alright, enough of this…” David spat. Looking up at the clear skies above them, he grinned and had an idea. “Time to bring out the big guns…” he said to himself. Galvantula had the same idea and hissed venomously in anticipation.

“Good, Druddigon. Keep it up.” Drayden said, refolding his arms. Druddigon rasped a dry roar and continued soaring in a circle above Galvantula; he would continue waiting for a safe moment to strike.

Galvantula closed all six of his eyes and began to concentrate. A low hum began to radiate from his body, though it didn’t deter Druddigon any. Above them in the sky, a few scant clouds were beginning to rapidly form. They were dark and gray, looking very ominous to the rest of the city as they crowned the massive gargoyles atop the Gym. After a moment’s concentration, Galvantula reopened his eyes; there was something different about them now though, something almost mechanical. Druddigon was still oblivious to Galvantula’s impending attack, but the EleSpider was already taking steps to ensure that it wouldn’t fail regardless. Utilizing his Compoundeyes ability, Galvantula homed in on his airborne adversary and took supremely careful aim. Angry electricity crackling all over his body, before the Gym Leader or his Pokémon could realize the danger, Galvantula dropped a wicked thunderbolt from the sky and cut Druddigon dead on. The Thunder attack had struck Druddigon right in his weak spot for a critical hit; Compoundeyes had made sure of that. Clipping his rocky wings and inflicting stellar damage, the gargoyle fell to the ground in a crackling mess.

“…damn.” Cheren murmured from the sidelines. Galvantula’s attack had been every bit as visually and aurally impressive as it had been crushingly powerful. Drayden appeared just as unfazed as his Pokémon was however. Druddigon rose after just a moment with a wicked grin on his face, clutching his right arm in pain.

“Well lad, you finally landed a blow…” Drayden said tauntingly. “Druddigon… Revenge.”

The Cave Pokémon moved slowly at first, but having shaken off the blow with surprising ease, he retook to the skies and screamed towards Galvantula with every bit of speed he had. No longer was he flying lazy circles above his enemy; Druddigon shot like a rocket towards his opponent with a smirk that could melt hearts lining his stony lips. Terrified by the beast that had just survived his Thunder, Galvantula began speedily scuttling away.

“No no no! Galvantula, use Electroweb, this is your chance!” David shouted. Galvantula was gripped by fear however and couldn’t perform. Druddigon screamed again and took a firm hold of the spider as he caught up to him. Lifting his opponent into the air along with him, he re-ascended with his newly acquired bomb and proceeded to drop him as such to the ground below. Flailing his legs and squirming in fear, Galvantula fell nearly the entire height of the Gym and struck the hard floor below for tremendous damage. Druddigon was severely hurt, but was victorious from his strategy.

“Galvantula is unable to battle; round three goes to Drayden.” Iris said; she spoke barely a whisper though, gripped in reverence by her mentor’s masterful timing. The combination of Chip Away and Revenge had proven to be highly successful; waiting to take a hit and then capitalizing on it as soon as it happened, Druddigon had all but assured a KO. The Cave Pokémon had taken good damage to be sure, but with the score at 2-1 to Drayden and David only having Paula in reserve, it was beginning to look like it might have been worth it.

“Galvantula, return…” David murmured. As the beam was cut and the Pokéball resealed, he looked at it in his palm and smiled. “I couldn’t have asked for more, buddy. Sorry I didn’t see that coming.” he thought. David returned the ball to his holster and drew Paula’s ball from it. She was his last line of defense; could she finish off the Druddigon and take Drayden’s last Pokémon out too though? David chuckled and shouted across the field to his opponent.

“Remember my dance partner from the party, Drayden?” he asked lightheartedly. For the first time they had seen that day, Drayden nodded his head and smiled.

“Is she as avid on the battlefield as she is in the ballroom?” he asked back. David grinned and threw out her ball.

“You tell me.” he replied.

Paula gracefully fell from the ball and landed opposite Druddigon with delicacy becoming of the wind. She brought her hands together in front of her horn and sighed to calm her mind. When she reopened her eyes, she shot Druddigon a piercing, bone-chilling siren’s gaze even Helen of Troy would have killed to wield. Druddigon was starting to remember the pain from Galvantula’s crippling Thunder attack as he saw the spry young Gardevoir as his last opponent.

“So tell me, master, is this when I say my one-liner or do I have to clean up the scraps first?” she asked drily. David smirked as Iris called for the start of the round.

“Don’t get cocky, Paula. There’s another one after this.” he answered. Paula grinned to herself and began building her energy.

“Of course, master.” she replied.

“Begin!” Iris cried. With that, the fourth round was under way.

“Druddigon, use–” Drayden started to say, but before he could finish his statement, his Pokémon shuttered violently. The fourth round started not with a bang, but with a whisper; Druddigon had landed in the interim between rounds and fell to a knee as his body charged with electricity. Though the effects had not manifested themselves until now, Galvantula’s massive Thunder attack had given Druddigon a temporarily paralysis condition; his speed would be severely compromised and he was even worse off than he had anticipated.

“Gah… no time to waste; Druddigon, Dragon Claw!” Drayden shouted angrily. Druddigon heroically and painstakingly rose once more and began beating his wings to take to the skies, but his paralysis was beginning to take hold. He got into the air, but it was a strained effort.

“Paula, use Psychic!” David commanded preemptively. Though the surprise paralysis was a welcomed blessing, he didn’t want to chance a loss while the physically-inclined Druddigon could still land a blow against his defensively frail Gardevoir. Paula’s horn began to glow bright white as she launched the blast of telekinesis. Druddigon had managed to get into the air, but it was a terribly strained effort. He was essentially just flying in a beeline towards the Embrace Pokémon, hoping to take a clean swipe with his empowered claws. Paula’s Psychic attack struck perfectly and finished off what little fight Druddigon had in him. Unable to continue flying, he dropped to the ground and skidded to a halt at Paula’s feet.

“Druddigon is unable to battle; round four goes to David.” Iris announced. Paula maintained her composure and hadn’t even had to move during the round. She looked down at the scaly beast defeated before her with mockingly sarcastic confusion.

“Goodness, quit dragon your feet, you ruffian.” She mused tongue-in-cheek. David restrained a laugh and pinched the bridge of his nose in embarrassment at the same time.

“Goddamn… off day, Paula?” he asked. The Gardevoir simply giggled and folded her arms.

“I do not know what you are talking about, master. That was a good one.” she joked. David smiled again, but before he could reply, they were interrupted then by a soft, rhythmic noise.

Drayden stood across from them, slowly clapping his hands with a stern look on his face. David was simultaneously confused, pleased and terrified by the gesture, not sure what it meant. Drayden then spoke as he drew his own final Pokéball.

“Fine show, lad; fine show indeed…” he bellowed. “It has brought us down to one full-health Pokémon a piece, but you’ve managed to best two of my strongest Dragons regardless. You’re no ordinary trainer, that is to be certain now; I see why Alder has such faith in you.” he continued. David grinned sheepishly and Paula blushed at the compliment.

“Well ahh… gee Drayden, thanks. I–” David started to respond, but Drayden cut him off before he could finish.

“However…” he continued sharply. “I have one final Pokémon, as do you, and this battle is not over yet. For you, my final Pokémon shall be my strongest. Behold, one of the most violent, unmanageable, terrific beasts this planet harbors. It has been one of my life’s goals to train a Pokémon of this species, as it is of every Dragon-type master. Go… Zweilous!” he cried. David swallowed nervously as Drayden emphatically threw the ball.

Landing dead center in the field, the Pokéball landed and remained motionless. After a moment, the ball creaked open and a dark figure rose from it. The squat, black monster snarled as it flew out and took up a position on the field opposite Paula. The creature had a stocky body and two heads; each one shouting a roar in opposite directions, the feral monster was prepared for battle.

“Wow… a Zweilous…” Cheren murmured. “Professor Juniper told us about them once. They evolve into practically the most violently destructive force on the planet: Hydreigon. They treat anything that moves as a target and destroy everything in their path indiscriminately. Drayden’s right; training one of those things would be just shy of impossible.” he continued. Bianca was silently mystified by the creature as well.

“Drayden, are you sure you want to use your Zweilous? Is he ready?” Iris asked timidly from the judge’s box. Drayden shot her a calming look and nodded without speaking.

“Alright then… go ahead and begin.” she said nervously. David could sense the atmosphere change that had occurred when Drayden’s final Pokémon had appeared, but he wasn’t going to let it worry him. It was just a one-on-one now.

“Zweilous, attack command alpha. Use Dragon Pulse.” Drayden commanded sternly. There was no hesitation in his voice; the slightest uncertainty and the Zweilous would ignore his trainer. The Hostile Pokémon began charging the legendary blast in its left-side mouth, but Paula was already readying a defense of her own.

“Wait for the shot and then Teleport, Paula. Let’s see how this thing attacks before we go rushing in.” David explained telepathically. Paula acknowledged and continued watching her opponent carefully. When the Zweilous’ left head fired the shot, she focused intently and instantly warped away.

“Good, now… wait, what’s it doing?” David continued. In the split second during Paula’s jump, the second head also began charging a second Dragon Pulse. When Paula reappeared, it quickly fired off the smaller blast and clipped her before she could Teleport again. “Paula, crap, no!” David shouted, but it was too late.

“Good, Zweilous. Hold.” Drayden barked. The Zweilous appeared to grin just slightly as it watched Paula fall from the sky.

“No no no, Paula! Are you okay?” David thought worriedly. The attack had been light however as it had been charged so quickly. Paula managed to steady herself and land gracefully; she was no longer unscathed however.

“I am alright, master. Just caught me by surprise…” she responded. David sighed, but could feel his heart beating faster than it had prior.

“Be careful. Now we know that both heads can attack.” he appended. Paula smiled to herself however and glared at her opponent.

“Now it is our turn to attack though, master.” she said confidently. David nodded and gave the command.

“Paula, use Psychic!” he shouted. Paula’s whole form radiated with color and twisted the space around itself as she launched the strike. It was one of the most emboldened Psychic attacks David had ever seen her generate, but to his surprise and panic, the attack seemed to glance right off of Drayden’s Zweilous.

“Wait… is that thing–” David started to say, but Cheren cut him off.

“David, what are you doing?! It’s a Dark-type! Don’t you remember when Professor Juniper taught us about these?” he shouted. Drayden called for another attack before David could respond.

“Zweilous, attack command delta. Use Dragon Rush.” he ordered quickly. Almost seeming to chortle to itself at its immunity to Psychic-type attacks, the Zweilous rose into the air on its thin wings and began screaming towards Paula for the tackle.

“Ack! No! Paula, Teleport!” David cried desperately. Paula shut her eyes tightly and Teleported away, not caring where so long as it was out of the Zweilous’ war path. She narrowly escaped, but the Zweilous had her in a high-speed game of cat-and-mouse now. As soon as Paula reappeared from a Teleport, the Zweilous doggedly altered course and zoomed towards her, forcing her to make another jump almost right away. This endlessly repeating pattern would go on until the Zweilous found its mark; the effort it would require from Paula if it was kept up for too long would be extraordinary, and the risk of her slipping up increased with each leap she made. David had to come up with a new plan quickly.

“Paula? Paula, can you still hear me?” David thought. Paula answered a second later, but there was a panicked tone to her mental voice and a hazy warble as she flitted in and out of reality.

“Yes, master, but I am here, but this Pokémon is fast! I do not know how long I can keep this up!” she replied. David grit his teeth, his mind racing.

“If it’s a Dark-type, then that means we’ve got to go for Focus Blast. A well-aimed one should be enough to take it down. Do you think you can do it?” he asked. There was clear hesitation in Paula’s answer, or lack thereof perhaps, this time however.

“Not as this speed, master. I must slow one of us down.” she replied frantically. David wracked his mind trying to remember what Professor Juniper had taught them about the species for anything that could give them an edge.

“Okay… think, David. How do you slow this thing down?” he thought to himself. “It has to mess up its Dragon Rush and give her a chance to get away. Why could it fail?” he pondered. A roughly constructed plan came to him off of a kernel of information he managed to remember, but he wasn’t sure if it would really work; it was worth a shot however.

“Paula, Teleport to right in front of one of these pillars. You’ve got to wait and let it get as close as possible before you Teleport away again after that, understand?” David asked. Paula was too preoccupied by now for a “verbal” acknowledgment; every drop of mental focus and discipline she had was tasked to maintaining her light-speed Teleports. The Zweilous was getting better and better at predicting her movements; she wasn’t even bothering to wait after each Teleport now for fear of the impending strike. Through it all though, she managed to get out a sense that she understood David’s command. David watched as she reappeared and waited before one of the pillars for the Zweilous to make another charge.

“Hold… hold…” David commanded. The Zweilous had already re-found her and was flying like a bullet towards its mark however. Paula practically shook with nervousness and fatigue from the high-speed chase, but she had trust in her trainer’s plan.

“Hold…” David murmured again. The Zweilous was only feet away at this point.

“Now! Teleport now!” David cried. Paula had to simply act on instinct and warp to wherever she could to get away in time. Luckily for her, David’s strategy paid off. The Zweilous had such an unrelenting bloodlust in its chase because of its Hustle ability; it was throwing itself around with tremendous strength, but at the cost of control and accuracy. Having convinced itself that because she had slowed down, Paula would not be able to get away again, the Zweilous crashed into the pillar and momentarily stunned itself.

Paula had chosen to warp to the easiest place for her mind to locate: at David’s side. As she reappeared, David turned and grasped her shoulder.

“Quick! Focus Blast, now!” he cried, pointing to the Zweilous to more quickly help her regain her spatial bearings. As the Zweilous was shaking off the disorientation, Paula very quickly generated the energy for the attack and let it fly. She had extremely limited time to aim the blast, but with months of practice and a little luck guiding her, the shot struck home and sent the Zweilous reeling to the ground. For as strong and agile as it was, it lacked the special defenses to tank the type-advantageous hit. Falling to the ground, one of the heads struggled to keep up the fight, but it was done. Exhausted, frightened and heart nearly beating out of her chest, Paula stood triumphant over the Hostile Pokémon. Drayden was defeated; David had won.

“I… wow…” Iris stammered. “I can’t believe it. Zweilous is unable to battle. David… wins.” she said. The whole room remained eerily quiet for a time following her decree.

Drayden stood in solemn defeat. He sighed once and simply returned his Pokémon to its Pokéball. He returned it to his holster and walked away from the field. The realization of victory was beginning to settle in for David and Paula collectively. She still stood beside him, still radiating a slight aura of heat from her freshly fired Focus Blast. The pair turned to face each other and locked gazes. David nodded and once again laid a hand on Paula’s shoulder. The fight was over; Paula had done it.

“You always come through, Paula…” David whispered. Paula smiled and leaned against her trainer to recuperate.

“It takes two to tango, master…” she whispered back. David smiled at the returned compliment.

Drayden had wandered off to a cabinet along the far wall near the motor for retracting the roof. He was returning now however and appeared to be holding something in his hand. He approached David and Paula and once again folded his arms.

“Hmm…” he grunted as he sized them up. Though they had just won over him, something about his broadly built form was still intimidating. After a moment, Drayden sighed.

“Good job, young man. You’ve earned it.” he said evenly. The Spartan Mayor offered few words; he simply offered one hand to shake and a Legend Badge in the other. David smiled peacefully as he took them in sequence.

The fight was over; David had won. With now all eight badges won through legitimate, sanctioned battle, David had earned entry into the Pokémon League Championships. It represented completion of the first stepping stone on a journey neither he nor either of his friends had ever thought would happen. Bianca and Cheren would still have to battle to join him at his newly surmounted summit, but for now, David felt on top of the world. He squeezed Paula a little tighter as he showed her tired eyes their prize. David had won the Legend Badge.

* * *

[Continued Below]

[ChaosBlizzard]

Chronicles of Unova

Chapter 25: The Opelucid City Gym Battle
Part 2 of 2

After a short break to heal his Pokémon, Drayden was once again prepared for battle. Now it was Bianca’s turn to vie for entry into the League Championships. While she was decidedly more nervous and less experienced than her male traveling companions, her team as an offensive-defensive unit was more equipped to fight Dragons than either of theirs were. Fraxure, as a Dragon-type himself, was predisposed to have a type-advantage against all of Drayden’s Pokémon, while Pachirisu’s freezing Hidden Power would also net a favorable type matchup. Anything they couldn’t clean up together would be left as easy prey to Crobat. The trouble might arise if Bianca got complacent with these advantages however; Fraxure was just as weak to Drayden’s Dragon-type attacks as Drayden’s dragons were to him, and while Pachirisu was fast and versatile, she was not in the least bit bulky. If Crobat was left with too much still to contend with if he was needed, it could spell disaster for Bianca. The two trainers took up their positions and prepared for battle.

“Same rules as before. Everybody ready?” Iris asked excitedly. Drayden nodded with stern determination, but Bianca was markedly less confident. With affirmation from both trainers, Iris began the match.

“Go, Fraxure!” Drayden barked. Leading the same way he led against David, the hearty dragon took up a wide stance and braced for the battle when it entered the field.

“You too, sweetie!” Bianca shouted nervously. Her own Fraxure entered the battlefield in a similar fashion, but seemed more pumped than his counterpart across the field. Drayden’s Fraxure seemed monitoring and experienced; Bianca’s by comparison seemed more novice, but also more physically adept and virile. With the two like-species combatants primed against each other, the first commands began to fly.

“Dual Chop, Fraxure!” Drayden ordered.

“You too, sweetie!” Bianca parroted, both of Drayden and of her own last remark. The two Axe Jaw Pokémon moved in lock-step, almost as if there was just one and it was facing a mirror. When they met in the middle of the battlefield, a sharp metallic “clang!” sounded as their tusks collided. Like expert swordsmen, neither one was initially able to overpower the other; they pushed off one another’s tusks, both trying to outmaneuver the other rather than outmuscle.

After a moment of this reverse Tug-of-War, Drayden saw that his own Fraxure was just barely beginning to slip however. Bianca’s truly was the more physically powerful, and it was beginning to make some headway pushing Drayden’s Fraxure back. Cutting his losses, he decided to change tactics.

“Leave it alone, Fraxure; we’ve got to re-maneuver.” he said sternly. Gritting his teeth and snarling, the Gym Leader’s Pokémon followed orders and gave one final push to back away safely. The two fell back a few paces, neither one having done any significant damage, and awaited new orders from their trainers; it was time for a chance of strategy for the both of them.

“You almost had it, Fraxure. Let’s cement this; Dragon Dance!” Bianca called out excitedly. Her Fraxure grinned at the opportunity to embolden itself, but Drayden instantly regretted calling off his attack. He was quick to put a stop to it, but early-battle momentum was beginning to fall to Bianca.

“Stop it now, Fraxure; Taunt!” Drayden commanded harshly. There was clear imperative in his tone; his Pokémon knew he wasn’t mad at it, but simply recognized the action as critically important. Employing similar mind-controlling tactics behind the scenes to what Brycen’s Vanillish had done in Icirrus, the Gym Leader’s Fraxure began mocking his boosting opponent voraciously. Bianca’s Fraxure had already finished a single instance of the ancient dance, but more were now out of the question. Enraged by the Taunt, he snarled and foamed to attack.

“That’s good, Fraxure; you got one at least. Use Dual Chop again!” Bianca called out excitedly. The Taunt would keep her Fraxure from getting more Dragon Dances under his belt than what he had already acquired, but when the power difference was this close, even just one was more than enough.

“Evade it, Fraxure!” Drayden bellowed as Bianca’s strategy began to clamp around him. Though he moved valiantly and as quickly as he could, Bianca’s Fraxure’s Dragon Dance had boosted both his attacking strength and his speed, so Drayden’s Fraxure was unable to follow through with the command. The first swing of the Dual Chop missed, but dodging the first had left nowhere to run from the second. KO’d instantly by the single hit, Drayden’s Fraxure flew across the field and tumbled end over end to the ground. The resounding smash had left him done for the match.

“Drayden’s Fraxure is unable to battle; round one goes to Bianca.” Iris said cheerfully, happy to see the female challenger doing well. Drayden sighed disappointedly but recalled his Pokémon and nodded at the ball in thanks. Wasting little time, he drew his next Pokéball and kept the battle going.

“Now you, Druddigon.” he said levelly. The bulky dragon emerged from the ball as it was still in midflight, but rather than going airborne as it had in the last battle, it instead smashed to the ground and leered over its opponent menacingly. The Druddigon was a good two feet taller than his opponent and considerably bulkier than his previous teammate. Despite the boost from Fraxure’s Dragon Dance, the size and power difference alone would be a hurdle to overcome.

“Begin!” Iris shouted.

“Same as before, Fraxure; Dual Chop!” Bianca shouted excitedly. Early momentum had sided with Bianca, but choosing to send out Druddigon was a purposeful act on Drayden’s part to shift that advantage. Moving at a lightning pace for his moderately small size thanks to the Dragon Dance, Fraxure charged at his larger opponent and leapt in to attack. Supremely confident in his own abilities however, Druddigon made no effort to evade.

“Stop it, Druddigon; you know what to do.” Drayden said. When Fraxure came within striking distance, Druddigon purposely allowed the first swipe to land so that he could grab his opponent by the tusk on the second. Through sheer mass and strength alone, Druddigon had immobilized Fraxure.

Startled by the resistance his second swipe was met with, Fraxure looked up and realized what had happened. He frantically struggled to break free, but Drayden’s Druddigon sneered like it had just before the Revenge attack against David’s Galvantula and raised its free hand. Its claws began to glow as it prepared to strike.

“Fraxure, get out of there!” Bianca cried, but it was no use.

“Dragon Claw!” Drayden ordered fiercely. Unable to defend himself, Fraxure took the swing right in his exposed abdomen. Druddigon’s sharp claws raked his poor opponent and finished the job that his teammate before him had started. Fraxure struggled to stand after it was tossed across the room by the swipe, but it had simply been too powerful of a blow in too critical of an area. Bianca’s Fraxure had joined Drayden’s now and was unable to continue.

“Bianca’s Fraxure is unable to battle; round two goes to Drayden.” Iris announced. Bianca ran out onto the field to tend to her Pokémon, slightly irking Drayden but understandable under the circumstances.

“Fraxure, are you alright?” she asked worriedly as she knelt over him. The Axe Jaw Pokémon was out and could not respond, but while it had been a powerful strike, he appeared as though he would recover soon. Bianca thanked him for his efforts and recalled him to his Pokéball. She rose and returned to her post to continue the battle.

“Alright Pachirisu, you’re next.” Bianca said as she drew the ball. Throwing it to the spot where Fraxure had fallen, her starter Pokémon leapt out and bristled with electricity as she grinned and looked about. Drayden took his foe seriously, as he did with all of his battles, but against the diminutive, almost naïve-looking squirrel, his Druddigon hid a smirk.

“Begin!” Iris shouted.

“Quick, Pachirisu, use Hidden Power!” Bianca commanded. She would need to capitalize on Pachirisu’s speed to break past the tank of a dragon, but Drayden had been expecting something like a Hidden Power when he saw the small Electric-type sent out.

“Not surprising…” he muttered. “Druddigon, Flamethrower.” he continued almost disinterestedly. Druddigon snarled in approval and acknowledgment of the command and pushed off with a massive stroke of his wings into the air. Hovering just high enough to get height on the attack, he breathed a gale of fire in the direction of Pachirisu’s own outburst. What was targeted at him was melted by the Flamethrower, and the remaining perimeter of the burst of energy harmlessly flew past him and hit nothing but the walls. Druddigon’s weak special attacking capabilities only lent him enough power to nominally melt the attack, but it meant he would be safe from the ice at least, effectively canceling Bianca’s type-advantage.

“We can’t lose our momentum.” Bianca thought to herself. Her mind began to race as she desperately tried to think of a way to get her Hidden Power past the Flamethrower. The kernel of an idea was forming, but she needed to stall for some time. “Charge Beam, hurry!” she shouted. Hoping to press the attack and not give Druddigon time to think or rest, Pachirisu leapt into action.

On the heels of her first attack, Pachirisu charged up energy in the electric sacs lining her cheeks and shot. The beam of lightning was extremely thin and not overly powerful, but she continued storing even more power even after the attack was in the air, raising her special attacking capability. The beam wasn’t weak though; it was every bit as powerful as her tried-and-true Spark attack, but just without physical exertion. Despite resisting Electric, Druddigon growled a mix between a roar and a yelp and lowered his altitude a bit as the attack struck its target; he was now once again in a position for the attack that had been the undoing of his last Electric-type opponent though.

“A light tap, but it will suffice.” Drayden mused. “Revenge, Druddigon!”

Druddigon was still being struck by the beam when Drayden gave his command, but a swipe of his claws killed the stream. Pushing off a strong beat of his wings again, the Cave Pokémon broke his fall and began picking up speed towards the EleSquirrel Pokémon. Bianca’s kernel of a plan was starting to flesh out however.

“Pachirisu!” Bianca shouted. Her Pokémon turned and looked at her, not having heard an actual command beyond just her name, but the shout had not actually been for commanding purposes anyway. Bianca simply mouthed “let him come” silently, hoping to convey her strategy without alerting Drayden to the plan. Pachirisu was confused, but had trust in her trainer. Before she could turn back around however, her feet left the ground.

“What is Bianca doing?!” Cheren asked David nervously. Druddigon screamed a wild cry when he grabbed his prey. Pachirisu yelped in surprise upon feeling her opponent’s scaly grasp around practically her entire body, but was still keeping a keen ear out for the rest of Bianca’s plan. David remained silent and waited to see for himself.

“A little higher… keep going…” Bianca murmured. Druddigon was facing no opposition, so he decided to make the attack as strong as he could; Drayden gave no instruction to the contrary. Druddigon reached the air outside the Gym, a dizzying height of more than 50 feet, and was prepared to not only drop Pachirisu, but throw her. He stopped and prepared to finally strike.

“Now, Pachirisu! Hidden Power!” Bianca cried from the ground. Pachirisu was literally in Druddigon’s hand; there was no way he could avoid even a single part of the Hidden Power attack now, let alone melt it with Flamethrower. He and Pachirisu both became aware of the meaning of Bianca’s words at the same time. Druddigon tried to ditch his package as quickly as he could, but Pachirisu still got off the blast and nailed him cleanly. With the damage from Fraxure’s first Dual Chop, the slight damage from Charge Beam, and the residual charge from the attack helping her generate the energy for the Hidden Power, Druddigon was KO’d almost instantly by the freezing blast; there was, however, still the problem for Pachirisu of how to get down…

“Druddigon! Druddigon, do you hear me?” Drayden bellowed into the sky. His Pokémon was out though and would not be battling further.

“Druddigon is unable to battle; round three goes to Bianca, but… uhh…” Iris commented. Druddigon was done, but Pachirisu was still falling towards the ground head-first.

“Ahh! No no no! Pachirisu!” Bianca shouted desperately. Her plan to get past Druddigon’s Flamethrower defense had been a smart, quick and resourceful one, but it had lacked an exit strategy altogether. Pachirisu simply fell to the ground and was unable to save herself. She curled into a tight ball and cushioned some of the force of the blow when she struck, but Druddigon’s considerable weight landing on top of her immediately after was what did most of the damage. Pachirisu went silently; she managed to tiredly crawl out from beneath her defeated opponent after the impact, but collapsed in exhaustion immediately following.

“Pachirisu is also unable to battle. The next round will decide the match.” Iris continued, trying to sound official. Bianca once again ran onto the field to inspect her severely beaten Pokémon. Admittedly, her Pokémon had both been defeated in fairly atypically violent ways; a side-effect of battling dragons she assumed. Satisfied she would pull through but saddened by the fact that she had been forced to endure that after such a resounding success in taking out Druddigon, Bianca recalled her starter and solemnly returned to her side of the field. It would necessarily be Crobat versus Zweilous now; Bianca was worried that without her type advantage, the match would end in defeat so close to victory however. Her shiny would have to really come through for her now.

“Zweilous.” Drayden barked sternly. His sharp tone stirred Bianca from her worried daydream. The dark, malicious dragon emerged from its ball and began looking around for an opponent; Bianca drew her own final Pokéball and supplied one.

“Come on out, Crobat. You’re my last chance.” she said nervously. Crobat burst out of the ball with confident, commanding energy however, spreading all four wings proudly and in style. He wasn’t afraid of Drayden’s Zweilous in the least; he was going to win this for his trainer, and nothing would slow him down.

“Well! Look who got bigger since last time!” Iris said, sounding impressed. “All ready?” she asked, eyeing Zweilous nervously. Both sides confirmed however and she began the final round.

“Cross Poison, Crobat!” Bianca shouted, opting for the David technique.

“Zweilous, attack command alpha. Use Dragon Pulse.” Drayden counter-commanded sternly. The Zweilous once again appeared to hesitate as it considered defiance, but Drayden’s months of strict training paid off for at least one more time. While Crobat’s attack was a physical one and would require contact, Zweilous would be able to shoot its beam from range, and two at a time as David had learned. Crobat immediately began flying fast.

The Bat Pokémon weaved and spun as it tried to cross the distance between himself and his opponent. His dash looked like a war-era pilot trying to swiftly dodge artillery fire. A few hits came close, but Crobat evaded. On the home stretch, Crobat was forced to make a beeline towards his target to strike. Zweilous thought it had him then, but Crobat expertly pulled out of it at the last minute, swiping at his opponent with his lower wings and using the upper ones to fly. The attack struck for good neutral damage and hurt the Hostile Pokémon respectably, but Bianca got a truly lucky break by something else the attack had managed to do. Striking in just the right way, Crobat had managed to knick his opponent such that some of the dripping, glistening poison that coated the attack managed to get inside the small wound in the dragon’s tough hide. A poison condition would plague Zweilous for the rest of the match, making this a matter of surviving the stall for Bianca now. Drayden scowled as his Zweilous coughed violently.

“Gah, no! Zweilous, enough games! Attack command beta, now!” the Gym Leader snapped. Zweilous was on exactly the same page however. Enraged at being outpaced by the speedier opponent and struck so cleanly by the counterattack, the two heads roared terribly in unison as a dark, soul-sucking black energy began to radiate from them. The attack began to flow like water and fill the entire room: Dark Pulse. Crobat had nowhere to run.

“Crobat, try to fly outsi-” Bianca tried to instruct, but it was too little too late. The attack caught Crobat before he could get to the open and free air outside, sending him into a tailspin from his otherwise lightning-fast flight. While still falling however, Drayden pressed his temporary advantage.

“Now follow it up, Zweilous. Attack command delta; Dragon Rush!” he barked. The Zweilous immediately cut the attack and began running. Using the speed to build up momentum for flight, the Hostile Pokémon leapt into the air and struck Crobat on his descent. The incredibly powerful tackle sent him careening into a pillar. He screeched in pain and slid to the base, nearly out and unmoving. He opened his eyes and indicated he had more, but the Zweilous had only to fire a single Dragon Pulse to finish him off; it was looking like David’s win had been a one-off.

Drayden was just one attack from winning, and his opponent was next to helpless. Zweilous slowed itself from the momentum of its rush and hovered over to face its opponent. A wicked grin was beginning to line one head, while the other was beginning to get distracted. Drayden knew he had to keep them focused; he gave his last command.

“I just need ten more seconds, Zweilous. Attack command alpha; Dragon Pulse.” he said warily. The Zweilous found its interest re-peaked at the thought of finishing off an opponent, but as one head drew breath to fire the blast, the other head coughed; the poison was taking effect.

Minor as it was, Crobat and Bianca both capitalized on the temporary advantage. Crobat quickly shook off his disorientation and prepared for one last effort to defend himself.

“Confuse Ray, quick!” Bianca shouted. As the Zweilous snapped back to attention, Crobat’s eyes began to shimmer.

A screech filled the air. A mysterious, dazzling light shone from Crobat’s eyes, but it reflected and amplified itself in the shimmer of his shiny body. The trippy lights momentarily blinded Zweilous and the Dragon Pulse went wild, harmlessly striking a wall. Crobat quickly rose and zipped away while the Zweilous began plummeting to the ground. Landing and trying to regain its senses, the poison continued to take effect.

“No, no, no! Zweilous, control yourself, damn it!” Drayden shouted angrily. Bianca had gotten her lucky break though; she had to once again press the advantage.

“Crobat, Fly! Go!” she shrieked. Crobat was still severely wounded and was flying markedly slower than usual, but he still shot high into the sky at his trainer’s command. Reaching the open air outside the Gym, the Bat Pokémon took careful aim at the flailing Zweilous as it tried to clear its eyes. Lining up the shot, her Crobat sailed forward like an arrow to deliver what would be the finishing blow. He didn’t flap his wings and he didn’t try to control himself; Crobat soared into a headlong charge with grit and determination lining his clenched fangs. At the last moment, he pulled up and raked his opponent with his secondary wings to prevent hurting himself. Snapping the Zweilous from its confusion but sending it harshly across the field, it wobbled about for a moment before collapsing and succumbing to poison damage. Crobat was tired and hurting, but in her hour of need, he had come through for his trainer; Bianca had won too.

“GOOOO CROBAT!” she shrieked. The Bat Pokémon tiredly slowed itself and flew towards her, embracing his trainer with all four wings. Collapsing from exhaustion, Bianca supported his weight enough to help him gently land on his back. Iris smiled and announced a winner.

“Zweilous is unable to battle. Bianca wins!” she announced proudly. Bianca screamed a second time at official confirmation of her feat; she would be joining David in the Pokémon League Championships.

Drayden once again merely sighed. He recalled his Pokémon and went to fetch a badge. David had been excited and proud during his very close win, but he had restrained it; no such restraint came from Bianca however. As her applauding friends joined her on the field, her first act after victory was to embrace David. Following this however, she ran to Drayden as he returned and proudly accepted her badge. Her unbridled excitement was overflowing. It was perhaps not the most professional or self-controlled of displays, but it was deserved. Bianca had earned her spot in the League Championships and had won her Legend Badge. Crobat gave a tired screech of pride and relief.

* * *

It was early afternoon now and the final match of the day had come. Waiting, watching and learning from David and Bianca’s battles, Cheren’s analytic mind was ready to earn his own badge against the Spartan Mayor. His strategy would be the same one that had served him so well since Mistralton; the Dragon-type master was about to be the first person to truly challenge him on it though. The trainers took the field and Iris took up her place.

“Both trainers ready?” she asked. Drayden folded his arms and stared at Cheren intently; Cheren did his best to return the look.

“Release your opening Pokémon!” Iris continued; Drayden and Cheren did so at the same time.

“Fraxure.” Drayden said. He was choosing to lead the same way he previously had, but not without reason. He was better at reading Cheren than the young trainer realized.

“Go Umbreon.” Cheren announced himself. The Moonlight Pokémon emerged and sized up the room, but he was already psyching himself up in his mind for the opening command he knew Cheren would give. Iris checked both trainers and then called for the start of the match.

“Begin!” she cried.

Cheren led in the same way he had since Mistralton. “Umbreon, Work Up.” he said almost disinterestedly. Umbreon began strengthening himself, but Drayden had been expecting it; he could read it in Cheren’s demeanor.

“Taunt, Fraxure.” he counter-commanded levelly. Fraxure pulled the same mind-trick that he had on Bianca’s own Fraxure, mocking his opponent physically with great success. Umbreon had managed to complete one full Work Up, but it was nowhere near the usual six he got before Baton Passing to Aerodactyl. Unfortunately, both Work Up and Baton Pass were blocked by the Taunt. Umbreon was angered and wanted to attack, but his only attacking move anymore was Faint Attack. Cheren’s seemingly unbeatable strategy had been stopped cold.

“Damn…” Cheren thought to himself. “Maybe I can stall out the Taunt though. Umbreon, Faint Attack!” he commanded. Umbreon was hitting harder than he normally would have, but it was still not much. He ran at full tilt towards his opponent and struck hard, but it was nowhere near the relative power he had wielded with Adaptability before evolving. It also worked less well than usual because Umbreon couldn’t feign having fainted. All things considered, the attack was nothing more than a light tap against the Fraxure; more troubling however, it gave Drayden’s Pokémon a perfect window of opportunity strike back.

“Now Dual Chop, Fraxure.” Drayden counter-commanded. As Umbreon tried to back away from his tackle, Drayden’s Fraxure twisted its neck and lashed out with a mighty swipe. Umbreon’s good bulk allowed it to tank the first hit, but the second pushed him away. Umbreon was reduced to about half of his total health, but “stalling out the Taunt” was quickly losing its appeal. Cheren had no other choice but to recall his Pokémon.

“Umbreon, return.” he said solemnly, raising his Pokémon’s ball and calling him back to it. While it was a perfectly legitimate thing to do, the action surprised David and Bianca for some reason. Drayden seemed unfazed on the outside, but he too had secretly expected Cheren to stand and fight. On the contrary however, Cheren recognized Umbreon’s vitally important support role within the team and knew he had to keep him safe. Aerodactyl was the one who always swept, but he did so thanks to Umbreon’s contribution. This battle, the Fossil Pokémon would have to go it alone.

“Aerodactyl, come out.” Cheren said, trying to mask his nervous apprehension. It had been a fairly decent chunk of time since Aerodactyl had had to battle without Baton Passed Work Ups; Cheren was curious to see how he would stand up under his own power. The battle continued.

“Aerodactyl, use Stealth Rock!” Cheren commanded. Aerodactyl began raising the jagged patch of stone on Drayden’s side of the field, but Fraxure was already ahead of the danger zone and had his own command to follow.

“Don’t let it set up, Fraxure. Taunt again.” Drayden stated sternly. Just like it had against his other opponents, the Fraxure began mocking Aerodactyl and sending him into a frenzy. This was what Cheren had been hoping for however. By leading with Stealth Rock, he had tricked Drayden into thinking he would be using more set-up moves and had netted a pseudo-boost in the form of the Taunt. It wasn’t Umbreon’s Work Ups, but Aerodactyl’s anger over the Taunt was better than nothing.

“Haha! Fly, Aerodactyl!” Cheren shouted triumphantly. His apprehension had left him; Aerodactyl viciously soared in towards his opponent, screaming an ear-shattering screech as he went. Fraxure was a decently bulky Pokémon, but Aerodactyl was every bit as powerful and more. The attack struck cleanly as Fraxure tried to defend himself and did critical damage. Fraxure was flung on his back onto the patch of sharp, raised stones; he was taken down by just the one hit. Aerodactyl flipped back around and flew back to Cheren; he had won the first round, albeit in a somewhat roundabout way.

“Fraxure is unable to battle; round one goes to Cheren.” Iris announced. Fraxure had now been defeated by all three trainers; it was the last of him they would see that day. Drayden now turned to his bulkier option as a means of crushing the ancient stone bird.

“Druddigon.” he barked, clenching his fists as he tossed the ball towards the Stealth Rock. Druddigon emerged and entered the field, but he was immediately impaled by the sharp stones. It did some damage, but oddly enough, it actually made Druddigon smile. Iris started the round, but Drayden gave his opening command immediately after that.

“Begin!” Iris shouted.

“Druddigon, move now! Revenge!” he shouted. Though it had been passive damage in the form of an entry hazard, Druddigon had technically taken damage that originated with Aerodactyl and was therefore primed for a boosted Revenge attack. The Cave Pokémon rose from the stones and began soaring in towards his opponent immediately upon joining the battle.

“Wait… that’s not really how that works, is–” Cheren thought to himself. His moment of indecision in his wandering mind had cost him however; Druddigon’s speed was greater than he remembered it being. Sailing in and delivering a swift and powerful punch, the Fighting-type attack struck Aerodactyl’s Rock-type side harshly and sent the Fossil Pokémon into a tailspin. Aerodactyl landed on the ground below and took the small, necessary bit of damage remaining to KO him. Cheren’s jaw dropped as he saw his sweeper defeated; he silently recalled him, but his strategy was quickly going south.

“Aerodactyl is unable to battle; round two goes to Drayden.” Iris shouted. Cheren was sullen; he was starting to wish he had taken his friends’ advice about relying on more of his team than just Aerodactyl. Victory was starting to look somewhat distant to him with the Fossil Pokémon gone.

Cheren considered his options. Drayden’s Fraxure was taken care of, but Aerodactyl had not managed to land a hit against Druddigon before getting defeated himself, save for the Stealth Rock damage, which had been minor. There was also his Zweilous he would need to take care of, but its typing made it resistant to both of Gus’ attacks and effective offensively against the Ghost. He could either send Umbreon back out and try to Baton Pass into Gus, or he could send Gus out now and hope Umbreon could finish off the Zweilous if worst came to worst. Fearing Gus would be ineffective against the Dark-type Zweilous even with the boosts, he opted for the latter option.

“Gus, you’re up, buddy.” he said nervously. The Coffin Pokémon emerged and looked every bit as confident and menacing as the Cave Pokémon opposite him, but it was admittedly the first time he had been in a battle of any real significance in quite a while. Cheren was worried whether he still had what it took to win. Iris began the round.

“Alright… first things first. Let’s shore up his defenses…” Cheren thought to himself. “Will-o-wisp, Gus!” he commanded. Small, flickering orbs of blue fire began to materialize around the ancient prince. They grew in size until they were a bit smaller than baseballs. When the attack was ready, Gus launched them in a fluid wave towards his Dragon-type opponent. Drayden called for his Pokémon to evade, but this was no ordinary fire. Gus was able to bend the wisps from afar and direct them towards his target; Druddigon was unable to escape. His scaly wings were singed and he received a burn; the Cave Pokémon was forced to land as the passing air was too painful on his wings. Cheren was beginning to build an offensive.

“Right… now to attack.” he thought again. Drayden was preoccupied trying to get his Druddigon mobile again. Cheren called for a Shadow Ball attack which struck his opponent cleanly in the back. Druddigon cried out in pain as the bundle of ghostly energy soaked in between his shoulder blades. The dragon fell forward from the brunt of the attack, but he wasn’t quite out yet.

“Druddigon, you’ve got to attack back, damn it! Dragon Claw!” Drayden yelled. Druddigon valiantly pushed himself back up and tried to fly back into the air, but it was a terribly strained and painful effort. The burns he had suffered from the Will-o-wisp happened to fall on his wings. The strong air currents blowing over the afflicted skin aggravated it and simply served to intensify the pain. Druddigon was still not down, but he was effectively immobilized; Drayden chose to end it early.

“Iris, I concede the round. End it.” he said sternly. Iris was a bit taken aback by the decision, but she respected it.

“Druddigon is unable to battle; round three goes to Cheren.” she ruled. Drayden recalled his Pokémon and put it out of its misery early. He was a strict trainer, but he wasn’t without compassion. Druddigon had done a valiant job; there was no sense in prolonging its suffering.

Things were starting to look better for Cheren again. Gus was still perfectly healthy going into what would be either the last or second to last round, but the fact still remained that Zweilous would have a type advantage over him. Gus could try to win one-on-one, but more likely, he would have to soften the Zweilous up for Umbreon to actually take down. With Umbreon on half health following Fraxure’s one successful Dual Chop however, that was possibly asking too much.

“Well, it comes down to this, boy. Can you defeat my Zweilous as well?” Drayden asked. Cheren remained stoically silent; Drayden smiled and released the Pokémon.

“Zweilous, one more time.” he said sternly. The Hostile Pokémon emerged from its Pokéball, albeit much less ceremoniously the third time as it fell into the Stealth Rock than it had the first. Even factoring in the slight damage from the entry hazard however, it stared its opponent down with supreme confidence. The Zweilous knew it had a type advantage; even if it didn’t however, it reveled in the opportunity for the combat. Iris began the round.

“Begin!” she exclaimed.

“You’ve got one shot at this, Gus. Use Nasty Plot, quickly!” Cheren commanded. Gus closed his eyes and grinned a little wider, but Drayden was also wasting no time pressing his advantage.

“Zweilous, attack command beta; Dark Pulse.” he commanded. Black smoke was now billowing out of Gus’ casket, but he was cutting it close. Zweilous’ two heads both opened their mouths and the same dark energy that had struck Crobat so harshly in the previous match began to emanate out. It was moving quicker now than it had appeared to against Bianca; Gus was just finishing the Nasty Plot, but Cheren knew he wouldn’t have time for another.

“No more time, Gus. Attack now! Shadow Ball!” Cheren stammered. Gus collected some of the remaining smoke and used it to strengthen his Shadow Ball, but it would be resisted by his Dark-type opponent regardless. The Coffin Pokémon took aim and hurdled the bundle with all four arms at his opponent, but the radiating wave of darkness just then found its mark. Gus was KO’d instantly, but his sacrifice was not without cause. Passing through the continuing stream of black, the Shadow Ball flew silently and struck the Hostile Pokémon for decent damage. It was a Ghost-type attack against a Dark-type Pokémon, so it necessarily had a type disadvantage, but the boost from Nasty Plot helped considerably. Zweilous took somewhere in the range of just over half its health in damage from the attack; sizable to be certain, but possibly not enough for Umbreon to safely come in on and finish off. Regardless however, Gus had been unable to withstand the fearsome Dark Pulse and had fallen, ending the current round.

“Cofagrigus is unable to battle; round four goes to Drayden.” Iris announced. Cheren recalled his Pokémon somberly and prepared himself mentally to try and have Umbreon finish off the battle. They were both at just about half of their maximum health remaining, but Zweilous was designed to be an attacker. Umbreon would be hard-pressed to actually net the KO.

“Cheren has to rely on what he’s basically just turned into a support Pokémon now to actually beat that thing.” David murmured to Bianca.

“He must have known this day would come eventually. That his Baton Passing strategy would eventually fail.” she replied.

“Or if he didn’t, it speaks volumes to his confidence.” David continued.

Cheren drew his starter Pokémon’s Pokéball. He looked at the dull shine that flashed across it and held it a little tighter. There was no great strategy anymore; no plan beyond “boost and attack.” Umbreon would have to just try and net as many Work Ups for himself as he could, and then try to win with one final Faint Attack as a last ditch effort. If it worked, he would win, and if it didn’t, he would lose; it was purely as simple as that. He tossed the ball without saying a word.

Iris checked on both trainers. Zweilous and Umbreon were both damaged, but were both still raring to go. It had come down to a Dark-type versus a Dark-type; it somehow seemed fitting to Cheren that his last Unova region Gym battle would be decided so. When she had confirmed that both trainers were ready, Iris called for the final round to begin.

“First things first…” Cheren thought to himself. “Wish, Umbreon!” he commanded. Umbreon sat on his hind legs and looked up into the sky. His many golden rings began to pulsate and glow as his eyes glazed over. A wave of bright energy radiated off of his body and flew out into the ether, but it had no visible effect on the battle just yet. He then rose again, having secured himself a little more time.

Drayden had allowed his opponent a chance at an opening salvo. He wanted to win and he wanted to uphold the integrity of the Gym, but he also understood the importance this particular set of challenges held. He was ready to go back on the offensive now and gave his Pokémon an attacking command.

“Zweilous, attack command alpha; Dragon Pulse.” he murmured. The Zweilous snarled with pleasure and began charging with both mouths. The swirling, light-blue energy began to build as Umbreon shook himself from his self-imposed stupor.

“Good, Umbreon, now just Work Up; standing order.” Cheren said. He was trying his best to mask it, but there was distinct nervousness in his voice. Umbreon stood back up, but then hunched over like he was ready to pounce on something. He began growling and barking to build up strength, but the Zweilous’ Dragon Pulse finished charging just then.

“Fire!” Drayden commanded. The left-side mouth launched its shot and blasted Umbreon dead on, but the attack did not uproot the Moonlight Pokémon from his position. It would have hurt a fellow Dragon-type or something less defensive pretty badly, but Umbreon took the hit like a brick wall thanks to his colossal special defenses. He brushed it off and kept boosting, but unfortunately, Zweilous was no standard attacker. As the left head’s attack finished, the right-side one launched its own Dragon Pulse. It was no more or less powerful than the left’s, but the continuing volley took Umbreon by surprise. The left head began charging another as the right side finished; the Zweilous would be able to continually pepper Umbreon unless the Moonlight Pokémon attacked back.

After taking the nearly unending barrage for close to half a minute, Umbreon was finally forced to take a knee. He had completed three Work Ups by now and was certainly feeling ready to attack, but Cheren wasn’t sure if it would be enough yet. Luckily, to mitigate his fears for the time being, Umbreon’s Wish came back just then and bombarded the small fox with a healing salvo. Umbreon was restored to just about as much strength as he had had at the start of the round, giving him a second wind to keep using Work Up, but the Zweilous was perfectly content to continue its sniping. Wish had only bought Cheren some time; the distinct possibility still existed that Cheren could lose.

It had been almost a minute by now since either trainer had last spoken. Umbreon had now completed six successful Work Ups, but the Zweilous had burned through nearly all of the added health Wish restored. Umbreon was once again growing faint, though he was in a veritable frenzy from all of his boosts. He was ready to attack, and Cheren knew it, but he would have to perform Faint Attack convincingly. For that to happen, Umbreon would have to fake going down, which meant he had to keep enduring the Dragon Pulses right up until the point of exhaustion. It pained him to watch his starter being hurt so, but it was the only way. Finally the torment ended and Umbreon collapsed from exhaustion. He was breathing heavily and flitting his eyes open and closed, but to the Zweilous with its poor eyesight, it appeared as if he had won. The Hostile Pokémon ceased its shelling and roared in unison fiercely.

“Okay… almost time now…” Cheren thought to himself. “Umbreon knows what to do. I have no part in this anymore; it’s up to fate.” he continued. He crossed his fingers and held his breath.

Drayden recalled how Umbreon had attacked his Fraxure earlier in the match. He had surmised what Cheren was intending to do, but the Zweilous was not so observant. The Hostile Pokémon wanted to inspect its prey; Drayden recognized this and called out to it.

“Zweilous, no! Don’t fall for it!” he barked sternly. The Zweilous was showing defiance however. “It’s a trick; stay away from it. Use one final Dragon Pulse; that’s an order!” he continued. The Zweilous wasn’t hearing it anymore though. Three full matches of obedience was enough; the species was a defiant one, and sometimes all the discipline and strict command in the world wasn’t enough to control one. It began shuffling in towards Umbreon’s battered form, licking its chops as it went.

“That’s right you big ogre… come get some…” Cheren continued to think. Drayden was becoming agitated as he watched his Pokémon walk into a trap.

“Zweilous, no!” he yelled. “Come back here, now! Attack command alpha; follow orders.” He barked. The Zweilous was gone by now though. It approached Umbreon and lowered one head to inspect it. The snarling, menacing beast put one of its faces right next to his seemingly lifeless opponent, sniffing carefully for any signs of movement. To its surprise however, it got one in a bigger way than it expected.

“FAINT ATTACK!!” Cheren screamed. Umbreon had faked the attack perfectly. He leapt up before the Zweilous could even comprehend what Cheren had said and began voraciously attacking its face. Claws flew and wild screams sounded. The Zweilous reared back and fell over on its small wings, trying desperately to get Umbreon off. The two heads began flailing their necks to try and shake Umbreon free, but the tenacious fox was firing off of six full Work Ups to give him increased power. Zweilous roared in pain and surprise before finally collapsing completely; Umbreon gave one final swipe of his claws before disengaging and backing away. Zweilous was down, but Umbreon was too. The effort exerted from his final rampage left him without strength. He collapsed from exhaustion, but not before Iris declared the winner.

“Zweilous is unable to battle. Cheren is the winner!” she screamed. Cheren let the words wash over him. Beyond all odds, with his tried-and-true strategy halted right out of the gate, he had improvised and still managed to net the win. Aerodactyl and Gus had done terrific work, but the real star of the show was Umbreon. Cheren had been raising his starter to purely play a support role for months now; in one battle, Umbreon had proven to Cheren that he still had more than just support to offer. Cheren felt a newfound sense of respect for his first Pokémon as he approached the exhausted fox and picked him up in his arms. Umbreon fluttered open his eyes and looked up at Cheren’s own. He uttered a single soft, cat-like purr before finally going limp. Cheren held him and smiled at his little Baton Passer. He had to correct himself though; his sweeper, Umbreon.

* * *

It was late afternoon by the time the group left the Gym. Drayden had gone on to award Cheren with his own Legend Badge, thereby completing the trifecta. All three trainers had now earned the full set of Unova region Gym Badges, each owning eight a piece. The Legend Badge completed their collection, but there was more significance to it than just that.

“Well kids, you all battled expertly today. I have no fear that that man N will succeed anymore.” Drayden congratulated them as they walked to the entrance of the Gym. “More than just that though, you all battled with mastery. Now, the legendary dragons aside, you have all earned the right to prove the title.” he continued. From his back pocket he produced three envelopes, each adorned with a classical-style red wax seal. He handed one to each of them and cleared his throat. He continued to speak, but now with a much more official sounding tone.

“As the League sanctioned Gym Leader of Opelucid City, by endowing the person named in this letter with the decoration of the Legend Badge, you are officially invited to complete in the Pokémon League Championship tournament to be held next month at the Elite Four’s Pavilion at the head of Victory Road on Route 10. If you accept, you shall be facing other invitees in a single-elimination tournament for the right to challenge the Elite Four and earn the official title of Pokémon Master. Do you accept?” he said. The three of them beamed more widely than they ever had at the news in his speech. It was something they had always dreamed they would hear, but never imagined would be real.

“I do.” David said, stepping forward first.

“I do too.” Cheren continued.

“Me three!” Bianca exclaimed excitedly. She was markedly less restrained than David and Cheren were, but understandably so. Drayden nodded and drew three final items from his pocket. They were Pokéballs of some sort, but they were a different color than normal. He expanded them and presented one to each of the entrants.

“Very good. Then as officially recognized entrants to a Pokémon League Championship tournament, I must also present you with these Master Balls. They are the ultimate Pokéball and will catch any wild Pokémon without fail. They are only presented to those who have earned their way into a League sanctioned tournament, and must not be used lightly. This technology will never be put on the open market. It is only presented to trainers who the League knows will not use them recklessly. One for each of you; use them wisely” he explained. Each trainer took a ball and thanked him gratefully.

The winter sun was already beginning to set over the city; so too was their career as novice trainers however. All eight Unova region Gym Leaders had now fallen to the group’s three teams. Every young trainer dreamed of entering the Pokémon League Championships and vying for a chance to fight the Champion, but only a fraction of a percent actually ever made it that far. Even putting everything with Team Plasma for David and Giratina for Cheren aside, that fact alone made them extraordinary trainers in the literal sense. The group would return to the Pokémon Center for their last night in Opelucid, but when the morning came, they would head north onto Route 10 towards Victory Road and the Elite Four. Their journey as wandering trainers had now come to an end, but their journey as candidates for Pokémon Mastery was just getting started.

[Glover]

Wonderful chapter, and I think you did a much better job of differenctiating the matches. Having Cheren's character helped too, and I know for a fact that you would have retconned my original entry, but that's alright as it was due to be done in story anyway. (Perhaps I shall rewrite the way I had it and change the character's name... shh, don't tell Chaos I'm cheating the "fanfic char rule"...)

One minor gripe though: Druddigon cannot fly. Their wings are more like solar panels than for flight. They are fast creatures, so only part of that math falls apart, and they probably have enough leg strength to jump with and their wings might be good enough to glide or "fall with style" on, but to actually flap out of the way they cannot. I know, I was dissapointed when I found that out, as Druddy is one of my favorite dragons.

[Shale]

Wow. These battles were really great and I was glad to see Cheren and Bianca battle on-screen. I was kind of surprised that most of the rounds ended in 1-3 hits. I would definitely want to see Galvantula's Thunder O_O

All in all, amazing chapter yet again. I have to compliment you on the fact that you put a lot of effort into your story, you can easily see it because you can't fit one chapter in a post!

May I be added to the PM list?

-Shale