Whale Island - The Hydro-Electric Zone

[Takeo]

((I apologise at how sporadic these updates are, but seeing as most of my updatees have gone silent for now, I'm feeling less pressure/demand to reply. This is both a good and bad thing. I'm also quite ill at the moment and busy, with my first assignment deadline next week, another the week after and another a few weeks after that. My inspiration wanes under ill health and a hectic schedule but I'll do my best!

Welcome to the crew, Lu!))

The Black Swan

Takeo: With the way the gravity is pushing down on you, the way down would definitely be far easier than up. However, it’s hard even to move, and your heart thumps in your ears like an alarm at every motion you make. Oliver just about manages a reply to you, gritting his teeth, dizzied by the surreal sensation. Narcissa peers up at you in confusion. She’s not old enough to understand that this isn’t right, especially as it’s in her species’ instincts to cause trouble for travelers.

Loudly, you order a Sludge Bomb and a Scald to break down the door. Grace was petrified, and as such, it was for the best that she wasn't given the order, but the Frillish delivers right away, twirling after the blast of water and poison. The weathering drenches the wood, and the poison bubbles as it assists, but it looks like the door’s not as the same as the rest of the ship. You will need a lot more than that.

But now, there isn't just screaming. You hear sounds all around you, and Oliver does, and so do your Pokemon. It’s like you’re in a place full of people: urgent shouting, scandalous whispers and murmurs, all flooding your senses as if you were struck by a torrent of water. You see colours in your vision: muddy brown, red, black, grey, faint and false gold, silver... It’s becoming hard to focus. Everything’s barraging you in confusion.

“What the—What the heck’s happening?!” Oliver demands, looking around the pair of you at this extrasensory display. It’s inconsistent, sometimes loud and overbearing, seconds later barely registering. “Is this—Is this Peggy, or--?! Maybe we should get out, we can try this another way!”

Whatever is doing this, or whoever, is beyond that door. Escape, and risk this curse following you, or challenge it head on, and find out your fate faster than you would want to? What do you do?

With the gravity pushing him down, it was much easier to stay down, but Hallow couldn't, he refused to be beat. The adrenaline pumping through his system made his heart beat faster and now was all he could hear, Hallow glanced over to Oliver who was gritting his teeth surely from the pain, he looked dizzied, no less from the surreal sensation happening to them. Narissa peered up at them in confusion, her innocence's letting Hallow know she didn't quite understand what was going on.

Over the intense screaming, heavy rain and wild wind happening, Hallow's order don't go unheeded, Narissa takes to action, sending a blast of hot water and poison to burn a hole through the door. The attack meets the door, splashing to the sides of the ship. Hallow looked to see the attack had failed.

The screaming continues, but something else: urgent shouting, whispers, and murmurs all flood into his ear drums. He tightly closes his eye and reopens them to a vision of colors: muddy brown, red, black, grey, faint and false gold, silver... It’s becoming hard to focus. It's all Hallow could do not to lose consciousness.

“What the—What the heck’s happening?!” Oliver demands, looking around the pair of them at this extrasensory display.

"I don't know!," Hallow yells,

“Is this—Is this Peggy, or--?! Maybe we should get out, we can try this another way!”

"No!," he bellows, "We are facing this head on, we've come this far, I'm not turning back now!,"

With all his might, he tried to push through the Gravity, "I'm getting to that door if its the last thing I do!,"

[Stats.]

[FlashFusion]

The Caverns

Celebii: Whilst you’d made it this far, dreams of an early retirement in a Seaside City condo are quickly cut short as you manage to inadvertently trip the trove’s security system. Soulless marching sends ripples down the mound of gold as the half a dozen Golett round in on you - their flashlight eyes moving up your body, then over to your ragtag accomplices who had their hands held high in surrender. Harshly outnumbered, you quickly call on reinforcements in hopes of escaping the caverns in one piece. Two balls clunk on the coin-strewn floor before cracking open in a flash of light, Larry giving off a faltered bark which is immediately drowned by Nahkrin’s bloodthirsty roar. The guards look as stone-faced and emotionless as ever by this impressive entrance, communicating in strange beeps as they rally toward you. You quickly rack up a plan to take out the sentinels – focusing on one Golett at a time as you volley a set of orders.

Pumped for battle Nahkrin kicks off the skirmish, by sharpening his white Claws and homing in on the centremost Golett. Neptune quickly follows up as he slides down his mound of gold and by your side, spurring off a jet of Scalding water that hits one of the robots its bluish metal hide colouring a shade of red for a second. It doesn’t have a chance to regain its footing as Boing springs into action, volleying an Energy Ball which smacks it further out of the firing line. Larry finishes this assault by shooting off a Pulse of Water, the blue sphere bursting against the sentry causing it to rattle as it slides back a few feet. To your amazement the Pokémon continues to march toward you, although he seems a bit out of the loop as the rest of the guard form retaliation... In complete unison, five of the unscathed Golett slam their boots into the ground making the whole cave shake and shudder. Coins ripple down the trove as rubble falls from the ceiling - the Earthquake knocking a few of your smaller recruits off their feet whilst Nahkrin attempts to take flight. Larry whimpers as he struggles to his feet, the most hard done by the assault.

Once the seismic activity passes, Nahkrin gives up trying to lift off the ground and stomps forward claws bared. The spiny dragon quickly lets loose a Night Slash, swiping across the target Golett’s chest. For a split second, nothing happens. Then, the robot starts to rattle and clank, his yellow eyes flickering off as he falls apart on the cave floor. One down! Five to go! Neptune wags his fingers rhythmically, the tips flickering white as his Metronome conjures a random attack. Boing pumps the last of his grass reserves into another Energy Ball which bowls into a new target. Larry narrowly avoids the attack as he Charges into the firing line, his body combusting as he rams into the same robot. Flames burst from the impact as the two break away, the metal monster panting in fatigue. The sentinels once again slam the earth with all their weight – however the target Golett is cut off as Wartortle finally leaps in with a Sucker Punch - causing a Magnitude 10 on the Richter Scale. Your squad quickly regain their footing looking ready for more action; bar Larry who’s hanging on by the skin of his teeth after another super effective blow. What will you do?

OOC: Yikes, sorry for taking so long to reply, Emp. Hopefully, when Christmas comes around, you'll consider continuing my adventure? I was really enjoying it. Also, as a minor note: Nahkriin is female. I can see that you wrote his at the beginning of the second paragraph.

Cele was confident now. He was significantly outnumbered by the Golett, which got closer and closer with every passing moment, but he had already called out Nahkriin and Larry, two of his most powerful Pokemon, to help repel the Automaton Pokemon. Nahkriin and Larry both let out battle cries, Larry's being drowned out by the much larger Dragon-Type. Cele had a strategy already, albeit one that he thought up on the fly: Gang up. He ordered all his Pokemon to target one single Golett. Nahkriin had Honed her Claws and managed to down a Golett, with the help of Neptune's Scald, Boing's Energy Ball and Larry's Water Pulse.

The Golett hadn't just stood idle and taken the moves, however, fighting back relentlessly. First off, a team attack. Five of them slamming their feet onto the cave ground, they managed to create an Earthquake which shook the cavern, leading to Neptune falling on his back, Boing losing momentum and dropping his pearl, which he quickly retrieves, and Larry getting dealt a hard amount of damage. Coins and treasures fall off of piles, and rocks begin to tumble down from the ceiling. After a well timed and placed Night Slash knocked a Golett out, the rest banded together once again. Another series of foot stomping resulted in a Magnitude 10 shaking up Cele's team. Neptune's Metronome fortunately rolled a Sucker Punch, stopping of the Golett from using Magnitude. Cele grabs on to the wall for support, but his Pokemon receive more damage, Larry in particular getting the brunt of it.

Cele was now worried, especially about Larry. He dropped to one knee, rummaging through his Bag's Medicine Pocket. He pulled out a spray can, orange colored. He ran over to where Larry was and sprayed the Super Potion 1/5 on him, healing him. "Sorry about that Larry. We've just got to be more careful of Ground Moves from here on out." Larry nodded in agreement, turning back to face the Golett. Cele turned towards his Pokemon, which were awaiting orders.

"So, gang up tactics succeeded in bringing down one Golett, but the rest can still attack all of you at once. We need to do that too. Boing, you start off with a Confuse Ray, spread it out to affect all Golett. Then go for a Psychic, aim for the Golett you last attacked. Nahkriin and Larry, I need an Earthquake from you, try to direct it at all Golett. Neptune, first off, try and finish off that Golett you attacked with an Ice Beam. Then use Hydro Pump in that special way you do, direct it at all Golett." The Pokemon nodded in acknowledgement, and turned back towards the Golett, ready to attack.

[Missingno. Master]

The Black Swan: The Black Swan, once one of the largest and most feared pirate ships of its day, now lays rotting on Laguna Beach. Strangely enough wild Pokémon steer clear of the wreck; a sign that people perhaps shouldn't ignore.

A 22-year-old Pokemon trainer marched his way across Laguna Beach, his white sneakers leaving footprints behind him in the sand. He was clad in a black t-shirt beneath a red and white sleeveless jacket, and his jeans were supported by a belt to which was attached half a dozen Poke Balls. Atop his head sat his most distinctive feature, a large, brown cowboy hat. By his side floated the occupant of one of the Poke Balls at this trainer's belt, a young Shuppet who would often glance out at the sea. The trainer, whose name was Keith, noticed this, and was aware of the reason. He knew of the Shuppet's past life, knew what she was, and where she lived. She had a particular affection for the sea, unhappy though her life had otherwise been, and it was due to this that he had consented to explore this area with her.

Presently, they came to a large and rotting shipwreck on the beach- the remains of the Black Swan, perhaps the most feared pirate ship of its time.

"Hmm," the Shuppet remarked in English, albeit with a rather unsettling stutter. "Per-haps we should not pro-ceed a-ny far-ther, Meat Sack," she said, addressing Keith. "I have heard that the lo-cal wi-ld Po-ke-mon dare not go near this place."

"Yeah, well, you're not a wild Pokemon, are you, Myrtle?" replied Keith. "Besides," he added, and at this point he lapsed into Shuppet language. "You're not telling me that you're actually scared of whatever might be in there, are you?" he asked with a grin on his face.

"Scared? HAH!" Myrtle exclaimed, also in her native language.

"Well, then, what's the problem?" Keith asked, smirking as he returned to speaking in English.

"...Fine," Myrtle snapped. "But there must be a rea-son why the wi-ld Po-ke-mon a-void this place like the plague."

"And I intend to find out what it is," Keith responded as he started towards the shipwreck. Myrtle shook her head and floated after her trainer.

"I wish I could e-volve in-to Ba-nette right now, just so I could face-palm," she muttered.

[Plight of Leon]

The Black Swan
Laguna Lake

Plight of Leon – The Seismitoad lies you down on the bed, and you look at your hands in despair, relaying concern to the Yanmega and others around you that you’re worried you’ve severed your tendons. The idea forms a pit in your stomach. Hands that don’t work feel wrong to you. You’re in no position to help or do anything, and feel depressed that you may have let others down... But Surgei wants to go on. He is excited, he has proved his worth in war, and now that he has been reborn with wings, invading enemy lines is far less difficult. Yanmega are powerful creatures.

You give him permission to go, and only wish that you could be by his side. Still, even if you have to wait for him, you trust the Ranger, and perhaps the physical distance will close the emotional one between you, as you trust Surgei’s choice and give him freedom. Christopher gives you the affirmative, Seismitoad obediently standing guard whilst the other trainer brings a laptop through for you.

“I’m happy to take care of Surgei for you, if that’s what you want. If things get too dangerous, I’ll bring him right back, just incase he’s too excited to return by himself.” The young man jokes, “But this is going to be dangerous. I want to investigate right by the waterfalls and nests themselves, to see if there really is a secret reason, or to find out if it’s actually just the Pokemon acting out. Either way, solving the problem is going to be complicated... Are you sure you’re up for this, Surgei? We’re going to need a plan... Who areyou emailing, anyway?”

What do you do?

Blaze was thankful for the laptop, and immediately began emailing a friend of his who was keeping one of his Pokemon with her. He was typing furiously, and hooked up and attachment to the laptop through the USB port, which would allow transportation of Pokemon.

Dear Liliana,

I hope that my dear Black Dynnamite hasn't given you many problems. I know he will fuss, and I know he will pull a fit about it, but can you get him to come over here? I have the transporter all hooked up and ready, I just need to make sure that he is in his Pokeball. Can you do that for me Liliana?

Sincerly, Blaze

P.S. Tell Gardenia I said hi!!!

Blaze looked at the ranger, and said with a blush on his face, "I am emailing a friend of mine. You probably haven't heard of here, since she is quite far away from here, but she is a Gym Leader's sister. Her name is Liliana, and, she is Gardenia's sister, a Gym Leader from the Sinnoh Region. She has had some pretty tough times, but whenever I need someone to watch over one of my Pokemon, I go to her first." Suddenly, the laptop beeped, and a message appeared on screen.

"Dear Blaze,

Nah, he hasn't been too much trouble. Then again, I've mostly been keeping him in his Pokeball. I am sending him out to you right now.

XO Liliana.

P.S. Gardenia is not here right now. ;;"

Blaze looked as he saw the attachment he hooked up to the laptop glow, and the Pokeball materialize out of thin air. Blaze looked at the ranger again, and said, "I am all set now. Don't worry about me, but you keep Surgei safe!

[Emp]

Sorry about the delay folks. I’ll be updating a couple more times over the next couple of weeks so get those replies in whilst you can!

Raine's Wildlife Park

Son of Shadows: With chaos erupting all around the amphitheatre you do your best to scramble together a game plan, sweeping your eyes across the scaffolding until you spotted a perfect vantage for liberating Shamu. There was just a slight hitch in your plan as one of the Aqua grunts rounds on you with her Corphish and Poochyena looking to stop you in your tracks. Rather than fight your way through her you opt for a more tactless hit and run technique. Aegis bursts out of his Pokéball, bite marks still raw from his earlier scrap. “Two on one”, the grunt remarks, “Just my kind of od-“ Before she can finish her sentence your plan gears into motion with her smirk promptly wiped away by a eyeful of Muddy Water! The two of you exchange a look of hilarity as the activist guards her eyes letting out a scream of mangled pain and surprise before quickly heading for a set of ladders leading up to the scaffolding. Whilst you’d already managed to climb a few feet into the air with the hardy Wartortle narrowly in tow, the grunt wasn’t willing to let you go that easily.

“Don’t just stand there!” She yells blindly, “After them!” The two Pokémon scamper forward, the Poochyena yowling as it bounded into the air teeth bared as it Bit down on your foot! Your grip slackens as you try to shake the canine lose, Aegis supporting you from the rear. However as you look over your shoulder you spot more to contend with than the mutt as a Corphish scuttles in and shoots a stream of Bubbles skyward. The foamy blast bursts against the railings making the ladder incredibly slippy. Trying your hardest to keep your grip, gravity triumphs and you tumble off the ladder taking Aegis down with you. With the turtle breaking your fall you slump to your feet, the two Pokémon had your surrounded – if you wanted to get to the scaffolding you’d have to get through them. You look around desperately, the ginger grunt still wiping mud out of her eyes. Homing in on the helicopter, you spot with some relief it was having trouble taking off, a low grinding ringing in your ears as it started to drop in altitude courtesy of the whale’s enormous weight. Shamu was buying you time, but you’d have to be quick about beating the canine and crustacean if you stood a chance at rescuing him. What will you do?

Ampere Beach

Dark Searchman: Even with a platoon of Water Types the pair of trainers were fighting an uphill battle, the sea captain barely able to keep his vessel from capsizing as it’s pulled into a vicious whirlpool. The flash of lightning blurs your vision like a Polaroid camera, the torrential downpour and sprays of surf making it impossible to make out the dark yonder. From what you’d caught of the battle, Delilah had made more than enough narrow escapes and was prepped for your next chain of orders - her blinking anglers flashing among the pod of electric types. The same couldn’t be said for Kray who’d been MIA since the strike of thunder. Andy frantically hung over the toe rail, desperate cries for Corphish met with no response. The last you’d seen of the crustaceans they’d manoeuvred into enemy territory, their attack at the rear grinding to a halt as the orca retaliated. Holding tight on the mast with your own fate in the balance, you have scarce time to commiserate - the sail boat is sucked deeper into the vortex. And then he was gone. Your ears barely catch the splash as Andy dropped into the treacherous blue to rescue his Pokémon. You hang over the port side and squint ahead, the current was so fast that there was no way of spotting a man overboard amongst the sea of darkness. The kid had saved your life not long ago, and you were just as willing to save his... “Don’t be a fool!” The captain yells above the drumming skies, grabbing your shoulder with a crippling hold, “It’s too dangerous lad!”

With Briney Sr. quashing any reckless actions you try and block these doubts from your mind and focus on the struggle ahead. The vessel had lapped the whirlpool enough times to completely throw off your bearing, closing in like a wall of darkness as you attempt to position the bioluminescent sea creatures. In the nick of time a swarm of yellow blotches enters your scope, your voice cracking as you let loose more orders. With the current too strong for Briney to steer against you can only hope they got the message loud and clear. Inches from a watery grave you spot the fish dive into the eddy, a yellow torchlight breaking out over the watery deck. Delilah and the rest of the angler fish quickly start to swim against the Whirlpool. It current starts to slacken as Briney sails the boat toward the surface – your heart beating at normal speed again as the vortex subsides. This only lasts for a fleeting second however, Kyogre’s eyes flickering a smouldering red as it enjoys a round of open fire.

With the electric types busy freeing you from the current the Sea Basin Pokémon submerges and lets off a high-frequency Pulse which echoes down the Water. The attack resonates against the electric platoon for another powerful hit, schools of unevolved fish recessing into the deep sea trenches – barring your Chinchou and a Tynamo that had had its brains scrambled in confusion. Delilah is looking worse for wear, but bravely bobs to the surface and shoots off a blast of Scalding water backed up by the Lanturn pod’s Hydro Pump. Her eel cousins improvise with a barrage of Acid Spray, the combine forces raining down on the orca and burning harsh against its skin. Kyogre lets out a wail of fury causing the skies to flash and rumble. The scorn legend is quick to unleash his wrath on the sea dwellers, the rain beating so cold against your skin it starts to feel like hard pellets. Gazing toward the orca your vision is quickly impaired by the icy blizzard churning out of its mouth, the Sheer power of it freezing a half a dozen of the ally team solid. Where the blast had made contact with the water a minefield of icebergs had formed – Briney steering the jib in efforts to safely manoeuvre out of them. With their numbers whittled down to just a handful, the electric types band together to let loose another Shock Wave – determined to avenge their fallen allies. The outburst of electromagnetism ripples down the sea, smacking the Kyogre in the nose for another effective hit.

You grab ahold of the mast to get another good look at your enemies, scars of the battle strewn across its blubbery hide. Fatigue was starting to show on both sides, and you could tell the climatic finale was on the horizon. Briney is quick to rouse you from these thoughts as he clears the field of glaciers, his Wingull swooping down from the bird’s nest and onto his shoulder, “Peeko, its time for you to sweep in! Hyrem, make sure he has a clear opening!”

The Caverns

Flashfusion: A massive brawl was underway in the depths of the caverns, and by the looks of it you hadn’t gotten off to a bad start. One of the half a dozen robots was dismantled across the coin-strewn floor after you gang up tactics – and it was a strategy you were going to stick to as you shot out another volley of orders. Before that you drop to your knees rummaging through your bag for medical supplies – quickly brandishing a Super Potion. You aim at Larry who was on his last legs, pulling the trigger to release a spray of chemicals. The medicine stings but kicks in fast, the iron monster’s dents and scratches vanishing almost completely. Giving yourself a fighting edge, you take a step back as the nail biting action unfolds! First up Boing springs into the firing line with his pearl flickering a misty white, letting out a Ray of Confusion at a 180 degree angle. The sentinel’s movement appears more erratic, with confusion landing albeit only midly. Three of the five Golett manage to muster up a Shadow Ball whilst the others bonk themselves in the head in a stupor. The inky balls launch forward systematically, hitting all the ally team bar Larry who remains unscathed. Neptune tumbles onto his shell, using his tail to ricochet forward and shoot off a return-fire Ice Beam. The bluish bolt-beam arcs down on the most damage robot, his armour becoming stiff and glazed as the cold mist subsides. Nahkriin and Larry quickly join in on the action, slamming against the ground causing stalagmites to drop from the ceiling as the earth quakes. Coins ripple down the trove as the attack reaches the Golett, chipping away a good portion of their health whilst knocking one of them out! Neptune and Boing are knocked off their feet by the aftershock, but it was price worth paying bringing the odds to an equal number.

Your eyes sweep over to Boing who was delaying the offence, his pearl rolling down one of the mounds of gold with the piglet scrambling after it! Meanwhile Neptune doesn’t bother getting to his feet as he withdraws into his shell and starts spinning on the spot. Coins are kicked up everywhere as the Pokémon reaches rapid g-force, suddenly letting lose a Hydro Pump in all directions. The powerful blasts of water hit three of the four Golett, with one misfiring and spraying Nahkriin in the jaw – the Druddigon letting off a snarl of annoyance. Boing finally reunites with his pearl, drawing it to his crown telekinetically and unleashing a wave of Psychic power. The telekinetic force sweeps down the arena, ploughing through more of the pirate’s booty and slamming one of the Golett at random. The robot tumbles onto its rear, rising back up without a trace of emotion. Whilst Boing looks pleased with himself the sentinels appeared to a have targeted a more considerable threat – sensors homing in on Neptune. The ghostly guard’s fists flicker with Shadowy energy, rotating them upward and launching a barrage of ethereal Punches on the turtle’s position! Too tuckered out from his last attack he takes the beating dead on, enough to knock him out cold. Rushing to passed out turtle’s side, the idea of pulling a win seemed a whole lot harder. With a quick glance over the battlefield your squad were in much better shape – this time you couldn’t let your guard down. What will you do?

Hydro-Electric Dam

Myahoo: However much the thrill seeking Gym Leader had grinded your gears, your heart skips a beat upon seeing him sprawled across the storeroom floor – caught in an explosion to ward away trespassers. The leader stresses the importance of your mission waving a limp hand at the grid of Pokéballs, one of which a switch was hidden beneath. You weigh up your options, each red-white sphere identical despite how heavily you squinted. Finally picking the ball opposite Volkner, you nervously edge down the room, not looking to set off any bombs accidentally. The lights above give a slight flicker, tension rising as you crouched down to grab it. Hunkered down you lean in, fingers outstretched and inches away. You spot Volkner’s charred body in the corner of your eye – faltering an inch away. You’d come this far though, and with one brave lunge you prize the ball from the grid and lift it to see what’s underneath... Nothing! You’d picked the wrong ball, and what’s worse, this one felt a lot heavier than your average Pokéball. Just as this starts to sink in, a set of eyes crack open on the ball’s face – the Voltorb rattling wildly as it starts to Selfdestruct. You instinctively drop the timebomb and roll backwards whilst still in range. However as the Voltorb starts flashing violently, Wildfire pounces in the firing line taking the brunt of the hit. As the Voltorb detonates the last thing you hear is a loud BANG! A burst of fire swells ahead tossing the echidna against the wall like a ragdoll. You start to cough and splutter as smoke fills the room. Ears ringing you feel around the floor blindly, managing to find the KO’d echidna and return him to his Pokéball. As the smoke clears your throat starts to ease up, the grid back in sight with only two Pokéballs remaining... “Talk about your rotten luck”, Volkner says weakly, “I think we’ve taken out all the Voltorb, so the switch is bound to be under one of those ordinary Pokéballs”

Crater Lake

Itzatrap: Whilst Flannery continued sleuthing around the barn it was up to you to keep buying time, lending a hand in shepherding the farmer’s flock of Mareep. With a quick switcheroo you recall the tired chimp with Melantha and Guaca. The Absol stares vacantly at the mountain where Crater Lake stood, its sixth sense tingling – quickly getting distracted by the flock of prey ahead. The Drillbur stretches his shovel-like claws before giving you a cheery wave, ready to follow orders. The two make their way into the ranch as you relay your sheepherding strategy. Malentha is given the role of sheepdog whilst Guaca will be no doubt shearing the Mareep with his shock proof claws. The Absol relishes in this role, swiftly skirting to the edge of the pen and catching the wary eye of a few Mareep. Like a wild jungle cat the Disaster Pokémon pounces from cluster of Mareep to cluster of Mareep, eyes bore down on them with a Mean Look. To your relief the woolly Pokémon spring to their feet in fear, baaing as they bumped past each other to the safe refuge of the barn. Malentha left and right, her intimidation tact leaving few of the Mareep astray. The once yellow field looks far less cluttered as another dozen Mareep join the flock, with just a few more still grazing. The Absol rounds on these one by one, locking eyes with a juvenile Mareep who baas aggressively in return. Yellow sparks jolt up and down the static fur, a Thunder Shock knocking the cat rearward in surprise. At this point, you spot a few of the sheep stumbling out of the jam-packed pen much to your chagrin.

“The young fella’s tend to get rowdy when dey reach a certain age”, Amos snorts, “A few light knocks outta put ‘im in ‘is place!” With Absol more than capable of delivering said hits you ready a round of orders, first checking up on how Guaca was faring. In the thick of the herd, the mole Pokémon Sports his shovel-like claws and starts drilling at the ground. An upchuck of Mud spews from his position, raining down on the Mareep who start baaing in bewilderment. With their yellow wool growing progressively muckier and the farm Pokémon scrambling to get away, the intentions of your plan appear dubious so far. Amos looks just as confused, “Woah now! Watch out der Bob we don’t want der pelts all dirty!”

Cascade Waterfall

Kaisap: With Deadalus the Pokémon Ranger in-training now neck deep in the lake, your eyes drift toward the perilous waterfall, white foam from the rapid current spraying off the cluster of sharp rocks. Not trusting your own swimming abilities you hand it to a natural, brandishing a Pokéball and tossing it into the water. A stream of bubbles run off its surface as it sinks to the seabed, cracking open in a flash of light. Minori the Seel nimbly swerves back to the surface, breaking through the water with a playful bark. Kitty clambers to your crown as you test the water, inviting enough to plunge in wrapping your arms tight around the Seel. Deadalous sends you a weak smile before pressing on, the puffer fish flailing its tail waywardly sending him upstream. Minori quickly follows suit, kicking his hind flippers and Surfing you toward the plunge pool. The Skitty hisses as sprays of water catch her in the face, the water becoming more turbulent the further you swam. Eventually you meet the rocks – sharp as daggers with the fast current crashing any drifting vessel into them without a sweat. You wince as nerves take over, Kitty driving her claws into your scalp as her hydrophobia kicks in. With the Qwilfish knowing its way around the current the Ranger starts to gain a lead, Minori struggling against the rapids as you sailed in tow. After what felt like minutes you’d finally cleared the minefield without a scratch, the Seel barking triumphantly as you dock just a few feet from the waterfall. You spot Icarus the Rufflet, bored stiff of circling the skies as he flocks onto the ranger’s head – cawing cockily at Kitty.

“Hmm...” Dadalous ponders, barely audible under the thunderous sound of crashing water, “I-I’m willing to bet there’s a secret passage just behind th-this waterfall. We-we might have a better chance at infiltrating their hideout!” You try to clear the water out of your ears, not quite sure you heard him right. Go through the waterfall? The splash of the cascade made it impossible to strain ahead, much less look for a tunnel. Deadalous had proven incompetent at his post so far, sending red flags flying within your subconscious. He starts a countdown, Minori flexing his fins before you can make up your mind. “Ready... Set... Go!” The sensation of a ton of bricks crashing down on you takes shape for a fleeting second, the heavy rain punching you under the surface as Minori veered forward. Breaking through the threshold with a gasp, your ears prickle to the din of the waterfall now behind you. Kitty wrows in protest, dripping wet with her claws dug so deep into your skull she could draw blood. As the water runs off your eyes you get a good glimpse of the channel ahead, Deadalous’s instincts were right! The pair of you crawl to the surface, in awe at the bluish stones suspended in mid-air, illuminating the cave a neon hue.

“Those stones are charged by electrom-m-magnetism, watch you’re back, this cave ought to be t-teaming with electric types!” Deadalous dries his glasses against his jacket and bids farewell to the Qwilfish, delving deeper into the cave. As you scramble in tow you notice the walls were smooth to touch, supporting the ranger’s theory the tunnel had been drilled manually by nefarious criminals. However old cobwebs and Pokémon bones littered the stretch ahead, suggesting it hadn’t been used in a long time throwing more doubt into your mind. Minutes pass until you finally catch ear of some activity. You spot a glimpse of an Eelektrik, sparks flying up its body as it slinks into a fissure on the ceiling. The rare encounters don’t stop there, clusters of Ferroseed clinging to the walls, draining energy from its magnetic compounds. Eyes sweeping across the ceiling in awe, it take’s Deadalous’s stammering voice to rouse your attention. Just ahead was a huge web, weaved thick across the width of the channel blocking your path. The ranger rubs his head in dumfoundment, “Huh, I-I wonder if I should go back for one of those Ferroseed, do y-you have any better ideas?”

[Son_of_Shadows]

Raine's Wildlife Park

Son of Shadows: With chaos erupting all around the amphitheatre you do your best to scramble together a game plan, sweeping your eyes across the scaffolding until you spotted a perfect vantage for liberating Shamu. There was just a slight hitch in your plan as one of the Aqua grunts rounds on you with her Corphish and Poochyena looking to stop you in your tracks. Rather than fight your way through her you opt for a more tactless hit and run technique. Aegis bursts out of his Pokéball, bite marks still raw from his earlier scrap. “Two on one”, the grunt remarks, “Just my kind of od-“ Before she can finish her sentence your plan gears into motion with her smirk promptly wiped away by a eyeful of Muddy Water! The two of you exchange a look of hilarity as the activist guards her eyes letting out a scream of mangled pain and surprise before quickly heading for a set of ladders leading up to the scaffolding. Whilst you’d already managed to climb a few feet into the air with the hardy Wartortle narrowly in tow, the grunt wasn’t willing to let you go that easily.

“Don’t just stand there!” She yells blindly, “After them!” The two Pokémon scamper forward, the Poochyena yowling as it bounded into the air teeth bared as it Bit down on your foot! Your grip slackens as you try to shake the canine lose, Aegis supporting you from the rear. However as you look over your shoulder you spot more to contend with than the mutt as a Corphish scuttles in and shoots a stream of Bubbles skyward. The foamy blast bursts against the railings making the ladder incredibly slippy. Trying your hardest to keep your grip, gravity triumphs and you tumble off the ladder taking Aegis down with you. With the turtle breaking your fall you slump to your feet, the two Pokémon had your surrounded – if you wanted to get to the scaffolding you’d have to get through them. You look around desperately, the ginger grunt still wiping mud out of her eyes. Homing in on the helicopter, you spot with some relief it was having trouble taking off, a low grinding ringing in your ears as it started to drop in altitude courtesy of the whale’s enormous weight. Shamu was buying you time, but you’d have to be quick about beating the canine and crustacean if you stood a chance at rescuing him. What will you do?

The sound of the mud splashing into the grunt's face was the single most satisfying thing that had happened to Joshua all day, and he had to resist the urge to hi-five Aegis, making a private resolve to do so later, when they weren't about to be killed or in the middle of rescuing a giant Wailord.

So it would be quite a while indeed.

In the meantime, he seized his opportunity to begin climbing the ladder on the scaffolding. By hook or by crook, he would keep Shamu safe. Of course, Joshua had no idea how he was going to manage this... But details, details. He thought he might just have this... And then the fangs sunk into his bare foot.

"MOTHERF-AHHHHHHHHHHHH!" he howled, as the Poochyena's bite was followed up by a slippery bubble stream, sending Joshua and Aegis crashing to the ground. Too bad for the turtle that he had been bringing up the rear. Too bad for Joshua too, whose back was in massive pain. So now he was going to need a physiotherapy session to go with that tetanus shot. Lovely. Why was today trying so hard to kill him? What had he done to today? Shamu didn't seem too pleased with today's events either, by the way he was fighting against the helicopter - good. That could buy him a minute or two, but now there was no option. Deal with the grunt first, then the copter.

"I'm warning you lady, you have picked the wrong day to mess with me. Voltron, help me even the odds!" he called, causing his shiny Magnemite to appear in a flash. "Aegis, can you still fight?" The Wartortle got to his feet, slightly winded, but still able. Two strong Pokémon versus a Corphish and Poochyena. They had this. "Voltron, hit that Corphish with all you've got - Thunderbolt it, and follow up with Spark! If it's still standing then, give him a Sonicboom, or hit Poochyena with a Mirror Shot if it's not. As for you Aegis, smash Poochyena with your Aqua Tail, before delivering a close-range Blizzard attack, and a Crossfire if you need to!"

OOC: I'm assuming Wartortle's ok to fight, since you would've said if he wasn't. If not, please let me know so I can edit.

[Balmund]

Kakatua Lagoon

Balmund: With a shark attack narrowly escaped not without the loss of another innocent life, the mermaid leaves you with a final gambit: journey further into the depths of the underwater dungeons alone for Ephraim and Lily’s safe passage. The swash of ocean rings through your ears as you weigh up your options. She lies. She could be lying right now, there was no way you could trust her. But you couldn’t afford to defy her either. Her threat was sincere, and if you turned down her bargain the death of the last standing traveller would be on your hands. Your eyes sweep across the coliseum: the passage to the dungeons, the terrified traveller and your greatest weapon undersea. You settle on Ephraim, who returns a noble gaze – determined to protect you from harm. You’d made your decision and this couldn’t be so, you had to go at it alone. Whilst the seahorse protests he eventually forfeits under your uncompromising tone, destroying Lily’s bounds and allowing her trembling arms to wrap around his spiny neck. You take one last fleeting look at them before facing the gateway ahead. Ready to meet your destiny...

The light from the battleground only stretches a few meters down the passageway before being consumed by a pitch blackness that makes it impossible to tell what lay ahead. A quiver runs down your tail as faint noises echo from the bowels of the trail, and with a great gulp you muster up all your courage to press on. Breaking into a breaststroke you allow the darkness to swallow you whole. Eyes adjusting to no avail you start to rely on your other senses. You strain your ears for any sign of movement ahead, but the tunnel remains filled with a deadly silence. You swim for what feels like minutes, occasionally brushing your tail against the side of the channel and bearing back to the centre with a jerk. There’s no telling how far you’d travelled through the depth’s of the lagoon’s labyrinth by now, however your pupils suddenly dilate as a red light flickers into view at the end of the tunnel. Like a homing beacon the scarlet lure draws you in, the jagged cave walls smouldering under its luminosity. You come to a halt at the foot of the red light, which you quickly recognize as a gem stone encrusted onto a large conch. Your eyes follow the bivalve down to the pink figure it was latched onto, a red and white ruff around its neck and a zen-like expression on its face. The Slowking starts to speak mechanically, no doubt drunk on the mermaid’s Hypnosis.

“Only a man with unmatched wit may go on to the final game. Answer my riddle on your first guess – I will let you pass. Answer wrongly – I attack. Remain silent – I will let you walk away from me, unscathed”, Your stomach slips a few notches as you gaze ahead nonplussed. You weigh your chances. If the riddle was too hard, you could keep silent, double back unharmed and try to find an alternate route to the dungeon. But that seemed unlikely. Stripped of your backup your only option seemed to be solving the riddle on the first attempt. Your thoughts are stammered as the Slowking’s mouth draws open, your ears fixed intently on every last word resonating from its lips:

’From the Sea Basin I took a Water Weed and gave it to a Tiny Turtle. What am I?’

Leaving his companions behind, Balmund ventures forth onto the Siren's final challenge, alone, wounded, and unprotected; nothing left but his own might and his will to, somehow, make it out alive. Making his way within the labyrinth, he must've wandered for what felt like eternity, seconds turning into minutes and minutes in turn becoming hours within an impregnable darkness. Suddenly, a flash of red light flickers; a ray of hope or a most cruel of lures, either way, Balmund homed in to it without hesitation. As he closes in he finally comes face to face with the source of the light, a gem, encrusted in the familiar royal crown of the regal Slowking. Another of her servants, no doubt. It speaks, in an almost mechanical manner. Should he wish to move onward, a riddle needed to be answered. there was only one try. Fail, and Balmund would have to fight. Answer correctly, and he could move on. Remain silent and he could go back unscathed. Remain silent ... Slowking would not attack unless Balmund either spoke his answer, or tried to move forward regardless of this test, which meant there was no definite timer for this riddle. Nonetheless, that was an idea Balmund wasn't too ready to put to the test.

He weighs his chances very carefully. He wouldn't want to quickly gamble his health (and life!) on a riddle he wasn't sure he could answer, but going back to the darkness, uncertain of the other dangers that layed ahead ... he wasn't even sure he would quickly find an opportunity like this. At this stage, all of his decisions carried the very real danger of death behind them.

He thinks carefully about the riddle, deconstructing it word by word. There were three set of word that caught his attention: Sea Basin, Water Weed, Tiny Turtle. The last two he identified immediately by the two known Pokémon who bore such titles: Lotad and Squirtle. As for the first one, he vaguely remembered the legends. Could be it the legendary Kyogre? One thing was definitely not like the others. If there was one thing the legend was known for, was for the formation of the vast oceans. Kyogre was a force which brought unstoppable rain. Were it for the mythical beast, all of Earth would be swallowed under the seas. Rain is one thing Lotad adore, for it is at its strongest under that weather. But what about the turtle? Normally, Squirtle benefit from water and rain as much as any other Water-type would ... Tch, no, no, it made no sense at all, and his train of thought was starting to wander far as it tried to grasp for some connection. The stress of the moment, with all the recent happenings included, did not help one bit; Balmund felt far to mentally exhausted to dedicate some time to some random game. Maybe the answer was a lot more simple than it seemed?

He thinks about it again. He figured he had hit the nail by identifying the creatures involved in this riddle. Kyogre, Lotad, & Squirtle, it would have something to do with them, but in what sense. From the Kyogre, I took a Lotad and gave it to a Squirtle. A strange sentence if taken by what the Pokémon's names literally represent, but what if they were to be substituted by something else? Amusingly enough, each Pokémon has been attributed a number in the system, even the deities. A bit farfetch'd a thing to add to the equation, as Balmund wasn't expecting the Slowking to think about Pokédex entries at all, but he quickly experiments with this idea nonetheless. If he takes the value of Lotad off Kyogre, and gives the result to Squirtle, the final answer surprisingly landed on another water Pokémon! Nothing directly to do with the other three, but as close an answer as Balmund would ever get. Though the chances of being wrong were very high, he might as well say something now and be done with it. He was already ready for battle anyways.

"You're Seaking," Balmund answered, ironicly enough, considering he was addressing a "king" of another kind, but in context, it now made too much sense. How clever.

[Dark Searchman]

Sorry about the delay folks. I’ll be updating a couple more times over the next couple of weeks so get those replies in whilst you can!

Ampere Beach

Dark Searchman: Even with a platoon of Water Types the pair of trainers were fighting an uphill battle, the sea captain barely able to keep his vessel from capsizing as it’s pulled into a vicious whirlpool. The flash of lightning blurs your vision like a Polaroid camera, the torrential downpour and sprays of surf making it impossible to make out the dark yonder. From what you’d caught of the battle, Delilah had made more than enough narrow escapes and was prepped for your next chain of orders - her blinking anglers flashing among the pod of electric types. The same couldn’t be said for Kray who’d been MIA since the strike of thunder. Andy frantically hung over the toe rail, desperate cries for Corphish met with no response. The last you’d seen of the crustaceans they’d manoeuvred into enemy territory, their attack at the rear grinding to a halt as the orca retaliated. Holding tight on the mast with your own fate in the balance, you have scarce time to commiserate - the sail boat is sucked deeper into the vortex. And then he was gone. Your ears barely catch the splash as Andy dropped into the treacherous blue to rescue his Pokémon. You hang over the port side and squint ahead, the current was so fast that there was no way of spotting a man overboard amongst the sea of darkness. The kid had saved your life not long ago, and you were just as willing to save his... “Don’t be a fool!” The captain yells above the drumming skies, grabbing your shoulder with a crippling hold, “It’s too dangerous lad!”

With Briney Sr. quashing any reckless actions you try and block these doubts from your mind and focus on the struggle ahead. The vessel had lapped the whirlpool enough times to completely throw off your bearing, closing in like a wall of darkness as you attempt to position the bioluminescent sea creatures. In the nick of time a swarm of yellow blotches enters your scope, your voice cracking as you let loose more orders. With the current too strong for Briney to steer against you can only hope they got the message loud and clear. Inches from a watery grave you spot the fish dive into the eddy, a yellow torchlight breaking out over the watery deck. Delilah and the rest of the angler fish quickly start to swim against the Whirlpool. It current starts to slacken as Briney sails the boat toward the surface – your heart beating at normal speed again as the vortex subsides. This only lasts for a fleeting second however, Kyogre’s eyes flickering a smouldering red as it enjoys a round of open fire.

With the electric types busy freeing you from the current the Sea Basin Pokémon submerges and lets off a high-frequency Pulse which echoes down the Water. The attack resonates against the electric platoon for another powerful hit, schools of unevolved fish recessing into the deep sea trenches – barring your Chinchou and a Tynamo that had had its brains scrambled in confusion. Delilah is looking worse for wear, but bravely bobs to the surface and shoots off a blast of Scalding water backed up by the Lanturn pod’s Hydro Pump. Her eel cousins improvise with a barrage of Acid Spray, the combine forces raining down on the orca and burning harsh against its skin. Kyogre lets out a wail of fury causing the skies to flash and rumble. The scorn legend is quick to unleash his wrath on the sea dwellers, the rain beating so cold against your skin it starts to feel like hard pellets. Gazing toward the orca your vision is quickly impaired by the icy blizzard churning out of its mouth, the Sheer power of it freezing a half a dozen of the ally team solid. Where the blast had made contact with the water a minefield of icebergs had formed – Briney steering the jib in efforts to safely manoeuvre out of them. With their numbers whittled down to just a handful, the electric types band together to let loose another Shock Wave – determined to avenge their fallen allies. The outburst of electromagnetism ripples down the sea, smacking the Kyogre in the nose for another effective hit.

You grab ahold of the mast to get another good look at your enemies, scars of the battle strewn across its blubbery hide. Fatigue was starting to show on both sides, and you could tell the climatic finale was on the horizon. Briney is quick to rouse you from these thoughts as he clears the field of glaciers, his Wingull swooping down from the bird’s nest and onto his shoulder, “Peeko, its time for you to sweep in! Hyrem, make sure he has a clear opening!”

As Captain Briney continued to struggle to keep his boat afloat, Hyrem and Andy could barely see the situation, but from what they did see it wasn't pretty. At least Delilah was still around, leading the pod of Lanturn and Eelektross, but Kray, Andy's Corphish, was nowhere to be seen. Andy looked understandably distraught as he stood at the edge of the boat trying desperately to look for his Pokemon. By now, Kyogre had finished off the Crawdaunt and Kingler with Kray.

Okay, now, I don't think anybody saw Andy fall off the boat, but yeah, he plunged right into the whirlpool, probably in an attempt to rescue his Corphish. "Hey, A- ANDYYYY!!!" Hyrem suddenly screamed at the top of his lungs, ready to jump in there himself; Andy saved him, after all, so it was only fair he return the favor. But Briney's sudden grip on his shoulder was firm and his voice rang loud and clear: “Don’t be a fool! It’s too dangerous lad!” He was right, and Hyrem had to focus on the task at hand. First, he had to find where Delilah was. Thankfully, Delilah's lights shone so Hyrem could shout out his orders ... and hope she heard them. With another "thankfully", she did hear them as she and the other Chinchou and Lanturn work against the swirling current and eventually calm down the Whirlpool. This would make for some smooth sailing, right? WRONG! Kyogre decides to take a cheap shot at the group of Electric-types by spitting out a Water Pulse which took out all the Tynamo except for one, who was left confused, and all the Chinchou except Delilah, who was looking really beat, but still able to use a Scald attack as the Lanturn use Hydro Pump and the Eelektrik and Eelektross use Acid Spray to greatly lower Kyogre's stiff Special Defenses to set the killer whale up for the Water attacks. All that acid and water made Kyogre rage and the Sea Basin Pokemon was ready to put his subjects in their place by using one of its more devastating attacks. The rain started to get Colder and colder, and Hyrem could see Kyogre was getting a very nasty attack ready. If it hit Delilah, it would all be over, just from the Sheer power it looked like it had. It hit six more Electric-type Pokemon and instantly took them out of commission. Very fortunately, it didn't hit Delilah, but it did freeze the water it touched. What power! It took Briney a lot of effort to steer away from the newly made ice floes, and Delilah and the rest of the Pokemon had to regroup just to get a decent Shock Wave attack that would ruin Kyogre's day further.

Both Kyogre and the Electric-types were worn down and battered, so in general the battle was going to end soon, and if Briney's plan didn't work, Kyogre would overwhelm them. Well, Peeko flew from his perch to Briney's shoulder, then Briney said, “Peeko, its time for you to sweep in! Hyrem, make sure he has a clear opening!”

"Okay, got it!" Hyrem said, though he needed to think about Delilah's well-being first, plus he needed to keep their plan unknown to the enemy. "Delilah, can you come over here for a sec?" he called out to Delilah. Once she drew close, he took out a bottle of Fresh Water (1/10) and held it in front of his Chinchou. "Here, drink this. Now here's the plan; watch where Peeko flies, then try to get Kyogre and the guy controlling him to look the other way with your attacks. I know we don't have as many Pokemon as before, but just do your best, that's all we can ask at this point. Give Kyogre another Shock Wave, then a Thunderbolt to keep its attention. Maybe some of the stronger Pokemon know Thunder or other stronger Electric attacks, see if they'll use them instead. Now go for it!" This was it, would Delilah and the remaining Electric-types be able to distract Kyogre enough in this critical moment? I can't say for sure, but I agree with Hyrem's strategy!

[Meetan]

OOC: Sorry to have taken so long with y'all. University and illness has kept me back, as you know. I'm on the mend now and not back until just before February university-wise, so now that I've written through the writers block, I hope to be more regular again! Let's do this!

To those whose updates aren't here, your adventures are officially on hold. Amphy, Tim, etc - if you return, PM me and I'll link you to your adventures, then pick you back up as soon as I'm freer once again.

Suicune’s Effigy

LASL: You have a few issues in terms of mental stability, apparently. You first think that the stranger might be a mad scientist, despite the fact he looks neither mad nor like a scientist. At the very least, you go forth and answer the question, keeping your cool. The musician isn’t angry, after all, just concerned, and your childhood hero Suicune is majestically supporting you from a short distance away.

“You didn’t disturb me at all. And thank you very much for the compliment – it was nice to have an audience, even if it’s just one person.” He replies with perfect calm. He, too, shifts his gaze to the beautiful statue, admiring it in silence for a few seconds before speaking again. “I’m sure you could play an instrument if you wanted to. If you could, what instrument would you play?” He asks you out of interest.

As you reply, and the man listens, your Spearow looks up to the sky with caution. The clear morning that you had been grateful for is at threat of disappearing. In the distance, grey clouds are slowly crawling in the direction of the coastal town, and the wind is beginning to pick up, ruffling the Pokemon’s feathers. Still, they might pass over with any luck from the elements, and it’s too early to tell if a storm’s on the approach or a mere shower.

What do you do?

The Black Swan

Missingno Master: Seeing as it is winter now, Laguna Beach is colder at this time than it might be any other season of the year. There is no snow atop the sand or ice above water, but every time the wind blows, you can appreciate the fact that it feels brutal. Your Shuppet, Myrtle, tries to discourage your latest escapade as you proceed down towards the most feared pirate ship of its time, the Black Swan. Unfortunately for her, you are heeding none of her advice, and your updater is going to make sure you regret it, whether Myrtle can face palm at your stupidity or not.

It takes you a few minutes for you to find any sort of way in, and it involves you treading through the shallows, shivering as the low temperature chomps at your ankles and drenches your jeans. Needless to say, Myrtle continues to criticise you the entire time, hiding her reluctance to join this adventure behind nasty remarks. Your fingers wrap around weathered wood and you clumsily stumble inside the vessel. It looks as you expect it to – a complete and utter shambles

“There-is-noth-ing inside here, Meat Saack.” Myrtle snaps icily, floating behind you as you begin your investigation. Indeed, any treasure appears to have been looted. However, what the ghost-type has yet to tell you is that she feels incredibly sick, and if she had eaten anything previously, she might have thrown it upon your very large hat by now. Her floating is a bit clumsier than usual. Unless you had attended one crazy New Year’s party with her, she shouldn’t be drunk – and certainly isn’t – is she?

But that’s not all. Except for the water that you yourself wade through, the flooding is free of any disturbance from the waves that crash against the side and should be breaking through the holes. There are no wild critters living within the ship, just as Myrtle suggested to you, and it is eerily... Silent. You can’t hear the wind, or those waves, or... Anything. Unlike outside of the Black Swan, it isn’t cold or hot. It’s just... Something.

What do you do?

Laguna Lake

Plight of Leon: Christopher watches patiently as you type, sending and receiving important emails with the sister of a strong gym leader. A Poke Ball materialises out of thin air, containing Black Dynamite, a Sawk that you had obtained in a trade not too long ago.

“I will. I promise.” He seems reluctant to leave you, even though you have a protector of your own now beside the Seismitoad. “Like I said, the doctors will be on their way soon. I’ll contact a colleague, too, and see if someone will swing by.” He added, smiling. “Come on, Surgei, we should go before this gets more out of hand. Take care, Blaze.”

With that, the Ranger makes a move. The door closes beyond your little rehabilitation room, and the dual-type joins yours as the adventure takes its direction through the forest and towards the nests of the uncontrollable Ursaring and Teddiursa.

What will Surgei do?

Fireray: Last update here.

[Missingno. Master]

OOC: Sorry to have taken so long with y'all. University and illness has kept me back, as you know. I'm on the mend now and not back until just before February university-wise, so now that I've written through the writers block, I hope to be more regular again! Let's do this!

To those whose updates aren't here, your adventures are officially on hold. Amphy, Tim, etc - if you return, PM me and I'll link you to your adventures, then pick you back up as soon as I'm freer once again.
The Black Swan

Missingno Master: Seeing as it is winter now, Laguna Beach is colder at this time than it might be any other season of the year. There is no snow atop the sand or ice above water, but every time the wind blows, you can appreciate the fact that it feels brutal. Your Shuppet, Myrtle, tries to discourage your latest escapade as you proceed down towards the most feared pirate ship of its time, the Black Swan. Unfortunately for her, you are heeding none of her advice, and your updater is going to make sure you regret it, whether Myrtle can face palm at your stupidity or not.

It takes you a few minutes for you to find any sort of way in, and it involves you treading through the shallows, shivering as the low temperature chomps at your ankles and drenches your jeans. Needless to say, Myrtle continues to criticise you the entire time, hiding her reluctance to join this adventure behind nasty remarks. Your fingers wrap around weathered wood and you clumsily stumble inside the vessel. It looks as you expect it to – a complete and utter shambles

“There-is-noth-ing inside here, Meat Saack.” Myrtle snaps icily, floating behind you as you begin your investigation. Indeed, any treasure appears to have been looted. However, what the ghost-type has yet to tell you is that she feels incredibly sick, and if she had eaten anything previously, she might have thrown it upon your very large hat by now. Her floating is a bit clumsier than usual. Unless you had attended one crazy New Year’s party with her, she shouldn’t be drunk – and certainly isn’t – is she?

But that’s not all. Except for the water that you yourself wade through, the flooding is free of any disturbance from the waves that crash against the side and should be breaking through the holes. There are no wild critters living within the ship, just as Myrtle suggested to you, and it is eerily... Silent. You can’t hear the wind, or those waves, or... Anything. Unlike outside of the Black Swan, it isn’t cold or hot. It’s just... Something.

What do you do?

Ignoring Myrtle's continual snide remarks and general nastiness, Keith proceeded to walk into the ruined remnants of the old pirate ship. Myrtle's current attitude was nothing new for her, and Keith learned long ago to not let it get to him. As they entered, Myrtle snapped again, stating that there was nothing inside. However, Keith could not fail to notice the eerie silence that was, rather ironically, deafening. It wasn't cold, it wasn't hot... Keith didn't know what to make of that. Keith turned to look at Myrtle, and immediately noticed that her floating was somewhat clumsier than usual. His barely-suppressed annoyance at Myrtle's nasty remarks gave way to concern- Keith was certain something was off if Myrtle was floating like that. "Myrtle, you OK?" Keith asked, knowing full well what the answer would be.

"I am per-fect-ly fine, Meat Sack," Myrtle snapped in reply.

"Yeah, because that's always how you float, right?" Keith retorted. "You been eating enough negative emotions lately?"

"I have been ea-ting fine, thank you ve-ry much!" Myrtle snapped angrily, though she wobbled a little more in midair as she said this.

Keith shook his head. "Myrtle, don't lie to me," he said. "Something ain't right with you. Are you feeling OK?"

"...Yes," Myrtle replied, though her moment of hesitation was all Keith needed to confirm his suspicions, and the Shuppet knew it, too. "Fine," she sighed. "I do not feel a hun-dred per-cent at the mo-ment. Hap-py now?"

"C'mon, we're getting out of here," Keith replied. "We gotta get you to a Pokemon Center."

"Hell no, Meat Sack," growled Myrtle. "I will be fine."

"Come on, two minutes ago you couldn't wait to get out of here," Keith complained. "Now you want to stay?"

"As I have told you be-fore," Myrtle hissed ominously, "I am not scared to be here. It will take more than a lit-tle nau-se-a to stop me."

Keith sighed. "Fine, we'll keep exploring," he said. "But if you start feeling worse, you let me know right away, and we will leave."

"We will see a-bout that, Meat Sack," snapped Myrtle. Secretly, she rather wanted to leave the ship as quick as possible, but she would rather die than show weakness in front of anybody.

[Meetan]

The Black Swan

Missingno. Master: You and Myrtle are still at conflict with each other, and in a place which is so obviously wrong, you don’t want to be at war. In all honesty, unlike others who have wandered in here in the past, you have already changed your mind and want to go home or to a Pokemon Centre so that your partner can recuperate. Myrtle refuses to show her weakness in front of you.

With reluctance you continue on, water sloshing about your feet as you exit what appears to be the captain’s cabin and out to a hallway. Myrtle sways after you, and you take a few steps along a hallway with heavy doors lining either side of you before something scares you out of your wits. Something screeches. It isn’t shrill, but sounds like a mixture of a computer connecting to dial-up and one of the doors protesting on its hinges. Myrtle swings round to face the source of the noise behind you both... But nothing is there.

“We’re not alone.” You realise, stating the obvious. Such stupid remarks don’t normally go down too well with present company. While your feet normally make noise moving, you try to listen, but the silence deafens you again. Unless this thing has slipped out of the ship as quickly as it apparently entered, it cannot have gone far.

What do you do?

[Missingno. Master]

The Black Swan

Missingno. Master: You and Myrtle are still at conflict with each other, and in a place which is so obviously wrong, you don’t want to be at war. In all honesty, unlike others who have wandered in here in the past, you have already changed your mind and want to go home or to a Pokemon Centre so that your partner can recuperate. Myrtle refuses to show her weakness in front of you.

With reluctance you continue on, water sloshing about your feet as you exit what appears to be the captain’s cabin and out to a hallway. Myrtle sways after you, and you take a few steps along a hallway with heavy doors lining either side of you before something scares you out of your wits. Something screeches. It isn’t shrill, but sounds like a mixture of a computer connecting to dial-up and one of the doors protesting on its hinges. Myrtle swings round to face the source of the noise behind you both... But nothing is there.

“We’re not alone.” You realise, stating the obvious. Such stupid remarks don’t normally go down too well with present company. While your feet normally make noise moving, you try to listen, but the silence deafens you again. Unless this thing has slipped out of the ship as quickly as it apparently entered, it cannot have gone far.

What do you do?

As Keith and Myrtle continued on, a sudden screeching noise made Keith jump. Myrtle was also startled by it, but managed to not let it show. Instead, she swung around to face the source of the noise, but saw nothing.

"We're not alone," Keith stated, his eyes shifting from side to side warily.

"You think?" Myrtle snapped, her voice shaking ever so slightly from a combination of nerves and nausea. Ignoring her, Keith listened hard, trying to hear something, anything, that might have made that noise, but all is quiet once more. Deciding that whatever made the noise couldn't have gone that far, Keith wheeled around and started walking in the general direction from which the noise had come.

"Oh, that is real-ly in-tel-li-gent," Myrtle grumbled, rolling her eyes as she followed Keith. "Hear-ing a hor-rid scree-ching noise, and then cha-sing af-ter the source. Bril-li-ant. Just bril-li-ant."

"You know I gotta try and find out who or what made that noise, Myrtle," Keith stated. Indeed, the odd screeching had piqued his curiosity just as much as it had frightened him out of his wits, and he intended to find the source.

[LucarioArtcunoSuicunLover]

OOC: Sorry to have taken so long with y'all. University and illness has kept me back, as you know. I'm on the mend now and not back until just before February university-wise, so now that I've written through the writers block, I hope to be more regular again! Let's do this!

To those whose updates aren't here, your adventures are officially on hold. Amphy, Tim, etc - if you return, PM me and I'll link you to your adventures, then pick you back up as soon as I'm freer once again.

Suicune’s Effigy

LASL: You have a few issues in terms of mental stability, apparently. You first think that the stranger might be a mad scientist, despite the fact he looks neither mad nor like a scientist. At the very least, you go forth and answer the question, keeping your cool. The musician isn’t angry, after all, just concerned, and your childhood hero Suicune is majestically supporting you from a short distance away.

“You didn’t disturb me at all. And thank you very much for the compliment – it was nice to have an audience, even if it’s just one person.” He replies with perfect calm. He, too, shifts his gaze to the beautiful statue, admiring it in silence for a few seconds before speaking again. “I’m sure you could play an instrument if you wanted to. If you could, what instrument would you play?” He asks you out of interest.

As you reply, and the man listens, your Spearow looks up to the sky with caution. The clear morning that you had been grateful for is at threat of disappearing. In the distance, grey clouds are slowly crawling in the direction of the coastal town, and the wind is beginning to pick up, ruffling the Pokemon’s feathers. Still, they might pass over with any luck from the elements, and it’s too early to tell if a storm’s on the approach or a mere shower.

What do you do?

El released an internal sigh of relief, he wasn't angry at all! Not that he had looked it in the first place but, well, she wasn't quite out of the age range where stranger danger was a relevant phrase. Good to know that she wouldn't have to bring out the semimurderbug, too. But enough musing, she had a conversation to hold, and the nice man had asked a question! But boy, instruments brought her back to a time before she'd met Sparow even. "Well, when I was five mum and dad had piano lessons for me, but my fingers were too stubby to do much. Still are really." To emphasise her point she held her hands beside her face and wriggled her fingers about. They weren't exactly slender and feminine, quite the opposite really thanks to a rather outdoorsy lifestyle. And that band-aid on her ring finger probably should have come off a few days ago.

Er, wait, conversation! She could muse over her fingers later, now she had to socialise. "Heh, sorry, easily distracted." Oh man that pandaid wasn't going to stop bugging her now. "If I picked up an instrument again I... I don't know what I would pick! Maybe a flute? Flutes are nice I guess." Sparow let out an uncomfortable chirp from her shoulder, inadvertently cutting off El's train of thought once again. Following the bird's gaze led her to notice that the weather was looking about ready to turn. Interesting!

Sparow didn't agree, digging her tiny bird feet into her trainer's shoulder at the first sign of something more than a stiff breeze. El tuned her attention to... oops! She hadn't asked him his name yet! But first things first, she excused herself and rummaged around for the right pokeball. Double checking she had the right one, she held it up to her starter. "You want in girl?" The bird forwent giving an answer in preference of hitting the center button, returning herself.

El stood staring mildly awestruck at the pokeball. "Well huh, I had no idea she could do that." With that said, El returned the ball to where it came and returned her attention to the man. "Anyway! Sorry about that, she has a tendency to poop when anything merely resembling a cloud comes about and I really don't want her doing that on my shoulder. Do you think it might rain? Or storm even! Oh, I love a good storm, sitting at home and watching the lightning flash as rain pounds against the windows." She emphasised the word pounds, punching downwards and stomping. For a moment she let her mind wander as she gazed off towards the clouds, only snapping back when she suddenly remembered something. "That reminds me! Well, not really I just happened to think of it BUT! My name's El and I'm a officially a lass! I'm not a very good one though generically cute things aren't really my thing but ANYWAY what's your name I can't just call you 'you' all day and what do you think of rain and hang on I needtobreath!" She took a gasp before continuing on less of an overly long tangent. "Whew! So what are you doing here by yourself anyway? Anything interesting? Other than playing pretty music of course, not that that's not interesting!"

[Meetan]

The Black Swan

Missingno. Master: If Myrtle had hands, not only would she have face-palmed, but would have probably applauded your ‘brilliance’ as she grumbled. You insist that you need to find the source of the disturbance, and you almost do. Something large and powerful bursts through the worn ceiling in the first room, sending wood down as it once again cries out. The glimpse reveals no legs, arms or other appendages, but a cuboid body, flashing grey, red and yellow, as if a living TV was suffering from a snow effect.

You question what it was, as it’s gone too fast for you to whip out your Pokedex and try to identify it. Myrtle’s just as disturbed, but then you realise the spookiness does not end there. There was no sound to accompany their presence, but looking behind you and through the passage you backtracked through reveals that clones of yourself have suddenly appeared. They make no sound. Some are facing left and right, others forward towards you and others the opposite way. Their eyes are dead of expression, but every time you speak, their mouth motions mimic yours, although no breath or voice accompanies the lip syncing. Each time you take a step, they walk through the odd water in the Black Swan, taking a step in whatever direction they’re facing. They are not solid, but apparently ghosts. Like the creature that has escaped you, these odd copies of you flicker like a broken program.

You wonder what the heck is going on, and if continuing your adventure is wise. However, should you choose to try and leave, you’ll find that an invisible barrier is blocking your exits. You can try to break it down, or, you can decide that this is a good reason to continue your investigation. There are rickety, unsafe stairs that could take you to this mysterious monster, and an unsteady Shuppet who could ascend through the new hole... What do you do?

Suicune's Effigy

LASL: The stranger merely chuckles at your odd behaviour. You’ve apologised over and over and can’t seem to keep the rate of conversation steady at all. Chances are, such a grown up gentleman probably thinks you’re stupid, but he’s polite enough not to say so, if that is what he thinks.

“A flute is a smart choice for a Pokemon trainer.” He replies now that he can get a word in edgeways, choosing not to remark on your Spearow’s bad habit in the presence of clouds. “Flutes have powers to lure and heal Pokemon. Music is such an interesting thing. The opening of a corrupted Pokemon’s heart can be done through an ocarina, and there was a story some years ago of Lugia being summoned with one. I’d say a flute or an ocarina could be the best thing you pick up.”

Soon enough, your suspicions are correct. It begins to spit on to rain, but a short distance away, you can hear that it’s heavier where the clouds have already gathered in full force. The fine weather is now grey. “I like the rain, but I don’t really care about storms – thunder and lightning.” He explains, crouching down briefly to pack away his instrument. “But if you want to watch the storm, I know a good view.”

Your question was ignored but an invitation extended. There doesn’t appear to be stranger danger. He doesn’t even seem to have any Pokemon on his person. All these things considered, what do you do?

((Lasl, please post your stats link or stick a signature link in here for now on. I shouldn't have to hunt down your profile.))

[Missingno. Master]

The Black Swan

Missingno. Master: If Myrtle had hands, not only would she have face-palmed, but would have probably applauded your ‘brilliance’ as she grumbled. You insist that you need to find the source of the disturbance, and you almost do. Something large and powerful bursts through the worn ceiling in the first room, sending wood down as it once again cries out. The glimpse reveals no legs, arms or other appendages, but a cuboid body, flashing grey, red and yellow, as if a living TV was suffering from a snow effect.

You question what it was, as it’s gone too fast for you to whip out your Pokedex and try to identify it. Myrtle’s just as disturbed, but then you realise the spookiness does not end there. There was no sound to accompany their presence, but looking behind you and through the passage you backtracked through reveals that clones of yourself have suddenly appeared. They make no sound. Some are facing left and right, others forward towards you and others the opposite way. Their eyes are dead of expression, but every time you speak, their mouth motions mimic yours, although no breath or voice accompanies the lip syncing. Each time you take a step, they walk through the odd water in the Black Swan, taking a step in whatever direction they’re facing. They are not solid, but apparently ghosts. Like the creature that has escaped you, these odd copies of you flicker like a broken program.

You wonder what the heck is going on, and if continuing your adventure is wise. However, should you choose to try and leave, you’ll find that an invisible barrier is blocking your exits. You can try to break it down, or, you can decide that this is a good reason to continue your investigation. There are rickety, unsafe stairs that could take you to this mysterious monster, and an unsteady Shuppet who could ascend through the new hole... What do you do?

As Keith tried to seek out the source of the disturbance, a crashing noise caught his attention; he looked into the first room, and caught a glimpse of a strange creature- if it could be called that. A cube-like body flashing grey, red, and yellow.

"What is that?!" Keith exclaimed. However, by the time his Pokedex was out of his pocket, the strange being was already gone. Myrtle looked rather shaken by the sudden appearance of... whatever that was. However, she didn't ask what it was. Though she wasn't sure from such a quick glance, she had a feeling... Or was it just wishful thinking? She voiced none of these concerns to Keith, however, as he seemed rather preoccupied as he noticed the sudden appearances of multiple clones of him. Myrtle's eyes widened at this eerie phenomenon, but she still said nothing. She didn't want to get her own hopes up even higher than they already were...

Keith experimentally took a step forward, and all his clones did likewise, each of them moving forward one step in the direction they were facing. "...Hello?" Keith addressed them cautiously. The clones mimicked his mouth movements, but not the sounds.

"Meat Sack..." murmured Myrtle.

"Myrtle, I'm a little freaked out here," Keith muttered. "I've never heard of this kind of thing happening before. Perhaps we should get out of-"

"Hell no," Myrtle interrupted, an odd tone to her voice. "Meat Sack... we are see-ing this ad-ven-ture through to the ve-ry end. I... I must know for cer-tain if that crea-ture is the Po-ke-mon I think it is."

"What do you think it is?" Keith asked quietly. He had never seen Myrtle like this before.

"...I think it is a re-la-tive of mine," Myrtle admitted quietly. Keith's eyes widened.

"You mean-" he began.

"Yes," interrupted Myrtle. "But as I said, I am not sure. But... If there is e-ven the slight-est chance..."

Keith nodded. "Then we'll find it," he declared. At this, Myrtle smiled- not a snide, unpleasant smirk, but an actual, genuine smile. "We just need to find it... Ooh, I don't like the look of those stairs," he added, eyeing the rickety and unsafe stairs which led to an upper floor.

"The hole in the cei-ling," Myrtle stated, looking up at the hole that the creature had made. "I could lift you through with Psy-chic-"

"Not in your condition, Myrtle," Keith interrupted firmly. "I don't need you overexerting yourself like that. I bet Lily could get the job done, though," he said as he took out a Poke Ball. "Lily, come on out!" he exclaimed as he threw the ball, unleashing a Venomoth.

"Venomoth, Venomoth," said Lily as she looked at Keith.

"Lily, I need you to use your Confusion attack to lift me through that hole in the ceiling," said Keith. "Myrtle, if it seems like Lily needs help, you use Psychic, but only if you can do so without wearing yourself out, got it?"

"Got it," nodded Myrtle as Lily focused, preparing to lift her trainer through the hole in the ceiling.

[LucarioArtcunoSuicunLover]

Suicune's Effigy

LASL: The stranger merely chuckles at your odd behaviour. You’ve apologised over and over and can’t seem to keep the rate of conversation steady at all. Chances are, such a grown up gentleman probably thinks you’re stupid, but he’s polite enough not to say so, if that is what he thinks.

“A flute is a smart choice for a Pokemon trainer.” He replies now that he can get a word in edgeways, choosing not to remark on your Spearow’s bad habit in the presence of clouds. “Flutes have powers to lure and heal Pokemon. Music is such an interesting thing. The opening of a corrupted Pokemon’s heart can be done through an ocarina, and there was a story some years ago of Lugia being summoned with one. I’d say a flute or an ocarina could be the best thing you pick up.”

Soon enough, your suspicions are correct. It begins to spit on to rain, but a short distance away, you can hear that it’s heavier where the clouds have already gathered in full force. The fine weather is now grey. “I like the rain, but I don’t really care about storms – thunder and lightning.” He explains, crouching down briefly to pack away his instrument. “But if you want to watch the storm, I know a good view.”

Your question was ignored but an invitation extended. There doesn’t appear to be stranger danger. He doesn’t even seem to have any Pokemon on his person. All these things considered, what do you do?

((Lasl, please post your stats link or stick a signature link in here for now on. I shouldn't have to hunt down your profile.))

El started beaming as the man started talking about the effects flutes could have on pokemon. She'd completely forgotten about that! She forgets a lot of things really but that's neither here nor there. Actually, she was pretty sure she had a white flute lying around somewhere, she could probably teach herself! Later though, no need to embarrass herself around this nice man. Still no name but oh well, such is li- oh goodness he's talking about Lugia.

Being a beast of the sea, El probably knew more legends about the powerful creature than she did of Suicune. They were both pretty cool, but there was just... something about the idea of living on the sea floor that set her heart a flutter. "Oh, yeah, I've heard about that. The bit with Lugia, not the opening of hearts thing." Corrupted pokemon, ugh. She'd heard stories about them once, wound up having nightmares about Sparow falling for weeks. Ever since then she'd been far more diligent with making sure she was nice to the bird, not that she wasn't to begin with. "But that's really cool, all the stuff it can do! I don't know about pokemon, but your music certainly lured me over earlier. Still not sure what an ocarina is though, I guess it's kind of like a flute though?"

Plit. Plit plat. Plit plit plat. The rain came to wash away El's lingering fears. It was an excuse to actually use her Mostly Aesthetic Goggles (tm) too, even if that just made her look even sillier. Even better, whatshisname liked the rain! How often did you find someone who could appreciate it as more than an annoyance? And a good view! Ohh, that sounded so cool! She could watch the lightning flash across the sky, making unimaginably complex shapes and patterns as the wind howled around. Scary, beautiful, if she knew the word she would even call it exhillarating. But she didn't so she did the next best thing; leaping on the man's offer like a certain purrloin out of the bath tub even though said pokemon was really quite smelly and covered in mud.

"Oh, wow, really? That sounds awesome! Where is it, where is it!" Full of vigour, she began hopping around. Her enthusiasm wasn't dimmed in the least when she slipped and landed butt-first in the beginnings of mud. Caught up in the moment, she couldn't help but sit there and laugh for a moment before getting up again, ready to follow as soon as the man set off. Suddenly a question popped into her head, roughly as much rhyme and reason to it as anything else she did (ie; not much). "So, why violin? Not that I have something against it! Just curious, since you seem to know so much about music. Anything in particular that made it stand out to you?

((Ahh, sorry 'bout that! I've gotten into the habit of hiding my sig in shops. I hope I didn't cause too much trouble.))

[Meetan]

The Black Swan

Missingno. Master: The unusual events within the ship are ‘freaking you out’, to be exact, and nobody can really blame you. Those eerie clones are unheard of, and an odd Pokemon is bashing through the ship like a pinball. You’re ready to get out, but Myrtle asserts that you’re both seeing this adventure to the end. When you hear her reason, all doubts are cast aside. This has suddenly become personal.

The stairs don’t look safe, but that’s fine, because you have a plan. In a burst of light, a Venomoth appears, beating her wings quickly to keep aloft. Your Shuppet, whose is showing a rare, genuine smile, thinks she can lift you through the hole alone, but you don’t want to risk her condition. Secretly, she is touched. Perhaps this adventure will bring you both closer together, and that makes everything worthwhile.

Lily, the name of your dual-type, focuses hard on a Psychic attack. Thankfully you’re not a heavy man, as she manages this with relative ease, sending you upwards into the room above. Your teammates follow suit once you announce that you’ve landed safely.

“It’s gone.” You grimace with disappointment, but it can’t have gone far. It’s not a quiet thing, and there’s a lovely hole in the wall across from you to give you a lead.

“This way, Meat Sack.” Myrtle encourages you, wobbling ahead. Lily does not seem happy about her condition either, but you both press on, knowing she will not abandon this quest quietly – if at all.

You’re all careful, knowing that one bad step or landing could send you crashing through the floor of the old vessel, but taking you through to the next room sets you all on edge. Bursting carelessly through a doorway you see that the monster you’re searching for is not a cuboid but a 3D L-shape. It is hovering above the ground, and at least ten feet tall, taking off part of the wall as it tries to get through the space. It’s unlike anything you’ve ever seen – apparently made up of snow out of a TV screen with no signal, random insignias and even pieces of Pokemon. You swear you can see bits of Kangaskhan and Rhydon protruding from its unusual body.

It slowly turns, screeching unpleasantly. It has noticed you. What do you do?

Suicune's Effigy

LASL: You feel so excited by the stranger that you can’t help literally jumping for joy. He gives a husky chuckle at your youthful energy, smiling slightly. The rain has washed away your fears, and you think of the fact that you have a White Flute lying around somewhere that you should certainly learn to play and put to use (when you’re not around the nice man, so as to not embarrass yourself). You’ve learned a few things about Pokemon and can’t help but think that his music lured you over the way a Pokemon might be lured in by the right tune. How fascinating.

“This way, then.” He says in the same deep tone, leading you through the gentle fall of rain. It makes a pleasant sound, the kind you could fall asleep to if you were on comfortable furniture or at least resting beneath shelter. “The reason why the violin stands out to me – it takes a certain talent to play it. Rather like the flute. You have to be precise, or it will sound terrible. But when correct... It’s beautiful. I also prefer something more classical. A lot of trainers like using electric guitars, I’ve noticed. It’s not really for me.”

He soon leads you to the edge of the gardens to the stone walls. Suicune’s Effigy is still in view now, but it’s some way away. As promised, you can both see the storm beginning: grey clouds have thickly gathered over the ocean, and thunder and lightning flashes and crashes over unsettled waves that roughly crash against the coastline below. “An ocarina is a small instrument, which is similar to the flute.” He says firstly, recalling your lack of knowledge on the subject. Then, he moves on.

“The water calms you, but you fear it. You, and your Spearow. Perhaps... We should conquer this fear today.” He suggests, eyes directed out to the spectacle before you. What do you do?

[Missingno. Master]

The Black Swan

Missingno. Master: The unusual events within the ship are ‘freaking you out’, to be exact, and nobody can really blame you. Those eerie clones are unheard of, and an odd Pokemon is bashing through the ship like a pinball. You’re ready to get out, but Myrtle asserts that you’re both seeing this adventure to the end. When you hear her reason, all doubts are cast aside. This has suddenly become personal.

The stairs don’t look safe, but that’s fine, because you have a plan. In a burst of light, a Venomoth appears, beating her wings quickly to keep aloft. Your Shuppet, whose is showing a rare, genuine smile, thinks she can lift you through the hole alone, but you don’t want to risk her condition. Secretly, she is touched. Perhaps this adventure will bring you both closer together, and that makes everything worthwhile.

Lily, the name of your dual-type, focuses hard on a Psychic attack. Thankfully you’re not a heavy man, as she manages this with relative ease, sending you upwards into the room above. Your teammates follow suit once you announce that you’ve landed safely.

“It’s gone.” You grimace with disappointment, but it can’t have gone far. It’s not a quiet thing, and there’s a lovely hole in the wall across from you to give you a lead.

“This way, Meat Sack.” Myrtle encourages you, wobbling ahead. Lily does not seem happy about her condition either, but you both press on, knowing she will not abandon this quest quietly – if at all.

You’re all careful, knowing that one bad step or landing could send you crashing through the floor of the old vessel, but taking you through to the next room sets you all on edge. Bursting carelessly through a doorway you see that the monster you’re searching for is not a cuboid but a 3D L-shape. It is hovering above the ground, and at least ten feet tall, taking off part of the wall as it tries to get through the space. It’s unlike anything you’ve ever seen – apparently made up of snow out of a TV screen with no signal, random insignias and even pieces of Pokemon. You swear you can see bits of Kangaskhan and Rhydon protruding from its unusual body.

It slowly turns, screeching unpleasantly. It has noticed you. What do you do?

Keith wasn't a heavy person, so Lily had no issue lifting him to the above room. "OK, you're good," Keith called once the Venomoth had safely lowered him to the floor. Shortly afterwards, Lily and Myrtle came floating up after him, but Keith had looked all around the room, and his face registered disappointment as he addressed Myrtle. "It's gone," he sighed.

"This way, Meat Sack," Myrtle replied as she wobbled through the air, floating towards a hole in the wall. Lily looked somewhat concerned about Myrtle's condition, but Keith stopped her before she said anything to the Shuppet.

"Leave it, Lily," Keith advised her. "Just trust me on this, OK?"

"Venomoth," nodded Lily as Keith returned her to her Poke Ball.

Keith then carefully proceeded forward, and after carelessly bursting through a doorway, Keith and Myrtle could not believe their eyes at what they saw- a ten-foot-tall being that was distinctly L-shaped, and looked not unlike some sort of monstrous Tetris block.

"Oh. My. Arceus," Keith whispered, eyes wide, with something close to reverence in his voice. "It's a... It's... It's a..."

"It's a Mis-sing-no.," Myrtle finished the sentence, her eyes moistening with tears at the sight of one of what she used to be in life. The Missingno., however, turned to face them, and was screeching unpleasantly. It noticed their presence, and did not seem thrilled about it.

"Missingno.," Keith said in as respectful a tone as he could, "It is truly an honor to meet you. My name is Keith, and I've always had great respect for your kind. This here, this is Myrtle," he added, gesturing to the Shuppet by his side. "When she was alive, she was a Missingno. too. I... I can't help but notice that you don't seem very happy to see us. If I may ask, did we do something to upset you? If so, I assure you it was not intentional."

Myrtle then floated forward slightly, and spoke up. "H-hel-lo," she said. "I... It has been so long since I have last seen a-no-ther Mis-sing-no.... Please trust me when I say that this hu-man speaks the truth. He has noth-ing but the ut-most re-spect for our kind. It is ve-ry nice to meet you."

[LucarioArtcunoSuicunLover]

Suicune's Effigy

LASL: You feel so excited by the stranger that you can’t help literally jumping for joy. He gives a husky chuckle at your youthful energy, smiling slightly. The rain has washed away your fears, and you think of the fact that you have a White Flute lying around somewhere that you should certainly learn to play and put to use (when you’re not around the nice man, so as to not embarrass yourself). You’ve learned a few things about Pokemon and can’t help but think that his music lured you over the way a Pokemon might be lured in by the right tune. How fascinating.

“This way, then.” He says in the same deep tone, leading you through the gentle fall of rain. It makes a pleasant sound, the kind you could fall asleep to if you were on comfortable furniture or at least resting beneath shelter. “The reason why the violin stands out to me – it takes a certain talent to play it. Rather like the flute. You have to be precise, or it will sound terrible. But when correct... It’s beautiful. I also prefer something more classical. A lot of trainers like using electric guitars, I’ve noticed. It’s not really for me.”

He soon leads you to the edge of the gardens to the stone walls. Suicune’s Effigy is still in view now, but it’s some way away. As promised, you can both see the storm beginning: grey clouds have thickly gathered over the ocean, and thunder and lightning flashes and crashes over unsettled waves that roughly crash against the coastline below. “An ocarina is a small instrument, which is similar to the flute.” He says firstly, recalling your lack of knowledge on the subject. Then, he moves on.

“The water calms you, but you fear it. You, and your Spearow. Perhaps... We should conquer this fear today.” He suggests, eyes directed out to the spectacle before you. What do you do?

El listened intently to the man's explanation. Yeah, she could see where he was coming from, there was something magical to mastering something that could go horribly wrong. Not that it helped her hopes for learning how to play a flute, but that's not the point. Also not the point was that she chuckled quite a bit upon picturing someone lugging an electric guitar and an amp along in this rain, but still mildly relevant.

The view of the storm was different to what she was used to, but still great in its own way. The twisted shapes of the clouds, the blinding flashes of lightning, the churning waves, the whistling wind in her ears, all of it! Yeah, she liked this. It was exactly the kind of scene that made her glad to be traveling, glad to be alive. Even if she couldn't enjoy all of it, she could still make the most of what she could, no? Though she did have to wonder what the pokemon in the sea thought of a good storm, probably didn't involve the word 'good' at least.

“The water calms you, but you fear it. You, and your Spearow. Perhaps... We should conquer this fear today.”

El could almost feel her heart plummet through the ground the instant the man said that. It was far from a fully fledged panic attack, she was grateful for that much at least. All right, all right, deep breaths El, deep breaths, she thought to herself. For a good minute at least she stood there, breathing to a beat of four. One two three in, one two three hold, one two three out, one two three hold...

Eventually her hands stopped trembling, she took that as a good sign. Unfortunately she was still facing the ocean, her tenuous grasp on stability threatened by the sight of crashing waves. She quickly turned away to face her mysterious companion, putting on an obviously fake smile. And so she stood there, mouth opening and closing like a gasping fish as she tried to come up with a good enough reason not to accept.

But... she couldn't really, unless he was planning to take her out in the middle of the storm the best she could think of was 'I'll probably wet myself'. Not really much of an excuse after standing around in the rain for a while. In fact, she might have already, it was kind of hard to tell. So there she was, standing in the rain with a complete stranger and she was forced to admit that yes, she wanted to get over her fear. It was holding her back in so many ways, and heck she hadn't had a nightmare in ages now that she thought about it. Yeah! She was ready! But first...

El ducked off to a nearby place that was as sheltered from the wind as she could find, after hurriedly excusing herself first, of course. Once there, she fumbled around for Sparow's pokeball and let the bird out. She was less than pleased to say the least, and immediately began squawking loudly.

"Sparow, Sparow shush!" El began to stroke the bird, speaking in an uneccessary loud whisper. "You'll make the strange man think we're weird...er. Whaddya say to facing our fears?"

If Sparow could speak English, El would have been buffeted with a volley of swear words. In the middle of these swear words would be the phrases 'why are you asking me this now? I don't like the rain! I'm not a Swanna how do you expect me to fly with wet feathers?' Unfortunately for the bird, her excessive hopping, fluttering and squawking was similar enough to her jumping for joy that El took it to be so through the wind and her fogged-up goggles. With a proper smile this time, she scooped up the flailing pokemon and turned back to the man.

Voice trembling at the thought of what she was agreeing to, El said, "We're game, I'm not gonna be a slave to fear. So what's the plan?"

[Meetan]

The Black Swan

Missingno. Master: Lily trusts your judgement despite her worry for her teammate, and you withdraw her from the scene. Aside from overcoming obstacles, this is decidedly an adventure for yourself and Myrtle alone to conquer, so personal is it to the pair of you.

When you carry on through to the next room, the pair of you are so in awe that you can hardly speak. The ‘monstrous Tetris block’ Missingno is hovering before you (which is a good thing, by the way, because if your Pokedex had caught it you would have learned it weighed well over 3000 lbs). You’ve made the assumption that it’s not happy, despite its lack of a real face and the fact that vocal communications for the Pokemon are as scrambled as its body.

You show the being nothing but the utmost respect, and Myrtle is just the same, even daring to float slightly forward, though she can’t bring herself to go any further. Missingno listens as you confess what an honour it is to be in its presence, and how Myrtle hasn’t seen any semblance of her old life for so long. It tilts forward slightly, as if it might be nodding.... And then more clones appear.

This catches you by surprise, for you don’t know what this means. Missingno makes no sound as the room around you begins to flicker, and you hear odd sounds, like an off-key music track playing around you, or the cries of Pokemon and even people that you can’t see. They certainly don’t sound like you, in any case.

“What’s happening?!” You ask, watching as objects shift dangerously around the room. One moves with such speed that it breaks through the wall and out into what should be ocean. However, there is no ocean there – the Black Swan is no longer in its proper place, but surrounded for miles around, by nothing but darkness. Looking back, Missingno. has gone.

What do you do?

Suicune’s Effigy

LASL: At the suggestion made to you, you begin to tremble and your heart feels like it’s plummeting to the ground. You repeat breathing exercises over and over in your mind until you feel much calmer, and even though you’re silent for over a minute, the man simply watches you with eerie calm, awaiting your answer.

His expression only falters when you hurriedly excuse yourself, fumbling for Sparow’s Poke Ball beneath a shelter. The north wind batters you, and the rain has become heavy. Even on a good day, you would misinterpret the poor Pokemon’s conversational signals, and while your partner is anything but game, you return to the adult before he thinks you’re any more peculiar than he already must think you are. Plus, it would be rude to keep him waiting.

“What’s the plan?” You ask, and within seconds, the wind picks up considerably. Sparow caws out with fright, and you panic, holding ever tighter to your friend. The man takes your wrist securely before you go flying over the wall and into the ocean, and then looks out at the storm. It has yet to move any further, but out to sea, you notice a space of water rising upwards as if it’s forming a waterfall. Your mouth forms an ‘o’ of bewilderment as out of the ocean a palace of pure crystal rises, immune to the elements battering it, and sparkling with great beauty. When you can finally tear your gaze away from this amazing sight, you notice the stranger looks different: his eyes are not brown, but glowing a dark crimson, and his hair is not black but a deep blue. It is wavy, like the curves of an aurora. He is holding you too tightly to escape even as you step away, but without even looking back at the distant statue, you know exactly who he resembles.

What do you do?