Fizzytopian Park and Gardens

[Missingno. Master]

Delilah, Sparky, Hebenon, Cyanide, Pomona, Hannah: It was clear that Delilah was unhappy with Cyanide's rudeness. The Chinchou asked Cyanide why she talked the way she did. The Eevee snorted. "I talk to who I please in any way I want," she snapped. "And I don't see how it's any business of yours, either," she added, narrowing her eyes at the Chinchou.

"Excuse me," frowned Hebenon, now looking decidedly pissed. "I would prefer it if you did not talk to Delilah like that."

"Oh, yeah?" sneered the Eevee, bringing herself face to face with Hebenon. "And at what point did I ever imply that I gave a Raticate's *** what you would prefer, hmm? And what you gonna do, anyway? You gonna attack me, a poor, defenseless level 2 Eevee?"

Hebenon was seething. Cyanide's rudeness, especially towards Delilah, was unforgivable as far as he was concerned. And yet, if he was to attack the Eevee, he would look like the bad guy, given how much more powerful than Cyanide he was. Fortunately, he was spared from having to do anything once Cyanide and Pomona took Sparky in the direction of his trainer. Once they were alone, Hebenon turned to Delilah. "I am so sorry, Delilah," sighed Hebenon. "I had no idea she'd be that rude." Then, he smiled again as Hannah showed up. He introduced the two, and Delilah seemed so much more pleased to meet the young Qwilfish.

Hannah looked very pleased to see that Delilah was so nice. "Um, Delilah," she asked, "um... Could I... could I get a hug?" she asked hopefully.

Icarus, Amelia, Hedwig, Hauser: The baby Taillow protested, still under the impression that the Aerodactyl was the Skarmory she was mistaking it for. Then came Icarus, and while he was clearly intimidated by the powerful Crobat's presence, he bravely threatened her should she harm Mia. Hedwig merely rolled her eyes. "Relax," she stated. "If I meant her any harm, you would know it all too well by now. My intent was to stop her from getting close to that large and very hungry-looking Aerodactyl," she said, pointing at aforementioned prehistoric Pokemon with one of her wings. "She seemed to mistake him for you." Hedwig paused, looking at the Skarmory and the Taillow. "So I'm guessing you're Mia and you're Icarus," she said, addressing the Taillow and the Skarmory respectively. "Name's Hedwig. Oh, and Icarus, I'd think twice about throwing threats my way, OK? I'd really rather not fight you, not when you're at such a disadvantage. Even if we were evenly matched in level... watch this," she said as she turned to face a pair of large rocks. She unleashed a sizzling Thunder attack at one of the rocks, reducing it to a heap of charred, smoking gravel within seconds. Then she faced the remaining rock, and all four of her wings were suddenly ablaze. She then dove down at the rock, little more than a large fiery X, and rammed the rock hard, her Crossfire blasting the rock to pieces. She flew back up to Icarus and Amelia, and continued speaking as though nothing had happened. "So yeah, I'd prefer it if you just accepted that I mean you no harm, OK?"

[Dark Searchman]

Delilah, Hebenon, Hannah: Cyanide was even more disrespectful towards Hebenon, but fortunately she left before Hebenon decided to take action. Meanwhile, Hannah wanted a hug from Delilah, but she wasn't sure how to approach it. "Um, I'm not sure I should do that," she said with uncertainty. "I've been able to kiss Hebenon on the lips and avoid the spikes, but I don't think I would be able to hug your kind, unfortunately..."

Amelia, Icarus, Hedwig, Hauser: After seeing such a display of strength from the Crobat (which surprisingly didn't seem to attract the huge Aerodactyl), Icarus wasn't about to argue with Hedwig. "Ehehe, n-not a problem," trilled Icarus nervously. "I just want to make sure Mia's all right, you know? She's really young, and- MIA! COME BACK HERE!" he suddenly said in a hushed tone. "Hm? If this isn't Icawus then who is it?" the curious little Taillow said as she dared to fly closer to the dinosaur. Icarus's silver body was starting to rust from all the sweating he was doing at that moment. "Didn't you hear her!? That's an Aerodactyl, something that will eat you in one bite if it notices you!!"

"But wut if he's nice? Wike you?"

"I don't want to find out, personally! Now get back here! Before he knows you're there!" whispered Icarus, starting to sweat bullets. Against a Crobat that could fry her opponent to a crisp with a Thunder, Icarus was pretty brave, but he knew for certain there was nothing he would be able to do to stop a powerful Aerodactyl from snacking on Mia. He turned to Hedwig for help; if she could use such powerful attacks, maybe she could do something to get Mia out of harm's way.

[Missingno. Master]

Hannah, Hebenon, Delilah: Hannah looked a little downcast as Delilah expressed her uncertainty over whether or not she should hug the young Qwilfish. "Oh, but... it's not that hard to avoid the spikes," Hannah said quietly. "Keith and Pomona hug me all the time."

"It's true," Hebenon added. "I mean, the spikes are pretty sharp, but there's not many, and they're spread out pretty wide. And Keith holds us in his arms all the time. He has to be careful, but it's possible."

"And I don't have Poison Point, either," Hannah added. "So even if you did somehow hit one of my spikes, it wouldn't hurt really badly. Please?" she asked Delilah.

Hedwig, Icarus, Amelia, Hauser: Hedwig was downright alarmed as Amelia flew off towards the Aerodactyl anyway. Icarus's frantic whispers were doing nothing to stop her, so he turned to Hedwig for help. Swiftly and silently, Hedwig flew over until she was in front of the Taillow, and gently guided her back over to Icarus, gently pushing her with one of her wings while flapping the other three. She was perfectly silent throughout this whole thing, so the Aerodactyl wouldn't have heard a thing.

"You should listen to him," Hedwig whispered to Amelia. "It's true you don't know whether he's nice or not. And there are some things you take that sort of chance with. But a hungry Aerodactyl is not one of them."

[Balmund]

His temper reaching a boiling point from the sheer indignation, Spinel strikes back with stinging remarks of his own, only infuriating the Totodile in return, though Vega remained dreadfully silent, and Nars and Fa ... well, they tended to be unfazed y words most of the time.

With Kara's help, Kuranes found freedom in no time, and promptly bolted out in a swift escape without as much as a single word, trampling over plates in the process, and just as the little fox Pokémon left, so would everyone else. Spinel, who had had enough lecturing for day, threateningly remarks that if they were all going to make him out a villain, then a villain he would be; vanishing then into nothingness as he made his retreat. His other comment on team-members not being kin also rubbed (most) of the group the wrong way, though it wasn't a line they hadn't heard before, from a certain teammate of their own, no less!

Confused by K's sudden escape, Fa doesn't think it twice before following behind the shiny fox Pokémon, right before Vega rallies the rest of the group the make their leave. Bedivere jovially begs them to stay, hoping they could all have a meal together.

"You are a gentleman, sir, but you'll understand if we say we've lost our appetite for now." Kara speaks for the group.

"I'm still hungry though. Wouldn't mind staying for food and booze ..." Narsil chimes in, before being physically scolded again and comically dragged away by the much smaller Totodile.

Several (dozens) of feet away, Kuranes had suddenly stopped as a pair of friendly faces emerged from the ground. Both Nincada and Litwick seemed extremely happy to see him well, the former having an ominous premonition detailing a horrendous death befalling her friend. Kuranes doesn't go into details about it, but lets it be known that Spinel isn't a particularly nice Pokémon to hang around with. Sakura then recognizes the the group of Pokémon leaving the picnic, save for a new face in the form of a Totodile, and wonders nervously if this might mean Orchrist too was nearby? Gwyn, on the other hand, doesn't hesitate the least to approach the group.

As Vega slithered his way back to the edge of the lake, Nagini takes the moment to finally greet and introduce herself, just as Gwyn floated over to them. Vega's response was far from direct as his gaze turned to the newcomer instead. "Men and Pokémon alike find interesting ways of crossing each other's paths. Sometimes, it's purely intentional, and at other's, purely incidental, but I've always believed we encounter those who we are meant to meet. It is nice to meet you too." He answered back, though his own greeting could've been taken to either one of them.

Meanwhile, Fa had separated form the group and had rushed in to Sakura's and Kuranes' location. At first she seemed thoroughly concerned, though she then tilts her head before her face fills with joy as she recognizes Sakura, even though back then they hardly managed to interact with each other due to the latter's absolute fear of snakes, even petite and cute ones like Fa. Nonetheless, the Dunsparce was still filled with glee upon encountering a familiar face. "Ah! Sakura! You friends with grey-foxy-kun? Ah! Yes, um... are you all right, Mr. K?"

[ApertureScience]

Myrtle, Neville, Spirit
“So, now what? We know how we feel, but where’s the next step?” Neville questioned, unsure of what to do now that the Crobat had had departed. “I suppose it’s entirely your choice. I haven’t been around for some time, so maybe there’s something you have grown fond of while I was away.”

James, Maxwell, Euen, Vincent, Jojo, Chiaka, Matthew, Geodude, Alexander
James nodded at how well his team had co-operated. The team of eight had set up quite a little picnic on the base of the hill, all over shadowed by a large oak tree, whose leaves were just starting to appear after the cold days of winter. All but one of the group was now eating on the small set up of food, with a tiny green bird up within the branches of the tree, watching down on the others.

“C’mon Alexander. No need to be afraid.” James called up to the Natu, whose calculating eyes quickly switched over to him and shook his entire body. James crapped a walnut from a small bag, and threw it up to the psychic bird. He hopped over, grabbed onto the walnut with his talons, and glided over to the nearest branch. However, with no legs to support him, the walnut spun him over and Alexander fell into James’ lap, dazed. James’ hand stroked the little bird’s feathers, watching over his pokémon to make sure the mischievous little animals didn’t run away.

[Missingno. Master]

Myrtle, Neville, Spirit: Neville asked that now that they both knew how they felt, what the next step would be. He left the choice up to Myrtle. "Hmm," Myrtle said. "May-be we could go and get some-thing to eat for now?" she suggested. "My trai-ner was stu-pid e-nough to leave the pic-nic lunch he packed where his blas-ted Bas-cu-lin could get at it... did your trai-ner bring food?" she asked. "I will ad-mit," she added, "I am not that sure my-self what we ought to do... I have just a-bout no ex-pe-ri-ence in this a-re-a... E-ven in life, it was near-ly im-pos-si-ble to make a friend, let a-lone be in a re-la-tion-ship," she sighed, vividly remembering how much hatred she was met with wherever she would swim to in the sea of Kanto, back when she was alive, when she was a Missingno. Then, she looked at Neville, and smiled again. "I sup-pose we shall learn to-ge-ther, right?" she said.

[Marion Ette]

Nagini, Vega, Fa, Narsil, Kara, Bedivere, Spinel, Kuranes, Sakura/Sumika, Gwyn: Fa follows Kuranes in his mad dash away from the picnic, confused at first by the shiny Eevee's sudden stop; soon, the confusion gives way to delight as Fa recognizes a former teammate, though they shared trainers only briefly. Sakura's once-paralyzing fear of all snakes and snakelike beings did not help to socialize the two much, either, as even though Fa was an innocent and adorable little creature, she still fell under the wide umbrella of "snakelike". Fortunately, Sakura seems far less intimidated by Fa this time around, and actually manages to offer a claw to shake in greeting.

Hello, Fa! Uh... What's a kun? Sakura tilts her head, apparently confused by Japanese honorifics. The grey fox is one of my newest teammates, named Kuranes. We call him K, though. Fa asks Kuranes if he's all right, and Kuranes flicks his tail energetically, grinning widely.

Doing great! No worries, Kuranes puts on an overly enthusiastic show of health, but Sakura looks less then convinced. She turns to Fa with a confused expression.

Is there any reason he wouldn't be okay? Sakura rubs her claws together with concern, before her eyes roll back in her head. Her voice drops a few octaves and takes on an ominous tint as a darker self seems to take over; I sense that there is something you are hiding from me. Out with it, the both of you! Sakura suddenly shakes her head violently, regaining her former demeanor. Eh, sorry... Sumika's been on edge lately for some reason.

As Gwyn boldly approaches the larger group of Pokemon with Sakura cautiously trailing behind, Nagini recognizes her former ophidiophobic friend from the Bar, and calls over to her. Sakura waves with a claw to the Arbok, looking rather cheerful. Hi, Nagini! It's nice to see you, too! What have you been up to? Sakura's eyes shift back and forth nervously for a moment. You haven't seen that awful Orchrist around... Have you?

While Sakura addresses Nagini, Vega makes an interesting philosophical comment which seems, at least partially, to be directed at Gwyn... Though perhaps there was someone else he was addressing, as well. The Litwick bows respectfully to Vega, before casting a shadow on the ground with his ominous light... Kuranes' silhouette appears before quickly disappearing again, followed by the shadow images of a Nincada and Litwick looking around and wandering as if searching for something. Eventually, they stop in front of the shadowy representations of Vega and his team, and Kuranes' shadow comes forth from the crowd, as the Litwick and Nincada show exaggerated movements in line with joy and excitement. The Litwick then melds the shadows together to form the silhouette of a Misdreavus, which transforms into a question mark.

Meanwhile, Bedivere grabs a trampled casserole dish and begins serving himself from the ruined dish, spooning a hefty serving on his plate. "No matter, I suppose... I do not want you all going hungry, but if you would prefer to go, I will not stand in your way, ohohohoho~!" Bedivere waves at Kuranes and company, urging them to come join the picnic. "Hello there, good ladies and gentlemen! I do apologize if I upset you earlier, Sir Kuranes, but I baked a cake just for you~" Bedivere lifts a small, yet elegantly decorated blue cake, with white icing intricately spelling out the name "Kuranes" in a gorgeous script. Kuranes' eyes bulge at the sight of the sweet cake, and he licks his lips.

How could I stay mad at you when there's cake? Kuranes chuckles before making his way back to the picnic blanket, where the gnawed, frayed ropes still lay ominously. Sakura follows Kuranes closely, shooting Bedivere a suspicious look.


Marion, Coselle: Meanwhile, in another part of the Fizzytopian Park and Gardens, a pair of young ladies admire the verdant scenery around them, though the pace at which they walk suggests that their intention is not sightseeing alone. Though the two ladies share hauntingly similar facial structures and body types, there are clear distinctions between them; the darker-haired of the two, whose long, straight hair cascades past her shoulders, adjusts her clothes as she walks, having chosen a belted miniskirt so short that it threatens to expose her with every step. The lavender-haired woman giggles a bit at her black-haired sibling's awkward attempts at walking as she fixes her skirt.

"Cosie, how are you going to sit in that thing? Hell, how are you going to do anything in it?"

"My dearest Mary..." The dark-haired sister grins almost inhumanly wide. "There are plenty of functions for which a skirt like this is appropriate, and I do intend to play to its strengths when the opportunity arises."

Marion shakes her head in response, chuckling a bit as she adjusts the lacy, pale pink shoulder straps of her own, slightly more modest dress. "Honestly, what is the thrill in that?" She smirks a bit. "Aren't you gonna make him work for that much leg?"

"You make your man work all you like," Coselle cackles. "What is the saying, now? All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, is that not so?"

"Well, then Keith must be the very embodiment of excitement, mustn't he?" The light-haired sibling smirks mischievously as her sister playfully swats at her in mock-admonishment.

"You hold your tongue, silly girl. I saw the way you rushed upstairs last night... like a little Lopunny." Coselle holds her hands in front of her like paws and hops once as if to illustrate her point. "I swear, it was as if someone was dangling a carrot in front of you-"

"Excuse me, but you were not supposed to be at the Nightclub to begin with, Co-selle." Marion crosses her arms and narrows her eyes a bit. "Why would you-"

"Oh, Mary, dear, you of all people should know how difficult it is to be away from the one you love..." Coselle pouts. "Besides, I would have simply kicked myself if I had missed that doe-eyed expression of yours." She clasps her hands together and bats her eyes overdramatically, looking like a lovestruck teenager. "Oh, Balmund, tell me more about those big, strong dragons you have mastery over-"

Marion rolls her eyes. "C'mon, Cos, I was NOT acting like that... was I?"

Coselle merely laughs in response, as Marion begins to recap the night before in her mind with some slight measure of worry.

[Dark Searchman]

Delilah, Hannah, Hebenon: Hannah assured Delilah that the spikes on her body wouldn't hurt too much if she hugged her, especially since there's no poison to worry about. "Um... okay, I'll try," she finally said before tentatively swimming over to the younger Qwilfish, maneuvering her sensitive antennae so at least they wouldn't get punctured, then gently reaching her fins out to hug Hannah. Well, looks like she avoided the spikes, though she was still unsure about doing this.

Amelia, Icarus, Hauser, Hedwig: As Hedwig gently brought Mia back to where Icarus was, her stare--cold, yet somewhat soft--helped the little Taillow to realize that maybe the big Pokemon wasn't such a good creature to approach. Icarus could finally relax as the baby was further away from the Aerodactyl. He had taken it upon himself to protect the little bird, and he wouldn't forgive himself if something happened to her. "Thanks, Hedwig," he trilled softly. "And I'm sorry I threatened you the way I did. It's just ... Mia means a lot to me," he said with a smile. "I'm sowwy too," Mia chirped sadly. "I just wanned to be fweinds with him."

"You've got friends, Mia!" cawed Icarus. "Brittany, Vi, Zyra, Conis, and now Hedwig! ... And me." With those words, he flew up close and nuzzled her with his beak. "Come on, let's get out of here. If we're lucky the big guy will still be doing ... whatever it was he was doing."

Shisato, Seshiro, Nagini, Narsil, Kara, Vega, Fa, Kuranes, Bedivere, Sakura/Sumika, Gwyn: Two young Ekans had slithered away from their trainer in search of where the familiar scents might be. It wasn't long before they happened to see two Arbok, along with many other Pokemon, near the edge of the lake. "Look Shisato, it's Nagini and Vega! They've met already!" Seshiro hissed happily. "Yes, I can see! Let's go!" Before long, they catch up and approach the group. "Hey, Vega, Nagini, nice to see you again!" Seshiro called out to the older snakes. "Looks like you two have already met!" said Shisato. "Oh, I don't think you've met Vega yet. Vega, this is Shisato, my closest teammate! Shisato, this is Vega, the Arbok I was telling you about!" "Nice to meet you, sir," she said as she bowed her head. "Oh, Seshiro, I don't think we've met anyone else here..." Shisato points out. "Actually, we met Sakura, remember? Back at the bar?" "Oh yes, we did! Hello, Sakura!" she calls out to the Nincada. "I don't think we've met anyone else, though, so let's introduce ourselves! I'm Seshiro, and this is Shisato." the male Ekans says, pointing his rattle to the female when introducing her. "Nice to meet you all!" they both say at the same time, then blush when they realize they did so.

[Missingno. Master]

Nagini, Vega, Fa, Narsil, Kara, Bedivere, Spinel, Kuranes, Sakura/Sumika, Gwyn, Seshiro, Shisato: Nagini smiled as Sakura cheerfully greeted her, then nervously asked if she had seen Orchrist anywhere. "I have not," Nagini assured her. It was then that Vega responded, though the way he was speaking, he could have been addressing either Nagini or Gwyn. Maybe both of them. Nagini couldn't tell. The female Arbok glanced at the spot where Kuranes had been tied up, then looked back at Vega. "I have met Bedivere before," she said to him. "I know what he is like. I won't deny that his methods were questionable, to say the least, but I have no doubt his intentions were good."

Then, Seshiro and Shisato came over. "Hello, Seshiro, Shisato," Nagini greeted them both. "Nice to see you both again." She couldn't help but grin as the two Ekans ended up saying the same thing simultaneously, and then blushing after realizing this, on top of that.

Hannah, Hebenon, Delilah: Hannah smiled happily as Delilah carefully hugged her. Hebenon was quite right about the spikes being easy to avoid, and Delilah avoided any kind of injury all too easily. Moreover, once the hug was over, Hannah looked really happy. "Thanks so much, Delilah!" the female Qwilfish said happily. "My big brother was right when he told me how nice you are!"

Hedwig, Icarus, Amelia, Hauser: "It's not a problem," Hedwig replied as Icarus thanked her for returning the Taillow to safety and apologized for threatening her. "I would have reacted similarly if my trainer was in danger."

Luna, Keith, Coselle, Marion: Elsewhere in the park, Marion and Coselle have arrived, both of them clearly with some sort of purpose in mind. And if their conversation thus far was any indicator, each of them was waiting for someone. And the someone Coselle was undoubtedly there to meet was coming right now.

Though nobody could be seen approaching them on the path, the sound of wings flapping would undoubtedly have met their ears. Then, slowly Flying towards the ground was a Swoobat, and her feet were clutching the shoulders of her trainer- Keith. He was in his usual attire- black shirt and blue jeans, though this time he lacked his red and white sleeveless jacket, as well as his trademark cowboy hat. His dark brown hair was neatly slicked back, now that it was clearly visible, without the usual headgear to obscure one's view of it, his pants appeared to be a brand new pair, and his shirt, upon closer inspection, had a visible collar,and two or three buttons in the front, a change from his usual t-shirt. It was obvious he had gone to great lengths to prepare for this. Luna gently set Keith down on the path before the two ladies, where he stood, smiling at Coselle as he returned his Swoobat to her Poke Ball. Once Luna had been withdrawn, he walked up to Coselle, smiling the whole time. "Hello, Coselle," Keith greeted her, his eyes taking in her appearance (they paused as their gaze met Coselle's noticeably short skirt, though only for a second) before looking into her own eyes.

[Balmund]

Looking far less intimidated this time around, Sakura manages to return the greeting to Fa, though looking rather lost at Fa's use of the Japanese honorific. As she was called on it, Fa too seems actually thoughtful, as she had no idea what it meant herself, having used it only because she found it cute in a random, Monday afternoon anime show on tv. Sakura then proceeds to properly introduce her friend, and while Fa had overheard the Eevee being called K already, she still nods energetically in response.

As Fa then asked about K's wellbeing, he responds with an overly enthusiastic show of heath in response, the the Nincada didn't seem to be buying it, narrowing her eye sin suspicion. Why wouldn't he be alright in the first place? Darker and darker thoughts now clouding her mind, Sakura's head shakes violently before her other self demands them to explain themselves proper. Before they could however, she reverts back to normal, excusing herself for Sumika's behavior. Puzzled, Fa only tilts her head in response, before they're all called out by Nagini.

Just at the group gathered, two new faces joined in, this time in the form of a pair of Ekans. Seshiro, Vega had already met, and Narsil and Fa had only seen for a moment back at the base. Shisato however was definitely a completely new face for all, and for Kara, all other faces were very much new to her. "My goodness, this is quite the gathering, ain't it?" She muttered to herself.

Greetings exchanged, Sakura asks wether Chris is still around, whereas Gwyn on the other hand wondered, in his own way, about Spinel. "Sis? Ah, she is very close! Wanna go meet her? I bet we could play games!" Fa answered Sakura's question, though clearly missing the Nincada's intention with it, and in turn, suggestion the impossible in her innocence. Nars couldn't help cackling at the mental image however.

"I'm afraid your friend has gone off on his own." Vega in turn responded to the Ghost-type before turning to the rest of the group. Bedivere had started picking up the mess Kuranes left behind, and incited them to come back in with the promise of delicious cake, a mostly fail-proof tactic. Fa definitely intended to stay around, both out of desire to better meet her two new friends, and of course out of need for suger in her bloodstream, and where she went, Narsil would follow, though Kara seemed a bit at a crossroads herself. She still didn't feel like eating, and returning after she so decisively insisted on leaving would be considered awkward at best. But perhaps she had let things get the better of her in the heat of the moment. "You should stay and keep watch, Kara." Vega encouraged her. "Sometimes it's best to ease down on your stubbornness and let go of your pride. I'm still heading back. Solaire has been left alone for far too long now. The rest of you are more than welcome to follow. It must be a good thing for all of you to have shown up. A gathering of snakes and wisps just in time for my daily prayer! The Wyrm will be pleased."

*****

At another part of the park, nearby where a certain pair of young sisters walked around while admiring their verdant surroundings, Duke found himself sitting on bench while reading a thrilling novel of mermaids and sailors, a topic which had recently interested him a lot. By his side, a giant Seviper laid coiled and calm (for now); her thoughts filling her mind with naughty pranks and suggestion, ready to be inflicted on some unsuspecting park-goers for her own amusement, though the warmth of the sun's rays filled her with laziness.

Both Duke and Chris raise their gaze simultaneously as some figures suddenly approached them, their faces showing clear surprise, though Duke's then lights with a smile. Before him stood a lady with a bit of a thuggish look, and by her side stood yet another Seviper of her own. She seemed to be wear a mix of biker boots and sleeveless jacket; along with a short, square-patterned, red, miniskirt; thigh-high black socks; and a white shirt with a design of a rocket blasting off into the stars. A fingerless glove covered her left hand while her right remained naked. Long, wavy, brown hair fell until just a ways under the base of her neck, and while her facial features seemed painfully average, her hazel eyes could be considered as definitely captivating. She only smirks smugly in greeting, and Duke could help chuckling in return, before getting back up to his feet and warmly embracing her.

[Marion Ette]

Nagini, Vega, Fa, Narsil, Kara, Bedivere, Spinel, Kuranes, Sakura/Sumika, Gwyn, Seshiro, Shisato: Rather than receive an answer about Fa's use of the honorific, Sakura only receives a look of mild confusion. The young Nincada decides not to question it further, instead introducing the Eevee to the enthusiastic Dunsparce; even though Fa already knew K's nickname, she still nodded along happily as if it were new information. She does, however, question why Fa would ask if K is all right, Sumika interjecting with grave suspicion that something was being hidden from her. As Sakura shakes off her darker personality, she nonetheless gauges Fa's reaction, which is thick with adorable confusion. Given her lack of understanding, Sakura guesses that, indeed, her other personality was reading way too far into things. "Don't worry about it," she adds, trying to reassure her former teammate.

As the group makes its way over to Nagini and company, Sakura asks nervously about whether or not Orchrist has been seen anywhere. Nagini's response that she hadn't seen the Seviper anywhere causes Sakura to breath a sigh of relief... only to have her body tense up with fear and anxiety as Fa cheerfully chimes in that Chris was actually nearby. Sakura turns toward Fa, her eyes wide with panic. The Nincada, who had not interacted with Fa much before she was traded, was quickly beginning to realize that the Dunsparce was quite possibly a bit of an ingenue (okay, maybe more than a bit). Given her incredible naivete, Sakura quickly tries to think of a way to explain the situation to her in terms she would understand. Er... no, no, I've already met your sister... We, uh, well, let me put it this way: we don't like the same games, she and I. It's not a good idea for us to play together.

It is around this time that Seshiro and Shisato slither over with friendly smiles and greetings for those gathered; Sakura muses for a moment at the fact that, mere months ago, this rather enjoyable day at the park (save for the ever-present threat of Orchrist) would have been a complete and utter nightmare convention. Recognizing the two snakes from the Bar, Sakura waves back with a claw, grinning at the pair. How adorable they were, speaking in sync like that! Seshiro! Shisato! How are you both doing?

In response to Gwyn's question, Vega calmly lets the Litwick know that his friend had already left. Gwyn makes a bit of a face, as if the word "friend" did not sit right with him; the shadow of the Misdreavus takes on an unnaturally creepy grin, as if Gwyn was trying to communicate to Vega his unease about his teammate.

As Vega stands up for Bedivere's intentions despite his occasionally questionable behavior, Bedivere chuckles with delight. "Oh, Lady Vega, you are too kind, indeed. I do hope you have room in your stomach for some delightful baked goods, ohohohoho~! You simply must have something to eat. Oh, is Lord Narsil joining the banquet, too? I wonder if he would enjoy some of the 2007 Nosotros I brought along for our little get-together, ohohohoho~" Bedivere pours a glass of the Argentinian red wine for himself, taking a gentlemanly sip.

Fa, much like Kuranes, is easily placated with sweets, and Kuranes even wordlessly offers some of his cake to the little Dunsparce as a show of gratitude. By the way, Fa, he comments softly, Thank you for saving me back there. Kuranes grins widely. I am incredibly grateful.

As the jolly Gabite approaches to enjoy the banquet, Kuranes gives him a bit of a nervous smile; though he did seem interested in eating him moments before, he also somehow seemed like a nice enough Pokemon despite the razor sharp teeth. Perhaps he would be reasoned with. Hey... Kuranes starts, Are you shiny like I am? Never seen a Gabite your color before! Everyone tells me that being shiny doesn't make a Pokemon any different, other than the color, but I wonder sometimes... Kuranes attempts his best, cordial smile. What is your name?

As Bedivere sips his wine, he notes Vega's mention of the Wyrm with an odd glint in his eye. Having overheard Vega's discussion with Seshiro, Bedivere was certainly intrigued by the one that the Arbok worshiped... However, something across the lake seems to be distracting the Jellyfish Pokemon, who sets down his wine and begins swimming at lightning speed across the lake towards whatever he has his eye on, leaving the picnic to be enjoyed by those who have gathered.


Luna, Keith, Coselle, Marion - Meanwhile, in another part of the Park, the banter between the two women is interrupted by the sound of flapping wings. Drawn to the sound, the pair look up, to be greeted by the sight of a Swoobat flying her trainer towards them. Marion waves to Keith in greeting, though the look of warm friendliness she gives him is nothing compared to the glitter in her sister's eyes. It was clear to her that Keith had taken great pains in getting ready for their date, and the amount of effort above and beyond the norm was certainly flattering. As he gently lands before the two sisters, his gaze is immediately drawn to Coselle, and she smirks a bit as his sight lingers for a moment at her skirt before meeting her gaze. The dark-haired woman holds out a gloved hand in response to Keith's greeting, inviting him to take it. Marion, who stands back a bit, cannot help but feel a little invisible as Keith's attention is completely absorbed by her sister, though understandably so; sensing that she was very quickly becoming a third wheel already, she waves to the couple before wandering off on her own. "You two have fun," she comments lightly before going off in search of her own date.

Wandering through the park alone, Marion lets her thoughts wander idly; her mind fills with thoughts of the night before, and her skin tingles with the freshness of the memory of his touch. Much as she denied Coselle's depreciating imitation of her eagerness, she had to admit that she felt drawn to see Duke again, particularly after their admissions to one another... The thought that his feelings for her were in perfect harmony with her own feelings overwhelmed her with a lightheaded ecstasy, threatening to steal her breath every time she thought of it. As she catches sight of the bench where her beloved is sitting, her heart races in her chest; trying her best to keep composure, she makes her way towards Duke and his sleeping Seviper... only to find that he is not alone. A woman that Marion was unable to recognize approaches Duke, and she can clearly see his smirk as he stands up to embrace her. Embrace her? Who... who was this girl?

Marion did not want to jump to conclusions about Duke and this mysterious woman, but already she felt sick to her stomach. Wasn't he here to meet her? Why would this other woman be here? Had he... had he really just played her for a fool? If he loved another woman, he should have told her! He should have been honest! She would have rather stayed friends if this was how he felt... She would have rather he never even approached her if he was going to treat her like-

Taking a deep breath, Marion gathers her thoughts, maintaining that no matter what the truth was, she would retain her dignity in all of this. Making no effort to stop her approach, she waves at Balmund, though the eagerness that once filled her heart seems to die with each passing step, replaced with a dull, murky sense of dread. Even her normally mischievous smile seems less bright and lively than before.

"Who's your friend," she asks, as cheerfully as she can muster, before even saying Hello. After all, his little friend didn't exactly say hello herself...

[Missingno. Master]

Nagini, Vega, Fa, Narsil, Kara, Bedivere, Spinel, Kuranes, Sakura/Sumika, Gwyn, Seshiro, Shisato: Nagini was surprised as Fa reported that Orchrist was indeed at the park. She flicked her tongue out, but still did not catch a whiff of the Seviper. Nevertheless, this still reassured her, for Orchrist must have been at a considerable distance if she couldn't be smelled by Nagini.

Vega then invited everyone present (except Kara) to join him in his daily prayer. "I will go," Nagini replied, though she looked faintly puzzled. "But... who is this Wyrm?"

Keith, Coselle, Meowth, Hermione: Coselle held out her hand, and Keith took it. As Marion walked off, Keith spoke up again. "You look beautiful," he said to Coselle. "You always do, of course, but still." Still holding Coselle's hand, Keith led the way down a path. The path quickly turned to one which was winding and twisting in seemingly every direction. A path that was familiar to Keith, as he had previously walked down it on a day he would never forget. Sure enough, they arrived at the Rose Garden, where Keith had first realized just how he felt about Coselle, and where he realized how she felt about him. This time, a large red and black checkered blanket was spread out in the middle of the garden, and the makings of a picnic were already set up. Numerous food items, a variety so wide it would be a waste of time to list them all, were set up in the middle of the blanket. One would have thought Keith had gotten Bedivere to cater this picnic, but already present nearby were two Pokemon, working at a grill which had been set up.

Hermione, Keith's female Weedle, was carefully examining a juicy Miltank steak, occasionally utilizing Firestream to sent molten bubbles of pure heat flying past it at just the right angle and position, to ensure that it was being cooked properly. Finally, she nodded, satisfied with her handiwork, and Meowth, clad in a chef's hat and apron, used a pair of tongs to move the steak from the grill to a plate already piled with several other Miltank steaks. "And dat should do it," Meowth stated, looking at Hermione. "Glad we was able ta get one steak done witout Keith constantly checkin' on us, tryin' ta make sure we was doin' it right. I mean, I get dat he wants dis ta be perfect fer Coselle, but still, does he gotta be such an uptight..." Meowth trailed off at the look the Weedle was giving him. "Hermione?" asked Meowth.

"Weedle?" replied the Weedle.

"Dey're right behind me, ain't dey?"

Hermione nodded.

"Don't worry about it, Meowth," Keith said. "You and Hermione did a great job helping with this. Thanks. Now... Any chance Coselle and I could get some privacy?" he asked with a slight grin.

Hermione nodded, but Meowth did not. "I was kinda hopin' ta get in on some o' dis chow here," he muttered.

"I'm sure there'll be some leftovers," Keith assured him. "I'll make sure to save you a steak, all right?"

Meowth nodded and went off with Hermione in order to allow the two to enjoy their picnic by themselves.

"I notice you neglected to mention that you've already eaten three of those steaks today," Hermione observed.

"Eh, shut up," muttered Meowth.

[Balmund]

Everyone turns their gazes as Marion suddenly asks Duke about his new friend. Talk about coincidences. He had indeed been waiting all morning for Marion, but then also came in a surprise visit which he had not seen in a long time, and they all just had to find each other at such timing. Though Marion's tone was still cheerful, Duke was very sensitive about body language, and he could feel a certain tension in the air, the likes when you get when knots start forming in your stomach. Nonetheless he remains calm and smiling. Why wouldn't he? It's not like there was anything to hide. On the contrary, this new friend was one he was hoping Marion would meet soon ... as well as the rest of his family. Fate had it that it would be sooner than later.

"Marion," He begins, "this is Theresa, my sister, and her Seviper friend would be Balrog, Chris's own brother. Reese, this is Marion, my girlfriend." He identified both as straightforwardly as possible, by name, and by status, making it very clear how each related to him. He wasn't afraid to openly refer as Marion by that term, after all, wasn't it just last night that they had poured their feelings to each other; that they had connected in soul and body? The feelings were still very much there, burning intensely. He would've already rushed to hold her tight if it wasn't for a certain voice in the corner of his mind that advised him to patiently wait it out until the time was right. Chris in the other hand seemed to be growing an ever more intense glare by the second as her gaze stuck onto the lavender-haired woman like darts to a board. One could almost swear Carmina Burana to be playing full volume within her head right now, though she just remained eerily quiet and still for the time being. Her brother in contrast held no such animosity, in turn only flicking his tongue as he registered the new scent for posterity.

"Your girl?" Reese tilted her head curiously as she carefully studied Marion from top to bottom. "You know ... Mom always thought you would hook up with someone from the clan." Her words packed a bit of a bite.

"And Dad always thought you would grow into a brilliant lawyer before you turned into a hopeless hoodlum. I guess we just aren't meant to meet anyone's expectations, are we?" Duke answered back with his own form of passive-aggressiveness, to which his sister only laughs in response.

"True! Well, that's that. It's nice to meet you, Marion!" She extends her hand towards hers. "Say, are you any good a Trainer? We should battle!" The invitation came in all of a sudden. Perhaps a hardly appropriate thing for Valentine's, but to Reese, it was the absolute best way to meet someone. Just like in a dance floor, it was all about displaying emotions and thought processes. And really, what kind of Trainer refuses a challenge?

(Will reply to other storylines after GS's post)

[Marion Ette]

Nagini, Vega, Fa, Narsil, Kara, Bedivere, Spinel, Kuranes, Sakura/Sumika, Gwyn, Seshiro, Shisato: ((Waiting on Balmund/GS))

Keith, Coselle, Meowth, Hermione: Keith compliments his date on her beautiful appearance while beginning to lead her down a path that was intimately familiar to the poison-type trainer; Coselle laughs a bit in response, and though she reacts coolly to Keith's admiration, her cheeks still gain a bit of color. "You are too kind, love. And as for you..." Coselle smirks, her voice dropping seductively; "Handsome is an understatement... It's a shame how badly I want to get those nice, new clothes of yours dirty." The dark-haired woman cackles with a dark sort of mischief. "Ah, but I will do my best to behave, for the sake of your wardrobe..."

As the pair walk down the winding path, the scent of roses begins to waft toward Coselle; the soft, floral perfume immediately triggers the memory of when she had taken Gadget to the Park to expend his energy, only to find that what she planned to be a walk with her talkative and energetic little friend was not as private as she originally thought... She had hid in the Rose Garden the moment she suspected that Keith might have been nearby, though it was not normally like her to hide from those who upset her. A confrontational sort by nature, she was not one to be intimidated by the trainer in the cowboy hat, yet she could not bear to speak to him, or even look at him, despite (or maybe because of) the fact that she couldn't stop thinking about him. Then again, he had been an odd preoccupation of hers even before the fateful night in October. It seemed that the harder she tried to think of something else, or distract herself, the more he seemed to invade her mind. She tried to rationalize these thoughts away... Tried to convince herself that he was too stupid, too passive, too ignorant of her way of life as a bumbling sack of living flesh... and yet, when he started learning to speak Shuppet, she ached to for him to use the language to say-

Snapped out of her reverie by the growing strength of the scent of roses, Coselle realizes that this must have been the path that Keith had taken to locate her in the Rose Garden. Indeed, for all her running, he always seemed to catch up with her somehow. It was in that Garden, amidst the roses, that Keith finally realized how he felt about Coselle... and Coselle finally stopped running from the feelings that had been chasing her. It surprises Coselle that, as they approach the Rose Garden together for whatever Keith has planned, her eyes begin to well up with emotion, though she does her best to bite it back. "I love it here," is all she says, though her voice cracks ever so slightly with the overwhelming nature of her memories of the past, the beauty of the present, and her dreams of the future... as black as that future seemed at times. She could endure it if he was by her side.

Eventually, Keith leads Coselle to the middle of the Garden, where a picnic has been lovingly set up for the pair to enjoy a wonderful feast together. At first, Coselle wonders if she will hear the trademark chortle of Bedivere nearby, only to find that Keith's erudite Weedle and smart-talking Meowth have prepared the feast in question. Coselle had to admit, despite being rather petit in build, that she could definitely put away her fair share of steak, especially if it was cooked just right... Seared just enough to give it that crispness while still maintaining a juicy red center. Mm, her mouth watered just thinking about it. She and her lover had happened upon the chefs just in time to hear the more feline of the two muttering about how anal-retentive Keith had been lately about ensuring the perfection of this picnic. Coselle resists the urge to cackle ominously as she normally would when she found herself behind someone who had no idea she was there, instead letting the realization dawn on the Meowth himself. Rather than let himself be offended, however, Keith kindly tells Meowth not to worry about it, and asks him and Hermione if they could possibly give the couple some privacy. Coselle smirks a bit, gently squeezing his hand as he makes the request. A private picnic in the Rose Garden... Nothing could be more perfect.

"Thank you both for everything," she calls out to Hermione and Weedle as they leave the Garden. "So, Keith... Are you as hungry as I am? Those steaks smell divine..."

Balmund, Reese, Marion - Marion's question catches the attention of those gathered at the bench, though Marion is quick to note Balmund's lack of surprise and unwavering cheerfulness. If she had caught him red-handed, she would have expected at least some reaction... Either he was a complete and utter sociopath, or-

His sister. Of course! How had that not occurred to Marion before? He had even told her last night that he had two younger sisters, and yet when she saw Duke and Reese embrace, her mind had jumped to the worst possible conclusion. Marion blushes a bit, clearly embarrassed by her misguided assumption. She was tempted to apologize to Balmund for even so much as thinking that he would do something like that to her, but instead decides to let it go; after all, hearing Balmund refer to her for the first time as his girlfriend is more than enough to distract her from her embarrassment, though it does nothing to help her blushing.

"Pleased to meet you both," she says with a respectful bow to Balmund's sister and her Seviper. Indeed, it was no lie that she was pleased; she had expressed to Balmund himself that she would love to meet the members of his family, and what better time to start than on a day that celebrates love of all kinds? As she bowed, she could feel a gaze like lasers boring into her back... She recalled that Balmund's own Seviper had been sitting on the bench beside him, and quickly gathered that this might be the first time that Orchrist heard Balmund refer to Marion as his girlfriend, as well... Only instead of butterflies in her stomach, Orchrist likely felt raging hornets.

In contrast to Marion's respectful greeting, Reese curiously gives Marion the once-over before making a far less respectful comment about how Balmund's mother always thought that he would be dating a lady from the clan. Though Marion can sense the harshness of these words, she seems oddly unphased by them, and merely chuckles a bit in response. Reese's less than positive appraisal was more of a challenge to Marion than a reason to dislike her. After all, what Reese said was true; Marion was not a dragon tamer from Blackthorn, nor could she ever be... But perhaps she would be able to show Reese that despite her background, she was worthy of Balmund's affections, and hopefully Reese's approval, as well. Marion had to respect her bluntness, after all; it was a trait Reese shared with a certain brutally honest sister of her own. She would much rather this sort of thing than if her critical view manifested as some sideways glance that never verbalized itself that hid under niceties and double-edged remarks; those silent, judging stares were far worse to Marion than when she was criticized outright. At least then she had the chance to defend herself somehow.

Balmund takes the initiative to make a retort against Reese's biting words, pointing out that she didn't exactly live up to family expectations, herself. Marion remembered hearing about Theresa being the "rebellious one" of the family, and she imagined that Balmund's comment related to that trait in her. Reese simply laughs off the comment, stating that it's nice to meet Marion and extending a hand to her. Marion responds with a firm handshake with her own pale-doll like hand. "Likewise," she says with a grin. Reese then asks if she's any good a trainer before inviting her to engage in battle. A spark of fire ignites in Marion's eyes at this question; of course she would like to battle after that disparaging remark about not being part the clan! How better to prove to Reese that she was not some airheaded tart off the street, but a strong trainer who could actually handle a dragon in battle? Despite this fierceness, however, her voice is surprisingly calm; "Well, I suppose my Pokemon will be the ones to show you whether I'm a good trainer or not, right?" She laughs a bit, her hand drifting towards one of the Pokeballs on her belt. Though a number of her Pokemon were enjoying a day at the Park, thanks to Coselle's ability to babysit, she still had a full team at the ready... and within that team was the exact Pokemon she needed for a battle like this one.

"Tell me the rules, and I'll follow 'em," Marion says. "I don't have a preference for format. One on one, two on two... Whatever suits you."

[Missingno. Master]

Nagini, Vega, Fa, Narsil, Kara, Bedivere, Spinel, Kuranes, Sakura/Sumika, Gwyn, Seshiro, Shisato: (waiting for Marion, who is waiting for Balmund, who is waiting for GS)

Keith, Coselle: As the path leading to the Rose Garden triggered Coselle's memories of that day, it had the same effect on Keith. He vividly recalled how he had taken this path, Meowth on his shoulder trying to get him to turn back. Last time, he had followed Gadget's tire tracks. This time, he knew the path by heart. He remembered how he had marched resolutely down the path, mingled feelings of sorrow, determination, and an excitement which at that time had seemed very strange to him, dancing in his head. His involvement in the incident on Halloween, how his careless whim had resulted in such catastrophe, his guilt and sorrow for what havoc he had unintentionally wrought on Halloween night, that was what had propelled him down that path. That and love, he now knew. Guilt, sorrow, and love had overcome his fear of death, which turned out to be a needless fear after all. As they arrived at the Rose Garden, Coselle stated that she loved it here, her voice betraying her emotion. Keith gave a small smile, knowing that he had made a good decision by setting up the picnic where it had all started for the two of them.

As Meowth and Hermione went off to give the couple some privacy, Coselle asked if Keith was as hungry as she was, stating that the steaks smelled divine. "They do, don't they?" agreed Keith. "I wish I could take full credit for them, but I doubt I'd have gotten all this done without Meowth and Hermione." He led Coselle over to where the food was set up, and then sat down on the blanket, leaving room next to him for Coselle to sit.

[Balmund]

Marion wasn't one to refuse a challenge especially as her skills and worth were being brought into question. "Alrigh!" Reese exclaimed excitedly. "It's 2 on 2 with my totally fair and unbiased brother as referee, right?"

"Uh... sure... sure, I guess..." Duke seemed to still be having some trouble processing the situation as it unfolded much too quickly before him. Were Marion and his sister really having a battle right now? Of all things. Not that he was worried or anything. He knew Marion's worth as a trainer as he himself had tested her before. It all simply was unexpected to him, though he should've known better knowing his sister.

Taking their respective positions, Balmund gives both combatants a reaffirming nod, silently wishing them both good luck before raising his hand to to start the match. "You're up first, Dimitri!" Reese takes a Rocket Ball out of her belt, chucking it into the air before it bursts open, the light within materializing into a male Swoobat with a real smooth expression on his face. The psychic-bat seems to give a wink to Marion, though the gesture was so fast one could very likely just have imagined it. Whatever the case, it was on!

[swampertforever]

Michael, Blue:
At the entrance to the Park, Michael and his Panpour gazed around nervously.
"Well Blue, here it is, the Fizzytopian Park... Seems kinda big." Michael muttered. All around him, there were trainers who outranked him in both party size and experience, and he felt a little small compared to them. This feeling carried over to Blue, and as the two of them started to wander into the park, they couldn't help but feel envious.
"Well, do what you always do then when in a bad situation. Stop thinking and talk uncontrollably," Blue replied, "You know you've wandered into a lot of bad situations this way, so how about using it to your advantage to meet new people?"
Michael glared at Blue.
"You know, even though that was a good idea, you could have said that in a nicer way." Michael and Blue looked around. Nearby, he saw two girls and a guy who looked like they were preparing to battle.
"Bingo! You know what to do Michael!"
The teen ran over to the nearby battle site, his Panpour at his side.
"Hey guys I'm Michael, I'm new here and this is my Panpour, Blue. He's my starter because he saved my life and for some reason he thinks I act dumb but I'm just looking for fun things to do ... oh cool is that a Swoobat? What's his name? They look so cool! Oh god I must sound so annoying right now. Were you about to battle? Am I getting in your way? Just tell me, I'll move if you want..."
Blue rubbed his head. This was embarrassing for both of them, but it was the only way to get Michael over his nerves.

[Missingno. Master]

Meowth, Hermione, Michael, Blue: As Meowth and Hermione made their way through the bushes, they found themselves in the area set aside for battling. One teen in particular was going crazy over the Swoobat he had spotted. Meowth knew this couldn't be Luna, as Keith had returned her to her Poke Ball. Then, he got an idea, and muttered something to the Weedle by his side. Hermione listened, considering his words for a moment, then nodded. Meowth grinned, then the two made their way over to the teen and his Panpour.

"Hey dere," Meowth greeted them. "Name's Meowth, and dis Weedle here is Hermione. Youse lookin' fer a battle? Our trainer's occupied at da moment, but we're ready ta go if youse is."

"Absolutely," nodded Hermione in agreement. Obviously, unlike Meowth, Hermione was speaking in Pokemon language.

[Marion Ette]

Keith, Coselle: Coselle wastes no time fixing herself a plate... Tiny, delicate little dollops of sides, which are then clobbered as she piles on a pair of the biggest, juiciest steaks that Meowth and Hermione prepared. She takes her spot on the blanket with her protein-laden plate, grinning like mad before digging into her steaks like a little she-wolf.

"OH, this is great," she raves between bites. "I haven't had a steak in decades. I missed having a stomach, you know~" Coselle cackles a bit. "No point in eating if you never feel hunger, yeah? Plus, the juices would stain my cloth... Mmmm~" Coselle smirks as she takes another bite. "I suppose I am not exactly being the most ladylike right now... Ahahaha, not the best date, am I?" Coselle laughs with the slightest bit of embarrassment, which is rather unusual for the normally unapologetic young lady.

Marion, Reese, Balmund, Michael, Blue, Dimitri, Bedivere: Reese suggests a 2 vs. 2, and suggests that her brother act as the totally unbiased referee. Though Balmund doesn't exactly jump at the opportunity, he reluctantly agrees to his position, and Marion nods resolutely in response to the conditions.

"Very well," she nods, before reaching down to August's Pokeball... Only to remember that she had sent the dragon away to the Tree Grove earlier that morning. Smacking her forehead at her awful memory, she sighs, deciding it was better for August to be with family right now, particularly on Valentine's Day. Besides, she didn't need to prove that she excelled at training dragons, when her own specialization would prove her prowess as a trainer just as powerfully.

As Marion's hand hovers over the Pokeball of her mentally unstable, yet faithful Spiritomb, the distinct sound of an eerie, yet jolly laughter becomes louder and louder as a familiar spirit approaches.

"Ohohohohohoho~! My dearest Lady Marion, are you about to engage in a battle with this lovely lady?" The joyful Frillish claps his tentacles together, his eyes glittering with delight. "Oh, you must allow me to defend your honor, dearest trainer! I am most enthralled by the idea of battle~"

Marion turns around, realizing by the fact that Bedivere is trailing water that he likely swam across the lake to get to her, despite his picnic with Spinel and Kuranes. To deny a meal was certainly not like the royal Frillish, which certainly implied his seriousness about wanting to go into battle for her. She pauses for a moment, before ultimately nodding, her hand moving away from Vanth's Pokeball.

"Very well, Bedivere. I trust you to do your best." Marion bows to her Pokemon, who immediately bows deeply and respectfully in return before floating opposite Dimitri.

"En garde, my good man!" The Frillish grins wide, before moving into position... For a rather eccentric little chef, the Frillish has surprisingly good form.

"All right, Bedivere! Start the battle with Confuse Ray, then burn him with Scald! Finish the round with a Shadow Ball!"

Just as Marion gives out her orders, a young man and his Panpour eagerly approach the two young women who are about to engage in battle, eagerly asking Reese if she indeed had a Swoobat, since they looked so cool.

"We are about to battle, yes," She tells the eager trainer in a calm, polite tone of voice, "but you are welcome to watch as long as you do not intend to distract either of us."

[Dark Searchman]

Delilah, Hebenon, Hannah: It was actually easy for Delilah to avoid Hannah's spikes, and her hugging the younger Qwilfish was greatly appreciated as Hannah commented about how nice she was. "Thank you," Delilah said with a smile. "You know... if I can hug Hannah like this... maybe..." She let her voice trail off as she looked at Hebenon and started blushing as she made her way over to him before hugging him the same way she did Hannah. Now that she knew how to do so, there was nothing holding her back anymore.

Icarus, Amelia, Hauser, Hedwig: As the three Flying-types flew away from the Aerodactyl, it didn't look like they were being followed, though Icarus kept up his guard just in case. "Well, if you're so strong, you must have a really good trainer raising you," he responded to Hedwig. "Who do you belong to, by the way?"

Shisato, Seshiro, Vega, Kara, Fa, Narsil, Sakura/Sumika, Kuranes, Bedivere, Gwyn, Nagini: The two Ekans' introduction to the group was generally well received; Nagini in particular grinned at the sight of the young lovers, and they simply smiled back. When Fa talked about Orchrist, however, Sakura was less than thrilled to find out she was here somewhere, but Seshiro was a little interested at least. "Oh, so Miss Orchrist is here? Cool! Amethyst introduced me to her back at the dragon tamer's base," he explained to Shisato. "She was pretty interesting, to say the least."

"I guess I might like meeting her too?" asked Shisato, to which Seshiro nodded. Then Vega was about to head somewhere for his daily prayer, but Nagini didn't quite understand who the "Wyrm" he was referring to was. Shisato also seemed a little confused by this notion, so Seshiro helped explain: "Vega told me that the Wyrm is the one who created all snakes, like us, and that the Wyrm also represents poison, death, and some other things I can't remember. So I guess the Wyrm is supposed to be our god."

"You think so?" Shisato hissed quietly.

"That's what I get out of it." said Seshiro. "Come with me; he'll be able to show you a lot better than I can!" And with that, Seshiro slithered after Vega, with Shisato tentatively following him.

Hyrem, Sera, Aisa, Vi, Manasseh: As Hyrem sat there, he got a call. "Yeah? Oh really, it's hatching? I'm on my way! Sera, can you watch everything for me? Thanks, I'll be right back!" He then set Vi down before rushing off to the Egg House. Fifteen minutes later, he returned holding another Pokeball. "Hey, Manasseh, come say hi!" After he threw the Pokeball, out popped a little Horsea into the lake who gave a happy "Hoooorsea~!" as a greeting to his new teammates. "Guys, this is Manasseh!" His Pokemon exchange greetings, then Hyrem said, "Okay Manasseh, go have fun! If you find a Chinchou, it's probably Delilah, so say hi to her! "Horsea!" he nods before swimming out into the lake.

[Missingno. Master]

Delilah, Hebenon, Hannah: Delilah seemed grateful for Hannah's remark about how nice she was. And then when she started thinking about something as a result of being able to hug Hannah, Hebenon became slightly hopeful. Sure enough, Delilah swam over and hugged him. Hebenon could hardly believe this, he was loving how it felt, and his only problem was his inability to hug her back. So he kissed her instead, unable to keep himself from smiling.

Hedwig, Icarus, Amelia: As they flew away from the Aerodactyl, Icarus asked Hedwig who her trainer was. "His name is Keith," Hedwig explained. "And your assessment is correct, he's a very skilled trainer. How about your trainer?" she then asked.

Keith, Coselle: As Coselle sat down, Keith proceeded to fix himself a plate as well. Like Coselle, he picked a couple of steaks which dominated the rest of the plate, though he dug in a little slower and neater than Coselle was doing. Keith was fairly surprised to see Coselle eat like that. Coselle started raving about the steaks, stating that it's been decades since she's eaten a steak, and then remarking on how un-ladylike she must be acting, a slightly apologetic tone to her voice. Keith had a mouthful of steak himself, so he waited until he swallowed it before he answered.

"True... you might not be acting all that ladylike," Keith admitted, before looking at Coselle. "But I couldn't ask for a better date," he smiled.

[swampertforever]

Michael, Blue, Meowth, Hermione, Marion, Reese, Balmund, Dimitri, Bedivere:
"Oh dear, Sorry. I'll move right away." Michael wandered over to the sidelines of the battlefield. He watched as a Frillish made its way to one of the battling trainers.
"Oh geez, I forgot to get their names. Speaking of..." Michael pulled out his Pokedex, and scanned the two battling pokemon.
Swoobat, the Courting Pokemon: It emits sound waves of various frequencies from its nose including some powerful enough to destroy rocks. Frillish, the Floating Pokemon: With its thin, veil-like arms wrapped around the body of its opponent, it sinks to the ocean floor.
"Hey Michael, are you just gonna stand there scanning things, or are you actually going to ask for their names?" Blue asked, looking exasperated.
"Hang on, I just realised I forgot to scan you."
Panpour, the Spray Pokemon: The water stored inside the tuft on its head is full of nutrients. Plants that receive its water grow large.
"There! Now to ask..." Michael started, but stopped when he realised a Meowth and a Weedle were trying to get his attention.
After the Meowth introduced himself and Hermione, he proposed a battle.
"Well, I don't know... you two seem pretty strong. But I suppose I could try, if you two are willing. Michael, can I battle?" Blue asked, but his trainer wasn't paying much attention. He was focused more on his Pokedex.
Meowth, the Scratch Cat Pokemon: It is nocturnal in nature. If it spots something shiny, its eyes glitter brightly. Weedle, the Hairy Bug Pokemon: It eats its weight in leaves every day. It fends off attackers with the needle on its head.
"MICHAEL, PAY ATTENTION!" Blue yells, startling the teen.
"Huh, what?" Michael said, dazed. "Oh, a battle? Sure! Could it be 1 on 1? I only have Blue here." He continues, not really noticing the fact that a Meowth was talking.
"Sorry about him, the kid's smart but he doesn't show it much." Blue mutters to Meowth and Hermione.

[Missingno. Master]

Meowth, Hermione, Scorpius, Michael, Blue: Michael was obviously very much distracted by his Pokedex- the fact that Meowth was talking didn't even seem to have struck him yet. The Panpour apologized for his trainer. "Don't worry about dat," Meowth replied. "Our trainer also likes ta whip out da Pokedex whenever he sees a new Pokemon." Then he turned to Michael. "One on one sounds fine to us," he stated. He glanced at Hermione, and the two walked back a bit, to make enough space for the battle to unfold.

Meowth pulled seemingly out of nowhere his trainer's trademark cowboy hat and placed it on his head. Then, he pointed forward and said, "All right, Hermione! Go!" Though Meowth was Hermione's teammate and not her trainer, she nevertheless knew Meowth to be intelligent, and trusted that he would be able to effectively command her in battle. Keith had already made it clear that if ever he was incapacitated for whatever reason, Meowth would take over his duties as trainer, and had instructed the entire team that in such an event, they were to follow his every command. If he trusted Meowth like that, then so could she. She therefore crawled forward onto the battlefield, and gave a polite bow to Michael and Blue, which had the added effect of allowing the sunlight to catch her shiny horn.

Meanwhile, another of Hermione's teammates was watching from a nearby bush, the Skorupi interested to see how his girlfriend would fare in this battle.

[swampertforever]

Michael, Blue, Meowth, Hermione, Scorpius:
Blue stared as the Meowth put on a (pretty cool, in his opinion) cowboy hat and sent Hermione into battle. The strength he felt emanating from the duo opposing him was only strengthened when he caught sight of the Weedle's horn shining in the light.
"Michael, I'm pretty nervous. I mean, this is my first real battle."
Michael knelt down to Blue.
"Don't worry," Michael said as he attached Blue's held item, a strange badge that looked like a heart, to his chest, "Think of this as a fun way for us to get to know the other trainers, such as Meowth here." The teen was still oblivious to the fact that Meowth was acting as his opponent. Blue started tensing up, half due to nerves, and half because his trainer still wasn't paying attention, an issue that could get him hurt. Again.
"OK Michael. Just make sure you realize that Meowth is our opponent, and he clearly has a lot of experience."

Michael started to smile. "Relax, Blue-boy. I'm not that useless. I know that Meowth is my... wait, how?"
And with that, Michael snapped back into reality.
"OH MY GOSH A TALKING MEOWTH!" Michael yelled. "I must be dreaming! I can talk to Pokemon! I'm like a Pokemon Whisperer or something! Wait. why can't I understand Weedle?" Michael continued babbling, earning him a scratch from Blue.
"Michael, you can't talk to all the Pokemon. Meowth must have learnt how to speak human or something, and the only reason you can understand me is because I'm your Pokemon, and we have a bond. For all you know, I'm speaking in Panpour and you're just translating it subconsciously."
"Well, that makes sense." Michael sighs. "Oh well. Blue, shall we dance?"
Blue jumps into the battle area in response, with a look of determination in his eyes. He shook his tuft, letting the water he stored within it cool his nerves as Michael stood back up, ready to enjoy his first shot at a good impression. As he stood, he couldn't help but notice a nearby bush move. He made a note to wander over to it when everyone was distracted.
"Well, lets do this! Blue, start with a Leer to scare her, then Lick Twice to Paralyze!"
Blue leaps forward, ready.
"And don't let her get hit by any of that water in your tuft, we are already at a disadvantage!"

[Missingno. Master]

Michael, Blue, Meowth, Hermione, Scorpius:The fight was on. "Hermione! Poison Sting!" Meowth shouted. "Den use yer Bug Bite, and follow up wit Gummi Bomb!"

The combatants lunged forward. Blue started with a Leer, which thoroughly startled Hermione, stopping her from using Poison Sting, and also lowering her Defense. The Panpour then moved in and Licked Hermione, but no paralysis resulted. Moreover, Hermione opened her small mouth, revealing tiny yet sharp fangs, which glowed with Bug energy as she quickly proceeded to Bite the Panpour. Blue went for another Lick, but again, Hermione took only minor damage (the Leer did help it along somewhat). This one was going to cause paralysis, however, but Hermione's Shield Dust kicked in, stopping this from happening. Then, the Weedle backed up a bit, and blasted a sticky Bomb in the shape of a Gummi in Blue's direction. The sticky explosive stuck right to Blue's left arm. It would be difficult, though possible, to remove, and if not removed in a timely fashion, would explode. The two had taken roughly equal amounts of damage at that point, and had a little over 3/4th of their health remaining.