The Dawn of A New Day (PG-13)

[Aura Master]

Yeah, I know...But afterwards you could still be like

Taillow turned to see Chikorita with her eyes shut, then, as commanded by their trainer, a light pink screen appeared shielding them.

Lol that was horrible >.< but yeah you get the point...but you a really big description if the Pokemon is using the attack for the first time in the story.

Yeah attacks...umm...When you use an attack for the first time in the story,

Chikorita focused her mind very solemn and clear. She didn't think of what could be near her, around her or inside her. Her body began to rattle as she focused more and more untill it hurt. Her mind felt like it was going to burst open. But then, it was gone and like a sound appeared like a sword being drawn. Like a newly made shield off an anvil, still warm. She opened her eyes, the battlefield before her. But the only thing new was a light pink screen in front of her and Taillow. It shined brightly with immense energy and it was going to deflect attacks.

This is ok..

then you really don't have to push it any farther.

Like,

Taillow turned to see Chikorita with her eyes shut, then, as commanded by their trainer, a light pink screen appeared shielding them.

[starterlover1]

Gotcha, thanks for the advice! I'll go ahead and incorporate this asap.

[starterlover1]

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Chapter Ten
A Blast From The Past

The smell of warm, fresh-baked cinnamon rolls, recently cooked omelets, and delectable starf-berry french toast filled the Rustboro City Pokemon Center cafeteria. The sun, which finally shone in through the windows after several days of continuous rain, had risen over the horizon in streaks of pink, yellow, and orange, and brought Hoenn’s premier technological city to its full waking state. Anthony and Veronica hungrily ate their ten a.m. breakfast. Beside them, their pokemon ate their own food.

“Today’s the day Veronica - I’ve decided that it’s finally time for my to challenge the Rustboro City gym and earn my first gym badge!” remarked Anthony confidently between bites.

Veronica sipped on her strawberry shake before she replied. “That’s great! I was wondering when you were planning on challenging - even the weather is on your side today,” she added with a lighthearted chuckle. “When do you plan on heading over?”

“I’ll be there around two, so that gives me some time to get ready, and it gives you some time to relax,” he replied, wiping his mouth with a napkin.

“Relax? You must be joking!” she exclaimed as she rose from her seat. “My contest debut is tomorrow, you know. That said, I need to go shopping for a new outfit. What I’m wearing right now is the old me - since I’ve decided to reinvent myself from a trainer into a coordinator, it’s only logical that I change my look. Green and Orange is so last season, anyhow.”

Anthony rose as well, recalling his pokemon. “So you won’t be coming to watch me?” he asked, somewhat disheartened.

“Don’t be ridiculous, of course I am,” she said reassuringly. “I read in the tour guide that I can get some good shopping done on 8th Street, which is near the northeastern sector of the city anyway - where the gym is. I’ll meet you there around 1:30 later today. But for now, I’ve got to go!”

Hurriedly, she recalled her pokemon and rushed out the door. She had been using the Pokemon Center’s indoor battlefield for some training, and it had really gotten her enthused about the upcoming Contest. Torchic had become much more precise, and she had worked especially hard with Wurmple following her loss to Jake and his Cascoon. All that was left to do was to update her look, which she could do because she had won enough battles to earn a tidy sum of money.

Anthony, on the other hand, tried to develop a strategy on how to take down the gym leader. Over the past few days, countless trainers had rushed into the Center pleading for Nurse Joy to heal their pokemon. He had gleaned that the gym here focused on the rock type, which meant that he had one advantage, a disadvantage, and a neutral matchup. Of course, it all depended on how many pokemon were to be used.

The midday sun now shone brightly upon the city, the clock having proceeded to mark the time as 12:30. Veronica was in her element - while Rustboro was not as big as Lilycove, it was unmistakably urban, and she was having loads of fun in the environment. She had stopped by several stores already, and found what she was looking for - all that remained were some shoes and accessories.

I have exactly one hour left, she thought as she glanced up at the large clock displayed outside of the Devon Corporation Headquarters. That building is pretty impressive, I’m really liking the glass. Wait - focus Veronica, focus. Carrie’s should be just the place I’m looking for. I love what they offer...

“Thank you sir - and how many badges do you currently own?” asked the receptionist at the Rustboro City gym, her fingers clacking away at the keyboard.

“Well...none yet,” replied Anthony nervously. He wasn’t sure how the whole gym thing worked, so he had decided to come a bit early. A good thing, too - the information he was providing would help the gym leader to determine the caliber of her opponent. Because the Rustboro Gym wasn’t necessarily the first gym that everyone challenged, she had to adjust the level of difficulty by using pokemon of varying levels of experience.

“Excellent, that will be all,” said the receptionist politely. “Your match is scheduled for 1:45 today, as soon as our gym leader finishes her lesson.”

“Lesson?” asked Anthony, surprised.

“Indeed. Our gym leader is the main tutor for the Rustboro City Trainer’s School, which is run by the gym. Don’t be surprised if younger trainers find themselves in your audience as part of the lesson,” she replied.

“Oh...thanks!” responded Anthony, getting slightly more nervous at the thought of spectators other than Veronica. He was also slightly intimidated - the gym leader must have some serious skills if she was qualified to teach.

Anthony was about to head toward the battlefield when Veronica burst through the door, sporting her new outfit. Instead of the orange shirt dress she previously wore, she now wore a bright red shirt, a blue ring around the popped collar. Along with the white undershirt she wore, which covered the blue shorts that extended down to her mid-thigh, it matched the red bandana tied around her head, a white pokeball design on it. She wore black socks and shoes that were red for the most part, with a single yellow stripe and a blue center. The blue matched perfectly with her blue shorts and white-and-blue gloves, while the yellow stripe went well with her pack, which she kept from the last outfit.

“I was about to leave you!” cried Anthony, his nerves having risen to a peak during the wait. “It’s 1:40, you’re ten minutes late!”

“The important thing is that I’m here, and looking so cute! Let’s go on in,” she replied, still infatuated with her outfit. “Oh, and don’t worry Anthony, you’ll do fine,” she added. Anthony rarely got nervous, but she could usually calm him down when he did. She was successful yet again.

“Alright, alright. I’m headed in through this door - you take the door to the right or left to sit in the stands,” Anthony replied, his shoulders visibly relaxing. Without further hesitation, the two went their respective ways.

Anthony opened the doors to find a battlefield covered with rock formations, cracks in the ground, and little flat space. From the corner of his left eye, he saw Veronica enter and have a seat, releasing Torchic and Wurmple so that they could provide support to Anthony’s pokemon. Within moments, a referee and a woman walked in.

“Welcome!” cried the woman from across the battlefield. “My name is Roxanne, and I am the gym leader here at the Rustboro City Gym, and I specialize in the Rock-type, in case you haven’t noticed! Challenger, what is your name?”

“Anthony,” he replied, sizing up the innocent looking Roxanne.

She wore a short blue-violet dress that featured a white collar. A piece of pink fabric hung from her neck, almost like a tie, and matched her pink leggings and the large pink bow in her hair. Speaking of, it was done in a complex style, looping back on either side and falling in two pigtails. Her deep brown eyes shone with passion. The referee spoke up.

“This gym challenge will consist of a three-on-three single battle between Anthony, the challenger, and Roxanne, the Gym Leader. She is allowed no substitutions, though the challenger may do so if he wishes. No time limit will be present. Begin!” he exclaimed as he raised a red flag and a white flag.

“Let’s see how you deal with this pokemon!” cried Roxanne as she hurled a pokeball into the battlefield.

A small purple pokemon stood in the battlefield, orange tentacles extending from its head. Its heavy-looking head was supported by a thin core that connected to an anchor-like structure at the base. “Lileep!” it cried.

A Lileep, huh...pondered Anthony as he pulled out his pokedex. Veronica followed suit.

“Lileep, the Sea Lily pokemon. Lileep were thought to have gone into extinction millions of years ago, but were recently found living on the floor of shallow seas. It uses its eyes to find prey, and uses its petal-like tentacles to ensnare them.”

Anthony continued his analysis, learning that it was classified as a Rock- and Grass-type.

Well I was going to have to use Taillow anyway - might as well go ahead and use it now!

“Taillow, I choose you!” he yelled as he threw Taillow’s Great Ball into the air, releasing the swallow in a flash of blue light. He dove right into the action, attempting to get the first hit.

“Quick Attack Taillow!” he ordered, his adrenaline pumping.

Immediately, Taillow focused all of its energy toward its wings, and made itself as light as possible. In a flash, it darted toward Lileep, a streak of white light trailing behind it. It slammed into Lileep, but the effect was not as Anthony anticipated...

Lileep’s core simply extended as it was hit, although the anchor on the bottom did not move at all. A shocked look crept across Anthony’s face.

“My, my - a studious opponent, I like that,” observed Roxanne. “I can tell by your expression that you aren’t entirely aware of pokemon abilities. Lileep’s ability Suction Cups allows it to remain cemented in place unless it chooses to do otherwise - moving it would be a very difficult task. Now Lileep...Constrict!”

Lileep obeyed, extending the tentacles atop its head to trap Taillow and prevent it from escaping.

“Escape Taillow, quick!” cried Anthony, moving to get a better view.

“Lileep, repel it with an Acid attack,” Roxanne commanded calmly. Although Lileep was one of her weaker pokemon, she knew very well that it was only natural for it to use its tentacles to trap pokemon; escape was unrealistic.

While Taillow violently flapped its wings, Lileep diverted its attention to the acid it held within its body. Forcefully, it blasted it into Taillow, simultaneously releasing it from its grip. Taillow slammed into a nearby rock - but Roxanne was not finished.

“Follow it up with a Confuse Ray, Lileep,” she said.

The yellow markings on Lileep’s head glowed purple, and it shot a beam of light straight into Taillow’s eyes, distorting its vision.

“Do something, Anthony!” shrieked Veronica from the stands, joined by the cries of Torchic and Wurmple.

“Wing Attack Taillow, quick!” Anthony screeched, hoping that the attack would go through.

Fortunately, Taillow snapped out of its confusion almost immediately, tensing all of the muscled in its wings, which took on a white glow. It slammed its right wing into Lileep, who once again merely extended its core.

“Now double back and hit with your other wing!” Anthony ordered, attempting to batter down the lily pokemon.

“Rock Tomb Lileep, now!” cried Roxanne, pleased that she was battling a feisty opponent.

Lileep quickly snapped back to its upright position, and focused its power on the ground beneath it. As it did so, the tentacles bent downward, building in tension. It waited patiently for Taillow to approach again.

Seeing that nothing happened, Taillow zoomed in for a second hit, its wings still aglow. Anthony felt a glimmer of hope, foolishly thinking that the attack had failed. He was, of course, mistaken.

Just as Taillow was about to hit Lileep, the tentacles sprung upward like an uncoiled spring. The ground beneath Taillow immediately erupted with spiky rocks that trapped Taillow, squeezing harder and harder and doing severe damage.

“No!” Anthony shrieked, extending his arm out in a futile attempt to save it.

The rocks imploded, shattering into tiny bits and leaving Taillow weak on the floor. The referee raised the white flag halfway, indicating Lileep’s victory, when Taillow stood up.

“Oh? Such a gutsy pokemon you have,” noted Roxanne. She was surprised to see that the flying-type had survived her signature attack. “The outcome will be the same regardless, however. Finish this with your Bullet Seed Lileep!”

The pokemon obeyed, its tentacles joining together and forming an orb of yellow energy where their tips met. From the orb, smaller balls of yellow light sped toward Taillow, who hovered in the air, a defiant look on its face.

“Dodge them, Taillow!” yelled Anthony, whipping out his pokedex to see what else his Taillow knew. He felt foolish for now knowing the full extent of Taillow’s power beforehand, but now was not a time for regret.

Taillow expertly avoided the seeds, flying behind Lileep - a smart tactic, as the pokemon would need to unanchor itself to turn around successfully.

“Use Pursuit Taillow, now!” Anthony cried, seizing the opportunity.

Obeying its trainer’s command, Taillow channeled as much energy as it could to form a black orb in front of its beak, shooting spiraling streaks of black light toward its opponent.

Caught in mid hop, Lileep was knocked into the air, taking more damage than it had from the previous attacks. Anthony glanced down at his pokedex and was surprised to see Brave Bird listed under the attacks that Taillow was born with. He didn’t know what it did, but he had to take the risk, especially now that Lileep was in the air.

“Brave Bird Taillow!” he screeched, to Veronica’s surprise. He had never commanded that before.

“Not so fast,” interrupted Roxanne. “Lileep, fire an Ancientpower at that pesky bird!”

Oh no, thought Anthony. Ancientpower is a pretty strong rock type attack...there’s no way Taillow can survive that...my only hope is if Taillow lands that Brave Bird.

Each pokemon began to execute their orders. Flying high up into the air, Taillow took on a brilliant blue glow, and dove down toward the ground. To increase its speed, it folded its wings inward and made its tail feathers as straight as possible. It opened its wings only when it was about to hit the ground.
“Taillow!” it shrieked.

Lileep, being both a rock- and grass-type, was slower in powering up its attack. Its entire body glowed white with some silver highlights, and the energy moved from its body to a sphere of energy it was accumulating in front of it.

“Leeeeeeeep!” it cried as Taillow approached.

The two pokemon collided, Lileep firing its attack just before the impact, stirring up a cloud of dust from the battlefield that blurred the vision of both trainers.

“Taillow!” yelled Anthony, hoping for some response. Roxanne stood quietly, an expressionless look on her face. She hadn’t expected Taillow to know such a strong attack, but she was confident in Lileep’s ability to take it. What worried her was her pokemon’s proximity to the blast from its own Ancientpower.

Veronica scooted forward to the edge of her seat, hooked by the suspense. The referee, too, waited anxiously, prepared to call the match in either party’s favor. The dust cleared.

On Anthony’s end, Lileep swayed from side to side, attempting to regain its balance. Taillow, on Roxanne’s end, stood weakly on the ground, wincing in pain as it flashed in blue - the recoil from its last attack. Finally, both pokemon fell to the ground, knocked out.

“Both Lileep and Taillow are unable to battle,” exclaimed the referee, raising both flags authoritatively.

Both trainers recalled their pokemon, and after a quick word of gratitude, sent out the next combatants.

“Anorith, I need you,” stated Roxanne warmly. A small shrimp-like pokemon appeared on the field. It had two small eyes on either side of its head, with sharp claws protruding from the front of its grey body. The red-tipped wings on its side moved slowly.

“Chikorita, come on out!” cried Anthony, releasing the Leaf pokemon. He decided that he needed the advantage. Chikorita stood confidently, waving its leaf in an attempt to intimidate Anorith.

“Begin,” shouted the referee. Roxanne wasted no time.

“Anorith, X-Scissor go!” she ordered.

Anorith jumped up with surprising speed, much faster than Lileep had moved. Concentrating its focus on the two claws in front of it, it crossed them powerfully, firing a large blue “X” toward Chikorita.

As the attack sped toward the small pokemon, its power clear, Anthony could do nothing but stand in place, shocked.

A bug-type attack? he questioned blankly.

The attack ripped into Chikorita, devastating it with super-effective damage.

Oh no, thought Anthony. Bug type attacks are a real issue for my team...this is going to be a lot more difficult than I thought...

[Aura Master]

Just as Taillow was about to hit Lileep, the tentacles sprung upward like an uncoiled spring. The ground beneath Taillow immediately erupted with spiky rocks that trapped Taillow, squeezing harder and harder and doing severe damage.

How did Taillow feel about this?

You battle description is almost past decent but really haven't decribed the Pokemons emotions.


Just as Taillow was about to hit Lileep, the tentacles sprung upward like an uncoiled spring. The ground beneath Taillow immediately erupted with spiky rocks that trapped Taillow, squeezing harder and harder and doing severe damage. Taillow chirped loudly, its tortured voice bouncing off the walls like a bouncy ball. Her wing bent down as she spread them broadly among the rocks. One of her eyes was closed, trying to control the pain that was overtaking her. The pain increased, noticeable by any bystander, as she chirped more louder with deep pain. She swayed around inside the rocks, Anthony watching the terrifying scene that happened to his Pokemon. '****' Anthony thought as he just now realized it wasn't good for a flying type like Taillow to be hit hard by a powerful rock attack like rock tomb. Anthony cringed, thinking weather to return her to her Poke ball, or let her battle it out in honor. Taillow unable to think properly, didn't care what happened, as long as she Anthony gets her to the Pokemon center soon. A glint appeared in Taillow's eye, as she stood up on her claws, wing outstretched in a perfect line. She had cracked her wing back into place, and was now, about to get back in the battle.

See? Wasn't that bad :S, shows more depth and emotion into the attack.

“Both Lileep and Taillow are unable to battle,” exclaimed the referee, raising both flags authoritatively.

Wheres his emotion?

“Both Lileep and Taillow are unable to battle,” exclaimed the referee, raising both flags authoritatively, with a strange expression. In all his years of refereeing for Roxane, he had never see a double knockout before, especially with a flying type. He thought for a moment, bringing his flags down. 'This kid is gonna go far.'

Idk lol...But "With a strange expression" would be enough.

Work on the Chracters emotion.

[starterlover1]

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Chapter 11
Victory Is But a Stone’s Throw Away...

“Chikoreeeeeee!” cried Chikorita as it was ripped into by Anorith’s X-Scissor. The force of the attack sent it careening backwards, a gash on the left side of its neck. It weakly stood up, finally flipping its leaf back into position defiantly. It stared Anorith down.

“I bet you weren’t expecting that attack from a Rock-type, hmm?” remarked Roxanne, a smirk on her face. She had no intention of being cruel, but as the first gym leader that Anthony fought, she had to test his own willpower as well as the willpower of his pokemon. “I certainly hope that you didn’t expect for me to merely launch attack after attack with no way to cover my weaknesses,” continued the gym leader.

I’ll need to keep my distance, thought Anthony. Unlike Lileep, Anorith doesn’t look like it is too capable of firing long-range attacks, so I should be safe using this tactic.

“Chikorita, man up! Use your Vine Whip attack to punish that Anorith for what it has done to you!” he yelled with confidence.

Fiery determination in its eyes, Chikorita produced two slender green vines from the bud necklace on its neck, and shot them with surprising speed toward Anorith. Within minutes, Anorith was tightly bound, squirming and chirping in pain. Roxanne, however, was not fazed.

“Rapid Spin,” she ordered assuredly. Just because Chikorita wasn’t the most common grass-type starter she saw didn’t mean that she didn’t have a plan.

Anorith immediately began to spin, unwinding the vines and twisting them all the way up to Chikorita, who spun with the force of Anorith’s Rapid Spin. The damage was minimal, but the fact that it had been caught off guard was enough to knock it off its feet. Under Roxanne’s orders, Anorith followed up to create a battle combination.

“Now, use Metal Claw Anorith!” she commanded excitedly. Several students walked into the gymnasium stands as she said this, accommodating themselves around Veronica.

“Quick Chikorita, use Reflect!” Anthony said desperately.

As Anorith approached with silver-glowing outstretched claws, Chikorita began to focus. It kept its gaze on Anorith, but it gathered energy from deep within itself, as if it were a spring. To the students’ surprise, its leaf began to glow a brilliant lime green color, and it disappeared just as a wall of lime green light formed in front of it.

“Rith, rith!” cried Anorith as it was knocked back, its attack deflected.

Anthony recalled Chikorita, deciding that he may need to save its grass attacks for Roxanne’s last pokemon.

“A wise decision,” observed Roxanne. “You may have noticed that some of my students have entered to watch our battle. I hope that you don’t mind.”

“Not at all,” replied Anthony, his mind split between listening to Roxanne and coming up with a strategy to take down Anorith.

“Ralts, I need you.” he said shortly, releasing the Feeling pokemon onto the field. The students, who were petting Veronica’s Wurmple and Torchic, looked at it curiously. Veronica, too, was wondering what he was doing - both Chikorita and Ralts were weak to Bug-type attacks, but Chikorita at least had Reflect.

“A Psychic type? No matter. I’ll deal with it shortly,” Roxanne remarked. With the approval of the referee, she began.

“Anorith, Fury Cutter!” she cried. Anorith’s claws glowed green, and it dove toward Ralts, striking it with the attack.

“Ralts!” shrieked the pokemon, obviously wounded as it doubled over. Anthony felt guilty for his pokemon’s pain. He had never expected Roxanne to be this difficult. Even worse, he had known beforehand that this gym specialized in the Rock-type, yet he had failed to, at the very least, glance at some of the Hoenn rock-types in his pokedex.

That’s all in the past now Anthony, focus. Ralts is very good with status attacks, and its confusion can stop pokemon in their tracks. Play to its strengths.

“Alright Ralts, let’s use a Shadow Sneak to get back into this battle!” he ordered shakily. He wasn’t sure if this would work.

As usual, Ralts generated a black shadow into the ground, and vanished into it. Unable to see its foe, Anorith was surprised when Ralts struck from behind.

“Now weaken it with your Will-o-Wisp,” called Anthony slowly. He didn’t want to get too confident.

With a wave of its arms, bright blue orbs of flame materialized in front of Ralts, and were then fired toward Anorith. Anthony knew that, if burned, Anorith’s power would be severely cut. Roxanne, however, was not stupid.

“Anorith, Water Gun!” she called out in her typical nonchalance. Despite their seemingly commonplace appearances, she knew that Rock-types had a few tricks up their sleeves. This was just one of them, and, judging by the look on Anthony’s face, it had worked.

A stream of cool water jetted out of Anorith’s mouth, putting out the fire attack and proceeding toward Ralts with rapid speed. Anthony quickly regained focus, realizing that Anorith’s bug-typing did not revoke its weakness to water.

“Ralts, use Confusion to send that attack right back at Anorith!” he yelled triumphantly.

A soft purple light emanated from Ralts’ front horn as it redirected the attack back at Anorith - successfully.

“Ano!” it cried in pain as it winced. For the first time in the battle, a surprised look came across Roxanne’s face. She hadn’t expected Anthony to recover so quickly.

“X-Scissor,” she ordered, attempting to regain control. But Anthony wouldn’t have it.

“Now Shadow Sneak to finish it off!” he yelled. Ralts obeyed as before, knocking Anorith out of the match with ease.

Anthony felt as though a weight had been lifted of his shoulders. Anorith was a big threat to both Ralts and Chikorita, and he could now use the two of them to focus on Roxanne’s final pokemon.

“Excellent use of priority,” applauded Roxanne as she recalled her second fossil pokemon. “I can see that you are determined to win this. Unfortunately, my final pokemon is much more defensive than even my previous Lileep, but retains the ability to attack with powerful moves, similarly to Anorith. Go...Nosepass!”

The gym leader threw a pokeball onto the rocky field, revealing a pokemon that Anthony had never even heard of, much less seen. It stood on two rectangular-shaped feet that seemed to be made of stone, and they had little difficulty supporting its body. Though square at the base, it rose to a triangular peak. Two arms hung stiffly at its sides, slightly below two indentations that served as ears. Between its black eyes protruded its most distinguishing feature, a large red nose that came to a harsh point at the tip.

“Nosepass.” it said blandly. Roxanne smirked, knowing that although she was disadvantaged when it came to the number of pokemon remaining, Nosepass had been in this situation countless times before - and won.

Not willing to make the same mistake he had made with Anorith, Anthony immediately scanned Nosepass with his pokedex, Veronica doing the same in the audience. It wasn’t her battle, but she could definitely glean some knowledge in case she faced such a pokemon in her upcoming pokemon contest.

“Nosepass, the Compass pokemon. Due to the magnetism it emits from its nose, it is able to orient itself in any environment, easily identifying the northern direction. When threatened, it uses its magnetism to encase itself with magnetic objects for protection.”

Hmm, paused Anthony. That must be the defense that Roxanne was talking about earlier...and it can probably do the same to attack. It looks like I’ll need to watch out for that.

The referee, too, was curious to see what the result of the battle would be, and his eagerness was reflected in his tone of voice as he called for the match to begin.

“The gym leader Roxanne has selected Nosepass as her final pokemon! Begin the match!” he cried enthusiastically. Anthony pressed forward.

“Ralts, use Will-o-wisp to inflict a burn!” he cried, keeping his distance in order to observe Nosepass’s defense first-hand.

As before, Ralts produced orbs of blue flame that sped toward Nosepass, who remained motionless as it awaited Roxanne’s command.

“Sandstorm,” she said softly. She had developed other defense mechanisms in addition to Nosepass’s natural protection, and was unafraid to showcase them.

Right on cue, Nosepass tilted its arms upward, creating a spiraling twister of sand around itself. It then launched the tornado forward in Ralts’ direction.

The orbs of blue fire were instantly extinguished, and Ralts was pestered by the relentless sand. There was no escaping its fury, and Anthony struggled to think of a way to retaliate.

“Ralts, try using Confuse Ray to buy some time!” called Anthony, focused on using Ralts’ wide range of status attacks to his advantage. He knew that if he didn’t, the battle would be over sooner than he liked.

A burst of lavender light pulsed from Ralts’ body, but it was unable to penetrate the swirling cloud of dust and sand surrounding it. Roxanne took the opportunity to finish it off.

“Use Rock Throw to end this, Nosepass,” she ordered nonchalantly. Its red nose flashing a bit with magnetic energy, Nosepass hurled a large boulder, taken from the rocky battlefield, to the top of the twister, dropping it in the dead center - and thus making it unavoidable by normal means.

“Teleport!” cried Anthony anxiously as he remembered Ralts’ latest technique. Ralts obliged, appearing just in front of the whirlwind of sand. Roxanne, however, had anticipated this.

“Rock Tomb!” she commanded triumphantly. Once again, Nosepass’s nose flashed, but Ralts was unable to escape. Instead of picking up an existing rock, the attack forced rocks up from beneath the field itself, surrounding and squeezing Ralts with such pressure that it inflicted severe pain.

“Ralts! Ra..lts. Rah...” trailed off the voice of the Feeling pokemon as it was buried deeper and deeper.

“No!” shrieked Anthony in horror. He had never seen such an attack, and feared the worst for Ralts. His fears were not unfounded; by the time the rocks had been reabsorbed into the ground, Ralts lay in a heap on the floor, fainted.

“Ralts is unable to continue the match,” commented the referee authoritatively. He knew it was only a matter of time before Roxanne unleashed her signature attack, and was not surprised at the outcome. “The challenger is now down to his final pokemon, Chikorita,” he added.

Anthony released Chikorita, the chance to rest having had clear effects on its health. It steadied its gaze upon Nosepass, sizing up the opposition. Roxanne decided to say a few words before beginning.

“This is it, Anthony,” she uttered, deciding to keep her speech short and simple. “If you can defeat Nosepass, you will have earned the StoneBadge from me. Note, however, that there is a one-week time interval before you are allowed to re-challenge the gym should you fail. With that in mind, I suggest that you give it your best effort!”

Taking his cue from Roxanne’s glance, the referee initiated the final round.

“The final match of the battle for Rustboro City Gym’s StoneBadge will be held between Chikorita and Nosepass. Begin!” he yelled.

This time, Roxanne decided to take charge - she needed to push Anthony to his limits to ensure that he was worthy of the StoneBadge.

“Nosepass, start off with your Power Gem attack!” she called forcefully.

Nosepass’s nose glowed a pure white color, and countless small jewels materialized out of thin air. Following the short charging phase, it fired them off at Chikorita, its arms opening up to face outward.

“Chikorita, use Razor Leaf to counter!” ordered Anthony. Despite his steady voice, Veronica was able to tell from his body language that he was seriously intimidated by the attack, and she wasn’t the only one who noticed this.

The attacks collided in midair, Chikorita’s Razor Leaf barely stopping Nosepass’s barrage due to a type advantage. Roxanne continued, using her momentum to score as many hits as possible.

“Use Rock Throw, Nosepass, quick!” she ordered, hoping to catch him off guard.

“Reflect, Chikorita!” retaliated Anthony, hoping that all of his training to strengthen Chikorita’s barrier would pay off.

As before, an enormous boulder was fired at Chikorita, who had generated a lime green wall of light in front of it faster than it had ever done before. The boulder merely fell to the ground in front of Chikorita, and Anthony took the opportunity to attack.

I don’t want to reveal Leaf Storm just yet, he reasoned. I might need it to deflect a sandstorm attack later, and none of my other moves stand a chance. Ancientpower might be the attack to use, since it could do some serious damage. But I’ll definitely have to follow up, since that’s been the best way to hit her pokemon so far.

“Ancientpower, now!” he roared with confidence, and Chikorita responded. Condensing the silver energy that coated its body into a large orb, it leaped from behind the rock and fired it at Nosepass.

“Harden,” said Roxanne calmly but quickly. She didn’t want Nosepass to lose its balance like Lileep had, and Harden could help it withstand the force of the impact.

“Leech Seed Chikorita!” Anthony cried as the Ancientpower still sped toward the now glistening Nosepass. He wanted to give Roxanne and her pokemon as little time as possible to react.

The buds on Chikorita’s neck opened up, each one containing a single brown seed. It lowered its head and fired them all, which implanted themselves into Nosepass on impact. They then opened up and wrapped it with small, leafy vines.

The smirk on Roxanne’s face instantly vanished. She hadn’t expected that combination of attacks, and knew that she was now on a timer if she wanted to win this battle. She had to act fast.

“Tackle, Nosepass!” she cried, and Nosepass jetted forward with surprising speed, its rock body hardened from the previous attack. But Anthony was ready, and he knew that he merely had to stay alive while hitting hard - which he intended to do at any means.

“Razor Leaf,” he said shakily, unsure if the leaves would have any effect now that Nosepass had hardened.

With a swish of its leaf, Chikorita revealed that they would. Although they did not stop Nosepass, they inflicted damage as it approached.

Both pokemon were hit, though Nosepass suddenly began to glow red. The red light energy traveled along a vine and into a seed, which uprooted itself and returned to Chikorita - the healing effects of Leech Seed.

“Rock Tomb, now!” ordered Roxanne, hoping to immobilize Chikorita.

“Reflect!” countered Anthony.

“Zap Cannon, then!” shrieked Roxanne. She knew that Reflect was only able to deal with physical attacks, which Zap Cannon was not.

“What!?” cried Anthony, shocked that after all this time, Roxanne still had a trump card attack up her sleeve.

While the rocks from the first attack were deflected back into the ground, Nosepass prepared its electrical attack. Its red nose glowed bright yellow, while the rest of its body turned a dull gold. The air crackled with electricity as a large ball of high voltage formed in front of Nosepass. Once fired, it sped toward Chikorita at lighting speed.

Distracted from having to recover from the strain of resisting Rock Tomb, Chikorita was unable to dodge, and was immediately hit.

“Chikooooooo!” it squealed, squirming in pain. Despite its resistance to the type, Zap Cannon was among the most powerful of all known electric attacks, and Chikorita had taken a direct hit. Paralysis immediately set in from the high voltage included in the assault.

No, thought Anthony. Chikorita has taken severe damage, and is even paralyzed from the attack...I have to pull out of this now. And that means using as much power as we can! But first...

“Poisonpowder, Chikorita, please!” begged Anthony, hoping that full paralysis wouldn’t set in. Taking advantage of Nosepass current inability to move (yet another seed was draining it of its energy), Chikorita scattered a cloud of purple dust from its leaf. The dust settled on and around the Compass pokemon as Roxanne gritted her teeth, poisoning it in the process.

“Sandstorm, Nosepass, then follow up with Rock Throw!” she called, knowing that the combination would either finish Chikorita or push it very near its limit.

A whirlwind of sand and dust blasted forth, surrounding Chikorita as it had Ralts. However, Anthony had saved an attack hidden just in case Roxanne called on the tactic again.

“Now, Chikorita...Leaf Storm!” he yelled, struggling to make himself heard above the roaring sand.

“What?” said Roxanne as she took a step backward. Leech Seed was surprising enough, but Leaf Storm was big trouble. Nosepass stood helplessly as Leech Seed and Poison status wore it down further.

“I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve, too, Roxanne!” said Anthony, his gaze concentrated on the bright green light that was beginning to shine forth from the base of the sand twister.

Inside, Chikorita mustered all of its strength, and small leaves began to swirl around it, followed by larger leaves. Forcing them to rotate in the opposite direction than the sand around it, it ripped apart the sandstorm and then fired the attack straight at Nosepass, who was knocked off of its feet and slammed into a nearby boulder. The attack raged on, and Chikorita only stopped once all of the remaining seeds on Nosepass’s body dropped off, indicating that there remained no further energy to sap.

The match was won.

“Nosepass is no longer able to battle, meaning that the challenger, Anthony, and his Chikorita are the winners of the match and gym battle!” cried the referee after he regained his composure. He thought he had seen it all with Taillow being able to take down Lileep, but this was clearly a notch above that. Unrefined, but intuitive, that kid is, he thought to himself.

Roxanne smiled as she recalled Nosepass, despite her loss. It had been a great battle, after all, and she could certainly say that Anthony was skilled enough to earn the badge. She stepped toward the center of the field, waiting for him to approach her.

Anthony and Chikorita stood in a daze. They had managed to win the match with the most powerful Leaf Storm they had summoned so far, and the feeling was euphoric. He returned to reality after hearing both the cries of the schoolchildren and the shouting of Veronica.

“You won Anthony, you won!” she shrieked from the stands as she ran toward the field. “Go claim your badge!”

Oh yeah, that’s right, he recalled. He stepped toward Roxanne as he released Taillow and Ralts. It was only fair that they be present to receive the prize that they had worked so hard to earn, though they had seen the battle from within their pokeballs.

“Well Anthony, I have to say that I really enjoyed our battle. You have made your first step toward your goal of winning the Hoenn League by winning this badge, and I’m glad that your pokemon and friend are here to witness it. That said, I present to you...the StoneBadge!” she said as she handed over the badge.

It was brown and gold, each side being a mirror reflection of the other. Golden arrows extended slightly to either side, and concealed a brown inside.

“Wow...I don’t know what to say,” replied Anthony, his face showing a mix of happiness and disbelief. “Thank you so much, Roxanne. I’m sure that I’ll remember our battle for a long time!”

“That’s great,” she answered. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll go home and treat myself and my pokemon to some pampering after that excellent battle. My best wishes to you, Anthony, and it was nice meeting you Veronica.” She exited the room, her assistant herding the chattering students behind her.

“Well Veronica, this is it, my first gym badge,” began Anthony slowly. “I guess all there is to do now is anticipate your first Pokemon Contest!”

“You bet!” cried Veronica, inspired by the gym battle. “And you better believe that I have every intention of getting that ribbon!”

[starterlover1]

Wow, it's been a long time since I posted. Anyway, here's the next chapter.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
Chapter Twelve
Beautiflies

The warm spring sun shone radiantly above, its rays pouring down as if they fed on the very enthusiasm that now filled Anthony. He could hardly contain his excitement, looking at and polishing his StoneBadge obsessively as he walked toward the Rustboro City Contest Hall with Veronica. She was not nearly as relaxed.

“Will you stop looking at that badge and keep up?” she snapped. Unsure of how events would unfold, her nerves were on edge and had her ready to strike at a moment’s notice. “I need to register as soon as possible to ensure a spot, and the contest begins at three this afternoon!”

“Calm down, Veronica, you’ll do fine,” replied Anthony, unfazed by her tone of voice. “Look around you and enjoy the temperature, the sunshine, the plants!”

“Or,” she began agitatedly, “I could look at all of the other coordinators who have already registered and are doing some last-minute training with their pokemon! I can’t afford to fall behind this early in the game!”

She was right. Because the Rustboro City Contest Hall was located just outside of the City’s southern entrance, it was surrounded by large, flat fields. Coordinators had already begun to take advantage of the space, and Veronica was becoming only more unsure of herself as she watched a Corphish produce a flurry of sparkling bubbles. Within a few minutes, they had arrived at the reception desk.

“Why hello there, how may I assist you?” asked the receptionist from behind her fashionable red glasses.

“Well...I’d like to enter the pokemon contest that is supposed to be held today at three,” answered Veronica shyly.

“No problem. From the looks of it, it seems that this will be your first competition. I’ll just have you fill out this form so that I can issue you a contest pass. Owning one will grant you access to all Hoenn Region Pokemon Contests, including the Grand Festival should you obtain the necessary five ribbons.”

Veronica obliged, eagerly filling out her name, hometown, and other details. As she handed over the short form, she was surprised to hear some familiar voices.

“Veronica, Anthony, there you are!” cried the first voice.

“We’ve been looking all over for you two,” added the second, in a much higher register than the first. Norman and Caroline Michaels stood behind her.

“Mom, Dad, what are you...” she began, with a confused look on her face. “Nevermind that actually, the two of you are obviously here to see me perform. I’m so glad you came...” she added, flashing a smile as an afterthought. The truth was, she didn’t know if she could handle the added pressure of her parents watching her debut performance. In her mind, she had always pictured herself impressing them with stunning appeals...but her current mood was much more somber, and it would be difficult for her to impress her mother, a world-renowned coordinator.

“Of course we did! Did you really think that we would miss your first pokemon contest, especially with it being so close to home?” remarked her father, Norman. “We’re here to support you one-hundred percent!”

“Your father is right - it’s only natural that we come watch you pick up where I left off so many years ago,” said her mother. However, she had noticed Veronica’s half-hearted response to their surprise, and knew exactly what it was. “Norman, Anthony, would you please do me a favor and find some decent seats? You have to get them early on if you hope to get a good view,” she added tactfully. Once the two had obliged, she turned to face Veronica.

“Listen, I just want you to know that no matter what happens today, you will still be a winner in my eyes. I know that we’ve tried to give you everything, and maybe that was a mistake in itself, but seeing how you’ve grown fills me with joy. Who would have thought that Pokemon Contests would be your true passion? Anyway...” she paused. Caroline knew that she needed to be careful with what she said here, as adding on extra pressure at such a time could put a serious damper on her daughter’s performance. “Anyway, just know that everything you’ve accomplished so far, what you will accomplish on the stage today, and what you will accomplish in the future - all of it is a result of you and your pokemon’s hard work and resolve, and that will make you feel very proud. Break a leg.”

Veronica’s mother had already begun to walk away as she uttered the last few lines, and Veronica didn’t know what to say. Her mother was rarely so open with her, and she wished that they’d had the opportunity to share more of those moments. Regardless, she felt much more at ease than before, and called out Torchic and Wurmple. The two materialized before her once the effects of their modified pokeballs faded.

“Alright you two, let’s go outside.” Veronica ordered confidently.

“Listen Torchic, you and I have worked on your appeal for countless days now, even weeks, and I have faith in you. But let’s run it one more time just to make sure, hm?” she asked.

“Chic!” responded the starter pokemon with a short hop. Wurmple looked on, a curious look in its eyes.

“Alright, begin with Ember!” called out Veronica.

“Tor...” it began, feeling its body warm up from the fire inside. Suddenly, Veronica ordered it to stop - Wurmple had gotten in a position where it would have been hit by the attack.

“Wurmple, what is wrong with you? The past few days we have had to do this every time whenever we’re training!” scolded Veronica, slightly annoyed as she picked Wurmple up and set it beside her.

“Alright, now Torchic. Just pick up where we left off,” she said.

Torchic jumped up, preparing its fire attack once again, when it was quickly brought back down to the ground, much to its surprise. Wurmple was once again the culprit, having used its String Shot to grab Torchic’s left leg. It chuckled.

Veronica, deciding that she didn’t have time for the pranks, simply called Wurmple back into its Love Ball. As she did so, an announcement over the PA system called all coordinators to the green room, as the contest would begin in half an hour.

Great, just great, she thought to herself. Hopefully Torchic got warmed up at least a bit.

“This is it Torchic,” she muttered, her voice quavering audibly.

“Chic?” questioned the young bird as it was recalled. Though the two had grown close, it hadn’t yet seen Veronica truly nervous, and was unsure how to react.

Veronica followed the crowd toward the green room, her head dropped down to avoid any potential eye contact. She spent her time in the green room running over her appeal over and over in her head, attempting to maintain focus as best she could while trying not to think of everything that could go wrong. Finally, the large television in the room turned on, indicating the start of the competition.

A tall woman stood in the center of the stage, appearing before an eager crowd. She wore a long red dress with matching heels, and a golden necklace shown brightly under the stage lights. Her hair was dark brown, as were her eyes, and she held a microphone in her hands, covered with elbow-length gloves.

“Welcome everyone to the Rustboro City Pokemon Contest!” she began. “My name is Vivian, and I am the Master of Ceremonies for all pokemon contests in the Hoenn region! I hope you are all excited, because this contest is sure to bring back some old faces, introduce some new ones, and dazzle us with masterful displays of coordination!”

She paused for effect as the audience roared with anticipation. Anthony, Norman, and Caroline all sat front and center, and while Anthony couldn’t help but get caught up in the excitement, Norman and Caroline reclined calmly in their seats, hands intertwined. After all, they’d been through all of this before.

“Here we have the judges panel,” continued Vivian, “consisting of the Rustboro Pokemon Center Nurse Joy, Mr. Contesta, and president of the pokemon fan club, Mr. Dwight! Without further adieu, let’s move on to the appeal round!”

Countless coordinators took the stage, wowing the audience as best they could with their appeals, and the large majority showing off their pokemon well.

An Azurill’s Splash left its mark upon the judges as the example of cuteness, while a Plusle made use of its ability to make electric pom-poms by shorting the circuitry of its body. The appeals continued, featuring Duskull, Clamperl, and even pokemon from other regions such as Sunkern and Venomoth.

Meanwhile, Veronica sat nervously in the green room, shaking in anticipation. Each time Torchic looked up at her, it became more and more nervous as well, pacing about uneasily.

Pull it together, Veronica, she reassured herself. Just because these appeals are good doesn’t mean ours won’t be too. Few people will expect a pokemon as cute as Torchic to pull off what we’re about to do. Wait...what were we going to do? Um...Ember first, then...

“Veronica? You’re on at the end of this appeal,” informed an assistant.

“Wait no I need a bit more time to-” began Veronica, but she was cut off.

“There’s no time to talk, I need you to stand behind the curtain this instant! When you hear Vivian announce your name, it’s your time to shine!” she cried while authoritatively directing Veronica to her position.

She stood in the dark, awaiting her name.

This is it. I can’t get nervous and bail now. I refuse...I won’t lose!

“And now, ladies and gentlemen, the time has come for our final coordinator to make her appeal! Though she’s a new coordinator, she is sure to be a rising star given her parentage - those of the legendary Norman and Caroline Michaels. But that’s enough of an introduction. Presenting...Veronica Michaels!” hyped Vivian, stepping to the side of the stage to give Veronica maximum space.

The curtains pulled apart and the stage lights immediately pulled open, temporarily blinding Veronica. She stumbled forth (much to her dismay), then pulled herself together and ran forth, Cherish Ball in hand.

“Alright Torchic, it’s finally time for you to take the stage!” she shrieked as she threw the red-and-black specialty pokeball into the air.

Torchic emerged in a flash of light, scarlet fireworks popping around it due to the Cherish Ball’s unique design. It landed in the center of the stage, tossing a cute look back toward the audience. The onlookers watched curiously, anticipating the appeal. Among them, an eager Anthony sat on the edge of his seat. Onstage, Veronica and Torchic prepared to begin while Vivian collected her thoughts to comment.

“Start things off with your Rock Slide, Torchic!” called out Veronica, gaining some confidence after her rather successful entrance.

“Chic!” cried the young pokemon as a hazel light pulsed out from its small body. Around the stage, dust and sand particles from the previous appeals began to gather in the air, forming large rocks.

“A stunning display of talent for such a small pokemon,” exclaimed Vivian from the sidelines. “Torchic has managed to gather all of the loose particles in the area and combine them into boulders for its Rock Slide attack! What could they be used for, I wonder?”

The crowd applauded, surprised to see such an unexpected attack from the small contestant. Several members actually yelled out in support. Unfortunately, the sudden burst of noise began to confuse Torchic, who was finding it more and more difficult to retain control of its attack.

“Tor...” it squeaked, taking unsteady steps in a backwards direction. It suddenly noticed the amount of people in the audience, their stares and movements distorted by the harsh stage lights. Cowering, it turned around and began to run back to Veronica, seeking safety. To her dismay, the Rock Slide began prematurely, throwing off the tempo of her entire performance.

“Torchic no what are you doing!” she exclaimed, stopping the pokemon in its tracks just as rocks began to fall all around it. This only increased its confusion and fear, causing it to nearly cry as tears welled up in its eyes. Furthermore, boulders were beginning to encroach upon the audience, potentially endangering the front row!

No, no, no! How could this have happened I don’t understand...

Veronica stood motionlessly on the stage, her face aghast at the shock of the disaster.

“Torchic, use Reversal!” she stammered. By some stroke of pure luck, Torchic was able to collect itself and gather the energy required for the attack.

Red orbs of energy began to swirl around it, crackling and popping like fireworks. With a loud cry they were shot outward, crashing into the rocks. Caroline had now become intrigued, wondering if Veronica would be able to find a way to reverse the situation. She herself had a few things in mind.

The rocks, which had by now been pulverized into small bits, were falling slowly as particles of sand on the stage. Veronica had already decided that deviating from her original appeal would further confuse Torchic, and the result of the Reversal was now almost identical to her original plan, luckily.

“And the Rock Slide is completely shattered by Torchic’s Reversal,” interrupted Vivian enthusiastically, “yet another move that few Torchic have been seen to use. The resulting sand is falling on the stage like a thin veil...is this the end of the appeal?”

“Torchic, use Agility and Sand Attack to kick up that cloud of sand!” she cried, getting excited.

The Chick pokemon, responding to her enthusiasm, took a short hop and then exploded into a burst of speed, raising the eyebrows of the judges and audience alike. Jets of sand were being kicked up like clockwork, forming a large ring with a hole in the center, where Torchic now stood. Veronica finally decided that it was time to wrap things up.

“Finish this with Ember, then Growl,” exclaimed Veronica with resolve.

“Torchiiiiiiiic!” shrieked Torchic, firing out glowing red balls of flame as it spun in place. The fire made direct contact with the sand, heating it up to the point where the grains began to fuse together...forming glass!

Within seconds, the stage was covered in a glass structure vaguely resembling a crown, with a prominent peak front and center. The structure gleamed in the stage lights and the glow of Torchic’s embers. The reflections of the glass making it appear like multiple Torchic were inhabiting the stage, it hopped onto the central peak and let out a cute growl while being bathed in the slight red hue of the remaining flames on stage, their color magnified by the glass to end the appeal.

“And that’s that! In a stunning turn of events, Veronica and Torchic have managed to carve out a ruby-red glass crown from the seemingly plain boulders!” added Vivian punctually.

The crowd roared with excitement, enthralled by the performance, even though it got off to a rough start. Caroline relaxed in her seat alongside Norman, the two of them pleased, while Anthony cheered for his cousin.

“Let’s see what the judges have to say about the performance,” Vivian said, redirecting the attention to the next phase of the contest. Nurse Joy spoke first.

“It’s always a joy to see pokemon respond to their trainer’s mood, which is exactly what Torchic was doing this performance. I’m glad that Veronica was able to guide Torchic to a successful finish after what was decidedly a shaky start.”

“Agreed,” added Mr. Contesta. “While there were some issues at the beginning, I have to admit that the concept of the appeal helped to counteract those issues, and I found myself rooting for the pair in the latter stages of their appeal.”

“Everything that needed to be said has already been mentioned by my colleagues,” Mr. Dwight noted. “A good first performance I must say.”

The nod at the end of his sentence signified the end of appeal judging, granting the coordinators a five-minute intermission.

Back in the green room, Veronica thirstily drank some Pecha juice, freshly squeezed. Beside her, Torchic sipped on a drink made from Bluk and Chesto berries, two generally dry fruit (and thus some of its favorite). Norman, Caroline, and Anthony all appeared behind her to congratulate her on her performance and offer her support as she waited for the results.

“You were great Veronica!” shrieked Anthony excitedly. “You really pulled things together - I had no idea you were planning on appealing like that, or that Torchic could even use Sand Attack!”

“Indeed,” added Norman as he brushed a hair from Veronica’s face gently. “It’s a good thing that Torchic was able to respond to your direction - there’s clearly a close bond there already.”

Veronica nodded quickly, just as Vivian’s voice came over the loudspeaker.

“And now for the final eight coordinators who will move on to the contest battle phase!” she announced proudly.

The screen changed to a solid blue background, and pictures of the eight coordinators to proceed appeared. Veronica’s was the fourth picture. She jumped excitedly, hugging an equally ecstatic Torchic.

“Congratulations!” lauded Anthony and Norman at the same time before turning around to get some refreshments. Caroline gazed at Veronica slowly.

“Veronica, I’m glad that you were able to regain control of the stage out there. That said, it was an extremely close call, and it is possible that it may happen again during the battle phase, which is an entirely different animal. I advise you to remain cool, calm, and collected at all times - an important part of showmanship in itself. Good luck.”

With that, she too turned for a quick refreshment while intermission was still going on.

She’s right. Torchic definitely reacts to how I’m feeling out there...so I’ve got to stay strong. Which settles it then - that ribbon is MINE!

[Willow's Tara]

Nice story, it isn't too bad. Veronica seemed to have been like she was going to turn into May with the contests and Torchic/Beautifly.

Did I miss something? In the latest chapter she is training Wurmple (With the same pokeball she captured the Wurmple a few chapters ago) but didn't that one evolve into Casoon? (I am also watching TV so I might have missed something)

[starterlover1]

Nope, Wurmple is still Wurmple. And I can go ahead and say right now that there will be some definitive similarities with May/Veronica, but that's only for the time being. And thanks for the input as always.