Hi all.
We have had reports of member's signatures being edited to include malicious content. You can rest assured this wasn't done by staff and we can find no indication that the forums themselves have been compromised.
However, remember to keep your passwords secure. If you use similar logins on multiple sites, people and even bots may be able to access your account.
We always recommend using unique passwords and enable two-factor authentication if possible. Make sure you are secure.
This is the original version of Chapter 6, Part 2. This chapter, to paraphrase writer/director Jon Graham when speaking of his own early works, "reeks of such excessive fail that it has been omitted from this list." This form of this chapter does not meet the same level of quality as the later chapters from this story, and is left only for posterity's sake. An updated version has been published and you are strongly encouraged to read that version instead. A link is provided below.
Author's Notes:
One last thing I forgot to mention in Part 1. I wrote all three Gym Battles for Striaton because they were each just 1-on-1s, and were all technically between different opponents. Trying to write the same battle but with a different challenger three times for all seven other Gym Leaders would get very boring to read very quickly. As a general rule, we'll only be seeing David's Gym battles, and then we'll find out later if/when Bianca and Cheren win too. There will be some exceptions (Nimbasa for example), but consider that the general rule. You wouldn't want to read about David vs Lenora, and then read the same battle with Bianca's Pokemon and then again with Cheren's if Lenora's Pokemon aren't changing too. It's for the best.
Chronicles of Unova
Chapter 6: The Dragon's Skull
Part 2 of 2
“Hello, kids. Here for your Gym battle I take it?” Hawes asked them as they entered.
“You bet, Hawes! Is Lenora ready for us?” Bianca said excitedly.
“She should be. She’ll be in her private study in the back. Thank you ever so much for helping us get the Dragonite skull back yesterday by the way. Burgh explained what happened; that Plasma lot are, um… quite odd, to say the least.” he replied.
The three of them began to walk towards the back of the room, but Hawes stopped them. “Wait, wait! You can’t all go back at once. I’m sorry, I left out one detail. Lenora doesn’t like to be disturbed when she’s doing research work, so she set up a puzzle to get back to the Gym portion of the building. Only one of you may go at a time, and you may not tell the others how to solve the puzzle.” he said.
They looked at each other, surprised by this bit of news and trying to decide who would go first.
“Well, in Striaton, it was Cheren, then me, then David…” said Bianca, “…so here I guess it should be David, then me, then Cheren. Does that sound okay to you boys?” she continued.
“Fine with me.” David said, and Cheren mimicked the sentiment. David waved to his friends and began to walk to the back room. He left the museum’s large exhibition hall and walked into a darkened room with many bookshelves lining the walls. Ornate, crimson colored curtains hung from the ceilings and lined every wall. Many candles sat atop the bookshelves, giving the room an eerie, mystical feel to it. A young girl sat at a desk in the middle of the room, her feet resting upon it, reading to herself in the low light.
David cleared his throat and she looked up, surprised to see another person in her lair. She closed the book and sat up straight in the chair, taking off her glasses and looking at him. She put her hands together on the table and began to speak.
“Oh! Hello! I didn’t hear you come in. Take a seat, will you?” she said, pointing to a modest wooden chair opposite her. David sat down and she continued. “You are here to challenge Lenora, yes?” she said. David replied that he was and she smiled. “Good, good, always nice to get challengers. Mrs. Lenora is a very busy woman, and does not like to be disturbed when she is working, as I’m sure Hawes explained to you. She has instructed me to ask any challengers who come to the Gym a riddle, and only if they answer correctly may they proceed. You may have paper and a pencil if you wish, and can utilize any of the books in this room at your disposal. Are you ready?” she asked. David said that he was and she spoke.
“There is a muscle in your body that is perhaps the most important of any that you have. It is not made of flesh, and requires no proteins. It requires minimal effort to keep it in shape, but if you get lax and skip even a single day, it will wither away and die. We here at the museum cherish this muscle above all else, and strive to help people exercise it. What is the muscle?” she asked.
David sat staring at her, watching the smug look of satisfaction spread across her face. He had no idea what the answer to the riddle was, and knew the longer he took to answer, the worse he would end up looking. She stared back at him and pursed her lips, putting her feet on the table again and opening her book. She said calmly without looking up “Take all the time you need…”
David stood up and paced. He put his hand to his chin and thought, trying to figure out what she could be referring to. “A muscle that isn’t made of flesh? What does that even mean? If it isn’t made of flesh, how is it a muscle? And if you don’t exercise it every day it dies?! What the hell is she talking about?” he thought, worriedly. He decided to take her advice and look in one of the books. He took one off the shelf at random and opened it. He began to read quietly to himself, letting the words wash over him. It was a book on trains; their inner workings, how the coal was processed, their history and uses… it was all very boring to him and he knew he was just wasting time. He put the book back and continued pacing, trying to sort out the question with all his might.
Suddenly, just as hope was beginning to escape him, he heard Paula’s voice speak up in his head.
“Master, why do you not answer that girl?” she said.
“Because I don’t know what the answer is, Paula.” he replied.
“You don’t?!” she asked, shocked. “Are you trying to be funny, master? You are not very good at it like I am.”
David stopped and an angry expression spread across his face. He looked down at his waist and glared at her ball venomously.
“Master, do you really not know the answer to her riddle? What is a muscle which you use on a daily basis that is not made of flesh?” she repeated again.
“No, Paula, I don’t know. If you aren’t going to help, then just fu-” but she cut him off.
“Master, what am I using to communicate to you right now?!” she asked, sarcastically.
David looked up, a blank stare spread across his face. He smashed his outstretch palm across his face and hung his arms dejectedly.
“Paula… am I an idiot?” he asked.
“Only on Tuesdays, master. Only on Tuesdays.” she replied with a chuckle.
David walked back over to the table and sat down. The young woman set down her book and looked at him. “Do you have an answer, challenger?” she asked.
David nodded and looked her in the eye. “A muscle that is not made of flesh but is the most important in your body. The mind.” he said.
The bookshelves along the back wall began to slide away from each other as he said this, revealing a secret passageway behind the wall. They creaked as they slid, causing some of the books to fall from their shelves. David looked behind the girl and stared down the inky black passageway as candles sprung to life along the corridor, lighting the path. The girl nodded her head and went back to reading. David stood up and began down the passage, ready for his battle.
* * *
“Howdy, sugah. You solved my riddle I s’pose?” Lenora shouted as he entered the room. It was made entirely of stone, and was illuminated only by candlelight. It felt damp, almost like a dungeon. At the opposite side, Lenora stood behind her desk, hands on her hips and ready to battle.
“Took me a minute, but yeah, I got it.” David shouted back.
“Ol’e Burgh told me ‘bout what happened yesterday. Says you’re quite the trainer.” she said across the room. “I appreciate what’cha done for me and all, but I’d like to see the trainer what took down ten Plasma grunts with my ol’e Burghy. Show me.” she said determinedly.
She walked slowly down the steps to the arena and pulled out a Pokéball. She threw it into the field and a Herdier leapt out, baring its fangs and growling. David walked out to meet her and threw Paula’s Pokéball to meet the challenge. She sprung from the ball and pirouetted gracefully on the stone floor.
“Since you were such a sarcastic little brat, you get to go first.” David thought patronizingly.
“It was necessarily going to be either Munchlax or me, master. At a fifty-fifty chance, that’s not much of a threat.” she said and giggled.
“Herdier, use that ol’e Bite attack, baby!” Lenora shouted. Herdier sprang to life and caught Paula off guard, snapping at her neck and just barely missing. Paula Teleported away just in time to avoid its fangs, reappearing behind it; Herdier turned to face its adversary, growling menacingly.
“Paula, use Confusion!” David shouted. She focused her mind and launched the blast. Herdier took it head on and flew across the room, slamming into the wall and yelping. It fell to the ground, but stood up and shook off the disorientation, determined not to lose. Paula grinned, feeling confident about her ability to win. It was short lived however, as the Herdier sprang to attack.
“Herdier, use Take Down!” Lenora shouted. It leapt toward Paula, jumped on her and pinning her to the ground. Paula shrieked as it roared at her and bared its fangs, just inches away from her face. It stood over her, menacingly glaring and snarling, its Leer attack lowering her Defense stat. Just as it went to snap at her neck again, David shouted for her to use Magical Leaf. She shut her eyes tightly and focused. The storm of leaves flew down the corridor, smashing into Herdier from behind. It sent the pooch flying, freeing her from its grasp. She leapt up, breathing heavily and clearly quite shaken. The wave of leaves flung Herdier into the wall and it fell to the ground in a slump, unable to continue.
“That’s pretty good, sugah. That little lady of yours is quite the fighter. You’re up, 1-0.” Lenora shouted.
“Are you alright, Paula? That got pretty hairy.” David asked, concerned.
“We Kirlia are a dainty species!” she said angrily in a shrill voice. “Being manhandled so violently… I am still unharmed, just a little shaken is all, master.” she continued with contempt for her opponent dripping from her voice. She had a point though, David thought; technically, Lenora had yet to land a hit. Maybe he wouldn’t even need to use Munchlax…
Lenora released her last Pokémon, sending out a tall, proud Watchog. It stood high on its legs, sizing up the room and sniffing frantically. Paula Teleported to the middle of the field, ready to oppose it.
“Watchog, use Retaliate!” Lenora shouted. The Pokémon leapt toward Paula, launching a mighty blow. With her defenses lowered from the Leer attack, she never stood a chance. She was launched from her feet, flying through the air and knocking into David. He caught her, but the pair was knocked to the ground. Paula lay in his arms, dazed and confused. She could not continue the fight.
“Yeah-hah!” Lenora shouted. “That’s what I’m talkin’ about, baby! Retaliate’s power doubles the turn after a teammate faints, sugah; it’s all tied up now!”
“Are you okay, Paula?” David asked.
“I am very tired, master. My body aches and my consciousness is fading quickly. I will be fine this evening, but I can’t continue the fight. I’m… sorry...” she said, and dozed off. He squeezed her tighter, shutting his eyes, then returned her to her Pokéball. He stood up and walked back to his spot, ready to finish the battle.
“I have no choice; I’m going to have to use Munchlax. Good thing I caught him when I did…” David thought. He drew its Pokéball and threw it into the field. The little green Pokémon leapt out and shouted excitedly “Munch Munchlax!”
“Let’s finish this safely, sugah. Use Hypnosis, Watchog!” Lenora shouted. Her Pokémon’s eyes began to swirl and it waved its paws in front of it, staring menacingly at Munchlax. It moved rhythmically, lulling the Pokémon to sleep.
“Don’t look at it, Munchlax!” David shouted, but it was too late. Munchlax had fallen over on its back and was sound asleep, a content smile spread across its face.
“That’s good, sugah. Now hit it with your Low Kick!” Lenora shouted. Watchog sprang into action, rushing toward the little Pokémon and beating it unmercifully. Munchlax did not stir from its slumber, taking the hits like a champ but unable to defend itself.
“Munchlax, you’ve got to wake up! Wake up!” David shouted in desperation, but it was to no avail. “Wake up, you fat bastard!”
Munchlax had sustained quite a bit of damage, but was still fast asleep. Lenora prepared to use her final move. “Watchog, use your Tackle attack!” Watchog backed away from the sleeping form of Munchlax and backed up to its trainer. It braced itself against the wall and then began to charge towards Munchlax, ready to pounce.
“Munchlax! NO!” David shouted, desperately trying to wake his sleeping Pokémon. Watchog reached its target, took a flying leap, and prepared to slam down on its opponent, finishing it off. In a flash, Munchlax opened its eyes and grinned a Cheshire smile. It shouted an authoritative “Munch!” and opened its mouth wide. Watchog realized what it was doing and flailed in terror, trying to evade it, but it was useless; it had gained too much momentum in an attempt to make the blow more powerful, and couldn’t stop. Munchlax swallowed the enemy Pokémon whole and took a mighty bite down. The Watchog yelped in pain, taking the mighty Crunch attack full force. Munchlax continued to bite down, standing up and swinging it around. Munchlax spat it out, shooting it against the far wall. It slid to the ground, covered in drool and with a tired and disgusted look on its face.
“OH MY GOD, GO MUNCHLAX!!!” David shouted excitedly. “That was AWESOME!” he screamed. Munchlax turned to look at its trainer and winked, smiling a big grin and knowing it was about to win. David shouted for it to use Body Slam, and the little Pokémon began to charge. It scuttled as fast as its little legs would carry it toward the enemy Watchog, still laying in a slump on the ground, and leapt into the air. As Watchog stood itself up, a look of terror spread across its face. It tried to run, but couldn’t get away in time. Munchlax landed with a “plop!” on top of it, crushing it beneath its tremendous weight. Munchlax stood up a moment later, and inspected its impromptu cushion. Watchog was soundly defeated, giving victory to David and Munchlax.
“Yeah-hah, Munchlax, we did it!” David shouted. Munchlax ran back to its trainer and leapt into his arms. David struggled to lift the heavy tike, but managed it for a few seconds. He gently put Munchlax down beside him and the pair walked over to Lenora. She returned her Pokémon to its ball and began to slowly clap. A grin spread across her face and she congratulated the young victor, shaking his hand and patting him on the back.
“Well done, sugah, that was a great match. You’ve earned yourself this Basic Badge.” She said, walking back to her desk. She opened a drawer and took out a long, thin, purple badge. She handed it to David and smiled. David had won at the Nacrene City Gym!
* * *
David and his Pokémon were resting comfortably in the lobby of the Pokémon Center. Kirlia and Munchlax were playing keep-away with a little red ball, laughing and having fun. Whenever Munchlax would get near, Paula would Teleport away, giggling to herself as she went. Munchlax would then chase after her, grinning a big grin. David sat in one of the lounge chases, watching his Pokémon play and polishing his new badge. It gleamed in the light, reflecting his smile. Bianca came running into the lobby, holding a shiny new badge of her own above her head. Cheren strode in calmly behind her a moment later.
“David! Hey David! We did it, we both won too! We got our Basic Badges!” Bianca shouted. “Oh, Pachirisu did wonderful! Zuzu too!” she continued, spinning on her heels and plopping down into the chair beside him. She sat very low, almost on her back, and laughed. She held up her new badge and grinned a big grin. Cheren sat down next to her and put his feet up, showing David his badge too before putting it away in his bag. Cheren was much calmer about his win, but still wore a big smile.
“So how did Munchlax do? Did you have to use him?” Cheren asked, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.
“Munchlax kicked ass! He’s super strong. I’m really glad I decided to catch him; we would have been toast if I didn’t have him.” David replied.
“Cheren, are you ever going to catch a second Pokémon of your own?” Bianca asked. “I’ve got Pachirisu and Zubat and David’s got Paula and Munchlax; Eevee is strong and all, but shouldn’t you start looking to expand too?”
“I don’t want to just catch any old thing, Bianca. I’ll catch a Pokémon when it interests me and if it seems like it would be a benefit to my team. Until then, Eevee and I have run into no major snags.” Cheren replied. “That said, I’m looking forward to reaching the Desert Resort on Route 4 in a couple of weeks. There are a lot of rare and interesting Pokémon there.” he continued.
“That reminds me, Cheren, where is our next destination?” Bianca asked.
“Castelia City on the other side of Skyarrow Bridge. We’ll be battling that Burgh guy and his Bug types. We could actually see the city from where we were standing yesterday.” he replied.
“Hey yeah, that reminds me, what were you guys doing all that time?” David asked. “Burgh and I fought off like ten freakin’ Plasma grunts all on our own. When I walked up, you two were just standing there contemplating your navels.”
“We talked about some stuff… I dunno…” Cheren said. Bianca blushed, remembering her awkward little speech.
“So we’ll be heading out for Castelia City tomorrow then, eh?” David asked.
“I know I will be. You two Slowpokes are welcome to join me if you don’t slow me down.” Cheren said, rising to get a drink from the vending machine.
David looked back down at his happy Pokémon. Munchlax had just caught up to Paula and had taken the ball. He opened his mouth wide and swallowed it, eating the entire rubber orb in one gulp. Paula put a hand to her mouth in shock; Munchlax let out a little burp and laid down, falling asleep instantly. Paula giggled to herself and lay down next to him, cuddling up and resting too. David smiled to himself as his thoughts drifted to Castelia City and his Gym battle with Burgh. “Two down, six to go…” he thought.
1. You're doing a better job with Cheren. I can see that intelligent side of him coming out, without compromising your desire to have him be a bit childish. Keep up the good work! That little bit with Bianca was pretty nice too. Definitely a good scene for the two of them.
2. I like what you did with Lenora. Could have used some fine-tuning, but really, what can't? I wish Gamefreak had done that too.
Burgh was also a character you got pretty spot on. Maybe add a little bit more flamboyance to his character, and to his actions, and I think you'll be good. His discussion with David was also a nice touch to the story. It brought up some interesting points. I must say I side with Burgh on this issue, but that's the beauty of Black and White. Everything is about understanding other people's points of views, despite having your own. This was a good way of incorporating that into the story; I can't wait to see how you do it in later chapters.
One thing that gets me is that Gorm was able to fit a whole Dragonite head inside of his robe. And Burgh was able to carry it by himself. A little backstory why I say this, I read another piece of fiction that brought to my attention the weight that a real fossil would have. One person being able to carry, much less hide, the head on his own is a little out there. Not entirely your fault though; Gamefreak thinks it's wise to put a whole bicycle inside of a bag.
N also seemed a little too much. I don't know, it might be just me, but he seems a bit forced. You have childish down pat; but something about him doesn't quite click with me. But then again, maybe that was the point. haha.
Your battle scenes have improved! It was less like watching a Pokemon battle on my Battle Revolution game and more like watching a real battle now. The former isn't a bad thing, but the latter is much better. Keep at it! I was able to see some individuality between the two Pokemon used.
I liked the chapter. It was pretty good, and had some humorous parts in it. I also like that you didn't follow the game's way of getting a trainer through the gym. Your riddle was much better than the stuff in-game (although I don't know if little kids can solve that so it's fine for in-game). I also like how you did some research on all the important characters. Did a brief synopsis of that in the chapter; now we just have to wait and see what you do with them when they appear. Solid chapter, I can't wait to see more!
(I have a feeling that as your writing gets better, my reviews get less intelligent. That or I'm lazy, I'm not sure. We'll see next review. haha)
P.S. PM lists are kind of for you. hahha. I put my PM List in the OP so that when I post a new chapter, I can just go to OP and click on the names of people that I need to send the chapter to. It's totally up to you, and your convenience.
Burgh was also a character you got pretty spot on. Maybe add a little bit more flamboyance to his character, and to his actions, and I think you'll be good.
His discussion with David was also a nice touch to the story. It brought up some interesting points. I must say I side with Burgh on this issue, but that's the beauty of Black and White. Everything is about understanding other people's points of views, despite having your own. This was a good way of incorporating that into the story; I can't wait to see how you do it in later chapters.
...whoa... dude, you just blew my mind. Lol. I didn't even think about it like that. My mom watches HGTV a lot, and I wrote that section after watching the "final four" episode of their "Design Star" show with her. I was just feeling pissed at "artists" and what I had anticipated being a one to two paragraph exchange between them to add bulk and poke fun at artists ended up being a page and a half long dialog, lol.
One thing that gets me is that Gorm was able to fit a whole Dragonite head inside of his robe. And Burgh was able to carry it by himself. A little backstory why I say this, I read another piece of fiction that brought to my attention the weight that a real fossil would have. One person being able to carry, much less hide, the head on his own is a little out there. Not entirely your fault though; Gamefreak thinks it's wise to put a whole bicycle inside of a bag.
N also seemed a little too much. I don't know, it might be just me, but he seems a bit forced. You have childish down pat; but something about him doesn't quite click with me. But then again, maybe that was the point. haha.
I should probably explain about that. I read this Pokemon fan fiction comic called Black Adventures (see my signature), and N is a main character in it. He and the player (Black) are traveling around through a modified version of the vanilla game, but one of the big twists is that N is extremely gay and in love with Black, and at this point that has really colored my perception of the character. It's hard for me to write N straight now, but I'll try to rein him in.
That's also where the "mile long cleavage" comment about Bianca came from in Chapter 1. There was a strip that had come out right around the time that was written that takes place in Undella Town, and there's a scene where Bianca ("Bel" in Black Adventures) was bending over in a swimsuit. Many of the comments pointed out her... *ahem*... assets, and made for a very funny dialog between the readers in the comment section. As one of the comments read, "Bel has a mile of cleavage and I am completely okay with this." I wanted to repurpose that line, but it kinda just came out weird.
Anyway, glad to see you liked the chapter. I have orientations tomorrow and Friday, so the next chapter will hopefully be out some time Saturday. As it stands right now, the dialog is, imo, some of the best I've done; the battles scenes need a little polish right now though. Hope you guys will like it.
P.S. PM lists are kind of for you. hahha. I put my PM List in the OP so that when I post a new chapter, I can just go to OP and click on the names of people that I need to send the chapter to. It's totally up to you, and your convenience.
Okay, so there wasn't a whole lot to CH 5, but you really got the battles right. I commend you on that. Interesting going with the shiny Zubat, too. Classic Bianca, though I don't find the Shiny version to be cute at all. Bianca totally needs a bubblegum pink Crobat though. Just sayin'.
Part of me was a little off about the theft scene. On the one hand, I've been in elementaries, and there's nothing so scary as a pack fo kids swarming your knees. On the other, a dumbstruck robbery is not unheard of. Some Union soldiers walked off with a train during the Cuivil War, and the entire town stood there on the platform and watched it roll away...
Just my take on it. It's not bad, just not my cup of tea, I guess.
I know the others commented on Cheren being more intelligent, but I have an extreme urge to bash him upside the head with an encyclopedia britannica, to dumb him down a bit.
And, (John) Lennon and (Paul) McCartney and Bianca saying Hail Hail ROck and Roll is a cheep pun. We've hung for less than that...
---
Chapter 6.
Pre battle, and the last line of his, I'm in love with you're version of N.
I, um… oh… I uh… haven’t… caught any other… um… Pokémon…” David stammered, looking at the ground.
“Oh you haven’t?! How wonderful! I knew you were a good person, not wanting to keep the Pokémon trapped under our control. I like you even more, my friend. How about it then, will you battle me with Paula?” N said excitedly.
This, is classic. However, about the time he began the match, N turned about as mushy as a bowl of mashed potatoes in the rain. It was too sweet and "Goody Goody". Then again, so is he, but it lost soemthing in translation. Also, I think Tynamo have levitate, so he didn't have to beflopping on the ground like a Magikarp.
The Author's note being stuck in the middle of the page like that is kinda disruptive. Not that I iknow anything about R v. B anyway, so the reference is lost on me. Still, sticking it under a spoiler tag or putting it in an asterisks and sticking it on the bottom of this post is not a bad idea.
Lenora doesn't read right to me, but I think I like Burgh better than the anime. So, WIN! there.
“Only on Tuesdays, master. Only on Tuesdays.” she replied with a chuckle.
I think I want a Paula to call my very own. But I'd be afraid of my characters being a straight rip.
Munchlax:Eating his way to the Elite 4, one opponent at a time. Would that be a Spit-Up attack?
Oh, and this is by no means a deal-breaker, but I find the swearing a bit in poor taste. (as opposed to alternative expletives) Again, that's stylistic preferences, nothing more, but it did catch my attention, and this is a review. All the warningsare right, it's inline with SPPf's requirements, justmy personal preferences.
Now, for something a bit different. I'm gonna review... a review.
NACHOEI writes:
One thing that gets me is that Gorm was able to fit a whole Dragonite head inside of his robe. And Burgh was able to carry it by himself. A little backstory why I say this, I read another piece of fiction that brought to my attention the weight that a real fossil would have. One person being able to carry, much less hide, the head on his own is a little out there. Not entirely your fault though; Gamefreak thinks it's wise to put a whole bicycle inside of a bag.
On bycivcles, look at this: http://www.popsci.com/gear-amp-gadg...e-electric-bicycle-your-urban-commuting-needs There's your Bycicle-in-a-bag. Tables, chairs, tents, the kitchen sink, you'll have to talk to Fibber-Magee. The part I really wantewd to iscuss though, was the comment of the fossil's weight. Keep in mind, Dragonair can "fly" without wings, and those stumpy things on Dragonite's back ain't worth squat. I'm betting that the weight of a Dragonite's head is much less than a counterpart dinosaur of the same rough size, being of a lighterweight but tougher cartilidge/bone, so that flying is much easier. Or not.
And remember, we're talking about a seven foot tall fire, breathing, ice breathing, lighning summoning lizard with a two foot wingspan. At some point, science goes out the window with the baby and the bathwater...
EDIT: I'm still on the fence about PM lists, I'm used to the good old fashioned Subscriptions. It does get around the un-desired reviews and goes straight for the chaoter though.
David seems to have eally cooled down over Bianca. I mean, shouldn't he have felt something when Cheren and Bianca go one way, while he's stuck with a philosophoical gym leader romping through the forest? Or just little jealous of Cheren?
Hi everyone. This chapter is one of my favorites so far so I think I'll just let it speak for itself. The characters of Lennon and McCartney make a surprise return here, much sooner than I anticipated. At inception I did not plan on using them, but it was better with them than without so they were included. This chapter also ended up being just over the 50000 character limit and I had to cut around 3000 characters all told. It is almost exactly at the 50000 character limit now.
Here is Chapter 7. Enjoy.
Chronicles of Unova
Chapter 7: Adventures in Castelia City
“There it is, kids! Castelia City!”
David, Bianca and Cheren sat in the cab of a semi-truck, speeding along Skyarrow Bridge. They were heading quickly into Castelia City, driving through the famous bridge in light traffic. The city stood like a fortress, surrounded on all but the northern side by the ocean. Its high towers and skyscrapers seemed to jut straight out of the ground, rising proudly against the ocean swells. Five piers extended to the south, giving the city a footprint like a bear’s paw. It was the largest urban area in the world, rivaled only by Johto’s Goldenrod City and Unova’s own Nimbasa City. It was the hub of all trading and commerce in the civilized world, billions of dollars flowing through its businesses and corporate headquarters each year. It was the jewel of the Pokémon world.
Skyarrow Bridge was not without its own grandeur and splendor either though. The Unova region extended south from one unified landmass in the far north and split into three peninsulas: Eastern, Central and Western Unova. Their hometown of Nuvema Town was the southern-most city in Eastern Unova, and they had slowly been trekking north. Upon reaching Nacrene City, their journey began to turn and they started heading west into Central Unova, leaving the eastern peninsula behind. The peninsulas were connected by a network of six bridges: Western Unova was connected to Central Unova by the Driftveil Drawbridge in the south and Tubeline Bridge in the north; Central Unova was connected to Eastern Unova by the Route 10 Bridge in the extreme north, Village Bridge in the lower north, Marvelous Bridge in the center, and Skyarrow Bridge in the south. Their trek across Skyarrow would put them in the southernmost point of Central Unova: Castelia City. Of the six bridges, Skyarrow was the longest and most grand. It was a suspension bridge with two large spans spreading across the water. It stretched for miles, providing the easiest and most direct means of entering and exiting the city.
The sky was gray and had been threatening rain all day. In the distance, thunder and lightning lit up the sky, but for now the storm was still out at sea. The weather was chilly and the wind was brisk as the urban metropolis slowly changed from summer to autumn. The group arrived in the city and bade their new friend good-bye.
“Thanks for the ride, mister!” Bianca said as she hopped down from the cab.
“Oh, don’t’cha go mentioning it now, missy. I try to help out Pokémon trainers whenever I can. Reminds me o’ my own youth, hahaha!” the grizzled truck driver said with a hearty laugh. Bianca closed the door and waved as he drove off, honking his loud horn in acknowledgement.
“What a nice old man.” she said cheerily, turning to her friends.
“He kinda smelled like old fish…” Cheren said under his breath.
“Jesus, you could complain about anything, couldn’t you, Cheren?” Bianca replied.
“Someone could hand you that Lugia you always wanted on a silver platter and you’d complain it wasn’t gold.” David said, playing off Bianca’s lead and ribbing Cheren. Bianca laughed loudly. She seemed to be catching onto David’s meager advances at times lately; David worried that maybe he should rein it in, lest she suspect something. She never seemed to shy away though, so maybe this was a good sign. He was still unsure of what he fully thought of her though, let alone what she thought back. David longed for the days when Bianca was just another kid and he didn’t have to deal with this crap, even if there was a particularly large potential pot of gold at the end of this rainbow.
“Skyarrow Bridge has a pedestrian section, we could have walked. I just didn’t want to sit next to the Human Fish Warehouse for half an hour if I didn’t have to.” Cheren jabbed back.
“Yeah, okay, that’s cool, Cheren, you go ahead and walk across Skyarrow Bridge with that storm coming in. We’ll stay dry, thank you.” David said back.
“Whatever…” Cheren said, and began walking off through the city.
David and Bianca shot each other a smirk, laughed, and the two began following him.
* * *
The group walked through the busy city streets, droves of people walking alongside them; the people all seemed to have somewhere to be, someone to talk to and something to eat that was all much more important than anything anyone else beside them had to do. It was a striking difference from the humble country folk of Nacrene and Accumula. The group was being bumped and pushed with every step and could hardly stay together. They certainly couldn’t hear each other over the drone of the people, so Cheren motioned toward a restaurant they were passing and ducked into it.
“Man, what a bunch of self-important blowhards.” David said as they walked in. “I get businessmen being in a hurry if it is adversely affecting their company’s profit, but can we leave business in the businesses and act like real people if you’re just trying to get somewhere? I felt like I was about to get stabbed at any minute.” he continued.
“You’re one to talk, David!” Bianca said, laughing. “You’re a big guy and you spent all that time back in Nuvema Town learning how to actually fight when we were younger; you proved that back in the Dreamyard. I’m a blonde girl and half your weight. How do you think I felt?!” she continued, chuckling.
“What about me, Bianca? I’m not a girl.” Cheren said.
“You might as well be.” David replied under his breath.
“OOH BUUUURN!” Bianca said, doubling over laughing.
“Geeze, what is this, the pick-on-Cheren-hour?” Cheren said, folding his arms.
“Aww, are we hurting your widduh fweelings?” David said. “You want me to buy us some ice cweam?”
“One, screw you, but two, Castelia City is actually famous for its ice cream. They’ve got this restaurant called Castelia Cone that is known all around the world for its hand-churned ice cream. It’s said to even cure the wounds of Pokémon.” Cheren said back.
David cleared his throat and pointed up. Cheren stepped back onto the sidewalk and read the sign above the restaurant they had ducked into: “Castelia Cone”
“You know what? …I hate you guys…” Cheren said dejectedly. Bianca put her arm around David to support herself and laughed heartily. The group walked in and went to the counter to order.
* * *
Across the restaurant, two men sat with dejected looks on their faces. Small bowls of ice cream sat on the table between them, untouched and slowly melting. One of them reached for his spoon and fiddled with the flip of his frozen treat, but did not eat any. The other sighed.
“McCartney, we haven’t had a successful job in ages. Ever since those stupid kids stopped us back at the cave, it’s just been one failure after another. I still support the movement whole-heartedly and I’m committed to it, Pokémon should not be under the control of us humans, but I’m starting to wonder if maybe Team Plasma itself is what’s screwed up. The whole bureaucracy of it all…” Lennon said. He had a tired tone in his voice.
“I wouldn’t go that far, Lennon, I still think the organization is sound. But the movement’s never going to work if guys like us steal random Pokémon and set them free though. The power and influence the Sages wield is a valuable asset to our cause, but they never seem to use it. I’m still waiting for that one big strike to really get the ball rolling.” McCartney replied.
“Yeah, but I don’t think that’ll ever happen. The Sages seem pretty committed to the way things are going now. I guess it’s just up to us to keep stealing Pokémon and setting them fre- …oh Arceus…” he said, stopping his train of thought short.
“What? What is it?” his partner replied.
“Be cool, man, be cool. No sudden movements, but guess who just walked in?” Lennon asked.
“Lord Ghetsis?” McCartney answered excitedly.
“Ye- wait, what? No! Those kids, McCartney, the kids from Wellspring Cave! They just walked in and they’re at the counter!” Lennon replied, whispering under his breath.
“What?! They are?! What the hell are they doing here?!” McCartney stammered.
“Shh! Keep your voice down, damnit. Don’t blow our cover.” Lennon said. “Here, use this and see for yourself, carefully.” He slid a menu over to his partner and McCartney held it up in front of his face, looking slowly behind himself.
“I’ll be a Mankey’s uncle… it is them. What should we do?!” he whispered excitedly.
“I tell ya what we’re gonna do, McCartney, we’re going to lay low and not draw attention to ourselves. If those kids recognize us, they’ll let the whole damn city know. Let’s just stay cool and see what they do.” he replied.
The pair slouched in their seats and tried to act calm, blending into the crowded restaurant. Across the room, the group was just finishing ordering.
“And what would you like, miss?” the young woman behind the counter asked.
“Umm… I guess I’ll have the blueberry, please.” Bianca replied, putting a slender finger to her lips.
“You two go get us a table, I’ll get the tab.” David said, waving his friends away. Bianca and Cheren left and sat down, leaving David on his own.
“Hey uh, can you do something for me?” he said quietly to the server. “Can you make hers with two scoops? It’ll just be a little surprise.”
The young woman smiled and piled an extra ball of ice cream into the cone, filling it to the brim and then some. She slid the three cones into the tray and handed them to him as David put the money on the counter. David nodded a “thanks” and walked over to his friends.
“Alrighty, we’ve got the ball-of-crap flavored one for Cheren…” David said, handing one to Cheren.
“David, it’s chocolate, stop being a prick.” he replied angrily, but this only made Bianca laugh again.
“…the peanut butter cup one for me…” David said, setting his own cone down.
“…and the blueberry for Bianca.” he continued, handing the last one to Bianca and sitting down.
“Oh, wait… I think they made a mistake, David, this has two scoops.” Bianca said, concerned. “I thought I only ordered one.”
David smiled to himself and took a bite from his cone. A big smile spread across Bianca’s face as she realized what had happened. She looked down at her lap and blushed, muttering a small “thank you” under her breath. David didn’t speak, but his smirk grew bigger, continuing to stare at his ice cream. Cheren looked between his friends and sighed, taking a bite of his own. “Barf…” he said under his breath.
“David? Is that you?” they heard a man’s voice say from behind them. “Oh my gosh, it IS you! Hi!”
The group turned and saw the imposing figure of Burgh walking up with a young woman in tow. He pulled up a chair from an adjacent table and sat down.
“Hey buddy, how’s it going? Welcome to Castelia!” Burgh said excitedly. “I see you found our world famous Castelia Cone!”
“Oh, hey Burgh. Fancy running into you here. You remember Cheren and Bianca, right?” David said, shaking Burgh’s hand as he sat.
“Oh of course! How’s it going, kids?” he continued, still speaking excitedly.
“We’re fine, Burgh, thank you. How are you doing?” Cheren replied.
“Oh I’m just fabulous as always. I got all the inspiration I needed from my last trip to Nacrene thanks to you guys, and my painting is coming along super!” he replied. The girl he was with coughed politely and he turned to face her.
“Oh my gosh, I’m super sorry, I totally forgot! Everyone, this is Iris. She’s the apprentice of the Opelucid City Gym leader, Drayden. She’s here visiting me.” Burgh said.
The girl was dark skinned and had enormous purple hair. She had large eyes, but all her other features were comparatively small. She wore a tan gown with matching leggings and a large pink bow was tied around her skirt. She had a grin like David had only ever seen on Bianca before. She raised her outstretched hand and waved.
“Hiya guys, I’m Iris. Burgh was just showing me around town. I’m normally a bit of a jungle wild child back in Opelucid, so this big city is so new and exciting. I’ve only been in town a day and I’m already meeting lots of new people.” she said.
“So David, are you feeling excited for our Gym battle? We can do it later today if you want.” Burgh said.
“Wow, that’d be great, Burgh. The sooner the better I guess.” David replied.
“Oh this is going to be great! Three challengers in one day… I hope I’m stocked up on badges!” Burgh said.
“Gee, Burgh… you sure seem more… ‘energetic’ here than you did back in Nacrene.” Cheren said.
Burgh chuckled to himself loudly at the thought. “I go back to quiet little Nacrene to relax and get away from the big city. But when I’m here, it’s always ‘Go! Go! Go!’ You’re right though, I can be a little more open and loose when I’m here; Castelia is my home.” Burgh replied.
David and Cheren were finishing the last of their ice cream, but Bianca still had most of hers left. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and put it to her stomach, slouching.
“Oh man, I don’t know that I can finish all this. This ice cream is so rich.” she said.
“World famous local specialty!” Burgh piped up.
Bianca took out a Pokéball and opened it. Zubat flew out and landed on her shoulder, screeching happily and shining in the light.
“You want to help me finish this, Zuzu?” Bianca said, offering the rest to her Pokémon. The Zubat screeched with joy, slowly working away at the berries and cream before it.
“Oh wow, Bianca, that’s a really pretty Pokémon!” Iris said. “Where’d you find him?”
“I met him in Wellspring Cave. Cheren says his coloring makes him really rare and valuable.” Bianca replied, patting Zubat on the head. It was devouring the ice cream rapidly, happily digging deeper and deeper into the cone. The small group continued talking and fawning over Zubat, but across the room, Lennon and McCartney began to stir.
“Lennon, you see that?! That girl’s got a shiny!” McCartney whispered excitedly. “That’s got to be the rarest, most valuable Pokémon I’ve ever seen!”
“I know, can you believe it?! That poor creature shouldn’t be getting fed ice cream from that twink girl, it should be famous and getting treated like a celebrity! That’s the kind of Pokémon we need in Team Plasma.” Lennon replied.
“Are you thinkin’ what I’m thinkin’?” McCartney replied.
“Yeah, I sure am. Let’s get out of here and get our uniforms on.” Lennon replied. The pair rose and casually left the restaurant.
* * *
A while later, after they had finished their food, the group’s conversation again began to drift back to the Gym.
“Well, you guys want to go on over to the Gym now? We can have our battle right away!” Burgh said.
“Sure, that’d be great, Burgh. Oh, and hey Cheren?” David replied.
“Yeah?” Cheren said lazily.
“First dibs.” David shouted quickly.
Cheren leaned forward quickly and started to speak, but Bianca beat him to the punch. “Second dibs!” she shouted, laughing to herself at Cheren’s defeat. Cheren sat back in his chair, scowling at his friends and folding his arms. Burgh and Iris laughed and waved for them to follow them to the Gym.
Outside, Lennon and McCartney stood in the alley, waiting for them to pass. Lennon began to speak.
“Alright, McCartney, you know the plan, right? I make a distraction, you grab the Zubat, then we split up and hightail it back to the base, got it?” he said.
“Got it. We’ll complete our mission for the glory of Team Plasma!” McCartney shouted.
“Okay, okay, keep your voice down… here they come…” Lennon replied.
Thunder crackled as the group walked out of the restaurant and down the street; the storm was starting to come into port and strike the city. Zubat was still perched on Bianca’s shoulder, unaware of the danger. The pair moved into position and began their strike.
Lennon dashed in front of them and ran to the other side of the road. He picked up the lids off some trash cans and began beating them together loudly. When the group turned to look at him, McCartney ran up from behind. He put a hand over Bianca’s mouth, stifling a scream, and grabbed the Zubat. A bolt of thunder boomed as he took off, illuminating the street in a blinding flash. He shoved her and began to run down the street, deeper into the city center. Lennon dropped his lids and started to run the other way, toward the wharves and down the adjacent street. Bianca fell into David just in time for him to turn and catch her. He helped her back up, realized what had happened, and took off after McCartney. The rest of the group took off after him a second later.
McCartney ran as fast as he could, holding his new treasure tightly. Zubat struggled to get free but couldn’t. It bit down into McCartney’s gloved hands and he winced.
“Zubat, hey, stop that! I’m trying to help you!” he said under his breath.
“STOP! THIEF!” David shouted, chasing after him. The people he passed in the streets heard him and turned to look, but none heard in time to stop McCartney as he ran. The throngs of people eventually became too great and David lost sight of him, unable to catch up. David kicked at the ground frustrated and waited for his friends to catch up.
“David, what happened? Where’d he go?” Burgh shouted as they ran up.
“Lost. The crowd was too thick and he got away… this Goddamn city and its self-important bastard citizens…” he said as he sat down on the corner. He was mad at the crowds for slowing him down, but he was more upset at himself for not being able to push through them. He had let Bianca down…
“David, you did your best. Thank you for what you did. None of us even realized what had happened by the time you took off after him.” Bianca said, kneeling next to him and putting her arm around him. He looked at her, her concerned face frowning a terrible frown. Tiny tears began to well up in her eyes and he turned away. Sad over losing Zubat or sad over how he felt, he didn’t know nor care the reason why; he just knew he never wanted to see that look on her face again. He shook off her arm and stood up, putting his hands in his pockets and turning away. The group grew somber, the crowds of people continuing to swarm around them, unaware of their plight. Above them, the thunderstorm had reached the city and it began to rain. The downpour was instant and heavy, drenching them as they stood in silence. They were lost like spirits in the uncaring and soulless city.
* * *
McCartney ran with all his might. He pushed onward to the Team Plasma base, trying to put the pain Zubat was inflicting to his hand out of his mind. The crowds began to thin as he went deeper into the city, and he looked around to make sure he wasn’t being followed. He wasn’t, so he slowed to a walk, casually strolling through the city, looking for the base. Suddenly, he heard a voice speak from behind him.
“McCartney.” Lennon said.
“Wah! Geeze, Lennon! Don’t scare me like that!” McCartney said, almost jumping out of his skin. “You’re gonna give me a heart attack.”
“Sorry. Come on; let’s get out of the rain. The HQ is right up ahead.” Lennon replied.
They continued walking down the street, trying to stay in the shadows so their uniforms wouldn’t give them away. A handful of the people they passed turned their heads, but none stopped them. They eventually came to an office building, completely ordinary and like any other, and went inside. They walked up to the counter and spoke to the receptionist there.
“We need to speak to a superior. Is there anyone here who can receive us?” Lennon asked her.
She pressed a button on her desk phone and began to speak into it.
“I need a supervisor in the lobby, please. Official request.” she said. She waited for a reply and then continued. “Yeah, hey Ben, this is Mary down in the lobby. I’ve got a couple of guys here who need a supervisor. Can you send someone down? …he’s what? …he’s here? …oh definitely, he’d be great. Thanks.” She hung up the phone and turned to look at the grunts.
“Looks like you two are in luck. Bronius of the Seven Sages is here and will be coming down shortly to receive your request. I hope you guys have something important to show him…” she said, turning back to her computer.
Lennon and McCartney turned to look at each other, smiles creeping along their faces. They thanked her and sat down in the lobby.
“We just scored a shiny Pokémon and we’re about to give it to one of the Seven Sages?!” McCartney said excitedly, still holding the tired Zubat. “Lennon my boy, I think our luck is about to change.”
A few moments later, the elevator doors opened and an elderly man stepped out. He was dressed much like Gorm had been in Pinwheel Forest. As he stepped out of the elevator, all the grunts bowed their heads and turned to face him. He approached Lennon and McCartney and began to speak.
“You have something to report, noble operatives?” he said in a booming voice.
“We do indeed, my lord. We have liberated this, a shiny Zubat, from an incompetent trainer here in town. We present it to you to determine how we shall proceed.” McCartney said, presenting the Pokémon to Bronius.
Bronius adjusted his spectacles and looked at the tired Pokémon. It had been fighting to break McCartney’s grip the entire time and was too worn out now to fly away. He shone in the bright lighting of the room, its mossy green body complementing its fleshy pink wings. A bolt of lightning struck as Bronius began to speak.
“You have done well, my servant. Team Plasma thanks you, this newly freed Pokémon thanks you, and soon, the world shall thank you. You both shall be promoted at once for this.” he said.
Lennon and McCartney turned to look at each other, grinning huge grins. Maybe their luck really was changing…
* * *
The group walked down the street in silence, reaching the Castelia City Gym at last. They looked up at its splendor through the rain but felt nothing. It was a beautiful building with a façade of stain glass artwork Burgh had designed, but to the depressed group, it was just another soulless building.
“This is such a bummer… I don’t even feel like battling anymore…” Burgh said, dejectedly.
“I don’t even think I can anymore, Burgh. I was counting on Zuzu’s Flying type attacks to beat you. I don’t know that I can do it with just Pachirisu.” said Bianca, tears welling up in her eyes again. She was soaking wet from the downpour and frozen to the bone.
“It’s alright, sweetie, I’ll battle you any time you’re ready.” said Burgh sympathetically. David felt sick; he must care about her more than he thought to be so emotionally invested though, it occurred to him. As they stood in the rain talking, David looked down the street and saw something. It must have been a hundred feet away, his vision obscured by the heavy rain, but he still saw perfectly clearly. He could feel his rage building as he looked on.
“What is it, David?” said Burgh, noticing David’s stare. David stood still, the rage rising up within him. He shook in fury; he clenched his fists, grit his teeth, and took off running headlong at what he saw.
“David, where are you going?!” Burgh shouted in shock.
David was tall and could take massive strides when he needed to. He ran as fast as he could, taking three to four foot steps with each push. The cold air stung his eyes, the rain drenched his clothing, freezing him to the bone, but he didn’t care and kept running. The man he had spied saw him coming and doubled back in shock. David drew near and leapt into the air; he brought his fists up and then launched the blow with all his might. His knuckles struck the man squarely in the jaw, knocking him to the ground and landing in a puddle. He was dressed in the garb of a Team Plasma grunt. As David landed, two more ran out from inside. David pivoted to face the new enemies and threw himself at the nearest one. He grabbed the man with both hands by the collar and pinned him to the wall.
“WHERE ARE THEY, YOU SCUMBAG?! WHERE ARE YOUR STUPID GODDAMN FRIENDS WHO STOLE HER POKÈMON?!” David shouted at the man. He tried to struggle free but could not break David’s iron grip.
David caught a glimpse of the other man coming towards him out of the corner of his eye and spun away. The Plasma grunt threw his arm toward David in a loose and uncontrolled punch, but David had moved and the man fell over himself from the momentum of the clumsy strike. He fell into his partner, knocking them both to the ground.
“David, what are you doing?!” Burgh yelled as the rest of them ran up.
“They’re Plasma grunts! They’re all in here!” David shouted. His friends quickly understood what was happening.
Inside the building, Bronius was congratulating Lennon and McCartney on their work. Seeing the scuffle outside, the pair ran out to see what was happening. They stepped into the street and saw three of their comrades laying on the ground in defeat. David turned to face them and recognized their faces.
“YOU TWO!” he shouted. “YOU’RE THE ONES WHO STOLE IT!”
Lennon and McCartney looked at each other in surprise and terror and instinctively drew their Pokémon. They threw out Trubbish and Boldore, as Lennon’s Roggenrola had evolved, and the Pokémon stood ready to defend them.
Burgh and Iris began to draw their Pokéballs but David had already gotten Munchlax out. He shouted to it, “Munchlax, use Earthquake!”
It leapt into the air and crashed back down with tremendous strength. The ground shook and did terrific damage to both of the opposing Pokémon, the Ground type Earthquake being very effective against both the Rock and Poison type opponents. McCartney’s Trubbish was knocked out instantly, but Boldore’s Sturdy body let it withstand the hit. It stood, barely, and awaited its trainer’s command.
“Ack! No! Boldore, use Rock Blast!” Lennon shouted. It launched the flurry of stones towards Munchlax, but he was as enraged as David, fired up by his trainer’s passion, and dodged each one with grace atypical of his species. David ordered it to use Body Slam and it leapt into the air, landing on the opposing Boldore and KOing it. Lennon and McCartney both took steps back, unable to defend themselves a mere minute after they had put themselves into harm’s way.
David ran up to Lennon and grabbed him by the collar. He pinned him against the wall and shouted again “Where is it, you scumbag?! What have you done with Zubat?!” Before Lennon could answer though, he heard a voice speak from inside the building.
“That will be quite enough of that, young man. There will be no need for further violence. Come inside out of the rain at once and we’ll discuss this like civilized adults.” said the man. David turned, rage burning in his eyes, to see who would dare interrupt him at a time like this, and was taken aback by what he saw. Standing in the doorway, calmly staring at him with contempt and smug superiority, was Ghetsis himself. Ghetsis turned and slowly walked back into the building.
David released his grip on Lennon and backed away, still glaring at him. The pair nervously gathered their fallen comrades out of the rain and followed Ghetsis. The whole group, including Burgh, Iris, Bianca and Cheren, walked into the lobby and faced off.
“Well, young man, something has certainly sent you into a veritable tizzy. You physically attack three of my men and harm the Pokémon of two more in front of our headquarters?” Ghetsis asked him. “What have we done to deserve such behavior?”
“Tell me, Ghetsis…” David spat with contempt, “…is stealing Pokémon from girls and then feigning innocence the ‘civilized adult’ thing to do?”
The guards all moved angrily and uneasily towards him upon such brash use of their lord’s name, but Ghetsis silenced them and smiled.
“We do not ‘steal’ like common petty thieves, my boy, we liberate Pokémon from those who cannot properly care for them. Your friend…” pointing to Bianca, “…could not possibly take proper care of such a rare Pokémon as this.” Ghetsis said, motioning to a grunt. The guard stepped forward, holding the unconscious Zubat in his outstretched hands.
“Zuzu!” Bianca shouted, but Iris put a hand on her shoulder and stopped her.
“And what makes you think you can decide who is and isn’t capable of raising a Pokémon?!” David shouted in rage. “What makes you the arbitrary judges of whether a Pokémon is happier with its trainer or in the wild? What makes you above the law to say your stealing is different than that of ‘petty thieves?’” he continued. The venom and rage dripped from his voice and it reverberated around the room, bouncing off the walls and echoing.
“My boy, I remember you from the speech I gave in Accumula Town a few weeks ago. Don’t you remember my words from that day? We of Team Plasma seek to create a better world for the Pokémon of this planet; one that is free of the tyranny and oppression of humans. As the old adage goes, ‘you can’t make an omelet without breaking a few eggs.’” Ghetsis replied.
David started to speak again but Burgh spoke up before he could say anything. He stepped forward calmly, putting a hand on David’s shoulder and said “If I may… I’d like to interject something here.”
David lowered his shoulders and Burgh nodded to him. He continued, “I was there that day in Accumula Town too. I was visiting friends and just happened to be passing through the park during your speech. I did listen to your words and I took them to heart. Your speech moved me and it made me reconsider my relationship with my Pokémon friends. But I didn’t reach the same conclusion as you; in fact, I reached quite the opposite. You asked what our responsibilities to these wondrous creatures was, and while you drew the conclusion that it was liberation due to our own shortcomings, I drew that it was to better ourselves and make an existence with humans better for the Pokémon. I vowed to be better than I already was to my Pokémon partners, and I have already seen results. If you have a machine and a piece isn’t working, you don’t take that piece out of the machine and hope the system as a whole still works; you try and fix that part of the machine and understand that all the pieces work together for the greater good.” he said.
Burgh stepped back and stared at Ghetsis, a look of hope and sympathy spread across his face. Ghetsis lowered his head and stroked his beard, considering the Gym leader’s words. After a moment of silence, he began to speak and pace.
“In my attempts to create the world for Pokémon that I seek, I brought together many of the brightest minds of our time. I crafted my council of elders, the ‘Seven Sages of Team Plasma.’ These men represent the best and brightest of our organization and help me to attain that end goal.” he said. “I respect people with intelligence, although, perhaps in hindsight, putting our headquarters just down the street from a Pokémon Gym was an unintelligent thing to do…” he said, shooting a look at Bronius. Bronius put his hands beneath his cloak and looked to the ground in embarrassment. Ghetsis continued, “…putting that aside, however, you have demonstrated good intelligence and reasoning here today, Gym leader, and I respect you for it. Though I still agree with my original conclusion, I can understand how you drew yours. As a sign of goodwill towards you, I will return the stolen Pokémon.”
Ghetsis indicated to the grunt holding Zubat to move forward and give it back to Bianca. Lennon and McCartney stood dumbstruck as they watched their golden ticket to success slip away. The grunt was apprehensive, but gave the little bat back to its trainer. Bianca stepped forward and timidly took her Pokémon back, mumbling a frightened “T-t-thank you…” as she received him.
Ghetsis closed his eye and smiled. He continued to speak. “Although I recognize you as an intelligent adversary, you are still just that: an adversary. Do not think for a moment this will change my views on our end goal; I still seek to create that perfect world for Pokémon, void of any human control. But I recognize now that brute force…” looking at David, “… is not the way to achieve it. Team Plasma operatives shall no longer steal Pokémon from trainers in an attempt to liberate them, so I decree. Instead, we must focus on changing the hearts and minds of trainers around the world, and convincing them to willingly release their Pokémon. We have a difficult task ahead of us, but with intelligent and reasoning people in the world like you, Mr. Burgh, I know we will be successful.”
As he finished his statement, he looked at the receptionist across the room and mouthed something to her. She saw his gesture and flipped a switch on her desk. The lights began to dim and smoke began to pour into the room.
“I’m afraid we must take our leave now, Gym leader. This headquarters shall be sold and we shall never return to it again. It was foolhardy to move in here in the first place, but true stupidity would be to stay once we have recognized that mistake. You have won this battle, and I congratulate you for it, but we shall win the war.” Ghetsis said calmly. By the time he had finished, the room was flooded in complete darkness and the smoke cover was very thick. They couldn’t see anything and choked on the noxious fumes. When the lights came back on and the smoke had cleared, all the Plasma members were gone.
David stood, his fists and teeth still clenched. They had gotten Bianca’s Pokémon back, but Ghetsis had made a fool of him in front of her. He vowed he would stop Team Plasma some day, once and for all.
“Well…” Burgh said with a sigh, trailing off.
Outside, the rain was letting up and they began to walk silently back to the Gym. The sun was beginning to shine through the gray clouds, illuminating the city. It sparkled in the light, a glittering jewel of a city, but all that glitters is not gold. They prepared themselves for their Gym challenges and entered the building.
* * *
“This will be a 1-on-1 Pokémon battle between David of Nuvema Town, the challenger, and Burgh of Nacrene City, the Castelia City Gym Leader.” Iris shouted. “Each trainer will be allowed two Pokémon. I will be the judge of this match, and shall determine when a Pokémon is unable to continue. Everybody ready?” she continued, smiling during the last sentence. Burgh and David nodded, and the battle began.
“Whirlipede, come out, my friend!” Burgh shouted. He threw his Pokéball into the field and a massive Whirlipede came out, landing on the ground with a resounding “thud!” It screeched menacingly and stared at David, rolling gently back and forth in anticipation.
“Are you ready to go, Paula?” David thought to himself.
“Yes, master.” she replied calmly. He took her Pokéball from his hip and threw it into the air to oppose the Whirlipede. She landed gracefully, singing a beautiful, clear note as she landed.
“This should be a good matchup.” Cheren commented to Bianca. “Whirlipede’s Bug type attacks will be very effective against Kirlia since she’s a Psychic type, but Kirlia’s Psychic type attacks will be equally effective against Whirlipede since it is part Poison. They both have a type advantage over each other.” The Pokémon stood, sizing each other up, and waiting for their trainers to call out commands.
“Paula, use Double Team!” David shouted. Paula sprang into action, creating many illusory copies of herself and surrounding the Whirlipede. It calmly stood still and looked around itself, sizing up the fakes and trying to determine the real one. The copies all closed their eyes and began to hum, concentrating and calming themselves in preparation to attack.
“Whirlipede, use your Screech!” Burgh shouted. Whirlipede took in a large breath and began to cry, emitting a deafening whine. The copies all grasped their ears and slowly began to fade as Paula’s concentration broke. Eventually they all faded from view and the real Paula appeared, standing just to the side of the massive bug. Her Defense stat had been lowered and she was vulnerable to attack.
“Excellent, now use Bug Bite!” Burgh commanded. The Whirlipede bared its fangs and leapt to attack. Paula shook off the disorientation from the Screech but stumbled as she saw it jumping towards her.
“Paula, get out of there! Teleport!” David shouted. She shut her eyes tightly and vanished just as the enemy Pokémon landed where she had been. Whirlipede ate the dust and shook off the recoil as she appeared behind it; it turned for another strike, now facing its opponent on even footing. David commanded for Paula to use Confusion and the two forces met each other in midair. The giant bug was sailing through the air, baring its fangs and hissing menacingly at Paula as it moved in to strike; the blast from Confusion flew out from Paula’s body, rushing to meet its foe and protect her from the attack. When the two forces met, a massive explosion sent dust and debris flying; David and Burgh had to shield their eyes, unable to see the outcome of the struggle. When the dust settled, both Pokémon lay on the ground, unable to continue the fight.
Iris spoke up, “Both Pokémon are unable to continue. The score is 1-1, with each trainer having one remaining Pokémon. The battle will be decided by the next round.”
“Are you alright, Paula?” David thought, but she was already gone. He returned her to her Pokéball and refocused himself back on the fight. He drew Munchlax’s Pokéball and sent it flying out to the field.
“Munchlax, go!” David shouted. Burgh responded with his final Pokémon a moment later.
“Leavanny, please help me, my old friend!” he shouted. A tall, limber Leavanny leapt from the ball and struck a fighting position opposite David on the field. It brought its blade-like arms to bear and slashed them down powerfully and defiantly, breaking the air as they went. Iris looked at the two trainers to make sure they were prepared and then shouted for the match to begin.
“Leavanny, use your String Shot!” Burgh commanded. Leavanny shot a thin, sticky string from its mouth toward Munchlax. It coated the little Pokémon, immobilizing it as it struggled to break free. Munchlax wriggled desperately, but couldn’t break the bonds. It slowed Munchlax down considerably and prevented the use of his arms.
“Munchlax, try a Body Slam!” David shouted. Munchlax scuttled along, waddling more so than usual without the use of its arms to steady it, and leapt into the air towards Leavanny. The foe’s Leavanny was much too quick for the slow little Pokémon now though and it nimbly sidestepped, Munchlax landing like a sack of bricks to the ground. Munchlax rolled itself over and tried to stand, but couldn’t. It was stuck on its back, helpless.
“Leavanny, use Slash.” Burgh said calmly. Leavanny struck quickly and decisively, swiping at Munchlax’s confined body. David ordered for Munchlax to hit back with Crunch, but snap as he might, he couldn’t bring his neck up far enough to reach the Leavanny’s body.
Leavanny got careless and let its tail get too close to Munchlax’s snapping mouth. It took a mighty bite down and snapped at its hanging tail. Leavanny hissed in pain, rearing back and glaring at the still bound Pokémon lying on the ground. Burgh ordered it to finish Munchlax off with Bug Bite and it flew towards its opponent, passion burning in its eyes.
David began to call out a command to his Pokémon, but he realized Munchlax was doing something on its own; a red energy was slowly starting to glow from beneath Munchlax’s bonds, smoking and burning away at them. David recognized Munchlax had a plan and shouted out to it.
“Munchlax, it’s up to you!” he yelled. As the Leavanny drew close, Munchlax burst free from its bonds, breaking them with a mighty Fire Punch. It let Leavanny come and smashed into it with its inflamed fist. The Grass/Bug type Pokémon was sent flying back, taking severe damage from the flaming blow and landing with a resounding “thud!” Munchlax had revealed that it knew Fire Punch!
Leavanny struggled to rise, but couldn’t. Burgh called out to it, but it was to no avail. Leavanny lifted its head slightly off the ground, trembled, and then fell back down, unable to continue. Iris called out “Leavanny is unable to battle. Munchlax and David are the winners!”
Munchlax seared off the rest of its bonds and ran toward David, arms held wide. David bent down, not wanting to repeat his mistake from the Nacrene Gym and try to lift the heavy tike, and embraced his Pokémon on the ground. He took a handful of kernels of food from his bag and threw them into the air. Munchlax opened his mouth wide and caught each of them, chewing happily to itself and shouting an excited “Munch!”
Burgh recalled his Pokémon with a smile on his face and walked out to meet David on the field. The trainers shook hands and Burgh congratulated him. “You have done, excellent, my friend. You have proven that you are both an excellent battler, and a kindhearted lover.” Burgh said.
“A what?!” David said, shocked by the last thing Burgh had called him. Burgh laughed and simply said “You don’t hide it well. She knows.” David blushed and looked at Bianca. She didn’t appear to have heard what Burgh had said and was clapping for her friend along with Cheren. David looked back to Burgh and smiled. David had won at the Castelia City Gym!
* * *
Later that night, David was lying on his bed in the Pokémon Center, trying to rest. Cheren and Bianca had gone on to win their battles too, each earning their Insect Badges from Burgh. Bianca had managed to sweep Burgh using Zubat’s powerful Wing Attack to make short work of his Bug types; Cheren had skillfully employed Eevee’s raw power and speed with advantageous timing of Wish to secure their victory. They were all up to 3 badges out of 8 at this point; they were making excellent progress.
David lay on top of his bed, staring up at the ceiling. He couldn’t sleep though and looked at the clock: 10:30pm. He slipped into his shoes and took Paula’s Pokéball off the nightstand. He released her from it and she popped out.
“Hey, Paula. I’m going to go for a walk, you want to come?”
“Certainly, master. I love spending time with you.” she replied cheerily. The pair left the Pokémon Center quietly, heading into the damp evening streets.
The roads were still wet from the storm earlier in the day. The streets were, for the most part, empty now that the sun had set; a stark contrast from earlier in the day when the crowds were so thick you couldn’t even walk through them. David grumbled under his breath at this fact as Paula walked alongside him. The pair walked without a direction, aimlessly going wherever their legs carried them. The crisp air felt nice and stimulated the mind. They eventually reached a very narrow street in the heart of the city and went down it.
It was practically an alleyway, too narrow to fit a car down and with very few shops along its sidewalks. A flickering neon sign hung from one of the doors. It was flashing slowly in alternating colors, and one of the letters was partially burned out. David stopped and read it: “Café Sonata.” The pair entered and a bell chimed softly as he opened the door.
The smoky lounge was almost empty. It had old hardwood floors and wood paneling along the walls. Shag carpeting covered one corner, flanked by a couple of old, worn sofas. Cigarette smoke drifted lazily through the air, and the smell of cheap beer and sweat filled the room. A few scattered patrons sat in one corner, drinking quietly to themselves and listening to a man gently strum his guitar from a barstool. The bartender stood behind the counter cleaning a dirty glass with an old rag, a haggard expression in his eyes. David stepped in and walked over to him.
“Hey, um… I’m not 21. Is it okay for me to be in here?” he asked.
“You see anyone who’ll stop you?” the bartender responded in a disinterested tone. David took a seat at the bar, Kirlia levitating up to the seat next to him on the left. David looked to his right and saw a man seated a few rows down from him, face down on the counter and loosely gripping a bottle. He was drunk, passed out and fast asleep in his seat. David shook his head and turned back to the bartender.
“I can’t drink yet. Can I just have a bottle of Quinine water?” David asked. The bartender rolled his eyes and fetched David his drink, setting it down gently on the clean bar. David asked Paula if she wanted anything but she replied that she didn’t.
David took his glass off the counter and turned around, looking into the empty room. He took a sip from his drink and sighed, looking at all the sadness around him. He spied a large, well worn grande piano sitting on a rug, unattended and with the lid closed. He took another sip as he looked at it.
“Does anyone ever play that piano, sir?” he asked the bartender.
“Nah… that poor thing hasn’t been played in years.” the bartender replied, not looking up from his glass. His rag was filthy and he wasn’t really making the glass any cleaner, but he kept it up out of boredom. He continued, “I keep it tuned though. Couldn’t tell ya why.”
David took another sip from his drink as the guitarist in the corner finished his quiet song. He packed his guitar away in its case and left the bar. David turned back around to the bartender.
“Do you mind if I play it for a while? I used to play when I was younger.” David asked.
“Knock yourself out, kid. You can even collect tips if you’re any good.” he replied.
David finished his drink and set the glass down on the counter. Paula put her hand in his and he helped her down from her high seat as he walked over to it. He sat down and opened the lid, inspecting the well worn keys. They were chipped and scratched, a thick layer of dust on them, but they all still appeared to work. Paula teleported herself up on top of the long back and lay down on her side with her knee bent upwards like an old film actress from the ‘20s. She sang beautiful, clear notes along with the melody David played when he began.
David pressed one of the keys and it made a sound: C#. He checked the pedals, making sure they still worked too. Satisfied it was all in working order, he began to play quietly to himself.
♫ Hey Bianca, tell me what I ought to think.
Am I all that you deserve? I’m standing on the brink.
Your innocence, do you or do you not know?
The smile I see on your lips, is it just there for show?
I do my best to stay the course, hoping you will see.
But it takes just too much force now, you mean that much to me.
Hey Bianca, is this what I ought to think?
Should I tell you what I feel? This undying love… ♫
David finished his song and closed the lid. He looked up at Paula, still lying on top of the aged old piano. She smiled at him warmly. He heard a slow clapping come from across the room and he looked up to see someone standing in the doorway. She stood with her feet together, quietly clapping for his little piece. He blushed when he realized who it was: Bianca.
She stopped clapping and slowly walked up to him. She sat next to him on the bench and put her hand on top of his on the keys. She turned to look at him, staring straight into his eyes. Her big, bright blue eyes shone in the dim light of the bar, and she wore a calm smile on her lips.
“That was really nice, David.” she said calmly. David muttered a thanks and she smiled bigger. She put her arm around his back and continued, resting her cheek on his shoulder.
“I just wanted to thank you for what you did today. I can’t imagine what it would be like to lose my little Zuzu for good. You took off after that man before the rest of us had even realized what had happened. And then at the headquarters, you attacked those men so fiercely, you were trying to protect Zuzu and I. That was the sweetest thing anyone’s ever done for me. Thank you.” she said sweetly.
She stared into his eyes for a few more seconds after saying this. David could feel a cold sweat break on his brow, and he could feel himself getting warm. Bianca smiled again, then leaned in and kissed him softly on the cheek.
“Thank you again.” she said quietly and stood up, leaving the bar.
David sat there in shock for several more minutes, staring off into space at the door. Paula quietly watched him, a small smile spread across her face. Eventually, David turned to look at her. She gracefully rose, stretched, and levitated off the piano. She walked over to him and sat down next to him on the bench. She rested her head on his side and he put his arm around her. The two of them sat there until closing time, thinking calmly to themselves.
“McCartney, we haven’t had a successful job in ages. Ever since those stupid kids stopped us back at the cave, it’s just been one failure after another. I still support the movement whole-heartedly and I’m committed to it, Pokémon should not be under the control of us humans, but I’m starting to wonder if maybe Team Plasma itself is what’s screwed up. The whole bureaucracy of it all…” Lennon said. He had a tired tone in his voice.
“I wouldn’t go that far, Lennon, I still think the organization is sound. But the movement’s never going to work if guys like us steal random Pokémon and set them free though. The power and influence the Sages wield is a valuable asset to our cause, but they never seem to use it. I’m still waiting for that one big strike to really get the ball rolling.” McCartney replied.
I like these guys. Reminds me of the members debating their loyalty, and these two are soem of the best personified grunts out there. Rock on. I may have to steal these guys, who knows, I'm no where near that point.
“David, it’s chocolate, stop being a prick.” he replied angrily, but this only made Bianca laugh again.
Chocolate is crap? Them's fightin' words. Paula, SIC Em'!
avid finished his song and closed the lid. He looked up at Paula, still lying on top of the aged old piano. She smiled at him warmly. He heard a slow clapping come from across the room and he looked up to see someone standing in the doorway. She stood with her feet together, quietly clapping for his little piece. He blushed when he realized who it was: Bianca.
She stopped clapping and slowly walked up to him. She sat next to him on the bench and put her hand on top of his on the keys. She turned to look at him, staring straight into his eyes. Her big, bright blue eyes shone in the dim light of the bar, and she wore a calm smile on her lips.
“That was really nice, David.” she said calmly. David muttered a thanks and she smiled bigger. She put her arm around his back and continued, resting her cheek on his shoulder.
“I just wanted to thank you for what you did today. I can’t imagine what it would be like to lose my little Zuzu for good. You took off after that man before the rest of us had even realized what had happened. And then at the headquarters, you attacked those men so fiercely, you were trying to protect Zuzu and I. That was the sweetest thing anyone’s ever done for me. Thank you.” she said sweetly.
She stared into his eyes for a few more seconds after saying this. David could feel a cold sweat break on his brow, and he could feel himself getting warm. Bianca smiled again, then leaned in and kissed him softly on the cheek.
Cute use for that bar, I love it. Felt a bit randomly placed though.
Also, a very solid gym battle. A bit short, I would think (not for the games, but for a realistic battle) but very well done, and as others have said, kudos on not making it a knockout skunking.
Ok. I have to say this before I start continuing. Green Day and Beatles references? You, sir, have a very good music pool. At least to NACHOE! standards.
So, onto the review! Sorry it's a bit late; I've been busy this three-day weekend (hooray for having a job).
I like your geographical description. The way you described the Unova region was actually a really cool way of putting it. Instead of just telling people "this is the map, we go here, here, and here and they all are just there", you explain how everything is connected, and why you go where and such. I don't know if it make sense, but I just like how you described Unova geographically. Most people ignore its geography and just trekk along. (sheepish; my fic does that too. whoops.)
Cheren's personality is coming along nicely. That whole part where they're talking amongst each other actually seemed really nice. You let them actually be friends, instead of just forcing the reader to assume they travel with each other because they're friends. You let the friendship manifest itself and grow in the story.
I will admit, sometimes the Bianca and David conversations (in the beginning) felt a little forced. But it's believable, and nicely placed. While I do agree that the bar scene (which was a clever idea) seemed a bit random, it still was ok. Bianca just randomly finding him also stretches it a bit, but it really could happen. I'm not about to go shooting you down for the coincidences that could happen.
That part was cute, though. Bar scene = favorite part of the chapter.
I don't know how I should take David's random anger at certain things (artists, busy working people), but I found it somewhat humorous. And it works well with the story; he seems to be the kind of person who has beliefs and holds to them. It fits him as the (assumed) hero counter to N, as well as adds some personality to him. Note to self: Never get David mad at me. It's a bit surprising that you included a more violent side to him, but it definitely seems to mesh nicely with his character.
He's definitely in his teens though. haha.
I like the interaction going on betweent he Pokemon. Some of them still seem a bit underdeveloped (Eevee and Pachirisu still seems like a fighting machine to me) but the others are slowly showing more personality, particularly Munchlax (Paula obviously has personality). But since the story focuses more on David, it makes sense for his Pokemon to be the most developed to the reader. But if you're limiting the teams to three, might as well add even a little more personality to the Pokemon. But it's improving, definitely. You're getting there.
Lenon and McCartney are, like Glover stated, the best developed Plasma grunts I have ever met. Kudos. Their part of the story was actually a nice read. Most stories I tend to read less attentively when the teams are the main focus, but your grunts actually provide something to read.
Burgh is definitely more flamboyant. I like your reason behind the sudden shift in personality, too. I never would have even caught that.
And his conversation with Ghetsis was pretty good too. It's fine if you're pulling a chunk of the conversation from the game, but your additional comments are very nice. David should try to control his temper a bit more; he's giving Ghetsis a lot of chances to get him in some serious trouble. It'll be interesting to see what you do with this clash of personality/morals.
And lastly, the battle scene is pretty good. I think I'm noticing some personality from the Pokemon involved. That's pretty cool (if I'm correct that is. I might be assuming more than feeling). Again, giving the Pokemon involved a little more personality would be a nice step forward, but you're still doing this right. No need to worry too much; it's preference.
Overall, I liked this chapter. Very nice length; it's a good way to go before classes start. haha. Good job with it. Sticking with this story really wasn't a bad idea after all (honestly I figured that out a few chapters ago). I (have to patiently because you're going to school now) await the next chapter!
Hi everyone, here’s Chapter 8. This is the first in a two part chapter set and will be concluded in Chapter 10. I think it came out well, but I should say now, this chapter is the most deserving of the PG-15 rating thus far. It has some scary scenes in it, or at least I hope you think they’re scary. Also, if you’re wondering, I got the idea for the whole “human form” thing from the South Park episode “Canceled” (this clip highlights the part I’m talking about and is pretty tame, but the full episode is NSFW if you feel like looking it up) and the ghost is based on a cross between the Marowak ghost from RBY and the smoke monster from Lost. Anyway, hope you enjoy.
Chronicles of Unova
Chapter 8: Buried Alive…
“Alright, guys, I guess this is it. Got everything you need for the road?” Burgh asked.
David, Bianca and Cheren stood at the northern entrance of the city, their backs to the gatehouse. They looked at Burgh with determination and nodded, smiling. After winning at the Castelia City Gym, they had stayed a few more days, exploring the massive city with Burgh and Iris. Burgh had been a terrific tour guide and David was beginning to feel a connection to his new friend. It was sad to leave, but Route 4 and the next Gym beckoned. David spoke up in response.
“Yep, sure do, Burgh. Thanks again for your hospitality.” David said. Burgh smiled a proud but disappointed smile and put his arms out. He leaded forward and hugged his new friend, perhaps a little more enthusiastically than David had expected.
“Take care of yourself, buddy. Keep up the good work.” Burgh said. As he stood back up he whispered in David’s ear, “And take care of that girlfriend of yours, eh?” David smiled and nodded, playing along with Burgh’s quip.
Burgh turned now to Cheren who was staring fixedly at him. Burgh folded his arms and smiled. Cheren held his hand out for Burgh to shake.
“Thank you for showing us your city, Burgh. We appreciate your hospitality.” Cheren said very professionally. A curved smile spread across Burgh’s face, amused at Cheren’s rigidity.
“You’re quite welcome, little sir. I most enjoyed showing it to you.” Burgh replied. Cheren maintained his stern gaze and looked away, putting his hands in his pockets.
Burgh now turned to Bianca, putting his hands together in front of him and biting his lip. Bianca smiled back and the two friends embraced, both tearing up slightly.
“Oh Bianca, I’m going to miss you most of all, sweetie! Don’t let these boys get into too big of trouble, okay honey?” Burgh said, laughing to himself.
“I won’t, Burgh, I promise.” Bianca replied, grinning. Burgh stood back up and wiped his eyes, waving as the group walked off. They walked into the gatehouse and left Castelia City, for good and for bad, behind them. They stepped out into the sunlight and onto Route 4.
“There go three of the finest trainers I’ve ever known.” Burgh said quietly to himself.
* * *
Route 4 was a desert wasteland; arid and dry with perpetual sandstorms blowing across its wide open plains. The transition from the coastal, urban metropolis began as just arid foothills initially, but they quickly reached the desert proper and found themselves wading through deep sand. The sky was clear and blue, the sun beating down powerfully on them like a heat lamp. Sandile rose and lowered themselves from the sand as they walked by and many Darumaka ran and played along the side of the path. It wasn’t, however, so much of a “path,” David thought, as it was a direction. They knew Nimbasa City was somewhere to the north, but the desert was almost entirely void of any kind of landmarks or roads; they simply had to follow the compass and hope for the best.
“Are we still heading north, Cheren?” David asked. Cheren checked the compass and confirmed that they were. It was Cheren’s compass, so he was the one leading them through the desert; typically David was the de facto leader of the group, but today was Cheren’s time to shine.
“So where is it that we’re going exactly?” Bianca asked.
“We’re going to Nimbasa City. It’s just on the other side of this desert to the north. It’s a lot like Castelia in many ways, except that while Castelia is the business capital of the region, Nimbasa is the entertainment capital. There are lot of shows and sports games and stuff like that there.” Cheren replied. “That’s also where the next Gym Leader, Elesa, is. She uses Electric types.” he continued.
The group continued walking, slowly plodding through the sand and heat. They tread on for what seemed like hours, sweating in the hot sun. David and Bianca followed Cheren blindly, not questioning the direction; for all they knew, however, he could be leading them down a wild goose chase. The sand dunes all seemed to stretch on for miles and seemed to all look the same. Eventually, just as they began to question their fearless guide, they saw something in the distance.
“What is that?” Bianca asked. “Is that real or a mirage?”
“Nope, it’s real alright. It’s exactly what we’ve been heading towards.” Cheren said excitedly. In the distance they could see some partially finished construction; large, strong support structures standing defiantly against the harsh sand. None of the buildings were finished and were clearly still under construction, but they were there, seemingly out in the middle of nowhere.
“Cheren, what the hell are you talking about? Is that Nimbasa City?” David asked in shock.
“No, David, it’s not. That…” he began to say, but waited to finish his sentence. The group had been walking up a steep sand dune and could only see the tops of the buildings, not the bases or anything around them. As they reached the top of the hill, they could see for many miles around them. They realized the buildings were situated directly in front of a path through some foothills leading farther into the desert. Many miles to the east, however, they could see a small gatehouse leading into Nimbasa City. They were at least a few hours too far west. Cheren finished his statement as they realized this fact, “…is the Desert Resort.”
Cheren stood proudly with his hands on his hips and a grin on his face. David and Bianca’s mouths were ajar, staring dumbstruck at what they were seeing. Bianca hung her arms and sighed. David put his outstretched hand to his face, looking like he was about ready to strangle Cheren.
“Cheren… it’s got to be 100° out here, Bianca and I are about ready to drop dead from heat stroke, and you’ve been leading us away from Nimbasa City so you could go look at some historical dig site?” David asked. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t kick your Goddamn *** off this sand dune.” he continued incredulously.
“Oh come on, you guys, aren’t you excited?” Cheren replied. “The Desert Resort is the remains of a once-great capital city of an ancient civilization. An entire underground castle was discovered there! Just think of all the cool artifacts we could see. It’s only a little bit out of the way anyway; trust me, it’ll be cool and worth it.”
David stared at Cheren with a mixture of pity and disgust, and slowly began walking down the hill. Cheren grinned to himself and followed after him, revitalized by seeing the sight he had so long awaited. Bianca followed after them, still hanging her arms. The group slowly made their way to the construction site and entered the small, winding path through the rocks.
* * *
The group had been trekking through the mountain pass for around twenty minutes. The sand and heat was still extremely tiring, but the shade afforded by the tall cliffs surrounding them made the journey a bit more pleasant. They approached the end of the path and saw the desert open back up before them, a vast valley among the small mountains stretching out to the sea. They looked down at it and Bianca began to speak.
“So this is the Desert Resort, huh? I’d heard of it, but I don’t really know what it is.” she said.
“The Desert Resort is a famous archaeological dig site that was discovered a few years ago. A crew came to this valley to see if there was anything buried beneath the sand and, low and behold, there was! They discovered an entire castle buried here, and the excavation process is still underway even now.” Cheren replied. “They call it ‘Relic Castle,’ and it’s a bit of a tourist hotspot given how close to Nimbasa City it is.” he continued.
The group set off down the path into the valley, continuing to head north toward the sea. The valley was surrounded on all but the northern side by the mountains they had passed through, and on the northern side they could see the ocean lapping against the shores. A few boulders and sand dunes dotted the corners of the valley, and two small towers stood opposite each other at the northern end. The group approached the towers, walking toward the excavation crew.
“Steady with that crane! Don’t hit the tower!” a man shouted. He was dressed in worker’s clothes and was shouting orders to the excavation crews scattered around the dig site. The group walked up to him and Cheren began to speak.
“Excuse me, sir, are you the foreman of the dig site?” Cheren asked.
“Huh? What?” he asked, turning around in surprise. “Yeah, I am. Who the hell are you?”
“We’re Pokémon trainers, sir. We’ve come to see the castle. Is it alright for tourists to go in?” Cheren replied.
“What?!” the man said in shock. “Is it alright for tourists to go in? No! Of course it isn’t! This is an excavation site, kid, it isn’t safe! We’re working with lots of industrial machinery and high explosives trying to uncover more of the structure; we can’t take on the liability of tourists running around exploring, especially not children.” he continued.
“But I thought tourists came here all the time!” Cheren replied, shocked and dismayed by the news. “That’s why it’s called the Desert Resort!”
“Yeah, ‘Resort,’ as in a hotel. There are guided tours through some of the more exposed parts of the castle but tourists can’t just go wandering willy nilly, it is not safe.” the foreman replied, saying the final group of words carefully
“But!” Cheren began to protest, but the man had already turned back to his work.
“Look, kids, I’ve got a lot of work to do before winter sets in and I don’t have time to explain this to you. Just go on over to the Information Center and get in with a tour group; the nice lady there will be happy to help you.” he said as he walked off. Cheren folded his arms, sulking.
“You heard him, Cheren, it’s a wash. Let’s just get going.” David said. “If we hurry, maybe we can still get to Nimbasa City by nightfall.”
“Yeah, Cheren, I don’t want to try sleeping out here in the sand.” Bianca chimed in. “It’ll get all in the lining of my bag and I’ll never get it out. Besides, the wild Skorupi will be coming out once it gets dark and I don’t want a run-in with one of those.”
Cheren began to protest but a voice from behind cut him off. “You kids want to get into the castle, do ya? I can get’cha in…”
The group turned to look at whoever had said that, startled by the sudden interruption. They saw a hooded man in a robe walking up behind them. He was medium height but very malnourished. His skin was a ghostly white and he had disheveled, dirty gray hair. He spooked Bianca to look at, but Cheren was instantly interested in his offer.
“You can?” Cheren asked excitedly. “How?!”
“I know of a certain secret entrance I could show you kids… all I ask in return is a Pokémon battle from one of you. What do you say?” he said, his voice rasping out the words. Cheren started to speak up but David stopped him, pulling him aside.
“Cheren, I know what you’re thinking. The foreman said it wasn’t safe and this guy has ‘creepy’ written all over him. It’s 2 to 1; Bianca and I want to go to Nimbasa City. Let’s just get out of here and forget about it.” David said.
“Yeah… yeah okay, you’re right.” Cheren replied. “Let me just tell this guy we’re not interested.” He stepped away from his friend and walked up to the man.
“Sir, I’ve talked it over with my friends and, as much as we appreciate your offer, we’re going to have to take you up on it.” he said, shooting David a smirk over his shoulder. David started to protest but Cheren kept talking. “I’ll battle you if that’s what you want.”
A Cheshire grin spread across the man’s face and he stepped back. “Excellent…” he said. He drew a Pokéball and threw it to the ground, releasing a Cacnea from it. Cacnea bounced from side to side on its barbed feet, psyching itself up for battle.
“Go, Eevee!” Cheren shouted. Eevee leapt from the ball and landed proudly, shimmering in the afternoon sun. Eevee looked, it occurred to David, as if it were bursting with power and energy; it exuded a startling strength that it had obviously gained by being Cheren’s only Pokémon for so long. David wondered if Cheren was ever going to catch something else or evolve it…
The battle began and the foe’s Cacnea began to fade away, obscured by the shifting sand blowing in the breeze thanks to its Sand Veil ability. It was still visible, but it seemed to glide along the ground as if it were a spirit. Eevee tried to follow its movements but struggled.
“Eevee, use Sand-Attack!” Cheren shouted. Eevee took aim, kicked a bundle of sand up and it sprayed Cacnea in the face. What had been an advantage quickly turned into a liability as Cacnea struggled to see. It returned clearly into view, fidgeting and flailing to try and clean its eyes. Cheren commanded Eevee to launch a powerful Tackle and it leapt towards Cacnea, slamming into it with tremendous strength. Cacnea flew through the air, landing in a heap before its trainer, taken down by just a single blow. Eevee seemed to glow and shine, exuding a blue aura as it leveled up, growing even stronger. David recognized Cheren as lacking for quantity, but he made up for it in terms of quality; he and Eevee seemed unstoppable.
“Nice work, Eevee. Excellently done.” Cheren said, patting Eevee on the head. The man returned his Cacnea to its Pokéball and began clapping slowly.
“Good work, young man. You are a strong one. Follow me to the entrance.” the man said. Cheren grinned and ran up to him, following in tow. Bianca and David looked at each other nervously, plodding along behind. Seeing the dig site would be interesting, but maybe Cheren was going too far with all this.
“Yes… very strong indeed…” the man thought to himself. “You shall be excellent prey for the Dark One’s slave.”
* * *
The group followed the man back up into the foothills. They followed him through the winding path and eventually reached a cave. The man stopped and held up his hand.
“We are here.” he said ominously. David and Bianca shivered with nervousness, but Cheren was positively beaming.
“Wow, so this leads into Relic Castle, huh, mister? Thanks for showing us this, that’s so cool!” Cheren said excitedly. The man grinned silently to himself, motioning for them to enter.
David and Bianca were apprehensive about going into the dimly lit cave, but Cheren was so adamant that they had no choice but to follow him in. They went a short distance and then noticed their guide was walking away.
“Hey! Aren’t you coming with us?” David shouted out to him. He stopped to reply but did not turn back.
“You are ‘adventurers,’ aren’t you? Go on an adventure.” he shouted back. David began to protest but Cheren was already well ahead of him and he wanted to keep up.
They walked farther into the cave and eventually reached a wall. The cave seemed to end and go no further, ending simply in a large circular antechamber. However, there appeared to be no main room that it was connected to, simply stopping short. There were ancient markings along the back wall, forming a complicated, intertwined pattern. Cheren put his hand to it thinking it may do something, but nothing happened; the cold, unfeeling stone simply pushed back.
“Well that’s a rip off. What the hell!?” Cheren said angrily.
David began to speak, but Bianca spoke up before him. There was a subtle degree of panic in her voice. “Hey, um… random question… are you guys getting taller?!”
David wondered what she meant, but then the same thought occurred to him; Cheren seemed to be shrinking before his very eyes. He tried to lift his foot but was met with resistance. He looked down at his feet and realized he was sinking into the very sand below him. He looked up in panic and realized they were all sinking, very rapidly now.
“Eek! Help!” Bianca shouted. David tried to move over to her but he was stuck in the tight sand. The vortex was dragging him down into the ground below and there was nothing he could do to stop it. As the sand swarmed around his torso and neck, he took in a deep breath, shut his eyes tightly and cursed Cheren with all his might for leading them there. The sand came up over his head, completely submerging him. He could feel it rushing all around, swarming him, unable to breathe. Just as hope began to run out, he felt his feet begin to dangle and he felt himself fall. The last thing he remembered was his head striking something firm and then… nothing…
* * *
David could feel his memories swarm around him. They seemed to swim and float through his consciousness, almost tangible enough to reach out and touch. He remembered his childhood with Bianca and Cheren in Nuvema Town, he remembered the day they had started High School together, and he remembered taking Bianca to prom as a joke. More recent memories began to swim around him now, such as the day he got Paula from Professor Juniper or winning his badges. These memories floated around his consciousness and he could almost feel himself reliving them all at once; “am I dead?” he thought to himself.
New memories he had not yet experienced slowly began to join the old ones. He heard Cheren say something about “unconscious” and “concussion,” he could smell the dank scent of a dungeon, and he could sense Paula, as if she was hovering over him. He began to feel a presence probing at him, trying to break through the realm of whatever reality he found himself in. Paula’s image in his head grew stronger and he could sense her more clearly. The other memories began to fade away and he slowly began to hear her voice calling out to him. It was smoky and disorienting, but it was distinctly her. A woman appeared before him out of the mist and began to speak.
“Master?” she said. The voice warbled and shook, seeming to come from all directions at once. She spoke again, asking the same question, and he tried to respond.
“Paula, is that you?” David said back.
“Yes master, it is. Do you know where you are?” the woman replied.
“Am I dead, Paula?” David asked. “The last thing I remember is falling through the quicksand and hitting my head.”
“No, master, you are not dead, yet. You are unconscious and bleeding from the back of your skull. My Pokéball came loose in the fall and I was released from it. Mr. Cheren and I have determined you have a concussion. I am trying to determine the condition of your mind to see if you have any permanent damage.” the woman replied.
The woman he was “talking” to was distinctly Paula, but did not look like her at all. She was 100% human, not a Pokémon, but there was still something other-worldly about her. She was very tall and very slender, with skin the color of a piece of paper. She wore no clothes, all of her body out in the open like the goddess Venus. Her body was very beautiful, but she looked as if a light breeze could topple her. Her face featured no visible mouth or ears, simply a petite nose and large green eyes. She had extremely long hair that flowed like a stream down her back, all the way beyond her feet. It was a deep, forest green color and seemed to glow with power and mysticism. Her bangs fell over her face and obscured her right eye, falling neatly to her shoulder. She seemed to radiate with energy and magic, and a small, brightly lit halo floated above her head. Although David tried not to look, her breasts were also very nice; he forced himself to not stare however.
“Why do you look so… well… like that, Paula?” David asked.
“Your mind is in a very fragile state right now, master. The person you see is my own mental image of myself, my ‘human form,’ if you will. I am utilizing it to speak to you as opposed to my Pokémon form so you have a point of reference, something you can innately understand. I do not want to put too much of a stress on your mind right now.” she replied.
David stared at her, fixated on her eyes. They seemed to resonate with power, drawing him towards them. Her whole figure was extremely beautiful; he tried not to stare at her naked form, but with literally nothing else in all of existence around him, it was difficult not to.
“I know what you are thinking, master, and I know it is uncomfortable for you, but please do not feel awkward about staring. I need you to concentrate on something as I do my work repairing your injury. Mr. Cheren and I are working to awaken you out in the physical world, but you must focus on something and stay alert.” Paula said abruptly. David was taken aback and felt even worse for looking, but he trusted Paula and knew he had to follow her advice. He looked on at the beautiful woman before him and focused, trying to keep his mind from wandering to any other thought. Though the memories swarmed around him and tried to distract him, Paula’s eyes shone and he stared at them intently, fighting off the distractions. After what felt like an eternity of this, she spoke again.
“I am almost finished, master. You will feel this universe fade away in a moment and you will be returned to consciousness. I shall see you on the other side, master; continue to focus.” she said.
The woman opposite him began to move for the first time, taking long, graceful steps towards him. Her long legs bent gently with each step, lightly walking on her petite feet and coming closer. David could feel the other memories and distractions fade away and the world slowly melt into nothing. Soon, nothing seemed to exist around him anymore except the beauty of the woman. Her presence expanded, taking control of the universe around him; he felt reality give way to her, and she became everything. She drew near and stopped. She looked straight into his eyes and he could feel his mind slipping. She reached out a hand and placed it on his shoulder. Her touch felt like ice, freezing and searing him all at once; it did not hurt, it was simply a new sensation. She reached forward and embraced him, her whole body touching up against his now. He let himself fade away into the abyss and embraced her back, his whole body feeling the icy sting of her touch. The entirety of reality shattered and there was nothing but her. Slowly, he felt himself slip away, unsure of where he was going, but trusting of his companion to show him the way. The pair melted into nothing, and all was still.
* * *
“He is awakening, Mr. Cheren.” Paula said. He sat up from the rock he had been sitting on and walked over to his friend. David’s eyes fluttered and he opened them slowly, returning to consciousness.
“Is he alright?” Cheren asked, but she silenced him. She looked intently into her trainer’s eyes as he awoke, continuing her healing process.
“Welcome back, master.” Paula said sweetly as he became more aware of his surroundings.
David looked around at the place he was in as reality faded back into his mind. He appeared to be in some sort of underground chamber, a part of a dungeon or tomb perhaps, and there were many ancient patterns lining the stone walls. He saw Cheren standing behind him, leaning over and looking at him with concern. He felt the cool sand beneath his back and his head lay resting on his bag; it ached, but not terribly. Paula was kneeling on his chest, leaning over him and resting her small hands against his collarbone. She stared intently into his eyes, the same look the woman in the dream had had. He remembered what he had experienced and realized that Paula had saved his life. He gingerly lifted his aching arms and wrapped them around his Pokémon, holding her tightly against him. She was taken slightly aback, but returned the gesture, throwing her small arms around his neck. The pair lay together in happiness for several seconds, David trying to express his gratitude mentally to her as much as he could.
“You are welcome, master. Happy to have helped.” she said quietly in his head. David decided to bite the bullet and give her the sappy answer that he actually felt.
“Thank you, Paula, you saved my life. I love you.” he replied emphatically in his mind. Paula was again taken aback, but continuing holding her trainer, a small grin spread across her face. Tiny tears welled up in her eyes, but she restrained them. “I love you too, master.” she said quietly.
The pair separated and Cheren helped David stand. He was woozy and disoriented, but Cheren helped him keep his balance as he regained his footing. David noticed a dark stain of blood on the rock Cheren had been sitting on and noticed it lead in a small trail over to where he had been laying. He put a hand behind his head and felt a large, wet gash; it stung to the touch and felt raw.
“You hit your head pretty hard, man. You were out for a long time. It’s been at least an hour according to the Xtransceiver. Paula never left your side though; you’ve got a pretty impressive Pokémon there.” Cheren said. David looked at Paula and she smiled.
“How did she do it? What move was she using?” David asked. They were the first words he had spoken since he awoke, and it stung his raw throat.
“It must have been Heal Pulse. I guess she learned a new move.” Cheren replied. Paula confirmed the sentiment a moment later.
David was so caught up in the excitement of his fall that it didn’t even occur to him where their fourth member was. “Where’s Bianca?” David asked.
“She went off deeper into the labyrinth. She left a while ago, actually. She was going to try looking for a way out.” Cheren answered him. As he said this, David heard her voice echo from down the hall.
“Cheren? Is that you? Is he awake?” Bianca shouted. She ran back into the room and saw that he was. She ran to him and embraced him.
“Oh David, I was so worried!” she shouted, grasping his cheeks with her hands. “We thought you might be dead!”
David looked at her, seeing the concern in her face. It was quickly being replaced with a large smile though. He brought his hand up and gently brushed her bangs out of her face. She grabbed his hand and kissed the knuckles gently before stepping back. “I ought to fall on my head more often if this is how I get treated.” David thought. The group stayed there and rested for several more hours before beginning off into the rest of the maze.
* * *
Outside the group’s dungeon, night had fallen on the Desert Resort. The cool breezes blew the sand across the wide open plains and the excavation crew had gone home for the night. The temperature was beginning to drop rapidly, but the group couldn’t feel it inside their labyrinth. The cold, unfeeling stone walls seemed to stretch on forever, forming a maze as old as the sands themselves. The group had been resting for several hours and David was feeling much better, so they began to set off through the labyrinth.
“The path is at least somewhat illuminated, so there must be light coming from somewhere. That either means an exit… or…” Cheren began to say, but he trailed off before he could reach the other logical conclusion of his statement. The three of them set off into the maze, simply trying to follow the light. They traveled for a long time, unsure of where they were going or if there even was an exit. Each room they came to seemed the same as the last, each with an entrance and three other doors along the other walls. It appeared to just be square room after square room, stretching on ad infinitum.
“Hey guys, let’s go to the Desert Resort, guys. Let’s follow this serial killer into a cave, guys. It’ll be fun, guys!” David said, mocking Cheren. “This is why Cheren isn’t normally the one giving directions, Bianca.”
“I just wanted to see the old ruins! I didn’t know it would turn out like this!” Cheren replied. He was yelling fairly loudly all of a sudden and his voice carried through the halls. It hurt David’s already throbbing head. “You’re right though, I made this mess so I’ll fix it. Don’t worry, I’ll find us a way out of here.” he continued.
“Cheren, don’t yell, I’m in enough pain as it is.” David replied.
“Yeah, and we don’t want to disturb anything that might be down here.” Bianca chimed in.
“Oh come on, Bianca, like what? What could possibly be down here?” Cheren asked incredulously. As he said this, a shriek broke the air around them.
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!”
It pierced the quiet of the tomb and resonated through the halls. They all leapt out of their skin upon hearing it. As quickly as it had started though, it ended and was silent again.
“Oh my god, what was that?!?” Bianca shouted in terror.
“Sounds like you were right, Bianca. There must be something else down here.” David replied.
“Okay guys, we need to stay in constant communication! None of us should stop talking for any reason. I’ll speak, then Bianca speaks, then David speaks; we need to make sure to let each other know we’re still here or if something has happened.” Cheren said, his voice cracking.
“Okay, Cheren, I’m still he-” Bianca started to say, but she was cut off.
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!”
“Eek! There it is again! It sounds closer now!” Bianca screamed in terror.
“You’re right, I think we’re going to have to fight whatever this thing is.” David said. “It sounds like it’s gonna find us before we find it.” he continued.
Cheren drew his Pokéball and released Eevee from it. Eevee landed and stood ready to defend its trainer. “I’ve got this covered, guys. Eevee is the strongest of our five collective Pokémon, and it was my mistake that got us trapped down here. I’ll fix it.” he said.
The scream broke the silence for a third time and now sounded like it was just in the next room. Bianca ran towards David and held him, burying her face in his chest and putting him between her and the door. She started to sob and scream uncontrollably, and was shaking with fear. David was scared too, but he held Bianca tighter trying to calm her down and decided to let Cheren handle it like he said he would. Cheren and Eevee struck fighting positions in the middle of the room and stared into the darkness opposite them. A pair of dark, glowing red eyes appeared from the next room and glared at him menacingly.
“Eevee, use Quick Attack!” Cheren shouted. Eevee darted towards the eyes and they heard him smash into something. The eyes winked shut and it was silent for a moment, but then the shriek broke the silence again. Bianca dug into David tighter, still sobbing uncontrollably in panic. Eevee came flying back into the room and smashed into Cheren, knocking him into the wall.
Black smoke came flooding into the room, covering the floor in darkness. A massive black shadow slowly floated in, the dark, glowing red eyes attached to it. It seemed to drip with malevolence and evil, having no definitive form other than just the amorphous energy before them. It hung there, awaiting another attack.
“Oh my god, Cheren, what IS that thing?!” David shouted in shock. He shielded Bianca from it, turning over his shoulder to catch a glimpse of the monster.
“I don’t know! It isn’t any Pokémon I recognize!” Cheren shouted back. “Eevee, use Tackle!”
Eevee launched itself fearlessly at the spirit but he fell right through its spectral form, landing on the ground on the opposite side. The ghost turned to look at him, growling menacingly. Eevee couldn’t even touch the creature, unable to fight back.
The black smoke that filled the room started to swirl and crackle, forming a ball of dark energy in front of the creature. It reached a size comparable to that of Eevee and the monster shot the blast towards him. It washed over Eevee, but it appeared to do no damage.
“Guys, that was a Shadow Ball attack. This thing must be some kind of Pokémon!” Cheren shouted to his friends. “I don’t know what it is, but if it’s a Ghost type, neither Eevee nor it can hurt each other.”
Cheren turned back to Eevee and scanned his mind for a solution. Eevee knew nothing but Normal type attacks, which wouldn’t affect the Ghost type monster. The only thing he could do was… he had it!
“Eevee, try and Bite it!” Cheren shouted. Eevee had never used the move before, but he bared his little teeth and leapt at it. The bite seemed to hurt the monster; it squirmed in pain, shrieking its terrible shriek again.
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!”
The monster receded from the room, drifting back to whatever dark abyss it had spawned from. Cheren and Eevee let it escape, taking its dark smoke with it. It shrieked one final time as it escaped, now sounding very far away. The danger was averted and they were safe… for now.
David and Cheren shot each other a determined look and nodded. Bianca was still crying and sobbing uncontrollably in David’s arms, terrified and shaking over whatever the monster had been. David held her tighter, brushed her hair with his hand and whispered sweet-nothings to her, trying to calm her from her panic attack. They let her collect herself and then started off back down the path. Bianca had to hold David’s hand tightly, but he certainly didn’t mind. They didn’t know what the monster was or how dangerous it might be, but one thing was certain: It was imperative they find a way out, now.
* * *
The group walked through the maze, quicker now than before, trying desperately to find a way out. Whatever light was illuminating the dim labyrinth was getting stronger now, so they knew they were getting close to its source. They took turn after turn, following the maze deeper and deeper into the tomb. They eventually came to the room that the light was coming from; a long flight of stairs lead down into a giant room, very different than all the others. It looked almost like a crypt with its high ceilings, ornate columns and ancient statues lining the floor. It was very long and what looked like a shrine was set up on the far wall. They approached it gingerly, looking around for any sign of the monster.
Many candles lined the room, providing the light that had been guiding them. A large cluster of them were set up on the shrine, with others lining the walls and illuminating the whole room. How they had been lit remained a mystery to the group, but none of them appeared to be burning away any of the wick, as if they had stayed lit by magic since people last roamed its halls millennia ago.
They walked up to the shrine and inspected it. There were three distinctive panels in the stone wall behind it, each with their own inscription telling a different part of a story. The first panel featured a large kingdom with a fancifully adorned man standing over it with his arms outstretched. The second panel featured a dark, black monster attacking the city and burning it to the ground; the monster was different from the one they had seen before, this one looking more like a giant snake than a ghost. The final panel featured the man and the monster doing battle with one another, but the monster was launching a blast of some kind that was causing the man great pain. No other panels were nearby to continue the story, leaving them in the dark about the specifics. On the shrine itself sat many treasures and artifacts; gold pieces and jewels of varying sizes, ancient tools and weapons, and sitting directly in the middle, almost as if on display, was a small white stone. It had the same markings as the one from the Nacrene City Museum, except it was white instead of black. It in particular caught Cheren’s eye.
“Jackpot. This must be what that thing is guarding…” Cheren said. Bianca looked around timidly to see if the monster was coming back again, still clutching David’s hand tightly. David inspected the panels on the back wall.
“What do you make of this story, Cheren? Could this be how the ancient city was destroyed?” David asked.
“It looks like it. But what is that monster rampaging through the city? It doesn’t look like what we saw before. The thing from before was a ghost, but this thing looks more… solid.” Cheren replied.
“Well, we found the source of the light, and it isn’t an exit. We need to come up with some way of defending ourselves from that thing in case it comes back. We’ve got the perfect cover to ambush it in here, so I say we make our stand here.” David said.
“Yeah… we do… don’t we?” Cheren said, looking around and examining the layout of the room. He thought to himself for a moment, then spoke up again, “I think I’ve got a plan. It was my idea to come here, it was my idea to follow that crazy old man here, and now I’m going to fix it. You and Bianca hunker down and let me handle this!” Cheren said authoritatively. David was typically the de facto leader of the little group, but Cheren had such passion, and he had handled the creature before, so David let him try his idea. He took Bianca and the pair hid in the corner of the room, waiting for Cheren to begin his attack.
Cheren took Eevee’s Pokéball and released him into the room. Cheren knelt down and whispered his plan to his Pokémon. Eevee nodded and ran behind one of the columns holding the room up. Cheren looked at his Pokémon and nodded back; he turned and took the little white stone off the table, quickly running behind the other pillar to get into cover. As he took the stone, they heard the monster’s shriek ring throughout the tomb, louder and angrier than before.
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!”
The creature swarmed into the room, bringing the black smoke with it, now crackling and bursting with energy. It rose up into the room and looked around menacingly to see who had disturbed its treasure. It growled terrifyingly and seemed to seethe with rage. Cheren stepped out from behind the pillar and whistled fearlessly.
“Hey! Over here! You looking for this?!” he shouted, holding up the stone. The monster shrieked again, shaking the whole room with its power. A crack formed in the ceiling, small grains of sand falling through it from the desert above. Cheren held fast and when it had finished, shouted “Eevee, NOW!”
Eevee burst from behind its pillar and took a mighty Bite out of the monster. It had taken the ghost by surprise and did tremendous damage. It roared in pain, again shaking the whole room, slightly widening the crack. It tried to shake Eevee free but he held firm, doggedly biting into it. It rose high up into the room and shook him free. Eevee fell and landed on the stone floor below with a “smack!” Eevee looked up at it in pain and growled as the monster prepared to attack back.
Instead of the Shadow Ball Cheren had been expecting, it instead summoned small pieces of its ghastly smoke cloud and surrounded itself with them. The little wisps floated and danced in the air around it, glowing a bright blue: Will-o-Wisp. The monster launched them towards Eevee who tried to dodge, but they followed and bombarded it. They singed his fur, burning him and slowing his movements significantly. Cheren ordered Eevee to try and Bite again, but it couldn’t leap high enough, both due to the creature having moved up too high and the burns making it too painful. Eevee struggled to stand and couldn’t, falling to its side on the ground and looking up at its foe. Eevee seemed to be down for the count, and Cheren shouted out to it.
“Eevee, now’s the time! Look up!” he shouted.
The crack in the ceiling had turned into a small hole now under the extreme pressure of the sand above. Eevee could see the moon outside gleaming in the dark night sky, a symbol of power and strength to all the creatures of the night. Eevee closed its eyes, focused intently on the peace and serenity of it, and began to change. It allowed the sensation to wash over it, giving in to its metamorphosis.
The ghost saw its enemy begin to glow a brilliant white, flooding the room in light. Its small body began to morph and change, surrounded by several blue rings that pulsated and wrapped around its body. The light began to strobe quickly, blinding the monster. As the lights became too fast to track, the bundle of light burst and a sleek, noble Umbreon lay in Eevee’s place.
The golden rings on Umbreon’s body began to glow and the monster felt itself burn instantly. It roared in pain, the burn it had inflicted with Will-o-Wisp being transferred to it now by Umbreon’s new Synchronize ability. Enraged, it rushed towards the tired Pokémon. Umbreon lay still, not moving and seemingly defeated. Upon reaching it, the monster stopped and inspected the newly changed Pokémon. It growled and snarled just above its sleeping form, unsure if it was even alive or dead.
“Come on… come on…” Cheren said under his breath. “Umbreon, NOW!” he shouted.
Umbreon’s eyes opened in a flash and it leapt at the monster. All the strength and power it had called upon as an Eevee when performing a Tackle was now supercharged in the form of a powerful new Dark type Faint Attack. This new move was not only effective against the ghost where Tackle had not been, but seemed to hurt it terrifically. Umbreon leapt into the inside of the translucent beast and slashed with all its might. Its paws moved in a flurry, hacking and slashing with its claws at the monster. It roared and shrieked in pain, twisting and convulsing from the sneak attack. Umbreon delivered one final, mighty swipe and the beast fell to the ground, its dark black smoke fading away from view.
Umbreon landed gracefully on its slender new legs and sat down, staring intently and calmly at its enemy. The ghostly monster didn’t seem so scary now that its smoke had disappeared and it lay on the ground in defeat. Its twisted, ghostly body began to morph and change, shrinking into something much smaller. Cheren walked over to his Pokémon as this metamorphosis was occurring to see what the big bad ghost really looked like. The monster faded away, slowly becoming a tired, defeated little Yamask. Its illusion had faded and it lay in defeat on the ground, unable to defend its crypt any further. Cheren drew an empty Pokéball and threw it at the little Pokémon. It zapped it inside and did not stir. Cheren had caught it without any further fight.
“It’s safe to come out now…” he said stoically. He looked down at his new Umbreon, smiling proudly at how strong it had become. He leaned down to pick up the Pokéball and patted the slick, short black fur on Umbreon’s back in the process. David and Bianca rose from their hiding place and walked over to him.
“So… you caught it?” David asked, confused. “What the hell is it?”
“It’s a Yamask.” Cheren said. He released the little ghost from its ball as he said this; it hung in the air, timidly looking around in surprise and fear. Cheren continued, “What we saw was just an illusion it was creating to scare us off. They are a very rare species of Ghost type Pokémon; very few have ever been found in the world. It’s said that they used to be human, and the mask they carry with them was their human face from a previous life. This little guy must be a descendant of the civilization that built this place. There must be some pretty crazy memories in his head. I wanted to learn more, so I caught him.” he continued.
Yamask floated in the air, looking around nervously. It took its mask in its hands and looked at it longingly. It gently began to weep as Cheren spoke.
“Wow…” Bianca said, mystified by Cheren’s story. “The things we could learn from him…”
“I’ve got to say, Cheren, I’m impressed.” David said. “You’ve been acting like an idiot all day, but you really stepped up to the plate. You’ve proven yourself to be a competent leader, and you solved your problem. Good job, man.”
Cheren smiled, glad to finally be acknowledged for his intelligence. Umbreon began to purr as Cheren stroked his short black fur.
“So an Umbreon, huh? Interesting choice…” David mused.
“He was indicating that that’s what he had wanted for a while. I was just waiting for the right opportunity.” Cheren replied. “But I’m curious now… David, can you let Paula out?”
David took her Pokéball from his hip and released her from it. She stood, looking at Cheren intently as he asked his request.
“Paula, can you try to communicate with this Yamask? See why he was guarding this place and what’s going on in that head of his.” Cheren asked. Paula looked at the Yamask and it looked back with fear in its eyes. Paula closed her eyes and concentrated, but frowned after a few seconds.
“I am sorry, Mr. Cheren, but I cannot reach him. His mind is blocked by a dark, malevolent energy, as if someone is trying to keep me out and him locked inside. Powerful, dark secrets must reside in there…” she replied a moment later. She had an ominous tone in her voice.
Yamask heard a noise behind it and looked up in terror. It pointed at the ceiling and the group turned to look. It was creaking and groaning under the intense pressure of the sand above, and the crack that had formed during the battle finally gave way. A sizable chunk of the ceiling collapsed, blowing sand and debris all throughout the room. When the dust settled, a natural ramp from the stone ceiling was leading up to the outside world.
“Well, enough standing around in here, let’s get going.” Cheren said. “David, do you want to keep this stone? It must be valuable if Yamask was defending it like that.”
Cheren held out the little rock for David to take. It seemed to exude power and certainly didn’t look “not valuable” like Hawes had said of its black counterpart back in Nacrene. He took the stone from Cheren and it seemed to almost shake on its own upon feeling David’s touch. He put it in his bag and looked back up.
The group walked up the ramp and out into the sands above. In the distance they could see the excavation site, and the ocean farther in the distance. The crazy old man had been right about one thing, the cave did lead into Relic Castle. They left behind their nightmare in the dungeon and headed for the tourist center.
* * *
The next morning, the group left the valley of the Desert Resort and headed back through the pathway in the cliffs they had entered it through. They reached the construction work they had seen the day before and could see Nimbasa City in the distant east.
“So you two are going off to Nimbasa City I take it?” Cheren asked.
“Yeah…? Aren’t you coming too though?” David asked in confusion.
Cheren shook his head and continued. “Paula might not be able to get into that little guy’s head, but I bet I know someone who can. David, can I borrow Paula for a few days to go on a little personal trip?”
“Why do you need Paula?” David asked, still confused.
“I need to go back to Eastern Unova for a little while, so I need her to Teleport me there. I’ll catch up to you guys in Nimbasa in a few days after I’m done. What do you say?” Cheren replied.
“What do you say, Paula? Do you think you can Teleport that far? You’ve done little jumps to evade attacks before, but never something quite that far, or with another person.” David thought to himself.
“My Psychic powers are growing quite strong, master. I believe that if I can visualize my target destination, I can Teleport to it, even if I cannot see it physically. I will do my best.” she replied.
David nodded his head and handed Cheren her Pokéball. He was reluctant to let her go after their bonding experience in the dungeon, but he knew it would help her grow. Cheren released her from the ball and put a hand on her shoulder.
“Take good care of my girl, Cheren. Bring her back with a full tank of gas.” David said, smirking.
Cheren smiled and nodded his head. Paula closed her eyes and began to concentrate.
“Good-bye, master. I will see you in a few days.” Paula thought to David.
“Good-bye, Paula. Thank you again; I love you.” David replied.
Paula smiled and returned the sentiment. “I love you too, master.” In a flash, the pair was gone; for the first time since their adventure began, David couldn’t feel Paula’s mind connected to his. It was a sad, empty feeling, but he knew it would make her return that much more rewarding.
David and Bianca took off through the desert toward Nimbasa City. Their trek took a little longer than expected, and they arrived in the city around mid-afternoon. They found the Pokémon Center and spent the day resting in it, recuperating from their adventure in Relic Castle the day before. They would explore the city tomorrow and prepared themselves for their Gym battle against Elesa. It had been a long adventure, and they were ready for some relaxation; Nimbasa City was the perfect place to do just that.
The woman he was “talking” to was distinctly Paula, but did not look like her at all. She was 100% human, not a Pokémon, but there was still something other-worldly about her...
Umm, yeah. About this. I think we might have jumped off the deep end here...
Good use of Paula medically, but...
“Hey guys, let’s go to the Desert Resort, guys. Let’s follow this serial killer into a cave, guys. It’ll be fun, guys!” David said, mocking Cheren. “This is why Cheren isn’t normally the one giving directions, Bianca.”[/QUOTE] Oh good, his sense of humor is back.
The crack in the ceiling had turned into a small hole now under the extreme pressure of the sand above. Eevee could see the moon outside gleaming in the dark night sky, a symbol of power and strength to all the creatures of the night. Eevee closed its eyes, focused intently on the peace and serenity of it, and began to change. It allowed the sensation to wash over it, giving in to its metamorphosis.
“It’s a Yamask.” Cheren said. He released the little ghost from its ball as he said this; it hung in the air, timidly looking around in surprise and fear. Cheren continued, “What we saw was just an illusion it was creating to scare us off. They are a very rare species of Ghost type Pokémon; very few have ever been found in the world. It’s said that they used to be human, and the mask they carry with them was their human face from a previous life. This little guy must be a descendant of the civilization that built this place. There must be some pretty crazy memories in his head. I wanted to learn more, so I caught him.” he continued.
All in all, solid and pretty good. from a technical standpoint, David should probably still have a headache after they got going, but he didn;t do that much so it's also not neccesarily worht mentioning that he had a headache. I'm glad to see something done with the Relic Castle, too. Havign it haunted, a nice touch.
Also, good call mentioning Skorupi. I'm still torn on the whole "Is there <5th Gen Pokemon in Unova" thing, and would probably gone with Dwebble were it me, but I'd also completely forgotten about Skorupi, and he fit in the desert so well.
I feel like I should be nitpicking more, but there's just not enough nits to pick at.
Hi! Glover's beating me to all the first posts. *glares*
But it's ok. I'm too slow. hahhaa
Anyways, I would like to open with the "I love you"s exchanged by David and Paula are (despite how appropriate they are due to the type of Pokemon the Ralts line are) a little unnerving. The mental image of Paula (human form) appearing doesn't help. It's mainly unnerving because I kind of get a bit of foreshadowing going on, hinting that their will be some HumaxPokemon relations in this story.
But that's not a big thing. Again, it's also appropriate. It's just the way it's being said is like when a guy loves a girl and they exchange their feelings before parting. Good for boyfriend and girlfriend; a little creepy for trainer to Pokemon. You can work on that, you don't have to, that's just my personal feelings. I kind of hope there's no HumanxPokemon in this story though. That's kind of creepy, no matter what the context.
Second is I like Yamask. I don't know; when you started talking about creepy ghosts in the chapter, I remembered how Cheren was supposed to catch his first Pokemon here, and I instantly wanted it to be Yamask. Not that I'm particularly fond of Yamask; it just seemed fitting.
Another good thing you did with that is you incorporated it into the story. That was actually pretty clever.
Ok, now my favorite thing about this chapter is, drumroll...
barararararararararararrrarararBAM!
The Eeveelution (see what I did there?). That was a really nice evolution scene; probably one of the best that I've seen. It's also fitting, because he's been using Eevee a lot. I have to admit, for no real reason, I feel like Eevee has sort of a personality in this chapter. I don't know. But the evolution scene was really good.
Cheren's personality was also fleshed out pretty nicely in this chapter. I think I emphasize this only because in the beginning you had a more difficult time with it and now it's spot on. Definitely see his intelligent side, but at the same time, you can see his more childish, naive side. Cheren's getting a lot of good developments in the past two chapters.
Less Bianca/David action going on in this chapter, but there was still enough to show that it's actually part of the story as opposed to a time killer/space filler. So that's pretty good.
Again, the thing with Paula, ehhh.... I have to agree with Glover on this one. Sorry. Creative, definitely. Original, clever. And it was a good way to establish the growing connection between trainer (David) and Pokemon (Paula). But sometimes, even when everything's good, sometimes it's a liiiittle too much. Hahaha.
Overall, solid chapter. I quite enjoyed it. Make sure you take care of college, but I hope this story doesn't vanish. It's actually quite good. ^___^
Anyways, I would like to open with the "I love you"s exchanged by David and Paula are (despite how appropriate they are due to the type of Pokemon the Ralts line are) a little unnerving. The mental image of Paula (human form) appearing doesn't help. It's mainly unnerving because I kind of get a bit of foreshadowing going on, hinting that their will be some HumaxPokemon relations in this story.
But that's not a big thing. Again, it's also appropriate. It's just the way it's being said is like when a guy loves a girl and they exchange their feelings before parting. Good for boyfriend and girlfriend; a little creepy for trainer to Pokemon. You can work on that, you don't have to, that's just my personal feelings. I kind of hope there's no HumanxPokemon in this story though. That's kind of creepy, no matter what the context.
Lol, I knew this comment was coming. There will NEVER be a romantic relationship between David and Paula. Ever. And do you know why? Because David is a human and Paula is a Pokemon! XD Will they have a very strong connection by the end of the story? Yes. Will David be romantically involved with a main female character? He'll try his damndest to be. Will Paula come to replace Cheren or Bianca for the role of "best friend?" Possibly. But will David ever try to bone his Gardevoir? NO!
The "I love you"s felt appropriate for the moment and help build their connection. It is meant to indicate a growing sense of mutual respect. Paula recognizes David as a great trainer and is faithfully devoted to her trainer, as she always has been, but David is starting to realize how much more of an important friend and confidant she can be. She is a friend to him just like Bianca or Cheren and not just a voiceless Pokemon. That does not have to mean XXX scene. Think of the relationship between the Master Chief and Cortana from Halo for context.
Glad to see you guys like the rest of it though, especially Eevee's evolution. I had to re-write that scene in the crypt several times, so I'm glad it paid off. Thanks for reading.
Lol, I knew this comment was coming. There will NEVER be a romantic relationship between David and Paula. Ever. And do you know why? Because David is a human and Paula is a Pokemon! XD Will they have a very strong connection by the end of the story? Yes. Will David be romantically involved with a main female character? He'll try his damndest to be. Will Paula come to replace Cheren or Bianca for the role of "best friend?" Possibly. But will David ever try to bone his Gardevoir? NO!
The "I love you"s felt appropriate for the moment and help build their connection. It is meant to indicate a growing sense of mutual respect. Paula recognizes David as a great trainer and is faithfully devoted to her trainer, as she always has been, but David is starting to realize how much more of an important friend and confidant she can be. She is a friend to him just like Bianca or Cheren and not just a voiceless Pokemon. That does not have to mean XXX scene. Think of the relationship between the Master Chief and Cortana from Halo for context.
Glad to see you guys like the rest of it though, especially Eevee's evolution. I had to re-write that scene in the crypt several times, so I'm glad it paid off. Thanks for reading.
Hahaha, ok. I was just making sure. I was actually pretty sure i knew the answer anyways, I just had to say it. ^___^
But I understand. Like I said, it's totally appropriate for the situation. Just. I guess the delivery was somewhat strange? I don't know. Doesn't really matter; there's nothing wrong with it. It was a personal thing. hehe.
Hahaha, ok. I was just making sure. I was actually pretty sure i knew the answer anyways, I just had to say it. ^___^
But I understand. Like I said, it's totally appropriate for the situation. Just. I guess the delivery was somewhat strange? I don't know. Doesn't really matter; there's nothing wrong with it. It was a personal thing. hehe.
That's it exactly. The angle I suspectyou want is more of a parent/child, or that feeling of love you get fform your puppy. (Not that Paula's a pet, but it's the inter-species thing. COuld you tell her to put me down please?") It gets more difficult to tell it from that angle though, when you have speaking Pokemon.
And in all honesty the concept of a mind's image of Paula's self is not that Far-Fetch'd. (Grins) If she wants to imagine herself as more radiennly beautiful than the world's Kirlia, and I would bet she's just cocky/vein/over- *OW* confident enough to think so, then by all means. But even on a humanoid Pokemon aside, let's leave out the blatently human anatomy, kay? Otherwise, David's a sick puppy.
I just got smacked by a Kirlia.
And NACHOEI, you'll have your day in the sun. I'm starting a job tomorrrow that requires me to be at work about the time I've been going to bed, so you'll have your chance.
Author's Notes:
Hi everyone, here is Chapter 9 of Chronicles of Unova, "I've Just Seen a Face." Let me start by addressing that title; this chapter makes references to The Beatles, the film "Help!" which they made, and in particular, the song “I’ve Just Seen a Face” which is from the movie's soundtrack album. I take no credit for the creation of any of these things. Also, as I'm sure you can guess, "The Heracross" is the Pokemon world's version of the band, since Heracross is a beetle.
The next thing I'd like to address is about length. Ever since "The Dragon's Skull," which I had to split into two parts, I've been writing chapters that were consistently in the 50k to 55k character range, which put them just slightly over the length you can post in a single post. The last few chapters have been pretty heavily edited and cut down in order to fit into one post, and I've also been having to write much shorter author's comments. All of this comes after having to actually write the chapter, and the writing process has suffered a bit too because I'm mentally trying to contain myself so as to not hit the cap. After a few chapters of it, I think I've had enough. I am going to start simply writing as much as I feel is appropriate, and if the chapters end up having to be split into two posts, so be it. That limitation is very detrimental to this subforum, but I suppose that is the fix for it. This chapter and I imagine quite a few future ones will be broken up into two posts, and I will link both in the OP as Parts 1 and 2, just like I did for "The Dragon's Skull."
On to the chapter itself, I have just a few things I want to comment on. This is a major chapter for David and Bianca, given that Cheren isn't with them at the moment and the fact that they are in Nimbasa City, which is the entertainment capital of the region. Without dropping any spoilers, there will be a pair of events that happen back-to-back in this chapter that will culminate in a large change; I hope this change feels natural and not forced or too soon, especially after the events of Castelia City. Just as a reminder, Bianca has always liked David back, it's just that it took the events of Castelia City to make her realize that fact and realize that she was treating him different subconsciously. Hopefully this feels like a natural extension of that.
Next, I'd like to just leave this and this here. They are what I was imagining when writing the Ferris wheel scene.
Finally, I'd just like to comment on the Gym battle. When I started this series, it was going to be a standard journey fiction, but with a heavy emphasis on the choreography of the battles. I feel like it has moved away from that and become a much more character driven story and a much more traditional journey fiction. I think the Gym battle against Elesa is possibly the best battle to date in the series, so I hope you all like the battle and it hearkens back to the original purpose of the story.
Also, I'm hoping Zubat's evolution doesn't feel forced. Bianca caught him back on Route 3, and we're already in Nimbasa City. In the game, that would put him right around the Level 25-30 range, which is just higher than when a Zubat would actually evolve (Level 22). Although we haven't actually seen a direct battle with him yet, it has been implied she is using him a lot; a good example was Zubat sweeping Burgh. Hopefully the evolution doesn't feel forced or too soon, but if it is, I recognize that fact up front.
Anyway, I'll just leave you with the chapter now. Hope you like it. Without further Mountain Dew, here is Chapter 9 of Chronicles of Unova, "I've Just Seen a Face." Enjoy!
Chronicles of Unova
Chapter 9: I've Just Seen a Face
Part 1 of 2
David’s eyes fluttered open. He had been sound asleep in a warm, soft, comfortable bed in the Nimbasa City Pokémon Center. He and Bianca had arrived in the city during the late afternoon of the previous day. They had seen a little bit of the town, but had just made a beeline for the Pokémon Center to recuperate themselves and their Pokémon after their adventure in Relic Castle. The long night’s sleep left him feeling refreshed and ready to explore the city; he was also feeling prepared for his Gym battle against the Nimbasa City Gym leader, Elesa. He stretched and rose from his bed to meet Bianca in the lobby.
“Excuse me, miss, did the girl I came in here with last night come down yet?” he asked the nurse behind the counter when he walked down.
“Yes sir, she went into the dining room a few minutes ago.” the young woman replied, pointing down the hall behind her. He thanked her and walked to where she had pointed.
David walked into the large dining hall and saw that it was packed with trainers, passing through the metropolis on their various journeys. There was a buffet against the far wall with all sorts of various pastries, deli meats and drinks spread across it; there were muffins and pastries, hot and cold cereals, coffees and juices, eggs and bacon, and of course a large assortment of Pokémon food. David walked over and filled up a plate, being sure to get an extra large helping of the Pokémon food for Munchlax. He turned back to the room, looking for a place to sit.
“David! Hey! Over here!” he heard Bianca shout. He turned to where the noise had come from and saw her seated at a table with Pachirisu and Zubat. He smiled and walked over.
“Hey David, I saved you a seat.” she said as he walked up. David set his tray down on the table and let Munchlax out of his Pokéball. He pulled out a seat and helped his Pokémon into it. The little Pokémon scrambled to get to the food, grabbing the overflowing bowl and beginning to devour its contents ravenously. Bianca giggled as David sat down.
“How’d you sleep?” David asked.
“Great! Much better than in the Desert Resort at least.” she replied. “You?”
“Pretty good.” David said, taking a sip from his drink. He looked over at his Pokémon as the little tike finished devouring his food. He had gotten an enormous bowl of food for him but he was already finishing it.
“Munchlax, you’re going to eat us out of house and home…” David said under his breath. Bianca giggled at the comment, covering he mouth; David grinning, continuing his train of thought. “How’d you ever survive in the wild? That’s got to have been more than what you could find on a daily basis out in Pinwheel Forest.”
Munchlax had lifted the bowl and was licking it clean, trying to get every last crumb from it. Upon realizing his trainer was talking to him, he dropped the bowl, resting it on his head. The oversized bowl sat on top of Munchlax’s head, covering his eyes. He turned towards David and asked audibly “Munch?”
Bianca laughed heartily at the ridiculousness of the little tike. David smiled, glad to see her happy. He gently lifted the bowl off Munchlax’s head, tilting it back so he could see. Munchlax had a blank, confused look on his face, unsure what was so funny about his new hat. David tapped his nose and lowered the bowl, letting Munchlax be. Munchlax turned back around, obliviously leaving his impromptu cap alone as he contemplated what could be so funny about it. David looked back at Bianca as she laughed, admiring her smile.
“So we’re in Nimbasa City, Bianca; anything you want to see while we’re here?” David asked.
“Oh definitely! We should check out the sports stadiums, the Battle Subway, the amusement part, of course the Gym… ooh! And the Pokémon Musical for sure! They’re performing a stage rendition of ‘Help!’ tonight!” Bianca replied.
“Sounds like we’ll have plenty to do until Cheren comes back.” David replied. “It’ll be a lot of fun- Munchlax! No!” David shouted.
Pachirisu and Zubat had left a little bit of food in their bowls that they hadn’t finished yet, and Munchlax had been slowly reaching over to steal it from them. He had managed to procure a kibble from Pachirisu’s bowl and had it right in front of his mouth by the time David had noticed. Munchlax looked up at his scolding trainer, then back down to the morsel of food, weighing his options carefully, and then quickly ate it. Munchlax smiled a big grin, happily enjoying his stolen treat.
“Munchlax, you little glutton, don’t steal food from other Pokémon! That’s a bad boy, no!” David said, leaning over his Pokémon. Munchlax was completely oblivious to his trainer’s yelling, proud of himself for his success. He had managed to get the food from the bowl to his mouth, the objective had gotten from point A to point B, so it was a win in his book; the details and logistics of the operation were of no real significance to him. David sighed, but Bianca just laughed again.
“Pachirisu, Zubat, are you two done?” she asked them sweetly. Zubat ate a few last bites and then indicated that he was done; Pachirisu pushed her bowl forward and shook her head immediately, putting a hand to her stomach. Bianca took the two bowls and poured them into Munchlax’s ex-hat with a wink. An enormous grin slowly spread across Munchlax’s face and his eyes lit up as he dug in. David smiled at Bianca and thanked her. He stood up and helped her out of her chair, and the group returned to their rooms to get dressed.
* * *
A short while later, the pair left the Pokémon Center with their Pokémon in tow. Munchlax was following behind David, looking around anxiously for his next meal; Pachirisu sat on Bianca’s right shoulder and Zubat on her left. The pair walked to the sidewalk and David began to speak.
“Well Bianca, we’ve got the whole day ahead of us. Where do you want to go first?” David asked.
“Let’s go catch the baseball game at the Big Stadium!” Bianca said excitedly. “Does that sound like fun, guys?” she asked her Pokémon. The two squealed and screeched in agreement and they set off.
It was a short walk to the stadium from the downtown Pokémon Center. The massive arena was covered in huge panels of lights, all changing and morphing into different colors. They displayed the logos and short promos for the two teams who were playing that day. Yellow and black stripes flashed across the panels and a massive bolt of lightning struck down the middle of the screen. An Electivire leapt down from above the panel and flexed its muscles, static bristling down its fur. “The Fighting Electivire” was displayed below it, concluding the team’s promo. It was replaced a moment later by a blue and red checkerboard pattern, scaling down the screen diagonally. A Druddigon stomped onto the field from off-screen and roared, slashing at the air in front of it. Its slashes tore away a part of the field behind it, revealing the logo of the opposing team, “The Dynamic Druddigon.” The lights from the screens lit up the surrounding city block and covered the huge stadium from top to bottom. The group walked up to the gate and bought tickets.
“Okay, D79, here’re our seats, Bianca.” David said as they reached their row. They shuffled down the narrow path and sat down; Munchlax sat on the far left, then David, then Bianca, and then Zubat and Pachirisu shared a seat on the end. They had a clear view of the diamond, just off center field.
“So who’re you rooting for, Bianca?” David asked.
“I grew up a Druddigon’s fan; that’s why I wanted to see this game. The Electivire never win anyway.” she replied, giggling to herself. David had never followed baseball in the first place, but she was happy, so he was happy. The players took the field and the umpire called for the game to begin. The first few innings passed uneventfully, and at the bottom of the 5th it was tied up at 2-2.
“Peanuts! Cotton Candy! Soft Drinks!” a man was yelling from the stairs near their seats. He was carrying a huge tray of assorted foodstuffs and drinks, and was dressed in white and blue stripes with a large, colorful hat.
“Do you want anything, Bianca?” David asked.
“Ooh, I haven’t had cotton candy in years! That would be nice.” she replied.
“I assume you’ll have anything I give you, huh Munchlax?” David asked sarcastically. Munchlax looked up at his trainer, his paws in front of his mouth, salivating and grinning with anticipation. David smiled and looked at the man.
“Hey! Over here!” he shouted. The man noticed him and walked over.
“I’ll have two cotton candies and a bag of peanuts.” David said. The man took the items off his tray and handed them to Bianca. David paid him and he went back to his work. Bianca handed one cotton candy and the peanuts to David and kept one for herself, sharing it with Pachirisu and Zubat. They took little bits of the airy sugar and ate them happily; the pink candy matched Zubat’s wings. Bianca took a bite herself and grinned a huge grin. David smiled to see her happy.
“Here you go, Munchlax. These are called ‘peanuts.’ Please pace your-” David started to say, but he was cut off. Munchlax grabbed the bag, tore it open, and dumped the entirety of its contents into his mouth. It took him a few seconds to chew them at least, but he quickly had devoured the bag with a happy, satisfied look on his face. “-self… great…” David finished.
Bianca giggled at Munchlax and continued taking small bites from her cotton candy. It melted on her tongue as she took each bite, melting away back into sugar. She smiled again and spoke up.
“I haven’t had this stuff since I was a little girl. I had forgotten how good it is.” she said. “Thank you for getting it for me.”
“You’re very welcome, Bianca. Glad you’re happy.” David replied. He was still holding his own cotton candy, but with a slack grip. Munchlax was eyeing it cautiously, waiting for his chance to strike.
Down on the field, the 6th inning was starting and the Druddigon were up to bat. The batter stepped up to the plate and readied himself; he lifted his foot and tapped the dirt from his cleats with his bat, then did the same to the other foot. He stared down range at the Electivire’s pitcher, gripping his bat with determination.
The pitcher lowered the brim of his cap and slit his eyes, looking at the catcher intently. He gripped the ball tightly, took in a deep breath and rose to his throwing position. He brought the ball behind his head, tightened his arm and launched it at the batter. The batter took a powerful swing but missed the ball. “Strike one!” the umpire called.
The batter shook his head and sloughed off the disappointment. He’d get the next one, he thought to himself. The pitcher went through his wind-up again and let the ball fly. It flew so fast it looked as if a Magmortar had launched it. The ball looked high, it occurred to the batter, and he knew he couldn’t hit it. He let the ball glide in, not taking the swing. “Strike two!” the umpire called.
“What?! That was a ball!” The batter said in shock.
“Steee-rike two!” the umpire repeated. The batter shook his head in disgust and turned back to the pitcher, ready for the last throw. He grit his teeth in determination, seething with power and strength; he would hit the last one.
The pitcher smirked. He spat on the ground and rubbed it into the dirt. The batter ignored his taunts and prepared himself for the swing. The pitcher went through his overly dramatic wind-up and launched the ball; it flew through the air straight and true like a missile toward its target. The batter shut his eyes, exhaled, and then swung with all his might. He heard the “crack!” of the ball hitting his bat and he bolted, running as fast as he could to first base. The crowd roared as the ball sailed through the air. The pitcher watched it fly over him, putting a hand to his hat to adjust the brim. It flew and flew, showing no signs of slowing down. It sailed into the crowd: a home-run.
Back in the stands, David had let his grip on his cotton candy go slack as he watched the impressive hit in amazement. It drooped in front of Munchlax’s face, teasing him with its sugary goodness. Munchlax knew this was his chance and leapt up to take a bite from it. He opened his mouth wide, leaping into the air, but tasted something of an entirely different variety than the sweet treat he was expecting. The ball dropped and landed gracefully right into Munchlax’s mouth. He fell onto the ground in surprise, holding up the drool covered ball with a confused look on his face. The crowd roared for Munchlax’s amazing catch, David and Bianca yelling just as loudly for the confused little tike. He offered the ball to David in exchange for the cotton candy and happily sat back down with his new prize, enjoying his treat. The Druddigon had scored and were up 3-2, a victory now in sight. David wiped Munchlax’s spit off the ball and handed it to Bianca.
“For you, milady.” he said with a smirk.
“Oh wow, you mean it?!” she said excitedly. He held the ball out for her to take, still grinning to himself over their luck. She took it and hugged her friend, laughing audibly. The batter was just rounding home plate at this point and tipped his hat toward the distant pair. They went on to win the game, soundly defeating the Electivire; Bianca’s team had won!
* * *
“That was a lot of fun, Bianca; thanks for suggesting it. What’s next on your itinerary?” David asked as they left the stadium. Many fans were piling out of the large building and into the streets. It was still early afternoon, so they had plenty of time to see more.
“We should go to the Battle Subway next. It’s designed to give Pokémon trainers competitively minded opponents to spar against; we can team up for the Multi Battle line!” Bianca replied.
“That sounds great.” David said. They ambled through the brightly colored city to the subway station and walked down the dark, windy steps. A large, neon sign hung from the ceiling in the circular foyer; it read in bright, flashing letters “Welcome to Gear Station.” A giant clock hung below it, showing off the time in all the various regions. Rows of subway platforms spanned around the perimeter of the circular station, extending to the far corners of Unova; if viewed from above, they would look like the spokes on a gear, hence the name of the station. They walked through the crowds to the platform they wanted: The Multi Battle line. David bought their tickets and they waited for the car to arrive.
“All aboard!” a man yelled over the roar of the crowd. The high-speed tram pulled up and the doors slid open audibly. The crowds shuffled onto the various cars, David and Bianca getting onto the farthest one in the back.
“So how does this work, Bianca? How do we find opponents?” David asked.
“We start in the back car, and with each win, we advance to the next one. Our opponents will be waiting for us each time we move to a new car. They say something special happens if you reach the front car!” she replied. The pair entered the first car and readied themselves.
“Howdy, kids! How’re you two doing?” a young man asked them as they stepped in. The doors closed behind them and the train began to move. Next to him was a young woman, dressed in similar clothing. They both were dressed humbly and wore large backpacks.
“We’re great! Are you our opponents?” Bianca asked excitedly.
“Looks like it! I’m Melissa and this is my husband Mike; we’re newly-weds!” the woman replied.
“This trip is our honeymoon.” Mike continued.
“Aww, how sweet! Well, I’m Bianca and this is David. Are you two ready?” Bianca asked.
The pair drew their Pokéballs and released them emphatically. A Cottonee sprang from Melissa’s Pokéball and a Timburr came from Mike’s. The Pokémon struck fighting positions, ready to battle.
“You bet!” Mike replied.
David and Bianca shot each other a determined look and drew their Pokémon. David released Munchlax and Bianca let out Pachirisu; the pair high-fived each other as they came out, striking a fighting pose, electricity bristling through Pachirisu’s tail. They looked much more prepared than their opponents; the battle began, each side launching their first strikes.
“Timburr, use Wake-Up Slap!” Mike said with a grin. The little fighter leapt into the air towards Pachirisu, drawing its hearty log to strike with.
“Pachirisu, Bide!” Bianca shouted back. Pachirisu curled itself up into a ball and bristled as the strike hit it. It began to glow faintly in a bright red as it endured the hit. Timburr kept up the attack unrelentingly.
Across the room, David had begun his first attack. “Munchlax, use Fire Punch!” he shouted. Munchlax’s fists burst into flames and he leapt to strike the Cottonee. Munchlax was very slow however and Cottonee was much faster, jumping out of the way with ease. Cottonee dodged nimbly as Munchlax launched punch after punch. Cottonee had flawless footing, but Munchlax kept pushing it back farther and farther.
“Cottonee, use Leech Seed!” Melissa shouted confidently. Cottonee took a large jump back and launched its spore toward Munchlax. The Prankster’s attack hit Munchlax squarely in the forehead, the vines spreading across his whole body, stopping his attack cold. Munchlax struggled to stand under the pressure of the sapping plant, trying valiantly to fight back.
Timburr was continuing to wail on Pachirisu, striking over and over with his stout log. Pachirisu was holding fast, but clearly was in pain; the red energy that was glowing all over her body was shining quite brightly now. Timburr stepped back for one final strike, but Pachirisu saw her opportunity and struck back. She uncurled herself and launched the red energy towards the opposing Timburr. The wave of power flooded over her opponent, knocking it to the ground in defeat.
Cottonee was very proud of itself over tricking Munchlax, laughing and hopping proudly. It drew in close to Munchlax, laughing in his face. Munchlax struggled to rise under the pressure of the Leech Seed, glaring at his enemy angrily. It tried to punch at Cottonee but couldn’t reach. Cottonee got careless and tripped over itself in its joy; Munchlax saw his opportunity and grabbed the little puff ball with its flaming fist. He flung it into the wall, searing its leaves with its intense fire. Cottonee fell to the ground in a slump. David and Bianca had won!
The newly-weds returned their Pokémon and grinned in congratulations. They walked over to the pair and shook their hands happily.
“Good job, you guys; you make a great pair.” Melissa said as she shook Bianca’s hand. “Yeah, great job.” Mike continued, shaking David’s. David and Bianca shot each other a look and smiled. They returned their Pokémon, wished the newly-weds well and continued into the adjacent car for their next battle.
* * *
“Pachirisu, Spark” Bianca shouted. Her Pokémon charged up its electricity and launched itself at the opposing Zorua. Its illusion had broken and it was disoriented from exhaustion. It took the attack head-on and slumped to the ground in defeat. David and Bianca returned their Pokémon and thanked their opponents.
“That was six wins in a row, Bianca. We’re on fire!” David said, high-fiving his friend.
“Yeah, we’re doing great! One more battle and the line is over.” she replied.
The pair stepped through the final door and into the front car. There were no more opponents for them to battle, simply a pair of men driving the train. They didn’t turn to acknowledge the young trainers as they walked in, focusing on their task at hand.
“Um… excuse me, sirs… are we-” Bianca started to ask, but they stopped her short. They flipped a switch on the control panel and turned to face her. They were dressed elegantly in matching suits, one black and one white. They wore large grins, almost ominous looking. The one in black spoke up.
“Hello kids, my name is Ingo and this is my brother Emmet. We are the conductors of this rail line and we will be your final opponents. You have done well to make it here; a 6-win streak, as I understand. To win against us though, you must have a truly strong bond with your Pokémon and your Pokémon must have excellent coordination with each other; if you do win, however, you will be rewarded handsomely. Are you ready, Emmet?” the man said.
“Certainly! Definitely! Absolutely, brother!” the man in the white suit said. “I shall battle with all of my strength!” he continued.
“You’ll have to excuse him, kids. English is not his first language. Are you two prepared?” Ingo asked.
David and Bianca looked at each other with determination and nodded, releasing Munchlax and Pachirisu. Ingo and Emmet released their Pokémon, sending out a powerful looking Klang and Dwebble respectively. The four Pokémon readied themselves with gleams in their eyes and the battle began.
“Pachirisu, use Spark!” Bianca shouted. Pachirisu launched itself toward the Klang, bristling with electricity and energy. The blow seemed to glance off the Klang though, its thick steel body allowing it to take the hit with very little damage. It glared back at Pachirisu cunningly, now ready to strike back.
Across the room, Munchlax was sparing with Emmet’s Dwebble. It was launching Fire Punch after Fire Punch, wailing on the little hermit crab powerfully. Its Bug side was weak to the Fire type move, but its Rock side was resistant to it, so the hits were doing a moderate amount of damage. Its thick, rocky shell was helping it take the brunt of the strikes though, so Munchlax was having a hard time pushing it back or gaining any ground. Seeing an opening, Emmet called for it to use X-Scissor, taking a strong swipe at Munchlax’s legs with its pincers. Munchlax toppled to the ground, inadvertently crushing the Dwebble with an accidental Body Slam in the process. The pair struggled to rise from the dual attacks.
“Klang, Gear Grind!” Ingo shouted to his Pokémon. It began to spin very quickly, filling the air with a harsh screeching noise. It flew at Pachirisu, just nicking it. Pachirisu yelped in pain as the spinning gears stung it, but managed to speed away in time to avoid the full force of the attack. Bianca called for her Pokémon to use Hidden Power, but the freezing winds worked even worse than Spark had; Klang seemed to be an unstoppable wall that Pachirisu just couldn’t wear down.
Seeing his partner’s plight, an idea came to David on how to end the battle quickly and decisively; he whispered it to Bianca, a smile slowly spreading across her face. Munchlax was the first to rise and managed to knock Dwebble back quickly; it landed on its shell, flailing to try and right itself.
“Munchlax, throw Pachirisu into the air!” David shouted. The two Pokémon looked at each other in confusion, but followed their trainer’s commands. Pachirisu ran quickly over to Munchlax, who picked the ele-squirrel Pokémon up and threw her high into the air.
“Now use Earthquake!” David continued. Munchlax understood the plan in a moment of realization and stomped powerfully and quickly on the ground. The shockwave struck both of the opposing Pokémon, but Pachirisu managed to avoid it thanks to their quick timing and coordination. Klang, being a Steel type, was weak to the Ground type attack and went down instantly; Dwebble had sustained enough damage from earlier in the match and couldn’t steady itself to defend against the strike, going down too. Pachirisu flipped in the air and landed gracefully in front of Munchlax. The two stood proudly before their defeated opponents, victorious over the brothers.
“Excellent work, kids! That is the kind of coordination we love to see!” Ingo shouted. Emmet continued, “Marvelous! Stupendous! I love to see the trainers and the Pokémon who attack like that to arrive at the station of victory! Very most good!” David and Bianca grinned at his broken speech, but were ecstatic over their victory; very few passengers of the Battle Subway managed to make it that far, let alone win.
The train was pulling back into the station at this point and the doors slid open. David and Bianca returned their proud Pokémon to their Pokéballs and walked up to the brothers to shake their hands.
“As promised, you will be rewarded for your victory against us. We would like to present you with this TM; it contains Charge Beam, a very useful move indeed. We hope you will use this item to continue to excel and get stronger.” Ingo said as he congratulated them. He handed the small machine to Bianca with a smile. The pair stepped off the train and heard Emmet shout “Have the safety and please to be riding again!” from behind them. Bianca smirked at his remarks as the train began to pull away.
“I bet Pachirisu could benefit from a Special Electric attack like that. You should teach it to her.” David commented. Bianca fired up the TM and gave it to her Pokémon.
“Pachirisu, would you like to learn Charge Beam?” Bianca asked the ele-squirrel. Pachirisu bristled with electricity and grinned determinedly. It shut its eyes, let the machine do its work, and in a moment of clarity, Pachirisu learned Charge Beam. The group left the station and went outside to test out the new move.
“Pachirisu, use Charge Beam!” Bianca said excitedly. Pachirisu bristled with electricity as it powered up the move, just like it did when using Spark, but instead of launching the electrified tackle at an opponent, it shot the blast of stored power in a thin, crackling beam. It struck the sidewalk and left a sizable scorch mark where it had hit.
“Wow! That’s super!” Bianca said excitedly. Their trip to Gear Station had proven to be quite useful indeed.
* * *
The sun was just beginning to get low in the late afternoon sky as they walked down the street from Gear Station. David asked what Bianca’s next destination was and she spoke up in reply.
“We should go to the amusement park next. The lights on all the rides should be coming on soon; it’ll look really pretty I bet.” Bianca answered. “Rondez-View Ferris Wheel is a famous tourist attraction of the city. They say it looks its best in the evening when it’s all lit up.” she continued.
It was a short walk east from the subway station to the large fairground. A lush park was set aside in a corner of the city, full of rides and attractions. Children played and screamed with their parents in tow, and older couples were walking about and enjoying the atmosphere. The centerpiece of the park was the massive Ferris wheel in the back of the fairground; the sun was starting to set behind it, making the metal gleam in the evening light. Lights were woven into the support beams of the wheel, waiting for the sun to set to come on.
“Oh wow, it’s so pretty! I didn’t realize it would be so big either; I bet if you went to the top you could see the whole city.” Bianca commented. They were passing by a large building with flashing lights adorning it as she said this, and they heard a woman’s voice speak from inside of it as they passed.
“You can.” the woman said. She took a pause and then continued, “It’s the highest point in the city.”
David and Bianca turned to see who was speaking to them and saw a woman leaning against the doorway of the building with her arms folded. She was tall and thin, and wore expensive looking clothing. She had short, tomboyish blonde hair with two long cords extending from her headband. She wore a disinterested look on her face but was still smiling cordially. Her clothing was fashionable, albeit slightly revealing, but she still had a classy air about her. She pushed herself off of the doorway with her shoulder and began walking slowly towards them, taking long, deliberate strides. She stopped when she had reached them and put her hands on her hips with an attitude. David began to speak up in response.
“Really? It’s taller than the sports stadiums even?” he asked. The woman nodded. Her eyes had been closed when she spoke and walked over, but as she finished nodding her response, she opened them and shot David a cold, commanding look. She was staring directly into his eyes with a stern, confident gaze, practically dripping with a holier-than-thou attitude. David was taken aback by the confident young woman’s attitude and stare.
“What’s your name, handsome?” the woman asked him aloofly. David was unnerved by her comment but she didn’t see his response as she had turned now to Bianca. “And who’s your plain Jane friend?” she continued.
“I’m David and this is Bianca.” David replied. The woman had barely spoken five sentences to them and she was already in complete command of the situation. David tried meagerly to go on the offensive and asked her the same question. “How about you?” he stammered.
The woman smiled to herself and brought her hand to her face, flicking her wrist. “My name is Elesa. I am the Gym Leader of Nimbasa City. However, you probably recognize me as-” she began to respond, but Bianca cut her off.
“As a famous super model! I knew I recognized your face! You’re Elesa! The Elesa!” she said excitedly. Bianca had been silent during the entire short exchange, but she spoke up now, completely confident in front of the intimidating woman; David was surprised her aloof air wasn’t affecting Bianca like it was him. She continued, “I knew you were a model, but I didn’t realize you were the Gym Leader too!”
Elesa was caught off guard to have been cut off, but she smiled and quickly regained her composure. “Always nice to meet a fan…” she continued. She put her hands back on her hips and lowered her head, still smiling smugly.
“You’re really the Gym Leader? I didn’t envision you being so…” David started to say in surprised, but he struggled to find the word.
“Feminine?” Elesa spoke up. She was really getting under his skin now, but that actually was a pretty good word for what he was thinking of. He mumbled something under his breath embarrassedly and Elesa laughed.
“It’s alright, honey, I get that all the time.” she replied. “Pokémon battles are essentially just brute fighting on a high level of technical proficiency, and such fighting is typically viewed as a masculine activity in our society. The dresses and the make-up and the career… it is typically viewed as feminine in just the same way. Combining the two does seem a tad unorthodox until this frail body beats you.” she continued, chuckling to herself again.
David’s uneasiness was starting to abate, but she was still intimidating. She had an air of confidence about her that was unmistakable. After a moment of silence, Bianca spoke up again.
“You use Electric types, right?” she asked. Elesa nodded and replied.
“This city is filled with lights and attractions and entertainment, and all of it runs on electricity. I embody that spirit in the way I battle.” she responded. “Why do you ask though, deary?” she continued.
“David and I are Pokémon trainers. We’ve come here to challenge the Gym Leader, so I guess that means you!” Bianca said excitedly.
“Challengers, huh? Guess you know my big secret now.” Elesa said with a wink. “When you’re ready to make your challenge, you know where to find me.”
“Where’s that?” Bianca asked. Elesa pointed up and behind her to the building she had come out of, indicating it was her Gym. David and Bianca looked up at the shining, fanciful building in surprise, not expecting the colorful structure in the middle of the amusement park to be a Gym. Elesa anticipated their surprise and spoke up.
“Nothing in the city draws more power than this amusement park. It seemed like a natural place to put the Gym. Besides… the rides appeal to the kid in me.” she said with a smirk. David was quickly becoming more and more impressed and confused by the young woman, all at the same time.
“How about tomorrow morning? Will that work for you, Elesa?” Bianca asked. Elesa nodded her head and smiled her confident smile again. Bianca thought for a minute, and then continued, “Hey! I’ve got an idea! Elesa, what would you say to a double battle with David and I? We just spent a long time at the Battle Subway on the Multi Battle line; David and I make great battling partners, so how about we combine our challenges and do a Multi Battle with you?”
David looked at Bianca in shock, and even Elesa seemed a little taken aback by the request. David was worried Elesa would shoot her idea down instantly, but instead, she actually considered it for a moment. She looked up, putting a hand to her chin. She still wore her grin, but now it was a grin of intrigue and surprise rather than of condescension.
“That’s actually… a really interesting idea…” Elesa said, still deep in thought. She snapped her fingers and continued, “I really like that idea actually. That sounds like a lot of fun!” David was surprised by her positive response, but he was actually pretty interested in the proposition himself. They had done really well at the Battle Subway, and it would be a way of spending more time with Bianca. Bianca giggled to herself over her success, clapping her hands in front of her.
“So what’s the deal, are you two, like… together or something?” Elesa asked. A confused look spread across David’s face, but he quickly realized what she meant and shook his head “no” worriedly. Bianca was still confused, not understanding the connection.
“‘Together?’ What does that mean?” she asked. Elesa chuckled to herself over David’s nervousness and Bianca’s naivety, waiving her hand dismissively.
“Oh… never mind, love; I’ll see you two in the morning.” Elesa said. She flicked her wrist dismissively to wave good-bye and strutted back into her Gym. Bianca turned to David in confusion, but David dismissed the impending question out of fear. The two continued walking deeper into the amusement park as the sun continued to set behind them.
* * *
David and Bianca had gone on a couple of rides and were enjoying the large amusement park, but as dusk began to settle in, the massive Ferris wheel beckoned to them. They walked over to it, staring up at its majesty.
“This really is a giant Ferris wheel, Bianca. Elesa probably wasn’t kidding about being able to see the whole city from on top of it.” David said, mystified at the giant structure in front of him.
“Do you have the time, David?” Bianca asked.
“It’s, uh… 7:50” he replied. “10 more minutes until they light it up.”
“Let’s hurry and get tickets! Maybe they’ll turn the lights on while we’re on it!” Bianca replied. The pair bought their tickets and went inside. An empty cart was coming back around and the wheel slowed for them to get on. The carts sat two people a piece, designed for couples or for parents and children; David and Bianca had their car all to themselves. They entered it, heard the door latch shut behind them, and the wheel began to turn.
“Ooh!” Bianca squealed in excitement as the car began to rise. “This is so exciting! Look out at the city, David!”
The sprawling evening city spread out before them, a million little lights glowing across the landscape. The city glowed in every color of the rainbow, stretching on as far as the eye could see. Compared to the likes of Castelia or some of the bigger cities of other regions, it was actually fairly small in terms of square mileage; but there was so much packed into the town that it was every bit as magnificent as those bigger ones. In the distance, they could see the Big Stadium, Gear Station, the Pokémon Musical hall, the Pokémon Center, and hundreds of other brightly shining buildings competing with the setting sun for the title of brightest light in the sky. The sun shone brightly for one last hoorah before it winked out and set behind the mountains in front of them. They had been slowly ascending through their arc and were coming to the top of the wheel’s path. Bianca began to speak in a hushed voice.
“Wow…” she said in reverence. “This is such a great view…”
The car had a steel bottom and a glass top, with the bottom painted red to look like an upside-down Pokéball. The bench seats on either side of the cart had enough room to comfortably seat one person each; Bianca’s seat was facing away from the city, so she had to turn around uncomfortably to look out. She spoke up again, “Do you mind if I come sit over by you so I’m not twisting my neck?”
Before David could even process a reply, she had stood up and walked over to his side of the car. She tried to scrunch in next to him, but the bench was just a bit too narrow for them both to fit on it. Instead, she decided to sit on his lap, looking out at the city and holding onto his neck to steady herself. Bianca seemed to think nothing of it, captivated by the city lights, but to David it was every bit as awkward and nerve-wracking as it was uncomfortable in the tiny car. He could feel himself tighten up slightly and his pulse quicken as she drew so near.
“This is way better; I can see really easily now.” Bianca said obliviously. David murmured something under his breath, but she didn’t seem to hear. She was seated gracefully on his left thigh, bracing herself against his neck with her right arm. She was blissfully unaware of how nervous her new cushion was; David tried his hardest to not think about how close she was, but it was an uphill battle.
As they reached the zenith of the arc, the wheel abruptly jerked to a stop. The car shook for a moment and David inadvertently put a hand on Bianca’s leg and the other around her waist to steady her. The car stabilized itself in short time, but he didn’t bother to move his hands.
“Why did we stop? Is there something wrong with the motor?” Bianca asked, a slight tone of concern creeping into her voice.
“I don’t know. I guess we’ll have to wait and-” David began to say, but he was cut off. The whole Ferris wheel lit up in an instant, flooding the entire park in color. The lights that were intertwined with not only the railings and support beams, but also all of the cars, gleamed brightly in the night sky, twinkling in every color imaginable. It was a beautiful spectacle to behold, and they were inside of it all as it had been turned on. The pair gasped, looking around at the stunning new lights.
“Oh David! It’s beautiful!” Bianca said in shock. She looked around with an enormous grin on her face at all the new color. The wheel had turned into one giant neon sign in the blink of an eye. The lights flooded the inside of their car too, casting shadows and dancing across their bodies. David couldn’t help but look up at Bianca’s smiling face as the light played across it.
“…it’s not the only thing.” David murmured under his breath. He froze immediately, realizing he had inadvertently said that out loud. He felt his heart rate quicken as soon as the realization struck him and tried to stare straight ahead.
“What did you say?” Bianca asked.
“Nothing.” David replied quickly, but Bianca had heard.
“Did… did you say ‘that’s not the only thing?’” she continued.
David looked at his shoes uncomfortably; funny… one was looser than the other. Bianca placed her free, left hand over the one he was still resting on her leg; he had forgotten he was still cradling her like that. He looked up at her, a thin smile spread across her lips. The colorful lights of the Ferris wheel danced across her face and shone in her golden blonde hair. She had a blissful and knowing look in her eye.
“Bianca… I…” David stammered. He couldn’t pull his eyes away from her gaze and he felt her hand clasp around his as they sat together. The lights were flooding the car in beautiful, twinkling colors and shadows, heightening the atmosphere. David tried to finish his thought but Bianca stopped him.
“Shh…” she whispered sweetly. “Thank you.” She released his hand and placed hers around his shoulder. She embraced him gingerly, cupping his head under her chin. The pair sat together, cradling each other in the beautiful car, looking out at the nighttime city. David was still nervous and worried, but to be honest, he couldn’t think of a better setting.
“…you know… don’t you?” David whispered.
“Shh…” Bianca said again. She squeezed a little tighter for a second and continued to enjoy the moment. The wheel began to turn again a moment later and they road it down in each other’s arms, not questioning the act and simply enjoying it.
A short time later, the pair left the park, heading back into the nighttime city. David was feeling a little nervous about their experience on the Ferris wheel, but Bianca seemed strangely calm and serene. She had a slight spring in her step and a faint but permanent smile etched on her face.
“So where to now?” David asked meekly.
“We’ve still got to catch the play at the Pokémon Musical, remember? They’re performing a stage rendition of The Heracross’ ‘Help!’ tonight; I thought that would be something fun for us to do together.” she replied. Bianca was referring to the fact that they had grown up on the music of The Heracross; their music was a special connection for them that Cheren didn’t share to as large an extent. It would be something they could do together that would hold a special meaning for them. David murmured something in agreement and they set off towards the theater.
It was just a short walk north, but as they went, Bianca swung her arms happily. Her knuckles brushed up against the back of David’s hand and it startled him. Bianca just giggled and grasped it, taking the initiative for him. David was taken aback, but she just laughed and swung it cheerily in unison with hers. They walked hand-in-hand down the streets and finally arrived at the theater.
They went in and were led to a table. The Nimbasa City Pokémon Musical was a large dinner theater that put on shows featuring trainers and their Pokémon as the actors. Audience participation was a huge part of the experience, and every night they would select one table to come up and perform the final number of the show. Tonight they were performing a theatrical version of the Heracross’ feature film ‘Help!’ As corny as it was, David knew all the words to the movie’s songs by heart and knew Bianca did too; he secretly hoped they would be chosen.
“Hello and welcome!” a man shouted from the stage. “The Nimbasa City Pokémon Musical would like to welcome you all to our performance of the Heracross’ feature film, ‘Help!’ As you all know, one table from the audience will be chosen to come up on stage and sing the final number of the evening with us. Tonight… that table will beeeeeeee…” he continued. A spotlight shone around the room, tracing a pattern in the crowd. It made a few passes around the large dining hall and finally rested on one table in particular.
“This table, with the lovely young couple! Why don’t you come on up here, kids!” the host shouted. The light had stopped on David and Bianca’s table; they had been chosen to perform the final song of the night.
“Eek! David! That’s us!” Bianca shouted. A grin spread across both their faces and they went up on stage to shake the host’s hand. The whole room cheered and clapped for them, anticipating the song to come.
“Hey there, kids! What’re your names?” the man asked.
“I’m Bianca and this is David!” Bianca said excitedly.
“And where are you two from?” he continued.
“Nuvema Town!” she replied.
“Wow! That’s quite a ways away!” the man said in surprise. “And what Pokémon will be performing with you tonight?” he continued.
The pair drew their three collective Pokéballs and released the Pokémon to the stage. Pachirisu and Munchlax both looked excited and handsome, but Zubat in particular shone in the stage lights. The whole room gasped at Bianca’s shiny Pokémon and applauded loudly.
“WOW! A shiny Pokémon! That’s not something we see here every day! We’re in for a real treat, folks!” the host shouted. “Well, you two go on back to your table; when it’s time for you to come on back and get ready, we’ll send someone to get you. As an added treat, your visit here is all-expenses-paid for the evening, so enjoy yourselves!” he continued.
David and Bianca were ecstatic at this exciting news and returned to their table to the applause and cheers of the crowd. A short time later the play began and their evening passed swimmingly. As the play neared completion a few hours later, a man walked quietly through the large dining hall over to their table. He leaned over and whispered for them to follow him backstage.
“Okay kids, time to get you in costume for your number. Miss, if you’ll follow this young lady to your dressing room, and young man, I’ll show you to yours.” the stage hand said. David and Bianca waved as they separated, both going to get ready for their number. David was led into an ornate dressing room where another aide was waiting.
The man helped him into a tuxedo and helped clean him up for the number. He then put a little bowtie on Munchlax, preparing him for his role alongside his trainer. The process took around 15 minutes, but the time seemed to drag on to David. As it neared completion, he could hear the crowd outside applauding for the end of the show; it was almost time.
“Okay honey, you’re going to go out on stage, the host is going to introduce you, and then you’ll do your number. Wait for the music to start, then you come out first, then your little lady friend, okay?” the man asked. David nodded and he continued. “The song you’ll be doing is ‘I’ve Just Seen a Face.’ You know that one, right?” he asked. David nodded again and the man sent him on his way.
“Oh you look so fabulous! Go knock ‘em dead, hon!” he said. David smiled and thanked him, heading for the stage door. He and his Pokémon walked behind the curtain stage right and motioned to the host to see him. He nodded slightly and began the announcement.
“Thank you, thank you! That concludes our feature presentation for the evening, and we hope you enjoyed it!” he said loudly and excitedly. The crowd continued to applaud, cheering for the actors and the excellent play. “As is customary, we now present you with our final song of the night, performed by two of our audience members and their Pokémon! Performing ‘I’ve Just Seen a Face’ from the soundtrack to the movie, here is… David and Bianca!” he shouted.
David looked down at Munchlax and smiled. Munchlax had a determined grin on his face, clearly understanding what was happening; he looked like a million bucks in his little clip-on bowtie. The band began to play and the pair strode on stage.
David and Munchlax walked in rhythm with the song, striding with the music and getting a big audience reaction. He was trying to work the crowd as the band played the intro, walking very flamboyantly and just acting silly with his goofy little Pokémon. As the intro began to conclude, he held out both arms towards the opposite side of the stage to give Bianca an introduction. On cue, she stepped out slowly, Pachirisu wrapped around her neck like a stole and Zubat flying above her; David’s jaw just about hit the ground when he saw her.
She was dressed in a stunning, green evening gown, gently draping a pink parasol over her shoulder with both hands. She wore a calm smile on her lips, her eyes were closed and her head was very slightly bowed. The dress fit snugly, coming up to her underarms and leaving her shoulders and arms exposed; it fell to her feet gently in a long train, ruffling as she gently took each step. Her hair was down, falling in gentle, golden waves to her shoulders. She wore almost no makeup, looking flawless without it. Pachirisu lounged cheerily over her shoulders like a stole. Zubat flew to the beat of the music in figure eights above her, shining and shimmering beautifully in the light; Bianca’s dress and parasol were designed to match the little bat’s unique coloring, his shimmering form accenting her beauty. She stepped onto the stage opposite David and Munchlax and opened her eyes, staring commandingly into David’s. David almost lost the beat he was so taken aback by her gorgeous form, but he had certainly found motivation for the song. He began to sing.
♫ I’ve just seen a face, I can’t forget the time or place where we just met,
She’s just the girl for me and I want all the world to see we’ve met…
Hmm mmm mmm, hmm mmm mm! ♫
David danced and spun around the stage, taking Munchlax’s hand as he went, the pair jubilantly celebrating the beauty of his partner across the stage. Munchlax kicked up his legs and wore a big grin on his face, doing a little dance along with his trainer. His little bowtie was a big hit with the audience; they clapped and screamed for the pair, applauding Munchlax’s silly grin; the little goober could really command a crowd.
Now it was Bianca’s turn to take a verse. She slowly, daintily approached center stage as David bowed out.
♫ Had it been another day I might have looked the other way and
I’d have never been aware, but as it is I’ll dream of you tonight…
Lai dai dai, dai’d-un-dai. ♫
Bianca actually had quite a singing voice, and her notes rang throughout the room in a beautiful, crisp tone. She changed the “her” in the song to a “you,” accenting it and shooting a quick look at David. He caught it as she said it and grinned. The pair both approached center stage now for the chorus. They shot each other a look and grasped each other’s hands, spinning in a circle around their collective center with centrifugal force. Pachirisu and Munchlax ran around the edge of their circle at their feet, laughing and playing as their trainers danced. Zubat continued to fly overhead, spinning and performing aerial feats in time with the music. David and Bianca sang the chorus together, holding each other’s hands and spinning.
♫ Falling, yes I am falling, and she keeps calling me back again! ♫
The pair split and David ran up to the edge of the stage with Munchlax. Bianca pulled out a small red fan and covered her mouth with it elegantly, swaying her hips to the beat behind them. David and Munchlax rocked in rhythm back and forth with the music, singing the next verse directly to the crowd.
♫ I have never known the like of this, I’ve been alone and I have
Missed things and kept out of sight, but other girls were never quite like this!
Lai dai dai, dai’d-un-dai. ♫
David turned back around to face Bianca as he sang the last phrase. He grinned and ran back to take her hands again for the chorus. They embraced each other and danced in a fast ballroom style, again singing together in harmony.
♫ Falling, yes I am falling, and she keeps calling me back again! ♫
As the band played their solo, David and Bianca danced and spun around the stage, putting on a remarkable show. The audience was completely in love with the pair, shouting and applauding for them as they moved. Munchlax and Pachirisu danced in the corner as well, spinning around each other and hamming it up for the crowd. Zubat continued to follow his trainer, glimmering in the light and shining down on her as a brilliant accent; if Bianca’s radiant beauty was that perfect 10¢ ice cream sundae in the soda shop you always eyed as a kid, Zubat was the shiny red cherry that sat on top. David and Bianca were completely in the moment, staring blissfully into each other’s eyes as the band played. When the solo ended, they sang another chorus in unison.
♫ Falling, yes I am falling, and she keeps calling me back again! ♫
Bianca took the final verse, stepping away from her partner and walking gracefully to the edge of the stage. She closed her eyes, straightened her stance, put her feet together, and gently spun the parasol over her shoulder.
♫ I’ve just seen a face, I can’t forget the time or place where we just met,
He’s just the guy for me and I want all the world to see we’ve met…
Hmm mmm mmm, dai’d-un-dai… ♫
David walked up from behind her and embraced his friend as they sang the final chorus. The dancing was over; they simply held each other and belted out the final chorus. The climax to the song was practically bringing the audience to the brink of insanity, and the roof seemed to be about ready to explode and launch into the night sky.
♫ Falling, yes I am falling, and she keeps calling me back again.
Falling, yes I am falling, and she keeps calling me back again.
Whoa falling, yes I am falling, and she keeps calling me back again! ♫
As the lyrics ended and the band built up to the ending to conclude the song, David took a deep breath and committed to an action. He moved quickly and grasped Bianca behind the shoulder blades. He cupped his arm around the back of her knees and lifted her into the air. She had lost a little weight on the trip like she had hoped she would, but she was still a tad big; the feat was difficult, but he committed to it and persevered. As she left the ground, she threw her arms around his neck to balance herself and he fell to one knee, as if he was displaying her to the audience. As the band played the final note, Munchlax and Pachirisu poked out from behind their trainers on either side and Zubat landed on top of David’s head. The whole group struck a perfectly choreographed pose; David and Bianca rested their foreheads together, shutting their eyes and enjoying the moment of unity. The crowd roared for the pair, the applause nearly knocking the walls down. As the pair stood up and David gently helped Bianca stand again, they began to bow and Bianca whispered something under her breath.
“That was really something, huh David?” she whispered
“Just takes the proper motivation, Bianca.” David replied.
They stood on the stage, taking their praise and applause for several more minutes. They had been an absolute smash success, and the theater thanked them fanatically for their performance. As a token of appreciation, they let them keep the clothing, and gave them a standing ovation before they left. After their long day, they headed back to the Pokémon Center, ready to retire and prepare themselves for their Gym battle in the morning. They would need their strength, and it had been a very full day.
* * *
The pair walked hand-in-hand back to the Pokémon Center, having earned a completely new understanding of each other over the course of the day. They walked into the empty lobby and began to part ways.
“Well Bianca, I guess this is where we part for the night.” David said, releasing her hands. “I had a great time with you today. Thank you.” he continued.
Bianca giggled to herself at his comment and began to respond. “No, David, thank you. This was a perfect day, and I’ll always remember it. Thanks for the perfect date, old friend.” she said.
David took a moment to process what he had heard. As it dawned on him, he began to stammer.
“D-d-d-date?!” he said.
Bianca giggled to herself and wrapped her arms around his neck. She leaned up and gave him a very quick peck on the lips.
“See you in the morning for our Gym battle, boyfriend.” she said. She turned to walk away, flashing him a quick wave as she went. She bounced happily up the stairs to her room, turning around to blow him a kiss as she went out of sight. David stood in the lobby, dumbstruck at the events of the day. He stood, thinking to himself for several minutes before taking her initiative and going to bed himself. He wore a giant grin on his face that would not abate, no matter how stupid it looked. He began to think something to himself as strongly as he could, projecting it as far as it would go.
“Paula, I don’t know if you can hear me somehow, but… if you can… I did it…” he thought.
He put his hands in his pockets and slowly strode down the hall and into his room, the events of the day swimming around in his mind. He didn’t know if she really could hear him, but he did know one thing for sure: he had done it; Bianca was his.
* * *
Soon the morning came, and with it came the time for the Gym battle against Elesa. The pair arrived at the fairgrounds, ready to face the opponent that commanded such strong respect and emotions. Elesa would not be a pushover, but the newly united pair was ready to face anything together. The high emotions of the previous night still coursed through their veins and heightened their confidence; they could do anything, they both now thought, with the other as a partner.
“Hey you two lovebirds, how’s the cute country couple? Or are you still ‘just friends?’” Elesa asked with a laugh as they entered her Gym. David and Bianca grasped each other’s hands and she smiled, now out of affection instead of condescension. “Aww! You two really are together! How sweet!” she continued. “I swear, you two are right out of a story book… you guys sure aren’t like the hipsters at the clubs around here.”
David no longer felt intimidated by Elesa’s quick wit and high society pizzazz like he had the night before; not with his new partner to support him. He shot back “At least she’s a natural blonde…” with a smirk. Bianca giggled softly to herself, scratching her shaggy hair.
“Reow! Ffts ffts!” Elesa replied in mild surprise. “Someone brought their A-game. Let’s see if you can back that up, hotshot. You ready to battle?” she continued.
David and Bianca silently drew their Pokéballs, and she waved them onto the battlefield. The trio took up their respective positions on the field and prepared for the match.
“This will be a Double Battle between David and Bianca, the challengers, and Elesa, the Nimbasa City Gym Leader.” the judge shouted. He was an average man, already in his position on the field when the group had walked in. He continued, “Each side will be allowed two Pokémon, meaning every battling Pokémon will be sent out at the beginning of the match. When either side becomes unable to go on, victory shall be awarded to their opponent. I shall determine when a Pokémon is unfit to continue. Trainers ready?” The three of them nodded determinedly that they were, and he called for them to release their Pokémon.
“Zebstrika, Emolga, go!” Elesa shouted. She threw their Pokéballs onto the field with a startling amount of strength, and the fearsome pair leapt out, bristling with power and electricity. Zebstrika whinnied and reared up on its hind legs, stomping back down with tremendous force; when its hooves reconnected with the ground, a flash of lightning shot out from under them, breaking the calm air in a flash. Emolga flew through the air joyously and effortlessly, performing a number of spins and tricks; it landed on top of its partner’s head, crackling and bristling with power to spare. They looked like an unstoppable pair, but David and Bianca shot each other a keen look and released their Pokémon defiantly in unison.
Munchlax and Zubat flew from their Pokéballs, striking admittedly less intimidating fighting positions, but their small size belying their true strength. Zubat flew through the air, trying to outshine Emolga as the champion of the skies; its aerial feats were less impressive, but the little shiny seemed to radiate with a strength and determination that was its own shine altogether. Munchlax wore a determined look upon his face, knowing exactly what was expected of him; his goofy body and food obsession was cute and funny in the appropriate moment, but he was truly the powerhouse of David’s small team. The four Pokémon stared each other down, waiting for the match to begin.
“Wha-how! Plain Jane’s got a shiny, huh? Interesting… very interesting…” Elesa said flippantly. The judge looked to the trainers and their Pokémon, confirming they were ready, and called for the battle to commence.
“Emolga, Aerial Ace! Zebstrika, Flame Charge!” Elesa shouted. The aloof air she had worn the previous day was gone, replaced now with a determination and commitment to win. Emolga launched itself off Zebstrika’s head as he burst into flames, the pair flying towards their opponents with tremendous strength.
“Munchlax, Fire Punch!” David shouted. “Zubat, Wing Attack!” Bianca commanded in unison. Their Pokémon ran out to meet Elesa’s in the middle of the field, the four of them all on a collision course that was sure to make sparks fly.
Munchlax’s enflamed fist and Zebstrika’s explosive charge were based on the same power: Fire. The two unstoppable forces collided and appeared evenly matched at first. The initial crash sent a wave of heat flying, but the two Pokémon both held fast, trying to push the other one back. Munchlax was great at forcing his opponents to give up ground in exchange for momentary safety, but this Zebstrika was a force to be reckoned with, unwilling to give up an inch. The pair was caught in a struggle to overcome each other, pushing at each other with strength as powerful as the fire surrounding them was hot.
Zubat and Emolga danced, flew, spun and twirled around each other in an impressive aerial battle, both trying to outmaneuver the other and land their blow without getting hit themselves. Zubat swooped in with his wings outstretched, trying to smack at Emolga, but Emolga took a dive and swooped out of the way; Zubat now had to go on the defensive as Emolga came around for another pass, pulling the same trick on the sky squirrel Pokémon as it had pulled on him and dodging with a turn. The two were deadlocked in an impressive struggle, neither one able to find a chink in the other’s armor.
Elesa decided she had had enough of this stalemate. “Zebstrika, Emolga, use Volt Switch!” she commanded of both of her Pokémon. Zebstrika acted first; its short hair crackled with electricity and quickly overcame the fire surrounding it, replacing it with its natural element. It braced itself against Munchlax and then quickly pushed off of him, sidestepping out of the way. Munchlax tripped over himself and fell to the ground, landing flat on his face. Zebstrika again reared up and stomped on the little tike’s back, crushing him under his tremendous strength and electrical power. Emolga pulled the same trick on Zubat, covering itself in a strong electric charge and speeding up towards the little bat. Zubat was unable to keep up with Emolga’s newfound speed and took the shot dead on, reeling from the highly effective Electric type attack. Zubat fluttered to the ground, trying to compose itself and regain altitude before Emolga could build up too much momentum; if Zubat left the sky and let Emolga get on top of it, the battle would be lost for him. Suddenly, the tide had turned and the newly established couple found themselves in a dire straight.
“See what happens when electricity is added to a situation?” Elesa shouted confidently. “Electricity is the power that makes the world go ‘round, kiddies!”
“Munchlax, use Earthquake!” David shouted. Munchlax braced himself against the ground and then shook Zebstrika off, launching himself into the air and landing proudly and defiantly before his opponent. Zebstrika was caught off guard and fell to his side on the ground, flailing to stand before Munchlax could mount an offensive. Munchlax struck decisively though, taking a mighty leap into the air. He crashed to the ground with tremendous strength, ripping the ground apart with his powerful shockwave. Zubat and Emolga both flew high enough off the ground to be unaffected by it, but Zebstrika was struck hard by the terrible blow. The Ground type attack did crushing damage to the zebra Pokémon, still unable to defend himself from the surprise comeback Munchlax had mounted, and was defeated in a single blow.
“Zebstrika is unable to battle!” the judge shouted.
Munchlax looked back to his trainer with a big grin. David congratulated him, but the pair’s mind then returned to the battle and Zubat. Their partner was still in trouble, losing in the aerial battle to Elesa’s Emolga. The sky squirrel Pokémon was quickly gaining momentum and going on the offensive, preparing to strike with another Volt Switch. If Zubat let the blow hit, it would be all over.
“Zubat, Wing Attack! Pull up! Pull up!” Bianca shouted in desperation. Zubat shook off the disorientation from the jolt it had received before, but Emolga was coming in hot. He turned to face his opponent and decisively took action. Zubat spun through the air in a barrel roll, narrowly dodging Emolga’s second Volt Switch. The electric current bristling over its short fur was close enough to singe Zubat’s wings, and he knew the attack had only just missed.
“Z or R twice, eh Bianca?” David asked, a tone of concern creeping into his voice despite the joke. “Do you want us to help?”
“I-” Bianca started to say, but something made her stop short. She saw a gleam in Zubat’s eye that reassured her, and she continued calmly, “No, no I think Zubat has everything under control…”
Emolga and Zubat faced off, looking each other in the eye coldly and calculatedly, preparing for the final strike of the match. Emolga charged up its power and prepared for the Volt Switch; Zubat calmed itself and readied his response. Emolga flew at terrific speed towards its opponent, but Zubat remained calm and waited for the right moment to dodge.
“Are you sure you’ve got this, Bianca?” David asked, growing more concerned. She simply nodded and folded her arms, knowing what her Pokémon was about to do. David turned back to the field, looking expectantly at the little bat. It was a shiny Pokémon and had an inherent gleam to it, but that gleam started to intensify. It seemed to glow from within, almost as if it were… their strategy dawned on him.
Zubat slowed the rate of his flapping and concentrated. He had been with Bianca for a good while now and had been with her through two other Gym battles and many hours of training. He knew Emolga could outspeed him no matter what, and while it was charged up for Volt Switch, he couldn’t really even touch it. He knew what he had to do and let the sensation wash over him. A light began to glow from within his tiny body, feeding his shiny glow and making the whole room sparkle in his mossy green coloring. His form became a blinding white light, surrounded by several blue, pulsating rings that wrapped and morphed around his body. He began to change, slowly growing much bigger and much more muscular. As the pulsating light began to reach a feverish pitch, the flashing white and green bundle of light burst and a powerful Golbat took his place. Golbat opened his new eyes for the first time, screeching powerfully and spreading his enormous new wings in defiance. He raced towards Emolga, much faster now and ready to defeat his foe.
Emolga was taken aback by Zubat’s evolution and faltered, losing a little speed and fluttering in the air. This small slip was exactly the opening Golbat had been looking for. He raced towards the squirrel, slashing at it with his now much more powerful wings. Emolga took the brunt of the Wing Attack head on and fell from the sky, landing in a slump on the ground. Golbat came back around, ready for another strike.
“Alright Golbat! Great job!” Bianca shouted excitedly. Golbat’s massive green body and strong, imposing pink wings were a much more intimidating sight than Zubat had been; he was as pretty as he was powerful to his very feminine trainer. Bianca called for a Leech Life to finish the match.
“Emolga, get out of there!” Elesa shouted in panic. Her voice was starting to crack as the façade fell. “Use Quick Attack!” she continued.
Emolga steadied itself and shot off away from the giant bat as it swooped in to attack, but Golbat was much faster now than he had been before and doggedly followed Emolga. The two flew in circles around the Gym, playing their dangerous game of cat and mouse like fighter pilots from WWII. Golbat managed to catch up and bit into Emolga powerfully. Emolga shrieked in pain as the little bit of strength he had left evaporated and rejuvenated his opponent. He fell from the sky for a second time, landing in a slump on the ground in defeat. Golbat screeched proudly, swooping through the air for one final time before returning to his trainer.
“Emolga is unable to battle! Elesa is out of usable Pokémon. David and Bianca are the winners!” the judge shouted.
“Golbat, that was great! I’m so proud of you!” Bianca shouted as she ran out to meet her Pokémon. Golbat was nearly as tall as she was now and wrapped his giant wings around her in celebration, happy to have won for his trainer. Munchlax slowly walked up to David as the two of them looked on at the happy pair, standing before his trainer proudly for his part in the victorious battle. Elesa returned her Pokémon to their Pokéballs, sighed, and walked out to meet her opponents.
“Ugh… fine. You two win, I guess…” she said angrily. She wasn’t taking the defeat well, but she was a city girl at heart and that came with a certain attitude. She crossed her arms and tapped her foot, looking down and away, but a smile was slowly creeping across her face. She pouted a big sigh again and continued, “You two did do pretty well though, much as I don’t want to admit it… you’re alright… for a couple of country kids.”
David and Bianca shot each other a look and grinned, knowing she was proud, even though she had lost and wouldn’t show it. The young couple embraced and laughed happily over their combined win, now one step closer to their dream of competing in the Pokémon League Championships. Elesa took two badges from her pocket and handed one to each of them, giving them their fourth badge in the Unova region out of eight.
“Good job, you two. You’ve earned the Bolt Badge… both of you.” Elesa said. Their badges gleamed in the light like Golbat, still fresh, new and untarnished from travel. The pair took out their badge cases and placed their newly won badges in each other’s case, laughing to themselves at the simple gesture. Elesa’s smile finally broke out and she laughed, appreciating their simplicity and purity. After their many adventures in Nimbasa City and the radical paradigm shift in their relationship with one another, they had won their badges at the Nimbasa City Pokémon Gym.
“Four down, four to go.” David thought to himself as he kissed his new girlfriend.
* * *
The two of them bade Elesa a kind farewell, warning her of Cheren’s impending challenge, and walked out of the Gym. They strode through the fairground hand-in-hand and hummed the melody to the previous night’s song in harmony. The sun was shining, a few puffy white clouds dotted the sky, and the sounds of children’s laughter filled the air around them in the amusement park. He had just won a Gym battle and the most beautiful girl in the world was wrapped around his arm, it occurred to David; how could the situation get any better?
As they walked along contemplating this, a bundle of light appeared before them in a flash. The space twisted and skewed, bursting a split-second later into the forms of Cheren and Paula. Cheren wore a worried look on his face and looked around in shock for his friends. He saw them and ran up, stumbling over his words.
“Hey Cheren, how was your trip?” David asked nonchalantly, but Cheren cut him off. He sounded winded and was tripping over his words.
“Guys… guys… guys…” he rasped, but he couldn’t sound out the rest of his words.
“Cheren, slow down. What’s wrong?” Bianca asked. Cheren caught his breath, stood up straighter and looked them in the eyes. He cleared his throat and spoke in a commanding, ominous voice.
Anyways, very solid chapter. One of your better ones, definitely. (Hey look, first poster!) I guess it's become somewhat of a tradition, but let's just go with it. These are the things that really hit me off the bat.
1. Obviously, the cliffhanger. Very good use of the cliffhanger. Maybe a bit cliche, but it's cliche for a reason. I'm definitely curious as to what happened.
2. The Beatles. Just. ^___^
3. Bianca and David's romance in this chapter was actually very well placed. They're both still starting their journeys, essentially, so Nimbasa was a very good place for the romance to really take hold. Right in the middle, where they're still young and happy. I can't wait to see how you show the stresses the relationship will undergo (and hopefully overcome). The way you did it in this chapter was really good. For one, you used the most cliched romance pitch Unova gave us; the ferris wheel. But unlike most fics I've read that utilized it, you did a good job with it. I like how you made that storybook romance really come out in the scene.
And two, the musical. Most times, it's overlooked. No one really likes the musicals apparently (dunno why, really.) They're either just briefly mentioned or ignored altogether. You used it to your advantage, and made it original. That was very good thinking on your part. Way to use everything to your advantage!
4. Pokemon personality. I really like Munchlax. Definitely my favorite character. hahah. I don't know if it was my advice that brought you to bring it up, or if you just did it on your own, but whatever it was, it was good. In no way was it forced, slightly random but it's ok, and it was descriptive in a way that it wasn't just a plethora of description. It was a nice mix of description, action, and emotion. I really like Munchlax in your story.
I do have some things to say about the battle scenes. They're improving, whether you notice or not. There's some flow in all your battles, although if I were Elesa, Zubat wouldn't have survived. (Discharge/Volt Switch? SPAM)
But I agree with your earlier statement; this was your best gym battle writing. I do have one thing to say against it. You might want to limit the amount of 'evolve to save the gym battle' strategies that you're using. Allow an evolution to take place at random. Eevee's evolution was nicely placed, whereas Paula's was also nice in that you went with the cliche early on and in a believable manner. Zubat's was also ok, but you might want to watch that. Think of another, creative way for the others to evolve.
And no, it was a good time for Zubat to evolve. It didn't really feel forced or anything; at most, it was a bit cliched. But the timing wasn't bad or anything, in my opinion.
But other than that, really good gym battle. Barring a couple of typos here and there (unavoidable, really, unless you have eagle eyes or something), but nothing distracting. Another thing; the space that you're putting between chapters is actually doing some good. It seems to allow you to write better chapters, with good substance, and us readers some time to miss the story.
So, with all that said, really good chapter. I really can't wait for the next one (cliffhangers....).
First off, I LOVE LOVE LOVE what you did with the Nimbasa attractions. Thank you, for making it work. Now, for a few ups (and a down, maybe a couple loopdey-loops)
It was a short walk to the stadium from the downtown Pokémon Center. The massive arena was covered in huge panels of lights, all changing and morphing into different colors. They displayed the logos and short promos for the two teams who were playing that day. Yellow and black stripes flashed across the panels and a massive bolt of lightning struck down the middle of the screen. An Electivire leapt down from above the panel and flexed its muscles, static bristling down its fur. “The Fighting Electivire” was displayed below it, concluding the team’s promo. It was replaced a moment later by a blue and red checkerboard pattern, scaling down the screen diagonally. A Druddigon stomped onto the field from off-screen and roared, slashing at the air in front of it. Its slashes tore away a part of the field behind it, revealing the logo of the opposing team, “The Dynamic Druddigon.” The lights from the screens lit up the surrounding city block and covered the huge stadium from top to bottom. The group walked up to the gate and bought tickets.
As I was saying... Nice homage' to the anime there. The 'buzz never win either.
“I assume you’ll have anything I give you, huh Munchlax?” David asked sarcastically. Munchlax looked up at his trainer, his paws in front of his mouth, salivating and grinning with anticipation.
Hee. I think that's a definate yes. I like Munchy, and his actions are just awesome.
“Here you go, Munchlax. These are called ‘peanuts.’ Please pace your-” David started to say, but he was cut off. Munchlax grabbed the bag, tore it open, and dumped the entirety of its contents into his mouth.
Munchlax knew this was his chance and leapt up to take a bite from it. He opened his mouth wide, leaping into the air, but tasted something of an entirely different variety than the sweet treat he was expecting. The ball dropped and landed gracefully right into Munchlax’s mouth. He fell onto the ground in surprise, holding up the drool covered ball with a confused look on his face. The crowd roared for Munchlax’s amazing catch, David and Bianca yelling just as loudly for the confused little tike. He offered the ball to David in exchange for the cotton candy and happily sat back down with his new prize, enjoying his treat. The Druddigon had scored and were up 3-2, a victory now in sight. David wiped Munchlax’s spit off the ball and handed it to Bianca.
That's one for the recordbooks. A classic comedy routine, the old switcharoo, and still funny. Poor Munchy. Serves him right for trying to steal Cotton Candy.
“All aboard!” a man yelled over the roar of the crowd. The high-speed tram pulled up and the doors slid open audibly. The crowds shuffled onto the various cars, David and Bianca getting onto the farthest one in the back.
“This city is filled with lights and attractions and entertainment, and all of it runs on electricity. I embody that spirit in the way I battle.” she responded. “Why do you ask though, deary?” she continued.
“Nothing in the city draws more power than this amusement park. It seemed like a natural place to put the Gym. Besides… the rides appeal to the kid in me.”
This is going to either be really affectionate, or the Ferris Wheel is going to shift and someone's gonna end up literally choking on young love...
They went in and were led to a table. The Nimbasa City Pokémon Musical was a large dinner theater that put on shows featuring trainers and their Pokémon as the actors. Audience participation was a huge part of the experience, and every night they would select one table to come up and perform the final number of the show. Tonight they were performing a theatrical version of the Heracross’ feature film ‘Help!’ As corny as it was, David knew all the words to the movie’s songs by heart and knew Bianca did too; he secretly hoped they would be chosen.
“Hello and welcome!” a man shouted from the stage. “The Nimbasa City Pokémon Musical would like to welcome you all to our performance of the Heracross’ feature film, ‘Help!’ As you all know, one table from the audience will be chosen to come up on stage and sing the final number of the evening with us. Tonight… that table will beeeeeeee…” he continued. A spotlight shone around the room, tracing a pattern in the crowd. It made a few passes around the large dining hall and finally rested on one table in particular.
Yay for Dinner Theatres! And for stage in general!
“Okay honey, you’re going to go out on stage, the host is going to introduce you, and then you’ll do your number. Wait for the music to start, then you come out first, then your little lady friend, okay?” the man asked. David nodded and he continued. “The song you’ll be doing is ‘I’ve Just Seen a Face.’ You know that one, right?” he asked. David nodded again and the man sent him on his way.
And here's where I start getting a wee concenred. Please feel free to drag me off with a cane if I end up getting too literal, butthe stage techie in me is freaking out.
Seriously? We're relying on a live audience to already know the lyrics? When is this a GOOD idea? I've seen month-logn rehearsals DIE in the spotlight, and a couple directors go bald from the stress of a show. And we're using lottery actors?
That aside though, I enjoyed the trainer/Pokemon routine, and the chance for David and Bianca to have their first real dance. I'm still more in preference to the game version myself, as it's a ore PKMN based-opportunity than what is a simplified, more familial Contest scene, but it was a nice bit.
At this point, I'll confess I sped-read through the dance number. For moi, and this is personal taste, I don't like seeing Fic where the song lyrics are printed. I tried writing one once, and I didn't even like my own work. it just disrupts the flow of the story. That being said, sneaking in the link so I can hear it is a nice touch, though I actually pulled it up on Grooveshark (Rhapsody works too) because Youtube crashes my video card (software problem) and I'd rather be reading the story than the video.
Beatles::Heracross. I didn't get that when I read this last night.
David looked down at Munchlax and smiled. Munchlax had a determined grin on his face, clearly understanding what was happening; he looked like a million bucks in his little clip-on bowtie. The band began to play and the pair strode on stage.
Yay for alliteration! and for smart-aleck City Slickers...
“At least she’s a natural blonde…” with a smirk. Bianca giggled softly to herself, scratching her shaggy hair.
“Reow! Ffts ffts!” Elesa replied in mild surprise. “Someone brought their A-game. Let’s see if you can back that up, hotshot. You ready to battle?” she continued.
Elesa decided she had had enough of this stalemate. “Zebstrika, Emolga, use Volt Switch!” she commanded of both of her Pokémon. Zebstrika acted first; its short hair crackled with electricity and quickly overcame the fire surrounding it, replacing it with its natural element. It braced itself against Munchlax and then quickly pushed off of him, sidestepping out of the way. Munchlax tripped over himself and fell to the ground, landing flat on his face. Zebstrika again reared up and stomped on the little tike’s back, crushing him under his tremendous strength and electrical power. Emolga pulled the same trick on Zubat, covering itself in a strong electric charge and speeding up towards the little bat. Zubat was unable to keep up with Emolga’s newfound speed and took the shot dead on, reeling from the highly effective Electric type attack. Zubat fluttered to the ground, trying to compose itself and regain altitude before Emolga could build up too much momentum; if Zubat left the sky and let Emolga get on top of it, the battle would be lost for him. Suddenly, the tide had turned and the newly established couple found themselves in a dire straight.
You left a part out there. The whole switch thing. At the very least. Zeb and Emolga shoulda traded places, but I'm thinking there was a second Emolga in the games that gave me fits, and I'm thinking Volt Switch fails if there's no one ot switrch with.
@Glover Volt Switch is just a normal attack if there is no one to switch to. It does make sense since Elesa wouldn't use a third (and illegal) pokemon.
Ahh, to the story.
First, I thought that the big leap of the relationship so "early" (How long is the fic going to be?) is a bit disruptive. I would have expected them to get 'real' towards the 6th or 7th gyms. But, if you can make it work and be as enjoyable as the rest of he fic, then knock yourself out.
Next, Cheren just running off with Paula.
"David, can I borrow half your team?"
"Why?"
"To go to Eastern Unova."
"Sure."
Derp.
I mean, Munchlax is beast and all (sweeping 7 battles in a row), but I miss Paula and her spunk (Ex. Only on Tuesdays).
Any other nit-picks or probs NACHOE! and Glover handled. That's what I get for respondng two days after reading it. ;186;
4. Pokemon personality. I really like Munchlax. Definitely my favorite character. hahah. I don't know if it was my advice that brought you to bring it up, or if you just did it on your own, but whatever it was, it was good. In no way was it forced, slightly random but it's ok, and it was descriptive in a way that it wasn't just a plethora of description. It was a nice mix of description, action, and emotion. I really like Munchlax in your story.
Yep, it was at you guys' suggestions. One big criticism I've been seeing is that the non-Paula Pokemon need their personalities more fleshed out, and this generally light-hearted chapter seemed like a good place to do it.
But I agree with your earlier statement; this was your best gym battle writing. I do have one thing to say against it. You might want to limit the amount of 'evolve to save the gym battle' strategies that you're using. Allow an evolution to take place at random. Eevee's evolution was nicely placed, whereas Paula's was also nice in that you went with the cliche early on and in a believable manner. Zubat's was also ok, but you might want to watch that. Think of another, creative way for the others to evolve.
Duly noted. Not to spoil anything, but we've got seven more evolutions until Part 2; I already know exactly how the next two are going to happen, and the other five I'll try and keep out of gym battles. Maybe we'll see one more when we're closer to the final gyms, but probably not.
Glad someone picked up on that. I intentionally advanced the evolution one step so it wasn't a direct reference; that, plus Electivire didn't exist the last time Casey was in the show.
Seriously? We're relying on a live audience to already know the lyrics? When is this a GOOD idea? I've seen month-logn rehearsals DIE in the spotlight, and a couple directors go bald from the stress of a show. And we're using lottery actors?
Um... she's off with Cheren right now, bro; hence why she wasn't in the chapter at all. I'll refer you to the line from Chapter 8, "In a flash, the pair was gone; for the first time since their adventure began, David couldn’t feel Paula’s mind connected to his. It was a sad, empty feeling, but he knew it would make her return that much more rewarding."
You left a part out there. The whole switch thing. At the very least. Zeb and Emolga shoulda traded places, but I'm thinking there was a second Emolga in the games that gave me fits, and I'm thinking Volt Switch fails if there's no one ot switrch with.
I think Gegoory mentioned something about this, but in the games Volt Switch and U-turn switch you with a Pokemon in waiting, not with your partner in Doubles/Triples. Since Elesa had no other Pokemon except what was on the field, Volt Switch acted exactly as it would in the game. That, plus I didn't want to deal with trying to have Munchlax battle Emolga or Zubat battle Zebstrika. Putting Zubat vs Emolga gave me a chance to write a cool aerial battle, and it gave Munchlax a chance to use EQ to decimate Elesa's Electric types without hurting his teammate; if Bianca had used Pachirisu, they would have had to do that whole thing where he throws Pachirisu into the air again, and that wouldn't have been cool twice.
First, I thought that the big leap of the relationship so "early" (How long is the fic going to be?) is a bit disruptive. I would have expected them to get 'real' towards the 6th or 7th gyms. But, if you can make it work and be as enjoyable as the rest of he fic, then knock yourself out.
If it had been just the Ferris wheel or just the Musical, then that would be one thing; but having both of those things back to back, I felt a little obligated to make Bianca voice her returned affections. The bar scene in Castelia was so significant because it was David really opening up about how he feels about her and wondering if he is good enough for her, only to have her answer immediately in the affirmative. It was also Bianca's way of coming to terms with the fact that she likes him back; how fiercely he fought to get Zubat back made her realize that. It only seemed natural to have them officially "get together" just a short time after that.
More to the point, however, now we can focus on them being happy together instead of having to beat around the bush about it any more, and perhaps I can even work in some tensions and problems perhaps. We'll see.
As for number of chapters... well... it took ~10 to get to 4 badges, so I would imagine it would be around 25-30, based on that trend. That's just for Part 1 though. Part 2 will cover the post game (as indicated in the OP's chapter list), and that'll probably be another good handful of chapters. We'll just have to see.
Yes, but by the same token, that means she and Cheren will be the two main characters of Chapter 10. Besides, they came back at the end of this chapter, so basically, she was absent for one chapter, gets a big role in the next chapter, and then she's back with the group. Basically, wait for Chapter 10 and then complain about those two leaving for a while; I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.
----------------------
Anyway, like I said, Chapter 10 should be out some time this weekend hopefully, and it will conclude Cheren's little mini-adventure. We'll find out where he and Paula went, and maybe learn a little bit more about his Yamask. This is also up on the OP's index, but the chapter is titled "The Legend of Gustavo Riviera." Who is Gustavo Riviera though??? Questions questions...
*leaves thread before 'answers answers'*
Edit: Looks likes this is post #40 for the thread, which means the next reply will begin Page 3. Who's it gonna be??? :3
My biggest fan.