Divine (version 2)

[Ysavvryl]

Divine:
With great power comes great responsibility… or great insanity.​

Plasma took over by dealing in absolutes. Right and wrong, day and night, black and white, either or, there were defined lines of what should be and what shouldn't be. But behind the rhetoric, they were manipulating and blurring the lines in the name of power. They still rule in this manner, absolutes on a deceptive surface. And thus, we who have gone against Plasma have decided to blur the lines ourselves, between divine and mundane, between Human and Pokemon. Humans are not meant to have this kind of power; it carries a risk of death and madness. But to set things right, this may be what we must do.

Sign-ups for this game are still open! This is a PG-13 game.



Plasma Castle

Ten years ago, this was a place of glory. This place had been the dream and goal of many people, young and old alike. This was Victory Road, the place where a Trainer could become a Champion, to be admired and respected throughout the entire region of Unova. Past a path blocked off with eight large gates which could only be opened by an Unova League Gym Badge, there was a steep cliff with a catacomb of passages and caverns, eventually leading the the grand stadium up top. Ten years ago, this place inspired both awe and intimidation, but people still attempted to make their way up here.

That was ten years ago, though. And there hadn't been a giant classical castle on the other side of the stadium. But it was there now, turning a place of glory into a fortress of authority. Team Plasma ran Unova now, and they had turned the headquarters of the Pokemon League into their own. Many of them said that it was poetic justice, that they took over this symbol of Pokemon enslavement and made it their own as the liberators of both Pokemon and mankind.

There were a few who knew that this was for Plasma's own glory. Or more precisely, for the glory of Ghetsis.

He entered one of the rooms in the castle, startling the ones who were meeting here. “Ghetsis, good to see you again,” one of the Sages said among the other greetings.

Nodding to them, he went to the head of the table to sit down. The chair had been left purposely empty. “How long was it this time?”

“Four months, sir. How has your progress gone?”

“Better.” He got a glass of water and took a long drink of it before going on. “Four months, then? It did not seem so long. I have some news for you: our King is active in the area again.”

This announcement caused a clear divide in the room, between those who took this quietly and those who were amazed. It was the difference between those who knew and those who didn't. “That's wonderful,” one of the group said. “It's good to know that he has returned.”

“He may have never left,” Ghetsis said. “But it is certainly a mystery of why he has stayed away from society for so long. We need to make contact with him and find out what he's planning. There are also some other... loose ends that need to be attended to. I'll tell those who can investigate best later on. But keep this quiet for now.” Although now that he had said it, the news would spread no matter what he said. Plasma's King held such a high influence over the majority of the team even though he had been missing for so long. Something had to be done about it. “And how has progress on this end of things gone?”

-+-

Tao
Celestial Tower, early morning

It was a misty and cool spring morning, a time of quiet where the sun had yet to rise over the glowing horizon. The five story white tower in the woods was still a solemn place, even though it rarely had visitors these days. Closer to the actual route, a temporary blockade had been set up, growing permanent after a decade of use. The guards there usually weren't attentive, though. Since the majority of citizens could not own Pokemon, there were fewer and fewer who came to this graveyard of Pokemon each year.

There was a small group entering Celestial Tower. The red-haired man of the group said a quiet blessing as he went through the doorway. “One of my Pokemon is buried here,” Alder said.

“Is it?” Tao asked, getting his wheelchair over the over the slight rise in the doorway. A Zoroark padded alongside him.

“It was before Plasma showed up,” he said. He glanced around the ground floor. There was a Litwick on one of the walls, watching them quietly and spreading an eerie light. As they came in, dust got kicked up into the air. “It's like the loss of any friend, something you don't expect to happen. It left me feeling lost and down for a long time. Sometimes I felt like they took advantage of that.”

“Hmm.” He closed his eyes, considering that. It was a horrible thing to have done, among others.

“Pity to see this place abandoned,” Alder said.

Tao heard crying, but the ethereal quality of it meant that none of the others with him could hear it. It left him with an sense of unease. “The spirits here are lonely and restless. We should pass through quietly, without crossing the living Pokemon.” He waved to the Zoroark. “Zane, please.”

Obediently, the Zoroark came closer to the wheelchair, allowing Tao to grip his black fur and transfer himself to riding the Pokemon. The spiral staircase nearby would be impossible to climb with his wheelchair, and without most of his legs he wouldn't be able to ascend to the top. He and Zane had a close friendship, though, so there would always be a way around obstacles.

Alder got the wheelchair to fold up and carried it as they went up the stairs. “No one comes to visit them. I'd like to give them a peaceful rest, if we could soothe their souls.”

 

[Agent Tectonic]

SCORE! First "post." Hope this works. Not exactly sure on how to start it, so I kept to the basics. As I reserve the excuse of saying that this was created late at night, any problems that may exist will be changed accordingly.

Zach Grant
Chosen of Cobalion
Castelia City

A successful raid. Folium arrived at our little alley shortly before me with plenty of cash. I felt slightly bad still about stealing, but it surely beat what I ran from only three and a half months ago. I half expected for the Plasma Police to still be on alert in searching for me after this time, but they must have given up after the incident; a memory that myself and Folium, as far as I could tell, would be happy to be rid of. Either way, borrowing others cash and food was a current necessity to survive. We both sat down quietly to begin eating a few hot dogs I had swiped from a stand a block away when I saw a letter folded rather neatly just to my left with little evidence of dust or aging on it. I quickly wolfed down my lunch/dinner and, overcome with curiosity, I picked the piece of paper which caused a rather peculiar looking necklace to slide hidden between the folds. Picking the pendant up, I finished unfolding the paper and read it:

Be careful to whom you may show this to Mr. Grant. While this may seem as an odd warning allow me to introduce myself. I am Tao, and I have contacted the spirits of the various legendary Pokemon within Unova. They've agreed to my plea of overthrowing the ones who tyrannize this region: Ghetsis and Team Plasma. To do this, the legendary Pokemon will link their souls share some of their powers with a human partner. Cobalion has selected you as one his potential partners.

As a word of caution though, the divine power you have the potential to hold is not meant for humans to wield. I am able to warn you of some of the dangers, but there may be others unknown to me, bit it has been agreed that the consequences of not doing anything are far worse. If you are apprehensive of using these powers, please return this package and all of its contents to the return address listed. I will ask the spirits if there is another that can be contacted.

If you choose to accept this gift, however, you must pledge your soul to Cobalion. To do this, take the pendant enclosed in this package and place a drop of your blood on the precious stone that it holds. Make a request for the assistance of Cobalion, by whatever comes to your head. If done correctly, the drop of blood will be absorbed into the stone, and it should glow briefly. Once the pledge is made, the pendant's power will awaken. It will allow you to form special bonds with ordinary Pokemon too, so that you may gather a team to help in your efforts without needing illegal items like Pokeballs.

What you must do is find the Pokemon you want on your team and befriend them. Get it to listen to you and offer it a bond of friendship. Should the Pokemon accept you, touch it with the pendant to imprint its aura onto the pendant. You must also bestow a nickname to the Pokemon in order to make certain the bond holds. When a Pokemon's aura is imprinted, it will always be able to locate the pendant and hear your words through it. And it ill come to you if you call its name while holding the pendant, no matter where it may be. This allows you to train and organize a team while also allowing them to disperse to avoid suspicion from Team Plasma.

On a final note, Cobalion, like the other legendary Pokemon, will want to test you and find your true character. I can assist you in any way I can to defeat Ghetsis and Team Plasma as best as I can, but the test is for you to learn on your own. Whenever you wish to join our group in overthrowing Ghetsis, seek out Elesa in Iccirrus City. Don't worry about finding her, she'll find you.

It was so strange: how did this Tao person know me, how and why was I chosen, who was this Cobalion? Pledging my soul to a Legendary? It was quite overwhelming to say the least. I wanted to just throw the letter away and move on living my life in continued exile. Yet, at the same time, I really wanted life to return to normal. Folium growled something I still had yet to understand, so I over at him and found that he still was giving me a rather inquisitive look. We could go back to living normal lives without fear of Plasma catching and/or killing us. Also, these reoccurring nightmares of that day were still haunting me. Heck I even started getting nightmares about thieving people; as if my conscious was screaming out against my very actions. I was beginning to feel the need to get my mind back in peace again. How I look forward to that day.

I looked down at that letter in my right hand and the blue and gray necklace in my left. Was I really prepared to go down this path? Then again, who was? Deciding this was the right thing to do, I quickly pocketed the letter and held up the necklace. Folium was still giving me that inquisitive look as if he wanted an explanation, to which I satisfied what I thought was his thinking:

“It appears as if I've been chosen to help overthrow Team Plasma,” I said. Folium's ears perked up this but quickly retracted after my next statement. “I've also apparently chosen to be Cobalion's soul link. All I need to do to seal the deal is have a drop of my blood on this and pray for acceptance. Although, I think I'll wait to do that until after we're out of the city. I don't know what'll happen, and I rather not attract any attention should this think not be discreet.”

And with that, we both quickly packed up and looked for the nearest exist out which happened to be into the desert area north of the city. Guess my days were going from crazy to crazier, but I felt that this was my calling. On our way out, I started reapplying my breathing exercises from my Tai Chi teachings, something that I hadn't done for about a month.

 

[Billy Mays]

OOC: I'd just like to note that since the whole plot revolves around the Divine and you didn't give Gijinkas much attention it's kind of hard to write for them.

Sid "Slim" Garrison
Steel Type Gijinka
Inside His Suite, Castelia City

"Junk mail...junk mail...junk mail...hmm........Wow. This girl REALLY likes me. I wonder whether it'd be a good thing or not for her to be stalking me." Luke, who was helping me sort through my mail, looked somewhat amused at my remark. Then Luke picked up a letter from the pile and handed it to me. It was adressed to me, but it had no return adress. "Alright, I'll read it."

"Be careful who you show this to Mr. Garrison. The sending of this letter may confuse you, so allow me to introduce myself. I am Tao, and I have contacted you due to a secret Team Plasma has been hiding for the past 12 years.

12 years ago, Plasma began to work on a project to create artificial Gijinkas. They took the DNA of Pokemon and spliced it with the DNA of children under the age of 3. The experiment was a success, but afterwards the only Gijinkas they used are the members of the Shadow Triad, while the remaining ones were sealed of their power and had their memory taken away.

Why am I telling you this? It is because we believe you are one of those Gijinkas who had their power and memory sealed. I belong to a group rebeling against Team Plasma who's camp currently is in Iccirrus City. If you come to the camp, we believe we might know how to unseal you, so you may use your powers and have your full memory once again. Once your powers are unlocked, your powers may vary depending on what DNA Plasma used on you. But please don't, under any circumstance, contact Team Plasma, or anyone working with them, as there could be dire consequences for both us and yourself."

"......So...I guess there was something suspicous about my past after all." Luke nodded, even though he of course wasn't around before I was in my new life, he understood what I was feeling. After all, a Lucario can sence a person's aura. "So what do you think? Should I go unlock my powers or whatever that Tao guy said? It sounds like it'd be pretty cool, and knowing my true past couldn't hurt, right?" Luke didn't nod, but he gave me an assuring look, like he knew it was best. "Alright then. Guess we're taking a trip to Iccirrus then! *sigh* Guess I better fo tell my parents first though."

 

[SoulMuse]

Ian Blackwood
Opelucid City
Early Morning

I could hear a door slam behind me as I exited the rooom, pulling my cloak off, and stuffing it into my backpack. Pushing down my disgust, I stepped spared a quick glance at Abigale. She was simply floating along behind me, but seeing my look, let out a soft coo. I smiled softly, before pulling my backpack on again, and stepping out of the house and into the street. It was a short walk to my hotel room, and during that time, I said nothing, and Abigale reminded silent at my side.

I pushed open the door to the hotel, holding it long enough for Abigale to enter.

“Good Morning Mr. Blackwood.” The receptionist greeted me, and I nodded to her, my expression blank. I ignored the elevator, instead climbing the stairs three at a time. When I came to the third floor, I pushed open the door, and nearly sprinting down the hall, arrived at room 321 just as man dressed entirely in royal blue raised his hand to knock.

He blinked in surprise as I sprinted up to him. “Good morning Ian…what is the rush?” I flicked my hand impatiently, and he dug in his pocket before extracting an envelope. “Yes, yes, here you are one letter from Topaz.” I nodded curtly, taking the envelope, before opening my room door.

“Thank you,” I paused turning to look at the strange man who always delivered messages from Topaz to me. “And for future reference, I am more often available in the evening.” Making sure Abigale was in the room, I shut the door in his face.

“Bloody underlings…can’t do anything on their own.” I grumbled. Whenever I was in Opelucid, at least one of my informants or other agents would have some kind of problem, which resulted in my running pell-mell back to my hotel room to meet with the strange man who always dressed in one color.

Abigale hummed in response, before floating over to the couch, and settling down on it. I shrugged my backpack off, and dropped it beside the desk. Shaking my head, I sat down at the desk in the room, and prepared to open my letter from Topaz. However before I could, I noticed a second letter, which was sitting in the middle of the desk. I frowned and picked it up, before opening it in a practiced motion. I read the entire thing in perhaps a minute, before rereading it another dozen times, and finally reading out loud so Abigale could hear.

Mr. Blackwood

While we typically do not engage in acts such as this, we feel that you have unique skills that could be of use to us. We are a group of people who are all pursuing a common goal which we feel could be of interest to you. We would are considering offering you a spot in our organization, and if you would like to accept our offer, please meet with our representative at the Iccirus City Entrance to the Tubeline Bridge at dusk within the next week or so. Our representative bears a passing resemblance to the old Elite Four member Caitlin.

If you do not wish to accept our offer, that is acceptable, and we will not hold it against you. In that instance simply do not come to the Tubeline Bridge and forget about this letter.

There was no signature, and frankly the letter wasn’t really brimming with information. All I could tell was that some group was offering me a spot in their ranks, although they did not say what the goal of this group was.

“What do you think?” I asked Abigale. The Volcarona flapped her wings, rising to stare into my eyes. “We have a lot of work to get done, and not a lot of time to do it…just like every year.” With the celebration of Ghetsis’s reign however, I was being heaped with even more work that usual, especially in problem cities such as Nimbasa and Castelia. “Should I go see what this group wants?” Abigale nodded, at least as best she could.

I sighed. I had to admit to being curious as to what this group wanted. And considering that I did have to visit Iccirus City to brief my people within the city, it wouldn’t even be all that out of my way to see what these people wanted. Besides, a small part of me added, maybe these people can help you got from under Plasma’s thumb. I ruthless quashed that voice though. I took a brief look out the window, absently noting the time.

“Meet at dusk huh….alright then. At dusk it is.” I mumbled, before settling into the desk chair to read Topaz’s letter.

 

[Monster Guy]

(OOC: A brand new intro post! Much better than the last one, if I do say so myself. Leo's sisters get to make an appearance. Also, I'm not quoting the letter. Shandy's part will come later.)

Leonardo "Leo" Silverstone
Chosen of Victini
Leo's house, Stration City

Leo sat on the porch of his home, and read the letter for the umpteenth time today. He didn't have any doubts about the validity of this. Afer all, what kind of jerk would go through all the trouble to write this and give it to him? He was just shocked that the spirit of victory would choose him of all people. There was no question though, he was doing it, and Ghetis was going down.

As Leo fantasized about his upcoming adventure, a floating pink tapir with a purple floral pattern on it's body, and a hungry look in it's eyes slowly floated up to him. "Munna!" it shouted happily as he opened his mouth wide and prepared to feast on the boy's delicious daydreams.

Unfortunately, the Munna's shouting interupted Leo's reverie, and ruined the Pokemon's snack. He turned his attention to the pink Pokemon. "Shawn! What are you doing here?!" He said playfully while patting the Pokemon's head. "Come on, let's get you out of here before we Team Plasma get into trouble for having illegal Pokemon." In Leo'smind, that sentence sounded totally wrong. This was exactly the reason why he was going to do this mission. Sure, he was nervous about the dangers the letter spoke of, but Pokemon aren't dangerous. People shouldn't have to live in fear of being seen with one, and Pokemon need humans just as much as humans need them. Leo grabbed on to the Munna, and ran into his house hopefully before anyone noticed.

Once he was inside, he looked at the letter again. It said he had to place a drop of his blood onto the precious stone of the pendant that came with the letter. That part made him uneasy. Cutting himself on purpose isn't something one does regularly, but if that's what must be done to bring down Team Plasma, then he would just have to suck it up and bear it. There was probably going to be far worse problems ahead anyway. So, he went into the kitchen, and tried to find a knife in the drawers. Nothing too sharp, just something that would get the job done as painlessly as possible.

"Hey Leo, whatcha doin?"

"Ew, and what's that doing in the house?"

Shawn the Munna seemed offended by the second remark. "Mun?"

Leo had forgotten, his sisters were still home. He then hesitated for a minute if he should tell them or not. After moment of thinking, he thought it best to tell them the truth. After all, if you can't trust family, then who can you trust?

"Well, if I tell you guys something, promise me you won't tell anyone else... Besides mom, of course. She needs to know this too."

The two girls nodded. "You can count on us!" the younger of the two girls then added.

"Well, I got this." He showed them the letter he had received from this mysterious Tao, and explained to them all the details. "So I'm going to be gone for a while."

"Wait, you're seriously going to do this?" the elder sister spoke up. "How do you know this isn't some elaborate practical joke?"

"This doesn't look like a joke to me. Besides, Team Plasma is making people and Pokemon miserable. I can't just sit here and ignore it." He pulled out a butter knife from the drawer, and walked over to the sink. "So I need you guys to be girls while I'm gone ok? I'll try to call and check on things when I can." He then proceeded to make a small cut on his finger with the knife, which made him wince. The younger girl looked away in fear of the sight of blood, but the older girl watched him cut himself like it was nothing.

"Just don't do anything stupid ok."

Leo let out a small chuckle. "I'll try. I'm sure Victini will help. Right buddy?" He placed his bloody finger over the ruby on the V-shaped orange pendant he had received. It glowed for a moment before returning to it's normal color.

"Coool!" the little girl cooed.

 

[SoulMuse]

Emily
Chosen of Landorus
Lostlorn Forest

I collapsed on the ground next to Salamence, and almost instantly most of the Pokémon came rushing over. The only ones who didn’t were Sol, who simply raised his head, and the Gallade, who was meditating.

“Guys, I am fine.” I said tiredly. “Just an exhausting day today, alright.” The Pokémon backed off returning to whatever they had been doing previously. Once they had left, Sol got up and padded over to me, his eyes gleaming. I smiled at him, and after making sure I was alright, he padded to my right, and curled up against Salamence’s flank. The dragon growled lowly but, just like every other time this occurred, didn’t do anything, besides move her head to look at me.

“You really are lazy.” I told the dragon. She huffed in response. I rolling my eyes, I pulled the letter the old woman had given me. She had said it simply appeared over night, with no explanation of what had occurred. I turned the envelope over in my hands, tying to decide what to make of it. Finally I decide to bit the bullet and see what the letter actually contained.

Opening the envelope, the first thing I notice was the there was a pendant inside, and a letter. Pulling out the letter I began to read.

Please be cautious in whom you show this letter to. It may seem strange to you to get such a warning from an unexpected package, but you have been singled out for an effort to overthrow the rule of Ghetsis and Team Plasma. I am Tao, and I have contacted the spirits of legendary Pokémon around the region of Unova. They have agreed to work with humans to undermine the tyranny that has settled here. This will be done by linking their souls and sharing some of their power with a human partner. You have been selected Landorus as a potential candidate.

The divine power you have the potential to hold is not meant for humans to wield; I am able to warn you of some dangers, but there may be others that lie hidden. But it has been agreed that the consequences of not doing anything are far worse. If you are apprehensive of using these powers, please return this package and all of its contents to the return address listed. I will ask the spirits if there is another that can be contacted.

If you decide to accept this power, you must pledge your soul to Landorus. To do this, take the pendant in the package and place a drop of your blood on the precious stone that it holds. Make a request for the assistance of the legend, in your own words. When done correctly, the drop of blood will be absorbed into the stone and it should glow briefly.

Landorus will of course wish to test you and find your true character, so I am not to tell you everything right off. Other than that, I will assist you in any way I can in order to defeat Ghetsis and put Team Plasma out of power.

Once you have made the pledge, the pendant’s power will be awakened. It will allow you to form special bonds with ordinary Pokémon too, so that you may gather a Pokémon team to assist your efforts without needing illegal Pokéballs. What you must do is find the Pokémon you want on your team and befriend it. Get it to listen to you and offer it a bond of friendship. When the Pokémon accepts, touch it with the pendant to imprint its aura onto the pendant. You must also bestow a nickname to the Pokémon in order to make certain the bond holds.

When a Pokémon’s aura is imprinted on the pendant, it will always be able to locate the pendant, and hear your words through it. And it will come to you if you call its name while holding the pendant, no matter where it may be. This will allow you to train and organize a Pokémon team, while also allowing them to disperse to avoid suspicion from Team Plasma.

If you wish to assist us in our endeavors, please come to Iccirus City, to one of the locations marked on the enclosed map, and meet with Elesa there. If you do not wish to aid us, please return this letter, and all of its contents and we ask you do not reveal any of the information it contained.

And with that, the letter simply ended. I blinked, and read the entire thing a second time. I frowned. I knew a fair bit about Landorus, mostly as a result of working at the Abundant Shrine, which despite the best efforts of Plasma, still worshiped the Pokémon. Granted Plasma had never made a serious effort to stop them, but they still “tried”.

“Chosen of Landorus huh?” I mumbled out loud. “Well if it can stop all Plasma then I guess I am all for it. Although how am I going to get to Iccirus City?” I wondered. Taking the pendant out, I noticed it looked like a necklace hanging from a thin silver chain.

“Chosen of a Legendary Pokémon?” A voice echoed haltingly in my head. I turned to find Gallade standing a little ways behind me. I nodded, standing up, so that Gallade didn’t have to look down at me. The older Pokémon was a skilled battler, but old wounds were slowly catching up with him, and he had trouble looking down at things.

“Yes, apparently.” I replied. The swordsman Pokémon starred at me for a long time, his eyes unreadable.

“Be careful, Emily. Legendary Pokémon are fickle beings, prone to doing things that escape the ken of mortals…consorting with them is a dangerous affair at best, and at worst, near suicide.” I nodded, accepting the old Pokémon’s warnings.

“I know that, but if there is a chance to stop this madness with Plasma, I have to try.” The swordsman Pokémon inclined his head slightly. I held up the pendant, looking it over. It was shaped like a diamond, made of rock, with a tan stone at the center. “I suppose I should get this thing started then.” I mumbled.

I knelt, placing the pendant on the ground before me. I had cut one of my fingers while working in the fields not to long ago, the cut had not stopped bleeding yet, and I carefully squeezed the digit, until a drop of blood formed on the tip. Carefully I placed my finger over the pendant, placing the blood on the stone.

“Great Landorus, I ask you aid in helping me do my part to rid this land of the group known as Team Plasma, and end the suffering they cause.” I waited to see what reaction the stone would have.

 

[Flame Mistress]

Skye Silverstone
Chosen of Reshiram
Striaton Library

Skye sighed as she stared at the non-fiction section of the library for what must have been the umpteenth time during her career. Even though it was supposed to be the section for factual literature, the books that sat there were mostly propaganda about Ghetsis and Team Plasma, or about the 'cruelties' of Pokémon Training; if any encyclopedias were there, they were bound to be ridden with biased opinions, if it even told half the truth. The non-fiction section had now de-evolved into a propaganda section, almost, and seemed to have no books about the truth whatsoever. But this was not something to dwell on, let alone think about; putting her thoughts away, she began to sort the books one by one, as she was instructed to do. Perhaps the books here were the truth, after all. Perhaps it was why they were here.

"Hey, Skye," a familiar voice said, making Skye jump. Skye turned around to see Kyle, the tall, slightly geeky manager, facing her. "Your shift's been over for the past hour or so - shouldn't you be thinking about going home, or not sorting the books, at the very least? It's not that I have a problem with you being here, just that I don't see why you should be still here."

"Well, I want to stay here," Skye sighed, sorting the last of the books into its right place. "I prefer the library to home, really. It's the only place I can get a remote sense of peace and quiet, so yeah." Of course, there was the fact that her parents were on the brink of divorce now due to her father being fired from his job, and with neither her library shift or her mother's cleaning job earning nowhere near enough to support all three of them, tensions were present in the air. But of course, Skye wasn't going to tell anyone about that - that would be stupid, as well as pointless.

"Well, okay, I understand," Kyle replied, "but remember, you won't be getting much extra pay for the extra hours, so it's pretty pointless." He then paused for a moment, seemingly trying to remember something, and, his eyes lighting up as he remembered the forgotten piece of information, carried on. "Oh, yeah, by the way, you got a letter and a package," he told her. "I don't know why it came here instead of your address, but they're at the front desk. Come with me and I'll show you."

"Um... okay, then," Skye answered in confusion, wondering why anyone would send mail to the library, let alone send her anything, for that matter. Although she was skeptical about this, however, she still followed Kyle to the welcome desk at the entrance to the library, completely oblivious to exactly what kind of consequences the letter would bring.

~~~~~~~~~~

No. It couldn't be. Her? Special? No way.

Skye re-read the letter in front of her for what must have been the hundredth time, still unable to believe it, convinced that it was all a dream or a hallucination, but however much she tried not to believe in it, she knew that the letter within her hands was real. But why? Why her? Why couldn't it be someone else?

She considered returning the letter to the address on the envelope, looking at the words with temptation. The letter had never said that she had to do this, after all - there were many other candidates out there in Unova, probably. She couldn't just be the only one with the heart and personality needed for the chosen one. Resealing the letter inside its envelope, she stood up from the bench she was sitting on, and walked up to the post box next to the bench. She was definitely not one for the job.

However, she found that she simply couldn't put the letter into the post box. For some reason, she simply couldn't. It occurred to her that, deep down, she felt strongly against Team Plasma, and wanted to defeat them, drive them out, smash them into pieces. She wanted to be a chosen one. A sigh escaped from her mouth, and she walked back to the bench, sat down on it, and opened the package attached to the envelope, wondering what really was inside.

What she found was simple yet fascinating; a pendant the colour of pure, fresh, untouched snow, the purest shade of white she had ever seen in her life. It seemed to be the half of a yin-yang, or something similar, evident by the curved indents on the inside of the stone. "Wow," Skye murmured, touching the pendant. It felt smooth, cold, and surprisingly flawless, as if it wasn't even a stone from Earth.

Skye looked at the letter again, or more specifically, where it said that she had to place a drop of her own blood on the pendant to seal her aura in it. She gulped; not only was she grossed out by her own blood, she also didn't exactly know how to forcefully get it without any sharp objects (she had nothing sharp enough to cut through her skin; anyway, why would she carry around a knife with her?). And she wasn't going to just sneak into her kitchen, grab a knife, and cut herself - that would look way too suspicious. Or maybe...

'Might as well give it a go,' Skye thought, and she bit her lip as hard as she could, until she could feel the metallic taste of blood on her tongue. Inwardly sighing in relief, she took a drop of blood from the gash in her lip with her little finger, and put it on the pendant. Sure, it wasn't the most hygienic of ways, but she didn't exactly have a choice right now, did she?

The pendant glowed briefly, emitting a luminous light which made Skye quickly hide the pendant with her cardigan just in case anyone became suspicious of it, and once the glow died down, she took it out to look at it again. The blood had disappeared completely, and the white stone was cleaner and whiter than ever. Her confidence boosted by this, she stood up, her eyes sparkling with determination, and began heading towards her house. Yes. She would be brave. She would fight against Team Plasma. Even though she had no idea where Reshiram was, and even less of an idea of how to get to the camps, she knew she would do it somehow.

 

[mattman324]

With a final flair of the instruments, the last song ended. "Thank you all for coming!" The small crowd of Pokemon who had assembled to listen to Matt's voice dispersed back into the surrounding routes, and the crowd of people - some of them who came because they liked Matt or his songs, some who came for the typical gathering of wild pokemon that came with the last song - also left, a few leaving donations as they left. Matt picked up the box he was using for donations keeping, smiled, and put it in his backpack, as well as the instruments and the few other bits of equipment - loudspeakers, amps, ect. Everything, in fact, but his microphone.

He twirled the microphone on its cord as he walked back out of the city. "Well, that went reasonably well. I managed to find out most of the troop locations there, went relatively unseen by Plasma agents, and even got some extra cash for little work!" He pulled the donation box back out, and shook it a little for show, and listened to the crinkling and clanging and thumping of the money insi- wait, THUMPING?

Matt opened the box up, to find, along with the money, a... nother box.

"Hmm... This is usually the part of the movie where the person hear ticking noises..." He put his ear up to the box, but heard nothing. "I still should check. Bean? You gonna help?"

Suddenly, the microphone in his hand went a shade of pink. It condensed slowly into a mass, which slipped into the box. After a few seconds, it came back out, seemingly unfolded until it was the shape of a young girl, and... well, took on the appearance of a young girl.

"So, anything in there going to kill me if I open it?" The girl shook her head. "Good. That would just be annoying. Well, I guess I should open it, eh?" He opened the box, and saw that it contained a letter and a necklace with a pendant of a single note... except the base part had a sapphire imbedded in it. He opened the letter.

Addressed to: Matthew Jackson

Please be cautious in whom you show this letter to. It may seem strange to you to get such a warning from an unexpected package, but you have been singled out for an effort to overthrow the rule of Ghetsis and Team Plasma. I am Tao, and I have contacted the spirits of legendary Pokémon around the region of Unova. They have agreed to work with humans to undermine the tyranny that has settled here. This will be done by linking their souls and sharing some of their power with a human partner. You have been selected by one of these great Pokémon as a potential candidate.

The divine power you have the potential to hold is not meant for humans to wield; I am able to warn you of some dangers, but there may be others that lie hidden. But it has been agreed that the consequences of not doing anything are far worse. If you are apprehensive of using these powers, please return this package and all of its contents to the return address listed. I will ask the spirits if there is another that can be contacted.

If you decide to accept this power, you must pledge your soul to the legendary Pokémon that has chosen you. To do this, take the pendant in the package and place a drop of your blood on the precious stone that it holds. Make a request for the assistance of the legend, in your own words. When done correctly, the drop of blood will be absorbed into the stone and it should glow briefly.

The legendary Pokémon wish to test you and find your true character, so I am not to tell you everything right off. Other than that, I will assist you in any way I can in order to defeat Ghetsis and put Team Plasma out of power.

Once you have made the pledge, the pendant’s power will be awakened. It will allow you to form special bonds with ordinary Pokémon too, so that you may gather a Pokémon team to assist your efforts without needing illegal Pokeballs. What you must do is find the Pokémon you want on your team and befriend it. Get it to listen to you and offer it a bond of friendship. When the Pokémon accepts, touch it with the pendant to imprint its aura onto the pendant. You must also bestow a nickname to the Pokémon in order to make certain the bond holds.

When a Pokemon’s aura is imprinted on the pendant, it will always be able to locate the pendant, and hear your words through it. And it will come to you if you call its name while holding the pendant, no matter where it may be. This will allow you to train and organize a Pokémon team, while also allowing them to disperse to avoid suspicion from Team Plasma.

You are partnered with the muse, the spirit of music and dancing Meloetta. Meloetta is well-known as a muse for musicians and dancers. It is accustomed to people, so you should have few problems getting along with it. However, it is mute at this time. You will not be able to use any of its powers until you figure out how to get its voice back. That knowledge seems elusive.

"Well, what do you know. I admit, I didn't expect this. But..." A smile slowly formed over Matt's face. "...this is a very USEFUL gift."

Very quickly, Matt retrieved a knife from his backpack. Drawing his own blood, he allowed one drop to hit the sapphire, and said "Oh, Meloetta, great muse of the pokemon world, please come to my aid to bring about the defeat of those who would bring about tyranny!"

A small flash of light was had, and then the drop of blood disappeared. Matt smiled. "Well, that was rather simple. Now, I think the first thing I should do... Bean, assume your natural form, and touch this pendant."

As the Ditto joined his team officially, neither pokemon or trainer noticed the Emolga in the bushes, watching the whole affair. It smiled. "EMAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

 

[aggiegwyn]

Margret “Violet” Lindenburg
Physic Gijinka
Nuvema Town

Margret woke up to the sound of the birds chirping. Or, to be more accurate, Margret woke up to the color of the birds chirping. The high pitches left reds and yellows to her eyes, even though they were closed. It also didn’t help that from the window the sun was shining in. It was spring, the days were getting longer and they started earlier. Margret lifted herself out of bed and began getting ready.

With a cup of coffee in her hands, she left her small house on the edge of the trail to head to the laboratory, where she worked. It was a short walk, but isolated, since it was out of the way of the trail and town. Margret didn’t mind though, it was nice and quiet. Well, at least it was until she was surprised by Bianca.

“Violet, hey!” She greeted, causing yellows and greens to appear around Bianca in Margret’s eyes. Margret smiled and waved as she headed into town, where her friend was standing in front of a house.

“How are you doing?” She asked, Margret took a sip of the coffee before saying “Fine, pretty happy actually.” Margret didn’t know why, but she felt so cheery inside. Maybe it was spring fever.

Well, they continued the conversation on their way to work, talking about Juniper’s upcoming projects and their ideas of how to play them out. Margret was especially interested in the studies of deeper pokemon anatomy, since she wanted to know how they received their great power. But for the most part Bianca was talking, since Violet was more of a listener.

In the laboratory Bianca needed to ask Professor Juniper something in her office, Margret headed over to her personal section, and turned on the light, revealing her companion Tonari in his cage. He wriggled around so anxiously wanting to get out that Margret smiled to herself. She unlocked the cage and left him slither around.

“Sorry, I don’t like keeping you there, but it’s against regulations to not do so.” She said, looking down to the pokemon, who was currently purring beside her feet. She grabbed him a bowl of PokeFood before sitting in front of the computer and getting to work. The day before she walked through the trail to study the muscular structure of the wild Patrat. She gathered lots of information, so today she needed to enter it into the database.

She was in the middle of doing so when there was a knock on the door. Margret said come in and the person did as such, revealing Professor Juniper. She handed Margret a letter before leaving to head back into the main laboratory.

Curious, Margret opened the envelope to reveal not a bill nor advertisement as she would have thought, but a letter. Her own house wasn’t in an area with a zip code, so she had to receive mail in the laboratory. Dismissing these thoughts, she began reading.

“Dear Margret Lindenburg,

We are an organization that has been working against Team Plasma since the very beginning, and we continue to do so. However, in order to do so we need help from the gifted. We currently have evidence that you are one of the gifted, and we wish to inform you of your possibilities and to use them against Team Plasma. If you are not interested, please take this letter and envelope right now and burn it. Do not speak of this letter ever. If you are interested, continue reading.

We have reason to believe that as a child you were part of a project. It was conducted by Team Plasma, and involved putting pokemon genes into a human fetus. There is strong evidence providing that you are one of these children, we have evidence to show you if you decide to join us. If you do join us, we will try our best to help you unlock these powers, and by doing so you can help us by giving freedom to Unova.

It is understandable if you do not want to engage in this. The news may be shocking, and Team Plasma is a big foe to defeat. But Team Plasma will never go down from a single person. Team Plasma will fall only under the power of many. We ask you to please join us. There is a member waiting for you in Iccirus, and we will wait only one day—tomorrow---for your arrival. If you do not come then we will assume that you do not want to participate.

Please make sure all evidence of this letter is destroyed, including your words.
--Tao”

Margret had to admit that she was surprised. She had always thought there to be a resistance, but never really saw anything occur. She wasn’t a fan of Team Plasma herself, but had never had the ability to go against such a strong force. But now there was an opportunity. She didn’t spend much time to waste. She grabbed all of her notebooks from the laboratory, filling a messenger bag she kept for field work. She loaded all of the information she had on the computer onto several USB ports, and then she called Tonari over to her and told him to follow. She explained to Juniper and Bianca that her mother was gravely ill, and that she needed to be there for her. Bianca easily accepted the story, but Juniper seemed skeptical. Margret didn’t like lying to them, but she didn’t want them to be in danger.

At home, she packed her clothes while reserving for one of the last seats for a flight to Misaltron, and a train ticket for her to arrive in Iccirus. She packed everything she believed she needed, food water, her bracelet from her grandmother, all the information from her research. Then, she headed to the most local airport, which was in Accumula Town. She rode the plane, eating dinner at the Misaltron airport before getting on the train to Iccirus. She arrived late in the night, and bought a hotel room before going to sleep. Her dreams were filled with visions of legendary pokemon and the strange tale of her own DNA.


Theodore “Theo” Johannes
Chosen of Zekrom
Nimbasa City

That morning he woke up due to heat. Well, he thought it was morning, since it was still dark outside. The first thing he thought about was a nightmare that he had also awakened from, where his father was asking him to help him escape from prison, but Theo couldn’t move nor talk. He slowly melted into the ground before he woke up. Checking the clock, it was three in the morning. He went over to check the thermometer. Yup, it was eighty degrees in the house, the air conditioner had broken. Even in the spring the heat of the nearby desert could evaporate fresh tears from a sad face. He sighed as he unhinged the vents and began working with his tools, cleaning out the vents so that he could restart the machine. He worked for several hours, until the vents were glimmering with cleanliness, and he was covered in sweat from the rising heat. Finally finished he put the vent cover back on and restarted the engine, finished before his mother was awake. It was five in the morning, so he knew that she would be leaving soon for that fashion conference she was talking about. It was nearby, but she would still be staying in a hotel with some of her coworkers. He would be alone for a few weeks, but since he had school to go to it wasn’t a very big opportunity. The year was ending and he had exams to study for.

He started the coffee machine and starting getting ready. He didn’t have any plans that day, since it was the weekend, but the only time Theo wasn’t dressed well was in the shower and his sleep. Putting on his usual hat, a button-up shirt with grey and white vertical stripes, and some black slacks, he ate breakfast and said goodbye to his mother as she left in the limo to her conference. Somewhat relieved she was gone, he checked the mail, and too his surprise he found a letter for him. It didn’t have a return address, which was strange to him. He headed back inside and set the other mail on the counter for his mom to check when she would get back the next week. He sat on the couch and opened the letter, and began to read its strange contents.

“Dear Theodore Johannes,

Before reading this, please check your surroundings. This letter has very vital and secret information, and we do not want it to be spread—“

Theo closed the letter and headed into the bathroom, since he knew that was the only place in his home that wasn’t under surveillance. Thanks to the “courtesy” of Team Plasma there would never by a “happy moment” in his home that wasn’t forgotten. He knew what they really meant, they wanted catch him resisting like his father. Sitting on the closed toilet seat, he began to read again.

“---Well, if you are safe, then please continue reading. I am Tao, and I work with an organization that has resisted Team Plasma’s tyranny since the very beginning. We believe that Team Plasma’s grip on the region is far too tight, and we have full intention to release it. So, if you are against this course of action, please dispose of this letter in a thorough fashion and please never speak of this. However, if you are interested, continue reading.

I have found a way to contact the legendaries, and by doing so they have agreed to bond with humans in order to stop Team Plasma. You are one of their chosen. To be specific, you are Zekrom’s chosen. If you do not want to accept this power, please return this letter and we will try our best to have him reconsider. But if you will accept this power, there are certain instructions you will need to follow—“

This was…insane. A prank letter. Some sort of sick joke from one of the Plasma Grunts. There’s no way there could be a resistance, why hadn’t they done something before? Had they? He couldn’t remember, he was so young when everything crashed down. And Zekrom? Come on, that pokemon was just a legend. A creature in a story book. But still…Theo was curious as to the possibilities.

“If you decide to accept this power, you must pledge your soul to the legendary Pokémon that has chosen you. To do this, take the pendant in the package and place a drop of your blood on the precious stone that it holds. Make a request for the assistance of the legend, in your own words. When done correctly, the drop of blood will be absorbed into the stone and it should glow briefly.

The legendary Pokémon wish to test you and find your true character, so I am not to tell you everything right off. Other than that, I will assist you in any way I can in order to defeat Ghetsis and put Team Plasma out of power.

Once you have made the pledge, the pendant’s power will be awakened. It will allow you to form special bonds with ordinary Pokémon too, so that you may gather a Pokémon team to assist your efforts without needing illegal Pokeballs. What you must do is find the Pokémon you want on your team and befriend it. Get it to listen to you and offer it a bond of friendship. When the Pokémon accepts, touch it with the pendant to imprint its aura onto the pendant. You must also bestow a nickname to the Pokémon in order to make certain the bond holds.

When a Pokemon’s aura is imprinted on the pendant, it will always be able to locate the pendant, and hear your words through it. And it will come to you if you call its name while holding the pendant, no matter where it may be. This will allow you to train and organize a Pokémon team, while also allowing them to disperse to avoid suspicion from Team Plasma.

After accepting the power we have members to meet you in Iccirus City. We will await your arrival all day tomorrow, and will assume the absence of your presence is a rejection. Don’t worry about finding us in the city, we will find you.

Thank you for your time,
--Tao”

And that was it. Theo took out the pendant, and inspected it. It was made of a smooth and shiny stone, its dark black color reflecting from the light in the room. It had a single white dot painted near the top, making half of a yin-yang symbol. He felt the edges, which weren’t perfectly smooth and obviously handmade. It was crazy to think that this would work. Yet Theo wanted to believe so. By using this theoretical power he could create a perfect world, a world without Plasma. A world where everyone could be happy.

Holding the stone in his hand, he began to quiver with fear. This could be just a simple prank…or this could be the biggest decision in his life.

He set the necklace on the counter and picked up his shaving razor. With some hesitation and nervousness he sliced part of his hand, and let the blood drop onto the necklace. He picked up the stone in his hands and said “Zekrom…if this is even real, please…help me create a perfect world.”

He looked and saw the stone blow briefly, and he felt a rush within him. That had to be it. He washed his small wound and began packing his bag. Everything was neatly folded and perfect, just how he liked it. He called over Scinti and the pokemon happily followed. Then he remembered his new ability with the pokemon.

“Scinti, please come here.” The spider-like pokemon crawled over.

“I want you…to accept this bond of friendship.” Scinti cocked his head at the statement, since he assumed his master was already friends with him, but he bowed his head to the pendant anyways.

Theo felt a similar rush come through him, and touched the pendant to see if it would really work. Scinti immediately looked him in the eyes, at full attention. Theo didn’t know what this was, but he was going to find out.

With his emergency credit card in his wallet he wrote a short note to his mother saying that he was visiting a friend to study for exams. It would be a week before she would see it, and he would already be long gone. Taking his duffel bag, he headed into the subway station, and arrived in Iccirus in time for dinner. He ate and then slept in the hotel, excited yet nervous for the next morning.

 

[Ysavvryl]

Tao
Celestial Tower, early morning

On the first couple of floors, there were a number of Litwicks and Elgyem still inhabiting this place. These days, it was rare that one could find a place where humans and Pokemon freely mixed. The humans had been kept away from here, so the Pokemon stayed. Alder brought his Volcarona and Druddigon out to accompany them; the latter currently had a Cleanse Tag attached by a string around his wrist, so the local Pokemon didn't dare to approach them for battle.

When they got to the third floor, there were no more Pokemon around save the ones with them. Zane the Zoroark flicked his tail and ears, wary of the lost souls around. The Volcarona didn't seem to notice them, but he did notice how the other two reacted, making him nervous. He flew closer to Alder and warbled about how uneasy the atmosphere seemed.

“Something's changed about this place,” Alder said as they continued up the spiral stairs to the fourth floor. “Not just being abandoned. I don't know what...”

“The emotions of the spirits here are strong enough that you can feel them,” Tao explained. “They wouldn't know what's happening in the world now, so they don't know why no one comes anymore. I didn't think it could get bad enough that the living Pokemon wouldn't want to come up here.” It certainly was distressing to hear. But this was important, and here was the place that they could reach easily. Other places may have been better, but were guarded by Plasma or would require a greater effort to reach.

At the top of the tower, the cries of the lost souls were strongest. The morning mist was starting to fade with the first rays of dawn, but the ghosts could just barely be seen within it. Zane brought Tao to the upper platform, Alder and his Volcarona following close behind. Up there, a large steel bell was hung from a simple frame, but without an obvious way to ring it. A pair of Pidoves were perched on the frame, one completely white and the other completely black. The Druddigon landed on the south edge of the tower and peered over at the ground below.

“Thanks for coming with me up here,” Tao said as Alder set up his wheelchair again. “That road around Twist Mountain is about as bad as the one inside.”

“No problem,” he said. “Although you seemed to navigate it well enough, I was worried about you running into a Plasma patrol. Zane's trained more to help you and the only other Pokemon you have are those two up there.”

The white Pidove chirped while the black one simply continued to watch.

“There wouldn't be many of them that could handle your team,” Tao agreed. Now back in his wheelchair, he went closer to the bell for what they'd come to do.

In a place like this, it wasn't hard to connect to the spiritual realm. Extremely noisy due to the lost souls, but he was confident that his call would pass through all that. Tao focused his mind on alternative senses, those that saw aura and heard the cries of lost souls. That allowed him to know that those helping him had the lines open. While they had that going, he needed to recite the actual call.

“Landorus, Thundurus, Tornadus,” Tao said, putting his hands on the bell. “Cobalion, Terrakion, Virizion, Keldeo, Genesect...” there was a momentary break. No, whoever that Genesect was, it was awake. That meant he had to start over. “Landorus, Thundurus, Tornadus. Cobalion, Terrakion, Virizion, Keldeo. Meloetta. Victini. Kyurem. I call out to you on behalf of Unova; please heed my plea. We have spoken of the suffering this land is currently under and it is time for all of you to emerge for the fight against the tyranny of Team Plasma. Awaken under the authority of our guardians, Zekrom, Reshiram, and Kyurem.”

To his senses, two signs quickly appeared at his hands. Zekrom and Reshiram had agreed that this situation was bad enough to require this. But then there was the one who was both neutral and chaotic, the one who was historically a destroyer. That would be the one who would resist.

The wailing of the lost souls wore at him, threatening to break his concentration. “Kyurem, please,” he said in a softer voice. “For the sake of our noble land of Unova.”

After a second, the third sign appeared. The awakening call was rapidly sent to the ones he had called on, in a burst of energy so strong that the bell began to toll loudly. Zane managed to pull the wheelchair back before Tao got knocked on the head with the rim of its return. That brought his mind back to the normal realm, but he knew it was done. All around Unova, the nine slumbering legendary Pokemon would now be awakening.

 

[OkikuMew]

Alana Bryant - Chosen of Virizion
Broken Bridge in front of clinic, Iccirrus City


"Ugh, don't tell me it was really all a hoax..." I mumble, tapping my feet and looking at my watch.


I was told, from a message I received a few days ago, that I'm "selected by Virizion", of all the legendary Pokémon I heard stories of in my childhood, and having "divine powers" that could help "overthrow the rule of Ghetsis and Plasma", or something like that. To help, I had to "pledge my soul to Virizion by dropping a drop of blood on the stone of the pendant", which I received with the letter.

As much as I think that the whole "Legendary Chosen" crap is full of baloney, I couldn't say no to a chance to kick Ghetsis' and Plasma's a**es for what they've done. If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't be stuck living in the dump apartment in Castelia, hiding Speedzy, my Blitzle, from them and my cowardly parents. There's paperwork to make him your pet, you say? Pffff, paperwork smaperwork, all those crazy words in 'em would make my head implode. Has much as I hate to play hide n' seek, it's easier to do that. Heck, Speedzy and I have mastered the art of sneaking away from Plasma in all those 4 years, we can almost go out in public without being seen!

Anyways, I felt I had to do somethin' 'bout that letter. Plus, baloney taste good, heheh.

T'was a good thing I have kept all that vacation time from my job though, I would've been sad to actually quit my job in front of the noses of the guys at the gym, 'pecially the owner Chaz and my good pal Kassy Joy, one of the part-time nurses there. Instead, both were happy to hear I was finally taking vacation time after "working my butt off non-stop for all those years", although I don't find I worked that hard... Glad I also saved up all that money, too, it'll make travelin' a whole lot easier. I made sure I had everythin' in my trusty backpack, for living in the outdoors and survive in the urban jungles. It got a whole lot on the heavy side, 'pecially with Speedzy slipped in there, but I don't mind at all! Oh yeah, as much as I don't believe that stuff, I did the whole "pledge" thing, and touched Speedzy with it. I was surprised whenever that thing glowed the two times I used it, but it was probably some kind of weird technobabble with light in it that did that. That thing looks nice though, so I've put it on like a bracelet, but I'm keepin' it under my sleeve in case the whole thing is some kind of Plasma trap and they can identify me with it or somethin'. Although it might've been too late since I've put my blood on that thing... oh well, too late.


So, after traveling through cities, forests, and even a desert (darn you Route 4) all on foot, here I am, standing near the broken bridge of the city's clinic in the morning, like the message told me to be there for "confirmation of identity" and "directions for what to do next". According to my watch, it's close to be noon now. I really hope all of this wasn't a joke... I don't want to have taken those 2 months of vacation for nothing... and I feel Speedzy's gettin' tired of being bundled up in my backpack and trying not to move an inch.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------​

Kory Sola, Ice Gijinka
Iccirrus City


Ugh, another day closer to summer. I never saw the point of summer. It makes me miserable. It removes all energy and willpower to do anything with its horrible heat, and yet I endure it to collect my main item of trade. And business is even slower, as customers are not willing to leave the coziness of their air-conditioned homes, or believe I only sell mushrooms and they only grows during fall and winter. Ha, they're just too stupid to know how fungi can survive any weather. Unlike them, that's for sure. But at least we're not at this point of the year yet. It is still cool enough to stick your nose out without breaking a sweat, while those ignorant fools think the temperature is still good enough for mushrooms to sprout.

Today my shop is closed though, as I have taken the day to handle some chores. After spending the whole morning picking edible and medicinal fungi and herbs in the wild, I go back to the city to return to my house to tend the mushrooms I grow myself. As I was about to put my key through my front door's lock, I hear footsteps behind me. I slowly turn around, not amused of the so-called "thrill-seeker" daring to visit my house. It was simply a mailman though. It is probably a new employee, as the post office knows good and well how I don't accept any kind of visitors - I get the mail from them myself. As his sight crosses mine, he clearly becomes uncomfortable.

"...O-oh, miss Sola," the mailman nervously salutes me by lightly tipping his hat. "I apologies for delivering directly at your house, against your... wishes, but this message has been sent to you with high-priority mail," he pulls out a letter out of his pouch. "It... it was my duty to deliver it directly at your house. A-again, I am sorry for walking into your property without notice."

I keep staring right into his eyes as I slowly grab the envelope out of his hands. I see some sweat dripping on his forehead. The poor thing, he might have heard some frightening, made-up stories related to me from his co-workers and perhaps even from family and friends. It kind of amuses me, to be honest.

"H-have a nice day, miss Sola!" he exclaims as he quickly shuffled back on the street, probably scared out of his life.

As soon as he was out of sight, I looked at the strange delivery. It's missing the return address, and my address was typed by a computer instead of by hand, compared to my usual customers who orders from other places in Unova. I find it... particular, to say the least. I enter my home, stow away in proper order my freshly-picked products, comfortably sit on my couch, open the envelope and start reading the message that it held:

"To: Kory Sola,

Please be careful to who you present this letter. We are group which our purpose is to overthrow Team Plasma's control over Unova.

We recently acquired information that may be of interest to you. We have learned that in the past, Team Plasma had running a secret experiment involving injecting Pokémon genes into the DNA of human children, creating artificial hybrids known as Gijinkas. Twelve years ago, their research and development ended, releasing its subjects after sealing their powers and wiping the memories concerning the operation. According to our intel, you were involved in those experiments, having the blood of Pokémon flowing in your veins.

We have more information concerning your past, but unfortunately we cannot share it within this letter. We would like to secretly meet you in person, behind the abandoned Pokémon Gym at around 4 p.m."

...What is this blasphemy? No signature at end of it, too? Are they trying to provoke me with such a childish prank and unbelievable information? And they claim to be a group to oppose Ghetsis' reign? Hah! If this is any true, they are quite ignorant. Although I have no care in the world about Team Plasma, I am smart enough to know they are not to be messed with. ...But I am impressed of those would-be practical jokers to boldly send this letter and claiming having information about my past, I give them that. Very well then, I shall wait for them at the given time and place, and we will see who will have the last laugh. And who knows, this could very well amuse me...

 

[Purplepassion]

Alyson Oliver
Chosen of Deoxys
Anville Town, around morning to noon

Alyson closed the front door of her parents' house and slowly walked upstairs to her room. Having returned from an especially tiring session of gymnastics class, she was too worn out to take note of the package that arrived in the mail, addressed to her. The heat was not helping with how worn out she felt. She dressed out of her sports clothes and into her average outfit, sans the jacket. Alyson then looked behind her to see a familiar blue ice cream Pokemon.

"Hello, Sorbet," said Alyson, smiling a little and patting his head softly. "No trouble today, I assume?"

"Vanil," replied the Vanillish, flinching slightly as she pat his head. At that point, Alyson's mother called for her to come downstairs. Sorbet looked at his trainer before floating down the stairs, the girl following behind.

"There's a package for you," said Alyson's mother, motioning towards the box as she cooked lunch. Alyson raised an eyebrow. A package for me! she thought warily. What if it contained some sort of harmful item? She tried to shake off that paranoid feeling and walked up to the small box on the table. Nothing inside but a peculiar-looking brooch and a letter. She read the outside of the box dubiously. It was without a doubt adressed to her. The lack of a return adress raised her suspicions even more, but she took the letter opener on the table and tore the envelope open anyway. She looked at the brooch next - Alyson turned the star-shaped pendant around curiously, taking in every detail. She put it down after a few seconds, and began to skim through the actual message.

Dear Alyson Oliver,

Please be cautious in whom you show this letter to. It may seem strange to you to get such a warning from an unexpected package, but you have been singled out for an effort to overthrow the rule of Ghetsis and Team Plasma. I am Tao, and I have contacted the spirits of legendary Pokémon around the region of Unova. They have agreed to work with humans to undermine the tyranny that has settled here. This will be done by linking their souls and sharing some of their power with a human partner. You have been selected by one of these great Pokémon, Deoxys, as a potential candidate.

The divine power you have the potential to hold is not meant for humans to wield; I am able to warn you of some dangers, but there may be others that lie hidden. But it has been agreed that the consequences of not doing anything are far worse. If you are apprehensive of using these powers, please return this package and all of its contents to the return address listed. I will ask the spirits if there is another that can be contacted.

Alyson squinted, and read that part of the letter again, a little less hastily. The chosen of a legendary Pokemon? It seemed implausible. And yet... it didn't appear to be a practical joke. She continued reading to get a better grasp of her situation.

If you decide to accept this power, you must pledge your soul to the legendary Pokémon that has chosen you. To do this, take the pendant in the package and place a drop of your blood on the precious stone that it holds. Make a request for the assistance of the legend, in your own words. When done correctly, the drop of blood will be absorbed into the stone and it should glow briefly.

Deoxys will wish to test you and find your true character, so I am not to tell you everything right off. Other than that, I will assist you in any way I can in order to defeat Ghetsis and put Team Plasma out of power.

Once you have made the pledge, the pendant’s power will be awakened. It will allow you to form special bonds with ordinary Pokémon too, so that you may gather a Pokémon team to assist your efforts without needing illegal Pokeballs. What you must do is find the Pokémon you want on your team and befriend it. Get it to listen to you and offer it a bond of friendship. When the Pokémon accepts, touch it with the pendant to imprint its aura onto the pendant. You must also bestow a nickname to the Pokémon in order to make certain the bond holds.

When a Pokemon’s aura is imprinted on the pendant, it will always be able to locate the pendant, and hear your words through it. And it will come to you if you call its name while holding the pendant, no matter where it may be. This will allow you to train and organize a Pokémon team, while also allowing them to disperse to avoid suspicion from Team Plasma.

Following this information was a message to arrive at Icirrus City as soon as possible. Alyson looked at Sorbet, and then neatly put the letter back in the envelope. If this whole thing was true, perhaps the region would finally return to what it once was! She nodded in her mother's direction, and picked up the package. Taking it upstairs, Alyson placed the letter in an old locked box she had and pocketed the key. As for the pendant, she stared at it as she thought about what to do. The letter had said to place a drop of her blood on the pendant's stone and say some sort of pledge. The only logical answer now was to do just that.

Quickly, she took a piece of paper and rubbed it on her index finger until it formed a small cut. She winced as she drew a drop, and placed the bleeding finger on the meteorite. Now to say the pledge, thought Alyson, thinking of things to say. "Oh, Deoxys, please assist me in helping to end the reign of tyranny of Team Plasma, and restoring the region to its previous state."

Just as the letter said, the pendant glowed for a moment. Alyson blinked; the blood had not left a mark on the pendant at all, surprisingly. She went into the bathroom and washed her finger off, before returning. The Vanillish was staring at the brooch intently. "Well, Sorbet," said Alyson as she walked towards him, "it looks like the next order of business is for you to touch that pendant. Can you do that for me?"

 

[Sophie S.]

Natasha Silverman
Chosen of Tornadus
Nacrene City

Please be cautious in whom you show this letter to. It may seem strange to you to get such a warning from an unexpected package, but you have been singled out for an effort to overthrow the rule of Ghetsis and Team Plasma. I am Tao, and I have contacted the spirits of legendary Pokémon around the region of Unova. They have agreed to work with humans to undermine the tyranny that has settled here. This will be done by linking their souls and sharing some of their power with a human partner. You have been selected by Tornadus as a potential candidate.

The divine power you have the potential to hold is not meant for humans to wield; I am able to warn you of some dangers, but there may be others that lie hidden. But it has been agreed that the consequences of not doing anything are far worse. If you are apprehensive of using these powers, please return this package and all of its contents to the return address listed. I will ask the spirits if there is another that can be contacted.

If you decide to accept this power, you must pledge your soul to Tornadus. To do this, take the pendant in the package and place a drop of your blood on the precious stone that it holds. Make a request for the assistance of the legend, in your own words. When done correctly, the drop of blood will be absorbed into the stone and it should glow briefly.

Tornadus will wish to test you and find your true character, so I am not to tell you everything right off. Other than that, I will assist you in any way I can in order to defeat Ghetsis and put Team Plasma out of power.

Once you have made the pledge, the pendant’s power will be awakened. It will allow you to form special bonds with ordinary Pokémon too, so that you may gather a Pokémon team to assist your efforts without needing illegal Pokeballs. What you must do is find the Pokémon you want on your team and befriend it. Get it to listen to you and offer it a bond of friendship. When the Pokémon accepts, touch it with the pendant to imprint its aura onto the pendant. You must also bestow a nickname to the Pokémon in order to make certain the bond holds.

When a Pokemon’s aura is imprinted on the pendant, it will always be able to locate the pendant, and hear your words through it. And it will come to you if you call its name while holding the pendant, no matter where it may be. This will allow you to train and organize a Pokémon team, while also allowing them to disperse to avoid suspicion from Team Plasma.

If you wish to assist us in our endeavors, please come to Iccirus City, to one of the locations marked on the enclosed map. There you will meet with someone that will explain more about the situation in hand and will show you around.

This letter had come to her early this day while she tended to the flowers in the window to their kitchen. The mail man had noticed her and seeing as it was easier for him he had given her all the mail plus that one letter that has hear staring at the wall for a few minutes now. Natasha didn't even notice her little companion appearing and reappearing in different parts of the room before bouncing back into the bed with a soft giggle.

"Horo...please, this is a bit serious," the teen said softly as she let a hand play with her short braid she had done today with a purple ribbon she really liked. The young Ralts then stopped and looked at her with a confused expression that turned to concern, nudging her side while letting out soft noises. To see his friend like this was not of normal occurrences since Natie usually got like this when something was really troubling her.

The girl read over the letter once more and her eyes narrowed as they went from the letter to the pendant that was in between the pages. Huh, it kinda looked cute, either as a pendant or earring...she shook her head and closed the letter again and put it away in her drawer before picking up the remaining mail and looking at her little friend with a smile. "Now, you know the rules...stay here okay?" she said and with a nod for reassurance she was out of her room and back into the kitchen where her Nana was baking a pie.

"Smells good Nana, what is it?" she asked while going to set up the plates on the table, rolling her eyes when she noticed her brother was sleeping with his head rolled back. Honestly he should do something more energizing for once. The old lady just smile as she took out the pie and started to slowly make her way to get the food. "It is Pecha pie, your favorite," she said with a smile while placing the food on the plates.

At this Natie frowned slightly then turned to look at her brother. "I told you not to go off sneaking outside the city Nick! You know it's prohibited," she hissed with an urgent tone while the other just opened his eye and shrugged. "The guards have stopped being so strict about it after so long since no one dares to venture out anymore, so it was easy. Besides, Nana really wanted to make you this be grateful," he said in a defensive tone as his eyes narrowed and sat back correctly.

The girl just sighed sharply and frowned before smiling again and putting everything back in her head. Today she wasn't going to let things bring her down and as she said a silent prayer with the others she started to dig into the food. As they ate the teen wondered if she should tell her family about the letter she got. It's not like she can walk out of the house to another city and not tell them. Yes, she will tell them and hopefully her Nana and brother would understand why she had to choose the choice she was about to make.

She has hand enough of ignoring the happenings around her and the letter made her see through this. It was time for someone to take an initiative...and although she was scared as all heck Natie was going to do it. Besides, her father had once told her that there was no better way than the right way, and that in this world everyone makes a sacrifice to gain the things needed to help the ones you love the most. She just hoped it wouldn't put the ones she loved in danger.

 

[Aura Of Twilight]

Katsa Smith
Mistralton City, early evening

Frowning, Katsa bit her lip in thought. Today had been odd to say the least. She continued to sketch, recalling what had happened earlier as her hand guided the pencil across the paper.

A sudden knock at the front door made Katsa look up from the book she was reading on the couch. When neither of her parents went to answer it, she rose and put the book aside.

Mom must still be helping Dad organize those documents in his office. She thought.

“I’ll get it.” Within seconds she made her way over and turned the knob, opening the door. Standing on the porch outside was a red haired woman taller than Katsa, her blue eyes alight with something akin to curiosity. A pair of flight goggles hung around her neck, matching the light blue jumpsuit she currently wore; it looked like she belonged at the airport in town, working as a pilot.

Katsa blinked. “May I help you, miss?”

“Are you perhaps Katsa?” The woman asked with a smile. “My name’s Skyla. May I speak with you for a moment?”

“I s-suppose that’s a-alright.”

“Oh, but first-“Skyla handed her a letter—“Please, take this.”
...

What the woman had preceded to tell her in those next few minutes left her stunned. Apparently, Skyla was part of an organization seeking to overthrow the current King of Unova, and that Katsa was some sort of pokemon/human hybrid, a subject of a project that had been conducted years ago by Team Plasma. What’s worse, her parents had willingly given her up to Plasma, desperate to save her from an illness that would’ve killed her otherwise. At least, that’s what Skyla had told her before she left in a hurry to avoid Katsa’s parents.

Katsa wasn’t sure what to think. On one hand she wasn’t sure if she should trust what the older woman had said, but on the other it made sense, explained a few things she had wondered all her life. It almost…clicked.

When it came to Team Plasma, no matter what new laws and punishments they enforced, no matter how many people rebelled against the organization and were jailed, her parents always seemed to look the other way. They never answered any questions Katsa asked, such as why things happened to be as they were. Why Unova had a king when the rest of the world didn’t.

What was she supposed to believe? She didn’t understand why her parents had lied to her.

She looked down at the now opened letter in her lap, reading it again. She put the sketchbook next to her on the bed.

Dear Katsa Smith,

We are an organization that has been against Team Plasma since the very beginning, and will continue to do so. In order to succeed in our mission however, we need help from you—one of the gifted.

Yes, gifted.

How do we know this you may be asking? It’s because, quite recently, we managed to uncover top-secret information on a project conducted by Team Plasma sometime in the past, unbeknownst to the public. After analyzing the documents obtained because of this discovery, this is some of what we have learned:

Twelve years ago, Plasma began to work on a project to create artificial Gijinkas by putting Pokemon genes inside various children and infants. While the experiment was a success, many of the subjects, including you, were deemed as failures at the time. The few that were considered successful became the Shadow Traid, Ghetis’ most loyal servants. The rest of the Gijinkas had their powers sealed and any memories of the project erased entirely.

However, I believe there is a possibility that we will be able to unseal your powers if you so wish it. In exchange you must ally yourself with our organization. To gain more information, you will have to come to us. If you accept, our informant will be there to guide you to our camp.

But also remember this: Your parents are putting you and themselves in danger by not telling you the truth of why they gave you to Plasma.
Please, get rid of this after reading it.

~Tao

Well, the letter did clarify a few things, but it left Katsa with more questions as well. Who was Tao and how did this group know about her? How excatly were they planning to take down Plasma? It was like walking into a dark corridor because someone told her to. A gamble. She wasn’t sure what to do...

Still, that woman--Skyla--had seemed sincere...Could she be this informant that this person named Tao was speaking of? The teenage girl buried her face into the covers, furstrated and filled with doubt. That would explain her appearance, but...

An inhuman cry accompanied by the sound of small flapping wings made her look up. As the creature in front of her settled she met a familiar pair of big brown eyes on a feathery face. Warren.

Katsa pat the small bird pokemon softly on the top of its head. She sighed. “What should I do boy?”

 

[Monster Guy]

Shandy Lure
Ghost type Gijinka
Mistralton City, Library

Shandy sat at a desk, in as far back in the building as one could get. Her nose buried within the pages of a large, black leatherbound book, with gold trims. It looked like she was reading an ancient tome filled with evil spells and curses, but it was actually only a novel. The girl spent much of her free time here, as it was a quiet place to read. Mistralton was a tiny town, and the library wasn't exactly the most popular place, so when she couldn't go to the Celestial Tower, she could always come here to read undisturbed.

Well, almost always. Some teenage boy who she'd seen before working here decided to approach her. Which was new for her, as very few people ever did. "Uh...Shandy Lure?..." he asked nervously.

Shandy didn't say a word to him, and didn't put the book down to make eye contact with him. However, she made sure to listen to whatever he was going to say next. After a few moments of silence, the boy continued speaking. "Uh...this letter came for you... I don't know why they sent it here, but they did..." He put an envelope on the table. "...Anyway, sorry for disturbing you..." he ran away as fast he as he could. Like Shandy was going to kill him for interupting her from reading. She never understood why he had that reaction, but she figured he was probably just nervous for some reason.

Then Shandy put her book down, and studied it for a moment. It was quite odd that she was getting a letter, and even moreso that there was no return address. She shrugged her shoulders, opened the envelope, and read the letter inside to herself.

Dear, Ms. Shandy Lure,

Please be careful who you show this letter to. We are an organization working towards a common goal. We typically do not engage in acts such as this, but we feel that it is necessary.

We have learned in the past, Team Plasma had been experimenting in creating artificial Pokemon/Human hybrids called Gijinkas. Twelve years ago the project ended, and all the subjects have been released after sealing their powers, and wiping their memories of the project. We have reason to believe you may be one of those subjects.

We have more information, and if you are interested in learning more, one of our representatives will meet you in Iccurus City. Do not look for them, they will find you.

Shandy had to read the strange letter several times before she could believe it. There was no signature, which set off alarms in the girls. Still, even if the claims made within it sounded strange, this could explain all the questions about her past her parents refuse to answer. It was also in the next town over, so even if this was a hoax, it's not like she'd be inconvenienced too much. So, with her mind made up, she got out of her seat, put the letter in a small purse she brought with her, and made her way out of the library.

As soon as she exited, a Litwick from the Celestial Tower floated over to her side. It was shouting, and waving it's stubby arms around frantically trying to get Shandy's attention. Shandy recognized this Litwick, she put a pair of black ribbons on her head, and named her Celeste. This Ghost always seemed to be around for some reason. Today, she looked nervous. "Celeste, what's wrong?"

Suddenly, the bell from the tower rang loud and clear. Shandy was quiet for a second before speaking again. "Well, that's odd. That bell hardly ever gets rung." In Shandy's mind, that was obviously a sign of things to come. "Celeste, is that what you were going to tell me about? I don't see anything wrong about that bell ringing. Sure it may seem a little...ominous, but it could also mean change is in store. Now let's go." With that, she took off to Route 7. Celeste the Litwick following not far behind her.

 

[aggiegwyn]

Margret Lindenburg
Physic Gijinka
Iccirus City

Margret opened her eyes to the color of her alarm. It was red, which was annoying in her eyes. She turned off the alarm and got ready for the day. She planned to enter every corner of the City until she found this member. With a short meal from the continental breakfast she left the hotel, but kept her key since she left her things in the room. Heading out, she kept her jacket on since she knew that the northern cities were still a bit cold in spring, at least in the mornings. She had Tonari swimming along at her feet.

While she was looking around, Tonari grew bored and decided to play his favorite game: Hide from Plasma. Every time he saw a guard agent…or pretty much anyone who worked with Plasma he would duck behind the corner of a building, or would jump in a bush. He was pretty convinced that if they found him the entire world be lost. He was a hero for doing this, and the rest of the world should be thankful. They should give him presents, lots of presents.

Margret saw Plasma guards in almost every building she entered. It was uncomfortable, since she had a big secret in her hands and she knew that the rebels wouldn’t hang out in a place with them. It was also frustrating because at least in the small town of Nuvema there was some peace and quiet, but in this village it was so loud with bells ringing and sounds of talking around. Colors filled her eyes, which made it even harder for her to look for things. She began looking on the outer part of the city, and eventually she was able to see past the color.

She saw a broken bridge in front of a building. A girl with blonde was standing there, seeming to be waited for something. Was it possible that she was another one of these biological mixtures? Margret knew she couldn’t blatantly ask, so she simply stood on the bridge as well, hoping that some sort of member or whatever it was would introduce themselves.


Theodore “Theo” Johannes
Chosen of Zekrom
Iccirus City

He woke up precisely at seven in the morning, as he did on most days and got himself ready for what could be a new chapter of his life. He would use this power to change the world, and everything would finally be perfect. He would do anything to make this world a better place. Setting his hat on his head and calling Scinti over with the pendant resting on his chest he headed downstairs and ate a full breakfast, since it wasn’t in his character to go out of schedule. With the hearty meal in his stomach, he left the hotel with the key in his pocket, since he would need it to grab his things later.

Looking around, he stayed under the radar from most public places, knowing that rebels wouldn’t gather in popular places. Walking around he noticed a young woman walking around as well, with a Tynamo following her in a strange fashion, hiding at a random pace. Scinti thought the Tynamo looked like a fun playmate. Too bad they had to leave. The noticed that she seemed to be looking for something as well, but he wasn’t going to bother her, since she looked a bit angry too. He was beginning to get a bit angry himself, not being able to find the person who would supposedly “approach” him with “more information” about this legendary bond.

Angry, he walked outside of town, with Scinti still following him. He looked around the bridges, still trying to find some sort of member, when he stumbled upon a bridge carrying two girls. Both of them were older than him, one had a blond braid and tan skin, the other was more pale and had caramel brown hair that Theo despised. He hated it when people didn’t take care of their hygiene. Sure, her skin was clean and all, but she didn’t even bother to straighten that messy mane of hair. All he wanted to do was just fix it. Oh well, looking at the other girl, he returned to his thoughts of finding the member, and wondered if these girls were it.

Looking at the blonde girl, he asked “Are you two waiting for something?”

 

[Billy Mays]

Sid "Slim" Garrison
Steel Gijinka
Iccirrus City

Sid walked into the entrance of Iccirrus and gave a sigh of relief. He had taken a boat from Castelia to Driftveil, then walked from there all the way to here. Sid wasn't that out of shape, but being someone who lives in a big city he wasn't use to this much walking. Of course, with Luke being a Lucario, he didn't mind the exercise at all. A Riolu can scale several mountains and cross several canyons in one night, so a simple walk from Driftveil to Iccirrus isn't going to tire out a Lucario.

Sid looked around but couldn't see anyone that looked like they were waiting for him from here. That Tao guy should have given me a description of what he looked like before making me come here... Sid walked through the main road of the town, hoping that he would see Tao; of at least a fan of his work would notice him and ask for an autograph or something. But to his dismay, neither happened. He sighed again, this time of frustration, as he turned off the road and walked along a much smaller road. A member of Plasma on patrol immediately saw him walking along with a Lucario next to him and move to block his path. Sid was used to this happening, and quickly pulled a Trainer's Licence out of his pocket, followed by Luke's registration papers. Before the Plasma member could even speak, he replied to the Plasma's actions with, "There. Happy?" The Plasma patrolman just stared at the papers for a moment, then nodded, and waved him through.

After that he kept walking for another minute or two until he finally saw something that caught his eye; three people waiting on a broken bridge. Sid took this as a sign that this is what he was here for, and walked up to them. He stayed silent at first, in hopes that someone would would recognize him as DJ ST33L.

 

[Flame Mistress]

Skye Silverstone
Chosen of Reshiram
What would have been Route 3

She'd done it. Yes, she'd finally done it. She'd escaped from the busy and noisy walls of Striaton City, into the peaceful and quiet realms of the outside world, the countryside. The only place where the land hadn't been disturbed by humans. Back where she belonged. Literally.*

Skye hadn't left anything to her parents nor had she taken anything from them on her departure. How could she? She would be lying if she said anything other than "Oh, I'm going to Icirrus City to fight with this rebel group against Team Plasma because I've been chosen by Reshiram, expect me back a few months later with one limb missing at least" - it wasn't exactly safe to tell that to her parents, for obvious reasons, so she'd decided to leave no note at all. Skye had been tempted to take some money to pay for, say, a train ticket, but that would be stealing and dishonesty, thus she resisted the temptation and went without any money. She could survive on berries she found in the wild, couldn't she?

But that wasn't the biggest of her worries right now. Right now, she needed to figure out a way to get to Icirrus City, which apparently involved going through a dense forest, a desert, a river, and a mountain, with her only option at this time being traveling on foot, somehow. How was she going to get there? It was just totally out of the question. After all, it would take her more than a week if she wanted to go all the way to Icirrus City, by which time it could already be too late. She needed a logical way to get there, and fast.*

Just then, an idea clicked inside her head. Of course! How could she have forgotten so easily? Skye had her pendant (which was safely around her neck right now) with her, and it could embed the soul of a Pokémon within it, or whatever *the letter had said, but... still! She could recruit a Pokémon to ride on with it, like... like... a Pokémon Ranger! She had read lots about Rangers in her childhood, and had played a game with the Pokémon at her parents' Day Care often in which she pretended to be a Ranger, and the Pokémon her assistants. She figured - well, at least hoped - that her plot would work the way she imagined it to work.*

Whilst she was thinking, she found herself subconsciously walking across the rolling hills of Route 3 towards a place strangely familiar. All of a sudden, the scenery around her triggered memories of her very early childhood in her head, one where she was free to play with anyone, one where she could go wherever she wanted to, one where she wasn't in a confined life in the city. She recognized the scent of the trees, bushes, flowers and berries, as well as their shapes.*

It was almost as if she'd been here before.*

Then she saw it. What remained of the famous Silverstone Pokémon Day Care Centre. Her home.*

The building still remained, yes, as well as the back garden where the Pokémon were trained and played with, but they had both vastly changed over the last decade, in which not a single human soul - if any soul at all - had resided in them. The formerly-white paint of the outer walls had peeled off almost completely by now, and some of the red brick tiles of the roof had fallen off, creating gaping holes in the roof. The back garden was overgrown with all sorts of roots as well as weeds, and it would've been almost unrecognizable if it hadn't been for the white walls surrounding the garden, marking its boundaries. In other words, the place was just a skeleton of what it had once been, and Skye almost cried seeing how it had fallen to ruins.*

Cautiously, she stepped inside, finding that the front door was conveniently unlocked. For obvious reasons, the lights didn't work, but the sunlight streaming in from the holes in the roof and the broken windows were enough for Skye to see with. For some reason, the interior looked as if it had been disturbed recently; there were crushed berries laying splattered around the floor (which she almost had to dance around to avoid), and all sorts of cutlery were lying on the dining table. Upstairs, masses of moss were scattered on the otherwise bare floors, and there were traces of muddy footsteps everywhere. Upon closer inspection, Skye found that they didn't belong to just one human or Pokémon, but to many different kinds of Pokémon. Which must've meant that...!

"ZEBBBBB!"

One moment, Skye was staring, bewildered, at a strangely familiar Zebstrika charging at her; the next, she was lying on the ground on her back, with said Zebstrika's front left hoof on Skye's stomach triumphantly. "What the flip--" she yelled out in shock and puzzlement, but taking one look at the Zebstrika, she recognized who it was at once, despite the fact that it had since almost doubled in size as well as gone through many other different changes. But Skye had never forgotten her eyes and her smile.*

"Blitz!" Skye cried out in joy, pulling herself up and hugging the Zebstrika's neck affectionately. Yes, it really was her, the same Zebstrika - well, Blitzle, as Blitz was back then - with whom she had spent so many of her early days with in bliss, the same Pokémon with whom she had hidden with as if she could live with her together in the wild when they had had to move to the city. It really was her. "Blitz! I'm so glad to see you again!"*Blitz nuzzled into Skye's neck blissfully, letting out a growl as if to say, "Where've you been all this time? I missed you so much!".*

One tearful reunion later, Skye and Blitz were both sitting down on the masses of moss on the floor, simply enjoying each other's company, until it suddenly occurred to Skye - Blitz could take her to Icirrus City! Skye could recruit her with her pendant, and she'd be able to be with her whenever she needed, and there would be no reason for them to not be together again. "Hey, Blitz," Skye said, and Blitz lifted her head in curiosity. "Well, I have something to tell you..."

One long explanation about the letter and her status as a chosen one later this time, Blitz had agreed to join Skye on her mission to... to... rescue Unova from Team Plasma (?) with great enthusiasm. "Alright, Blitz," she said, holding her pendant up with her right hand, with the letter in her left (in case she forgot how to do something, she'd brought it with her just to be safe - after all, it was better than binning it, since someone could notice that). "So, now I need to... uh... oh, I just need you to touch it, then that's it, really. Also, it says that I need to give you a nickname, but that's already settled, so yeah." Blitz nodded, and touched the black spot in the white stone with her nose. The pendant glowed for a second briefly, and then stopped as quickly as it had come. "Okay, I think that's it now," Skye concluded, putting the pendant around her neck again. "So, now you're connected to me by this pendant, and I can call you at any time I want with it. Okay?"*Blitz gave a grunt of confirmation.*

That night, they slept together on the piles of moss. On the following morning, they set off, with Skye riding Blitz with her permission. Even though the whole thing sounded risky, Skye knew that with the help of Reshiram, Blitz, and every other Divine and Legendary out there, everything would be all right.*

Well, she hoped so, anyway.*

 

[Sophie S.]

Natasha Silverman
Chosen of Tornadus
Nacrene City

After lunch Natie kissed her Nana goodbye and ruffled her brother's hair to his annoyance and warned him not to get into more trouble. She went into her room and changed to her dance wear which was a white tank top and purple sweat pants with yellow lines running vertically. She got her radio and smiled before looking at her friend and shaking her head as the little pokemon slept on top of the pillow. It wasn't a surprise that he was already spent from playing in her room alot...plus the teleporting here and there. Natasha left the piece of pie she had gotten from the fridge on the side table and promised to herself in getting other food for him even though sweets were his favorite.

"Nana, I am leaving now!" she called out and waved at them while closing the door behind her and whistling as she went to her dancing spot. Since she had been dancing for almost ten years and has been entertaining the people of the city throughout those years a small dance square was made for her and she was really happy for that. Plus it was a nice outlet for herself since now she didn't have anything else to do.

"Hmm, hopefully this brings up the mood for others," he muttered and placed the radio down on the side, clicking on the button and jumping slightly on the board. Just as she started dancing with the music did people begin to notice her once more, the bright smile on her face and swift movements never faltering as she gathered a crowd. It was smaller than before, and as she continued and got up from her head stand to switch into a twirl her smile faltered a bit when the people were leaving.

She didn't even get to finish her routine as the rest of the people left and she just stopped, not really asking why they left and already knowing the reason. She picked up her radio and sighed as she turned it off and looked around, frowning when she noticed some of the guards rushing the people to go back to what they were doing. It may seem that even she was losing audience after years of keeping the joy up in this place. Natasha was in a slump as she went back home and didn't even say high to her brother and Nana.

Horo was even left hanging as she flopped on the bed and groaned while moving to her back. She stared at the ceiling for quite some time before blinking and looking at the ralts who was struggling for getting the letter from the side table. She smiled and took it while holding Horo and putting him on her chest, taking out the pendant and looking at it with a curious look. "Horo...should I do it?" she asked the other and looked at him with a questioning look. He just pushed her hand closer and nodded before smiling.

"Well...they do have a point," the teen said and quickly sat up, opening a drawer and taking out a pouch which was holding her emergency knit kit. Taking out a needle she winced when the needle pricked her finger. squeezing the blood out and watching it fall onto the pendant. "Tornadus, please assist me in this time of need and help with stopping Team Plasma, the cause for all this misery here." Her eyes widened in amazement as it glowed briefly then calmed down, looking at her companion who was clapping his hands. She grinned and lifted the pendant up to her ear.

"Do you think it'll look good like this?"

 

[SoulMuse]

Ian Blackwood
Opelucid City
Late Afternoon

I looked up from perusing the letter I had received for the tenth time. Despite repeated readings, I was unable to glean any more useful knowledge from the cryptic and seemingly deliberately vague message. I sighed, and Abigale fluttered off the couch, to stare at me.

“I suppose that we shall meet with this person…and decide what to do then.” I told her. “In the mean time, we need to leave if we are going to arrive at the bridge on time.” With that in mind, gathered my few belongings, and left the hotel room.

I paid quickly, and set off down the streets, Abigale following me just a little bit to the right. Everyone gave us a wide berth, some people even crossing the streets to avoid being near me. This close to Plasma’s Castle I couldn’t say as I was surprised by this, almost no one in town had a Trainer’s License, and those who did were quite often in Plasma’s pocket.

Within minutes I could see the entrance to the Tubeline Bridge.

As I entered the structure, my thoughts flashed back to the biker gang that had showed up here every evening. That had been ten years ago, but despite that, the memories refused to die. Well, more correctly, the gang had stopped appearing closer to six years ago…but that didn’t change what had happened.

I entered the gatehouse to the bridge, and after glaring down the two Plasma grunts who tried to stop me for having a Pokémon – everyone in the organization knew better than to try and stop me, or more correctly the person with a Volcarona – I paused to stare out on to the expanse of metal.

“I still can’t believe what happened that day.” I told Abigale. She simple let out a soft coo in response, before fluttering her wings. I sighed and stepped onto the bridge, walking slowly, as I remembered.

The bikers hadn’t been much of a problem at first, and so Plasma left them alone. Then rumors came around that the group was stilling using Pokémon, at which point I had to investigate. As it turned out, every single one of those men had possessed at least one Pokémon, and refused to release them when asked. As a result Plasma had come down hard, and it just so happened I was the only person with a seriously powerful Pokémon in the area, so I had to assist the grunts, just in case things got out of hand. That day would remain burned into my memory forever.

Abigale hummed discontentedly, seemingly sensing my dark recollections. I paused, turning to stare at her for a moment. “Death came that day…” I murmured. “And left far richer than he arrived.” I sighed, knowing that I would be wracked with guilt over what had happened that day for most of the week. Despite my best efforts my conscience would occasionally surface, and today was not a good day for that occurrence.

Stepping off the main part of the bridge, I cast a quick glance around the gatehouse on the Iccirus side of the bridge for a person who was similar to the old Elite Four Caitlyn. It didn’t take me long to locate the person, and my first though was that she looked quite exactly like the old Elite Four member. I simply sat back and watched her for a while, making sure she had not seen me, before I approached her from behind, and spoke.

“So what does your mysterious group want with me then?” I asked her.