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Dracoburn's Story

dracoburn

Lance's protege
Part six: Home is where the heart aches

Clay made a promise to me that I could rent a cabin on top of Twist Mountain for free as long as I kept it safe. This meant a call to Analyt. I wouldn’t be able to patrol the mountain while I was at the Summit, so I needed the best of my best to go through and check for villains.

When I got settled on the mountain, I immediately set up my laptop and plugged it into the storage system transport machine. Skyla helped me sync it; I’m horrible with technology. I then called up my home team.

“Analyt! It’s good to see your face on my Pokegear.. Listen, I need you guys in Unova with me. Can you let Bucky(my Blaziken) and Staraptor out? Teach Bucky how to work the computer and tell him to assemble a team over there after you guys leave. Then, send everybody over, starting with the egg.”

Analyt nodded with a growing smile on his round face. Within an hour, I had my dragons crowding cozily in the warm cabin with me, sipping green tea. Bucky and Staraptor had certainly indulged themselves; they had called out my Lugia, Soulreaper, and my shiny Raikou by the time I hung up the phone. Oh well.. Both of them loved fame, flourishing in the Battle Frontier and basking in attention around legendaries and shinies. I hoped for their sake they didn’t also summon Damion, the Empoleon. That was a pride bomb just waiting to go off.
As for me, I finished up my league team, adding Trench the Torterra and Skystar the Gliscor, with the promise to train Scrag in the morning. I carefully scrolled through my boxes, eventually choosing Shadow the Gengar, Tyson the Feraligatr, SpiceGrrrl the Houndoom, and the six I had recently trained in Johto for a friendly competition. I grinned as they showed up, all at level 50. Tryxie, the Ninetails. Psycha, the Alakazam. Zigzag, the Dragonaire. Charlie, the Poliwrath. Badass, the Arbok. And finally Cedar, the Sandslash. A lot of Pokemon, I know. But I felt these guys would be my best bet at patrolling the mountain. I set up shifts, with them going in groups of three. After organizing the patrols and setting the boundaries, I set the groups out to go explore while Analyt prepared dinner and I took Dracoburn out for a long flight, out in the evening air.

About an hour later, we all gathered for a “homemade” dinner. Of course, I’ll always prefer Stantler over Sawsbuck, but Scrag inhaled his share like it was a gift from Arceus himself. After that, Draco lit a bonfire and we sat out under the stars, sharing in the universal beauty of a mountain sky at night, with the scent of burning wood around us, the sound of Woobats and Swoobats fluttering through the dusk, the occasional skittering sound of a Joltik on a tree.. I lay against my drowsy Charizard, watching the newly hatched Gible poke around at sticks and rocks with his parents watching dutifully, a love and gentleness in their eyes that I had never seen before. I brushed aside loneliness at the thought of not having a relationship of my own. I had my Pokemon; surely that was enough?

I woke up that morning with the chirping of Pidoves over my head. My Pokemon were still around me, though the fire had gone out. Everyone had gotten closer together; Little Gible was nestled between Scarr and Ferocity; Martinet and Regent were lying with their heads on the same log; my Johto patrol team were in a closely-packed heap, with the hot Tryxie in the center and the better adjusted to cool temperatures(Charlie and Cedar) on the outside. And I had Dracoburn wrapped around me and.. Scrag resting in the crook of my knees, a grin on his sleeping face. I lounged with them, thinking, until the activity in my mind roused Draco. We got up silently and went for a walk in the morning air to clear our lungs and heads.

“So, Draco, do you like it here?”

It’s no Silver. But I’ve handled greater change before. And we all get the feeling there is more to come. He sighed. You’re anxious. The bird girl is anxious. The rude man with the nearly incomprehensible accent? He was shaking in his boots. Something’s wrong, and we can feel it. Will you tell us? Tell me?

“Draco.. Remember Team Rocket? There are people out there like them. People who hurt other people and Pokemon. There was a team a bit like them here.” He bristled, but let me continue. “Except they took people’s Pokemon away because they said people abused their Pokemon through making them battle each other.”

That’s stupid. If it was so abusive, we wouldn’t be willing to battle. We enjoy competition, it keeps us from going insane. It’s like exercise for us to use our powers. I’ve known of wild Charizards that have killed each other or caused forest fires because they were so restless. The only reason Pokemon need trainers is to give us boundaries so that our fights don’t go too far. Loyalty to our trainers takes precedence over the adrenaline of battle. Otherwise it would be chaos. We would still fight, and it would be much worse.

“I know, Draco.. But leading them was a very zealous young man named N. He had been conditioned his whole life to believe that trainers only hurt their Pokemon. His father, Ghetsis, always gave him Pokemon that had been abused or abandoned when he was a child. He had no human friends, only Pokemon that had been hurt by their trainers. It was never really his fault that these things happened; Ghetsis had brainwashed him his entire life. In the end, it turned out that Ghetsis merely wanted N for his mascot. He used N to convince people to release their Pokemon, all while Ghetsis increased the power of his own forces. They finally caught Reshiram, an extremely powerful dragon. N took on a young man named Cole, but not until Cole had caught his own legendary dragon, Zekrom. Together, the dragons fought, and Cole managed to pull off a victory. Enraged, Ghetsis attacked Cole’s weakened team, but again, Cole defeated him. Team Plasma scattered upon this, and N left on Reshiram to cleanse his soul. But everyone is still very uneasy. Something doesn’t feel right, as if it ended too easily. People and Pokemon alike are on edge that Ghetsis may return with a vengeance.”

Draco stared hard at the ground. So he may be out there still.. But what use is he if he’s exposed? If he doesn’t have N or Reshiram, how is he supposed to be a threat?

“I’m not really sure, to be honest. I don’t know the whole story. But I’m sure this will be discussed at the Summit. Skyla said they ‘needed this league more than ever’. All we can do is make ourselves as powerful as we can, and not let ourselves get too close to anyone.” I murmured wistfully.

You’re lonely. Why is this?

“You’re crazy, Draco. I don’t need any human as long as I have you.”

Liar. Basic human nature. Basic nature of any living creature, really. We need companionship to survive and continue our species. It’s nothing you can help; look at Ferocity and Scarr. Strongest-willed creatures ever born, but they melt when they see each other or the little one. It’s entirely inbred.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, kids? You really are nuts!”

You need a mate. Or at least a friend. Bird girl’s too preppy. Miltank man’s too.. Uneducated. And old. You’re in your prime, for a human. There was a chuckle in his voice. Live a little.

“Humans only cause pain.”

You sound like N.

“Oh, don’t you think I’ve been hurt enough? I don’t like heartbreak, so sue me! The only living beings I need in my life are my Pokemon.”

Ha. Alright. But when you get all moony like Ferocity and Scarr, I’m gonna laugh my tail flame out.

I slugged him in the arm playfully. “At least I know you still have a sense of humor. C’mon, we have a Sandile to train.”

An few hours later, Scrag was already level 28 and we had defeated every trainer on the first floor. The little croc learned quickly and excitedly. It didn’t enjoy injuring other Pokemon, but it loved to please me and impress my Pokemon. It seemed to have a little crush on Cedar, but the Sandslash regarded it like a babysitter would to a nine year-old who flirted innocently with her. That night, we gathered around the fire again, roasting berries. I pulled out my acoustic guitar and began to strum some old favorites from the Eastern regions. My Kanto Pokemon smiled nostalgically as my fingers began picking the melody of Lavender Town’s sad theme.. “Love, love, love, love, dancing silhouettes in your heart. I will, haunt you, gently tracing your intentions. Fol-low, your love, as the shadows spin ere closer. Tracing back to, when I lost you, feeling empty, being lonesome. Love, love, love, love, dancing silhouettes in my heart.”

My team sighed sadly, remembering the loss of our lives as we knew them. I continued with the remix. “I will always know you, need you, love you. I will always want you, hear you, feel you. I will always see you. I will always dream you. Until the day you are mine. As my sad-ness follows, my spir-it it still shows, until the day, until the night, that you are mine. As I dream so, softly, my heart it skips so lightly, and I need you, but you are mine, in your new life. I will always know you, need you, love you. I will always want you, hear you, feel you. I will always see you. I will always dream you. Until the day you are mine.”

I wiped a single tear from my cheek, and looked deeply into the watering eyes of my friends. We let out a collective sigh, all feeling a bit homesick. But it was a new day, in a new union, and we would make it. I knew it.
 

Nox_Invictus

Frozen Cold
Very pretty at the end, there..
 

Firebrand

Indomitable
Really good song lyrics! Im anxiouis to see Beccas take on the summit.
 
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dracoburn

Lance's protege
I actually wrote lyrics for the first Lavender Town song months and months back. The second one is new :)

And the Summit is only a chapter or two away. I need to finish training Scrag, and then the two weeks will miraculously come to a close.
 

dragonite8

Comeback Kip
my brain just exploded...thanks for the epic experience
 

dracoburn

Lance's protege
Thanks for the compliment! Sorry about the explosion of your brain, though.

I'll continue to add more for awhile. And be sure to check out Feralninja's League of Heroes. This story is based off of a character from that fan fiction, and the two will overlap every now and again.
 

dracoburn

Lance's protege
Part seven: Crunch Time

“Scrag! Use Sand Tomb!”

The opposing Boldore grunted as its legs sank into a pit of sand so dry that it appeared to be melting as it slid sluggishly around the trapped Pokemon. Scrag then dug underneath the unstable ground, causing the opponent to disappear under the vortex. Suddenly, the Boldore was launched into the air by a quick nip from the Sandile’s pointed baby teeth.

“Great match, buddy!” I yelled, holding my arms open for the customary hug he begged after every victory. But instead of running up to me, Scrag paused and glanced around in apparent terror. I started towards him, but the familiar glow around his eyes made me stop in my tracks. Scrag was evolving!

He cried out a last “Scree!” as the glow began to envelop his entire body. His hind feet stretched out, and his claws grew. Spines began to rise on his back and tail, the latter of which grew about a foot in length. He leaned backwards on his hind legs and his back arched as he grew into a bipedal creature. His baby teeth were shed and swiftly replaced by longer, dagger-like fangs. Scrag stood fully in front of me, perhaps an inch or two taller than Clay’s Krokorok as the light cleared. “Scurgascur?” it growled at me in amazement and confusion.

“Scrag! You evolved!”

Its eyes widened for a moment, and it dashed up to me, landing in my arms with a grunt. I stood so that we could make our way back to the cabin. For a few moments it tried to balance on my shoulder the way it did as a Sandile, but it couldn’t accustom its new size to my narrow, feminine frame and staggered off in dismay. Smiling gently, I bent down for my saddened Pokemon to climb on my back, just this once.

We arrived back at the cabin around the time that the morning patrols did. Analyt broiled a Basculin and we ate like royalty to celebrate Scrag’s evolution. He and Cedar ate together, both flirtatiously exchanging grins and giggles.

I thought to the Summit. Who would be there? Would they like me? Would they like my team? Would I be good enough to be an Elite Four member? I just got beaten; maybe that was a sign..

I shook away the thought. I was strong, I could handle it.. I would just have to spend the next week training. Week.. Week and a half, technically. But that didn’t include travel time. I figured I would bring my full league team to the Summit. Meant my only aerial transportation was Ferocity. She couldn’t do it on her own… And none of my team was fast on land. I could ask Skyla for a lift, but the Summit seemed a bit too exclusive for an everyday gym leader to attend. Skyla was talented, but she obviously didn’t fall under their caliber, or else they would have called her, not her unknown cousin. How did they even find all of us, I wondered. I was in a few league tournaments, and a few contests.. Made it on the TV a few times, sure. But that was all in the east. Unova has so little connection to Johto.. How would they notice me?

Suddenly, a call came through on my Pokegear. It was Skyla.

“Becca! I’m so glad you picked up.. Cilan, Chile and Cress just went missing!”

“Wait, hold on now. Who? Are these your friends or Pokemon of yours?”

“They co-lead the gym in Striaton City! They’ve been gone a lot lately, but today Lenora went to visit them and the gym was closed! I’m really worried!”

“Lenora..?”

“Oh, don’t you do your homework? She leads the Nacrene gym.”

“Ok. Well, Skyla, don’t you think you’re overanalyzing the situation a bit? If they co-lead the gym, they must spend a lot of time together. Maybe they’re sick.”

“They’re triplets, but I don’t think that’s what it is. There was a weird symbol carved into their door! I think it means something!”

“Describe the symbol.”

“It was an arch shape with little thingies coming out of the bottom.”

“Well THAT’S helpful.”

“Oh, why can’t you have an Xtranceiver like the rest of us???”

“Um, because I’m from Johto?”

“Wait, your Pokegear has a video feed too, right?”

“Yes, didn’t you know that?”

“THEN TURN IT ON!!!!!!!!!”

I did. Skyla’s panicked face showed up on the tiny screen.

“Ok, show it to me. The video feed really drains the battery.”

She quickly sketched a figure on a scrap of paper and showed it to me.

“Hmm… That looks like the Greek Omega symbol.”

“They’re not Greek! Why would that symbol be on their door if they aren’t Greek? They must have been kidnapped! Oh, this is horrible, what will I do, oh my gosh, we’re all doomed, we’re all doomed, we’re all doomed!!!”

She broke off into frenzied hyperventilation.

“Skyla! I need you to relax. You’re probably stressing out over nothing. But I can ask about it at the Summit if you want.”

“Can’t you ask them NOW???” she whimpered.

“No, because I don’t have their numbers.”

“Oh, why did I even call you? I just figured you might’ve seen that in Johto…”

“English isn’t even that common in Johto. The only reason I knew what that was is from postcards from Pokemon Universities that have tried to enroll me. Apparently fraternities use Greek symbols for their names. But no, I haven’t seen that on a door before. Unless the gym became a Frat house, I don’t know why the Omega symbol was on their gym door. Now, if you ever see a giant, bold, italic R or G, I might have seen it once or twice. But Omega? Sorry. But I’ll look into it. Call up your Elite Four if you get the chance. They might know something about it.”

She sighed. “Fine.. But call me if you find anything out, ok? Promise?”

“Sure thing, cuz. I gotta go, aight? Take care.”

I sighed, not looking forward to spending my afternoon on the computer. I got onto my laptop and typed “Omega” into the search bar. I muttered to myself as I read. “Last letter of the Greek alphabet.. Value of 800. Means great O. Last.. Ultimate limit.. Opposite of Alpha.. Makes an AWWW sound… Nope, nothing.”

I sent Skyla a text with my findings. NOT GOOD ENOUGH!!!! Came her impatient response. I rubbed my temples to dispel the incoming headache.

“Analyt! You remember everything you ever see, right?”

He nodded.

“Have you seen one of these before?”

He thought for a moment, left, then returned a minute or two later with a college brochure from my bag.

“Yea, that’s what I thought, too.. I’ll ask at the Summit. For now, I’ve gotta focus on training.”

And so I did.
 

dragonite8

Comeback Kip
and there goes my 2nd-dary brain... lol. This is a great story
 

dracoburn

Lance's protege
You're trying awfully hard to make my day, aren't you?

Just be sure to check out League of Heroes, if you like this. It's the story that started this whole thing. Feralninja started some kind of revolution with his fan fiction.
 

Firebrand

Indomitable
Yes, a revolution. Mwahahaha!

Nice chapter, well written. Also yes, before anyone asks, I do buy into THAT conspieacy theory. Should the Triad ever appear in the anime, I'll claim the third member is a munna or a zoroark or something.
 

Xman96

Fighting Leader
I think that if they ever appear in the anime it should be Chili, Cilan, and Cress. Imagine Ash and Iris when they find out that this guy that they have been traveling with is evil. I must say though Dracoburn that this is a very well written story. I like the fact that Becca knows absolutley nothing about the gym leaders of Unova.
 

Firebrand

Indomitable
I think that if they ever appear in the anime it should be Chili, Cilan, and Cress. Imagine Ash and Iris when they find out that this guy that they have been traveling with is evil. I must say though Dracoburn that this is a very well written story. I like the fact that Becca knows absolutley nothing about the gym leaders of Unova.
Which makes sense. See, she has no interest in competing in the Unova League, thus has no desire to meet the gym leaders. Unlike me, who fought through the league, thereby meeting them all.

Also, Dracoburn, later on, after the summit, you may want to have Skyla mention that she brought my pokemon over from Kanto for me, with my Unfezant, Xaldin. Because... well, she did.
 

dracoburn

Lance's protege
I'll fit that in somewhere. She'll surely mention the Summit to Skyla, and I doubt there's any way she could go without mentioning Cole. She has a bit of an admiration for he and his Charizard.
 

dracoburn

Lance's protege
Sorry this took so long, guys. I've been really busy, and it's a long chapter. If you want another side to this chapter, read the first part of League of Heroes.

Part Eight: The Summit

I picked at the blisters on my hands nervously. After hearing tales of Groudon, I was a little anxious to follow through with my plan. Scrag turned to me and grinned, his terracotta-colored snout overflowing with teeth and fish breath. “Scurgascarr!” The newly-evolved Krookodile seemed undeniably more excited about the journey we were just about to set off on.

“Alright, Scrag, how does a little role-reversal sound? I carried you around on my back for awhile. Now it’s your turn.”

He winked his narrowed right eye and turned to the Cliffside. I had flown in on Ferocity to this point, but we decided that it would be faster for Scrag to dig through the cliffs than for Ferocity to lose momentum flying through the flat airs of the plains. After this, I would stay on Fer’s back, but first we had to get through this side of Victory Road.

“Scarrg! Ascarrg!” Scrag was already clawing at the wall.

“Alright, buddy. You’ve gotta get through as quickly as you can. As soon as we’re through this mountain, you can rest. I’ll get Trench to climb the wall up to the tower. He nodded impatiently.

“Ok.. Go!”

Scrag’s sharp talons tore at the sheer rock wall, and it immediately gave. His Moxie increased his power as he went, and he quickly gained velocity. I pressed my forehead against his soft, warm loin, praying to Arceus that the cave walls didn’t collapse on us. My heart hammered as I pictured Groudon’s glowing scowl, his sharp claws and the magma boiling under his skin.. Scrag must have sensed my incoming panic attack and growled reassuringly. I settled down, focusing on the feeling of flying, and trying to ignore the unsettling shifting in the Krookodile’s gait.

Though it was only about ten minutes before we saw the light again, it felt as if days had passed. I hungrily sucked in oxygen, painfully aware of how much my lungs burned from the musty tunnel. Asthma clawed angrily at my trachea and I broke off into a brief coughing fit. I shook it off, hopped off of Scrag’s back, tossed him a piece of jerky from the baggie in my tote, and recalled his grinning form.

“Ferocity! Let’s finish this!

She materialized with her wings already spread. I inched onto her back, incredibly sore from riding bareback on Scrag. I never used a harness, but my dragons had higher spines and, oh yea, flew instead of running…

No sooner was I on her back than Ferocity kicked off the ground. But I was ready. She and I developed our patience, or lack thereof, at about the same pace. The sun was already rising, and there was NO WAY I was going to be late.

The sun was cooking the dust around us as Ferocity landed at the base of the Tower of the Ancients. She looked simply exhausted, so I recalled her and sent out Trench. I hadn’t used him since my trip through Sinnoh, but the strong-willed Torterra stood unfazed and ready to climb. He raised his eyebrows, signaling me to get onto his back.

I sighed, and clambered onto his island of a shell. I settled myself on my stomach against the tree towards the center, preparing to straddle it when he took his ascent. I knew the drill. The tree was like a bike seat. All the more fun on my already saddle-sore thighs. Splinters.

Trench grunted, and slowly pulled himself up the cliff. I hoped there would be food at the Summit. My whole team was exhausted. We finally reached the top and I recalled him. I wiped my palms off on my jeans nervously, unwilling to look nervous in front of all these new people. I flashed my invitation to the usher at the door, and they let me in with a courteous smile.

Inside, where I had expected an elaborate foyer, I found.. Hallways. Lots of different doors to be tested. I refused to indulge my curiosity, and instead followed the halls until I found a simple door with Alder Hall printed on a plaque to its right. I swallowed painfully and quietly slipped through the door.

I found a large room with a high ceiling. The tile floor was lined with long wooden tables. There were windows all along the sides, and a staircase at the end led to what I believed was the Champion’s room. Where will my room be? Do I get a room here? Silent questions flooded my brain. Two men sat at the end of one table, obviously deep in conversation. One had a cloaked, scowling bug-type floating menacingly behind it and the other had an angry-looking dragon thrashing its three heads. I decided not to mess with them, and instead slipped over to the refreshment table. Maybe I would mingle when more people showed up, but they didn’t look interested in hearing anything from me. Whatever Draco thought, I needed human friends like I needed a kick in the shins. I was glad to see cans of soda pop lined up on the table, and grabbed four, along with a handful of Leppa berries. I released Trench, Ferocity and Scrag. We crept to a table near the two men, and they immediately stood as one and left the room. I sighed in disappointment. They obviously didn’t want me around…

I passed out the soda pop and berries to my three traveling companions. We ate in nervous silence as the other leaders and elites began to fill in the room. I recalled Trench to his Pokeball. One of his more noticeable quirks was his crowd anxiety, a trait he and I shared.

About forty-five minutes after high noon, my eye was caught by a familiar figure. A Charizard! It was following a confident-looking man of about my age. Maybe a bit younger. His height made it hard to tell, as he stood even higher than his draconian fire type. He had black jeans and a black shirt with a flame on it, half covered by a black leather jacket, and his choppy brown hair stuck out at odd angles. He certainly looked like a fire trainer.

Next to him stood an oddly-dressed man, in a full suit with a wide brimmed hat. It appeared that the two were discussing their Pokemon. I leaned towards them, hoping to learn something about the beautiful Charizard.

Two flashes of light came from the man in the hat and I saw a Dragonite and another one of those angry-looking three-headed dragons. This one must be the dragon leader. Seems like a good way to break the ice, I thought.

I started towards them, but stopped, realizing that a ground elite four member should look tough. I summoned up my courage, and Scrag and Ferocity lined up behind me in silence.

“Hey. Cole, right?”

The two spun around to face me, startled. “Yea?”

Trying to look intimidating, I crunched the soda can in my fist and tossed it over my shoulder, as if I didn’t care. He winced. I wondered whether I had made a bad first impression or if he was just spooked by the two beasts behind me.

“Name’s Becca. I’m the ground type member of the Elite Four. Nice to meet you, punk.”

Hat guy curled his lip. “The one who looks like a punk here is you. Just sayin’.”

Oops.. I read hat guy’s name tag. Mozzeh. Odd name, that.

“Oh, and you’re Mr. Dragon leader, aren’t you, Mozzeh? Well, I got a bone to pick with the two of you, so it’s just as well that you’re sitting together. Now, my Garchomp only has to strike once!” Assert yourself, they’ll notice you.. Make them know how strong you are.. I told myself. “Stupid league picks you two clowns to be the leaders of the types I wanted! Not fair, if you ask me.” At least they have your attention. You started a conversation. Good job.

Hat guy, wait, Mozzeh didn’t seem impressed. He raised his eyebrow in holier-than-thou contempt and drawled “Frankly, I don’t associate with clowns. Creepy things, they are.”

Cole, on the other hand, was bristling. He glared down at me from about half a foot above my head. His Pokemon followed suit; heat radiated from his Charizard, and it began to growl. The rabbit-looking thing, which struck me as more adorable than intimidating, hissed and sparks began igniting between its ears. Ferocity and Scrag guarded the Charizard as if he had the flag in a game of Capture the Flag. Hat guy(he annoyed me, and therefore did not deserve me to regard him by his name) snapped his fingers, and the two dragons behind him drew closer.

Hat guy pulled the brim of said hat over his eyes and stated “I don’t want a fight, but if it means keeping the peace, I’ll have my dragons blast both of you out of this tower.” He seemed a little nervous in that he began fidgeting with the buttons on his suit coat. “And Becca, frankly I couldn’t care less if you’re a member of the Elite Four. I’m certain that my dragons are stronger than your desert lurkers.”

Desert lurkers? Ha! Bet this so-called dragon trainer has never trained any dragons aside from his gym team. If I was testing him for most respectable league trainer, he would get an F! Ferocity echoed my thoughts in a furious growl.

Cole nodded, his anger clearly settled. "Mozzeh’s right; it’s stupid to fight amongst ourselves. Just know, Becca, that I’m sorry you didn’t get the type you wanted. Frankly, I would have been just as happy with the water type!” He smiled as if thinking of a specific water type. He, on the other hand, passed. This kid deserves his name. And probably the fame caused by his escapades. He seems pretty modest.

A new voice came from behind us, followed by the slapping of shoes on floor as a blue-haired girl fought to keep her balance. “Water type? Huh? Talking to me?” Her Pokemon helped her stabilize, and she began walking towards us. She was a walking mass of the color blue, but she seemed nice enough. “My name’s Ammy, and I’m the water leader. Who are you guys?”

We introduced ourselves, with me the last to shake her hand. She smiled at me. “I was afraid I was going to be the only girl here! But I guess I was wrong. Where are you from, Becca?”
I laughed nervously. “Yea, you sure don’t see as many female trainers as male.. Well, I’m from Johto. Mount Silver.”

She nodded halfheartedly, and we carried on an uninterested conversations. Both of us were watching Cole. I wonder what his story is.. I wish I had a chance to talk to him alone, without Hat guy’s involvement..

The two men from when I had first arrived ambled over to where Cole and Mozzeh stood. There was a brief dialogue, and the new guy with the dragon reached out towards the fire bunny, only to get bitten. He appeared enraged at this, and reared back to fire a right hook at the critter.

“No! Victini!” Ammy gasped, and started towards the confrontation, but I held my arm out in front of her. “Let Cole handle this. He’s a big boy.” I wanted to see how he reacted. Ammy sighed in reluctant acceptance, and slumped a little in stature. “Don’t worry. If it becomes a battle, we’ll stick up for the Victorini or whatever it’s called. But see, that Dragonite won’t let it get hurt.” “Victini..” she grumbled, correcting me.

The man who’d received the bite turned to his dragon and shouted a snarling reply. “All right, Hydreigon! Let’s get out of here! We’re going to find those other leaders!”

The other man, who appeared rather important, placed his hand on the agitated man’s shoulder and murmured obviously calming words, based on the other man’s body language.

Ammy seemed lost in daydreams, so I went off to find someone more interesting. I spotted a man with a shiny Sceptile, which immediately piqued my interest. I had never had much luck with finding shinies of my own; the only shiny Pokemon I ever encountered in the wild was a bubblegum pink Graveler, and it self-destructed before I could even try to catch it! His name was Phoenix and he had been lucky enough to get it as a starter. Oh well, I would never trade Draco for anything in the world.

A crash alerted us that the doors had been shoved open. I jumped, and turned to look in that direction. In the doorway stood a man and two women. The man was trying to dry a rather strange-looking bird. One of the women stood unobtrusively while the third whipped out two Pokeballs and sent out a Rotom and a zebra-looking Pokemon with lightning bolt stripes running down its side. She must be the electric leader, I thought to myself. Cool!

The first woman, well, girl seemed to yell something back towards the doorway. She paused, then threw a disc through the door. Suddenly, she yelled to us to duck, and, instinctively, we did. I was glad for the warning, as a Hyper Beam suddenly shattered the door from its hinges, along with pieces of the surrounding wall. I peeked around the wall I was behind to see the girl lead in a Metagross and a Steelix. No wonder they couldn’t fit!

They began discussing their challenge of getting through the storm. Afraid to join in, I began day dreaming. I had gotten to the Summit before there were even clouds in the sky, so I only knew from the people arriving that the weather outside was frightful. I lay back against Scrag and examined the other trainers. The new people were Karin, David and Fire. The men who left the room when I had first showed up were Raj, the man who had sent our invites, and Nate, who seemed to get along rather poorly with Cole after the conflict involving the fire rabbit thing.

Raj snapped me out of my thoughts by calling us to one of the long tables. I sat down by myself, anxious about talking with the whole group. I decided to be as confident as I could be.

“You all know why you were called here.” Sighed Raj.

I took a leap. “Because we’re the best there is.” I cracked my knuckles self-consciously. I had meant it sarcastically, but the rest of the league seemed less than impressed.

Nate shrugged it off. “Yea, you’ve all proved your worth. And you made it way out here. That’s commendable. Basically, what you need to know is that we have posted a notice for this league in Pokemon Centers around the world. We want people to come from everywhere to challenge us. Find who really is the best in the world.”

Raj continued the thought. “But not in terms of sheer force. We want to know the best strategies, the best tactics, the best adaptability. You are all to assemble mono-type teams with one wildcard of your choosing. Mozzeh, you for example, will have to deal with trainers using rock, ice and other dragon types. You will develop strategies to counter this, becoming stronger yourself. That is the goal of this league, to make everyone stronger.”

The man with the blue Sceptile chimed in. “Sounds like a good time. And us Elite Four members eagerly await the challengers that defeat you.”

I rolled my eyes. “Make sure that some of ‘em actually make it this far, or I’m going to be freakin’ bored.”

The conversation turned to badges for a few minutes. This didn’t apply to me, so I didn’t pay much attention. I thought it might be cool if the Elite Four members gave out a symbol of some sort, but I was much too nervous to speak up about it. Maybe I could call Raj later and ask him one-on-one. I’ve always been much better socially when I’m not surrounded by people I don’t know.

The chick with the electric types, Karin, I think, broke my thoughts. “What about rules? Anything we should know?”

Raj cleared that up for all of us. “Mostly the rules will be up to the individual leader. Battle style, items that are illegal, using Pokemon of the same species and so on are decisions you can make. However, we will say that you can not invalidate a win on the basis of luck, and you cannot ban counter teaming. This league is about overcoming that.”

Alright, I can handle that. I’ll just need to use moves they won’t expect, just like Gyara’s Thunder.

“What about OHKO moves?” asked Cole. “People who use those just ruin the fun for everyone else..”

“Those are illegal, and are grounds for the nullification of the challenge.” I was surprised to hear Nate agree with anything Cole said.

A man down the table raised his hand. “Can we ban entry hazards, too? Stealth Rock would destroy my team.”

Raj shrugged. “That part’s up to you. As long as the rules aren’t too drastic, like banning a certain type or Pokemon, you’re fine.”

I couldn’t keep my lip from curling. Some teams partially depended on entry hazards to give them the upper hand! I felt, and still feel, that banning Stealth Rock is nothing but a sign of weakness. Shouldn’t the leader be prepared to handle their personal weaknesses? If anyone deserves such a strange ban, it’s me, banning Lapras. But to get that ok’d would take me explaining Dracoburn’s Story, and there was no way I would go into my personal life with these people. Maybe I could write about it later…

The topic changed to location. I knew I wouldn’t need a gym, as I would accept challengers in this tower with the rest of the Elite Four. But then I heard some of the guys start flirting with Ammy and Karin, and I regained attention the second I heard Cole’s voice. If the other girls could earn these guys’ attention, they should be noticing me! I’m pretty, right? I.. I’m fit.. And they’re my age.. Why do they all care about them, not me? I sighed. Maybe the first step would be to apologize to the people I fought with earlier.. Or I could at least start with Cole. He seemed like the kind of guy who would listen to my explanation..

The young girl, Fire, the one who broke the door, started looking as if she would burst with excitement. “Ooh! Ooh! I found this steel mine under Mount Silver! It’s really cool!”

Mount Silver? She might find out where I’m from. She could harm some of the Pokemon I left there! Or take them!

“Mount Silver? Don’t expect many visits from me!” I growled, before realizing that that would only make them MORE suspicious.. Quit being so paranoid.. She’s just a kid..
I sighed, and slumped back in my chair, staring at the table.

The meeting adjourned a few minutes later. We got up to leave, but the man who had checked our invitations darted into the room with the news that our Champion was missing!

Everyone began to panic. I didn’t understand their terror. Maybe he just left his room to go to the bathroom or something! They did say he was sick, right? Maybe he has an upset stomach!

I rolled my eyes, and sat back in my chair, zoning out again. But suddenly a harsh light pierced the room, and four shadows accompanied by a rather strange-looking Pokemon(shaped a bit like a mushroom, I guessed that it could be a psychic type by the way it hovered over the floor). Scrag and Ferocity, who had been eying the other dragons warily suddenly bristled, baring their fangs. A collective growl came from every non-human creature in the room, aside from the psychic mushroom thing, of course.

As one, and without command, the Pokemon charged the five figures in the center of the chamber, snarling fiercely to protect their trainers. The humanoid standing behind the psychic shroom clapped its hands and the creature’s eyes glowed. Suddenly, Ferocity and Scrag, along with every other attacking Pokemon, shrieked and froze, their hate mixed with pain.

Mozzeh gasped. “Those three men! I’d know them anywhere! It’s the Shadow Triad!”

The what??

I heard Cole gasp. “No! It can’t be!”

Karin yelled to her Rotom “Spooks! Shadow Ball!”

The tiny electric ghost surrounded itself in a sinister energy and launched a full-power ball of fear towards the man in the center. But before it could make contact, the evil mushroom teleported in its path and surrounded the two of them with a shield.

“Using his Pokemon as a shield.. It’s gotta be Ghetsis!” Cole raged, and his Victini began glowing purple, growling in anger, and fear. Ghetsis.. But I thought he was gone!

Raj stepped up, a few feet ahead of us, making it clear that he was our leader, of sorts. “What are you doing here, interlopers?”

The man Cole had labeled as Ghetsis smiled in mock innocence. “I have merely come to bring the news. You must have noticed four members of your assembly are not present.”

Nate grew red in the face and screamed at him. “If you have anything to do with this, you’ll pay!”

“I have everything to do with it. I have captured them. They are safe. For now. I will release them to you… If you give me all of your Pokemon.”

Our Pokemon? No! I will never surrender to him!

Ghetsis and Cole had a brief exchange, too quiet and private for me to catch. But I could tell it didn’t end well, as the Victini suddenly launched a flaming, purple V shape at the man. Once again, the Pokemon protected him from the blow.

He can handle special attacks.. But let’s see how he dodges a strong melee hit! “Ferocity! Giga Impact!”

But before Ferocity could launch the attack, he flicked a Pokeball in my direction. The light cleared, and in front of me stood a figure I had hoped to never see again in my life.

“L-Lapras?!? You bastard! How did you know about that? How do you know about Dracoburn?!”

“I know everything.” He drawled. “Now, Raj. Tell your league to turn over all of their Pokemon, and the others go free.”

My knees shook, and I fell to the floor, tears burning in my eyes. No… You can’t have my Pokemon….

I was vaguely aware of Phoenix calling for his Pokemon to attack Ghetsis. As Scrag and Ferocity moved to surround me and guard me from the crowd, understanding how easily bruised my pride was, I heard a snap.

“Long live Omega!” three voices chanted in unison. Another snap followed, and the other men, along with the Pokemon, vanished.

“Those bastards!” came a voice from the other side of Scrag.

***

As the storm cleared, the group began to leave. I stood towards the back of the group, trying to avoid explaining my earlier loss of cool. They didn’t seem to notice me, and I pretended not to care, tracing the scars on Ferocity’s back to keep from crying.

Wistfully, I watched Ammy and Cole having a friendly conversation. He then turned, waved to Raj, and grasped the flying harness on his Charizard. I couldn’t let him leave without making things right!

In a rush of adrenaline, I darted out in front of the Charizard before it could take off. “Wait!!” He turned his head to look at me. “Hey, Cole, I wanted to apologize for being such a jerk..”

He shook his head slowly. “No worries.”

“No, really.. You got the type I wanted, and your Charizard is so healthy and strong.. Not like Dracoburn…”

There. It was out.

“Dracoburn? You said that back at the conference. What is it?”

My life. My best friend. My only friend…

“It’s the name of my Charizard,” I explained. “He was blinded, in a battle against Red on top of Mount Silver. His Lapras used Blizzard, and Dracoburn wouldn’t let me lose. He took it full-on to the face.”

Cole looked as if he suddenly understood. “So that’s why you stopped when that guy threw out a Lapras.”

I scuffled my feet. “Yea..”

“And when Fire said her gym was in Mount Silver..”

“Yea..”

He looked down. “I’m sorry..”

I shrugged, hoping I could pull off some confidence. “Hey, you didn’t know. No big deal. And… Well, I’m going to go to Twist Mountain for awhile. Clay and Skyla are old friends of mine, and Twist Mountain is right near both of them. Plus.. I just like mountains. So if you’re in the neighborhood…”

He nodded, grinning. “Charizard and Dracoburn can fly together.”

We shook hands. “Keep in touch,” I warned him. “If we’re going after these Team Omega guys, we’re going to have to work together.”

He nodded, and took off on his Charizard.

Well, at least I may get a friend out of this. I thought with a small smile to myself.

“Well, come on Ferocity. Let’s go home.”

She growled in agreement. I climbed onto her back, and we flew through the evening sky. Whatever happened, we could face this. Together.
 
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Firebrand

Indomitable
I read this early this morning before I left for school (well, the first half) and the rest just now. But this time, I cross referenced it with the original, and wow, the dialogue was spot-on! I had expected things to be close, but wow. That was a pretty cool feeling.
Essentially, there is very little to critique here in terms of writing errors. You're already proficient at the art. I only note one thing... instead of "yeah", you use "yea". Nothing wrong with it, it merely strikes me as odd and a bit endearing.
See, on fictionpress, over the summer, I found a writer just starting out and began looking at his stuff, because it was a cool concept. I helped him get better, and sorta took him under my wing. He did the same thing, and I've mentioned as much to him. He says there's no reason as to why he does it, he just does. I wonder if you have a reason?

Either way, awesome chapter. I liked how Becca's more personal feelings were put forth, and how the gap was sort of filled on how her character went from being very abrasive to rather kind if withdrawn.

As for the next part, no rush in getting it up, if you do continue with this. Remember, in the story, I spend about a week and a half setting up my gym before coming for a visit. I think for your story the only real mention of that would be if I bring it up (can't remember if I do...) or at the very least a call to you from Skyla, since she helped me get my pokemon out to the forest.
Were I to do it, I'd probably do it via flashback as you see Charizard and I coming in.
 

dracoburn

Lance's protege
Alright, good to know. I was planning on using that week to train a bit, or research the region. I was thinking Ferocity and Scarr might have another egg or two. I can include you in that perhaps I help Skyla load her planes or something.

I use "yea" simply to be different. All my friends used to use "ya" in texts, so I began adding that e just to stand out a bit.
 

dracoburn

Lance's protege
Here's a cute little interlude to put some perspective to my team. Kill some of the tension related to Omega.

Part Nine: Field Day

The digits on my Pokegear showed a glowing 3:27 by the time Trench finally pulled us the last mile or so up Twist Mountain. I gingerly slid down from his rough, island-esque shell. He grunted and crawled to a soft patch of grass, collapsing in exhaustion. I half-heartedly coated the scrapes on his feet with a berry poultice before releasing the remainder of my Pokemon. Scrag sprawled out in a pit of dust, snoring shamelessly. Ferocity began towards the nest of fallen trees she and Scarr had arranged, stumbling before she made it. Scarr glided from the nest to help her the rest of the way.

As for me, I passed by Analyt’s den to request him to prepare larger portions of breakfast for the team who had trekked to the Summit with me. I then limped bowlegged to my room in the cabin and collapsed on the bed, unable to move.

About an hour later, I was vaguely aware of a warm figure moving itself protectively over me. I caught the wood smoke scent of Dracoburn, and I let myself fall into a deep rest.

It was almost one in the afternoon when I was roused by the familiar scent of smoked Basculin. Red stripe form, my favorite Unova fish. I shook myself awake and tugged my most comfortable plaid shirt over my pajamas. By the time I had made it to the fire, still rubbing sleep from my eyes, the afternoon patrol of Tryxie, Charlie and Psycha was preparing to leave. Cedar was creeping her claws along Scrag’s spine as the Krookodile tore haphazardly at his meal, completely oblivious to his Sandslash friend’s flirtatious signals.

Everything was running like clockwork. I settled on a log, warming my hands by the lapping orange flames while Analyt prepared a portion for me. Draco sat on the ground at my feet, making our heads about even in height. I looked into his sightless blue eyes, silently thanking him for his company the night before. We ate together in silence, not even sharing thoughts.

I was just finishing my lunch when my Pokegear began vibrating. I slid the screen up to unlock it, and spotted Skyla’s familiar face on the tiny screen.

“Becca! You’re finally awake. I was hoping you could come down tomorrow and help me with something.”

I yawned. “Sure. What time?”

“As soon as you’re dressed, I guess, silly. I need help loading up my cargo plane.”

“Ok. Seeya then.”

I took a quick shower, traded pj pants for denim shorts, and headed out to do some training. It had been awhile, and it was a great day, so I decided to let my Pokemon have some fun.

“Analyt!” I called. He made the classic, comic “Dro?” sound as he hopped to my side. “Analyt, do you think we can set up some athletics courses? It’s such a great day out, and I want everybody to have a little fun before times get really tense.”

He grinned, and flopped off on his disproportionately small, yet strong, wings to spread the news to my other Pokemon. At once, they yelped in excitement, and Analyt led them to the valley our cabin looks down on. Within an hour, hurdles were set up, a track of sticks was placed in a winding path around the glittering pond, and my Pokemon were rubbing different-colored berry juice under their eyes to show who’s team they were on. There would be a hurtle jump, a footrace/swimming contest and an aerial agility contest.

The Green team was led by Draco and had Ferocity, SpiceGrrrl(Houndoom), Charlie(Poliwrath) and Trench(Torterra)

The Blue team was led by Wyvern and had Scrag, Badass(Arbok), Tryxie(Ninetales) and Skystar(Gliscor)

The red team was led by Analyt and had Gyara, Tyson(Feraligatr) and Zigzag(Dragonaire)

And finally, the purple team consisted of their leader, Scarr, Cedar(Sandslash), Psycha(Alakazam) and Shadow(Gengar).

Baby Gible would help me referee.

The afternoon was to begin with the tag team footrace/swimming competition. Badass, Psycha, Gyara and Charlie lined up in the pond, waiting to be tagged by Scrag, Cedar, Tyson and Ferocity, who stretched by the starting line at the other edge of the water.

“Alright, guys. Baby Gible will use Rock Smash on a small boulder when it’s time to go. That crunch means MOVE!, got it?”

They nodded impatiently.

“Ok, Gib, ready?” He nodded, his big baby eyes lighting up in excitement. “Go!” I whispered. He hopped up onto the boulder in front of us. “Gib.. Gib.. GIBLE!” He squeaked, followed by the CRUNCH of a stone against his forehead.

At this, the ground Pokemon bolted from their spots. Ferocity held a natural lead, with her incredible speed stat, but Scrag wasn’t far behind. Cedar was using Rollout, traveling by zipping around on her rolled-up spines, leaving spurts of dust in Tyson’s face as the Feraligatr lumbered along behind the pack, a grin on his wide face. He knew that his team had a great advantage with Gyara, my longest Pokemon, anchoring. Gyara on his own stretched for about a quarter of the pool.

This arrangement continued for about half of the two-mile dash, but for one exception; Cedar was getting increasingly close to Scrag. As her Rollout gained power, the speed continued to increase. However, she seemed less capable of controlling her movements. Suddenly, she veered off of the trail and crashed into a tree! I started towards her, motioning to Analyt to help, when Scrag stopped in his tracks, sending sand skidding from his giant feet. He turned, looked at her, looked at his finish line, and sprinted to the fallen Sandslash. She was lying at the bottom of the tree, which was badly dented itself from her charged-up Rollout attack, groaning. Scrag then did something I couldn’t believe had happened. He bent down, and with a face more gentle than any other Krookodile could pull off, lifted her up, and carried her onto the track. With Cedar held securely in his powerful claws, Scrag jogged the rest of the distance, only JUST beating the sluggish Tyson to where Ferocity had just tagged off Charlie, who was pushing herself forward with a well-toned butterfly stroke. Scrag tagged off first Badass, his teammate, then Psycha, who was Cedar’s. He laid her against a tree to cool down and watch the ensuing aquatic frenzy as Tyson finally slapped Gyara’s tail fin, allowing the water dragon to race along behind the others.

Psycha, ever the genius, used Reflect and Light Screen to keep the water from slowing her down. Badass was using his serpentine form to weave through surface tension like a Dragonaire. Charlie’s muscles rippled as she continued her slow-n-steady approach. And Gyara only needed to slap his tail down once for every six strokes of his competitors.

Meanwhile, Analyt picked me up and we ran the first aid kit to where Scrag and Cedar were resting. She was favoring her right wrist, and had lost a talon from her right foot. A few of her quills were bent, and Scrag used what little fashion sense he had to try to straighten them. I reached for her heavily bleeding foot, but she jerked it away in embarrassment. “Scrag, I need you to talk Cedar into letting me take her of her. She trusts you.” He nodded, and after the two exchanged a short conversation of growls and whines, the Sandslash gingerly pushed her injured leg into my lap, turning away in prideful fear. Scrag took the paw of her uninjured foreleg in his own claws, and I could tell she was squeezing his as I rubbed a berry poultice on her torn claw and wrapped it carefully in gauze.

She seemed to trust me more as I examined the badly swollen wrist. It didn’t take long for my expert eye to diagnose the problem: her wrist was dislocated. I sighed. “Scrag, distract her. Keep her mind occupied. Cedar, I’m going to have to set your wrist so that the joint goes back into place. I’ll rub some berry juice on it first to numb it a bit, but this will hurt. Hold onto Scrag’s, erm, hand as tightly as you can. You’ll feel a sharp pain, followed by what feels like fire inside of the joint, but I promise that the pain will have gotten much better by the time I’m finished wrapping it. Ok?” She nodded bravely, her face twisted in a miserable grimace. I plucked two Figy berries and a rare Ganlon berry from the well-stocked kit, expertly grinding them into a numbing poultice that would boost her defense and numb the weak joint. We caught the end of the race, with Badass, the underdog, making a surprising victory, as we waited for the spicy goo to work its magic.

“Ready, guys?” Scrag nodded, the Figy fumes making them both a bit sleepy. Neither disliked spicy food, but it certainly wasn’t a favorite of either ground type. “Ok, I want you to relax your arm…” I grasped her forearm in my left hand and the base of her paw in my right. I counted to three in my mind, and quickly twisted the wrist as I pushed her tender carpals into place, fitting perfectly around the ends of her radius and ulna. She let out a cry of pain, then fell back into unhappy whimpering as Scrag comforted her. I felt gently along the joint, making sure that I had relocated the joint correctly. I learned from setting my own various injuries, but a human knee joint is quite different from a Sandslash’s wrist joint. I could tell that her transverse carpal ligament was swollen, putting pressure on the median nerve, and that that was where the worst of the pain was coming from. She, however, had no breaks in the bones, and I had somehow gotten the relocation done correctly. I passed Scrag a bottle of Lemonade and a few Sitrus berries as I placed gauze padding on her wrist and wrapped it loosely with a hemp bandage. Scrag received a few quick directions on how to keep the joint elevated, then returned to the games on Analyt’s back.

The next group of athletes were milling about the hurdle track until a sharp yip from Baby Gible pulled them into order. Little guy was already becoming a bit of a commander in chief. They lined up; Trench, SpiceGrrrl, Shadow, Zigzag and Tryxie.

Trench? He’s a freakin’ Torterra! He won’t even fit over the hurdles, let alone be able to leap over them at high speeds…
I shrugged it off. If my Pokemon thought they could do something virtually impossible for their species, who was I not to let them try?

“Alright, guys, you’ll sprint across the field. Whenever you come across a hurdle marked with your team’s color, jump it. Whoever gets to the end of the track wins.”

My friends nodded in anticipation and bent into sprinting positions.

“Gib.. Gib.. GIBLE!” CRUNCH!

With a series of roars, yelps and whistles, the Pokemon jolted from their spots, leaving dust trailing behind them. Tryxie and SpiceGrrrl jolted on all fours, their tails inclined towards the sky in excitement. Zigzag whipped back and forth, hardly touching the sparse blades of grass that she ducked around. Shadow was fading in and out of sight as she teleported about a yard at a time. And Trench.. Well, he wasn’t one for agility. He marched forward proudly, not seeming to care that the others had left him so far behind.

As the two fire type leads approached the first hurdle, they were still neck-and-neck. The luxurious cream vulpine form cleared it gracefully, but within fractions of a second, the black canine followed in a blaze of competitive heat. Shadow and Zigzag weren’t far behind. A purple blur passed over the hurdle, and Shadow landed on the other side with a devious grin, still levitating ever so slightly. Zigzag, on the other hand, seemed to care more about looking good than winning, and she artfully looped twice over the bar before slithering on the other side. And poor Trench continued stomping towards the hurdle. We all held our breath, waiting to see the giant tortoise clear the meter-high hurdle. The gargantuan beast let out a tired-sounding sigh, reared up on three feet, and stepped carefully over what looked like a few toothpicks compared to the Torterra’s monstrous seven-and-a-half feet in height. He certainly wasn’t as agile as the others, but more dexterous than any of us had expected.

By the time Trench had gotten over two hurdles, Zigzag was at the fifth, Shadow had just passed her sixth, and my two fire types were almost to the tenth and final hurdle. It looked like the contest was getting intense. The two seemed almost like dark/light counterparts of each other. Tryxie had a slightly higher speed stat, but SpiceGrrrl stood a full foot higher, most of which was in her long legs. Both were spraying embers under each other’s feet, all in vain as each only powered the other up, increasingly building up the intensity of their shared ability, Flash Fire. It was a photo finish as the two shot over the last jump, like shimmering bullets, surrounded by glistening embers and radiating heat. They crossed the finish line together, resulting in a tie, and immediately started growling in a toxic brew of estrogen and adrenaline. Analyt rushed forward to confront the two, spraying a gentle Icy Wind over the two to cool their jets. The two females grumbled in indignant compliance, curling up in bitter balls of fuzz, their shared victory forgotten entirely.

Not far behind, Shadow darted over the line, followed by an artful Extremespeed by Zigzag, who had always loved big finishes. They cooled down and lapped Fresh Water from bottles and dishes Analyt had set out prior to the beginning of the race as Trench reached the halfway point. At this point, the patient tank was simply picking the sticks off of their supports with his sharp teeth and tossing them to the side. He was a good sport, and finished the race, cheered on by the other Pokemon.

Finally, as the sun began to set, it was time for the aerial agility course. Scarr, Skystar, and Wyvern preened their wings, flexed their necks, or ground their fangs, all ready to fly. My other two fliers, Draco and Analyt, stood on either side of me. Draco would help me cover any necessary first aid runs while Analyt would follow the competitors through the course, as they would spend much of it outside of our viewpoints. Rather than a held item, Analyt wore my old Pokenav on a cord around his neck, and he would use that to call Draco and I if someone got hurt.

“Gib.. Gib.. GIBLE!” CRUNCH!

And they were off! Scarr pulsed his wide wings, while the other two took running starts so that they could glide smoothly through the course. First, the trees. Scarr was impatiently soaring over them, but this stopped when Analyt caught up with him to remind him of the rules. Wyvern was ducking between the trees, while Skystar took a different approach; she glided short distances, launching off of one tree and clawing her way a few feet up the next when her indigo claws found their mark. Wyvern got through the first part, followed closely by Skystar. Scarr was delayed by a few moments by the penalty he received at the start.

Next was the cave flight, which none of us would be able to see, so I went to check on Cedar.

When Draco touched down at the tree by the lake, Cedar was asleep in Scrag’s arms. The Krookodile motioned for me to stay quiet, so I whispered. “Scrag, is she doing better?” He nodded, gently twitching his tail to show how relaxed he was. I placed a second bottle of Lemonade next to him to replace the first. He grinned at me and raised his eyebrows. “Oh, you think you’re gonna get more than friendship out of this, huh, Scraggy boy?” He showed his teeth and winked. “Ha. Best of luck to ya, buddy. She’s always been a bit reclusive.” In response, the sleeping Sandslash nestled closer against her crocodilian friend. Scrag smirked, pleased that his point had been made. “Fine, I get it. Save some Lemonade for her. And dinner’s gonna be after this race. Teriyaki Sawsbuck, your favorite.” His eyes lit up even more, and I heard his stomach growl as I turned to fly back to the finish line for the final event.

Soon after we landed, the fliers began to round the curve with Skystar in the lead. Scarr and Wyvern were within yards of each other. Wyvern roared powerfully, but Scarr remained unaffected, firing Flamethrowers off at random intervals in his opponents’ directions. The three flying types dove around each other with impressive agility as the three approached the final “dash” over the valley. With a shriek of fury, Scarr buffeted the other two with his wings, pushing himself ahead. But in this, he failed to notice the draft he propelled himself into, which caught under his widely splayed wings and slid him behind the other two. With Scarr out of the way, the other two deftly avoided the wind that had slowed down the mighty dragon, and raced to the finish. But Skystar, without any walls or trees to latch onto, began to descend in both speed and altitude. The Gliscor came behind Wyvern in a fair victory.

After Scarr landed, Analyt and I set up makeshift podiums. The winners had the privilege of standing on the stones, but everyone received the prize of their favorite flavor RageCandybar. I roused Scrag and Cedar, and we ate like kings, around the fire, as stars poked through the inky canvas that is the summer night sky.

This is how life is supposed to be. I can’t let Ghetsis and Omega change this.

Draco growled a quiet agreement, but silently sent me optimistic vibes. I smiled to myself. Well, if Draco thinks we can handle this, I’m sure we can. “Alright, guys, get to bed soon. Tomorrow we have to get back to work.”
 

Firebrand

Indomitable
Very good, a great way to do some characterization. Plus, it really helped lighten the mood of all these fics, which are all pretty doom and gloom at the moment (well, not so much Raj's). But c'mon, my latest was called "Cloudy with a chance of impending doom." Not exactly sunshine and strawberries.
Your descriptions are really vivid, and that's really something I envy. usually I try to make my writing like that, but in League of Heroes, I've let my standards slack. Bad Feral.
 

dracoburn

Lance's protege
I rewrite things until I get them how I want them to be. The description of Draco in Part One? I'm surprised my backspace key didn't get stuck. Oh, and it took me three tries to get that last sentence EXACTLY how I wanted it. OCD for the win.
 

Displeased Owl

NCTH Leader
If I were to describe everything that's great about this fic, well I'd be in for a sleepless night. I finally finished reading it all, and wow this is so awesome! And yes, your characters certainly have become more endearing. The summit was an incredibly good scene - it's around chapter 20 something in mine (seriously). I can't wait to cover it from my own perspective but the consistency is bang on.

Good job I look forward to reading the next chapter! :) I'm sure Feral and X are equally in awe of another talented writer the hangout has produced
 
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