Pokedex One-Shots (PG)

[Ysavvryl]

Unavoidable delay there. But since it's a new year, review time!

TOTAL:

295 stories
552/649 83.8%

BY GENERATION:

R/B/G/Y: 146/151 :: 96.7%
G/S/C: 92/100 :: 92%
R/S/E: 126/135 :: 93.3%
D/P/P: 96/107 :: 89.7%
B/W: 95/156 :: 60.9%
+ Missingno

BY TYPE:

Water: 93/111 :: 83.8%
Normal: 86/96 :: 89.6%
Flying: 70/82 :: 85.4%
Grass: 65/76 :: 85.5%
Psychic: 61/67 :: 91%
Bug: 53/62 :: 85.5%
Poison: 48/57 :: 84.2%
Ground: 48/58 :: 82.8%
Fire: 41/49 :: 83.7%
Rock: 40/46 :: 87%
Electric: 34/38 :: 89.5%
Dark: 33/39 :: 84.6%
Steel: 31/37 :: 83.8%
Fight: 30/42 :: 71.4%
Ice: 28/31 :: 90.3%
Ghost: 24/27 :: 88.9%
Dragon: 24/29 :: 82.8%
Special: 2/2

BY SPECIAL TYPE

Starter: 45/45
Blastoise, Charmeleon, Quilava, Torterra, Chikorita, Feraligator, Torchic, Turtwig, Mudkip, Totodile, Croconaw, Squirtle, Grotle, Treecko, Meganium, Typhlosion, Cyndaquil, Charizard, Bayleef, Bulbasaur, Ivysaur, Blaziken, Piplup, Empoleon, Chimchar, Charmander, Venusaur, Wartortle, Swampert, Infernape, Grovyle, Combusken, Snivy, Samurott, Dewott, Monferno, Serperior, Emboar, Servine, Oshawott, Sceptile, Marshtomp, Tepig, Pignite, Prinplup

Legend: 37/47 :: 78.7%
Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, Shaymin, Manaphy, Giratina, Raikou, Entei, Suicune, Celebi, Jirachi, Darkrai, Mewtwo, Mew, Arceus, Uxie, Azelf, Mespirit, Registeel, Regirock, Regice, Latias, Ho-oh, Lugia, Meloetta, Genesect, Dialga, Palkia, Cresselia, Rayquaza, Reshiram, Deoxys, Groudon, Kyogre, Latios, Regigigas, Zekrom

???/Shadow: 1
Mankey

Shiny: 8
Magikarp, Sunflora/Sunkern, Fearow, Gyarados, Stantler, Glameow, Yamask, Cleffa, Reuniclus

Fossil: 15/17 :: 88.2%
Aerodactyl, Cradily, Shieldon, Bastiodon, Rampardos, Lileep, Kabutops, Armaldo, Carracosta, Omastar, Archeops, Tirtouga, Archen, Omanyte, Kabuto

Guests: 13
JammyU, Kutie Pie, darkdragontamer (2), #Chimecho# (2), elrade, shiningsloth13 (2), Gelatino
Regigigas, Staryu, Starmie, Bannette, Sandshrew, Ponyta, Barboach, Swellow, Absol, Kadabra, Lucario, Arceus, Darkrai, Bastiodon, Anorith, Golem (not counted in other totals), Vanilluxe

HUMANS (this category may be off; I don’t track them as closely)

In-game Trainers
Bug Catcher, Channeler, Lass, Battle Girl, Fisherman, Ninja Boy, Campers, Hiker, Teacher, Scientist, Swimmer, School Kid (male and female), Veteran, Reporter, Cameraman, Ace Trainer (female)

In-game Characters
Bruno, Steven, Giovanni, Silver, Professor Elm (2), Brawly, Lt. Surge, Gary Oak/Red (2), Koga, Janine, Professor Rowan (2), Lucas (2), Aaron, Blue, Professor Oak, Warden Slowpoke, Sabrina, Erica, Misty, Daycare lady, Daycare man, Blaine, Bianca, Hilbert/Black (2), Elesa, N (2), Cheren, Faulkner

Other Characters
Ashton (Star Ocean 2), Mindy (Animaniacs), Tom and Huck (M. Twain), Sinbad (Arabian Nights), Rosa (Little Red Riding Hood), Kirby


Thoughts:

So close to finishing a bunch of categories! Only thing that is finished is the starters, and the only things really lagging are the Fight type and the legendaries, since they're both under 80% done. It's been mostly Unova Pokemon that have been requested the past few months, I believe; it's already caught up to 60%

So, it seems that if I don't have another unexpected long hiatus, I'll finish all current Pokemon this year, possibly before the project turns five years old.

 

[Ysavvryl]

For the seventh day of Christmas... a story about being a good neighbor.

In process: Twelve days of Christmas
On deck: Poliwhirl/Mantine/Cofagrigus, Scoliopede/Herdier, Tornadus/Thundurus/Landorus


Azumarill and Swanna


This place was strange to the Azumarill. Its water was hard with minerals and salt, but not salty enough to be the ocean. Due to the rockier lake bed, the water was clearer. Due to being part of a river, the water flow was quicker than he was used to. The Pokemon here were different too: striped fish called Basculin and colored jellies called Jellicent where here instead of frilly-tailed Goldeen and the simple Magikarp. He couldn't even find Marills here. While he could find food, what he couldn't find was home.

Home... he could remember it so well, a quiet freshwater pond in a quiet human town. There had been a Pokemon Gym there, but as it wasn't a Water type or one where Water did better, it had never mattered much. The smell of the ocean was often in the air, as it wasn't a far walk to reach that larger body of water. Here, there was often the smell of smoke and human industry. Where was the pond he called home?

It could be anywhere; it felt far away. He had been captured as a Marill by a Trainer, raised up to be an Azumarill by winning many fights. And then... he wasn't sure, as it seemed like he had woken up from a long hibernation without actually hibernating. He had woken up to complete chaos in a human building where many Pokemon were appearing and awakening without warning. The humans had been frantic in trying to find something to do, to fix a machine that someone had gotten into. Not liking that crowd, he had bolted out of the building as soon as he could and headed for water. But then he seemed to be in a completely different land.

After having traveled for a full moon cycle, he had found many rivers and waterfalls, but not many ponds. What should he do now? He could keep searching. Maybe if he went to the ocean and explored the waters there, he could find his proper land. But the ocean was said to be so large that no Pokemon could explore its entirety in one lifetime. His home would be like a small island compared to that. He could settle down here. But these waters not to his liking, even though this area had slower currents than others. On his travels, he had found some Marill groups, but they spoke and acted differently than he was used to. They didn't mind the swift water.

What to do? He thought about talking to the locals and asking for advice on where to find a pond, but according to his ears, there were mostly the Basculin around. Those Pokemon were rowdy, always looking for a fight much like the Carvahnas. But as he felt the water vibrations, he also picked up on a group of larger Pokemon on the surface. They seemed to be Flying types, but they were swimming in unison, like a rhythm. Curious about that, the Azumarill swam up to the surface to see them.

The water's upper level was filled with orange light, reflecting the sunset sky. He surfaced under the shadow of a great red bridge. Not far from he was, there was a group of seven lovely white Pokemon. They must have been the Swanna he had heard about. To no music that he could hear, they appeared to be dancing on the water. One of them stayed in the center, twirling on the spot and sweeping its wings around. The other six swam around it, turning while they did and moving their wings in response to their dance lead. Not one of them made a mistake; their movements blended together into a graceful whole. The Azumarill stayed where he was for some time, dazzled by the spectacle.

After the sky had grown dark and the humans' lights above grew bright, the Swanna flock noticed him. The one in the center waved one of them to swim over and meet him, while discussing something quietly with the others. “Good evening, stranger,” the white bird said. “Praise be to the guardians of our land.”

“Um, yeah,” the Azumarill said, uncertain of who he meant. “Good evening, Swanna. I happened to feel your dance underwater, so I came up to watch. It was beautiful, thanks.”

He shook his head. “It is in thanks for this day, and in hopes for a good day tomorrow. One must always show gratitude to the spirits who keep us safe.”

“Right,” he said. “I'm sorry, but I don't think I'm in my homeland anymore. I don't know what spirits you dance for.”

“Spirits of the wind and land,” the Swanna said. “The wind spirits especially, we keep them happy with the dance. If they get bored, well, there's troubling weather to come. But, you are away from home? That is most unfortunate.”

The Azumarill felt a lump in his throat at the memories that came up; his ears drooped over his face. “Yeah. I just ended up in this land, a free Pokemon although I had been with a Trainer. I'm okay with being free, but... I miss my home, and I can't find any ponds to settle in if I want to make a new home.”

“There are some ponds around, but not near here. Where do you come form?”

“I don't know the name of it, but it was a wonderful island in the ocean.” He splashed the surface of the water. “There were no great wide rivers like this, but there were many ponds, small rivers and streams, and hot springs. I lived in a pond with fresh muddy water. Since I don't know where I am, I don't know how to get back. Where are the ponds of this land?”

Pointing his wing to the southwest, he said, “In that area. If you follow the river, you will come to a great city on the east bank; it is the biggest of the land, where the buildings reach into the sky. On the west bank there, by following the human roads, you could find the area after some travel.”

“Really?” He looked over in that direction, but all he saw on the shore was forest. “I don't think I've searched that area. Thanks, I'll go search there for a new home.”

“It would be a long travel for you, I believe,” the Swanna said. “If you have been searching by yourself, you must have faced much hardship already.” He spread his wings out. “I could carry you that way, if you wish.”

“Would you?” the Azumarill asked, not sure if he should believe it as an offer. There were some Pokemon who would say they could do something, but wouldn't, or they wouldn't unless there was a battle involved. Feeling homesick as he was, the Azumarill didn't want to get into a battle at this time.

“Let me ask my flock leader,” he said. “But I think it would be acceptable. If one wishes to see the world enter an ideal state, one must live out those ideals.” He swam around, then looked back. “Come, you should at least introduce yourself.”

“Okay,” the Azumarill said, swimming after the Swanna. “Thank you so much; all this traveling has been wearisome and stressful.”

Because he had been polite, the Swanna leader agreed to have the Azumarill flown to the area that had several ponds. He still wasn't sure if he wanted to stay here or to keep searching for a way to reach his homeland. But with a more suitable pond, he was able to stop wandering aimlessly for a while and figure things out.

…

Black entry: Swanna start to dance at dusk. The one dancing in the middle is the leader of the flock.

Azumarill B2/W2 entry: Its long ears are superb sensors. It can distinguish the movements of things in water and tell what they are.

 

[Ysavvryl]

For the eighth day of Christmas... a story about taking chances. Also, I discovered that Goldeen has a nifty Dreamworld ability.

In process: Twelve days of Christmas
On deck: Poliwhirl/Mantine/Cofagrigus, Scoliopede/Herdier, Tornadus/Thundurus/Landorus


Poliwag and Goldeen


There was a splash from the stream nearby. “Have you got it?” James the Goldeen called out, partially out of the water.

His exploration partner, a Poliwag that had hopefully been named Gladiator (but James always called him Dean), dropped something out of his mouth and replied, “I'm getting it! Don't worry.” He picked it back up and waddled over on his tiny feet. But the thing was long enough to drag on the ground, tripping him up every few steps. Not that he walked well on land in the first place; the thing just made it even harder.

“I'd help if I wasn't such a flopping flop on the land,” James said. Although once Dean got close enough to the stream's bank, he flopped out and helped to drag the thing underwater. “What is it?” he asked when they were both in the water with their apparent treasure.

“I was hoping you'd know that,” Dean said, sitting on the large flat area of it. “I saw it and thought that since it looked so odd, it had to be a human thing.”

“Hmm.” The Goldeen swam around it, examining it closer. It had a short but fat wooden end, half as big around as he was. Although it was made of wood, being in the water didn't affect it like most wooden things. The other end was what Dean was sitting on, a flat piece of metal that started out skinny, widened out quickly, then narrowed to a rounded tip. “I guess it could be used as a sign. Or, maybe a big Pokemon could use it to dig stuff up with.”

Dean's large eyes lit up with excitement. “So it could be a human thing! Because the stories say that humans were tall, like big Pokemon.”

James rubbed the edge of the metal part with his fin. “Yeah. And I’ve seen this shape before in books. The shape is called a spade. So, we could call this a spade tool. It's definitely odd. Let's get back to the lake, then! Will it fit in the bag?”

“It should,” Dean said, opening up the Treasure Bag that they had borrowed for this adventure. “Grandpa could get a lot of stuff in here, big things too.” Working together, they stuffed the spade tool into the bag, then swam for the entrance to Stormy Passage.

There was a big obstacle there, though, one that kept most Pokemon away from this place. The only way to enter Stormy Passage, as far as the lake Pokemon knew, was underwater. However, the entrance was behind a strange tunnel where there were several human devices that sent bolts of electricity through the water. Even the fastest of swimmers would get shocked by at least one. Because of that, no one in the lake knew where Stormy Passage would lead.

James and Dean shouldn't have been able to get by themselves, but they had discovered something while playing in the area yesterday. “Are you ready to do this again?” Dean asked.

“You betcha!” the Goldeen said, spiraling around while showing off his speckled fins. “And a one, two, three, CHARGE!” He bolted ahead, getting hit by a blue spark from the first device.

However, James just laughed, staying there while Dean swam by it with the bag. Then the Goldeen rushed ahead to get the attention of the next device. In this way, the Poliwag was in no danger of being hit. And according to him, the bolts did nothing to James.

“Whee, I feel all charged up!” he said, spinning in rapid circles once they were past the electric devices. “All my aches and pains from exploring are just zapped away. Oooooh, someday, I'll be king of the seeeaaaaaa!”

“Are you sure those things aren't frying your brain?” Dean asked in jest.

“Well if you smell smoked brains, you know who it is,” he said, putting his fins by his eyes. Then he laughed and continued dancing along as they swam back home. “Have they made me any cah-ray-zee-er?”

“Actually, no,” the Poliwag said, causing them both to laugh. They continued to joke and laugh all the way back, although Dean hoped that his friend's newfound talent wasn't going to hurt him in the end.

Back at the lake town, they headed headed for the stoney home of a Pokemon said to be the best explorer around, Razorfang the Feraligator. They both turned more serious as they approached the home. Razorfang was not only intimidating, but he held a grudge with Dean's grandfather that made him dislike even Dean. He also didn't like James, but then most Pokemon in the lake town looked down on him. However, Razorfang could do something for them if they could impress him: he could get them accepted as an official exploration team by writing a letter of recommendation for them. Dean's grandfather, although a great explorer to the two novices, was not of a good enough rank to do so.

“I'll get the doorbell,” James said, swishing his fins.

“Wait a minute,” Dean said, but not in time to stop James from ramming into the big metal bell that sat outside Razorfang's door. It rang so loudly that it probably could have been heard to the next lake. Then the piece connecting the bell to its frame snapped, causing the bell to continue its clamor less musically as it hit the lake bed.

“Whoops,” James said, swimming out of the cloud of dust that got kicked up.

“I was afraid of that,” Dean said. “Especially after you said the link looked weak the other day.”

He shook his fins out. “Hey! I thought it was okay, you know, because Razorfang likes to bash his fists into it to make his announcements. It should've held up.”

“Who's messing with my doorbell?” Razorfang called out, although not from in the house. He was descending from the surface, along with a Pokemon that normally lived on land. The Wigglytuff was wearing a green scarf around his face that seemed to be imbued with some kind of power, allowing him to breath freely underwater.

“I didn't mean to break it!” James said. “But you needed to repair that link anyhow.”

The Feraligator snorted. “You? How did some little pretty fish like you break the bell?” Thankfully, he seemed more annoyed at that claim then the bell actually breaking.

“I rammed into it to get your attention,” the Goldeen said, swishing his horn through the water.

“Wow!” the Wigglytuff said, smiling broadly behind the thin scarf. “You have strong friends, Razorfang!”

“Ugh, they're not my friends,” Razorfang said. But when the land Pokemon gave him a quizzical look, he somehow seemed intimidated. “What do you two want?” he asked, more tolerant than usual.

He was afraid of the Wigglytuff? James and Dean felt puzzled about that, but it was an opportunity not to be missed. “We want to ask for a letter of recommendation from you so that we can be an explorer team,” Dean said, holding the bag with his feet and using his tail to stay in place while he brought their treasure out. “We found this as proof that we can do it.”

“Yeah, it's a spade tool from the Stormy Passage!” James said. “We think it's a human thing, although we don't know what to do with it.”

“Oo, Stormy Passage?” the Wigglytuff asked. “Sounds fun! And a strange treasure you have.”

On the other hand, Razorfang looked at them in disbelief. “You're say that you two got that from the Stormy Passage dungeon?”

“Um, yeah,” James said. “We did.”

“That's ridiculous!” he said, snapping his toothy jaws at them. James squeaked and swam back behind Dean, who was doing his best not to swim off in a fright too. “I can't even get in that place and you two, a talentless Goldeen and a traitor's descendant, you two got in there? How do you expect me to believe that?”

“Bu-but you can't find human things just anywhere,” Dean said. “We think there's more human things past those electric devices.”

“Yeah, and I'm not talentless anymore,” James said, although not as proudly as he had been when he had discovered it. “The electricity likes me, but it doesn't hurt me at all.”

“Likely story,” Razorfang said, crossing his arms over his chest.

But, the Wigglytuff seemed more interested. “Electricity doesn't hurt you, huh? So it comes right to you and misses your partner?”

James swam out from behind Dean. “Yeah, that's right. And I get all energetic when it does that. It's awesome!”

He clapped his paws together. “Wow, that's amazingly rare! It's an ability called Lightningrod, and I've never heard of a Water Pokemon with it. Do you have the normal ability of a Goldeen?”

“No,” Razorfang said dismissively. “That's why he's a talentless freak.”

The Wigglytuff shook his head. “Oh, no no. Not at all! It means that he's special and has a different ability. It would be very valuable. So, you can't get into Stormy Passage because of electricity?”

Razorfang seemed dumbfounded at that, so Dean piped up, “Yeah, there's a bunch of human devices that zap any Pokemon that goes by. But the entrance is underwater and nobody knows how far it goes, or where it leads. We found that James attracts them, so I can pass safely by too. We were hoping that if we could be an official explorer team, then we could get badges as well as Escape Orbs to help us get in and out of that dungeon safely.”

“We'd help other Pokemon out too, but we mostly want to know where that dungeon goes,” James added.

“That sounds like a good reason to help your friends become explorers,” the Wigglytuff said to Razorfang.

“They're not my friends,” he said, still reluctant.

“Please?” Dean asked. “We just need a letter at this point.”

“If that's so, then I'll make them an official team!” the Wigglytuff said. “But on one condition.”

“What's that?” Dean asked. If he wanted to have the spade tool, then he was fine with that. The Poliwag wasn't sure what to do with it himself, except maybe do as James suggested and make it a sign.

“Take me with you to see Stormy Passage!” he said excitedly. “It sounds like a great place, lots of mystery! We can be friends and have lots of fun!”

James whirled around on the spot. “Oh yeah, that'd be great!” he said, excited too. “Thanks, this is great!”

“Sure, but we just got back from there,” Dean said.

“Tomorrow then,” the Wigglytuff said. As it turned out, he was a famous explorer on land and very knowledgeable about exploring. It was quite a lucky event that allowed them to have such a master along to teach them during their first official exploration.

In time, James and Dean would become even more respected and accomplished than Razorfang among all explorers, both under the water and over the land.

…

Leaf Green Poliwag entry: Its newly grown legs prevent it from walking well. It appears to prefer swimming to walking.

Ruby entry: Goldeen is a very beautiful Pokemon with fins that billow elegantly in the water. However, don't let your guard down around this Pokemon – it could ram you powerfully with its horn.

 

[Z-nogyroP]

Well, in response to the golden rings, I was thinking more along the lines of sandshrew, for some reason. Furret seems like a good idea, though.

Anyway:

Ursaring/Bibarel/Cubchoo: That was fun(although you misspelled Bibarel as Biberel for the whole story...). I didn't expect Ursaring to get frozen, lol.

Swanna/Azumarill: poor azumarill ;-; I hope he gets home safely.

Poliwag/Goldeen: haven't seen a Mystery Dungeon one in a while, nice. Good use of Goldeen's Lightningrod ability as well.

 

[johno1995]

Wow, these are really good! I love looking through all of them and just reading a few every day, gets the brain pumping. Really creative idea, too.

I suggest doing Toxicroak and Furret soon, if you're still taking requests! Those are actually two of my personal favorite Pokemon...

 

[Ysavvryl]

@Z-nogyroP: I could see Sandshrew working for that too. But, it's done and Rhyhorn was funny. I did go and fix the Bibarel

@Johno: Thanks! Actually, Furret's going to show up shortly, on the fifth. But I'll add Toxicroak to the list for later.

For the ninth day of Christmas... a story about loyalty. In honor of that, this Pawniard is named for my current Bisharp. And I need to stop writing such tempting ideas for bigger fics (but my imagination gets carried away with itself quickly).

In process: Twelve days of Christmas
On deck: Poliwhirl/Mantine/Cofagrigus, Scoliopede/Herdier, Tornadus/Thundurus/Landorus, Victini, Toxicroak


Jellicent, Pawniard, and Cranidos


His body ached when he woke up; a rough hard floor was underneath him. Nearby, he heard familiar sounds of metal against rock. The young man opened up his eyes and saw what he expected from the sound: his Pawniard was scraping her arm blades against the blue rock of his Cranidos' head. When he'd first seen the red and silver Pokemon do that, he had been concerned about her hurting the ancient Pokemon. But Craig never seemed to mind it when Silviya used him to sharpen her blades; it might even have made them friends quicker. Now it was just a familiar routine.

A familiar routine in an unfamiliar place. The Trainer sat up, wincing as his bruises became painful. At first, he seemed to be in a decrepit old cabin storehouse: weathered and rotted wood made up the walls and floor around him, while the crates were broken or collapsed. But there was also dried seaweed, fish bones, and broken shells. Looking down one hole in the floor, he saw dark water rippling with tides.

Now that he had stirred, the two Pokemon looked to him. Craig immediately came to his side, being careful to walk on stronger boards. “Craaaiiii,” he whined, turning his gaze around uneasily before looking up to him for guidance. The Cranidos didn't like being indoors, although wooden structures didn't usually bother him.

“Where are we?” the young man asked, patting Craig's head. “I heard that your kind came from ancient jungles, so you should be all right with the dampness and the wood. Although it strikes me as creepy too.” It was so quiet, with the main sounds being his Pokemon and a strange wind outside.

“Tch,” Silviya said, examining her blades. After swishing her arm blades through the air to her satisfaction, she looked over the ones on her torso. She had bladed edges everywhere and was meticulous about keeping sharp. But even going through her routine, she was watching the walls and door, wary of whatever else was here.

“I know we were on the beach, but I don't remember seeing a building like this, over the water,” the Trainer said. “What in the world attacked us?” He rubbed Craig's chin, to calm him. With that, the Cranidos nipped him gently, then went over to the door to watch for something. The Trainer dug into his bag for some aspirin and a bottle of water. While waiting for that to kick in, he tried to make contact with someone, anyone would do. But his cell phone wasn't getting a signal, no matter what he tried.

Now that he was feeling decent, the Trainer got up and left the room. Silviya immediately stopped her blade check and set herself to walk ahead of him. She waved at Craig to keep close to his side. Seeing his Pokemon decide on being defensive of him, he could only guess that whatever had brought them here wasn't friendly towards humans.

“I’ll trust your judgment, Silviya,” he said, heading through the old wooden hallway. The floorboards creaked under his and his Pokemon's weight, although watching the Pawniard showed him where he could and couldn't walk. There were other rooms branching off from the hall, but there was only more wrecked furniture. While he spotted some windows, they were covered in mold, grime, and seaweed. It was like being inside of a ship. At one end of the hallway, there were a set of stairs that when down into the water and up into a lit space. He hadn't gotten a Pokemon he could use Surf with, so the only option was going up.

What they walked up to see was incredible: a castle made of dozens of shipwrecks. It could have just been a pile of ships; some were old like the wooden barge he had woken up in, while some were new like a metal ferry sitting at the top of a tower nearby. But the way that they had been stacked and arranged seemed deliberate, with walkways made of debris between various vessels. They appeared to have come out onto a courtyard made up of the decks of eight ships smashed together, with with an extra fortified structure up ahead. Around them, there were tall towers made of stacks of ships, as well as an outer wall. Far above, there was a bright sphere as the sun pierced through the water. But he couldn't tell how far under the surface they were.

Even on seeing this patchwork ship castle, there were two things that were more impressive than that. First, there was a large air bubble surrounding half of the courtyard, including the ship they were on. Even Craig, who would sink like the rock he'd come from, would be fine as long as the bubble stayed. Second, there was a large statue in the middle of the courtyard, nearly at the edge of the air bubble. It was of a large oceanic Pokemon that was unfamiliar to him, but the attention it was given seemed like it should be a legendary.

Inhabiting this ship castle were a number of ocean Pokemon, but most prominently Jellicent. Their ghostly forms filled the water; a few even came into the air bubble, swimming slowly and keeping an eye on the three of them. The young man had heard that Jellicent were a danger of sea travel, sometimes sinking ships that came into their territory. But kidnapping a human and two Pokemon from the beach? Why would they do that? If they had done it. He didn't remember what happened then, only that he had felt something painful across his back and blacked out a few seconds later. Then again, an unusual amount of people had disappeared from that beach in the past month.

Three of the Jellicent came closer to them. The two males were blue, light patches in the dark water. The female was bright pink, easily seen and elegantly frilled. However, brighter colors like that often indicated tougher Pokemon. At his side, Craig gave a small roar, trying to be intimidating but not being big enough to do so. Silviya was more effective at that, simply running her arm blades across those on her hips for a piercing shriek of steel.

“What do you want?” the young man asked.

The three Jellicents made eerie warbles and turned aggressive. He had no hope of being able to understand them, but he usually found Pokemon more responsive when spoken to. More worrisome, the possible battle didn't look good. Silviya should be fine, but Craig was out of his element here. The Trainer had been trying to solidify the Cranidos' loyalty, and a quick defeat would not help that.

But if he remembered his facts right, there was a way to get through this. He spoke with confidence, to boost that of his Pokemon and to help intimidate the wild ones. “After a fight? Fine. Silviya, Feint Attack one. Craig, follow up with Assurance. I believe in you both.”

With a glint in her eyes, the Pawniard obeyed quickly, darting ahead and stabbing one of the males with a Dark power around her blades. Craig charged after that Jellicent; since he wasn't as nimble or quick as Silviya, his headbutt came after her attack. As both attacks were Dark in nature, that Jellicent as eliminated.

The other two then attacked, one blasting a large amount of water at Silviya; she was barely hanging on at the end of it. The female then sent some kind of ghostly hex at Craig, hurting him but not as badly. While the young man was about to order his Pokemon to do the same to another one of the Jellicent, a fourth one came up behind him and grabbed hold of his arms with her short tentacles. Being pulled so close to her made him feel sick despite the painkiller he had taken earlier.

Craig noticed first, yelping before he rushed for the Jellicent that had the captive human. The Jellicent made a sound of warning, putting one of her fins on his face as a warning that she could kill him at any moment. Unsure of what to do, the Cranidos stumbled to a stop and whined for someone to help. Silviya hissed in a hostile tone, running her blades together again. But she was more cautious, especially on noticing that more of the Jellicent had moved in.

With some kind of curse making it hard to move his body, the young man was lifted into the air. The Jellicent swam to the statue and dumped him there. His Pokemon came over in pursuit, but stopped by his side as the Jellicent came to surround them. What was going on? He hadn't believed that Pokemon would kill a human. But here, it seemed all too possible. It didn't help that the deck in front of the statue was dark.

“What are all of you doing?” he asked, trying to sit up but finding himself weak. He looked up at the statue. However, its face was hard to read, along with its purpose. Looking back at the large Jellicent, he felt that attacking them further would prove fruitless as there were so many and they were willing to attack him. He bowed his head. “Whatever it is, would you please take these two Pokemon back to the surface, at least? They would have a better chance on land.”

“Shuuzuu,” Silviya said, touching his cheek sadly for a moment. Then she turned and slashed her blades at the air in front of her, sounding for a minute like she was cursing the Jellicent group. At first, Craig was bewildered, but then he barked in support of her. If this did turn worse, then they were going to fight no matter the odds.

The Jellicent did not seem intimidated, but when they started discussing things with the Pawniard and Cranidos, they did not seem hostile either. The young man watched for a while, trying to decipher their negotiations. At the end of it, all but three of the Jellicents departed. One went to the watery part of the statue's stand and took out some thin stone tablets. Another picked up Silviya and Craig, with the third took hold of the young man. The three then took them back to the surface, even giving them smaller bubbles of air so they could keep breathing.

I'm not sure why they changed their minds; it might have been something Silviya had said. Or, knowing what I do now, it may have been because I asked for them to be saved before myself. But it was soon known that they weren't the only Pokemon acting strangely. They had knowledge of the great disaster to come and they might have been testing us humans before it fully struck. The tablets I had been given would reveal the prophecies, but before I could know enough to help, I had to find someone who could translate the text.

…

B2/W2 entry: Its body is mostly seawater. It's said there's a castle of ships Jellicent have sunk on the seafloor.

Pawniard Black entry: Blades comprise this Pokemon's entire body. If battling dulls the blades, it sharpens them on stones by the river.

Cranidos Diamond entry: It lived in jungles around 100 million years ago. Its skull is as hard as iron.

 

[Ysavvryl]

For the tenth day of Christmas... a story about being helpful and funny names. Also, Darmanitan would be the 100th Unova Pokemon I've covered now.

In process: Twelve days of Christmas
On deck: Poliwhirl/Mantine/Cofagrigus, Scoliopede/Herdier, Tornadus/Thundurus/Landorus, Victini, Toxicroak


Alomomola, Darmanitan, and Vigoroth


“AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!”

Startled by the sound, Lola the Alomomola popped out of the water to see what was going on. But the seashore seemed quiet as normal: the small rocky beach was still, the trees were gently waving in the wind, the waves were small, the statue was... wait, statue? Yes, there was a statue there that she hadn't seen before, a blueish stone that was shaped like a Pokemon all crouched down. Definitely that statue wasn't the source of the scream. But, was it a statue?

She watched it until it blinked. “Oh, so you are a Pokemon after all,” she said. “Hello! Who are you?”

The statue Pokemon shifted its eyes, not moving from its position or spot. “Hello. I'm a Darmanitan, but I haven't earned a name in battle yet.”

“Why would you need to earn a name?” she asked. “I was given mine as a gift when I hatched. I'm Lola Amomo the Alomomola.”

“Amomo?” the Darmanitan asked, sounding curious.

“Yes?” Lola asked, then chuckled. “Lola Amomo, daughter of Olma Lo Moa, at your service.” She bobbed in the water.

“I see.”

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!”

Lola splashed, startled again. “Oh, what was that? I heard it just a little while ago too.”

“Did it?” He shifted his eyes to look at the forest. “I wouldn't have heard. I had been focused inward in order to restore myself from battle.”

“Is that why you're like that?” Lola asked. “If so, then I can help! I heal other Pokemon with cuddly soothing hugs. Come over here and I can take care of you.”

The Darmanitan didn't budge. “No thanks. I can heal myself just fine.”

“Are you sure? My hugs will heal you up fast and clean.”

“No,” he repeated. “If you heal by hugs, then that would require me going into the water, which is distasteful to me. No offense to you, though.”

“Oh, well, if that's how you feel,” she said, causing her top fin to droop in disappointment. “And I can't come up any closer or I'll get stuck on the beach. I wish I could come out on land, cause then I could give healing hugs anywhere. But anyhow, why do you have to earn your name? You never answered.”

“AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!”

Lola and the Darmanitan both paused, looking into the trees. “Partly because of whatever that is,” he said. “The truth is, we do get names at birth too. But when we evolve, we leave our birth name behind and need to earn a name in battle, so that others know how great and strong we are.”

“I never heard of doing things that way before,” she said. “Other Pokemon change, but they don't change their name. Of course, I've not seen another Darmanitan before you.”

“We normally live further inland, as warriors of the sand. I've just been traveling further than usual in hopes of getting a name unlike the others. It's usually names like Flamerush or Rockfist.” He closed his eyes. “But maybe because I'm away from my people, no one gives me a name after battle.”

“Maybe I can think of one,” Lola said.

“You want a battle?”

She shook herself. “Not really. I just want to help.”

He opened his eyes and looked at her again. “That wouldn't really help.”

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!” Finally, a brown blur accompanied the strange screaming as a Pokemon ran onto the beach and collided with the Darmanitan with enough force to launch him into the water. The long armed Pokemon then promptly fell on his back, scattering many small rocks underneath him. “aaa urk,” he added, somewhat breathless.

“I’ve got you!” Lola said, swimming over to where the Darmanitan had landed. “And now I can give you a hug!” She smiled as she nuzzled close and wrapped her large fins around him.

Before long, the Darmanitan shifted, growing hot quickly. When Lola let go of him, he was a deep red primate with huge knuckles and fiery eyebrows. The water hissed around him, turning to steam. He cracked his knuckles, then looked down in the water and smiled at her. “Thanks, Lola. That was more pleasant that I expected.”

“You're welcome!” she said, hopping out of the water briefly. “I love to help! But what's with that guy?”

“The Vigoroth? I don't know. We see them running through the desert sometimes.” He walked out of the water and went up to the other primate. “Hey, what's going on? You lot usually don't scream when running.”

After being nudged, the Vigoroth did an impressive backflip to get onto his feet. He immediately started hopping around. “They, they told me to sit still, for ten minutes. Ten minutes! I couldn't do it, it was such torture, so I went tearing down the mountain in order to calm down.”

“You had to calm down from sitting still?” Lola asked, puzzled.

“IT WAS FOR TEN MINUTES!” the Vigoroth shouted, bouncing more frantically.

“How about we battle, then?” the Darmanitan asked, holding a fist in the air. “That should blow off your energy.”

In excitement, the Vigoroth whirled around, lost his balance due to loose rocks, and did another backflip in order to avoid falling down. “Yeah, that's the ticket! Let's go, let's go!”

“Yay, you two do well!” Lola said, waving her fins. “I can heal you when you need it, so don't be too careful.”

It was a quick moving battle. The Darmanitan was fast, and could rush around in a blur of flames. Then again, the Vigoroth seemed to be faster, jumping around constantly and chaotically. When they hit, both were powerful, especially with punches. Eventually, the Darmanitan decided to get defensive and reverted to his statue form. He then launched fireballs at the Vigoroth until his opponent collapsed onto the rocks again.

“Good, I can sleep now,” the Vigoroth said, falling asleep on the spot.

The Darmanitan shook his head. “Good for you, but I was going to ask about a name.”

Lola jumped out of the water. “Hey, you can call yourself Tari Mannad!”

“What does that have to do with that battle?” he asked, skeptical.

“Nothing,” she admitted, splashing some water. “But if all your kin are named for how you battle, then you can always tell how they fight, right? Cause Rockfist would punch hard and Swift would be really fast. But, if you're named something like Tari, nobody would be able to tell how you fight so you could win with the element of surprise. And I am giving you the name after a battle, so it still counts, I think.”

He gave it some thought. “It is clever.”

Lola waved a fin. “Okay, Tari! Want some healing before you head back home? I'll have to wait for the tide to get the other guy.”

“Sure, that would be great.”

…

Alomomola B2/W2 entry: It gently holds injured and weak Pokemon in its fins. Its special membrane heals their wounds.

Darmanitan White entry: When weakened in battle, it transforms into a stone statue. Then it sharpens its mind and fights on mentally.

Vigoroth Emerald entry: It can't keep still because its blood boils with energy. It runs through the fields and mountains all day to calm itself. If it doesn't, it can't sleep at night.

 

[TheSirPeras]

His body ached when he woke up; a rough hard floor was underneath him. Nearby, he heard familiar sounds of metal against rock. The young man opened up his eyes and saw what he expected from the sound: his Pawniard was scraping her arm blades against the blue rock of his Crandios' head.

You wrote Crandios' at the end xD Haha you mean Cranidos lol


Anyways, this was the first one I read of your Pokemon One-Shots, and I absolutely loved it! I will read others afterwards. But I really liked this, those Pokemon sure had good personalities, and the moment when the man told Jellicent to get the other Pokemon safe was heart-warming! I liked how you described everything so nicely and into detail

Edit:

Just read the one about Darmanitan, Alomomola and Vigoroth. Well... that certainly was interesting xD All those Alomomola names were pretty funny, and I normally see Darmanitan as energetic Pokemon (because of their eyes and smiles in their sprites) so the fact that this Darmanitan was really calm (in both forms) was a real surprise, a good one. I didn't find any errors, I think. Anyways, again, your description was phenomenal! Good job

 

[Ysavvryl]

You wrote Crandios' at the end xD Haha you mean Cranidos lol


Anyways, this was the first one I read of your Pokemon One-Shots, and I absolutely loved it! I will read others afterwards. But I really liked this, those Pokemon sure had good personalities, and the moment when the man told Jellicent to get the other Pokemon safe was heart-warming! I liked how you described everything so nicely and into detail

Fixed that now! I miss silly misspells sometimes, haha. I had trouble with Darmanitan for a while (wanted to keep spelling it Darmantian).

 

[Ysavvryl]

Guess what? This is entry 300.

For the eleventh day of Christmas... a story about courage, even if it's only a little bit.

In process: Twelve days of Christmas
On deck: Poliwhirl/Mantine/Cofagrigus, Scoliopede/Herdier, Tornadus/Thundurus/Landorus, Victini, Toxicroak


Furret and Golett


What to do? The Furret stretched as she got up from sleeping, then peered around to check her surroundings. It was a room inside a ruins, but it was surprisingly intact. On the stone walls, there were inscriptions that she couldn't read. In the middle of the room, there was a folding table and a similar chair making a workstation. The Furret's Trainer was sitting there at a computer, studying scans she had made throughout the ruins. Why now? They were supposed to be exploring around and making records to study later. That's what she'd understood. The Furret went over and rubbed her head against her Trainer's hand.

“Hi Caper,” the scientist said, petting her but not looking. “Wait a bit; I'm reviewing to see where to check over again.”

Wait? Caper scratched her head, not sure what to do while waiting. She wanted to be exploring. For a moment, she spent some time grooming to make sure that her long fur was straight. That took not long enough, so she wondered if she could look around on her own. She got scared easily, especially on her own, but it would be boring just to wait. Maybe if she didn't go far. This room was in a corner, so there was only one door out. In the doorway, she peered out.

Some areas of this place were in worse shape, walls that had been broken down. It was fairly clean in most places, but Caper could smell other Pokemon around. None she recognized, but with the many smells, there must have been many kinds. There was an interesting smell coming from across the hall, something she'd noticed coming in. However, that area didn't have a door that her Trainer could open yet, not even from the big room in the middle. There was a hole in the wall, but the Furret hadn't gone through there yet.

Looking over and seeing her Trainer still at work, Caper decided to check out that hole. Maybe she could find a way to open a door from inside. The scientist would appreciate that. Hoping to please her, Caper hopped away from the door and went to the hole. One of the blocks that made up the wall had crumbled here, scattering debris all over the hall. This left a hole a little over a foot high and wide. She was able to slip through and into the hidden room.

It was dark in here, away from the scientist's lantern. Caper sniffed around; the air and dust was less disturbed in here. However, there was a smell of a Pokemon close by, one that might be a Ground type. Another smell was that like the computer her Trainer used, some kind of human electronics. It was an odd contrast to the smell of the ruins, but maybe another human did work in here.

To be careful, she checked out the Pokemon smell first. It was in the far corner of the room, unmoving. Caper crept closer, watching for signs that it might pounce on her. It was bipedal, humanoid in form with a big round body. Even as she moved around, it didn't budge. When she was within a few feet of it, she could make out a smell of old clay. Maybe it wasn't a Pokemon? That, or it was asleep.

Since it might be asleep, she moved quietly to one of the doors leading out. Like the other side, it had no handle or hinges. She put her forepaws against it and pushed, finding it firmly in place. Caper went to the other door and pushed on it too, but then she felt a tingling on her spine much like when she encountered Pokemon without a solid form. Maybe a Ghost? But when she looked back around the room, there was only that clay Pokemon. It was glowing with a violet light, its eyes opening and surveying the area.

Caper bolted through the small hole, back at her Trainer's side in seconds. She coiled her long tail around the chair and kept her front near the woman's feet. What was that? She hoped it wasn't hostile, but knew that it might not like this intrusion on its territory.

“What's wrong?” her Trainer said, pausing in her work to stroke her quivering back. Then they heard a sound like moving rocks. “Oh, did one of the doors open?” She picked up her light and went to the door.

Timid but not wanting to make her friend face potential danger along, Caper followed after. In the hallway, they were met with that clay Pokemon. It examined them for a second, then made a salute. Good, it wasn't hostile. But what did it want?

“Another Golett, but you're different,” the scientist said, going up to it. The dark blue Pokemon stayed there, watching. “Must be an alternate coloration. Some collectors might like you, but I'm not sure if you have a purpose in being here.”

Caper went closer as well, but stayed at the side of her Trainer. The odd Golett then pointed down the way it had come before heading back that way. Thankfully, her Trainer decided to go along and explore instead of doing her computer work again. In the large main room, they found that the door that had been shut tight was now open, leading to the room Caper had just been in. The Golett went straight to the panel of electronics and began making beeping noises at it.

“My goodness, what's a room like this doing in a ruins?” the woman said in awe, looking over a place that could have come from the university she worked at. “This place has been sealed off from people for thousands of years. It, it couldn't be from you Pokemon?”

There was a clicking sound that startled Caper, making her puff her fur up and crouch on the ground. But she forced herself to stay, not wanting to leave her Trainer alone in a strange room with a strange Pokemon. However, it turned out to be a device in the room, lifting a cover to reveal another device behind it. The Golett went over to it, at first beeping. Then it made a fist crackling with electricity, as if it was going to punch the device. Instead, the Golett held it inside, causing sparks to power it up.

One of the walls became bright, turning into a screen. There was a human man there, dressed in loose gray clothing. “Welcome and …, ... to the … vault,” he said in a thick accent that was difficult for Caper to understand. Possibly her Trainer too. “Because of the … movement … our main location … we do not know how much longer we can hold out against the … … which destroyed our … and library … . They made it so we could not go back, but they wish to take our … back further, denying science and history. This place was … to hold and preserve … as well as warn against... … and the other Pokemon we made. The … Pokemon is an assistant and … to help whoever comes to find information stored here. We...” then the screen dimmed, the voice getting faint. There was a snap from the Golett's fist as it charged up again.

“Wait, is that power source charged with a Pokemon's electrical energy?” the scientist asked. “If it is, I have a portable generator we can use instead. Would you open your left hand for yes, and close it for now?”

The Golett looked at her a moment, then held its left hand open.

“I'll need to go put up my workstation and move it here,” she said. Then she picked Caper up and hugged her. “Don't fret, Caper. This could be a monumental discovery! An archive of ancient science and history, maybe even answers to the mysteries of why humans are here.” She laughed as she carried her Pokemon back to the other room. “Did you wake the Golett archivist up? I know I saw you sneaking off to look around. Thank you; you're finding your courage.”

That was finding her courage? Caper didn't think she'd done anything big. But her Trainer seemed really happy, so it had definitely been a good thing.

...

Golett B2/W2 entry: Ancient science fashioned this Pokemon from clay. It's been active for thousands of years.

Emerald entry: A Furret has a very slim build. When under attack, it can squirm through narrow spaces and get away. In spite of its short limbs, it is very nimble and fleet.

 

[Z-nogyroP]

Jellicent/Pawniard/Cranidos: That did seem like it was part of a bigger story. Also, why do you not need new story ideas? ClicheStorm's almost over, A Million Thoughts was a oneshot, and you have less than a hundred Pokemon left to cover with this. I wonder what you'll do after your current projects are done...

Alomomola/Vigoroth/Darmanitan: Random names FTW! Yeah, I realize it's an acronym for Alomomola and Darmanitan, but it's still random. And that Vigoroth reminded me of my brother.

Golett/Furret: Very nicely done. I like how timid Furret was.

Also, for your year-end review, you put you had done 8 shinies when you actually did 10. Just pointing it out.

Could I request a Bidoof/Anorith/Heatran story when you're done with this? That should be random.

 

[Ysavvryl]

Well missed another day. Still, getting twelve stories done in two weeks is pretty good. And about my on-going projects, I also have two other big fanfics on hiatus that I want to get back to. Neither are Pokemon, though.

For the twelfth day of Christmas... a story about love. Also, an unexpectedly hard one to write.

In process: Poliwhirl/Mantine/Cofagrigus
On deck: Scoliopede/Herdier, Tornadus/Thundurus/Landorus, Victini, Toxicroak, Bidoof/Anorith/Heatran


Trubbish, Vileplume, and Amoonguss


She entered the room and wrinkled her nose as the atrocious smell. At the other end of the room, there were six Pokemon playing around. A Vileplume was in the center, bouncing her large red petals around and sending small yellow pollen clouds out every time she did. Dancing around her were three Trubbish, dragging around what seemed to be trails of trash. Off to the side, there was an Amoonguss, swaying and slowly turning the mushroom caps on his arms. A fourth Trubbish was rummaging in a waste bin, tossing out things it didn't want.

She shook her head. “Geez, did you have to say I could work with anything? Not like I would deny it, but... who'd come if it wasn't for the competition?” She went closer to the playing Pokemon, getting some of them to pay attention. “So it looks like we're working together for a few months. I'm Jennifer, Master Coordinator and theater star. I'm going to put you in a wonderful show. How's that sound?”

“Vowoooo!” Vileplume said, bouncing vigorously to agree. The Trubbish all stopped what they were doing and jumped too (although they sounded like trash bags being tossed around doing that). Meanwhile, the Amoonguss just swayed and watched her, not as excited.

“Well it's good that most of you are eager to go,” Jennifer said. “So let's figure out what you all can do. Looks like you could do some dancing with direction. Can any of you sing?”

“Gaaaooo trub trub,” one of the Trubbish replied, then started to sing. Before long, the other Trubbish sang too. The one at the waste bin even hurried over to join the chorus. It wasn't a pretty song, but wasn't bad either.

If only it didn't increase the smell and give it an addition like hot grease. Maybe it would help when they had the stage to separate the Pokemon from the audience. “We can work with that,” she said, putting a hand to her head. It seemed stuffy in here now that the smell was so thick. “We can do a song and dance show, although I don't know if to clean you all up fully or,” she yawned, “maybe polish you up to not look so...” she fell asleep before she even realized she was tired.

-+-

The next time Jennifer saw the Pokemon she was using for the competition, it was a week later. Apparently the person who had assigned this group to her had neglected to mention that she'd need a face mask to avoid breathing in the aerial toxins that every single one of them could produce. Coming back into the room, she found that it was had gotten more damp and littered with trash. Had they been stealing trash from other rooms to do that? And why didn't the janitors do something about it?

“Okay, my actors, do you remember me?” Jennifer asked. “We lost a number of days, but there's still time to get an act together. Now while I was waiting on being released from the hospital, I found some songs we could work with. I'll let you listen to them while we work on the dancing part. So then,” she waved a hand through the air; it turned yellow. “Was the pollen this bad last time? I don't remember it like this.”

The Vileplume laughed. In the wake of her every movement, the plumes of yellow pollen moved and built. Wanting to work in clear air (as she wasn't sure even the face mask would be enough, Jennifer brought the Poison Pokemon troupe outdoors for practice. She just hoped that no one would blame her if there was a sudden increase in the Oddish population over the next few months.

It took a while to start on her dance plans, since the Vileplume and Trubbish wanted to play dance instead. It was always the five Pokemon playing together, as the Amoonguss stayed to the side. Since the show wouldn't go as smoothly if that continued, Jennifer went over to the large mushroom Pokemon. “There's no need to be shy,” she said. “I think you would be a great part of the show. We'll have you and the Vileplume as leads, since you're both the same size, and the smaller Trubbish can act as a chorus. How do you dance?”

For a moment, the Amoonguss just stared at her. Then he backed up and bowed his head. To the music currently playing on the portable stereo, the Amoonguss swayed and twirled in a dance. He was particularly expressive with the smaller caps on his arms, even if his face didn't change much. He was actually quite talented, something Jennifer wouldn't have guessed.

She clapped her hands for him. “Very nice! You could be quite a star. Hmm?” She shook her right hand, which felt odd. Yellow pollen came off in large puffs. “I hope this pollination passes by the time the competition starts. Come on, Amoonguss, work with the rest of us.”

“Oshu,” the Amoonguss replied, then shuffled over to the other Pokemon. Mostly, he looked at the Vileplume.

The Trubbish group all cheered, happy to have another Pokemon to play with. On the other hand, the Vileplume went still on seeing the Amoonguss come up. They stared at each other as if they were familiar with each other, but not in a good way. The Vileplume then turned away, frowning.

Great, she had in-fighting and since she didn't know these Pokemon that well, she had no idea what to do about it. “Please, can we get along? We could make an great show and you two would be,” she had to think about it a moment, “a cute couple on stage.” Jennifer wasn't sure cute was the right word to describe a really smelly flower and an oversized mushroom, but maybe someone would think of it that way. “Come on, Trubbish, you all can sing while they dance.”

The Trubbish were happy to help and changed their path so that they circled around both the larger Pokemon. Jennifer could manage to get the Vileplume and Amoonguss to dance separately or with the Trubbish, but not at the same time. But, perhaps another day. She had to cut off the practice sooner than she wanted because the odd sensation in her hand turned into paralysis over that whole arm.

-+-

For the rest of the practice sessions, Jennifer arrived with long gloves, a long sleeved dress, full stockings, a long scarf, and the face mask. As it turned out, the pollen the Vileplume was producing prodigiously right now could inflict paralysis with sufficient skin contact. She asked about the Amoonguss so she didn't end up missing more days trying to work with them. It turned out that its spores could cause nausea. As she already had the face mask, she was protected.

Getting the Vileplume and the Amoonguss to work together took up much of her time. For a long time, she refused to look at him. Jennifer found her stubborn, so she tried convincing the Amoonguss to do something. “What are you two arguing about?” she asked. “If you're arguing. Were you really a couple or something?”

“Fooo,” he said.

“Or maybe I'm thinking it's some soap opera,” Jennifer said. “It's not like you're having some lover's feud that could be fixed with giving her some flowers and an apology will work. You're not that kind of Pokemon.”

The Amoonguss gave her a long look, so she went to try teaching the Vileplume the dance moves she wanted her to use. So far, she preferred bouncy moves that showed off her large petals (but also spread lots of pollen). Jennifer wanted her to do some twirls too. Then they got interrupted by the four Trubbish, who all chattered and threw various small flowers at the Vileplume. The Amoonguss was a short ways behind them; he threw a group of cornflowers at her.

“What did I start?” she said, putting her hand to her cheek. But then the Vileplume smiled and ran over to hug him. His longer arms worked for that better than her little ones, but seeing them with her flower and his cap tilted back to be close was cute. Not just them, but the Trubbish were extra excited and bounced around them.

Maybe they weren't the dirty and dumb Pokemon she'd thought them to be.

…

Emerald entry: In seasons when it produces more pollen, the air around a Vileplume turns yellow with the powder as it walks. The pollen is highly toxic and causes paralysis.

Amoonguss B2/W2 entry: It moves the caps on both arms and does a dance to lure prey. It prefers damp places.

Trubbish Black entry: Inhaling the gas they belch will make you sleep for a week. They prefer unsanitary places.

 

[Z-nogyroP]

That was so sweet. I never would have pictured Amoonguss being a romantic type. So cute~

 

[Ysavvryl]

My goodness, it's been a long time. Sorry about that. I had a huge writer's block in the latter half of January, then lots of things to finish when I got past that. But then while watching some Marti Gras cooking on TV, I thought of the image at the very end of this, so I had to write that up as fast as I could, lol. Plus, this thread could use some voodoo.

Also... sixth gen came so fast! Can I manage to get all the rest done before the rest become available to me? Will I have to move the Magikarp story again to fit in the index? Who knows?

I do have the Ghost type complete! Wheee!!! Actually, right before fifth gen came out, I had only Mismagius for a Ghost. And this thread now has 100 Water types... but is not done with that type since that's the only type with 100+ entries.


On deck: Scoliopede/Herdier, Tornadus/Thundurus/Landorus, Victini, Toxicroak, Bidoof/Anorith/Heatran, Kyurem


Poliwhirl, Cofagrigus, and Mantine


The Poliwhirl ran along the beach, regretting his decision to sneak away from his Trainer to explore on his own. Seeing a water-soaked log in his way, he jumped and tried to scatter sand behind him. He could have done well enough in his own training if he'd just stuck to the beach. But no, he had to go into the cave that had large steel chains on it. It had only been one chain arranged in a cross shape with a lock in the center, no door or anything. He had assumed it couldn't be anything really bad, no situation that he couldn't just jump out of.

Instead, he'd woken up that thing. He was hesitant to call her a Pokemon, even though she smelled vaguely like a Shuppet he had run across once. She seemed to be made of gold, some large container with a human-like countenance on her top... front, whatever she was. But ghostly arms reached out of her dark insides, a seemingly countless amount. “You must be tired from running so far,” she said gleefully, from much closer than the Poliwhirl wanted. “Come rest with me and you will find eternal peace. Just ask my darling friends.” She tried to snatch him up.

Thankfully, the slippery oil that his skin produced kept her from getting a good hold on him; he was able to get right out with a hop ahead and to the right. But then a strange Lopunny that seemed to have dead eyes tried to get him instead. There was a whole bunch of those strange dead-eyed Pokemon with the ghostly Pokemon. Despite that, they seemed just as fast as they would normally be, if not faster. They were covered in dust and cobwebs, like they hadn't moved for a long time.

He considered headed for the ocean instead, to try getting away by swimming and diving. Would they follow him underwater? When he glanced over at the see, he noticed a graceful figure jumping over the waves. The Pokemon disappeared under the moonlit sea briefly, but then leapt out high and flew over the beach, alongside the chase. It was a Mantine, with a single Remoraid trying desperately to hang onto his belly so as not to fall onto the dry sand. “Ahoy there!” the Mantine called. “Somebody lured that Cofagrigus out, excellent work. Keep ahead, sailor, run for the fire!” Then he wheeled back to land in the water (likely to the relief of the Remoraid).

Excellent work? The Poliwhirl couldn't see how this would be good, as that thing, the Cofagrigus, she was trying to trap him inside herself to become like the dead-eyed Pokemon. Hopefully the Mantine had some plan at the fire to deal with her. The Poliwhirl continued running while the Cofagrigus laughed and kept pursuing him. “They couldn't do anything before, they couldn't do anything now,” she said.

As he got closer to the bonfire on the beach, he became less certain of what the Mantine was thinking. There seemed to be a party of some sort going on there, with a great many humans and Pokemon dancing to unusual primitive music. Most seemed to be normal people, but there were a few that were dressed even more strangely than the Cofagrigus looked. Still, he didn't have a better idea and the Mantine had come back out of the water to fly around the party.

The Poliwhirl ran right into the warmly lit area, disrupting several of the dancers. But he didn't cause as much disruption as the Cofagrigus and her followers did. The dancers closest to that point yelled and started to run off. However, he was getting worn and the sand had been slowly sipping away his moisture. The Poliwhirl turned around once close to the fire, clenching his white fists high. The Cofagrigus shone brilliantly by the fire's light, intensifying the insane look on her face. While she waved him to come closer to her, her dead-eyed followers came into view as well, a whole twelve dusty Pokemon.

“Hold!” a woman's voice called out sharply, silencing the musicians and causing everyone there to stop. Then she threw something right in front of the Cofagrigus: a simple gold bead necklace.

It didn't seem like much, and a Pokemon her shape shouldn't be able to make use of a necklace (except maybe as bracelets). But her expression quickly turned to that of delight as she snapped it up with a ghostly hand. “Delicious, gold! Maybe I would spare you...” she brought it within her body, but before long he eyes went wide. “Wait, this isn't gold. It's not even suitable to eat.”

The woman who had thrown the necklace came towards them. The Mantine followed, starting to hover in the air just behind her. “Sweet mercy, bringing this misled Pokemon to us along with another well suited to taming her,” she said. She was one of the stranger dressed humans, with sort dress made of some animal skin with brown fur, a necklace and headdress of various bones (including some small skulls), and white feathers acting as trim in many places. “Poliwhirl, bring forth your power of hypnosis against this Cofagrigus.”

While the woman was a stranger to him, she had such confidence and authority in her poise and voice that it didn't seem like a good idea to disobey. He had considered using that against the Cofagrigus at first, but she had risen her followers before he could be successful. On his stomach, he had a transparent layer of skin that showed a spiral of inner tissues underneath. By manipulating his muscles and internal fluids, he could make the spiral appear to vibrate and turn in a hypnotic fashion.

It started to work quickly. “I should... punish you...” she said at first, but her words grew less aggressive as she became entranced by him. Her ghostly arms lowered, then retreated into her golden shell as she relaxed.

“My friend, keep him in place,” the woman said.

“Right-o, captain,” the Mantine said, flipped the ends of his fins and summoning a spiral of water around the Cofagrigus. It caught hold of her like a whirlpool, even lessened her hold over her minions. The dead-eyed Pokemon had stopped in place, waiting for some order.

“Hwa wat?” the Cofagrigus said, sounding weary.

The woman went right up to the strange Pokemon, without any fears. She pushed a hand towards the Cofagrigus. “Sleep and heed my words,” the woman said. And with her orders, the Cofagrigus completely shut herself and went still, floating in the air. “You have pulled many within your coffin, dear lady, I suspect more than you have here. There are those who would kill you, but the spirits of my ancestors tell me that you can be changed with more discipline. I can help you find a more satisfying life as long as you follow my words. First, cast off your hold over these mummies that you have created. You don't need them any more.”

“You aren't here to destroy me,” the Cofagrigus said in her sleep. “I will obey. I cast off my hold on these mummies.” A hand extended out of her coffin-shell for a moment as if throwing something away.

Then the dead-eyed Pokemon seemed to wake up. Some dropped onto the sand in exhaustion, while others looked around in confusion and fear. One of the normally-dressed humans ran up to the Lopunny and hugged her, causing that Pokemon to burst into tears and hug her tightly. It seemed amazing; those were ordinary Pokemon, but the Cofagrigus had complete control over them before. And he could have ended up like them if he hadn't been able to slip out of her grasp repeatedly.

“Now, you will become one of my Pokemon so I can properly train you,” the woman said. Not once she had turned her eyes from the Cofagrigus since starting this, even as she held a hand out behind her. “Pass me a fresh Pokeball and one of the crowns.”

Another woman tossed the items to her, although the Mantine knocked the ball in the proper direction so his Trainer could catch it. The Poliwhirl worried that it wouldn't work; she was a powerful Pokemon, after all. Although the whirlpool was still in effect, he kept up his hypnotic power just in case. But the woman was able to catch the Cofagrigus without a problem. The ghost Pokemon didn't even seem to struggle.

Once she had her, the woman turned to him and smiled. She knelt down and gave him a hug. “The spirits must have directed you tonight, to help save this troubled Pokemon and her victims. Thank you for your assistance.”

“Yeah, yeah!” the Mantine said, dipping some to brush a fin on the Poliwhirl's head as he flew by. “We were going to go after her tonight and it would have been much more dangerous on her turf. You're great!”

“Well I didn't mean to rescue anybody,” the Poliwhirl said. But the Mantine just laughed at him and the woman, probably not understanding him, put a light crown on his head. The others at the dance party cheered and gave him a bunch of the bead necklaces, much like the gold one the Cofagrigus had tried to eat. While they hailed him as some kind of hero, he felt embarrassed that this had all happened because of his mistaken pride in trying to train himself. He slipped away from the party as soon as he could, heading back to where his Trainer should be.

…

Poliwhirl Emerald entry: Its body surface is always wet and slick with an oily fluid. Because of this greasy coating, it can easily slip and slide out of the clutches of any enemy in battle. Water 1

Cofagrigus Black entry: It has been said that they swallow those who get too close and turn them into mummies. They like to eat gold nuggets. Ghost 5

Mantine Soul Silver entry: Swimming freely in open seas, it may fly out of the water and over the waves if it builds up enough speed. Water/Flying 2

…

The Poliwhirl's Trainer was slightly drunk when they finally met up. “Man, how'd you get so many beads?” he asked. “Did you impress a lot of girls?”

Elsewhere, the Cofagrigus had woken up near a large box of Marti Gras bead necklaces. “Aw, now I don't have any more mummy friends,” she said, picking up a handful. Then she giggled and took some more. “But now I have so many pretty shinies! Pretty pretty!” She then began to dance around until her new Trainer told her to stop for a bit and give out the beads instead.

 

[Z-nogyroP]

That made me smile. Although I have to admit, I thought that Mantine was crazy too, at first. But it turned out nicely, and Cofagrigus at the end was funny. Shiny stuffs! 8D

Also, what type do you think Ninfia is going to be? I'm guessing Normal.

 

[Ysavvryl]

Ninfia... given that its other names are Sylveon, Feelinara, and Nymphali with the Grass type already taken, I'm guessing that it will be of the Sexy type.

...that's going to cause trouble from more hormonal fans, isn't it?

Anyhow. Happy Valentine's Day! Unless you're single, in which case go buy some cheap candy tomorrow. That's my plan. And in honor of the spirit of romance, I bet you weren't expecting these three!

In process: Scoliopede/Herdier
On deck: Victini, Toxicroak, Bidoof/Anorith/Heatran, Kyurem


Tornadus, Thundurus, and Landorus


It was a quiet day in Driftveil. The weather was nice, with only a few clouds in the sky. Nothing big was going on; the construction crews didn't seem as active today, giving residents a slight break from the constant noise they had lived with for the past few months. Some people even felt like nothing bad could happen today. Which of course meant that something had to happen.

Without warning, intense winds blasted the town from the east. Branches were knocked off trees, half-finished construction projects were ripped apart to put the crews behind for weeks, a few older houses were blown over, and unlucky pedestrians were thrown into walls, onto the street, or into each other. Behind the roar of the gale, a hearty laugh might have been heard. Tornadus was at play again.

“Woooo, more buildings go bye-bye!” the cloudy Pokemon said. He whipped his tail around to keep the winds going over the town a little longer. “You can't build anything of permanence, just accept that. So build more things that fall over faster!” He caused a cyclone of air to form around himself as he paused to look over Driftveil, wondering if he should stay here longer or move onto another town. Surprise runs were the best.

Then he felt a call from his sibling Landorus. He wasn't sure what she'd want, maybe just to say hello. Tornadus blasted off across the sky over Driftveil again, causing a violent and chaotic wind flow to wreck more havoc, then headed off to where Landorus usually was.

Although he liked setting up huge gusts in his wake, Tornadus did slow down as he approached the fields. Landorus tended to get furious if he or Thundurus messed up farms that she was watching over, and she could kick both their butts like that. True, he didn't get beaten up as badly as Thundurus in those battles, but it was safer not to vex her. There ended up being only a modest wind when he landed in the area.

Landorus was at her usual shrine, guarding the crops and farmers there as she usually did. She waved her tail at him, thankfully in a good mod. “Hello, brother. It's good to have your gales giving power to the land again.”

“Uh yeah, hey,” he said, waving back. “I'm just happy to be free again; they had a really nasty seal this time on us.”

“Did they?” she asked, seeming curious.

Tornadus made a rude gesture with his hands. “Yeah, sealed us up in clay pots this time, and then threw them into Chargestone Cavern. I was so itchy the whole time from all that static. Once the seal was weakened, I pulverized those pots and got straight out of that place.”

“That would be rotten for you to live with,” Landorus said. “Strange that they put Thundurus in there too. About him, I tried to call him earlier, but he didn't respond.”

“Maybe he's out having fun in freedom, as usual,” Tornadus said. “I wouldn't worry about it.”

She shook her head. “I know you wouldn't, not this soon. But I am concerned. I haven't felt his bolts touch the ground yet even though I know both of you got free. Strange, isn't it? And I had been waiting on him to help start a fire in an area that needs its undergrowth cleared.”

“Oooo, a fire?” he said, interested. “I love fires! But, I can't start them like he does.”

“Right, so we need to find him,” Landorus said.

“I'll go look!” Tornadus volunteered enthusiastically, thinking that it would be great fun to use his winds to whip of a huge fire with Thundurus. “Be back in no time!” He then rushed off into the sky, causing a sharper wind to hit the area.

Landorus raised an arm over some more delicate crops, keeping them from being bent in this wind. “I knew you'd do it once fire got mentioned,” she said.

Meanwhile, Tornadus raced all over the land of Unova, searching for his brother. He thought about racing close to the ground, to make the winds fly along with him. Then, he figured it'd be faster to stick to the sky and search for the clouds that usually clustered around Thundurus. Finding him sooner meant playing with wildfires sooner. And after being crammed in a pot with lots of electricity around for at least a decade, Tornadus couldn't wait to initiate a major disaster again.

Heading to the largest cloud mass in the area, he searched the sky for a while but found no trace of Thundurus. It was odd. Tornadus flew down and searched the ground for several minutes; his winds stirred up the thunderhead and made intense rain and thunder come. But not lightning, at least not to the ground yet. There weren't even any charred stumps and houses around, so he began to think that he was in the wrong place.

Then he found Thundurus, sulking in a cloudy pile on the ground for some reason. His tail was curled close around his body and his head was lowered. What was up with him? They were free now, it was time to celebrate with storms and arson! “Hey, there you are!” Tornadus said, flying in close. “Come on, Landorus wants us to scorch the countryside! Actually, she just wants you to burn some undergrowth, but she told me and it would be much more fun to create a huge fire! I don't remember where... actually, I don't think she told me. So come on, we've gotta go back to her and find out where to burn stuff.”

“Go away and leave me be,” Thundurus said, sort of angry but not even scowling.

Tornadus flipped himself upside down, hoping that might amuse his brother. “Hey, hey, what's wrong with you today? We just got back our freedom! Besides, I know even you must have hated those clay pots too.”

“Did you hear anything in there?” he asked, not looking at him.

“Nope,” he said, righting himself. “The latent electricity in the area filled my head so much... argh!” He put his hands to the side of his head, but then whirled around Thundurus. “Come on, let's go burn stuff and make huge storms at the same time.”

“Leave me alone,” he said, flinging a hand aside to summon a thunderbolt. “You wouldn't understand.”

Tornadus quickly dodged the bolt. “Aw, come on, you weren't even trying,” he said. “What is wrong with you?” When he wouldn't answer, Tornadus started poking him on the side of the head. “I'm not gonna leave you be until you tell me! Come on, come on! What is it? What is it?”

“Cut it out,” Thundurus snapped, trying to shove him away. But that was better than seeing him sulk.

“Teeeeeeeeeeelllllllll mmmmmmmeeeeeeeee,” he replied, pushing him back playfully.

“Gah!” he crossed his arms over his chest and tried to look away. But eventually he gave in to Tornadus' poking. “Okay, okay, if you'll stop that. I think I'm in love.”

“Oh, that,” Tornadus said. Then he poked Thundurus one more time. “Hey, but I understand that!”

“No you don't!”

Yes I do! I've been in love before, you know.”

Thundurus finally looked at him, but in order to glare at him. “That was with a windmill.”

“He-ey, it still counts!” Tornadus insisted indignantly. “I never did knock it over and it was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. I like windchimes, but they're nothing compared to that. Anyhow, you're taking this too seriously. It'll bug you for a few days, and then it'll pass like some bad cold. You'll feel better if you go do something. So let's go burn stuff!”

“It's not like that,” he said, seeming dispirited again. “I don't know if I should...”

Tornadus flew around him again, but this seemed to be serious. It wasn't like Thundurus to be like this. So, he had to fix things now. “Well then how is it like?” he asked. He held his hand out. “See, even your rain isn't as lively anymore. What is it?”

“I could hear things outside the clay pot,” Thundurus said, reminiscing. “I could even talk to the Pokemon out there. At first I just spooked them, triggering a large spark when they didn't expect it.”

“That sounds fun,” Tornadus said. “For you, anyhow.”

“It was for a while, but then, she showed up. She was just a Klink then, but she started talking to me. I remember what she first said to me: 'The imbalance of the electrical systems of the cavern suggests that some part of the location is the source of a great deal of boredom and frustration and in the interests of keeping a uniformity of contentment in the community system, I seek a method of addressing this imbalance.' She has a really nice voice, with just enough electrical accents to be wonderful.”

Tornadus tilted his head. “A Klink?”

“Well she's a Klang by now. She kept coming to talk to me and 'fix things', but I got to enjoy our talks and miss her on days she didn't come.”

“Klangs are big and hard with lots of gear teeth things that always move,” Tornadus said. “It'd be hard to hug one. I mean, I could hug the windmill, but hugging a Klang would be even more awkward.”

“I don't care about that!” Thundurus said. “I liked talking to her. It even got to the point where I didn't mind being inside a clay pot.”

His eyes went wide. “Really? Sheesh, there is something wrong with your head.”

“Maybe,” he said, seeming sulky again. “She was the one who weakened our seals, you know. I told her we were put in there because people found us troublesome, but she still did it because she said she wanted to see me in person. I don't know if she's in love with me or why she did it.”

“Well then why didn't you talk with her when you got out?” Tornadus asked. “I mean, I hate that place, but it's somewhere you'd be comfortable with.”

“I would've, but you scared her off!” he said, back to being mad (really mad this time). “At least, I think you did. Besides, how can I go back to see her? I'm not even sure I'd be able to figure out which Klang she is, or if she'd want to see me now that she knows that I wasn't kidding about who I am and why I was in that pot.” And now he was sulky.

“Hmph. Well you're not going to find out unless you go!” Tornadus then grabbed hold of Thundurus arm and tried to fly him away from his sulking spot.

“Hey, hey! What're you doing?”

“I'm gonna drag you back there since you're chickening out about going yourself.”

“F-fine, but let me go,” Thundurus said, throwing his hold off but following still.

When they landed outside of the entrance to Chargestone Cavern, Landorus was there to meet them. “I'm sure there's some importance to calling me away from the farm,” she said sternly.

Tornadus pushed Thundurus towards her. “Yeah, this guy's lovesick, so we're gonna drag him in here to meet with the object of his adoration. Only it isn't an object this time, since he likes a Klang.”

“I see,” she said.

“Why did you have to get her involved?” Thundurus hissed.

“Hey, I’m not stupid,” Tornadus said. “I'll go back in there to help you look, but only with the both of you to draw the electricity away from me.”

“You're really going to help?” he asked, uncertain.

“What's it look like?” he said, heading into the cavern.

Landorus took Thundurus by the arm and tugged him to follow. “That's sweet,” she said. “Let's go find this Klang so you can introduce her to me. It must be an interesting story if he's entering this place willingly.”

Tornadus turned to them and floated backwards a short ways. “So the plan is, we'll just talk to a bunch of them until you recognize her voice, since you love that so much. Or maybe she'll recognize yours, we'll just have to see. No point being upset about something that may or may not be true; decide on being upset or ecstatic when you hear the truth, right?”

“Oh my lord, he actually sounds intelligent for once,” Thundurus said, making the other two laugh.

He waved it off. “Well don't expect that to last or anything.”

“Good to know that,” Landorus said sarcastically.

As it turned out, their escape had startled the Klang who had let them go. But she did seem glad to talk to Thundurus again. It might just work out this time. But more importantly, Thundurus was in a better mood to start fires and storms with Tornadus, making things immensely better.

…

Tornadus B2/W2 entry: In every direction it flies, creating winds so powerful, they blow everything away.

Thundurus Black entry: Countless charred remains mar the landscape of places through which Thundurus has passed.

Landorus B2/W2 entry: From the forces of lightning and wind, it creates energy to give nutrients to the soil and make the land abundant.

Editor's Note: We here at POS do not recommend using arson for solving life's problems or for entertainment. Campfires are fine, but anything larger than that is not. Except maybe controlled fires to burn undergrowth. At any rate, please do not interpret this story as a suggestion to set fire to things. Remember, only you can prevent forest fires.

 

[Z-nogyroP]

Landorus tended to get furious if he or Thundurus messed up farms that she was watching over, and she could kick both their asses like that.

Uh, PG rating much? Maybe ClicheStorm 2's PG-13 made you forget. Anyhow, I'd change that to butts.

And I'm going out today to buy some cheap candy. Yummy.

 

[Ysavvryl]

I don't think that's quite as bad as some other words. But I went ahead and changed it to 'butts', because that seems like something that Tornadus would say. He has that kind of 'annoying little brother' attitude, lol.

 

[Ysavvryl]

At 575 now...

In process: Victini
On deck: Toxicroak, Bidoof/Anorith/Heatran, Kyurem


Scolipede and Herdier


Elsa- Waaah, it looks more evil than before *cries*. I told you that you shouldn't trust those shifty eyes. Posted 5:12:12 PM, Today

Bobby- Congrats on getting the Scolipede! Spikelord has always been your coolest Pokemon and now he's the best too! Btw, have you tried those new Harvest Song butter pretzels? They have an aura of buttery-ness and are sooo good. Posted 5:12:47 PM, Today

Jaike- Don't be so cocky, farm boy. There's no way you can control that Pokemon now. You were lucky in that he didn't get disqualified as a Whirlipede because he was just barely obeying your orders. I saw how it was impaling those wild Pokemon with just its neck claws. That bloody scene is just going to repeat itself and you're going to make a fool of yourself in the final round because of it. And I won't be the only one who won't ever let you live it down. Posted 5:13:57, Today
-Bobby- that ain't going to happen. Luke's going to win! Posted 5:14:12, Today
--Jaike- ugh. Spikelord would be doing the world a favor by impaling you. Posted 5:16:01, Today
---See More...

Jane- Well, he looks like a mighty fine Pokemon now. Could be a mite rough to get him to listen to ya now even though you were the one to catch him. I'm sure you can handle that. Just remember: you and your Pokemon are a team and thus ought to work together, even to bring a hotheaded member into line. Posted 6:45:32, Today


Luke looked over his profile page, feeling uncertain now. Earlier, he had posted a picture of his newly evolve Pokemon Spikelord in excitement, not even five minutes after the evolution happened. But things had soon gone wrong. The Scolipede didn't want to listen to him anymore. He kept picking fights, only using the moves Luke ordered if he felt like using them himself. Not only that, but he was using those move viciously, intentionally creating nasty wounds on his opponents. Even his poison seemed to be hurting them more. More than one had tried running away, and Luke had to recall Spikelord back to his Pokeball so that he didn't pursue them. If this kept up, then he would end up disqualified from the tournament.

At this stage, it would be particularly embarrassing. The Pokemon World Tournament stadium was currently holding a week-long major competition now, where over a hundred Trainers and teams had signed up. Being an upperclassman of the Trainers School in Striaton and one of its best battlers, Luke had been chosen to represent the school along with two others. Unfortunately, one of his rivals had been chosen as well. Jaike had lost big time on the second day, thus he had been dropped from the roster. He still stuck around to give Luke a hard time. Sometimes it seemed like he was determined to make sure he couldn't win since he had been dropped.

Luke could deal with Jaike. He tolerated the bully, reminding himself often that once they graduated in a couple of months, he'd never have to see Jaike again. However, dealing with Spikelord was a major problem. He couldn't change his team around this late into the tournament, but he only had the next morning to get the Scolipede to cooperate. If he kept fighting that aggressively in the stadium, then they would get disqualified for causing excessive harm. It would be a disgrace to his school, a potential for a lawsuit, and, due to the live worldwide broadcasts, a bad scene that millions of people would remember him for.

With so little time to deal with this and so much pressure to not fail, Luke declined on posting anymore and got offline. Another one of his Pokemon, a Herdier he called Valiant, gave him a curious look as their eyes met. “Aaaooo,” he whined, in a way that seemed concerned.

“I don't have long to do something,” Luke said, petting Valiant. “What should I do about Spikelord? It's nice that Aunt Jane believes in me, but I don't know what she expects out of me.”

He thought about it for the rest of the night, making it hard for him to get to sleep. But by morning, he did have an idea.

-+-

Luke went out to the forested area outside of Driftveil early that morning. As soon as he released Spikelord, the Scolipede started heading off into the trees to find something to fight off the path. But then Valiant ran in front of him, barking and blocking his way. Spikelord hissed and nipped at the air in a threat. That didn't intimidate the Herdier.

“Stay with us, Spikelord,” Luke said, in a strict voice much like the toughest teacher at school. “We've got more training to do today, but if you disobey or get out of line, Valiant's going to bark at you. This way.”

Spikelord didn't seem too happy about that, but he did follow after Luke. Valiant ran alongside the tall Bug, keeping an eye on him and ready to intervene. Really, that should have been obvious, Luke thought. His aunt had given him Valiant as a Lillipup, being the child of the Stoutland she used to keep Pokemon at a ranch from wandering off (among other duties). Valiant was his smartest Pokemon, able and willing to follow any order Luke gave him. Because of that, he would know when to bark a scolding without prompting.

The first battle they found was against a Deerling. Valiant stayed out of the battle, but barked sharply when Spikelord tried to bite it rather than poison it as Luke had asked for. While the Scolipede growled, he did use the move Luke wanted (although the time wasted was enough for the Deerling to attack Spikelord twice). It was working for a while to do this. Hopefully by the end of the morning, Spikelord would obey long enough for the tournament battles without Valiant's barks.

But during a battle against a Tranquill, Spikelord snapped when Valiant and Luke got after him for jabbing his spikes too hard into the bird. He tossed the Tranquill away, causing the bird to flutter off in fright while bleeding. Spikelord then swiped his tail at Valiant; the Herdier managed to jump out of the way, barking all the while.

“Stop it Spikelord!” Luke called. But the Scolipede didn't listen, instead dashing by both of them, swiping his tail at Luke. Luke's heart started pounding in a panic, although he didn't feel hurt. Glancing down, he saw that his shirt had been sliced through, but his Pokemon's tail hadn't touched his skin. That was too close.

Then Spikelord rushed by again, roaring before he grabbed Valiant off the ground and pierced him with his poisonous spikes. Valiant kept barking and squirming to get away, eventually getting dropped to the ground. Although his Pokeball noted him as being poisoned, the Herdier remained on his feet, defiant to the disobedient Scolipede.

“No Spikelord,” Luke said, still trying to get in control of the situation. “Stop! I'm your Trainer, so listen.” When the violent Pokemon growled and glared at Luke, he decided he had to stop this by force. “Valiant, Facade!”

Valiant howled, then rammed himself into the Scolipede. In his desperate state, the blow was enough to flip Spikelord backwards, onto his back and unconscious. The Herdier perked his ears up and looked back at Luke, his tail wagging. However, he was breathing hard and bleeding from the injury near his shoulder.

“Good work, but come back,” Luke said, calling Valiant back as well. Then he hurried away, back into Driftveil. Thankfully, the Pokecenter wasn't far from this entrance to town. But would that closeness be enough? He didn't know if Spikelord would be obedient or if Valiant would be capable of battling today. Either situation could disqualify him.

On being told that Valiant's injury might be bad, the nurse took the Herdier's Pokeball and examined it separately. Then he was taken in back for further care. Since he could only wait now, Luke left the Pokecenter building and went around back, on the road that led to the Gym. There weren't many other buildings this way, so not as many people came. Thus, he was able to release Spikelord and be fairly confident that no one else would be in trouble.

Spikelord seemed to know he was in trouble, somehow. He held his head low, hunched over rather than standing up on his hind four legs in pride. “Currrr,” he said in a somewhat piteous voice.

“Yes, you lost,” Luke said, still using a strict tone with him. “You disobeyed me and you lost. I've been training you for the past year and I’m the reason you've gotten to be so strong. Without me, you'd still be a Venipede. And if you don't get your act together soon and become obedient, then you're not going to get a chance to show anybody how strong you are.”

“Tch tch, scooooo,” Spikelord replied, even more pitiful. He didn't like the idea of not showing off.

“If Valiant isn't well when we get back into the Pokecenter, I'm withdrawing from the tournament,” he said. It wasn't an idle threat either. Yes, they had made it to the final day of competition. But it wouldn't be worth the risk if Valiant's injuries got worse. “And it will be because of you. Now I don't want to give up on you. I also don't want something like this to be repeated. Do you understand?”

Spikelord bowed his head even lower in shame.

Now for a test... he could put Spikelord in his Pokeball if he turned aggressive. “Good. Let's go back in there.” He then walked back to the Pokecenter, his Scolipede walking silently by his side.

Fortunately, the nurse told him that Valiant would be fine for battling later in the day And Spikelord kept to himself, not bothering others in the Pokecenter (even a girl who was speaking rather loudly into her Xtransciever). When Valiant was brought back out, Spikelord bowed to the Herdier, recognizing his victory. Valiant wagged his tail and gave him a friendly paw pat to show that all was forgiven. Seeing that, Luke felt confident that they could go into the tournament's finals without worrying about getting in trouble.

…

Herdier White entry: It loyally follows its Trainer's orders. For ages, they have helped Trainers raise Pokemon.

Scolipede White entry: Highly aggressive, it uses the claws near its neck to dig into its opponents and poison them.

 

[ToeyJoey]

I really need to read these when they're posted instead of waiting to read ten...

Anyway, brilliant as always; the Jellicent one being my pick of this bunch.

Can I request Larvitar/Dwebble?