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Pokedex One-Shots (PG)

Z-nogyroP

whoa whats that
That was sweet, but sad that the Beldum couldn't rejoin, but happy that he could discover his individuality. Nice job!

Now, three more requests:

Alomomola/Vigoroth/Darmanitan

Poliwhirl/Mantine/Cofagrigus

Jellicent/Pawniard/Cranidos

Happy birthday, and good luck with NaNoWriMo!
 

Ysavvryl

Pokedex Researcher
Thanks! I now have White 2 as well as an older game I've wanted for years (Rhapsody), so I'm really happy. As for this entry, I'm kinda glad that Swanna got moved elsewhere. These two alone were a puzzle to put together.

I'm good now on the request list too, lol.

In process: Simisear/Palpitoad
On Deck: Swanna/Azurmarill, Barboach/Shelmet, Golett/Furret/Seadra, Vileplume/Trubbish/Amoonguss, Alomomola/Vigoroth/Darmanitan, Poliwhirl/Mantine/Cofagrigus, Jellicent/Pawniard/Cranidos
Reserved: Lampent (Halloween)


Swadloon and Swoobat


It was a fine autumn evening when the forest was just beginning to show signs of shifting to its more colorful form. Some overeager trees were already bright yellow or orange, while others were barely starting to turn. As the sun rays still pierced through the lush canopy, there was still a large amount of activity from the local Pokemon. It was the time to prepare nests and food stores for winter.

And leaf piles if one was a Swadloon. One such Pokemon was in a maple tree, nipping off one small branch. Then he grabbed it and pulled it close to examine the eight leaves it held. They were all still green. Feeling his stomach murmur, he wondered if he should eat them or preserve them for later use. The various leaf stashes he had around these trees were getting stuffed with leaves that he had put a coating on, so that they stayed green and pliable through the winter. As the leaves were turning, it was almost time to stop gathering; other-colored leaves wouldn't keep as well as green. He had to have loads of leaves to get through winter, though.

As the breeze kicked up, the Swadloon shivered. It was going to be a cold night. In that case, it was better to add these leaves to his current cloak. Maybe eating one. As he ate the first one, he started spinning up some silk to sew with. Then he carefully pulled the other seven leaves off the branch and began stitching them in place.

A group of Pokemon flew by. He thought at first that it was a bunch of Woobats, which was odd enough. But as he looked up on hearing music, he noticed that there were a few Swoobats as well. Sometimes the Woobats would appear during the night, flying out from their cave homes to hunt insects, and even Bug Pokemon like himself. They were something to be cautious of, although a show of strength was often enough to drive them to hunt something weaker. However, he recalled some Pokemon saying that it was a troubling omen to see Swoobats flying around singing.

He didn't remember why that was so. Because of that, he figured it had to be some silly rumor. The Swadloon relaxed and went back to his sewing. He even whistled a little as he thought on how snug he'd be with this cloak of leaves around him.

Once he got done with that, he walked along the branch to find some leaves to preserve and take back to one of his stashes. One leaf pile wasn't as stuffed as the others, so he could take a branch there to work. Before he could find a set of leaves he liked, two of the Swoobats flew into his tree, chasing one another. “Oh hey, this is good,” one said, causing them both to start hovering in the maple tree's branches. “Good evening, snack!”

The Swadloon huffed and shook his leaf cloak. “I'm not going to be your snack.”

“That's fine, because I don't like snacks with attitude,” the other Swoobat said. “Can't take the heat.” Then she laughed.

“Now there's no need to be sassy,” the first Swoobat, apparently a male, said. He swung his tail and made a bouncy mid-air dance. “I was just playing around with this lovely lady and I said that all Pokemon had to agree that she was beautiful. She says I’m just toying with her, but I'm right, right? You think she's beautiful too. Say it!”

The Swadloon looked at the female Swoobat and thought about it. Her dark blue fur was in remarkably nice shape despite being naturally fluffy. Instead of going at all angles like the male's fur, hers flowed in neat lines and was free of knots and mats. And she looked healthy, as far as the Swadloon could tell. But it didn't feel natural saying that something that might hunt him for food was beautiful.

However, he didn't feel too concerned about being eaten. “It's not really my place to say, but if I may, you are like a lovely angel of the dark,” the Swadloon sang. Sang? His eyes widened as he continued, “Though I would really like to ask, why must I sing for this task?”

The male Swoobat laughed and flew closer to him. “Don't question the music! Come on and move it! Everyone come in on my mark and we'll sing to my angel of the dark.”

At that call, a bunch of Pokemon popped into the maple tree and joined in on the spontaneous musical number. There were other Swadloons who had dried seed pods to shake or curled leaves to use as woodwinds. A Simisage had some rocks to bang to keep the beat while a grouping of Pidoves became a chorus. For a moment, the Swadloon wondered if everyone had gone nutty. But as the male Swoobat began crooning, it was hard to resist joining in the song with a smile.

“It's been a wonder that you've joined us,” the Swadloon sang, just singing whatever came into his head. “And it would be a blessing if you didn't eat us. But you are quite the sight to see, with fur the color of the midnight sea. I really don't know how to sing, but your looks make we want to take wing. O lovely angel of the night, I shall ever more remember this sight.”

And then the dancing began. Neither the first Swadloon nor the other participants knew what to do, but they found themselves hopping from branch to branch, kicking legs, turning around, and swaying in well-timed precision. But the most active dancer had to be the male Swoobat, careening around and doing tricks despite the limited space he had to work with between the branches. He flew around the female Swoobat, eventually getting her to giggle and dance around in the air with him. Their happiness was infectious, leaving the other Pokemon to not care anymore and just keep dancing or playing their instruments.

“You silly and sneaky smarmy bat,” the female cooed in teasing tones. “You make a good show of that. But I must know: how long would you stay by my side? Or would you go fly off after one of the others after this night?”

“Lovely angel, I will stay as long as you like,” the male said, letting go of the song. The other Pokemon looked around puzzled, then headed off to what they had been doing before. “Now what of the snack? You may take him.”

The Swadloon, looked around, still in a happy daze. Why had the music gone away? That had been kind of fun. Perhaps he needed to sing and dance more often.

The female Swoobat looked at the Swadloon, then flew out of the tree. “Let him be; he gave us an entertaining distraction. You may have proven your power, but you still need to prove your worth.”

“But I will stay with you!” the male Swoobat said, taking off after her.

A couple minutes later, the Swadloon was able to clear his head from the weird musical feeling. It was getting dark and the temperature was falling. “So that's why they say to avoid the singing Swoobats, because you might end up having to sing along to save your life.” He shivered at recalling how he had been, too happy to avoid being eaten. But with that danger past, he had to focus on the coming danger of cold and the winter. The Swadloon kept checking over the tree for leaves to add to his cloak or stashes.

But now any time he heard a song coming close, he went to hide.



Swadloon White entry: It protects itself from the cold by wrapping up in leaves. It stays on the move, eating leaves in forests.

Swoobat White entry: Anyone who comes into contact with the ultrasonic waves emitted by a courting male experiences a positive mood shift.
 

Z-nogyroP

whoa whats that
That made me smile, it was adorable! I wanted to hug Swadloon for no reason. Maybe just because they look so sad ingame. And considering I fell face-first into concrete and ended up with a bloody face, this was a nice addition to my day. Yay for alliterated entries!
 

pacman000

On a quest to be the best...
I read the Mewtwo/Mew story. It's good; you captured their personalities perfectly, and you provided a nice, but simple, plot.

I hope to read more soon.
 

SonicSceptile

Elite Strategist
Loving these, Ysavvryl. Could I please be on the PM list?
 

Ysavvryl

Pokedex Researcher
Oh my gosh, it's been so long! Sorry, but I ended up crazy busy for the past two months. I mean to make up for it, though! In the meantime, have a story about candy while I do some more prep-work on something special for this project.

No need for a Christmas reserve because, um, special event for POS. Check back next week.

PS: I'd like to hug Swadloon and Sewaddle too!

On Deck: Swanna/Azurmarill, Barboach/Shelmet, Golett/Furret/Seadra, Vileplume/Trubbish/Amoonguss, Alomomola/Vigoroth/Darmanitan, Poliwhirl/Mantine/Cofagrigus, Jellicent/Pawniard/Cranidos


Palpitoad and Simisear


It all started with a simple little accident. A little boy riding on a flying Skarmory dropped an unopened lollipop over a marshy woods. While he was upset over losing his treat, his father was able to distract him from it a short time later. They didn't see where the lollipop fell, although the father only had the Skarmory fly around a brief time trying to spot it.

Not long after that, the brightly colored candy caught the eye of a Palpitoad. He still saw it dangling from a nearby tree, a swirl of a rainbow on a stick with a curling red ribbon tied around the candy's base. He didn't know what it was, but was intrigued by it. Coming close to the edge of the marshy area, he waited a moment to see if it would do anything. He would have preferred to see rain falling, as the muddy patch he called home was more like sludgy dirt than proper mud. But it was still enough for him to hide in.

Before long, he felt small vibrations from the ground; a Pokemon was walking nearby. The Palpitoad looked away from the candy for a moment and saw a Simisear going by. She had thick red fur that was clean and soft looking, the top of it styled a little more than usual. As she was looking around on her walk, she soon spotted the lollipop as well. “Ooooo,” she said, her eyes widening in delight. She got up on the tips of her toes and reached her long arms up towards the candy. But, it turned out to be just out of her reach. That only deterred her a second, as she jumped onto the tree and got hold of the branch the candy was on.

He had seen that first. The Palpitoad crept slowly out of the marsh, letting the mud and grasses disguise his presence. As the Simisear hopped along the branch, it shook just enough to jostle the lollipop loose. There was his chance. Right before it hit the ground, he jumped forward and snapped out his tongue, grabbing the lollipop out of the air. It had a fruity sweet smell to it, more sweet than fruit (and he couldn't recognize the fruit itself). More importantly, it was his.

Screeching in indignation, the Simisear disagreed. She leaped out of the tree towards him, trying to grab the lollipop from him. But from the stickiness of his tongue, he was able to keep a hold of it. He kicked some mud at her when she tried to tackle him. After hopping further away, he gave a throaty chuckle at how the mud had clung to her red fur, something she obviously took great pride in. the Simisear tried to flick the sticky mud off, but only ended up spreading it further. She threw a fireball at him in retaliation. However, it felt more like a tickle to the Palpitoad. He took the lollipop off his tongue and waved it in glee, then jumped back into the mud.

He had thought that she wouldn't dare come after him. After all, he had lost many a pursuer, human and Pokemon, by coming into his 'mucky' muddy water. But it seemed that the treat was more valuable than he realized, as the Simisear came right after him, getting herself covered in mud in order to grab hold of his and hurl him out of the mud. He struck the tree and was dazed for a moment.

Only a moment, which the Simisear spent slipping up trying to get out of the sticky mud. By the time she managed to get out, she was mostly dark brown with mud, with her fur clumped up into misshapen blobs. She still tried to dash over to him and grab the lollipop away while it was in his hand. Grunting, the Palpitoad lashed out his tongue again, wrapping it tight around her arms and torso. Narrowing his eyes, he began to constrict her. He couldn't choke her, not the way his tongue was holding on, but he could teach her not to mess with him.

The Simisear panicked, squirming and twisting in hopes of getting free. But even with the mud on her, he didn't lose his grip. She started spitting fireballs at him, not noticing that they had had little effect before. In her panic, several of the fireballs were thrown wild, striking the bushes and trees nearby. As the rains had not fallen in a while, several bushes and the tree soon caught on fire.

This would not do. The Palpitoad tossed her aside, then hopped away from the burning tree. While her fireballs might not do much, the trees burning could affect even him. He needed to get to a place with more water. However, he couldn't resist showing off his prize for a bit longer and waggled the lollipop in front of the Simisear again. Then he started to wrap the tip of his tongue around the rainbow swirl part, where the sweetness was strongest.

He didn't taste anything but mud. Puzzled, he took his tongue off and turned it around, looking at it. When he licked it again, there was a small crinkling sound. No taste, no matter how sweet it smelled. What was with this thing? It was obviously some human thing. Why would they make something that smell so delicious but lacked any taste at all?

Overhead, there was a squawk as a Swanna flew overhead, carrying one of the humans that called themselves Rangers. The Swanna then summoned a large wave of water to crash over the burning area, trying to get the fire out before it spread too far. Nearby, the Simisear squealed before she was knocked out by the powerful water. It did nothing to the Palpitoad but wash the mud off his body. Not only that, but some of the fire remained, picking up the wind and continuing to burn.

The Palpitoad snorted. Such a mess, all for nothing. As the lollipop no longer interested him, he tossed it to the unconscious Simisear and hopped away, to find another place to be until this area settled down.

An hour later, the Simisear woke up in the Ranger's house. The human had been nice enough not only to heal her up, but to wash the mud out of her lovely red fur as well. Although it wrecked the style she had given herself in an attempt to attract a human friend. She looked around for a mirror to try fixing it and found none. Instead, she saw the rainbow swirl lollipop sitting on a table nearby, untouched.

Delighted to have it at last, she picked it up and carefully untied the ribbon. The cellophane wrapping was sealed with glue, but that was easily torn open. Despite all the mud, fire, and sticky amphibian tongue around it, the candy had come through untouched. The Simisear stuffed the whole thing into her mouth, even though it stretched out her cheeks in order to fit.

It was completely worth it.



Simisear Black entry: It loves sweets because they become energy for the fire burning inside its body.

Palpitoad B/W 2 entry: It lives in the water and on land. It uses its long, sticky tongue to immobilize its opponents.
 

lindsy95

FC: 4428-2451-8791
That was cute ^.^

One should always unwrap candy before eating it...

Well, now you don't need to write a Halloween special for next year, lol.
 

Ysavvryl

Pokedex Researcher
Well that depends on if I'm still working on this by next Halloween. After all, I'm getting close having only a hundred Pokemon left to cover.

This story started out one way, but then went another way and turned out a lot better, I think. I did not check actual moves for this one, basing what goes on just by the 'dex entries. And yes, the schedule's a bit weird right now. I have something interesting planned for Christmas that I was going to start this week, but to do it correctly it'll come later this month instead.

On Deck: Swanna/Azurmarill, Golett/Furret/Seadra, Vileplume/Trubbish/Amoonguss, Alomomola/Vigoroth/Darmanitan, Poliwhirl/Mantine/Cofagrigus, Jellicent/Pawniard/Cranidos


Barboach and Shelmet


Mallory woke up that morning with a smile on her face. It was her tenth birthday! And with that, she could become a real Pokemon Trainer with her own Pokemon, not just the ones her parents let her borrow. That was only the beginning though. Once she had a Pokemon of her own, she could opt out of boring school in favor of a grand adventure through Unova, winning battles, becoming popular, being on TV to be loved and admired by everyone... it would be great! She jumped out of bed and ran downstairs, eager for things to get started.

Her mother and grandmother had made a special birthday breakfast for everyone, pancakes with sausage and fruit. They even made sure that Mallory's pancakes had chocolate chips in them, which nobody else got. “Happy birthday, princess,” her father said, hugging her. “We'll be having your party in the evening, but we thought we could give you one present early.”

“Really?” she asked, excited because she already knew what they were doing as she overheard them yesterday. But they wanted it to be a surprise, so she'd be surprised.

“We got this specially for you, from where we live,” her grandfather said, giving her a small rectangle gift box.

“Cool!” Mallory said, pulling off the ribbon so that she could take the top off. Inside, there were two sections to the gift. One side had five Pokeballs. The other side had a single Pokeball, but one that had its status light active. “Yay, I got a Pokemon!” she said, pulling out the one active ball. “And some Pokeballs to get more. Thanks Granpa, Granma!”

“You're welcome,” her grandmother said, smiling warmly. “We hope it's a good friend to you.”

She admired the Pokeball for a moment. It was hers and nobody else's... that was wonderful. “Yeah! What kind is it?” She released it to the floor near her chair, hoping for something cute and fluffy, but mostly unlike anything her classmates would get.

What appeared was quite the opposite of cute and fluffy. It was some kind of fish, with gray scales, small blue fins, and large black whiskers. Making a wet splat as it flipped around on the kitchen floor, it looked up at her with odd black fish eyes. It didn't even make a cute sound; it just looked at her.

“She's a Barboach, quite a useful Pokemon,” her grandfather said. “I remember you admiring the Water Pokemon last time we visited, so I decided to get one of them. This Barboach, if you train her up well, can take you just about anywhere across water, even underwater if you find the right move-teacher machine. Not only that, but they are born from hardened mud, so they can withstand moves that most other Water Pokemon would be badly hurt by. People usually don't expect that.”

“Oh,” did she really want a Pokemon born out of mud? Sure, she had liked some of the Water Pokemon they had seen in the aquarium, but she didn't remember seeing this one. Mallory wasn't sure about this Pokemon, but she didn't want to hurt her grandfather's feelings. “That could help. I guess.”

“Are you sure about this?” her father asked of Grandad. It sounded like he wasn't sure about the gift Pokemon either.

“Certainly,” he said. “It'll give her a tremendous edge over the other kids.”

“But it's...” her father thought about it a second, “more like a boy's Pokemon, isn't it?”

Grandad gave him a dismissive wave of his hand. “Are you so far behind on the times? Stuff like doesn't matter to kids these days, right Mallory?”

“Yeah,” she said, uncertain still. She got out of her chair and went to pick up the Barboach. However, its scales turned out to be slippery and slimy, like soap. Mallory tried again.

“We figured that we'd give your Pokemon to you early, so you could spend the day out with her,” her grandfather said, cheered by her verbal agreement. “And the extra Pokeballs are to help build your team. In fact, if you want to take a little challenge from me, I might give you some more things that will be helpful to a new Trainer.” He winked.

Mallory finally got a hold of the Barboach in both of her hands, picking her up to her chest. She didn't look any better up close, and the Pokemon didn't seem sure about being held. Despite that, the challenge could be interesting. Her grandfather made up lots of fun games. “Sure, I'll try! What do I do?”

“You go out to the places where wild Pokemon are and capture the first Pokemon you see,” he said. “You do remember from the Trainer classes how to do that, right?”

“Right!” Mallory said, hopeful that she might get a nicer Pokemon out in the woods. After all, there were adorable Deerling out there.

Then the Barboach squirmed to escape Mallory's grasp, slithering up out of her arms and slapping her face.

-+-

Midmorning of her tenth birthday and Mallory's excitement was already fizzling. The sky was gray with clouds. Although that wasn't unusual for Driftveil, she had hoped that it would be sunny for her special day. It would've been nice, since she ended up with a mud fish Pokemon as her starter and her best friend had to be out of town for the party. And as she headed out onto Route 6, she had to walk through the muddy forest in order to get to the nearest place she could catch another Pokemon. That meant that she couldn't show off her cute pink skirt and yellow shirt outfit, as she needed to wear her mud boots, rain coat, and rain hat just in case. Although once she was out of her house, she unbuttoned the coat so it didn't look quite as tacky.

But there was still good that could come out of this, she thought. She knew that a Water Pokemon would do well against the local Gym, so she could get a badge soon. Then she could really head out and be free to do whatever. No more sitting around in old classrooms listening to long lectures and taking hard tests. No more having to deal with the school bullies. No more just being a nobody. In time, everyone would be watching her as a great Pokemon Trainer, admiring how well she did and how cute she was. Everyone would know her name. That would be worth a disappointing beginning! Besides, if she got a Deerling out here, nobody outside of her family had to know that the Barboach was the Pokemon she actually started with.

Mallory paused at the start of the tall grass where Pokemon lived. It came up to her chest, with occasional movements showing where the Pokemon were. However, she couldn't see what those Pokemon were. “Please have a Deerling be close,” she said quietly, then walked into the grass holding onto the Barboach's Pokeball. She hadn't wanted to walk through town with the ugly little fish flopping after her.

A few steps in, the toe of her boot hit something hard. Looking down, she saw something metallic in the grass. A lost item? She bent down to pick it up, but then it split in half and something bright pink peered out at her with a large blue eye. It then closed up and hopped away to an open patch of the grass.

That was a Pokemon, a, a... a Shelmet. It was odd, because she had only seen them in pictures before. How come she never saw them on this route before when she took walks with her parents? Or had she just forgotten about it? It was no Deerling, but it wasn't exactly ugly either. Odd looking, that's all it was.

For a moment, Mallory considered just walking on and ignoring the Shelmet in favor of finding a Deerling. But, her grandfather had challenged her to catch the first Pokemon she saw. She could just say that she didn't see this one first. Still, it didn't seem right to lie to Grandad, even if his choice of Pokemon was way off. She could give it a chance (and hopefully keep enough Pokeballs to get a Deerling), so she hurried after the Shelmet.

It stopped in the open patch and turned to open its metal shell up and look at her. Mallory released the Barboach onto the muddy ground. Okay, um, attack it,” she said.

The Barboach twitched her whiskers and looked back at her.

“I don't know how exactly,” she said, pointing to the Shelmet. “Show me what you can do.”

Still hesitating to move, the Barboach looked over at the Shelmet. It lowered the top half of its shell, pulling its pink body back inside. Neither of them seemed ready to fight.

“What is it?” Mallory said, crouching down and prodding her Pokemon. The fish flipped herself around, slapping some mud on her. “Ick, why'd you do that?” she said, getting up. “I'm going to where I won't get muddy.” Then she walked back into the grass.

That seemed to do it, for some reason. When she turned around, the Barboach had slapped a much larger spray of mud at the Shelmet. It tried to keep the mud out, but had to open its shell to spit a gross-looking booger at her. Watching that, Mallory wasn't so sure about getting it again. The Barboach slapped more mud at the Shelmet, then flipped herself around in such a way that she tackled it. This battle seemed a lot more dirty than she had been expecting.

While the Barboach had been hit a couple more times, the Shelmet had definitely taken some hard hits. At least that's what Mallory thought. She dug out one of the inactive Pokeballs while the two Pokemon exchanged a few more attacks. Then she ran out into the small opening again. “Okay, I’ll get it, for Grandad!”

This time, the Barboach actually made a sound, a squelchy kind of squeak. The Shelmet was in the middle of its spitting attack, but got distracted when the girl ran back into the battle. Instead of hitting the mud fish, it hit Mallory's legs through her open coat. Immediately, the Shelmet's eyes widened in panic and it hopped away back towards the bushes.

“That was disgusting!” Mallory said, trying to wipe the booger off. But it was really sticky, clinging to her hand now. “Somebody needs to teach you some manners... hey, come back!” She started to head for the bush the Shelmet had disappeared into. It would be so embarrassing to admit that the first Pokemon she tried to catch had run off.

The Barboach whined, almost like she was worried. She flopped after Mallory, her agitation giving her some quickness. Unexpectedly, the Shelmet emerged back from the bushes, holding something small between the edges of its shell.

“At least you listened that time,” Mallory said, activating the Pokeball she had in hand and tossing it at the Shelmet.

It absorbed the Pokemon, but bounced a bit and got half-coated in mud. After it twisted and got more muddy, it clicked as it locked the Pokemon to it. Not even a struggle. Sighing in relief, Mallory went over and picked up the mucky Pokeball. At least she had met her grandfather's challenge and kept four free Pokeballs to get a Deerling with.

However, the Shelmet soon released itself. “Shhurruu,” it said, trying to hold up the tip of its shell to her. The item was still there, a berry.

“That's a Pokemon berry, not a people berry,” Mallory said. “Don't come out on your own; it's rude. You keep it. We're going to find a Deerling now.” But then the Barboach jumped right in her path, causing her to trip over the fish and fall face first into the muddy ground. That was too much; her face burned in embarrassment and anger. “What was that for?! I never asked for an ugly fish like you. I was supposed to get an awesome cute Pokemon for my birthday and for some reason, Grandad got me you and the first Pokemon I find is some weird bug thing that misbehaves weird. Why do you have to be so mean to me, especially on my birthday? I hate you both! I'm not going to keep either of you! This day couldn't get any worse.” Then she burst into tears.

As if nature was conspiring to make her birthday miserable too, a downpour of rain started without warning over Route 6. Mallory didn't really care and stayed there crying. She didn't want to go back home like this, all sticky and messy and a disgrace. After a moment, the Barboach and the Shelmet both approached her. The fish nuzzled her knee while the odd bug tried to offer her the berry again.

Then someone came up beside her, not dressed for the rain like she was but not bothered by it at all. “Shelmet wants you to eat the berry,” he said, crouching down by her. “She says that she's very sorry for hitting you, as she wasn't expecting you to get in the middle of their battle. She wants to help you now, because you might have gotten poisoned.”

“Huh?” Mallory asked, looking over at the guy. He had long green hair and the face of a nice person, but she didn't know who he was.

“They're trying to help you,” he said patiently. “They want to be your friends.”

For a moment, she wanted to be stubborn and say again that she didn't want either of these messy Pokemon. But then she realized that he might have been right about the poisoning. “I don't feel so good,” she whimpered.

The strange man took the berry from the Shelmet and gave it to her. “Eat that; it should help. I'll take you to the hospital so that they can make sure you're okay.” Once she did eat it, he picked her up and carried her back to Driftveil.

-+-

Mallory's parents and grandparents were all fretting over her when they showed up in the hospital. “I wasn't thinking that something this bad was going to happen to you,” her grandfather said, hugging her.

“I'm okay now,” she said, although feeling a little scared still. She looked over at the two Pokemon sitting on the bed with her. The strange man had left soon after dropping her off, but the two Pokemon had stayed with her the whole time. “This Shelmet made sure of that,” she said, reaching over to her. The bug didn't even hide in her shell, but let her pet her inner pink body.

“That's a good Pokemon,” her father said. “They should help you a lot when you go traveling.”

“Mmmm, I think I’m gonna stay in school for a little while longer,” Mallory said, looking down. That seemed safer, making sure she was better prepared.

And, she thought that she would keep both of these Pokemon too. Even if they weren't what she really wanted, they had both tried to help even though she didn't realize it. They could be good friends too. But what about that strange man? If she saw him again, maybe she could thank him for telling her that. But then how had he known it?



Barboach Platinum entry: Its slimy body is hard to grasp. In one region, it is said to have been born from hardened mud.

Shelmet Black entry: When attacked, it defends itself by closing the lid of its shell. It can spit a sticky, poisonous liquid.
 

Ysavvryl

Pokedex Researcher
Well here's the Pokemon I meant to use for Halloween, lol. Now it's in a Christmas-y story!

On deck: Twelve Days of Pokemon (start 12/25)


Lampent


It was a cold evening, with snow falling slowly. Lightposts decorated with garlands lit up the streets while a radio played holiday music, but some of the alleys were dim and quiet. Within one, a Lampent was just waking up. He had spent the day attached to the wall of this skyscraper, looking like an out of place black iron lamp. In the past, he might have blended in, but in all of his memories, he had only found two lamps that looked anything like him. Still, most humans didn't come this way to notice him.

Most. His blue flame was starting to burn energy from a living creature; one of the humans had gotten close to him. Without opening his eyes, he heard the light footsteps of children and smelled the sweat of nervousness. The Lampent opened his yellow eyes halfway, causing the children to pause. It was three boys; none of them had snowballs or water buckets. Believing that whatever they had in mind wouldn't be harmful, he closed his eyes again. The energy he drew from them wouldn't be much, easily recovered with sleep. But it would keep him going until he found something more suitable for eating.

One boy gave a soft sigh of relief, while another tried to hush him from the noise. Something jingled... jingled? It caused the boys to freeze up for a moment, but he humored them by appearing to still be sleeping. Then one of them got close enough to tie something to his right arm. While it wasn't heavy, it did jingle when he shook his arm, causing the boy to yelp and jump back. The Lampent then opened his eyes and looked down at the boys. He made an eerie call, which caused them to run off in fright. But a short time later, he heard laughter and proud shouts from them.

Looking at their 'prank', the Lampent saw a trio of silver jingle bells attached to his right arm by a shiny gold ribbon. He had heard the humans speaking lately about the holiday spirit, so were they trying to give that to a spirit? He shook his arm, making the silver bells jingle. Actually, it was a pleasing little thing, so he wouldn't mind wearing it for a little while. He detached himself from the wall and began to wander in the dark areas of Castelia City.

This was a place where many humans and Pokemon lived. Many died as well, but most of them were taken care of so that their spirits did not wander. As for the spirits that were not put to rest quickly, he hunted for them. His fires burned from the energy they had. It was not from maliciousness that he did so, just need for fuel. When he had been a Litwick, he had heard from an older Lampent that they were set to do this so that the lost spirits did not remain, drawing other souls of the dead to them and growing in numbers until the area was turned into a necropolis. But he always felt it was because it was better to hunt the lost souls of the dead than to burn the life energy of the living. While he did not burn much living energy, the steady loss would weaken the other until they grew ill and died.

A rock clattering on the wall near him made the Lampent turn alert. There was a woman standing in a doorway to the alley. “You keep away from our business, spirit,” she told him harshly. “We don't need you cursing the area.”

Maybe it was a noble purpose to keep the world in balance, or maybe it was just a courtesy for the living. Whichever reason it was, humans generally didn't think of that and feared them. The Lampent quietly moved on, trying to avoid running into another. It was a regular night to him. Except for the little prank, he thought, shaking the bells again. Or had it been an unintended gift? He liked it.

As the night went on, fewer humans were out in the streets. There were some other Pokemon wandering around, braving the cold for scraps of food the humans might have left behind. Not many other Ghost Pokemon, though. He had been born in another place, but this was where he made his home even though he was unusual for this city. Most nights, it was a good place to him. But he wasn't able to find a lost spirit tonight either. That worried him. He could stay lit for a while on living energy, but he didn't want to depend on it. At one time, that had caused something tragic. He needed to keep searching.

He passed by one alley and saw a human child in it. At first, he moved on, but something bothered him. The Lampent turned back and floated by the alley again. There was a little girl there, dressed inappropriately for the weather in a pink Audino nightgown and matching slippers. Feeling that something had to be wrong, he went into the alley to investigate. He worried about scaring her, so he made the silver bells jingle and tried not to be as eerie when he called to her.

“Ooo, what pretty fire,” the girl said, smiling and not scared of him. “Are you a Christmas spirit? Because I was looking for one to make things good again. I was sure there were angels out tonight because of all the glowing snowflakes and pretty music. Are you one? I can dance good, so I can be an angel too once I learn to sing.” Then she spun around on the spot.

The Lampent didn't know a lot about humans, but he was certain that this wasn't normal behavior from one. Dangerous too; she would freeze to death if she stayed out much longer like this. While that would give him the spirit energy he was looking for, that wasn't how he wanted to find it. He went past her, feeling her energy as he came close. That told her that the girl was sick already. Shaking the bells, he waited at the other end of the alley.

That got her to follow him. “Where are you going? Can I come too? I never saw an angel with blue fire for wings.”

As long as she followed him to somewhere safe, he didn't mind whatever she called him. The Lampent looked around the street, but many of the buildings here had lights out. Down the street, there was a blue sign that he had learned was a sign of the police. The street was empty. He turned to keep an eye on her, fortunate because she was getting distracted in the snowflakes. Shaking the bells and calling for her attention, the Lampent led her over a block to where the police station was.

Once there, there was another problem. The police station was made so that it was protected from many things, including a Ghost Pokemon passing through its walls. Not only that, but his arms did not end in hands. The Lampent knocked on the door, hoping for a quick response. He tried to cut off taking in any new energy, but the girl was sick and it wouldn't take much from his power to make things worse for her.

“What's the matter?” the girl asked. She took hold of the handle, but the door proved to heavy for her to move. So she started knocking on the door as well.

It wasn't long after that when a policeman came to the door and opened it. “What are you doing out so late with your Pokemon, little lady?” he asked. “It's not a night to be out, especially as you are.”

“I found a Christmas spirit!” she said, deliriously cheerful in her illness. “I was getting so hot inside and then I followed pretty lights until I found it. It's going to make everything better.”

The policeman took her hand, examining her face. “I see. You'd better come inside and tell me how to call your parents. You might need to be in the hospital.” He then looked at the Pokemon. “Thank you Lampent. You might've saved her life. Would you like to come in as well?”

The Lampent warbled back, hoping for the real angels to look after the girl from that point. Then he turned and went back into the dark alleyways. He had done all that he safely could.

The next night, he woke up to an unexpected gift from the policeman: a Pokemon Christmas treat made of seeds and berries rolled up with honey and peanut butter. While it wasn't as good as finding a lost spirit for fuel, it would keep him going for a few more nights. And the police treated with respect for the rest of his nights.



Lampent Black entry: This ominous Pokemon is feared. Through cities it wanders, searching for the spirits of the fallen.
 

Ysavvryl

Pokedex Researcher
Given that I've missed a number of weeks this year due to this, that, and the other thing, I've decided to do a twelve days of Christmas special for POS! I'm going to try my best to get twelve straight days of this for you. It's not exact to the carol, since I don't have a lot of choice left. But I used a lot of what was on the request list to order it. It's for the traditional twelve days.

For the first day of Christmas... a story of hope. And warm wishes for victims of Hurricane Sandy and other large storms this year; I hope next year is a good one for all of you.

In process: Twelve days of Christmas
On deck: Poliwhirl/Mantine/Cofagrigus


Tranquill


When he woke up, the ocean had calmed down to its usual rhythm. Feeling that was a good sign, the Tranquill came out of the hole he had been hiding in overnight. The sky was blue, streaked with thin clouds. The sun was shining and it seemed all right above. But on the ground, it was a much different sight. Debris littered the beach: bits of metal, soggy papers, a sign from a Pokecenter, siding from a house, even a battered boat far up the shore. Trees had been snapped and toppled. A great storm had passed through last night, destroying everything.

It had nearly destroyed him. He had been trying to protect his Trainer, who had decided to go out in the storm. While he had tried to convince her to go back inside where it was safe, she felt that something was more important to go outside for. She had lost his Pokeball and when he had retrieved it, the wind had caught him and blown him into the air. Normally, he was perfectly comfortable in the sky, but with the heavy rain and immense winds, he had been caught helpless. The Tranquil had clutched the Pokeball in his foot and accidentally caused it to pull him in.

That might have saved him, for he had been unable to come back out until the Pokeball was thrown into the sand here. He had not recognized this place, although the storm made it hard to see anything. Picking up his Pokeball in his beak, he had gone into the first hole he saw and hunkered down in there to be safe.

Even by the calm day, he didn't recognize the place he was at. He wondered if his Trainer was safe. He wouldn't be a good Pokemon if she had gotten hurt. But he hadn't been able to help it, right? So it wouldn't be his fault. Still, he needed to find her. The Tranquill put his Pokeball in his left foot, making sure that he wouldn't send himself in it again. Then he took off into the air.

After ascending to his usual flight level, he could see that he had ended up on an island. There was a shoreline off in the distance. With that, he could orient himself; he had to be east of the mainland. He headed towards the shore, back to the spot where he had lost his Trainer. That might not be where he would find her, but it would be good to start.

The waters between the island and the mainland were still this morning. Like at the beach, there were many pieces of debris floating around. There were no boats, unusual for this area. But after that storm, who knew how many of the boats were still in good shape. It was frightening that so much damage could happen so quickly.

Through signals from the sun's light, the earth's magnetism, and the wind's feel, the Tranquill easily found the spot where the storm had taken him away. He flew in circles around it for a little while, finding some humans but not his. The damage here wasn't as bad as some places he had flown over: most of the buildings were still standing, although unprotected windows were shattered and several trees had toppled over. Maybe inside somewhere? He called out to other Pokemon around, but most everyone had come out already and none that were inside seemed to be his girl. He checked out the building they had been in, and even found the one she had been headed to. Not there.

Still, he wasn't going to give up. He knew of two Pokecenters in this city, so he flew to both in case she was there. He went inside one and found several Trainers. With the storm over, a great many other Pokemon had come here if they got separated from their Trainers. The Tranquill was seen as he was, simply another lost Pokemon searching for his human. In the sitting area, there was a nurse busily calling Trainers of those Pokemon. While he could simply wait there as well, he wanted to find his girl on his own. It was the pride of his kin that they could find any place that they had been to once, and could find any person or Pokemon important to them. He left and kept searching.

He checked the other Pokecenter, but she wasn't there. He flew to a hotel they had stayed at, the home of another friend of hers, and a place they had trained at for many days. Not finding her at any of those places, he paused on a rooftop and stopped to think. Where could she be? She was always on the reckless side; he remembered one time when she had descended down a deep rocky canyon with little more than some rope. He had tried to offer to fly her wherever she wanted in there, but she only accepted that offer when night had fallen and she was too tired from her hike to climb back out. Another time, she had challenged a tough Water Gym with only him. They had barely managed to squeak by even though he had tried his hardest to win for her. She usually managed to get out of the trouble she got in, usually with his help. But, maybe she hadn't this time?

But, she couldn't be dead! He wasn't going to accept that until he found her that way. The Tranquill shook out his wings and sang a defiant song. The storm might have taken him away, but he would find her! With that confidence, he had a strong feeling that he should check out a hospital in the city. He took off once more and went straight there.

Much of the hospital was boarded up still, but activity coming in and out indicated that it was still in use. A large generator by the building was busily providing power; the city had defended this place well and their efforts had paid off. The Tranquill landed on the ground near an entrance, then shifted his Pokeball from his foot to his beak. Then he hopped inside. While there were a lot of ways to go, he followed his instinct without hesitation.

Eventually, he came to a door that wouldn't open automatically for him. He scratched at the door with his foot for attention. A nurse came up from behind him. “Come to find someone, have you?” he said. Then he pressed a button on the side before pulling the door open. “Keep quiet and well-behaved. You should be able to stay that way.”

The Tranquil bobbed his head in appreciation, then hopped on through so the man could come through with his cart of supplies. After traveling past several rooms, he finally found his Trainer. In a room with another patient, she was wrapped up in many bandages, especially around her torso. She was breathing though, thankfully alive. The Tanquill put his Pokeball down on a nearby table, then chirped quietly for her attention. When she didn't wake up, he nudged her gently in a spot that wasn't bandaged up.

“That your Trainer?” the nurse asked, coming into the room as well. “She got hurt badly last night, brought in when the hurricane's eye was over us. The doctors have done what they could. Now we're taking care of her and hoping her condition improves.”

The Tranquil didn't entirely understand what the nurse was saying now, but he seemed to be worried yet reassuring. But the Pokemon was sure that his Trainer would get better. She wasn't the sort who would give up either, not in any odds. Giving a short song of bravery, the Tranquill checked out the room to find somewhere to settle in and keep an eye on his girl. He'd be here when she woke up, and he'd keep her safe until she was better. That was the only plan that he would accept.



Tranquill Black entry: It can return to its Trainer's location regardless of the distance separating them.
 

Ysavvryl

Pokedex Researcher
For the second day of Christmas... a story about family. Make sure that those you love know that it is so.

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


Vullaby and Mandibuzz


There was a breeze, enough to carry leaves in lazy flight. On the ground below, there was a layer of mud from the recently passed rain. There weren't any bigger Pokemon hanging around to cause trouble. It seemed like the perfect time. Stretching her tiny black wings out wide, Vullaby readied herself. “I'll do it today!” she said. Then she started running (more accurately, waddling) as fast as she could to the edge of the cliff. “Yaaaaaaaaa!”

Then the ground ended under her and she was still moving forward. The breeze moved around her wings. For a moment, she thought, 'I did it!' And then she plummeted downward. Vullaby tried frantically to flap her wings and fly, but all it did was turn her about in the air. She pulled her legs up and landed with a bone-snapping crack. Fortunately, they weren't her own bones.

Unfortunately, the source of the sound was the bone armor she wore. It fell to pieces off of her. “Oh no, I'm naked!” she cried, looking around flustered for something to cover up her weaker belly and rear area. But there wasn't anything down here; all of the bones were stored up near the nest. She'd have to get back up there.

Up the cliff, when she couldn't even fly by running off it. Vullaby felt disappointed that she couldn't, but worry about someone attacking her like this pushed her to try. The cliff was jagged, so she might be able to jump up the rocks. For the first few jumps, it was simple. But then her feet got hold of a weak muddy rock, which threatened to crumble under even her small weight. Vullaby kept her wings out while trying to balance, but that moved the rock enough that it broke off. Quickly, she jumped to another rock that was so small that she could barely get both of her feet on it.

“I wish I could fly,” she said, looking up at the sky.

There, she saw her mother Mandibuzz circling around to watch the ground. Then, Mandibuzz dove down. A bellow followed and she returned to the sky carrying a living Bouffalant in her claws. The land Pokemon struggled to hit her, but Mandibuzz simply hurled it back to the ground when she got above a nearby tree. Bouffalant bellowed again, daring her to come down and fight. However, she wouldn't follow that and climbed back into the sky again.

Vullaby watched the whole scene in admiration. “I want to fly and be strong and beautiful like that,” she said. Then she clicked her beak and lifted her head. “I will be! But I want that time to come soon.”

For now, she had to work on getting back to her mother's nest. Vullaby continued to jump from place to place, watching more carefully now for weak points. Once, she had to grip into a patch of dirt in the cliff because there wasn't a better place to go from the last spot. She worried about it giving way, but the clay held strong. When she was less than a foot from the top, she landed on a spot that started to slide her back down to the bottom. Not wanting to do that climb all over again, she flapped her wings and jumped with all her might to reach another foothold, then the top.

She hurried away from the edge once she reached the top. Then she turned around and spent a moment catching her breath. “Phew, that was a lot of work,” she said to herself. “I wish there was an easier place to learn flying, so I could do it myself.” However, there was still the matter of replacing her armor. She went to the hole in the rocks where her mother stored the bones.

Later on, Mandibuzz returned with a fresh meal in her claws. “Time to eat,” she said, but then peered into the bone hole. “Vullaby dear, what are you doing?”

“Ummm...” She looked around at the various bones that she had been trying to piece together. “I had to replace my armor, so I thought I'd make it pretty like yours. I tried to do what you do, but it won't work.” She tried to duck her head under her wings, worried about getting scolded for breaking her armor.

However, Mandibuzz chuckled at that. “There's magic to it, and I haven't taught it to you. Go wear one of the skulls; it suits you better than trying to cobble smaller bones into the right shape.”

“Okay, Momma,” she said, disappointed that she'd have to stick with the skulls. Finding a clean and dry one of the right size, she flipped it upside-down and put her legs through the eye holes.

As she came out, Mandibuzz nudged her towards the food. “Now how did you lose your armor?”

“I wanted to fly,” Vullaby said, pointing to the edge of the cliff. She explained how she thought the moving air would help her get started, but then it wasn't enough to carry her and she had to climb back up. “Do you think if I tried when the winds were stronger, I could fly?”

“No, don't try that,” her mother said. “Stronger winds would just blow you around and you could get hurt. The problem isn't the wind, it's your wings. They're too small to support you now.”

“Oh?” She spread her wings out, but even that didn't match the length of one of her mother's wings. “But I thought mine had gotten bigger today.”

Mandibuzz nudged her chin, to better her posture. “Just a little. You won't be able to fly for a long time. Focus on making your body stronger and someday, you'll be able to grow into a Mandibuzz like me.”

Vullaby's eyes widened. “And I'll be strong and beautiful like you? But how do I get that strong? I want to fly soon so you'll be proud of me!”

Laughing again, Mandibuzz bumped her head affectionately into Vullaby's. “But I am proud of you. You got all the way up the cliff on your own, which is quite a feat for a young one like you. You're the best gift ever given to me and I'll always love you, no matter what. For now, you need to battle others and be patient. You'll grow up when the time is right.”

“Okay, Momma,” she said. Hearing that more than made up for the disappointment in falling off the cliff today.

Mandibuzz then got some blood from their meal. “I could show you more closely how we make beautiful things with bones and blood. You might be able to do something simple; if not, just keep practicing every meal until you get it right.”

Watching closely, Vullaby started thinking about what kind of bone decoration she wanted to wear first. It was a good day after all.



Vullaby B2/W2 entry: Their wings are too tiny to allow them to fly. They guard their posteriors with bones that were gathered by Mandibuzz.

Mandibuzz White entry: Watching from the sky, they swoop to strike weakened Pokemon on the ground. They decorate themselves with bones.
 

Z-nogyroP

whoa whats that
...

I was busy all month, so I could barely comment. Now I have to handle five at once.

FUUUUUUUUU

Anyway, onto the stories!

Simisear/Palpitoad: Lol, that was fun. I hope Simisear's fur gets better, though. And Palpitoad was somewhat jerkish, which I enjoyed.

Barboach/Shelmet: That was sweet. Half the girls I know would have just passed up the both of them, and gotten a Deerling instead.

Lampent: I wouldn't have imagined such a creepy Pokemon would work so well in a Christmas scene. Charming, really.

Tranquill: I figured you'd use that entry, as it's Tranquill's most interesting. So sweet. I hope his trainer gets better soon ;-;

Vullaby/Mandibuzz: Dammit, Ysavvryl, why are you so awesome at writing adorable? Vullaby made me snicker.

Hmm, for the seven lords-a-leaping, could you do something with Tornadus/Thundurus/Landorus? Thanks, and I'll try to respond more often.

What will you do for the three red hens? You're running out of Flying types.
 

Ysavvryl

Pokedex Researcher
I have all of the Pokemon for this picked out. A lot of them are a stretch, though, like this one. I know the line as 'three French hens', and somehow landed on gossipy Snubbulls, lol. Others are what were on the request list, mostly the latter half of the carol.

For the third day of Christmas... a story about tolerance. Maybe. Or maybe it's kissing under the mistletoe!

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


Pachirisu and Snubbull


Sitting in a tree on a warm summer evening, Philippe the Pachirisu was busily grooming his tail. He was very particular about his appearance, making sure that his white fur stayed white and soft. After all, one never knew when a chance for a romantic encounter would come by. He sometimes thought about staying with a human, as then he could stay inside and get access to professional grooming. But, there was a risk of ending up with an adventurous Trainer. Even if he found one that wasn't, there would be more restrictions in going out and about. So he was going to stick to the city park, taking care of his own appearance.

As he brushed through his tail, he kept coming up with paws of loose fur. That was fine, as it gave him material for one of his hobbies. He gathered up all of the fur he was getting into one clump, which he kept in a split between two branches so that it didn't get lost. Once his grooming was done, he busily patted and rolled the clump into a ball. He also brushed it against the yellow pouches on his cheeks where he stored electricity, to give it some extra snap. After some work, he had a white puff of a fur ball that crackled with static every time it was touched.

“Another perfect puff,” Philippe said to himself proudly. He tossed it up into the air, bumping it lightly with his knuckles to keep it aloft. Over the months of his life, he had mastered a technique to make sure that his fur puffs kept their static for much longer than any other Pachirisu's puff. He liked playing with them, but always ended up putting them in with his food store. It kept other Pokemon from raiding his berries and nuts, as well as keeping them fresh longer. At least, he thought so.

He played with it a bit, then started thinking about what to do. It was too early in the night to be going to sleep, although a good number of his kin preferred to sleep once the sun fell. But the evening was the perfect time for romance! Such a pity that they didn't agree with him. Looking around, he considered plotting out how to woo a particular Pachirisu girl who lived in a really nice tree nearby.

Then he saw something that astounded him. It made his jaw drop so much that it should have fallen right out of the tree and onto the ground. Over on a table that sat on a hotel balcony close to his tree, there was a snowy white ball of fluff that was as big as he was. Philippe had never seen a fluff ball that big before. Even if he worked all his life, gathering his loose fur and carefully patting it together, he didn't think he could make one that big ever. He had to have a closer look.

Glancing at his newest fluff ball, he considered tossing it but decided to take it along as he bounded through the branches and onto the railing of the balcony. A quick hop and he was right next to the large fluff. Taking a hold of a piece, he noticed that it was a loose heap rather than an actual ball and that it was made of feathers. But the feathers were so fluffy and soft, puffed up just with air. How would it look when energized with static?

“I bet this could make me irresistible,” he said in a quiet voice, pulling on the strand and finding that it was one long piece. He thought about taking off with it, but then he heard girlish giggling going on nearby. Noticing that it came from inside the hotel, he moved to the edge of the table quietly and glanced around.

The door was mostly shut, but it was made of glass so he could see three unusual Pokemon inside. They had reddish-pink fur with light blue spots; their coats shone from special care and grooming attention. Their large ears were floppy, split in such a way that they seemed to have four. As they were gathered in a tight circle, he couldn't see their faces well. But from where he could see, they seemed cute.

“Must be travelers with their Trainer,” Philippe said, rubbing his chin. Then he grinned. “All the more reason to try this out on them!” He pulled on the feather fluff and started to wrap it around himself.

First, he did some around his neck, with an end of it hanging in front of his chest. Humans were fond of scarves, which were said to be highly fashionable, so he would wear it as a scarf. But it was much to long to just be a scarf, so he wrapped the other end of it around his large tail. If it stuck the end of the feather fluff to the tip of his tail, he could curl the end and hold onto it securely. This was sure to make him fluffier and cuter than ever! But as he was trying to get the other end gripped in his tail, he couldn't watch where he was going and stepped right off the table. Giving a startled squeak, he hit one of the chairs just right to tip it over, causing him and the chair to crash onto the floor right outside the door.

“Oh my goodness!” one of the Pokemon inside said, coming over and pulling the glass door aside. “What happened out here?”

The other two followed. “We seem to have a peeper,” another said.

“Are you okay?” the third asked, bending down to look at him.

Philippe looked up and saw three of the ugliest and most terrifying faces he'd ever seen. These girls, twice his size, had huge fangs coming out of their mouths; their noses seemed to be squashed flat and their brows were slanted as if furious. For a moment, he was too stunned by falling and seeing those faces to do anything.

“What's he doing with the lady's feather boa?” one of the girl Pokemon asked. “It seems to be all tangled up.”

“More like he was wrapping himself up to steal away with it,” another said with a chuckle. “A romantic thief maybe, trying to look marvelous at his craft?”

One giggled. “At least the feathers match his fur, although it'd look a sight better if the boa matched his size.”

“That would be so dashing!” She clasped her paws together and wagged her tail in delight.

Philippe managed to get back onto his feet, but his mind was working quickly. So these girls had scary faces; they seemed nice and normal enough from their words. Besides, his pride in his charm wouldn't let him run away now. “Hello, ladies,” he said, giving them a confident sparkling smile.

They all started laughing. “Or maybe he's out to steal hearts,” one said.

“Such a rogue.”

One of them reached over to pat his head. “Aw, you're not scared of us? Most little Pokemon, when they see us Snubbulls, run away as quick as we face them.”

“How could I be frightened of such dainty damsels?” Philippe boasted, taking her paw and giving it a kiss. “I have never seen your like before, but I am certain that your hearts are as lovely as roses and as warm as the summer sunshine.”

“A bluffer and a flirt,” one of the Snubbulls said in amusement. “You have quite a repertoire of questionable skills.”

“Aw, but I think he's a cute little sweetie,” the one closest to him said. “Here, let's get that sitting better on you.” She started to wrap the boa around his tail better.

“You're the sweet one here, thanks,” Philippe said, watching to see when he could grasp the end of it. “If you keep me closer, you might find that I'm spicier than you think.”

“Oh ho ho, I don't think so,” she said. “The lady might not approve.”

“She doesn't have to find out,” he said. Seeing that she was done, he took hold of the boa with his tail. “We could go out and see the sights of the city by night. I know of some of the most amazing places around to show travelers like you ladies. And some secret spots that most won't even think of.”

“Sounds fun, but no,” another Snubbull said. “We've got a big contest tomorrow, so we can't be tromping all about dirty alleyways and dusty rooftops.”

He considered sticking around and seeing if he couldn't talk them into it anyhow. But, he felt that keeping the feather boa would be beneficial to other romances, not mention impressing any other Pokemon that saw him. “That's a real shame; you might find yourself dreaming in regret. But you've been wonderful to talk to, lovely ladies. Here, take this to remember me by.” He gave one of them the little static puff ball he had made earlier. “I made it with all my love and affection. Good luck with your contest.” He hopped onto one of the remaining chairs, then up to the railing. There, he turned and blew them a kiss before leaping back to his tree.

“Hey, he took the lady's boa,” one of the Snubbulls said.

“Oh, she has a hundred of those,” another said. “Let him.”

Philippe grinned as he made his way to his sleeping hole. Tomorrow, he'd definitely see about getting this boa charged up so he could amaze everyone who saw him. That had been a good, if chaste, encounter.

...

Snubbull Emerald entry: By baring its fangs and making a scary face, it sends smaller Pokemon scurrying in terror. The Snubbull does seem a little sad at making its foes flee.

Pachirisu Diamond entry: It makes fur balls that crackle with static electricity. It stores them with berries in tree holes.
 

Ysavvryl

Pokedex Researcher
For the fourth day of Christmas... a story of friendship. And face hugs.

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


Hoothoot and Gligar


Faulkner's office had large openings in every wall, open to the air so Flying Pokemon could come and go as they pleased. The breeze coming through felt nice, although that meant that loose papers couldn't be kept around. With that in mind, there was a pair of large filing cabinets in the corners behind the large wooden desk. In other corners, as well as near the desk and in the windows, there were perches for the Pokemon to sit on. There were two Spearows, a Pidgeotto, and a Hoothoot in the room now. The first three belonged to the Leader, but the last was perched on the edge of the chair where her Trainer sat.

Setting a pewter Fearow paperweight on the application papers, Faulkner skimmed it briefly before saying, “All right Gail, tell me why you want to be a Gym Trainer here.”

“I want to work on my battle techniques, but with different people instead of the same ones every day,” the twelve year old boy said. “Also, both of my Pokemon are Flying Pokemon and I've gotten interested in knowing more about them.”

He nodded. “Would you tell me a little about your two Pokemon? Including how you got them.”

Gail looked down at the Hoothoot; she was sitting there quietly, tilting her head back and forth. “This is Luna, the first Pokemon I got. I had gotten some Quick Balls from my parents and they thought I'd just get whatever Pokemon I ran across. But she had been coming to the fence in our backyard every evening at the same time. I had been giving her some nuts, so she knew me well enough that I probably could have gotten her with a regular Pokeball. She's been a good friend of mine for two years, although she's agreeable to any who are nice to her.

“The other Pokemon I have is a Gligar; I call him Goof because he can be silly at times. Last winter, I was on a trip with my parents and he stole my mom's purse. Luna and I chased after him to get it back. He was tough to fight, so I decided to have Luna put him to sleep with Hypnosis and capture him. Even though he was asleep, he managed to break several balls before I finally got him. Like I thought, he's a strong fighter, but I have trouble teaching him to be mannered and he can be disobedient even to me.”

“Some can be proud or troublesome, but they tend to come around when they really respect you,” Faulkner said. “I've reviewed the three battles you turned in for the application. Tell me what you remember about one of the battles.”

This was one of those interview questions where he hadn't been able to determine how important it was or why they asked it. But as he had heard that it came up regularly, he had reviewed those battles himself this morning and decided on one to talk about it.

-+-

As he needed a certain amount of recorded battles, Gail had spent several days near Sprout Tower with a camera he borrowed from a friend. He could have won easily against the monks inside; he had defeated their challenge not that long after he had gotten Luna. But he didn't think that would impress the Gym Leader. Instead, he challenged Trainers that had come to defeat Sprout Tower and Faulkner's Gym.

While waiting on other Trainers to come by, he let his two Pokemon fly around. It was daytime, so Luna would rather sit on the unlit torch and keep the time by tilting her head back and forth. On the other hand, Goof was splashing in the water and making mud on the path. At least, he had been. “Goof, where are you?” Gail called.

“Eee!” The Gligar then landed on his head, putting his muddy claws on Gail's shoulders and leaning over to peer into his eyes.

He would have been startled if the Gligar hadn't done this already dozens of times. “If I wanted to be messy, I'd stomp in your mud spot myself.”

Goof clicked and turned his ears forward. “Gliii!”

“No, now please get out of my face,” Gail said, trying to grab the Gligar. But Goof just flew off and dove into the water.

Then a girl came down the bridge towards Sprout Tower. “Oh hey, are you a Trainer too?” she asked. “Ready to battle?”

“Of course,” he said. “Luna, you start this time.”

The Hoothoot flew off the torch and landed on the ground while the girl called out a Wooper. She tried to have it use a muddy attack, but Luna was able to hover in the air a few seconds to avoid it before landing again. Knowing that most good Trainers wouldn't try a totally missed attack again (although a good Trainer should have known Ground wouldn't work), Gail had Luna put the Wooper to sleep, then attack it. Even if he had worked with her a long time, she still didn't have a strong attack. He hoped that she would be able to evolve soon, so she'd be stronger.

When the Wooper was defeated, the girl brought out a Girafarig. Gail decided to swap out Luna for Goof. As usual, the Gligar preferred to attack by flying at the opponent Pokemon's face to startle them. They were going to poison the Girafarig, as Gail hadn't fought a Trainer with one and wanted the extra poison damage in case it turned out to be tough. But then as soon as Goof struck it with his tail, it fainted. Goof also took out the girl's last Pokemon in one hit, being quicker to take out the two than Luna had in taking out the one.

-+-

Faulkner continued with the interview, asking about information on Flying type Pokemon, having him talk about other battles, and giving theoretical battle scenario to see how he would handle them. Then he asked a question Gail wasn't expecting. “If you were offered a rare Flying Pokemon if you gave up one of your current, which one would you let go?”

A rare flying type? Was that an offer, or just another theoretical question? But after giving it a moment's thought, he knew what he'd do. “I would rather keep the ones I have.”

“Are you sure about that?” Faulkner asked, sounding serious about it.

Gail nodded. “I know Luna's not a strong Pokemon, even for her kind, but she's been my friend and partner for so long that I wouldn't want to give her up for any other Pokemon. And Goof causes me trouble, but he's strong and I'm sure that I can get him to be more obedient in time. He's amusing at times too.”

“Hooo hooooooo!” Luna called out, echoed by other Hoothoots that were outside.

“It's five o'clock,” Gail said when Faulkner looked at her. “She'll hoot on the hour if she's awake, but the wild ones won't start until now.”

“That's right,” he said, making a note on the application. “If you're here to learn more about Flying types, then you might want to reconsider. You know a lot about them already, including things that I usually have to teach the younger Trainers.” Then he smiled. “But there might still be more to learn, and I'd be glad to have a Trainer around who is loyal to his Pokemon. Can you start on Tuesday morning?”

So it didn't even need consideration. Gail smiled and nodded. “Sure, I can do that. Thank you.”

“Hoot!” Luna said, flapping her wings. But then she flew off to a perch on the desk when Goof came out of his Pokeball without warning and clomped onto Gail's head affectionately.

“Hey!” Gail called, grabbing a hold of Goof. But he ended up laughing with Faulkner about it. It was good to see that the Gligar was happy for him, if not so good in how he decided to show that.



Hoothoot Soul Silver entry: It has a perfect sense of time. Whatever happens, it keeps rhythm by precisely tilting its head in time.

Gligar Leaf Green entry: It flies straight at its target's face, then clamps down on the startled victim to inject poison.
 
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ToeyJoey

The Count
I have to wonder whether these tales will extend into Gen 6 but in any case the 12 days of Christmas was a stroke of genius.
 
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Ysavvryl

Pokedex Researcher
I would like to finish before Gen 6 comes out! But I would come back to this when it did. Talking about finishing, I now have 100 Pokemon left! Almost at 550.

For the fifth day of Christmas... a story about, uh, wrecking stuff. Because between all the tragic and saccharine holiday tales out there, it's good to giggle at destruction occasionally.

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


Rhyhorn


“What's that Rhyhorn doing wandering around town?” the tour guide asked, momentarily distracted by the Pokemon standing outside.

“Leave it be,” one of the men in the group said. Others in the tour group frowned or tried to get distracted with something else. This guy was annoying. “The Pokemon ought to be free to go where it will.”

“There's a city law on safety that says the wild Rhyhorn to be kept away from town,” the tour guide said.

“It's pointless discrimination!” the man said. “It's a sign of the times when the laws encourage such restriction of rights and freedoms.”

“Let's not get into that,” the guide said, doing her best to remain civil. “Moving on... here, we have one of the more curious artifacts the museum has: the Crown of Uxie. Despite the name may suggest, it was given as a gift to a man long ago by the legendary Pokemon Uxie. It has the power to bestow the power of mind reading while it is being worn. While we have it, it is normally turned inactive when on display like this. It is only allowed to be used after a careful application and review process, to make sure that it is not used for abuse.”

“No, you keep it locked up so that people can't find the truth with it,” the annoying man said. “You're just playing into the hands of the ancient conspiracy that rules the world. That treasure would lay everything bare, even the truth that Pokemon are just as capable as humans.”

“Actually, we recommend that it's not used to read the minds of most Pokemon because,” the guide said, going with her usual answer for the question.

But this was the usual tourist. “Forget it, you're just as speciesist as all the other drones out there.”

“Shut up,” one of the other men in the group said.

It took asking the conspiracy theorist to leave the museum to get things to settle down, although he ranted all the way out. But he had confirmed what he wanted to know. With the information on where the crown was, he went back to his hotel room and put on a disguise of a fake mustache and a wig. Then he returned to the museum, paid for another entry ticket (with much grumbling about their greed), and went up alone to cut the security wires to the display and take the Crown of Uxie.

When he got back out, he looked over his treasure with pride. It looked simple, just a basic gold crown set with blue sapphires. But from his research, he knew that the only thing they did to make it 'inactive' was to undo a connection in part of the gold braiding. He snapped it back together, then looked around for a target mind to read.

Fortunately, the lone Rhyhorn was still standing around outside of the museum, just chewing its cud. That would be a good place to start. He put the crown on then focused on the Rhyhorn. Their minds linked instantly.



There's an interesting rock there. It's black with green flecks and shaped like a squashed eye. I don't know what to do with it, but it's interesting. The other rocks here are black and brown and white, not green. Maybe I can knock it around with my horn. But it's small. Better to knock around larger things. I'm eating.

Humans are walking around me. They're colorful creatures, all of them different. Although that one in pink and white with the big thing on its head might be a Pokemon. Sometimes its hard to tell the difference. There's a human poking my side, saying something to me. It's nice to have attention. I'm eating.

It's a good day. The sunshine is warm and the grass is delicious. I'm happy. I can stand here all day and be happy. The human is pushing me now. He must be friendly. I'm eating.

There's an interesting rock here. I haven't seen many like it. It's black with green flecks and shaped like a squashed eye. Squashing eyes sounds unpleasant. I'd rather think of good things on a good day. The green in the rock is pretty. The other rocks here are black and brown and white. It would be nicer with more colors, like the humans. I'm eating.

It's a good day.

The human has brought out another Pokemon. It's yelling at me. I don't know why it'd be mad. It's a good day and I'm just standing here eating. It hits me in the face with a blast of water. I don't like that. It's mean to be so rude, especially when water hurts like that. I give a snort then charge at the other Pokemon. I go right over him. I'm running.

I thought they were being nice, but they went and hurt me. I'd rather not stick around for that. I'll just run. That sounds good for a nice day. The ground in this place is nice and flat. There are lots of things to avoid, but I can run a long ways here. I'm running.

This is good. But I’m thirsty. There should be some water around to drink somewhere. There is always water to drink around. As long as it's not water to attack, water is good. I will find water. I'm running.

It's a nice day to run. I don't remember why I started running but I am now. Not that it matters. I'm a good runner. It's good to run. I'm running.

WHAM! Why did I stop? Why is there lots of rock and glass and stuff falling around me? I was running. Oh, a building stopped me. The building is falling down now. That was a dumb place to put a building, right in the way of my running path. I hope the people here aren't hurt much. The falling building doesn't hurt me. My horn is bumped from hitting the building, but it is fine.

It would be a nice day if it wasn't for the dust and falling building. I will go somewhere else to do something. I'm thirsty. I'll go to find water to drink. Water is good as long as it's not water to attack. I'm walking.



The conspiracy theorist thief was caught while he was caught up in the mind of a Rhyhorn. While the trial was delayed due to the thief's temporary inability to form any thoughts besides simple observations, he was unanimously found guilty and sentenced with jail time and psychotherapy. The Crown of Uxie was deactivated and put back on display the day after it had been stolen.

The twelve-story tall Beech Tree Living building was completely demolished, destroying over thirty apartments. Fortunately, the building had been condemned and the accident had simply saved the owners some money. A few people were injured, but none died. In response, the city council put out a public announcement reminding everyone of the Pokemon safety laws which were in place to prevent tragedies like this could have been.

The Rhyhorn was captured at a city park, where it was calmly drinking from a pond. It was shipped to a Safari Zone, where it was caught by a young Trainer. Eventually, it became a renown Pokemon listed in the Hall of Fame for its many victories.



Rhyhorn Fire Red entry: Strong, but not too bright, this Pokemon can even shatter skyscrapers with its charging tackles.
 

Z-nogyroP

whoa whats that
Pachirisu/Snubbull: That was cute. Fluffing up balls of fur with electricity does seem like something an electric squirrel would do, if it had the mental capacity to. Poor Snubbull, though. It doesn't mean to be terrifying to other Pokemon. :(

Hoothoot/Gligar: That made me giggle. Goof was funny, although I must say I wouldn't want to be in the Girafarig's scenario.

Rhyhorn: Oh god, reading Rhyhorn's mind made me fall out of my chair in laughter. You're right; it's good to laugh at the smashing of very large stuff made of glass. The repetitiveness in his thought, though it may be viewed as unnecessary by some, was perfectly appropriate for such a dim-witted 'mon.

Glad to hear you'll continue this when Gen 6(hopefully) comes out! And since you only have 100 Pokemon left to cover, I have to wonder what the rest of these will be. Loving the daily updates!

EDIT: Actually, something just occurred to me. If you had just started out on this and had every single Pokemon available to you, which ones would you have chosen for the fifth day(the golden rings)? It seems like there aren't any Pokemon for that day...
 
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Dew Watatsumi

Water Type E-3
I have a few request. Could you do Dewott/Monferno, Sableye/Mawile, and Blaziken/Weavile?
 

Ysavvryl

Pokedex Researcher
@Z-nogyroP: I'd have to think on that golden rings one. None immediately come to mind... maybe I could've done Furret instead?

@SuperDaikenki: Hi! Normally I take requests, but I've covered every one of those Pokemon already. Check the index on the first page; the Unova Pokemon are in the third post since I ran out of room in the first post.

For the sixth day of Christmas... Cubchoo thinks this is a story about teamwork, but I don't think so.

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


Bibarel, Ursaring, and Cubchoo


Things were bad. The stream was overflowing from the spring melt-off. Normally, this was controlled by way of the Bibarel dam. But the area it was in was a mess. Only a third of the dam was left; the branches and sticks that made it up were scattered all along the stream banks. Shortly before the sun rose, the dam had been broken, washing it and many nests away. Six of the Bibarels were sitting in a circle discussing the work, while a number of Bidoofs ran about getting the lost materials.

“See, that's why we do the big work in the summer,” the oldest Bibarel said. “Water's moving too fast to work safely. We need a big branch to slow the flow down.”

“We can work in that, we're strong,” one of the young Bibarel said.

“And we're do you expect us to find a branch big enough to cross the whole stream?” another asked. “We might as well knock down an entire tree if that's what you want.”

The old Bibarel shook his head. “No, that would be wasteful.”

“What about one of the trees that collapsed during the winter?” another asked.

“It would be weak, but it might hold long enough,” the old one said.

“I told you, we can work in this.” he slapped his tail onto the ground to show his defiance. “We'll weave the branches together like always and seal up nest areas with mud.”

“The mud would wash out before it could set up,” the old one said, shaking his head. “We either get the felled tree here as she suggested or wait until the water slows down. Doing work now would be fruitless otherwise, as well as potentially harmful.”

“You're a coward,” the younger one said.

Then, a roar interrupted their discussion, causing many of the Bidoofs to run off. A furious and damp Usaring stormed through the bushes to reach them, carrying something small and white in his left paw. “You flooded my den,” he growled.

“It wasn't our doing,” the oldest Bibarel said. “The spring flood came so...”

“It's your dam, so it's your fault that I woke up soaked!” the Ursaring shouted, tossing down what he held. “And this thing ended up in my den too.”

The small Pokemon sat up, looking unconcerned about the angry Pokemon that had been carrying. While it looked like a smaller Ursaring, it was white furred instead of brown. A shiny drop of snot hung from its nose. “Hullo!” he said. “I am Cubchoo, come from the mountains.”

“Hello,” one of the female Bibarels said.

“Apologize for your insolence and fix that dam!” the Ursaring demanded.

“It wasn't our doing,” another Bibarel said. “There was a huge wave of water and ice that wrecked it.”

“Likely story,” the large bear said.

“Actually, it was,” the little bear said.

“Fix it!” the Ursaring said, ignoring the Cubchoo.

“What was it?” the one female Bibarel asked the Cubchoo, as she was nearest to him and already talking with the young one.

“Avalanche,” the Cubchoo said, sniffling a little. But its snot drop kept hanging. “There was a big ice block that kept building over the winter at the spring, holding lots of water. I was climbing on it earlier and it cracked and burst under me. It made a huge amount of ice, water, and snow fall down, and I fell down with it. It was fun!”

In the meantime, the oldest Bibarel was trying to calm the Ursaring down. “We're working out how to do it safely.”

“You should do it quickly or I'll smack you lot around, drag you up some trees, and tie you all to the tops,” he said.

“But you're neighbors,” the Cubchoo said. “You should work toge...”

“I don't care,” the Ursaring said. “I just want a dry den!”

“If you want it done fast, then you should help us,” one of the younger Bibarel said. “You're just lazy and wasteful, pulling off entire tree branches just to get at one apple.”

“I'm strong! Need proof?” He flexed his paws making sure his sharp claws were visible.

“Maybe you could...” the Cubchoo started to say, but then gasped before sneezing. A blast of ice came from his nose, enough to freeze the Ursaring solid with a large amount of ice around him. “Hooo, excuse me,” the little bear said, rubbing his nose.

“Nice going, kid!” a Bibarel said, although they all looked the same to the Cubchoo.

“Aw, are you sick?” the female near him asked.

The Cubchoo shook his head. “Nuh-uh. It's just the pollen down here. My snot is nice and sticky, so I'm fine.”

“Gross,” another one of the Bibarel muttered.

The oldest Bibarel walked over and looked at the frozen block of Ursaring. “Well, this fellow is large and solid now. Let's use him to block the flow of water to do work. You two, go fetch one of the felled trees; I don't know how long he'll last underwater. You two start checking on the recovered wood and shape it if need be. You and me will start direct work on the dam once there is a slower area of water flow.”

The Cubchoo sniffled. “Oh, can I help? Since I'm here anyways.”

“If you can get the water the freeze up to help the slow down, that'll help,” he said.

“I'll give it a try. We'll succeed with the power of teamwork, cause teamwork is the best!”

“Teamwork involves using a frozen Ursaring as part of the team?” one of the Bibarel asked as others looked at each other, just as confused.

“He's helping!” the Cubchoo said, smiling.

They couldn't argue with that; it was certainly helping more than his threats of beating them up.



Ursaring Heart Gold entry: Although it is a good climber, it prefers to snap branches with its forelegs and eat fallen berries.

Bibarel SS/HG entry: It busily makes its nest with stacks of branches and roots it has cut up with its sharp incisors.

Cubchoo B2/W2 entry: Their snot is a barometer of health. When healthy, their snot is sticky and the power of their ice moves increases.
 
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