• Hi all. We have had reports of member's signatures being edited to include malicious content. You can rest assured this wasn't done by staff and we can find no indication that the forums themselves have been compromised.

    However, remember to keep your passwords secure. If you use similar logins on multiple sites, people and even bots may be able to access your account.

    We always recommend using unique passwords and enable two-factor authentication if possible. Make sure you are secure.
  • Be sure to join the discussion on our discord at: Discord.gg/serebii
  • If you're still waiting for the e-mail, be sure to check your junk/spam e-mail folders

The Corei Quest...rewritten!

Which Corei Starter would you choose?

  • Mongle

    Votes: 10 33.3%
  • Fryger

    Votes: 10 33.3%
  • Aquari

    Votes: 10 33.3%

  • Total voters
    30
  • Poll closed .

shac

Well-Known Member
So nice to see you back in business..........hope you won't fall in the vortex again. Good chapter. Loved the battle scenarios. Interesting turn with Orion and Sapph being a suspect. Like asperger said, I've a suspicion that this Orion guy belongs to one of the terrorist groups........and I also think someone's gonna catch that Flygon!! :p
 

Air Dragon

Ha, ha... not.
Who? Wha? It's the 2nd? OH, SNAP!

Let's start this appreciation post with a big

HAPPY NEW YEAR, ALL SEREBII FORUMS MEMBERS!

AND AN EXTRA HURRAH TO YEAR FOUR OF THE COREI QUEST!

Now to give some appreciation...

@Kindrindra:

*Sets out to kill AGENT members*
Oh... Nevermind me! I'm just... Gardening! Ya, just killing some weeds...
Anyway, that was a uberz chapterz! And it once again proved Anuvi's poeticness...

Tony quakes in fear of your shears... XD

Yay, poeticness!

Great, now I'm going to be on the edge of my seat waiting for the next one... XD

You know i like to serve... and swerve. XD

Quote:
A loud, high-pitched keen shot through the corridor, causing Sapph, Anuvi and Nicola to swivel around at Zen, whose palm was raised at a neat, circular hole in the door. Sapph peered through and saw the guard rendered completely insensible by the Aura Sphere that had thrown him into the opposite wall, where his head had undoubtedly hit stone.

<Unlocked,> Zen said in a satisfied voice, lowering his palm slowly and reaching through the hole to open it with a low clunk.

Zen reminds me somewhat of myself there... 0_o

Without the Aura Sphere powers, I'm sure... ;^_^

@asperger1981:

It is me, or you just put Saph's luck a little lower for a while. Barely stopping an attack to the dragons cave and then being a suspect to the authorities (and probably Haley)?

Major downer material, man.

On a similar topic, I have a few ideas in my head that I'd like to mention right after this:

1- I kinda suspect that Orion might be related to one of the previously shown antagonist
(team light, team shadow; Nora's relatives, Rubin, etc)

2- Type disbalance or not, Haley is having a serious case of idiot ball.

3- Saph needs a new travel mate, and some good luck.

Seriously.

Yeah, well. I love to screw around with my cast's fates. You should know that by now. :)

1- Nora's relatives are not terrorists. Kinda... sort of... maybe just a bit...
Neither is Rubin.

2- True. Very True. That last part was to the little voice in everyone who has a thing for self-doubt and questioning's head... split personality's a b****...

3- Who knows? Maybe Sapph will tire of her. Maybe Haley will tire of him. Maybe they fall in wuv and behave like a good little couple should.

I would and do know, but i'm not telling. Yet... :D

@shac:

So nice to see you back in business..........hope you won't fall in the vortex again. Good chapter. Loved the battle scenarios. Interesting turn with Orion and Sapph being a suspect. Like asperger said, I've a suspicion that this Orion guy belongs to one of the terrorist groups........and I also think someone's gonna catch that Flygon!! :p

Good to be back. I certainly don't want to go back to the dark closet again... and as for the Flygon... if you think it's gonna be easy for the hero to bag the dusty powerhouse, the next chapter will reveal some hot competition for Sapph... :p

You know i won't say more until then, so stop whimpering... ;)

Now for a few updates:

1- The New Year's Special will be delayed a few days. It should be out before the 8th, though. So no worries.

2- Speaking of the 8th, I'll be away from my keyboard for the weekend in question (8th -10th) laughing at my friends' attempts to get me inebriated, finding new inspiration for fic material and basically having a good time. So there's the heads up.

3- I know a lot more people have read this than reviewed. I see you, so you better come out NOW! XP

L@er!
 

Evil_Lord

Active Member
Well I haven't been here in almost a year, and I'm dorry to see there has only been one more chapter. But, this chapter brings a lot of questions up, which will hopefully be answered in up coming chapters(which i hope come soon).

Tony the agent, and what else is Sapph hiding?
 

Divinity_123

shove 'er in! ;O
“Get out, you clueless perv!” Nicola said testily. “Did you really think a beautiful lady such as myself would disrobe in the presence of a man? Not likely!”

Sapph, who’d finally understood what she was getting at, turned incandescent red with shocked embarrassment and rage as he said, “Fine! Geez, I’ll go stand guard outside. Just don’t spend all year in here looking for your size. This is not a department store.”

As he left he added in an undertone, “Like anyone would want to peep at you...”

Nicola heard. As she spun around to yell, “What was that, you...” the door clanged shut in reply, cutting her off.

Boys, she thought darkly, walking down the shelves, taking note of the sizes available.

“Women,” Sapph muttered annoyedly, standing before the door and peering into the gloom that swallowed up the corridor on either side. He really didn’t get them at all. On one hand, you had girls like Nora and Joy, who seemed so nice and sincere. They brought out the best in a guy and required nothing in exchange but for them to be true to themselves.

On another you had girls like Sky, who was wild and unrestrained, but was the kind of person who made a lifelong friend. Girls like her were at complete odds with girls like Zeta, who seemed guarded despite her free-spirited outlook on life and spontaneous attitude (he lost track of his thought temporarily as his mind wandered back to his first kiss.)

The thought of Haley, Carla and Nicola brought himself back to reality faster than a falling Snorlax. Those kind of girls were just too bipolar for anyone to get a fix on them, let alone a totally clueless twelve year old. Sapph supposed they were likeable enough (he had certainly gotten on well enough with Carla, despite how he felt about Kamren – Sapph spared a moment to wonder where he was and gave the exercise up like a bad job) and Nicola and Haley weren’t so bad, once they weren’t trying to be all in-your-face about everything. Did being right all the time really matter to all girls or just the ones like them?
Best moment in the chapter! Sapph's finally coming around to that age where he has to learn about the birds and the bees :p


Anyways, I liked how this chapter started. I wonder what Team Shadow wants with that particular Flygon... Soooo, Haley gains yet another rival (well not really a rival, but she locks horns with another random person lmao) and obtains a Lapras.

Orion... :/ This guy's totally playing Haley, how can she believe the crap coming out of his mouth!? Is Haley losing brain cells or what? Off with Orion's head, I say!

Also, I see that Anuvi is becoming more badass with his new techniques and his refined attitude (kinda reminds me of Zen), but I supposed his sister's death can explain Fearless Leader's new persona (love that name btw).

Keep up the great work, and update faster!


Divinity_123
 

Air Dragon

Ha, ha... not.
So, where were we?

@Paddypower: Yay, randomness! Oh, and welcome to Corei! I can sympathise with your hatred of Rubin, but you'll learn later on that the world is not split into heroes and villains alone, just as the world isn't black and white. There are shades of gray that we all fall into. The whole AGENT schtick just took a turn for the WTFish, but it'll all be cleared up soon.

@Evil_Lord: I'm so dorry (lol) to have not put out more chapters in a year, so hopefully 2010's gonna bring some new resolve to my fingers.

@Divinity_123: as all young men must, Div. As all men must... XD

Glad you enjoy Anuvi's development... trust me, folks, you ain't seen nothing yet. :) Hopefully, Haley will develop some strong point too. I know it's weird talking like i haven't got a clue as to what's gonna happen, but that's how i avoid spoiling. :p

OK, status update...

I just got home from the land of... well, rice (China) yesterday and after attempting to resync myself with my time zone, am ready to it back into gear with a new laptop prepped and ready to burn some keys.

Finally, The 2009 Award Nominations are open and will close soon, so if anybody else wants to nominate me, now's the time! Now I've gotta get some nominations done myself and chapters typed out too... so, hi ho, hi ho, it's off to bed i go... XP

L@er!
 

Shadow Lucario

Lone Vanguard
Air Dragon! For so long you have reviewed my fan fiction and now I am returning the favor. This has to be my second favorite Journey fic. (Sorry, but first belongs to Eon MasterOne's Pokemon Revolution series ^^;) I love the Fakemon starters. You should get a job at Gamefreak. The starters have started (heh) getting progressively worse with each new region. I mean Piplup -_- Come on! Anyway, Sapph is a relateable (is that how you spell it?) character. I love how you gave him a Ledyba early on seeing as I've never seen a main character use a Ledyba before. I would correct some things, but I fear that I am too late for that. So put me on that PM list and expect me to be reviewing from here on out!
 

Air Dragon

Ha, ha... not.
Hi, it's been a while!

@Shadow Lucario: Thanks, and you are forgiven. EM's works are really in a class of their own. Consider yourself added to the list and Welcome to Corei!

Usually, on the first of this month, I announce TCQ Month and my ridiculous ambition to post one full chapter every week for the month of March. This year, I'm breaking from 'tradition' to say I'm not dead, and neither is this fic.

And what better way to do so than a New Year's special!

Special Three: Take Five, Guys (Holy Crap! It’s The Corei Quest New Year…​

Burner: Hold it!

AD: Now what?

Burner: ‘New Year’s Special’? In March?! Kinda late to the party, wouldn’t you say?

AD: Uhm…

Burner: Am I even in this ‘New Year’s Special’?

AD: Uhm…

Burner: Oh, Arceus… I’m NOT?! Listen, bub. Need I remind you that this year’s the ‘Year of the Tiger’?

AD: Well…

Burner: And that you were born in the Year of the Tiger?

AD: Now that you mention it…

Burner: And that I’m… a… TIGER?!!

Tora: I’m one, too!

AD: Oh, yeah. You are tigers, aren’t you?

*Tora sweat dropped*

Burner (Towering over AD anime-style): OK, do we need to make a violent deal of this?

AD (sweating madly): …I… suppose I should… you know, change the story line… just this once… I’m sure I had a backup story here somewhere…

Burner: Good man.

Tora: Yay! ^_^

AD: I can’t work like this. Oh, my vacation… T_T

Special Three: Flashback! Burner’s Big Battle! (Holy crap! It’s the Corei Quest CHINESE New Year’s Special!)​


Location: Entover City Gym
Time: Roughly three months prior to current story timeline…


The dim lighting of the Entover City Gym cast eerie shadows all around the dusty pit from which stout wooden pillars rose like stakes from the ground connecting it to the webbed ceiling above. Reddish flames flickered in the pit, lighting it slightly but not enough to let the spectators know what time of day it was.

“Heracross, use Night Slash!” a seemingly disembodied voice called out through the gloom as a small red tiger decorated with black stripes and some raw looking cuts and scratches leapt backwards into view, firing feeble embers at something in the darkness.

A second later a claw enveloped in energy darker than night came out of nowhere and nothing and caught the young female Fryger clean in the chin, creating another gash.

“Tora!” A young girl with long blonde hair screamed as she watched her only Pokémon soar limply through the air and hit a large pillar with a sickening crunch.

Tora gasped for breath as her assailant stomped slowly into the light, the sunlight glinting off its large blue frame and long, singular horn.

“Oh, man! Tora’s getting whipped out there!” A young boy who could easily pass for the challenger’s little brother pointed out loudly.

“Fight, Tora! Fight!” A larger and older boy who sat beside the first cheered loudly.

The third spectator at the match, a calm-eyed teen who looked the intermediate in years but not in smarts watched the match closely, his Fryger Burner doing the same, although a lot more listlessly.

<C’mon, Tora,> the male Fryger coaxed his younger friend softly yet urgently as the large beetle stomped forwards on short feet ending in a single alabaster claw each. <Get up!>

<N-not yet,> Tora gasped as she rose shakily to her feet, her legs Jello beneath her. <This fight… isn’t… over…>

And with a loud cough and a choking noise, Tora collapsed once more.

“TORA!” The challenger screamed again in worry, as her Pokémon struggled to find the strength to stand once more, her breathing more labored than ever.

“Down! One… Two…” The referee began to count noticing that the battle could at last be over.

“You fought well, Carla Witkins,” the Gym leader said, stepping into the light as her Pokémon adopted a superior look in its yellow and black eyes. “But with desperation.”

“Tora, get up! Please!” Carla pleaded as the referee said, “Three!”

“You’d do well in Contests, Carla Witkins,” the Leader went on smugly as the referee intoned ‘Four!’. “Your Pokémon’s moves were elegant, surely. But in such a heated battle, wasteful. Attempting to win in such a manner was hopelessness in the extreme.”

Burner ground his teeth in anger as he saw the Heracross glowing with pride despite the numerous burn marks that marred its glossy exoskeleton. If he were in that ring…

“FIVE! Fryger has lost the will to battle!” The referee announced. “The Entover City Gym Leader Cassandra has won the match by a count-out!”

“You’re not cut out for the League, Carla Witkins,” Cassandra said emotionlessly as she returned her large beetle to its pokéball in a flash of red light and Carla leapt into the ring to scoop up her shivering and bleeding Pokémon. “Best pack it in.”

“Carla!” Her brother yelled as he leapt into the pit and dashed towards his sister.

“Is Tora OK?” The larger boy called out, right behind the littlest one.

Kamren’s eyes narrowed slightly as he eyes locked on the tall gym leader. He had to think his strategy over before their battle in the early afternoon. All three matches he’d seen thus far were victories for the somewhat young Bug Pokémon training expert. And though he was by no means afraid, he knew he had to tread carefully, when his turn finally came.

“Better get Tora to the Pokémon Center,” Kamren said calmly, walking towards the small group with his hands in his pockets as Cassandra turned to leave. “Some of those cuts look nasty.”

<This afternoon,> Burner thought with a dark determination, his resolve totally spiked by the defeat of his protégée he’d witnessed. <It’ll be your turn to taste ‘hopelessness’. You can bet on it.>

***​

“The official gym match between Kamren Kent of Olville Town, Corei and the Entover City Gym Leader Cassandra will now begin!” A male referee holding two flags stopped on the lip of what seemed to be a large square basin of earth dug out from the gym floor. Raising both flags, he continued to announce the rules of the match.

“Both trainers may use up to three Pokémon apiece,” he proclaimed. “And only the challenger is allowed substitutions. The match ends when all three Pokémon on each side are unable to battle. Are both sides prepared?”

“I’m ready,” a tall woman with dark hair said laconically, flicking her fringe out of her dark, oddly glittering eyes.

Her blond opponent merely nodded, a calm yet determined look arresting his facial features.

On the sidelines, a different story could be read off the faces of the three youthful spectators.

“Oh, no,” the only girl said, her green eyes full of worry as she watched Cassandra and Kamren pull a pokéball each off from around their waistlines and cocked back, ready to let them fly.

“Kamren has only two Pokémon, right?” Dex, a large and simple-looking boy asked in a dull voice. “Right?”

“Sssh!” the third spectator, a mousy nine year old with large spectacles hissed. “Yes, Kamren only has two Pokémon! You should know that by now!”

“Oh,” Dex muttered, apparently still puzzled about something. “Why’s Kamren so calm then?”

“Now he mentions it,” Carla said, more to herself than to the boys. “Dex has a point. Kamren looks totally psyched… almost too calm…”

“Is he done?” Kamren said rudely. “Finally. I was almost asleep out here.”

A tic went off near the referee’s temple as he raised his flags and shouted, “Begin!”

“I choose Limoth!” Cassandra called, throwing her pokéball forwards.

“No, really? I thought I chose Limoth,” Kamren said snarkily. Throwing his red and white orb forwards he called, “Ciela! Take point!”

Two Pokémon materialized from the white light that spilled from the airborne pokéballs, which flew back towards the trainers as the light died down.

A small bird of sorts flapped her gold and vermillion feathered wings as it struggled to maintain a steady height as it locked eyes with an even weirder creature.

One would say it was a hovering light bulb until they saw the grey, round head instead of a filament and a thorax that looked like it was made of polished brass. Two small round antennae that rose from its head through the glass began to sparkle and crackle with electricity.

As a loud, high pitched whirring issued from the Limoth Cassandra called out, “With a Pokémon like that, you’ll have a tough time against Arlene!”

So, this Arlene uses Electric types, hunh? Kamren thought to himself as he pondered his options. Good to know…

<Ha, HAAAH!> The small Electric Moth Pokémon laughed insanely, his antenna ends crackling madly. <Ready to go down, little birdy?>

<Big talk,> Ciela muttered loftily, <from a mere insect.>

Coming to a decision, Kamren raised Ciela’s pokéball once more and said, “Ciela, return!”

Seven jaws nearly scraped the floor as Kamren recalled his first Pokémon to her pokéball in a flash of red light.

<Say WHAAAAAT?> Limoth screeched in indignation.

Totally unconcerned by the shock the others exhibited at his choice, he switched the red and white pokéball with a purely white ball with a black and red stripe tracing its equator.

“Burner, take point!” Kamren said loudly, releasing a second Pokémon into the pit.

“I see,” Calvin said knowledgeably as he saw the boy’s small red and black tiger Pokémon stretch it limber legs and flex its hooked claws. “Kamren’s decided to end this quickly.”

“Why’d you switch so early?” The tall gym leader spluttered. “No rookie’s ever started a gym battle here that way before!”

“Well, then,” Kamren said calmly. “You should realize that I’m no rookie then. Burner, get it with Ember!”

<Gotcha!> Burner said, a sick sort of pleasure reverberating in his voice. Before Cassandra and Limoth could gather their wits, Burner sprayed the hovering bug with a rapid strafe of fireballs the size of large hail stones, each one scoring a clean hit and measurable damage.

“Augh! Limoth, no!” Cassandra shrieked as the Limoth hit the floor at her feet, spirals in its red eyes.

The referee peered at the fallen Electric/Bug type Pokémon and announced, “Limoth is unable to battle! Fryger wins!”

“Let’s get one thing straight here,” Kamren told his opponent coldly. “I need not explain why I do what I do during this battle. Least of all to you. So quit asking and start battling.”

<Yeah, what he said,> Burner said cockily as Limoth was sucked back into its capture sphere and switched for a larger Pokémon. Kamren’s eyes contracted slightly as they met its beady black and lilac eyes. It clicked its ivory white pincers rapidly as it inched forwards on long gold and violet legs.

Oh my, an Ariados! Kamren’s Pokédex spoke up as Kamren scanned the low-slung Pokémon. It’s known as the Long Legs Pokémon. People seem to have some difficulty telling its head apart from its hindquarters. Silly willy-nillies… it concluded in its upper class voice.

OK, Cassandra, Kamren thought as he placed the pokédex back in his pocket. Let’s see what that thing’s got…

“Ready?” the referee asked both parties nodded and their Pokémon went on guard again. “Begin!”

“Ariados, go! Poison Sting attack!” Cassandra yelled quickly.

Ariados wordlessly clicked its large white mandibles rapidly as it scuttled in an erratic manner towards the young Fire type to avoid the same fate as its fallen team mate.

“It’s coming,” Kamren said tersely as he watched the Long Legs Pokémon fire off a small salvo of glowing white needles straight at Burner as it weaved speedily in between the posts.

<No worries,> Burner said as he dug his four paws deeper into the soft earth and braced himself.

Burner leapt to his right as the first needle whistled by striking one of the moss-covered posts that dotted the arena. The manouevre left Burner’s left flank open as the second one came up fast.

“Burner, on your left!” Kamren directed calmly.

<Just watch this,> the cocky Fire type announced as he summoned strength to his powerful hind leg muscles and sprang into an elegant back flip which landed him vertically on the rafter two feet behind him…

…and right into the trajectory of the third needle.

Kamren’s silver eyes and Burner’s golden ones narrowed as the attack looked impossible to avoid from the position Burner had placed himself in dodging the first two attacks.

“Burner, watch out!” Carla screamed from the sidelines.

Burner’s lips curled upwards into a smirk and without a command sprang off the pole straight up into the air, leaving the needle to miss his tail by a hair’s breadth.

<Wow!> Tora said excitedly from Carla’s ankles. <That was awesome! Not to mention familiar,> she added in a mutter as she recalled how she’d demonstrated the manouevre in her battle two hours earlier.

<You ain’t seen nothing yet!> Burner said confidently as he landed on all fours in the centre of the pit where there was a distinct lack of beams connecting the gym ceiling and floor.

“Neither have you,” Cassandra said with a smirk. “Ariados, use Poison Sting again!”

Damn it, we lost track of Ariados! Kamren thought angrily as he scanned the field fruitlessly for the spiderlike Pokémon. “Burner, get going! Don’t give ‘em a clean shot!” He yelled to his Pokémon as calmly as possible.

<Get going where?> Burner asked impatiently as he also searched for the elusive Ariados. <I don’t even know where the stupid bug went!>

Dex looked up and, nudging Calvin urgently in the ribs, pointed to the ceiling. Seeing what had struck the usually quiet Dex speechless in horror, Calvin bellowed, “Burner, Kamren! Heads up!”

Burner looked up to see a descending rain of needles fill the air between himself and the web-spun rafters.

“Oh no!” Carla gasped. “Burner can’t escape!”

“Don’t need to,” Kamren said coolly. “Burner, fight fire with fire! Charged Ember attack!”

Burner nodded and threw his head back, the flames in his mouth growing larger as he held them within, waiting… waiting…

“Burner!” Calvin yelled in a panic as the gap seemed to narrow in slow motion.

<What are you waiting for?!> Tora screamed hysterically mere seconds away from impact.

<This,> Burner thought as the flames in his maw reached his carrying capacity and he launched a fireball the size of a large beach ball straight up towards the rafters. The referee’s eyes widened as the powerful Ember attack reduced the needles directly above to cinders, creating a clear pathway for Burner to escape. With a nimble spring, Kamren’s starter Pokémon boldly leapt up through the dangerous attack without a scratch, leaving the remaining Poison Sting needles to sink ominously into the ground.

“Clever escape plan,” Cassandra mused. “But it still won’t help you hit back. An Ariados is invincible in her spider web!”

“If we can’t hit our opponent, we’ll hit everything else,” Kamren said placidly as the network of String Shot that laced the rafters caught fire from Burner’s last attack and lit up the gloom Ariados had used for cover.

“Are you insane?!” Cassandra gasped as she watched her Pokémon look around frantically as the walls of fire surrounding her quickly closed in. “You’ll burn down the gym!”

“Not really. The wood’s fire-resistant,” Kamren said dismissively. “Shouldn’t you know that already? Or were you bluffing?”

Cassandra merely scowled.

“Guess you were, then,” Kamren said with a smirk. “Burner, Ember attack!”

<Welcome to my parlour,> Burner joshed as he released yet another salvo of smaller fireballs with increased accuracy due to the fire apparently immobilizing his panicked opponent.

“Calm down, Ariados! Use String Shot!” Cassandra ordered.

Upon hearing the command, Ariados spat a fine line of strong webbing towards a wooden pillar and scuttled along it leaving the embers to miss narrowly.

“Stay on it, Burner! Keep that Ember running!” Kamren countered aggressively.

Burner turned his head with small fireballs still streaking from his maw after the Ariados, one shot igniting the larger Pokémon’s ‘lifeline’.

“Ariados, jump off and use String Shot to swing to safety!” Cassandra bellowed.

“Don’t let up, Burner! Use Metal Claw!”

Ariados leapt off the tight rope and switched to a trapeze act as it let loose a second String Shot that hit a lower rafter and swung down and around the pole towards the ground.

Burner stopped spewing red hot embers as his claws grew a couple of inches longer and began to shine with a silvery white light. Crouching low, the Fryger sprang into a full-out, zigzagging sprint, weaving in and out of the support beams.

The fool, Cassandra thought with a little smirk. There’s no way Metal Claw will reach Ariados at her present height!

Wait for the right moment, Burner, Kamren thought to himself, his teeth clenching a little. Just a little more…

Ariados swung around a pole as Burner’s steel claws pierced an adjacent pillar in a quick manner, pulling him four feet up off the ground, where he braced himself against the wooden support and pushed off, ripping claws raked forwards.

As Cassandra’s Ariados reached the nadir of her swing, Kamren yelled out, “Now! Grab it and use Ember!”

“Impossible! Your Fryger will never catch Ariados in the air- what the?!” Cassandra gasped as Ariados swung into view and right into Burner’s Metal Claw.

The two Pokémon collided in midair and Cassandra screamed in shock as the Fire Tiger Pokémon sank his claws into the Bug/Poison type’s thorax, flames filling its mouth. Carla, Dex and Calvin were also speechless as, true to his trainer’s command, Burner released a point-blank Ember attack straight to the Ariados’ head as he pile-drivered his opponent into the dirt, kicking up a small dust cloud from which Burner emerged for the most part unscathed and Ariados utterly spent.

“Two-zip, Cassandra,” Kamren taunted as the tall Gym Leader returned her fallen Pokémon and the referee declared Burner’s second victory. “If you intend to get serious, I’d recommend you do so now and make this worth our while.”

“Time to end your arrogant streak right there!” Cassandra said eerily. “I choose Pinsir!”

Yawning ostentatiously, Kamren sneered, “Yeah, I can see that… well, well,” he said, his interest piqued by the large Pokémon Cassandra had summoned. “Looks like this just might get interesting.”

Burner crouched slightly and snarled a little as the customary white light finally died down in its entirety and revealed Cassandra’s third Pokémon, a near-five foot tall stag beetle with a shiny, mud-brown exoskeleton covering nearly all of its ovoid body.

<He's no Heracross,> Burner muttered softly. <But he'll do.>

The larger Pokémon stomped forward on stout, rounded legs and flexed its long and disproportionately spindly forearms clicking its large curved claws which sprouted from its head like horns.

“Oh, my,” Calvin said faintly, his eyes locked on said claws. “Those don’t look healthy.”

“Mm-mm,” Dex agreed, also staring bug-eyed (pun intended) at the monstrosities that would have anyone spellbound.

Inch-long spiked studded the terrifying claws which rose a foot above Pinsir’s head and looked like a lot of trouble for anything their owner caught there.

Ah, a Pinsir! Nasty tempered brutes, they are, Kamren’s Pokédex Dexworth blurted out, once more without invitation. Those horrific aberrations could snap a tree trunk clean in two with those ugly claws! Better not get this Bug type mad at you! You’ll wish you never had! It’s called the Stag Beetle Pokémon, by the way…

“Great, way to piss it off, you stupid pocket calculator,” Kamren swore under his breath as the Pinsir began to stomp around in a rage.

<Why are you so angry anyways?> Burner said with a devil-may-care tone. <I’d say ‘ugly’ is kind of a compliment!>

The Pinsir let out an enraged bellow at Burner’s slight and began to barrel towards the small tiger, the ground shuddering with its every step.

“Burner, use Ember!” Kamren commanded coolly.

Burner reared back and fired off a barrage of fireballs like a machine gun. Each ‘round’ found its mark and with a mini-explosion and within seconds creating a smoke-cloud surrounding it.

<That did it!> Burner said coolly.

“You took the words out of my mouth,” Cassandra said with a little smirk. “Pinsir, Rage!”

As the smoke cleared, Kamren and Burner stared at the Pinsir, whose eyes seemed to light on fire as it gave another bellow and rushed in with a clawed fist raised high.

“Burner, fall back!” Kamren said, a bite of worry to his voice now, as he saw the Pinsir leap into the air a foot away from his target, fist still raised.

Burner managed to compose himself in time to jump away leaving the Pinsir’s fist to hit the ground where Burner’s head had been a split second earlier.

<Phew, close one!> Burner said coolly as he managed to get his golden eyes back into their sockets.

“Now that’s one brutal bug,” Carla said in a constricted voice.

“Pinsir, Frustration!” Cassandra called.

“Burner, evasive manouevre!” Kamren commanded.

“Naïve!” Cassandra laughed.

Burner began to leap to the larger Bug type’s right as the Pinsir came charging in, glowing red and veins standing out all over its egg-shaped body. At Kamren’s command, flames began to fill the Fire type’s mouth once more as he prepared to fire a second salvo of Ember attacks.

<As if!> The Pinsir roared, swinging his head around in a sharp and unprecedented manner, catching Kamren and Burner off guard and the latter square in the jaw.

<BURNER!> Tora screamed as she watched her mentor get slammed into the base of a nearby pole and slump groggily, yet still able to fight.

“Get up!” Kamren commanded roughly, his tone masking any sign of worry or fear just about perfectly.

“Vicegrip!”

Burner rose to his paws and had barely registered what had happened when the Pinsir’s claws found Burner’s throat and lifted him bodily into the pole which he had hit moments before.

“BURNER, NO!” Carla and Calvin shrieked as the watched the Fryger’s hind legs work pointlessly a foot off the air.

“Fight back!” Dex called out.

“That’s impossible,” Cassandra said with a smirk. “Game’s ours, boy. Better call your bird back out.”

Kamren closed his goose grey eyes for a moment as Burner used his fore legs to keep his head from being popped off his shoulders. Exhaling slightly, he opened them and looking into Burner’s he said lazily, “Guess it’s time.”

<If I have to,> Burner said with one eye clenched shut to keep the trickle of blood from his temple out, a slight smile playing at his mouth.

“Let’s finish this!” Cassandra bellowed. “Shut that Fryger down!”

<Say goodbye, Little ‘Mon,> the Pinsir laughed as it increased the pressure on his foe’s neck.

<Goodbye, Little ‘Mon,> Burner echoed as he began to glow and grow.

Already? Calvin gasped mentally as he watched his friend’s starter Pokémon grow larger as the white light engulfed it entirely. We barely left Olville a week ago!

“What’s this?” Cassandra blanched as the light began to die down and Burner’s hind legs found the ground under him.

“A little something called ‘evolution’,” Kamren said coolly. “No doubt you’re familiar with it.”

<Im-impossible,> Pinsir gasped as it felt his fearsome claws being pushed and forced open. <You shouldn’t even have that much experience!>

<’Impossible’ is a word used by the weak to explain their inadequacy,> Burner snarled, his large ham-like forearms pushed the Pinsir’s main claws wider apart as he also pushed the still-larger Pokémon back. <At least, that’s what Kamren says.>

Well, well. A Therline! Those Fire Tiger Pokémon are something fierce and all pride, Dexworth began to say before Kamren switched it off abruptly.

Stick to the facts, you hunk of junk! The boy thought savagely.

<For the record, your horns hurt like hell,> Burner said with a slight grunt with the effort he exerted. <So get ready for a world of payback!>

“Damn straight, Burner. Metal Claw!” Kamren called out, a glimmer of pride shining briefly through his poker face.

Shifting his forepaws so that he held the Stag Beetle Pokémon’s head claws with his left alone, Burner reared his right claw back and extended his claws which began to glow.

“Don’t let that runt push you back!” Cassandra coaxed angrily. “Hyper Beam!”

“Yeah, right,” Kamren scoffed as Pinsir began gathering energy into his mouth, quickly forming a Watmel berry sized sphere of light.

<And yes, it’ll hurt like hell,> Burner echoed with a laugh as he slammed his foot-long claws clean into the Pinsir’s head around its vertical mouth sending the Pinsir staggering backwards, disoriented by the rising uppercut.

Pinsir became even more enraged from the turn of events the battle had just taken. The insectoid Pokémon found it maddening beyond reason that a Pokémon half his weight and almost two feet shorter was pushing him around. Glaring hatred into the Therline’s unfazed ones, it began charging another Hyper Beam attack without Cassandra’s order.

<As if,> Tora chuckled as at Kamren’s command, Burner fired off around a dozen fireballs each the size of a pokéball, which blew the Pinsir back into a pillar which it slammed into back first into and slumped in an exhausted heap.

“Pinsir! Get up and use Rage at full power!” Cassandra ordered.

Pinsir rose to his stumpy legs and with a roar, began to rush the smaller Pokémon although with somewhat labored steps.

“Hanh? Pinsir’s slowed down!” Dex noted aloud.

“Obviously, Burner’s attacks had done significant damage,” Calvin said in a superior tone.

Burner stole a half glance at Kamren who smirked and held a thumb up. Turning it into a thumbs down, Burner got the message and began sprinting slowly towards the Stag Beetle Pokémon, his claws alight with power.

“A stand off!” Carla said breathlessly as she watched the two Pokémon race in as fast as they could.

<I’m only watching, and I’m totally out of breath!> Tora added, a trickle of sweat hidden by her blood red fur.

<THIS IS MY RING!> Pinsir bellowed as its Rage attack, fuelled by the damage it’d taken earlier, was boosted to the max as it narrowed the gap in Close Combat fashion.

On the other side of the ring, Burner seemed in no particular hurry to reach the point of collision either as he slowed his pace to match his opponent’s. An observation that raised some concerns on the spectators’ and opposing minds.

“Does he intend to match Pinsir toe to toe on power?” Cassandra wondered aloud as she watched the Therline slow down. “Or did that Therline take more damage than he’d let on?”

“It’d make more sense for Kamren to use Burner’s greater speed to overwhelm Pinsir, especially when it’s this injured,” Calvin mused worriedly. “Trying to match Pinsir’s strength will only injure Burner more!”

So what is he up to? Dex thought confusedly.

They found out why as the two Pokémon became mere feet apart, Pinsir began to lower his head and his horns began to click and flash through the air. Raising his voice, Kamren ordered, “Now, Burner! While they can’t escape, use Charged Ember attack!”

“It’s too late for that now, boy!” Cassandra yelled. “I know you need a few seconds to ready that attack! You lose!”

“That’d be true…” Kamren began as Burner lowered his head and raised it sharply, something looking like a miniature sun ablaze in between his teeth. With precise timing, Burner released the attack so that it struck the Pinsir clean in the ‘midriff’, blowing both Pokémon apart to varying degrees due the their proximity to the collision.

Pinsir definitely received the brunt of the attack and went flailing backwards, his back making contact this time with the lip of the ring on Cassandra’s side heavily. Slowly and almost comically, the Stag Beetle Pokémon fell forwards onto his belly and lay quiescent within small puffs of dirt that arose as the Pinsir and the arena floor made contact. The sounds of impact echoed through the arena.

Burner landed on his feet and one hand and skidded back a couple of feet away. Three short runs in the dirt showed how far he’d traversed as he looked up at the still Pokémon lying at its mistress’s feet on the other side of the ring, panting slightly.

<...if I were a Fryger,> Burner concluded cockily.

The referee rushed to Pinsir’s side and began the five-count.

<Whose ring is it now, chump?> Burner panted arrogantly as the ref began to chant, “One… Two…”

“Stay alert, Burner,” Kamren said pensively and the referee intoned, “Three… Four…”

Yet Kamren needn’t have worried for a second later, the referee said, “…FIVE! Pinsir is no longer capable of battle! The winner is the challenger from Olville Town!”

“Yes!” Dex cheered.

“They did it!” Calvin stammered in shocked awe. “They took down a Gym Leader’s Pokémon without a single substitution!”

Carla squealed in sheer and giddy ‘Oh-my-gawd’-ness, “He won! They won! Kamren won! Burner won! They won!”

That was for you, Carla, Kamren thought grimly as he returned Burner and walked forward to receive his spoils of victory.

-End Flashback-

That day brought some change to us, Kamren thought as the sound of dripping water filled the air. Opening his eyes to the dank and dreary cavern surroundings of the Dragon Cove, he returned Ciela’s pokéball to his belt and picking up his latest team mate’s, turned towards the cave opening that lead to the exit where Carla was waiting for him.

***​

This flashback brings us back to the present where Sapph, Nicola and now Kamren battle on in the Dragon Cove, unknowing to their friends on the outside's fates. What will happen? I know, and you'll all find out soon enough.

Oh, and one last announcement... this fic is hereby on temporary hiatus to attend to other Corei related matters. There will be chapters coming, but I'd feel terrible to make you expect something that might take another six months in coming (God forbid.)

I shall reveal more when the time is right, but for now...

;243;;059; HAPPY YEAR OF THE TIGER, EVERYBODY! ;059;;243;​

L@er!
 
Last edited:

Shadow Lucario

Lone Vanguard
Yay! An update! Let's get this thing on the road!

“FIVE! Fryger has lost the will to battle!”

Me thinks it was Tora that was in the battle.

A male referee holding two flags stop on the lip of what seemed to be a large square basin of earth dug out from the gym floor.

Stopped maybe? The next two things are just nitpicking, but I just have to include it :p

The PInsir let out an enraged bellow at Burner’s slight

The 'I' shouldn't be capitialized :p

<I’m only watching, and I’m totally out of breath!

Wrong ending mark :p

I liked the little flashback. It was a nice break from the usual scheme of things. Kamren winning when he only had two Pokemon and only using one is epic win. Beside the little nitpicks above I didn't see any mistakes. Keep up the good job.
 

Kindrindra

大事なのは自分らしいくある事
...
I go to my PMs, expecting that my reffing evaluation had finally come.
I scroll down.
I see 'Air Dragon'
I explode with happiness.

Absolutely amazing. For a while, I simply stared at the screen, like, "who's Cassandra?". Then I remembered. "Oh, that creepy lady!". The one that made a Shuckle into a brutal killing machine WITHOUT Power Trick. That was impressive. As was Burner's epic movez. Especially faking her out so she expected that he would have to charge for a full-power ember, but, since he was evolved, he didn't, catching her completely off guard.

Oh, that's right, I was going to ask you something. Mind if I use Sapph's Ledian's Elemental Comet Punches as my Ledian's signature move in the ASBL? Pweety pweeze?
 

tonato

New Member
j

i've been closet reading this for a while and since i caught up, i might as well review. THIS STORY ROX!!! its so new and different from other half@ stories with made up regions. i think the corei region is better than sinnoh. (why hasn't gamefreak thought up fryger and mongle?) long story short great job. keep up the good work! ^^
 

tonato

New Member
j

i've been closet reading this for a while and since i caught up, i might as well review. THIS STORY ROX!!! its so new and different from other half@ stories with made up regions. i think the corei region is better than sinnoh. (why hasn't gamefreak thought up fryger and mongle?) long story short great job. keep up the good work! ^^ btw are u going 2 go through with making games 4 corei?
 

james2791

Dragon Sneeze
Yep AD - you've got a new reader here, well... not really :D Been reading this since early 08 and I really do believe this fic is inspirational to say the least... Agreeing with ^tonato^ above, Corei is one great region - especially for a made up region!
On topic, I love the whole concept/characters/'mon of this fic in general. The plot is different to most journey fics ive read here but very, very origina. I guess it is different because this is set in Corei, right?
If its not too late to join the PM list, can I ask to be on please?
 

Air Dragon

Ha, ha... not.
No chapter?! What cruel trick is this!?

@Shadow Lucario: Thanks for the grammar check. Glad to see such a prompt response. I'll look into correcting them later.

@ Kindrindra: Glad you were happy to see this!

Oh, that's right, I was going to ask you something. Mind if I use Sapph's Ledian's Elemental Comet Punches as my Ledian's signature move in the ASBL? Pweety pweeze?

As long as you credit me when you do, no problem...

...just kidding. Go right ahead. ;)

@tonato: G'day, mate! Welcome to Corei!

i think the corei region is better than sinnoh.

Well, not that it's the only reason, but with 175 brand new, truly original Pokemon, 22 of them being Fire types (not counting legends or starters), can you blame Corei for pwning Sinnoh? :p

(why hasn't gamefreak thought up fryger and mongle?)

Because Game Freak are full of Uber Lamers who lack originality so badly that around 30 out of a hundred and seven new pokemon are lame (Pre-)evos of older pokemon? Or that they spent seven years thinking up a skunk Pokemon, something i did the same year Ruby and Sapphire were announced.

btw are u going 2 go through with making games 4 corei?

If and when I master programming and game design, then yes. :)

@james2791: Welcome to Corei, man! Enjoy your stay!

Yep AD - you've got a new reader here, well... not really Been reading this since early 08 and I really do believe this fic is inspirational to say the least... Agreeing with ^tonato^ above, Corei is one great region - especially for a made up region!

Thanks for the praise! A little extravagant, but thanks! :)

On topic, I love the whole concept/characters/'mon of this fic in general. The plot is different to most journey fics ive read here but very, very origina. I guess it is different because this is set in Corei, right?

Yeah, I'd say that sounds about right... ;P

If its not too late to join the PM list, can I ask to be on please?

Wish ranted. I mean, granted :D

Now to the meat.

Firstly, in the wake of the recently announced 2009 Fic Awards results, I'd like to thank all those who voted for The Corei Quest! We scored 2nd place in all three categories the fic was nominated for! (Funniest Scene, Best Setting and Best Trainer Fic) OK, TCQ tied for 4th place in the third one, but as the first place was a three way split, i can still say that, right? Hope I'll have Your support for year four of the Corei Quest!

And sadly, the next chapter is still not ready. The Project C-Squared is my main focus now, and a new chapter, though still in the works, it ust take place to this great undertaking. All will be revealed in time, but for now, bear with me. Keep watching my sig for status updates...

I hope you all enjoyed TCQ month, and the release of HeartGold and Soul Silver! Now I'm gonna go sulk in the corner because i haven't gotten one nor will i get one until i get near Europe of the Americas...

There will be another unrlated One-shot coming soon to the public eye to celebrate a dream come true for many Pokemon fans the world over. It may be late, but hopefully, you'll enjoy it immensely after all the reworking i had to do on it... ^_^

So... L@er!

P.S.: To those who celebrate it... HAPPY EASTER!
 
Last edited:

Air Dragon

Ha, ha... not.
@DarkSpace2010: uhm... I appreciate and laud your zeal, but there is an "Edit" button around somewhere... eheh... :p

Hi guys. As you've guessed, this is yet another "Nope, not dead yet. Just dead tired" post. Working on a few minor projects, but they're not getting in the way of this bad boy. Not if I have anything to say about it!

The next chapter's deadline will be kept to myself, 'cuz as you've all noticed, I kinda suck at keeping them.

Rest assured though, I'm working my hardest to keep it fresh.

Hope to bring you more REAL soon! Promise!

L@er!
 

Air Dragon

Ha, ha... not.
Could it be?!

You bet your sweet butt it is... :)

Not as soon as we'd all hoped, but hopefully it'll be worth the wait.

It's been a LONG four months, and I know you've wanted this as much as i have. This is by no means a sign that happier days are here again, far from it. This is a sign that I'm fed up making you wait and I'm really sorry for putting you through it all. So here it is (finally!)... Chapter #39 and the Season Two finale of The Corei Quest!

Chapter Thirty Nine: Corei United

A muffled thud could be heard through the semi-darkness of the stone corridor with an accompanying sigh of pain as a small blue lizard laid into a man clad in black causing the latter to slump over in pain, completely insensible.

“Nice work, Dracye,” a soft young voice muttered from somewhere within the gloomy parts of the tunnel, his grey eyes glinting like tiny moons through the gloom. He stepped forwards into the light of a flickering fluorescent tube and looked down upon his victim with dislike.

“So this is the strength of a Team Shadow operative,” Kamren Kent said with overt distate. “Talk about pathetic.”

Seizing the man’s ankles in between his armpits, the young Coreian dragged the unconscious sentry to a nearby room and, after ensuring it was empty, dumped the man’s body within as unceremoniously as possible.

<I didn’t hit him too hard, did I, Master?> the young dragon spoke up at this point as she stumped forward on two wide feet, her overlarge arms swinging back and forth in a floppy manner.

“No,” Kamren said closing the door on his victim behind him and turning to walk down the corridor beside his newest Pokémon. “I don’t think you hit him hard enough.”

The Rapteau giggled and turned her horned head upwards towards her master with fondness reflected in her green eyes.

<You can be so mean sometimes, Master,> she laughed as they walked side by side, her large tail swinging lazily as she walked.

Kamren abandoned his search for a particular room and stole a half glance at the Sea Dragon Pokémon walking alongside him. He had no qualms about his latest capture; she was after all, strong enough to take on Ciela, his Zwi-tail, and come out on top, although narrowly. Her apparent delight at his vicious battle style didn’t faze him either, for it would be easier for the Rapteau to adjust to his team this way. No, it was the young reptile’s almost docile surrender when he’d used his pokéball on it at the end of their fight that struck him as odd. It was almost as if she was on the lookout for a trainer like him to accompany even though her species by nature kept to themselves.

A puzzled look stole over her face as she noticed Kamren’s gaze and muttered shyly, <Is there something wrong, Master?>

“Nothing to worry about,” Kamren said shiftily, slightly disconcerted by her (dare he say it?) innocent outlook on life around her. Her gentle and soft-spoken manner was at complete odds with her rough-and-tumble fighting style and he found it something slightly overwhelming to get around.

Looking up, he saw a large double door with the word ‘LAB’ etched into a door plate set at eye level. Bringing his footsteps to a halt, he turned to the door and said, “OK, Drayce. Do your thing.”

On the other side of the door, several long, white benches spanned over half the width of the room and were interspersed with stark rock floor and several wooden lab stools. Several large tubes stood on their ends against the left wall and several laptops on a separate desk in the corner between the wall in question and the door, where a grim looking sentry stood, watching the small flock of white-frocked laboratory technicians as they worked, some at the lab benches, others studied the contents of the large tubes and a couple more took notes from the charts and figures that flashed on the laptop screens.

Suddenly, and out of nowhere, a voluminous BOOM resonated through the air as the iron door was blown off its hinges and into the lone sentry like a giant domino who turned around at the loud sound. The Shadow grunt’s eyes widened to the size of pokéballs as the door’s shadow consumed him. A second later he went down like a ton of bricks when the solid steel collided with his head and pinned him to the floor near the opposite wall.

A single female assistant screamed as most of the rest spun around in an attempt to locate the source of the disturbance, while another reached inside his lab coat for an item that never made it out, thanks to a high pressure jet of water that shot through the dust filled doorway and struck him hard in the chest, throwing him for a loop.

“Nobody move,” a young yet cold voice said as a flash of white light erupted from the cloud and materialised into a bulky orange Pokémon with catlike ears and an orange and black striped pelt, who straightened up to its full six foot four inch height and snarled in an intimidating fashion. “Unless you want to be barbecued, that is.”

“Who are you?” One scientist asked shakily as he and his comrades backed up against the wall away from Burner.

“I’m asking the questions here,” Kamren said, his silver grey eyes glinting from behind his reddish blond fringe. Looking around at the large tubes and studying their contents briefly, he added, “Looks like I have quite a few to ask, too.”

“You a Junior Ranger?” The researcher insisted obstinately. “You can’t be a member of The Light, or you’d...”

<Persistent little bugger, aren’t you?> Burner said snippily, clouting the lab worker lightly over the head. ‘Lightly’, being the operative word. The man fell like a ton of Snorlax instantly.

<Aah, you hit him too hard, didn’t you, Tigey Wigey?> Dracya said happily.

<You don’t seem bothered about that,> Burner said, slightly thrown off by his comrade’s cheerful nature at such displays of violence. <Besides, you’d know if I hit anything ‘too hard’...>

“That’s enough, Drayce, Burner. We’re on business here,” Kamren said shortly, his eyes briefly narrowing on seeing a Kingdra suspended in the greenish fluid that filled the tubes, its eyes shut in what could be nothing but than intense pain. Turning away from the sight, he addressed the scientists once again.

“You’re going to tell me everything there is to know about Damien Kent. And you’re going to tell me now.”

“Wh- who’s asking?” Another researcher said querulously, clearly afraid of being assaulted by the boy’s Fire Tiger Pokémon.

“Didn’t I say I’m the one asking the questions here?” Kamren said shortly. “All you have to do is answer them like a good little... what the?”

A distraction in the form of a large and somewhat graceful dragon came bursting through the doorway and unable to stop, bowled right into the boy. The two went tumbling over one another in a comical loop as Burner and Dracya watched with large sweat drops hanging off their temples.

A loud commotion brought the two Pokémon’s attention back to the doorway where at least a dozen grunts had assembled and the group of scientists took to their heels in fright, dragging the inert researcher along behind them.

Ah, nuts, Kamren cursed mentally as the dozen grunts’ eyes widened at the sight of the intruder. It seemed that no matter how many more of them there was than there were on his side, his sudden appearance had thrown them temporarily off guard.

Trying not to think how close he’d come to having his questions answered, Kamren raised his voice quickly and yelled, “Burner, use Flamethrower! Dracya, Ice Beam attack!”

Wordlessly, Kamren’s Pokémon sprang into action before the small army of Pokémon terrorists could do more than reach for a pokéball. A thin yet powerful beam of icy blue subzero energy streaked from a ball of white held between the Rapteau’s claws as a torrent of fiery crimson and gold erupted from the larger Pokémon’s mouth.

The grunts’ eyes widened in horror as they saw the powerful combination race towards them and dove for cover as they collided, creating a powerful mist that filled the corridor with a thick fog that snaked down the corridor in both directions.

“Damn it!” Kamren swore as he made a break for it, Burner and Dracya obediently (albeit slightly confused) falling into step behind their trainer. “Where the hell did that damned Flygon come from? We were this close!”

<Speaking of that ‘damned Flygon’...> Dracya began uncertainly.

“I’d rather not,” Kamren said huffily.

<... it’s right behind us,> Burner finished grimly with a half-glance and a nod behind him.

“WHAT?” Kamren yelled, chancing a glance behind him to see the Mystic Pokémon close behind them, clearing mimicking their attempt to put some distance between themselves and the grunts they’d left behind.

“YOU AGAIN?! Go away, already! Beat it! Get lost!” Kamren yelled angrily at the Flygon who let out a frightened squeak and flinched as Kamren yelled.

Looking ahead, Burner said, <We got company, Kamren!>

Joining Burner in looking ahead, Kamren saw no less than fifteen grunts bar their way forwards, each one having a Gible or Bagon with them.

“Ah... NUTS!” Kamren swore aloud, skidding to a stop as he saw all the Pokémon before him conjure balls of energy crackling all over with orange electricity. “This is all your fault!” He snapped back at the Flygon a second before noticing that the desert Pokémon had gotten ahead of him as he and his Pokémon stopped and pulling back a bit, an apologetic look in its shielded eyes.

What happened next even blew Kamren away, though thankfully not literally. The Flygon flapped its wings so quickly the air around them distorted wildly. Copious amounts of hot sand swept up the corridor and hit the barricade ahead like a Rhydon going all out. Not even the Gible, who as a rule were immune to Sandstorm, could stand up to the sheer force of the attack and went sprawling along with the Bagon and their trainers.

As the desert ‘typhoon’ died down, Kamren opened his eyes cautiously and saw each and every Shadow operative and Pokémon completely insensible.

Before his sense could overpower his shock, the Ground/Dragon type took off again, leaving a stunned silence in its wake.

<Holy... > Burner said weakly.

<Latios, imagine if we had him on the team,> Dracya said wondrously. <Hey, Kamren, why didn’t we catch him too?>

Kamren could only stare.

***​

In the backroom of the Spicy Torchic, Haley sat stock still after her furious battle with her inner self and the startling revelation the self-proclaimed AGENT before her had shared with her.

“So... let me get this straight,” Haley said in a hollow voice. “You suspect Sapph? Of being a Team Shadow operative?”

Orion leaned forward and placed a pale hand on Haley’s muttering, “I know it’s hard to believe, but...”

“’Hard to believe’? Try impossible,” Haley said with a dry chuckle. “There’s no way in hell that’s true.”

“The evidence is all there,” Orion said stoically.

“The evidence is Tauros crap,” Haley spat back. “Purely circumstantial and speculative.”

“Let me ask you one thing then,” Orion said, a ghost of a smile on his face. “Can you provide evidence to the contrary?”

Haley opened her mouth as she’d done a few minutes before, but her frail counterargument died in her throat, lost without substance.

Taking a large gulp of air, Haley bowed her head and said, “Can you answer me one thing?”

“Sure,” Orion said, a half-smile traced along his lips.

“Why have you told me this?” Haley asked. “If the AGENTs operate in utter secrecy, what could they hope to gain from confiding in an eleven-year old researcher?”

Orion shifted in his seat as he seemed to search for the right words to say. “Well,” he said finally, “as the information pertains to your family, we felt that firstly you had a right to know. Secondly, you have spent the good part of three months in the company of one of our main suspects. We merely want to put you on your guard.”

Haley’s searching grey eyes probed Orion’s dark ones which still held a faint twinkle of cheer despite the news he’d just divulged.

With a sigh, she slumped and said, “There’s something else, isn’t there?”

Orion regarded his new companion shrewdly before smiling and said, “You’re as sharp as our scouts say. Yes, there is something else, but it will be tricky, not to mention dangerous.”

Haley raised an eyebrow but gave no further sign of interest.

Orion’s smile widened as he obliged Haley’s silent request. “And finally, we’d like to enlist your help as an honorary AGENT in investigating Mr. Manson further.”

“What? Why me?” Haley said, somewhat taken aback at this turn of events.

“Well, for starters, you’ve experienced some exposure to him and are in the best position to investigate him without arousing suspicion. Your battling prowess is also something to be commended. We – that is my superiors and myself – are of common assent that you are certainly the best woman for the job. Your strong sense of justice and unparalleled zeal also help your commendation greatly.”

Orion’s smile widened as he saw Haley crack a small grin herself.

“Hmm... well, OK,” Haley said confidently. “I’m in. So what’s the plan?”

“Nothing at all onerous,” Orion smiled, reaching into his jacket as he rose to go. “You’ll find all you need under your seat. Good luck, Seraph.”

With a last smile, Orion nodded to the barkeep, who nodded back and left the restaurant.

Seraph? Haley pondered as she felt under her chair and discovered a soft parcel underneath the seat wrapped in what seemed to be rough brown paper as she held it in her hands. Unwrapping it, she saw a fresh change of clothes: a red tank top and yellow and black biker shorts. A short white jacket with full sleeves completed the outfit. A brand new Pokétch also included. A plain white calling card lay just under the front cover of the Pokétch’s box as she opened it. She stared at the small black lettering on the card, which bore the words ‘WHITE SERAPH’ and turned it over to read a short message scrawled in black pen:

White Seraph,

This Pokétch doubles as a communicator. To send a message, simply press and hold the App Selection button to transmit messages. A hidden keypad enables short text message communication. Keep us posted on any development. If you must communicate in Mr. Manson’s presence, call me Black Cherub, or B.C.

Stay safe.

O.


White Seraph, hunh?
Haley thought with a smile as she proceeded to the washroom to change. I like it... I like that a lot.

***​

“Aargh!” Sapph screamed as he flew back into the wall, clutching his left shoulder as blood seeped down his arm.

<Sapph!> Anuvi cried out, using a neat backflip to avoid his opponent, a large and ferocious spiny golem with broad ears and violently purple body plating, and dropping to one knee in near exhaustion.

The Nidoking let out another roar and began to rush the Squirrage when a light blue aura surrounded his head for a second and vanished. With it went the Poison Pin Pokémon’s consciousness as its evil eyes blanked out and it skidded to a halt.

<Didn’t need that, Zen,> Anuvi called to another Pokémon a few feet away who was fighting three at once.

Zen the Jutunkik took one step backwards and sprang off from his toes into an overhead spinning kick, clocking his ninth Bagon of the day clean on the head and out of commission. Without missing a beat, he then slammed a large fist on the ground and several small boulders rose out of the tunnel floor.

With a thrusting out of both arms, the Combatant Pokémon sent the boulders streaking towards the ankles of the two Gabite on either side of him and felled them like bowling pins where they stayed.

Wheezing slightly, Zen turned to his teammate and said, <You’re welcome. You doin’ alright, Kid?> he directed to Sapph, who had somehow managed to rise shakily to his feet.

“Yeah,” Sapph said wearily as Nicola and her Cacturne finished off the last of the latest opposition with an impressive Needle Arm attack.

“We gotta get back-“ One grunt yelled to the others before the bright blue aura that had taken out his Nidoking flashed around the heads of every grunt in the corridor, causing them to black out simultaneously.

<Yeah... no, you won’t,> Zen said tiredly as he ambled towards Anuvi and Sapph, the latter administering first aid after their latest run-in with Team shadow while infiltrating their Dragon Cove hideout.

“Is it just me, or is your big idea for going incognito beginning to wear some very large holes?” Nicola said grimly as she returned her Cacturne with a word of praise.

“Maybe,” Sapph said laboriously as he applied one last sprits of antidote to Anuvi’s wounds and chucked Zen a small heart-shaped fruit.

<Thanks, Kid,> Zen said gratefully, catching the Pecha berry and taking a bite out of it. As his breathing eased up slightly, he asked, <What about you?>

Sapph sat back down heavily and said, “That was my last one. We’re gonna have to... go easy for a while now.”

Zen gazed at his trainer as Anuvi started to say, <Now’s not the tme for this, Sapph! You should look out for yourself first...!>

“Relax, Anuvi,” Sapph said calmly. “I’m a long ways from done in. You’re the ones doing the battling, not me.”

<Still...> Anuvi said stubbornly.

“Just trust me on this...” Sapph started to argue before a soft squelching noise got everybody’s attention and turned to face the direction it had come from.

Zen held out a part of the Pecha Berry Sapph had given him and that he hadn’t bitten into and said, <Here. Halfsies.>

Anuvi’s jaw went slack. Sapph bowed his head and sighed half in exasperation, half in amusement.

“You insist, don’t you?” he asked the Combatant Pokémon.

<Yeah.>

“And knowing you, you’d probably stuff it down my throat if I protested,” Sapph smiled wearily.

<Maybe... > Zen said in a tone of mock thoughtfulness. <Oh, who are we kiddin’? Yeah.>

“Well, since you asked nicely then,” Sapph grinned as he took the soft fruit from Zen and toasted his colleagues slightly. “Bottom’s up.”

“So what’s our plan now, Sapph?” Nicola said once Sapph had gotten back to his feet a little less shakily and begun walking down yet another flight of stairs.

Sapph looked towards Zen and Anuvi and asked, “Any ideas, guys?”

Anuvi, however, answered the question, <Nope. I can’t really sense that much aura down here.>

<Well, judging by the increased amount of steel in the walls down here, it’s not that surprising,> Zen said in a flippant yet semi-consoling voice. <Processed metal’s a pain to sense through.>

“Everyone does seem to be heading to the upper levels in an awful hurry,” Nicola said thoughtfully. “Might that be an indication of something big happening there?”

“Maybe,” Sapph said cuttingly, his eyes focused on the stairs before him, putting all his efforts not to trip and fall. Stopping about halfway down, he leaned against the stone side of the corridor and muttered, “Hey, is it just me, or does it sounds like there’s a lot of water just ahead?”

“Water?” Nicola echoed uncertainly.

<You’re right,> Zen said as he stopped beside his trainer who was summoning the strength to stand upright.

<It smells salty too,> Anuvi said ponderously. <You think it’s a way out?>

“’Way out’? Listen, we’re supposed to be here to stop Team Shadow, remember?” Nicola interjected.

“Of course I do,” Sapph said evenly as he recalled Anuvi and Zen back into their pokéballs. “I’ve fought Team Shadow a number of times before you know. So far the worst we’ve met are the upper grunts we battled at the beginning. And they’re only upper grunts. When there are this many grunts around, there’s usually a captain or two in the vicinity. And believe me,” Sapph’s eyes looked dangerous as they beheld a shocked Nicola, “you do not want to run into a captain. They’re mean to the core and pretty powerful to boot.”

Nicola could only stare as Sapph finally righted himself and panted.

“Come on,” Sapph said, walking down the stairs once more. “We’ve done what we can. We best get out before we run into another platoon of grunts... or worse.”

The bottom of the stairs led to a large cavernous dock complete with steel shipping containers, smaller repair boats and an enormous trawler moored in the natural harbours hew out by the tides of centuries past.

“Whoa... would you check this out...” Sapph marveled as he looked towards the moored trawler. “This thing’s massive!”

“It’s nothing out of the ordinary, Sapph,” Nicola said dismissively. “You see these kind of vessels quite often in harbour cities like Nightspark and Utopia Island. My interest,” she went on as she inspected the large steel crates that lined the docks, “lies in these containers. I wonder what could be inside them?”

“Dunno for sure,” Sapph said as he joined her in examining the crates. “Could be a number of things...”

“Such as?” Nicola asked impatiently.

“Stolen or abducted Pokémon,” Sapph reeled off, reflecting on how he met Ace for the first time, “machinery parts... Team Shadow’s plans seem to involve a need for a lot of energy,” he mused, his mind going back to their foiled heist of a generator part he was conveying on the Entover-Nightspark ferry. “Though what for, I really can’t say...”

<Siphoning life energy from their Pokémon victims,> Zen said telepathically. <Remember the Javelin? That’s what they abducted the Pidgey Postal Pokémon for...>

Not to mention Atlas’s attempt to capture Grandpa in the Rocky Pass... and Dopeak City when Zula attacked Anuvi for his Essence! Sapph completed.

“Of course!” Sapph said loudly, struck with the epiphany.

“Of course what?” Nicola said in bemused tones. “Bah, doesn’t matter either way. If we destroy everything in this harbour, then our coming here would have some merit!”

“You can’t just destroy them!” Sapph said shocked out of his reverie. “What if you hurt the Pokémon inside?”

“What? You reckon they’d still be alive in there?” Nicola said edgily.

“Pretty sure,” Sapph said quickly. “I’d reckon breaking them open first is our best bet.”

“Alright, then,” Nicola said slightly miffed. “Come on out...”

Before she could throw her pokéball forward, something long, scaly and violet whipped out of nowhere and caught her clean in the temple, flinging her across the moor like a rag doll. Her head hit a container with a sickening CLANG and she slumped, insensible to the floor.

“Nicola!” Sapph yelled in a panic.

<KID! WATCH YOURSELF!> Zen’s voice blared in Sapph’s mind as the long assailant made a second swift round towards the Johton trainer, this time glowing a bright, platinum white colour.

Sapph raised his arm in a last ditch attempt to literally save his neck and out of nowhere a light tan aura surrounded it just before what seemed to be a hard tail made impact. And though Sapph was thrown for a loop, he miraculously managed to keep on his feet even as he flew back and fell into a short roll.

Ouch! Was that an Iron Tail? Sapph thought numbly, his arm riddled in pain. If so, why doesn’t my arm seem to be broken?

“What was that light just now?” A cold voice spoke up from the shadow of the trawler as what looked like a large purple cobra slithered across Sapph’s field of vision to the source of the voice.

Gritting his teeth to avoid screaming with the pain, he grasped Nicola’s shoulder and shook it frantically, but to no avail.

“It was ugly,” the voice said again as its owner stepped in front of him and the large snake wound itself lightly around her body. Sapph’s blue eyes widened in horror as he came face to face with a woman who, despite radiating pure hatred and fury, couldn’t look anything less than a heavenly apparition with pale, shining skin and lilac eyes and hair that shone softly.

“And if there is one thing I despise,” she went on, stroking the Arbok under its cowled head as it hissed almost seductively in her ear, “it’s ugly things.”

Aw, man... Sapph said grimly. Why is this suddenly not my day?

*continued next post*
 
Last edited:

Air Dragon

Ha, ha... not.
The fun won't stop! (TCQ ch 39~2)

*continued from last post*

***​

There was a great deal of excitement in the recovery ward of the Utopia Island Pokémon Center as eight Pokémon who belonged to Sapph interacted loudly.

<Good to see you again, Might,> Crimson said cheerfully as he greeted his early team mate.

<Audio sensorsss have detected salutation of amplified goodwill,> Might droned in its usual lifeless voice. <Unsure of what appropriate reply should beee...>

Arcana laughed raucously as Lavender afforded a more controlled chuckle lest she hurt the now-shiny Magnemite’s feelings.

<At least you have retained your colourful charm, soldier,> Ace said with a swift salute.

<You’re the only one who could call Might a colourful character, aren’t you, Ace?> Crimson said with some disbelief. Turning to the three newcomers who both appeared to be napping nearby, he said, <Hello, I’m Crimson. Who might you be?>

Yawning slightly, the little Castform opened one beady eye and after a large yawn, drawled, <You can call me...> Another yawn. <...Cloude.>

<The glorious Keynid does not proffer his name to lowly insects,> the small black husky pup snapped without turning around.

<Um, you just gave him your name, Wolfie,> Lavender said blithely. Turning to where she correctly assumed Arcana was, she added <Is it just me, but does he sound kinda cute?>

<Lavender, he’s over there,> Arcana said trying hard not to laugh at her best friend. <And if you're into guys who put up a tough front...>

<Where?> Lavender said feeling slightly red in the face as she quickly turned to Might.

<... never mind,> Arcana sighed with a smile.

Cloude turned a bleary eye to the Five Star Pokémon who shrugged and said, <Don’t go there. What about you, big feller?> He then directed to the large jellyfish like Pokémon.

<Tentis,> he said succinctly. <An’ I don’t shake hands... I break them. And arms... and legs. You had a broken leg before?> He said before adding with a manic glint in his eye. <Would you want one?>

Crimson withdrew his hand very quickly.

<Arcana, I’d like you to meet Might,> Lavender said to the large Fire type. <He was sent to Professor Yew’s about a week before you joined the team.>

<Nice tan, Might,> Arcana giggled as she looked towards the small Magnet Pokémon.

<Unfamiliar vernacular detected,> Might droned as it hovered towards Crimson, gazing unblinkingly at the Legendary Pokémon. <Vocabulary databank search yields zero results. Requesting definition of ‘tan’...>

Crimson sweat dropped as Keynid barked, <Would you keep it down? The majestic Keynid can not sleep with this incessant blathering!>

<Who’s Prince Snobby?> Lavender said distastefully.

<Dunno, galfriend,> Arcana said fervently.

<Like, Keynid just likes his space,> Cloude said slowly as he hovered over. <Nobody quite knows what Tentis likes. But he gets happy when he hears about others pain. I suspect causing it makes him even happier, so I usually avoid him as much as I can, ya know?>

<You seem OK,> Lavender said fairly. <Despite the constant lack of energy.>

<Nah, dudette,> Cloude said slowly. <I’m just real conservative. Like, real conservative...>

<Um, has anyone seen Pyrrhus?> Crimson said fluttering over. <The professor’s looking for him.>

<Detected the Ninetales dubbed ‘Pyrrhus’ absence approximately seventeen minutes, forty eight seconds and...> Might paused as he recounted this fact, <sixty two microseconds from the time my last word is to be utterrrrred...>

<That’s approximate?!> Crimson faltered as he gave his friend a blank stare.

<Affirmative,> Might said in a monotonous drone.

Lavender sweat-dropped as Arcana turned to Cloude and said, <What ah don’t git is why the professor brought you peeps down here. No diss or nuthin’, but ah don’t quite see the occasion...>

<Like, no offence taken,> Cloude said calmly, his twin ‘bangs’ fluttering as he shook his head from side to side. <The Sapph dude wanted to give you guys a break while we trained for the tournament thing end of July, ya know?>

<I dig it,> Arcana said brightly.

<By the way,> Cloude went on. <Which of you dudettes is Lavender?>

<Present,> Lavender said cheerfully. <How may I help you?>

<I kinda overheard the Sapph man talkin’ ‘bout making you team leader or something during the Trigello tourney training period,> Cloude said lazily, blinking back another large yawn. <So, I was just wondering, ya know, if I should call you ‘Captain” ... or just Lavender. Cuz either one’s groovy IMO...>

Lavender’s smile slipped off her face suddenly. <wha... wait, what? Why?>

<Syntax error,> Might beeped, shuddering slightly. <’IMO’ not found... ‘IMO’ not foooouund...>

<Like, I dunno, dudette. I just rolled with it,> Cloude said with its best attempt at a nonchalant shrug despite his lack of shoulders of any sort. <Pleased to be working with you, ya know. Hope I, like, meet your expectations!>

<Humph,> Keynid snorted, his back still turned firmly to the group at large. <The great Keynid pledges his allegiance to no ruler, nor his assistance to such an unworthy leader.>

<That’ll do, you insubordinate private!> Ace snapped sharply. <The General has given his orders and they will be followed!>

<The fantastic Keynid follows no man, woman or beast’s orders, and yields to no trainer or Pokémon’s authority!> Keynid declared magnanimously.

<M-me? Team leader?!> Lavender said faintly. <I can’t be team leader... what is Sapph thinking?!>

<Relax, homie! You’ll rock!> Arcana said encouragingly.

But Lavender couldn’t quite shake the feeling that somehow, Sapph had made a terrible mistake... not to mention a gross over estimation.

***​

“Zen, Aura Sphere!” Sapph commanded desperately as he fought what seemed to be quite the losing battle.

Zen prepared and fired off a pulsing pokéball-sized orb of aura at Cleopatra’s Arbok that had taken out Anuvi with nearly no effort at all due to the latter’s fatigue.

“So desperate,” Cleopatra sighed as without an order, Arbok arched its body and let the Fighting type attack speed through its coils.

<Wait... it dodged?!> Zen said blankly, huffing and wheezing as his jaw nearly fell off. <You don’t dodge Aura Spheres... they make you go splat.>

“...how ugly,” Cleopatra finished with another sigh. “Arbok, Crunch that Jutunkik into pieces and spit out the bones!”

Zen was too tired after the whole day of battling he’d had to pull off and defending Sapph from the snake Pokémon’s earlier attack on Sapph. The Arbok seized the Combatant Pokémon’s arm in its serrated maw and bit down with all the force its jaw could muster.

Zen screamed in pain as Sapph snapped out of his fatigued haze to scream, “Come on, buddy! Use Aura Sphere at close range!”

“Discard the filth,” Cleopatra said remorselessly.

With a swift flick of its head, the long serpentine Pokémon twisted Zen around (causing the simian Pokémon to scream some more as he was forcibly jerked through the air) and in the middle of its arc of movement, released the Fighting type like a fast ball straight at one of the stacks of steel containers.

Sapph watched, stunned silent in horror as his last Pokémon available hit, toppled and was promptly buried in the pyramid of containers and what seemed to be a horde of various and apparently heavy machinery.

“ZEN!” Sapph screamed, abandoning Nicola in the moment and running towards the avalanche of metal before being noosed by the Cobra Pokémon’s long tail and lifted slowly into the air.

“Stop you’re childish screaming,” Cleopatra scolded in her dispassionate voice. “If you cannot, I shall have it done for you. Arbok, you may finish him off.”

“Ungh...” Sapph murmured in pain as he clawed desperately at the Arbok shiny coils, unable to prise the cobra’s powerful grip on his neck, which was tightening by the second. Just as Sapph’s vision was about to fade to blackness, a loud, terrified musical cry pierced the air and a large, dusty green form flew into the room and barrelled into them, sending the Arbok, and Sapph along with it, for a loop.

Sapph felt the Arbok’s grip loosen slightly in the shock of the sudden attack and opening an eye, heard footsteps and a voice he dimly recognized saying, “Well, well... so you’re useful for something after all... now beat it, you dumb reptile.”

A second, brash voice bellowed from the depths of the cavernous entrance, yelling, “I have you now, my beauty!” prompting a second, musical squeak of terror and the familiar voice to spit out, “What part of, ‘get off me’ don’t you understand, you ignorant Flygon?!”

Sapph barely had the time to register any comprehension of the events around him before the coils begun to tighten again. Kicking and gasping as his air supply was squeezed off, he gasped and blinked back tears, rasping for help in a voice no one could hear... before the pressure on his throat was miraculously lifted.

Sapph thudded limply to the floor and choked and spluttered as his vision sharpened. Looking up at the ceiling as he struggled to catch his breath, he heard another struggle not too far off as his captor hissed and spluttered and the mystery saviour brawled a few feet away.

“...Zen...” Sapph said weakly, rolling on his side and focussing on the debris that lay several yards away from where he lay. “Zen...” he repeated feebly, his voice cracking with fear that his Pokémon may not respond.

Just as the Flygon and Arbok separated in the midst of their battle, Arbok beaten and mad, an invisible force seemed to clock it around the head, making its eyes go oddly blank and toppling it like a felled tree.

“What the...?” Kamren murmured, turning towards the pile of parts as it shifted slightly and a long grey arm pushed its way out, followed by the rest of the near-fainted, scratched and badly bruised Jutunkik.

<It’s you! You’re that Taebrawl!> Burner who had up to that point kept silent blurted out in shock, prompting Kamren’s mind to flashback to the day when he met the then-rebellious brawler...

-Flashback-

Pamap City Dojo, three and a half months earlier...


“What the- what are you, shrimp?” Kamren yelled rudely, earning a cold glare from the creature that sat or stood (it was hard to tell because of the cloak) before him.

The being said nothing; just stared.

<Yo, my master asked you a question? Or are you dumb?!> Burner yelled.

Still no sound escaped the Pokémon’s lips.

“If you can use Light Screen, you must be a Pokémon!” Kamren said in glee.

So, a Pokémon is in charge of Pokémon? Sapph thought, bewildered. Must be a Psychic type to intimidate Fighting types like Rumboo... but wait, Rumboo are part Ghost too, so why would they choose to serve a Psychic type?

“And if you’re a Pokémon,” the reddish blond trainer cackled, enlarging an empty pokéball. “It simply means I can catch you! Go, pokéball!” Kamren roared, throwing the pokéball towards it.

“Wha-?” Sapph started in surprise. “No fair, Kamren!”

“All’s fair in my book, widdle Sapphire!” Kamren mocked as the pokéball made its progress towards the strange Pokémon.

Reacting quickly, the being’s eyes snapped forward onto Kamren’s Therline, who was stepping out of the pokéball’s path. The yellow orbs glowed an extraterrestrial blue as Burner felt his body move out of control, his whole being also enveloped on a light of matching hue to the cause’s eyes.

<Hey!> Burner yelled, his eyes dilating in fear. <What d’you think you’re doing? HEY!> He yelled as he was thrown bodily by unseen forces into the pokéball’s way. The stranger released its psychic hold on Burner as the pokéball struck him in the back, splitting the ball open and sucking him in.

“What the-“ Kamren gasped stunned as the pokéball hit the ground with a thud, rolled around a couple of times before the light which had been blinking in the centre went off with a loud PING!, signaling that it had successfully captured its accidental target.

“Wow, way to go, Little Kammykins,” Sapph choked out having a hard time controlling his laughter. “What a classic catch!”

“Shut it, you wannabe! OK, you!” he added at the Pokémon. “Let’s see you dodge this!” he said with a flourish, pulling out a black and white pokéball with two yellow stripes running on either side of a yellow letter ’H’ parallel to each other, all embossed on the black half of the pokéball.

Whoa, that’s an Ultra Ball! Sapph thought, suddenly jealous. Why’s he get all the good stuff?

“Ultra ball, go!” he exclaimed, cocking back his fist and throwing the enhanced capture device at his elusive quarry.

The creature’s eyes went blue again, this time ensnaring the Ultra ball in a halo of shimmering blue light.

“Hunh?!” Kamren practically screamed in frustration.

<Sorry,> the being said softly. <But I can’t play with you anymore.>

With that, the creature under the cloak raised a fingerless gloved hand out of the cloak, pointing it at Kamren. Suddenly, as had happened with Burner, Kamren found himself completely out of his own control.

“Hey, what gives?” Kamren roared in panic as he was lifted bodily in the air. “What’s the meaning of this? Put me down NOW! I order you to...”

<Nobody orders me to do anything,> the creature said coldly, slightly clenching his fingers and he bent his fore arm towards his chest. With a sweep of his hand (the glove seemed attached to his hand), he sent Kamren and the Ultra ball soaring out through the wall.

-End Flashback-

So, you let Sappy catch you?
Kamren thought as he watched Sapph return the Jutunkik and turn to the Mystic Pokémon with a word of praise for each. Pathetic...

“Kamren?!” Sapph’s voice registered frank surprise as its owner recognized his rival’s presence. Kamren turned to find the Johton being supported by the anxious Flygon. “Is this Flygon yours? And more importantly... what are you doing here?”

One part from the pile rolled towards Kamren’s foot and he stooped to pick it up, said in a cold voice, “None of your business. And that Flygon,” he went on, studying the part intently, scoffed. “Who would want such a cowardly Pokémon anyways?”

“I believe I’d fit the bill, ya stowaway,” the gruff voice Sapph heard earlier reverberating around the cavernous dock bellowed. “All power and no spine makes a nice test subject, wouldn’t you say?”

Test subject? Sapph thought furiously as he felt the Flygon quake beside him. “You’re experimenting on the Pokémon here, like at Chinooka City?!” Sapph roared, his anger and indignation at Team Shadow’s gall exceeding his fear at the appearance of what seemed to be a second Team shadow Captain, dressed more for the part of a pirate captain than a terrorist. “You make me sick!”

The beefy man came to stand beside Cleopatra and barked, “And what have we here? Fancy-dressed free booters? Arrr, yeh’ll all walk the plank for this!”

“That’s what you’ll think!” Sapph said loudly as Cleopatra returned her Arbok and tossed a second pokéball forwards which split open to reveal another large Poison type Pokémon, whose pre-evolved forms Sapph had battled on numerous occasions that day.

Damn, a Nidoqueen, Sapph grimaced mentally, watching the large blue Poison and Ground-type Pokémon flex its powerful, armoured arms and wiggle its mouse-like ears in deliberation. It smacked its muscular tail on the ground three times and let out a roar that caused the Flygon to squeak in fear once more.

“Arr! Let’s keelhaul ‘em, Moryock!” The Second captain yelled; raising, enlarging and opening a pokéball of his own, spilling white light onto the cavern floor and forming yet another creature local to the Corei region.

Once the low-slung Pokémon had gained a corporeal form, the ground formed a deeply-cracked crater under nearly nine hundred kilograms of dusty brown rock. Moryock opened hazel eyes which lay under rows and rows of strong, raking studs that, despite their dullness, would make a Rollout attack something to avoid.

Ah, Moryock! The Mountain Dragon Pokémon, Kamren’s Pokédex began to say. They’re well known for creating new mountain trails by burrowing through mountains with ferocious Rollout attacks. They’re quite rare, both in number and typing, being the only Rock and Dragon type species known today.

Finally, information I can use! Kamren smirked as he watched the Moryock and Nidoqueen lumber to stand side by side and said, “Burner, you’re up.”

As Burner rose to his six foot two inch erect height, Sapph called out in warning, “Kamren! What are you doing?! Those guys are too much for you to handle alone!”

“I’m not you, Sapphire,” Kamren said shortly. “Nor am I as weak as you. So if you’re too Torchic for this, then butt out of it. I’ve got questions,” he added, glancing at the two captains and smirking, “and who better to answer them than two Team Shadow captains?”

“Tch!” Sapph hissed vehemently, glancing at his presently useless right arm, and back at Nicola’s inert form sprawled out on the floor behind him. He then turned to the Flygon supporting him, who was still shivering at the sight of Doracus, thinking hard...

He’d never been in a worse fix. He was injured, out of Pokémon, and his only assistance was a boy he’d rather have nothing to do with. And even though he’d rather get eaten by Cleopatra’s Arbok than admit it, he would be of no help at all to the boy trainer before him, assisting him...

Even that thought sounded weird to Sapph, given the rivals’ history.

He could try catching the Flygon, but he had no means to weaken it. And he could see from the desert Pokémon’s demeanour that it had had enough of people trying to subjugate it for one day.

Lowering his voice to a whisper, Sapph hissed in the Dragon Pokémon’s ear, “Hey, Flygon. I know things look bad right now. I know I’m about to ask you for something I presently have no right to, but... we really need your help to escape.”

The Flygon’s eyes flicked towards the youth he held with some surprise at the change in tone. It was less demanding... the Flygon seemed to muse as he studied the boy as he went on.

“You don’t have to help, you could just fly away,” Sapph said as Burner got double-whammied by a Sludge Bomb attack from Nidoqueen and a Rollout attack from Moryock. “I’m begging you, OK? I’ve no reason to be proud here,” Sapph murmured as Burner retaliated with Flamethrower. “But if you don’t help us, we’re all toast.”

“Sorry to put it so bluntly,” Sapph said, noticing the scared look in the Mystic Pokémon’s eyes, “but it’s not a threat, it’s cold fact. We need to escape, not fight. When we get out, you’ll be free to do what you want. I’m not your trainer, I can’t command you-” Burner got caught by a second Rollout attack from Moryock as Nidoqueen charged in with a Hammer Arm attack. “- I can only ask you. You’re welcome to join us,” he added, touching Anuvi and Zen’s pokéballs which were attached to his belt. “But that’s your choice to make. We haven’t got time either,” Sapph said as Nidoqueen clothes-lined Burner with the Hammer Arm and Moryock scored a third hit by steamrollering Burner’s arm deeper into the floor, causing a roar of agony.

“Ugh,” Cleopatra said distastefully as she watched Burner roll about the floor, clutching his arm. “Your lack of strength is so... ugly...”

“Best let us put yeh and yer pussy cat outta commission, laddie,” Doracus laughed as Moryock uncurled itself and turned to face the opposition once again.

“Not to mention your unsightly pride at assuming you could take us on single-handedly,” Cleopatra went on, causing Kamren’s blood to start boiling.

“Well, it was fun,” Doracus said with a cruel leer. “But it’s time for naughty kids to go nighty-night... permanently! Moryock!” He yelled in a commanding voice.

“Nidoqueen!” Cleopatra said in a vapid voice, stretching her hand towards Kamren and Burner for emphasis.

“...USE HYPER BEAM!” The duo roared in unison.

Kamren’s eyes narrowed in the light of the two balls of energy that began to swell in the two Pokémon’s mouths as Burner bared his fangs in pain as he rose to his feet determined to shield his trainer.

“Flygon, use Sandstorm quickly!”

Kamren and Burner quickly shielded their eyes as a powerful desert wind blew in from nowhere and form a powerful cyclone around the two Pokémon and their trainers.

“Grrr,” Doracus voice snarled from within the sand hurricane as his Rock Dragon Pokémon shifted a little for its next attack. “You lot are working together, eh?”

“OH, HELL NO!” Sapph and Kamren roared back in unison, catching everyone, even themselves, by surprise.

“Well, what do you know?” Sapph said with a sardonic smile. “We actually agree on something for once.”

“I’m not agreeing with you,” Kamren said stubbornly. “I’m disagreeing with him!”

Sapph smirked slightly despite their predicament and said “Heh. If you say so... by the way, this place will be filled with Team Shadow operatives in a few minutes given the racket you made down here...”

“’I made’?!” Kamren repeated in disgust as Sapph ordered a Flamethrower from Flygon to follow up his last order. “You made some of it too, if I recall!”

“What do you suppose that boy’s up to?” Cleopatra said in a bored voice, watching the spinning sand circle around them glow red hot as the Flygon’s Fire attack heated it up exponentially.

“Doesn’t matter,” Doracus snarled. “I’ll blow it away! Moryock, get ready to fire on my mark!”

“Again, whatever,” Sapph said dully as he clutched his arm in pain. Reaching down and hoisting Nicola by the arm and over his shoulder and staggering a bit under the weight, he turned to Kamren and said seriously, “We’re outta here...”

Kamren snorted with impatience at the scene before him and said, “Hmph. Do whatever you want, you coward. Just stay outta my way, Sapphire.”

Rising to his feet, Sapph turned towards the cyclone that trapped the two captains and with barely a glance at his rival said loudly, “Whatever, Karen.”

A vein began to pulse at Kamren’s temple as he spun to stare daggers at Sapph and hissed, “It’s Kamren, you loser!”

Sapph’s lips turned upwards into a smirk as he replied with a whisper, “I know. Flygon! Time for DragonBreath, go!”

“Arr, Moryock! Blow that sandstorm away! Hyper Beam... FIRE!” Doracus yelled as, unbeknownst to him, a burst of ocean blue winds escaped the Flygon’s fanged maw and hit the hot sandstorm with enough force to knock over a barn.

Moryock fired the beam of Megacite energy which hit the sand... and bounced back in all directions within the now reflective glass cylinder.

“AARGH!” Doracus yelled as he nearly got bowled over by the force of his own pokémon’s attack which missed him and struck Nidoqueen in the gut. Nidoqueen gasped in pain as her attack misfired and added to the confused and dangerous lightshow.

Time to go, Kamren!” Sapph called, dragging Nicola along as the Flygon hurried to help.

Kamren remained rooted to the spot as shouts and footfalls coming down the stairs to the docks grew louder by the second.

“KAMREN!”

Kamren looked at the machine part he still held in his hand and turning towards the pile of scrap parts as Team Shadow agents began to swarm onto the docks, muttered, “Burner... Flamethrower.”

One flash of fire later and an enormous explosion filled the cavern as the parts blew sky high, throwing the first wave of Shadow operatives and the captains for a loop.

Casting a last glance towards the flames that spread all over the dock, blocking the horde of Team Shadow agents from rushing him, he let out one last noise of frustration and, returning Burner bitterly, fled towards the small dinghy Sapph, the Flygon and the unconscious Nicola occupied.

“About time, Kamren!” Sapph said scoldingly as Kamren leapt into the boat.

“Shut up and gun it,” Kamren said tersely, exercising all self control not to hit Sapph as he looked back to see Cleopatra and Doracus rising to their feet, the latter positively livid.

Sapph complied, screams of “STOP THEM!”, “CAPTAIN DORACUS! LADY CLEOPATRA!” and “FIRE, FIRE!” filling the air behind them.

***​

Haley strolled along Utopia Island boardwalk, her mind full of the things she’d heard from Orion. Truth be told, she’d gleaned very little from him about her father’s whereabouts, but the little she had gotten was turning the search mission into something of a daunting task.

So, it seems Team Shadow has my father, she thought to herself as the noise of the people around her, which included skaters practicing tricks in the street to bikini-clad ladies riding bicycles past her. And Sapph is a member of their crew... what a thing to tell someone on the eve of the biggest tournament of their life! Just what does it all mean?

She was apparently so absorbed in her thoughts that, without knowing it, she ran right into the back of someone, knocking them down. The sound of numerous tins and jars rolling across the boardwalk filled the air as the person toppled, caught entirely unawares.

“Sorry about that,” she said apologetically, bending down to help the person she had assailed up. “That was totally my... it’s YOU!” she gasped as she looked into the purple eyes of a young girl whom the researcher knew by reputation more than anything else.

The young thirteen year old girl looked up and parting her long black hair (which also sported some violet highlights that matched her eyes) that had fallen into her eyes, looked up and said confusedly, “I’m sorry, but do I know you?”

“So Roni didn’t tell you about me, did he?” Haley said angrily, retracting her helping hand and leaving Zayina to find her own feet, dusting her knee-length, blue denim skirt off as she stared at Haley.

“You know Roni too?” Zayina went on in frank bewilderment. “Are you friends?”

“Not anymore,” Haley said curtly. Thanks to you and your losing to Reg at the Gatonda Tournament, she added mentally.

Aloud though, she said, “But what would he tell a girl like you about me anyways? You are dating him now, aren’t you?” she gave the girl’s clothes a look of distaste before spitting out her name. ”Zayina Edwadssen.”

A look of slight understanding crossed Zayina’s eyes as she tugged at her black and white striped top and said, “Look, friend, I’m sorry for whatever history you and Roni had...”

“DON’T YOU TALK TO ME LIKE I’M YOUR FRIEND!” Haley yelled causing the people nearby to stop and stare at them. “We are not friends. Not even by the remotest means of association. Are we clear?”

“Hey, crystal,” Zayina said, raising her hands defensively. “What are you doing here anyways?”

“That’s my business,” Haley said shortly.

“Look, can’t you at least try...” Zayina began exasperatedly before a ringing noise came from her pocket. Pulling out a PokéNav, she flipped it open and said, “Excuse me.”

Haley seethed at the girl as she took a few steps back and began to talk on the phone. Haley watched her face light up in surprise for a moment and she looked away to see what Zayina had been carrying. A sudden click brought her investigation abruptly to a halt.

“Well, I guess I’ll be heading to the dock,” Zayina said, scooping up the tins and jars she’d dropped and cramming them back into the bag. “Roni’s picking me up there. Apparently Sapph Manson is with him. Strange coincidence, isn’t it?” She went on, missing Haley’s look of shock. “I’d always wanted a crack at that action since the Gatonda Tournament... maybe we can have a little... tete-a-tete or two en route to Azura City...”

“The hell you will!” Haley blurted out angrily. “What, Roni’s not enough for you? Sapph as well?!”

“...what are you talking about?” Zayina said. “I was referring to battling him, dummie! Well, not like you’re the type to play it cool,” Zayina said exasperatedly, “so I guess I’ll leave you and your overactive imagination alone. So long fr- oh, yes,” she added, her shoulder-length hair whipping out behind her as she looked back coolly. “We’re not friends, are we? Guess I’ll have to see what kinda guy Sapph is for myself... if you get my drift...” She smiled a mischievous grin and said, “Ciao!”

“Oh no you won’t!” Haley yelled as she gave chase to Zayina all the way up the street, calling the older girl a bunch of names that caused scandalized mothers to quickly clap their hands over their young children’s ears as she ran past them in a vain attempt to block their innocent minds from the vulgarity of her speech.

***​

Once out on the sea a good distance away, Kamren turned a suspicious eye on his rival who had been attempting non-stop to revive his senseless companion, still decked out in Team Shadow garb.

“Nicola! Hey, Nicola! Snap out of it! Hey!” Sapph called frantically, shaking her shoulders roughly and slapping her face as the Flygon watched.

Kamren’s eyes narrowed as he fixated on the small silver ‘S’ on the side of the younger boy’s shirt and, rising to his feet , walked over to the trio gathered at the stern of the boat and grabbing Sapph roughly by the scruff of the neck, slammed him to the deck of the boat.

“So... you’re with Team Shadow, are you?” Kamren spat, his reddish blond hair falling wildly into his eyes. “Maybe you can answer my questions then...”

“Get real, Kamren!” Sapph snarled, kicking Kamren off him and rising to his feet quickly as the Flygon cringed. “If I were really Team Shadow, wouldn’t I just try to capture you and the Flygon and hand them over? You really think Team Shadow have enough men that captains can just strangle their ‘subordinates’,” Sapph sketched heavy quotation marks around the word and winced himself as his arm throbbed painfully again, “at a whim? And still have men wiling to follow them?”

Kamren glared icy daggers at his rival as he asked, “Then what’s with the uniform?”

“Stolen,” Sapph said shortly. “We received a report about Team Shadow’s activities in the cove and we came to investigate ad stop them if we could.”

“Yeah, right,” Kamren said coldly. “And why should I believe you?”

“I really don’t care about that either way at the moment,” Sapph said levelly as Nicola started to stir feebly. “We have an injured person here. If you’re not gonna help, get lost.”

Kamren opened his mouth to retort before a loud voice came out from somewhere nearby, “This is the UAS Hydro. Calling unidentified vessel... please identify self. I repeat, please identify self.

“Hey... that’s Tony!” Sapph said, once he’d heard and recognized the voice of his best friend. Reaching for the intercom, he said loudly, “Tony, it’s me, Sapph! I’m with Nicola Brambles, Herbert Brambles’s granddaughter, and...”

CLICK! The radio dangled off the hook as Sapph stared at his empty hand.

“Darn it, Kamren! What was that for?” Sapph demanded.

“The AGENTs aren’t really my crowd,” Kamren said simply, plucking a second pokéball off his belt and releasing its contents into the water.

“The AGENTs aren’t really your... what’s that meant to mean?” Sapph demanded as Dracya’s snout poked its way out of the water out of Sapph’s line of vision off the starboard side of the small boat, waiting for an order.

“Next time we meet, it’ll be at the League finals,” was all Kamren said in a cryptic tone. “I’ll find out the truth and expose you for the man you truly are then. Don’t wimp out... Manson.”

“Wh-what? Oi, Kamren!” Sapph yelled as he watched his rival jump over the side of the small dinghy as the UAS Hydro came closer.

Cradling his arm as the large battleship drew up beside theirs, Sapph stared at the point of the ocean where Kamren had vanished and, registering the use of his surname by his rival for the first time, said calmly, “So it seems, Kent. So it seems.”

Noticing that Kamren dropped something on the deck of the dinghy before jumping ship, Sapph stooped to retrieve the machine part Kamren stole, leaving Sapph to ponder Kamren’s actions and motives for investigating Team Shadow in some bemusement as he pocketed it.

“Ahoy there, Sa-,“ Tony began jovially as he was helped aboard, only to be cut short by a second, jarringly familiar voice.

“Just what are you wearing?!” A tall redhead with a moderate amount of freckles and a high-collared red jacket said brashly, marching down the steps that led to the navigation room.

“Roni?” Sapph said incredulously, recognizing the angry youth as Roni Ridlowski, a local Junior Sea Ranger from Nightspark City, and from what he gathered, Haley’s ex-boyfriend for a brief spell during the Gatonda Tournament.

“So, you’re with Team Shadow are you?” Roni said coldly, striding towards him. “Then we’ll just have to take you in for questioning! AGENTs, apprehend him!”

“AGENTs, at ease,” Tony commanded and the ship hands all around moved in, and they stopped at once. Raising his voice for all to hear, Tony went on, “Sapphire Manson is our Corei affiliate and as such must be accorded the respect due to a field lieutenant. Are we clear?”

“YES, SIR!” The AGENTs chorused.

“See to Miss Brambles’ safe retrieval, would you, Roni?” Tony asked politely. “Lieutenant Shrader, have the helmsman set a course for Utopia Island once Miss Brambles is secured on the vessel. I’ll be in my quarters in fifteen minutes’ time with Mr Manson if and when I’m needed.”

“Of course, Captain Parito,” Lieutenant Shrader said with a swift salute as Sapph and Tony went below, the Flygon hot on their heels.

“Why are we heading to Utopia Island?” Sapph asked his friend when they were a flight below. “And what’s Roni doing here?”

“We also got wind of Team Shadow’s latest activities in the Cove,” Tony said as he led the way into the infirmary and Sapph handed the medic Anuvi and Zen’s pokéballs for treatment. “We’re performing a joint sting operation when we saw you leaving the cove by radar. This country’s terrorists sure keep us busy.”

“No... ARGH! – kidding...” Sapph whimpered as another medic tended to his arm a bit more roughly.

“So,” Tony went on with a wry smile ten minutes after Sapph’s treatment as he and his good friend were seated at a table in the former’s quarters, the latter having changed out of the Team shadow uniform he’d stolen and his arm in a sling. “What is the story behind your choice of wardrobe? And your new companion?” He nodded to the Flygon, which let out a timid squeak and hid behind Sapph’s chair shyly.

“Oh, he’s not mine yet,” Sapph said quickly. “Right, buddy?”

The Flygon nuzzled Sapph much like a Meowth, Mogshex or a Skitty would and let out a friendly cry.

“Looks like the Flygon thinks otherwise,” Tony smiled. “You gonna nickname him now?”

“Maybe later,” Sapph said, stroking the Mystic Pokémon’s head with his good hand and smiling back.

“Good,” Tony said calmly, “because we have a lot to discuss, apparently.”

Fixing his serious face back on, he said once more, “So, Sapph, to business. Why not tell me what happened form the top?”

Setting the machine part Kamren had left behind on the table between them, Sapph began to tell him all that he’d seen and done.

***​

The blazing orange sun kissed the ocean as Utopia Island came into view. Sapph and Tony stood side by side at the hull watching the sun set as the island drew nearer.

Taking in a deep breath as the sound of Wingull and the occasional Pelipper filled the air, Tony said, “Y’know, buddy? I’ve been all over the world... Kanto, Orre, Almia... even Sinnoh. Corie has some of the most beautiful sunsets all around.”

“I dunno,” Sapph said with a chuckle. “Cherrygrove’s could give ‘em a run for their money.”

The two friends laughed for a bit before Tony, hiccoughing himself back to seriousity, asked, “Well, what now?”

“Wel, I can’t go after Team Shadow with a dislocated shoulder,” Sapph said reasonably glancing down at his right arm. ”So I guess I’ll revert to my initial plan of training the rest of my crew for the League finals. Gotta keep the level of my team equal, don’t I?”

“True,” Tony said with a nod.

“What about you? What’s your next move?”

“Sorry, Sapph,” Tony said with a smile. “But that’s classified.”

“No faaaair, dude!” Sapph whined as Tony laughed. “So not fair!”

“Well, you did ‘catch’ a Flygon today,” Tony said jovially. “Why don’t we call it squares at that?”

“Hmph,” Sapph pouted, putting on a good show of being irritable.

“Captain Parito, Mr. Manson,” the voice of Lieutenant Shrader said curtly as the AGENT joined them on the deck. “We have arrived at Utopia Island and have successfully docked.”

“Good work, Lieutenant,” Tony said appreciatively.

“Miss Brambles is also stabilized and ready for debriefing,” Lieutenant Shrader went on in a professional tone. “She has changed clothes and is awaiting you in the interrogation room.”

“My thanks, Lieutenant,” Tony said calmly.

“Not at all, sir,” Shrader said crisply and with a second salute, walked back to the navigation room with a brisk march.

“’Not at all, Sir’,” Sapph said in a pompous singsong voice, leaning on the rail with his left arm and chortling a bit. “Must everyone be so stiff about you?”

“You manage to avoid it just fine,” Tony retorted with a smirk. “Come on, I need to debrief you, too... standard procedure,”

“Yes, sir!” Sapph said with a mocking salute with his left hand and, shuddering with repressed laughter, followed Tony below.

***​

Fifteen minutes later, Sapph stood on the dock with Haley, Nicola, Herbert Brambles Sr. Zayina, Roni, Tony, Lavender and Professor Yew as the ship made preparations to sail them to Northern Isle, where the first test for Haley’s Trigello Tournament qualification campaign was situated.

“Here are Anuvi and Zen, professor,” Sapph said handing two pokéballs over.

“And here are the rest of your Pokémon,” Professor Yew said in reply, handing four pokéballs over and noticing the fifth one on his belt, added, “Ah, a new catch, I see!”

“Yeah,” Sapph said proudly. “A real softie on the outside but all power within!”

“Now, you do your best, Haley,” Professor Yew said steadily as he fixed the young Water type specialist with a kindly eye. “Just do your best, and stay out of trouble. Neither of you can afford to go looking for it, especially with the tournament season so near.”

“We don’t go looking for trouble, professor,” Haley sighed. “Trouble usually finds us. Thanks to a certain somebody, anyways...”

Sapph ignored the jibe and turning to Nicola, asked, “How’s your head?”

“Less sore now, thanks for asking,” Nicola said brightly. Their adventure in the Cove together had wrought some measure of trust and respect for the Johton trainer in the older girl.

“You’re not bowing out now, are you?” Haley said in a taunting voice. “Not scared, are we?”

“Pssh, you would be so lucky,” Nicola scoffed. “I’ll follow soon enough. And I’ll show you once and for all just which type is the strongest!”

“Please, you don’t need to show me, I already know Water types rule!”

“Hmph, we’ll see,” Nicola said in what she thought was an indifferent scoff.

“Ready to go, Lavender?” Sapph called to his Eevee who was playing with Tony as he turned to board the Hydro.

<Yep,> Lavender said, her sunny voice failing to hide the worry etched in her dead, brown eyes.

“Don’t worry, Lavender,” Sapph said quietly to his Evolution Pokémon as he scooped her up and planted her on his good shoulder. “You’ll be a great leader. Anuvi always thought so...”

<Anii said that?> Lavender gasped.

“Yup!” Sapph said brightly as Roni, Haley, Zayina and Tony followed suit, the former calling out orders to the crew and Tony nodding to Lt. Shrader to comply. “Told me so on our way to White Cliffs...”

Lavender was speechless in awe at the confidence her trainer and foster brother showed in her. One thing bothered her...

...if trust is what is needed to make an Espeon... just what was keeping her?

END OF SEASON TWO

***​

CHARACTER PROFILE OF THE WEEK

Name: Tony Weston Parito

Date of Birth: May 24, PA 2002
Hometown: Ecruteak City, Johto
Pokémon
On Hand:
Roley (Politoed), Genghis (Gengar), Steele (Steelix), Epona (Ponyta), Saffron (Jolteon), Verdant (Venusaur)
In Storage: Not known
Likes: Vanilla fudge, reading comics, adventuring, studying
Dislikes: Injustice (comes with the job), people who don’t play fair, bullies
Contemporaries: Sapph, Haley, Kamren, Nora, others secret.
About Tony: Tony is Sapph’s long time friend and classmate since he was forced to repeat a year of his education due to his family moving from Ecruteak in the Mount Mortar area of Johto. Being slightly sickly, he was the constant prey of bullies everywhere he went, up until Sapph stood up for him five years ago.

Tony then caught Roley, his first Pokémon (then a Poliwag) and left home after graduating elementary school for Pallet Town, Kanto. There he received Verdant, his then Bulbasaur and journeyed the Kanto and Orange Island regions, gaining reputation as a skilled trainer.

Tony disappeared from the radar over the next couple of years reappearing in Corei as an AGENT. No one knows what they do, but if the straight-laced, honest and chivalrous Tony Parito is any measure to go by, you can be sure they’re the good guys.

Finally, time for a triple threat Dargon Corei Dex entry!

Pokemon Name: Lizeu
Classification:
Sun Dragon
Type: Fire/Dragon
Height, Weight: 12’11”, 688kg
General Habitat: Mountain
Gender Ratio: 75%:25%
Pokedex Entry: Despite their calming looks, Lizeu can be rather aggressive, searing all who endanger their Solaron colony with an unmatchable heat.
Name Origin: LIZard + fEU (French word for fire)
Evolutionary Line: SOLARON-(35)->LIZEU-(50)->INFERGON

Pokemon Name: Rapteau
Classification:
Sea Dragon
Type: Water/Dragon
Height, Weight: 3’2”, 53.1kg
General Habitat: Cave
Gender Ratio: 50%:50%
Pokedex Entry: Rapteau mostly reside in damp caves where they make their nest under subterranean lakes using their tough and powerful upper arms to hew aquatic caves to which they retreat when under threat.
Name Origin: RAPTor + EAU (French for water)
Evolutionary Line: RAPTEAU-(Water Stone)->RHINODON
RAPTEAU-(Dragon Scale)->LOCHQUA

Pokemon Name: Moryock
Classification:
Mountain Dragon
Type: Rock/Dragon
Height, Weight: 7’6”, 894.9kg
General Habitat: Cave
Gender Ratio: 50%:50%
Pokedex Entry: Moryock are used extensively by road contractors especially when new mountain roads are being constructed. No amount of rock can withstand this pokemon once it gets going.
Name Origin: MOloch (type of lizard of which model was made (or thorny devil)) + RYu (Japanese for Dragon) + rOCK
Evolutionary Line: Does not evolve

***​

Well, not as long as I anticipated, but hopefully, it should satisfy. I felt this was as good a place to clip Season Two in half for a few reasons:

1, Lavender's rhetorical question may leave you wondering what will become of Team Sapph in the future. If it doesn't, I'm not doing my job right.

2, From Chapter 40 going, the Trigello Tournament qualifiers officially begin. Sapph more or less takes a backseat for now and Haley steps into the limelight for a while. Hopefully I can pull this off well enough.

Dedicated to: Divinity_123 (happy belated, dude... yeah, I know i suck...)

L@er!
 
Last edited:
Top