The Legendary Awakening ❧ The Second Awakening (RP Thread)

[Hydrangea]

The Legendary Awakening [ SU Thread ]

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☙ Seven Days Prior to Necrozma Returning ❧
Desert Resort, Unova​

Two young adults rushed through the desert, their breathing labored as they ran as fast as they possibly could through the twisting sands. A loud buzzing was following them, causing their ears to ring as they ran. The shorter of the two adults, blue hair waving behind her, turned her head to face the buzzing, seeing only thousands of small insects rushing at them.

"Luna! Don't stop running!" A masculine voice called to her, causing her attention to shift back to the swirling sands in front of her. His breathing was becoming faster as he ran, being careful as to where he placed his feet as he ran. One small misstep could lead to him falling... and he certainly didn't want to see what these insects did once they were upon him.

"Kar! Kartana!" The insects screamed, seemingly in unison --- becoming one voice as they continued trying to catch their prey. The young girl kept running, hearing her blood pounding in her ears. She could hardly hear the scream of the insects as she ran alongside her companion, trying desperately to reach their destination.

"There!" She called out, pointing towards a large castle in the distance. Her eyes lit up as she ran, jumping into the air as she screamed out a cry that was anything but human. The man did the same, jumping up and landing back on the ground as a large white lion. He let out a roar, and the woman never fell back down --- in her wake floated a large blue bat with piercing pink eyes.

"GET THEM," Screamed the insects, shouting loudly as they rushed towards the transformed duo. The bat swooped down, grabbing hold of the lion and flying with aggressive speed towards the deteriorating castle. She flew in with haste, slamming herself and the lion into the quicksand pits within. She could still hear the insects behind them as they flew through the halls, finally arriving at the deepest point of the temple.

"Go! Come on Luna!" Roared the lion, excitement and fear in his voice as they quickened their pace and slammed into the back wall at the deepest point of the temple, disappearing instantly. The insects froze, before slamming themselves into the back wall, only to bounce off or shatter as they rebounded off the wall. Confusion rose in their eyes as they prodded the wall, trying to figure out where they had gone.

"Lord Necrozma was right... these two are crafty." Spoke the bugs again, exiting the temple. "We'll get them next time. Come, we must prepare for his arrival." They flew high into the sky, disappearing into the horizon.

---

Beatrice Calder
Kyurem
Icirrus City, Unova​

"Help me up..." Murmured Beatrice as she looked at her vixen companion, her hands gripping at the fence on their property. Khione rolled her eyes, looking the the tall fence in front of them.

"First, you make me jump out a window with you... now you want to jump the fence..? Why didn't we just quietly sneak away? You know that Dee can sleep through anything." Beatrice turned to the fox, glaring at her as she grabbed at the fence once again.

"Even if she's asleep... her parents will tell her I left when she wakes up. I don't want her to worry about me... besides, we need to get to this Hall of Legends or whatever." Beatrice sighed, forming an ice spike with her hand and jamming it into the fence. "It's just easier this way... besides, you know I hate goodbyes." The fox gave her a pitied look, watching as she used the ice spikes to get over the fence.

"Fine..." Khione let out a sigh, looking at the tall fence in front of her as she heard Beatrice land with a soft thud on the other side. "Now, how do I get over?" She asked, tilting her head. Beatrice dug through her pockets, producing the Love Ball that usually contained Khione and recalling her into it. Once she was inside, she released her vixen companion beside her, looking down at her with a smirk.

"So... where to Kio?" Beatrice asked, looking down at the fox.

"Um. I hate to say it, but I'm still not sure... the scent of the place I've seen in your dreams is so... familiar." Explained Khione, looking up at her master and sitting on her haunches. "I feel like it's close... but I couldn't tell you where." Beatrice sighed, crossing her arms and looking at the route ahead of her.

"That's.. fine. Let's just walk, maybe something will come to us." She looked back at the house, sighing. "I'm sorry, Dee. But I have to go..." She murmured, beginning her long journey to the Hall of Legends.

---

Veronique "Vera" Maoz
Keldeo
Strange House, Lentimas Town, Unova​

Vera packed her bag with the essentials, tying up her pack and slinging it over her shoulders. Keeb looked up at her, his hands trembling slightly as he watched his master. It was beginning to sink in that this was all very very real, and that him and Vera could be in real danger, more danger than they had ever been in with the Wildfang Clan. He shook at the thought of the Clan, realizing that because they had to travel their chances of being caught by the clan was higher than it had been in years.

"V-vera," he began to speak, his voice trembling slightly. "This is going to be very dangerous... not only this whole Hall of Legends business, but there's a chance the Wildfang will find us." Keeb put his paws together, as if to plead with his master. "We need to be careful."

"I'm not an idiot, Keeb!" She exclaimed, somewhat irritated. "Besides, careful is my middle name." She smirked, patting Keeb's head and straightening herself out. "I want to go down the mountain first, if someone wanted to hide something... that seems like the perfect place to hide! I bet the Hall is there!" She smiled, closing her eyes and giving a triumphant cheer.

"We're doomed..." Murmured Keeb, rubbing his paws on his face.

 

[Samayouru]

Phoebe Eliot
Mewtwo
Cerulean City, Kanto

It was colder than usual in the caverns this time.

Phoebe could tell because she could see her breath rising up like steam. She would’ve taken note of her skin breaking out into gooseflesh too, but that was something that always happened when she had this dream. There was also the faint trickle of water running somewhere in the distance, though she couldn’t pinpoint where.

It didn’t take long for her to find him – even in the dark he stood out like a sore thumb. This time he was hunched over near the stalagmites, his tail swishing back and forth like a cat’s.

YOU MUST GO.​

His voice rang clearly in Phoebe’s head. The hairs on the back of her neck rose – she could never quite get used to his piercing tone.

She licked her dry lips. “Go?” she said. “Where to?”

The answer came back clear as crystal:

THE PORT.​

Phoebe swallowed. “You mean to tell me… that I have to leave Kanto?”

But his voice ignored her.

TIME IS RUNNING OUT.
YOU MUST GO.​

She didn’t get time to probe him for information any longer. At one moment she was staring at a creature who claimed to be herself, the next she was staring up at the ceiling of her bedroom, drenched in sweat.

“Phoebe?” a kindly voice spoke up from the very edge of her mattress. It was Horatio, climbing across the duvet to where his owner was sitting. “Is everything okay, my dear?”

Phoebe trembled and buried her face into her hands, prompting the elderly drowzee to reach out and pat her shoulder. “I don’t know,” she whispered, voice cracking. “Mewtwo wants me to go somewhere.”

“I know,” Horatio said, sitting beside her. “I was keeping a watch over you using Dream Eater.” He shook his head. “Mewtwo sounded urgent.”

Phoebe nodded, finally pulling away from her hands. “I guess we have no choice,” she said, pulling the duvet down so that her legs were no longer covered. “I’ll get some stuff together – then we can go.”

Horatio tilted his head. “And what about your parents?”

Phoebe paused. She shut her eyes and sighed. “I want to do this alone,” she said, finally getting to her feet. “I… I don’t want to put them in danger if I can help it.”

“If that is what you feel is best, then.” Her drowzee jumped off the bed, pressing his paw against her calf. “Come on – we need to get ready.”

Agatha Pridmore
Registeel
Driftveil City, Unova

Meanwhile, many, many miles away from the Kanto region another girl was preparing to leave home in similar circumstances. The girl in question was Agatha Pridmore, who at the time was sitting in front of her bedroom window, watching the glittering lights coming from Driftveil’s high street. She furrowed her brow after a moment before casting her gaze down to the sheet of paper on the table in front of her. “All right,” she said, mostly to herself. “Hairbrush? Check. Spare clothes? Check. Toothbrush?”

“Going through the list again?” came the voice of her aron, Buckley. He was looking up at Agatha’s sizeable backpack propped against the legs of the table. “I’m pretty sure you’ve got everything, you know.”

“I know,” Agatha said. “But it’s better to be safe than sorry.” She turned to face him. “Have you been given any more info about the hall?”

“Verbally? No,” her aron said, shaking his head to emphasize his words. “But I’ve got a feeling that it’s close – much closer than we originally thought.”

Agatha took the backpack and turned her attention back to the table where, having been covered by the checklist, a letter to her father had been placed. She uncovered it and frowned. She really didn’t want to do this, but somehow she felt that it was better if he didn’t follow her. Still, they couldn’t just leave without giving him some insight – he’d done too much for her to deserve her just vanishing without a trace. “I’m almost ready to go,” she said. “There’s just one more thing I’ve got to do.”

They left the room and went downstairs, Agatha’s eyes darting left and right all the way, half anticipating her father being awake thanks to the movement going on in her room so late at night. She paused to take her leather jacket from the coatrack when she reached the door. “I’m not leaving without this,” she told Buckley as she put it on. “It’s too important to leave behind.”

Buckley didn’t respond. He just watched her as she opened the front door and slung the backpack over her shoulders.

And with that, the two of them left the house and into the unknown.

 

[Schade]

Kevin King
Regigigas
Veilstone City, Sinnoh

​

"No." Kevin replied for probably the 300th time, probably breaking some sort of record regarding the most used word in succession. Kevin the Bidoof was tripping around his feet trying to keep up. "But you have to, it is the fate of this world and the next, and probably a little bit of the last one too!" Kevin the Bidoof said. He had used pretty much every excuse in the book at this point. We must go to save the world, was the real reason, but he had tried to bribe Kevin, threaten him, sweeten up to him, beg him, cry for him, insist on doing his taxes for him, you name it. If there was a book of excues or reasons to throw your life away, Kevin the Bidoof is probably listed as its author.

It was early evening and it had started getting dark outside. Kevin was walking home from his afternoon shift, sucking on a Capri Solrock while listning to Kevin the Bidoof's pleas. He had known for some time now that him saving the world or whatever probably was inevitable. He sighed. His life had been just fine until that strange dream of his, and everything had taken a sour turn to the strange ever after Bidoof had opened its mouth and started talking in his surprisingly handsome british voice. It hadn't been long after this revelation that stranger things started happening. Mainly how Kevin had started randomly summoning Eggs which may or may not explode. According to his sister, they tasted delicious, and she made it her mission to create an entire meny relying solely on Kevins eggs. Yep. They didn't seem to eggplode unless he threw them really hard at whatever target, and their multi-purpose use had his sister booming with excitement, though it would take a trained eye to actually see it in her blanc expressionless face.

Walking home, Kevin tried to space out from Kevin the Bidoof's constant bickering. Why couldn't someone else have been bothered with this? it would seem the "Nothing" his sister was constantly talking to was an odd keystone she had dug up from their backyard which contained a Spiritomb which was saying.. some rather nasty things. She could go on this adventure, but nooo, according to Kevin the Bidoof, she was just damaged and potentially dangerous. It was difficult getting used to pokemon talking now. The cacophany of strange voices were everywhere he turned. From the Magikarp in the river mindlessly going "Blupp blupp" to the Murkrows in the trees eerielly chanting "They're coming for you Barbara!", whoever that poor soul might be. It made his whole situation more real, and Kevin did not like it. How could he like it? He had work tomorrow, he couldn't just skip out on his entire life and go on an adventure. They might give his shifts to Karen! he shrugged by the thought.

".. and therefore the balance is shaken and it has been that certain amount of time since the last time and you... Kevin are you listening?" Kevin the Bidoof said. "You were talking to me this whole time..?" Kevin said and blinked a few times to come back into reality, mentally shooing away the Shuppet who was trying to Spite him.

Having set his alarm to go off at 5AM as pr usual, Kevin went to sleep, having redied his work uniform for the next day. Kevin the Bidoof wasn't sleepy and walked around stressed out of his little plump mind. Kevin, on the other hand, fel asleep almost immediately, and embarked in the strange dream once again.

Kevin had gotten used to his dreamscape at this point. It wasn't uncommon for him to go there at night lately. Probably related to what Kevin the Bidoof keep saying about his destiny, but Kevin the Bidoof isn't there, so Kevin utilize his time there to his best ability. He had now taken up to dance the weird ritualistic dance with the others, chanting out the name Regigigas in a strange yet rythmic fashion. the food was great, though it tasted mostly like the blurp he typically eat during his breaks at work, and the people were literally praising him as a god. Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea after all? No. no he had work in the morning, he can't just go out on an adventure like this. The dancing seemed to last forever, until he could physically feel himself sweating.. Wait.

He woke up with a huge gasp. He was soaking wet and lying on his back. The sun above him was blocked by a muscular dude with tanned skin and a blonde manbun. "Duuude, are you okay man?" he said, looking down at him. Kevin sat up quickly, looking around. Next to him was Kevin the Bidoof, clutching onto a dufflebag. He seemed exhausted. "Wait where am i?" Kevin asked disoriented. Looking around, it was safe to say that you're not in Kansas anymore, Linda. Palm trees, bikinis, very revealing swimtrunks, the sun, oh god the sun! beach stands, beachballs, sandcastles trying to eat a pikachu. Wait where the hell was he?

"E.. Ehehe eeheee" the exhausted Bidoof tried to speak. "Kevin. What. did. you. Do" Kevin said in a stern yet distant and tired tone, staring at the Bidoof as he collected himself. "You said you weren't coming and.. Heeeh... HEEEEEH the deadline is nearing. I had to take meassures into my own hands.." he looked appologetic. "But where Are we?" Kevin asked again. "Bro, chill. You're in Alola duuude!" the surfer hunk chimed in again. a Panpour now decorated his shoulders. "You been fuuuucked!" it said. "Yeah Pour, sunny Alola, home of dreams!" Surfer hunk said again, obviously not understanding his crude monkey companion. Kevin's eye twitched as the revelation kicked in. "You kidnapped me to Alola?!" he said to Kevin the Bidoof in such a stern and loud tone that he sounded like a normal person talking normally. "Well you weren't coming along on your own mate, i had to!". Kevin the Bidoof replied. "But... But How?!" Kevin exclaimed. Surfer hunk just stood there watching this stranger clad in pokeball briefs arguing back and forth with his Bidoof about legendary exploits. "Duude duude, there's no reason to be mad, you can get washed up over there duude" Surfer hunk said, interrupting the two. He gestured towards a booth containing clothes and a plump woman waving back at them. "Duuuude" she said. "Duuuude" Surfer hunk said".

Luckily, Kevin the Bidoof had managed to somehow pack a dufflebag containing things like money, a phone, a map, some provisions and his own favorite pillow which literally took up 3/4th of the bags internal space. Somehow, the content of the bag hadnt gotten wet either, and Kevin made a mental note to thank his sister for gifting it to him after winning a set of 4 in a magazine poll. "Well.." Kevin said. "Now what. do you even know if this hall of legends is on Alola?". Kevin the Bidoof lit up like a christmas tree and answered with new energy. "Nope!". Kevin went silent. Bidoof went silent. "Duuuude" said surfer hunk. "Duuuude" said plump woman. "Duuuuude" said scary sandcastle which had now devoured Pikachu.

 

[Skillfulness]

Cheri “Cam” Malara
Latios

Nacrene City, Unova
________________________________________
​

Cam stretched largely as she walked out from the Pokemon Center with her Dratini, Draco, slithering close behind her. The two had spent the night there after arriving in Nacrene City the day before, further preceded by a lengthy boat ride from Mossdeep City in Hoenn. Currently Cam wore a red jacket with the Lavaridge Town Gym emblem emblazoned on the back in black as a souvenir from the region. She was going to miss it there and would have to return someday, the town was nice.

“Alright Draco, we’re heading to the Nacrene Gym today and hitting the books. Hopefully we’ll find a hint at where this place is.” She slipped her arm into her trusty traveling bag and let it hang so Draco could climb from her hand to her shoulders. From there he piped up.

“Yep! It would be great to battle against some of the trainers there to train up a bit, but we’re on a mission now.” Cam simply nodded. It wouldn’t be wise to respond to him conversationally out in public. She didn’t want to look suspicious talking to her Pokemon as if she understood him. While Draco didn’t mention any enemies they might face, Cam had a sense of dread about what they might face trying to get to this Hall of Legends. She wanted to avoid as much attention as possible and be as prepared as she could be, one good side effect of her tragic childhood she supposed.

The two enjoyed an early morning stroll to the Gym, stopping at a stand for some breakfast; a steamy, toasted bagel smothered in cream cheese. The food would help clear her mind from a rough night. The dreams she had been having since Draco started talking were a nice break from her usual nightmares, but every once in a while she still had them. All the traveling from yesterday probably took a toll on her mind so last night was a restless one. Haunting images of her sister's dead eyes prevented her from getting enough sleep.

“Here you are then, entrance to the Main Floor Library, enjoy!” The gentleman at the front desk of the Gym motioned Cam towards the towering bookcases. Not much of the studious type, she expected this to take a good part of the day. Rolling her shoulders, she strode to the closest shelf and started hunting.

~~~
​

Hours later, Cam’s head was beginning to hurt. Never had she tried to study this much before and all the words were starting to sound the same. Moaning, she leaned back in her chair and ran a hand through her hair.

“Maybe we should take a break,” Draco suggested, noting his trainer’s annoyance. Sitting back up she shook her head to clear it.

“Yeah alright, let’s go find some lunch then buddy.” She started piling the books up and put them on a cart to be sorted and returned later by staff. Arms crossed, she walked out stiffly and started trying to put her mind to work.

Did I learn anything just now? There were a few books about legends of Legendary Pokemon, but nothing about a Hall of Legends. Not even a hint at anything geographical, Cam thought as she aimlessly strode around the city. Eventually her stomach led her to a food stall, but racking her brain got her no closer to a destination than she was this morning.

“Ugh, Draco, what should we do now?” She wasn’t expecting an answer, not a helpful one at least. Ever vigilant, she scanned the crowd out of habit. Perhaps there was a clue here just waiting for her to find, but she was losing hope and preparing to move on if Draco suggested it.

“How about we try the museum next?” she said between mouthfuls of hot dog.

“That’s a great plan Cam. I’m still not really sure exactly where to head, but I know we’ll know soon. Sorry I can’t be of much help, but I know it!” Cam chuckled and patted him on the head. He was enthusiastic as always and it helped motivate herself too. Soon they would find the Hall of Legends.

Walter Digorno
Suicune

Goldenrod City, Johto -> Cianwood City, Johto
________________________________________​

“Look, Kora, I’m really not sure about this.” Walter looked anxiously to his Corsola sitting on the bed beside a small pack filled with clothes. She was double checking their list to make sure they would have enough clothes for… wherever they were going. He couldn’t remember where she said this Hall of Legends was, but she wanted to get to Cianwood City where they could take a boat.​

“You may not be, but I am, Walter. We are going there and I’ll give as many pep talks as I need to to get you moving.” He sighed and helped her finish packing, too tired to put up a fuss. It was early morning; they had decided it best to leave while the house was asleep, even though his parents were away on business. The house hands would still question him if he left during the day. Shouldering his bag and returning Kora to her Pokeball, he quietly went downstairs, yawning as he punched into the PC in the spare room. He took out Vortex, the family Pigeot often used for traveling, and left out the front door.

In the cool dark air, he turned around to look at the massive mansion he grew up in. It had taken him some time to grow comfortable with the idea of leaving. Never one to take action, Kora had to gently and persistently persuade him until he understood how important this was. As much as he would prefer staying home to let it all wash over, he couldn’t help but feel a little excited. Everyone knew there was nothing for him in the family business but to stand and look professional. He certainly didn’t have the personality for the musician life either, his only true passion. While he doubted this Hall of Legends business would be a potential career for his nearly adult self, it was his first journey on his own. The thought brought a chill of anticipation down his back.

“Alright Vortex,” he said, slinging the Pokeball into the air and pulling on a pair of flying goggles, “Let’s fly to Cianwood City.” The large avian lifted Walter from the ground with monstrous wings and they headed towards the water. It shouldn’t take more than a few hours to reach the island, he just hoped he could get a nap later to make up for waking this early.

As the sun rose, Walter spotted the island city on the horizon. Not long after, they touched down and he returned the Pigeot and released his Corsola. She looked around and nodded, taking a moment to enjoy the sand beneath her feet.

“So we’re here Kora, what next?” He yawned again, walking towards the Pokemon Center to return Vortex to the PC and look for something to eat. The pair had been sure to tuck away a big enough sum of money to keep them comfy for more than a few days.

“We find a boat out of here.” She started humming a nameless tune and followed behind. Walter pushed away his nagging doubts and tried not to think about all the terrible things that could happen. His will was not very strong though and many doubts broke through. Maybe this place was a trap or it was a temple ruined and buried long ago. He had gotten over the fact he could understand Pokemon, but it could all still be some elaborate prank to embarrass him which would really ruin his already miserable life. His journey was beginning with a sad, dark cloud over his psyche as he trudged into the Pokemon Center of Cianwood City, his cheerful pink Pokemon following after him.

 

[Vern]

ALF
Hoopa
Lumiose City -> Alola​

"ALFie, wake up!” A familiar voice floats into the sleeping girl’s ears as a similarly familiar shape rams itself repeatedly into her back. “You’re gonna be late! C’mon, we gotta get going!”

The girl yawns, rolling over and throwing an arm over her eyes to block out the sunlight. One of the worst things about sleeping in the streets is that you don’t exactly get access to curtains. “Nuiii,” she wines, purposefully drawing out the name like a spoilt child, “Just let me sleep…”

“Hall of legends! Hall of legends!” Her friend laughs in a sing song voice, doing a little dance in the air above her head, “We’re going to the hall of legends! We’re gonna save the world! Yay! Peace~ Peace~”

After a few more minutes of trying and failing to ignore her friend’s voice, ALF finally forces herself awake, yawning and stretching like a cat on the cold stone floor of the alley. Gleefully rubbing her hands together, she jumps into a standing position, stretches some more, and cheerfully pats some of the dust off her grey windbreaker. “All right, Nui — where are we going?” She asks, leaning back on the wall and twirling her headphones (she’d stolen them from a store, and wore them everywhere ever since) back and forth around her right hand. “This ‘hall of legends’ place — where is it, actually?”

“Um, I don’t actually know, hahaha...” her partner laughs, giving her a sheepish grin, “How about we go and look around? I’m sure I’ll know it if I see it!”

“Idiot.” ALF pouts, crossing her arms and letting out a ‘hmph’ sound, “Still love you though!” Giggling, she swoops up the Misdreavus in her arms (after she’d had that dream, she’d been able to touch ghost types somehow), and almost aggressively nuzzles the top of its head — not that Misdreavuses have much else to nuzzle —as she hops away down the alley, humming a cheerful tune. “Well then, let’s go on an adventure! Explore new worlds, expand our horizons! Onwards, to the new frontier!"

“Wait, ALFie, I told you not to-“

Before the Misdreavus can finish her sentence, a portal opens up underneath their feet, and the two of them drop through it, disappearing from sight.

— — —​

Water, water everywhere. Above them, some exotic-looking fish-like creature (a Mantine, which ALF had never seen or heard of before) flaps by, followed by a school of similarly alien tropical fish. Sunlight shines down through the waves, illuminating everything in a serene, otherworldly glow. ALF’s eyes widen with glee and wonder — they’re in the ocean. The ocean, which she’d only ever heard of in stories. Nui, who, unlike her partner, can vocalise underwater, says what they’re both thinking — ‘Wow... it’s so pretty!’, followed by ‘Wait wait wait we can’t swim, we’re going to die!’

Flailing her arms frantically, ALF somehow manages to propel herself upwards, sucking in a huge breath the instant her head rises above the surface — and then proceeding to burst into gleeful, childish laughter, which she’d been holding back for way too long. “Nui! We’re in the ocean!” She laughs, still waving her arms around wildly trying to stay afloat, sending water flying everywhere around her, “How cool is that?”

“Duuuude, what the heck?” A voice comes from her right, and ALF twists her head around to see some guy treading water beside her, wearing nothing but a pair of swim trunks, “Who are you?”

“Wow, that’s the second weirdo today.” Another voice — a girl this time, treading water on her other side, “Where did you come from?”

“Oh, I’m from Lumi-bblubbb-bullubbbub!” ALF replies, her voice turning into a series of faint bubbling sounds as her uncoordinated flailing stopped being capable of keeping her above water. The two swimmers exchange a glance and quickly dive down after her, pulling her back above the waves. Nui floats above the water, watching the proceedings with an amused expression on her face. Laughing awkwardly but knowing better than to struggle, ALF allows the two of them to drag her to shore.

“Idiot.” Nui giggles, floating along behind them, “I told you not to try and Hoop yourself over long distances! Or anywhere at all! You coulda cut yourself in half, or ended up trapped underground, or died some other way!”

With concerned expressions on their faces, the two swimmers — who appear to be brother and sister — step onto dry land let go of ALF, who, having not prepared herself for the return of gravity into her life, flops comically down onto the sand. “Duuude, you okay?” The guy says, poking her on her forehead. “Did you drink any seawater?”

“Nope! I’m fine!” She replies immediately, sitting up and shaking herself like a cat, sending water droplets flying everywhere, “Thanks for saving me!” Before the two siblings can react, she jumps to her feet and gives the brother a hug, then jumps back and hugs the sister from behind, dangling with her feet off the ground and her arms over the taller girl’s shoulders. “My name’s ALF, by the way — nice to meet you! Oh, and who’s that?” She points to another guy standing on the beach a few feet away from her, glaring at a Bidoof and wearing some drenched clothes.

“He washed up on the beach a few minutes ago.” The sister laughs, gently prying ALF from her back, “I’m not sure where he came from, either. Oh, and my name’s Shuvi.”

“And I’m Roy,” the brother adds, with an easygoing wave, “Nice to meet you, duuuude.”

ALF nods enthusiastically, shaking herself again and sending another flurry of water droplets flying everywhere. “Thanks, Roy! Love you, Shuvi!” She laughs, jumping up and snatching her Misdreavus from the air, “That was a figure of speech — anyway, I gotta go, but teach me how to swim some time, okay?” Giving them each another hug, she turns and bounces away, poking the brother on the forehead as she does.

“ALFie, What are you doing?” Her Misdreavus asks, squirming out of her partner’s grasp.

“Going to say hello to the weirdo!” ALF replies with a giggle, “And maybe steal something from his bag. It’s a pretty big bag.” Still smiling her typical smile, she launches herself through the air and lands on the guy with the Bidoof’s back, hanging off him like some sort of cape. “Hi there!” She smiles, “Shuvi there told me you washed up here a while ago — are you a legendary Pokemon too? Did you like the ocean?”

“That’s supposed to be a secr-.” Nui sighs, peering into Kevin’s duffle bag, “Oh hey, that’s a really nice pillow.”

“Duuuuuuude,” says a living sandcastle by their feet, letting out a burp.

 

[Schade]

Jean Terrè
Zygarde
Shalour City, Kalos
​

It was a sunny afternoon, as most had been lately. Like, unpleasant sunny, not the cute "One weeks vacation to Alola" sunny. The kind of sunny where one would be better off staying inside, avoiding all contact with the outside world like some sort of shut-in vampire. Not Jean thuogh. No, the deadline was approaching, and finishing touches were being made on the steelframe of what would later become the Coumarine Food Food Food general grocery store™. The red frame had taken weeks to finish, mostly due to abscent co-workers and lazy management. Jean had put in extra hours and effort in order to further cement his role as a normal everyday Joe, even though he was technically too young to work there. He had lied about his age when applying for the job, though only for a yea. He looked mature enough to pose as 18 anyway, so it wasn't any issue with the higher ups, not that he thought they bothered checking anyway.

Sitting in the break-room and enjoying his lunch as any other normal everyday Joe, Jean was interrupted by the cacophany of noises that made up Affinity's voice. "YoU hAvE tO gEt rEaDy FoR tHe JoUrNeY, wE mUsT fInD tHe HaLl Of ElEmEnTs!" Jean sighed. "Anything wrong?" Bertha asked. sitting across from him on the steel beam sat probably the most muscular woman in all of Kalos. She was stronger than Jean by far, and stronger than the several Machamps aiding the construction. Once you got past the initial fear that she might slowly tear your arms off, which some say she had actually done before, she was really nice. "No.. No, it's just that i have somewhere to be once this construction is done" he replied, looking out over the city and vaguelly seeing Affinity slowly spinning around on a rooftop nearby. Telepathic links were no joke. "ThE sUn AnD tHe MoOn CaNnOt RiSe ToGeThEr. ThEiR wIsH tO ReMaIn ToGeThEr Is FuTiLe." Affinity then shimed in, speaking in more prophetical nonsense. Sighing again, Jean packed the rest of his lunch sandwich away and downed his Slurpuff Shake. Best thing about honest work was that people recognized it, and some of the residents in Coumarine sometimes popped by and delivered food and other yummies to the workers, though most of the ones visiting Jean were squeemish girls and this one very flamboyant guy, he couldn't figure out why..

The rest of the day went by smoothly, and everything was done as per scheduled. The fat overseeer seemed pleased with todays work, and everyone went home happy, though Jean was a bit torn. Sure, Affinity had been on his butt about this hall of legends for some time now, and though he didn't really understand the full concept of everything, Jean had reluctantly agreed to finding it, though neither he nor his pokemon knew anything regarding where this hall actually was. Affinity speculated that it was located somewhere near the border between life and death, love and hate, ketchup and mustard, and that through valor one could unlock ones true potential and harvest the bountiful energies of the cosmos... whatever that meant. Generally speaking, they had no idea where to go start looking, and though Affinity was a pain in the butt, he had agreed to wait until the cnstruction was done, which i would be in like 2 days anyway, well before his 18th birthday and all the heroic stuff would go down. It was hard decyphering Affinity, as his prophetic words could mean anything from serious buisness to someone being out to get a woman named Barbara. Jean kept a small journal where he translated and scribbled down the things he said, kind of like a journal for the pokemon.


~~~


A few days later, and after the closing ceremony for the newly constructed skeletal frame for the Food Food Food General Grocery Store™, Jean walked home. Having jus exited the ccable car taking him down to the docking area of the city, he noticed how his Baltoy was missing. Sure, it wasn't uncommon for Affinity to wander off and recite grim prophecies to elderly women who mistook him for a cute pokemon waning a cuddle, but it was exhausting nontheless. Wandering around by the pier, he finally caught whim of the nasty little homewrecker. "I aM oVeR hErE!" he heard, looking over to see Affinity on a ship. A ship which just started moving. "Oh no, **** **** **** ****!" Jean mumbled to himself in a stressed hurry as he ran with all his might to catch the ferry. He didn't even get to see where it was heading! I guess this is how one embark on a heroic journey. Who knows, maybe they'l lend up in sunny Alola?

Kevin King
Regigigas
Veilstone City, Sinnoh

​

As a strange annoying rip back into reality, which was odd considering peoples daydreams were usually of sunny beaches and their realities were boring daytime jobs, Kevin the Bidoof shrieked as Kevin felt a light weight being put on his back. "Aah! Im getting attacked, get it off me get it off me!" he said in panic, though he sounded like he was more bored rather than scared. He hated being taken by surprise like that. Flailing around like a maniac for a few seconds, he managed to get a hold of whatevers hands, and pulled it up above his head and smacked it down on the sand in front of him in a show of surprising force. "Duuude..." Kevin the Bidoof said. “Hi there! Shuvi there told me you washed up here a while ago — are you a legendary Pokemon too? Did you like the ocean?” the person said, looking up at him fromt he sand. She seemed completely unphazed by the display of force just going down as she looked up to him with a hopeful optimistic look. The girl was clad in al black, soaked like he was, and had a Ghost-Type pokemon hovering next to her. Oh no. nononononono she mentioned the legendary stuff. Based on her spooky attire and Ghost-Type companion, it was safe to ssume she was the ghost type one? Kevin was legitimately surprised she wasn't accompanied by the Haunter lurking around in the forest behin their apartment, and was a bt disappointed knowing that said Haunter would likely still be there when Kevin returned home.

"No. no no and no again it bears repeating no. I was kidnapped here. I have work tomorrow. Oh god is it tomorrow?" Kevin started alking in circles, making a perfectly circular pattern in the sand as he went, sinking further and further down. He was stressed now. Like.. Really stressed. Knowing there were others like him made it all far too much more real. As if being kidnapped to alola in the first place wasn't bad enough, now he had to deal with the actual situation. He refused to believe any of it. "Duuuude, relax!" surfer hunk said as he came over again, accompanied by a tanned woman with beach blonde hair tied to a strict bun. "Duuuude", she said. "Yeah duuude, It's not so bad. All is good here in sunny Alola" surfer hunk said as if he was reciting some bad commercial. Kevin took a deep breath. Well, it didn't seem like any of this would sort itself out anytime soon. He might as well roll with it for the time being.

“Oh hey, that’s a really nice pillow.” The girls Misdreavus said, trying to snatch Kevin the Bidoofs pillow from the duffle bag. With a serious glimt in his eye, Kevin the Bidoof aunched himself through the Ghost-Type, and landed on the pillow, refusing to let it go. "No! This is mine!" he said with a stern, childish tone. "Go find your own, mate". Kevin sighed. He might as well try to adjust to this new reality, even though it would mean he missed out on work tomorrow. Wait.. there were no guarantees they would be back in Sinnoh anytime soon, was there? fighting the rising panic over the fact that he might lose his shifts to Justin Case was bad enough, he might lose his job alltogether if he didnt find a way to contact them.

Powerwalking away from the beach and kicking away bones and red toy shovels, Kevin managed to gt to a road. A sign showed him that he was close to a city named Maile city. Fair enough, he'd go there. The mysterious girl with the Misdreavus was hot on his tail like a shadow, mimicking to near perfection his every move while giggling to herself. Getting to the pokemon center, he was greeted by a nurse Joy. she looked different than the ones back in sinnoh though. Oh god, what year is it! Kevin thought to himself, but was reassured to see that it was literally just the next day from yesterday on a nearby callendar depicting the same surfer hunk from earlier. "Can i use your phone please?" he asked. Nurse Joy as silent for a while, looking at the soaking wet boy in his underwear as he was standing near the front desk with both palms slammed down on it. Realizing what she must be thinking, Kevin snatched the duffle bag and skipped over to a changing room in the back of the center, where he quickly got changed into his normal everyday clothes. Coming back to the counter, he slammed his palms into the counter again. "Can i use your phone please?" he repeated. Nurse Joy silently gve him a phone, and he dialed in the number to his workplace.

Just as he feared, his shift would go to Justin Case, and Mr. Case would be elected employee of the month that month. This would be something that stained Kevins reputation and confidence for years to come. However, they understood that he needed some time to grieve his dead Bidoof, something Kevin the Bidoof didn't take too lightly to, especially due to how Kevin was glaring at him while giving the fake explaination that someone had strangled the plump pokemon with a phone wire.

Drying off the rest of his hair, he threw the towel over at the black-clad girl, though th sun had already dried much of her clothing. He didn't bother doing anything with his hair, so it was sticking out in every direction imaginable after having been forcibly dried with the towel. "So i guess we're in this now.." Kevin said "You have any idea about this Hall of Elements?" he looked over at Kevin the Bidoof. "My name is Kevin, and this kidnapper and hardened criminal is Kevin.. Heh" he said.

 

[GoldenHouou]

Yusheng Xiao
Totally and utterly lost, Johto

---------
​

"Huan."

Yusheng's stern voice wasn't particularly loud, yet it startled the tranquil midnight forest into life. A few Murkrow took wing in the distance, and the shadows that engulfed all but the closest row of trees begun to shift and twist and turn, suddenly alive with movement. The underbrush filled with rustle. Somewhere far beyond the reach of their flashlight, something howled.

The Darumaka turned to glance back at his master at the mention of his name. He was waddling along the winding forest path a few steps ahead of his human companion, one small hand buried deep in a bag of chips. Paprika flavour, as usual.

After allowing his gaze to wander among the shadows a moment longer, Yusheng turned his suspicious gaze down at the fire type. He could see something move in his peripheral vision, but knew it would be long gone by the time he turned to try and catch a glimpse. "... Run your plan by me again."

Huan frowned, stuffing another handful of chips into his mouth. He was walking back-first now. "You didn't say please."

"It wasn't a request."

The fire type's frown fell. He knew better than to argue with that tone of voice.

"We gather as many supplies as we can, sneak out once everyone's asleep, and head to that Hall place you wanted to go to. You save the world or whatever, and we return home in time for the Ultimate Spinarak reruns."

Yusheng tapped an impatient finger against his arm. "And?"

"Whaddya mean 'and'?"

"Where do we find the Hall of Legends?" Yusheng's tone didn't betray his ire, but his twitching brow might have. He couldn't believe he had to spell the question out - or that he hadn't done so hours earlier. Before they got themselves lost in the middle of a haunted forest, preferably.

It was the dream, he reckoned. Memories of it had kept him preoccupied and absentminded as of late, to a point where the Kimono Girls had given him leave of his duties. Bits and pieces of the nightmare slithered their way into his thoughts during the day and his dreams at night, leaving him tired at best, irate at worst.

Even now, if he looked for too long, the trees that framed his walk seemed like long, lanky corpses, reaching for his throat with burnt hands.

"I dunno man," came Huan's voice, turning the corpses back into trees. "I mean, you're the legendary here." The Darumaka waved a dismissive hand, a hint of annoyance in his voice. He didn't like thinking, much less for two. "Can't you just sense it or somethin'?"

"If I could," it took all the self-control Yusheng had not to let his frustration flare - figuratively or literally, as it were. "We wouldn't be lost."

"We aren't lost," Huang corrected, stopping in his steps. He let out a small, complementary chuckle - as if the suggestion itself had been ridiculous - and threw another handful of chips into his mouth. Yusheng was hardly convinced.

"You don't know where we are."

Huan shrugged, mouth full. "I know we're in a forest."

"... Do you think it's possible to burn a fire type alive?"

"What?"

"Nothing," Yusheng mumbled. His calm exterior didn't crack, but his voice was low. Patience wasn't something he had in spades, and certainly not something he'd been born with. What little he had, he'd learnt. After all, there was no authority to be found in anger. Those who wished to lead could not let themselves be led, least of all by erratic emotions.

But by Arceus, was the thought tempting.

Yusheng rubbed at his brow, sighed - and then brushed past the fire type without another word uttered. He didn't entirely mind if his sudden movement caused the round Darumaka to lose his balance and roll onto his round little ass.

"I'm taking the lead," he announced simply, no longer looking back. "Keep up."

Huan tried, though with his stumpy little legs, it was easier said than done.

Hopefully, they wouldn't need to walk for long.

 

[Skillfulness]

Cheri “Cam” Malara
Latios

Nacrene City, Unova
________________________________________​

~ Cam is hanging out at the Nacrene City Museum, bored and unable to find anything useful. Draco (Dratini) is unnerved by the Dragon-type skeleton in the main room. Anyone feel free to interact with them. ~

Walter Digorno
Suicune

Cianwood City -> Olivine City, Johto
________________________________________​

“Ummmm….” Walter wasn’t angry, but he sure was not feeling great right now. After flying here and reaching the port, his trusty partner Kora simply could not come up with a destination.

“Look, Kora, we can’t get a ticket for a boat if we don’t know where we’re going. Let’s just head back to the Pokemon Center, get some lunch, and have a nap, please?” A tone of desperation crept into his voice. He knew this had been a bad idea and depression was starting to set in. The Corsola picked up on this and nodded, smiling and jumping up into his arms. With a sigh, releasing some tension, Walter strode back to the Center.

While it was a little early for lunch, they grabbed some snacks and munched in silence. He didn’t know why Kora was so insistent on going to this place, especially if she didn’t even know where it was. Honestly he hoped she would give up and they could go back home, get yelled at for sneaking off, then things could go back to normal. Not that he enjoyed normal, but change was a lot to deal with and he wasn’t good at adjusting. Though now he was too glum to argue with his Corsola so he simply continued following her lead.

“Ok, let’s have a nap and maybe when we wake up you’ll know where we’re going.” The tiny pink Pokemon agreed and the two got a room at the Pokemon Center. Laying on the fluffy white pillow and sheets, Walter fell into a halfway restless sleep. He didn’t take naps often because he usually had strange dreams when sleeping less than eight hours and this nap was no different. He was running across the water as usual; rain started to drizzle and hit his face. He was chasing something, no, maybe he was being chased? He looked back and didn’t see anything, but kept running. Suddenly he felt shaking and looked down. The water was still and only rippled with his footsteps, but for some reason everything was still shaking, why?

“Wake up Walter!” He sat up and inhaled sharply, blinking in confusing. Kora went rolling down his legs and nearly fell off the bed. There was a bit of a sore spot at the center of his chest.

“Geez Walter, you can sleep through anything, I’ve been jumping on you for ten minutes! We have to go now! There’s a boat that leaves for Olivine City and that’s where we need to go!” He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and tried to figure out what was going on. The dream had him pretty disoriented, but did she say Olivine City? Why would they go there?

“Uhhh, ah, yeah, alright, just give me a minute…” Walter stretched and found his glasses. He took a big swig of water to wake himself up and started grabbing his stuff as Kora hopped impatiently at the door. He wasn’t even going to ask how she found out about the boat schedule or what was waiting for them at Olivine.

~~~​

The sun was just starting to set when the arrived at Olivine. At this point though, Walter was tired of traveling. He had been on countless business trips, but they were always more exhausting than exciting to him. Maybe if he had some friends to explore with it would be more fun, but usually he just went to the dinners and back to his hotel room as soon as he could. Kora, though, had a different idea for them.

“We have to go this way, I’m sure of it,” she said, waddling immediately away from the city. Her statement was a little vauge, and she didn't mention this Hall of Legends that she has constantly been going on about.

“Ok, Kora,” Walter said, keeping up with her surprisingly quick pace, “But what exactly is this way?” She didn’t respond, but he was too dejected to pursue it further. He was starting to feel this was a really big mistake. Well, he’s had that feeling about lots of things in his life, but this specifically felt like one of the biggest. She was leading him to a forest at twilight so he could, what? Get lost for a few hours and have to sleep on the ground? That idea only worsened his mood. He fiddled with his Poketech to get some light for them as it grew dark, but when he got it up, his partner had vanished.

“Um, Kora? Hey, where’d you go?” Walter started searching the nearest ten feet, making a small circle searching desperately. There was no sign though of his pink companion and panic started setting in. He didn’t know where he was. How would he be able to call for help? What if wild Pokemon had gotten to Kora? He wasn’t sure how long his battery would last. There was no way he’d be able to sleep if he was on his own. Calling out her name frantically, he finally heard a reply.

“Walter, this way!” It was Kora! He ran in the direction of the faint voice, pushing aside branches that snapped back and hit his arms. The cuts and bruises didn’t matter as long as he kept going towards her calls. Finally, he spotted a light in the distance. He slowed, but kept running towards the man, his Pokemon, and Kora. After taking a few heavy breaths, he was able to speak clearly.

“Hi, sir, uhh. Phew, sorry to bother you, but thank you for finding my Pokemon. I don’t know how she got so far out here.” Walter continued taking in ragged breaths; physical activity was not his strong suit. He scooped up the Corsola and gave her a scolding bop on the head.

“Don’t you run off on me ever again,” he warned in a whisper. Raising his voice he addressed the tall stranger, “Again, thank you so much. By the way, my name is Walter. Nice night for a walk, right?” He held out his hand to shake and made an awkward attempt at conversation. While usually quiet, he had a tendency to ramble when nervous. Looking around at the tall, dark trees, he was certainly getting more nervous by the minute. He hoped he hadn’t stirred up any dangerous wild Pokemon. And now the thought occurred to him that he was alone in the woods with a stranger, probably stronger than him. He offered a meek smile and hugged Kora tightly. I sure hope I don’t die tonight, he thought.

 

[Vern]

ALF​

Hoopa
Beach -> Malie City (Alola)​

“AH! I’M GETTING ATTACKED, GET IT OFF ME GET IT OFF ME!”

ALF was expecting many things, but she hadn’t expected to be flipped over the guy’s head and slammed violently down in the sand like some sort of wrestler. Somewhat confused but unfazed, she smiles up at the stranger and giggles. The expression of panic on his face is oddly comical.

“No. No no and no again it bears repeating no. I was kidnapped here. I have work tomorrow. Oh god is it tomorrow?” The man murmurs to himself, pacing back and forth while ALF jumps to her feet, brushing the sand off her soaked clothes. It’d probably be nice to get a change of clothes, but she has no money, and nobody around her seems to have any item of clothing besides bikinis and board shorts, neither of which she’s particularly keen on trying to steal. Trying to be comforting, she smiles and pats him on the shoulder.

“No!” The man’s Bidoof yells, “This is mine!” — which seems to snap its trainer out of his stress-filled rambling. “Go find your own, mate.” He sighs, sounding oddly defeated.

“I wasn’t going to take it!” Nui responds defensively, plopping herself down on top of the Bidoof and giggling as she phases through him, “False accusations!”

“Yep, yep!” ALF nods along vigorously, sending water droplets flying with her hair, “False accusations!” Despite that, she reaches down and gives the pillow a pat anyway. “Ooo, it's fluffy..."

The man suddenly turns and begins to powerwalk towards some distance objective, and ALF follows along, stepping in the footprints he leaves in the sand and humming excitedly while placing all the bones and toy shovels he’d kicked away back in their original positions. The sign on the road reads ‘Malie City’. The two of them make their way into the Pokemon Center, both dripping water the entire way. A few people give her some strange looks, and she smiles and waves back. While the shirtless man rushed off to get changed and dial some sort of number, ALF busies herself by looking through the drink menu of the café and giggling at the strange names of the drinks here - which despite their innocuous nature she seems to find totally hilarious - while the barista looks on with a confused expression on his face.

Without warning, a towel — still wet from having dried her unnamed friend’s hair — plops down over her head, covering her face. She somehow manages not to hit anybody in the face while flailing comically around, eventually managing to get it wrapped comfortably around her shoulders. “Thank you!” ALF grins, leaping over to give him a hug. This time, though, he’s prepared and dodges to the side, causing her to splat face first onto the ground — only for a portal to open up beneath her, and drop her down from the ceiling. She lands on her feet, and gives a dramatic bow. “Ooo, hedgehog!” She laughs, patting her ‘friend’s hair, which had been turned into a ball of spikes in the drying process.

“So I guess we're in this now… You have any idea about this Hall of Elements?” The guy says, then gestures to his Bidoof, "My name is Kevin, and this kidnapper and hardened criminal is Kevin.. Heh”

“Kev-kev!” ALF mumbles, putting a hand on her chin and staring up at the ceiling in an exaggerated thinking expression, “No, maybe K-K? Kevi?”

“Personally, I’d go with K-boy.” Nui adds, putting on a thoughtful tone as she tries to do some sort of dance while phasing through Kevin. “How about Mr. K for the criminal? Sounds mysterious, doesn’t it?"

“Kevi. Let’s go with that.” ALF declares, pointing at Kevin the human, then at Kevin the Bidoof. “And you can be… Kaka! Yep, a name fit for coldhearted crime lords, fit for striking fear into the strongest hearts!”

“Seriously? Kaka?” Her partner responds incredulously.

“Yep, Kaka!” She nods vigorously, “Anyways, Kevi — my name is ALF! Like, A, L, F, in all capital letters, like ‘KABOOM!’. Nice to meet you!” She blinks, the lets out a nervous laugh, as though she’d just remembered something. “And… well… about the hall thing… I have no idea, haha. hahaha.” Then, she shakes her head and pats Kevin on the shoulder. “Well, let’s go look for it! There’s a wide, wide world out there, just waiting to be explored!”

She reaches out and grabs Kevin the human by the arm, and half jumps, half-dances towards the door of the Pokemon Center, dragging him after her and ignoring his frantic kicking and screams for help. “Yes! Yes! Attagirl!” Kevin the Bidoof yells, jumping away from Nui to tug the duffle bag after them, “Show him how it’s done!”

As ALF and Nui’s giggling, as well as the screams and Kevin the Bidoof’s encouraging chanting fades into the distance, the Barista turns to the one guy seated in the cafe, and murmurs in a confused, awed voice: “Duuude… what the hell?"

 

[GoldenHouou]

Yusheng Xiao
Totally and utterly lost, Johto

---------​

Something was coming their way.

Yusheng stopped dead in his tracks at the realization, gesturing for Huan to follow suit. Not that it was necessary; the Darumaka could hear it too, the continuous rustling that grew louder with each frantic beat of his little heart. It was a sound entirely different from what they'd heard so far. It wasn't the careless step of a Rattata making its way in the underbrush, or the sudden beat of a nocturnal bird's wing. Whatever that something was, it moved with determination and intent, entirely unconcerned with staying hidden. A predator, perhaps, so confident in its ability to catch its prey that it didn't even bother to mask its approach.

For a moment, Yusheng contemplated on turning off the flashlight of his cell - but he figured it would do more harm than good. They must've been already spotted, being the only source of light in the midst of a midnight forest. If he turned it off, they'd be the only ones left blinded and guessing. There was no hiding now.

So, the teen held out an open palm. He inhaled slowly, trying to recall the feeling he'd felt when he'd last done this. Warmth; there was definitely warmth. A moment later, flames flickered into life upon Yusheng's palm. They were small and weak at first, reaching for the open sky almost timidly. But the more they lapped up the brisk night air, the more they grew, until they were the size of a football.

He took a step back, and waited. The rustling grew more intense. And then, the nearest bushes parted.

... What emerged was... not what either of them had expected. It certainly wasn't a predator. It was a pink coral on four 'legs', looking entirely out of place on the forest floor. Yusheng blinked. Huan squinted. And then the Corsola suddenly shouted, startling both out of their wits.

“Walter, this way!” it said.

Walter?

The realization that it was a human name the Corsola had called out for was delayed by a moment of sheer shock. By the time the fact registered, footsteps were almost upon them. Yusheng snapped out of his daze just in time to remember the flame he'd conjured. He clenched his hand into a fist, dousing the flames just in time for a boy his age to emerge onto the path. The teen could feel his heartbeat all the way up in his throat. That was close. That was definitely way too close.

But there was no time for panic now. He was being spoken to. His back straightened as if out of reflex.

The boy thanked him among ragged breaths and remarked on his walk. Yusheng tried not to frown.

"'Nice' is not the word I'd use," though really, the night itself was perfectly fine. It was the walk and the company he'd kept that he disdained. "But I suppose it could be worse." It could rain, or there could be a storm - or he could have two Darumakas to drive him mad. Meeting another human - if he could still consider himself that now - was a nice change of pace, if anything. Though it did make him wonder... what was a boy and his Corsola doing out here at this hour? No matter how you looked at it, it sounded strange.

He took for the offered hand, giving it a firm shake - but not letting go immediately after. Instead, he took an ever-so-slight step closer, gaze drilling down onto the shorter boy as if trying to glare right into his soul. Yusheng's hand was still warm where the flames had danced a moment prior - a fact he might have noticed, had he not been so focused on trying to gauge the other's intentions. It was one of his new powers, he'd found. He could tell if someone harbored malicious intent.

When he found none after a moment of the most awkward silence imaginable, he finally let go - and even entertained a small smile. His tone remained rigid as usual, though. "No need for a thank you. It was your Corsola that found us."

"And scared us right outta our wits!" Huan remarked from behind his trainer's leg. Yusheng casually pushed him backwards with one foot and continued, very thankful that people didn't understand Pokémon speech.

"My name is Yusheng, and this thing is Huan," he offered, if a little late. "Well met."

He glanced at the Corsola, and then back at Walter. His brow arched - whether out of curiosity or suspicion was anyone's guess. He could spot downright malice - or so he believed. He could not spot lies. "Does she often run away for midnight escapades in dark forests, or is this a first?"

If it was a joke, his tone didn't make it obvious.

 

[Monster Guy]

Princess Rose Hadley
There are apparently forests in Olivine City, Johto. Who knew?

​

Rose had arrived in Olivine City earlier in the day. Her parents had royal business to attend to in the Johto region, and as Princess, she was required to attend. All day long she had to attend meetings with important Johtoian officials, and discuss political matters. Despite what most people her age might have thought, she actually found all these topics fascinating. One day, she would become Sinnoh's queen, and these responsibilities would fall to her.

Still, it was nice to have a moment to herself. She decided to travel without the bodyguards this evening, and explore Olivine City on her own, with her Budew, Brier. Olivine City was a much different place than her home in Floroama. She was used to being surrounded by flowers and trees everywhere she went. Here, she was surrounded by the sea.

She was surprised to find a forest in a coastal town like this. In all of the books she had read about geography, she had never heard of a forest in this place. Then again, her family's books on Johto's geography were outdated. It was part of the reason they were here in the first place. So, naturally she had to go explore it, and see if it was any different from the ones back home.

"Are you sure this is wise milady?" Brier chimed in. "This is nothing like the forests for which you are accustomed. You may very well get lost."

"I am not at all concerned with that, Sir Brier. I have you to protect me. Besides, if I were to get lost, my mother and father will not rest until I am found."

Brier curtsied at his trainer's feet. "Very well, milady." With that, the pair walked into the forest.

---

After spending some time walking, Rose quickly found herself getting bored. Floaroma was willed with flowers and Grass type Pokemon everywhere you looked. Here, there were only trees and darkness. Every so often, Rose would wave one of her arms, and conjure up a blizzard of pink flower petals to float around her, just to brighten up this sad scene. She had only recently discovered she could do that. It was a beautiful ability for sure, now she just needed to find a practical use for it.

"Milady, have you had any more dreams of late?" Brier asked

"No, just the same ones. I am Shaymin, mysterious voices telling me to go to the Hall of Legends, nothing at all helpful..." Rose sighed. Ever since she had these dreams,she discovered she could speak to Brier, and had mysterious abilities involving flora. Apparently, she was the nature deity Shaymin incarnate. Of course, she believed everything immediately, but it would have been nice to have more information. She believed she had some grand purpose to fullfill, but no information about how to do that had been given. It was rather annoying quite frankly.

"Don't you think we should search for this... Hall of Legends?"

"How? I've looked through all the books in my family's personal library. There is not a single word about any sort of Hall of Legends! I can't just travel around the world blindly!" Then, Rose looked around. "Hm... did we not pass by that tree already?"

"No, I believe it is a different tree."

"How, can you tell? They look identical! Especially in this darkness." Rose took a deep breath. Brier was right..."

"We are lost aren't we?"

"We must remain calm. Losing our wits will not help us one bit." Rose looked around, and all she could see were trees, trees, and more trees. It would probably be easier to find her way if she had some sort of light source, but Rose was not prepared for this possibility, and hadn’t even brought her Poketch with her.

Fortunately, as luck would have it, she soon encountered a pair of young men, and their Pokemon, also walking through the forest, and breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank Arceus! Fortune smiles upon a me." Rose waved one of her arms, trying to get the boys attention. "I beg your pardon gentlemen. Would you two be so kind as to help me find my way out of this forest? I was going on an evening stroll, and seem to have gotten lost."

Brier jumped in protectively between his trainer, and the other boys. "Be careful milady! They may be up to no good!"

Rose simply smirked. As if a small Budew was going to protect her from two humans and their Pokemon on his own. Rose wasn't concerned though. She was Shaymin after all, she could take care of herself.

 

[Skillfulness]

Walter Digorno
Suicune

Olivine City Forest, Johto
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“‘Nice’ is not the word I’d use. But I suppose it could be worse.” Walter only had the dim light to see the boy who towered above him as he gripped his hand. His hair was blonde, his skin was tanned from what he could tell-- and he wasn’t letting go.

Having a family in business, Walter has had his fair share of uncomfortable handshakes and they were nothing compared to this.Though dark, he could tell the boys eyes were fixed on him and he had to look away. He felt so uneasy, almost vulnerable to his gaze, but tugging his hand back would be considered rude so he kept offering an awkward smile and squeezed Kora tighter. She squeaked in annoyance, but kept quiet, knowing she was in trouble. Also, the boys hand was warm, maybe he had been exercising which made it warm; people did that at night, right?

He introduced himself as Yusheng, and his Darumaka as Huan. Walter was still getting used to hearing other Pokemon talk. Things were confusing enough with Kora speaking to him, but according to the Darumaka, she had startled the two of them so he gave her another sternful squeeze for good measure.

"Does she often run away for midnight escapades in dark forests, or is this a first?" Yusheng asked.

“Ah, well, this is a bit of a first, but it’s kind of complicated, heh.” Walter’s mind was hard at work to come up with a quick, mostly truthful excuse. He wasn’t a great liar, but he was good enough to get people off his back and the ‘Hall of Legends’ dreams were not something he cared for others to know about. “I have been having nightmares lately and we thought we could get out for a bit to clear my mind. Kora thought she saw something and ran off before I could get any light and I panicked a little. Pretty dark out here…”

While his eyes darted around the dark, imposing trees, his ears picked up every rustle through the woods. What he didn’t expect to hear was a feminine voice calling out. He jumped even, the paranoia and fear taking hold of him. The realization of being alone with a stranger in the woods was making him wound up and anxious, but Kora offered a comforting chirp and nuzzled into his chest. He smiled down at her and she put on a confident face. If anything bad were to happen, the two of them could work together to get out of it.

"I beg your pardon gentlemen. Would you two be so kind as to help me find my way out of this forest? I was going on an evening stroll, and seem to have gotten lost." The voice was from another tall individual with long blonde hair. A Budew jumped in front of her, declaring their possible animosity. Walter held back a response to the Pokemon and instead addressed what he presumed to be its trainer.

“Um, hi!” Walters voice faltered as he spoke, still uncomfortable with the atmosphere. “I believe we are also, uh, lost, unfortunately. I might be able to get some sort of signal on my Poketech to figure out where we are, but it might take some wandering, maybe.” He looked between the two strangers. Odds were they both couldn’t be serial killers. His nerves were starting to settle a little, he probably felt more comfortable with more people around.

“Oh right! And my name is Walter, this is Kora!” He held up the coral Pokemon with one arm and again offered his hand for a shake. At this rate he might as well be at one of his family's business meetings with all the people he was meeting in a short time. Walter glanced around, waiting for something to happen as he had never been one to take the lead. Hopefully he could be free from the forest soon so he and Kora could figure out what to do next.