Ask to Join Alola World Festival [RP]

[Merciless Medic]

Pyros listened as Seven helped him strategize. He was glad she was helping him in that regard. He was going to brush off her advice like it was nothing, but his arrogant days were over, so he might as well listen to her advice. Listening in, he nodded when she said that Lucario wasn't going to be in, and Lycanroc might. If that's the case, then he'll just pull out Haxorus. Maybe his Lycanroc will be first, as he'll be expecting either his Salamence or one of four Fire-Types that are weak to Rock. If that's the case, then he'll have Haxorus come on out first. If Porygon-Z will be in play, then maybe he'll just have one of his Fire-Types out for that one, since he doesn't want to risk another hit of an Ice Beam or Thunderbolt. Maybe those kinds of Pokemon learn Rock-Type attacks, too? He didn't remember. He'll have to consult Shade and Stror. They were experts when it came to Pokemon strategems and which ones can learn what. Pretty sure the guy won't let out his Charizard, but maybe he'll allow his Zoroark or his Crobat. He didn't know. His siblings, who were sitting right next to him, overheard Seven's explanations and decided to hop in on the lovely strategy-making.

With a hyperactive "hey", Stror butted in, helping out his brother when he could. Shade was resting her head on his shoulder, listening in and coming in with her own advice when necessary.

"Hey! I'm pretty sure we can help, right Shade?"

She nodded and smiled warmly. Stror continued.

"So, if it's a Porygon-Z he has.... Then I won't be surprised if he has some Electric-Type attack on it, nor won't I be surprised if he has both an Electric- and Ice-Type attack on it. I'm pretty sure he'll have that in his team, so what the android said. Sorry, but I don't know your name."

"It's Seven of Nine, Stror.. You may call her Seven," said Pyros, with a slightly annoyed look on his face. Why couldn't his brother be more polite, or at least take the time to introduce himself? He told Seven his siblings' names, since he was pretty sure she didn't know. "This is Strorgos, my brother, and he goes by Stror. My sister is Shadara, but you may call her Shade."

Confused that the android has a gender, Stror was about to question, but he decided to focus on strategizing at the moment. "Anyway, if it's a Zoroark, I won't be surprised if he ran a Flamethrower on the thing. Although, not many do that. I 100% guarantee that the fox will have Night Daze, so watch out. As for Crobat, well we saw what it could do. It had Acrobatics and Cross Poison. Wait... I forgot... Which Pokemon are you using again?"

Sighing, Pyros told him. "A Salazzle, Kantonian Ninetales, Chandelure, Haxorus, Salamence, and Turtonator."

"Ahh, right, okay. I'm pretty sure he won't use Crobat in his next fight then. So that takes out one of the three possibilities. Especially after that loss, I doubt that Crobat will fight you. That leaves Zoroark and Charizard. Since I've never seen a Charizard not have a Dragon-Type attack on them, I'm pretty sure Charizard will be his next pick. I doubt he'll use Zoroark, but I could be wrong. Any input you want to add, Shade?"

Shade shrugged her shoulders and smiled at her brothers. "Nope. You took the words right out of my mouth. Although, if those Pokemon are going to be chosen, I recommend sending out your Haxorus for Lycanroc, since I'm pretty sure that Pokemon will be first. Second, if he chooses Porygon-Z, I'm pretty sure you should go for either one of your Fire-Types, specifically Ninetales. She's quick and is very agile. As for the last one, if he chooses Charizard, you should probably go for Turtonator. He can take that punishment and send it right back. I just wonder why none of your Pokemon not have Rock-Type moves for this very occasion though..."

Stror smiled and looked at Seven. "Does everything sound okay to you?"

 

[BurbleBurble]

Well, his astronomically low chances came up short. She wasn't in the Tournament. Not that it mattered, really- he didn't need to know everyone in the tournament. No doubt he'd run into another competitor eventually. She did sort of raise a good point though about being in a tournament- not much point unless you get to the finals. Though it was a little like gambling in a distant, unrelated way- it requires "Skill" but in the end of the day, a lucky stroke will get you want you want. Of course, it wasn't really gambling in the end of the day. Otherwise kids would certainly not be encouraged to become trainers in the first place. Most of the time, Gerald didn't actually want the prize. It was all for the thrill, and his Pokemon enjoyed it too, so why not?

The woman left him, but not before wishing him good luck and telling him her name- Zofera. There were a few strange names today- Pyroshus, an Atlas, and now a Zofera. Gerald wouldn't doubt he'd run into some more strange names, but...he was named Gerald, and was the only Gerald he ever met. It wasn't a popular name. "Oh, well yeah! It was nice to meet you!" He told Zofera as she walked away.

And Gerald had no one to talk to. Unless he wanted to bump into someone to start another conversation, though a wiser use of that time was to go confirm with that Kukui guy.

-----

A little while later after choosing the wiser choice, he had put away Screecher and Million to not cause others too much trouble- June and Puff were small enough to stay out. Gerald was considering his opponents. He had run into Pyroshu earlier, but had kept recalling his name with an extra "S". The man sort of exuded this force...Gerald couldn't quite describe it, but it was close to the feeling he got around June? It was hard to tell. In any case, Pyroshu had been in the first fight of the day. Gerald missed that one, but had heard that he beat a Cloyster with a Chandelure...spooky stuff. He managed to catch part of the last fight, where a teenager did a good job crushing a man's...all bug team? Weird specialization.

In any case, up next round was the person known as Atlas and a Maxene. Gerald actually wanted to catch this one, while the others he could watch in person tomorrow, they usually focused on the actual Pokemon battle as opposed to the trainers. A lot could be told from a trainer- Now Gerald was no strategist, but it could help to see what Pokemon his potential foes would bring out, along with how they gave out actions, and possibly bait for the next round. Of course, implicating he got to the next round, but that was a problem for...an hour or two in the future Gerald, who would be in a battle with that Ken.

And Puff was still thinking. Was he really the blame of all his problems? There were plenty of times he wasn't the blame...Like when the Linoone blindsided this morning! And when...He didn't actually know much else. Man, why did he have to listen to that Lizard? He could've been happily unaware of this otherwise, but he had to choose the one random Pokemon who actually got him. That battle...whoever he was up against would get it, that the rabbit swore upon.

 

[Captain Cardboard]

Shiori made sure to watch each of the matches, cheering on the person he was rooting for. In the first match he cheered hard for Pyros, and the battles kept him at the edge of his seat. Pyros really was a strong battler, and quick on his feet. Maybe if Shiori asked him after the tournament, Pyros would be up for a battle. That was, unless Shiori met him in the finals. That would be neat. During the next match, when Gladion faced the Champion of Unova, Shiori tried cheering on the Champion. Hailing from Unova, that was almost a given. Although he was a bit disappointed that the champion lost, Shiori wasnt too heartbroken about it. That Gladion kid seemed pretty tough as well, and Shiori was excited to see the showdown between Pyros and Gladion. It was going to be a close match.

Looking at the bracket displayed, Shiori saw that Atty was going to battle next. Another person he knew! Shiori was going to make sure to cheer her on as well. Dang, everyone in this tournament seemed so strong! Was he really going to do well? Shiori shook his head. He would be fine, he just had to believe in himself and his Pokemon, and remember the strategies him and his Pokemon developed in the Nature Preserve. Looking over, Shiori noticed that Seven and Pyros, along with a few other people Shiori didn't quite recognize, were talking in a group about something. From the way they looked, Shiori doubted they were talking about the best flavor of malasada. They were probably strategizing.

 

[Ninian]

Looking to Stror, the automaton raised a brow. She was never properly introduced, but she made an assumption that it was one of Pyros' siblings, based on similar facial structure. As Stror continued, Seven listened to his reasoning quietly before nodding. "You are correct."

Looking to both Stror and Shade, the woman nodded, "It is a pleasure to meet you Strorgos Darastrix and Shadara Darastrix." Glancing to Pyros, she gave him a nod as well given he introduced her to the pair.

"Night Daze or Night Slash are typical. There is a 44% chance it will know Flamethrower." Furrowing her brows she continued, "Many Charizard have Dragon Claw, or Dragon Pulse. It is likely Gladion will favor Charizard over Zoroark, unless he wishes to take advantage of Illusion."

As they discussed Lycanroc going first, the Porygon2 shook her head. "It would be unwise for him to use Lycanroc first, Porygon-Z would have better coverage for Pyros' team, and it would be illogical to use any other Pokémon, with the potential exception of Zoroark."

⟶ Kantonian Gym

 

[Merciless Medic]

Stror and Shade looked at each other at Seven's last comment on whether or not Lycanroc was going first. Well, her reasoning was sound, given that they had some idea of his personality from being in contact with Lusamine for awhile before. Since Lycanroc was put first in this battle, he wouldn't want to do the same thing again, for it will ruin his strategy, right? That was when Stror's smile became devilish in nature and look. He looked up at Tika, who was now on his forehead, listening in.

"I could have my little Joltik sneak in to where he plots his strategies and listen in and give us some intel."

"I would do that if I didn't care about gaming the system or if we get found out. But, since I want to win this legitimately, no. Thank you though, for at least wanting to help," Pyros abruptly responded, giving Stror a stern look. Stror was about to say something, but then faltered. He was right. They shouldn't be doing anything too bad.

He then looked at Stror, Shade, and Seven and asked: "Anymore input?" to which Stror and Shade both shook their heads.

 

[vaultie]

Atty swiftly made her way back onto Route 11, the shadows from the bamboo slightly casting at a different angle than from what she had seen earlier. She had about fifty minutes left before she was to report back to the Gym for her battle with Maxene, and it was likely she would use the entire time to practice with her team.

Although she hadn't exactly properly introduced herself to the girl, Atty could still remember seeing Maxene and learning about her participation far earlier in the day, back during the morning when almost everyone had ended up at the Malasada Shop. Given that she had a Sylveon with her, Atty could only make assumptions about the rest of her team. It was only a 50% chance that the Eeveelution would be showing up in the battle today, but it was a risk she was willing to make. For all she knew, there was a chance that she could have more than one fairy type. Dakota was definitely one of Atty's choices, in that case. She plucked two more balls from her bag, taking out Ariel and Flower. She sent them out, hoping the three picked would be the right decision.

She allowed the three to practice their moves for the next 35 or so minutes, making sure to secure them with their items. A Metal Coat for Dakota, an Assault Vest for Flower, and the Mystic Water that Ariel always wore around her neck. Dakota spent most of her time perfecting her steps in her Swords Dance, Flower was busy wearing away nearby boulders with Liquidation and First Impression, and Ariel was taking the chance to practice out her various array of Special Attacks. Once the four had decided to take a break, Atty made sure to re-energize her troupe with various berries and other treats, supplying water for the Pokemon as well. It would be a shame if they had shown up out of energy.

--

She arrived only minutes before her battle was scheduled to begin, taking a deep breath as she swiped her card across the pad. The door opened with a soft click, and Atty assumed Maxene was already waiting on the other end. Her steps echoed down the corridor as she walked, finally seeing the light as she made her way out onto the field. She made eye contact with Maxene first, nodding as she recognized the girl, and then her gaze fixated onto the crowds of people watching. A smile lit her face, being reminded of her days back in Sinnoh and all the contests she participated in. Although she adored them, it wasn't meant to last. It didn't hurt to revel in the attention, though, the young lady waving towards the waves of people and showcasing a more bubbly side to her.

Atty stopped waving and looking around for anyone she recognized when she saw Kukui gesturing her over, walking up to the center of the floor with the younger girl. The two shook hands, retreating back to their sides as Kukui spoke up to rile the crowd. "Welcome, once again, everyone! Our next battle is about to get underway!"

"In this corner, we have Miss Atlas Bennett, hailing from the windy city of Mistralton! In the other, young Maxene Nial Vogel, representing the bustling streets of Castelia City! Wow, two Unovans going head to head, huh? Can I hear some love for Unova in the crowd?" He grinned, waving out to the stands as certain spots erupted into cheers, resuming his comments to get the battle underway. "Alright, ladies, let's see some action! Now, send out your Pokemon and begin!"

Atty gripped the Sport Ball that contained Dakota, sending out the Pincer Pokemon as her first selection. In return, Maxene had done the same, sending out her Sylveon. The older girl grinned to herself, realizing her intuition was correct. This should be a quick first round.

Dakota stepped forward, images of blades surrounding her form as she crossed one leg over the other. She brought her claws to her chest, turning and dipping with her next step, the practice from earlier paying off. She could feel her strength increase with the Swords Dance, watching the Sylveon's moves carefully. The pixie was quick to retaliate with a move after she finished her steps, sending a Dazzling Gleam in Dakota's direction. She took the hit gracefully, only getting a minimal amount of knockback and damage, shaking off the bright lights as her vision fixed. Her wings buzzed, gliding forward with her head angled down, ready for a direct Iron Head hit. However, upon contact, she was met with the barrier of the Sylveon's Protect, the force from her own attack sending her back. Her reaction time was quick, however, and she could tell what her trainer was thinking. She honed in on the fairy-type once more, using Bullet Punch and timing her speed correctly. Her claws gleamed with an additional metal coating as they collided with the Eeveelution, and she was sent flying back as the final punch hit, dealing extra damage thanks to the Metal Coat, safe in the pouch hanging from her belt. On her last bit of health and struggling to stand after such a devastating blow, Maxene ordered her Pokemon to use Hyper Beam as a last resort. Compiling what energy she had, the Sylveon sent a heavy beam of energy straight at Dakota. The Scizor held her claws up in an attempt to deflect the incoming laser, but the force of the attack caused her footing to slip from beneath her. She was met with a forceful blast, being sent back and kicking up dust in the process. As the field cleared, she leaned down on one knee, breathing heavily. Visible steam rose off of her exterior, slightly glowing a brighter red from the heat. It only took a single command from Atty for her to refocus and stand again, ready to finish off the other Pokemon. With an open window thanks to the Sylveon's fatigue, she kicked off, propelling towards her with another Iron Head. It connected this time, a sickening crack echoing throughout the stadium. The Sylveon went limp, rolling back from the sheer force, Maxene returning the poor fairy Pokemon before she rolled into the stadium wall.

"Ooh- That looks like it had to hurt. Sylveon, the pixie, is down! First point goes to Atlas and her Scizor, Dakota!" Kukui rose his hand towards Atty's side, ending the first battle and allowing her to return Dakota. There was a smile on each of them, Dakota happy with herself and Atty proud of her Pokemon. She gripped her next Pokeball, watching Maxene for any hint of what she could be sending out next.

Both Pokemon were revealed at the same time, and Atty had to look over her own Primarina in order to get a good look at the opponent Pokemon. A tiny Dedenne, of course. Although she had the lead, it wasn't looking like a good matchup at all.

The mouse was the first to attack, sending disks of electricity straight into Ariel. The charges hit, momentarily stunning the water-type and causing her to already take a good amount of damage. Despite the Volt Switch, as per the rules, the Dedenne remained on the field. Knowing that she had the disadvantage, Atty was ready to take greater risks for the chance of finishing things up. On her command, Ariel charged up an Ice Beam, not sending it towards the other, but instead aiming it at the floor. She began to coat the field in ice, listening to the crowd "ooh" and "aah" at the strategy. Maxene's Pokemon had nearly lost his footing attempting to dodge the beams of ice sent under his feet, nearly slipping when met with the cool, glass-like surface. Once he had regained his focus, the mouse sent another set of electricity at Ariel, but this time, she was prepared. With the ice under her, she gracefully pushed herself, sliding out of the way and barely being grazed by the flying sparks. With the attack successfully dodged, she retaliated with her own, forming a large, sparkling water bubble. It was launched towards the Dedenne, exploding with a loud "pop". Water flew out towards the stands, only to be stopped by an invisible forcefield that seemed to contain the battleground. Despite the pair's best efforts, though, Maxene was able to order her Dedenne to use Parabolic Charge. Jolts of electricity struck the area, cracking and melting the thin layer of ice underneath the two Pokemon, hitting Ariel as well. He received energy upon contact, healing a bit of the damage that the previous Sparkling Aria had done. With her movement once again hindered, Ariel could only get one more Sparkling Aria out. Before it could reach the mouse, however, the Pokemon had countered with third Volt Switch. The ball of water popped prematurely, the aftermath hitting both Pokemon. The Primarina winced, rolling back, the knockback from her own attack too much to handle with both the addition of Torrent and her Mystic Water.

"Ouch, looks like Ariel has lost her voice! The second point goes to Maxene and her Dedenne!" Kukui called out, pronouncing Ariel unfit for battle and giving the point to Maxene. This was what Atty had wanted to avoid. The next match would be a tiebreaker, and it was up to her last Pokemon to pull through.

They were sent out once again, Flower emerging from her Net Ball on Atty's end, and a Gardevoir on Maxene's end. While the woman felt more comfortable with this matchup, anything could happen. If her Gardevoir knew Thunderbolt, it was over.

Kukui continued to ramble, riling up the crowd and getting everyone involved excited. "This is the last matchup, folks? Whose gonna win? Make your bets, folks, 'cause things are about to g-"

"First Impression!"

The command cut Kukui off, battle-ready Flower launching herself towards the Gardevoir. The hit was heavy and solid- her large body and sharp claws connecting with the other and catching her off guard. While one could argue the play was a bit dirty, Atty had an excuse. Ask any owner of a Golisopod, and they could tell you, the earlier First Impression is used, the better. Although the Fairy typing of the Pokemon allowed for a bit of resistance, the Gardevoir still took it as a normal attack, albeit a powerful one. She was launched back, barely able to get her footing, panting as she attempted to quickly counter by tracing Flower's ability. Emergency Exit. Completely useless. Atty grinned to herself, watching as the Pokemon became visibly upset, sending out a Moonblast towards the Golisopod. She ordered Flower to stand strong and tank it, the Golisopod following orders and raising her gauntlet-covered arms. The orb of lunar energy collided with her, dust kicking up as she was slightly pushed back, but she remained standing. With the Assault Vest carefully secured to her body, giving her a boost of Special Defense, she was able to repel the orb back to the sender and take only minimal damage. The Gardevoir dodged in time, the Moonblast instead reaching the forcefield and exploding upon contact with that instead. She turned back just in time to see Flower charging at her, unable to dodge the next attack, as the Golisopod lunged and latched onto her shoulder. Needle-like teeth dug into the green skin of the Pokemon, Flower sapping the energy needed to restore the damage done from deflecting the Moonblast. Once satisfied, she threw Maxene's Pokemon, tossing her as if she was a chew toy. She flipped multiple times, ending up on her stomach, Atty's Pokemon lumbering over to the fatigued Gardevoir. She had made the mistake of getting too close, however, and the Gardevoir flipped over, sending out a Disarming Voice. The noise even reached to her trainer, wincing as she struggled to watch Flower. The Golisopod sreeched, becoming stunned as her senses were overwhelmed, momentarily stepping back and creating a space between the two. Atty had to yell out over the noise, initiating her next command. Flower's antenne twitched wildly, between the attack and trying to register her trainer's command. She finally got a grip on the situation, covering herself in a veil of liquid, the rushing water drowning out the Disarming Voice. She crouched, aiming towards Gardevoir, who had now stood and was attempting to re-position herself. Flower shot off from her spot, jets of water propelling her straight towards the other side of the field and ramming directly into the opposing Pokemon. Overestimating her strength, both Pokemon fell and rolled, becoming tangled as dust rose. When everything was settled, however, it was Flower that stood, only merely scratched from the conflict.

The crowd erupted into cheers, Kukui looking on and watching just as impressed as everyone else, completely forgetting about how he was interrupted. "Gardevoir is down and out for the count! Atlas and her Golisopod, Flower, take the final point, ending the tie and winning the round!"

Atty stood, watching as Kukui declared her the winner. Before the information could actually register, however, Flower ran up to her trainer, enveloping her in big buggy hugs and cuddles. She was given a slimy lick from the isopod, laughing and proudly returning her. Maxene, likewise, returned her fallen Pokemon, and the two Unovan girls met in the middle once more as a show of good sportsmanship, before each departing back through their respective exits.

 

[Ninian]

Stror's proposed strategy was sound, however Pyros pointed out it was likely against the rules. Perhaps some unspoke rule, it seemed humans had many of those, and Seven was only now learning what those rules were.

Frowning at the red-head's question, the automaton pondered it for a few moments before shaking her head, "No. I regret that I do not have more information on him."

Catching the nearby actor's gaze, Seven gave a nod to Shiori.

---

The next battle was nigh, and Colress was in information gathering mode. As the battle progressed, the man could be seen making extensive notes on their techniques, profiles being filled out for each of their individual Pokémon as they were sent out.

After analyzing the first match-up, Seven commented, "This match up is in Scizor's favor, there being a 95% chance of success. It is only vulnerable in the event Sylveon has Hidden Power: Fire." With battle concluded, it appeared the Porygon2 was correct. Atlas had chosen wisely by starting off with the Steel-type.

With the second round set, the blonde frowned, "Dedenne has the advantage. Primarina has a 35% chance of success." Though the Water-type fought hard, it was no match for the Electric-type. "That is unfortunate. Atlas Bennett must succeed this round."

It was now the final round. With the pair revealed, the Porygon2 frowned. "It is difficult for me to calculate a success chance for this round without knowing the Gardevoir's move set. However their match up is fairly equal, and I believe it may be skill dependent."

Thankfully for Atty, the Gardevoir did not have any Electric-type moves, and the Golisopod seemed to be the more skilled battler of the pair. With her win, Seven glance to Pyros to see if his expression had changed with her win.

Colress clapped as the brown-haired girl made her way off the battlefield. "Ah, excellent battle! What impressive Pokémon!"

⟶ Kantonian Gym

 

[BurbleBurble]

The battle was over. The Atlas fellow was a woman- which made the name seem even stranger in retrospect. But, once again, he couldn't judge. Not only that, he learned some things about her- and her Pokemon. A Scizor with brutal efficiency, a Primarina with tricky abilities to alter the battlefield, and a fast and deadly Golisopod. Hmm...they had "items". Not good. Gerald had a habit to not use "items"- but even Kiran, who wasn't even a trainer, tried to convince Gerald to use them. He really had to pick some up sometime, but it was too late for this round. Besides, there was only a small edge to using items...hopefully.

It seemed Atlas's strategy was hit fast, hit hard. Not an uncommon strategy. Quite potent, but usually taking a hit or two crumpled them. But that Scizor...it took a Hyper Beam and was still standing. Now to Gerald's knowledge, the "Normal" type attack was resisted by the Scizor's "Steel" typing. But still, Pokemon like Tyranitar, Gyarados, and Hydreigon ruined mountain ranges with that attack...anything that could stand up to it was a fearsome threat. Luckily, Gerald wasn't planning on using Hyper Beam any time soon. The Primarina iced the battlefield with her Ice Beam, which was actually quite a clever tactic. Gerald had used it before with Puff, though a little differently. But, as far as Gerald knew of Primarina, she was still more or less basic. And the Golisopod...Man would that thing be hard to take down. Hopefully, in the case he did go up against Atlas, she wouldn't choose that powerful Pokemon.

Hmm. There was an hour break period between battles to clean up the field. That gave Gerald around 45 minutes to prepare and train for his match. Well, he didn't have time to dawdle.

------

The evening had come and Gerald's battle against Ken was at hand, the sun setting over the mountains of Ula Ula.

"And next up come two young men from similarly electrifying cities- Ken Blake of Sunyshore and Gerald Aster of Mauville! Will the boy from Sinnoh's sandy town win, or will the man from the heart of Hoenn snag the victory in our final match of the night?" Kukui announced with gusto. That man evidently had endless charisma, and the audience ate it up with a loud cheer.

Violet was his first Pokemon. Her enemy? A Blastoise. While not an especially dangerous type matchup, Blastoise had the potential to carry some dangerous moves for a flying dragon. Gerald had to be cautious.

"Wow, and here are the competing Pokemon, a Noivern and a Blastoise! Two very powerful Pokemon. But only one will walk away victorious! Let's see how this will go down." Commented Kukui.

Ken started the fight with a powerful attack- Hydro Pump, right off the bat. Two powerful jets of water pumped out of the Blastoise's cannons, heading straight for Violet, who had been waiting on the ground. Of course, that was just an invitation for her to take off into the sky. The pressurized blast of water landed harmlessly on the ground. "Violet, start the Tailwind!" Gerald told her. The Noivern let out a screech of confirmation as she began rapidly flapping- creating a wind to back her up. And possibly whoever else came out next, considering Kukui never said anything about lasting positive effects. And now Violet was much, much faster.

Of course, Hydro Pump wasn't the only asset the Blastoise held- the tank-like turtle aimed it's cannons and fired again, this time a nearly white shade of blue- undoubtedly Ice Beam. With Violet's extra speed, she managed to dodge again. But one couldn't dodge forever- the revelation of this attack made Gerald aware he was playing a dangerous game. She could take two Ice Beams- Max. And that was being generous. Violet countered back with an Air Slash, a direct hit to the chest of the armored behemoth. The Blastoise grunted before aiming it's cannons once more, launching another Hydro Pump. Unfortunately for Gerald, this too was a direct hit- knocking Violet out of the sky with a shriek. "Violet!" Gerald called out to his Pokemon, who shrieked in response. Perhaps something similar to an "I'm Okay" or "I'm fine" or maybe just random Pokemon blabber. Whatever it was, she was still in the game. But the Blastoise was closing in now- Curling into it's shell and beginning to spin as Violet recovered. Rapid Spin- not powerful, but it seemed the plan was to continue to disorient Violet further. Not happening. Gerald monologue in his head before giving the command to Violet- to fire a Dragon Pulse at the Blastoise. The shell was blocking most damage- and rapid spin meant that every one of the turtle's limbs were pulled into one of those holes. One might think that it would further blocked, but at the level Violet was at, a continuous Dragon Pulse would get into each of those holes. And it worked, forcing the Blastoise out on all fours. With a grunt it prepared it's next attack- an Aqua Tail. As the water covered appendage came down upon her, Violet deftly hopped out of the way, and took to the skies again.

The tailwind was losing it's effect. She wasn't going to be faster for much longer. But the Blastoise needed to be busy before he could set up the bolstering wind. Hopefully a well placed Psychic would stun him- Violet emitted a slight psychic energy and a low pitched whine to inflict a damaging headache on the Blastoise. It worked, as the Blastoise winced, leaving the Noivern to set up her Tailwind...but the Blastoise recovered quickly, aiming it's cannons at the now sitting duck Noivern. By the time Gerald realized what was going on, the Blastoise had fired it's Ice Beam.

Violet's health bar on the screen, which had a small bit of it removed by the Hydro Pump already, had went straight to zero. Violet had fallen to the ground from an icy puff in the air, covered in white frost, twitching erratically.

"Wow, Gerald's Noivern put up a good fight, but looks like Ken's Blastoise left her out in the cold! The point goes" Kukui chimed, with another cheer from the crowd. But Gerald couldn't let this one loss take him down. He could still recover. He returned Violet, whispering to her that she did very well. He couldn't blame her for his mistakes. He just had to hope that Ken didn't throw a curveball at him.

June was his next pick. Reliable, honest. She was always a good pick. And her opponent?...A Metagross. Steely red eyes stared down June, as June glared back with her own red eyes.

"Two Psychic greats stand on the field! One, the super smart and strong Metagross! The other, the incredibly clever Delphox! The Delphox may have the type advantage, there might always be a surprise!" Gerald didn't like to hear that, but the crowd apparently did, cheering loudly yet again. But Kukui was right, the type advantage gave Gerald a good edge. Still, never underestimate an opponent, especially not a Metagross.

June made her move first. Blue flares surrounded her wand, firing off at the metal behemoth. A Will-O-Wisp, and a hit too. Which meant the Metagross would do less damage, along with taking damage every turn. But the Metagross was now charging at June with a Meteor Mash- the Delphox hopped out of the way, letting the Metagross plant it's bulky arm into the ground. June countered back with a Mystical Fire, flashily blasting flame from her mouth. The Metagross' blue metal visibly darkened from the searing flames, as the pseudo legend turned to face his opponent with a grimace. With a roar, it charged towards June again, it's head glowing a cyan color. Zen Headbutt. June once again dodged, hopping to the side like a bull fighter. Another Mystical Fire. Another chunk of the Metagross' health gone. The Metagross turned towards June again, with strong focus. However, unlike before, the Metagross held it's ground, emitting strong waves of neural energy- Psychic. June was resistant to it, but it still hurt. A splitting headache wouldn't keep her down, she just needed to break the Metagross' focus. A shining light sparked out of her stick, blinding the Metagross- doing little damage but still making him stop his Psychic. When the light faded, June was gone. The metal beast briefly considered where she could've gone- before Ken called for the Metagross to use Iron Defense. It did as it was told, intercepting another Mystical Fire, which revealed June's position. The defensive attack didn't completely guard against the flames, but blocked a portion of it. The Metagross ignored the pain and charged at June with another Meteor Mash, and the Delphox reacted a moment too late, launched back by the metal strike with a yip. She was hurt, but not gravely. The Metagross charged her down again as she charged a last Mystical Flame- launching it not a moment too soon, blasting the steel beast with a point blank Mystical Fire. The Metagross collapsed, out for the count.

"Oh, seems that Ken's Metagross could not take the heat! Gerald's Delphox wins! This is now a tied battle- putting us into our tiebreaker round! Who will our competitors pull out next?" Good. Gerald had a shot now. Returning June with a congratulatory "Good Job out there," he briefly pondered who he would put out next, deciding upon his Scolipede.

Releasing Million on the battlefield, Ken released the final Pokemon of his own: a Hitmonchan, punching together it's fists. Fast, furious, but not a fire type. That was good, and if he remembered correctly...did Million have a double resist? If so, this was a great match up. Still, a Hitmonchan was no joke, and it could still possess Fire Punch...

"On one end, the gigantic insect of Unova, Scolipede! And on the other, the fiercest fighter of Kanto, Hitmonchan! Let the final battle of the night commence!"

First attack was the Hitmonchan's, zooming at Million with ridiculous speed. Million braced for an attack that never came- the Hitmonchan stopping a moment before collision with a clap. Fake Out, a real unpleasant surprise. But that also meant there was a move this Hitmonchan couldn't use again. But Million fell for the bluff, wasting valuable time- and allowing the punching Pokemon to snag another attack, in the form of a Throat Chop. And true to it's name, it slammed Million right in the throat with it's fist. Under normal circumstances, it would've let out a startled cry, but that was the entire point of Throat Chop: to silence the enemy. Of course, as Million recovered from the Fake Out, this put the Hitmonchan at close range. Utilizing this advantage, Million slammed into the Hitmonchan with a Megahorn, pushing away the punching Pokemon.

The Hitmonchan was coming back in fast, Mach Punch at the ready. The Megapede was hit, but wasn't truly injured- as Gerald commanded him to use Megahorn again. It seemed that the same tricks didn't work twice however, as the Hitmonchan avoided the Scolipede's horns. Once again, the Punching Pokemon did a Throat Chop- and Gerald got Million to try something different this time, a Steamroller attack. Curling his body into a wheel shape, vaguely resembling his pre-evolved form, he ran down the Hitmonchan with brutal speed. And once again, they were on the opposite ends of the battlefield. Million attempted to cut down the Hitmonchan's time with a toxic, charging forwards as his horns filled with noxious poisons, it was almost as if the Hitmonchan saw it coming. It hopped over the Scolipede and landed another Mach Punch- and once again put it in the perfect position for a Megahorn, to which Million came down upon the fighting type with silent fury (Throat Chop and all). Ken's Hitmonchan backed off, having been hit. It couldn't take much more abuse, but it also couldn't deal with any more hits. Ken risked it, sending his Hitmonchan in for another Throat Chop. And unfortunately for Ken, it didn't pay off. Million dealt a final Megahorn the moment the Hitmonchan came in range.

The crowd cheered one last time for the victor, as Kukui called out again. "And there's the game! In a battle of pure brute, looks like Gerald's Scolipede pulled through and won him the match! Of course, both of our competitors did great out there!" As Gerald returned Million, and congratulated him just like June, he did a friendly wave towards Ken. Tough guy! Without the type advantages, Gerald probably would've struggled even worse. Well, he was going to roll with the punches. If he won, he won, if he lost, he lost. Nothing was really at stake. And besides, he had been lucky lately. Maybe he really could win this tournament...Of course, that wouldn't be decided for another day.

We all can kick back and relax a bit. Gerald thought as he left the arena with a smile.

 

[vaultie]

With the adrenaline of her win dying down, Atty had made her way over to the Pokemon Center for a quick refresh, healing up her team amd speeding back over to the Gym. While the next battle was a ways away, there was a certain someone she wanted to celebrate her accomplishment with.

As soon as she returned to her spot in the stands, she was pulled into a sidehug from Guzma, almost losing her footing at the sudden gesture.

He looked genuinely happy, dark eyes seeming a bit brighter as he grinned. "Man that was some good ass battling! You never told me y'had a Scizor, too?!" He sat back down, letting Atty resume her own spot. "And- holy shit- when you interrupted Kukui like that? For the First Impression? You should'a SEEN my face."

The woman couldn't help but smile along, his rather handsome grin being fairly infectious and spreading to her. "Really? I thought I was gonna get shit for that."

"C'mon, it'sa priority thing. The earlier the better. I mean, hell, I would've done the same thing." Guzma kicked his feet back up, the seat in front empty once again.

Atty could feel a flowery warmth bubbling inside of her, the praise and validation from Guzma improving her already-energized mood. "Well, there's one more battle left for the day. I definitely wanna stay for this one, since I'll have to fight the winner."

--

As the afternoon sky turned from a bright blue, to the orange, pink, and purple hues of dusk, the floodlights surrounding the stadium had turned on, filling the battlefield with artificial light. Atty and Guzma had spent their time waiting by continuing to talk, the white-haired man especially interested in what other Bug Pokemon she owned.

The stands refilled as the next battle drew closer and closer to starting, Kukui finally stepping up and letting his voice be heard.

Both challengers stepped out, Atty not recognizing either of them, but beginning to make mental notes of their appearances. She heard Guzma speak up next to her however, the man giving a scoff. "Oh, great, this kid."

She turned, cocking her head to the side in question. "You know one of these guys?"

"Yeah," He nodded. "The Gerald or whatever his name was. Bumped into me earlier, pretty annoying."

Before she could prod further, the battle between the two had begun. They led with a Noivern and Blastoise respectively, and Atty had a feeling in her gut that the Blastoise would have an advantage, even with the speed of the Noivern. If her own Pokemon were anything to go by, it was very common for trainers to teach their water types ice moves for coverage.

Her assumptions came out correct, and the Blastoise emerged victorious. With one point already going to Ken, the next pair was sent out, a Delphox and Metagross.

Although it was essentially a battle of the brains, the Delphox had a heavy type advantage. She watched the battle between the braniac Pokemon unfold, watching as the Delphox barraged the Metagross with hits of Mystic Fire until it could take no more. As expected from her, Gerald took the point this round, and Atty could feel the pit in her stomach growing. Fire types worked as counters to her team, with half of her Pokemon holding it as a weakness. It would be tricky, especially, fighting against such a strategic one at that.

The last battle begin, and she was pleasantly surprised to see a Scolipede on the field, going up against a Hitmonchan. Even Guzma seemed to lean forward in his seat as the 'pede made an appearance, and with Atty's biased nature for the Pokemon, she found herself mentally rooting for it as well. Gerald already had the defensive edge, especially since it looked like the knowledge of Fire Punch was absent on the fighting-type. She had a feeling that the bug would pull through this time, and grinned to herself as she watched Gerald utilize the Pokemon's capabilities to roll up.

He had emerged victorious, his Scolipede safely securing Gerald's win and his movement into the next stage. The pair clapped for him, seeing as they couldn't exactly be upset that he won. Even Guzma had made a comment that maybe he wasn't as bad as he had thought.

--

Kukui made himself heard again before people could start shuffling their way out of the stadium. "With that last battle finished, that concludes our matches for the day! Only Sunday, and we're already starting to see a good amount of action! I'd say the rest of the week looks very promising, wouldn't you agree?" He listened to the crowd clap and cheer, nodding along and bringing up an image onto the score screen. It was the bracket he had shown the competitors earlier, and now the victors had shifted positions. Pyros and Gladion, and Atty and Gerald.

"Tomorrow we will be continuing our first-round matches, moving onto the right half of the bracket. Make sure to catch all the action here, and enjoy yourselves during the rest of the festival! Goodnight, everybody!"

After another series of cheers, the crowds began to rise from their seats and disperse, emptying the stadium. Among them were Atty and Guzma, making sure to get out quick before anyone could stop for a talk. As much as she wanted to see Pyros and his siblings, to talk and congratulate him on his win, her current objective was a bit more important.

 

[Ninian]

With the final battles for the day concluded, Colress stood, prepared to depart the stadium. "This has been a rather enlightening day, wouldn't you agree Seven of Nine?" Beaming at his assistant, he awaited her response.

Giving a nod, the woman responded, "Agreed." Glancing over to Pyros, she gave the man a nod before turning back to her Master, "We are to fight first tomorrow against Jackson Stevens. Though he is young, his Pokémon are formidable, and he does not specialize in one type."

Smiling, the scientist responded, "Thank you Seven. Now, I suppose it would be appropriate to sit down for dinner. Pyros, Stror and Shade, would you like to join us for the evening? If you already have plans, that is understandable."

⟶ Kantonian Gym

 

[Quake]

~that morning~

A grey-haired young woman and an Alolan Raichu across from her had been relishing a Z-Kaiseki platter for well over an hour now. The food wasn't even halfway gone and both were already stuffed, yet this was planned. The meal was merely a stalling mechanism to occupy them until everyone else had left to prepare for the tournament, and despite having never eaten there before, Caeli Astal had to admit that the Sushi High Roller looked like it was never meant to be empty. But eerily empty indeed was the fancy Alolan restaurant, and far sooner than anticipated. Perhaps it was the fact that on her way there Caeli spotted swarms of people transferring between the Pokemon Center and local Malasada shop, some of which were likely tourney participants who drew in the rest. Made sense-- socializing and silly antics would be more acceptable in those places, while they'd be more likely to get kicked out of High Roller. Besides, Malasadas might have been all they had time to eat if they hadn't already done so.

Speaking of, Caeli and her Pokémon, Frus, were the only members of the group who hadn't that morning due to the whole decision being last-minute after a recent contact, hence why only they were present. The woman admired the beautiful indoor architecture and considered taking a photo or two if allowed, but her eyes couldn't resist being drawn towards the rodent telekinetically lifting up a piece of cold leftovers and attempting to spear it with her tail...and missing, seemingly not caring that her tail wasn't as sharp as that of a Kantonian Raichu but wanted to try it anyway because she saw one of them do it on television. Eventually Frus stuck a landing, only for the food to be launched, striking the floor a few feet away more quickly than she would react in time to catch it with her mind. Immediately, Caeli grabbed a napkin and propped to her feet to scoop up the little mess and toss it in the nearest garbage before sitting back down as if nothing happened.

"If y-your go-oing to play with your f-food," she began with her natural stutter, "At least do it well." Oh yeah. That last bit being nailed without any lag would only make the burn sweeter. Frus didn't care, though; she was simply glad her trainer was not annoyed, not like she expected her to be.

"Ouch. I doubt I could hurt myself more than you just did right there," she replied telepathically, playing along while referencing her daredevil tendencies. "Was it really necessary to order THIS much food, though?"

Caeli grinned, although one might consider it stretching unnaturally from her typical stoic expression. "What are you sssayin'? I f-figured ya would be more hung-gary, gettin' all fired up-p for the action!" The question was rhetorical. "Well, I gah-got this much ju-just in case anybody wannn-ated more before we head-ed-ed out, and to ensure we wouldn't end up lo-lo-loitering around. Besides, we got Lium." It was true, despite eating a massive breakfast, the oversized (somehow) Tropius could easily scarf what was left of the platter down his bottomless throat.

Once again Frus conceded to her trainer's multi-factor reasoning, but she wouldn't give up yet. "Why did we have to come so early, though? We could've, like, hung out in the garden and then come here later when everyone's already cleared out. I'm pretty sure there are snacks there." She actually had no idea, but being Caeli's Alola guide, she was confident the woman would believe her. "Wait...what are we even waiting for again?"

Caeli's stuttering worsened as she gathered her thoughts. "W-w-wa-well, first, n...na-no way is Malie Garden a good idea. Ever-reyone may have been in the mala-malasada shop when we-- when we arrived, but-but I have a hunch that now they're swarming thhh-garden as we speak...Well, if a st-stutterer conversing with a psychic qoo-qooualifies as speaking, that is. Point is, you'd be surprised how so-socially curious trainers can be dur-ruring these events. It is...unlikely we'd be ignored."

Frus snickered. "With THAT outfit, I beg to differ. You must think you're special or somethin'. Honey, trust me when I say that that ugly brown business jacket doesn't exactly exude the aura of a quirky strong trainer joining the bracket. It's practically camouflage." She didn't disagree with Caeli's assumption about the garden itself, though. In fact, she was counting on it; she REALLY craved a close-up view of the powerful Pokémon from all the world's corners.

Not a bad comeback, the woman admitted, but she would render it redundant. "Welllll, cam-am-amouflage IS the int-intention. And wa-we are in-fact heeooorrre on busin-siness, to ans-uh yer second question. I do actually remember you being asleep during the call." She sighed, fiddling with the camera in her bag. "I was just hopeful we'd be able to escape it by coming here..." The Raichu observed Caeli's face closely, barely restraining herself from grimacing in disgust. This was NOT like her to get so sentimental, but it was understandable given the recent developments. It was also quite intriguing to listen to her without the stutter, which on rare occurrence disappeared in moments of stress, anxiety, and/or general emotional intensity? Frus still hadn't figured it all out yet.

Hearing a murmuring buzz from her phone, Caeli pulled it out. She began reading something, and afterwards a second time. She swirled her tongue inside her mouth and fidgeted her eyes about, contemplating deeply.

Frus wouldn't even consider being patient. "Well, spit it out. I can share my own thoughts, not the other way around."

"Um..." Escaped her lips as her body rose with creeping anxiety. "Our business here won't happen."

"He's been found out," The spunky Raichu asked flatly with sceptical eyes. "Don't tell me we're tailing him outta here through Route 11."

"N-n-not Dorian, not awwwaway," Caeli replied sharply with a returning stutter, now on her feet and gathering her things.

Frus sighed in relief, more for her sake than for Dorian's, but then paused. "Wait, but if we're not saving his ass, then what're we doin'?"

~that evening~


"CCHHHHHUUUUU!!! (YEEEAAAHHH!!!)" Let out the crazy mouse as a Hitmonchan on the field was nearly impaled by a nasty Megahorn from a Scolipede. Awed at the sights and noises, Frus refused to acknowledge any hint of order in the violence, and to what she could not ignore she yearned to overwhelm by interfering and fueling the chaos, unconcerning of how she would end up. But she restrained for Caeli's sake, as 'twas the price to pay in becoming 'civilized', though she often wondered if she truly was.

Caeli's hair of a pale charcoal began to frizz and raise from the static being released from the excitement of the ally on her shoulder, and she merely reacted with a gentle downward stroke of her palm to flatten and then a side brush to her bangs, eyes wide and staring off into space as they have been for a while. At that moment she internally constructed a fitting exclamation for Frus such as 'Keep on the lookout' or 'Remember what we're here for', but she always strived to avoid being a mood killer despite her self-perceived blandness. She didn't feel it was necessary anyway, though, as their visitor never arrived, and as the crowd began to dissipate in the aftermath of the last battle, it seemed she never would.

Yet she stayed put as the crowd slipped by, eyes peeled for any other characters in the gym stadium mirroring her behavior. She expected to spot no one of the sort, but in reality the sea of bodies morphed so radically that nearly anyone could qualify. Realizing the futility, she gave up, yet still she was still, but not for her purposes. The growing emptiness meant nothing to her, yet she believed it would for someone else, as if she had stolen a deja vu that was not to be. She was one of the last to depart as she snapped a photo with her fancy camera.

The calmness of the world away from the gym had reminded Caeli of an irking, chilling loneliness. She had been without her sister for hours, so she sent her out of her pokeball. Revealed from the red flash was a smaller-than-normal Togekiss, Irene. They enjoyed being alone together, but Frus's telepathy was required to translate in conversation. "How ya doin'?" Asked Irene fondly through the psychic Raichu as she leaned in for a hug.

"...O-oh...I'm f-fine, tha-th-thank ya," her trainer replied as she returned the embrace of her more emotionally-tuned sibling, trying to hide her surprise, and her stutter ironically acting as a good sign. She then proceeded to list the day's events, or lack thereof.

"How odd," began the Jubilee Pokémon. "And I fancied the idea that this sudden development was a signal from nature for you to return to work."

Caeli looked away, smiling faintly. "Mr. Urbach is w-well, I'm sure. He aw-aw-alwaysssss owned-id the strrr-er-ength of movin' on-"

"I don't mean for his wellbeing. I mean for yours, and because it's a responsibility to be there and address the event for our community." Her brief sternness faded away. "And if all goes well here, Urbach won't be the only one you can come back to--"

Frus, annoyed, intervened before either could speak further. "Buuuuut since that's not how the cards played out, there is nothing Kai-Kai can do as of now, so she might as well return to vacation and relax. Seriously, it felt as if I was the only one enjoying myself at the tournament. I bet you don't even remember that freaky pink Golisopod! I bet Manus would be upset about that-"

Both sisters turned to Frus blankly before giggling, only raging the unknowingly enlightening mouse pokemon more. The trio eventually headed towards the Malasada Shop, figuring it wouldn't be as crowded as it had been that morning...also they were envious of others for having never yet tasted the treats during their short time in Alola...also none of them had eaten anything back in the gym.

On the way Caeli checked her phone once again, swiping away an ad for the O3 Organization, reading 'Keeping Alola up with the times...with your support!' No messages from Dorian. Quite worrisome.

 

[Captain Cardboard]

Shiori stood up and stretched. Man, what a day of incredible battles. Each one had been quite exciting, with each winner seeming quite good. The whole air of the event seemed to flow through Shiori. He had missed that feeling. It had definitely been too long since he competed.
"Well then! That was amazing." Shiori said to Raza and Angel. Raza shrugged, trying not to look impressed. Shiori's stomach growled, and he smiled. What was he going to do tonight? He could sightsee... But he also kinda wanted to practice with his Pokemon as well.

 

[Merciless Medic]

When Atty came out, Stror and Shade immediately got sucked right into the battle. Pyros just calmly looked on, seeing that she had used her Scizor, Golisopod, and Primarina. If he ends up battling her sometime in the near future, he wouldn't doubt that she'll have Primarina go up against his Fire-Types, and this Primarina knew Ice Beam to top it all off. He really needed to get better attacks on his Pokemon. Hopefully, Haxorus can give this Primarina the same treatment of the Poison Jab, but if the Primarina starts coating the field in ice, that's going to be an issue. His Haxorus didn't know how to skate. Maybe when he had enough time tonight between talking and eating, he could maybe teach Haxorus how to skate. Maybe... Oh, if only his Pokemon were capable of freezing the ground, then maybe. He sighed, unable to find any way to freeze the ground to help Haxorus against this flaw. He didn't think there was going to be a way, unless someone had frozen the ground nearby. Damn...

Meanwhile, Angel and Zorro had been rooting for Atty, not just from them meeting before, but also from the fact that Atty had a Fairy-Type and a Dark-Type on her team. Angel wanted her Oratora to meet her Ariel. She smiled and clapped when she had won, and Zorro growled and screeched ecstatically.

Stror and Shade whooped and yelled as Atty won, super happy that she had made it past the first round, while Pyros sharply whistled, causing Zarda and Zorro to grunt a bit.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After an hour had gone by, and Pyros, Stror, and Shade were amicably talking amongst themselves, the next battle was up. It was Gerald up against Ken. When the Noivern came out against the Blastoise, Pyros was secretly rooting for the Flying/Dragon-Type, but knew the Blastoise was going to destroy the poor bat-dragon like a cake walk. When it was a Delphox against a Metagross, Pyros found himself rooting for the Delphox again. His choice of whoever to root for was obvious, as it was from the types he had a proficiency with. He knew that if the Delphox was quick, she could easily outspeed the Metagross and strike. Stror was rooting for the Metagross, so these two instantly butt heads with one another, making bets as to who would win, while Shade just sighed at the commotion happening beside her and just focused on the battle. Angel felt herself rooting for the Delphox, since she found it had a type advantage over the Metagross.

As Gerald won, Pyros whooped with energy and held out his hand for Stror to give up whatever he said he was going to give away for losing the bet. Stror sighed with irritation and gave up a muffin he had been saving to eat later, while Pyros took it graciously and ate it. Stror looked visibly irritated, but that was replaced when Gerald let out his Scolipede against a Hitmonchan. Now, Stror knew that this Hitmonchan, if it didn't have Fire Punch, would be in deep trouble and lose. His suspicions were correct when Scolipede had won the battle, and therefore won Gerald the round. Regardless of losing a bet, Stror, and to a greater extent, Shade and Pyros, had clapped and whooped as Gerald won. Angel just softly clapped in her seat.

As this was the last battle for the day, the three siblings, Zarda, Angel, and Zorro stood up to leave the stadium, with Angel and Zorro leaving with Shiori and Raza, and the three siblings and their Pokemon leaving with Colress and Seven after the three agreed to take Colress' offer on dinner.

"Yes, we would love to," answered Shade, her smile never leaving, even though the man in front of her was the guy she had despised for awhile, at least he had turned a new leaf. Shade couldn't help but think this guy was much like her, but she was more about how Pokemon achieved their power via genetics instead of other outside sources. Since she answered as a unit, Stror and Pyros nodded, as if to confirm that whatever Shade had said was correct.

Angel smiled as Shiori expressed his excitement over the tournament, and she nodded in agreement to his statement. After hearing his stomach growl, her stomach also growled. Angel just chuckled and looked at Zorro. "Well, we know what we are going to do. Want to join us for dinner? Or do you want to practice with your Pokemon? I can help and give you and your Pokemon food, if you want. It's the least I can do. Anything for a friend, especially if they are participating in the tournament."

 

[Ninian]

Beaming at the positive response, Colress responded, "Wonderful! I had planned to dine at Sushi High Roller, however I am open to suggestions." Gesturing to the group he began to make his way towards the Gym's exit so that they could eventually leave the crowded space.

As they passed, Seven caught sight of Shiori with Angel, her blue eyes lingering on the pair before following after her Master. Glancing around, she had wondered where Atlas had gone. She noted briefly that she had been with the former leader of Team Skull; the man who had brushed her off earlier. Was it to see her? Having seen the man a few times, she wasn't aware they were acquainted.

Once outside of the Gym, Colress lead the group—assuming they followed—to one of the less crowded streets.

⟶ Malie City

 

[vaultie]

Atty and Guzma left the Gym quick, not wasting anymore time hanging out and getting to know one another. The streets of Malie were illuminated by the light from indoor shops and the lanterns strung above, casting a warm glow on the festival-goers. Although many had taken residence for the night, there was still a good amount of people out and about, whether it be for a late evening dinner, a night with friends at a bar, or just to explore the nightlife of the festival and the city that was it's host.

The pair had actually made their way back to the Gardens, despite Atty already visiting earlier. It was Guzma's idea mainly, and it would give them a chance to relax, away from the partying and populated streets. They sat in the grass, the daytime sun drying out much of the dew that was present earlier in the morning. With only a small amount of light from nearby lanterns, as to not disturb the wild Pokemon, most of the illumination was cast by the moon, it's face reflective on the waters.

"So," Guzma began, his low voice breaking the silence between the two. "My main reason for gettin' you out here was to ask if you wanted to meet my team," His hands dug through the deep pockets of his sweats, pulling out an assortment of Ultra Balls. "Y'know, I jus' figured the earlier the better, yeah?"

The brunette's face lit up. He had mentioned a couple of the Pokemon he had owned previously, but now was the chance she would actually have to see them. "Yeah, that'd be great!"

"'Aight, let's start off slow, then," He turned over a ball in his hand, giving it a look over before releasing the insect contained within. The light faded, revealing a Masquerain flitting and floating about above the two trainers. "I don't really give 'em names, but, uh, yeah... This here's my Masquerain. He's probably the most friendly with strangers outta my entire team."

At the mention of "strangers", the bug finally got to attention, noticing Atty's presence. It fluttered over, giving a couple of blinks at the girl, before darting to the space above her head. The lightweight Pokemon ceased it's fluttering, landing and situating itself on Atty's head, the eye-patterned wings and shape of the Pokemon giving the appearance of an elaborate headdress.

"Aw, you were right, he is a big sweetheart!" Atty cooed, bringing one hand up to gently nuzzle at the Masquerain's head. It made a small chirping sound, softly trilling at the affection.

Guzma stared, a bit taken back by just how quickly his Pokemon had become friendly with her. "Huh, he must really like you, then. It tends to kinda take him a bit longer to warm up to people like that. Not that I'm complainin', y'look good like that." He grinned, a low laugh escaping as well.

 

[Merciless Medic]

Pyros, Stror, and Shade had followed Colress and Seven to the less crowded streets, excited for the High Sushi Roller place. Shade figured it was supposed to be a nicer restaurant, so she spent a bit of her time walking behind them straightening out the tangles in her hair and to dust off her lab coat from the dirt she had accumulated at the Meadows. Zarda had followed the five, her stomach growling a bit. The three siblings and their Pokemon didn't exactly see anybody else, but themselves and Colress and Seven while they were walking.

Shade decided to catch up to Colress and asked him a question pertaining to his research. "What have you found during your research here in Alola, Colress?" Her colorful hair was slowly starting to spark a bit as her Alolan Raichu was floating behind her, reveling in the sweet smells of Malie City. Zarda headbutted Pyros softly, telling him she'll be gone to eat somewhere, and that's when she flew off and away, heading towards Malie Garden to find some spicy berries to eat. The wind pushed down onto the party as Zarda flapped her wings and flew straight over the buildings, heading towards the garden for a little morsel to eat.

Meanwhile, Pyros and Stror had each other in arms. Arms were on each other's shoulders as Pyros told Stror of an overexaggerated, yet hilarious (to them), story of how Pyros got to Alola for the tournament.

 

[Captain Cardboard]

Shiori thought about Angel's offer before nodding.
"How about all the above? Raza and I would be honored to join you for dinner." Shiori said, with an exaggerated bow. The actor stood up and grabbed his luggage bag. Welp, looks like he didn't need it today. Tomorrow would be the day! "After that, I'll probably try for some last-minute training with my team. You can come along as well, if you want."

 

[vaultie]

It had taken a bit, but Guzma had managed to go through most of his team and introduce them to Atty. His Ariados and Vikavolt were well-receptive of her attention, his Scizor seemed neutral with the girl, but his poor Pinsir couldn't help but to not be as welcoming. Thankfully, the stag resisted any violent outbursts, instead opting to be a grump about the situation.

He returned each team member after they had become acquainted with her (the one exception being Pinsir), clutching his last Ultra Ball. "Alright, t'be honest, I'm not really sure how the big guy is gonna react. It's kinda a toss up if he's gonna be open or if he ain't even gonna trust you." The man sighed out, finally releasing the beast within.

The glow faded, revealing his beloved Golisopod, the Pokemon towering over Atty. His grey pupils locked onto the young woman, apprehensively watching her before giving a low hum. Guzma was quick to his feet, patting the diamond-hard shell of the isopod. "Easy now, Golis. This ain't a battle, I'm just introducin' you to a new friend, alright?" He looked to the woman, jerking his head as a sign for her to stand. "Atty, Golis. Golis, Atty. Not so bad, right?"

She did as told, slowly standing as to not startle the Golisopod. Sure, she had her own, but this one seemed to be a bit more high strung, even battle-worn. He was bigger than Flower, features more sharpened than the softer curves and smooth shell that her own Golisopod had. "Is it alright if I... Y'know?" She looked towards Guzma, watching him nod and raising up her arm after the confirmation. Her hand slowly honed in closer to the Pokemon.

His Golisopod leaned in, curiously looking at her hand. His antennae twitched, sniffing her fingers. After about a pause of internal questioning, he finally pressed his head to her palm, feelers gently tickling. He let out a low, throaty, chirp, nuzzling against Atty's hand as she began to stroke his outer shell.

Guzma gave an audible sigh of relief, thankfully now watching as the tension fell. Although it was a known fact each Pokemon was different and had their personal preferences, it seemed she had the experience to know how to generally handle the species. He smiled, giving a quick scratch at the softer underside of the Pokemon's chin. "See, what'd I tell ya, big guy? Y'don't gotta worry about her, she's cool."

 

[Opharum]

Zofera had to hand it to the trainers that had battled. All of them were certainly notable, though she wasn’t really rooting for anyone in particular, only favoring Gerald in his match because she’d met him prior. Still, his match was up after someone name Atlas Bennet (Strange name, not that she had any room to judge at all) and Maxene Vogel. The first match up being between a Scizor and a Sylveon, she knew that Atlas would have that round. Sylveon were pokemon who most definitely did not fare well against steel types, and her assumption was quickly proven correct as an iron head finished the match. The Scizor was clearly well trained…It had to be, taking a hyper beam head on and being able to shake it off like that…

Next up was a Dedenne against a Primarina. Zofera looked on, a little disappointed by these matches. Not that they didn’t have their own merits, but fights with such clearly defined type match-ups were a little sad to watch. She knew herself that it was hard to overcome that kind of thing, and more often than not, it would simply end in a loss for the weaker type. That assessment was only proven correct as she watched, though she was surprised to see the deciding factor be the Dedenne popping a Sparkling Aria from the Primarina, causing it to damage itself harshly. Yes, these matches certainly had their own merits.

The final pokemon were released to the field; A Golisopod and a Gardevoir, and Kukui began to announce that it was the final battle when he was cut off for an order of first impression. ‘Cheap shot…’ Zofera thought to herself. But effective nonetheless and something that seemed to set the tone for the rest of the match. It seemed the initial damage helped in ensuring the fight ended in the Golisopod’s favor, and with that, Atlas was declared the winner of the match.

Next up was Gerald against a trainer named Ken Blake. Rooting for Gerald to win it, Zofera kept her eyes on the battlefield as Gerald sent out a Noivern, and his opponent a Blastoise. It seemed to be going well, pretty much in Gerald’s favor, at least until the Noivern was hit by an Ice Beam. Zofera couldn’t help but cringe a little at the super-effective attack, knowing that it was over before even looking at the score board. Ice and dragons…Didn’t mix. It was something she knew well, she thought, looking down to the Glaceon beside her, at this point napping away despite the noisy crowd.

A battle of two psychic types was what followed. One with an extra fire typing, Delphox, one with extra steel; Metagross. In the end, the result wasn’t too surprising, though the extra strength the Metagross had could have certainly placed the Delphox on the edge. Still, the fight was ended by a mystical flame to the metal behemoth’s face, and after the damage that it had taken prior from other attacks, it was no wonder it went down. Zofera cheered as Gerald managed to take his first point. Now if he could just grab the second, all would be well.

And all was well indeed, as the final hit from a Scolipede downed a Hitmonchan. Really, there wasn’t a way for the fighting type to win without a fire type move Zofera had to reason. With that, battles for the day concluded, and wanting to avoid the crowds, Zofera immediately made her departure. She’d have to congratulate Gerald if she saw him later though. Pulling out an energy bar from her pack, Zofera moved towards Malie Garden. Wasting money on a stay somewhere else just didn’t make sense to her if she could just sleep outside in the nice Alola weather.

Arriving at the benched there, Zofera began to unpack her bag slightly, pulling out a decent amount of pokemon food before calling out her team members to eat. As both she and her team ate, her thoughts returned to her brother, wondering just what he might be doing…

~Earlier that day, Route 17~

“You’re telling me you don’t see this as the least bit suspicious?” A man in full police uniform directed at his partner walking beside him, “I mean…Po Town hasn’t seen anyone willing to support it financially in ages, and some random organization pops up out of nowhere to do just that?”

“I won’t say it isn’t suspicious exactly,” The Gallade responded, “Just that it probably could have waited until after this whole prisoner transfer thing was complete. It definitely wasn’t worth losing a night of sleep over. Again,” He added with an accusatory tone in his thought-speech.

At that, Verum guiltily hung his head as they walked in silence towards the town in question. What He expected to find, he didn’t really know. As far as he was aware, even with the financial support of an outside group, the town was still under the control of Team Skull, and that wasn’t likely to change soon. He’d be inviting trouble just by showing his face there as a policeman if he knew anything about the group.

The two progressed slightly further, the walls of Po Town just appearing in sight when Verum’s phone began to ring. He glanced at the number before immediately picking it up. His face seemed to pale as soon as words came from the receiver. “Emergency? Of what kind?” He turned, looking in the direction of Malie City, “What?! How? There was an entire troop of officers and you’re telling me two people somehow managed to break out and get away?!” He sighed, moving the phone away from his ear before immediately re-placing it there. “Inside help. Of course. Just…Start searching. Everywhere. Inside and outside the city. They can’t have gotten far, I’ll be there soon.”

“I told you we should have waited.”

The Gallade was shot a glare, “We don’t have time for this Allaster.” He pulled a Pokeball from his belt and a red light flashed, revealing the hulking form of an abnormally large Golurk that bent down to pick up both he and Allaster.

“No, we most certainly do not.”

“Kurei,” Verum exclaimed quickly, “Get us back to Malie City. As fast as possible.”

The golem gave a low rumble before it’s legs and arms shot in, revealing the boosters it used to fly. With a fast ignition, the giant took to the skies, speeding towards the City.

~Same Time, Malie City~

A heavy breath escaped a woman as she exited a clothing shop. A closed clothing shop. She tilted a small computer drive between her fingers before pocketing it into her shorts’ pocket. She would’ve left money at the counter, had Dorian provided her with any more, but as it was, she barely had enough to purchase a ticket for the tournament. All she had for now was that, the computer drive, and her actual trainer license and other paperwork that she’d need later to get back her pokemon. No doubt they’d be a little bit cross with her, but she had warned them it might be a while before she was finally able to travel with them again.

But that was for later. Now she had a ticket to buy, and some tournament matches to watch. Or rather, she was supposed to, but as she approached the ticket Kiosk, she was abruptly told that they had sold out. Completely. Well. That put a bit of a wrench in things. She’d have to come up with a different way to salvage this somehow but for now she’d head to the pokemon center and get back her pokemon. She’d still need to change her appearance some more, but for now, the fact that her identification was now completely different, coupled with the fact that she had just recently been “released” and most definitely did not look like a criminal in the slightest, made her assume she’d be fine.

And correct she was. She’d gotten back all four members of her team without complication, and even from within their pokeballs Cecilia could tell that they were happy to see her, practically vibrating with joy. By now, as she looked at the broadcasting screen in the pokemon center, the tournament matches were dying down, the last one for the day seemingly just ending. She made to leave the center just as crowds were opening out, hoping to join them until she could get into a hair parlor and really change up her style. Everything was going fine until it wasn’t anymore.

A booming “Hey, you!” Was emitted from a person she certainly didn’t recognize, and Cecilia took off running. If she got caught now…well it was all over for her, and the people she worked for. That drive meant way too much for everyone involved. She dove into the crowds, bobbing and weaving until the man was lost, and with what had to be her final stroke of luck for the day, ended up right in front of the hair parlor. When she emerged next, her hair had gone from down to her back to shoulder-length, blonde to pitch black. And her eyes had gone from a green to deep grey. Now if she could just avoid any more encounters with people she wasn’t supposed to meeting, everything should be fine…

~That Evening~

Verum all but crashed into the Sushi High Roller. He’d been practically everywhere, both inside and around the city, but he’d had no luck beyond one of the officers under him stating they’d seen a suspect matching the appearance of one of the two they’d held in custody, but she’d gotten away. Allaster had been sent elsewhere, hoping to cover more ground in their search. Verum had of course, also been informed of Dorian being the assisting member in their escape, but found he couldn’t spare the energy to be angry at someone else right now. Most of it was reserved for himself. His suspicions had gotten him away from his post, something the man had undoubtedly been waiting for to make his move, and now they were paying for it.

“Hello,” He directed to the man at the counter, “I’m looking for a suspect. Female. Roughly five foot two inches. Blonde hair, green eyes, early 20s. Any chance you might have seen someone matching that?”

The man simply nodded his head no, and Verum groaned loudly. His frustration was overwhelming, and all of a sudden, his fist shot into the nearby wall, colliding with a loud thump. He hadn’t caused any damage to the wall, but now it seemed as though practically all eyes in the restaurant were on him and his bleeding hand. That was when a red light popped open from his waist, and a blue and white Sylveon blinked up at him before looking at his fist, still outstretched into the wall. Her feelers went towards his arm, wrapping quietly and calmly around it before a soothing and gentle light went through them. The tensioned visibly left Verum’s body, leaving only the exhausted form of someone who’d been working for two whole days without rest.

“I…I’m sorry. Let me just…order a drink.”

“Very well sir, let me lead you this way to a table.”

It was only moments later when a Gallade walked through the door as well, looking at the man at the counter, who at this point was very confused, before pointing towards Verum and going to sit next to him. The man serving Verum his drink couldn’t find it within himself to tell the exhausted officer that pokemon weren’t supposed to be outside of their ball inside the restaurant during the evening as they got busy, and he was honestly a little scared of what might happen if the Sylveon were to let go of his hand.

 

[vaultie]

Atty's hands continued to pat and stroke the Golisopod, the Pokemon quickly becoming more and more comfortable with the young lady. It had gotten to the point where the two sat back down, the isopod following. He laid flat, resting his head atop Atty's thigh as she continued to pet his shell. He would let out a string of chirps and purrs with each stroke of her hand, Guzma meanwhile watching with a grin on his face.

"I take it you already know a good amount about 'Pods 'cause of the one you own. Flower, right?" He asked, leaning back onto his elbows.

"Mhm-" The brunette nodded, reaching around to her backpack and pulling out a Net Ball. "Actually, would it be okay if I sent her out now to meet yours?"

Guzma blinked, thinking for a moment. "Y'know, not many other people actually own Golisopods. I'm not sure how he's gonna react to seeing another one, like if he's gonna get all territorial 'n shit. Feel free to try, though."

She gave a nod, keeping a mental note to return Flower at the first sign of hostility. With a flash, the Pokemon was sent out, feelers twitching as she looked around and remembered the scents of the garden from earlier.

Guzma's Golisopod went to attention at the appearance of another Pokemon, rising from the once-comfortable position he held with Atty. He stared at the other, tilting his head in curiosity and letting out a low, non-violent chitter.

Flower, however, had other plans in mind. Now aware of the other, bigger Golisopod, she began to fidget. There was a chirp that escaped her, almost sounding like a squeal, as she sidestepped over to her trainer. In one fell swoop, she picked up her trainer right from her sitting position. Despite the obvious size difference, Flower still made an attempt to use Atty as a sort of "cover" holding her out in front and hiding behind her.

"Wh- Hey! Flower, come on! Put me down!" Atty had her own vocal protests, only getting more squealing from the isopod in response. Throughout all this, Guzma simply just watched and laughed, not expecting a reaction like that. He knew Golisopods could still retain some cowardice from the pre-evolutions, but this was a whole new level.

 

[Merciless Medic]

Angel walked with Shiori and giggled like a child when Shiori agreed to "all of the above". She had a huge smile on her face and Zorro was mirroring that. She thought for a moment and thought that maybe Sushi High Roller was a good spot to choose for someplace nice to eat. "Well, I can treat all of us to some high class dining at Sushi High Roller. After traveling, I'm pretty sure I have enough dough to pay for all of us. There is also a cute little shop nearby that sells treats for all kinds of Pokemon I can get for when you train. Hopefully they have the kinds of Pokemon treats we're looking for. If not, then no biggie. I'll just order take-out at one of the other food places here, if they are open that late. Pretty sure they will, since there's a lot of tourists here. Of course, no Pokemon out of their Poke Balls at Sushi High Roller. Unless..." with that, her smile became a playful little smirk. Zorro was in sync with her, and looked back with a chuckle. He cast an illusion on himself, changing his appearance to a human.

The human Zorro took on was a much older version of a young boy he used to transform into as a Zorua. Because it was a nice dinner, he had on black slacks, black dress shoes, a black dress coat with crimson red dress shirt underneath with a black tie, and a blue bandanna he had kept when Angel and him were younger as a gift from her to him in a dress pocket, all nice and neatly folded to look better. He had hazel eyes that sometimes shine a reddish hue if the light had been cast at just the right angle, he had sharp, handsome features, and he held wrinkles at the corners of his eyes whenever he smiles, his teeth being a normal human's with the canines being slightly longer than the average. His skin tone was pale, and his hair was short and black, slicked backwards with a few red tips at the end. His hair was greying as much as Angel's, but he still looked quite young, as well as Angel. Since, as a Zoroark, his height is 5'07", his height in human form matched this height, to further help with decreasing his illusion's shimmering effect, which is brought on by mistakes, trick of the lights, or accidentally losing control of the concentration of the illusion, which can also cause distortion in the illusion if the Zoroark forgets what it was forming with its Illusion Ability. His appearance screamed Zoroark, but he also looked undoubtedly human, and even mastered the ability to "speak" via using his illusion and syncing his lips to it, so it looked like he's actually talking. A talent that he prided in immensely, and another one which he loved: his shimmer from his illusion fading in and out had almost all been eradicated, making it harder to see through his illusion tenfold.

Angel and Zorro took each other's arms, with Zorro mastering how to walk like a human a few years after the tournament Shiori and Angel had gone to before. Zorro's gait was much like Angel's: slow and smooth, with a bit of a wavering grace to the steps, like he was dancing. Angel smiled and nodded, wanting to help with Shiori's training. "I can help by using my Pokemon to train against yours. Of course, when I'm not busy sleeping. I got my insomnia under control, it's trying to maintain a healthy sleep schedule is the problem," Angel chuckled, looking away sheepishly as she held on to Zorro's arm, their gait in sync to one another.

Zorro's Wise Glasses were still on in the illusion, just resting on the bridge of his nose. He decided to put it away, folding it up and putting it in the same pocket as the blue bandanna. After that, he calmly walked with the three, smirking ever so slightly.

 

[Ninian]

As they made their way along, Colress was happy to make conversation, specifically when questioned about his research. "Ah, I would be happy to share with you my journal, however I will give you a summary."

Watching for a moment as the Charizard left them, and as the pair of brothers conversed, Colress remained quiet for a few moments before returning his attention back to Shade. With a smile, he began, "Much about the Z Crystals were unknown until recently. Their connection to Necrozma was all but forgotten over Alola's long history." Holding out a hand, he continued, "Ah! And the 'beast that calls the moon' was discovered to be an extradimensional entity! It is all very fascinating. Is there anything in particular you would like for me to elaborate on?"

As they made their way through, they approached Sushi High Roller. Once they reached the restaurant, Colress held the door for the group and reserved a table for the group. They were quickly seated. Of course, the blonde scientist immediately noted a member of the International Police within the establishment. Surprisingly, they weren't undercover. At least it was surprising to him.

⟶ Sushi High Roller

 

[Merciless Medic]

Shade smiled at the research he had gathered. When she had first heard of Z-Crystals, she was wondering about where they had come from, but she was glad that the man seemed to be up-to-date with the findings, as well as performing "tamer" experiments on the Z-Crystals and the legendaries that are commonly heard of in folklore being found out to be a little more extraterrestrial, let alone extradimensional, than previously thought. She smiled and nodded, talking with him about the Z-Crystals.

"Well... What do you think the Z-Crystals are all about? Like how they seem to only work by a specific move of a governed type or even a specific type of Pokemon using a specific move. Oh, I have this," as they walked inside Sushi High Roller, she pulled out a Z-Crystal that was yellow. It was of a duller yellow than the Electric Z-Crystal, and this one had a little Alolan Raichu's side profile silhouette directly in the center of the crystal, not inked on like fake Z-Crystals that she had came across before.

"This is an Aloraichium Z. It only works on Alolan Raichus and only works if the Alolan Raichu uses Thunderbolt. You can hold it for your research if you want, just don't take it with you," chuckled Shade, as it was very apparent that it was hers. She returned her Alolan Raichu, who squeaked in protest, but did as she was told. She also returned her Skorupi on her shoulder, and Stror returned Joltik from his forehead. Pyros and Stror separated from their bro hug and had followed Colress to the table, along with Shade, who was close beside him.

 

[vaultie]

There's another string of chirps from Flower, still attempting to hide, before Guzma's Golisopod suddenly starts making a bit of noise as well.

Atty can feel her Pokemon's antennae twitch, her smaller arms letting go of her before the isopod finally sets her back on the ground, albeit slow. The trainer gives a huff, dusting herself off and continuing to watch the scene unfold. Flower is still fidgeting and rubbing her claws together nervously, but the other takes her reveal as an incentive to move in closer.

It's kind of cute, watching the two lumbering insects curiously interact with one another. Guzma's seems to be taking the lead, leaning in to sniff Flower, feelers just barely brushing against her shell. The two continue to make an assortment of noises, hums and chirps and chitters that neither trainer can even begin to understand. It takes a moment, but soon Flower is doing the same, catching the other Pokemon's scent and moving in closer.

It's then that the chitters turn into purrs, and right before their eyes, both Golisopod begin to become more than friendly. They gently bump each other with their heads until they're practically nuzzling, and don't even bother to stop or turn to attention when Atty suddenly breaks the silence.

"Aww," She practically squeals, voice changing to a higher pitch. "Look at them! That's so cute! Flower wasn't scared, she was just shy."

Guzma's laughter had ceased, and he was now watching the two isopods along with the girl. Nature was already taking it's course, it seemed, and he couldn't get over a single thought in his mind. Something Plumeria had told him a while back. "Like trainer, like Pokemon." He gave a rough swallow before a grin spread, trying to push back that thought and focus on being happy for his partner. "Alright, yeah, I'll admit that's pretty cute. It's not every day I get to see the big guy bein' this gentle, y'know."

 

[Captain Cardboard]

"Sushi sounds fantastic! But on one condition." Shiori said, holding up a finger. "We split the bill. I haven't exactly been living paycheck to paycheck since I became an actor. I've even managed to be able to rent a small summer home in Undella Town."
He walked with Angel towards the restaurant.

When Zorro was using his Illusion ability, Raza watched with a combination of admiration and a small bit pd jealously. She always did have a little bit of trouble with small details. Still disguised as a human, Raza walked over to Zorro and asked him in quiet growls how he had managed to reduce the shimmer effect of the Illusion.

 

[Ninian]

Colress was about to answer the woman's question when she presented a curious Z-Crystal, "Ah! I do not wish to take such an important object from you, however I can run a few tests on it during dinner if you are curious."

With the object in hand, he passed it over to Seven, "Run a Level 4 diagnostic on the Aloraichium Z."

"Affirmative." Placing her left hand on the table, two strange cords began snaking out of the top of her wrist before they connected to each end of the crystal. She then remained silent for a time.

Looking to Shade she continued with a smile, "You asked for my theories, I would be happy to share everything I know about them." after a moment he continued, "I believe that the solidified plasma energy took on the form of the item that it came into contact with. Be it a move, or a specific Pokémon. This contact irrevocably transformed the crystals."

⟶ Sushi High Roller

 

[Merciless Medic]

Angel smiled and nodded, glad that her friend was financially stable in his life. Zorro looked over at Raza and chuckled as he saw the admiration and jealousy in her. He decided to put his syncing into use and use his illusion to create a bass voice and lip-sync to his own talking. "I keep a lot of details about myself in my illusion. It looks obvious at first, but after acting more and more like a human it gets easier and it gets easier to fool others. I invert my hair, and stay the same height and keep my clothes the same color as my fur and hair, and keep my age, so it is easier to maintain without having to strain to make myself look more human and younger. Just as long as you act the part, you can fool the best of the best. The only people who will know would be people who know our line very well. Plus, it also helps having been dressed up in a suit before to see how it would feel and crease when you do something."

Meanwhile, Shade smiled when Colress took her Z-Crystal for Seven to analyze. Since she had used it numerous times, it is a little dingy from use, but also gives off a faint glow, as if has been used recently and/or multiple times. She smiled when Colress started to talk about his theories, nodding in understanding. So some plasma must have found an Alolan Raichu using Thunderbolt. Interesting. She thought for a moment, smiling after she realized she can actually help the man with his research even further. Maybe tonight? Looking over, she saw Pyros and Stror whispering to one another while occasionally looking at her and Colress. Oh god. They think she's into the man. Well, she would if she didn't consider him a potential partner in research, and she was practically married to her job anyway. She decided to give the offer to the man, smirking a little. "Interesting. Your research and theories are very convincing. Oh, I would love to help more with your research by the way. I'm kind of the same, but more about genetics and behaviors, but power is what I research in conjunction of the main two focus points. If you want, I can demonstrate Chu's power to you in an experiment, so you can gather some data on the Z-Crystals and their relative power to the Pokemon. Does that sound alright?"

 

[Captain Cardboard]

Raza listened to Zorro carefully, considering his techniques. With a small amount of focus, Raza's illusion began to change. She seemed to shrink a little bit, going down to her original size. Not only that, but her short purple hair became longer, growing to the same length as her normal black-red hair. The sleeves of her denim jacket disappeared giving her more of a denim vest now, similar to the Assault Vest Shiori had her wear in battle. While all in all her general appearance hadn't changed much, her Illusion looked much smoother and realistic. Still not as good as Zorro's, but better than before. Shiori looked at Raza, impressed.
"Wow." Was all Shiori could say. "That's... That's fantastic."
Shiori looked back into the town, and saw the Sushi High Roller resturaunt.
"Ah ha! To the restaurant!" Shiori exclaimed.

 

[Ninian]

Completely ignoring the pair of male's speculation, Colress' attention was completely on Shade. A smile was still plastered on his visage when he responded, "I'm glad you find them adequate!" At her offer he nodded, remaining quiet for a few moments as he typed into his wristbound device. "Ah yes, I have read your papers! Apologies I did not recognize you sooner. If you wish to assist me, I would be honored. A demonstration would of course be welcomed!"

Glancing to Seven for a moment to check into her progress, his gaze would then return to Shade, "Perhaps you would like to demonstrate this evening? Ah! I did not ask, are you staying on the island? My hotel reservation is still on Akala, perhaps I should find closer housing."

Stating to no one in particular, Seven spoke, "This Z-Crystal appears to see frequent usage, yet its energy output is still within acceptable parameters."

⟶ Sushi High Roller

 

[Merciless Medic]

Surprised that he had read her papers somewhere before, Shade's eyes widened in surprise, and then a huge smile plastered on her face. The fact that he would be honored if someone like herself (someone who wasn't as popular as the other researchers and professors) were to help him with his research felt fantastic! She nodded a little ecstatically when Colress asked about demonstrating tonight, humbled by the fact that Colress thought so highly of her, which hardly ever happens, since hardly anyone reads her papers, whether because they are too long or not dumbed down enough for general audience. She also nodded to his second question and replied with a gleeful tone to her voice, to which she could hear Pyros and Stror chuckle beside her, as they see that she was really digging the slightly older man's company, even though there wouldn't be a chance that both of them could actually get together because of Colress' perceived sociopathic tendencies and her job making it difficult to have a social life beyond her family and friends.

Seeing a stern look cast by Shade, Pyros and Stror ceased their gossiping and then began to talk about adventuring around Alola again, or maybe Sinnoh. Meanwhile, Shade spoke to Colress about where she was staying. "Well, I just got here, but I did just called in two rooms for my siblings and I, and they have two beds each room. If Pyros or Stror doesn't want to stay in the hotel, then you can borrow one of the rooms I reserved for myself and my brothers. If that's alright. I was also thinking about showing you tonight at Malie Garden." Right after this, Stror and Pyros couldn't help but smirk to one another, unable to get their minds out of the gutter, but they knew nothing will become of the two. It was just too funny to think about.

She looked over to see Seven finally speaking about the state of her Z-Crystal, and she nodded in agreement. "Yes, we have used it at least 5 times a week. Not sure if this is also a cause of it glowing, but it could be because an Alolan Raichu is nearby, which would be mine, or it could be from Chu shocking me while I have it equipped in my bracelet, like the little rascal she is," she giggled when she thought about her Pokemon shocking her, having to brush her hair numerous times a day just because Chu wanted to pull a little prank, tickle her trainer, or shock her in protest.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Meanwhile, Zorro smiled as Raza relaxed her illusion powers a bit to take on a different look, and by Arceus it worked. He smiled, giving her a thumbs up and congratulating her in his "lip-sync/illusion-talk" style, saying that she did wonderfully and she already looked so much better and way more realistic. After spotting the restaurant, Angel and Zorro beamed at Shiori as he exclaimed, finding the inner Karpman they had met seven years prior.

As they went in, Zorro opened the door for all three, bowing his head slightly as all were given a chance to walk in without such an obstacle. Once everyone was inside, he walked right in and Angel held up four fingers to designate there was going to be four people in the group. The waitress nodded and showed them to a table. There table was situated in between Colress, Seven, and the siblings, and the strange man who had almost dented a hole in the wall from his anger before. A cop, Angel believed. She sat gracefully down at her seat, Zorro pulling out her chair and scooting her in like a gentleman, and he did the same for Raza when she sat down. He then finally sat down after everyone had sat in their seats. He then looked at the menu given to them by the waitress as she told them they were going to have a waiter called Ben. After that, she went on to the group of five nearby, asking what everybody wants.

Spotting Angel, the Darastrix siblings waved at her, and she returned it, before Angel returned to her menu, and the Darastrix siblings looked up at the waitress. Shade didn't exactly have a chance to look at the menu, so she skimmed through, and found seafood. Pyros ordered the spiciest thing on the menu (gumbo), as always, while Stror ordered the savoriest thing on the menu, which looked to be juicy, rare, T-bone steak. Shade finally found what she wanted and ordered Champagne Clauncher and Pasta. The waitress logged all the orders in and then looked over to Colress to see what he wanted.

 

[vaultie]

Things had calmed down a reasonable amount, and both Atty and Guzma had gone back to sitting in the grass, letting their two Golisopod get friendly with one another. The gentle giants had both gone down to the riverbank to wade in the water, keeping in their trainers' line of sight.

"So, um-" Atty's voice cut through the air, speaking up softly and turning her gaze to the man beside her. "I know we were talking earlier about how you're, like, living down at the south end of Ula'Ula, right? That trailer park on the outskirts of Hania?"

The white-haired man slowly looked over her, unsure of the direction she was going. "Yeah? What about it?"

"Well, y'know..." She breathed out, visibly tensing as she tried getting her question out. "That's kinda a ways away, so I was just wondering if... If you wanna come back with me to my place and stay the night?"

Oh. That's what she was wondering. He could feel his face grow hot in the cooler, late night air, opening his mouth to say something before Atty suddenly interjected, her face now a distinct pink as well.

"I mean- Y'know! N-Not in that kinda way, but like... Just so you don't have to keep making trips," She swallowed. "You... Did want to keep hanging out, right?"

He paused, letting her question sink in further before hurriedly speaking up. "Nono- 'Course not- I mean... To the first part, I mean! Y'know, second part, I wanna-" He paused, taking in a deep breath before slowing down his speech and making himself clear. "...Yeah, I'd like that. I'll stay the night."

 

[Ninian]

Smiling at the woman's offer, Colress responded positively, "Wonderful! If it is not too much trouble, I will take you on your offer assuming there is space available. If not, I will see if there are any vacancies." As she continued he gave a nod, "Malie Garden! What a splendid idea. I should be able to collect ample data on its usage there."

On the topic of the Z-Crystal, Seven responded to her conjecture, "I have insufficient data to formulate a hypothesis." Retracting the strange cables, she then slid the crystal back to its owner, "However I have extracted as much information about the object as I am able to currently."

"Thank you for allowing me to run some tests on it!" The man quickly followed up, a grin upon his face. "However, you could be correct. There is obviously some relation to outside stimulus, perhaps it has to do with your Raichu! I would love to find out!"

Familiar faces entered the establishment, and both Colress and Seven acknowledged their presence.

When the waitress attended to them, Colress ordered a Z-Kaiseki, and explained to the waitress that Seven was unable to take in sustenance.

⟶ Sushi High Roller

 

[vaultie]

Atty's expression broke out into a relieved smile as Guzma agreed to follow her back, however, her happiness was cut short when the man spoke up once more.

"Just-" He gave a rough swallow, scratching behind his neck at his black undercut. "I wanna make sure you know what you're gettin' into, alright? Those others you were hanging around, I dunno how much they told you, but... Y'know. I don't want anyone else giving you shit just 'cause you're around me. Like, yeah, Skull isn't around anymore, but me and some of the others still get those nasty looks and whispers when were out in public." He shrugged. "There's kinda a lot of shit that went down this past year, t'be frank. I don't want you having to carry any of my baggage."

Atty's gaze met his, the smile on her lips now faded. She was quiet for a moment, thinking of what to say. "I mean, they did tell me some stuff about Team Skull, and a bit about Aether Paradise, or whatever, but..." She watched as Guzma nearly flinched at the mention of Aether, quickly speaking back up to avoid any heavier topics. "Whatever you did before is in the past. You disbanded Skull, right?"

"Well, yeah..." He mumbled, looking on at the smaller woman as she scooted closer. His mind was torn, half of him craving her attention and warmth, the other half yelling at himself that he didn't deserve it. He was anxious, and he was praying that she couldn't see right through him.

"Which means you're not the same person you were months, even years ago. I don't know the full story of what you've been through, but... I can tell you've changed, and that's a good thing. I wanna hear your story from you, Guzma, not anyone else," The smile from before slowly began to return, small and delicate on her lips. "I want to give you a chance, and I want to help if I can. This is about you and me, I don't care what anybody else would think." Her fingertips grazed his own, gently placing her hand onto his, letting him know she was there for him.

Guzma's hand twitched, such a simple gesture still so foreign to him. He was at a loss for words, his throat itching as he swallowed again, feeling his face hot with emotion. Impulsively, he brought his arms up, hands finding their way to Atty's back. Without much effort, considering his strength, he pulled her in close, head resting in the crook of her neck. He could feel as she took a moment to reciprocate the hug, her own arms wrapping around his sides. Taking in her scent with a shuddery breath, he softly exhaled, mumbling the word he had been looking for. "...Thanks,"

 

[Merciless Medic]

Shade smiled gleefully when Colress took both offers of housing and demonstration location, looking over to see if the boys want a roof over their heads. Pyros and Stror looked puzzled for a bit until their quadruplet like mindedness kicked in. It also helped they had heard about rooms a moment before they ordered. Pyros shook his head no, preferring to sleep outside with his Pokemon because it would help them in battle mentally. Shade nodded and smiled over to Colress, telling him that the room she had kept for Pyros was now open for Colress to take. She took a little card with Pyros' room number and gave it to Colress, which will allow him to enter the hotel's room number by inserting the strange card into a sensor. She took back her Z-Crystal while nodding her head toward Seven and Colress as a "you're welcome" response, feeling the warmth from the crystal and the little bits of static electricity that caused all the hair on her entire arm to stand up on end. It had seemed to be reacting to something, as if it was restless. Chu was shaking in her Poke Ball, wanting to get out. Shade had to use her other hand to take the Poke Ball out and kiss the ball to stop it from shaking, to which Shade then whispered to her confined Pokemon that it will only take about an hour or less. Somewhat satisfied, Chu relaxed, staying within the ball. Shade then clipped her back on her belt and pocketed her Z-Crystal, which glowed from within her pocket. It had seemed like it was reacting to Chu's emotional responses, to which Shade was very used to. She responded with a smile just in case Colress and Seven had any inquiries on the matter.

"The Z-Crystal was just reacting to Chu's urge to battle and show her skills, as well as her restlessness. It has seemed like the crystal is reacting to Chu's energy levels or emotions. Of course, it hadn't done this when we first got it. It has been like this for a couple of years, but I have had the thing ever since Chu evolved into an Alolan Raichu, gifted to me by a Kahuna... I think it was Nanu after I helped him with his cats and he said he had found this somewhere around the litter boxes. Don't worry, it's been 10 years. It's clean, I promise," Shade giggled before feeling the familiar rustle of Chu's ball again. The Pokemon could sense that her trainer was talking about her. Shade chuckled and patted her Poke Ball, giving endearing eyes towards the ball that held her Birth Partner, who had refused to evolve for 18 years and had stayed a Pichu until they finally made it to Ula'Ula Island in Alola.

Meanwhile, Pyros and Stror were talking about capturing Pokemon that opposed their type proficiencies, so they could get better at such a task, with Pyros kind of wanting to capture Water-, Ground-, Rock-, Ice-, and Fairy-Types, and Stror wanting to capture Fire-, Flying-, Psychic-, Fairy-, and Ground-Types.

 

[Ninian]

"Ah, if Pyros does not wish to stay in the hotel, then I accept your offer!" Taking the card in hand, he placed it into a pocket inside of his jacket where it'd stay safe until he required it.

Raising a brow at the interaction between Shade and her confined Raichu, the scientist commented, "Your Raichu does not enjoy its pokéball? How strange, I've heard of several cases of this phenomena." Looking to the reaction from the crystal he'd respond to her commentary all the while typing away madly into the device upon his sleeve, "Fascinating! Thankfully, the energy readings are still within normal parameters."

The conversation between Pyros and Stror caught the blonde's attention. Having a variety of types at your disposal was certainly advantageous, but it was difficult to care for such a wide variety of Pokémon. He did not comment during the conversation, only listening.

⟶ Sushi High Roller

 

[Merciless Medic]

Shade smiled and went about to explain why Pokemon don't like to be in their Poke Balls, feeling like it could help.

"Well, some Pokemon just have a preference to be out and about. Chu has told me through charades and a little bit of telepathy that she could manage that when she gets into a Poke Ball, she loses all kinds of connection to the real world and hates how fake the simulation is in the Poke Ball, and it unnerves her. Plus, it is difficult to hear or sense what is going on past the Poke Ball's electronics, and she's also used to not being in one, since we don't like putting our own Pokemon in their confines. I feel better if they get to experience the same kinds of things I do. A better bond forms, basically."

After awhile, their food had arrived, while Ben just arrived for Angel and Shiori. He asked what food they wanted, with Angel and Zorro wanting some red wine and Clauncher puffs with some spaghetti and meatballs. Shade smiled graciously and thanked them, delicately eating her Clauncher and Pasta, while Pyros blew on his gumbo to cool it down before he ate it and Stror quickly cut through his steak for a bite.

Pyros and Stror thought about getting help from their siblings on how to take care of these kinds of Pokemon and how to use them effectively in battle. Pyros and Stror have the same kind of strategy, with Stror's strategy being quick and powerful and get behind their defenses while Pyros was being powerful to break through their defenses.

 

[Ninian]

"I see!" After a few moments, the man finished dictating her explanation, now focusing on her fully, "Seven has expressed similar sentiments, which lead to me creating the housing that you see before you. Porygon2 have difficulty navigating outside of cyberspace, after all." Flashing a smile, he'd glance at his assistant for a moment before continuing, "You are correct however. It is much easier to form and maintain a close bond in the absence of a pokéball."

The large multi-course dinner was placed before Colress. Taking chopsticks in hand, he carefully began to lift one of the sashimi slices.

Feeling she needed to clarify, the blonde automaton added onto their conversation, "Though I am not unnerved by being held within a pokéball, I do feel as if I am wasting my potential."

⟶ Sushi High Roller

 

[Merciless Medic]

Shade smiled and shared a glance towards Seven when Colress did, nodding in understanding. Her sister has a Porygon-Z and a Poke Ball causes the poor Pokemon to stutter and make mistakes during battle. Although, the fact that Seven didn't have the problem, but was a preference to stay outside and in a shell meant to her that her systems were a bit more easier to manage and not so easily scrambled. Maybe Colress can create a shell for Lorenza's Porygon-Z. She should probably ask when she was done showing him her Pokemon's power.

Pyros and Stror fell silent as they began to eat, and Shade was savoring the sweet taste of a Clauncher. She looked around to see if any of the staff were watching, and she released Chu underneath the table. She then sneaked a little bite from her plate underneath the table and Chu ate it off quickly, hiding underneath the table's tablecloth and savoring in her yummy food. Luckily, no staff members saw anything too suspicious, but Pyros, Stror, and Angel saw that, as they saw a little flash of light underneath Shade's table. Pyros and Stror tried to hide a snicker and shook their heads while Angel smiled and quickly averted her eyes. Even though Chu was being quite compact, her tail accidentally brushed up against Colress' leg. She had on a worried face, hoping that Colress didn't get too startled by that.

 

[vaultie]

The hug between the two trainers seemed to last longer than intended, both parties hesitant to let go and leave each other's warmth. Guzma was the first to make a move, taking himself off the young woman. He was visibly flustered, face noticeably red in the light of the moon and the nearby lanterns. He roughly swallowed. "Shit, sorry if I got carried away there, I just- I don't really hear that kinda talk from a lot of people."

Atty slowly let go, watching him with those deep, brown eyes of hers. She was slowly beginning to understand more and more about Guzma, his body language making up for whatever emotional secrets he was hiding. "It's alright," She gave the man a soft smile, standing up and holding out her hand. "Did you want to head back now?"

He stared at her open palm, letting it sink in for a moment that she was actually serious about everything and had not yet run away or been put off by him. "Yeah. S'gettin' kinda late." With a blink, he responded, standing and gently taking her smaller hand into his. Just the feeling alone felt so natural and right, and he couldn't help but adore how well her hand fit into his palm.

Both of them recalled their Golisopods, the two beasts giving each other a couple of goodbye chitters before they were sent back into their Pokeballs for the night. With things settled down and the garden now only occupied by the noises of moving water and the soft chirps of bug Pokemon, the two left, hand in hand. Atty did her job as leader, guiding herself and Guzma back down the streets of Malie to her hotel for the night.

 

[Ninian]

Upon not receiving a response, Colress began to dive into his meal fully, his Porygon2 assistant watching with tentative interest. However, a strange touch to the outside of his thigh caused his brow to raise. Though he wasn't startled, he was interested in what had transpired. Placing down his chopsticks, he moved to reach under the the table. That was about when he received a message on his PADD.

Shade released her Raichu under our table. Do not make any sudden movements, for if it is discovered, there is a high probability of our being removed from the premises.

Pulling his arm from under the table, the man did best to act casual, taking another bite from his large meal. After swallowing, he spoke, "I hope everyone's meals are to their satisfaction?"

⟶ Sushi High Roller