Ask to Join Kickin’ it Kanto Style

[The Heart of Frostfire.]

As Edward spoke of revenge on the part of Team Rocket, Lewis tensed and gave a look of hatred. If it weren't for the pain he was enduring, he'd have went off then and there to try and track down the criminal organization. However, his hatred would have to wait. "Once I'm recovered, they won't have to worry about tracking down us. They'll have to worry about us finding them. Criminals have no place in this world, and I don't care if I have to convince the police to do a raid on their headquarters... We will find them..." He spoke angrily, his very nature hinting at the fact he'd suffered in the past by the hand of criminals, and suffers mental scars as a result.

However, Alexis turned towards him and gave him a look of compassion, but also worry. "Hey, I know we only just met, but... Please try and take it easy. Even when you've recovered, don't immediately try to go after them. I can sense you've been hurt on more than a physical level, but past trauma isn't enough to risk your life trying to take them down. If you really want them to suffer for the crimes they've caused, take it slow. I'm sure you wouldn't want to be arrested, or even worse, killed. Be the better person, don't become someone just as bad as they are." She spoke with concern, turning her attention back to Rick and Chris while Lewis simply stood with the support of his Gardevoir, his eyes closing as he thought over her words. It seemed that Lady was also speaking to him telepathically, helping to calm him down.

Alexis hopped onto the boat carefully, her Umbreon following her and standing by her side as she inspected the injuries of Pearl. "While I'd appreciate a place to stay, first we need to tend to your... Her name is Pearl, correct? I'm not exactly experienced with dragon types, but if it bleeds, we can save it!" She spoke with a giggle, her Umbreon giving his own cry of agreement. She pulled her bag next to her and opened it up, revealing a variety of compartments that made it seem almost as if it was larger on the inside. But that was impossible, right? Alexis first started by gently feeling the injuries on the Dragonair, using a touch delicate enough not to cause any additional pain, but firm enough for her to gauge injury. "Ahh, that's fortunate. No open, bleeding wounds, so that makes the job easier. It seems as if she mainly is suffering from bruising and mild burns from electrocution, which won't require anything special. Just an herbal salve made from sitrus and cheri berries should help, with a lotion of rawst berries. I'm lucky that I was trained to be a healer, I have an eye for homemade medicine that can often be better than the mass produced stuff." She remarked, talking to nobody in particular. She reached into the medicine pocket of her bag and pulled out two containers with a screw on lid, having a homemade label revealing them to be the two ointments she spoke of. Unscrewing the lid on the first container let a strong herbal scent, having a hint of the sitrus and cheri berries mentioned previously.

After around 20 minutes, the healing creams were carefully applied to the dragon type and Alexis packed her bag again. Once she was certain her job was finished, she handed Rick a few Oran berries. "She won't be healed as fast as if I used store bought medicine, but give her a day or two and she'll be good as new! If she looks weak when she comes to, feed her those berries, they should help. Oran berries are a personal favorite of mine, as they help keep us going when things get rough. I hope this will teach you that looks aren't everything! Were I not a former member of the Doomsday Organization... Err, never mind, you don't need to know about that. That's in the past." She smiled, her Umbreon waking up suddenly as his trainer gave him a gentle nudge and coming to attention, yawning quietly. "Now, on the topic of lodgings... Well, I'm going to stay with the green monk over there, as... Well, based on what he said earlier, I'm worried he's going to get himself killed unless supervised. I'd rather not learn that someone I just met went off and got themselves killed, he seems like a nice guy. That, and... Well, I can sense it in his very aura that he's also been through a lot of shit in life, so we have that in common at least!" She continued. As Lewis realized Alexis was referring to him, he shook himself into a more alert state and cleared his throat, frowning. "I have a name you know, and it's not 'the green monk'. It's Lewis Fireheart. And secondly, while I appreciate your concern, I can take care of my self very well. And Lady is here if I get out of hand." He replied with as much confidence as he was able to muster in his injured state. This, however, simply caused Alexis to chuckle. "And that's even more reason to keep an eye on you, Mr. Lewis."

 

[Ridge]

Rick looked on with arms crossed, while Alexis tendered Pearl. Zephir, who had been using Refresh on the Dragonair, gave the girl some space to let her work. Iris... she kept the same attentive look she had before. She would only get even more alert as Alexis talked about formerly being in some criminal organization. After receiving some berries from Alexis, Rick spoke. "Thanks... I don't judge people by their looks. I judge them by their actions." He said to Alexis.

He paused for a bit, thinking about the bit of background that slipped, before continuing. "I'll be honest. Your background puts me on alert." He told her. "I've had a lot of people in the past who I thought were trustworthy, just for them to stab me in the back or take advantage of me. Since then I started being very careful about who I let close to me or my friends." He explained.

After Alexis and Lewis had a short argument, Rick continued. "But I feel like you're redeeming yourself by helping people and pokémon in need, which is way more than any criminal would do. So, for now, you're not giving me many reasons to be concerned." He said with a faint smile, before glancing at Iris, who was groaning at Alexis with a baleful look. "Of course, those who suffered losses at the hands of that kind of people, if we can even call'em that, may take longer to trust you. But I'm sure with time she'll get there." He added.

 

[The Heart of Frostfire.]

Alexis shook her head and gave a sad smile, sighing as she prepared to tell a tale she hadn't told anyone before now. "Well, you see, it's not like I was part of the organization by choice. I was born into it, and it wasn't until recently that my parents and I took advantage of a failed attempt to summon the legendary they worshipped to escape. It was... Long overdo. We never wanted to be a part of those criminals, but... My parents ended up getting forced into it after discovering their existance. They were an underground organization, and few people knew of them until my parents exposed them. And as a result, they were captured and given two options... To serve them, or be executed... Of course... It was hell, to say the least." She sighed, hoping her explaination would lead to them finding it easier to trust her. Her cheerful demanior picked back up as she tried to get into a more positive mindset like before.

"I believe that my past doesn't matter, as I don't have any criminal record and I've never actively harmed anyone. I only turned an adult around a year ago, and we managed to escape before they managed to put me on any missions. They may have been evil enough to wish the end of the world, but... They at least had enough morals not to force a child to preform their evil deeds. So I have a clear record! You don't need to worry about my betrayal, as... Well, I've been through enough shit to know what it's like to be hurt. They treated me like shit, and the last thing I want is to hurt someone as they hurt me. And given that I can commune with spirits, I understand suffering much more. It's why I'm a healer, honestly. I want to give people someone they can depend on, someone they can trust when things turn bad. I may not be any good in combat, but I'm definitely a good asset when the fighting is over!" She replied, her eyes sparkling and having a slight purple glow to them. While she spoke and tried to redeem herself, her Umbreon decided to investigate the trainer who seemed to have fossil pokemon.

The Umbreon had never seen any fossil pokemon before, so Roxanne seemed to be a rather interesting trainer to him. Alexis simply allowed him to go off, as she knew he was as loyal as an Arcanine. After investigating Tank quizically, the Umbreon walked over to Roxanne and gave a curious cry, nuzzling her leg. His yellow rings glowed as the sun set, acting as a sort of beacon of light as the area got darker.

 

[Draco Nightshade]

Seeing Iris stand up, Penny affectionately rubbed her shoulder with her own head and neck, clearly happy that the Rapidash was able to do so. Seeing as Penny was not coming back any time soon, Kelly decided to come to her. "How are you and Iris doing over here Rick?"
@Ridge

Having managed to get the massive Bastiodon off of herself, Roxanne was helped up to her feet by Panzer and Storm. "Thanks girls." Not long after, she heard a curious sound followed by something nudging her leg. Looking down, Roxanne realized it was an Umbreon. "Hey there little fella." Kneeling down to eye level, Roxanne let the Dark Type sniff her hand before proceeding to pet it. It was interesting to her watching the Umbreon's rings begin to glow as the sun slowly dropped behind the horizon. It was not even five minutes before Roxanne's Pokemon came to investigate the newcomer.
@The Heart of Frostfire.

 

[Ridge]

Rick gave out a faint smile after hearing Alexis's full story before turning back. "Very well. Suddenly I feel much more confortable." He told her, before heading to the cabin. Iris turned back, looking at Alexis by the corner of her eye. She stared at the girl for a second, then nodded while also giving her a faint smile, before following Rick... with Kelly's ponyta in tow.

As Rick walked inside the cabin, he started emptying his beltpocket, putting everything into Chris's desk. "Where did you get that Nugget?" Chris asked, staring at the contents. "Who cares? It will be Aggron food soon. Besides, it was given to me by that Rotten scum, so it probably wouldn't sell for much anyways." Rick told him. Chris scratched his chin, before he turned his attention towards the two equines. "And when did she adopt that ponyta there?" Chris asked, as he saw the filly beside Iris. Rick raised an eyebrow and rolled his eyes at the ponyta, staring at her briefly. "Oh... that's actually..." Rick started, until he heard Kelly calling for him. "Her's." He finished, before walking back outside.

"Good enough! It will only get better once the Sun rises again. For her at least..." Rick replied to Kelly, pointing a thumb at Iris. "I can't absorb sunlight to heal my back pain. But I'm expecting the bed to take care of that." He added with a shrug. "Are you missing any of your pokémon? 'Cause Flash Fire tends to attract Fire-types, so Iris technically kidnapped your ponyta..." He said with a smirk while pointing at the mare. Iris snorted at Rick's face, making him flinch. "Uhum... well... and ponytas also have a tendency to follow the adults."

 

[Draco Nightshade]

"I hear ya. Come on Penny, I think Iris would like some space." Upon hearing this, Penny gave a sad sigh, licking Iris's cheek before returning to her trainer. "Don't worry, I have a feeling that we'll be seeing each other a lot in the future." After reassuring the filly, Kelly apologized to Rick and explained. "Sorry about that Rick, Penny was actually all alone when I found her. As long as it's an equine, Penny gets attached pretty quickly."
@Ridge

 

[The Heart of Frostfire.]

The girl in crimson robes smiled and crossed her arms, giving Rick a graceful bow. "Of course, I'd rather people know my full story before judging me. It's no nice being treated poorly simply for something that isn't your fault, after all!" She replied, watching as Rick entered the cabin. As she noticed her Umbreon socializing with another trainer, she gave a worried look and quickly joined her Dark type, her own eyes slightly glowing like a cat pokemon. "Hey, umm... I'm sorry if Allure here was causing you trouble, he seems to have a tendency to greet himself to those who he feels have a pure heart. Even going as far to disobey me when I request he stay close." She apologized on behalf of her Umbreon, who lowered his ears when she indirectly scolded him.

Meanwhile, while Alexis went to deal with her Umbreon, Lewis stood near alongside Lady, staying silent and staring longingly at the horizon. It seemed as if this whole debarkle had stirred some inner conflict within him, and supressed emotions as well as unfortunate memories were re-awakened. He stayed silent as he tried to consider his next course of action, as while he wanted to go after Rocket and avenge those they have hurt, he also didn't want to get in trouble with the police. And considering the people he'd recently met here in Kanto, he didn't want to do anything that would result in them getting into harms way by association. He would have sat there for hours if it weren't for Alexis turning her attention to him for a moment. "Hey, don't be upset about your past, I've also gone through a lot of shit! But it's okay, the past... Well, you can't change the past. Don't let it get to you! You have to use that pain you've endured as motivation to become a better person! Don't stoop to their level, show that you can be a better person than those who've harmed you!" She spoke calmly, trying to motivate the researcher. Lewis simply sighed and was about to make a complicated response, before sighing again and replying simply. "At least someone understands... I'll speak of my past later, but... Now isn't the time." As he replied, Alexis turned her attention back to Roxanne and apologized once more.

"Sorry about that, I just couldn't just let someone sit there without some level of support. I can sense it on his very aura that he's gone through pain. And that's why I'm going to make sure to stay by his side, as, well... I'm not sure if you heard me tell my story, but I've been through hell and back as well! We've gotta stick together, after all."

 

[Draco Nightshade]

"It's alright, hearing you say that he approached me for being pure of heart is actually very flattering." Standing up, Roxanne decided to introduce herself. "I'm Roxanne Stone by the way. These are my Pokemon. And you are?"
@The Heart of Frostfire.

 

[The Heart of Frostfire.]

Alexis smiled and bowed once more, her eyes sparkling and having a slightly stronger glow than before, possibly as a result of the sun setting, or even because she was practically charged with positive energy. "It's nice to meet you Roxanne, you have a good aura to you, I see why Allure decided to investigate! You can call me Alexis, former prisoner of an evil cult and currently preforming as a travelling medic, at your service! I can only hope my expertise in medicine can prove to be useful, as, well... I've trained long and hard to make sure nobody has to suffer from any sort of pain when I'm around!" She replied, her positivity seemingly rubbing off on Lewis, who was always prone to the emotions of others. Despite his pain, he got up and joined the conversation, his Gardevoir giving a distinct noise of concern. "Lady, don't worry about me, I'm fine." He reassured the Gardevoir, who didn't seem convinced as she went back to making sure he wouldn't fall over and succumb to his pain. "It's good that we have a medic on the team, as medical emergencies can often happen far from any Pokecentres." He continued.

As he spoke, he decided to change his technically improved glasses to a mode that allowed dark vision to be easier, the lenses changing to more of a bright greenish yellow colour as a result. As an extra bonus, it helped obscure the pain in his eyes, which he was trying to hide to seem stronger. "However, while a medic is good, I do believe a visit to a Pokecentre would be in order. Or at the very least, a safe place to tend to my injuries. I believe I can trust you, Alexis. As an empath, and someone who is emotionally linked to Lady here... I believe I have a good judgement of character, you seem to be someone I can put my trust into. Now... Roxanne, I believe it's up to you what our next action is. In terms of fantasy, you could say we've joined your party." He finished, turning his attention to Roxanne as he made his decision. Alexis was fine with this, and made no comment on this. She made up her mind to follow by Lewis' side, to make sure he wouldn't end up getting himself killed.

 

[Draco Nightshade]

Stifling a yawn, Roxanne replied. "I think we oughta find some place to stay the night. I'm actually thinking about sending Storm back to Hoenn in the morning." Without missing a beat, Roxanne returned her Pokemon to their PokeBalls and walked back to town with Alexis and Lewis. "I'll introduce you to my twin sister tomorrow."

 

[Ridge]

"No problem! I don't think she was being bothered that much, anyways. She makes it very clear when she is." Rick said to Kelly, after she appologized and also telling how she found Penny alone. "And would you've guess it. The two seem to have had similar rough starts. 'Cause Iris was orphaned from very young age. If she can interact with some members of her line from time to time is actualy beneficial." He added, before walking back inside.

"How is Pearl?" Rick asked Chris. "Well, she took a full charge of that stun blast. Should feel better by tomorrow." Chris told him. Rick sighed, and his stomach started grumbling. "Hey, do you still have that sushi you talked about earlier?" Rick asked Chris. The man frowned in confusion before replying. "Umm... sure? I thought you said you didn't like it." Chris said, handing him the tray. "I don't." Rick stated, as Iris breathed a small flame into the tray, roasting the fish. "Noo! You ruined it!" Chris shouted, taking his hands to his hair. "No. I just made it minimally edible. Since the guys from that restaurant failed to do so."

 

[The Heart of Frostfire.]

Lewis simply nodded and followed after Roxanne, returning Lady to her ball as he seemed to be able to walk properly without her support. "That sounds fine by me, unfortunately lodgings was one of the things Evilane was unable to provide." He replied, Alexis going silent as she followed the group. She seemed to be absorbed in the darkness of night around her, Allure making sure to keep up with her. Occasionally Alexis stopped and decided to say hello to some ghost types, which fortunately seemed to leave the other two alone just to greet the psychic medic. Despite such, she managed to keep up with Lewis and Roxanne. "Hopefully we can find somewhere affordable for the night! We don't need anything fancy, just a safe place to spend the night. Lewis needs medical aide, and... Well, the night is a time of solace and reflection for Allure and I." Alexis commented as they walked into town.

 

[Imperfect World]

Amelia woke up in the early morning, rolling over and falling out of bed with a thud. When her head hit the floor it immediately shot up and she glanced from left to right. Her fluffy hair was an absolute mess, and when she stood she scratched her head, while simultaneously wiping slobber from her mouth. Upon realizing it was morning, and that she was tucked into a soft cozy bed, she realized that she fell asleep waiting for Zapdos. Unknown to her, the legendary Pokémon obviously never came. However, she was super upset, as if she actually could have got it last night.

“Dang it!” She grumbled, grabbing a ponytail and shoving her hair into it.

She got dressed quickly, brushing her teeth hurriedly so she and her friends could hit the road.

 

[Ridge]

The sunlight bathes Rick's face through one of the boat's windows. However, his Leafeon hopping onto his belly is what ultimately wakes him up. Rick's eyes rolled left to right before he raised up and climbed up the stairs. "Finaly awake? I don't remember the last time you got up this late." Chris mentioned. Rick sighed, stretching his back before replying. "You know, even I have the right of being extra tired sometimes."

"Understandable. Plans for today?" Chris then asked, as he went to check the food suply. "Umm... Cinnabar Island?" Rick replied, while attaching his pocket to his belt. "Although the officer said she had something to talk to me, so... who knows what's coming from that." He added, before steping outside and petting Iris, who was laying outside with her body glowing slightly as she absorbed the morning sunlight. She soon got up on her feet once she felt her trainer. Zephir quickly ran up and jumped onto the mare's back.

"Well then. You can add a little stop at Vermillion Harbor for a resupply." Said Chris. Rick made a surprised expression after hearing it. "We're low already?" He asked. "Pff... saying we're 'low' is an understatement. We have nothing!" Chris responded. "Which brings me to the question: who the hell ate all the supplies?" He asked, with arms crossed. Though all he got was silence and surprised faces. Rick glanced at his pokémon, but Iris shook her head in denial, while Zephir went into his ball. "No one. Classic." Chris muttered, rubbing his face.

"How about I give you a headstart? You sail to Vermillion while I talk to the officer, do your stuff, then once I meet you there we can move on to Cinnabar right away. At least you won't be wasting time if she has any excuse to keep me here." Rick suggested, before mounting on Iris. "Besides... you know I'm not a big fan of sailing." He added, scratching the corner of his mouth. Chris raised an eyebrow. "Mmhmm, right... I think that's the main reason... Well, I guess that's also the best usage of our time." He commented.

Chris walked inside the cabin and stared at Pearl for a bit. "Hey! Does Pearl come with me? She's pretty good at keeping the weather conditions favorable." He shouted from the cabin. Rick turned to look back at Pearl, who seemed to be fast asleep, although she was coiled this time rather than just layed flat, which at least indicated she wasn't really unconscious. "Umm... I don't think she's in much of a disposition for that, but that's fine! Zephir is coming with me this time, though!" Rick shouted back, before Iris ran back to Cerulean.

 

[The Heart of Frostfire.]

While Roxanne and Kelly were likely preparing themselves for the day ahead, Lewis and Alexis were already up and prepared. The scientist and his more psychic companion sat outside the hotel that Evilane was nice enough to pay for a night for the four of them. Of course, it did mean Lewis owed the famous trainer a favour, but he was certain that if she would ever need his assistance, he'd be able to provide it. The two didn't seem to speak much while Alexis inspected Lewis, making sure he was at least in a state where his injuries were properly treated. Once that was done, Lewis decided to send a message to Roxanne using his Holotech letting her know that he and Alexis would be training a short distance outside of the hotel.

Wasting no time, Lewis quickly let out his Eevee and Alolan Vulpix, who seemed generally cheerful and ready to train. Lady remained in her ball, as she felt as if she didn't need training at the moment and wanted the two foxlikes to get the full attention of Lewis. Alexis meanwhile decided to train her Umbreon, making a mental note to pick up a few pokemon during her journey. While Alexis initially had the idea of having the Pokemon simply learn battle tactics, Lewis decided to take it one step further and add some sort of level of target training for the Pokemon to make use of the teaching. Taking out his bag, he pulled out a package that had arrived from Razor last night. Even Alexis wasn't aware of what the scientist was planning before opening the package to reveal what seemed to be an unassembled mechanical device. Before his psychic partner could question, placing a power core from another section of the bag seemed to activate something, and the parts seemed to fit together automatically into a ball-shaped target robot powered by a small set of helicopter blades. Smiling, Lewis stepped back and activated the target via an application on his holotech.

"Ahh, Razor never fails to deliver with good efficency. If there's anything that can be said about our shipping, it's that our products arrive on time and in the same condition as when they were sent. Here's one of my latest designs! They recently finished a few prototypes, and who better to test it than the person who created the designs? Are you ready, Alexis?" Lewis exclaimed, definitely feeling a sense of pride from his work. Alexis, who was marvelling at the contraption that literally assembled itself, took a few moments to snap back to reality in order to properly answer Lewis. "O-oh, yes! That's right, we were training. Sorry, I got a bit distracted by your device. You said you were a scientist, but this is incredible! Let's begin, then!" The purple haired psychic replied, getting back into focus. No more words were shared beyond commanding their Pokemon and the occasional motivational phrase to eachother, the bot being extremely durable as it withstood all manner of Pokemon attacks without showing any signs of damage. Of course, if the group of Pokemon were both properly evolved and went all out, it would start showing signs of wear. However, Lewis' design proved worthy of the praise he gave it, and the rather unique training session seemed to draw a few people to simply watch without being a distraction.

 

[Godjacob]

Connor had already been awake, just outside as he seemed to be with Nova who was practicing some flight as her gliding seemed to improve. While her shorter wing prevented full on proper flight, her glides seemed to extend longer and longer, which was the kind of improvement that had made Connor proud.

"Alright Nova, good work. Take a rest we still have a long trip ahead." Connor said as he returned his partner just in time to hear an audible "thud" from inside. Connor dashed in but thankfully Amelia seemed to dust herself off and get ready. Once she had finished up he'd be waiting in the main area of the center as he smiled at his newfound friend.

"So, you ready to go?" Connor asked with a grin to Amelia.

 

[Imperfect World]

Amelia, while struggling to tug on her blue shoe nodded vigorously. After finally shoving it on she fell backwards on her behind with a slight thump. She quickly jumped up, grabbing her backpack and checking to make sure she had everything.

“Yup! I’m ready!” Amelia nodded quickly, taking a hearty step out of the room.

 

[Draco Nightshade]

Waking up in their hotel room, Kelly looked around noticing her sister had already left. "Always on the move." Getting out of bed, she quickly got dressed and ready for the day. "I wonder what Roxy is doing anyway."
While her sister was just waking up, Roxanne was actually on her way back to town after crossing the bridge in the north catching a Meowth, the Scratch Cat riding with her on Tank's back. She had actually returned Storm back to Professor Birch's lab shortly after waking up this day. "Hmm, I think I'll call you Link." Hearing the name, the Meowth purred and rubbed against Roxanne's arm.
As they were making their way back to town, Roxanne noticed Lewis and Alexis outside of the hotel with a strange, mechanical contraption. "Good morning guys! What's up?"

 

[The Heart of Frostfire.]

Just before Roxanne noticed the two trainers giving a rather unique training session to their pokemon, Lewis' Eevee ended up glowing brightly and with a flash of light, a Sylveon stood where the Eevee once was. Being three times larger and strong enough to take on dragons, the newly evolved fox looked at herself in awe, while Lewis and Alexis decided to take a quick break. Once Roxanne arrived, Lewis snapped back to reality and turned towards her, giving a cheerful wave. "Ahh, Roxanne! You've come at a great time! Mistress has evolved as a result of our training!" He exclaimed, his more subdued and slightly depressed visage from the night before replaced with his general positivity. Alexis stayed quiet, crouching down to give the Sylveon some attention, while Allure simply watched from a distance, also taking some interest. While Alexis gave the Sylveon some much appreciated affection Lewis quickly opened up his holotech and engaged his device to go into a more portable mode.

With a few taps on the holographic screen, the device folded up into a form easier to fit in his travel bag, which he quickly placed it into. Standing back up, Mistress went back to his side, nuzzling his side as she now was around half his height. "Of all the things I expected today, your Eevee evolving was not one of them. I guess we both didn't realize just how ready she was!" Alexis spoke, trying to cut the silence. Lewis decided to return Blizzard, who seemed to indicate that he needed a rest.

 

[Ridge]

Rick rode trough the narrow pathway besides Nugget Bridge on the way back to Cerulean. In contrast to the bridge, pretty much no one walked there, so Iris could run at her own content and they could arrive quicker without having to swerve around people. And she also made sure that their entry was everything but subtle, as she made a big jump over the buildings and landing near the Pokémon Center. She struck an elegant pose, with her head raised straight up and a front leg off the ground, briefly flaring her body after Rick made a quick dismount.

"Show off." Rick mentioned, before heading to the police station. "Wait here a little bit while I speak to the officer, yes? It won't take long... hopefully..." He told her. As he was about to get in, Zephir popped out of his ball and ran straight towards the two Eeveelutions to greet them. "And there he goes. Make sure he doesn't get hurt nor make any eggs." Rick said, before walking inside. Iris stared at the verdant cat for a bit, but then quickly turned her attention towards the grass.

 

[Godjacob]

"Good, I say we go check by the Cerulean Gym. Some of the guys might've gone to a nearby place to rest in the storm and could possibly meet back up with some of your friends. But either way I am ready to go~" Connor said to Amelia with a smile just happy she seemed to be okay after that audible thump.

With that, the boy with the artificial leg began to walk out with Amelia once more spurred on by that positive energy she had.

 

[Imperfect World]

“Alright, let’s go!” Amelia grinned wildly as she gripped her backpack straps, rushing out the door wildly.

The crisp morning air felt nice on her face, and dew littered the grass below. She looked from the Pokémon Center to the Cerulean City Gym, and walked towards it with her new friend. Upon arriving, she waited outside, looking around for her other friends in hopes they would somehow meet up near the area. A trainer walked by with a Lycanroc, striking up slight conversation.

Amelia looked at the Lycanroc before her in absolute awe. It was so cute! She started petting it’s fur and looking at the spiky rocks it dawned around its neck.

“Oh he’s so cute!” Amelia cooed, her cheeks puffing up as she peppered the foreign Pokémon with attention. “I’ve never seen any Pokémon like this before!”

The trainer thanked her for the compliment.

 

[Godjacob]

Connor walked with Amelia as what seemed to be a large dog appeared and happily greeted the girl who expressed her excitement. And she had not been the only one curious as Connor's own eyes widened a bit with a smile.

"Oh wow that is cool." Connor said as het took out his Pokedex to scan the curious Pokemon.

"Lycanroc, the Wolf Pokemon. Bathed in the setting sun of evening, Lycanroc has undergone a special kind of evolution. An intense fighting spirit underlies its calmness."

Connor then turned to the presumed trainer who owned the Lycanroc and the prosthetic adventurer smiled his way. "Oh hey it's no trouble, Amelia seems to like him~"

 

[Draco Nightshade]

"Congratulations on evolving Mistress." Dismounting Tank, Roxanne walked over to Lewis with Link the Meowth riding on her back. Turning her attention towards the machine she had to ask. "Um, if you don't mind me asking, what is this thing?"
@The Heart of Frostfire.

 

[The Heart of Frostfire.]

While Alexis decided to groom the newly evolved Sylveon with a brush she borrowed from Lewis' bag, he smiled and nodded in satisfaction. "Well, I definitely wasn't expecting it. The fact she's a Sylveon is a testimate to how well I treated her, I suppose. Maybe she'll be a bit less insane now." He chuckled, Mistress replying with a quiet cry of agreement as she sat still in order to let the robed trainer groom her. "As for the device, it was a mobile training assistant I designed myself! It came in last night all the way from Unova, they're letting me test the first prototype. Razor quality is some of the best in the world!" He replied with a smile, taking his bag and carefully putting the strap across his shoulder. "So, what do you plan on doing today? With Mistress being newly evolved, I feel more confident in traveling outside a populated area. I hope on expanding my team and searching for an ice stone for Blizzard, since he seems to want to evolve, if what Lady claims is true. But that can come in time, no need for haste!"
@Draco Nightshade

 

[Draco Nightshade]

"Well, if I were you, I'd consider obtaining either a Fire, Fighting, Ground, or Rock type. The biggest weakness your team has right now are Poison and Steel types, you should try covering for that." Jumping from Roxanne's back, Link decided to introduce himself to Alexis and the eeveelutions while she was talking to Lewis. "Also, I think the only way you'll find an Ice stone in this region is through a specialty store. Just saying."
@The Heart of Frostfire.

 

[The Heart of Frostfire.]

He nodded and his eyes went dim as he started thinking of possibilities, of pokemon native to Kanto. "Hmm, you at least have a point there. Off the top of my head, I can think of Magcargo, Sandslash, and Golem. While Golem could be tricky due to needing to evolve when exposed to the energy created with a trade, it could be possible. Ninetales is another possibility, and I am rather partial to foxes. Both regional variants of the nine tailed fox isn't too strange, I've seen stranger teams. I could likely afford an ice stone, at the very least. Do you have any other suggestions?" He spoke, mainly thinking aloud before asking for Roxanne's input.

As the Meowth decided to say hello to Alexis, her eyes lit up and she took a break from grooming the Sylveon and gave the cat pokemon a pat on the head. "Oh, aren't you a cute one, hello there! What brings you over to say hello?" She cooed, the psychic apparently having a soft spot for cats.

 

[Draco Nightshade]

"Uh, I hate to break it to you Lewis, but Magcargo aren't native to Kanto. But Vulpix is certainly an option. If I remember correctly, I'm pretty sure they can be found South of Cerulean City." Thinking about the stone she added. "I think your best bet is the Celadon Department Store." While Roxanne explained some things to Lewis, Link purred from the attention he was receiving from Alexis. Wanting more, the Meowth snuggled up closer to her.

 

[Ridge]

The officer was sitting at her desk with legs crossed and filing her nails. "So you came." She spoke, as Rick entered the room. "Of course. I wouldn't miss the chance to check on your most recent guests." Rick said, pulling out a chair to sit. "Sadly, after the beating they took yesterday, I don't think they're in much disposition to receive visitors." He added. The officer stared at him for a bit before talking. "Seems clear you have a profound hatred for Team Rocket." She commented, before pulling out a sheet and looking at it. "Going as far as luring them to you, and from the intel I got from Pewter, you seem to be involved in a similar case in Mount Moon, based on the description from the grunts we caught. Although in that one there's no mentioning of any other trainers." She stated.

"Hey! Those in Mount Moon, they were the ones messing with me, first. I just finished it. Besides, I don't hate Team Rocket specificaly. We just happen to cross paths. I atually despise all sorts of criminals. Don't you?" Rick questioned in return. The officer sit back and crossed arms before answering. "Saying I dislike them would be an understatement." Rick smiled, pointing at her. "Aha, see? We're on the same boat, here. My stay in Kanto will be short. But I honestly wouldn't mind delaying my departure a bit to do some... community service by helping you put that scum in their rightful place." He said.

The officer nodded. "And we'll gladly receive your help... just not in the way you're doing it right now. If you have any information about them, just report it to us as soon as possible, like we ask from everyone else. But don't go out of your way chasing and provoking them. Their skills in pokémon battles is mediocre at best, but they more than make up for it in numbers and assets, and you saw in first hand what they're capable of when they find themselves cornered." She explained. "Besides, there's also a chance that they'll start targeting you specificaly if they feel like you're a stone in their foot." She added after a brief pause.

Rick leaned back on his chair with arms crossed, and both went silent for a while. Until Rick closed eyes and dropped his head. "Fine!" He exclaimed. The officer gave him a faint smile, while Rick stood up and walked to the exit, before stoping. "However... if they ever try to do anything to me - or worse - anyone close to me... I can't make any promises." He added, looking over his shoulder. The officer nodded. "We don't forbid trainers from defending themselves, of course. If it comes to that then, by all means, do what you must. But leave the chase to the authorities." She told him, before accompanying him to the door.

Meanwhile, on the eastern waters of Kanto, Chris was sailing towards Vermillion. "Finally awake eh, Pearl?" The man called, as the Dragon-type was already fully awake and hovering a few inches from the boat. "Well, the good news is it doesn't seem like we'll have any bad weather during the whole trip, so you won't need to do anything for me." Chris told her. "Although... to be honest... how good are your hunting skills? 'Cause a fish would be nice to have to keep my stomach busy for the next couple of hours..." He said, while rubbing his belly. Pearl dove, presumably to search for food. Moments later, Chris heard someone grumbling behind. Which was weird, since he should now be the only one on the boat. When he turned to check, he found the same Rocket grunt that had tried to take his boat.

"Hey! What are you doing here?" Chris yelled at him. The grunt, who had seen better days, eventualy answered to him. "Dude, shut up. Do you have any idea of how much I suffered hiding on that stupid cargo hold?" He said. Chris frowned. "I guess that explains the shortage on supplies. This may not come as a surprise to you, but criminals are not allowed in this ship. So you better walk to the plank and do what you know best." He told him. After regaining his composure, the grunt smirked. "Don't worry, I won't be here for long. In fact, we're both leaving this boat. I'll have to take you with me." He said. Chris smirked at the grunt as well "Oh, yeah?"

Then, two Magnemites hovered beside the grunt, staring the him with the tips of their magnets giving out a few jolts. "You and what army?" Chris asked, with hands on his wrists. Then the grunt grinned. "Good thing you ask. Why don't you look up and see if you remember it." Said the grunt, pointing at the horizon. Chris slowly turned to the horizon from where he could hear a faint noise of rotors, then moments later, the same helicopter they had faced before in Route 25 showed up in the air as it turned off its cloak. Surprised, Chris checked on his radar, which gave out no signal. "Huh... looks like they improved the stealth capabilities." He muttered.

 

[Imperfect World]

The trainer with the Lycanroc talked a bit more with both trainers before saying goodbye and moving on his way. Amelia wondered where he’d be off too. Amelia stood from her crouched position and looked around.

“I wonder where everyone is. Do you think they’re coming? Maybe they went somewhere else? Maybe they left without us?” Amelia rambled as she hopped up and down trying to see if any of the others were on their way.

 

[Godjacob]

"I think we just got scattered a bit due to the storm last night." Connor said, as he took a positive shift to it and had not entertained the thought Amelia's friends ditched her. They were not mean from what he had seen. "I say we go look by the hotel, sure some guys might've tried heading there to get out of the rain." Connor suggested.

Either way he seemed to have an idea as he led with his prosthetic leg forward and motioned for Amelia to follow towards the hotel.

 

[The Heart of Frostfire.]

While the others headed in their direction(which Lewis and Alexis were unaware of), they decided to take stock of their supplies and get ready for a journey. Lewis nodded and replied to Roxanne without looking at her. "Hmm, a department store seems fine, I'd likely be able to afford an evolution stone. As for Vulpix, I suppose they can be befriended and caught at any time, we could plan a journey south later. For now, I do want to start the gym challenge, but it all depends on how things turn out." He smiled, his eyes sparkling as they took on a strange bluish purple hue, perhaps due to his hidden cybernetics to compensate for brain damage taken years ago. Alexis giggled and continued to give the cat all sorts of love and affection, treating the Meowth with the same care she gave her own Pokemon. However, she froze still and looked to the sky without warning, her eyes glowing as she inspected something with her psychic powers. "I... Feel a great disturbance... It seems rather similar to the spacial disturbance that helicopter from before made... Should we investigate, the guy on the boat might be in trouble!" She spoke, her voice quiet and getting louder as her concern grew. Lewis turned to Alexis, and then Roxanne. "I'm not in the mind to argue with a psychic. I may have only just met her, but if she senses something is wrong... I trust her intuition enough. It's up to you, shall we investigate?"

 

[Draco Nightshade]

"Uh, as much as I'd like to help, none of my Pokemon can actually swim." Letting Drake out of his PokeBall, Roxanne continued. "Not to mention Drake here not being big enough to carry any of us. Let's face it, we're poorly equipped for that sort of travel situation."
The young Aerodactyl glided over to Alexis and Link, introducing himself to the two of them.

 

[Ridge]

From the upper part of the aircraft, a man raised from a platform, although Chris couldn't identify his face. "Pardon for showing up like this. But I'll have to ask that you change your transport." He said. Chris walked over to the front of the boat, with arms on his back. "Really? And why should I abide to some random stranger from a criminal organization?" He asked. The man smirked and snaped fingers. Then, two launchers popped out from the aircraft's sides. "I'm afraid you don't have a choice. And if you value that nutshell of yours, I suggest we handle this like civilized men."

Chris started laughing upon hearing how the man referred to his boat. The latter wasn't very happy about it. "What is so funny about all this?" The man yelled, leaning forward while grasping the rails of the platform. Chris casualy walked into the cabin, completely ignoring the grunt right on his side, who grabed him by the shoulder. "Hey! You don't turn back on our..." - The grunt's complaint got immediately cut off as a boxing glove came out from Chris's pocket, punching the grunt in the face and sending him into the water. And just like the former handgun, it turned out to be his Ditto transformed. "They didn't teach you manners?" Chris muttered, as he approached the ship's controllers.

"My patience is running out, my friend. So how is it gonna be? We don't have all day!" The man angrily asked, but Chris continued to grin. "Well, I'm not going anywhere, if that wasn't clear enough. So I think the best thing to do is we start pressing buttons." He said, pulling the throttle and getting the ship in motion. "Pff! Very well! Seems like you need some more convincing." The man shouted, but to his surprised, Chris kept the same demeanor the whole time. "Still talking? I'm starting to think that helicopter is just for show." He teased. And at that point, the Rocket had enough. "Your insolence is infuriating!" He shouted, before the platform retracted.

The helicopter fired a missile at the boat. However, at the same time, a large port opened on the ship's front, firing a thunderbolt at the incoming projectile and destroying it. "Oh! I'm sorry! None of your henchmen told you that this ship was armed?" Chris shouted. Then, from the same port, an electric sphere was fired at the helicopter, though the aircraft climbed to avoid it. The vehicle then moved to the left side of the boat to stay out of range and fired multiple rockets at the ship. Multiple smaller ports opened from the vessel's side, each one shooting a silver beam to intercept each of the rockets. The helicopter then activated its cloaking device.

"Again? That doesn't work either." Chris said while smirking. All of the ship's ports opened up, releasing dozens of magnet bombs that quickly homed towards the helicopter and attached themselves to the aircraft's fuselage before exploding moments later. Chris walked off the cabin and stared at the big smoke cloud with arms crossed. As the smoke cleared and the cloak deactivated, the helicopter was still in the air and apparently with minimal damage from the explosions. "Huh... that armor is tough, I'll give'em that." Chris muttered. The platform raised again with the same man from before. "Very impressive, mister Chris. Looks like your skills in engineering and technology rival those of Team Rocket."

Chris tilted his head and raised an eyebrow. "Thanks for the compliment. Now what else?" He said, not even questioning how they knew his name. "But as you probably know, all technology has its weaknesses. And what else has weaknesses? Pokémon." The man said. The stun cannon started glowing as it seemed to be charging up energy. "I saw what that thing does already. Stun cannons don't work on vehicles." Chris stated. The man smirked. "A good observation. But the same can't be said about all the pokémon that are inside that ship's hull. Which this cannon has enough power to affect, even if they're not directly hit by it. So my proposal is simple. You come with us, and nothing happens to them. Sounds fair?"

Chris grited his teeth. "You Rockets are despicable... fine! You win this one." He said, closing all of the ship's ports. "A wise choice indeed. Now. We'll initiate the extraction proccess." The man said, as his platform retracted again. A hatch opened from the helicopter's underside. Four grunts were already there when, to their surprise, Chris showed up hovering on a Magnezone. "Surprised? I have my own means of transportation." He said to the grunts. "Only pokémon that belong to Team Rocket can be in this aircraft. Of course, having a Magnezone for ourselves wouldn't be a bad idea either." One of the grunts said while smirking. "Unless you think this helicopter will still be flying after an Explosion from the inside, I'll advise against it." Chris responded, after jumping off his Magnezone and recalling the Magnet Pokémon. "Now... take me to your boss. Afterall, he must have a very good reason for bringing me here."

Moments before that, and peeking from behind the ship's hull, Pearl emerged from the surface, still in time of seeing Chris boarding the helicopter. As the hatch closed and the helicopter flew away, Pearl surbmerged once again and started following the aircraft.

Meanwhile in Cerulean. "Thanks for your understanding, Rick. And don't worry, sooner or later, Team Rocket will be dismantled like any other criminal organization." The officer assured Rick, as the two walked out of the Station. "Well, I hope so. And if you ever need a Helping Hand, call me. I'll take on those idiots any day of the week. Except Sundays and Fridays, if it's not urgent. But I can make exceptions." Rick told her. The officer grinned. "Well, now if you excuse me I have some other afairs. Seems like someone broke into a house yesterday and stole a Technical Machine. See ya!" She told, waving at him while walking away.

As Rick was walking around looking for everyone, he spoted Amelia (with another trainer that Rick hadn't met yet) at the Gym's doors. "Oh! You're here!" Rick said to Amelia while approaching her, before whistling to call his pokémon. "You missed all the action yesterday. But it looks like you made yet another acquaintance, so it balances out." He added. Iris was quick to answer her trainer's call, but Zephir was much more interested in Lewis and Alexis pokémon. So she decided to get in there and scoop the leafy fox by the tail. The mare then jumped over the Pokémon Center and landed right next to Rick, with Zephir hanging in her mouth.

 

[Imperfect World]

Amelia followed along behind Connor, before being stopped by a familiar voice. She turned and saw Rick, who she realized she hadn’t seen in a moment.

“Hi Rick!” Amelia waved at him wildly.

She then paused. Missed all the action? What had happened?

“I missed the action? What action?” She suddenly took in a deep gasp. “Did you see a legendary Pokémon? Did you get to see Zapdos?!”

Her eyes sparkled at the thought, slight jealousy at the idea that she had watched for Zapdos and might’ve missed it.

 

[Godjacob]

Connor walked along with Amelia and sure enough the direction the walked led them to encountering someone who Amelia had known but Connor himself had not met yet. Progress. Amelia took this guy, Rick according to Amelia, and his curious words of "action" that they seemed to miss as a sign that Zapdos was there. Or least it had been the hope which Connor had to admit was kinda precious.

"Action huh? What did we miss exactly? Oh uh name is Connor. A pleasure." Connor said as the trainer with the proesthetic gold-painted leg smiled as he tried to get a good intro with this Rick guy who seemed nice enough.

 

[Ridge]

Amelia had an awe expression as soon as Rick talked, asking if he met Zapdos for some random reason. Rick raised an eyebrow. Why would she want to meet a Legendary anyway? "What? I mean, it was flying and had something similar to a Zap Cannon... but it wasn't Zapdos." He told her, rubbing his chin. "Between my Dragonair and Roxy's Amaura, we did do some tampering with the weather, which may have caused some disturbances here. Sorry if that gave you false expectancies. Then again, a hailstorm should be a sign of Articuno being around, not Zapdos." He added, unaware that there had been actually a rainstorm in Cerulean.

He then turned his attention to the other trainer, who introduced himself as Connor. Though Rick's attention was leaning more towards the trainer's prosthesis than his face. "Greets... umm... what happened to your leg? Sharpedo attack? I never liked those bastards, not gonna lie." Rick commented. He then shook his head and went to the point. "Anyways! We had an encounter with that Team Rocket scum in Route 25. This alone doesn't sound like much, seeing how they're so bad. But they brought an assault helicopter to spice things up."

 

[The Heart of Frostfire.]

Alexis frowned and her eyes dimmed, putting a hand out to better gauge the situation she felt. "Well, from what we saw yesterday, the boat is docked, so swimming isn't an issue. And if it wasn't docked... Well, I'm sure Lewis could call his girlfriend!" She remarked, the thought of helping someone getting her excited. Lewis however groaned and shook his head, his Sylveon giving a look of concern. Mistress gave an inquisitive cry, jumping up and using her ribbons to grab hold onto Lewis' back, her head popping up next to his like a bizarre Zweilious. "Ugh... Evilane is not my girlfriend, please stop referring to her as such. Don't worry Mistress, I don't have a secret affair that you don't know about." He sighed. He noted the Rapidash take the Leafeon away, leaving him to believe the Leafeon wasn't a stray. Allure, noticing his friend was taken away, gave a sad sigh, going back to his trainer.

 

[Imperfect World]

Amelia looked confused, titling her head slightly to the side.

“What’s a ‘Team Rocket’?” She asked, not aware of the organization as she hadn’t run into them herself.

She tugged her backpack straps up a bit more, adjusting her grip. Articuno? Hailstorm? Unaware that Rick wasn’t in town, she was confused as to why he confused the thunderstorm with a hailstorm.

 

[Godjacob]

"Team Rocket? From what I hear they're like a criminal group that likes to cause problems, mainly stealing money and Pokemon. They tend to largely occupy Kanto and Johto." Connor mused as Amelia seemed to lack context for who this group was but even if he had not been a native of this area he figured he had enough knowledge to give a general idea.

Then the attention shifted to Rick, as the latter rather bluntly asked about his leg and what happened to it. Course, it was a bit of a sore subject and reflected in the shift in his eyes which reflected such discomfort, but he quickly worked to brush it off as he had a smile towards the new face.

"Oh that, well a bit of an accident. Cave in you see, but hey even a collapsing tunnel can't keep me down!" Connor mused with a grin as if to show he still had an upbeat attitude in spite of that.