IGN: Archonn

A Shiny's Ode, Saved Me From Victory Road

 

Spoiler

My sobs echoed through the vast tunnels. A chorus of territorial Pokemon replied as if to say, stay away or perish. If only I could see them.

 

I was woefully unprepared for this trek to Ever Grande City. Victory Road: the final obstacle every would-be champion faces before battling the five best trainers in Hoenn to become the champion. It had been a dream of mine since I was little. To be the greatest in the region had endless allure - fame, glory, power, respect. Even as a child, I knew that I would have to work harder than anyone to get there. I was just a nobody from the small city of Littleroot, after all - a town that didn’t even have a Pokemon Center. 

 

And it did take years to get here. Hours of training and battling, endless toil, to become strong. I’ve met many new people and grown considerably, blossoming from a timid young trainer into a force to be reckoned with. I defeated many opponents and collected the eight badges of the Gym Challenge. Nothing could stop me - I had momentum, I had my five partner Pokemon with me, the fruits of my labor.

 

But, my hubris got the better of me. I had entered Victory Road soon after getting my final badge. I should have let my Pokemon rest, I should have stocked up on items, I should have taught one of my Pokemon the Flash move I got long ago. 

 

The cave is darker than the darkest I’ve ever seen. I can’t see my hands in front of my face. It’s cold. My heart is beating in my throat. Tears are streaming from my eyes. I want out. 

 

All of my Pokemon are fainted. It turns out I’m not the only young hotshot itching to be the champion. I might have been able to beat the few trainers who stumbled across me, but my Pokemon were still weak from my battle with Wallace in Sootopolis. So here I was, lost in a pitch black cave, with no one or Pokemon to help me.

 

Panic had struck me long ago. What if I never get out? What if I break my ankle on a rock I can’t see and can’t move? What if a Pokemon attacks? I look over my shoulder, uselessly. I swear something is following me.

 

Getting desperate, I scream HELP. It reverberates and dies in the rocky walls that entomb me. Who knows if anyone heard it? My breathing is getting shallow, walls are getting tighter around me, I can’t stretch my arms out fully without touching cold stone.

 

Then something taps my shoulder twice.

 

Startled, I gasp aloud through my tears and turn around. “Who’s there?” I sputter, voice trembling. I wait for a response…

 

But no one is there.

 

“Help me!” I desperately plead again, but to no one.

 

I drop to my knees and put my head in my hands. I’m losing my mind. I hyperventilate, though I know it doesn’t help. Deep in the cave it feels like there isn’t enough oxygen for me. I gasp and reach for fresh air, but my lungs can’t find it. I whimper and lay down on the damp ground. How could I have done this to myself and my Pokemon? I took everything for granted.

 

An indiscriminate amount of time passes. I just laid there until I calmed down a bit, and I must have drifted asleep. It might have been an hour or five minutes. There was no way to tell with no light or other reference. At least the tears have dried up for now. 

 

I weakly push myself back up to my feet. I’m fatigued and my limbs are weak, but I trudge on anyway, for the sake of my Pokemon who I dragged into this situation. Where did I go wrong? I would have never been in this situation as a kid. I felt invincible as I came in, but I was sorely mistaken. 

 

“Help!” I feebly cry out again to anyone nearby. It doesn’t echo nearly as much as before. Each step is a calculated use of remaining energy as I go through the darkness, likely in circles… 

 

Something taps my shoulder. 

 

I sigh aloud in relief. I can’t see anyone, but I say again, “Please help! I’m lost and don’t know how to get out!”

 

But nothing responds. 

 

I’m worn out beyond belief, I lean up against a wall I can’t see and slowly sink until I’m sitting. Surely I’m not losing my mind.

 

“Please,” I say through renewed tears, “show yourself!” I look around, squinting through the darkness, to try and see something. Nothing.

 

I put my head in my hands again. I wipe my eyes and smooth my hair back and resolve to try once more. If I can’t make it out, I’ll release my Pokemon and hope they at least can get out when they slowly recover, if they ever do. I look up. 

 

Directly in front of me is a pair of glowing blue eyes.

 

I scream and recoil backwards into the hard wall, falling back down on my butt. I put my hand up to try and protect myself in vain. Here now is a Pokemon who wants me out of its home. It will attack me and that will be the end of my journey. I got this far at least. 

 

But it just stands there, watching me with its gleaming eyes. I can hardly breathe as I wait for my fate… But it doesn’t come quickly. I put my hand down and watch the eyes that are watching me. They tilt like they’re curious. 

 

Feeling a bit less threatened, I choke out, “Can you help me, please?”

 

The Pokemon makes a noise. Its body is outlined as it too starts to glow. I can see it now, a Medicham. But it looks different than any I’ve seen. Must be the darkness…

 

It stretches out its hand, but doesn’t touch me. It wants me to trust it. I reach out and gently take its hand. Like a pulse of electricity running through my veins, I feel invigorated. I have energy, my head is clear and my legs are strong enough to stand. I sigh in relief.

 

“Recover… Incredible.” The medicham stops glowing as it stops transferring me its psychic energy. “Thank you, Medicham. You’ve saved me and my friends.” 

 

It replies, but doesn’t let go of my hand. It keeps hold as it starts to lead the way.

 

I can’t help but laugh in joy. “Will you lead me out?” 

 

It responds affirmingly. I laugh again. The tears are still here, but their cause is now different. We walked and trudged through Victory Road, Medicham leading the way, until we could see light at the end of the tunnel. As we moved closer to salvation, I examined my rescuer. I couldn’t help but say wow.

 

I knew Medicham to be pink and white, but this one was blue where pink should have been.

 

We finally emerged from the cave, Ever Grande City looming over us nearby. I looked down and saw I was completely covered in dirt and filth. I laughed at the sight of it.

 

“Thank you again, Medicham.” It let go of my hand and looked at me longingly. 

 

I took an even closer look in the actual daylight now. Medicham wasn’t in much better shape than me. It looked beaten and worn. Then it collapsed, like I had earlier - it fainted. My trainer instincts took over, instincts that I had forgotten when I entered Victory Road. I would never take them for granted again. I scooped the Medicham up and ran towards the towering stadium.

 

 

* * * 

 

 

“It seems Medicham was rejected from its pack because of its unique coloring.” Nurse Joy explained as I sat in the waiting room of the connected Pokemon Center. The Final Stadium stood nearby, but I hadn't yet spared it a glance. Nurse Joy continued, “Victory Road is infamous for having crueler Pokemon than you might see in the rest of Hoenn. This sort of thing is common, though most rejected Pokemon don’t make it out… You likely saved this Medicham’s life.”

 

I chuckled. “Really it saved my life. I had gotten lost in the cave and all my Pokemon were fainted and I had no items to help me escape. He found me and used Recover then led me out.”

 

“How are your other Pokemon?”

 

“Ah!” I sat up in my chair. I had completely forgotten about my other Pokemon. “They need to be healed as well.” I removed the Pokeballs from my belt and handed them over.

 

“I see. Please wait here while I heal these Pokemon. Medicham should be out shortly.” She turned and went off to work. I sat and waited for Medicham to come…

 

Medicham, it said as it emerged from the Nurse’s office, looking a lot healthier. I got up and ran over to it, bringing it into an embrace. As I held it, I felt no pity for it, only determination - determination to see it at the top of the Pokemon League, as I had once dreamed, as I still dreamed. I had been in its spot: a castaway on the edge of Hoenn, an ambitious young trainer who people scoffed at. Now we were both here at the end, together.

 

I pulled away, but still held it at arm's length. “Medicham, would you like to join my team?”

 

The Medicham smiled and nodded. Its blue colors looked radiant in the light, shining. 

 

“Today, we will become champions.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

“Medicham, Hi Jump Kick!” I shrieked over the crowd’s thunderous cheers. Steven Stone, the Champion, and his Metagross stood across the battlefield from me. Our last Pokemon, Medicham versus Metagross, fought ferociously for the title of Champion. This was the very last obstacle, the last Pokemon standing between us and the top.

 

I could barely hear Steven yell, “Meteor Mash!” 

 

The Metagross slid across the ground to feint and slip under Medicham’s kick. It raised one of its front arms and punched, like a hydraulic press made to destroy anything under it. A final desperate attack with the force of every one of its defeated opponents behind it. A champion’s attack.

 

I could feel Medicham’s energy and mine meld together, like we were one. I could see through its eyes, and it mine. Our strength and unwavering will were pooled - one and the same.

 

Medicham glowed, filling the arena with a luminous aura. Time seemed to slow. Though the Metagross’ Meteor Mash was faster than the blink of an eye, Medicham dodged effortlessly, pirouetting into its windup.

 

Medicham spun and let fly the most vicious kick the Pokemon League had ever seen. It was faster than Metagross’ piston because of the emotion behind it. It was stronger because of the bond I shared with it. 

 

The kick connected, right between Metagross’ eyes. At once, the Metagross flew out of the arena and through the wall, crumbling all around it. The kick had seemed to precede its sound - a shockwave was sent throughout the stadium, a sonic boom temporarily deafening everyone.

 

I watched the wall, holding my breath, though I knew it was over. I had felt it, just as my Medicham had. Then I heard the announcer.

 

“Metagross is unable to battle! The challenger wins the battle and is the new Pokemon League Champion!” I couldn’t even hear the crowd. I ran onto the field and took Medicham into another embrace. We were the new champions.

 

 

 

IGN: Dekydek

 

The Cute Eevee

 

Once upon a time, a child was watching the television. The TV was showing a documentary focused on Pokemons. Today's topic was about the Eevee's, their different evolutionary forms, and the reason why they have so many evolutions. The child was mesmerized by the cuteness of the Pokemon on the TV, and subconsciously thought. 'I want an Eevee as a starter!' 

 

That night, after the child's parents returned home, he told them about the documentary he watched and told them that he wanted an Eevee as a starter. Despite Eevee being an expensive Pokemon that their family can't afford, the parents still promised the child with a smile on their faces thinking that this was just a momentary whim.

 

...

 

Years passed, the child is already 12 years old. Through the years, he has fallen more and more in love with the Eevee Pokemon. He studied the Pokemon's data, the different requirement for evolution, as well as writing a training plan for it! On his birthday, he was very giddy thinking about starting his journey with his favorite Pokemon.

 

The boy's parents watched their child through the years. Seeing his efforts and not wanting to disappoint him, they took side jobs and exhausted themselves to earn enough money. However, it is still not enough. The husband has no choice but to check for an Eevee in the underground market.

 

Pumping himself up, he carefully searched the different stalls. And finally, he saw an Eevee that he could afford. All the Pokemon in that area are thin and weak, looking like they're on the verge of death. The husband has already looked around most of the area, and they could only afford this Eevee.

 

...

 

The boy looked at the weak Eevee in front of him. His parents apologized to him, saying that this was the only Eevee they could get. The boy told them not to mind, just optimistically thinking to himself 'I'll train it so that it becomes stronger quickly and be the best Eevee!'

 

Weeks passed, the Eevee was very clingy to the boy. They slept together, trained together, and traveled together. The Eevee lost its malnourished form and regained the normal look of its species. Standing at the gate of the first gym, the boy and Eevee looked at each other, confidence overflowing from their eyes.

 

...They were crushed. They can't even get past the first Pokemon of the gym leader. The boy comforted the Eevee, telling her that it was his fault for not training her properly.

 

So after healing, the boy and the Eevee continued their journey. Training, challenging, and then getting beaten by the Gym leader, the cycle continued for two months until the Gym leader became annoyed of their constant challenge. Giving the badge to the boy, he gave a word of advice

 

"Discard that Pokemon and choose another one. I know you only have enough money to cultivate one Pokemon, so don't waste it. Its talent is simply lacking, it hasn't even progressed this two months!"

 

Both the boy and Pokemon were devastated by what the Gym leader had done, as well as his parting words. Throwing the badge back at his face, the boy and the Eevee ran.

 

They spent the rest of the year travelling the region, constantly challenging the gym leaders. Even until the Indigo League this year started, they haven't won a single badge.

 

The boy was in deep doubts, the words of the first gym leader echoing in his mind. The Eevee was guilty for not living up to the boys trust. She pushed her body, training herself even until the dead of the night. 

 

The boy watched the broadcast of the Indigo League, fascinated by the strength of the Pokemons there. Looking back at his Eevee, he began to hesitate whether to replace it. Her increase in strength is abysmal, and the evolution stone he spent all his allowance for doesn't work on her. 

 

The Indigo League ended and the Gyms resumed operation. His decision of keeping the Eevee continued to waver with each gym leader they weren't able to beat. The boy and Pokemon became more and more frustrated. Although the boy doesn't say anything, he no longer comforts the Eevee after each defeated battle. He began looking at other Pokemon in the Pokenet while in their spare time.

 

Their separation was inevitable. Both of them knew it. The boy is indifferent, even looking forward to it. He was only lamenting how naive he was as a child. The Eevee, meanwhile, cling to her Trainer more and more. She doesn't want to be abandoned by her saviour, but she was ignored.

 

On one night, while the Eevee was sleeping, exhausted from its training, the boy took it back in the Pokeball. Locking the Pokeball, the boy headed towards the meeting place with the buyer. Exchanging the Pokeball with a sum of cash, the boy was excited at the thought of finally getting a strong Pokemon. 

 

The buyer let out the Eevee for confirmation. Opening her bleary eyes, the Eevee looked at the figure of its trainer and another human figure shaking hands. With her human saying goodbye to her, the Eevee understood what happened. Tears accumulate at the corner of her eyes. She let out a loud whimper before suddenly being taken back in the Pokeball.

 

The boy never forgot that sound...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eevee was my favorite Pokemon when I was a child. I even had my drawer full of its stickers. When I played Fire red for the first time, I was so happy when I got the Eevee. Then...it was trashed. I remember its move pool being limited then. Flareon being my favorite Eeveelution was also useless according to child me. Anyways, here is a dramatic story on how I let my Eevee rot in the PC.

 

 

 

 

IGN: PrinBruce

 

 

On a certain day, at a certain time, dark was the sky and snowy were the mountains, sorrowing for the lack of happiness that all living beings had to pass through. A world so competitive that imperfection was not allowed in any way. Pokemon discarded for genes, people discarded for not being emotionless. In such a place, how could a loving boy thrive?

 

There was PrinBruce, guided by a childish heart of his age, caring for all beings under the sky. Through his adventures, he had caught a glimpse of the Heart of a Trainer, the state in which one truly bonds with his pokemon. That was his dream, to have the Heart of a Trainer, and for so he would devote his life.

 

Life was good, but not fair. Such was the society that forced him to act in spite of his caring personality. At 8, he had to battle an ekans with but a stick, and was able to make it his friend with just a couple scratches. At 10, he was already handling tauros with ease.

 

But it can be said his journey truly started at the age of 16. In his town, 16 was the age of adulthood, and it was a tradition for the boys to go to the capital with their strongest pokemon and try their luck at the National Competition of Battling. PrinBruce, knowing that battling, even though not the only thing that makes someone a trainer, was an important step to acknowledging yours and your pokemon limits and strengths.

 

The problem was: PrinBruce, though having befriended many creatures, had only a few as real partners. He lacked an ace, a pokemon that could help him push through fierce battles and bond deeply than anything else.

 

With nothing but a couple pokeballs, his red cap and some water, he ventured into the woods, far deeper than he had ever gone. He would go deeper, he had to. It was cold, but nothing was colder than not being able to accomplish your dream, and that he could not accept.

 

Through his way, Bruce saw many pokemon. Some known by him, others indifferent to his presence, living their own lifes in a subtle and natural way. That was, until he came to a place with nothing, no trees, no life. The only thing other than him was the sizzling earth, earth that moved like the wind and his heart.

 

Wanting to rest a bit, he laid down on the earth, eyeing the skies with passion. He connected with the earth after a certain time. A strange state he had never entered before took over him. The deep earth beneath his body would accompany his heart beatings. He laid there for long, but not long enough for others to look for him.

 

It was then that he felt it, sadness. A weird sensation of sadness grew in him as he felt the earth and its movements. He didn’t know the reason, but he felt lonely. Desolate between humans. No one other than pokemon could truly understand him, he could not bear other people nearly as well.

 

7 days and 7 nights passed, yet his frail body wouldn’t move an inch to give the wind the space it demanded. The boy had connected with God knows what, and he knew he could not abandon it. The sadness, the feeling of abandonment, he could not treat that creature the way he had been treated. His red cap had lost its color, it was now a deep blue.

 

As his heart had its last beating and could not support itself anymore, the creature - or better, the pokemon - with which he had bonded came from deep inside the earth to the surface. There, it stood proudly. A steelix, the metal ouroboros, the dream and horror of many, came to him, picked up his weak body and took him into the woods again.

 

PrinBruce woke up one day later, resting his body against the metal snake. Yet, he could not feel any cold, no, only the heat that came from it. He didn’t know how, but he had not perished, and actually felt stronger than before, his body emanating a slightly metallic glow. Thankfully, his other pokemon had enough food and water inside their pokeballs for when he was asleep.

 

One did not need words to understand the other, they already knew each other’s stories more than their own parents, and that wasn’t an exaggeration. Bruce, better than anyone else what Steelix had suffered. Created for breeding purposes, then being abandoned for not being perfect enough. Since then, he lived far beneath the surface of the planet, alone, desolate.

 

And so they made their way to the capital, with nothing but an indomitable spirit and curiosity. Both had never seen a city so big, and it was quite the experience. Steelix could not venture into the more crowded areas thanks to its size, but it could feel everything that happened there, as if he could see through the boy’s eyes.

 

They had an incredible time together, and both knew that parting ways was not an option. Beneath the longest and oldest tree of the capital, Steelix officially accepted him as his companion, his friend. Through laughs and worries of the anxious vendors, they chose the ball that would better accommodate Steelix, or better, many that he liked. They didn’t have much, but both were certain they would get more after beating the upcoming tournament.

 

Both trained as much as they could, along with the other 5 companions Bruce had. It was quite worrisome, but they all had a good time. Drinking from spring water and morning dew that would make a phoenix jealous, eating berries and sleeping under the comfortable, yet temporarily unbreakable veil of the night.

 

It was then that, just the night before the tournament, they found a meteorite that had just fallen from the sky. It glowed and had parted into two pieces, one which Steelix accidentally ate and the other which PrinBruce’s body absorbed, shocking both. Strangely, Steelix had a melancholic expression after consuming it, as if he knew something more. But the boy could not inquire with his friend, as they had to sleep and rest for the big day.

 

And so came the National Competition of Battling, the day in which dreams would come true and feelings would shatter. Everyone was suffering from a mixture of worry, anxiety and fear, and the two friends weren’t different. They were overwhelmed by emotions and knew how important it all was.

 

However, they had a surprise right after their first battle. It seemed like their good work had paid off. In just a couple of minutes his enemy had lost. Compared to the other young teens and their pokemon, he was unchallengeable. Victory after victory, he and his pokemon swept the tournament with ease, happiness taking over them as they grew closer to the finals.

 

The tournament is already won, or so they thought. There was only one enemy left now, the old champion. A middle aged woman that protected the country from threats and was the hope of everyone on it. She, Madeleine, was the real challenge, far stronger than any of those teenagers playing with their pokemon.

 

As kind as she was as the pinnacle of glory, battling Madeleine was terrifying, and Bruce noticed it really soon. He was pushed through his limits constantly and was soon down to 2 pokemon, his Steelix and an injured one that almost fainted. It was a fierce battle, the recently built gym nearly destroyed from each of the combats. With newfound trust, they finished each and every one of Madeleine's pokemon, except her own ace, a togekiss, her pride as a trainer.

 

The winner was to be decided soon. Togekiss entered the battle already hurt by the stealth rocks in the arena. Enraged, it tried to melt Steelix with a flamethrower, but the metal snake survived by just a bit.

 

It was the most important moment of the battle, both pokemon injured, their trainers sweating and tired. One wrong decision and it would all go to waste. The winner was to be decided, and so was the user.

 

• I lost. - PrinBruce said, sounding as calm as the ocean, as turbulent as the abyss.

 

Tears pouring down his face, metallic ones. His dream was almost there. All he had to do was command Steelix to explode. Thanks to the custap berry it had, it would hit first and go down along with the togekiss, leaving the injured pokemon Bruce had as the only one in battle and, thus, making him the winner. But he could not accept that, he would never, never abandon his best friend because of selfish dreams.

 

But it still hurt. It hurt a lot. Madeleine would retire soon, and he would never formally become the champion after this, only a shadow, a substitute, he could not accept that, no.

 

It was then it happened. In front of the whole crowd, dashing the most disturbing scream anyone ever heard, Steelix transformed. Like he had reacted to the meteorite from the other day, immense spikes grew from inside it. Its form multiplied manyfolds. A huge snake turning into a giant creature. It hurt, though, Prin was connected to his pokemon, he knew how it hurt, how it felt like stabbing knives cutting through his soul.

 

• Stop! STOP! PLEASE! I LOST ALREADY! - he begged, but the words vanished like the thin curtain in front of his eyes.

 

Steelix couldn’t stop. It hurt him, but he would not stop and let his trainer down, his companion. He supported the pain, even though he wasn’t strong enough to attack again. He stood proudly but weakly, just the same as an old statue. Full of glory, but powerless.

 

He was, however, strong enough to explode himself. And so he did. With a smile on his face, watery drops making his hard face wet. A compressed explosion bringing togekiss and him down.

 

It was then that the boy felt his heart shatter. He had not noticed, but his Trainer Heart was already whole before the tournament. He did not need to prove himself, him and his pokemon were one altogether, they were a whole. One could not sacrifice himself for their good, because they were each other’s good.

 

Bruce ran inside it, not bearing to see his pokemon suffering so much. Madeleine tried to help, but her own pokemon were already fainted and she could only get her injured togekiss out of the destruction. The explosion rampaged for long seconds, with the boy and the creature inside. The other pokemon from him going inside the explosion as well, not caring for their own injuries, wanting to be with their friends for eternity.

 

After what felt like an hour but was actually second, the debris calmed down, leaving horror marks throughout the capital. Where the gym previously was, stood a giant statue. One trainer with his black cap and his 6 loved pokemon. He had won, the youngest, yet shortest lived champion on the whole continent. But much more was sacrificed.

 

The skies swept in fury and sadness, feeling the humans undeserving of its best talents. Ho-Oh came from its deep slumber, yet he could not revive what was petrified. Celebi tried to go back in time and save them, but not even time could wash such feelings. At the end, Meloetta came and sang for a whole year, recounting the yearning of youth and the memories of friendship. Legends to legends.

 

What was strange about the statue, though, was that all the 7 members in it were smiling, feeling the warmth of love during the last seconds of their lives. And they would live throughout eternity there, no one daring to feel disrespectful about it. His town gained the name of metal town, in order to represent the unbreakable bond between him and his pokemon.

 

End.

                      The Hollow                                                Arriving to Lavanda town I met an old man near the forest, he was lonely and his face was hidden behind a big hat. When interacting with that man he told me a story about the hidden tower from Lavanda town.
There was a great tower some time ago -I don't know if it still exists- that an inexperienced traveler accidentally discovered.
And he regretted it.
The traveler was flying over the town when he discovered an area that was not on the map. Out of mere curiosity, he went down to the top of it with the idea of continuing down, but once he set foot on the tower, his Pelipper quickly fled. He cursed himself for his bad luck and kept going down.
The more he went down he felt a presence on the back of his neck that gave him goosebumps and he listened around him as the shadows whispered the regrets he still didn't know he had. He was walking through the dark corridor trying to find the stairs that would take him to the next floor in order to escape from the agony he felt. Each step echoed throughout the room and the traveler found himself increasingly lost.
As he managed to get out of the corresponding rooms he saw more and more, meanwhile the little lights crowded around him. The room in which he stopped, since he couldn't find the way out, was extremely dark, even despite having windows the moon seemed not to be on his side. The roof was in ruins and there were parts where there was not even a wall separating the rooms from the floor. He was walking fearful, the situation seemed to be playing with his mind, making him see smoke ghosts in every corner. At one point he heard a noise near some fallen beams, he decided to investigate that, so he took a few steps and extended his hand to where the sound was coming from. Getting closer and slower. Every drop of sweat seemed like it would betray the fear of him to the entire tower. Although already fed up with his cowardice, in a "leap of faith", he approached the beams and discovered what scared him so much. A Hanter suddenly appeared and started chasing him.
Wasting no more time, he turned and ran. The little chilling lights were his eyes in that place, so he followed the path they pointed out to him. The Haunter was still behind him. The monster almost caught him at times and the breath from those jaws was like a warning that he could pass it because: “What do Haunters eat? Why was he chasing him?"
He ran and ran, faster and faster and the more he looked back to make sure it wasn't longer and more horrible he saw the Haunter's tongue. He thought he was lost but the candles that illuminated his path also gave him an escape route. So he followed them down ten more floors.
Upon reaching the top floor he saw a light, it must be the door, there was no other. He rushed into it as the Haunter seemed more intent on catching him, and when he least thought he would, he arrived.
He hugged that light as much as he could and escaped from the haunter. And that was the end of the story the old man told me.
When I pass through Lavanda I don't even look for the hidden tower because I know the Chandeliur will be at the end of it. 

ING:Wolfangt

Edited February 27, 20232 yr by Wolfangt
Mistake

When alone, nothing happens. However, if there are two or more, an odd power is said to emerge.

 

Our friends lookUp and heartily. Congratulate us

• nger is all we feel. We are not afraid to say that we are angry. How could we not be? Everything we love, and everything we care about... gone in an instant. Time if fleeting as it is, and to have it cut short is short of infuriating. If only there was something I could do, but I am too weak. Far too weak to do anything. I laugh at my lack of strength. More bark than bite. Much ado about nothing.
• We were too angry to ear with the consequences of our actions. Indeed, even if we were at fault, was this not but an exaggerated form retribution? Did we deserve what we got? Did I deserve the punishment I got for the actions of those whose opinion would not sway even if I screamed as loud as I could? I cannot bear with this pain. Can you?
• I will hase you until the end of the times. I will chase your lineage and other who share your ideals. This eternal cat and mouse chase will be my legacy. I refuse to be forgotten. I refuse to be erased. If this is how my existence shall end, I will make sure it isn't forgotten, because I am taking you with me.
• irect directions directed our destiny and doomed us all. I know I am "late to the party", so to speak, but all I can do is apologize profusely. I did not mean for anything like this to happen. Are words empty? Because that's all we have now. When you are stuck, sometimes the only way out is pushing through, and that's what we did.
• You can ngage in self-loathing all you want, or you can try your hardest to get over what ails you. Sometimes pain and suffering seems like everything you see, but things can and will get better. Am I stupid for thinking this way? Maybe I am, but if optimism makes me stupid, then I don't want to be smart. That's what I think.
• I search and search across the rubble of time, but I cannot seem to ind you anywhere any more. I refuse to believe this is how our story ends. That just like that, out of the blue, one day you are gone and will never come back. How do you expect me to carry on like this? How does the world expects me to move on, just like that? I want to find you.
• I would ive anything to be back, but I possess nothing any more. I am nothing more than an idea now. I vaguely exist, and will not do so any more when you are not there to remind me any more, but I will still try to give you as much love as I can. Because I love you more than you could ever imagine.
• Everybody screams for elp, yet no one can lend a hand. Deafening screams that I am just honestly tired of. I wish I could silence everybody and everything. It is pointless to keep begging for help, because I am not going to help you. No one can. No one will help us.
• We ncrease every day. There are more of us and it feels daunting to stand up amongst this crowd. With every step that time takes, we increase and increase. A silly game of numbers. Even the best mathematician would struggle trying to count us. I guess that's funny, how this number is so much bigger than us. Numbers.
• You too will oin us one day, whether you want it or not. I could say more, but what else is there left to be said? I will tell you all about it when you come...
• No matter what happens, we must eep on advancing. The days seem much darker and colder than the nights of yore, but I refuse to let that stop me. I know that more and more think the way I do, and I know time will show I was right all along.
• Live and augh. Lovely irony that seems to laugh at my expense. Imagine escaping from one sticky situation just to end up glued in that very same scenario much later and, not only that, but you end up having it easier than others who suffered the same. Genuinely shocked and just laughing about it. What else is there to do?
• If I learned something after centuries is that you have to ake the pain go away yourself. Only you can make it stop hurting. Some turn to other feelings equally dangerous to get rid of their sorrow. If I told you what I did to drown my own, it would not help. You must make it yourself.
• Walk park. Pant softly. uzzle you. You laugh. I laugh. We laugh. We walk. We happy. We different. But happy. Happy forever.
• Feel free to bserve the exhibitions, the show, the data, the numbers, the statistics. Such morbid curiosity, to want to look at them from the comfort of our cozy abodes. But we do it for science and for history, for morality and for information. In order for the mistakes of the past to not happen over and over, we must be aware of them in the first place. So we look and look. Observe and observe until our eyes get teary. These tears are of exhaustion. Or maybe of something else entirely?
• Yes, it did erform better than we thought it would. When we began, I thought this would feel more rewarding. But attaining a goal does nothing but makes us wonder what should we try to go for next. The glory we bask on after a successful endeavor lasts but a blink. Back to work.
• Please, uicken my arrival. I do not think I can handle it any longer. I constantly get told to push through and continue, but they are not me. They do not know how this feels. They do not know I am exhausted and on the verge. I want this to be quick.
• eassure me again that we will be fine. I hear your words and your nice tone, and I know we will be fine, but when you stop talking I once again think that this might not be as easy as you make it seem. But I know you would never lie to me.
• earch. Search for what, exactly? Something. Anything. Justify our existence and search for something we can do. I do not want you to say again that there is nothing left, because that cannot be true. There will always be something to search and save. We are not useless.
• ell me. Do tell us all why. You know what we are asking, do you not? So do it. Tell us. And be snappy about it. Centuries of waiting have made us cranky.
• Would if, if I could, ndo all that happened? Yes. Can I undo it? No. So why bother? Why care so much about what you can't change? I don't know why you constantly hurt you when there is nothing you can do about all this any more.
• I woke up and just like that they all anished and ditched me. I am all alone now. Even if we didn't interact, I appreciated their company and now they are gone. I am all alone now.
• I ant some milk. I want some food. I am satisfied now. I want to sleep. I want to be awake now, but I can not. I do not know why.
• ield.
• oom out of this and realize that you are only one. You will only be you once, so make the most out of it. You never know when it will be over.

 

When Unown is alone, nothing happens.

IGN: IaraLuv

Edited March 1, 20232 yr by IaraLuv
Forgot to add my in-game name

Roughly 24 hours from this message left to send your entries! 

When I started my Pokemon adventure in the Kanto Region, my favorite Pokemon was Charizard. I loved the design and the context that developed in the animated series, but with time I realized that the whole world was obsessed with Charizard. Something that I dislike the most, is being coventional and just another one in the stack, and for this reason I was inclined more towards Blastoise. So, growing in my career as a Pokémon trainer, I arrived at a new prospect in the second region, the Johto Region.  It was there that I found my beloved Scizor.  Scizor is by far the best Pokémon obtainable. He is adamant, constant, and immovable.  It doesn’t matter how much damage he recieves, he’s always calm and ready to make the next move with his ability “technician”. He has a firm mind and continually puts his trust in his trainer.   Without a doubt, he’s a pokemon with which I love to live the competitve experience, knowing that I have a trustworthy Pokémon who’s safe and reliable. 

 

If I had an adventure, it would go like this: In the Johto region, in a bug type Pokémon catching competition, located in the National Park, I would be captivated on catching my favorite Pokémon that I would find.  After having caught many bug types on the way as a warm-up, I finally crossed paths with “the Chosen One”, Scyther, and later in a fierce battle, I would finally catch him in a pokeball! 

 

With great resolve, I would then go directly to trade my newly captured pokemon through linktrade, holding the metal coat, to obtain it’s evolved form, Scizor.  And after intense training to improve his strength and abilities, I would go forth to best other pokemon trainers and their teams to raise my pokemon to their max level.  I would then be in the perfect conditions to go up against the Shiny Metagross, of the animated series.  The very same that confronted James from Team Rocket! (Mememes)

 

The encounter would happen like this…The great Metagross would start by ferociously attacking with “Rock Slide”; Scizor blocking the rocks with “Sword Dance”.  Then, in response, Scizor attacks with “Bug Bite”, inflicting considerable damage, and further infuriating an already enraged Metagross.

Metagross would then use “Hammer Arm”, with Scizor then responding with “Superpower” in which both would be repelled.  Metagross uses “Psychic”, and then taking advantage of the situation, I would use “Sword Dance”, to make the following movement of Metagross less efficient.  Metagross would then attack with a rapid “Bullet Punch”, and I would finish him off with “Bug Bite”, without giving him time to recover.  As a result of this epic battle, I’d then capture the great Shiny Metagross, the pokemon that no other trainer could catch; the very same that bested so many trainers that went up against its prowess.  And then with a couple good “mons”, I would continue forward to live millions adventures more! ❤️

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Bee Snake's Chance

by JeanMarcH

 

Some people fall in love with their favorite Pokemon at first sight. Others discover their favorites after a pokemon they liked grew even more on them. For a few, their favorites end up stealing their hearts by pure accident. This tale is one of such stories, one where a Pokemon meant for abandonment ended up finding hope and a lovely home.

 

For this story, we shall go back to Christmas of 2013. Under the Christmas tree there was a copy of Pokemon Y waiting for me. I had been excited to try some of the new features and quality of life improvements that the first 3d entry of the main series were going to offer us. An easier time breeding competitive ready pokemon, friend safaris, wonder trade, all things I was looking forward to.

 

To try the wonder trade feature out, I ended up catching a Dunsparce in an early route. After multiple failed attempts to connect online (because the servers were up all day due to the amount of people who tried going online), I couldn’t trade it like I originally planned to. Since I wanted to play the game more than I wanted to get rid of the bee patterned snake. I progressed and quickly encountered the game’s first gym.

 

“If you want to stay, here’s your chance to prove yourself” I thought to myself as I sent Dunsparce. As if it has read my thoughts, it decided to not only perform well but sweep the gym on its own. “Ok, you’re okay this time, but you’re still on thin ice buddy” was how I reacted after that small feat. The adventure continued without any major hurdle or anything noteworthy until we reached the second gym. Similarly to the first gym, Dunsparce swept the gym on its own. Considering that it was a rock gym this time, it looked more impressive, but not enough for me to change my tune. We quickly got to the 3rd gym, and this time it would be its biggest challenge yet: a fighting gym. Dunsparce comes in and starts doing its thing. Mienfoo goes down without much struggle from Dunsparce, same with Hawlucha. It’s now Machoke’s turn, and as hard as Dunsparce tried, it still wasn’t enough for it to take the Machoke down. Whatever pokemon I had in the back finished it off, and I realized that by now, the wonder trade would be back up, and I would finally try it out.

 

I try going online, and this time, it finally succeeds. I select the wonder trade, quickly select my Pokemon, and the trading cutscene shows that I’m about to get an Eevee. I was pretty excited to get that for the random Flabébé I caught at some point. What, did you really expect me to have traded Dunsparce at that point? Come on, I’m not that heartless. After seeing it do its best, I couldn’t help myself from getting attached to that little underdog. After the effort it put in I figured that it would be able to handle most of the major hurdles of the run, and that’s exactly what happened: remaining gyms? Dunsparced. Elite 4? Dunsparced. Evil organisation that wants to do a genocide for the sake of beauty? Dunsparced. Giant bacon-like bird of death? That’s right, freaking Dunsparced.

 

It might’ve been something along the line of 12 hours, maybe 16 at most, but it had been enough for me to turn my opinion of Dunsparce from wonder trade fodder from an underdog I cheered for during each of my battles, with the worst part being that it probably would’ve never happened if Nintendo knew how to run their servers. And while it might be a story that looks like it would be forgotten or replaced with another similar story in a future run, but if you ever see me at a live tournament, you might see a familiar friend accompanying me.

A shipwreck in the middle of the desert - quite a curious sight I had stumbled upon in my journey through the Orre region. Such a strange situation that I had no choice but to investigate. Unsurprisingly the scene was littered with a variety of grunts and the like, dispatched with ease as my team and I had done many times prior. Eventually I found myself in the heart of the wreckage and was drawn deeper by a strange childlike cry. Eager to be the hero yet again, I pressed forward to rescue our unknown friend in distress. What I saw was not a person, but what looked like a small tree. It immediately leapt into my arms while continuing to let out its pathetic sniveling cry. I suppose I've had stranger things happen. This is how I met Bonsly. 

As it turns out, Bonsly was an undiscovered Pokemon. I didn't have any significant data on the little guy until I made it to Sinnoh - it was recognized immediately when I received the 4th Generation model Pokedex from Rowan. My sapling partner had enjoyed collecting dust in my PC up to this point, but finally I could check out his potential and hopefully slot him in to yet another world-saving team. I think it is important for me to note that I believe every Pokemon has its own merit and potential - I've used traditionally "bad" Pokemon with great success. Everybody has their chance to help me on our journey. I learned this important lesson after defeating the final member of the Elite Four in the Kanto region.

This, however... this was far from my favorite. Never in my journeys had I seen something so weak and downright pathetic as Bonsly. To put it lightly, a spot on my team does not come easy. Even my Zigzagoon proves itself to be the pinnacle of utility, cutting countless trees with ease and bravely surfing me across treacherous terrain. My weakest members have proven themselves time and time again inside and outside of combat. Bonsly on the other hand... well, he can make himself cozy again in my PC. 

 

A fair bit of time passed after I traveled across time and space in pursuit of a depressed man trying to harness the power of God to defeat a 10 year old. Sinnoh's champion proved to be the most challenging yet, but I managed to scrape out a close win versus Cynthia. I learned the valuable lesson here that you should not ask the League Champion for their number after defeating them, but we carry on. 

 

The Unova region was a new challenge, but in a different regard. This is where I had the toughest time finding the right partners for the job. I waited and waited but the right guys just never seemed to show up. I certainly wasn't using the ice cream cone... or the gears...

I settled on a working 5-man squad and as you can guess this is Bonsly's part of the story. I figured I owed the little guy some screen time - even if he wouldn't be helping out in any battles, he could tag along as the 6th man. 

We made our way through the region, Bonsly happily spectating from the confines of my backpack. He watched my Darmanitan blitz its way through battles, my Archeops smash the opposition, and Haxorus claw us closer to the League. Team Plasma's guys were hot on our case despite N hitting on me in a ferris wheel earlier. I guess he was all talk. At this point I'm used to it - there is never a straightforward path to the championship.

 

The climax of our story unfolds in Team Plasma's castle where the impromptu champion waiting for me is Ghetsis. A worthy opponent. We traded blows first - my Zoroark dispatching Cofagrigus as Bouffalant avenges its fallen teammate. No matter - Darmanitan's Superpower proves to be enough to power through the buffalo as Seismitoad comes out next. It takes my next attack as Earthquake proves to be too much for Darmanitan to take, evening the score to 4-4. The weakened toad was nothing short of free for my Archeops and Ghetsis follows with his Eelektross - a surefire kill with a powerful Head Smash. Unfortunate does not begin to describe the next series of events as Archeops whiffs the attack and is immediately dealt with by a Thunderbolt. I had a Cofagrigus of my own that was able to outlast Eelektross thanks in part to its high defenses, but it was no match for Ghetsis's ace Hydreigon that followed. This has been a close battle up this point, but with only 2 Pokemon remaining for Ghetsis I know my Haxorus had the firepower to close it out. I loaded up a Dragon Claw and fired it off in the face of Hydreigon, waiting for the hydra to drop...

It didn't. Maybe I could have trained my Haxorus better. Maybe we were missing the power of friendship or something. I can't say. For the first time in my Pokemon journey I was staring into the eyes of defeat. I had Bonsly remaining to take down the crippled Hydreigon and Ghetsis's final Pokemon. Begrudgingly, I sent out Bonsly. It looked back at me as if it was ready to cry. The three-headed dragon opposite the field reared back to attack, charging up a Dragon Pulse before... it faints. Miraculously, Bonsly had struck first. The little tree jumped up and down in glee, happy to have finally assisted in a battle. I'm shocked... how could he use Sucker Punch despite having no hands?!

 

I guess our fake tree friend has some tricks up his sleeve, but surely this is where it ends. Ghetsis's Bisharp, his final Pokemon, not only resists our attacks but quickly eliminates it with Iron Head. Strangely, Bonsly didn't show the cowardice he did versus Hydreigon. It ran straight towards Bisharp to attack, surely having no idea what he is getting into. A smug smile forms on Bisharp's metallic face before it smashes a devastating Iron Head into the baby Pokemon, pummelling Bonsly straight into the ground like the tree it was pretending to be. The sound echoed throughout the battlefield before the silence set in. For the first time, I had lost. I turn to retreat from Ghetsis, but not before the silence is broken by a cry. The same cry I had heard long ago in the shipwreck - it was Bonsly. Unfainted. 

 

Despite all odds, the Sturdy Pokemon barely survived the hit. I exchanged glances with Ghetsis as he laughed, begging me to make one final move before Bisharp puts us down for good. Bonsly, on its last leg, tearfully looked at me before getting back up and moving towards the opponent. Then...

 

Counter.

Bisharp's body immediately exploded.

Kiss my ass Ghetsis, I win.

note: Although I have never used Bonsly on an in-game run, this is a real set I ran in competitive many years ago that provided many funny moments like the one that happened to Bisharp. I will always love Bonsly because of the place it had on that team!

Edited February 28, 20232 yr by drewq

The Mission

IGN: Doughbutts    Favorite: Vigoroth

 

“Counter!” A single crippling word that ruined his day. Red then black then green. A misplaced fire punch was redirected at his Magmar. His pokemon had been beaten into the grass, sharp as if it was an attack itself. The Magmar winced then lay still. Disappointment wasn’t the right word at this point, it was almost indifference. This was a recon mission after all and not only did he fail to stay hidden he failed to win. He was too tired to care and the forest was too hot, besides it wasn’t even his pokemon.

 

“I was sent here for a special purpose”, he thought, “my purpose”. Ray was right, this was a mission passed down by Archer himself. After Giovanni’s disappearance, Team Rocket had been looking to expand their operation into Hoenn and his words were absolute. They were not just orders, they were inevitable. If an agent could not complete their mission someone else would. This was Ray’s mission, he was defeated and there was no back up. He was a Magikarp out of water.

 

In unison he bursted into a sprint while pressing the button on his pokeball. As the Magmar phased into its ball the attackers didn’t know whether to chase or to laugh so they did both. “Despite the hoodies looking stupid those grunts are strong” He was forcing bravery through his waning confidence. The Team Magma grunts gained chase and started firing off attacks in his direction. “Drop the Magmar! What can a pathetic trainer like you use it for anyways?” one grunt mocked. A pyro ball just misses Ray’s head striking the tree next to him causing him to stumble down a slide of mud. “The rental didn’t do its job” he thought.  As a now full fledged agent this was his chance to leave his mark on the organization. No more grunt work, his plan wasn’t to follow in Mondo’s footsteps and become a pack mule for the three stooges of Team Rocket. Pokemon were a means to an end after all, a tool for his mission. He simply just needed another one.

 

Ray counted 3 more pokeballs on his belt. He was dodging and weaving through the trees feeling eyes on him from the treeline. Feeling like he lost the grunts Ray clicked a button on his watch, a screen projected, he sighed. “I thought I was going towards Mauville but I’m closer to Foretree”. He thought for a moment while catching his breath. “I’ll need to stay in the forest tonight”. 

 

Just then a nearby tree starts to splinter then starts tumbling, revealing the grinning Magma grunts. Ray gulped and realized the eyes he felt weren't from them. Just then the falling tree smacks into another, wrestling the branches. Small circular eyes start forming from the leaves above them and they’re getting closer. A gang of small brown Slakoths start falling from the sky led by a particularly small one with a mean glare and scar on its forehead in the shape of an x. Confidently the small Slakoth made a dive bomb for Ray. As he attempts to dive away Ray slips on the wet forest mud forcing him to brace himself. The Slakoth slammed against Ray’s ankle. He howled in pain while other Slakoth started falling onto the Team Magma grunts. 

 

Attacks started firing away. As beams of light and fire were erupting into the skyline more pokemon were disturbed, the angriest among them. The grunts threw the Slakoth off them while the smallest Slakoth had slowly peeled off Ray looking proudly at its accomplishment. Just then they felt a rumbling at their feet. Louder and louder footsteps. They expected a patriarch, a Slaking perhaps, to come to protect its young. They did not expect a monster. 

 

A large red claw comes out of the darkness of the forest and snaps at what was left of a dilapidated tree, crunching it in half. Another swings into a grunt crushing him against a large boulder, knocking him out. They all look in dismay as a massive Crawdaunt emerges firing sharp streams of water. The grunts duck and run for cover. Ray, still on the ground, rotates himself to better see the creature. He notices the small Slakoth no longer looks confident but angry. If it wasn’t for its slow appendages it would have looked like it was trying to run towards the Crawdaunt. 

 

This was not the plan. He was responsible for bringing back strong examples of Hoenn pokemon back to Kanto. All he’d manage to do was lose a battle, break his ankle, and witness a brawl between an alpha crustacean and these slow furballs. Just then he found his answer, the alpha.

 

Ray decided to take advantage of the confusion. He hobbled onto one leg and grabbed the Slakoth by the feet and swung him around with all of his might. “You want to be a tough guy? Go be a tough guy!” Ray let’s go in full swing, hurling the small scarred Slakoth in the direction of the Crawdaunt. 

 

The large Crawdaunt notices the furry projectile and smacks it down in mid air causing the small Slakoth to crash against the ground. It winces and starts crawling away in defeat. Ray is frustrated, he thought it would do more. In his frustration he throws one of his few pokeballs thinking the attacks between the Magma grunts and other Skaloth had done enough damage to weaken it. He was wrong.

 

The Crawdaunt sliced the pokeball in half with a hydro pump so powerful it cut down the tree line behind him. “This power is unreal” he thought. Once again the feeling of indifference was crashing over him. This alpha pokemon is exactly what he’s here for, but he needs a strong pokemon to even weaken it first. As he tried to rationalize he started realizing the inevitable failure of his mission. These grunts that beat me aren’t enough, the Slakoth that injured me isn’t enough…I’m not enough. Ray understood. His tools hadn’t just failed, he had failed. 

 

Maybe there was nothing to return to at Team Rocket. The path of his comrades was paved with similar conflictions. A path to power where enough is never enough. The organization always felt more important than any one single agent yet now Ray is sitting in the mud, broken, wondering if any agent really matters at all. He began feeling sad then angry.

 

As he sat there he noticed the Slakoths moving faster among the treelines and among them he saw the scar. The small Slakoth had made its way back up and was being helped around by the others, being put into position to be launched down to the forest floor again. Amid the chaos the Crawdaunt locks eyes with Ray. It was angrier after the ball he threw. The Crawdaunt started stomping forward spraying water at other Slakoth and Magma grunts along the way. Ray looked around the forest floor. He saw shredded groups of leaves that once belonged to the trees. ‘’This must be the Slakoth’s home, the Crawdaunt is an invader”. He looked back up at the small scarred Slakoth in the sky. He understood the anger in the Slakoth now.

 

Ray could feel the adrenaline take over, he knew what he needed to do, this was his mission. In an instant he screamed for the small creature. “Heeeeeey Slakoth! Over here! I’m still standing did you miss me?”. Remembering the throw the Slakoth focused his aim on Ray. The Crawdaunt was still charging forward. Ray threw his second pokeball towards the alpha as a distraction. Thwap, it gets split in two. 

 

The Slakoth starts groaning. Its arms move faster than before and fires itself with more force from the skyline, its eyes start lighting up. The Crawdaunt finally makes it to Ray and lunges a claw over him to crush him into the ground. Just then they’re both distracted by a white light crashing down overhead. It crunches the Crawdaunt’s claw into the ground just as Ray dashes out of the way. A red plum of hair emerges from the light and two big claws are grasping the Crawdaunt. Vigoroth climbs up the Crawdaunt’s arm and slashes at its eyes.

 

Ray sits back in amazement at the fury and energy of the new white creature. The Vigoroth looks back at Ray with a little more understanding and flips off the Crawdaunt. The alpha retaliates by snatching the Vigoroth in its large claw before it can touch the ground. It squeezes, crunch, and the Vigoroth howls.

 

Without thinking Ray puts full force on both feet and grabs for his belt. He snags his last pokeball and gets Vigoroth’s attention. He chucks the ball at Vigoroth’s feet, sucking him out from the claw and falling back into Ray’s hands below the creature. Beep, beep, boop. Before the stars even fly Ray throws the pokeball back up, high above the Crawdaunt. The Vigoroth shoots out of the ball like a red bullet directly towards Crawdaunt. Ray screams “Vigorotthhh, Counter!!!!!” Vigoroth makes contact with the Crawdaunt’s forehead. Red lightning flys from the contact with enough pressure to knock Slakoth and grunts into the air. Silence followed as the Vigoroth flipped back down to the ground. The Crawdaunt’s eyes go white as the giant topples backwards. Vigoroth screams in victory “Viggorrotth!” while other Slakoth’s join. The remaining Team Magma Grunts run in fear.

 

Ray looks on in amazement. “I’ll admit it, you’re a tough guy” he tells the Vigoroth. Vigoroth swipes his nose with his hand in flattery. Ray starts to tremble from exhaustion and drops the pokeball. Vigoroth notices and slides under his arm before he collapses. “You wouldn’t happen to know where the closest pokemon center is?” Ray asks laughing, not expecting an answer. Vigoroth looks like he’s wondering for a moment. He looks over at the other Slakoth and exchanges some grunts. The Slakoth look sad, but the Vigoroth happy. 

 

Vigoroth swoops Ray around onto his back and kneels down to grab the pokeball. As Vigoroth starts walking, Ray pauses for a moment and removes his watch, throwing it to the ground. Vigaroth grunts in approval while carrying Ray through the forest, pokeball in hand. This was his mission after all.

Edited February 28, 20232 yr by Doughbutts

The King from a distant time

IGN: Cenoa      Favourite Pkmn: Tyrantrum

 

An egg inside an incubator is placed on the table. The confused look of the boy in front of it shows that he hasn't gotten the message yet. His dad looks at him with a smile from cheek to cheek while putting his arm on his son shoulders. Most of the eggs that he had seen his parents bring were customer eggs, since his parents in their time had been very professional breeders in that field. In addition, his father had tried to reach the Pokemon League but he did not succeed at all.

 

- " Is this another customer's egg? " - The boy asked at the same time as looking at his father.

 

- " No Sebastian, this is your egg. It's a special one i requested for you. " - He said.

 

Sebastian, a 15 years old boy, was always a fan of Pokemons since he opened his eyes for first time, but there's a group of them that conquered his heart, the ones that no longer existed roaming the world... The fossil pokemons. His room was full of post, newspapers about the fossils revival project and the species that were discovered throught the years.

Suddenly, the egg starts to make sounds. Then it starts to move from side to side. Finally, the egg reveals his cargo. A big and cute-yet-menacing male Tyrunt. Sebastian screamed of joy, because he knew it was one of the ancient mons he always wanted and hugged the big prehistoric newborn.

Tyrunt detected the child state of mind so they connected almost immediately.  

 

Tyrunt began to socialize with the other inhabitants of the home, let's say that he did not coexist very well with Glameow, the pokemon from his mother, as it always like to bite is tail. Thanks to this, Tyrunt began to form resistance to the scratches that were given to him by the angry cat.

For being a Dragon type, it was very peaceful but also a protector. Many of glameow's nocturnal walks were interrupted by wild Gumshoos looking to hunt her, so Tyrunt always came to her rescue when he heard her calls for help, even everything else protected each other.

 

Tyrunt's food was always controversial within the family, since being a pokemon with large jaws, he showed a taste for meat. However, he quickly grew accustomed to the fact that his main food source was berries. Although sometimes he ended up secretly eating the Gumshoos that tried to hunt down her feline friend. But never eated or killed any pokemon that wasn't being a danger to his family.

 

Sebastian's house was in the middle of a meadow, surrounded by some mountains and forest, so him and Tyrunt had a lot of space to play. On one of these occasions, Sebastian noticed that Tyrunt was very Sturdy, as he ended up without a scratch after destroying large rocks with his huge head.
None of the wild pokemons predators dared to approach in front of them, somehow they could sense that one of them was not from their time.

With the passage of time, new neighbors began to arrive on the prairie. Which were surprised to see a living fossil like Tyrunt. Having become several people, it was considered to give the prairie a name. For what it was called as Red Footprint.
Basically the name comes from the time that Tyrunt left a mud footprint that solidified over time and took on a reddish color.

 

The nearby neighbors had great respect for Tyrunt, thanks to his presence most of the surrounding dangers had appeared to a lesser extent.
Some wild pokemon became friends with Tyrunt since they constantly visited his house, like a small yellowish rattata, some pidgeys and mareeps that lived in the surroundings.

The yellowish rodent constantly came to visit Tyrunt, he always looked for him to play hide and seek due to the difference in size, in turn, Tyrunt protected him from those who dared to try to eat his little friend. Even Rattata was invited to eat with the family when barbecues were held.

 

The connection between Sebastian and Tyrunt was great, Wherever Sebastian went, Tyrunt would be with him. It was time for them to search new ways to go and one of them was being champion and the strongest trainer from the region. But that did not fill Tyrunt with emotion. Sebastian didn't feel emotion for the battle, he always wanted to become something more casual, like a breeder. Being growing with Tyrunt has showed him that being able to see something grow and accomplish being happy of their life was the real thing that filled him with joy.

Even so, there was a time when they began to train their movements. Some of them he had learned thanks to the TM's and DT's that his father offered them and others that Tyrunt managed to learn by himself. Rest being Tyrunt's favorite.

However, Sebastian knew that by the time Tyrunt evolved there would be no place for him in the house, according to the data he had collected his evolution was too big, and although he trusted his friend, others would not trust him so easily.

 

During lunch, Sebastian and his parents were at the table with their food, while Tyrunt was in the main room resting on the carpet. Suddenly, Tyrunt's eyes go wide and he begins to sniff frantically, as if something is right. It is then that he begins to growl as he approaches the family demanding that they open the door for him. 

At the same time Glameow appears from one of her walks, exhausted, scared and hurt. The family quickly give her first aid, while Tyrunt continues to demand that they open the door for him to get out. Sebastian didn't understand. What was causing Tyrunt to be so agitated? What was it that attacked Glameow knowing that most of the wild dangerous pokemon had moved away?

 

A ground-shaking explosion interrupts his questions. Desperate to get out, Tyrunt ends up breaking down the door of the house to go out and see what happens. In front of him are those responsible for such acts. An Aggron and Tyranitar fighting due to territorial disputes in the vicinity of their house and that of their neighbors, destroying everything in their path.
The trees surrounding the plain were being reduced to ashes by Tyranitar's attacks, while the ground was cracking due to Aggron's strong movements in response to his opponent.

The small group of mareeps fled desperately so as not to be the target of any of the wrong movements of the two beasts. The neighbors began to escape with their pokemons looking for refuge.

 

John, one of the neighbors approaches the family to let them know that the rescue units are already on their way, but that they will take time to arrive and they need to find shelter until then.

 

- " Tyrunt! " -. Sebastian yelled as he watched his friend immobile, watching the chaos taking place before his eyes.

 

Instead of escaping, adrenaline took control of Tyrunt's stocky little body, his body torn between self-preservation and defending the lands he grew up on. Tyrunt was about to give in before escaping with his family, but he saw his rodent friend, his yellow body immobile, burned. He sniffed the scent of death in his  friend's burning flesh. That was the last straw.

 

He began to run with all his might towards the beasts, his muscles tensed, his blood began to boil, and his teeth began to grow the closer he got to his opponents. Sebastian tried to chase him to try to prevent him from getting hurt, but his friend was in such a strong adrenaline trance that it seemed impossible to reach him.

 

Tyrunt came a few meters away and jumped with all his might from his hind legs, while in the air he began to roar defiantly from deep in his heart and began to glow. Little by little its roar began to become more serious and powerful, its claws and limbs began to grow and its already large jaw began to grow disproportionately. Sebastian couldn't see the process from his distance, but he knew what the glow meant. Tyrunt was evolving.

 

When the brightness ceased, an imposing beast falls on the two giants making them fall. Quickly, Tyrantrum stands up and places one of his powerful paws on Tyranitar's abdomen, preventing him from getting up, while his massive jaws grab and begin to squeeze Aggron's neck as he lifts him into the air. The force of the jaw was such that Aggron's steel plates began to crack under such brute force, just as Tyranitar's armor gradually cracked under the weight of his massive opponent.

Aggron wouldn't let himself be defeated so easily, with a movement of his tail he tried to throw several rocks from the ground towards Tyrantrum, but some of them went directly to people and pokemons. At this Tyrantrum dropped Aggron and used his body as a shield so that the boulders did not harm anyone. The 3 beasts stared at each other, waiting for the next move of one of them, but the size and strength of Tyrantrum came out since the battle had started, it had already been demonstrated.

 

While all this was happening, the rescue helicopters had arrived, and they took advantage of the situation to rescue all the inhabitants of the area before the combat resumed. Sebastian's parents had no choice but to grab their son to get on the helicopters. He was proud and somewhat embarrassed looking at the battle. His friend had evolved to protect them, but due to the confusion he could be held responsible for the tragedy, therefore, he would not be able to return home.

 

Aggron charged at Tyrantrum with his large body, while Tyranitar fired a hyper beam at his torso. But Tyrantrum endured it, he knew that if they managed to defeat him, no one could stop them. As he struggled against the steel beast he used his head to force it to the ground. He then began charging at Tyranitar, using his Rock Hard Head to withstand the hyper beam attack until it reached him and knocked him down.

 

With a roar of victory, the great tyrant was crowned as the owner of this territory, the losers looked at him with respect and terror. They had never encountered a specimen like this, but they had discovered that it was far above them. They both got up slowly, and walked away at a slow pace due to their combat injuries.

 

The mareeps begin to surround the great legs of Tyrantrum as a sign of gratitude for ending the battle, but it was not yet safe, the trees were still on fire and they had to move quickly. The big reptile looks at the helicopters in the distance, some officers and rescuers were protecting the inhabitants, they didn't know that Tyrantrum was one of them so they wouldn't let him get close to Sebastian. He and Tyrantrum look at each other from a distance. They both know what this means.

 

Sebastian frees himself for a moment from his parents' grasp. He stares at Tyrantrum.

 

- " I'll be back to see you! Protect them while we are gone! Protect our home! " - Sebastian yelled with all his might.

 

Tyrantrum watches him fondly. Suddenly a flaming tree falls behind him and Mareep's herd, so he quickly tells them to move. At the same time the boy and his family get on the helicopter that begins to take off, Glameow gets on Sebastian' knees who caresses him knowing what she feels. 

As the helicopter gradually rises, Tyrantrum stops to watch it and after a moment he roars at them with all his might, hoping that his family will hear his farewell. Since now, he is the protector of his homelands and his friends who inhabit them.

 

The fire caused by the conflict took 3 days to be brought under control by the nearby emergency forces. From that day on, the prairie was considered a restricted area to monitor the behavior of the wild pokemon that inhabited it. During that time there were sightings of a large figure in the surroundings, this news was a trend through television and radio. The original residents of the prairie lay in a temporary shelter that was granted to them until they found a new home, and it is here that little by little they were informed of the situation from which they were evacuated. Some pokemon from the neighbors got lost during the chaos causing some to be worried about their companions.

Sebastian approached during one of these conversations catching the attention of John, the neighbor who had warned the family about the evacuation during the danger. He stared at the boy, who maintained a calm aura as if he had nothing to worry about.

 

- "Sebastian, why do you look so calm? Since we were evacuated I haven't seen your toothy colleague, I guess he's missing too." - John said as he stroked Sebastian's head as a sign of empathy

 

"Tyrunt was not lost, he decided to stay to protect his home. That's why I'm calm" - the boy replied as he smiled when he saw the images on television.

 

The neighbors were a little confused by the answer and watched the television to see what caused such a smile on the boy. A helicopter captured live how a large reptile came out of the lush forest, positioned itself on a hill that gave a view of the entire prairie. The creature stares at the view for a few seconds, then roars as a warning to anyone who dares to challenge it.

 

"Long live the Tyrant King...." - the boy whispered as a tear of pride fell down his cheek.

 

THE END.

 

Thanks for reading my history. I am not a native English speaker but I did my best. I had fun making this story, I hope to see more events of this type.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IGN: Gunthug

         

Spoiler

   The streets of Saffron City were lined with filth and garbage, though this wasn’t a departure from the norm. Even in Kanto’s largest cities, basic commodities like plumbing and clean water had gone by the wayside, victims of corruption and greed. 

 

Sickening, Gunn thought. Everything they touch turns rotten.

 

It had been eight long years since Rocket had seized power. Before that, the Indigo League had ruled Kanto with an even hand, cultivating order and prosperity. At the time, Gunn was just another youngster trying to complete the Gym circuit.

 

All was well when he entered Rock Tunnel – but upon his exit, the world had changed. For reasons still unknown, some of the most powerful figures in Kanto gathered on Cinnebar for a meeting – Agatha, Lorelei, and Lance, as well as several prominent gym leaders such as Sabrina, Koga and Blaine, were in attendance. During the meeting, over a dozen explosives rocked the island, presumably planted by Rocket. Safeguards at the Cinnebar Lab were compromised, and the ensuing chain reaction caused an explosion that would forever alter the map of Kanto.

 

Everyone on the island was presumed dead, and tidal waves from the blast swept towards the mainland, wiping out coastal towns such as Fuschia, Vermillion and Pallet, where Gunn’s family lived. In the chaos that ensued over the next several weeks, Rocket found it easy to seize power, and all dissenters were hunted down ruthlessly.

 

Gunn shook his head at the memories, and ambled slowly but purposefully down 2nd street, hood pulled closely to hide his face. It was unlikely he’d be recognized, but you could never be too safe around Rocket’s headquarters.

 

Gunn approached an intersection and stopped, craning his neck upwards to see his target. The towering building stuck out like a sore thumb, gleaming white amidst the smog filled sky. To Gunn, the pristine marble of Silph Co. set against a rotten backdrop represented a cruel irony, an inverted reality of how things really were. Silph housed the main architect of this cruel world - why should their headquarters get to enjoy the only beauty within a thousand miles?

 

I can fix that. Give them a taste of their own medicine. 

 

Instinctively, Gunn’s hand reached into his pocket, his nerves calmed by contact with the metallic sphere. Having Clefable close was a constant source of relief, his one protection in a world full of danger. He took a deep breath, and strolled on towards the building.

 

It felt like just yesterday that he had first encountered his one remaining Pokémon - a chance occurrence in Mount Moon, not long after he had started his journey. He’d immediately buzzed home with his holo-phone, excited to show his parents of his catch.

 

            “I thought all Mt. Moon had were Geodudes and Zubat,” his Father had remarked. “You’ve got yourself quite the good luck charm, there!”

 

His voice was still vivid. Gunn knew it wouldn’t always be that way, though. Already he felt his past slipping away from him, forever spiraling further from his grasp. If only he’d known that call would be one of the last times he’d speak to his parents before the floods. He had so much more to say…

 

Can’t think about that now, he thought, forcing the well of dark emotion back down. Pain was replaced with anger and determination. What he needed now was focus.

 

“Hey, you!”

 

Gunn froze. The distraction had cost him, left him out in the open for too long. He heard the set of footsteps approach sharply from his left. 

 

The pair looked young, but both had that characteristic smirk on their face. As grunts, their place in Rocket’s hierarchy was low, but the lowest rung of Rocket still towered above anyone who wasn’t affiliated. The life of a grunt was simple - patrol the streets, confiscate any Pokémon you find, and generally make life a living hell for anyone too foolish or unfortunate to have joined the cause. Clever grunts were rare, though. This pair, Gunn decided, didn’t appear too clever. 

 

“Empty your pockets,” barked the one on the left. The other tossed a pokeball up and down in his hand menacingly. Gunn bit back his anger, his left hand already in his pocket. He calculated the distance between him and the nearest grunt.

 

If I lunge at his throat, I might have enough time to retreat before the second one calls for help.

 

Even as the thought crossed his mind, he knew it wasn’t likely. He’d have to go a different route. 

 

“Relax,” said Gunn calmly. With a smooth motion, he pulled the pokeball out with his left hand and tossed it directly behind the grunts. They spun around, bewildered, and watched as Clefable burst forth. Each grunt in turn raised their arm high, ready to whip their own pokeballs out to overwhelm the freshly acquired target. Suddenly, though, they stopped. Their arms fell back to their sides, and they turned back around slowly towards Gunn.

 

“Hey, you!” said the first grunt again. “Empty your pockets.”

 

Casually, Gunn turned his pockets inside out, revealing their emptiness. The grunt on the left frowned and looked at his partner. He shrugged, but replaced his pokeball on his belt. 

 

“Guess you’re free to go. Watch where you’re stepping, punk.” The two grunts walked briskly past him, resuming their patrol. Turning to make sure the pair were safely out of sight, Gunn retrieved the pokeball from the ground, recalled his Clefable, and quickened his pace towards the Silph headquarters.

 

***

 

            The sound was like a train approaching in the distance, but never quite arriving. He knew the strange little pads on the ground were safe, but even so, Gunn still shut his eyes each time he stepped on them. He’d studied the blueprints of Silph Co in his secret base near Lavender for months now, a piece of intel he’d paid dearly for - a nugget he’d had since he’d first emerged from Mt. Moon nearly a decade before. However, it had been worth it. 

 

Before him lay the last telepad - one more step, and he’d be whisked to the very top of the building. A trail of disoriented and disfigured grunts and low-level executives lay strewn throughout the building - he’d made easy work of everything this place’s defenses had been able to throw at him. Very easy, in fact. The real prize, though, was Giovanni - the man at the top of the tower.

 

Clutching the pokeball which held his Clefable, Gunn closed his eyes tightly and launched himself toward the last telepad.

 

 

***

Gunn allowed his eyes to open slowly, though it didn’t do much to aid his vision. The room was dark and silent – a heavy, forced silence, filling the air like cotton. Squinting, Gunn could barely make out a dim, purple glow along the lower edges of the walls, just enough to roughly determine the dimensions of the new space. The far wall, directly ahead, was no more than twenty paces away. Directly in the middle of that wall’s purple glow, a dark shape obscured the light. 

 

He flicked his wrist and summoned Clefable. “Flash,” Gunn muttered under his breath. At his command, Clefable raised a hand, and a brilliant light illuminated the hall as clearly as if it were midday. Nearly instantly, though, the light was  abruptly snuffed out again, replaced only by the purple glow. Those few seconds hadn’t revealed much – the unmarked walls were tall and grey, the unmarked ceiling the same. However, Gunn had fixated on the far wall during the flash, and he knew now that they were not alone. Ahead was seated a man in a chair, and Gunn knew exactly who it was – he hadn’t traversed all of Silph Co to find anyone else. 

 

His sense of vigor renewed, Gunn pressed forward, Clefable trotting along warily just behind him. A mere five paces from where the shape had been, Gunn stopped.

 

“You are a fool,” Gunn bellowed. “You thought you were safe in your ivory tower?”

 

He awaited a response but received not a sound. His fists clenched with rage, which regrettably overtook his better judgment in the moment

 

“Clefable,” Gunn screamed. “Double edge!”

 

While the bond shared by the two was one of unwavering friendship, at its core, Clefable was a servant to its master. It was hard-wired to obey, despite its own intelligent reservations. Here, then, Clefable did exactly as told. With a running start, it launched itself at the shadow in the glow, its body a brilliant white as it summoned every ounce of its formidable strength. With a hard thud, Clefable made contact, and for a moment everything froze.

 

Immediately though, harsh noise erupted from throughout the room, deafening to the sensitive ears that had only known silence since their arrival. Gunn winced and looked around frantically. Large bars, thick as trees, carved a path slowly from the ceiling to the floor, lining the wall every foot or so in uniformity. They glowed purple as well, the same as the glow from before. Where that soft glow had once lined the floors, however, now shone a vibrant yellow.

 

Sensing danger, Gunn whirled back to his Clefable. Where was the man in the chair? Only a shimmer in the air remained where the collision had taken place. The shimmer grew, swirling and bending with deliberate ferocity, warping the space around it. To Gunn’s horror, Clefable did not retreat – it stood where it was, transfixed. Then, from nowhere and everywhere, a whispered voice filled the room and Gunn’s mind.

 

 

“Counter.”

 

 

Like a switch flicked, the shimmering air revealed itself to be neither man nor chair, but a monster twice Clefable’s size. Its pair of sturdy yellow legs planted firmly into the ground, carving seamlessly into its monochromatic bodice. Steady arms curled confidently to its sides, a stringed silver medallion rocking back and forth in its left hand. Two spheres of black eye adorned its aged head, and they pierced Gunn’s gaze with a certain inevitability that Gunn couldn’t grasp at the moment, but would shortly.  

 

The Hypno lurched forward towards Clefable and opened its mighty hand. It’s palm lurched forward and struck Clefable deliberately, squarely in its chest, and with twice the force of Clefable’s collision, the helpless Pokémon soared past Gunn like a speeding bullet. It slammed into the purple bars adorning the back wall, shattering two of them, and with a pained groan, slid down into a heap on the ground. 

 

Gunn darted swiftly to his fallen companion’s side, and immediately slid out Clefable’s pokeball. Enveloped in red light, Clefable disappeared into the mysterious technology, where it’s life could be preserved. This was a dangerous move, however – Gunn was now unprotected, and that Hypno seemed far more powerful than any other Pokémon he’d encountered before. 

 

It was time to go, he decided. He scrambled forward to the telepad, and with a bound, leapt for its safety. Hypno did not move to stop him. However, when he landed, the pad remained inert. He jumped up slightly, landing again on the pad, but had no luck. Horrified, he looked up at Hypno, who seemed without moving to delight in his folly.

 

“Very sorry,” came a voice from beyond the Hypno. “We’re having some trouble with the telepads today. Seems an intruder has been wreaking some havoc.”

 

Slowly, the figure began to take shape. She couldn’t have been older than thirty, but her eyes betrayed a ferocity and wisdom far beyond her years. Each article of her clothing was jet black, with the top a tight tunic sliding seamlessly into tight leather pants. Despite her apparent youth, she walked with a noticeable limp. Gunn’s confusion became horror as he realized who the figure was.

 

“But…you, you died!?” Gunn stammered.

 

            Sabrina cackled, throwing back her head. “I’m afraid not, little boy.”

           

Without another word, Sabrina thrust her hand towards Gunn, and barked an order to her Pokémon. “Hypno, seismic toss.” The creatures eyes went from black to red, and suddenly Gunn felt himself lifted from the ground slowly. His arms and legs flailed frantically for a hold, but soon he was hovering in the air. Sabrina’s determined face morphed into a cruel smile, and suddenly Gunn was slammed upward into the ceiling with a force that knocked the wind from his body. Before he could gather his senses, he was rocketed down the other direction, crashing into the ground from over ten feet in the air. Each and every bone in his body hurt, and he doubted any were left unbroken. How he remained conscious, he did not know.

 

Sabrina approached at a leisurely pace, her smile growing larger. “No one breaks into Silph and lives to tell of it. Now let’s finish this – I’ve got work to do.”

 

With large, powerful steps, Hypno began to cross over towards Gunn’s crippled body. Gun looked up at the charging beast, but was powerless to even brace for impact. Consciousness was slipping away, the world dimming from the corners of his vision.

“Hypno, stomp!” Sabrina bellowed, but it was but a whisper to Gunn’s ears. Just as the world faded to black, a red glow illuminated the space between him and the beast. Appearing suddenly, Clefable shot from its pokeball, just in time to intercept the large yellow foot headed for Gunn’s skull.

 

“N..no…” Gunn wheezed. He looked up at Clefable, who was visibly struggling to maintain Hypno’s weight on its back. Clefable looked him directly in the eyes – and suddenly he felt calm. It’s eyes turned to crescent moons, and the creature disappeared, leaving Hypno’s foot to crash into the floor in front of Gunn. Clefable’s sacrifice had been in vain, Gunn was sure of it. Having lost the will to persevere, he let the darkness take him away. His eyes closed, and the world disappeared.

***

            With a gasp, Gunn forced his eyes open. His surroundings were surprisingly familiar – the carved out hollow of an oak tree. Cautiously, he sat up in his bed. He felt no pain, but had the sinking feeling that he should. Suddenly, it all came flooding back to him. The fight through Silph tower, the showdown with Giovanni on the top floor – except it wasn’t Giovanni, but Sabrina. She’d had a Hypno, and it had…

           

“Clefable!” he shouted, and reached into his pocket for his pokeball. However, only one half of it was there – upon removing it, he let it slide to the floor, a hollow, empty shell. In his recklessness, in his foolish drive to right the wrongs of the past, he had blundered into a trap and lost the only thing that meant anything to him. Understanding washed over him as he recalled his last interaction – Clefable summoning itself from the pokeball, and using its own strength and mysterious ties to the moon to save his life.

           

Why, though, he did not understand. What kind of life could he expect to lead? Was this world beyond saving?

***

            Rain poured down. Gunn stood motionless at the Lavender cemetery, allowing the harsh sky to wash over him, numb to the cold and the wet. With his secret base so close, he would typically have shown far more caution before venturing out without a disguise or a hood. Lately, though, he didn’t see the point of it. Let Rocket find him – what threat was he to they now, anyway?

            Gunn didn’t know how long he stood there, or how many times he’d visited since that fateful day in Silph. He knew Clefable wasn’t there, but somehow it felt like this cemetery, commemorating the souls of Pokémon long lost, was the only place he could go now. Evening faded to dark, and Gunn began to stumble home. He plunged from the pathway towards where his secret base lay, lamplight flickering ahead. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw movement. He turned swiftly, fists clenched, ready to take on his attacker – but nothing was there. Surely, he was going mad.

            Returning to his base, he shut the door behind him, and lit a candle. The flickering light cast shadows throughout the small space. Gunn stared hard at the candlelight. Something was off.

            Gunn whirled around at another flicker in the corner of his vision, but once again nothing was there.

            “Show yourself, coward!” he screamed, but was met only with silence. Was this what insanity felt like? He collapsed, face down, onto his bed and lay there for several minutes. The candlelight abruptly went out, plunging the room into darkness. Gunn knew that wick had at least an hour’s burn on it – the candle had been snuffed. Afraid now, hands trembling, he lit the candle again. This time, when the corner of his vision flickered, he did not turn. Closing his eyes, he felt no fear. Just a comfort he thought he’d lost.

            The door to his base burst open, coming off the hinges. Six large men adorned in Rocket gear stormed in the front, surrounding Gunn in the cramped space.

            “Found you!” exclaimed one.

            Gunn smiled, and blew out the candle.

            Though the space was dark, Gunn could see the swift movement of purple as the grunts, one by one, were felled. He heard their groans, their shrieks, and felt their terror. In less than a minute, silence returned. He lit the candle once again. Bodies littered the floor – their arms and legs bent in odd ways, the horror etched on their lifeless faces.

            Hovering just above the ground, looking down at the carnage it had wrought, was the spiky outline of his best friend. Slowly, it turned to face him.

            “Hello, old friend,” Gunn said, and grinned. Gengar smiled back. “We’ve got work to do.”

 

 

 

wc: 2956

           

Edited February 28, 20232 yr by Gunthug

♡ LadySeraphine ♡

 

I am Lady and I am going to tell you a little bit of my story:

 

Since I was very little I lived with my mother in a small town on the outskirts of the big city, my father is the current champion of the Big City League, he has a powerful Black Charizard that is practically invincible. A story that my mother always told my brothers and I said "Shiny pokemons, those that have a different color from the others of their species, are special, they don't look for each other, but they find you and form such a strong bond with their owner, which makes them more powerful than the rest". That story fascinated us and they, who were older than me, decided to go out and explore the world, to try their luck and they found a Shiny, just like our Father had done when he was young.

Some time after my brothers left, news began to come out of a suspicious and very dangerous group of criminals, "The Green Dragon Association", so called because their Leader, Mr. X, had a powerful Shiny Salamence. This association was dedicated to capturing Shiny Pokémon against their will, without caring about the bonds created with their owners, this had turned the streets of the Big City into a super dangerous place and for this reason, my mother sent me to the local academy, so that I could learn more about pokemons and prepare myself in case I needed to defend myself.

I spent a lot of time in the academy, but despite the fact that it offered many things, it was very poorly organized, which generated multiple discussions between teachers and students. I didn't like these discussions, besides it was said that I wouldn't be able to defend myself because I was small, for these reasons, I used to go out to practice with my friends after the academy, where I felt that I learned much more and was happy.

Some time passed and I already felt more secure, I had a good group of pokemons to defend myself so I was ready for the final tournament of the Academy. I was inspired, looking forward to the day of the big tournament, but not everything was as expected. My friends, with whom I used to practice, received an invitation to participate in a tournament in the big city, everyone except me and that made me very sad, they would all travel and none would come to see me in the tournament. Surprising everyone in the tournament, after three days of fighting, I managed to reach the final, although deep down I was not happy, I felt alone, the only person who supported me within the academy, I eliminated him one step before the end and decided to leave the Academy.

The day of the final arrived but before the fight rumors began to be heard; "My teacher had tried to sabotage the tournament so that I would not reach the final" "My friends had joined another academy and they didn't invite me" "The boy I was in love with actually hated me and that's why he traveled to the big city." With tears in her eyes and with a broken heart, she had decided to escape, she ran and ran without looking back, she couldn't believe what was happening and she just wanted to be alone.

I had run so much that I was already very tired and I didn't even know where I was, so I decided to sit under a tree, next to some bushes. At that moment I heard a noise, a pokemon moved through the bushes next to me, a little Pink Pachirisu with a face that was super scared, I felt that I was in danger and without making much noise, I looked around, two members of the Dragon Verde was close and the little girl was in danger. Hidden, I opened my backpack so that the whole Pachirisu could escape, a distraction in the recruits would give me time to start escaping, but that wouldn't last long.

The three members managed to reach me, they knew that I had what they were looking for, and it was impossible for me to defeat the three and save myself. Right at that moment I heard what I hadn't expected, my mother had called my brothers to come see me in the final fight, and they didn't stop looking for me.

Ready for combat, they took out their Shinys that managed to find a Red Gyarados and a Pink Dragonair, that just to my Pink Pachirisu, we would be invincible The fight was difficult but we managed to defeat them, but when we thought we were free of problems the worst happened X came flying through the sky, in his Green Salamence, I thought it was our end but it wasn't the only reinforcement.

With a stiffness that would make even the bravest tremble, he arrived, my Father in his Black Charizard ready to fight against X, the sky shook from the attacks of both pokemons, the most impressive duel I had ever seen, both seemed invincible . The end was near, but the seller was not clear, but the strong bond that my father had with his pokemon made him resist all the attacks that became weaker little by little, because X did not have a real bond with his Salamence, i was just using it.

With X defeated, the big city was safe again, and people could go out and get their precious Shiny. In the end I did not return to the Academy, but rather, together with my brothers, we decided to found a The Black Dragon Academy, where together with my Pachirisu we would help people to strengthen their bond with their pokemons, to be able to live thousands of stories together.

 

♡ Loving a pokemon so much makes the bond created so strong that it makes the duo invincible ♡

 

•I hope you understand well, I don't speak English and use the translator

•I've been playing for a year, thanks for keeping the game

Submission time is over! We'll be judging all entries (which are a lot, which we do appreciate ♥) and we will come back with the results probably by the end of the week and the start of the other. Thanks a lot for participating and best of luck!

Hello there guys, due to how long some of your stories are, and in order to judge them with a fairer criteria, we will probably be delaying the results for another week, apologies for the inconviniences caused.

 

I don't want to be a party pooper, but some have exceeded the character limit and do not deserve to be participants in the event

23 hours ago, BeatPool said:

 

I don't want to be a party pooper, but some have exceeded the character limit and do not deserve to be participants in the event

I think we really needed more proctors to ease up the event.

On 3/7/2023 at 8:34 PM, BeatPool said:

 

I don't want to be a party pooper, but some have exceeded the character limit and do not deserve to be participants in the event

Hey, party pooper (you said it, not me), did you mean that people went over the word limit? If not, then you misread the event rules. If you did, then why don't you just trust the judges to review that themselves? This is my first time with one of these events so I don't know if there were issues like this in the past; just curious.

 

Edit: I just reviewed your entry @BeatPool and you most definitely misread - you have 492 words, which is under the range of the event rules (500-3000 words), therefore you should be disqualified. (I'm sorry to be a party pooper too, but since you said character limit, and brought up disqualifications, I had to check yours)

Edited March 9, 20232 yr by Batmexican

22 hours ago, Batmexican said:

Hey, party pooper (you said it, not me), did you mean that people went over the word limit? If not, then you misread the event rules. If you did, then why don't you just trust the judges to review that themselves? This is my first time with one of these events so I don't know if there were issues like this in the past; just curious.

 

Edit: I just reviewed your entry @BeatPool and you most definitely misread - you have 492 words, which is under the range of the event rules (500-3000 words), therefore you should be disqualified. (I'm sorry to be a party pooper too, but since you said character limit, and brought up disqualifications, I had to check yours)

good job mate. 

Hello there guys, as for words count, we will use a word counter for it, so we won't commit "human" mistakes, specially with those which are either short or so long, and results will be up as soon as possible, also.

Sorry for the delay guys, but some judges were busy and they made their best to send me the marks when they could.

So, apart of us 3 (Cosmooth, KaynineXL and myself) we will have 2 more judges (AustinMMO and Aybel) which also valued your stories.

Tomorrow the results will be released, thank you for your patience!

Had some in-real life stuff to do. Winners will be announced tomorrow at around 4 PM UTC time, sorry again for the circumstances.

Winners are finally here! So, first of all, thank you all for attending this contest, it was so nice having such a nice number of participants and such effort in writing your stories ❤️, and also thanks a lot to our judges @Aybel @AustinMMO @Cosmooth and @KaynineXLwho read your stories carefully and made fair punctuations and rated your stories with the right criteria investing quite a good time on it!

To sum up, as said in the rules, each of us valued each story following Style, Originality and Ingenuity. Each of us individually valued each of this criterias /10 so the results would be fairer for all of you! As result, each of your stories will be valued /150. Additionally, we added an explanation on our top 4 (which i will resume to only 1 taking some parts from our judges and myself) to clarify and let you know the reason of our choices.

This said, here are the winners!

 1st Place

@Gunthug(119/150)

Some of us topped this story, and others put it near to the top. Gunthug's story was fully detailed, very nice descriptions, the narrative thread was fully well explained, and the style was just outstanding. Something which also surprised us was: what an ending, what an amazing ending to such a nice story behind it, very well thought there. Overall, the story has been extremely pleasant to read. This said, and after the votes, you're our event's winner!

 

 2nd Place

@pachima(113/150)

Pachima's story was kinda different and original from the rest, if we consider the style and the voice, we will see some irony which pretty much explains the meaning of the whole story, which is outstanding! You also paid some attention to some minor PokeMMO features (even if this is not mandatory obviously) and, as one of our judges said: "who can't love pachirisu" Jokes aside, very well done!

 

 3rd Place

@PrinBruce (111/150)

On this story some of us can identify with some of the ideal thoughts someone would have if you wanted to recreate pokemon in-real life. If we sum up the descriptions, with the PvP stuff which I personally can identify with, the story itself which basiclly shows the synergy and some values you could apply right now between the protagonists, and (once again) such an ending, it made it nice for us!

 

4th Place

@bootlegs(110/150)

Like 3rd place, this story can represent any of us in its protagonist: applying in-real life values to a situation you can get represented in. Once again we have to highlight the style here, how the story was coordinated, nicely done there. Easy to read and to imagine what you're reading at the moment you're in it. Congratulations!

 

Shoutout to ScottEsq which got the same punctuation, which led us to a tie decided by 3/2 in another votation in favor of Bootlegs.

Thank you so much for participating, honestly the level was so high and it was a pleasure for all of us reading your art, and I hope it was a pleasure for you either participating or reading the stories, or both! See you in another edition!♥

 

 

 

congratulations @Gunthug. Solid winner.

And congratulations for everyone else who got something.

Thanks @Shadow for this beautiful thing, and for the other judges who had to evaluate so many entries.

Props for the explicit point system as well 🙂

 

Next one when?