Candy

Bro Jess it has come to my attention that you and I prolly are alike in quite a number of ways xD

From Everland to Reborn ~ Episode 18 “Oh Mrs. Brown, have you heard?” “Do you mean about the white ghost that haunts Peridot Ward?” “You know too. I was just going to warn you about it. I can barely sleep at night.” “You are not the only one, Mrs. Peters. I postpone my groceries for the next day, only to avoid going out at night.” Those are the rumors that Julia has been hearing for about three days now. “Crazy how oldies still believe in such foolish myths like ghosts,” she shrugged. “If anything, it must’ve been a white-colored ghost pokemon (a litwick?) playing pranks.” Julia was just returning to her wonderfully pink… and gray Gym, when her eyes marveled on a familiar figure. “Why, but isn’t that?” she could hardly contain herself. “Amaria! Long time no see! How’s life? How’s Tania? How’s everything?” “Ah Julia, not so many questions at once,” Amaria said with a sad smile. “I’m feeling a little blue you see.” “But I thought you always felt blue? You always wore blue clothes as far as I can remember.” “What I mean is, I’m feeling sad,” Amaria clarified. “That’s why I came here today.” Julia clapped her hands. “In that case, you’ve come to the perfect place! Let’s have a super bombalicious party to cheer you up~” “I appreciate your generosity,” Amaria chuckled. “But not even a party will improve my mood.” “What is it that has you sad, dear friend?” Julia asked. “You see, there is this girl, I’m sure you know her… her name is Vanilla.” “Vanini! Yes, of course I know her! We kicked Team Meteor’s butts together, and then we kaboom-boom-boomed the old factory, hehe.” “I guessed you would know her, since she’s doing the Reborn League challenge,” Amaria nodded. “The thing is, she just lost a dear friend, her pachirisu.” “Lost? As in lost-and-found? Or as in RIP?” “Unfortunately as in RIP,” Amaria sighed again. “So she’s… I don’t know… I can’t do anything to help her state of mind. She sleeps during the day, stays sitting on a rock in front of Mosswater factory for hours, and at night wanders the streets as though she were an insomniac.” “Hmm, perhaps she’s the ghost that is scaring everyone in Peridot, then,” Julia placed a hand on her chin. “I don’t blame them, though. If you don’t know Vanini, she can look rather scary even during the day.” Julia chuckled at her recollection of Vanilla’s frowns, but Amaria asked her to take this seriously. “Well, let’s go check on her,” Julia proposed. “Let’s bring Rini too. I felt Vanini took a special liking to Rini~” “Alright, maybe with your help… Maybe she’ll listen to you more than she does me.” At exactly five o’clock, like Amaria had predicted, the three Gym leaders saw Vanilla approaching the destroyed Mosswater factory. They stayed hidden from the girl’s sight, though, until Vanilla absentmindedly sat like she’d done the past three days on a rock. She propped her head up with both arms, her elbows pushing against her thighs. The way she looked at the fence, though, reminded Amaria that, even when Vanilla seemed apathetic and outright callous at times, she was still a sentient human being. “Let’s go?” Julia asked Amaria for a cue, which she gave with a nod. The three girls approached Vanilla. The pale girl noticed them, and instantly changed her expression. “I would prefer to remain without unsolicited company,” she said. “Is it still unsolicited if it’s fun company?” Julia waved her pom-poms. “Yes.” Julia froze in place, but Amaria cut in. “We are all worried about you,” she said. “If there is anything we could help you with in this hard time, we hoped we could do it for you.” “You can start by leaving me alone.” Amaria gulped down her words. She then turned to Julia, and made silent gestures to let her know it was time to leave. Nothing could be done. The two were moving away, when they noticed Florinia wasn’t following them. They turned around, and they saw that the green-haired girl was still standing in front of Vanilla. “I have been notified of your loss,” she spoke. “My condolences. I judge by your solitude that your mind is in midst of depression.” I was quiet for a moment but then sighed. “I was stupid. I lost focus on my goal and got side tracked. This is my punishment.” The two girls were silent for a while, but then Florinia broke the ice. “If recollection is not faulty, your goal is to gain strength. Our mutual agreement was for you to fight and hamper Team Meteor’s malicious plans, while your strength increased in the process.” “As you say,” I affirmed. “My goal was to become stronger, and yes, we struck that kind of deal. However, I have to accept my mind was preoccupied with other unimportant stuff like the wellbeing of some bunch of kidnapped kids. Distraction was the origin of my failure, and I regret it.” I checked on Florinia’s expression, but as always it was blank and unreadable. “Understood,” the robot-like girl replied. “What is your premeditated course of action?” “I will put off fighting the poison leader. I’ll put off fighting the leader in Apophyll too. Cain’s in Apophyll now trying to get the HM Strength so we can rescue the kids, but now I don’t care. He can do whatever. I’ll just go on to the next Gym, once I can bring my life together.” Florinia seemed to be analyzing my every word. “According to data provided by Amaria, you have repeated an unproductive routine for three days and twenty-one hours. In that time, Team Meteor has increased in number by an approximate of 8%, and its top executives have also increased the strength of their pokemon by vigorous training. According to more data provided by Amaria, you have also stated that now you desire to destroy Team Meteor in vengeful spirit. The conclusion of this analysis indicates that your actions are dissonant with your aims.” For some reason that last sentence resonated in me. It echoed what I had told a little shy girl not so long ago. “What’s with you and your stupid analyses,” I snapped and stood up. “What do I care whether you approve of my actions or not?” Even when she was shouted directly at her face, Florinia wasn’t dazed. “Analysis is crucial for effective decision-making,” she explained. “Hence, I only provide facts and the inevitable conclusion.” I sat back down with my arms crossed. “There is also a recommendation on the premeditated course of action, if you would like to be notified.” I raised my eyes without moving my face and looked back down again. “Go ahead.” “The preferred alternative is to continue with your plan to travel to Apophyll,” Florinia said, and continued her speech when she saw me open my mouth. “Let me explain. You have squandered time. Meanwhile, the enemy has grown in size and strength. Hence, going to Apophyll is a positive environment, given its long tradition of increasing physical and mental strength. There is one more reason for this alternative. If you look for the kidnapped children, you will eventually cross paths with Team Meteor, for only they have the means to execute outrageous acts like such. If you avoid the children, you also will not cross paths with Team Meteor. If your aim is to destroy them, the second option would be counter-intuitive.” I felt like I was being manipulated again, just like I had been when we talked in her sandy Gym. However, what can one do? How can one argue against reason and logic? “I thought I disliked you less than the average Rebornian,” I spat. “But I think I hate you now.” “Your opinion of me does not occupy a significant magnitude within my opinion of myself. I merely tasked myself to inform you of the facts, and assess your present and future behavior.” “Fine. I will go to Apophyll. Now you can leave me alone. I’ll be leaving soon.” “Your choice is most logical,” Florinia said, bowed a little and walked away - all without changing her facial expression a single time. Once the robot girl was out of sight, for she even left her friends without so much as a goodbye, Amaria approached me. “I will be going too, Vanilla. I hope you will recover your serenity soon,” she said, as she twisted a strand of her long sky-blue hair with her fingers. “Here is the key, so that you can use my boat.” I received the keys but did not express gratitude, because it was not a real feeling in me. Amaria nodded, instead of faring well, and left. Julia looked at me, and she seemed like she wanted to say something, but surprisingly refrained and only followed her friend. Once I was alone, I looked at the key in my hand. It had a golden, rectangular key charm with the inscription “A [heart] T”. “One must do things one doesn’t want to do, right?” I sighed, but then closed my eyes and shook my head sideways. In the next days after Vanilla parted for Apophyll, Julia noticed that the complaints about a white ghost in Peridot decreased until the whole incident eventually went to oblivion. VANILLA RATES: REBORN CHARACTERS Fun fact which ain't fun except for me: The 'Mrs. Peters' in the opening dialogue is brought from a novella I wrote called "Under the Mask". She was a caretaker for a girl who was known as the Northern Ghost. So in my mind everything fits under the spook theme... but only I know my inside jokes xD QUICK LINK TO NEXT CHAPTER

Waynaut (hope I didn't make a dumass mistake~)

Not for now at least... her back feels so... empty in the pictures

No worritos Reading all that stuffs must've been exhausting - here, have a glittery sparkly starry sticker which is also invisible~ Thx, me thinks figuring out Vanilla's background, seeing her development as a character, and of course the epic battles with the handicap of just 12 predetermined pokemon are the selling points of this run, so I'm trying my best not to let you down... in that regard, since I evidently let y'all down in *ahem* another aspect. And that meme is 10/10 for me too... Oh fren, have a virtual pat on the back. I thought I'd primed y'all for what was to come (actually, my "Artsy art" which ain't even art was an attempt to hint at this event) but I guess it still came off as a shock to many (for me too, saddest episode in my writing career). Vanilla: On a parallel universe, not so far from mine... I feel it. Or is it just a hopeless dream? I feel as though another little squirrel, like my Pikachu but not quite the same, fights scum just like we used to do not so long ago...

I understand your feelings but I'm not sure whether you have low self-esteem? I have low self-esteem because of many incidents but when ppl criticize or make fun of me I accept it because I have low self-esteem and nothing anyone says can lower it further. Can't get worse than "I believe I should be dead", right~ Maybe your self-esteem isn't as far gone as you think it is, is what I'm trying to get at xD So try to keep it up. Think about how you're not in elementary school anymore, and try to learn to have fun with jokes. It's part of life- anyone who starts to become frens with you will joke around you, thinking it's in good fun. One thing to remember is that at your age, no one's going to verbally abuse you to your face. If they make fun of you, 10/10 it's a joke. I guess the popular opinion will be not to form relationships with those who don't understand your feelings, but if I said that I'd be dishonest~ so this is just my honest advice lol

Me

Lol at how you started the ice mono right before batting Kiki xD

I don't see her dying her hair on her own volition (she's not that concerned about her looks, only about convenience me thinks), but I think she would if presented a scenario

Leaked: actual footage of Vanilla going SS Blue.

I know I should feel sad about being evil, but part of me feels fulfilled. After all what is an author's purpose but to manipulate the hearts of her readers and influence them with her writing? But as with everything, Vanilla will have her downs but also ups, so wait for her recovery

That's a cute idea, though unfortunately time waits for no one...

Yeah, I can only kill characters which I made - meaning only Pikachu/Pachirisu, Candy and Cookie (but I don't think they'll even make much of an appearance anyway) and of course the protagonist Vanilla (but I can't narrate a story without a protagonist). The potion was just a little prop used to show that Vanilla and Pikachu had reached the point of max friendship - it changed Pikachu's fur color to its shiny version aka pink.

Is the last sentence sarcasm? haha I'm at a loss for words too... sad day for everyone frens But me thought you kinda expected it based on your previous comment?

From Everland to Reborn ~ Episode 17 Warning: mild gore ahead. not recommended for those with a weak heart. pls don't sue. Unfortunately, Cain had already left when I arrived, but instead I found Victoria lurking about the place. “Hello, Vanilla. Cain told me everything about your escapade with the orphanage children,” she said. “E also told me that he broke the floor in self-defense.” “Yeah. I saw everything.” I didn’t explain about Shade, but Victoria didn’t inquire me further. “You see, now we can only pass from the Obsidia side, but for that we need the HM Strength. Cain’s gone off to Apophyll to get it from my sensei, Kiki.” “Right. Why don’t I just wait here for is return then?” Victoria looked puzzled for a moment, but then paused to think. “Well, that’s true but you two won’t always be together, so wouldn’t you like to have the HM for yourself too?” Good point. Though I don’t really want to go navigating the lake, I guess I have no choice. “You should go to the pier in Coral Ward. Maybe you can catch a ride with Cain. I’ll finish up some stuff up here and join you soon,” Victoria said. I nodded and turned my bicycle to the opposite direction. At the said pier, I saw Cain already crossing the lake on his muk and being too far to call back. “Guess we’ll find our own way to get to Apophyll,” I sighed. “Not that I think I could’ve rode a muk with Cain.” I was walking away from the shore, when a familiar face showed up. For some reason, Amaria seems to frequent this ward, for last time we met was also in Coral Ward. “Oh, hello Vanilla,” Amaria said with a smile. “What brings you here?” “I need to cross the Azurine lake to get to Apophyll,” I explained. “That’s a pity. We used to have a ferry going there, but because of the corrosion of the lake, it’s not in service anymore.” Amaria paused and looked at me with kind eyes. She placed both her hands on my shoulders. Evidently, she was much taller than me, though we were probably about the same age. “Actually, I just found out something about the lake’s corrosion. I wonder, would you lend me a hand to fight the jerks responsible for it?” “I’m sorry, I’m actually in a hurry,” I said and gently displaced her hands off my shoulders. “Oh, please help me. I was actually afraid to go on my own,” Amaria knit her eyebrows. “What if I told you I’ll lend you my boat if you help me out on this one?” The word ‘boat’ picked my interest. “Let’s get it done quickly, then,” I said, and Amaria smiled. There’s something about Amaria smiling that just doesn’t sit well with me. Her smiles transmit warmth, and yet why is it that at first glance you could imagine she was about to shed a tear? Not that I care, but still I’m curious. We walked all the way to the factory I had first met the green-haired jerk. Amaria told me about how she had been investigating about the origins of the issue for a while together with Ame, and that they had found evidence suggesting that the factory was leaking exceptionally toxic waste directly into the lake. The place, unfortunately, was closed off. Guess Amaria should’ve asked Julia for help instead of me. “Hm, I think we can try something else,” the blue-haired beauty said. “Deliverance, come on out.” Deliverance was a lapras, though I couldn’t think of a reason to nickname it that. Perhaps because, if I remember correctly, lapras are used as a method of transportation over water? “Use Waterfall and then Ice Beam.” The lapras obeyed. I was shocked to see how it was able to create icy stairs, which though could serve us the purpose to get us in, was a rather dangerous method of doing so. If I slipped and fell, that’d be game over. “You’re crazy if you think I’m going to climb slippery and steep stairs,” I said. “Now that you mention it, perhaps it’s a little scary if you’re not used to walking on ice,” Amaria scratched her head, but then tapped a fist on her palm. “Ah, I know. I’ll go first, and then let down some escape ropes. Then my pokemon and I can pull you up!” Without an excuse to make, I had to comply with the still crazy plan. Once up in the rooftop of the building, though, we found a flimsy door but it was closed. Amaria’s disappointment was visible, perhaps because this meant she had pulled a human being up three flights in vain. “Wait, let me try something,” I muttered and sent out Bambi. Happy to be out in the fresh air, the sawsbuck stretched and then stroked the side of his face against my forehead. “Now now. Can you help us tear down that door over there?” Bambi bleated and charged full speed toward the door, which in turn dislodged from its place and flew backwards into the room. I petted Bambi on his horns, and returned him to his pokeball. “Nice work, Vanilla,” Amaria said. “Now we can go in.” She called all her pokemon back into her pokeballs, and we sneaked into the factory. Only that we had already been noticed, since we’d made so much noise in destroying the door. Inside, we found four Team Meteor grunts waiting for us. “So the lake’s pollution is Team Meteor’s doing,” Amaria said. “By now you should know that if something doesn’t go as you’d like it to, then it’s most probably our doing,” one of the grunts sneered. “Now, prepare to get thrown in a cell,” another one said, sending out a wolf-looking pokemon. All of the others sent out their pokemon too, but unfortunately for them and surprisingly for me, Amaria’s pokemon were beasts on the battlefield. I pretty much didn’t have to do anything, because Deliverance alone took out 90% of the foes. This is a Gym leader I’ll have to eventually face? Great. “Don’t think you’re done. We’ll tell our boss just now.” The grunts ran away. “Shall we go too?” Amaria pointed toward the doorway that the grunts had run to. I nodded. The factory, for one that should have been deserted for years, was in pristine shape. As expected, though, the smell was increasingly deteriorating every time we went down a staircase. The amount of grunts also increased, though none were match for Amaria and her team. Kudos to her for showing so much grace while destroying enemies. “There’s a forkroad. Vanilla, you take the right and I’ll inspect the left. If you find the said boss, lay low and wait for me please.” Needless to say I wasn’t going to risk being discovered and killed on the spot. I fought a few more grunts on my way, all while trying to make as little sound and presence as possible. Once I reached the wall’s edge, though, I was afraid it could be the room where the Meteor boss hanged out. “Pikachu, step onto the floor and peek a little for me, will ya?” The little squirrel jumped off my shoulder and slowly peeked to the right with one eye. “No need to play spy. We know you’re behind that wall,” said a voice I recognized as being from one of the Team Meteor admins or agents. “Come back up, Pikachu. We’ve been found,” I said loudly. I slowly walked to where the enemy could see me, so that I could at least buy time while Amaria returned. In the room, I saw ZEL, who had been the voice’s owner, a new PULSE and the Meteor boss who had talked lengthily about some sanctuary underneath Reborn City. The smell, though, was insufferable. How these people could be in the room like nothing was amiss was a real mystery. “Vanilla. You again? Um, I don’t think you should be here,” ZEL said. “I must congratulate you on your stubbornness. You seem not to know when to quit,” commented the Meteor boss, whose name I still didn’t know. “I’ll give you a reward. Come look at this.” I approached the PULSE, which looked like it had trapped a muk instead of a tangrowth this time around. “Sir, she knows about the PULSE. It was she who contributed to the destruction of the PULSE-Tangrowth project.” “I’m aware, but look at this Vanilla,” the man pointed to the muk. “This PULSE is different, as you may have noticed. The machine to which it’s attached to drains it literally, both body and soul.” Anyone with a pair of functioning eyeballs could see that the poor pokemon looked like it could almost be begging for prompt death. I should’ve realized why the man was speaking of quite obvious features. It was a mistake that almost costed me my life. And that would’ve been a lower price. “Garchomp, Dragon Rush,” I heard the man suddenly say behind me. I widened my eyes and turned backwards. My movements were slow, and I was fully aware of how slow they were. Everything was in slow motion at that instant. I felt a thud on my shoulder, and all I could see was Pikachu flying into a dark dragon. The flight must’ve taken minutes, because I had time to see the face of my friend Wolfie superimposed onto the scene. Yet, if I had so much time, why couldn’t I move? “Long live, Queen Eterna,” Wolfie’s voice rang in my mind as I collapsed to the floor. Pikachu, who had gotten stuck onto the sharp blade of the dragon’s arm, gradually slid off the knife and hit the hard floor with a dull thud, much like the sound a doll would make if it fell to the ground. Slowly but steadily, a red puddle started to form on the floor, underneath his little abdomen. “No,” I heard myself saying. I still could see Wolfie’s face too. The shots. I heard the shots. “Atlantica, Ice Beam!” I heard a voice say far away. Perhaps an illusion. Perhaps reality. I couldn’t pay attention to anything other than how quickly Pikachu’s white fur was turning crimson. The pink patches of fur, which had been blue for most of his life, were now a bright red. With trembling limbs, I slid myself without standing up. The squirrel’s eyes were already static. “Hang in there. Hang in there. Pikachu,” I whispered as I tore my bubblegum dress and used pieces to try to stop the blood loss. When I saw the depth of his wound, though, I felt as though I had been hit on the head. Even then, I wrapped his limp body in pink, elastic bubblegum. “Vanilla…” I heard a female voice call me, but I couldn’t move my neck’s muscles to pull my head up. The person placed a hand on my shoulder, but I didn’t have strength in my arms to slap it away. “Vanilla,” the voice repeated my name, and I snapped back to reality. For a moment, I thought I might have been dreaming, because it felt as though I was just waking up; however, looking down, I found I was holding a bundle of bubblegum, which was leaking blood here and there. Tears threatened to come out of my eyes, but I pulled them back in. I placed the bundle carefully on the floor, away from the bloody puddle, and stood up. “It’s a pity that I lost my chance to eliminate you once and for all,” the man said, returning the blue dragon into a pokeball. “Vanilla, I can take care of this. You don’t have to force yourself,” Amaria said, now holding both my shoulders. “No, I’ll destroy the PULSE,” I said with a low voice. “Until now, I only fought these terrorists to become stronger myself. From today on, I’ll not rest until I see all of your dead faces.” Amaria’s hands weakened their grip on me for an instant, but then supported me tightly again. “In your dreams,” the Meteor boss laughed. “ZEL, you take care of Vanilla. I’ll see if I can defeat the little mermaid with a Sapphire bracelet.” Amaria moved to where the man was standing, and ZEL slowly approached me. “Listen, I’m really sorry about- Shut up, Lumi. What I meant is, prepare to lose!” I was battling, but all through the battle I kept asking myself why I was doing this. I said I would not take risks. I thought I was paying attention, avoiding anything that could pose a risk. Yet, a single misjudgement, a single misstep caused an irrevocable tragedy. Am I really getting stronger? Or am I only playing hide-and-seek with the reaper? “Long live, Queen Eterna,” were Wolfie’s last words. She died so I could live… so should I not take care of my life? What is the point of fighting and getting stronger, if I’ll get killed before I can serve my purpose? “Solaris, I-I’m sorry. We couldn’t…” ZEL struggled for words. The man, who now I knew to call Solaris, stopped his battle with Amaria. “Useless,” he said as he called his tyranitar back. “Fine. You think you stopped the PULSE? It’s too late - the lake is too far gone.” Solaris looked at me from head to toe, pausing at the obvious blood stains on my face and clothes, and smirked. “Hope you liked the surprise gift, Vanilla. Now we’ll be gone,” he said, and used teleport to escape. The factory was silent, except for the low machine whirs in the background. The stench, as Solaris said, was still present but my nose had already gotten accustomed to it. I bent my knees and lowered myself to pick up the pink bundle. Amaria noticed my movement, and approached me. “Vanilla, I’m sorry,” she said. I looked at her with deliberate surprise. “Do I look like I care,” I relaxed my facial muscles and almost grinned. Amaria was at a loss of words, and I enjoyed that. I didn’t need to hear anything. I didn’t need to say anything. Just let the silence sink. I stretched my bubblegum dress so that I could carry Pikachu with my skirt as a hammock. Why is it that he felt much heavier now than he ever did when he sat on my shoulder? “Where are you going?” I heard Amaria ask to my back. “Try guessing.” I started walking. As I passed by the streets of Peridot, many eyes rested on me, likely because I had not cared to wipe the bloodstains off my skin or clothes. The bundle was already turning a dark crimson color. The blood was no longer fresh. I heard Amaria’s footsteps following me, but it made little difference to me whether she came or didn’t. So I let her follow me. I passed by the empty streets of Jasper and then entered Beryl Ward, where again, many pairs of eyes were fixated on me. Even then, not a single person said a word to me. The few that I met gazes with widened their eyes in fear and casually ran away. On the farthest edge of Beryl was the cemetery. VANILLA RATES: REBORN CHARACTERS What did I do T_T Don't expect episodes while I reflect on the meaning of my life... QUICK LINK TO NEXT CHAPTER

@Zarc Noice music and noice singer mm Thx for stopping by~ @Jess Yup I noticed you've placed a lot of effort in keeping up with all your rodents' personalities can't be easy keeping up with so many characters all the time~ @ArcherEric Haha, mimikyu was about to start sweepin' but I killed it with fire before it could start reproducing sweepin' xD

I was bamboozled by the change in title fren Now an ice mono huh~

Idk, when I was stuck I tried many things (like pressing A to change the follower) and I also happened to save right then lol But I somehow happened to find exactly what you needed Game.rxdata

Luckily I'd uploaded a save on here (but it's right where I'm stuck, hopefully it helps) Game.rxdata

I'm not the only one who thought of Madoka Magika when thinking of "walpurgis" T_T yass Anyhow, congrats again~

Curious enough, I just told Awesome_One the importance of the readers earlier today xD Let your imagination run wild, and don't apologize for doing so I look forward to seeing how Flannery decides to leave Hoenn~

Honestly tho, you might think I do all the work but actually it's thanks to readers like you that I can keep writing I'm an easily demotivated lazy potato~ Besides, Reborn already has a well crafted storyline, so it's easy to add bits and pieces of decoration haha I won't spoil anything, but you might be a lil sad in the next episode... don't sue me for instilling depression!

From Everland to Reborn ~ Episode 16 We heard the police approaching, but realized they were headed to Lapis Ward and going through Opal bridge. Once they passed the bridge, our surroundings became quiet again. I had thought that Opal Ward had either not been affected by the infamous earthquakes, or that Ame had prioritized its renovation, because the floors and stairs near the Grand Hall were all pretty clean and unharmed. However, seeing this part of Opal Ward made me change my mind. The floor was full of small and large cracks - some of them large enough to allow a child to slip through to the abyss. I’m not a child, but I can’t argue that I don’t look like one, so I carefully watched my every step. Everyone was quiet as we made our way through, probably because we were full of apprehension at being discovered by the cops. I, for one, don’t have time to get imprisoned. “Ah, damn it,” Charlotte cursed as she tinkered with some old machine near some large gates. “The computer won’t turn on.” The punk punched the wall next to the machine. “Um, I-I think I know what we c-can do,” Shelly said in a low raspy voice. “These gates are, um, old from w-when Yureyu flourished. Maybe, um, maybe the computer’s still connected to the old power plant?” “Old power plant? Wait, that’s where Mr Shadow lives!” Anna exclaimed. “I bet if someone went up there and asked, he’d gladly turn the electricity on.” Everyone save for Anna and me looked to random directions. The silence was full of awkwardness, for whatever reason. Who was this Mr Shadow again? “Is this that ghost-looking man who took away Corey’s body?” I asked Shelly, who in turn tightened her lips and nodded. “He’s also a Reborn Gym leader,” Noel explained. “Ah, I know! Vanilla, you’re doing the Reborn League challenge, right? Why don’t you go up to Mr Shadow’s? Then we can kill two birds with one stone,” Anna looked up to me with glittering dreamy eyes. “Fine,” I shrugged. “Try not to get caught by the cops while I’m absent.” “Don’t underestimate us,” Charlotte grinned. I took a glance to Heather, who still had the same cold empty expression and was, for the first time since I met her, quiet. Shelly placed an arm around the pink-haired girl and nodded at me. I only closed my eyes and turned. I mounted my bike and sped up the streets of Peridot and Jasper, almost running over a few pedestrians. Shade’s Gym was in Beryl Ward, but away on its eastern edge. I passed by the pokemon center to pick up a new member, who I’d been training in my spare time. A sawsbuck, which started out as a little deerling. His name was Bambi, obviously named after one of the most famous athletes at our school. I felt Bambi would come in handy for this battle, since Shade is a ghost-type user, and the guide said ghost type attacks have no effect on normal types. I went out of the pokemon center and caressed Pikachu’s head. “Are you afraid of ghosts?” I asked him, but instead of an answer, he tickled my neck and cheek with his fluffy tail. “I’m not afraid. I only fear the living, not the dead.” That was a lie, but an unharmful one. Crossing the Beryl bridge on a bicycle was incredibly refreshing, despite the site being fresh in my memory because of Corey’s suicide. Just in front of Shade’s Gym, which really was an old power plant, I met an absol. It might even be the same one I once caught a glimpse of just before Corey’s suicide, but when it realized I was observing it, it jumped towards the top of the stone mountain. I don’t know what I expected, but I think this was exactly it. Shade’s Gym was so dark I felt it could eat me alive and not make a single sound. Pikachu squealed quietly, and I petted his fur to stop its shivers, though I hoped he wouldn't feel my own hand trembling. “Hello, Vanilla. You’re at Shade’s Gym now?” Ame asked me as I collected the Field Effect read-out for this field. “Yeah,” I cleared my throat. “If nothing’s changed, it should be pitch black there. Shade uses that darkness to power up ghost type attacks.” “Since it’s still a factory-like field, I assume it also boosts electric and steel type moves?” “Not all moves, but some yes. Also actually, you can change the field into a normal factory field, if you use the move Discharge.” I shrugged, though Ame could not see me. “Too bad I don’t have electric types. Whatever, I’ll get going.” I pulled out my pokegear and Ame wished me luck before disconnecting. Shade’s Gym was different in many aspects compared to the other Gyms I’d been to. Like Corey’s, it had no other trainers, but unlike the former, there were wild ghost pokemon roaming around in the eerily dark power plant. To add to the spooky atmosphere, Shade had also edited some videos to show his challengers - the first one I watched was of Corey falling off the bridge. Another one was of Amaria apparently getting pushed off by some redhead girl. The other two, though, I wasn’t sure what to make of them since the characters were people I didn’t know. An old woman got cut in half by a blue dragon pokemon, while a green haired woman somehow exploded into pieces. Shade must be fun at parties. Finally, though, I reached where he was, though it took me a while to make out his shadow in the darkness. The malfunctioning lights flickered sometimes, allowing me to see my target and risk letting out a foolish scream. The experience wasn’t fun in any sense of the word for Pikachu either. “Shade, I need you to turn this power plant on so we can escape the cops,” I told him. He was silent for a while, but then he smiled. Yes, I saw his white teeth contrasting on his black shadow. “Battle…” I heard him say, though I wasn’t sure if he actually said it. It felt more like a thought in my mind rather than a voice. “That’s also what I came here for,” I clenched a fist and sent out my first pokemon, Prince. Once the battle was over, Shade hid his creepy smile. “Omen badge… yours…” he said, and the badge floated to my hands. He also gave me the TM Shadow Claw, which I appreciated even if I doubted any of my party could learn the move. “Power?” Shade once again smiled. “Activate.” The sudden lights almost blinded me. Now instead of his smile, Shade’s human-shaped shadow was clearly visible. There were also some aura surrounding him, which I dared not make contact with. What was he, really? “I do not fear you,” I said to make it clear to him and myself. “If you’re done, I’ll get going.” “... Observe,” Shade said, turning to a large screen behind him. I watched as the screen flashed on and displayed the orphans, Shelly and Cain. “What are you plotting?” I instantly snapped. Shade took a glimpse of me, grinned, but said not a word. I once again paid attention to the screen. As we had planned, the gates of the railnet opened, but some people were already waiting for them on the other side. “This is more convenient than I expected,” said a man wearing an eyepatch, who I recognized from the Peridot factory I stormed with Julia and Florinia. “Seize them.” A large number of Team Meteor grunts emerged from the other side of the gate, chasing and catching every orphan. I saw Heather get caught easily and follow the grunts with unusual complacency. Shelly resisted a little more than when we had our confrontation, but she eventually gave up and followed the grunts much like Heather. Charlotte sent out her ninetales, only to have both her and her pokemon seized by around ten grunts. Only Cain, from what I could see, managed to escape the grunts and block the way for them by breaking the path with nidoking’s Earthquake. “Sir?” the bewildered grunt asked his superior eyepatch man. “Let him leave. He’s not part of the deal,” the man said, and made a 180-degree turn on the spot before walking toward the gate. “We’ve got everything the doctor ordered.” That was when Shade’s screen turned off. “So the damned doctor was a Team Meteor agent,” I widened my eyes. “What about you, Shade? Are you one of them too?” Shade was silent, as he usually preferred to remain. “If I find out you’re one of them,” I barked. “I’ll come back for you. I don’t care if you’re a ghost, I’ll kill you once more, if needed be.” Then, I ran out of the Gym, hopped onto my bike and pedaled back to the railnet. Hopefully Cain would still be there, and we could think of a way to get the children back. TEAM RECAP VANILLA RATES: REBORN CHARACTERS QUICK LINK TO NEXT EPISODE

You'll be battling three gym leaders before you can come back to Reborn City: 1. Samson (fighting), 2. T3RR4 (ground) and 3. Ciel (flying). I think primarina is a good pokemon for both 1 and 3, since these battles are done in an arena that boosts "performer" type attacks. For 1 you also have oricorio and ribombee, and honestly Samson's fight isn't that difficult. For 2, though, I'd recommend having a pokemon that knows the move Toxic, not for the gym battle, per say, but just because I know there's a random fight just before facing her... For 3, I'd recommend having tankier pokemon who can bear full-power + boosted acrobatics. I think sandshrew evolved into sandslash would do the job, but Idk if you have an ice stone. I'd recommend using the item finder to clean up the city and get a lot of items haha before going to Agate. You never know, they might come in handy

Because e is clearly not a boy, and I chose to give im pronouns appropriate to his sexual orientation Can't be Violent-Vanilla if there ain't some punches and kicks, right~