Pokémon Academy Chapter 4: Abduction

[DarkLight]

{Slade}

Avis crowed at the Rotom warily, but otherwise remained in Danielle's clutches. She did, however, notice Slade walking past their group. Deciding this to be the best time to excuse herself from the Electric type, Avis wriggled out and proceeded to badger Slade instead. Maybe she could finally check out those headphones of his...

She stopped just short of plucking his belongings, though. Something was off with the Murkrow wannabe, and that means that it's not a good time to pester him. So, she plopped down on the desk and peered into his face. "Muur krow?"

{Henry and Lana}

"Why, hello there, Techie~" Danielle giggled. She had seen a few Rotom by her hometown here and there. Most of them were just like Avis; pranksters. Once Avis flew out of her grasp, Danielle put on a solemn expression and answered Henry's revelation. "Look, I understand why I should keep this a secret from certain others, but isn't a friendly voice --not mine, obviously-- going to be more helpful to Evan than for us to sit back and let him be persuaded by his "friends"? If we stay silent, there would be a bigger chance that Evan will go over to that side. If you have told me this sooner, I would have forfeited the match so that Evan wouldn't be pushed further and further away from us."

She crossed her arms at this point, annoyed at how the situation has unfolded with this revelation. "I'm sorry, Henry, but I have to agree with Mareek on this; if we choose to withhold information from each other, Evan's situation is only going to get worse. If that puppet master is as dangerous as you think he is, we need all the help we could get. I can't afford to keep it to me, myself and I only. But I will concede that I won't be telling everyone... Especially those new transfers. Now, I have to go and see if my Pokemon are healed yet, so excuse me." If Henry is as streetsmart as he is, he would pick up the hint as to who to look out for now.

((Oh, thank goodness this was saved yesterday. I couldn't finish it due to class))

[Commander]

Danielle and Lana

"Uhh...don't recommend trying to pet him," Henry spoke to Lana. " The last person who tried got a...shocking experience." Oh god, that was terrible. Henry looked over to Techie who was confused by the girl's actions. "Unlike my other five, he's untrained so there's no telling what he'll do."

"Even if what Mareek says is true, I still don't trust any of you enough. Besides, all I get back is info I already know or is just unimportant," responded Henry to Danielle. "Try to not get me involved in whatever these plans you and your friends have." In truth, Henry didn't actually really care what happened to Evan. That was his only tie to this whole shadow thing and once that was gone, he was left in the dark. The transfers thing did interest him though. Then he recalled some boy in white yesterday. "I didn't know we had transfer students. Do you know who any of them are?"

[Sutoratosu]

"Good god, you've still got your head so far up your own ass..." Mareek paused, turning back to Alvin. "And obviously that can of bonifide, Grade A whoop-ass Raiza opened on you didn't help dislodge it...ah, how cute though, someone must still be sore that he got put in his place for being a pompous dick. And yet, you think you can just sit here and criticize me on how I do shit afterwards! Tch, what a freaking riot..."

"Alright, alright," Mareek said as if it were some debate, hands in his pockets and stone-faced. "I see your point, but a counter argument, if I may? If I'm apparently such a poor trainer just based solely off of something that happened when I was eight, what's your definition of this 'control' you speak so fondly of then, Alvin?" he asked pointedly. "Honestly, I'm curious; was it what you showed out on the field yesterday with how brilliantly you commanded that heracross of yours?"

[Azeria]

"Eh,Mr.Fuji was a good role model growing up I guess,he had this orphanage set up for pokemon so that's what sparked my interest in pokemon,no fancy stuff of wanting to become a champion or a member of the elite four or even a gym leader,just plain wanting to learn more about them."James shrugged,his mother had worked at Pokemon Tower in Lavender town,it was a family tradition for her side so she had to frequently leave him at Mr.Fuji's place.

[Jory]

{Jacob, Mareek, & Alvin}

"I seem to recall that Sneasel's a Dark and Ice type," Jacob butted in. "What happened to your type advantage, Alvin? You let your guard down and suddenly you're not quite the battler you thought you were." He chuckled lightly and waved his hand dismissively. "You're not going to win an argument with Mareek, either. Guy's too bull-headed for his own good," he added with a slight smile toward his friend. "Not that I'm complaining. It's done him good so far."

[Sutoratosu]

{Mareek, Jacob, and Alvin~ Backup has arrived}

"Well well, look who decided to drop in..." Mareek said, breifly glancing back at Jacob once he'd noticed the other student there, not even minding the "Bullheaded" comment. What mattered now was that there were 2 people to call the Bug-Maniac out on what Mareek was, at least fairly certain, was the root issue here. Maybe the jackass would finally shut his damn mouth and go away...

"Well, Alvin?" He continued, returning his attention to the disgraced bug catcher. "I'm waiting, go on, tell me if you know so much- What's the definition of "Control"? Or do you just want to cut to the real point here and admit that your just criticizing because you're still a bit pissy over your own mistakes that you have no one but your own arrogant self to blame for?"

[Jory]

{Jacob, Mareek, & Alvin}

Jacob made a shocked face and leaned back. "OOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!" he shouted, overreacting to the somewhat pointed remark. "HE GOT YOU! BUUUUUURRRRRRRRNNNNNNNNNN!! I HOPE YOU BROUGHT A RAWST BERRY FOR THAT!"

[Aurorix]

{Avis/Pokemon Center}

Slade smiled as he saw Avis worrying about him, "Oh it's nothing, just thinking about the future and what to do next." Slade said looking out the window. "I honestly don't know where to go from here, should I continue being a trainer or just head back? I really don't know my reason to continue going on anymore." He mutter with a little sad. He looked down at his hand and clenched them, he didn't want to just head off in a random direction. He wanted to know where to go, even if he must go back a little. If he doesn't he might just get into something that won't be so easy to get out of.

[Tacos]

{Ryan vs. Raiza}

Ryan stood at his side of the field, analyzing the battlefield before him. I don't see any of my teammates being able to gain any advantages on this field. This is a tough decision. Let's see, Raiza has Rogue, Toothless, and Lucifer. Type advantages, movesets, etc. Who would be my best choice? Ryan ran his fingers over the three pokeballs hanging off of his belt on his right hip. I'd love to change up my compositions and not have to use my dynamic duo in the same fight again, but I guess it's all I have. Glacien would probably be a good defensive decision if Rogue is her first choice. Regardless, Glacien is capable of taking on both Toothless or Lucifer, and I know damn well he can take some hits from Rogue. Looks like the decision's been made. Ryan slid his fingers across Glacien's pokeball, finding a comfort feeling in the small scratches that he and Glacien had formed in the ball during their time in Mossdeep. He pressed the button and felt the ball expand in his hand. He placed a small kiss on the button before tossing the ball into the field. With a flash of light, Glacien leapt out of the ball with that goofy cliché grin. With a tiny trill in his voice, Ryan spoke to Raiza. "I'm readyy~"

[Felicity]

Mareek/Jacob

Alvins rage was clearly evident on his scowling face, his nostrils flaring as he tried to look down at the two boys by tilting his head back. "You want to know the definition of control?!" He flared at the two boys who were verbally attacking him for no good reason. "Control is to exercise restraint, you imbecile. I don't care about my loss against the girl, that wasn't a matter of control in the slightest. It was a matter of skill that I will gladly acknowledge as I learn here in the academy, a place where learning is literally our purpose." Alvin stormed up and got into Mareeks face, furious eyes glaring into Mareeks. "But from the looks of it, you can't even control your tongue and be polite, how the fuck do you think you can go on like this? What kind of person mocks someone for a mistake they're trying to learn from?"

James

"Sounds like you're more of a breeder Gramps, why take the Trainer program?" Phobe asked, puzzled about James motivations.

Henry/Danielle

"Um, I think the guy from yesterday, the Ponyta boy, he was a transfer..." Lana repiied to Henries question. She wouldn't be surprised if he was a bad person, though Lana wasn't about to say that...

[Jory]

{Hosts- Jeremy Brand & Robert}

"We'll be right back after this brief break," Brand said, walking out of the booth. How can I get the spotlight back from that damn Marco? he wondered as he took a walk around the Arena. He looked from student to student trying to find inspiration, when suddenly it hit him. "Of course!" he shouted. He walked over to a student he thought he'd seen before and cleared his throat.

"Ah, yes! Robert! What a fine young man! How would you like to do a one-on-one interview LIVE with me in the booth before the next match?" he asked ostentatiously. Before waiting for an answer he wrapped his arm around the young man's shoulders and whisked him off to the booth. He nearly kicked the door off its hinges on his way back in as he plopped Robert in a chair and sat next to him. Marco looked quite confused as Brand snatched his mic out from in front of him and placed it in front of Robert.

"Here with us LIVE we have a student at Ymora's very own Pokemon Academy! Tell us, son, what's your name? And what program are you a part of?"

[Azeria]

"As nice as being a breeder sounds like,the thrill you feel in a battle just attracts me more for some reason,that and Shade likes to battle a lot and he really influences me."James said,he himself at times did wonder at how he'd be as a breeder but battling was something he really liked,positions of power and influence like being a gym leader just didnt suit him."Most of my family are or were at some point trainers,my uncle kept telling me about how great being a trainer would be aswell which is another reason I decided to be a trainer"

He suddenly noticed on the screen that Robert had somehow gotten himself into to Commentator's booth and was being interviewed for some reason. "Um,Phoebe,does this happen commonly"James asked amused by the show the Commentator was putting up.

[TurboAura]

Though he tried to relax by watching the tournament battles in the stands with his family, part of Robert just needed to go for a walk. His plan was to simply get some air, maybe even have a moment alone with his Pokemon to just think about things.

That plan was cut short, however, when he was stopped by this man... Offering to interview him? Before Robert could say anything, even ask 'Why?', the man pulled him by his arm to apparently the booth from what the man said. Seeing as the choice had practically been thrown onto him, he took a deep, calming breath as he got pulled along.

As Robert got pulled into the booth and put into a seat, he still gave a generally confused look but kept his mind to what was asked. "Well, I'm Robert Parkhurst, and I'm in the trainer program."

Edited May 8, 2015 by TurboAura

[Sutoratosu]

{Mareek, Alvin, and Jacob- Round One, Fight!}

"I could reach out right now and snap a few of your ribs with you standing this close..." Mareek thought in silence as he stood there, holding Alvin's gaze as he maintained the same emotionless expression he had since this whole thing had began. "I could do alot of things to you right now... But that wouldn't really help anything, would it? No... it wouldn't. But I know how to end this...'cuase I honestly can't stand another damn second around you..."

"Alright, alright...Alvin," Mareek conceded, breaking off the eye contact as he backed away, hands held up in a non threatening manner. "Look, I apologize, man. Obviously I went too far there. That was low of me...it's just that... well, after all she's been through, I can't help but be a bit overly defensive of Erce sometimes. Some of the stuff that was done to her in the past... no pokemon should ever have to endure it." He looked back up at Alvin, something different in his dark eyes from the apathy there'd been before as he thought about the most likely course his partner's history had gone... "Even still though, you're right, it was wrong of me to go there...and I'm sorry."

With that said he turned and started walking off towards his original destination again, looking to the bit of unexpected backup as he passed by. "Anyway... I've got things to do in the Med Center. You coming, Jacob?"-then whispering to him a voice too low for Alvin to hear-"For the love of god, please, don't question it, just say yes..."

Ms. Sisto and Mars, the Stalls outside the Stadium

Mars looked on with concern as his trainer sat re-reading the same letter she had spent so long fretting over. Even now he could sense her fatigue, her restlessness... not that it was exactly anything new to him, after having picked up on the same thing everyday for the past seven and a half years. If he could've said or done anything to lessen the burden, he would've leapt at the chance in a heart beat... but he knew the only use he could have right now would be to stand by as hers to command.

"Bish..." the sentinel sighed, looking over her shoulder. He had liked Alphonse, truly, he had... the man's fondness of steel had been a major point of respect for him, and he'd treated his master quite well... it was a damn shame the man had died from a simple lie though. If only he could've foreseen what his words that fatal night would lead his eldest to do to him someday. Without a word he placed a sorrowful hand on her shoulder...

"I still can't believe it..." Alexandra thought dismally, rapping her fingers on the coarse wooden surface of the picnic table as the old, faded red and white of the capsule beside her hand wobbled to and fro from every vibration. "All of this... he never told me anything. Ever since we met... it explains so much..." "Enough..." she said pointedly, desiring to read nothing more as she folded the paper back into the neat square she'd found it in not long ago. Some of the contents of it were simply too disturbing, even now after the fitfh or sixth read through in as many days. The things that had been written and the things that were described...horrible. Absolutely horrible.

"Enough..." she repeated, removing Mars' reassuring mit from her shoulder and standing this time as she collected the old capsule. The protector went to full attention the moment she fixed him with her fiery stare... clenching the pokeball. "You know why we're really here."

"Bish!" Mars nodded. To gauge the boy's development. Chances were that given the letter's contents, Galen had already been murdered and left in some gutter years ago... but Mars would not stand to lose the younger one too, not after seeing his partner go through that pain. "Bissssharp!" His blades extended to full length at the mere thought of possibly needing them, twin sabers jutting outward at least a good foot and a half from his arms...

"Calm down," She ordered, glaring at the overreaction. "or you'll put out the eye of someone who doesn't deserve it... or do far worse." The woman turned and started for the stadium as Mars sheepishly put away his armaments. "Hurry up and come on, a jumbo tron is never the same as actually seeing it for yourself..."

[Jory]

{Jacob, Mareek, and Alvin}

Jacob nodded. "Yeah, I should probably heal up my Pokemon anyway. Then we can go find a place for me to show you my new teammate," he said excitedly, waving goodbye to Alvin and waiting for Mareek to lead the way to the med center.

{Hosts- Brand & Robert}

"Hmm! Fascinating! So as a part of the Trainer program, you must be familiar with a lot of today's battlers! Who do you think is gonna win this year's Wwwwwwiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinter Cup? And are there any lucky ladies out there cheering you on?" Brand asked the student.

[TurboAura]

With a brief time to think, Robert spoke up for the first answer. "Who I think will win? It's... Kinda hard to say actually. If I actually had to bet I'd go with Jacob or Mareek since they're pretty much the 'fan favorites' of the trainer program. At the same time though, trying to predict on who will actually win it all... Even the slightest suprise can throw everything off, so there's no way of really knowing until it's all over."

Once he finished that bit, he let the second question form in, mentally sinking down as he kept his physical reaction to only gripping the pocket that still held the Dusk Stone. "As for the the second question... I have my hopes and doubts."

Edited May 9, 2015 by TurboAura

[Jory]

{Hosts- Brand & Robert}

Brand chuckled and smiled encouragingly at Robert. "Well, if it's any consolation that's about the answer we've gotten from Professor Redwood and Professor Cadmus, too. Jacob and Mareek must be fierce opponents if everyone's so confident one of them will win!" the man said. "What do you think of our BRAND new field effects?"

[TurboAura]

"Oh, the field effects? Well, just saying they're great is an understatement." With a laugh out of the way, pushing the nervous feelings from the last question to the side, he continued with the answer. "I mean, they all seem like something you'd usually only get to experience in an intense gym match. How they work kinda makes flexible strategy a MUST to keep in mind. Add the fact that so many different fields are all just interchangeable and it all seems so, well, amazing!" The explanation left Robert in pretty much an overhyped state, hand curled up into a fist in mental excitement.

[Jory]

{Hosts- Brand & Robert}

Brand beamed at Robert's praise of the fields, clearly elated by the response. "There you have it, folks!" he bubbled. "Even the students love the new field effects! Would you look at that!" he exclaimed proudly. "As good as an intense Gym battle, you said?" he repeated for emphasis. "That was the inspiration for the idea! To allow our students to compete on a totally separate level from regular battles. After all, this is the Winter Cup!"

[Sutoratosu]

{Mareek and Jacob, The Medical Center, Front Doors}

The moment they had left behind Alvin behind and walked through the doors of the Medical Facility Mareek reached down to his pocket and produced Erce's Capsule. The scyther emerged in a flash of white, instantly turning her attention away from her trainer in pure shame and parring her claws self-contemptously, hissing all the while. Mareek simply shook his head and sighed, glancing Jacob with a scowl on his face.

"I can see now why Evan was about the pummel that little ass wipe back when the year first started..." He snarled bitterly, though the contempt wasn't directed at the Rival for once. "He doesn't know when to shut the fuck up, and then when you try to call him out, he sits there and acts like he's so damn self-righteous... I'm really starting to wish I had just stood there and said nothing, let him go ahead and have done it."

[Jory]

{Mareek and Jacob}

Jacob shrugged, offering a slight grimace to the other boy. "Yeah, I suppose so. I guess we should probably try to be nicer to him, but he just makes it so difficult," the teen vented as he shook his head. "Add that to the fact that he can't back up half of what he says and you have a recipe for an annoying person." He then looked thoughtfully at his belt and took Arete's Ball off, releasing the Togetic. She gave a happy cry and then fluttered over to the Scyther, examining her new friend with fascination. Jacob chuckled and pointed at the interaction. "Looks like Erce has a new friend there."

[Sutoratosu]

{Mareek & Jacob, Things ain't so peachy...}

The scyther was hesitant at first when the much younger flying type wandered over, still obviously preoccupied. The fairy seemed rather persistent though; soon enough Erce was uttering a greeting to her, trying to forget about the whole ordeal with the irritating bug maniac.

"Yeah, guess she does..." Mareek said. The faintest hint of a smile tugged at his lips seeing her cheer up, but... it was quickly quashed as he thought about the absolute clusterfuck that was his entire team dynamic at the moment. It all seemed hopeless at this rate, really. Java had proven himself over the past few days to be an obsessive, frequent liar who was more concerned with the pursuit of his own goals and vendettas than Mareek's, Nemo... the kid had guts, had spirit, but he lacked brains and he lacked strength. He followed Mareek blindly, like some lost puppy that had been rescued from the gutter and imprinted on the first thing with a pulse it had seen. He insisted on taking on stronger and stronger foes, on taking on type disadvantages Like Java always did with Ghost or Fighting and Erce with Fire...but he couldn't realize that his body lacked the power to stand up to the necessary damage and endurance training the older two member's could. Hell, even just this morning, the boy had made a request via Java to be sent out first in the match today, all because he had heard the Analyst say that Kage's team had a few moves that would give a ground type trouble...

Mareek was going to say no, just because he was sick of it. He wasn't going to stand by and watch the kid get his ass handed to him, Nemo would just have to wait till he evolved before he could be like Java or Erce... but the orphan had started whipping out the thunder punch, that oh so pitiful excuse for what Java had taught him... and he knew it would only hurt his self-esteem if he got the red light in the matter... But he knew this whole situation with those two was just something waiting to blow up, right in his face. He could feel it.

And then there was Erce. Out of all three of them, Erce was the one who had given the least issues, hell, she hadn't given any issues. She NEVER gave any issues. And quite frankly she was the only one who he could send onto the field without feeling some degree of dread or just damn shame, she was the only one who upheld not only the conduct standard, but the combat one as well. And yet here he had gone back there with the situation with Alvin, making her feel like shit...

Oh, and there was also the cripple. The young, nameless cripple who when she wasn't sleeping was starring at him ceaselessly like he was something from an alien world. The cripple who had apparently been made mute by whatever happened to her, given that not even Java could divulge anything from her. The Cripple whom he honestly would've left there to die if he had allowed himself to listen to his logic rather than his emotions back in the forest. Even now he could here that incessant nagging in his head about how she was a drain on resources and cash and time which had no real return for what it consumed... the voice that told him he should take it back to the forest one night and just toss it like people used to do with lame infants back in primordial times... the voice that made him feel like more and more of a monster whenever, even if just for a second, he gave in and even considered it's advice due to just sheer stress and fatigue and frustration.

"I'm not making it to the finals..." He said suddenly as he stood there with Jacob, watching the Mantis and the Fae interact with a vacant, listless stare that would've looked more in place on a dead man than a living one. "I'm not even making it past the next round. I'm just... just done... I can't do this anymore."

[Jory]

{Mareek and Jacob}

Jacob looked questioningly at Mareek. "What do you mean, 'not making it past the next round?' Mareek, you're one of the best battlers here. Even Kage won't be able to give you so much trouble." The young man thought for a moment, then decided it wasn't definitively the battle that was troubling his rival. He's always been the dark, brooding type. Maybe that has something to do with it, he figured. "Listen, Mareek, if you need someone to talk to I'm here," he said quietly. "I know there's some stuff about your past that makes you question yourself constantly, but you need to accept that this is your life to do with what you choose. Personally, I've made it my mission to become one of the strongest Trainers in the world and I know you have ambition too. So why are you moping around when you could be following that ambition?" he asked. "I know we're not like best friends, but I know what it's like to deal with stress." He looked slightly annoyed with Mareek for a moment. "And if you're planning to lose in the next round and deny me the battle of a lifetime for the Winter Cup championship, then why am I even competing? You're the only battler here who pushes me. Without you in the Cup, I'm Vegeta with no Goku!"

[Sutoratosu]

{Mareek and Jacob- The Complicated Issue}

He made no eye contact with the blonde boy, simply kept his gaze fixed on Erce, chuckling bitterly "Oh please... if fighting me is so important, you could do it anytime, regardless of it's before a bunch of cameras and media or not. Do you think Vegeta ever waited around for such things whenever he wanted to take a shot at Son Goku? Hell no, if he wanted to duke it out, he found him and duked it out right then and there, giving no damns about location or audience." He started walking forward, reaching his hand into his pocket and producing two capsules, tossing them out to the side and sending out Nemo and Java. Nemo instantly waltzed over to Erce and Arete. Java simply stayed where he was, making eye contact with no one...

"I'll tell you why I'm dropping out of this though..." He continued, deftly catching both the capsules as they rebounded off the wall after sending out their occupants and crossing his arms behind his back. "A wise man told me many, many times in the past that Competition makes wise men into fools and clouds their judgement. He told me it makes them complacent, it makes them do and say stupid things because they become so absorbed that they do not even realize how far they have fallen." He stopped, doing a pivot on his heels and looking Jacob right in the eye with that same, lifeless type of stare. "I used to heed his words, back home... and I never got involved in heavy competitions because of that. But I forgot the reason why he kept telling me the same thing over and over again when I left. And you know what? Something that happened not long ago has forced me to wake up and see that fact. I let myself get dragged into this all because of someone else's vendetta..."

He glared directly at none other than java. "A vendetta to get back for a loss which honestly did more good to us than it did harm, a lost that I've ordered them to get over time and time again, but they refuse to listen to reason because they're too damn arrogant." He turned back to Jacob. "I tried lying to myself at first, telling myself I didn't care about the cup, that I was just doing it to test my team and their capabilities, and it was a pathetic lie, to tell the truth. No... I have to accept the fact that I let myself get swept up right along with my smartest partner, my right hand man... or duck, I have to accept the fact that it's something incredibly petty that's driving any of us forward in this."

Without a word of warning, Mareek recalled his team members except for Java, the strategist instinctively following his partner as he headed back towards Jacob. "This is a trap, Jacob, a trap I walked right into when I should've just said no and saved the BP entry fee. It's a freight train without a conductor that's headed for the end of the tracks, and if I don't get off that damn train, right here and now, forfeit the next match against Kage... some shit is definitely gonna go down, I can feel it, just from what I've been taught and from the warning signs from what's already happened between me and my team...it feels like I'm holding a time bomb up to my face, and it's about to blow...and so I'm doing what I should've done after the first round and getting out before it gets to that point, come whatever may."

Java meanwhile, said absolutely nothing. But if Jacob paid close enough attention he might've caught the slightest of nods that even Mareek had missed...

[DarkLight]

{Henry and Lana}

Danielle shrugged at Henry before she walked off. "Fair enough. And Lana is right; the Ponyta boy's name is Pierre Debrosou. He hails from Kalos and aspires to be a coordinator, so you will have more than enough time to observe his movements~ Although I can't take him seriously. He appears to be more of a casanova than anything. You'll understand what I mean when you meet him." With that, she walked off towards the nurse's desk to fetch her injured Pokemon.

{Slade and Avis}

Avis tilted her head in confusion. What does he mean by "not knowing where to go" and the "reason to continue"? Do his friends and his master not mean anything to him? The Murkrow watched silently as Slade offered his thoughts. Wow, who knew that Slade could be serious outside of battling? Maybe Danielle was onto something after all. Finally, Slade fell silent, lost in his tormented mind. The black bird hopped onto his leg and nudged his clenched fist, attempting to get a pet or a stroke on the wing. Avis then looked up hopefully at the Murkrow-wannabe, crowing happily before she nudged his hand once again. She then pointed at herself before repeating the same nudging procedure. Hopefully, he will get the message: He should continue for Avis!