Another Journey

[Seehan]

Alice

As the dust cleared, Alice desperately rubbed at her eyes, trying to clear her vision. At last, she opened her eyes to find the battlefield fully visible once more. Julia's Electrode lay unconscious in a shallow crater where it had exploded. However, Alice's Squirtle was no where to be seen. As Julia returned her Pokemon to its Pokeball, Alice looked wildly around for her Squirtle. Motion in the corner of her eye caught her attention, and she turned her head to see the Tiny Turtle stick its head out of its shell and look around, still half buried in a pile of dirt. It had managed to follow her command in time after all. Although the Electric Field had given Electrode's attack an additional Electric typing, Explosion was inherently a Physical Move, making its damage reducible by moves like Withdraw. However, it was clear that the attack had dealt massive damage to the Water type Pokemon as it stood up slowly, wincing in pain. Glancing across the arena towards her opponent, Alice thought Julia looked a little uneasy, perhaps having expected her Electrode's final attack to have finished off Alice's Squirtle.

This is it. One Pokemon left. I'm so close now.

Alice looked to the spectator's stand, where she saw Seehan observing the battle intensely. Above all, she thought, she didn't want to lose in front of him. She wondered why she cared so much about what he thought of her, but was pulled out of her distracted thoughts as Julia pulled out her final Pokeball. Pointing it at Alice, the emerald haired gym leader called out to her.

"This is it, Alice! One of us is about to be going BOOOM, but it won't be me!" And with that, she threw her Pokeball.

Alice saw Julia whispering something that looked suspiciously like "don'tgoboom, don'tgoboom, don'tgoboom..." under her breath as her Emolga materialized into the air above the battlefield.

As Alice's Squirtle and Julia's Emolga faced off, Alice was struck by how calm she felt. In Kalos, she had panicked in almost all her gym battles, making bad calls and losing over and over until finally earning her badge days later. Here, on this battlefield in a land so far away from home, her mind was clear; her careful plans and strategies prepared the night before were all lined up neatly for easy access, and no matter what happened next, Alice felt ready for it. Feeling her Pokedex vibrate, she pulled it out and read its notification. Her Squirtle had learned a new move. Alice made use of it immediately.

"Squirtle! Hit it with a Bubble! Try to slow it down!"

"Emolga! Dodge it and uuuuuse Charge Beam~!!"

Executing a crisp barrel roll, the Emolga avoided Squirtle's Bubble, and fired off a beam of electricity towards the Water Pokemon standing on the ground below. Barely rolling out of the way in time, Squirtle was unable to dodge Emolga's next move.

"Follow it up wiiiiiith an Acrobatics!"

Julia's Emolga slammed into Squirtle, flipped through the air, then hit it again from another angle. Squirtle tried to knock it down with another Bubble, but the Flying and Electric type Pokemon was too agile, deftly avoiding the streams of translucent spheres and striking again and again. Squirtle was forced onto its knees, its arms covering its head trying to protect itself from the assault.

"Squirtle! Defend yourself with Withdraw!"

The Tiny Turtle quickly hid in its shell, helpless to fight back, as Emolga beat down on it mercilessly. Alice cut her hand through the air in front of her, calling out commands.

"Squirtle! Use Bubble to make yourself spin! Create some distance!"

Squirtle complied, forcing its opponent away from it with a cloud of Bubbles. In a flash, Squirtle reemerged from its shell, glaring at the Emolga.

"Don't give it a chance to recover! Boom it with one more Charge Beam~!!!"

"Shoot that thing down! Hit it with your strongest Bubble!"

The two Pokemon fired their attacks, and for a brief moment their moves clashed, equal in strength. Emolga's type advantage quickly grew apparent, however, as Squirtle began being pushed back, wincing as stray sparks of electricity danced down and struck it on its face and body. Emolga's Charge Beam began overpowering Squirtle's Bubble inch by inch, drawing closer and closer, until at last Alice had had enough.

"Squirtle, return!"

Emolga's attack struck the spot Squirtle was standing with a crash of energy, scorching the dirt and causing sparks to fly up from the Electric Field. As Emolga's Special Attack increased in power, the referee raised his flag.

"The Challenger has recalled their Pokemon in a manner that has directly interfered with the battle! As such, the Challenger's Squirtle may no longer be used for the duration of the match! The Leader's Emolga is the winner!"

"Thanks for your hard work, Squirtle. You did great." Alice whispered to her starter, whose Pokeball wiggled weakly in response. Clipping it to her waist, Alice pulled out her final Pokeball. As she did, her mind inexplicably flashed back to her first battle against Seehan. Despite the tension in the air, she smiled.

"It all comes down to this. Budew, kiminikimete![i choose you!]"

A flash of light caused Budew to appear on the battlefield.

However, Budew did not stop glowing even after fully materializing. In fact, it shined even brighter as the Pokeball's light faded, growing in size and shape.

Alice watched, entranced, as her Budew evolved into Roselia. Her Pokedex, still clutched tightly in her left hand, whirred as it registered a torrent of new data, notifying her of the moves her Roselia had acquired. Glancing through it, she put the device away. She wouldn't be needing it anymore for this battle.

"Here we go, Roselia! Shower it with a flurry of Poison Sting!"

"It's time for our last cheer, Emolga~! Knock those pins away with Tail Whip, then use Acrobatics!"

As Roselia fired a round of Poison Sting, Emolga closed in. It spun once, safely deflecting the tiny pricks with its tail, before closing in and ramming Roselia with its body. However, in contrast from when it had used the move on Squirtle, Emolga did not bounce away from Roselia and strike again, but rather stayed stuck to the Plant Pokemon. Alice grinned.

"Gotcha."

Roselia had waited until Emogla got into range, then had used Absorb. Its tiny roots had caught Emolga as it had dived in, digging into its skin and preventing it from flying away. As it struggled to free itself, Alice gave her final command.

"Once more! Poison Sting!"

Being fired at point blank, this time Emolga had no way of avoiding or deflecting the tiny barbs, and it screeched as dozens of purple pricks were buried into its skin, poisoning it.

"NO NO NO NO NO!!! EMOLGA! KABOOM THEM WITH A CHARGE BEAM!"

Gritting its teeth against the Poison in its system, Emolga fired a powerful Charge Beam straight into Roselia's face. The two Pokemon stood there, locked in a strange embrace, howling at one another as they used their final moves. Moments passed, and at last, Emolga's Charge Beam flickered out as it fainted in Roselia's arms.

The referee raised his flag.

"Leader Julia's Emolga is unable to battle! Challenger Alice of Lumiose City is the winner!"

Alice recalled her Roselia and dropped to her knees in exhaustion. Across the arena, Julia stood stock still in disbelief.

"..... Mrrrrrrrr.............. I... Lost?" She sighed. "SO LAME!"

Recalling her Emolga, she stomped across the battlefield until she stood in front of Alice. Reaching into one of her pom poms, she pulled out an envelope and a thin piece of shining metal.

"Here you go! Your prize money, and one brand new Volt Badge! Congrats~!"

Alice accepted both, placing them into her bag before standing up and dusting herself off. Julia turned and winked up at the trainer watching from the stands.

"It's your turn now!!!! Gimme a sec to heal my Pokemon and I'll be right back kayyyy~!"

And with that, Julia skipped off into a back room. Seehan strolled down the stairs and gave Alice a high five.

"Nicely done! You've definitely improved your battling style since our battle yesterday."

Alice accepted the praise with a blush and shook her head.

"I lucked out. Budew would have had no chance against Emolga if it hadn't evolved when it did."

Seehan smiled at her.

"It was your trust in Budew that allowed it to evolve when it did. This battle was your complete victory."

Turning away from the red-faced girl, Seehan grinned challengingly at Julia, who had just returned. The cheerleader shot one right back.

"Are you ready to be kaBOOOOOOMED????"

Alice moved into the spectator's stand as the two trainers took their positions. The referee began the formalities.

"Seehan of Pallet Town wishes to challenge Julia of the Peridot Ward Gym in-"

He was cut off as Seehan's Pokegear began ringing. Frowning, the dark haired boy raised his hand in apology and pulled it out, putting it to his ear.

"Hello?"

His expression shifted; a look of confusion settled on the trainer's features, then quickly changed to panic. He began yelling.

"What's happening? Where are you? Oi!"

His face was white.

"VICTORIA!"

Trainer Profile: Alice

Trainer Rank: B+

Badges: 1

Current team:

Squirtle - Level 15

Ability: Rain Dish

Item: None

-Tackle

-Tail Whip

-Bubble

-Withdraw

Mawile - Level 45

Ability: Intimidate

Item: Mawilite

-Sucker Punch

-Iron Head

-Play Rough

-Knock Off

**Note: Alice currently cannot use Mawile in official gym battles, as she does not have the required Gym Badges necessary to register traded/foreign Pokemon as part of her official team. In unofficial battles, she may use Mawile freely.**

Swablu - Level 14

Ability: Natural Cure

Item: Sharp Beak

-Sky Attack [tutored]

-Disarming Voice

-Mist

-Sing

Roselia - Level 13

Ability: Poison Point

Item: None

-Mega Drain

-Growth

-Poison Sting

-Stun Spore

Numel - Level 17

Ability: Simple

Item: None

-Ember

-Focus Energy

-Magnitude

-Flame Burst

Edited June 11, 2015 by Seehan

[Seehan]

Seehan

Seehan's blood was pumping; he was eager to start the battle. As the referee began the formalities of the battle, however, his Pokegear began ringing. Seehan frowned; he was sure he had set it so only a few people could make it ring while on Silent. One was Alice, one was Ame, and one was... Raising a hand of apology to the questioning gaze of the referee, he placed the device to his ear.

"Hello?"

Immediately, he could tell that something, somewhere, was going horribly wrong. The screams in the background of the call were a dead giveaway. A scared sounding female voice began speaking quickly.

"Seehan, I need your help. Something terrible has happened in the Obsidia Ward, and-"

The voice trailed off with a scream that sounded like the speaker was being dragged away by something. Sounds that suggested that her Pokegear had clattered onto the ground came through his receiver. Seehan yelled into his device, even though he knew that it was already too late; she wouldn't be able hear his words.

"What's happening? Where are you? Oi!" His heart beat against his chest; if something had happened to her because he had wasted his time here in the Peridot Ward, he would never forgive himself.

"VICTORIA!"

Smashing noises were heard, then the line went dead. Presumably, her Pokegear had been crushed by something.

Without turning his head, he sensed Alice running down the stairs from the spectator's stand. Julia joined him as well.

"What what what? What's going on, Seehan?"

Feeling a horrible twisting in his gut, he bowed deeply to Julia.

"I'm sorry, Julia, but I'll need to put our match on hold. I have to go to the Obsidia Ward immediately."

Julia scrunched up her face, confused.

"But didn't Rini say she wouldn't let you help if you didn't have any badges?"

Seehan shook his head.

"I'm not going to help Florinia. I'm going to go find out what happened to my friend. From what I could tell from the call, something terrible is happening, and I'm going to go find out what."

Alice stepped forward.

"I'll come with you. From what it sounds like, things are going to be dangerous. Having someone to watch your back could be-" She broke off as Seehan shook his head.

"No. I'm sorry, but this is too dangerous. You should stay here, with Julia, where it's sa-"

She slapped him across the face before he could finish, making him stagger slightly from the unexpected blow.

"Where it's what? Safe? I am a Pokemon Trainer, not a little girl that needs to be protected. If you won't take me with you, I'll force you to stay too." She pulled out a Pokeball and pointed it at him.

Seehan stared at it, then at her face. She was dead serious.

"... You're kidding right? Your Pokemon are all wounded. You don't stand a chance against me."

He wasn't trying to hurt her feelings, it was the truth; including her Mawile, she had 3 usable Pokemon; two of which were badly wounded. Although her Mawile would be a problem, it was one he was confident he could handle. The other two weren't even worth mentioning, as injured as they were. However, even though she must have known these facts as well as he did, Alice showed no sign of backing down. Fine then. He would match her determination with his own.

"I don't have the time for this. You'll have to forgive me if I don't hold back."

"I'd be insulted if you did. You'll have to break both my legs if you want to stop me from following you."

Julia stood there, aghast, as the two trainers faced one another, Pokeballs in hand.

"Uhhh. Well, I'm going to go call Ame and figure out what's going on. Try not to kaBOOM the gym, alright?" And with that, she and the referee left the room.

Seehan gave silent thanks to the emerald haired gym leader, then focused his attention on Alice. Every second counted; he couldn't afford to be held up here if Victoria was in danger. He would end this farce as fast as possible, then run directly to the Obsidia Ward. Seehan activated Blank Slate.

A crackle of electricity from the gym floor set the two trainers into motion.

"Go, Squirtle!"

"Monferno, kiminikimete![i choose you!]"

Trainer Profile: Seehan

Trainer Rank: SSS

**Note: Seehan's Trainer Rank without Blank Slate and Empathetic Link would be A+.**

Badges: 0

Current team:

**Note: When in an Empathetic Link with Seehan, his Pokemon deal 1.5x more damage from all damaging moves, and gain a 1.5x increase in speed.**
**Note: When being commanded by Seehan in Blank Slate, his Pokemon's moves gain +1 priority, and land critical hits more easily.**
**Note: If both of the above conditions are fulfilled, Seehan's Pokemon temporarily gain 25 levels worth of stats.**

Monferno - Level 17
Ability: Iron Fist
Item: None
-Fury Swipes
-Leer
-Ember
-Mach Punch

Zigzagoon - Level 14
Ability: Pick Up
Item: None
-Odor Sleuth
-Sand Attack
-Headbutt
-Baby-Doll Eyes

Ralts - Level 16 [41]
Ability: Trace
Item: None
-Disable [egg move]
-Confusion
-Teleport
-Disarming Voice

Electrike - Level 15

Ability: Lightning Rod

Item: None

-Ice Fang [egg move]

-Howl

-Quick Attack

-Spark

Edited June 9, 2015 by Seehan

[Seehan]

Alice knew better than anyone that in an all out battle, she stood no chance against the trainer in front of her. Even so, she couldn't back down. There was more than her pride on the line; her gut told her that if she failed to get the older boy to acknowledge her here, she would never get the chance ever again. Appearing in twin flashes of light, Seehan's Monferno and Alice's Squirtle took to the battlefield, the latter wincing in pain as it materialized. The damage it had taken from the fight against Julia had taken its toll on the Tiny Turtle, and she gave it a silent apology for forcing it back into battle. Seehan wasted no time in making the first move.

"Mach Punch."

"Defend with Withdraw!"

Squirtle retreated into its shell just in time to avoid a direct hit from Monferno. However, instead of being knocked backwards, like Alice had expected, Monferno launched Squirtle into the air with its fist. Alice's eyes widened; this was the same tactic that Julia had used against her Numel. Just like what had occurred then, Alice's mind momentarily drew a blank.

"Once more."

"Squ-Squirtle! Use Bubble!"

Alice's command, just as before, came a second too late; Monferno leapt into the air with blinding speed and punched her Squirtle, hurtling it towards the ground before it could counter attack. As it slammed into the ground, Alice stood there, speechless. Once again, her ineptitude as a trainer was holding her Pokemon back. Was this truly as far as she could go? Monferno landed back onto the battlefield and took up its fighting stance once more, bouncing lightly on its toes. Seehan lifted his pointer finger up towards Alice, indicating a number 1.

"... Weakness number one. You panic easily in unfamiliar situations. You cover up this weakness using a mix of ingenious combination moves and planning multi-layered strategies in advance. However, as you cannot feasibly predict every possible situation that will occur, you inevitably find yourself freezing up in critical situations."

Squirtle stood up, shaking. It was reaching its limit; it would be dangerous to go on much further than this.

But even so... Even so.................. Please, just a little more, Squirtle.

"Hit Monferno with a Tackle!"

"Leer. Two steps to the right. Mach Punch."

Squirtle made to throw itself forward; Monferno looked it in the eye, making it hesitate for a brief moment before executing its Tackle. Monferno moved two paces to the right, dodging the Water type Pokemon, before chopping down with its Mach Punch. It struck a quick, clean blow to the back of Squirtle's head, knocking it out instantly. Seehan raised a second finger.

"Weakness number two. When you get into a dangerous situation, you always unconsciously resort to close combat. This ends up making you predictable, especially when your Pokemon aren't suited to it."

Alice simply stared at her Squirtle lying on the floor, stunned at herself. The difference in experience and skill was just too large; once again, she had lost even with the type advantage. Even if she sent out her Mawile, her current self would be unable to make use of its advantage in strength over Monferno. She was even unsure if she was of sound enough state of mind to use Mega Evolution. She closed her eyes, shoulders shaking.

...

I haven't changed at all.

........

But even so.

I know I'm weak. I've accepted that I'm weak. That's why I'm here, isn't it? So that I, as a trainer and as a person, can become someone that won't hold back my Pokemon.

She opened her eyes, a new flame of determination burning in them, and looked Seehan in the eye.

"I won't lose here. And even if I do, I will never give up. I will chase after your back forever until I finally reach it, and when that day comes, I will beat you."

As she spoke, her Squirtle slowly and painfully rose to its feet. Letting out a cry of defiance, it began to glow. Within moments, a Wartortle stood in front of its trainer, neither Pokemon nor trainer giving any indication of surrendering.

However, instead of scoffing at her proclamation and resuming the battle like she thought he would, Seehan was staring at her as if he had never seen her before.

No, that was wrong.

It was as if he was looking at someone he had known very well, but in a time long past.

Seehan closed his eyes. When they opened, they were the eyes of the lovable boy she had befriended just the day before, but already felt so close to.

"... Understood. Let's end the battle here, then. You've proven your point; you can come with me to the Obsidia Ward, as long as you promise to stay close and follow my lead."

Alice blinked, thrown off guard by his sudden approval. He seemed to be genuine, though, as he recalled his Monferno, thanking it for its work.

"Return, Squir- I mean, Wartortle!"

Her Pokemon turned towards her and grinned, before vanishing into its Ball in a beam of red light.

Seehan turned and walked out of the gym. For a second, while looking at Alice, he had seen the silhouette of a blue-gray haired girl in a pink skirt and white beanie glaring at him, instead of a blonde one in a black skirt. And if Alice was anything like her, nothing he could say or do would dissuade her from doing what she wanted.

Trainer Profile: Seehan

Trainer Rank: SSS

**Note: Seehan's Trainer Rank without Blank Slate and Empathetic Link would be A+.**

Badges: 0

Current team:

**Note: When in an Empathetic Link with Seehan, his Pokemon deal 1.5x more damage from all damaging moves, and gain a 1.5x increase in speed.**
**Note: When being commanded by Seehan in Blank Slate, his Pokemon's moves gain +1 priority, and land critical hits more easily.**
**Note: If both of the above conditions are fulfilled, Seehan's Pokemon temporarily gain 25 levels worth of stats.**

Monferno - Level 19
Ability: Iron Fist
Item: None
-Fury Swipes
-Leer
-Flame Wheel
-Mach Punch

Zigzagoon - Level 14
Ability: Pick Up
Item: None
-Odor Sleuth
-Sand Attack
-Headbutt
-Baby-Doll Eyes

Ralts - Level 16 [41]
Ability: Trace
Item: None
-Disable [egg move]
-Confusion
-Teleport
-Disarming Voice

Electrike - Level 15

Ability: Lightning Rod

Item: None

-Ice Fang [egg move]

-Howl

-Quick Attack

-Spark

Trainer Profile: Alice

Trainer Rank: B+

Badges: 1

Current team:

Wartortle - Level 16

Ability: Rain Dish

Item: None

-Bite

-Tail Whip

-Bubble

-Withdraw

Mawile - Level 45

Ability: Intimidate

Item: Mawilite

-Sucker Punch

-Iron Head

-Play Rough

-Knock Off

**Note: Alice currently cannot use Mawile in official gym battles, as she does not have the required Gym Badges necessary to register traded/foreign Pokemon as part of her official team. In unofficial battles, she may use Mawile freely.**

Swablu - Level 14

Ability: Natural Cure

Item: Sharp Beak

-Sky Attack [tutored]

-Disarming Voice

-Mist

-Sing

Roselia - Level 13

Ability: Poison Point

Item: None

-Mega Drain

-Growth

-Poison Sting

-Stun Spore

Numel - Level 17

Ability: Simple

Item: None

-Ember

-Focus Energy

-Magnitude

-Flame Burst

Edited June 10, 2015 by Seehan

[Seehan]

Seehan

Exiting the Peridot Gym, Seehan began walking East. Alice joined him.

"So, what's the plan? Do you have any ideas on where Victoria is in the Obsidia Ward?"

Seehan shook his head.

"Since you're joining me, we can't go there directly anyway. Let's go to the Grand Hall first; you need to rest your Pokemon, and I can take the opportunity to see if Ame has any information. It won't do Victoria any good if we run in blindly and get ourselves killed."

Climbing the steps leading into the massive building, the two trainers entered the Grand Hall.

The duo quickly split up; Alice headed to the Pokemon Center with Seehan's Electrike and Monferno in tow, while Seehan walked straight through the Hall to the back wall, where the administrator's desk was located. As he arrived, he did not fail to notice the strained, harried atmosphere surrounding the administrators frantically taking calls and bustling around hurriedly. However, there was no sign of panic on any of their faces; it appeared that being an administrator of Reborn City required one to have nerves of steel. Requesting an appointment with Ame, Seehan was told she was currently in a conference call with the leaders of the Peridot and Onyx Wards. In other words, Julia and Florinia. After being given a buzzer, Seehan began pacing impatiently up and down the waiting area. As the boy brooded, he was approached by an old man holding a large, watertight container.

"Excuse me young man, you are a trainer, correct? I have an offer for you. One that you cannot possibly refuse~."

Seehan ignored him. He didn't have any interest in being scammed at this particular point in time. The man moved closer, insistent.

"A trainer such as you deserves a Pokemon of legend; A Pokemon so rare in this region that I had to call in thousands of old favors to procure it. With this Pokemon, you will be invincible."

Seehan perked up, slightly interested despite himself. At his root he was, after all, a Pokemon Trainer, and hearing the words "rare Pokemon" were super effective on him, as perhaps the old man knew. Gesturing for the old man to show him the goods, the old man shook his head.

"Sorry sir~. I cannot risk allowing anyone to know this Pokemon has found its way into the region; I am making a special exception even mentioning it to you!"

So, it was the Pokemon Seehan thought it was.

"... I don't know........... If I can't verify what Pokemon it is, I cant adequately judge whether it's worth the money or not......"

Seehan teased the old man with his words, watching him squirm. In reality, Seehan was really quite interested in getting his hands on the Pokemon he suspected the scammer was trying to push on him; he did not, however, feel like paying an exuberant amount of money for it.

"Don't worry sir, my products are always top notch! I'm willing to part with this beauty for a mere 50000!"

Seehan looked at him with a blank stare.

"... 100."

"S-s-s-SIR! How could you possibly suggest for my merchandise to be worth so little?!? I'll admit, perhaps my initial price was slightly ambitious; just for you, I shall cut down to 40000!"

Seehan sighed and made to leave.

"W-w-w-w-wait!!! Alright, I get it, you are a very tough customer. I understand, we are both men, right? 30000!"

Seehan looked at him, his eyes emotionless. A bead of sweat formed on the man's brow.

"20000!!"

"....... 200."

"15000!!!!"

"250."

"5000!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"400."

"...... 1000?"

"500."

"......................."

"."

And thus, Seehan happily acquired a Magikarp for 500.

Trainer Profile: Seehan

Trainer Rank: SSS

**Note: Seehan's Trainer Rank without Blank Slate and Empathetic Link would be A+.**

Badges: 0

Current team:

**Note: When in an Empathetic Link with Seehan, his Pokemon deal 1.5x more damage from all damaging moves, and gain a 1.5x increase in speed.**
**Note: When being commanded by Seehan in Blank Slate, his Pokemon's moves gain +1 priority, and land critical hits more easily.**
**Note: If both of the above conditions are fulfilled, Seehan's Pokemon temporarily gain 25 levels worth of stats.**

Monferno - Level 19
Ability: Iron Fist
Item: None
-Fury Swipes
-Leer
-Flame Wheel
-Mach Punch

Zigzagoon - Level 14
Ability: Pick Up
Item: None
-Odor Sleuth
-Sand Attack
-Headbutt
-Baby-Doll Eyes

Ralts - Level 16 [41]
Ability: Trace
Item: None
-Disable [egg move]
-Confusion
-Teleport
-Disarming Voice

Electrike - Level 15

Ability: Lightning Rod

Item: None

-Ice Fang [egg move]

-Howl

-Quick Attack

-Spark

Magikarp - Level 15

Ability: Swift Swim

Item: None

-Splash

-Tackle

-x

-x

Edited June 11, 2015 by Seehan

[Seehan]

Alice rejoined Seehan just as his buzzer began vibrating, signalling that Ame was ready to see him. Together, they were escorted behind the administrator's desk, and ushered into a room in the back area. Inside, an exhausted looking Ame smiled at them over a pile of papers strewn over her desk.

"Seehan, Alice. It's good to see you two, although I hadn't expected for us to meet again so soon."

Alice was surprised; Ame was right. Though it felt like much more time had passed, it was only yesterday that she and Seehan had awoken from their comas and begun their journeys in Reborn. Seehan returned her greeting, then got to the point right away.

"Around an hour ago, I received a call from Victoria. She sounded like she was in danger, but the call was cut off before I could ascertain where she was. She told me she was in the Obsidia Ward, but I have no idea where she was within it. Is there a way I can trace the location of the call?"

Ame frowned, eyebrows creased.

"... It should be possible, but it would take time... And if what's happening right now in Obsidia is as bad as the reports I'm getting say it is, then it's time we don't have." She leaned closer, lowering her voice. "As we speak, giant plants are destroying the Obsidia Ward. Hundreds of people are already being reported as missing or dead. Obsidia Park has completely vanished, and most of the roads are impassable. Julia is heading to Opal Bridge to try and help with the evacuation, while Florinia is trying to formulate a strategy to get rid of the plants. We have no idea why the plants have suddenly begun rampaging, nor do we know how. All we know is that people are dying, and we can't do anything to stop it except run away."

Seehan leaned back in his chair, trying to digest what he had just learned. As Ame allowed him a moment to process the load of information she had just dropped on him, Alice tentatively spoke up.

"Erm..... Why was Victoria in the Obsidia Ward in the first place? I thought she was challenging the Reborn League like Seehan and I. If so, shouldn't she have been challenging Julia's gym, like us?"

Seehan answered her, still deep in thought.

"She said that something had bothered her as she passed through Obsidia on her way here, and went to check it out......." His eyes widened, and he bolted to his feet, pulling out his Pokegear in the same motion and calling up his map. "Alice, you just made me realize something. If Victoria noticed something on her way here, that means she must have been investigating something she passed by as she ran here from...." He pointed at a spot near the bottom of his map. "The Coral Ward, where she got off the ferry from Apophyll Beach. She was in a hurry, meaning she would have taken the shortest route possible, meaning.... Here. She would have cut through the Obsidia Slums. The Obsidia Slums are pretty isolated from the rest of the Obsidia Ward, which means she wouldn't have had a chance to see anything strange unless the thing that was strange was in the Slums!" He slammed a hand onto Ame's desk, disturbing a few loose pieces of paper. "Victoria must be, or at least was an hour ago, in the Obsidia Slums. That's where we'll start our search."

Ame nodded in approval, an impressed look on her face.

"An excellent deduction, Seehan. You're correct, Victoria does regularly cut through the Slums whenever she comes to visit the Grand Hall. I believe your guess to be spot on. Before you go, however, there is one more thing I must inform you of." Her look turned grave. "... We, as in Julia, Florinia, and myself, have suspicions that Team Meteor may be related to this incident. Take that as you will, but please take care and watch your back. I'll let Julia know that you two are coming, and to let you through the police checkpoint. Take this HM card for Cut as well; if you place it in your Pokedex, you can teach certain Pokemon the move through the PokeSynchro system. It might prove useful, considering where you're going."

Seehan nodded his gratitude, before exiting the room. Alice hastily said her farewells and trailed after him, leaving the beleaguered administrator to her work.

As they exited the Grand Hall and began climbing Opal Bridge, Alice returned Seehan's Pokemon that she had taken to the Pokemon Center for him. Taking them gratefully, he returned them to his belt. Alice spoke up, her face a little confused.

"I didn't want to say anything back there since we were in a hurry, but who's Team Meteor? I assume they're a dangerous group, like Team Flare?"

Seehan thought back to the red-suited individuals that had caused such a stir in the Kalos Region, then shook his head.

"No... Team Meteor makes Team Flare look tame." He quickly filled her in on what had happened the night before at the factory. He had pondered long and hard on whether or not he should tell her, but had decided that it was safer that she knew what they were potentially up against.

"... I think I get it. But, if they really are behind this plant business, how do you think they're pulling it off?"

"I don't know. But I'm getting this sneaking suspicion that we're going to find out, eventually."

The two walked on in silence. As the police perimeter came into view, Alice posed one last question to the older boy beside her.

"Why do you care so much about getting stronger? What drives you to want victory so much?"

Seehan didn't answer, though Alice thought she saw a flicker of emotion cross his face before disappearing. Had she imagined it?

".... I'll tell you another time. We're here, let's get Julia to let us through and see what we're up against."

Waving to the emerald haired Gym Leader, Seehan jogged on ahead, leaving Alice in his wake.

"W-wait for me!"

Trainer Profile: Seehan

Trainer Rank: SSS

**Note: Seehan's Trainer Rank without Blank Slate and Empathetic Link would be A+.**

Badges: 0

Current team:

**Note: When in an Empathetic Link with Seehan, his Pokemon deal 1.5x more damage from all damaging moves, and gain a 1.5x increase in speed.**
**Note: When being commanded by Seehan in Blank Slate, his Pokemon's moves gain +1 priority, and land critical hits more easily.**
**Note: If both of the above conditions are fulfilled, Seehan's Pokemon temporarily gain 25 levels worth of stats.**

Monferno - Level 19
Ability: Iron Fist
Item: None
-Fury Swipes
-Leer
-Flame Wheel
-Mach Punch

Zigzagoon - Level 14
Ability: Pick Up
Item: None
-Odor Sleuth
-Cut
-Headbutt
-Baby-Doll Eyes

Ralts - Level 16 [41]
Ability: Trace
Item: None
-Disable [egg move]
-Confusion
-Teleport
-Disarming Voice

Electrike - Level 15

Ability: Lightning Rod

Item: None

-Ice Fang [egg move]

-Howl

-Quick Attack

-Spark

Magikarp - Level 15

Ability: Swift Swim

Item: None

-Splash

-Tackle

-x

-x

Trainer Profile: Alice

Trainer Rank: B+

Badges: 1

Current team:

Wartortle - Level 16

Ability: Rain Dish

Item: None

-Bite

-Tail Whip

-Bubble

-Withdraw

Mawile - Level 45

Ability: Intimidate

Item: Mawilite

-Sucker Punch

-Iron Head

-Play Rough

-Knock Off

**Note: Alice currently cannot use Mawile in official gym battles, as she does not have the required Gym Badges necessary to register traded/foreign Pokemon as part of her official team. In unofficial battles, she may use Mawile freely.**

Swablu - Level 14

Ability: Natural Cure

Item: Sharp Beak

-Sky Attack [tutored]

-Disarming Voice

-Mist

-Sing

Roselia - Level 13

Ability: Poison Point

Item: None

-Mega Drain

-Cut

-Poison Sting

-Stun Spore

Numel - Level 17

Ability: Simple

Item: None

-Ember

-Focus Energy

-Magnitude

-Flame Burst

Edited June 13, 2015 by Seehan

[Seehan]

**not part of the story**~~

Please feel free to PM me feedback ^^ should I make a discussion page? would it be used? are there any glaring problems in my writing? HIT ME WITH IT

[Seehan]

Seehan

Seehan and Alice passed through the police checkpoint and into the Obsidia Ward, only to behold a scene straight out of Hell. Plants the size of a Steelix had come bursting out of the streets, wrapping around buildings and destroying anything in their path. Smaller vines had sprung out of the cracks, ensnaring people and Pokemon alike. In the corner of his eye, Seehan saw Alice turn her head away from a mangled corpse, its twisted remains still being squeezed tighter and tighter by a cluster of plants.

"... Let's keep moving. The map says to go East, then South to reach the Western entrance of the Slums."

The two trainers walked in silence, occasionally pausing to cut free several unfortunate, but alive, people and Pokemon, and burning open a door to allow a family to escape towards the blockade. Ame had not been kidding when she said the Police force was spread thin; Seehan spotted less than half a dozen uniformed officers as they moved deeper into the Obsidia Ward. How bad must the other Wards be doing, he thought, if a disaster like this only constituted a police blockade and evacuation order? As they neared the Slums, Alice suddenly pointed forward, at a dense cluster of vines.

"Look! Isn't that...?"

Running forward, the two trainers examined the bundle of plants and were relieved to find Victoria within, eyes closed but still breathing in short, labored gasps. Clearly, the plants were restricting her ability to breath. Quickly cutting her free with Zigzagoon and Roselia's assistance, Seehan laid her carefully down on the ground, checking her pulse and searching for broken bones. Though her pulse was slow, she appeared to have no injuries besides several bad scrapes. Seehan breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness... We made it in time."

"Seehan, look at this."

Glancing over, he saw that Alice had wandered off to look at something, and was now returning with the shattered remains of Victoria's Pokegear.

"Well, this explains why you heard her get cut off. She must have been fleeing the Slums and got caught up in these plants. Her Pokegear was under a giant vine, so it's no wonder that it got smashed like it did." Seehan nodded, but before he could reply, a hand suddenly locked around his throat.

Struggling to look down, he saw that the hand belonged to Victoria, her eyes open and bloodshot. Despite currently strangling the life out of him, she didn't seem to be aware that he was even there. She started screaming.

"NO! NOONONONONONONNONOONONONONONONONONONONONONONNOOOO! THEY'RE EVERYWHEREEEEEEEEE!!!!! I'M SORRYYY! I COULDN'T SAVE YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUU ARGHGHAGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!"

"Seehan! Mawile, use Knock Off! Be careful not to hurt her!"

As Alice sent out her Pokemon with a flash of light, Mawile leapt forward, hitting Victoria with a held back but still firm Knock Off, forcing her to release her grip on Seehan's neck. Gasping for breath, Seehan climbed to his feet, and looked over in alarm as Victoria also bounced to her feet, Pokeballs in hand.

"NONOONONOOO, don't let them take ussssss! Ralts, Makuhita, make them go away!"

"Victoria! Ughhh, it doesn't look like there's any other way out of this. Ralts, kiminikimete![i choose you!]"

"I'll help too! Mawile, stand by for battle, but go easy on them!"

As Alice took up a position beside Seehan, their Pokemon cautiously eyed Victoria's partners as they appeared from their Pokeballs. Unlike their trainer, they appeared to be sound of mind, and seemed reluctant to battle Seehan and Alice. However, perhaps out of loyalty to Victoria, they took up their fighting positions all the same. Seehan closed his eyes, and when they reopened they were sharp and focused, signalling that he had entered Blank Slate.

... I really don't want to have to battle Victoria while she's like this. I still don't know exactly what's wrong with her, but it's clear that we need to get her to safety as soon as possible. We need to end this quickly, before her condition gets any worse.

He directed his thoughts toward Ralts, the two already connected in an Empathetic Link.

Here we go. Wait for them to make a move, then Teleport behind them and use Disarming Voice.

"Mawile! Use Iron Head to sweep them away!"

Victoria's Makuhita and Ralts sprung into action, their attention focused on Alice's Mawile. It made sense; without their trainer to command them, their first instinct was to take out the seemingly bigger threat. Mawile did not stand idle either; it whipped around and swung its head mandible towards them in an arc, the Steel type move gleaming in the afternoon sun. Before any of their moves connected, however, Victoria's two Pokemon were suddenly bulled over by a wave of sound emanating from their rear, courtesy of Seehan's Ralts. Off balance, they were easily swept up and flung away by Mawile's Iron Head. Ralts fainted instantly upon hitting the ground; Makuhita managed to struggle to its feet, though clearly winded from the impact and damage it had sustained.

Victoria recalled Ralts, her hand shaking wildly around the Pokeball as it retrieved its charge.

"Oh no, my dear Ralts...... Don't worry, Pignite will protect us!"

As Pignite appeared, Seehan shook his head. From what he had observed so far, it appeared as though the plants had injected Victoria with some sort of neurotoxin, making her delirious and hostile towards everyone but her own Pokemon.

If there are other victims like Victoria, we are in for a lot of trouble.

"Mawile, use Play Rough!"

Ralts, use Confusion.

Their Pokemon made quick work of Victoria's, trainerless as they were. As her partners fainted, Victoria dropped to her knees, apparently losing all her strength along with the battle. Seehan moved to her side swiftly, checking her pupils.

".... She's unconscious again. Maybe it's better this way; it'll make it easier to carry her out of here."

Quickly retrieving Victoria's Pokeballs and recalling her Pokemon, Seehan was about to pick her up, when he suddenly noticed the ground beneath him beginning to crack-

He threw Victoria out of the way, before leaping aside just in time to avoid the giant tendrils as they burst from the ground, obliterating the concrete where he had just been standing. Rolling to a halt, he looked up to see the entrance of the alleyway completely blocked off, with him alone trapped on this side. Avoiding the smaller vines now creeping out of the cracks, he called over to Alice.

"ALICE! ARE YOU ALRIGHT? HOW'S VICTORIA?"

"YES, WE'RE ALL OK! VICTORIA IS SAFE TOO! YOUR RALTS TOOK A BAD HIT THOUGH, IT'S FAINTED!"

Seehan swore under his breath. Without Ralts's Teleport, he was trapped on this side of the plant wall. Turning, he surveyed the alleyway, noting that it seemed to go much further back.

"... IT LOOKS LIKE THIS ALLEY LEADS INTO THE SLUMS. I'LL GO FURTHER IN AND LOOK FOR ANOTHER EXIT."

"OK!!! I'LL TAKE VICTORIA AND YOUR RALTS TO THE POKEMON CENTER, THEN TRY TO FIND A WAY AROUND TO MEET UP WITH YOU!"

Seehan nodded to himself. Making sure his remaining Pokeballs were secure on his belt, Seehan hefted his bag and entered the Obsidia Slums.

Trainer Profile: Seehan

Trainer Rank: SSS

**Note: Seehan's Trainer Rank without Blank Slate and Empathetic Link would be A+.**

Badges: 0

Current team:

**Note: When in an Empathetic Link with Seehan, his Pokemon deal 1.5x more damage from all damaging moves, and gain a 1.5x increase in speed.**
**Note: When being commanded by Seehan in Blank Slate, his Pokemon's moves gain +1 priority, and land critical hits more easily.**
**Note: If both of the above conditions are fulfilled, Seehan's Pokemon temporarily gain 25 levels worth of stats.**

Monferno - Level 19
Ability: Iron Fist
Item: None
-Fury Swipes
-Leer
-Flame Wheel
-Mach Punch

Zigzagoon - Level 14
Ability: Pick Up
Item: None
-Odor Sleuth
-Cut
-Headbutt
-Baby-Doll Eyes

Ralts - Level 18 [43]
Ability: Trace
Item: None
-Magical Leaf
-Confusion
-Teleport
-Disarming Voice

Electrike - Level 15

Ability: Lightning Rod

Item: None

-Ice Fang [egg move]

-Howl

-Quick Attack

-Spark

Magikarp - Level 15

Ability: Swift Swim

Item: None

-Splash

-Tackle

-x

-x

Edited June 11, 2015 by Seehan

[Seehan]

Seehan

Seehan moved quickly along the alleyway, putting away his most recent capture. He had found a wild Hoppip dozing in the shadows, and had taken the opportunity to increase his party members, at last bringing the number of his held Pokemon up to 6. Well, 5 technically, as his Ralts was currently in Alice's care. He fervently hoped that she made it to the Pokemon Center safely; being burdened with Victoria, she would be hard pressed to run away if something happened. Finally reaching the end of the alley, he came across a heavy wrought iron door, a drunk laying passed out in front of it. Dragging the man aside, he managed to open the door just enough to squeeze through, and slipped inside without a sound. Within the building, dozens of zombie-like figures wandered about; it seemed apparent that they, too, had all been affected by the neurotoxin that had laid claim to Victoria. He would do well to avoid as many of them as possible, Seehan thought to himself, lest he be dragged into an exceeding number of pointless battles. He had barely finished forming the thought, however, when the door he had just come through shut itself with a massive slam. Seehan felt a large number of eyes turn towards him. He sighed, exasperated, and pulled out a Pokeball.

Leaving behind dozens of unconscious bodies in his wake, Seehan proceeded through the building, eventually making his way out of the complex and onto the main street of the Obsidia Slums. Here, people looked fairly normal, if scared, and Seehan passed them without incident. The plants seemed to have largely ignored this part of the Ward, though Seehan could see small tendrils starting to poke out between buildings. Soon this place, too, would no longer be safe. Asking around, he discovered that the only exit still unclaimed by the plants was the one leading to the Coral Ward, on the very Eastern tip of the Slums. He pushed on, eventually finding his way to yet another building.

Wow. This is really tedious. How much further do I have to go?

As he entered the building however, he discovered something quite different from everything else he had seen in the Slums. A cardboard box was moving at a solid clip across the floor, seemingly of its own accord. It passed him nonchalantly, continuing on down the hall before disappeared around a corner. Seehan stood there, slightly taken aback, before running after it. Chasing the box through the building, he finally managed to catch up to it, and lifted it. Underneath was a Scraggy, and upon realizing that its cover had been blown it dashed away.

"Hey, wait! Come back!"

It would be a lie to say that Seehan was not tempted to catch the Fighting and Dark type Pokemon, but at the moment he was more curious to see where it was going in such a hurry. Running after it, Seehan found himself in a room illuminated by a single, flickering bulb. At the other end of the room was the exit. Standing between him and the door, however, was a gang of 3 Scraggys and a lone Scrafty, presumably their leader. Chattering, it pointed at Seehan, and two of the Scraggy stepped forward menacingly. Seehan raised his hands.

"Look guys, I don't really want to fight. All I want is to get through and then I'll be out of your hai- whoops!"

Seehan was cut off as one of the Scraggy launched itself at him, Headbutting the spot his head would have been had he not dodged away. Coming up with Pokeballs in hand, he tossed them out.

"Alright, you asked for it! Monferno, Electrike, kiminikimete!"

His Pokemon appeared in their usual flashes of light, slightly tired from their repeated battling but still ready for combat. Seehan quickly barked out commands.

"Monferno, take point with a Flame Wheel! Electrike, follow up with Thunder Fang!"

With a screech and a growl, the two Pokemon leapt into action; Monferno drove a wedge between the two Scraggy, giving Electrike the opportunity to fell one with a powerful Thunder Fang. The Scrafty chittered, and the third Scraggy took the fallen one's place immediately.

"Once more!"

This time, the Scraggys smartened up; instead of scattering, they grouped together, and both Pokemon prepared to use Low Kick on the approaching fireball that was Seehan's Monferno.

However, Seehan had predicted this.

"Break free now! Mach Punch!"

Immediately, Monferno rolled free of its Flame Wheel, chaining its attack straight into the other. As it took out one Scraggy with a punch to the face, Electrike made short work of the other. Now alone, the Scrafty sighed. Cracking its shoulder, it beckoned Monferno and Electrike forward, apparently intending on facing them both at once. Seehan narrowed his eyes. Scraftys were well known for their elaborate traps and strategies; he was sure this one was no different. What was it planning? Seehan found out nearly right away. Before he could react, the Scrafty used Swagger on Monferno, enraging it.

"Wait, Monferno! Stop!"

Lusting for blood, Monferno ignored Seehan's commands, instead charging straight at Scrafty with a howl. The Scrafty smirked. Sliding neatly out of the way of the lunging monkey, it hit Monferno with a solid Low Kick straight in the belly, blasting it clear across the room. With a whimper, Monferno slid to the floor and was still.

"Ugh. Monferno, return!. Zigzagoon, kiminikimete! Use Baby-Doll Eyes! Electrike, use Thunder Fang once more!"

His two Pokemon dived forwards, pincering Scrafty between them. Distracted by Zigzagoon's cuteness, it failed to react in time to Electrike appearing behind it, and screamed as the Electric Dog sunk its fangs into its shoulder. Whirling around, it dislodged Electrike, and connected a Low Kick with its head, inflicting a critical hit and knocking it out instantly. Seehan grit his teeth; this Scrafty was proving to be more trouble than he had thought it would. Recalling Electrike, he sent in his next Pokemon.

"Go, Hoppip!"

As the tiny Grass type appeared in the dimly lit room, it began shining. Surprised, the Scrafty took a step back, momentarily blinded. Zigzagoon took the opportunity to hit it with a Headbutt, pushing it back. In moments, the room's light dimmed back to its original level of luminosity, and a Skiploom floated happily in the air. Seehan quickly checked his Pokedex for its updated info.

"Skiploom, use Fairy Wind! Zigzagoon, hit it with one more Headbutt!"

Crying out happily, Skiploom blew a pleasant smelling breeze towards Scrafty, who immediately recoiled from the Fairy type move. As a result, it didn't notice as Zigzagoon slipped behind it, and finally knocked it out with a powerful Headbutt. Before Seehan could catch it, however, the Scraggys that he had defeated earlier quickly ran up to their leader, grabbed it, and ran away. In an instant, Seehan and his Pokemon were the only ones left in the room. Sitting down with a sigh of relief, Seehan thanked Zigzagoon and Skiploom for their hard work. Wagging its tail happily, Zigzagoon gave Seehan an excited nuzzle with its snout before beginning to emit a bright light.

"What, you too? Geez...."

Getting up, Seehan walked towards the exit and, followed by his brand new Linoone and Skiploom, entered the Coral Ward at last.

Trainer Profile: Seehan

Trainer Rank: SSS

**Note: Seehan's Trainer Rank without Blank Slate and Empathetic Link would be A+.**

Badges: 0

Current team:

**Note: When in an Empathetic Link with Seehan, his Pokemon deal 1.5x more damage from all damaging moves, and gain a 1.5x increase in speed.**
**Note: When being commanded by Seehan in Blank Slate, his Pokemon's moves gain +1 priority, and land critical hits more easily.**
**Note: If both of the above conditions are fulfilled, Seehan's Pokemon temporarily gain 25 levels worth of stats.**

Monferno - Level 22
Ability: Iron Fist
Item: None
-Fury Swipes
-Leer
-Flame Wheel
-Mach Punch

Linoone - Level 20
Ability: Pick Up
Item: None
-Pin Missile
-Cut
-Headbutt
-Baby-Doll Eyes

Ralts - Level 18 [43]
Ability: Trace
Item: None
-Magical Leaf
-Confusion
-Teleport
-Disarming Voice

Electrike - Level 20

Ability: Lightning Rod

Item: None

-Ice Fang [egg move]

-Howl

-Quick Attack

-Thunder Fang

Magikarp - Level 18

Ability: Swift Swim

Item: None

-Splash

-Tackle

-x

-x

Skiploom - Level 19

Ability: Infiltrator

Item: None

-Tackle

-Fairy Wind

-Poison Powder

-Sleep Powder

Edited June 13, 2015 by Seehan

[Seehan]

Leader Amaria

Seehan

Blinking in the evening sun, Seehan was met with the stench of dead fish and polluted water as he exited the Obsidia Slums. Wrinkling his nose, he looked out across the Coral Ward, noting its state of disrepair. From what he had read, the port Ward, once prosperous, had fallen into ruin along with Azurine Lake. Seehan shook his head and put it out of his mind; as long as the Lake remained polluted, the Coral Ward would never return to its former glory. Pulling out his Pokegear, he quickly traced the shortest route back to the Obsidia Ward; he would have to go around the Pokemon Center and pier before being able to return. He didn't mind the detour; his Pokemon were in no shape to face off against the plants in their current condition, he himself could use a short rest, and they were all in desperate need for a quick meal. Shooting a text to Alice to let her know where he was, he jogged over to the Coral Ward's Pokemon Center.

To his disappointment, the Pokemon Center was just as run down as the rest of the Ward, and he was only able to heal his Pokemon before being made to leave. Wandering to the pier, with half a hope of finding a food stall, he noticed a tall and attractive blue haired woman staring at something across the polluted water. Normally he wouldn't have even slowed; after all, beautiful women could be found in all regions of the world. However, he could tell that this particular woman was exceptional; from the way she carried herself, to the 6 gleaming Ultra Balls attached to her waist. Ultra Balls were reserved for top class trainers in any region due to their production cost; as such, it meant that this woman was either extremely rich, or was a high ranking gym leader. Strolling over to her, the woman turned and smiled at him, a distracted look on her face.

"Oh, hello! Am I in your way? I'm so sorry! I'm trying to figure out a way to help that Oshawott trapped over there, but so far I'm drawing a blank. I'm not sure how, but the poor thing got trapped on that signal buoy!" She turned back towards the lake, her face worried. "I'm a Water type trainer, but in the Lake's current state, anything that's not a Poison type will be seriously hurt by touching its surface. That's why the Oshawott can't just swim away itself either." She wrung her hands. "I just don't know what to do!"

Seehan opened his mouth, about to reply, when he was cut off by the sound of someone singing from behind him. Turning around, he spotted a bizarrely dressed boy with purple hair walking towards them.

"Heyyyy~ Amaria! It's been a while! What's a beautiful girl like you doing in a dingy place like this~?"

Amaria waved to the boy, her face still worried.

"Hello Cain. It's good to see you." She quickly explained her plight to the curious looking boy.

Cain nodded his understanding, then looked at Seehan curiously.

"And who might this stud be? I don't believe we've met? Your clothes seem oddly familiar~! Did we, er, happen to do something interesting together recently~?"

Amaria suddenly realized her mistake, and flushed.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I've been so worried about Oshawott that I forgot to introduce myself!" Quickly arranging her clothes into a more presentable position, she gave an elegant bow. "I'm Amaria, a gym leader of the Reborn League! I specialize in the use of the elegant Water type!" She gestured towards the purple haired boy. "Over there is Cain, th-"

Cain cut her off.

"I'm your friendly neighborhood Poison type trainer! How do you do~?"

Did Seehan imagine the sad look that crossed Amaria's face, if only just for a moment?

"Nice to meet you both. I'm Seehan, a challenger of the Reborn League. I arrived in the region a few days ago, just before the station accident."

Amaria and Cain blanched, the blue haired woman stammering in disbelief.

"S-S-Seehan?! The boy prodigy that's been tearing through the regionals of all the IPL regions?!"

Seehan adopted an embarrassed expression.

"At the moment, I'm just another novice trainer. I have yet to even challenge a single gym."

Amaria calmed herself, looking abashed.

"My apologies... Of course, I have a great deal of respect for your policy of starting over again in every region. If you ever have a need for anything, please give me a call; I'll do whatever I can to help!"

Seehan nodded in appreciation, then, seeking to ease the atmosphere, turned back towards the stranded Oshawott.

"Cain.... Did you say you were a Poison type trainer? Do you have anything that could swim across the pollution and rescue the Oshawott?"

The purple dressed boy nodded, a song streaming from his lips as he pulled out a Pokeball.

"~You're not alone, so have no doubt, we'll put our heads together gonna figure this out~! Go, Grimer!"

With a flash of light, the pile of living sludge materialized on the pier, blinking and looking around, before hopping into the lake.

"~In no time, we'll be at your side, we're a team on a roller coaster ride~. Each one of us knows just what to do, and we're never gonna stop- gonna stop... searching for you~!"

As his Grimer slid its way across the sludgy water of the lake, Cain called across to the Oshawott.

"Heyyy little guy~! Hop on!"

As his Grimer began the return journey, Cain finished his song.

"Oh baby, listen to me~. We're gonna- gonna- gonna set you free, yeah~!"

Amaria clapped her hands in relief.

"Well done, Cain! That was amazing!"

The boy, recalling his Grimer, winked at the blue haired woman.

"Yeahh, I get that a lot! Usually from boys though~... Although... Knowing you, you would have found a way eventually, even without my help. After all, you're one of the top 3 gym leaders in the region~!"

Amaria shook her head.

"The pollution from the lake... My Water Pokemon can't do anything about it. I still can't figure out what's causing all this muck to appear in the Lake, but I do know that it's getting worse and worse; soon, we might have to abandon the Coral Ward all together if we can't reduce the level of toxicity."

Cain shrugged.

"I'm sure you'll get it figured~. For now, I'm out of hereeeeeeeee?"

As he had turned to leave, the Oshawott had waddled forward and clung to Cain's pant leg, gazing up at him with adoring eyes. Apparently it wanted to join him.

"Heyyyy little guy, I'd love to take you, but you don't exactly fit my Poison type theme, ya knowww~?"

The Water type gym leader giggled.

"Oh, surely you can make an exception, just this once? A Water type might come in handy for dealing with those pesky Ground types!"

Cain sighed and looked around, his eyes coming to rest on Seehan.

"Hmmmmm.... Alright, I'll take the little guy with me... If Seehan beats me in a Pokemon battle! If I win, then clearly I won't need a Water type, and I'll leave it with you, Amaria~."

Eh? How did I get involved in this?! Seehan thought to himself, incredulous at the sudden turn of events. However, he was a trainer at heart, and Cain had just locked eyes with him. Ready or not, he was obligated to accept the purple haired boy's challenge. Nodding his acceptance, he pointed at a wide area on the dock.

"Shall we change location, then? Battling on this old pier might be dangerous, what with all this poisonous water around us." The party moved to the makeshift battlefield, and Seehan and Cain took their positions, Pokeballs in hand. Amaria raised her hand, holding Oshawott in the other.

"Are you both ready~?" When both trainers nodded, their eyes locked on one another, she dropped her hand. "Then, begin!"

"Here we go, Grimer~! Let's give Seehan a warm welcome to the Reborn Region!"

"Monferno, kiminikimete!"

Seehan made quick work of Cain, though was surprised at the level of skill the strange looking boy possessed.

What's with all these insanely good trainers with weak Pokemon everywhere? First Victoria, and now Cain. Is there something I'm missing? At least Victoria had a good reason for having untrained Pokemon; she was starting over, after all. I wonder what Cain's story is?

Amaria clapped happily.

"Yay~! Seehan is the victor! That means youuu get an Oshawott, Cain~!"

"Ahhhh, I'm so lame! Well, guess we're pals now, Oshawott. Come here, let's get you into a Pokeball~."

After putting the little Water type away safely onto his belt, Cain sighed.

"Maaaan, I've been losing a lot lately! I'd better step it up~!"

Amaria looked at him with a pained expression, but said nothing. Cain nodded to Seehan.

"I'm headed to the Byxbysion Wastelands to catch up with my sister. I'll leave you two to enjoy the sunset, see you guys later~!"

And with that, the boy strolled away, whistling. Amaria turned to Seehan.

"Thanks for your help there, Seehan! Sorry for putting you on the spot. I understand that you've been helping Ame with her work recently, so I assume that you're involved with the Obsidia operation as well?"

Seehan assumed a confused expression.

"Last I heard, Florinia was still formulating a strategy to combat the plants. Has she made some headway?"

Amaria shook her head, her luscious azure hair rippling in waves along her back.

"No, not on that front. However, we've discovered why the plants have begun rampaging; something within Obsidia Park is supplying them with some sort of weird energy that's causing them to go berserk! I was on my way there to meet up with Rini when I was distracted by Oshawott. If you have time, would you come assist us? It would be reassuring to have you there."

Seehan nodded. He was heading back to the Obsidia Ward anyway, and it would leave a bad taste in his mouth if he simply walked away from the situation.

"Let's double back and visit the Pokemon Center first; my Pokemon sustained some damage in that battle just now."

Amaria agreed, and together the two trainers set off, the evening sun forming an orange backdrop in the skies above.

Trainer Profile: Seehan

Trainer Rank: SSS

**Note: Seehan's Trainer Rank without Blank Slate and Empathetic Link would be A+.**

Badges: 0

Current team:

**Note: When in an Empathetic Link with Seehan, his Pokemon deal 1.5x more damage from all damaging moves, and gain a 1.5x increase in speed.**
**Note: When being commanded by Seehan in Blank Slate, his Pokemon's moves gain +1 priority, and land critical hits more easily.**
**Note: If both of the above conditions are fulfilled, Seehan's Pokemon temporarily gain 25 levels worth of stats.**

Monferno - Level 23
Ability: Iron Fist
Item: None
-Fury Swipes
-Leer
-Flame Wheel
-Mach Punch

Linoone - Level 20
Ability: Pick Up
Item: None
-Pin Missile
-Cut
-Headbutt
-Baby-Doll Eyes

Ralts - Level 18 [43]
Ability: Trace
Item: None
-Magical Leaf
-Confusion
-Teleport
-Disarming Voice

Electrike - Level 20

Ability: Lightning Rod

Item: None

-Ice Fang [egg move]

-Howl

-Quick Attack

-Thunder Fang

Magikarp - Level 19

Ability: Swift Swim

Item: None

-Splash

-Tackle

-x

-x

Skiploom - Level 20

Ability: Infiltrator

Item: None

-Bullet Seed

-Fairy Wind

-Poison Powder

-Sleep Powder

Edited June 13, 2015 by Seehan

[Seehan]

Alice

Wandering through the streets of the Obsidia Ward was like trying to navigate through a nightmare. With most of the Ward's streets completely overrun by plants, Alice's Pokegear was almost completely useless in helping her navigate. forcing her to take long, often elaborate detours to continue onwards. After being forcefully separated from Seehan by the tendrils that had come bursting through the street, Alice had quickly decided to take Victoria to the Pokemon Center before attempting to regroup with the older boy. However, she ran into an unforeseen problem; Victoria was heavier than she had looked, and Alice had been unable to carry her. She was finally forced to resort to Mega Evolving her Mawile, its Huge Power Ability giving it the physical strength to lift the unconscious girl, to help her transport Victoria.

If only mom could see me now. She thought to herself with a sigh. Using the Mawilite and Key Stone she gave me when I left Kalos for something like this. It's not like using it to help people is wrong, per say, but using it for manual labor is kinda...

She was snapped out of her thoughts by the soft rustling of the tiny Pokemon she held in her arms. Slowly opening its eyes and looking around, Seehan's Ralts suddenly jerked awake, looking around frantically for, Alice assumed, its trainer. She patted its head, trying to calm it down.

"Easy there~. Your trainer's alright, we just got split up for the time being."

The Psychic and Fairy type Pokemon drooped sadly, its face curved in a tiny pout. Alice had to suppress a giggle. Seehan was truly an exceptional trainer, she thought, to have bonded so deeply with a Pokemon he had caught only yesterday. She had already known he was amazing at battling, but she was only just now beginning to realize he was incredible in many other ways as well. She rubbed Ralts's head comfortingly.

"Daijobu~![No need to worry~!] I'm sure he's just fine! You and I both know just how strong he is. Right after we drop off Victoria and get you checked up, we'll go meet him right away!"

However, this train of thought had led to her current predicament of trying to navigate the plant-overrun streets of the Obsidia Ward. Breathing hard as she climbed out the window of yet another building, upon landing in the alley outside she dropped her bag and collapsed against the side of the wall, fanning the neck of her shirt as she wiped the sweat off her forehead with her sleeve. Physical activity such as this was a painful reminder that she had only awoken from a coma the day before, and had been completely bedridden and immobile for several days before that as she underwent surgery. Although modern medicine had managed to heal her in a matter of days, her muscles were still unused to strenuous use, and were now complaining as she pushed them past their limits. Ralts stuck its head out of Alice's bag, looking at her curiously. Alice patted it, managing to squeeze out a grin.

"Haaaah... Haaaaaah... Almost... There!"

Although her words were full of confidence, it was clear that Alice's body had almost reached its limit. Mawile, too, was starting to show signs of fatigue from maintaining its Mega Evolution for such a long period of time. If things continued at this rate, Alice wouldn't reach the Pokemon Center until well past night fall. Giving herself a moment to rest, Alice retrieved her Pokegear from her pocket and examined her current location on the map. Geographically, she was only a block away from the red and white building she was trying to get to. However, upon glancing over, there appeared to be no way to get there directly from her current location, which meant yet another detour. The girl closed her eyes. Was this it? Was she going to have to spend the night in this dingy little alley? It was becoming increasingly tempting; she had camped out in worse before in her previous journey. Her eyes began sliding shut, but before they could close completely she forced them open once more.

No. She couldn't stop here. Victoria needed medical attention, and Seehan was waiting for her to meet up with him. Grabbing her bag, she climbed unsteadily to her feet, wincing in pain as her cramped muscles screamed in protest. She was just about to take her first step out of the alley, when she felt a tap on her neck. Turning, she saw Seehan's Ralts climb out of her bag from the corner of her eye, and hop to the ground. Beckoning Alice closer, Ralts gestured for her to show it the map on the Pokegear. Curious at what Ralts had in mind, she showed the map to the tiny Pokemon, who nodded and began glowing. An instant later, Alice felt her stomach flip, and she was suddenly standing in front of the Pokemon Center. Miraculously, the building was still intact, and there was a steady stream of people entering and exiting it. She had made it! Looking back towards Ralts with the intent of thanking it, Alice's mood did a sudden 180. Teleporting so many people and Pokemon at once had taken its toll on the tiny Psychic type, and it had collapsed onto the stone street. Scooping it up, Alice sprinted into the Pokemon Center, followed closely by her Mega Mawile, still lugging along Victoria in its arms. Making it to the front desk, she quickly got Ralts and Victoria admitted, then was given a number and told to wait in the sitting area. As she paced, too nervous to sit, she wrung her hands. If something happened to Ralts, she would never be able to forgive herself, even if Seehan did find it within himself to do so. Her Mawile watched her, concerned. It had finally released its Mega Evolution, and was currently sitting in Alice's chair, helping itself to the cafeteria food she had got for the two of them. As it munched on a piece of celery, Mawile sighed.

After a long, agonizing hour of waiting, Alice's number finally showed up on the waiting screen, indicating that her Pokemon were ready for pick up. Recalling her Mawile, which had been napping in her chair, she quickly gathered her things and jogged over to the collection desk. When it saw her approaching, Ralts gave her a weak smile and waved.

"Ahhhhhhhh... Thank goodness... I was... So.. Worried....." All her pent up stress had finally spilled over, and Alice found herself sobbing. Seeing so many dead bodies in one day had overwhelmed her, and she didn't know if she could have handled it if she had caused there to be one more. Patting her on the arm consolingly, Ralts pointed at a piece of paper it had been sitting next to, the logo of the Order of Nurses displayed clearly at the top. Picking it up and glancing through it, Alice was relieved to find that Victoria was in a stable condition, and was being prepped for transfer to the hospital in the Grand Hall. Thanking the tired looking receptionist, Alice picked up Ralts, placed it on her shoulder, and walked out of the Pokemon Center, feeling a huge burden lift off her chest. As she exited the building, she felt her Pokegear vibrate. Reading the message she had received, she was pleased to find that Seehan, too, had successfully made it out of the Slums and was looking for a way to rejoin her. Putting the device away, Alice hurried along to the East, Ralts riding along on her shoulder, all her fatigue forgotten as she moved through the darkening city of plants.

Trainer Profile: Alice

Trainer Rank: B+

Badges: 1

Current team:

Wartortle - Level 16

Ability: Rain Dish

Item: None

-Bite

-Tail Whip

-Bubble

-Withdraw

Mawile - Level 46

Ability: Intimidate

Item: Mawilite

-Sucker Punch

-Iron Head

-Play Rough

-Knock Off

**Note: Alice currently cannot use Mawile in official gym battles, as she does not have the required Gym Badges necessary to register traded/foreign Pokemon as part of her official team. In unofficial battles, she may use Mawile freely.**

Swablu - Level 14

Ability: Natural Cure

Item: Sharp Beak

-Sky Attack [tutored]

-Disarming Voice

-Mist

-Sing

Roselia - Level 13

Ability: Poison Point

Item: None

-Mega Drain

-Cut

-Poison Sting

-Stun Spore

Numel - Level 17

Ability: Simple

Item: None

-Ember

-Focus Energy

-Magnitude

-Flame Burst

Edited August 19, 2015 by Seehan

[Seehan]

Alice

As Alice moved further and further into the heart of the Ward, the density of plants became thicker and thicker, until at last she was stopped from advancing entirely by a seemingly impassable wall of plants. Roselia's Cut proved ineffective as well, despite making several attempts to clear a path. After all her efforts, she was at last well and truly stuck. She punched the stiffened tendrils in frustration, only managing to scrape her knuckles as a result. Although Ralts had offered to Teleport her to the other side, she had declined out of worry for the Psychic Pokemon's health. Although it seemed to have recovered sufficiently enough for travel and battling, it wouldn't be able to make a full recovery until it was healed in its Pokeball, an object that was with its owner, Seehan. However, if Alice wasn't able to get through this wall, she would never be able to reunite with him. She was just about to resort to kicking the plant wall, when a voice behind her made her stop in surprise.

"Trainer is suggested to cease efforts to progress in that manner. Plants prove resilient against physical aggression; other measures are advised to circumvent the obstacle before us."

Turning, she came face to face with a strangely familiar green haired trainer, her blank face startlingly cute behind her glasses. Alice frowned.

"Erm, have we met? I feel like I know you from somewhere..."

The other trainer shook her head, her face maintaining its emotionless expression.

"Negative; this is our first encounter. However, the Ralts in your proximity is under the ownership of an acquaintance; please explain how it came about coming into your possession."

The girl's way of speaking clicked in Alice's head; she recalled Seehan telling her something about one of the gym leaders he had busted Team Meteor with speaking in a mechanical way. Her name had been....

"Um, you must be... Florinia? My name is Alice. I came here with Seehan to help a friend named Victoria, but we were separated. I'm trying to meet up with him now, but I can't get through these plants..."

Florinia nodded her acceptance of Alice's story.

"Understood. No anomalies detected; you do not appear to be lying. Assistance will be rendered; shared destination is assumed. Cradily, use Sludge Wave to remove the obstacles in our course."

With a flash of light, an enormous Cradily materialized, and spewed out a wave of Poison. Upon contact, the tendrils shuddered and deflated slightly, leaving behind a reasonable gap for the girls to slip through. The gym leader recalled her Pokemon upon reaching the other side, and together the two trainers made their way forwards, towards the center of the Obsidia Ward. Glancing behind her, Alice shuddered as the wall of plants recovered from the slight damage they had received from Florinia's Cradily, once again becoming a solid wall of hardened fibers. Not even such a powerful Poison type move could cause permanent damage to the tendrils. Several minutes after passing the plant wall, Ralts suddenly stiffened and gazed off to the side intently. Alice tensed, thinking it had detected some sort of new plant enemy, but relaxed immediately upon spotting two trainers, one with black hair and one with blue, moving towards them. With a cry of joy, Ralts disappeared in a blink from Alice's shoulder, appearing in the air directly in front of the black haired trainer, who caught it, spun it around once, then threw it into the air. Making sonorous, high pitched sounds of joy, it fluttered back down into the boy's arms. As Seehan and the blue haired trainer, a woman, walked up, Alice had to hold herself back from running to the boy as well, settling for casually strolling over to him. Her smooth saunter was interrupted when she tripped on an exposed root, causing her to stumble.

Smooth, Alice.

Introductions were made; Alice recognized Amaria from a guide book she had read on the train ride to Reborn. As Florinia examined the entrance to the Obsidia Park, Amaria quickly briefed Alice on what they knew.

"... So basically, Rini and I were just gonna charge in blindly and try to find out what's going on in there. Obviously, this isn't that great of a plan, so having as many veteran trainers with us as possible would definitely help a lot! Will you join us? Seehan has already agreed to do so; however, there's no shame in sitting out. This will be dangerous, after all."

Alice nodded without hesitation. Enough people had died; if she could make a difference, she would definitely do everything she could to prevent any more casualties. Seehan recalled his Ralts into its Pokeball then, together, the four trainers entered Obsidia Park.

As they cautiously moved through the eerie forest of tendrils sprouting from the ground, Amaria voiced their unspoken thoughts.

"... It... Looks bigger from the inside? That's odd, I recall Obsidia Park being fairly small; this is more like a forest than a park..."

Florinia dismissed her concern.

"Internal perspectivity often observes such an effect. Cause for alarm minimal."

Amaria nodded, though unconvinced.

"Well, if you say so, whatever you said." She turned her attention ahead. "... It looks like the path branches here, just our luck. Well, I can't say I didn't expect this." She looked over to her companions. "I'll go ahead this way, then. You guys take the other route. Let's quickly exchange numbers, in case someone gets lost or something. If something happens, don't hesitate to give me a ring~!"

Registering each other in their Pokegears, Amaria gave them a confident wave before disappearing into the foliage. With a crisp "... Very well.", Florinia turned away, and began walking down the other path. Seehan and Alice looked at one another, before following behind her carefully. Alice glanced around, tense. She thought she heard whispers coming from the dense layers of plants, but the others didn't seem to hear it. Was she imagining them? Before long, they came to another split in the path. Florinia turned to the two trainers.

"... It appears that a secondary bisection presents itself. I will attend to this course, you two remain together and continue on that path. Farewell." And with that, the green haired trainer vanished into the woodwork. Alice gave Seehan a concerned look.

"... I don't like that we're splitting up. Something feels off about this whole situation." Seehan nodded, his body tense and alert.

"I agree. For some reason, I'm getting the feeling that we're being played with by something or someone. Standing here won't give us any answers, though. Let's press on and see what we can find out."

The two trainers moved on along the remaining path. They didn't have to go far, though, before they heard a muffled scream come from the direction Florinia had gone. Glancing at one another, Seehan and Alice dashed towards where the voice had come from. However, they were unable to find a route through the plants. Even after backtracking, they were unable to find the split in the path. The trail that Florinia had followed had vanished without a trace.

"... Well shit."

"You can say that again! What do we do?!" Alice on the edge of hysterics. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was hunting them down one by one. Seehan laid a firm hand on her shoulder, and looked her in the eye.

"... We don't have a choice but to keep moving forward. The only thing we can do for Florinia is to complete the mission; if something's happened to her, whoever is responsible will pay a hundred fold."

Alice nodded and took several deep breaths to calm herself, before signalling that she was ready to move on. Hurrying forwards, they followed the trail for several minutes before Seehan stopped her, holding a finger to his lips. Signalling her to look around the corner of the tendrils, she carefully moved her head around the plants, hiding herself in the shadows. Further down the path was a group of black uniformed individuals, bearing the symbol of a meteor on their breasts. Seehan let out an almost imperceptible sigh.

"That solves one mystery; Team Meteor is indeed involved. I don't know if they're responsible for this, but them being here definitely isn't a good sign. This might be a good time to call Amaria."

However, to the two trainer's disquiet, when they dialed Amaria's number their call went to her voice mail instead. Alice's heart beat rapidly; the forest seemed to be closing in on them. Suddenly, something squeezed her hand. Looking down, she saw that Seehan had grabbed it, and looked up to see him staring into her eyes with his piercing look. Slowly, his familiar face brought her back under control, and she squeezed his hand to tell him she was ok. He began laying out a plan in a smooth, confident voice; a voice of one who had planned many such plans before.

"For now, it looks like we're all we've got. Going back isn't an option; we have to get to the bottom of this. Here's the plan; first, we take out those Meteors. We'll leave one conscious, to squeeze some info out of. Next, depending on what we learn, we have two options; try to Cut and burn our way to where we last heard Florinia, or press on and take out whatever is causing this mess." He looked into her eyes, his gaze relentless and driven. "If you don't want to battle, staying here is fine too. I'll leave some of my Pokemon here with you; between them and your own partners, you should be safe."

Alice shook her head rapidly. She was not splitting up anymore.

"Good girl. Let's move."

Trainer Profile: Alice

Trainer Rank: B+

Badges: 1

Current team:

Wartortle - Level 16

Ability: Rain Dish

Item: None

-Bite

-Tail Whip

-Bubble

-Withdraw

Mawile - Level 46

Ability: Intimidate

Item: Mawilite

-Sucker Punch

-Iron Head

-Play Rough

-Knock Off

**Note: Alice currently cannot use Mawile in official gym battles, as she does not have the required Gym Badges necessary to register traded/foreign Pokemon as part of her official team. In unofficial battles, she may use Mawile freely.**

Swablu - Level 14

Ability: Natural Cure

Item: Sharp Beak

-Sky Attack [tutored]

-Disarming Voice

-Mist

-Sing

Roselia - Level 13

Ability: Poison Point

Item: None

-Mega Drain

-Cut

-Poison Sting

-Stun Spore

Numel - Level 17

Ability: Simple

Item: None

-Ember

-Focus Energy

-Magnitude

-Flame Burst

Trainer Profile: Seehan

Trainer Rank: SSS

**Note: Seehan's Trainer Rank without Blank Slate and Empathetic Link would be A+.**

Badges: 0

Current team:

**Note: When in an Empathetic Link with Seehan, his Pokemon deal 1.5x more damage from all damaging moves, and gain a 1.5x increase in speed.**
**Note: When being commanded by Seehan in Blank Slate, his Pokemon's moves gain +1 priority, and land critical hits more easily.**
**Note: If both of the above conditions are fulfilled, Seehan's Pokemon temporarily gain 25 levels worth of stats.**

Monferno - Level 23
Ability: Iron Fist
Item: None
-Fury Swipes
-Leer
-Flame Wheel
-Mach Punch

Linoone - Level 20
Ability: Pick Up
Item: None
-Pin Missile
-Cut
-Headbutt
-Baby-Doll Eyes

Ralts - Level 18 [43]
Ability: Trace
Item: None
-Magical Leaf
-Confusion
-Teleport
-Disarming Voice

Electrike - Level 20

Ability: Lightning Rod

Item: None

-Ice Fang [egg move]

-Howl

-Quick Attack

-Thunder Fang

Magikarp - Level 19

Ability: Swift Swim

Item: None

-Splash

-Tackle

-x

-x

Skiploom - Level 20

Ability: Infiltrator

Item: None

-Bullet Seed

-Fairy Wind

-Poison Powder

-Sleep Powder

Edited June 13, 2015 by Seehan

[Seehan]

Meteor Admin ZEL

Springing from cover, Seehan sprinted towards the Meteors, running close to the ground. Alice was tight on his heels, moving surprisingly quick for a girl of her size. They had covered nearly 3 quarters of the distance between them and the Meteors before the uniformed group noticed them; crying out in alarm, they pulled out their Pokeballs. Seehan and Alice did so as well, and after a brief scuffle, the two trainers came out victorious, binding the unconscious Meteors in vines while holding a single Meteor hostage, Linoone's claw forming a single, shining blade of Cut and holding it to the man's throat. Leaving Alice to secure the remaining limp figures of the Meteors, Seehan slammed his hostage against a tendril, making the man wince in pain.

"Talk. Or my Linoone here slips and takes off a finger."

"Ok, ok! I'll tell you anything you want to know, just call that thing off!!"

Seehan jerked his head, and Linoone backed away half a step, its eyes menacingly adorable. If not for its tail wagging excitedly, one could mistake the Pokemon for a bloodthirsty monster.

"Are you guys responsible for all this?"

"Ye- I mean no- I mean yes! But not us, exactly! The one pulling the strings in this operation is one of our Admins! They're back there," he jerked his head further down the path, "with some sort of weird machine with a Tangrowth hooked up to it. I'd bet you my mother's savings that the machine is responsible for all these plants!"

Seehan furrowed his brow, thinking quickly. If what the man was saying was true, it meant that the machine was somehow enhancing the Tangrowth's abilities. If a Tangrowth could do this much damage, he realized with a chill, what could another Pokemon do with its abilities increased?

"Say I believe you. What sort of opposition can we expect if we go have a chat with your leader?"

"Um, ummmm... I think a couple squads of grunts is all we brought to this operation. We were counting on the machine to keep out most intruders; that's why we were so surprised to see you!"

Seehan nodded; it made sense. With a quick "thanks.", Seehan slammed the man's head into the tendril, knocking him out instantly. He turned to Alice, who had finished up tying up the Meteors, and had been watching his interrogation with a look that was slightly mortified.

"... You're pretty scary when you want to be, Seehan."

"Only when I have to. Sometimes, you have to be scarier than the monsters to take out the real demons in this world."

The two trainers continued down the path, defeating several groups of Meteors along the way. The man had appeared to be telling the truth; all of the squads were surprised to see them, and were taken down easily before they got over their shock. The duo continued on, stopping briefly when Seehan noticed something on the ground. Signalling Alice to stay back, he crept forward and examined the object, then shook his head. It was Amaria's jacket. Seehan and Alice looked around, but saw no sign of the blue haired gym leader. Her path, like Florinia's, appeared to have been swallowed whole by the plants. They grimly pressed on, Cutting through several vines in their path, until they finally reached a small clearing.

In the center of the circle was a large machine, blinking with light. A Tangrowth languished inside, clearly in pain. In front of the machine's terminal, a hooded man stood clicking away at the keyboard. Seehan and Alice listened in as the man began talking to the machine.

"Oh, Tangrowth... You're working so hard... And look at the beautiful forest you've made!" The man didn't stop typing as he spoke. "I know you're hurting, but if you stop now, all our hard work will go to waste..."

Seehan had seen enough; the evidence of who was guilty for all the death in the Obsidia Ward had just been presented to him on a silver platter. Bursting from cover, he confronted the hooded man, Alice at his side. The man turned to look at him, an unsurprised look on his face. In fact, the face was... Happy to see them?

"Oh, hello there! My name is Lumi~!"

The man's voice abruptly changed; going from lighthearted to cold and logical.

"... Four enter the distorted Obsidia Park. We expected legions of city authorities. Four, however, are easy to ensnare. Bind the first in vines, leaving her helpless to her fate... Hang the second by her neck, forcing her to gasp for every breath... Let the weakest two go on... Then capture them for questioning."

The man's voice changed once more, to a manic and violent one.

"Hah! No escaping, now! Now, you're going to talk!!!"

The lighthearted, sweet voice spoke up.

"Um, it might be more polite if we introduce ourselves... I'm-"

The violent voice returned, cutting himself off.

"You've already introduced yourself, Lumi... Needlessly, at that! I, however, am Zero."

The logical voice emerged with a smooth, flat tone.

"I am Eve. Collectively we are referred to as ZEL. Despite our introductions, though, you two remain silent; your eyes maintain their focus on the mechanics behind us."

The voice calling itself "Lumi" spoke up.

"Oh...? You're curious about... Well, all the plant growth here is a result of this machine... Eve built it herself!"

Seehan's eyes narrowed. Their informant had been right on the mark with his guess. The man kept talking, the voice named "Zero" now in control.

"Stop saying unnecessary things, Lumi! But it's true... The machine hybridizes with Tangrowth to amplify its abilities... With that machine behind it, it can manipulate even the smallest root into a massive arbor wrecking ball!" Zero laughed maniacally.

Alice stepped forward, her face a mask of rage.

"Do you know how much damage you people have caused? Do you realize how many people have died?!"

The voice calling itself Zero caused ZEL's face to twist itself into a cruel smirk.

"Well girly, even if you hate it so much, do you really think you can stop it? HAH! Just try!!!"

And with that, ZEL pressed one last button on the terminal before diving out of the way. Whatever the man had done to the machine had made the Tangrowth enraged, and it quickly whipped the plants around it into a frenzy. A root tore from the ground and flew straight for Alice; Seehan managed to push her aside just in time, and the two trainers quickly dived behind a small rock formation for cover. Alice could tell without even looking that Seehan had already activated Blank Slate; there was no way he could have reacted in time just then without it.

"... This rock won't last for long. We have to fight."

"That poor Tangrowth... You're right though. We need to end it before it hurts anyone else. Do you have a plan?"

"Nope. We'll just have to play it by ear. Monferno, kiminikimete!"

"You too, Swablu! Let's do this!"

Alice would later regret choosing Swablu for a long, long time.

Trainer Profile: Seehan

Trainer Rank: SSS

**Note: Seehan's Trainer Rank without Blank Slate and Empathetic Link would be A+.**

Badges: 0

Current team:

**Note: When in an Empathetic Link with Seehan, his Pokemon deal 1.5x more damage from all damaging moves, and gain a 1.5x increase in speed.**
**Note: When being commanded by Seehan in Blank Slate, his Pokemon's moves gain +1 priority, and land critical hits more easily.**
**Note: If both of the above conditions are fulfilled, Seehan's Pokemon temporarily gain 25 levels worth of stats.**

Monferno - Level 24
Ability: Iron Fist
Item: None
-Fury Swipes
-Leer
-Flame Wheel
-Mach Punch

Linoone - Level 21
Ability: Pick Up
Item: None
-Pin Missile
-Cut
-Headbutt
-Baby-Doll Eyes

Ralts - Level 19 [44]
Ability: Trace
Item: None
-Magical Leaf
-Confusion
-Teleport
-Disarming Voice

Electrike - Level 21

Ability: Lightning Rod

Item: None

-Ice Fang [egg move]

-Howl

-Quick Attack

-Thunder Fang

Magikarp - Level 19

Ability: Swift Swim

Item: None

-Splash

-Tackle

-x

-x

Skiploom - Level 21

Ability: Infiltrator

Item: None

-Bullet Seed

-Fairy Wind

-Poison Powder

-Sleep Powder

Trainer Profile: Alice

Trainer Rank: B+

Badges: 1

Current team:

Wartortle - Level 20

Ability: Rain Dish

Item: None

-Bite

-Tail Whip

-Bubble

-Rapid Spin

Mawile - Level 46

Ability: Intimidate

Item: Mawilite

-Sucker Punch

-Iron Head

-Play Rough

-Knock Off

**Note: Alice currently cannot use Mawile in official gym battles, as she does not have the required Gym Badges necessary to register traded/foreign Pokemon as part of her official team. In unofficial battles, she may use Mawile freely.**

Swablu - Level 17

Ability: Natural Cure

Item: Sharp Beak

-Sky Attack [tutored]

-Disarming Voice

-Round

-Sing

Roselia - Level 16

Ability: Poison Point

Item: None

-Mega Drain

-Cut

-Poison Sting

-Leech Seed

Numel - Level 19

Ability: Simple

Item: None

-Ember

-Focus Energy

-Magnitude

-Flame Burst

Edited June 13, 2015 by Seehan

[Seehan]

Minutes passed, then tens of minutes, then half an hour. Seehan and Alice danced all the while, desperately avoiding lunging roots and vines while trying to command their Pokemon. Their partners had little success breaching the Tangrowth's defenses. Whenever Monferno or Swablu got in close, a massive tendril would spring free and force them back to their previous range, much to the Pokemon's frustration. The standoff was slowly becoming worse and worse for the two trainers; they and their Pokemon were getting tired, while their opponent seemed as energetic as ever as it continually drained nutrients and energy from the plants around it. ZEL called over to them from the cover of the machine.

"Ready to give up? If you surrender now, I promise to make them only torture you a little bit before killing you~!"

"Shut up Lumi, I'll torture them all I want!"

"Be quiet, both of you. Your meaningless bickering is a waste of energy."

At last, Alice collapsed. The fatigue she had felt earlier that evening had finally caught up with her, and as she fell, the vines homed in on her as if sensing her momentary weakness. Just before they could impale her, Swablu came to the rescue, batting them away with a Disarming Voice. Alice smiled gratefully to her Pokemon, then started climbing to her feet-

-and stood up just in time to watch her Swablu get impaled from three directions at once.

Time seemed to slow, grinding to a stop.

She locked eyes with her Pokemon, not believing. No. This wasn't possible.

The light slowly faded from the Cloud Bird's eyes as it looked deep into Alice's own. Perhaps it was relieved that its trainer was safe. Perhaps it was condemning her for living on while it alone died. Alice would never have the chance to find out, as her Pokemon was released from the vines. Its mangled corpse dropped to the ground like a bunch of wet tissues, hitting the ground with a soft, almost imperceptible, but unmistakably final thump. Blood splayed out in all directions, coating her thigh-highs in warm, wet fowl blood. Time resumed, and with it came the horrifying reality of what had just happened.

And Alice broke.

Seehan witnessed the events from across the clearing, too far away to do anything but watch helplessly as Alice dropped to her knees, cradling the bloody remains of the creature that had once been her Pokemon in her arms. Rage built up inside of him; rage that he had been so helpless to do anything. Rage that he hadn't done more to prevent it from happening in the first place. Rage that secretly, in the back of his mind, he was relieved that it had been someone else's Pokemon that had died, and not his. Once again, he had failed to protect those he cared about.

No. It isn't the same this time. I can still make a difference.

Seehan stopped moving. However, not a single vine moved to target him.

The Tangrowth had lost all but a few of its emotions. Feeling mostly pain and anger, it had lashed out against everything within its reach. However, for the first time in what seemed like forever, the twisted Pokemon felt something else.

It felt fear.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Seehan suddenly and inexplicably thought back to a session he had had with Leaf, back when they were both children, and had first discovered Seehan's unique skills.

"Remember! You can only link with a maximum of 3 Pokemon at once, or you'll start losing a grip of who you are. Any more than that, and I don't even want to know what will happen!"

She had always worried over him, his best friend as a child. Her brother, Blue, had always been interested in battles, while Leaf had taken after her grandfather in her love for research.

Alright Leaf. Three it is.

Reaching behind him, he pulled two Pokeballs from his belt. He whispered a word to them. It was all he needed.

"Tanomu.[i'm counting on you.]"

Light flooded the clearing as Seehan's two Pokeballs erupted, their contents spilling out onto the battlefield. The light didn't stop blazing, even long after the Pokeballs had materialized their charges.

Seehan's eyes looked up and across the battlefield with perfect clarity, seeing everything and more. His Pokemon stood in front of him, their backs giving him strength. And in a world like this, strength was everything.

Seehan's Gyarados let out a mighty, earth shaking roar; it was joined by Monferno as the flames on its tail stretched to light up the evening sky. The screams of pain weren't just heard by the ear; it reverberated in the souls of everyone present, as Kirlia joined in on the keening with a psionic wave of pure emotion. Seehan found himself confused; was he screaming as well? Or was it just his Pokemon? He found that he didn't care. As one, the four entities bound with a single soul turned and faced the machine enhanced Tangrowth, and despite all its power, it knew that its time among the living was over.

Trainer Profile: Seehan

Trainer Rank: SSS

**Note: Seehan's Trainer Rank without Blank Slate and Empathetic Link would be A+.**

Badges: 0

Current team:

**Note: When in an Empathetic Link with Seehan, his Pokemon deal 1.5x more damage from all damaging moves, and gain a 1.5x increase in speed.**
**Note: When being commanded by Seehan in Blank Slate, his Pokemon's moves gain +1 priority, and land critical hits more easily.**
**Note: If both of the above conditions are fulfilled, Seehan's Pokemon temporarily gain 25 levels worth of stats.**

Monferno - Level 24 [49]
Ability: Iron Fist
Item: None
-Fury Swipes
-Leer
-Flame Wheel
-Mach Punch

Linoone - Level 21
Ability: Pick Up
Item: None
-Pin Missile
-Cut
-Headbutt
-Baby-Doll Eyes

Kirlia - Level 20 [45]
Ability: Trace
Item: None
-Magical Leaf
-Confusion
-Teleport
-Disarming Voice

Electrike - Level 21

Ability: Lightning Rod

Item: None

-Ice Fang [egg move]

-Howl

-Quick Attack

-Thunder Fang

Gyarados - Level 20 [45]

Ability: Moxie

Item: None

-Splash

-Tackle

-Bite

-x

Skiploom - Level 21

Ability: Infiltrator

Item: None

-Bullet Seed

-Fairy Wind

-Poison Powder

-Sleep Powder

Trainer Profile: Alice

Trainer Rank: B+

Badges: 1

Current team:

Wartortle - Level 20

Ability: Rain Dish

Item: None

-Bite

-Tail Whip

-Bubble

-Rapid Spin

Mawile - Level 46

Ability: Intimidate

Item: Mawilite

-Sucker Punch

-Iron Head

-Play Rough

-Knock Off

**Note: Alice currently cannot use Mawile in official gym battles, as she does not have the required Gym Badges necessary to register traded/foreign Pokemon as part of her official team. In unofficial battles, she may use Mawile freely.**

Roselia - Level 16

Ability: Poison Point

Item: None

-Mega Drain

-Cut

-Poison Sting

-Leech Seed

Numel - Level 19

Ability: Simple

Item: None

-Ember

-Focus Energy

-Magnitude

-Flame Burst

Edited July 5, 2015 by Seehan

[Seehan]

As Seehan stood there, eyes blazing with fury, over the twisted remains of what had once been a Tangrowth, ZEL, or rather Eve, sighed.

"Zero. Next time, rather than jeopardizing the mission's keystone, fight with our own Pokemon."

Eve's voice shifted to Lumi's.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Tangrowth... I should have intervened..."

Zero's voice cut in.

"UGH! Eve, isn't this machine supposed to make it stronger?!"

Eve replied calmly.

"Your misjudgment was the key factor. Regardless, with Tangrowth... Incapacitated... The malignant growth will now regress..."

"So... It's all going to go back to normal...?" Lumi asked hesitantly.

"Correct." Eve told her in her smooth, logical voice. "Let us retreat swiftly, before that trainer over there murders us."

As the hooded man ran away, Zero's voice could be heard yelling.

"HEY! SEEHAN! DON'T THINK THIS IS OVER!"

Attempting to follow, Seehan was hit by a wave of lightheadedness and was forced to let them get away as he fell to his knees, vision swimming. Forcing the formation an Empathetic Link, especially two brand new ones, had exhausted his emotional cores, and he now felt empty and weak. He recalled his Pokemon with slow, heavy gestures, before sluggishly turning to where Alice still kneeled. Florinia and Amaria ran up to them, marks of their captivity to the vines evident on their bodies.

"Seehan! Ali- oh no."

"... It appears our victory was not without cost. Let us, too, retreat somewhere more secure to tend to our wounds... And bury the dead."

Seehan nodded, his face completely devoid of all emotion, as he followed Florinia towards the Pokemon Center with zombie-like movements. Amaria gently tried to take the blood soaked corpse of Alice's Swablu from the grieving girl, but to no success. The blue haired gym leader did not attempt to force the issue, and instead helped Alice to her feet, half carrying her out of the park as the four wounded trainers limped away from the battlefield, each with their own set of scars to heal.

3 days later, Florinia entered the Obsidia Pokemon Center, heading straight for the rooms at the back. Inside one of them, Seehan packed the last of his things away and stretched. He felt refreshed, and ready to continue his journey. There was only one thing left to take care of. Responding to the knock on his door with a "come in!", Florinia entered, and the two trainers sat down across from one another at the small table in Seehan's room.

"I have come, as promised, to provide you with a debriefing."

Seehan gestured for her to begin. Right after the battle in Obsidia Park, Amaria and Florinia had both agreed to give Seehan and Alice some time to recover before wrapping things up with them. Florinia looked around for Alice, and Seehan shook his head.

"She won't be joining us."

Florinia accepted his statement without remark, and immediately launched into the details.

"The Obsidia Ward has begun reconstruction of its damaged sectors. All plant matter has returned to normal size; the distortion in space around the Obsidia Park has dispersed as well. Ame also sends her regards; she wished to come see you as well, but was unable to take recess from her duties to make the journey. Amaria has been hunting for the Meteor agent that got away, but to no avail. Is there anything else you wish to know?" Seehan shook his head; in the end, it didn't matter what the benefits of their operation had been. The cost had been too high. Florinia nodded and moved to leave. Halfway out the door, she paused.

"I, too, offer my personal condolences for the sacrifices you and Alice made in assisting us. You both have my gratitude; when you are available, please stop by my gym in the Onyx Ward for a battle. Farewell." And with that, she was gone.

Seehan stayed in his chair for a few more moments, enjoying the silence, before grabbing his bag and getting to his feet. He had recovered quickly, returning to his usual self within a few hours of the battle. Alice, though, was a different story. Seehan walked over to the door leading to the room conjoined with his. After knocking and hearing no reply, he entered. He hadn't expected an answer anyway. The room was cast in shadows. Clothes and various items were strewn across the floor, while the room's inhabitant's Pokeballs laid abandoned on her desk, alongside her Pokedex and Pokegear. In the corner of the room, shrouded in darkness, was Alice, sitting balled up on her bed. She had looked up when Seehan had entered the room, perhaps out of reflex, but had now returned to simply staring at an empty Pokeball she held tightly in her hands. On that fateful day, after the battle had ended and the wounded trainers had returned, the doctors at the Pokemon Center had given Alice a medication to put her to sleep. While she was unconscious, they had removed her Swablu from her grasp, and had cremated it. Its ashes now rested in a ceramic jar in Obsidia Park, in a place of honor. Alice had not been given a chance to say goodbye before they did so. The result was what Seehan now beheld before him. Alice was trapped in a world of darkness, a prison of her own creation deep in her own mind. The reason why Seehan had continued to stay at the Pokemon Center, despite recovering so quickly, had been to watch over Alice, hoping beyond hope that she might return. However, he could stay no longer. If Alice could not continue her journey, then he would have to say goodbye. He pulled up a chair and sat next to her, and smiled sadly at the girl who had been so insistent on following him to the Obsidia Ward just a few days before. Just like she had before her, Alice had become a victim of her own determination.

"... Alice. It's been a while, huh? They've had you on drugs for a couple days, after you attacked that doctor." He paused, unsure of how to continue, of how to formulate his next sentence. "They're... Kicking me out. They have hundreds of wounded people coming in every day, and they need my room. They can't allow someone who has already recovered to stay here for long if they have this many people to take care of." He shook his head. "They'll let you stay as long you need to; Ame made sure of that. Your Pokemon are being taken care of, so don't worry. All you need to do is focus on coming back to me, ok?" He thought he saw a tiny glimmer in her eye, but maybe that was just what he wanted to see. "... I'll definitely come back to see you, every time I'm close by. For now, I'm going to head North to challenge Florinia. I'll figure out where to go after that." He had run out of things to say. "... Take care. Goodbye." Standing up from his chair, he took one last look at the once vibrant girl, then walked out of the room, closing the door softly behind him.

As the door closed behind Seehan, a single tear ran down Alice's cheek. She had struggled to maintain her composure while he had said his goodbyes, and had almost chased after him when he had stood up to leave, to beg him to stay with her. However, the way she was now, she didn't deserve to stand by his side. She didn't even deserve to have a Pokemon. It was better that he believed her to be broken, an empty husk; he wouldn't be wrong in some ways. This way, however, he would be able to forget about her, a girl he had only known for a few days, and continue his adventures without regret. As the tears began falling in earnest, she clutched at Swablu's Pokeball, and began sobbing bitter tears into her blanket.

On the other side of the closed door, Seehan stood with his back to the wooden surface, listening to Alice's sobs.

"... You idiot." He whispered. Of course, someone of his level of observational skills could immediately tell that she was not, in fact, in a semi-comatose state. However, if that was what she wanted him to believe, then he would respect her wishes. As he exited the Pokemon Center, he turned around one last time.

"... I'll be back for you, Alice. Sit tight. This isn't the end for me, or for you." And with that, the trainer disappeared into the night.

End of Part 1: City of the Reborn

Trainer Profile: Seehan

Trainer Rank: SSS

**Note: Seehan's Trainer Rank without Blank Slate and Empathetic Link would be A+.**

Badges: 0

Current team:

**Note: When in an Empathetic Link with Seehan, his Pokemon deal 1.5x more damage from all damaging moves, and gain a 1.5x increase in speed.**
**Note: When being commanded by Seehan in Blank Slate, his Pokemon's moves gain +1 priority, and land critical hits more easily.**
**Note: If both of the above conditions are fulfilled, Seehan's Pokemon temporarily gain 25 levels worth of stats.**

Monferno - Level 26 [51]
Ability: Iron Fist
Item: None
-Feint
-Leer
-Flame Wheel
-Mach Punch

Linoone - Level 21
Ability: Pick Up
Item: None
-Pin Missile
-Cut
-Headbutt
-Baby-Doll Eyes

Kirlia - Level 23 [48]
Ability: Trace
Item: None
-Magical Leaf
-Confusion
-Teleport
-Draining Kiss

Electrike - Level 21

Ability: Lightning Rod

Item: None

-Ice Fang [egg move]

-Howl

-Quick Attack

-Thunder Fang

Gyarados - Level 23 [48]

Ability: Moxie

Item: None

-Thrash

-Tackle

-Bite

-Dragon Rage

Skiploom - Level 21

Ability: Infiltrator

Item: None

-Bullet Seed

-Fairy Wind

-Poison Powder

-Sleep Powder

Trainer Profile: Alice

Trainer Rank: B+

Badges: 1

Current team:

Wartortle - Level 20

Ability: Rain Dish

Item: None

-Bite

-Tail Whip

-Bubble

-Rapid Spin

Mawile - Level 46

Ability: Intimidate

Item: Mawilite

-Sucker Punch

-Iron Head

-Play Rough

-Knock Off

**Note: Alice currently cannot use Mawile in official gym battles, as she does not have the required Gym Badges necessary to register traded/foreign Pokemon as part of her official team. In unofficial battles, she may use Mawile freely.**

Roselia - Level 16

Ability: Poison Point

Item: None

-Mega Drain

-Cut

-Poison Sting

-Leech Seed

Numel - Level 19

Ability: Simple

Item: None

-Ember

-Focus Energy

-Magnitude

-Flame Burst

Edited June 13, 2015 by Seehan

[Seehan]

**not part of the story~~~**

Thanks for reading! I'm going to be taking a short break, but you can look forward to Part 2: From the Ashes soon! Please follow the thread to support it, and as always feel free to PM me with any comments, questions or feedback! See you all in a bit~

Seehan

[Seehan]

Seehan

In 0.8 seconds he'll feint with a left jab, but will use his momentum to transition into a back roundhouse instead. I... Won't be able to block it. Duck under it instead, finish battle with swift palm to temple.

The boy in front of Seehan charged at him with a roar of challenge, swinging his left fist forward in a swift, practiced motion. However, just before connecting with Seehan's guard, the boy tucked his arm back into his body and used his centrifugal force to launch a powerful backwards kick aimed at Seehan's head. The black haired boy dropped to his knees and bent his body as far back as he could, turning his face upwards. He winced as the boy's leg scraped his nose, then sprang towards his opponent and smashed the heel of his palm into the side of the boy's head. His eyes rolling into his head, the boy dropped instantly to the matted floor. Several students ran up and quickly dragged him off the battlefield.

"Match concluded! Seehan of Pallet Town completes his 29th challenge! Upon completing 1 more, he may challenge Leader Florinia!"

Seehan gasped for breath with his hands on his knees, his sweat dripping down his forehead and onto the floor, and exited Blank Slate. Upon leaving the Obsidia Ward, he had made the short trip North to the Onyx Ward, intending on quickly battling Florinia for her badge then moving on. As he reached the gym, however, he was reminded that it also functioned as the Onyx Trainer School. The students, after discovering that he wished to challenge Florinia, had informed him of the gym's unique rules; before one could challenge the Leader and Principal of the Onyx Gym and Trainer's School, the challenger had to first overcome 30 students in an activity of their choice. The level of skill of the students the challenger faced depended on the number of badges they held; if the challenger held 0 badges, they would face first years. However, if the challenger held, for instance, 8 badges, they would face professors instead. Although Seehan currently held a total of zero badges, rumors of his activities at the Peridot Factory and Obsidia Park had spread, leading to the students' insistence that he be challenged by third years instead. Thus far, he had been forced to overcome various challenges such as riddles, archery, spelling, fact retrieval, memorization, and of course battles against either himself or his Pokemon. The result was his increasing exhaustion and impatience. Now, however, he was at last at the final challenge.

"The last challenge has been decided! The category will be... Pokemon Battling! The student the challenger will be facing is... Fern!"

The green haired boy walked down the stairs, as if on cue. Waving at the crowd of students like a celebrity, he seemed oblivious to their annoyed faces, and swag walked up to the battlefield. He sneered down his nose at Seehan, who was still breathing hard from his exertions.

"Hey Seehan! Long time no see! You know, that's a good look you've got going there; all bended over, sweating buckets. You look exactly like the loser you are."

Seehan pretended he hadn't heard anything, and instead straightened his back, his eyes growing sharp once more. He had run out of patience around the 15th challenge, and he wanted nothing more than to be done with them as soon as possible. The fact that Fern was the final challenge was just icing on the cake. Fern, however, was still talking.

"You know, I almost feel sorry for you. So pathetically weak that you decide to ditch your Pokemon after every region's League, just because you feel too inferior around them. I guess I feel sorry for them too; having such an incompetent trainer must be rough on them. Maybe if they had a real trainer like me, they'd become stronger."

Seehan sighed, and finally spoke up. He was not in the mood for Fern's sass today.

"... You gonna send out a Pokemon, or just keep talking out of your ass all day? If you're too scared to battle, we can always go have a spelling bee or something; you'll lose horribly in that too, but at least you won't embarrass your Pokemon in the process."

A vein bulged on Fern's forehead, and his eyes narrowed.

"All right, I guess Mr. Perfect over here is too good for us lowly commoners. If you're in such a hurry to lose, I'll be happy to hand your ass to you on a platter that much sooner! Go, Lombre!"

"Linoone, it's your turn!"

As their two Pokemon appeared on the battlefield, Fern sneered once more.

"Oh my, you kept that loser Pokemon from last time? Couldn't find any real Pokemon to replace it with? Actually, I think it's too good for you; there's a few Weedles in the grass behind the school, you might find that they'll suit you better!"

Seehan had tuned him out, instead focusing on his and Lombre's body language and movements.

Move pool... Got it. Fake Out, Water Sport, Absorb, and... Nature Power. Since we're inside, it'll be Tri Attack. It'll lead with the Fake Out for sure; I can use the opportunity to hit it with a Pin Missile, as long as I can warn Linoone of the attack in time.

"Linoone, use Cut on the floor!"

"Hit that bitch with a Fake Out, Lombre!"

Lombre dashed forward; just as it reached Linoone, it stopped abruptly, and slapped its hands together in a sharp and focus-breaking smack. However, Linoone was unaffected; the sound of its Cut scraping through the surface of the battlefield had drowned out Lombre's attack. Murmurs rose up among the students watching the battle.

"Wow! I didn't know you could do that!"

"I just gained some EXP, lemme write that down..."

"Kyaaa~! So cool!"

"So this is the level of an IPL champion... Gotta take notes."

Fern's expression contorted; it had become even uglier than usual, if that was possible.

"Lombre, stop fucking around! Use Nature Power!"

"Dodge and use Pin Missile!"

Lombre gave its trainer a sour look over its shoulder, before turning and firing a beam of three colors at Linoone. In a flash, Linoone slipped around it, and shot a volley of hardened darts of fur at its opponent. Lombre cried out in pain as the razor sharp projectiles pierced its skin with super effective damage. Fern gripped his fist in frustration.

"Stop being such a pussy and start aiming your shots! Make yourself useful and actually hit it this time! Nature Power!!!"

"Same thing, Linoone! Don't let up, drive those shots home!"

Over and over, Fern continued to berate his Pokemon, stubbornly sticking to the same strategy. Likewise, Seehan simply ordered his Linoone to do the same. Although the Pin Missiles were dealing super effective damage, the attack itself was unSTABed, making each shot weak compared to if an actual Bug type had used it. However, the damage was steadily piling atop itself; Lombre was finding it harder and harder to keep standing back up. At last, it dropped to the floor for the last time, having run out of energy to continue.

"Lombre is unable to battle! Seehan of Pallet Town is the winn-"

"Shut the fuck up! This battle ain't over till I say it's over, got it!? I'm the top dog around here!"

The female student acting as the referee gave him an angry look, before looking at Seehan with a questioning gaze. Seehan gave her a reassuring smile; if Fern wanted to be crushed so badly, Seehan would be happy to oblige.

"... Very well. The battle will continue, until one side has run out of Pokemon. As such, we will give the challenger special permissions, to accommodate them for agreeing to the change in rules-"

"Hey, what the fuck? This ain't a gym battle! There are no rules!"

"... Fern, be quiet. You are embarrassing the name of the Onyx Trainer School. I've tolerated your insolence till now simply because you are the Leader's little brother; be warned that any further outbursts will result in your immediate disqualification and defeat from this battle."

Fern glared at her, but closed his mouth. The girl continued.

"As I was saying. The challenger may substitute their Pokemon at any time, while the student may not change his Pokemon at all, unless theirs has fainted. Let the battle continue!"

"You bitch. You'll pay for this later; for now, I got noobs to stomp. Go, Roselia!"

Seehan didn't particularly care when Fern insulted him; he could just tune him out. However, for some reason, listening to him insult someone else touched a nerve.

"... Linoone, return. Monferno, come."

Fern sneered as Seehan's starter materialized onto the arena, its flame's intense heat showing its readiness for battle.

"Running away already? Need me to bring you a change of clothes? No, maybe a diaper would fit you better!"

No one laughed.

Seehan reached out and touched Monferno's mind, connecting with an Empathetic Link. Once a link was formed, it was easy to rekindle, as long as the trainer and Pokemon retained their levels of trust and respect for one another.

Let's crush him.

Monferno turned its head and grinned at its trainer. Clearly, it had been watching from its Pokeball, and had seen and heard everything. Seehan returned its smirk, before returning his focus to Fern and his Roselia.

Move set confirmed. Stun Spore, Mega Drain, Leech Seed, Poison Sting. He'll use Stun Spore, but that'll just be a screen for his real move; since Grass types are immune to powder moves, his Roselia will dive through the cloud of dust and use Poison Sting right in Monferno's face instead. Monferno will dodge to the right, clearing the cloud of spores, then use Flame Wheel and take it out in one... No, two consecutive hits.

"This fucker likes to play pussy and run around like a headless Torchic; fuck him up with a Stun Spore!"

Wait for it.

Monferno waited calmly, its eyes tracking the cloud of golden dust drifting towards it. Unconcerned, it waited for its trainer to make the call to dodge. The cloud drifted closer and closer, and still Monferno did not move. At the last moment, Seehan saw a flicker of movement deep in the cloud, and knew the time had come.

Now.

Monferno moved so quickly that it seemed to leave an afterimage in its place; Roselia dived out of the cloud of spores, its spikes at the ready, but Monferno was no longer where it was aiming. Trying to twist in midair, Roselia only managed to fire a single shot of Poison Sting before the blazing wheel of fire smashed into it, the Grass and Poison type's attack flying wide and missing entirely. As Roselia flew through the air from the impact of Monferno's first attack, the Fire Monkey landed, pivoted on its toes, and hit Roselia again from the other side. Fern's Pokemon screamed in pain before hitting the ground, unconscious. Seehan glanced at Fern, and was unsurprised to see that, instead of looking abashed or apologetic, he wore a visage of pure rage. However, it was clear that none of the rage was directed at himself; he blamed his Pokemon for his every loss. He proved it almost immediately, walking up to his Roselia instead of recalling it. It was clear that he was not approaching it to comfort it.

"You. Worthless. Pokemon!!!!"

As he raised his foot to stomp on the tiny Pokemon, Seehan directed Monferno to move with a flick of his thoughts. As Fern's foot crashed down onto the battlefield, it hit nothing but dirt, as Monfero stood a short distance away cradling Roselia in its arms. The onlookers all looked stunned at what Fern had just tried to do.

"D-did he really just...?"

"After the poor thing worked so hard too..."

"This is disgusting."

Fern looked around at the crowd of students, his voice challenging and haughty.

"HAH?! Anyone got anything to say to my face??? Lemme let you guys know one thing; if I weren't being held back by these shitty ass Pokemon, you'd all be kneeling before me right now. EVERY. SINGLE. ONE OF YOU. INCLUDING YOU, SEEHAN!" He pointed at the dark haired trainer, who was simply standing there, examining the green haired boy who stood before him as if he were some sort of exotic Pokemon in a zoo.

The girl who was acting as referee sighed.

"Fern, all of your Pokemon have a certain common factor; they are being trained by you. If your Pokemon are weak, that means the trainer is the one to bla-"

"Servine, shut that bitch up. A Leaf Tornado should do the trick."

The girl's eyes widened. As Fern sent out his last Pokemon, it gave the girl an apologetic look before firing its attack straight towards her.

"Ah..."

Before the girl could do more than let out a little gasp of surprise, a pillar of flame crashed into the Grass type move, scattering it into a pile of harmless leaves.

"Stop. Getting. IN. MY. WAY!!!!!!!"

Seehan's Monferno, having dropped off Roselia safely with the group of student onlookers, had quickly dashed over to protect the girl on Seehan's silent command. As Fern shrieked at it, Seehan felt his last drop of patience run dry. He was tired of wasting his time here.

Let's wrap this up. Flame Wheel.

With a little huff of disappointment, Monferno smashed into Servine in a flurry of flames, sending it crashing back into its trainer. Seehan understood its frustration; it wanted to fight strong opponents to test the newfound strength it had gained through its Empathetic Link. Fern had only barely whet its appetite for battle.

Don't worry. We have a much stronger opponent coming up next. Enjoy the appetizer while you can.

Monferno nodded grudgingly.

Seehan recalled it to its Ball, then looked at the referee expectantly. Coming to her senses with an "Oh!", the girl quickly raised her arm, signalling the end of the battle.

"Servine is unable to battle! Student Fern is out of usable Pokemon! Seehan of Pallet Town is the winner, and has successfully completed all 30 challenges of the Onyx Trainer School, giving him free access to the Onyx Gym! May your battle against our Leader drive you ever further in your quest!"

"... Fuck this."

The girl, having finished the formalities, turned and frowned at Fern.

"And as for you..."

"I said fuck this. I'm out."

"What...?"

"I said I'm out. Being here is only holding back my genius; I can see that now. All you fuckers and your shitty rules and high horses, none of you are worth a damn." Fern turned to Seehan, a furious spark ignited in his eyes. "If a shitter like you can do it, I'll be able to do it easily. I'll take on the Reborn League too; and when I become Champion, all of you will bow before me. And you..." he locked eyes with the girl. "... You'll be paying with more than just your pride."

With that, he recalled his Pokemon and walked out of the School. Seehan shook his head; there was no helping that boy.

Quickly healing his Pokemon at the School's Pokemon Center (how rich was this School...), he stepped through the doors leading into Florinia's gym at last.

Trainer Profile: Seehan

Trainer Rank: SSS

**Note: Seehan's Trainer Rank without Blank Slate and Empathetic Link would be A+.**

Badges: 0

Current team:

**Note: When in an Empathetic Link with Seehan, his Pokemon deal 1.5x more damage from all damaging moves, and gain a 1.5x increase in speed.**

**Note: When being commanded by Seehan in Blank Slate, his Pokemon's moves gain +1 priority, and land critical hits more easily.**

**Note: If both of the above conditions are fulfilled, Seehan's Pokemon temporarily gain 25 levels worth of stats.**

Monferno - Level 27 [52]

Ability: Iron Fist

Item: None

-Feint

-Leer

-Flame Wheel

-Mach Punch

Linoone - Level 24

Ability: Pick Up

Item: Nugget

-Pin Missile

-Cut

-Headbutt

-Covet

Kirlia - Level 24 [49]

Ability: Trace

Item: None

-Magical Leaf

-Confusion

-Teleport

-Draining Kiss

Electrike - Level 24

Ability: Lightning Rod

Item: None

-Ice Fang [egg move]

-Bite

-Quick Attack

-Thunder Fang

Gyarados - Level 24 [49]

Ability: Moxie

Item: None

-Thrash

-Tackle

-Bite

-Dragon Rage

Skiploom - Level 24

Ability: Infiltrator

Item: None

-Bullet Seed

-Fairy Wind

-Leech Seed

-Sleep Powder

Edited June 19, 2015 by Seehan

[The Fangame Connoisseur]

I have read all of your posts in this topic and I find it to be very enjoyable. You're one of the major inspirations for my friend, whom has started his own Reborn fan fiction.

[Seehan]

VS Head Instructor Florinia

Seehan

As Seehan stepped into the brightly lit room, he was surprised to suddenly find himself in a desert. No, not a desert; the room was just filled with sand, and the heat lamps and spotlights above caused the room to feel excruciatingly hot. Several fans hidden in the walls blew a small cloud of sand through the air, and a number of cacti dotted the battlefield. Across the room, reading a book in the shade of a cactus, was Florinia. As Seehan stepped up to the trainer box sketched out in stones embedded in the sand, Florinia marked her page, closed her book, stood up, and stretched. She nodded to the dark haired boy while taking her place in the leader's box.

"Greetings. I apologize for Fern's behavior as you performed your challenges; I will rebuke him when possible. Are you familiar with the terrain in my gym?"

Seehan nodded. He had traveled through several deserts before in his journey, most notably in Hoenn and Kalos. He knew that Water and Electric attacks would be weakened, and that Ground types generally had the advantage.

"Excellent. We will commence immediately then. Lily, please begin the formalities."

The student referee from earlier had entered the room without Seehan noticing; nodding shyly to him, she took her place to the side of the arena.

"Seehan of Pallet Town wishes to challenge Florinia of the Onyx Ward Gym in an official League match! The format of the battle will be 6 on 6 singles! The Challenger may switch their Pokemon freely, while the Leader may only switch Pokemon upon successfully fainting one of the Challenger's Pokemon. As the Challenger has 0 badges, the Leader will be using their 6th, and weakest, team! The battle will take place on the Desert Field! Trainers, are you both ready to begin?"

Florinia raised her hand, indicating that she wished to speak. The girl blinked at her leader in confusion. The glasses wearing gym leader turned to face Seehan.

"I have a proposition. Let us dispense with the formalities; I am aware of your reason for having no badges. Julia informed me that prior to commencing your battle, you were forced to provide aid to your acquaintance in the Obsidia Ward. Although you were unable to battle Julia, I am quite aware of your strength; being forced to use an non optimal team, she would have easily fallen before you. As of now, due to League rules, I too will be forced to use a relatively untrained team. You do not wish to battle against such a weak opponent, correct? It did not require much analysis to come to the conclusion that you prefer to partake in difficult battles in order to increase in strength. If you give your approval, we will treat this match as if you already have 1 badge, thus allowing the use of my 5th team; though still much weaker than my main team, it is a significant upgrade from my 6th."

Seehan was surprised; despite her mechanical demeanor, she had accurately deduced his personality. It was true; he had been dreading the upcoming gym battle due to the League's imposed limitations on its Leaders. For a trainer as skilled as Florinia, being forced to use a weak team was almost an insult. The trainer didn't need any convincing; he quickly agreed to Florinia's suggestion. Nodding to the referee, Florinia retrieved her alternate team from a rack on the wall, then returned to her trainer box and took up her battling position. Seehan did the same across the battlefield, Pokeball in hand, his lead already decided from the moment he had walked into the gym. Florinia was, after all, a Grass type specialist, and Seehan had the perfect Pokemon to deal with her. The referee raised her arm.

"The Challenger has agreed to the Leader's request! Therefore, for the record, this gym battle will be performed under the assumption that the Challenger is in possession of 1 badge, instead of 0! As such, the Leader will use her 5th team! Trainers, are you both ready to begin?" As both nodded, the girl's arm came down.

"Then, begin!"

"Maractus, prepare for battle."

"Monferno, kiminikimete!"

As the Fire Monkey appeared on the battlefield, it winced as it was pelted by a gust of sand. Across the arena, Maractus appeared at home on the Desert Field, happily digging its roots into the loose sand. Seehan wasted no time entering Blank Slate, and quickly established his Empathetic Link.

Here we go. Take it out immediately. Charge with Flame Wheel.

Screeching in challenge, Monferno leaped forward. As it blazed its way across the sand, Seehan was disturbed when Maractus made no move to avoid his attack. Florinia, as well, remained silent and unmoving.

This... Seems kind of familiar. Where have I...?

At the last moment, Seehan saw Florinia's lips move. Lipreading from across the battlefield, Seehan's eyes widened, and his heart sank.

"Pin Missile for 1.6 seconds to slow it. Cotton Spore to absorb the impact. Needle Arm once flames are sufficiently subdued."

Monferno, abort the attack!

His command, though communicated instantly across their mental link, came to Monferno too late; it was already within Maractus's firing range. Being pelted with razor sharp thorns, Monferno had no choice but to keep advancing, using its spinning flames to deflect the Grass type's attack. However, its momentum was severely reduced, and as it reached Maractus, it was forced to a complete stop as it was smothered in an avalanche of suffocating cotton. Monferno cried out in frustration and panic as its flames disappeared from around it, and struggled to escape without success. Seehan watched as his helpless Pokemon was hit with a powerful Needle Arm, the attack sending it flying through the air into a nearby cactus before crashing to the sand with a thud.

"Monferno, return!"

As the red beam that was his Pokemon retracted into his Pokeball, Seehan stared at Florinia in shock. Florinia returned his look with her emotionless gaze.

"At the factory, you were too distracted to notice my battling style. I was also unable to display it in Obsidia Park, due to being incapacitated. It is as you suspect; I, too, possess the ability you refer to as "Blank Slate". I have done a certain amount of research on you; I am aware of your tendencies as a trainer. This also means I am aware of how to counter them."

It was his first time battling another unique skill holder. However, instead of feeling intimidated, the dark haired trainer felt something completely unexpected; he felt... elated. He had just discovered that he hadn't been alone after all. He could finally fight someone as an equal; a person who understood his pains as someone who had been given gifts without ever asking for them. This had become a true test of their skill as trainers; they had Pokemon of similar levels of strength, and the only thing that would decide the victor would be how they used them. Seehan quickly chose his next Pokemon.

"I have to say, you really blindsided me. Even so, I have a few surprises of my own! Go, Linoone!"

In a burst of light, the slick fur of the mammalian Pokemon appeared onto the arena. Although not mentally connected with it, Seehan had full confidence in Linoone's battling ability. Florinia cocked her head.

"Interesting. I had expected Gyarados to be your next combatant. I will have to recalculate."

Seehan grinned, then sliced his hand through the air as he called out his commands.

"Linoone, get in close! Use Pin Missile for cover!"

"Maractus, stand by for further instruction."

Trainer Profile: Seehan

Trainer Rank: SSS

**Note: Seehan's Trainer Rank without Blank Slate and Empathetic Link would be A+.**

Badges: 0

Current team:

**Note: When in an Empathetic Link with Seehan, his Pokemon deal 1.5x more damage from all damaging moves, and gain a 1.5x increase in speed.**
**Note: When being commanded by Seehan in Blank Slate, his Pokemon's moves gain +1 priority, and land critical hits more easily.**
**Note: If both of the above conditions are fulfilled, Seehan's Pokemon temporarily gain 25 levels worth of stats.**

Monferno - Level 27 [52]
Ability: Iron Fist
Item: None
-Feint
-Leer
-Flame Wheel
-Mach Punch

Linoone - Level 24
Ability: Pick Up
Item: None
-Pin Missile
-Cut
-Headbutt
-Covet

Kirlia - Level 24 [49]
Ability: Trace
Item: None
-Magical Leaf
-Confusion
-Teleport
-Draining Kiss

Electrike - Level 24

Ability: Lightning Rod

Item: None

-Ice Fang [egg move]

-Bite

-Quick Attack

-Thunder Fang

Gyarados - Level 24 [49]

Ability: Moxie

Item: None

-Thrash

-Tackle

-Bite

-Dragon Rage

Skiploom - Level 24

Ability: Infiltrator

Item: None

-Bullet Seed

-Fairy Wind

-Leech Seed

-Sleep Powder

Edited June 19, 2015 by Seehan

[Don42]

This has been really good so far, I'm impressed with your writing abilities! (Not that it means much, coming from a stranger haha)

At first I was a little turned off to the fact that Seehan is so obviously overpowered, but it does kind of even out the obscenity that is Reborn's difficulty. Plus I'm assuming the Character is based after you, and lets be honest, what is a personal character meant to be if not the best thing ever?

[Seehan]

Yeah, i personally enjoy having broken characters from the get go so i dont have to waste time with a training montage or timeskip haha. Also, as a note; im making an exception this time because i havent mentioned this previously, but i wont reply to comments unless they are PMs in order to reduce clutter on this thread. Thanks ^^

[Seehan]

Seehan

For an uncertain amount of time, Linoone danced around Maractus. It dodged and dived, avoiding every one of Maractus's moves. In response, however, it had failed to land even a single hit on the Cactus Pokemon. Due to Maractus's defenses, Linoone had been unable to close the distance to use its melee moves, and its Pin Missiles had been shot down midflight by Maractus's own. Seehan, despite all his ability and skill, was at an impasse.

... Dammit. I can't read Florinia or Maractus at all. They aren't giving anything away; I can't make any predictions or win conditions. At this rate, Linoone will eventually tire and be taken out.

Despite knowing that, Seehan could do nothing but continue with his current strategy. He had chosen Linoone for its speed and instant striking ability; if given the chance, Linoone could close the distance in an instant and land a devastating blow. Being kept at bay as it was, however, meant that its speed and strength were being rendered useless.

Even if I do manage to get in close, it can just use Cotton Spore to regain its distance... My hands are tied.

Seehan shook his head.

... Don't think like that. There must be a way. There is no such thing as an impenetrable defense; I just have to find the hole in its guard and drive in my advantage.

"Linoone! Make another attempt to dive in! Headbutt!"

"Maractus, prepare another fence of Pin Missiles."

Just as it had all the other times Seehan had tried this maneuver, Maractus fired a volley of barbs onto the battlefield, blocking Linoone from advancing and forcing it to skid to a halt. Seehan grit his teeth in frustration, before realizing something curious that had just occurred; Maractus hadn't turned to look at Linoone before firing its attack.

... Wait. That thing hasn't moved this entire battle. What if... Well, better to just test out the theory.

"Linoone! Fire an arc of Pin Missiles into the air! Don't specifically aim for Maractus; just aim for your attack to land in its general location!"

The Raccoon Pokemon barked out in understanding, before flipping through the air and firing a barrage of spikes through the air, like a volley of arrows fired by an army of archers. The attack arched gracefully through the air before beginning their descent towards Maractus. In that moment, Seehan detected a slight flicker of alarm on Florinia's face.

Gotcha. I understand now; that was clever.

The gym leader raised her arm, relaying commands in a sharp, concise voice.

"Maractus. Fire a volley 78 degrees x and 182 degrees y. 10 shots per second. Execute."

Maractus complied, and shot down all of Linoone's Pin Missiles. However, despite his failed attack, Seehan grinned.

"I see... So rather than using its eyes, it uses its roots to observe the battlefield. I was wondering how it had been keeping up with Linoone's blinding speed; all this time it's been tracking its movements through vibration rather than vision. However, whenever it's forced to respond to an aerial threat, it relies on your manual micro to defend itself."

Florinia nodded.

"Indeed. You have seen through my strategy. This is the advantage my field gives me; it allows desert plant types to create an almost impenetrable defense around themselves. Though short, their roots allow them to spot vibrations in the sand around them, enabling them to maintain a sphere of dominance in their proximity. The only flaw in the defense is its weakness to aerial strikes, as you have correctly deduced. However, despite knowing this, what can you do to respond? Your ranged attacks are useless; I have created countermeasures to deal with this weakness, as you have seen."

Seehan shook his head, an idea forming in his mind.

"Sometimes, you just need to have a little imagination. Linoone, use Cut on the surrounding cacti! Soak the field in water!"

Its claw lengthening and forming a solid, glowing blade, Linoone leapt to the side and slashed apart a nearby cactus. Dashing around the battlefield, it continued its plant mangling, until at last the sand beneath the two Pokemon became heavy and slushy from the influx of cacti fluid.

"With this, your Pokemon will no longer be able to feel the vibrations through the sand. They will have to rely on their eyes now."

And eyes can be tricked. Linoone's speed will once again provide an advantage for it.

The green haired gym leader nodded.

"Well done. Turning the terrain to your advantage is indeed the answer to your dilemma. However, do not think that Maractus is helpless without its defenses."

With a cry, Maractus pried itself out of the wet sand, and at last opened its eyes. Linoone huffed and wagged its tail challengingly.

"Use Needle Arm."

"Dodge and use Cut!"

Moving surprisingly fast, Maractus dashed towards Linoone, the spikes on its arm enlarging. Moving like water, Linoone nimbly avoided the attack before slicing down with its bladed claw, cutting off the Maractus's arm in one clean stroke. Cactus juice spilled out of the severed stump as the Maractus winced in pain. Seehan didn't feel any guilt in his action; many Grass types, including Maractus, could easily regrow its limbs as long as its head was intact. For now, incapacitating the plant was the fastest course to defeating it.

Maractus and Linoone exchanged heavy blows, with Linoone being grazed on several occasions. However, for every wound it received, it managed to Cut off another part of its Grass type opponent, until at last Maractus was left lying helpless on the sodden sand, its limbs in pieces around it. Breathing hard, Linoone looked down on its fallen opponent, still cautious despite Maractus's weakened state. Florinia sighed and signaled to the referee, who raised her arm in acknowledgment.

"The Leader has announced her surrender of this round! As such, Maractus has been defeated! Linoone is the winner!"

As Florinia recalled her Pokemon, Seehan breathed out a sigh of relief. He had managed to surpass his first obstacle, leaving him with 5 more to overcome. At a glance, one would think the odds had swung into his favor, with the battle now being 5 on 6. However, despite the advantage he had gained, he did not relax and lower his guard. Florinia was truly a fearsome opponent, and beating her would take everything he had. The Gym Leader chose her next Pokemon, and as before, Seehan was unable to predict what it would be.

"... Analysis concluded. Linoone's moveset: Cut, Headbutt, Pin Missile, Covet. Conclusion reached: Superior defense leaves no room for defeat. Ferroseed, stand by for battle."

"Let's see how things go, Linoone. Don't let down your guard."

Though he said brave words to Linoone, Seehan's heart sank. Clearly, Florinia had read him like a book. While he had been unable to glean any information from her posture and body language, she had been observing him and Linoone since the battle had started, and like a fool he had given away all his mannerisms. The battle had only just begun.

Trainer Profile: Seehan

Trainer Rank: SSS

**Note: Seehan's Trainer Rank without Blank Slate and Empathetic Link would be A+.**

Badges: 0

Current team:

**Note: When in an Empathetic Link with Seehan, his Pokemon deal 1.5x more damage from all damaging moves, and gain a 1.5x increase in speed.**
**Note: When being commanded by Seehan in Blank Slate, his Pokemon's moves gain +1 priority, and land critical hits more easily.**
**Note: If both of the above conditions are fulfilled, Seehan's Pokemon temporarily gain 25 levels worth of stats.**

Monferno - Level 28 [53]
Ability: Iron Fist
Item: None
-Feint
-Leer
-Flame Wheel
-Mach Punch

Linoone - Level 25
Ability: Pick Up
Item: None
-Pin Missile
-Cut
-Headbutt
-Covet

Kirlia - Level 24 [49]
Ability: Trace
Item: None
-Magical Leaf
-Confusion
-Teleport
-Draining Kiss

Electrike - Level 24

Ability: Lightning Rod

Item: None

-Ice Fang [egg move]

-Bite

-Quick Attack

-Thunder Fang

Gyarados - Level 24 [49]

Ability: Moxie

Item: None

-Thrash

-Tackle

-Bite

-Dragon Rage

Skiploom - Level 24

Ability: Infiltrator

Item: None

-Bullet Seed

-Fairy Wind

-Leech Seed

-Sleep Powder

Edited June 19, 2015 by Seehan

[Seehan]

Seehan

Linoone trembled, trying desperately to remain standing. Its claws had cracked on Ferroseed's shell, and the Grass and Steel type's Ability, Iron Barbs, had inflicted heavy wounds on the mammalian Pokemon's body. Blood trickled freely through Linoone's fur, and multiple punctures had been torn open in its flesh. Although none of Linoone's attacks had been effective against Ferroseed, that did not mean the opposite was true. Upon being sent out, the little Pokemon had used Sandstorm, whipping up a gusting wind that had pelted Linoone with relentless sheets of sand. On top of that, it had hit the Normal type with several devastating Sand Tombs, trapping it and preventing it from avoiding Ferroseed's Pin Missiles, which had led to its current, pitiful shape. Seehan clenched his fist, frustrated. Every time he thought he had finally gotten the best of Florinia, it would turn out that she had always been a step ahead. The difference wasn't massive; it wasn't like she was dominating him with strategy. However, the tiny difference was beginning to show its results; Seehan had been completely unable to make any headway against Ferroseed. The boy shook his head and held out his Pokeball. The battle was going nowhere like this.

"Return, Linoone. You've done well, take a good rest."

Florinia watched as her opponent picked out his next Pokemon.

"I had expected you to switch out much sooner than this. You are not a fool; clearly you knew you would be unable to pierce through Ferroseed's exterior. I am curious as to what you are planning."

Seehan gave her a confident grin, while sorting through data furiously in his mind, trying to formulate a strategy that would lead to his victory.

"That's something for me to know... And for you to try and find out! Gyarados, I choose you!"

With a flash of light and an accompanying roar, the enormous Water and Flying type appeared on the battlefield, its entrance marred slightly by the damage it took from the sandstorm raging inside the gym. Florinia looked at it curiously, then nodded.

"Yes... I see. Your Gyarados looks young. This implies that it has only recently evolved, and has not learned to control its temper; you wish to use Dragon Rage to pierce through Ferroseed's defenses."

Seehan let out a sigh, depressed.

... She just saw through my plan before I could even make a move. Now I know how everyone else feels when I do this to them.

Straightening up, he tried his best to look like he knew what he was doing, and activated Empathetic Link with Gyarados.

It's time. Show them your strength; Dragon Rage.

Gyarados let out a mighty roar that shook the gym to its very foundations, then let loose an azure pillar of draconic energy towards Ferroseed. The tiny Pokemon's eyes widened in fear, and it rolled out of the way just in time to avoid taking the full impact of the attack; even though the move only grazed it, Ferroseed's shell had taken massive damage, with its entire right side showing signs of melting. The Pokemon itself, however, was relatively unharmed. Florinia tapped her foot with a pondering expression, looking for all the world as if she was solving a crossword puzzle rather than participating in an intense gym battle.

"... It appears that Ferroseed is ill prepared to deal with Gyarados. Due to my inability to switch, I am unable to overcome this obstacle with my current Pokemon. However, the situation is not like it was with Maractus. Even if it is unable to defeat its opponent, my Pokemon can deal significant damage before being defeated. Ferroseed, execute maneuver 8."

Letting out a shrill screech, the Ferroseed fired off several pods toward Gyarados. Before Seehan could tell it to avoid them, Gyarados attempted to knock them away with its tail.

No!

Rather than being pushed aside, the pods stuck to Gyarados where it had hit them; quickly taking root in between its scales, the Ferroseed's Leech Seed began sapping at Gyarados's body fluids, causing it excruciating pain. While its opponent was distracted, Ferroseed began to spin, creating a twister of sand that enveloped Gyarados's frame. As the Leech Seed and Sand Tomb began to chip away at his Pokemon's vitality, Seehan quickly communicated his orders.

Gyarados! Calm down and use Thrash to free yourself! Then use Dragon Rage once more!

Glancing at its trainer, Gyarados acknowledged his commands with a grunt, then briefly closed its eyes before beginning to rampage across the battlefield, destroying much of the terrain in its path. Seehan winced as Gyarados's rage bounced across their connection, but held firm to his focus. By taking Gyarados's pain into himself, Seehan could avoid the momentary confusion inflicted by using Thrash, thus allowing Gyarados to use the move freely while in an Empathetic Link.

Successfully breaking free of its bonds, Gyarados turned its glare downwards, where a terrified looking Ferroseed sat in the damp sand. Though Gyarados's glimmering body had sustained damage, it was still relatively unharmed; Ferroseed's attack had only served to further anger the hulking leviathan before it.

Finish it.

Gyarados blasted its opponent with a point blank Dragon Rage, completely obliterating its iron defenses and blasting the hapless Pokemon across the room into the far wall, leaving a smoking crater where it collided with the smooth surface. Florinia recalled it, her face a mask. As Gyarados roared out in triumph, its Moxie ability raising its attack, the referee raised her arm.

"Ferroseed is unable to battle! Gyarados is the winner!"

As Florinia selected her third Pokemon, Seehan felt himself feeling more and more anxious. By all accounts, he should have been feeling confident; however, he simply could not shake the feeling that he was playing straight into Florinia's hands. Despite the fact that he was now in a 6 on 4 situation, he had revealed 3 of his Pokemon; although all 3 of them were still technically usable, only 2 of them were still battle ready, albeit being slightly wounded.

What is she planning? Even after having two of her Pokemon fall, she remains unreadable; her composure hasn't been fazed in the slightest.

Seehan watched as the gym leader tossed out her next partner.

"Cradily, stand by for battle."

?! Here it comes!

"... Gyarados, return. Go, Skiploom!"

He was not going to risk Gyarados without knowing what Florinia's game was. Sending out Skiploom was his best option for now; fast and maneuverable, it had a high probability of winning a war of attrition against Cradily. Seehan shook his head. He was winning the battle. He needed to have more confidence in himself and his Pokemon. Doubting his team would only lead to his defeat. Shaking off his unease, Seehan began shouting out his commands.

Several minutes later, Kirlia fell to the ground, defeated. Of Seehan's party, only Monferno and Electrike remained. On the other side of the battlefield, Cradily looked blankly at the dark haired boy; its trainer stood behind it, her expression unreadable. Florinia still had 4 Pokemon remaining.

Trainer Profile: Seehan

Trainer Rank: SSS

**Note: Seehan's Trainer Rank without Blank Slate and Empathetic Link would be A+.**

Badges: 0

Current team:

**Note: When in an Empathetic Link with Seehan, his Pokemon deal 1.5x more damage from all damaging moves, and gain a 1.5x increase in speed.**
**Note: When being commanded by Seehan in Blank Slate, his Pokemon's moves gain +1 priority, and land critical hits more easily.**
**Note: If both of the above conditions are fulfilled, Seehan's Pokemon temporarily gain 25 levels worth of stats.**

Monferno - Level 28 [53]
Ability: Iron Fist
Item: None
-Feint
-Leer
-Flame Wheel
-Mach Punch

Linoone - Level 27
Ability: Pick Up
Item: None
-Pin Missile
-Cut
-Headbutt
-Covet

Kirlia - Level 25 [50]
Ability: Trace
Item: None
-Magical Leaf
-Confusion
-Teleport
-Draining Kiss

Electrike - Level 25

Ability: Lightning Rod

Item: None

-Ice Fang [egg move]

-Bite

-Quick Attack

-Thunder Fang

Gyarados - Level 25 [50]

Ability: Moxie

Item: None

-Thrash

-Tackle

-Bite

-Dragon Rage

Skiploom - Level 25

Ability: Infiltrator

Item: None

-Bullet Seed

-Fairy Wind

-Leech Seed

-Sleep Powder

Edited July 7, 2015 by Seehan

[Seehan]

Seehan

It had been over in seconds. Trying to weaken Cradily with Fairy Wind, Skiploom had appeared to have the edge. Cradily had simply stood there, taking the punishment. However, it had merely been biding its time. Seehan had realized his mistake too late; Cradily had been using Stockpile, slowly becoming tankier and tankier, unless at last, Fairy Wind failed to even faze the Rock and Grass type Pokemon. It had used Recover to heal off all the damage it had taken prior, and then defeated Skiploom with a single Smack Down. Thinking to try and defeat it in the same manner as he had defeated Ferroseed, Seehan had sent out Gyarados, only to have it defeated almost instantly by another Smack Down. At this point, Seehan panicked. Two of his Pokemon had just been taken out in a single hit, and Cradily had healed itself back to perfect health. Sending out Linoone to try and weaken his opponent, the tired Pokemon was only able to scratch Cradily's toughened exterior before being crushed by its Rock type move. At last, Seehan had sent out Kirlia, hoping to outmaneuver the cumbersome Pokemon with her Teleport. His plan failed; Florinia's perfect predictions could see where Kirlia would Teleport to, and Cradily fired a shot at where she directed. Kirlia had been defeated as easily as her friends, leaving Seehan with only 2 Pokemon remaining, against Florinia's 4.

Which led to Seehan's current predicament.

... This is pretty bad, but it's not over yet. I've gleaned enough information now, even though she's been careful to avoid giving me anything to work with. Despite Florinia's incredible battling ability, she still lacks one thing; imagination. She simply dominates her opponents through analysis and skill, and though it's been working so far, it makes her predictable. Her weakness is that she's simply too straightforward. This is my last chance; my partners have fallen to give me this opportunity. This is where I make my stand.

"Monferno! Kiminikimete!"

Bursting from its Ball in a ring of fire, Monferno appeared on the sandy battlefield, rested and ready to battle once more. Seehan briefly closed his eyes, calling up the last dregs of his determination. He had to win here... For Alice, as well as himself. For the sake of the girl who could no longer continue her journey, he would shoulder the burden for both of them. He opened his eyes, a fire burning in their depths.

Let's go!

Monferno let out a challenging screech, then dashed out across the battlefield, towards Cradily's side. As Seehan expected, Cradily simply watched and waited.

Florinia never takes shots she isn't sure she'll hit. It makes sense; missing would give me an opportunity to fight back. However, I can use this.

You know what to do.

Monferno huffed as it began dashing in circles around the immobile plant Pokemon, its blank gaze watching as Monferno began tracing a ring in the sand around it. Seehan observed the battlefield, his body tense. Slowly, the ring began to close in tighter and tighter around the revived fossil.

Wait for it... Keep going...

If Monferno slowed at all, or tripped, it would be taken out immediately. If that happened, the battle would be over. Everything hinged on Monferno now, and its ability to execute Seehan's desperate plan.

As Monferno edged closer and closer to Cradily, Florinia appeared to come to a decision of her own. Raising her arm, she began giving out commands.

"... Cradily. Execute maneuver 14; variation: type 3."

Cradily's eyes glowed briefly in acknowledgement, then began manipulating the winds around it with Sandstorm, whipping up a twister of sand between it and Monferno.

As Seehan had predicted it would.

Now's your chance! Dive through at an angle, Mach Punch!

Monferno took one more step, then abruptly halted, skidding to a halt in the sodden sand. Using its previous motion as a springboard, Monferno leapt through the twister of sand, following the flow of the storm and allowing the wind to carry it through unharmed. As it pierced through the barrier, Monferno's fist traced a white glow as it arced through the air, connecting square on with Cradily's hardened head carapace. For an instant, time itself seemed to slow, as Cradily's exterior began to crack, one line after another.

Time resumed with a massive explosion of energy as Cradily's Sandstorm burst outwards, the wind and sand flying free from the control of the Pokemon which had been manipulated them. In the middle of the resulting crater was Monferno, breathing heavily, standing over the motionless body of its opponent. The referee coughed, brushed sand from her eyes, then surveyed the result of the explosive clash. Nodding, she raised her arm.

"Cradily is unable to battle! Monferno is the winner!"

Florinia nodded and recalled her Pokemon, picking the next one from her belt nonchalantly. Seehan, however, had not failed to observe a flicker of uncertainty appear on the gym leader's face when she saw that her ace had been defeated. With this, the battle was now 3 on 2, in her favor. However, the odds were now even once more; at last, Seehan had gotten a read on his opponent, bringing himself onto equal footing with her. Just as she could predict what he would do, he could now predict what she would do in response.

"You did well to defeat Cradily. There has never been a challenger who has successfully incapacitated it before while I have been using my full strength. For this, I will commend you. However, the battle is not over yet; do not assume that you have won. Cottonee, stand by for battle."

Seehan glanced at his Pokemon. Monferno was bouncing lightly on its toes; its condition was good, and it was clear that it wished to fight. Gone was the hotheadedness from the beginning of the battle. Monferno had returned to its calm and serious self; it was ready to execute Seehan's orders without hesitation for the sake of victory.

Here we go. Test the waters.

As Florinia's Cottonee materialized onto the battlefield, Monferno leapt forward, trying to close the distance between it and its opponent. Seehan's plan was to place Cottonee within striking range, but to stay out of range of the Grass and Fairy type's powder attacks; he knew that its evolutionary line was infamous for its Prankster ability, which allowed it to apply status moves with blinding speed.

As Monferno moved in closer, the Cottonee regarded the approaching Pokemon with calm, almost uninterested eyes. Seehan's own eyes narrowed; clearly, Florinia was up to something. This scenario was a repeat of what had happened with Maractus; he refused to fall for it again. His suspicions were confirmed when Monferno abruptly switched directions and dashed to the side, sharing Seehan's caution through their mental connection. By changing directions at that exact moment, Monferno narrowly dodged a cloud of purple powder as it appeared where it would have ran, had it not turned. Seehan grit his teeth; Cottonee had barely moved. Despite its minuscule movement, it had managed to place a Poison Powder several meters away from it almost instantly, with no apparent warning. Florinia hadn't given a command either; she had clearly given Cottonee training to be able to act on its own when exact timing was necessary for her strategy. Monferno began moving erratically, dodging multiple Poison Powders and Leech Seeds being fired at it. At last, after what seemed like hours, Seehan saw an opening, and took it.

Move in! Flame Wheel!

Just as Monferno cloaked itself in flames, Seehan happened to glance at Florinia. She looked... Smug?

Shit.

As Monferno closed in, Florinia mouthed a single word.

"Protect."

Instantly, a glimmering turquoise force field appeared, encasing Cottonee in a protective aura. Monferno's attack bounced off against it harmlessly, and for a split second, left it completely open.

"Poison Powder."

Before it could even blink, the Fire and Fighting type found itself in a cloud of purple dust, causing it to begin hacking in pain as the poison entered its system. As it landed back onto the sand, it doubled over, trying to clear its airways. Cottonee loomed over it menacingly.

"Leech Seed."

As Monferno was bound in place by the sapping plants, Seehan retaliated.

Start spinning with Flame Wheel. Now is your chance, while it thinks you're finished.

Monferno opened its eyes, its determination clear in its blazing orbs. With a furious screech, it began spinning in place like a top, flames spilling out of its body and enveloping it in a cone of fire. From within the conflagration, Monferno burst free in a ball of golden flame, smashing directly into Cottonee with decisive force. Crying out in pain as it caught fire, it began rolling around desperately in the sand, trying to put itself out. Florinia saved it the trouble by recalling it, and signaled her defeat to the referee.

"Cottonee is unable to battle! Monferno is the winner!"

Monferno kneeled on the surface of the battlefield, struggling for breath. The poison was doing its work; soon, Monferno would be unable to move. It had also failed to completely extricate itself from the Leech Seed during its last attack, and the insidious plants were already beginning to reform along its body. Seehan silently urged it to continue, knowing that it was quickly approaching its limit.

I know you're suffering, Monferno. But we have no choice but to keep going. We're so close now.

Monferno turned its head and managed to grin at its trainer; it had no intention of giving up until the very end. Florinia chose her next Pokemon, her calm gaze meeting Seehan's focused one.

"It appears that we are now 2 on 2. You performance has been more than satisfactory thus far. Although I maintain my conclusion that your defeat is imminent, my margin of error has risen significantly. What occurs in this next skirmish may decide the battle. Breloom, stand by for battle."

One more dance, partner. Let's close the curtains on this show; only 2 left now.

Monferno gazed at the Breloom as it appeared, and as the two Pokemon faced off on the Desert Field, the only sound one could hear was the whistling wind.

Trainer Profile: Seehan

Trainer Rank: SSS

**Note: Seehan's Trainer Rank without Blank Slate and Empathetic Link would be A+.**

Badges: 0

Current team:

**Note: When in an Empathetic Link with Seehan, his Pokemon deal 1.5x more damage from all damaging moves, and gain a 1.5x increase in speed.**
**Note: When being commanded by Seehan in Blank Slate, his Pokemon's moves gain +1 priority, and land critical hits more easily.**
**Note: If both of the above conditions are fulfilled, Seehan's Pokemon temporarily gain 25 levels worth of stats.**

Monferno - Level 29 [54]
Ability: Iron Fist
Item: None
-Feint
-Torment
-Flame Wheel
-Mach Punch

Linoone - Level 27
Ability: Pick Up
Item: None
-Pin Missile
-Cut
-Headbutt
-Covet

Kirlia - Level 25 [50]
Ability: Trace
Item: None
-Magical Leaf
-Confusion
-Teleport
-Draining Kiss

Electrike - Level 25

Ability: Lightning Rod

Item: None

-Ice Fang [egg move]

-Bite

-Quick Attack

-Thunder Fang

Gyarados - Level 25 [50]

Ability: Moxie

Item: None

-Thrash

-Tackle

-Bite

-Dragon Rage

Skiploom - Level 25

Ability: Infiltrator

Item: None

-Bullet Seed

-Fairy Wind

-Leech Seed

-Sleep Powder

Edited July 7, 2015 by Seehan

[Seehan]

The two Fighting type Pokemon exchanged blow after blow, with Breloom using Headbutt and Monferno using Flame Wheel. Normally, Monferno would have had the clear advantage. However, being held down as it was by Poison and Leech Seed, it was having difficulty standing, much less landing finishing blows. Breloom, on the other hand, fought defensively, perfectly content with dancing away from Monferno and only striking when the opportunity presented itself. It was obvious that it was merely stalling for time; its victory was guaranteed as long as it avoided taking hits. Seehan's frustration mounted at a steady pace; he didn't want to swap out Monferno for Electrike just yet. However, Monferno wouldn't last much longer, and at this rate it would fall from its periodic damage in just a few minutes.

Think. Thinkthinkthinkthinkthinkthink.

An idea flitted through his head, and he grabbed onto it with the desperation of a drowning man; he didn't have any other options at this point. He had nothing to lose anyway, even if the plan failed, Monferno would be going down regardless.

Bait it in; swing wide and collapse.

Monferno didn't acknowledge that it had heard, but Seehan knew that his instructions had gone through. However, it didn't move. The damage it had sustained had finally caught up to it; Monferno dropped to one knee, gasping for breath. Breloom didn't waste the opportunity and dived in for the finish. Seehan waited, hoping that Monferno would be able to respond in time.

It's all up to you now, Monferno. The timing is up to you; whether or not you have the strength to pull this off is also all on you.

As Breloom drew in closer and closer, Seehan's fist clenched, his nails drawing blood on his palm as they dug into the soft flesh. Breloom reached Monferno, who still hadn't begun to move. As Breloom's attack closed in, Monferno finally looked up at its opponent.

And grinned at it one last time.

A pillar of flame erupted from the Fire and Fighting type, engulfing both it and its opponent in its crimson blaze. Screaming, Breloom fell backwards, its outer body scorched with burns and blackened flesh. Monferno turned its head towards its trainer, nodded once, then collapsed onto the floor.

"Monferno is unable to battle! Breloom is the winner!"

Seehan recalled Monferno, whispering his thanks to the unconscious Pokemon within its red and white Ball.

"You did great; have a good rest. Thanks for your hard work."

As he pulled out his final Pokeball, Florinia's Breloom stood up, wincing from its wounds but very much still active. Across the battlefield, Florinia pushed up her glasses, her face, as usual, an emotionless mask.

"... Conclusion forthcoming. It is time for this battle to draw to a close."

Seehan smiled at the green haired trainer confidently.

"Yeah, it is. This has been one long ride, but the ones who'll come out on top will be us! Electrike, kiminikimete!"

As the Electric Dog materialized on the sand, Seehan let out a breath. This battle would come down to the wire. Electrike had to defeat 2 opponents without fainting in order to emerge victorious; neither it or its trainer could make a mistake in the next few minutes.

"Incapacitate it; Leech Seed."

"Avoid it and use Quick Attack!"

As the Grass and Fighting type fired several pods at its opponent, Electrike enveloped itself in a white glow, then streaked past the attack in a flash, leaving a glowing trail of light in its path as it moved. Easily avoiding Breloom's attempts to hit it as it closed in, Electrike leapt forward and smashed straight into Breloom's chest, blasting the hapless Pokemon clear across the arena. Electrike landed back onto the battlefield lightly with electricity dancing around its paws, eager to keep battling. As Breloom struggled to stand, Seehan did not fail to notice that the burns Monferno had inflicted on it were slowly sapping its stamina. This time, Florinia was the one short on time to act. She did not hesitate, immediately calling out commands in her crisp, robot-like voice.

"Retrieve stamina immediately; Mega Drain."

"Ice Fang!"

As Breloom reached forward with its tendril-like roots, Electrike dashed towards it with glowing fangs, a misty aura emanating from its mouth.

The two Pokemon collided; Breloom wrapped its roots around Electrike, while Electrike sunk its fangs straight into Breloom's shoulder. Breloom shuddered, and for a moment the two Pokemon stayed locked together in a strange embrace. Seconds passed, and at last Breloom fell first to its knees, then to the sand. Electrike dropped to the floor with it, easily landing on its feet and trotting back towards its trainer. The referee raised her arm.

"Breloom is unable to battle! Electrike is the winner!"

Seehan watched as Florinia recalled her Pokemon, quickly reading what he could from what he saw.

... Last Pokemon is.... Cacnea? Yeah, that would fit her team's theme. Moves are... Nature Power, which is Sand Tomb here... Sand Attack, Pin missile, and... Needle Arm. She probably knows Electrike's set as well, so there'll be no surprising her there. This all comes down to who can read the other better.

Florinia straightened, and pulled Cacnea's Pokeball from her waist. As she looked at her opponent, Seehan realized with a start that Florinia was... Smiling? No, had he just imagined it? It had flickered across the gym leader's face in an instant, but for that split second, a glimmer of emotion had pierced through the girl's emotionless exterior.

She is a Pokemon Trainer, after all. There is no such thing as a Trainer who doesn't enjoy battling.

Returning his focus on the battle, Seehan prepared himself as Florinia sent out her final Pokemon.

"Cacnea, prepare for battle."

"This is it, Electr-eh?"

Focused as he was on his opponent, he had failed to notice his Electrike emitting a blinding light.

"Wha-wha-whaaaaaa? Now?!"

Manectric howled as it broke free from the light of its evolution, electricity crackling along its azure body and collecting in its yellow mane. Seehan's Pokedex vibrated as it gathered its new data, updating Seehan's trainer profile with Manectric's information. The boy shook his head, an enormous smile plastered across his face.

"... Huh. Alright then. Let's do this, Manectric!"

Manectric barked out its reply, then turned to face its opponent standing across the sandy field. Cacnea stood at the ready, its roots planted firmly in the now-dry sand. The furious battles that had taken place atop it had wrung all the cactus juice straight out of the field; combined with the scorching heat, the sand was now loose and grainy once more, allowing Florinia to use her absolute defense. On top of that, there were no more cacti near Cacnea's location, preventing Seehan from using the same counter strategy as he had before.

I won't need it. I can see everything now.

"One last burst! Manectric, use Quick Attack and chain into Ice Fang!"

"Do not let it close in; Pin Missile suppressing fire, followed by Sand Tomb."

Glowing once more, Manectric seemed to disappear; only visible by the streak of light it left behind in its trail as it dashed towards Cacnea at blinding speed. The Pin Missiles flying through the air seemed to be moving in slow motion when compared to Manectric, and the Electric Dog dodged the projectiles easily- only to run straight into Cacnea's Sand Tomb. Manectric's momentum allowed it to sail through the cloud and avoid being trapped, but in the process slowed down significantly. It had made it far enough though; as it emerged from the sand, it landed directly behind Cacnea. The Grass type turned too late; its ingrained roots prevented it from moving properly. Manectric's maw closed in, its fangs glowing once more with icy mist.

"Needle arm."

"GOOOOOO!"

Their Grass and Ice type moves collided; a furious gust of wind was kicked up, preventing Seehan or Florinia from seeing what was happening.

But even so... I believe in Manectric. Even if I can't see what's happening, I know it won't lose.

After what seemed like an eternity, Seehan was finally able to open his eyes. Wiping sand from his face, Seehan peered off across the battlefield. Through the haze of dust and sand particles, Manectric stood triumphantly over its fallen opponent. The referee stood there with an unbelieving stare, then seemed to come to her senses and raised her arm, pointing at Seehan.

"L-Leader Florinia's Cacnea is unable to battle! Challenger Seehan of Pallet Town is the winner!"

Florinia recalled her Pokemon nonchalantly.

"... Very well. Challenger receives Canopy Badge."

She crossed the arena, stepping over the craters in the sand, and reached Seehan's trainer box. Patting Manectric on the head before recalling it to its Ball, Seehan straightened and faced the gym leader, his face a happy grin. The battle had been worth the challenge; he felt refreshed. Gym battles were the best after all for a tired soul. Reaching into her waist pouch, Florinia retrieved an envelope and her gym's badge, and handed them to the dark haired trainer. Tucking away his prize money and Canopy Badge, Seehan walked with Florinia to the door.

"Well done. From here on, where do you intend to go?"

Seehan shook his head.

"I... Haven't decided."

He refrained from saying anything more. Florinia nodded her understanding.

"If you do not have any other intentions... I have one final request for you."

She seemed to be hesitating; something rare coming from the logical minded gym leader.

"Because of my status as Leader and Faculty at this school, I cannot stray far from it. However, there is still a crisis in this city. The Jasper and Beryl Wards have been ransacked by the same spell as Obsidia. However, whereas we caught Obsidia in a budding state, we were not so fortunate with those wards. Being that you are one of the few that know the truth of what transpired in the Obsidia Park, I would ask that you venture to the Jasper Ward. Discover if there is not a similar plot behind the destruction there. Moreover, this will be useful for your own quest as well. One of the Reborn League Gyms lies beyond Jasper."

It was a lot to take in, but if what was happening in Jasper and Beryl was even worse than what had happened in Obsidia, Seehan knew that he would never be able to live with himself if he did not render his assistance.

"Understood. I will return to Obsidia, then make my way across Opal Bridge to Peridot, where I will then head North to Jasper."

Florinia nodded her gratitude.

"You have my thanks. I will make preparations for your passage into Jasper with Ame. I might wish you good luck, however, luck is merely an illusory essentialization of statistics, and is not inherently good or bad in any way."

She gave him an approving look, however.

"Regardless, farewell."

The girl who had acted as their referee ran up to them. Nodding to Florinia, she bowed deeply to Seehan.

"I didn't have the chance to thank you earlier, for saving me from Fern. I want you to have this."

She held out an item to the boy; in her outstretched hands was a Miracle Seed, an item that boosted the power of Grass type moves. Taking it with thanks, he put it into his bag, intending on giving it to his Skiploom later. With his farewells, Seehan exited the room, and walked out of the gym.

In a dark room of the Obsidia Pokemon Center, a blonde haired girl was watching a certain battle on her Pokegear's HoloScreen. Alice smiled as Seehan's Manectric dealt the final blow to Cacnea, defeating Florinia and winning his badge. It had been close to a full day since he had departed from the Obsidia Ward, and Alice had spent much of her time alone thinking about what she was going to do next. Obviously, she couldn't stay in the Pokemon Center forever; if she truly wished to end her journey, she could be on the next flight to Kalos within the hour. However, something held her back from leaving. She couldn't bring herself to quit just yet, but at the same time, her fear had consumed her. What if she lost another partner? What if, once again, her incompetence failed those she cared about? The girl dropped her Pokegear and buried her face into her pillow.

What am I going to do?

Trainer Profile: Seehan

Trainer Rank: SSS

**Note: Seehan's Trainer Rank without Blank Slate and Empathetic Link would be A+.**

Badges: 1

Current team:

**Note: When in an Empathetic Link with Seehan, his Pokemon deal 1.5x more damage from all damaging moves, and gain a 1.5x increase in speed.**
**Note: When being commanded by Seehan in Blank Slate, his Pokemon's moves gain +1 priority, and land critical hits more easily.**
**Note: If both of the above conditions are fulfilled, Seehan's Pokemon temporarily gain 25 levels worth of stats.**

Monferno - Level 29 [54]
Ability: Iron Fist
Item: None
-Feint
-Torment
-Flame Wheel
-Mach Punch

Linoone - Level 27
Ability: Pick Up
Item: Blast Powder
-Pin Missile
-Cut
-Headbutt
-Covet

Kirlia - Level 25 [50]
Ability: Trace
Item: None
-Magical Leaf
-Confusion
-Teleport
-Draining Kiss

Manectric - Level 27

Ability: Lightning Rod

Item: None

-Ice Fang [egg move]

-Bite

-Quick Attack

-Thunder Fang

Gyarados - Level 25 [50]

Ability: Moxie

Item: None

-Thrash

-Tackle

-Bite

-Dragon Rage

Skiploom - Level 25

Ability: Infiltrator

Item: Miracle Seed

-Bullet Seed

-Fairy Wind

-Leech Seed

-Sleep Powder

Trainer Profile: Alice

Trainer Rank: B+

Badges: 1

Current team:

Wartortle - Level 25

Ability: Rain Dish

Item: None

-Bite

-Protect

-Bubble

-Rapid Spin

Mawile - Level 47

Ability: Intimidate

Item: Mawilite

-Sucker Punch

-Iron Head

-Play Rough

-Knock Off

**Note: Alice currently cannot use Mawile in official gym battles, as she does not have the required Gym Badges necessary to register traded/foreign Pokemon as part of her official team. In unofficial battles, she may use Mawile freely.**

Roselia - Level 22

Ability: Poison Point

Item: None

-Grass Whistle

-Magical Leaf

-Poison Sting

-Leech Seed

Numel - Level 22

Ability: Simple

Item: None

-Lava Plume

-Focus Energy

-Magnitude

-Flame Burst

**Note: All of Alice's Pokemon are currently at the Obsidia Daycare.**

Edited June 24, 2015 by Seehan

[Seehan]

Apologies for the delays; been flying around a lot. I'll try to get up another post within the next few days. Thanks ^^