Another Journey

[Seehan]

Seehan

As Seehan exited the Trainer School, he looked around for Fern. He didn't particularly wish to run into the green haired boy, and was relieved when he saw no sign of him. He did however spot movement in the corner of his eye, and turned his head as something small disappeared around a building. Curious, he followed it, jogging off down the street. Something of that size could only be a Pokemon, and Seehan was always eager to add more pages to his Pokedex, even with just a scan. Rounding the corner, he saw a yellow streak vanish into a doorway.

It... Looks like a Pichu? Odd to see a baby Pokemon alone in a place like this.

His curiosity intensified, he decided to enter the building as well, and found himself in an empty, rundown looking lobby of an apartment. The Pichu was no where to be seen, but as Seehan examined the room, it became clear that the only way it could have gone was up the rickety staircase in the corner of the room. The ancient wood creaked as Seehan placed his foot on the first step, making him pause. It appeared that the wood would hold his weight, but the boy remained cautious as he carefully climbed the stairway, testing each stair before committing his full weight to it. Making his way to the roof, he was rewarded for his endeavor with a gorgeous view of Reborn City.

The Onyx Ward rested on a rise in the North East side of Reborn City, placing it on an elevated location compared to the rest of the city and only outmatched by the Beryl Ward in the view it provided. As Seehan gazed out across the city bathed in the evening sun, he was struck by how beautiful it was. From here, the pollution of Azurine Lake could not be seen, and the Grand Hall glistened like a jewel off in the distance. For just a moment, the problems of the city disappeared, and Seehan understood why Ame put so much effort into restoring the city to its former glory. He was shaken from his reverie by a surprised squeak to his side, and Seehan turned to see the Pichu looking at him, frozen in the act of putting an Oran Berry into its mouth. He looked around; the rooftop appeared to be the Pichu's nest, and several rags and old newspapers had been clumped together in the shade of the roof's stair house to form a comfortable little bed for it. For some reason, several berry trees dotted the roof's surface, and Seehan concluded that this had been someone's rooftop garden at some point. The Pichu began bristling with electricity, clearly feeling threatened by Seehan's presence, and with a start, Seehan realized that it was wearing a Light Ball around its neck.

What? Why does a wild Pichu in a place like this have such a rare item?

Light Balls were a curious, and rare, item. First discovered in Kanto by Professor Oak, the translucent yellow spheres were made from the culmination of essence from generations of Pikachu, making them a "family treasure" of sorts for wild Pikachu. Due to their nature of exponentially increasing a Pikachu's strength, Light Balls were typically only found in the wild in the possession of alpha Pikachu, the leaders of their packs. For a Pichu to have a Light Ball, especially one living alone, was extremely unusual.

The only reason I can think of is... That someone gave it the Light Ball? That doesn't make sense though; not only is the Light Ball completely useless to the Pichu prior to its evolution, but procuring the item itself must have taken a lot of resources. Unless the Pichu itself stole it from somewhere?

He slowly drew a Pokeball from his belt, his eyes fixed on the Pokemon in front of him. He didn't particularly want to fight; Pichu were prone to self discharges, and he didn't want to hurt it. However, if the Electric Pokemon attacked him, he would have no choice but to defend himself. A thought came to him, and with a smooth motion Seehan pulled a Pokesnack from his bag. It was the right move; Pichu's eyes locked onto the scrap of food held in the boy's hand. Seehan knelt slowly, his eyes still focused on Pichu, and held out the snack; in an explosive flash of electricity, Pichu seemed to vanish from its nest, only to reappear almost instantly back in its seat with Seehan's Pokesnack. Sparks danced across the rooftop, tracing the path the Pokemon had taken just moments before. Seehan's eyes widened; Pichu had just used Volt Tackle, the signature move of the Pikachu line; a skill only obtainable through careful breeding.

Well, this confirms my suspicions. Someone bred this Pichu, gave it a Light Ball, and released it... But why?

He shook his head. He probably wouldn't be solving this mystery any time soon. Instead, he took aim with his Pokeball, and threw it at the distracted Pichu. The Ball struck the Electric Mouse head on just as it finished its meal; with a squeak of surprise, it vanished into the sphere in a streak of red energy. Seehan tensed as the Ball shook on the grass, and clenched his fist in silent victory as it sealed with a click. His Pokedex vibrated with the Pichu's information, and Seehan quickly glanced through it as he went to retrieve his Pokeball.

... Wow. Volt Tackle, Thunderbolt, Iron Tail, and... Icicle Crash?! I don't understand. Why would anyone abandon a Pokemon like this?!

He shook his head. It didn't matter what he thought; he wouldn't be using the Pichu in his party anyway. He already had a reliable Electric type in Manectric, and had 6 Pokemon regardless. For now, the little Electric type would be sent to the Champion's Plateau when he got to the Obsidia Pokemon Center, to be looked after by Leaf along with his other Pokemon. Tucking Pichu's Ball away into his belt, Seehan turned to head back down the stairs. He wanted to make it back to Obsidia before nightfall, which was fast approaching. Lost in thought, Seehan walked back into the building, leaving the windy rooftop behind him. As such, he failed to notice the pair of eyes that watched him from atop Beryl Bridge.

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

Pichu - Level 10

Ability: Lightning Rod

Item: Light Ball

-Volt Tackle [egg move]

-Thunderbolt [TM]

-Iron Tail [tutored]

-Icicle Crash [???]

**Note: Pokeballs are locked as a safety precaution when a trainer is holding more than 6 Pokemon at once. While Seehan can use his regular 6 party members freely, Pichu cannot be called out.**

Edited July 13, 2015 by Seehan

[Seehan]

"... And after that, Electrike evolved into Manectric and beat her Breloom and Cacnea. It really did an incredible job, it just pierced through Florinia's signature techniques like they were nothing!"

Seehan spoke animatedly, his hands waving rapidly through the air as he told his story. Sitting on the bed in front of him was Alice, her eyes glued on to him and her face bright and interested. On his way in to see her, a doctor had informed him that Alice had made much headway in her recovery. However, although she seemed to have shaken herself from her stupor, something stopped her from recovering fully. The medical staff didn't know what it was, but suspected it to be some sort of mental block. Alice would never fully recover if she was unable to move past the block on her own. As Seehan concluded his recounting of his gym battle, Alice favored him with a wide smile, caught up in his excitement.

"It really is different hearing it from you. I watched from the gym's PokeComm live stream, but hearing your thoughts during the battle really puts a new perspective on what I saw!"

Seehan chuckled, and their conversation moved on to small nothings before sliding into an awkward silence. Alice didn't know what to say; for some reason, she was finding it difficult to find the words to express what she was thinking. Seehan seemed to be thinking about something else, and his gaze was distant. The silence seemed to stretch for an eternity before Seehan finally spoke up.

"... Have you decided what you're going to do next? Of course, you're welcome to travel with me. Going home is definitely an option too. However..." He looked into Alice's eyes, his own gaze tinged with an emotion Alice could not quite identify. Was that... Grief? Guilt? "... If you'll accept my opinion, I think you should leave Reborn, at least until this Meteor business is sorted out. Then you can take your time with the Reborn Challenge, without the threat of all these criminals running around."

Alice noticed a catch in Seehan's voice as he spoke. She scrunched her eyebrows and decided to avoid his topic, instead pressing him on his ulterior motive.

"There's something else, isn't there. I appreciate your concern for me of course, but..." She watched his expression closely, looking for tells. "You have another reason for wanting me out of the conflict, isn't there?"

Bingo.

Alice watched as Seehan's carefully controlled face showed a flicker, almost a wince, before smoothing out into his usual expression. He smiled at her, feigning confusion.

"I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm just worried; what would your mother think? This time we were lucky; the only casualty of the battle against Team Meteor was your Swablu, and although that was tragic, it could have just as easily been the two of us who died that day. I just want to avoid letting another person get hur-"

Seehan realized he had said too much and clamped his mouth shut; however, Alice had heard enough to know what was going on. Her expression cleared; she understood.

"... It's what happened in Sinnoh, isn't it. I read the news reports and watched the documentaries; It's truly incredible the death and destruction the Legendary Pokemon inflicted. I understand that you were the one who stopped them and Team Galactic?"

As soon as she said it, Alice realized something strange. Stopping Cyrus and Team Galactic had been a good thing; although the destruction wrought by the enraged Legendary Pokemon was tragic, it shouldn't have been something Seehan would feel lasting sadness over. After all, he had done his best to mitigate the damage and personally stopped them in their tracks, and ultimately saved thousands of lives. There was something more to this; something not covered in the news reports.

Seehan took a deep breath and let it out, slowly. As he had suspected when they first met, Alice had exceptional instincts. She possessed a potential that was not at all inferior to his; although her current weaknesses were due to the hesitation created from her fear of her own perceived inabilities, once removed she had the potential to surpass even him in terms of sheer battling ability. If she could simply break through her mental blocks and utilize 100% of her abilities, Seehan was sure that Alice could become one of the most powerful trainers in the world. As such, he was not at all surprised that she had picked up on the miniscule amounts of emotion he had failed to hide as he spoke. Her latent abilities were unknown even to her, and she was thus unaware when she used them. As he gave a small smile to the girl in front of him, he made up his mind. She wouldn't be satisfied unless he told her his story, and maybe it would even help to deter her from staying in Reborn. He took another deep breath, filling his lungs with the Pokemon Center's cool airconditioned air, and began to speak.

"You're right; I did stop Team Galactic in Sinnoh. However, there's a side to this story that was kept under the wraps; Cynthia had to work overtime to make sure the press didn't catch wind of the truth."

Seehan leaned forward.

"... I should start from the beginning of my journey in Sinnoh, to give you context. It all started when I met a girl named Dawn."

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

Pichu - Level 10

Ability: Lightning Rod

Item: Light Ball

-Volt Tackle [egg move]

-Thunderbolt [TM]

-Iron Tail [tutored]

-Icicle Crash [???]

**Note: Pokeballs are locked as a safety precaution when a trainer is holding more than 6 Pokemon at once. While Seehan can use his regular 6 party members freely, Pichu cannot be called out.**

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 July 13, 2015 by Seehan

[Seehan]

Seehan [1 Year Ago]

Seehan stepped out of the plane and took his first steps onto Sinnoh soil. Shivering slightly in the cold, he examined the region that he would be journeying through for the next few months. A loud noise behind him alerted him that Barry had disembarked as well, and suppressed an exasperated sigh as the blonde haired boy began stretching and sighing loudly in pleasure.

A week before, Seehan defeated the Kanto Battle Frontier, and in the process met a man named Palmer. From him, Seehan heard of his home, a northern region named Sinnoh. Seehan had been debating on whether to travel to Sinnoh or Unova next, but made his decision after talking with Palmer. One of the strongest Champions, Cynthia, ruled in Sinnoh, and Seehan had been excited to have to chance to battle with her. Upon hearing Seehan's decision, Palmer had suggested that he travel to Sinnoh with his son, Barry, who had just turned 15 and would be beginning his journey as well. Agreeing, Seehan and Barry had left Kanto and traveled to Sinnoh.

Which led to Seehan's current situation.

"Ready to go? We should meet with Professor Rowan right away; we're late as is."

Seehan's temper was short; Barry had proven to be a loud and obnoxious young man, and although he seemed to be friendly enough, the long flight had worn on Seehan's nerves. Luckily, Barry agreed to Seehan's statement, and the two boys moved quickly towards the agreed meeting place. They had almost reached the clearing when Seehan suddenly realized they were being watched.

Oh shi-

His fatigue had made him careless; he had failed to notice a wild Shinx stalking them through the long grass. Just as he turned, the Electric type leaped towards them, causing Barry to scream as it slammed itself into his chest and knocking him over. Seehan's mind drew a temporary blank; he had no Pokemon on him, and even a Shinx was more than a physical match for the two boys, feral as it was. However, just then, a guardian angel appeared from the trees.

"Piplup, use Tackle!"

The Shinx yelped as a blue and white Pokemon barreled into it, and the Electric type retreated into the long grass, disappearing into the overgrowth. Seehan turned to face their rescuer; a girl wearing a pink jacket, skirt, and a white beanie and scarf. Flicking her blue-gray hair as she recalled her Pokemon, she glared at the two boys.

"WHAT. ARE. YOU. DOING?! Are you insane?! Why would you enter the grass without a Pokemon to defend yourself?"

Barry got up and dusted himself off.

"We're here to meet with Professor Rowan and start our journeys! I should sue him for making us meet in such a dangerous place!"

The girl face palmed.

"... You're Seehan and Barry right? You were supposed to meet us at the Verity Lakefront an hour ago. The Professor got tired of waiting and went back to Sandgem Town; the only reason I'm still here is because I wanted to do some additional research on the fauna in the area. In fact, the Shinx you scared off was my research target; now I'll have to go and escort you through the grass to Sandgem Town and let it get away."

Barry looked slightly taken aback, and followed the girl meekly as she began stomping through the grass angrily. As the two walked off, Seehan realized his jaw was hanging slightly open, and quickly rearranged his features and followed the two, his heart beating rapidly in his chest.

After all, he had just been saved by the most beautiful girl he had ever met.

***

By the time they arrived in Sandgem Town, the girl had calmed down sufficiently to introduce herself. Her name was Dawn, and she was Professor Rowan's research assistant. As the daughter of the Professor's head aide, she had been raised in a research environment since a young age, and had decided to help Rowan with his research instead of going on her Pokemon journey when she turned 15 a year before. As they met with the old but dignified Professor, Seehan's mind wandered, and only half listened as Barry complained about the flight delay that had caused them to be late. He only snapped back to reality when it was time to choose their starters; Barry had already picked Turtwig and ran out the door by the time he noticed. Sighing to himself, he randomly picked out a cute looking Chimchar. He was invincible anyway, so it didn't really matter which Pokemon he chose so long as it listened to his instructions. After updating his Pokegear with the Sinnoh Map Card, Seehan said his farewells and left the lab. To his joy, Dawn followed him out.

"Hang on. I didn't want to say anything while that idiot was around, but you're that Seehan aren't you?" She frowned at him. "I just want to let you know that I don't like you at all. The way you behave like a robot, like you're so superior to everyone else. Just because you happen to be a little bit better at battling than most people doesn't give you the right to treat everyone like dirt."

Seehan gave her a look of surprise; he hadn't been aware that he had been giving off that impression. Upon retrospect, however, he could see where Dawn was coming from. It was just so hard not to act superior; after all, he was just so much better than everyone he had ever battled. Not wanting to get on Dawn's bad side, however, he smiled at her.

"I didn't know people thought that way. I'll try to act a bit more... Friendly?"

The girl shook her head.

"No, you don't get it. You need to understand that even if you're better at battling than most, you can still learn from others in things besides battling. Everyone is good at something, and there's bounds to be people better than you in things you've never even imagined before."

Seehan mulled over the thought, then nodded.

"I'll think about it. Can I go now? I want to get through the Sinnoh League quickly and battle with Cynthia asap."

Dawn sighed and waved her hand at him as if shooing him away. He grinned and ran off, their conversation tucked away in the back of his mind. As she watched him go, the girl sighed once more.

"... That's exactly the attitude I was talking about... Idiot."

***

Weeks passed, and Seehan quickly established his team of Pokemon. Although Barry attempted to form a rivalry with him, Seehan always crushed him in their confrontations. This did nothing to deter the energetic boy, and he continued to challenge Seehan to battles every time they met. Seehan also met Dawn several times during his travels, and in comparison to his relationship with Barry, Seehan and Dawn began warming to one another. As Seehan spent more and more time with Dawn, he began to see things from her perspective a bit more clearly. He realized that she had been right; there were many things he could learn from others, even in battling. As he tore through the gyms of Sinnoh, Seehan began to notice things he would have never paid attention to before; the cleanliness of the crisp mountain air on Mount Coronet, the reflection of the sun on the shimmering waves of Lake Valor, the delicious steamed buns of Snowpoint City that completely erased the cold from weary travelers arriving in the Northern city. For the first time since his Charmander's death, Seehan felt... Human. Like he had been given the right to live his life once more, with a purpose besides increasing his skill. It was all thanks to Dawn, and as he continued his journey he found himself thinking of her more and more.

Ah. I guess this is love?

The thought did not at all displease him.

***

Seehan arrived in Veilstone City to find Dawn being affronted by two strange individuals, dressed in odd garments. Upon seeing him, they quickly wrenched something out of the girl's hands and ran. Dawn attempted to follow, but stumbled, wincing and grasping her ankle. As Seehan ran up to her, Dawn quickly pointed after the retreating figures of the men.

"Don't let them get away! They have my Pokedex!"

Seehan immediately gave chase. However, the men seemed to know the city well, and managed to evade him for some time. Eventually, however, he cornered them in a warehouse, only to find that they had already been defeated by a man in a long trenchcoat. The man walked over to him and handed Seehan Dawn's Pokedex.

"I am with the International Police. Code name: Looker. I have been tracking these ruffians for weeks." He gestured to the tied up men lying on the floor, unconscious. "They are with a group called Team Galactic, led by a man named Cyrus. I fear that their plots will be too much for me to handle alone; I have heard of your skill, and wish to ask for your assistance."

Seehan accepted easily, grateful to the man. He had, after all, helped Seehan recover Dawn's Pokedex, and for that he had his gratitude. The man nodded his thanks.

"Understood. Allow me to thank you in advance for your assistance. I will contact you when I need you, so for now you may continue your journey freely." The man paused. "Although I do not know if this concerns you, it may be better that I warn you of this first. Although I am unclear of their ultimate goal, I do know the ingredients they need to fulfill them. They require a Legendary Trio that resides in this region, as well as the life essence of a member of the Berlitz family; in other words, their soul. If you are to find a member of the family, please place them under your protection immediately; they are identified by their blue-gray hair."

Seehan's eyes widened for just a second, then nodded. The two parted, and Seehan made his way back to Dawn. Upon seeing him, with her recovered Pokedex held out triumphantly in his grasp, the girl dragged herself up and threw herself onto him.

"... Thank you. I don't know what I would have done if they had gotten away with this."

"You're very welcome. You should know I'm always happy to help, especially if it's you."

Dawn pulled away from him, and looked at him face to face. She had been crying. Seehan knew her Pokedex's significance; it had been her late mother's, the woman who had passed on the blue-gray hair that hung down from Dawn's head. It was the only thing Dawn had left to remember her by. Seehan felt Dawn's heart racing through their embrace; a heartbeat matched perfectly by his. As the evening sun slowly sunk into the horizon, the boy and the girl's lips slowly met.

And thus, Seehan and Dawn's fates were sealed.

***

"... Is that the last of them?"

"Blast it! Where are they?!"

A month had passed since they first met in Veilstone City. Seehan and Looker had raided the Galactic hideout, looking to rescue the Legendary Trio captured by the Galactic Admins. They had failed to prevent the Trio's capture, and had gone to the hideout to try and rescue them. So far, they had not had any luck. As Looker looked through a computer terminal for information, Seehan felt his Pokegear ringing. Seeing that it was from Barry, he flipped it open. Immediately, he could tell something was wrong. Barry's normally energetic voice was slow and quiet.

"Hello?"

"Seehan... I'm sorry. I couldn't stop them; one minute it was just the two of us chatting, the next... They were everywhere. They took her, Seehan. They said something about... Mount Coronet." The boy's sobs came through the receiver held in Seehan's ice cold hand. "I.. I couldn't do anything. Their leader was so strong. He killed my Luxray."

Seehan gripped his Pokegear tightly.

Cyrus.

"Ok, I got it Barry. Get yourself to somewhere safe, I'm going after them."

"Be careful, Seehan. These guys are the real thing."

Motioning Looker over, Seehan quickly filled him in. The man looked alarmed.

"We must make haste. This explains why we could not find the Trio here; they have already been taken to Spear Pillar along with Dawn Berlitz to perform the ritual!"

"We can still make it! Dawn was only kidnapped just now!"

***

They didn't make it.

The two arrived at Spear Pillar just in time to witness an enormous Pokemon emerge from a wrinkle in space, its wings like something out of a nightmare. Chained to an alter was Dawn, screaming, along with the Legendary Trio Mesprit, Azelf, and Uxie. Circling them was a chain of bloody red, and it glowed with deep crimson as it floated into place around the Giratina's neck like a collar. As Seehan ran towards the alter, Giratina swooped down-

And tore Dawn's soul out of her body.

Her eyes met Seehan's one last time before they became empty; blank orbs gazing at nothing.

Two more chains appeared, just in time to ensnare Dialga and Palkia, who arrived just then from their own wrinkles in space and time. The two Pokemon roared in agony, before being forced to submit to the will of the man standing just behind the alter.

"Go now. Create the world I have envisioned. Destroy everything and wash the planet clean of the filth that is humanity and Pokemon."

As the three Legendary Pokemon flew off to execute his command, Cyrus turned to face Seehan, his Admins already in battle against Looker.

"... And now we begin."

***

The battle was short, incredibly so. Seehan completely annihilated Cyrus's team, not leaving a single one alive. Stepping over the corpses of the man's Pokemon, Seehan and his Infernape approached Cyrus. The man stood there, completely unfazed.

"You have a question for me, I see."

Seehan closed the gap between them and shoved Cyrus's face onto the alter, several feet to the side of Dawn's unmoving body.

"How did you know? After I realized Dawn was a member of the Berlitz family, I made sure to hide all traces of her family tree. She even dyed her hair to avoid your detection. Despite all that, you still found her. HOW DID YOU KNOW?!"

Despite his agonizing position, the man chuckled, his face hidden behind Seehan's arm.

"How did we know? Why, it was all thanks to you." Perhaps sensing Seehan's incredulousness, he continued. "It's true that it was impossible to confirm her family tree through normal means. However, due to your meddling in our affairs, we began to investigate you. And during our investigation, what did we find but a picture of the two of you together, taken on the day you arrived in Veilstone City. Imagine our surprise and elation when we saw the color of her hair; at last, we had the last piece of the puzzle that we needed! Indeed, I owe you much gratitude; if not for you, we would have never found her!"

The man began to laugh hysterically.

Seehan threw him off the edge of the ruins. As Cyrus's broken body bounced down Spear Pillar and Mount Coronet, Seehan turned away and knelt beside Dawn's soulless shell. Infernape had freed her from her bonds, and in her emptiness she looked as fragile as a feather. As tears slid down his face, Seehan trembled. All his skill, all his power; it had all been meaningless. His weakness had caused this to happen. Looker approached him, having dealt with the Admins, but upon seeing Dawn he made a grim expression and gave Seehan space.

Seehan slowly got to his feet. Looking out across the cliff, he could survey the entirety of the Sinnoh Region. Far below, towns burned and hundreds died as the three legendary Pokemon rampaged and destroyed everything around them.

"First you three. Then the rest of Team Galactic. Not one of you will get away."

***

Two weeks later, the Legendary Pokemon had all been returned to their rightful places.

No one from Team Galactic was ever seen again.

And one week later, Seehan conquered the Sinnoh League, defeated Cynthia, and left for the Unova Region after sending his Pokemon to Leaf.

He didn't look back.

Edited July 5, 2015 by Seehan

[Seehan]

Alice

As Seehan concluded his story, the room fell into silence. Though a pleasant expression rested on his face, Alice could tell that recalling the events had taken its toll on the boy, from the way he set his shoulders to the irregularity of his breathing.

It explains a lot though. About everything.

Many experts had discussed why Seehan had taken longer to defeat the Sinnoh League than any other region. The most commonly accepted theory had been that Cynthia had proven to be more of a challenge than Seehan had anticipated, forcing him into training. However, it appeared the truth had been far from that.

He was simply too busy hunting down the remnants of Team Galactic. Once that was done, he rolled through the Sinnoh League as easily as he had all the others.

Seehan stretched and smiled at her.

"And that's my story. You know the rest after that; I traveled through Unova and Kalos then came here." He cocked his head. "Now that I think about it, all this happened a year ago. That means I started my journey in Sinnoh at around the same time you started yours in Kalos, correct?"

Alice nodded, her hair slipping off her shoulder.

"That's right. A couple days before you arrived in Sinnoh, I left home with Mawile. It's still insane to believe you went through 3 regions in the time I went through one..."

Seehan gave a short laugh.

"Hahaha, you were taking your time and enjoying your journey though; nothing wrong with that. I, on the other hand, rushed through the gyms. I don't even remember half the names of the town I've been through; I usually just drop by for supplies or a gym battle then leave."

"But still... Maybe if I had rushed a bit more, I could have avoided participating in the same League as you and Serena! I could have placed much higher if it weren't for you two monsters."

She was surprised when Seehan shook his head.

"You're quite the monster yourself. Though you don't seem to know it, you have this latent power inside of you. I can't quite tell what it is yet, but something about you makes me believe that you have the potential to become even stronger than I am."

Alice looked at him in disbelief.

"You're kidding. You saw it back in the Peridot Gym; I have glaring weaknesses that I just can't seem to fix."

"Those weaknesses are rooted in your lack of belief in yourself. If you can move past that, you should be able to start bringing out your full strength." He paused. "That being said, I still stick by my earlier suggestion. Leaving the region for now would be best for you; no amount of latent potential will do you any good if you get yourself killed. Just take a break and come back when things settle down."

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

Alice knew that Seehan just wanted what was best for her. However, his guilt over what had happened to Dawn was blinding him to the obvious; that what had happened to her hadn't been his fault. Just as if something happened to Alice; no one would blame him. His desire to protect people he was close to had become a fixated obsession.

And if something happens to me, even if it had nothing to do with him, he'll blame himself.

"... I got it. I'll think about what you said, ok?"

"That's good enough for me. Like I said, you're definitely free to do whatever you want." He hesitated. "... The last time we met, you felt like you didn't deserve to be a Pokemon Trainer-"

How the hell did he know that?! Can he read minds now or something?

"-how do you feel about it now?"

Alice took a moment before answering.

"I don't blame myself anymore. I had a lot of time to think things through, after sitting in here in this room for hours. Swablu saved me, and I don't think it would have regretted it. There was nothing I could have done to change what had happened." She glanced at the boy seated in the chair beside her. "For a long time, I wanted to just drop everything and go home. But after doing some thinking, I realized that was selfish of me. The citizens of the Reborn Region believe in Ame and their Leaders to protect them. That's why they live here, and do their best everyday to bring Reborn back to its former glory. For me to spit all over their efforts and just leave is just..." She trailed off.

However, it seemed her answer had satisfied Seehan. Standing, he stretched, and walked over to Alice's desk, where her Pokedex sat. Retrieving his own device from his pocket, he pressed several buttons, entered a string of letters, then placed a Pokeball over Alice's Pokedex.

A sharp ting! echoed across the room as both Pokedexes beeped at the time same, signalling a transfer of ownership rights over a Pokemon. Alice's Pokedex vibrated as Seehan placed the Pokeball he held onto the desk beside it.

"If what you said is true, there's definitely nothing I can do to stop you from continuing your journey here. In that case, the next best way for me to keep you safe is to ensure that you have reliable Pokemon with you to protect you. On my way here from Florinia's gym, I caught this little fellow. I already have 6 partners, so maybe you'll find some use for him."

Alice stared at him.

"I thought you couldn't use traded Pokemon in Reborn unless you had 5 badges."

Seehan nodded.

"Normally you'd be right, but this Pichu isn't being traded; it's being given as a gift. Therefore, it's being registered to your Pokedex as if you were the one who caught it. Not only that, but it was caught within Reborn borders, making it a Pokemon native to the region. You should be able to use it freely in battle."

As Alice voiced her understanding, Seehan glanced at the clock. A troubled expression crossed his face, and he turned back towards her.

"Florinia has asked me to investigate the Jasper Ward. Apparently, what's happening there is several times worse than what happened here in Obsidia; I'm heading over to do what I can to help. What you do next is up to you; you could go collect your Pokemon from the Daycare and follow me, or head up to the Onyx Ward and challenge Florinia. It's your choice." His face turned serious. "If you do decide to follow me though, you have to be prepared for what can happen. It's possible that we could die in our meddling. Our partner Pokemon might fall as well. Spend some time thinking before making any rash decisions." He paused. "... I have to get going. We'll definitely meet again, I promise. Stay safe."

"I'll definitely think about what we talked about. Keep yourself out of too much trouble, too, alright?"

Seehan nodded and left the room, leaving Alice alone in the dark. Standing unsteadily on her weakened legs, Alice walked over to her desk and checked her Pokedex for information on her new party member.

"Wow. This is some Pichu... He really gave me one ridiculous gift."

She hadn't been completely honest to Seehan; although it was true that she had done a lot of thinking while alone in her room, her self forgiveness hadn't been the only thing she had though about. Her conversation with the boy just now confirmed her feelings. Alice sighed.

... Looks like I'm definitely in love. AGHHH how annoying!

That being said, her personal feelings weren't enough. No, she would never be worthy to stand at his side unless she became strong enough to prove herself to him. That meant...

It means that before I can confess, I have to complete the Reborn Challenge, defeat Seehan, and become Champion of the Reborn League.

And I definitely can't accomplish anything if I just sit around in here.

Alice quickly gathered her things. Placing her new Pichu into her waist holster, she opened the door to her room and walked out into the light.

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.**

Pichu - Level 10

Ability: Lightning Rod

Item: Light Ball

-Volt Tackle [egg move]

-Thunderbolt [TM]

-Iron Tail [tutored]

-Icicle Crash [???]

Edited July 13, 2015 by Seehan

[Seehan]

Alice

A bell jingled softly as Alice stepped into the Obsidia Daycare. A fan turned slowly overhead, and a pleasant smell that reminded her of baking cookies filled her nostrils. Walking up to the front desk, she was perplexed to find the seat empty.

Odd. Perhaps they're in the washroom? You'd think there'd be a sign or something out front if they'd gone out.

Just as she was about to consider coming back later, Alice heard a thump in a back area of the building, and seconds later a young man in an apron bustled out, wiping his hands on the coarse cloth.

"He-hello! Welcome to the Obsidia Daycare!"

The way he greeted her seemed strange somehow, but Alice brushed it off. Perhaps he was just winded from lifting things or something similar.

"Hi! My name is Alice, I'm here to pick up my Pokemon?"

"Oh... Um. Of course! May I see your Pokedex?"

She handed it over, and the man clumsily inserted it into the computer sitting atop the desk. Reading the information and nodding, he returned her device.

"Oh... Your Pokemon have been in our care for a week. The cost for their return is therefore 500000."

Alice blinked. She couldn't have heard him right.

"Erm-"

"That's our price! If you can't pay, we can't return your Pokemon!"

Alice bit her lip. The cost far exceeded her weekly budget; it even pushed the limits of her savings in general. Was this really the cost of Daycares in Reborn?

There's no way. Something's off here.

Alice feigned acceptance and sighed.

"All right, all right... I don't have that much on me at the moment though. Before I go and withdraw the funds, may I see my Pokemon? It's been a while and I'd like to check up on them."

The man looked uncomfortable, his eyes darting about.

"Um. I'm afraid-"

"I'm so sorry dear customer, but we have a policy to uphold. Please leave immediately if you cannot pay the fees and come back at another time."

The man had been joined by another person; a young woman, similarly dressed in an apron. Alice narrowed her eyes.

"That's ridiculous. I demand to see my Pokemon! If you don't want me to get the police involved, you'll let me pass."

The man and woman looked at one another, then motioned her past the desk and into another room. As Alice walked past the two and through the door, she felt a chill down her spine-

-and ducked just in time to dodge the bladed arm of a Scyther slice through the area where her head had been. Rolling forward, she bounced to her feet, only to narrowly dodge another strike from the Bug and Flying type Pokemon. It had been hiding inside the room, waiting for her. This had been a trap. The man and woman ran into the room as well, the woman yelling out orders.

"Scyther, don't let that bitch get away! She's too curious for her own good!"

"Sorry about this, but you meddled too much! Go, Zubat!"

This is bad. I don't have my Pokemon- wait.

She did, in fact, have a Pokemon on her. She had no idea if it would obey her, but now was not the time to be picky.

"Pichu, I choose you!"

With a flash of light, Pichu appeared on the floor, and looked around confusedly. Seeing Scyther and Zubat, however, its eyes widened in fear and it began bristling with electricity.

The woman sneered.

"Hah! Is that the best you've got?"

"Pretty much. Pichu, use Thunderbolt!"

With a surprising amount of power, Pichu fired a pulsing surge of electricity at the Scyther, enveloping it in an intense aura of energy. Screeching as it took the super effective hit, the electricity only stopped when the green Pokemon collapsed to the floor, unconscious. The man shook off his surprise, and pointed at Pichu.

"Take that thing out, Zubat! Use Leech Life!"

"Volt Tackle!"

Wrapping itself in electricity, Pichu vanished-

-only to reappear near the ceiling behind the Flying and Poison type. Using the roof as a launchpad, Pichu threw itself into Zubat, blasting them both into the floor with an explosion of sparks dancing across the room. As Zubat laid motionless on the floor, Pichu stood up, wincing as it felt the recoil damage from its attack. Alice turned to the two stunned people standing in front of her.

"I want answers. Who are you?"

The two ran. They didn't get far.

"Pichu, stun them with a Thunderbolt!"

As Alice rifled through the pockets of the unconscious "workers", she discovered two things of interest: a badge with the insignia of a meteor engraved in it, and keys to what appeared to be a warehouse. Recalling her Pichu, she quickly investigated the rest of the building. As she had thought, these two were with Team Meteor. Boxes of Pokeballs filled the rooms, and Alice wondered where hers were; her Pokedex did not respond to any of the boxes when held close to them.

Which means they've transferred my Pokemon to another location. But where?

She found a hint in a folder, hidden in a drawer in the front desk.

"Hmmm... These look like shipment logs. It seems like they took advantage of the confusion created by the rebuilding efforts of the Ward and took over the Daycare. The real owners were... Transported elsewhere? It seems like they were moved along with the first shipment of Pokemon they agreed to care for... Ah, here they are. A warehouse in the Coral Ward, which must be what these keys unlock. They were only transported... Yesterday." Scanning the list, she quickly located her Pokemon among those transported to the warehouse. "Excellent, I can rescue the Daycare couple and retrieve my Pokemon at the same time."

Closing the folder, she tied up the Meteor grunts and called Ame. Filling the Administrator in on what was happening, she managed to procure some policemen to arrest the grunts she had captured, as well as to accompany her to the warehouse. When the men arrived, they thanked her for her service, and while one escorted the grunts to the station the other followed Alice as they headed for the Coral Ward.

Luckily, they encountered no resistance, and managed to find the warehouse without incident. Inside was an exhausted looking elderly couple, as well as dozens of boxes of Pokeballs. Alice quickly ran up and untied the two elders, while the officer she had arrived with scanned the perimeter for danger.

"Thank you so much, young lady... What can we ever do to repay you?"

"You've helped me enough by taking care of my Pokemon while I was... Away. Think of this as me returning the favor."

Alice quickly retrieved her Pokeballs, easily locating them with her Pokedex. Saying her farewells to the Daycare couple and police officer, Alice hurried out of the warehouse, and found a quiet street along the dockside. She let all of her Pokemon out of their Balls and embraced each with tears in her eyes.

"I'm sorry for being away... I promise, we'll never be separated again."

Her Pokemon crowded around her, and for a moment Alice felt that everything was right in the world. However, there was one more thing she had to do before she could consider everything to be okay again. Recalling her Pokemon, Alice walked North once more, heading for Obsidia Park.

When she arrived at the gates, she paused for a moment. In comparison to the nightmarish forest of tendrils that had been the park just a week before, the sunny and grassy patch of land spread before her seemed idyllic, like something out of a fantasy. Entering the park, Alice located the tallest tree she could find. Beneath its shady boughs, Alice dug a shallow hole, and in it she rested a certain Pokeball.

"... I'm sorry, Swablu. Thank you for saving me. I'll never forget you. Goodbye, and rest well."

Tears dripped down Alice's cheeks as she covered the red and white sphere with soil, until nothing remained of the hole except a little mound of dirt. Atop it, Alice erected a small cross made from twigs and leaves she found in her vicinity. She feared that anything more would attract looters, and she couldn't bear the thought of some stranger violating her Swablu's resting place. She knelt by the grave for several hours, watching the world go by around her. At last, as the sun began to set, Alice wiped away her tears and got to her feet. Glancing at Swablu's grave one last time, she turned on her heel and began walking Westwards towards Opal Bridge. She had a lot of ground to cover between here and the Jasper Ward.

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

Pichu - Level 15

Ability: Lightning Rod

Item: Light Ball

-Volt Tackle [egg move]

-Thunderbolt [TM]

-Iron Tail [tutored]

-Icicle Crash [???]

Edited July 13, 2015 by Seehan

[Seehan]

Meteor Admin Taka

Alice

"Finish it off with Iron Tail!"

With a squeak, Pichu leaped into the air and scored a direct hit on the wild Pidgeotto, sending it hurtling towards the ground. It squawked and hit the dirt hard, rolling once before coming to a halt. It stayed down. As Pichu landed lightly on a protruding root, Alice wiped the sweat off her brow and checked the map on her Pokegear, frowning as static clouded the screen. Seehan had not exaggerated when he had told her the situation; the Jasper Ward was indeed several times worse than the disaster that had occurred in the Obsidia Ward.

Upon arriving in Jasper several hours before, Alice had immediately been set upon by hordes of wild Pokemon. The destruction wrought by the plants had in turn provided nature a chance to reclaim the land, leading to an exodus of wild Pokemon seeking to claim their stake of fresh territory. The result was was as she saw now; a Ward that was more jungle than city.

First thing's first. I should check out the Police Station to see if they have any information I can use.

Reborn City's Police Department lay on the border between the Peridot and Jasper Wards. As such, it had largely avoided plant inflicted damage to its exterior. It was clear from their lack of manpower, however, that the police were at the end of their rope.

"The situation is indeed quite severe," the Police Chief explained to Alice. "Every time we send out men to control the damage, fewer and fewer return each time. We have no idea how many of them are truly missing; it's possible that they've been killed, or wounded, or simply can't find a clear path back to here. Our communications have been jammed, and we just don't have the resources to send out search parties find our missing officers. The strain is beginning to hamper our ability to function effectively, and at this rate, we may be forced to order a full retreat from the Jasper and Beryl Wards."

Agreeing to keep an eye out for the missing officers, Alice had gone on her way. Traversing the Jasper Ward was much the same as navigating the plant-controlled Obsidia Ward, and Alice was once again forced to climb through buildings and make large detours to avoid the tendrils, fending off wild Pokemon like the Pidgeotto all the while. At last reaching the heart of the Jasper Ward, Alice was relieved to see the main street mostly clear of vines; several hard working officers and civilians wielding axes and machetes chopped away at the encroaching tendrils before they could reach the Pokemon Center. Their faces lit up as they spotted her; it was clear that the sight of any survivors were a welcome sight for the exhausted men and women. Alice was quickly ushered into the air conditioned Pokemon Center, where she gratefully accepted a cold drink in exchange for news on the outside world. A man winced as Alice described a building particularly devastated by the vines; clearly it was the home of someone he knew. As she finished her drink, a woman rushed into the Center, gasping for breath and pointing outside.

"H-help! Officer Johnson is pinned down by some thugs in black outfits! They just appeared out of nowhere and attacked us!"

Alice stood immediately; another man did the same. Together, they hurried out of the building and followed the woman into an alley; sounds of battle could be heard at the back. As the trio approached, a small group of men turned to face them; they bore the emblem of a meteor on their breast.

Team Meteor! What are they doing here?

"Dammit, reinforcements! Team Meteor, retreat!"

"Oh no you don't! Go, Noibat! Stop them with a Gust"

While travelling through the Obsidia Ward to the Peridot Ward, Alice had decided to take a shortcut through the Underground Railnet; although full of wild Pokemon, it cut her travel time down by nearly half of its original amount. While traversing the tunnel, a Noibat had jumped her, and by instinct she had thrown a Pokeball. To her surprise, she managed to capture it on the first try. In the narrow confines of the alleyway, the Pokemon now proved its worth as the Flying type attack threw the Meteor grunts into a wall, knocking them out instantly. As the officer thanked the trio for their assistance, Alice knelt by the grunts and quickly searched them. It was clear that Team Meteor was behind the rampaging plants, but Alice was unable to find any evidence of their involvement on the grunts' unconscious bodies. Clearly, these grunts were merely expendable muscle, and were of too low of a rank to know anything important. Getting to her feet with a sigh, Alice said her goodbyes to the group, then continued on Northward towards the Beryl Ward, where the destruction had originated. If Seehan had come to the same conclusion as she had, then he would have definitely gone after the source of the destruction to put an end to it. Though the strange interference in the air prevented her from contacting him via Pokegear, Alice's instincts told her that she was correct in her assumptions. Thus, she cut straight through the Jasper Ward, and entered the gatehouse leading to the Beryl Ward. Inside, however, was a dead end; plants had completely obliterated the passage, preventing any access into the Ward from the main road.

Of course. It would be way too easy if I could just waltz in. Clearly the plants are telling me to work on my cardio and get back to finding a way around.

Alice could feel her legs cramping already, and left the gatehouse exasperated.

Several hours later, Alice finally found a viable path. According to her Pokegear, the Malchous Forest, located West of the Jasper Ward, was connected to the Rodochrine Jungle. The Jungle was in turn connected to the West side of the Beryl Ward. Although it was be quite the roundabout route she would be taking, Alice was fairly certain that Team Meteor would have left the Forest relatively clear of vines.

It's enough of a mess in there as is. Not only that, but I feel like disturbing the wild Pokemon is bad idea if you're trying to work with delicate machinery undisturbed.

Traveling through the Forest proved to be just as exhausting as it had been traversing the plants in the Jasper Ward. It was clear that the Forest was rarely traveled; there were few paths to walk on, and the trees and bushes were overgrown and caught on her skirt, bag, and hair as she navigated the woods.

This really sucks.

Alice wasn't the only one who thought so; as she wandered, she stumbled upon several groups of Police Officers. Unable to use their maps due to the interference in the air, many had been lost in the Forest for hours; some even days. Having left a trail of broken branches the way she had come, Alice was able to point the beleaguered officers out of the Forest, much to their appreciation. As she ventured deeper into the woods, the foliage became denser and denser. Tendrils began replacing trees as she ventured further into the overgrowth, and Alice's breath began to come out in short gasps as her heart pounded against her chest. The thick stalks had triggered her memories of the plant-overrun Obsidia Park.

There's nothing to be scared of. It won't be like last time. There's absolutely nothing to fear.

Repeating the thought like a mantra, Alice finally reached the halfway point; the center of Malchous Forest. As she entered the clearing, her heart sank when she saw a machine, like the one she and Seehan had fought, hooked up in the center of the meadow. A Tangrowth was once again slotted into its core, and appeared to be resting. Sitting on an exposed root was a young man with sandy hair, a purple scarf emblazoned with the symbol of a meteor around his neck. From the way he sat, Alice could tell he had been waiting for her. The boy got to his feet.

"Hey there. Nice day we're having, huh?"

Alice went for her Pokeballs.

"Whoawhoawhoa! Hold the phone! Can't we talk this out? I mean, we don't really have to fight, right? You're clearly just passing through; after what happened last time in Obsidia, there's no way you would willingly come within a hundred meters of a PULSE. How about we just pretend we didn't see each other? I'll look the other way, and you can move forward. Everyone wins!"

Alice cocked her head quizzically. Her hand did not leave her waist holster, but the boy had piqued her curiosity. While clearly a member of Team Meteor, he seemed... Different from the ones she had encountered so far.

"Who are you? What is Team Meteor planning? And what's a PULSE?"

The boy gave her a pained look.

"Come on, you can't really think that I'd spill all the beans right? Even if I look like this, I'm still an Admin of Team Meteor, and we take loyalty and all that seriously. Aghhhh, it looks like you have no intention of leaving if I don't cough something up for you though, huh. Okay, I get it. Fine." The boy took a breath. "My name's Taka. Like I said earlier, I'm an Admin of Team Meteor. I can't exactly tell you what we're planning... But I can tell you what this baby is." Taka slapped a hand onto the machine. Inside, the Tangrowth shifted, but otherwise remained lethargic. "This machine is called a PULSE. The name is obviously an acronym; it stands for 'Pokemon Ultimation Link-System Exaggerata'. Basically, it forcefully amplifies the abilities of whatever Pokemon is inside, though it also drastically reduces their lifespan. The Tangrowth your friend killed last time was only a month old; if he had left it alone, it would have died in a few weeks regardless."

Alice's eyes narrowed as she glared at the boy standing across the clearing from her. Her fear of the machine had now turned to sympathy and pity.

"How can you call yourself a human being while performing these kinds of acts to people and Pokemon? Do you know how many people you've killed and displaced using your PULSEs? How can you willingly be part of a team that puts Pokemon into machines that suck them dry of their power and life energy? You're all monsters!"

Taka looked away.

"Sometimes in life, you have to do things you don't necessarily agree with. That being said though, I have no intention of changing sides, even if the side I'm on is a little sick." He looked back at Alice, his gaze a little sad. "Your eyes are telling me that you have no intention of walking away from this, even though I've told you everything I could. I guess there's no avoiding this, huh. Don't take this personally."

His hand whipped forward in a blur, sending out his Pokemon in the blink of an eye. However, Alice had been expecting this, and already had her Ball in the air before Taka had even released his from his grasp.

"Mawile, let's go!"

"I choose you, Lileep!"

With two bursts of light, their Pokemon appeared on the grassy forest floor. However, Alice wasn't done. This time, she would hold nothing back. She had had enough of sacrifices.

I take my stand here. This is the beginning of everything.

"Let's do this together, Mawile!"

Reaching into her blouse, she took hold of the smooth stone hanging from its long cord around her neck. Raising it into the air, Alice felt energy course through her veins. She shouted two words, and her Mawile seemed to cry out with her as the bond between trainer and Pokemon formed a surging well of power within them.

"Mega Shinka![Evolve!]"

Trainer Profile: Alice

Trainer Rank: B+

Badges: 1

Current team:

Wartortle - Level 28

Ability: Rain Dish

Item: None

-Bite

-Protect

-Water Pulse

-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 23

Ability: Poison Point

Item: None

-Grass Whistle

-Magical Leaf

-Poison Sting

-Leech Seed

Numel - Level 24

Ability: Simple

Item: None

-Lava Plume

-Focus Energy

-Magnitude

-Flame Burst

Pichu - Level 20

Ability: Lightning Rod

Item: Light Ball

-Volt Tackle [egg move]

-Thunderbolt [TM]

-Iron Tail [tutored]

-Icicle Crash [???]

Noibat - Level 23

Ability: Infiltrator

Item: None

-Agility

-Air Cutter

-Bite

-Gust

Edited July 13, 2015 by Seehan

[Heartless]

This is a very well written story. I hope you keep writing it because its just that good.

[Seehan]

Alice

Light flooded the clearing, driving back the shadows. A sphere of energy covered Mawile as it evolved into its Mega Form, and when its transformation was complete the sphere exploded outwards, revealing the steaming, powerful form of Alice's Mega Mawile. With an ear piercing cry, its two mandibles swung forwards, and an aura of power surrounded the Steel and Fairy type Pokemon as it turned its back to its opponent in its typical fighting stance. Alice's keystone stopped shining, and the girl tucked the vibrating stone safely away back into her blouse.

Across the clearing, Taka rubbed his eyes furiously, trying to recover from the blinding corona of light. Although he had been aware that Alice could use Mega Evolution, he hadn't expected her to use it so early into the fight. It had caught him off guard, and he was now paying the price.

"L-Lileep! Use Ingrain!"

"You think that'll make a difference? Mawile, Iron Head!"

As Lileep dug its roots into the forest floor, Mawile leapt forward with the force of a cannon shot. The ground it used as a launchpad was left as a crater, and Mawile closed the distance instantly, swinging its hardened mandibles forward like a baseball bat. Connecting with its target head on, the Lileep was torn from the ground, roots and all, and thrown across the clearing straight into an ancient oak tree. The gnarled tree, clearly hundreds of years old, shattered and broke apart like a cheap clay figurine as Lileep crashed straight through it from the force of Mawile's attack.

"No! Lileep!"

The Grass and Rock type didn't respond; it had been knocked unconscious instantly from the super effective move. Recalling it, Taka looked at Alice with a pained expression.

"That was rude."

Alice gave him a blank look.

"Did you really think I'd show you mercy? Team Meteor killed my Pokemon. As soon as you announced yourself as one of them, you became my enemy."

There was nothing more to say. Without another word, Taka sighed and chose his next Pokemon.

"Go, Chatot!"

"Let's continue, Mawile!"

Upon being sent out, the Bird Pokemon flew up high into the trees, making cackling noises. Mawile watched, frustrated, as Chatot hovered just out of range, mocking the land-locked Pokemon. As Mawile only knew Physical moves, the two stood at an impasse,

This isn't going anywhere. I need to conserve Mawile anyway to take out the PULSE.

"Mawile, return. Go, Pichu!"

In the brief moment it took for Pichu to switch places with Mawile on the battlefield, Taka made his move.

"Now's our chance! Use Nasty Plot!"

Resting on a branch, the Chatot began humming a sinister tune as it sharply raised its Special Attack.

I've been had!

If Alice allowed Chatot to boost its stats uncontested, it would quickly become a force to be reckoned with.

"Pichu! Knock it out of the sky with Thunderbolt!"

"Dodge and use another Nasty Plot!"

Weaving deftly through the air, Chatot narrowly avoided Pichu's attack, all while raising its own offenses. Alice ground her teeth and continued her assault, to no avail. Chatot was simply too nimble. Alice made her decision; she would have to bring things into close combat if she wished to take the Chatot down.

"Volt Tackle! Use the trees as your stepping stones!"

Springing into the air, Pichu wrapped itself in electricity and disappeared, reappearing slightly behind Chatot in a trail of sparks. Whirling around, the Bird Pokemon gave a squawk of surprise.

"Goooo! Strike it down!"

"Use Chatter!"

Pichu was mere inches away from dealing a massive blow, when it collided face first with a solid wall of sound. The boosts to Chatot's Special Attack had done their work; its attack blasted straight through Pichu's coat of electricity and sent the tiny yellow Pokemon flying away. Squealing, it bounced off the trunk of a tree, fell several feet, and hit the ground hard.

"Pichu!"

Alice ran over to the fallen Pokemon and quickly bent over it, checking for its pulse. She was overjoyed to find its heart still beating, though weakly. It had been knocked out instantly from the impact, but it seemed as though it would survive.

"I'm sorry... Take a long rest."

It had been her mistake; though her decision had inherently been the correct one, she had allowed the Chatot to become too powerful. She was now at an impasse; what could she do? Mawile, though powerful, would be unable to reach the Flying and Normal type. Her only option was...

Right. I have him.

Raising a Pokeball into the air, Alice sent out her next Pokemon.

"Wartortle, I choose you!"

The Water type appeared spinning in a ring of water, its eagerness to battle apparent in its movements. Alice had a plan in mind, though it only had a certain chance of succeeding; just like in her battle with Julia, however, she didn't have a lot of choice.

"Don't let up, Chatot! Use Chatter!"

"As if I'd let you! Wartortle, Protect!"

Chatot's attack slammed into a shimmering green sphere, conjured into existence by the Pokemon standing in its center. Wartortle grinned at Chatot as its attack dispersed around the Water type ineffectively.

"Retaliate and strike it head on! Mizu no Hadou![Water Pulse!]"

"Avoid it!"

Forming a globe of aquatic energy, Wartortle threw it at the Pokemon flying above it; Chatot simply dipped around it in response. However, Alice had expected this to happen.

No, it was more accurate to say that she had been counting on it.

"Burst!"

Taka realized too late what was happening.

"Oh shi-"

The sphere of water popped, creating a deafening explosion behind Chatot. The unexpected burst of sound stunned it and stopped it from moving for just a second; it was enough.

"Take it out with Rapid Spin!"

Wartortle leapt off the ground and slid into its shell seamlessly, spinning like a shuriken as it hurtled towards the confused Chatot.

"Chatot no! Dodge it!!"

Wartortle struck its target head on, knocking it out instantly and sending the Pokemon careening towards the forest floor. To Alice's surprise, Taka dove forward, catching the Flying type before it could hit the ground.

"Ugh!"

He struck an exposed root as he rolled forward, cutting open a gash in his leg. His Chatot, however, was safely in his grasp. Alice shook her head.

"Look at you. Clearly, you love your Pokemon. How can you continue to live like this?"

Taka whirled towards her, his face livid.

"You think I have a choice?! Arghhh, never mind. You'll never understand."

Walking over to the PULSE, he held his hand over a button and looked straight at Alice.

"Sorry, but I can't let you destroy this. I've done my best to stop you; it'll have to defend itself now."

He pressed the button. The Tangrowth within jolted awake; turning towards Alice, its roar shook the earth as the tendrils around it began to move.

There's nothing to be scared of. It won't be like last time. There's absolutely nothing to fear.

It's different this time.

"Wartortle, return! Mawile, kiminikimete!"

Trainer Profile: Alice

Trainer Rank: B+

Badges: 1

Current team:

Wartortle - Level 29

Ability: Rain Dish

Item: None

-Bite

-Protect

-Water Pulse

-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 23

Ability: Poison Point

Item: None

-Grass Whistle

-Magical Leaf

-Poison Sting

-Leech Seed

Numel - Level 24

Ability: Simple

Item: None

-Lava Plume

-Focus Energy

-Magnitude

-Flame Burst

Pichu - Level 20

Ability: Lightning Rod

Item: Light Ball

-Volt Tackle [egg move]

-Thunderbolt [TM]

-Iron Tail [tutored]

-Icicle Crash [???]

Noibat - Level 23

Ability: Infiltrator

Item: None

-Agility

-Air Cutter

-Bite

-Gust

Edited July 13, 2015 by Seehan

[Seehan]

Retcon time! Alice's Pichu actually knows Icicle Crash instead of Surf! I've gone back and edited it in, sorry for the confusion ehehehe

[Seehan]

Alice

The grass swayed as Alice's Mega Mawile reappeared on the battlefield, its aura of power causing the leaves above to tremble from its force. The PULSE Tangrowth groaned, its voice like an old factory settling on its foundations. Alice cut her hand through the air, shouting out commands.
"Quickly, Mawile! Take it out before it can assume control of the plants around us! Use Iron Head!"
Shouting a battlecry, Mawile leapt forward, its sheer power once again obliterating the ground it launched off of. In the blink of an eye it had closed the distance, and it landed a devastating blow-
-that missed completely as a flurry of tendrils burst from beneath the ground, pushing Mawile's attack to the side just enough to prevent it from striking its target. The Tangrowth shifted its body and looked upwards, and for just a moment the two Pokemon locked eyes. Mawile quickly jumped away, observing its opponent cautiously from a safe distance as it circled the immobilized Grass type. Alice quickly took stock of the situation.
This looks bad. Mawile will have trouble closing in because of those plants... This is just like last time. Seehan and I weren't able to pierce its defenses.
Alice furrowed her brow. Something about how they had defeated the previous PULSE...
Ah, that's right. Seehan turned the battle into a 3v1. His Pokemon were amazing; they worked together perfectly to exploit holes in Tangrowth's defense and beat it down. In the split second one would break through, another would be there to deal a followup blow.
Despite her admiration, however, it was a strategy Alice would be unable to emulate; Seehan had only been able to pull it off due to the existence of his unique skills. Such a strategy required perfect timing and execution; something impossible with the delay in verbal commands.

Her inability to use Seehan's method did not discourage her, however, as the memory of how he had defeated the Obsidia PULSE stuck in Alice's mind as she made her next move. After all, even if she was unable to copy his exact technique, his battle had taught her something valuable; the PULSE Tangrowth's weaknesses.
"Numel, Noibat, prepare for battle!"
The Tangrowth can't generate plants instantaneously; it has a slight cooldown in between each wave of tendrils. Not only that, but it looks like the plants in the immediate proximity of the Tangrowth are thinner than those destroying the Ward. Its control is also limited to its attention span. If I can hit the PULSE's defenses hard enough, it might draw the Tangrowth's attention away enough to the point that Mawile can move in and take it out.
"Noibat, fly around and shower the Tangrowth with an Air Cutter! Numel, cover its attack run with Flame Burst!"
Her Pokemon rushed to comply; Noibat took off and began to soar among the shadowy branches of the treetops. With the little bat flying between the trees, the Tangrowth's attention became occupied with simply keeping track of where it was. Meanwhile, Numel took up its position next to Alice, its volcano-like body glowing like a furnace. As Noibat swooped in to strike, Numel blasted away tendrils aiming for the little Flying type using globules of pulsing flame. Reaching the Tangrowth's main body, Noibat began slicing its wings to an irregular beat, creating blades of air that cut through the tendrils reaching to apprehend it. As the Tangrowth roared and tried to swat down the little Flying and Dragon type, Mawile crept around it, waiting for an opening to present itself.
Come on, come on... Let down your guard!

Minutes stretched by, but the Tangrowth continued to maintain a strong defense, despite the distractions provided by Numel and Noibat. The two were beginning to tire, while the Tangrowth was once again maintaining its strength using the energy from the plants around it. Alice could almost feel the frustration in Mawile's eyes as it backed away from yet another failed attempt. Although it had tried to attack several times already, each try had only resulted in it being flung away by a series of tendrils. Being a Steel type, the plants could barely harm it; however, Mawile was also unable to deal any meaningful damage before being pushed away. Alice dodged another swinging vine, trying to maintain her composure while avoiding the plants that sought to impale her.

This is going nowhere. At this rate, it'll just turn out like last time; we'll get tired long before it will, and it'll just take us out one by one. This needs to end now.

But how could she do so? Its defenses were seemingly impenetrable; even though it was a 3v1 battle, her Pokemon were simply unable to pierce through. As Alice was pondering the answer, she slipped and fell onto the grassy clearing. She recovered immediately, rolling out of the way of an encroaching vine. As she did so, however, she happened to notice something odd. Near the base of the PULSE, it appeared as though a part of the Tangrowth was... Glittering? The patch vanished as the Grass type shifted, then the shimmer peeked through again.

For some reason...

I'm getting this weird hunch...

For a reason she could not comprehend, she was filled with an overwhelming urge to... Use a Water attack on the glimmer?
That doesn't make any sense. It's a Grass type! I must be getting tired.
However, the urge didn't go away; in fact, it seemed to grow stronger with each second. She had nothing to lose; it would only take a second.
"Go, Wartortle! Use Water Pulse right there!"
As the Turtle Pokemon appeared, it tossed a sphere of water at the spot Alice was pointing at. Expecting the attack to splash harmlessly against the hardened plant exterior of the Tangrowth, she was therefore completely flabbergasted when the attack made it wrench around in obvious pain.
Huh?!?!
She didn't waste time gawking. She quickly shouted out to Mawile, who leapt forward once more.
"Iron Head!"
The Steel type move sliced straight through the PULSE, cutting it cleanly in two. Distracted by its pain, it was unable to put up any sort of defense, and it groaned in resignation as the light faded from its eyes. Alice watched the Pokemon die, her eyes sad. If it hadn't been for Team Meteor, it wouldn't have been her enemy, and she wouldn't have had to kill it.
They'll pay. I promise, I'll make them pay for this.

Recalling her Pokemon, Alice turned to Taka, who had been watching the battle with a gaze not unlike hers. He, too, was clearly mourning the life that had been lost in the Tangrowth.
"... Guess that's that. Well done Alice, you've saved the Jasper Ward. Congratulations."
Kicking at a pile of dirt at his feet, he sighed and pulled out a Pokegear. Clearly, since the Tangrowth had been defeated, the signal was open once more. He began speaking into the device with a defeated voice.
"This is Songbird reporting in. Jasper's PULSE has been neutralized. I am ordering a full retreat from the Ward; regroup at the Beryl PULSE basecamp."
Returning the device to his pocket, he began to walk away. Alice took a step forward.
"Hey! Do you really think I'm going to just let you walk away?!"
Taka stopped and turned his head towards her, his expression unreadable. He didn't seem particularly upset that the PULSE had been destroyed; however, he didn't look happy either.
"... Right. Let's just leave it at this, ok? To be honest, I've got 4 more Pokemon on me that I can battle with; however, I'm not really in the mood to play with you right now. Let's just call it a tie and move on."
He fiddled with one of his pouches and unhooked it from his waist. Tossing it at Alice's feet, he pointed at the little bag.
"There's some medicine in there that you can use to heal your Pokemon. I'll just say I lost it in the struggle. In exchange, please don't follow me. Honestly, I like you. You've got a nice look in your eyes. It would be a massive shame if we had to kill you just because you stuck your nose in our business. You've gotten your revenge for last time, now walk away and don't look back."
And with that, Taka turned once more and disappeared into the forest. Nudging the pouch with her foot suspiciously, Alice eventually opened it to find Taka had been true to his word; within it were several bottles of Hyper Potion and Full Heal, a few Revive crystals, and a half dozen Leppa Berries. Quickly healing her party, she pondered on the purple scarfed boy's intentions.
Clearly he has a different attitude about Team Meteor than ZEL does, even though they're both Admins. Could there be internal discord within the group?
Alice shook her head; it was a mystery she had no answers for. Brushing leaves from her long blonde hair, she placed the leftover medicine into her bag, recalled her Pokemon, and headed North, where Taka had vanished. After all, she had no intention of running away.

Trainer Profile: Alice

Trainer Rank: B+

Badges: 1

Current team:

Wartortle - Level 30

Ability: Rain Dish

Item: None

-Bite

-Protect

-Water Pulse

-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 23

Ability: Poison Point

Item: None

-Grass Whistle

-Magical Leaf

-Poison Sting

-Leech Seed

Numel - Level 25

Ability: Simple

Item: None

-Lava Plume

-Focus Energy

-Magnitude

-Flame Burst

Pichu - Level 20

Ability: Lightning Rod

Item: Light Ball

-Volt Tackle [egg move]

-Thunderbolt [TM]

-Iron Tail [tutored]

-Icicle Crash [???]

Noibat - Level 24

Ability: Infiltrator

Item: None

-Agility

-Air Cutter

-Bite

-Gust

Edited July 16, 2015 by Seehan

[Seehan]

Pokemon Trainer Heather

Alice

"Finish it off with Poison Sting!"

Roselia rolled behind the Scatterbug and pelted it with a flurry of razor sharp pins. The little Bug type writhed slightly, then dropped to the floor unconscious. Alice sighed and recalled her Pokemon before continuing along the forested path. Although she had encountered several wild Pokemon since her battle with Taka and the PULSE, she had been unable to reproduce the glimmering effect which had lead to her victory.

Was it a fluke then? If an ability like that was controllable though, just think of the possibilities... It was almost like the effect of an Inverse Battle.

Her Wartortle's Water type move had dealt super effective damage to a Grass type; not only that, it had dealt more damage than the true super effective moves used by her Numel and Noibat.

​It looked like it dealt quadruple damage... But that's impossible! Even in an Inverse Battle, its effects would only reverse type effectiveness, so wouldn't the Water move have only dealt double damage?

It was these thoughts that occupied Alice's mind when she bumped into a pink haired girl facing the other way. With a cry of "Hey! Watch it!", the girl whirled around and glared at Alice.

"Who the hell are you, huh?! Man, is today an All You Can Eat Loser Day?! First my dad, and now this dumbass. Ugh!"

Alice frowned down at the girl in front of her. She couldn't be more than 12 years old.

"I'm sorry for bumping into you, but you shouldn't be out here. It's pretty dangerous around here; a little girl like you shouldn't be wandering arou-"

"I'LL SHOW YOU WHO'S LITTLE! GO, SALAMENCE!"

Alice backed away hurriedly as the massive Flying and Dragon type Pokemon appeared from its Ball, its breath steaming in the cool evening air.

What the fu-?!

"Whoa! Calm down! I'm sorry, alright? I didn't mean to offend you."

The girl huffed and turned away. Similarly, her Salamence began to chew on a nearby log, having seemingly decided Alice to be unworthy of its attention.

Calm down, Alice. Just take things one at a time.

"My name's Alice. I'm just trying to get to the Beryl Ward. What's your name?"

The girl kicked a nearby tree.

"... Heather."

"Nice to meet you, Heather. I really am sorry about just now; you're clearly capable of taking care of yourself. Why are you out here, though?"

Heather turned towards Alice, her face angry.

"What's it to you, huh?! Can't a girl go out to kick some bad guy ass without being bothered by everyone? In case you haven't noticed, there's GIANT PLANTS DESTROYING THE CITY. But when I asked my dad if I could go out to stop them, what does he say? 'No Heather, your assistance is not necessary. Just remain quiet and stay in your room and everything will be taken care of.' YEAH FUCK THAT. What kind of father doesn't let his daughter go out to beat up bad guys?!"

Alice suppressed her retort and merely nodded. She didn't want to get on Heather's bad side.

"I've already taken care of the bad guys in Jasper though. They said they were going to regroup in Beryl-"

"YEAH I KNOW. THAT'S WHERE I WAS ABOUT TO GO BEFORE YOU ALMOST KNOCKED ME OVER."

She spat near Alice's feet, and mounted her Salamence.

"I don't want to see you again, capiche? Just stay out of my way."

And with that, the pink haired girl flew away. Alice watched her go, utterly confused.

... Alright then.

Hefting her bag, Alice pushed the strange encounter from her mind and continued her way Northwards towards the Rodochrine Jungle.

Several hours later, Alice finally had enough. Sitting down on an exposed root, she placed her bag on the ground and rolled her shoulders, wincing as her joints creaked in complaint. She had been walking for most of the day, and her fatigue was catching up to her.

Now is as good a time as any to find a place to spend the night; I don't want to be caught out in the open by a nocturnal Pokemon while I'm asleep.

However, upon casting a glance around, no camping spot made itself apparent. Being a Pokemon Trainer, she had no qualms with spending the night in the open; however, being in enemy territory as she was, simply sleeping under a tree would be foolhardy.

It's a shame I couldn't reach Seehan via Pokegear. While that probably means he's here in Beryl somewhere within the jamming field, it also means I won't be able to find him easily.

Alice sighed and reluctantly got to her feet. Complaining would get her nowhere; perhaps she would find an abandoned cabin or hut in the jungle if she just continued a bit further. As she stood, however, a flicker of light caught her attention. Sharpening her gaze, she cast about in the darkness, and found the source of the flash; a Pokeball sat several meters away beneath a tree, across a small clearing. The light had come from the setting sun reflecting off the Ball's smooth surface. For a Ball to be out here, in the middle of nowhere...

Perhaps it's Seehan's? Or a member of Team Meteor's?

Checking for an ambush and finding no sign of one, Alice approached the Ball. She had reached it and was bending over to pick it up when-

-the ground opened up beneath her.

!! A pitfall?!

Tired as she was, Alice was unable to grab hold of the edge of the hole in time, and fell down several meters into a murky darkness.

"Ugh!"

Alice hit the dirt hard. Contents of her bag spilled everywhere, and her Pokegear fell from her pocket into a small puddle of water that had collected at the bottom of the pit. Straining her eyes upwards, her heart sank as she heard the sinister laughs of multiple Pokemon.

Dammit! A Nuzleaf trap!

"Noibat, I choose you! Get us out of here!"

Before her Pokemon could reach the top of the hole, however, a net of finely woven branches sealed the opening. Noibat crashed into the seal, trying to find a way through to no avail.

"Noibat, return! Numel, Lava Plume!"

Quickly exchanging her Pokemon, Alice stood safely to the side as Numel took aim and fired a column of pure volcanic energy at the wooden gate-

-and gaped in shock as the branches withstood the assault undamaged.

That's... Everwood?! How did a bunch of wild Nuzleaf get ahold of such a rare material?

Alice set it from her mind; she had more important worries. Typically, Nuzleaf only built such traps for one purpose; catching prey. They would lock their victims in their traps until they were weakened from hunger and thirst, before devouring their still live prey. If Alice couldn't escape from the trap, such a fate was what awaited her. However, of the Pokemon she had with her, only Mawile was strong enough to break everwood, and the seal was too far up for Mawile to reach.

No way. This can't be the end, can it? I have to keep trying! There must be a way out!

She was pulled from her panicked thoughts by a familiar sound. Straining her ears, she could make out... Whistling?

"Hey! Help me! I'm trapped!"

The whistling stopped. The sound of grass rustling above told her that whoever the person was, they were walking towards the pit. Alice breathed a sigh of relief, and looked up at the face of her would-be rescuer.

It was Fern.

The boy's face broke out into a massive grin as he looked down at Alice, trapped and alone, at the bottom of the Nuzleaf trap.

"Well look who it is. Not so tough are you now, girly?"

Alice resisted the urge to roll her eyes. After all, she needed him to let her out, even if he was the last person she wanted to request help from.

"Yeah, I messed up and now I'm in here. There should be a switch or something out there; can you press it and let me out?"

Fern looked around, and seemed to spot something. He nodded.

"Yeah, I see it. Looks real obvious too; only a real dumbass would allow themselves to be caught by a trap as easy to spot as this."

Alice clenched her fist, but instead gave Fern a weak smile.

"Yeah, I'm an idiot, okay? Just hurry and press the switch."

"Hmmmmm..."

Alice ground her teeth in impatience as Fern seemed to contemplate her request. Clearly, he wanted something out of this. He finally snapped his fingers.

"Alright, I'll let you out, ermm...."

"Alice. My name is Alice."

"Right. Alice. I'll let you out, on one condition."

"... And that is?"

"You have to get on your knees, bow and kiss my feet, and admit what a cheating, slutty, little bitch you are. You have to beg for my forgiveness for what you did to me last time. And then you have to strip and do whatever I say."

Alice's cheeks burned red with fury.

"Fuck you. Pichu, use Thunderbolt on him!"

Fern stepped deftly beyond the edge of the pit, easily dodging the shards of electricity that pierced through the gaps in the branches.

"Guess you're gonna rot in there then. See you never!"

And he walked away, laughing to himself. Alice punched the wall of her prison, enraged. How dare he?

But I'm still trapped.

Alice sat at the bottom of the pit for the entire night, drifting in and out of consciousness. Halfway through the night it had rained, and Alice had been forced to have Wartortle soak up some of the water, lest she allow the pit to fill up and prevent her from moving freely. As dawn broke, the morning air found Alice shivering at the bottom of the hole, her exhausted eyes staring at nothing. Gulping down a quick meal of dried fruit and bottled water, she got to her feet and tried to climb the pit once more, to no avail. The sides of the pit were made of solid stone, and had been smoothed out to prevent any potential prey from escaping. Noibat was too small to lift her to the top of the pit, and none of her Pokemon had been able to break through the everwood with their ranged attacks. The situation looked hopeless.

I guess this is it. Maybe I should have just gone along with Fern? Allowing him to do whatever he wanted to me might have been better than starving to death down here.

As soon as the thought drifted through her mind, however, she shook her head.

"No. Better I die with my head held high than continue living after allowing him to violate me. At least like this... I have no regrets."

"NO REGRETS. NO REGRETS."

Alice looked up sharply. Perched on the edge of the pit was a familiar looking Chatot. It cocked its head and looked down at the girl trapped in the pit.

"NO REGRETS. NO REGRETS. CAWW!"

"Hmm? Is this where you were leading me? Is someone in there?"

A familiar face looked into the pit and took on a look of surprise. Alice looked up, and her heart leapt into her mouth. She covered her face with her hands and turned downwards, embarrassed to be seen in such a situation by him.

It was Seehan.

Trainer Profile: Alice

Trainer Rank: B+

Badges: 1

Current team:

Wartortle - Level 30

Ability: Rain Dish

Item: None

-Bite

-Protect

-Water Pulse

-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 25

Ability: Poison Point

Item: None

-Grass Whistle

-Giga Drain

-Poison Sting

-Leech Seed

Numel - Level 25

Ability: Simple

Item: None

-Lava Plume

-Focus Energy

-Magnitude

-Flame Burst

Pichu - Level 23

Ability: Lightning Rod

Item: Light Ball

-Volt Tackle [egg move]

-Thunderbolt [TM]

-Iron Tail [tutored]

-Icicle Crash [???]

Noibat - Level 24

Ability: Infiltrator

Item: None

-Agility

-Air Cutter

-Bite

-Gust

Edited July 17, 2015 by Seehan

[Seehan]

"... And that's how I ended up in there. Thanks again for pulling me out; it was starting to look bad."

Alice wiped her wet hair with Seehan's towel and finished her tale. Seehan nodded along, his eyes filled only with concern for the girl in front of him. She had obviously been through a lot in the past few days, including taking on Team Meteor alone and dealing a devastating blow to their plans. She had singlehandedly defeated a PULSE and a Meteor Admin, although from what Alice had said, it seemed the Admin hadn't gone all out against her.

She'd definitely come a long way from the person she had been just a week before.

"How did you know to come find me though?"

Seehan pointed towards the trees, where the Chatot had disappeared off to while he had been pulling Alice out of the pit.

"I was investigating the buildings in Beryl, looking for signs of Team Meteor, when that Chatot came along and started pulling at my clothes. At first I thought it was a wild Pokemon and tried to catch it, but from its movements it was clear that it wanted me to follow it. I came along, and you know the rest."

Alice sunk her chin into her chest, thinking.

"... That Chatot looked like the one owned by that Admin I fought, Taka. It can't have been though, right? Why would he go out of his way to ensure that I was rescued, especially after what I did to him?"

"I'm not sure. From what you've told me though, it seems like his interests don't necessarily line up with those of Team Meteor's. Like you thought, it might be an internal conflict or something of the sort."

Alice finished cleaning up, and the two packed their things and stood. Though exhausted from her ordeal, Alice was eager to continue on. Striking out for the Beryl Ward, Seehan explained what he had been up to for the past few days as they walked.

"After I left Obsidia, I went back to the Grand Hall to gather information on what was happening in the Jasper and Beryl Wards. As you later figured out, I learned that Beryl had been split off from Jasper with a wall of plants. I figured I would hit the root of the problem first, and Teleported straight from the Grand Hall to the Beryl Ward's gym. I've been working with the Gym Leader to figure things out; he's a bit... Weird, but we've already smoked out several cells of Meteor agents within the Ward. We've been combing the Ward for the PULSE's location; we never imagined Team Meteor would have placed them in the woods. Now we can start our search again with fresh leads. It's all thanks to you, Alice."

Alice flushed and looked away.

"I-it was nothing! It was complete chance anyway; any of the officers I met in the woods would have found the PULSE too if they had just searched a bit deeper in the forest."

Seehan's gaze darkened.

"Speaking of the police, things really are looking bad on that front. More and more are turning up dead every day; the few we have left have set up a base of operations at the gym. I've been keeping a look out for any survivors, but..."

The boy trailed off, and he suddenly stiffened.

"Did you hear that? It sounded like a Growlithe!"

Alice understood immediately; Growlithes were Pokemon commonly associated with the police. For there to be one out here meant that...

"Let's go! Maybe they need our help!"

Seehan nodded and led the way. Without Alice noticing, they had exited the jungle and entered the outskirts of the Beryl Ward. Together, the two trainers quickly made their way to a nearby building, where the sound had originated. The building was partially collapsed, and Seehan had a horrible premonition.

"... Wait here and keep watch. I'm going in to take a look."

"Alright, but be careful. Get out of there right away if you feel like something's up, ok?"

Seehan nodded and cautiously entered the rickety doorway. He could hear the sound of the Growlithe whimpering from further inside. The rank smell of death permeated the air, and Seehan knew what awaited him. He had faced the sight many times before, after all.

Alice sat on a rock and took the opportunity to get some much needed rest. Though she had put up a tough face, the fact was that she was exhausted. Between the long day she had had just yesterday, coupled with the ordeal she had faced the night before, Alice was reaching her limit. Her Pokemon were in little better shape; though she had mitigated their stress by keeping them in their Balls, the fact remained that they, too, had not had much rest. Alice sighed and stretched. At least the sun was nice; feeling the warmth seep into her bones was doing her some good.

I sound like an old lady.

Alice sighed once more.

Seehan turned a corner and was hit with a wave of the nauseating smell of decay. His stomach turned and he heaved; he had to turn away a moment before recovering sufficiently to move on. Stepping into the devastated room, he saw two things; the center of the room was gone, a giant hole gaping emptily in its place. The source of the sound, the Growlithe, was yapping away and desperately looking for a way into the hole. Slowly making his way forward, he looked into the hole... And regretted it.

A police officer lay at the bottom of the pit. However, he lay in several pieces. Around him, plant tendrils writhed and shuddered as the man's blood seeped into their pores. The man's eyes lay open, empty. He had clearly died an agonizing death. Seehan briefly closed his eyes, and said a silent prayer for the unfortunate man. The Growlithe padded over to him, its eyes pleading. Clearly, it didn't want to accept its partner's death. Seehan patted the Fire type on the head, and shook his head. A silent understanding passed between the two, and the Growlithe's head dipped down, tears dripping slowly down its snout. Seehan got up, and when he left, the Dog Pokemon followed, leaving the stench of death behind.

Alice looked up as Seehan emerged from the building. Between the grim look on his face, and the downcast look of the Growlithe with him, she could guess what had happened. After all, she too had seen firsthand the destruction that had occurred in both Jasper and Obsidia. Seehan was trembling, though Alice could not tell whether from fury or grief.

"We'll stop them."

"They'll pay for this. For all of this."

With Growlithe in tow, the two trainers continued on their way. In doing so, they stumbled on something they were not at all expecting.

Cutting through a wall of thin vines, Seehan and Alice stepped through and into a small enclosure of tendrils and buildings. Two familiar faces looked up, and in the center of the clearing, a PULSE hummed with power.

"Huh." Said ZEL.

"We meet again, Alice." Said Taka.

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 30 [55]
Ability: Iron Fist
Item: None
-Feint
-Torment
-Flame Wheel
-Mach Punch

Linoone - Level 30
Ability: Pick Up
Item: None
-Pin Missile
-Cut
-Headbutt
-Covet

Kirlia - Level 29 [54]
Ability: Trace
Item: None
-Calm Mind
-Confusion
-Teleport
-Draining Kiss

Manectric - Level 29

Ability: Lightning Rod

Item: None

-Ice Fang [egg move]

-Bite

-Quick Attack

-Thunder Fang

Gyarados - Level 29 [54]

Ability: Moxie

Item: None

-Thrash

-Twister

-Bite

-Dragon Rage

Jumpluff - Level 29

Ability: Infiltrator

Item: Miracle Seed

-Mega Drain

-Fairy Wind

-Leech Seed

-Sleep Powder

Trainer Profile: Alice

Trainer Rank: B+

Badges: 1

Current team:

Wartortle - Level 30

Ability: Rain Dish

Item: None

-Bite

-Protect

-Water Pulse

-Rapid Spin

Mawile - Level 48

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 28

Ability: Poison Point

Item: None

-Grass Whistle

-Giga Drain

-Toxic Spikes

-Leech Seed

Numel - Level 29

Ability: Simple

Item: None

-Lava Plume

-Focus Energy

-Earth Power

-Flame Burst

Pichu - Level 27

Ability: Lightning Rod

Item: Light Ball

-Volt Tackle [egg move]

-Thunderbolt [TM]

-Iron Tail [tutored]

-Icicle Crash [???]

Noibat - Level 28

Ability: Infiltrator

Item: None

-Agility

-Air Cutter

-Bite

-Roost

Edited July 18, 2015 by Seehan

[Seehan]

Alice

"This is... Impossible!"

Seehan took a step back, his face the picture of alarm and surprise. Alice quickly reached for her Pokeballs, but did not draw. She merely observed the Meteor duo cautiously as they stood from the rocks they had been seated on. Behind them, the PULSE vibrated softly as the Tangrowth slumbered.

"My my my, the little brat is surprised to see us here!"

"It appears his naivety was as we calculated; he did not suspect a thing."

"The poor guy! He should have known not to trust anyone~!"

Smoothly transitioning from one voice to another, ZEL swept their arms out in front of them, as if they were the host of a grand circus.

"Yeah, looks like you were fooled. Sorry about that; our PULSE was weak from crushing the Beryl Ward, so we had to buy time for it to recharge before you came to fight it."

Taka had an apologetic look on his face, but the Pokeball in his hand showed he was by no means their ally. Seehan clenched his teeth, enraged.

"So it was as I expected. Corey, the Beryl Ward's Gym Leader... Is an agent of Team Meteor!"

ZEL gave the dark haired boy a round of applause.

"And finally he figures it out! What did he tell you to make you miss this area, kid? I bet you guys split up to look for the PULSE, and he said there was nothing here when he looked, right? Man, you're hell of a sucker!"

"Zero! It's rude to bully him! Just because he's a little dense..."

"Both of you, be quiet. His Pokemon are much stronger this time; even with Taka by our side, we may be forced into a corner if we do not behave seriously."

Seehan's eye twitched. In a blur of motion, he went for his Pokeballs; Alice and the two Meteor Admins did the same.

"Monferno, kiminikimete!"

"Mawile, I choose you!"

"Let's do this, Glaceon~!"

"Lileep, prepare for battle!"

Emerging from their respective Balls in a flash of light, the four Pokemon faced off grimly, their eagerness for battle tempered by their awareness of the danger present. This was not a simple battle, after all; losing here could mean death. Before shouting any commands, however, Seehan turned his gaze towards Taka, his eyes narrowed.

"You... That scarf..."

Taka fingered the thick purple cloth around his neck.

"What of it?"

"It was you, wasn't it? You were the one watching me when I woke up in the Grand Hall after the train exploded."

ZEL turned rapidly towards the blonde haired boy beside him.

"What?! Is this true? You could have blown the entire operation! If Ame had caught you, everything would have been ruined!"

"Relax, Zero. Everything turned out okay, didn't it? Everything's gone according to plan, besides that tiny hiccup in Jasper. All we have to do is get rid of these two," he gestured towards Seehan and Alice, the latter of which bristling with defiance, "and we can use this backup PULSE to finish off both Beryl and Jasper. Easy plan, isn't it?"

"You had better hope this goes as smoothly as you think it will. You can be sure I will be reporting this to Solaris."

Taka stiffened, then nodded, his face unreadable. It appeared Eve's calm and emotionless statement had affected him much more than Zero's angry remarks had. Turning back towards the duo across the clearing, he raised his arm.

"It sucks that it had to come to this. You really should have listened to me back then, Alice. Now you're in for a world of hurt. Lileep, use Constrict!"

"Glaceon, uuuuse Ice Fang~!"

The Admins made their moves in an instant; it was clear that they were accustomed to double battles. However, Seehan and Alice were not far behind, and responded almost instantly to the oncoming threats.

"I'll take Glaceon, you take the other."

"Got it! Mawile, Iron Head on Lileep!"

Without her noticing, Seehan had slipped in Blank Slate, and he silently and easily guided Monferno around Glaceon's attack, hitting it hard from behind with a Flame Wheel. Leaping forward, Mawile swung its head appendage downwards, smashing Taka's Lileep straight into the hardened dirt of the jungle floor. Both of the Meteor's Pokemon cried out in pain as they took massive damage from their opponent's attacks.

"Oh no! Pull yourself together, Glaceon!"

"Lileep, now's your chance! Tie it down!"

From its position near the ground, Lileep reached up and entangled Mawile in its tough vines, restricting its movements. Growling in fury, the Steel and Fairy type Pokemon attempted to break free, but to no avail. Several meters away, Glaceon struggled to rise to its feet, only to be struck down once more by a well placed Mach Punch to the base of its skull. Lumi cried out in despair as her precious Pokemon sank to the ground, unconscious.

"I'm sorry, Glaceon... Return!"

"Lumi, I believe I told you to take this seriously. It is my turn now; watch closely. Espeon, the time has come."

Eve's calm voice took command of ZEL's body, and she quickly released a Pokeball from their waist. From its blazing light, the Psychic type Pokemon keened its readiness for battle.

Seehan tsked and immediately recalled his Pokemon, another Ball already in hand. Though he moved as quick as usual, when considering his skills, it was strange to see his reaction so delayed.

Could it be that ZEL has unique skills as well? Considering there's three of them, could it be that they each have a different ability?

Alice shook her head and returned her attention to her own battle. As Seehan sent out his Kirlia, Alice made a snap decision.

"Mawile, return! Go, Pichu!"

Freeing her ensnared Pokemon from Lileep's clutches, Alice exchanged it with the tiny Electric type. Pichu's cheeck pouches buzzed with electricity, and its Light Ball glowed as it rested from its cord on the Pokemon's neck. Though the item was still completely useless on her Pokemon, it looked rather impressive as it sat on the chest of her unusual Pichu. Taka appeared unfazed by her swap, however, and simply nodded before continuing to command his Lileep.

"Lileep, use Ingrain! That thing can't do too much damage to you, just take the time to heal up!"

"Don't underestimate us! Pichu, hit it with a Volt Tackle!"

Taka felt a shiver run down his spine as Alice's Pichu leapt into the air, its body enveloped in a yellow glow. Every instinct in him was telling him something was wrong. He shrugged it off; it was impossible, his opponent was only a Pichu. It was a Pokemon he had easily dealt with the last time they had fought, and-

His thoughts were cut off as Pichu attack tore Lileep from the ground, roots and all, and sent it crashing backwards. Engraved in its hardened rock carapace was a deep hole, as if something had drilled into it and burned the contents. As Taka gaped in disbelief, Alice felt her blood pumping. For just a brief moment, she had caught a glimpse of a shimmer on the Lileep's exterior shell.

It happened again!

She still couldn't control it, but now she was certain; the phenomenon was some sort of ability, tucked away within herself. Alice pondered as to what the trigger had been to its sudden release. It hadn't been difficult battles; she'd had plenty of those back in the Kalos Region on her previous journey, without any sign of her ability awakening.

Perhaps... It's the PULSEs?

She had no way of being certain. The thought sickened her; for such a cruel machine to have been her benefactor was unthinkable.

Now is not the time for this. He's swapping out his Pokemon! I need to be ready for what comes next!

"... Right, I think that's enough of that."

Alice and Taka turned to the battle that had been raging from across the clearing. ZEL was on their knees, clearly defeated. It appeared Zero had been in control until just recently, from the look on the man's face. A Gardevoir now stood where Seehan's Kirlia had been; it held a hapless Umbreon in its mental grasp. Tossing the unconscious Pokemon away, Seehan strolled towards Taka, his Gardevoir trailing behind him. Taka clenched his teeth as he surveyed the now two on one battlefield.

"... Dammit. For you to be this strong... We definitely underestimated you, Seehan. I hate to say it, but we misjudged you too, Alice. Clearly, you're both way more of a threat than we realized; we won't make the mistake again."

"No, you won't. After all, I'm going to apprehend the two of you here, then go after Corey. None of you will be free to make any mistakes again."

Seehan's expression held no trace of emotion. His voice spoke without inflection, and sounded almost robotlike. Alice shivered as she noted the contrast between the boy's usual voice to his current one. However, Taka seemed unfazed by the dark haired trainer's words.

"Hey, you may have beaten the two of us, but this is far from over. You seem to be forgetting about our little friend back here..."

And with that, Taka turned on his heel and sprinted for the PULSE. Before either Seehan or Alice could react, he had pressed the activation button, and disappeared into the trees. Likewise, ZEL retrieved their Pokemon and retreated as well, leaving only the two trainers and the activated PULSE in the clearing. Seehan sighed and shook his head.

"They got us good; I didn't think they'd abandon their Tangrowth that easily."

"Why are you so calm?! Don't you remember the last time we fought this thing?!?!"

"It's fine. This Pokemon... Is dying."

Alice stilled her panicked movements and observed the Tangrowth more closely. Seehan was right; the plant Pokemon was showing clear signs of age. Team Meteor had miscalculated; even if Seehan and Alice hadn't come along, the PULSE would have been destroyed on its own.

"But how could they have made such an error? This thing is basically their entire plan; without it, their ability to destroy the Wards is gone!"

"The only thing I can think of is... They have a man on the inside sabotaging their operations. The real question is; are they our ally, or enemy?"

Their questions drifted in the wind, with no clear answer in sight.

As they watched the dying Pokemon in front of them breathe its last few agonizing breaths, Seehan turned away and pulled out his Pokegear. Alice gave him a questioning look.

"I need to contact the police and warn them about Corey's involvement with Team Meteor. Our men are stationed at his gym right now; now that his secret is out, who knows what he'll do to them?" He shook his head. "I'm not getting a reply. The PULSE is gone now, so the jamming field should be gone as well. It looks like Corey's already made his move."

"Then we have to help the officers! Let's hurry!"

Rushing off, the two failed to notice the shadowy figure watching them from the trees. Shaking his head, the man leapt from his branch into the air, grabbing hold of a Crobat. As the two trainers hurried along the plant destroyed roads, Corey looked down at them with blank eyes.

They were simply another pair of people to kill, after all.

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 31 [56]
Ability: Iron Fist
Item: None
-Feint
-Torment
-Flame Wheel
-Mach Punch

Linoone - Level 30
Ability: Pick Up
Item: None
-Pin Missile
-Cut
-Headbutt
-Covet

Gardevoir - Level 30 [55]
Ability: Trace
Item: None
-Calm Mind
-Psychic
-Teleport
-Draining Kiss

Manectric - Level 29

Ability: Lightning Rod

Item: None

-Ice Fang [egg move]

-Bite

-Quick Attack

-Thunder Fang

Gyarados - Level 29 [54]

Ability: Moxie

Item: None

-Thrash

-Twister

-Bite

-Dragon Rage

Jumpluff - Level 29

Ability: Infiltrator

Item: Miracle Seed

-Mega Drain

-Fairy Wind

-Leech Seed

-Sleep Powder

Trainer Profile: Alice

Trainer Rank: B+

Badges: 1

Current team:

Wartortle - Level 30

Ability: Rain Dish

Item: None

-Bite

-Protect

-Water Pulse

-Rapid Spin

Mawile - Level 49

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 28

Ability: Poison Point

Item: None

-Grass Whistle

-Giga Drain

-Toxic Spikes

-Leech Seed

Numel - Level 29

Ability: Simple

Item: None

-Lava Plume

-Focus Energy

-Earth Power

-Flame Burst

Pichu - Level 29

Ability: Lightning Rod

Item: Light Ball

-Volt Tackle [egg move]

-Thunderbolt [TM]

-Iron Tail [tutored]

-Icicle Crash [???]

Noibat - Level 28

Ability: Infiltrator

Item: None

-Agility

-Air Cutter

-Bite

-Roost

Edited July 21, 2015 by Seehan

[Seehan]

Leader Corey

Alice

"Awooooooo!"

Upon leaving behind the corpse of its partner, Growlithe had trailed along behind Seehan and Alice, though from a distance. Clearly, it had no intentions of fully trusting the two; however, it had at least acknowledged that the two trainers were not its enemy. Although it had remained silent for the most part, it was now howling loudly and aggressively, as if calling out to something.

"What's wrong? Have you smelled something?"

Alice looked back at the Fire type with concern. It was, after all, a Police Pokemon, and she had full confidence in its ability to sense danger. However, Seehan laid a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"No need to worry. Our allies have arrived."

Striding forward, he raised his arm and waved to a group of people emerging from the mix of trees and buildings that surrounded them. As they drew closer, Alice breathed a sigh of relief as she recognized the navy blue uniforms of the Reborn City Police Department. Growlithe yipped happily and bounced forward, greeting its fellow canines with a snort of fire and a loud bark. An important looking man stepped forward, and Alice recognized him as the Chief of Police she had met earlier when she entered the Jasper Ward.

"I can't begin to thank you two for all you've done. From Seehan's report, I understand you've halted Team Meteor's plans in its tracks. On our end, we've managed to clear away most of the vines, and have created a clear passage between the Wards once more." He took on a grim expression. "Now, we have but one task left. We must arrest the treacherous Gym Leader, Corey."

Seehan nodded, his face serious.

"That's right. Once he's taken care of, Team Meteor will no longer have a foothold in this area of the city. We can't underestimate him though; the Admins will have warned him that his cover has been blown. He might have nowhere to run, but he'll definitely have the opportunity to set traps and prepare. I haven't been able to contact the officers stationed at the gym either; it's probable that they're already dead."

Alice looked away from the two, bile rising in her throat. She was tired of death; it seemed as though she was always one step too late to save anyone.

We're nearing the end though. These have been a long few days, but we've finally reached the endgame.

Seehan and the Chief finished their exchange, and the two nodded and parted ways. As the uniformed man returned to his men and began shouting orders, Seehan walked over to where Alice stood to the side.

"We can rest easy; the police will take it from here. All your efforts to rescue the lost officers has paid off. We now have half a dozen men here, along with the Chief, ready and able to battle. You and I will be on standby if things go south, but otherwise our role here is over."

Alice nodded, though she remained unconvinced. Seehan, too, had a troubled look on his face. Though he spoke comforting words, it was clear that he himself did not believe them.

We're talking about a guy who was able to hide the truth from Seehan for over a week. He's bound to have something up his sleeve.

The party moved quietly through the Ward, the Beryl Gym in their sights. With its citizens evacuated, the Ward's empty buildings stood like gravestones in a lonely graveyard. Some were still wrapped in tendrils, though the majority of the gigantic plants had receded with the defeat of the PULSE. As they approached the building, Alice looked up at the monolithic structure with a sort of awe. Built into the side of a hulking mountain, the Beryl Gym was constructed entirely of volcanic stone, and it gleamed now in the evening sun with an orange glow. A gem towering above the ruined buildings of the Ward, it gave an unexpected spot of beauty in a wasteland of death and destruction. The Chief signaled the party to halt, then frowned as he raised his hand to his earpiece.

"... Odd. I'm receiving transponder signals. The devices are tied to the heartbeat of our officers, so the signals should not be coming if the officers are deceased."

Seehan cocked his head, his expression wary.

"Which means the officers are alive... But unresponsive. Perhaps Corey has captured them alive?"

The Chief nodded, but his face was still troubled.

"Although that would be the most logical conclusion, we should still advance with caution. That being said..." He raised an open hand to Seehan and Alice, signalling for them to stop. "This is the end of the road for you two. Leave the rest to us; you've done more than enough, and you have our wholehearted thanks. Remain here and wait, as backup. Although it is unlikely Corey will be able to overpower all of us, it never hurts to have reinforcements in the wings."

Nodding to the two trainers, the Chief signaled to his men and stood. Together, they rushed up the stairs of the gym, and disappeared into the ornate building. As Alice watched them leave, she was unable to shake her sense of foreboding.

"... Something's wrong."

Alice turned to Seehan, who still wore a troubled expression on his face. He continued, his eyes locked on the doorway through which the police had disappeared into.

"Corey's one of the original 18 Gym Leaders of the reconstructed Reborn League. He's been helping Ame to rebuild the region all this time, so why would he work with Team Meteor to destroy everything now? It just doesn't add up." He shook his head. "On top of that, we had a dozen men stationed here. How did he overpower them all, without a peep coming out? Sure, the signals were jammed, but for there to be no sign of a struggle?"

Alice had no answers to offer him, and together they warily observed the entryway of the gym. An hour passed, and not a soul emerged from the doorway. When Seehan attempted to contact the Chief, all he was answered with was static. He glanced at Alice, and she looked back at him. A silent understanding passed between the two trainers. Nodding, they stood, and together they slowly and cautiously began their approach of the Beryl Ward's Gym.

The doors swung open slowly to meet the two trainers. As a puff of strangely smelling air passed through the opening, the duo were met with a sight straight out of hell.

The Chief of Police hung from a banister, his unseeing eyes staring at nothing as he swung slowly, held up by the noose around his neck.

Close to 20 officers ambled around aimlessly, their mouths open with drool dripping onto the stone floor. Their movements clearly meant something to Seehan, who immediately backed away from the door, pulling Alice along with him.

"It's the neurotoxin from Obsidia. I guess now we know where Team Meteor got it came from; fitting, considering Corey is a Poison type Gym Leader."

Alice cast her eyes around the room. Several enormous tanks of what she now knew to be neurotoxin lined the walls, and a grand staircase led up from the lobby onto the second floor. An enormous door leading to the gym's battlefield adorned the upper floor's wall. If she had to bet, that would be where she would place Corey to be. However, to get there, they would have to pass through the drugged officers. A flicker of movement caught her attention, and she reacted instinctively, pushing Seehan and herself out of the way as a globule of acid sailed past where they had been just milliseconds before. Whirling around, the two trainers looked up to the second floor where a shadowy figure stood watching them, a Crobat perched on his shoulder. As they watched, the man turned, and walked through the enormous doors on the upper floor, closing them behind him with a loud thump. The sound woke the officers from their stupor, and as one they turned to face the two trainers standing just beyond the entryway of the gym.

Seehan looked at Alice.

"I'll take these guys. You go after Corey; you don't have to beat him, just stop him from fleeing until I can catch up. Be careful not to breathe in too much of the neurotoxin, and be careful; this guy isn't playing games."

Alice nodded grimly, and as Seehan turned to face the oncoming horde, she slipped past and ran up the stairs. Bursting into the gym's battle room, she found...

An empty room. Nothing.

Corey was gone.

"No!"

He couldn't be gone. People couldn't just disappear!

Alice cast around desperately. Downstairs, she could hear the sounds of battle as Seehan began his battle against the neurotoxined officers. He was buying her time, and she was wasting it.

No. I can still do this. He has to be here somewhere.

Closing her eyes momentarily, she simply stood, taking in her surroundings. Sounds and vibrations rumbled through the air as the battle raged behind her. That was it, she couldn't hear-

-no, wait. There was something...

Alice opened her eyes, and looked at a wall in the room that had mysteriously escaped her attention before. Even though she had been sure she had examined the whole room, there it was; a wall with a conspicuous looking line in the center. Stepping forward, Alice pushed on the line. It creaked open and revealed what she had sensed before; a hidden room. A small heater vibrated on the floor; it was the source of the rumbling she had detected. The room appeared to be a living quarters of a sort; it was furnished with a kitchen, bathroom, and small living room. At the back was a closed door, presumably leading to the bedroom. Without hesitation, Alice stepped forward into the room, walked to the back, and opened the door.

And was met by a cloud of gas.

Alice hit the floor, her entire body frozen. She tried to lift her head, to move her arm, to do anything, but to no avail. She had been fully paralyzed by the neurotoxin. Dimly, she felt herself being dragged along the floor by her hair. Step by step, Corey pulled Alice along, until the two had returned to the battling area. Alice felt herself being thrown onto the cold, stone floor. As she slowly regained her strength, Alice opened her eyes. Corey stood at the other end of the room, watching her. A Pokeball was in his hand. As Alice unsteadily got to her feet, Corey continued to watch her wordlessly.

"Why... Why didn't you just kill me?"

"..."

Clearly, the man was not in the mood to talk. Alice pulled out a Pokeball of her own. She thought back to Seehan's words.

"You don't have to beat him, just stop him from fleeing until I can catch up."

Alice felt the neurotoxin work its way through her body. Soon, she wouldn't be able to think properly, like the officers outside. She didn't have the time to wait for Seehan; she would have to defeat Corey here and now.

"Let's go! Wartortle, I choose you!"

Across the room, a Skrelp appeared opposite to Alice's Pokemon.

The unofficial gym battle had begun.

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 31 [56]
Ability: Iron Fist
Item: None
-Feint
-Torment
-Flame Wheel
-Mach Punch

Linoone - Level 30
Ability: Pick Up
Item: None
-Pin Missile
-Cut
-Headbutt
-Covet

Gardevoir - Level 30 [55]
Ability: Trace
Item: None
-Calm Mind
-Psychic
-Teleport
-Draining Kiss

Manectric - Level 29

Ability: Lightning Rod

Item: None

-Ice Fang [egg move]

-Bite

-Quick Attack

-Thunder Fang

Gyarados - Level 29 [54]

Ability: Moxie

Item: None

-Thrash

-Twister

-Bite

-Dragon Rage

Jumpluff - Level 29

Ability: Infiltrator

Item: Miracle Seed

-Mega Drain

-Fairy Wind

-Leech Seed

-Sleep Powder

Trainer Profile: Alice

Trainer Rank: B+

Badges: 1

Current team:

Wartortle - Level 30

Ability: Rain Dish

Item: None

-Bite

-Protect

-Water Pulse

-Rapid Spin

Mawile - Level 49

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 28

Ability: Poison Point

Item: None

-Grass Whistle

-Giga Drain

-Toxic Spikes

-Leech Seed

Numel - Level 29

Ability: Simple

Item: None

-Lava Plume

-Focus Energy

-Earth Power

-Flame Burst

Pichu - Level 29

Ability: Lightning Rod

Item: Light Ball

-Volt Tackle [egg move]

-Thunderbolt [TM]

-Iron Tail [tutored]

-Icicle Crash [???]

Noibat - Level 28

Ability: Infiltrator

Item: None

-Agility

-Air Cutter

-Bite

-Roost

Edited July 27, 2015 by Seehan

[Seehan]

VS Agent Corey

Alice

Gas spilled out from vents hidden in the wall and floor, flooding the battlefield in a stinging purple cloud. Alice winced as the mist grazed her skin, causing a rash to form immediately. Although the trainer boxes were protected by an electromagnetic field that filtered out all contaminants, any Pokemon caught in the mist would feel the gas's painful embrace and become poisoned. It appeared, however, that Poison types were immune to the corrosive mist; Skrelp seemed unconcerned about the field effect, whereas Wartortle was already taking damage.

So this is Corey's personal battlefield, Corrosive Mist Field.

She would have to end the battle soon for reasons other than the neurotoxin it seemed.

"Wartortle! Use Rapid Spin! Try to clear away some of the gas!"

"Smokescreen."

Reeling forward, Wartortle hurtled itself towards its opponent, spinning within its shell like a shuriken. Skrelp fired a globule of shadowy mass in retaliation. Wartortle hit the sphere head on, causing it to explode into a massive cloud of smoke, enveloping the battlefield and preventing Alice from seeing what was happening. Coughing through the smoke, Alice called out to her Pokemon.

"W-Wartortle! Use Water Pulse and break through the smog!"

Her commands went unanswered; when the smoke cleared, she found her partner laying on the floor, unconscious. It had succumbed to the poisoning damage it had sustained from the field. Skrelp watched her closely, like its trainer. Both waited to see what Alice would do next. Recalling Wartortle, she quickly chose her next Pokemon.

This field will be trouble. It looks like Steel types will be fine in here as well, along with Poison types. Since this is an unofficial battle, I'll be able to keep Mawile as a trump card should I need it.

"Roselia! Take the stage!"

Bursting from its Ball in a flash of light, the Grass and Poison type keened as it settled onto the battlefield, the corrosive mist moving harmlessly around it. Corey shook his head; he clearly believed Alice to have chosen her Pokemon poorly. She could see why he would think so; Skrelp, being a Poison and Water type, would resist her Poison moves and only take neutral damage from her Grass moves. However, the same could be said for Roselia. It resisted Skrelp's Water moves, and would take neutral damage from its Poison moves. By all accounts, a straight on battle would be evenly matched.

That is, if Alice fought in a straight on battle.

"Roselia, Grass Whistle!"

"Acid."

Firing off a spray of corrosive liquid, Skrelp slid to the side, trying to get a good angle on its opponent. To its surprise, Roselia deftly slid around the acid, closing in with surprising speed. As it got closer, Skrelp felt its eyes sliding shut. From Roselia's buds, a high pitched sound was being emitted. Desperately trying to stay awake, the Skrelp fired off a point blank Acid. The attack grazed Roselia, causing it to wince in pain. Despite the pain, however, it pressed on, bringing its whistling bud to the side of Skrelp's head. The sound cut the Pokemon's stream of consciousness off immediately, sending it into a deep but fitful sleep.

Alice released the breath she had not realized she had been holding. Grass Whistle was an extremely unreliable move, and if it had failed Roselia would have been easily defeated. She now had the advantage, if for only a short time. Pokemon induced sleep was notoriously short lived, and would only last for several seconds before losing effect. She had to move fast.

"Leech Seed!"

Roselia fired several pods at the already stirring form of the Skrelp. As the thin tendrils began wrapping around its body, the Pokemon awoke and began to struggle against its bonds. Crying out in frustration, the Skrelp was helpless to move as the plants began to sap away at its body fluids. Alice clenched her fist in victory. There was no way Skrelp would be able to make it out of this. It was tied down, and-

"Poison Tail."

A vertical flash of purple sliced through the air, both freeing Skrelp and hitting Roselia in the same movement. Crying out in pain, Roselia arced through the air, and hit the floor some distance away. Skrelp did not give it time to recover; diving after its opponent, it followed up with one more strike. The attack crushed Roselia into the floor, cracking the stone slab and creating a small crater around the unconscious plant Pokemon.

Alice quickly recalled Roselia's broken body. The Skrelp was stronger than she had thought; this would be tough. It was time to go all out; she could not afford to hold back any longer.

"Mawile, I choose you!"

The Steel and Fairy type appeared, unconcerned by the mist swirling around it. It eyed its opponent warily, and took up its customary fighting stance. The Skrelp shuddered as Mawile's Intimidate lowered its Attack.

"Water Pulse."

"Sucker Punch!"

Mawile seemed to vanish; appearing inches behind Skrelp, it smashed its head mandible into the back of the tiny Pokemon's head. The force of the attack blasted Skrelp across the room and into a wall. Corey didn't even bother checking its condition before recalling it; it was clear to everyone present that the attack had defeated it instantly. The man appeared to be unfazed, however. His face was impassive as ever, and he said nothing.

Alice ground her teeth.

"Why won't you say anything?! Do you think I'll forgive you for what you've done? Because of you, so many people died... Don't you have a family, or any loved ones living in the city? What would they think of you working with Team Meteor, and abandoning all of your values?"

She seemed to touch a nerve. A vein pulsed on Corey's temple, and he spoke to her for the first time.

"A child like you could never hope to understand."

"I've been told that I won't understand a lot lately. How about you stop beating around the bush, and face me like a man?"

The man stood there, regarding her for a moment. He appeared to come to a decision, and sighed.

"... Very well. Should you defeat me, I will tell you all you wish to know. Should you fall, however, do not expect to escape with your life. I will first kill you, then your friend."

He selected a Ball from his waist. Tossing it onto the battlefield, a Nidorina appeared.

"Let us dance."

"Don't think I'll lose so easily! Let's go, Mawile! Mega Shinka! [Mega Evolve!]"

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 32 [57]
Ability: Iron Fist
Item: None
-Feint
-Torment
-Flame Wheel
-Mach Punch

Linoone - Level 32
Ability: Pick Up
Item: None
-Pin Missile
-Cut
-Slash
-Covet

Gardevoir - Level 32 [57]
Ability: Trace
Item: None
-Calm Mind
-Psychic
-Teleport
-Draining Kiss

Manectric - Level 30

Ability: Lightning Rod

Item: None

-Ice Fang [egg move]

-Bite

-Quick Attack

-Discharge

Gyarados - Level 32 [57]

Ability: Moxie

Item: None

-Thrash

-Ice Fang

-Bite

-Dragon Rage

Jumpluff - Level 30

Ability: Infiltrator

Item: Miracle Seed

-Mega Drain

-Fairy Wind

-Leech Seed

-Sleep Powder

Trainer Profile: Alice

Trainer Rank: B+

Badges: 1

Current team:

Wartortle - Level 32

Ability: Rain Dish

Item: None

-Bite

-Aqua Tail

-Water Pulse

-Rapid Spin

Mawile - Level 49

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 30

Ability: Poison Point

Item: None

-Grass Whistle

-Giga Drain

-Toxic Spikes

-Leech Seed

Numel - Level 29

Ability: Simple

Item: None

-Lava Plume

-Focus Energy

-Earth Power

-Flame Burst

Pichu - Level 29

Ability: Lightning Rod

Item: Light Ball

-Volt Tackle [egg move]

-Thunderbolt [TM]

-Iron Tail [tutored]

-Icicle Crash [???]

Noibat - Level 28

Ability: Infiltrator

Item: None

-Agility

-Air Cutter

-Bite

-Roost

Edited July 29, 2015 by Seehan

[Seehan]

Alice

As expected, Alice's Mega Mawile tore through Corey's next two Pokemon without issue. In the first place, it seemed as though he was using one of his weaker teams; if he had been using his main team, Alice had no idea how she would have fared. Now, however, the man was down to 3 Pokemon.

"You've done well to get this far."

"Get real! Don't forget to keep your word when I beat you!"

"Do not fear; I have not forgotten. However, do not be so certain of your victory just yet. Come out, Croagunk."

The Poison and Fighting type appeared with a grin, its confident posture putting Alice on guard. What did Corey have up his sleeve?

She didn't intend to wait around and find out.

"Mawile, take it out with a Play Rough!"

"Draw it in."

Mawile leapt forward towards its opponent, its two head mandible ready to strike. Croagunk, however, waited calmly. It made no attempt to dodge or defend against Mawile's attack.

Alice suddenly had a terrible premonition. However, it was too late to call off the attack; Mawile was almost within striking range. Mawile lunged forward...

And missed its attack. Alice's eyes widened as Croagunk made its move.

"Do it now. Swagger."

Croagunk smirked at Mawile, and sighed, as if disappointed by its opponent's skill. A vein bulged on Mawile's temple, and it began to swing wildly at the Poison and Fighting type. Although its Attack had raised sharply from its anger, it was now confused.

"Mawile, snap out of it! Use Play Rough!"

It refused to listen, however. Instead, it charged straight at Croagunk, who was merely smirking and dancing around. As Mawile got closer, Croagunk looked as though it would be hit... But at the last moment, it moved to the side and stuck its foot out, tripping the charging Steel and Fairy type. Mawile careened into the floor, its own strength its downfall. The impact left a massive crater in the stone floor as Mawile destroyed the majority of the battlefield, and as the dust settled, the light of Mega Evolution faded as Mawile's fainted form became visible in the rubble. Alice recalled her Pokemon, shocked at her own incompetence. She had just fallen into the most obvious trap she had ever seen, and had lost her trump card as a result. The battle was now 3 on 3, and Alice was not at all confident that she could win. She was now out of Pokemon that resisted the Corrosive Mist Field.

I have to get rid of this field somehow. If only this gas would just go away... Wait. Gas?

An idea formed in her mind, and she went with it. She didn't have a lot of choices, after all.

"Numel, I choose you!"

As her Pokemon took to the battlefield, it winced as the gas began to swirl around it. Alice had minutes, maybe seconds, before her Pokemon was defeated.

I hope this works.

Corey, for once, went on the attack. Perhaps he sensed what Alice intended to do.

"Go at once; Sucker Punch."

The man's Pokemon dashed forward, a purple streak moving amongst a cloud of mist. It got right into the face of Alice's Numel; moving faster than its eyes could see, it landed one, then two blows, in quick succession. Numel shut its eyes, trying to resist the pain of Croagunk's attack as well as the poison working through its system. Alice made her move.

"The enemy's right where we want it! Lava Plume!!"

Croagunk's eyes widened, and it tried to leap backwards. However, it was too late. Flames ignited along Numel's back, and a pillar of volcanic energy erupted skywards-

-and ignited the gas, causing the entire field to combust and explode.

Alice shielded her face with her arms as the blast reached her. Even with the protective force field of the trainer box, the force of the explosion forced her backwards, and almost caused her to step outside the protective square. When at last she could open her eyes, she was met by a desolate field of debris and stone. Both Pokemon had been knocked unconscious, and most importantly, the gas had disappeared from the battlefield.

The battle was now a 2 on 2.

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 32 [57]
Ability: Iron Fist
Item: None
-Feint
-Torment
-Flame Wheel
-Mach Punch

Linoone - Level 32
Ability: Pick Up
Item: None
-Pin Missile
-Cut
-Slash
-Covet

Gardevoir - Level 32 [57]
Ability: Trace
Item: None
-Calm Mind
-Psychic
-Teleport
-Draining Kiss

Manectric - Level 30

Ability: Lightning Rod

Item: None

-Ice Fang [egg move]

-Bite

-Quick Attack

-Discharge

Gyarados - Level 32 [57]

Ability: Moxie

Item: None

-Thrash

-Ice Fang

-Bite

-Dragon Rage

Jumpluff - Level 30

Ability: Infiltrator

Item: Miracle Seed

-Mega Drain

-Fairy Wind

-Leech Seed

-Sleep Powder

Trainer Profile: Alice

Trainer Rank: B+

Badges: 1

Current team:

Wartortle - Level 32

Ability: Rain Dish

Item: None

-Bite

-Aqua Tail

-Water Pulse

-Rapid Spin

Mawile - Level 49

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 30

Ability: Poison Point

Item: None

-Grass Whistle

-Giga Drain

-Toxic Spikes

-Leech Seed

Numel - Level 31

Ability: Simple

Item: None

-Lava Plume

-Focus Energy

-Earth Power

-Take Down

Pichu - Level 29

Ability: Lightning Rod

Item: Light Ball

-Volt Tackle [egg move]

-Thunderbolt [TM]

-Iron Tail [tutored]

-Icicle Crash [???]

Noibat - Level 28

Ability: Infiltrator

Item: None

-Agility

-Air Cutter

-Bite

-Roost

Edited July 29, 2015 by Seehan

[Seehan]

Alice

Alice's vision flickered as she unsteadily recalled her Numel. For a moment, she rested her loyal Pokemon's Ball against her forehead. Although it had been for the sake of victory, at the end of the day she had just sacrificed her Pokemon to clear away a field effect. Numel had gone along with Alice's desperate plan out of loyalty to its trainer; however, Alice's guilt remained. She felt the Ball wiggle weakly in her hand. Numel had understood the situation; it, too, agreed that there had been no other way.

But I wish there had been. There's no excuse for what I just did. If I use my Pokemon as tools, how am I any different from Team Flare or Team Meteor?

What was done was done. For now, Alice had a battle to win. She would not allow Numel's sacrifice to be in vain.

"Noibat, I choose you!"

"Come out, Skuntank."

Even as she threw her Pokeball, she could feel her movements becoming sluggish. The neurotoxin was doing its work; Alice was almost out of time.

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 32 [57]
Ability: Iron Fist
Item: None
-Feint
-Torment
-Flame Wheel
-Mach Punch

Linoone - Level 32
Ability: Pick Up
Item: None
-Pin Missile
-Cut
-Slash
-Covet

Gardevoir - Level 32 [57]
Ability: Trace
Item: None
-Calm Mind
-Psychic
-Teleport
-Draining Kiss

Manectric - Level 30

Ability: Lightning Rod

Item: None

-Ice Fang [egg move]

-Bite

-Quick Attack

-Discharge

Gyarados - Level 32 [57]

Ability: Moxie

Item: None

-Thrash

-Ice Fang

-Bite

-Dragon Rage

Jumpluff - Level 30

Ability: Infiltrator

Item: Miracle Seed

-Mega Drain

-Fairy Wind

-Leech Seed

-Sleep Powder

Trainer Profile: Alice

Trainer Rank: B+

Badges: 1

Current team:

Wartortle - Level 32

Ability: Rain Dish

Item: None

-Bite

-Aqua Tail

-Water Pulse

-Rapid Spin

Mawile - Level 49

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 30

Ability: Poison Point

Item: None

-Grass Whistle

-Giga Drain

-Toxic Spikes

-Leech Seed

Numel - Level 31

Ability: Simple

Item: None

-Lava Plume

-Focus Energy

-Earth Power

-Take Down

Pichu - Level 29

Ability: Lightning Rod

Item: Light Ball

-Volt Tackle [egg move]

-Thunderbolt [TM]

-Iron Tail [tutored]

-Icicle Crash [???]

Noibat - Level 28

Ability: Infiltrator

Item: None

-Agility

-Air Cutter

-Bite

-Roost

Edited July 31, 2015 by Seehan

[Seehan]

Alice

Alice sank to her knees, gasping for breath, as Noibat collapsed onto the ground in a smoking heap. Across the battlefield, Corey appraised her with a disappointed look.

"It seems as though I misjudged you. Even while facing a team befitting your number of badges, you are still unable to stand up against me. I have had enough of this farce; the time to end this battle has come."

Alice's heart pounded, and she closed her eyes in defeat. Already, her thoughts were beginning to drift. She was out of time.

I guess... This is it. I'm so sorry, Seehan. I've failed.

The thought of becoming like Victoria and the Officers repulsed her, but there was nothing she could do.

If only... I had more time...

If only I had more power.

As Alice collapsed onto the stone floor, a memory crept up from the depths of her mind. It was a memory from long ago; one long forgotten.

No.

It was one... She had been made to forget.

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 32 [57]
Ability: Iron Fist
Item: None
-Feint
-Torment
-Flame Wheel
-Mach Punch

Linoone - Level 32
Ability: Pick Up
Item: None
-Pin Missile
-Cut
-Slash
-Covet

Gardevoir - Level 32 [57]
Ability: Trace
Item: None
-Calm Mind
-Psychic
-Teleport
-Draining Kiss

Manectric - Level 30

Ability: Lightning Rod

Item: None

-Ice Fang [egg move]

-Bite

-Quick Attack

-Discharge

Gyarados - Level 32 [57]

Ability: Moxie

Item: None

-Thrash

-Ice Fang

-Bite

-Dragon Rage

Jumpluff - Level 30

Ability: Infiltrator

Item: Miracle Seed

-Mega Drain

-Fairy Wind

-Leech Seed

-Sleep Powder

Trainer Profile: Alice

Trainer Rank: B+

Badges: 1

Current team:

Wartortle - Level 32

Ability: Rain Dish

Item: None

-Bite

-Aqua Tail

-Water Pulse

-Rapid Spin

Mawile - Level 49

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 30

Ability: Poison Point

Item: None

-Grass Whistle

-Giga Drain

-Toxic Spikes

-Leech Seed

Numel - Level 31

Ability: Simple

Item: None

-Lava Plume

-Focus Energy

-Earth Power

-Take Down

Pichu - Level 29

Ability: Lightning Rod

Item: Light Ball

-Volt Tackle [egg move]

-Thunderbolt [TM]

-Iron Tail [tutored]

-Icicle Crash [???]

Noibat - Level 30

Ability: Infiltrator

Item: None

-Agility

-Air Cutter

-Bite

-Roost

Edited August 19, 2015 by Seehan

[Seehan]

10 Years Ago

Alice

Laverre City was at the peak of its beauty during Autumn. With its many trees becoming crimson, and crisp air pervading the sleepy town, it had become the site of many gatherings of both people and Pokemon alike. The leaves crunched beneath Alice's foot as she ran along the footpath, followed closely by her mother's Mawile. She impatiently pushed her long black hair out of her face as she hurried along. The little girl was in a rush; after all, today was the day her big sister succeeded the Laverre gym. The gym had been run by her family for generations; when Alice was old enough, she too would be expected to help out. Alice got to the the gym just in time to see Valerie, her sister, end the opening ceremony. Alice had been expecting this; after all, she hadn't wanted to sit through the boring ceremony anyway. She had come for the main event; the changing of guard. The event consisted of a full on 6v6 single battle between the old and new Leaders. Of course, it didn't matter who won; Valerie would be taking the mantle of the Fairy Type Gym no matter what happened today.

The two Leaders took up their positions on the battlefield; Valerie stood in the Challenger's box while their grandmother stood in the Leader's position. Alice and Valerie's mother had moved up from being gym leader several years before, briefly taking the post of Champion before retiring her position to the prodigy Diantha. The legendary trainer now beckoned to her younger daughter, frowning at her tardiness and gesturing towards an empty seat beside her. Alice happily sat, her Mawile escort returning to its trainer's side. Together, they watched from their front row seats as the battle began.

Valerie put up a good fight, but their grandmother had over 60 years of experience. In a flash, she had Valerie down to her last Pokemon, only losing 2 of hers in the process. Valerie grit her teeth, and sent out her Mawile.
"Mawile, Mega Evolve!"

Then something strange happened.

As Mawile Mega Evolved, Valerie's eyes became opaque, like a night sky. Golden sparkles dotted her cornea like stars.

The battle ended quickly after that.

Valerie swept her grandmother's team with just her Mawile, even bringing their grandmother's own Mega Mawile to its knees. As they shook hands after the match, Alice felt a curious sensation run through her. She itched to go talk to her sister and grandmother to find out what had just occurred. She got her chance several hours later, as the crowd dispersed. Alice ran forward, towards the podium, where Valerie and their grandmother were stretching and groaning from stiffness.
"Val! What the heck was that?! How'd you beat grandma?"
"I'm... Not sure. But we're about to find out." She turned to the elderly woman sitting beside her. "You said you'd explain what happened after the ceremony, right? Well, I'm listening."
The old woman sighed.
"Young ones these days. So impatient!" She shook her head. "I suppose I did promise though. Take a seat, Alice. You too, Wendy."
Alice turned to see her mother stride up to join them. The older woman had a knowing look on her face, but seemed content in allowing her own mother to explain.

"As you two know, our family has always had close ties with the Pokemon called Mawile. We are each given one as our starter when we begin our journeys, and we live beside them for our lifetimes. This has been so, for hundreds of years. As time passed, their fae energy began to... Affect us, in various ways." She paused, as if unsure about how to proceed. "For some of us, like myself, their energies gave long life and limited psychic abilities. For others, like your mother and now you, Valerie, they gave something else. A special ability, one that allows the user to observe the world, and change the reality of what they see. It is extremely rare, and very powerful. It only appears in those pure of heart, and who have bonded completely with their Pokemon."

"Its name is Inverse Eye."

The elderly woman turned to her eldest granddaughter. "The fact that you have been granted this gift, Valerie, means that you must learn to control it. As it is a power that bends reality, it is important to use it sparingly and with great restraint. Uncontrolled use could change the world forever."
Valerie nodded grimly. As the 3 women got up and began packing away their seats, chatting as they worked, they failed to notice Alice sulking in the background.
If oneechan[big sister] can use the ability, it means I can too!

***

Alice stomped through the swamp, trampling the mud and plants in her tantrum. It was close to midnight, and all around her were the sounds of nocturnal Pokemon beginning their nightly hunts and travels. She wasn't scared; she had lived among the Pokemon her entire life, and they had never bothered her. As she continued her walk however, lost in thought, Alice was snapped out of her daze by an unfamiliar sound. Looking around wildly, she found herself in a part of the swamp she had never been in before. She turned to retrace her steps-
-and found herself face to face with a gigantic Seismitoad. Its grubby eyes looked down at her, and Alice felt a chill run down her spine as she realized it was looking at her like its next meal.

Alice fled frantically through the swamp, the toad Pokemon close on her heels. It was toying with her; if it truly felt like catching her, it could use its tongue or Ground moves to slow her down. Tears ran down the girl's face as she gasped for breath. At last, she slipped in a puddle, and fell face first into the muddy floor of the swamp. She tried desperately to extricate herself from the mud, but was unable to stand before being grabbed around the waist and lifted high into the air by a long, rough tongue. Screaming in terror, the girl made eye contact with the Pokemon that was about to devour her.

Time stopped.

Alice's eyes had turned opaque, like her sister's had that morning.

The Seismitoad froze. It instantly detected the danger it was in; living close to a Fairy type city had ingrained a fear of the fae deep into its bones. Dropping the girl, the Water and Ground type fled hurriedly, leaving the girl writhing in pain in the mud. Alice clutched at her head and gasped as the world spun around her. Up was down and down was up; nothing was making sense.

Fairy and Psychic type Pokemon across the city lifted their heads in alarm as they detected a massive surge of energy rising in the swamp. Wendy and her mother dashed out of their family home, nodding to one another. They both understood the situation. Quickly explaining what was happening to a just arriving Valerie, the three trainers quickly called out their Pokemon and used Teleport, arriving next to the struggling Alice instantly.

Alice's grandmother quickly knelt down beside the writhing child, examining her symptoms.
"The fae, it's overwhelming her. Alice is far too young to control the power, and at this rate-"
"We have to slow the flow of power somehow! Mom, can't we do something?"
"Calm down, Wendy. I can seal the power, but I'll need both of you to help me."
Nodding, the two women knelt down beside the elder, and the three generations of Laverre Gym Leaders began a low, steady chant. Alice began to glow, and her little body slowly eased its tension. The women did not let up, and half an hour later, it was done. Alice was safe.

However, she was not unscathed.

Her hair had faded from its former luscious black to a golden blonde. Something irreparable had changed inside of her.

Her grandmother shook her head sadly.
"It's a shame, but Alice will never truly be at full strength ever again. If we didn't permanently seal some of the power away, she would have died. At least now, she will be able to live a long and fulfilled life; however, she will probably be unable to ever make use of her fae heritage. Look; her blonde hair is a sign of the loss of her magic."
Valerie looked shaken.
"So... Will she be like this forever?"
Her grandmother gave her a tired but kind smile.
"If she lives among Fairy types for a time, she should regain a portion of her ability. She will never again be as strong as any of us three in terms of the fae, but she may at least be able to utilize the Eye."
Wendy nodded.
"However, living among Fairy types might just cause this to happen again. From what just happened, it's clear that Alice has a potential far greater than anyone in our family. It may be in her best interest to separate her from Laverre City and the fairies, at least until she is old enough to control her strength. I will take her back to Lumiose City with me; the science and technology present there may help to counteract some of the fae and maintain the seal."
Valerie turned to her sleeping sister, her face anguished.
"... She won't remember any of this, will she. I recognized some of the chant. We didn't just seal away the fae; we sealed her memories as well."
Her grandmother nodded.
"... You are correct. You and I are inherently tied to the fae. In order to avoid triggering her power, we must also isolate her from all sources of our magic. This includes the events of tonight, as well as much of her life here in Laverre City."
Tears trickled down Valerie's face as she cupped her hand over her sister's cheek. As Wendy scooped Alice up and Teleported away, the girl began to cry in earnest. Her grandmother watched her somberly. There was nothing she could say. After all, she too felt like bursting into tears.

Even she, a grizzled old woman, couldn't stop a single tear from escaping her eye.

Edited October 28, 2015 by Seehan

[Seehan]

Alice

As Corey turned away, he paused. No... It couldn't be. The neurotoxin should have left her completely immobile until it corrupted her brain. However, what he was hearing behind him was completely contrary to this fact. It was the sound... Of someone getting up. He turned around.

Alice was crouching over the unconscious body of her Noibat, her silky black hair hiding her expression.

"I'm sorry, Noibat. I messed up; I won't let this happen again."

Quickly recalling her Pokemon, Alice stood, and looked Corey in the eye. Her eyes were opaque, with golden stars dancing in its inky depths. Corey felt something stir within him. Was this... Fear? It was an emotion he hadn't felt in a long time, and he wasn't at all sure he liked it.

"Hm. So it appears you had some strength left. It means nothing; soon the neurotoxin will-"

"Toxin? Sorry. In my world, Poison has little effect on Fairies."

Corey was taken aback. What was Alice talking about? It appeared she wasn't bluffing, however; she was standing on her own two feet, in seemingly perfect health.

"I actually have to thank you, Corey. If it weren't for all this neurotoxin, the Fairy type seal my grandmother placed on me would have never been lifted. You were right on that count; Poison is super effective against Fairy. I was scared; at first, I thought my ability was coming from the PULSEs. If I had those monstrous machines to thank for my ability, I wouldn't have even wanted it. Now that I remember everything though, I know I have nothing to fear."

"What on earth are you talking about, girl?"

"You don't need to know. Let's do this, Pichu!"

Alice sent out her last Pokemon. However, the light from its Pokeball did not fade even as it appeared on the field. The light intensified, into the light of evolution. As Alice and her new Pikachu faced off against Corey and his Skuntank, the older man felt a bead of sweat form on his brow as the first seeds of apprehensiveness appeared in his mind.

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 32 [57]
Ability: Iron Fist
Item: None
-Feint
-Torment
-Flame Wheel
-Mach Punch

Linoone - Level 32
Ability: Pick Up
Item: None
-Pin Missile
-Cut
-Slash
-Covet

Gardevoir - Level 32 [57]
Ability: Trace
Item: None
-Calm Mind
-Psychic
-Teleport
-Draining Kiss

Manectric - Level 30

Ability: Lightning Rod

Item: None

-Ice Fang [egg move]

-Bite

-Quick Attack

-Discharge

Gyarados - Level 32 [57]

Ability: Moxie

Item: None

-Thrash

-Ice Fang

-Bite

-Dragon Rage

Jumpluff - Level 30

Ability: Infiltrator

Item: Miracle Seed

-Mega Drain

-Fairy Wind

-Leech Seed

-Sleep Powder

Trainer Profile: Alice

Trainer Rank: S

**Note: Alice's Trainer Rank without Inverse Eye would be B+.**

Badges: 1

Current team:

Wartortle - Level 32

Ability: Rain Dish

Item: None

-Bite

-Aqua Tail

-Water Pulse

-Rapid Spin

Mawile - Level 49

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 30

Ability: Poison Point

Item: None

-Grass Whistle

-Giga Drain

-Toxic Spikes

-Leech Seed

Numel - Level 31

Ability: Simple

Item: None

-Lava Plume

-Focus Energy

-Earth Power

-Take Down

Pikachu - Level 30

Ability: Lightning Rod

Item: Light Ball

-Volt Tackle [egg move]

-Thunderbolt [TM]

-Iron Tail [tutored]

-Icicle Crash [???]

Noibat - Level 30

Ability: Infiltrator

Item: None

-Agility

-Air Cutter

-Bite

-Roost

Edited October 28, 2015 by Seehan

[Seehan]

Alice

"Incinerate."

"Slice through it with Iron Tail!"

Corey's Skuntank fired a globule of flame towards its opponent. Rather than dodging the attack, Alice's Pikachu instead charged forward, its tail glowing with a metallic gleam. Cutting through the Fire type move easily, the Electric type Pokemon scored a direct hit on its opponent, causing the Poison and Dark type to cry out in pain and stumble backwards.

Corey could not comprehend what was happening, even if his impassive face showed no sign of emotion.

"I do not understand. A Steel type move should have been easily repelled by a Fire type move... What is your secret?"

"Sometimes, you just have to look at things from a different angle. Pikachu, finish it! Thunderbolt!"

"Acid Spray."

As Pikachu leapt into the air and charged its body with electricity, it was met with a face full of acid. Crying out in surprise and pain, it nonetheless managed to complete its attack, sending a shard of pulsing electricity into the body of its opponent. Screeching in agony, Corey's Skuntank stiffened once then fell, a blackened husk. Corey retrieved it, his last Pokeball already at the ready in his grasp.

Alice's gaze narrowed as she surveyed the damage her Pikachu had taken from its opponent's final attack. There appeared to be some scarring along its cheek pouches.

It looks like Pikachu won't be using any more electric moves this battle.

The thought did not panic her; rather, it was more like a minor handicap than anything truly meaningful. Even with just two moves, Alice was sure she could win.

Rubbing the Electric Mouse along its furry head, Alice started as the Pokemon looked up at her, its eyes full of confidence. It believed that its trainer could lead it to victory. The girl smiled down at it.

"Let's finish this."

Corey released his final Pokemon. In a flash of light, his Crobat appeared in the air above the battlefield, its sharp gaze surveying its opponent.

"And it comes to this. I will retract my earlier statement; you are indeed a worthy opponent. However, this is the end. You no long have any moves that can defeat my Crobat."

"Don't count me out yet. I still have plenty of surprises."

"We shall see. Crobat, Poison Fang."

"Iron Tail!"

Even with the type advantage, when the two Pokemon clashed, it was Pikachu that was pushed back. Although Pikachu took little damage from the attack, the exchange was a testament to Crobat's strength.

However, Alice was undeterred.

"Pikachu, now's the time! Icicle Crash!"

Leaping into the air, Pikachu swiped its tail through the air, sending several freezing projectiles hurtling towards its opponent.

Alice did not miss the look of shock that crossed Corey's face. Something had broken his composure.

Sure, the move is definitely rare to see on Pikachu, but for him to be shocked to this extent? Could it be that... He's seen this Pikachu before?

Even as the thought flashed through Alice's mind, the Ice type move struck the Flying and Poison type head on, dealing super effective damage and driving it to the floor. Alice did not relent.

"Iron Tail!"

Appearing next to its opponent in a streak of yellow, Pikachu's gleaming tail made a silver crescent through the air as it sliced downwards-

-but at the last moment, Crobat dodged around the attack and sunk its fangs into Pikachu's shoulder. Purple bubbles floated through the air as Crobat tossed Pikachu to the side, its attack having been more effective than merely dealing damage.

"And now, Heather's- no, your Pikachu is poisoned. Your time is limited; feel the helplessness of reality as the clock begins to tick down."

"Pikachu and I won't back down from something like this."

"We shall see. Venoshock."

"Icicle Crash, one more time!"

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 32 [57]
Ability: Iron Fist
Item: None
-Feint
-Torment
-Flame Wheel
-Mach Punch

Linoone - Level 32
Ability: Pick Up
Item: None
-Pin Missile
-Cut
-Slash
-Covet

Gardevoir - Level 32 [57]
Ability: Trace
Item: None
-Calm Mind
-Psychic
-Teleport
-Draining Kiss

Manectric - Level 30

Ability: Lightning Rod

Item: None

-Ice Fang [egg move]

-Bite

-Quick Attack

-Discharge

Gyarados - Level 32 [57]

Ability: Moxie

Item: None

-Thrash

-Ice Fang

-Bite

-Dragon Rage

Jumpluff - Level 30

Ability: Infiltrator

Item: Miracle Seed

-Mega Drain

-Fairy Wind

-Leech Seed

-Sleep Powder

Trainer Profile: Alice

Trainer Rank: S

**Note: Alice's Trainer Rank without Inverse Eye would be B+.**

Badges: 1

Current team:

Wartortle - Level 32

Ability: Rain Dish

Item: None

-Bite

-Aqua Tail

-Water Pulse

-Rapid Spin

Mawile - Level 49

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 30

Ability: Poison Point

Item: None

-Grass Whistle

-Giga Drain

-Toxic Spikes

-Leech Seed

Numel - Level 31

Ability: Simple

Item: None

-Lava Plume

-Focus Energy

-Earth Power

-Take Down

Pikachu - Level 31

Ability: Lightning Rod

Item: Light Ball

-Volt Tackle [egg move]

-Thunderbolt [TM]

-Iron Tail [tutored]

-Icicle Crash [???]

Noibat - Level 30

Ability: Infiltrator

Item: None

-Agility

-Air Cutter

-Bite

-Roost

Edited October 28, 2015 by Seehan

[Seehan]

Alice

The battle raged on and on. Neither Corey nor Alice had any intention of giving in and their Pokemon responded to their feelings, pouring their hearts into the battle. Although Crobat had failed to sneak past Pikachu's defenses a second time, Pikachu was unable to use the electrical speed and power it needed to finish the battle. As time passed, Pikachu began to grow weaker and weaker. It was as Corey had predicted; the poison was beginning to cripple its movements. Alice had done her best to slow the spread of poison with her Inverse Eye, but it was no use. She had maybe minutes before Pikachu collapsed.

The poison, however, was not the only time limit Alice had to face.

A strand of blonde hair drifted across her face, mixed in among the black.

This was the blocking of her full potential that her grandmother had talked about, so long ago. For the past few minutes, Alice's hair had slowly been returning to its blonde coloring. She was also finding it harder and harder to maintain the version of reality seen through her Inverse Eye.

I won't be able to use my fae abilities for any longer than 15 minutes at a time, it seems. I need to end this before the magic fades and the neurotoxin begins to affect me again.

"Iron Tail!"

"I am beginning to tire of this. Poison Fang."

As it had the last several times Alice had tried to attack it directly, Crobat easily deflected Pikachu's attack, sending both Pokemon flying apart unharmed. Although Crobat had not dealt any damage with its attack, it was in a situation where it did not need to deal any more than it already had. As long as it remained standing, it would eventually defeat its opponent through the poisoning it had inflicted earlier. Corey was perfectly content with fighting defensively.

This really isn't good. I need to pierce through its defenses somehow.

She was pulled from her thoughts by a sharp command from Corey. He had noticed a gap in Pikachu's defense, and ordered his Crobat to attack.

"Venom Drench."

Time seemed to slow down as the wave of sludge sailed towards Alice's Pikachu. Alice's eyes followed the path of the attack, trying desperately to think of a way to evade and counter attack.

If only Pikachu could use its electricity!

And then she locked her eyes onto the Light Ball around Pikachu's neck. If the Electric type couldn't generate its own power, it would have to get it from another source.

"Pikachu! Use the power from the Light Ball! Volt Tackle!"

Grasping the yellow ball hanging around its neck, sparks crackled around the Electric type Pokemon-

-before it vanished in a jolt of lightning. Crobat's attack splashed harmlessly against the floor where Pikachu had just been standing.

Trying to follow the path of electricity left in Pikachu's wake, Crobat's eyes were still not fast enough to catch the little Pokemon appearing in the air just behind it. With a cry of defiance and finality, Pikachu drove its electric-charged body into that of its opponent, smashing both Pokemon into the cold stone floor. Dust and debris were thrown into the air, masking the two Pokemon. Alice clenched her fist. Was this it?

Her question was answered when the dust cleared. Only one Pokemon stood and walked unsteadily back to its trainer.

The Pokemon's fur was yellow.

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 32 [57]
Ability: Iron Fist
Item: None
-Feint
-Torment
-Flame Wheel
-Mach Punch

Linoone - Level 32
Ability: Pick Up
Item: None
-Pin Missile
-Cut
-Slash
-Covet

Gardevoir - Level 32 [57]
Ability: Trace
Item: None
-Calm Mind
-Psychic
-Teleport
-Draining Kiss

Manectric - Level 30

Ability: Lightning Rod

Item: None

-Ice Fang [egg move]

-Bite

-Quick Attack

-Discharge

Gyarados - Level 32 [57]

Ability: Moxie

Item: None

-Thrash

-Ice Fang

-Bite

-Dragon Rage

Jumpluff - Level 30

Ability: Infiltrator

Item: Miracle Seed

-Mega Drain

-Fairy Wind

-Leech Seed

-Sleep Powder

Trainer Profile: Alice

Trainer Rank: S

**Note: Alice's Trainer Rank without Inverse Eye would be B+.**

Badges: 1

Current team:

Wartortle - Level 32

Ability: Rain Dish

Item: None

-Bite

-Aqua Tail

-Water Pulse

-Rapid Spin

Mawile - Level 49

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 30

Ability: Poison Point

Item: None

-Grass Whistle

-Giga Drain

-Toxic Spikes

-Leech Seed

Numel - Level 31

Ability: Simple

Item: None

-Lava Plume

-Focus Energy

-Earth Power

-Take Down

Pikachu - Level 33

Ability: Lightning Rod

Item: Light Ball

-Volt Tackle [egg move]

-Thunderbolt [TM]

-Iron Tail [tutored]

-Icicle Crash [???]

Noibat - Level 30

Ability: Infiltrator

Item: None

-Agility

-Air Cutter

-Bite

-Roost

Edited October 28, 2015 by Seehan

[Seehan]

Hey all! Now, anyone who's been following the story will have noticed that I kind of disappeared off the face of the Earth for a few months. Long story short, a lot of things happened, school started up again, and honestly I got a little burnt out. However, I also feel bad about leaving the story where I did, so I'll be starting up my writing again on the side when I have some free time. I'll finish up the current arc, then take a hiatus again for a while (probably until the next episode is released). For those have have been waiting for the next release, I'm sorry I dipped. For those that don't care, feel free to read up from the beginning and catch up on Seehan and Alice's adventures ^^ See you all in a bit!

Seehan

[Seehan]

Seehan

Seehan burst into the room just in time to see the last of Alice's hair fade from black to her usual blonde. It confirmed what he had suspected; Alice was of Fairy lineage. He had suspected as much, from the way she resembled Valerie of the Laverre Gym. Alice had at last tapped into her latent power, breaking free of the seal placed on her so many years before. Rushing to her side, he saw that the power had not come without a price; the girl kneeling beside him was exhausted, her gaze hazy and out of focus. Her Pikachu had won the battle, but now both Trainer and Pokemon were feeling the effects of the neurotoxins and poisons they had been exposed to. Seehan had to act quickly.

Swinging his bag off his back, the dark haired youth picked through its contents, swiftly extracting several Pecha Berries and an Antidote. He ignored his own injuries and tended to those in front of him; though he had been victorious in his battle royale with the officers, he had not emerged completely unscathed. His injuries were minor, however, compared to those of Alice and her Pokemon, so he grit his teeth and ignored the pain as he fed the Berries to Pikachu and sprayed the Antidote into Alice's nostrils. The officers themselves had been knocked safely unconscious, though there had been no saving the Chief.

Upon taking the Antidote, Alice shivered slightly before opening her eyes. Looking around as she sat up, she quickly deduced her situation and nodded in thanks to Seehan before unsteadily getting to her feet. Seehan stood as well, and as Alice recalled her now unconscious Pikachu, he turned to face the man standing silently on the other side of the battlefield. Corey had recalled his Crobat, and had not moved to flee or interfere as Seehan treated Alice.

The older man opened his mouth.

"... To think my own Pokemon would be the cause of my defeat. Well done, Alice."

"I've won. Will you fulfill your side of the deal?"

"Meet me on Beryl Bridge. The gym is not the place to talk about the things I wish to say. Fear not; I will not attempt to flee. I know when I have been beaten."

Whirling around, the man strolled out the gym doors. From her body language, it was clear that Alice wished to keep him in her sights; however, Seehan had a feeling Corey hadn't been lying. Turning to Alice, he noticed her shaking legs. It was clear that she had been extremely weakened by her ordeal.

"For now, let's use the gym's healing machine to rest your Pokemon a bit; it wouldn't do to let them suffer in their Balls."

Alice nodded, and together the two trainers returned to the gym's foyer.

The unconscious officers groaned as Seehan and Alice stepped through the doors at the top of the stairs. Some had limbs bent at unusual angles. Seehan, having been in a hurry to finish the battle and help Alice, had not been gentle in taking them down. While Seehan normally would have had a difficult time defeating that many well trained officers alone with the Pokemon he currently had, the officers, being in their neurotoxined states, had been much weaker than they normally would have been.

While Alice used the healing machine at the foot of the stairs, Seehan recovered the corpse of the Chief of Police. Though there was nothing he could do for the man, Seehan felt the older man at the very least deserved to be free from his noose. He bent his head in silent prayer over the deceased, then got to his feet and rejoined Alice at the door.

"Let's go get some answers."

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 33 [58]
Ability: Iron Fist
Item: None
-Feint
-Torment
-Flame Wheel
-Mach Punch

Linoone - Level 32
Ability: Pick Up
Item: None
-Pin Missile
-Cut
-Slash
-Covet

Gardevoir - Level 32 [57]
Ability: Trace
Item: None
-Calm Mind
-Psychic
-Teleport
-Draining Kiss

Manectric - Level 31

Ability: Lightning Rod

Item: None

-Ice Fang [egg move]

-Bite

-Quick Attack

-Discharge

Gyarados - Level 32 [57]

Ability: Moxie

Item: None

-Thrash

-Ice Fang

-Bite

-Dragon Rage

Jumpluff - Level 31

Ability: Infiltrator

Item: Miracle Seed

-Mega Drain

-Fairy Wind

-Leech Seed

-Sleep Powder

Trainer Profile: Alice

Trainer Rank: S

**Note: Alice's Trainer Rank without Inverse Eye would be B+.**

Badges: 1

Current team:

Wartortle - Level 32

Ability: Rain Dish

Item: None

-Bite

-Aqua Tail

-Water Pulse

-Rapid Spin

Mawile - Level 49

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 30

Ability: Poison Point

Item: None

-Grass Whistle

-Giga Drain

-Toxic Spikes

-Leech Seed

Numel - Level 31

Ability: Simple

Item: None

-Lava Plume

-Focus Energy

-Earth Power

-Take Down

Pikachu - Level 33

Ability: Lightning Rod

Item: Light Ball

-Volt Tackle [egg move]

-Thunderbolt [TM]

-Iron Tail [tutored]

-Icicle Crash [???]

Noibat - Level 30

Ability: Infiltrator

Item: None

-Agility

-Air Cutter

-Bite

-Roost

Edited October 28, 2015 by Seehan

[Seehan]

They confronted Corey atop the crumbling bricks of Beryl Bridge. From their elevated position, the trainers were treated to a beautiful view that overlooked the entirety of Reborn City. The aged Leader had his back to the trainers, his face looking over the city spread before them.

"Disgusting, isn't it? The state of this once beautiful city."

Corey spoke without turning. Seehan and Alice, though listening, were still on guard around the older man. It was always possible, after all, that this was all a trap. The man made as if to continue, but was interrupted as a massive shadow, followed by a gust of wind, appeared overhead. A Salamence was recalled into its Ball, and from the sky dropped a pink haired girl. As Corey turned to face her, his face showed no surprise, but perhaps a touch of sadness.

"Heather... I-"

"Shut up."

As the girl glared at the Gym Leader, Alice was struck by their familial resemblance.

They really are father and daughter.

Alice started as Heather glanced in her general direction.

"Oh, hey Alice. Seehan."

Seehan nodded to her. There was no need for introductions between the two; they had met previously while Seehan had been searching for Team Meteor within the Ward.

The girl turned back to face her father.

"I'm leaving. Bye."

"Excuse me?"

For the time since Alice had met him, Corey looked genuinely concerned.

"I'm leaving. For good. As in running away. You know you can't stop me, so don't even try."

Corey's eyes took an edge of panic.

"Stop. Stop right this-"

"Make me. Guess what? You can't. I'm done listening to you, I'm done listening to your stupid rules, and most importantly, I'm done having a father who's teamed up with those Meteor scumbags. I am sick of you trying to control my life!"

She turned away, her chest heaving. Alice was about to reach out to touch her shoulder, when she was stopped by Seehan's arm. Looking at him, he shook his head. It was better to stay out of this particular conflict.

Heather looked towards the sky.

"I'm done. Bye."

"You are being completely irresponsible. You can't just fly away and hope all your problems will be solved."

Corey tried reasoning with his daughter one last time.

"What would your mother say?"

Heather looked at her father one last time.

"How would I know? I killed her, remember?"

A flash of light ignited from Heather's Pokeball, and her Salamence reappeared next to its trainer. Its sharp gaze settled on Corey, as if daring him to come after them.

"Heather."

"What?"

"You took your mother's ring, did you not? Don't lose it."

Heather didn't reply. Instead, she climbed onto her Pokemon's back, and with a rush of air, shot off Beryl Bridge and disappeared into the horizon. Corey watched her go, with the eyes of a man who had lost everything he had ever cared for. Under his breath, the man muttered to himself, as if in a daze.

"So that's it. 10 years of torment... For her to vanish just as quickly..."

"No. I'll be at your side soon."

Moments passed, and at last he turned to face the two trainers head on.

"... What do you wish to know?"

Edited November 15, 2015 by Seehan