[IC] Pokemon: Luminous Dawn- Chapter 1- A Bright Future!

[K_H]

"Routes of Hazzard!" - Jack

Jack saw Leonidas' Opponent go down, and then finally issued a command, having waited.

"All right, Leonidas and Lara, You two did well, but I'll do the decisions now. Leonidas, Charge. Lara, Howl."

"Routes of Hazzard!" - Leonidas

Leonidas heard Jack's command, and set up for his next Attack. To do so, he bristled, Electricity gathering to him in preparation for his next attack.

"Routes of Hazzard!" - Lara

Lara heard Jack, too, but was a little confused at his command, but decided to just go with it. So, she howled fiercely, her resolve to fight increasing even further as she did so.

Edited April 5, 2016 by K_H

[starkidcosmo]

Routes of Hazzard - Final Stretch - Mio

After ensuring that the club-wielding Patrat was down (and enduring the pang of guilt that came with it), Mio hurried over to the barely-conscious Meena.

"Oh Meena..." he breathed, kneeling over his precious Meowth. He sprayed the potion on the wounds on Meena's back and watched with relief as they closed. Soon, Meena was ready for action, although not every wound had been closed.

As Mio stood and readied himself for action, a blur that could only be the Boss Watchog swept past, heading directly for Titan. The monster of a Pokemon shrugged off an ember from Apollo without even flinching.

"Meena, bite and don't let go! Loam..." Mio suddenly realized that Loam had probably learned a new move. Somewhat belatedly, he ripped out his Pokedex and scanned his Mudkip companion as Meena shot off towards their enemy. Sure enough, she had learned mud-slap.

"Loam, mud-slap!" Loam responded by darting closer to the Watchog and swinging her tail fin hard, hopefully kicking up enough dirt and dust to blind the thing at least a little.

BAG-

Potion (x1)

Pokeball (x5)

XTransceiver

Rollerblades

Edited April 10, 2016 by genderlesshawke

[Shadow Sketches]

Apollo and Alecks

Alecks clicked his tongue in annoyance as he saw Hog dodge the Ember so easily. He was really fast, they needed to be careful about fighting him. Luckily, it seemed the others were beginning to attack together. Their only hope was to overwhelm Hog with their numbers. "Apollo, use Scratch on his back to keep Hog busy!" They couldn't risk using a fire move with Gomez's absorb attached to Hog's legs, they may have ended up burning them off accidentally.

Apollo immediately ran forward and around Hog before jumping in the air and raising his left hand as he leaped towards Hog. Apollo's nails began to glow slightly white before his hand clawed down in an arc aimed at Hog's back.

Edited April 5, 2016 by Shadow Sketches

[Sutoratosu]

And here I was, thinking I'd never find a use for these PMD themes left over from the past...

Titan was sent sliding back several feet by the impact of Hog's punch, though the rock type manage to survive the blow thanks to Brendan's quick instruction... still, the damage had stung fiercely... but the rock type still had some fight left in him. Unfortunately for the Roggenrola, Hog was still closing in, coming for another blow... but it paid to have one's friends watching out for you. As the Watchog wound up another haymaker, he went down to a single knee as Rascal swiped his heel out from beneath him, and in that same moment, he found himself being dragged away from his target by Gomez's vines... though the sudden change in the boss's positioning caused both Meena's and Loams attacks to miss entirely as he was literally pulled away right out from under the assault path.

"Hoooooog..." the merekat snarled, his crimson peepers fixing on Gomez. As the grass type continued to pull him towards him, the normal type kicked flipped himselft, using his superior right to swing his body upright and grab hold of the vine, that golden glow around him burning even brighter as his eyes flared and snapped the growths with a great tug of might... using that savage strength to get the upperhand on the vine's wielder and send Gomez flying off his feet just as Apollo closed in through the air for his Scratch attack, letting go of the broken vines and as he reeled Gomez forward, setting the two allied combatants right on a collision course for each other for the second time in not even as many hours...

but eh, at least this time, there was no fire involved...

Despite the backfiring of the vine plot in the end though, it's overall objective had still worked. Rather than focusing on Titan's destruction, Hog' was too far from the Rock Type to keep wailing on him... but his wrath was now turned against them all, rather than simply directed at a single impudent source... oh yay, what joyous fun he had instore for them!

But one thing was certain though, given how things had turned out... less than desirable on several other of the attacking fronts. The trainers had the advantage of raw numbers, yes, but unless they could learn to communicate with one another in the heat of battle, coordinate their offense and turn it from the haphazard, random series of blows it currently was into a flowing, sequential onslaught of organized teamwork... things were still gonna be very tough here.

[K_H]

"Routes of Hazzard!" - Jack

Jack spoke to his fellow Trainers.

"I have an idea, guys, but we'll need to work together to pull it off! Have some of our Partners hold the Watchog in place by the limbs while the rest of our Partners do the attacking and support the attackers, and have them attack from the same direction! Additionally, attack from the sides that the Holders aren't on!"

He then turned to Lara.

"Lara, on my first signal, grab one of the arms, and make sure that the Watchog doesn't move."

Jack turned to Leonidas.

"Leonidas, on my second signal, hit him with everything you've got from one of the sides that doesn't put any allies in your path."

The two quadrupeds both gave acknowledging noises, but neither of them made a move to attack just yet.

[Shadow Sketches]

Apollo and Alecks

Apollo didn't have much time to react to the grass type flying straight for him, there wasn't much he could do to try and evade the impact in mid air. So he did his best to try and soften the blow. Cancelling his attack, he spread his arms and "caught" Gomez as the gecko flew straight towards him. The impact sent them flying back and they ended up falling out of the air and landing with a thud in the dirt. The two got separated in the fall and ended up landing slightly apart from each other, Apollo sitting on his rump as he tried to recover from the crash.

Alecks winced as he saw the two crash into each other. Good thing they hadn't used any fire attacks, it could have been a lot worse. "Are you all right Apollo?" After a couple moments, Apollo stood back up onto his feet and nodded towards his trainer. The fire type's pride was hurt at having crashed into one of his allies, but he wouldn't let that stop him from finishing this fight.

Slightly after Apollo had recovered, Alecks listened to Jack's skeptically. "Eh, it's a nice plan Jack but I don't think our pokemon will be able to restrain the Watchog. It's more likely to go awry and end up with some of the attacks hitting our pokemon instead of the Watchog. We just need to keep being on the offensive and wear him down, he can dodge all he wants but sooner or later he's going to get tired and sloppy."

Alecks looked over at Apollo, the fire type giving his trainer an understanding nod. "Okay, use Ember!" Without hesitation, Apollo spat out bolts of burning flames towards the Watchog. The fire type had no problem with full on offensive.

[starkidcosmo]

Routes of Hazzard - Final Stretch - Mio

Mio watched with agitation as the Watchog toyed with the group's Pokemon as if it were nothing.

"But can we really hold out for that long?" He asked Alecks, chewing on his lip as he spoke. "I mean, how long will it take for him to get tired? And our Pokemon have already been fighting hard for a while... It might be better to try and end it quickly."

Mio really didn't know what to do, but he did his best to keep his head clear. For now, maybe he should keep Meena back and wait for an opportunity while Loam laid on a little pressure with Apollo.

"Loam, water gun! Careful not to put out those embers!" Loam responded by spitting out two hard bursts of water at the Watchog.

[Sutoratosu]

The inglorious watchog sidestepped the Ember and Water Gun combo like a Smooth Criminal, body turning to the side and feet sliding away in one fluid motion... as he used the motion to head closer towards the group, still silhouetted by that golden Aura of strength. These humans could keep up their attacks all day long as far as he cared; it was nothing compared to the battles he had fought in long ago, the speed and agility training, the reflex testing, over and over again until he finally got it right.

They could press their offensive, one or two attacks at a time, keep trying to get a bead on him...but they would just delay the inevitable, and it was becoming more and more obvious by the second just how inexperienced they all truly were. They had the advantage here with a larger party, a larger amount of coordination that could be achieved against a single opponent, and yet... they consistently fail to use it effectively.

Not that he was complaining, of course. Their seemingly incompetent strategies thus far would only make it easier to beat them into the dirt.

((Alright, enough... time for a chat OOC))

[Jory]

"Routes of Hazzard!"- We're Outmatched! Regroup!- Jason

The Amateur Trainer grimaced as Boss Hog gracefully dodged the team's attacks. It's no good, he realized. We're still not working as a team and we're getting our asses handed to us! As the Boss Hog approached the group, Jason acted quickly. If no one else would make the call, then he would.

Gomez looked up groggily, shaking his head to clear his vision as he recovered from his and Apollo's second collision. He rose to his feet, remembering their victory over the Captain and steeling his resolve for the coming battle. This wasn't going to be easy, but he trusted Jason completely. It was strange even to Gomez how quickly he had bonded with his new Trainer. After all, they had only just met. But when the pair were battling, they were able to bring out each other's true strength. And that was a bond he would not sully so quickly with a loss, especially not to this Hog. The Grass-type stood up and looked toward his Trainer, ready to battle.

"We have to back off and regroup if we want to win this. Brendan, we'll cover you while you heal Titan! Mio, have Meena use Fake Out and draw the Hog's attention and have Loam use Growl! Jack, have Leo and Lara get ready to attack! Next up is me! Gomez can use Absorb to slow the Hog's advance using Meena's distraction to get us a better chance of catching him off guard! Rascal can use Helping Hand to make his trapping ability stronger while Lara helps him keep the vine in place! Then, Alecks and Jack bring it home with a big attack combo of Flame Wheel and Spark!"

Jason's Pokemon heard their Trainer and quickly darted nearer to the group of Trainers, preparing to commence the combined onslaught once everyone was ready!

[starkidcosmo]

Routes of Hazzard - Final Stretch - Mio

Mio let out an annoyed sigh as the Watchog proved his point with yet another enviably smooth dodge. Random attacks were obviously not going to work anymore.

He was scrambling around mentally in an attempt to think of a plan, but Jason beat him to the punch. Mio was temporarily in awe at his fellow's decisive orders and cool head. Yeah... Jason was just so cool that it took Mio a moment to remember that not only had he been mad at the other trainer, but they were also in the middle of a fight.

Blushing lightly, the embarrassed trainer cleared his throat and called out to his Pokemon. "You heard the man! Let's get on it!"

Meena dashed forwards with two paws raised, looking for her chance to stun the larger opponent. Meanwhile, Loam let out a loud growl... just as she'd been told.

[K_H]

"Routes of Hazzard!" - Regroup! - Jack

Once he heard Jason's plan, Jack smiled, then spoke, eagerness clearly evident on his face.

"Now THAT'S a plan I like!"

He then turned to his partners, grinning.

"You two heard him! Go for it!"

In response, Lara sped towards the Watchog, teeth glowing black as she prepared to grab onto the Watchog once Meena had made it stunned, and would try to hold it as still as she could. Leonidas, meanwhile, simply walked over next to Apollo before turning towards the Watchog, ready to run at the Meerkat with electrically-boosted power the instant that Apollo used his move.

Edited April 14, 2016 by K_H

[Jory]

"Routes of Hazzard!"- Already Awry!- Jason

Jason grimaced as Jack proceeded to immediately mess up his carefully thought-out plan. "Jack, what are you doing!?" he asked, incredulous. He thought he'd been pretty clear that Lara was to help Gomez, but the Poochyena was already halfway across the battlefield, speeding toward the golden-shrouded Boss Hog like she had some kind of death wish. "Lara can't come anywhere close to taking an attack from that Watchog and she isn't fast enough to dodge! Get her back here to help, now!" he ordered. "She needs to help Gomez hang onto the vines tightly enough to slow the Boss Hog down!"

Meanwhile, Gomez sprang into action without the aid of the Poochyena. Rascal began cheerleading for Gomez, his frantic dance enveloping Jason's team in a rainbow-hued aura. The Treecko thrust his hands forward for an Absorb attack. Thanks to his ally's Helping Hand aura a bunch of creepers sprang forth from each hand, going out to the sides and then back in for a flanking attack against the Watchog. The creepers seemed to be growing extra quickly thanks to the aura, tiny roots attaching each creeper to the others and creating a stronger and more ropelike structure than that of a normal Absorb attack.

[K_H]

"Routes of Hazzard!" - Turbulence - Jack

Jack grimaced as he saw Lara speed ahead of Meena, but then spoke, an annoyed look on his face.

"Lara, stop and let Gomez hit it, then hold down the vines to help him!"

In response, Lara came to a screeching halt, teeth losing the black aura as she waited for Gomez's vines to pass her and successfully hit it before going in to help the gecko hold it still by standing on the vines to anchor them to the ground with her weight. However, she did give a bark at Titan to have the rock get over to her and help her hold down the vines, knowing that she wouldn't be heavy enough to do it on her own.

Edited April 14, 2016 by K_H

[Shadow Sketches]

Alecks and Apollo

Alecks watched the others start focusing all their attacks on the Watchog, waiting for their chance to go in. Once they saw Gomez's Absorb start to bind Hog's legs, Alecks nodded to Apollo. "All right, guess it's our turn now. Apollo, use Flame Wheel!"

The fire type was ready and eager to go, he was getting tired of this damn rodent already. At his trainer's command, he somersaulted forward with acrobatic ease as flames began to cover his body until the fire completely hid him from view. The wheel of flames speeding towards Hog alongside the charging sparks that was Leonidas.

[Chim]

Routes of Hazzard – Final Stretch – Brendan

Brendan was already on his way to heal up Titan after Hog’s last attack. Even with the boosted defense the rock type had sustained a lot of damage. “Thank you Professor Juniper for the Eviolite,” the young trainer mumbled while using his second potion of the day. “Or else we would’ve lost a long time ago.

Titan didn’t move. He had failed to stop the Watchog twice now. First he was unable to stand up for his trainer’s idea to negotiate and now he was blown back hard. Even his strongest asset, defense, was useless in this battle.

His pride as a Roggenrola was hurt. He knew that many people looked down on rock types due to their weaknesses running around everywhere, but still he was proud to be a wall. Proud of his strength. Even if it meant going down swinging against opponents like Gomez. And now this Watchog was smacking him to every corner of the battlefield like it was nothing. Not acceptable.

Titan moved immediately after Brendan’s potion worked its magic and hopped over to Lara. He would hold down these vines with all his power, even if it meant getting knocked out. He would show this Watchog what it meant to be a wall.

Bag update:

Xtransceiver
Flashlight
Potion (x1)
Pokéball (x5)
Eviolite (held by Titan)
Razor Fang

[Sutoratosu]

Routes of Hazard- Harbingers of Reason

The growling mudfish and clapping cat managed to divert Hog's attention from Gomez as the lizard dashed to the side, long enough for the others to set up. Without a second thought, he rushed forward like the loosed lightning he was, body glowing bright as a star... until he fell face first into the dust. With eye's redder than the freshest blood spilt by a golbat, he turned his gaze to his leg, only to find the thick cable of vine and plant-life attached. He heaved at the root with all he had, teeth gnashing as the tug of war broke between the two parties, Hog giving the group a run for their money even with their combined weight on the other end. His doubly boosted might was like withstanding a tidal wave of raw fury, slowly dragging them further and further as he got back to his feet and put on the effort.

The moment he did however, he was met with the combined onslaught of thunder and flame, crashing into him like a virtual freight train. The vine burned and singed with electric resistance and raw heat as the force sent him flying back, effectively eating through the line like acid before it finally snapped.

But Hog righted himself in the air, sliding back and coming to a single knee as he landed... though the attack had done a number, hurt quite a bit more than he'd expected from the amateurs, the light in his eyes said he was far from done. He rose yet again. Dark fingers began to erupt from all around, mingling with the cloak of golden aura like oil swirling in water as Hog's eyes deepened, going from bright crimson to the color of spilled, fetid blood as the menace in his gaze pierced through the group all at once. He took a wide stance, before tossing his head to the heavens and giving a roar that carried for miles throughout the woodland, as deep and guttural as a dragon as the darkness grew only stronger around him, dust and stones beginning to rattle and shake as the hat atop his head was blown off by the raw surge of power.

He took a step forward, then another, body bruised but mind steady and fixed. The very earth itself trembled every so slightly with his very stride. Then without delay, he pounced, body preparing to strike and destroy them all. It... had been a long time, since he'd been pushed this far in battle. Far enough to break out the special attack like this. They should've been flattered; not just anyone got dunked on by his signature, it would be a special honor.

Except the attack never landed on any of them. Green Energy hummed and buzzed around hog's fist as he lashed out, a violent reaction of sparking and arcing energy ringing through the air as the glowing sphere that surrounded him struggled to hold back the ruthless assault that surely would've done severe, nigh crippling damage to whomever dared crossed it's path...

In the distance, the two remaining Lieutenant's stood firm, one of them with his hand's raised towards the boss, palms and pupil's alike glowing with pale verdance, sweat breaking on his brow as he went down to a single knee and body trembling from the raw exertion of his feat. His counterpart stepped forward, arms out in what seemed an attempt at placation as Hog's furious stare burned like hot irons into his soul.

"Pat, pat pat trat." He said simply, shaking his head. This was all too much... couldn't boss see that? If he had been pushed enough to bring out the Wreck of Souls... what did it mean? "Rat, rat trat. Patra. ra ra ta."

How long had they all fought for this place, how much blood and sweat and tears had they put into hanging onto it as long as they could? And just how much reward had come from their endeavors, since the invaders had appeared? Why? Why must they continue to fight for a place that no longer held any bounty, any reward, any way to sustain them without having to resort to such methods as thievery and fighting insolent, human brats with no respect of the natural order, of the drive for survival? Why should they all continue to suffer for such a worthless place as this had become?

Why_not leave? why_not find somewhere better? Somewhere where they wouldn't have to worry where tomorrow's food supply would come from, what predator would try to devour them in the night?

Hog was silent for a while. Then with a heavy sigh "Hooooog..." Because if they left, what guarantee would they have of their future? Where would they go, what would they find, if they abandoned the only relative, wretched safety they had?

"Ra ta, patra rat pat ra." What guarantee of their future did they have here? The food was gone, he knew it, Hog knows it... everyone does. Regardless what they do now, nothing can change it back to how it was. The growing season would come again, they'd try to defend the bushes again... the invaders would break through and eat them all, yet again, and they would starve all over again. There was a difference between steadfast determination, and utter futility. This was nothing but futile. Why fight and die over a piece of barren land with nothing to offer? Why kill over a land with nothing to offer? What was the point of even fighting anymore?

"Patrat..." his cohort spoke up, still winded from projecting the Protective field so far away. Green had a point... why was Hog getting so worked up over it? Yeah, sure, the humans beat up on the kiddos- albeit because of Ringo's rash leadership -but it's not like they were crippled or anything. Sometimes vengeance provided temporary satisfaction, but wasn't worth it in the long run. Even if he massacred them all here and now, there would probably be others; If he hurt the brats, it would only make everything worse. Adult ones would come looking for them... ones who would make far worse enemies. All hog was doing was digging everyone an even deeper grave than even hunger was. And besides... the old Meerkat wasn't getting any younger. They all loved him, but if he didn't stop all this rough and tumble business, stop trying to pounce on every threat... well, his zealous attempts to defend them... might just leave them without him.

"H....." The boss let out a sigh of frustration, grinding his teeth as the aura died down around him and the earth stopped trembling. He glanced at the Human brats, then back to his officers. Perhaps... they had a point. This place... it was dead. Had been dead for a while; the dusty ground, the twisted and barren trees, the dry bushes... He'd been so busy trying to keep it all together, trying to keep everyone fed... he hadn't even realized it would all be for nothing if he succeeded. IF the land could not sustain them, they would be forever locked into the life of raiders... such a life would bring nothing but further fighting, more war, more conflict.

Hog already had enough fighting for a lifetime.

"Hog...Wat, howatch."

Whatever he ordered just then, under his breath, the two nodded, and vanished within the underbrush. He gazed back towards the humans. But for the first time, his sight was not fixed on them, but rather the decaying state of their surroundings. The fires of rage had died in those crimson orbs. All that lay beyond them was the wintry chill of what seemed like sorrow... sorrow and reminiscence.

His attention was clearly no longer on them. Though, with the issue of language barrier, the humans would probably scratch their heads at whatever the everloving hell had just transpired, their partners probably understood it well enough.

This fight was over.

[K_H]

"Routes of Hazzard!" - Aftermath - Jack

As soon as the Battle finished, Jack sat down on the ground, stunned at how powerful the Boss had been. Lara and Leonidas noticed his action, and quickly joined his side, causing him to smile a little bit. As he sat with his partners, he spoke to himself, sounding rather shaken.
"Wow. Just wow. That was intense."

Jack then stood up, all feelings of shock going away as he spoke aloud.

"So, what shall we do next?"

Edited April 19, 2016 by K_H

[Jory]

Battle Complete! Rank: A!

-Rascal gained 8 EXP! Rascal leveled up!

-Gomez gained 8 EXP! Gomez leveled up!

-Meena gained 8 EXP! Meena leveled up!

-Loam gained 8 EXP! Loam leveled up!

-Lara gained 8 EXP! Lara leveled up!

-Leonidas gained 8 EXP! Leonidas leveled up!

-Apollo gained 8 EXP! Apollo leveled up!

-Titan gained 8 EXP! Titan leveled up!

Quest updated: "Routes of Hazzard!"

-Defeat the Patrat Gang

-Find Lara and Leonidas

-Defeat Boss Hog

-Return the food to the truck driver

-Retrieve the Driver's hat (Optional)

[Shadow Sketches]

Alecks and Apollo

Alecks saw Apollo's tense body slowly relax as he watched the scene unfold before them. From the looks of it, it seemed the fight was over. From what he could tell, the Watchog had lost the will to keep on fighting. Alecks let out a deep breath as he slightly relaxed along with his partner, the fight had been tougher than he had anticipated. But he knew they had become stronger because of it.

He walked forwards and picked up the trucker's hat that had flown of the Watchog's head during the fight. Apollo followed behind him and looked up at the hat curiously. Alecks brushed some dirt off it before inspecting it curiously, the trucker would probably be glad to have this back. With a quick glance to the others and their surroundings, he spoke up so that everyone could hear him. "So...where's the food?"

[Jory]

Alecks has found Ten Gallon Hat (Key Item)!

Route 1- "Routes of Hazzard!": Epilogue- Jason

As the Boss Hog admitted defeat and all the Pokemon dropped their fighting stances, Jason's heart skipped a beat. "We... We won?" he asked, almost not believing what was going on around him. After all the Patrats, Boss Hog had seemed an insurmountable obstacle. He had seemed a titan looming over the battlefield, eldritch energies preventing him from the faintest resemblance of harm. And yet after a long and arduous battle, a knock-down drag-out brawl, the group of new Trainers had emerged victorious. In Jason's mind, there was only one reasonable reaction to this.

He cheered and raised his fist in the air, running toward his Pokemon. He scooped them up in a big hug, the Minccino and Treecko barely able to react in time to avoid having the air squeezed out of their lungs. They each mounted a shoulder, excited shouts of "Tree-cko!" and "Mincc-Mincc!" echoing through the forest clearing. The new Trainer scratched both on their heads and joined in on the chattering, his voice barely intelligible between his Pokemon's cries and his own enthusiastic babbling about the battle that had just transpired. However, Jason's celebration was interrupted by Jack and Alecks asking what they should do next and where the food was.

"Hmm... That's a great question." Jason turned to the Watchog, looking him in the eye as an equal. After fighting off more than five Pokemon on his own, Boss Hog had more than earned the Amateur's respect. "Mr. Hog, sir, we won that battle. I think it's time you returned the food you stole to us. We don't want to fight anymore; we just want the food so we can be on our way," the Trainer pleaded. Boss Hog looked on, his eyes full of reminiscence as he looked around the forest clearing. Had it really been so long that they'd been here? Or did it just seem that way?

Whatever the case, the Hog had no more quarrel with these children, these pups that knew yet nothing of the sorrow and cruelty the world had to offer. They would learn soon enough. Boss Hog turned his head and barked loudly into the underbrush, prompting a loud rustling behind him. The two Patrat who had run into the forest had returned with a large crate full of food, obviously the one that had been taken from the truck. Hog watched scornfully as the young Trainers and their Pokemon began to gather up the food, preparing to leave the clearing with it.

"Hog!" the large meerkat barked again. The Patrat began to gather themselves up. Those that couldn't move from fatigue were carried by their comrades as they rallied around their leader. "Watchog!" he cried. The Patrat group, led by Boss Hog, turned and vanished into the underbrush. However, Boss Hog could not shake the feeling that this was the last he'd see of these particular Trainers. With strength like theirs even as Amateurs, he was sure they would make it wherever they needed to go.

Jason watched the Watchog and his group of Patrat leave. "I can't say I'm sorry to see them go, but I wish there was another way," he said regretfully. "Without this food, some of them are bound to go hungry. But we couldn't let the same thing happen to the Pokemon at Juniper's Lab, either. I guess in some situations, everybody can't leave happy. Especially the losers," he observed. "Either way, we should get this stuff back to the driver. I'm sure she's worried sick! We've been gone a long time!"

With that said, Jason turned and led the group of Trainers and their Pokemon out of the forest and back toward the main road. Without losing any team members or chasing after Patrat, it was a much faster trip back to the seaside road.

Route 1- Main Road- "Routes of Hazzard!"

As the group of Trainers and their Pokemon emerged from the tall grass of the seaside plain and back onto the road, they found themselves greeted by one incredibly enthusiastic driver. "Ah jus' knew it! Ah knew yew kids'd be able t' git rid o' them nasty little varmints!" she exclaimed, her accent becoming noticeably thicker as she grew more excited. She went over to Brendan and Alecks, who were carrying the trunk with the help of Titan, Apollo, and Leo. "Ah'll take that off yer hands," she said with a huge smile on her face. She put one hand under the box and lifted, hoisting it over her head. The people and Pokemon carrying the box were relieved as the heavy weight was lifted, many of them out of breath from the sheer mass of the crate. She then took her hat from Alecks, offering him her thanks.

"Now, while y'all were gone I was thinkin' up a way I could thank y'all for yer help. A couple berries weren't enough to cover the trouble y'all went through on my behalf. So Ah figured Ah had somethin' that Juniper wouldn't mind if I gave y'all. Hold tight while I rustle it up for ya." The driver moved the crate to the bed of the truck, putting it down and stretching lightly. After that, she took another crate off the bed. She then closed the gate tightly and made sure it was locked in place before returning to the Trainers. She reached into the crate, procuring five small rectangular boxes. She handed them out to every Trainer but Jason, keeping his to use as an example.

"These here are Starter Ball Capsule Kits! Each one comes with one Ball Capsule and basic Seals for each type. They're gettin' real popular among Trainers these days. Originally it was jest a small start-up in Sinnoh, but ever since Cynthia started using'em in the Pokemon World Tournament they've spread to Unova too! Startin' y'all off with these is the best way Ah can think of to thank y'all for all your help. Y'all really saved my neck. Ah woulda gotten fired if all that there food had gone missin'. Y'all don't gotta stick around longer than y'all need, by the way. Ah already called the Pokemon Ranger Station. They're sendin' someone ta help with mah truck.

"Oh, by the way, yer friend Katie got picked up by an ambulance. She fell an' hurt herself runnin' after that Watchog. She said to tell y'all not ta worry, she'll be at Professor Juniper's Lab 'till she gets better. But Ah spoke to Juniper on tha XTransceiver. She said that she's sending a Pokemon to another young'un from Accumula Town. She'll meet up with y'all on yer way out to Route 2. Just let Juniper know when yer headed out and she'll contact the new Trainer."

Quest completed: "Routes of Hazzard!"

Jason nodded, sighing. "That really sucks for her. When I went to leave on my journey when I was younger, I didn't even make it out the door before getting injured. It'll be hard to recover, but at least she has her Pokemon with her!" He smiled, looking hopeful. "She'll make it one day. Plus, now we get to make another new friend! I can't wait!" Rascal nodded in agreement, pumping his fist enthusiastically.

"Well guys," Jason said as he looked toward the rest of the group. "I think we're just about done here. How about we get moving on to Accumula Town?" He turned forward and began walking, one foot in front of the other as he continued on his journey. He then looked over his shoulder, smiling at the rest of the group and beckoning them to come with him.

Meanwhile...

Accumula Town- Town Square- Bianca

Bianca practically skipped into the Town Square, a big smile on her face. "We're finally heeeeere!~" she cried in a sing-song voice, excited to be in Accumula Town again. This time, they would be leaving via Route 2 and she'd be leaving to travel Unova again! She was so excited that she began doing a small pirouette, her blonde hair whirling in the breeze behind her. However, she only made it about three-quarters of the way around before tripping over her skirt and falling over. She quickly turned, looking back to see if any of her companions had seen her fall.

Sure enough, Hugh was sighing and shaking his head. Bianca had tried soooo hard the whole way here to cheer up the dour teenager, but nothing had worked. She'd even made Tara and Alia laugh, but never Hugh. There was something about the young man that would have concerned Bianca if she weren't going to be with him during his journey. He said he just wanted to be a Trainer to get stronger, but there was a fire in his eyes that made Bianca believe it was more than simple self-betterment that drove this particular Trainer. No, it was something personal. A score to settle, a vendetta. Something left unfinished, and not on his terms.

Bianca shook herself out of her reverie and got up, dusting herself off. She turned back toward the Town Square, noticing a large stage being erected and a crowd forming. She tilted her head to the side, confused. I didn't know there was anything planned for today, she thought to herself. Bianca was the type to keep her ear to the ground about the local gossip, and it bothered her that this had eluded her. For the better or worse, it had drawn her attention. The Researcher's curiosity had been piqued and she wasn't about to let this go.

"Hey, guys," she said, smiling sunnily at the group of young Trainers. "That looks cool! Maybe they're about to put on a concert or something!" she bubbled. "Let's go, let's go, let's go!" she shouted, grabbing Alia and Tara's hands and dragging them toward the Square. Hugh sighed and shook his head once again, adding in an eyeroll for good measure as he followed the excitable Researcher into the crowd.

Accumula Town- Town Square (Backstage)- ???

While Bianca and the Trainers from Nuvema Town entered the crowd, a thin girl with black hair in a bun, glasses, and a white turtleneck and black pencil skirt carried a makeup case and a tray with two large coffees around the crowd and to the back of the stage. Before she could mount the steps to get backstage, two large men in identical gray suits stopped her entrance. Their eyes were masked by dark, high-tech sunglasses that scanned the newcomer's face. As she was recognized, the guards gave her a nod and stood apart to let her through. One of the guards remained by the stairs while the other escorted her backstage.

She was led forward about thirty feet before turning to the right and being stopped again at the door to a trailer. The guard knocked several times in a strange pattern, then stood back and gestured for the girl to take a step back. A few tumblers could be heard sliding back behind the trailer door before a hissing sound followed and the door opened. Whatever kind of trailer this was, it was clearly meant to keep out uninvited guests. Another guard stood inside and beckoned for the girl to follow. She left the guard at the foot of the few stairs leading up to the door and entered. The door slammed shut. The guard outside looked to his left and right, then lifted his wrist. "All clear. Returning to post." He then turned and walked back to his original position at the entrance to the backstage area.

The guard inside, however, immediately began patting down the new arrival. Satisfied she was no threat, he led her down a short hallway and into the main body of the trailer. It was sparsely appointed save for a colorful wardrobe and a makeup counter. Suddenly, the chair in front of the makeup counter turned to reveal a woman lounging in what appeared to be gray military dress. However, instead of any kind of ranking, only one phrase was printed on her breast: Brighter Future. Above these words was a small square with a simplistic depiction of a sunrise. It showed the sun half-risen from the bottom border of the logo with the rays emanating from the sun to reach the borders of the square. She had a cyan armband with the same words in gray and the same logo on a gray background.

"Well? Snap to. I don't have all day," she said sternly, her lips curled in a scowl. Her expression seemed out of place on an otherwise beautiful and friendly face with heavy laughter lines and large, inviting hazel eyes. "Did you get what I needed?" The woman seemed to be in her late thirties, possessing a matronly quality that was underscored by the ambition and drive of someone much younger and with much less to lose.

The girl nodded and meekly walked over to the counter, placing the coffee tray down and taking out the makeup tray. The woman turned around as the girl began taking out various tools, powders, and other accoutrements. "A lot is riding on the success of this rally. Without the support of the public, our goals will never be realized," the older woman began. The younger stopped and listened for a moment before continuing her ministrations, attentively fixing blemishes on her boss's face. These speeches weren't for the grunts like her, they were for the boss. She didn't need to inspire others; she just needed to hear herself speak for a quick boost of confidence before these big public appearances. "We've worked too long and too hard for some petty little thing like my age to prevent us from succeeding here."

The girl stepped back, allowing the woman to see herself in the mirror. "Perfect," she muttered. "Just perfect." Indeed, she looked several years younger than she had just minutes before. "You're truly a master of your craft, Trish," she said, paying the girl a compliment.

The girl beamed. She'd never received a compliment from her boss before. They were notoriously rare and not to be taken lightly. "Thank you, Zwei, I-" she began, cut off by a sharp blow to her right cheek. She flew to the floor from the momentum of the hit, stunned. She turned and looked up before wiping her lip with her hand. Sure enough, she was bleeding.

"I will not have this mission compromised by your carelessness, you fool girl," she said furiously, her eyes hard and her expression deadly serious. Suddenly, her expression changed and she was smiling, even appearing nurturing. "Take care not to call me that again or I'll rip that pretty little tongue right out of your head. Alright?" she asked sweetly. Trish nodded, remaining where she was on the floor. "Now then, I believe I have a flock of sheep to lead astray," she said in a singsong voice. Her exit from the trailer was announced by the slam and hiss of the door. Trish was left on the floor, tears in her eyes as she clutched her bruised cheek. A brighter future, she thought to herself as she picked herself up. That's what this is for.

Accumula Town- Town Square (15 minutes later)- Bianca

The stage was done being built. The crew and their Steel-type Pokemon had made quick work of the roadie construction, putting up a large center stage with a podium with a large monitor on either side of the stage. The monitors currently displayed the podium; however, it was clearly a live feed. Despite the general excitement in the air, Bianca couldn't help but feel uncomfortable. Was it too hot, or was it just her? She pulled at the neckline of her shirt as she observed the area around her. The Nuvema Town kids were, for the most part, standing idly. Tara and Alia were getting along quite well. However, Hugh continued his silence and maintained his serious expression. And for once, Bianca couldn't blame her. Try as she might, she couldn't seem to shake that strange feeling of foreboding. Suddenly, the music that had been playing over the speakers cut out. Lights began to move around the stage as a long tone played. When the lights came on again, there was a woman standing in the middle of the stage at the podium. She wore a large smile, her wide eyes seeming engaging yet assertive. With her gray military garb and hair in a tight bun behind her head, she seemed the model balance of mother and disciplinarian.

"Greetings, everyone!" she echoed over the mic, her conversational tone and confident voice drawing in listeners. "And welcome to the first day of what I promise is the beginning of a better tomorrow. Ladies and gentlemen, I'm here because my colleagues and I have big plans. And these big plans can involve each and every single one of you." Suddenly, the words "Brighter Future" appeared in large silver letters on the screens while the rising sun logo faded in behind them. "Welcome to the beginning of a Brighter Future." She took the mic out of the podium and walked to her left, making eye contact with many audience members as she swept her gaze around the Town Square. "My name is Zephyr. I come to you all today in a dark time. Criminals run rampant through Unova. Politicians are being caught in all sorts of scandals from prostitution rings to bribery. And what have the proper authorities done about it?" she asked the audience. Her expression began to change from one of warmth and welcoming to one of righteous fury.

"Where are the Gym Leaders when businesses and labs suffer theft?" She asked, bending low and speaking to the first rows of the audience. Her voice was low, but stern. "Where is the Elite Four when hostages are taken and killed?" She began to rise, her voice getting louder as she made her presence larger on stage. "Where is our Champion when Pokemon are being stolen from their Trainers and disappearing without a trace?" she cried out, her tone becoming flatly accusatory. "We are tired of inaction. We are tired of ineffectual leaders telling us not to worry, then relying on children, yes mere children to clean up their messes for them! Two years ago, a boy brought down Team Rocket while the International Police were reeling from the largest internal affairs investigation in the history of the organization!" she continued, her passion making her words like honey to the sympathetic audience.

"She's right!" one onlooker cried. "My cousin died at Silph Co.! Where was Sabrina when her city needed her?"

"How about Hoenn, huh? Steven and Wallace did nothing! It was only Rayquaza that prevented another cataclysm!" another spectator chimed in. Murmurs of approval began to rush through the crowd, confirming Bianca's suspicions. This was no harmless soapbox speech. Bianca took out her XTransceiver and began recording a video message.

"We are living in an unsure time. Well, we believe that there needs to be a concrete hope and a way for citizens to take our protection into our own hands! We demand a Brighter Future!" she shouted. "We demand to feel safe!" she yelled. She then appeared to settle down and walked back to the podium, looking out over the crowd. "We need each and every volunteer we can get. Pokemon Trainers, we need you. Even those without Pokemon will be welcomed. We provide education to Trainers and even Pokemon for those who need them. All we ask in exchange," she said, allowing the sentence to hang for maximum impact. "... is for you to care."

Scattered applause began to ripple through the crowd slowly as the woman raised her hands. It continued to rise in volume until it became an ovation. Zephyr moved her hand through the air, cutting off the applause much faster than it began. She continued her enrapturing speech with fervor, holding the attention of all the audience save for two Trainers in the back. Bianca had seen all she needed. She hit "Send", messaging the video to the whole group of young Trainers. She wasn't sure what she was seeing, but it was definitely something they all needed to see.

Hugh, on the other hand, remained suspicious. He listened to Zephyr and shook his head. Something was fishy about this woman, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

Accumula Town- Entrance to Route 1 (10 minutes later)- Jason

Jason grinned crookedly as the group passed through the entrance to Accumula Town for the second time that day. He was supremely excited. However, he stopped as they exited the gate to the Route and checked his XTransceiver. Sure enough, he saw that there was a video message. "Hey, guys!" he shouted.

"Gather around. Bianca sent us a video message on the XTransceiver!" Everyone gathered around Jason as he opened the message, opening a holographic screen. On it played the recorded footage of the BFI rally. The group continued watching it, each reacting in their own way. Jason, however, was the first to speak.

"That was chilling, to say the least. That woman and her 'colleagues' are seriously crazy to think so little of the Pokemon League Officials." He paused for a moment, checking something on his XTransceiver. "Hey, guys, that message is only ten minutes old. If we hurry up, we can catch the tail end of the rally and meet up with Bianca. Otherwise, we should all head to the Pokemon Center. I'm sure we all need to heal our Pokemon after that battle, right? Let's put it to a vote! If you want to check out the rally, raise your hand! I'll be the tiebreaker if we need one since the vote was my idea."

Quest added: "Rest and Relaxation!"

-(Optional) Check out the Brighter Future rally

-Head to the Pokemon Center to get healed up

-Proceed to the Pokemon Center

[starkidcosmo]

Route 1 - "Routes of Hazzard" Epilogue - Mio

In sharp contrast to Jason's loud celebration, Mio was quiet and unsure. Sure, they'd 'won,' but what would happen to the gang of Patrat? The way the Watchog surveyed the area... it almost felt like a last look at home.

The young trainer's mouth tightened as Jason made his remarks, but he shrugged off his annoyance and began packing up food with the rest. Mio remained pensive and cold throughout the journey back, even as the driver handed out their rewards.

With the announcement of Katie's departure from the group, Mio's mood sunk even lower. He'd liked her, a lot, and he didn't even notice she'd been hurt? His guilt compounded into a heavy weight in his chest that even Meena and Loam couldn't help lift. Mio skated past Jason rather coldly, avoiding the other boy's eyes.

Accumula Town - Entrance to Route 1 - Mio

The video message received from Bianca gave Mio chills as he watched. Something about the woman speaking was off-putting-- it felt to him like she should be holding a riding crop and whipping orphans or something. Still, she had a point... though he definitely feel she was being entirely forthcoming.

"Maybe not crazy..." he muttered, chewing on his bottom lip. "She's... not wrong, exactly? Although, that just makes me more nervous about the whole thing." Raising his hand at Jason's prompting, he continued to mumble to himself. "I wonder... where's she getting all these resources? Offering to hand out Pokemon to any volunteer who needs them... And what's she planning to do with all this?"

[Sutoratosu]

Routes of Hazard- Shadowed Stalker

"Well, that was definitely something, to say the least." The stranger mumbled beneath his breath, Binoculars lowered as the Children collected the food and left. "Joker, looks like we won't have to intervene afterall."

He brushed a strand of his windswept slate blue hair away from his monolid crimson eyes. As he stood to full height, his black undershirt and and orange jacket and pants straightened themselves out with their owners motion, it became clear how lean and well built he was. With the length of robe hanging at his side and wide-brimmed hat, one could have easily mistaken him as a member of the Unovan Ranger Core... but their were no arms of that organization upon his person. The only identifier on his cap and breast where the Golden Tree of Life, encircled top and bottom by the kanji of his homeland.

The shadows rippled around him, writhing with the sinister unlife of their master. Like a Chatot, Joker was there, perched on his shoulder. The wraith gave a hissing sigh with a shake of his head. His right eye, swirled yellow and crimson and violet caught the mid-day light as it cascaded through the canopy of decayed branches, casting the side of the man's face with an iridescent glow; to this day, he still didn't know what surprised him more- the fact that the Ghost had eaten and absorbed his own Sableyenite the moment they found it... or the fact that the Reaction between it and the Key Stone on his wrist had still worked regardless afterwards.

"Yeah yeah, I know. They were pretty rough out there, even with the combo work, but they'll get better eventually.... that Watchog though. He was trained, and trained incredibly well at that; there's no way a wild one could fight like he did. But enough chit-chat, we've got a job to do, remember? Time to go inspect the situation."

Joker mumbled something under his breath before his body faded back into shadow. He always did hate field work. Unless it involved caves, he absolutely adored caves... more for what might lay within their depths than for the act of spelunking in and of itself. The ranger disregarded his partner's indignation, reaching into the pouch at his side....

*********************************************

Hog looked the canisters over one by one as Green pulled them out of hiding and dragged them to the middle of the clearing. The lieutenant had followed his orders to the letter, pulling them out of the crate like that to stash them away from the brats... but still only five? There were fifteen of them, not even counting himself, so few cans would only last them all two or three days at most... but... maybe... no...no, he couldn't. He was smart, he was crafty, and he was ruthless, but he wasn't a miracle worker. Even with stricter rationing than usual, they'd still be out long before the journey's fruition.

"Hooooog..." He sighed, rubbing his temples. Green nodded apologetically at his distress. Food wasn't even their sole issue. Most their number was injured and out cold. It would take everyone still able-bodied to carry them, and that would slow them down even further... Green knew his idea was for the best, but he just wished he had come up with it before this giant mess had started.

The brambles rustled. No... it was more than rustling. The air was whistling as whatever was beyond came closer. They both recognized that thud, one after another, branches falling to the ground and the entire undergrowth thrashing with sound. The two passed a single glance between each other as the figure began to emerge, Shadows writhing around him, inky, black tendrils erupting from the earth and slashing with violent vigor at the brambles like a demon as he walked. That was the whistling. That was the thrashing.

Another glance between them. And they both took their fighting stances.

"Calm down boys, I'm not here to cause any trouble." Hog's eyes widened. As did Green's.

That bag in the man's hand. There were berries there, and roots... medicine too, even.

Far more than they'd seen in a long while. Hell, far more than they'd ever seen before

[K_H]

Accumula Town - Route 1 Entrance - Jack

The video message gave jack an uneasy feeling, which was reinforced by what Mio said. At Jason's prompting, he raised his hand and spoke.

"I don't know what they're up to, but whatever it is, it seems a bit fishy, especially since times have been tough recently and yet they have tons of resources... I think we should do some digging and find out what they're up to, as well as where they're getting their stuff from."

[Chim]

Route 1 – Routes of Hazzard Epilogue – Brendan

The win had left a bitter taste in Brendan’s mouth. He didn’t join in when Jason started to cheer and instead kept his eyes on the defeated Watchog. This entire situation felt wrong to him no matter how he looked at it. In the end, right before they left, Brendan had managed to get close to one of the Patrat’s to hand over his last Oran Berry. He hoped the rodent would grand him his request to give it to his fallen comrade who had lost a tooth because of Brendan’s inexperience. It was never his intention to hurt a Pokémon like that, not even a wild one who was used to far worse. Hopefully the Oran Berry could serve as small apology.

Accumula Town – Entrance to Route 1 – Brendan

The young trainer raised an eyebrow after seeing the video message. Certainly the woman had a point when it came to certain aspects of her speech, but the way she went about it was completely wrong. Brendan couldn’t shake the feeling she wanted to start a riot.

“Maybe she’s rich or she had some like-minded sponsors,” he said to Mio before turning to Jack. “How exactly do you want to ‘dig’ into her private business and find out information? If she really is doing this for the wrong reasons, I don’t think she has a flyer lying around that tells us exactly where she gets the money and Pokémon from. And I’m pretty sure she’s skilled enough to dodge the question if you ask her straight up.”

That was all Brendan had to say about this situation. He couldn’t stop feeling bad about the Patrats and certainly didn’t feel like getting involved into a bigger mess. Besides healing up Titan was his number one priority right now.

“I’m heading to the Pokécenter. Titan is my priority right now and I might pass by the Mart as well. I’ll message Jason to meet up later.” Brendan left with a small see-you-later sign and proceeded to an information board in order to find out the Pokécenter’s location.

[Shadow Sketches]

Accumula Town – Entrance to Route 1 – Alecks

Their journey so Accumula town was pretty uneventful. Alecks had leisurely ridden on his skateboard besides everyone else with Apollo taking his spot on Aleck's left shoulder the whole journey. After the chaotic fight they had just finished, they didn't mind just mindlessly moving forward and cooling their heads. It was nice to take a small break.

Once they arrived in Accumula Town, Alecks gathered around with everyone else and watched the video message with his skateboard in hand. A slight frown on his face as he watched. He understood her points and might have even agreed with her but something about her gave him the chills, he wasn't sure she was someone he could take her word for.

Alecks watched Brendan leave and gave a small wave of farewell to him as he left. They'd probably end up meeting up soon enough anyway. "Well, I'm not really that interested in the rally. But might as well check it out, it wouldn't hurt right?" He said with a small shrug.