Dart's Normal Monotype Run

[Dartu-san]

Hello once again my dear readers. It has been a while but let's get this story driven monotype run on the road. With the victory at the first gym ended the first chapter, so let's move on. 

 

Chapter II: The Root of all Evil

After browsing through his collection of Normal Types and doing a few changes to his roster, Stanley closed the PC and stepped out of the Pokémon Center. He came to the conclusion that in order to be better prepared for the challenges to come he needed to evolve more of his Pokémon, so he grabbed one of his Bidoof and proceeded to train it in the Alleys around Peridot. After some time it evolved and Stanley decided it was time to go back to the Opal Bridge. There a couple more battles took place until he reached the eastern side of the bridge, which was still being blocked by a couple officers, however a familiar face was also there, Florinia. She noticed him and said: "Ah Stanley Greetings. Unfortunetly I cannot stay and chat for my presence at Obsidia is of utmost priority, farewell". She walked a few steps passing by the guards and then added "Reconsidering, you may be able to assist with the issue regarding the flora at the Obsidia Park since you have proved yourself capable back at the Factory. Guards, is passage permitable to this person? He may be able to help". They nodded and stepped aside for him to pass aswell. Florinia then shared a bit more of intel regarding the situation and left for the park, which would serve as the rendezvous point.

With that our hero decided to explore the ward for a bit. He talked with some of the inhabitants who were mostly scared or concerced with the state of Obsidia since the plant attacks begun. The streets were in very bad shape with a large crack in the middle of sidewalk which stopped people from crossing to the other side. There was also a woman in the Pokémon Center who was very worried because her little boy was missing, a few people mencioned the Day Care Couple just next door were acting very strangely compared to they usual selves, however these were issues that Stanley decided to take care of a bit later. He also visited the available shops around and the Beauty Saloon, where after showing an understandable skeptical woman how his Pokémon actually enjoyed his company and had respect for him she congratulated him for his efforts and gave him a Soothe Bell. 

One of the trainers he beated outside mencioned that the only other way to get to the other side of the ward was throught the slums down south and so he headed that way. On his way there he met a man who was having trouble with his Lillipup who wouldn't obey him and had a fiery look in his eyes. After being given a couple commands by its owner, it decided to run off. The man sighed and let out a complain after which he left aswell in pursuit of his desobidient puppy. Just then while going to the Slums, Stanley came across Victoria once again, who was standing still with a worried expression on her face. Protag-kun touched her shoulder and called out her name: "Hey Victoria. So what are you doing around here?" She looked at him and said: "Ah hello Stanley. The thing is, it appears the slums are the only way to get through Obsidia right now. I went in there but it's pretty dangerous. All these men kept staring me down and challenging me to a battle and there were also boxes moving on their own! It's not safe so please, don't go in there". - "Sorry but I promised Florinia that I would meet her at the park to help her deal with this mess, so I really need to cross this place". She looked at him once more, her expression still conflicted. She firmly clutched a Pokéball in her hand and replied with: "I'm sorry Stanley but I've gotta make sure you are ready to deal with all of this. Reborn isn't really kind to its people right now, let alone outsiders. So, let's have a battle. If you win I'll let you pass". - "Fair enough I guess. Let's do it".

Spoiler

Nothing really stood out in this battle. All of her Pokémon were dealt with pretty easily. Both our aces faced each other once again, this time as evolved Pokémon, and despite the attemps of the ferocious cat the birdie triumphed. 

After being defeated Victoria gave out a sincere smile and said: "Well I guess I don't need to worry, you'll be fine. Sorry for stopping you". - "It's okay, I know you had good intentions, be seeing you Victoria". Once inside he was indeed swarmed by the many Street Rats who made the slums their home. A few of them also mentioned the boxes being alive, among other strange things that Stanley paid no mind to. As he kept exploring he caught a Pidove and sent it to the PC and also came across a yellow egg with brown markings. He wasn't sure what was inside it at first but he had pretty good memory regarding all Normal Types color schemes and came to the conclusion that it probably wasn't one of them. As he went deeper into the slums he started realizing there was a connection between the moving boxes and a gang of Scraggy that were roaming around the place and he decided to follow one of them. After a bried rest at one of the so called Light Shards he pressed on until he came across a youngster who seemed to recognize him but tried to avoid eye contact. Stanley aproached and asked what his problem was and his reply was to throw out one of his Pokémon. After getting beaten he spilled the beans. He was the one who had swiped the thug from the Pokémon Selling scheme back in Peridot. Unfortunetly for our hero, the kid had already sold it to a gang member in the Lapis Ward in order to buy himself a week's worth of food. He taught to himself "well can't really be pissed with that, a guy's got to get some grub after all. I'll check it out once I get there". After grabbing a few items and battling a couple more crazed homeless he followed the Scraggy into a room in the back and there he met their gang leader (and most likely their mamma too). After a few grunts the thing goes Scraaaaaafty and her little ones jumped out of the boxes in the room and proceeded to challenge the young trainer. 

Spoiler

These tough little hoodlums kept going strong with a combination of Intimidate and stab Faint Attacks, however none besides Scrafty managed to knock out any of my Pokémon. Staravia and Zetsubear proved their worth once again by slapping their asses with bird might and tanking hits respectively. After a few turns their Leader was defeated.

Supposedly impressed by his team's strenght the Scrafty admited defeat and opened the door that lead to the Slums exit. It was good being able to breath 'fresh air' since Stanley was getting a bit tired of the smell of Trubbish and Mankey's sweat back there. He was heading north however a couple of strangely uninformed officers was blocking that way too. With no other options he headed south towards the Coral Ward to se what he could find. Once there he immediately noticed the mist surrounding the area. While there was nearly not a soul to be seen on the streets the pier had a soothing air to it. Stanley headed inside the few houses in the area. In one of them after answering a quiz he received some data for his Fields app and in another he met a young boy who as trying to heal a injured Skitty that he found (but to no avail). His grandmother noticed Stanley's presence and asked him if he could help her little boy by lending an Ultra Potion. He agreed (despite being fully aware the kitten didn't have that much Hp anyway) and after being sprayed the little one meowed happily prompting the old woman to ask our protagonist to keep it in order for it to avoid being injured again. Even though he wasn't planning on using it in his team he agreed and sent it to the PC. 

After leaving the house he tried to enter the warehouses but all the doors were locked for he had no Klefki. He noticed what looked to be the ruins of a gym and an old woman who just next to them told him about the tale of how evewryything was fine until the Meteor Nation attacked. With that he was about to leave but then he noticed a beautiful blue haired woman by the pier looking sadly at a nearby lighthouse. He approached her and said: "Hey name's Stanley, is everything alright miss?" To which she replied: "Well hello there. Sorry I was just thinking how I can save that poor Popplio who's stuck on that Lighthouse. I'm a Water Type trainer but if I send any of my partners across there they'll get hurt for sure since the water is so toxic". - "Well that isn't a problem I'll just send my Stara... - "HEEEEEY Stanley!" He quickly looked back and saw Cain posing flamboyantly as usual as he walked towards. "Sooo wwhat's going on in here? Already making friends in high places eh~" The mysterious woman answered with "Awh come on you'll make me blush. I'm just a normal trainer like you". - "Hmm I guess you didn't now Stanley, but this here is Amaria, Reborn's Water Type Gym leader and one of the strongest ones at that - "Well I wasn't sure but I guess that makes sense. Anyway I was just about to help the..." - "Ooooh poor little thing ~You're not alone..." As he started singing he sent out his Alolan Grimer which then crossed the water and picked up Popplio at Cain's request and brought it back to safe land. Amaria gleefuly looked at him and thanked him for his help. Stanley though "I was going to do just that you know..." but decided not to say anything. As Cain was about to leave Popplio skipped in his direction and when he turned to face it, it did a pose while balancing itself on a water bubble. Cain lookke dimpressed and said: "Ara what a fabulous little cuttie e have here~" Amaria added "And it seems it liked you quite a lot, why don't you let it join you?" - "Hmm is that what you want buddy?" to which it replied with another pose. It then jumped in the air and faced Stanley with a determined look in its face. "What's wrong Poppie?" - "It would seem the little guy is interested in proving itself to you Cain" said Stanley. - "Yes". added Amaria "It appears it wants to test its strenght against Stnaley over here". Cain answered with a "Weeell Stanley, you up for it? A rematch sounds fun~" - "Aye let's go".

Spoiler

Even if it was close to evolution Zigzagoon was still pretty much unnecessary to the team since I had some better options on the horizon anyway so after this battle I boxed it. Nonetheless it still did its part without fainting (a huge achievement for it actually xD). The change of normal Grimer to Alolan makes a lot of sense for his team since it turns into a pretty colorful Pokémon  and I guess Cubone is not a bad fit either since he keeps making sexual innuendos in almost all his dialogues. Overall the battle was nothing too special, with Staravia facing his now Nidorino and pummeling it hard with the Double Edge, but then again maybe Cain enjoys watching this...

Afterwards he left with his new buddy and Amaria commented how the two of them made a good match to which Stanley though "For sure". She then explained how she was also supposed to meet with 'Rini' at the park but got sidetracked with her visit to the Coral Ward. Stanley took that as a I'll meet you there so please get rid of the guard who have nothing to do but block streets and they bid each other farewell. Our hero then started heading north once more and he came across a little kid who was by himself with a scared look on his face. After asking him what was wrong he said he had got lost from his mother to which Stanley replied that he would tell her where he was so she could go and get him. He also came across another Beauty Saloon which was clearly trying to compete with the other one which not only had a better price but also a better location in the ward. Nonetheless our hero listened to the owner's request and agreed to give her some info regarding the other Saloon's prices in exchange for a Glameow. After the deed was done he left the place with a new Sponsored kitten and a guaranteed 100$ discount on every visit (wow). 

As he finally reached the park he found both Gym Leaders standing right at the entrance waiting for him (Thanks girls). After a brief change of words they gave our hero the Tmx Cut and asked him to clear them a path (was this really how little they expected of my help). After going Edward Scizor Pincers on the small trees he bowed to them and made a gesture with his arm poiting the way. Amaria giggled and went right ahead with Florinia towards the park. A few second later he heard them screaming and with a strong "NANI?!" rushed to the scene. There he gasped as the two young ladies were wraped by huge almost tentacle like (eich) vines. In the middle of the park was a huge strange machine and in front of it a hooded man (?) who kept whispering to himself until he noticed our here's arrival. He turned to him and said: "Hm...he.hello I'm Lumi and this..." - "Oi! Shut it!" said him in a much deeper voice. "Name's Zero! So you are the third to enter this place. Any more of you coming? If it's just three we can easily deal with 'ya". He looked at Stanley's puzzled face and then in a third softer but almost emotionless voice: "Yes, we get that reaction a lot. I am Eve and together we are known as ZEL, Admins to Team Meteor". - "Okay..." said Stanley still grasping the fact that this person had some clear issues. - "You see..." said Lumi. "Thanks to this impressive machine that Eve built by herself Tangrowth here is doing its best to please us" - "Yeh!" said Zero. "But by itself it didn't have enough power so thanks to this even his little salad fingers can turn into devastating weapons of mass destruction. You want to stop it little shirmp? Then try it!"

Spoiler

Ah yes the PULSE Pokémon. Quite a fresh take on boss battles if you ask me. The buffs it gives to the Pokémon are on par with Mega Evolution, if not higher, so it makes for a pretty nifty upgrade to an already tanky pile of vines. As for the battle, Staravia proceeded to throw a couple Wing attacks at it before it fell victim to the Acid Spray and Pray. After that it was Hoothoot's time to shine. Despite being neglected early on since the first gym leader was Electric type I decided to let this guy stick around because it gets some pretty useful moves and is a good special wall overall. So the strategy here was to put Tangrowth P to sleep with Hypnosis and then throw a couple confusions at it to get that effect going aswell. After it woke up I just putted it back into the dreamland and spammed Echoed Voice a few times for decent damage. Eventually I beat its grass.

 ZEL looked at Stanley intensely and then Eve said: "It seems our plan has been thwarted. Zero, next time don't just brag about our machine's capabilities and use our Pokémon instead" - "Tch don't blame me! Hey Lumi didn't do anything either right?" - "Hum...so...sorry Tangrowth, I should have intervened". - "Gah this isn't over punk. Watch your back from now on". And then suddenly a flash envoloped the area and 'they' disappeared along with the PULSE machine. Florinia and Amaria then came back to their senses. Aparently, unpleasantly enough the vines were choking her and she couldn't even move. "Thanks a lot Stanley, if you weren't with us I don't know what would have happened. And beating that thing on your own... I'm impressed!" - "Well I only did what was right I'm glad everything is back to normal, I mean, it is right?" Flornia then replied: "Yes. It would appear the malignant growth has receeded and no further harm has been inflicted to the area. Good work." Amaria thanked our hero once again and after saying goodbye to Rini she then left. Stanley was thinking to himself "It's strange, I wonder what could have happened to Florinia to make her act so emotionless when she still has such good friends around her". As he was pondering about this questioned Florinia suddenly declared: "Well the immediate crisis has been resolved. Stanley I will now return to my gym in the Onyx Ward. I expect you to come challenge me at your leisure. Farewell." And just like that it was just our Hero and his partner Pokémon again. This time Stufful didn't jump out of his Pokéball as usual when something involving danger was going on, regardless Stanley was pretty sure the little guy was amused by the whole thing, comfortably watching from inside his Ball.

After a brief running around in the grass of the now trimmed park he came across a few Normal Types for his collection. He caught a Buneary which surprisingly came helding a Chople Berry which was a pretty good bonus, aswell as a Sentret which he trained a couple levels in order for it to evolve. When he was exploring the ward before he came across a young girl who was complaining her father gave her a weird tablecloth looking Pokémon that kept 'making it rain' inside the house when in reality she wanted something cuter like... a Furret. Turns out it was a Castform, the Menace (yeah right) of the Hoen Weather Institute. Stanley eagerly went with the trade and then deposited the Castform in his PC. The next step before heading out to the Onyx Ward was to check out the Department Store and battle a couple trainers were hanging around the area. While passing through the park again he came across yet another Normal Type Pokémon, a Slakoth. After weakening it a bit he threw a premier ball at it for he felt something special about the little sloth. Surely enough the 3rd shake came and another member joined the squad. After looking at its summary he decided right there he was boxing Zigzagoon and welcoming Slakoth into his team.

Spoiler

Yeh these Ivs and a decent nature on a random ass Pokémon I found in the grass? Of course I'll take it. As I said Zigzagoon despite being close to evolution was kind of deadweight at this point and I've also heard the legends of the King Slakong who slays a Killer Land Shark Dragon thing atop a fiery mountain. So, yeah welcome to the squad my dude.

With that out of the way he then checked the Department store and got himself his Membership card along with a free first sticker for it, however nothing currently available for purchase (besides a couple Pokésnax) really interested Stanley so he just left the building and prepared to venture forth to the Onyx Ward home to the next gym he would challenge. And that's that. Here ends the first part of this second chapter. I hope you all enjoyed it and I'll see you guys soon (like I said I'll try to post the battle with Florinia today)!  

[Dartu-san]

Here we are once again ladies and gentlemen. Last time Stanley explored the Obsidia and Coral wards and took care of a little gardening problem all the while battling two of his rivals and partaking in a few events to get some new Pokémon for his collection. Without further ado let us continue following this young man's story.

 

Chapter II.5: School of Evolution and the Canopy Badge

As he was about to enter the Onyx Ward, Stanley suddenly remembered there was still something left to do in the places he had just visited. According to the rumors the Day Care couple were acting very strangely and many Pokémon who had been left in their care recently were not being returned to their trainers. Intrigued and suspicious by this afair he decided to head back and pay the old folks a visit. He also spent some time with the Igglybuff he had obtained back in Peridot and even visited the Beauty Saloons a couple times with it. When the little puff finally felt pampered enough it evolved into a slightly bigger pink baloon. Once inside the day care he found the two senior citizens behind the counter talking to each other. He approached and greeted them, but as soon as they looked at his face their expression changed drasticaly. When asked if everything was okay they replied with a: "Ah yes young trainer, however our services are closed at the moment so just come back later... or don't." Unsatisfied with this response he insisted in asking them if something was wrong and after a few more attemps at brushing him off the Day Care lady snapped and the couple started shouting a familiar motto. Stanley's suspicions were right, the Day Care Couple was being impersonated by two Team Meteor Grunts who were using the facade to steal themselves some Pokémon from unsuspecting trainers. Their Venonats were easily dealt with and then the troublesome duo from back at the factory came out once again: Minior and Crabrawler. While not as difficult as their first encoutner they still managed to put up a fight and knocked out one of Stanley's Pokémon. After that was taken care of the beaten grunts mocked our hero saying the true day care couple was imprisoned somewhere else and they even if he knew where to find them he still needed the key. "Oh you mean this thing? I found it earlier in an empty house by the Park here in Obsidia". The grunts looked at each other with a look of dismay. You could tell they were upset for getting bested by this regular looking dude twice in such a short amount of time. Nonetheless they both groaned and then disappeared from building.

With that taken care of he headed back to the Coral Ward. On his first visit to the place he noticed there were a few warehouses whose's doors were locked, so he decided to try the key in all of them. He was sucessful in opening 3 out of the 4 warehouses and decided to check each of them. On the leftmost warehouse he found the Day Care couple (well that was easy, those grunts really suck at their job) who were happy to see a friendly face. They thanked him and prompted him to visit them back in Obsidia whenever he wished. They also mencioned how the Meteor Grunts had mentioned storing the stolen Pokémon nearby and ho they were planning to move them to a new location. On door number two he found a large number of empty boxes, except for one in which he found a Shiny Spoink which he caught. There was also a Sea Incense laying about the now empty storage. Finally on the 3rd warehouse he found some more empty boxes aswell as the male grunt from the day care incident. Before noticing Stanley he was muttering to himself how they had finished moving all the stolen Pokémons to a safer location, including a Ditto, and how he had lost sight of another small pink Pokémon that they were also going to transport. When the grunt looked back and saw Stanley he quickly pushed him aside and started running while saying "Goddamit stop getting in our way kid!" After the grunt left he decided to check the warehouse with a little bit more care than he probably had and surely enough he found the small pokémon cowering in fear behind some boxes. It was a Happiny. I looked up to face Stanley ho extended his hand towards the scared Pokémon. It flinched at first but after looing at his eyes it felt less scared and decided to grab his hand. "Worry not 'lil miss I shall keep you safe from doofus like those two alright". The Pokémon smiled and jumped into a Pokéball. Our hero decided the little one would stay inside his PC until he could find a way to evolve it since as a Happiny it probably wouldn't be able to hold its own in a battle very well.

With that taken care of he went back to Obsidia and after a brief detour to the Alleys where he found and saved an Electrike who was being targeted by a couple of Mightyenas, it was finally time to head into the Onyx Ward. There he found the man and the Lillipup from before (who he had actually seen a couple times in different places at Peridot). The guy was exhausted from all the running and told his puppy that he no longer had the energy or patience to care for it. The pup still had a fiery look in its eyes and seemed to not understand what the man was trying to say. They both noticed Stanley aproaching and then the puppy sat down in front of Stanley, looking at his face. Its owner looked amazed at the sight and asked Stanley: "Hey trainer. I know you just met me and this a random request, but you probably heard me rant before. I don't have what it takes to raise this Lillipup and I know it just wants to be with someone who lets it fight more often and takes better care of it. You seem like a promising trainer so if you don't mind... could you please take it with you?" Stanley looked at the dog once more. It seemed to be fond of him. "Sure. As long as you are both fine with it I don't mind taking care of this puppy, I heard it's a pretty strong and loyal companion if you put some effort in raising it. I'll take your offer sir". The man looked relieved and thanked him and afterwards he just leaned against a nearby wall to rest. With his new Normal type Pokémon at hand he fought a couple trainers who were hanging out by the local Arcade. After taking out just two Pokémon the Lillipup started glowing and just like that it evolved into a bigger doge.

Before heading inside the school in the back of the ward he talked to a few people, one of which mentioned the situation regarding the day care couple acting strange. After learning Stanley had already taken care of it she thanked him and gave him a white egg with a cream colored stripe. He fought a couple students who were chilling outside and soon after his Hoothoot evolved aswell. Stanley was already getting a good feeling about this place. Once inside the school though his opinion changed considerably when he was met by none other than Fern (he was having such a good day too). The green haired grasshole looked at him and said: "Listen Stanley I know you, you're not good enough so don't even try to challenge my sister's gym. You are not even worthy of our familie's time". - "Listen prick, I tried being polite so far but you are not making things easy. Now what do you intend to do to stop me form proceeding huh?" With that Fern ordered his two cronies to lock the gym's entrance and to tell the other kids to not let Stanley in. "So this is your best shot? Should've expected as much. Just order some kids to do your dirty little work while you go tend to your Rowlet's feathers somewhere else right?" Noticeably annoyed Fern let out just a "Tch" before leaving through a door in the left upper corner of the room. After that unpleasant meeting Stanley left from where he entered and proceeded to go to the other side of the school in order to try and get in anyway. One of the kids was blocking the entrance but quickly moved out of the way after getting beaten and promised to said he hadn't seen anything anyay.

Once inside the school building one of Stanley's Pokéballs began shaking in a familiar manner. Zetsubear was at it again and just came out on its own. It started walking around while looking at the different students, bookshelves, dorm rooms and such. It looked really happy for some reason, almost as if nostalgic for being in a place like this. Usually though the little bear wouldn't actively cause trouble so Stanley just decided to carry on with what he was doing. Taking in the advice of one of the students who standing near the Nurse counter he started browsing through the different books in order to check on some information regarding Pokémon battling and other elements. Aparently this school also served as the gym and the puzzle was just answering some trivia questions regarding Pokémon. He kept moving right since there was another gate to the left that was locked. Facing more and more students throught the way, some just up for a friendly match and others trying to actively stop him from progressing, influenced by Fern's 'charisma'. Both Stanley's Slakoth and Whishmur also evolved while battling inside the school's grounds which prompted Stanley to think to himself: "Hum seems like this time Fern's shenanigans are actually proving to be useful. All this free experience is toughening up my squad significantly. Can't wait to beat his grass when I finish this bit". On his way through the schools halls he visited a few of the dorms, reading some more books and study notes along the way. He stumbled across what was once the room of 4 graduate students who became gym leaders. He had already met three of them. He also found some info on the Desert Field which were neatly registered on his Pokegear app.

After answering all of the questions and beating all the students in the school he finnaly accessed the leftmost room where he found Fern standing in front of the door that led into the Gym's arena. 

Spoiler

Oh I'll take it personally... to your face!

With the 'pleasantries' out of the way it was finally time to teach Smugleaf a lesson... in his OWN SCHOOL.

Spoiler

So yeah as bad as it costs me to admit his difficulty improved considerably from his first battle. Sandile was easily taken care of once again. Roselia was pretty annoying to deal with but after one or two switches Noctowl fought against it 1-on-1 and took it down. Lastly his starter, now a Dartrix, was where most of the trouble came from since it actually managed to take out both Herdier and my ace Staravia. While it was intimidated twice by these Pokémon's abilities it didn't go for physical attacs anyway and spammed Nature Power wwhich turned into Tri Attack. This actually managed too two shot these two Pokémon (it even goddamned freezed my doge who didn't get a chance to atttack). It also tanked wing attack pretty well which annoyed me slighlty. Finally Zetsubear came out and made quick work of what was left of its HP. Down goes the weed man. 

After this an even more annoyed Fern decided right then and there that he too would register and do the Reborn League Challenge himself, adding that if Stanley, a 'mediocre trainer' could do it then so could he. He then said he should thank him for thsi realization but of course he didn't and just left instead. After sighting and repressing his wish to throw his Zetsubear towards him so it could bite his head off he then headed back to heal his team. His team was strong but Stanley feeled as if they still lacked a little bit in actual level so he went to an Ex-Fern hencheman's place who offered him free passage to his house's garden. There Stanley spent some time fighting against the wild Pokémon in order to strenghten his squad a little bit. When he was finished he returned to the Center in the Onyx trainer School and browsed at his Collection of Normal Type Pokémon once more:

Spoiler

He was pretty pleased with his lineup but he felt like he missed a couple of normal types that he should have been able to encounter so far (One of them is Litleo, whose event I'll try to clear after I gain some more levels, probably when Zetsubear evolves. The other, who I'm not sure where to actually find or if it's even possible at this point is Yungoos).

Making a few changes here and there he settled ith this team for his upcoming battle with Flornina:

Spoiler

The other two Pokémon that I am actively training/using at this moment are Jigglypuff who is still only at level 18 and Bibarel ho sits at 22 like Loudred. 

With this our hero was ready to take on his next challenge. He listened to Ame's advice once more throught the telecom and then entered the arena. There stood Florinia aswell as a crowd of spectators antsy for the battle to come. She greeted him and then said: "Well Stanley even though I am thankful for the assistence provided in the meteor related matter that alone is not sufficient for me to give you a badge. Further testing is required so in acordance please take your place". He smiled at Florinia, who's expression was still as emotionless as an Espurr and replied: "Wouldn't have it any other way Rini". With that the battle began.

Spoiler

Following Ame's advice form before Stanley felt the best way to deal with this particular battle was to indeed power through Florinia's team. And that he did. This battle was actually pretty easy for me with no member of ym team fainting in the process. Taking that into consideration I will merely list how I dealt with each of her Pokémon:

Maractus was up first and Stanley sends out Zetsubear who is faster and stronger (rawr). One Ice Punch takes about 3 quarters of its health and she uses the oppurtunity to set up a layer of Spikes. On the next turn she heals but gets taken down to the same hp anyway. Realizing that wouldn't lead anywhere she switches for Ferroseed who tanks the hit and hurts the bear with its spikes. Stanley switches for Herdier who's Fire Fang leaves the spike ball with just a tinsy bit of health (dat berry is pretty dope). Nonetheless both these Pokémon get taken care of. She then sends out Breloom who I proceed to one shot with a Wing Attack from Staravia. After that comes Cottonee with me choosing Noctowl to take care of it. It manages to seed it but then gets put to sleep and overwhelmed the the Echoed Voice power boost. The next in line is Cacnea who gets demolished by Vigoroth in two hits. Lastly but not least comes the Hentai Monster itself Craaaaaadily. While this Pokémon usually annoys the heck out of people I struck it down with Zetsubear once again. Even though it used a couple Stockpiles and Sandstorm it fell to 4 Ice Punches to the face. It was bulky for sure but it didn't even damage the bear who was at half Hp. That concludes this battle. 

With that test taken care of Florinia gave a few words of praise aswell as her Badge and the TM96 Nature Power to Stanley. She then asked him for a favor: "If you do not have any plans for the time being I would like to ask that you go to the Jasper Ward and stop the floral frenzy that has been established. While you succesfully stoped the malignant growth that was spreading in Obsidia, we have not managed to adress the situation in both Jasper and Beryl with the same level of celerity". - "Well I guess I can help out with the situation. This Team Meteor must be stopped before it can cause even more deaths and des... Anyway I'll try and take care of it Florinia. Be seeying you". Before Stanley could leave she also gave him a new app for his PokeGear, a PULSE dex. This would allow him to register some data regarding these mysterious machines and what effects they had on the Pokémon that were strapped to it.

With his next destination already set, Stanley went to heal his team once more. In order to stop the madness and get back to a normal League challenge he decided he had to cut the roots of the Meteor attacks and destroy the PULSE machines aswell as their plans.

This ends up Chapter II everyone! I hope you are all enjoying accompanying my progress as much as I am making it. Cheers and see you all next time!

[J-Awesome_One]

I enjoyed this a lot. Nice job. Btw, to answer your Yungoos question, I'm pretty sure you can get them in the slums.

[Dartu-san]

49 minutes ago, J-Awesome_One said:

I enjoyed this a lot. Nice job. Btw, to answer your Yungoos question, I'm pretty sure you can get them in the slums.

Thank you for your constant support! I'll have to look into the Yungoos thing. Didn't encounter any while traversing the slums so maybe it's just a rare encounter or I was just unlucky. It's not too important since I'm not really looking to use Gumshoos on my team anytime but still for collectible purposes I need to get every Normal type available

Edited January 19, 2018 by Dartu-san

[J-Awesome_One]

12 minutes ago, Dartu-san said:

Thank you for your constant support! I'll have to look into the Yungoos thing. Didn't encounter any while traversing the slums so maybe it's just a rare encounter or I was just unlucky. It's not too important since I'm not really looking to use Gumshoos on my team anytime but still for collectible purposes I need to get every Normal type available

You're welcome! And yea. I didn't encounter any on my 1st playthrough of E17 either. But when I went back to ev train, I almost ran into nothing but them. xD

[Dartu-san]

Welcome back everyone! Last time Stanley was able to obtain his second Badge and is now on his way to stop Team Meteor at the Jasper Ward. Let us continue.

 

Chapter III: An Overgrowing Threat and a Sickening Reality

After leaving the Onyx Trainer School our hero decided stop by the Slums once more in order to catch a Yungoos. While the sitation in Jasper was dire he though that a small detour wouldn't be that bad. After catching the rodent he went back to the Opal Bridge and fought a couple more trainers who had showed up. He ventured through Peridot once more in order to reach his next destination. On his way there he spoke with a few people who commented how the ward was closed off to the public. One girl in particular mentioned she had called a friend of hers who lives there but couldn't get in touch which was worrying her. Once he reached the gate to Jasper Stanley was greeted by a Police Officer who said: "Ah hello there! You must be the trainer Miss Florinia mentioned. I heard you were able to help with the situation in Obsidia and that she directed you here. The ward was trashed pretty badly and so far we weren't able to find and rescue the survivors. Do be careful out there". - "Thank you I'll do my best and see if I can find the source of the attack". Stanley then stepped forward and ventured into the ward. The officer wasn't exaggerating, almost all of the buildings were damaged significantly and there were many cracks across the sidewalk. Just ahead he noticed a building which wasn't in such bad shape as the others. It had a sign next to its entrance which he proceeded to read - Reborn City Police Station. Before he could enter he was challenged by an Officer who was just outside and who mistook him for a trespasser. After defeating him in a battle and explaining why he was there the Officer apologised and remarked how the Police force were having a shortage in personal with officers leaving for patrol each day but fewer and fewer returning. 

Inside the station he noticed how no one else was there besided a man in a suit behind the counter. He introduced himself as the Chief in charge of Reborn's police division and said that even though civilian requests were of utmost importance the Police they currently had no manpower to assist. Just then another officer rushed through the entrance to do his report. He recognized Stanley and explained to the chief that he was there to help deal with the whole plant situation. After hearing this the Chief turned to Stanley and said: "Listen I know you are already doing a lot by agreeing to help us here and that I can't order you around but could I ask you to look for our missing officers while you travel through Jasper and Beryl?" - "I don't see why not sir. I'll report back here if I find any of them alright?" With that he left the station and started roaming around the streets. He found a suspicious hooded figure in a corner trying to communicate with someone else. It was a Team Meteor grunt. The battle ended as quickly as it started and the grunt was left to his own luck. Stanley continued to explore the ruins of Jasper battling a couple trainers until he reached the local Pokémon Center which was surprisingly intact among the destruction. He healed his team and stepped outside again. He tried heading right but the way was blocked by large roots. He also spotted a policeman trapped beteen two buildings but he couldn't reach him for the time being also due to the plants interference. Eventually he reached the entrance to a forest where he deduced the next PULSE machine would be.

Our protagonist started exploring the area and soon enough he found more Meteor grunts scattered around. Some were hidden between the trees waiting for any would be interlopers. Staravia, Zetsubear and all the others were used to it at this point and like Stanley himself they started antagonizing this group of people whose objective was still unclear. Cutting trees and Pokémon's HP alike he made his way through the woods until he could finally see it. The machine was just ahead in a nearby clearing. Standing beside it was a man with a red scarf and a Chatot on his shoulder. He noticed Stanley and called out to him. The man petted his Chatot's head and said: "Hello there. The name's Taka what about you?" - "I'm Stanley. I came here to end the destruction Team meteor is causing". - "Oh I see. I figured you would sho up eventually. I know, it's a shame. Many houses and lives have been taken because of this machine. You are aware of it's effects on a Pokémon's power level right? Well as it turns out causing all this destruction takes a toll on Tangrowth's body. I'd release the poor fella and stop this if I could, but I have orders to do the opposite. After all I'm still a part of Team Meteor myself". - "I see... you don't really look the part but I guess it can't be helped. Stand aside or throw out a Pokéball!" With that the battle begins.

Spoiler

Righto. Taka starts out with his new grassy weirdo, Exeggcute. Herdier munches it down with a couple Crunches. Then comes annoy-o birdo Chatot. I choose Noctowl to deal with it. It goes for the Nasty Plot and I put it to sleep. Then I start spamming Echoed Voice until it wakes up and uses another Nasty Plot. Sitting at red health Chatot goes for it's signature Chatter but Noctowl's glorious bulk shines through making him live the hit with 20 something hp and knocking the bird out with another echoed voice. Tangrowth comes out and similarly to before Noctowl puts it to sleep and gos for a few more echoed voices. it leaves a decent dent in it but the mass of vines eventually wakes up and takes it down. Stanley then sends out Vigoroth who finishes it off. 

Defeated Taka lets out a sigh and says: "Well that was a huge loss. Guess there's no point in staying here any longer. I know it's not really my place to say this but you should check out Beryl aswell. After all there's another machine there. Peace, I'm out of here". As he left Stanley though to himself "Hmm strange guy. He doesn't seem like that bad of a person but he's still my enemy right now". After inspecting the no empty machine he went right and jumped off a ledge in order to reach the forest's entrance. Suddenly a pink haired little girl with an annoyed look on her face shows up and says: "Hey you! What do you thinkk you are doing?! I was going to stop these jerks by myself now that I managed to get away from my dad and you ruined my fun. Hmph they put another of these pieces of metal in the the Beryl Ward where I live. I'm going back there now to stop them so don't you dare get in my way! Salamence it's take-off time!" With that shew flew out of the forest mounted on her Dragon Pokémon. Stanley though "Well you don't see that everyday. She's definitely not your average kid". He left the forest and explored Jasper a little more finding two of the missing officers, one of which was being cornered by a Meteor Grunt. After that he reported back to the Police Chief and made his way to the now unblocked Beryl Ward.

The scenery wasn't much different than before with buildings and the floor showing heavy damage from the plant attacks. Before heading further into the ruined city Stanley went right towards the Beryl Bridge and stopped for a moment to contemplate the view. It was the desert he had traveled through to get to Reborn City. Even though it seemed empy and devoid of life he knew it housed many different species of Pokémon and that there was still a certain beauty to it. He continued walking right until he came across a very large beaten up building. He read the sign at the entrance. It was an old Yureyu Powerplant. He had heard about this name before back in Obsidia. Supposedly the natural disasters that had struck the region caused the company and all its associated buildings to stop operating. The door was locked and there was no one around. There was also a cave south but it was blocked by a rock. Heading back to where he started he now chose the path to the left since north was inaccessible due to the overgrowing roots. He came across the entrance of yet again another green location. The Rhodocrine Jungle was its name. As he headed left he saw an item laying on the grass but as he moved to reach it he felt the ground beneath him started shaking and he fell into a pit trap. What followed was a very unpleasant encounter with everyone's favorite 'Swag Jockey' who mocked him for being imprisioned by wild Nuzleaf and offered his help in exchange for Stanley admitting that he was in inferior to him in every way possible and begging for his help. Instead our hero just went ith a short "No" while looking him straight into his eyes. Once again upset for not getting his way the sore loser snorted and left, leaving Stanley to face his own luck. After waiting for a while his 'talent' did shine through once again as a familiar bird showed up and hited the switch to the cage. It was the Chatot from before who belonged to the Team Meteor Admin he had faced in Jasper.

Free from his prison he continued exploring the woods in search of an exit. Inside some caves nearby he found some items, a switch and another lost officer who was also trapped in a cage. It was also here that Stanley met his new team member. A rowdy Bunnelby suddenly jumped from somewhere in the cave and attacked him. After catching the little troublemaker he left and continued to journey through the jungle. He came across a second and third switches which cleared the passage to the exit. Before heading that way he went towards a second exit that he found. It lead to a small area of Beryl which housed a now abandoned library. He fought a couple meteor grunts and then accessed it. Inside he found a man who healed his Pokémon with a kind smile and also a not so friendly sight. Inside a poorly lited room was a Growlithe crying out with sadness. He was standing beside a large hole looking down steadily. Stanley approached it and the dog Pokémon moved aside for him to look. Down in the hole was the body of a police officer. He couldn't mae it. Stanley took out his sun glasses and shaked his head with a saddened expression. Zetsubear who had once again left its Pokéball without being called was flailing its arms around and chuckling to itself. The Growlithe roared to it angrily and left the room running. Our hero turned to his Pokémon and said: "Why do you enjoy death and sadness so much little one? There is nothing worth laughing here... let's go".

After leaving the library he went back into the jungle and went towards the other exit. Back into Beryl he came across a few more Meteor grunts all bent on stopping his progress but to no avail for their teams were smashed by a now resentful Stanley who had seen such tragedy alongside hisbear. He rescued one final officer who was being held hostage in a nearby house and moved back to Jasper to notify the Police Chief. Once there everyone present was pleased and thankful to Stanley, which gave him a little more hope in the thought that he was making a difference. They briefly discussed the current situation and the chief promised they wwould showw up later to try and detain any major figure related to the incident still occurring in the Beryl Ward. As he was about to leave the chief also told Stanley that he should take the Growlithe who's partner had died on duty. Innitially reluctant due to the previous interaction between it and his Pokémon he ended up extending his hand to the fiery puppy who looked back at him. After a brief change of glances Growlithe barked and pushed a Pokéball towards Stanley. It had accept him as its new master. He then sent it to his PC and bid farewell to the officers and the chief. He was not being regarded as an honorary member of the Reborn Police. He wished he could stay longer and talk further with these man who dedicated their lives to others, trying to make the city a better place in these difficult times, but time urged, he still had a job to do. After walking for a while he reached the next PULSE Machine.

He aproached it and just then he was confronted by three figures (five if you count the extra personalities), two of which were familiar. It was the Admins of Team Meteor who had opposed him so far, ZEL and Taka. With them was a mysterious man whose face was obscured by a hood. He appeared to have some higher authority than the others and was the supposed overseer of their plant attacks operation. After being informed by Taka and ZEL of Stanley's accomplishments so far he spoke: "I see. So you are the little cat who's been parading as a tiger, however you have stepped out your alley. This is the real world and e shall show you how cold and cruel it can really be". As he was about to throw a Pokéball out a young and familiar voice sounded from the sky. It was the girl from back in the forest. She landed between the admins and got off of her Salamence. She turned to the hooded man and shouted: "You people! I'll stop you evil deeds right now. Prepare to get your butt kicked" - "My how reckless of you as a child to just step into a scene like this. Weren't you thaugh better by your parents?" said the hooded man - "Hmph. Shut up! I didn't come here to get lectured. I'm tired of all the stupid rules the adults keep throwing at me nonstop. Prepare yourself!" - "*sigh* Very well. You will learn someday, but for now I will teach you to stay out of other people's business. Taka, ZEL, take care of Stanley and protect the PULSE machine. I shall take care of this little girl personaly". They both stared at each other and then turned to Stanley. "Sure thing let's go for a rematch Stanley". said Taka - "Ah well...um if I have to then I'm sorry but..." Said Lumi - "It's payback time!" added Zero. The double battle starts.

Spoiler

Okay so this battle had some pretty decent difficulty. To make my life easier I focused on ZEL's Pokémon (as is recommended). Glaceon fortunetly couldn't even attack as a combination of Diggersby (yes I trained it for a bit) and Herdier's Take Down did indeed take it down. Even if it was mildly annoying I left Exeggcute alive for a while to more easily focus on the next eeveelution. Espeon came out after readying a Future Sight it to fell by getting hit by a couple Dark Type moves. At this point I had switched Diggersby out so it could still deal some damage later on and it was Vigortoh who assisted in both Espeon and Exeggcute's demises. Chatot and Umbreon came out. Herdier was taen out and I sent in Noctowl who putted Chatot to sleep (but not before it hurted and confused Vigoroth). With a bit of luck and the combined efforts of my attackers the parrot spoke no more. Umbreon was dealing chip damage with its Feint Attacks and it took some work to take it out due to it's tankyness. It was still alive when their last Pokémon, PULSE Tangrowth came out which was slighlty troublesome. Umbreon eventually fainted and it was 2 V 1 against Tangrowth who despite getting constantly hit managed to take down two other of Stanley's Pokémon who were weakened before. In the end it was Bibarel and Noctowl ho took it dowwn together.  (Yes it lived with an extra turn with 1HP) Not without it's struggles victory was achieved.

The two admins had been taken care of aswell as the Tangrowth being powered up by the machine. This PULSE too had been put out of commission. Without knowing what to say Taka finally spoke and said to ZEL: "Yeah I think I'm going to make myself scarce after this. You coming?" to which ZEL nodded and Lumi replied "Ah...yes I think that would be for the best". They left and it was just Stanley, the girl, whose name was revealed to be Heather, daughter of the Beryl Ward Gym, and the hooded man, whose Crobat was still going against her Salamence. Clearly disappointed in his underlings the man called back his Pokémon and run up north without saying a word. Heathr yelled at him telling him to stop and followed him. After briefly inspecting the third PULSE machine, whose model apparently was the original one, being labeled as 'A', Stanley too followed the others. Just up ahead the Officers from the Station whom he had rescued revealed themselves accompanied by their chief and cornerned the mysterious man. Annoyed at the revitalization of the force due to Stanley's actions he angrily glared at him when suddenly the chief approached him and said: "Well you wrongdoer it is time to know who you really are". As he finished that sentence he swiftly removed the hood from the man. He gasped and suddenly all was laid bear (^-^). It was Corey the local Gym Leader of the Beryl Ward. Everyone was dumfounded at this sight. Heather covered her face with her arms hiding her expression but one could imagine how the shock affected her in particular. She said: "No! I knew you were a jerk who never reacted to others happiness but I didn't think you were evil like this. I c...can't! Salamence, get me out of here!" As she said that she flew out of there in a flash. Corey had serious yet sorrowful expression and then he turned to the chief of the police and said: "This makes things easier at least. All you fools did here was unmask a father in front of his daughter. You taught her a lesson that all girls learn someday, pain. You wish to aprehend me? So be it. I'll be at my gym". As he finished speaking a cloud of purple smoke suddenly appeared as he vanished. Every officer was disoriented looking at their chief for guidance. He turned to Stanley and remarked: "Who would have guessed? Corey a Gym Leader, a role that is respected and trusted by the population is an Agent of a nefarious organization such as this?! This is clearly a trap, but wwe must follow him to his Gym and confront him once more. Stanley please come joins us as fast as you can. Let's go men! To the Beryl Gym!" And with that he was by himself standing in the middle of the ward dazzled by everything that had occured in a such a short span of time. He felt a presence behind him. Zetsubear was there once again, staring at him with a twisted smile on his face and an intense red glint in his right eye. Stanley sighed and said to the little bear: "You really need to stop doing that. You are starting to get really creepy at this point you know?"

There you have it people! This is it for the majority of this Chapter. I shall post the next part relating to Corey's gym later today. For now I shall get some sleep, but look forward to the next post. An exciting and unnerving turn of events is about to unfold. Stay strong Reborn City!  

[Dartu-san]

Okay let's do this people. This next part is going to be a special one I can feel it. The sense of an imminent tragedy was looming through the Beryl Ward. Let us proceed. 

 

 

Chapter III.5: A Venomous Descent - The Joy of Thisbear

The PULSES may have been stopped but there was still Corey's situation to take care of. Stanley wasn't even thinking of getting a badge at this point. Like the officers he just wanted some answers out the poisonous gym leader. He reached what was left of the inhabited part of Beryl and a few people were walking around the streets. They seemed confused and mentioned how an entire squad of police officers rushed through towards the Gym. He was on the right track. He stopped by the PokéMart to sell some unneeded items and then by the Pokémon Center for a quick rest. His team was getting in pretty good shape but he decided he should train a bit more before storming the gym. He noticed some grass to the left and headed that way. He stayed in the area for a considerable amount of time fighting wild Fearows and other Pokémon. He caught a couple of Doduos who showed up aswell as an Aipom who jumped out of a nearby tree after Stanley instructed one of his Pokémon to headbut it. His training was complete and then suddenly he remember something that had caught his atention back in Obsidia. A stray Litleo who was roaming the streets. The last time he had seen it it was heading towards the underground abandoned railnet. While it was still a long distance between both wards he threw Vigoroth out if Pokéball for inspiration. Trying to imitate his Vital Spirit they both started running as fast as they could (Vigoroth had to constantly stop in its tracks though or Stanley would be left behind).

Once they finally reached the desired destination Stanley managed to find the lion cub heading down the stairs to the railnet. He followed it there and suddenly a metalic sound accompanied by screeches started getting louder and louder. Both Stanley and the small Pokémon looked up and saw a weird mechanic construct hovering towards them. Suddenly a Klinklang was thrown from the machinery and attacked them. Stanley managed to take it down mostly due to the efforts of Noctowl (dem sleep tactics) and Diggersby constant attacks. The metal menace, its gears definitely grinded by its failure flew of right to where it had come from. The cub looked at our hero impressed and rubbed against his leg. It entered a Pokéball hapilly and Stanley promptly picked up. He left the tunnel and before leaving Obsidia he decided to leave it at the Day Care to play and rest for a bit. It was a Timid little female cub and Stanley gave it an Everstone to hold and left it with the old couple along with his Zigzagoon that he withdrew from the PC box. It was finally time to continue with his quest and he once again swiflty ran towards the Bery Ward.

As he entered the gym the atmosphere was heavy and there was a slight haze scattered through the air. He listened to Ame's advice through the telecom like usual even if he felt this wasn't going to lead to an official match. After bidding her farewell he turned to the police chief was just nearby by the entrance with a worried expression on his face. As Stanley approached him he said: "Ah there you are! It seems the situation has taken a turn for the worse. As my officers were looking around for Corey there was suddenly this hissing noice and then a purplish red gas started spreading through the area just ahead. It seemed to come out of those reactors. As soon as they breathed it in they started acting strange and haven't been resposding to me when I call them. One of them even tried to attack me with his Pokémon but I managed to run and stayed behind here. Please just try to find da wae to Corey and stop this madness". Our hero nodded and started looking around. Half of the reactors in the room ere blue and the others were red. After touching a couple of them he managed to make them all blue which opened a hidden door in the corner of the room. Before heading inside he decided to try to shake some sense into the three officers who were roaming the area with a dazed expression. They all challenged him to a battle but appeared to snap out of it after losing. As he was about to enter the hidden room Zetsubear jumped out its Pokéball like usual except that this time it was glowing intensely. The time had come it seems. The bear cub was about to evolve but before it even started to change it ran into the hidden room ahead of it's trainer. Note: I wanna give a shout out to @BandorKitty for helping out with ideas for the development of the next few story segments.

As he entered the room the atmosphere got even heavier than before. There was a musty smell and the lighting was dim. Our hero looked around feeling uncomfortable and at first he couldn't see anyone inside. The area looked like Corey's living quarters and he saw a card scan reader on one of the walls. He followed the now opened door and slowly walked further into the room. A chilling and eerie song started playing all of a sudden. He looked around to find its source but he couldn't locate it.

Spoiler

 

Then he saw it. As the music kept playing on repeat Stufful started glowing more intensely and his body started changing, gradually growing about three times its original size. The evolution was complete and yet it was different form any other he had ever seen. He couldn't see it him at first due to the sudden flash and the now bigger size of Zetsubear, however Corey was standing just in front of it. Before even turning to face its trainer the giant bear placed its paws on the gym leader's shoulders who shivered and finally turned to face his 'visitors'. Bewear by itself was already a dangerous species acording to the Pokédex. It's massive strength could easily crush a grown man's spine with little effort. For a moment Stanley gasped at the thougth of what this particular one could do. Pushing Zetsubear aside Corey stepped forward and faced Stanley saying: "So you've found me after all. I don't know what your true intentions are but I can clearly see the bloodlust in the eyes of that Pokémon of yours. Come to the arena. There I will show you true suffering". With that he vanished once more. Zetsubear leaned over Stanley and let out a loud 'Upupupu', returning to its Pokéball afterward. It seemed really amused by the whole situation. Wanting this situation to end our hero left the room and prepared to enter the arena. A noxious battle was about to take place. He looked at his team once again, confident that his resolve would help him push through this challenge.

Spoiler

Besides these six, Jigglypuff, Loudred and Bibarel were in the PC box all at level 26. Although I did not mention it before, I went back to the daycare and got a couple of Litleo's eggs from its time in there with Zigzagoon (seems like it was stil useful at this point ^-^). I then hatched them and got a male Litleo with pretty good Ivs out of it which I decided to train up to level 25 before the events of the gym.

Gripping his hand into a fist Stanley stepped forard into the room. Corey awaited him in the back end of the arena. He directed yet another glare of anger at Stanley and instruced him to take his place at the arena. Before starting the battle he said: "You! Whether or not you had good intentions all you did was elminitate my single denial for holding up through the years. Because of your interference Heather may never speak to me again. You were the reason why this happened. My single hope and memory of her... I've been driven to this. There's nothing else for me to lose, however if I'm going down then I'm taking you with me!" - "Listen Corey there was no way for me to know. I was just trying to help everyone here. These people were desperate for someone to end all this destruction so I stepped in. If a battle will make you rethink of your choice then son be it". And so it began.

Spoiler

Alright so Stanley leaded with Noctowl and Corey sent out his Skrelp. A single Extrasensory took it down to its focus sash. It went for a terrain boosted bubble but even then the damage it did to Noctowl was nothing special. The poison from the mist began taking effect though, but after Corey wasting a super potion and Stanley going for another Extrasensory Skrelp was out of the picture. Then came Skuntank which was put to sleep by Noctowl before Stanley switched it out for Diggersby who in turn went for a Mud Shot and a Take Down and fainted it. It was time for Croagunk to come out and Stanley chose Herdier to deal with it. It managed to knock it out first but a nifty Venoshock plus the poison effect from the field caused the loyal dogo to faint. Next in line was Mareanie who went face to face with Vigoroth. The ape however despite almost knocking it out ended up falling due to the star's Merciless ability. Noctowl finished it off but it too fell victim to the poisonous mist. Corey had 2 Pokémon left against Stanley's 3 but things went smoother at this stage of the fight. His penultimate Pokémon was a Nidorina who fought against Stanley's previous ace Staravia. The Poison Pin Pokémon dished a couple kicks to the bird's face but it was eventually overwhelmed. Finally only Corey's star remained... Batman. Stanley sent out his own powerhouse the now evolved Zetsubear. This choice revealed itself as a bane in that bat's existence as it went for a Nasty Plot in hopes of sweeping through what was left of Stanley team. In response however the Strong Arm Pokémon looked back at Stanley and grinned as it covered it's left paw in a chilly wind. The swift Ice Punch not only took Crobat down to red health, it also froze it solid.

Just then Corey's expression turned into a desperate look. His only chance to obtain even a small shard of satisfaction was shattered as Bewear grabbed the frozen Crobat with a Bind attack and threw it against a wall making it faint. Like that the battle was over. Corey kneeled on the floor, his hands closed in fists and hitting the ground in rage. He looked Zetsubear in the eyes and suddenly let out a laughter. Then he looked back at Stanley and got up from the floor and said: "I see. It was meant to be. Savor this victory for after every bit of joy you go through, misery soon follows. I will not turn myself to the police just yet. Instead I will be at Beryl Bridge. If you seek the motive behind my actions then meet me there and I shall reveal it to you". Vanishing yet again the gym leader was nowhere to be seen. Stanley took a huge breath now that the air was much clearer and leaned into a wall in the hopes of taking a quick rest. Zetsubear who was still out in the field however jumped from where it was in a quick movement and forcefully grabbed Stanley. It putted him under its arm and started runing and jumping around while holding him. Despite his protests Stanley was taken outside of the gym by his crazed Bewear who carried him all the way to the entrance of the Beryl Bridge. As he was being carried Stanley saw a glimpse on top of the Beryl Gym roof as they were leaving. He recognized that figure as an Absol just like the one he had seen before in the Desert when he first traveled to the city. Recalling his previous experience this time he was sure that whatever happened next would probably not be very pleasant to watch. 

Finally free from Zetsubear's grasp our hero decided to not defy the twisted bear and kept walking right towards the bridge. Right in the middle of the bridge he found Corey facing his entire team. Zetsubear, still following just right behind looked in glee at what was happening and started dancing around in a silly manner. Stanley aproached Corey and heard him say the folloing: "Right, you guys are done here. Just leave. I'll no longer be needing any of you. Go!" As he finished his sentence his Skrelp, Croagunk, Mareanie and SKuntank left without a growl. Nidorina too started walking away but stopped for a moment and looked back at Corey. She then sadly left the area aswell. Only Crobat was left as it was still hovering by Corey's side. He covered his face with one of his hands and then shouted: "You are not special you know? I said I wanted you to leave... You're no longer wanted here! Just go!" After hearing that Crobat let out a loud screech and flew away into the horizon. With that Corey turned to face Stanley. Zetsubear was still nearby waving it's arms around in a wavy manner. Corey then asked: "So you've come. I suppose you want to listen to how I became involved in this whole Team Meteor incident uh?" - "Yes, I don't know what you are planning to do now but I wish to hear from you what reasons led you to this" replied Stanley. - "Very well I shall tell you. It all started many years ago. As I was browsing through some goods in a shop I came across this beautiful silver ring with a ruby embedded in it. I'm not one to care for jewelry but even to me that piece had this kind of special shine to it. I decided to buy it and present it to my loved one. Her eyes shined as bright as the stone itself and much to my pleasure she accepted my offer gladly. It wasn't long before we married each other and she became pregnant with Heather. Back then I was happy and I felt like it was worth it to smile and live each day enjoying her company. That happiness didn't last long however... my wife didn't make it through our child's birth. I was told it was due to mechanical difficulties during the procedure but I knew better. The ruby ring she had was taken from her during her hospitalization. Aparently Team Meteor dispatched a specific medic to take care of it and take the ring. I was devastated they had taken almost all my reason to live, so I struck a deal with them. In exchange for becoming their agent they let me keep the Ring and promised they wouldn't harm Heather. The rest you already know". - "I see. So what now Corey, what do you intend to do?" 

Just then Zetsubear stopped his shenanigans and walked towards Corey. Before Stanley could do anything the bear was already standing right next to him, its eyes firmly fixated in his. This next segment is a tad unsettling so feel free to skip over if you so wish.

Spoiler

Suddenly Zetsubear's right eye as red as blood started glinting and after a small flash of red light shined yet another unsettling track started being emitted from somewhere. It was much different than the one back in the gym. There was a sense of urgency about it and it was extremely unpleasant to listen too. 

As the music kept playing nonstop Corey climbed up to the edge of the bridge and exclaimed: "Ah yes this was just the little push I needed. I know what to do. Listen Stanley, that Ruby Ring I mentioned, Heather has it now. I no longer have a right to call myself her father after what I've done. Still she's sure to become a target of the Meteors now that she's ran off with it. I ask you this, please watch over her and protect her in my place". He paused for a moment and continued. "My darling, I shall be with you soon". As he finished that sentence Zetsubear started laughing histerically, covering its mouth with its paws and doing the usual 'Upupupu'. Its voice no longer from a a cub was much louder than before and its laughter resonated throught the entire bridge. And then it happened... Corey threw himself off the bridge with his back turned to the ground that he was soon to crash into. Horrified Stanley extended his arm in hopes of reaching him ut it was already too late. He heard the sound of his body hitting the ground beneath the bridge. Not knowing how to feel, his day got even worse when a familiar green haired face showed up at the bridge and said: "Wow. Did that loser seriously off himself like that? I came here for a badge but it seems like he wasn't even good enough for that uh." After hearing Fern's words Stanley smashed his fist into the stone bridge. Just then Zetsubear slowly walked towards Fern and stayed put right next to him. Fern looked up and said: "Oi! What are you looking at dummy?" 

Before Stanley or his Pokémon could answer a huge explosion sounded. It was not close but they could still hear it clearly from there. A pillar of smoke was visible in the distance and Fern remarked "Hey! That looked like it was near North Obsidia Ward at the Grand Staircase. I'm going there to find out what it was. Well Stanley guess I'll be seeing you soon, after all if you want to go meet your 'friend' you'll need to go through there since he seems to have landed at the Lapis Ward ahaha". As he finished his sentence Stanley also got closer to Fern and put his hand on his shoulder. "I see. Well then if you are in a hurry want me to help you out getting there faster?" He said with a grin on his face. - "N...no I'm fine I'll go there by myself. Later loser!" And with that he just left. For once Stanley felt like taking Zetsubear's course of action but he opted not to and said to his Pokémon: "He's not worth it. A guy like that is already pretty miserable on his own right? Living the way he does his life must already be pretty despairful..." Zetsubear patted Stanley on his back with a bit too much force and went back to its Pokéball with a last 'Upupu'.

Our hero was tired. He didn't know how to feel at this point but he decided to move on and follow the scrub's lead. He was pretty sure the Meteors were behind this new attack. They would pay for their constant atrocities that were stoping him from enjoying a good old normal gym challenge.

That was it everyone! This concludes our Special Third Chapter full of events that deeply affected our main character and his entire team. Stay tuned for the next entry in this Normal Monotype Run. See you!

[J-Awesome_One]

Damn. I used to like Stufful and Bewear. Now, I'm scared of them. Haha. Nice job with the story though. Keep it up.

[Dartu-san]

Here we are, it's time to continue Stanley's journey through the region of Reborn. Last chapter was...well special to say the least. Our hero was confronted with a most tragic turn of events once again and he was powerless to stop it. So far, he had not uttered the word despair, however all the things he went through changed his perceptions and the influence of his strange bear as also noticeable at this point. Let us continue.

Chapter IV: Rotten to the Core

After finally taking a few moments to rest Stanley was ready to leave Beryl. As he wasn't as energetic as before he slowly made his way back to Opal after a long walk. The officers who were blocking the way up north before were now gone and our hero ventured forth. As per usual there were a couple new trainers awaiting in his path, and after dealing with them he continued moving up until he came across many policemen who were scattered around the area. The Stairway which was apparently the target of the bombing was just ahead. He talked with the people at the scene and explored the surrounding area before heading into the Lapis Ward. No one knew why this specific location had been attacked but Stanley already had his suspicions for who was responsible for the attack. To the right he found 'The Spice' where he stopped by to get some refreshments aswell as the entrance to an Alley. Inside he found out that this Magma Gang was using it as their HQ and only members could access it. There was also this flashy looking building with a sign identifying it as the Reborn Nightclub. A man with headphones and a wild look was by the entrance and introduced himself: "Yo! DJ Arclight here. I run this club here and I'm in charge of playing the tracks. I wish I could let you in, but membership is limited to Aces only. Best way to get acknowledged as one is to beat the Reborn League Challenge". - "Hm, I see, so this is a place for the elites of the region eh?" - "Sure is. If you ever get that far be sure to drop by". After finishing his sentence he waved and went back into the Club.

After talking with a few other people that were around, clearly bothered by the commotion the situation had brought he entered the Lapis Ward. There he noticed how different it looked compared to all the other place he had visited previously. The destruction had not yet reached most of this ward and the buildings were in much better shape. Not everything was peaceful though as many citizens complained about gang activity. Fighting his way through the streets he met a very rude and unpleasant old lady named Craudburry aswell as the other resident gang of the area, the Aqua Gang. While they were also very strict about only letting members access their hood they were nicer to him than the Magma thugs and offered him a place in the gang. He accepted their invitation and after defeating them in a double battle they directed him to speak with their boss. A man in a blue suit named Archer was the kingpin and he explained how at one point they were considered 'protectors' of the Lapis Ward, but everything changed when the Magma Gang moved in close and started getting in their way and giving them a bad reputation. While Stanley's moral compass usually drove him away from this sort of activity he reckoned it would be better if he helped the less hostile of the two existing gangs get an edge over the other and so he agreed to be part of their next plan. He was the meet them at night in an abandoned house near the PokéMart. With that out of the way he moved out of the Alley and explored the remainder of the Ward.

While moving through the streets he came across a large and imposing building. There was a lady in front of it with rainbow colored hair. She muttered to herself: "You are finally free sister. You can get away from this place and soon we will have our revenge". She noticed him and apologized for being in the way and left. The door was locked and before leaving himself Stanley decided to check the sign: 'Dr Connal's Orphanage and Psychiatric Treatment Center'. Stanley though to himself "Lovely. Even I wouldn't mind some sessions at this point. Good thing there's one of these around these parts". As he moved up the Ward he heard multiple people talking about a dead body near the Gym. When he finally reached it there were lots of citizens gathered around wondering whether a muder had occurred but he knew better. He got closer to the scene and recognized both Victoria and the little purple haired girl he had met back at Peridot, Shelly the Bug type Gym Leader. They were standing by a pool of blood behind the gym. They had a horrified expression in their faces and surely enough Corey's mangled corpse was right there with his face facing the floor. Victoria tried comforting the young leader when suddenly a couple familiar faces showed up in the rooftop of one of the buildings. They were the Meteor Grunts from back at the Control Room in Mosswater Factory in the Peridot Ward. The woman of the pair starting speaking through her intercom: "Aster and Eclipse reporting in. Agent Beryl has been confirmed as deceased". As they all noticed them Victoria called out to them: "You! So Team Meteor is behind all of this. You cause the explosion at the Stairway didn't you?" As Aster was about to spill the beans like an idiot Eclipse shouted at him and they both left. Then Stanley felt a mysterious presence once again and when he looked up the shadowy figure from the train incident was floating just above. Victoria shrieked but Shelly recognized it and said: "Ah...S-Shade what do you want?" - "Shade, the Ghost type Gym leader?" asked Victoria. The specter grinned and moved towards the body and then suddenly both it and the blood surrounding it vanished in thin air. Stanley looked a bit overwhelmed but said "Well if you only clean up messes instead of causing them then I guess you ar enot so bad. Anyway Victoria take Shelly away from here. No one should have to see something like this". - "Yes you're right Stanley. Come on honey let's get you inside for some rest". As they entered the gym our hero sighted. He was hoping he wouldn't have to deal with this sort of thing for a while. Zetsubear did not come out of its Pokéball this time, but he was sure the bear was watching everything unfold.

He followed the girls inside and went upstairs towards Shelly's room. There Victoria was still (understandably) worried about the young girl's mental condition after witnessing such a gruesome scene. Apparently the two of them were just about to start battling at the gym when they saw, through the window, a body falling from above. Shelly than said: "I c-c-can't stop thinking about it...that was...H-Heather's father right?" - "Dear you need to rest. I have to go now but I'll be back soon okay? You need me to get you anything while I'm out?" - "N-no I'm fine thanks". Victoria then turned to our hero and said "Stanley I'll go to the Grand Stairway now. Something's not right and I'm sure the Meteors are planning something down there. Please come too when you can". - "Alright I'll meet you there". After that Stanley waved towards Shelly and left the room. He too was headed for the Stairway in order to help Victoria deal with whatever the siutation there might be. 

After traversing Lapis once more and visiting a couple places there such as the Flower Shop he made his way back to the explosion site. There was a set of stairs leading underground now which he proceeded to use. Onse inside the cave like strucutre he came face to face with Aster and Eclipse who were holding Victoria hostage. 

Spoiler

After briefly taunting him they scurried away deeper into the caverns. Thoroughly exploring the differents floors, he found some items aswell as the field notes for the Crystal Cavern field. He also came across a Dunsparce that he caught for his ever growing collection of normal types and a black belt who gave him the Tmx Rock Smash. Since he needed the Lapis Gym Badge to use it he ignored it for the time being and kept searching until he finally came across the ladder that lead to the deepest part of the cave. At first it seemed empty like the other rooms he had searched, however the Light Shard in the area up ahead pointed him towards the right direction. A tall man in a trench coat stood in the middle of the room with his arms behind his back. His black hair was tied in a long ponytail. As if sensing his presence he called out to Stanley who aproached him. He did not introduce himself and immeadiately started talking but our hero knew this man meant trouble. There was an aura of malice surrounding him but nonetheless he began his speech: "Tell me young one, did you as a citizen of this city have any idea of the existence of a place such as this? Most people do not. They are ignorant to the importance and the beauty of this sacred place. Beyond this gate lies the core of this region which holds a power that is unrivaled by any other. They dared to build a city on top of such a magnificent and precious site. For that Reborn is a city of Insolence which was built on four key powers which represent the city symbols. Ruby, the seal of pain. Sapphire, the seal of love. Emerald, the seal of faith. And finally Amethyst, the seal of the beyond". - "And what happens when the four of them are brought together?" asked Stanley. - "Well, when we achieve that goal then Reborn's true power, it's sacred rite will be restored and we'll be able to restore beauty to this world once more by erasing this excuse of a city. You may be wondering why I'm telling you this, but the truth is I shall let both you and your friend go free. I want you to spread this message so that everyone knows: 

Spoiler

Do what you will with the grunts who are keeping your friend just up ahead". And with that he just walked away. It was clear now. This man was the Leader of Team Meteor. Stanley approached Aster and Eclipse who complained about how their boss just let him go. Before they could stop Victoria she pulled out one of her Pokéballs and a double battle ensued. 

Spoiler

This battle was not too tough since I had a few dark type moves to deal with Lunatone and Solrock and so did Victoria. Nothing else really worth mentioning. The Lycans were definitely more of a threat and they brought down 3 of Victoria's 4 Pokémon in total before finally falling. Here's a picture of when the the first of the wolves got taken down 

[Dartu-san]

So for some reason I couldn't fit more text into the last post so, sorry about that xD. Let's keep going.

 

Chapter IV.5: A Cocoon of Knowledge

After being defated once again the pair of Meteors left with an annoyed look on their faces. Victoria turned to Stanley and said: "Thank you! I knew you would come to my rescue. It makes me happy to a have a friend like you". Our hero shaked her hand and replied: "Likewise. Now it's back to the gym right? Let's go". With that they left the Stairway and went back to the Lapis Gym. Shelly was looking down steadily, still worried about Heather. She was aparently one of the few friends she had and seeing her dad like...that was a huge shock. Worried sick about the young girl, Victoria asked Stanley to try finding Dr.Connal, Lapis's renowned psychiatrist, and ask him for help regarding Shelly. Recalling the building he had seen before he agreed and left the gym. As he was about to try and open the door to the Orphanage a beautiful young lady with pink hair and green clothes came out and said: "Ah, excuse me. I must leave this place at once... finally". And just as quick as she showed up she was gone. He then entered the building. Inside he was greeted by a strange little girl with a Jirachi doll on her hand. She introduced herself and her friends at the Orphanage: "Hi! I'm Anna and this here is Nostra and she says it's nice to meet you. That one there is my twin brother Noel and his Cleffa Nomos". The boy looked at Stanley and said: "Nomos and Nostra are just dolls but hi. Nomos says hi aswell I guess" - "Don't be silly Noel of course they are not just dolls...anyway this here is Charlotte. She's really pretty if you look past the burns scars". Surely enough a teenage girl wearing all red turned to them and said: "For the last time Anna I don't have any scars". She as right Stanley couldn't see anything and Noel kept telling her sister how there were never any to begin with. After a brief conversation he learned that both Noel and Charlotte were gym leaders themselves and that the girl he had met, Laura was also Charlotte's sister and a member of Reborn's Elite 4. They then started talking about Dr.Connal, the owner of the Orphanage. According to the kids he was a scary man who would often perform special 'therapy' on them with the help of his Electric type Pokémon. Anna even mentioned how she could hear a voice who probably belonged to the soul of one of his past patients who had died in his care.

Stanley was still unsure if this was the truth or not but suddenly all the kids present returned to their seats an waited quietly as the doctor himself came out through a door and exclaimed: "Ah it seems we have a visitor. I was right to come check the commotion. My name is Sigmund Connel but you may simply call me 'Doctor'. So young trainer what brings you here". - "Well I..." - however he couldn't even finish his sentence as he was interrupted by Anna who said: "Ah Stanley here decided to visit because he was interested in meeting the gym leaders and maybe even getting to battle them". The Doctor was a tall man with broad shoulders and blonde hair. He was extremely polite but had a stern look to him. He then continued: "I see. Well we certainly have a few very gifted individuals in our care. You must have some confidence in your own skills aswell if you came here hoping to face them. Orderly please test this young trainer". His employee did as instructed and Stanley brough out his Pokémon aswell. With that out of the way the Doctor remarked with: "Impressive. However Stanley I'm afraid you will have to return some other time if you wish to face the gym leaders here. Our arenas are currently undergoing some contruction work and our common areas are also unfit for battles. It is rather unfortunate but that's just how it is". He wasn't even able to talk about what brought him there wwhen Anna pushed him to the door and whispered: "Listen I know how you said your friend needs help but you musn't bring her here no matter what. This isn't the doctor she needs it will only mae things worse. Instead tell her that she would worry about the one who's truly suffering and that by taking care of her she'll be alright herself". The Doc was getting suspicious but Anna said it was nothing and bid farewell to Stanley closing the door right after he left. Still slighlty concerned with what had just happened he decided to head back to the gym to deliever Shelly the message from Anna. 

Back in Shelly's room he told her everything Anna had said. She seemed really touched by them and immediately jumped out of the couch she was sitting in and said: "Yes! That's right...I don't have time to stay idle and be moping by myself. I need to find Heather and help her get through this. But first...Victoria let's have our battle". She wwas still worried and answered: "Are you sure that you're okay now? I don't really feel like battling right now...but Stanley might be up for it". - "Oh I s-see. Okay then Stanley I'll head back to the gym and wait for you there". Our hero then talked a little more with Victoria ut ashe was about to leave she grabbed his arm to stop him and said: "Listen. I know she seems better now but do you really have to battle her now? She just went through a traumatic experience and it might be to much for her. Don't you think her mental stability is more important than a badge?" - "Well yes I'm also worried about her, but it's no use treating her differently because of it. The best way to help her right now is to support her and encourage her to help her friend". - "But still...You'll have to battle me first Stanley! I won't let you pass otherwise". - "Well alright then let's do it".

Spoiler

Her team was still exactly the same as back in the Stairway so no surprises here. Her Pichu and Ralts were now evolved and she also picked up a Pancham (most likely from the Slums). None of them were particularly hard to deal with but Torracat is still a pretty speedy hard hitter. 

Beaten by his rival once again Victoria, a bit frustrated, admitted defeat and after wishing him good luck and asking him not to be too rough on 'Poor Shelly' left the gym. Before he went further though our hero decided to go back to the Pokémon Center and got ready for some training. Later that day he helped the Aqua Gang with their little 'operation' which involved 'taking' a Pokémon from everyon'es favorite senior citizen Craudburry. After the mission ended in success (he got a Ponyta and a Water Stone out of it) he went bac to the Aqua alley where everyone congratualed him and thanked him for his good work. He stayed there for a while training his squad against the myriad of wild Pokémon available. He caught and Alolan Rattata and evolved it aswell. With hsi team stronger he went back to the gym to challenge Shelly and obtain his third gym badge. Before heading there he came across a police officer he had saved back in Jasper. He was speaking with Craudburry who recognized Stanley and accused him of stealing in her property. Because Stanley was his savior and he believed he was an honest person and also because the old lady was being really obnoxious about it he decided to pay no mind to her allegations and instead gave Stanley a Bike Voucher which was supposed to be given to his daughter has a gift, but unfortunelty the little girl didn't mae it throught the plant attacks. Once again it seemed as if despair had given him something, however he was glad that it was not only grief this time.

Back at the gym he battled the trainers there and after a slightly annoying puzzle he made his way to Shelly's arena. Before approaching her he reviwed a few notes and looked at his team. All the training he had done paid off as he was able two evolve two of his Pokémon, including his long time partner Starly who was now in his final stage. 

Spoiler

This was the team he used to take on Shelly.

With a confident step he approached Shelly. She greeted him and told him a bit more about herself. Apparently she was the younger sister of a Gym Leader of the Jotho region. She idolized him to the point where she would often study and study everything she could about Bug Pokémon. The reason she had come to Reborn in the first place was so she could make her own gym and follo her brother's footsteps. However she was saddened by the fact that despite all this her brother still seemed to not acknowledge her talent and her efforts (you suck Bugsy). She apologized for her rambling and wished our hero good luck. The battle began:

Spoiler

As expected Shelly was a tough cookie. While I did beat her in my first try she did hurt my team pretty badly with only two Pokémon not fainting during the encounter. She leads with her Masquerain and Illumise for a pretty good balance of offence and defence. Masquerain's intimidate turns out to be useless as Stanley leads with Litleo and Noctowl. Her firefly goes for a rain dance in order to weaken any Fire type thrown at her team. Litelo's first turn was not really that important but nonetheless it went for an Ember on Illumise for a little bit of chip damage. Noctowl proceeded to put it to sleep aswell. Masquerain then goes for a rain boosted bubblebeam against the lion cub who hangs on with his HP on the red. Having her exactly where I wanted her I then proceeded to go for a combination of Litleo's Endeavor and Noctowl's Echoed Voice to swiftly remove the moth from the field. What followed was a series of intense turns as her offensive threats Anorith and Yanmega kept pressuring my own team. Nonetheless the dragonfly fell thanks to the efforts of Staraptor and Anorith was taken down by Stoutland. Both of the Intimidates really helped in letting these two live longer and contribute against the rest of her team. Araquanid her newly added bug which I was inicially worried with turned out to be not a threat at all as the only thing it did was setup the rain that had already expired. It then fell victim to an aerial ace and quick attack from the predator bird. In the end it was 3 of Stanley's Pokémon VS her ace, Volbeat, aptly nicknamed around her unnapreciative brother. It managed to faint Litleo who was still weakned and Stanley even had to heal Stoutland in order to have enough combined damage next turn to take it down.  It all came down to these two who mercilessly launched themselves against the small little bug causing it to faint abruptly.

After such an intense battle Stanley patted his two non fainted Pokémon who were still in the field and smiled. Shelly looked happy to see him being appreciative of his team's efforts and congratulated him: "Well done Stanley. I could see how well you instructed your Pokémon during the battle even it was in a field such as this with two different opponents. I'll probably never live up to his expectations...But you did really well so...um...here". She handed him the Cocoon Badge and the TM76 containing Struggle Bug. She then said: "Thank you for everything Stanley. Oh...before you go could I ask you to go back to the Grand Hall and tell Ame about this whole...situation. You see here in Reborn we have Reserve Leaders for each type so when a leader...retires, the League staff has to be informed so they can notify the reserve leader to take his place". - "Alrighty Shelly. I'll take care of that. You stay safe you hear me? Take it easy now. Bye".

And with that Stanley had obtained his third Gym Badge. He had come a long way since he first arrived to Reborn. While not every moment so far was a positive expereince he was still enjoying his trip through the region and bonding with his Pokémon along the way. He never imagined that a plain guy like himself who didn't have any particular talent could actually be so helpful to people and grow as a trainer each day. Not only were other looking up to him he too was starting to have better hopes about himself. While sometimes he felt conflited at the end of the day he was still happy to be able to assist both friends and strangers he had met through his travels.  

This concludes Chapter IV people. I hope you all enjoyed going through the story with Stanley the Wanderer and his team of Normies :D. See you all next time!

[Jess]

I just realised the Naruto reference in your Bewear's nickname. Bloody ingenious.

[Dartu-san]

2 minutes ago, Jess said:

I just realised the Naruto reference in your Bewear's nickname. Bloody ingenious.

Oh wow I didn't even though of that. I got the name just from the japanese word Zetsubo (Despair) so it's all a Danganronpa thing but it does fit since that character also has a black and white color split

[Jess]

Just now, Dartu-san said:

Oh wow I didn't even though of that. I got the name just from the japanese word Zetsubo (Despair) so it's all a Danganronpa thing but it does fit since that character also has a black and white color split

Oh LOL. I do love Danganronpa, but I didn't think about it... xD

Speaking of which, check out my Gundham Tanaka custom run of rejuvenation (rodents+1dog+1 bear, like Tanaka's pets) if you feel like it! I think you might find it enjoyable, since we have that common interest!  

Link is in my signature.

 

Regardless, great job with your run! I'm reading every chapter when I find some free time!

[Dartu-san]

3 minutes ago, Jess said:

Oh LOL. I do love Danganronpa, but I didn't think about it... xD

Speaking of which, check out my Gundham Tanaka custom run of rejuvenation (rodents+1dog+1 bear, like Tanaka's pets) if you feel like it! I think you might find it enjoyable, since we have that common interest!  

Link is in my signature.

 

Regardless, great job with your run! I'm reading every chapter when I find some free time!

Ah yes I did read the introduction. Might be a while before I do read it extensively though since I still haven't played Rejuvenation myself. I wish you good luck though. Will definetely give it a read when I get around to playing the game.

P.S. Gundham is also my favorite character

Edited January 28, 2018 by Dartu-san

[Jess]

1 minute ago, Dartu-san said:

Ah yes I did read the introduction. Might be a while before I do read it extensively though since I still haven't played Rejuvenation myself. I wish you good luck though. Will definetely give it a read when I get around to playing the game.

P.S. Gundham is also my favorite character

Fair enough! Thank God I didn't spoil anything to you. It's a great game, equally good to Reborn I dare say. 

Gundham rocks!  

[Dartu-san]

Hello one and all. It has been a while since my last post but worry not for this series will keep going strong. Last time our hero Stanley managed to earn his third gym badge after a arduous battle with the shy Bookworm of the Lapis Ward. Let us continue with this journey.

 

Chapter V: A Shocking Truth - To the Rescue

After a quick trip to the Pokémon Center and a look at his Normal Type Collection, Stanley was pleased to see how his squad was growing. Despite this he felt as if he had missed a couple of creatures in his travels and so after some research he decided to head back to a few locations. First he went to the Grand Stairway once more since he could now use Rock Smash. By breaking the rocks along the way he managed to find some items aswell as room in the far back of the cave. There he saw a few glowing rocks scattered around and a lone hiker standing in the middle room. The man introduced himself as a treasure hunter and after briefly explaining the purpose of those shining stones he gave our hero a Mining Kit. With this new piece of equipment in his hands he proceeded to mine all throught out the underground cave system. By doing so he obtained many of the colored shards aswell as heart scales and evolution stones some of which recalled having some effect on a couple of Normal Type Pokémon. He also found some type plates for his party members to hold and some fossils too, aswell as some other miscellaneous items. By using one of the Oval Stones he found he evolved the Happiny he met at one of the warehouses in the Coral Ward. 

Spoiler

I then captured a Mankey and a Mawile with the purpose of Chain Breeding the move Seismic Toss into a new Chansey. It took quite a while but eventually what would be another member of Stanley's Squad Hatched - 

With the spelunking out of the way he started heading towards his next destination in the Jasper Ward. As per usual a few new trainers had shown up at the Opal Bridge. After defeating them all he noticed how there was also a large group of people gathering near the now ruined entrance to the Stairway. Aparently a commercial presentation was being held by some members of the Silph Co. They were presenting the rumored new product that the company had developed, the Link Stone. Interested in all the commotion Stanley aproached the salesperson whose speech convinced him to buy a fully functional prototype. Even if most of the known Normal Type Pokémon didn't require a trade to evolve he reckoned there was at least one who had similar characteristics to this man-made invention. With all of that taken care of he proceeded to his next stop. The previously overgrown Malchous Forest was now more peaceful and silent with it's flora back into it's natural state. After exploring the woods once more he came across a hidden path which lead him to a small glade in which he found an abandoned green egg. After walking around enough it hatched to reveal yet another Pokémon he decided to use in his team, a Deerling. 

Spoiler

After yet another breeding session back at the day care in Obsidia Stanley got a Jolly lively new member for his squad. 

After finally making it back to the Grand Hall Stanley glanced around looking for someone to which he could report the incident with Corey. Noticing him Ame, who was behind the counter waved at him and called out to him. There was someone standing in front of her and as Stanley stepped forward he realized it was the last person he wanted to see. Fern was once again in his way with his usual presumptuous expression. He turned to our protagonist and said:

Spoiler

Ame replied with: "It is really unfortunate...knowing Corey I was worried something like this would happen". Before she could continue Fern rudely interrupted her and said: "Yeah, yeah. Just tell Aya to be ready by the time I get there alright?" Ame nodded and after bidding Stanley farewell she went downstairs. Mistaking him as confused Fern started explaining how there as a reserve gym leader of each type. Since Corey had...retired, Aya, a girl from the Byxbision Wasteland was now apointed as the new Poison Type Leader. Despite Stanley's uninterested he kept speaking: "So yeah the only way to get into the Wasteland is by using the key to the Gate in Obsidia, and guess what, I have one. But man that Shelly girl was really easy to beat. I thought she was going to start crying mid battle or something". - "Don't lie Fern. Half of your Pokémon are Grass Types and you don't even have a full team...Anyway how did you get a key?" - "Hmph why should I tell a loser like you? Nah you know what, fight me Stanley. If you beat me I'll share the details...but like that's ever gonna happen". - "Well aren't you an optimist. Fine bring it on".

Spoiler

They say third time's the charm, but the only charming thing about battling Fern is his annoyed response after losing time and time again. Anyway he leads with a new adition to his roster, a Rhyhorn. A simple enough Mon to beat. Next comes his Krokorok. Fighting Ground with Ground Stanley leaves the job to Diggersby who kicks the crap out of the croc by Rock Smashing and Taking it Down. His Ace comes next, now fully evolved, but Noctowl once again through of combination of Hypnosis and Extrassensory shows that any Rose carried by Fern is not going to be a thorn in my side. Finally and after a few switched had already been made from him before all that was left was his Dartrix which he still hadn't even evolved. Are you telling me this guy managed to beat Shelly with this team?  Good, good. That is my intention at this point grasshole. 

"Alright Ferny spill the beans will 'ya?" - "Gah. Fine. I got the key from the Gym Leader's brother. A fruity lookin' guy dressed in all purple with fishnets. Looks like a girl really. He said he was headed towards the Beryl Cemetery for some reason". - "Ah I see. I know who he is". - "Ahah of course you would. Later loser!" - "Always a pleasure..." And with that he left the Hall. It seemed all this excuse of a human being was good for was learning some relevant information. Regardless Stanley headed towards Beryl. It was a Sunny day packed with great heat and as he reached the Ward he noticed something yellow on top of one of the roofs. He entered the building and took the elevator to the top. There he met the silhouette he had just seen. It was a Helioptile who was basking in the glow of the sun's rays. Taken by the little lizard's cuteness he gave it a pack of PokéSnax and peted his head. The Pokémon jumped about happily. Yet another Normal type joined the squad.

Spoiler

Took a few Soft Resets of course

Back in the Pokémon Center he browsed through the pc boxes once more. He was actively raising 12 Pokémon now! After training up the new members in the nearby grass and against the trainers back in the Grand Hall he explored two other places that were previously inaccessible due to the lack of ability to use Rock Smash. First he entered the cave near the Old Abandoned Power Plant. It was called Citrine Mountain. There he found a bunch of different items, a few glowing rocks for mining and one of the Pokémon that once belonged to Corey, Croagunk. Its body was now black, diferent from when Stanley first fought against it back in the beryl Gym. After Corey had vanished Stanley found a plain silver ring in his bedroom and kept it as a memento. The Pokémon noticed it and decided to follow him. He also fought and won against a ferocious Beartic who was cornering a wild Smoochum inside a small cave (But why though?). After saving it, Smoochum became all clingly to Stanley and went inside a Pokéball. With all the items and events taken care of he left the mountain and headed back towwards the Beryl Cemetery. Before meeting with Cain he entered the nearby cave that was blocked by rocks. He fully traversed it even without access to Flash and found some more items aswell as another of Corey's Pokémon, Nidorina. All these encounters left him sad at first but he was glad that these Pokémon were not by themselves anymore. At the other end of the cave he found a hidden area of the Rhodocryne Jungle. Similar to the Helioptile he had met there was a Tropius in the middle of area taking in the sunlight. While it also accepted the food Stanley gave it it challenged him to a fight before being captured.

Once back at the Cemetery he found Cain stading near a newly erected grave. He noticed Stanley and said: "Oh hi Stanley~ I came here because I heard hat happened. I know no one can do anything for him now but I've heard that his daughter is all alone now. I have to find her. It must be really tough to be on your own at such a young age..." - "Yeah I'm really concerned for her aswell but I havne't seen her since then...Anyway I heard you have some keys to access the Wasteland. I was hoping to challenge the new leader there". - "Ah yes... I should have expected that ahah. I'm not really fond of her though she's always so grrrr. Anyway let's have a rematch. If you win I'll give you a key kaykay?" - "Sure Cain, sounds good".

Spoiler

The 'Pretty Boy' lead with his now Evolved Popplio. They really picked a good partner for him with all its voice based attacks and overall apperance. Helioptile (trained up a few levels since it joined the squad) made quick work of it after a Charge Beam and a couple Parabolic Charges (Cain healed up). His Nidoking came next and maing use of the Mountain field I picked Staraptor who took it out with a couple Aerial Aces. Alolan Marowak required a bit of switching around since it was doing pretty good damage with its strong stab fire type moves. It eventually fell and Cain sent out his Alolan Grimer, his final Pokémon.  It nearly too out the Predator Bird but it was also taken down.

As they finished battling they both noticed someone atop of a nearby cliff. It was Heather. Turns out Cain's suspicions of her showing up at the Cemetery were right. Before Stanley could say anything he started talking to her. His intentions were good but the stubborn girl kept shouting at him until she finally said: "I already have a friend so leave me alone! If visiting her will take me away from you then fine. Salamence let's go it's take off time!" And with that catchphrase she just flew off as quickly as she arrived. Cain, already walking towards the exit of the Cemetery said: "Dang it! It looks like she's flying towards the Lapis Ward though. Sorry about the key Stanley but I have to catch up to her before she flies off somewhere else!" And with that he just started running and left. Our hero sighed and left the Cemetery aswell. He was bummed that he couldn't say anything and that he didn't get the key but he was worried with Heather aswell so he decided to go bac to Lapis aswell.

After a bike trip he made it back to Shelly's Gym and went upstairs towards her room. Heather was there standing next to Shelly and Cain was not to far. Apparently the two girls were friends with the shy Shelly mencioning how she was her only friend (The nickname of her Yanmega kinda gave it away). Still annoyed by Cain's persistence Heather told Shelly to ask them to leave. He noticed how the purple haired girl was flickering and struggling ith her words and said: "Hey Heather. Most friends don't shout and order their friends around you know? So hum Shelly would you like Heather to treat you more nicely?" - "H-hum...I...I guess? Oh I'm s-sorry". Heather then loudly hit the floor with her foot and shouted: "Aaaah! Fine then if you are all going to gang on me then I'll just leave. Don't try to stop me!" She pushed Cain aside and quickly ran out of the room. Cain then said: "No! She's only going to keep hurting herself like this. Quick, after her!" He left the room running aswell and shortly after Shelly also left. With no other option Stanley followed them. Further down the ward near the Orphanage Cain and Shelly were standing just slightly behind Heather. At first he couldn't see but when he aproached Stanley saw the towering figure that was blocking Heather's way. It was Doctor Connel. He taught to himself "Oh no this is bad. If he finds out..."

Shouting in her usual brash tone Heather told the doc and his Orderlies to get out of the way but the man did not waver. He kept questioning where her parents were until eventually Shellhy gave out and said: "U-um...Doctor her parents aren't...here anymore". - "I see. That is unfortunate but I may have the solution for you child. You see I run this Orphanage in this very ward that houses many other like yourself. I offer you shelter and food, a chance for you to get your life back on track". - "I don't want anything from you creep. Now let me pass!" Unamused by her demeanor he remarked that wether she wanted it or not she had no choice for according to Reborn's City law all orphans with no capable guardian were to be taken under the Orphanage's wing. He ordered his underlings to seize her and they all left with the doctor wishing them a 'nice day'. Shocked the trio stood there for a while until Shelly started crying and ran back to her gym. Cain more worried than ever hurried after her. Stanley alone once again had a bad feeling about this. All the things he had heard from the kids when he visited the Orphanage before suggested Sigmund Connel was not a kind man who could be trusted. Unsure of what to do he followed Cain's lead and went back into the gym aswell.

Inside her room Shelly was shaking with her head facing the wall. Cain was standing next to her trying to comfort her: "Listen Shelly it was not your fault. That geezer is his own demon". - "B-but if I didn't say anything he wouldn't have taken her away...*snif*...I-I'm such a bad friend she's going to be so mad...oh my god". Cain looked Stanley in the eyes and he nodded. He turned back to Shelly and said: "Look we'll probably get into trouble by interfering that's for sure, but Heather is already in trouble and I'm going to take that risk. We can't just leave her in that place with that creeper. We are all friends here so don't worry~" - "F-friends?" - Yeah. Stanley you in right? Let's get her back!" - "Aye. I guess we have to raid the place right?" Shelly wiped off her tears and grabbed one of her Pokéballs. She clutched it in her hand while looing at it and said: "R-right. Let's save her!" With that the group prepared to leave the gym. Just then Stanley looked at the window. The sky had darkened suddenly and a heavy rain started falling. Sounds of thunder and flashes of light could be heard and seen outside. Just then Stanley had some sort of vision. He could see the top floor of the Orphanage building. He heard the voice of the doctor ordering his orderlies to hold down a girl and then...a bright spark was visible through the window. As he shook his head a sudden scream could be heard across the ward. It seemed as if the rumors he had heard were true. Cain and Shelly gasped. That was clearly Heather's voice. The trio ran outside as quickly as they could. 

While Shelly and Cain rushed for the door Stanley sprinted towards the Pokémon Center and quickly assembled his party in order to prepare to storm the place. He met with the others at the entrance but the door was locked. Cain angrily kicked a pebble in the floor unsure of what to do next. Knowing there was no other way inside Stanley was just about to send Zetsubear out to try and break the door when suddenly he heard a clicking noise form the other side. He swiftly opened the door and went inside with the others following close behind. There they were met by three familiar faces (to Stanley at least), Anna, Noel and Charlotte. The little girl mentioned how she could see our hero's glow throught the walls which lead her to unlock the door so he could enter. After the introductions were made Cain said: "So we are planning to get our friend back and go for a prisonbreak. You guys wanna come too?" - "Hm. If we have a chance to get out of this damn place we'll take it. 'Sides it's just a matter of seconds before the Orderlies notice you guys and try to kick you out". said Charlotte. Noel then added: "Well you'll be clearly outnumbered. Our Pokémon were confiscated and brought to the storage room so it's only you three". - "Well I can get rid of a couple ones at least. You guys better come get me afterwards though". - "What are you doing Charlotte?" asked Anna - "Creating a diversion". She then went ahead and asked one of the orderlies for her cigarettes. After being denied she started shouting and after a brief exchange which resulted in her biting the Orderlie's hand a couple more showed up and took her to the 'Circuit', the place where misbehaving kids were sent to. Immeadiately afterwards a trio of Orderlies noticed the commotion and walked towards the group. The battle for Heather's rescue had began. 

After beating this first wave of underlings the group briefly discussed the best course of action, however a couple of Orderlies came out of a nearby room and captured Noel who was giving us indications and helping with a strategie. They took him upstairs. With another problem on their hands Cain decided to stay behind and block one of the doors in order to stop more Orderlies from coming through. Anna stayed by his side and gave Stanley and Shelly who decided to pair up a few directions. The duo then climbed up the stairs to the next floor and started making their way through the facility.

Spoiler

These two Orderlies had quite the Stall Mons on their team. The battle itself took a while but it was alright. Other notable strong Pokémon that they came across were a Cryogonal and a Claydol.

After fully exploring the different rooms and beating all the Orderlies who stood in their way Stanley and Shelly managed to find the switches that unlocked some of the cells aswell as a couple gates preventing them from going to the upper floors. Stanley also found a strange Data Chip and learned by talking with Ame through a telecom that Connel was probably lying regarding the state of the Arenas at the Orphanage. Bent on stopping the deranged scientist they continued to make their way until their were blocked by yet another gate. However this one according to the kids could only be opened from the Doctor's personal office. To get the key to it they had to go through a couple more rounds of Orderlies until they reached the storage room. They set Charlotte free and were able to successfully recover the confiscated Pokémon of everyone. Even Heather's Pokémon were being stored there. 

Spoiler

She's not wrong. At this point our hero has had enough of this looney's bullshit.

After hitting the switch in the office the group made their way through the facility until they reached the top floor where Sigmund was helding Heather down. Along the way a couple of Stanley's Pokémon had evolved and were now ready to put and end to this charade.

Spoiler

 

While Zetsubear hadn't left its Pokéball Stanley didn't need the bear's presence to realize the existence of despair within the walls of the Orphanage. It was no different from a prison to the kids who were constantly being submited to the twisted therapeutical methods of the 'good doctor'. When all the others had finished going up the stairs he followed them and this is what he saw:

Spoiler

 

With the Orderlies cornered by everyone's Aces all that was left was to immobilize Connel and his Electivire who was holding Heather. Charlotte took the iniciative and approached him. At first she just threatened him with words but since he wasn't cooperating she proceeded to take one of her cigarettes (yes she got her squares back in the storage after all) and burnt him. Flinching with the pain the doctor stepped back and said: "Fine have it your way. I do not care for these petty power struggles. You may take the girl". As he said this he returned his Electivire to its Pokéball and Heather was freed. "Nonetheless I have already contacted the authorities and informed them of your trangressions. You shall all be apprehended shortly". Heather was not saying a single word. She was still probably suffering trauma from the effects of the shock therapy. The group all agreed it was time to escape from the building and try to find a safe place in order to get away from all of this. Everyone quickly left with Anna and Stanley leaving last. She said: "Come on Stanley everyone is going to meet up under the bridge at the Opal Ward, where the train tracks turn off into the underground. Come quickly". - "Right. I'll be there".

And with that the rescue mission ended up in success, or did it? As he was leaving the Orphanage Zetsubear finnaly decided to jump out of its Pokéball and have a few laughs has they left the gloomy building behind. Stanley had the feeling that this ordeal was far from over and he was sure he would encounter Connel once again. Until then he decided to go with the flow and started heading towards the Opal Bridge after resting at the Pokémon Center.

That's it for the first part of the Chapter. There was quite the amount of events this time around but this part of the adventure has not yet ended. See you all next time (which will hopefuly be soon).

Edited February 6, 2018 by Dartu-san

[Dartu-san]

Greetings. Welcome back to this monotype run. The conclusion of this chapter will be pretty 'shady'. Will Doctor Connel seek revenge against the escaped orphans? And will Team Meteor strike once again and meddle in Stanley's League Challenge? These are very good questions so let's get back right into the action.

 

Chapter V.3: A Bad Omen and a Dark Alliance

Back in Peridot Stanley went straight for the path marked by the train tracks. He had been to the railnet before so he knew where to look for. On his way there he met Anna who was waiting for him under the first section of the bridge and asked him to hurry. He followed and reached his destination. Everyone was already there. Heather was still silent with Shelly constantly apologizing and pleading her to talk to her. Cain was staying vigilant but he also had a playful expression. Anna was very excited and mentioned how they were all going on an adventure together. Charlotte noticed Stanley's arrival and after sighing she said: "Alright everyone here's the plan. We can't really stay in the city anymore but luckily this old railnet goes straight to the Chrysolia region and it just so happens that my sisters have a house in there. We can lay low there in order to avoid the police and wait for things to cool down. In order to do that though we need to break through this tunnel. I'll leave that part to you Stanley". - "Righto". As he said this he sent out Diggersby who proceded to smash the rocks in the way to make a path. As he was about to follow the group deeper into the tunnel Zetsubear jumped out of its Pokéball and jumped to the front of Stanley, blocking his path. Its red left eye started glinting and it placed it's paws on its trainer's shoulders. He felt intimidated at first but he knew by this point that despite its agressive approach to things the Pokémon did not mean him any harm. Then the large bear pointed towards his red eye with its paw prompting him to look. When he did he felt slighlty dizzy and suddenly he started having some sort of vision. He could see the upper section of Opal Bridge just outside. At first there wasn't anything in particular happening but then he as able to see it. Doctor Connel's looming figure was visible near the edge of the bridge. He was looking towards the entrance to the underground railnet and said: "You would go for the railnet Charlotte. Well that much was predictable". Just then he was aproached by another sinister figure. It was the man who lead Team Meteor back in Mosswater Factory in Peridot. He did not introduce himself to the scientist but instead offered his help. "Doctor I am a fan of your work in Electroconvulsive Therapy. By employing your methods I have had great success in my...operations. Regardless I understand you have lost something of value to you and I believe we could be of some benefit to each other". With the end of that sentence Stanley snapped out of his vision and still midly dazed continued to step forward. His Pokémon laughed with its usual 'Upupu' before returning to its Pokéball. It seemed as if this strange bear had even more to it than what meets the eye. It's grin reminded Stanley of the young lady who first gave it to him.

Further into the underground passage the group had stopped in front of a large metal door. Shelly briefly explained what the purpose of that entrance was by sharing some backstory of the now ruined Yureyu Company. With it's downfall Reborn's electrical and economical system took a large hit and it took some years for the situation to stabilize. The door however wouldn't open since it was still connected to the Company's old power plant. Just then Anna said:

Spoiler

Shelly gasped: "Y-you mean S-Shade? Is...he even human?" - "Well who knows? But he's really nice though. I bet if someone went up to to him and asked him to turn back the power he definitly would. Hey Stanley! You should go to the old power plant and ask him and then you two can fight. He's also a Gym Leader after all!" Cain then pointed out that it was the place on the other side of the Beryl Bridge. Everyone agreed to wait where they were since they couldn't proceed through the door anyway. Stanley felt somewhat apprehensive for leaving everyone (especially because he kept remembering what Zetsubear had just shown him) but Charlotte insisted for him to leave and get it over with. Before heading to his destination he looked at the Data Chip he had gotten back at the Orphanage and after some thinking he remembered the glitchy computer he found in one of the dorms in the Onyx Trainer School and so he decided to stop by there first. Once he entered the room he noticed the screen was still showing static and the whole thing was unresponsive to any commands. He inserted the chip in the port that was located next to it and immeadiately strange text and numeric messages started popping up on the screen. A weird boot up like noise came out of the monitor and then a wild Porygon attacked. Stanley though to himself: "This is it! The man-made Normal Type Pokémon that can travel through Cyberspace". After weakening it he managed to capture it. Yet another fine specimen for his collection. He decided he would not use it for the time being but in the future the polygon duck would probably come in handy.

With that detour out of the way he biked his way to the Beryl Ward and headed to the Pokémon Center. There he booted up the local PC to once again browse at his squad:

Spoiler

Here are all of the Event Normal Types Stanley caught aswell as the twelve Pokémon he uses on rotation on his team. With Porygon caught there was only one other Normal type obtainable at this poin in the story but that comes up a little bit later, after the next Gym battle.

After choosing his Strike Team he left the center and walked towards the Beryl Bridge. This time Stanley himself was the one calling Zetsubear out of its Pokéball. While the bear had a twisted and disconcerting personality our hero had grown attached to it and considered it a trusted companion. The two crossed the bridge together with Stanley stopping midway and looking around at both sides of the bridge. He found it ironic how a construction such as this, whose main function was to serve as a monument of stability that permitted passage between two different locations ended up being a site for such a gruesome turn of events. When he reached the entrance to the old power plant he came across a now familiar sighting. While unsure if it was the exact same one as before an Absol was standing atop a rocky formation next to the abandoned building. It let out a cry and then ran off into the mountains until it was no longer visible. By this point he was sure that the story about Absol warning others of imminent danger or tragedy were most definetely true. His journey so far had proven that point. Reluctantly he entered the power plant. Inside all there was was darkness, a pitch black hall surrounded by what looked like machines. He walked upwards but the path was blocked by metal gates similar to those he had found at places like the Onyx Trainer School or the Orphanage in Lapis. Just then a sudden flash allowed him to get a hint of the layout of the hall he was in. He also caught a glimpse of the same shadow he had seen twice so far. Zetsubear still following close behing its trainer grinned openly and let out a couple laughs. Just before the black figured vanished into the darkness it appeared to grin back at the Pokémon. Stanley was slightly nervous and uncomfortable but he kept moving. The occasional flashes helped him find his way into the next room to the left. There after some walking around came across the first of four control panels. While they did indeed open the different gates that bloced the passage to the 'gym leader' they also had a very unpleasant side effect. Each of them played a ghastly (yet somewhat apropriate) scene on a large screen. Out of the four he wwas only familiar with one of them as of now.

Spoiler

Corey's suicide which he had seen unfold right in front of his eyes was replayed. He really didn't need to see it once more for it was already engraved in his mind. The other scenes depicted what looked like another gym leader pushing Amaria off of another high place, a woman getting cut in half by a hulking Garchomp and finnaly another woman with green hair and a distinctive hairstyle exploding in what looked like a self-destruct  from a robot. 

After witnessing each of the grim incidents he went back to the starting hall. Through the telecom he listened to Ame's advice once more. The Factory like environment resulted in a field fit for Dark, Ghost and Electric type moves alike, boosting their power considerably. Stanley was not particularly worried at first since all of his Pokémon had a special attribute, one of the few advantages of the plain Normal type, an immunity to spooky strikes. Likewise Ghosts could not be hit normally, however there were a few ways around that limitation. A decent amount of Stanley's team carried Dark type moves which ould come in handy. Diggersby also had access to Odor Sleuth which would enable his partners to take a punch at the spirits after giving them a good sniff. After walking through the unlit location he came face to face with the mysterious specter known as Shade. As per usual it did not say a word but as Zetsubear joyfully spinned around its master the dark entity started glowing red (much like the Pokémon's right eye) as it slowly ascended into the air until it was hovering just above Stanley. Then with a ripped smile on its face it threw out a Pokéball and the battle began.

Spoiler

So this battle was pretty interesting. I actually underestimated it's difficulty and it nearly costed me the victory. Truth be told though only two of Shade's Pokémon were an actual threat during the fight, with the others not causing too much trouble. 

First came Corey the Gengar (Oh god does that mean...) which was pitted against Stanley's latest squad member, Helioptile. Since it could not use it's stab move Gengar was forced to go for Thunderbolt. While it was boosted by the terrain and also it's high special attack stat it didn't end up doing too much since the little lizard resisted it. In response the reptile paralyzed it with thunder wave. On the subsequent turns it kept eating up the damage form Gengar's Thunderbolts and responded with stab terrain boosted Parabolic Charges which not only enabled it to two K.O the ghost (oh glorious damage multipliers) but also made sure it lived long enough to do just that. Next came Dhelmise which managed to put a dent in some of my Pokémon due to it's high hitting power and it's bulk ut the anchor did eventually go down (hey-yo!). Rotom was easily taken care of by Diggersby who sniffed it and mowed it down with two well placed Take Downs. Doublade was the first big Ghost Buster to show up. It actually one shotted Sawsbuck with a critical Gyro Ball. It took both Stountland's and Vigoroth's Dark type moves to send it back into the spirit world. Second to last Banette came out however it was easily dispatched by Vigoroth who just kept Slacking off the damage it too and answering with Feint Attacks. Finnaly it was time for Shade's Ace (that sounds really cool when you say it for some reason), everyone's favorite actual Pika Clone Mimikyu and oh boy was this thing a mean bean. I had 3 Pokemon left at this point, none of which except for Zetsubear were at full health. Knowing the little runt would go for a boost the first thing sent out to deal with it was Stoutland who dropped it's attack by one stage ensuring that after Swords Dance it would only have 1 boost instead of two. As it setted up Stoutland broke it's Disguise. On the next turn it got hit by a Play Rough that did well above 50% damage that also lowered the doggo's attac stat which meant the Fire Fang thrown at it in hopes of a burn did a measly bit of damage. Stoutland as finally taken down on the next turn. What followed was an epic duel between the two aces of each team and man am I glad I've got this bear on my side. So after taking two +1 Play Roughs from the cloaked menace this was our favorite's disbear HP  Yep! A couple of Paybacks from it weren't actually enough to down the darn thing and it was here that I got scared that I wouldn't make it but when it was face to face against Vigoroth (who I had switched in) it missed it's Play Rough and got taken out by a Feint Attack.  Oh Happy Day!

And with that the battle was over, however Shade's grin hadn't dissipated. It let out a few cryptic sentences as it gave our hero his fourth badge and the TM65 - Shadow Claw. Both it and Zetsubear kept staring at each other for a few moments until the entity realized the other reason for the young trainer's visit. He promptly turned on the power back on and then called out to Zetsubear who walked towards him while laughing as usual. The two then looked at Stanley and stepped sideways in order for him to look at the large screen that was behind them. Suddenly he felt another slight headache as the screen and the eyes of the grining pair flashed a red light. It was another vision. This time he was shown the Underground Railnet where he had been just a few hours ago. The group was still waiting at the same spot when the large metal door suddenly opened. From it came the Meteor Admin in black clothes from before accompanied by several grunts. At his command they swiftly seized each of the kids. Anna, Noel, Heather, Shelly and Charlotte all got captured by the nefarious group. Another grunt was already walking towards Cain in order to aprehend him aswell, however his quick thinking led him to send out his Nidoking who he ordered to use Earthquake which damaged the cave's floor and separated him from the Meteors. He was able to escape but the mysterious man was not bothered by it and mentioned that capturing him was not part of the deal with the Doctor. So it was true. An unlikely yet dangerous alliance had been formed between the Psychiatrist and the members of Team Meteor. The vision ended and Stanley shook his head to get rid of all the vertigo.

Shade's expression changed with its eyes and mouth no longer visible admidst the darkness of its face. In a deep and rough voice it said: "...So dying souls offer the keys to your gain...Let not them suffer the poison in vain". - "W-what do you mean?" But as Stanley finished asking this question the entity just grined once again and vanished. These words resonated in his mind and kept thinking about their meaning for a moment. Zetsubear harshly patted him in the back as to snap him out of it and quietly returned to its Pokéball. As things were starting to look up all was shattered in just a few moments. He feared something like this would happened, after all both his visions and his sighting of Absol were indicators that disaster was once again imminent in his journey. Despite his partner's affinity for Despair it's last gesture was indicative that not even it wanted him to give up. Shade's words too were prompting him to search for light admist all the darkness. He would not give in to the all consuming grief that kept chasing him ever since he came to Reborn. Thinking of Corey's words before their battle he too started asking himself the question of why all of this was happening to him and all of the tragic events had one common catalyst - Team Meteor. They would pay for hurting his friends and robbing him of the peace and normality he desired so much. His motivations renewed he left the Power Plant and ran as fast as he could in order to get back to Peridot.

Well this is it everyone! Here ends Chapter V. I hope you all enjoyed my retelling of the events of this great game even if for now Despair seems to be the only outcome. See you next time on Stanley's Bizzare Adventure (yes that is a motherf*cking JoJo reference). Bye~

 

P.s. I edited the title to insert and extra little reference I remembered

 

 

 

Edited July 15, 2018 by Dartu-san