Dialga's Gate: The Time Rift Zone

Myles II
After steadying your breathing upon realizing the torches were not a trap you finish examining the room, scribbling descriptions of the coffin into a notebook. You then go over to the writing on the wall and to your surprise, you are able to easily translate it given that it is unown script, something closer to modern language. You read it aloud to make sure you understand it and Heimdall nods along like he understands. After contemplating who this "Keeper of knowledge" might be you ask Sprocket to take some pictures of the Unown script who happily does with lots of flashes before moving on to the next room where presumedly the test lies. You walk through the room leaving the sarcophagus behind. You walk for a short time before coming upon another room. This room is more square shaped where the previous one was a circle. On the far wall just across about a dozen feet away are two stone doors with more of the same decorations that were on the sarcophagus: pyramids, shinx at the same scale, and the disc with the triangle below it. Above it is more Unown writing that says: "The PHARAOHS are Plenty, Holy, Absolute, Splendid, Absolute, Merciful, Holy, Revered. HOROS is..." In front of the door on the floor, you see tiles of stone that have more of the same lettering. You see from left to right: Absolute, Splendid, Revered, Holy, Plenty, Merciful. You can tell just from looking that the tiles are designed to sink when stepped on. With that, you don't see anything else of interest outside of additional torches providing light to the room. Heimdall does let you know that he can feel a presence beyond the far door. What will you do?

TheKnightsFury
With the Gyarados attempting to flee, it fell on you to make the call to finish it off and risk angering it more, along with the possibility of more combat, or to let it flee and risk it coming back. You can already feel the rain weakening as it starts to make its way back down the river when you call out for your Decidueye to Spirit Shackle it in place. While you doubt this would have worked with it at full strength the weaker and paralyzed Gyarados seems to be unable to move further despite the attack doing little damage with the mega pokemon's dark typing. It turns around with water leaking from its mouth to blast with another hydro pump but is met with the continual super effective blows from your pokemon, along with more electric moves and signal beams from Tron. The Empoleon mom stands nearby, not offering anymore attacks but recuperating. And with the combined final assault the Gyarados comes crashing down to its side. Defeated. It begins to glow and shrink, and it actually shrinks more than you were expecting. It seems, while the Gyarados was large even compared to yours, the Mega Evolution accounted for much more of the size increase than normal. Gendra calls out her Talonflame and speeds over to the fallen beast as per your instructions to search for the mega stone. It doesn't take long, as Seebor and Tron care to Owen she flies up to its mouth and pauses with wide eyes for a second before she and her pokemon pry something from behind one of its teeth. She comes back with what looks like a beach ball sized cluster of pearls stuck together. Except they aren't pearls, they are Megastones. "This was all I could find. It may have swallowed more but this seems to be the biggest root of the problem." She explains. The porygon z looks worried over its trainer but then does a move you recognize as Pain Split and transfers some of the damage to itself allowing Owen to regain conscious. The grizzled Viking starts awake but quickly relaxes with a smile. "The rain's stopped. We did it. Right?" He asks. How do you respond?
Ymir, Argo, Thor and Balerion each gain 2 levels. Sigurd and Atalanta each gain 5 levels.

 

As Mint and Heimdall both step into the new room, Sprocket preemptively snapping pictures of the Unown script above the far side doors, the Gallade stops her after a few steps.


Be on your guard. Something is beyond those doors ahead, though I'm not sure what exactly... he warned Mint, who nodded solemnly before examining the puzzle set before her. The PHARAOHS were described with a sequence of words, and she was prompted to describe a HOROS in the same manner. Well, Mint did love a good puzzle.


At first, one could hear the gears grinding in Mint's skull. The first sequence of descriptors gave little information, and "HOROS" was a completely unfamiliar figure to her, having not been well-studied in Egyan mythos, given its focus on abstract deities rather than Legendary Pokemon being viewed on their proper deific level. How was she supposed to know anything about HOROS? Well, besides that he was clearly some figure of reverence, as no negative descriptors could be selected.


A minute or so passed, before Mint huffed in frustration, especially since Heimdall had no additional insight, whether on the puzzle or the presence that lay beyond. She was at a dead end, and on that note, she needed to rethink her entire approach. The first step to such was obvious: think of it less as a series of descriptors, and more as a password, as that is what it would be at the end of the day.


Looking over it one last time, however, Mint noticed something off about the example sequence. Specifically, the word "Absolute" was used twice, nearly in direct succession, as well as "Holy" being repeated some ways away from its first instance. She also thought it odd how the whole word PHARAOHS was shown in larger capital runes, despite no such capitalization normally being called for at all grammatically, as well as HOROS. She studied the word sequence again, and things seemed to fall into place. The first three words began with P, H, and A, respectively. While the matching with the letters in PHARAOHS ended there, the idea was clear enough, with the recursion of "Absolute" happening directly after the word that ought to represent "R" in this instance, though "Splendid" was an odd choice for such, and the recursion of "Holy" also fit into where both instances of "H" would be. But, if these words represented letters, the letters in HOROS were all in PHARAOHS, and the solution could be taken from there! Heimdall looked up as he felt the surge of excitement well up in Mint before she could even say "I've got it!"


"If that sequence describes PHARAOHS, then HOROS must be...Holy, Merciful, Splendid, Merciful, Revered!" she said, carefully stepping on each such labeled tile in careful sequence. Now to see how this would all pan out...

 

Jayson breathed a sigh of relief, the beast was finally down. As the mega power subsided, the Gyarados shrank dramatically, it was still large but nowhere near the size it was. He watched as Gendra returned with a strange mass of pearls, Jayson had never seen so many Mega Stones in the same place. Where had they come from? Was there some natural Gyaradosite deposit deep in the ocean? It was certainly an anomaly, if it was to get into the wrong hands it could likely lead to an even greater disaster. With Owen regaining consciousness thanks to some clever thinking from his strange partner, Jayson needed to fill the leader in on the outcome.

"The beast is accounted for and the mega stone, well mega stones that caused this mess have been recovered. I believe it is best that we bury these somewhere and maybe you could build a monument over it, to commemorate our victory as well as ensure that this power doesn't fall into the wrong hands. I believe you also owe me an explanation, how is it that you possess a Pokemon from the future?" Jayson cut a glance at the Porygon Z. "This Pokemon could have only come from my time, is there something you're not telling me?" Looking around, Jayson noticed the mother Empoleon had recovered and was now looking around anxiously. "Thank you for all your help Empoleon, you should go find your children now, they are surely missing you." Jayson's body was sapped, now that everything was slowing down he was starting to realise just how exhausted he was.

 

The castle was brimming with life, with crowds of people walking through the grounds. A summer festival was a common sight to the Alolan native, there were at least two a season in Maile City. The flashy lights, the fireworks, the food and little games was something he always looked forward to sneaking into. Though, it was pretty easy to disguise himself as a normal civilian. No hat or bandanna, and a yukata that he permanently borrowed from a stall. They didn't really seem to miss it anyways. He was still shocked a bit that the old thing still fit. It had been like two years since he last wore this. Had it really been two years since things ended? It doesn't really feel like it.


Eating some dango, Leo continued to walk around the festival. Behind him was his Togetic, Custard. The two had been together since he could remember, and while Custard wasn't used when he did grunt work, the Togetic helped him out with keeping the mansion in check. At least, his little section. The brunette cooked a lot for the rest of his fellow grunts. He was too clumsy to effectively do grunt work, so they stuck him with house work. He didn't mind, Po Town was already his home.


"I wonder how Salt and Stew are doing..." Leo muttered to his partner Pokemon. The Rattata and Salandit were integral when he was out in the field. He left them in the care of one of his fellow grunts. Chastity was her name. She was a good person, just too reckless considering her restricted background.


"I'm sure they're fine! Let's enjoy this festival Custard!" Leo shouted, causing some heads to turn to him. He was using a foreign language in a foreign land after all. He must seem like some kind of freak. It wasn't exactly an inaccurate description for him.


Taking this as a cue, Leo delved back into the crowd. It was weird being in what he presumed would become Johto. A time way before he was born, and he was able to visit it. It did feel all too surreal for someone like him. It felt like a dream, it wasn't, but it still felt like one. He'd be more than happy to continue dreaming this dream, but things must come to an end eventually. Soon this night will be over, and things will return to normal. He'll head back home with morning sun, and everything that occurred in this night will quite literally be in the past. But for now, he'll just enjoy this festival and see where the night takes him.

 

Missingno. Master​

The Electivire had a faint smile on it's face seeing the look that Kyle was giving him. It gave a solemn nod as it's body was gradually enveloped in the greenish blast that Solar Beam produced. When the blast cleared, there it lay, fainted from the exhaustive battle that it had suffered.

*Kyle gained 4 levels

Gallus gritted his teeth, returning his fainted Pokemon to it's Pokeball. He fastened the old looking device to his hip, walking angrily back to the dressing room. The crowd roared in a mix of anguish over their fallen titan and uproars of approval for your victory. The announcer called your name proudly, claiming your victory over the titan Gallus.

Remus walked from the stands, wrapping a hand around your shoulder with a firm grasp. His grin was infectious, making you feel full of pride at your triumphant victory over Gallus.

"I knew there was something I liked about you, kid." He grinned again, gesturing towards the tallest stand that had been situated behind Gallus. "Hell, even Agramas was impressed. He asked for you by name." Your eyes followed his gesture, seeing a stone seat where an older looking man was staring down at you. You couldn't make out his expression... but you were almost positive it was one of intrigue. Your thoughts were suddenly interrupted by Remus speaking once again.

"I bet he's amazed some commoner took down one of his strongest warriors... who knows what he'll have to say to you." Remus smirked, pushing you towards the center of the battlefield. "Go on, kid. Bask in that praise a little, you've earned it." The crowd roared your name, you had to spin in order to see everyone cheering your name. A few shrill cries rang out of the audience, screaming for "Warrior Masters". Remus smirked, knowing he actually had a fighting warrior to present to the Emperor. On the sidelines, you could spot Tatius. He was guarding the entranceway and giving you a rather nasty stink-eye. Seeing you receive such kind praise from his father when he had never heard anything of the sort made him angry. He watched you from afar, his teeth gritted hearing that you would be seeing the emperor.

Remus put his hands on his hips and smirked once again. "Once you're done with your excited audience, we'll get you up to see Agramas. Just come to the holding room when you're ready." With that, he walked toward Taitus... leaving you to be drowned in the rose petals that were falling from the stands.

Maskerade​

The Zorua's eyes suddenly lit up, it's form still bearing a striking resemblance to yourself as it eyed the berries cautiously. It seemed unsure if it trusted you fully, but it's hunger was too severe to think deeply on it. It sheathed it's claws, looking at you and beginning to salivate. It's straggly human hands grasp the berries viciously, shoving them in it's mouth with a ferocity that was unseen. It lapped up the berries from your hands in a frenzy, leaving nothing, not even the leafy stems.

Slowly the creature morphed back into a fox, looking up at you with it's small red eyes. "Rua..?" It asked, tilting it's head as it watched you. The creature had certainly been hungry... but it showed a dislike for people, well maybe that wasn't exactly the right word. It showed a distinct distrust for people, perhaps caused by the constant berating of the villagers. The creature sat on it's haunches, watching you. It seemed to somewhat comprehend what you had said to it about waiting, and now, with it's stomach full --- it wondered what you wished to say to it.

It cleaned it's paws and watched you cautiously, it's eyes conveying every thought that was rushing through it's tiny head. It seemed to be waiting for you to speak, but it moved closer to you --- seemingly at peace with your presence.

"Ra!" It barked happily, small tail wagging as it watched you. Perhaps it wanted to play? You were sure no human had shown it even an ounce of kindness before you arrived.

What do you do?

Lit​

Stranger in a strange land, it had a nice ring to it.

You were used to being a stranger, even to where you were from. You had felt off from the time you were young, perhaps a sense of distrust for people that was instilled in you from youth? You couldn't quite be sure, but you felt at home with Guzma and the rest of your Team Skull Grunts. It was like some kind of strange bedfellows of a family, but you didn't mind. However, leaving felt necessary. And it was great! You got to see all sorts of sights like this.

As you walked through the festival grounds around the castle, you noticed the distinct groups of people that were wandering around. They spoke in a strange tongue that you weren't exactly familiar with, and they seemed distrustful of you. Perhaps it was due to your differing outward appearance from them... or maybe it was due to you speaking in a tongue that sounded foreign and vicious to them.

You tried your best to blend in to the crowd... but you knew you stuck out like a sore thumb. At least Custard seemed to be enjoying the sights. It fluttered around happily, eyes aflame from the distinct glow of the lanterns that floated all around you. As you walked through the crowd, a particular stand caught your eye... well actually two adjacent stands caught your eye.

One had various gems and similar objects... they all looked quite expensive, sparking the inner "borrower" within you. The other had a messy scrawl over a plain looking stand, you couldn't understand what was written on the stand... but the person handling cards on the other side of the table certainly caught your eye. They seemed to be a fortune teller from what you could gather.

What do you do?

 

Kyle's anger at Gallus's harsh methods melted somewhat upon seeing the genuine yet faint smile on Electivire's face in response to the look of respect it was getting from its opponent. Kyle returned the nod just before firing the Solar Beam, and the Heatmor took comfort in the fact that the Electivire knew it had at least fought well enough to earn the respect of its opponent.

Gallus was nowhere near as graceful in defeat as his Pokémon. After withdrawing Electivire, he stormed off angrily to the dressing room, while Keith beheld the crowd's mixed reaction. There was some anguished roaring in response to Gallus's loss, but by and large, the crowd was loving Keith right now.

"Heh, good job, Kyle," Keith smiled as his Heatmor walked back up to him. "You were awesome out there."

"Heatmor," Kyle responded. The glance they shared in that moment spoke volumes more than their actual words- Gallus was a horrible person, and his Electivire deserved better, and they both knew it. Each was also made aware that the other wished that this loss would drill a much-needed lesson into Gallus's head, try and make him think twice about how he treated his Pokémon. But mostly, they were just really happy that they'd been able to not only have such an intense battle, but win it as well.

And then, Keith felt Remus's hand on his shoulder. Keith grinned at Remus's praise, and his look turned to one of interest as Remus mentioned that the battle had impressed someone by the name of Agramas. Following Remus's gesture with his eyes, Keith saw an older man upon a stone seat, staring down at the Poison-type Trainer with an expression of... intrigue? Keith couldn't quite make it out, but before he could dwell on this too much, Remus resumed talking, and Keith resumed listening. Remus was fairly certain that the emperor was amazed that some commoner was able to take down one of his strongest warriors, and wondered the same thing that Keith was wondering- just what the heck the emperor was gonna say.

But first things first- Keith had a roaring crowd cheering for him, with rose petals falling from the stands in such heavy numbers that Keith felt he'd never be able to witness another Petal Dance without thinking back to this moment. And he'd be very much OK with that, he reasoned. Unable to conceal his big smile, even in the face of the stinkeye he was getting from Tatius, Keith took in the cheering, the petals, the praise, all with Kyle by his side and Meowth on his shoulder.

"Wow," Meowth remarked. "Dey really love ya. Dis ain't gonna go to yer head, is it?" he added. "Cuz I ain't callin' youse Warrior Masters, youse can forget about dat."

"Oh, relax, Meowth," Keith grinned. "A few minutes more, and I think we'll head on over to the holding room. No sense in keeping the emperor waiting too long."

*Kyle grew to level 43!*

*Kyle grew to level 44!*

*Kyle learned Amnesia!*

*Kyle grew to level 45!*

*Kyle grew to level 46!*

 

​

To say that Amicae hadn't known about the temporal distortion that appeared recently would be a clear untruth, for it had been nagging at the back of her mind for a while. It intrigued her, of course (who wouldn't be at least curious about the possibility of seeing another time with your own eyes?), but jumping into a rift without even the slightest bit of prior thought would be absolutely foolhardy! Not that that had stopped her from doing stupid things in the past, of course, but even in those cases, she had made some sort of preparation ahead of time. This, however, put more than just one's life or legal standing at risk: until proven otherwise, there was every possibility that those who step through the portals would be stranded in the other time for the rest of their lives and forced to practically start anew!

That was probably why it held Ami's interest in the days that followed, however. Assuming that everyone was telling the truth, she's already had two instances where she appeared under mysterious circumstances and had to adapt to a new sort of life- she'd probably be able to pull it off a third time, if need be. More importantly, even Silic wasn't quite sure about the circumstances behind their first meeting himself. Could it be possible that she had been displaced by a previous Roar of Time? And if so, was it potentially possible that going through one of the current gashes would be able to reverse the effect? The odds didn't seem especially high, but one didn't figure these things out by sitting at home and twiddling your thumbs.

And so, she spent a number of days preparing for a most unusual journey. Modern technology that was neither super heavy nor solely reliant on the internet to function to some extent? Numerous tools to use on her pokemon should the need arise? A highly durable, lightweight cloak designed with the hopes of being able to withstand the weather a fair bit should she wind up somewhen where the climate wasn't temperate, as well as possessing numerous pockets to keep important materials close to her person? A matching satchel to store the rest of her goods in, and sell the traveler appearance? All were accounted for, making this the single largest amount of preparation Ami had made for a single trip. And now, as she she stood looking at arch-lined stone structure before her, she hoped that she had done enough to help herself survive in this new land.

...Not that she had any recollection of there being structures like this in Fizzytopia. Weren't spacial matters supposed to be some other god's domain?​

 

Myles II
You step into the new room and Sprocket quickly gets pictures of the new text, guessing your request accurately, as Heimdall warns you of the presence beyond the doors but when nothing immediately comes you have a moment to take in the text which does reveal: a puzzle. At first, you have to wrack your brain on any information you can recall on this HOROS but nothing immediately comes to mind, having not studied mythology about many Egyian deities. In fact, the only one that you can quickly recall is Basti, which had a temple you had heard other people from your time you have been visiting. Eventually, you abandon the train of thought that the name of the Deity as important, and focus on the words and lettering themselves. Assigning each letter to a descriptor you type out HOROS in the tiles below and as you step on each one it presses into the ground with the sound of stone scraping against stone. After stepping onto Revered to represent S you take a step back, and the floor rumbles under your feet a bit as the doors slowly open towards you. As it does, more torches seem to light in the passage past revealing a stone table with a Papyrus scroll sitting on top of it. But before you can approach much further a section of the far wall past it in the shape of a full sized Sarcophagus opens slightly, and four black arms come out as it floats toward you. Heimdall stands in front of you protectively, as it seems you have one last being to prove yourself to in this guardian Cofagrigus. What do you do now?

TheKnightsFury
With that, the beast was finally defeated and it was time you figured out where to go from here and get some answers. Owen sighs in response to your questions. "Yes, I suppose the Purrloin is out of the bag at this point." He says and sits up as the Porygon Z nuzzles its trainer a little bit. The Empoleon also nods to you and wades into the water of the river before heading upstream. Owen pats the digital pokemon on the head and looks up at you from the sitting position. "I am from the future as well. But from what it seems it's been a lot longer for me than it has for you. I'm guessing the gate hasn't been open long for you, 6 months? A year maybe? For me, that was about a decade ago. I was a doctor." He chuckles. "A scrawny little plastic surgeon. But I always craved adventure so when the gate opened I never looked back." He explains. "And I kind of ingrained myself here. I got strong, I caught a lot of friends, and I'm much happier here." He gives you a grin. "And to be fair, I never kept anything from you, you just didn;t think to ask." He chuckles. "I always wanted to say that to someone. Anyway, that's why I accepted you on the mission so easily. I could tell you were from our time, and our time produces the strongest trainers all those TMs and technology to let Pokemon recover easily. I knew you'd be strong enough to help us." He says. "But that's a good idea you had about the monument to keep an eye on those stones. But you are welcome to take one as well." He says. "It's only right for being the one to take it down. And here." He nods to Tron and the Porygon Z goes and brings his supplies to him. "You deserve your compensation. If I remember the modern value right it should be a nice hunk of change." He pulls out a sack and tosses to you and inside is more of those silver coins that you saw Seebor use to pay for his drinks what seems like so long ago. Seebor then nods to you and grips your arm in a warrior's handshake. "It was an honor fighting alongside ya. Whenever we are rested up I'd love to take ya on." Seebor gives his trademark toothy grin. Gendra pops up and nods as well. "Anytime you want to fly with us you are welcome." She adds. All that's left is for you to claim the prize. Will you take a Gyaradosite? Or leave them all beneath the monument?

 

Jayson was shocked when Owen announced that he was indeed from the future, but what he didn't expect was that he'd been in Scandia for over a decade. Not only that, he'd completely transformed his life, essentially evolving from a lowly (yet no doubt wealthy) plastic surgeon, into a leader of men, a Scandian chieftain who would likely go down in history, especially after the battle they had just won. Although they would all likely be remembered, at least Jayson hoped he'd be commemorated in the monument in some way shape or form. When Owen suggested that Jayson help himself to one of the Gyaradosite, their was no doubt in his mind that the Mega Stone was not for him.

"I feel like it would be best that the Gyaradosite remain here, where they are meant to be. Besides, Jormungand is strong enough and big enough without Mega Evolution, I doubt I'd be able to control a Mega Gyarados after what I just witnessed." Jayson accepted the bag of silver from him however, it was probably worth a fair bit but he'd need to get it valued to find its true worth. The Empoleon makes its exit, heading up stream, hopefully it would find its children. It seemed like the time for goodbyes as Seebor gripped his arm in a warrior's farewell and Gendra wished him well. With the majority of his team warn out, Jayson figured it was best for him to make camp to give them time to recover. He released Argo into the river, the Lapras had sat out of the main fight so he was feeling pretty good after his efforts pulling the Skall. Jayson climbed onto the Lapras's shell and directed him upstream, perhaps he would cross paths with the Empoleon again? As Argo began to swim, Jayson waved goodbye to his new friends and allies, he likely wouldn't see them again.....

 

Poor thing.

Again, Hemlock had cheated death. But that wasn't his main concern - after all, he'd done it for so long, it was almost routine by now. No, what mattered was the preservation of this young life... and Zorua was positively starving. His hunch had been correct - the black fox didn't fundamentally hate humans, it had simply become weary of them after years of shunning and persecution. Was Hemlock the first to show it any sort of kindness?

"I... realize Berries might not be your favourite thing in the world, but..." He pulled on his own ragged clothes, demonstrating how loose they were. "I haven't been eating much myself. If I had any meat on me, I'd gladly share it, but... I hope you understand."

The difference between us is that this decrepit body has given up on food a long time ago, whereas Zorua could probably gobble down a whole Mamoswine given the chance.

The shift in behaviour was staggering. Seconds ago the kitsune was trying to take his life, and now, after such a simple gesture, it seemed ready to play with the old man. Loneliness really was a cruel mistress.

"Listen, I... I don't mind staying a while - Arceus knows I got all the time in the world - but I don't think you can afford to remain here. And especially not try your luck near those human temples again," Hemlock said with as much honesty as possible. "I was sent here by them. They wanted me to get rid of you, and they won't hesitate to keep sending people until the problem is fixed... permanently. If you show your face around the humans of Niha again, they will hurt you. I won't, but I can't guarantee your protection if you stick around."

Honestly, the elder was out of ideas. If the fox stayed hidden in this abandoned temple, it would starve to death eventually; if it risked raiding human places of worship again, it was only a matter of time until it was caught and disposed of...

"Do you... have anywhere else to go?" Stupid question, Hemlock realized - if it did, it wouldn't bother risking its neck for a meal every day. "How can I make sure you stay safe, little one?"

 

Mint entered her solution to the puzzle with bated breath, though she let it go as the door opened and showed a further passageway, as opposed to the room collapsing or some such nonsense that she didn't have the time for. Looking down the new corridor, at the end, a stone table was home to a somewhat old and weathered looking papyrus scroll. Could that be the "history" Mint had been promised? Mint was eager to find out, but the moment her foot crossed the threshold of the newly opened door, the stone wall behind the scroll began to move slightly. Mint froze in place, thinking she might have answered incorrectly and triggered some manner of trap. When four shadowy limbs erupted from the moving wall segment, Mint ducked back, as Heimdall quickly steeped in front of her, arm blades poised to deal with this creature. Sprocket, for its part, decided to scan it for additional data.

"Cofagrigus, the Coffin Pokemon, and the evolved form of Yamask, a Ghost-Type. They pretend to be elaborate coffins to teach lessons to grave robbers. Their bodies are covered in pure gold." the Rotom Dex recited, hovering just behind Mint's shoulder.

"Hm, a Ghost-Type, then...this must be the final test, Heimdall. Stay sharp!" Mint mused.

I'm inclined to agree with that assessment. What are your orders to begin? Heimdall inquired, eyeing his opponent warily for signs of a first attack, but none was forthcoming.

"Hmmm...Cofagrigus does have a type advantage over you, and most of the others would struggle against a Ghost-Type. Therefore, we've gotta make your contribution count! Start off with a Swords Dance, and then follow up with your Night Slash!" Mint ordered, after a moment's thought.

This one was for keeps.

 

TheKnightsFury

You listen to Owen regale his tale of coming from your time, and with thoughts of the impact this would have on history you hope that you would be remembered as well. But when offered a Gyaradorite of your own you politely decline. And Owen nods. "I understand, after what we witnessed I bet most of us would lack the confidence to control one of those beasts." He gives you a firm warrior's handshake with a grab to your forearm and nods. "You continue on this path and you'll be a warrior above all others." He bids you a fond farewell as you board your tired Lapras once more and with a wave to your fellow warriors you make your way up river as they began to make plans to return to town, rest, recover, repair and build their memorial.

You make your way up the river for a couple hours before Argo needs a break. While traveling isn't as nearly tiring as battling he still wasn't 100% recovered from helping to pull the ship and battling earlier. So you make camp a little earlier than you normally would have just off the bank of the river when you hear the now somewhat familiar cry of an Empoleon. You look over to the river and swimming in it you see the Mama Empoleon along with its children, the two piplup and the Prinplup. For the first real time since you've met them they look at peace. The Empoleon nods to you in thanks. The prinplup looks like its trying to be mature and nods as well but you can see the tears in its eyes. The two piplup just wave joyfully happy to be reunited and grateful to the man who made it happen. The older looking one looks up to empoleon and the two have a short conversation. The empoleon gets a sad yet proud look in its eyes and nods and the Piplup swims up to the shore, hopping out and coming right up to you wrapping your leg in a hug. You can tell that this Piplup wants to travel with you and the Empoleon is willing to allow it.

*With that, your adventure in Dialga's Gate comes to a close. You may continue in Scandia or another area of Dialga's Gate or you may move to a different zone. You have gained $1,300 in the form of the silver bars and you may catch the male Lv. 14 Piplup with the moves Fury Cutter and Sky Attack with no resistance. Hope you enjoyed your time in Dialga's Gate.*

Myles II
You stare down your opponent, the final test in front of you. Sprocket pipes up with a pokedex entry giving you the rundown on the Cofarigus. The ghost type would provide a challenge to your own Psychic typed Gallade but Heimdall has his own tricks that you hope to match it with. Heimdall starts off by clashing his arm blades together in a spinning dance to sharpen them up and increase his offensive powers. The Cofagrigus replies by spewing out a purplish ominous wind of ghostly energies, washing over Heimdall painfully. Recognizing the move you hold your breath for a second but can tell from the movements of the ghost pokemon staying the same that it hasn't received any boost from the ghastly move. You call out to your Gallade and he moves in for his own offense and with blades glowing black he slashes at the Cofagrigus, who similar to a turtle retreats into the coffin to take the blow. You can tell there is a gash where Heimdall hit it as the limbs reappear but not as deep a gash as you would have expected. It seems that the Coffin pokemon has quite the natural defenses that would need to be overcome. But as Heimdall retreats back you notice ethereal mummy wrappings around his arms. They don't seem to hamper his movement at all but you can tell that impacting the Cofagrigus affected something in Heimdall. The ghost pokemon then lets a pulse of dark energy into the ground and it washes once again into the Gallade, not as strong of a hit but nothing to sneeze at either. You and Heimdall wait for that boost to strength that usually accompanies him getting hit by a dark type move but nothing seems to come. The Cofagrigus rears up for more attacks, what will you do?

 

Jayson knew in his heart that he would cross paths with the Empoleon again and he wasn't wrong. Not long after he made camp, the mother Empoleon swam past, now accompanied by her lost children. He was glad to see the family back together, absent a father but together nonetheless. Much to his surprise, it seemed one of the Piplup wished to accompany him, the tough little bloke keenly offered to join Jayson's team. He wasn't about to decline either, after all, he'd been longing for one of them ever since he first saw them on that sheet of ice.

Jayson pulled a Pokeball out of his pocket and expanded it in his hand. "Welcome then young Ragnar, you shall hold a special position in my team." Jayson tossed the Pokeball down at the little penguin, who was quickly drawn inside. It was likely best that he travel home for now, while the scar in time was still accessible. After so much time in the cold of Scandia, perhaps he would head to a different region when he returned. Valka would like it here, in the past where the world was much simpler. They could make a nice life for themselves here and as long as the time rift remained open, they could return to their own time whenever they decided to. Jayson decided it was worth bringing up with Valka when he got back to the fort. Releasing Balerion from his Pokeball, Jayson mounted the Charizard, directing him to return to rift they used to enter this time.

This is the end of my DG Adventure, for now at least​

 

Missingno. Master​

"Just a few more minutes" as the age old additive goes. You had no intention of leaving so soon after your successful victory... sure, Meowth may think it's going to your head but sometimes having an inflated ego may be deserved. As you bask in the crowd's uproar of praise, you feel an overwhelming sense of anxiety. Getting an audience with the emperor constantly stormed your mind --- why did he want to see you? He could be rather mad about you taking down his strongest warrior... but he may just be interested in your prowess.

After a few more savoured moments, Gallus returned to the battlegrounds and put his hand back on your shoulder. Turning to face him, you see a firm smile plastered on his face. He gestures for you to follow and with a cursory glance towards Meowth, you do just that, following closely behind him.

"Agramas is ready for you," He spoke, speaking heavily with fluid hand gestures. "He wouldn't tell me what he wanted you for, but he pressed on and on for me to bring him to you." He chuckled slightly as he lead you towards one of the tunnels in the Colosseum. "You should be grateful, it's not often that someone waltzes up here from the streets and is offered an audience with the emperor." As you walked through the somewhat low and narrow tunnel, you noticed how winding these paths around the inner parts of the Colosseum really were. One could very easily get lose around here if they didn't know where they were going. Gallus rounded another corner, leading you up a marble staircase. You looked around as you climbed it, not spotting anything that stuck out to you beyond the cold stone walls. At the top of the staircase, a large door blocked your path, at which Gallus gave a firm knock.

"Emperor Agramas, I've brought you Champion Masters." Spoke Gallus' gruff voice through the door. It looked rather thick, you wondered how anyone could actually hear through it.

"Oh! Excellent! Let him in!" An excitable voice was heard through the other side of the door. The speaker sounded old, but still dripping with a certain amount of youthful valor. Gallus opened the door, gesturing for you to go inside. As you take a few steps you notice the lavish red banners upholstered to the wall, bearing a crest of some kind. The room is extravagant, decorated in all sorts of banners, weapons, and the heads of various afixed firmly to the wall, their names on golden plaques beneath them. They seemed to be trophies of the various Pokemon who had fallen in battle, a commemoration if you will. You had heard the mumblings of the people of ancient Romma, their bloodlust and sheer passionate for the fight --- but now you were actually able to see first hand. Taking your eyes away from the wall for a moment, you notice an older man sitting in a plush red armchair. He smiles at you, gesturing for you to take the seat across from him.

The man is around fifty years old, his wrinkles just beginning to crease around his brow and eyes. He's muscular, hardened and rugged looking. He doesn't bare the same scars as Gallus, but you can tell he's been in his fair share of battles. He's well dressed in traditional Romma clothing, and he sits up slightly once you take your seat.

"Boy, do you know why I've called you here?" His voice suddenly grows stern, his hands clasped together as he leans forward and eyes you --- brows furrowed in a mixture of what appears to be frustration and intrigue.

What do you do?

Maskerade​

The Zorua sniffed you hands happily, batting at your tattered robes. Now that you had a closer look at the malnourished creature, you realized that it was actually very young. It could barely be older than a few months... you had to wonder what had befallen the poor creature's mother, but you already had a feeling you knew the answer. The creature seemed relatively carefree, perhaps a little naive due to it's young age, but that couldn't be helped. It certainly wasn't afraid of people, it had just learned to attack others before it was attacked itself. You felt pity for the young thing, you knew first-hand what it was like to be ostracized by others.

As you tried your best to explain to the Zorua that the humans were dangerous and it should most certainly avoid trying it's luck around there again, it only seemed to frown, it's ears drooping slightly. It understood what you were saying, but it was most certainly not about to stop trying to steal from the humans. What else was it going to eat? It wasn't like people like you stopped into it's decrepit burrow every day to bring it food (although it certainly wished that were the case). It sighed and laid on it's stomach on the cold floor, it's eyes brimming with tears as it slowly began a soft chorus of barks. It knew what it was doing was wrong, but it had it's own reasons as well. The Zorua slowly began to shift once again, turning into a large Zoroark and running away with a howl. You wondered where it was going, until it returned, back in the form of a Zorua.

Confused at first, you suddenly began to realize what it was trying to convey: That it's mother had disappeared. You finally felt like you understood. The creature was waiting for her return, stealing from humans to simply survive until it was able to be cared for again by it's mother. After insinuating this fact to the creature though, it gave a small hiss, instead gesturing to the Pokeballs it could view on your person.

Now you understood the full picture... the Zorua had been abandoned because it's mother had been captured by a trainer. Through dumb luck the Zorua had managed to evade capture but remained here, in the hopes that it's mother would one day return. But... you knew that couldn't be the case. You weren't sure exactly how to convey this to the small fox, as it seemed insistent on staying to wait for it's mother --- but you knew the villages would eventually grow tired of it's presence, snuffing out it's life entirely.

Your early question rang in your own ears and the fox's, about trying to ensure it's safety. Although it seems reluctant to leave... perhaps theres something you could do to convince it.

What do you do?

 

Keith was not one to let his ego get all swollen, but at the same time, he couldn't resist at least a little praise. And this was more than a little praise. A few minutes was all he'd go for, and indeed, that was all he was gonna get in any case- Gallus came for him before very long, and when Keith felt his hand on his shoulder, saw Gallus motioning for Keith to follow, Keith did just that without question. Well, he couldn't help but wonder what exactly the emperor wanted to see him for. Was he mad that his warrior had fallen, or impressed with Keith's battle prowess? Or maybe even a mixture of both? In any case, he'd surely soon find out.

Gallus led the way through the positively labyrinthine building, after telling Keith that he was lucky- after all, it wasn't every day someone off the streets gains an audience with the emperor. Keith couldn't deny that there was something to that, but all the same, he was rather intent on finding out what exactly the emperor wanted to see him for before considering himself all that lucky. How lucky could he be, after all, if it turned out the emperor was pissed at him?

The emperor's voice sounded quite excitable through the door, which Keith took to be a good sign. And as Keith and Meowth entered the room, they were awestruck by its extravagance. Banners, plaques, trophies, weapons, all adorning the walls spectacularly. The emperor himself sat in a plush red armchair, and smiled at Keith, gesturing for him to take the seat across from him. Giving a polite smile in return, Keith did just that, feeling considerably more at ease as the emperor... suddenly sounded stern, demanding if Keith knew why he'd called him here, and addressing him as "boy" in the process. Well, then. So much for feeling at ease.

Keith blinked in surprise at the complete 180 the emperor's demeanor seemed to have done. The man regarded Keith with what appeared to be a mixture of frustration and intrigue- perhaps Keith's guess was right on the money? Whether that boded well for them remained to be seen, but in the meantime, Keith figured he had better answer. Already he feared that the emperor was pissed at him, surely refusing to answer him could only piss him off further.

"No, sir, I can't say that I do," Keith responded, keeping a respectful tone of voice. "I'm sure this has to do with my battle with Gallus, at the very least," he added, for the sake of honesty. Indeed, he was sure of that. The only question was whether the emperor was more intrigued or angry. If he was more intrigued by Keith's skill, that was fine by him. But if he was more angry... well, emperor or not, Keith was not about to apologize for winning a battle.

 

Location: Kalapona Wai; a public park.

It was late fall; still comfortable out during the day, but cold at night. The late morning sun was burning brightly, unobstructed by cloud cover. Leaves crunched underfoot. Tate walked along the park's winding concrete path, a wicker basket in hand. It had been packed with foodstuffs and covered by a gingham cloth in sickeningly idyllic presentation. Next to her trainer walked Kai the Vaporeon, Tate's constant companion. Intermittently, she snuck longing looks at the lunch in Tate's hand, clearly growing impatient.

Behind them dawdled Kai's children -- a clutch of three Eevee -- and their friends, Moana the Vaporeon and Nehe, the Jolteon. Both were still fairly young, barely entering maturity, and both had come into the family by way of trades Tate had bartered. They didn't seem to like each other, if their constant bickering indicated anything. Moana and Wai -- Kai's eldest (and adopted) son -- had taken a quick shine to one another, and had become fast friends in the short few months they had known each other.

"We've been walking forever," Hekili complained, butting her shoulder against the larger Eevee walking next to her. Ahi, her twin brother, responded by leaning his weight against her. For a moment, they were locked in unenthusiastic combat, and then Ahi stood on his own feet again, just before his sister submitted. She exhaled, with a puff, and then scrambled to keep up with him as he kept walking. Ahi grinned, toothily.

"You don't like it?" He asked, genuinely, long ears twitching as he looked around them. The park was full of trees, and bushes, and big open patches of grass, and even some brightly painted play equipment for children. There were lots of sights and sounds; enough, at least, to keep him engaged. Hekili rolled her eyes.

"It's just a park," she complained. "And we're on the sidewalk. That's the most boring thing to do at a park."

"But we're going to have a picnic," Ahi pointed out, chipperly. He grinned at his sister, who looked back upon him, utterly unimpressed. Then a third Eevee pushed his way between the pair, larger than the two of them and with a paler coat of fur than either of them.

"There's a pond on the other side of the volleyball field," he informed, mischievously. Hekili looked in the direction indicated, and then back to her elder brother.

"How do you know?" She asked, skeptically.

"Mama's taken me," he explained, a little proudly, puffing out his chest. A lean-looking Vaporeon appeared opposite of Wai, on the other side of Ahi.

"It's true, I've been, too," Moana confirmed. His legs longer than the Eevee were high, he stepped over Ahi, to place himself next to Wai. Wai offered him a toothy, lopsided grin, his sharp canine teeth visible. Ahi looked past the scheming pair, to her twin, as if trying to gauge his reaction.

"...okay," she said, suddenly, already beginning to veer off the path. "Let's go."

"Go where?" A voice cut in. Hekili stopped in her tracks. Moana and Wai flinched. Kai had broken away from her trainer to reprimand her children; her wide, glassy eyes stared expectantly at them. It was enough to make Moana begin to edge away.

"We were just... going to go see the pond," Hekili explained to her mother, with a sheepish grin.

"No, you aren't," Kai informed her, plainly. "We're having lunch."

It was not often that Kai put limitations on her children, but she'd 'helped' Tate pack the food that morning, and she knew there were a lot of goodies in that basket; she had no desire to postpone the meal in order to hunt down her wayward brood. Up ahead, Tate had stopped under a large apricorn tree, having evidently found the desired spot. Kai motioned with her body at their trainer, and Hekili sighed. Together as a family, Kai and her children returned to Tate's side, just in time for the gingham cloth to be spread out in the grass at the foot of the tree.

Moana, having pulled away in fear of reprimand, was approached by Nehe as he made to catch up. Nehe was frail-looking, with a green coat, and he didn't talk very much. For this reason, Moana was startled, when Nehe informed, plainly and bluntly:

"You shouldn't encourage them to make mischief."

For a moment, Moana was silent, having been struck flabbergasted. "Excuse me-?" he finally stammered.

"You shouldn't encourage them to make mischief," Nehe repeated. "You should look after them. You're bigger than they are."

"Wai is older than me," Moana informed, dryly.

"But you're bigger," Nehe said again, disapprovingly. "Stronger. If one of them drowned in the pond because you had taken them there, it would be your fault."

Before Moana could respond to such a heavy assertion, Tate whistled to get their attention.

"What are you two barking at?" Their trainer called, having only heard their yipping. "Come eat!"

Moana cast one last, almost wary look at Nehe, and then turned and sprinted off, to meet the others. Nehe watched him go, following after him slowly, and only after a beat in time.

The apricorn tree stood a couple yards from the sidewalk, and up a slight incline; the back side of the hill sloped more sharply, however, into a small valley that was thick with trees. As Tate unpacked sandwiches and crisps and cakes and all sorts of morsels, Hekili stood on a root of the tree and looked down into the thicket.

"Did you know this was over here?" She asked Ahi, who approached to see what it was she was looking at.

"Nope," he confessed, as he surveyed the land. On the far side of the trees was a car park, and a Pokémon Center, its red roof notable even at distance. "You think there's anything down there? In the trees?"

"Duh," Hekili scoffed. "That's where wild Pokémon live."

"Alright, guys," Tate said, grabbing their attention before they could contemplate it further. Sitting at the edge of the blanket, a bevy of half-unpacked food strewn out on the red and white fabric, Tate had taken off the large backpack that seemed to accompany the trainer 24/7, and was rummaging through it. "I have a little surprise. Ahi, Hekili, Muliwai-"

Their mother pawed impatiently at a packet of creme horns in cellophane as the three Eevee approached obediently. From the front pocket of the backpack, Tate produced a colorful cotton pouch, and opened its draw string. Shaking the contents out onto the blanket, next to a container of sandwich halves, Tate presented the trio with an assortment of brightly colored crystals. Wai's dark, purple eyes lit up as he recognized a pair of deep blue stones with bubble-like inclusions at their core.

"We're going to evolve!" He yelled. All Tate heard was an excited screech. Hekili appeared over his head, front paws resting on his snowy crown as she stood on her hind legs to get a better look at the rocks. Tate reached out, over the food and the gems, and picked them both up, one under each arm.

"I finally got enough for everyone," the trainer explained, clutching the differently colored Eevees tightly. Wai wriggled excitedly, almost as if trying to break free. A moment later and he did, escaping from his trainer to pounce on one of two Water Stones. He was on his back, the rock in all four of his paws, when he began to glow, until he was just an expanding mass of blinding light. Hekili hid her face from the brightness, against her trainer's clavicle. Ahi and Moana looked on, wide eyed. Nehe had just crested the hill when the glow around Wai dissipated. In its wake was left yet another Vaporeon, this one pink. The energy of the stone used up, it seemed to go dim, and when Muliwai stood and the stone fell to the ground beneath him, it cracked. Wai looked pleased with himself as he marched around, stretching his new and longer legs. Tate sighed.

"I was expecting something a little more ceremonious," admitted the human, while carefully setting Hekili on the ground next to the crystals. With one of the Water Stones exhausted, there were now only three left; one each in red, yellow, and blue. Ahi approached his sister, the pair of them looking down upon the stones.

"So," Hekili broached, looking to her twin.

"I wanna be like dad," Ahi said, steadfastly. He reached out, with one paw, but stopped short of touching the Fire Stone. "A fire-type. Unless-... you really want it?" He offered, pulling his paw back.

"No," Hekili sighed. "You take it."

Ahi's face lit up, and he bumped his shoulder against his sister, affectionately. She cocked her head, happy that he was happy. "Wai used a blue one already," she noted, glancing at their adopted brother, who was now showing off his form to Moana. The other Vaporeon couldn't seem to form words, the fins on his head twitching sharply as a powerful, pink tail swished under his bewitched nose. Hekili sighed again, this time sounding disgusted. "I'll just... take the yellow one."

Ahi nodded, and swatted the third, blue stone away with a quick flick of a paw, careful not to maintain contact with it. His fur was puffed up, and he looked excited. "You ready?" he asked his sister; they'd been through everything together, and he planned to do this together, too.

"Yeah," she confirmed.

Hekili grinned, and Ahi took a deep breath, and then the pair together placed their forepaws on their respective, chosen stones. Wai and Moana were pulled from their exchange by the twin lights of their evolution, their own matching eyes fixed on the spectacle. When it dimmed, Hekili and Ahi stood next to one another, now, respectively, a Jolteon and a Flareon. Tate began to clap, excitedly.

"This worked out so well," the human expressed. Gathering up the last remaining Water Stone, Tate returned it to its pouch and closed it back up in the backpack from whence it came. "We wound up with one of each."

Kai, seeming indifferent to her children's evolutions, had managed to tear open the package of creme horns, and was now licking the filling out of them. "How do you feel-?" Hekili asked her twin, who looked the least different out of all them. Larger, fluffier, and now a bright shade of orange, Ahi barked excitedly, and accidently belched up a mouthful of flames. This elicited another thrilled yip, and more fire, and so the cycle continued.

"This. Is. Awesome!" he asserted, as he took to trotting around, casting experimental fireballs. Tate looked nervous. Hekili rolled her eyes, and then her gaze fell on Nehe, who had planted himself quietly beneath the tree.

"Looks like we're two of a kind," she offered him, as she approached the other Jolteon. He'd been rather quiet since he had come to stay with them, and this seemed as good an opportunity as any to break the ice.

"Have you always wanted to be a Jolteon?" He asked her, tone as stiff as his posture.

"No," she confessed, as she sat down beside him. She broke her gaze away from her brothers, who had begun chasing each other in their excitement, to look down at herself and her now-yellow paws. "I've never really cared, But Ahi and Wai have wanted to evolve for a really long time, and I don't wanna be left behind."

"So you don't like it?" He claried.

"I didn't say that," she replied, with a laugh. "I've never been 'it' before."

Nehe smiled, faintly. "A fair assessment," he acknowledged.

Once Ahi had stopped spewing fire, Tate had settled in to eat, rescuing a single intact creme horn from Kai before she'd managed to gnaw on them all. Soon the others followed, Moana following the brothers and Hekili leading Nehe. With seven mouths to feed the provisions were quickly exhausted. A stray hiccup among the newly evolved children of Kai could summon a barrage of bubbles, a puff of smoke, or a static shock, keeping the meal exciting. Both Nehe and Moana seemed to keep their attention fixed on Wai; one quietly and from a distance and the other shamelessly.

After everyone was sated, Tate gathered up the trash and repacked the basket, while the Pokémon laid in the grass and digested their meals. Kai, full of pastries, seemed to languish, her full stomach exposed to the air as she laid on her back, eyes closed. The Shell Bell that hung around her neck rested on her chest and chimed softly with each rise and fall of her breathing. It seemed to catch Tate's attention, after a bit, and the trainer suddenly realized something.

"Oh!" the human blurted, causing six heads to roll lazily to look in the general direction of their trainer. Furiously, Tate began rummaging through a side pocket of the backpack that hung, unbalanced, from one shoulder. "I almost forgot. I have gifts for everyone. To celebrate!"

One by one, Tate went around, placing a trinket under the nose of each Eeveelution. For Hekili and Nehe, colorful magnets; for Moana and Wai, glass beads filled with water. Ahi, half-asleep in the angle between two tree roots, had a piece of artistinal charcoal shoved in his face. "They're good luck charms. I bought a whole bunch, I have extras-" Tate explained, as the younger Pokémon inspected their gifts.

"What are we supposed to do with these?" Moana asked, nudging the bead in the dirt in front of him with his toes. Both it and the one given to Wai had a thin strap attached to it through a metal loop imbedded in the bead, and Wai was working diligently to get his around his neck. He sighed triumphantly when he succeeded, and then looked to Moana, with a chipper expression.

"I think it's cute," he expressed, warmly. Moan looked down at his bead, and then began to wriggle it on as well, eager to impress Wai. He'd just gotten it over his head, the string caught on the spines of his fin, when Nehe walked up. The magnet that Tate had given him had stuck to the thick bristles of his electrically charged mane; it was clear by its lopsided position that he had tried very hard to dislodge it. He wasn't paying it any mind now, however.

"It suits you," the green Jolteon informed Wai, in a polite tone. Wai seemed surprised to be addressed.

"Oh," he mouthed. "Thanks-... I like yours, too," the pink Vaporeon extended. Moana paused in his efforts to pull on his own trinket, the band still snagged on one ear. He narrowed his eyes at Nehe, still seething from his earlier comments.

"No one asked your opinion," he asserted, atypically aggressive. Wai seemed to grow still at the outburst, as did Hekili, who had approached.

"Harsh," Hekili breathed. Moana puffed up slightly.

"He said-" Moana barked, faltering as he tried to explain himself.

"I said you should be a better influence," Nehe cut him, dryly. His long ears flattened, dangerously. Moana hesitated, and then the fins on his head flattened as well, equally aggressive. Wai was quick to step between the two.

"Let's not fight," the oddly-colored Vaporeon urged.

"No, lets," Nehe replied, stepping around Wai carefully to close the distance between himself and Moana. The electricity coming off of him was palpable, and Wai -- newly sensitive to it -- shrunk away on instinct. Moana, no less vulnerable, nonetheless held fast even as the sparks coming off of Nehe's body threatened to cross the distance between their muzzles.

"Guys, lets not do this-" Hekili urged, a little nervously. Ahi, having grown aware of the increasing commotion, came running up. Nehe and Moana had begun circling each other. All the barking and movement caught the eye of their trainer, who had been packing up the last odds and ends from their picnic-slash-party.

"Whoa, hey-!" Tate called out, dropping the picnic basket and rushing towards the posturing Pokémon with Kai in hot pursuit. Nehe was more agile, but Moana was more powerful, and when their bodies slammed into each other Nehe's lighter, frailer form crumpled immediately under superior strength. Tate was half a stride away from the quarrelling pair where Nehe's limp body went skittering across the ground and over the side of the hill. Hekili, Ahi, and Tate rushed after him, only to watch helplessly as he bounced down the sharp incline towards the thicketed valley below. A streak of blue shot past them to Tate's right as Kai bolted after the fallen Jolteon, surprisingly agile despite the bouncing, stiff-legged run she had developed as a means to compensate for her dysplasia. Nehe's rolling body disappeared into the treeline, followed by Kai's sleek form a few moments later. Tate groaned and pulled on the second strap of the backpack that had been hanging from a single arm, buckling it across the chest before stumbling down the hillside after the Pokémon. Hekili and Ahi followed quickly after their trainer, and Muliwai likewise after his siblings, leaving Moana alone in the wake of what he'd done. Shamed, the Vaporeon made a thin noise and bolted after his tribe. For the moment, their spilled basket of empty tupperware and trash lay abandoned in the grass.

---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------​

Location: Scandia; the Titan's Horn.

The group made relatively quick progress down the hillside. The Pokémon were faster and significantly more graceful than Tate, slipping like wisps between the trees as they arrived at the thicket, while Tate -- overcome by forward momentum and made unsteady by the change in incline -- careened head-first into the stand. In an instant, the world changed. The temperature dropped, so much and so quickly as to be jarring. The sky, only a moment before a pleasant blue, was gray. The trees they had just run into, next to a parking lot at the foot of a hill in a suburban park, opened up after only a strides to whipping snow and a not-so-distant chasm. The Pokémon ground to a halt. Tate tripped and hit the ground, face-first. Only a few yards away was Nehe, raising himself to his feet at the cliff's edge. He looked worse-for-wear. Ahi and Hekili rushed to his side, and by the time they arrived he was almost frantic, pacing in circles.

"Kahakai," he blurted, wide-eyed, his front paws stamping the ground. His anxiety was infectious, and the twins shifted their weight with him. "I think she fell-"

His dark gaze shifted to the chasm, and Hekili almost tumbled over the edge herself in her haste to get there. Ahi was beside her a moment later, followed quickly by Nehe.

"Mama?!" Hekili yelled down into the swirling whiteness. Nehe whimpered. Wai's head appeared over Ahi's, his paw on his brother's shoulder.

"Is everything alright?" The Vaporeon bleated.

"Mama fell-" Hekili wailed.

"I-... I think-" Nehe repeated. The truth was, he'd hit his head more than once on the way down, and hadn't been fully lucid at the moment Kai had disappeared. One moment she was standing over him, and the next thing he knew, she was gone. Managing to get upright again, Tate stumbled to the cluster of Pokémon. For a long moment, Tate stared down into the gorge with them; the ground was distant but visible, albeit obscured by the blizzard. The trainer couldn't make out if anything was down there, but seemed to have reached the same conclusion as the Pokémon; rising upright, Tate looked around and tried to get some bearing on their surroundings. All around them were the sides of mountains. Far, far above them, at the highest and most distant of the peaks, something flickered. Fire? It didn't seem important. In fact, Tate didn't initially eve question the sudden change in environment, too fixated on the sudden loss of Kai. Momentarily numb to the cold -- though probably not for long -- the trainer seemed to be in survival mode. First order of business was the find a way down. The Pokémon looked at each other as their trainer began frantically searching out a safe slope in the nearby area, by which to descend and look for Kai. Hekili looked on the verge of tears. Ahi's brow was tight. Wai had begun to pace, right alongside Nehe, who kept casting guilty glances down into the ravine. Moana didn't dare approach his kinfolk after what he had done; weighed down by his guilt, he stood to the side and looked at no one.

 

The truth was now apparent, and although Hemlock wished he could say he hadn't seen it coming...

Why else would it be all alone here? Its mother isn't coming back, regardless of whether she's doing well; she belongs to a human now. For all intents and purposes, this Zorua is an orphan.

He had a mother too, but it had been so long ago he barely remembered her face. Thinking about her now, he felt nothing. Time really does heal all wounds, but for this Zorua, it was still much too soon to forget. It would stay here until its mother returned, that much was certain. And it would die waiting, either due to starvation or human attacks; that, too, was certain.

"Zorua, I... I'm sorry for your loss," said the elder, looking the fox square in the eyes. The only mercy he could offer it now was the truth, and hope it understood. "Your mother might not be able to return. Even if she is, I'm afraid you... won't be able to stay here safely until she finds you. There are people after you, and you have no food here. I don't want anything to happen to you, little one."

Hemlock could relate to Zorua's fear. He was a human, and he did carry PokéBalls on him. Why should the fox trust him? There was only one way he could think of to convince Zorua of the honesty of his intentions. He retrieved each Ball he carried, both those with companions inside and empty ones, and laid them on the ground in front of the kitsune.

"Zorua, I am hundreds of years old. I've outlived everyone I know. I've lost many, many dear friends and relatives to sickness, old age and all manner of other, more vile ends. I know when death can be avoided, and this is not your time - you are much too young. I understand how a life without a mother might not seem like it's worth living, but... I cannot even recall what mine looked like. And yet, here I am - old as a mountain, but still able and glad to wander the world and see the sun. I do not wish to capture you against your will, or deprive you of your freedom. All I want is for you to save yourself, become strong and healthy again... and then, if you want, we can look for your mother together."

Arceus knows I've got time to spare.

He finally fell silent, awaiting the fox's response. Amicably, he slowly held out his hand; the last thing he wanted was to scare Zorua away, but he needed it to know that he was there if it wanted a friend.

 

Missingno. Master​

(lmao I realized I referred to Remus as Gallus in your last update because I had been so used to typing as Gallus. I apologize for that misstep on my end and hope to clear up possible confusions in this update)

Darius suddenly stood, crossing the room to admire the collection of heads he had collected. He motioned to Remus for something, you had to turn your body slightly to view exactly what Remus was bringing in --- a new wooden mount. Perplexed for a moment you eye the wooden mount as Remus brings it to the wall, but what hit you next felt like a sack of bricks being thrown forcefully into your chest. The golden plaque on the mount read 'Buzzer', the name didn't strike you as familiar for a split second before it suddenly hit you.

That was Gallus' Electrivire.

Darius stroked his chin for a few moments as Remus hammered the wooden mount to the wall. He was speaking to you but still staring at the wall.

"It's a Romman tradition to mount the heads of champion's Pokemon on the wall after they befall a loss." He stares at the wooden mount for a few moments, turning to face you. "We certainly didn't expect an outsider to best Gallus. He's been the reigning champion for months." His jaw seemed to tighten as he spoke, crossing the room to be in front of you again. He leaned forward, hands gripping either side of the chair you were sitting in as he got in your face. "And we certainly didn't expect and outsider to so easily defeat one of my Phalanx to fall so easily." His grip tightened on the side of the chair for a few fleeting moments before he suddenly stands upright, adjusting his robes.

"As such, we have decided that the Phalanx needs some... adjustments. Shall we say." He returns to his seat, crossing his legs and steepling his hands. "We need someone like... you." A coy smile dances on his face as he says it, leaning forward into his steeped hands. Remus suddenly drops the wooden mount from the other side of the room, seemingly shocked by the emperor's sudden proposal. Darius gives a sharp intake of air, representing his distaste at the sudden interruption.

"I want you to help Remus shape my warriors. As someone who took down Gallus so easily, this should be no problem for you." He leans back in his chair, eying your reaction.

What do you do?

134​

There's always rain at a picnic, and this could be no more true with your current situation. Following the joyous evolution of the twins, Ahi and Hekili, as well as of their snowy brother, Wai, you were now faced the possibility of your partner, your one true love, being gone forever. As you frantically searched for a way down the mountain, you finally noticed a safe slope. It looked a little icy, but you knew it had to do. You wanted to have the first steps but upon noticing that you had seemingly found a way down Hekili rushed towards the slope, closely followed by her brothers and Nehe. Moana clung to the back, away from the rest of the pack. Calling out for them to slow down meant nothing, their mother had fallen and they needed to see her. You feared the worst, especially seeing how long the way down was. What would you even see at the bottom if Kai was there?

As you continued down the slope, ensuring that you kept your pack of Eevees in your sight, you glanced backwards and noticed Moana. A shame hung over him as he slowly watched his footing, ensuring not to fall into the abyss. He seemed to share the same fear that you did. Your attention was jerked back by Hekili barking, she had reached the bottom and was rushing to an object in the snow. Ahi and Wai followed suit, rushing forwards and seeing Hekili's eyes well up even more. Nehe followed, looking at the object and coming to the same realization as Hekili. He looked away, eyes narrowing upon Moana. You reached the bottom next, seeing the same sight that all of them were staring at.

It was an Eevee, half buried in the snow from a presumed forceful impact into the snow. You glanced down at it, noticing the dysplasia in her leg. You were suddenly grief striken. You had no clue how it had happened, but this was certainly Kai. Hekili suddenly wailed, she knew full well that this was her mother from the scent of her fur. Moana walks forward, only to slowly take a few steps back. He knows that he caused this and he can feel the weight of guilt on his shoulders.

As you slowly walk to pick up the mangled corpse of your now Eevee, you watch as one of her legs suddenly kick out. Ahi's eyes are the first to notice it, brushing up against his sister to get her attention. Hekili is still buried in her own sobs, but she also watches as the Eevee slowly begins to pull itself to it's feet.

"Vui..." It groans out, unknown to you what it said but the children seem suddenly overjoyed. The entire pack of Eevee overtake you, pummeling you down into the snow as they rush towards the matriarch. Nehe seems overjoyed, and even Moana looks relieved. As you lift yourself out from the snow you suddenly realize something that you had overlooked in the frenzied fear of your beloved partner possibly being missing: why is there even snow to begin with? You swore you were at the park a few moments ago, but now you were in a mountainous frozen hell-scape. Not to mention that your Vaporeon was now somehow an Eevee...

You shivered from the sudden impact of the cold weighing down on you. You needed to find somewhere warm, and fast. You clasped your hands around your body and rubbed yourself, hoping to produce more heat.

What do you do?

Maskerade​

The Zorua seemed perplexed, tentative to listen to what you had to say. It watched as you placed you Pokeballs on the ground, trying to make your intentions as clear as possible. It listened to you thoughtfully, sitting on the ground and looking down. It seemed saddened by your own losses, it began to sniffle listening to you speak. Hearing you offer to help it find it's mother once it was strong again seemed to brighten it's spirits, however. It leapt onto your lap practically instantly, tail wagging profusely as it barked out happily. You wished you could understand it, as you were sure the words were full of gratitude.

The Zorua's weariness seems to have dissolved entirely, it licks your face profusely in a display of gratitude. You're the first human to ever show it an ounce of kindness, and it seems willing to come with you to repay you for that.

You are joined by a Level 21 Male Zorua! It knows EMs Snatch and Copycat!

Not only had you now made a promise to this young Zorua, you had also fulfilled your promise to the inhabitants that used the shrine. The kitsune would no longer be bothering them, so long as it remained with you. You looked around the decrepit fox den, trying to determine your best route out with your newfound companion. You had to tell the Nihans what you had done before truly leaving after all.

The Zorua barked for your attention, guiding you deeper into the catacombs. It seemed to know the way out, you just hoped the hole would be wide enough for a human. As you reached the end of the path, you noticed various things littering the cave floor that the Zorua had, presumably, thrown down here after stealing them from the inhabitants. You can spot a few Pokedollars, and a peculiar heart shaped stone --- presumably used as an offering at some point. You scoop them up, you were sure that you could find a use for them somehow. The Zorua barked for you again, leaping upwards through an opening. You sighed deeply, yanking your tired old frame up through the hole.

You have received $750 and a Heart Scale!

With the Zorua dealt with, perhaps you could finally leave this acursed place... or you could tell the Nihans the creature had been dealt with. (After you had placed it in a Pokeball, of course)

What do you do?

 

Instead of verbally responding to Keith (right away, at least), Darius stood up, and motioned for Remus to do something. And as Keith turned and looked at what exactly that something was, he soon wished he hadn't- Remus was bringing in a new wooden mount, with a name on the golden plaque that took a moment to sink in. Buzzer- Keith quickly realized it to be the name of Gallus's Electivire. And had that not sank in so quickly, the emperor would have gotten the point across moments later by stating that it was Romman tradition to mount the heads of champions' Pokémon on the wall after they lost in battle.

Suddenly, Keith felt sick. Gallus was not a kind man to his Pokémon, but that Electivire... suddenly, its fate was to be decapitated, its head serving as a trophy on the emperor's wall, all because of Keith and his Heatmor. This aspect of Romman tradition was one that had escaped Keith's notice up until right now. But Keith had to focus. He had to force himself to not lose his cool- the emperor, after all, demanded his attention, and even after this, Keith felt no desire to show disrespect. Actually, especially after this- if this was the fate that befell the Pokémon of champions that were bested in battle, what fate awaited the Pokémon of those who disrespected the emperor?

Darius was continuing to speak, stating that he hadn't expected an outsider to triumph over Gallus, who had been the reigning champion for months. He continued to say, while showing something of a dismissive attitude to the concept of personal space, that he certainly hadn't expected one of his Phalanx to be bested so easily, let alone by an outsider. In short, he felt the Phalanx needed some adjustments, and before Keith knew it, he was being offered a position in helping Remus to shape the emperor's warriors.

Well. That was certainly an offer. One that Keith had to give some serious consideration to. He was rather flattered by the fact that the emperor himself was declaring Keith an ideal choice to help shape his warriors, but at the same time, if any of his Pokémon lost in battle while he was here...! Besides, Keith knew nothing of working with warriors- only of Pokémon training. And of course, he had absolutely no idea how or when he was going to find a way back to his own time. Would agreeing to this get him closer to a way home, or further away? In the end, Keith figured, he might as well give this a shot. He did know a thing or two about Pokémon training, after all, so maybe this wasn't such a bad idea. Besides, of the Pokémon he brought, none of them were weaklings by any stretch of the imagination, and that included Meowth. He knew he could afford to have faith in them, even if battling with them meant putting their lives on the line, though of course, he was quite hoping it wouldn't have to come to that.

Keith spoke up. "First, I must say," he said, "that I'm very much honored by your words and your offer. I should say, before anything else, that my expertise is more in working with Pokémon of my own, and not so much with other people and their Pokémon. I say this because while I do accept your offer, and promise to do my best, I also wish to be honest about the extent of my expertise. There are many things you could call me, but a liar is not among them."

 

Hemlock smiled once he realized he'd broken through Zorua's shell. At least this way, the little fox had some hope of surviving to one days have children on his own, rather than staying here and either starving or being put down by hunters. Grateful for the offering, he pocketed the coins and the rainbow scale, before petting his new friend behind the ear.

I hope I can an at least be better company than none at all.

He followed the kitsune out of the temple and back to the open fields of Niha. Even if he wanted to leave this timeline - assuming there was even a way to go back to his own - he still had something left to do here. He might not sympathize with the Nihans' animosity towards Zorua, but he had still promised to help them out. The least he could do was tell the faithful that they could pray undisturbed again - the details of how would be best concealed, though.

"I have to go back little one," he said calmly, apologetically. "Those humans need to know you won't be a problem for them anymore, just like you know they won't be a problem for you. I hope you trust me on this - it's best you stay hidden inside this Ball. I know what it reminds you of... but it's for your own protection. You'll never have to enter it again if you don't want to."

Hoping the little fox understood his intentions, Hemlock placed an empty PokéBall in front of Zorua, allowing the kitsune to explore the device at his pace until he felt comfortable. He never liked the idea of tossing a hard metal sphere at a Pokemon he wished to befriend - all of his previous companions had triggered the mechanisms themselves, once they were ready.

Patiently, he sat down on the grass with his legs crossed, watching the black fox with a faint smile on his wrinkly old face. Zorua had taken such a long time to trust a human again, he wasn't about to rush this; but when he eventually agreed to taking shelter inside the PokéBall, Hemlock would make his way back and let the people know the kitsune would never return again. The Heart Scale, the "treasure left behind by the demon", should serve as evidence if anyone demanded proof.

And then to find a way back home...

-----------------

((Claiming Lv 21 Male Zorua in a Premier Ball 1/1. Also claiming 1x Heart Scale and $750. Thank you so much! ^^))