New Fizz City: The Metropolitan Zone

[empoleon dynamite]

Cape Effervescence

SpinyShell: With Hailstone in tow you set a course for New Fizz’s famed promenade, Cape Effervescence, although you could easily be excused for thinking you had taken a wrong turn. Pocketing the sodden map you get a first glance at the stormy seascape, a far cry from the photos in the travel brochures. Under the dull sky the water was dark, lacking the speckles of light that come with a sunny day, the wood of the promenade rainsoaked closer to black than brown. The pier was forlorn in the cold waves, the usual flood of tourists displaced with only a handful of fishermen dotted few and far between. Even the most seasoned trawlers had dared not venture down the stilted jetty to the ocean’s edge, monstrous black waves rearing up and lashing out with white foam claws. You decide to give it a wide berth too, following the safety of the coastline down the cape in hopes of chance encountering an aquatic Pokemon that wouldn’t give your Alolan Sandshrew a hard time.

Soon enough you encounter a fisherman with quite the struggle on his hands, rod bending as he reeled with all his might. The seasoned angler allows the rod to unravel easing the pressure some, just as quickly snapping it back in hopes of tuckering the catch out. Your gaze follows the wire down to the foamy surf which was beginning to swell under the mass of the creature; whatever was hooked was close to surfacing! The fisher catches your presence in his peripheral, a strained look on his face as he hauled with the last of his might... “Kid – think ya could – help me out here?”

 

[SpinyShell]

Cape Effervescence

SpinyShell: With Hailstone in tow you set a course for New Fizz’s famed promenade, Cape Effervescence, although you could easily be excused for thinking you had taken a wrong turn. Pocketing the sodden map you get a first glance at the stormy seascape, a far cry from the photos in the travel brochures. Under the dull sky the water was dark, lacking the speckles of light that come with a sunny day, the wood of the promenade rainsoaked closer to black than brown. The pier was forlorn in the cold waves, the usual flood of tourists displaced with only a handful of fishermen dotted few and far between. Even the most seasoned trawlers had dared not venture down the stilted jetty to the ocean’s edge, monstrous black waves rearing up and lashing out with white foam claws. You decide to give it a wide berth too, following the safety of the coastline down the cape in hopes of chance encountering an aquatic Pokemon that wouldn’t give your Alolan Sandshrew a hard time.

Soon enough you encounter a fisherman with quite the struggle on his hands, rod bending as he reeled with all his might. The seasoned angler allows the rod to unravel easing the pressure some, just as quickly snapping it back in hopes of tuckering the catch out. Your gaze follows the wire down to the foamy surf which was beginning to swell under the mass of the creature; whatever was hooked was close to surfacing! The fisher catches your presence in his peripheral, a strained look on his face as he hauled with the last of his might... “Kid – think ya could – help me out here?”

Unfortunately, it seemed that the pleasant weather was only the calm before the storm. The gentle sea breeze was quickly replaced with strong gusts of wind, whipping the waters into a frenzy that devoured the far end of the wharf, while freezing droplets of rain pelted everything that wasn’t covered like icy spears. The pier was devoid of people--it seemed Sil was the only person who failed to check the forecast for today--outside of a few fishermen whose livelihoods were more important than getting soaked. They hunched over their rods, attempting to stand steady in the rough weather.

Sil frowned with displeasure as she hadn’t exactly prepared for such a wet and freezing day, but the excited squeaks of Hailstone dissuaded her from calling their Water-type search off. At least one of them was enjoying the weather.

The two of them made their way along the cape’s coast, making sure to stay as far away from the monstrous waves as possible lest they get swallowed by the water and swept out to sea. As they wandered along the shoreline, they spotted a fisherman fighting fiercely with his catch, lines of tension carved into his face, his exposed knuckles pale white from the stress of holding onto the rod so tightly. As they gazed at the end of the line, the two realized that whatever the fisherman had hooked was close to surfacing judging by the rising dark mass in the water--and it seemed he was almost out of strength!

Catching the two out of the corner of his eye, the fisherman called out. “Kid – think ya could – help me out here?” he asked Sil in desperation.

“Of course, whatever you need us to do,” Sil responded, before turning to Hailstone nervously. She hoped that whatever the fisherman had caught would be a friendly Pokémon, but judging by the thrashing in the water it seemed whatever was about to surface was none too happy. And it wasn’t exactly uncommon for upset wild Pokémon to take their aggression out on whoever was unfortunate enough to anger them.

“Maybe… maybe use Defense Curl now just in case whatever comes out of the water decides to attack us” she said to her partner. “And if it does actually go on the offense, could you counter with a Scratch, or possibly even a Crush Claw if you can muster it?”

 

[DannyDrawsaLot]

Fizzytopian Rail

DannyDrawsaLot: Heads up that you're welcome to order up to three attacks per round.

The abandoned railyard was not so abandoned after all, the Scraggy in your midst warning you to back off its turf by means of brutal force. The headbutt sends you reeling, Lizzy instinctively dashing to your aide as the coughing and spluttering leaves you tongue tied. Her species’ usual nonchalant expression was replaced with a look of true grit as she prepared a retaliation, Water molecules beginning to swell within her green paw. A second later she propels the Pulse of energy forward, travelling down the disused terminal at breakneck speed and striking Scraggy head on. The lizard is sent bowling, crashing into the Aggron carcass in a loud clatter, its collected scrap spilling across the platform as its pants slip down to its knees. The warning shot isn’t enough to deter the Scraggy who pulls up his pants and fires off a menacing Snarl, the look alone enough to inflict damage on the water-type and leave her special attack debuffed to boot. With no time for retaliation, the scrappy foe rushes its target before coming into a skid, delivering a Low Kick which is successful in sweeping the Drizzile clean off her feet! On all fours and in close quarters, the two fighters begin to wrestle for the upper hand, morphing into a ball of blue and yellow with punches and kicks flying every which way. You determine the Scraggy is surprisingly strong for its size and would have the upper hand in bareknuckle combat if left unchecked. Feeling the air return to your windpipes it was time to volley up some orders, the reptilian riot just about getting started.

Danny could barely breathe, but luckily, Lizzy was smart enough and knew what to do. As he coughed and hacked, Lizzy threw her hand forward, shooting the Pulse of Water directly at Scraggy, Danny watching the blue orb shoot through the air and strike the Scraggy head on, which sent it flying, barreling and hitting the Aggron carcass, its collected scrap metal scattering all over the ground with clangs and clicks. Finally, air travelled back in to Danny's lungs, but before he could call out to Lizzy to do anything, Scraggy was already back into action, scrambling its sagging pants upwards, letting out a deep, dark, menacing Snarl, the sound energy imbued with dark thoughts, which blasted Lizzy back, and the Scraggy quickly followed up with a Low Kick, causing Drizzile to topple over and crash to the ground. Now that both the reptilians where on all fours, they began a rough fisticuffs, devolving into a slapstick like ball of blue and yellow flashes of color.

"Alright! Let's do this." Danny said, gazing at the fight from the corner of his eye. Quickly, he grabbed a shrunk Pokeball from his pocket, tapping on it making to grow to normal size, and throwing it upwards, the blue energy inside zapping to the ground and slowly forming shape.

"Drizzile! Strike Scraggy with an Ice Shard! And once you get an opening, blast 'em with another Water Pulse! And you, Helioptile! Surf!" Danny ordered in one quick line. The Sun Lizard soon materialized and got to work, concentrating water energy and building up the wave it prepared to shoot forward.

 

[myahoo]

The Foundry

Myahoo: Short on cash and skilled labour, you rack your brain for ideas to subsidise the cost of the goods down to zero. Lucky enough you had a voice in your ear to lend a hint, the Rotom not only determining itself compatible with the industrial grade furnace but offering up suggestions for each subsequent stage in the production line. With a plan of attack you gingerly approach the counter, Fuego impressed by your genius all the while oblivious to the little voice in your head: “Fantastico! If you want to get your Pokemon instructed and ready at each stage in the production line, that should speed up the process some,” he adds with a grin, weighing and handing you the aluminium alloy for the heating step. “I should mention, me and my brother have a huge order of Sports Balls to fulfill for the city Parks and Recreation department, so we’ll have our hands full most of the morning. If you get stuck just yell out!” The idea of being left to your own devices with such specialist equipment is enough to send your stomach contracting into a tight ball, although he wouldn’t have put you in charge of anything you couldn’t handle. Right?

Throwing caution to the wind you amble to the furnace, its heat coaxing fresh sweat out from your glands onto your shirt. With Hint taking the reigns you hope he’ll require little instruction, the spectre jolting from your earpiece to the kiln ahead. The fiery machine swallows his essence whole, sparks flying up and down its surface as the Rotom hacks into its circuits with little resistance. The appliance quickly flickers an orange hue as Rotom’s possession takes shape, a red field of plasma giving form to a pair of arms. Completing the transformation, a rod-like protrusion rises from his apex as a pair of red eyes blink open, the giant Rotom-Heat grinning feverishly. Firing up the kiln in preparation for your raw materials he tests his new Overheat function, an inferno swilling around his belly eliciting a belch of smoke. You realise this isn’t the desired reaction as Hint falls into a wheeze, fumes seeping from the cracks in his door like a burning oven... With the coughing fit too much to handle Rotom’s door swings open with incredible force, a whole corner of The Foundry going up in a puff of smoke! The haze settles quick enough, as does Hint’s coughing indicating whatever was lodged up inside him had made an escape. You get an idea of exactly what as a pair of

zoom into view, skidding around the factory floor like a pair of roller skates knocking over materials and equipment left, right and centre. The sudden burst of flame had activated their Steam Engine ability based on the velocity they were traveling, giving you and Hint the tough job of pinning them down and snuffing them out!

"Fantastico!" Fuego said, grinning and weighing some metal. "If you want to get your Pokémon instructed and ready at each stage in the production line, that should speed up the process some." He handed Aiden the metal. "I should mention, me and my brother have a huge order of Sports Balls to fulfill for the city Parks and Recreation department, so we'll have our hands full most of the morning. If you get stuck, just yell out!"

Aiden gaped at Fuego as the redhead left him to his own devices with barely even a backwards glance. What? He stared at Fuego's back. Really? Fuego didn't even pause as he walked away. Really?

"Really?" he said out loud.

"Clearly, yes," Hint said dryly. "Now, c'mon. Let's get to that forge and get started."

Aiden made his way back to the furnace in a daze, mostly stunned that Fuego was leaving some random stranger to the Foundry's probably-very-expensive, relatively-new electrical Pokéball-making system. Was he not worried at all about Aiden possibly breaking it? Or stealing it? Or...any of any number of things that he couldn't think of right now because, again, what?

"Hey. We're here."

Aiden blinked. Oh. Yeah, they were. "Right. So. How're we doing this? D'you just"--he made a sweeping gesture from his wrists--"whoosh and go in or...?"

"Pretty much," Hint said. "Keep an ear out, alright?"

"Mhm."

There was a soft crackle in his ear and then a streak shot from the edge of his eye into the forge, Hint's aura disappearing into the machine for a beat as it hacked the machine. A few sparks flickered across the surface of the forge before it started glowing red, a pair of arms and some kind of horn taking shape as Hint blinked its eyes open. It grinned and Aiden couldn't help grinning back at Hint's clear delight.

"Alright. Firing up the forge...now," Hint told him, the ear cuff's translator function working just as well as ever. Even from where Aiden was standing, he could feel the Heat grow as Hint did...something, fire or heat glowing in Hint's...approximate abdomen area before it let out a belch of smoke. Aiden backpedaled a little further, but paused when Hint wheezed.

"Are you okay?" he called back, but Hint didn't seem to hear him as it coughed explosively. Almost literally actually, smoke billowing out as the forge's doors slammed open. Thankfully, it seemed like The Foundry had an effective ventilation system, the haze clearing quickly and Hint's coughing settling.

Through the smoke, a pair of--were those lumps of coal on wheels? What the heck? Aiden watched them zoom around. Were they Pokémon? He stared some more as they crashed into things and kept going. Well...whatever they were, they were zipping around, knocking things over, and basically making a nuisance of themselves, so he and Hint should probably try to catch them.

"Uh, should we...?"

"Yes." Aiden shook his head to try to get focused. "Um, try--can you still Electroweb stuff like that?"

"I should be able to, I believe," Hint replied, just a bit doubtful.

"Well, try it, but if you can't, try a Confuse Ray."

"Right..."

Aiden rolled his eyes. Just because their first actual fight together hadn't gone exactly...well didn't mean they couldn't do better this time. Then again, it didn't necessarily mean they wouldn't do worse either.

 

[Maskerade]

DannyDrawsaLot:

((I'll be taking over your adventure from Emp; hope I can do it justice!))

One-on-one battles seem to be the norm everywhere in the world, but they definitely aren't a *rule*. Case in point, since your Drizzile seems to be struggling against the wild Scraggy, you simply decide to call on a second Pokemon to gang up on the yellow fellow.

The mess of limbs is suddenly broken apart by the appearance of an ice spire that propels Scraggy backwards, giving Drizzile just enough breathing space to follow it up with another Water Pulse!

Although the Ice Shard at such close range was unavoidable, the nimble lizard manages to arch its back and narrowly dodge the blue orb, but there is nothing it can do to fight back the tidal wave summoned by the second element of this now-handicap match - Helioptile's Surf pushes Scraggy back, sending it tumbling back until it crashes into the deceased Aggron's metal armor!

*Drizzile gained 2 Levels!*
*Helioptile gained 2 Levels!*

In a show of remarkable resilience, however, the wild brawler gets back to its feet despite its accumulated injuries. Staring around the battlefield now, and realizing it is summarily outnumbered, Scraggy suddenly turns around and runs away, hastily disappearing behind the dead steel colossus! You prepare to give chase, but are suddenly stopped by a spotlight shining on you and your team, and a voice calling out to you from a loudspeaker.

"This is the Police! Surrender yourself immediately!"

It seems there's been a massive misunderstanding here. Are you going to stand your ground and try to explain yourself, or instead make a run for it before the authorities move in to arrest you?

 

[Maskerade]

​

Alderboro Reply in Khaki

Little Kanto: A vibrant and densely populated neighborhood founded by immigrants of Kanto and its neighboring regions – foodies and tourists come from all over for a taste of authentic sushi, ramen or famous fried Farfetch’d. The busy sidewalks are packed with souvenir stores, bubble tea shops, and markets selling everything you’d expect to find in the faraway region it pays homage to. There is also an abundance of green spaces where locals can be watched practicing traditional martial arts, stick around and they might be willing to teach you a move or two.​

[/SIZE]

To hell with all this bloody noise...

Blake made his way along the bustling main street of Little Kanto, hands in the pockets of his old black trenchcoat. He'd decided to start his search for Ray, his son and wanted criminal in two regions, in the newly reformed New Fizz City for one very simple reason.

There's more shit for him to steal here than anywhere else.

Tracking down his own son on behalf of the police... He'd never dreamed it would come to that. But it had.

Kid's a menace. And it's my goddamn fault... If I hadn't been so busy playing hero for them, I would've realized sooner that I was raising a criminal under my f***ing roof!

That wasn't all. Ray, for all his faults, was a brilliant Trainer, and had amassed a very powerful team through a succession of successful robberies. Blake, in turn, had spent the better part of the last two years drinking his sorrows away, neglecting to train even a single day. Simply put, he feared in his current state, he might be weaker than his own son.

It's the only bloody reason I'm here to begin with. So let's see what you got.

He finally stopped, arms crossed and a frown on his face, gazing at a nearby group of martial artists and their Pokemon, who were known to gather in that part of Little Kanto to practice. He might be rusty, but Blake was still the "Hero Maker of Galar"; he had an innate eye for talent, and observing these fighters might just reawaken his own fighting spirit. And who knew? If there really was a "master" among those martial artists, he might even learn something entirely new, although he doubted it. Whatever helped in his inevitable clash with Ray...

So he stood, and watched.

 

[DannyDrawsaLot]

DannyDrawsaLot:

((I'll be taking over your adventure from Emp; hope I can do it justice!))

One-on-one battles seem to be the norm everywhere in the world, but they definitely aren't a *rule*. Case in point, since your Drizzile seems to be struggling against the wild Scraggy, you simply decide to call on a second Pokemon to gang up on the yellow fellow.

The mess of limbs is suddenly broken apart by the appearance of an ice spire that propels Scraggy backwards, giving Drizzile just enough breathing space to follow it up with another Water Pulse!

Although the Ice Shard at such close range was unavoidable, the nimble lizard manages to arch its back and narrowly dodge the blue orb, but there is nothing it can do to fight back the tidal wave summoned by the second element of this now-handicap match - Helioptile's Surf pushes Scraggy back, sending it tumbling back until it crashes into the deceased Aggron's metal armor!

*Drizzile gained 2 Levels!*
*Helioptile gained 2 Levels!*

In a show of remarkable resilience, however, the wild brawler gets back to its feet despite its accumulated injuries. Staring around the battlefield now, and realizing it is summarily outnumbered, Scraggy suddenly turns around and runs away, hastily disappearing behind the dead steel colossus! You prepare to give chase, but are suddenly stopped by a spotlight shining on you and your team, and a voice calling out to you from a loudspeaker.

"This is the Police! Surrender yourself immediately!"

It seems there's been a massive misunderstanding here. Are you going to stand your ground and try to explain yourself, or instead make a run for it before the authorities move in to arrest you?

His orders had been a success! At least, most of them? Ice Shard had hit as perfectly as it should have, forming a cold solid spire that shot at Scraggy, propelling it backwards, which gave Lizzy space to throw a Water Pulse at it. Scraggy was smart though, so it dodged the Water Pulse this time around, but it was an exercise in futility, as Soliera had already collected enough water molecules to cause a giant wave of water, which crashed down on Scraggy, washing it backwards, crashing it into Aggron's metal carcass.

"Yeah! That's the stuff guys!" Danny cheered, and walked over, expecting Scraggy to be knocked out, or at least disoriented enough for the capturing. Scraggy was a lizard after all, and seemed in need of a purpose - He's ripe for the picking. Or so Danny thought, as the Scraggy quickly scrambled itself up, and with it realizing it was outnumbered, it took off, disappearing behind the Aggron's corpse.

"Hey! Get back here!" Danny yelled after the Scraggy, getting ready for a chase, and was about to take a step forward, only for a bright light to shine from above, highlighting him and his Pokemon.

"This is the Police! Surrender yourself immediately!" Danny heard, and damn, he wasn't expecting this!

"Oh shit! It's the fuzz! We gotta split!" Danny said, raising both his hands in the air, his two Pokemon doing the same, as he slowly turned around, directly facing the light, before running off and following the Scraggy, wherever it went.

Helioptile grew to level 15!
Drizzile grew to level 18!

 

[Maskerade]

DannyDrawsaLot:

As soon as you're about to beat Scraggy, the cops show up - typical! So obviously, you decide to make a run for it, deftly evading the law as only a hardened criminal would.

... Wait, are you actually guilty of something? Why are you running away again?

You ponder on these pertinent questions as you dash along the deserted railway, trying your hardest to spot the Scraggy as you go. But before you can answer these questions for yourself, something leaps at you from the left, appearing from behind the broken carcass of a Ferrothorn, and tackles you to the ground!

You hit the floor hard, then find yourself pinned to the floor by a rather large, angry-looking Growlithe baring its fangs mere inches away from your face! From the corner of your eye, you spot Helioptile and Drizzile nervously assuming battle positions; clearly, they're thinking the same as you: can they move fast enough to get Growlithe off of you before it bites your face clean off?...

"Well done boy," you suddenly hear. A male voice, coming from your right. Still trapped beneath the trained dog, you shift your gaze to meet the voice - you've seen this man before on TV!

"Alpha-1, this is Looker. Fall back; target neutralized. Over."

The middle-aged man drops to one knee and stares you in the eyes with a dead-serious expression.

"You and I need to have a talk, bud. Fleeing the scene doesn't do you any favors."

Despite your current predicament, you still have your Pokemon standing by for instructions. Do you try to talk things over with the famous Looker, or will you attempt another daring escape?

 

[King Ghidorah!]

King Ghidorah:
With understandable reservations, you nevertheless decide to join the chef inside the stall. It is remarkably well-equipped, even if he seems to be selling Ducklett for Farfetch'd. In fact, there is definitely a great amount of care on display here, from the razor-sharp, high-quality kitchen knives to the impeccable organization of every pot and pan. The dissonance is definitely curious - if this man is so serious about cooking, why is he fooling his customers?

The man - whose demeanour has changed drastically from forcibly polite to rough and bitter as soon as the crowd dispersed - looks at you with a very annoyed expression as soon as you ask him for a drink. His eyes rapidly shift to a large bottle of cheap, store-bought whisky before turning back to you.

"I don't need the help of someone who loves alcohol as much as I do. Either keep off the bottle and be useful or take a hike," he dryly replies as he slumps back into a small wooden stool, shoulders dropped in defeat.

"Sorry. Sorry about that. It's just..." He half-heartedly points to a worn-looking white bandanna pinned to the wall just above the miniature refrigerator in the corner. "I used to be phenomenal. My name is Edogawa; I was a big deal back in Kanto, y'know?"

He reaches for the whisky bottle on the ground without getting up and shakes it in front of his eyes.

"Fell into ruin because of this. Even nowadays, any money I make off this miserable stall doesn't last me a day. So that's why I need you - and sober."

Finally, he gets back to his feet, reaches for the old bandanna and straps it around his head.

"I intend to get back into the culinary spotlight with my legendary dish! The greatest fried Farfetch'd recipe in the world - the Edogawa CLIMAX!*" he declares with sudden determination, punching the air in dramatic fashion. "Thing is, I... I need you to buy the ingredients. They ain't cheap, and I don't trust myself to spend the money where it needs to be spent, if you know what I mean."

With that, he grabs a dirty envelope tucked away on the small shelf beneath the counter and hands it to you.

"There's $3000 in there. I know where I'd be spending it tonight; that's why I need you to spend it *properly* instead. Go to the market at the end of the main street; I need you to buy me a handful of very spicy berries, a couple of sweet ones and, most importantly, a live, healthy Farfetch'd, best one you can grab from the lot on sale. That money oughta be enough."

As if sensing a need for reassurance, he finally adds...

"You stand to make a nice profit if we pull this off. You gotta trust me on this... 'cause you're really my only hope at this point. So... you in?"

You stare at the envelope in your hand, weighing your options. Helping out this weird fellow is definitely a choice, or you could try and milk a more solid deal out of him before hopping aboard. And then there's the other option: you've just been handed a clean $3000 in hard cash, after all...

Alcoholism is no joke. Hugo couldn’t help but feel pity for the chef – now identified as Edogawa – upon hearing his story The man seemed like a pain, not really someone people would want to be around too much – but still, Hugo could sense the legitimate despair and disappointment in his voice. Alcohol had taken his dream and his sense of dignity from him, and here he was, reaching out to Hugo for help. $3000 was a lot of money, definitely too much to be trusting to who was relatively a total stranger. The whole situation reeked of booze and desperation. Hugo decided he would try and help the man out.

He took the envelope of cash from the man, eyeing him carefully.

“I will help you,” he said to Edogawa. “But I’m not going to do it for free. Fair is fair, right? We can come to a mutually agreed to price later. Consider the cash, and whatever I come back with, as collateral. But understand this. I don’t want to get into any funny business here, is that clear? I’ve already had my fair share of…unsavory activities in this town and the last thing I need is to draw more attention to myself.”

Tough talk coming from the guy who really hammed it up just a few minutes ago, but still, here we are.

“Whatever you’re planning to “pull off,” I want you to know that if things go sideways, you may be on your own here. Good? Good.”

Hugo headed off down the street, cash in hand.

“Berries and the duck…berries and the duck…” he repeated to himself so he wouldn’t forget.

 

[empoleon dynamite]

The Foundry

Myahoo: Your production encounters a snafu as quick as it’s in business, the coal monsters birthed from Hint’s tummy fired up and skating circles around the Foundry, leaving a fiery chain of destruction in their wake. The metalworkers pay little mind, as if this type of chaos was part and parcel of life in the factory. It was decidedly up to you to stop them in their tracks and get manufacturing back up and running; with shaky confidence you work up a strategy to snuff out the Rolycoly duo before they send the whole warehouse up in flames. Hint doesn’t miss a beat as he spins an Electroweb in one of the troublemakers’ bearing, the catch looking something like a hockey puck flying into a goalpost. The sparks danced up and down its rocky hide as it skidded and struggled against the net for naught. That was one down with one to go, the Rotom-Heat already attempting to tail the loose Rolycoly as it bounced off corrugated walls knocking over all sorts of inventory, stacks of cardboard boxes left in cinders. Hint is eventually able to find an opening as it lobs a Confuse Ray ahead of the Coal Pokemon’s next fix, sending its tiny brain into a stupor! Still unwilling to decelerate it dizzily careens about the factory floor, workers jumping out of the way as its trajectory became increasingly unwieldy. Rotom is too sluggish to dodge in its new form, falling on the receiving end of a Heat Crash which sends it skidding despite his newfound resistance. Your eyes dart back to the ensnared Rolycoly, gyrating at such a velocity it was beginning to wear away the electrically-charged webbing. With Hint’s hands full you pore over your surroundings noticing several fire extinguishers dotted around the warehouse…

Little Kanto

Maskerade: With a son estranged to a life of crime it had become your raison d'etre to hunt him down and bring him home. You would scour every corner of the Earth if you had to, the seedy underbelly of New Fizz seeming a good enough place to start. Beneath its facade of peace and prosperity the metropolis was rife with criminal activity, from petty theft to bank heists and illegal trading. Even Little Kanto in all its serenity was a known foothold for Kanto’s mafia syndicates; it was no secret Team Rocket were running protection rackets across many of the neighbourhood’s small businesses. While the trail felt warm you delay your reconnaissance for now, coming to a pause in one of the ethnic enclave’s green spaces.

The park spanned several generous acres amidst the urban sprawl, freshly mowed and adorned with benches, ornamental trees, flowers year-round and water fountains in a clear lake that was stocked with Magikarp. There was a traditional shrine on the lake’s bank with architecture evocative of Johto’s Ecruteak City, local elders and monks lining up to pray. Perhaps more to your fancy were several groups congregating to practice martial arts. Once a fighting-type master, you had more than a few black belts under your belt – but said belt had grown tight around the waist thanks to an unhealthy liquor dependence. From the sidelines you hope to reignite the flame that had petered out with the loss of your boy, putting you in better stead for the inevitable faceoff.

To the park’s east you notice a faction of Kantonian elders practicing fluid, graceful standing movements. Their meditative flow was an art passed down through generations, each sequence working to channel the energy around them; some of the Pokemon in this camp were harnessing the chi to propel Vacuum Waves into the air. To the west was a contrast like night and day, a pair of younger fighters engaged in a fierce fisticuffs surrounded by a mob of rowdy spectators. The mixed martial artist’s footwork is a tap dance to his challenger’s heavy stomping routine, and two minutes of pops to the face later they were floored! While the young’uns appeared of Kanto descent their city attire and modern fighting-style implied they held onto their heritage by a thread. They were accompanied by a more urban assortment of fighting-types who were practicing Power-Up Punches in the same fast fury. Having seen the sorts of martial arts on display, which camp will you trade blows with?

Cape Effervescence

SpinyShell: You are quick to come to the fisherman’s aide as he bends to and fro with increasing difficulty, hoping whatever lay at the end of his line would be a lively match for your starter. The ‘shrew preps ahead by Curling into a ball, working to obscure his soft underside and shore up his Defences. The surf was starting to bubble and rise sending your stomach into knots, doubts rising on whether you had bitten off more than you could chew. With a final heave the catch emerges in a sea salt eruption, its dark silhouette flying overhead and crashing on the promenade with a heavy thud. You wipe the spray from your eyes to get a closer look at the… Rock? It had a slippery sheen as water ran off its surface but there was no mistaking it, the fisherman had trawled up nothing more than a boulder. The seasoned angler blinks, just as nonplussed as you.

“Hmph. Looks like the fish get to live another day while I spend another day of mending fishing lines!” With a chuckle he just as quickly sets to packing his tackle and leaving the choppy ocean behind him, the feeling of failure lingering long after he departs. As soon as Sandshrew anticlimactically unfurls from his defence though, the rock starts to rumble. The vibrations can be felt reverberating down the boardwalk until a sole

emerges from the boulder with a pop. Its furrowed brow looks especially cross from having been unceremoniously prized from its underwater refuge, Mud Slapping the nearest body which just so happens to be Sandshrew! Hailstone squeals as dirt gets into his eyes, sweeping in blindly with a Scratch which only manages to clip the foe’s neck. While their species usually came in pairs, it looks like this plucky Binacle is confident in taking you on singlehandedly. What will you do?

 

[SpinyShell]

SpinyShell: You are quick to come to the fisherman’s aide as he bends to and fro with increasing difficulty, hoping whatever lay at the end of his line would be a lively match for your starter. The ‘shrew preps ahead by Curling into a ball, working to obscure his soft underside and shore up his Defences. The surf was starting to bubble and rise sending your stomach into knots, doubts rising on whether you had bitten off more than you could chew. With a final heave the catch emerges in a sea salt eruption, its dark silhouette flying overhead and crashing on the promenade with a heavy thud. You wipe the spray from your eyes to get a closer look at the… Rock? It had a slippery sheen as water ran off its surface but there was no mistaking it, the fisherman had trawled up nothing more than a boulder. The seasoned angler blinks, just as nonplussed as you.

“Hmph. Looks like the fish get to live another day while I spend another day of mending fishing lines!” With a chuckle he just as quickly sets to packing his tackle and leaving the choppy ocean behind him, the feeling of failure lingering long after he departs. As soon as Sandshrew anticlimactically unfurls from his defence though, the rock starts to rumble. The vibrations can be felt reverberating down the boardwalk until a sole

emerges from the boulder with a pop. Its furrowed brow looks especially cross from having been unceremoniously prized from its underwater refuge, Mud Slapping the nearest body which just so happens to be Sandshrew! Hailstone squeals as dirt gets into his eyes, sweeping in blindly with a Scratch which only manages to clip the foe’s neck. While their species usually came in pairs, it looks like this plucky Binacle is confident in taking you on singlehandedly. What will you do?

Hailstone prepared himself for whatever the fisherman had hooked by curling tightly into a ball, protecting his vulnerable belly as he did so. As the Sandshrew buffed his defense, Sil watched nervously as the fisherman struggled fiercely with his catch. The surf bubbled around the rising dark mass, and the fisherman gathered all his remaining strength before giving a final tug on his fishing rod. The creature burst out of the salty brine with quite a splash, rising high into the air, the two humans watching as it climbed upwards before crashing loudly on the boardwalk.

It was...

a rock.

A grey rock, to be specific, with some seaweed anchored to it and a few holes where seawater and sandy muck slowly drained out. It seemed Sil and Hailstone had not come across a fisherman, but a rockman.

The angler shook his head in defeat. “Hmph. Looks like the fish get to live another day while I spend another day of mending fishing lines,” he chuckled, before packing up his tackle box and walking off in defeat.

Sil watched him go, before turning back to the rock and sighing softly, feeling a strange mix of both failure, for they had not encountered the Water-type they were hoping for, and relief, as Hailstone would not have to face a difficult foe. Hailstone slowly unfurled himself, feeling his back unstiffen from the release, a bit disappointed that their journey had led them to a rock, albeit a rather nice one even if it was a little plain.

However, just as Hailstone uncurled fully, the rock began to rumble, sending tremors all along the boardwalk. As the rumbles reached their climax, in a sudden burst of sea foam a lone creature popped its spiky head out from one of the larger holes, a rather cross look on its face. It narrowed its eyes even further, looking for who was responsible for tearing it from the cozy ocean floor, before spotting Hailstone. Faster than either Sil or Hailstone could react, it flung a clump of mud and silt directly at the Sandshrew’s eyes, connecting with a splash of supereffective goop.

Hailstone stumbled back, squealing and clawing at his face in an attempt to get the gunk out, already feeling it harden from the cold of his icy scales. Through the fog of pain, Hailstone vaguely remembered Sil’s orders, before lashing out blinding with his claws in the hopes that he’d Scratch this strange Pokémon. He felt his claws connect, but unfortunately it was only a glancing blow across the creature's neck.

Sil stared in shock, before overcoming her surprise and scanning the unknown Pokémon with her Pokédex. It appeared the grumpy creature was a Binacle, though there was something off about it. According to the picture, there should be two barnacles but only one popped out, a Mono-nacle if you will. Despite missing its apparent twin, the lone barnacle looked confident in its battle skills and glared fiercely at the two of them.

Sil worried at the situation. With the mud in his eyes, Hailstone’s vision was severely reduced and he would have trouble connecting his attacks, as the Binacle was surprisingly mobile despite being anchored in rock. In a bit of panic, Sil shouted “Hailstone, maybe use Mist so that barnacle can’t lower your accuracy any more!” That would shield the Sandshrew from any more obscuring gunk, but it didn’t solve the present problem of the swiftly hardening mud currently in his eyes. Hailstone did technically know Powder Snow, but he could never successfully summon the light snowstorm; though, with the freezing rain pelting everything, maybe it wouldn’t be as difficult now. “See if you can Powder the area with Snow and strike everything around you, and if the Binacle hobbles in close for an attack, use the thumping of the boardwalk to direct where your Crush Claw will go!”

Hopefully Hailstone wouldn’t freeze her along with the barnacle.

 

[myahoo]

The Foundry

Myahoo: Your production encounters a snafu as quick as it’s in business, the coal monsters birthed from Hint’s tummy fired up and skating circles around the Foundry, leaving a fiery chain of destruction in their wake. The metalworkers pay little mind, as if this type of chaos was part and parcel of life in the factory. It was decidedly up to you to stop them in their tracks and get manufacturing back up and running; with shaky confidence you work up a strategy to snuff out the Rolycoly duo before they send the whole warehouse up in flames. Hint doesn’t miss a beat as he spins an Electroweb in one of the troublemakers’ bearing, the catch looking something like a hockey puck flying into a goalpost. The sparks danced up and down its rocky hide as it skidded and struggled against the net for naught. That was one down with one to go, the Rotom-Heat already attempting to tail the loose Rolycoly as it bounced off corrugated walls knocking over all sorts of inventory, stacks of cardboard boxes left in cinders. Hint is eventually able to find an opening as it lobs a Confuse Ray ahead of the Coal Pokemon’s next fix, sending its tiny brain into a stupor! Still unwilling to decelerate it dizzily careens about the factory floor, workers jumping out of the way as its trajectory became increasingly unwieldy. Rotom is too sluggish to dodge in its new form, falling on the receiving end of a Heat Crash which sends it skidding despite his newfound resistance. Your eyes dart back to the ensnared Rolycoly, gyrating at such a velocity it was beginning to wear away the electrically-charged webbing. With Hint’s hands full you pore over your surroundings noticing several fire extinguishers dotted around the warehouse…

It's only after Aiden decided to round up the runaway coal...bikes that he glanced around at the metalworkers and noticed that they barely reacted to the possible-Pokémon making a mess of the place. Maybe he should've let them be? But...a mess in the factory didn't exactly seem like the safest thing, so he'd catch them and figure out what to do afterwards.

Hint managed to spin up an Electroweb and tangle up one of the coal bikes, bringing it to a stop. It then turned to the other, lobbing a Confuse Ray at it and hitting it dead on! Though...

"Uh, that was supposed to be Confuse Ray if you missed with the Electroweb," Aiden had to point out. "FYI."

"Then be clearer next time," Hint returned distractedly, taking a moment to shoot Aiden an exasperated look before turning back to the battle only to get bowled over as the Confused coal bike ran straight into it. Aiden winced as Hint skidded backwards from the hit.

"Sorry!" he called, but he wasn't sure if Hint heard him, having its hands full trying to keep the coal bike in one place and all. He glanced over to check on the tangled coal bike, feeling a bit useless right now, and winced again at the sight of it wearing away at the Electroweb keeping it down. Well, shit, that wasn't good.

He scanned the nearby supplies, looking for anything that might help stop the two coal bikes, and spotted the familiar shape of a fire extinguisher. He looked back at the coal bike and the scorched trail the pair left through the nearest supplies. Popped out of the oven, left things burned in their wake, looked like coal on wheels...

He grabbed a fire extinguisher and scanned the instructions. Hopefully, he could figure out how to work it quick enough to actually help and that it was actually effective against the bikes.

He checked on the tangled-up bike. That one first, then the one Hint was grappling with. Just in case he missed.

 

[Maskerade]

King Ghidorah:
You might not have expected things to turn into a (far)fetch quest, but here you are, $3000 of someone else's money in hand, and running errands for a drunkard.

Finding where to go turns out to be pretty easy: all you need to do is keep going along the main road, moving in the opposite direction of every passerby carrying bags of groceries. You do notice several small bars open for business on both sides of the road as you go along, validating Edogawa's point that distractions were plentiful for someone with his problem.

The local market is yet another marvelous tribute to Kantonian tradition. The smell of cooked food that filled the street is replaced with a mixture of different scents, from fresh fruits and vegetables to the more... unique odors. In fact, many people gather here to sell not just produce, but also live Pokemon from the region - a girl roughly your age displays three healthy-looking Kantonian Ponyta behind a small fence, while others have Pidgey, Bellsprout and the obligatory Magikarp for sale. You can't spot any Farfetch'd sellers right away, but the market is rather large and considerably crowded, so perhaps a walk around the place is in order.

"Excuse me? Kind sir? Yes, you! How would you like some genuine Rare Candies straight from Celadon City? Just $2000 each, guaranteed to pep up your precious Pokemon partners!"

"STEP RIGHT UP, STEP RIGHT UP, BEST OLD RODS STRAIGHT FROM CERULEAN! GUARANTEED TO CATCH NOTHING BUT MAGIKARP OF THE LOWEST LEVEL! IT'S THE GENUINE THING!"

"Slowpoke Tails! Slowpoke Tails! Slowp - no sir, they are not from Johto, it's a very common misconcep - wait, come back!"

"Fresh Berries! Oran, Pecha, Sitrus and many more! Come and see, try them for yourself!"

The last merchant you pass by finally says something worth your time. You stop, recalling your shopping list, then take a glance at the elderly woman's stall. There are rows of Berries, in a multitude or colors, shapes and patterns, each letting off a unique fragrance.

You take out your checklist to review what kind of flavours the chef requires for his Edogawa CLIMAX!, but before you can place your order, you hear a familiar voice coming from behind.

"My my, what a lovely collection of Berries you have, kind lady! Here, take this. I would like to buy... all of them."

The Galarian man from before stands proudly next to you, pretending to not even notice your presence. The triumphant smile he sports is evident even beneath his gentlemanly moustache.

"That's it, yes. In paper bags, naturally. One must be mindful of the environment, after all!"

Once the old lady finishes bagging every last one of her Berries, leaving the wooden baskets completely empty and her pockets completely full, she hands the haul to the Gentleman, who visibly struggles to hold everything but not once losing his pretentious smile and posture.

"Top of the morning to you," he adds with a polite nod, before shifting his gaze to you ever so briefly. "You get nothing. You lose. Good day sir."

With that, he starts walking away... What will you do now?

 

[Maskerade]

Little Kanto

Maskerade: With a son estranged to a life of crime it had become your raison d'etre to hunt him down and bring him home. You would scour every corner of the Earth if you had to, the seedy underbelly of New Fizz seeming a good enough place to start. Beneath its facade of peace and prosperity the metropolis was rife with criminal activity, from petty theft to bank heists and illegal trading. Even Little Kanto in all its serenity was a known foothold for Kanto’s mafia syndicates; it was no secret Team Rocket were running protection rackets across many of the neighbourhood’s small businesses. While the trail felt warm you delay your reconnaissance for now, coming to a pause in one of the ethnic enclave’s green spaces.

The park spanned several generous acres amidst the urban sprawl, freshly mowed and adorned with benches, ornamental trees, flowers year-round and water fountains in a clear lake that was stocked with Magikarp. There was a traditional shrine on the lake’s bank with architecture evocative of Johto’s Ecruteak City, local elders and monks lining up to pray. Perhaps more to your fancy were several groups congregating to practice martial arts. Once a fighting-type master, you had more than a few black belts under your belt – but said belt had grown tight around the waist thanks to an unhealthy liquor dependence. From the sidelines you hope to reignite the flame that had petered out with the loss of your boy, putting you in better stead for the inevitable faceoff.

To the park’s east you notice a faction of Kantonian elders practicing fluid, graceful standing movements. Their meditative flow was an art passed down through generations, each sequence working to channel the energy around them; some of the Pokemon in this camp were harnessing the chi to propel Vacuum Waves into the air. To the west was a contrast like night and day, a pair of younger fighters engaged in a fierce fisticuffs surrounded by a mob of rowdy spectators. The mixed martial artist’s footwork is a tap dance to his challenger’s heavy stomping routine, and two minutes of pops to the face later they were floored! While the young’uns appeared of Kanto descent their city attire and modern fighting-style implied they held onto their heritage by a thread. They were accompanied by a more urban assortment of fighting-types who were practicing Power-Up Punches in the same fast fury. Having seen the sorts of martial arts on display, which camp will you trade blows with?[/SIZE]

As an old Fighting-Type Gym Leader, it was heartwarming to see so many younger Trainers devoted to martial arts. As a man who knew he was himself still far from a master, it was inspiring to see men almost twice his age still dedicated to perfecting the craft.

Maybe coming here wasn't such a stupid idea after all.

Blake kept watching from afar. The kids' technique was all-around sloppy, but he wasn't much better at their age. The age where raw power was the only thing that mattered. Undeniably it did, to an extent - but in due time they would learn the need to find a balance. Even he, well into his forties, and all the more so after the last two years of neglect, still struggled to achieve that perfect equilibrium.

That's why I never mastered that move. The move I invented - how pathetic am I that I can't even master my own creation?

And so, instinctively, his gaze shifted to the elders. Power, he'd had plenty of in his prime. The same power that now eluded the old martial artists in their advanced age. But they'd found what he still lacked - the inner peace thst came with mastery of those arts. Inner peace he hadn't felt in... who knew how long.

"You guys would do well to watch too," he muttered as he tossed his three Balls to the ground. An Infernape, Meditite and Pancham appeared and took the former "Hero Maker's" side.

RED DEVIL was the only Pokemon from the old days that Blake had kept. It had always been his ace, and most importantly, his closest friend. As of late, his *only* friend. Even so, for all its overwhelming power and speed, there was still something it lacked - the same thing that eluded Blake, and which stopped them from mastering their special move. The Infernape glanced at the scene before it and grinned, immediately realizing why it had been called - Blake was giving it one of *those* lessons where he didn't even talk.

OVER MIND was unquestionably the most spiritually inclined of the group, a firm believer in unlocking hidden potential through the power of meditation. Its abilities were undeniable - even before joining Blake, the Meditite had stood up to Primal Dialga and lived to tell the tale. Even so, it was still young, and its concentration waned constantly. It stood to learn much from the elders simply by observing; sensing this, it sat solemnly on the ground, legs crossed, and watched.

BLACK FIST was the youngest of the group, a troublesome Pancham thar used to hang with a rough crowd of Scrafty and Krokorok but was recruited by Blake after the man sensed its latent potential - saving it from a future life of crime, something he couldn't do with his own son. The Pancham's eyes instinctively shifted to the group of youngsters practicing their Power-Up Punches, but Blake placed his hand atop its head and rotated it back towards the elders. Meditative training was far from exciting, but it was something the unruly Pokemon needed far more than any other kind of practice.

"Shut up and watch. We can all stand to learn from those old timers."

Part of him wanted to approach the group and ask for their guidance. But only a small part - thebrest of him was too proud to move. He wasn't a pupil anymore, dammit.

 

[empoleon dynamite]

The Foundry

Myahoo: While managing to snare one of the coalerskates its double was still wreaking all sorts of havoc; teeming with velocity and vitality they would continue to plague production if you didn’t act fast. The foundry was fortunately stocked to the nines with fire extinguishers, a lightbulb flickering above your head as you hoist one from its housing. You make a beeline for the webbed Rolycoly now inches from escape, sparks waning as its threadbare prison put up diminishing resistance. It was your first time extinguishing a fire, the handle jammed at first squeeze before you take notice of the instructions printed on its side, locating a safety pin which you unpin. With one eye closed you take aim with the nozzle and the extinguisher goes off, dousing the trapped Rolycoly in firefighting foam. The super effective chemical agent smothers the pest for a clean knockout, now you just had to track down its twin! Hint gives you an indication, emitting a loud clatter as the foe pelted forth a volley of Rock Blasts, dents forming on its housing with each hit. While slightly irked it hadn’t been ordered to defend itself, the Rotom-Heat is happy to play sitting duck for a while longer as you follow the scorched trail to the second Rolycoly and rinse and repeat your dousing effort. Rotom gained two levels!

With the extermination efforts a success it was time to resume manufacturing, the furnace clog-free as Hint fired her back up. You grab the blocks of aluminium and place them in a crucible which fits snuggly into the Rotom-Heat’s shelving. The door closes shut as Hint gets to work, Overheating the raw materials to molten steel. You give the crucible a moment to cool down before prizing it with a pair of tongues, carefully lugging to the nearest workbench for the hammering stage where you encounter Fueco, brow furled in concentration as he juggled a stack of hammered materials for his tall order. “It looks like you’ve done a great job so far!” he finds time to complement, “Now you just need to hammer down the metal, cut it to shape and weld it together! Grab me when you’re finished and we’ll boot up the CAD system!”

Little Kanto

Maskerade: With two remarkable yet opposing fighting styles on show, you find your gaze gravitating to the slow and graceful martial arts. You’d had your fill of power in your heyday but inner strength was what your heart yearned, so with that you forgo the mixed martial artists and make a beeline for the tai chi masters. Red Devil, Over Mind and Black Fist would benefit from the lesson too, joining you on the grassy knoll as you spectated from a cautious distance. The elders’ emphasis on slow breathing was noticeable closer up as they repeated the routine, acting in concert with their environment and guiding it, rather than avoiding, controlling, or working against it. While your pride kept you at arm’s length your Pokemon ogled with great interest; Infernape and Meditite were quick learners, memorising the steps and itching to put them to work. Infernape and Meditite learned Vacuum Wave! While Pancham was just as eager he was decidedly less spiritually attuned, the panda cub’s mock punches more evocative of the neighbouring MMA camp, failing to project any spiritual force behind them.

The master at the centre of the class eventually breaks out of her flow, locking eyes with a gentle smile, “We have a new pupil in our midst.” That had to sting. “I sense a powerful fighting spirit within you, but it has been twisted by turmoil. Perhaps you would like to join our practice to aide in clearing those blockages. If so, repeat my steps and have Infernape and Meditite follow your lead. I would like to see what you’ve got.” Despite her years the Kanto native had a youthful energy about her, it would be unwise to underestimate her on appearance alone.

Cape Effervescence

SpinyShell: Your first battle was off to a trying start, the unlikely catch gaining the upper hand through element of surprise. While Sandshrew efforts to wipe the gunk from his eyes you rack your brain for a battle strategy, orders carrying through the rainy pitter patter as you attempt to turn the tides. With his vision still hampered, Hailstone is first off the bat spinning into a breakdance which kicks up enough icy vapour to blanket the esplanade in Mist. The lone barnacle would have a hard time debuffing your stats so delivers some old-fashioned brute force, water molecules swelling around its face-hand as it smacks the Mouse Pokemon with Liquidation. The soggy strike sends Sandshrew skidding, albeit with less momentum than what a two-handed Binacle could deal. Water runs off Hailstone’s body as he picks himself up, the backsplash clearing his vision enough to open his eyes a slit. While the surrounds were still a blur he breaks into another summersault, kicking up a widespread flurry of Powder Snow which weathers away at the enemy’s rocky hide, parts of its rain-soaked surface freezing over. The ocean dweller fires off a shivery grimace, tapping into its Ancient Power to lob orbs of rocky energy Hailstone’s way. The barrage pelts Sandshrew’s igloo body a fair deal, the Alolan shaking off the hit before homing in with his heightened senses of smell and hearing. With the target coming into focus Hailstone delivers a Crush Claw which strikes true, the barnacle reeling before snapping back with a close quarter Water Gun. The dousing sends Sandshrew flip-flopping down the boardwalk, cleaning out his eyes at least as he wearily pushes back to his feet. With the battle taking its tole on both Pokemon it would be hard to pick a winner, synching victory would take everything you’ve got.

 

[DannyDrawsaLot]

DannyDrawsaLot:

As soon as you're about to beat Scraggy, the cops show up - typical! So obviously, you decide to make a run for it, deftly evading the law as only a hardened criminal would.

... Wait, are you actually guilty of something? Why are you running away again?

You ponder on these pertinent questions as you dash along the deserted railway, trying your hardest to spot the Scraggy as you go. But before you can answer these questions for yourself, something leaps at you from the left, appearing from behind the broken carcass of a Ferrothorn, and tackles you to the ground!

You hit the floor hard, then find yourself pinned to the floor by a rather large, angry-looking Growlithe baring its fangs mere inches away from your face! From the corner of your eye, you spot Helioptile and Drizzile nervously assuming battle positions; clearly, they're thinking the same as you: can they move fast enough to get Growlithe off of you before it bites your face clean off?...

"Well done boy," you suddenly hear. A male voice, coming from your right. Still trapped beneath the trained dog, you shift your gaze to meet the voice - you've seen this man before on TV!

"Alpha-1, this is Looker. Fall back; target neutralized. Over."

The middle-aged man drops to one knee and stares you in the eyes with a dead-serious expression.

"You and I need to have a talk, bud. Fleeing the scene doesn't do you any favors."

Despite your current predicament, you still have your Pokemon standing by for instructions. Do you try to talk things over with the famous Looker, or will you attempt another daring escape?

"Wait a second, I'm not actually guilty, right?" Danny thought aloud, and Drizzile looked at him while running, giving him a shrug. But pondering would only be a waste of time, so Danny barreled down the deserted railway, his legs barely giving out despite him never working out in his entire life, must have been adrenaline? Scraggy was getting harder to follow as Danny and his Pokemon continued to give chase. Out of nowhere though, something tackled Danny to the ground, it appearing from behind another corpse, this time a Ferrothorn. Needless to say, it wasn't much different than was the Scraggy encounter, but this time, it was a Growlithe.

As Danny came back to his senses, he stared at the Growlithe atop him. It was larger than the average one, and its teeth were mere inches from his face, it growling with clear bloodlust in his eyes, it seemed ready to tear Danny to shreds. Lizzy and Soliera both assumed battle stances; ready to smack the Growlithe off, Lizzy even charging up another Water Pulse.

"Well done, boy." A male voice said, startling Danny, and Danny looked over, it was a policeman.

"Lizzy, stand down." Danny said dryly, and the Drizzile obeyed, dropping the pulse of water it had collected.

"Now, whoever you are, get your dog off me, or I'll do it myself." Danny growled back, ready to punch the dog off of him if he wasn't careful. "I'm not talking till that happens, so take your free time if you like."

 

[King Ghidorah!]

King Ghidorah:
You might not have expected things to turn into a (far)fetch quest, but here you are, $3000 of someone else's money in hand, and running errands for a drunkard.

Finding where to go turns out to be pretty easy: all you need to do is keep going along the main road, moving in the opposite direction of every passerby carrying bags of groceries. You do notice several small bars open for business on both sides of the road as you go along, validating Edogawa's point that distractions were plentiful for someone with his problem.

The local market is yet another marvelous tribute to Kantonian tradition. The smell of cooked food that filled the street is replaced with a mixture of different scents, from fresh fruits and vegetables to the more... unique odors. In fact, many people gather here to sell not just produce, but also live Pokemon from the region - a girl roughly your age displays three healthy-looking Kantonian Ponyta behind a small fence, while others have Pidgey, Bellsprout and the obligatory Magikarp for sale. You can't spot any Farfetch'd sellers right away, but the market is rather large and considerably crowded, so perhaps a walk around the place is in order.

"Excuse me? Kind sir? Yes, you! How would you like some genuine Rare Candies straight from Celadon City? Just $2000 each, guaranteed to pep up your precious Pokemon partners!"

"STEP RIGHT UP, STEP RIGHT UP, BEST OLD RODS STRAIGHT FROM CERULEAN! GUARANTEED TO CATCH NOTHING BUT MAGIKARP OF THE LOWEST LEVEL! IT'S THE GENUINE THING!"

"Slowpoke Tails! Slowpoke Tails! Slowp - no sir, they are not from Johto, it's a very common misconcep - wait, come back!"

"Fresh Berries! Oran, Pecha, Sitrus and many more! Come and see, try them for yourself!"

The last merchant you pass by finally says something worth your time. You stop, recalling your shopping list, then take a glance at the elderly woman's stall. There are rows of Berries, in a multitude or colors, shapes and patterns, each letting off a unique fragrance.

You take out your checklist to review what kind of flavours the chef requires for his Edogawa CLIMAX!, but before you can place your order, you hear a familiar voice coming from behind.

"My my, what a lovely collection of Berries you have, kind lady! Here, take this. I would like to buy... all of them."

The Galarian man from before stands proudly next to you, pretending to not even notice your presence. The triumphant smile he sports is evident even beneath his gentlemanly moustache.

"That's it, yes. In paper bags, naturally. One must be mindful of the environment, after all!"

Once the old lady finishes bagging every last one of her Berries, leaving the wooden baskets completely empty and her pockets completely full, she hands the haul to the Gentleman, who visibly struggles to hold everything but not once losing his pretentious smile and posture.

"Top of the morning to you," he adds with a polite nod, before shifting his gaze to you ever so briefly. "You get nothing. You lose. Good day sir."

With that, he starts walking away... What will you do now?

Hugo was seething. How had this arrogant dandy usurped him and taken all the berries? Had he been following Hugo this whole time? Or worse, watching him while he had been conversing with Edogawa? He had said that it wouldn’t be the last they saw of him, yet for some reason, Hugo thought they had certainly had seen the last of him.

“Well,” Hugo said half to himself, half to the man, “I guess we hadn’t seen the last of you now, have we?”

Hugo could cut his losses now, he realized. He could take the money and run and no one would know the wiser. Or he could skulk back to Edogawa, give him his money back, and move on his merry way, finding peace in his conscience that he had at least tried to help the down-on-his-luck chef, but hey, some things just aren’t meant to be, right?

Or…

“No, I don’t think I lose, you THIEF!” Hugo shouted, raising his voice. “That’s right. You’re a thief. You think you’re so smart. So slick. You’ll just swoop in and buy all the berries. Well, you’re a thief and a coward. Put your goddamn money where your mouth is, you small, petty man. Get over yourself. The food – the Farfetch’d, and it WAS Farfetch’d – was good. You disagree? Well wait until you find out how unimportant and insignificant your opinion is. Get a life and stop going around, hassling all these people in the name of “culinary excellence.” We all know you’re trying to make up for your own sorry insecurities, taking out your own frustrations with yourself on these vendors, trying to grasp onto some semblance of superiority.”

Hugo was intentionally raising his voice and making another scene. This man had an ego and Hugo knew he could get out a rise out of him.

“So hand over the berries. I will reimburse you what paid for them and then you will go on your way and I won’t pummel you into the ground. And if you don’t, well then I’m going to have to take them from you.”

Hugo reached for one of the Pokeballs that hung from his waist, waiting for the next move.

 

[SpinyShell]

SpinyShell: Your first battle was off to a trying start, the unlikely catch gaining the upper hand through element of surprise. While Sandshrew efforts to wipe the gunk from his eyes you rack your brain for a battle strategy, orders carrying through the rainy pitter patter as you attempt to turn the tides. With his vision still hampered, Hailstone is first off the bat spinning into a breakdance which kicks up enough icy vapour to blanket the esplanade in Mist. The lone barnacle would have a hard time debuffing your stats so delivers some old-fashioned brute force, water molecules swelling around its face-hand as it smacks the Mouse Pokemon with Liquidation. The soggy strike sends Sandshrew skidding, albeit with less momentum than what a two-handed Binacle could deal. Water runs off Hailstone’s body as he picks himself up, the backsplash clearing his vision enough to open his eyes a slit. While the surrounds were still a blur he breaks into another summersault, kicking up a widespread flurry of Powder Snow which weathers away at the enemy’s rocky hide, parts of its rain-soaked surface freezing over. The ocean dweller fires off a shivery grimace, tapping into its Ancient Power to lob orbs of rocky energy Hailstone’s way. The barrage pelts Sandshrew’s igloo body a fair deal, the Alolan shaking off the hit before homing in with his heightened senses of smell and hearing. With the target coming into focus Hailstone delivers a Crush Claw which strikes true, the barnacle reeling before snapping back with a close quarter Water Gun. The dousing sends Sandshrew flip-flopping down the boardwalk, cleaning out his eyes at least as he wearily pushes back to his feet. With the battle taking its tole on both Pokemon it would be hard to pick a winner, synching victory would take everything you’ve got.

Hailstone curled up into a ball and began to rotate faster and faster, spreading the icy vapor that arose from the rain droplets hitting his body out over the promenade, enveloping it in a protective Mist that would prevent the Binacle from causing any more stat drops.

Realizing that it could no longer rely on debuffs to turn the tide of battle, the grumpy Pokémon summoned a surge of water around its face, before slamming into Hailstone at a surprising breakneck speed, striking him with a Liquidation. The Sandshrew skidded across the wooden planks like a curling stone, the water sliding over his body and enabling him to open his eyes slightly.

Hailstone picked himself up, wincing a little at the pain as he slowly shook off the remaining droplets of water, before once again curling up and spinning, this time kicking up something with a bit more bite than mist. The frenzied flurry of Powder Snow struck the Binacle and caused some of the more soaked parts of the rock to freeze over with a shimmering layer of ice. The Pokémon shivered, its ugly face scrunched up even more in a grimace, before it reached down to its primal roots. Several orbs of rocky energy appeared beside the Binacle, before taking the shape of Ancient fossils, slamming into Hailstone with quite a bit of Power. Despite the blow, the Sandshrew’s mind was clear enough that he could get a lock on the barnacle’s position through hearing and smell, and he retaliated with a Crushing blow from his Claws. However, this also brought him rather close to the Binacle, who unleashed a close quarter Water Gun that sent the Sandshrew skidding once more. He slowly picked himself, weary and panting heavily from the exertion.

The toll of the battle was evident on the two Pokémon, who had resorted to glaring at each other as they paused to regain some of their strength, giving Sil a bit of time to strategize. The blows of the Binacle had crashed down on Hailstone like a tsunami, she thought, wearing him down frightfully quickly. Perhaps the key to victory wasn’t purely through brute force...

Sil looked over the Binacle for anything that might give her an idea, before focusing on the icy sheen that glimmered where parts of its body had frozen over.

“Hailstone,” she called out, “try to freeze the Binacle with more Powder Snows! If it unleashes a watery attack, try to see if you can freeze the water, and thus it too. If the barnacle goes for a more solid approach, blast it with the powdery gust while it prepares the attack.”

Perhaps it wasn’t the best idea to bet everything on one move, but hopefully the successive gusts of icy flurries combined with the cold rain would be enough to freeze the Binacle solid, or at least freeze it to the boardwalk.

 

[myahoo]

The Foundry

Myahoo: While managing to snare one of the coalerskates its double was still wreaking all sorts of havoc; teeming with velocity and vitality they would continue to plague production if you didn’t act fast. The foundry was fortunately stocked to the nines with fire extinguishers, a lightbulb flickering above your head as you hoist one from its housing. You make a beeline for the webbed Rolycoly now inches from escape, sparks waning as its threadbare prison put up diminishing resistance. It was your first time extinguishing a fire, the handle jammed at first squeeze before you take notice of the instructions printed on its side, locating a safety pin which you unpin. With one eye closed you take aim with the nozzle and the extinguisher goes off, dousing the trapped Rolycoly in firefighting foam. The super effective chemical agent smothers the pest for a clean knockout, now you just had to track down its twin! Hint gives you an indication, emitting a loud clatter as the foe pelted forth a volley of Rock Blasts, dents forming on its housing with each hit. While slightly irked it hadn’t been ordered to defend itself, the Rotom-Heat is happy to play sitting duck for a while longer as you follow the scorched trail to the second Rolycoly and rinse and repeat your dousing effort. Rotom gained two levels!

With the extermination efforts a success it was time to resume manufacturing, the furnace clog-free as Hint fired her back up. You grab the blocks of aluminium and place them in a crucible which fits snuggly into the Rotom-Heat’s shelving. The door closes shut as Hint gets to work, Overheating the raw materials to molten steel. You give the crucible a moment to cool down before prizing it with a pair of tongues, carefully lugging to the nearest workbench for the hammering stage where you encounter Fueco, brow furled in concentration as he juggled a stack of hammered materials for his tall order. “It looks like you’ve done a great job so far!” he finds time to complement, “Now you just need to hammer down the metal, cut it to shape and weld it together! Grab me when you’re finished and we’ll boot up the CAD system!”

Aiden hurried over to the coal bike working its way free of Hint's Electroweb and aimed the nozzle at it. He tried to squeeze the handle, but it wouldn't go, leaving him scrambling for a moment before he figured out that he had to pull the pin. Yanking it out, he aimed at the coal bike again and squeezed, firefighting foam shooting out of the nozzle and smothering the coal bike under a small pile of the stuff.

Aiden glanced down at the fire extinguisher and then at the knocked-out coal bike. "Huh. Good to know."

Behind him, there was a loud clatter as some kind of Rock attack ran straight into something metal. "Take your time," Hint called over sarcastically. "I'll just continue being a punching bag for a bit."

Aiden rolled his eyes and headed over to where the other coal bike was attacking his Rotom. "You don't have to take the hits. You can defend yourself, you know."

"Oh, of course. Why didn't I think of that?" Hint replied and clearly would've been rolling its eyes if it hadn't been keeping them on the still-moving coal bike. Its voice went frustrated. "I still need you to tell me how to do that, remember?"

"I'm gonna make it a free-for-all this time," Aiden muttered under his breath as he extinguished the other coal bike. "You need the practice anyway."

Hint shot him a sullen look and motioned at the metal blocks. "Let's just...get this going."

Aiden set the fire extinguisher down and then tetris-ed the blocks of metal into a crucible that he shoved into Hint's oven, nearly getting his fingers clipped by the doors as Hint snapped them shut. He shot Hint a glare of his own and then settled in to wait for the metal to melt, the silence eventually going from stubborn to comfortable as Hint Overheated the metal.

When it was done, Hint popped the oven doors open and Aiden grabbed a pair of tongs to move the crucible to a nearby workbench. Only when he'd set it down on the workbench did he notice that Fueco was also working nearby.

"It looks like you've done a great job so far!" Aiden glanced back at the mess of coal bike and fire suppression foam on the floor behind him. Was he talking about that or the molten metal? He wasn't sure, but he smiled uncertainly anyway. "Now you just need to hammer down the metal, cut it to shape, and weld it together! Grab me when you're finished and we'll boot up the CAD system!"

"Yeah, you got it." Aiden nodded at Fueco and turned back to his own project. Hammering, cutting, and then welding. Right. So that was Dust with Iron Tail, Tase with Fury Cutter, and then Kaito with Incinerate.

He called the rest of his Pokémon out and quickly went over what he needed from each of them. "Okay, so, Dust, we need to hammer this metal until it matches the mold, so use Iron Tail on it until that happens. Tase, use Fury Cutter to trim off the edges once Dust is done with it. Kaito, use Incinerate to weld the pieces together." He glanced over the trio. "Everyone good?"

Dust glanced pointedly around at their surroundings and then gave Aiden a flat look, while the Growlithe-that-was-Kaito yawned widely. Aiden wasn't sure where Tase had gone, but he hoped the Joltik hadn't gone far.

Aiden sighed. "Let's just...get this over with."

---

OOC: Hint goes from Lv. 28 to 30.

 

[empoleon dynamite]

The Foundry

Myahoo: While not without its hitches you had a pot of molten metal cooling and just a few more steps to go until your product was finished. You summon three more of your Pokemon to the factory floor, forming a neat assembly line as you passed down careful instructions to hammer, cut and weld. The ragtag team accept their assigned tasks with varying degrees of interest, leaving nothing for it but to hope for the best and watch the work unfold before you. The Alolan Vulpix was first up, hobbling onto the workbench with a look of pure discomfort; the high temperatures of the Foundry were decidedly more suited to her Kantonian cousin. With the Iron settled in its mold it was time to hammer it to shape, Dust’s Tail flickering steely silver as it swung to and fro like a mallet. Batting a few misses the Snowpix eventually finds her rhythm, leaving you with a batch of evenly pressed shells. Still a bit jagged around the edges, it was up to Taze to trim it down to size. The goods tower over the incy wincy Joltik allowing him to scuttle across them with ease, incisors Cutting away with masterful precision. With the dimensions matching the blueprints, you connect the top and bottom half of the five shells like jigsaw pieces – the parts now just needing welding into place. Right on cue Kaito lends a breath of his firepower, Incinerating the joints and hinges until they were as good as fused! While lacking internal circuits and a fresh lick of paint, the shells were starting to resemble regular Pokeballs. It had been a hard slog, eliciting more buckets of sweat than you cared to know – but soon enough you would have your own handmade collection of Cyber Balls to show for it. Vulpix, Joltik and Zorua gain one level!

“You’re finished!” Fueco grins, “Let’s fire up the new CAD machine!” He ushers you to what resembled a mangle of a supercomputer, a vending machine and a classic arcade system in a corner of the Foundry, a wide berth from any sparks and flames. Its surfaces were coloured a mix of pastel blues and pinks with the Silph Co. logo adorned on its front side. The redhead places the half-baked Pokeballs into the system and plugs it in for the first time, the screen flickering on with an 8-bit whir:

“The software needs a minute to boot up but the steps from there are pretty simple. Just select the colours you’re after and presto!” the metalworker leaves you with an idle wait screen as he returns to his business, the loading bar moving at a Slugma’s pace. You’re eventually brought back from your reverie by a loud beep, the screen now presenting a list of options and requiring a prompt to continue.

Colours available: Red, Blue, Green and Yellow. Newer software available for this system. V.2.0 features printing capabilities for Aqua, Orange, Violet and Majenta Cyber Balls. Press Y to install upgrade.

Cape Effervescence

SpikyShell: With the battle of the boardwalk pressing on both fighters were showing visible wear and tear, the scrappy Binacle proving a tough match even without its partner in crime. You concede that brute force might not be the be the easiest route and rely instead on your wits, even if it meant putting all your Exeggcute in one basket. Making note of the visible frosting up Binacle’s stalk you plan to double down on the sub-zero submission, hoping to chill the enemy into defeat. Hailstone nods affirmatively, bracing himself for impact as he weathers another high pressure Water Gun from the goose barnacle, this time managing to hold his ground against the slippery boardwalk. Shaking off the wet he cartwheels into retaliation, carpeting the field in another layer of Powdery Snow. The temperature starts to drop a few notches, numbing your face and extremities even from a spectator’s distance. That was nothing - at the epicenter of the icy tundra the frostbitten foe screeches in discomfort, hoping to wash away the snowy coat with its Liquidation while slapping your Sandshew silly in the process – but Hailstone denies it the chance with another icy flurry, the Powder Snow sending the swell of water around the Binacle’s face to below freezing! With the Binacle looking something like a frozen popsicle you had it teetering on the brink. It wouldn’t take much more to finish it off or even attempt capture, provided the cold didn’t take it first. What will you do?