Dual Pokemon Quest

[Blacksheep]

Jaden pushed back. He wasn't going to choose between them! Didn't Groudon realize that the cool island they made was because of the ocean? Making him choose between friends was being a bad friend! He wasn't asking them to be friends with each other, just to let him choose his friends.

Neither god reacted well to that. The pressure swelled up, and Jaden blacked out.

He woke up in the pokemon center with a very worried charmeleon lying on top of him. Sam perked up and immediately started nuzzling him. He was awake! The charmeleon poured out his love devotion and protection onto his human. He didn't like the gods that had pushed Jaden to passing out. It had hurt, feeling all that pressure. As soon as Jaden went down Sam had demanded Uri fix things. The kadabra had brought them to the pokemon center, and he'd been resting here since. Sam had kept a close eye out, making sure that nothing happened while Jaden was out.

Jaden still ached somewhat, oddly feeling like he had had a bad wipe out while water skiing, or fallen off a cliff while hiking. The world felt louder than usual too. He was really glad Sam was there to act as a wall and block off the noise of everyone's thoughts around them. Sam watched him steadily, a solidness to his more combative pokemon Jaden didn't usually see.

[ ]Write-in

OOC: Groudon and Kyogre got put into permanent sleep for a reason! Poor Jaden

 

[Blacksheep]

Nova seemed rather bemused about the entire request. The vulpix did agree, with a haughty stare at Archer. The dartrix was bobbing about happily as he watched them, seeming thrilled by the entire situation. Now the only question was what to do with Nova.

What kind of performance will Nova do?

[ ]An agility course
[ ]A dance
[ ]Flame shaping
[ ]Write-in

 

[Space Jawa]

If Archer was happy just to be an observer, that made it all the easier; Lee didn't have to worry about the owl feeling left out or neglected.

[X] Develop a 'Flaming Shaping Dance', a dance with moves designed to emphasize Nova's 'cuteness' but built around Nova displaying her skill and power with fire; something that both plays to the theme of the contest but also to Nova's personality by sending a message of "Yes I'm adorable, but I could absolutely beat you in a fight if I wanted to and look cute while doing it, too."
-[X] Visit the Department Store, see about finding any accessories for Nova to use that Nova would both enjoy wearing and would increase her 'cute' appeal.
--[X] Double-Check the rules first; make sure that Nova's performance is legal and that any accessory or 'extra' she might sport for the contest are all legal. It just wouldn't do to plan a performance or purchase anything that would get Nova disqualified.

 

[Tascion]

OOC: Groudon and Kyogre got put into permanent sleep for a reason! Poor Jaden

Click to shrink...

Yeah, roughly what I expected, but Jaden is a kid and I figured this was what he'd do. Adherence to the story of the quest and all that.


[x]Confirm no surprises about how Jaden got back and is recovering.
-[x]Visit home, tell family about adventures, show off pokemon

As an aside, sooner or later (depending on local events), I'm expecting Jaden will visit the big Xatu in the Safari Zone and then head east to explore in that part of Hoenn.

 

[Blacksheep]

Lee took some time to look over contest rules. Anything that enhanced a pokemon's abilities was not allowed, but accessories that were only visual in impact, such as ribbons, were. To stick with the theme of fire shaping, golden accessories were chosen for the accents. A firework in her curls on her head, and glittery ribbons on each tail. Nova was restless about having those put on, and clearly would only tolerate them for so long. It didn't help that Archer looked like he was considering how to steal the ribbons for himself.

The vulpix was however highly invested in the challenge of shaping her flames as Lee suggested. It was hard for her, a challenge in accuracy and control that she hadn't been given before. Normally it was enough simply to hit her target, now she had to hit the target in a specific manner. That got her fully engaged and eagerly working along. Lee even caught her escaping her pokeball to train on her own when she could. She was ending up drained from it all, and clearly happy.

Kate had finally decided on which pokemon of hers she would be entering the contest with: her dratini. She was eager to train Aqua up for the performance, even if the dratini seemed more invested in snuggles.

(move onto the contest?)

 

[Blacksheep]

Jaden returned home. He was tired, and could use a break. He really wanted to show his parents all his pokemon too.

His mother cried over him when she saw him. He was doing so much better than he used to. His dad was eager to meet his team, and asked if Jaden had any interests in a professional pokemon career. His team was well looked after, if not particularly competitive. It was a solid balance at least, with a normal type for any surprises and a fire and water type. His dad was slightly uneasy about Uri. "Too human," he muttered.

His mom found Roni charming and immediately wanted to decorate it with key charms, despite the skittish pokemon choosing to hide in Jaden's shirt for most of the time at home. It was a good break, with his parents taking him out to his favorite restaurant and sharing tales of their own pokemon journeys.

[ ]Write-in

 

[Tascion]

[x]Talk to his parents
-[x]about Sam getting big-headed
-[x]about one of his friends demanding that he not be friends with somebody Jaden just met. Acknowledge that it seemed likely that the two pokemon hadn't gotten along in a really long time, if ever.

 

[Space Jawa]

Just as hoped, Lee playing to Nova's competitive spirit was the key to sparking her interest.

Hopefully, she wouldn't get too into that competitive spirit and loose sight of what the goal of the contest was compared to the goal of a regular fight.

But she was a smart, cunning, and clever little fox, so Lee was confident she'd stay true to the spirit of the contest.

[X] Move onto the Contest
-[X] Make certain that Nova is well-rested beforehand so she can perform her best

 

[Blacksheep]

Jaden had a lot to talk to his parents about. They were patient as he spoke about Sam, his father giving advice to read up on how dragon pokemon were trained for trainers to keep their respect, and to be patient and keep trying. It would take time to figure things out. Jaden was on his journey, they were happy to give advice, but this journey would be his to figure out. They were proud of him for how far he'd come, and were sure that he would come out the other side with a stronger bond with Sam.

The words about the two pokemon fighting over Jaden was more concerning to them. His mother carefully impressed how dangerous it was to force pokemon to go against their instincts, and the danger of getting between battling pokemon. She understood that he wanted them both, but sometimes that wasn't possible. As much as cartoons fluffed it up and showed the best of pokemon, they could be dangerous. People died to them all the time, and she didn't want Jaden to be one of those because he did something foolish.

His dad did offer to spend time training with Jaden and his pokemon if he wanted to, even if he only had a couple team members now.

[ ]Visit the Contest Hall
[ ]Visit the beach
[ ]Visit the museum
[ ]Shop the department store
[ ]Check the ships in the harbor
[ ]visit the Pokemon Fan Club
[ ]Visit the Pokemon Psychic Fortuneteller

[ ]Spend time with family
[ ]Train with Jaden's Dad!
[ ]Train Sam
[ ]Train Oliver
[ ]Train Uri
[ ]Train Zahra
[ ]Train the entire pokemon team
[ ]Play with pokemon
[ ]One on one with Sam
[ ]One on one with Oliver
[ ]One on one with Uri
[ ]One on one with Zahra
[ ]Write-in

 

[Blacksheep]

The day of the contest arrived. Jasper and Kai had eagerly taken a seat among the relatively small audience mostly made up of friends and family of the competitors along with people happy to see a free contest even at the amateur level. The announcer welcomed everyone, and explained that this was a contest focused on the beauty and wonder of pokemon and their abilities, not their battles. The performances would be topped out at two minutes, and the general rules were laid out: no items that had effects on pokemon, but clothing accessories were acceptable, one must stick to the theme, and only a single pokemon from each trainer.

Kate had drawn the straw to start the contest, and stepped out onto stage with Aqua. Her dratini was happy to shimmer around and coo cutely at the audience. Kate directed Aqua through a simple snake charm dance that ended with Aqua blowing a small spout of water into the air. She earned a polite round of applause, and a guy a bit younger than Lee stepped on stage next with his cinccino. The cinccino was beautiful, extraordinarily well groomed, and clearly fluffed up specially for the performance. He gave a short performance of athletic bounces and rolls around the stage before settling once more on his trainer's shoulders earning another round of applause.

Lee stepped forward next with Nova. She performed fluidly with her flames, and drew eager gasps. Nova's enjoyment of posing between moments seemed to earn extra points with the audience drawing out soft aw's. A young lady stepped out on stage next with a slugma wearing shimmering ribbons on her flame tufts. The slugma shimmered and wriggled, and gave cute little burbles. Her trainer put on music, and the slugma gave a cute little performance of "accidentally" stumbling about and splashing in the liquid flames she spread about. The audience was highly charmed by the performance.

The flabebe with her trainer was a more mild performance, with the flabebe doing her best to serenade the audience with a short little song and twirling about. The hoothoot that used wind and double team to fly with copies of herself was a charming performance. And then the last trainer stepped out with a corphish. The playfulness of the corphish, and the way she played with the bubbles and bounced them around, completely won the audience over.

The trainer with their corphish took first place in the contest. Lee found himself called out next with Nova, awarded second, and the slugma took a comfortable third. Everyone else earned participation ribbons. Kate cheered along with everyone else, and the contest came to an end.

Kate bubbled up all about how incredible Aqua had been, and how fun it had been to be on the stage. Kai exclaimed about the accuracy in the moves the pokemon who performed used, and asked what Lee thought of how that might impact Nova in battling. Would that translate over, or would Nova only think to use such a thing in these performances? Nova was clever, but she tended to not focus on accuracy as much as on blanketing the area with flames. Jasper was focused on cuddling with his girlfriend and telling her how amazing she was.

[ ]Visit the Contest Hall
[ ]Visit the beach
[ ]Visit the museum
[ ]Shop the department store
[ ]Check the ships in the harbor
[ ]visit the Pokemon Fan Club
[ ]Visit the Pokemon Psychic Fortuneteller
[ ]Train pokemon
[ ]Play with pokemon
[ ]Spend time with Kate
[ ]Spend time with Jasper
[ ]Spend time with Kai
[ ]Write-in

Either of you interested in running into each other in Lilycove?

 

[Tascion]

oh goodness, lots of good options

[x]Spend time with family
-[x]Visit the museum
[x]Visit the Pokemon Psychic Fortuneteller
[x]Train with Jaden's Dad!
-[x]Train Sam

 

[Space Jawa]

Lee Hinsu was actually surprised that Nova did as well as she did. Not the performance itself, mind you, but rather that she placed. For a first-time performer, even second was a notable achievement, even if it was a mere 'amateur' showing. He made sure to congratulate Nova on that success, the Vulpix certainly deserved it.

"I don't know, we'll have to see." Lee replied to Kai. "It would certainly make her all the more powerful if she could learn to incorporate that control into her combat."

He'd certainly figure that out soon, but that would wait. He wasn't going to immediately follow up the celebratory moment with training.

Noticing that Kate and Jasper were having a tender moment, Lee also took the opportunity to congratulate the winner on the victory. It was a polite thing to do anyway, and if the two lovebirds were preoccupied it gave Lee an excellent opportunity and reason to do so. He certainly didn't want to interrupt them if he didn't have to, even if he was just a little bit jealous of the pair.

"Now that I think about it, that might be the happiest I've seen Jasper since I met them." Lee thought. It gave him a small smirk. "Looks like the stoic guardian has a soft side after all."

[X] Congratulate Nova on her success
-[X] Congratulate the Corphish and her trainer

[X] Take all four Pokemon to the Pokemon Fan Club
-[X] Bring along whoever else of the group is interested in coming along.

[X] Make sure to give Kate positive encouragement on performance later when opportunity allows
-[X] Look for an opportunity to give Jasper a friendly teasing over revealing he does in fact have a softer side

 

[Blacksheep]

Jaden was more than happy to take a day to go down to the art museum with his parents. Roni was sadly the only one of his pokemon he could bring along to look at the art with him. Uri could have gone as well, but his dad asked that he didn't, and Jaden agreed. So he was busy showing his newest pokemon all the cool art of legendary pokemon. He found ones of Groudon and Kyogre to look at, which was super cool! Groudon looked like a fossil pokemon. Some of the art of Groudon included fissures through the primal god's body showing magma pouring out.

All of the art of Groudon and Kyogre were aggressive and terrifying. It was a sharp contrast to Rayquaza, who looked peaceful and benevolent, more like Latias and Latios. The art of Latias and Latios was funnily off, giving them a sleeker longer form than they actually had, and patterning them funny as well. Jaden wondered if the artists had actually seen Latias and Latios or not.

Roni was more than happy to dart about. Somehow they left with Roni having a new key on its ring. It looked like a pretty cool one.

Jaden did get the chance to go to the pokemon fortuneteller with his team. Uri was heavily invested in it. There were multiple options to pick from for getting their fortunes read.

[ ]Use cards
[ ]Use a crystal ball
[ ]Use a scrying bowl
[ ]Use palm reading

Jaden headed out with his dad to a field for training. His dad's manectric and pelipper were happy to get the chance to stretch out. Sam of course was more than eager to test himself against the bigger and older pokemon. His dad was more than happy to battle alongside him, and gave tips on when to allow a pokemon to move on their own in battle and when to give calls in battle. Pokemon battles could be swift enough it could be hard to keep up with, so training pokemon with instinctive reactions helped a lot, as well as having sets of orders they would instantly respond to when called. Sam on the other hand, was feeling much more humble after being defeated so much, and grumpy about it.

[ ]Visit the Contest Hall
[ ]Visit the beach
[ ]Shop the department store
[ ]Check the ships in the harbor
[ ]visit the Pokemon Fan Club
[ ]Head west towards the Safari Zone
[ ]Take a ship to Mossdeep
[ ]Take a ship to Sootopolis

[ ]Spend time with family
[ ]Train with Jaden's Dad!
[ ]Train Sam
[ ]Train Oliver
[ ]Train Uri
[ ]Train Zahra
[ ]Train the entire pokemon team
[ ]Play with pokemon
[ ]One on one with Sam
[ ]One on one with Oliver
[ ]One on one with Uri
[ ]One on one with Zahra
[ ]Write-in

 

[Blacksheep]

Nova soaked in the praise and affection from her trainer in utter delight. Her ego almost visibly grew with her success and the praise that was lavished onto her. She was so very beautiful after all. Her tails flicked behind her in delight. Lee looked over to the winner and smiled. "Your corphish was incredible!"

"Thanks," she answered. "It's really a matter of getting the right pokemon into the right contest. Who can resist such a cute pokemon?" She cooed at her corphish and cuddled her. "You did really well too! Is this really your first contest?"

[ ]Write-in

Lee made sure to take the time to praise Kate for her own showing in the contest. Kate laughed and said it was fun. Perhaps next time she'd enter her spinarak. Snowflake might enjoy it, as long as it was a smaller contest. Lee somehow found a moment when Jasper wasn't glued to Kate to gently tease him, drawing another smile from the stoic man. "It's hard to not be happy around her," Jasper admitted. "Even if she's always getting into trouble."

Lee's trip down to the pokemon fan club brought Kate and Jasper along, Jasper as always willing to follow Kate anywhere. Kai had decided to stay back, he thought he had a breakthrough with his slowpoke and was eager to keep going. The pokemon fan club was warm and comfortable, and Kate and Lee soon found themselves swarmed. Everyone wanted to coo over Aqua and Nova. Archer also got plenty of attention for his rarity.

"Are you planning to breed your dartrix?" one of the club members asked. "Local rowlet eggs would be amazing, but I bet it would be really tricky to find someone else to breed him with, not to mention caring for the eggs!"

"It doesn't matter if he breeds his dartrix, the bird is handsome enough on his own. What do you train your pokemon for? Is he perhaps a show pokemon? He is so very handsome," another cooed. Archer puffed up proudly clearly delighted to have earned so much praise and delight.

"Are you breeding magikarp? Is there something special about this one?" a guy asked about Fathom. He studied the fish critically, earning a shot of water to the face that made him sputter in surprise. "How did you teach him that?"

[ ]Write-in

 

[Space Jawa]

Lee's enthusiasm in congratulating the winner surprised even him.

"Maybe Kate's rubbing off on me." He thought as he tried to regain his composure.

"It was." Lee admitted. "I'm currently journeying across Hoenn. I thought it would be a good idea to try it at least once. I'm not sure I'd want to make a career out of it, but seeing as both Nova and the crowd seem to have loved it, we'll probably have to try a repeat performance some time."

"Oh, Lee Hinsu, by the way." he added, introducing himself.

[X] Introduce self to Corphish trainer

---

Lee nodded contemplatively when Kate mentioned the possibility of entering her Spinarak in a future contest. It was pretty clear that Kate had enjoyed competing far more than Lee did, but thinking about it for any amount of time it was obvious in retrospect.

Of course Kate had enjoyed it more than Lee had, Kate pretty much enjoyed everything more than other people did.

[X] "That could work." Lee noted. "As far as bugs go, Sunshine is pretty adorable."

---

"It's hard to not be happy around her," Jasper admitted. "Even if she's always getting into trouble."

"I've noticed." Lee replied with a slight chuckle. "It's like she's radioactive with positivity. It's not surprising in the slightest why you're willing to put up with her antics."

A thought crossed Lee's mind.

"The fact that she keeps getting into trouble might be a good thing, even." Lee added with another chuckle. "Need something to keep you grounded and on your toes. Keep life interesting."

---

Lee found himself overwhelmed at the Pokemon Fan Club; he hadn't expected nearly so much attention. While Nova was obviously one of the star attractions and Archer stood out for obviously not being a local, Lee made sure all four of his Pokemon had an opportunity to be out and about. With the other three getting special notice, Lee kept Crunchbite relatively close to ensure the Vibrava got some attention as well and wouldn't feel too left out.

[X][Breeding Archer] Lee wasn't exactly sure how to answer the questions about breeding Archer, it wasn't something that had crossed his mind in the slightest.
-[X] "I...haven't thought about that at all." He said.

[X][Training Question] "For battling, mostly." Lee said. It was generally the generic thing people trained Pokemon for in generally, really. Even the flight training for Archer and Crunchbite was oriented towards combat used. And really, Lee reasoned that properly applied, the skills trained for battling could easily be utilized for other methods as well. The Pokemon contest was really the first time Lee had even really considered specialty training for any other purpose. Though maybe now he would have to consider what other potential specialty training after how well Nova had embraced her special routine.

[X][Magikarp] Lee laughed at Fathom squirting the guy in the face. "I didn't." Lee said. "He already knew how when I first adopted him. I think he just loves being a troublemaker so much that he somehow found a way to do it just so he could be better at pestering people."

 

[Tascion]

[x]Use a crystal ball
-[x]Afterwards, try seeing the same things with the sableye gem, as a comparison
[x]One on one with Sam
-[x]Talk to Sam about growing up. Losing isn't wrong. Being unhappy about it is fine, but there's always somebody stronger. He shouldn't let it ruin his time at home, or chances to enjoy life elsewhere.
[x]visit the Pokemon Fan Club
-[x]Get everybody looking good for a later photo with Jaden's parents

Jaden is thinking he'll close out his time in the area with a visit to the big Xatu in the Safari, and then maybe head east.

 

[Blacksheep]

Jaden selected the crystal ball, and the fortune teller peered in. "All of your pokemon ring with unusual strength. They can be more than what any would expect when seeing them. What direction that will take is up to you. You could be champion if you pursued it." Uri carefully chimed in, showing a network of possibilities. Some of them split and then rejoined, while others never touched again. He highlighted the point the fortuneteller was drawing on, and then directed Jaden's attention to the brightest strand. This was the most likely outcome if Jaden simply pressed forward as he was. Groudon's shadow lingered over this one, a way to reshape the world and be part of something larger.

Jaden's gaze into the Sableye gem was different. Uri was pleased as always with the chance to help Jaden use his psychic abilities. Looking for himself was different than the fortuneteller looking. When he touched it he could see glimpses of what laid along each branch that he could choose from. There was strength and guidance under a warm gaze from the World's Largest Xatu, and learning new games and possibilities. There was speaking with Groudon and catching a glimpse of something even larger beyond it. The ocean threatened to swallow Jaden down in another, with a secret buried beneath the waves where few could find it.

When Jaden spoke to Sam the charmeleon was somewhat confused. He understood enjoying things, but Jaden's peace was puzzling for the young dragon pokemon. How could Jaden simply accept things like that? Sam wanted so badly to rule, and accepting others could be better grated. He butted into Jaden. He didn't understand, but he listened. He would at least give a chance.

The trip to the pokemon fan club was met with a lot of excitement. People were more than happy to help Jaden groom his pokemon for a group photo with his family later. Some of them cooed with surprise over how friendly Zahra was, while others were eager to study Roni. Quite a few had opinions about how to care for a charmeleon, mentioning it was the most difficult stage for training the charizard line. It was the one that set the tone for how the grown dragon would view its trainer. It was when the most limits were tested! Of course they disagreed with each other over it. In contrast Oliver was playing as a giant furry rug to be brushed and Uri was insistent that Jaden would be the one to groom him, no one else touching the psychic pokemon. Uri confided that all their minds were quite noisy to him.

Jaden's announcement of his plans to start heading out once again had his mother hurrying to plan a great meal to send him off with. Of course multiple photos had to be taken, his mom's skitty taking pride of place at the center of the photo.

[ ]Write-in

 

[Blacksheep]

"Lily Valehare, and this is Nika," she said about her corphish. "Maybe I'll see you again at another contest! I was thinking maybe I'd travel out over the islands this summer, but we'll see how that goes."

>>>>

Kate smiled, and softly spoke of her love of spiders. She held no fear for them, and really did see Sunshine as absolutely adorable and wonderful. She knew a lot of people feared them, but she really hoped that she could show them they shouldn't with Sunshine.

Of course, the occasional deaths from Ariados didn't particularly help there, but it wasn't any more common than any other death by pokemon.

"You think I need the trouble to stay grounded?" Jasper laughed. "I didn't think I lived with my head in the clouds."

>>>>

Crunchbite was more than happy resting on Lee's back, occasionally buzzing his wings softly. He was more than happy to just watch the attention the others got.

"Your magikarp is definitely one to keep an eye on then. Perhaps it's an egg move from a different parent pokemon?" a guy mused.

[ ]Write-in

 

[Space Jawa]

"I was thinking maybe I'd travel out over the islands this summer, but we'll see how that goes."

"Huh. You mean the western islands? Mossdeep? Sootopolis?" Lee said. "Funny enough, me and my friends were planning to travel out there ourselves at some point. So maybe we will see you again."

---

"I didn't think I lived with my head in the clouds."

"Er, that's not..." Lee started, but he quickly stopped himself. "I'm just going to stop there, I can tell I'm digging a hole and I don't want to dig any deeper."

---

"Perhaps it's an egg move from a different parent pokemon?" a guy mused.

"I don't know, maybe? I don't know much about Pokemon genetics." Lee said with a shrug.

---

[X] Remain at the Pokemon Fan Club either until everyone is ready to leave or until it closes for the day, whichever comes first.

 

[Blacksheep]

Jasper was more than happy to drive off anyone who got too much into Kate's space. He looked almost forbidding the way he loomed over his friendly smiling girlfriend. Lee was more left to fend for himself, which wasn't too difficult. One by one his pokemon retired back to his side with requests to rest. The admiration was great, but it was a large group fanning over them. Kate eventually came over herself with just her haunter and Jasper to prepare to head back. She smiled brightly at Lee. "The Pokemon Fan Club is so welcoming, isn't it?"

[ ]Visit the Contest Hall
[ ]Visit the beach
[ ]Visit the museum
[ ]Shop the department store
[ ]Check the ships in the harbor
[ ]Visit the Pokemon Psychic Fortuneteller
[ ]Train pokemon
[ ]Play with pokemon
[ ]Spend time with Kate
[ ]Spend time with Jasper
[ ]Spend time with Kai
[ ]Write-in

 

[Blacksheep]

Jaden hugged his parents tightly before leaving back on the road once more. He had a xatu to visit after all, and adventures to have! Uri was more than happy to help with shortcutting them to the entrance where they could head on in. The buzz of the psychic network was even clearer now than it had been before, the time spent practicing with his abilities made it easier to sort out the strands. The World's Biggest Xatu came to greet him as they reached the heart of the psychic zone, and invited him to join.

[ ]Play games with the abras
[ ]Practice telekinesis
[ ]Practice scrying
[ ]Learn about Curses
[ ]Practice illusions
[ ]Practice telepathy
[ ]Learn teleportation basics
[ ]Dream with the slowpokes
[ ]Write-in

 

[Tascion]

[x]Dream with the slowpokes
[x]Practice illusions
-[x]Share stories with the abras and the others. Groudon, the waterfall magikarp evolving into a gyarados, the scary ghost house, and so on. Focus on pokemon seen, not Jaden's team. They're self-evidently awesome.

(Sorry for flaking, was paralyzed by indecision for Jaden's options and then got busy with work.)

 

[Space Jawa]

"The Pokemon Fan Club is so welcoming, isn't it?"

"Well, I would hope it would be welcoming." Lee said. Not in a mean way, more a matter of fact manner; even so he wondered if it came out wrong after he said it.

---

After an opportunity to rest, Lee decided to dedicate some time to training. There was always room to improve, and he was very much curious to see if Nova could in fact incorporate the training she'd dedicated herself to - and very much enjoyed - to improve her actual combat skills.

[X] Train pokemon
-[X] Archer - Develop his ability to be remain silent to execute sneak attacks
-[X] Crunchbite - Train newly developed flight skill and the tunneling carried over from his Trapinch form; train towards Crunchbite reaching a point where he can seamlessly use the full extent of the battlefield, both above and below the ground
-[X] Nova - See if Nova can integrate her Contest training to improve her combat skills.
-[X] Fathom - Mobility; try to develop Fathom's flopping to help him move around the battlefield better.

And, with the stronger aura Archer had developed from evolving, Lee thought it maybe a good time to enter the current again to ensure that any changes wouldn't catch the pair off guard when Lee actually needed to enter the current to do something actually important.

[X] Enter the Current with Archer

 

[Blacksheep]

Kate laughed softly at Lee's words. "Yes, that would be the hope."

All of Lee's pokemon took to the training session with vigor over the week. Crunchbite thrived under the attention the training sessions gave him, and was clearly becoming comfortable with his ability to dive between earth and sky. He was getting swift and difficult to track with his ease of moving around without limits in direction.

Archer had more difficulty in his training. While his flight was naturally silent, he was not a naturally stealthy pokemon. He was a touch too straight forward for that. Archer had to work to hide his presence and come up on someone else. Directing him into dives and quick flits around a space helped, but it would take more practice.

Fathom even seemed to be benefiting from training this week, with a rare level of focus from the magikarp. He seemed thrilled to get the chance to practice moving around and bask under Lee's attention. He also turned the areas he was placed into mud every single time. Kate was more than happy to tease Lee about the difficulty of dealing with the magikarp's joy of soaking everything.

Working with Nova was easier and harder at the same time. Nova enjoyed combat, and she had learned plenty from her brief training for the amateur contest. Combining the two however seemed to somewhat confuse Nova. She was willing and able to follow the direction given, but struggled to keep the aggression she usually displayed in her attacks when she shifted to the more controlled flames she had learned for her contests. It was clearly frustrating the vulpix, wanting to master what Lee was telling her to do but not quite bridging the gap.

Taking a moment to sit with Archer and meditate was a good break after all that. Lee knew he had to keep practicing with his aura. Archer was stronger in his evolved form now. It should make it even easier for him to use aura with Archer's aid. As soon as he reached out Archer reached out in return. It was far smoother than before, with a calmness that belied the excited dartrix's nature.

The current through the city was a lively one. Lee could feel the pulse of the plants growing, and the division of different sections that kept them apart. The sense of domestic pokemon that were proud to work alongside their humans brushed along the more skittish wary senses of wild pokemon that made their homes along the city.

Above it all, the ocean beckoned and called, with a depth and richness to it that Lee had never before encountered while touching the current.

[ ]Write-in

 

[Blacksheep]

Jaden was eager to dream with the slowpokes. He wasn't expecting what he saw when he entered them however. This wasn't like the psychic net that allowed the psychic pokemon to reach out and communicate with each other. This was connected to it, but it truly did feel like a dream. The slowpokes were watching worlds and painting them in multiple colors. Whenever something happened outside it traveled slowly to reach them in the dream.

One of the slowpokes showed Jaden how to shape a world, and how memories and secrets could be hidden in one. The slowpoke had a setup for where its favorite fish were, and how to keep other slowpokes from stealing them. Emotions could be turned into different creatures as well, to bring life to the dream worlds. The slowpokes were deeply happy here.

Jaden felt tired when he finally came out of the dream. His pokemon all piled on top of him to force him to rest. Uri even wove a net to keep Jaden from connecting to the psychic net so his mind wouldn't be distracted with everything. It was a peaceful sleep, and when he woke up again it was to the World's Biggest Xatu nudging him to get up and attend more lessons.

Figuring out how to create illusions was really cool. Jaden had so much he wanted to show. It was easy to share the images of all the cool pokemon he'd encountered mentally, but creating it out in the open was a lot harder! His illusions looked more like splashes of light and color. It didn't seem like it could contain everything he wanted to show at all. The xatu assured him that it would just take practice, like learning to draw. He had the basics, now he just needed to continue forward.

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