Orpheus Drake tossed his newest collectible into the air, eyeing it emotionlessly. The Old Amber caught the light, honey-brown surface gleaming with every toss. Though he had lost a great many Pokémon when one of the Drakes’ sites had been discovered, including a particularly valuable Galarian Articuno, it had been worth it. With the rangers and higher-ups sticking their noses in the Drakes’ business, their patron, Team Galactic, could attend to their affairs in peace.
What luck, though, that one of our most valuable bases was infiltrated by a teenage girl. No, not even. Twelve years old! I knew a-dime-a-dozen grunts weren’t the answer…and how in the world did they free the Articuno from its cage? Orpheus tossed the Old Amber into the air again. Should’ve put more protection over the entrances. Would’ve cost too much, though, and we have to cut the budget with our usual income getting stopped by the government…
“Shameful,” whispered his father’s echoing voice in his head, “that the Drakes should be brought to such lows. Working for another and getting brought to our knees by children? What a weak child of mine.”
Orpheus shook his father’s sneering memory away. Callus Drake was dead, dead and buried years ago, yet his memory still haunted Orpheus to this day. Callus’s voice had become even stronger as of two months ago, when a Gengar sent by Team Galactic had gleefully infiltrated the Drakes’ largest base, leaving behind remnants of its malicious energy. The Gengar had been the Drakes’ punishment for an important job gone wrong.
He sighed, catching the Old Amber from the air, before rolling it between his fingers. He couldn’t send the stone to be revived into an Aerodactyl right now. With the rangers upping security heavily, it was too likely the action would be traced back to the Drake base, and with Orpheus’s group surviving on Team Galactic’s credits alone, the budget was too tight for Orpheus to afford another team member. When things calmed down, he could sell it in a black market auction. The profit was too great for him to hoard an Aerodactyl for himself.
At the end of the day, Orpheus had to put the Drakes first. His fist tightened at his arrogant, selfish father’s laughter in the back of his mind. “I’m doing better than you ever could, father,” he spat quietly. “The name Drake will soon be heard in every backwater alley and palace, just you wait.”
Callus Drake just laughed. “What a foolish boy you are, Orpheus. Even your sister was more of a killer than you, lost and forgotten when she was still in the cradle.”
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11:50 AM came sooner than expected, but Maeve couldn’t say there hadn’t been progress with her team. Ally was cackling evilly as his Psycho Cut slashed through the air towards Blue, splitting into five weaker ones mid-air to force Blue to dodge not one projectile, but two. Blue responded with a spinning trio of three speeding water cannonballs, causing Ally to raise a shield in order to stop it.
Nice to see you’re having fun, Maeve mused to Ally. This is the most emotional I’ve, like, ever seen you.
Ally sniffed haughtily. My whims are ever changing.
Blue croaked in laughter, sending two more spinning rounds of heavily modified Water Guns towards Ally. Keep telling yourself that, Articuno. You just like utterly crushing opponents, and your new Psycho Cut will help you do that.
Maeve shrugged and called, “Alright, time to stop and take a break!”
Lizzie stopped throwing her modified Embers, copied after Blue’s new Water Gun, at a boulder. Ally blocked the last round of Blue’s Spinners and Blue snapped his mouth shut. Maeve opened her spiral-bound notebook. She’d dedicated a section each to every one of her Pokémon.
Blue
Modified moves:
#1: Water Bullets (from Water Gun): Very basic, little bullets that pelt opponents. Perhaps it can be improved in the future?
#2: Spinner (from Water Gun): Improved. A trio of extra-powerful bullets taking from modified move #1. They curve unpredictably in the air, and though its accuracy may not be too good, Blue’s brilliant mind has that under control. Cooking up these moves are so FUN!
Lizzetta
Modified Moves:
#1: Fire Spinner (from Ember): Inspired by Blue’s original Spinner, Lizzie decided to give it a fiery twist. It’s perfectly fine if it’s not original! I’m sure we can come up with an iconic one later. Or maybe improve upon this one?
Alaphora
Modified moves:
#1: Psycho Rain (from Psycho Cut): So far, Ally’s been able to split a more powerful, single blade into several weaker ones that curve, like a curveball. I believe this can definitely be improved in the future. Perhaps mini explosions upon impact? Can’t wait for opponents to see THAT!
Maeve nodded at her notebook discoveries, beaming proudly, before giving Blue and Lizzie a hug and politely patting Ally on the feather. Then, she returned Lizzie and Ally to their Pokéballs as Blue hopped onto her shoulder. They set off to meet Lara at the park.
Maeve could feel Blue’s mind running like a hundred Rattata wheels. His mind was racing past the possibilities of modifying all of his moves to give opponents headaches and to suit them to work better against specific opponents.
“Relax, yeesh,” Maeve said, rubbing Blue’s back soothingly. “I feel like I shouldn’t be the one saying this, but you need to relax, too. Take a break! Go to the spa! Do fun stuff!”
A deadpan stare was her only reply. Then Blue looked away with a sigh. I suppose…
Nuh-uh, Maeve said sternly. No ‘I suppose’. Only person allowed to say that is me. Gimme a concrete answer right now, or I will force you to go to the Silk Saffron Spa and do everything relaxing besides battling for the next week.
Blue stared at her in shock and a touch of horror. His mind struggled to grasp the concept of ‘no battling’.
I…will…relax, Blue said, eyes wide, of course.
Maeve nodded firmly. Yep. Maybe we should do some relaxing stuff on Route 206 after defeating Roark…. Her musing dropped off into quiet rambling as they neared the park. Maeve spotted Lara heading towards the park as well from the opposite side.
The two girls met again in the same dirt field as before, Lara with a determined glint in her eyes and Maeve with a bright but competitive smile. “We meet again, Master Lara,” Maeve intoned ominously, bowing deeply. Lara didn’t dignify Maeve with a response.
“Let’s battle,” Lara said, raising her Pokéball.
“You’re on,” Maeve grinned. She caressed Lizzie’s Pokéball at her hip, unbuckling it from her belt before tossing it onto the field right after Lara.
A Machop appeared amidst the light. Lizzie dropped onto the dirt soon after, letting out a defiant hiss. Maeve could practically hear Lara’s brow furrowing as she realized Machop was fighting with a type disadvantage. “C’mon, Machop,” Lara growled. “Leer!”
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Sweet Scent, Maeve sent. Get Machop’s guard down. Then, get him with one round of Spinner. Accuracy, Lizzie. Accuracy.
Lizzie hissed an affirmative, purring at Machop as she released a sickly-sweet scent. The Fighting-type’s face went slack, and Machop’s red eyes went dreamy as the snarling visage of Leer faded away.
“Snap out of it!” Lara shouted. “Low Kick!”
Machop shook his head, trying to clear Sweet Scent from his nose, and raised his arms to block as Lizzie’s Spinner hit him full-on. Then, with a furious look in his eyes, he charged forward, lashing out with one foot. An orange projection of his kick formed, connecting with Lizzie as the Salandit yelped, flung several feet away.
Spinner! Again! Maeve shouted telepathically. Keep Lara on the defensive and stay on the offensive.
Lizzie was too busy to respond, her mind working overdrive as she scrambled away from a series of attacks while shooting out another Spinner that grazed Machop’s shoulder. The Fighting-type Pokémon lunged out of the way.
“Take her down!” Lara shouted. Maeve frowned, confused by the other girl’s meaning, but Machop’s eyes gleamed in understanding. The blue-gray fighter’s face twisted into a terrifying Leer before he glowed with an orange aura. Leer, Focus Energy…
He’s about to attack.
LIZZIE, OUT OF THE WAY! Maeve roared through their bond. Still glowing with an orange aura, Machop blurred forward with Low Kick. Lizzie yelped in terror, scrambling out of the way. Smog! Embers, regular kind! Cover your escape! Don’t let Machop chase you! Maeve wiped the sweat off of her forehead, feeling her anxiety rise.
Pushing her muscles to the limit, Lizzie tried to dash out of the way as Machop’s initial attack hit empty air. The Salandit released a barrage of filthy air and fireballs behind her, catching Machop right in the face as he turned to pursue her.
Machop growled in frustration. The next volley of Embers was dodged, and the two set out in a wild cat-and-mouse chase.
When I say so, Lizzie, turn and hit Machop with as many scratches as you can, Maeve ordered, watching the two Pokémon carefully. And…now!
Lizzie dug her claws into the dirt as she turned before whipping her body around and giving herself a boost with her hind legs, lunging straight into Machop’s surprised face. The lizard followed up with a series of glowing white Scratches, each one knocking the startled Pokémon’s head back until Machop let out a dazed groan and kicked her off sloppily, stumbling onto his feet. Machop went cross-eyed, struggling to find Lizzie, but was rewarded with a whiff of Poison Gas to his face. Machop shook his head, trying to clear it, and waved wildly with his hands.
“Don’t give up, Machop! Guts!” Lara urged, though there was a frown on her face.
As Machop dazedly settled into a ready stance, he was hit by another Spinner. He toppled backwards, head thumping against the dirt, as Lara sighed. “By Arceus, Maeve. I’d just taught my Pokémon some combos, and you pop out an original, never-before-seen move. You truly are…something.” She waved her hands vaguely, at a loss for words.
“I try,” Maeve sighed, going over to inspect Lizzie as Machop was returned to his Pokéball. The Salandit had a small collection of bruises and a scrape along her flank, but nothing too major. She would survive, though Maeve made a note to head to the Pokémon Center later to get her Pokémon checked for injuries.
“Phew, that was an intense battle,” Maeve blew out, rubbing the back of her neck. “Combos, huh? I gotta think about that…”
Lara nodded. “It’s a common thing where trainers try to throw their opponents off. It normally only works the first time, though, as it’s pretty easy for opponents to memorize it and get your tricks down pat. A lot of gifted trainers switch it up every time to trick their enemies, though. That’s why memorizing your opponents’ combo keywords isn't foolproof.”
Maeve nodded. “I can see where it’s coming from. Nevertheless, maybe I should try it out sometime. It sounds pretty useful. I mean, a lot of each battle is spent shouting orders. And maybe I could take some small jobs here and there, too. I want to beef up my bank account.”
“Mm,” Lara yawned, checking her watch. “Wouldn’t be a bad idea. Despite your constant wins, I think Machop got some solid gains from that battle. I think Machoke’s not too far off. Meanwhile, I’m going to find myself some other Pokémon trainers to battle. Can’t let myself get defeated all the time.”
Her last words were directed at Maeve, who shrugged the wry remark off easily. “Sure. Meanwhile, I’m going to treat my team to a break before finding another battle. Blue, Lizzie, and Ally worked hard.”
Lara nodded. “I can imagine. I’m going to stop earlier than usual to let my team get some rest, too. The match with Roark is tomorrow.”
Heading over to a nearby picnic table, Lizzie and Ally jumped out of their Pokéballs of their own volition. Ally, as a Galarian Articuno, attracted more than a few astonished glances from nearby trainers, but Maeve ignored them. She foraged around in her bag until she triumphantly pulled out two Oran berries. The berries weren’t killing her credits as some of the cheapest berries on the market, and they worked miracles on rejuvenating a Pokémon. Of course, the cheapest fruits in a grocery store weren’t any of the special berries that improved a Pokémon’s healing or anything like that, but the edible and quite tasty fruits mass-produced in huge farms, away from the hands of ravenous Pokémon. For example, the bright red apple that Maeve pulled out of her bag for herself. Fruits like apples, bananas, or oranges were tasty, but they didn’t contain sufficient nutrients to sustain Pokémon, so they were human foods only.
Ally graciously sliced all of the fruit, berries and apples alike, into pieces with a faint glow of his eyes, though his own slice was suspiciously larger than the rest. Lizzie noticed as well, hissing indignantly, but the Psychic bird ignored her, smugly biting into his larger Oran berry piece.
Maeve offered Lizzie a spicy cricket from her bag to make up for it. There was nothing she could do about unfair Galarian Articunos.
I better than you, Lizzie smirked, causing Ally to hit Maeve with an annoyed glare.
You ruin my fun, the Articuno complained grouchily, as usual.
“We are all one big happy family,” Maeve intoned as if she was reading a divine verdict. “Annoying each other is practically the supreme law.” She bit into her apple. Mm, sweet. Gotta buy this type more. What was this called? Litten’s Delight? It was certainly the exact same shade as Litten’s red markings. Maeve wasn’t sure, since people tended to name fruit after the closest Pokémon that it was even remotely the same color as. Well, I’ll pay more attention next time I go shopping.
Mind set, Maeve nodded to herself and took another bite of her apple, enjoying the crisp crunch as her teeth bit into it and the absolutely delectable juices that flooded her taste buds. They were enjoyably sweet and sugary.
Before long, Maeve’s first apple slice was finished, and she moved onto the second slice. Then the third, and the fourth. Finally, she ate around the core in the center and tossed the core into the trash can, where it would probably be picked up by a scavenger.
Now…let’s see. I’ll see if anyone needs more rest. Then I should start considering…hmm…perhaps even a fourth team member? Right now, I have three Pokémon, and I haven’t even gotten my first badge yet, so maybe it’s too soon. But we’ll be heading through Route 206 soon, and Lara has plans for the Wayward Cave, so…yeah, I should probably start planning ahead. What Pokémon do I find there, again? I should probably check. With a nod, Maeve took out her Pokégear and searched up Wayward Cave Pokémon.
Oh…let’s see…Zubat sightings, yes, that does sound about right…there’s really not a lot of information on here. I suppose it’s about right. Oh, this one trainer even spotted a Golbat flying around, though it does make sense. Hmm…Geodudes, yes, Onix, yes, and…well, that’s about it. Oh, well. I’ll find out when I get there. Maeve turned off the screen, noting the battery was nearly fully-charged at ninety-six percent, and turned to her team. “Alright, guys! Our big battle is tomorrow, so I’m thinking we should probably rest up to prepare. Lemme know if you need anything beforehand, but I’m thinking we’re good.”
Her Pokémon made various noises of acknowledgement, though Lizzie was locked in a fierce staredown with a nearby Bidoof. The little brown Pokémon gnashed its teeth, tail wagging furiously and dark, beady eyes staring straight at Lizzie’s. The Bidoof’s trainer didn’t notice, chatting animatedly with his friends, as his Pokémon and Maeve’s engaged in a staring contest.
The Bidoof was the first to crumble, forced to blink before the moisture evaporated from its eyes, and Lizzie stuck out her forked black tongue at him. Maeve frowned, wondering where she had learned the gesture, and decided to ask.
Where did you learn to stick out your tongue? Maeve questioned, staring at Lizzie.
The Salandit preened proudly like a Quaquaval. Then, the Salandit transmitted a stream of rather blurry images, but Maeve caught the scenes of kids sticking out their tongues mockingly at others as Lizzie watched from the forest. Human hatchlings, Lizzie said before adding proudly, I was smart. I figured out what it meant.
Well done, Lizzie, Maeve sighed.
Note to self: Don’t let Lizzie near kids. They’re bad influences and the last thing I need is for Lizzie to start spouting trash talk at me.