♥ Ellanor "Ella" Beaufort ♥

Location: Feyhollow Town

@Dusksong

Sending out two of her Pokemon who could comfortably be in the same room, Ella fed berries to Brighteye and the recently-caught Pumpkaboo. Both lit up with satisfied glows.

"I'll let you play as soon as I get the chance!" Ella told them, looking from the Duskull to the Pumpkaboo. "Lucette! You're ok with that, right? Lucy for short. I'll spend more time with you once I can." As much as she wanted to bond with the Pumpkaboo, it probably wouldn't be a good idea to have a ghost around easily-panicked Cutieflies.

Returning both Ghost types, she was just feeding Treasure the last few berries - as well as the empty paper bag - when the nurse called her over. Jumping up, she rushed to the counter to retrieve the Pokeball. The Trubbish, staring up in concern at her trainer, waddled after her, a piece of shredded paper still in her hand.

Ella pressed the button, and a relieved grin spread over her face as the fully-healed Chikorita appeared before her. "Vernie! I'm sorry I let you get hurt! You're alright now, aren't you?" she babbled. The Chikorita waved her leaf around, wafting a soothing scent towards Ella. Although the trainer felt some of the tension melt away, she couldn't help thinking this Pokemon shouldn't have to comfort her. It should be the other way round.

Treasure stood back from the unfamiliar Pokemon, but once she saw her help Ella relax, she slowly approached. Vernie bounded towards her with a cheery squeal, causing her to back away. The Grass-type slowed her pace, letting out a much softer "Chiko?"

"Uhh... Please be careful, Vernie!" Ella said, nerves tightening again. "Treasure's a little shy." The trash bag Pokemon, though, after staying still and silent for a moment, took a step forward and responded with a quiet "Trub-Trubbish". Watching Treasure calm down allowed Ella to do the same.

"It might be best for both of you to be in your Pokeballs around an agitated Cutiefly," she said. "I don't think he's going to attack any more, but just in case..." She returned both of them - enough Pokemon had been hurt that day - thanked the nurse, and set off.

Squinting through the light of the park lamps, she quickly spotted the greenhouse. Hurrying over and peering inside, she recognised the couple from earlier, standing next to Florence, bent over the little Cutiefly.

"Florence!" Ella kept her voice low as she approached the Grass-type trainer, so as not to stress the Cutiefly further. "Is he ok? Your Chikorita's healed up now." Handing over the Pokeball, she kept her anxious gaze on the bug.

---

✿ Florence Hadley ✿

Location: Feyhollow Town

@Dusksong

Just as Florence was wondering how much longer she could keep the Cutiefly restrained, Leisy reappeared at the doorway, the old couple behind her.

"He's here... sorry, I-I scared him even more, I didn't know what else to do..." she explained as the trainers approached the Pokemon. As soon as he saw them, the Cutiefly stopped struggling and gave a relieved squeak. He tried to skitter back as Ella re-entered the conservatory, but the old woman whispered something to him, calming him.

"Thanks," Florence said, taking back the Pokeball. "And this Cutiefly will be alright..." She turned back to the Bug-type. "Please, have this." She reached into her bag, pulling out a Cheri berry. The Cutiefly pierced the skin of the tiny red fruit with his mouthparts and drank the juice. His mobility restored by the spicy liquid, he took to the air. Florence drew back, but the bug simply landed on the old woman's shoulder.

With a sigh of relief, Florence let out Vernie, checking her over. It hadn't taken long for her to be healed - she must have used Synthesis. Still, worrying about her Pokemon was something Florence couldn't help doing. Bonica turned her attention from the Cutiefly to the Chikorita, letting out a delighted cry when she saw her new friend was ok.

As the couple thanked the group, Florence stayed back, head slightly bowed, hands clasped in front of her. She managed the faintest hint of a smile, but could barely look the shopkeepers in the eye. Yes, this Cutiefly would be alright physically, but that didn't change the fact that he'd had two traumatic experiences in a row.

---

✰ Jason Ackerman ✰

Location: Stillwater

@ToadRopes


With Iliana healed and a new Pokeball at his belt, Jason set off to resume his search for information on the local legends.

First things first, though. Sitting on a bench, he let out the newly-caught Pokemon. The little black fox peered up at him, then sniffed at Iliana. He jumped up, nipping at the red-brown Pokemon. "Ehh, try to go easy there!" Jason called, clutching the Pokeball, ready to return him if he played too rough, but Iliana gave a cheerful yip and pounced back at him. The trainer gave a soft laugh as he watched both of them play.

"Well, Velius," he said, "I see you've made a new friend."

After scratching the bellies of the two foxes, Jason stood up, heading off into the streets with Iliana and Velius scampering beside him. Making his way up a creaking wooden ramp, he came to an open-air market stall.

A middle-aged man at the till looked up, a wide smile crinkling his bearded face. "Welcome! What would yer be lookin' for? We've got all kindsa items to pep up yer Pokemon's moves, as well as a trainer's basics, Pokeballs, Great Balls and Repels."

Before Jason could say anything, a red-haired woman beamed at the two foxes. "Well aren't they just little dearies there? Ya know what'd make yer Zorua look even more charmin'?" She gestured towards a pair of dark glasses on a shelf. "A pair a' these Black Glasses! They'll also crank up the strength a' Dark-type moves."

After thinking it over, Jason took out his Pokedex. "I'm spoiling you, aren't I?" he said with a chuckle to Velius, giving him the type-boosting item. The fox gave a proud yip, his wagging tail indicating that the purchase had been worthwhile.

Once he'd also bought another Pokeball, Jason took on a much more serious look. "I was just wondering, would you be able to tell me anything about Lunala? I'm looking into the legends here."

The shopkeeper's expression became equally solemn. "Ah. Some outta-the-ordinary stuff's been going on with the legends round 'ere," he explained. "Just warnin' ya, Darkrai's been causin' some trouble. It's all sorted now, but I'd still watch out if I was you. As for Lunala, Darkrai seems ta have been in her way, but hopefully he's not causin' her any more issues. The stories say she's most active aroun' nights a' the full moon."

"Thanks. And yeah, I heard about the whole Darkrai fiasco," Jason replied. "Do you know where Lunala can be found?"

"Well, when she's not appearin' in dreams," the shopkeeper said, "there are rumours a' sightin's round the caves. But like I said, be careful."

Nodding, Jason turned to Iliana and Velius. "You two ready for some exploring?" he asked. "Come on, it's gonna be a busy day."

It did, indeed, turn out to be a busy day, but a far less fruitful one than Jason had hoped, mostly consisting of more asking around and traipsing across the beach. Now, the dull orange-pink of the sky stained the water, and the sea breeze took on a chill.

To think the mission had almost sounded simple, Jason thought as he wandered by the caverns, which grew darker as the sun sank further below the horizon. Only one objective. Yet these elusive Pokemon weren't called legendaries for nothing.

---

“The Cutiefly was agitated and lashing out, so we had to paralyze him,” Leisy explained to the elderly couple as they approached. “Florence is a nurse in training, and she was watching over him, so I’m sure he’s fine.”

The return exchange with the couple went well, and the girls were again offered some homemade sweets in thanks as the couple left them with gratitude and hope that they’d find the final missing Cutiefly. Florence’s silence was — although covered by the couple’s thanks and Ella and Leisy’s awkwardness — noticeable, and Leisy looked over multiple times to see if the brown-haired girl was alright.

“Florence, are you alright?” Leisy asked when the couple had left. Was the girl feeling down because of how the Cutiefly had been treated? Since both of her parents were Pokemon scientists, Leisy wasn’t a stranger to seeing Pokemon be put in sub-optimal situations. Though it wasn’t the best of ways to deal with the Cutiefly — a Sleep Powder would have been better — the girls had little choice then, and Leisy didn’t feel like they were at fault. Besides, again, any treatment the Cutiefly had undergone was all of the girls’ faults, not just Florence’s.

“Let’s go find that final Cutiefly,” she said, figuring a subject change would be better than talking more about it. She hoped that this way, Florence would be able to deal with her troubles herself, which was the way Leisy preferred to do it. “Should we try another park? Forests usually are pretty dangerous at night, but I suppose that — with the three of us — we could manage.”

---

@luckyblackcat

---

His camera memory cleared out — either by just deletion, or by deletion after uploading the photo into his laptop — Cillian spent the rest of the train ride perusing through information on Tefan Village. It seemed the village’s heat was due to its proximity to Mt. Jerimus, an active volcano — a rather poor geographical choice, if you asked Cillian, but no one had — and was thus home to many a fire-, dark-, and even dragon-type.

Dragon-types! Cillian’s eyes hovered over the word for one, two, three seconds before they found themselves drawn to the mountain out the window. If there was one type of Pokemon Cillian had always wanted, it was a dragon-type. Strong, tough, and capable of taking to the seas and the sky, the magnificent beings had always enchanted Cillian — more than he’d like to admit. Priding himself on his objectiveness when it came to selecting Pokemon, the natural choice would have been to choose a fairy-type, but that group of Pokemon just didn’t have the allure dragons seemed to exude without effort.

The area around Jerimus was noted to have been “very hot” and an excellent endurance training site, although Cillian wasn’t sure how his own Pokemon would fare. Hazmat, being a fire-type, would probably embrace scorching heat with open arms, but his teammates wouldn’t be so fond of it. Both Kelby and Decus would wither in the heat, drying out, as would Mitti — whom Cillian wasn’t planning on bringing out at all, since the grass-type wouldn’t like any part of the supposedly arid climate.

“This should be our stop,” Cillian said when the train pulled to a halt. A grin on his face, he exited the train with a jump, landing with both feet on the granite station platform as he took a deep breath in — and promptly coughed. “It’s—cough—dry here,” he said, shuffling around his bag for his water bottle and downing half of it. He’d have to get it refilled — and soon.

---

@silver fox@toadropes

---

“It took off in the direction of the rubble towards the west of town, so that’s where we should head next,” Shanae was saying, scanning over the map on her Pokedex as she waited for her Pokemon to be healed. She and Martin had headed to the Pokemon Center immediately after their encounter with the fire-type — a Darmanitan, as it turns out. If nothing else, the battle had allowed Shanae to get a clear glimpse of the culprit Pokemon. The large red primate matched the job description, and its Rapid Spin packed a punch that also fit the bill. “We’ll head there now, right after our Pokemon—”

A growl emanated from Marvin’s stomach, and the boy flushed red. Shanae paused, considering her own hunger level. With her odd work schedule — business meetings here and there, peppered with late nights and odd morning hours — she had developed an immunity to hunger, meaning that she was able to ignore it until a more convenient time. Although she usually tried to get food into her system around the correct times — breakfast at seven, lunch at twelve, and dinner at six — it hadn’t always worked out, although Shanae didn’t mind it either.

“Let’s stop for dinner first,” Shanae said, pocketing her Pokeballs. “I’m starving too.”

After a brief discussion — during which Marvin looked rather relieved — they settled on getting some food for the go.

---

---

152CP

---

Disembarking from the train, Juana noticed that Steenee was starting to wilt a bit under the heat. “Fiery volcanoes got you down?” Juana asked her dry friend. The fruit Pokémon coughed. “Why don’t you go back into your ball?”

Steenee gladly escaped the heat into its Poké Ball, visibly fanning itself within the capsule. Juana clipped the ball to her belt. “I’m going to go see if I can put some of my Pokémon away in the box,” she said to Cillian and Tora. “Meet you outside the Pokémon Center.”

Carrying Togepi in her arms (the little Fairy-type found it quite warm), Juana walked over to the Pokémon Center and found a public computer for use with the Pokémon Storage System.

“Corphish might have a hard time so far away from water,” Juana remarked. “Dewpider has its water bubble to protect it from the heat, though…”

She deposited Corphish in the box; she’ll come back for the Pokémon later. She also decided to put Stufful and Honedge in the box for now, leaving her with Steenee, Skorupi, Dewpider, Togepi, Rotom, and Turtonator.

Then, she decided to purchase a few items. She would have to travel quite a bit in the blistering heat; she managed to get her hands on some bottled water, and when she reached the Mart, she purchased two more Poké Balls. Gotta catch ‘em all, right?

Juana watched in awe as a Flygon soared overhead, trailed by a flock of Vibravas. Sandiles and Krokoroks plodded down the street, with people skirting past them as if nothing were out of the ordinary. Canvas tents fluttered in the hot wind. Juana figured that she should have bought a sun hat back at the mall, but thankfully, Dewpider could cool her off.

Juana held out the Great Ball containing Turtonator, and let the sluggish dragon out. The Blast Turtle looked up at Juana and snorted. Looks like it was still mad about the cinnamon.

“Look, I’m sorry about the cinnamon,” Juana said, patting Turtonator on the head. Turtonator made a low rumbling noise; though it was still miffed about the overly sweet candies, it liked being stroked on the head. “I’ll get you something you like…”

Juana made a mental note to find out Turtonator’s preferences and tastes. For now, since Turtonator seemed to enjoy the pats on the head, Juana continued to do so. Turtonator purred like the engine of an automobile, feeling right at home in the heat. Juana wiped some sweat off her brow.

---

---

---

Charlotte walked down the docks, whistling to herself as she admired the natural landscape. A host of lights distracted her attention.

She had gotten a lot of field work done that day, and now night was falling; a perfect opportunity to catch a glimpse of some nocturnal behavior. And nocturnal behavior there was; the lights came from flashes of Elgyems’ fingertips as they pointed towards the sky.

“Elgyems,” Charlotte remarked. “Apparently they came from outer space, like Clefairy, or the Ultra Beasts…”

She watched the Elgyems communicate. “I wonder who they’re signaling,” she said.

The Elgyems disappeared into the night. Charlotte decided to follow.

---

---

CP+1 = 26

✿ Florence Hadley ✿

Location: Feyhollow Town

@Dusksong

Florence gave a small nod. "Yeah, let's try that first." With shuffling footsteps, she followed the other two, checking around to make sure everyone was alright, cradling Bonica. She hoped she hadn't made the little bud Pokemon too tired, or too distressed. "And don't worry, I'm fine."

Her shoulders drooped, and her eyelids felt heavy. If she was going to help the other two find the final Cutiefly, she'd have to keep her energy levels up, but the thought of eating any of the sweets made her feel sick. It had to be done, she told herself. That terrified buzzing, though, remained in the back of her mind.

She had to try not to dwell on it. To avoid any repeats of such an incident, she'd have to become a better trainer. Stopping by the mart as Ella did, Florence purchased two Rare Candies, two Pokeballs, and a Potion, talking to the woman at the till in a mumble. She placed Bonica on the floor next to Vernie as she put away the new items.

"He used Aromatherapy," she whispered. "It cures effects like paralysis." Her voice dropped even lower. "He used it several times."

---

♥ Ellanor "Ella" Beaufort ♥

Location: Feyhollow Town

@Dusksong

Ella winced as understanding dawned. "We once had to knock out a Skuntank who wouldn't calm down," she said, putting her hand on Florence's shoulder. "It's really not easy. But think about it this way! At least you helped the Cutiefly get home."

She hoped her smile was a reassuring one, that hid her guilt. If she hadn't scared the Cutiefly in the first place, Florence wouldn't have had to do that.

After putting away a newly-bought Pokeball and bundle of Rare Candies, she swung her bag back onto her shoulder, and staggered. The room blurred and lurched. She held onto a shelf, knocking over a potion, which sent several others toppling like dominoes and clattering to the floor.

"Ah! Sorry! I'll get those!" As she leaned down, her surroundings spun again. She hadn't had enough rest since the encounter with Darkrai. Florence immediately started gathering up the potions, asking her if she was alright. Nodding, Ella wobbled to her feet.

"Yeah, I'll be fine once I've had some more Pollen Puffs," she said, lifting her head and straightening her back, pretending to perk up. "So! On to the next park?"

---

✰ Jason Ackerman ✰

Location: Stillwater

@ToadRopes


"Tibert." The shadowed beach lit up for a second as Jason let out the Espurr. "You picking up on anything unusual?"

The cat glanced from side to side, then shook his head. Walking along the sand with the three Pokemon at his side, Jason turned his head at a glimpse of movement. Two Krabbys skittered away from him as fast as they could.

"Aw, c'mon, I'm not that scary," he laughed, although something darkened his expression as he watched them disappear into the foaming waves. "Yeesh, I wonder how long the Pokemon around here are gonna be freaking out for..."

With a sigh, he sat down on a rock. "If only there was some way to help them calm down." Even if he did confirm the presence of Lunala, there was no way a child could be brought here right now, especially one who'd had a bad experience with some hostile Pokemon. And what exactly had been going on with Darkrai, anyway?

Iliana climbed up, nuzzling his hand. At the touch of warm fur, Jason gave a small smile, tickling the Vulpix behind her ears.

He looked over at a sudden, intrigued "Purr?". Tibert stood fixated on something in the distance. "Tibs, what is it?" Standing up, Jason followed the Espurr until odd lights came into view. Red, yellow, green, pulsing as they rose towards the sky.

As Jason drew closer, the source of the lights became apparent. A group of Elgyems, pointing upwards, travelling together into the darkness. A species still surrounded with mystery, seemingly from another world, like Lunala - and, being Psychic types, maybe they'd know something about the activity here?

Following, Jason noticed he wasn't the only one whose attention the extraterrestrial Pokemon had caught. "Hey again," he said to Charlotte. "Do you know anything about what these Elgyems are doing?"

---

Name: Greenhaven
Location Type: Village
Pokemon Types: Rock, Ground, Steel, Psychic, Fighting, Fire, Grass, Dark, Flying, Dragon
Lore:
At the foot of Tefan Mountains, also accessible from Central and Feyhollow, is a vast desert, filled with a variety of Pokemon adapted to its environment.

Rock, Ground and Steel types thrive especially well here, unaffected by the violent sandstorms. Fighting and Psychic types test their respective physical and mental endurance in the harsh conditions, Dark types rely on their wits to survive, and Fire Pokemon are able to withstand the heat of daytime as well as warm themselves during the cold nights. When the sand dies down, Flying types emerge from caves, particularly Sigilyphs who repeatedly follow the same path. There's even the occasional sighting of dragons; glimpses of Gibles' fins in the sand and the haunting sound of Flygon's song have been reported.

The climate and wildlife make the desert a dangerous place for the unwary traveller, but those who persevere will reach the oasis village at its heart, Greenhaven. This place of natural beauty surrounding a spring is home to Grass types such as Exeggcute, Exeggutor and Maractus, and supports a small human community who make use of the water supply to grow crops.

The village hosts a shrine to the deity believed to have created this fertile and habitable spot in the otherwise arid environment. Landorus, the guardian of the fields. Another legend, however, tells of a being less welcoming of humans. It is considered extremely unlucky to mistreat a Pokemon in or around Greenhaven, with the protective Terrakion roaming the desert. A fierce battler who once assisted in a war against humans for the sake of Pokemon, this being is said to keep a watchful eye over the area.

A third story brings people to the area in the hope of encountering a much sought-after Pokemon. Thought to appear once every thousand years, Jirachi is known for its ability to grant any wish people desire, although its presence remains a rumour, as of yet unproven.

---

A small stone building, plain yet cosy, frequented by the skilled and above trainers most likely to travel through the desert.

---

In the middle of the village is a large board, its location catching the attention of trainers stopping by the mart and Pokemon centre. The requests pinned to it usually call for trainers of at least skilled rank, willing to venture into Greenhaven's hostile surroundings.

---

After what seemed like a long journey, the train to Tefan Village had finally arrived at its destination. A young trainer jumped out with a cheerful smile on her face and right behind her, a Deino followed her out the train.

"Deino!!" The little dragon type nuzzled up to the girl as they stopped to check out the sight of the village. "So pretty..." Luna, a young Unovan girl, had arrived at the place that would be the start of her journey. Eclipse, her Deino, was hopping around her legs, he wanted to get on the road. "Ok Eclipse... Let's go." With only one pokeball and a standard pokedex to her name, Luna headed out with her partner.

Checking along the brush near the village, Luna was trying to look for a pokemon to start her journey along with Deino. She couldn't find much of any pokemon that she wanted so she looked a bit further in the grass. Soon she came upon a pretty little bed of flowers, petals of many different colors could be seen, it was really beautiful. One flower stood out though, a little red flower was rustling in the leaves, a second later it floated up into the air and it had a little fairy clinging to it, a Flabebe.

"So cute..." Luna knew she had found her pokemon. "Eclipse, go!" Eclipse jumped out and engaged the little fairy in a battle. The Flabebe was surprised but was obviously quicker than Eclipse and launched a gust of Fairy Wind at him. Eclipse couldn't dodge it in time and took the hit sending him flying. "Eclipse!" The little Deino stood up on shaky legs, fighting a fairy was not good for a dark dragon, but Eclipse had something over the little Flabee, strength and endurance. "Eclipse, use Headbutt!" Eclipse took Luna's instruction and ran literally head first into the Flabebe, sending it into a tree.

"Ok... Go pokeball!" Luna tossed her pokeball with all her might. Flabebe went into the pokeball in a bright, red light and after what seemed like an eternity, the pokeball shook three times and clicked. "We did it, Eclipse... We caught our first pokemon!" Luna cheered a cuddled up to her partner. This was the first step in her journey and she and her partner have hit the ground running.

“Sounds good,” Leisy said, frowning as she looked over at Ella. Her head ached, but she’d always been a bit of a night owl, so it wasn’t as bad as it would have been. “Let’s find this Cuteifly fast.”

The trio of trainers made their way down to the next park, which wasn’t all that far away since Feyhollow had quite a few of them. The different parks seemed to focus on different types of flowers; the one they were entering now featured an array of flowers from bulbs, including daffodils and tulips that had closed their petals for the night. Empty except for a few stragglers here and there, the park gave off an aura of silent and peaceful solitude, the darkness punctuated by softly glowing lamps here and there along the path. Offset against the flower patches in the park, however, the trees on the far edge — where trimmed and cut flora met its feral, untamed relative — appeared starkly darker, even ominous.

“Well, where first?” Leisy asked, frowning as she took in her surroundings. “The flowers are closed now, so unless the Cutiefly is sleeping among them, I don’t see why it’d stray into the flowerbeds.”

---

@luckyblackcat

---

153 CP

♥ Ellanor "Ella" Beaufort ♥

Location: Feyhollow Town

@Dusksong

Ella squinted through the darkness at the rows of flowers, their petals folded, their colours muted by shadows. "Yeah... It could be hiding here, though," she said, tentatively reaching for a Pokeball and pressing the button.

"Sorry about earlier, Jumbles... But thanks," she said as the Inkay appeared. "The Cutiefly's home now. Do you know if there's another one around here?"

Jumbles drifted ahead, stopping every few seconds, turning from side to side as he concentrated. A knot formed in Ella's stomach as the Inkay's stare fell on the wild foliage ahead. With a squeak, the Psychic type pointed one of his tendrils in the direction of the gnarled trees, and their hidden dangers.

"Well... To the forest it is, then," Ella said with a slight nervous laugh as she and Jumbles led the group. "It'll be fine, though! Leisy, you have some pretty strong Pokemon!"

Letting out Treasure just in case - Fairy types in the forest were the ones to be most careful of, so a Poison type would be good for defense - Ella followed the Inkay. Hopefully their task would be completed quickly. Hopefully the psychic Pokemon's abilities would allow the group to find the Cutiefly before they ran into any trouble.

---

✿ Florence Hadley ✿

Location: Feyhollow Town

@Dusksong

Florence's arms tensed around Bonica as she edged into the forest, glancing this way and that at the tangles of vines and the skittering of shapes, bathed in the Inkay's eerie light. With all the predators out here, they'd have to find the Cutiefly fast, especially if it didn't know how to survive in the wild.

Trotting by her trainer's feet, Vernie looked up, letting out an intrigued "Chi?". The Grass-type scampered ahead, towards rustling shrubbery. Slowly, quietly, Florence drew nearer. Had they found the third Cutiefly already?

Instead of the bug, though, a pink, vaguely star-shaped Pokemon ran out. Two more joined it, toddling and giggling, beckoning another Pokemon to follow. It emerged, quite different to the others, with an egg-shaped body and a tuft of curly hair.

"Well aren't all of you cute," Florence said with a hint of a smile. If she could have let Vernie and Bonica join in, she would have. Sadly, though, there was no time to spare. "But I'm afraid we've got a Pokemon to find..."

One of the Cleffas pushed the Happiny, sending her toppling over. Snickering, the three Fairy types skipped out of sight, leaving the other baby Pokemon whimpering and struggling to right herself.

Staring in shock at the sudden display of cruelty, Florence bent down and checked over the Happiny. Although unhurt, she writhed more than ever, puffing up her cheeks as she tried to get to her feet, seemingly insistent that she could do so on her own.

"Hey, come on, up you get," Florence whispered, helping the Pokemon stand. As Vernie stepped over, saying something, the Happiny cheered up. Both Pokemon started running around, Bonica quickly tottering over and joining in.

"Uh, well..." The beginner trainer bit the inside of her lip. She wasn't about to leave this Happiny on her own, not after her "friends" had abandoned her like that. "We've got to get going, but, umm... You can come along, if you want." She took out one of the Pokeballs she'd bought earlier, letting the Happiny tap the button and vanish inside.

Happiny, the baby form of Chansey... During her studies, she'd seen quite a few Chanseys and Blisseys, but would she be able to bond with this Pokemon well enough to raise her to her final evolution? Not for the first time, the thought of balancing all her duties as a trainer worried her. That had been twice now she'd been unable to let a young Pokemon play.

She let the Happiny out again. "Umm, I tell you what..." she said, looking down at her entire team. "Once we've found this Cutiefly, once we're out of the forest, you'll all get a good, long play session. We could set aside a day just for bonding and exploring, at some point." Even to Florence, there seemed to be too much emphasis on the last part of that sentence. "But right now, it's probably best for you to be in here."

She returned her two baby Pokemon to their Pokeballs, leaving Vernie out, although she kept a hand at her belt in case she had to recall her for any reason. Turning her attention back to the task at hand, she kept a look out for the lost Cutiefly.

---

“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that,” Leisy said, taking the lead. That seemed to happen quite often these days — her taking the lead. While Leisy didn’t exactly feel comfortable being the backbone of the group, she also understood that it was a position that had to be filled in, and she’d do her best to fill the requisites if no one else stepped up.

Returning her Ekans and Purrloin — the two were only freshly won over, if at all, and Leisy didn’t want to take any risks — Leisy released her Fletchinder and Prinplup. The two avian Pokemon — now opposing types, nodded at each other in recognition. Although their forms had changed, their colorings had remained the same, and it was an easy job to deduce which Pokemon they used to be.

“Alright then. Bidein, Naunet, let’s be careful here. We don’t know what we’re going to find, but I want you both prepared,” Leisy said, leading the way into the woods. “Just in case.”

The woods themselves were an inky landscape swirled in shadows punctuated with light from the moon overhead, which shone down brightly, alluringly. Leisy found the vine-covered forest floor a mild challenge to navigate and was relieved that her Prinplup — having grown out of its awkward waddles and constant tripping — was now plodding along fine enough, looking slightly annoyed at how rough the terrain was. On the other hand, her Fletchinder was having little trouble with the terrain; riding on his trainer’s shoulder grew troublesome at times, since she quickened and slowed the pace erratically, thanks to the scattered forest floors.

“Be careful, there’s — Oh,” Leisy said, eyes widening as the small pink Pokemon popped out of the bushes one by one. Happiny she recognized, but the other pink one not so much. “This is a lot of baby Pokemon,” she said, trying not to sidestep them as she attempted to forge her way through the small crowd. “Wonder where their parents are?”

A pair of pink ears peeking out from behind a tree caught Bidein’s attention, and the fire-type nudged its trainer with a wing to get her attention, pointing the hidden Pokemon out with his beak.

“It’s alright — we don’t mean any harm,” Leisy called to the Pokemon. The ears tipped, revealing a pair of curious blue eyes. “Don’t worry — we’re just passing through.”

The pink Pokemon seemed to understand Leisy’s words, emerging from behind the tree in full. A gentle, peachy cream topped with patches of pink, the Pokemon struck Leisy as — well — adorable.

“How cute,” Leisy said admiringly, kneeling down to the Pokemon’s height. “Are you in charge of these baby Pokemon here?”

The wild Pokemon shook its head, curled fur on the sides of its ears swinging around with the motion. Leisy nodded, pulling out her Pokedex and scanning the Pokemon.



As she read the entry, the fairy-type leaned over, touching its feelers to Leisy’s hand. “Oop,” the trainer said, surprised but relaxed all the same as the Audino closed its eyes. By her side, Naunet had arrived, looking at the fairy-type contemptuously and taking an immediate dislike to the Audino who was now, sadly, cuter than her. Bidein, having deduced that the fairy-type wouldn’t harm his trainer, was now sitting calmly at his perch, watching quietly.

Opening its eyes, the Audino looked at Leisy, its bright blue eyes hopeful. “Audii,” it trilled, voice light. Naunet snapped to her trainer, protest written all over her face.

“Oh,” Leisy said, deducing what the fairy-type just said, “I would love that. Your ability sounds amazing, both as a tool and as a skill, and I wouldn’t mind getting to know the Pokemon behind those ears.”

Retrieving a Great Ball from her bag, Leisy held it out to the Audino. “For you — sorry I don’t have a Pokeball that matches your beautiful colors.”

The Audino shook its head, reaching a hand out and bopping the button on the blue ball gently. A red light emerged from the ball, gathering the fairy-type up and disappearing back into the Great Ball, promptly closing. Not even a single doubt, Leisy thought, smiling gently. What a sweet Pokemon.

“Prin,” Naunet said from beside her, voicing her annoyance.

“Oh shush you,” Leisy said, rubbing the water-type’s head affectionately. “Give up on being cute and accept your status as a strong, respectable Pokemon.”

Rising, Leisy looked around for her friends, weaving through the dancing baby Pokemon to get to them. “We should move on now — find the Cutiefly quickly and get some rest. The Cutiefly must be frightened to be in the woods alone at night, so it’d probably be either with other Pokemon, or hiding. Ella, does your Inkay sense anything — perhaps a lone Pokemon, hiding?”

---

@luckyblackcat

---

154CP

Amy cracked her neck twice and looked at the village she knew as her home. Even tho' she was not born here, the villagers treated her as one of their own and as Amy's mother reputation spread in the village, everyone came to her for advice. That was Amy's life before her mother died. Now, alone, she was ready.

Amy packed everything she had and put them in a backpack. It was time for her to get a Pokemon. The breeder's house was on the other side of the village and Amy quickly left so that she can still make it to the next village while there was still day. Traveling at night was dangerous or so her mother taught her. As she walked to the breeder's house, villagers smiled and while others stopped Amy to give her an apple or two. It would crush Amy's heart to leave the village she loved but she had to leave, the tug of destiny called her.

Soon she arrived at the breeder's house and knocked. A few baby Abras could be seen playing inside and soon a strong voice could be heard from behind the house : " Amy ? Is that you ? Come in the yard ! " that was the breeder's voice. A big guy that was a trainer in his days or so people said.

Amy circled around the house and saw the two Blazikens she knew since she was born. Alp and Malp as her mother called them. Alp waved at Amy and Malp was sitting near a small Torchic that ran around her parents not caring for anything in the world. Amy smiled at the breeder and said " Oh' my God. That Torchic's so cute ! Is it a boy or a girl ? "
" It's a boy, Amy. Now, approach him and let him get to know you. "

Amy approached the Torchic, smiled and went on her knees. A hand in front of her that bid the Torchic to approach her without fear. The Torchic suddenly stopped and looked at Amy's hand and approached without fear. " Torchic ? Torchic ! " said the Torchic as he saw that Amy was no danger.

The breeder nodded at Amy, signaling that it was time for the Torchic to get inside a Pokeball. Amy looked at Alp and Malp and said " I'll take care of him. I promise. " with a confident voice. " Blaziken ! Blaziken ! said both Blazikens in the same time.

Amy looked at the, now running around her, Torchic and took a Pokeball from her pack and looked at the Torchic.
" Torchic ! Hop in ! " yelled Amy as she threw the ball at the Torchic that suddenly stopped when he saw Amy talking with him. The Pokeball hit him and a bright light appeared, the Pokeball moved a little and then the red button on the middle of it stopped beeping.

" Torchic ! Come out, boy ! " said Amy as soon as she put her hand on the Pokeball and the Torchic exited the ball.
" Torchic ! Torchic ! Torchic " said the happy Torchic.

Amy thanked the breeder, said her goodbyes to Alp and Malp and left. On the road, her Torchic was her at feet looking around but not leaving Amy's side. Amy looked at the open road in front of her and with a cheerful face said to the Torchic :
" Your new name will be...Ignis and now, it's time. " and with those words they started walking.

Their journey began.

♪♫♪ Cecilia "Cici" Taylor ♪♫♪

Location: Tefan Village

@Zarkun @Darkmoon Angel



"Ok, Kymbalon! Headbutt!" In a fluid motion, the Jangmo-o sped forward and struck the opposing Spearow with the scale on her head. Several other birds swooped down from rooftops, joining in the fight.

"Tactus, use Peck! And, Breig, hit with Ember!" The Hoothoot jabbed with his beak at one Spearow, while the Litleo spewed flames at another. It wasn't long until many of the Spearows collapsed. The still-conscious ones, deciding they were taking on too much, retreated.

Kymbalon let out a disappointed growl, red eyes scanning the area for more opponents. Her gaze fell on another Pokemon, a small blue dragon with black fur obscuring its face.

"Uh, Kym? That's not a wild Pokemon," Cici said, watching the dragon cuddle up to a petite, purple-haired girl. She approached the trainer. "Sorry about Kymbalon here. Anything she thinks is an opportunity for a fight, she'll take it."

---

✿ Florence Hadley ✿

Location: Feyhollow Town

@Dusksong

The concern on Florence's face gave way to admiration. "Oh! An Audino! They're good at treating sick and injured Pokemon, I heard all Pokemon centres in Unova have them." She'd always found it a little odd how, in other regions, all Pokecentres had exclusively one species helping out, be it Chansey, Blissey, Audino, Wigglytuff or Comfey - here, any Pokemon capable of assisting the nurses did so.

"Hm?" Her eyebrows furrowed again as Ella's Inkay began frantically staring around, bobbing and letting out startled cries. That was when she noticed it - the tiny, pale yellow bug peering out from a tree hollow.

Checking her Pokedex, she let out a breath of relief upon seeing that the group had finally found the third lost Cutiefly. "Come on... come on back home," Florence whispered, tiptoeing forward. "Your friends are back there safely."

The Cutiefly squeaked and buzzed, pointing its nose at something in the distance. "Huh?" As Florence looked over her shoulder, the ground shook beneath her, knocking her slight frame off-balance. "Ah!" Holding on to a tree branch, she could only watch as something burst upwards from the ground near the caves. Pieces of dirt and debris pelted her, followed by a flurry of sand, just like the one Leisy's Larvitar-turned-Pupitar had kicked up the previous night. With a roar, the giant rock snake lunged through the sand.

"Aah! P-Please! Please try to calm down! Are you hurt?" Florence stammered, stumbling out of the way. The Onix, no less agitated, lashed with its tail.

"Leisy! Ella!" Florence called, sand flying into her mouth and eyes as she searched around for the other two trainers. Beside her, she could see the small shape of Vernie, ready to protect her. A sweet fragrance spread through the dirt-filled air, but it wasn't enough to calm the Onix.

"I-I'm sorry, but..." She pressed a button on a Pokeball, and in a flash of light, Bonica was at her side. "Use Stun Spore!" The Budew released a cloud of powder - which missed, swept away by the sand.

Recalling Bonica before that rocky tail could slam into her, Florence gave another command. "Vernie! There's no other way... Use Razor Leaf!" She winced at the thought of attacking an already distressed Onix, but it was all she could do to protect Leisy, Ella, and the Cutiefly.

The normally gentle Chikorita leapt in front of her trainer, defending her with a volley of sharp leaves. In the middle of the sandstorm, the hulking shape writhed and roared, sending a shudder through Florence.

This was just like the Skuntank incident Ella had mentioned... Where was she, and where was Leisy?

---

♥ Ellanor "Ella" Beaufort ♥

Location: Feyhollow Town

@Dusksong

"Lucy!" Thinking quickly as she heard Florence's command and saw the flurry of leaves, Ella returned Treasure and sent out her newest Pokemon. "Use Razor Leaf too!"

The blades jabbed at the Onix's weak points, making it pull back. For one brief, hopeful second, Ella wondered if it would retreat, but instead, it hurtled forward.

As she and Lucette narrowly avoided the attack, Ella glimpsed something. A tiny, lemon-yellow shape, struggling through the sand. A chunk of debris collided with it, sending it plummeting to the ground.

"No!" Dropping to her knees, Ella crawled forward. The Cutiefly was still moving, but only barely. Panic froze the girl's thoughts. "Florence!" she called out. "Florence, where are you?" Surely the nurse in training would know what to do... Remembering what Florence had done yesterday, Ella grabbed the potion from her bag and sprayed the injured Bug type with it. "You'll be alright! We'll make sure you're alright!"

In the corner of her vision, she saw a wall of light appear. Jumbles floated beside Ella and the Cutiefly, a force field in place. As the Onix reared again, Jumbles darted forward, slamming the wall into its stony body. The much larger Pokemon toppled, its own strength used against it.

Ella turned her head and blinked. Had that been Foul Play? "Thanks, Jumbles," she said, but the Onix stirred and righted itself.

"Ah! Quick! Use Psywave!" As an energy wave flipped the rock snake back, Ella turned her attention to the wounded Cutiefly. An idea came to her. "Leisy! Is there anything your Audino can do?"

---

Luna was giggling with delight having caught her first pokemon in this new region when a little pokemon had wandered up and was glaring at Eclipse. "A... A Jangmo-o..." Luna's eyes were sparkling like stars, she had only seen pictures of this unique dragon type back at her home region but to see one up close made her day even better. The little dragon wasn't alone though, a trainer was right beside it, darn it... She really wanted to befriend it, but the sign of a trainer and the lack of spare pokeballs made that impossible.

"Sorry about Kymbalon here. Anything she thinks is an opportunity for a fight, she'll take it." The little dragon certainly had its eyes on Eclipse, feisty little pokemon. "It's ok... Eclipse is a little banged up... So I couldn't battle if I wanted to..." Luna said in a quiet tone. "I'm Luna... I just arrived here from Unova..." She said holding a hand out for a handshake and using her other hand to hold onto Eclipse.

♪♫♪ Cecilia "Cici" Taylor ♪♫♪

Location: Tefan Village

@Darkmoon Angel

"Ah, it's alright," Cici said, returning the handshake. "Neither could Kym, she was training against some wild Spearows just now." Kymbalon snorted in protest.

"I'll find some more Pokemon for you to battle tomorrow," Cici told Kymbalon, earning another grumble, before turning back to Luna. "I'm Cici, and... well, I guess I've introduced Kymbalon," she chuckled. "My Hoothoot is Tactus, and my Litleo is Breig."

She studied the little blue dragon. "Eclipse? A Deino, right?" Before visiting Tefan, she'd seen a few champions' Dragonites and Salamences on TV, but had never seen a dragon up close, and still knew little about the type. She looked at Luna again. "So, what brings you here?"

---

Luna giggled at the little Jangmo-o, she must've thought she was born to battle or something to that effect. "I'm Cici, and... well, I guess I've introduced Kymbalon," she chuckled. "My Hoothoot is Tactus, and my Litleo is Breig." Cici was obviously a more skilled trainer than Luna, she had three pokemon as far as Luna knew, one more (technically two more) than Luna.

"Eclipse? A Deino, right?" Cici seemed to be fascinated by Eclipse, just like how Luna was fascinated by Kymbalon. Eclipse happily smiled at Cici and jumped out of Luna's arms. He wandered up to Kymbalon and offered a friendly smile.

"So, what brings you here?" Luna tilted her head at Cici's question and thought for a moment. "Well... I wanted to experience more of the world... To become a great trainer and a great breeder..."

27

Bzzzzpt! A flash of red light lit the air as the fainted ferroseed was zapped into Vivians thrown pokeball. Sadly it was her second throw, the first ball sat open and empty on the sandy floor expectantly.
This was not a success for Vivian, her petilil in front of her could hardly stand and her flabebe was fainted in its poke'ball, worst of all a wild cranidos charged ferociously down the cavern tunnel at her. Frozen with fear she trembled on the spot, unable to move or look away. Lucky for her she was not completely alone.
The tunnel shook with the loud roar from a ryhorn as it stepped into the path of the oncoming attack.
It's solid body not enough to withstand the mighty skull and powerful charge of the enraged cranidos.

"Leech seed it! Now" A mans voice abruptly cut the tension as it confidently ordered her poke'mon with a sense of urgency and determination.

Vivian could only offer a feeble nod in agreement as she stumbled to find words to excuse her failings.

The rhyhorn roared again against a repeated headbut, using its body as a barricade, refusing to let the wild poke'mon pass. Petilil struggling jumped on the rhyhorn's back and released its attack. The urgency of the situation causing it to fire true. A critical hit!
The seeds instantly began to grow vines that wrapped and sapped its energy feeding it back to petilil.

Vivian was so glad she found AJ on her journey, she was so foolish to think she could do this without her friends. Right now more than ever she wished they were here. With the enemy so close she finally realised she couldn't do this alone. Her phone was gripped tightly in her hand. As soon as this was over she would give them a call.

---

(Petilil battle lvl up, Forroseed caught.)

---

30

Azerus found a new reserve of energy as he released his pawniard.
"Pawniard lets go! Slash."

He briefly eyes Vivian before returning his focus to the battle at hand.
"Now get out of here! Your only going to get in my way." he harshly snaps with as much cold condescension as he could muster.

The leech seeded cranidos wore two of pawniard's slashes before whipping it with a powerful swing of its tail. As pawniard hit the nearby wall and slid to the floor AJ heard the faint rumble of more Pokemon coming...
Snapping his head to the side he stares at Vivian who still hadn't moved.

"Zubat, tackle petilil if it doesn't leave!" he orders Zubat as it comes out of its ball in a flash of red light.

Rhyhorn lets out another groan as Cranidos claws at his hide. It covered the growing rumble.
"Get out now Viv!" AJ yelled at her. Finally Vivian obeyed. She returned her Pokemon and fled.

Azerus thought it was more pokemon coming, he couldn't have been more wrong.

---

(Rhyhorn+pawniard battle lvl up)

---

♪♫♪ Cecilia "Cici" Taylor ♪♫♪

Location: Tefan Village

@Darkmoon Angel

"I'm exploring the region too," Cici replied. "No particular plan, just seeing where I end up. I was going to travel as part of a band, but... well, let's just say that didn't work out. So I'm travelling as a trainer instead." Although she kept her friendly smile, she could only hope this would work out better than her former dream.

Kymbalon, meanwhile, continued to sulk. As the Deino bounded over, letting out happy cries, the Jangmo-o tilted her head, unsure. Now she'd had a good look at him, he seemed rather less experienced than she was. That wouldn't make for a fair fight. Maybe if she befriended him, though, they might be able to train together. Raising her head, she let out a soft "Jang".

Watching the two Pokemon, Cici gave a soft laugh. "Please behave yourself, Kym," she said, bracing herself in case Kymbalon started a fight, relieved to see her begin to warm to the other dragon instead. She turned back to Luna. "Well, you certainly like dragons, don't you?"

---

“Audino, come on out,” Leisy said, releasing the pink Pokemon. “Naunet, Bidein, go help Florence and Ella with the Onix. Naunet, focus on water-type moves like Bubblebeam, and Bidein just help blast off stray rocks with Ember.”

Nodding, the Prinplup and Fletchinder headed towards the direction of the rock-type just as Leisy’s Audino emerged from the fading red light, looking around. Immediately drawn to the Pokemon in need, the Audino hurried over to the Cutiefly’s side, crooning over it as the extensions on her ears dabbed over the other fairy-type in concern.

“Hold on — use… Healing Pulse, Audino!” Leisy said, scrolling through the Audino’s Pokedex entry. She wasn’t sure if her Audino knew the move, but the entry said Audino generally did.

Her Audino nodded, closing its eyes before opening them again. Eyes glowing, the pink-cream Pokemon turned to the Cutiefly and emitted a pink pulse that lit up the small section of sand swirling around them. Her body shielding the smaller Pokemon from the sands, the Audino watched as the Cutiefly opened its eyes, fluttering its wings uncertainly.

Barely but successfully making out the Cutiefly’s movement from afar, Leisy felt a wave of relief. “Good job Audino! Take the Cutiefly outside of the sandstorm radius and sure it stays safe.”

Leisy looked over to where Ella, Florence, and their Pokemon were battling the Onix, who was roaring fiercely in protest at every attack that bounced off it. “Bidein, follow the Audino and help protect her!” she called, pulling another Pokeball from her belt and pressing the button. “I need your help again, Devinco,” Leisy said. “Let’s take down the Onix as quickly as possible.”

The Pupitar at her side nodded, sand gathering and swirling around the rock-type like a second skin as he launched himself towards the rocky snake. “Start with a Mean Look!” Leisy called. The move would serve to slow the Onix down so that other Pokemon would have a better chance of hitting it before it retaliated.

---

@luckyblackcat

---

155CP

28

Vivian was out of the cave standing under the fading sunlight, far away from the cranidos when the rumble shook her off her feet.
Landing hard on her bum she let out a silent squeal that caused a concerned flabebe to burst forth out of its ball and check on its owner.
Although tears had swelled in her eyes the sight of her loving pokemon brought a smile to her face. Vivian was just about to reach out to her sweet little friend when another smaller rumble abruptly came from behind her. Quickly spinning around Vivian was just in time to watch the cavern entrance collapse in on itself.

...it was flabebe's squeal that eventually broke the silence. Vivian just stood there, mouth and eyes hung wide in utter disbelief. Total failure. Not only was that her best and only lead on the poachers but Azerus was still in there and perhaps was just crushed. Had a man just died before her eyes.

Suddenly her legs began to tremble and her lip whimper. Complete shock had taken over her body. Her brain had shut off and she felt cold, hollow and empty as she desperately chose not to process this information. Not here, not now.

Vivian curled up and sat in the sand as she began to cry. The injured and exhausted flabebe puffed itself up and flew over to the debris covering the entrance. There it began tirelessly attacking small rocks and moving pebbles, much to little effect.

Little was achieved by either of them but both carried it on for at least an hour.

---

(Flabebe sunset lvl up.)

---

31

"Pawniard, Zubat, Rhyhorn, return!"

Azerus yells as he begins to understand the actions of the Cranidos. It was fear. It was trying to escape. Just before AJ could return his Rhyhorn boulders began breaking away from the roof. Quickly dust filled the air cutting his vision, a loud rumbling filled his ears and as he chocked on the falling dirt he was suddenly struck by a heavy rock.

Darkness...
Azerus blacked out.

"What's going on?" Azerus manages to mutter in a dry raspy whisper.

He couldn't see anything but could feel sand in his mouth and all the way down to his lungs. He was dizzy and concussed, but while there was the weight of rubble around his legs, nothing was near his chest or his head.

Reaching up his hands his quickly reached something firm but familiar. Rhyhorn's face.
As the rock Pokemon lowered its head Azerus reached around its jaw and gripped as tight as he could. A few moments later and he was free from the rubble. Trapped, lost, dizzy and confused but free. Next to him his rhyhorn collapsed on the ground and the two of them passed out.

As Azerus stretched and his arms ran across the floor he hit something odd, smooth and round. A stray open pokeball. He pocketed it without a thought.

---

(Rhyhorn sunset lvl up)

---

✿ Florence Hadley ✿

Location: Feyhollow Town

@Dusksong

A sudden rumbling of the ground sent Florence staggering back several paces. She steadied herself against a tree, staring through the sand. This had to be one tough Onix... Where was it, anyway? Where were Ella and Leisy?

Picking up Vernie, she called for the other two trainers, the roaring sandstorm drowning out her cries. As she stumbled, the dirt cloud thinned, revealing trees cast in shadow as far as she could see. Her stomach lurched with panic. She'd gone and gotten herself separated from the others, right when they needed to work together.

"Ella! Leisy!" she repeated, turning to head back into the sandstorm. Her foot met thin air. As she plummetted, she let out a scream that became a yelp of pain when she connected with hard ground. Beside her, she heard Vernie cry out.

Hisses rose up all around her. Raising her head with a groan, she found herself looking into a pair of slitted yellow eyes. Then another. Then several. A purple blur shot at her. She gave another shriek as pain seared through her shoulder.

Through her blurring vision, she saw two figures move towards the edge of the pit. Hope welled through her, which soured to fear as it turned out the shapes weren't Ella and Leisy, but two men in dark clothing.

"Well, I guess this Pokemon here's better than nothing," one of them said. "Kadabra! Get the Chikorita!" In a burst of light, the fox-like Pokemon appeared by the man's side, using its telekinesis to lift the struggling, poisoned Chikorita out of the pit.

"Vernie!" Florence tried to force herself upright, falling back down as the Ekans bite flared with agony. It felt as if her blood had turned corrosive, burning her entire body.

"We can't have a witness! Finish her, and let's see what else she has!" the man commanded, the barely-moving Grass type under his arm. "Psybeam!"

As the Kadabra's eyes glowed red, all Florence could do was brace herself.

---

♥ Ellanor "Ella" Beaufort ♥

Location: Feyhollow Town

@Dusksong

"Jumbles! Use Reflect to defend the Cutiefly!" Ella commanded, spluttering from the sand. "Now, Lucy, hit with another Razor Leaf!"

Devinco's Mean Look allowed Lucy's attack to hit before the Onix could retaliate. With a groan, it collapsed, sending a tremor through the ground. The sandstorm died down, dirt scattering all over the forest floor.

"Cutiefly! Are you alright now?" Ella panted, leaning down to the bug. The Audino's Heal Pulse seemed to have perked it up, but it still squeaked and stared as if in horror. Jumbles bore the same look, pointing into the distance.

The pink-haired girl jumped up at the sound of a scream. "Florence!" She whirled round. "Leisy, make sure the Cutiefly's safe!" she yelled, running in the direction of the cry. Exhaustion weighed her limbs down, but she pushed on until the sight before her made her gasp.

Another Ekans pit, with Florence writhing at the bottom, and two shady-looking men standing nearby, one holding a near-unconscious Vernie. The Kadabra by their side stared down with glowing eyes, readying an attack.

"Jumbles! Night Slash!" Ella called. The red glow faded as a purple energy blade lashed at the Kadabra's frail body. "Lucy, use Astonish!" The Pumpkaboo's eerie wail sent the Psychic type stumbling further back.

"Take the Chikorita!" one of the men shouted. "I'll deal with this little punk here!" The weakened Kadabra teleported, taking the other man - and Vernie - with it.

"Vernie... No! Vernie!" Florence's scream was like that of a mother with a child in danger.

The lone thief reached for a Pokeball, sending out a Sneasel. "Ice Shard at the Pumpkaboo!" The sharp-clawed weasel flung chunks of ice,which earned a yelp from Lucette as they slammed into her.

"Lucette!" Ella's breath caught as she watched the pumpkin Pokemon fall to the ground. "Leisy, please help!"

As he glimpsed the Fletchinder, Prinplup, Pupitar and Audino in the distance, the poacher seemed to realise he was outmatched. Before Ella or Leisy could do anything, he recalled his Sneasel and turned, fleeing from sight.

---