The sun had set over the horizon, but the sky was still lit with a twilight glow. Nick walked down the familiar town roads. Krabby and Little Guy were in their Pokeballs. Neither one of them were really build for prolonged periods of walking. Feathers sat on his shoulders.

"So hey Feathers, where do you think we should go after the Poke Mart? I was thinking we could visit that Helping Hands Guild before going to another town, consider joining. What do you think?" Nick waited for a response, but none was coming. "Feathers?" Leaning his head back and looking over, Nick could see that Feathers wasn't feeling well. "But why?" They at the Poke Center. Everyone got all healed up.

Before Nick could say anything, Feathers jumped off his shoulder and landed on the ground just ahead. Her feathers began to go pale. "But how?" Pale skin, he had heard of... but pale feathers? Then they started to glow a bright white. "Wait, could it be...", Nick said under his breath. She began to grow in size and shape. Then suddenly, with a flash of light, she finished her transformation. The light faded to reveal her new form, a proud looking bird of prey.

An elderly man that was standing nearby interrupted the dramatic moment. "Oh wow, that's a pretty Staravia. Congradulations kid!"

Turning towards the old man, Nick said his thanks, "Yeah, she sure is." Pride welled up inside him. Oh man, when his parents would call tomorrow, he would actually have something real to show them.

"I don't think you'll be carrying her on your shoulders anymore though." The old man said, gesturing to her long talons.

Nick saw the man's point. "Yeah, I suppose you are right. Thanks." The old man continued walking, looking back only once he was far enough away. Nick was knelt down, hugging his friend. "Congratulations Feathers. The others will be very excited to see you, but for now, we need to get some supplies." He then pulled out Feathers' Pokeball, "Here, I'll bring you all out in a little bit to celebrate." Feathers nodded happily accepting the compliment and agreeing to the Pokeball.


Fifteen minutes later, Nick emerged from the Poke Mart with one new Pokeball and a proud skip in his step. He was growing as a trainer, and his Pokemon were getting stronger as well. Life was good.

When he arrived outside the Helping Hands Guild, he let all of his Pokemon loose. At first, Krabby and Little Guy didn't understand what was going on with this new Pokemon. After a few words in Pokemon language though, they seemed to have gotten the point. For the next few minutes the three of them played while Nick watched. He ended up sitting on a nearby bench to relax. There wasn't in any hurry.

The night was just settling in, and he was too.

---

+1 CP = 14 CP

♪♫♪ Cecilia "Cici" Taylor ♪♫♪

Location: Stellanova City

At a noise to her side, Cici stopped playing. Dulcet gave a suprised chirp as the egg wriggled, a crack spreading across its surface. Leaning over, the musician heard scratching coming from inside it, as well as sounds like a squeaky toy. She watched in fascination as a piece of shell came away, a tiny grey paw sticking out and batting around. More and more shards fell, until a little ball of fuzz crawled out, mewling in bewilderment.

"Awww!" A grin spread across Cici's face. She'd heard of rare Dark type Meowths, but this was the first time she'd seen such a variant. "Aren't you just the cutest?" Reaching out, she tickled the kitten under its chin. It closed its eyes, rubbing its face against her hand with a soft purr.

As families passed by, a few children turned, squealing and cooing. Despite the parents telling them not to crowd the cat, it strutted closer, seeming to relish the attention. "Careful there!" She scooped up the Meowth just as it nearly fell off the edge of the bench.

"Well," she said with a glance around at all her Pokemon currently out, "I guess it's time to call it a day. Dulcet, Kym, good job. Let's get this little one somewhere comfortable." Setting the kitten down on the bench, she gathered up the coins from the guitar case. A little paw reached out, flailing, her newest Pokemon attempting to grab the money from her hand. Kymbalon let out a slight growl and Dulcet squawked, but Cici just laughed. "Not for you," she said, emptying the money into her wallet, "but you can be sure I'll buy you a few treats with this."

Putting away her guitar and picking up the once-again purring Meowth, Cici started on her way back to the Pokecentre with Dulcet and Kymbalon following behind. She shivered a little from the now-chilly breeze. The sun had reached the horizon, casting a red and gold glimmer over the sea. Tefan's mission, as well as the travelling, had taken it out of the guitarist, and the weight of the tiredness grew as night began to settle over Stellanova.

She'd get some rest, and then, in the morning... she'd wake up with no travelling companions to greet. Her footsteps grew heavy as she wondered how Tommy was doing. At least they could still contact each other, though, and she'd make sure she had plenty to tell him.

---

♥ Ellanor "Ella" Beaufort ♥

Location: Zephyr Strip

@Dusksong

As soon as she spotted Leisy, Ella rushed across the platform and flung her arms around her. "Leisy!! I missed you too!" It had been almost a week since she'd seen her friend, and had felt like longer, but here the three of them were again, ready to work together as they'd done in Greenhaven.

"Yeah, they can't be far! Maybe we can find another trail!" As confident as she tried to sound, her doubts grew as she scanned the area. The sun was beginning to set over the vast fields, turning distant trees and mountains into silhouettes against the dingy sky.

A search would be far from easy, and those thieves would probably be active after nightfall, but how much longer could the trio wait?

---

✿ Florence Hadley ✿

Location: Zephyr Strip

@Dusksong

For a moment, Florence's lips twitched into a smile at the sight of her friend. "Hey, Leisy. Good to see you again." Then her face settled into her usual look of worry.

"Well, uh..." She cast a glance around the station, at the fields visible past rows of buildings outside. Such an expansive area, yet from what she'd heard, only a small portion was inhabited. "If Greenhaven was anything to go by, probably the outskirts, or even the wilderness."

Her gaze drifted to the concrete floor. "It's just..." She trailed off, the battle replaying through her mind. Tiergan had held out, but only barely - and he'd been the only one of her Pokemon who'd stood any chance in that fight. How on earth was she going to do this, at her level? "Nothing. It's nothing. But we might want to quickly stock up. We'll have to make sure we're ready."

And that was the problem. For her, anyway.

---

-- OOPS --
--Moved to OOC---

When Nick's Pokemon had finally tired out from playing among themselves, he returned them all to their Pokeballs. He then turned to the large "Helping Hand Guild" headquarters. The night was still young, and the place was still very active with trainers coming and going. With a deep breath, he moved forward.

Nick walked around the lobby admiring the Pokemon of other trainers. He had never seen so many different kinds of Pokemon. Some of these trainers had to have been from out of the area. Under his breath, he let out a silent, "Wow". As if hearing this, Feathers (Staravia) came out of her Pokeball in a sudden flash of red light.

"Staravia!" Feathers began flying around the lobby sometimes swooping low. She was obviously showing off. Her efforts worked. She had adoring fans in a matter of moments. Though, she also had a few not so happy onlookers as well. Not everyone appreciated low flying Pokemon brushing up against their head.

"Hey kid. You should probably call back your Pokemon before she causes a scene." The voice came from behind Nick.

"Yeah. Right!" pulling out Feathers' Pokeball, Nick spoke loudly, with authority, "Feathers, return!" A red beam of light engulfed the flying Pokemon, bringing her back into her Pokeball. Nick turned around to appologise to the man that had spoken to him, "Hey sorry about that. She's never..." Nick's sentence stopped short as he realized that this was the same elderly man that was nearby when Feathers evolved. "Oh, hi again. Can I ask? What are you doing here?"

The old man let out a small laugh that emitted some sort of wisdom, "I come here some evenings. I'm friends with most of the staff here, and I love seeing all the Pokemon that come through this place. So much young spirit! There's not much else to do when you're retired."

"That makes sense", Nick thought to himself.

But the old man wasn't done speaking just yet, "You know, as a Beginner, you're gonna have a hard time controlling your evolved Staravia. I'd advise that you not use her in battles with other trainers, and be careful in wild battles too. In fact, you should focus on getting stronger as a trainer before letting your Pokemon evolve." A puzzled look crept across Nick's face. He didn't understand how you could stop a Pokemon from evolving. The old man noticed this look and explained further, "When a Pokemon is about to evolve, they will begin to glow a bright white light. I'm sure you remember this." Nick nodded vaguely before the man continued, "Well, when that happens, you can stop them from evolving by quickly recalling them to their Pokeball. They won't try to evolve again until the next time they level up. You'll have to keep stopping them until you're ready."

"You sure know a lot about Pokemon, sir. Who are you?" Nick wasn't trying to sound rude, but some may have seen his line of questioning in that way.

The old man didn't mind at all though, but he obviously wasn't ready to divulge that information, "Oh my name? Don't worry. That's not important. What's important is that you're learning. And I'm sure you will become a fine trainer one day!" With a chuckle and a nod, the old man began to walk away, "Goodbye, and good luck!"

"What a strange, yet helpful old man." Nick told himself before waving a goodbye, "Yeah... bye!"



Before heading back out to the city streets, Nick registered to become a member of the 'Helping Hand Guild'. As he walked, he pulled up the 'Menu' inside his Pokedex and began reading all about trainer ranks. "Beginner, Skilled, Expert... and Master" Thoughts of becoming a Pokemon Master ran through his mind. Along with those thoughts came nerves; 'was he really cut out for it?' he wondered. He's never been the highly motivated type...

He then shook his head to try and clear the self doubts. "No need to worry about that now." he thought to himself, "One step at a time."

---

+1 CP = 15 CP

✰ Jason Ackerman ✰

Location: Stillwater

Sitting on a log bench near the walkway, Jason sighed as he scrolled through the messages on his Pokedex. Over a week. It had only felt like a few hours, but he'd been gone over a week.

"Ohh geez, what am I going to tell them?" he muttered to the three Pokemon by his side - Iliana and Velius, who rolled around play-fighting, and Tibert, who paid them no notice as he cast his neutral gaze around the area every few moments. He knew what an idiot and weakling he'd look like if he told the truth. If he didn't, though, he'd be breaking his own rules. All confirmed folklore about Pokemon, legendary or not, was to be reported back - and if he kept his ordeal with the Unowns to himself, someone else could stumble into the same trap without warning.

For now, he sent some rather nebulous messages - something had come up, but it was all sorted now and the quest was nearly wrapped up. When he got back, though, he'd have to tell the whole story, as well as make an important decision on something the guild had brought to his attention. The thought didn't help his stress headache any - although at least getting tired was a reminder that time was flowing normally again.

"Well," he said, putting away his Pokedex as lights started to flicker in the distance, "here they are. Let's hope this search goes a little more smoothly than the last one." He made his way to the darkening seafront, his Pokemon close by his side for protection, in the hopefully unlikely event that he'd need it. As he walked, he thought back to his earlier conversation with one of the Stillwater residents.

"Lunala?" Overhearing Jason talking to the medic in the Pokemon centre, the man had turned to face him. "Ah, yer mark my words, she'll be back in no time. Yer seen them Elgyems that turn up at night? They got some kind o' connection with her. When they gather round to signal her, it ain't long till folks be gettin' good dreams. It seems to be takin' a while this time, but she's gotta listen to 'em sooner or later."

Jason listened. So that explained the Elgyems' behaviour. The key to finding Lunala might have been right in front of him all this time. "Those Elgyems... they don't cause any trouble, do they?" he asked. "I-I mean, it's nothing I wouldn't be able to deal with! Got a Dark type here, after all. It just doesn't hurt to be sure."

The man chuckled. "They be harmin' no-one round here, unless yer provoke 'em. I study 'em myself, been doin' so for years. A pretty friendly and helpful bunch. Yer know, they tend to have a big role in solvin' the mysteries round these parts. They'd likely be more 'n glad to help ya... though it's Lunala you'll want to be careful of. She don't seem at her happiest."

As the sky dimmed, the moon brightened, along with the multicoloured pinpoints of light shining from the beach. Here goes nothing, Jason thought as he headed in their direction. He'd already seen the Elgyems and their benign demeanours once, but given the recent Darkrai fiasco, would Lunala react well to anyone bothering her?

---

“Dropping by the Pokemart is a good idea,” Leisy said, her eyes staying on Florence as the other girl’s gaze drifted down.

Should I ask her whether or not she’s okay? Leisy wondered, hesitating. While Ella was still her bright and cheerful self, Florence had clearly changed—something that Leisy knew she shouldn’t be surprised about, considering Florence’s circumstances. A wave of guilt rose up in Leisy’s mind, guilt from abandoning her friends to visit home despite the dire circumstances surrounding Florence’s Pokemon. Her choice was made purely out of selfishness, her need for a breath of fresh air—of something else—after the events in Greenhaven.

“Let’s go then,” Leisy said, starting off in the direction of the still-bustling hubbub of a shopping center. “The sooner we’re out, the sooner we can get to finding the people behind the kidnappings.”

We’ll definitely find Vernie, Florence, Leisy thought as she started off for the town at a brisk pace. I’ll make sure we do.

---

The main strip only became brighter and busier as night sank over Zephyr. Tourists arrived in hordes at the train stations arranged strategically around the shopping center, drawn to the brightly-lit windows like moths to a flame. The stars were hardly visible above amidst the lights, but iconic logo of the Poke Corp Pokemart was easy to pick out amongst the shops.

The inside of the mart was pleasantly airy and almost exactly alike every other Pokemart Leisy had visited. Items were arranged by type down the rows, not a single one out of place.

“Could I get one Moon Ball?” Leisy said, handing the Pokemart worker her Pokedex. The Pokeball’s description promised to help the Pokemon it caught gain levels more quickly—exactly what Leisy needed if she was to take down the people who kidnapped Vernie.

“The report said the kidnappings happened around the outskirts of Zephyr, where there aren’t that many shops nor tourists. Maybe that’s where we should look first?” Leisy asked as she pocketed the Moon Ball.

---

@luckyblackcat

---

180CP

Nick relaxed in a park bench under the lighting of a street lamps. All three of his Pokemon were playing a game of tag. Feathers (Staravia) was at a clear advantage, being able to fly and all. The sight whole scene was quite humorous. Despite the disadvantage, Little Guy (Munchlax) wasn't giving up; neither was Krabby for that matter.

Little did Nick know, a wild Liteo had sneaked his way underneath the bench and was watching the three Pokemon play as well. His tail flicked back and forth as they scurried to and fro. He really wanted to join in, but felt quite shy, and 'what of this human above him? Was the human nice or mean?' he wondered. Deciding to play it safe, the little Liteo crouched down further content to relax and watch. Slowly he drifted off to sleep, being tired out just from watching the three go at it.

Krabby was the first of the three to get worn out. His little crab legs weren't made for constant running. Slowly, he scuffled back toward Nick. As he approached the bench, he noticed the wild Liteo curled up in a ball napping. Humans might consider this cute, but the only thing Krabby noticed was a tail flicking back and forth, as if the Liteo was having exciting dreams. Something about the tail flicking mesmerized Krabby. Focusing on nothing else, he approached the Liteo and its tail.

Nick's focus was still on the two Pokemon playing tag. 'Where did Little guy get all the energy?' he thought to himself. Feathers on the other hand seemed to be tiring out. Anytime she would dive down to tag him, he would immediately jump before she could fly off and tag her right back. 'What a clever little bugger!' Nick thought, as a smile crossed his face.

*SNAP* The sound of Krabby pinching down on the Liteo's tail permeated the night. A surprised screech came from Liteo as it immediately woke up and began running around the park, dragging Krabby along.

Nick stood as quickly as he could and shouted, "HEY Krabby, let that Pokemon go!"

It took a moment for Krabby to fully grasp what he had done and hear Nick's call. Releasing his grip, he tumbled a few feet, landing on his legs. The wild Liteo turned and gave the Krabby a harsh look that actually made Crabby take a step backward in hesitation. In that moment of unease, the wild Liteo took the opportunity to escape into the night.

Nick immediately started scolding Krabby, "What was that for Krabby? You could have hurt the poor guy." Krabby simply looked down in shame. His response tugged at Nick's soft side. Feeling a little bad for raising his voice, Nick followed up with a deep sigh, "But I guess it's in your nature to use those claws of yours." A thought ran across Nick's mind, "Hey, Krabby. How about we call you 'Snap'? It's quite fitting I'd say!" The Krabby snapped both its claws in the air multiple times as if to take pride in the name. "But you have to promise me that you won't go using those on others unless we're in a battle. Okay?" Nodding his whole body, Snap agreed.

Somehow Little Guy and Feathers had completely missed the whole Krabby/Liteo ordeal. Little Guy laid had passed out on top of Feathers, while she lie pinned underneath, too drained to crawl away. Nick and Krabby both had a laugh at the sight before Nick recalled all of his Pokemon into their Pokeballs.

Nick was feeling hungry and was sure his Pokemon had to feel the same way. They were in their Pokeballs, and he wasn't sure if they could hear him, but he spoke out loud anyway, "Let's go get some grub." Off to the Poke Center they went.

Not far behind, Nick had a cute little stalker, the wild Liteo was dashing from one hiding spot to the next, careful not to be seen.

---

+1 CP = 16 CP

✿ Florence Hadley ✿

Location: Zephyr Strip

@Dusksong

Even after dusk fell, the town remained just as busy as ever - well, the centre of town, anyway. From what Florence had heard about Zephyr Strip, the hustle and bustle of the shopping district contrasted sharply with the eerie quiet of the surrounding areas. The areas the group would be heading to next.

As if drawn out by all the noise, Chay emerged from his Pokeball and zipped around, staring in wonder at his new surroundings. "Eheh... Hey there." Reaching up, Florence petted the tiny, fluffy little bug, a sick feeling of worry growing in the pit of her stomach. Pokemon raised from eggs developed quickly, and Chay had already shot up in level over a matter of days, but that didn't necessarily prepare the young Pokemon for what lay ahead.

With the Cutiefly perched on her shoulder, Florence shuffled behind Ella and Leisy as they entered the brightly-lit Pokemart. While Leisy purchased a Moon Ball, the nursing graduate read the description next to an identical capsule. With the extra levels it gave Pokemon, it would be a way for her to help them grow without pushing them past their limits.

"Uh... I'll have the same please," she said to the till worker, "as well as a Revive and a Rare Candy."

As she got out her Pokedex, a thought occured to her. She took an anxious glance at Chay, who'd started buzzing around a potted plant in the corner. Cutieflies could see the auras of living things. He might be able to help track down those Pokemon... especially Grass types. But no. He was so young, so overly curious. What if something happened to him? It didn't bear thinking about, especially given the way the poachers had panicked those other Cutieflies.

Chay, who had likely sensed the sudden spike of emotion, fluttered over and settled back on her shoulder, nuzzling her. "Chay..." Once Florence had put away her new items, she took a Pokeball from her belt. "I'll be ok. It'll all be ok. But... It might be best for you to come back for now."

With a squeak of protest, Chay flew away from the Pokeball, his eyes on his trainer as he hovered. Right now, her aura appeared as thick, thorned vines, wrapping around and digging into her. The person who'd raised him from birth was suffering, and he had to help.

"No... Please listen, Chay," Florence begged, holding out the capsule and pressing the button, but the pixie just flitted to the other side of the room before the beam of light could pull him in. "You've got to come back. You've got to stay safe."

She couldn't let him get involved... but how could she let any of her Pokemon get involved?

---

♥ Ellanor "Ella" Beaufort ♥

Location: Zephyr Strip

@Dusksong

The clock on Ella's Pokedex reminded her of the precious time ticking by as she hurriedly paid for her three new items. Once she'd done so, she crouched down, letting out her Nidoran and unwrapping two Rare Candies.

"Hey Pincushion! I got you a treat!" As the Poison type ate, Ella wished it truly was just a treat - but right now, she had to help him catch up with her other Pokemon. "And that's not the only part of it!" She held up a disc in a plastic case. "How would you like to learn a new move? Smart Strike. It's a Steel type move that never misses!"

The Nidoran's eyes gleamed as he gave a squeal of agreement. Ella grinned. "Ok then! Let's get started!" After a quick read of the instructions on the back of the case, the pink-haired trainer slotted the disc into the Pokeball. A second later, her Pokedex beeped. It had worked.

"Nido!" Pincushion proudly raised his head, his horn lighting up brilliant white as if he were preparing the move.

"Ehh, it might be best to try that out elsewhere," Ella said. "But it'll be awesome when you do!" He'd have an opportunity to use that move very soon, in a battle he was now hopefully better prepared for...

At the sound of pleading from Florence, Ella stood up. The medic held out a Pokeball, unsuccessfully urging her agitated Cutiefly to return. "Chay, try not to worry so much," the patchwork-clothed girl said, doing her best to soothe her friend's Pokemon. "We'll all make sure it's ok."

All the while, she knew the fears and doubts she hid from others must be plainly visible to the Cutiefly.

---

Inari had set off on her journey that day. Her experiences had been interesting, and it was her first time outside of clearbrook village in quite a while, as she was used to the confines of the town. She welcomed the new experience wholeheartedly however, as it was everything she imagined and more. Seeing all the trainers with their Pokemon, seeing the roads, the open fields, the grass, the air. Everything was perfect to her.

The walk to Central City was long and insignificant but definitely not tiring to her. She had saw a lot of trainers on the way, and plenty of Pokemon, but she had a mission and that was to obtain the tools to get her first pokemon. It was a shame that there wasn’t a lab in her small town, but she figured it was part of the experience, and she’d have to try and get one made there one day.

A thought that she had when she was walking was what Pokemon to catch first. She’d thought of catching one around Central City but she had her mind set on catching one back home, as no-one could put up with her better along her journey than somebody who lived right next to her. Such thoughts subsided into happy whistling as she skipped along the path before arriving.

Compared to what she had lived with her entire life, Central City was certainly something to take in. Beautiful old buildings with an even more beautiful history, she found herself in marvel as she observed everything around her, even if she was hurrying to to the lab in order to try and get her equipment and start her journey.

After exiting the lab with with her Pokedex and her first pokeball, she was ecstatic. So much so to the point where she sprinted back to Clearbrook and made it back just around nightfall. To most people, that would have been unthinkable but given the amount of energy she had within her body, it was not. She was simply that happy to get going and find her partner, and she knew where she was going to look, the Clearbrook Mountains.

The ascent was not an issue to her. Even with the icy wind blowing in her face, it was not an issue to her as she ascended like she had before several years ago with her father as if she had lived at the peak. Care was exercised, but she yet again was in wonder about everything, even though this was so close to home. The pokemon, the scenery, freedom just felt so good to her.

After around 30 minutes of exploration however, she had reached the limit of her patience. She wanted to catch a Pokemon and she began to search furiously for what would be her partner. Little did she realize what it would be, a Vulpix. From what she knew, they were a fire type Pokemon that were red in colour, yet she had never seen this before. A ghostly white colour with deep blue eyes, laying down tired in front of her. She doubted the Pokemon even knew she was there. Seeing an opportunity to catch a Pokemon given her inability to battle, she threw the Pokeball with excellent form which went on to hold the Vulpix.
The pokeball ticked. Once. Twice. The suspense for the third was killing her, to the point where she had forgotten to breathe and had fallen backwards, inches away from a very steep fall. It had ticked as she had done that however, and that may have saved the girl's life as she frantically scrambled to pick up the ball with her raw pink hands. She had only just came down from the hill of excitement and to find out what a state she was in was terrible. She had to get down from this mountain or she very well might have become a human popsicle.

Inari hadn’t quite figured out how good of a find she’d caught, but she had went back to the Pokemon center to warm herself up and heal her pokemon. She didn’t know if the Vulpix was unconscious or merely asleep, and wanted to make sure that the healing was done as quickly as possible. It did take some time however, as by the time she had gotten out of the pokemon center with her new catch, it was clearly night time and the stars lit up the sky.

Thinking of no better time to give her companion a name, she figured she’d greet it for the first time.

”Heya! I’m your new trainer! You’re absolutely adorable! My name is Inari by the way!” Inari managed to speak in such an upbeat tone that one would think that the entire scene was scripted. She was merely that happy with herself and her Pokemon. The Vulpix didn’t mind it either as it came closer to her leg and rubbed its head along her. There were clearly no hard feelings.

“I almost forgot, I’m going to name ya, because you’re so special to me! Welcome to my party, Riina.” she spoke as she picked up the Vulpix. She had to say today was good.

Nick's Pokemon were stuffed to the brim, but while they were eating, he noticed some hungry eyes watching through the window.

Before heading outside, he put all of his Pokemon away in their Pokeballs. As he walked out, the wild Liteo hopped behind a mail box. It's tail still stuck out in plain view though. Nick smiled to himself before yelling out, "Hey there, you behind the mailbox. I know you're there. Are you hungry?" He then pulled out a bit of Pokemon food that he managed to hide away from Little Guy's (Munchlax) bottomless stomach.

The food still had a fresh baked smell to it. This smell caused Liteo to stick his nose out from behind the mailbox, but it came out no further.

Nick sensed the Liteo's hesitation and didn't want to press the issue. "It's okay Liteo, I understand. You're scared." Nick then leaned over to a nearby bench and set the food down on its seat. "There you go Liteo, that's all for you."

Nick smiled to himself and began to walk off. That's when his Pokedex rang with a notification. This was Nick's first notification besides a phone call, 'What could it be?' he wondered. He opened the Pokedex to see a brand new notification from the Helping Hand Guild. It was a new mission! He hadn't been a part of the guild for longer than an hour and it was already paying off! He saw that the mission was ranked 'C'. After a little research, he realized that meant he could accept it! Without a second thought, he claimed the mission.

As he read the description, he began to realize what he'd just signed up for. To complete the mission, he would have to go north, to the Clearbrook mountain ski resort! A part of him wanted to cancel the mission immediately, but the image of a crying girl kept popping into his head. Without thinking about it any further, Nick began running to the train station. Maybe he could catch a late train?

He was lucky to find a train heading north, but it was about to leave the station. He began sprinting through the station, but was stopped by a security guard. "Hey! I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to ask you to put that Liteo in his Pokeball before getting on the train. We're at max capacity with late night tourists leaving the city." Nick hadn't even noticed the Liteo. It had continued following him after eating the food.

"Hold on one second." Nick said to the guard. The guard looked annoyed. 'Didn't this kid know that he couldn't stop the train?' Nick crouched down to talk to the Liteo in a hurried voice. "Hey there little dude. I got to go. I'm sorry, but can't follow me." He about stood up to go board the train, but the Liteo roared out his disapproval. "Look I'm sorry but... well... there is one way you can go with me I guess." Nick pulled out his empty Pokeball and held it out to the Liteo. "Is this what you want?" The Liteo roared out in happiness. Nick understood and threw the Pokeball, it immediately stopped shaking.

The security guard was stunned, "Wow, did you just catch that Pokemon, just like that?"

Nick walked over and picked up the Pokeball, a little stunned as well, "Yeah, I guess I did." The train then blew its whistle. It was about to take off! He ran as fast as his legs could go and barely managed to step into the train just before its last door closed. Without another second, it was off. Within an hour, he would be at the Clearbrook train station.

The air was so much colder out here in Clearbrook, and the stars shone bright. But this wasn't time for sight seeing. He had to get to the ski resort. There was only one problem. He'd never been here before. He didn't know where it was. His instincts told him to go to the one place he might find people still awake, the Poke Center.

It wasn't nearly as busy as the Central City Poke Center, but there was still staff members and one other trainer. The trainer was a young girl who was talking to an Pokemon that was presumably hers. The Pokemon looked like a Vulpix, a Pokemon he'd heard about back in Central City. 'But weren't they supposed to be a red furred fire-type Pokemon?'

"Hi!" Nick said as he walked up quickly, careful not to run up and scare her away. "Um, my name is Nick, and I'm looking for the ski resort around here. I'm on a mission to find something up there. Do you know where it is?" The mission would have to come first, but maybe if he played his cards right, he could ask about the strange looking Vulpix soon enough.

---

+1 CP (-5 CP for Mission Creation) = 12 CP

After what seemed like forever since she had gotten off the train at Tefan Village. Luna had finally arrived at the Clearbrook mountains. She breathed a quiet sigh and looked up at the mountains in front of her, she had heard, from the people in Tefan Village, that there was a nice ski resort in the mountains and she wanted to see for herself. She always wanted to go skiing and never had a chance to back home, it would be a fun new experience.

The happy cry of her partner Deino made her smile as they started up the path. "Almost there, Deino... If you get chilly you can jump into my coat..." she said opening her coat just to show the little dragon that it was warm. Deino jumped around happily, it made Luna giggle a bit. "Such an energetic pokemon..." she mumbled to herself as she continued through the mountain path.

“Florence, maybe Chay will be helpful in tracking down the kidnappers, since Cutiefly can detect auras,” Leisy said, turning to her friend. “With him and my Cutiefly, I think we’ll be able to cover the same ground in half the time, and we can keep our other Pokemon out to guard them.”

Leisy hesitated, her fingers resting on her Cutiefly’s Pokeball briefly, before unlatching it. “Hey there, Cutiefly. Do you think you can help us look for the kidnappers? It’ll be dangerous, but your teammates and friends will keep you—both of you—covered.”

“Cuue,” the Cutiefly chimed, zipping a circle around his trainer and pausing next to the other Cutiefly to stare. “Cutie, Cue.”

“Alright, glad to hear that you’re in. Florence, don’t worry. The two of them will be well protected,” Leisy reassured, summoning Bidein and Cura. “It’ll just be you two for now, since I can’t guarantee the… Quietness of Naunet or Devi.”

“Cuue,” Leisy’s Cutiefly hummed, buzzing over to his teammates happily. “Cutiefly.”

Bidein ruffled his feathers in greeting at the sight of the small bug Pokemon while Cura chimed a greeting happily, prompting the Cutiefly to zip around her and land on her head.

“Levi,” Leisy murmured, looking at her Cutiefly. “Cutiefly, what do you think about the name ‘Levi?’”

“Cuue,” the Cutiefly hummed, zipping over to his trainer’s side. “Cue, cue!”

“Levi it is,” Leisy said, grinning.

---

@luckyblackcat

---

181 +1(post) -10(mission) = 171CP

As the sun began to set, Tommy and his team of Pokemon sat around a small firepit at a camp that they'd finished setting up a few hours before. Atana was in sight, a day's walk at most, so the aspiring Pokeleague Champion had decided to rest up before continuing. The incubator sat nearby as he and his team ate their food, the Pokemon chatting amongst themselves as Tommy thought out their training schedule for the mountains. There were still some type disadvantages that had to be addressed, such as Epsilon's weakness to Ice types, but overall, the team was strong.

Amica, after a few minutes of chatting, came over to her partner and sat next to him as he thought, silence reigning between the two for a few minutes before she spoke. "Froak, Froakie, Froak?" Tommy glanced at her and smiled, patting her head and giving her a bite of his roll. He knew she was concerned for him and had been since that battle with the guy bothering Entei, but he was getting better. In fact, I should probably call Cici here soon, make sure she reached Stella- His train of thought is derailed by a cracking sound coming from his incubator and Tommy looks at in surprise, as does his team. In fact, Beta falls off his log seat in surprise at the sound.

"Already? Wow that was fa-" He is once more cut off as the egg shatters to reveal a newborn Axew, who immediately looks around in confusion as the lid pops open to allow it out. Sharktooth races over to her fellow dragon-type and leads it to Tommy. After saying something to Amica, Amica points at herself and then the Axew. After a moment of confusion, it clicks. "OH! It's a girl! Alright then. How about...Xena?" The Axew contents itself to curl up next to Tommy and closing it's eyes and Sharktooth gives her trainer an approving nod before returning to her food while Beta grumbles in annoyance at being surprised. Tommy simply smiles and taps Xena with a pokeball, which instantly confirms itself as hers. "Welcome to the team, Xena. Get some rest."

It was a few minutes later, after things had settled down and Amica had taken a medatative pose, that the second surprise hit the camp. It started with a soft glow that surrounded Amica shortly before, as her trainer began to ask if she was OK, enveloped her. Tommy stared, dumbfounded, before the glow faded and, where a Froakie had sat a moment before, was now a Frogadier, who simply glanced down at herself before resuming her meditation. Tommy could only grin in pride, because now he knew that he was on his way to getting stronger.

---

✿ Florence Hadley ✿

Location: Zephyr Strip

@Dusksong

"But..." Florence started, still clutching the Pokeball. "What if...?"

As if backing up Leisy, Chay gave a loud buzz. "Cuuue!" he squealed, darting over to the other Cutiefly and giving Florence a stubborn look. "Cue-cutie-cue!"

With a sigh, the medic put away the capsule. Leisy was right. This was their best chance of finding the poachers... but what would happen to the Pokemon who helped them do so? "Oh, Chay... You're really set on this, aren't you?" Florence reached for another Pokeball, letting out her Cacnea. "Tiergan, please protect these two Cutieflies."

"Nea!" The hardy cactus Pokemon stood by the side of Bidein and Cura, ready to help them keep guard.

"Ok, let's..." Before Florence could say anything else, her Pokedex beeped. After a read through of the message, she stared up at the other two trainers. "It's a mission... A mission from Aether," she explained, gripping the device. "About the kidnappings."

With none of her usual hesitation, she sent a message back, signing right up. Despite the risks, she had to do this. Uphold Aether Foundation's values. Confront the thieves. Return the stolen Pokemon to their trainers. And get Vernie back.

---

♥ Ellanor "Ella" Beaufort ♥

Location: Zephyr Strip

@Dusksong

"Let them know Leisy and I are already right on it!" Ella piped up. This was what had brought them to Zephyr in the first place, so they might as well reassure Aether Foundation the matter was being taken care of... hopefully.

"I can't exactly guarantee the quietness of Brighteye or Lucy either, so..." Turning to Leisy, she let out two of her Pokemon. In a flash, Treasure and Jumbles appeared beside Leisy's team. "Ok, you two, keep an eye on the Cutieflies here. And Jumbles, you'll be able to help them track down missing Pokemon."

The squid-like Pokemon floated over to Chay and Levi. "In-kay!" he greeted them. Despite his usual, well-justified wariness around bugs, he seemed to have no problem trusting Leisy's and Florence's Pokemon, regardless of type.

Ella smiled over at Florence. "You see? We'll make sure they're well-protected. And they're likely both pretty strong by now anyway."

Even as she did her best to reassure her friend, the memories of what had happened the first time she'd tried - and failed - to help her out on a mission kept surfacing.

---

Nick and his new friend Inari had stayed up all night long looking for the lost necklace. The mission was looking like a lost cause. The ski resort employees had long since given up on the search, but they couldn't manage to convince the two trainers to do the same. Luckily, Nick had the aid of his brand new fire-type Pokemon (Litleo) to help keep them warm and melt the snow. Munchlax also helped search, as his body fat kept him warm. His other two Pokemon weren't as suited for the cold, so they remained in their Pokeballs.

Nick was too tired to notice a rock slightly poking up out of the snow. Down he came with a hard crash, when he tripped over it. The snow cushioned his fall however, so there was no damage done. Still, Litleo and Munchlax both raced to his side to make sure.

He then looked over to Inari, who was only a few feet away. Through a yawn, he managed to get out, "Oops... I'm okay." He then petted the heads of the two Pokemon that had rushed to his aid. They yawned as well. Yawning is contagious after all.

---

+1 CP = 13 CP

@Artymis

It had gotten colder as Luna continued along the mountain path, so cold that it proved unbearable to her Deino, even while snuggled in Luna's coat. So the poor little dragon had to be returned into his pokeball. Luna shivered a bit as she continued on, flashlight in hand. "W-where... Is that... S-ski r-resort?" she mumbled to herself as she adjust her earmuffs.

It seemed like that she would have to take shelter from the cold and get moving again tomorrow, until she spotted a small flame ahead, a campfire maybe?

She hesitated a bit as she didn't want to be a bother to anyone, but if she didn't get any warmth soon she would be a human popsicle. Breathing a cold sigh, she trudged through the snow towards the light of the fire. Coming up to the source of the light, Luna was surprised to see that it was a Litleo,
accompanied by two trainers and a munchlax. Catching their attention, Luna was a shivering mess as she tried to introduce herself. "H-hello... M-my name is... Luna... D-do y-you mind if I... Warm myself up?" she asked in a polite, freezing tone.



@Artymis @Balthazar007

Nick's gaze was pulled to a figure in the distance. It was a small girl in purple and black outfit. Despite her coat, she seemed to be freezing. Sure, Nick and Inari were cold as well, but at least they had the help of Litleo to keep them warm. As the small framed girl got closer, she began to speak. Her words were very understandable.

"H-hello... M-my name is... Luna... D-do y-you mind if I... Warm myself up?" she asked in a polite, freezing tone.

"Sure, no problem." Nick then turned to his Litleo. Litleo bounded across Nick's body so that he could stand right between the two humans. The flame on his head wasn't exactly indoor heating, but it would have to do for now. "...and my name is Nick. That is Inari."

We've been out here all night looking for a lost necklace. It was supposed to be a simple C-Class mission. But with all this snow, we've gotten our butts kicked. Isn't that right Inari!?" Nick was trying to keep a positive attitude, despite their miserable situation.

---

+1 CP = 14 CP

@Artymis

With his newly hatched Axew ready to begin training after she had watched his other Pokemon doing so for about half an hour, Tommy joined them, helping Xena work on Scratch with a piece of wood he'd gotten earlier, chuckling at it's efforts to match the work of the other Pokemon. But he was still young, so despite his best efforts, he wouldn't quite measure up for a little while until he was a bit older. As he set the wood up to go and call Cici, two more evolutionary glows enveloped his team, first Epsilon and then Jerus.

Tommy stared, slack jawed, as Ivysaur and Kirlia emerged from the lights and couldn't help but grin. Now this was a sure fire sign they were getting stronger, and he couldn't wait to tell Cici. Picking up his cellphone, he dialed her number, waiting on his fellow musician to pick up. And as he thought about music, his eyes drifted to his trumpet case and he smiled softly. As much as he wanted to get stronger, he knew he couldn't neglect his favorite hobby forever, so he decided to play a couple of songs after talking to Cici.

---

Inari and Nick had quite the adventure together. She'd guided him over most of clearbrook mountain given that she knew the area pretty well, but they hadn't gotten very well looking for the necklace. THey were beginning to lose hope looking for the blasted thing, but despite everything, she could say that she was having fun. No matter how cold she was, or how bleak the situation was, she was happy. Best of all, Riina was keeping her company. That made everything fine for her as they relied on Nick's Litleo to keep them warm and his Munchlax to help them search as she let out a yawn after witnessing Nick fall over. The conditions were treacherous

It was around this time she noticed another trainer coming around to them. She was wrapped up as well as them but she was much colder. Confirming herself to be someone named Luna, she asked if she could warm herself up. He wondered why on earth she was on a mountain if she could get this cold this easily, and it made her feel quite sorry for the girl as Nick did the talking for them. She was too busy looking at the stars at this point, trying to distract herself from the severity of nature as every breeze that went by sent a chill even through her clothes.

Nick had addressed them and he had spoken about getting their butts kicked. This was pretty true, all things considered and however prideful she was, she'd have to admit it. Seeing no issue with it given the state that the other girl was in, she'd turn around to talk to them in response to Nick.

"Yeah, for sure. We've had absolutely no luck. I've lived here for a while and the conditions aren't usually THIS bad. Still, things can only get better at this point." she spoke with a smile as she brushed herself off and got up

"I think we can still find it, we just need to try harder." she spoke as she began to jog on the spot to warm herself up near the Litleo. She didn't want to fail, not on her first task as a trainer. Riina followed by example.

"Sure, no problem." Nick then turned to his Litleo. Litleo bounded across Nick's body so that he could stand right between the two humans. The flame on his head wasn't exactly indoor heating, but it would have to do for now. "...and my name is Nick. That is Inari."

We've been out here all night looking for a lost necklace. It was supposed to be a simple C-Class mission. But with all this snow, we've gotten our butts kicked. Isn't that right Inari!?" Nick was trying to keep a positive attitude, despite their miserable situation.

"T-thank you..." Luna edged a bit closer to the litleo just so she could feel the fire type's warmth. So these two trainers were looking for a necklace, in this kind of weather? How could anyone stand this kind of cold?

"Yeah, for sure. We've had absolutely no luck. I've lived here for a while and the conditions aren't usually THIS bad. Still, things can only get better at this point." Inari said as she brushed herself off. "I think we can still find it, we just need to try harder." she stated as she started to jog on the spot.

"A... Mission? F-for who?" Luna asked curiously, if these two were hear on a mission it would make sense, but in her opinion, walking around in the cold looking for a necklace that could be buried deep in the snow didn't sound inviting to Luna. "I was... Looking for the ski resort... Know where it is?" she asked as she breathed on her hands to try and warm up. She kicked the ground a little bit out of boredom before she had kicked something out of the snow. Luna thought it was just a rock, but the object made a slight jingle sound as it fell to the ground, she picked it up and surely enough it wasn't a rock, but a necklace of some kind.

"Uh... Is this... What you're looking for?" she asked, showing both Nick and Inari the piece of jewelry.



@Artymis