((I see no need to come back immediately, and there is no IC reason for me to do so. Cat is headed for the rendevous point, just meet her there.

Happy birthday, twistedturtwig ))

((Thanks for noticing today was my birthday guys!  Didn't really expect anyone else to notice!))

After we all met up at the guardhouse, we made our way towards the city.  I held my breath walking through the gate, but the guard didn't even seem to care.  We were through!  Almost immediately, Cat set of on her own.  Axel then suggested that we all go off in pair, and I realized that if we did that, one person would be left alone.  "I could be the one to go off by myself," I offered.  "I've been to Cerulean once before, and can probably find my way on my own."

((If I favourite this, create my profile, post it up --- can a character of mine meet you guys up at Bill's place if you accept me rex? Obviously my character won't know anything about what you guys have been through. I'd make it out like, Bill called my character to meet and travel with you. Otherwise, if you need a baddie, I can always make one of those.))

((Sent you a PM, Crunchy, giving you the go-ahead. Okay, guys, we need to move this thing along. Me and Porygon 3, then redt and shinashu taji. Twisted can take his leave, since he volunteered. And I'm just deciding these groups based off of activity level, so... redt and shina, whoever logs on first, feel free to take it all the way to the meeting spot, but I'd prefer dialogue (if possible). ))

I nodded. "So, Seth, how about you and me, then? I probably look closer to your age than Vincent or Steel does, so it seems pretty logical to me." Hopefully at this point I'd be able to actually figure something out about the group, since I really didn't know any of them. It seemed like we were going to be taking the fight to Elemental, and if so, we'd need to know everything about each other... or we would wind up failing. And possibly dying.



"Hey Boss, should we go and try to intercept them inside the city again?" A voice squawked over the radio clutched in Joseph's hand. Joseph gave a sharp glare to the impudent radio, realized what he was doing, and promptly looked away again before anyone noticed.

These kids are just evading traps left and right. If we waste any more time on this, the Governor will not be pleased... On the other hand, catching them would probably mean a grand elevation to the title of Chief of Regional Police. With that cushy job in hand, I'd be free to pursue anything I wished. Joseph was thinking hard. He had originally joined up with Elemental just to get ahead; but, as a boy of 15 in the police recruitment program, he'd seen exactly what kind of terrible things these so-called Pokemon had been able to do to each other - imagine what they would do to humans! So Joseph had decided that Elemental's goals weren't that terrible; eliminate enough rebels, and he wouldn't have to work with the damn creatures anymore.

So by now, he'd been in for 10 years. He was the only one from his training group still alive - the rest had been mauled by Pokemon or killed by this rebel scum. Not that his whole group had even made it out of the training anyway. It only served his interests and beliefs that he should find and capture these... abominations of people, before they used their powers to destroy what he had worked for for so long.

"Boss?" Another glare, another quick hide. This time, he raised it up to his mouth, and gave the grunt an order. "No. Follow them, spy on them, but do not touch any of them. Based on the information we receive, we'll set an appropriate trap - for their own good, of course." Joseph smiled. He had always believed that things went right more often for him than for others. Today would be no different.

((just fleshing out some other characters))

((I feel like I should post something, so here it goes ))

"Sounds like a plan." I said. "It's too bad we dont have an Elemental Uniform, though. I could wear the uniform, you could be a Mightyena, and we can walk the streets pretty much unquestioned. Oh well. Let's move out."

I nodded as Seth and I separated ourselves from the others. With a two-fingered salute, I said, "See the rest of you guys on the other side."

As we walked, I decided to start the conversation. "So, Seth, what's with the gray hair? You have the hair of an old man, but you can't be older than 16, judging by your facial features." Maybe he dyed it, although that would've been rather difficult, considering there weren't many dyes and places to dye on the street.

((I'll leave more of the storyline to you. I can just do the convo. ))

Me and Axel left, and after a few seconds he asked about my hair. "Yeah, I'm 15. My hair was gray like this since I was about 6 months old. I had black hair, but my body can't make enough pigment to make the hair the black it's supposed to be. So, It's gray." I paused. "So, if you don't mind me asking, how'd you end up on the streets? Mine's kind of a long story, but then again, yours probably is too."

((Just so you guys know I'm still alive... >_>))

It was easy to blend into the city, and even easier to slip down the alleys to find the sort of small store that sold living essentials and was so desperate for coin that no awkward questions would be asked. I selected some first aid supplies and dried rations, enough to fill my considerable number of pockets, before giving in to the Charizard portion of my mind and also picking up a small pack of charcoal.

Who knows, it might be a good snack for the dragon. Improved flame power and all that.

Paying for the items, I slipped back out into the city, keeping to the back alleys to avoid detection and eventually making my way up to the rooftops, the place where I felt most comfortable.

((well, it's not like we wrote you off or anything.... but yeah, this should be a shorter part. as soon as redt or shina posts, i'm probably gonna take this thing straight to Route 25.))

"The streets... Whew. That's a long story." I ran my hands through my hair, causing it to form into small spikes across my scalp. I blew out a long breath, then launched into what had happened all those years earlier.

"Basically, I grew up in one of the few middle class families that exist in today's society. My parents scraped by; we were poor, but not as bad off as most people today. I was happy living with them; although there wasn't always food on the table, having each other was enough."

"But one day, I was asleep in my room, when I woke up to the sound of my mother screaming and wailing. I ran to my parents' room; but I was far too late. My father's corpse was on the floor; I don't remember the exact wounds anymore, but I see them in my nightmares sometimes. There were some bloodstains on the sheets on the bed; I'm guessing they belonged to my mother, since they were on her side. The window was open, so I went to it. A flash of lightning lit up the silhouette of a man and a large Pokemon dragging away my mother." I closed my eyes, reliving that nightmare of a night.

"No matter how hard I tried, I could never catch up to them. I continued to hear her screams, calling my name, begging for someone to come and help. I ran and ran, and eventually wound up lost in a forest. Her voice faded into the distance, and I was an orphan. I never found out who took her, or why, or what happened to her after. I guess she's probably dead by now; at best, she probably lasted a few months in a labor mine before dying - if she didn't die that night." I sighed, opened my eyes, and continued walking. It seemed like recently, these old wounds kept opening back up, left to bleed in the air. Or maybe it was more the fact that I had never allowed people to get to know me this well before. Of course, my life had never required it before; before, there was only the cold solidarity of the orphan's life.

I looked back at Seth. "So, yeah. Pretty much the rest is history. I moved the next day, and came to Saffron. This is actually the first time I've been out of the city since the day after my parents' sudden absence from my life." We walked along in a semi-awkward silence for a little bit.

Then I decided to change the subject. "So, Seth, have you ever been this far north? I mean, this Bill guy chose a pretty remote area to live in, despite the fact that Route 25 is directly connected to Cerulean."



"Boss, they're on their way to see some guy named Bill, on Route 25. They haven't said what for yet, though." Joseph nodded, then radioed back. "Got it. Keep on their tail, but pull back if there's a risk of being discovered." The grunt signed off.

Joseph smiled, then hopped in the back of a police troop transport. "To Route 25 - and step on it. We have an ex-scientist we need to get to." If he could get to the senile old man before the group, a trap could be set. He chuckled a little bit, then sat back to enjoy the ride.

((If any of this contradicts any of the story or that of anyone's backgrounds, please let me know and I can change it. Also, rex09.))

Name: Leo
Age: 12
Gender: Male
Appearance: His height is short, messy dark red hair, big dark brown eyes, black shirt/dark blue jeans, jacket, black boots. Wears a bandana his sister left behind, dark green around his head, japanese characters of the name "Ilex" is subscribed on the bandana on the side of his head
Personality: He has a bit of an attitude problem, especially about his height. He can get grumpy really easily and holds certain grudges a lot. He likes to do things alone, and gets pissy if he HAS to work in a team or if someone just HAS help him. He can get very moody and emotionally upset, especially after a loss or a situation dealing with his sister. However, deep down inside he longs for friendship, companionship and a family, and will always likely help others in need. He will repay any favours and fight for justice. He's childish, going so far as to nickname each transformation he takes and controlling out attacks. He strides to become stronger and finds himself gettng carried away in battle, unfortunately hungering him more for pursuing his long time vengence. He can be a real smartass if he wants to be, being sly and smug when he ventures and plans for something he desires. He likes to think he knows a lot more than everybody else, being envious or feeling angry when someone comes up with a better idea or just hinting their general knowledge of pokemon.

Background: Leo became a typical orphan at the age of 7, from who some kids call the "Ilex Tribe". Like many children whose homes had been destroyed by Team Elemental. His town however, was one of the many refuge villages and one of the last remaining, hidden in the sacred forest of Johto, Ilex Forest. 100 years of being constantly hunted by the new government, there were many hidden villages where pokemon still thrived. Leo's village lasted more than a decade before it was finally infiltrated and burned to the ground. His two parents protecting him were killed.

From this particular village, a handful of children had survived, now wondering all over the continents. Namely, his older sister Sarah who cared for him. Their vast knowledge of pokemon were passed down from a village elder who was particularly hunted and killed. A human pokedex if you will. Great grandson of a professor who lived in Pallet Town researching pokemon long ago... The government feared this knowledge, and so they sought out to annihilate everyone who they saw as a threat. Leo had know idea why they did, and why knowing things about pokemon is a danger to Team Elemental. So, he and the others sought to find that answer to avenge their village and their people.

Five years of travelling flew passed, and the orphans had gone seperate ways since then, trying to find that answer themselves... Sarah saw things much more differently than any one of them. As Leo could only think of revenge for their parents, Sarah thought with a more open mind, and stated once that her dreams were not of revenge for their hidden village and family, but to help save and restore the pokemon world. To return it to the way it was, the way the world was told from their village elder long ago. Leo, being arrogant and close-minded, only shouted at her and told her that she was betraying everyone they loved. They shortly parted ways after that.

Journeying Kanto, the youngest of the survivors, Leo was picked up by an odd man who called himself Bill, slightly knowing who the boy was and where he came from... Apparently, he was waiting for others that could change certain things, become certain things, to save this world... Leo, desprite to believe such an act could ever happen, on a whim, decided to go with him. And so they waited, beyond Route 25, Bill's sea cottage...

Six Pokemon you might wind up picking: Bulbasaur, Pikachu, Cyndaquil, Mudkip, Eevee, Dragonite (each one of them are given names Leo calls himself while in transformation. each pokemon bears his bandana.)
Best Memories: Learning about pokemon from the elder and his sister, memories of his family and village in general, journeying with his sister
Worst Memories: His parents telling him to go with his sister pulling him away with their last words, his last fight with his sister, his sister betraying and leaving him after Diglett's Cave, finding out his sister has joined Elemental after finally being reunited
Other Information: Leo knows a fair bit about pokemon and each one of their abilities thanks to his schooling of them. Thanks to this, however weak his transformations may seem, the pokemon are as strong as their fully evolved forms --- in actuality, Leo and Sarah were born with a gift which enabled Leo to use pre-evolutions this way. Sarah's gift enabled her to be one of the best pokemon masters of the world.
Favourite People: His late parents, his sister Sarah, the Elder of his village (Blue), the old man (Bill)

Edit: Pokemon Morphs (males):

Pikachu / Nickname Sparky
Obtained: First pokemorph, morphed when thinking of Sarah's pokemon after he took the Cube, making a decision based out of her actions
Description: Scruffy, with a slight fringe, bandana is worn around the head
Techniques: Thundershock, Thunderbolt, Quick Attack, Agility
Ultimate Attack: Volt Tackle

Bulbasaur / Nickname Bulba
Obtained: First guardian pokemon found using the Silph Scope (obtained through Bill for the use of the whole team), the ghost of bulbasaur appeared from the bushes before confronting Leo
Description: Normal looking bulbasaur, bandana is worn around head
Guardian's History: Likely the last Bulbasaur herd who were a family, growing up to soon be starter pokemon for the youngsters at Pallet Town. This Bulbasaur was a big brother to the rest of the gang of smallies, being slightly bigger. When Elemental came to destroy the Professor who resided in Pallet Town, they were also gathering the professor's pokemon. The Bulbasaur fought against the gang to protect the small group of pokemon, but was quickly defeated. Maybe one hundred or so years after, the spirit of the Bulbasaur became attacted to Leo while he and his big sister Sarah were still travellng together, passing through the ruins of Pallet Town.
Techniques: Vine Whip, Razor Leaf, Leech Seed, Synthesis
Ultimate Attack: Solar Beam

Cyndaquil / Nickname Cynda
Obtained: Second guardian pokemon found after confronting the Typhlosion who had been terrorizing New Bark Town, Leo could see the ghost of the pokemon without the Silph Scope
Description: Bandana around neck
Guardian's History: Once upon a time there were two Cyndaquil, one male, the bravest, and one female, who was the quietest and the most timid of the bunch. They lived being taken care of outside the lab of New Bark, when it was still standing that is. They were the best of friends, and they played together every day. The lady who was responsible for looking after them, cared and feed them along with many other starter pokemon, including the Chikorita and Totodile. The two Cyndaquil didn't like the Totodile very much, but the Chikorita were okay, besides the snobby ones. The lady who raised was a lovely woman who loved all of them. She was a lab assistant at Elm's, and a gifted pokemon trainer.

One day, Elemental came... Before the lady could come to protect the pokemon from harm's way, in the chaos of the lab's destruction, the female Cyndaquil was killed in the falling debris along with a lot of other starter pokemon. That pokemon became Leo's guardian. When he lady finally made it, she was only able to find a lone unconscious Cyndaquil who had lost it's mate... That Cyndaquil was given a scar down it's left eye. She healed it the best she could before she was noticed and Elemental came to pursue her.
Techniques: Flame Wheel, Flamethrower, Smoke Screen, Swift
Ultimate Attack: Blast Burn

Dragonite / Nickname Midnight
Obtained: Another Guardian ghost that could have been following him ever since he left Johto behind. This one's kept its distance until Leo's lust for revenge filled him so much that he seeked the pokemon's power himself. Found after diving into the water at Tohjo falls. Obtained after it's dark encounter, Leo's out of body experience. As of yet this pokemon has not been morphed into or controlled, residing in Leo's heart and sharing emotions with him.
Description: A black Dragonite with dark green wings
Guardian's History:
Techniques:
Ultimate Attack:

((Nice application, Crunchy, sounds interesting.))

After telling me the story about his parents, Axel and I walked in an awkward silence for a while. Then he asked if I'd ever been this far up North. I knew he tried to change the subject, but I had to say one thing first. "Sorry about your parents. I feel your pain, my Dad's dead and my Mom was taken, too. I can tell you more sometime if you want." Then I went back to his question. "And nah, I've never been this far up North. My Dad went here on buisness once. It was only for a couple days. He was an architect. He wasn't actually licensed or anything like that, but he was really good, so people had him design stuff for money. Anyway, he was here to design a new building to take the place of the old Pokemon Gym. He told me some stuff about the Gym before he left, too. It was all about Water Pokemon. The Leader was a girl named Misty, but he didn't know if she's still alive or not. I just went with no. So, how about you? You ever been up here?"

((Also, I didnt know if you want the Gyms still standing for any reason. Rex, if you want it to still be there, just tell me and I'll change it to a PokeMart or something.))

((Just so you know guys, I'm going to be away for a few days starting tomorrow, and I don't know if I'll have Internet access where I'll be. If I do, then I'll continue posting as usual. If not, then you can just move the story along without me. Thanks!))

((Crunchy: Accepted, and we'll be heading your way shortly. Porgyon 3: Nah, the Gym's gone. All of them disappeared before Team Elemental even took over, because of the PokeWorld Tournament. It would make sense that it was built over. And twistedturtwig, that's fine; if you want someone to proxy you, then just PM them and inform me; otherwise, I'll just GM you where we need to be.))

"Huh. Interesting. I would've expected Water-types to be in a place like Vermilion City. There's a Port, and it borders right on the ocean, from what I've heard." We neared the meeting spot. "Whew, at least we made it without getting ambushed or anything untoward happening." I grabbed Seth's shoulder and guided him towards a couple of nearby benches.

"Hope you don't mind if I just shut my eyes for a little bit... The past couple of days haven't been exactly restful." I closed my eyes, but I was still listening for any signs of trouble. Weariness was a weakness, and succumbing to it in a large city full of unknown people could be fatal. But I did become a little drowsy.. and just.. faded into the land.. of dreams..



On Route 25, there is a small house. It lies at the end of a path, past a maze of some bushes and trees. In times past, there were mysterious people called "trainers" who came here to battle beneath the serene sun. But now, there is nothing; the bushes are small and withered, the trees cut down by fugitives living in the woods. At the end of the path, there is a small garden bordering a river that leads out to the ocean; and beyond this small garden, the small house lies, undisturbed by the ages. A small chimney on top emits a small stream of gray smoke. It is a peaceful place in a violent world.

Within this house, there is an old man. He has been around to see much; a onetime Pokemon fanatic and computer engineer, this man now spends his time in a rocking chair, reminiscing about the days long gone. Nobody knows how old he is; it's clear that he has lived far longer than many humans should have. Some say that during the Golden Ages, he discovered an Elixir of Life; others say that a legendary Champion came to his house, and blessed it in exchange for something. Whatever the reason, until recently, this man passed the time in solitude, until he found a young boy.

Bill was in his rocking chair now. He had told this young Leo much about how a group of heroes would banish the Team Elemental, into the darkness forever. He didn't know if Leo believed him; Bill could see in the young boy's eyes that he had been through much, and was older in his soul beyond his years. But he could sense it now; like Red of old, he could feel that a group of strangers were coming, and they would change the world.

Bill called young Leo to his side. "Leo, they are coming now. The heroes... The Champions who will bring the world to glory, they have come. I want to give you something..." With the help of an old, gnarled cane, Bill got up out of his chair, and went to his old desk. In times past, there had been a computer here, with which Red had helped Bill turn back into a human. He hadn't known that it would lead to his greatest invention, far greater than the PC, or the Transfer system. An invention that was now lost to the seas of time... Bill shook his head. He was old, and there was no time for such reminiscenses. He opened a drawer, and took out an object.

"Leo, this object is called a Silph Scope. When it was new, it was at first only capable of allowing us to see Pokemon such as Haunter in their true forms. I modified it long ago to allow it to navigate for you, and find Pokemon, among other such trivial things." Bill stooped down, and took Leo by his shoulders.

"But its most magnificent power is this: when you look at a person or a Pokemon with this, you can see the true nature of their heart. A good person will glow gold; a bad person will exude a dark projection. Use this to help the heroes, and I'm sure that you will be better off for it." The phone rang, and Bill sighed. He had some idea of what it would be.

"I will be only a moment, Leo. The case is in the same drawer.."

((Porygon, feel free to wake me up for a convo or anything. We're pretty much just waiting on the others to show up, now.
EDIT: Added something for Crunchy to do, if he wants. Just play with the Scope and stuff. The main purpose of it will be to allow us to find more forms, on occasion. And as for the other, speshul powar; it remains to be seen how that will be used ))

((Just a quick note, I'm visiting grandparents this weekend so I won't be on... If we need to move, just say that Cat came with you guys, basic stuff. Thanks!))

Ducking through the last screen of trees, I slipped around the gatehouse and made my way out onto the route. It didn't take me long to spot a pair of very familiar teenagers sitting on benches, one with his eyes closed.

"Hey guys." I greeted, casually sitting down by Seth. "I stopped over to pick up some food and supplies that we might need... I assume the others are on their way."

((Nah, you can sleep. I'll just do a couple line or two of thinking. ))

Axel and I found a bench, and when he sat down, he immediately dozed off. I wonder what this Bill guy is gonna be like. I thought. Obviously, he's like 100 years old, but is he going to remember about the PokeMorphs thing? It must've been a long time ago. I guess we'll have to find out.

((I'll go ahead and wake up now, since LM's here. It seems like redt and shina will just have to be GMed along; I'll give it another day or two, but i'd really like to move this along.))

Cat approached and sat down, waking me from my not-so-deep sleep. I rubbed my eyes, then drowsily mumbled, "Sounds good. I think they are, but we probably won't see them for a few more minutes, provided they did the smart thing and took a different route." I leaned forward and stretched my arms and legs, then stood up.

"Don't mind me; just trying to get the blood flowing again." Man, sleeping on benches is so uncomfortable, but it beats a lot of other places I've spent the night. I finished stretching, then sat back down.

"So, Cat, me and Seth were talking earlier about what to expect at Bill's house. Any thoughts?" I looked at her, wondering if she could shed any light on this guy.

((What time is it for them? I mean, in-character, not for redt and shina.))

"Hmmm..." I thought back to some of the books I'd managed to pilfer over the years, then spoke again. "Lots of books, a couple computers, lots of random gadgets, electronic bits and pieces, maybe a few rare Pokemon he managed to hide, who knows? Oh, and one -really- old scientist."

I stretched, looking out at the route. "We should still be careful. Elemental probably has people out looking for us, more than the goons we took care of on the way."

((The timeline for the story so far is like this: Last night, we all found each other and the cube. Around dawn the next day, we had just made it towards the forest, and about mid-morning (let's say, 10-11) we made it to the gate. So, I think it should be around 1-2 p.m. in the story. We'll get to Bill's later tonight, right around the time the sun's going down. Or that's my plan, at least.))

Books, computers, and old scientists. I laughed out loud. "Man, this whole thing is shaping out to be like something straight out of a story. Cranky old scientist creates an invention, which is then abused by a bunch of hoodlums and gangsters. Who will save the world?!" I chuckled a little bit more, then sobered up.

"I definitely agree, though. We've been attracting too much attention; they're bound to be looking for us by now. And Joseph; if we ever wind back up in the hands of that guy, he'll probably kill me." I had known and heard about Joseph on the streets; occasionally, he bought some of my stolen goods. Greedy, ambitious, and morally retarded, Joseph had demonstrated the fact that he was nowhere close to being the orthodox Elite member that he wanted to be. That didn't stop him from trying, however. I probably wouldn't have messed with him at all, if I hadn't seen him sic some Mightyena on a kid that got in his way.

Thinking back on my earlier comment, an interesting thought came back to me. "You know, actually, it's not like something out of a story at all. This sounds like the kind of thing that happened in the Golden Ages, before Team Elemental, based on what little I've heard of that time. You know?" I looked at Seth and Cat.



Joseph was on his radio, using the satellite option to call the old man. The transport was jolting along; the repulsors didn't really work anymore, considering this was a crappy leftover from those terrible days in history.

A creaky old voice came on. Joseph chuckled. "Hello, this is Bill. May I ask who is calling?" Joseph motioned at the others in the transport to pipe down. "Yes, hello. This is Saffron City Police Chief Joseph. Early this morning, at about 0500, we encountered a group of rebel fugitives in the city. We have also received intelligence reports that they will likely be heading towards your residence on Route 25." Joseph pulled out his minimal acting skills; it probably wasn't necessary for the old crock, but it never hurt to be sure.

"Mr. Bill, these are known terrorists. They have single-handedly taken down whole squads before. I urge you to be cautious. We have a troop transport on the way to provide you with protection. We believe that we will arrive before the fugitives, so please just wait for us. There is nothing to worry about." Joseph grinned, then provided a standard sign-off before the old man could interject. Putting away the satrad, he yelled to the driver. "Faster, man! Those kids are gonna beat us there at this rate..."



Bill put down the phone, and turned to Leo. "Leo, we are in for some trouble..." He explained the situation to Leo, then made a request.

"Leo, those men are up to no good. For years, the Police have proven themselves to be the lackeys of Team Elemental. I don't believe that they will come here on the mission of peace that they claim. I want you to leave with the people who are coming. If they are truly rebels, then they are good people." He, possibly for the last time, put his hands on the shoulders of the boy who he had grown strangely attached to. "Leo, join them, and fight Elemental. Do not worry about me." He stood up, and went back to his chair. "Well, at least we have a few hours, probably..."

((Okay, gotcha. Thanks. Sorry if this is a bit of a GM but I do want to move on...))

"No, not really?" I tilted my head at him in mild confusion, before freezing and tensing up, hands unconsciously going to my knives as I strained to hear the sound.

"Shhh, I hear something--"

And there it was again, on the faintest edges of hearing, a coughing rattle that I knew well. "I hear repulsors. Busted-up ones, but repulsors nonetheless. Big vehicle from the deepness of that rattle, like a... troop... transport..."

I cursed softly and volubly. "We've gotta get going, they must be moving to intercept us."

((Not really. They do have to cut through the city, since you can't really go around...))

Cat tensed up, then warned us about some repulsors. "Come on, guys, we need to hide - right now!" I ushered the other two behind a building as fast as possible.

Damn, they really want to get us. I mean, the only ones with access to repulsor-powered vehicles anymore were the cops. But considering most of them had broke down over the decades, they're used only sparingly... Can we possibly be this much of a threat? I leaned up against a wall, then chose to peek around the corner.

As the sound of the repulsors grew louder, I kept expecting to suddenly feel a hand come down on my shoulder. But eventually, I saw the troop transport. It had the logo of the Saffron Police Force emblazoned across the side. It was a wide, tall, bulky thing; the repulsors were supposed to make it a smooth ride, but their lack of upkeep made it even rougher than if they had used conventional tires. I would have laughed, if we weren't the subjects of their search.

Then I had an idea. Coming out from behind the wall we were using to hide behind, I morphed as fast as I could. The craft came closer, and I trotted out onto the sidewalk, walking among the pedestrians. As soon as it came within range, I shot a Shadow Ball off towards the undercarriage. The sphere of dark energy raced for the bottom of the transport... and, bullseye! It struck one of the poorly maintained repulsors.

The craft began to wobble, and lost half the altitude it had - about six inches. Then, abruptly, the other one failed, and the craft began to skid, then roll as the driver attempted to use backup power to steer. It was all in vain. They had been traveling at such a speed, that even though they had a lot of friction working against it, they continued... straight into a pole.

I happily trotted back towards the others, then sat down with a doggy grin plastered across my muzzle. <So, maybe we should go now?>

I couldn't help but laugh at the sound of a crash, before Axel in his Mightyena form returned and sat down, tail wagging and panting in a canine smile. I reached out carefully, then scratched behind his ears with a grin. "Nice work. And yeah, we definitely should go now. Can you get word to the other two via the telepathy-thing form of speech? Let them know to just head straight for the route, I guess, which shouldn't be a problem since one can teleport and Vincent's a Staraptor."

Leo listened to the old man's request silently. His cottage house was full of old pokemon related junk. Books about to collapse from their bookselves, old dusty out-of-date computers, anicent first-gen pokemon collectables, decks of pokemon cards Leo never knew existed, strange odd devices with numerous wires decorating the back wall... Sighing a little, he walked up toward the window, staring blankly at the swaying trees of the evening outside. They didn't even know who these people were... Leo was a rebel himself, but why trust others now after all this time?

"...Like I told you, old man, I work alone." He muttered, giving a frown.

Flashes of his sister and himself parting ways flooded his mind. A little saddened, he suddenly had a change of heart. He turned swiftly, his green bandana following behind, towards old man Bill, sitting tiredly in his favourite rocking chair, "Okay, fine..." Leo shrugged, "Anyone fighting Elemental, can't be all that bad, I guess... But what about you? You'll be okay, won't you?" He walked towards him, showing a lot of honest concern. Bill reminded him of his elder a lot... He shoved his hands into deep into his jacket pockets.

Oh, right there, no left a little- As it turns out, Mightyena were rather susceptible to being scratched around the ears, when not acting like menaces to anything that moved. While I tried to resist the urge to start kicking my leg, Cat mentioned something about getting a message to Steel and Vincent. I nodded, then concentrated.

Mentally, I just kind of found a link, I guess, to the others with our ability. The strongest links were to Cat and Seth; the ones to Steel, Vincent, and Jeremiah were less clear, but still clearly there. It occurred to me that the ability to converse mind-to-mind might not be so strong over long distances; but that was something for later. I accessed all three at once.

<Uh, hey guys, this is Axel here. I really hope you can hear me; there was a police transport traveling down the main street. Cat, Seth and I reached the rendezvous point with no problems, and I've managed to delay the transport. The only explanation is that they were hunting us. The three of us will go ahead and head out onto Route 25; you guys meet us there. Axel out.> I closed the mental connections as soon as I finished the message.

I slowly began to morph back into my human form. "So, who's ready to hit 25?" I finished the morph, then got ready to leave.



Joseph hadn't been wearing his safety straps when the transport had crashed. Groaning, he pulled himself up off the floor. "Damn... I'm gonna have to skin whoever did that..." All around him was the sounds of other men trying to pull themselves together. "Ah, quit yer whining! We have a job to do." Joseph went to the front cabin, limping slightly.

In the pilot's seat, the driver was slumped over the wheel. Joseph poked him. No response. Joseph checked to make sure he was breathing, then sighed in relief when the pilot was. He didn't really care either way; but it just made for one less report that day. He made his way back to the cabin, then to the exit door. "Alright, men, we proceed the rest of the way on foot! Two are to stay behind and take care of the pilot and any civvies who get to close; the rest of us will go ahead and complete the mission."

As they stumbled outside, a crowd had begun to gather. Joseph groaned inwardly; this would just make his job harder than it needed to be. He gestured, and two men produced Pokeballs.



Bill smiled inwardly. Leo was definitely a confident boy; but he would learn, with time, that there are certain burdens that require help to bear.

"Do not worry about me, my friend. I've still got some tricks up my sleeve." Bill produced a Pokeball. "Some old friends of mine will be able to protect me." He pressed the button, and a Clefable suddenly appeared. "This one especially. He helped inspire one of my greatest inventions..."

((lol at the susceptible to ear scratches part.))

"I'm ready to go. I saw a path in the woods just now, one that takes us around the maze-- not like that's a problem, since you can find the right route and I could just burn the whole thing down-- but it should get us to Bill's quicker."

I tilted my head firmly on one side and winced, then sighed in relief at the loud pop from the vertebrae, before pointing out the beginnings of the path that ran under the faded-yellow bridge. "There. Let's go."

"Hmmm... Well, I guess if it works. And we need to get away from here as fast as possible." I scratched my chin for a moment. "Ah, hell, why not. Let's go for it." So the three of us started walking towards the path.

((lol crap post))