Solo Tremaine

[color=#503f86]Krystal's Staff wasn't the most practical device for cutting up Chansey's eggs. Really, they were more like egg-shaped marshmellows than proper eggs, as the shells felt soft and spongy, and they stretched and bounced in exactly the same way that normal eggs don't. She grimaced as she pressed the tip of her Staff down onto the egg, squidging it into a much shorter, fatter egg than it was before. "This is useless!" she cried, looking disdainfully at Chansey's Pokeball. The big pink creature had been very helpful in lending its ovules to her in the first place, but it didn't give any indication as to how you were supposed to access the eggy goodness inside. It wasn't even as if they were normal egg size- this had to be at least a foot tall, and hardly bitesize. She needed to cut it. But- The grassland echoed with a resounding 'slap' as Krystal's hand met her forehead in a moment of dramatic realisation. "Scyther, was it?" she sighed, rifling through her pockets to try and find the right Pokeball. It may be a psychopathic mantis thing, but it had what she needed! A bright light lit up the grass for a brief moment as the Pokeball burst open. In the darkness, Krystal could see Scyther's rather ominous form looking around. "Scyther, I need you to chop this egg for me. I know we got off to a bad start, but-" "Scyther!" the creature growled, folding its claws. "Please? I'll let you eat some. It's just that my friend-" indicating Lara with her own bruised hand "-really needs medical attention, and these have healing properties. I need it too, truth be told." Scyther gave her a cold stare for a few seconds, then swiped his claws across the length and width of the egg while it was still in Krystal's grasp. She blinked, and the egg fell into four neat quarters. She almost yelled at it for not giving her any warning about potential limb loss, but was more thankful for its contribution. "Thank you!" She picked up the pieces of egg and moved over to Lara. The bits of egg still wreen't exactly easy to manage, but at least they'd be easier to chew down than a full-sized Pre-Chansey. "Lara, wake up!" The injured tomb-raider stirred slightly, murmuring formless words in the domain of semi-consciousness. "Lara, wake [i]up[/i]! You need to eat this," Krystal pleaded. Lara said something incomprehensible involving her butler, then fell back asleep. Krystal sat firmly on the ground, folding her arms indignantly and wearing a look of annoyed frustration. The slices of egg sat piled in front of her, looking... eggy. Idly, she took one of them and placed it between her teeth. It tasted oddly sweet, and once it (or part of it) was inside your mouth it actually dissolved pretty easily. She drew the line at regurgitating it into Lara's mouth, though. They didn't know each other that well yet. Krystal froze- she was aware of a movement behind the tree to the left, and a faint sniffing noise. Something was investigating them. As silently as she could, she drew a Pokeball from her pocket. A tiny, fox-like creature walked proudly into the makeshift campsite (with no fire), sniffing the air with its elegant young nose. It could smell the eggs. Slowly it drew nearer, until... Krystal flicked the Pokeball out of her hand and knocked it against the animal's leg. It looked round in surprise only to find itself vanish in a burst of red light. The Pokedex '[i]ding[/i]'ed accordingly. "Vulpix. Fire Pokemon. At the time of its birth, Vulpix has one white tail. This tail separates into six if this Pokemon receives plenty of love from its trainer. The six tails become magnificently curled." Krystal cooed at the Pokedex's description. "Very pretty!" she giggled, moving back to try and force-feed Lara some Chansey egg.[/color]

[quote name='Baron Samedi][size=1][b]Edit[/b']: A note regarding claiming - I only do it when I have set the stage for the showdown with the next pokemon, and I try to avoid doing it often. Obviously claiming doesn't mean anything as such in the context of the game, but it'd be polite if people respected the claims, especially when doing otherwise could screw with what people have already written. If you do begin to set up the next scene in the post beforehand I strongly advise issuing a claim at the bottom of the post.[/size][/quote][color=#503f86]Until I realised that claiming a Pokemon would help continue a specific storyline, I thought it was a little rude, to be honest ^_^; That's why I've not done it yet. [spoiler]Although an Espeon would've been pretty cool...[/spoiler] there are just too many I'd want to have fer miself. At least I got Latios and Latias. They were really cute in the fifth movie -^_^- I'm happy with who I have so far. But I am getting a little tired by the challenge now, I must say >.>; There are only so many ways you can think of to come across and catch Pokemon.[/color]

[COLOR=#503F86]Krystal steadied herself against the cave wall and looked to her [color=#503f86]Pokémon[/color]. "Latios, can you carry her?" Latios nodded, but flashed Krystal a look of concern for her own body. Krystal gestured to Latias, who floated closer to them. Ampharos pre-empted her decision by jumping onto the ground- being a [color=#503f86]Pokémon himself, he could recover from their attacks much more easily, so was fit to walk again[/color]. They'd have to move at a slower pace, but with both Lara and Krystal in poor physical condition that was probably not too bad an idea. The fox took Lara under the arms and slid her onto Latios' back, ignoring the slicing pains in her lower spine. She leant back onto Latias and straddled her back, sitting tall and alert on her flying steed. The damage from the fall notwithstanding, it was just as well Lara fell where she did, otherwise there might have been no-one there to save her... * * * Some time later, the two adventurers and their escorts had reached the cave's opening. By now the sun had dropped just below the horizon; a red glow hung over the mountsintops in the distance. Lara still hadn't woken up yet. Krystal kept watching her friend to make sure she was still breathing; her bruises looked pretty severe, and her face was covered in tiny lacerations. She wondered whether going back to the CPU would automatically heal them or if they'd have to try and seek an alternate recovery method. Movement in the grass to their right alerted the [color=#503f86]Pokémon. Ampharos crept back; Latios and Latias slid Krystal and Lara from their backs in preparation, while Krystal readied a Pokéball to catch whatever creature was lurking.[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]A red, yellow and orange feathered creature stood to its full height, rearing its head. Sparks of fire flew from its clawed wrists as it drew back, ready to launch into a fierce attack.[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]Suddenly, it vanished in a flash of red light. A Survivor Pokéball dropped to thr gorund in front of them. Puzzled, Latias and Latios looked back at Krystal.[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]"I'm not having another bloody fight."[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]In a gesture that looked like a mutual shrug, the two Pokémon dismissed the encounter. Latias hovered over to the ball, picked it up in its mouth and handed it back to Krystal, who gave a small, relieved sigh.[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]"I hope this challenge ends soon..."[/COLOR][/color]

[COLOR=#503F86]"You know, this isn't too bad," Krystal mused to nobody in particular as she and Ampharos continued wandering through the networks of caves and tunnels. Ampharos' light was being sustained at a much lower level now- it wasn't blinding, and hopefully not distracting to other [color=#503f86]Pokémon she needed to catch.[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]Suddenly, Ampharos' light disappeared, plunging the tunnel into darkness.[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]"Ampharos?" Krystal called, reaching tentatively out for it, unable to see anything. "Ampharos, what happened? Are you all right?"[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]There was no reply. [/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]"Damn it!" she hissed, reaching for her Staff. Pulling the shortened stave from her belt, a massive object impacted into her stomach, sending her reeling through the darkness. She felt herself knocking against walls and stalagmites as she flew, but came to an abrupt halt when she slammed into a stone wall.[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]She couldn't feel anything. Her head was spinning, she couldn't breathe, and her ears rang. Groaning incoherently, she flailed an arm out to try and bring herself upright. She could feel a liquid dripping down her arm when she moved it and a shooting pain ran down her right side.[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]"Wh... help," was all she could manage to say.[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]One of the Pokéballs burst open.[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86][i]What happened?[/i][/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]"[i]I don't... know. Something hit...[/i]"[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]Mewtwo stared into the darkness and raised an arm.[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86][i]You! Savage Pokémon! What do you want?[/i][/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]Krystal was vaguely aware of something approaching the two of them in the dark tunnel. It was moving at speed, aggressively.[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86][i]Your sister?[/i][/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]"[i]I don't kn... know which P... Pokémon it is. Let her out.[/i]"[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86][i]No! You have captured the Pokémon by rights and you shall have this one too. I will subdue it for you.[/i][/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]"[i]No... wait...[/i]"[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]Another Pokéball burst open- this time Latias materialised in the darkness and flew between Mewtwo and the dark assailant. She could hear high-pitched animal sounds being thrown back and forth; she could only imagine what was going on.[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]Trying to move her arm was a mistake. An electric jolt of pain enveloped her arm, causing her to yelp in agony. She gritted her teeth and slowly, painstakingly shifted her legs underneath her and tried to raise herself into a sitting position. A nuzzle from her side, and a gentle touch from in front of her helped pull her upright. She swayed quite feverishly, her hands and arms shaking. For some reason, the only thing she could think about was whether she needed to wash her T-shirt when she got back.[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]She felt one of the Pokémon nuzzling her, whining softly- Latias. From behind it came another, deeper whine. It sounded very apologetic.[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]"You're the sister..." she mumbled, half-smiling. She was definitely in shock now. "Ah, I'm sorry."[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]The second Pokémon moved through and began nuzzling her as well.[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]"Wait, wait," Krystal would have tried moving them away physically, but she still couldn't lift her arms. "Where's Ampharos?"[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]The second Pokémon zoomed away, then arrived back seconds later, carrying a rather dazed-looking Ampharos. In the light, Krystal could see her injuries much more clearly. [/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]She was covered in bruises, scrapes and cuts, and her clothes were pretty well-battered. Thankfully nothing seemed to be broken, but she anticipated she'd be feeling a lot of muscular damage for a while afterwards. Her back hurt too, and it felt something had been dislodged somewhere.[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]She could also see the second Pokémon. It was almost exactly the same as Latias, although its main colouring was blue rather than red, and it was slightly bigger. Latias whined at it, and it nudged Krystal's hand with its muzzle, indicating her pocket. She gently reached for a Pokéball and held it out questioningly.[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]"You... want to come along too?"[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]The second Latias nodded apologetically.[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]"You could have asked, you know," she sighed, letting her head fall back and hit the cave wall behind her. The Pokémon whined again, then pressed the ball with its nose. It zipped away into the ball, as did Mewtwo, satisfied that the creature was feeling significantly repentant.[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]'[i]Ding[/i]'. "Latios. Eon Pokémon. Latios will only open its heart to a trainer with a compassionate spirit. This Pokémon can fly faster than a jet plane by folding its forelegs to minimize air resistance."[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]"That explains the strength of the impact, then."[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]The Pokéball burst open again and Latios appeared, facing away from her. She tilted her head, then saw Latias signal for her to climb on. With both Pokémon's help she sat on Latios. And with Ampharos being carried by Latias, the party slowly continued down the tunnel and hopefully towards an exit.[/COLOR][/color]

[COLOR=#503F86]Ampharos' light was proving very useful in the underground caverns. Krystal wondered whether it might be scaring off the underground-dwelling Pokémon that lived there, but it was fun exploring the caves anyway. She could understand why Lara found it so enthralling. The shapes of the caverns' ceilings, the patterns on the rocks formed by water and erosion, the- [i]Sploosh[/i]. -hidden pools of water. Krystal pulled herself onto the rocky cave floor and sputtered the water she'd swallowed onto the ground, Ampharos and Zigzagoon watching with concern. She waved a hand in front of them to signal it was okay, still coughing violently. Once the all the water was ejected she rolled onto her back and sighed, her chest and throat sore. She really wasn't herself right now; she was glad nobody else on her team was here to see it. It wasn't even dark, for Krazoa's sake. Closing her eyes, she ran her fingers through her hair and sighed deeply. "Damn it. I need to get my act together or I won't survive the rest of the challenges. She was dreading what would happen when the teams got split up again- would she be up against Lara? Samus? She'd have no chance then. She felt a tug on her leg. "Yes, I know... the more I lie here feeling sorry for myself the less I get done. I'll get up." She hauled herself into a sitting position and opened her eyes to be met with a Pokémon she'd never seen before. It stared at her with big, friendly eyes, hovering about a foot off the ground with gently beating red wings. It whined quietly, looking at her very intensely. "Hello there," Krystal couldn't help but smile at it. It seemed to smile back; it performed a tiny backflip, then returned to just in front of her, still watching her. "You're very cute, you know," Krystal cooed, holding a hand out to it. It held out its claw in return, studying Krystal's every move. "Would you mind helping me?" she asked, sensing that the creature probably knew more about her than she did about it. The creature nodded, then nuzzled into her pocket, knocking a Pokéball onto the ground. With no further prompting from Krystal, it nudged the metal orb with its nose and disappeared inside it. Following suit, Zigzagoon decided that he'd had enough of walking around and whined to be put back into his Pokéball too. '[i]Ding[/i]'. The Pokédex lit up. "Latias. Eon Pokémon. Latias is highly sensitive to the emotions of people. If it detects any hostility, this Pokémon ruffles the feathers all over its body and cries shrilly to intimidate the foe." Krystal smiled, put the Pokéballs into whichever pockets she could find room in, and continued into the cave.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=#503F86]Just as soon as Samus had saved her, she'd left and continued up the mountain. Krystal had felt a little rebuffed by her sudden self-dismissal, but when you needed to catch as many Pokémon as possible she admitted it would be best to separate into as many teams as possible. She could at least have said goodbye, though. She was getting a little frustrated with this challenge now. Every time she'd come across a Pokemon, a signal on her Pokédex told her it was 'already in the database', suggesting that someone else had already caught it. Zigzagoon, on the other hand, was thoroughly enjoying himself. It zig-zagged everywhere, barked, yelped, sniffed, ran away and did various other things which all seemed part and parcel of Pokémon life. She still hadn't found Fox yet, either. She occupied herself in the meantime by kicking a stone in front of her, her only indication of direction being the raccoon Pokémon's tail ahead of her. "He wouldn't have been voted out, would he?" she mumbled to herself. "Zig!" She snapped back to reality and suddenly noticed her surroundings- everything was incredibly dark, and the air felt cold and humid. "Must've wandered into a cave," she said uninterestedly, listening to her soft voice echo down the tunnel. She looked around as her eyes adjusted to the dark- the floor was uneven and covered in stalagmites, water dripping down rocky points jutting from the ceiling. She felt Zigzagoon pressing against her shin, seemingly ill-at-ease in the cave. He whined again, and Krystal noticed he was looking deeper into the tunnel, from which a faint glow was emenating. She readied a Pokéball just in case, and scooped Zigzagoon into her arms. The nearer she walked to the source of the light, the brighter it became until it looked like daylight was flooding the tunnel. The tunnel opened out into a massive, sprawling cavern, in the centre of which sat a brilliantly glowing Pokémon. If she looked between her fingers, shielding her eyes from most of the blinding light, she could make out a strange, indescribably-shaped creature of yellow and black, the orb on its tail (the source of the light) idly swinging from right to left and back again. It seemed quite contented, and didn't even notice Krystal drawing closer. Suddenly, Zigzagoon decided now would be a good time to be curious and wriggled free of Krystal's grasp, bolting ahead towards the luminous Pokémon. There was a tense pause as the raccoon studied the creature; the two exchanged short utterances of Poké-language before the thing turned and looked to Krystal with a mixed expression of surprise and excitement. It stood up and waddled over. Krystal crouched to make herself as non-threatening as possible and smiled, still holding her Pokéball poised to capture. The Pokémon sidled up to her, tilted its head and sniffed her padded waistcoat. "Ampharos!" it squeaked. "Hee, cute!" Krystal gently ran her hand over the Ampharos' head, to which it closed its eyes and smiled. Gently, she then pressed the Pokéball against its chest and Ampharos zipped inside, sending the cavern into instant, unpenetrable darkness. '[i]Ding[/i]'. "Ampharos. Light Pokémon. Ampharos gives off so much light that it can even be seen from space. People in the old days used the light of this Pokémon to send signals back and forth with others far away." She looked around, hopelessly blinded by the sudden darkness. "Well, we could use some of that light now. Out you come."[/COLOR]

[quote name='Sinistra][font=Palatino Linotype']I heard that their new Album is coming out. Labeled "Awake", it includes "LOST HEAVEN" as noted by maverickwarrior. Along with "Killing Me", "New World", "Invitation to Freedom ~ Jiyuu eno shoutai", "Poem ~ JOJOUSHI" and a special bonus track....I think it's "HEAVEN'S DRIVE" live from Yoyogi National Stadium. It hits American streets on September 20th, and I'm going straight to Media Play after school to get it. :p [/font][/quote][COLOR=#503F86]It's been out for ages (in Japan at least- mine didn't have a bonus track, though). I've had it for months ^_^ I love L'arc-en-Ciel. I'd have to say they're my favourite band, although X-Japan's pretty darn close. My favourite songs are 'New World' and 'My Dear', from AWAKE, 'NEO UNIVERSE', 'hitomi no juunin', 'as if in a dream'... there are lots I love, just because so many of them are done so well ^_^; I can't understand the words, and reading internet translations only gives me a pretty vague idea of what they actually mean, but I listen to it for the sound more than anything else. They're so well orchestrated and [i]incredibly[/i] talented musicians. Gackt and hyde's duet in 'Orenji no Taiyou' from [i]Moon Child[/i] is pretty good, but it really shows up Gackt's lack of vocal range. I much prefer hyde's singing.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=#503F86]"Zigzagoon!" "What now?" Krystal sighed, watching the strange little raccoon creature dart off into the trees again. They were getting closer to the edge of the treeline; she could see a tall, rocky mountain stretching up into the sky in front of her. It wasn't somewhere she intended on being, and she hoped Zigzagoon would lose interest in being curious and jump back in its Pokéball. As Zigzagoon rounded a tree, it leapt back with a startled yelp and looked to Krystal with distress. She quickened her pace and turned to see what it was looking at. On a large rock, standing perfectly still, was a white Pokémon with a light grey, bat-wing shaped tail and a grey face, with severe red eyes staring straight at her. Slowly, Krystal produced her Pokédex. '[i]Ding.[/i]' "Absol. Disaster Pokémon." "What?!" "Every time Absol appears before people, it is followed by a disaster such as an earthquake or a tidal wave. As a result, it came to be known as the Disaster Pokémon." "Oh, that's just what I need. A bloody-" "ZIG!" Krystal's ears pricked up. A low rumble, barely audible at first, started growing steadily. Bird Pokémon fluttered from the trees and various other animals started sprinting down the mountainside. Part of the mountain split and splintered above her, sending pieces of stone flying into the air and crashing into the trees. Krystal lobbed the ball- the Absol didn't even flinch as the piece of orbed metal thumped into its side and spirited it inside. She flicked it into her pocket, grabbed Zigzagoon under her arm and ran. As she broke through the forest's edge and onto the mountain's barren, rocky side, a huge explosion rocked the ground, knocking her to the floor. Smoke billowed into the air from the top of the mountain and a shower of red sparks erupted from the summit. The mountain was a volcano. Small lumps of lava began landing on the mountainside. She drew her Staff and held it above her head. A bright shield of light spread from its shaft, surrounding her and Zigzagoon. The flecks of lava hit the shield with a sharp 'clang', then bounced away. They were safe for the moment, but she couldn't move in this state. If another- A loud whistling noise pierced the air- she looked round to see a massive rock hurtling towards her. As she closed her eyes and hoped the Staff's shield would hold, she felt a weird prickly energy wrap around her waist. Before she knew it she'd been yanked out of harms way and landed on hard ground with an even harder bump. Rubbing her thigh, she looked up at her saviour. A glowing blue rope snaked back into a device on Samus' left wrist; the bounty huter extended a hand to the fox to help her up. "You alright?" Krystal blushed, embarrassed but incredibly grateful. "Yeah, I'm fine now. Thank you."[/COLOR]

[COLOR=#503F86]No, I don't think so. If it was designed as a hoax, what would be the point in using real animals to stage it? Kinda defeats the object, heh. You'd be surprised what programs like Photoshop can do. Either that or he had some pretty convincing-looking stuffed animals to shove inside them.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=#503F86]Krystal hadn't wandered far before she came across another lump of fur sitting in the forest. Although there were several major differences: Firstly, she hadn't seen it, she'd fallen over it. Secondly, this creature was brown and beige, fluffy, noisy and most definitely NOT asleep. It also wanted to play. Krystal chucked her [color=#503f86]Pokéball[/color]l at it for the third time; the creature nimbly bounced around its path and chased after it, rolling around in the ferns, kicking it from foot to foot and barking with excitement. She felt like crying. "How can you not have activated it yet?" she moaned as the raccoon-dog skidded to her feet and dropped the [color=#503f86]slobber-covered Pokéball on the ground. She grimaced and flicked some of the excess dribble from it; the 'mon watching it intently with tongue and ears twitching in anticipation. She half-wondered if the other Pokémon would help her out, but so far she'd captured a sleeping lump, a genetic experiment with no compassion and a psychopathic mantis-lizard. And people collected these things?[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]She gave the monster a look of exasperation, then straightened herself.[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]"Sit," she commanded, pointing at the ground behind it.[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]She couldn't tell, but it looked like it grinned at her.[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]"Sit!" she barked, this time more authoritatively. A little startled (but still looking very excited), it sat down, still staring at the ball. Its tail flopped briskly from one side to the other.[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]She knelt down to face it. "I don't care how cute you are, but I need you to just [i]get inside this Pokéball[/i]. Alright?"[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]It tilted its head. For a brief moment its tongue receeded.[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]"Zigzagoon!" it barked.[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]"Oh, stuff it." Krystal pressed the slobber-coated Pokéball against the creature's chest and it disappeared in a flash of red light.[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86][i]'Ding'[/i]. "Zigzagoon. Tiny Raccoon Pokémon. Zigzagoon restlessly wanders everywhere at all times. This Pokémon does so because it is very curious. It becomes interested in everything it happens to see."[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]"I'd never have gue-"[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]Suddenly, the Pokéball burst open and Zigzagoon appeared in front of her, giving her a quizzical look before walking leisurely deeper into the forest.[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]"He-hey! I caught you, right?" she called after it.[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]The Zigzagoon grinned again, nodded, then began a meandering zig-zagging path not more than a few feet away from where Krystal was walking, snuffling its nose along the ground and barking if it saw anything of interest... which turned out to be pretty much everything.[/COLOR][/color]

[color=#503f86]The dry, golden grasses of the svaannah area had all but disappeared now, and almost seamlessly Krystal found herself on sloped, hilly terrain covered in pine trees. With two Pokemon now under her belt, she was feeling confident about the next numbers she could capture. The trees were surprisingly still- she couldn't feel any wind at all. There were noises, though. Cries of strange creatures calling out their names, the occasional yell of another Survivor... there had to be something worthwhile nearby. She froze as she noticed a lump of colour in a clearing up ahead. It was mostly white, with zig-zagging streaks of red fur running down its back and belly. She hoped it was asleep. Not wanting to take any chances, Krystal took out a [color=#503f86]Pokéball[/color] and lobbed it as hard and fast as she could at the soporific monster. The [color=#503f86]ball[/color] landed just by its head; its ears twitched in its sleep as it subconsciously felt its presence. With furtive movements Krystal began moving towards it to try and retrieve her [color=#503f86]Pokéball, and hopefully catch the creature.[/color] [color=#503f86]"Pitcher, I aint," she muttered brushing past a low pine branch.[/color] [color=#503f86]The creature's quiet snores grew more noticeable as she crept closer. It was quite sweet for a sleeping lump of fur. Quietly, she reached round and picked up the wayward Pokéball, ready todrop it onto the unsuspecting monster.[/color] [color=#503f86][i]'Ding'[/i]. "Zangoose. Cat Ferret Pokémon. Zangoose usually-"[/color] [color=#503f86]The creature yawned, prising open its eyes. Quick as a flash, krystal flicked the ball at it, hitting it squarely between the eyes before it even knew what was happening. It dissolved inside the Pokéball which closed with a satusfying 'click'.[/color] [color=#503f86]"...but when angered, gets up on its hind legs and extends its claws. This Pokémon shares a bitter rivalry with Seaviper that dates back over generations."[/color] [color=#503f86]Krystal shrugged. "Better not catch a Seaviper, then."[/color][/color]

[COLOR=#503F86]Krystal continued through the grasslands, the scenery around her slowly appearing to adapt to a different climate. It seemed odd that so many different types of plant could be so close to one another without any problems... but still, on Dinosaur Planet you were never more than five minutes away from either a tropical beach or polar ice caps. As she rounded a tree, she caught a glimpse of something in the branches above her. A high-pitched hissing noise hit her ears. Readying a [color=#503f86]Pokéball, she jumped backwards and threw it into the tree. It hit something with a heavy metal clash and dropped to the ground again. Cautiously moving over to pick it up, she noticed the red light on it wasn't glowing. The bastard Pokemon had thrown it back![/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]Just as she reached forwards, a huge blade swung inches away from her face and carved the ground in front of her. She rolled back, grabbing another Pokéball from her pocket.[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]"Scyth-er!" the large, half-lizard half-mantis creature hissed, bearing its teeth. Krystal chanced another lob at it, but its lightning-quick reflexes clashed it straight back into her hand, a nasty-looking scratch across its surface.[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]"How can you be hitting this without it activating? You're just awkward!" she growled, preparing another throw. [/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]Before she could act the Pokemon charged forwards, its blades outstretched; she just managed to duck to one side of it to avoid being sliced by its deadly forearms. As it swung round to charge again, she frantically took hold of her first Pokéball and threw both at the same time. The Pokemon hit one and missed the other, the tiny round cage hitting him in the chest in mid-flight. He burst into red light and dissolved into the ball, which skidded quietly to the dusty ground.[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]She sighed with relief and put the (now contained) monster into her pocket. A quiet 'ding' noise sounded from her belt.[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]'Scyther. Mantis Type. [/color]With ninja-like agility and speed, it can create the illusion that there is more than one.' "Oh, okay then." What was Mewtwo's bio like? 'Mewtwo was created by a scientist after years of horrific gene splicing and DNA engineering experiments. Even though the scientific power of humans created this Pokémon's body, they failed to endow Mewtwo with a compassionate heart.' "Oh..."[/COLOR]

[COLOR=#503F86]Krystal swiftly moved through the long grasses of the Safari zone, scouting around her for any signs of movement. So far, she wasn't being very successful. She's blundered into what looked ike the biggest, most easy-to-hide-creatures-in savannah in existence, with only a few far away landmarks for reference. Still, maybe she could sneak a chance to meet up with Fox. She hadn't had a chance to see him at the CPU since she'd been dragged out of bed so suddenly. A sudden movement to her left alerted her; she snapped round to face the source of the grass's disturbance and found herself staring into two iridescent purple eyes, their intent gaze barely disguising a look of malice and disdain. [i]"What do you want?[/i] a voice called, apparently from behind her. [i]"Oh, you're telepathic too."[/i] Krystal 'said' to the creature, who jumped in surprise. It slowly began circling round her, studying her from ear tips to toe. She watched its purple form hover silently above the ground, its tail swishing forwards to psychically separate the grass in front of it. [i]What kind of Pokemon are you?[/i] [i]"I am not a Pokemon. I'm, er..."[/i] She couldn't tell him/it she was going to capture him and confine him to a space not much bigger then her fist for the purposes of some weird challenge. But she didn't imagine this would willingly jump into her Survivor Pokéball, and fighting it could prove difficult. [i]"I need your help. Would you mind holding this for me?"[/i] She extended her hand with a Survivor Ball carefully positioned so that the creature's physical contact with it would activate its... oh. The Pokéball floated into the air and hovered just in front of Mewtwo's face. So he had telekenesis as well. [i]"No, I mean... I need you to [/i]hold[i] it."[/i] [i]Why?[/i] She sighed. [i]"I'm taking part in this challenge where I need to capture as many Pokemon as I can, otherwise a member of my team, or I, will be thrown into some unknown fate. It's really nothing personal, and I know this is a lot to ask of you, but I just need you to get inside the ball. It's not... you won't be harmed, I promise. If you get hot or cramped or anything, I'm sure I could let you out again."[/i] The creature stared at her blankly for a few seconds, then jabbed its finger against the ball. A white flash erupted from the ball and the creature de-materialised, vanishing inside the Survivor Ball. Krystal picked it up from the ground and smiled. [i]"Thank you."[/i] [i]My name is Mewtwo.[/i] Krystal nodded, placing the Pokéball in one of her waistcoat pockets and looking into the distance for more Pokémon.[/COLOR]

[quote name='KKC][size=1']Good luck to everyone and let it be known that i'm a girl ^^ hehe.[/size][/quote][color=#503f86]I really didn't know that, but OMFG we share the same birthday!! Anyway, it's been great RPing with you, heh. I'll make sure Krystal's suitably disappointed at your (well, Fox's) disappearance :p[/color]

[color=#503f86]It's not a plot hole >.>; It's barely even a minor inconsistency, heh. And to be honest, it changes very little about their situation anyway. I was just being pedantic.[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86][size=1]I'll shut up about it next time, though...[/size][/color]

[color=#503f86]I was just going to say- not that it matters a great deal in any case (cue pedanticism :p) -that the walls of the church aren't there any more. Krystal knocked them down with a Super Ground Quake and she and Xiayou put up a surrounding wall of pews instead. It might seem unnecessary, but with the pews being at a lower level than the walls were they can take the zombies out from all directions from a greater distance back so they don't get overrun. I probably didn't make it clear enough when I wrote it, heh.[/color] [color=#503f86][/color] [color=#503f86]But it's a m00t point ^_^; No biggie.[/color]

[COLOR=#503F86]Krystal was about to let rip with another Super Ground Quake when she realised that it would blow all of the pews out of place, losing all of their defensive barriers. She powered down her Staff and instead whirled it over her head, both ends shimmering with a blue glow and leaving bright streaks in the air behind their circling path. She brought one end crashing down onto a zombie's skull, splitting it in two while the rest of the body slumped behind the rows of wooden chairs. She couldn't do anything offensive that would project light, but if things became too close she could create a [URL=http://www.starfox-online.com/adventures/images/screens/09.jpg]shield of light[/URL] that would protect them from physical harm, and also hopefully keep the zombies at a safe distance. Krystal could make out the vague shadows of more zombies emerging from the ground; behind her she could hear Xiayou's cries (and subsequent shudders of disgust) of undead elimination, and it looked like soon enough the entire cemetary would be overrun. She fired off some Fire Blaster shots towards the dark figures, hitting a zombie square in the chest and sending it reeling with smoke billowing from its decaying torso. On her right, the creak of wood signalled a zombie's blood-fuelled intent to cross the wooden border. Krystal swung her Staff at it with a hefty blow and tore the head clean off. It landed on the church floor, its mouth still gaping and its sightless eyes staring horrifically at her. More were coming. She could hear their hideous groans sweeping through her like a chill wind. Rasing her hafted weapon again, she readied herself for another wave.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=#503F86]Krystal felt a strong grip clasp around her arm and she was suddenly being pulled along at break-neck speed; her legs could barely move fast enough to keep up. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she saw her motivator was Xiayou. Over her shoulder, Krystal could see hordes of zombies pouring from holes in the ground, each as horrific-looking as the last. She couldn't see the others anywhere. "Wh-what... wait!" she stammered, digging her heels into the ground. Ling looked incredibly anxious. "Wait?! Why?" "What happened to the others?" "They ran off, like we [i]should be[/i]!" The two started sprinting across the seemingly endless graveyard again, dodging past gravestones and crypt entrances with incredible agility. "I thought we were supposed to get rid of them?" "No, we're supposed to survive," Ling yelled, vaulting over a decapitated stone crucifix. "But we can't run all night!" Krystal protested. They were quickly heading towards an old, partially-demolished church; its windows looked to have been smashed centuries ago, its doors were rotten and its walls slowly crumbling away. It didn't look safe at all. They ground to a halt at the decrepid building's entrance. "Head for cover?" Ling suggested. Krystal shook her head. "I wouldn't head in there. With all the walls falling down it wouldn't take those things long to break through them, and they could enter form any side. We'd be trapped." Ling shuddered. "Wai~! Those things were awful!" she cried. It dawned on Krystal that Ling may not have realised what the zombies were until that point. "Yeah, they aren't exactly-" [i]Thwack.[/i] A zombie head went whirling into the darkness, its body feebly flailing around the church walls. Ling had let loose her kick with lightning reflexes- she'd hit the undead creature before Krystal was even aware of its presence. "I think we'd be better out in the open." Krystal tightened her grip on her Staff. "Somewhere we can see on all sides would be best, I think." "Yeah, but somewhere on hard ground- if there were a stone floor we could stand on so they couldn't come up underneath us we'd be okay..." The two of them looked to the church. A grin spread across Krystal's face. "Hold on." She gestured for Ling to move away from the walls, then sauntered inside. Ling listened intently as she heard a low humming noise, almost like an electric generator starting up. Suddenly, a massive 'Boom' shook the ground and a red shockwave thundered along the level of the grass. The martial artists was able to jump over it with little problem; unfortunately for the zombies that had been lumbering their way, their legs disappeared. The four walls of the church crumbled to the ground, and the blue-furred fox was left standing on a large rectangle of worn cobblestones. "Let's get these pews somewhere in the way of those zombies," she called. She didn't suppose they'd be doing gymnastics anytime soon...[/COLOR]

[COLOR=#503F86]My best friend is Dan. We've known each other for roughly 16/17 years, since we went to nursery school together ^_^; I went to his fourth birthday party, hehe. Not all of that time was spent being friends, though- there was a period of six years where we went to different primary schools, then two years where we were in the same high school but weren't friends. After a while (and after joining up with the school Drama Club, which he was part of), we got in contact again and he's just... fantastic, really. We write stuff together and I'd like to think we have a really good, deep understanding of each other. I miss seeing him. A lot. He only lives a few miles away but he's so busy, and always seems to be doing things with other people. I don't mind much, though. It's not as if I'm all that great at thinking of things to do, afterall ^_^;[/COLOR]

[COLOR=#503F86]Krystal's bed was very big. Shockingly big, in fact. She'd need to be about five people before the size actually seemed appropriate. Still, she was pleased with it. After all, it's not every day you get to spend time in a mystical jungle and underground castle. Everything about the place was so [i]interesting[/i]; the flowers, the silk drapes flowing down the walls, the veins of water cascading soothingly along the brickwork, the plush carpeting placed delicately over tesserated wooden floor panels... everywhere she looked Krystal could find more elements to stare at in appreciation.The only thing that would have made them nicer were windows. Although being underground, that would prove difficult. Ada and Yuna must have found their own bedrooms. There were quite a few along the corridor, set out in almost the same pattern as the beach huts were (i.e. in one long line). Krystal tapped a claw thoughtfully against one of the four posts at the corner of her bed. The new team was going to be very interesting, and she could only see it being for the best. Despite Xiayou's rather unnerving overt girliness and enthusiasm, there was something heartening about her that Krystal could really identify with, and Samus seemed to have an understanding about her before she'd even explained anything about Cerinia... which, considering how many planets Samus had been to, would be an idea to pick her brains about. She hoped Fox was doing okay... or at least that the rest of the boys hadn't discovered how to work that mirror yet. With a flick of her tail, she began a leisurely stroll back to the den.[/COLOR]

[color=#503f86]There's no real reason for this thread to be a PG in terms of violence, sexualness or language, but it's just a little too mature to be an E. Anyway, it's very rare that I write poetry but I've gone and written two poems in one night ^_^; I also thought I'd include the one I wrote ages and ages ago to get some fresh eyes on it- I rediscovered it last night and forgot I'd written it. This is the first. I wrote it after a friend of mine had been going through trouble- it was more a reflection of how [i]he[/i] felt rather than myself, but I know it also applies to times in my own life, too. [b]In Your Eyes[/b] I look around my room At the things we did together. "Forever," you'd said. I never thought That forever would end. You're not here. It's like you never were. The things we did all scattered and torn Colours fade to grey, And I look... Into your eyes, the photos that call me I want to be that love that I see In your eyes. I want to be the one who holds you. I want to be the one who's reflected In your eyes. I walk around To the places we went together I look, and I see What we used to be. Who I used to be before I lost you. I'm not here. I could have never been here. My mind collapses into tiny shards Of a dream I might have once had. And I see... In your eyes, staring at me I want to be the love that I was In your eyes. I want to be held by you. I want to be an immortal reflection In your eyes. Next, a slightly darker one: [b]Fly To The Sun[/b] [/color][color=#503f86]It?s midnight in here; the cave of my creation. The darkness?s emptiness brings solace in me. Yet you still remain to bring me to life How much hope can you hold? I won?t return to you; fly to the Sun and find your own personal heaven. This cave is built for one. I can?t see your face in the cave of my creation- The blindness at night is a warmth to myself. Your tears of frustration will go unattended Why are you still hanging on? I won?t return to you; fly to the Sun and find your own personal heaven. This cave is mine alone. It wasn?t meant this way; the cave of my creation. My memories you held were supposed to fade. But your refusal to leave resulted in this And I will love you no more. Fly to the Sun, Fly to the Sun, Fly to the Sun, Your happiness awaits you. Fly to the Sun, Fly to the Sun, Fly to the Sun, I am not your heaven. I am lonely enough in the cave of my creation; Feelings of love cannot damage me here. I?ll stay in my cave till I?m truly alone And I?ll emerge myself again.[/color] [color=#503f86]I only finished this one about five minutes ago, so I'm eager to know what people think of it. It's... not a subject I enjoy touching upon very much, but it's quite pertinent at times. The third one was the one I started first this evening, and I found it much harder than the other two. Perhaps I was trying to force myself to be inspired, which is why Fly To The Sun came so much more fluidly. Anyway, it's got a fairly rudimentary sense of rhythm to it but it scans pretty weirdly, kind of like a song translated from another language. This is more uplifting than the previous two, and I'm intending it to be linked with a series of stories I'm developing. [b]On These Precious Wings[/b] The clouds and their shadows grow darker than grey I look up above at the overcast sky And wonder? As I lie empty, I?m soothed by the rain The cold air stirs the depths of my heart I reach out? On wings of silver I fly to my dream My mind is free to soar I trust in myself that my thoughts remain true And my dream is always ablaze Cascades of raindrops destroy all my tears I feel alive in the breath of the storm It frees me? I start to run, trying to find you Reflections of you echo in dreams I?ll find you? On wings of gold I fly to the future My body?s strength takes flight I?d been afraid to follow the course I?d always meant to tread The skies are clearing, the rainfall has ceased Dancing through puddles that once halted my step And I feel? The horizon ahead will never hold me And all the tomorrows that I ever face Will take me? On these precious wings I fly to you My heart and soul arise Finding my way to your side once again Will be my journey?s end I'm not quite as happy with this as I am with the other two. Something about it just doesn't feel right to me. I've noticed that I use repetition of a key phrase a lot. I don't know if it necessarily makes it more effective- you tell me, heh. Any thoughts/comments/questions about any of the poems will be greatly appreciated, heh ^_^[/color]

[color=#503f86]If Krystal could sum up everything that had happened within the last half an hour in one word, it would been 'Wow'. Not least because she was now in the midst of a very humid, misty and incredibly serene oriental garden with more grace and elegence than anything she'd ever seen before. She'd also been landed with a slew of new team members, all of whom seemed very amicable (although she was rather wary of the orange robot before she indicated that it was just a power suit). On the downside, though, she didn't get to say a proper goodbye to Fox. She was a little uncertain as to when or where she'd get to see him again, and since they didn't have the mirror... ...oh dear. That could prove interesting. Considering they were an all-female team and the ones who had the mirror (which, as far as they knew, could spy on them at any time in any place) were [i]men[/i], it didn't take long for an embarrassing conclusion to take root in her mind. She may have to warn the others about that later. She felt a nudge from Lara on her shoulder. Snapping back to reality with a surprised jump, Krystal smiled pleasantly at the others and stood up. "My name's Krystal," she said softly. "I'm part of the crew of the starship The Great Fox, captained by Fox McCloud- currently in the Heroes team. My home planet was destroyed when I was quite young and I've spent most of the time since trying to find out what happened. So far I've not been able to find anything much. Um... but despite that I've still managed to hone my telepathic skills and the use of my Staff for exploration and combat. I'm looking forward to working alongside everyone." She sat down with a satisfied grin on her face, looking to the next one to speak.[/color]

[COLOR=#503F86]Well, I enjoyed our little fairwell soirée, but I've been ready to move on for quite some time. That's just speaking personally, though- if others still want to continue revelling I'm happy to do that also ^_^;[/COLOR]

[color=#503f86]When the team teleported back to Solitary Island, it was met with a grim, solelmn silence. Shadow glanced round at his remaining team members; they all appeared to be in states of shock to varying degrees. Krystal's gaze was firmly fixed to the ground, her short locks of hair falling over her eyes. Nobody said anything for a few seconds, then a quiet voice broke the silence. "Well, we'll just have to win next time, won't we?" Krystal held her staff akwwardly, putting on a brave face of confidence despite the feelings of anxiety that were rising inside her. She flashed a smile at the others. "We won't all be on the same team next time, Krystal," Crash said quietly. "What does that matter?" Krystal replied, trying to stop her knees from shaking. "We've made it this far; it'd be stupid not to see it through to the end. So whatever team we're on, we're going to have other people depending on us to do our best, right? And there shouldn't be any hard feelings if we lose to each other. Because..." she looked to Fox, then wrung her hands around her staff "...it won't mean anything otherwise." Lara smiled, running her fingers through her hair. She looked around at the rustic beach idyll that had been their team base. "Tell you what," she purred. "I'm not going to miss those beds, that's for sure." "It's been great adventuring with you guys!" Crash beamed, throwing the other four a massive thumbs-up. Shadow hid a smile. "Whatever. You're all pretty cool."[/color]

[color=#503f86]That wasn't what I was expecting at all ^_^; [i]Very[/i] good stuff, Josh, seriously. I was hooked the whole way through. The pacing in this one worked much more freely than in the previous two chapters- it was much smoother, much easier to keep track of. I'm interested to know if the Shineys will play a larger role later in the series, heh. Can't wait for more ^_____^[/color]