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EVERYONE: The Kalos Connection (X/Y Spoilers ahoy!)

Episode 12: Give My Regards to Lumiose (part 2)


The lights came up on Joanna again over a slower version of the Falco Dolan theme music. "Falco's been many things to me--teacher, mentor, companion, and most importantly, a friend." she explained. "But sometimes, his theories come way out of left field--like the idea that the pirates weren't really as tough as they appeared, and it was all an act. My first thought was he'd gone nuts, but he assured me there was a method to his madness as we arrived in the Book Nook's cafe to meet Officer Jenny that afternoon..."

She let that hang as the lights went down for a moment, then came up again on Professor Sycamore sipping a cup of coffee, Joanna doing research on a laptop, and the Officer Jenny fill in studying her case notes.

"Everyone's here...good." the Officer Jenny fill in smiled. "When I questioned the coin's last known owner, he told me he was reluctant to part with it. When I told him the buyer had connections to pirates, he assured me he was no criminal. I assured him I was not accusing him, only wanted to question him. He cooperated fully after that."

"What did you learn from your investigation, Officer?" Joanna asked her.

"No more than what we already know..." the Officer Jenny fill in sighed. "What i don't get is how it could be part of a Champion's ransom one moment, and then turn up here in Celadon the next..."

"Then let us put our heads together and retrace the steps of this vexing case." Prof. Sycamore suggested.

"Okay, so the one that bought the coin claimed to be a student..." Callum did his best to glean clues from the dialogue onstage. "Did his best to maintain a humble appearance, but still had hints he was better off than he appeared..."

"He apparently didn't know how rare such a coin was..." Trevor mused.

"and it didn't strike Officer Jenny as weird that a student had something that valuable..." I mused.

So how did a student get such a rare treasure? Even Zelda was intrigued by the events she was telepathically broadcasting onstage.

"That's what we need to figure out." Callum assured her as the lights came up on the living room of Dolan Manor again, apparently later that evening. I grinned as Prof. Sycamore toyed with a familiar harmonica, periodically blowing a few soft chords to see if it was in tune as Joanna arrived.

"Officer Jenny's going to be questioning every private high school student in Celadon at this rate..." Joanna mused. "It's like looking for a needle in a haystack..."

"I wouldn't be so quick to judge, Joanna..." Prof. Sycamore cautioned. "Somewhere within those opulent halls is our person of interest."

"But what if he's not a student as he claims?" Joanna mused.

"That's another possibility too..." Prof. Sycamore sighed, toying with the harmonica. "Makes me want to play the blues..."

With that, he started a bluesy rendition of a song I recognized. "That's 'My Dawn of Love'!"

Some applause went up when Prof. Sycamore finished his rendition of the beautiful air. "That song..." Joanna mused as she arrived with a guitar. "I've been hearing you practice it a lot, but I can never figure out what it is!"

"If you've seen 'The Song Mage Chronicles' it should sound familiar--maybe I should play it again to help your memory along?" Prof. Sycamore offered, readying the harmonica to play again.

"Actually, let me see if I can try it on my own instrument...." Joanna offered as she tuned the guitar.

Tierno was stunned at this. "I didn't know Joanna played anything!!!!"

"Apparently you haven't read enough or seen enough Falco..." I grinned. "In many of the stories, as well as the movies and the TV series, she'll play guitar to Falco's harmonica, saying the jam sessions clear their heads when they're stumped on a case." I explained. "Sometimes they'll unearth a clue this way."

"Many of my favorite ones have a musical clue unearthed by a jam session." Callum added as he listened to Joanna play the song onstage.

"Yeah...This song is 'My Dawn of Love'!" Joanna confirmed my guess minutes later. "But what would a cartoon have to do with our case?"

"Our person of interest was discovered to have a near obsessed interest in the exploits of Arran Seluna and his friends--what is that word you use to describe such a person?" Prof. Sycamore asked, snapping a few times to help him remember.

"Otaku?" Joanna guessed.

"Yes! That's the word I was looking for!" Prof. Sycamore grinned. "Our otaku likely wanted the coin due to its resemblance to a coin Arran found in the episode 'All That Glitters'.

"But that coin turned out to be fake." Joanna interjects.

"In our case, the opposite has happened--Our otaku buys the coin, not knowing it is something far more valuable than a prop." Prof. Sycamore continued.

"Now we're getting somewhere!" Joanna cried, adding a triumphant strum for effect. "It's entirely possible our suspect is part of the pirates' eyes and ears...."

"Exactly..." Prof.Sycamore smiled as a Fletchling puppet landed on one of the set's windows. "I'm sending word out to the Young Fletchinders in the area to keep an eye out for a boy of high school or college age matching our suspect's description--they may have better luck than Officer Jenny is having at the moment." With that, he gave a piece of paper to the puppet.

"The Young Fletchinders are a group of kids that serve as Falco's informants." Callum explained to Tierno as the puppet fluttered away.

"I'm so excited! We may be getting a break in the case!" Joanna giddily cried as she retrieved the guitar again. "Let's jam to celebrate!"

"I'll be more than happy to join you." Professor Sycamore smiled as he fished the harmonica from a pocket in his costume.

Shauna's eyes widened as Prof. Sycamore led the charge into a driving melody in A major. "Whoa...he's GOOD!!!"

"What a hot groove!" Tierno agreed as he tried his hardest not to jump up from his seat and dance right there in the theater.

Yet as we watched Prof. Sycamore and the actress playing Joanna jam onstage, complete with some long and almost jazz-like solos, little did we know Act 1 would conclude with a foreboding twist of fate...
 
Interlude: A Meeting with a Clue


After a wonderful play (it turned out that one of Champion Dawn's attendants caused the whole pirate mess to get attention and money. I won't spoil how Falco arrived at that conclusion, but there were so many memorable moments in that play, I would be here forever listing them all.)

So we departed Lumiose the next morning, with the Pokemon STILL trying to mimic Prof. Sycamore playing the harmonica (he got to play again in the finale). But I'm pretty sure my Pokemon have the attention span of a Vanonat--no sooner did they pass a TV playing teen heartthrob Milo Blue (so named because he wears at least one blue item of clothing every time he performs) and some of the Puppamon singing "All I Need Is Love", they were mimicking the main trio (Leon the Meowth, Lani the Taillow, and Juno the Pichu) dancing with Milo.

Lita's dance was the best--considering her inspiration was a Pichu puppet, she did great. Did you know Brock sometimes performs Leon in public appearances, with the blessing of his original performer, Keith James? Zelda telepathically asked us as we made our way down Route 5.

"Really?" I gasped.

[Did he do Leon in the music video?] Rouge asked.

Yes, and he nails the voice so well, it's very hard to tell Keith and Brock apart. Zelda smiled.

[So how can ye tell if it's Keith doin' Leon and when it's Brock doin' Leon?] Erin asked.

[You don't--it's that hard to tell the voices apart.] Kaitou replied.

Not quite... Zelda cautioned. The only way you can tell who's performing him is to watch the puppet's mouth movements--Keith's are wide and exaggerated, as befits Leon's colorful personality as Meowth about town. Brock's are a little more realistic, so it looks like Leon's actually speaking like a person.

Then something dawned on me. "I loved the song and the video so much I saved it to my Holocaster, so I can pull it up..."

After loading the video and pressing PLAY, the scene opened on a festively decorated house's window, which Leon was peeking through. After realizing the camera was there, the little puppet Meowth addressed the audience. "Oh! Glad ta see ya could come to da party...rumor is Milo Blue is gonna be here..."

The Pokemon exploded in laughter as Juno peeked in the screen and did the cutest little fangirl scream. "...so I'm playin' lookout just in case da rumors are true."

[That's Brock, all right...] Lita noted as she observed the puppet Meowth's mouth and saw it moving realistically.

[Aw, new Puppamon fans...] a voice noted.

I whirled around to notice two Lucarios observing our impromptu dance party. "Who are you?"

[Peace--we mean you no harm.] one Lucario assured me.

[We just felt happiness and love in your aura, and came to join you.] the other Lucario added.

[Sing it, Leon!] The first Lucario was dancing along with my team.

Some laughter got my attention as the Lucarios' owner, a blonde haired girl, skated up to them. "There you are! I've been looking all over for you..."

[We just found this girl dancing to "All I Need is Love", Korrina, and her aura just was bursting with happiness and love.] one Lucario explained.

"That song by Milo Blue and the Puppamon, huh?" the girl smiled. "That song's taking the world by storm..."

[I sense strength in this girl's aura too....] the other Lucario added. [Who knows? She may be a great opponent for us.]

[I heard a Kanto Gym Leader and Champion Dawn performed Leon and Lani for the video...] the first Lucario said.

[Really? I didn't know Champion Dawn was a puppeteer too.] the other Lucario gasped.

Korrina just smiled as her two Lucarios continued chattering. "I'll leave you to your little dance party...I look forward to the day we battle."

"Me too!" I giggled as I waved goodbye...
 
I love this series and think it's great! I wish that my character could become a rival of yours, that would be great!

From,
A fan named kodstir
 
Episode 13: A Song of Fire


After saying goodbye to Korrina and her Lucarios, I put away the Holocaster and led the way down Route 5. The weather was much better than the day before, and no one was enjoying it better than Rouge. [I've gout sun shai-ee-ine, on a cloudy day... she sang, making me smile.

She would've sang more had she not seen Trevor and Tierno huffing and puffing with exhaustion by the side of the road. [Uh oh! Your friends are in trouble!]

"What happened?" I asked as I waited for them to catch their breaths.

"See, Trevor n' me were in the nearby forest, and Trevor found a honey tree. We figured the Combees weren't home, and eagerly helped ourselves." Tierno explained.

"It turns out, they were home--we ran into a whole horde and ran for our lives!" Trevor wheezed. "It was a miracle we weren't stung--I'm allergic to Combee stings."

"A horde of Combees, huh?" I mused.

"Yeah-the scary part is, not just Combees come in hordes, so be on your guard in forests and mountains." Tierno cautioned before changing the subject. "Our expedition into the forest wasn't a total bust, though--we did salvage some honey, and I got a new Pokemon I wanna pit against one of yours."

"Let me see the Pokemon first." I assured Tierno.

He complied and heaved a Poke Ball skyward. "Come on out, Ruffian!"

A Corphish materialized before me, making Lita spark with excitement as I looked at the charming shrimp-like Pokemon's info:

"Corphish, the ruffian Pokemon. They were originally foreign Pokemon that were imported as pets, but they eventually turned up in the wild. This Pokemon is very hardy and has greatly increased its population."

"Very hardy, huh? Let's see how they hold up to Lita's shocking personality." I smirked.

"You're on!" Tierno replied. "If you win, we'll share some of the honey we found with you."

"Okay!" I smiled. "Give'em a good shock, Lita!"

[You got it!] Lita fired a Thundershock at the Corphish, but was surprised to see the Corphish conjure a teal aura, making her attack fizzle out.

"I'm not going down that easy!" Tierno taunted before the Corphish smacked Lita with a Night Slash. She didn't see the ominous purple claws, got smacked in the face, and flew back several inches to land by my feet.

"Are you okay?" I asked as she eased herself to her feet.

[Yeah--that may have packed a wallop, but I'm not losing to a type I'm naturally strong against...] Lita assured me.

I looked over at Rouge, who was watching our battle from a tree. "Hey, Rouge...sing Lita a little fight song, will ya?"

[Any requests?] Rouge asked.

"Any song you want, so long as it inspires Lita." I replied.

"Aw, da wittle birdie's gonna sing..." Tierno smirked. "But can it compare to Ruffian's moves?" At this, the Corphish started to dance in a circle of glowing swords.

[No time to question your moves! We stick to the path that we choose!] Rouge sang, which made Lita spark even more. [Me and my friends are gonna do it right!
You're never see us run away from a fight!

To be a Master is our dream,
All you gotta do is believe!]

[I believe!] Lita sang back in reply.

[We've got a chance to win!] Rouge continued as Lita sped into the circle of swords and rammed the Corphish.
[We're on our way to victory!]

She looked to me. [You can be the champion if you just believe!
We're on a master quest,
We want the whole world to see
We're gonna be the very best!]

Cause all I've gotta do is believe in me! I joined in as Lita fired a Thundershock at the dazed Corphish, knocking it out.

"Wow!" Trevor was impressed. "It's just like when the theme song plays in the middle of the pivotal battle on TV!"

Even Tierno was impressed. "Whoa...I thought your Pikachu was gonna be an easy win!" he gasped.

"Don't judge a book by its cover." I cautioned as I patted Lita on the head.

[I'm so glad you won!] Rouge was giddy over Lita's victory. [I'm so happy, i could burst!]

She didn't exactly burst, but she did glow white--and become a slightly larger red-headed bird with black and gold wings.

"Sweet--your Fletchling evolved!" Tierno smiled.

"Maybe encouraging your Pikachu pumped her up enough to evolve." Trevor suggested before offering me a huge jar of honey. "Here's the honey like we promised."

After setting the honey jar aside, I fumbled for my Pokedex to read up on what Rouge had become:

"Fletchinder, the ember Pokemon. The hotter the flame sac on its belly, the faster it can fly, but it takes some time to get the fire going."

"Interesting..." Tierno mused as he and Trevor turned to leave."Camphrier Town is just up ahead--we're gonna get a look at the old castle there."

"Maybe it could hold a clue to Mega Evolution..." I mused.

We made it to the Pokemon Center without further incident, then followed a stone path leading up to the castle's elegant iron gate. [Welcome to Castle Shabboneau...]

I located the guest entrance and swiped my trainer card, making the gates swing open with a creak. A tour group had already departed down the right hall in the lobby, but Shauna was there, asking one of the guides a question.

"You sure the castle nor Parfum Palace holds nothing about Mega Evolution?" Shauna asked as I approached.

The guide shook his head. "I'm afraid not, miss. You can still look, but I doubt you would find anything--I wish you luck on finding the knowledge you seek."

Just then, Shauna noticed I had arrived. "I was so excited to maybe find a clue about Mega Evolution here...but it turns out we came all this way for nothing." she sighed as we trudged back outside.

Suddenly, a groundskeeper burst into the room. "Have you seen Liam anywhere?"

"No, why?" the guide asked, confused.

"Oh, if he hadn't lost his Pokeflute back at the palace...we have a situation on Route 7." the groundskeeper explained.

I winced at the mention of a Pokeflute--ever since we had to play them in the third grade, I had sworn never to pick them up again.

Shauna noticed my pained wince as we returned back in town. "If it's any consolation, I didn't like playing the Pokeflute in the third grade either."

I heaved a sigh of relief as we entered the Pokemon Center. "It was just twenty nine kids squeaking and squawking through 'Mary Had a Little Mareep' and 'Jingle Bells' over and over and over...I was SO glad when that year was over."

"Oh, but you forget that a Pokeflute can be an amazing instrument in the right hands." Nurse Joy interjected as she made sure a wounded Pidgey was comfortable. "That superstar trainer from Kanto, Ash Ketchum, is just as famous for his skill on the Pokeflute--and its smaller cousin, the tin whistle--as he is for his skill in battle."

"Really?" Shauna asked as Nurse Joy led us to a vacant computer in the tech area, brought up MyTube, and typed "ash ketchum pokeflute solo" in the search bar. "Here we go...this is an original song of his called 'Night Thunder'--or 'Lullaby for Pikachu' This video is when he played it at the Kanto Faire of Fantasy a few years ago." she explained as she clicked it.

"That explains the Final Fantasy red mage costume..." I mused as the image of Ash, as a red mage, started a peaceful, soothing melody on a Pokeflute.

Lita was mesmerized at the long recorder-like instrument's haunting melody. [That is so beautiful...]

Shauna was equally mesmerized. "Wow...this is way better than third grade music class..."

"I know..." I grinned. If Liam--whoever he was--was anywhere as good as Ash, then maybe I would consider playing the Pokeflute again!
 
Episode 14: Panic in the Palace


Shauna and I winced when we saw the Snorlax, in all its dark teal and cream glory, sprawled across Route 7's bridge. "Now I'm really wondering where we can find a Pokeflute..."

A brown haired boy replied "If I knew where in Parfum Palace my Pokeflute was, I'd play something to get this lardball off the bridge."

"No Pokeflute means lardball's going to stay there, Liam--unless you want to find a recording of a Pokeflute." another groundskeeper suggested.

I hurried over to Liam's side. "My friend and I are traveling to the palace--we can try to find your Pokeflute while we're there."

This brightened Liam's mood. "Great! I've played that Pokeflute all over the world--it was custom made for me by a well respected instrument maker--the name Mana Kazeyou ring any bells?"

"Yeah--they say her instruments last a lifetime!" Shauna reported. "She's best known for her flutes and flute-like instruments, but also makes fiddles, mandolins, and guitars, too. You can tell she made it by looking for an eight point star and her signature somewhere on the instrument."

"One of the best Pokeflutes I've ever played, and now its gone..." Liam sighed.

"Could you describe your instrument so we know what to look for?" Shauna asked.

"It's a polymer Pokeflute that looks like dark wood, complete with a grain, and an ivy inlay in gold." Liam explained. "Mana's marking and signature are on the bell end of a flute."

"Okay, so plastic Pokeflute that resembles wood, gold ivy inlay, maker's marking and signature near the bottom." Shauna recapped Liam's description to make sure she understood. When Liam confirmed her description, we started down the path to Route 6.

I checked my Pokedex to learn more about the massive Pokemon that had taken up residence on the bridge:

"Snorlax, the sleeping Pokemon. Its typical day consists of nothing more than eating and sleeping. It is such a docile Pokemon that there are children who use its expansive belly as a place to play."

Shauna wasn't interested in the Pokedex information--she was more interested in the palm trees lining the path leading to the majestic red palace with loads of silver, gold, and zillions of jewels glittering in the sun. "I see it! It looks every bit like a fairy tale!"

"Come with your wallet, you have to pay a thousand credits to get in." a boy commented as we walked by.

[A tausand credits?] Erin gasped. [Tat's highwey robbery!]

It may be, but attraction proprietors have the right to charge whatever they deem appropriate for admission. Zelda reminded her.

[And Callum's book says visit every attraction on the way, no matter how lame and expensive it is.] Lita reminded me.

Shauna sighed--she didn't want to pay a thousand credits any more than Erin wanted me to. "Okay--I don't like it, but we have a reason to pay the outrageous price..." she assured Erin.

"Besides, you get as much time to walk around, daytime fireworks, live bands, and food for a thousand credits." a girl agreed as we walked by.

[You can shoot fireworks when the sun's out?] Kitsune was impressed.

"Typically you only see daytime fireworks at theme parks and places like this." I explained as we approached the palace's majestic silver gate.

The guard grinned as he swiped our trainer cards and gave us guest passes and event schedules. "Take nothing but photos, and leave nothing but footprints." he cautioned as we made our way inside.

"Let's see..." I mused as I put away my trainer card and turned my attention to the event schedule. "Daytime fireworks at 11, 2, and 4 PM...live music daily...."

[I thought you could only shoot fireworks when it was dark....] Kaitou mused.

Just before I could tell Kaitou about daytime fireworks, an attendant frantically scouring the gardens got Kitsune's attention. [How can we help, sir?]

The attendant sighed. "I can't find my Furfrou anywhere...I took her out in the gardens to play this morning, as is our custom, then I went to clean Sir Liam's room, and when I returned, she was gone."

"Well, Liam's in a tizzy looking for his Pokeflute." Shauna explained. "We said we'd find it for him..."

The attendant smiled. "He merely left it in his room..." Then an idea came to him. "If you can find my Furfrou and bring her back to me safe, I will entrust you with Sir Liam's Pokeflute and treat you to a private daytime fireworks display."

"Does she have a name?" I asked.

"Her name is Colette." the attendant explained. "She may be a bit skittish around people she doesn't know, but if she does run away from you, some Sitrus Berries should coax her out."

"Thanks for the info." Shauna replied as we received a small bag of Berries.

I pulled out my Pokedex to read up on our mark:

Furfrou, the poodle Pokemon. Historically, in the Kalos region, these Pokemon were the designated guardians of the king.

Sure enough, an information plate by a fountain of a trio of Goldeens confirmed the Pokedex's info. This beautiful palace was built just after a war with the neighboring regions 300 years ago, as a sign of the ruling monarch's power and authority. Today, it is an historic site dedicated to the arts and the heroes of that era.

[Wow...] Erin gasped at a Pyroar topiary by the fountain.

[Beautiful!] Kitsune gasped at a marble statue of Reshiram by a Solrock topiary.

Just then a flash of white got my attention. "There's Colette!"

The Furfrou must've freaked out over my yell, and darted off down the garden path. "Hey, we just want to take you back to your master!" Shauna assured it, but the Furfrou was gone.

I sighed. Chasing a Furfrou was not how I wanted to spend the day, but if it meant getting Liam's Pokeflute back, Shauna and I would do whatever it took. A private daytime fireworks display was just gravy.
 
Episode 15: Furfrou Follies

For a moment, Shauna and I stood there in the garden for a moment as the entire garden went on lockdown to prevent Colette escaping. "Which way did Colette go?" Shauna mused. "And how do we go about corralling a runaway Furfrou?"

[We culd try hangin' a rope, which would keep her from runnin', cause it wuld be araund her paws!] Erin suggested.

Kitsune sighed. [Just how many cartoons do you watch a day?]

[Besides, the Mightyena's tried that to catch the Doduo, and we all know how that turned out.] Kaitou agreed.

I stifled a giggle once I remembered the cartoon Kaitou meant. "Okay, so what are some other things we could try?"

[A gag photo booth with a cannon!] Lita suggested.

I sweatdropped at this. "I mean some other SAFE things we could try..."

"Yeah--we don't wanna blow Colette to smithereens." Shauna agreed before getting out a sheet of paper to jot down some ideas.

[Springy shoes!] Chester suggested, [You just jump and grab the Furfrou....]

Shauna didn't seem convinced by that idea. "One, would lugging Colette around make it harder to jump, and two, who am I to guess there's a cliff around here I may inadvertently jump off of, and hurt both Colette and me?"

[No ouchies is key, here.] Kaitou reminded Chester.

"Find out her route and put glue in her path?" I offered.

"Yeah, but then we'd have to clean her up after we unstuck her." Shauna interjected.

[The piano gag?] Rouge suggested.

We all burst out laughing at what would probably happen: Colette trying to play "Believe Me All Those Endearing Young Charms" (assuming she was one of those trained piano playing Furfrous), missing the one note that triggered the net multiple times, and then when we stepped in to show her how to play it right, we got caught in our own net. "Sorry Rouge, but we ALL know what would happen if we tried that, even minus the dynamite." I giggled.

Rouge just puffed up her feathers at this. [See if I ever suggest anything to you again...]

---------

After tracking down Colette happily munching on stray berries in the path (and I got Rouge back in a good mood again), I carefully tiptoed up behind her and reached out my arm to wrap gently around her and lead her back to the bush where Shauna and the Pokemon waited.

But I swear Colette had superhuman senses--she darted away as soon as she saw my hand, making me trip and fall backwards as she ran into another part of the garden.

[Ye okey?] Erin asked me.

Zelda telepathically studied me. She has no serious injury, just a few minor scrapes and bruises that do not appear serious.

"That's a relief..." Shauna grinned as I eased myself to my feet.

"It will be a relief for me when we catch this dumb Furfrou..." I grumbled as we made our way into another part of the garden, making sure to follow Colette's route.

---------

"You sure this is going to work?" I asked Shauna as I put on my arm guards and picked up a bow made of yew wood (the best wood for a bow), painted to look like an exotic dark wood. Granted, I had some archery experience before, but this was probably the weirdest target I'd ever had to shoot.

"Course--just shoot the arrow at the rock, which will make a trip wire--Colette will trip over that, and we have a Furfrou safe and sound." Shauna explained as she tied a rope to my arrow(which Rouge had donated some of her feathers for the fletching)

Whatever you say, Shauna... I thought as I nocked the arrow and prepared my shot.

To Lita's defense, she didn't know that archery requires patience and concentration. But as soon as she spotted Colette frantically running to our position, she squeaked [There she is!].

Naturally, her yelp startled me, I fired too early, making the trip wire AFTER Colette had passed us, and it only ended up making Shauna trip instead (thankfully, she was okay.)

"Next time, signal me quietly when you see what I'm supposed to shoot." I grumbled at Lita as I went to untangle Shauna from the wire.

---------

"Drop a rock on Colette?" Shauna asked.--we were brainstorming our next move for catching Colette safely.

[We don't wanna hurt her, silly!] Chester hissed.

[Dress up as a male Furfrou?] Rouge suggested.

"Not sure where we'd get a costume..." I sighed before thinking some more. "Unleash the fury of a Beedrill swarm?"

"That would be bad for Colette and us." Shauna cautioned.

[Fire a catapult!] Erin suggested.

The Pokemon all started talking at once. [Catch her in a tornado!]

[Block off the garden paths!]

[Fly like a Talonflame!]

[Get a crene and trap her in a box!]

Zelda sighed at the uproar. In Arceus' name, what are we doing?

"How should I know?" I groaned--this was going to be a long day....
 
Episode 16: Furfrous and Fireworks


We finally chased Colette into a ring of hedges, where the only Furfrou sized opening was the way she came in. "Now's our chance..." I whispered.

"But we don't want to startle her...." Shauna protested.

"We're not going to startle her--we're going to convince her that one of us is a friend." I explained. "That way, we can take her back to her master, no problem."

Shauna rolled her eyes. "You make it sound so easy, Serena..."

About then, Colette spotted Shauna and tensely approached her. "Hi, Colette..." Shauna cooed. "Your master's worried sick about you...and I know where he is. Want me to take you to him?"

Colette seemed to like that idea, but just before Shauna could lead the way back onto the main path, the whine of the gardener's weedwhackers startled her, causing her to run back outside and through a pond.

"Follow that Furfrou!" Shauna announced before taking off after the panicked Furfrou.

"Right behind y--!" Just then, I realized the pond Colette had so nimbly jumped over was a lot deeper than it appeared, so no sooner had I stepped in the water, did I go tumbling inside with a splash.

The Pokemon doubled over laughing at all the Corphishes crawling all over my wet clothes. [Ye should've seen te luk on yer fece!] Erin giggled.

[How's the water, champ?] Kaitou joked as I carefully picked off the Corphishes and set them back in the water.

"Very cold..." I shivered. "I'm just thankful I didn't land on the ground, or have a Crawdaunt hissing at me...."

Be careful what you wish for... Zelda cautioned as I heard a familiar hiss behind me.

I looked around and gasped at the Corphishes I'd picked off fearfully huddled around an angry female Crawdaunt. "Oh, great..."I sighed as I retrieved my (thankfully dry) Pokedex:

"Crawdaunt, the rogue Pokemon. It is a ruffian that uses its pincers to pick up and toss out other Pokémon from its pond."

I started to back away as the Crawdaunt approached me. "Back! Get back! I'm no Pokemon, I'm just a girl! It was an accident, I didn't mean to fall in your pond, honest! I wasn't trying to harm your babies! Just give me a chance to get out of here and I'll be on my w-AUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Kitsune saw the Crawdaunt pick me up (despite my frantic protests), and heave me several feet into the air and over the hedges. [Heads up!] she called as I landed in the entry pathway with a thud.

[The Pokedex wasn't kidding when it said it would toss out intruders from its pond...] Lita mused, trying oh-so-hard trying not to laugh over my dripping wet, scuffed, and scratched clothes.

"Tell me about it..." I sighed as I brushed the dirt off of me.

About then, Colette discovered me in the entry path and hurried off in the other direction....right into Shauna's arms! "There you are! Let's get you home, okay?"

"Yes, let's." I groaned as Shauna led the way with Colette happily trotting beside her.

Shauna looked back behind me with a quizzical look. "What happened to you?"

"Oh, Colette was startled by the weedwhackers and sent me flying into a pond--where a Crawdaunt just so happened to live." I explained. "The Pokedex isn't kidding when it says a Crawdaunt will throw intruders out of its pond..."

Colette's master was ecstatic when he saw us returning. "Oh, Colette! Thank Arceus you're all right!" he cried as Colette ran into his arms with a happy yip.

"Aw..." Shauna smiled at the happy scene.

"For all the trouble we went through to find her, that right there made it all worth the frustration and pain." I agreed.

After I had a chance to rest, have my clothes washed, and both of us have a quick lunch, we were escorted to the VIP balcony that overlooked the entire grounds. Attention please--daytime fireworks will begin in 10 minutes. the speakers announced.

"Oh wow!" Shauna gasped. "I've never seen fireworks during the day before!"

"For some reason, fireworks have always reminded me of you--always full of energy, happiness and a never say die attitude." I smiled. "That's why I'm glad to call you my friend."

"Hm..." Shauna thought for a moment at what I had said. "I guess you could put it that way..." she mused. But fireworks remind me of you for another reason--you may look like any average girl, but inside, you have a fiery courage and bravery I wish i had--and when one of your friends or your Pokemon is in danger, that courage is on full display in a colorful burst!"

[She's right, ye know.] Erin grinned.

I sheepishly smiled, a little embarrassed by Shauna's compliment. "You know, we've been together ever since we were very little...and I wouldn't trade any of the memories we've shared for the world."

"The time we camped out in Callum's yard..." Shauna smiled over a memory.

"It rained the whole weekend and made the ground sopping wet....poor Tierno had to change clothes twice." I added.

"Needless to say, Callum always checked the weather forecast carefully after that." Shauna smiled. "And who could forget the time we were all snowbound at my house last winter?"

"Trevor's parents were constantly calling Mom for hours just to be sure he was okay...and Mom would graciously tell them that yes, Trevor was just fine, had plenty to eat and drink, and had not caught hypothermia or some other disease." I agreed. "He was a bit homesick after Day 8, but he came through like a warrior."

"Don't get me wrong, Trevor's parents are very sweet, but a liiiittle overprotective." Shauna noted. "It took the professor stepping in to get them to agree for him to go on this adventure."

"Considering Trevor was sick a lot growing up, it's only natural they worry about him." I smiled. "Tierno's family...well..."

"If you looked 'energetic' up in the dictionary, you'd find a picture of them." Shauna grinned. "Tierno gets his love for dancing from his dad, who is a professional tap and jazz dancer, so he tours around the world."

"He's not a pushy stage dad?" I asked.

"Nope, Tierno says that he grew to love dancing by his own choice, and wants to be as good as his dad one day." Shauna smiled.

"Speaking of showbiz, I'll never forget Callum playing the prince in our third grade classes' production of 'Sleeping Beauty'." I smiled.

"What was your role in that, again?" Shauna asked. "I helped on the set crew..."

"I was one of the seven fairies--Ruby, the red fire fairy." I replied. "Still have that costume somewhere in the attic..."

We both sighed in nostalgia as the first round of daytime fireworks flew skyward. "No matter what happens, Serena...we're friends to the end,right?" Shauna asked.

I linked my pinky with hers. "Friends to the end."
 
Episode 17: Clearing a Path


"Thank you so much for the fireworks!" Shauna grinned as we departed the palace with Liam's Pokeflute later that afternoon.

"And thank you both--for finding Colette safe." the butler smiled.

Then, something occurred to him. "In fact, allow me the opportunity to show you that a Pokeflute can be a serious instrument..." With that, he handed both Shauna and me Pokeflute cases.

"Thanks." I smiled. Even though I had once sworn off playing the Pokeflute after that torturous third grade music class, the slender black case in my hands and the memory of Ash playing made me wonder: Was there more to the instrument than the endless renditions of "Mary Had a Little Mareep" and "Hot Cross Buns" all those years ago?

Chester seemed excited by the cases we carried. [I'd like to hear one of you play those Pokeflutes...]

"...and I need to rest from walking...." Shauna wheezed as she sat down in the grass and cuddled Chester.

"Very well--if you're feeling tired, we can rest for a moment." the butler assured us. "But let's not tarry any longer than we need to."

I nodded, carefully opened the Pokeflute case, and studied the instrument inside. It didn't look any different from millions of other deep brown or black plastic Pokeflutes, or the occasional lighter browns wooden instruments sometimes came in.

After looking the instrument over and finding no scratches or cracks, I decided to try playing it. After a few initial weak and flat notes, I started playing an airy and squeaky improvisation trying to remember all the fingerings.

Then I saw a fingering chart in the case, so using that as my guide, I managed to eke out a very mistake-filled rendition of "Jelan's Prayer" from "The Song Mage Chronicles". [Nut bad fer nut pleying in a long time!] Erin smiled as she applauded.

"It'll get better with practice, don't worry!" Shauna agreed.

[Even though it was filled with a lot of airy and wrong notes, you still gave it your all--that's what made it beautiful to me] Rouge smiled.

I was about to acknowledge my applause when a white light got my attention. "What the..." I gasped as Kaitou started to transform into a slightly larger turtle with wing-like ears and a long, furry tail.

"Perhaps your attempt at a song made your Squirtle happy enough to evolve." the butler grinned.

I set my Pokeflute aside and retrieved my Pokedex to read up on what Kaitou had become:

Wartortle, the turtle Pokemon. Its furry tail is popular as a symbol of longevity.

Tears of happiness formed in my eyes. "You really liked that enough to evolve?"

[Of course--I know it'll sound as beautiful as it once did with some practice.] Kaitou echoed Rouge's sentiments as I put my new Pokeflute away.

"Speaking of music, what can you tell us about the songs said to trigger Mega Evolution?" Shauna asked as we started down the road again.

"Not much, I'm afraid..." the butler sighed. "The Mega form lies dormant in the Pokemon said to be able to do this, and only awakens when the trainer's Heart Song is sung. But what these are and the rings used to trigger Mega Evolution have been long since lost." Shauna nodded to show she understood.

The look of pure joy on Liam's face when he saw us arriving with his instrument made Shauna forget about Mega Evolution for a while. "You found it! Thank Arceus it wasn't lost or stolen!"

"It was merely in your room the whole time." the butler assured him as he handed the case to Liam. I wanted to tell Liam about chasing down flighty Furfrou, but decided that would spoil the happiness in the air.

"Say...you have your guitar, right?" Shauna grinned. "Maybe you could back Liam up on whatever tune he plays!"

Liam grinned when he saw me retrieve my guitar and start to tune up. "Any suggestions for what kind of tune will wake up lardball here?" he asked. The Snorlax, meanwhile, just gave a blissful purr as it slept.

"Anything fast, and upbeat." I suggested as I played around with a harmonic progression in A minor.

My little riff seemed to inspire Liam--he started the tune "The Swellow's Tail" over my rhythm, and Shauna helped clapping some rocks together for percussion. Someone joined in on fiddle, and more drums, until a ragtag band was all playing the tune at the bridge.

The Snorlax lifted its head upon hearing the noise, and started to slowly lumber off into the brush as the tune continued. Just as quickly as they had joined in, the other instruments dropped out,until it was just me, Liam, and Shauna finishing the tune.

"Bravo, Liam!" the butler smiled as he applauded. "Wonderful, as always!"

"It was great to play this again..." Liam smiled before addressing us. "Thank you both for playing with me--it's not often I get to have an impromptu session on the road...usually I play for parties and sessions indoors."

"We'll come jam with you again anytime you want!" Shauna grinned.

"Yes...that song and a gift of Pokeflutes for both of us made me want to start playing again." I grinned.

Liam smiled. "Cherish your instruments, both of you, and practice as often as you can for me, okay?"

"We will!" I called as we departed across the bridge.

Erin was singing "The Swellow's Tail" all the way down the road, which got Callum's attention. "Well! I see Erin's in a good mood today..."

[Ye missed a fine session at te bridge!] Erin smiled. [Got even te Snorlaxes dancin']

"I'm sure it sounded wonderful..." Callum smiled before turning business-like again. "But the reason I came was to invite you two over to see the daycare that's not far from here. When I left, Trevor and Tierno were having the time of their lives playing with the babies."

"Baby Pokemon!!!!" Shauna gasped, starry eyed at the prospect of seeing Pichus, Azurills, Happinis, and other baby Pokemon up close.

"We'd love to come see the babies." I told Callum.

"Come on then." Callum motioned for us to follow him down the road...
 
Daycare Interlude: Little Pokemon, Big Dreamers


Callum led the way inside the festively decorated common room. "Keep it down--the younger babies are napping right now." he whispered as we quietly walked past some Pichus sleeping in a heap.

"Aw..." Trevor smiled as he admired the sleeping Azurill in his arms. "Look at them--they look so cute all relaxed like this."

"Hello, and welcome!" a breeder grinned as she carried a dozing Cleffa to the nap room. "Feel free to look around while the younger babies nap. If you have any questions, let me or one of the other breeders know."

"Okay." Shauna smiled before peeking into one of the playrooms, where some of the older babies were playing quietly, under the watchful eyes of older Pokemon. A Tyrogue was explaining the rules of a game to a crowd of Togepis, Cleffas, and Pichus before a male breeder let them all outside to play.

"They're cute, aren't they?" Tierno wheezed as he helped a Riolu put away some scarves. "My little crew and I have been dancing all morning."

"They all are." Shauna agreed before we found another playroom filled with baby Pokemon playing quietly.

A thought occurred to her when she noticed my guitar case. "Say...you could play your guitar and sing with them!"

"Or tell'em one of your campfire stories!" Tierno suggested.

I found a chair overlooking the rug in the center, where some babies were drawing or looking at picture books. "Who wants to hear some stories and songs?"

Forget drawing and picture books--I soon had a crowd of baby Pokemon sitting at my feet as I carefully and quickly tuned up. "Any ideas as to what we should sing?" Callum asked.

I just strummed an expectant D chord The more we get together, together, together, oh the more we get together, the happier we'll be...

The more we get together, together, together, oh the more we get together, the happier we'll be... Callum and Shauna joined in. For your friends are my friends, and my friends are your friends. The more we get together, the happier we'll be...

Then Callum started singing I love to go a-wandering along the mountain track
And as I go I love to sing, my knapsack on my back....

Valderi, valdera, valderi, valder-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Shauna and I eagerly joined in.
Valderi, valdera, my knapsack on my back...

"The Happy Wanderer" went over very well--the babies especially liked the "Valderi, valdera" parts. So did my version of "The Ninetales"--most versions of the song end after Old Lady Tachibana screams to John that the Pidgey's gone (the babies really got a kick out of me screaming as Old Lady Tachibana), but I add some verses that presume Ninetales makes it home with her prey. Then Callum led "Sloop John B", and Shauna practically begged for me to play "I've Been Working on the Railroad" (Callum helped by doing some train noises on a harmonica, which the babies loved), and "Clementine" (they eagerly sang along with that one)

When I ended "Yellow Submarine" hours later, I decided it was time for a story. "Once upon a time, there was a king who had seven sons, and he loved them so much that he couldn't bear to be without them, even for a few minutes."

[Aw...] an Azurill sighed dreamily.

Now, when they grew up, six of them were to find princesses of their own, but as for the youngest--we'll call him Jake--his father kept him at home." I went on. "So the king gave the elder six the finest clothes, so fine that the light gleamed from them hundreds of miles away, and each had his Ponyta, which cost many a gold piece, and so they set off."

I played a rhythmic little melody to mimic traveling. "After visiting many palaces, and just as many princesses, they came to a king who had six daughters; who were so beautiful that it was hard to find any to compare in the land."

[I'm sure they were...] a Happini mused.

"Each of the elder six took a princess as his bride, and set off for home again, but they forgot that they were to bring back with them a sweetheart for Jake, their brother, who was at home, for they were head over heels in love with their own sweethearts." I explained, to some giggles as the babies pictured the princes with heart eyes.

"But when they had gotten a good ways home, they passed close by a steep hillside, like a wall, where a giant's house was." I intoned as I played a fearful riff. The giant came out, and just by looking at them, turned them all into stone, princes and princesses alike. The king waited and waited for his six sons, but the more he waited with no word as to where they were, the more worried and sad he got."

[Poor king...] a Magby sighed.

"And if he didn't have Prince Jake, he wasn't sure how he would live without his sons." I went on. "Prince Jake felt sorry for his father, and offered to find his brothers. But his father initially said no--who was he to think he would lose Prince Jake too?"

[Did Prince Jake get to go save his brothers?] a Smoochum worried.

"But Prince Jake would not take no for an answer; and he begged and pleaded for so long that the king was forced to let him go." I continued. "The only Ponyta left in the royal stables was a very old mare--his six brothers and their retinue had taken all the other Ponytas. But Prince Jake didn't care, and set out on his sorry old steed."

"This is getting good...and then?" Callum asked.

"After he had ridden a while, Prince Jake met a Murkrow lying in the road half starved." I continued. "Not being one to see a Pokemon suffer, he gave the Murkrow some of the food he had brought with him, and the Murkrow left an emerald behind as thanks. When he had gone a bit further, he came to a sream, and he found a Seaking flopping about on the shore, trying to get back in the water again."

[So he put it back in the water?] a Pichu guessed.

I nodded. "Yes, Prince Jake put it back in the water, and a sapphire washed up on the shore, which Prince Jake figured was the Seaking thanking him, and put it with the emerald."

Shauna grinned at Callum--once I mentioned jewels in a tale, magic powers were not far behind. "After that he went a long, long way, and he found a Lucario, which was so famished that it lay and crawled along the road on its belly. Prince Jake saw his old Ponyta had died of exhaustion, and gave the meat to the Lucario. The Lucario was very thankful, and offered to let Prince Jake ride on his back. Prince Jake agreed, and the Lucario carried him to the giant's house--way faster than a Ponyta. When they got there, Prince Jake saw his six brothers and their brides turned into stone. He was afraid to go in the house at first--he knew well that giants killed humans. But the Lucario told him..."

Callum jumped in the role of the Lucario. "When you get inside, you'll find a princess named Tara, and she'll tell you what to do to kill the giant. Be sure and do everything she tells you."

I interjected with a tense riff. "Prince Jake went in, but, he was still very afraid. The giant was away at the time, but in one of the rooms sat Princess Tara, just as the Lucario had said, and she was the prettiest princess Prince Jake had ever seen."

"Why have you come here?" Shauna gasped as Princess Tara, "You'll die if the giant finds you! No one can kill him, for his heart isn't in his body."

"Prince Jake explained that he was there to save her, and save his brothers too." I narrated over a quiet Zelda-like riff. "He would save them, or die trying. Princess Tara was really happy someone had come to rescue her, and told Prince Jake..."

"Climb under the bed over there, and listen closely to what he and I talk about. But, be quiet as a Pichu." Shauna instructed as Princess Tara, to giggles from the Pichus.

"So Prince Jake climbed under the bed, and he had hardly gotten under there before the giant came." I intoned.

The babies screamed in fear and delight at this. "Ha!" Callum announced in a deeper version of himself for the giant, "what a smell of human blood there is in the house!"

"Yes, I know there is," Shauna explained as Princess Tara. "A Murkrow passed here carrying a human bone, and it fell down the chimney. I tried to get it out as best as I could, but the smell still lingers despite my efforts to get it out."

"So the giant said no more about it, and when night came, they went to bed." I went on as Callum and Shauna sprawled on the rug. "After they had laid there a while, Princess Tara said...."

"There is one thing I'd like to ask you about, if I can." Shauna whispered to Callum as Princess Tara.

"What is that?" Callum asked in character as the giant.

"Where do you keep your heart, since you don't carry it inside you," Shauna replied.

"If you must know, it lies under the doorframe." Callum mused as the giant.

"The next morning, the giant got up very early, and went off to the forest; but he was hardly out of the house before Prince Jake and Princess Tara set to work looking under the doorframe for his heart; but the more they dug, and the more they hunted, the more they couldn't find it." I continued.

"He has tricked us this time," Shauna grumbled as Princess Tara, "but we'll try again."

"So she picked all the prettiest flowers she could find, and strew them over the doorframe, which they had put back; and when the time came for the giant to come home, Prince Jake crept under the bed." I went on. "Just as he got under there, the giant arrived. He asked who it was that had strewn flowers on the doorframe."

"I did, of course," Shauna grinned as Princess Tara.

"And what's the meaning of all this?" Callum demanded as the giant.

"I'm so fond of you that I couldn't help strewing them, when I knew that your heart lay under there." Shauna explained.

"You don't say," Callum mused as the giant; "but it doesn't lie there at all."

"So when they went to bed that night, Princess Tara asked the giant again where his heart was." I narrated.

"Well," Callum mused as the giant, "if you must know, it lies in the cupboard against the wall."

"The next morning the giant was up early again, and strode off to the forest, and no sooner was he gone Prince Jake and Princess Tara were in the cupboard hunting for his heart, but the more they sought for it, the less they found it."

"Well," Shauna sighed as Princess Tara, "we'll just try again."

"So she decked out the cupboard with flowers and garlands, and when the time came for the giant to come home, Jake crept under the bed again." I went on. "The giant saw how the cupboard was all decked out with flowers and garlands; so he asked who it was that had done that. Princess Tara said she did it."

"And what's the meaning of all this tomfoolery?" Callum asked the giant, to some giggles.

"Oh, I'm so fond of you, I couldn't help doing it when I knew that your heart lay there," Shauna explained as Princess Tara.

"How can you be so silly as to believe such a thing?" Callum asked as the giant.

"How can I help believing it, when you say it?" Shauna smiled Princess Tara.

"Where my heart is, you will never know." Callum sneered as the giant over a tense riff from me.

"Well," Shauna mused as Princess Tara; "but for all that, it would be a pleasure to know where it really lies."

"The giant figured Princess Tara was up to something, but told her anyway..." I narrated.

"Far, far away in a lake lies an island; on that island stands a shrine; in that shrine is a well; in that well swims a Ducklett; in that Ducklett there is an egg, and in that egg there lies my heart." Callum smugly replied as the giant.

"In the morning, while it was still dark, the giant left for the forest again." I went on. "Prince Jake told Princess Tara goodbye, and when he got out of the giant's house, there stood the Lucario waiting for him. Prince Jake told him all that had happened , and told him to go to the well in the shrine, if he knew the way. So the Lucario started down the road, over hedge and field, over hill and dale."

After playing a rhythmic song to mimic the passage of time,I went on "After they had traveled many, many days, they came at last to the lake. Prince did not know how to cross it, but the Lucario assured him to hang on. He jumped into the lake with Prince Jake on his back, and swam over to the island. So they came to the shrine; but the keys hung way up on the top of the tower, and at first Prince Jake did not know how to get them down. Then Prince Jake remembered his emerald, held it in the air, and sang..."

Callum grinned when I sang Karuto, iichiida shou...--spellsongs were some of his favorite parts when I told stories.

[What did the spell do?] a Riolu asked.

"The Murkrow from before came, and flew up and got the keys, allowing Prince Jake inside the shrine." I explained. "But when he came to the well, there was the Ducklett, just as the giant had said. Prince Jake stood and coaxed it and coaxed it, till it came to him, and he carefully picked it up, but just as he lifted it out of the water, the Ducklett dropped the egg into the well."

Gasps went up at this, but I quickly assured them "then Prince Jake remembered the sapphire, held it in the air, and sang..." I paused to sing Rou iitsa ron selga vichii... before continuing "...and the Seaking came and got the egg from the bottom of the well. Then the Lucario told him to smash the egg on the ground, and as soon as Prince Jake did that, the giant was dead as a doornail!"

Cheers went up at the giant's demise. "With the giant gone, the six brothers and their brides were restored to their true forms." I went on over a victorious song. "Prince Jake took Princess Tara as his bride, and they all set off for home."

I grinned. "You can only imagine how glad the old king was when he saw all his seven sons come back, each with his bride. But the loveliest bride of all was Prince Jake's bride, so he got to sit at the most prominent place at the dinner table, with Prince Tara at his side."

I concluded "It wasn't long before Prince Jake and Princess Tara were married, and for all I know, they may still be celebrating today!"

The babies applauded as Shauna and Callum took a bow. We would've stayed there all day entertaining the babies, but we still had an epic journey of our own to continue!
 
Episode 18: Dance Your Cares Away


After telling the babies goodbye, we started down the road to Connecting Cave. But it wasn't too long before Shauna spotted what looked like a castle tower looming over the road."Ooh! A castle!"

"Actually, that's the Battle Chateau--but only the best of the best trainers are allowed in there." Callum explained.

"One more reason we should all try our very best, right?" Trevor smiled.

"That's right." Callum replied.

For the most part, the walk was uneventful, until we came to a small town not far from the road leading into Connecting Cave. Everything was decorated by silver and black Cyllage Rhydons banners and pennants, from the houses, to shops, and even the Pokemon Center. "Boy, everyone must be Cyllage superfans here..." Shauna noted as we passed lamppost after lamppost with a Rhydons banner on it.

"I wouldn't be surprised if we found Grant here..." I grinned. Grant was renowned all across Kalos for his love of sports--especially rock climbing, biking, basketball, and swimming.

Callum was about to answer when the familiar saxophone riff of "Careless Whisper" filled the air. "Sweet! They're having an epic dance party in there!" Tierno smiled, nearly dragging us into a large building apparently used for special events, where throngs of people were dancing on a light filled floor. More lights and a disco ball played across the walls, illuminating those that were not dancing in a rainbow of colors.

"Wonder why they're having this party?" Shauna asked, a little overwhelmed by all the lights and color in the room."

"The Rhydons just won their first championship for the first time in ten years." a voice replied. "Isn't that a good reason for a party?"

Shauna whirled around just in time to see Grant headed our direction with a tray of punch glasses He didn't look too much different from all the pictures I'd seen of him--black shirt, silver pants, and pieces of either rocks or gems in his hair. "Yeah, it's a great reason for a party." she smiled as she took one of the punch glasses.

"Sitrus Paradise--mm!" Trevor grinned as he eagerly gulped the mixture of Sitrus, Meli, Nomel, and Oran Berry juice down.

"You like that, huh?" Grant grinned.

"Yeah--I didn't get to have it very much because I would have to go to bed whenever my mom threw parties at home." Trevor explained.

"And what few opportunities he had to go to parties, he would have to leave because he got sick a lot." Callum added.

"I see..." Grant grinned. "You guys look like a pretty tight group of friends."

"Yeah! We're traveling around Kalos together." I replied.

Tierno, meanwhile, had wasted no time in going out on the dance floor as "Careless Whisper" gave way to the pounding beat of "This Time I Know It's For Real". Not surprisingly, he had the whole floor to himself as he spun, jumped, and whirled to the beat, much to the awe of the crowds.

"Nice moves!" Grant smiled, impressed by Tierno dancing.

"Go, Tierno, go!" Trevor called as he clapped to the beat.

When the song ended, Tierno came jogging back to us. "Sorry for ditchin' you guys, but I had to dance to one of my favorite songs." he explained as he found his punch glass and sipped from it. "When I was a little guy, that song was huge on the radio, and so every time it came on, my dad would crank it up really loud and we would dance together."

"How sweet..." Shauna smiled as another song began.

"So even when you were very little, you loved to dance." I smiled.

"I loved my dad's smooth moves." Tierno sighed nostalgically. "He's trained for a long time, but he especially likes tap dancing and its related styles."

"I bet he's toured all around the world!" I gasped.

Tierno paused to dig out a photo album from his bag, oblivious to "Night Fever" beginning. "I have pictures from the few times I got to come with him on his travels."

"Did he teach or perform?" Grant was interested as he noticed the picture of young Tierno in a black haired man's arms.

"Both." Tierno replied. "Still does both." He then thumbed to a picture of the man tap dancing as young Tierno looked on in awe. "Here we are in Nimbasa, in Unova."

"That explains the glittering lights on the stage." Callum mused as "That's the Way (I Like It)" started playing.

"Believe it or not, he danced to that song when Mom took this picture." Tierno grinned before turning the page to show his young self and his parents before Worlds of Adventures' famous Ferris wheel. "Here we are the day after in Worlds of Adventure. I got royally sick after braving Reshiram's Fury, though."

"They don't call it Unova's longest and fastest roller coaster for nothing." I grinned.

Tierno's next picture depicted the man comforting young Tierno. "He always believed that when things didn't go right, you had to get up and try again--a lesson I have never forgotten. This is from the time I first tried to ride my bike without the training wheels."

"Wasn't easy, was it?" Grant asked as he admired the slightly battered bike in the background.

"Nope--fell more times than I can count." Tierno blushed. "But Dad urged me to get up and keep trying."

"A wise lesson--one I hope you all have learned." Grant smiled before he started swaying to "Don't Stop Til You Get Enough".

"We have--whether it's riding a bike or training Pokemon, you're going to fall." I smiled.

"So when you do lose or make mistakes, you just get up and try again." Shauna smiled. "Cause you can even learn something when you lose."

"It just makes victory that much sweeter." Trevor agreed.

Grant smiled. "I see you all have learned that lesson well--with confidence like that, it makes me all the more excited to battle you back in the Gym."

"We can't wait to battle you, either." I replied.

"For now, let's dance!" With that, Shauna led the way to the floor as we all danced to "Sussudio"

We had the time of our lives dancing, but Tierno loved it more than anyone--if his parents had been there watching him dance out there on the floor, they'd be proud.
 
LightningTopaz said:
Aw, thank you! Things will be getting interesting shortly, as Serena tries for her first badge.

Just be forewarned that this is not quite the same X and Y you played through.
Click to expand...

Obviously, there are a few Pokémon Anime references, such as "...a boy from Kanto..." a reference to Ash and the fact that Serena's Anime incarnation met him earlier in life
 
Not to mention,some parts of the story are tweaked (The latest episode is where you and Callum/Serena first battle together in the game, but I felt Tierno needed some character development, and so I replaced it with this) and Mega Evolution got a huge change.
 
You look like you need a review!

PLOT: The obvious thing to say would be that this is just a game rewrite, and it kind of is, but not exactly. You've put it into your own world and expanded on the canon. But besides making the characters more in depth and giving each more of a background, as well as backgrounds with each other, there hasn't been many changes yet. I'm not saying this is a terrible thing, especially this early in the fic, (I have read some decent game rewrites before) but I really hope to see some more changes in presentation in the future. So far the story has been heartwarming and your clear love for music and theater, infectious. I'm most interested to see how you will handle Team Flare and the game's actual storyline once that gets going.

As far as blatant mistakes go, though, I did spot one inconsistency. In the first episode, Serena is introduced to Tierno and Trevor as if they've never met before. But then in Episode 16, Serena and Sahara share memories of them when they were younger. Both backstories are okay, you've just got to pick one ;)

CHARACTERS: My immediate observation regarding characters is your decision to let the Pokemon talk. Given that everyone seems to be able to understand them without comment, it's clear that's not supposed to be some Mary-Sue magical power. This is great, because now it's much easier to give the Pokemon distinct personalities. My only qualm with this is that I'm not seeing a ton of variety in these personalities. They're all lovable, and there are some distinctions, like Erin (great job with the accent, by the way), but in general there isn't a ton of variation. I know it's kind of canon that Pokemon can't be evil, but having one or two be mean, jealous, or vindictive would mix things up a bit in an interesting way. Maybe that's your plan for Team Flare's Pokemon, I don't honestly know.

As far as the humans go, you've done a good job giving each character a bit more personality and depth than the games, while still staying faithful to their in game persona. I particularly like how you've given the player character more of a personality than the usual generic one. Serena actually has talents and weaknesses and enjoys more than just BE THE VERY BEST BECAUSE PLOT. I'm interested to see what you do with the rest of the game's cast.

WRITING: It's been a little while since I read something by you, so I forgot about all the little details you put in here and there. I particularly liked how Sahara made tin foil dinners. I have many a fond memory of eating those around the campfire. They're so easy and lightweight compared to other non-dehydrated alternatives. The music and stories also added a wonderful charm that comes so naturally in your writing.

As far as dialogue goes, you've done pretty well. Like I mentioned above, Erin's accent is a great touch and I would suggest looking more into that kind of thing. In writing, dialogue is what really makes it possible to tell characters apart, so it's important to give each one a unique voice. Same with your description. It's okay, but a common trap to fall into is to assume people have played the game enough to know all about what the environments and characters look like. Don't fall into it. Just a short paragraph to set the scene or a quick adjective added in your dialogue tags can make the world and its inhabitants feel so much more vivid.

OVERALL: A fun story, keep it up!

Review Extravaganza 6/50
 
@AetherX;

There's a reason for the inconsistency--initially, I was planning for this to follow the games more (which it kinda has up until now), but when I got to the balcony scene, I realized it would be much easier to assume they've known each other forever (also a big help when giving a backstory to Trevor and Tierno)

The reason why [the Pokemon dialogue looks ike this] is convenience for the reader--in actuality, Serena would be hearing "Pika pika squirtle squirtle", but translating the Pokegibberish for the audience helps me bring out their personality.

Serena will really rip Team Flare once I introduce them (not this week, but next week)

I did use the game's personality descriptions to help build their story counterparts:

Kitsune will have her master's snark rub off on her
Rouge will become a bit of a hothead
Lita is very curious, and asks questions about everything
Zelda is very calm and spiritual
Erin's accent is an attempt to make a reference--Erin is an ancient name for Ireland, so her accent is an attempt at an Irish brogue.
Kaitou is a little like Ash, very brave, but prone to acting before thinking
 
Episode 19: Diamonds in the Rough


After telling Grant goodbye, we departed the party and continued on to Connecting Cave. The one most glad to leave was Rouge. [I am so glad to be out of there and away from that noise! What are ya trying to do? Deafen us?]

[What's te matter with Rouge?] Erin wondered as Rouge continued to rant.

"Maybe when she evolved, she developed a noise sensitivity?" Trevor suggested as we walked into the lower entrance.

"Possibly..." Callum mused as he looked around at the dripping stalactites, the Zubats hanging overhead, and the jewels embedded in the cave walls.

Shauna, on the other hand, was excited about the jewels. "Wow! I didn't know all of these were here!"

Just then, a brown haired breeder saw us approaching in what little light there was from the cave entrance. "Oh, hi! On your way to Ambrette Town?"

"Yes...we hope to find out if the researchers there will help us solve a mystery for the professor." Callum replied, stifling a giggle at the Litleo batting at an Oddish's leaves. The Oddish, meanwhile, did not like the idea of the tiny cub Pokemon using its leaves as a toy, and darted away. This in turn spurred the Litleo to chase the Oddish even more and crash into a Pikachu, making her Berries scatter everywhere. [Hodan...now look what you've done!] she sighed as she darted about the floor picking up Berries.

The Oddish, meanwhile, ran into the breeder's arms. [Mercy, make them stop!] he pleaded.

"Hodan, come here." the girl replied. The Litleo trudged over to where his master, the Oddish, and a Ducklett were waiting--he clearly knew he was in trouble. "You know better than to treat Briar like a toy."

[But the way his leaves dance in the wind--it makes for a good chase!] the Litleo protested.

"I know you instinctively want to hunt things, but Briar doesn't find being prey fun." Mercy explained, gesturing to the sniffling Oddish in her arms. "He scares very easily, and when he finds he's prey, it only scares him even more."

She noticed the Pikachu sparking in annoyance. "I think you owe Nuala an apology too."

The Litleo decided to apologize to the Oddish first. [I'm sorry, Briar...I only wanted to play.]

[Well, next time, pick a game that doesn't involve chasing me.] Briar replied.

[And if you do play chase, please watch where you're going.] Nuala agreed.

[Don't worry, Hodan! You can chase me any time you want!] the Ducklett grinned as she flexed her wings.

"You can run and chase Teal all you want when we get back to the Daycare, okay?" Mercy replied before addressing us. "We spent the day mining gems in Glittering Cave today, and now my charges are all wound up..."

"I'm Callum..." Callum shook hands with Mercy. "and these are my friends Serena..." I waved hello. "Shauna..." Shauna waved before observing a sapphire in one of the cave walls. "Trevor..." Trevor shyly waved before observing Nuala hurrying back to Mercy's side. "and Tierno." Tierno grinned and waved hello."

"Nice to meet you all." Mercy smiled. "You're welcome to come to the Daycare any time you or your Pokemon need to rest, okay?"

"We'll keep that in mind." I replied before Mercy and her Pokemon started back on the main path."

"They're so sweet..." Shauna smiled as we emerged into the late afternoon sun.

Callum was about to reply when he heard the whistle of an arrow fly over his head. "Arrows..."

"Someone's practicing archery out here!" Trevor led the way around a corner of the cliffs, where a brown haired girl in the familiar navy blue shirt, red cloak and cape, and wide brimmed hat of a ranger readied another shot to go flying into the lower part of a target's bullseye, which would make a Leaf Stone pop free.

[Wow...] Kaitou gasped as the girl readied another arrow. [I've always wondered how a bow works...]

The bow itself is essentially a flexible arc. Zelda telepathically explained. A string joins the two ends of the bow, and when the string is drawn back, the ends of the bow are flexed. When the string is released, the potential energy of the flexed stick is transformed into the velocity of the arrow.

[Tank ye, Professor Zelda--tat was fascineting!] Erin smiled.

About then, the ranger noticed us. "Hello there! Are you all headed to Ambrette?"

"We are." I replied, all the while admiring the girl's bow. It looked like a recurve bow made from a high quality wood, painted silver. "Is this painted wood or something else?"

"It's actually painted fiberglass, made to look like wood." the ranger replied before it occurred to her she had not introduced herself. "My name's Amber...you guys look like the five trainers Sina told me to be watching for."

"Wait...you know Sina and Dexio?" Callum gasped.

"Yeah--we've been friends a long time." Amber replied as she set her bow aside and showed us some Pokedex data chips. "She told me to give you all these upgrade chips--since you're nearing the coast, this small upgrade will allow you to document Pokemon seen on the coast."

"Thanks!" Tierno wasted no time in putting in the upgrade chip.

"Yes, thank you!" Shauna smiled as she put in the upgrade chip.

"Will you take us down to Ambrette after you finish your target training?" Trevor asked as Callum helped him install his upgrade chip. "I-I don't feel comfortable walking down those steep cliffs."

"Sure...I'll even take you into Glittering Cave if you want to go gem mining." Amber smiled before taking one of the two Poke Balls clipped at her side. "I'll let Stormy, my Emolga, scout ahead for us so no one slips or gets separated."

With that, she heaved the Poke Ball skyward. "Let's hit the trail, Stormy!"

The Poke Ball opened with a pop, revealing a small white flying squirrel creature with a glowing yellow cape-like membrane and black fur on its head and tail. Emolga, the sky squirrel Pokemon. my Pokedex explained. They live on treetops and glide using the inside of a cape-like membrane while discharging electricity.

"Cool!" Tierno was impressed.

"Thankfully, Stormy will only discharge while gliding in battle, or lightly in caves to light the way." Amber assured us. "A skill you must teach an Emolga early if they want to be a scout Pokemon."

"Point noted if I get an Emolga." Callum smiled as he watched Stormy circle down the cliffs.

Amber led the way down the rocky path, I was next, then Callum. Tierno walked by Trevor's side, and Shauna brought up the rear, all making sure to stay were we could see the tiny Emolga as it glided down towards the rooftops of Ambrette Town in the distance...

To Be Continued...
 
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