The Kalos Connection (X/Y spoilers ahoy!)

[EmeraldSky]

Episode 10: Diamond Beauty, Red Beast

"Let's see...what am I gonna call you, little guy?" I cooed to my new Squirtle as I stepped into the elevator.

[I wanna be named something powerful and strong, like the Blastoise I'll be one day!] he smiled

"How about....Kaitou?" I suggested.

[A fitting choice!] Erin cried.

It suits him very nicely---the word "kai" can mean "sea" in Japanese. Zelda explained.

[I love it too!] Kaitou cried before the elevator doors opened on the first floor, where he reared back at a man with red hair resembling a male Pyroar's mane speaking to an assistant. [Who's this guy?]

Erin shuddered as a sky blue aura formed around her. [I dun't know, but I have a bad feelin' about him...]

About then, Pyroar-Man noticed us, and smiled at us, but that didn't make Erin's aura disappear. "Oh hello...you must be one of the five the good professor asked to help unravel the Mega Evolution conundrum...my name is Lysandre, tinker, scientist, and inventor of many products used all over Kalos."

"N-nice to meet you..." I stammered, ever aware of my Pokemon shuddering fearfully.

"What's to be afraid of? I would never harm a Pokemon..." Lysandre tried to reassure my Pokemon, but his sneaky looking smile made Erin's fearful aura glow even brighter. "I guess I can come off as a bit intimidating..."

"If I may ask, what got you into inventing?" I asked.

"I want my inventions to create a more beautiful world by preserving our natural environment, and yet adding convenience and a product that lasts forever." Lysandre replied as he accepted some blueprints from an assistant. "I must be going now...I hope we do meet again..." With that, he departed.

[Zelda...d-did you get te same bad feelin' I did around tat Lysandre guy?] Erin asked as we departed the lab.

Before Zelda answered, I heard Shauna call "Serena!"

"Hi, everyone..." I smiled as Shauna and Callum arrived. "What's the plan?"

"I'm gonna explore town a bit...you're welcome to come along!" Shauna offered.

"I was hoping we'd discuss what we wanna see first over coffee--they say Cafe Soleil is famous for its live music." Callum added. "We can't not leave Lumiose without seeing the professor's debut tomorrow."

"True, and he did give us tickets." I added. "I'll come join you for coffee and music, Callum."

"Okay, we'll all meet back at the Pokemon Center later." Shauna agreed before disappearing down a street.

[As I was sayin' befar yer friend rudely interrupted...] Erin was not pleased at Shauna interrupting her talk with Zelda. [Did tat Lysandre guy give you any bad readings, Zelda?]

Oh yes...I sensed a great evil in his heart, and his smile when he greeted Serena was not a sincere one. Zelda replied. I suggest we be on our guard, because he may not be all he seems to be.

"Yeah--his obsession with beauty gives me the heebie jeebies too." Callum agreed as we started down the street towards Cafe Soleil.

The cafe was bustling with people as a gypsy jazz band was wrapping up the last bit of "Minor Swing". The music seemed to calm Erin a little, but as we settled in at a table by the stage, her fearful aura returned much brighter than before. [Tere he is again!]

"Lysandre?" I asked, where sure enough, we spotted Lysandre and a beautiful black haired lady in a white dress-like outfit a few tables over.

"Do you know who that is?" Callum asked my Pokemon, pointing out the lady.

[Who?] Lita asked.

Zelda, meanwhile, got starry eyed. it's the legendary movie star, Diantha!

I giggled at Zelda's dreamy look. "Who would have thought the most famous movie star in all Kalos came here for coffee and live music?" About then, the band finished their song, so we applauded.

"Not just live movie star, but voice actor and singer too." Callum added. "She can play a melodramatic heroine one minute, then a strong willed young adventurer the next---whatever role she plays, she plays well."

[Dunno if she likes whatever it is Pyroar-Freak is telling her...] Kaitou mused as the band started another song.

"Zelda...can you broadcast whatever it is they are talking about to us?" I asked, noting Diantha's unnerved look.

Here goes... Zelda focused her thoughts, then telepathically broadcasted the awkward conversation occurring a few tables over into our minds:

"...so beautiful, kindhearted...and strong no matter what role you play...do you ever yearn for eternal youth?"

"I-I've never thought about it, actually...but youth is not the be-all and end-all of life. Everything changes, and that includes people. And even when I am older, that will give me a chance to broaden my horizons and play new types of roles."

"But eventually everything rots away...so how can we preserve what is beautiful so that it is eternally so? This world is so beautiful....I would go to any lengths, including destroying it, to protect its beauty!"

Just then, he looked over at us, startling Zelda and breaking her telepathic link. "So,we meet again, Serena..." he grinned as he paid his bill, then approached our table. "Do you agree that Diantha is the morning and evening star? The rose of Kalos? An angel of Arceus, here in human form?"

I stifled a giggle at how creepy Lysandre's poetic metaphors were. "You laugh now, but one day, I will discover a way to preserve that beauty--just you wait!" With that, he departed.

"The rose of Kalos? The morning and the evening star? That's just plain creepy, if you ask me." Callum shuddered.

[Only a psycho creep in a scery movie would use such comparisons...] Erin agreed as her fearful aura faded away.

Yet Lysandre is of sound mind--I sense no disability. Zelda interjected.

"Can we talk about something else? Erin's already freaked out enough." I told Zelda.

[Does te band teke requests?] Erin asked.

"Of course this band takes requests--got a song in mind?" Callum asked as he took a blank request slip wedged in between the salt and pepper shakers.

[Ask tem te pley te happiest song te know te git my mind off tat Lysandre fellow.] Erin asked.

A grin formed on Callum's face. "I know just the song..." He wrote down a song title, gave the slip to a waitress, who then delivered it to the lead guitar player.

After conferring for a moment, the lead guitar player counted the fiddler off, and the band started a familiar song. "That's the Athletic theme from 'Super Mario World: Yoshi's Island'! I gasped when I recognized the melody the fiddler was playing.

"Hope that's happy enough for Erin." Callum smiled.

[It is--what a hot beat!] Erin swooped Kaitou in her paws and the two of them danced across the table to the nostalgic video game song.

Some gentle laughter got our attention."I believe you two are trainers, right?" Diantha asked as she approached our table to watch Erin and Kaitou's enthusiastic dance.

"We are." I smiled. "I'm Serena, and this is my friend Callum."

Callum waved hello before offering Diantha a poster of her latest movie--the romantic comedy "The Colors of Love". "May I have your autograph, please?"

"Of course." With that, Diantha signed her name near where her character was on the poster. "Here you are."

"Thank you." Callum grinned as he admired Diantha's elegant, loopy signature.

"Promise me this--train up your Pokemon enough to take on the League, and do something that Kalos will remember for years to come." Diantha smiled.

"We will, Diantha." I smiled and waved as the Athletic theme ended and she departed.

[Such a nice lady....] Lita sighed dreamily.

"Except when you're calling her overenthused names." I whispered, making my entire team laugh, even Erin.

[Wanna boogie some more?] Kaitou asked.

[Why nut?] Erin smiled as they waltzed along to a slower melody. [I could dance to tis music all dey!]

[EmeraldSky]

Episode 11: Give My Regards to Lumiose (part 1)


The day of Professor Sycamore's debut was actually fairly rainy, so I spent the day preparing the Pokemon for what to expect--when it gets dark, be quiet, use the potty before the show, it's okay and encouraged to laugh at the funny parts, and that sort of thing.

Luckily, the rain had cleared out by the time night fell and I met the others in line at the Theater Lumiere. "I wonder what kind of play we'll be seeing..." Callum mused.

"I hope it's a musical with dancing!" Tierno grinned. "That's one reason why I wanted to learn to dance--cause I loved the smooth moves of dancers in musicals!"

"Well, growing up, I was sick a lot, so we didn't really get to go anywhere that often--so the theater was one of the very few places I got to go to." Trevor explained. "Adventures in exotic lands with elaborate costumes and puppets were my favorites."

"Maybe it's a melodrama!" Shauna interjected. "Beautiful heroines, dastardly bad guys, dashing heroes, and all!"

Callum stifled a giggle at Shauna's enthusiasm and the mental image of Prof. Sycamore as a melodrama hero. "Or maybe it's a mystery..."

"Prof. Sycamore as someone like Falco Dolan?" Tierno gasped. "THAT I'd love to see!"

"With Diantha as Joanna." I added.

"What do you think we're going to see, Serena?" Shauna asked.

"I hope it's a dramatization of a fairy tale or folk tale." I replied. "If it has some giant Pokemon puppets for Trevor to look at, even better!"

"But what if it is a combination of all of what we hope it will be?" Trevor interjected.

We pictured what a musical-adventure-melodrama-mystery-folktale play might look like, then burst out laughing. We were still giggling as we approached the ticket booth and handed over our tickets--it's a wonder the other people in line or the ushers didn't think we were nuts.

"Right this way..." An usher led us into the theater and down to a row of seats towards the middle. "Enjoy the show." he smiled before hurrying off to assist someone else.

I tapped Zelda's Poke Ball as I settled in a seat between Callum and Shauna. "When it gets dark, telepathically broadcast the play to the other Pokemon."

Okay. came her telepathic reply

The lights flashed a five minute warning, then went down, quieting the chatter. "Here we go..." Callum grinned as a soft overture began.

"I'd love to see Prof. Sycamore as Falco Dolan..." Tierno whispered, only for Trevor to shush him.

"Can he even play the harmonica?" Shauna wondered--anyone even considering the role of the famed detective had to know how to play the harmonica, and how to play it well, because the aspiring Falco would have to play said harmonica at least once.

"If this is a Falco Dolan story, we're about to find out." I whispered as a spotlight appeared on a auburn haired girl clad in Joanna's iconic outfit--white shirt (or any other neutral color), a jacket of a color that complemented the neutral color (in this case, it was royal blue), black pants, and black shoes. "Oh, hi!" she waved at the audience. "My name's Joanna, apprentice to the great detective, Falco Dolan. You probably know him and his many adventures..."

Some cheers went up at this. "...and I've learned a lot about being a detective from him." the actress continued. "Take a few years ago, when pirates were running rampant all over Houen...as for Falco and me, we were in the midst of a cold snap when we got the urgent message from the Pokemon League..."

She then caught herself. "But I'm getting ahead of myself here, so let's start from the beginning..."

With that, the lights went down on the stage, and came up on the living room of Dolan Manor. Sure enough, Prof. Sycamore was in the role of Falco, studying an imagined news report on a TV. "Another attack off of Houen?" the actress playing Joanna asked as she entered the scene.

"Sadly yes--I've lost count of just how many have been reported." Prof. Sycamore replied. "And who knows how many more go unreported every day?"

"What I don't get is how the pirates are outrunning the Pokemon League..." the girl mused as she set down by Prof.Sycamore.

"It is very strange--the pirates seem to know where the ships and Laprases are at any time." Prof. Sycamore mused. "It doesn't help that the captains and Lapras trainers have no credible leads, and have not given details as to their treatment by their captors.

"They don't appear wounded, just very scared." the girl agreed. "So why hasn't the League tracked these rogues down?"

"Simple--politics." Professor Sycamore sighed. "Half the league wants to ramp up security of ships entering or leaving port, while the other half wants to invest in deterrent measures."

"Remember 'Pirates of the Sevii Islands'?" the girl mused as she got up. "Captain Jack Spearow and his motley crew had Wartortle Island...maybe our band of pirates have a similar base."

Prof. Sycamore nodded. "They have to, considering they are very aware they could be arrested as soon as they set foot in any regional port."

"Do you think the pirates are in cahoots with Vincent de Guile?" the girl wondered.

"Very unlikely, as I have not heard of any new activity from him, but it is still very possible our nemesis could be behind this." Professor Sycamore replied. "All options are on the table at this point."

A knock at the door startled him from his conversation. "I wonder who that could be?" Professor Sycamore mused as he got up to answer the offstage door. The lights went down over a tense stinger.

They came up on Professor Sycamore, the actress playing Joanna, an actress playing Officer Jenny, and actresses portraying Champion Dawn of Shinou, and Champion Iris of Unova. "Forgive us for not giving you any further notice, Falco...Shinou and Unova have been watching the situation in Houen very closely, and have sent their Champions in hoping they could lend a hand to capture the pirate ringleader." the Officer Jenny fill in explained.

"We both owe Officer Jenny our most heartfelt thanks." the Dawn fill in agreed.

"Please, my Ladies, do sit down." Joanna offered the Champion fill ins a chair.

"And then one of them recaps what we already know..." Callum whispered as the Dawn fill in did just that.

"Is it possible to start from the beginning, Lady Dawn?" Professor Sycamore asked when the Dawn fill in had finished recapping the known facts of the pirate attacks.

"I hardly know more than Iris does, and she knows no more than Officer Jenny does--that's why we came to ask you and Joanna's help." the Dawn fill in sighed.

"The Champions have requested privacy on their involvement in this matter, but I told them I can't guarantee any leaks to the press." the Officer Jenny fill in explained.

"You have our word we will do anything we can to help." Prof. Sycamore agreed.

"I do have one clue, if it would help..." the Iris fill in offered. "The rogues have always demanded gold, and nothing else, based on what one of my negotiators said..."

"Anything else?" Prof. Sycamore asked.

"The pirate king--though I use the term king very loosely--claimed to have killed many--men, women, children, and Pokemon alike. I shudder just thinking about it." the Iris fill in went on. "They appear to be very well organized, and insisted on using this one negotiator of mine, on pain of all Unovan ships in the area being burned and pillaged if I sent anyone else."

She then gave Prof. Sycamore a prop coin. "Eventually he earned their trust enough to receive this."

"Hm..." Professor Sycamore studied the coin.

"So many twists and turns..." Shauna's head was spinning as the actors debated the coin's origins and connections to the pirates.

"That's par for the course in any Falco Dolan story..." I assured her as the first scene ended....

[EmeraldSky]

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...

[EmeraldSky]

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...

[EmeraldSky]

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!

[EmeraldSky]

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.

[EmeraldSky]

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....

[EmeraldSky]

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."

[Dennis Jansen]

Ok

[FedoraChar]

Ok

@Dennis Jansen

First off, this kind of post is not okay. We have a few rules here at PXR, and one of them is that you cannot post single-word posts (barring certain games in the Fun & Games board).

Secondly, how is this meaningful to EmeraldSky's story? What did you even mean by "Ok"? It doesn't even seem relevant here--I could've mistaken you for a spambot. People work hard on writing these stories, and they would appreciate better feedback than a simple "Ok".

In the future, please try to post meaningful replies to stories; write what your reaction is to certain things going on in the story, how you like it or maybe what you don't like (but being respectful)--many authors even appreciate grammar correction or pointers on what they could do better.