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  1. #181
    Cheers and good times! Neo Emolga's Avatar
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    The Diamond Ladies
    Central Park (Poke Park)
    Affected RPers: @Chakramaster @Shruikan


    Cassandra couldn’t help but smirk. Though she couldn’t see Jirachi either, she had managed to keep herself from getting tagged. Before long, she had met up with Violet, just barely making out the Furret in the foggy cloud.

    “Fur-ret?” (“Was it you that made this foggy mess?”) Violet asked after running up to her.

    “Ev-vee.” (“Yep, no shame.”) Cassandra giggled. “Ev-vee-vee.” (“I imagine Jirachi’s probably fumbling around in this, trying to look for someone to tag back.”)

    “Furr…” (“Good.”) Violet nodded, looking back into the foggy mess. “Fur-ret,” (“Should keep him busy for a nice, long while.”)

    And that was when they had seen Luneth, being taken for a tumble inside her bubble. They could see the Alolan Vulpix had tried to freeze the bubble and shatter it, but instead that only caused it to become solidified and no longer bouncy.

    “Vul…?” (“Uh, hey, can someone give me a hand with this bubble? I’m a bit dizzy in here.”)

    Violet had used some of her Shadowcraft power to conjure up a sharpened bolt of shadow before sending it against the frozen sphere containing Luneth. Once the bolt made contact, it shattered the entire bubble, as if it were like broken glass. The icy fragments scattered about the floor, freeing Luneth from the frozen bubble.

    “Fur-ret,” (“Easy money.”) Violet remarked with a smile, figuring Luneth would appreciate that.

    In the meantime, Cassandra kept a watchful eye out, looking for any sign of Jirachi or Jarena. The fog cloud wouldn’t last forever, but it would be enough to disorient Jirachi for a little while after it had started to vanish.

    She was curious as to what antics Jirachi would be trying next. Though she had a few of her own in case the Wishmaker decided to come her way…

  2. #182
    P i k a c h u Chakramaster's Avatar
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    Jimmy Kendo
    Central Park (Poke Park)
    Affected RP'ers: @Neo Emolga @Shruikan


    “Eevee-vee!” (“We’re just getting warmed up, Twinkle, just you wait!”) Cassandra teased Jirachi.

    Jarena offered advice to Jimmy as he tried to control his bubble instead of floating off.

    "Pikaa. Pika pika!" (You know. This is actually kinda fun!). Jimmy said as he controlled his bubble better with the advice he was given.

    Jirachi had tagged Jarena. Jarena wanted revenge on the impish Wishmaker.

    Furr-RET!?” (“You DARE!?”) Violet shouted back at him. “Furrr-ret!” (“You don’t know who you’re messing with!”)

    She had conjured up a gust of wind behind her and pushed her bubble into Jirachi's. Making him once again fly into the air a moment.

    "Weeeeee!" Jirachi yelled as he laughed while keeping his bubble afloat in air. Violet's bubble had popped. She had used a Slam attack on Jirachi's bubble and made him fly again, but this time into basketball net.

    This surprised Jarena. Such an amazing display unlike many have seen before.

    “Fur-rettt!” (“Oh, and Jirachi, you’re IT by the way!”) Violet winked at him.

    "Oh I LOVE being "IT!" Jirachi laughed as he fumbled out of the net. Everything suddenly got dark as Cassandra used a spell to release a dark mist all around the area.

    Jimmy needed to get out of his bubble. He took a moment to focus on remembering what Pikachu has taught him earlier. He concentrated to make his tail sharper. A shiny silver coats his tail and he pokes it into the bubble to pop it.

    "Pika. Chu. Pi-pika." (Man I'm sure glad a Pikachu taught me to use iron tail).

    Jirachi wasn't done having fun yet. Not at all.

    "Such fun magic! You can make it dark, but stars light the night sky! Let's all be pretty pretty stars!" Jirachi said as he began to glow brightly. Suddenly each of his "friend" began to glow. Illuminating the area. Jarena, Cassandra, Violet, Jimmy, Luneth. Everyone in the area Jirachi brought to the Poke Park area.

    "But that's not all!" Jirachi says as he gives a wink. Before long. It begins to rain candy. Candy, Pokemon snacks, and Cool-Aid. "I'm sure you're all hungry like me! Enjoy a little break! Then I'm gonna come find you. Cassy!" Jirachi laughs as he tosses Cassandra's name out playfully as "Cassy" instead.

    Jimmy makes his way around. Having noticed some of the lights nearby were together. Hoping it wasn't Jirachi he followed them to get closer. As he got closer he heard a noise. He saw some shards laying on the ground where a bubble that had been solidified shattered.

    "Pika. Pi-ka-Chu. Pi-pikachu." (Hey it's you guys. I'm assuming here this must is your handiwork and not my little troublemaker).

    Meanwhile Jirachi sees these lights now more clumped together. "Now stay still!" Jirachi smirked as he let loose another round of his magic. Turning the mist into cotton candy. While the mist was thick but traversable. Now more denser, but tasty. It's still traversable, but just a little more complicated to get around.

    The time is upon us...


    . Pika Pair with the yellow bundle of fluff Chibi Altaria..


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  4. #183
    Cheers and good times! Neo Emolga's Avatar
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    Affected RPers: @Chakramaster @Shruikan


    While it had been a while since Jirachi had shown himself, Cassandra felt maybe she had really derailed his plans and she could just imagine him fumbling around trying to navigate the smoke and fog only to come up empty-handed. She couldn’t help but smirk. There was a certain kind of appeal to outsmarting the Wishmaker.

    And then she saw Jirachi had gotten clever. She, Violet, Luneth, and all the others were now glowing, just like stars as Jirachi declared. It was almost magical, but yet… it meant there definitely wasn’t much good in trying to hide. Hiding behind cover was useless as the glow would give them away. And trying to blend in with the shadows was completely useless as well.

    And then, it had begun to rain candy. Chocolate, jelly beans, snacks, and plenty of other junk food for everyone to enjoy. Before long, Cassandra was nearly chin-deep into a pile of snacks and candy.

    “Enjoy a little break!” Jirachi announced. “Then I’m gonna come find you, Cassy!”

    “Ev-vee…” (“Cassy…”) Cassandra remarked, thinking that was unusual. “Ev-vee-veee…” (“Wow, I don’t think anyone has ever called me that before.”)

    “Fur-reet?” (“Where did he get all this stuff from?”) Violet asked, wading through a pile of colorfully bagged and wrapped snacks and candy.

    And that was when Jimmy had found them, emitting a soft glow of his own. He had told them he assumed this was their work rather than Jirachi’s.

    “Ee-vee…” (“Well, I made the smoke, but all this… food everywhere is Jirachi’s doing.” Cassandra shrugged with a smile.

    And then Jirachi had performed a spell of sorts of his own, turning the smoke and fog into fluffy cotton candy. The poor visibility was resolved, but now Cassandra found herself digging her way out of colorful cloud of sugary cotton candy.

    “Furr…” (“I swear…”) Violet remarked, trying to brush away and dig her Furret body out of the piles of cotton candy and sugary snacks. “Fur-rett…” (“It’s like he’s trying to make a Gigantamax Alcremie jealous of all the junk food he’s making.”)

    Cassandra had to admit, she wasn’t expecting this kind of response, and yet, it was incredibly clever. The way they glowed now made it nearly impossible to hide. They would need to completely cover themselves to do it, or hide away in a closet or container and hope none of the light poured out of the slits or openings to give them away. Meanwhile, the piles of snacks and the thick cloud of cotton candy made it very difficult to move around… although for Jirachi, Cassandra knew he could just easily float right over it and find his next tag victim. And from what Jirachi said, he already had her in his sights to be his next target.

    When it came to spells and the supernatural, Cassandra had to admit, she didn’t have anything in her spellbook that was anything like this. After sampling a pawful of the cotton candy, she realized it was definitely authentic, the same kind she remembered getting from carnivals. Light, fluffy, and sugary, and there was a whole lot of it as well. Shortly after, she had dug up one of the wrapped snacks that Jirachi had created, saw it was a cinnamon bun, unwrapped it and tried a bite of it. It was delicious and tasted exactly like she had gotten it from the supermarket. She took another bite and swallowed, enjoying it quite a bit.

    “Ee-vee…” (“Huh, this stuff is actually real. And tasty.”)

    “Fur-rett?” (“Are you sure this stuff is safe to eat?”) Violet asked, looking doubtful of the food around her. “Fur-ret…” (“Cass, this stuff is loaded with magical resonance. The only time I’ve sensed something like this was from a hex we created.”)

    Cassandra had frozen still from shock and regret and her eyes suddenly went wide as she dropped the half-eaten cinnamon bun. It totally had not occurred to her the snacks and candy all around them could be enchanted to make Jirachi’s job at pranking everyone… easier and more successful. And more comical if there was something devious going on with them that didn’t seem so obvious.

    And that was when Jarena had spotted them and made her way toward them, while still looking and taunting Jirachi. She was out of her bubble now, figuring she needed a break from floating and bobbing around in the air.

    “Bun-eary!!” (“Ha, nice try, Twinkle, thanks for all the obviously-rigged junk food! Come on, any two-bit dumbnut wouldn’t fall for your candy trap! Who do you think we are!?”) Jarena laughed, playfully tossing a wrapped chocolate-covered snack cake at Jirachi as a tease.

    “Veee…” (“I mean… I think it’s safe.”) Cassandra smiled bashfully, trying to not panic and be optimistic. “Vee-vee…” (“I don’t feel anything.”)

    And Jarena looked at her with shock as the Buneary blinked twice in disbelief. It was all too reminiscent of exactly how Cassandra forgot to remove the hex from the pillow and became an Eevee in the first place.

    “E-vee..” (“Yeah, I feel fine.”) She smiled, beginning to believe if the snacks and candy had any kind of hidden side effect, it would have occurred already. “Ev-ee…” (“I’d even say…”)

    And then she felt a little odd. At first, she thought it had a sugar rush going to her head, but then she felt like everything around her was getting smaller. And smaller. Suddenly she was no longer barely able to keep her head above the cotton candy, and now she could sit upright normally. It was a strange feeling at first, and for a few seconds, she thought the cinnamon bun had some kind of bewildering enchantment put into it.

    “BUN!!” (“HOLY CRAP, RUN!!”) Jarena shouted out to everyone around her. “BUN-EARRYY!!!” (“CASS IS GETTING SUPER-SIZED!!!”)

    And then it hit her. Cassandra realized the room wasn’t getting smaller or wasn’t due to any kind of disorientation, it was her that was getting bigger. And fluffier. Suddenly her size went from quadrupling to quintupling to just outright growing bigger and bigger and higher and higher as the fur around her neck became softer and fluffier. She was suddenly so shocked and embarrassed that she couldn’t help but just freeze in place in complete disbelief, not sure when it was supposed to stop.

    Jarena, Violet, and Sami had scrambled to get away from the now Gigantamax Eevee nearly taking up the entirety of the Poké Park. And they had just barely escaped, almost ending up getting enveloped by the fluffy fur around Cassandra’s neck. Even after she had fully grown, they were still trying to make distance.

    As the now sixty-foot-tall Cassandra just sat there looking completely dumbfounded while everyone around her got shocked, it hit her. She was now way too big to run anywhere, hide anywhere, and she was now the easiest target to tag… to the point of being absurdly comical. And on top of that, she was still glowing.

    “EE-VEEE…” (“OH MY GOD, FINE, JUST TAG ME AND GET IT OVER WITH.”) Cassandra comically sighed as her Eevee voice was now booming. “EE-VEEE” (“REALLY, JIRACHI, THIS IS RIDICULOUS!!!”)

    “Min-ci…” (“This is one crazy game of tag…”) Sami remarked as she looked up at the now towering Gigantamax Eevee, never seeing a game of tag handled like this before.

    “Bun-eary!” (“Guys, no one else eat the candy, or we’re going to get squashed in here!”) Jarena shouted out to everyone.

    Cassandra had to agree, there really wasn’t enough room for yet another Dynamax or Gigantamax Pokémon to fit in the Poké Park. Although she was wondering if different snacks and candies had different effects and they wouldn’t all result in the exact same outcome as what happened to her…

    …but she sure as heck wasn’t curious enough to try and find out…

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  6. #184
    P i k a c h u Chakramaster's Avatar
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    Jimmy Kendo
    Central Park (Poke Park)
    Affected RP'ers: @Neo Emolga @Shruikan


    Through all the chaos. You'd wonder what happened to everyone else that was in that area. Luckily Jirachi had it all covered. Using his power everyone that was there still were! This group right here were just in there own space. A place of Jirachi's creation to have fun even for a moment. Something where they could go crazy. It took Jimmy some time, but he finally realized that. Luckily, this means no one would get hurt and no one would really know about what was happening. At least not really....the area itself was still quite compact as the real Poke Park area on the ship. Hard to tell a difference really.

    "Candy! Candy candy candy candy! Candy!" Jirachi repeated over and over as he continued to have the candy, poke puffs, poffins, and all sorts of other candies kids and Pokémon alike would love.

    Cassandra has been eating some of them. Not realizing that the candy had some magical potencies to them. Able to change their appearance and prank everyone that may try them. Only making Jirachi's little game that much easier. Of course, each prank only being temporary. It was still part a fun little "game" Jirachi tried to create.

    Meanwhile Jarena had made her way towards the others too.

    “Bun-eary!!” (“Ha, nice try, Twinkle, thanks for all the obviously-rigged junk food! Come on, any two-bit dumbnut wouldn’t fall for your candy trap! Who do you think we are!?”) Jarena laughed, playfully tossing a wrapped chocolate-covered snack cake at Jirachi as a tease.

    Jirachi laughed. "Hahaha, of Jarena. You're funny! But so is Cassy there. She's had plenty of sweet candy! Enough to make her grow big. Big! Grow big Cassy grow big and fluffy!" Jirachi continued to laugh playfully and float around. "I'll catch you once you grown big!" Jirachi taunted Cassandra.

    Cassandra had begun to wonder if there really would be any effects from eating it. Not having anything show from it. Until, suddenly she felt odd. Suddenly, she began to grow bigger and bigger.

    “BUN!!” (“HOLY CRAP, RUN!!”) Jarena shouted out to everyone around her. “BUN-EARRYY!!!” (“CASS IS GETTING SUPER-SIZED!!!”)

    Cassandra was frozen. Continuing to grow in size. The room only getting smaller as she was getting too big for anyone to fit in normally. Everyone had run away to me from getting squished by the now gigantimax Eevee. Stunned at what just happened.

    “EE-VEEE…” (“OH MY GOD, FINE, JUST TAG ME AND GET IT OVER WITH.”) Cassandra comically sighed as her Eevee voice was now booming. “EE-VEEE” (“REALLY, JIRACHI, THIS IS RIDICULOUS!!!”)

    “Min-ci…” (“This is one crazy game of tag…”) Sami remarked as she looked up at the now towering Gigantamax Eevee, never seeing a game of tag handled like this before.

    “Bun-eary!” (“Guys, no one else eat the candy, or we’re going to get squashed in here!”) Jarena shouted out to everyone.

    Jimmy had followed the group as they ran away. Still with them. He felt bad as Jirachi was his Pokemon. He shout out to Jirachi.

    "Hey Jirachi! Now's your chance! Tag Cassandra while she's big! Then hide in the fluff from her fur!

    Jirachi looked to Jimmy. "That's a wonderful idea Jimmy! It looks like the most comfortable most fluffy pillow in the world there! Alright Cassy! Since you asked so nicely! I'll tag you!" Jirachi said as he float right into the fluffy collar of fur Cassandra now had in her gigantimax Eevee form. Tagging her on the neck. Jirachi hadn't come back out from it though. It was just too comfy for him. Jirachi had worn himself out.

    Suddenly, the raining candy had stopped. The chaos had stopped and all fell silent. Jimmy couldn't help but take a deep breath and swallow hard. Hoping his plan hard worked. Suddenly they had all begun to glow. Before long, as he was the first. Jimmy disappeared in front of them again. Suddenly, he was human again. Still in the Poke Park portion of the Cnetral Park, but once again human.

    "Pika-pi!" (Jimmy! There you are!) his Pikachu shout as he got back to Jimmy's shoulder.

    "I guess...it's over? Jirachi's falling asleep. He's overused his power and everyone it's turning back... Thankfully. Now hopefully we can help control him a little better. It will....take time. I'll probably need your help for sure Pikachu. I hope you're ready."

    "Pika!" (No problem!). Pikachu said proudly as they both wait for the others to be turned back and returned.

    "Now once I get Jirachi back in his Poke ball. Hopefully we can take care of this situation with Karm. Let's hope they didn't see any of this unfold either before Jirachi took us into his own little play area. I swear those kids that were playing with me felt so real. When did he take us into a safer area?" Jimmy questioned.

    "Pika-Chu. Pika pika?" (I dunno Jimmy. You just ran off and suddenly you were gone?)" Pikachu looked puzzled. "Pika. Pika-Pi" (the kids left me. I searched for you and you were all gone). Pikachu said

    This still puzzled Jimmy. "Wow. Goes to show Jirachi has a lot more potential than I could've ever imagined. We really have to be careful." Jimmy told Pikachu with a pet to his head.
    Last edited by Chakramaster; 03-29-2021 at 01:18 PM.

    The time is upon us...


    . Pika Pair with the yellow bundle of fluff Chibi Altaria..


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  8. #185
    Cheers and good times! Neo Emolga's Avatar
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    To say the least, Cassandra was completely stuck with no where to run. It was already a challenge to avoid stepping on an unsuspecting Pokémon, all while it feeling very strange to her to suddenly be so huge and surrounded with fluffy fur.

    Jimmy had encouraged Jirachi to tag Cassandra, seeing as how he had already marked her as a victim and she was by far now the easiest and biggest target to tag. Jirachi cheered at the idea and had levitated his way toward Cassandra’s neck.

    “EEV-VEE…” (“AND I’M SCREWED…”) Cassandra slouched in defeat as Jirachi tagged her on the neck and then hid himself into her very fluffy collar.

    She couldn’t look down far enough to see where Jirachi had tucked himself into her cloud-like collar, but before she could even begin searching, suddenly everything stopped. Suddenly all the candy had disappeared and everyone had started to glow brighter.

    I hope I’m not about to get even bigger!

    But instead, it had suddenly ended and after a moment of white haze and a moment of disorientation, Cassandra had come to, finding herself on the ground, but this time as a human. And right next to her were Jarena, Violet, and Sami, having just realized they had transformed back. After sitting up, it took her a moment to get her bearings back and get used to being human again. But for now, it seemed the chaos and the absurdity had concluded, and perhaps Jirachi had gotten enough playtime and was feeling tired and in need of a nap. Cassandra imagined nestling into a Gigantamax Eevee’s collar fur might have been cozy enough for him to doze off.

    “Oh wow, that was wild!” Jarena had begun laughing hysterically before smiling impishly at Cassandra. “Holy cow, you should have seen the look on your cute giant Eevee face! Oh man, I hope, hope someone took a picture of that! I need that picture!”

    “Gee, thanks,” Cassandra replied sarcastically, sighing as she rolled her eyes. “Next you’re going to ask me what kind of frame would go well with it.”

    “I’ve had some weird dreams…” Sami told the three of them, looking at them for a second before looking past them at the spot where piles of candy had been just a minute earlier. “But really nothing compares to that.

    Violet had nodded, rubbing her face just to be absolutely sure it wasn’t still covered with fur.

    “Jirachi playtime really is something else…” Violet muttered, still trying to understand the reality of what just happened minutes ago. “Hopefully he’s happy now.”

    “Dude must have tuckered himself out,” Jarena replied, seeing as how everything suddenly vanished and was reset. “That was crazy fun, though! We should do it again sometime! So what’s it like being a towering Gigantamax Eevee?”

    Even though she had only been as one for a few short minutes, Cassandra didn’t think it would be something she’d ever forget. To her, it was very vivid and the feeling was unlike anything she ever felt before.

    “It’s… an experience…” Cassandra replied, almost laughing at the absurdity. “It was like being a giant Eevee plush pillow sitting in a pool of my own fluff and I couldn’t see anyone below me. There was just… fluff and fuzz everywhere.”

    “We know, we nearly got buried in it,” Violet remarked, recalling the moment it was like running away from a fluffy avalanche.

    “It was so cute, too bad you couldn’t stay like that,” Jarena giggled. “Although yeah… we’d have trouble getting you off the ship.”

    Cassandra looked down and nodded, still feeling that would only be just one among many complications that would arise from being stuck in that kind of state. In the meantime, it was an experience she never thought she’d ever get to have in this lifetime… but she had to admit that despite the situation, it was captivating in a way. To her, it was like almost a wonderous dream, only it was real and on a level of experience she didn’t think was possible.

    “Getting kind of late,” Sami told them, looking at her watch. “Isn’t your final tournament battle with Jon coming up soon?”

    “Wow, that’s right,” Cassandra suddenly snapped to attention, looking at the time and seeing she only had little less than a half hour left before it was time for the final tournament battle. “If Jirachi had been able to go on for another hour or so…”

    “’Pokémon High Seas Final Tournament Battle canceled, Finalist Cassandra Silvers stuck as giant Eevee,’” Jarena laughed. “What a headline that would be!”

    “Guess you could have battled Jon’s Pokémon as… yourself,” Sami pondered. “I don’t think a ruling against that kind of thing exists.”

    “I would have done it just to see the look on Jon’s face,” Cassandra snickered.

    As Cassandra likely figured, the lack of a ruling was likely only because the heads of the League never thought contestants would become Pokémon themselves and consider entering a battle on their own accord. Although if it were to ever become a very common thing, it made her wonder exactly how they would ultimately declare the ruling on that.

    “I’ll take you to the stadium,” Sami told them, knowing she was still on escort duty. “Probably best if you all come. Once we get to the waiting room, I’ll keep on standby and I’ll see if I can get Kyle to join me. He’s a bit like me, didn’t really take the whole thing with him being turned into a Yamper personally. I think the two of us together will make sure we don’t have an incident like yesterday night.”

    “Yeah, I guess that would be better,” Cassandra nodded, looking over her shoulder. “We haven’t stopped this ‘Karma’ person, and if Lance hasn’t given up and wants someone to carry out his order, he’s running out of time and they may be looking to take action soon.”

    “They do that and I don’t care what Jon or the League says about us using witchcraft,” Violet replied with a determined tone of voice. “They bust in like Lance did and I’m not holding back.”

    “Yeah, I don’t even think Jon would argue with us,” Jarena replied with a confident nod. “Though yeah, we’re almost at Castelia City. Ship’s supposed to dock in less than three hours. We’ll be out of here, soon.”

    “Well, we’d better go,” Sami told the rest of them. “I’ll text Kyle and let him know we’re on our way.”

    As they left the Poké Park, Cassandra couldn’t help but look back at the park and think about the wild game of tag they had as Pokémon. She couldn’t help but admit she never thought she would ever have crazy and adventurous fun like that…



    En Route to Battling Arena Waiting Room

    Shortly after leaving Central Park, Violet tried to think about the possibility of them getting attacked again. She didn’t know what kinds of Pokémon Sami and Kyle had in their possession, but once Cassandra left to go to her battle with Jon at the stadium, she and Jarena were going to have to depend on their Pokémon, their trust, and their own witchcraft. Violet didn’t want to say she couldn’t trust Sami after her short time being with her, but she still felt she needed to be on her guard at all times. To Violet, Jarena and Cassandra were the only ones she truly trusted in full.

    It was coming down to the wire. Once the ship docked in Castelia City and everyone stepped off, whatever Lance tried to do before would be much more difficult, although not impossible. As she thought about what happened last night, Lance was intent on killing the both of them and framing Jon and his Latios for the attack. As much as Jon questioned Lance’s sanity, Violet felt Lance was no idiot, even if he was a madman. Violet had recognized he had been an opportunist in this situation, looking and waiting for a moment the situation could be leveraged for his own goals. And though Jon had put Lance in a state that would likely require him being in an infirmary for a while, it would not stop him from possibly trying again sometime in the future, when Jon, Cynthia, and Steven were no longer around. He also had money and influence, and if he couldn’t accomplish his goals, he wouldn’t be above paying someone to do his dirty work, but his pride spoke more of wanting the opportunity himself. Still, she didn’t think he would put that above him waiting a long time for this.

    It all came down to how far would Lance be willing to take his escalation of commitment and for how long. From what Cassandra had mentioned after she had gotten Lance’s confession recorded, it seemed he was willing to go very, very far. Enough to the point where even after the ship had docked, Violet figured they would do well buying new clothing as soon as possible and disguise themselves and blend into Castelia City pedestrian crowds. But would they still be followed and stalked long after that? She also felt there was a strong potential of that as well.

    She didn’t want to mention this to Jarena, as she felt she would get worried, but Violet had a feeling Cassandra already knew the potential danger. Lance had been a Champion for quite some time and used to be regarded as a guardian and a hero, and from his own words, the way they had stolen that from him and had been showered with praise and attention drove him over the brink of insanity. Violet had figured he had his hunches about their cheating at first, and that had turned into anger, though it never reached its peak as he hadn’t not confirmed yet. And after being angry for so long and then finally getting the final confirmation he was right the whole time, it made him snap and become an entirely different person. And now that he was going to lose his position with the League and never get what he lost back… Violet figured he had nothing left to lose, a man who wouldn’t feel a thing if he spent the rest of his days rotting in prison. But if he could accomplish his dark goals in some capacity and the three of them were dead as he so desired, she felt it might be euphoric to him, regardless of what outcome would befall him as a result.

    Still, she had every intention of watching the shadows carefully from now on. Even long after they got off the ship…

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  10. #186
    "I was stupid... So stupid"
    Shruikan's Avatar
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    Luneth Tarot
    Central Park (Poke Park)
    Affected RP'ers: @Neo Emolga @Chakramaster



    The spinning stopped abruptly as the ice shattered.
    Luneth sat there among the broken shards, head spinning as the room slowly came back into focus.
    She saw that her savior had been the Furret, who was most likely Violet. “Thanks,” Luneth said returning the smile.

    Still reorienting herself, it was at this point that Luneth noticed that it wasn’t just her dizziness that stopped her from seeing everything, but in fact the room was now covered in fog. “Huh, how did-?”

    Before she could finish the thought however, Luneth’s body began to glow. Oh, is this the evolution glow? Luneth panic for a moment. She wasn’t ready to become a Ninetales, she wanted to stay a Vulpix longer. But she calmed down a little upon noticing that Violet was glowing as well. Furrets can’t evolve, so it must just be a light. So Jirachi could see everyone? Not really fair, but then neither was the fog.

    Speaking of which, the fog was thickening. Jirachi had said something, but Luneth’s head was still a bit fuzzy, so she couldn’t make out what they had said. But it was most likely something to do with the fact that the fog seemed to have turned into candyfloss. And then other candy rained from the sky. Luneth guessed Jirachi must have wanted a snack.

    From the distance Luneth could hear Cassandra talking. It seemed that she had eaten some of the fog, and Violet was admonishing her for note thinking about side effects first.

    Then Jarena’s voice shrieked through the room, “HOLY CRAP, RUN!! CASS IS GETTING SUPER-SIZED!!!”

    The figure of an Eevee was looming up into view, growing bigger and fluffier every second. Oh, wow, Cassandra is one of those Eevee that can Gigantimax? What were the chances? Luneth thought, before remembering that she should probably back up a bit. Getting squashed by a giant Eevee didn’t sound like a good idea.

    While she had just eaten a few hours ago, after all that had happened she could use a quick sugar boost, plus she’d always wondered what it was like to dynamax. She’d just picked out a tasty looking candy bar from the piles on the ground, when Jarena‘s voice rang out again.

    “Guys, no one else eat the candy, or we’re going to get squashed in here!”

    Luneth dropped the candy bar she was holding, then grinned sheepishly. Yeah, now’s probably not the best time to eat. Though maybe she could save something for later, she though as she picked back up the bar with the corner of her mouth.

    While Luneth struggled to keep hold of the candy, Jirachi had flown into the fluff ring around Cassandra’s neck, but hadn’t come out again. Instead, everything seemed to revert to before. The glowing stopped, and everyone appeared to be back to human. Apart from one Pikachu, which was strange. Maybe they hadn’t been transformed in the first place?

    Luneth stretched awkwardly, feeling more uncomfortable that normal. Being human again felt like she’d gone from wearing casual comfy loungewear to a formalwear for a job interview.
    Also, to her disappointment, the candy bar had vanished. So no dynamax humans…

    Once she was a bit more oriented, Luneth saw the Pikachu climb onto the shoulder of the boy who was with Jirachi earlier. He seemed to be talking to it. Could he understand the Pikachu still?
    Stumbling slightly, Luneth walked over to greet him, still getting used to walking on two legs again.

    “So, I take it you’re Jirachi’s trainer? My name’s Luneth, nice to meet you.” Luneth held out her hand to the trainer, the smiled at the Pikachu on his shoulder.
    “I saw you talking to you Pikachu, can you speak pokemon? That’s so cool if you can! I’ve always wondered if it was possible to learn. Could you teach me?"

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  12. #187
    I came in like a wrecking ball... [Desolate Divine]'s Avatar
    Senior Moderator

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    All bunnying done with explicit permission from Chakramaster and Noblejanobii in order to condense this into a single post. BTW that half hour gap to work in is killing me XD

    Jon Drake
    Infirmary
    Affected RPers: Noblejanobii


    As Jon and Avery passed the final corner leading to the Safe House that acted as an infirmary, for what Jon felt like was too many times in the space of twenty-four hours, strange noises were audible from the infirmary.

    "Goddamn it..." Jon muttered, as he readied Scizor's Pokeball.

    However as he pressed his ear to the door, the Pokemon chatter he heard sounded less like dialogue and more like a scuffle...

    "Be ready for anything..." Jon said to Avery, before using his keycard to open the door.

    Nothing could have prepared him for what he saw next.

    The room itself looked like a bomb had hit it, with furniture overturned, some having bite marks in it, and two Pokemon, Jon presumed Lance and his security playing a serious game of tag. One being an Applin, and the other a Munchlax, who saw the former as a snack now, more than a protection target or protector.

    Applin couldn't outrun Muchlax easily, instead resorting to going through gaps the larger Pokemon couldn't fit through to buy time. Finally, it managed to jump onto the tipped over bed, and from there onto a nearby counter, out of reach.

    "Goddamn..." Jon muttered, struggling to suppress his laugh. There were two possibilities regarding which person was which Pokemon, and Jon sincerely hoped he was right about which one was which. He turned to face the Applin.

    "Lance?" Jon asked, "That you in there, Mr. Dragon Fetish?"

    Applin began growling at Jon confirming his suspicion, as Jon burst into laughter before pulling out his phone.

    "I know I should be taking this a lot more seriously, but the irony is too much." Jon chuckled as he got out the camera app and took a photo of the seething Applin and the Munchlax who seemed confused. Apparently Munchlax's hunger outweighs its own common sense...

    "You love your dragons, how does it feel being one?" Jon asked, "Now behave yourself, or you might wind up in a Pokeball. That goes for you too, chubby."

    "Now here's what's gonna happen." Jon explained, as he began resetting the toppled furniture, "We got a situation, and I promise you it isn't the Diamond Ladies fault. I'm not stupid enough to tell you what, but you can't add this to your rage-boner list. Nothing to do with them."

    "Instead, we will give it an hour and wait this out." Jon explained, "Give the other operatives a chance to sort this s**t out, and that way, if someone makes their way in here, they don't mistake you for a stray Pokemon and take you out of here."

    Jon quickly opened the messaging app, opening his text thread with Steven.

    "Alyssa told me Jirachi went haywire and was going to turn people into Pokemon whether they liked it or not, and you were in the room? If you don't respond, I'll assume you got caught up in it.

    I am keeping an eye on Lance, who somehow was caught up in it all in the infirmary, alongside his supposed guard. I'll sit here for an hour before taking him with me somewhere more secure, and try and figure something out, otherwise, I will leave it to the other operatives got turned.

    If you weren't caught up in it, or get changed back, you mind keeping me in the loop?

    Also, check this picture out...


    Jon quickly attached the photo of Munclax reaching towards Applin, who was cowering away on the counter.

    "Guess which one is Lance."

    It wasn't too long before a response came.

    "Cynthia and I are okay. Once Alyssa escaped, Jirachi decided to let us go, and teleported us away. We have lost contact with Sami, so can assume that her and the Ladies were turned. Stay with Lance, I will keep you posted."

    After another twenty minutes of Lapplin hiding behind Jon, though hating every moment of it, there was a flash as Munchlax and Lapplin turned back into their human selves.

    "Idiot!" Lance shouted at Anthony, "You turn into a Pokemon, and all you can do is try and eat me?"

    Jon began laughing, as Lance shot him a glare.

    "I swear to God, I will make you regret this." Lance sneered at Jon, "Everything."

    "Try it." Jon said as his phone buzzed, "I hope to not get into many fights after this cruise is over, but I gotta stay in shape somehow."

    Lance flipped him off as Anthony kept silent to the side in his embarrassment.

    "Sami has been in contact. Everyone affected has been reverted and Jirachi is now in a Pokeball. They played with it until it wore itself out and went to sleep." Steven had sent.

    "Lance is back to normal as well. I'll leave him here. The operatives all know not to let him out, and if one of his does, we will be on it. I'm gonna have a chat to Cuddles."

    It didn't take long for Steven to reply.

    "You know this is our only infirmary right?"

    "Just a chat. I'll buy him dinner."

    Jon quickly opened up the database of operatives that was hidden in an encrypted app on his phone, something they all had access to, finding Jimmy Kendo's number.

    "Cuddles, we gotta talk. Sekichiku Ramen in Central Park, fifteen minutes. You might get there first, so get a table for three."

    Jon's match with Cassandra was supposed to be in half an hour, however the last few evenings the matches started at least half an hour late, and Avery still had to battle Ethan to determine third place in the tournament first. He had time. That and the restaurants on the ship were renowned for their speedy service, and Jon knew exactly what he wanted to say. Assuming he could scoff his food, fifteen minutes to chat was plenty.

    "Avery, I gotta have a chat to Cuddles. If you have something to say, you're welcome to come along." Jon explained, before making his way to the door, leaving Lance glaring between him and Anthony.

    Avery agreed to come along, so the duo made their way to the Ramen Restaurant, where an awkward conversation awaited them.

    "Everything okay?" said Latios' voice over a telepathic link, detecting Jon's calmer demeanour.

    "Jirachi is in a Pokeball for now, so bring Alyssa back, but stick with her. Tell her to meet up with me in the waiting room at the Arena. Gonna have a chat to Cuddles first." Jon replied, as he felt Latios' sense of relief through the telepathic link, knowing that for now, killing Jirachi wasn't anywhere near as likely.

    "Don't hurt him."

    "You been talking to Steven?"


    ***********************
    Jon Drake
    Sekichiku Ramen, Central Park
    Affected RPers: @Noblejanobii @Chakramaster

    It was fifteen minutes later when the pair arrived at the Ramen restaurant, where they found Jimmy sitting at a table with two other empty seats, and thankfully, no Jirachi in sight...

    "Order whatever you like." Jon said, as he sat down, "Dinner's on me."

    A waiter arrived very quickly, taking their orders, as Jon got his usual dish, as well as a beer.

    "My grandfather was the one who taught me to battle, and I will never forget the first thing he taught me about being a trainer." Jon explained, "He said this. As a trainer, your first responsibility isn't to yourself or your Pokemon, but everyone around you. Pokemon are incredible with the abilities they possess, but us humans are a lot more average, and while your Pokemon can take a direct hit and still stand up again, one hit can be enough to kill the average person. That's why your responsibility as a trainer is to the people around you. The cost of training Pokemon is having to do whatever it takes to make sure everyone around you is safe from them."

    "At the time, I thought he was being overdramatic, but as time went on, I remember seeing stories on the news of people, mostly children, killed by a Pokemon lashing out under pressure, and most of the time, the trainers are just shocked that their Pokemon did it... The Pokemon is euthanized, the trainer ends up being demonized by the media, and someone has died." Jon explained, "There isn't anything in this world I care about more than Alyssa, and today, I had her in front of me in a panic, because Jirachi teleported you out, locked her in that room, and made it clear it was going to do what it liked with everyone in the room. She escaped by chance, because it was equally likely her plan would have failed. Even if Jirachi had have teleported her out like it did Avery, and if everything is back to normal, the fact is, that Jirachi acted without your direction, in a way that directly affects other people, and especially seeing as no harm was done that we are aware of, under the current circumstances, I have no reason to believe that it won't do the same thing again, since it had so much fun, if not something worse..."

    "I have had Latios in my team for ten years now." Jon explained, "I caught him when he was quite a bit younger and smaller, on an island in the south of Hoenn that it would roost on. Other than Latios and a few other Pokemon, it was completely uninhabited. And for the first six months he was in my team, I would travel there every weekend, as that was the only place that I could let Latios out of his Pokeball and know that there was no risk of him hurting somebody. I trained him to make a point of staying invisible around other people unless I okayed it, and to protect people, no matter what. And the reason it was six months was because that was how long it took for me to be satisfied that Latios was safe to be around other people."

    Their food arrived, as Jon continued talking, sneaking in bites, and occasionally speaking with his mouth full...

    "Once Alyssa and I moved in together, it took weeks before Latios got used to the fact he didn't have to be invisible around her, and even though he has done more than his fair share of property damage in the last few days, that was due to my lack of judgement when giving him instructions, and even then property can always be repaired. In the last nine years, he has given me absolutely no reason to believe he will harm another person. But that meant six months of him spending most of the week in the Pokeball and me blowing most of my income to go somewhere safe to train." Jon continued, "I trust Latios completely, to the point where when I wanted to keep Alyssa safe from Jirachi, it was Latios I tasked with protecting her, and told him that if Jirachi approached her, do whatever it takes to keep it away from her. And Latios hated being under that instruction, but was willing to do it anyway, without hesitation. But even though things are great, and I have no reason to believe that will change, I am still responsible for Latios' actions, and if he turns and the only way to keep others safe is to do whatever it takes, I will be the first person to do it. It is the last thing I'd want to do, but part of training such a powerful Pokemon is being prepared for that possibility."

    "Cuddles, you have somehow wound up with a Pokemon that has incredible power, but your first responsibility isn't to Jirachi or yourself. It's to everyone else in the world. It's your responsibility to train Jirachi to never use its power against another human, unless you command it to, and in the event it does, it's your responsibility to do whatever it takes to minimize the damage, regardless of Jirachi. That's part of the responsibility of being a trainer." Jon said, taking another sip of his beer, "If I didn't think you were up for training Jirachi, I wouldn't be telling you this. I'd be having you held down, and taking the Pokeball from your belt by force. Training a Legendary Pokemon isn't easy, Avery and I can tell you that much, it's incredibly difficult. But I think you can do it, and am willing to help how I can."

    Jon took another bite before continuing.

    "However, I don't think anyone could get Jirachi to the point of certain safety before the end of the cruise, so my orders to Latios will still stand. Keep Jirachi away at all costs. Jirachi is in the Pokeball now, and the cruise has a matter of hours left. Make it easy for yourself, and keep it in there until we are off this god-forsaken ship. There is too much potential for another incident if you let it out, and too many distractions for it to focus on your training. And if you do decide to let it out anyway, keep it away from Alyssa. Nothing good will come from that."

    Jon finished the last of his ramen, before checking his watch, seeing he was cutting it dangerously close with the match, before pulling some cash from his wallet to leave at the table.

    "Also, a good word of advice, and this is for yours and Jirachi's sakes, train Jirachi to not run off like it has been, and keep out of sight of others, quickly. It puts a massive target on both of your backs." Jon explained, "If consequences can be wished away, there is very little stopping someone from slitting your throat in your sleep and taking Jirachi's Pokeball. That sort of power brings out the worst in people. If one of Lance's guys were to take Jirachi from you, we'd be in all sorts of trouble."

    Jon stood from the table, making his way to the exit.

    "There should be enough cash there to cover a few more drinks, but I gotta get to the arena for this battle with Cassandra, so I'll see you around." Jon explained, "You have my number. Send me a message if there is something I can do to help you train Jirachi."

    With that, Jon left the restaurant, making his way to the Arena, reading messages from Alyssa asking where the hell he was, with the matches starting so soon...

    *************************

    Once Avery's battle with Ethan was over, Jon found himself in the empty locker room again, given some time with his Pokemon before the match. There wasn't a great deal to be said outside of tactics, however he gave Latios one instruction.

    "You my friend, are going to cost me quite a bit of money with all the holes you have left in the ship." Jon explained, as Latios began to look away, struggling to make eye contact.

    "They can be paid for so don't worry, but I do want to be able to battle again at some point without rotten fruit thrown at me by an angry mob, so we gotta make sure we can curb some of the hit to our reputation." Jon explained, "Reckon you can act all cutesy and funny in front of the crowd, and win them over? Make the damage look like a silly accident because I hadn't trained you right?"

    Latios' expression turned to a grin as he began scheming. Jon put Nidoking and Scizor in their Pokeballs, whilst Latios turned invisible.

    "Pretend you're going to send someone else out." Latios said telepathically, as Jon chuckled, seeing where he was going with it.

    "This will be fun..."

    Once their briefing time was over, Jon entered the battlefield, ready to win the High Seas Tournament.

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  14. #188
    P i k a c h u Chakramaster's Avatar
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    Jimmy Kendo
    Central Park (Poke Park)
    Affected RP'ers: @Shruikan @Neo Shaymin @Desolate Divine


    Jimmy saw Cassandra and the others reappear nearby as well. All back in their human forms. On a nearby plush pillow on the ground. Jirachi laid out tucked comfortably in a divot. Wrapped by his own ribbons.

    "Thank you all so much for playing with me!" Jirachi was still able to speak telepathically to them all to their surprise.

    Jimmy couldn't help but to walk over and give Jirachi a good pat on the head. "You're more than welcome little guy. Sleep well and I'll be sure to keep good care of you from now on. Tomorrow. We start your training. Until then, get some good sleep buddy." Jimmy said as he pulled Jirachi's poke ball out and called him back with a red beam. Nestling Jirachi safely inside.

    “So, I take it you’re Jirachi’s trainer? My name’s Luneth, nice to meet you.” Luneth held out her hand to the trainer, the smiled at the Pikachu on his shoulder.

    “I saw you talking to you Pikachu, can you speak pokemon? That’s so cool if you can! I’ve always wondered if it was possible to learn. Could you teach me?"

    Jimmy looked over to see a familiar face. Had he seen her before? "Luneth huh? Nice to meet you!" Jimmy said holding his hand out to shake her hand in return. "I take it you were part of that little game huh? Were you the Alolan Vulpix we saw?" Jimmy questioned.

    "Yeah I can talk to Pikachu. It's a side effect from having turned into a Pokémon it seems. Maybe you can too now. Since you've been turned into a n Alolan Vulpix. It might not just be a "me" thing. So, give it a shot!

    "Pika-pi-ka!" (Yeah! Give it a shot!). Pikachu cheered.

    Jimmy took a quick look around and saw Cassandra and the others were gone. Most likely to get ready for the finals match between her and Jon.

    Just then Jimmy's phone buzzed.

    "Cuddles, we gotta talk. Sekichiku Ramen in Central Park, fifteen minutes. You might get there first, so get a table for three."

    He closed the phone and looked back to Luneth. "Well, looks like I'm needed elsewhere. Hope you stay safe and enjoy the rest of the cruise. Hopefully no more crazy surprises here, right? He chuckled as he gave a wave and left to head to the meeting spot. Pikachu still hanging onto his shoulder.




    Central Park (Sekichiku Ramen)

    Jimmy got to the meeting spot. Did as requested and got a table for three. Not knowing what to expect. He only knew of how the last few events involving Jon went and was expecting an earful and hopefully not to be beat up. Letting out a small sigh as he thought about it.

    Not long after he saw Jon arrive. "Order whatever you like." Jon said, as he sat down, "Dinner's on me."

    Ordering dinner. Jon explained a story. Reasons as to how to step up and become a better trainer for Pokémon. Especially Pokemon that are very special like Jirachi. Jimmy just sat there to listen. Chilling in abruptly is never good in these situations. Jimmy stayed quiet to listen to the story even as their food arrived.

    Jon had explained his peace, but before he had completely started to walk away. Jimmy called to him.

    "Jon. I'll keep this brief as I know you're already behind to make it for your match. As you said. Know one is a great enough trainer to train a powerful Pokémon like Jirachi fully in a few hours. After this cruise it's full focus on managing that, but Jirachi has meant no one harm. Once I noticed the wish granting power. I told Jirachi not to grant any without my full permission. I'll see to he stays to that. If Jirachi had meant anyone harm I would have stopped him if that's what it took. He's far too young though. So earlier I can teach him the better. I appreciate your offer and the meal here, but he means no one any harm. No ones getting free wishes either with what power Jirachi possesses. That's not saying I'm taking money or anything either. Jirachi will be trained to be right within the daily standards so everyone can live peacefully. Jirachi will just need a little....extra attention. It was our mistake that he just wanted to play a little in the end. He gave to all of us and we didn't give back. He heard an idea he thought was fun and took action without hurting anyone and ensured that." Jimmy got up to part ways.

    "Once again I thank you for the advice, offer, and meal. If anyone to contact in this case I know a few people who can help now. That much is a blessing. Good luck in your match tonight. You'll need it to beat Cassandra. She's trickier than we al may know. I also may be able to help with a small issue given some time. We will see. Just leave that to me."

    Jon and Jimmy part their ways.

    Jimmy made his way to the Battle Arena to spectate the match while trying to piece together one last issue. 'Karma.'

    The time is upon us...


    . Pika Pair with the yellow bundle of fluff Chibi Altaria..


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  16. #189
    Cheers and good times! Neo Emolga's Avatar
    Senior Administrator

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    The Diamond Ladies
    Battling Arena Waiting Room
    Affected RPers: @Chakramaster @Desolate Divine


    Cassandra had to admit that experience with Jirachi was going to stick with her. She was also touched when Jirachi had thanked her and everyone else that had joined in on Jirachi’s wild game of tag, realizing at the end, it was all he really wanted.

    It was soon time for Cassandra’s battle with Jon. Given last night’s events but still under the order to keep the Ladies under close watch, Sami tried to assure them that she and Kyle could at least be more trusted than “the other guys,” and while Violet and Jarena wanted to believe that, there was still a bit of uncertainty.

    “No offense…” Jarena smiled though she didn’t want trouble. “If something crazy happens like last night, we’re going to have to bust a move. That whole incident could have been ugly.”

    “Still hoping it doesn’t come to that…” Sami shrugged, hoping it wouldn’t come to that, but understanding Jarena’s side of things.

    In the meantime, Kyle had escorted Cassandra to the arena grounds after Victini had met up with her once again. Despite all that had happened on this cruise and how it had changed her, she was looking forward to her battle with Jon, win or lose. While he was willing to risk all on the Zoroark ploy, to her, it didn’t feel right playing another game of deception with people.

    As she walked into the arena, while there were some cheers, but also some booing in the crowd. Cassandra knew they had probably read some of the articles about her and her friends that were posted earlier that morning. She still decided to smile and wave, knowing they were here to see a real battle, not an act. Though she knew there were going to be many out there that hated her now or felt she had no business being a trainer, she decided to at least have this one last battle before the final lifetime ban was enacted.

    Upon arriving in the arena, Cassandra had looked to Jon and smiled.

    “Good luck to you, Jon,” she smiled. “Things may be different, but I’m not going to make this easy!”

    She had then sent out Hatterene, and Jon had deployed his Nidoking. After attacking with Poison Jab, Cassandra’s Hatterene had not been able to take the blow well, causing Cassandra to wonder if she should already consider withdrawing her for one of her other Pokémon. She decided to keep her in the game, telling her to use a Psychic attack, which Nidoking had had painfully endured before a powerful reprisal attack with Earth Power. Hatterene had been thrown off her feet, left face-down on the arena floor, followed by the referee declaring Hatterene had been defeated.

    Prior to this battle, Cassandra was almost never behind her adversary, and the audience didn’t seem to be impressed with this “new look” for Cassandra, even if she was coming out clean. Still, it wasn’t over yet.

    Cassandra had then deployed her Espeon, relying on a second Psychic attack from the lavender-colored cat-like Pokémon. The telekinetic force was powerful against the hulking juggernaut drill Pokémon, which was enough to bring him down and get her back on level with Jon’s team. Jon had then deployed Scizor, and it was already another moment of concern for Cassandra as she knew there was nothing in Espeon’s arsenal that could take advantage of Scizor’s one and only weakness to fire.

    After Scizor had used Double Team to make itself even more difficult to strike, Cassandra suspected Jon’s Baton Pass strategy was now being deployed, attempting to take advantage of Espeon’s lack of strength over Scizor. Cassandra had decided to withdraw Espeon to use Victini instead, hoping now that she had fire power on her side, Victini could make short work of Scizor and get ahead. In the meantime, Scizor had empowered itself even further with Swords Dance. Cassandra knew she couldn’t allow this to escalate, urging Victini to use a Flame Charge attack and hope it would hit the true Scizor and not one of the illusionary copies.

    The attempt, however, had failed, and where Victini thought he would strike hard against the authentic Scizor, he hit nothing but an illusion. And instead of connecting, the attempt backfired as Scizor struck Victini from above with a Brutal Swing attack, resulting in a horrifying cracking sound.

    Virtually everyone in the arena was shocked to see Victini go down crashing, never expecting the mythical Pokémon of victory go down so easily. Cassandra was horrified at the sight, while many members of the audience had become gravely disappointed.

    “Victini is unable to battle, victory goes to Scizor!” the referee had called out.

    Amidst all the booing, Cassandra had recalled Victini, feeling bad that she knew going out like that in the final round was going to do a lot of damage to Victini’s spirit and he might never forgive himself for it.

    “Ah Victini, don’t worry about it,” she told him as she spoke to his Pokéball. “You still did an awesome job out there! You tried your best, that’s all that matters.”

    Now, however, her shoulder felt cold, empty, and vacant without his cheerful and optimistic company. Meanwhile, many in the audience had become outright disgusted with Cassandra and how far she had fallen behind Jon, especially after losing her flagship Pokémon so easily. Where before there were doubts about the authenticity of her performance, some people were willing to give her a chance despite the accusations. Now, however, the supporters she had left were rapidly losing their faith and morale with supporting her.

    Cassandra did her best to try and focus on the battle and not on the jeers and slurs that were being thrown out. Since she had already deployed Espeon, she was forced to have to bring her out a second time, and she knew if Jon’s Scizor could take out Victini in one strike, the same could apply to Espeon as well, and she was not looking forward to it.

    Still, she decided she wanted to try as hard as she could, though she could admit, she knew why this was happening. Jon’s training was authentic and he came prepared with a tactical and diverse team and a strategy while she only had a smaller, less-diversified team of her favorites that had become too reliant on illegitimate support. Her only regret was she was never going to get the chance to rectify that and rise up from the ashes again. After tonight… it would all be over for her trainer career. For good.

    Once Espeon had been summoned again, Cassandra had urged her to use Shadow Ball, realizing it was at least one attack that Espeon could use for some sustainable damage, though she knew it would not be enough to stop him entirely. After launching the Shadow Ball, Jon had ordered Scizor to Baton Pass, but Scizor had taken the blow to its burnt claw before the transition had been made.

    It was then that Latios had made his rather jovial appearance, putting on a whimsical performance before the audience, though it seemed to confuse many of them. While Cassandra herself found it a bit comical, she knew it might be a ruse and she still needed to keep her head in the game. With that, she had ordered Espeon to use another Shadow Ball attack, which had caught the eon Pokémon off guard. She felt bad about it, but she was already far behind and it was a very high-stakes final battle. She already knew Latios had inherited Scizor’s empowerment, which was already devastating in addition to Latios being a powerful legendary Pokémon as well.

    Latios had become invisible, although Espeon was able to detect this and still sense his location and presence despite not being visible to the naked eye. With limited options for damage, Cassandra called for another Shadow Ball, though its failure to connect was giving signs that she had become too reliant on the same pattern of attack, despite it directly attempting to strike at Latios’s weakness.

    Latios had then attempted to strike at Espeon with an Outrage attack, which Cassandra knew would be painful if she didn’t come up with a response. Calling for a Reflect, Espeon put up a shield barrier just before Latios made contact, allowing Espeon to resist some of the damage. Now, Latios was locked into this frenzy, which Cassandra was hoping to take advantage of. Still, upon the second assault, despite the Reflect barrier, Espeon had been struck off her feet and just barely managed to land with only a stumble, but she was now running on fumes.

    While Espeon hadn’t been struck unconscious, she appeared to be weak and exhausted. Some trainers might have decided to try and carry on despite the risk, but Cassandra felt it wouldn’t be right to do that to Espeon. The next blow might be something she’d never recover from, and it could become something Cassandra would have to live with over pride. She felt her Pokémon were far more important…

    “Call it,” she told the referee.

    He nodded, and then raised a white flag into the air.

    “Espeon is unable to battle, victory goes to Latios, making Jon Drake the winner of the first Pokémon High Seas Tournament!” the referee shouted, his voice carried to the loud speakers.

    The outcome of the battle had been a surprise to many. There was a sudden abrupt fanfare with cheering, confetti, loud horn noise, and falling balloons for Jon’s victory. And while this was the ultimate end for Cassandra’s career, at this point, in her heart, it didn’t matter. Instead, she just wanted to spend some time with her Pokémon as he knelt down by Espeon’s side, even while some members of the audience were shouting slurs at her.

    “Es-pee…” (“I’m sorry, I wish I could have kept going…”) she muttered, looking very tired.

    “It’s quite alright, you did a wonderful job out there,” Cassandra told her with a smile, easing the tension by stroking her back. “All of you were up against a lot this whole tournament, but I’m proud of each of you.”

    “Esp-e…” (“Thank you…”) Espeon nodded with a tired smile.

    Cassandra had returned Espeon to her Pokémon, and tried hard to be optimistic and in strong spirits despite what had just transpired. But after closing her eyes, she accepted Jon was the better trainer. Unlike her, he had done the right thing from the beginning, and she knew where she went wrong. Her only regret was knowing she’d never have the chance to correct that and try to reach the top again. Still, she was thankful for this last battle, as the League could have easily stripped her of this and Avery never would have been questioned if they had decided they would rather have Cassandra disqualified after what had been discovered about her. Still, to her, she counted her blessings that she was able to have this final, meaningful battle with Jon, and she was willing to accept he was the better trainer. To have the Zoroark ploy take the place of this… it just wouldn’t have felt right to her in the end.

    “You put up a heck of a fight, Jon,” Cassandra smiled to him, ignoring the slurs and criticism that were being shouted at her. “Both with your fists and with your Pokémon. Many congratulations on your victory, and thanks for giving me this opportunity and allowing this to happen.”

    “All the best out there,” Cassandra told him, shaking his hand. “You’re both a great battler and a great teacher.”

    After that, she headed toward the arena exit. In those final moments in the stadium, while there were some people in the stands that insulted her, ridiculed her, and tossed jeers at her for tonight’s defeat and the controversies surrounding her careers, there were a few that still cheered her on. Cassandra wasn’t sure if they knew the truth, accepted it, and understood tonight’s defeat was due to the fact she had to come clean, but she knew deep inside, those were the ones she did it for.

    She smiled and waved to them giving a supporting salute, up until every last step had been taken before she approached the exit and stepped inside. Kyle had been there to take her back to Jarena and Violet, and still, despite the defeat, despite the insults, Cassandra still felt content.

    She never had any regrets about her decision that night, even despite how things had turned out. To her, it felt like these were the way things were meant to be.




    The Diamond Ladies
    Solarium
    Affected RPers: @Chakramaster @Desolate Divine @Noblejanobii @Shruikan @SlickSlack


    After getting her Pokémon healed, Cassandra had met up with Jarena and Violet, and they had already seen the outcome of the final battle and now the victory celebrations were being held for Jon Drake and his team. Based on Cassandra’s recommendation, they had decided to head up to the Solarium on the top level above the stadium, just for some quiet time and to have a nice view of the night sky as the S.S. Wishmaker was preparing to dock in Castelia City. They had already been informed by Sami and Kyle that the captain had announced they would be approaching port, marking the end of a cruise that had a profound but positive impact on their lives.

    “Vic-tiiii!” (“I’m so sorry!”) Victini cried. “Vic-tinini!” (“I don’t even know what happened, I just woke up and found out we lost!”)

    “Victini, it’s okay,” Cassandra smiled to him as she sat on one of the recliners. “Things like that happen. I know it’s harder now that battles and things have been different for all of us.”

    He nodded, but he still didn’t feel that great about it. He had also known that this had been Cassandra’s last and final battle, and now their lifetime ban would be instated. Already, the confirmation about the Shadowcraft cheating and the confession was circulating around, and the pieces were coming together to anyone who had doubts about the Diamond Ladies. The three of them knew that as soon as they stepped off that ship, the respect they once had everywhere they went would never be the same.

    Jarena, unable to hold back looking at how other people were reacting online and through social media, had seen reactions to tonight’s battle were already looking very grim. Jon’s victory was already circulating around and an ugly smear campaign was being laid on the three of them, but especially Cassandra. It was everything they had dreaded, but somehow, even though the nightmare was really becoming true, Jarena felt like somehow she was tolerating it to some degree. At least for now.

    “I still enjoyed the trip, even though… it got hectic toward the end there,” Jarena told Cassandra and Violet. “I mean, sure, there were some times that sucked, but you know, there were some cool moments as well.”

    “It was a wake-up call we needed,” Cassandra nodded in agreement. “Thinking about what I was like when I first stepped on this ship… I was a brat. A lying, cheating, over-privileged, egotistical brat. I think what happened these past two days… happened for a reason.”

    “It’ll never be the same after this,” Violet told them, looking up at the stars. “It’ll be bad in some ways, better in others. It’ll mean changes, but we’ll figure something out.”

    And that was when a sudden announcement on the loud speaker had called out to all guests on the ship.

    Attention all guests of the S.S. Wishmaker, this is your captain speaking! We have arrived at Castelia City Port, Unova! At this time, we ask you to please collect your baggage, personal belongings, and Pokémon to make your way to disembark the ship. Gift shops and stores in the Royal Prominade will be open for one more hour for any final purchases before you leave the vessel. Thank you for joining us on the maiden voyage of the S.S. Wishmaker and we hope to see you again with us soon! I would also like to congratulate Jon Drake on his prestigious victory in the first Pokémon High Seas Tournamement! All the best to all of you!

    Before, there were times when Cassandra couldn’t wait to get off the ship, and now here they were, finally at the end of this life-changing voyage. She looked around her, and she couldn’t help but get the feeling that despite the captain’s words, this would be the last time she ever saw this place. And certain things came back to her, playing with Jirachi, that moment of victory in her battle with Avery as her meaningful legitimate win, and even the moment of her confessing, finally coming to terms that she needed to change and move on. She would not forget the pleasures and pains, but in the end, they had made her a better person, even if the world didn’t see it that way.

    “Guess we’d better get going,” Jarena spoke up as she stood out of her beach chair, looking up at the stars one last time before turning toward Sami. “Think you can help us to Safe House LZ again? All our stuff is there and yeah, we’d like our Pokémon back now.”

    “No problem, I can take care of that,” Sami agreed. “I’ll talk to the Champs, they’ll come up with an arrangement to make sure you get them back before you leave or they’ll have someone waiting on the docks. I’ll ask how they want to handle this.”

    “Sounds good,” Violet agreed. “Hell of a trip this was.”

    (OOC: I plan on making only one more post for the Ladies after this (besides the final epilogue post for them), so if you want to interact with them one last time before they get off the ship, this is your chance!)

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  18. #190
    I came in like a wrecking ball... [Desolate Divine]'s Avatar
    Senior Moderator

    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    Melbourne Australia
    Posts
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    Jon Drake
    Does it really matter anymore? I suppose the exit of the Stadium...
    Affected RPers: Discussing @Neo Shaymin's characters, but nothing major. Can be ignored if preferred.


    Once the match was over, and Cassandra thanked Jon, he was surprised at her comments about being a good teacher. He thanked her for the match, feeling a little guilty that her career was ending in this low point, but also sticking by his guns. The words he said to her still rang true. Even though he was willing to look past his own ideals in order to achieve what he thought was a better result for everyone by covering up the mess, he meant what he said to them during that first meeting. They are gonna have to hit rock bottom and go through hell to learn from this, and based on the boos and jeers at Cassandra from the crowd, it was only the beginning for them.

    He spent another hour in the waiting room, hoping to be able to escape the arena without media attention, however, as he left, he was flooded by cameras and microphones, recording everything, most likely to show on the late news that evening.

    "Mr. Drake, people are dismissing your win as invalid, due to the events of last night's battle, what do you think about this."

    "What do you have to say about the damage to the S.S. Wishmaker caused by your Latios, or the attacks it made yesterday afternoon?"

    "Do you have any remorse for assaulting Ethan Caldwell yesterday evening?"

    Jon ignored them, pushing past them, these vultures willing to believe whatever version of the truth would get them ratings.

    "Do you think Cassandra Silvers and the other Diamond Ladies deserve the comments being made by internet trolls regarding the events of the last few days?"

    Jon stopped in his tracks, hearing this, before turning to the reporter who asked.

    "You mind showing me these comments?" Jon asked, "I have kept off social media this evening, given what was said last night..."

    The reporter, surprised that Jon had acknowledged him after ignoring everyone else, before fumbling for his phone and opening twitter.

    #CancelCassandra, #WitchCheats and #BurnTheWitch were trending, on tweets with equally nasty content.

    "That cheating b***h deserves everything she gets and then some. Have her Pokemon taken from her, put her in a cell, and throw away the key."

    "Would love five minutes with the three of them, purge style, no consequences. Can't convict if they never find the body can they?"


    Jon seethed reading these comments, before facing the reporter, going against his usual No Interviews policy, with Alyssa being the only exception. He passed the phone back.

    "I'm going to be dead honest with you." Jon said, "After I signed up for this tournament, I was recruited by the League, with a few others, to help figure out what was going on with the Diamond Ladies, and catch them out. People will say I'm a liar, who thinks he is some sort of cowboy, but I really don't give a damn at this point. I was the person who found the evidence of the witchcraft that was being used to cheat in battles, and helped to apprehend the three of them. That is why Latios did damage to the ship."

    "And since then, the Diamond Ladies, Cassandra especially, in the space of twenty four hours, have earnt my respect in a way that nobody else could. They realized their mistakes, they took whatever measures they could to correct and atone for them, and Cassandra went into battle with Avery last night, completely legit, and took a win, before facing me tonight, giving me an incredible battle that I will never forget, better than some of the so-called professionals I met in the qualifying who had years of experience battling legit, but didn't have half the talent, instinct or bond with their Pokemon that Cassandra displayed in the finals. They were willing to give up everything, try to fix their mistakes and come clean, which most people wouldn't have the nerve to do being in as deep as they were. I agree with the ban, but think it's a shame that the League is now losing talent like that." Jon continued, "This is what I have to say about the Diamond Ladies. Their actions wronged a lot of people. People were cheated out of first place titles, prize money, and humiliated on false pretences. But if you aren't someone who fits into one of those categories, not somebody who faced them and was cheated out of something by them, but some self-righteous idiot sitting in the peanut gallery, who thinks they have any right to make these sorts of comments about them, I'd love to have a chat to you, right after you go f**k yourselves."

    There was silence as Jon's expletive cut through the chatter, and shock at what had just been said.

    "How f**king self-righteous can you be to judge someone who is actively taking steps to better themselves and fix the damage they did, as harsh as that?" Jon asked, "I have been a competitive battler for over ten years, and have battled enough people to know talent when I see it. Even without cheating, if any of these keyboard warriors had the nerve to face Cassandra in a legitimate battle, I'd back Cassandra any day over these pieces of s**t that only have the nerve to speak up like that when they are behind a Twitter handle."

    "Also, to anyone who is willing to be this critical of the Diamond Ladies, and doesn't plan on changing their attitude, keep an eye on the news over the next few days. Some shocking news about a world famous battler is going to come to light, worse than any cheating scandal, and if you're going to tear into the Diamond Ladies this much, you damn well better be willing to go further when that comes to light..."

    Jon turned to walk away, as the reported spoke up nervously.

    "And what's next for you, Mr. Drake...

    "I have an idea, but gotta flesh that out a little first. Stay tuned though. It will be big..."

    ************************************************** ************************************************** ****

    Jon and Alyssa Drake
    Jon and Alyssa's Room
    Affected RPers: @Neo Shaymin (Text message sent)


    Jon breathed a sigh of relief as he got back to his and Alyssa's cabin, where Alyssa was packing their belongings.

    "Oh Mr. Drake, I'd love an interview!" Alyssa said jokingly, as she approached him, "You seem a little on edge Mr. Drake, is everything okay?"

    "Just a bit anxious, that's all." Jon replied using his best media voice, "My mistress was supposed to meet me here, but I'm worried my wife will show up..."

    Alyssa gasped, before gently punching him in the arm.

    "In all seriousness, great job tonight." Alyssa said, before kissing him on the cheek and making her way back to the suitcase she was packing, "Though you're already trending again from that interview, even though it doesn't air for another half hour. Few spectators saw it and posted online about it."

    "How did you see it?" Jon asked.

    "An acquaintance from that network forwarded me the footage." Alyssa explained, "She knew we were married, and asked me if you were out of your damn mind."

    "In all honesty, I'm seeing a lot clearer now." Jon explained as the Captain spoke over the PA system, announcing the ship docking.

    "What time does our flight home leave?" Jon asked.

    "1am." Alyssa replied, with Jon groaning. It was only 9pm now and waiting four hours for a flight when being harassed by media sounded like hell.

    "We have time to kill. Anything you want to do?" Jon asked, "Maybe find a nice bar, have a celebratory drink?"

    "Well..." Alyssa began, "I never got that interview with Cassandra, and I know it's not much, but I feel like nobody should have to quit like she is without being able to say goodbye on their terms..."

    Jon realized what Alyssa was saying. The Diamond Ladies ban is already public, with the League being forced to issue a statement after the match due to the increasing pressure and questioning of their silence on the rumours circulating from the day earlier. It was already being twisted, with lies added in among the bits of truth, destroying their reputation more than it already was. People were truly savages.

    "I have her number..." Jon said, "What if we invite them for a drink, and you have your interview there, if she is interested."

    "Brilliant." Alyssa replied, her face lighting up, as she grabbed Jon's phone from the table, copying Cassandra's number into hers.

    "Hey Cassandra, this is Alyssa Drake.

    Great job with the match tonight. Screw what everyone else is saying. Walk with your head held high.

    I know it's probably not much, particularly this late, but I was wondering if I could interview you. If nothing else but for you to be able to step down from all this on your terms. Be able to have the last word, and have one last nice moment before everything changes?

    Don't feel obligated, but if you're interested, Jon and I's flight home doesn't leave until 1am, so we will be at Diesel Bar in Castelia City until 11pm. I'd love to share a drink and hear your story before we all part ways.

    Hoping to see you again.
    Alyssa."


    "Sent." Alyssa explained, "Now help me pack, will you?"

    "Sure thing." Jon said with a smile.

    ************************************************** ************************************************** ****

    Jon and Alyssa Drake
    Diesel Bar, Castelia City
    Affected RPers: @Neo Shaymin


    Bunnied with Neo Emolga's Permission to condense this into a single post.

    It was 10pm, as Jon and Alyssa stood by a tall bar table, sipping their drinks, watching the highlights of the evenings match on the TV, which had segments of Jon's interview that had aired half an hour earlier, causing the few patrons nearby in the quiet bar to avoid him like he had some sort of Unnamed Global Pandemic Type Virus.

    "You reckon they will show up?" Alyssa asked.

    "I honestly don't know 'Liss." Jon replied with a sigh, "I get where you're coming from about giving her a chance to have one last say, but I also get the feeling she is equally happy letting people say what they want, and doesn't really care what they think anymore. It could go either way."

    Alyssa sighed as she looked at her watch, before the sound of the door opened and a familiar voice ran through.

    "How can it be this cold in the middle of summer? It was beautiful this afternoon!"

    Alyssa's head perked up as she heard the voice and recognized Cassandra walking into the bar (OOC: Neo, if you want the other two there as well, have them. I only asked about Cass, but wanted to get a post up and this probably isn't good timing for your timezone). Alyssa pounced, rushing towards her, seeming nearly half her age with excitement, greeting her and ushering her to the table, where Jon said hello, before offering to buy her a drink.

    "Look, this will be published, but I'm not doing this for ratings, or accolades as a writer." Alyssa explained, "I have always written with the desire to have my readers understand something better than they did before reading, so I guess I want to give you the chance to tell me what you want the people to understand. One last hurrah before you guys retire."

    Alyssa got out her phone, opening the sound recorder, before placing it on the table in front of Cassandra.

    "So what do you have to say? About the cheating, getting caught, the tournament, moving forward, anything." Alyssa asked, "I want to hear what you have to say."
    Last edited by [Desolate Divine]; 04-03-2021 at 07:11 AM.

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