What's up readers? Well, a new chapter by the looks of it! Hey guys, just thought I'd get this posted on one of the usual update days IE (Friday and Saturday). I would've had this posted last night but I fell asleep writing it and I was also watching the Brewers finally break their 7 game losing streak and Falling Skies too. Anyway, now that the chapter's done, I would like to say that this is the final chapter that we will be seeing in Striaton City. Next chapter the gang will be out on the road again. Look below at the end author's note for the poll results, my thoughts on the Brewer game last night and I will start doing a new feature before the shoutouts, being a battle record. The battle record will show the amount of wins, losses and draws for each character. So let's get to it!
Chapter Summary: The outcome of Tom's and Corey's fight is finally known and the gang shows a bit of humor following the fight. Meanwhile, Liam and Melanie are reporting to Ghetsis and Langdon about the mission.
Bold- Message Bulletin/PA System/Plaques
Italics- Thoughts/Letters/Flashbacks
Bold Italics- TV/Radio/Pokedex (AKA Dexter) Descriptions/Xtransreceiver Messages/Xtransreceiver Conversations
The silence in the arena left everyone anxious about the end result of the battle between Tom and Corey. The power that was displayed was without a doubt astounding on both ends. Tom and Corey were without a doubt two of the strongest trainers that the group had come across in their careers. The smoke cleared and revealed Sully and Admiral both down on the ground and struggling to get up. Sully was first to his feet and Admiral quickly bolted up as well. Tom and Sully stared down Corey and Admiral with determination to win. Sully and Admiral continued glaring at each other but it soon came to an end. Sully fell to his knees and then collapsed onto the ground on his back. Cilan was about to call the match in Corey's victory but it was short lived as Admiral, too, fell to the ground and landed on his back.
"Sully and Admiral are both unable to battle. This has ended with a draw!" Cilan commentated.
"Admiral!" Corey hollered as he ran out to his team's leader.
"Sully!" Tom cried, running out to help his friend.
Corey helped Admiral sit upright as he tried to regain his bearings. Tom had Sully draped over his shoulder standing up. After Corey and Admiral stood up, they walked over to Tom and Sully to shake hands on the awesome battle. Sully and Admiral looked at each other in exhaustion and they started to chuckle which turned into full blown laughter. Tom and Corey joined in with the laughter as well and shook each other's hands with Sully and Admiral shaking paw with fin. In the stands, Kenta and Elliott looked at the twenty dollars they were holding and then at each other before pocketing it.
"Guess we'll take a rain check on this bet?" Kenta asked.
"Yeah, or you can just give me the money now and save yourself a humiliating loss down the road." Elliott replied.
"I'll take my chances."
Kenta, Elliott, Eri and Vanessa departed the stands and waltzed onto the field. The four of them were surprised to see how Tom and Corey could go from fierce battlers to acting like best friends and laughing it off as though nothing had happened. Elliott looked at their interaction and watched as they fist bumped each other and shook her head giving a sigh.
"What?" Tom asked, looking at Elliott.
"I've been alive for sixteen years and I can honestly say you two have the biggest bromance I've ever seen." Elliott stated.
"Problem?" Corey asked, giving a goofy face.
"I think she's just jealous that she doesn't have a sismance going on, Corey."
"I'm not jealous and there's no such thing as a sismance!"
"Babe, don't lie to yourself, you're jealous. And there actually is something called a sismance, just check the urban dictionary. Get up on that!"
Elliott's face turned red from a combination of embarrassment and rage as Tom said that. She did the only thing that popped in her mind and gave the hardest kick she could. Her foot was going for Tom's stomach but he moved in self-defense, which still didn't work out in his favor. Elliott's foot connected with Tom's groin, dropping him to the ground. Kenta and Corey flinched and subconsciously covered theirs as they saw their friend writhing on the ground in pain. Eri bit her lip and shook her head at Elliott's antics while Vanessa covered her mouth at the behavior Elliott had shown in response to teasing.
"I say, that's no way a lady should act!" Cilan said, looking at Elliott with disappointment.
Tom had stopped squirming since he passed out from the pain that Elliott inflicted on him. Elliott opened her mouth to retaliate but stopped and turned around in a huff. Eri sighed and pulled out an icepack from her bag and tossed it to Corey. He squatted down and placed the pack in Tom's hand before resting it over his crotch. Sparks and Sully were looking down at their master with pity and shooting glares at Elliott every now and then.
"You know, Elliott, with an attitude like that you're not going to be too successful making friends." Eri noted.
"Oh spare me the lecture, Eri. And Cilan, I hate acting like a lady, it's too tedious." Elliott replied.
"Well I respect your honesty but you really can't be doing that, Elliott," Cilan nodded. "A lot of people would frown upon your poor manners."
"Like I care."
A groan from Tom garnered everyone's attention as he regained consciousness. He opened his mouth and took a deep breath to absorb the throbbing pain. Kenta came into his sight and had supportive look on his face.
"Hey buddy, how're you feeling?" Kenta asked with a gentle voice.
"What just happened?" Tom wheezed.
"You have been kicked in the testicles."
"How did Eri's icepack get there?"
"A nurse came in a second ago and placed it there. Right guys?" Corey said, glaring at them over his sunglasses.
"Yup, she was a nice lady." Kenta and Vanessa chorused.
"Cilan, can you give her my thanks for helping me out?"
"Sure thing, Tom. Although I think she already knows you're thankful." Cilan bowed.
Tom took another deep breath and stood up, pulling off the icepack and giving a wave to Eri.
"Thanks for letting me borrow this again, Eri." Tom said.
"No problem, just burn it when you're done." Eri replied.
Everyone laughed at Eri's response as she played along with the joke and the past reference with the Scolipede.
Langdon stood beside Ghetsis as he looked at Liam and Melanie. He wasn't showing it, but he was downright furious with Liam. Before Liam left on the mission, he informed him on the two grunts he was taking for backup. When Liam came back one grunt short, Langdon had to do everything in his power to resist harming Liam. He waited for Ghetsis to set the canisters and the Pokeball that contained Munna down on the desk before he cleared his throat to gain his attention.
"What is it, Langdon?" Ghetsis asked.
"Can I speak with you privately for a moment, milord?" Langdon requested.
"Very well."
Ghetsis motioned for Liam and Melanie to stand at ease while he conversed with Langdon. The pair of them walked over to the window overlooking Striaton City to begin their conversation.
"What is it you wanted to speak with me about, Langdon?" Ghetsis asked.
"Milord, you're aware that Liam took two grunts out on the mission you assigned him, right?" Langdon questioned.
"No, I was not informed of that. Did you instruct a grunt to pass that information up to me?"
"I did, obviously that imbecile failed to do so. I'll be sure to have a chat with him later."
"So where's the other grunt that Liam had under his command?"
"That's why I wanted to talk to you, milord. I'm going on a hunch here, but I think the grunt was captured."
"I see. I need confirmation on that first, Langdon. Perhaps we can get Liam to shine some light on this."
"Yes, milord."
Liam and Ghetsis turned around and walked back over to Liam and Melanie who stood back at attention. Liam looked impassive and Melanie looked a little nervous with Langdon's and Ghetsis' eyes bearing into her. Melanie felt her heartbeat increase and she began to sweat a little under the gaze of her superiors.
"I trust your mission went well then Liam if you and your accomplices made it back?" Ghetsis inquired.
"I'd imagine our presence being the answer." Liam smirked.
"I see your tongue is still sharp as ever."
"Just for you, milord."
Melanie glanced at Liam out of the corner of her eye and was appalled at his lack of respect towards Ghetsis. She was even more surprised that Ghetsis just took Liam's manner in stride and calmly ignored his comments. Obviously Ghetsis wasn't one to fall for childish conduct.
"So, Liam," Langdon began. "Where is your other companion?"
"He should be here soon, Langdon." Liam smiled. "I chose Pierce to help me and Melanie on our mission, but he is currently running late."
"And why is he late, Liam? All of you are supposed to be here to report after you complete a mission. Unless something happened that you failed to mention to us when you were giving your report?"
"Well, he's preoccupied with a couple matters right now. Once he gets back I'll have him report and fill in the blanks."
"My patience has reached its limit, Liam. If you're lying to me I'll find out one way or another. This is your last chance to tell us the truth and I strongly suggest you do, because if you don't, it's going to be a very unpleasant day for you."
Liam narrowed his eyes at Langdon as he heard that last statement. He knew if he were to answer his question truthfully, he would be in trouble and if he were to lie, he had the chance to successfully have Melanie back him up if she was afraid of Ghetsis and Langdon.
"I am telling you the truth, Langdon. It's not my fault if your feeble mind cannot tell the difference between what is false and what is true." Liam replied.
"Wrong answer," Langdon sneered. "Melanie, I'm going to present you with the same question and I know that you're at least smart enough not to lie to me. So I ask this again. Where is Pierce?"
Melanie felt her throat go dry as Langdon's stared her down. She wasn't one to be so easily petrified with such a trivial question, but the thing that scared Melanie was Langdon's eyes. His cold onyx eyes held nothing but ruthless punishment for those that lied. She snuck a glance at Liam and saw him looking back at her with a smile, but the smile was deceitful. Looking back at Langdon she began to shift with discomfort from his gaze.
"Melanie, I'm going to count to three and if you don't have an answer by then, I will make an example of you and Liam in front of the grunts to show what happens to those who lie to their superiors." Langdon warned.
"Langdon, just calm down and I can say something." Melanie negotiated.
"One."
"Langdon, please."
"Two!"
"Okay, Liam lied!"
Melanie lowered her head and felt tears start to well in her eyes. Her hands balled into fists as she took a deep breath to recuperate. She could see that Liam's face reverted back to its neutral expression after she broke down in front of Langdon and confessed. Melanie wiped her eyes free from the tears and looked back at Langdon. He had his arms crossed as he returned her gaze.
"That wasn't so hard was it?" Langdon asked. "Now, both of you plant it in those chairs. Neither of you are going anywhere until you tell us what the hell happened this morning."
Liam refused to say anything, leaving Melanie to do the talking after cracking under Langdon's mind game. He knew they could have got away from this had Melanie just been able to suck it up and not crack under the mental pressure. As Melanie told Ghetsis and Langdon the mission piece by piece, it was easy to tell who was more furious. Ghetsis' face hadn't changed at all and remained blank. Langdon, however, looked livid. His eyes were even colder if that were possible. His intense glare looked as though it could set someone ablaze and his crossed arms were trembling with rage. Once Melanie finished the story, she could only stare at the floor after looking at Langdon's body language.
"Do you stupid fools realize what you've done?" Langdon sneered.
"No, but apparently you do," Liam replied, sarcasm heavy in his voice. "Do inform us what we did wrong, oh wise one!"
"The pair of you just painted a red X over us," Ghetsis interjected. "By doing so, the authorities will be looking for us earlier than we wanted them to. Now we have to put our plans on hold to mop up your mistake."
"Milord, with all due respect, this was one small snag. Even though Pierce was caught he won't be talking anytime soon."
"There's nothing small about this, Liam! Your stupid little thrill for amusement has jeopardized our location to a group that searches for organizations like us and they are probably seeking us now!" Langdon bellowed.
Langdon swore loudly and took a deep breath to attempt to calm down. Ghetsis opened his eyes after having them closed in meditation. He looked at Melanie and cleared his throat.
"Melanie, you are dismissed at this time," Ghetsis said, pointing to the door.
Melanie stood up, bowed and made for the exit. She stopped as she was beside Liam and turned to whisper the only thing she could to him.
"Payback sucks, doesn't it?" Melanie hissed.
Once the door closed, Ghetsis turned to Langdon and walked up to him to converse again.
"You have ten minutes to do what you want with him. Once you're done, I want you and Liam to inform everyone that we are abandoning this base and relocating to the outskirts of Castelia City." Ghetsis whispered.
"Yes, milord." Langdon replied.
Ghetsis motioned for Liam to stand up at attention before making his way to the door. Liam heard the door lock after it was closed and smirked at what Langdon was going to do. He watched as Langdon pulled off his duster and rolled up the sleeves on his uniform. Langdon cracked his knuckles as he walked over to Liam with a sinister grin on his face.
"I've been waiting a long time to set things straight with you, boy." Langdon chortled.
Liam rolled his eyes as Langdon made that comment. He smirked again and tucked his hands in his pockets.
"Is violence really your way of showing intelligence?" Liam asked.
"I don't need violence to show my intellect. I'm just trying to savor a memory that I will cherish since it was something that I have dreamed of doing for a long time." Langdon answered.
"Whatever gets you through the night, but hey, take your best shot."
There was a crunch as Langdon's fist slugged Liam across the face. The hit was so strong it sent Liam into the chair, causing it to collapse with a crash to the floor. Langdon gave a sadistic grin as he watched Liam push himself up to his knees. The next ten minutes went by and all that could be heard through the doors were the hits and an occasional grunt of pain from Liam. After the time expired, Langdon shook his hands and put his duster back on. He turned back to Liam who was on all fours as he dealt with the pain silently. Langdon had hit Liam mainly on his back and his torso but left him with a visible black eye, bloody lip and a bruised cheek. Before telling Liam about Ghetsis' order, he decided to give him some final words of wisdom. He pressed his boot down on Liam's bruised back and grinned as Liam hissed in pain.
"Now, Liam, I'm going to tell you something and if it can somehow get past your trolling personality, I'll be amazed," Langdon said, flexing his fists again.
"Oh, this should be good." Liam coughed.
"I am your boss, I have your name, I have your ass, I am smarter than you and I am stronger than you. I will always be one step ahead of you whether you like it or not. Now, should we ever and I mean ever have an incident like this again, it's going to get freaking ugly."
Langdon removed his foot from Liam's back and pulled him to his feet. He gripped Liam's collar roughly and gave him a shake. Liam stared with apathy at Langdon and gave a sigh.
"Now, clean yourself up and start informing everyone that we are moving out right now!" Langdon hissed.
"Whatever," Liam shrugged, wincing as Langdon pushed him away.
Liam left the room, leaving Langdon alone. Langdon went over to the desk and picked up the canisters and the Pokeball, pocketed them in his coat, and made his way downstairs. There was still one thing he needed to do.
Melanie came out of the bathroom and bumped into a solid mass. She looked up and found she had come face to face with Langdon. Her being tensed as she made eye contact with the taller man. This time, his eyes didn't show their cold and ruthless aura like earlier when she was with Liam. Instead, his eyes appeared calm and curious about something.
"Executive Langdon, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bump into you." Melanie stammered.
"It's alright," Langdon said, raising a hand to stop her talking. "I wanted to ask you a question about something, Melanie."
"Uh, okay, I guess."
"Why did you join Team Plasma?"
There was a long pause while Melanie absorbed the question and tried to think of how to respond to it. She decided to just tell him the truth and her memories surfaced.
"I joined Team Plasma because of what happened to my sister, Alexandra. She was supposed to start her journey when she was twelve but she never got the luxury of even starting," Melanie began. "Two trainers were battling and one of the attacks got loose and as a result, Alexandra was badly burnt and had to go through physical therapy. I began my crusade against trainers and Pokémon being confined in Pokeballs to try and create a world of harmony. When I saw that Team Plasma was going for the same goal as me, I came here."
"I see, that is indeed quite the story," Langdon replied. "Now, I wanted to ask you this. Why are you here? If what you told me in that report was true about you not wanting to risk your Pokémon getting injured and even being uncomfortable in their presence, why are you here? We need to use our Pokémon to complete our tasks, Melanie."
"I'm not completely afraid of them. I managed to battle that trainer."
"And you still lost. Melanie, either you're afraid of Pokémon or you're not. Since you are, this has led you to having mediocre battle skills at best and you have not taken that extra step to better yourself. You are now at a crossroads, Melanie."
"What are these paths?"
"The first path is you leave Team Plasma and release your Pokémon, because if you cannot operate as a crook and trainer to help complete the goals, you are of no use to us. The second option is you put aside your pathetic phobia and embrace your Pokémon as a trainer and crook and improve your battling skills so you aren't a liability to us. That way you can succeed in your dreams of making Pokémon trainers vanish completely."
"I, I'm not sure what to choose."
"That's exactly my point. You're not even sure what you want to do. The choice is yours, Melanie. Just remember that if you want to reach that goal, you need to overcome something you're afraid of."
With that, Langdon turned on his heel and disappeared into the bustling crowd of grunts as they ran up and down the hall. Melanie watched the grunts as they moved around the halls and rooms, scrambling to pick up everything that was essential to them. She plucked her Pokeballs from her waist and looked at them.
"Which path should I take?" Melanie pondered.
Alright guys, that's the chapter. Hope you all had a couple laughs with it and I hope you all liked the Team Plasma bit. I feel I may have crossed the line a little with Langdon, but I guess you'll be the judge of that. Now, like I said, the group will be on the road again next chapter so I hope you're looking forward to that. Check out the infor below here when you're done and I'll see you next time guys. Later. -CaptainPrice
Poll Result: This was a very close poll guys, but it ended like this
1.) Special Forces: 11 votes, Humans with Pokemon Powers/Abilities: 11 Votes
The vote was a draw, sooo this is what I'm going to do. I'll upload chapters for both new stories next week and I'll be taking OCs for both. PM me when the stories are up if you are interested in sending one and we'll talk then.
Thoughts on the Brewer game last night. Mike Fiers is the man, without a doubt. That guy can pitch and I really enjoy watching him do so. I'm also a little sad since last night we made the trade that everyone has been talking about. Zack Greinke was traded to the LA Anaheim Angels and in return we get three players. I'm holding out hope that Greinke comes back if the opportunity presents itself because he is in my opinion, one of the best pitchers out there.
Battle Record: W:L:D (Wins, Losses, Draws)
Tom: 3:1:1
Corey: 2:0:1
Kenta: 1:1:0
Elliott: 1:1:0
Eri: 1:0:0
Vanessa: 1:0:0
Story Shoutouts:
The Pokemon Takeover: The Unova Undertaking by OwenG2107:
This story revolves around an OC named Alexander and his friends that start their Pokemon journey. At the start of the journey, they are assigned a great task by Professor Juniper. I'm not going to spoil it for you, so that's why I'm giving this story a shoutout so ya'll can read it. Give it a read and some constructive comments.
From Darkness Comes Light by PhantomStorm:
The story starts off with a girl running away with a Luxray named Leo. Although the intro chapter was a little short, the information released in the chapter leaves the reader on the edge of their seat to see what comes next. Definitely worth the read and be sure to drop a review for this intriguing story.
Hard Time by The Helpless Romantic:
This is one of the many original stories that I have come across and it is very intriguing. The story follows a Cacturne named Atticus Patrick or "Pins" that has been placed inside a prison known as "The House on the Hill" and is currently trying to adapt to living there as he serves his sentence. However, there is more to the prison and its inhabitants. All I can say is that it will pull you in with its plot, characters and story line.
"Pokemon: The Final Battle" by Cyclone20: This story is focussed on a bunch of trainers that have been selected to participate in the Generation's Tournament. A place only for the best of the best trainers. Second chapter is currently up with more epicness to follow as the story rolls on. Drop in and give a review.
"Spiritual Bonds" by Whisper to the Moon: A story that is following a group of humans with souls of Pokemon. This story just started and has lots of potential. It's quickly becomming one of a few stories starting to emerge with humans having Pokemon powers/abilities and what not and I believe it's a good read. Drop in and give some constructive feedback.
"Time of Courage" by FiammaJoule: This story is becomming one of the new stories that contain people with Pokemon powers/souls. It's extremely interesting and the first chapter alone was enough to get my attention and I'm sure it will be of interest to a lot of you readers as well.
"Sydney's Pokemon Journey" by Hazelblossom: This story follows a girl named Sydney and her younger sister Lily as they travel on their journey. Drop in and give a read as well as some constructive comments.