Well, I don't have much for you right now, but I'm still doing the spotlight and ratings. Story Spotlight; The Assassin and The Princess, by PokeMaster64. Ratings; 1st) United States, 2nd) Canada, 3rd) United Kingdom, 4th) Australia, 5th) Spain.
Twas another day in the twenty-second den, and A woke up rather disgruntled. He was at this point in full control of his body, so he decided today was as good a day as any to get his official pokemon training out of the way, except this time he would be the one being trained.
He went to the kitchen, finding that Green had decided to sleep in today. He didn't mind, though. He grabbed some cereal and quickly ate a couple of bowls, then washed his meager mess up. He went outside and tried focusing his mind on finding Loran. It was a difficult challenge, but it was also one he enjoyed the thrill of completing when he managed to contact the Gallade.
Loran teleported with Rose at his side and asked
"What do you need, Alpha?" A nodded his head and replied
"I need you to train me. I want to be able to use my moves the way I should be able to, like a normal Gallade, even if I don't exactly look like one right now." Loran nodded and waved him over to the training grounds. Once they arrived, he crossed his arms and said
"Okay, give me an idea of what I'm working with." A nodded and replied
"I can use my arm blades in much the same manner I did with my original sword. In other words, in this form I can manipulate the elements around us." Loran nodded and asked
"Okay, anything more pokemon related?"
"I have a rudimentary understanding of teleportation, I can use telepathy to an extent, but I need more training with telekinesis. Further, I want to be able to use actual moves, the way you do." Loran nodded again and said
"Alright, but before I can train you in any of that, you must first understand the basics of being a Gallade." A crossed his arms and asked
"What all does that entail?"
"The code of honor that Gallades live by, or die trying. If you break this code without due reason, you shall be alienated by every other Gallade." A's eyes widened, and he asked
"Would that include you?" Loran hesitated now, trying to figure out how best to answer that.
"It's not that easy for me. I will be highly disgusted by your lack of honor, and my first instinct would be to attack you on sight. But I can't forget that you purified me, saving me from that horrible existence. You introduced me to Rose, who I have loved for the longest time now, and who has consented to bear my children." A nodded his understanding and said simply
"Then I'll just do everything in my power to follow this code, but if it requires me to sacrifice my ideals and the lives of pokemon, I will have to break it." Loran understood and said
"Don't worry; chances are the Gallade's Code of Honor will work in your favor." A cocked his head and asked
"How do you figure that?" Loran drew a large breath and explained
"Okay, from what I know, a Ninetails' curse that transforms humans into pokemon generally follows the individual's principles, ideals, values, etc. By that logic, since you were transformed into a Gallade, you have the same basic principles that are found in the Gallade Code of Honor." A nodded and said
"Alright, where do we start?"
"One of the first things to know is always respecting your opponent. You don't have to like him; just respect him. The Gallade with the largest crest is not the leader, as is sometimes assumed. The leader of any Gallade pack is the one who has gained the full respect and trust from his pack members." A nodded, getting absorbed into this.
"When two Gallade meet for a battle, they always bow to each other first. This shows respect to the opponent. Never go for a killing blow in a battle where it is unnecessary. That might seem like a stupid thing to say, but you'd be surprised how often pokemon do it just to assume superiority. If you choose a mate, you must always remain true to her, or him, if that's how you roll. If you commit adultery on your mate, you will be banished. If you have children at the time, you will be killed." A held up his hands and said
"Wait a minute, time out. Isn't it counter-productive to kill the father?" Loran shook his head and replied
"No. Once a habit has been formed in that manner, it will not be broken, and children are very impressionable. Seeing adulterous, perhaps even lecherous, behavior like that will corrupt them, and our species places a child's well-being above all else."
A nodded and motioned for him to continue.
"If someone is in danger, we are obligated to help. In essence, we are the knights in the pokemon realm, among a few others. Show respect but have dignity. That about covers the Gallade Code of Honor. Follow this, and you won't go wrong, unless circumstance forces you to adapt differently."
"Has that happened before?" Loran nodded and told him
"Yes, and in each instance where the Gallade has presented a valid argument for breaking the code, and it is backed up and confirmed, the Gallade will be pardoned." A nodded and said
"Alright, I won't fail." Loran smiled and said
"Good. Now we may move on to training. I imagine that due to your individual prowess, you will be stronger than most regular Gallade once you have been fully trained." A nodded and asked
"Where are we starting?" Loran placed a hand to his chin, then said
"I suppose we'll begin with telekinesis. It's a necessary skill in learning certain psychic moves, and without having learned that it is rather dangerous to attempt telepathy." A nodded again and said
"Very well, let's begin."
"Focus on your mind; feel the flow of the energy of psychic's course through you. Do not let it take over. You are the master of the power; it does not control you." A closed his eyes and did as Loran advised. When he felt the time was right, he opened his eyes and lifted his hand, aiming at a rock nearby. His vision became tinted with blue, his hand was covered in the same color, and the rock slowly lifted into the air. A tried to direct the rock's movement with his mind, but it was very slow going until it suddenly drove itself into the ground, creating a five foot deep hole. Loran eyed the area and asked
"Did you mean to do that?" A shook his head disappointedly, and Loran sighed and told him
"You shouldn't attempt complicated maneuvers. Not yet at least. That will come in time, but for now just concentrate on keeping objects in your psychic grasp."
Two hours later, much to Loran's surprise and Rose's delight, A had the hang of telekinesis. Sometimes it still backfired, but those events were largely sparse now.
"Very well," said Loran "now we'll begin with telepathy. It is in part a form of telekinesis, which is why it is important to master that first. Since you have a good grasp on telekinesis, you shouldn't have much trouble with telepathy. Be warned however; it gets harder the further you get from your intended recipient, and if you exert too much power, it can cause your recipient's mind to overload, in which case he or she could slip into a coma." A nodded and closed his eyes again, then smirked and spoke in Loran's mind
"I understand. How's this?" Loran smirked and replied in kind,
"Very good. Psychic types require less power to communicate with, Dark types require existential power, and most everyone else, including humans, reside somewhere in the middle of that." A smirked and spoke out loud again.
"Good to know. Now we can move on to the final piece of business; battle moves." Loran nodded and motioned for Rose to join them. Once she had, Loran turned back to A and said
"Alright, we should start you off with something easy. Let's see you use Teleport." A nodded and did so, appearing on the steps of his mansion. He repeated the move and appeared in front of them again. Loran nodded and said
"Good. Next, use Double Team. Imagine yourself multiplied by a certain number of times. For beginners, the recommended number is two to three." A closed his eyes, then imagined two more of him right next to him. He felt two distinct breaths of wind depart from his body, and when he opened his eyes, he saw two other silver Gallades standing by his side. He smirked and shuffled the three of them around, then said
"Try and find the real me." Rose and Loran smirked at each other, then Rose fired a Shadow Ball at one copy, and Loran fired a Psycho Cut at the other. A flinched, then asked
"How?" Loran and Rose laughed, and then Loran told him
"You're the only one that has a real mind. Duh." A facepalmed and muttered
"Damn, psychic abilities." Both of them laughed, and then Loran told him
"It's a good way to root out enemies, though." A smirked, then said
"Okay..." He used Double Team again, this time making ten copies of himself, then dashing off, unseen. He hid within the forest and said
"Find me now." Loran smirked again, then turned to the forest and used Psychic to drag A out of his hiding place, kicking and screaming
"Damn it!" Loran and Rose laughed, and Rose advised
"Don't use Double Team against other psychics, unless they're young. Otherwise, you'll be found out in a flash." A grinned and nodded, then asked
"What's next?"
"Alright, let's see you pull of Confusion." A frowned and said
"I'd rather do Psychic." Loran shook his head and told him
"Baby steps, Alpha. You need to build up from the ground, not in mid-air." A growled, then focused his mind. Soon enough, he released the attack on a tree, causing it to bend strangely. He looked at Loran curiously, and he teased
"Confusing, ain't it?" They all laughed then, and Green's voice rang out from the porch.
"Hey, what are you doing out here?" Seeing she didn't have her translator on at the moment, A replied telepathically
"Well, I'm having Loran train me as a pokemon. That way I can fully take advantage of what I've got here." Green's eyes widened in shock, and she asked
"Was that you, A?" He smirked and nodded, responding
"Yep. I've already passed the 'initiation' into Galladehood, and completed two of three steps to being a fully realized Gallade. All I need now is my complete move set and we're ready to go." Green nodded appreciatively, then waved them off, saying
"Well, don't let me stop you." She went back inside, and A couldn't take his eyes off the place where she had been just standing. Rose giggled and asked
"You really love her, don't you?" A nodded and replied grimly
"I do, but I feel like I don't deserve her." Rose was shocked and asked
"Why would you say that?" A looked at her in frustration and despair, saying
"Because humans and pokemon aren't meant to be together romantically! It just doesn't work out!" He sighed heavily, then brushed his hand over his crest, saying
"The only thing I have going for me is that I'm not a full-blown pokemon, and she feels similarly to me." Rose gasped and said excitedly
"Alpha, that's wonderful! You should be rejoicing! The girl you've had your eye on for the better part of ninety years feels something for you, and that means you can try to court her." A's face became despairing again and he asked
"But what if she doesn't like the fact that I transform between pokemon and human? Her emotions weren't very clear on that point, or at least hesitant. Besides, my job exposes me to danger, and if I court and win her over, she will be exposed to the same danger. Plus, I wouldn't be able to give her as much attention as I should because I would have to be moving around a lot." Rose hesitated, then approached him and laid a hand on his shoulder, telling him
"You shouldn't let that stop you. Explain that to her, and she will be aware of it. If she can't look past those slight faults and see you for whom you really are, then she doesn't deserve you." A looked up at her with sadness in his eyes and said softly
"But I love her. I can't just let her go like that. At the very least, I want us to keep our current friendship, but if I confess to her how I feel, she won't be able to look at me the same way. I don't know what to do." Rose turned his face toward hers, and she spoke gently but firmly.
"Your instincts will guide you, but don't quail from them. Just take that leap of faith when you need to." A nodded, and Rose relinquished her hold on him. Then Loran stepped forward and said
"Let's continue."
Several hours later, A had mastered a complete move set consisting of Teleport, Double Team, Confusion, Psywave, Psychic, Psycho Cut, Close Combat, Shadow Ball, Focus Blast, Signal Beam, and several others. A was feeling fairly proud of himself right now, and he went in for lunch. He found Green already making something for herself, and he was about to go to the fridge, but then he paused. Smirking, he used Psychic to open the fridge, bring an assortment of berries to him, and then close the fridge.
Smiling to himself, he sat down at the table with his small stash and began to eat. Green smirked and asked
"So, you got a hold on those powers yet?" A nodded absently and replied
"Yep." For a few moments, all was silent, then Green sighed heavily. A turned his head to her and asked
"What's wrong?" She looked at him, tears in her eyes, and told him
"I'm worried about Alara. She's very depressed right now, though I can't blame her. I mean, none of us saw that coming." A felt a stab of guilt and said
"Well, that's not strictly true." Green regarded him with confusion and asked
"What do you mean? Did you know this was going to happen? And if so, why didn't you say anything?" A looked away and said sadly
"I knew what was going to happen, but I couldn't say anything directly. I tried to prevent it from happening, but I guess fate plays the game on a whole other level. It was about a week ago..."
The Hall of Origin
A appeared in the meeting hall next to Ryu in his Gallade form. He waved to him and asked
"Hey Ryu, how's it goin'?" Ryu looked at him and chuckled
"Well if it isn't the boy turned pokemon. Thank you for leaving me alone here as the only human." A shrugged and replied
"I can't help it if a Ninetails is irrational because I try to keep those under my protection safe. At any rate, I'm not a full-blooded pokemon." Transforms back into a human.
"See?" Ryu took a short pause and then said
"Three...two...one." A transformed back into a Gallade. Ryu chuckled and told him
"Don't worry boy, just practice. However, for the sake of this meeting, allow me to help you." Ryu then drew his blade and poked A, between the eyes, with the tip of the blade. A transformed back into a human and Ryu said
"That should hold the form for about another twelve hours. During that time try to imprint the human information so you can use the form more freely. However, I can't do that often. So take every opportunity you get."
A nodded his thanks, then shifted his attentions as Arceus entered the room. Everyone bowed, and Arceus said
"Let us begin with role. Sound off!" Everyone called out their codenames, and once that was finished, Arceus nodded and said
"Very well, let's begin with the balances. R and U?" Ryu nodded and said
"Me and U have been discussing something that seems to be approaching." U continued for Ryu
"Yes, something evil has begun to make its move. Sadly, it looks like the paladin you appointed has to deal with it. I count three dark personalities working together to destroy Aeruthael." Ryu then said to Arceus
"All three of these beings are much more powerful than Aeruthael. If he doesn't do something, he will be defeated and killed. At best he can probably survive, but lose." A's expression became one of concern, and he asked
"What about the team? Won't we be able to do something? At the very least, I should be able tip the balance to his favor, not least because I have a Titan." U shook his head
"No. Aeruthael will be attacked when he decides to take a walk alone in the Hoenn region. He will leave his Titan with his mate and walk alone to clear his mind. Unfortunately, there's no avoiding the attack. They will find him. They will either kill him or take him out of commission for a while. Point being, he's not walking out of there." A frowned and argued
"What if I convince him not to go in the first place? Or even insist on some sort of guard? Short of that, I will follow behind. I will not abandon a pokemon that I know is under imminent threat of injury or death." X replied
"You cannot change fate. Even if you go to stop it, it will not change the outcome. One of the assailants will stop you and another will deliver the blow that takes Aeruthael out. A straight stab through the chest and being nearly sliced in half." M bit her bottom lip and then said to A
"We don't like the news either A, but fate is fate. If it has to happen, then it has to happen. I wish it wouldn't though." A slammed his fist on the table and shouted
"Bullshit! Not everything is set in stone, least of all the future. Short of dying, there are a variety of things I could do to ensure his safety! I could bind him up for the sake of preserving the life of the Warlord. And I don't care what any of you say; we all have the opportunity to change our fates, and there's no reason why Rick would be the only exception." L sighed and said
"It's not definite that he will die A. You must learn that everything is permitted, nothing is final. He can live, and with me having jurisdiction in death, I can tell you that even I can't tell." D nodded
"She's right. I understand your concern, but you have to learn that you can't change everything. However, I must ask: Is it your will that drives you, or your pride?" A hesitated, then mumbled
"I hope it's not my pride..." Then he looked up at the rest of the Knights and said
"Call me crazy, but I believe in a job well done. I realize I can't protect every single pokemon out there, though I would love to. But if there is a pokemon in peril within my range, I will go to extraordinary lengths to see to it that they can still enjoy what life has to offer them. Further, Rick is an instrumental player in this game of chance we are currently gambling with. Think of him much like a king in chess; we lose him, we lose the game. Therefore, it is paramount we ensure his safety." Ryu chuckled and said
"Good analogy boy." His drive in his voice then dropped.
"I never liked seeing Rick hurt. Quite the sight that can bring a tear to your eye. We've all seen him grow up and many of us have seen him when he was born. So you can imagine why we're not too comfortable with the situation. You think we don't want to go down there and stop it from happening? However, Aeru has to taste devastating defeat or even death. If it's his time, then it's his time. It just pains me to think what would become of his mate." A growled and turned his head away for a moment. Afterward, his expression still irritated, he said uneasily
"Fine, I won't try to interfere if everyone is really convinced this is best. But how am I going to explain this to his mate and friends? If they learn that I knew this was going to happen, and yet did nothing despite my position, they'll be sure to ostracize me!" Z snickered and said
"Who said that you couldn't help him? Go ahead and try, but it'll be too risky to use your Titan. Don't do it. If anything happens to him, just tell his mate what happened exactly, but don't tell her that you knew. The team will learn in the process. I know what you're thinking, why have him die nearly a month before his wedding. Quite frankly, we have no control over that. If he does die, or winds up injured, just sit his mate down and tell it to her in a comforting way. No doubt she will be devastated." A sighed and ran a hand through his spiky red hair, then said
"Well, I hope things don't get too far out of hand. And I suppose Ixion would be best left in the Sanctuary as a means of protection. I'll try to convince him not to go; short of that, I will track him and attempt to mitigate the chances of his death. The last thing I need right now is to explain to his fiancée that he died while on a casual stroll, and that I could do nothing to stop it." Arceus then told him
"I understand how you feel. However, this needs to happen. And you are forbidden from revealing this information until after the fact. I cannot have anyone messing around with the balance of nature. Do you understand?" A nodded sadly, and they were dismissed.
Back in the twenty-second den
Green sat back in shock, looking at A, who couldn't meet her eyes right now.
"Believe me, I wanted to do something more direct, like reveal the entire situation, but I was forbidden to. And I didn't want to reveal this information afterward, because I knew that the whole team would be angry with me for not doing something more." Green shook herself and began to console him.
"But you were under direct orders from Arceus not to reveal the extent of your knowledge. Even if you wanted to go against them, doing so could have resulted in your punishment, and only Arceus knows what that would look like." A looked up at her finally, a small amount of fear still hidden within his eyes.
"So… you're not angry that I deliberately kept this secret from you?" Green hesitated, then said
"Well, I won't deny it makes me a bit suspicious what else you could be hiding, but I'm not really one to pry." A breathed a sigh of relief, then said
"Thank you." Green nodded and they finished their lunch. One all the dishes were washed and put away, A looked out the window for a short while, whereupon Green asked him
"What are you thinking about?" A frowned and replied
"Now that Team Rocket believes Rick to be dead, I think they're going to be making a mass movement soon." Green walked up to him with a nervous expression and asked
"How do you know?" A shook his head and told her
"I don't; it's just a hunch. But very few of my hunches about the enemy have failed, and if they decide to move out, even I would have a hard time keeping them back." More nervous than ever, Green asked
"So, what are you going to do?" A rubbed his chin and murmured
"We need an edge… a way to keep tabs on them… I may have a solution, but it will require the permission of the Chief and the current replacement of the Warlord." Green regarded him with confusion and asked
"Why would you need that?" A looked at her and responded
"My plan is to set up scouting trips to keep tabs on the region, each individual city, and have reports every five days or so. This way will keep us updated on any activities Team Rocket commits. But in order for this to be most effective, whoever I send to retrieve the reports will have to be able to go to and from the Sanctuary." Green thought the proposal over for a bit, then said
"It sounds good in practice, but what about actual application?" A grinned and responded
"Leave that for me to worry about. I've actually had this plan in consideration for a while, but abstained from using it because I believed the Warlord, Rick, was on top of it. With him out of commission, however, I feel I need to do something to help make up for his temporary loss." Green nodded and said
"Then you better go and introduce your idea soon, possibly now." A nodded, then closed his eyes and teleported to the top level of the Sanctuary. He looked around, seeing some of the shocked faces of the community, which amused him. Then he saw the distinct impression of the Chief's court and teleported in that direction. Once he arrived to the top of the stairs, he turned to the guards and said diplomatically
"I need to see the Chief and in-acting-Warlord." The guards looked at each other, then asked him
"And you are…?" A facepalmed and transformed back into a human, then allowed himself to be transformed back. The guard's faces became expressions of understanding, if somewhat bewildered, and allowed him entrance. A walked up to the thrones where the Chief was currently sitting, but he couldn't find the replacement Warlord. He looked up at the regal Gallade and asked
"Sir, who's assuming the Warlord's position right now, and where is he or she?" He sighed and replied
"My daughter Alara is assuming the role of Warlord now, but she spends her time with Rick in the hospital, waiting for him to return to her." A nodded grimly, and Saifer told him
"What is your purpose here? Why are you looking for her?" A looked up at him and responded
"I was looking for you both, actually. I have a plan I want to enact, with your permission, of course. I assumed that I needed both the permission of the King and Warlord in order to make it happen." Saifer shook his head and replied
"Not quite. Either one of us could grant you permission, depending how we each see it. Sometimes both are advisable, but it's not necessary. What exactly did you have in mind?" A took a deep breath and began to explain his plan.
"My plan was to create scouting trips to watch over the region and report back to me every five days or so and keep me updated on reports about any movements from Team Rocket." Saifer scratched his chin and said
"You assume much power by doing so. Tell me, where do you plan to get your recruits?"
"From my own line-up of pokemon. They all have seen tough spots in one form or another, and something like this wouldn't affect them. Moreover, they are loyal to me and will not reveal our location if discovered." Saifer leaned forward and asked skeptically
"How can you be sure of that? Many individuals would give under the right circumstances." A eyed him darkly and replied
"Believe me, Sire, after much of what we have seen and done together, we have a mutual trust that goes so far as to die for each other. My pokemon will not betray me, you or the rest of your people. Your society will remain a secret, but the activities of Team Rocket will be ours to know." Saifer nodded and said
"It's an interesting plan, I admit. Rick had something similar, but his spies only reported to him. With him out of commission, it's difficult to know what they're up to." Saifer eyed A and asked
"What if something similar happens to you? What then?"
"I'll create a failsafe in which my pokemon will answer to you and show you the same loyalty they show me. However, that will only happen if I go down, at which point you might find that my pokemon are too distraught to continue." Saifer frowned and remarked
"That's still a somewhat flawed system." A nodded understandingly and argued
"But we need an edge, a way to keep tabs for any threats that might come up. My plan isn't perfect, I admit, but it's better than remaining in the dark. Even if you shoot me down and decide to use it for yourself, you still have to spend time gathering your forces, while I already have mine at hand." Saifer nodded grimly and sat back, rubbing his temples and sighing, telling A
"You make a compelling argument. Very well, you have my permission, as long as you make sure our society isn't unveiled. I won't stick to the plan if it means the sanctity of my people. I'll inform Alara what you've decided to do, unless you get to her first, and we'll go from there." A nodded and bowed, saying
"Thank you, Your Majesty. I'll see to the arrangement at once." He teleported back to the twenty-second den, where Green was waiting for him. She ran up and asked
"How did it go?" A transformed back into a human and told her
"It went well. I've got the permission I requested, now all I have to do is set it up." With that, he whistled shrilly to call his pokemon forward. Once everyone was gathered, save those who were still in the hospital, A called out to them.
"All right guys, the time for dilly-dallying is over! I've got an assignment which will require a good portion of you. Flyers and small pokemon, front and center!" Once the pokemon he called for were where he asked, he began to pace. Then he turned to them and said
"Flyers and small statured, find a partner and buddy up. The rest of you, on standby." After each of the flyers had a partner, A addressed them again.
"Okay, the plan is simple to remember; each of you will have a specific area to watch over. You are to keep track of any Team Rocket movements, and when the report collector comes around about every five days, you will give a detailed report about whatever you have noticed from Team Rocket. I hope it will pretty much be nothing, but I expect there to be long reports. Does everybody understand?"
They all nodded, and Rose asked
"Sorry to interrupt, but who will be the report collector?" A nodded and told them
"It will be a combination of my best teleporter and fastest flyer. So, to better answer your question, you and Scott will be teaming up every five days, going around the region and collecting reports from each team." She and Scott nodded at each other, and A said
"Another important detail is that in the event I cannot be reached for a report, for whatever reason, go immediately to the Chief, Saifer, and give it to him. This is a failsafe to ensure that this system runs smoothly. One more thing-" he looked at all of them before saying
"In the event you are found, you must not reveal the location of this Sanctuary. We are maintaining a high stealth mission here. Does everybody understand? You go to the grave with this secret if it comes to that." They all nodded grimly, and A said
"Alright, flyers and partners, line up for your assigned area. I'll be giving them out and marking your location on a map, which will be given to Rose. She will send out a psychic signal that everyone recognizes while Scott remains in the air. If you do not respond within ten minutes, we will assume the worst and move accordingly." The partners of the flyers hopped onto the backs of their respective partners and lined up in front of A, who took out a map of Sinnoh and a marker.
After the names and places had been received, A placed them back into their balls, intending to go out of the Sanctuary and release them to begin their work. Over a third of his team was going back into the line of work now, and he hoped nothing would happen to them. He transformed and clipped the pack around his waist, then teleported to the top level again. He looked around, then disappeared.
When he reappeared, he was in between the Sanctuary and Pastoria City. He then took out the pokeballs and released the partners, one by one, telling each of them
"Good luck." They had all nodded back, then took off. Once everyone who had been assigned to the mission had flown off, A returned to the twenty-second den and sighed, saying
"Phase one is out of the way. Now we move onto Phase two." He returned to the mansion, hoping to get a decent amount of rest tonight.
Oh boy, this story's really coming along, isn't it? Anyway, just a reminder, the poll is still open, so cast your votes before April tenth.