Draco: I keep having some strange glitches trying to create files with the Copy-N-Paste option. Submit Document won't register the first time, but going back and then clicking it again goes through. Odd.
A Wii U game has a lot more storage space than a GameCube game. And although the Pokédex is comparably larger in Generation VI than it was in Generation III, I still feel like there would be enough room to have more Trainers reacting to successful Snags in the dialogue following the battle.
Pokémon and all related properties © Nintendo and the Pokémon Company.
Chapter 7: Administrator of Retrieval
None of the Trainers on the way up the building had any Shadow Pokémon - which Wes was relieved about for multiple reasons. Without needing to hold back, he was able to keep the ones he'd Snagged so far on point; the extended battling seemed to be doing their rehabilitation some good, with each Shadow Pokémon seeming more and more receptive to his commands in battle, and Espeon and Umbreon were still fresh and ready as he and Rui stepped out onto the roof.
The rooftop had a smaller room atop it. There was also a gap in the canyon wall against which the building stood, which seemed to lead into a cave network; Wes eyed it uncertainly before making his way around to the door to re-enter. To his concern, Miror B. wasn't there - but a pair of women in colorful outfits like Trudly and Folly were, and they were giving trouble to a figure that Wes recognized as the gear thief, Silva.
"Darling, aren't you one of Duking's people?" One of the women, dressed in a yellow T-shirt beneath a dark purple vest, seemed to be amused by his futile bravado. "What made you think you could simply waltz in here?"
Silva managed to grab the guardrail for a stairway, trying to get to his feet. "Where's... Miror?" he demanded. "I'm taking him down!"
"Take him down?" his confrontor taunted. "With a team that can't even beat us? That's too funny!"
"Just you wait," Silva retorted. "I'm gonna drive you all out of this town!"
The other woman, wearing a longer-sleeved shirt beneath a grey vest, stepped up to him. "Don't tell me we have to take your Pokémon to make you settle down," she reprimanded. "Duking was more than pliable with his Plusle hostage..."
"What...!?"
Taking the opportunity, Wes cleared his throat loudly, getting the women's attention. "Speaking of which..."
"Oh?" The woman in the shorter sleeves stepped forward. "Seems we keep getting unexpected company. But that's no reasosn to be a bad host." She reached for her belt. "Keep him busy, Ferma. I've got this one."
You are challenged by Miror Peon Reath!
Wes had to admire the speed of her draw; he'd barely reached for his own belt before she was throwing a pair of Poké Balls forward. A Remoraid and Spinarak emerged before her - and Rui grabbed his arm to stop him from going for the Pokémon he'd had on point earlier. "Wes, the Remoraid!"
"Got it." His hand shifted on his belt, and he threw Umbreon and Espeon's Balls forward; as the Eeveelutions appeared, he quickly instructed them. "Umbreon, Hold Back!"
"Hold Back?" Reath mocked as Espeon's jewel gleamed. "What a fool!"
The Remoraid seemed to take aim as Umbreon charged; then two bursts of darkness emerged from its mouth in quick succession, flying at Espeon and Umbreon individually. Umbreon took the blow and glanced past the Jet Pokémon, striking it with one hind paw and his tail before making to retreat; the other shot connected with Espeon, who managed to shake it off as Spinarak closed in on her and caught her tail between its pincers.
She tried to fight off the draining blow, flinging the String Spit Pokémon back with a spin. He'd yet to stop tumbling before her Future Sight connected, psychic power ripping up around him and leaving him limp when his momentum faded; Reath quickly withdrew her Pokémon as Espeon charged at Remoraid as well. The Shadow Pokémon found itself struck by another withheld blow, but promptly retaliated with another pair of shots that left the Eeveelutions reeling as Reath sent out Spinarak's replacement.
Umbreon charged forward at the rapidly-appearing Luvdisc, and Espeon made to retreat at Wes drew out a Poké Ball. His Snag Machine kicked in as he brandished it at his side, and he threw the converted Poké Ball at Remoraid before it could attack again. In the same instant as Umbreon's Feint Attack connected with the Luvdisc, Wes' Snag Ball opened on the Jet Pokémon, and the light extended around the Remoraid before it or Reath could react. Espeon was quick to launch a Psybeam at the Luvdisc, hoping to have the battle over by the time the Poké Ball locked.
Shake... Shake... Shake... Click!
Rui smiled as the closed ball bounced back to Wes, and he caught it with a swipe of his hand before it acknowledged his full belt and vanished. "How's your supply?"
"I think that's my last red one," Wes admitted, checking his Bag. "No, one more."
"You-!?" Reath's outburst drew their attention; her Luvdisc was down, and even as she was withdrawn, her Trainer was outraged. "That was...? How did that happen!?"
"You must be the Snagger!" Ferma cried. "The one Master Miror warned us about! Did Duking send you to take his Pokémon back!?"
Wes smirked. "And if he did?"
Ferma growled. "If you're here to mess with us," she warned, "you'd better be prepared to suffer the consequences!"
You are challenged by Miror Peon Ferma!
She grabbed a pair of Poké Balls and threw them in one motion; an Aipom and Furret appeared from the light, and Rui shook her head. "Not yet!"
"No holding back!" Wes instructed his Eeveelutions.
Umbreon and Furret charged each other; Aipom tried to do the same to Espeon, only to find himself running straight up a Psybeam. Umbreon's Faint Attack and Furret's Slam collided at the mid-point and left both Pokémon reeling; Aipom realized he wasn't closing the distance, and managed to fling a few Swift stars from his tail before the Sun Pokémon's attack threw him backwards.
That was enough to take him out; Furret had a bit more in her, and Reath quickly withdrew the Long Tail Pokémon and hurled another Ball forward, sending out a Yanma. The Clear Wing Pokémon had a bit more speed to him; he blitzed forward before Espeon could strike him, sinking his pincers into the Psychic-type and then quickly speeding away. Umbreon managed to avoid another Slam from Furret, finishing her off with a hard Assurance; Espeon quickly took aim, striking the speeding Bug-type with a Psybeam that hit the fragile speedster head-on.
Ferma cursed under her breath, withdrawing her Pokémon; she reached for her belt and double-took, and Wes realized she was on her last Pokémon. With a groan, she hurled the Ball forward, and Rui sucked in a breath through her teeth as a Mantine appeared; her reaction told Wes all he needed to know.
"Patch up, you two - then Hold Back!"
Espeon and Umbreon both took low stances, an ephemeral sun and moon appearing above them to ease their wounds. The Mantine screeched, and swept its wings forward; bursts of darkness surged forth from beneath each, like the Remoraid had fired, and soared towards the Eeveelutions as they started to charge. They took the blows without slowing down, leaping forward as Wes brandished a Great Ball; the Kite Pokémon found itself pinned against the ground as the Snag Machine hummed, and Wes' Pokémon waited until he hurled the Snag Ball before leaping aside to clear its path.
The light enveloped the Shadow Pokémon as the Ball opened, and then withdrew as it closed again.
Shake... Shake... Shake... Click!
"No!" Ferma screeched as the Ball bounced back to Wes. "Oh, Miror's gonna let us have it for this!"
"If we tell him!" Reath insisted. "Let's make ourselves scarce before he comes for an update!"
Wes gave an awkward chuckle as they dashed down the stairs. "If he makes his allies that scared," he observed, "guess I can't really fault Duking for being wary."
"Guess not," Rui agreed. Then approaching the semi-conscious Silva; "Hey, you alright?"
Silva groaned, trying to stand. "Kind of," he admitted. "Thanks for the save. You guys know Duking?"
"Yeah," Rui confirmed. "He sent us up here looking for his Plusle."
"Plusle..." Silva shook his head. "I'm an idiot. I got all mad at Duking for what he was doing, and didn't hear his side of the story. Taking his Pokémon hostage... How could they do something like that? Those- Agh!"
Rui helped him to his feet. "You should head back," she advised. "Talk to Duking, and get some rest while you're at it. We'll get Plusle back, and take care of Miror while we're at it."
"Oh, will you now, kiddies?"
The voice from nearby drew the group's attention with a start; a TV on the wall, which had been showing a field of static, had abruptly changed picture, and Miror B. was staring at the camera. "What-!? You!"
"Miror!" Silva snapped. "You cowardly cheat!"
"Cowardly cheat?" Miror retorted. "Oh, I don't think that's applicable. Duking lost the battle before he lost his Plusle. If he didn't want me to take a hostage, he should've been able to defend the little one!"
Rui stormed forward. "Plusle better be safe!" she warned. "If you've done anything to that poor Pokémon-!"
Miror gasped. "I'm wounded," he bemoaned, "truly I am. Duking's been doing everything we've told him in return for Plusle's safety. What sort of negotiator would I be if I defied the terms of an agreement? The darling couldn't be any safer in the care of an overprotective Kangaskhan mother. I'm sure she'll come to adore me before too much longer."
Wes stepped up to the TV. "Where's Plusle?" he demanded. "And where are you, for that matter?"
"No running or hiding for me," Miror assured them. "Come to the depths of the cave. The entrance is on the roof. I'll be waiting for you, my pretties!"
The feed ended, and Wes sighed. "I guess we've got our destination," he mused.
"I guess so," Rui admitted.
+x+x+x+
Their entrance to the cave was inhibited by a Hunter lurking just inside the shadows of the entrance - who had a Shadow Skorupi that Wes managed to Snag with his last regular Poké Ball. Fortunately, he was more interested in the fight than the obstruction; although he was a bit miffed about the Snag, he nonetheless stepped aside and let the pair of them step in.
The cool air of the cave hit them both full-on; Rui gave a chattering hiss as they stepped in, screeching, "C-c-c-cold!" She hugged herself in a futile attempt to preserve her body heat. "Where did this cold come from?"
"I'm not sure," Wes admitted. "Underground in a desert is usually a lot cooler than the surface, but this seems a bit much."
Things only got stranger when they made their way down a set of stairs; it seemed to get warmer as they descended. There were a few trainers in here that had Shadow Pokémon, as well; Wes managed to Snag a Croagunk with a Great Ball, and he and Rui made their way back up a different set of stairs to find the temperature dropping again.
"What's going on?" Rui demanded. "This doesn't make sense. Cold sinks. Why is it colder up here?"
"I don't know," Wes mused. "I hope it's not because there's a volcanic vein or someth- Huh."
Rui raised her gaze, and was surprised at what he was seeing. They'd found themselves in a dead-end arena of the cave... which was covered in what seemed to be snow. The snow was deeper closer to the center of the area, where there sat a large stone that looked to be of some kind of blue crystal - although its build was hard to make out beneath the thick layer of frost that covered it.
"What is that?" Rui asked.
"They call it an Ice Rock," Wes explained. "Most regions have one, or something like it. They're supposed to affect the environment around them."
Rui turned to him. "You mean..."
"Yeah," Wes confirmed. "This floor of the cave must be colder because this thing's camping out in the corner."
"Wonderful," Rui murmured. "Here's hoping Miror's on another floor." Then, as they started to backtrack; "How'd you get information about that, anyways?"
"Because," Wes retorted, drawing out his bike keys, "I had two of a Pokémon with no less than eight possible evolutions, and I figured I should learn what sets each of them off before trying to decide which ones I want."
He spun the keys around one finger, drawing Rui's attention. Dangling from the keychain were two strange shards, somewhat triangular but with rounded edges and corners. One of them was bright pink, with a red shape on its surface like a sun; the other was black, with a yellow shape like a crescent moon.
+x+x+x+
Two more Trainers had Shadow Pokémon as they picked their way through the cave, which included walkways over an aqueduct... that seemed to be in disrepair. One Ball each to Snag a Buneary and a Swablu left Wes with three Great Balls by the time they found a PC, which seemed to be set up for the convenience of Miror and his underlings; Wes could hear the same music that had been playing in Phenac coming from straight ahead.
"I thought he was gonna be expecting us," Rui mused as Wes set his Pokémon into the PC's slots. "You ready?"
Wes ran the healing procedure and took the Poké Balls back. "Yeah. Let's crash his show."
The two of them started into the back of the cave, where they found a heavy steel door with no lock; Wes wasn't sure if it was an ineffective attempt security or a considerate attempt at soundproofing, but distance seemed to be doing more for sound reduction than the door was. With a deep breath, he grabbed the handle and gave it a light push to make sure which way it opened before setting his shoulder against it and shoving with all his might.
Miror B was there - as were four Ludicolo that were dancing alongside him. The room was very... showy, to put it mildly; a great eight-pointed starburst pattern extended from the center of the room in brass and copper, light bouncing off it to illuminate everything from below as well as above. A raised platform rested in the center of the starburst, on which Miror stood; he seemed to be enjoying himself, dancing freely until his spins managed to put Wes and Rui in his line of sight.
"O-ho-ho!" he cheered. "It's about time, darlings! Stop the music!" The track slowly petered out in the background; Wes found himself scanning the room for a music player as Miror stepped to the fore of the stage. "You kept me waiting so long, I decided to work up a little perspiration!"
Rui stepped forward. "Where's Plusle?"
Miror waved a hand dismissively. "The little darling doesn't care to dance," he insisted, "so she sits pretty in the back room. Don't you worry about her." He set a hand on his belt. "In fact, you should be more worried about yourselves. You've been busy, being naughty. It was oh-so-close for everything to turn out just the way we'd hoped."
He aimed his free hand at the two of them. "A girl attuned to aura, and a Snagger willing to steal our Shadow Pokémon. You two are a dreadful combination, you know that? But there's still time to salvage our plans - if we take care of the two of you." He grinned. "One more frantic dance should afford us plenty of time to set the stage before the grand finale!"
The dancer lifted one foot and slammed it hard against the stage - and the stage began to sink into the floor. The four Ludicolo dancing around the stage withdrew into four Poké Balls that Wes hadn't noticed, set into indents on the starburst; as the stage settled to form a level surface, the pattern jolted, sending all four Poké Balls rolling towards their own. Miror managed to kick them all into the air in a single motion, and began to spin, seizing them individually and slapping them onto his belt; he came to a halt facing them fully, and held his left hand out low at his side.
"I am Miror B, Cipher's Administrator of Retrieval."
Rui was confused. "Retrieval?" she demanded. "Haven't you been handing out Shadow Pokémon through the Colosseum?"
"Oh, no," Miror insisted, "that's been the underlings - acting on behalf of one of my associates. My job is much simpler - once those dupes have provided us with data on the Shadow Pokémon, I am there to best them, and take them back! As I do from anyone who proves untrustworthy of a Shadow Pokémon - stranger or Cipher alike! That includes you Snagger!"
Four spotlights, unnoticed in the corners of the room, abruptly illuminated.
"Let the music play!"
You are challenged by Cipher Admin Miror B!
A different track began to play throughout the chamber - a lower, heavier track - as Miror started to advance on... no, wait, what? Wes was dumbfounded; Miror's feet looked like he was stepping forward when in fact distance was being put between them. Once he and Wes stood at opposite ends of the battlefield, he twisted into a spin, brandishing a Poké Ball in his right hand that Wes was sure wasn't there a moment before as he swept it out to the side.
In the same instant as the music began to intensify, he lashed the Ball down, and suddenly there were two of them as he hurled them forward, sending out two of the Ludicolo from earlier, each moving to its own tempo.
Wes grabbed two Poké Balls of his own, and hurled them forward in return, sending out Flaaffy and Noctowl. With a chortle, Miror snapped his fingers; one of the Ludicolo moved into a spinning flair, and storm clouds began to manifest along the roof of the cavern before rain began to shower down. The other was attacking as soon as the first drops began to fall, unleashing a Water Gun at Flaaffy that was amplified by the downpour. The Wool Pokémon retaliated with a Thunderbolt as Noctowl soared towards the Rain Dancer, lashing a harsh Aerial Ace across its side and soaring a wide circle around them.
Duking wasn't kidding about his battling being all business, Wes observed. Can't take chances. "Stun 'em!"
Noctowl cried out, approaching the same target again and perching atop its sombrero; as Ludicolo made to react, the Owl Pokémon loomed over him, eyes flashing with Hypnosis. The Rain Dancer slumped to the ground, and Noctowl released his head and soared off as Flaaffy managed to zap the other with a Thunder Wave; no sooner had the paralysis took hold than Noctowl lashed another Aerial Ace across her side.
Flaaffy hit her with another Thunderbolt almost before Noctowl was out of the way; the shock was enough to finish her off, and they turned their attention to the sleeping one. Miror moved quickly, throwing one Ball forward before withdrawing the Ludicolo into another; no sooner had the knocked-out Pokémon vanished than one of her fellow dancers appeared in her place. This one was better-equipped to deal with a flier, unleashing an Ice Beam that hit Noctowl full-on.
Wes quickly withdrew the Owl Pokémon, sending out Skiploom in its place as Flaaffy managed to stun the attacker with another Thunder Wave. At this point, the initial Rain Dancer was starting to wake up; the Cottonweed Pokémon promptly hit him with a Mega Drain, invoking the retaliation of a Razor Leaf bombardment before Flaaffy managed to finish him off with a Thunderbolt.
Again did Miror B withdraw the fainted dancer and send out a replacement in a single motion; the rain was starting to fade out in the cavern, and the newcomer quickly moved to invoke it again before charging towards Flaaffy. A rush of Fury Swipes struck the Wool Pokémon until Skiploom managed to scatter Sleep Powder in his direction; Wes withdrew Flaaffy and sent out Quagsire, who charged at the Ice Beamer that had been paralyzed earlier and Slammed into her at full-throttle.
The offended Ludicolo managed to move through the paralysis, swinging both hands into the Water Fish Pokémon with a loud shout; as Quagsire flinched, Skiploom managed to finish her off with a Mega Drain, prompting Miror B to withdraw her and hurl another Ball in one more motion.
A Sudowoodo appeared in her place - and Wes was about to instruct Quagsire before Rui yelled to him. "Wes, careful! That one's a Shadow Pokémon!"
"Snap," Wes growled. "Get the last dancer!"
Quagsire promptly turned on the remaining Ludicolo, charging forward for another Slam as the Sleep Powder wore off. Choosing long-term effectiveness over potency of immobilization, Wes withdrew Skiploom and sent Flaaffy back out; the Wool Pokémon hit Ludicolo with another Thunderbolt, finishing him off as Wes yelled, "Stun 'em!" Another Thunder Wave surged around the Shadow Pokémon as it swept its false branches; a Rock Slide bombarded Flaaffy and Quagsire, taking one out and leaving the other reeling.
Wes withdrew them both, slapping their Balls to his belt and sending out his oldest companions. Espeon and Umbreon opened their eyes, regarding the Imitation Pokémon warily; Sudowoodo only glared down at them, crying out angrily through the paralysis.
"Hold Back, you two! We're taking no chances!"
With a nod, both Umbreon and Espeon charged forward; the paralysis stopped the Shadow Pokémon from being able to intercept them before they struck him from opposite sides. The already-withheld blows weren't helped by the type disadvantage; as the two Eeveelutions withdrew, the Sudowoodo managed to propel itself into a flip, striking its arms to the ground.
Shadows scattered around its branches - and spikes of darkness ripped up around Espeon and Umbreon, leaving them tumbling in pain. Growling, the two of them made to patch up, an ephemeral sun and moon appearing above them; then they charged again, and the Sudowoodo swung its arms skyward to invoke another Rock Slide. This one had less effect than the last; the two Eeveelutions managed to avoid the falling stones until they were close enough to strike the Sudowoodo again.
"How long do you think you can keep this up?!" Miror demanded.
"Long enough to weigh the dice!" Wes retorted.
Another Rock Slide came down as the Eeveelutions went for a third pass; their evasion wasn't quite so successful this time, both of them taking a couple stones as they tried to close the distance. Umbreon made it first this time, leaping at the Sudowoodo's head; his paws struck, and he leapt away before Espeon circled around and struck him from behind. The Shadow Pokémon was left stumbling as she vaulted it, yet the same instant she landed, the Sudowoodo slammed its hands to the ground for another bombardment of dark spikes.
Espeon was knocked out by this one; Umbreon had enough in him for one more blow, but no sooner had his attack connected than the Shadow Pokémon struck him with a Low Kick, leaving him fainting as well. The rain was subsiding in the cavern; Wes withdrew both his Pokémon, and slapped their Balls to his belt without sending out other combatants, instead drawing out an empty Great Ball.
With no Pokémon to keep his attention, the Sudowoodo charged at Wes as he held it at his side to activate the Snag Machine.
The Imitation Pokémon leapt into the air, darkness gathering around its hands as the Snagger threw.
And an instant before its hands struck the ground, the Snag Ball opened, enveloping the Shadow Pokémon with streams of light and drawing it into the Ball.
Shake...
Shake...
Shake...
Click!
Rui made a squeal that sounded like she'd been holding a breath; the Ball bounced back towards Wes, who caught it with a sigh of his own. He knew Shadow Pokémon were willing to attack Trainers; he'd taken a huge risk in leaving the battlefield between him and the Sudowoodo empty as he tried to Snag it. Miror B was outraged, reeling back in terror as the Ball vanished from Wes' grip in response to his full team.
"How- How- How- How- How- How- How dare you!?" the Cipher Admin screeched.
Wes stepped forward, coming to a stop in the center of the starburst on the battlefield floor. "You've lost," he proclaimed. "Get out of here before I take your Ludicolo the old-fashioned way."
For a moment, Miror looked very much like he was about to risk it; then he dashed aside, giving Wes and Rui a wide berth as he fled the cave.
"Did you mean that?" Rui asked.
"Of course I didn't mean that," Wes insisted, "what am I gonna do with four Ludicolo?"
Rui glared at him. "You know what I mean."
Wes sighed. "I just didn't want him to try anything," he proclaimed. "Now, come on, let's find Plusle and get out of here."
Draco: Now that felt like I was writing a battle scene.
Set up locations to find the Moss Rock, Ice Rock, and the weird magnetic field where Probopass and Magnezone evolve. The Ice Rock in Unova was in the bottom of Twist Mountain, which was only cold in the Winter, so I hope it doesn't seem too unusual having it be underground in a desert because underground in a desert tends to be cooler anyways.
I'd have Rui react when you step in to clue you into where the Rock is; the rest is just character ramble. The way the mechanics work is, you have to be in the location where the Rock is to set off the appropriate evolution; that room, that route, whatever. The colloquial term for this is being on that 'screen', so to speak. I would hope that console limitations of the Wii U wouldn't be so much that you couldn't have both of i.e. the 1F segments of Pyrite Cave be on the same 'screen', thus allowing you to evolve a Glaceon at the Cave entrance instead of having to maneuver to the dead-end.
Oh, and the shards on Wes' keys are just there for the #MythologyGag. I'd have them visible in the bike's ignition during the title screen pan-around. Given that the Pokémon Company was foreshadowing Sun and Moon as soon as X and Y came out, that might have even happened by their hands just for a couple extra hints.