AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. After the chaos of last chapter, things calm down a bit for this one as the merged group goes over some things. This one was a fun one to make with the inclusion of a new Pokemon, a new gym leader, and a new reveal to the mystery of the additional Schnee to this world. Hope you enjoy this chapter, leave a review with your comments and questions, and have a nice day.
See the most recent Save State Chapter for Cover Art details.
Chapter 43 – New Plan of Attack
Back in Undella Town, the six girls sat at a nearby table while eating ice cream: Yang with lemon, Blake with blueberry, Weiss with chocolate, Hilda with sherbet, Leaf with mint, and Neo with vanilla.
Nearby, some of their Pokemon played. Zorua and Vulpix chased each other on the ground, while Vibrava and Ninjask flew in the sky. In the water, Sliggoo slithered on Milotic's tail. In the distance, Zangoose and Hitmonlee spared against one another. Absol rested with Hattrem using her body as a pillow. Snorlax laid on his back asleep while Cubone, Emolga, and Espurr bounced on his stomach like a trampoline. Larvesta moved by Shedinja, slightly bumping into the shed Pokemon, causing it to fall over with a look of panic on the flame bug Pokemon. Tyrantrum walked the beach like a king with Pupitar promoted on his head like as a crown, "You caught a dinosaur Pokemon!?" Yang asked Weiss, "Call me jealous."
"Why thank you," Weiss said with a smile, causing Leaf to roll her eyes.
"By the way, congrats on your win in that Pokemon Contest thingy." Yang added, "So, that's what you decided to do this world?"
"That was only a one-time deal," Weiss said before reaching into her pocket, pulling out a blue ribbon, "Still, it did give me a nice souvenir."
"Weiss and I are actually in the Pokemon World League." Blake added, "Have you heard of that?"
"Yeah, we're in it too!" Yang said as she pointed to Neo, "She just got her third badge here, and I was on the way to my third as well."
"I just got my third badge too," Blake responded.
"Cool, so you can challenge the gym after I do. It's a dragon-type one in Opelucid City." Yang said before looking at her ice cream, "There is one that is a bit closer, but its task beforehand is a bit too hard." She said before taking a lick, while Neo looked on with a smirk.
"Well, she can't take it on just yet," Hilda commented, "Per the rules of the league, the final gym battle has to be a full six-on-six match. That's so you have enough Pokemon to qualify for the league tournament afterward."
"I see," Blake responded, "Still, I think I would want to go to Kalos before getting my next gym badge. Fantina gave some advice that might help us get stronger for that challenge."
"Nice," Yang said before turning to Weiss again, "How many badges do you have?"
"Two, I was going to get my third back in Sinnoh," Weiss responded, turning to Hilda, "But plans changed." she said before having a look of worry, "Also, I need to check a gym in this region to confirm something."
"Which Gym?" Leaf asked.
"The one in Icirrus City," Hilda answered, "That's just past Opelucid."
"Perfect, then the four of us can head there after your gym battle," Weiss said to Yang.
"Uh, I think you miscounted."
"No, I didn't." Weiss answered, a slightly cold gaze, "You, me, Blake, and Hilda."
"…" Neo had a scowl on her face.
"What? You already have a badge from here. So, you can go somewhere else for the final one." Weiss responded to the glare, then looked to Leaf, "Go with your friend, so you still have a guild to this world." She said before sighing, "Who knows, you might even run into Roman on your way."
"…!" Neo gritted her teeth, her grip tightening on her ice cream cone.
"Uh, not gonna happen." Leaf commented, "I need to take a break for a bit." She said with a smile toward Yang and Neo, "So, while you two are traveling more of this region, I will stay in this cottage to get some much-needed rest." She then looked over to Hilda, "Besides, you already have a better guild for this region."
"Awe, thanks." Hilda said, "Don't worry, I'll take care of them."
"Tsk," Weiss said before standing up, "Yang, Blake, we need to have a RWBY Team meeting." She said before walking away, causing the two members to follow while the others wait. Once far enough away, the white heiress turned to the blond brawler, "What do we need to do to get rid of her?"
"Who? Neo?" Yang asked with Weiss having a look of half-open eyes, then sighed, "Look I get it, she's part of the bad guys. Believe me, I kept her at arm's length for a long time as well." she said before having a smile form, "But I've gotten to know her, and she isn't the type of person I thought she was."
"So, she isn't a smug, criminal's bodyguard who wouldn't think twice about stabbing any of us in the back if we were in Remnant?" Weiss asked with her arms crossed.
"Well… no," Yang responded, "But I made her promise not to harm any of us." She said before breaking eye contact, "As well as promising none of us would harm her or Roman."
"YANG!" Weiss shouted, "You can't make promises like that involving us and criminals. What makes you think she or Roman will uphold their end." She responded, "And what are we supposed to do then if either does something criminal, just let them get away with it!?"
"I know it isn't the best of deals." Yang responded, "But she hasn't done anything evil while here, nothing I wouldn't have done as well. I don't know about Roman, but she said she would talk with him about it." She said with Weiss having half-open eyes, "Well, talk in a way they communicate. Which I kind of have a grasp of now, she doesn't even need that whiteboard much anymore."
"I still don't approve of this, but…" Weiss said before sighing, "Let's put it to a vote, I say we kick her out."
"Weiss, come on!" Yang said before sighing, "If you want to play that way, fine, I say she stays with us."
"Great, it's one-to-one." Weiss said before turning to the shadowy girl, "Blake, you're the tie-breaker."
"…I vote she stays with us," Blake responded.
"What!?" Weiss responded in shock, "Why!?"
"Weiss, what did you think of me when we first meet?" Blake asked, "And what did you think of me after learning I was a Faunus and a former member of the White Fang?"
"Gah," Weiss gasped.
"Now, after we have gotten to know each other more in this situation, what do you think of me as a person?" Blake said before looking at Yang, "Her past is her past, regardless of how bad we see it. However, if she says she will not hurt us, and you trust her." She said before smiling, "Then I trust her as well."
"Thanks Blake," Yang said before looking to Weiss, "There, happy now?"
"No," Weiss said before sighing, "But, I see your points. And I will be respectful to her in honoring your deal." The white heiress said before pointing, "However if she breaks any part of the contract, the deal is off!"
"Fine, that's fair." Yang said before walking back, followed by Weiss and Blake, "Okay, they're on board." She said before cracking her knuckles, "Now, let's head out so I can get myself a gym badge."
"Oh, straight to the point. You and I are gonna be good friends." Hilda responded, "Okay, let's head out!" she said before the group finished the rest of their ice cream and recalled their Pokemon. They waved goodbye to the Leaf, who stayed at the table as they waved back. The five girls walked through a gate with a sign reading, Route Thirteen, "This route is a bit tricky to follow, so stay close to me."
"…" Neo nodded before turning to Weiss.
"Huff," Weiss scoffed before walking ahead of the mute girl.
"…" Neo looked on with half-open eyes, then turned to see a pat on the back from the blond brawler next to the shadowy girl.
"Give her time, she acted the same way with Ruby as well." Yang asked, but then turned back to Blake, "By the way, what happened to my little sister and Roman after we got munched by that monster?"
"We aren't sure, it all happened so fast," Blake answered, "I think she could have run away from it."
"Nah, Ruby would have fought it to the end." Yang answered, then looked back to Neo, "What about Roman?"
"…" Neo shook her head from side to side, then took out a whiteboard, "Without me there, he would have no way to escape."
"Make sense," Yang said before crossing her arms, "So, both might be in this world." She said before sighing, "But I doubt they're in the same locations." The blond brawler then looked back to Weiss, "Then who's the person that she wants to check on in that gym?"
"You may want to ask her yourself; I don't feel comfortable saying it behind her back," Blake said with Yang nodding, then walking ahead. The shadowy girl and mute girl walked together in a slightly awkward silence before Blake tried to break the silence, "I should thank you for watching out for Yang. I don't think she would have liked being in this world alone for all this time."
"…" Neo nodded with a smile, then wrote on the whiteboard, "I'm thankful for her as well."
"Heh, you two must have bonded a lot in these past few months," Blake said with a smile.
"…" Neo smirked, then wrote some more, "We slept in the same bed a few times."
"I see… wait what!?" Blake said with wide eyes as Neo giggled.
The group changed from walking on land to near a winding beachline. Weiss walked with her arms crossed before Yang pulled her in for a headlock, "So, who's the gym leader you are looking for?" the blond brawler asked.
"Let go of me!" Weiss said before pulling out of the lock, then brushed herself off, "If you must know right now, it's my grandfather."
"Oh," Yang commented, "How is he-"
"Here or alive?" Weiss finished her sentence, "I don't know either one, but I'm going to ask him." She said before having a scowl, "As well as how he could have left our family's legacy in the hands of my father."
"Yikes," Yang said before putting her hands over her head, "Life of an heiress must be hard." She said before noticing Hilda had stopped, "What is it?" she said before Hilda pointed in front of them.
There was a small blue Pokemon in the shape of a ball with mouse-like ears. Its belly was white, but a thin black zig-zag line to a smaller blue ball. Its tiny arms were crossed as it had a pair of wide rimes orange sunglasses on its face, "Marill!" it spoke in a mousy voice, not backing down from the position.
"Looks like we have a gatekeeping," Hilda spoke, then took out her Pokedex, "Marill, the aquamouse Pokemon. Marill's oil-filled tail acts much like a life preserver. If you see just its tail bobbing on the water's surface, it's a sure indication that this Pokémon is diving beneath the water to feed on aquatic plants. When fishing for food at the edge of a fast-running stream, Marill wraps its tail around the trunk of a tree. This Pokémon's tail is flexible and configured to stretch." the Pokedex said before the hotheaded trainer put it before putting it away, "Odd, I don't remember Marill being in this area."
"Awe, it's so cute!" Weiss commented with a smile.
"It's like a chunky blue Pikachu," Yang added, "And it has some nice shades too."
"Marill!" The aquamouse Pokemon spoke again.
"Awe! It's like a little bouncer," Weiss said as she walked up, then knelt to pet Marill on the head, "How would you like to join my te-" she said before Marill grabbed her left hand, "Eh?"
"Mar!" the aqua mouse Pokemon said before spinning its body, causing Weiss to be lifted as well, "Ill!" Marill said before tossing the white heiress high in the sky.
"Weiss!" the other called out in panic as the white heiress flew towards a cliffside.
"…!" Neo panicked before running to Yang, taking one of the blond brawler's Pokeball. The mute girl tossed it, causing Snorlax to emerge and position itself against the cliffside. The white heiress's body crashed into the big eater pokemon's belly, bouncing off before falling into the shoreline.
"Are you okay," Yang said to the white heiress, who lifted her head out of the sand.
"Pfff," Weiss said before spitting up sand.
"I take that as a yes," Yang said before noticing Neo hand her back the Pokeball, "Nice save, I didn't even think of that because it happened so fast." She said before recalling Snorlax back to its ball.
"…" Neo smiled, then looked back to Weiss, "…" the mute girl crossed her arms with a smirk.
"Huff, I would have been fine," Weiss said before walking away.
"…" Neo glared before sighing, following with Yang.
The girls got back to Blake and Hilda, who was still blocked by the aquamouse Pokemon, "Marill!"
"Why is it acting like this?" Blake asked.
"If it had to theorize," Hilda spoke with arms crossed, "It found those glasses and got an ego."
"Mar!" Marill spoke.
"That's all you think happened to give this Pokemon the idea it can do whatever it wants," Weiss said before having a thought, turning to the blond brawler, "Wait, don't you have a pair like those?"
"Yeah, why?" Yang answered.
"It's the glasses," Weiss said as she looked back to the others with half-open eyes.
"Definitely the glasses," The Blake added.
"…" Neo added.
"Mar!" Marill confirmed.
"…Huh," Yang reflected, then turned back to Hilda, "But what makes this little guy so much strength?"
"It says here its ability is called Huge Power," Hilda said as she read the Pokedex, "So, this Pokemon is pretty strong." She said before closing the Pokedex, "It could make a good team member." The hotheaded trainer said before looking back at Marill, "And it does not look like it will move without a fight."
"I see," Blake said before turning to the white heiress, "Do you still want to catch it?"
"No, it's a lot less cute after almost killing me." Weiss responded, "She's all yours."
"You do need more Pokemon for your final badge," Yang said as Neo nodded.
"Okay, I'll do my best." Blake said as she took a position, readying a Pokeball, "Espurr, I need your help!" she said with the restraint Pokemon emerging from the ball.
"Es!" Espurr spoke before adjusting his bow.
"Heh, so that's what you did with it," Yang said with a smirk.
"Marill!" the aquamouse Pokemon said before unleashing a stream of bubbles.
"Use Psyshock!" Blake called out with Espurr unleashing the psychic stones, popping the bubbles before colliding with Marill's body to knock it back.
"Mar!" Marill adjusted its glasses before rushing in, its ball-like tail glowing with an iron color, "Ill!" it said before swinging it towards Espurr.
"It knows Iron Tail, wow." Hilda commented.
"Double team!" Blake called out with the restraint Pokemon splitting into clones, causing the iron tail to miss its target, "Now Disarming Voice!" Blake called with the other clones vanished, showing the real Espurr nearby.
"ESSPURR!" the restraint Pokemon screamed with a pink soundwave that staggered the aquamouse Pokemon.
"Now, one more Psyshock!" Blake called out with Espurr unleashing a blast of psychic stone once again. The attack launched Marill into a rock wall, causing it to get partially buried by the rubble, "Okay, time to catch you." Blake said as she readied a Pokeball. However, as the stones started to move away, a missive boulder was lifted, "Uh oh."
"And that's Superpower." Hilda spoke in a calm voice.
"MARILL!" the aquamouse Pokemon said before chucking the boulder at Espurr.
"L-light Screen!" Blake called out with Espurr putting up the barrier, but it quickly cracked under the weight of the boulder. Espurr then dove out of the way as the super-powered attack went through the light screen, skipping across the water before sinking.
"Marill!" the aquamouse Pokemon said with a confident smirk, but then realized something, "Marill?" it said before touching its face, "Marill!" it said before realizing the sunglasses were gone.
"They must have fallen off in the attack," Weiss commented.
"Yeah," Blake commented, seeing Marill franticly looking through the rubble, "She must really like them."
"Mar," Marill said before discovering the end of the glasses, "Marill!" the aquamouse Pokemon said before pulling out the glasses and putting them on, but then realized the frame was bent and the glass was broken, "Marill…" the aquamouse Pokemon then sulked, losing the will to fight anymore.
"Uh, does this mean you win?" Hilda asked, "You could try to catch it now."
"I could but…" Blake said looking in remorse at the sad Marill, then turned to the blond brawler, "Can I ask you a favor?"
"Marill…" Marill sulked more before seeing the shadowy girl approaching.
"Hey, I'm sorry your glasses broke," Blake spoke to the Marill, then offered a pair of wide-rim glasses, "They aren't exactly the same, but you can have these."
"Marill?" the aquamouse Pokemon said before looking up at Blake. "Mar!" Marill said with joy, then accepted the glasses.
"If you ask me, you don't need these to be cool." Blake said with a smile, "You're already pretty cool to me." She said before offering a Pokeball now, "And really strong, would you like to help me on my journey?"
"…" Marill looked at the ball, then put on her new sunglasses, "Marill!" she said before hitting the ball with her tail, causing it to open and ensnare her. Blake held the ball in her hand, hearing a slight click as she now had a new team member.
"Nice, that was sweet capture." Hilda said as she walked by, "And all it cost was a pair of sunglasses."
"Hehe," Blake laughed before looking to Yang, "I promise, I'll pay you back for those glasses." She said with the blond brawler having her arms crossed, "How much did they cost?"
"Five hundred." Yang said with Blake, Weiss, and Neo having a look of dread, "What, I saved up for a while to get those."
"You got ripped off," Weiss responded, then turned back to Blake, "Well, you got ripped off now."
"Oh…" Blake said as she realized the debt of her choice now.
"Better hope those glasses don't break," Yang said as walked past, patting Blake on the shoulder, "That is going to be an expensive replacement, and your Marill really like that model now." The others then followed while Blake remained paralyzed for a moment.
"I don't get it," Hilda commented, "Is five hundred that much in your world?"
"I don't want to talk about it." Blake said as she walked but did smile at Marill's Pokeball, "At least it did make her happy."
The group then walked to the next town before using the Pokemon center to heal Blake's team. They quickly left before walking down a hilling pathway. The team went through a gate before walking across a bridge. They then entered a second gateway before walking across a road to a third gateway. Afterward, they entered their first destination of a gym battle, Opelucid City.
"This place," Weiss commented as the area had a high-technological sheen with light blue neon lights on the roads and buildings, "It almost feels like Atlas." She said with a slight smile forming.
"A little nostalgic?" Yang asked.
"Opelucid is a bit more of a high-tech city in Unova." Hilda commented, "But the gym is still kind of retro."
"I see," Blake said before noticing Neo pointing. She turned to discover it was a woman who was being chased by a Pokemon, one with red metal and blades on its head and arms. The shadowy girl readied her Pokeball, but Hilda stopped her. Blake had a look of confusion, then panicked as the woman was about to be slashed.
However, a massive tail swatted the metal Pokemon away, sending it flying back to the wild. The woman had a sigh of reliving before seeing a large bipedal black dragon Pokemon with green-plated armor-like scales and crimson eyes. Next to the Pokemon was its trainer, an older, yet muscular man with white hair and a beard that covered his whole jaw. He wore a white shirt with rolled sleeves, gray pants with purple suspenders, and matching black gloves and shoes, "Are you okay?" he spoke in a booming voice, but his mouth was not seen past his beard. The woman smiled as she accepted his help. He then turned to the sight of the girls, recognizing one of them, "Hilda, it has been a while."
"Long time no see, Drayden." Hilda spoke as he walked over to her, "Still the Spartan Mayor as well as the Gym Leader?"
"Of course," He spoke before looking to the others near Hilda, all of which stared at his statue, "And who are your friends?"
"They're members of the Pokemon world league, and one of them is here to challenge you for the badge," Hilda spoke.
"And that would be me," Yang spoke up with a smirk, "I'm ready to go whenever you are, Gramps."
"I see, a rebel who thinks she is already at the top." Drayden said with a scowl, "I have dealt with your type before." He said before turning to Hilda, "On more than one occasion."
"And I still beat you then," Hilda answered, "So, let her take your challenge?"
"Very well, she may challenge me when ready." Drayden said before reaching behind his back, pulling out a paper, "However, she will have to pass a written test before our battle."
"Come again?" Yang asked before turning to Hilda, who shrugged.
"Kids today lack knowledge, and I wish to educate them beyond the battlefield." Drayden said before giving the paper to Yang, "This is a study guide, your test will be given at the gym."
"Uh…" Yang said as she looked at the study guild.
"Do you not wish to challenge me anymore?" Drayden asked, crossing his arms, "I should have expected much from a girl such as yourself."
"What is that supposed to mean," Yang responded with a scowl, "Fine, I'll pass your test then beat your ass in a Pokemon battle."
"We shall see," Drayden said before turning to Hilda, then walking away,
"See you soon." Hilda said as she waved back, then turned to Yang, "So, I didn't know about the test thing? Can you pass it?"
"I'm gonna try, but …," Yang said with confusion at the type-chart on the study guild, "It's gonna be a bit difficult to memorize this garbage. And this history section is going to be a real pain."
"We already learned a lot of this world from our travels to help you pass." Weiss responded.
"I can help you study," Blake offered, "I did it back in Beacon."
"Yeah, and I still cheated on those tests," Yang said with Blake and Weiss looking on with half-open eyes, then turned to the white heiress, "By the way, are you sure this guy is not your grandpa?"
"…" Neo added while taking out her whiteboard, "He has your white hair… on his face."
"No, he isn't. And I think this man is closer to my father's age." Weiss spoke with her arms crossed, then sighed, "I probably would prefer this man to my father, but that is not a high bar."
Blake looked back to Hilda, "You fought him before, how strong is he?"
"Well, he was my last gym challenge, so he didn't hold back." Hilda responded, "But I heard he has gotten a lot stronger since his last pupil became the new sitting champion of Unova."
"This dude raises champions?" Yang asked, "Well now I have to beat him."
"Yang, you may want to get training before challenging him as well." Blake offered.
"Maybe, I'd rather not be stuck fighting him repeatedly. Especially if I must retake that test as well." Yang responded, then turned back to Weiss, "If you want, you can go to the next town over to see your grandpa while I get ready to take down this gym."
"Are you sure?" Weiss asked.
"It's fine, we're only going to be a town apart," Yang said with a smile.
"And I will be more than enough to help teach Yang the basics," Blake responded, then looked at her partner with a scowl, "And make sure she doesn't cheat."
"Thank you," Weiss responded with a smile at her teammates.
"But Hilda and Neo have to go with you," Yang added on.
"What!?" Weiss gasped.
"Look, I'll train with Blake, but I don't want you going there alone without a guild," Yang responded.
"Then what about her," Weiss said as she pointed to Neo, who scowled.
"Weiss, come on." Yang responded, "Play nice for once."
"Tsk, fine!" Weiss said before looking back to Neo, "Huff!" she scoffed before walking away.
"…" Neo looked on with a pout, then felt Yang pat her head.
"Look out for her, I don't know who she'll be getting when she gets there." Yang responded, "So, just be there for her regardless of what happens or how she acts, can you do that?"
"…" Neo looked back in confusion, but then nodded before she and Hilda followed the white heiress.
"Thanks," Yang said with a smile as she and Blake waved goodbye.
The trio walked through the gate onto a small road again, leading to another gateway. That took them to another bridge to cross before another gateway. After exiting and walking through a small marshland, they arrived at their destination, Icirrus City, "So, you want to head straight to the gym?" Hilda asked Weiss.
"That would make the most sense to me," Weiss said before seeing Neo tugging at her sleeve, "What is it?"
"…" Neo pointed at one of the houses, causing Weiss to have a look of confusion. However, she saw a symbol on it that made her gasp. Hilda saw it as well, recognizing it as a snowflake that matched the one on Weiss's back. The white heiress walked over to the house but paused at the door, then knocked.
"Come in," the voice was male, causing Weiss to gasp again as it sounded familiar in the back of her mind. She opened the door in a rush, already having the memory of who she heard in the back of her mind. However, before she was not an old man, but someone barely in his twenties. He had short white hair and icy eyes. He wore a red jacket over a black shirt, pants, and boots. On the end of the white scarf around his neck was the same snowflake symbol of the Schnee's, "Well, look who we have here." He spoke with a smile, one that left the white heiress speechless, "Hello, Little Weiss."
"…What?" Weiss said before she had one other question. "Are you..."
"You don't recognize me, Ohohoho," he spoke in a jolly laugh, "It's me, your grandpa. Nickolas."
"Oh…," Weiss said as Hilda and Neo looked at her with wide eyes, "I have a few more questions."
AN: There you go, people new Nickolas was coming, but I don't think they thought he would look like this. Don't worry, we already have daddy Drayden here to show his buff self. Before all of this, the team had a bit of a meeting with Leaf taking a break to make the group size a bit smaller for a bit. On their travel between towns, Blake catches herself a mouse Pokemon… yep. In all honesty, the Pikablue line is one of my favorites and she does need a Pokemon with some power. Also, it is fun that I get to have my own version of a water type that likes to wear sunglasses here. Now, Weiss needs some answers to why her grandpa is now around Winter's age. And Yang needs some answers to the test she needs to pass before taking on her third gym. That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.