I reread last chapter and noticed a big mistake:
"If you'd shut up," Scimitar muttered before Arceus could reply, "maybe he could."
"Hey, I didn't ask you, Miss Broody!"
That was supposed to be Sandstorm, the Sandslash. I'm sorry if I confused anyone!
First day of writing: Sorry, sorry, I know it's taken, like, forever for this chapter to come out. And I'm sure you're all poised and ready with spears and pitchforks and the like . . . *dodges said weapons* Buuuuut, I will be honest and say that I had no inspiration to write it, and I just couldn't seem to start it. Now I'm sitting down and planning on at least writing four pages in one go! And then, well, we'll see how it goes! :D
Oh, and I have only the games' references to the Old Chateau to go by, so don't kill me if it's not exactly accurate–after all, I lost all of my Pokemon games except Ruby recently . . . heheh . . .
Second day of writing: Yes! I've actually written all that I wanted to in this chapter! Oh, shoot, but it isn't even ten pages . . . hm, how do I make it longer? *goes to find a subplot to add to the length* Zapdos and Ho-oh! Yes . . .
(June 17th, Old Chateau, 7:25 a.m.)
The brunette gave another yawn as she stood before the Victorian house, just as the sun was gracing the horizon with a glimpse of its bright face. She made a mental note to drown Groudon before she glanced at the sparking Plasma Pokemon who always seemed to be full of energy. He had appeared in her room and started shocking her awake forty-five minutes earlier, and after a long string of painful and never-to-be-mentioned-again events, they were there.
Now . . . how to get in. She frowned at the less than reliable steps leading to the front of the house. I wouldn't get near those if Giratina was breathing down my neck. Shaking the image from her mind with a shiver, she turned to Rotom and asked, "Sorry to stop your happy dance, but how do we get in?"
He paused his dance pattern (it looked rather intricate for a creature with no actual hands and feet) to frown at her question. "What?" He waved one of his lightning-bolt-shaped appendages at the front of the house, exclaiming, "The front door, of course!"
"But . . . the stairs . . ." Her complaint went unheeded, though, and she pouted as they moved towards it. While he floated effortlessly over them, she was more cautious about it, her movements soft and tentative for each individual step and wincing whenever she heard a creak. She made it without falling, however, and she gave a sigh of relief before following him through the already opened door. She gasped in delight at the interior, eyeing the stunning (if neglected) stairways that led up to another floor in the same room on either side of her. The wooden railings would have looked dazzling if polished, and the old and dirty red carpets at the bottom of each staircase were probably beautiful back in their day. Her eyes followed a circular path around the room as she hummed her approval.
"Like it?" When DL nodded, the little Pokemon giggled happily and spun around her head, shouting, "That's great! I'm glad you do, because I love it a lot. There's a lot of old stuff here, it's like taking a trip through time!"
"Oh, really?" Her eyes sparkled at the thought of reading through the history of the place. Pokemon lover or not, she was a book lover first and foremost, and she immediately asked him where they were. When he informed her there was one on each side of the room, he watched her bolt to the left staircase and zoomed after her, protesting at the thought of her reading the entire day.
"But I need to tell Proff about all of this! And I really like history," she added honestly with a small blush on her face. At his pouting demeanor, she sighed and took her hand off of the railing. "Fine, I won't do it now. But how am I supposed to learn about all of this?"
"Well, I can tell you! And as for Proff," he went on with a smug expression, "I can electronically send him the information. I'm the wonderful Rotom, after all!" He threw up his "arms" in demonstration, causing her to giggle at the sight of his arrogance. He then looked around as a thought came to him, mumbling, "Huh, I wonder where the others are . . ."
"What others?"
"Gengar!"
She leapt and gave a shriek of fright and surprise when suddenly a grinning face appeared between them, falling on her rear in the process. She heard cackling all around her, and she shouted, "Whoa, what's going on?!"
"Guys, guys!" Rotom frantically waved his appendages around as if to calm down a tornado. "It's okay, she's with me!"
The floating grin turned into a frown, and slowly the purple body appeared before her to attach to it properly as it grumbled darkly from being interrupted in its fun. The Pokemon was almost as tall as her, with two horn-like protrusions on its head and spikes all along its back. Red eyes stared at her curiously, and then several other wavering purple forms appeared in the air around it, causing her eyes to grow wide in astonishment. The entire place was populated by Ghost Pokemon! She had forgotten that little bit of information.
"W-whoa," she stuttered shakily, not used to seeing so many mischievous grins directed towards her at once. "I wasn't expecting a welcoming committee."
"Relax, they won't hurt you. They might play a bit rough, but I'll make sure you'll be fine, okay?" At her nod, he cast his blue eyes sternly at the Pokemon, stating more than asking, "Isn't that right, guys?" When he received nods from the Gengar and its friends, he became calm once more and waved at the others. "Anyways, these are all my friends! And Gengar's here because he was released and didn't want to go back to his birthplace. They live with me in this abandoned mansion, and we're always playing pranks on the kids dared to come in here." A mischievous grin came across his face at the reminder. "In fact, I'm pretty sure a kid's coming today . . . would you like to help us?"
DL, after a moment of consideration, grinned and nodded eagerly. "Sure! It sounds like fun to scare someone else, for once!" They both laughed at that (she had already told him how much of a scaredy-cat she was), and then they started to plot with the other Ghost-Types.
Today's going to be fun, I'm sure!
(Tin Tower, 7:30 a.m.)
"Thanks."
Ho-oh almost missed the yellow bird's grumble, but he smiled haughtily and replied, "You better be thankful! I didn't have to let you live here until you can get your own home back, you know!" Satisfied when she shot an angry glare at him, the Rainbow Pokemon settled down in his "nest" to examine his visitor.
Zapdos had reluctantly explained (after he had caught up to her and nearly Sacred Fire'd it out of her) that she had had another argument with Moltres concerning her gender, and she had been banished by the fire-feathered bird until she "came to her senses". She then wasn't allowed to refuse his invitation and spent the night in the tower, nestled in a corner while he sat on a proverbial throne in the center of the room. She had rolled her eyes at the idea of "saying she was a girl when it was most obvious she was a guy", and Ho-oh had remained neutral on the subject by changing the topic to the sky. Eventually there was a lapse in conversation, and that was when she hinted to her gratitude for his hospitality.
To be perfectly honest, he hadn't been expecting her to open up to him, but he was glad that she did because it gave him a better understanding of her. Now I can see why her feathers are in such disarray, he mused, because otherwise she would be dubbed "feminine", which is apparently taboo. But, then again, where does that leave Articuno? The Ice bird was, Ho-oh reluctantly admitted, very beautiful and handsome (But not as perfect as me!) and completely stood out in his trio. Zapdos stood out, too, but for the opposite reason.
She seemed to finally notice him staring at her, for she looked over her shoulder and narrowed her eyes at his carmine gaze. "Can I help you?" Her snappy tone showed her irritation towards the perfectionist's eyes being on her form, which made him curious.
He turned to pick at his feathers as if uninterested in her. "Oh, no, it's nothing." He singled out a misplaced feather and corrected it, shifting his wing to assess it, and then turned back to see her now watching him. He gave her a bird-y smirk and asked, "Can I help you?"
She scoffed and turned her face away, mumbling, "Hell, I'm bored. You have any board games?"
He gave a thoughtful hum as his mind wandered to the nights Lugia used to come over from the Brass Tower to play, back before it had been burned to the ground. "As a matter of fact, I do. Do you like Rattata Trap?"
Her head whipped around as a shocked expression dominated her face. "No way! Rattata Trap? I love that game!" She watched him eagerly as he strolled to a shelf nearby to pluck a dusty box from it, and she bounced on her talons as he placed it on the table and started to set it up with his beak.
He watched her out of the corner of his eye, amused at her excitement over a silly game. Maybe I can get her to do something about those feathers. Like . . . a bet. He mentally grinned at the prospect. Ah, so being bothered every night by Lugia and losing to her thousands of times may be useful after all . . .
(Legendary's Palace, 8:00 a.m.)
"Rai?" (Arceus?)
The white qilin-like Pokemon blinked before glancing down at the Raichu in surprise, not expecting him to be walking around the palace when his Trainer wasn't there. Getting over the shock, however, he quickly regained his regal air and cleared his throat, asking the Mouse Pokemon, "What do you need?"
"Rai . . ." (Well . . .) The orange rodent looked down as if intimidated by Arceus' size, and his voice was barely over a mumble. "Rai raichu rai. Rai . . . chu." (I was wondering if you needed any help. I'm . . . bored.) He looked like those human kindergarteners trying to make a new friend, with his eyes on his feet and paws behind his back. The sight brought a smile to the Alpha Pokemon's face.
"Of course." He waved a hoof for him to come closer, and once they were sitting together like he had with DL he brought up a map (it wasn't digital and yet interactive, the work of his assistant Shirley) of the Palace's Meeting Hall. "I have to organize a meeting of sorts, and I could use a second opinion."
Butterscotch grinned. "Chu, rai, raichu rai?" (You, God of everything, need a second opinion?)
Arceus' eyes twinkled with a "I-know-something-you-don't" look to it, but he simply nodded and began to explain the process to the rodent. "I'm going to pick a few of the most trusted Legendaries to come and debate on whether the assistants were a good idea, but I'll need to figure out seating arrangements, the topics we'll discuss, and whether or not to bring the assistants themselves."
"Rai raichu?" (What Legendaries?)
"I'll bring a few who've had assistants for a while, like Giratina," he admitted under his breath, "and then a few who've just recently received one. Darkrai, perhaps. We can see how Hunter's doing at his job."
"Rai . . ." (Yeah . . .) Butterscotch glanced down at his paws. "Raichu . . ." (About that . . .)
The Alpha Pokemon grew curious, tilting his head in confusion. "What?"
"Rai, raichu rai chuchu, rai . . ." (Well, I know Megan agreed to have Hunter be an assistant for Darkrai, but . . .) His eyes looked up at the God's, a grim frown on his face as he imagined his Trainer's sorrow. "Raichu? Rai? Raichu? Chu rai?" (For how long? A little while? A few years? Forever?)
The quadruped became solemn at that thought, thinking of how close DL was to her Pokemon. They seemed to be her family, and essentially he was taking a brother away from her. But, she had accepted the offer without being forced, so although it sounded cruel, it was her fault in the first place. And she had never spoken of any discomfort or regret for making the decision, so he didn't feel he needed to delve into her personal matters. What she did was what she did, and none of his business.
. . . Sorta.
Shaking his head to clear the thoughts from it, he looked back down at Butterscotch who was expecting an answer. "It all depends. I won't make any promises now, but I'm sure it will all work out in the end." After assuring the rodent a bit more, they both turned to the map and began to debate what would be the best combination of Legends.
When he suggested bringing along Articuno and Rayquaza for their recent and old assistants respectively, Arceus nodded in approval. "Indeed, that would be a wise decision. I would like to see the Glaceon's progress, considering her . . . interesting display, to say the least."
"Rai, raichu rai chuchu?" (Oh, you mean the awesome tricks she did?) Butterscotch grinned at the reminder. "Raichu rai!" (That was pretty cool!) When the Alpha Pokemon rolled his eyes, the rodent shrugged. "Rai? Rai raichu rai rai." (What? Somebody had to say it for DL.)
Arceus nodded with a small chuckle. "Of course." After arranging the assigned seats (well, honestly, they stand or float in place, so the term's used loosely) in a manner that pleased him, he sat back and stared at it for a while. "Why do I feel like I'm forgetting someone?"
"Raichu . . . raichu rai rai raichu?" (I don't know . . . anyone else you wanted the opinion of?)
"Mewtwo!" He would have snapped his fingers if he had any. "That's who I was thinking of. Thank you, Butterscotch." He grinned at the thought of the feline evaluating and probably shooting down all of the candidates in a heartbeat during the meeting. With the thought of the four in his mind, he sought out Shirley (giving the Raichu the feeling of being tugged towards him, like DL had felt) to give him the status of the group. When he learned where they were, his grin grew wider.
The rodent tilted his head, a thoughtful frown on his face. "Rai raichu?" (What are you smiling at?)
"Oh, nothing."
(Route 111's Desert, 8:35 a.m.)
The Sneasel winced and closed her eyes as she was buffeted by the never-ending Sandstorm, calling to the others, "I can't see anything!" They had caught a glimpse of their to-be boss' purple tail in the expanse of tan and had rushed in only to get themselves lost in the desert. Now they were wandering in the hope of finding their way back out, and everyone was miserable.
Well . . . almost everyone.
"Sucks to be you!" The Sandslash named after the weather attack they were experiencing called back, her tone happier than anyone had heard it in a while. She walked with a purpose across the sands, humming some nursery rhyme from when she was a little mouse as she gazed across the obscure horizon, unfazed by the sand flung in her face. The others were envious of her immunity to the sand and the heat, but they followed her as she had taken up the mantle in their reluctance to journey through the desert. To be honest, they had to rely on her now.
The Meowth growled and flicked his ear to get the sand out of it. "This all sucks! Why would he want to come here? I hate this place!"
"He probably can shield himself with his Psychic powers," the Scyther spoke up to everyone's surprise, but they had to agree that was probably the case. Then, he added after thinking about it, "But that only explains how, not why."
Switch frowned in thought as she kept her claw on Sandstorm's shoulder to be guided where she couldn't see. "Isn't there a legend surrounding this place?"
"Yes," was the Sandslash's reply, "I remember being told not to bother the small mountain in the southern part of the desert. My mother told me that a great power resided there and that it was holy ground."
"Your mom's full of it." When he received a glare, Fang shouted, "Well, it's a mountain! What the hell would live on a mountain in the middle of this godforsaken desert?"
"First of all, I would. Second of all, you obviously don't know how us Ground-Types work."
"I know you're all crazy to like living in a constant dust devil!"
"Will you two stop it?" The Sneasel had her eyes scrunched up in pain. "I'd appreciate it if we could find some shelter, and fast." She was sweating ridiculously and felt drained from their journey and the heat, and when she faltered in her walking she nearly got a face full of Sandstorm's spikes.
The guide stopped and turned to face her with a frown. "Are you alright? You look terrible." Indeed, the Sharp Claw Pokemon was slicked down with sweat and her expression was one of exhaustion on the brink of passing out. A Pokemon used to keeping warm in the frigid north had no place in such a tropical region and a dry desert made for the rugged Ground-Types.
Fang scoffed and mumbled, "You must be blind if you have to ask . . ." She chose to ignore his comment as she put her claws on the weasel's shoulders, and his eyes widened when she nearly collapsed into the Sandslash's arms. "Oh, man, you are bad. Here." He quickly walked forward and helped steady her with his own paws, and he looked to the Pokemon he had been arguing with to ask, "Can you find a place for us to rest? I don't think she'll last long in the sun."
She nodded and left them to huddle together, guarding the poor weasel from the sun and the sand as they waited for her to return. The Mantis Pokemon narrowed his eyes to the weather and mumbled, "It's picking up." And he was right; the winds were picking up, and the sand was beginning to tear at them like small knives. They shuffled closer with their backs facing their surroundings, hoping for the Sandslash to hurry up.
She arrived a little while after, motioning with a claw as she shouted over the howling winds, "I've found a cave!" Being careful not to lose them in the swirling sands, she led them over the dunes to said shelter in a random rock that stood like a beacon in the desert, rushing them to get in before she slipped in herself. As they huddled further in the cave, she cast her eyes over their sand-covered bodies and smiled at the sight. "You could be mistaken for Ground-Types, if you didn't look so sour." She only received a scowl from Fang, the other two relaxing in the cool air.
That is, until they heard a sound not caused by them.
"W-what was that?" The still weak weasel sounded frightened at the prospect of battling in her condition, and Scimitar was quick to soothe her fears by going to investigate. They sat in a tense silence, waiting for him to rush in with monsters on his tail, but they relaxed when he calmly fluttered back to them without a word.
When he motioned for them to follow, however, Fang asked the question that was on all of their minds: "What was it?" He didn't answer, and the Meowth fumed at the secrecy as they walked single file deeper into the cave. They arrived at a massive chamber that seemed to be prepared for some Ground king, and Sandstorm walked forward in wonder and awe before having her thoughts interrupted by Fang's, "What the hell is this place?"
"I don't know, but . . ." She trailed off as they heard a small rumble in the distance, and they quickened their pace to search for the source of the sound. They came to a halt when they arrived at another chamber, and as they stood staring in shock and surprise Fang was (of course) the only one to voice what they were all thinking:
"Mewtwo?!"
(Old Chateau, 10:00 p.m.)
DL wiped her forehead of the sweat from a good day's work. "Phew, what a day!" They had played and pranked the entire time with wild abandon, and she had eventually made a sort of truce with the Ghost-Types. She still didn't like the way they looked at her, but she tried to ignore them as she sat down and brought out her laptop. Turning it on and waiting patiently for it to log-on, she patted the Egg beside her wrapped in her jacket and smiled. It hasn't moved at all, but that's to be expected. It's only been a week, after all.
Finally, her laptop was up and running, and as she sat in one of the rooms of the abandoned mansion she set up the connection and waited for it to load the log.
Log Entry 741 of Legendary Watch (Made Restricted Once Again), June 17th
Good evening, Proff!
Good evening, Megan.
DL!
Whatever. Did you have fun?
Oh, yeah! Hanging out with Rotom was a blast! We ran around the forest and Eterna City, scaring everyone we could! Oh, and did you know that he basically has an army of Ghost-Types?
No, I didn't. An army?
Yep, of Ghastly, Haunter, Misdreavus and a Gengar! Anyways, umm, Rotom says he can directly give you the files, so I can avoid explaining all of this crapola.
Really? . . . You didn't work a lot today, did
Nope!
Didn't think so. When will he be able to
Right now!
Dear lord, you gave me a heart attack!
Oops, sorry! Heheh . . . was my entrance "shocking"?
Rotom, that was so lame.
Teehee, I know!
He didn't mean it, Proff! Besides, it keeps you young and alive!
Not if he stops my heart.
Oh, stop being such a sourpuss!
Sent!
Thank you, Rotom.
Thanks buddy!
No problem! Anything for a friend of mine! Also, do you think next chance you get you can bring some water balloons and plaster mix? I've got this great idea for a prank!
Oh, no way! I'm so gonna do that!
Alright, you two criminal masterminds, isn't it time for you both to sleep?
What?
Oh, man, come on! You're not our grandpa or anything!
Yeah, come on!
I may not be, but I'm your elder, and I know what's good for you.
Like prunes? Yuck. You wouldn't know what was good if it bit you.
Thanks for the encouragement, I feel so loved now. Anyways, it's late and I'm tired
Wimp! It's only ten-something! You can't possibly be tired.
I am, and I will go to sleep. I'm smart, unlike some people
Oh, be quiet! Night!
Good night!
Good night, you two. And stay out of trouble!
Of course!
Teehee, what makes you say that? We know!
Then why am I not convinced?
Lots of dragon-y love (and cookies!),
~DL ('Dragon Lover')
