On the other hand, on very rare occasions, even a paragon's justice can be flawed. When that happens, true justice is decided by the hearts of the collective. Or just a whim.
00 stalked towards the dust plume. Almost. Almost. He had nearly been bested. Failsafe after failsafe, contingency after contingency…nearly all had failed him. However, at the end of the day, a pair of university students weren't able to stand up to eight experienced Trainers and meticulous planning. The boy and his Garchomp were lying on the ground, unconscious. They had suffered a Guillotine from Kingambit, and wouldn't be getting up anytime soon. However… 00 glanced up. A large helicopter was drawing closer, the force from its rotors buffeting the nearby treetops. A flock of Archen flew deeper into the glade. Painted on the side of the helicopter was an insignia: three golden interlocking gears, inlaid on a Poke Ball design. The Gearframe Corporation. It seemed that the boy's father was intervening.
"01, recall Zoroark! Metagross, let's go!" 01 hastily did as he was told and rushed over with Kingambit. Metagross, blessedly, had not been knocked out from its clash with Virizion. It took to the skies once more, still in its Mega Evolved state. The dust cleared as a result, and 00 beheld the result of their efforts: Virizion, knocked out but lying protectively over the girl, Arienne. The girl was also unconscious, and was clutching a Poke Ball in her right hand. She was planning on snatching the target from right under his nose; Kibe had been a decoy. And it had almost worked. He approached the pair of them, and took a syringe. If he wouldn't be able to catch Virizion, he would at least take a sample. He managed to get a blood sample of Virizion, and then took out an Ultra Ball.
"It was a nice effort, but…your resistance ends he-" A giant boulder landed right behind him, exploding on impact. Rock Wrecker?! Damnit, I was so close! A Pokemon landed directly on the area of attack, dispelling the smoke cloud. A Rhyperior. 00 knew whose Pokemon this was.
"Metagross, use Comet Punch!" "Scizor, use Bullet Punch!" Rhyperior had to recharge its energy following the powerful attack, but another Pokemon intervened to cover it. 00 grit his teeth and turned away from Virizion. 01 was dashing across the clearing towards the evacuation point in the north; multiple people were coming down from the helicopter, all dressed in formal attire. At their head was the man himself: Sato Uehara. The group was between 00 and the northern entrance; he would have to run for it.
"Let's go, Metagross. Psychic." Metagross lifted 00 and itself into the air. Uehara spoke for the first time.
"Oh, no you don't! Whittaker!" "Right. Scizor, use Night Slash!" The Scizor took to the skies, attempting to force Metagross to the ground. Unfortunately, Metagross didn't fly like other Pokemon, and was able to rapidly get past the group and head towards the north. He had lost, but at least he had managed to get away. This was just a side project, anyways. Our plans for the first type, Fire, are proceeding apace. He eventually reached the evacuation point, and all eight members of the task force left Pinwheel Forest.
—
Kibe groggily woke up. He slowly opened his eyes, and saw a massive pink face hovering just inches above his. He jolted, surprised, but it was just a Blissey. It appeared to be using Heal Pulse on him…and Garchomp. He groaned as he sat up, and beheld Garchomp next to him. They had been taken by surprise as they tried to reach Arienne, and…Arienne?! He whipped his head towards where he had last seen them, and then he finally took in the situation: 12 people were scattered across the clearing. One of them was standing next to him, while three were in front of Arienne and Virizion. Another Blissey was attending to them. He recognized one of the three; it was his father, Sato Uehara. The rest of his group seemed to be collecting evidence from the battles. He got to his feet, interrupting the Heal Pulse. Blissey cried out, trying to stop him, and that got its Trainer's attention.
"Hey, kid. You shouldn't be up right now. Just relax, it's all over." Kibe didn't respond, and strode over to where his father was. The man turned around, and smiled, relieved.
"I'm glad you're awake, Kibe. You did well, holding out until we got here." As Kibe approached them, he saw that Virizion was lying side by side with Arienne, and that they were both getting healed. A Poke Ball was lying next to them. Seeing them like this, Kibe certainly didn't feel like he did well. It had been nearly impossible odds, true, but he had still lost.
"How is she?"
"Not as badly hurt as you would think. She's probably just exhausted. Virizion seemed to have protected her: we actually dragged Virizion off of her earlier. This is one of the Walters' daughters, right? I've seen her at a few events."
"Why are you asking me this? You saw her information, didn't you? I'm pretty sure I had Lewis send it over to you." The man with the Scizor spoke up.
"It was just your faces. We didn't really have the time to get detailed information. Hell, I was at the University until just half an hour ago. I had to fly just to get to the building on time-" His father cut him off. Wait, what was one of my dad's men doing at the University?
"That's enough, Whittaker. I had my reasons for asking." Kibe's father eyed him, waiting for his answer.
"I...I didn't know her last name. She didn't know mine, either. I did know she was from Nimbasa City, though, so that theory would make sense." The Walters were a famous family in Nimbasa City: they owned one of the world's most recognizable fashion brands, Nimlucid. Kibe's string of experiences going to a bunch of fancy restaurants with her for lunch suddenly made a lot more sense.
"Seriously? I get why you wouldn't want to be associated with me, despite how hurt I am by the notion, but you never even asked about her?"
"If you get why I wouldn't want to bring up a topic like that, then why are you asking?" Kibe's father was always like this. Always nosy, always intruding, always prodding, despite being the cause of Kibe's issues to begin with. If he hadn't accepted this damn job, then Kibe wouldn't have had to abandon everything to come to this region.
"Because I'm worried about you!" His father's subordinates seemed unsurprised at the outburst; Sato was an emotional man, after all.
"Forget it. I don't want to talk about this right now. What happened to the Trainers we were fighting?" The man his father had called Whittaker spoke up.
"They got away. If I had time to Mega Evolve, I probably would've been able to stall the guy with the Metagross until we encircled them, but unfortunately he was just too fast." Kibe's heart sank. Not only had Kibe failed to beat them, but the group had gotten away as well. After all of the damage they had caused. Kibe walked over to Arienne and Virizion, and knelt in front of them. Arienne was covered in mud and scrapes; she seemed to have done a complete reversal from the pampered indoors girl she had been just yesterday. What had sparked this change in her? To her right, Virizion was a mess. It was tattered with burns, bruises, and more. It had fought seven Pokemon in a row, without rest. Kibe grit his teeth at the sight.
"...Virizion did protect her, you know. I saw it. The Metagross was attacking her, and Virizion took the blow in her place." His father walked up and put a hand on his shoulder.
"We'll need to interview both of you about what happened here today. For now, though, we'll do with just the data you guys collected." Kibe stood up and turned around.
"All of it? Not just the camera footage?" His father stared back at him, unyielding.
"Yes. Information can't be released about Virizion, not unless you want to take responsibility for the Pokemon."
"Dad, we were on a survey! This data would help petition the Association to stand against the continued development of the forest!"
"You think I don't know that? I was the one who assigned the mission to your professor in the first place. The data on the Inner Forest was always going to be confiscated by the Association. This investigation was going to be done by them in the first place, in which case it never would have seen the light of day to begin with." Kibe gasped. So this whole thing was a sham? The Association had been taking what were essentially bribes from the real estate industry to allow them to develop Skywheel. They weren't concerned in the slightest about the well-being of the ecosystem here.
"Dad, you can't do this!" Unnoticed by either of them, Arienne and Virizion began to stir.
"It's more like I don't have any other option but to do this. Believe me, I want to preserve this forest just as much as you do. Maybe even more. However, this incident would only further convince the Association that the Inner Forest isn't really secure. Virizion would likely be persuaded to move elsewhere. In its absence, the energy supporting this area's unique ecology would dry up, and the Pokemon would have to move elsewhere."
—
"...they can't go anywhere else! Where on earth could you find flocks of Archen and other rare Pokemon flying around?!" Arienne woke up to shouting. Bleary-eyed, she saw Kibe and another man arguing in front of her.
"There are plenty of places. Either way, you should take that up with the Association." Wait, where have I heard that voice before…
"Oh, I will. With the data you're trying to steal!" She could feel another person shifting around next to her. She turned on her side to look at them, and was face-to-face with Virizion, their eyes inches away from each other. Both of them were wreathed in a green light: she easily recognized it as Heal Pulse. Virizion blinked.
"I know you have a choice here, dad. You're Sato Uehara, one of the Vice Presidents of the Gearframe Corporation, and a member of its board of directors. You can definitely allow the survey to be done properly. You have that authority." Arienne was shocked. Kibe's dad was who?!
"Haaahh…fine. But only if you can get Virizion to agree. Look, they're both waking up now." Arienne sat up as Kibe hurriedly knelt in front of her. Beside her, Virizion sat up on its knees and let out a low growl, but not much else. Virizion hated humans, but seemed to be calmer since Arienne was there.
"...I'm fine. This Heal Pulse is fixing me right up. More importantly, Kibe…" She frowned and stared at her "partner".
"What?" Kibe was eyeing Virizion beside her, likely calculating the chances of Virizion attacking him.
"You've been making fun of me being a "rich girl" this whole time, but your dad is literally at the center of Unovan Pokemon society!" For the man behind Kibe was Sato Uehara, the Vice President of the Gearframe Corporation's Pokemon Technologies and Resources Branch. Arienne had spoken to him many times at various high society events, and they had gotten acquainted. Mr. Uehara smiled, and walked next to Kibe, standing in front of Virizion. Looking behind him, he beckoned some of the other people in the group over. Kibe was sputtering, with a red tinge on his cheeks.
"You and I are different!" Mr. Uehara laughed with a twinkle in his eyes as he addressed Arienne.
"How's your sister doing, Arienne? Any progress?" Arienne felt like a heavy weight had just pressed down on her heart.
"...None, unfortunately…" Mr. Uehara sighed. Kibe looked between the two of them, confused.
"I'm sorry to hear that. In any case, let me explain the situation to you and Virizion. The current state of things in this forest can't continue. The International Pokemon Association wants me to confiscate the data both you and Kibe have collected, in order to internally audit it themselves and decide what they want to do with this place. I can stay that order, though, and allow you guys to formulate a proper research paper from the data in your survey. However, for that to happen…" Here, Mr. Uehara looked at Virizion, who glared back at him. "...You guys need to capture Virizion." Virizion balked at that, startled. Arienne was shocked.
"HUH?! You want us to catch a Legendary? Is that even allowed?" Kibe spoke up as well.
"Wait, wait, wait, Dad. Arienne isn't nearly experienced enough of a Trainer to own Virizion. And I don't really have an interest in catching it." Virizion looked as if an arrow had gone through its chest at that, crushed that there was a human out there who didn't actually want it. Arienne was also incensed.
"And what is that supposed to mean, buddy? You think I can't do it? Huh? Mister "I'm so cool and strong that I have to do everything myself"?"
"I know you did a great job with these poachers, but neither of your Pokemon are trained. Owning a Legendary Pokemon is a massive responsibility. Dad, help me out here." Mr. Uehara laughed. Virizion was whipping its head back and forth between the people in the conversation. Behind them, the helicopter had landed and powered off by now.
"You're her research partner, aren't you? Why don't you help her? You're a skilled trainer: you can teach her about battling, help her gain experience, and so on. And to answer your question, Arienne, I'm the one who approves this kind of thing to begin with. As soon as you catch Virizion, the Association will notify my office to contact you. I'd give you a provisional approval for now, but you would need to come to my office to sign some paperwork. This is a bit premature, however…we first need to know what Virizion thinks of all this."
—
Contrary to what many people she'd encountered seemed to think, Virizion didn't hate humans. She disliked them as a whole, of course, but she knew that there were some humans worth trusting. She had met several in her life, one of which was right next to her. Without her help, Virizion would have been defeated much earlier on. It was only a distraction for a brief, fraction of a second, but it was enough. The boy had helped, too, of course, but the girl had fascinated her far more; primarily because of her lack of power. Virizion refocused on the conversation going on in front of her. The man with the Rhyperior was speaking to her.
"...want to make one thing clear, Virizion. If Kibe and Arienne fail, it's highly likely that this forest would be significantly reduced, and you would need to move." Virizion tensed. The forest would be destroyed?
"However, if you go with them, which would allow them to show the world how important this forest is, then it might still be saved. If you just can't trust them, then you can refuse, and I'll help relocate you and the forest's Pokemon someplace else. What's it going to be?" There were over a dozen humans around her now; she was feeling quite anxious. She had never really feared humans before, but today's events reminded her that she wasn't infallible. She looked around.
The boy was studying her, just as the others standing around her were. He was out; he was treating her like some dangerous object. Virizion totally didn't dislike him because he said he didn't want her. Nope. She was a force of nature, but she considered their behavior rather offensive. The girl, however…The girl looked at her, holding a Poke Ball in her hands. She had a timid look in her eyes, and her hands were shaking, but she clearly saw Virizion for who she really was. And that meant something.
"...D-do you want to be my partner, Virizion…?" Virizion closed her eyes. She had dwelled in this forest for years; it had been a long, long time since she had gone outside. It was hard to find places that were untouched by humanity these days. But…maybe she needed a new perspective. Her pride in isolation had nearly cost her freedom. And perhaps…perhaps she could find that Pokemon again, and thank it. The forest would be fine without her, for a time. So…she opened her eyes, and touched the Poke Ball in the girl's hands.
Click.
Into the Verdant Glade: Chapter End
—
Kibe mutely watched as the Poke Ball snapped shut. Virizion had been captured, and by the most unlikely of suspects. He stepped forward, and held out a hand to Arienne, who had been sitting the entire time. He pulled her up. A ding was heard from in front of them, and one of the Gearframe employees handed his father a tablet. He nodded, tapped something on it, and handed the tablet back. He then stepped forward, and shook Arienne's hand.
"Congratulations, Arienne. You have become Virizion's Trainer, and are provisionally the 8th owner of a Legendary Pokemon in Unova. You'll be expected at my office sometime in the coming week to finalize the paperwork." All of the Gearframe employees clapped and shook Arienne's hand. She looked utterly befuddled, and Kibe couldn't blame her. Despite the Heal Pulse he had received, he was still exhausted. If he, with all his training, felt that way, he couldn't imagine what Arienne felt like. Maybe I was wrong about her. After they were finished with that, Arienne sent Virizion back out, and most of the people present crowded around her. Kibe and his father walked towards the helicopter, away from everyone else.
"So, what now?" The sun was lower on the horizon now; several hours had passed since this ordeal began.
"As I said before, you'll need to organize and write a formal petition to the Association about the situation regarding the Inner Forest. You could also turn the data into a research paper, but that needs to happen after you submit the petition. The data on Virizion would be highly prized as well; it would be easy to author a high-impact paper with it. So? What do you want to do?" Kibe stopped and looked up through the opening in the canopy. A Dragonair was flying overhead.
"I think…I should help her. I honestly wanted nothing to do with her at first, but I've changed my mind. Even if she's idealistic, and maybe even materialistic at times, she's fundamentally a good person. I'll help her learn to be a proper Trainer to Virizion, and then we'll write that paper together." His father smiled.
"Good choice. It would be nice if you got a girlfriend for once. The last one was that rival of yours back in Sinnoh, right? What was her name again?" Kibe's mood soured. His one and only girlfriend had been a schoolmate and rival. They had raced with each other through the Gym Challenge, and battled in the Sinnoh League Quarterfinals. She beat him, and went on to win the entire thing. They had broken up when Kibe had to leave the region.
"Her name was Chiba. And I have no interest in getting another girlfriend. Anyways, are you going to take us back, or what? How is this going to work?"
"You still haven't moved on, huh…Well, I could fly you guys back to the University. But your Pokemon aren't in a good condition, and do you really want to trudge through downtown after all of this? I doubt that Arienne wants to take the long ride back to Nimbasa either. So, why don't you two stay the night in the family home?" Kibe was dumbstruck.
"What?! You want to invite her there?! I barely even know-"
"That sounds great! You guys have guest rooms?" Arienne had somehow snuck up behind him, and interjected perkily. Sato grinned, and spread his arms.
"Three of them, actually!" Kibe groaned. The idea of spending the night at a plush mansion in total relaxation as opposed to spending several hours traveling back to Nimbasa had enticed her. She hadn't heard what they were talking about earlier, so she had zero idea that she had been completely baited.
"Sold! But…what about our Pokemon? Is there a Pokemon Center near your place?" Kibe reluctantly had to answer.
"Haaah….Yes, but we don't need one. My dad invites people to the house quite often, and we have a battlefield in our backyard. As such, there's basically always a battle going on there during the evenings on weekends. So, he ended up investing in an actual restoration machine, like the ones they have in Pokemon Centers." Arienne's jaw dropped. Looking behind her, Kibe could see the Gearframe employees wrapping up their conversation.
"I've…never heard of anything like that before. Anyways, that means that everything's fine, right? I'll call Miranda and let her know! Give me the satellite phone." Arienne, with a radiant smile on her face, held out her hand expectantly. Kibe wanted nothing more in the world than to call her a spoiled brat and refuse, but something in her eyes told him that was an extremely dangerous choice. He wouldn't be surprised if she sicced Virizion on him right now; that was how badly she wanted this detour. He sighed again, and handed her the phone. Arienne skipped away, dialing the phone.
"Hey, Miranda? We aren't going to be able to come back…" Kibe watched her seal his fate with a dead look in his eyes. His father slapped him on the back.
"Don't look so gloomy. Lynn's home as well, you know? It's been ages since you've seen your sister, right?"
"...I guess so. I gave her a tour during orientation earlier this year, but that's it."
"Thought so. Anyways…Arienne calls your professor by her first name?" Kibe winced.
"That's just a thing that Dr. Foxglove insists on…I think Arienne is the only person who immediately started doing it, though. The professor calls her "Ari"." His father laughed out loud as the rest of the group approached them. Whittaker called to them.
"Sato, we're just about wrapping up here. What's the plan?"
"First, we need to go visit Kibe and Arienne's campsite, and help them pack up their things. Then, we'll drop them off at the entrance to Pinwheel Forest and head back to the office. We'll take the body camera footage from them, and start building a profile on the suspects who attacked Virizion. Call a vehicle to head to the forest entrance and wait for us." One of the employees, the woman with the Blisseys, nodded and started a phone call.
"Alright, sir…But are you going to let them onto the helicopter like that?" Kibe looked down: he was covered in mud and grime. His clothes and boots were a mess. He had been wearing body armor under his jacket, but that had done no good for keeping his clothes clean. His father nodded, and called over one of his other subordinates.
"Fortunately, we have a solution for that. Have Quagsire use Hydro Pump!" Kibe ate one final Pokemon attack to the face, leaving him drenched but clean. He laughed when he saw Arienne, still on the phone, get blasted as well. He had lost, sure, but they had won. Virizion was safe, and wasn't that what really mattered?
—
00 was fuming. The members of the "task force" he had hired were silent. Despite everything, they had barely, barely not been able to capture Virizion. Luckily, he had the initiative to obtain a sample such that it wouldn't be a complete loss, but he still was left with a sour taste in his mouth. This had felt like a waste of time and effort. The hovercraft zoomed through a tunnel under the mountains north of the Pinwheel Forest.
"...I'll give you sorry lot the opportunity to redeem yourselves soon enough. I didn't honestly expect you to battle the Gearframe Corporation's best, so I won't blame you for running. For now, just prepare as many skilled Pokemon as possible. The operation will occur during the Castelia University Invitational at the end of the summer." He looked at 01. "I'll contact you with further details when the time comes. You'll be working in conjunction with my own men."
00 didn't say anything else. He just consoled himself with the fact that this opportunity had essentially been a happy accident to begin with, and looked forward to the future. He would achieve his goals. No matter the cost. Even if he had to bring one of the largest cities in the world to the brink of catastrophe. He stared at his computer: he had received a classified notification that Virizion had been captured. When they arrived back at civilization, he placed a phone call.
"Miranda? Would you be okay to meet this evening? I wanted to talk about my project and the recent capture of Virizion…"
—
Peter finally, finally got a text back from Kibe. He was fine, but wouldn't be coming back to the apartment today. Peter had been quite afraid for his roommate when Lewis literally ran away from his lunch earlier that day, rushing back to the lab. Peter had read the room, and realized that he would only cause more chaos in whatever situation his best friend had been caught up in. He was back in the apartment now, preparing dinner. He wasn't planning on going out tonight; after the absolute whirlwind of a day Peter had had, he just wanted to relax on the couch and watch some TV.
He had gotten Lewis, Nathan, and Akira's numbers today, and apparently Akira had left the region to go back home for some reason. Luckily, the tryouts were being put on hold for a few days due to the coach, Whittaker getting busy with something, so the pair's performance in their matches wouldn't be harmed. Nathan was taking the opportunity to get some more hours in on his part-time job: he was a truck driver for the Gearframe Corporation, of all things.
Peter reflected on just how driven his friends were; Kibe, Nathan, Akira, and Lewis all had something they were chasing after. Lately, it had felt like Peter was spinning his wheels. However…he thought about the strange meteorite on his cabinet. The Delta Incident that engulfed his hometown. The coverup by the government afterwards, and the strange rumors surrounding the whole affair. Peter had chosen his professor for a reason. He would get to the bottom of what happened, and track down that supposed Trainer who met a Pokemon from outer space. But for now…Peter looked up from the kitchen, cooking finished.
Archen was sitting next to the window, watching the sun set over the Castelia skyline. Tyrunt was already preemptively lying on his preferred couch spot. Peter smiled. They were all exhausted after battling their hearts out. He plated his meal (stir-fried rice and vegetables with Rufflet thighs) and sat in front of the TV. Today was a special program: the "Masked Man" would be fighting in a Pokemon World Championships Hyper Class match against a member of the Hoenn Elite Four.
—
Akira took deep breaths. He could faintly hear the chants in the stadium; Goldenrod Stadium was the largest in the Johto Region, and the primary place where he accepted battles. He always got a bit anxious before big battles like this, despite his experience. His best friend was better than him in that regard. It'll be fine. You and your partner are the strongest. He was sitting at a table in a waiting room. Propped on the table were a Poke Ball, a black-haired wig, and a mask. The mask was based on the Legendary Pokemon Ogerpon, and he used it in all of his matches. He didn't have the confidence to reveal his identity to his friends. He had essentially stolen Nathan's Unova League victory earlier in the year, and hadn't really gotten over it. An official walked in and told him it was time to go. He put on his disguise and walked through the door, out onto the battlefield.
Chanting and cheering filled the air. People and their Pokemon both looked excited. The Masked Man of Goldenrod himself was fighting another battle, after all. He had the homefield advantage. Across from Akira, his opponent took his place: Drake, of the Hoenn Elite Four. A wizened old man, he was known for his fondness of sailing and Dragon Types. The referee walked forward.
"Welcome, Contestants Anonymous and Drake! This battle will be a Single Battle, with one Pokemon each. The match will conclude when one Trainer's Pokemon is unable to battle! Trainers, send out your Pokemon!" The PWC didn't acknowledge titles like "Masked Man", but they did allow Trainers to compete anonymously. Of course, they knew who he was; the PWC was run by the Association, after all.
"Go, Salamence!" Drake sent out Salamence, his ace. Around its neck was a suspicious necklace, with a stone inlaid to it. Akira's eyes narrowed through the mask; it was a Mega Stone. This would likely be his most difficult opponent yet. He had to push forward, however. He sent out his partner.
"Go, Entei!" Akira threw out the Poke Ball of his strongest party member: the Legendary Pokemon, Entei. The crowd roared. Entei was one of the crowning symbols of the Johto Region, and to have this veritable legend in the flesh represent their region was one of the best things Akira's fans could ask for. Akira would have to deliver on those expectations. He was under the weight of a lot of those these days. But Akira was determined. He would win both here and in the Invitational tryouts. He loved Entei, yes, but he also wanted to win battles as himself, not the Masked Man. He also…wanted to know what it was like to win something with his friends. The referee held out his hand. It was time.
"Get ready! 3! 2! 1! Battle…start!"
—
Lynn Uehara was painting on her balcony at home. The balcony was honestly more like a patio, to be honest; it had enough room for a chair, table and easel. Currently, she was doing a painting of a Mantine she had seen at the local aquarium. Her usual workflow was to first draw and color a sketch of what she wanted to paint, and then to paint it later on. She didn't want to brag, but she was a good enough artist to get a full ride to Castelia University's art school. Her paintings had been displayed at art shows, and she even did art for some books and video games. She had quite the portfolio.
It was getting late in the evening; the sun was pretty low in the sky, and it was just the right lighting to see better blues and greens. She wasn't getting cold, however, due to the summer heat. Her Pokemon, Snubbull, was asleep at her feet. It was sure to be a relaxing evening.
But then…she heard a ruckus. That in it of itself wasn't unusual; her dad was always dragging people over, and she had an overview of the battlefield: her balcony faced the backyard. She actually enjoyed the inspiration the battles gave her. No, what disturbed her was one of the voices she heard: it was her brother. The brother who left home when he didn't need to, had left her when he didn't need to. Just because he had an argument with their dad. Was that "quest" of his in Sinnoh really that important? Lynn had conflicting feelings about her brother; on the one hand, she loved him as family and adored him as a Trainer. Sometimes, it felt like Kibe could do anything. But on the other hand…Her rumination was cut off as the voices became discernable; they seemed to have been inside downstairs, and were coming outside now.
"...that battle was amazing! I don't think I've ever seen the Masked Man on the ropes like that!" Lynn dropped her brush. Hold on, Kibe of all people brought a GIRL home?! The girl walked outside first; she was dressed in a plain yellow shirt and leggings, and had long, brown hair tied up in a ponytail. Kibe-yes indeed, it was her older brother-strode out after her. He was like that: he always strode, as if driven by some inner purpose. He didn't really walk. Kibe was wearing a button-up shirt and trousers; it annoyed Lynn that her brother felt less comfortable in his own family's home than a guest did. That girl looks pretty familiar…where have I seen her before?
"That's why training is important. A Legendary Pokemon is strong, sure, but it needs to be trained just like any other Pokemon. Otherwise, it can be overpowered given the right circumstances…as we learned today." The pair had reached the battlefield; they were going to battle! Was this her brother's best idea of a date? The girl looked pretty solemn now; she nodded at Kibe's words.
"And of course…training goes both ways. The Trainer needs to gain experience as well. Decision making, strategizing, adaptability…these are all traits that a Trainer needs as well, Arienne. You have initiative, which is good, but you also need real experience to back that up." The girl, Arienne apparently, pouted and put her hands on her hips.
"Hmph, look at you, talking all cool. You got your ass kicked too, didn't you? I bet that we can take you anyways! That restoration machine was pretty handy; it's going to let me beat you right away!" Kibe chuckled at that, and took out his Poke Ball. Lynn already knew which Pokemon it was. Hmph. He used to have more, but he released all of them. He's so dramatic.
"Let's do this, Garchomp!" Garchomp emerged from his Poke Ball…lying down on the ground. Asleep. Kibe slapped his hand on his forehead; Garchomp had always had a lazy streak. Despite herself, Lynn laughed out loud. Both Trainers looked up at her. They apparently hadn't noticed her sitting there before now.
"Uh…who is that, Kibe?" Arienne was holding a Poke Ball in her hand as well, but hadn't sent her Pokemon out yet.
"That's my sister, Lynn. She's an incoming freshman to the University this fall. Hey, Lynn! How have you been?" Lynn took this opportunity to air some of her many, many grievances.
"I'm fine, thank you. I would feel even better if someone came home more often, however. You didn't even let me know you were coming home today, much less that you were bringing a girl over!" Arienne's face flushed at that, but Kibe just looked annoyed.
"Why does everyone in this family think like this?! She's not my girlfriend, and I didn't even invite her!" Arienne pouted yet again and pointed at him.
"You're having fun anyways, though, aren't you? You were definitely enjoying yourself when we were watching that battle together!" Kibe groaned, and snapped at Garchomp.
"Ughhh, whatever! Let's just do this already! Garchomp, wake the hell up!" Arienne finally smiled, and held her Poke Ball at the ready. She then paused and looked up at Lynn.
"I forgot to introduce myself, by the way. My name is Arienne Walters. I'm your brother's research partner at the University; we work in the same lab." Wait, what?! Lynn recognized that name; any girl in Unova her age would. "I would show-"
"Wait, you're the Arienne Walters? The girl who was on the cover of last year's Nimlucid Spring Catalog? The daughter of the Walters couple?!" Arienne was shocked, and then blushed and looked down. Kibe's jaw dropped.
"Wait, Arienne…you were a model before this?"
"Well, yes…I designed some pieces as well. But I've quit that line of work now. I've found something more important that I want to do with my life rather than continue the family business." Arienne's face straightened, and she looked directly at Kibe. She continued speaking while looking at him, and held her Poke Ball out.
"There is someone really important to me that I failed to help when they needed it. I joined the Pokemon College in order to find a way to save them. Audino and I will do anything to help them." When Lynn saw the look in Arienne's eyes…she just knew. Knew that Kibe and Arienne would get closer. He appreciated driven people, and disliked frivolous ones. The man himself was quiet at her declaration. He seemed to have pieced together what she meant. Arienne cocked back her arm.
"As I was saying earlier, I would show you my other Pokemon, but that might have to wait until later; they're utterly exhausted right now. For now, this will be enough." Lynn was curious as to which Pokemon she would be using. Judging by what Kibe was saying before about her not being an experienced Trainer, it's probably not anything special…
"This moment is the true start of my journey. Go, Virizion!" The name Lynn heard was completely unexpected. The Legendary Pokemon emerged, and it was beautiful. Radiant, even. It seemed to positively glow in the light of the sunset. The moment reminded Lynn of her first and only meeting with the Pokemon that inspired her to begin her artistic path. That Pokemon, too, had an incredible golden shine that had gleamed in the sunset. Indeed, Virizion was mostly green; and sunset was a great time to see that color. Even the ever-lethargic Garchomp had no choice but to stand up and ready itself for battle in Virizion's majestic presence. Lynn smiled, put aside her easel, and pulled out her sketchbook. She had just found some new inspiration.