Kanto Gets Loud
Chapter 58: The Ghost of Maiden's Peak (Part 2)
A little later, at a shrine,
A large crowd was gathered around a fairly large shrine near the cliffs. Lincoln and friends were situated at the front of the crowd, "Ladies and gentleman, welcome. To celebrate the End of Summer Festival, we will now display the Shrine of the Maiden's greatest treasure!" an elderly man wearing a shine priest's robes said, as he stood next to something covered by a sheet, "And joining me in presenting this treasure is the Shrine's Miko, and the Maiden's Peak Gym Leader, Yurei," he said, motioning to the girl on the opposite side of him. She looked to be about Lori's age, and was dressed in similar robes. She had short, brown hair, and stern, green eyes.
"So that's the Gym Leader," Lincoln quietly said.
"Ladies and gentleman. This painting has hung in the Shine of the Maiden for over 2,000 years. Once each year, the painting is removed from the shrine and displayed to the public for the festival," Yurei said.
"As I unveil the painting, please gaze upon it with reverence!" the elderly priest said, as he removed the sheet, thus revealing the painting. Everyone from Royal Woods and the Monster Realm were in awe of what they saw. It appeared to be a charcoal portrait of a beautiful woman, standing in front of the crashing waves of the ocean.
"Whoa," Blitz commented.
"That's the most beautiful portrait I've ever seen," Loona commented.
"Who's that?" Jessie asked from the crowd.
"She's cute," Meowth chimed.
"Huh, it's her!" James commented.
"But it… can't be!" Brock commented.
"Could the woman I saw on the pier be a descendant of her?" Rusty wondered.
"She's the most beautiful woman I've ever seen," Brock commented, as he began to approach.
"She's the girl of my dreams. Don't wake me up," James commented, as he approached as well.
"I got to get to know her better," Rusty commented, as he ascended the stairs along with the other two. The three of them were met with frying pans to the face.
"You mustn't get any closer!" Yurei chastised.
"The woman in this painting perished over 2,000 years ago," the elderly priest stated.
"2,000 years?" Brock parroted.
"The young maiden was in love with a handsome young man, but he left her to go fight in a war, and never returned. Yet, she waited for a very long time, hoping to see his ship on the horizon. Eventually, she had waited for so long that her body was turned into stone, just like the cliff in which she stood. To this day, she still waits for her love to return," the priest explained the story.
"Hmph, just like a man to leave a poor girl behind," Lori grumbled under her breath.
"Lori, shush! This story is obviously important to this place!" Rita quietly scolded.
"This rock, where is it? I've got to see it!" Brock pleaded.
"Well, you're in luck. Maiden's Rock is just behind the shrine," the priest said, pointing in the direction of the cliffs. Brock, James, and Rusty all quickly made their way over. The crowd began to disperse.
"Shall we go take a look?" Lincoln suggested to the Monster Princesses.
"Eh, might as well since we're here already," Gwendolyn replied.
"Not a chance, Stinkcoln! You still have a debt to repay us, and we're not going to rest until you've paid it in full!" Lori declared.
"Alright, that's it!" Rita took Lori by the arm, and dragged her off to the side, "Lori, I am getting sick and tired of this entitled attitude of yours! One more peep about a debt that Lincoln does NOT owe any of us, and I will have you sent back home, understand?"
"I'm just trying to make things fair for everyone," Lori feebly defended herself.
"That's the thing, Lori; The world isn't fair, for both men and women, and you and the rest of the family are no exceptions. Besides, the $300 we gave Lincoln DID technically belong to him, since it was HIS stuff we sold," Rita explained.
"But we deserved it way more than he could ever deserve it!" Lori argued.
"Ok, that's strike two. One more, and you'll be on a one-way trip back to Royal Woods," Rita warned, whipping out the notebook Lucius had given her, "And I'm quite eager to try this out."
"Hang on, could I try something with that?" Lori asked.
"By all means, but it won't work. Lilianna told me that the book only works for me," Rita warned.
"I'm calling bull on that," Lori stated, as she wrote something down in the book.
'Lincoln Loud must pay for $300 worth of stuff to each member of the Loud Family.'
However, nothing happened, "Hmm, guess it really does only work for you," Lori replied, as Rita took back her book.
"Indeed. And as I said, Lincoln has NO debt whatsoever, so just give it up already," Rita demanded, as she went over to join the others, who were looking at a rock just off the side of the cliff that looked identical to woman in the painting.
"It's the most beautiful rock I've ever seen in my life," Brock commented.
"Even as stone, she still has grace beyond grace," Rusty added. On the other side of the shrine, unbeknownst to the others, the Jessie was trying to keep James from going over the cliffs.
"I don't care if she is made of stone, I'm still in love with her!" he proclaimed.
"If she were my girlfriend, I would make sure she was never out of my sight!" Brock declared.
"I'd give her all the attention she could ever want!" Rusty added.
"There isn't a single power in this world that could take her from me! Not even Team Rocket! I would gladly go to war with them just to protect her!" James gushed.
"Would you snap out of it!? Beautiful or not, it's still only a rock! No one would ever want to steal that thing!" Jessie snapped, trying to pull back her blue haired compatriot.
"What about that painting?" Meowth asked. This caught Jessie's attention.
"The painting? Why would we want to steal that?" she asked.
"Well, priceless artworks like that are worth tons of dough. So, if we could steal it, we can ransom it off for big bucks!" Meowth replied.
"Ah, I get it! So, our next course of action as independent criminals is to grab that painting!" Jessie proclaimed.
"That's a wonderfully nasty idea and all Jessie, but could you grab me first?! I'm slipping!" James pleaded. Jessie acted quick to save James, but she was pulled over the railing, sending her plummeting into the ocean along with James.
"Hah, we're really slipping," Meowth groaned.
Back with Lincoln and company, they were all having their fill of the Maiden's Rock, "So, do you think what that old guy said about the maiden turning to stone is true?" Lola asked.
"Hard to say. Petrification is how many fossils are preserved over the millennia. Though I don't really know who she could've turned to stone by standing on that cliff," Lisa replied.
"It's usually gorgons that turn people to stone," Moxxie quietly commented.
"I highly doubt any gorgons would be on this end of the human world," Akuma replied.
"Well, no matter how it was formed, it is still a beautiful sight," Lincoln commented.
"Pfft, don't tell me you're going to start having the hots for rocks, Stinkcoln!" Lynn teased, only to receive irritated glares from everyone there, "What?"
"Well, no matter how she turned to stone, a rock is still a rock. What do you say we head back to the festival?" Lucius suggested.
"Sounds good," Rita replied, before noticing Brock and Rusty weren't budging from their spots, "Are they ok?"
"Don't know," Lincoln replied, walking up to them, "Hey Brock, Rusty? We're heading back to the Festival now. You want to come with?"
"You guys go on ahead. We'll catch up," Brock replied. Everyone exchanged perplexed looks with one another.
"Well, alright. You know where the Pokemon Center is, right? That's where we'll meet up at," Lincoln asked.
"Sure, it's by the port. I'll make sure Rusty and I make it back by curfew," Brock replied.
"Well, we'd still rather keep an eye on Rusty, since we did give our word to watch over him and the others," Bobby commented.
"You don't need to worry. I have my Pokemon with me, so I'll be fine," Rusty replied.
"C'mon guys. The two of them have made up their minds, and it's clear they aren't budging," Blitz commented, as they all left the shrine grounds.
Later that night, at the Pokemon Center,
The large group had just come back to the Pokemon Center, but there was still no sign of either Brock or Rusty, "Well, it is still a while before curfew. In the meantime, what should we do?" Lincoln asked.
"Well, we do need to go over the terms of the deal," Lucius replied, as he was seen carrying a small bag of festival souvenirs.
"Ah, right. Almost forgot about that," Lincoln commented.
"Like how you forgot that you're NOT going to go through with this since I don't approve of the arrangement?" Lynn Sr. asked, only to be ignored once again.
"What's this about a 'deal', mate?" Tabby asked.
"First, we should take this conversation somewhere with a bit less…. People around," Lincoln replied, looking over to see several other people besides them, "Just a moment, I'll ask Nurse Joy about any conference rooms in the Center," he said, heading over to the front desk.
"I'm guessing this 'deal' is something major?" Giggles asked.
"You could say it is. But, when you learn about the details, try not to freak out, alright?" Luan pleaded. Now Lincoln's friends were curious, and a bit concerned. Just then, Lincoln came back over with a Chansey.
"Nurse Joy said since there aren't any big business meeting happening in the Pokemon Center during the festival, we can use the Center's Conference Room to talk. Chansey will take us to it," Lincoln stated.
"Certainly. If you'll all follow me," Chansey said, leading them down a nearby hall. Along the way, Lincoln saw a Wonder Trade Room.
'Hmm, after this, I'll go and have another round of Wonder Trading,' he thought, as they arrived at the Conference Room.
"Please inform us when you're done using this room," Chansey requested.
"Will do. Thank you, Chansey," Lincoln replied, as the Egg Pokemon left them to the Conference Room. Once everyone was inside, Bobby was the first to chime in.
"Ok, so what's this 'deal' you keep going on about?" he asked.
"Well, first things first, young man, I feel you should see what we all truly look like," Lilianna replied, as Lucius undid the disguise spell, allowing them all to retake their monster forms. Lincoln's friends were shocked to see this.
"AAAH! SPIDERS!" Leni screamed upon seeing Gwendolyn and Rasha.
"Leni, Leni! It's ok, precious. These two are our friends," Rita reassured her second daughter, who was still trembling a bit at the sight of the two Arachne.
"Y-You're all monsters?!" Ronnie Anne exclaimed.
"Indeed, we are. To put it simply, excluding the three imps here, we're all royalty from the Monster Realm, with me as the Demon King, Lucius Magne, along with my lovely wife, Lilianna," Lucius replied, pulling his wife in close.
"Wow, this… is a lot to take in," Polly commented, sounding extremely overwhelmed with this revelation.
"I was just as surprised as you guys are," Lincoln replied.
"As were we," Luna added.
"Anyhow, the reason we came here was in regards to a deal our parents made with a woman by the name of Harriet Loud," Stolas explained.
"'Harriet Loud'?" Stella asked.
"Our Great Grandmother on Dad's side," Lincoln replied.
"Indeed. In exchange for a book containing spells from the Magne, Goetia, and Mayday Families, Harriet promised the hand of ONE son from her family in marriage," Elanor continued. Now Lincoln's friends were beyond flabbergasted.
"Ok, but if it has spells from those three families, then what about the others? Not to sound rude or anything, but what do they have to do with the deal?" Lincoln asked.
"Another excellent question. You see, while we did have the spells for the book, Harriet wanted a special seal placed on the book so that those who are not of her blood would be unable to use any of the spells. And each of the others provided materials to forge said spell book," Lucius explained.
"The Throne Family provided the leather binding that would be used for the cover," Wolfgang stated.
"The Fraser Family forged a seal on the book to keep it locked from those not sharing Harriet's blood," Minister Taur added.
"The Meridians spun silk to help attach the pages to the binding the Throne Family provided," Rasha added.
"And finally, to keep the magic on the pages inside the book, the Roketto Clan bathed the book in a special sake of our making," Akuma added.
"And thus, the spell book was forged," Lucius proclaimed.
"And you mentioned something about a spell that Lucy had cast that alerted you to my existence. What was the spell she cast, exactly?" Lincoln asked.
"Don't act dumb, Lincoln! You were clearly in on Lucy's little, selfish, self-righteous ploy to teach us a lesson we don't need to learn!" Lynn Sr. accused.
"Lynn, shut up!" Rita hissed, causing her husband to sink in his seat.
"Well, to answer your question, Lincoln, the spell that Lucy cast was one of the most powerful Curses that the three families had provided, the Karmic Misfortune Curse," Stolas replied.
"'Karmic Misfortune Curse'?" Misty parroted.
"To put it simply, it takes the misdeeds that a person was forced to endure, and turns it right back around on the ones that committed said misdeeds. In other words, it gives the afflicted parties a heavy dose of karma induced bad luck. And the only way to break the curse is to be forgiven by the person that you've wronged," Lilianna explained.
"One of the requirements to use the spell is a picture of the person who was wronged, then the curse attaches itself to those who committed the wrongs in the first place. In this case, Lincoln was the one who was wronged, and it affixed itself to everyone who had yet to earn his forgiveness," Lucy added.
"So that was the black mist I saw when talking Luna, Luan, and the twins," Lincoln murmured.
"So now that you know, how's about forgiving US already?" Lori demanded, standing by both Lynns.
"Depends… are the three of you genuinely sorry for what you did?" Lincoln asked.
"I already gave you an apology punch earlier. That's the only apology you're getting from me," Lynn proclaimed.
"And we're not going to apologize for a mistake YOU caused yourself! So, instead of expecting an apology you DON'T deserve, you should do what you're expected to do and forgive us! The sooner we're rid of this dumb curse, the better," Lori replied.
"I'm sorry, how am I required to just forgive you if you three don't even feel any sort of remorse for what you did?" Lincoln asked.
"Lincoln, your sister made an exceedingly simple request. Now, follow through with it, and forgive us," Lynn Sr. demanded, looking down on his son.
"And make it snappy! We've only got a year from the call from Cerulean City for you to break it or it'll become permanent!" Lynn demanded.
"No Lincoln… you shouldn't go forgiving them like that! It's clear they aren't going to learn their lesson," Rasha advised. Lincoln then turned to Lucius.
"Lucius… the Karmic Curse you told me about… is it possible to break the curse out of pity?" Lincoln asked.
"Technically, it is, though their luck won't improve any like the ones who did earn your forgiveness. If anything, it'll most likely still be rotten, but not to such a degree as it is now," Lucius replied.
"Lincoln, you're not going to give us pity forgiveness. Only proper forgiveness will be accepted," Lynn Sr. stated, only to get glares from everyone in the room, sans Lori and the younger Lynn, "What?"
"Well, Da… er, I mean Mr. Loud, I don't think you're in a position to be making such an idiotic demand of me," Lincoln coldly spat. Everyone was silent from shock at hearing what Lincoln had just said to his father. Even Blitz and Loona were taken about.
"Uh, you're not in a position to decide HOW you can forgive us, Stinkcoln! Now hurry up and give us our proper forgiveness, then you're going to get your sorry butt back home with us!" Lynn demanded, getting right in Lincoln's face.
"How about 'no'? Because much like my respect, or respect in general, the three of you don't deserve actual to be forgiven like the oth…" Lincoln didn't get a chance to finish, as Lynn went ballistic, tackling him to the ground and starting landing punch after punch, even scratching him at times as well. Lori came over and gave him a hard kick to the chest, sending him flying into the wall.
"Lincoln, this is literally not up to you to decide! Now we have to pummel you into the ground because of your selfishness! Why do you always have to make things so difficult?!" Lori yelled, as she and Lynn went to continue beating up Lincoln, when…
"ENOUGH!" both sisters were hurled into the wall farthest from Lincoln, and restrained by magic shackles created by Lucius, who glared angrily at the two. He then turned his attention to Lincoln, who was whimpering from the pain, "How is he?" he asked his wife, who went to Lincoln's side.
Lilianna held her hands over Lincoln's body, which began glowing green, "Several bruises where that little brat landed her punches, as well as scratches that broke the skin, and a few cracked ribs from that kick. This'll just take a moment," she replied, as the green glow intensified, and the whimpering Lincoln was making slowly quieted down.
"How you feeling, kid?" Loona asked.
"I-It doesn't hurt anymore," Lincoln commented.
"Well, that's good to hear," Charlie replied, as she helped him to his feet. Meanwhile, Rita stormed over to her daughters. She was absolutely furious.
"Lori, Junior, what the actual hell were you both thinking?!" she screamed.
"What do you mean? Lincoln brought that beat down upon himself by not forgiving us! And now we have to beat him up again because of that unauthorized healing he received," Lori declared.
"Lori…" Bobby said, his tone being eerily icy, as he walked over, "That was by far the worst of the worst things you've ever done to your brother, or anyone in your family!"
"No, it wasn't Bobby," Lincoln replied, which caused everyone to look at him dumbfounded.
"Lincoln, what are you saying?! Those two heartless monsters looked like they were trying to beat you within an inch of your life!" Misty exclaimed.
"She's right, Lincoln. Nothing can be crueler than that," Clyde asked.
"Not even wishing for me to be on the St. Anne when it went down?" Lincoln asked coldly. The tension in the room, as all eyes focused on both sisters.
"Lori… is this true?!" Leni asked.
"So, what if it is? Can you even blame us? His part in the curse Lucy cast, which he was CLEARLY apart of, had been making our lives a literal nightmare! He causes trouble for us even when he's on the other side of the world!" Lori proclaimed.
"And I stand by what I said! This world would've been a whole lot better without that rotten jinx!" Lynn added. She was then met with a pair of fists, directly from Polly and Margo. The impact caused her nose to start bleeding.
"How. Dare you even call yourself a sister?!" Margo snapped.
"You two are the worst of the worst sisters ever!" Carlota added.
"I am NEVER getting back together with you, Lori! EVER!" Bobby screamed.
"The Dad's not much better, you know?" Octavia commented, causing all eyes to fall on her.
"What do you mean?" Leni asked.
"She means that while they were wishing for your brother to die on the ship, your Dad just stood there, and watched them do it. Didn't even try to dissuade them form making such an awful wish," Gwendolyn explained.
"Makes me glad that I'll never have to call any of you my in-laws. EVER!" Ronnie Anne commented.
"What are you talking about, Ronnie Anne? You're going to marry Lincoln!" Lori yelled.
"No, I won't! I told you before that I like girls!" Ronnie Anne yelled back.
"No, you like Lincoln, and you're going to marry him, or the two of you are going to spend the rest of your lives as spinsters!" Lori declared.
"Well, if that's what you think, then allow me to try and bring an end to this little dispute once and for all," Lilianna volunteered, as she summoned a column of purple fire in the middle of the room.
"Uh, what is that?" Lincoln asked.
"The Flames of Romantic Compatibility. In short, they're flames that determine the compatibility levels of two or more individuals. All you have to do is stick your hand in them," Lilianna explained.
"But won't that cause us both to get burnt?" Ronnie Anne asked, sounding a bit nervous.
"You needn't worry. The flames themselves, ironically, have no actual heat to them. If the two of you are meant for each other, then the flames will go wild, and turn a brighter shade of purple. If not, then they'll move out of the way, trying to avoid touching either of you," Lilianna reassured.
"Well Ronnie Anne, there's only one way to end Lori's claims, once and for all," Lincoln said.
"I'll do anything to get her off our backs," Ronnie Anne replied, as the two of them approached the column. Plucking up enough courage, the two of them placed their hands in the column. Upon doing so, the flames spread out, looking like they were actively trying to avoid both of them.
"Well, there you have it. Lincoln and Ronnie Anne are NOT compatible romantic partners with each other," Lilianna decreed.
"What?! No, this can't be right! I won't accept this!" Lori yelled, only to receive a harsh slap from Leni.
"Lori, we all saw the same thing! Linkey and Ronnie Anne can't be boyfriend/girlfriend!" the normally kindhearted sister yelled.
"She's right, Lori. And now that this has been established, you are to give up on your self-appointed mission as a matchmaker!" Rita added.
"NO! I'll never accept this!" Lori yelled, only for Lucius to use his magic to wrap cloth around Lori's mouth.
"Well, that's one less migraine we have to worry about," he mused, before turning back to the flames, "And now, to see how Lincoln stacks up with each of the girls. Charlie?"
"Ok Dad," Charlie said, as she got up and walked over to the column, along with the others.
"Before we do this, Lincoln, I want to say that the time we spent at the festival was… enlightening," Miu commented.
"We've been able to get a good grasp on just what kind of a person you truly are," Verosika added.
"As it was for me as well. And I think I've been able to figure out the kind of people you girls are as well," Lincoln replied, as he and the girls each placed their hands in the flames. The column began burning wilder, and began glowing a brighter shade of purple.
"Well, now we know that Lincoln is a compatible fiancé for our daughters," Elanor commented. Just then, black smoke began to emerge from where Lincoln and the girls had their hands. Each cloud of smoke wrapped around each of their arms, leaving what appeared to be a tattooed ring on each of the girls, while Lincoln had received seven rings on his arm.
"Well, this is unexpected," Lilianna commented, sounding surprised, as she, Lucius, and Stolas went to examine the rings.
"Saying that this is 'unexpected' is an understatement, Lilianna," Stolas replied.
"What's with those rings on them? And do they come off?" Rita asked, not liking the sound her 12-year-old son having tattoos.
"I'm afraid these rings are permanent, Rita. And as for what they are, it would appear that your son is so compatible with each of the girls, that they've become linked to each other through these markings," Lucius replied.
"Ok, but what does that mean?" Lincoln asked.
"It means that you'll be able to call on them, simply by tapping each ring and calling them by name, and vice versa," Lilianna explained, letting out a small chuckle, "Well, this day has certainly been full of surprises."
"Come on, Vaggie, want to see if you're just as compatible with Lincoln as we all are?" Charlie urged her Mothman girlfriend.
"Uh, well, even though I'd rather have you to myself, I suppose it wouldn't hurt. Plus, it would give me a chance to make sure he doesn't try any funny stuff with you," Vaggie replied, as both she and Lincoln placed their hands in the column of fire. The flames, once again, whipped wildly, and turned a brighter shade of purple, "Oh, you have got to be joking," she said quietly in disbelief.
"Well, if it'll make you feel better, we can hold off on the whole 'fiancé' thing, and just focus on dating. That way, we can learn more about each other on a personal level," Lincoln suggested. The girls all looked at one another, seeing no faults in that idea.
"I have no qualms about that," Octavia commented.
"Nor do I," Gwendolyn added.
"Then, I guess we're all in agreement. We'll start off with dating, then work our way up to being full-fledged fiancés," Milt stated.
"How often should we have dates?" Miu wondered.
"Hmm, how about I take two to three of you out at least once a month?" Lincoln suggested.
"Sounds good, but there will have to be an exception, at least as far as Loona and Milt are concerned," Verosika replied.
"What kind of exception?" Lana asked.
"The two of them can't go out during a Full Moon. Animal type monsters, such as hellhounds and minotaurs tend to… get a little 'fresh' during that time," Verosika replied, causing a lot of the people there to blush.
"Ok, so dates during a Full Moon for Milt and Loona are out. Are there any other things I should keep in mind?" Lincoln asked.
"No, I don't think so. But if none of us come, it might mean we're too busy with something on our end," Charlie replied.
"Well, I do believe that wraps up the terms with the deal. So, what does everyone want to do now?" Lucius asked.
"Well, if it's not too much trouble, we'd like to stay here at least until Lincoln has his Gym Battle with that Yurei girl," Rita replied.
"An in person Gym Battle?! I'm all for that!" Lana exclaimed.
"Nope, not happening! I don't care what the rest of you say, I'm still the man of this house, and I say we're going back home to Royal Woods," Lynn Sr. proclaimed, glaring down at Lincoln, "And that means ALL of us!"
"Wouldn't you have to have authority over your kids to actually be considered the 'man of the house'?" Minister Taur asked.
"You, stay out of this! Furthermore, I forbid Lincoln to have any dates until he's able to be trusted again! Which won't be for a very long time!" Lynn Sr. stated stubbornly.
"Mr. Loud, I…" Lincoln was cut off when Lynn Sr. raised his hand.
"First of all, you are to address me as 'Dad', not 'Mr. Loud'. Secondly, don't bother saying anything, Lincoln! Anything that comes out of your mouth is a lie as far as I'm concerned!"
"But Dad, Lincoln's only here because WE did something awful to him!" Luan argued.
"That's right! And he's actually trying to qualify into that Pokemon League Tournament he told us about!" Rita added, sounding like she was close to having enough of her husband's attitude.
"Rita, that tournament is bound to have trainers that have probably had years of experience over Lincoln, just like his sisters have with all of their activities. As much as I hate to put him down, you have to admit, Lincoln just doesn't come off as…" Lynn Sr. tried looking for the right words to say, eventually coming up with, "…capable of winning anything."
That one comment caused Rita to throw her hands up in frustration, "Alright, that's the last straw!" Rita yelled, as she whipped out her notebook, and began writing in it.
"Lori, Lynn Jr. and Lynn Sr. are to return to Royal Woods without the rest of the family. They are also banned from entering any rooms that aren't their own and fiddling with stuff that isn't theirs."
As soon as she finished writing that sentence, a portal opened up to the Loud Residence living room. Lori, and both Lynns felt themselves being sucked towards the portal, "What's going on?! Mom, what did you do?!" Lori exclaimed.
"As I said, that was the last straw! I want the three of you to go back to Royal Woods, and stay there until we return!" Rita yelled.
"What?! Rita, at least tell my you're going to bring Lincoln back with you!" Lynn Sr. pleaded, as he hung onto a table leg.
"Lincoln is being allowed to continue his journey in Kanto! End of story! But you're in for it when I get back, Lynn! I am going to file for a divorce!" Rita yelled. Lynn Sr. couldn't believe what he was hearing. The Loud kids were all equally shocked as well to hear that the matter escalated this far.
"No, you can't do that! This is all Stinkcoln's fault! If he had just told the truth, none of this would be happening!" Lynn yelled.
"I wish I could be sorry, Junior, but you three have forced my hand!" Rita said unsympathetically.
"But, if it makes you feel any better, I'll still forgive you three out of pity. After all, how can I keep holding a grudge against people I no longer consider to be family?" Lincoln asked condescendingly. The black miasma partly left the three of them as they were all sucked through the portal, which closed as soon as they were all through, "Well, that takes care of that."
"That was pretty wicked on both your part and your Mom's, Lincoln," Haiku commented.
"Well, even if they do deserve to keep having a taste of real bad luck, I would rather them not have their lives ruined because of that curse," Lincoln replied.
"You're one in a million, bro," Luna commented.
"So, Rita, you wish to remain in Kanto long enough for you and your daughters to watch your son's Gym Battle in person, yes?" Lilianna asked.
"That's right," Rita replied.
"In that case, would it be too much trouble to ask if we could watch as well?" Stolas asked.
"I have no issue with that. Lincoln?" Rita asked her son.
"It would be an honor. Though, I do have to issue a challenge to Yurei first. Maybe while we're at the festival tomorrow, I can track her down and challenge her," Lincoln replied.
"Sounds like a plan. Now, what are we going to do about lodging? I doubt this Center has enough rooms to accommodate us all," Akuma asked.
"Leave that to me. I'll use my magic to increase the size of one of the rooms for our stay here so everyone can sleep easy," Lucius replied.
"Of course, the girls will have a separate room from Lincoln, right? Because, even though they are fiancés," Rita turned to the Monster Princesses with a menacing look on her face, "If any of them tries anything with my little boy, there will be consequences!"
"Uh, d-duly noted, Mrs. Loud," Charlie replied, as she and the others were unnerved by how menacing Rita was.
"And the same goes for you, Lincoln! I don't care if you're legally considered an adult, you are NOT engaging in any illicit activities with these girls, or any others!" Rita said to Lincoln with the same menacing tone.
"D-D-Don't worry, Mom, I won't do anything like that with them until I'm at least 18!" Lincoln fearfully said.
"Hmm, I'd much rather you wait until you're at least 21," Rita commented.
"So, in the meantime, should we just mingle?" Tabby suggested.
"That sounds lovely. It would give all of you a chance to get to know these nice folks a bit better," Rita replied.
"Hey Lincoln?" Misty asked, approaching Lincoln, a blush on her face.
"Yes, Misty?" Lincoln asked.
"Those Flames that Lilianna woman summoned," Lincoln put a finger up to Misty's lips, stopping her from talking.
"Say no more," Lincoln replied, as he went over to Lilianna, who was getting ready to put out the flames, "Lady Lilianna?"
"Yes? And please, you needn't with the pleasantries. Just refer to me as 'Lilianna'," Lilianna asked.
"Ok. Anyhow, before you put out the flames, my friend would like to check something with me," Lincoln replied. Lilianna smiled warmly.
"Then by all means," Lilianna replied, stepping off to the side. Both Lincoln and Misty placed their hands into the flames, which burned more wildly, and glowed a bright purple, "Well, looks like the two of you are compatible after all!" Lincoln and Misty both blushed, holding their hands closer to themselves.
"What about you girls? Any of you wish to try?" Rasha asked Girl Jordan, Stella, Carlota and the others.
"Eh, I think I'll pass," Margo commented.
"Yeah, I like Lincoln and all, but not in that way," Polly added.
"Same," Giggles added.
"Ditto," Tabby chimed.
"It might be worth my time," Haiku responded, as she approached the flames with the others. Haiku was the first to place her hands in the flames with Lincoln, which caused them to burn wildly, and glow a brighter purple, "Whoa," she said with hardly any emotion. Carlota, Stella, and Girl Jordan repeated the process as well, and each time yielded the same results.
"Wait, so we're ALL compatible with Lincoln?!" Girl Jordan exclaimed with a blush.
"Hey, I'm not complaining. The kid is cute after all," Carlota replied, blushing as well.
"My, my, Lincoln certainly is the ladies man," Rita chuckled.
"Well, now that we've gotten that out of the way, I'm going to head over to the Wonder Trade station!" Lincoln said, his tone sounding like he wanted to get out of there before things got more awkward.
"'Wonder Trade Station'? What's that?" Wolfgang asked.
"Well, if you'll follow me, I'll show you," Lincoln replied. Lucius once again cast the disguise spell, allowing them all to exit the Conference Room. Lincoln led them to the Station just down the hall.
"Whoa, talk about big!" Sam commented.
"Yep. This place is great for trainers to try trading for really rare Pokemon," Misty replied, as Lincoln walked over to the machine. He then whipped out his Pokedex, and used the Pokemon Box Link function to swap out four of his Pokemon for the four he caught earlier that day.
"Fascinating! How does that work?" Lisa asked.
"I think Dexter links up to my Storage Boxes, which then allows me to swap out Pokemon I have in my party for ones in storage. I don't know all the details, really, but hey, if it works, why complain?" Lincoln asked rhetorically, as he began Wonder Trading. The four Pokeballs he sent off were replaced with a Great Ball, a Love Ball, a Lure Ball, and a Dusk Ball, "Alright, now lets see what I got!" he said, as he sent out his four, newly acquired Pokemon.
From the Great Ball emerged a beautiful, white wolf like Pokemon with a crescent shaped horn on the side of it's head. From the Love Ball, emerged what appeared to be a white, unicorn like Pokemon with a cotton candy like mane and tail. From the Lure Ball emerged a large, orange crab Pokemon with a single, oversized claw. From the Dusk Ball emerged a small, yellow, humanoid Pokemon with a pair of large, jaws growing from the stem on it's head.
"Absol, Ponyta, Galarian Form, Kingler, and Mawile have been registered to your Pokedex," Dexter stated.
"Whoa, is that a unicorn?!" Lola exclaimed, looking at Ponyta, who looked a bit timid.
"And just look at the size of this one's claw!" Millie added, looking at Kingler.
"Is that all there is to this Wonder Trading stuff?" Luan asked.
"Yep. You can randomly trade with other Trainers from all over the world. That being said, lets take a look at what exactly these four are about," Lincoln replied, pointing his Pokedex at each of them.
"Absol, the Disaster Pokemon, a Dark Type. With it's crescent shaped horn, it senses oncoming disasters and appears before humans to warn them. However, many people mistake it as a harbinger of doom. This Male Absol is Level 37, and knows the moves Double Team, Slash, Night Slash, Swords Dance, Taunt, Focus Energy, Razor Wind, and the Egg Move Zen Headbutt. Absol is also holding Absolite.
Ponyta, Galarian Form, the Unique Horn Pokemon, a Psychic Type. This Pokemon will look into your eyes and read the contents of your heart. If it finds evil, it promptly hides. Its small horn contains a healing power that can heal any slight wound when rubbed against it. This Female Ponyta is Level 36, and knows the moves Fairy Wind, Heal Pulse, Confusion, Psybeam, Stomp, Agility, and High Horsepower.
Kingler, the Pincer Pokemon, a Water Type, and the evolved form of Krabby. It's oversized claw is very powerful, but when not in battle, it just gets in the way. The weight of the claw also makes it difficult to aim. This Male Kingler is Level 40, and knows the moves Razor Shell, Protect, Bubblebeam, Stomp, Mud Shot, and the Egg Move Haze.
Mawile, the Deceiver Pokemon, a Steel and Fairy Type. Its huge jaws are actually steel horns that have transformed over time. It uses it's cute appearance to lure in unsuspecting prey, and then chomps down on them with the jaws. Because they can't taste anything, Mawile uses them to eat food it doesn't like. This Female Mawile is Level 39, and knows the moves Iron Head, Iron Defense, Sweet Scent, Crunch, Fairy Wind, Icy Wind, and the Egg Move Poison Fang. Mawile is also holding Mawilite," Dexter explained.
"Awesome!" Lincoln commented.
"So, are you planning on keeping, what was it called, Ponyta?" Blitz asked.
"I see no reason not to keep it. I like giving all new Pokemon a chance on my team," Lincoln replied.
"You have officially become my new favorite person!" Blitz exclaimed.
"Blitz really likes horses," Wolfgang whispered to the others. Lincoln then approached his new Pokemon.
"Hey there, guys. My name's Lincoln. Starting today, I'm going to be your new trainer," Lincoln introduced himself to his newest Pokemon. Mawile looked to take an immediate liking to Lincoln.
'Hmm, not a bad looking human,' she thought.
"Please to meet you, Lincoln," Absol replied.
"I hope this claw of mine won't be too much of a hinderance to you," Kingler commented, slamming his claw on the ground, causing it to shake.
"Loving the enthusiasm, Kingler," Lincoln replied, as he then looked over to Ponyta, who cautiously approached, "It's ok, Ponyta, you needn't worry. I'm a very nice person," Ponyta then looked deep into Lincoln's eyes.
"Hmm, you are a selfish individual, but you do have bouts of selflessness as well, and lack any evil completely. I will gladly put my trust in you, my new trainer," Ponyta replied.
"Thanks for that, Ponyta," Lincoln replied, before turning to Mawile, "What about you, Mawile? If I count on you, will you count on me?"
"Certainly, cutie," Mawile replied.
"Well, alright then!" Lincoln happily said.
"By the way, what was that contraption you used to get information on them?" Moxxie asked, pointing to the Pokedex.
"This? It's a Pokedex. It gives me helpful information on Pokemon, be it their biological data, move sets, etc. It also helps me keep track of any Pokemon I've previously caught," Lincoln replied.
"As of this moment, Lincoln had captured 55 different species of Pokemon, including ones that have evolved from a previous stage," Dexter explained.
"55 Pokemon?!" Lana exclaimed.
"Well, to be fair, some of those are, as Dexter stated, evolved from previous stages, as well as ones that I've Wonder Traded off," Lincoln replied.
"Even so, catching that many must not have been easy," Sam commented.
"It was a bit challenging at times, but I managed to make it through," Lincoln replied, as he recalled his new Pokemon, "On an unrelated note, I wonder if Brock and Rusty made it back yet?"
"It is almost curfew. We should go and check," Misty suggested, as they all exited the Wonder Trade room, and made their way to the Lobby, only to find no sign of either of their friends.
"Where could they be?" Ronnie Anne wondered, as the shutters began to close.
"No, wait! Brock and Rusty are still out there!" Lincoln went to rush for the doors, only to be held back by Nurse Joy.
"Now hold it right there, young man! Staying out late is NOT good for your health! It makes you extremely crabby and irritable as well!" she said in a scolding manner, just as the shutters closed completely.
"There's no helping it. We're going to have to search for them in the morning," Liam said.
"But lets not mention this to Rusty's Dad, alright? We did give our word that we'd keep an eye on him," Bobby pleaded with the others.
"Don't worry, Bobby. And besides, we know Rusty. He's not the kind of guy to just up and ditch us to go off on his own," Ronnie Anne replied. All the while, Lincoln couldn't help but look out the window, wondering where his friends were at.
Meanwhile, near the Shine of the Maiden,
Hanging from the trees in sleeping bags, the Ex-Rockets were sleeping soundly. Just then, an alarm clock began ringing. Meowth reached into his sleeping bag, and pulled out an alarm clock, "Oh, that time already?" he asked nobody in particular. He then turned to his cohorts, "Wake up! Time to steal the painting!" he yelled, only to be ignored, as Jessie and James continued to sleep.
"Mmm, I need my beauty sleep," Jessie said in her sleep.
"You're so beautiful… I'm coming to you… I must meet you," James said in his sleep as well. Meowth glared irritably at the two of them, just as a gust of wind whipped through the area, causing Meowth to yelp. The clouds began moving in, blotting out the moon in the sky, just as the doors to the shrine flew open. An ethereal figure appeared, and floated out onto the steps of the shrine, "What's that?" Meowth asked, only to immediately realize it was the ghost of the maiden. He screamed upon seeing it, but upon making eye contact with a strange wave emanating from the ghost, he promptly fell back asleep, "Must be dreaming… back to sleepy," he dozed, as the ghost floated over to them, focusing solely on James.
"My love… I'm waiting for you," the ghost said. This caused James to wake up.
"Hmm? Who's that?" James asked, looking down at the ghost, who smiled back at him, "It's you! It's really you!" he exclaimed. Meanwhile, on the cliff where Brock and Rusty were sitting, they were still gazing out at Maiden's Rock.
"2,000 years," Brock commented.
"Doesn't seem like a long time, but it really is," Rusty added. Just then, they turned to see the ghost of the maiden.
"I've been waiting for you, for such a long time," she said.
"It's you! It's really you!" both Brock and Rusty exclaimed. The ghost nodded, as the waves crashed on the rocks below.
Team Update:
Lincoln: Absol (New Pokemon)
Galarian Ponyta (New Pokemon)
Kingler (New Pokemon)
Mawile (New Pokemon)
