[Predict the Next Person to Post]

I'm coming to save you, princess~ 

Maybe Angelkitsune will lend me a hand in this rescue!

[Flannery in Reborn - The Tale of a Firehead [Last defeated: Aster & Eclipse]]

On 7/15/2022 at 7:13 PM, Evi Crystal said:

Alright first of all I'm very happy to see a new chapter of yours and hope you're feeling and doing better now these days than before^^

 

Okay then, this chapter send me some spins down maybe because of said one picture and said flashback. Then I actually feared Flannery was going to be at jail, but luckily Doumia saved the day. For now at least...

 

Also her picking Torchic was such a sweet moment to say^^

Thank you Evi! Yes, it's been quite a while since I haven't uploaded an episode but it never really was left behind. Just inactive like an old volcano. And I'm doing pretty fine these days indeed! I got my degree and I found a job that isn't too energy-consuming, so I can still enjoy my free time without worrying about anything.

 

And yeah, the fact that Flannery couldn't feel at peace and got the sensation of being cornered to the point of reconsidering her goals and ways of acting was a core element of this last episode, but I'm never empty-handed when it comes to twists and turns. With Jacques out of the game, I thought it could be an appropriate moment for Flannery to get support from someone else. But from there to make Dounia Flannery's new travel companion is still a big step to take. This will be another case to follow and I'm currently wondering if I will really make it happen! Also, I'm also glad to know that you enjoyed the moment when Flannery was choosing a starter! I couldn't resist to add a touch of nostalgia in this ruffian's world ^^ Now that we mention it, it turned out that I actually thought a lot of Shelly when I created her child version in the childhood arc. By the way, even if the flashback and the apocalypse pictures might look scary, I encourage you to enlarge them by clicking on them. You could notice several details that I slipped into them 

[Flannery in Reborn - The Tale of a Firehead [Last defeated: Aster & Eclipse]]

 

Spoiler

As noon approached, Flannery’s mission was complete. Thanks to the help of Julia, Florinia and Fern, nothing remained of Team Meteor’s hideout in Peridot Ward. The Mosswater Factory was totally destroyed. Although she didn’t manage to arrest one single grunt of the dangerous organization, Flannery was comforted shortly after by Julia who invited the redhead to challenge her in the Neo-Circuit Power Plant. Flannery gladly accepted the offer of the bubbly cheerleader, but before to proceed further, she had to make a report to Ame on the advice of Florinia. The fiery girl also had to bring her back the briefcase robbed by Team Meteor. This one was containing all the stolen starters. Also, since she wasn’t fully satisfied because of some sensitive events that had occurred during the raid, Flannery was on her way to the Grand Hall with mixed feelings.

 

 

Flannery: (Finally, it’s over! It was definitely one of the worst ordeals I’ve ever experienced, but it’s done now. The least I can say is that Julia is really a good person. This is such a nice gift from her to invite me in her gym for a battle. And yet… I’m not as comfortable as I would like to be. This struggle with these grunts in the factory has left traces that won’t fade away before a long time. I hate acting like I did but I really felt like I was pushed over the edge. It’s sad to admit, but it’s just as if I have become another person right from this moment when I came back to my senses next to Ame in the train station. Or maybe it was my true self from the very beginning. I don’t know. But one thing is certain, I can’t afford to scratch my enemies’ back when I know they took out so many lives yesterday. There were probably children on board. Elderly… Couples… Trainers like me… And they just vanished! Poof! Disappeared! Hopes and dreams reduced to ashes forever! And the most freaking part about this is, it could have been me in the explosion too! It’s just a shame I didn’t manage to take me one prisoner to interrogate. Fortunately, there will be another occasion for it. However, I have some eerie feelings about our next encounter. I don’t want to deal with them again. At least, not too soon and not alone!)

 

Everything became blurrier for Flannery. The redhead was unsure as to the rest of her stay in Reborn since things turned out to be much different from her initial expectations. With Team Meteor operating in Reborn and her guide who had gone missing, she knew she would have a hard time to get mentally ready for what was going to happen next. Then, as she was heading to Opal Ward, Flannery suddenly made the link between what Julia told her in the factory and the school that Jacques had mentioned in his personal story during the train trip.

 

Flannery: (Hm… hey! Now that I think of it, didn’t Julia say she had spent several years in the Onyx Trainer School in the past? If I remember well, Jacques told me yesterday that he had studied for two years in the exact same school. Did they know each other? Were Jacques and Julia students together? After all, he almost has the same role as her and Florinia in the Reborn League. I should ask Julia or Florinia the next time I meet them. Hopefully, they will give me the answers I need and maybe these will help me to find out what kind of person Jacques really was. Anyway. No matter what happens and who he is, answers will have to wait for another time. I have more than one priority to deal with for the moment. Let’s bring this briefcase back to Ame instead.)

 

Not wishing to waste more time in theorizing, the firehead continued her way to the Grand Hall. Back to Opal Ward, she walked up the steps leading to the overwhelming building and went in without further delay. Ame was waiting for her inside, standing in the middle of the main hall. Flannery greeted her and tried to start a conversation with her.

 

Flannery: “Hey Ame! I’m back from my mission. I inspected the factory and found back the starters just like you ordered me. Uh… Ame?”

 

 

But strangely, the white-haired Champion didn’t reply immediately. She who used to be smiley and encouraging didn’t look very enthusiastic this time. There was a bewildered expression on her face. The type of expression that people show when they attend a funeral. Ame’s face was covered of it and it didn’t escape the attention of the redhead who was back from her eventful mission. After a short period of silence, Ame eventually replied to the fire girl.

 

Ame: “Hello Flannery. I hope everything went smooth on your end. Sadly, the same can’t be said for me and my men. We have another problem on our hands and I would like you to come with me. Can you give me the briefcase, please?”

Flannery: “Of course, here it is. But… what is this problem about? Does this have something to do with me?”

 

The redhead handed over the briefcase to Ame who took it without answering Flannery’s question. Instead, she just invited the fire girl to follow her.

 

Ame: “This is very important and I actually hoped you’d be back so we could discuss it together. I would really appreciate if you told me how things went off in the factory, but this will have to wait for another time. Would you follow me, please?”

Flannery: “Sure I do.”

 

Something was off in the Grand Hall. It was as if the Champion was confronted with another issue that required the presence of the young ambassador. Having no idea of what it was and feeling not right to ask anything, Flannery silently followed Ame near the office even though she had some eerie feelings. Her apprehension was amplified as Flannery noticed the couple of policemen that she had previously met on her way back from her training in Opal Ward. They looked quite eager to see her again, but not in a cheerful way.

 

 

Policeman 1: “Ah, finally! It’s been a long time, Miss Moore.”

Flannery: “Hello, sirs. So, can you tell me what’s happening here exactly? I’ve been told by Ame that you and her were dealing with another trouble. What can I do for you?”

Policeman 2: “Not much except coming with us and answering our questions. You’d better check out for yourself what we’re referring to.”

Flannery: “What do you mean by that? And how does that single me out? I don’t understand a single word of what you’re saying.”

Policeman 2: “Oh, you don’t? Really? Well. We’ll see how your memory will flood back once you’ve seen this.”

Flannery: “What you…? *gasp*”

 

Just as she looked to her left, Flannery quickly understood what made her interlocutors so concerned. The blond boy with the blue jacket was lying unconscious on a stretcher. He was as stiff as a board, his face almost doubled in size. His eyes gave the impression they were looking into space, totally lost and unresponsive. Only his jaw was moving. It was shaking weakly, as if it didn’t know if it should be opened or closed. The two thugs from earlier were present too, standing close to their banged up comrade. Flannery was particularly shocked by what she saw.

 

 

Policeman 2: “People outside claimed that they’ve heard a thumping sound early in the morning and shortly after we ran into you at the foot of the bridge, me and my colleague have seen this poor guy on the ground. He was unable to move… and he still is.”

Policeman 1: “We’ve been acknowledged by these two men over here that a violent altercation had occurred on the top of the Opal Bridge. Turbulent conversations about threat and physical aggression. We would like to take note of your attestation since we’ve heard from them that you apparently have something to do with the bad shape of their friend. Do you recognize this man?”

 

When the officers asked her if she and the hotshot had already met somewhere, Flannery could barely say a word. Instead of speaking and having no way of responding because of the guilt that was building up inside of her, the redhead just put her hands on her forehead with embarrassment and fear. It didn’t take long for her to realize that she made a blunder that was probably going to cost her a lot. She could feel her stomach gurgling, but it had nothing to do with hunger. Flannery didn’t see a way out. She was cornered. The two companions of the debilitated boy could sense the restlessness that was overwhelming the fire girl, much to their greatest delight.

 

Flannery: (…)

Thug 3: (You won’t get away this time, you punk!)

Thug 2: (Come on! Try to play tough again! Let’s show us how admirable and authentic you are as a vigilante!)

 

Irritated by Flannery’s silence, one of the policemen repeated his question a second time.

 

Policeman 1: “Will you answer to us? There are witnesses in front of you. They said they saw you punching their fellow in the face deliberately. Is that true?”

Flannery: (It can’t be possible. I can’t accept that this is happening for real. I made this whack job a cripple and I’m going to get arrested because I wanted to take justice in my own hands. If only a vanishing force could take me here and now, I would embrace it without a thought. But nothing can help me, right? I’m lost if I tell the truth, I’m lost if I don’t. This is gonna be the worst day of my life.)

 

Everybody was still waiting for Flannery to speak, but she didn’t know what to do at all. There was no doubt for all those around the firehead that she was involved in this affair.

 

Policeman 1: “You’re not ready enough to shoulder the weight of your fault, am I right? I know I can’t get anything from you just by waiting. So, we’ll proceed in another way. I invite you to get close to this guy. Right now.”

 

Flannery timidly approached the hotshot who was still in critical condition. He didn’t seem to react to the presence of the redhead.

 

 

Flannery: (How horrible! Why am I forced to live with this?)

Policeman 1: “Look at him! Look at him! You see this person right there? I want you to concentrate on his gaze. Nothing but his gaze. You’re not allowed to blink, I tell you. Now, focus. Look into his eyes and tell us what you see!”

Flannery: (…)

 

As Flannery reluctantly stared into the eyes of the hotshot, she progressively felt herself being engulfed by a ghastly stream of remorse and destructive sensations. Physically, she was still in the Grand Hall with Ame and the others. But psychically, she was dragged into another plan. A mysterious, cold and surreal landscape of her own creation influenced by the most tortured facets of her subconscious. Sucked up by the bottomless void of what seemed to be a blank stare at first, the redhead was actually going to penetrate into a room filled up with pictural representations of the most traumatizing memory of her childhood. A chronological reconstitution of a sad day when everything went from laughter to tears for her and her parents.

 

==================================================================================

FLASHBACK SCENE

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FLASHBACK END

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After several minutes of deep thoughts and sad memories, these shattering pictures that the firehead was so afraid to see again eventually recede into the distance and disappeared from her sight. Back to the present time, she took a step backwards and raised her head in the direction of the policemen, completely disheartened. Too overwhelmed by the harsh reality of her human condition, Flannery cracked, bringing her suspenseful silence to an end.

 

 

Flannery: “So this is what I’ve been this whole time, right? The type of person who is unable to think beyond the force of their fists and spreads pain on instinct. I’m a scum?”

Policeman 1: “I don’t know what you are, but I know what you did. Haven’t you seen it yet? Because of you, the life of this man won’t be the same again. Because of what you did, he can’t speak anymore, he can’t eat anymore, he can’t walk anymore, he can’t think anymore!”

Flannery: “No… this is not what I wanted. This is not fair!”

Policeman 2: “Because you think it’s fair to live with the damage you’ve caused? Whether you’re sincere or not, I hope you realize you’re not the only one who didn’t want this to happen.”

Policeman 1: “Now listen to us, miss. We are aware of your status as an ambassador of Hoenn and we know what it means to you. Until now, your arrival in this town as a foreigner was tolerated with all the honors that are due to you. But this time, we won’t help you. Our tolerance has its limits, and this applies to all the citizens of this city. Yes, all of them. And no one, you hear me, no one should be treated like this. Mistakes of this magnitude can’t go unnoticed. So, you’ll come with us and remain silent until we get to the police station in Jasper Ward for your indictment.”

Thug 3: (BOOM! This is what you get, bitch! An end worthy of the smegheads of your kind.)

Thug 2: (Accept it. You’ll never have the last word with us, whoever you are. Have a nice stay in jail, you twat!)

 

Suddenly, just as Flannery realized that the unyielding hand of the law was closing in on her, she snapped out of it, took her courage in both hands and tried to describe her version of the facts. She refused to let anyone believe that she was the only one to blame in this case.

 

Flannery: “Uh, ok… just… wait! I know… it’s true, I admit it! I am the one who attacked this man you see on the stretcher, but there are things you all need to know about him and his buddies before my incarceration. Believe me or not, it would be wrong if you didn’t allow me to tell you what I have witnessed on the top of the bridge this morning. Maybe then, you’ll be less protective of those you’re currently taking the defense of. I insist, you must know who they are and what they did.”

Policeman 1: “You’re loosening your tongue by yourself! Great, I can’t wait to hear your explanation to justify your actions. But I have to tell you, you’ll need rock-solid arguments to convince us, me and my colleague!”

Flannery: “These guys must have convinced you that they were the only victims in this story. Trust whoever you want, but you have to understand that there is no smoke without fire! And despite me being a former fire Gym Leader, I assure you that this time, it wasn’t me who drew the first sparks. I’ve seen horrible things that could upset anybody that has even a tiny bit of common sense. All I wanted to do this morning was to help for the reeducation of my Pokemon. I didn’t go out for taking someone bare-handed in the first place.”

Policeman 2: “Really? So, what exactly are these horrible things you’re talking about?”

Policeman 1: “Our patience is not infinite, so please, get to the point while it’s still possible.”

Thug 2: (Don’t even think you can make them believe anything!)

Thug 3: (Give up already, girl! It will save us a lotta time!)

Flannery: “You’re sick of waiting? Me too, so let’s get the truth out! These three guys are Pokemon abusers. I’ve caught them beating a Zigzagoon on the east side of Opal Ward after I had some battles with the other trainers. And this hotshot that I knocked down is the one responsible for the suffering of the poor thing. He whipped a Zigzagoon with his belt and had also hurt one of my own Pokemon on purpose.”

Policemen 1 & 2: “…”

Flannery: “My reaction may have been disproportionate, I assume that Pokemon have the right for justice too, which doesn’t seem to be the case in this city. Attending such atrocities twice in less than 24 hours was enough to encourage me in this belief.”

 

While Flannery was explaining in detail what truly happened behind the scene she attended in the morning, Ame, who remained silent all this time, eventually entered into the conversation. Indeed, she already stated that the issue discussed by the firehead was one of her most important matters of concern.

 

Ame: “And this is actually a crucial point we’re trying to consider for a few days now. If I may have the permission to speak, I would like to let you all know that a reintroduction program has been initiated in the vicinity of Opal Ward very recently. With the voluntary contribution of our best breeders in touch with Hoenn, we had the opportunity to repopulate the yard of the Grand Hall with about six young Zigzagoon, which is not a huge number. Needless to say, they are listed on the official endangered species list. Additionally, this information has been provided to the public for over a week. If brutalizing Pokemon in the wild for free is obnoxious, jeopardizing protected species is even worse. This can in no case be tolerated. By the way, rumors mentioning Pokemon abusing in western districts of the town have come down to me as well, and those are becoming more and more frequent.”

 

The policemen looked at each other with confusion whereas the two thugs who were standing next to the stretcher remained impassive. The white-haired patroness of the League then turned to the worried ambassador.

 

Ame: “Flannery, I would understand why you were so upset about these guys if this really happened. But you know as well as I do that nothing can be done against them if you have no evidence to support such allegations. Subjects of this kind are no joking matter for the Reborn League. So, I’m asking you. Have you any proof of this?”

Flannery: “P-proof? My proof?”

Ame: “Yes, your proof. Show us your proof.”

 

Flannery was hesitant. With no physical means to prove her statements, she was still in a position of weakness. The redhead had no choice but to accept with regret her inability to back up all the things she said about the cruel fate of the Tiny Raccoon Pokemon. Ame felt it and was almost tempted to share Flannery’s disappointment.

 

Flannery: “But… but I don’t have any proof.”

Ame: “*sigh* This is so sad to hear. I am truly sorry, Flannery.”

Policeman 1: “That’s a shame.”

Thug 3: (Yeah, a real shame. So real that she broke the embarrassment counter for herself. Farewell, loser.)

 

There was no way out for Flannery. Her adventure was about to take a turn she didn’t expect. She was already imagining herself sitting alone on the bench of a cell. But as the demoralized firehead was about to leave the scene in despair with the couple of police officers, to everybody’s surprise, a little girl dashed through the Grand Hall at full speed at the last minute. She clearly seemed to be in a hurry and her face was pretty familiar to the fire lady.

 

???: “Out of my way, out of my way! Let me pass, this is an emergency!”

Thug 2: (This voice! I’ve already heard it somewhere. Could it be…)

Flannery: “Dounia!”

 

 

While everybody was focused on Flannery’s arrestation, Dounia popped out of the blue and rushed to the back of the hall with a small Pokemon who was running with her: the Zigzagoon that Flannery saved in Opal Ward a few hours ago. The redhead could easily recognize it since it had the same facial injuries when she came across the group of thugs.

 

Dounia: “Excuse me, this is a police matter! Please, let me pass!”

 

The young healer stopped right in front of the policemen but didn’t expect to see Flannery surrounded by them. The two girls were actually pretty surprised to meet each other, especially since Dounia made it clear that she had no desire to go back to the Grand Hall.

 

 

Dounia: “Flannery! You’re here! What’s happening to you, friend?”

Policeman 1: “Friend? Do you girls know each other?”

Flannery: “This is kind of a complicated story. I could ask you the same question, Dounia. Unfortunately, this is no time for celebration. In case you haven’t noticed, the guys who beat my Vulpix have made it again. I’ve caught them in the act of abusing a Zigzagoon this morning and I’ve decided to handle them myself. If I’d known where my impulses of vigilante would take me… Well, you know what I mean. It’s not a good day to be a hero in Reborn. With no evidence to prove my words, I’m nothing.”

Dounia: “Waitwaitwait! WHAT? Let me get this straight: you’re actually telling me that YOU were saving a Pokemon in distress and YOU are the one who get busted?! Really?! Are you kidding me?!?!”

 

It didn’t take long for Dounia to understand that the former Gym Leader of Lavaridge Town was going to be the victim of a miscarriage of justice. The daring child was definitely decided to bring the trust to light at all cost and moved down in the hall, so she could easily recognize the three troublemakers behind the redhead from afar. She taunted them by waving at them.

 

 

Dounia: “Good morning, guys! Did I miss you?~”

Thug 2: “Oh, come on! Here comes that damn brat again! Back off bitch!”

Thug 3: “Hey! You’re dumb or what, bro?!”

Thug 2: “*gasp*”

 

This impulsive reaction from the streetrat was not to Ame’s liking who glared at him irritably. Such a behavior started to create confusion among the policemen who didn’t know which way to look anymore.

 

Policeman 1: “Can someone explain me what’s the meaning of this? Why are you so rude with this little girl, young man?”

 

But the streetrat didn’t reply. Instead, he simply put his hands on his mouth with embarrassment just like Flannery did when she saw the hotshot on the stretcher for the first time.

 

Dounia: “You shouldn’t be too harsh with this boy, sir. Believe me, I feel him. This is as if you did a big mistake like breaking a pot at home and you didn’t want your mother to spot anything that could lead her to you, the culprit. And I precisely have more evidence than needed to prove you that a crime has indeed been committed against this stray Pokemon that is standing by my side.”

Zigzagoon: “Zigzagoon!”

Policeman 2: “Interesting. Before to go any further, may I ask who you are?”

 

Without hesitating and to the great surprise of Flannery, Dounia identified herself to the policemen.

 

Dounia: “I’m Dounia Pastor, the daughter of the nurse in charge in the Grand Hall. And I came to make my report about a strange case in which I believe this man here was involved.”

 

She pointed at the hotshot who was lying on the stretcher.

 

Flannery: (Oh… Dounia...)

Thug 3: (It stinks like hell for us, bro…)

 

Then, the intrepid healer didn’t wait for any of the adults around to speak for her and hurried to explain with great precision what she had discovered some tens of minutes earlier in the city.

 

 

Dounia: “All of this happened during the second half of this morning. Maybe some of you already know that, but I used to go for a morning walk every day from Peridot to Opal Ward. I was strolling on my regular route and as I was passing behind the Neo-Circuit Power Plant, I’ve heard a high-pitched, distorted voice that was coming from a strangely isolated dead end. Because I’m too curious for my own good, I naturally lent an ear and made my way to the source of the moans. Or at least, I thought it was moans. And oddly enough, I was right. I approached and looked closely to realize that I was in front of a small Pokemon: a disoriented Zigzagoon that was lying near a dumpster. It looked particularly intimidated by my presence as well as aberrantly exhausted. I took a few steps in the direction of the little thing but it kept moving backward to the dumpster with a fearful look. After spending four or five minutes to gain its trust by feeding it some snackos, I’ve noticed that it was badly wounded on the face. Not only that, it was also carrying something in its mouth. Something in leather. Something that is commonly used by ruthless individuals to make Pokemon behave when they do not obey, if you know what I mean. After a brief examination on site, I deduced that there might actually be something ‘humane’ behind the pitiful state of this Zigzagoon after all. So, I took all the precautions I had at this time to preserve and eventually bring you what could possibly be the key to track down the one responsible for this ‘unintended mischief’.”

 

As she was taking the stand in some sarcastic but yet coherent way, Dounia took out a plastic pocket that she was hiding under her shirt. It contained the belt used by the hotshot to beat Zigzagoon. This unexpected move from the daring kid didn’t fail to give cold sweats to the henchmen of the vile torturer.

 

 

Thug 3: (Derp.)

Policeman 2: “Excuse me, but… what is it?”

Dounia: “That all depends on you and your perspective. Some might consider it as an irrelevant clothing accessory while the others might view it as a tool of domination. Believe me, I’ve been observing the growing chaos in this town for two weeks now, which is more than enough to help recognizing abused Pokemon when you come across them. Because of that, I’ve learnt to resolve incidents of this kind more and more cautiously. The DNA on this belt should help you to figure out what’s real and what’s not. Haven’t you noticed that this man lying here is wearing his pants way more under the navel than normal.”

Policeman 2: “Huh!?”

 

Dounia’s sense of observation was working in her favor. Indeed, the officers quickly realized that there was no belt around the waist of the guy on the stretcher which made him more suspicious to them. Flannery and Ame both remained silent as well as very attentive to the ironic yet pertinent intervention of the pink-haired child.

 

Dounia: “If you’re still not convinced by gene prints, you can always wrap this belt around the waist of this poor fellow. However, it would be a beautiful waste. As we might say, the traces left on a crime scene never lie. Do as you like. But whatever you decide, you’d better remember those who went out of their way to defend the Pokemon rehabilitation program while you guys were not there to take this matter into your own hands.”

Policemen 1 & 2: “…”

Dounia: “So, what do you think of it?”

 

Flannery was amazed by the audacity and the ingenuity of the little healer, although she didn’t feel totally relieved either. The clarifications brought by Dounia left the couple of policemen speechless. They were tempted to reconsider the whole issue and eventually left it entirely up to Ame whose word would prove to be irrefutable on this matter.

 

Policeman 1: “Indeed, if everything you said is true, this would be a considerable game changer for everyone involved in this altercation. But I fear that this exceeds a little too far beyond our abilities.”

Policeman 2: “I couldn’t have said it better, colleague. It’s not up to us anymore. We’ll bow to your judgement, Miss Ame. What are your orders?”

 

Everyone fell silent. All were waiting for the stoic patroness of the Grand Hall to express her opinion on this. Despite the fact that Flannery didn’t have high hopes regarding her acquittal, the position of the Reborn Champion was clear and unequivocal. After a few seconds of serious reflection, she delivered the verdict.

 

Ame: “Hm…”

Flannery: (If I must pay or go to jail for acting irresponsibly, please say it now. I’m ready for this. I know I’m fucked anyway, so what’s the hold up?)

Ame: “Flannery.”

Flannery: “Yes?”

Ame: “Can you wait for me here with Dounia while I sort things out downstairs with these young gentlemen over there?”

 

Ame pointed at the rascals who were holding back in a corner of the room. Dounia, whose energy seemed to be inexhaustible, answered in the affirmative for the redhead.

 

Dounia: “With great pleasure, Miss Ame.”

Flannery: “Y-yes, that’s what I wanted to say. With… great pleasure, Ame.”

Thugs 2 & 3: (Oh, fuck.)

 

After that, Ame approached the thugs and told them the following instructions.

 

Ame: “You, come with me. I’m thrilling to hear the full version of this story from your mouth.”

Thug 2: “B-but… How do you want us to tell you more than what we know? We were not even aware of this incident.”

Ame: “Really? Well. I’m still going to check if we don’t have another metal chair left in the storeroom.”

Thug 2: “A metal chair? W-what will you do with this.”

Ame: “You’ll see.~”

Policeman 1: “Miss Ame, you won’t start this all over again, will you?”

Ame: “Excuse me? I was under the impression I was in charge here. We’ll follow the procedure as planned. Additionally, I would like to remind you that the police station in Jasper Ward and the Grand Hall are both economically and socially interconnected to each other. If I ask you to do something, remember that it’s part of your job. Does that seem clear to you?”

Policeman 1: “Yes, miss.”

Ame: “Then I believe we’re done here. Please, would you show these three guys the way to the basement? A questioning has to be established right away and I would like to speak with Flannery in private thereafter.”

Policemen 1 & 2: “For sure, miss!”

 

Without waiting any longer, the officers carried the stretcher down to the basement with the hotshot lying on it. They were closely followed by the youngster and the streetrat who looked particularly disenchanted. Ame said goodbye to Flannery one last time before to join the rest of the men downstairs, so she could prepare the questioning in proper conditions. Only Flannery and Dounia have stayed on the ground floor next to the counter of the office. The firehead couldn’t do much but express her gratitude to the nurse’s apprentice.

 

 

Flannery: “Pchiou! What a rollercoaster! Thank you so much for your intervention, Dounia! Honestly, I didn’t expect you to show up here and I doubt I would have been able to defend myself as well as you did. From the bottom of my heart, thank you again!”

Dounia: “You’re welcome, Flannery! And the same goes for me, I didn’t think we would meet again so soon either and certainly not in this place. Believe it or not, this is pure coincidence! Zigzagoon can testify. Am I right, Ziggy?”

Zigzagoon: “Zigzagoon!”

Flannery: “Wait, did you make Zigzagoon yours?”

Dounia: “Isn’t that obvious? Yeah, while I examined this little guy in Peridot Ward, I’ve made sure that besides the fucking belt, it wasn’t carrying anything else. No collar, no bracelet, no tag with a name written on it. Nothing. So, I fed him, gained his trust and… well, you got the picture. I have to say, he’s by far the fastest Zigzagoon I’ve seen in my life. I wouldn’t be surprised if, by any chance, he used Extreme Speed to escape his aggressors. If so, that’s just one more reason for me to protect this precious baby. In all cases, he doesn’t seem to have any objection to it.”

 

Zigzagoon wagged his tail happily as a sign of agreement to Dounia’s words.

 

Zigzagoon: “Ziggyyyyy!”

Dounia: “Ha! Did you see?”

Flannery: “Haha, yes, I did! I’m sure he will make it better with you than alone in the wild. No doubt about it.”

Dounia: “I hope so. There’s still some basics I need to learn to be a good trainer and it’s clear that I’m way under your level at the moment.”

Flannery: “This will come naturally, I assure you. Someday.”

 

Flannery was pleased by Dounia’s presence. This little conversation girl to girl helped her to put the bad vibes of her guilt sideway for a moment. Then, after remembering the content of the first discussion they had yesterday, Flannery wanted to know more about the motives of the little healer.

 

Flannery: “This is awkward, don’t you think? Yesterday, you’ve sworn you wouldn’t come back to the Grand Hall for a while. Yet, here you are. This time, it was as if you didn’t care about getting caught by the cops and forced to live with your mother again despite everything you said about her. Did you change your mind?”

Dounia: “You’re closer to the truth than you think, Flannery. Seriously, I could have largely taken care of Zigzagoon in my area without even bothering to talk to the police. But before digging around about my family stuff or Pokemon rights, I have to confide in you about something. In fact, I’m almost convinced that if you didn’t come to my hiding place yesterday, I wouldn’t have moved an inch to return in the Grand Hall. But like… not at all.”

Flannery: “You’re intriguing me. Does it have something to do with my victory against you in Peridot?”

Dounia: “There is a little of that, indeed. This battle with you reminded me of how vulnerable I could be in a world like this one. Seriously, I can easily find myself into trouble even when I have my Pokemon with me, so how could you expect me to keep surviving if they’re all unable to fight?”

Flannery: “You’re right! But there must be something else. Remember, you made it clear that you felt resentful about your mother for being too proud or… possessive… if I’m not mistaken. So, what made you come back exactly?”

Dounia: “Do you really want to know? Fine. But firstly first, I would like to ask you a question. When was the last time you had a nightmare and how did you feel about it?”

 

It didn’t take long for the redhead to make the link between Dounia’s question and this strange dream she had shortly after the accident in Grandview Station. Flannery described this dream to Dounia.

 

Flannery: “I don’t know why you ask me this, but I do have a few answers if that’s what you want. My last nightmare happened yesterday, shortly before my arrival in Reborn. In my nightmare, I was floating in the middle of nowhere, totally unconscious and I was unable to move. I was in pain everytime I tried to move my legs or my arms, which made me panic, so I started to cry for help. And when I thought everything was over with my life, I saw Vulpix appearing just in front of me. She was able to speak and told me to stop crying. She explained me how I escaped death thanks to Torkoal who sacrificed himself by ejecting me out of the train that crashed against Grandview Station. She also told me that he and she needed to be saved in turns. Afterwards, she disappeared in a portal of light and everything turned black around me. Although everything that was left in this dream was a feeling of sadness, it actually picked me up for finding them and rescue them in town. Even today, I keep believing that it was a premonitory dream.”

 

 

The description of Flannery’s nightmare was very surprising for Dounia. She realized with shock that the redhead was one of the passengers of the train that had exploded the previous day. Dounia shared the pain of her friend and tried to comfort her.

 

Dounia: “Wait! You mean you were on board of this train that crashed through Grandview Station? But I didn’t even know about that! You should have told me!”

Flannery: “It’s true. But try to see my point, you can hardly talk about something so horrible with someone you barely know. I didn’t consider it as necessary at first, so I thought it was better to keep it for myself.”

Dounia: “Maybe. But now, I understand better why you feel so down right now! This is mad. Your story is so sad that I wonder if it wouldn’t give me the blues sometimes.”

Flannery: “This is precisely why I tried to move forward after that. Sadly, the reality is that it’s much harder to do in practice than it sounds.”

Dounia: “I don’t doubt it. Just keep in mind that communication can help you a lot. Endless brooding is not the solution. I’m here for you if you need to talk.”

Flannery: “This is too nice, thank you. You’re really a good person, Dounia.”

Dounia: “Ahah, you’re welcome. That’s always a pleasure to brighten someone’s day like this.”

 

 

The two girls smiled at each other with relief. Then, Dounia got back to the concerns she initially wanted to talk about.

 

Dounia: “Well, I feel you for having been through so much in less than a day. At least, we’re alike you and I. You care about what you see in your dreams as if they contained cryptic messages to decode. As I said, I needed to confide in you about something. If I asked you this question about nightmares, this is precisely because I had one myself too. However, unlike yours, mine was way more morbid and destructive than emotional.”

Flannery: “Morbid? Destructive? You mean, like in a science fiction movie?”

Dounia: “Yeah, something like this. It happened to me shortly after I fell asleep on my couch last night. It was very… oppressing, to say the least. In my dream, Reborn was in mayhem, caught in a meteor storm. People were running in the streets in panic while large flaming rocks were hitting the streets, the roofs of their homes and… sometimes the civilians themselves. Nobody felt safe anymore. And as if it wasn’t enough, the ground didn’t stop shaking because of an earthquake. Buildings and important places were dragged into fissures that separated the town from side to side. This plus the air that had become less and less breathable because of the heat just added more stress to everyone. It was a show worthy of an apocalypse, really. There even was a bunch of children who literally killed themselves by jumping into the poisoned water of the lake. As for myself, I had nowhere to hide. I’ve fled as fast as I could, but all the places that could have served me as a shelter all got destroyed one by one everywhere I went. Meanwhile, I could hear the voice of my mother in my head. She was crying and screaming my name as the entire city was crumbling and burning down from all the quarters. All these horrible visions kept coming back and forth before my eyes with demonic frequencies. I began to lose faith and was almost convinced that I was the next one to die. Interestingly, there also was a strange person far into the sky who was watching the city from above, but I couldn’t identify who it was. All I could see was their silhouette. However, I’m totally sure that this person was riding a Dragon-Type Pokemon, but then again, it was too far away from me, so I wasn’t sure about the species of this Pokemon either.”

 

 

Flannery: “Hell, that sure is a disturbing story! Did you have other dreams like this one?”

Dounia: “Sincerely, no. And I seriously hope that it won’t come true someday.”

Flannery: “No wonder you don’t want this to come true. For my part, I like pyrotechnics, but not that much.”

 

The nurse’s apprentice couldn’t help but giggle at Flannery’s comment, even though she was still a little unsettled by her nightmare just at the mention of it.

 

Dounia: “Ahah, nice one Flannery, nice one! Well… To summarize, I took this nightmare as a sign that I couldn’t take the risk of going my own separate way all alone anymore. It seemed to me like the harbinger of a jeopardized childhood. As anyone will tell you, Reborn had become a dangerous place. Too dangerous to be explored without assistance to be exact. And our last battle in my hiding place had subconsciously made me aware of my own fragility as a child. Also, I’ve decided it was better for me to face my mother like an adult. Otherwise, it would have been as cowardly as turning a blind eye on the treatment of a wound that has been left open for too long. This is not worthy of a person like me, especially since I potentially knew how to clean this wound from the beginning. Do you understand me, Flannery?”

 

The young firehead nodded and took the opportunity to express her personal opinion as a response to Dounia’s confidence.

 

Flannery: “Yeah, I get your point. If you think you can handle your disagreements with your mother in a way that doesn’t hurt her, go for it. Anyway, if you don’t have a lot of options left, you should choose the one that is safer for both of you. Look where I’m at now. I’m not a kid anymore but it doesn’t mean that I’m invincible against all the troubles that are lurking around in this town. For my part, I’ve learned the hard way that taking the law can be self-destructive if you can’t refrain your impulses. Sooner or later, regrets set up into your life because you tried too hard, or not in conventional ways, to fight evil and everything you’ve planned before just get fucked up. All this because you opted for the rougher path.”

Dounia: “The path of the Dark Knight… hm, yeah… I think I know what you mean… You are the one who knocked out this hotshot this morning, right?”

Flannery: “Correct. But I can’t say that I’m proud of it to be honest. Something has changed in me, I feel it. It’s as if I’ve downgraded myself morally since the day of my departure from Hoenn. When you’re targeted in an assassination attempt and when you see the Pokemon you’ve grown with on the verge of death twice in the same day, you’re lying to yourself when you claim that everything is alright and you can’t act like nothing has happened with the same coherence as before. Maybe I’m not strong enough… but it’s just like my mental health has been flipped upside down. With no one by your side to cheer you up in such difficult times, you’re questioning all your previous decisions and it’s at this very moment that ‘good’ people become mad and turn into this ugliest version of themselves. But now, I wonder if this ugly version of myself wasn’t my true self all along.”

Dounia: “Oh… Flannery… You can’t say this.”

Flannery: “A part of myself is dead in this accident. Today, I’ve almost lost sight of why I came in this region in the first place. I have this feeling that, no matter what happens, I keep opting for the worst possible decisions endlessly, just like a light-headed kid who does everything wrong. All I wanted was just to live an adventure, enjoy my freedom, discover new places and take on the Reborn League, but I never wanted to get trapped in a town full of terrorists and mobsters whose main occupation is to destroy other people’s lives. This makes my future uncertain… and frankly… it hurts.”

 

The monotonous tone of Flannery didn’t go unnoticed by Dounia who felt sorry for her fiery friend. For the young healer, this confession was like the symptom of a disease of the mind and she struggled to imagine how she could treat it.

 

Dounia: “I see what you’re getting at, Flannery. Just so you know, I highly doubt you’re a bad person. To me, I would even say that you have more moral sense than most people in this region. The proof is in the pudding. You’ve gone berserk with someone who deliberately did the worst things you and I could possibly imagine and even after you kicked his ass, you feel bad for him. Seriously, when you openly claim that the person you fear the most is yourself, it’s more like a sign of wisdom than anything else to me.”

Flannery: “Yes, this is indeed how I tend to feel about myself right now. The problem is, I also fear the consequences of my actions. Unfortunately, nothing good ever happened to me after I felt so remorseful.”

Dounia: “Oh, come on. Seriously, you really think you’ll get incarcerated because you punched this scumbag of a Pokemon abuser in the face? Even for me, it was obvious that Ame didn’t want you to be treated like a criminal. Didn’t you hear how she called these cops to order earlier? Believe me, Flannery. There’s definitely more than one person here who’s ready to take your defense. And if you ever find yourself in jail, you can always count on me to bail you out!”

 

These last words from Nurse Joy’s daughter warmed up the heart of the humble firehead. It only took one show of support for the latter to crack a smile and boost her self-confidence again.

 

Flannery: “Thank you, Dounia. This is very touching. I’ll remember that if things get out of hand for me.”

Dounia: “That’s the spirit! However, there’s still some grey areas in your monologue from before. If you can’t stand to be alone, why didn’t you think about making your journey with a close friend of yours? Or… someone who you know will always care about you?”

Flannery: “It’s a good thing you ask, Dounia! Because I did! That was the plan from the very beginning and I had a long discussion about this with Ame the day before my departure from Hoenn. There was someone with me. We boarded together in the train for Reborn. But sadly… this person is gone.”

Dounia: “Oh… I see… sorry for this Flannery… I didn’t know…”

Flannery: “You don’t have to say sorry to me. Your compassion should better go for him and all those who were not as lucky as I was.”

 

Dounia empathized with the redhead. Ignoring that the poor redhead had lost a fellow traveler in the accident of Grandview Station, she looked down with a pensive face and stopped talking as a mark of respect for this unknown friend of Flannery. After some seconds of silence, Dounia raised her head and offered a surprising suggestion to the fire lady.

 

Dounia: “This is… uh… I don’t even know what to say. This is too frightening and sad for me to handle. No wonder you’re giving up hope so easily. I wish you’d have never been through all of this. It’s clear that you can’t keep living your life while enduring the pain of your loss in such critical conditions. Well… whoever this person was, um… yeah, there is no easy way to say it, but… I guess I could come along on one of your adventures if you want.”

 

Simply listening to the suggestion of the nurse’s apprentice made Flannery’s eyes widen. Dounia was totally conscious of it and almost felt odd asking this. For fear of being misunderstood, she timidly tried to reassure the redhead about her intentions.

 

Dounia: “Please forgive me for the way I express myself! I didn’t mean to hurt you. Maybe your friend was someone you consider as irreplaceable. If so, I would largely understand if you prefer to keep going your way all alone. But it can’t do you any good in a big and unforgiving region like Reborn. You’ve witnessed it more than once; we don’t need to argue on it any longer. Besides that, you have a combative spirit that is very inspiring to me and I think we have a lot in common, you and I. And… and above all…”

Flannery: “…”

Dounia: “…I would really love to know more about you, Flannery.”

 

Flannery remained silent for a brief moment. She stood still in front of Dounia while staring at her with a lively and penetrating gaze.

 

Flannery: “…”

Dounia: “Are you okay, Flannery? You’re not upset?”

 

Then a few seconds later, the redhead smiled tenderly at the little healer and spoke.

 

Flannery: “This… this warms my heart so much. You don’t have to feel ashamed for anything, your offer is so amazing that I can’t say ‘no’ to it! I totally agree with you on every point and just so you know, I care a lot about you too, Dounia. I would love to travel with you as long as you like. Thank you so much for proposing!”

Dounia: “You’re welcome, Flannery!”

 

 

The two girls gently approached each other and sealed their deal positively with a fist bump. Flannery felt particularly touched by Dounia’s offering and saw a true friend in her. A young daredevil eager for big sensations with whom she could possibly write a whole different story in Reborn City. Both of them knew that they were going to be stronger together. The mere idea of teaming up with such an ambitious person gave the redhead a form of excitement that she didn’t experience for a while. But before that, Dounia still had a few formalities to complete with her mother and made it known to the firehead.

 

Dounia: “I can’t wait to join you in your adventures, Flannery. Who knows? Maybe the blaze I’ve seen in my dream was a symbolic figure to force me out to find you again after all.”

Flannery: “That wouldn’t be surprising to me. By chance, your presence will help me to find some peace and confidence again, so I can retake control of my inner fire. I can’t bear the idea of getting down on myself any longer. Since I was knee-high to my grandfather, I’ve always considered flames as art. The brighter, the better. This used to be my philosophy for years. And between you and me… where’s the value of creating art when no one’s on your side to see it?”

Dounia: “Ha, I really like you when you say this! I share your happiness too Flannery. That being said, I don’t want you to be too optimistic about it either. I remind you that I still have to close a deal with my mother, she must know the truth about why I fled and how I felt when I did. Depending on her reaction, you and I will be able to animate this dreary old town with some ‘girl power’ and stuff.”

Flannery: “Or not. As you said, it’s up to you to put things right with your mother. But I know you can make it properly if you really want to. Anyway. Whatever the outcome, I’ll accept it.”

Dounia: “That’s it. Well, it’s been a joy to know you, brave soldier. We will see each other later. Keep your fingers crossed for me until then. And… good luck with the cops!”

Flannery: “Haha, thank you! You can count on me for this! See you later, Dounia!”

Dounia: “Bye!~”

 

Determined to mend fences with her mother, Dounia finally left the main office and moved to the caring services near the main entrance of the Grand Hall. As she did, Flannery saw Ame walking up the stairs of the basement. The young Champion was still carrying the briefcase retrieved by the redhead before. The latter was a little anxious to hear the news concerning this unsettling case in which she was involved. Standing next to the counter, she patiently waited for the stoic Champion to talk to her.

 

 

Ame: “Hello again, Flannery. Sorry for being so long, this questioning took longer than expected. I hope you’re not nervous or anything.”

Flannery: “No, Ame, don’t worry. I’ve been through worse. By chance, I was able to kill some time with Dounia while you and your men were busy down there. Did you get anything out of these boys?”

Ame: “For now… well, not as much as I would like to. The fact that they’re more stubborn than anticipated doesn’t make it easy.”

Flannery: “Huh? Did they say anything to you?”

 

 

Ame: “Well, it’s obvious that they’re hiding something to us. And thanks to Dounia, we have a clue we’re following. DNA tests are currently in process to identify the owner of the belt she brought to us before. Only after the analysis concluded can we give the final verdict about the fate of these boys and yours. This said, I would like to reassure you. From my observations, the chances for you to be pardoned are far from insignificant.”

 

These words captured the attention of the firehead who was intrigued. She didn’t know if she should take it as a sign of complacency from Ame since the analysis of the DNA tests was still ongoing.

 

Flannery: “Really? But… what makes you think so?”

Ame: “I don’t think it, I know it. Just for your information, you wouldn’t be the first one in this region to solve such problems with brute force. Many do, even those belonging to the Reborn League. The real question is: what are you fighting for? The legitimacy of your actions essentially depends on the cause you defend. No one’s spotless as a human. Sometimes, life leads us into situations that are beyond our control. And it’s clear to me that you’re a woman of your word, Flannery. You have to keep that in mind.”

 

Although she didn’t reply immediately, Flannery felt comforted by Ame’s comprehension. The fire lady ended up thinking that Dounia was right after all; juridically speaking, there was more than one person ready to take Flannery’s defense in Reborn. This warmed up the heart of the redhead. But as time went by, she remembered that she still had a report to make to the hostess of the Grand Hall. Preferring not to lose more time than necessary in hasty assumptions until the conclusion of the DNA tests, Flannery told Ame about the mysterious organization she fought against in Mosswater Factory.

 

Flannery: “Hearing this from you is really reassuring to me, Ame. I just hope genetics will be on my side, so we can close this case once and for all. However, if you have no objections, I would like to inform you about what I’ve discovered in this factory where you sent me this morning.”

Ame: “Hmm? Oh, yes! I almost forgot about your investigation. My apologies for that. Did you find anything in there that we should worry about?”

Flannery: “Actually, yes. First, we’ve seen that toxic waste were dumped into the lake from Mosswater Factory. According to Florinia, the toxicity of the water was abnormally high. Secondly, it turned out that Team Meteor was behind it. They also are the ones responsible for the accident in Grandview Station. Mosswater Factory was their hideout from the beginning. With the help of Julia, we’ve chased them out and managed to destroy the whole facility. They won’t be able to use it again any time soon.”

Ame: “That’s great news, Flannery. At least, now we know who we’re dealing with. By the way… have you seen Jacques with them while you were there?”

Flannery: “No, I didn’t. Honestly, I didn’t see any trace of him, so I have no idea if he’s involved in this case or not. However, I’ve noticed that the rest of the gang had fled to the extreme northern part of the city.”

Ame: “Really? So, they’re probably establishing what’s left of their plans in Jasper Ward. I must send as many of my men as needed to watch over the comings and goings in this district and protect the civilians. Also, I haven't forgotten the service you did for me in retrieving the starters in Mosswater Factory. Such efforts deserve to be rewarded.”

 

Following these words, Ame moved to the glass table at the left corner of the hall with the briefcase in her hands. Flannery came with her. Without losing any time, Ame put the briefcase on the table, opened it and pulled out a strange device of her pocket. She used it to inspect the content of every Pokeball inside of the briefcase.

 

 

Flannery: “What is that thing? Is that an electronic hand lens or something?”

Ame: “An acquisition from Devon Corporation. Perfect for identifying any Pokemon stored in Pokeballs without opening them. I just want to make sure that all the missing starters are there. This little gadget will save us a lot of time.”

Flannery: “How clever! That looks very promising indeed! I used to be a client of Devon myself, and I didn’t even know that they had created inventions of this kind. This must be a very recent technology, isn’t it?”

Ame: “Yeah, it’s a prototype.”

 

Meanwhile, Ame observed the data displayed on the touch screen of the electronic instrument which proved to be positively conclusive.

 

Ame: “Aaaand… I have to say that, thankfully, we’ll all sleep easy tonight. Based on the results, I’m glad to make you know that you found back all the Pokemon we were looking for. Great work, Flannery!”

Flannery: “You’re welcome, Ame! After all, I was just doing my job! But still, I’m glad to realize that I didn’t take all these risks in vain. So… what next?”

Ame: “I think we’re done here. If you don’t mind, please come with me. I would like to give you a little something for your help.”

Flannery: “Ah, nice! Sure, let’s go!”

 

With nothing else to say, Flannery followed Ame to the upper floor of the Grand Hall. For the courage she demonstrated during the raid against Team Meteor, Ame believed it fair to reward the efforts of the redhead. She invited the latter to come to the starters room with her. After Ame put each of the missing starters back to their right places, she allowed Flannery to choose one of the 21 Pokemon displayed on the tables. Needless to say, the redhead was particularly impressed by the immensity of the choice that was given to her.

 

 

Ame: “Here we are! Are you ready to add a new member to your team, Flannery?”

Flannery: “So that’s the gift you told me about, right? I can really choose any of these starters right there?”

Ame: “Of course! This is the least I could do after everything you’ve had to endure since your arrival. And regardless of what people think, I’d feel really bad not to show you my gratitude for having been so helpful in Mosswater Factory. Additionally, your actions have clearly contributed in the preservation of our reputation in Opal Ward. As I said, we will make anything to toughen up the protection as well as the conditions of admission for new recruits in the staff of the Grand Hall in the future. Anyway. As you’ve probably guessed, these tables go from top to bottom in order of Grass, Fire, Water, and the Pokémon are arranged from left to right in the order they were discovered. Go ahead. Take any one you like.”

Flannery: “That’s so sweet of you! Thank you so much, Ame! Well, let’s see!”

 

Actually, Flannery already knew very well what Pokemon was going to join her team. Ame’s precisions just confirmed that even Pokemon from Hoenn were available for pickup. It barely took the redhead a few seconds of thought before she moved to the orange table and approached the third Pokeball from the left. In reality, the daughter of Lavaridge Town still remembered this day when she was gifted a Torchic doll from her grandfather back when she was eight years old.

 

 

Even today, the grown-up firehead could still hear him saying that this Pokemon was exactly just like her: small, radiant, energetic, and sensitive at the same time. For these reasons and out of pure nostalgia, the choice of the adventurous lady obviously fell on the chick Pokemon.

 

Flannery: “My choice is made. Torchic, I choose you!”

 

 

She took the Pokeball, hooked it on her belt, and went back to Ame with a contented smile on her face. Ame was happy to see Flannery regaining some self-confidence despite the recent events, but she quickly noticed that those were still very present in the mind of the fire girl.

 

 

Flannery: “You’re so complacent with me. Do you truly think it was reasonable to do all this right now?”

Ame: “Yes, I think it was. Because I trust you. You shouldn’t put yourself so down, I insist. Personally, I would largely prefer to side with a brave girl who once put her life at risk to stop the Hoenn crisis rather than defending a few average individuals who refused to admit they committed abusing on a newborn Pokemon. If your version of the facts turns out to be true, nothing will be done against you. You would then be the only person in this city to have treated these guys as they deserved. What would be the point of penalizing you?”

???: “There are none!”

Ame: “Ah, it sounds like this conversation is no longer private.”

Flannery: (They’re back.)

 

As Flannery and Ame were deeply focused on their conversation, they were unexpectedly joined by the policemen who were coming for them from the basement. Flannery took it as a sign that this questioning with the mobsters was over. She was well aware that a decisive announcement was about to be made about it. Once at the upper floor, the couple of police officers turned to the redhead. Out of curiosity, they asked her how she felt.

 

Policeman 1: “Hello again, Miss Moore. Is everything going well on your side?”

 

 

Flannery timidly replied in the affirmative, even though she couldn’t wait to hear the final word of this story. Ame greeted them in the meantime.

 

Ame: “Hello again, sirs. I suppose this little interrogation down there has finally come to an end. Did you manage to collect conclusive information about this case?”

Policeman 1: “For sure we did. As a matter of fact, I would even go as far as to say that we have more information than you would care to know. Right, colleague?”

Policeman 2: “Certainly. The latest news has come down quicker than anticipated. These men have finally confessed and the DNA found on the belt does matches this tall blond guy injured by madam ambassador. Their statements also seem to confirm that Miss Moore has acted out of anger, thinking she could take justice into her own hands. Maybe this attitude from her is not part of our standards, it remains that thanks to her intervention, we’ve been able to catch those who turned out to be responsible for multiple cases of similar aggressions. Almost all their targets were stray Pokemon.”

Ame: “So you mean they were already involved in more than one attack of this kind? What else did they say? Nothing about… the other cases of mistreatment that have been reported to us? Did they work with other accomplices?”

 

 

Policeman 1: “Actually, yes! In response to our last questions, they’ve mentioned a network of contacts to which they claim belonging for two weeks now. They operate in gangs and all of their operations are led from an isolated alleyway located in Peridot Ward, just behind the Neo-Circuit Power Plant. Everything they said leads us to think that they’ve decided to engage themselves in practices consisting in ‘punishing the weak in the name of the strongest and the obedient ones’. I thought they were drunk the first time I heard this, but judging by the seriousness of the way they expressed themselves, they seem to strongly believe in their convictions.”

Ame: “Arceus preserves us. So, it’s true…”

 

Ame was horrified by the cruelty of such reality. Shortly after the latter came back to her senses, the policemen talked about the consensus that was decided regarding Flannery’s sentence at the end of the interrogation.

 

Policeman 2: “The least we can say is that we can discover a lot of unspoken facts from someone who has his backside overheated. Also, we’re convinced that Miss Moore is a woman of worth despite her apparent difficulty to control her emotions. Consequently, all the penalties that could have potentially been imposed on her have been overturned. We're sorry for the inconvenience this might have caused to you, madam ambassador.”

 

Flannery didn’t reply immediately. At first view, she seemed delighted to realize that her name was cleared. However, she felt like her pride and happiness were eroded. These projected images of herself she saw through the eyes of the hotshot were like anchors that forced her to land on the shore of repentance. The daughter of Lavaridge Town admitted that she didn’t feel well because of this escalation of violence she used to resolve conflicts. She made it known to the policemen and told them that she still had something to prove.

 

 

Flannery: “I really appreciate your commitment to figuring out right from wrong and I thank you very much for your understanding. However, if you don’t mind, I would like to make a suggestion for you, sirs.”

Policeman 2: “A suggestion, you said? Well. We’re open to any suggestion you have as long as it’s not out of our reach. Please tell us what it is.”

Flannery: “Great. First of all, I recognize that I went overboard when I tried to impose myself against these bad boys this morning. Even during the assault in Mosswater Factory, I’ve felt it growing in me… the need to use violence as a means for conflicts resolution. This is something that has become more and more inherent to my behavior from the day of my arrival in Reborn. And to tell you the truth, this makes me feel a little uneasy now. I don’t want to be considered as a repulsive bully who thinks she can have the last word simply by throwing all her hatred and brute force against her targets. This is an image of me that I want to erase. Also, I’m well aware that my stay in Reborn is not the story of one person only. There are people in Hoenn who are counting on me as we speak. They consider me as the pride of their region and I can’t bear the thought of disappointing them. I can’t keep doing things while thinking only of myself. But on the other hand, I can’t sit on my hands and mourn all day long, telling myself that it wasn’t me when I went on a rampage or when I ordered my Pokemon to use fire attacks to neutralize some Meteor grunts head on. No, it was the same person. I know who I am, and I understand very well that what I do always ends up defining who I am. And what I’m about to do now is making my way to the hideout of these Pokemon abusers, confronting them one by one and arresting them all, so they won’t be able to inflict pain to stray, wild or abandoned Pokemon anymore!”

 

This spontaneous declaration didn’t fail to captivate the policemen who were in awe of Flannery’s determination. The latter wanted to prove her worth by redeeming herself, ready to seize every opportunity for this purpose. Flannery literally was in quest for redemption and made her intentions clear. Those were very appealing to Ame who praised the initiative of the young ambassador.

 

Ame: “You didn’t have to propose more help for proving anything, Flannery. You already outdid yourself by kicking Team Meteor out of Peridot Ward and that’s no mean feat. But you keep hanging on and I respect you for being so dedicated to safeguard our interests despite all the sacrifices it has cost you. Don’t take my words lightly Flannery, you’ve proven yourself a good friend to Reborn. Having that said, if you’re eager for more, then… hm, who am I to argue? Anyway. One thing is certain, these Pokemon abusers are a scourge and a blight in this town. Their activities must be stopped and anyone caught in the act must be judged with the utmost severity. If you decide to go now, these men here will have the honor to assist you.”

Policeman 2: “Well, I don’t know what to say… miss ambassador. Of course, you know well that if anything goes wrong in the city, it’s part of our responsibility to handle it. Consequently, we accept your request and we’ll have the obligation to escort you to this hangout if that’s what you’ve planned to do. As you said so well, your stay in Reborn should not be the story of one person only. Am I right?”

Flannery: “Exactly! Don’t worry, that’s precisely what I’ve intended to do. My energy supplies have taken a hit, I admit it. However, it will take more than that to put me down. And besides…”

 

The redhead unhooked the Pokeball containing Torchic from her belt and looked at it proudly with a smirk.

 

Flannery: “…I know someone who will surely enjoy a little series of battles as their first training exercise.”

Ame: “Don’t push yourself too hard either, Flannery. As a reminder, you don’t have a full team for the moment and this Torchic has never seen the light of a fight until now.”

Flannery: “That’s true. But it’s never too soon to learn! Anyway, I wasn’t going to risk myself alone for an issue as important.”

Ame: “Glad to hear it. With your skills as a Gym Leader, I’m sure you also have more experienced with Pokemon than anyone else in this hall. Just be careful not to be outnumbered out there.”

Policeman 1: “This shouldn’t be a problem as long as you have us by your side, Miss Moore. Our Pokemon have been trained during intensive programs to maintain law and order. We won’t fail today!”

Ame: “Anyway, Flannery. I think the time has come for you to show these gentlemen a demonstration of what you’re capable of. Is that really what you want?”

Flannery: “To defend what’s right and fair, I can bear anything.”

 

Flannery was about to conclude her commitment to purge this last evil that was persisting from Peridot Ward. Her obstinacy was much to Ame’s liking who encouraged the firehead to keep moving forward.

 

Ame: “Great! You have my support for giving the best in this matter. Stay true to yourself and everything will be okay. You still have so much to teach to the people of this town.”

Flannery: “Probably. Well, before we start classes, let’s get the rest of these bad guys prepared for a pop quiz about respect.”

Ame: “Well said! Maybe I shouldn’t express myself this way, but… give these hooligans a good smack on my behalf!”

Flannery: “This will be done properly, I assure you. See you later, Ame!”

Ame: “Bye, Flannery! And good luck!”

 

 

Having nothing else to say, Flannery left the Grand Hall with a firm step, followed by the two policemen who accepted to escort her to the place described by the Zigzagoon’s harassers during the questioning. The new formed crime-fighting trio was heading to Peridot Ward, determined to put an end on the undeserved suffering inflicted on the Pokemon of the city. Although she was very eager to do so, Flannery walked with the policemen at a slower pace than what she was used to. Not wishing to waste her only chance to show herself on a better light by displeasing the men beside her, the fiery damsel tried to not outrun them. Together, they made their way through the dirty alleys of the western district and passed behind the Neo-Circuit Power Plant. The sight of the Pikachu-yellow facility only strengthened Flannery’s resolve to get her final mission done. The promise of a battle against Julia hadn’t slipped away from the firehead’s memory.

 

Flannery: (I swear when all these crazy investigations will be behind me, I’ll be there for you Julia. It’s just a matter of time before I’m done with my last enemies. Be ready, I’m coming soon!)

 

 

But the resolute redhead had to retain her excitement for later. She kept walking up the street in the company of the police officers and finally made it to the infamous hideout where the Pokemon aggressors were supposed to holed up. It was a sort of isolated alleyway secretly located between two imposing buildings. A little farther away, there was a man dressed similarly to the hotshot previously knocked down by Flannery. He was standing near the entrance, as if he was posted as a guard to monitor comings and goings. Thinking it best to try everything for the whole, Flannery did the first steps towards the suspicious individual and spoke to him.

 

 

Flannery: “Hello you! What are you doing alone here?”

Hotshot: “New to the neighborhood, right? Excuse me but this is a private area and what I do here doesn’t concern you. You have to go back where you come from.”

Policeman 1: “Watch your mouth, young man. We have as much right to be here as you. And even more so. In case you didn’t know yet, we have received reports of multiple cases of aggression against stray Pokemon in Peridot Ward. I suppose you haven’t heard about them.”

 

The hotshot didn’t reply immediately and rolled his eyes in disbelief. Far from wanting to get into trouble, he tried to convince Flannery and the men behind her to go away, claiming that there actually were Pokemon in danger, but not in this part of the street.

 

Hotshot: “Wait. You talked about injured Pokemon? My apologies. Yes, I’ve heard of that. In fact, now that you mention it, I think I’ve seen one running away a few minutes ago. That was so shameful, the poor thing was scared to death. It fled away to the gate of the street, straight north. You can’t miss it. But I warn you, two big guys were chasing it shortly before you came here. If you think you can deal with them, you’d better hurry now.”

Flannery: “And that’s all there is to it? Nothing about the type of Pokemon? And by the way, why didn’t you save it in the first place?”

Hotshot: “As if I could handle these juggernauts for myself. This would have been the best way to get pinned up on the ground, I don’t know how to fight. You’re probably better suited to teach them a lesson than I am. Anyway, they’re probably far away from here as we speak. In any case, I have nothing to do with them. You’d better catch up if you don’t want anyone to get hurt.”

 

But Flannery didn’t leave. And so did the police officers who accompanied her. With all the information she already gathered, the pugnacious firehead could easily discern what’s true and what’s not. She glared at the young gate-keeper with reptilian eyes and answered him in a self-assuredly way.

 

Flannery: “Huh.”

Hotshot: “Yeah, so… what are you waiting for?”

Flannery: “You know what I think? I think you’re lying!”

Hotshot: “Oh, come on. You know well that I have nothing to hide. I would gladly argue with you a little longer but it wouldn’t be worth your time and interest. Also, I have other concerns that burn in me. It’s now gonna be like four hours that I’m waiting here like a numbnuts and I still have no news of my brother and his comrades.”

 

These remarks didn’t take long to make Flannery realize that the individuals mentioned by the hotshot could potentially be the thugs who were arrested in the basement of the Grand Hall. For the redhead, it could hardly be a coincidence. She then decided to take this piece of information as a useful way to make the odd teenager tell the truth in some cheeky way.

 

Flannery: “Wait… you have a brother?”

Hotshot: “Yes, I have a brother. Why would that matter to you?”

Flannery: “Aw, nothing important. No, really. For a second, I thought you were talking about this crazy belt-wagger who was taming some fierce Zigzagoon at the top of the Opal Bridge. A big blond, handsome gentleman with a blue jacket surrounded by two smart henchmen of the same social class. How funny it was. The last time I saw him he had fist marks printed on the lips and pieces of broken nails stuck in the teeth.”

Hotshot: “HE WHAT?!?!”

Flannery: “Well, he wasn’t very beautiful to see at the first glance, I give you that. But in the end, it turned out that this fruitcake still had a lot of charm, even with a bloated face. He captivated the audience so well that he was immediately allowed to join the art gallery of the Grand Hall. The Contemporary Talents section to be exact. As for his comrades, they were playing superheated chair with each other. The final outcome was a little disappointing. Both of them had lost, so both of them had a penalty: tell us who they were working for and where they came from. That’s what they did, soooooo… here I am.”

Hotshot: “…”

Flannery: “Okay, let’s be serious. To summarize, your brother was abusive with a wild Pokemon and insulted me, so I sent him to outer space. Am I clearer to you?”

 

For a few seconds that seemed to last forever, the shady boy of the alleyway remained unresponsive. Short of arguments to deviate from the truth in front of an ecstatic Flannery, his face froze in a look of terror, covered with concern and feeling of vulnerability. Then, this terror was slowly outshined by vindictiveness and silent indignation. Aware of the gravity of his situation, he stepped back and spoke directly to the firehead, giving her a final warning in a vengeful tone.

 

 

Hotshot: “You… you’ll pay for your insolence! I swear on my soul, I’ll avenge the loss of my brother!”

Flannery: “Hey, chill, chill! I said I rang the gong with his skull and fried the hell out of his friends’ butt, but he’s still alive!”

 

Alas, the hotshot didn’t want to say any other word to the punisher of his brother. He left Flannery and the policemen behind and hid in the alleyway, unable to deal with his three adversaries on his own. Flannery, for her part, was fully satisfied with her malicious show of power to make him bow. Needless to say, she had no intention of stopping now.

 

 

Flannery: “Such a cowardly move. This one doesn’t surprise me. Nevermind, he won’t get very far.”

Policeman 2: “Was that really necessary, miss?”

Flannery: “I don’t know if it was necessary, but it was definitely worth the try. Seriously, am I really the only one here who spotted a family resemblance with our cripple from the floor below in the Grand Hall? Nah, he deserved to know for his sibling. And frankly, this little speech was such a good opportunity to combine fun with effectiveness. You wouldn’t keep that away from me, would you?”

Policeman 1: “You’re probably right. Otherwise, it would have been like giving power to those who act against the well-being of our society and we can’t allow this to happen, especially after all the evidences we’ve reunited so far. You have a unique way of looking at things, lady.”

Flannery: “Haha, thank you! I knew you’d understand. And… by the way…”

 

Just before to move forward, the redhead showed her hands at the policemen.

 

Flannery: “Don’t worry for my fingers, I wasn’t serious about the broken-nails thing. It was just a little trick of mine to creep this guy out. Be reassured, I may be kind of reckless most of the time, but not to the point of hurting myself when I land a punch.”

Policeman 2: “We’re glad to know it, miss. Now let’s proceed further.”

Flannery: “Sure, let’s do this! I doubt these mobsters will surrender of their own will anyway.”

Policeman 1: “If only it could be that simple.”

Flannery: “No problem for me. Cover my back, I’ll go ahead!”

 

Meanwhile, the vengeful guardian of the area returned quickly to his hideout where the rest of his gang was clustered. Inside, several troublemakers were gathered around a helpless Lillipup that was tied to a wooden pillar planted deep in the ground. The poor Pokemon was harassed by two lawless cueballs. Some punks, streetrats and youngsters were attending the scene in a fun way from the bleachers at the back of the dead end. This scary event was organized similarly to an unsettling pagan ritual, which flooded the place with oppressive vibes.

 

 

Cueball 1: “You useless toerag! We’ve lost too much money because of you! You’ve proven more than once that you were not worthy to be one of us. Now this is the end of your story, little one.”

Lillipup: “Ruff! Ruff!”

Cueball 2: “Shut up! We have no need of a weak link who can’t make us win one single bet or defeat a couple of Patrat on its own. We’ll get our revenge against these wretches from the Q Gang another day… but you won’t be with us anymore to see it.”

Cueball 1: “In this town, everybody should know their place and stay in it. The animals of your league have none. Clay, the honor is yours!”

Cueball 2: “Then so be it!”

Lillipup: “Ru… ruff…”

Cueball 2: “Ahem, ahem… Blessed be the powerful! And may the weak never return! Even in pain, the entertainment must go on! For you Lillipup, we sound the knell of rebirth and resurgence. Give into it and embrace this new path we trace for you today!"

???: “Clay, no! Don’t do that!”

 

Just as one of the cueballs was about to brutalize the terrorized Lillipup, the hotshot encountered by Flannery hurriedly came back to the hideout. He was out of breath and needed to quickly tell his comrades what was lying ahead of them as the police was at their door. Cold sweats were running off the forehead of the nervous watcher as he spoke.

 

 

Cueball 2: “Seth? What are you doing here? You were supposed to guard the entrance! This better be important!”

Seth: “Everybody listen to me! Be prepared to fight! If we don’t, this will end very badly for all of us!”

Cueball 2: “Are you insinuating that somebody wants to mess with us? Who is it? Does it have something to do with another retaliation from Santiago?”

Seth: “Randy… Mack… Jackson… I know where they are! This girl outside… she… she got them! They got them all! And they’re coming for us too!”

Flannery: “Peekaboo!”

Seth: “AH!”

 

The hotshot jumped backward as the dauntless firehead caught him off guard from behind. She penetrated inside the den of the ruthless abusers with the policemen who were standing by her side. Flannery also quickly caught sight off the Lillipup bound to the wooden pillar by a leash, which didn’t fail to infuriate her. The policemen, for their part, were flabbergasted by the gruesome condition of the Puppy Pokemon. Justice had to be made and this led to an immediate reaction from the firehead.

 

 

Flannery: “So here you are! You are those who made all this Pokemon suffer, aren’t you?”

Cueball 1: “What does this all mean? Why are you here?”

Flannery: “You want answers? So do we! Why won’t you tell us what you were about to do with this Lillipup in front of this crowd over here? Is that a way to treat Pokemon who don’t know how to fight?”

Policeman 1: “By the order of Jasper’s police department, you are under arrest! We have it from more than one source that those present in this place have all been involved in the abuse of an increasing number of stray Pokemon across the city. For the crimes you’ve committed, we’ll bring you to justice in the Grand Hall. Any attempts to resist us will be severely punished. We recommend you to follow us peacefully. If you do so, your fine will be less expensive and lesser sentences will be imposed on you.”

 

Surprisingly, one of the tough guys near the pillar didn’t seem to put up resistance to the law enforcers. He made a few steps in the direction of the crime-fighting trio and calmly replied to them.

 

 

Cueball 2: “Alright. You got us. No sincerely, we know we can’t make it out. You’ve sniffed us out and there’s no need for us to keep up this power struggle any longer. You’ve proven to be better detectives than we imagined, me and my friends. But before we surrender, would you please allow us to tell you why we’re acting this way?”

Policeman 2: “It won’t make a lot of difference for you, but that’s okay. Please explain yourself.”

Cueball 2: “Thanks for your indulgence, I knew you’d be reasonable. The truth is that you’re weak. Reborn’s law enforcement is weak. And so is the Champion. Her ambitions of reintroduction to attract foreigners, both human and Pokemon, are just antics to the eyes of the locals. This hodgepodge she tries to establish is an insult that can only lead to the deconstruction of power that once made the greatness of this town. It didn’t take us long to see it.”

Flannery: “And you think it’s worth torturing those who don’t fit your standards? You’re not speaking in the name of Reborn when you say that, you know?”

Cueball 2: “Indeed. There are still blind eyes that need to be open. We come for them all. Casuals like to show their skills through battles and show themselves demigod while waving plastic toys in their hands but they don’t know what’s the true meaning of a fight. It’s just a matter of time before we clear Reborn out of the weak, one by one. And you’ll be on the front lines to see it. The three of you.”

Policeman 1: “What are you talking about?”

Cueball 2: “There’s nothing to understand.”

Flannery: (All this nonsense… If my ears could throw up, they definitely would.)

 

At this moment, the irreverent lowlife discreetly grabbed a Pokeball attached to his back while Flannery and her bodyguards remained silent, unaware of this last card he was about to play. The valiant fire woman and the policemen were all glaring at the rest of the gang with displeasure.

 

Cueball 2: “Panto.”

Cueball 1: “Yes, Clay?”

Cueball 2: “It’s a little drafty in here, don’t you think?”

Cueball 1: “Oh yes, I know what you mean.”

 

Just as Flannery was still disgruntled by the absurd insinuations of the bald guy in front of her, the latter suddenly threw his Pokeball into the air, summoning one of his fighting teammates to assist him: a Mankey. As soon as it appeared on the field, the cueball gave his Pokemon the following orders.

 

 

Cueball 2: “Mankey! Shut down the way with Karate Chop!”

Policeman 1: “Huh?”

Mankey: “Maaaan!”

 

 

Before Flannery and the officers could do anything to stop the Mankey, it jumped high between the walls of the narrow street and threw a powerful punch against one of them. The violence of the shock made debris fall at the entrance of the alleyway, blocking the only way out of the thugs’ den and trapping the group sent by Ame in the process.

 

 

Cueball 2: “Much better. Just allow me to make it clear; nothing that was said here will escape this place. Now that the masks have fallen off, it’s time for you to meet your end.”

 

But despite the cunning move of the scoundrels, Flannery wasn’t impressed that much. She could see right through the little game of the gang. Their attempt to crush her spirit was obvious to her. In all cases, Flannery had no intention to leave. Fleeing was not an option for her. Refusing to give up, the fiery girl replied teasingly to the portly hooligan.

 

Flannery: “I should have known… nevermind. No matter how hard you try, rocks and well-made sentences won’t fill in the holes in your brain, dude. To me, it just sounds like you’re looking for an excuse to spread and encourage violence for the sake of meaningless entertainment. In case you didn’t know yet, a friend of yours had said similar things this morning. I let you imagine how well that went for him. Remember, the same move can’t work twice on the same person.”

 

Flannery was ready to send her Pokemon to the field in turn. Trying hard not to pay attention to the outcome of an imminent power struggle, she seized Torchic’s Pokeball.

 

Flannery: “So, if you know what’s good for you, you’d better know when to stop. Just like now!”

Cueball 2: “How amusing. You think you can take us? Unlike you, we may be down, but never outnumbered.”

Seth: “Hey, hey! Don’t start the party without me, bros!”

Cueball 1: “We’ll fight to the end!”

Policeman 1: “Let’s join forces in this battle!”

Policeman 2: “I couldn’t have said it better, colleague! Miss, Moore. You probably want to rearrange the face of these gentlemen too, don’t you? You’re allowed to go all out this time!”

Flannery: “Splendid! Then, let’s send these bad boys back to hell together! Cowards of their kind are like scribbles on the last page of a book that I’ve been carrying around for way too long. Let’s tear it and burn it down today!”

Seth: “As if. Get them, guys!”

 

And so began the long-waited battle against the source of the suffering of Reborn’s defenseless Pokemon. Those who were willing to fight took their position without hesitation. Even though she knew that her chance to win in these conditions were slim, Flannery still had this desire for redemption and justice that kept her moving forward. For the firehead, this ultimate confrontation was like the last remaining obstacle that was preventing her from reconciling with her own self. Fortunately, she wasn’t alone to achieve this fateful work. She had allies. Hidden from the view of sensitive souls, the daughter of Lavaridge Town was about to unleash her power in the most spirited and decisive way. Striving for justice restoration, whatever the price, she was still present to put an end to this secret plague that was tending to spread in the city. Down in this pit of shame, she was standing up. Immune to the fear of failure, the dark knight of Reborn was about to strike again.

 

 

To be continued…

 

 POKEMON TEAM

Spoiler

Torkoal/Male/Level 19

Nature: Relaxed/Ability: White Smoke

Held Item: None

Moveset: Rapid Spin/Flame Wheel/Protect/Overheat

 

Vulpix/Female/Level 17

Nature: Timid/Ability: Flash Fire

Held Item: None

Moveset: Ember/Baby-Doll Eyes/Will-O-Wisp/Grudge

 

Torchic/Male/Level 5

Nature: Adamant/Ability: Speed Boost

Held Item: None

Moveset: Scratch/Growl/Ember

 

 

[Super Duper Summer Royalty Nominations 2022]

Ember King:

@CrystalStar @Oscarus @Seal @Storm @SolareSupremo @Aphelli @thisgameishard @LeoYT

 

Midsummer Queen:

@Candy @Evi Crystal @Angelkitsune @YoctoCrunch @HollyM100 @SilverAngelus @andracass @Amethyst

 

Sunlit Sovereign:

@LykosHand @Dragoknight @Ice Cream Sand Witch @smeargletail @Dreamy @J-Awesome_One

[NUMBEBBEBEBEBEBERRRRRRRRSSSSSSSS]

264

[Mono grass reccomendations for Elite 4/Lin]

Roserade can be really useful to counter Steel Type Pokemon. Combine Technician with Hidden Power Fire and you should be able to sweep some of them when the weather is sunny. Maybe you already know that, but it's now possible to modify the type of Hidden Power at Agate Circus! I would have gladly recommend you to use Ludicolo to defend yourself against Fire Types, but since your strategy seems to mainly rely on Sunny Day, maybe you could opt for Hidden Power Rock/Ground or Earthquake instead (If you're patient enough to achieve the starter egg quest of course). Sceptile could be a good candidate for moves like these since it's the fastest Grass Pokemon available once mega-evolved and don't need to have Chlorophyll as an ability to outspeed its opponents! If you like taking risks, you can possibly replace Venusaur with Torterra and teach Exeggutor Trick Room, so you can take care of Fire/Steel types Pokemon with Earthquake while dealing with Fairy Types by using Iron Head.

 

I hope this helps 

 

 

PS: During weather conditions, Weather Ball's power doubles from 50 to 100, which is indeed more interesting than HP Fire, but still very situational. Since some field effect will prevent weather and Field Effects from being generated (Wink at you New World Field (╹◡╹)凸), HP Fire remains a flexible option to consider for Roserade.

[What're YOU listening to?~]

Simple yet surprisingly evocative! Brings me some kind of futuristic nostalgia

[A wild fanart appeared!]

My heart is really softened by your arts! Blake's tent rocks! I'm not gonna lie. Even though I'm not a fan of his personaIity, he has pretty good taste in terms of haircut! I also love how you managed to catch the innocence of the Belrose sisters as well as the playful side of the youngest of the three!

 

Kawaiiness to the max! 

[Predict the Next Person to Post]

AAAAND HEEEEEERE IIIIII AAAAAAAAM!!! Hello everyone 

I think Evi will come next!

[Adding/editing trainer teams in episode 19?]

Thank you! I took note of this and will try to make it work tomorrow! And again, thank you for everything you've done until now! I don't write/talk too much, but you got me energized for the rest of the week I think 

[Adding/editing trainer teams in episode 19?]

Hello everyone! I've been a little off these last few weeks and I'm clearly amazed to notice that the community release of Pokemon Reborn is now available! I can't do much but thank all the people involved in this vast and amazing project! It's almost been like 5 years since I discovered this game and its community and I'm proud to be a part of it! However, I admit that I have some difficulty to refrain my creative urge and I don't even know if I'm on the appropriate part of the forum to discuss it but I had something to ask. Since I like to lose myself in everyting that is related to sandbox and customization, I wanted to know if there already were a possibility to add or edit teams for NPCs in the game. It was something I loved to do back in episode 18 by using PBS files and RPG Maker XP, so I wanted to keep up this type of practice while playing the episode 19 of Reborn. The thing is, I realized that there was a change affecting the scripts and the way the code has been organized. It looks like everything now depends on Ruby files stored in the "Scripts" folder and I didn't find the one that covers trainer teams. I just want to know if there will be a possibility in the future to add new trainers with new classes and assign them teams of our personal composition. If so, it would be very appealing and it would strengthen my interest for Reborn even more! Does anybody know how to do it for the moment or is it just impossible and not planned for future updates. Any advice is welcome!

 

Thank you in advance for your replies!

[What're YOU listening to?~]

Spoiler

 

 

 

[The Last, Only, and Very Final X% Hype Thread]

Even if the final version of the game must take six months or more before to be officially out, I’ll still be waiting, precisely because the developers are putting a lot of energy and passion into their work. Maybe I shouldn’t write this type of thing in this topic, but I once used to invest a lot of time in a Minecraft map which was a personal project of mine. That was part of my hobbies before I join and discover the Reborn community. Sadly, I had severe difficulty to keep up the motivation to achieve my project because I ended up realizing that I was alone in my goals with almost no support, which can make you renounce from dropping further sweat into a work you’re not even paid for, let alone the fact that I had to keep track of all the updates, Minecraft being a game that never stop evolving as time passes. I think the same principle can be applied for Pokemon Reborn and the team behind it. Today, I’m exhausted and I’m currently meditating on a way to get satisfaction and enjoyment by doing something that doesn’t involve emptying my energy supplies too quickly. Ame, Andracass and all the other people who are contributing to the creation of this game clearly deserve to be praised. Patience is a way to show them our gratitude in my opinion. By the way, I can’t do much but take my hat off to them for keeping alive and improving this 10-years-old project even now! Respect for that!

[What're YOU listening to?~]

Old but 

 

[Predict the Next Person to Post]

Motivation to the max! And Merry Christmas

Evi, the first gift goes for you  

[Q-Jei's Creations [Art: Spriting & Pixel Art / Feedback] *Closed for commissions*]

On 10/11/2021 at 8:35 PM, Evi Crystal said:

So you are the one who did James and Matthew's sprites? I must say, I'm very impressed and astonished by your pixel works and didn't expect the two formers

 

Great job for that. You are indeed a gifted sprite pixel maker

This compliment goes straight to my heart, thank you!

 

Also, I'm happy to announce that I'm back with more stuff to show! Earlier this year, I've been contacted by @Rei1lin who asked me for a fully playable avatar of himself in Reborn! It took me a while, but it's finally done in due and proper form! This is the achieved version of a spriteset originally made by someone on fiverr, but the overworld sheets were lacking, so the character was not 100% functional with all the animations and all. Fortunately, I successfully managed to rectify this issue!

@Rei1lin, I hope you'll enjoy the final result 

 

[What're YOU listening to?~]

If the expression "safe & sound" had a musical interpretation, this would be it.

 

[The Last, Only, and Very Final X% Hype Thread]

Plot twist! Lin has the saddest backstory of all the Reborn characters!

[The Last, Only, and Very Final X% Hype Thread]

On 11/17/2021 at 3:28 PM, Dark Eclipse said:

I personally think its obvious. I've posted this many times before, but here is more detail:

Solaris will destroy Team Meteor. He will kill Sirius, because of Taka's death. But, he will be killed by Lin, leaving his Garchomp for us. We will end up killing Lin, but Solaris will pretty much annihilate Team Meteor. It's obvious.

Well, it's fair to assume that Solaris will have at least one important role to assume during the assault in Labradorra City. However, I doubt he can make it without too much trouble on the Reshiram route, because if you remember well, he flees shortly after we defeat him with Sirius chasing him as the latter wonders if this "loose end" cannot be tied up. After all, it's not like Solaris still had any Pokemon in shape to defend himself and we all know how Sirius is an expert when it comes to use his own Pokemon against humans. The same goes for Dr. Sigmund. The real question should be, if Solaris can be freed, then to whom should he owe this possibility? Sirius made it clear about him, Solaris is alone in his goals and he only managed to keep track of the keys because Sirius told him what they had become. Additionally, Sirius reminds Solaris that he should have relied more on Lin's advices, which he didn't do. To me, it's when you play on the Reshiram Route that you understand that Lin is not just a very dangerous adversary but also the true mastermind who can make Team Meteor collapse from the inside out. What I personally think is obvious is that Lin doesn't care about Team Meteor and wants to get ahold of something related to Arceus that goes far beyond Team Meteor's understanding. Ironically, Solaris and El who are the most pious character of the game are both in a bad situation with their children lives taken. It's never a good thing for morale, especially when Team Meteor's action plans get tough.

 

I know it's a little outdated, but I recommend you to check out this topic I've uploaded last year:

 

[Q-Jei's Creations [Art: Spriting & Pixel Art / Feedback] *Closed for commissions*]

On 9/28/2021 at 6:17 PM, Kingdra Queen said:

omg i love this is there any way i could use it or get a copy of the sprites

Hello there! Firstly first, my apologies for the late reply. In fact, any set of sprite I've made until now is still available and can be purchased on asking. You can send private message to me if you’re interested!

[What're YOU listening to?~]

Spoiler

 

 

[What're YOU listening to?~]

Spoiler

 

 

[Predict the Next Person to Post]

Ayaaa! A fiery eclipse popped out of the blue instead!

 

Evi, will you come next?

[The Last, Only, and Very Final X% Hype Thread]

21 hours ago, thisgameishard said:

Im gonna assume that the camerupt food, menu, nutrition thing, means that we will end up fighting the pulse camerupt some time in the future.

Why not? After all, there are so many moves of Camerupt that are boosted by the New World Field, especially Eruption and Earth Power. Combine his Desolate Land ability with a balloon and it turns into a dangerous offensive powerhouse with almost no weakness. That would sure make one lovely fiery show! 

[The Last, Only, and Very Final X% Hype Thread]

On 9/9/2021 at 7:34 PM, Evi Crystal said:

This could be pretty possible, given they are the last major PULSE- Pokemon and that the two man are currently in Labradorra City, as we saw them last time (with Sigmund's last appearance and Sirius having Aya).

 

Buuut you forgot the most important thing: Saphira will be 100% there as well, given that's where her gym is and for her revenge against the two men for ruining her family's life. I'm pump up for discovering the full story between the sisters and doctor.

And sooner or later, Charlotte will realize that she wasn't the one to blame for her parents death. This might be a silly statement, but she's actually a character that progressively grows on me as time goes by. She's such a poor girl when you think of it and I would be in one heck of a state of bliss if it came true that the protagonist and her could avenge Saphira in Labradorra and kick Sirius and Dr. Geezer out of the city as a duo. Hopefully, she will stop hiding behind this impenetrable wall made of insurance she built after her parents death and become more true to her sentiments. Justice must be done to Charlotte for the traumatism she suffered. It was hard for me to understand her way to think when I played Reborn for the first time and I realize now how amazing she is as a character!