[Predict the Next Person to Post]

I need to come back one way or another! In case I wouldn't show up again, I wish you all a Happy New Year in advance! Keep safe  

My prediction is Silver next!

[Predict the Next Person to Post]

Let’s bring her back together!

Evi, where are you?

[Predict the Next Person to Post]

Big yawn from a fire lover!

Evi, where are you?

[Favorite Pokemon]

Vulpix all the way for me! I've grown attached to this little foxy baby over years, which is mainly due to the written run I've been working on all this time  

[What do you look like?]

Hello from Insel Mainau (Germany )

Spoiler

 

[Recruiting Groudon]

In fact, your recruitment rate can be impacted by two things in Pokemon Rescue Team: the Friend Bow that is obtainable in Mt. Faraway and your level. The chance for you to recruit some specific Pokemon becomes higher as you level up.

 

Recruitment rate by level:

Level 1-29: +0%

Level 30-39: +5%

Level 40-49: +7.5%

Level 50-59: +10%

Level 60-69: +12.5%

Level 70-79: +15%

Level 80-89: +17.5%

Level 90-100: +24%

 

Take note that your recruitment rate increases by 10% when your holding the Friend Bow. Also, the bow in Mt. Faraway is located behind a door needing a key on floor 30 to be unlocked.

 

Hope this helps you!

 

 

[Post the first word that comes to mind!]

Puzzle

[What're YOU listening to?~]

Spoiler

 

 

[Predict the Next Person to Post]

Hello everyone! How are you all doing?

I call for Raion!

[Predict the Next Person to Post]

Not here again! What about a spicy vixen instead of a spacy kitten?

Silver, can you see me?

[Predict the Next Person to Post]

*Look at you with fiery eyes from afar*

 

Maybe a Mega Blaziken will show up next?

[Predict the Next Person to Post]

I can watch too!

Silver, where are you?~

[Torchic or Froakie?]

In fact, Greninja is more of a Swiss knife due to his Protean ability while Blaziken makes a pushover of almost all the Reborn Gym Leaders. The Speed Boost + Bulk Up combo is a no-brainer that can bypass all the physical opponents as from the very start of the game. Therefore, Greninja requires you to choose your moves more strategically, and turns out to be a marvelous asset for your team if used with a diversified moveset.

21 hours ago, Egzample said:

Generally, fire starters are the best choice.

Flannery approved your statement  

[What're YOU listening to?~]

Rule number one, never talk about Fight Club.

Spoiler

 

 

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

On 7/15/2020 at 2:20 PM, Evi Crystal said:

Jesus Christ! Flannery was pretty the savage one there.... It scared me, because Flannery would never do that in my opinion *shivers*

I think it's precisely because this is the first time we see Flannery acting so nastily that so many readers are shocked by this episode in particular. With all the recent moments of violence and unfairness she's been attending to from the day of her arrival, it was pretty difficult for Flannery to stay cool and keep up the same level of toleration all the time. The more she was exposed to violent situations, the more she turned violent herself. But these situations are not just limited to Reborn. Otherwise, she surely would have behaved differently. Five years ago, during the clash with Team Aqua, she herself saw how far a devilish organization could go to achieve its goal. Needless to say, she's been through a lot. And still, I put it mildly. For those who didn't know, Flannery's past in TTOAF refers a lot to the manga which is itself particularly ominous and oppressing at times. It contains scenes that are at least as unsettling as the ones depicted in episode 20, and which at the same time, highlight Flannery's durability considerably. Let me give you some examples of what these scenes are about exactly.

 

Spoiler

• Flannery beaten up by Team Aqua.
• Flannery drowned by Aqua Admin Matt.
• Flannery strangled by Shelly's Ludicolo.
• Flannery hit by Vulpix as it was thrown into her by Shelly's Ludicolo.

 

And believe me, I didn't show you everything. This combined with Reborn's merciless environment, the chance for Flannery to go from love to hate in the presence of evildoers was legitimate and not negligible. Some might say it's a matter of choice to be good or evil through your actions. In Flannery's case, there was a point where she somewhat decided to stop holding back. But don't mistaken with what I wrote above. To me, what happened to Flannery during the raid in Mosswater Factory is a tragedy more than anything else, the creepy result of an infernal sequence of events she shouldn't have been involved in. And what makes it worse is that nothing she did is defendable. I freaking love Flannery myself, and it's a wrench to depict her like that. But somehow, this had to be done one way or another. Fortunately, the advantage of a character like Flannery is that she has several opportunities to grow up and learn from the mistakes she made as the story unfolds. In a future episode, she will eventually realize that the more she fought against injustice, the more ruthless she became. I'll stand by that: Flannery will never end up like Sirius, Tania or Saphira!

[Predict the Next Person to Post]

My apologies, you got fire sparks instead 

Is Raion still around?

[Predict the Next Person to Post]

Aaaand why yes? Yes I do

I give you my two Pokecents that a dark Mew will pop out of the blue next ^^

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

On 7/12/2020 at 8:42 PM, Candy said:

Lewd

jk donut eat me

It’s cute that Flannery and Julia get along well. Given Flannery is a fire type leader I think she enjoys fireworks which go boom too. Speaking of, wonder how Flannery will react to Charlotte and her backstory.

No worries, I'm satiated already  And yeah, Julia and Flannery tend to share some common points with each other, I give you that. However, there might be some subtleties between those two. Julia needs destruction to entertain herself in an inoffensive way while Flannery is more of a daredevil who loves doing things relentlessly and passionately but can't stand to be pushed over the edge. In Flannery's case, I would rather say that destruction is a means of last resort that has been used more than it was supposed to. Sadly, this tempestuous way to be was accentuated because of what she has been through in Reborn. Hopefully, she will "cool down" a little with what is supposed to come next. And yeah, she will definitely have an affinity with Charlotte. Being fire lovers themselves, they will get along well together. Plus, they both have family matters that might strengthen their friendship since Flannery is not that different from an orphan in some way.

 

On 7/12/2020 at 9:48 PM, SilverAngelus said:

Nice to see this back up! Those boom effects are on point~ (Julia is very proud of you :3 ) 

 

As much as Meteor deserves consequences for their heinous actions, it's not pleasant to see Flannery so worked up about revenge. She's better than that ;-;

And so I am  All these edits were more fun to make than I would have thought actually! A nice booming for Julia ^^

And yeah, just like I said to Candy, Flannery's state of mind is not that enjoyable for everyone, which is normal in itself. The thing is, we know why she acted so harshly against thug numreo uno and the Meteor grunt. As we saw a few episodes earlier, her Pokemon and her life were endangered because of them the first day of her trip in Reborn. All the recent events combined have led to an increasing amount of impulsivity inside of Flannery, which have forced her to believe in absolute justice and apply it on her own. Having that said, I can't completely defend Flannery myself either. Otherwise, it would mean that her violent acting could become even more devouring and dangerous than it already was. In other words, she would become what Sirius wanted her to be. This raises some moral issues in the end. But if it can reassure you, I already have anticipated it as from episode 18. This sequence of raging outburst will eventually be attenuated in a very near future, don't worry!

[Predict the Next Person to Post]

Back from embers and ashes!

Are you still around Silver?

[What're YOU listening to?~]

Spoiler

 

 

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

 

Spoiler

The group was formed. Everybody was now ready to go into action. After meeting the Sevilla siblings, Flannery headed to the Mosswater Factory with Fern, followed both by Julia and Florinia. Having taken note of the irascibility of the top dog, Flannery tried her best to not hurt his feelings as the latter was marching stiffly beside her. Fern visibly had some difficulty to accept the fact he was the only trainer of his group who didn’t possess an honorary title. Needless to say, he wasn’t very talkative with Flannery along the way. Meanwhile, the gentle redhead could hear Julia talking to Florinia cheerfully. The young cheerleader looked particularly enthusiastic at the idea of fighting against some shady individuals in town. Once arrived at the factory, the team stopped close to the wire fencing and looked at the building from afar.

 

 

Florinia: “Destination reached. No troublemaker on the horizon.”

Julia: “Here we are! So this is the bandit’s hideout we’ve been told to investigate?”

Flannery: “According to Ame, yes. I’ve checked the location of this factory by using the map application of my Pokegear earlier to make sure of it. I can confirm that we are in the right place!”

Fern: “Look at that! As if a little band of hooligans was needing such a big building to handle their business. They surely must have a little something to compensate for.”

Flannery: “How can you be so sure of that? We don’t even know how many they are.”

Julia: “Flannery’s right. Maybe these guys are more numerous than we thought.”

Fern: “Yeah, maybe. Or maybe not, we’ll see. Whatever, there’s only one way to know it, if you see what I mean.”

Flannery: “Of course, we do! Onward, everyone!”

Julia: “CHAAAAAAAAAAARGE!!!”

 

Determined to bring justice for the citizens of Reborn, the quartet moved towards the entrance of the Mosswater Factory. But they couldn’t go very far. Some kind of big metal door was blocking the access to the premises of the plant, making any progression of Flannery and her friends impossible. There was no door handle, nor button, nor fingerprint sensing system. It was as if it could only be opened from the inside. The redhead then tried to force her way by leaning upon the door and pressed on it with her hands to make it budge. But it didn’t do anything.

 

 

Flannery: “*sigh* There’s nothing to do. It won’t budge!”

Fern: “Why am I not surprised? At least, these scoundrels have the merit of knowing how to protect themselves. Cowardice in all its glory. There’s no need to argue further on it.”

Julia: “Indeed, this door looks like it’s sealed shut, which risks to be a bit problematic for us. Hopefully, I think I can do something about it.”

Flannery: “Really? What do you want to try, Julia?”

Julia: “If you don’t mind, I would appreciate if you and Fern let me pass. I have means to get us in. *wink*”

Flannery: “Oh, um… sure, why not? Please, take place! Any help is welcome after all.”

Fern: “You heard Flannery? Come.”

Julia: “Oh thank you, thank you so much! You’ll see, it will be delightful!”

 

The eccentric damsel winked at Flannery and won her confidence quite easily. Having no real solution to suggest, she and Fern both stepped backward while Julia approached the armored door with excitement. The latter pulled a Pokeball out of her shirt pocket. She was about to send one of her Pokemon to the field.

 

Julia: “Kaykay, let's do this! Voltorb, it's up to you!”

 

Without further ado, Julia threw her Pokeball straight in the air and made one of Pokemon appear near the entrance door of the Mosswater Factory. Voltorb took shape next to the Gym Leader of Peridot Ward.

 

 

Voltorb: “Voltorb!”

Julia: “Hello, buddy! Are you fine? Me and my companions need your help!”

Voltorb: “Voltorb?”

 

The Ball Pokemon frowned in the direction of Julia and those who were behind her. He looked intrigued. Voltorb wondered what sort of help Julia and her allies were actually needing.

 

Julia: “Remember that, comrades! If you have to open a door at all cost and don't have the keys on you, don't waste your time contacting a locksmith: just boom the door off instead. Well... of course, make sure that you're not too attached to the door in the first place. In all cases, always do it with gusto!”

Florinia: “Julia's Voltorb present in the field. Imminent explosion incoming.”

Flannery: “W-What?! You’re saying you’re gonna destroy this door with your Voltorb?”

Fern: “Ahah, the old sacrifice-by-self-destruction trick! Even I wouldn't have dared to try that. Has anyone ever told you that you're insane?”

Voltorb: “TOORB?!?!”

 

Naturally, Flannery was somewhat bewildered by the kamikaze techniques that the bubbly cheerleader was about to use, although this method wasn’t really that different from most of the pyrotechnical tricks that the redhead had developed all these years. Except that in Flannery's case, none of these tricks had ever implied a sacrifice from her team members. For obvious reasons, Voltorb felt even more overwhelmed than the fire girl. The Electric Type Pokemon quickly became aware of the situation it was in, and showed an expression of despair by looking at its trainer pitifully. Julia then came up to Voltorb to reassure it.

 

 

Voltorb: “VooOOOoolt.”

Julia: “Come on, buddy. You've already been through much worse. I know you can do it. You are the only one who can help here. I believe in you! Everybody believes in you!”

Voltorb: “Vooolt.”

Julia: “Listen to me, buddy. When we'll be done here, I swear on everything I got. You'll be rewarded as you deserve. You'll have thousands of hugs, thousands of Pokesnax, thousands of electric batteries.... and I will also let you sleep with me tonight.”

Voltorb: “V-Volt!?”

Julia: “What do you think of it? A good nice sleep in bed with you're kind and loving trainer. You're not gonna refuse it, right? Come on! Pleeeeaaaaase!”

Fern: “No less! While we're at it, why won't you invite it to take a bath with you? This will probably make a more 'thrilling' experience for both of you.”

Flannery: “You're awful, Fern!”

 

After several seconds trying to gain Voltorb's trust, the latter finally gave in to the promise made by the Gym Leader and nodded as a sign of acceptance. Right after that, it swiftly turned to the big metal door. Julia made a few steps backward; she was ready to give it the following instructions.

 

 

Julia: “So be it, Voltorb. On my signal, use Explosion on this door! Okay?”

Voltorb: “Voltorb!”

Julia: “Excellent! So, let's begin! 3... 2... 1... KAAAAAAAAA!!!”

Voltorb: “VOOOLTOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORB!!!”

 

The round body of Voltorb began to shine with a dazzling light. On the orders of Julia, it focused all of its energy and generated a big, violent explosion in the process. Flannery and Fern both covered their eyes with their arms to not be blinded while Julia was leaping for joy at the sight of this detonating spectacle. Only Florinia remained imperturbable. When the explosion was over, there was no door anymore. The path was clear. Voltorb, however, was lying weakly on the ground, covered with soot. This decisive move had taken away all its electricity and dynamism. Julia made it return inside its Pokeball without waiting, congratulating it again for having the courage to explode by itself. The final result made it all the more satisfying. The assault on the mysterious organization could finally become possible.

 

 

Julia: “That was totally awesome!”

Fern: “Wow, what a smart move. Now you find yourself with one valid Pokemon in less.”

Flannery: “Yes, and? She did the right thing. Personally, I find that pretty praiseworthy. Convincing a Pokemon to use self-destructing moves on its own must require a strong relationship of trust.”

Julia: “Exactly, Flannery! Just to let you know, I always have some revives on me. This way, I can make as many boomings as I want, so what happened here shouldn't be a major issue for what's coming later. Anyway, I didn't join you to bother you all with my fascination for explosions, right? We still have a city to defend and stolen Pokemon to take back!”

Fern: “So, what are we waiting for?”

Flannery: “I agree. We should go now!”

Florinia: “Breach detected at the entrance of Mosswater Factory. Activating localized security systems.”

Julia: “Splendid. Well, as I was saying earlier... CHAAAAAAAAAAARGE!!!”

 

After that, everybody entered into the stinky and ominous building. Inside, all of them became aware of the stench that was surrounding the whole area. Flannery, who had a very sensitive sense of smell, covered both her nose and mouth with her hand as soon as she made it to the first room of the factory. There was a big filtration basin filled with crimson water inside. Fern, too, flipped out because of the smell that was emanating from it.

 

 

Julia: “Damn! This place smells terribadtastic!”

Fern: “Pwah! What the hell is that?! It... it smells like shit!!”

Flannery: (Hmph... somebody help! I think I've never breathed anything so disgusting in my life! It kind of smells like the acidic vapors of Mt. Chimney. Except this smell is at least tens of times more gross than what I've been used to. How the hell can we hide out in such a stinky place? Hmph... you filthy rats! I'll get you all!)

 

The foxy redhead tried hard to remove her hand from her mouth, so she could deal with the awful smell little by little. That was extremely unpleasant. Even after some short inhalations and exhalations, she could feel the stench grasping her from the inside out. Florinia, for her part, used this opportunity to make an estimation of the toxicity level of the water. The result didn't fail to shock Flannery and Julia.

 

Florinia: “The wine hue indicates high levels of pollutants. Estimated toxicity: 90%.”

Julia: “And this is being dumped right into Azurine Lake. No wonder it's so poisonous!”

Flannery: “90% of toxicity, no less! But... who are these people? Who are these morons who enjoy contaminating the blood of Mother Earth like that? They're the worst kind!”

Fern: “Yeah, yeah, this is drama. And? You're not gonna change anything if you keep lamenting on your hippie environmental bull. Those who really want to put an end to this nonsense always value action over words.”

Flannery: “What makes you believe that me and Julia are only good for talking? We all came here for the same reason, you know! Keep this right in your head: I'd do anything to prevent the situation from getting worse, even if it means tearing this whole factory down to the last brick!”

Julia: “I fully agree with you on this point, Flannery. These simpletons clearly don't care about the well-being of the city. We must arrest them and shut down this factory for the sake of Azurine Lake.”

Fern: “Well, if you say so.”

 

While Flannery, Fern and Julia were debating with each other, Florinia noticed that the path was split in two distinct ways. To make sure not to miss any trace of the mobsters, she recommended, always in a robotic tone, to separate and operate in two teams of two. For reasons of affinity, Julia insisted to team up with the Gym Leader of Onyx Ward. Thus, Fern and Flannery were going to be left together once again. Nonetheless, this didn’t seem to please Flannery in any way as she already knew what type of person Florinia’s brother was. Because of that, she thought it would be best to keep a low profile. Fortunately for her, Fern still looked determined to take the lead.

 

 

Julia: “Good, I think we’re all ready now. Me and Rini will take the west wing. Don’t hesitate to teach these bad guys a lesson if you ever see them. And if it ever has to happen, remember: do it with gusto!”

Flannery: “You can count on me for that, Julia. Doing things passionately has always been part of my habits, especially when it comes to justice. Just take my word for it!”

Florinia: “Risk of violent encounter in adjoining rooms: high. Previous statement uncertain. Please proceed with caution.”

Fern: “Don’t worry for me, sis. Accompanied or not, I never let my guard down.”

Julia: “Perfect, so here we go. The hunt is on, my friends! Good luck, Fern! Good luck, Flannery!”

Flannery: “Thank you, Julia! Be careful over there!”

 

Having nothing else to say, Julia left the scene with Florinia behind her. Flannery, for her part, was ready to go with the top dog, even though she was a little sceptical about the last sentence pronounced by Fern’s sister. Violent encounters… statement uncertain… the firehead didn’t know what to think of it. Preferring not to grant too much credence to Rini’s prognosis, she remained silent on this subject to better focus on her cooperation with Fern instead.

 

 

Fern: “Ha, things can now finally become interesting! I hope your mind has not softened too much in between.”

Flannery: “If that’s what you thought of me, just let me tell you that’s not the case. Thinking of me that I’m weak-minded is just another proof of your ignorance, Fern. Do you just know who I am? I’m a daughter of Lavaridge Town, I’m not afraid of anything! I probably took more risks than you could possibly imagine in your miserable life!”

Fern: “Ah, really? Well, so…”

 

In response to the assertions of the valiant ambassador, Fern made one step aside and stretched out his arm to the east wing, bowing down.

 

 

Fern: “…please, go first.”

Flannery: “W-What? What do you mean?”

Fern: “You said it yourself, Flannery. Earlier this morning, you’ve claimed that you put your own life at stake to protect civilians in the past. I deduce from this that you have more experience with this kind of high-risk mission than I have. It would be a beautiful waste to not take advantage of your knowledge with what’s waiting for us in there, don’t you think?”

Flannery: “And it took you till now to change the roles! You got a lot of balls to ask me that at the last moment!”

Fern: “I know. You can think whatever you want, I don’t care. I've taken you this far, but you’ll be the one to guide us the rest of the way. Take the lead!”

Flannery: “You call these criminals ‘cowards’, but you’re not better than they are in the end!”

Fern: “What about you? If you’re as brave as you claim, prove it! Because so far I didn’t see anything worthy of interest from you.”

 

Flannery was disappointed. The fact that Fern wanted to evade his responsibilities was not very fair to her. She could see right through his little game. The boy wanted to take advantage of the absence of Florinia and Julia to impose his rules on the redhead more easily. An act of cowardice that the latter strongly disapproved. But on the other hand, Flannery couldn’t afford to appear weak in the presence of the top dog.

 

Flannery: “*sigh* The least I can say is that you know how to wind me up, I give you that. So be it, I’ll go ahead. Stay close, and don’t wander off.”

Fern: “Well, ladies first. Just don’t try to charge in blindly. I don’t want to carry you on my back if things go wrong for you.”

 

Following this acerbic warning, the two trainers both walked into the east wing of the factory. In order to provide a more impressive image of herself, Flannery moved to the unknown with firm steps. She got to show Fern what a true daughter of Lavaridge Town was really capable of. The words of the green-haired boy had progressively begun to act as a booster for her. Where they were now, the atmosphere was less suffocating. The rancid smell had almost disappeared. However, Flannery had some bad feelings about what was waiting for her. Fern, who noticed she had slowed down the pace, used this opportunity to taunt her about that.

 

 

Fern: “Hm? What’s going on? Are you wiped out already?”

Flannery: “I don’t know, Fern. I have some iffy vibes about this room. This whole place screams ‘ambush’ to me.”

 

Indeed, Flannery’s apprehensions will soon prove to be correct. A few steps further in the corridor, and the duo got caught by two men both dressed up in black uniform.

 

???: “Ambush. What a lovely idea!”

Flannery: “*gasp* Fern, watch out!”

???: “Intruders! Report them to the boss!”

Fern: “You’re not gonna go anywhere with that, pal!”

 

The two shady individuals were about to corner the defenseless Flannery. But even before they could try anything against her, Fern grabbed one of his Pokeballs and sent out Sandile to push them back. As the men in black decided to use their own Pokemon directly against the heroic duo, Flannery pulled out Vulpix’s Pokemon in turn to defend herself and countered them. A double battle was about to start. By the way, the look of the two assailants vaguely reminded the redhead of the period when she met Team Aqua for the very first time on the slopes of the Mt. Chimney. But in reality, this fight did only last a short time. It was a straight-set victory for Flannery and Fern who had largely outperformed the two men in terms of strength.

 

 

Fern: “So much sluggishness is insulting. Go back to the gangster academy, losers.”

???: “Arrh! That sucks. What do we do now?”

???: “I don’t know. But don’t start worrying yet. After all, we are in greater numbers than them. No matter what happens, nobody stands up to Team Meteor unpunished.”

Flannery: (So, that’s what they call themselves. Team Meteor. The criminal organization that destroys Reborn City from its core.)

 

Masks have fallen. The identity of the organization responsible for all the recent incidents in town has been revealed. The people who had led the attack against Flannery in Grandview Station were standing right in front of her. They were actually grunts of Team Meteor. Fortunately, without any Pokemon able to fight, they didn’t represent an obstacle to the redhead anymore.

 

Fern: “You’ll see soon who’ll be punished last. Anyway, I’ll make sure to send your regards to your boss when I’ll see him.”

Flannery: “Not too fast, Fern! We’re not done here yet.”

Vulpix: “Vulpix!”

Fern: “Oh, you… What else do you want?”

 

Before she and Fern called Sandile and Vulpix back to their respective Pokeballs and follow their way, Flannery still had one last thing to do. Now that the fight was over, she questioned the two men fiercely in order to know where the starters stolen from the reserve in the Grand Hall have been hidden.

 

 

Flannery: “Before we leave, I would like to ask you a question.”

Grunt 1: “What sort of question?”

Flannery: “We’ve been told by some important people that rare Pokemon have been robbed in the Grand Hall yesterday in the afternoon. Thereafter, they would have been brought and stored somewhere in this factory. Where are they?”

Grunt 1: “What sort of starter? I’m not sure to understand what you’re hinting at.”

Flannery: “Don’t try to make a fool of me! We got it from reliable sources that you used this accident to create a diversion in Opal Ward. Just in case you didn’t know yet, one of your colleagues has been caught as he tried to escape. He claimed himself to be a member of your band during the interrogation. You’d better start talking now if you don’t want to spend the rest of your life behind bars with him!”

 

The strong personality of the firehead slowly began to prevail over her shy and bashful side. But despite her attempt to make the grunts confess, they didn’t say anything about this case and kept denying the facts, pretending that they were in no way responsible for this misdeed.

 

Grunt 1: “I think you’re wrong. This has nothing to do with us. We didn’t even know that a theft has been committed yesterday. There is no stolen Pokemon in here. This man you interviewed has probably made up a story for himself to save his life. However, the bombing against that train in the afternoon was definitely our doing.”

Flannery: “Stop lying to my face! I know you see what I’m talking about. But you won’t admit the truth.”

Vulpix: “Vulpix!”

Grunt 2: “You’ll stop harassing my mate, kid? He said the truth. No Meteor has strolled around in Opal Ward yesterday. It wasn’t part of the plan. We are assassins, not thieves.”

Flannery: “I don’t trust assassins! You’re all the same to me!”

Fern: “*yawn* Why won’t you just ignore them? This discussion is a waste of time. I’m sure we can find back these Pokemon ourselves. Stay here if you want, I’m getting out of here.”

Flannery: “No!”

Fern: “What?”

Flannery: “I said… ‘no’!”

Vulpix: “Rrrrrr!”

 

The redhead didn’t feel the same way as Fern. Even Vulpix, who was standing beside her, could feel the lack of sincerity in the words of the men in black. For Flannery, there were sufficient evidence indicating that those individuals were not totally honest. As a result, she repeated the same question one last time.

 

Flannery: “I know who you are, and I know what you did. Have you just forgotten that without valid Pokemon by your side, you’re not in a position to manipulate me? And if you don’t spill the beans, I’m sure your little cronies will eventually do so if I force them one way or another. So, I’ll ask you one more time. Where. Are. THE STARTERS?!”

Grunt 1: “THERE. IS. NO. STARTER IN HERE!!”

Grunt 2: “Absolutely. Sorry princess, but your darlings are in another castle. Now, get out of here.”

Grunt 1: “Couldn’t have said it better colleague! You heard us? See you! Astalavista! Arrivederci! Sayonara! And most importantly, find yourself something better to do! You’re getting on my nerves, you and your filthy jackal!”

 

Fatal mistake of the unconscious man, no one insulted Flannery’s Vulpix without paying the consequences. After that, the Fox Pokemon looked down under the sulfurous gaze of the daughter of Lavaridge Town. Flannery remained motionless without saying a single word. She couldn’t accept the attitude of the shameless grunt toward the young Fire Pokemon. Then, a few seconds later, she uttered the following words with hair locks covering the top of her face.

 

 

Flannery: “Too bad for you.”

Grunt 1 & 2: “Hm?”

Fern: “What?”

Flannery: (I’m really going to enjoy myself today!)

Vulpix: (I’m not a jackal! And I’m not filthy! Me and my human will make you pay for your insolence!)

 

Determined to get the information she needed, Flannery suddenly raised her head and stared at the grunt with a threatening look and one hand on her hips while Vulpix put herself in fighting position, ready to launch an attack. With her free hand, Flannery pointed at him and told her furry partner the following instructions.

 

Flannery: “Vulpix! Use Will-O-Wisp on this dude!”                                                                                                                  

Vulpix: (With pleasure, Flannery!)

Grunt 2 & Fern: “What the…”

Vulpix: “VULPIIIIIX!”

Grunt 1: “WowowoaAAAAAH!”

 

Thus, the fury of the firehead was unleashed. On the orders of Flannery, Vulpix made her six tails shining, then wagged them in the direction of the grunt, freeing six little balls of purple fire that landed on the suit of the brash criminal. The latter screamed with fear and pain at this very moment when the fireballs exploded on him. Driven by his survival instincts, the grunt rolled on the ground like a terrified animal to get rid of the flames, a very entertaining performance to observe for the ex-Gym Leader of Lavaridge Town. But since she estimated it wasn’t enough, Flannery ordered Vulpix to revive the fire by using Ember on the man down. This was a big shock for Fern and the other grunt! But in the eyes of Flannery, the sentence was right and deserved!

 

 

Grunt 2: “Oh my God! What are you doing to my teammate?”

Fern: “Flannery, what the fuck! What’s going on in your head?”

Flannery: “Playing with fire can be lethal for those who are not prepared for this. If you don’t want to play fair, so neither do I.”

Grunt 1: “AAAH!!! AAAAAH I’M BURNING!! IT HURTS!! IT HUUUUURTS!! PLEASE, TURN ME OFF!! AAAAAH!!”

Flannery: “I don’t think so. In fact, I largely prefer to sit here and watch the fire taking effect till the end. Those flames are so beautiful, why should I put them out? After all, it’s not like you’d ever tell me anything about some stolen Pokemon in the Grand Hall, right? Right?”

Grunt 1: “AAAAAH, PLEASE!! ANYBODY!! DO SOMETHING!! I CAN’T TAKE IT ANYMORE!! I DON’T WANT TO DIE!!!”

Grunt 2: “Stop it! You have won! I submit!”

Flannery: “For real? Then, speak. The life of your comrade depends on you.”

Grunt 2: “I’ll tell you everything I know, I promise. You were right about us. We are those who have robbed these Pokemon in Opal Ward. We were three, and we passed ourselves off as staff members to infiltrate the Grand Hall. When the train has exploded, we used it as a diversion to snatch as many Pokeballs as we could before to leave, but the police was already in the main office at this moment. One of us has been caught, and we never heard of him again after that. Concerning the starters, they are indeed in this building, but they’re not in our possession anymore. They have been concealed in the upper floor by our superiors along with a crate full of explosives in a storage room located next to the control room of the factory. These explosives were supposed to be used to blow up the power plant of Peridot Ward this very day. If you hurry, you should be able to reach the storage room, and at the same time, retrieve what has been taken from the Grand Hall. But you won’t be able to access the upper floor if you don’t unlock the protection barrier first. You need the deactivation code to go farther.”

Flannery: “A password, you said? What is it? SPEAK!”

Grunt 1: “AAAAAH, HURRY UUUUP!! I’M BURNIIIIIIIING!!!”

Grunt 2: “The code is A3B2C4. You’ll find the control panel to the right, at the end of this corridor. But please, I’m begging you. Don’t kill my partner!”

Flannery: “Hmmm… that sounds pretty honest to me. Well, I’m willing to grant you another chance. But I warn you: if you try to lure me, I’ll know it.”

Grunt 2: “T-Thanks.”

Fern: “Enough! This is over! Whether you like it or not, I’m gonna end this bullshit right away! Sandile, smother the flames with Mud-Slap!”

Sandile: “Sandile!”

 

 

Immediately after Flannery thanked the two men sourly for their cooperation, Fern intervened and used his Pokemon to extinguish the fire that was spreading on the terrorized evil-doer. After which, the two trainers both withdrew their own Pokemon. Since Fern was still seriously upset by the ballsy act of the Fire Type specialist, he did not wait for her and walked alone in the corridor indicated by the two members of Team Meteor to deactivate the barrier. Flannery then moved away and gave the grunts one final warning before to catch up with Florinia’s brother.

 

 

Flannery: “Enjoy your break, it won’t last very long. Our mission here consists in stopping you, and I’ll look forward to achieve it. You can’t resist me forever.”

 

The intimidating redhead was categorical on her commitment to dismantling Team Meteor. Nothing could have dissuaded her on this point. Having no more reason to stay, Flannery went to join Fern who was waiting for her near the control panel. After she left, the two grunts exchanged some words about the attack triggered by the firehead. The targeted individual was covered in burns, but he still had some energy left to express himself.

 

 

Grunt 2: “Are you… are you okay?”

Grunt 1: “I… I… it will be alright, thanks. I… I can get up. I guess.”

Grunt 2: “You’ll be avenged, mate. This slut and her boyfriend will not escape this place so easily. When someone comes after one of us, they come after all of us. Team Meteor never forgives.”

Grunt 1: “Yes… a-as always, ahah.”

Grunt 2: “When you get better, meet me at the staircase. On my end, I’ll share the news with the others. We can’t afford to let these pipsqueaks strolling freely in our quarters now that they know about our plans. This battle has only just begun. See you later, brother!”

Grunt 1: “For Team Meteor!”

 

The chips were down. For the two men, the stakes were clear: Flannery and Fern had to be silenced to not cause further trouble inside of the plant. This story was far from over. Meanwhile, Flannery was typing the deactivation code on the control panel interface with Fern next to her. The green-haired boy was infuriated, he knew well that reprisals from the enemy were inevitable because of what Flannery did to them. Fearing for his life, he couldn’t hold his repulsion back any longer, and yelled at the firehead while she was about to confirm the password to free the access to the upper floor.

 

 

Flannery: “Password accepted. Upper level lock disengaged. Lovely!”

Fern: “You featherbrained psycho! Couldn’t have you activate your neurons instead of setting people on fire? Because of you, we’ll get hunted by these guys!”

Flannery: “As we sow, so shall we reap.”

Fern: “Huh, excuse me? I’m not sure I heard correctly. Can you repeat, please?”

Flannery: “I have nothing to regret. They wouldn't have told us anything if we didn't force them to do so. Unlike them, I have no blood on my hands. And I'm certainly not gonna shake theirs to apologize. Such individuals do not deserve to be treated with respect.”

Fern: “You got nerves to say that to me! You say you have no blood on your hands, but what if I wasn't here? This moron would have burned to death, and then, war would have been declared right away.”

Flannery: “It was already declared as soon as we entered the factory, Fern.”

Fern: “Stop talking to me! I don't want to hear you anymore! You've caused enough trouble for today, and I'm not gonna ask you for more. Giving you the lead role was way too dangerous in my opinion.”

 

Flannery remained stoic without saying anything else to the presumptuous boy. Obviously, she had a better stress control than the so-called 'top dog'. As he believed he could handle the situation better than the fire girl, he imposed himself as the new head of the group.

 

Fern: “You know what? Everything you do, I can do better.”

Flannery: “That sounds a little arrogant to me, don't you think?”

Fern: “You fucking... rrrRRAH!! I won't allow you to judge me! I'll take the lead. For the rest of the way, I'll be the one giving orders. And let me tell you right now: if you stop covering my back for a single second, I'll sentence you myself.”

Flannery: “No need to get snippy.”

Fern: “Shut your mouth, girl!”

 

All this pressure accumulated has brought out Fern's true nature. Nobody was talking anymore. Now that the gate was open, he and Fern retraced their steps. Midway, they noticed that the two grunts were nowhere to be seen. This worried Fern who once again blamed the firehead for being too impulsive.

 

 

Fern: “They're not here! Where did they go?”

Flannery: “I'm not a Meteor myself, Fern. But if I was one and if had attended such a mess, my first reflex would have been to warn off my other teammates. They probably took advantage of our absence to call for backup.”

Fern: “I didn't ask for your opinion. Having that said, you got a point. They clearly must not have enjoyed your way to negotiate. At least, I'll know who to blame if we ever get into trouble again.”

Flannery: “There's no need to sweep it under the carpet, Fern. No matter what we do, we'll get into trouble again. Hopefully, as long as we support each other, we must be able to surpass them.”

Fern: “I hope for you. It would be a shame for Hoenn's folk to lose the one who's supposed to represent them in such pathetic circumstances.”

 

Despite the uncertainty which was reigning supreme in the big building, Flannery remained strong and impassive. She was well aware that things were getting tough in some way. Farther in the room, the duo found and reached the staircase leading to the upper floor. The path was clear. However, there was no sign of Team Meteor anywhere around. Whether it was downstairs or upstairs, all the corridors were deserted, but not just that. The peace which was enveloping the whole area was equally abnormal. Only the hubbub of the surrounding machinery could be heard. With no enemy trying to stop them, doubt began to find its place in Flannery's mind. Did Team Meteor retreat? Or where they preparing another trap to ambush the redhead? She and Fern both had the same feeling about it. When they arrived at the opposite of the second floor, they realized that there was another passage blocked. A medium-sized metal gate was standing in the way of the two heroes, preventing them from moving forward.

 

 

Fern: “What? Another gate? What is the mess?!”

Flannery: “Oh, that again! This is weird. Yet I entered the correct password, didn't I? Hm... I wonder...”

Fern: “Ah yeah, I got it! I bet you there's another system of the same kind somewhere on this floor as well.”

Flannery: “That's what I thought. There's no keyhole on it, so it would make sense if this gate should be opened the same way.”

???: “How smart you are! Your sense of deduction is remarkable!”

Flannery & Fern: “Huh?!”

 

As Fern and Flannery were about to leave and seek for another control panel, a voice which wasn't so unfamiliar to them caught their attention from behind. They turned around. A horde of Team Meteor members took them by surprise. Among them, Flannery recognized the guy she set on fire with Vulpix. His outfit was more damaged than the one worn by the other grunts. Time for score-settling has come again.

 

 

Grunt 2: “So we meet again, did you miss me?”

Flannery: “Not in the least, if that’s what you want to know.”

Grunt 3: “We will not tolerate violence against our team members. You’ll pay for it!”

Grunt 2: “Did you see? I may have no means to fight anymore, but that’s not the same story for my allies over here.”

Grunt 4: “No quarter given, no mercy shown!”

Fern: “Hey, wait! If you came to avenge one of your men, know that I’m not responsible for what happened to your comrade! Blame my partner instead, she is the one who set fire to him! Me at least, I did what I could to keep the situation under control! What happened down there is not my fault!”

 

Such remarks didn’t fail to fall on Flannery’s ears who glanced at her greeny partner with a deadly look. Fern was trying to calm things down by claiming that he had nothing to do with the incident. He said he tried to put out the fire with his own Pokemon, blaming it all on the redhead. Flannery then realized how venal and cunning Fern could actually be. The impertinent boy would do anything to save his skin.

 

 

Flannery: “Somebody pinch me! Are you serious, Fern? Am I a joke to you? Did you really intend to sell me out like ‘Everything is OK and stuff’? Let me remind you that you’re at least as responsible as I am!”

Fern: “Absolutely not! I protest!”

Flannery: “Even supposing that I’m the one who initiated this fire, we’re in the same team you and I. If I go down, you go down with me too!”

Fern: “Don’t listen to her, she’s brainwashing you!”

Grunt 2: “SHUT UP!! BOTH OF YOU!!!”

Flannery & Fern: “…”

Grunt 2: “I don’t care who is innocent! Whatever you did, you two are still serious threats for Team Meteor, and we can’t let you thwart our plans with no action taken. You are intruders, and will be disciplined as such!”

Grunt 3: “They can't be allowed to interfere. Eliminate them!”

 

At this very moment, Flannery and Fern both seized the Pokeball containing their most powerful Pokemon at the same time. The stakes were getting high!

 

Flannery: “Try if you dare!”

Grunt 3: “All right, I’ll show you how I dare!”

Flannery: (I’m not gonna let anyone capture me again. Never!)

 

And just like that, Flannery and Fern threw themselves together in a merciless battle against Team Meteor’s minions. This time, the duo had to triumph over twelve grunts without losing once with a total of five Pokemon under their belts. Otherwise, Flannery and Florinia’s brother would be in serious trouble with no way to escape. Only the winners would be able to impose their will to the losers. The importance of the outcome of this fight had put a serious strain on the concentration of the redhead. Torkoal and Snivy both took out their foes, one by one, without respite, as if their lives were depending on it. A volley of sharp leaves was spinning unremittingly in the south side of the room while several fiery explosions were resonating in the second floor. They were so thunderous that they could be heard up to the entrance of the factory. Fortunately, all the Pokemon sent out by Team Meteor were weak. After twenty minutes of furious struggle, Flannery and Fern eventually managed to beat their enemies and put an end to this combat with the victory in their behalf. Overwhelmed by so much strength, the grunts recognized that they were not powerful enough to take on the two young trainers.

 

 

Grunt 2: “This… this is impossible. How did you win?”

Grunt 3: “Damn! What these Pokemon are made of? We could not even best a single one of them!”

Fern: “And you came all this way just for that? Congrats. You truly have set a new world record of mediocrity.”

Grunt 4: “This is nuts! They pinned down all of us!”

Flannery: “As we might say, quantity does not mean quality. Why won’t you try to suck less instead?”

Grunt 3: “How dare you? Who are you to question our skills?”

Flannery: “I hope you’re just playing dumb. We have won a two-on-twelve battle this instant, so I assume we have every right to judge you on your ‘skills’ as you call them.”

Fern: “Well said, Flannery! It's almost something I could have said myself.”

Flannery: “One thing is certain, we still have Pokemon in reserve. Not you. Consequently, I would really appreciate if you'd grant me and my partner a favor.”

Grunt 3: “Hm... I must admit that we don't really have a choice indeed. As long as you do not attack us with your Pokemon, we should be able to negotiate. Maybe.”

Flannery: “Wonderful. Well, I would like you to deactivate this gate for us. You don't need to know more about our intentions. Just do as you are told and everything will be alright.”

 

The grunts took a moment to consult among themselves in whispers. Two of them had already attended an example of bad deal with Flannery. They knew the redhead could explode on an impulse. This consultation didn't last more than one minute. And finally, the verdict was in. One of the men in black spoke for his group shortly after.

 

Grunt 2: “That sounds fair enough. I don't see how the situation could be worse anyway. A word of warning though. We have superiors lurking around, they know you're here. If you decide to keep going, you'll probably have to deal with higher-ranking members. But hey. Since you're so concerned to meet them...”

 

After that, the man turned to his comrades behind him. He gave them the following instructions in a firm voice.

 

Grunt 2: “You hear me, comrades? Let them in. Our visitors have some bite after all.”

 

A devilish grin that Flannery couldn't see spread on the lips of the grunt. Without further warning, he left, he and his men, in the direction of the famous control panel in single file. Fern was astonished to see that they accepted Flannery's request so easily. But this astonishment did not last very long. A few seconds later, he made another reproach to the firehead as the latter was waiting patiently for the door to open.

 

 

Fern: “You... you really have a lot of guts for a girl! I hope you saw who made this victory possible. I don't hate you that much, but you owe me several debts by now.”

 

Furious, Flannery glared at the top dog. She was still very resentful because of what he said earlier to save his skin.

 

Flannery: “Screw you, Fern!”

Fern: “Excuse me?! What did you say?!?!”

Flannery: “Did you really think I was dumb enough to owe anything to someone who changed his position and threw me in the jaw of the enemy at the last moment? 'Blame my partner instead, what happened down there is not my fault.' I swear I'll remember this for the next century!”

Fern: “Yes, and? Where's the harm? That was the truth. I didn't make that up.”

Flannery: “Stop taking me for an idiot! You gave me up in front of everyone! I thought we were supposed to work together! I'm your partner, not a piece of meat! It has nothing to do with the fact it's true or not. You had no right to do that to me!”

Fern: “Are you done complaining or what?”

Flannery: “I'm sick of you. I'm sick of this mission. I'm sick of this factory. I... I...”

Fern: “You 'what'?”

Flannery: “...I-I...”

 

Flannery was struggling to express herself. Her voice had changed. It was filled with nervous sadness that Fern could not detect.

 

Flannery: “...”

Fern: “Hey, I'm talking to you!”

Flannery: “...leave me alone.”

 

Nothing came of it. A whirlpool of sorrow and hate had found its place in the heart of the poor, tormented daughter of Lavaridge Town. The little hope she had to see Fern in a better light had gone to pieces in an instant. Flannery felt betrayed, humiliated. She didn't want to talk to him anymore. The reality is, this kind of phenomenon was nothing new to the firehead. Back in the days when she was still an Ace Trainer in Hoenn, she had met many men in her quest of power. At this time, the innocent damsel had a potential that had earned her high esteem and praises, both thanks to her fighting prowess and her beauty. But nothing really serious ever came from these interactions. Those men she came across before the start of her carrier as a Gym Leader were actually all the same in the end. Some of them only considered the young girl as an object of desire. A luxurious reward. A rare prize that people coveted to distinguish themselves. Others could abuse of her kindness and naivety to achieve their own selfish goals, manipulating the redhead as if she was a multifunction tool. A modeling magma clay aimed to be kneaded and shaped at leisure without gloves. Many times, Flannery found out about the trickery at the last moment. And everytime this happened, she found herself alone, devastated, and broken-hearted. Almost all the men with whom she had spent a little time of her teenage life were either liars, or pervs, or individuals who just didn't care to know what it was to be the other guy. Even today, nothing had changed about that fact. Flannery remained what she was at this period for all these individuals: an instrument of personal satisfaction. But Fern was by far the worst of them. He deliberately used Flannery as a shield to escape a fate that only existed in his mind. Worse than that, he refused to apologize. Unable to draw a line on this low blow, the redhead just contented herself by looking at the metal gate with resentment until it lowers down while the unemotional boy kept calling her 'irresponsible' to better evacuate his toxic frustration. Tired of this dispute, she didn't reply. When the door was open, Flannery and Fern entered the next room. As surprising as it may seem, Julia was already there with Florinia. The two girls barely noticed the arrival of the firehead, they looked particularly busy.

 

 

Florinia: “This facility’s digital security system appears substandard. Some advanced IT knowledge should be sufficient. Please be patient.”

Julia: “Aw, that’s too bad. But hey, I guess that’s still the best thing to do at this point. If I only was less absent-minded before, we could have blown up this door in no time.”

Florinia: “Ambient temperature on the rise. Ambassador of Hoenn approaching.”

Julia: “Ambassador of Hoenn? What do you… oh!”

 

The few words pronounced by Florinia were enough to make the exploding cheerleader understand that Flannery and her companion were back again. Without waiting, she turned around enthusiastically.

 

 

Julia: “Fern! Flannery! You’re here! How is it possible?!”

Fern: “Hello again, crazy lady! No need to ask. The two ways at the entrance were both leading to the same room. There was nothing of interest to report on our side. And you?”

Julia: “Well… same for us. We bumped into some shady guys on the way, but they were no match for me and Rini. We’ve beaten all of them in a snap, no more, no less. These scoundrels said they were part of Team Meteor or something like that. No matter how many they are, I’m always up for more if I have to.”

Florinia: “Meteor headquarters confirmed beyond gate. Duration of deactivation process: unknown.”

Julia: “Oh yes, that’s true. Sorry to disappoint you guys, but… do you remember when I said that I never go anywhere without my revives?”

Fern: “Yes I do. And? What’s the story?”

Julia: “In fact, when I joined you earlier, I thought I still had some unused revives on me until I decided to boom this door you see with my Voltorb once again. I should have checked my inventory first. *facepalm*”

Fern: “Tsss. Beginner’s mistake. That’s indeed one clumsy move for such a serious mission.”

Flannery: “Don’t listen to him, Julia. We all make mistakes.”

 

The Gym Leader of Peridot Ward had noticed that Fern was talking much more than Flannery who appeared to stay behind the scene. It even worried her a little. For her, the redhead was not in her normal state. Then, out of curiosity, Julia asked her a few questions.

 

 

Julia: “Are you okay, Flannery? Why do you have your head down like this? Did something happen when we were gone?”

Flannery: “No… no. Nothing happened.”

Julia: “Ha? Really? Yet, you look a little more pensive than usual to me. Well… you’ll tell me if you need to talk, okay?”

Flannery: “I’ll think about it, Julia. Thank you. I appreciate your sympathy.”

Julia: “Great! I’m pleased to hear that!”

Flannery: “I know… anyway. Let’s talk about this door, will you? Florinia said the headquarters of Team Meteor are behind it, right? How can she be so sure of that?”

Julia: “I have no idea, Flannery. But hey, why shouldn’t I trust her? It’s so rare for Rini to make mistakes in her prognosis. I don’t want to boast about it, but I’m probably the best person around to proclaim it, since we’ve spent several years together in Onyx Trainer’s School. We were very close, you know. Anyway. In all cases, we’re stuck in this place. This door is sealed shut for whatever reason, and it’s maybe the last defensive wall that keeps us separated from the rest of Team Meteor. Sadly, Voltorb can’t be healed in its current condition, and I can’t afford to sacrifice my ace to clear the way. Electrode will certainly not appreciate if I ask it to self-destruct here and now.”

Flannery: (Interesting. So, Julia’s ace is an Electrode… that’s kind of good to know. And yeah. With such an asset in our ranks, it’s definitely better to keep it in one piece until we’re done with this gate.)

 

Voltorb and Electrode. Two Pokemon that fight with explosive attacks. Through this type of information, Flannery began to better understand what sort of combat techniques Julia was fond of. With the identity of Julia’s Pokemon revealed, the foxy fire girl now knew what to expect from her forthcoming battle against the young cheerleader. But time was not for complacency, Team Meteor had to be stopped first to secure the power plant. Flannery then picked up on Julia’s comments, revealing her the truth behind the intentions of the dangerous organization.

 

Flannery: “It sure doesn’t help us, I agree. However, me and Fern got some precious information we could possibly use to reverse the situation. Would you give me a minute to tell you more about it?”

Julia: “Oh yes, of course! I’m all ears, Flannery! If there’s any chance we can boom off the face of our enemies thanks to it, so I have no objection at all. Please tell me what it is!”

Flannery: “Very well! Hm, where do I start… we successfully managed, me and Fern, to get a few of them talk on the floor below. Grunts have informed us that a crate full of explosives was stored in a storage room located not far from the control room. They told me word for word that these explosives were supposed to be used to blow up the power plant in Peridot Ward this very day. And not only that, I also found out that the Pokemon that have been robbed in the Grand Hall were kept close to this very crate in the same room.”

Julia: “For real!? Wohoo, that’s excellent news you’re giving indeed! Um, I mean… that will help us a lot. If all this is true, then we must hurry to take back these explosives, so we can use them ourselves to destroy this god-damn-forsaken door.”

Florinia: “Why is combustion your solution to any obstacle?”

Julia: “Oh, Rini, please! Why should we deprive ourselves of having fun?”

Fern: “Whatever, ladies. I don’t have time to sit around all day and wait for the Flobot to hack into the system. Let’s just go find some bombs already!”

Julia: “That’s the spirit! For once, Fern says something I agree with!”

Flannery: “Let’s get going then! I can’t wait to kick out the hell of these weirdos from Team Meteor! We’ll be back with their munitions AND the starters!”

Fern: “Go ahead, I’m following you!”

 

Thus, Fern and Flannery moved on to the south wing together to collect the arsenal of the Meteors and save the stolen Pokemon in the storage room. Julia, who was looking for the opportunity to explode things again, was highly pleased by their devotion. Out there, the firehead came across two other grunts of Team Meteor who were awaiting them in a corner and faced them immediately thereafter. But they were no threats for her and Fern. The difference of level and experience between the fire lover and her adversaries was so big that the battle was over in one turn. The two grunts were defeated, and the search could resume normally. But as they were continuing to make their way through the uproar of the noisy machines, Flannery could see a crate filled with sticks of dynamite placed farther at the end of the corridor. Fern told her to hurry, but the redhead wasn’t fooled: she sensed something suspicious about this crate and stopped on her way with the top dog behind her.

 

 

Fern: “Ah! There it is! Let’s keep going!”

Flannery: “Hm… I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

Fern: “What?”

Flannery: “Seriously, Fern. You don’t find it weird that a box full of grenades, dynamite and other explosives of all kinds is lying around in plain sight? Something so dangerous should be hidden in a more secure way and not just fully exposed like this. Except if…”

Fern: “Except if ‘what’? What do you have in mind?”

Flannery: “Except if people in this room have been informed in advance of our presence.”

Fern: “What are you insinuating? You think it’s a trap?”

Flannery: “Don’t take my words lightly, Fern. It’s definitely a trap!”

???: “*snurfl* *snurfl*”

Flannery: “Aha!”

 

The proof was in the pudding: there was someone lurking in the shadows of the storage space! But Flannery didn’t want to rush straight ahead either. Intelligent enough for her own safety, she decided to use a sneaky but effective strategy. With a grin on her face, she seized Torkoal’s Pokeball and made him appear right in front of her.

 

 

Torkoal: “Torkooooal!”

Flannery: “Hello again, Torkoal! Me and my partner need some assistance from you. Are you ready for more?”

Torkoal: “Tooor!”

Flannery: “Excellent! Good. Do exactly as I say, and we should be fine. Listen well!”

 

Away from the prying ears of the haughty Grass Type specialist, Flannery kneeled and explained her plan to the Coal Pokemon in whispers. It was not very long. Once she was done, the redhead got up confidently. Fern, who’s been kept out of it, was a little annoyed.

 

Flannery: “You think you can do that for me?”

Torkoal: “Torkoal!”

Fern: “What are you two intending to do? Can I know what you said to him?”

Flannery: “Don’t worry for that, Fern! You’ll see soon enough what my intentions are, you can trust me. Observe!”

Fern: “Pfff. And to think you were the one whining because we didn’t work together. But it’s okay, do what you feel. I can take it upon myself.”

Flannery: “Torkoal! Positions!”

Torkoal: “Toooorkoal!”

 

Flannery’s Pokemon put himself in offensive position on the orders of his mistress, releasing a smoke plume from the top of his shell in the process. This stepped up the pressure of other people nearby as well.

 

Flannery: “Good, Torkoal! Now, use Fire Blast… ON THE DYNAMIIIIIIIIIIIIIITE!!!”

Fern: “Ah, this. Yeah, that’s not very… wait! WHAT?!?!”

???: “OH GOD, NOT THIS!”

???: “YOU CRAZY MAGGOTS! YOU WON’T DO ANYTHING AS LONG AS WE’RE HERE!”

Flannery: (Let’s see about that, pal!)

 

 

Simply by trying to ignite the powder keg, two grunts emerged from the corners of the storage space and prepared to pounce on Flannery’s Pokemon to prevent it from attacking. At this very moment, the firehead gave Torkoal other instructions.

 

Flannery: “Charge and use Rapid Spin on these two guys!”

Torkoal: “Toooorkooooooal!!!”

???: “WAAAAAAH!!!”

 

Even before the grunts could try anything against the Coal Pokemon, the latter spun around then hurled himself powerfully toward his assailants, charging them with all his might.

 

 

The impact was so violent and sudden that Torkoal had knocked out the two men by himself and sent them flying across the storage room. The grunts ended their flight, landing into the boxes placed next to the crate of explosives and lost consciousness shortly after. Flannery could finally get near the carefully guarded munitions of Team Meteor in all tranquility. She was very proud of herself, her plan worked out as she had expected.

 

 

Flannery: “Good job, Torkoal! You’ve been truly amazing! That was the best Rapid Spin I’ve ever seen in my life!”

Torkoal: “Torkoal!”

 

The Fire Pokemon smiled back at his trainer. For him and for her, it was shared pleasure. Flannery tenderly patted the top of Torkoal’s head before to make him return inside his Pokeball, congratulating him one last time for this outstanding performance. Once it was done, Fern stepped up to the redhead. The boy had some mixed feelings about what he’d seen, so he made it look like he was in owe and complimented the ambassador despite it.

 

Fern: “*clap* *clap* Not bad… not bad at all. You may be as feisty as a Pyroar in a cage, I must admit you were quite promising on this one. I did not even need to call one of my single Pokemon to help us.”

Flannery: “I told you it would work! You see that? There was no risk for my Torkoal to do what I told him with this crate since he never learnt Fire Blast. I knew there was an ambush in here, so my goal was to put pressure on these men and force them to come out of hiding. And since there was only one way to escape, it wasn’t that hard to anticipate their reaction.”

Fern: “Ingenious, really. Of course, I could have silenced these guys with a single Vine Whip of my Snivy, but hey. That was a decent performance to me. I should keep an eye on you in the future, people like you could outshine a lot of students in OTS.”

Flannery: “If you say so. Well. Now that we’re done with these simpletons, let’s pick up the loot already!”

Fern: “Good. You can take the starters if you want, I’ll grab the dynamite for Miss Firework.”

 

That’s what they did. Flannery used this opportunity to take back the briefcase that was containing the stolen Pokemon on one of the unresponsive grunts while Fern picked up the crate of explosives. The foxy lady wanted to make sure that all the Pokeballs were inside the valise, so she couldn’t resist to open it to count them. But since she was not sure of the exact number of Pokemon that were missing in the Grand Hall anymore, Flannery felt a little anxious. There was about ten Pokeballs in the briefcase, but it was impossible for her to know what Pokeball was containing what Pokemon. She and Fern were too short of time to check it out. Having no other choice but moving forward, the two trainers backtracked and returned to Julia and Florinia who were waiting for them in the other room. There, Fern gave Julia the crate while Flannery showed her the briefcase with all the Pokemon robbed to the Grand Hall.

 

 

Julia: “Ha, here you are! Did you find my boomies?”

Flannery: “For sure we did! Not only we found the boomies, but we also managed to recover the starters. They are in this case, that’s one of the grunts who had them.”

Julia: “Ex-ce-llent! Double kudos for you two! Our mission almost comes to its end! Can I get the boomies, Fern?”

Fern: “What if I say ‘no’? Nah, just kidding. Here you go, crazy lady.”

Julia: “Oh my gosh, thank you so much! Now we’re gonna have a fun time! Back up, people!”

Flannery: “No problem, let’s do this!”

 

Julia joyously seized the crate that Fern was handing her. Festivities were about to start. For obvious reasons, Julia could hardly moderate her glee. She tried nonetheless to stay in control of her emotions, but not without some difficulty. Flannery and Fern stood back while Julia placed the explosives in front of the big armored door. As for Florinia, she didn’t move an inch. She stayed focused on her hack of the control panel as if everything was normal. Julia then picked up a grenade lodged between two sticks of dynamite in the crate and started a countdown. Flannery’s heart began to race at full speed as Julia was about to pull the pin out.

 

 

Flannery: (That’s completely crazy when we think about it! I hope she knows what she’s doing with these explosives. All this seems rather excessive for the opening of a simple door.)

Julia: “Okay! Three… two… KAAA…”

 

But just before Julia could pull the pin out, the door slid open in clanks and metallic whistles.

 

Julia: “Eh?!”

Florinia: “The lock has been disengaged. Proceed inside.”

 

The path was clear. Right after that, Florinia went in without further argument under the dumbfounded look of the young cheerleader.

 

 

Julia: “Wait, but… but… the booms? What about the booms?”

 

The surprise effect was so intense. It was like Julia was frozen in place, totally soundless and stiffened. With no answer from Florinia, she dropped the grenade back in the crate and lowered her arms with dismay, after which she rejoined the robot girl in the last room, leaving the explosives behind in her haste.

 

Julia: “Rini! You can’t do that to me. I was just about to… Hey! Rini!!!”

Fern: “Haha, that’s Flobot all the way. Leave it to my sister to ruin everyone’s fun.”

Flannery: “It’s not funny, Fern.”

Fern: “Oh please, don’t make it worse. Well, whatever. I’ll carry the ‘boomies’ myself. As always, I’m counting on you to protect me if anything goes off in there. Comprendo?”

Flannery: “Message well received, Fern. I’ll keep my guard up and yours as well, if that’s how it is.”

Fern: “Good. Now let’s get a move on it.”

 

Having nothing else to say, Flannery followed Fern in the control room of the factory. Inside, there were three persons waiting for them: a couple of grunts with a little difference in uniform design and a strange guy who looked more impressive than the two other individuals. He was wearing a shouldered black jacket with silver edges, long black pants with armor pieces on his thighs, and a red patch which covered his left eye. Everything would indicate that he was the one at the head of the operations of Team Meteor in Mosswater Factory. Without further ado, Julia questioned him. A serious altercation was about to take place.

 

 

Julia: “You there! Are you the one in charge here?”

???: “And if I am?”

Julia: “We’re gonna blow your face off for what you did to Grandview Station!”

???: “How amusing.”

 

For Flannery, jitteriness was at the rendezvous. Needless to say, it was hard for her to stay calm in front of those who’d almost killed her yesterday. The high-spirited daughter of Lavaridge Town could feel her blood boiling from her shoulders to the tip of her fingers. Despite this, she tried her best to listen to the whole speech of the dark-haired guy.

 

???: “Tell me, what sort of power do you think you have to do so?”

Julia: “Why won’t you tell us who you are first instead?”

???: “You know it already. We are Team Meteor, and we never relent. Don’t think you got through this place on your own ability. We had no intention of defeating you. Our purpose here is forfeit for a while now. But it was necessary to let you in, so that we could meet each other face-to-face in more appropriate conditions.”

Julia: “L-let us in?”

???: “Did you really think you hacked our security system so easily? Foolish. From the moment you came into this place, we’ve been surveilling every move you made everywhere in every corridor of every room in this building. Thanks to these cameras we carefully set up this morning, it was child’s play to evaluate the time it would take you to reach us, so we could quietly delete all mission critical data from the local databases. But it seems we overestimated your quickness. The disorder that some of you have caused toward our news recruits has saved us enough time to proceed as intended.”

 

Immediately after that, the grim individual looked right into the flaming eyes of Flannery. He knew what she did in the east wing and spoke to her in a seditious tone.

 

???: “You there. Fire fascinates you, am I right? I must acknowledge that you didn’t make the job easy for us all. This being said, I quite like your way of punishing those who oppose you. We’re alike, you and I. Just imagine where your power could have led you if you were in our ranks. You are… captivating.”

 

In an act of absolute denial, Flannery grumbled and replied angrily in front of the nefarious man.

 

Flannery: “Don’t you dare talk to me anymore! I don’t know who you are, nor where you come from. All I know is that we do not belong to the same team. I refuse to join your group. And I’ll never shake hands with a murderer. However, I would gladly incinerate yours if you told me to do so.”

Julia: “Yeah! Well answered, Flannery!”

???: “*sigh* So much potential wasted. I almost want to cry on it. But enough talk! Let’s see how you and your little friend will fair against a real challenge!”

 

The man turned to the two grunts on his right and gave them the following orders.

 

???: “Aster. Eclipse. Rise and crush this small fries!”

Aster: “As you wish, boss.”

Eclipse: “Hmph. If you say so.”

???: “I can handle the Gym Leaders myself. Try to do better than your subordinates!”

 

Following that, the mastermind of the malicious trio started the fight against both Julia and Florinia in order to drive them out all by himself. Meanwhile, the couple of grunts stiffly approached Flannery and Fern. The male of the couple, Aster, asked the top dog to give him the crate of boomies he was carrying on his own.

 

 

Aster: “Hey, you nerd. Give me the bombs right now!”

Fern: “I won’t give you anything, man. If you want them, come and get them yourself.”

Eclipse: “Naivety is all you, Aster. You didn’t really expect them to obey you, did you?”

Flannery: “We won’t back away! Prepare for fight!”

Aster: “For Team Meteor!”

 

Then came the final showdown of the raid. The man with the red patch ordered his two subalterns, Aster and Eclipse, to take on Flannery and Fern as he was going to deal with the two Gym Leaders in a one-on-two battle. Once again, the tension had reached its highest point. But it was out of question for the firehead and her friends to show any sign of weakness in the presence of the enemy. It was neither the right place, nor the right moment. In all cases, Team Meteor had to pay the price of their cruelty against Reborn and its citizens. But oddly, Flannery had some bad feelings about the couple she was about to face on. These two grunts were looking far more threatening than her previous opponents for some reason. But there was no time for regrets. She and Fern were both ready, Pokeball in hand. Ame’s team had found its last targets. Action had taken off again from the top of Mosswater Factory.

 

Spoiler

 

 

This fight was probably the harshest as well as the most laborious one for Flannery since the day of her arrival in Reborn. She herself was very surprised by the difficulty of this confrontation. Because of her Pokemon’s disadvantage to Rock Type, the redhead was forced to adopt a more defensive technique to overcome these Rockruff. Luckily, Fern’s intervention has allowed her to set up her strategy more easily. In the end, Aster and Eclipse were both defeated by Flannery and her teammate. Once they won the victory, the dark-haired man realized he was himself in a weak position. Alone against four, he couldn’t last for much longer.

 

 

Aster: “Grr!”

Fern: “Well, what will you do now?”

Flannery: (Pchiou. That was close. These rocky doggies sure made this match much harder than I thought.)

???: “So you lost already? How disappointing. I can take on two myself easily, but four… Well, it was an amusing diversion. Don’t think you’ve won though. Remember, you just delay the inevitable. This town will soon be ours.”

Julia: “Don’t even think you can…”

???: “Team Meteor.”

Aster: “Yes, boss?”

???: “Retreat.”

 

Unable to push himself more than he already did, the man with the eye-patch withdrew his Pokemon and ordered a general withdrawal of Team Meteor in the process. At the most unexpected moment, he pulled out a smoke ball and threw it on the ground to blind Ame’s team and run away.

 

 

Flannery: (*cough* *cough* M-My eyes… *cough* …I… …I can’t… *cough* …I can’t see anything… *cough* *cough*)

 

When the smoke subsided, they were nowhere to be seen. Team Meteor had disappeared.

 

 

Julia: “What?! B-But… where are they? Where is Team Meteor?”

Fern: “A cowardly move to better escape us. Why am I not surprised? Well, at least, I still have the explosives with me. Is everyone okay?”

Julia: “I’m fine. And you, Flannery?”

Flannery: “*cough* *cough* Don’t worry for me, I’m alright. The briefcase is still in safe hands. Has anyone managed to see what just happened in here?”

Julia: “Ugh. Sorry, but… no.”

Fern: “Of course not. How the heck did you want us to see anything in this fog?”

Florinia: “Enemy out of range. Vacilys, return.”

 

And so did the rest of the crew. Flannery and her allies called back their own Pokemon to their respective Pokeballs. There was nothing more to do. Without Team Meteor around, the festivities were temporarily suspended. But Flannery couldn’t accept it. Not at all. She felt guilty for letting them get away without doing anything. Her hands were shaking and her head was on the verge of explosion. Then, she glanced at the exit of the room with a look full of hate and wrath. Fleeing was like an insult for the fire girl.

 

 

Flannery: “…hmmm… …HMMMMMMMMM…”

Julia: “Is there something wrong Flannery? You… you’re scaring me a little.”

Fern: “Oh shit, not again!”

Flannery: “You can’t hide from me! NO ONE HAS EVER HIDDEN FROM ME!!!”

 

All of a sudden, Flannery furiously burst into rage in the sight of her companions. Without asking anything to anyone, she went out of the control room and run after the last members of the organization at break-neck speed as they all were dashing out of the factory. It was pure recklessness, she knew that, but the tempestuous daughter of Lavaridge Town couldn’t afford to let these terrorists roam free after everything they did. Flannery tried her best to catch them. So she run.

 

 

Flannery: “You… you’ll see what you get…”

 

And run.

 

 

Flannery: “You tried to kill me. Please, stumble, so I can give you a taste of what it feels like to see your own end coming.”

 

And run.

 

 

Flannery: “You’ll never be safe as long as I’m still breathing!”

 

And run.

 

 

Flannery: “You hear me? NEVEEEEEEEER!!!”

 

And run out of the factory.

 

 

Flannery: “You’ll pay for this, I can tell you. You’ll pay for this!”

 

Alone in the town.

 

 

Flannery: “You’ll pay… for… this.”

 

But it was too late. This manhunt was unsuccessful for the redhead. Breathless, Flannery slowed down the pace and kneeled in the middle of the street as she saw Team Meteor fleeing away to the northern side of the city. She lost her last ounce of energy in this chase. Her heart was beating so hard that it could have jumped out through her chest at any time. Distraught by such injustice, she began to sob next to the train track, pounding her fists on the ground. There was no word to describe the disappointment of the redhead.

 

 

Flannery: (Jacques… the others… I’m sorry. That’s not what I wanted. I messed up. I couldn’t avenge anyone. I’m so, so sorry.)

 

Then suddenly, as Flannery was on the verge of neurosis, a big explosion thundered from inside Mosswater Factory and quickly put an end on this short episode of lamentation. The windows flew off in pieces, large clouds of smoke escaped from the chimneys, and a consuming fire sprang up from the entrance of the huge polluting building. At the same moment, Julia, Fern and Florinia all hurriedly escaped from this chaos. Fern, who was the last in file, managed to avoid the flames just in time.

 

 

Julia: “COOOMING IN HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT!!!”

 

The energy freed by the explosion had made the walls crack from side to side, generating large fissures from which were propelled several lumps of stone that fell all around the factory with a loud thud. A scene worthy of an action movie with stunning special effects. By chance, no one was hurt. The rest of Ame’s team had moved away while Team Meteor’s hideout was falling apart. Mosswater Factory was destroyed. Once calm returned, Flannery rejoined them. In the meantime, Julia still had stars in her eyes just by looking at the result of this massive destruction.

 

 

Julia: “Woohoo, boomings all the way, people! Good job everyone!”

 

However, not everyone was as enthusiastic as the bubbly cheerleader. Julia’s dangerous maneuver had somewhat infuriated Fern who was not shy about complaining to her.

 

Fern: “Ho-ly HELL!! A few centimeters backwards and I wouldn’t be talking! What is it with you gurls, always playing around with fire?”

Julia: “I wasn’t playing with fire, I played with grenades. Not quite the same thing.”

Flannery: (Wait, what?! Is that Julia who blown up the factory?! There’s no doubt about it, she’s even crazier than I am. I love this girl!)

Fern: “Stop changing the subject! I thought I’d seen everything with my fellow arsonist out there, but not. Don’t you realize? I could have died because of you!”

Julia: “And yet, you still have your two legs and your two arms. So why get upset?”

Fern: “You know what, forget it. Arguing further on this point won’t bring anything useful to you and I anyway. I’m done with this mission, so it won’t bother any of you if I get out of here, will it? The next time Ame will need a service, just remind me not to team up with you ever again. I’ll feel much better this way.”

Flannery: “Don’t worry for that, Fern. This won’t be forgotten anytime soon.”

Fern: “Marvelous. Well. You can still dawdle or chat with each other if you want, I’m off for today. Peace!”

 

That was the last thing Fern said before he heads down to Opal Ward. As he moved away, Julia allowed herself to share some thoughts about the grumpy attitude of Florinia’s brother.

 

 

Julia: “Way to sour the mood…”

Florinia: “As always. He may not have a lot of competencies, this one sure is the most pronounced of them.”

Flannery: “For real? If so, then I wouldn’t want to be in your place every day. That’s already tough enough to team up with him for barely an hour, so… well, nevermind. What if we talked about something else?”

Julia: “This is precisely what I was about to suggest you, Flannery. You’ve left so fast that we couldn’t even catch you up. I was afraid you fell into another trap of these Meteor guys. Soon after, I’ve decided to make everything boom in one blow. They’re not gonna hide themselves again in this place for a while if you ask me. But tell me. Did you see where they went?”

Flannery: “Fortunately, yes. I saw some of them running straight to the north part of this street. I don’t know if they have another hideout in town though, but it seemed like they all were heading to the same direction.”

Julia: “The north part of Peridot Ward you said? So they must probably strut somewhere in Jasper Ward as we speak. Who knows, maybe they’ve planned to run another operation over there.”

Florinia: “Hypothesis put aside. Insufficient information. Nonetheless, Obsidia requires further investigation. I caught wind of some strange behaviors about the local plant life in this specific area. I intended to ascertain it myself.”

Flannery: “Really? I mean… you’re sure you can handle it alone? I can still fight. We can always make it together if you want!”

Florinia: “Query denied: assistance not needed. Furthermore, you still have one task to accomplish. Ame must know who the enemy is and must be informed of what has exactly happened in this section of the town. Are you willing to report today's proceedings to Ame for me, Flannery?”

Flannery: “Sure, I can do it! I'll see her, and when I'll be there, I'll also give her back the stolen starters.”

Florinia: “Good. At any rate, I'll go verify how the phenomenon has evolved since my previous visit in Obsidia Ward.”

Julia: “Kaykay, Rini! Thank you for your help! I know you've been really busy since our graduation, but it's nice to get to hang out. Just like old times, right?”

Florinia: “And equally destructive, correct. However, sentimentalities are counter-productive in the current circumstances. I have to go. Farewell.”

 

Without saying anything else, Florinia nodded and left the scene to try elucidating the mystery of this activity she heard about in Obsidia, leaving Flannery and Julia alone in front of what was left of Mosswater Factory. The two girls then enjoyed their last one-on-one moment before returning to their respective duties. Julia wanted to share the admiration she had for the redhead. The performance of the latter in the control room has not left her indifferent actually.

 

 

Julia: “You were amazing today, Flannery! Really! You might not know this, but you’ve won a new supporter in your fan club. The way you imposed yourself against these two grunts... I'm losing my words every time I think back on it. It was more than fight to me. You are a true artist, Flannery! If only my Pokemon could make such beautiful explosions without fainting, I would probably be the happiest person in the world!”

Flannery: “Haha, thank you for the compliment, Julia! Speaking of battling skills, you look pretty good yourself too, you know. I think there's much that we can learn from each other.”

Julia: “For me more than you, couldn't be more sure of it! You gave me goosebumps each time you told your Torkoal to use Overheat! Such a gorgeous move! This would almost make me want to raise up Fire Pokemon myself!”

Flannery: “Don't exaggerate too much either. You have plenty of Pokemon that love you and appreciate you. Don’t turn back on them for so few. The bond that grew up between you and them is already a precious reward in itself. Don’t let anything ruin it. Keep it up!”

Julia: “Yes, yes of course. That was just a saying. Nothing in the world would make me trade my Pokemon with anyone whatsoever. They are like another part of myself, you know. If they were taken away from me, I would be very sad. With everything that happened yesterday, you must certainly know it better than me. Right?”

Flannery: “You got a point, indeed. Torkoal and Vulpix were both in terrible shape when I found them. Without a medical care worthy of the name, they would probably have died and I would have been left alone in this region which I barely know anything about. At this very moment, I thought the world was collapsing around me.”

Julia: “And yet, the life continues, and none of you are dead. By the way, now that you mention it, I do have noticed that Torkoal was much more energetic when we were in the control room. I don’t know how he’s been put back on his feet, but one thing is certain: the difference is tremendously tremendous!”

Flannery: “Haha, yeah this is true! To be honest, I don’t even know everything about the secret of this miracle myself. But regardless of what this secret is, it did the trick more than well to finally put me back on the track of the competition. I feel stronger thanks to it! This makes me want to reach the unreachable again!”

 

The words of the valiant fire girl managed to conquer the heart of Julia who was jiggling euphorically beside her. Unable to conceal her eagerness any longer, the green-haired cheerleader replied and made Flannery a proposal.

 

Julia: “Wooo~ You’re exciting me when you say this! Anyway, you clearly look more confident than yesterday to me. You know what, I would like to judge of your abilities personally. Why won’t you join me in my gym? It’s just a few steps away from here, and I doubt it will randomly blow up in the next few hours.”

Flannery: “I hoped you’d asked me that at some point, Julia. This is extremely generous from you, and I gladly accept your invitation. But as Florinia said, my mission is not totally over yet. When I’ll be done with this report and when I’ll finally give this briefcase to Ame, then I’ll be free to go wherever I want in Reborn. Only then, we’ll be able to fight.”

 

The former student of OTS bounced and wriggled with excitement at the idea of discovering Flannery’s level in an official match. This could finally become real. The forthcoming gym battle opposing Flannery to Julia was now confirmed.

 

Julia: “Yippee ki yay! That’s noted! Whenever you’re ready, come and find me in Neo-Circuit Power Plant. During that time, I’ll go back to my room, just to clean up a little before you arrive. After all, that’s not every day that you welcome an Ambassador of Hoenn at home. And don’t bother with the front door, I won’t make the mistake of locking it again. Don’t forget: I'll be looking forward to our challenge, so go on, get down to the Grand Hall already!”

Flannery: “That’s what I’m gonna do right away! Until then, be prepared! I may only have two Pokemon with me, I have no intention to be overwhelmed by anyone this easily.”

Julia: “You can count on me for that, Flannery! Don’t think I’m gonna hold back simply because you helped us out earlier. I hope to see you soon!”

Flannery: “Me too! Goodbye, Julia!”

 

This concluded the exchange between the two ladies. Flannery saluted her fizzy friend for the last time with one wave of the hand, then began to walk toward the Grand Hall. Thus, Ame’s team was dissolved. Each of its member could finally head back to their personal occupations. The firehead had so much to tell to the Reborn Champion. The fact she managed to identify and put a name to the evil organization responsible for this nascent chaos had helped us to get some inner peace. Of course, she would have loved to complete her work in more radical ways, not to say, wipe off some members of Team Meteor in order to appease her vengeful impulses. But this had to wait for another time. Aside from that, Flannery’s first battle against a Gym Leader of Reborn was approaching fast. The youthful daughter of Lavaridge Town was very eager to compete with Julia who had willingly invited her in the power plant of the city for the occasion. A solid arm wrestling between two passionate trainers was about to take place in the dreary quarter of Peridot Ward. It was with her head held high that Flannery was going to finalize the remaining details of her mission. The facts left unspoken were about to be revealed, and what was removed was about to return to its original place again.

 

 

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

 

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Nostalgia to the max!

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Meditative and ethereal. Sounds like an echo of peaceful spirits.

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Definitely one of the most underrated video games of the last decade.

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What about a girl with a Vulpix instead?

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