Elite Frontier: Fight to the Finish [Old]

"Don't mention it." Colin said. "I'm surprised no one commanded me to do it."

The Whimsicott elbowed his trainer in a playful manner.

"I panicked, ok." Riven groaned. "I thought we were going to get trampled."

"Luckily, I stepped in so we didn't." The Whimsicott said, smirking.

"....You can get really smug sometimes...." Riven sighed.

"I know."

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"Ah, is this man healing up Virgo?" Felix inquired. "You know, I always liked her style. Bit-I mean, lovely collar, feminine wiles. I love it! A girl after my own heart."

"Well, thank you again little Whimsicott," Macario said. "Promise we'll stay out of trouble. Won't we?" Macario looked over at his brother, who just shrugged. "Anyway, we should probably be getting ready for the tournament. Do we even know the people we'll be going up against?"

"You know how it is," Sam said. "Bunch of Mega Gardevoirs, Mega Garchomps, Mega Charizards..."

"And maybe that girl with the Rapidash. But we can't slack off, we need that prize money!"

"Eating something other than instant ramen might be nice..."

-------

Teruchi glanced over at Zora. Yep, she was in her zone. Sometimes he thought her reflexes were inhuman, especially with her favorite games. He turned back to the Lost Story machine he was playing.

"Watcha playin?"

The Raichu must have let himself out of him ball when Teruchi wasn't looking. Well, he did like games as well. Magne crawled up onto Teruchi's shoulder.

"Lost Story. Zora wouldn't stop talking about it. Looked violent though... disturbingly." Just as he said it, the Sunflora on screen turned nasty and nearly killed Teruchi's little player icon. Teruchi just stood frozen, staring helplessly at the screen.

"Geez no kidding."

"I really should have seen that coming. And yet I didn't."

But a few moments later, a very motherly Gogoat chased the flower away.

"Don't trust her," Magne whispered.

"But she seems so nice..."

------

Adanna climbed to the top of the nearest hill. It was a workout, but it would all be worth it. She was so close. She scanned the area.

"If I were a very powerful legendary Pokemon, where would I be hiding?"

"Probably someplace away from all the human settlements," Hawk said, landing nearby. "I'd say the forest is the most promising place."

Adanna bit her lip. "This is a waste of time. It's probably not even the legendary I need. I'm pretty sure I heard that the one on this island was small and had something to do with bringing victories?"

"Couldn't hurt to have one," Hawk suggested.

"Yeah, but to steal it and smuggle it off the island? I don't need that kind of risk."

"Then just talking then. Maybe it knows something."

Adanna nodded.

"Jeez, honey, yer gonna pull every muscle in your arm if you keep fuckin' bullet punchin' the machine like thaaa.... okay." The Garchomp was left to her own devices with Zora so wholly and completely in The Zone right now. It was amazing to watch, sure, but the big ol' dragon couldn't help but fret a little bit. Maybe there was a reason she got named after her mother.

Heh heh. It was kind of an honor. What a hot-ass bitch that woman was. Great tits and great taste in rags. Yeeeeaaaah.

But eventually, between the endless matches, Zora had to come up for air, and wiped her brow.

"I'm doing it Kali. I'm making it happen."

"You get 'em, babe. You fuck 'em up."

"Oh I'm fucking 'em up, look at this shit. Going for some world record shit right here. This is gold plaque on the bathroom door shit. I'm gonna do it. Gotta stay determined."

"That's right. Determination."

---------------

The Meowstic was startled, and scrambled to hide the money before he realized the speaker was someone else's Gardevoir. "Er... my Trainer is outside. She can't walk very well, and she's blind, so she asked me to come inside to get her food..."

Technically it wasn't lying. That was exactly what had happened. The part no one needed to know was that said trainer had lifted that money from about five tourists. That was bad and he wouldn't let that slip.

"That sounds awful! No wonder why you're in here alone. Would it be too much if I go to see her?" - Bellamine says via telepathy, visibly upset from what the Meowstic said.

She glances at the other members of her team and stops at Marcus.

"I'm going to go sit outside for a bit." - Bellamine remarks.

"Huh? What's the problem?" - Marcus asks.

"Nothing, really. I just want to take in the sights out there. Who knows how long it'll be before we can come back here again, you know?" - She says with a calm smile.

"Oh. Well have fun, then."

Bellamine gets up from the table and walks off in the direction of the Meowstic. The crowd of people surrounding the restaurant turn their heads at the sight of the shiny Gardevoir leaving by herself.

"She has a point though. It's not often that we get to vacation here thanks to all of those Ranger missions we go on." - Reika remarks as she runs her finger against the table.

"Maybe we should go see Luna and her family. I mean, they're too much fun not to visit." - Patty states as she slams an empty plate against the table.

"Huh. That's a good idea, actually! I mean, they have more than enough space for us." - Marcus says as he sits forward.

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"I'm glad we share the same opinion of her. She's quite the beauty... if you catch my drift. Ahem. If you'll excuse me, I have important things to do." - The scientist says as he clears his throat.

He turns his back to Felix and Abraham and walks into a seperate room with Pixie Plate in hand.

"Yeah, stay outta trouble. Because I won't always be around to help you, guys." Colin said, winking.

"Colin, please." Riven sighed. "You've proved your point plenty. So.....I guess I may see you guys later then? Who knows, maybe I'll catch a few battles of yours. I mean....I am here to watch battles so..."

Colin sighed. Riven was already getting buddy-buddy with people he basically just met. Typical.

------

"So are we needed here or are we free to leave?" Felix asked Abraham. "Honestly....all this lab equipment kinda skeeves me out."

------

"Oh my gosh, are we going to go play Highway Brawler?" A Gourgeist asked.

"No, Hex, we're going into the Battle Arcade to see if we can get a map and directions to that forest around here." her trainer replied, "We can come back here later though....that's the only reason you came here with me instead of waiting back at the hotel, isn't it?"

"You know me so well."

Rebecca sighed and walked into the Arcade.

"Okay, you can play some games, but we'll need to get back to the hotel to get some sleep or maybe set out to the forest if it's not too far away." she said.

"Yes!!! Score one for me!" Hex laughed.

"Yeah, see you around I guess," Macario waved. "We're gonna... actually where were you going?"

"Just to find some space away from everyone else," Sam said. "Maybe let Fross out... if she hadn't already done so."

The Froslass twirled in the air. "I can't help myself! Besides it's so nice out. Look at the way the sun makes my ice sparkle. I can't believe Bron and Claws just like to sit around in their Pokeballs all day."

"Right, so we'll find some space to let you guys roam, and Sam and I will come up with some strategies!" Macario said.

"But, it's always the same strategy..." Sam mumbled.

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"Hm, wonder when I get to the violent part," Teruchi mumbled.

"Man we should go play a fighting game," Magne said. "Not that this isn't fun and all, but I want to show off some skills!"

"Do it yourself, see if they have an InfernoIndigo machine here."

Magne jumped off of his shoulder. "Enjoy your silly Duskull game." He walked around the fighting games and hopped up onto the little stool. He could just barely reach the joystick and buttons. Time to break out Iron Electivire and kick some ass.

--------

"Wow, the forest here is surprisingly thick," Adanna said to herself. She had only entered the forest five minutes ago but the perceived size astounded her. The trees did a good job blocking out parts of sunlight.

As she walked through the trees, she could have sworn she was being followed. Foliage kept bristling as if something was behind them, but Adanna didn't have the guts to check. She was strangely on-edge. It was probably just wild Pokemon, and she could deal with those easy. So why was she so nervous about being here?

"This is a waste of time," she said. "What would actually be around here?"

The bush rustled again. Just... wild Pokemon. That's it...

Zora quickly and without pause slipped back into The Zone, leaving Kali to herself again. Now, what to do... she would get yelled at if she went cruising for booty, so that was out. Having big chunky dragon claws precluded the fine motor skills required to try video games, as well. So the Garchomp was left to wander around the Arcade, being... dragon-y. First, she stopped off where Cherry had decided to deposit herself - toward the back, a cell phone in hand. She looked overly worried, speaking rapidly into the phone.

"Are you alright do you need anything I can come home honey I can come home right now if you want--" The reply was audible even despite it being a phone conversation.

"Cherry. Stop. Do not worry about me." The voice on the other end had a somewhat heavy accent, placing her from somewhere in the Pokemon equivalent of the Middle East. "Go, enjoy yourself. That is what you are there to do, right? Doctor's orders."

"Yeah yeah, doctor's orders... Are you sure you're okay? This's my fault, and all..."

"I'm fine, Cherry. Rest and relax, you will be home before you know it. I love you. Stop being dense and enjoy your vacation."

"Love you too..." As she hung up, Cherry was startled to see the lumbering dragon standing behind her. "The- the fuck are you doin' here?"

"Could be askin' you the same question. C'mon, you lug, get your ass on a machine and stop frettin' over your wife." Before the mechanic could reply she was accosted by the dragon and deposited roughly in front of a Highway Brawler II machine.

-----------------

"I mean, I suppose so-" The Meowstic didn't even seem to get the chance to answer before the Gardevoir began making her way outside. Figuring it would probably be alright, he scrambled up to the counter and placed the order for him and his trainer, confusing the clerk until they saw his service Pokemon collar. Once he had his food, he brought it back out to Midnight, who seemed to sense him coming.

"What took so long- eh?" That aura was Gardevoir-shaped. Why was it coming toward her? She didn't know any Gardevoir.

Bellamine looks around and notices Midnight sitting by herself. The Meowstic runs past her carrying a plate of food and gives it to Midnight.

"Excuse me? Your Meowstic talked to me about you and I felt like I had to meet you. Do you mind if I sit here?" - The Gardevoir questions with a sincere tone.

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"Just be glad the equipment isn't what's dangerous around here..." - Abraham sneers as he leaves the room.

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[Current OST: Schala's Theme]

A young girl sits in the middle of a dimly lit room reading a book. She has long pink hair, a white dress with white stockings and green eyes. The room has a bed decorated with stuffed dolls of various small Pokemon and has a bookshelf beside a closed laptop computer and closet.

Her blue nails reflect the sunlight coming off of the window behind her and has an Espeon sitting beside her on a lacy purple couch.

"Serra... Are you ready for the tournament tomorrow?" - The Espeon asks with a concerned tone.

"Of course. I wouldn't be the Battle Temple's Frontier Brain if I didn't earn it. But... well, I might as well enjoy some more reading before we go into any of that." - The girl states as she flips another page in the book.

"Ah, I see. What is it that you're reading now, sweetie?"

"Well... Ever since George and Mercedes brought back the Victini egg, I just had to re-read the story related to it. The legendary Victory Pokemon and his human companion from the war of 3000 years ago..." - Serra says as she flips to a new page.

"I'm still in shock that they even brought in a Victini egg. What are the chances?"

"Astronomical. Personally, I'm glad that they trust me to take care of the egg. When he hatches, we need to call him Siegfried." - Serra states with a smile.

"... Interesting choice. Is it because Allen's Lucario is called Sigurd?" - The Espeon says with a wink.

"That, and well... Siegfried stands for both "victory" and "peace". I figure it would be appropriate, especially for a cute little guy like that." - Serra chuckles.

"Haha, right. Remember to keep him safe. Madam Xerneas had this happen for a reason." - The Espeon purrs.

"If there's anybody I can't let down, it's her. Don't worry, Rosa - I'll take care of him as if my life depended on it." - Serra says as she gives her Espeon a warm smile.

"Heh, right." Felix laughed, following him out.

---------

As Rebecca went to get a map, Hex was busy watching the amazing display of Zora. She moved over to Cherry.

"Hey, is that your friend over there?" Hex asked. "Because....holy shit, is she a speedrunner or something? Because never in my life have I seen someone play Immortal Kombat as quickly and as well as she has.....damn."

"Come on Fross," Sam said. "You need your rest before tomorrow."

"Aw, but I'm too excited!"

Macario sighed. Sam was right, he knew what he was doing. But... Macario found a nearby bench and sat down. He pulled his backpack off and placed it next to him. He pulled out a book, titled "Mega Evolution: A Modern Look" and opened to a page he had dog-eared. He pushed his glasses up close to his face.

"I won't give up... I'll figure this out."

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After a while Teruchi left the game he was playing and looked over the shoulder of his Raichu.

"You're surprisingly good for barely being able to reach the buttons."

"Heh, jealous?"

"No, just wish you'd put that much effort in actually battling."

--------------

Adanna stopped as something definitely rustled in the bushes next to her.

"W-who's there!?" she shouted, and put her arms up defensively.

"Um, I think you should leave," a meek voice said from behind the bushes. "Not everyone is very friendly..."

"I-I can defend myself!" Adanna said. "Show yourself!"

"I'd rather not... But um, you really should leave." A pair of eyes glared out from under the bush, and a third glint on the creature's forehead shined. "There's demons here."

Well, that was enough to unnerve Adanna. She didn't stick around much longer and ran the fuck out of there.

"Huh?" Cherry seemed surprised at the arrival of another sudden guest. "Er, yeah I guess so. She's my wife's martial arts student. She was lookin' for a vacation and I was supposed to take one on doctor's orders so I invited her to come with me. I don't think she's a speedrunner. Think she's just that good at Immortal Kombat."

"That's my goil." The Garchomp beside them looked proud. "Look at her. Gonna fuck that machine right up."

"I don't think you wanna go doing that. We'll have to pay for it y'know."

"Metaphorically fuck up. You know what I mean."

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Midnight shrugged as her Meowstic scrambled up onto her shoulders, a little confused. Whose Gardevoir was this? "Eh, I guess so. I dunno why you'd wanna talk to me though. I'm just some schmuck."

"You're plenty interesting."

"Come on, Ros, no I'm not. I'm not smart and I live on the streets and that means no one gives a shit about me."

The Gardevoir frowns at Midnight and sits down.

"Don't sell yourself short. Your Meowstic clearly cares about you. It'd be worse not to have anybody... Trust me. You seem like a good person. I came here because, well... I wanted to see if I could help."

Bellamine puts a hand inside her hat and pulls out a couple of bills.

"Here. It's a thousand Pokedollars. I was saving this for something in the future, but you can have it." - She says with a warm smile as she hands it over to Midnight.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sigurd leans over Allen's face and taps him awake.

"Hey, Allen. It's important."

Allen slaps away the Lucario's paw and turns over in his sleep.

"What do you want, Sigurd...?"

"Uh... Serra's been here the entire time?" - Sigurd remarks with a coy smile.

Allen immediately springs up from the bed and hops next to the Lucario.

"Really?!" - He says as his eyes snap wide open.

"Yes. I mean, she's not usually in the house so I guess this is your chance to say hi?"

Allen sprints past him and towards the door.

"See you, pal!"

He opens the door with tremendous speed - to the point where it slams against his leg. He shrugs off the pain and throws a peace sign at Sigurd before leaving.

"... Ah. We're doing that now, are we?" - Sigurd sighs as he walks out after his trainer.

"Well....she'd be damn good at speedrunning! I mean she's fucking that machine like it's her job...." Hex said.

Hex spotted Rebecca waving her over.

"Oop, sorry, gotta go!" Hex exclaimed.

Rebecca and Hex made it out of the Arcade and walking to their hotel room.

Rebecca unlocked the door of her hotel room. As the hotel room door swung open, she noticed a vaguely human shape that immediately morphed into a blue blob. And a half-empty wine bottle.

"Goddamnit, Rick!" Rebecca yelled. "That was supposed to be for tonight!"

"Hey, you shouldn't have left it out, then." Rick said, smirking, which is quite an interesting thing to see a Ditto doing.

Rebecca looked around to see a Musharna just waking up.

"The medicine must have worn off." Rebecca sighed. "Who do I have the pleasure of speaking to this time."

"Guess." a telepathic, male voice said.

"Ok...it's Drogo." Rebecca, "How are you doing, man?"

"Been definitely better." he quipped, "You know....when I wasn't stuck in a Musharna."

"Well you may not have to deal with that any longer." Rebecca said, "I just got a map of the area. After battles tomorrow, which Pandora will take, of course, we can head out to the Drasil Forest."

Midnight's face went blank as the money was placed in her hands. She felt it over once, twice, three times. This would be enough to keep her fed while the prices were high for the tournament, and maybe even sheltered if she was careful. "I..."

"Middy..." The Meowstic papped her face a bit. "Are you gonna be alright?"

"Fine, it's just... ma'am, you don't... gotta do this. Really. I mean, don'tcha need this for yourself...?" More than anything, she was confused. No one singles out the weird blind hobo and just gives them a thousand dollars. Do they? No, they don't, this has never happened before. But these bills absolutely felt real.

Bellamine's smile turns somber as Midnight's expression changes.

"No, no, it's fine. Please, I'd be content if you make good use of it. What's your name, miss?" 

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Allen opens the door to Serra's room. She glances up and sees him slowly enter the room.

"Wow, you're actually staying here? You're usually never here when I come over, haha." - Allen says with a nervous smile creased against his face.

"Hi, Allen! You're staying here for the tournament, right?" - She says as she closes the book in her hands.

"Well, yeah. Luna's house is way better than any hotel out there and I get to stay here for free, so." - Allen says as he looks up at the window.

"Good point. Anyway, how are you feeling?"

"Better than ever. Me and the guys have been training non-stop ever since we left, so that's a thing." - Allen says as he sits down next to her.

"That's good! I was just reading a book to pass the time, seeing as George brought in this adorable little Victini egg."

"WHAT?! Where did you guys get..." - Allen yells out in disbelief.

"He found it in the Drasil Forest just like in the story I was reading! None of us could believe it, but it was real. I'm really curious on when they're going to hatch because from what I've seen, Victini is super cute." - Serra says with a sparkle in her eyes.

"Man, that's crazy. So... can I help you take care of it when it hatches?" - Allen says with a nervous smile.

"Sure... Assuming you can beat me in the tournament tomorrow." - She winks. 

"Wait, are you serious? Listen, I know I wouldn't hold back against anybody here... but come on. I have to deal with both you and Luna's parents. Cut me a break." - Allen sighs as he leans back against the chair.

"I was kidding, heehee. Of course you can help me." - Serra says with a grin.

"Man, don't do that." - Allen chuckles.