Pokemon: Aschen Adventures (IC)

[Ajadea]

Vichi fidgets when the nurse tries to clean his bullet wound and attempts, rather futilely, to follow the trainer where the big people were taking her. What was happening? The Ursaring was off the trainer though. That was good. It looked like big-no it was bigger than big. And ugly too. Fat and ugly.

But soon the young Riolu calmed down and began searching for food in the nurse's pockets. Fighting made him hungry.

[OrchestraHc]

"Sniveling?" T.J. said to himself as Mr. Walker made for the stairs. T.J. didn't think that was what he did. Unless sniveling was a word for awkwardly apologizing, which he was fairly certain it wasn't. T.J. let it go, because he had finally been referred to as something other than "Kid" or "You". There was also the matter of his wounded partner. He handed off his pokeball to the nurse with a "Thank you." Dancho would be back on his feet in minutes and he could get on with his journey.
A bit of regret crept into his mind as he thought about leaving as soon as possible. Maybe he could wait until he was sure Adela was okay. He wouldn't be able to check on Adela until later, so for now a place to wash his hands and sit down would be enough.
Before he could forget, he also asked if someone could take the gun out of the unconcious man's hand. He didn't want him waking up with a weapon in hand.
"H-Hey, Nathaniel!" he called outside as he crossed the front door, "Umm... Sorry, but you can come back inside and get Ender treated. I'm headed upstairs for a bit." With that he went to the side door and ascended the stairs.

[Bad Situation]

Nathan reentered the ruined Pokemon Center in a lousy mood. Had he known how pathetic the townspeople were he wouldn't have even bothered going for help. Weren't 'small towns' like Heartshome supposed to be close knit? Had all that nonsense his aunt spewed to him about her hometown a lie? Back in the city it was easy to drop your head and let life pass you buy, but it looked like it wasn't going to be any different anywhere else in the world.

It was frustrating, but he would deal. Suffices to say, trainers were expected to handle any of the business that happened to crop up nearby. It wasn't an ideal life to say the least, but he'd already chosen his path. There was no going back.

"I'll be champion soon enough..." he muttered underneath his breath.

With considerable effort he asked a recently released staff member to point him toward the others. With only a murmur of thanks in response, he made his way upstairs. Ender trailed close behind, dinged up but looking no worse for wear.

[Gorgondantess]

The nurse, who has dealt with many, many pokemon over the years, almost unconsciously hands the Riolu a poffin out of her apron to distract it, then goes to fetch its pokeball and returns it to put on the restorative machine behind her.

The man atop the stairs, with the help of the ambipom, gets the nurse down and ushers her into the back room. He then drags the two unconscious thugs back there as well. They all seem content to ignore all of you, for now at least.

In the side door is a narrow stairway, leading to the balcony up top. Beyond it is a cozy lobby, with couches and chairs and various forms of entertainment- a rubix cube, some magazines, a television. There are double doors at the end of this room leading to a motel-like corridor, with 3 small rooms on either side- 6 in total. Each has a small double bed, bedside table, closet, and utilitarian bathroom. Essentially your average hotel stuff. At the very end is another set of double doors leading to a small cafeteria with 2 sizable tables, some microwaves, trashcans, utensils, etc. There's a counter at one side that would presumably normally be selling foodstuffs, but it's currently barren. A similar steel door to the one behind the front counter can be seen behind this one.

At some point that door opens, and one of the nurses comes out. "Well, the girl's in good condition and should be awake in a matter of hours. Your pokemon, too. Once she's awake, the professor would like to reward each of you. In the meantime, would any of you like anything to eat, or drink?"

[BluesEclipse]

Picking up the rubik's cube, and idly shifting it around, Gavin replies, "That would be great, thanks." Turning his attention to the puzzle cube in his hands, he thinks, I do wonder what those thugs were hoping to accomplish here. Regardless of your goals, there's no real purpose for attacking a Pokemon Center...

[Bad Situation]

Nathan sat with his arms crossed, head lazily tilted against the wall. Currently he was lost in thought. Though, after a day like that, who wouldn't be? It wasn't everyday that a group of Pokemon terrorists wreaked havoc in such a small town. It certainly made him wonder at any rate. Was there something more to Heartshome, or had they just the criminals simply been flexing their muscles in a display of power?

Regardless of their motives, Nathan wouldn't let something like this stand.

He would leave as soon as he was done speaking to the Professor. It had been a long day but if he intended to get anywhere in his life he wouldn't be able to rest as he pleased. Of course, it would be rude to turn down such a generous offer.

"Anything sweet..." he answered absentmindedly.

[OrchestraHc]

Hearing that Adela was okay was the first bit of good news he had heard all day, especialy considering what the chaos downstairs meant. Team Eclectia was in his hometown now, and he wasn't sure if a quiet, almost isolated place like this could deal with them. If Eclectia was still here when he came back, he was sure he could get rid of them. That was the point, wasn't it, to get strong then come back. Only now he has a serious reason to do so.

Resolved or not, he need to take his mind off of Eclectia for a little while. So after asking for a bit of water from the nurse, he decided to get some sort of conversation started. "So..."he said twiddling his thumbs, unsure of what to say. After fighting Eclectia, he couldn't exactly talk about weather. "What do you plan to do after we leave the Center?" The question was more directed at Nathaniel than Mr. Walker. If either of them were headed down 423 he might have some sort of travelling companion, which would be nice, but if he had to choose, he would definitely prefer one closer to his own age.

[Bad Situation]

"Badge hunting, capture anything that catches my eye." What would catch his eye though? Steel types had always interested him greatly, but Nathan couldn't be sure that there would be any around the town.

"I'm rather picky about my Pokemon," he added.

[BluesEclipse]

Looking up from the puzzle he's working on, Gavin says, "If you'd be interested, I actually could use a few capable assistants... you see, I'm here in Aschen to look into some rumors my employers have heard - that there may be fossils of undiscovered Pokemon species to be found within the desert." He smirks as he finishes the rubik's cube while speaking, and sets it aside as he leans forward a bit. "I was planning on travelling for a bit myself, to see if I could find skilled trainers that would be willing to work on this with me... After all, it would only be the one of the most noteworthy discoveries of our time. Especially if we can find a way to revive the fossilized Pokemon. And you, Nathan... I must admit, you impressed me. You kept a cool head, and fought well. You and that girl, Adela, both proved yourselves to be more than capable. If you're interested in helping me, I can assure you that you'll be paid quite well..." Gavin trails off there, watching the young trainer to see how he reacts to the proposal.

[Gorgondantess]

The nurse returns shortly afterward with a bowl of instant noodles for Gavin, and a can of melon soda for Nathan. "The sink in the kitchen has a faucet for filtered water, and there are cups in the cupboard above. If there's anything else you need, don't hesitate to ask." With that, she bows her head and departs.

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Yes, this is supposed to be at least somewhat Japanese in culture. No, I know next to nothing about Japan. At least, I'm no japanophile. So, I might make some mistakes or uninformed stereotypes. Just chalk it up to this being another universe.
Anyways, please do talk amongst yourselves- it helps to build character, and many of you might not get another chance anytime soon. At the same time, keep in mind that Ajadea is probably getting rather bored (though if you want your pokemon to pop out of its pokeball and go off to have Vichi's Great Misadventure in the meantime, go ahead), so don't take forever... on second thought, though, I'll just cut tell you if it's taking too long.

[Ajadea]

Vichi yelped in surprise when he was sucked back into the Pokeball, poffin and all. He hated being in that thing. At least the trainer didn't make him go in there without warning. It was dark in here. And now he'd have poffin bits in his fur for ages.

Poke. Poke. He jabbed at the inside of the ball as well as he could like this. He was like the blue right now, and that was not solid. He knew that. Not many Pokemon even knew there was a blue though, and no human ever knew. They were silly. It was everywhere there was life. So silly, silly humans. They didn't see that, and they thought he was the stupid one.

Poke. Poke. There was a way out. He had done this before. Poke. Poke. There was a not-smooth bit, and if you pushed it just right, it opened up. Poke. The Pokeball opened and dumped Vichi out on the ground, throwing him head over heels over head again. He spat out a mouthful of fur and crumbs, and got up shaky. His head swiveled around. There! The remains of his poffin lay under a counter. He grabbed it up and took a big bite. Good still.

Now...now to somewhere.

Vichi wasn't quite sure where somewhere was. He'd deal with that later.

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The blue, as Vichi sees it, is Aura. Of course, being a really quite immature Pokemon, he doesn't know the terminology.

[OrchestraHc]

"Wow that is... a lot cooler than what I was going to ask," he said a little disheartened. "I was just gonna ask if you wanted to hang out until Sandberg. Sorry." With that he walked to the kitchen to get himself some water.

[Bad Situation]

"Sorry, I don't think I would be interested in group travel." Traveling in a group could prove to be interesteing, but Nathan would still have to decline. Traveling always put him in a bad mood, and besides, other trainers would just slow him down. That said, TJ was new to the whole training thing, it wouldn't hurt to shove him in the right direction.

"Why don't you take TJ along with you Walker. He needs experience and he's shown some promise as a trainer."

[BluesEclipse]

Raising an eyebrow at the younger trainer's response, Gavin replies, "Perhaps. He has potential, but he lacks confidence... and while he was able, to some extent, to prepare for what we faced here, I find it far too likely that he'd freeze up if any unexpected threats come up." Gavin looks towards the kitchen, where TJ had gone. "The issue, really, is one of experience - while you and Adela both seem to understand the reality of the world better, he... well, from what I've seen, he's a capable trainer, but second-guesses himself far too often. I do agree that he'd be more capable once he has that experience in the world, but... at the same time, I need someone that has that experience." Shrugging, he turns his gaze back towards Nathan. "Regardless, my offer will be open to you, at the least until I depart. If you change your mind, let me know." Taking the bowl of noodles that the nurse brought him, Gavin begins eating calmly, and thinks to himself, While I'm sure that the boy would be willing to help, he doesn't seem to understand the most important fact of this world - a trainer must fight. Our world expects no less from anyone with a Pokemon, regardless of what people may claim. He simply isn't prepared for that, from what I've seen. Once the girl wakes, I'll find the time to speak with her... and failing that, I'll head towards Sandberg myself. If this is the best that could be found here in Heartshome, there's no point staying - I wouldn't find any other competent trainers here.

[Ajadea]

Vichi looked around. The room was really messy. And there was too much smelly brownish drying gunk around. And-ooh, was that rope? Vichi loved ropes. It was up high though. He dashed over and tried to jump up and grab it, but it was way too high up.

There were the stairs! Vichi dashed up them, only slipping twice. He used his front paws and his back paws, even though he really really only needed the back paws. He began pulling and trying to untangle it. Maybe he could swing on the rope! Swinging on rope was fun. Vichi slipped one end of the rope through one part of the fence, and put the other end through a different part. It fell to the ground.

Well he couldn't swing on it like that! Vichi dashed and fell down the stairs to pull the rope up again. It was hard to move the rope! Maybe if he wrapped it around his arms? That wasn't easy. Made it hard to walk. That was a bad idea. But...the rope wasn't letting him go! Vichi snapped at the rope like he was a trainer. Bad rope! Let me go!

[OrchestraHc]

T.J. leaned against the kitchen sink. He had taken the opportunity to clean Adela's blood off his fingertips before pouring himself a drink of water. The thoughts from earlier were creeping back into his mind. He wasn't about to let Eclectia make him look over his shoulder this entire journey, he did that enough as it is. He forced himself to think about anything else. Sandberg! he thought. There was Gym in Sandberg and he was going to challenge it with Dancho, and any other pokemon he caught along the way. He wasn't even really in it for the championship, but he could bet good money Nathaniel was. He had said something about being champion and being "the Very Best" earlier. There was definitely a talking point he could use.

Looking down at his glass, he found he had been drinking without really thinking about it, and had already chewed through most of the ice. He was apparently thirstier than he thought. He refilled his drink and walked back to the room.

[Gorgondantess]

One of the nurses finds Vichi tangled in a pile of rope. She sighs, and seeing as the trainer will likely be awake soon, decides to entertain the wayward pokemon until then.

The rest of you while away the time in the trainer's quarters. The male nurse starts cleaning things up, and various out-of-town authorities are called to deal with the corpses and the criminals. They arrive in a few hours, hauling everything away they need to.
Finally, late afternoon, Adela wakes up. She's hurting like hell, and it's agony to breathe (or do anything else, for that matter, including think), but she's conscious.
One of the nurses stands over her. "Easy, now... you've broken a rib, and you have a concussion. You'll likely want to take it easy for the next few days."
She notices, through all the pain, the bandage on her head.
"They took care of the criminals, and the professor will want to reward you all."
Once they make sure Adela can walk, the rest of you are gathered in the back room. It's filled with shelves with various bottles and capsules and cases and computers, and medical equipment of all sorts, as well as equipment that you can't rightly recognize.
The professor regards you all quite businesslike.
"Well then... you four fought off those men, and so you rightly deserve a reward. Here at Heartshome we've always had to depend on trainers like you for protection... now more than ever now that Sheriff Baker is dead."
She gives a grim look, and continues.
"Now, we don't have much money to spare... but we do have supplies, and a couple of trainerless pokemon. And, beyond that..."
Here she gives a wry smile that almost gives you the chills,
"I have an experimental medicine that I've been wanting to find some trainers to test out, and one of you might just be perfect for it."
She produces from her lab coat a container, from which she extracts a yellow, waxy looking ball.
"This compound I've made uses formula similar to that of a TM, combined with a powerful catalyst. However, unlike most TMs, it does not have a set effect- it is, if you will, blank. This, combined with a drug that induces a state susceptible to suggestion, can allow a pokemon to unlock powers they never knew they had... among other things.
We've tested it so far on our aipom- now an ambipom, as you may have seen. Initially, I gave the aipom the medicine, and had a borrowed ambipom before it show off the move "double hit" for the extent of its duration. Several hours later, the aipom spontaneously evolved, as they can only do so once capable of that move.
Later, I re-administered the medicine, and had Janet pet the ambipom for the duration, and say kind things to it. Now the ambipom is inextricably attached to her- in fact, it's currently with her during her recovery.
Of course, it uses several expensive compounds... so I only have two left. Those of you who decide to take this as your reward- which I assure you is unique in all the world- I simply ask that you record what you subject your pokemon to while under its effects, and extensively report back to me the result."
She grins while speaking her, but then returns to a more businesslike posture.
"Beyond that, we currently have both the Ursaring and the Lucario, quite trainerless. However, I must warn you, both were evolved prematurely and may never be quite as powerful as a normal member of their species. At the very least it would require an investment of time and perhaps some high performance vitamins. Speaking of which, we recently received a small shipment of those... so if you'd like, I could simply give you some of those. If you don't want the pokemon, I would certainly be happy to take them myself- we could use some pokemon around here for any future attacks. And since Heartsome has far less trainers than most towns, it happens more often than you might think."

[BluesEclipse]

This experimental medicine... it sounds like something that has potential. Gavin thinks as he listens to the professor's words. And if I sent a sample back... yes, I think that will do nicely. Gavin smiles as the Professor finishes speaking, and says, "I'll take that experimental medicine you spoke of. It sounds quite interesting... even if Pokemon biochemistry isn't my area of expertise, I'd still be happy to aid in this kind of research."

[Ajadea]

Adela stares at the Ambipom, head still reeling. She leans on the wall with her head bent forwards and eyes half-closed. The lights hurt her eyes and she frankly isn't sure that she can walk straight, though the nurses assured her that she was fully capable of exactly that. The bandage itches and feels uncomfortable, but Adela resists the urge to pick at it. Side effect of getting your fool head slammed into a counter by a flea-bitten Ursaring, she thinks wryly, rubbing the back of her neck.

Adela thought for a moment. She didn't need a Lucario when she had a Riolu. The Ursaring needed care, and training. Even if it had slammed her into a counter, she did feel pity for the beast. "I'll adopt the Ur-" Vichi pokes her hard, and looks at her like she is absolutely insane. How could the trainer take that beast into her care? "Okay...I'll take the medicine if you don't mind." Adela's voice is raspy and dry, and the pain she is experiencing is extremely obvious in her tone.

She crouches down next to Vichi, wobbling slightly on her feet. "Vichi, listen. The nurse is going to give me a ball. Like a poffin, but not a poffin exactly. I would like to give this...poffin to you, to teach you something new. So that you can be strong. Do you want to-" Vichi throws his arms around Adela, and nods 'yes' into her shoulder enthusiastically. "Yeah, definitely taking the medicine," she says with a wince. "Vichi, please get off." The Riolu gives her one last painful squeeze and lets go. After a moment of contemplation, Adela decides to remain seated on the floor.

[OrchestraHc]

T.J. smiled a bit at Vichi and Adela's antics. The pokemon was pretty broken up over its trainer's loss, so a bit of affection was cute. Though, as far as T.J. was concerned they could have the medicine. The words "experimental drugs" felt a lttle iffy to him. It also occured to him, that if Adela wasn't going to take it, which was absolutely understandable, he would take the Ursaring off the Centers hands.

"If you're sure it's safe, could... Could I adopt the Ursaring?" He felt insane asking for a monster that minutes ago would have killed him for the off chance he'd get fed, but he would have to appear resolved if they were going to take him seriously. The pokemon needed help and he was sure he could do it. "I'd also need any vitamins that would help it recover," he said rather mater of factly. Out of habit, he immediately attempted to correct himself in his usual stammering manner. "I-If it's not too much to ask, I mean."

[Bad Situation]

He had to admit, the experimental medicine did sound interesting. But after hearing the other two express a similar interest his own curiosity quickly faded. He would rather not deal with a potential dispute at any rate.

"I'm not interested in either, I was just doing my job ma'am." The two trainerless Pokemon would only be a burden. It just meant more work taming them, and vitamins would just be a huge money sink. Ender was all he needed at this point anyway, he could catch Pokemon at his own pace.

But, it would be idiotic not to look into other possible rewards.

"...though. I wouldn't mind those supplies you mentioned earlier."

[Gorgondantess]

The professor nods, and sends a nurse to fetch the vitamins. She produces a second container identical to the first, and hands one each to Gavin and Adela, smiling. "Just record everything with your pokedex and send the results here via the storage system."
The nurse brings the professor a heavy lockbox, and she opens it with a key from a keyring. "You have a magnemite, yes? Normally this is administered intravenously, so it'll have to go through the eye. I'll sedate it if you'd like, though if you'd prefer to save it for later, if you want to use it on the magnemite, I strongly advise you bring it to some sort of pokemon center for the sedation. Now, we can help it develop better in multiple ways... but this compound is a little rough on the system, so just what would you like to see in your pokemon?"

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Do be creative. The good professor, as you may have seen, has a lot of time on her hands, and has more than just standard vitamins at her disposal.

Finally, TJ is handed a friend ball containing the ursaring. "We've given it a small vitamin regimen. As it's so weak, and has been through a lot lately, it'll be good to go light on it until it regains its strength.

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Level 10 male Ursaring, Hardy nature. All base stats are reduced by 2. Movepool: Scratch, Lick, Endure, Leer, Fury Swipes, Faint Attack, Double Edge.

"...And we'll take the lucario. It should serve well here. Well then, girl, I advise you not stress yourself: you've had a pretty bad concussion. I can't stop you... but I would strongly advise you not head out at all tomorrow.
As for the rest of you, you can use the facilities this evening free of charge."
With that, she nods, and heads into another room.

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End day?

[BluesEclipse]

Watching as the professor leaves the room, Gavin pulls out a plastic pouch from his own kit, and places the waxy pill in it. Pocketing it, he nods to himself, before looking towards Adela. "Should you be interested in a job, Adela," he says, offhandedly, "let me know. I'm going to be running an expedition in the desert, to seek out whatever fossils or relics may be there, and can use the assistance of capable trainers such as yourself." As he turns and walks away, he calls to her, "Think about it..." as he heads upstairs.

Heading into one of the rooms there, he closes the door, and pulls out his Pokedex, tapping the display to bring up the phone service. He dials quickly, and as the phone rings, he waits for his contact within Team Rocket to answer.

[Gorgondantess]

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Pokedexes are all video chat, by the way, as are most phones in general.

Gavin's contact answers quickly enough. He's a young guy, younger than Gavin even, but quite smart and with a good mind for surreptitious activities. Ambitious, too- far more ambitious than Gavin. One of the reasons he's such a higher rank is because he's far more willing to get his hands dirty. His cover is at a chem lab where they research various compounds that have applications with pokemon, and he takes a little off the top- and all findings, of course- and funnels it to Team Rocket. You've been reporting to him the past few years, ever since your last boss was promoted, and he's a rather laissez-faire boss so long as you produce results, if a little short on patience.
"What do you want, Gavin?"
He looks a little annoyed, obviously assuming that you don't have anything for him after a short time, wondering just why you contacted him.

[BluesEclipse]

Raising an eyebrow, Gavin smiles, amused. "I would think you'd be happy to hear from me, Markus, considering what I have for you. I've arrived in Heartshome... just in time for the Center to be attacked by thugs from Eclectia. I decided to offer my aid - given that I don't plan on running this expedition alone, it seemed like a good way to curry favor. After the attack was handled, I had a chance to speak with the professor here... turns out they're developing a new medicine here, to enhance a Pokemon's potential." Smirking, Gavin pulls out the pouch with the medicine ball, making sure it can be seen by his contact. "And the professor was kind enough to give me one of their last samples, with the understanding that I'd be using my own Pokemon as a test subject. From what was explained, it seems that this effects a Pokemon based on what stimulus they're exposed to at the time - an Aipom that was given the medicine and shown the Double Hit move spontaneously evolved, and when the medicine was given a second time and a trainer showed the Pokemon a bit of affection, it became fiercely loyal. I doubt you need me to tell you what kind of implications this could have." Slipping the medicine back into his pocket, Gavin shifts his expression to a more serious one. "I do intend to send a sample your way, though I'm uncertain as to how much I can take off before it becomes worthless. That would be more your area of expertise than my own - I deal in archaeology and petrology, not biology and chemistry. I'm also open to suggestions as to what I might be able to do with it - if it matters, it's apparently based on the formula used to make TMs."

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Coming up with a name for the contact, since none was given. Also, do the Pokedexes have the ability to transmit items, or do I need to use other methods to actually send the sample?

[Gorgondantess]

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We'll call him... Job. Rhymes with globe, not glob.
Also, no, only pokemon can be transferred and stored electronically.

As you speak, the corners of Job's lips slowly turn upwards, until he's fully grinning. "Well that's... interesting, to say the least. You'll certainly be receiving a bonus for this.
Now, from what I understand, medicine like that tends to come in very specific doses. Anything less wouldn't do the trick, and anything more would likely do damage. Now, I, personally, would advise sending the whole thing... but in the end it's up to you how much you send."

[BluesEclipse]

"Right. Well, you're the one that knows this stuff... I'll send it along. If they ask, I'll just say I'm holding onto it for the time being, so that I have more options available to test when I do decide to use it. As for my own work here, as I said, I'm trying to gather some competent trainers to assist me - the desert isn't exactly a friendly place, after all. The ones that fought Eclectia with me here in Heartshome are decent, though don't seem that interested in helping me out, so I'll probably head to Sandberg next. If you feel like trying to find out anything about them, I can give you some basic information, but for the most part they're the usual kids who think they can make it big in the League." Gavin frowns as he continues, "One would think they'd have more sense, but it's their choice. At any rate, as I said, I'll send the sample along, and I'll report further as we go. I'll keep you updated with any news of note, as well as Eclectia's movements... Thinking about it, they probably were after the sample themselves, meaning they might wind up coming after me." Closing his eyes and biting off a curse, Gavin mutters, "As if I didn't have enough to deal with on this job..."

[Gorgondantess]

Markus shrugs. "Do whatever you have to. As I understand it, Sandberg has a gym, yes? You'll likely find recruitment easier there than in Heartsholm. More trainers, anyways. Beyond that, I'm aware of a ranger organization based in Sandberg- they should be able to help you out.
And as for Team Eclectia... that may well be true. If any of them decide to go after you, just point them my way." He smirks cockily. Markus is an avid trainer beyond his other duties, and apparently is infamous for his powerful Alakazam.
"In all seriousness, though, if you are attacked," ("and manage to survive it", you can see added in his expression) "Call me and we'll send you aid. We don't know that they even knew it existed. Besides, what would Eclectia do with something like that? They lack the organization to produce it on such a scale to be even worth it."
He sighs and shakes his head.
"Anyways... I'd advise you send it immediately. I'd send a contact your way, but our closest man that I know of is in Platinum Valley, so you'll just have to settle for expedited mail. Do so now, and make sure it's secure. I'll be waiting."
And with that, he shuts off the feed.

[BluesEclipse]

Nodding, Gavin heads slips the Pokedex into his pocket and heads out of the room, and out of the Pokemon Center into Heartshome proper. Pulling the Pokedex back out, he pulls up a map, looking for a post office, as well as a Poke Mart. I'll get the sample sent off to Markus, then see about finding a weapon... maybe a set of throwing knives. I'm certain that Eclectia is up to something, and just as certain that it has something to do with this medicine. Still, the most I can do is be ready.

[Bad Situation]

Watching the older man exit, Nathan laced his fingers together in thought. This was a good opportunity for Ender but the possibilities were disorienting to say the least. His Magnemite had a lot of things going for it, however speed wasn't one of them. Speed of course brought to mind Champion Rodric, one of the more prominent Champions of the decade. "Taking initiative saves lives," the man had said, and Nathan was inclined to agree. Rodric would excite the audience and opponent alike with his dazzlingly quick matches, but while speed was the cornerstone of his particular lineup, even the more balanced Championship teams held a great deal of speedsters.

Nathan hadn't been old enough to enjoy the man in his prime (exhibition matches notwithstanding), but the internet was a valuable resource in that regard.

Snapping out of his reverie, Nathan spoke his piece, "Ender needs speed, especially if he wants to compete in the tourneys." In hindsight that sounded a bit callous, but Ender would understand. Ender always understood, even when he himself didn't. "He's fine the way he is, but the second he's hit by a move he can't resist; he'll be taken out of the match, and I'll have lost my strongest Pokemon."

Not that he had other Pokemon, but he had a feeling Ender would be his ace in the hole so to speak.