Torrent Beach

[Hanafuda]

"Zack looked eager to do some training back at the arena yesterday," Seb replied, pocketing his hands, "so I thought I'd try something. Went to the shop for some TMs in case we faced the kidnapper and we wanna try out the moves."

"Wanna help a hero with his trainin'?" Zack asked Olivia while he stretched his legs.

 

[Seren]

"Zack looked eager to do some training back at the arena yesterday," Seb replied, pocketing his hands, "so I thought I'd try something. Went to the shop for some TMs in case we faced the kidnapper and we wanna try out the moves."

"Wanna help a hero with his trainin'?" Zack asked Olivia while he stretched his legs.

"Spi, spi!" Olivia replied. "That sounds like fun! I need to practice, too!" She looked up at her trainer with wide, pleading eyes.

Kimiko frowned down at the espeon, her gaze drifting briefly to the ocean, then she sighed. "Yeah, we can spar. Olivia's been itching for a battle after watching Odile, and she's got a new move we need to practice, too."

They stepped a few paces away before turning around, facing their new opponents. The boy and his strange pokemon didn't look like much, but she'd learned not to underestimate appearances before. "Oh, my name's Kimiko, by the way," she said, brushing some hair out of her face., then held out a hand towards the other trainer. "You can take the first move. Hit us with your best shot! Olivia, you be ready to counter."

"Eon!" Olivia cried with a nod.

 

[Hanafuda]

Seb gently shook Kimiko's hand as he introduced himself. "Call me Seb. Kimiko sounds like a cool name." After he let go, he adjusted his jacket and glasses quickly and took his position on the field. He put distance between himself and Zack. He pointed an index forward and exclaimed with determination. "And so it begins! Take it all!"

Zack leapt forward, aiming his talons forward as he scanned for anything Olivia may have been holding. "Watcha got there, pretty?"

 

[Seren]

Seb gently shook Kimiko's hand as he introduced himself. "Call me Seb. Kimiko sounds like a cool name." After he let go, he adjusted his jacket and glasses quickly and took his position on the field. He put distance between himself and Zack. He pointed an index forward and exclaimed with determination. "And so it begins! Take it all!"

Zack leapt forward, aiming his talons forward as he scanned for anything Olivia may have been holding. "Watcha got there, pretty?"

Kimiko recognized what was happening before Zack struck, but too late to do anything about it. The way he ordered the command reminded her of Odette; and it threw her off just the same. She was going to have to figure out how to recognize that sooner... and perhaps incorporate it herself. But for now... "Olivia, dazzling gleam!"

Meanwhile, Olivia had tensed under the dark energy in Zack's talons. Thankfully (?) she hadn't been holding any items for this battle, but the attack still hurt a bit. The bird was stronger than it looked.

Still, at this close range, Olivia would barely have to aim a light-based attack. She sprang backwards, just enough to put a small distance between herself and Zack. Her forehead gem glowed pink for only a moment before a bright, harsh pink light erupted from it in the bird's direction.

 

[Hanafuda]

"Woah!" Zack covered his eyes with a wing, but the light still hurt him a bit more than he would've liked. Maybe his muscles still weren't able to help him take stronger hits, but he continued nonetheless after his Trainer exclaimed another command.

"Well, it was worth a try," Seb said before pumping out a fist in front of him. "Go for the eyes!"

The Pidgeotto kicked up some sand towards Olivia's face. "Sorry! Really hate dirtyin' up a babe's prettiness, but I gotta do it!"

 

[Seren]

"Woah!" Zack covered his eyes with a wing, but the light still hurt him a bit more than he would've liked. Maybe his muscles still weren't able to help him take stronger hits, but he continued nonetheless after his Trainer exclaimed another command.

"Well, it was worth a try," Seb said before pumping out a fist in front of him. "Go for the eyes!"

The Pidgeotto kicked up some sand towards Olivia's face. "Sorry! Really hate dirtyin' up a babe's prettiness, but I gotta do it!"

"Wha-" Kimiko cried out. That's a dirty- oh, it's just a sand attack. Well, psychics don't need to see in order to attack. Don't know if shadow ball would affect him, if his typing is the same as a regular pidgeotto... "Alright then, calm mind, then psybeam!"

Olivia growled, her eyes already closed after the first sand volley blinded her. She hadn't yet mastered the ability to completely detach and power-up while under pressure, however, and eventually she gave that up, unable to complete the move with the waves of sand pouring over her. Instead, she scanned the area with her psychic talents - no problems there, as she had been doing this for the last several nights in her sleep - and blasted a concentrated beam of psychic energy directly at Zack.

 

[Hanafuda]

"Oh no!" Seb glared in worried shock, arms to his sides. "Move out!"

Zack jumped out of the way of the beam, which grazed his wing a bit. It burned, but nothing too grave. He dusted off his wings with a confident smirk. "You're pretty good."

"Soar!" Seb exclaimed, raising his arms above his head and looking to the sky.

"But I bet ya can't catch me again!" The Pidgeotto knelt for a moment with wings open. The next second, he jumped and flapped his wings, becoming airborne and trying to stay out of Olivia's aim.

 

[Seren]

"Oh no!" Seb glared in worried shock, arms to his sides. "Move out!"

Zack jumped out of the way of the beam, which grazed his wing a bit. It burned, but nothing too grave. He dusted off his wings with a confident smirk. "You're pretty good."

"Soar!" Seb exclaimed, raising his arms above his head and looking to the sky.

"But I bet ya can't catch me again!" The Pidgeotto knelt for a moment with wings open. The next second, he jumped and flapped his wings, becoming airborne and trying to stay out of Olivia's aim.

"Spii espi es!" Olivia replied, eyes still closed. She was grinning though, somewhat impressed. "And you're pretty fast!"

Kimiko tracked Zack as he flew off, and she knew Olivia was doing the same by the way her head followed the bird too, despite her eyes still being closed. With Zack that far away, now would be the perfect chance to try calm mind again, but... well, this was a practice battle. "Let's see if dazzling gleam can reach him up there! Remember to aim forward!" Olivia could extrapolate the bird's flight path to some extent, so long as he held constant and didn't fly erratically. The question was whether or not Olivia's new attack could reach him in the sky - or rather, if she could make it reach that far.

 

[Hanafuda]

As Zack saw the flashing lights appear from Olivia, he flapped his wings once to back off just enough for the attack to graze one of his talons. "So close!" After dodging, he dove down, beak ready. He was aiming to strike the Espeon on the back, but he was still careful not to hurt her too much.

 

[Seren]

As Zack saw the flashing lights appear from Olivia, he flapped his wings once to back off just enough for the attack to graze one of his talons. "So close!" After dodging, he dove down, beak ready. He was aiming to strike the Espeon on the back, but he was still careful not to hurt her too much.

Well, if nothing else, Kimiko was impressed the attack had actually managed to get that far into the air, considering Olivia had only just learned it.

She was about to order a counter-attack, but something in the way Zack dove gave her pause. Even humanoid, he didn't seem to be diving as hard as he probably could be... "Olivia, hold and calm mind!" she called.

Olivia was clearly perplexed; she could see Zack's aura coming a mile away. Maybe her trainer could physically see something that she currently could not? Either way, she shrugged it off and focused again on breathing. In and out. In and out. She could feel her own aura pulsing, even as Zack landed a direct hit and retreated, probably fearing a close-range counter-attack.

"Why are you holding back?" Kimiko asked, crossing her arms, half confused and half insulted. She hadn't underestimated the bird, that much she felt confident in, but... up to this point, she still felt the battle had been too easy, and that last attack all but confirmed it. They weren't fighting at full power. Why? "Practice or not, this is still a battle. If that's your best, your best won't do. Olivia, psybeam!"

 

[Hanafuda]

"Wait, Zack, you actually held back?" Seb looked confused at his Pokémon. "Don't tell me this is because we're fighting girls!"

"Oh, right, I gotta stop focusin' on the pretty face." The Pidgeotto tapped his head lightly. He saw another Psybeam directed at him, so he moved his head out of the way. It grazed through his crest, with some feathers flying off of him. He glared at Olivia. "Oh, nobody touches the fabulous crest!"

"Give it your all, buddy!" Seb shouted with a hand open out front. His jacket moved with the wind as he posed dramatically.

Zack went for another Thief attack towards the Espeon. This time, he would make sure to actually hurt her.

 

[Seren]

"Wait, Zack, you actually held back?" Seb looked confused at his Pokémon. "Don't tell me this is because we're fighting girls!"

"Oh, right, I gotta stop focusin' on the pretty face." The Pidgeotto tapped his head lightly. He saw another Psybeam directed at him, so he moved his head out of the way. It grazed through his crest, with some feathers flying off of him. He glared at Olivia. "Oh, nobody touches the fabulous crest!"

"Give it your all, buddy!" Seb shouted with a hand open out front. His jacket moved with the wind as he posed dramatically.

Zack went for another Thief attack towards the Espeon. This time, he would make sure to actually hurt her.

Th... that was it? The bird was holding back because Olivia was female? Well then, she'd just have to show them how tough they could be.

The bird flew right at her, and Kimiko pointed at him just as dramatically. "One more dazzling gleam, straight ahead!"

Olivia nodded and roared an adorable battle cry that wouldn't threaten a wimpod, but nonetheless launched her new attack forwards, her aura still pulsing. This one was sure to hurt if it landed, and it surely would, the way Zack flew in such a straight line...

But as he approached, talons forward and dropping with dark-aura, he flew right through the light attack and knocked Olivia aside almost effortlessly.

Kimiko gasped and called out to her; the espeon had rolled onto her side and took a moment to get back up after that strike, shaking her body to fizzle out a sizzling remnant of the dark aura as though she were wet. Still, she got back to her feet.

"That's better," Kimiko complimented, but didn't linger on it. That was closer to what she'd been expecting. "Let's try something different. Whip up a sandstorm!"

Of course, Olivia couldn't learn the sandstorm technique on her own. Still, though, the espeon got the message; beach sand begun to rise all around her, coated in a shiny blue aura that matched Olivia's eyes, and with a nod of her head, she sent the waves of sand flying in Zack's direction.

 

[Hanafuda]

Zack remained confident as he tried to move away from the sandstorm, but quickly panicked when he was caught in it.

"Zack!" Seb exclaimed in shock, backing away a bit. "Stay strong!"

To the Pidgeotto, it felt as if time moved slower than normal. In his moment of vulnerability, there were some thoughts he let out with his voice.

"Ugh, this sucks... But I'm glad we could have this battle. Ya know... At first I was doin' this 'cause I finally got the chance to be a hero. I'd get the chance to fight the bad guy and save everyone... But part of me had second guesses. This ain't all about me, right? What about Seb? What about Jack-o? Ya think he might get jealous of me bein' fabulous and awesome? Think I held back because I wanted to let 'im catch up to me on power terms... But... I think I should stop thinkin' about that. I gotta be my best version. Everyone tells me I should have more respect... Yeah, now I know how to be a real hero!"

As he spun around, Zack's body began to transform, a few sparkles coming off of him. His wings grew to cover his body. His crest became longer, gaining yellow feathers with red edges. His tail feathers became completely red. Once he opened his wings, more sparkles came out, and he revealed his larger body, along with more defined muscles.

"Gotta start with savin' me from doin' dumb stuff, then take on the world!"

 

[Seren]

Zack remained confident as he tried to move away from the sandstorm, but quickly panicked when he was caught in it.

"Zack!" Seb exclaimed in shock, backing away a bit. "Stay strong!"

To the Pidgeotto, it felt as if time moved slower than normal. In his moment of vulnerability, there were some thoughts he let out with his voice.

"Ugh, this sucks... But I'm glad we could have this battle. Ya know... At first I was doin' this 'cause I finally got the chance to be a hero. I'd get the chance to fight the bad guy and save everyone... But part of me had second guesses. This ain't all about me, right? What about Seb? What about Jack? Ya think he might get jealous of me bein' fabulous and awesome? Think I held back because I wanted to let 'im catch up to me on power terms... But... I think I should stop thinkin' about that. I gotta be my best version. Everyone tells me I should have more respect... Yeah, now I know how to be a real hero!"

As he spun around, Zack's body began to transform, a few sparkles coming off of him. His wings grew to cover his body. His crest became longer, gaining yellow feathers with red edges. His tail feathers became completely red. Once he opened his wings, more sparkles came out, and he revealed his larger body, along with more defined muscles.

"Gotta start with savin' me from doin' dumb stuff, then take on the world!"

Oh, there we go!

Kimiko didn't need to understand the words to get the idea, as Zack burst out of the sandstorm, new form and all. He was ready to go. Kimiko could practically feel the music herself, actually smirking as she watched the large bird test his new wings.

Olivia, meanwhile, actually took a step back as the flying aura surged around her foe. She was finally starting to recover her sight, but her psychic vision was more than enough to tell her what just happened. Now it was going to get real. She stood up as tall as she could, tail swishing in anticipation.

Kimiko pointed to their target. "Let's rock 'em, Olivia! Rapid fire psybeam, go!"

Olivia took off running, making herself more difficult to follow, while launching several compacted psybeam blasts at the flyer. Evolution seemed to have given him a second wind, but she knew from experience that it sometimes took time to get used to one's new shape and size, and she needed to capitalize on that now.

 

[Hanafuda]

"Epic!" Seb exclaimed in excitement. Part of him did not expect an evolution, but he had actually been waiting for the time to come sooner. He was grateful to the Legends for blessing him with such a sight. He shook his hands, focusing back in the fight. "Come on, Zack! One last push! Turn it around!"

The Pidgeot tried to dodge the Psybeams. His larger body made him an easier target, but his speed helped him maneuver around the projectiles. After getting close enough to Olivia, he spun quickly, exerting his remaining stamina into a powerful U-Turn. "We're done here, baby!"

Perhaps it was due to a flash in that last Psybeam, but after the clash, it was difficult to determine the outcome.

 

[Seren]

"Epic!" Seb exclaimed in excitement. Part of him did not expect an evolution, but he had actually been waiting for the time to come sooner. He was grateful to the Legends for blessing him with such a sight. He shook his hands, focusing back in the fight. "Come on, Zack! One last push! Turn it around!"

The Pidgeot tried to dodge the Psybeams. His larger body made him an easier target, but his speed helped him maneuver around the projectiles. After getting close enough to Olivia, he spun quickly, exerting his remaining stamina into a powerful U-Turn. "We're done here, baby!"

Perhaps it was due to a flash in that last Psybeam, but after the clash, it was difficult to determine the outcome.

Olivia growled in frustration as the large bird maneuvered around her attacks; he was a lot faster in his new form. And while he was dodging, he was also creeping closer. Olivia kept on the move as she launched attacks, but she was beginning to tire.

And then all of a sudden, the large bird was right on top of her, and the bug aura enveloping him made her skin crawl.

Kimiko, too, realized her espeon had underestimated the bird's newfound speed. No time to avoid that! "Dazzling gleam!" she called out, her hand slashing through the air; one last ditch effort to divert the enough of the incoming attack to survive.

Olivia stopped trying to dodge, turning on the spot and firing her light attack just as the u-turn slammed into her. She skidded and tumbled in the sand, sending it flying into the air all over. Zack, meanwhile, was blasted back by the hasty counter-attack. He also landed in the sand, stumbling a bit but managing to get upright on his talons. Kimiko could see the strain of the evolution beginning to affect him. Olivia likewise forced herself to her feet, but she'd seen enough.

"Olivia, hold up," Kimiko called out as both pokemon eyed each other, preparing for more. She knew Olivia would want to keep going, despite the direct super-effective attack, but Kimiko was not keen on anyone wandering around the island with a fainted partner; and that included her opponent. She addressed Seb. "Looks like they're both getting tired. What say we call this one a draw?"

 

[Hanafuda]

Before Seb replied, he looked at Zack for a few moments. He remembered what Kimiko said about going alone. It was dangerous with a kidnapper on the loose, and if his strongest Pokémon wasn't in good shape to protect him and Jack... Yes, it was best to end it now. He looked back at Kimiko and nodded. "Yeah, wouldn't want anything severe happening." He sighed, trying to relax.

Zack stumbled onto one knee, tired after the battle. Now that he was letting the adrenaline die down, he looked at his changed body in awe. "Yeah... So cool... I earned my power... and fabulous feathers..." He let the breeze move his crest as he looked up. This was a victory to him, but he still accepted the draw.

Seb came closer to his Pidgeot, noticing that his Pokémon was now bigger than him. "Woah. Think I made the right call teaching you Fly." He passed a hand through Zack's chest, feeling the soft feathers as well as the robust pectorals. There was a small blush on his face as he felt the muscle. "U-Uh, congrats."

Jack witnessed everything that transpired. After the evolution, the Farfetch'd became relieved and proud of his friend's growth, both literal and figurative. There was still a long way for him before becoming a true hero, but he was glad that progress was made. Not to mention what was said about jealousy. Frankly, Jack was afraid that he would be overshadowed, but when Zack voiced his concerns for him, he became relieved. "Thanks for giving me a chance."

 

[Seren]

As soon as Seb agreed to end the battle, Kimiko rushed over to Olivia's side. For her part, Olivia didn't seem too badly damaged, but Kimiko didn't miss how her legs trembled with the strain of standing. "I hope you're satisfied," Kimiko chided, although her tone was playful. She had enjoyed the battle far more than she had expected before it began.

Olivia rested her chin in her trainers lap as she set about spraying the espeon's coat with super potions. That should take care of anything immediate, but she decided they'd better head to the infirmary, just to be safe. They'd lost one of the officers last night, after all. She wasn't about to be caught unprepared. She gave Olivia a quick rewarding scratch before standing up.

Before Seb replied, he looked at Zack for a few moments. He remembered what Kimiko said about going alone. It was dangerous with a kidnapper on the loose, and if his strongest Pokémon wasn't in good shape to protect him and Jack... Yes, it was best to end it now. He looked back at Kimiko and nodded. "Yeah, wouldn't want anything severe happening." He sighed, trying to relax.

Zack stumbled onto one knee, tired after the battle. Now that he was letting the adrenaline die down, he looked at his changed body in awe. "Yeah... So cool... I earned my power... and fabulous feathers..." He let the breeze move his crest as he looked up. This was a victory to him, but he still accepted the draw.

"Congrats," Kimiko said to Seb, nodding at Zack as she approached, then offering a quick handshake. "And thanks for the sparring match. He's grown really quickly. Now what do you say we go get them both check-ups? They'll need to be at peak condition when we finally confront our culprit."

As they left the beach, Kimiko's only real regret was that, yet again, she hadn't gotten to swim.

*******​

 

[MintyMimix]

Hazel hummed as she eyed Violet's anxious gaze as they headed towards the group meeting. Her trainer's eyes kept darting back and forth between the sky, what was in front of her, and Hazel herself as an uncharacteristic pensive frown etched into her features. Hazel looked back down at her phone and at the messages again. Was Violet still thinking about that "other self" of hers? She wrapped the digits of her claw around her fingers, hoping to reaffirm her, but Violet only responded with a sympathetic smile before looking wistful again.

Seeing this reaction, Hazel typed with her free claw. [Say, Violet — with Wallace and some of the others there, I'm sure they'll relay to us via text what's already happening. I'm thinking that we could try to get ahead of things and start looking for the other mythical Pokémon. The text Wallace sent talked about bonds having literal power in this world. Maybe that one mythical we read about — Meloetta — could help us learn a bit more about that?]

Wanting to seal the deal, she decided to throw something personal in. [And... it would be nice to learn more about dancing. As a Weavile, rather than in your body.] It was a bit underhanded to intentionally tug her heartstrings like that, but this was for Violet, too. Even if they didn't learn anything, Hazel hoped she could ask for a soothing song to put Violet at ease.

"I..." Violet bit the underside of her lip before exhaling, "...Alright, I understand. We can cover more ground this way and figure out a potentially large piece to this intricate puzzle." She tried to convince herself before mumbling to herself, "...I wonder if anyone else has that same idea... I have questions for Gen..."

Hazel frowned as her sensitive ears picked up on the muttering, but she said nothing. If that was what it took to convince Violet, so be it. The Weavle would drag her trainer out of her thoughts one way or another.

The two arrived at the beach as they felt the smooth, soft sand press underneath their feet. For the briefest of moments, everything about the situation had washed away as the serenity of the environment overtook them. However, like the sea breeze, that feeling blew by as the tides of reality came in. "So... what was your idea to attract the attention of this Meloetta, then?" Violet asked, placing her hand underneath her chin. She realized she should have asked that question earlier.

[Simple, with music! 🎶 😃] Hazel replied dutifully, before swiping up to her audio player. She scrolled through the playlist — flinging past the many, many rock songs Violet had asked her to download once her trainer had discovered the genre and became obsessed with it — before settling on a particularly relaxing, yet jubilant song. She hoped that the more positive, lyric-less music would appeal to the mythical, or at least any passing trainers that might have a better idea of what Meloetta would like.

 

[Sinderella]

[Simple, with music! 🎶 😃] Hazel replied dutifully, before swiping up to her audio player. She scrolled through the playlist — flinging past the many, many rock songs Violet had asked her to download once her trainer had discovered the genre and became obsessed with it — before settling on a particularly relaxing, yet jubilant song. She hoped that the more positive, lyric-less music would appeal to the mythical, or at least any passing trainers that might have a better idea of what Meloetta would like.

Odette was rushing back to the infirmary—though for what reason, she was currently unsure—when she heard the distant music. It sounded like it was coming from the beach. Exchanging confused looks with Enora and Odile, she decided to take a detour and figure out where it was coming from. As a musically inclined individual herself, she couldn’t help but find herself curious.

When she saw it was just the Weavile Hazel and her weird talking partner, she relaxed a little more. What were they doing on the beach playing music?

“Bonjour,” she called as she approached. “There doesn’t seem to be much of a party going on here, but I’ll bite. What the hell are you two up to?” she asked fondly.