Spiteful Murkrow
Busy Writing Stories I Want to Read
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Heya @Panoramic_Vacuum , coming back to round out this series as one of my major outstanding targets on my hitlist. Since hey, it’s cute, and might as well start my sendoff to Review Blitz with some wholesome palette cleansers.
Prompt #25
Sidney: “Why on earth did we volunteer for this instead of just making it Wallace’s problem again?” >_>;
Phoebe: “Because we’re Elite 4 members and I’m pretty sure responding to regional crises is part of our formal duties? Though I guess we should’ve brought umbrellas, huh?” >_>;
inb4 Absol vetoes their plan in about 5 seconds thanks to its disaster sense acting up.
Yeah, I kinda figured things were going that direction, since the description of the storm there seemed ultra-dodgy. So I wouldn’t be terribly gung-ho about trying to travel through it.
Well, this evacuation is totally going swimmingly. Potentially literally in a few moments given that these two are on the middle of a floating town.
You probably want to make it a bit more obvious that “catching up to the ship and sailing off” isn’t an option for whatever reason even though it left all of 30 seconds ago, since… yeah. One would think that it’s less dodgy option than trying to swim on Sharpedo-back through a stormy sea.
Phoebe: “Sidney, there’s a ship we were loading supplies on right at the edge of the harbor!” >_>;
Sidney: “Yeah, well excuse me if I wanted a quicker way to nope out!” >.<
Sidney: “I mean, we could give riding Sharpedo the good old-fashioned college try-”
Phoebe: “Something else, Sidney.” >_>;
Phoebe: “And we’re not trying to catch up with the ship we spent the last hour or so loading why-?”
Sidney: “Look, you’re the one who doesn’t want to swim on Sharpedo right now! Do you want to get thrown around willy-nilly by waves and fight to keep your lunch down for the next 8 hours? Because I sure don’t!” >.<
This… sounds like a really easy way to get clocked by flying debris on the way over, but better late than never to retreat there.
I always love these backstory glimpses into Steven and the E4, it really feels like it adds a lot to the characters since… there usually isn’t a whole lot given about E4 backstories in canon and the stuff you have brought up feels shockingly plausible for a bio.
Yeah, should’ve gone after the ship there, Sidney.
At first from the buildup and the way Pacifidlog is constructed I thought Sidney was going to get hit by a flying shingle there… but this feels like it’s just about as bad if not worse. ^^;
I’m not sure if it’d make more sense to better hint that Phoebe is with Sidney in paragraph #2 or keep it as is. Since on the one hand, Phoebe’s presence kinda comes from nowhere, but on the other hand, revealing that she’s with Sidney right away might undercut the element of suspense.
Sidney: “Okay, yeah. Going after the ship wouldn’t have been a good idea in retrospect considering how this happened on our way over.” >_>;
Phoebe: “Gee, whatever tipped you off there.” >_>;
Sure is different to see these two doing something other than banter and troll each other since that’s their most common mode of interaction in this series. But I guess when the chips are down, you tend to show how you really feel about someone else and… yeah, these two clearly care about each other on a platonic level.
Okay, maybe it’s more than just on a platonic level there. Somehow I didn’t pick up on that from earlier prompts, but it’s a cute pairing. ^^;
Prompt #26
Glacia: “... I really need to push Steven into converting us into a non-sequential challenger format like the Unova League. This is ridiculous.” >_>;
Snorunt: “*... Shut up, it’s not as if you’ve never slipped on ice before.*” >_>;
Sealeo: “*What was that about slipping on ice?*” :^)
Oh, it’s a E4 Pokémon-focused one-shot. It’s a nice breather since there aren’t that many of those in these series, and it’s nice to see the personalities beyond those faces a bit. ^^
One of these days, we need to see what Drake’s lizards do for their downtime. :V
Cue the next challenger coming in in about 5 seconds and them having super awkward “ahehe… hi there” faces.
Well, I suppose that that’s a happier ending than someone like that Dragon Master from last time popping in. Definitely a cute note to end on, and I honestly wasn’t expecting Glacia to show a soft side at the end there. … Even if I probably should’ve considering that one prompt with her getting the no good, very bad letter. o3o;;
Prompt #27
I’m at once surprised and not by Steven being into sudoku. Since while Steven always has given off an “outdoorsy” vibe as someone who likes his rocks, sudoku feels like it gels well with the sort of nerdery needed to want to be an amateur geologist in your free time.
Sidney: “... Is this another one of your rock collection things, Steven?”
Steven: “Obviously not since I’m sitting here with a paper and pencil...”
Guess that’d explain why Sidney’s not a Gym Leader, huh? :V
Steven: “... That’s defeating the point of the exercise, Sidney.” >_>;
Sidney: “The point is to fill it out, isn’t it? Metagross could do it in a cinch… assuming he can handle a pen.” :?
Sidney: “... Dunno if this is more or less weird than your rock thing, Steven.”
Steven: “Oi, I don’t get on your case about your hobbies.” >_>;
Sidney: “... Why do I feel as if I should be insulted right now?” >_>;
That doesn’t portend well for Steven’s puzzle there, since… yeah, you can’t erase stuff in pen ink.
Phoebe: “... People read sudoku? It’s literally numbers in boxes!”
Smart grandma, though.
Sure is a good thing you’re doing this in pen where you can’t take back mistakes for any reason at all, huh, Steven? :^)
Phoebe: “Steven’s just getting lost in some numbers right now.”
Drake: “In some what now?”
Yeeeah, I’m calling it now, Steven’s going to scotch his puzzle thanks to having to juggle brainpower between his puzzle and talking with the other E4s.
… So how much of a mess was Steven’s puzzle after all of that anyways? :V
I stand by my comment from an earlier review that this series always finds a way to surprise me, since I certainly wasn’t expecting sudoku to come up as a topic for a prompt. I think that the premises this time around were particularly varied, since you have one serious prompt, one Pokémon-centric prompt, and one that focuses on showing Steven and the gang in an unusual situation. It was a good spread that kept everything feeling really fresh and distinct from one another.
The only real major gripe that I had with these is that I felt that it probably could’ve been communicated better as to how and why the evacuation boat wasn’t an option in the “stuck in a storm” prompt. Like I figured it out eventually, but it felt like something that could’ve been apparent a lot earlier on with a bit more description of what was going on with the ship and the like.
But otherwise, good show. I had a lot of fun with this series over Review Blitz, and I’ll be looking forward to reading your other entries as they pop up here on TR. ^^
Prompt #25
Both Sidney and Absol wore the same scowl as the rain began to steadilyincreasepick up. If Phoebe wasn't equally as soaking wet and miserable, she might have giggled at the way they both sulked as they helped load the last of the supplies onto the waiting ship.
A nasty storm was en route to Pacifidlog Town, and the two Elites had volunteered to aid in the evacuation of the floating settlement. It would surely weather the storm, but its occupants would be without power and food until the storm passed, and some of the more elderly residents might not be hardy enough to wait for the post-storm relief.
Sidney: “Why on earth did we volunteer for this instead of just making it Wallace’s problem again?” >_>;
Phoebe: “Because we’re Elite 4 members and I’m pretty sure responding to regional crises is part of our formal duties? Though I guess we should’ve brought umbrellas, huh?” >_>;
The storm wasn't supposed to pass through for another 24 hours, yet the wind had already picked up something fierce. "That's the last of 'em!" called Sidney, an arm raised to shield against the driving rain.
"Great!" Phoebe called back giving the ship's captain a thumbs up to signal he could push back from the dock. "Now let's get out of here too."
inb4 Absol vetoes their plan in about 5 seconds thanks to its disaster sense acting up.
Dusclops had just released the last mooring of the ship when it froze in place, its red eye sliding over toward where Absol was standing, fur bristling with a low growl. Sidney already had noticed his partner's behavior and he cursed under his breath. Absol was sensing something, and it wasn't good. He turned to regard his fellow Elite with a nervous glance.
Yeah, I kinda figured things were going that direction, since the description of the storm there seemed ultra-dodgy. So I wouldn’t be terribly gung-ho about trying to travel through it.
"Fee..."
Just as her name left his lips, the sky was split with a brilliant bolt of lightning, surprising even the steadfast Dusclops. Somehow, the storm had intensified in only a matter of moments, hours ahead of the forecast.
Well, this evacuation is totally going swimmingly. Potentially literally in a few moments given that these two are on the middle of a floating town.
The floating walkways they both were standing on lurched as larger and larger waves began to roll through Pacifidlog. Phoebe strained to see her friend through the deteriorating conditions.
"Sid, we have to go now! The storm's too strong!"
She could see enough in the dusky light to make out him shaking his head.
"No good! Sharpedo can't carry us both in seas this rough. We'd never make it!"
You probably want to make it a bit more obvious that “catching up to the ship and sailing off” isn’t an option for whatever reason even though it left all of 30 seconds ago, since… yeah. One would think that it’s less dodgy option than trying to swim on Sharpedo-back through a stormy sea.
Phoebe: “Sidney, there’s a ship we were loading supplies on right at the edge of the harbor!” >_>;
Sidney: “Yeah, well excuse me if I wanted a quicker way to nope out!” >.<
For the first time in a long time, the icy grip of fear found its way through Phoebe's veins. "Then what do we do?" Her question just made it out before another flash of lightning and a crash of thunder cut her off.
Sidney: “I mean, we could give riding Sharpedo the good old-fashioned college try-”
Phoebe: “Something else, Sidney.” >_>;
Discomfort all but forgotten, Sidney regarded Absol's stern expression for a moment before nodding. "We have to get to the sturdiest building in town and ride it out!"
Phoebe: “And we’re not trying to catch up with the ship we spent the last hour or so loading why-?”
Sidney: “Look, you’re the one who doesn’t want to swim on Sharpedo right now! Do you want to get thrown around willy-nilly by waves and fight to keep your lunch down for the next 8 hours? Because I sure don’t!” >.<
By now Phoebe had picked her way across the unsteady planks and reached Sidney's side. She might have been worried if it wasn't for the determined set of his jaw. If Sidney was convinced of the plan, then so was she.
"Okay."
"There," he pointed through the sheets of rain, "The PokeCenter is close enough to the center of the town that it should be protected from the worst of it."
This… sounds like a really easy way to get clocked by flying debris on the way over, but better late than never to retreat there.
Phoebe nodded as she swallowed the unease in her throat. Living on Mt. Pyre, she'd never had to deal with the ocean's rage from up close. If the seas around her home were ever this angry, she'd retreat to higher ground with her grandma and grandpa. In Pacifidlog, there was no such luxury.
I always love these backstory glimpses into Steven and the E4, it really feels like it adds a lot to the characters since… there usually isn’t a whole lot given about E4 backstories in canon and the stuff you have brought up feels shockingly plausible for a bio.
Absol had already begun to bound toward the Pokemon Center, eager to get to sturdier ground, and Dusclops clomped after him.
"C'mon," said Sidney, and without thinking he reached back to grab Phoebe's hand to guide her along the floating walkways.
Phoebe was glad the wind was howling, so Sidney couldn't hear the small squeak she let out when his hand found her own. Quickly, the two trainers made their way through the growing storm. It wasn't much further to the PokeCenter...
Suddenly, Absol's ears shot upright, and he wheeled around in alarm to find his trainer's wide-eyed stare.
Yeah, should’ve gone after the ship there, Sidney.
"Oh crap -"
Sidney barely had time to brace himself before the wave swept over the walkway he'd been standing on. The wood lurched beneath his feet, bucking him backward from the force, and Sidney definitely cursed as the cold, grey water reached up to greet him. A sharp tug on his arm jolted him from his single minded panic. Phoebe.
At first from the buildup and the way Pacifidlog is constructed I thought Sidney was going to get hit by a flying shingle there… but this feels like it’s just about as bad if not worse. ^^;
Dusclops was already on the move as his trainer was bowled over and into the churning sea. Its red eye was frantically searching the murky water for any sign of where she'd been tossed, but it came up empty. With a harried glance at Absol, Dusclops whispered a low question. But Absol's gaze on the waves didn't falter, and Dusclops had no choice but to wait.
Sidney's head broke the surface with a loud gasp, followed by a hand wielding a pokeball. Teeth grit in effort, he released Sharpedo and reached for its fin with the same arm. Absol's claws dug into the logs of the PokeCenter's platform, hackles raised until it caught sight of a splash of pink against Sidney's chest.
Arm wrapped protectively around Phoebe's thin frame, Sidney struggled to keep his head above the waves as Sharpedo hauled the two of them to the platform's edge. He told himself he'd never let go, no matter what.
I’m not sure if it’d make more sense to better hint that Phoebe is with Sidney in paragraph #2 or keep it as is. Since on the one hand, Phoebe’s presence kinda comes from nowhere, but on the other hand, revealing that she’s with Sidney right away might undercut the element of suspense.
Finally within arm's reach, Sidney called out, but Dusclops was already reaching down to pluck Phoebe out of the water. Shivering, she clung to her pokemon and watched helplessly as Sidney tried to reach for the platform himself, but was dunked under again by another wave. Sharpedo dipped beneath the surface and bobbed up beneath his trainer, getting him within reach of the platform once again. With one final push he dragged himself out of the water and lay panting for a moment on the deck. Blinking saltwater from his eyes, he was met with a soggy hug from Absol.
Sidney: “Okay, yeah. Going after the ship wouldn’t have been a good idea in retrospect considering how this happened on our way over.” >_>;
Phoebe: “Gee, whatever tipped you off there.” >_>;
"Heh, I could use a little more notice next time," he managed to chuckle, and Absol only headbutted him harder. His hand flopped over on the soaking wood to recall Sharpedo from the angry sea. He lay there for a moment longer, before propping himself up on one elbow just in time to see Phoebe staring at him, unblinking.
"Sidney..." She'd wiggled her way out of her pokemon's grasp, although it didn't stop Dusclops from hovering protectively behind her. "You..."
But Sidney was quickly on his feet and swiftly wrapped his arms around her to ward off the bone chilling cold. "It's what anyone would have done."
Sure is different to see these two doing something other than banter and troll each other since that’s their most common mode of interaction in this series. But I guess when the chips are down, you tend to show how you really feel about someone else and… yeah, these two clearly care about each other on a platonic level.
Phoebe let him guide her inside the Pokemon Center and out of the rain, their pokemon following behind.
It wasn't until the doors slid shut behind them, reducing the storm's blustering to background noise, that she finally pushed back against his chest to look him in the face once more.
"You're not just anyone." She couldn't bring herself to finish the thought, conjured up by the panicked flash of their own mortality. “To me.”
Sidney stared hard at her before pulling her into a tight hug, dipping his head so his chin rested against her shoulder. His voice was tight, probably for the same reason she couldn't choke out her own words. "Neither are you."
Okay, maybe it’s more than just on a platonic level there. Somehow I didn’t pick up on that from earlier prompts, but it’s a cute pairing. ^^;
Prompt #26
Glacia sighed as the notification flashed in her chamber. Sidney was victorious yet again. And yet again, another challenger fell short of giving her a decent battle that wasn't one against one of her colleagues.
Glacia: “... I really need to push Steven into converting us into a non-sequential challenger format like the Unova League. This is ridiculous.” >_>;
She eyed her pokemon with a wistful glance before rising and sidling out of the room. Perhaps some fresh air would keep her from going stir crazy.
As the door clicked shut behind her, Glalie exhaled a frozen breath of disappointment as it floated around, leaving a small, frosted trail in its wake. Snorunt trailed in its wake, but not without slipping and sliding around on the frozen pathway. Finally losing its balance, Snorunt chattered in half-annoyance, half-amusement as it spun around on its backside before slowing to a stop at Sealeo's feet. The walrus pokemon looked down at its giggling visitor and its whiskers twitched in interest.
Snorunt: “*... Shut up, it’s not as if you’ve never slipped on ice before.*” >_>;
A loud bark of excitement cut through the chamber as Glacia's second Sealeo fired its icy wind on top of Glalie's ice path, reinforcing the structure before it dove head first, sliding past with surprising speed.
Sealeo: “*What was that about slipping on ice?*” :^)
Snorunt chattered again and hopped back to its feet before launching itself behind Sealeo, snickering the whole way.
Glalie turned at the sound of the commotion, and it cried out as both Sealeo and Snorunt flew towards it, and all three pokemon landed in a giggling, dismayed heap.
Oh, it’s a E4 Pokémon-focused one-shot. It’s a nice breather since there aren’t that many of those in these series, and it’s nice to see the personalities beyond those faces a bit. ^^
One of these days, we need to see what Drake’s lizards do for their downtime. :V
Abomasnow looked up from where it sat and shook its furry head. If it joined in, one of its friends might end up as a pancake if it landed on top of them. But, it regarded the icy pathway with interest, perhaps it could participate in another way. Signaling to Vanilluxe and Walrein, Abomasnow stepped forward and began to concentrate its powers on the trail.
In the end, all of Glacia's pokemon got in on the construction action, and by the time they stepped back to admire their handiwork, the icy slide wound all around the chamber in a snaking, slippery path, complete with a loop-de-loop in the middle. Snorunt clapped its hands in glee and took off for the starting line with Sealeo hot on its heels. Abomasnow simply watched, hands on its hips.
Cue the next challenger coming in in about 5 seconds and them having super awkward “ahehe… hi there” faces.
The smaller pokemon slipped and spun all around the room, screeching and squealing with delight. It wasn't until Beartic tried to join in that the track finally gave way and shattered under its weight. With a dismayed rub of its head, Beartic immediately apologized and recruited Vanilluxe to help it repair the track.
Just as the track was back in working order, the door to the chamber creaked open, and every pokemon froze, afraid that perhaps their afternoon entertainment might have crossed the line. But Snorunt wasn't able to contain its momentum and Glacia soon found her arms full of a happy, squirming ice-type, and she couldn't help but smile herself.
"Have room for one more?"
Well, I suppose that that’s a happier ending than someone like that Dragon Master from last time popping in. Definitely a cute note to end on, and I honestly wasn’t expecting Glacia to show a soft side at the end there. … Even if I probably should’ve considering that one prompt with her getting the no good, very bad letter. o3o;;
Prompt #27
Steven leaned back in his chair and tapped his lip with his pen. Brow scrunched in concentration, he hardly noticed when a curious face peered over his shoulder.
"Whatcha thinkin' 'bout, Boss?"
"Sudoku," mumbled Steven, not tearing his eyes from the booklet in his hand.
"Su what now?" Sidney blinked as he looked at the jumbled mess of numbers on the page.
I’m at once surprised and not by Steven being into sudoku. Since while Steven always has given off an “outdoorsy” vibe as someone who likes his rocks, sudoku feels like it gels well with the sort of nerdery needed to want to be an amateur geologist in your free time.
Sidney: “... Is this another one of your rock collection things, Steven?”
Steven: “Obviously not since I’m sitting here with a paper and pencil...”
"Sudoku," Steven repeated, still not aware of Sidney's vacant look. "It's a number puzzle."
"Heh, numbers and puzzles," laughed Sidney as he straightened up, "Never been my strong suit. So good luck with that."
Guess that’d explain why Sidney’s not a Gym Leader, huh? :V
"Mmm," Steven mumbled again, now rolling the pen between his fingers.
Sidney paused as he opened the refrigerator door, "Y'know you could just ask Metagross to solve it for you if you're stuck. I bet it's great with numbers."
Steven: “... That’s defeating the point of the exercise, Sidney.” >_>;
Sidney: “The point is to fill it out, isn’t it? Metagross could do it in a cinch… assuming he can handle a pen.” :?
Finally breaking his gaze from the page, Steven rolled his head to the side to regard Sidney's bright idea. "That'd be cheating. Besides, I do these for the challenge, not just so I can get them all done as fast as possible."
Sidney: “... Dunno if this is more or less weird than your rock thing, Steven.”
Steven: “Oi, I don’t get on your case about your hobbies.” >_>;
But Sidney just shrugged as he closed the door, snack in hand. "Like I said, not my cup of tea."
"What's this about tea?" Glacia asked as she stepped into the lounge.
"It's not about tea, it's about..." Sidney pulled a face, "Soduku?"
Glacia narrowed her gaze, "You mean Sudoku? I never took you for one who liked number puzzles..."
"He's not," grumbled Steven, back at his staring match with the paper.
Sidney: “... Why do I feel as if I should be insulted right now?” >_>;
"Ah, I thought as much," she said, gliding over to the table and taking a seat across from the Champion. "You know, I'm impressed you're completing it in pen. I usually have too many solutions in my head to trust the first one I write down."
That doesn’t portend well for Steven’s puzzle there, since… yeah, you can’t erase stuff in pen ink.
Steven's eyes flicked up above the top of his booklet only briefly before going back to scanning the puzzle before him. "Mmm."
Glacia studied him for a moment longer before rising, "Now that I think about it, I could go for some tea."
"Put on enough for a second cup too, Glacia!" Phoebe's voice preceded her arrival to the lounge. "Oh hey, Steven, what're you reading?"
"Sudoku," said Glacia, putting the full kettle on the stove.
Phoebe: “... People read sudoku? It’s literally numbers in boxes!”
"Oh, my grandma does those all the time. Only the easy ones though. She said if she wants that much frustration she'd just talk to my grandpa."
Smart grandma, though.
Glacia chuckled, but Phoebe already turned her attention back to Steven, "Ohh, that one looks harder than the ones Grandma does!"
Removing the end of the pen from between his teeth, Steven looked up at Phoebe's surprised expression, "I finished the easier puzzles already. Only the hard ones are left."
Sure is a good thing you’re doing this in pen where you can’t take back mistakes for any reason at all, huh, Steven? :^)
The hissing of the kettle punctuated Steven's comment, and Phoebe quickly skipped over to the cabinet to retrieve two mugs for the tea. "Well, good luck then!"
"Mmm." Steven's pen ticked a steady rhythm against the tabletop.
"Why're we wishing people luck now? You going somewhere, lad?" Drake asked as he shuffled into the room, puffing away on his pipe.
Phoebe: “Steven’s just getting lost in some numbers right now.”
Drake: “In some what now?”
"Nobody's going anywhere," sighed Glacia, retrieving the kettle from the stove.
"Steven's working on a tough Sudoku!" chimed Phoebe, readying the mugs for their tea.
"Ah." The Dragon Master's pipe puffed thoughtfully. "I'm surprised you'd pick such a noisy place to concentrate. I tend to prefer a bit less noise if there's deep thinkin' involved."
"It used to be quiet in here..." Steven mumbled, bringing the pen back to his lips.
Yeeeah, I’m calling it now, Steven’s going to scotch his puzzle thanks to having to juggle brainpower between his puzzle and talking with the other E4s.
"You're gonna have to speak up, the kettle's whistling up a storm," said Drake, a hand to his ear.
"Nothing," called Steven, loud enough to be heard.
Drake harrumphed as the kettle was emptied into two steaming mugs.
"Well, we'll leave you to it," Glacia said, mug cradled in her hands.
"Yeah, you got this!" called Phoebe as she brushed out of the room.
A solemn nod from Drake meant the last of the visitors were taking their leave, and Steven sighed. Finally some peace and...
"Hey, did someone make me a cup too?"
Steven had to use every ounce of willpower not to throw his pen at Sidney's head.
… So how much of a mess was Steven’s puzzle after all of that anyways? :V
I stand by my comment from an earlier review that this series always finds a way to surprise me, since I certainly wasn’t expecting sudoku to come up as a topic for a prompt. I think that the premises this time around were particularly varied, since you have one serious prompt, one Pokémon-centric prompt, and one that focuses on showing Steven and the gang in an unusual situation. It was a good spread that kept everything feeling really fresh and distinct from one another.
The only real major gripe that I had with these is that I felt that it probably could’ve been communicated better as to how and why the evacuation boat wasn’t an option in the “stuck in a storm” prompt. Like I figured it out eventually, but it felt like something that could’ve been apparent a lot earlier on with a bit more description of what was going on with the ship and the like.
But otherwise, good show. I had a lot of fun with this series over Review Blitz, and I’ll be looking forward to reading your other entries as they pop up here on TR. ^^