#anyway i think a lot of the confusion with blaze is fixed by ignoring release order and placing sonic 06 before sonic rush

[sonknuxadow]

im a sonic 06 defender but one of the things about that game that i absolutely cannot defend is its handling of blaze . literally one of the coolest sonic characters ever yet they had her do almost nothing of importance other than die at the end to make silver sad . she interacts with nobody other than silver and on the rare occasion she appears in a scene with someone else she just stands there and says nothing while the other character doesnt acknowledge her existence at all . the only thing she really adds other than dying is making everything way more confusing than it needs to be because her being from the future and seemingly not knowing sonic contradicts what we already knew about her. overall it just doesnt seem like they put much thought into her inclusion and i wouldnt be surprised to find out she was a last minute addition. blaze youdidnt deserve this bestie

[b0ne-marrow]

Valorverse - Reconciliation

Previous: https://www.deviantart.com/musical-medic/art/Valorverse-Broken-Ties-800780839 Pippin was gleefully trotting to his foodstand at the farmer's market, a skip in his step, carrying a bucket of fresh apples on each of his sides. He was selling this year's plentiful harvest in the form of Cider, tarts, fritters, and other lovely apple treats he had spent baking with some of his family. At the stand was Applejack, his dear mother, pulling the various confectionaries they had out of a cart and placing them on the stand. Pippin sat one of the buckets of apples on the edge of the table and the other next to the cart. He smiled at Applejack as he flipped the small sign on the stand to display that they were open. Almost as if they were waiting on them, Rainbow dash walks towards the stand in tow with her son, Breakneck right afterwards. She immediately goes to the cider as Breakneck walks up to Applejack and Pippin, his face glum and somber. He doesn't make eye contact with either of them. Rainbow walks up soon after with bits to pay for her cider. "... Pippin." Breakneck spoke up. "Oh! uh, hiya, BK!" The stallion let out an awkward and forced laugh, clearly uncomfortable with the pegasus' presence. Both Rainbow and Applejack watched with concern. "How are you doin' today?" Breakneck hung his head low, looking almost defeated in a way. "I... _{I'mSorryIBrokeYourWindow."} "..." Both Pippin and Applejack stared blankly at him for a moment. "Mama said I should apologize, even though I didn't meanit." A ping of pain shot through Pippin's chest, thinking that Rainbow more than likely knows of their "relationship" now with how close she and her son are, but he ignored it and gave Pippin a bright smile. Applejack also gave Breakneck a smile herself, hers more genuine. "Breakneck, honey, don'tcha wo-" "Why, Breakneck Blitz, we know you wouldn'ta done it on purpose! No worries. Momma and I fixed it right up!" Pippin tried to release the tension in his face and chest as he continued his put-on smile. Applejack gave him a confused but curious look, cocking an eyebrow up. "Riiight... We... sure did. Don't worry about it, Sugar. Just be more careful next time, and let us know so we don't think someone was tryin' to break in or somethin' like that." Breakneck nods his head. Rainbow looked between BK and Pippinnervously, then looked at Applejack, giving her a reassuring smile. "Soooo, uh, Applejack..., I need to tell you about somethin' Awesome! You won't BELIEVE this! Tank. had. BABIES." "Wait, I thought Tank was a bo-" Before she could react, Applejack was being pulled off by Rainbow out of the area. BK's head never rose, he avoiding eye contact with Pippin. His voice was low and grumbly, trotting behind the apple stand and stood right next to the bulky stallion. "You know what I'm really sorry about." "Don't you worry bout a thing, Breakneck!" He gave him a smile. "Oh, quit your shit, Pippin. I'm not in tha mood." Pippin's stature deflated, his fake smile turning into a frown. His ears flopped over as he looked surprised. "Look. I know we were just "experimenting" but I... I just wanted more than that. I caught feelings for you. I thought that maybe things could develop between us. I didn't mean to try and force us into something, and I should've been more.... "Sensitive" about the situation you were in with your family. Breakneck glanced over at Rainbow and Applejack, who were clearly hiding behind some bushes. Pippin sat for a moment, thinking over what he said. "Momma told me to tell you that last part, b-but I meant the rest." "...BK, I can't believe you're actually apologizin' to me." "What'sthatsupposed to mean?" He growled. "You told me yourself you don't like to and never want to." "..." "I really am sorry, Pippin." "Shit. I know you are. I'm sorry too." Pippin rests his hoof against Breakneck's shoulder. "I can't tell you how much I appreciate you tellin me your sorry and talkin about your emotions." Pippin's words took Breakneck by surprise. His cheeks went bright red. "Thanks, I guess." They sat there for a moment, listening to the crowd of ponies buying various food items. Pippin noticed a pile of bits by his register and a a few "missing" apple tarts. "I... lost my temper that night." "...As you have a tendency to do." Pippin snapped his mouth shut as BK gave him a glare. "...and I messed up pretty bad. Even I could see that." He chuckled awkwardly as he finally looked at Pippin. Pippin wrapped his arm around him and pulled him into an embrace. Breakneck's wings shot straight up, he returning the gesture and hugging him back. "I forgive you, BK. Just... work on talking about your feelings more and the anger issues, okay?" Breakneck had a brief moment of frustration before sighing. "You're right. okay, I will. I'm trying." Pippin pulls him into another hug. "Its okay. I know you're trying. Change ain't gonna happen in one day." The two hug each other for what feels like an hour, they simply enjoying being in each other's presence. "...I miss talkin' with ya, BK." Breakneck didn't respond, but felt his cheeks go flush. Holy Resourse using Batman I used a lot of things here: Background:https://www.deviantart.com/vector-brony/art/Ponyville-Market-723903997 Cider: https://www.deviantart.com/vectorshy/art/Mug-of-Cider-306718588 Apple Brown Betties (cupcakle like thing right beside the cider: https://www.deviantart.com/chainchomp2/art/Apple-Brown-Betty-451168161 Apple Fritter and Apple Cake:https://www.deviantart.com/korikian/art/365-Day-201-Drinks-and-Pies-243830006 (I also borrowed the plates from this one too) Zap Apple Cupcakes: https://www.deviantart.com/atnezau/art/Zapapple-Cupcake-278660553 Zap Apple Tart:https://www.deviantart.com/atnezau/art/Zappaple-Tart-278793044 Apple Friiter cake things:https://www.deviantart.com/90sigma/art/Applejack-s-Royal-Wedding-Bitesize-Apple- Fritters-299777985 I threw in the part about Tank having babies as a joke about how bad Rainbow is at lying, but I'm also 100 percent down for Tank to be a TRANS ICON and I'm debating on actually for the valorverse LMFAO (I.e flutters thought he was a guy at first but realized she sexed him wrong, but Tank doesn't respond to she/her pronouns anyway) WELP I decided since I"m a little bitch and hate negative things that Pippin and Breakneck do eventually reconcile and buddy back up. They still don't end up together but that's okay with them. (at least that's how it is right now my polyshipping ass just might make it an Ot3 cuz I think they're cute together ajklds;ajf;kslajf;as) ITs so weird though BK's like a huge Tsundere and if I actually wrote about him more often he wouldn't come off that way lol and I can see BK and Pippin probably unironically calling each other "Bro" but there's also sexual and romantic tension between them and ajfekla;jfk Characters involved: https://www.deviantart.com/musical-medic/art/Valorverse-Pippin-Lil-Mac-787115604 https://www.deviantart.com/musical-medic/art/Valorverse-Breakneck-Blaze-Reupload-804551186 I hope you enjoy! (I've been in the process of Updating my plug at the end of my posts, it's really REALLY long and I'm gonna shorten it up a bit. So that's why they haven't been in lately)

Posted using PostyBirb

[themurphyzone]

Absolutely Disastrous Ch 16

Ch 16: Rematch on the Beach! Kirlia Makes His Decision! 

“Daylight! I missed you so much! And you too, beach! And I missed you, promotional poster of Stumbleberry Swoobat!” Zack hollered the moment he was free of the oppressive darkness that permeated Granite Cave. 

Orton had declined their offer to use Aron’s tunnel to escape Granite Cave. He wanted to study the painting further, and he had to rely on hand-written notes because flash photography would’ve ruined the quality. 

Aron and Kirlia had taken to ignoring each other. Kirlia still wasn’t happy about being captured, but Aron had taken to Melissa like a Magikarp to water. 

Diogee did his best to prove that Milo was trustworthy, mostly by acting cute enough to get a snack, but Kirlia wasn’t having any of it. 

“Kirlia, would it be alright if I used you in a practice match against Zack?” Milo asked. ��He needs to train his Pokémon for his next Contest.”

Kirlia glanced over to Zack, who was now instructing Whismur to create several orange rings of increasing size with Echoed Voice. Since the move increased in power with repeated use, Zack was hoping to use that to his advantage in an appeal. 

“To be honest, I’d like to use you in my gym battle,” Milo admitted. “If that’s alright with you. I think it’s really sweet that you want to make sure Aron’s fine, even if you don’t like being captured yourself.” 

Kirlia kicked the sand, his legs trembling rapidly until he used Confusion to force them to go still. 

Aron glanced at Kirlia in worry before remembering that she was supposed to be ignoring him, returning to her half-eaten Chesto Berry. 

“Hey, Milo! You ready?” Zack called. Whismur’s ears flapped in excitement. 

Kirlia folded his arms and gracefully hopped in front of Milo, coolly observing Zack and Whismur. 

“You don’t have to battle. I can use someone else,” Milo said. Kirlia folded his arms and stubbornly fixed Milo with a stern glare. Milo held up his hands placatingly.  “Alright then. Let’s get started, Zack!”

“I’m gonna be over here,” Melissa said, heading over to a secluded spot by Granite Cave. “Worldbuilding with ancient legends is definitely a surefire hook for readers.” 

She opened a notebook and started writing. 

Milo and Zack gave her enough space to focus on her own activities but still allow her to watch their practice match. 

“Let’s start with Astonish!” Zack exclaimed. 

“Counter with Magical Leaf!” Milo yelled. 

Whismur’s ears waggled cutely as he charged at Kirlia, not even remotely threatening. Kirlia raised his arm and stopped Whismur in his tracks with Confusion, encasing the Whisper Pokémon in blue light before tossing him aside with a disinterested flick. 

“Er, looks like we both have things to work on,” Zack admitted. “You alright, Whismur?” 

Whismur’s mouth quivered, but he unleashed an Echoed Voice anyway. Kirlia teleported away from the attack, reappearing behind Whismur and striking him with Magical Leaf.

Milo quickly found that Kirlia didn’t follow instructions. If he called for Magical Leaf, Kirlia would use Confusion. If he asked Kirlia to dodge with Teleport, Kirlia would stand his ground instead. 

“Shock Wave!” Milo called, realizing Kirlia hadn’t used this move yet. Kirlia had no issue hurling Magical Leaf or Confusion, nor evading with Teleport. It seemed odd that Kirlia held back on using the last move in his arsenal. 

Instead of attacking with Shock Wave, Kirlia paused to glare at Milo, his red eyes blazing furiously. While his guard was down, Whismur managed to land a Stomp and Astonish combo. 

“Sorry, Kirlia,” Milo said. “You don’t have to do Shock Wave if you don’t want to.”

Kirlia stared down at the sand, then released a weak jolt of electricity that fizzled out ten feet away. 

Shock Wave was a mid-level Electric attack, stronger than Thundershock but not nearly as powerful as Wild Charge. Heck, some people would barely consider that weak jolt a Thundershock. 

“Don’t worry, we’ll work on it some other time,” Milo said. 

Kirlia huffed as if he didn’t believe there would be ‘some other time.’ But the tension visibly melted out of his shoulders. 

Aron called out to Kirlia from the sideline but hastily looked away when Kirlia glanced at her. 

“Echoed Stomp!” Zack shouted. 

“That’s not a real-” Milo started to say, but his mouth dropped open in surprise when Whismur skillfully stomped on Kirlia’s head while wailing loudly enough to create several orange sound waves of increasing size. 

“Use Confusion and stop those sound waves!” Milo yelled hastily. 

To his amazement, Kirlia recovered quickly and thrust his arm out just as the sound waves were about to pummel him, freezing the orange rings in place. 

“Alright, we found our mojo!” Milo cheered. “Now throw them back!” 

Whismur weaved to the side to avoid the oncoming Echoed Voice, but Kirlia trapped him between two of the rings and flicked the smallest one into his body, which dissipated with a loud shriek. 

Unfortunately, Zack was caught in the blast zone. 

“ARE YOU ALRIGHT?” Zack shouted to Whismur, who just looked confused.

“Soundproof ability!” Melissa yelled. “The Whismur family is immune to all sound-based attacks!” 

“WHAT?” Zack shouted back, his volume control sorely lacking. 

“Okay, I think we’re good,” Milo said. “I’m calling it off until Zack gets his hearing back. Again.” 

Kirlia released another weak Shock Wave, sighing when the ocean barely conducted it. 

“You’re really strong, Kirlia,” Milo said. “I’m sure you’ll get Shock Wave with enough practice.” 

Kirlia turned away. 

“Hey, Diogee’s still banned from battling for another nineteen hours-oh, don’t give me the Lillipup eyes, Diogee, you know it’s true-but anyway, I think you’d be great to have on my side when I rematch Veronica. Again, I’m not gonna force you to battle if you don’t want to. And I promise I’ll release you if you prefer living in Granite Cave. Melissa won’t hang onto Aron either, I trust her. Just think about it, okay?”

Kirlia teleported onto a flat rock and stared off into the horizon. Assuming Kirlia just wanted to think for a little while, Milo left him alone for now.

“Sir, we’ve delivered the letter,” Melissa reported, putting her PokéNav on speakerphone so Milo and Zack could listen in too. “Though I do have some concerns about you apparently believing we’re a free delivery service. And some warning about the visibility in Granite Cave would have been nice to know.” 

Orville chuckled. “Of course. I apologize for that. I haven’t received word from Amanda and Lydia yet, but I assume that’s because Slateport has plenty of tourist attractions and has probably distracted them with other pursuits.” 

“Your son is even cooler in person!” Milo exclaimed. “He sure knows a lot about ancient legends!” 

“Speaking as a father, you don’t know how much it prides me to hear that, Milo,” Orville replied. Someone else spoke in the background. “Yes, of course, Clara. I’ll be right down. Ah, if you’ll excuse me, I have another matter to attend to. There was another incident with the MULCHGT machine, and I have no choice but to fire the scientist responsible. Plus we may need to bring in some Pokémon to trim Dylan’s new Tangrowth vines to a manageable length. And by manageable length, I mean make some other parts of his body visible besides his eyes.” 

The PokéNav clicked, signaling the end of the call. 

“We should really get Bradley’s phone number,” Zack said. “He’ll be happy to hear that, I think. Or Bradley happy, which is probably just a notch higher than grumpy.” 

“Next time we get used as a delivery service, I’m charging for labor costs,” Melissa muttered. 

“I can’t wait to see how Orton’s gonna use that painting in Dr. Magnezone,” Milo said. 

“Hey, Zack. Something I’ve been meaning to ask you,” Melissa said as she flicked through her phone. “Orton mentioned a legend from Ilex Forest. Since you’re from Johto, I was just wondering if you’d heard anything like that.” 

Zack shook his head. “Must be a local legend. Johto has tons of folktales that are specific to the area. I’m from Olivine City, on the opposite side of the region from Ilex Forest. I grew up with tales of the Beast of the Sea, not the Voice of the Forest. First time I’ve heard that one, actually.” 

“Spill, I wanna hear all about this Beast of the Sea,” Melissa said. 

“Well, there’s an archipelago called the Whirl Islands just outside Olivine,” Zack said. “It’s really dangerous for ships because of the constant whirlpools that surround the caves there. Sailors say the whirlpools were created from the Beast of the Sea’s power to protect itself from humans. Supposedly it sleeps in the deepest ocean trench.” 

“So did your Beast of the Sea create Johto’s oceans?” Milo asked. 

“No, it just guards them. Ocean creation seems to be a Hoenn specialty,” Zack replied. 

“I don’t want to be reminded of Team Aqua right now,” Melissa sighed. “Two encounters with that John guy is enough.” 

Melissa was spared the pain of reflecting on their chance meetings with Team Aqua due to a sandy cloud billowing in their direction. Milo tossed Melissa and Zack goggles and an oxygen mask just in case, but the sandy cloud subsided to reveal Veronica in her pizza delivery outfit, which heavily resembled medieval armor. Her Dodrio’s three heads pecked at a pouch on her hip, but Veronica simply moved the flap out of their way and let them eat. 

Her steel gauntlet blocked the heads from accidentally pecking her arm as they squabbled among themselves for food. 

“Yo! I’m all done with my shift!” Veronica exclaimed. “Ready for the rematch?” 

Somehow Milo had lost track of time. The sunset bathed the ocean in a brilliant shade of orange, the low tide pulling water further away from the beach. 

“Maybe tomorrow?” Milo asked. “My Pokémon aren’t ready tonight.” 

Veronica nodded. “Sure, no prob! Meditite likes to spend evenings training alone anyway. See ya tomorrow!”

She hopped on Dodrio and sped back to town. 

“We should get back to the Pokémon Center and rest up,” Melissa yawned. 

While Zack helped Melissa pick up her things, Milo checked up on Kirlia. The Emotion Pokémon stood up, brushing sand off his skirt-like ruffles. Then he nodded to Milo. 

“So you want to battle tomorrow then?” Milo asked. 

Kirlia crossed his arms. 

“Just making sure,” Milo said. “Let’s do our best, okay?” 

The corner of Kirlia’s mouth quirked, though it disappeared faster than Milo could blink. 

They met Veronica on the beach after breakfast. The Pokémon Center had great beds, and Milo was well-rested for his rematch. 

Diogee still had a few hours left before his battling ban was lifted, so he had to stay sidelined. He wasn’t happy, but Milo promised to use him in his next gym battle. 

Only the first bed had collapsed while he was on it, so he considered it a good night. 

“This is a rematch between the Dewford Gym Leader Veronica and the challenger Milo Murphy!” Melissa declared. “Single battle rules, two Pokémon allowed per side! When you’re ready, release your Pokémon!” 

“Sorry, Milo! Still don’t plan on losing! Fighting spirit, Riolu!” Veronica yelled, tossing her Poké Ball high into the air. 

Riolu adopted a battle pose that might’ve been intimidating if he was larger, but came off as rather adorable instead. 

“Let’s go, Marshtomp!” Milo shouted. 

Marshtomp’s Poké Ball hit a beach umbrella, snapping it shut just as Marshtomp popped out. Only his legs and tail were visible, and the battle was put on hold so Milo could extract Marshtomp. 

Milo used a pair of scissors to cut through the giant Psyducky Momo emblazoned across the umbrella. Thankfully, Marshtomp forgave him once he was freed and they turned back to Veronica and Riolu. 

“Quick Attack!” Veronica shouted. 

“Block with Mud Bomb!” 

Marshtomp created a giant ball of mud and held it above his head, eyes scanning the beach wildly for Riolu. But the Fighting-type didn’t stay still, disappearing just as Marshtomp seemed to figure out where to aim.

Just as Marshtomp closed his eyes and cried out in frustration, Riolu kicked him in the chest, jumping away when Marshtomp lost his grip on the Mud Bomb and splattered himself. 

The damage was minimal, and mud didn’t bother Marshtomp. Though the grains of sand clinging to his body probably chafed. 

“Force Palm!” 

“Use Dig to avoid it!” 

Marshtomp burrowed under the sand, barely evading Force Palm. The sand shifted around Riolu’s feet, knocking him off-balance. Marshtomp’s hand shot out from the sand, clamping down on Riolu’s tail and holding him in place as he was doused with a point-blank Water Pulse. 

Coughing, Riolu pulled away and jumped back several feet to recover. 

“Mud Bomb again!” Milo shouted. 

As another ball of mud formed in Marshtomp’s arms, Veronica thrust out her hand. “Use Copycat and keep throwing!” 

Riolu dodged Mud Bomb, brown waves of light rippling off his body. Then the light solidified into a muddy ball, and Riolu threw it at Marshtomp, then prepared to hurl a second one. 

Marshtomp evaded the first Mud Bomb, which sailed over his head and hit a sand dune. Riolu’s Mud Bombs weren’t as large as Marshtomp’s, but Riolu flung them so frequently that the globs blocked any of Marshtomp’s Water Pulses and Mud Bombs. 

Using a close-range attack was impossible. Riolu was much faster than Marshtomp and would see him coming from a mile away. 

“Use Water Pulse and make it extra-large this time!” Milo shouted. 

“Deflect it with Force Palm!” Veronica yelled. 

Marshtomp hurled an enormous ball of water at Riolu, who thrust out his arm in one quick jab before the Water Pulse hit him. The shock wave repelled the Water Pulse and sent it flying back at Marshtomp, though it only soaked the sand under his feet. 

Now that Copycat had worn off, Milo figured it was safe to use a close-range move. 

“Rock Tomb!” Milo ordered. 

Marshtomp cried out, a giant rock materializing in his arms, only to fall flat on his face when his legs sunk into the sand as he lunged at Riolu. Rock Tomb broke apart, the shards landing on Marshtomp’s head. The more he struggled, the deeper he sunk. 

Quicksand trap. 

Milo had been caught in quicksand before, and he knew the important thing was that struggling only pulled the unlucky person under the surface. 

“Relax and don’t panic!” Milo called as Riolu bombarded Marshtomp with back-to-back Force Palms. Riolu teetered on the edge of the quicksand and safe area, taking time to charge up pressure behind his Force Palms before unleashing them on a weary Marshtomp. 

Marshtomp’s arms jerked slightly as the paralysis from a Force Palm kicked in. The quicksand was at his waist level now.  

“Alright, we’ve got him trapped and immobilized, Riolu!” Veronica shouted. “Let’s do one huge Force Palm for the final blow!” 

Riolu put his paws together, pressure building for one last strike. 

Marshtomp screeched harshly, a light blue aura surrounding his body. With a single sweep of his arms, several large Mud Bombs shot out and blasted the quicksand away. 

Startled, Riolu lost his concentration and the mud absorbed the pressure behind his Force Palm, the attack dissipating into thin air. 

“Awesome job, Marshtomp!” Milo grinned. He’d seen this power before when Sara challenged one of her Dr. Magnezone friends to a battle. Her opponent’s Dewott had defeated Nyx with two Razor Shells powered up by the Torrent ability. 

“Use Water Pulse and don’t hold back!” Milo shouted. 

Marshtomp gave Riolu no time to avoid Water Pulse, and the attack sent the Fighting-type skidding several feet until he came to a stop at the base of a large rock. The sandy field was doused completely, and Milo paused to empty out his shoe, which was almost filled to the brim with wet sand. 

A soaked Riolu used the rock for support as he faced down Marshtomp, then he lost his grip completely and fainted. 

Torrent’s blue aura faded, and Marshtomp collapsed too. 

Melissa waited for either Pokémon to stand up, but a full minute passed and neither one stirred. “Double knockout! Marshtomp and Riolu are unable to battle!” she announced. “You each have one Pokémon left!” 

Milo and Veronica recalled their Pokémon. “I didn’t know you had a Riolu,” Milo called to his former babysitter. “He’s really cute!” 

“Thanks, but flattery gets you nowhere,” Veronica teased. “I took a trip to Iron Island three months ago. Great training grounds for Fighting-types. Anyway, there’s a guy who’ll give trainers a Riolu egg if you can make it to a hard-to-reach location. And I managed it with flying colors! So yeah, Riolu’s my most recent addition.”

Milo grinned. “Well, since you’re kind enough to show me your new Pokémon, I think it’s only fair that I return the favor. Meet Kirlia!” 

He released Kirlia from his Poké Ball, deciding against a dramatic throw this time. 

“Very graceful,” Veronica smiled as Kirlia quivered in place. “You didn’t have Kirlia when we battled last time, right?” 

“We befriended him in Granite Cave,” Melissa said. “My Aron is Kirlia’s best friend.” 

At the mention of Aron, Kirlia crossed his arms. 

“We should really have them make up,” Zack said. “They had a disagreement over staying in the cave and coming with us and now they won’t talk to each other.” 

“You know Kirlia don’t naturally live in Granite Cave, right?” Veronica asked. “They prefer grassy areas. And Kirlia and its evolved forms don’t typically live in the wild. They thrive on human companionship.” 

Kirlia scoffed and turned his back to her. 

“Sorry,” Veronica said sheepishly. “We should really continue this battle. Fighting spirit, Meditite!” 

Meditite hovered in a meditation pose for just a moment before touching down on the beach. 

“Alright, last Pokémon inspirational words! Power comes from the heart and strong will stems from the spirit! With heart and spirit combined, we won’t ever admit defeat!” Veronica exclaimed. 

“Are you finished?” Melissa asked. 

“Yeah, I was thinking of making it shorter. It’s a work in progress,” Veronica shrugged. 

“I liked it,” Milo said, inspiration striking him. “Yeah, but Kirlia and I have stuff that you’ll never have! Like sweater vests, and backpacks, and...um, Zack!” 

“Please don’t drag me into another one-liner,” Zack sighed. 

Melissa rolled her eyes. “Guys, just start the battle. I’ve seen Dragonite Ball Z fight scenes move faster than you two.” 

“Magical Leaf!” Milo yelled.

“Send those leaves back with Confusion!” Veronica shouted. 

Magical Leaf flew back and forth between Kirlia and Meditite as if they were flinging many photosynthesizing ping pong balls at each other. Kirlia held his arm at the ready, while Meditite jabbed the air as she sent Magical Leaf in the opposite direction. 

Finally, Meditite divided the leaves into two groups and hurled the first one at Kirlia, who teleported out of the path of the first group and directly in front of the second. 

“Detect, then Meditate!” Veronica ordered. 

Meditite avoided another Magical Leaf with Detect, which put her behind a sand dune. 

“Teleport over there and use Magical Leaf again!” Milo shouted. 

Kirlia vanished and reappeared on top of Meditite’s sand dune, striking her with another Magical Leaf as she meditated. Meditite barely reacted, her eyes closed in concentration. 

“Force Palm!” Veronica shouted. 

Meditite flung out her palm, blasting Kirlia away with a Force Palm. Kirlia tumbled against the sand for a moment before lightly springing to his feet.

“Use Confusion on the water and fling it at Meditite!” Milo yelled.

Kirlia pointed to the ocean, raising an entire ball of seawater into the air. With his other arm, he separated a confused Magikarp from the ball and flicked it away. Zack screamed as the Magikarp landed next to him, and Diogee bit the Magikarp on its tail and dragged it back to the ocean.

“Sorry!” Milo called to Zack. 

“Nothing should have that many fins...” Zack shivered, huddling behind Diogee. 

Meditite grabbed hold of the water ball with her own Confusion, and Kirlia gritted his teeth as he grappled for control over it. The water ball hovered precariously between them, sometimes jerking to one side or the other but never making significant progress to either party. After several tense seconds, the ball finally inched closer to Kirlia’s side. 

“Break Confusion and switch to Magical Leaf!” Milo shouted. 

Kirlia’s eyes returned to normal, and the shock of her opponent cutting off an attack caused Meditite to pull her arms in to prepare another Force Palm. The water ball instantly hurtled in her direction, smashing into Meditite and her own Confusion attack stopped as she sputtered and coughed. 

Kirlia scored two Magical Leaf attacks on Meditite before she recovered from the seawater’s saltiness. 

“Detect!” Veronica shouted as Kirlia hurled a third Magical Leaf attack at Meditite, who vanished instantly. 

Milo pointed to a cluster of sand dunes. “Confusion on those dunes! Don’t let her Meditate again!” 

Kirlia leveled the sand dunes, but Meditite wasn’t behind them. Then Meditite appeared behind Kirlia, jabbing her palm into Kirlia’s side. Kirlia cried out, dropping to his knees as a shock wave passed through his body. A second Force Palm sent Kirlia flying into the water. The waves knocked him down as he struggled to stand. 

“Teleport back to the land!” Milo shouted. But Kirlia’s limbs didn’t obey, jerking uncontrollably as he tried to bring his hands together. 

“Alright, let’s end this! Use-Meditite, what’s wrong?” Veronica gasped, her command cut short as Meditite dropped to her knees too. 

Yellow sparks flew off both Pokémon’s bodies. 

“Milo, I read about this once!” Zack shouted. “Kirlia must have the Synchronize ability! If the opponent burns, poisons, or paralyzes him, they’ll get the same status condition!” 

“Never took you for a bookworm type,” Melissa said. 

Zack shrugged. “I had this whole phase where I wanted to be an Umbreon and I learned as much as I could about them. Don’t ask why. I was a weird kid.” 

Meditite stumbled towards Kirlia, each step slow and deliberate. She drew her arm back as she stood over Kirlia, who kneeled in the surf and glared at Meditite obstinately. Then Kirlia’s arms shot forward, grasping Meditite’s feet, which were half-hidden under the flowing waves. 

Meditite jerked back, pressure building against her palm. Then sparks flowed up her legs, suddenly turning into full-blown electricity that coursed into the rest of her body. 

Neither Veronica or Milo expected that. 

Milo had avoided Shock Wave throughout the entire battle, figuring that Kirlia wanted to practice it more before feeling comfortable enough to use it on an opponent. 

Water conducted electricity, and Kirlia had used that principle without hesitation. Even a weak Electric move could be amplified with a proper conduction source. 

Meditite fainted, her body half-lying on the beach, limbs still twitching. 

Melissa’s eyes were wide as she stared at the still-paralyzed Kirlia. “Meditite is unable to battle. Kirlia is the winner. The challenger wins the match,” she recited.

Milo pulled Kirlia onto the sand, then quickly popped a Cheri Berry into the Emotion Pokémon’s mouth, tossing one to Veronica so she could help Meditite as well. 

Now that his paralysis was gone, Kirlia sat up with no trouble. His eyes glowed blue for a moment, and Milo was shoved away from Kirlia. 

“Sorry,” Milo said. “I’ll give you some space.” 

“Well, that was something,” Veronica said once Meditite recovered from paralysis. “Surprising people as always. It’s a good family trait. You’ve really grown since I last saw you, and I don’t just mean that literally.” 

“I didn’t tell Kirlia to use Shock Wave like that,” Milo admitted. “I mean, it’s kinda underhanded.” 

Kirlia crossed his arms. 

Veronica grinned. “You call it underhanded, I call it a brilliant use of the environment. Pokémon can think for themselves too, you know. I mean, what’s the fun in battling if we just call out what we’re doing all the time? I always welcome surprises in my fights.” 

Meditite bowed to Kirlia. 

“See, Meditite thinks you won fairly too,” Veronica said. “And that means I can present you with the Knuckle Badge.” 

Milo took the boxing glove-shaped badge from Veronica and held it up to the sun to admire its sheen. Diogee placed his paws on Milo’s shoulders, rising to his hind legs to get a good look at the badge too. 

“Looks like you’re a fourth of the way there,” Melissa said. “That’s progress.” 

Aron popped out of her Poké Ball and rammed into Kirlia, burying into his side for a hug. Kirlia froze for a moment before wrapping his arms around Aron’s steel hide as well. 

“Thanks, Veronica,” Milo said. “I’ll keep doing my best!” 

“Wouldn’t expect anything less from a Murphy,” Veronica smiled. 

Milo and Veronica waited in the Pokémon Center lobby, allowing Nurse Joy to take charge of their exhausted Pokémon. Aron’s steel-coated head rested in Melissa’s lap, occasionally glancing to the door in case Kirlia came out. 

“Alright, here’s my contact number,” Veronica said, handing over Melissa’s PokéNav. “Just give me a call if you wanna chat or need some good old gym leader advice!” 

“I’m just glad you fought a gym leader who doesn’t live underground and smells like sewers,” Zack whispered to Milo. 

“So where are you guys heading next?” Veronica asked. 

“Slateport City,” Melissa replied. “They have all sorts of cool stuff in their seaside market.” 

“And a Contest Hall for Zack,” Milo added. 

“I think I’m a lot more prepared this time,” Zack said. 

“Well, I assume you’ll be stopping in Mauville City for your next gym battle,” Veronica said as she leaned against the wall. “Just so you know, I heard Clyde is retiring. So you might be facing someone totally new.” 

“Clyde retiring? Are you sure?” Milo gasped, sharing an alarmed glance with Melissa. 

Veronica nodded. “Yeah, he’s an odd guy. He always struck me as the type of old guy who likes to keep working.” 

“So you know this Clyde?” Zack asked. 

“Every kid in the region knows Clyde!” Melissa exclaimed. “If you ever have a broken toy, he’s the guy to fix it. Doesn’t matter if it’s electronic or a doll either. Milo and I brought so much stuff over for him to fix when we were kids. Though between you and me, he’s terrible with money.” 

“He specializes in Electric-types,” Milo added. “And his inventions really spruced up Mauville City.” 

“Last I heard, he was entering a partnership with some tech corporation,” Veronica said. “Maybe the plans fell through or something. I should really keep in contact more.” 

Milo and Veronica’s Pokémon swarmed them as soon as they were released, and the conversation was dropped. Diogee and Marshtomp climbed all over Milo, the former happy that his battling ban was finally lifted. Riolu hugged Veronica while Meditite bowed in greeting. 

Aron nudged Kirlia’s leg, gently herding him to Milo. Diogee and Marshtomp let Milo stand up. 

“We’re gonna be leaving Dewford soon,” Milo said. “You wanna join us?” 

He placed Kirlia’s Poké Ball on the bench and waited. 

Aron stomped her stubby leg, and Kirlia rolled his eyes. Then he pushed the button on his Poké Ball, disappearing in a flash of red light. Diogee, Marshtomp, and Aron cheered as Milo pocketed Kirlia’s Poké Ball. 

“Guess you’re stuck with us,” Melissa said to Aron. “Welcome to the club.” 

“Bye, Veronica!” Milo waved as the S.S Plunge pulled away from the docks of Dewford Town. “Keep in touch, okay?” 

“You bet!” Veronica shouted back. “See ya later!” 

Within minutes, Dewford Town was just a speck on the horizon. 

Melissa’s PokéNav buzzed, but she was too slow to pick up and the call went to voicemail. 

“Melissa, are you guys coming?” Lydia’s voice sounded strained. “We have a situation and I need you guys pronto!” 

And that concludes Dewford Town! I have been looking forward to writing Slateport City for so long! I have some fun stuff planned for that city!