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Post by Mr. Stricker on Feb 9, 2016 20:37:25 GMT -7
Mr. Stricker regained his footing, as he and Xatu reappeared inside the large, dark building. He could see his breath, and across the icy battlefield, a trainer sat frozen in place.
Henry looked to his left, noticing his Crobat's eyes in the darkness, hanging from a rafter. There he is.
"Wwhat?" he heard the trainer exclaim coldly.
"It's ok, you're safe," Mr. Stricker spoke calmly.
"I've brought you to the Taurinno City Gym. My name is Mister Stricker," he placed a sucker in his cheek. "Who are you?"
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Post by X on Feb 9, 2016 21:30:27 GMT -7
A flash and then pitch black. Actually, not a flash. Just the light of day, harsh, cold wind, and then black. No transition. No interruption. X's brain was having a hard time putting the two together without something in between. Pain. It drew a line in his mind that split straight through his hand. He willed his finger tips not to explore the wound.
Dragging himself along, X tried to focus on a more immediate matter and considered what the calm voice in the dark had just asked of him. As he did, he realized that he wasn't sure if Creep was with him. He tried to listen for the pokemon's telltale rattle. His straining senses were crushed by the silence around him. Against his dread X realized that he was listening for a ghost and hoped that his friend was only hiding.
“Uh, John... John Bonham.” X managed, struggling to keep the chill from his voice. “Why am I here?”
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Post by Mr. Stricker on Feb 9, 2016 21:35:57 GMT -7
"Because I don't know you," Mr. Stricker was quick to answer, but then paused.
"And I know everyone."
He juggled the candy in his mouth. There was something about this kid.
"Where are you from, Mr. Bonham?"
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Post by X on Feb 9, 2016 22:24:06 GMT -7
X's eyes were starting to adjust. He was making out vague shapes in the dark. He knew people who spoke like this Stricker. He was dangerous. Or he thought he was, which could make him dangerous. Either way X didn't trust him.
“Well I'm kind of no one, so don't feel too bad about it... I'm uh, I'm from Terna City. Does that really matter, though? I mean, I doubt I'm here just so we can get to know each other and be best friends.”
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Post by Mr. Stricker on Feb 9, 2016 22:29:50 GMT -7
"Hm. Terna." Stricker turned the information in his head. And again. And he stroked his chin.
"Terna Terna Terna Terna."
Stricker paced, turning to his Xatu. "How have we never seen him before?"
The Xatu remained still, but the air of a shrug still hung around it.
"It doesn't matter. Mr Bonham! I don't make friends easily. But this isn't about friendship."
Henry thumbed a Pokeball on his belt.
"Tell me, Mr. Bonham! Have you ever heard of Mega Evolution?"
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Post by X on Feb 9, 2016 22:55:26 GMT -7
"The capital is a big place." X offered.
He could now make out the shape of the man he was talking to standing across a battlefield. "Huh, I guess we are in the pokemon gym." X thought.
Was the man's hand on his belt? His ominous words hung in the air. Where X had been nervous before, he now felt the looming dread of confrontation. And he felt cold. Even though he was no longer in the wind, it was still cold.
"Yeah..." X replied, rising to take a guarded stance. "I've heard that it's pretty rare. That only the better leaguers have it."
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Post by Mr. Stricker on Feb 9, 2016 23:07:31 GMT -7
"Excellent," Mr. Stricker spoke quickly. He moved his hand from the ball on his belt. The other trainer was looking defensive. There was no need for that.
Yet.
Mr. Stricker flipped the sucker in his mouth, removing the stick as he crunched the hard candy. He spun the stick between his fingers, and glanced upward, catching the eyes of his Crobat. There he is.
"Can you perform a Mega Evolution with any of your own Pokemon?"
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Post by X on Feb 10, 2016 22:39:14 GMT -7
"Maybe." X said, thinking again of Creep and glancing at his peripherals. He hadn't expected to see anything, but was nonetheless disheartened. "But I might not want you to know everything I can and can't do."
Stricker had taken his hand away from his belt and X now noticed that his stance didn't seem confrontational. A lukewarm thought washed over him. Could this Stricker possibly not mean him abuse? He couldn't place the intent of the man's last question and the air of derision X was so accustomed to from people seemed absent. He tried to mirror the man's action by relaxing, but remained wary. He hadn't survived through blind trust. Anyone could be an adversary.
"You'll have to forgive me, but getting abducted to a dark empty gym to talk to someone who's been expecting me isn't within my comfort zone. Is there a reason I should trust you?"
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Post by Mr. Stricker on Feb 10, 2016 22:48:46 GMT -7
"You shouldn't," Stricker smiled.
He turned to Xatu. "Do you know?"
A Pokeball appeared in front of Mr. Stricker, dangling like an ornament.
"A Banette, eh?"
Mr. Stricker smiled. He glanced up for a half second. There he is.
"Does this one Mega Evolve?"
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Post by X on Feb 11, 2016 0:28:31 GMT -7
"You..." The word was boiled by the fire of his fury. X checked for the rest of the pokeballs, which were normally seated along his belt across the back of his waistband, to find that they had been subject to the same fate. He dispensed of whatever ideas he had built up to support this man. Freeze turned to fight. But X could not fight unarmed.
"Where are they?" He seethed.
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Post by Mr. Stricker on Feb 11, 2016 8:58:34 GMT -7
Mr. Stricker smiled. "They're safe. Xatu?"
The bird remained motionless, but the Pokeballs dangled into view from nowhere.
"I just wanted to keep you from doing anything... rash."
There he is.
"You cannot know how dangerous times are getting. I can never be too careful. But I've answered your question. Now, please, it's your turn: can this Banette Mega Evolve?"
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Post by X on Feb 11, 2016 12:30:29 GMT -7
An idea occurred to X. It was by no means solid. Just a ghost of a thought. But, it was the only option he might have.
"GIVE THEM BACK!" He roared as he began to charge across the field at Stricker, "OR I'LL SHOW YOU HOW DANGEROUS!"
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Post by Mr. Stricker on Feb 11, 2016 12:51:20 GMT -7
Stricker jumped backward. This trainer was certainly brave. Or stupid.
Crobat dropped in flash from the ceiling, colliding into the rushing trainer and knocking him to the icy floor. Xatu watched patiently, as Crobat returned to his perch.
"I'm sorry about that," Mr. Sticker was displeased that Crobat had to interfere. "Xatu, give Mr. Bonham his belt back."
The Xatu Teleported the belt back on the prone trainer's waist. One Pokeball still hovered in front of Stricker.
"I must say, you're certainly the character," Mr. Stricker continued. "I'd wager that if you can't Mega Evolve your Pokemon, you're close to it."
Stricker grabbed the Pokeball in front of him, eyeing it closely. "Well, my friend, can you Mega Evolve?"
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Post by X on Feb 11, 2016 13:56:13 GMT -7
X fell to the ground. His reactions lifted his hands to catch himself. Normally this was a well practiced motion meant to prepare him to spring back to his feet. But this time his left hand caught the friction of the floor and X felt as though he were being torn like paper. He tumbled the rest of the way and cradled himself.
"CR-" X started, but then his pokemon were returned to him. Surprised, he rose and started to back away from Stricker across the field. "Well if I had known I could just ask..." X groaned, touching his wound through the fingers of his closed hand as if he could put it back in place.
Who was this guy? It was clear X couldn't understand the man's motivations. He now thought Stricker didn't mean him any harm. If that had been what he wanted he wouldn't have given X back his belt. Did this mean he didn't want to fight? Or did it specifically mean the opposite? There was only one way to find out.
"I don't think you're going to get an answer out of that. It's not an 8 ball, you know. Creep!" X called to the darkness with anticipation... and breathed a sight of relief when he heard the familiar rattle. Upon being called, the ghost materialized from the shadows at the edge of the room and moved in front of him. "If you really want to know your answer, it's here waiting for you."
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Post by Mr. Stricker on Feb 11, 2016 14:17:21 GMT -7
Stricker scratched his head, and he turned to his Xatu. "Why didn't you tell me it wasn't in the ball?!"
The Xatu stared back at his trainer. The ball disappeared from Stricker's hand, and reappeared on X's belt.
"Well I'm glad you think this is funny. What if he had ordered it to attack me?!"
Again, the bird stood still, staring back at Stricker.
Suddenly the man realized what the other trainer had proposed. "Oh. Oh!"
Stricker grabbed a Great Ball on his belt.
"Good. Excellent. Mr Bonham! This is exactly what I was hoping you'd say."
BOSS BATTLE! Mr. Stricker is challenging X to a Singles Battle, 6v6.
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