[X] My Assistant

[Master Houndoom]

Jaima and Meiko had stopped talking, still walking together but now watching as Tuesday struggled with what had to be the most hyperactive houndoom in the history of houndooms. Their heads turning in unison, they watched Ashleigh dash across their path before once again running down the slope. The fact that he was still in control of his descent was a miracle.

"You know, Mercury, you could stop him. He listens to you," Jaima suggested. Mercury looked at him blandly from her usual position, floating near his shoulder.

Hahahahahaha- No. He doesn't. She turned her eyes back to Ashleigh, watching as he dashed away. Oh, if I called him, he'd stop, and he'd come here, to us. Then he'd lick me in the face. And it's much too cold for that!

Jaima and Meiko laughed and continued on, following Ashleigh's path, which had not only proven stable, but was almost devoid of snow now, his exertions driving his temperature up. Chompwater and Shadow walked together, their heads on a swivel, while Ramhorn and Tsunami, on the other side of the pair, walked around as well. Tsunami was looking nervously up at a ridge near which they would pass.

<<I don't like the look of that ridge... something about the way the air currents flow around it... it makes me nervous.>>

<<You can feel air currents? I thought you were a water creature.>>

<<I am! But I am sensitive to currents, and in strong air I can feel in!>>

Shadow, too, was taking his time peering at the ridge. <<We will have to be wary as we pass under it, then. There is no way to turn everyone back.>>

All five agreed. Only Eggheart, singing softly and happily in Meiko's arms, was unconcerned.

[Toogee]

“What, Machoke can’t have motherly instincts too?” Pan replied to Douken. “They raise young just like any other pokemon.”

“Bertha has been raised by humans all her life,” Lonnie added. “She was merely mimicking the care she went through, this time acting on someone she thought was weak and defenseless…no offense of course. Just about everyone is weak and defenseless to a machoke.”

Lonnie smirked as he looked back at the pokemon, who happened to be carrying two butlers, one on each shoulder. He then turned forward, having reached the top of the hill.

The valley below was flat enough to provide a good landing zone for their departure. He anticipated that they wouldn’t have to stay long before they arrived. This was good, as many of the people around him were already sick of trekking through the icy wilderness. The journey wouldn’t be much longer; all they would have to do was pass through a canyon under the snow-covered ridge ahead.

They slid down carefully so as not to tumble down, Pan still had a hold of Lonnie’s arm. It was almost like surfing, if only because they were still standing upon setting foot on solid ground. Feeling confident of the spot, Lonnie took his cane, no longer needing Pan’s assistance. He then turned to help one of his butlers get off the ground; the butler evidently made a misstep upon his descent.

“There we are,” Lonnie said, using his cane for support as he pulled the man up. “We’ll have to help everyone else get down. Let them know the helicopters are coming; we’ll be waiting just beyond that ridge.” The employee obliged, and the two patrolled the bottom of the hill, waiting for others to make their way down.

Pan was going to do the same, when she noticed a girl and her houndoom having way too much fun to ignore. She made her way towards the houndoom as he finished his race down the hill of snow, calling Fenrir to her side. The growlithe obliged, but he looked back at the suspicious snow accumulation over a ridge. Something didn’t smell right about it…

“Someone’s have fun,” Pan said, smiling as she reached out to pet Ashleigh between the horns. The elder growlithe sniffed around the houndoom for closer examination.

“Bah, why are all the pups taller than me?” he said to himself aloud.

[Amissa]

Daniel had arrived shortly before Malcolm and shortly after Lizzie. However, he found himself immediately caught up in the confusion and rush of the evacuation. Some kind servants had brought him a coat and some boots in order to help him get down the mountain more easily. Then, all at once it seemed, they were moving out into the cold frozen wilderness. He traveled near the rear of the group amidst many of the servants and employees. He cast his gaze around the area, trying to find someone that he knew. Beside him, Hercules kept up with his stride and looked shyly up at the machokes traveling with the group.

The boots were a great help even though Daniel had to carry his other shoes. At least his feet weren't utterly frozen. He kept playing with his pokedex as he walked, looking up pokemon and attacks. He'd seen a lot of pokemon that he couldn't recognize today and they made him curious. Geb peeked out from beneath Daniel's hoodie once in a while.

"Niii!" Geb shouted as Daniel almost walked straight into another trainer. Daniel looked up and momentarily slid on the snow in order to avoid toppling into the girl. He landed on his butt in the cold snow and grinned up at her. Behind him, Hercules approached warily and tried to help Daniel up.

"Hiya, um...you." Daniel smiled at her, recognizing Lizzie from the frightening room that they had exited just a while ago. He was sorry to have never gotten her name and pleased to have another chance to meet her. Thankfully, his cheeks were already red from the cold so she probably wouldn't notice his usual awkward blush. "You and your pokemon were really awesome against those ghosts. Do you want to...walk down the mountain with me?" Hercules grumbled behind him and Daniel was still slopping around in the snow trying to get onto his feet.

[Umbrae Calamitas]

Tuesday stopped and turned when she heard someone speaking to her, and smiled when she saw who it was. "Hi, Pan," she said shyly, and then looked down at Ashleigh, who had stopped beside her to stare at the growlithe. "I don't think all of his synapses fire properly," Tuesday said fondly, rubbing the houndoom between the horns. Ashleigh tongue lolled out in pleasure - though it was hard to tell, as his tongue was almost always lolling out - and melted into a little furry puddle of happiness.

"How are you doing?" Tuesday asked, crossing her arms a little self-consciously. She didn't usually speak to people openly, but things had been changing. Still, this was a little new. And besides, it was a good question; they had all gone through quite an adventure here at Mr. Vonmoto's castle, and some people might not be all right.

Tuesday was pretty sure Pan was, though.

While Tuesday spoke with Pan, Ashleigh set about sniffing the growlithe until his nose was full of red and black fur.

"You smell nice!" Ashleigh finally declared happily, sitting down abruptly in front of the growlithe. "Not as good as The One Who Smells Better Than She Tastes, but still good." He nodded to accentuate his point. "My name's Ashleigh. I dunno what I was named after but I was named after something, because the runt always names us after something, but I dunno what that is."

He sat wagging his tail for a moment, before jumping to his feet and crouching on his forelegs, grinning at the growlithe. "I dunno your name, Mr. Smells Real Good But Not As Good As The One Who Smells Better Than She Tastes, but you wanna wrestle?"

~*~

All of the trainers, employees, and their pokemon had finally made it down to the clearly where they were to wait for the helicopters' arrival. Lonnie held his cane tightly in one hand as he surveyed their group, checking to make sure that everyone was being well-taken care of by his employees. They were, of course. The employees had been making sure that everyone was dressed appropriately for this impromptu journey. Lonnie merely hoped that they didn't have to wait long before the helicopters would arrive and take them somewhere warmer, and safer.

Unfortunately, the snow-covered ridge that had been bothering a number of people sat precariously, and sounds echoed against the walls of the mountains. Sounds of people talking, snow crunching, pokemon howling and yipping and yapping, and the ridge, so weakly balanced, finally gave way.

There was a great groaning, crunching rumble as the whole mountain began to shake, and then the massive snow ridge, far greater than that which had penetrated the castle, released its hold and slid down the mountain, unstoppable.

[Dragava]

Lizzie was walking dully. Her sweatshirt provided a decent amount of insulation from the cold, but it was not enough to keep her from shivering every now and then. Unlike Lizzie, Riolu on her shoulders was looking around excitedly. She took the opportunity to greet or wave at other pokemon, which was something not Lizzie would normally do, especially while she was suffering in the cold.

"Hiya, umm... you" Someone called out. Lizzie looked around, wondering who was being called. All the trainers around her seemed occupied with something... except for herself. She looked for the location of the voice, which turned out to be the trainer she had met earlier while looking for the kitchens that she never managed to find. Unexpectedly, he asked to walk with her. Riolu gave him a curious, but hopeful look. Maybe someone like that trainer could help Lizzie open up a bit more. She thought that it would be nice if Lizzie was able to share her inner self with more people.

"Sure, I guess..." Lizzie mumbled after a while. She personally did not see what bad something like walking together could do, especially with someone who was kind enough to praise her pokemon. "But what happened earlier... I was lucky that my pokemon knew some helpful moves," Lizzie added bitterly. It would be a lie to say that she wasn't happy, she actually felt very proud of herself. She just did not want to show her emotions. Riolu sighed, it seemed that it would take a while for Lizzie to show others the same kindness and concern that she would show to the injured pokemon she rescued. The fact that she could also be very stubborn was not helping either.

This post has been edited by Dragava: Apr 10 2010, 11:01 PM

[Master Houndoom]

"This is not going to be fun," Meiko mumbled, looking ahead of them. They were near the end of the group that were now waiting at the bottom of the valley, below a large opening just past a ridge. Jaima looked up and nodded.

"Right, I forgot, you're afraid of flying--"

Meiko turned and scowled at him. "I an not afraid of flying! I flew on Venture Star, didn't I? I taught Bloodwing how to fly! I am no--"

Jaima reached up and put the tip of his finger against her lips. "As I was saying, you're afraid of flying on machines." He raised his brows, and Meiko bit her lip as he took the finger away.

"Oh." And that was all she could say, was oh.

They continued on, Meiko with her head down, embarrassed. When Jaima broke the silence, she flinched, slightly.

"How did you teach Bloodwing how to fly?" His voice was laced with amusement. Meiko rolled her eyes and coughed.

"Evidently, I'd caught him young. He couldn't even get off the ground. I spent months lifting him up and letting him drop onto some cushions until he could float safely to the floor." She blushed. "That's why he's loyal to me, I think."

"Aww," Jaima sad, nudging her. "What a good mommy."

Meiko beamed, opening her mouth for a friendly retort, when the rumbling sounded. As one, they turned, but it was Mercury who identified it.

Tsunami says it's an avalanche!

Jaima hadn't even been aware of the moment he started snapping orders, and wouldn't remember Meiko talking until he'd had a little time to review the memory. But to the outside viewer, they were synchronized, almost military efficient.

"Chompwater! Ice Beam! We need a wall!

"Tsunami, mudshot on the wall! Give Chompwater something to build on!

"Ramhorn, put me down!"

"It's not gonna hold! Ember," Jaima released the fire type. "Flamethrower!"

"Freeze the melted snow!"

"Mercury, tell the others, then port to safety! Don't argue, someone will need to get help!"

I'm not leaving you! Calypso, there's another avalanche coming right for us!

"Oh kami-sama, here it c-"

"BRACE YOURSE--"

The avalanche hit the ice arc that had been made by Ember and Chompwater, driving it forward, rushing over and around it, the roar of it drowning out all noise. Jaima grabbed Meiko, pulling her in front of him and putting his back to the ice block coming their way. Chompwater, Shadow, Ramhorn, and Tsunami all charged in front of the pair, using all of their combined strength to assure that the ice was not moving fast enough to hurt the humans, but were unable to stop it's inexorable slide toward the bottom.

When the rumbling wave of snow stopped, all was white, the two trainers and their pokemon in a small bubble of snow with an ice wall above them.

"Pi ny..?"

[Toogee]

“Oh you know, typical day working for the museum,” Pan replied to Tuesday. “Little bit banged up but I’ll live.” She flashed her bandaged cheek like a badge of honor before moving onto a different subject.

“Hey, when did Darryn get so good with pokemon? When I knew him, he didn’t even have one pokemon. Now, he has a whole team that does all these fancy tricks. What happened?” She didn’t expect Tuesday to know anything about Darryn’s transformation, but it did help to let her questions out. Pan was happy for him but also disappointed that she missed so much.

Meanwhile, Fenrir eyed his potential opponent. The houndoom was twice as tall as the growlithe, and far younger than the old dog. Than again, that had never stopped him before. He addressed Ashleigh in a gruff, but playful, voice.

“My name’s Fenrir. I’ve wrestled with opponents far larger than you, pup. I accept your challenge-”

The growlithe’s ears perked up upon hearing the rumbling of a second avalanche. Pan’s eyes widened as the monstrous wave started engulfing everything in its path. But this time, there was no castle to lessen the blow. The group would take the entire direct attack.

Pan looked around. Vonmoto’s espeon performed a Protect technique, ready to shield her master from the elements. Many of the employees attempted to climb back up the steep hill to gain cover on the other side. It was no use; they wouldn’t make it in time. Jaima and Meiko were making an ice wall with their pokemon. She then turned to Tuesday, who she realized was quite small. An avalanche of this magnitude could do a number on her, or worse, sweep her off the mountain. Not that Pan wasn’t in danger of such a fate; she wasn’t that much bigger compared to the might of the disaster. She wasn’t an expert in avalanches, but she figured the higher they were, the better their chances for survival. The hill was a bit closer than the ice wall being built, so Pan took a chance on the hill.

“Come on! We got to get to that hill!” Pan said. At the very least, they would have a wall of snow to stop them from going off the mountain.

She grabbed the young girl by the arm and ran towards the makeshift hill. Fenrir kept behind them, keeping an eye on the coming onslaught of winter precipitation. It wasn’t long before the avalanche caught up; the group hadn’t even reached the base of the hill before darkness crept over them. Sensing the impending doom, Pan tackled Tuesday to the ground, both landing on their sides. The dog pokemon held their ground between the humans and the snow, hoping their effort would save their masters.

The avalanche enveloped all in darkness.

After everything was calm, all that remained was a layer of icy snow. Any living beings caught up within the avalanche were under several feet of snow, far too much to dig out of in time. The only signs of life were the mental cries of help from any psychic pokemon capable of sending such signals.

Please…someone…anyone…help us…
---------------------------------------------------------------------

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Location: The skies above, too far above any physical observers

Far above the group, the disaster of a castle, and even the mountains themselves, two old friends reunited after a long hiatus. The guardian of the sky met the guardian of the sea outside their normal realms. The rainbow phoenix circled around the reclusive diving pokemon, looking for any changes in his appearance. Lugia simply turned his head and watched Ho-Oh fly around him before stopping to face him.

<<If you were looking for any new weaknesses, you wasted your time,>> Lugia replied, a hint of arrogance in his voice.

<<I see. Just the old ones then,>> Ho-Oh replied smartly. <<It’s nice to see you don’t just sleep in that dreadful trench you’ve walled yourself in.>>

<<Of course not!>> Lugia growled. << It is necessary to keep our skills sharp before we face the next collector. Humans can be relentless. Though, I admit,>> the white creature relinquished, << it is good to breath the fresh air, and in a place where there aren’t nearly as many humans running around. It appears Moltres was wise in his choice of a roosting spot. Perhaps I shall visit him after my victory.>>

At that statement, the Ho-Oh cawed in laughter. <<Arrogant as ever! Very well then, enough small talk. We duel!>>

The legendaries tensed up, circling high above the Carello mountains. This was certainly not a fight to the death: each creature followed a set of rules to ensure they didn’t severely wound one another. It was a tradition that had gone on for millennia and to the present day among pokemon and trainers around the world. But for Lugia and Ho-Oh, this was not about some physical reward. It was a form of play among very old friends. Despite the trash talk, their friendly rivalry to test each other ultimately helped them keep their minds and bodies sharp and was actually a form of bonding.

The battle would have been a sight to behold…had they not been interrupted by a call for help. Both Ho-Oh and Lugia looked down towards the mountains: a psychic pokemon pleaded for rescue from under an avalanche of snow.

<<Ignore it. It is a part of the natural cycle,>> Lugia explained.

<<It’s not just one pokemon. There are others and…humans?>>

The lugia growled at the mention of people. He knew what was going through the rainbow phoenix’s mind; he didn’t like it one bit. The fact that humans were involved made the prospects of helping less desirable to Lugia.

<<You would not seriously aid humans, would you? How easily you forget the burning of your Tin Tower! Their hearts are full of strife.>> Lugia was adamant in his accusations. There was a reason there were so few of his kind left. He would not soon forget why.

<<What do you think they would do upon seeing you?>> the diving pokemon continued. <<They would chase you down the world over until you became theirs. >>

<<You continue to live in the past,>> the Ho-Oh retorted, <<It is a new era. These humans, there’s something about them. Their hearts aren’t as tainted as you suggest. They are meant for something far greater than you or I; you have seen it. But, if you are correct, and fate has chosen them to perish, then so be it. But it will not be under my wing.>>

Ho-Oh abandoned the duel, quickly descending towards the ground. Lugia watched as the rainbow phoenix sealed his fate. He continued to speak psychically, knowing full well that Ho-Oh could “hear” him

<<Then I can’t help you,>> Lugia mentally sighed. <<Once you’ve been sighted, you’ll start a chain reaction. Everyone will start looking for you. Once they finally catch up, not even the felines will be able to save you…>>

With that, Lugia flew in the opposite direction, deeper into the mountains in search of the firebird Moltres. If it were not simply for company, then surely he would visit to complain of Ho-Oh’s folly.

[Xal]

Pidgey returned to the snowy ground and dropped the two pokéballs. He kicked the button on one of them, releasing Pikachu from within. The pair of them looked around at the white landscape. Under different circumstances it would be beautiful, there was nothing but mountains and snow as far as the eye could see. However, that wasn't entirely true. There were small parts of Castle Vonmoto still visible, a painful reminder of what had just happened.

The remnants of the castle weren't as helpful to Pikachu as they were to Pidgey, however. Her memories were clear, but it appeared that for most of the action she'd been absent. The last thing she remembered was Malcolm looking over his shoulder towards a sound of rumbling. He'd withdrawn her to the pokéball half way through shouting orders to Pidgey in a panic. She looked down at the small red ball she'd just appeared from, noticing another one besides it. It must have been the Magikarp's.

Pidgeys started clawing at the snow, digging down into it. It was at this point Pikachu realised what had happened. A second avalanche had hit and Malcolm had got Pidgey to take the pokéballs above it to safety. But that would mean he was now buried deep in the snow, and she had no way of telling how deep or where exactly. That didn't stop her joining in in digging though, much faster than Pidgey could manage. The bird tried flapping his wings at it in an attempt to blow it away, but that was just too slow. He looked around for any source of help but there didn't seem to be any. In the distance he could see something that looked a little bit like the thing with the big hands from the castle but it was moving away. He decided it was up to them and returned to digging.

[Living Arrow]

"Have I ever mentioned just how much I hate snow?" Darryn grumbled to Joey as they trudged onwards after Lonnie and the others leading the hike. Lady rested within Darryn's coat, her crimson head poking out over the zipper. While Darryn was grateful for her added warmth, he would rather that she had decided to take up residence in his socks - it felt like his toes were about to drop off!

Joey smiled, keeping quiet as he waded through the snow alongside Darryn. For someone so short, Darryn was pleased to see that the teen had the guts to actually fight on through the snow that came up to his knees. Where possible, it was clear joey was trying to keep to the footsteps of people and Pokemon walking ahead of them but that wasn't always doable since they had longer strides than him.

A dull roar filled the mountains, a rumble that Darryn sincerely wished he hadn’t heard. It was just like being back in the playground room…

“Joey!” Darryn cried, holding up his Repeat Ball. The shorter boy, also hearing cries of ‘Avalanche!’ nodded and ran to Darryn’s side. They had done it once before so it had to work again!

“November, go!” Darryn summoned the great Rapidash, gathering Lady and Joey to keep behind the flaming equine Pokemon.

The wave of snow that descended upon the travelling humans and Pokemon groaned like a waking Snorlax, tumbling and crumbling into a destructive wall of ice. Darryn braced himself as November let loose a Flame Wheel, splitting the wave around herself and those behind her as she had back in the castle. Despite the Rapdiash’s efforts, something was very wrong.

“The avalanche is too big!” Joey gasped, edging backwards slowly. Darryn grit his teeth. The snow in the playground room was nothing compared to this.

“Lady!” Darryn urged. His Vulpix leapt from his embrace to face the snow but November was already being forced back, her hooves sliding through the ice. Lady opened her mouth to use a Flamethrower but was cut short as the snow broke through November’s defences and engulfed the Pokemon and trainers completely.

[LittleShadowPoke...]

Upon seeing everyone filing out of the castle to safety, Joey felt an inexplicable urge to not be left behind again, so he quickly zipped ahead of the group unnoticed. The great hills of snowy whiteness stretched beyond his limited horizon, and looked intimidating. He reasoned with himself that it couldn't be so bad, and he trudged on, trying to stay towards the high land. Unfortunately, the best he could manage was finding a path of snow that was only knee high. He hoped his next birthday would be discouraged to arrive due to his want of avoiding being declared a legal midget. He had enough problems, he thought as he pushed on.

Despite his efforts, he was quickly surpassed by most of the group, which at least gave him an already-walked path to follow, even if a gap of snow slowed his rhythm. Something did brighten his day though, and that was noticing Darryn, whom he moved to fall into step with. The more experienced trainer said something to him, which Joey could only manage to smile at, having to focus all his energy on walking, but he wanted to appear grateful for the interaction anyways so as not to dispel future ones. His thoughts were cut short as he heard the unmistakable rumble of yet another avalanche that was only out-sped by the horror it invoked.

Darryn acted quickly and admirably, beckoning Joey close to him as they had done before in the playground room. Joey nodded and fell into place, almost literally. When it became clear that the resplendent Rapidash wasn't able to hold up, he released his Seel and had him hold the Pokeballs of his teammates. Jet, seeing immediately what was happening, heard his trainer cry out a shortened "No time!" and as the snow engulfed the small group of trainers and Pokemon, Joey had just barely succeeded in using himself to cover the slick-furred Pokemon, creating a feeble attempt at protecting him.

Once the snow settled, Jet was in the best situation involving two entities he knew most about: snow, and round objects. He wiggled himself out of the little air pocket Joey created for him and himself, and pushed the two Pokeballs to the surface. At least they were safe, and Jet burrowed out a small depression in the snow to make a pseudo-nest for the Pokeballs, where he left them in order to go back to Joey. He worked displacing snow away from the small tunnel he had used to surface, until he was back down to Joey. His trainer wasn't feeling well, being short of breath and crushed so completely near suffocation. Jet nudged him with his flippers and barked a pitiful, "Seeel, Seel," with each unsuccessful nudge. Continuing on, Jet remembered the trainers and two Pokemon also buried nearby. He cleared away snow all around until he located them.

The Vulpix seemed to be in worst shape, but Jet made sure her head was up so she could breathe. He found the Rapidash next, whose fire would have melted away the snow if it hadn't been asphyxiated from the weight of overwhelming snow. It was shimmering and weak. Jet cleared away most of the snow he could from the equine quadruped, but he was starting to wear thin of his usual enthusiasm. Finally, he located the other trainer, and made sure his airway was clear as well before flopping over to Joey and wiggling himself underneath his unconscious trainer's arm, and looked hopefully up and squealed. Even though they were partially cleared and could breathe, they were still buried under several feet of snow with a small Seel-sized tunnel their only means of escape from the small cavern inadvertently created by the Seel's efforts. The Rapidash's fire was growing, but that could weaken the snow walls into a new collapse over the individuals. Jet just tucked himself against his trainer and hoped for the best.

[Toogee]

“Pa?”

….

“Pachi?”

“I think we’re alright, Chi-Chi. Relatively speaking…”

Pan spoke to her pachirisu, glad that they were still breathing. That was about the only good thing to come out of the situation; snow surrounded the two humans and their fire pokemon. The eldest human was still grasping to the younger one, the snow restricting her movements. Pan started to wiggle around, hoping to loosen the snowy tomb. This proved difficult with one of her legs trapped in its position.

“Fenrir, try and dig us a hole out of here.” She could feel the growlithe rubbing against her back, better able to move around. His warm body started to melt the snow around him, making it easier to dig. On the other hand, there was also a greater risk of collapse; water droplets were beginning to fall.

“Tuesday, please tell me you can hear me,” Pan said to the girl, hoping for a response.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

With the speed of a fighter jet, Ho-Oh flew through the mountain range. He zigzagged to avoid hitting low peaks until he came across a valley amongst the mountains, the source of the cries for help. The rainbow phoenix examined the snowy surface carefully. He could see the body heat given off by the warm-blooded beings; many of the shapes were clearly human. He had to act fast before the flames of life were extinguished.

Ho-Oh dived towards the valley, igniting in flames. Like a knife through warm butter, the phoenix penetrated the icy snow, disappearing from the view of any outside observer. At first, nothing seemed to happen, but after a few seconds, steam started to exit through the icy surface. Flames followed the bursts of steam, the icy surface surrendering to the heat.

To those trapped underneath, they found themselves surrounded by fire. Yet, no one suffered so much as a singe. The flames caressed cold bodies, dried clothes and warmed spirits. Pan watched in shock as the snow around her glowed a dull orange, flames erupting from all sides. She grasped tighter to Tuesday to protect her from the fire, but she soon realized it wasn’t necessary. She watched in amazement as the flames weaved through each of her fingers, through her hair, and across her cheek. The snow around them started to evaporate, bypassing the liquid state entirely. The humans would see the light of another day, as well as the identity of their hero.

Pa looked up to the sky, still lying in her would-be grave. The flames previously under the snow shot back into the air, focusing on a single spot. The spot took the shape of a massive bird as Ho-Oh retook his original form. Pan looked blankly, mouth agape. The only sound she noticed was the whisper of the pokemon’s name, courtesy of Tuesday. The rainbow phoenix looked upon the awed faces below, screeching loudly in victory.

HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHH!!!

[Amissa]

"My name's Daniel," he told her cheerfully as he finally made it to his feet. He was about to say more, ask her about her home or her life. Eventually he wanted to ask for her number. He didn't get any further though. He heard the rumbling and felt the trembling through his legs. Below him, Hercules clutched him so tightly that it hurt.

"Maaachop!" He cried, tears of fear actually forming in the pokemon's eyes as he saw what was coming. It was so fast and there was so little cover nearby. There was nothing to do to save anyone. It appeared that his first adventure with his trainer would also be his last.

Daniel saw the wave of snow approaching, tons of cold icy doom racing right for them. He looked at Hercules and then looked at Lizzie. There was no time to run and nowhere to go anyway. Therefore, Daniel did the only thing that he could think of. He took a deep breath and tackled Lizzie to the ground, clutching her protectively with one arm while clutching his machop with his other.

The next moment, he felt nothing but cold. The snow hit them, tossed them, and buried them. There was no way to tell how deep down they were. He wasn't even sure which direction was up. Daniel had held onto everyone, but he ached everywhere. The impact was so severe that Daniel was surprised that he was one piece. He didn't move immediately. Never had he experienced such an awareness of his body. He took inventory of himself from head to toe. He became aware that the arm that was holding the girl was bleeding, apparently from being cut by a sharp rock or piece of ice. Inside his hoodie, Geb didn't move. Daniel hoped that the nincada was only stunned and not crushed.

Then he could feel Hercules moving beside him. He squeezed Daniel's leg, looking for a sign of life. Daniel responded by squeezing back with the hand that he had wrapped around his pokemon. He gave a squeeze to the girl as well, hoping that she would respond and that she was all right. Daniel could still breathe, but he wasn't sure how long that would last. Hercules began moving faster, digging through the snow desperately. The little superpower pokemon was able to lift far more than any human on a normal day, but now he was fueled by terror and his strength seemed to have increased. Daniel could tell that Herc was digging in the right direction because of the way that the blood was dripping down his injured arm. He wondered distantly whether it was broken or if that numbness he was feeling was just from the freezing cold. Mostly, he felt relieved that he was beginning to feel the cautious movements of Geb inside of his hoodie.

Help us, Daniel prayed silently, unable to move for the weight of the snow on top of him, Oh God, please don't leave us to die here. Someone please help us!

At that moment, it appeared that someone had heard his prayer and the prayers of all of the others trapped under the snow. The area warmed and the snow proceeded to evaporate around them. When he was able to raise himself to his knees above the girl and look around (after determining that no, his arm wasn't quite broken), he found them surrounded by flames. Hercules clung tightly to his trainer and Geb poked his head out of Daniel's hoodie to observe their rescue. It was astonishing. The flames didn't burn, but rather invigorated and re-energized the avalanche victims.

Above them, Daniel could see a familiar form, one that he'd seen in the Hall of Legendary Pokemon. "Look! Look!" He called out softly to anyone who could hear. "It's Ho-oh! It's real! It's real!" His eyes were as wide as plates and he grinned like a child at Christmas. He couldn't seem to articulate any further than repeating "It's real" over and over again, but then he managed to shout, "Thank you! Thank you" over and over again.

This post has been edited by Amissa: Apr 11 2010, 09:48 PM

[Douken Sota]

The second avalanche was a lot worse than the first, seeing how the large party was out in the open, prime targets. Douken thought he had no chance of fighting the raging snow, the few tons running down the mountain side. Instead of fighting to block it, he braced himself, knowing running was pointless as well. That was when he body was engulfed into the white.

The flow of snow broke his guard as his body swam away like a rag doll, his body finally stopping when the snow settled, the only sign he was there was his hand in the air. He tried to move, but it was useless. His body was in too odd of a position, along with the snow surrounding him, to move an inch. He couldn't even reach any of his team like this.

Croagunk, Seel, Growlithe, please... forgive me, he thought as he struggled, thinking it was the end... until an odd heat came around him. Did someone get out? Was it one of their Fire Pokemon?" he thought as he felt the snow loosen and melt, his body slowly able to though the snow easier. [i]But the heat doesn't feel concentrated at all... he thought, My body is feeling it all over. Able to finally pull his head out, and sit up somewhat, his eyes caught the most majestic thing he ever saw: Ho-oh as it recollected itself from what he would guess be its signature move, Sacred Fire. "Such a legendary Pokemon... right before my eyes..." he muttered to himself as he tried to get up, his legs feeling too weak once more to support himself. I am lucky to haven't broken my arms or legs... he thought, but would still need treatment as he watched blood trip down his glasses from his bleeding forehead. Yelling as loud as he could, he called to the majestic bird, "Thank you, Ho-oh..." before in a softer tone, more to himself, "If I would, I would wish to pay you my thanks and gratitude in the future..."

[Umbrae Calamitas]

Reilly held Morgan close to him as the snow rolled over him. He had stayed in the back of the group, away from everyone else. When Jaima had been reunited with the rest of his team, Reilly... didn't really have a place in it.

"I don't need them anyway," Reilly said stubbornly, clutching Morgan to his chest. "They're just... I'm way better than them, and we can get out of this ourselves, can't we, Morgan?"

Struggling to gain some movement, Reilly reached one arm back to grab the pokeball on his belt. Pressing his thumb to the button, he released Indiana into the already cramped space. "Indiana!" Reilly growled in annoyance, angry at his current predicament and being anywhere near that... those... people. "Flame Wheel! Melt this stupid snow!"

With a screeching cry, the monferno released a wave of fire within the combined space and hit the snow with a rage. It immediately began to melt and the space they were trapped in began to fill up with water, but there was still snow above them. Indiana's attack hadn't melted it all, and the icy water was rising quickly.

Morgan let out a squeal of fear as Reilly's heart began to race. He flattened himself against the snow wall behind him as the water rose to his chest. "In-Indiana!"

~*~

The air rushed out of Tuesday's lungs when Pan knocked her harshly to the ground, and then the snow was upon them, consuming them entirely. Tuesday could hear Pan talking to her, but her voice was muffled and far away. In her mind, Tuesday was recollecting everything that had happened and taking stock of their current position.

They were buried under who knows how much snow, with a limited area of movement. With such a small space, and with - Tuesday looked around as best she could, locating her companions - four of them within that space, their oxygen surely wouldn't last long. There wasn't any guarantee it would last until the snow collapsed on top of them. Tuesday thought that she could hear the mass around them groaning, and with two fire-type pokemon trapped with them and no way to reach their pokeballs, it was only a matter of time...

And then the fire was surrounding them, but not burning them, and the snow was melting, and they were lying on the ground, staring up at a great rainbow-colored bird.

And Tuesday knew who it was. As often as she had sat, engrossed in books on legends of that creature of the sea, Lugia, she knew its counterpart, the great bird. She might have thought she would have felt disappointed, to see this creature when it was the other that had been one of the greatest reasons she wanted to be a pokemon researcher. Just to... see him...

But this... this was amazing, and there wasn't a shred of disappointment within her.

"Ho-oh," she whispered, as the great legendary bird released a cry to the sky. I don't think I could ever draw him...wow...

[Master Houndoom]

Jaima and Meiko clutched each other tightly. The ice wall had saved them from the impact of of the avalanche, but the ice and snow had formed around them, sweeping back in to the small pocket of air until there was little more than the span of Meiko's arms for them to see and sit in, the height of the space barely enough for Ember to stand upright. Unfortunately, the water had had the exact effect that Jaima had feared, and Ember was unconscious.

Shadow looked up, his eyes narrowed, and Mercury fretted from side to side, clutching her head at the horns. Shadow put his paw on top of her head, forcing her to look at him, her deep blue eyes filling at the sight of the despair in his green ones.

<<Everyone's so afraid... they're trapped, or freezing, and some of them are trying to be brave, but they're so afraid, and... and...>>

Shadow did something he'd never done for Mercury. Careful of the spike in his chest, he pulled her close and held her, stroking her crest as she wept.

Jaima looked around at the walls of their ice prison, his jaw working. Meiko had simply put her head on his shoulder, unwilling to give up, but unable to see a way out of this.

There was a sizzle, and Jaima recalled Ember. Meiko looked up at him, her eyes wide.

"If we run out of oxygen... well... she'll survive."

It was grim, the look on Jaima's face, but Meiko nodded all the same, and recalled Ramhorn and Eggheart. She pointed Chompwater's pokeball at her, but the feraligatr snorted and moved to the side.

Jaima was watching Shadow and Mercury. He sighed. "Let them choose, huh?" He looked down at Meiko. "Mercury's made it clear to me she won't leave me. I tried to have her port away with Shadow. No dice."

Meiko swallowed, thickly, and nodded. Laying her head on Jaima's shoulder, she began to shiver. The cold was beginning to overwhelm them.

"I have no regrets, Kuonji Jaima, so just you get that guilty look off of your face," she said into his chest, softer than she meant, but Jaima's breath came out in a huff.

"You know me, Mei-chan... I keep thinking of how things could have been... Maybe we could have had more time together if--"

"Shush." Meiko looked at him, putting a finger over his lips. He kissed it, and then she kissed him, making what she hoped wouldn't be their last moments as memorable as if they would be.

The warmth that flooded over them came from around and above them, and, oddly, they began to stand as the heat engulfed them, like a flame that wouldn't burn. Passions ignited, and their kiss lasted until, finally, unable to hold the kiss any longer, they broke part and realized they really were on fire.

Blinking, they looked around. The snow was gone, no water in its place, and everyone was milling about, looking up, and pointing, or gasping, or crying softly. They had been saved, and Jaima and Meiko looked up to behold their savior, the great, rainbow phoenix, who cried his name in triumph and graciousness.

Ho-oh.

Mercury trilled and spun, the anxiousness and despair that had battered her now lifting in joy and relief. Shadow stood, proud and strong, alongside Chompwater. The ball at Jaima's side, and one at Meiko's, burst open, releasing Eggheart, who danced and sang, and Ember, who revived, blinking, warmed by the heat of the phoenix' fires.

Meiko hugged Jaima and began to laugh, and Jaima leaned down, whispering in her ear, "s'ki da, Mei-chan."

"S'ki da, Jai-chan!"

* * * * *

When the coppers landed and the rest of the people sad their farewells to the new friends and allies they had made, Jaima approached a young redheaded boy, holding a buneary to his chest. He stood next to Reilly, looking around, seeing most of his group, his eyes especially on Meiko, saying goodbye to Pan. The copters were loading up, and Jaima smirked, thinking of Meiko's wary look as they landed.

"Where're you headed, Reilly?"

He looked up, seemingly having been so preoccupied he hadn't noticed Jaima standing next to him. "Petropolis," he said, jutting his chin out. "I'm going to get myself another badge." His words were proud, and he seemed to glare at Jaima, daring him to say anything against it.

"Me too. Our copter's heading that way, why don't you join us? Just try not to tease Meiko too much, she's already scared of them."

"She's scared to fly?" Reilly asked, incredulously, sneering in her direction. Jaima smirked.

"She doesn't trust machinery. To fly." Jaima rolled his eyes a little bit, then began to walk to the helicopter. He didn't see Reilly's shoulders sag, not until he stopped halfway there.

"You coming?"

Reilly's head snapped up, and he sat up straighter, then dropped into a slouch. Raising his brows, he sighed. "Yeah, I can come with you guys. Just to Petropolis. Then I'm getting my badge and it's later, losers!"

Jaima grinned. "Yeah, well... me first, kid."

[Toogee]

((Before the copters…))

Ho-oh flew over the valley, making sure all of the humans and pokemon were released from their icy prisons. He then turned his attention towards Castle Vonmoto. Snow still covered much of the structure; it would take months to clean up. That is, it would have had Ho-Oh not intervened. The giant bird blasted the castle with Sacred Fire, evaporating the snow yet leaving the building intact. As the snow disappeared, one could see a group of sneasel running away from the castle, in case Ho-Oh changed his mind and set his fires upon them.

Pan helped Tuesday up so they could get a better view of the rainbow phoenix clearing the castle. It was amazing, but she couldn’t help but wonder why this pokemon was doing this. He could have just minded his own business and let the group figure a way out. What did he know that they didn’t?

Her mind didn’t dwell too long on these questions; her eyes caught sight of her camera. She quickly took it into her hands and aimed at Ho-Oh. This shot would likely give her career a huge boost. She didn’t hesitate clicking the button as the bird circled around the castle. Just then, Lonnie came up behind the two girls, also watching the bird.

“Those pictures aren’t going to the media I hope,” Lonnie said as Pan turned towards him. “If the wrong people see what has conspired here, it could mean trouble for human and pokemon alike.”

“I promise that the Petropolis Museum will know what to do,” Pan replied, “And I suppose I can keep this as our little secret.”

Lonnie nodded in approval as Ho-Oh passed overhead. The rainbow phoenix was retreating to the skies above, leaving behind a glorious rainbow across the blue sky. As Ho-Oh disappeared out of sight, several feathers floated down to the ground. Pan managed to pick up one of these gifts, its prismatic coloring shining in the light. Chi-Chi looked upon the rainbow feather, pointing at all the pretty colors given off.

“Yes, they’re very pretty,” Pan replied to the pachirisu, smiling. This event would connect everyone here together for rest of their lives. Pan would certainly not soon forget it.

Everyone gets a Rainbow Feather! This is a physical representation of that unbreakable bond of everlasting friendship we talked about. See? I told you you’d get one :P. That’s all it is though; you can’t summon Ho-Oh with it.

This only applies to Dragava, Master Houndoom, 2gamers, Xal, Living Arrow, LittleShadowPokemon, Amissa, Douken Sota, Wolf Heart,

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

((After the copters arrive…))

“Leaving already? There’s still so much to talk about!”

Pan met up with Meiko just before everyone was departing, though Meiko seemed to welcome delaying her trip on the helicopter. Pan knew this wouldn’t last, but seemed as though she just got to know everyone. Now that they had to go back to their own lives, she was a little sad it ended so quickly. Still, Pan wanted this to last as long as possible.

“Hey, before you go, I’d like a picture of everyone, so get your boyfriend back over here,” Pan smiled, holding her camera.

The RP is essentially over. You may mingle as long as you want, but no other major events are going to happen. I’ll be archiving the other Vonmoto threads later today, but this one shall remain until everyone is finished.

Also, stick around for a group photo .

[Douken Sota]

Feather in hand, and no one in particular around, it felt more like he was talking to himself. "Man, what a crazy day. I leave my home in Fidona to start my adventure here. I meet someone who was wrongly convicted of stealing a Pokemon and met the Growlithe I have now, and it ends with this: so much adventure, so many memories, and so many friends and allies. If this is my first day as a Pokemoon trainer was like, I wonder how the rest will be?" he laughed, before staring at the sky. "Thank you once more, Ho-oh."

Maybe I should grab a Pokegear when I get back, he thought, thinking of heading back to Barley. Sure, he could of taken a shortcut all the way to larger cities, but right now, he would just need basic features, like a phone. Still, with no numbers in hand to give, and Pan with her camera ready for what is to be a picture of everyone together, he decided to talk to the host of this event.

"Thank you very much, Mr. Vonmoto. I am sure not everything went according to plan, but i am sure everyone here has learned something from this, may they be experienced, or fresh off the chopping block."

[Xal]

Malcolm stood up and wiped his jumper down. It was completely dry and even cleaner than it had been, but the wrinkles were horrible. He looked upwards at the bird who'd saved him, along with everyone else on the mountain, and for a moment he thought that one of the robots had escaped. It couldn't have been that though, the robots hadn't shown they possessed anything like that kind of power and they certainly didn't seem interested in helping people. Could this be the real thing? He recognised the legendary bird, but couldn't really believe it was true.

"Are you two ok?" Malcolm asked Pikachu and Pidgey, who'd returned to his side. They were dazed from being thrown about as the snow melted from under them but they were otherwise unharmed. Malcolm smiled and picked up the pokéballs, clipping them back onto his belt. They all looked up at the Ho-Oh as it flew away, leaving feathers drifting to the floor. Malcolm knelt down and plucked one from the ground. It was a rainbow feather, confirming that it was real after all.

"A nice little souvenir." He smiled, carefully attaching it to his jumper. He noticed that someone was talking to Jaima's girlfriend, calling everyone over for a group photo.

"Well, why not." Malcolm smiled again, making his way over with the two pokémon.

This post has been edited by Xal: Apr 12 2010, 03:11 PM

[Umbrae Calamitas]

Tuesday caught one of the falling feathers as it fluttered to the ground and twirled it between her fingers. It's so beautiful. She watched the colors dance as the sun struck it, much like a rainbow on the snow. How appropriate.

There was a popping sound and one of the pokeballs on Tuesday's belt burst open. Zorro leapt up to sit lightly on her shoulder and stare at the feather with her. He seemed curious and pleased. Tuesday glanced at him. "What do you think, Zorro?"

With a happy smile, his eyes closing at the force of his mirth, Zorro reached for the feather and took it from Tuesday's hands. Pulling a thin piece of leather string out of his costume bag - who knows where he got it - he tied the feather to one end of the string and then looped it around Tuesday's ponytail. The feather fell into place, dangling just behind her left ear.

Tuesday smiled. "You and Darryn should get together, Zorro. Your style isn't half bad when you're not being a goofball." Zorro beamed at her.

Tuesday walked over to say her goodbyes to Pan, and to ask shyly if the girl would continue to write to her. She would, after all, like to get to know her better, and it would be nice to talk to someone else who was into researching.

Watching Ashleigh playing around with Pan's growlithe, Fenrir, and Zorro bouncing around trying to get everyone to give him random high-fives, Tuesday smiled softly, and waited for the photo that Pan was preparing to take.

[Living Arrow]

“-ryn?”

Cold. A freezing world of everlasting ice that gripped the soul and shattered it with its unending power. From every side, knives of purest chill stabbed into the Co-ordinator’s body to steal his breath and slow his heart.

“Darryn? Darryn, wake up…”

The far away voice came with a far away shake and very rapidly those sensations were no longer far away.

“Darryn?”

“J-joey?” Darryn cracked his eyes open, a faint light illuminating the tunnel that half of his body was exposed by. His legs, somewhere below, felt like a Glameow was clawing at them ever so slowly – as though tormenting a poor prisoner Rattata. His new friend’s face was level with his – the boy somehow squeezing into the tunnel on his stomach. It seemed, for now, being smaller than everyone else really did have its uses.

“Darryn!” Joey smiled weakly. “I knew you were OK – I mean are OK… I’m going to try and get you out of here and then I think-”

“Lady?” Darryn asked quickly, trying in vain to move anything below his stomach.

“She’s fine – your Rapidash, too… but they’re very cold.” Joey’s face dropped a little. Darryn’s eye widened.

“My Pokeballs… If I can get my Pokeballs…” Darryn struggled desperately to dig to his waist but there was simply no room or energy in him that would make it possible. He roared angrily, twisting this way and that, trying to force a gap between his body and the compressed snow. “Lady! November!”

“Darryn… It’ll be alright…” Joey insisted, his face telling another story. “I’ll get Jet to-”

A drop of water hit Joey on the nose. Both trainers blinked. Another drop hit him in the face, this time on the cheek. He wiped it away clumsily with the back of his sleeve just as a few more fell in rapid succession all around them before…

Blessed heat surged through the imprisoning snow, ice immediately turning to water, swirling around humans and Pokemon in an eddy of warming air. Steam filled the mini tunnel quickly but no hassle came of it as the tunnel roof was already falling away, exposing the clear blue sky overhead. Darryn propped himself up and felt for solid ground as his ice cage gave way and released him, the snow becoming a wall of mist that rose rapidly into the air. Joey slid down next to Darryn, equally in awe of the destruction of the ice walls around them, his Seel lumbering over to them with a grin.

<Prince Darryn!> Lady jumped into her trainer’s arms, closely followed by his Rapidash who nuzzled his shoulder lovingly.

“Guys!” He hugged them both. “You’re OK!”

<The heat saved us.> Lady confirmed, looking upward with an intent gaze. Darryn followed her eyeline and found, much to his amazement, a rainbow-coloured bird flying overhead. It gleamed and sparkled like a figure out of myth, screaming its will to the skies. From its body fell a myriad of glittering feathers that trainers began to catch from the air. Darryn plucked one from above him, holding it close to examine its multicoloured form. It was simply breathtaking – the way the golden sparks of the legend’s fire fell all around them in a cascade of glorious light…

“The next ribbon is sure to be mine, now.” Darryn grinned, patting November’s neck. “Now I know the perfect combination that will steal the show!”

~

Darryn watched quietly as Pan messed with her camera on a tripod, waving her arms for the group of trainers to move closer together. He grinned at her as she raced towards them, screaming for everyone to watch the lens and slotting herself in between himself and Meiko. From what he had heard, the two he gotten close on their own little adventure and it made Darryn feel that the trip back to Mount Arasam wasn’t completely wasted - he’d managed to reignite an old friendship, remind himself of how much he wasn’t friends with another person and made a new friend in a certain shorter-than-average-Joe.

His white smile flashed open as the camera shutter clicked and whirred, closing his adventure at Castle Vonmoto.