Session 22, VP2

The next round of battles began in the tournament. Sylvie found herself facing off against a Blizzstrix, while Ariela battled a Cremaunt. Despite their Typing disadvantages, both trainers managed to eke out a victory, moving onto the third round. Here, Ariela fell to a Chromestrix after landing a few solid blows. The Chromestrix’s trainer, Halbrecht, was a cheerful and friendly sort. After he thanked Ariela for a fun battle, she asked for his contact information, for future rematches. 

Although she had been beaten, Ariela still ended up placing third overall in the competition. On the other side of the arena floor, Thistle found himself paired off with a Basktrodon. Though the dinosaur did have the benefit of having a Fire move, it’s Rock typing allowed Thistle to hit for large amounts of damage. In short order, the Basktrodon had been felled. With the crowd getting increasingly amped up, the time had come for the final round. Halbrecht waved to Sylvie and wished her good luck. She tersely did the same, as the bell rang out. 

The Chromestrix barreled across the ring, lashing out at Thistle with its razor-tipped talons. Again, fighting uphill against Type, Thistle did his best to dodge what blows he could. In-between his dips and dives, he began returning fire with his own Metal Claws. Each time he landed a hit, Thistle’s claws grew sharper still. The combatants found themselves locked in an intense series of swings. The Chromestrix wore away Thistle’s health as it alternated between Metal Claw and Wing Attack. Having used the one use of Protect Thistle had on a particularly powerful Wing Attack, he had no option left but to continue slashing at his foe. 

Both of the Pokémon were low on health, and weary from the battle. Calling upon his signature move, Halbrecht had the Chromestrix launch a powerful Flash Cannon. The silverly sheen reflecting off of the Chromestrix’s feathers condensed into a ball of light, rocketing straight towards Thistle. At the very last second, Thistle leapt into the air. He twisted his body, narrowly avoiding the attack, while positioning himself above the Chromestrix. With a cry of fury, Thistle brought his keen claws down on the Chromestrix’s head one final time, knocking it to the floor. 

The audience exploded with cheers and applause. Sylvie ran forward, and Thistle leapt into her arms. Despite his exhaustion, it was clear he was excited with the response to their victory. The announcer and tournament aides brought out a red velvet cape, lined with white feathers, and a thin “golden” crown for Sylvie. Before he could react, Thistle was swept into a matching set tailored for his size. 

The top 4 contestants were all awarded for their skills in Monies and Items. For taking first, Sylvie and Thistle were declared the Lords of the Mall. She also won a “Speed Shopping Spree”, to be held a short while later that day. Her friends rushed over to congratulate her and Ariela on their respective victories. 

Lauren and Donner arrived shortly after and immediately joined in the celebration. When things had quieted down some, Donner explained that he had a gift, in return for the Adaptstrix charm she had given him earlier. He pulled a hand-made hair clip from within his bag: a large pink flower sat in the center, flanked on either side by one of Duna’s feathers. Sylvie thanked him, and asked him to put the hair clip on her. The pair blushed slightly as Donner pinned the hair clip beneath the hair ties holding up her “bud”. 

Having not eaten since breakfast, most of the group suggested a stop by the food court to recharge. While our heroes ate and relaxed, Thistle ran up and down the storefronts in glee. Every so often, mallgoers would mock bow to him, addressing him as “my liege”. He was given many food samples and waddled his way back to Sylvie. With a contented yawn, he curled up inside her crown to sleep. 

Once rested, the trainers decided to search for the smaller competitions they had heard were taking place. Ariela won a Mad Dash Sprint through a crowded store, while Reinhold won a game of Pokédodge Deflection. The Ohmslo Ohmodome Model Engineering Contest was also won by Ariela and her team, while Lauren managed to perform the Togedemaru Soothing Round-Up the quickest. A Paired-Dancing Competition was announced next. Though Reinhold and Bronze put on a decent performance, Ariela broke out the big guns: she called up her new friend, Halbrecht. The two of them manuevered across the dancefloor with surprising grace, given how shortly they’d known each other. 

After a tight judging ceremony, Halbrecht and Ariela were declared the winners. The final event of the day was a Limerick Contest. Several of our heroes competed, alongside a few of the other attendees. Each of the limericks received plenty of laughs, but Bronze’s brought the house down. Whether it was the lyrics, or her exceedingly reserved delivery, she won out over the other entrants. 

The sun had set some time ago, but the mall was still fairly crowded. The tournament staff managed to find Sylvie for her “Speed Shopping Spree”. Realizing it was nearing the time Hilde’s mother would get off of work, Lauren took their leave as the rest of the group stayed to cheer Sylvie on. The staff gave Sylvie a shopping cart and explained the rules. She would have two minutes to dash around between stores, throwing anything she wanted into the cart. Everything inside the cart when the timer ran out, she would get to keep, free of charge. It took a few minutes to explain that this wouldn’t count as stealing to Sylvie, but she took to the challenge with gusto. 

Across town, Lauren made their way to the Southern Pokémon Center. Hilde had let them know that her mother would be getting off of her nursing shift around 8pm. Trying their best not to look like a threat, Lauren loitered outside the building. Hilde’s mother exited after a few minutes, looking fatigued. Lauren got her attention and re-introduced himself. Taken by surprise, Hilde’s mother introduced herself as Riina. It was clear she was suspicious and wary from the get-go. Those feelings were only bolstered when Riina realized that Lauren had already met and spoken with her daughter. 

It was a tense dance to keep the conversation from devolving into full-out hostility. Nothing Lauren said seemed to help allay the justified suspicions Riina held. Still, Lauren was at least able to discover why she didn’t want Hilde going off on a Pokémon journey. Working at the Pokémon Center, Riina saw first-hand how dangerous Pokémon could be. She’d treated a veritable horde of people injured by Wild Pokémon, alongside Pokémon themselves. Yes, there were risks Hilde might encounter in Ohmslo, but those risks typically wouldn’t include burning lava, vicious poisons, or scorching electricity. 

Unable to effectively counter Riina’s fears, Lauren could tell they were wearing their welcome ever thinner. Throwing out their last-ditch effort, Lauren pointed out that caging Hilde would color her inevitable departure with resentment and spite. Hilde had stayed this long to respect Riina’s wishes, but she was already feeling desperate. There was no denying that a time would come when her desire to leave would outweigh her desire for her mother's approval. 

Seeing that Riina was clearly aggravated with the conversation, Lauren decided to drop the subject for the time being. Riina said that she would talk to her daughter, at the least, but made no promises after that. Before taking her leave, she told Lauren that there would "no more of this". A feeling of disappointment welled in the pit of Lauren's stomach. Still, they had done what they had promised. Now, it was up to fate to decide. Hoping to distract themselves, Lauren headed into the Pokémon Center to change up their team. 

As their choices were nearly done, Lauren felt a chill run down their spine. They didn't need psychic powers to tell that someone was watching them intensely. Something in their mind was ringing alarm bells, but the cause wasn't clear until Lauren turned around. Linnea. The passage of time had seen her grow into a beautiful and cold young woman. Every one of her muscles seemed intensely controlled, devoid of life or emotion. Except her eyes. Within them was a kind of fury Lauren had never felt before, that paled even in comparison to their last meeting. Though she kept her voice at a low volume, Linnea's words pierced through Lauren's soul. Before they could get their bearings, if such a thing were possible, Linnea left disdainfully. 

This trip home had bolstered Lauren's spirits at first, but this day had undone much of that recovery. Spiraling further into a mental break, Lauren made their way home in a stupor. When the rest of our heroes arrived at the Halvorsson's home, it was clear that Lauren's parents were on edge. In quiet tones, Leana and Erik asked if the group knew what had happened to Lauren. 

The trainers were stunned into a momentary silence, unsure what could have transpired. The first to break the silence was Ariela, who went to knock on the door to Lauren's room. A clatter rang out in response, as Lauren tripped over to open the door. With no further explanation, Ariela asked Lauren to come help her down at Tilligan's Beach with reviving a fossil. Ariela led the way out the door and across town, as the rest of the party attempted to calm the fears of Lauren's parents. 

Once they had reached the shore, Ariela unpacked a set of strange items from her pack. Calmly, she set up a bowl, engraved with runes, then filled it with distilled water. She rested the Root Fossil she had found the day prior in the bowl carefully. As she drew a series of runes in the sand, she tried to help Lauren center themselves by recounting wisdom from her hometown. She finished by saying that Lauren could talk if they wished or return to their home after taking in some fresh air. 

Though quiet at first, eventually Lauren began to explain what had happened. Watching the ocean ebb and flow peacefully, they brought poison memories to their lips. In time, the tale had been told, and the fossil revived. The two trainers wearily wound their way back to Lauren's house. 

Upon entering, it was clear that the rest of their friends had succumbed to sleep; understandable, given the late hour. Donner alone was awake, Sylvie's sleeping head resting on his shoulder. Concern was writ plain across his face, but he seemed to understand that what Lauren needed most now was time. 

The group awoke once more to the lingering scent of a freshly prepared breakfast. Seeing that Lauren appeared more put together than the night prior, no one wanted to breach the subject just yet, for fear of re-opening whatever wounds they were carrying. Instead, they prepared for the sand sculpture contest at Tilligan's Beach. Donner seemed hesitant and uncomfortable with the idea of changing into anything that would expose any of his burn scars. The party gently convinced him that he could come along and merely sit in the sand. Eventually, this convinced him to accompany them. 

Tilligan's Beach was significantly more crowded than had been the last two days, though nowhere near what it would be in peak season. The same amicable flocks of Pokémon could be seen milling about as well. 

Embla, Latham, and Helga, were busy setting up judges' tables, and a private tent for the judges to confer. They greeted our heroes with a cheerful wave. true to their word, they had brought plenty of food and drink.  

Sylvie sat a small bit away on the sand, letting Thistle and Jasmine play. Donner sat nearby, as Lauren stood closer to the waves, lost in thought. When the time arrived, Embla called out for all entrants to come over to hear the rules. Bronze did her level best to explain the confusing, complicated, and occasionally conflicting rules.  

Reinhold and Ariela both decided to enter, and Donner ended up deciding to join as well. Bronze released her Pokémon, affixing them all with "Official staff" ribbons. Her party began to roam the nearby area, making sure no one attempted to cheat. Seeing Donner struggling, Sylvie offered some of her Pokémon's aid. Donner agreed, as long as Sylvie would help as well. The allotted two hours passed much quicker than they felt, and Bronze soon called out for "shovels down". Embla, Latham, and Helga joined Bronze in studying all of the sculptures, before retiring to the judges' tent. 

As soon as the tent flap closed, the three other judges changed their demeanors on a dime. Bronze was taken aback as they began to say that she "was safe now", and that they could "save her from those kidnappers". When Bronze contested the latter point, the group's faces filled with horror. They had been told that Bronze may have been mind controlled by a Psychic Pokémon into thinking she was with her kidnappers of her own free will. Her clear resistance to being "saved" was all just further "proof". 

Wanting to get Bronze to safety rather than engaging her "kidnappers", the group saw that they needed to act. Latham gently wrapped Bronze up in a bear hug, as Helga went to grab her legs. Sensibly, Bronze did what she had always been taught to do by her mother: scream loudly for help. Reinhold dashed towards the tent at the call. Three of the nearby volleyball players quickly threw out Pokémon, clearly intent on fighting the rest of our heroes. The signs of a coming battle caused a panic across the shore, and most of the general public began to flee to safety. Bronze broke free of Latham's grasp with a sudden Thunder Fang, as Reinhold engaged Helga in combat. Outside, the remaining trainers began a Pokémon battle. The six "rescuers" could not be convinced that Bronze was safe with our heroes.  

What was there to do, but to defend against the attackers? Ariela, Reinhold, and Bronze managed to do some damage themselves, while the rest of the group began to knock out their foes' Pokémon. Tapping further into their growing powers, Lauren somehow transformed into a Ralts to join the fight themselves. 

Just as the party felt they might have a grasp on what was going on, things got yet more confusing. With the battle clearly tipping in our heroes' direction, a tinny voice rang out from several places at once, "IT LOOKS LIKE I NEED TO GET INVOLVED DIRECTLY." A Wingull, Taillow, Binacle, Corphish, and Pyukumuku all left their respective flocks to surround the party. Some strange, mechanical "collar" appeared to be visible on each of the Pokémon, as if they were being remotely controlled in some manner. In the face of the group's combined might, even these additions did not speak of defeat. 

Until. All of the "rescuers" had been knocked out or fled. The five "wild Pokémon" lay upside-down on the sand, defeated. With a metallic whirring of gears, all five of the "Pokémon" suddenly began to float into the air. The tinny voice once more emanated from around the trainers: "YOU HAVE FULFILLED YOUR CONTRACT. LEAVE THIS TO ME." The hired "rescuers" still standing gathered their unconscious numbers and escaped. While they did so, the "Pokémon" began to...unfold. These were no Pokémon; these were some form of Pokébots! 

The Wingull and Taillow folded their wings together, forming what appeared to be winged pauldrons. Their bodies extended, as their beaks grew larger to form rudimentary hands. The Binacle flipped itself upside-down, its stalks ratcheting out to form legs. The Corphish tilted itself backwards and split down the middle. Its mighty claws became joints for the bird-arms to lock onto, as its scuttling legs folded up as ribs. Finally, the Pyukumu increased in size, and landed heavily atop the Corphish torso. "MEGABOT, READY TO BATTLE." Transformed and combined, the MegaBot now stood well over 10' tall. It struck a pose, crossing its arms in an "X". Who could have made such a thing? And why was this strange group trying to "save" Bronze from the party?  

The MegaBot uncrossed its arm, and held up its powerful beak-fists. One thing was clear to our heroes: the only way to get answers would be to fight, and win. The steel in their resolve mirrored that of the MegaBot's heart. Whose metal would survive the flames of battle?