Ilex Forest Dura Lex

### *"He called her name many times, getting no kind of answer…as he could still.”*

The Jigglers enjoyed the luxury of V-class occupying of their favourite activities. Squirtle and Bagon played at the snooker table, Ninjask prayed in his japanese comb temple, Chimecho distressed playing her harp, Lucario with his leg casted limited to lay and listen, Swalot ate like there wasn’t a tomorrow, and Piplup, Oshawott and Swellow had a beauty-farm treatment.

“We’re finally in the class of the winners, man. Tlack! Your turn.” Squirtle placed the cue-triangle and opened the challenge.

Bagon aimed to a ball and hit with the stick “Hole! Again my turn. By the way, I’m happy to be here, but…(sigh)…I have a better reason for the happiness that I’d prefer to be granted in replace.” The dragon prepared his second hit.

“Which is it?” asked Squirtle, concerned.

“I want to learn to fly! Not only for me, it’s for a promise I did.” Bagon clenched the goggles in the fist, shuddering for the commotion “My grandfather was a Salamence, one of the best flyers ever existed, he donated me these pilot glasses before dying. Since I was an egg he took care of me, because I’m orphan, and narrated all the beutiful tales and marvelous adventures he had lived in his whole life, flying above the skies of Hoenn and beyond…whenever I listened to them, my eyes glittered in dream, my desire grew more when he offered to teach me the rules of the flight, but I kept failing to the point I almost gave up. Then he looked into my eyes and told me he had exactly my same problems when he was a Bagon, but cause he never gave up, he had managed to reach his dream after terrible struggles and efforts.” Bagon stopped to dry his muzzle “The day after he felt sick and became too weak to use his wings, so we were forced to interrupt the lessons, and by the end of the day the life abandoned him: he reminded me to never stop to follow my ambition neither chose the easiest way, and also revealed me the truth.”

“The truth of what?”

“He was never that big flyer he had always told about, he would have dreamt to be, but being unable to achieve it, he had disposed in me his biggest hope. That’s why I swore on his grave to become the BIGGEST FLYER EVER EXISTING, to realize this dream and most important fly up to the skies of Paradise to see him again, and say: I did it.” Bagon’s determination brought him to step on the table and fierce the ceiling with a finger.

“Sniff, buddy, you made me wet my sunglasses for the tears” Squirtle sniffled in emotion, taking off the shades “I wish you good luck for your dream.” Lucario dried a tear quickly before they could turn to see him.

Bagon continued the game “This is the reason why I’m being disappointed by the idea to have allied with Swellow, I feel like he isn’t the pokèmon we need to grant our dreams. He doesn’t care than for his awesomeness.”

“The right term is Swellowsomeness, ladies. Anyway, let me finish the narration: I was starving, wounded by the scratches of Raikou, Entei and Suicune, that were all coming into my direction, I knew there was only a move that could have saved me, but was a total hazard: Endeavor.” Piplup and Oshawott listened to in silence and awe, putting the cucumber slices off the faces. Swellow smirked “With the speed of a bolt and the agility of the lion, both qualities that out of the numerous ones I have, distinguish me from the average of the swallows, I flew through them fearless widening the wings and reducing their HP the same as mine, wooosh, wooosh! Right in this way. The rest was simple, I had just to waste another attack to knock the three doggies out in a single hit with the power of…”

Bagon and Squirtle bursted into the conversation “Can you speak a minute with us, man? There’s something important to- SLASH!” Bagon got scratched by the Scallop Blade of Oshawott which shouted “YOU INTERRUPTED THE NARRATION IN THE PITCHED PART!HOW DARE YOU? SHUT UP AND GO AWAY BEFORE I KICK YOUR-“ but Piplup interrupted her “Tsk, your usual primitive manners. Learn from me: guys, mind to bring somewhere else your useless presence? You’re not requested at the moment, plus interrupt Swellow is rude.” Swellow pumped his chest “It’s more than rude, a total crime!”

Bagon frowned “Come on, Squirtle, let’s leave…”

“Nevermind, where I was arrived? Ah, yes, I was fighting against Celebi…”

“CELEBI? Osha-what? Weren’t you struggling against the legend dogs?” Swellow blink blinked in hesitation, but eventually caught up “Certainly, this happened soon after I defeated them. Cresselia..ehm..Celebi pursued on me all of sudden” the smug swallow continued for a bit. Until the plane landed on the next destination, skidding on the wet grass to crash against a couple of wooden made houses and a sign post with written on: “Azalea Town”.

The weather was outcasted and almost close to drizzle. “Gush, what a way to land, I have 100.000.000 years on my spine, afterall, and this doesn’t help for sure.” Anorith descended first from the Tail of Losers, followed by the trembling Dunsparce, that had dreamt to fall in the void all the night. “Brrr,trr…I’d like to ask for a lesser nerve raking punishment than this. Aaaaaaaah…SPLASH!”

“Watch out from the Slowpoke Pit, venturers, it’s easy to fall in. Also, welcome to Azalea Town.” Victini get out the plane in hurry, brushing his orange fur and teeth, dressed on with an elegant vernal tie, too “How am I, Ji, fabolous or simply victinilicious? Eheheh..” “Roooonf..zzz…” “Bah, what I ask you worth for?”

“Oh, no, Dunsparce!” Sylveon jumped off the plane in panic “Why there isn’t a sign next to this pit to warn about the peril? This is dangerous, Dunsparce may had broken something or drowning there, not to mention the cold temperature dangerous for a reptil…shame to the Azalea townies. Quick, pass me a rope, don’t worry, Dunspy, I’m coming to your rescue, even if you should be more careful with that little body…” the fairy eon used her ribbons like a rope and prepared to jump inside the pit.

Aurorus stopped her by the tail “Calm, Tropius can recuperate him in easy.” Tropius reassured “Sure, don’t worry. Dunsparce, hang to my neck.” “H-How?I don’t have arms.” “SSStop!” Seviper blocked them, and overlooked the pit “A ssssnake never asks, he finds always the own way to get with a sssssolution.”

“R-R-Really?

Sylveon scattered “What are you saying, Seviper? This pit is too deep for him, and the more the temperature in his body gets low, the more the risk for is health is increased.”

“Actually, he still has about 2 minutes of life because the blood in his body is frozen, I did some calculations.” Porygon 2 explained with a neutral attitude, making Sylveon to have almost an heart beat, Minun glared at him “You aren’t programmed to be careful of emotions, right?” the virtual polygone twitched “E-motions? Require an update: I don’t have files about.”

“Ahem, s-sorry to i-interrupt but then what I have t-to do? Brrr..this place is icy.” Tropius tucked his neck more, Sylveon hopped on him “Right. Here we coming!” Seviper spat in dismay “Tsssk, are you going to let them babysit you in thisss way? Fine, then don’t whine if you’re underestimated by the whole Pokèworld.”

“M-Maybe you’re right….wait, Tropius, Sylveon, thanks for your care but I can handle this- even if I don’t have hands- by myself, I have to strife.”

“No way! You’re too weak to survive in this place with that little boneless frail body.”

“As much as I admire your courage, she’s right, this deed is over your possibilities. Crawl over my neck, Dunsparce.”

“Sssee? They have of you the sssame low consideration of the others!” the words of Seviper simmered the frustration and determination inside the land snake “Please, do you want to shut up, Seviper? You’re exaggerating.”

“No, she’s not. It’s you that d-don’t believe me, but I want to demonstrate you the opposite!” Dunsparce widened the untouchable almost invisible tiny wings and fluttered, fluttered, fluttered with many efforts.
“The time he’ll imply to reach the board of the pit I’ll be a fossil again..” Anorith was stomped by Aurorus in result of this arrogance.

Dunsparce continued to fly “Anf, pant, I-I’m doing it!” but “Hop, I got you finally! Now stay in my embrace, this is almost all finished.” Sylveon grabbed him and with the help of Tropius they reached the surface. However, Dunsparce wasn’t happy “B-But..Sylveon, I was managing to do this but myself! Seviper is right, you all treat me like a desperate case…s-sigh…I want to stay alone for some minutes, if I dare to..” and crawled sadly in a log before anyone could say anything. Seviper sniggered:her plan had worked finely.

**Which plan? She explained in the Vent: “I should be the leader of the Venturers to get the whole control, but Victini nominated Sylveon last time, this made her my new selected victim. But I know Dunsparce would hardly vote out a friend so I need to slice their friendship before, and this isss a good ssstart.”**

“By the way why are you so elegant, daddy?” Lampent asked deadpanned. “Not that I care much.”

“Lemme guess, you have a date, maaan!” said Squirtle, grinning. Victini grinned in blush “Guessed. A wonderful girl is wating for this vip of a legendary.”

“Who is he?” asked the turtle dumbfounded “I’m speaking about myself, Squirtle. That’s why you’ll have to do this episode without the vibrant presence of your favorite host.” “Oh my Arceus, who knows if we’ll manage to survive an entire day?” “Shut it, Beheeyem, do you want another lesson from HIM?” “Ehp,true, no I don’t.” Victini despite hearing some whispers continued “Jirachi will substitute me, I gave him all the instructions, it won’t be that difficult to direct for once. Also because as I predicted well, today should be one of the rarest days he’s a little more awake.” He poked the wishmaker “Than his standards of course. OMG, I’m in late! Pink Celebi is a maniac of punctuality since she travels through time, I won’t do a good impression in this way, bye!” and warped away.

Squirtle stretched “Wow, we’re having a day-off today, people. Let’s relax.”

“YAAAAAAAWN! Duhm..I slept enough. Ah, it’s funny to see again the world with open eyes..aaawn..” Jirachi flipped of 360° tossing the pillow away “I’m still a little sleepy, but after so much inactivity, I’m pretty CHARGED, wohoo! So, my name is Jirachi and I’m gonna be your \*star\* host! What’s the challenge? Let me see….pff, boring.” The J-Host ripped the notes “Such a kind of challenge that would make me sleepy again…yaawn…deeh. I have a better purpose!”

“Oh, no, for once that Victini may have chosen a less treacherous task…”

“Were you saying, Squirtle?”

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Jirachi said everyone to follow him, they all stopped aside the house of Franz the famous craftmaster. “This is the theme of the challenge: art & kraft! Yawn\*\*…zzz..eh, uh? Okay, I’m still awake. You have to use wood, apricorns, and whatever you find in the Ilex Forest in order to create a miniature of me, Victini and Latias (depending by the symbol of your team, doy) by the sunset. Who makes the best one, will win the pass for the Vip Class, who makes the worst or will travel on the Tail of Los…zzzzzzzz…”

“Did he fall asleep?” questioned Squirtle.

“Shhht, don’t wake up him. It’s more convenient if he stays asleep!”

“Plus, he explained enough of the challenge” added Tropius “Let’s begin.”

-Victini Venturers-

Few later was again Tropius to speak: “I think we should organize to splice in two halves: who provides the raw materials and who works them. It’s easy to decide that me and Aurorus, Seviper, Lunatone, and Gorebyss have to go search in the forest since we can’t literally handle the workcraft. But who has of the others any manual skill or experience in craftmanship?”

“Anorith clenches and cuts lot of things with his pincers, maybe this talent is our best source” Aurorus gave a questionable look to the fossil pokèmon “Also because is the only one with good deftness here. What do you think, Anorith?”

“I try. Have some experience, altough: back in the prehistoric ages, I used to build my shelters with my own claws.” Everyone approved the idea, yet “However I can’t work alone, need at least two helpers: Sylveon has paws and Dunsparce (maybe) can carve the wood with the driller. Maybe, eh.” Sylveon opposed “Oh, no, unless with the oportun safety measures I won’t afford this work for him. Do you know how many consequences can cause a splinter in a sensible zone of the body? Actually…” Sylveon rushed to the plane, opened her luggage, and distributed protective goggles “Take these on. Better to prevent than heal after, right?” Anorith twitched remarking with sarcasm “Oh, they’ll be sooooo useful to me, thanks.” “Obey, I’m your leader.”

“*Who knows for how much time …*” hissed Seviper.

“Where’s Dunsparce? He must wear the goggles, and also a scarf I made for him: it’s better to protect from this dampness the most possible! You should, too.” Anorith shook the head “No, thanks, I’m already wearing these useless glasses my armor is warm enough.”

Dunsparce lurked to them “I-I’m here by a bit, but didn’t have the courage to clear out my return. Sorry for my crisis of before, but…sigh, nevermind, give me the goggles and the scarf.”

Anorith reflected “By the way, leave me Gorebyss, too, she has some deftness with the fins.” Everyone except Seviper agreed, and the group led by Tropius walked across the Ilex Forest… “Okay, let’s start the research.”

“Careful, this place is well known to be easy to get lost in it” Aurorus warned meanwhile she picked some blue apricorns with the mouth and put them in the case “Don’t worry, I’ll keep my eyes on the town since I’m taller than the same wood.” Reassured Tropius. Seviper crawled over his body, the neck and whispered in his ears “Fool. You should have sssaid that you keep the eyes on her or that it’s easssier to lose in her beauty.”

“Eh, what?” Tropius’s face reddened “She’s just a friend to me, why should I say those things?” the snake rolled her cupid eyes “Tsssk, it’s evident that you like her and viceverssssa, she just tried to prove your sentiments for her and see how did you react, but you ssscrewed the occasion.”

“I did really? Urgh, I think we collected enough stuff for now, let’s come back to give them to Anorith and the others, so they can start to work. Hurry up!”

-Jirachi Jigglers-

The Jigglers didn’t suffer of the same problems having lot of ‘mons able to use their hands, however they had decided for a different strategy, getting all together the path for the forest, in order to make a torough reasearch of the materials. Altough they accidentally spliced in mini groups once inside that natural maze.

Bagon and Squirtle saw some good trees in a path, getting soon lost in the company of Swellow, Oshawott and Piplup argued a bit for the right direction taking in result different ways that brought to the same blindside, meeting Swalot in addition, Chimecho and Lucario stayed behind due to the fact Lucario was forced to limp by the injure, but he had refused cathegorically to stay at Azalea Town (as he should).

“Gnn..frush..frash..can you wait for me, sgrunt? Where are those stupid apricorn…THUMP!” Lucario tripped into a root “Osch, my other leg, runf, stupid root, stupid forest, stupid misfortune!”

The wild Oddish shouted back “Hey! This wasn’t funny certainly for me, I was doing my journal nap. Auch.”

Chimecho had already collected some sticks and apricorns when she turned back to him “Lucario, I warned you to not do this effort, and these are the results.” The dog frowned “Did you float backward only to scold me or to help? Hurry to answer, so-“ the wind bell deconfirmed “Not this time, you need to understand the consequences of your dare.” “Fine, because I DON’T NEED ANY HELP, I perfectly know how to heal myself, with traditional raw methods. Urgh..frush..frush..I just need a leaf, a stick..” Chimecho stayed motionless while watched Lucario creeping on the belly in the desperate painstacking search of something useful for his injures. They were just at the entrance of the forest. Stubborn, Lucario kept struggling for many minutes causing more pain and wounds until he shouted at her:

“Dang! Want to wait more or have finally decided to cure me? Because, bah, I give up.” Chimecho limited to toss him an Orange Berry “Eat this. It will give you the necessary force to walk back to Azalea Town…where we’ll stay sitting in tranquillity, waiting for the others to return and starting to do the craftart.” Lucario, startled by this reaction, followed doing no complaints, yet muttering a lot.

“Bagon, man, did you find anything so far? There’s so much dusk in this place I see all black and dark.”

“Squirtle, sheik, take off your sunglasses, and maybe you’ll see.”

“Uh. Done it, but the situation isn’t yet that better..!” someone suddenly rattled next to him “Brrrr..I fought against Zapdos, Moltres, Articuno, Suicune, exc,exc..but all this darkness make me so nervous. SQWAK!!!”

“Swellow, is it you who just screamed now?”

“Eh? Me, the Swellowsome? Never. You had an hallucination. Don’t forget that I’m not courageous, I’m the courage itself! Otherwise how could I defeat so many legendaries?”

“Right, sorry me, dude. Then what’s trembling upon my shell so hard?”

“Ahem..t-the wind?”

-Latias Leviathans-

“The dusk is getting very huge in this place” Minun said narrowing the eyes to seek for more materials “Don’t worry, we have a portable torch just for this case, click!” Lester pointed at Lampent, and she lighted on, illuminating the area with a gloomy purple flare.

“Bip. Bip. Bip. The area is clear. I can’t detect anything.” “Keep the research, Pory, we already collected lot of interesting objects but I want to create a masterpiece of craft, not a simple statue, ah!\*EPIC POSE\* By the way this is also for my girlfriend, Yumi, who’s certainly watching the TV at the moment.” The techno chaos possesser blushed in wide laughers. Beheeyem didn’t lost the occasion to remark sarcastically why then he didn’t directly reach her by the camera and get out forever from the competition to do them all a favor..

Drifloon turned to speak with Castform “Caterpie, what’s up? Why so silent today? I know you by many years and never saw you this speechless.” Castform replied “First, my name is Castform, and we hardly know by four days. Second, I’m silent just because I want, so leave me alone. I’m not in the right mood.”

The whole group walked for a bit finding nothing than trees and weeds with Porygon 2’s radar going aimlessly and the quirky guide methods of their leader , Lampent felt really bored that ordered everyone to stop “Pause. I think we got enough stuff but this situation is getting more and more annoying and boring to me. For this reason, I purpose to kill the time for a little: this forest is spooky and devious to be the perfect set for an horror tale.”

“An horror tale now?” Minun arched a brow. “I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

“On the contrary!” Rotom eagerly agreed “Nothing better to pump up the adrenaline than the fear. By the way, I love ghost stories, I’m originary of the Old Chateau, you know? ”

Porygon 2 quizzled “Searching…*404 not found*. Is this *fear* another **E-motion** perhaps?” Minun nodded “Yes, it’s when you live an uneasy situation and feel all the-brrr!- chills over your body.” He got immediately after glomped by the sister “Plusle! Whatcha doing?” “Stop to shiver now, Minny, your dear sissy is with you and will protect you from any source of fear, +\*CUDDLE-WADDLE\*+” “\*Blush\* Urgh, I shivered just to explain Porygon 2 what fear is, I’m not scared by the dark tales, you should know I read many books of” Plusle squeezed him more with the hug. Beheeyem snickered “And this is called affect, I suppose, or I should call it the perfect way to do another poor figure in front of the pokèmon worldwide because of my sister? “

**“That’s it. I seriously need to update on these e-motions soon as possible. I have no files saved in my RAM neither in my processor.” Porygon 2 wondered inside the ventilator conduct. “But I can’t find the site where to download on Internet…as my f.r.i.e.n.d. (file redundant in every notion I do) Lester would say, this is quirky.”**

“Alright, I assume the rest of you agrees, it starts now.” Lampent smiled dimming her light at least “A little warning: a tale from me it’s not a piece of cake but a perfect **CUPCAKE**. Said this, I’ll narrate you a true novel…

*“Once upon a time two brothers, twins from the birth, not acknowledging victims of the fate that was waiting for them, decided to go play in the forest: the male, a little more wise, at the beginning wasn’t sure of the idea, but eventually the upbeaty female sister managed to change his idea. This was the same path they followed, people say that if you focus you can still see the tracks of their paws, appearing and fading as the time stopped in somewhat way forever to those moments of run for the life, panic, terror.”*

Minun and Plusle gulped giving instinctively a glance at the ground.

*“They entered in the Ilex Forest starting to do some kiddy games like Hide n’ Seek, but the night came suddenly in few minutes, and the darkness surprised them. It was already past midnight, yet it was morning before. Minun looked immediately for a torch, then rushed to recuperate Plusle…as he could still. She seemed nowhere, but her electricity sparkled everywhere, he could clearly sense that, there was such a special bond between the two! He called her name many times, getting no kind of answer…as he could still.”*

Lampent shrugged sarcastically.

*“Minun actually resigned. He would have looked for Plusle later with the help of the citizens, what he needed to do was to comeback to the town. Which was the right path? The darkness barely afforded him to make a choice, he walked in circle a lot, until he found a sign post: utterly blank. Or maybe no? Minun approached the light to it and saw some letters glyphed, finally a message appeared. FOLLOW ME. Minun looked nearby, seeing a Murkrow on a tree, the ribbon of Plusle inside the beak.”*

Plusle rattled squeezing her brother more in the fearful hug, but he didn’t complain this time. Lester was impatient to know the rest of the story, same Drifloon. Beheeyem and Porygon 2 were motionless, the former yawned, too.

*“Without further ado, Minun ran after Murkrow, who flew in circle all the time, mazing more the poor mouse. Tired and desperated, he stopped to breath, noticing the same sign post of before, but with a different script on. SHE’S HERE. Minun checked around, then kicked the post and cried at Murkrow in anger: where was his sister for true? Why that cursed crow had lied and forced him to run in circle? But Murkrow hadn’t lied. She was there. Dark Celebi. And there was also his sister, a piece after another for each pass percurred by Minun. Minun widened the eyes in horror when Celebi*” –“KA-KRRRAAAK”- A thunder covered the rest of the narration (and the screams of terror of the electric twins) “*…as he could still.*” Another lightning and then it started to rain, Lampent lighted off totally.

“Ahahahah!” Drifloon outbursted in laughers “This joke was utterly funny, don’t you think? …well, actually I admit I didn’t get it at all.”

“Ahhhh, too much darkness, total darkness!” Minun and Plusle had a full panic attack while Porygon 2 tried to understand the concept of fear doing impossible calculations and Lester laughed together Drifloon. Castform assumed the form of a drop and her body turned into a grey cumulonimbus “Life sucks. Enjoy the imminent end..”

“SCREW THAT, CASTFORM, THANKS! W-We are enough terrified.” replied Minun in tears “Whatever, too depressed to argue at the moment.” Beheeyem floated away from them being able to see in the shadow thanks to the leds.

“This was rather cruel: first you scare the hell of them with a not so happy story, then abandon them suggestioned by the fear to the darkness.” he said meeting with Lampent, who shrugged “Nothing different from you, who just left them in the moment of the need whether you could illuminate the area with your psychic lasers.” Beheeyem shrugged back “Fair point, you’re an heartless ghost, I’m an alien of a race that sacrificed the emotions in favor of the cleverness. Aside that if they weren’t irrational creatures that let their mind to be dominated by the emotions, they would remind they know the move Flash. Whatever.”

Stretched and continued “Well, in this way we got an excuse to skive off the whole challenge, I assume. We have to do nothing than return to Azalea Town and enjoy a day of vacancy, meanwhile they are stuck here.” Lampent smiled deviously in agree, soon after she dashed under a tree to cover herself, pretty scared.

“Let me guess, you’re afraid of the rain.” Said the alien with irony.

“Let me guess, you used the telepathy to understand this obviousness.” Said her in return with more irony.

Beheeyem looked into his bag “Let me guess again, you wish for an umbrella like this.”

Lampent giggled coldly “Guessed. Try to understand it without the use of telepathy next time.”

………………………………………………

At the town of Azalea Anorith started the handicraft trimming the wood with the pincers “Klact-klact-klact. The body is done. Can someone pass me a red apricorn for the head? Pronto?...” Sylveon was wrapping up a bashful Dunsparce in a k-way “I-It’s just a drizzle, there’s no need to..” “A drizzle, a drizzle, then tomorrow you find yourself stuck in the bed with a bad flu. C’mon, stay firm, and let me do my job.” “What are you, a nurse? S-Stop, I mean, I don’t need so many cares.”

“Pronto?!”

“C’mon, don’t be silly, have trust, and yes, I studied to be a nurse.”

“PRONTO?!! Need that red apricorn! Bah. There’s no respect for the age nowadays.” Sylveon, distracted, tossed the fruit that flopped in the bowl of Gorebyss who was still asleep “Plok! Yawn, good morning to everyone. So, Vanillite, what’s for breakfast today, the golden skales or the diamond powder? Hum..fruit?”

“No, that’s an apricorn, and it’s midday and Vanillite was eliminated yesterday, remember?”

“Ah, true. Then where’s my me-eH?? IT’S ALREADY MIDDAY? I missed my journal treatment of the morning and my breakfast? Why none woke me up? What’s going on..?! I’m confused, say me that I’m cute \*^\*” she cried causing almost a crack in the glass. Anorith made a grimace “You’re cute (and damn hot). Now welcome to the indipendent life of the average pokèmon that doesn’t need an icicle butler and provides by herself the alimentaries and the rest, using her own fins! About this, can you help me?”

“Help you with what?”

“Pass me that apricorn, first of all, then help me with the sculpture of Victini we have to create.”

“Oh, okay…here. But I’m starving, I won’t do anything until I’m not fed.” She stayed in silence, waiting for an answer. Until she got impatient “Hey! I’m waiting for my food to be served, at this point you should have already come back with my expensive fodder.” Anorith shrugged “And..? I ain’t Vanillite.” Gorebyss flinched and flicked in unbelief “S-So? Are you seriously saying that I have to feed myself?” “Exactly.”

“OH!...but..but..the food remained on the plane, it’s so far and I can’t walk outside my bowl…remember what happened yesterday?”

“You can do anything if you want, the need makes you do the impossible. I still believe you can manage to stay at open-air.” Anorith entered in the tank “It’s not difficult, look how I exit, now. I born as a sea creature like you, but, with a little of will, I –hop!- left the water forever to enjoy the ground. Do a try!” the abyss princess swam to the surface of the water and put the first fin off the board of her glass palace, shivering once it was exposed to the cold air of the winter, and retired immediately back in the water “Sorry, I-I can’t do it, maybe I’m too weak because I missed brekfast. Mind to do it in place of me, \*please\*? Just for this time at least, I promise to try again tomorrow.”

Anorith couldn’t resist to those sweet eyes, sighed and resigned to go the plane “Fine. I’ll be back in five minutes with your gold skales. Can someone continue the sculpture in the meanwhile?”

“I-I can do it! D-Despite I’m not sure to do a good work, but I promise to do my best.” Dunsparce offered to substitute and started to drill the wood, but was continuosly asked if he was fine, if not a splinter had wounded him, and similar questions by Sylveon, meanwhile Gorebyss observed him in interest. Dunsparce was actually doing a good work having shaped the legs of the statue, and he had only two wings on his back to handle the material, not real hands! However, he was also trembling for the nervosism accumulated in the process: to the usual insecurity and anxiety he was born with in addition there were the annoying advices of Sylveon.

“Dunsparce, drill slowlier, in this way you won’t do so many splinters, also you may change posture to make your back doing the least efforts possible, and cover better with that k-way! This rainy clime is treacherous for the health of your frail body.”

“(Sigh) O-Ok, Sylveon, yes, Sylveon, thanks for the s-suggestion, Sylveon…but, please, I swear I’ll follow every of the safety procedures you kindly suggested me, but..” the land snake finally found the courage to speak out “I want to try without being protected, advised, monitored continuosly! Can you understand my point of view, right? I-If I show ingratitude I excuse, I really appreciate your attention, but..but..b-but..”

Sylveon zipped his mouth and nodded “Agree. You have to do your experiences, but, please, be always careful. I’ll help you only with the challenge since now. “T-Thank you.”

**// Tank Confessional //**

Gorebyss filed the fins relaxing inside her personal shell-bed “Welcome to my first confession: I have the luxury to dispose of my own chamber where to reveal my thoughts and secrets to the camera, since I can’t stay inside a common vent, that’s a dry and dirty place. Anyway I can’t understand why Dunsparce doesn’t like the idea that someone offers to protect him and make everything in his place: being served by the others is wonderful! On the contrary, why this will to work and do everything by himself? Mah.” The fish ends with a shrug of indifference.

**// Vent Confessional //**

Anorith tap-tapped the claws on the metal “This is a test: I want to see if Gorebyss can be motivated by the hunger to do some by herself. Seems no after 20 minutes of waiting. Auff, she’s spoiled at this point.”

Seviper and Tropius returned bringing the items collected in the forest “How’s proceeding here? The statue looks very well done so far, congratulations, Dunsparce.” “R-Really you think I’m doing a good job? By the way I’m just replacing Anorith for a few.”

“Sure, my little friend, I’m honest when I say this!” Dunsparce smiled for the compliments received from Tropius, feeling encouraged and a little more determinated. Instead Seviper crawled next to Sylveon: “I sssee you let him finally some freedom, but, actually, don’t know if so much firmness isn’t a risk for his sssafety. I mean, he may become too reassured and stop to follow his usual prudence continuing on this line…now I understand why you were so protective, I admit my fault. I judged Dunsparce wrong, now that I look at him, even a leaf could hurt him, imagine a piece of food, a portable knife or something worst.”

“I know really, I shouldn’t have put down my motherly radar” Sylveon’s eyes burned for the determination and she placed near to Dunsparce “What are you doing? Put down that drill tail, this is too dangerous for you.” Dunsparce obeyed automatically yet squinted for the shock “Y-Yes, but w-why? I thought to have had the permission from…”

“Forget it. You overcame the limit by becoming way too firm while carving. An excess of firmness means imprudence, imprudence means danger, danger means hurt! CLEAR?” the land snake didn’t reply in submission to her authority. Tropius tried to say something about, but the next act of Sylveon prevented him: she hugged strictly Dunsparce, put him on the legs like a baby, wrapped the ribbons around his wings, and started to cohordinate his movements, pretending to teach him how to work in safety. “This is how you should work, a little piece here, another here, see how simple? No drilling, no splinters! Use these little cute angelic wings and you’ll be able to do the same but in total security.” Seviper sniggered in a corner.

“How is this scene cute (and pathetic) from 1 to 10?” Gorebyss asked, giggling soon after “Nah, kidding, he’s just tender that I can’t resist to be a little nasty, \*I adore that little snaky gizmo when he blushes in this way\*, infact I think I’ll order soon a plushie of him to decorate my tank.”

Dunsparce reddened totally and shook to escape from the harassment, but in this way he drilled acidentally the head of the idol Victini making it to fall so ruining the whole job done “Oh, n-no! What have I done? T-Th-This would have not happened if you would have trusted me more! Sniff, Seviper is right, you treat me like I have an handicap or I’m a pokèmon just hatched from the egg wether I’m of level 25. But this doesn’t matter, I’m just the pathetic being I was and hoped to not be again, coming here didn’t change my situation…it’s over.” cried getting off her embrace and fleed away.

“No, that’s not the reason I behave in this way…Dunsparce..comeback here!”

“L-Leave me alone!”

“Oh, no. I didn’t want this to happen, *I just wanted to be sure nothing bad happened never to him.*” Sylveon frowned reminding the past.

“Quick! We need to recuperate him before he goes alone in the forest, no time to cry on spilled milk.” Tropius led Seviper but blocked Sylveon “However, it’s better you stay here, you did **enough** for him.” As they went in the woods, Sylveon stomped a paw on the ground and promised “I swear to find him soon as possible, they can’t hold me from this decision. I’m coming to the rescue, Dunsparce!”

Left alone, Gorebyss waited for Anorith until he came back, looking around in confusion “Urgh, what happened here?”

“Oh, finally you’re back. Well, Dunsparce argued with Sylveon, cried, and left the town, but he was so cute, then she and the others followed him in the forest, also the idol was accidentally decapitated by Dunsparce.” Gorebyss’s eyelashes flapped like a doe. “By the way, did you bring my food?”

“Magnificent. And yes, I brought your expensive fodder.”

“Golden skales, Diamond Powder, or Platinum Plates?” her eyes shimmered.

“Groan, the first one, do you like?”

“Sure, can you do me the favor to open the can, too?” she winked. Anorith blushed and rolled the eyes to the sky, granting her wish. “Of course, now let’s see how I can fix this DISASTER…”

Ignoring the mess, the Jigglers were working silently together: Ninjask chopped the woodsticks and at contemporary provided for the raw materials like he was two pokèmons in one, Chimecho occupied of the details , Lucario patiently modeled the idol. He had had the idea to use a unique bole of ilex for the body and the head, where to work cutting until to obtain the wanted shape.

“Congratulations, Lucario, your idea was brilliant and you’re showing to handle very well this activity.”

“I simply use to cultivate the art of bonsai by many years, you would be envious seeing the garden at my home! I think there’s nothing more relaxing than take care of a little tree and follow its slow grow day after day with love and patience…” Lucario stopped immediately turning his smily in a frown and returning to be on the defensive “I mean it’s less bothering than any other hobby I tried, such as fishing (the most I catched was a remoraid, fried) or playing an instrument (tried with the ukulele and I broke all the glasses of my house) afterall you have just to cut some sticks and choose the pot of the right size. DOESN’T MEAN ABSOLUTELY THAT I’M A DELICATE POKEMON, CLEAR? Uhm..I need yellow leaves for the head. Give me some.” grumbled the dog at the end.

Chimecho hid a smile and finished to polish the Black Apricorns to make the eyes of Jirachi “Forgot to use the magic word: please. However I can create a natural paint if you give me a paw.”

“Why? What I have to do? Don’t you see I’m already busy here?”

“Because I need the strength of a *not absolutely delicate pokémon* to pest the Yellow Apricorns for the mixture. Seeing you’re busy, I’ll ask to Ninjask then or I will arrange by myself.”

“No! Sgrunt, ‘kay, since you ask **so insistently** I’ll do it. Thump. Thump. Thump.” Lucario scoffed in annoyance “I’m getting bored. How much time I have to continue this monotone activity?”

“Until all the juice doesn’t come out from the apricorns.” Chimecho added some herbs to the mix, meddling. “20 minutes should be enough.”

“HOW MUCH?! Listen, I don’t want to spend the next twenty minutes in this boring way!”

“Infact, we can speak in the meanwhile to kill the time.”

“Speak of what? There’s nothing to talk on.”

The bell wind didn’t reply anymore. Continuing with the preparation of the paint, she stayed silently to enjoy the peace and quiet of Azalea Town, the gentle breeze of the spring blew making her skirt to flutter and the smooth sound of the chime echoed. Lucario broke the silence after a few “Grr, I risk to sleep here!”

“Thought you liked the silence..” she smirked softly. Lucario shifted his eyes to the ground, before to say with his hoarse voice “Changed idea.”

“Fine. Then we can talk about each others, for example a certain secret you said yesterday..”

“Ah, I knew you aimed at that! Forget it, flutter chime, **I hate to speak out my privacy** and I never do any promise to say that.” Doing a grimace similar to an arrogant smile, he continued to stomp on the berries “Thump. Thump. Thump.”

“Agree. I’ll reveal one of the mines, instead.”

“Eh? You can’t be serious. I know you barely, how do you feel the will to tell me something of your privacy?” Lucario interrupted the work, arching a brow. “Do you know I could use it at my advantage in the future during the competition? Or that I like to spread rumours when I’m bored uncaring if I hurt the sentiments of the others?”

“I’m sure that you won’t.” Chimecho approached to him “Because I trust in you as you should trust me-“

“Nice try! Your psychological trick almost worked, but not at all. You tried to make me confess mine with the \*excuse to be trustful one of the other\*, but you eventually failed. I’m not going to fall in your trap, bah, *reveal her secrets..did she think I could be that ingenuous?Tsk- TRUST NONE is my only creed. As she really was going to…*”

“I was a Chingling when this happened.”

“Urgh, what..?” his ears perked up.

“My family used to live in a temple tower on the peak of a mountain where the rays of the sun illuminated every day. We didn’t do much than enjoy the breeze and the quiet but unlike my parents I didn’t find that so entertaining. I was bored of my average life, I dreamed to leave soon that isolated place to find true emotions traveling in the rest of the world, outside the window I stared at, whiffing unable to wait for my life to turn, and to live a different experience from the usual routine. Anything to break that boredom would have been accepted by me.”

Lucario twitched in astonishment, and despite striving to keep stubborn to ignore, he said “Continue.”

“This wish got realized at the end. One day after a whole week of rain, the sun rose again acquainted by a bright rainbow. Every Chimecho, me and my parents included, admired this spectacle from the sky. However that wasn’t the first time I saw a rainbow, yet it seemed like the first time, because it was extraordinary vivid, almost magic. So beautiful we couldn’t avoid to watch it for hours…unlike the previous rainbows it stayed brilliant all the time. Finally a new experience! I was excited. Suddenly we heard the ancestral verse of a bird and…everything went on fire. The smoke surrounded me and one of the giant bells fallen for the quake from the roof knocked me down. When I woke up the tower was no more vertical, reduced in a pyre of ashes, from whom the mountain gained his name (…...) The bell had protected only me during the passage of Ho-Oh: the legendary pokèmon had granted my wish changing my life forever, *I understood in late my mistake before I could do the right choice. Since then I conduct the lonely life of a monkess, as a self-punishment for my superficial ingratitude towards the things I had in the past.*”

Chimecho ended the story with a broken voice and finished to mesh the ingredients “The twenty minutes are passed, you can stop now and pass me the recipient with the juice. Done, the straw paint is ready: you can depict the leaves in tranquillity.”

“….”

**// Vent Confessional //**

Lucario blink blinked for the astonishment “I can’t believe she did this. NO, I’M NOT REFERRING TO THE PAINT! I’m referring to..the other thing. She really told me about her past. Absurd. *She disposed her full trust in me*. Plus, her story…ok, moved me a tear. ONLY ONE-LET’S CLEAR OUT.” He frowned folding arms.

Ninjask waited for Lucario to get out the vent, after having spied him camouflaged between the flits. “Very interesting development, can’t wait to listen to the story of Lucario, too. Being double is being an huge advantage, brother.” The masked musk snickered to his same shadow.

…………………………………………………………

In the Ilex Forest the Victini Venturers had already searched for half an hour.. “Dunsparce, Dunspaaarce? Where are you? C’mon, you don’t have to blame yourself, we can repair that for sure, get out! Acc, he really got further than I imagined, and with those little dimensions it’s hard for me to spot him. Seviper, did you see anything?” Tropius sighed “I mean anything down there to the ground.”

“I ssssee no tracks of snake, but there’s ssstill sssomething you sshould see. Ice.”

“What do you mean? Wops!” Tropius skidded and his fall made the whole forest to tremble. Seviper pointed at a path of the forest with the grass crystalyzed in splinters of ice “You know a not so funny thing? I think you forgot behind Aurorus before, and now she’s wandering lost with no clue of the exit.”

“Urgh, true, I havn’t seen Aurorus and completely forgot to check if she was following us out of the forest! If she didn’t return this means she really lost the way inside this natural maze. I have to find her, right? Wait, but there’s also Dunsparce to save…” Seviper slapped his face with the tail “Ssssimple mind! What’s more important: a crush or a friend? Of course the firssst. This is the occasion to cementify your situation with her: if you save her, you will be seen under a different light by her. Maybe you’ll be able to date her soon after.”

“I don’t know. I’m not used to love someone, she’s my first crush, on the contrary I’m used to always help a friend in danger.”

“So to do the same error of SSSylveon to choke his indipendency? Dunsparce asked to stay alone and obviously escaped here to prove his value. Let him try to save himself! Go save Aurorus, instead!”

“Right, I did the same when I was little. I’ll then follow the tracks of Aurorus before the rain cancels them.”

A mischievous grin appeared on the face of the viper when he was enough away “*Instead I’ll find Dunsparce first and tell him that I was the only one to be worried for his health, so he will trust only me for the rest of the reality, hihihisss!*” she took a complete different direction, following the trail left by the land snake.

In a parallel crosstreet of the forest, Oshawott and Piplup were having a gentle confrontation of ideas about the reasons they had been lost purposing each one the opposite point of view:

“The fault was only YOURS. Who had the arrogance to don’t follow the indications because was certain to count on her supreme memory, sense of orientation and cohordination to come back to the town?!”

“Keep those lurid paws attached to your body, **Osha-what-a-folk**, who had the madness to rip in pieces the map I had bought with my money just to unleash her fury and mostly existential frustration because unable to read it? Answer, my dear ignorant.”

“I was able to see that map only for a minute, the other 51 minutes we had spent wandering aimlessly through the same paths it was all the time in YOUR HANDS. And you were unable to follow the right direction indicated on it!AHAHAH!” Oshawott laughed loudly pumping the chest. Piplup stole her the shell noticing that was plein of water “Let me see…ooh, only you could have the idea to use a scallop as a..ppfff..compass. I guess this is why you got into so many Pineco while crossing the wrong way and getting exploded 1-2-3..how many times exactly? I heard but couldn’t keep the count. Pipipiplup!” Oshawott gnarled.

“OSHAGRR. How many times instead **Miss Pig Plump** tripped into a root or something else? Judging by all the dirt at the edge of the beak you must have created a rut in the ground deep enough to make a Diglett envious!!!” Piplup twitched an eye for the nerves. “I’m not chubby, and even if I’m fat, then you’re a Snorlax compared to me.”

The eyes of the ott became red “**SHELL NO! You’re doomed after this**” and she fighted with the penguin.

The pitched brawl was interrupted when they noticed Swalot imitating them “Osha-what? Did you just call me a FATTIE? No, I called you a F-OTT-IE. Got it? Of course no because your brain is a scallop itself: empty. However since I’m a boastboating hypocrite I think to be Miss POKEMON2015 wether I’m the fattest starter created so far. Ohohoh! No,no,no, if you’re the fattest what should I say that I’m considered the ugliest?!!”

“Osha-WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU DOING, YOU BASTARD SWALOT?”

“Tsk, mind your words and learn: how dare you mock me, bottomless trashcan?”

“Oh, ehm, I was bored so I exercised in my…second favorite hobby after to eat, that’s do imitation. Liked the show? Ahahah! \*The Di- vertent Swalot Special\* I –glom- wanted to kill this time.” Swalot smiled sweating.

Piplup and Oshawott simulated a smile in return “Understandable, we were so ridicolous….and NOW WE WANT TO KILL YOU, INSTEAD!” Swalot zoomed away being pursued, but managed to hide in time from their sight.

“Where did he go, that mocking muck?”

“I DON’T KNOW BUT AS I PUT MY PUNCHES ON HIM..”

“I’ll give you a wing or more.”

“Thanks. Oh? Finally we found something in common!”

“True: **we both hate that Swalot.**” The two girls stipulated a truce for the time of the payback. However… “I take the right path, you take the other, got it or I have to repat slower?” “Hey! Who said you lead the operation? I HEARD YOU PERFECTLY, TOUGH.” …they didn’t stop a second to argue for futile details.

“We should be arrived….boh? Gosh, have no idea where we are.” Bagon, Squirtle and Swellow had still to find the exit. “But probably in the depth of the forest, where no rays of the sun arrive.”

“Then it’s not fault of my sunglasses this time? The darkness is real now, good to know.” Squirtle proceeded goofily still unaware that Swellow was hiding in his shell. As a little of light shed again, his brain was lightened by a thought “Wait, man, I just reminded a thing! We’re in the company of Swellow who defeated Celebi in the past, how dumb! He sure knows how to get out of this maze, if he had an epic battle here once. I betcha. Am I right?”

The swallow got quickly outside before the turtle turned and, flinching a little, confirmed “O-Of course! My epic battle against Cress..elebi, how I could forget about? I remind it perfectly like it happened yesterday. Every single move I did.” Bagon was skeptical but stayed at the game “Then you can lead us among the right way thinking back over the memory of your deed. Right?”

“Hem..”

“Also if you stand first in front of the danger, we can learn some of your combat practices wether we encounter an enemy. I can’t wait to see your cool moves, dude!” Squirtle grinned deviously “*And to use them to catch up the ladies, blink*.”

Swellow gulped, laughed and pumped his pecs “S-Sure, AHAHAHAH! Smug Swellowers, prepare to admire a master at work. Mumble…oh, yes, see this crack on the wood? I made it with just a hit of the wing to mark the territory: a way to show Celebi I was already the new boss of the place. The next legend they would have talked about.”

“Seriously? Wow, did they dedicate you that template for this reason?” Squirtle pointed to a sanctuary at the end of the lane they were percurring. It was the holy relic dedicated to the guardian of the woods. Swellow flew quickly on it making an antic while explaining that “*guardian of the woods*” was a title given to him in return of his victory over Dark Celebi. Before they proceeded the walk, Swellow gave a coward look backward and prayed for the mercy of the arboreal legend.

“Rattle-Rattle..” Minun and Plusle were hugging themselves so strict to almost choke each other, after they had run away from the group for the fear. “W-Where are the others, did we separate from them? Oh, no, ciaff.”

“C-Come on, let’s be positive and s-super happy as usual: there’s always a solution for all! Just keep on smiling..” Plusle cheered up her brother despite her legs shivered “…we’re still together, afterall! Until we’re together, nothing can..*Frush, frush, frush*..ahem, c-can scare..us? *Frush, frush, frush, frush*. Ahhh! No, I can’t handle the tension this time!” She dashed away, immediately followed by Minun “Plusle! Wait for me! Swish! Ouch, oh, no, this is exactly the same that happened to the twins in the story of Lampent! I just lost the trails of my sister, I knew that. Plusle? PLUSLE? '*PLUUUUSLE*? Argh, I knew that! Plusle..oh, you’re here, phew.” Minun glomped Plusle tightly, for once it was the opposite situation than usual.

“Minun? My moment of fear is over. You can let me now…k-k-k.”

“Uh, sure! I..eheheh..worked too much with the fantasy getting impressed.” He blushed in excuse utterly awkwarded. “By the way, I see you found a sign post: is there anything written on?”

“Yes, it says: *XXX FOLLOW ME XXX*.” Minun’s eyes widened as she read the indication, he heard again the frush frush in the nearby and then an horrible “Krow-Krow!” screeched in the area. “O-Other than an impression, screw what I said before. *The quick turn from day to night..the impossibility to return at the entrance of the forest…the creepy message in caption lock on the sign post…the Murkrow.*. The horror tale will be reality if we don’t run away RIGHT NOW!” Minun dragged Plusle by the tail “Quick, sissy, run until we find a certain hideout, our life is in charge!!!”

….after 5 minutes of run…

“Anf, pant, a little pause of reflection. Seems like we ran in circle all this time! Oh, no, no, no, ciaff, ciaff, ciaff.” Minun slapped his face many times, meanwhile Plusle read again the red script on the sign post, noticing a new post “*XXX I’M ARRIVED HERE XXX*..oh-oh.” She also found a pretty yet stained ribbon tied around the pole. The electric brothers blanked at all for the creepy coincidence.. Plusle got an insane idea, wore on the pom poms and, shivering, started to dance: “G-Gimme a C, t-then a E, an L, and a-another E, keep with B and end with I! You know who’s she? DARK CELE-MPF!”

“Sister, please, this isn’t the moment to cheerlead.” The rustling got intense, an unknown pokèmon moved between the trees in their direction…

The scene shifted to another point of the Ilex Forest, where Victini was having his date:

“Celebi, your vernal pink is so vivid today, it vivifies your angelic visage and vitals. Yes, my vamp, *you’re going to stop being a virgin plant by tonight*.” The host approached his lips to hers “Because I’m the fire type, but you’re the hot one who burned my heart.”

Celebi kissed and blushed “I didn’t expect things to get heat with you at the first encounter, and I usually don’t like fires, but…keep on. You’re really impressing me unlike the premises, firefox.”

Victini sniggered continuing the hitting “You better call a fireman, because this victorious valiant virile vip is on fire!” did a spin casting out orange flames around her, eventually causing some scorches “Cough! Auch, my leaves are ashed at the edge, now....you lose points for this.”

“Ops, I’m sorry, as I said my passion can’t be handle even by myself.” Victini thought quickly at a new phrase to gain back her accomplishment, his eyes focused on the secular clock of the Main Sanctuary “Anyway, you’ll time-travel at infinite to redo this date after having tried a piece of THIS V.” He ended with an appealing wink. Celebi crossed arms, tilting her head “Fine…think I got the address. Since my agend is full of other dates through different ages of past, present, and future, let’s waste no more time.”

“Of course, but I warn you, valentine: the entire woods will flare in the process even under this rain.” Celebi smirked “I’ll handle the risk” and fluttered behind the temple, waiting for him, but his attention was suddenly disposed on “Lampent? Is that her? What’s she’s doing here? *I thought to have been clear when I told Jirachi to take her under control…and of course he was sleeping*.” Victini warped to a closer spot to have a better vision.

“It’s better, now that I’m covered. Anyway, there was no need to let me the exclusive of the umbrella..” the alien shrugged pointing the index to the sky to create a globe of energy “Don’t need a material object when you have the availability of a psychokinetic brain.” Beheeyem offered her an apricorn collected during the walk “Speaking of psychich powers…I followed your suggestion and didn’t use the telepathy this time to imagine you are hungry after hours since breakfast.”

“Right thought, and…thanks, I suppose.” Lampent got bashful, gave a tibtit to the fruit, and hiding behind the deadpan tone of the voice continued “So, the umbrella and the apricorn…obvious. Seems someone has a crush on me, guessed with my non telepathic mind? Sincerely I expected a more evoluted strategy of conquest from an E.T. expy.” shrugging with a smirk “Yet still, I appreciate the effort.”

Victini developped an huge frustration hearing this that almost flared the bush he was hiding in.

“Nope” answered Beheeyem in tranquillity.

**// Vent Confessional //**

**“I KNEW that Lampent had fallen in love!” Victini slapped a calf “She always flirts with the wrong guys. And this time she couldn’t do a worst choice, picking the megaphone snarker. Out of all the available guys in the Leviathans (the hyperenergic Lester, the acrobatical Minun, or even Metang) she decided for another deadpanner. Ah, no, I can’t afford this! As her godfather I have the duty to keep the tentacles of him away from her, and vehicolate her interest on a more active and more valiant partner.”**

The V-host was ready to break into the scene, but didn’t, listening to Beheeyem carefully “I found the umbrella and the apricorns by casuality while I was searching for materials, and since I don’t have a mouth because I feed of knowledge neither I need a tool to protect from weather conditions, I decided to give them to someone in need, and you happened to be the lucky…” he eventually admitted with a shrug “Also it’s a way to show my gratitude for yesterday…just to be fair at 100%.”

Lampent had consumed her apricorn in the meanwhile she listened to his speech, feeling ashamed once realized to have been imprudent to undisclose her sentiments, she tossed away the burned nutshell and sat withdrawing in her own shell. “I feel pathetic in this moment. I believed wrong…*sorry for my*…whatever.”

Beheeyem layed next to her “It was a legit mistake, don’t worry. By the way I don’t want to give you the illusion of the opposite: my species had renounced to the emotion by a long time, and in this way managed to develop discovers that this planet will ignore for other 51 centuries, because we’re able to focus on science and knowledge without being corrupted by the sentiments. Shortening, I can’t love you or anyone else, I can’t love at all.” Victini cheered doing a V-sign unseen in the bushes. Lampent limited to sigh “Understand. Yep, even if…..bah, nothing. Nothing important to add here. Let’s enjoy this moment of relaxation.”

“Perfect…”

Victini whispered eagerly to himself “*Yes! Yes! Yes! Relief. He doesn’t return her love, danger missed*. I can distress now…wait! In this way he rejected and made her to suffer. ReVenge. Ok, Victini, follow them and be ready to **Generator V** some alien butts at the first right occasion.”

“Vic-Vic? I’m waiting by a lot…”

Back on the rodent twins, as they opened their eyes again, finding themselves still alive, they recognized the pursuers: “LESTER & PORYGON 2?! Auff, this wasn’t funny, seriously, Plusle, who I’v always seen happy in every situation since we’re born together, isn’t amused. That means your prank was really awful!”

The negative mouse pointed to the positive one that was fidgeting “Give me an F, an E, an A, a-and an R…F-F-FEAR! The big one I’m feeling r-right now. Sorry if the coreography sucks b-but I just came out with it.Brr.”

“See? She’s overwhelmed.”

“I detect high levels of sweat, adrenaline, and crazyness: first data saved and classified in the folder FEAR.”

“Ahahahah, quirky! At least under my point of view. By the way, I wasn’t doing any joke, crowing was my way to communicate and find the orientation. I had the idea to apply the Stanislaskji Method so to figure myself into a typycal pokèmon of the woods, and because there were so many details and coincidences I chose to immedesimate in the Murkrow of the horror tale!” Rotom spinned “Because I reflected that if that Murkrow was able to trick Minun into follow the wrong direction, logically he knew which was the right one, too. That’s why I focused my mind on the same thoughts that Murkrow could do. Got the logic?”

Minun twitched feeling an headache “Eh…no, but doesn’t matter. Go on.”

The crazy Rotom continued “So with the pokèradar of Porygon 2 I followed you and your sissy, crowed sinisterly every 51 seconds…

“… and settled the creepy details and clues like the ribbon and the scripts to stay 100% loyal to the plot of Lampent’s tail.” The negative rodent phewed, then asked sarcastically “Eventually It worked, right?” the other frowned shouting through a megaphone “Nope, cause of **lack of collaboration from you two**: you should have stayed separated as the Plusle & Minun of the story (*and maybe Plusle should have been killed, but I didn’t find this detail necessary..*)! Also my body shape had nothing in common with Murkrow, so I was forced to imitate it but only from the inside, while for the outside I could have inspiration only from Porygon 2, that is more similar to a bird and so I colored him in black and yellow. Complicated, believe me.”

Soon after he rewound like a recorder “Vrrrrrrrr>>>>> By the way, back to your previous speech, at the part when you interrupts me saying … *and settled the creepy details and clues like the ribbon and the scripts to stay 100% loyal to the plot of Lampent’s tale* –yes, I can imitate your voice perfectly, Miny- actually you were wrong, I didn’t prepare anything but the idea would have been awesome! Pity, really.”

Minun gulped. “Are you serious serious or serious quirky now?”

“What the quirk you mean, exactly?”

“I mean if you’re speaking the truth when you say that t-the scripts…the ribbon…aren’t here by your idea.”

“Ohh, clear! I confirm what I said. I like the neologism you used, too. I’ll add it to my dictionary.” Lester did a wide grin that froze the mouse.

“I thought only computers hibernate in this way…” commented Porygon 2. “Bip! Bip! Radar signalates another pokèmon in the nearby.”

“*Wooooooooooosh*…sound of the wind of suspence offered by Fan Rotom. No need to thank me.”

Minun brains unblocked “Then WHO wrote this? Glom…I’m trying not to be negative..ahahah..but..we’re doomed.” Plusle agreed for once with that behavior, especially when they spotted a suspicious new shadow lurking to them “Let’s run away from this place! Ahhhh!!!” Without a further ado the four ran a bit far from that intersection.

“Anf, anf, I’m sure this time: that was Celebi, I recognized the pointy shape of the head!” squeaked Plusle, Minun calmed her with an hug “There’s still a possibility to survive, but we need to stay rational.Remember your motto? Never lose the positivity! (Wow, can’t believe I’m saying it). Porygon 2, quick, find a map of the territory on Internet or use the GPS to locate our position, and where the entrance of Azalea Town is.”

“Finding…@.....negative: there’s no connection in this area.”

“Fantastic. Forget what I said before.” Minun lowered the shoulders “Sorry if I gave you an illusion.” Plusle cuddled him “You have no guilt, and, sniff, I’m proud of your approach to the situation.” “Really? Pity that served at nothing.” “Absolutely the contrary! I feel happy in this moment, and I’ll feel the same even when…ahem…we’ll do a bad end.” “Oh, Plusle…”

Lester interrupted them “By the way, if you’re done with the drama now that we’re reunited again, I know exactly how to escape before DARK CELEBI does her next move: the **Electromicegnetic Compass**!

Hooot hooot………kricketot…kricketot…woooooosh....oh, come on, I’m waiting for the screen to turn black for the spannung and I don’t know other verses! No climatic break-time planned in this scene? For real? Tsk. Impossible. The writer is really lazy.”

Minun looked at the sky “Lester...PLEASE. Get over whatever you’re complaining about and continue.”

“Fine. The idea is to create a compass. Azalea Town is at South, with the Electromicegnetic Compass we’ll follow all the paths that go in that direction! Simple, no? However, it’s not a common contraption. I need your personal collaboration, infact.” Lester turned into a washing machine and put both Minun and Plusle in the whirlpool “Lex, are you sure this is a solution and not one of your usual...@” When the whirlpool stopped, the twins wobbled out in deep confusion, touched each other, and an irresistible force stick their bodies like magnets.

“But what’s going on? I can’t move like I’m attached to my sister as a magnet!?”

“!\*Eeeh, I was never so close to my brother\*! Eventually I’d like some space for my privacy.”

“Exactly. I agitated the positive and negative particells inside your bodies until to magnetize them. Now you’re like magnets, as this little test will prove! Ahahahah!” as Rotom turned into a fridge, the twins were attracted and stamped against him like two calamites.

“Ouch…Lester, you’re a genius but most of all a freak.” said Minun while his face was splatted on the metal.

“Better for you if I take this like a compliment. By the way, after having polarized the charges, I need that you, Minun, place here, and you, Plusle, at the opposite side with your muzzles revolved one to the other, then I put a metallic plate between your bodies, tie around with the ribbon, and use a spring of Porygon’s circuits like a solenoid….and done! The self-made compass is ready.” Lester announced epically pointing to the result of his work: Minun and Plusle were sitting wrapped belly to belly on Porygon 2, linked by a twirly metallic wire to him.

“Ehm, this is crazy. Say in honest that you wanted just to do a last craziness before the end of your existence and we’re still friends. I mean, just..just..j-j-just this doesn’t make any sense!”

“It makes : if the tail of Plusle quivers we’ll be at South, if yours quivers we’re at North, if your tails meet at halfway it means we’re following an east or west direction. Totally logical, ah!” Minun sighed, Plusle had a nervous gig, Porygon 2 bipped “Pokèmon spotted again in the neighbourhood.”

“Gasp, kay, everything to save our lives is accepted! Lester, we trust in your strange strategy since now.” His tail twitch twitched feebly “This means that if we continue in this way we’re going to North, so run backward is what to do to go at South. Follow me, Leviathans, ah!”

The group returned at the previous intersection, burned by the curiosity the plasmic poltergeist read on the sign post “Great, we’re back here, hey, Lester, I know I’m redundant but are you really sure of what are you doing with this sort of compass we are made of?” Lester grinned innocently after having read the new message typed: *XXX I’M AFTER YOU XXX*. “Ahahah, of couuurse! Keep follow your leader with no fear!”

**// Vent Confessional //**

**“I’m a super duper expert of the oddest situations, afterall. Who better than me could lead in this kind of occasion? They’re utterly safe in my company.” Lester blinked to the camera. “Quirky relatively speaking of course.”**

-Victini Venturers-

Dunsparce wandered without a goal through the woods, the rain had stopped increasing the dampness, and a thick fog surrounded him totally. However he didn’t care much where to go, he just wanted to escape from the ashame.

Sylveon proceeded cautiously with the research, to orientate in that maze she had untied her long ribbons following the same system of the Rope of Arianna. In this way she would have been able to return on her walk whenever she picked a cul dè sac.

Seviper advanced with a complete different approach: she slashed plants and trees that obstaculated her way ignoring at all the scheme of the maze, she had to find Dunsparce FIRST THAN ANYONE ELSE, afterall. At any cost.

Tropius crawling to be at the right height followed the icicles on the leaves hoping to reach Aurorus eventually. In the halfway he met with a floating rock: Lunatone. “Thud, ouch. Where do you come from? Oh, right, you were with Aury- I mean- Aurorus. Have you seen her in the last minutes?” As usual, the other didn’t answer and proceeded to the opposite direction. “Thanks for the collaboration. What a…for Kyogre’s sake!” Tropius stared once reached the end of the lane, and in the lake saw Aurorus, the body reversed in the half frozen water. “Hey, Aurorus, what happened? Can you hear me? She’s fainted. In this way she risks to drown, must drag her out of the water. Brrr! Her body is colder than a block of ice, and heavier than I expected, but I assume the temperature isn’t the problem, she’s an ice type.” The tropical sauropode carried her to the shore, despite his paws froze at touch, after this he tried to awake Aurorus recurring to various techniques, but there was nothing to do.

“I don’t know what to do, but I can’t leave her in this condition. Need the help of an expert of first aid: Sylveon. I must fly back to Azalea and bring her here!” He took off the forest and in few minutes landed at the town. Anorith was still trying to keep the head of the statue on the statue meanwhile Gorebyss was busy doing…Gorebyss’s routine of slack.

“Stay on…thump. Darn! This glue must be more prehistorical than me, that salesman is a swindler. Ah, here finally someone back. Mind to offer me true assistance now? Find me a decent glue first of all.”

“There’s another priority at the moment: I need Sylveon. Where is she?”

“With the other that were supposed to be my helpers, obviously” Anorith replied acid “Weren’t you aware she followed you in the forest as soon as you entered? Tsk, your problem. Anyway, because you’re here..” Tropius was again in the sky, flying above the Ilex Forest. “That’s why dinosaurs are extincted. Bah, let’s try again to fix this…maybe if I create a hole in the neck with a driller I can screw the head in it…Gorebyss, I need your needle sweet lips a minute. Please, AT LEAST can you create a little incision in the wood? Imagine it to be one of your preys..oh, wait, you never hunted your food. Then, new example: imagine it to be a can of your expensive food. Understand?”

“I’m not sure…this seems a sort of work, and I irk inserting my mouth in an extraneus object that doesn’t come from my furniture.” Gorebyss rubbed her anterior fins reflecting “Maybe, if you give me a fin I can dare this hazard.” Anorith lifted the serpentine outside the bowl, carrying her in embrace while she lowered the neck to the wood and perforated it with the thin mouth. “Well, that’s a beginning, ahem, that’s the spirit! *Damn! She’s silky like a cloud…*”

“*Yes, I am, thanks to all the care I take for my body, blink. Enjoy it?*. Also I finished here, can you put me in the aquarium again?”

“Already? \*Cough\* You were incredibly fast, congratulation.” Anorith let her in the water “Ok, the head should stay now…uff, finally, now time to add the details and the colouring. All alone, perfect.”

Lucario approached suddenly to the table “Do you want an help? I can lend you some of the paint advanced for our artwork that we almost finished.” Anorith blink blinked a little startled, same did Chimecho and Gorebyss. “Really? Uh, thank.”

“**AH, IN YOUR FACE! YOU WOULD LIKE, UH? BUT NO HOPE.**” Lucario retired the arm doing a mischievous grin, explaining “Forget it, fossil. **What’s yours is yours, what’s mine is MINE ONLY**. Clear?” then seeing Chimecho glaring at him in disappointment he became cranky again “What’s up? I warned earlier before that **I ain’t a nice pokèmon**, sgrunt.” and sat in the corner. Chimecho sighed deeply.

“Here you the paint, with my permission. You have just to add an orange apricorn to the mixture to obtain the right color you need.”

“Thanks. What’s the issue with that mutt?” Anorith questioned before to go back at work.

“No, you gave it for real to our rivals? Can’t believe.”

“Lucario, take this like another lesson or punishment. It’s unfair to rub your frustration on the others.”

“Bah, whatever. If you hoped to soften me after that sad story, this was the proof it didn’t work. Said this, I want peace and quiet to finish the Jirachi Bonsai…but I permit you to be useful and help again. Fine?” the chime teleported away. “Ohey! I did you a question, you can’t simply leave. Chimecho?!! Pfui, instable.” Ninjask appeared next to him “Her? Anyway, I help you to accomplish in speed.” Lucario at first refused but after agreed “Ok, but cut only where and when I indicate you. Got it?” “Totally.”

…….……………….

It was already night in the forest, and the darkness covered all.

Lost in the fog, Dunsparce had come through some troubles, hurted by the spikes of the plants he was now regretting his decision, but also didn’t want to give up and look pathetic again, he would have not whined for help this time. “What I do, now? I’ll stay here for the rest of my life or until I’ll survive. What was that frush? H-Hello..? Rat-tat..no, I don’t escape, I’m corageous, not c-coward. Drr trr. It’s just the wind…” two eyes followed from distance, a selvatic pokèmon was on the silent pursue of the tsuchinoko, his big shadow projected on the ground…

In flight back to Aurorus, Tropius casually spotted Sylveon in a moment of clearance, and landed in front of her “Sylv! I ask for your help. It’s an emergency.” “You found Dunsparce?! Oh, no, what happened to him?” “No, not Dunsparce, Aurorus. She fell in a lake and now doesn’t give signs of life. I tried something but it was useless, I don’t have experience unlike you. Please, come with me…I think it’s a grave condition. I’m worried.” Sylveon had eventually took the right way to find her friend, but she decided to follow Tropius because she couldn’t leave someone in risk of life, whatever it could have happened. “Alright. Let’s go!”

“Do you know how this happened?” Sylveon checked carefully the health of the ice sauropode, Tropius bound the neck “No. I’d like to, but I simply found her here after having encountered Lunatone…hmm. So, how’s Aurorus?”

“She’s not in threat for her life, but…*there’s something in her belly..OH! This is…I can’t believe she’s doing such an imprudence*.”

“What’s up more?”

Sylveon reassured him quickly “Uh, nothing serious, ignore those whispers of before. Luckily I brought all the medicines with me in case Dunsparce…nevermind, I don’t want to think about that possibility.” Tropius supported her “I don’t know how to thank you. Don’t worry, that land snake is tough despite the aspect, however I promise that we won’t leave the Ilex Forest without him.”

The fairy eon opened her saddlebag and raised out a Revitalizer Max, put it in the mouth of Aurorus, and waited for the effects: the other opened the eyes and stood up wobbling a little. “Aurorus! Finally you’re awake. How do you feel?” asked immediately Tropius. She shuddered “Better, now. However I feel still weak and remember nothing…thanks for the aid..ouu, my head is pulsing...but the worst has passed, don’t be afraid for me. I can return on my legs at the town and continue the challenge.” Sylveon held her from moving “No way! You need to rest for the rest of the day.” Tropius agreed “She’s right, Aurorus. Care only for your recover at the moment and nothing else, we’ll finish the challenge without you in tranquillity.”

“Fine, sorry for the problems I caused.”

“Tsk, everyone can do an accident, you have nothing to blame for. Kay?” Tropius flew away.

“Anyway, it’s better you do a general check up at the Pokèmon Center.” Suggested Sylveon “Continuing on this way you’ll be in Goldenrod City in a minute. Also, I have to scold you for an important thing.”

“Which is..?”

“I discovered what you are.“ Aurorus got nervous “Do you realize that you are putting not only your health in high danger? Joining a reality show is a stressful activity that you can’t afford, that’s why you keep feeling sick episode after episode! This is the third time you have fainted, first on the peak of the mountain, second at Celadon City, and today you almost drowned if wasn’t for Tropius and me.”

Aurorus bent the neck down to the ground “*I’m conscious. The fact is that I don’t have another chance than this to change my future.* Please, promise to don’t tell anyone about my condition.” Sylveon frowned “I can’t promise this, it goes against my nature keep a secret like this. Just, I don’t want your health on the conscience. I’ll try but it would be better to reveal it for your sake and...

Dunsparce is in danger!” Sylveon was suddenly alarmed by her sixth sense, and automatically ran in the opposite direction, reckless draft from a path to another, despite she couldn’t see anything on her way as tree, bushes, wild bugs, and even the other contestants..

“Auch, how did you dare to stomp my face with your dirty foots?”

“I didn’t anything, Piplup, since I’m next to you then SHUT THE BEAK AND KEEP SEARCHING THE BASTARD!”

Until, covered by thorns and mud, she arrived and did a blind jump against the shadow “DUNSPAAARCE! Run away!”

“S-S-Sylveon? Why you are here? Urgh, you’re squishing me, too.”

“I’m here to rescue you, but I got onto the wrong shadow. Quick, hide away from here! Oh, and also, tight your scarf more if you want to not catch a flu.”

“S-Sure! Wait..Oh, not ag-again. I’m sick to be considered a baby by you, I’m r-really sick, sorry. It’s just..it seems like you have no trust in my potential, then I can’t stand you anymore, you’re obsessive, possible that you don’t understand that I want to show myself that I’m a good pokèmon like the other, able to stand by himself?!” Sylveon’s eyes shifted to the shadow of the wild pokèmon about to attack, pushed Dunsparce aside, and in order to make him go, she replied “No, I don’t and can’t because I think you aren’t ready to be indipendent!”

The land snake felt his already slight consideration definitely shattered, cried and crept sadly away “I-I don’t want to see you anymore…sniff. I’m going away as you want, yet forever.” As he left, Sylveon received the attack on the shoulders, the fiend Drapion used his needled tail to inject the venom, knocking her down.

“SSStop here. Thanks for the contribute, you did your part perfectly.” Seviper crawled from a bush : she had orchestrated everything. “It was a pleasure to satisfy the request of a poisonous hotness like you, wish me do more else, miss hiss?” Seviper hissed to him menaciously “Sssure. Go away before I ssslice your head, pretty scorpion boy. Flirt with sssomeone less venomous than me if you want to stay alive, this will remind this advise for the rest of your life.” She ended with a smile while slashing his face with a hit of her blade.

**“Alwaysss no mercy. Another code for a snake with caption S.” Said the viper in the vent.**

“Now let’s ssseek for Dunsparce.”

“Ok, now that Aurorus is safe at the Pokèmon Center of Goldenrod City, I can focus back on the game.” Tropius flew over the trees and spotted Sylveon “Hey,but…what the Heatran happened more later on?”

Dunsparce was too depressed to care where he went, he crossed the heart of the Ilex Forest and entered in a bole to take a rest. But a voice kept him awake, someone was already there: Lunatone. The land snake couldn’t resist to the temptation to give a look.

“This spot is perfect.” Lunatone stared at the moonlight “Full moon. I knew I would have finally found one in this mystic forest, and here I can see it directly without recurring to the reflex in a lake.” Used his psychic ability to trace a circle on the ground exactly where the ray of light projected, entered in it, and slowly his body changed his lunar shape in a round, the profile nose disappeared and a second red eye beamed in the foreshadow.

 File:Lunatone fullmoon by dart19-d7m1h8t.jpg
“It’s become a fullmoon!” whispered Dunsparce in shock. “Trrr..rattle-rattle..s-so terrifying."

“Who talked?” Lunatone turned “I’m not alone..((hmmm)) my trasformation isn’t completed, but I can’t continue if there’s an intruder. *I CEE YOU*.” Dunsparce’s blood froze in the veins seeing Full Lunatone floating to the tree and lifting it with the telekinesis. Soon after it stopped. “Eek, p-please, don’t eat me, if I dare to implore!”

Seviper gave him a strange look “What the eel are you sssspeaking about? Tsk, and ssstop tremble like a leaf, a ssnake doesn’t know how to tremble since it makes other to tremble!”

“Uh, S-Seviper? B-But, but, I expected to be destroyed by..or it was just my imagination? Sigh, I’m..I’m so confused..” Seviper dragged him with herself in the direction of the exit. Lunatone spied in the shadow and moved across a different path.

“Sniff, sniff, he directed to this way, I smell the poison.” “Oh, so that tomato you have on the face has this function? I was wondering, infact, if that was actually a nose,ohohoh!” “Shut up, Piplup, I can’t focus…WHAT DID YOU SAY ON MY NOSE?” “Nothing, nothing…don’t be so touchy, (even if I would be if I looked like a snowman as you) and keep with it.” “Snort, alright.”

Oshawott and Piplup were still seeking Swalot. Oshawott seemed to have finally found a trail, but they barely could see the way in the darkness, and unawarely separated one from the other for some minutes. “Ok, just to clear out the concept: I pick him first. UNDERSTOOD? Piplup? Where did she go? Grr.”

“I’m here, with SWALOT. I got him.”

“Good, but, rrrr..I said that I have the precedence on beating him up: don’t dare to do it first than me!” Oshawott looked furiously around “Also, here..where? Give me an indication.”

“Sure. On the left.”

“Thanks. Thump! There’s a tree here!”

“Oh, my flaw, I meant my left that’s your right.”

“Fine. I’m coming..zick..OSHAWAAAH! I got into a bush of poison ivy!! GRR, what’s this game?” Oshawott scratch scratched herself gritting teeth. “Last chance. Tell me the real position or darkness or not I swear to-“

“Ok, ok, prevent my noble hears from your rudeness and lack of humour. I give you the right indications: walk three steps straight until you touch the squishy body of that bottomless goo. End.”

“I’m not going to touch him, I’m directly going to CRASH. Osha-ya-tàà! SPLORTCH! SPLATCH! SPLOTCH! LAUGH NOW, BASTARD! Anf..anf..aaah. Sorry to have actually splatted your \*precious feathers\* with slime, penguin, but my thirst of justice is now satisfied. THE DISGUSTING JELLY IS OVER.”

“You mean the honey comb I just made you destroy? Uhuhuhuh, the entertainment is just to be started: nothing hilarious than enjoy the show offered by a folk.” A furious flock of Beedrill surrounded the ott stinging her many times “Ahia! No, this is a big equivoce, ahhh!” On the runaway Oshawott encountered Piplup “GOTCHA! YOU WILL PAY, NOW! After the pursue of the bees ends.” “Pi-Piplup? I don’t know what are you saying, you got lost and I was forced to find you back, since I ain’t actually afforded to use the brutal force as a form of payback by my blueblood. So, put your weenies off my feathers! However, you said that are pursued by Beedrill??? Ahhh, I hate you!!!”

“I HATE YOU MORE! Waaah!”

“Ahahah! This was rather funny.” Ditto merged between the leaves “Two pidgeons tricked with a single imitation, that’s why I’m the best actor ever. Oh, there’s a sign post hidden here: **for Azalea Town-->**Yeah, a shortcut! I’m definitely safe now.” Last famous words.

“Ahhh, they changed direction!”

“GET OUT OF THE WAY, SACK OF SHUGAR! This is not yet your time to be punished, there’s someone that got first. Wahhh!”

SPLATCH! The purple jelly was run over by the two, that exited from the forest together their persecutors. Ninjask at the speed of light flew in the middle of the swarm and cut it with the schytes: all the foe Beedrill fainted on the ground. “Wow. Thanks for the help, I’d like to be able the same using my scallop as a blade..” Piplup slapped her “This is for all the stings I got on my skin. Next time involve another pokèmon when you get into a swarm of wasps! Not me.”

“So you WANNA DIE FOR TRUE? Grrr..it was your fault if I stepped into a comb of Beedrill.”

“Liar! I did nothing like that, even if I would have liked to, you have hallucinations or I don’t know what’s the deal inside that nuke skull.” Piplup pushed the ott with dismay “Prepare for a sue after this, Snowman.”

“Oh-oh...”

Oshawott stood up raging on and raised the sharp scallop from the belly “YOU DID IT. YOU JUST MADE MY WORST EGO TO GET THE WHOLE CONTROL, THEN ENJOY THE CONSEQUENCES. **I’LL GIVE YOU A TERRIBLE REASON FOR A SUE!**” at the end flang it against the penguin, but blatantly missed her and instead hit the bonsai of Jirachi with a boomerang effect. “O-Oshaw-what?”

Piplup sniggered “More like a reason for a NOMINATION. See you later, my dear, I’ll prepare you the parachute for gentleness.”

Lucario’s eyes widened seeing the bonsai halved in the middle. Anorith approached to him offering the glue to mock “Do you want to borrow the glue we left? Joke, it’s mine and only mine! AH, HOW DO YOU FEEL, NOW? Eat your karma. BRAM!” Lucario crushed him with an Hammer Punch and walked away in anger.

“Now what I do?” Oshawott got in panic “I need redemption, maybe I can adjust this bonsai cutting some more leaves, and..AAARGH!!! Why I’m so klumsy? I don’t want to be eliminated so soon, I had to show my value, gnn..there’s only one thing to do, Oshawott, arrange a solution! Pity I don’t have the patience and the ability to make a new bonsai!” Ninjask brought a new little tree “I have it. Let’s work if you believe in a chance.”

“The exit is here. We’re arrived! I kept my promise, ah! \*EPIC POSE\*” Lester and the Leviathans thanks to their quirky compass reached the exit, too. “**Goldenrod City -->**” But the wrong one. “That’s quirky, but the electromicegnetic compass never fails: probably a mystical flux of energy switched Goldenrod and Azalea.” Minun sighed ironically “Or we simply wrong the direction going at North instead of South, because this system of orientation is based on craziness and nonsense, but at least we didn’t get into Dark Celebi.”

“This is impossible. Plusle’s tail is twitching, flicking and twirling by an hour, the proof we’re at South, tsk!” Lester inflated his body in offense. Porygon 2 said his theory “Maybe there’s another explanation for the cause of this error. When Lester used the whirlpool to agitate the particells inside your bodies, the mass of electrons inside Minun moved to the surface of his body and as he was attached to Plusle, the negative charges, attracted by the flux of protons in her, transfered in a massive quantity to Plusle, with the result that Plusle’s electricity became negative, Minun having lost the major part of electrons, turned positive.”

Minun and Plusle reflected “This may explain why I suddenly showed some optimism before meanwhile my sister had a moment of pessimism!” Lester nodded with a grin “So, my system is as logical is scientific, but this fact ruined everything. By the way, I’m frustrated now. Not only I have to repeat the whole process to switch back - and + but also have to cross the whole forest backward!”

“Uhm, not necessary. I saved data about an hour ago before Lester invented his compass and if I load it we’ll be back at the central instersection in few seconds, without doing the same strife for the second time. Comfy, no? ---@epic pose link----“ Porygon 2 purposed proudly. Minun, Plusle and Lester gave a blank look.

“We’re not in a videogame!” shouted all, then only Lester “In addition, **you must credit me for that link**.” He rummaged at the end “By the way, now that I think about, shouldn’t Drifloon and Castform be with us? Quirky that I forgot totally about them when Drifloon usually forgets everything, ahahahah! Glom.”

Drifloon and Castform were fluttering nearby “Okay, I’m sure we’re almost at the exit. But I finished almost all the items in the bag, except for this Escape Rope that I don’t remember what’s useful for, however I can’t even tie it around a tree because none would see it. This is because you have to stay here perfectly motionless in case the others pass here and I’ll stop similarly a little more further to sign our presence. Do you understand, Cascoon?”

Rain Castform replied with a dull tone, sobbing “Yes, whatever weather you said. *My care is less untouchable than the bristle, after hours passed under the drizzle, I lost completely the will to be sensible*. Haiku poetry, liked? No? Bah..doesn’t matter…your opinion echoes in the shallow void of my existance. Go straight.” Drifloon continued for a bit, until she draft to an intersection and wrapped herself around what she believed to be a stick, but was the tail of one of the twins “Here I should be visible for the Larvitars: thanks to this system I will have guided them across the right direction all this time. XXX SMILE ^x^ XXX”

“O.O Drifloon? Ehm, we’re already here.”

“Oh? Guys, are you really my dear teammates? Squueeee, I’m so happy to see you after so many years of researches passed in this forest!” Drifloon embraced Minun and Plusle getting zapped. “Groan, okay, maybe hours, but, doesn’t matter. Glad to see you’re fine (and dumb as normality).”

“Zot! I remember the scene like it was yesterday: Lampent told us that comic story ,that I didn’t get to be honest, and you ran in different directions, getting lost forever until now. Phew. I can finally return to the civil world at Azalea Town.”

“….yeah, great. Pity it’s at the opposite part of where we are.”

“..and that I can’t settle my special compass again since your plastic body absorbed all the electrostaticity from my positive and negative poles.”

“This is not a problem” she reassured innocently “I can lead you through the right direction percurring backward my track thanks to my secret system of orientation. Betrust me.” Blinked.

……………………...........

“I can’t believe to have been bucketed in this way. Or maybe Victini just lost, it’s easy to happen in my forest…I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt, being the first time we met.” Celebi roamed away a little annoyed.

……………………………….

Victini still lurked stalking Beheeyem and the daughter, holding the temptation to burn out the alien, because he knew that a single fire attack would have incinerated the Ilex Forest in a minute. The two loners proceeded aimlessly on a random way, talking.

“So you’re a writer, too. Can’t guess what is the genre of your literature! Horror?” Beheeyem asked for joke. Lampent smirked “Used telepathy again? I write dark poetry since I was alive: I was always fascinated by the mysterious shadows of the world, the hidden angles of the existence. Especially by the idea of a second immaterial life after death, and ironically I was turned into a ghost.” She shrugged “I don’t remember how this happened, part of my past has been consumed like the wax of a Litwick, but it was the best experience ever happened…I suppose my mortal life sucked much.” Victini listened to her speech getting sad and regretful, but shook up soon.

“Interesting. I’d like to have a similar story to narrate, but I can’t remember to have done something with passion so far.” Beheeyem commented neutral leaving the other slightly shocked. “What’s up? Eventually you shouldn’t be surprised but on the contrary understand: your ghostly condition doesn’t make you soul less?” Lampent lowered the doom, staying in silence as bashful. “Whatever. I accumulated my knowledge on every matter as every other Beheeyem does: improve the notions, collect the informations, memorize the discovers, reflect on the systems, learn the new, expand the grey matter. I never felt a particular sensation about.” The Brain pokèmon yawned “I’m tired. Using the brain for 24h/24 unlike the other species costs an huge amount of energy that explains my slow movements and laziness. Teleportation.”

“Holy Macarones! That ugly megaphone left her here. He’s even more asshole than I imagined, grrr.”

“Dad, come out from your hideout, there’s no need anymore.”

“I’m sorry for how he treated you, but I swear on the V of revenge to make his life in this reality an hell since now! Ops…you knew I was behind you from the beginning?”

Lampent sighed dryly “Not the first time you peep my privacy. You always do this when I try to get a soulmate for my loneliness.”

Victini scorned “If I do this is because you choose the wrong candidates, and especially this last one is a…urgh! I don’t have a term enough offensive to describe him. With the wide choice you have, you picked Beheeyem? Oh, Lampent, where I failed with you. You know that you’re very important for me, then listen for once. That alien doesn’t even like you, he likes nothing, he’s the only soul less.”

“If you say so…”

“Aghostine, where are you going? Wait for me, I escort you outside!”

“Don’t have to. Leave me alone, ok? I know how to comeback at the plane by alone.”

“Agrr, DAMNED B.E.M!!!!” Victini flared on for the rage, flaming down an huge portion of environment with his giant V of fire. “Wops. I hope Celebi will not be aware of this massacre. \*Gulp\*. My date! Celebi must be furious at this point, get to go back at the sanctuary before than immediately! Which was the shortcut for it? Oh, no, now that the trees are ashed I don’t have points of reference. V-Ciaff!”

“Since there’s a balloon here we drift to left and after this sign post there’s the next intersection following my system.”

“Wow, I don’t know what’s your method, but you seem knowing exactly where to go for real!” exclaimed Minun “I admit I was very skeptical because of your memory issues…no offense.” Lester seemed envious and curious “By the way, what’s your system exactly? I need to satisfy my insane curiosity since you’re succeeding where my system failed.” Drifloon collected another item from the ground and changed lane, followed by the rest of the group, answering “The secret is in the objects. It’s a trick I learned during my voyages, mine was a life full of adventure and discovers thanks to my work, but I don’t remind the reason, just I found my bag stuffed with things during these travels, it costed me a huge strife for the way, so I dropped the items I didn’t need behind myself, so to have points of references and avoid to take the same courses and halls. In this way I knew exactly where I was already passed..and same I’m doing here.”

Drifloon stopped, reading on a sign post “Ok, after this sign post there’s the next intersection.”

“Didn’t you say the same a minute ago?”

“Don’t remember. I signed with a marker each post I encountered with a different phrase to help my memory, otherwise they would seem all identical! So, here’s another one…there will be another intersection after it.”

“Halt. This seems strange only to me?”

“Yes. To me it seems quirky, infact.”

“Thanks for the detail, Lex…” Minun held Drifloon “Anyway, stop. I think we’re walking in circle, this isn’t a normal coincidence.”

“Uh? Nah, it’s all under control. I had the same sensation the first time: a row of identical intersection with the ditto sign post I could touch in the darkness. But I marked each different cartel with an X or sometimes a phrase to remember myself and also to indicate my presence to you all, but despite my efforts, you kept running to the opposite way forcing me and Castform to leave you many messages.”

“No, no, wait. So you wrote down those creepy texts, not Dark Celebi?!?” Minun jaw dropped as Drifloon confirmed “Yep. I also left my favorite ribbon tied to a pole to get your attention, but it get stained of red apricorn juice that I used to write after the black marker finished the ink.”

“But, but, why you used the CAPTION LOCK? It made the scripts like written by a demon!”

“I can write only in caption lock.” Drifloon shrugged innocently “It’s the only style of calligraphy that I don’t forget how to script. And it’s also a funny signature mark: *XXX LOL XXX*. Don’t you agree!?” Minun facepalmed striving to keep calm in front of the dumballoon.. “Did you realize that you probably have run in circle signing on the same single post all the time?”

“By the way, let’s cheer for the positive side of the situation: + D-A-R-K C-E-L-E-B-I DOESN’T E-X-IST! +”

“Alright, phew.” Minun sighed in relief. “At least we’re lost but not in mortal danger.”

“Then, what’s that pair of red lights that’s making my pokèradar dinging again?” everyone revolved of 180° to see a shadow with two shining eyes floating towards them slowly: Lunatone, but they couldn’t know. Minun and Plusle glomped each others, stepping backward while Drifloon stared in awe like she was hypnotized “I-Is that another pokèmon of our team like Metang (that I didn’t notice to be with us today) or Castform? Or..glom..are you able to identify?” “Not found data. It emanates an energy unknown for my pokédèx database, the waves are very powerful that I hypotize it’s a legendary.”

“Dark Celebi is eventually a true menace. Let’s scream and shout and run away!”

……after a long run…..

“Anf, pant, we should have outdistanced her enough to still hope in the salvation. Drifloon, can you recognize where we are now and how to reach Azalea Town soon as possible?” Plusle waved in front of her face “Hello, Driffy?” but the dot eyes of the X-balloon were absent. “ZAP! Wake up!”

“Oh, what happened? How I ended to be here and who are you strangers?”

“Nooo, not now…ingenious time.” the negative mouse slapped his front three time “We. Are. Doomed.”

Plusle pat patted him brotherly “Still not sure! C’mon, maybe it wasn’t Celebi to produce that light. Do with me a cheer dance of relief, boing- boing!”

“My sister has a sanity slippage. Great, what’s next more? Sigh.” Minun banged his head on a post, then accidentally read it “*Useful advice: Escape Rope helps you get out forests, too*. Sigh, wish to have one…” suddenly the leaves rustled all around, and Celebi appeared with her dark body and antennas. “Finally some pokèmon.”

“Ok, is everyone ready, right? The option is double: stay here to be annhilated or escape like crazy miltank. Do-you. I choose the second, because it’s funny to run as in a horror movie sequence, ahahah! AHHHHH!!!” Rotom dashed away, immediately followed by Porygon 2, and eventually Minun and Plusle.

Celebi twitched in surprise, and asked to the only Leviathan left “Excuse me, did you see a little firefox with a giant V in the head and a giant ego in the chest? A certain Victini.” Drifloon answered “What’s a Victini, a Dratini spelled with V? I have a wide void of memory.” Celebi twitched again many times, before to decide to give up with the ghost cloud cuckoolander and warped to another point of the forest.

“We’re roaming in this place by hours and still we don’t find the exit, Swellow, are you sure of the direction? Because, I’m feeling more and more doubtful.”

“Agree with you, bro. I also add that I’m bored: I would have liked to see at least the mad combat skills of Swellow in action, but we didn’t meet any wild pokèmon.”

Swellow swelled “For the last time, I know this place like my pockets! At this intersection, just exactly in this point, here I consumed the death match with Cobalion, ahem, Celebi. If you take a careful look you see the signs of fight I left on the woods, when I marked my superiority over the legend.”

“Uhhh, I wish so much to have been there when this happened, it would be like an action movie at the cinema!” Squirtle exclaimed overexcited. “With the only difference that there are no popcorns but apricorns. Munch..crack! Not bad. Awch.” The swallow pumped more the volume of the chest “And not a simple movie, but a kolossal, wink! Shame that I can’t redo my epicness since Celebi abandoned the scene.”

Squirtle continued to eat apricorns and Bagon joined with a smile “Actually, looks like we’re going to see Swellow vs Celebi the Sequel! She’s behind you.” Swellow changed expression “Eh? She’s behind me… she..C-Cresselia..Celebi for real?”

Celebi spoke “Excuse me? There’s something important I want to ask you…”

“SQWAWK, DARK CELEBI! I said nothing about such a majestic legend like you, kay? Believe me, who vandalized your temple has nothing to do with me, it was a different Swellow, I saw it fly…that way! Ah, he’s not going to leave this forest unpunished. I-I will personally assure the payback! Zoom!” As he left Celebi folded arms “What an hero… Anyway, what’s the problem with you guys? It’s the third pokèmon I meet that escapes calling me *Dark Celebi*.”

Squirtle scratched his head “Probably because you’re black. Also if I put down the shades.”

“It’s just treacle. I’m a natural pink but I produce it when I’m stressed, and the pigment of my leaves darkens in the consequence.”

“Oh, this explains everything. Hey, but if you’re Celebi, aren’t you the girl that Victini had a date with? Why you’re here?” Celebi rolled the pupils “Victini abandoned me in the middle…of the evening…but I’ve enough to search for him. Can you do me this favor? Tell him that he wasted the oportunity. I’m going away for a date with Mew.”

“Wow, okay. Man, Victini won’t be happy…”

“Thanks. I teleport you to Azalea Town in return. Goodbye!”

**Azalea Town**

Everyone waited for Victini because Jirachi refused to wake up. There were only the idols of the Venturers and the Jigglers on the desk of the jury. However the latter was a messy bonsai that barely resembled a Jirachi. “Impressive, Oshawott. Modern art or just an oshawhat disaster?” Oshawott strove to don’t lose the calm again, ignoring the daggers from Piplup. Anorith boasted on the merit to have fixed the statue, but the attention was focused all on the condition of Sylveon, and he was ignored. The team of the Laser Latias Leviathans worried the most “None of us occupied of the craftwork, we’re screwed on certain elimination, and don’t have the time to create a statue of Latias.”

“Unless…” Lester grinned shifting to Plusle. “How much she’s able to stay on the same position?”

“She’s very hyperactive that I doubt already about the success of the idea…”

“Pfff, you ALWAYS doubt about EVERYTHING.” Plusle proudly put on the costume. “On the contrary of me!”

“Oh, that is Victini, finally.” Squirtle whispered to Bagon “Flip a coin for who tells him? Or do it together?” “I think it’s the same. Hey, Victini, we have a message for you!”

“What’s up?” asked the host a little upset. “It’s from Celebi: she said that you lost the chance with her and she left to date Mew.” “ARGH! I waited a century to have this evening with her in a rare free moment. Groan…”

Anorith interrupted “Can we skip to the judge part? I want to go finally to the Vip Class tonight, and I’m sure this is the good occasion.”

“I’m not in the mood, there’s Jirachi to replace me, remember? He can do this perfectly while sleeping. Personally, I don’t care for the show in this episode.” Depressed, Victini floated back on the plane, locking in his room. Jirachi sleepwalked to the desk and observed one by one the statues.

“Zzz..not bad this..yaaaawn..but I saw way better works of bonsai. The vote is 5.”

“WHY DON’T YOU SHOW HOW YOU HANDLE THIS, LITTLE-MPF.” Oshawott was restrained by Chimecho.

“Duuuh, I cultivate ten zen gardens in the sleep if you wish to know. This other work instead is very realistic to seem alive.”

“Because it is! Open the eyes, of course it’s one of the cheerleaders!” Plusle atchooed suddenly “Ops.” Minun glared at Rotom who replied with an innocent smile. Anorith and his team felt the victory in the pocket: the bonsai of Jirachi Jigglers had received a low score, at contemporary the Latias Leviathans hadn’t any statue.

“The statue I created is perfect compared to their. Just give us the highest rank and it’s done, Sleepwalker.”

“Thud.”

“Uh? Argh!” The head of the idol dropped after having been cut again. “This is impossible, I had stuck it with the glue definitely.” “Now deserves 3 points only, zzz.”

// Vent Confessional //

Ninjask blew on his blades “Replay within the last minute, put slow motion, and you may see why it happened.”

“I really hoped to win for once.” Anorith grumbled “Still a decapitated statue warrants the immunity instead of the nothing.”

“Actually not so fast.” Lester bursted in the middle of the scene, assuming a professional intonation. “First of all the introduction: I’m Lex Rotormney, lawyer of the client Laser Latias Leviathans.” Minun sighed “Lester, what the..quirk are you doing now more again?!?” Rotom replied “Plan B: loophole. Anyone remember the rules of the challenge as exactly explained by the J-host? Ok, clearly no, that’s why, like a recorder, I’ll repeat them line by line: ahem, yaawn..duuh.. You have to use wood, apricorns, and whatever you find in the Ilex Forest in order to create a miniature of me, Victini and Latias (depending by the symbol of your team, doy) by the sunset. Who makes the best one, will win the pass for the Vip Class, **who makes the worst or will travel on the Tail of Los**…zzzzzzzz… Mr. Jirachi, do you confirm this speech?”

“Roonf…fiii..dehuu, it’s exactly what I said.”

“A-ah! Then the controversy is solved. There’s no rule that conteplates the situation of my clients, because the Leviathans didn’t make the worst craftwork, they simply made nothing. Instead of the Venturers, that so the law condamns to go to the nomination, ah!” The other pokèmons stared speechless.

“This is ridicuolous! I hope this is just a bad joke.”

“Yawn, law is law, rules are rules, and being a legendary I have to give the good example of justice. So…zzz.” The following Anorith’s swear was censored. The Leviathans cheered on the leader. This one showed them a piece of paper before to go. “It was a pleasure to defend my favorite clients, but this is my bill: 51.00.00.00 $. You can pay it when you want or do a treat. Your choice. Goodnight!”

“…..o.o….”

“*Woooooosh*. By the way, the wind is included in the bill, don’t worry.”

### **Tail of Losers**

Jirachi arrived (in late) after having settled the pilot driver. That may justified the roller-coaster flight that forced the Victini Venturers to use most number of straps possible. “Ayaawn, I host this ceremony because Victini doesn’t feel for at the moment.” The camera shifted to Victini eating macarones on a couch, sobbing while watching a romance on TV. “I’ll start saying who received no votes against: Anorith, Gorebyss, Seviper, Tropius.”

// Vent Nomination //

Anorith was first to mark on the face of Sylveon “Of course my vote is with my alliance.” Followed by the perfid Seviper and the regretful Dunsparce. Sylveon was seen voting out either Lunatone or Aurorus. Anorith entered again grumpily “Also, I vote for Lunatone as Gorebyss, since the camera in her tank tilted. Spare me comments.”

“Aurorus has perfectly recovered from her faint, but I suspect that the creepy floating metorite has something to do with this. I vote Lunatone.” Tropius hold the brand in the mouth and stamped on Lunatone’s pass-port.

“Lunatone.” Aurorus said covering the camera with a blim of ice.

Jirachi gave the last macarone to Dunsparce and the pokè balls to the others “Only one vote vs you, safe. Yawn, so there are three pokèmon left for the final countdown…” everyone turned to Aurorus, Sylveon and Lunatone. Waiting…

“Ronf,zzzzz..”

Seviper snapped her tail violently on the metal to wake the wishmaker again.

“Uh, eh? Right. 3..2…1..Boom! With 4-3-1 votes Sylveon is eliminated. Goodnight. ZZZ.” Sylveon wiped her muzzle and dressed the parachute, Dunsparce quickly bowed in front of her “I-I’m sorry for my ingratitude! I voted you out because you were so obsessive with me. I understand if you don’t want to be my friend anymore..sigh, I’m just, j-just a worm.” Sylveon returned him with a smooth smile and cuddled his head.

“No, you’re not. You remind me my little brother Eevee, he had your same cuteness and determination, instead I was different in the past, I used to be a free spirit that didn’t care much for what happened around her: I changed when I lost him cause of this superficiality.” As a tear dropped down her muzzle, both Aurorus and Dunsparce felt guilty.

“Since then I promised to not be anymore shallow and keep always the health of the others under care, today I realized that I did it wrong. Protect someone doesn’t mean to choke him with attentions, a big sister should be only of guide and example, thanks to have finally made me know this. I’m sorry if I put you in harassment all this time, Dunsparce, I wish you will realize your dream but only following your own heart without constrains. Be careful, smack!” At the end Sylveon hugged the land snake in affect, waved to the rest of the companions and jumped in the skyfall.

Soon after Tropius consolated Dunsparce, that looked in shock and despair at the horizon:

“I know you feel guilty, but I’m sure she already forgave your action, don’t be depress.”

“It’s not only the guiltiness. I-I just realized…t-that..that…I loved her..sigh.” END OF THE EPISODE

### **Epilogue**

“Wow. We got the immunity again, I can’t believe.” Minun celebrated in average class with Lester and Drifloon.

“We’re like the in-V-incible team, ahahah! \*EPIC PUN\*” Lester exclaimed “By the way, I don’t forget about the bill for my legal performance.”

“However, Drifloon, how do you manage to get out the Ilex Forest at the end?” Minun asked.

“Simple. I used the Escape Rope I had with me.”

“You had an Escape Rope all the time, seriously?! Oh, no, paff!” the negative mouse made a grimace continuing sarcastically “Other things you forgot, for example your name, or you’re done for today?”
Drifloon rummaged a bit and shrugged happily at the end sticking out the tongue “Aside the fact I don’t know where I left Castform since I used her as a point of reference , nothing else ^x^”

“Good. … EEEH?!!”

## **Trivia**

* This episode is the English parallel of **"Controllo Celebrale/Il Bosco di Leafy"**, episode 24 of *A Tutto Reality Pokèmon Tour* series written in Italian by the same writer.
* This episode is also inspired to **"L'Ultimo Chateau-Le Christinpastas"**, horror themed episode 65-ter of *A Tutto Reality Pokèmon Tour* series written in Italian by the same writer.
	+ In fact, Lampent tells a creepypasta like the human character Christine Mc Lean does in that Italian episode.
* The title comes from the latin proverb *"Sed lex, dura lex"*.
	+ It's also a reference to Lester, whose name is frequently shortened as **Lex**.
	+ Both in this episode (as Rotom) and in "Controllo Celebrale" (as human) Lester comes off with the electromagnetic compass idea and he's a main protagonist.
* Castform was irregularly eliminated because I considered her too bland to keep in the series.
	+ Ironically, in the italian parallel episode there was the most irregular elimination, too. A pokèmon was in fact eliminated in place of a contestant.
* Sylveon is the first favorite contestant of the writer to have been eliminated.
	+ Swellow should have been originally eliminated.
* This is the first episode where Lunatone speaks.
* This is the first episode where a legendary pokèmon cameos.
* This episode is the 2nd best in my opinion, after Radio Victini.