A Quick Stop and Gym Badge [Open~]

Lykouleon heard the screech, and sped toward the source. Artemis readied her Master Ball, and sent out Deus and Tinlet in case things got rough. "Deus, you watch out for any unwanted visitors," she said, and he nodded, diving below Lykouleon, and searching for any signs of the collector. Tinlet remained standing on the Reshiram as they got closer to Articuno.

The articuno knew that Artemis was coming, and it strayed her off course with a lot of weather difference. It flew away before she could turn around, leaving a note behind with the next location.

Artemis gritted her teeth when the weather conditions made her lose sight of the bird, but Deus swooped down and grabbed the note Articuno had left. He flew over and handed it to Artemis before taking into the air again. She looked down to see what was on the note.

"Oh brave traveler, you think you can catch me," was on the note. "I'm frosty, but what's the opposite?"

"Opposite?" Artemis mused, "Wouldn't that be fire?" She placed a hand on Lykouleon's warm neck, and the fire type cranes it to look back at her. "Maybe there's a volcano or something nearby! Lykouleon, climb to a higher altitude, let's go see if we can see one." Her Pokemon nodded once, and started climbing higher into the air.

The articuno was awaiting at a nearby shack that was on fire. It was clear it was a shack not recognized by the town, but it was pretty decently ablaze.

Lykouleon and Deus made a dive toward the shack, cautious of any other tricks that Articuno could pull. Artemis gripped the Master Ball tightly in anticipation. She was preparing herself for a battle if one had to break out, but she wished to avoid one if possible.

The articuno was running through the forest. Despite being a bird, and not being that fast, the articuno was getting a good distance. It wasn't really the largest legendary, and with its wings folded, it was small enough to fit in the trees, unlike Artemis's legendaries.

Artemis gave one look at Tinlet, and the Gardevoir nodded. They both leaped off of Lykouleon, and before they slammed into the ground, they teleported to the forest floor. Seeing Articuno in the distance, she sighed. "Think you can teleport us in front of it?"

Maybe, Tinlet replied. She grabbed her master's hand, and attempted to go quite a distance to cut Articuno off.

The articuno wasn't playing easy to get. It made turns, lots of turns, to keep the trainer from easily catching it. It was a game to it, and it flew into the air above the forest. "You have to throw the pokeball up to catch me," the legendary said to her, flying in circles before streaming off in one direction, then another.

Artemis returned Tinlet and sighed. Articuno was playing quite hard to get. "I guess I'll have to do this on my own," she said with determination. She watched Articuno's rapid flight pattern closely, and tried to get a feel for what the bird was doing. Gripping her Master Ball, she threw it up as hard as she could where she believed Articuno would fly next.

Articuno took a turn in the right direction, missing the masterball as it bounced to the ground. "Nice try," it laughed at Artemis.

Artemis grumbled and picked up the Master Ball. This time, she watched for a bit, and faked a throw, watching Articuno's wings to see where the bird would turn to dodge before actually throwing the ball in that direction.

The articuno looked like it was about to turn left, and when it did it flew a little ways away before disappearing in a flash of red.

Artemis smiled, but something felt off. "Arceus, if that wasn't my catch, someone is going to die today," she said before checking to see if it was her ball that had caught the bird.

It was a regular pokeball, from which the legendary burst from. It immediately went behind Artemis before the collector showed. "Terrible terrible terrible," he said to Artemis. He picked up her masterball, throwing it back to her before looking at the legendary.

Artemis sighed, putting her Master Ball away. She did, however, take a large rock she had kept as a souvinear from Turnback Cave. She chucked the rock straight at the collector's head. "Go find your own Legendaries," she said, "Articuno was mine."

Rune, having remained on Artemis's shoulder the entire time, scrunched her tiny fists in anger. She floated over to the collector, and bared her teeth in anger. You're a mean, mean man, she said, I don't like you!

The articuno looked at Artemis before the collector, who grabbed the rock chucking it at Rune.

The eye on Rune's stomach opened in response to the danger. Upon instinct, the little Pokemon unleashed her inner power, and caused the rock to stop in mid air, turn around, and hurtle straight at the collector's nose, probably breaking it if it made contact.

Artemis laughed and high fived Rune, who's inner eye closed in rest. Rune looked up at Articuno. That man is mean to Pokemon, she said sadly, Why do you want to be with him?

"I never said that I wanted to be with him small one," the articuno said to Rune, looking at the collector as he dodged the incoming rock. "I don't think I really want to be his pokemon at all, having just seen him through a rock at you." The collector looked at the articuno, wondering why it was sticking behind Artemis when she didn't own it. He took his chance, throwing his pokeball at it, hoping that it would hit.

Rune, having been right in front of Articuno, saw the incoming Pokeball, and bravely ran into it so it wouldn't hit the bird. She was sucked in, and immediately burst out in a white light because she was already caught.

Artemis looked at Articuno hurriedly. "Well," she said, "if you don't want to be his, I suggest you hurry and get yourself caught by me." She held out her Master Ball to Articuno, the Center facing the bird so it could easily press it and get sucked in.

"I was hoping to continue testing you," the articuno said to Artemis. "I am not yet satisfied with your abilities or traits yet." The collector looked at Artemis, snarling in annoyance as he picked up the pokeball that had failed. "You listen here," he said to her, completely annoyed. "This pokeball would have hit the pokemon if yours wouldn't rudely jump in the way. In what way is it fair your pokemon did that?"

Artemis shrugged with a smirk. "I don't force my Pokemon to do what I want them to do. I don't force them to have no free will either. Rune wanted to get in the way of your ball, I didn't command it, and I won't stop her from doing it again." She turned to Articuno and lowered the Master Ball. "What kind of test?" she asked, while still keeping one weary eye on the collector.

"A test of mind," the articuno said to Artemis.

"Minds..." Artemis said, thinking of Suicune's riddle. "I think I could handle that," she said to the bird.