Diamond Only

Danny blinked, surprised by the tactic employed. He wasn't used to trainers using moves against his own Pokémon. "Well, if that isn't a twist I don't know what is!" He laughed. His face got serious suddenly, though, "Nidoqueen, use Ice Beam!" Danny ordered strongly. Slowpoke might have the speed advantage for now, but Nidoqueen was a higher level, and naturally stronger.

Slowpoke's speed was certainly helping, as the geyser slowly froze over into a large log if ice. However, Nidoqueen's beam was more powerful. The geysers froze over at an unfortunately similar rate of speed. Both competitors now had a chunk of ice before them. One of the referees stood off to the side, holding up a flag indicating the next challenge was beginning. He waved it toward Danny, indicating he had won the first round.

Danny smirked, looking to Alice with a sparkle in his eye. "Don't worry, I'm sure you'll have better luck next round!" For such a nice guy, he could really come across as an ass. The referee then held up the next flag as he began to announce the rules.

"Both competitors may use three Pokémon at their disposal to carve out of their ice log, a sled modeled after the one shown on the sign," the ref pointed to either sign, one in front of each geyser. "Pokémon at the ready...begin!" The flag was waved, 

Danny was impressed with Alice's determination. It was obvious a spark was lit when she lost the last contest. "Right then. Nidoqueen, Machoke! Use your physical strength to help shape and stabilize the sled! Scyther, use your fury swipes and chip away at the sled. Come on guys, we've got this!" Danny was confident in his team, who had performed the task many a time before.

The muscle used their strength to advantage, taking turns stabilizing and pounding the sled into shape. Scyther carved away with his scythes vigorously, and with surprising accuracy. The two teams of Pokémon worked beautifully under command of their trainers.

The bobsleds were swiftly finished, glistening crystals in the light. "The winner of this round," the ref called, motioning the flag to Alice's side of the field. "The challenger!" The two were now tied, and everything came down to the last challenge.

"Great job, Alice. You command your team with such authority, and your Pokémon are great too!" Danny complimented. The two bobsleds were moved to the luge, where they would race down the mountainside. First team to the bottom would be the winner. The rules were explained to be that three Pokémon could help steer the toboggan on the way down.

Danny and Alice were in their respective bobsleds. Danny had his team at the ready. Geodude, Electrode, and Scyther to help him steer. It was obvious he was using weight to his advantage in this way. "Good luck!" He called out, pulling a pair of ski goggles over his eyes.

The potential trail was wider then Alice had expected, making getting in front of Danny quite problematic. The two seemed to shift between who had the nose of a lead. Danny was making excellent use of Electrode's massive body, rolling to change direction at key moments. However, Alice managed at one point to shift her sled in front of his. The moment was hers, to make of it what she would. Now or never, Alice. Make your move.

Danny was surprised by the ominous wind. Fearing what may lie next in store, he shifted his weight, pointing off to the side. His Pokémon understood, veering them to the right. Fortunately this helped them avoid the harshest spot of flash, catching it in their peripherals as the light flashed through the trees. Trees? Ahh, they were exiting the frozen part, and getting into more into the rugged climate. 

Danny's sled was out of the frozen part of the luge, slowing him down a bit. "Guys, get back on course!" He ordered. His Pokémon shifted weight again, the large rolling ball in the back end helping him pick up speed again. He hit a bump, sending him into the air to land beside Alice once more. Seemed the trail he took though slow in movement was shorter due to less winding. They were again neck-and neck, the finish line coming up fast.

However, Danny had lost a lot of speed on the dirt, and Alice inched ahead. He grit his teeth, trying to lower his center of gravity and provide less air resistance. But it was too late, the two sleds rushed across the finish line with a hiss of ice on dirt. They skid to a stop several metres down the path.

The ref called it, waving the flag for Alice, the victor in the final round. "The challenger, having won two out of three rounds, is declared the victor!" She had done it. Through what was probably sheer perseverance, and a little tactical planning, Alice had dominated Navel Gym.

Danny exited his sled, and approached Alice. "Great job, Alice. But I expected no less, I could tell you were tough when I met you!" Again, could be taken the wrong way if one would let it. "I guess you earned this," he reached into his jacket pocket, and presented an item to Alice.

It was the Navel Gym's badge! It was a pretty little shell, with an embedded jewel in it. They must be very valuable, or extremely fake. Then again, it wasn't as if the badge was easy to earn. "This is the Sea Ruby badge, and it will show everyone that you have conquered this gym. Be proud, Alice, not many can say that." Danny winked, handing it over. "And-for your troubles," he added, digging out his wallet. "I know life as a trainer can get tough, so here's some pocket change, and my number," he winked, handing over 2,050 pokedollars!

{Trainer: Alice Hope has been updated}

Danny didn't have a chance to say much more before Alice rushed off. The girl was obviously enthused, but he worried all the same. There were things about Grams that most people found...strange. When Alice approached the cabin again, an eerie presence would send shivers up her spine. This time it couldn't have been anticipation, though. 

The cabin itself seemed different. Almost as if had been neglected for some time now. It was hardly recognizable from the well kept abode she'd visited earlier. It must be the wrong place, right? But no, there was Danny's place just across the way, his swim trousers still out drying in the sun.

At first knock there was no answer. A deep groan came from the wood boards beneath her, creaking from her shifting weight. At a second round of knocks, the door came loose and creaked open. A stale air emanated the house. Inside everything seemed old, covered in cobwebs and unpolished. Everything but the chair she had sat in the day prior. It was still pulled out where she had left it, a trail left in the dust of how it had slid from a long resting place.

Once Alice announced her intentions, a breathy air came from deeper in the recesses of the house. The walls seemed to moan, and though it was light outside the inner of the place made it seem the dark of night. The windows were stained, allowing only minor light through which made the shadows dance.

Zubat managed to locate a pen, flapping around it and squeaking to alert his trainer. There was a notepad conveniently nearby, allowing Alice to write her note with ease. Well, aside from having to jog the pen for some ink. However swift she was, before she could make her way out the door it slammed in her face. 

The breeze it caused was forceful enough to knock Alice to the ground. If a breeze is what you would call it, anyway. It felt more like an attack from an unseen force. Should she try to break any windows, the same force would again knock her back. A disturbing laugh that was somewhat disembodied and indistinguishable resonated. 

Zubat was frozen in fear, unable to determine what or where its foe was. Slowpoke was in a similar predicament, being unable to aim his yawn at anything. Alice seemed to be in a tight predicament, was this the end of her Pokémon journey? To be cut down in her prime by a haunting?

A door opened up in the house, leading into a small room. It was apparently a bedroom, with a small single bed and night stand. However dusty and old the room was, it seemed to have been a child's room. A girl, at that. 

A framed picture was on the nightstand, of a girl, probably about seven years of age. She had her hair in short braided ponytails, freckles along the bridge of her nose. The picture was in black and white though, and had faded to a sepia tone over time. Such was the price to pay with old photos, as the paper wasn't acid free.

A Pokémon was apparently in the picture, though the bottom corner had gotten wet and faded the image away. It was only able to be told based on the girl's pose, arms wrapped around something in an embrace. The laugh could be heard again, though this time it sounded more of a female child. Like the mischievous laughter one would hear while playing a game of hide and seek.

Set upon the pillow of the bed was a pokeball. It was an older style, the kind where you had to manually open the capsules. It seemed to have been waiting there a very long time. Was this its 'final resting place'?

It was definitely a very odd mechanism, but Alice finally turned the knob and the capsule popped open. A familiar light emanated, the same technology to keep the Pokémon inside apparently gapping generations. A relatively small Pokémon manifested, standing about one foot high.

It was shockingly adorable, and not at all intimidating. It was a small, white squirrel-like Pokémon with a faint blueish tint and a light blue stripe starting from its forehead, going all the way down to the tip of its tail. It was known as a Pachirisu, and was an electric type Pokémon!


"Chiii?" The Pokémon queried, stretching out. It had obviously been asleep for a very long time. "Paachi?" It was confused, as it looked around its surroundings. He was looking for something- or someone. His eyes welled up with tears, as he flopped to his rear and began to cry.

As the little creature cried out, a wind seemed to blow through the house. It didn't feel happy, though, as the window curtains whipped about. After Alice ran into the main hall again, and tried to coax whatever entity was there she got a surprise. A sharp scream, and the same feeling of being suddenly pushed back as before. Across the room an entity manifested.

The young girl seen in the photo, almost just as she had been. She was yet intangible, but very much visible, like smoke. She looked as though a darkness radiated from her, anger on her face. "It's not fair!" The disembodied voice shouted, seeming to come from all around at short intervals not quite syncing with her lips.

Just as suddenly as she had appeared, she was gone again, the house moaning and creaking around her. Grams then showed up, walking out of the Kitchen. "Oh dear, you shouldn't have returned," she said, rushing to Alice's side. However, when she went to help the girl up, she vanished as well. "It's not fair..." the child's words echoed. 

"Pa-chiii," the Pachirisu whimpered, voice wavering as it sobbed. It was apparently distraught having woken up with no trainer. Why would the ghost do this? Trap her, just to upset her Pachirisu? It wasn't adding up. Then there was Grams, who only added more problems to solve.

"Why did this happen, Alice? It's not fair..." The girl suddenly appeared beside her. She seemed more sad than angry this time, like the tantrum of a child. Well- a ghost child in this case. "Why can't I be with Pachirisu, and Mommy, and Daddy?" The little girl looked as if she was crying, wiping at her face as her 'body' had troubles staying visible.

She was gone again, Grams now there once more. "I'm sorry you had to see this, Alice. I didn't mean for this to happen, Danny was meant to bring the gear back," the elderly woman explained. This time she reached out to touch Alice, and was physically there. "You see, this little girl is me...or rather, what she wanted to be."

Grams went on to explain the girl's story. Apparently she had lived in that shack with her mother and father, as well as Pachirisu. She often visited an old woman in the village, who apparently looked an awful lot like Grams and was an excellent cook. She had moved away when the child was only six, but she often talked about growing up to be just like her.

"I wanted to be a grandma...one who would love all the kids and Pokémon, and cook them yummy food..." The little girl's voice resonated again.

She came down with a terrible illness about a year after, and the antibiotics weren't taking. The Pachirisu spent every moment with her, doing his best to keep her warm. Finally, the parents returned the Pokémon to its pokeball on the eve the doctor was supposed to come into port. A storm had held him up for several days, and he was too late to help the girl. She died right there, in her bedroom.

When the parents couldn't console, they chose to move away. They tried to take the Pachirisu's pokeball with them, but every time they went into their daughter's room strange things would happen. The girl had been there ever since, playing house and pretending to be Grams for travelers. Danny was the only local who visited her regularly enough to know the truth, the rest believing it to be an urban legend.

"So I hope you understand...she's split herself in two. The girl she once was, and the woman she wanted to be..." Grams finished her story. Unfortunately there were plot holes, such as how Grams could only sometimes be tangible, and her cooking and spotless appearing house hold before. The question was whether or not Alice cared enough to find out more.

The woman looked to the ground, stepping back from Alice. "Well, you see..." The woman began. At first it was just her voice, but the child's voice melded in as the words went on, "that's just the thing, isn't it? Ghosts are pretty powerless on their own." The child appeared next to Alice, Grams remaining. "I'm the real ghost..." Grams appearance faded, a Gastly taking her place. 

The deep purple-blue orb looked like it was clouded in gas, with large intimidating eyes. "The child lives her dreams through me. We are one," its voice was surprisingly calming, and smooth.

"I met Gastly when I died. He was drawn here, and taught me how I could do things. He lets me touch the real world. He kept Pachirisu safe when Daddy wanted to get rid of him..." That was when things became clear. The girl had been defending her Pachirisu and living her dreams. Well, using the term living lightly. 

"But she has been dead for far too long, and Pachirisu has slept, alone," Gastly continued. Pachirisu had since halted his crying, and was now peeking out from the room at all that was happening. "He deserves his chance to live, just as my child deserves hers," Gastly again took the form of Grams. "Don't worry about us though, please take Pachirisu outside. Take him away from here, where he can move on and live a prosperous life."

Grams the Gastly shook her head, "I'm afraid that your curiosities can't be sated at this time. There are certain things that should only be learned in time," grams then gave Alice a gentle hand on the shoulder and a warm smile before turning around, walking off toward the kitchen. A warm light seemed to follow her, as she hummed a tune and began quietly singing to herself as the illusion slowly faded back into the darkness. "Que sera, sera. Whatever will be, will be..."

The young girl was beside Alice, and was clearly reluctant. "Take care of Pachirisu, Alice. Or this wont be the last you've seen of me," she said, before also fading. The house seemed quiet and rather empty now, aside from the Pachirisu who took a few squirrelly steps out into the main hall. The old pokeball seemed to short out, the two sides breaking apart. Pachirisu was free.

"Pa-chii?" He asked quizzically, looking up at Alice. There had been stories of things like this happening, Pokémon living decades longer than they should have when their masters passed away. Of course, the only other recounted incident at the time was of a rather ancient Ninetails, whose species is known for longevity anyway, and its feudal era master. Of course, the girl in this picture wasn't nearly hundreds of years old, so it wasn't too far fetched to believe it could happen here.