If There's Bark, Then There's Bite: A Stray in the City of Water

Amber strolled into Cerulean City as the sky was alight with a crimson sunset. Her long, tanned trench coat kept her warm, even after a small breeze whipped across her face, making her dark hair obscure her vision. She lifted a hand and pushed the strands aside and pushed them behind her ears, glancing down toward her Pack as she did so. Ash, as always, was at his spot beside her on her right, the Alpha position. A few small paces behind them were Azure, Amethyst, and Lavender, all traveling in a neat row beside one another, with the ever-energetic Azure in the middle, trotting more than walking and wagging his tail at every chance he got. Resting on the large Pokemon's back was Carnation, and the small Skitty was wagging her tail as well, as she playfully nibbled the wolf's ear. It was a strange sigh to behold, but they were a unique group.

Amber glanced around the city, it was oddly quiet. The darkened sky must have driven most of its residence back to their homes for the night, and she was thankful for the lack of attention. Although most trainers kept their Pokemon to their balls, she didn't really believe storing them away was necessary, they were equals, after all. It was rare that she even used their Pokeballs, and each of her Pack members were allowed free reign, within reason. Though this usually wasn't a concern, Amber was still weary of her wayward, happy-go-lucky Skitty. Carnation wasn't afraid to do as she pleased, and she seemed to be a ticking time bomb, granted, a cute one.

Before Amber made it to the center of town, a whistle caught her attention, and she turned to find its source just as the ears of all of her Pack members seemed to shift in unison toward its source. It wasn't long before a tired looking youth waved her down and started jogging toward her.

Oh Arceus, not again. Amber thought, knowing that conversing with strangers only seemed to bring her trouble, but she wasn't in the position just to ignore him. Instead, she took a deep breath and composed herself, turning toward him and raising an eyebrow.

"Oh," he huffed, the small distance of running already tiring him out, "I'm glad I caught," he drew in another large breath, "your attention." He waved his hand up and down, trying to convey something that Amber couldn't quite comprehend, so she could only stand awkwardly as he continued waving his hand and breathing heavily, leaning against his knees and supporting himself with his other arm. After a minute or two, he seemed to finally catch his breath and just realize that Ash was quietly growling at him, glaring down and taking a defensive position between him and Amber, protecting her just in case.

"Whoa," he said, taking a step back, away from the growling Mightyena, "I come in peace," his eyes traveled from the hostile Pokemon back to Amber, and they lit with curiosity. "Huh, I may slouch, but I don't come across many women taller than me. Er, that's beside the point though," he forced a chuckle, feeling the awkward stillness of the air, "you just seemed like a capable trainer, with your er, posse," he gestured toward Amber's Pack. "I'm looking for a Pokemon, about ye big," he held his hands up to demonstrate a smaller size, "white, floating. My Castform, to be exact. He was chased by another Pokemon and, uh, I kinda lost him. I accidentally left my other Pokemon back at my room in the P.C.," He rubbed the back of his head, and his laugh seemed genuine this time. "Could your Pokemon sniff him out or something?"

Great, Amber thought, he needs my help, even better. She was weary of this newcomer, but she couldn't exactly decline if his Pokemon was in any sort of danger. She was distrusting, yes, but not cruel. "Ash?" She asked, looking toward him with a knowing glance. He grumbled a slight protest, but approached the other trainer and sniffed at his hand. Although he didn't have the scent of the Pokemon itself, usually a Pokemon carried a hint of their trainer's scent on them. Taking in deep breath, he allowed the scent to flood his senses  and picked up a faint trail leading off toward a wooded area outside of Cerulean. He tilted his head toward that direction, and Amber took the hint. "Lead the way," she said, and Ash padded forward, quickening his pace as they wandered toward the outer city limits. Amber easily kept pace, but it seemed like the other trainer was struggling to keep up. He didn't seem like one who exercised much. Soon, the sound of battling and Pokemon cries could be heard, and the boy's eyes lit up.

"That's him all right," he said, suddenly getting the motivation to actually pass Ash and rush toward the battle. Amber and her Pack quickened their pace to catch up, and they came across the sight of the other trainer's Castform holding off a growling Pokemon Amber didn't quite recognize. It wasn't native to either Unova or Kanto, so it was perplexing as to what it was doing in Cerulean. Still, questions were better left for later. It seemed as if the other trainer was about to rush in between the battling Pokemon and stop it himself, and Amber was barely able to catch one of his arms and drag him back, away from it.

"Are you an idiot?" she asked, "stepping in there will do nothing but get you killed!" She nodded toward Ash, and the Mightyena didn't hesitate to jump onto the unfamiliar Pokemon and knock it over, dragging them both into a roll. The Pokemon was already quite fatigued, and the attack from the healthy and stronger Mightyena was finally enough for it to feel defeat. The Castform flew into his trainer's arms and the two embraced as Amber took out one of her Pokeballs and tossed it toward the unfamiliar Pokemon. It... looked like a canine, at least to her. With a resonating click, the Pokeball soon indicated a capture after shaking three times and fell still. Taking it from the ground, Amber tossed it into the air and allowed the Luxio out, as she did so, something caught her eye. There was a small bow tied to the Pokemon's tail, it was a shade of purple-blue, iris.

"That's what I'll call you, then, Iris." The Luxio looked toward her new trainer with what could only be described as confused disdain, as if she wasn't sure how to judge her new trainer. There was also fear, and sadness. It clicked within Amber's mind at that moment, this Pokemon had once had a trainer, a trainer who had to have released her if Amber's capture had been successful. The trainer smiled sadly, crouching onto her knees and placing a gentle hand on the Luxio's shoulder. "It's okay," she whispered, "I won't abandon you." Iris's gaze turned downcast, but her face showed that she gained some comfort in her new trainer's words. As Amber stood, Iris took her new place... at her trainer's right... the Alpha position? Ash gave a warning growl, but remained reserved. The Luxio backed off, instead taking her place at Amber's left, but a sly glint in her eye showed that she wouldn't admit defeat.

Figuring that her Pack will settle their new dynamics and roles among themselves, Amber instead turned toward the other trainer. "I'm glad to help," she said, "but I kinda... need to go." It was a lame excuse, and the other trainer didn't seem phased.

"Let me guess: to the Pokemon Center?" he asked, "strangely enough, that's just where I'm heading. I'm not sure why, but I think I can bear your presence," he chuckled, apparently finding his own statement amusing, "the name's Eren, and allow me to return the favor by walking you back to the Center."

"Mine's Amber," Amber said reluctantly, nodding for Eren to lead the way. He guessed her next destination correctly, so she didn't have much choice to ignore him. The two made quick work of the walk back to Cerulean, and they entered the Pokemon Center. Hesitating, Amber took a serious tone toward Eren, not wanting to lead on that the two were becoming friends. "Listen," she said, trying to come up with the right words, "you don't want to be near me. Despite what you might think, I'm not a good person. People have wound up dead because of me, and I don't want to add you to that list." She turned, not intending to hear his response, but as she took a step away from him, his words surprised her.

"Huh," he said, genuinely surprised, "guess we're more similar than I thought." He left on those cryptic words, departing into the overnight resting quarters. Amber couldn't quite comprehend his words, let alone make sense of them. Instead, all she could do was pick up a room key from the front desk and head to the same hallway he had gone through, taking up one of the smaller, spare rooms. She was too exhausted to ponder things for long, and the minute her head touched the pillow, she crashed into a dead sleep.

---

Amber blinked awake the next morning and rubbed her tired eyes. She seemed warmer than usual, but the culprit seemed to be Carnation, lightly snoozing right up against her stomach. Azure, too, was like a heater, and he slept in the crook of Amber's bent legs. Ash was at the foot of the bed, already awake, and Lavender was curled up in cushioned chair adjacent to the bed. Iris had decided to rest in a far corner, away from the rest of the Pack. She didn't seem to feel she was a part of them yet, but Amber believed it would come with time. Her arms stretched out as she yawned, and she rolled out of bed, careful not to wake any of her sleeping Pokemon.

"Keep an eye on all of them," she yawned, "I'm going to grab us some breakfast." She opened the door, slipped through, and shut it tightly behind her, locking it as she left. Then, she made her way toward where they typically serve food. She sat at an empty table and scanned the crowd. She was up early, and there didn't seem to be any sign of the the trainer she had met the night before, Eren, so he was either already gone or still asleep. Sitting back at her table, she tried to flag down a staff member to request some PokeFood to bring back to her room.

(Such a long post, and it wasn't even for training o3o)

[Not gonna lie; I skipped two paragraphs p3p]
[I started the mod document; just need sypnosis]

A member of the staff operating the place walked towards Amber. She hadn't exactly been thoroughly capable of escaping her past. "You," she mumbled, pushing a menu at her a bit frustrated. "You..." When someone else walked up, her attitude changed. "What woudl you like to order," she questioned, the other stranger leaving before her expression changed. "You got them killed..." She stared to Amber's eyes. "Didn't you? That fire... The gym..." This woman seemed really strange; how could she seem to make the minimal predictions of what had happened so accurately. "You've locked your heart, haven't you? Just because something happened... Your future is dark girl..."

Locked my heart? Amber questioned, confused by the cryptic words of the stranger. And a fire? she recalled a blaze within a Pokemon Center, caused by Arcanine. Then there was the Alpha back in Pewter... and Houndoom before him... and even before all of it, an innocent Growlithe she couldn't stop from being taken from her when she was a naive child. Perhaps I have. But with good reason, everything I love or even help eventually get ripped away from me. "A future is unpredictable," Amber said toward the woman, taking the menu and holding back a biting remark about her hostility. "I'm not planning on mine being dark... I'm going to be something... I have to." She aimed to be a Champion, to actually make something of her life and prove that, just because she didn't grow up in good circumstances doesn't mean she would equate to nothing. She didn't want to be nothing... The woman's words did seem to strike a nerve, and Amber was still processing the fact that the woman had been able to guess events in her past. "Why are you telling me this, anyway? Who are you?"

"Someone you may wish you'd never met," the woman spoke to Amber, her turning around to look to her sides. She then turned back to the trainer. "Listen... I, see things..." She seemed to be settling a bit from her hostility. "There's something bad in your future... I need to stick around you to prevent it... Because if I don't, then you'll be in trouble... Life-threatening trouble..." She seemed to be making predictions as though Amber would understand her. "I see a pokemon... An eevee... And you, surrounded by people... With all of your pokemon unconscious..."

"Wha?" Amber didn't even know where to begin... she had never been one to believe in psychics. When she worked the stalls at Nimbasa, there had been many "psychic" stands that came and went, and none were very convincing. But the words this woman spoke were so much different than the general predictions of the many frauds. Life-threatening, an Eevee? And my Pack in trouble? That part resonated with her the most. If there was a Pokemon in trouble somewhere, she couldn't sit by and watch it die. Not any more. Her fist clenched tight as she thought of her own Pack, she'd do anything for them, and anything for any Pokemon in need.

"I'm not sure if I should believe you, but I'll, er, be on the lookout for anything life-threatening in my future. Uh, thanks for the warning." During the conversation, she seemed to have lost her appetite, but she doubted that her own Pokemon were in the same boat. Setting the menu down on the table, she sat back in her chair. "Can I get a couple bags of PokeFood, I don't think I'm going to order anything, but I promised my Pokemon that I'd get them some breakfast..."

"It's the ones that you have seen that make you not feel I can be trusted," the woman asked Amber lightly. Just by thinking on it alone, teh woman had gotten that sense from Amber's mind. "Believe me... I have to travel with you; it will be the only way you and I can stop your future from passing." She then turned a second time, listening to Amber's order. "And I said I sense things..." A small cart was rolled up by a pokemon then, the woman thanking it before it walked off to help another staffer of the location. "Three bags of pokefood, and one light breakfast for an appetite lost." She turned her head and looked to Amber. "Room 106, right... I'll be there when my shift ends... I could try to tell you more then." The woman seemed to be speaking the truth; after all, if she had been guessing so much correctly, then there had to be something to her words of warning.

"Uh, okay," Amber replied, standing and making her way up to the cart. "I might, er, go out for a bit after eating... I guess you know when I'll be gone then, though." She was still slightly skeptical, it was in her nature to be, but the strange predictions that the woman made were quite fascinating. Giving an awkward wave, Amber rolled the cart out the hallway and to her sparse room. She jiggled the key in the lock until it clicked and pushed open the door with her cart.

As she entered, she was glad to see that the Pack was now awake. Ash gave her a nod of greeting and Azure giddily hopped off of the bed to greet her, wagging his magma-like tail and jumping up on her, trying to lick her face as she tried to keep him at bay with one leg. He was hopping on his back two legs, making it difficult to shake him off completely. Carnation seemed to decide to join the fun, and the little Skitty jumped up and clawed at Amber's pant leg, demanding attention since it looked as if Azure was getting more than her. Lavender sat up in the spare chair, watching the ordeal with an amused glint in her eye, and Iris was still in her lonesome corner, eyeing the Kyansei and Skitty with what seemed like sad envy.

"Move it, you two!" Amber laughed, trying to shake off Carnation's determined claws and watching the Skitty still remain on her pant leg as she lifted it into the air. After finally driving the two Pokemon away, Amber pushed the door shut behind her and dug out the PokeFood, portioning it out based on each Pokemon in her Pack's size. As she was setting bowls down, she noticed that all but Iris had started eating, and the Luxio's bowl remained empty. Releasing a sad sigh, Amber picked up the Luxio's portion and walked over to the far corner, setting it next to her.

"You need to eat," Amber said, putting a reassuring hand on the Pokemon's dense fur. "They'll all accept you, you just need to accept them. I'm sorry you lost your old trainer... but life is what you make it. I won't force you to be in the Pack if you don't want to, but don't isolate yourself, it'll only make you sadder." The trainer's words seemed to put Iris at ease, and the Pokemon shifted, turning the front half of her body toward her bowl and taking big, eager gulps. She seemed starving, and her food was downed in an instant. Standing, Amber walked toward the rest of the Pack, and the corner of her lips turned into a genuine smile when she noticed Iris lift herself from her spot and walked over to the rest of the Pack, approaching cautiously, but standing with the rest of them. Lavender seemed to say something to her, and the two nodded toward one another. The lonely glint in Iris's eye seemed to have faded for the most part, and Amber was relieved that she was beginning to interact with the others.

Once everyone was fed, Amber stacked all of the empty dishes back onto the cart and put it out in the hall for staff to pick up. Opening the door, she and her Pack carefully fit themselves through the door frame before making their way to the Pokemon Center's exit. Just as she was about to go back to the area where she had first encountered Iris, a voice called out to her, and she turned, groaning as she recognized a waving figure walking toward her, it was the trainer she had met the night before.

"Alex!" he called out, and at first Amber was confused, she glanced around but there didn't seem to be anyone else in sight. Eren soon caught up to her, and he seemed to be carrying an odd colored egg in a bundle in his arms. "I wanted to thank you for yesterday," he said, apparently 'Alex' was Amber. "It's not much, but this is a weird egg I found the other day. It's been with me for a while, so it's probably really close to hatching. Well, it's yours now. The guy I got it from said that Pokemon that hatch out of these eggs can sometimes be a different color than normal, so that's pretty neat." He held the bundle out toward Amber, and she studied it with mild curiosity.

Amber took the egg a little reluctantly. She didn't want to spoil his mood with the fact that she preferred canine Pokemon and mysterious eggs were a little too risky for her... but she couldn't exactly dump a baby Pokemon out on someone else either, especially if the egg was a gift. All she could hope that it was something that at least resembled a canine, though she wouldn't get her hopes up too high. Whatever it was, she could at least pay it attention for a little bit, and maybe it would grow on her. The different color sparked a little interest as well, and she looked to the wriggling egg. "Thanks," she said, "I hope your Castform is doing well."

"Thanks, he is," Eren smiled, "though I left him back at the center, crap!" He gave a hasty wave and turned back toward the building. Apparently he didn't remember his Pokemon after he wakes up in the morning...

Looking to the route that lay before them Amber started setting up preparations for training. It did seem like the egg was on the verge of hatching, so she decided that it was a good idea to wait and see what was hidden beneath its shell before she got too preoccupied with training. After all, eggs were fragile, and she wasn't about to leave it defenseless on its own, especially since it was a gift.

[You and your long posts; I skipped two more paragraphs cause that discussion though]
[So you want your egg to hatch since she's watching it? o3o]

"Hey," the woman from before cried out. She seemed to be rushing towards Amber, a pokemon running beside her on four legs. She skidded to a stop feet from Amber, her pokemon following suite. The pokemon stared at Amber, the absol seeming to find her an oddity against other people. The pokemon could sense danger, after all, and Amber was full of it. "Told you I'd come when my shift was over," she told her in a light joke, her breathing beginning to settle since she hadn't had to run that far; after all, she had known where Amber was. "Waiting for it to hatch hm? I'm not quite sure how you'll respond to what it becomes," she told her, not revealing specifics since she didn't want to ruin everything about Amber's future.

(They were very important paragraphs, I'm totally honest, you can believe me owo)

After hearing a shout, Amber turned to see the woman from before and her Pokemon, an Absol, running alongside her. The trainer was a little surprised that her shift was done that quickly, but after considering that the breakfast hours were near over by now, it did make some sense. Although she smiled at the beautiful Absol in front of her, she had seen a few in her lifetime in Unova, so at least she was familiar with them, unlike Luxio. She found them to be gorgeous creatures, alluring to a canine side but remaining sleep and mysterious. She had a strange allure to dark type canines, after all, Ash and Amethyst had been by her side for a long time, and both were Dark types to their core. Realizing just how much she was pondering on about the Pokemon, she realized that it was staring toward her with a strange glint in its eyes, and she knew well enough that it seemed cautious about being around her. Her smile faltered, though only slightly.

While the rest of her Pack got some much needed exercise by wandering in the route, though close enough to remain in Amber's sight, Amber could allow herself to focus on the woman and the egg. Her words did ring some curiosity in her mind how I'll respond? now she was definitely enthralled with the egg, but still eyed the woman cautiously. Mysterious companions weren't on a good track-record, after all. And she vowed to herself to be the only one to make choices, no one else would force her into things she didn't fully understand or didn't want to do herself. "I think I hear cries coming out of it now," she said, setting it to the ground so its wriggling could be more natural, "I'm sure it's about to hatch."

[But I don't want to believe you ;P]

The woman looked to Amber before the egg seemed to crack and crumble open, revealing a small, orange canine-like pokemon to Amber. It barked at her happily, the woman chuckling a bit. "I told you, didn't I," she asked, her absol looking to the pokemon before to Amber anew. "Sol," it spoke to her, the sound a bit eery and cautious. The pokemon walked over to the trainer, staring up at her as though to absorb Amber's soul with just her eyes alone. "Sol... Absol... Sol..." The woman that had been following Amber then noticed how her pokemon was responding to her, the stranger looking at the trainer. "But now that it's hatched, perhaps I can focus a bit... Tell you a bit more about what your future holds exactly besides being surrounded with your pokemon unconscious..."

Pokemon: Growlithe
Gender: Female
Level: 1
Moves: Bite, roar
Ability: Intimidate
Personality: Calm and collected. Pretty much a goofball
Experience: 0

"Aww," Amber said as the shaking egg suddenly split open to reveal tufts of fur and happy barking, revealing a baby Growlithe covered in soft orange puppy fur. Giving a wry look toward Azure, who now had some competition with being the "puppy" of the Pack. Then, the Absol began to speak in the language of Pokemon, one foreign to Amber's own ears. It approached her and their eyes met, and the trainer almost felt as if she couldn't look away... until the Absol's trainer spoke up, breaking whatever trance she had found herself in. Quickly averting her eyes and looking toward the woman, she listened to her words, and was about to reply when a bark from Azure interrupted her.

"What is it?" Amber asked, looking toward her Kyansei, whom was standing next Amethyst, booth looking at their trainer with excited sideways glances. It seemed that though their days had been quite eventful, the Pack hadn't quite gotten a chance to be Pokemon and actually battle, and the two were rather anxious to get some sort of battling and training done. Nodding toward the two canines,  she motioned for them to go and do what they needed to get done. It would be rude of her to follow, since the woman was still... oddly around, despite how cold Amber had been to her. "Okay," she said, "since you're obviously not leaving any time soon and feel like I should hear what you have to say, feel free to tell me. If it's all true, maybe knowing the future'll help me prevent it from happening... but then you'd never have known that would be my future because it never happened, so I would have never been forewarned." Amber sighed, "damned paradoxes, it's what makes time so weird and flawed."

---

With the go-ahead from their trainer, Azure and Amethyst said their goodbyes to the rest of the Pack, including the new and yet to be named Growlithe. The two made their way farther away from the group into a more secluded but empty clearing of grass. It was half dirt, nothing that would be too missed if it were damaged by a wayward battle, as was evidence by the scars of past battles carried out in the area, and the two were ready. They took several steps back from one another, and the great friends became enemies, at least for the moment.

[Training Starts]

The two Pokemon clawed at the ground anxiously, growling toward each other in a show of power. Amethyst had more experience than Azure, but the Kyansei had the advantage of evolution over the Tenebris. The two canines both had their advantages, but it was a relatively equal fight. Their tails swiped from side to side and the fur on their back bristled and rose.

Azure was the first to move, taking some pacing steps to Amethyst's right, but the smaller canine was quick on her feet, and she jumped back away from him, kicking up a cloud of dust as her back feet skidded across the ground. Her eyes narrowed, and her teeth were bared. This was a battle now, she couldn't see Azure as an ally, at least until a victor was decided. Instead, she lowered her head and bared her teeth, her throat rumbled with a feral growl, causing Azure to flinch slightly, feeling his strength fall slightly.

Shaking his head, Azure's tongue lolled out of his mouth as he focused on his unique power. A cold ball of water droplets formed in his mouth, rearing back his head, he swung it toward the ground and flung it down. The ball slammed against the ground and burst, causing the area around the two battling canines to be filled with a cool mist, protecting Azure from losing anymore stats for the time being. It also provided cover, but it was a double-edged blade. Though he could still lower Amethyst's stats, the cover protected the smaller Pokemon as well. Her size was an advantage, but she was darker furred, more easily seen. Jumping back into the thickness of the mist, Azure cooled the magma that clung to his fur, and it turned a deep grey color, losing its glow and hiding the light furred Pokemon in the thick clutches of the water particles.

Amethyst narrowed her eyes, scanning the area for any signs of her opponent. Her only attacks were physical ones... she couldn't haphazardly launch long distance attacks to try and lure the Kyansei out. Instead, she focused on her ears, using more than brute force in a battle was a lesson to take to heart. Lavender had taught her that a Pokemon was only as good as the limitations of its mind, and that was something she'd take to heart in her training at the moment. Her ears perked and focused ahead of her, listening for small rustles of grass or steps in the soil. Within a moment, she heard something, a shift to her left, closer than she'd have thought. Azure was too eager, and he had let his cloaked figure make him careless in his other movements. Crouching, Amethyst turned and swiped her claws to her left just as she heard Azure lift off the ground in a leap toward her. This attack caught him by surprise, and caused his Bite attack to miss, being intersected by Amethyst's own Scratch attack.

Azure yelped as the claws swiped across his face, and he made himself dead weight in order to fall faster and get away from anymore claw swipes from Amethyst. There was a keen shine in her eyes, and the Kyansei realized that she had been laying in wait. He'd have to be more careful. Now close to Amethyst and getting to his feet, he decided to play the offensive before she could launch another attack on him. The Scratch hadn't done too much, but his attack was weakened. An idea lit in his mind, there was one more option. Just like before, his jaws widened and another substance condensed itself into a ball within his mouth. Suddenly, he pushed off of the ground toward Amethyst, much to the Tenebris's surprise. He forced the purple, glowing orb toward Amethyst, a Toxic attack. Without checking to see if it hit, he continued back into the cover of the fog. As long as he didn't get too close, there wasn't much his foe could do against him so long as he didn't stay in the same place for too long. Amethyst's choking cry revealed that the Toxic had taken effect and dug into her body, slowly deteriorating her health and energy.

Amethyst shuddered at the effects of the Toxic, and her limbs grew heavier. Her legs wouldn't halt their shaking and she felt a wave of nausea pass through her head and stomach. Her trainer would usually put her in her ball at this point to avoid anymore pain, but this was a battle she couldn't flee from. Azure wasn't showing mercy at this point and neither would she. Another growl escaped her throat and in a blind fury, she dashed into the mist where Azure had gone, following his faded scent through the water droplets that clung to her fur and nose. He was moving rapidly and erratically, making it hard to follow, but she had to try something before the poison did any more damage. No matter how much she looked, however, she couldn't find him, and another wave of nauseating weakness clung at her fur, making her entire body shudder with pain and her miss her trainer's warm shoulder even more. She couldn't give up now, though, she'd just have to try harder. Suddenly, a blur crossed her vision, and she caught sight of Azure's white fur and the blue tribal symbols that adorned his body. Jumping out in desperation, she managed to catch the Kyansei in his running and clamp down on one paw with her jaws, a Bite attack.

Azure felt a wave of pain lace through his paw, causing him to fall to the ground in a sudden roll as the attack caused him to lose balance. Amethyst wasn't usually one to fight dirty, and for the first time in their battle, the thought of his opponent's own feelings suddenly sprung in his mind. Tears were forming in Amethyst's eyes as the Toxic sapped the rest of her strength. Part of training was also realizing the toll of battling, even battling friends. He remained on his side and rested his head on the Tenebris. They both had grown from this experience, but it was time to stop. Even if it meant sacrificing the glory of victory...

[Training End]

1044 Words... 104 exp split between Azure and Amethyst. 52 exp. for each... if my math is correct, Azure will become level 14 with 6 exp left over. He'll learn Quick Attack and Powder Snow. Amethyst will grow to level 15 due to having 8 prior exp and learn Howl.

Coaxing Amethyst onto his back, Azure allowed his body temperature to rise once more and warm his companion. If she wasn't back to Amber soon, she would faint from the poison, and he didn't want her to suffer any more than she already had. He felt guilty, but Amethyst gave her own word of soothing, praising his skills in their battle and offering some advice she had kept in mind during it. It would be a short walk back to their trainer... but the experience they had gained was worth the troubles. At least, that's what they hoped.

[Experience has been distributed~]

The woman chuckled listening to Amber's pondering on the future and the paradox her knowing it could cause. She then sighed. "I would tell you, but as I said before, it requires focus." She stepped over to the trainer and took her hand with both of her own, closing her eyes beginning to place focus on Amber. She seemed to just be standing there awkwardly in silence, though eventually she staggered back, having been scared or shocked by some sort of invisible electricity. "It's not possible," she mumbled, turning and setting a hand on her chin to ponder momentarily. She then turned back to Amber. "Your future is dark... Or, is it someone else's future," she asked, shivering as she put a hand on her back. "To be attacked by one's own pokemon... Monstrosity..." She shook her head. "It's not possible that's your future... It's someone else's, but... No, it must've been due to some future encounter you'll have..." She seemed lost in thoughts for a second time, though she quickly bounded back from it and stared Amber directly in the eyes. "You're going to meet someone... A boy... He's traveling with another," she began. "You will find yourself shocked to see a wound... Three large gashes stitched up... You will find yourself wondering the cause, and it will be revealed to you..." She put a hand on her own back and got onto her knees a bit as though she felt the pain she was speaking of. "When it is revealed, you're going to be involved in a dark, dark chain of events... With death, perhaps even murder, involved... I, I can see a gym leader... I can't see his face, but it's a leader..." She closed her eyes. "There's, there's an eevee... Three stones... It, it's not possible... A break of evolution? The, the pokemon... It'll attack you all..." The woman was able to then stand again, the pain seemingly gone. "I can't leave your side... This, I have to see where your future is headed..."

"Er," was all Amber managed to say, she had heard the woman's words clearly... and yet, she didn't know what to make of them. The chain of events described sounded strikingly similar to what she had already been through, and that built a bubbling reluctance in her chest. She had promised herself that things would be different once she was in Cerulean, the Amber that entered Pewter wasn't the same Amber that entered Cerulean, and yet, they were too similar. Her resolve wasn't in vain, and yet, she didn't feel the spark of a flame from the woman's words. She didn't feel motivated... not after everything she had seen. She thought that she wanted to help people and Pokemon who couldn't help themselves, but now given the chance, almost whether she like it or not, she couldn't help but feel empty motivation. I never wanted to be the hero, that's why. As much as I want to be something, I only end up worse in the end if I do anything. She had fallen silent and was well-aware of it, but didn't care enough to offer any words to the woman as she receded into her own mind.

I did make a promise, though. Call my own shots. Do what I think is right. If I can't escape whatever prediction this lady is spouting, I mine as well embrace it. If there's a lurking dark chain of events, let's play it to my advantage. "Fine," Amber finally said, "you can stick around if you insist... so, uh, what's next?"

The woman was expecting a slew of questions; however, she wasn't expecting that one particular one. "I have no idea," she told her honestly. The woman sighed, looking away momentarily before she stared back to Amber, withdrawing her absol to her pokeball. "I cannot say how long it'll be before your future comes to pass," she explained to her. "But by just doing whatever you choose, it'll find you regardless..." She shrugged a bit then. "From the looks of things that I saw... The two we're searching for are in Vermilion at some point..." She felt her pokemon's pokeball wiggle, but she showed obliviousness to it to keep responding to Amber. "Do you plan to go there, or will you head elsewhere... Many, upon hearing such a fate as yours, would run from it, and some have managed to escape."

[I should make a note it's been snowing in Vermilion in STC. How do you plan to handle this so the weather is consistent (note it's been snowing at least a few days in STC)? ;p] [Which makes me ask if the plan with Amber and Twilight / Naga is still to come?]

(Since we'll probably put off everything until Mega's back, I dunno at the moment xD)

"I guess we'll just see what happens," Amber sighed. I'm still no hero, though. "I want to battle Misty at her Gym before I leave. It's getting cold out here, and I doubt it's any weather to travel in at the time being, unless you have thick fur like any of these guys," she nodded her head toward where her Pack was lounging, waiting for the return of Azure and Amethyst as their trainer talked. Speaking of which, the two canines didn't seem to take long as an air of silence broke in the area after Amber finished speaking and allowed the conversation to trail into nothing. If the lady was bored, that would be her problem, not Amber's.

Yipping excitedly, Amber's curiosity gleaned as her two companions arrived with an extra in tow. Amethyst was bounding alongside a fox-like Pokemon that seemed keen to follow the other two Pokemon. Though Amethyst and Azure had gone off to battle, and did show signs of wear, it wasn't as much as the trainer feared they may show up with, especially with Azure knowing Toxic. They stopped right in front of their trainer, and while Amethyst kept a respectful distance beside the newcomer, Azure tackled her to the ground, licking her face with his ever-warm tongue and she struggled to push him off. As she feared, it was clear that he was stronger than when he left with his friend.

"Who's t-this," she giggled, still struggling to keep the Kyansei at bay. Instead of trying to offer up a reply through the barrier of language, Amethyst instead stuck her head inside Amber's bag while it was in reach due to her being tackled and retrieved a Pokeball, rolling it toward the Fennekin. Giggling, the fox wasted no time in allowing itself to be sucked inside and becoming captured. Just like that. No warning, no explanations... seems the ventures Azure and Amethyst had after training would be a mystery. Finally fending Azure off, Amber crawled to the Pokeball and tossed it back in the air, allowing the Fennekin back out.

"I'm not sure why you chose to join us, nor how you got here, but I'll call you Cerulean, since that's where we- er- they found you." On closer inspection, the Fennekin was clearly young, most likely a newborn just like the Growlithe. Looks like the two could be playmates, Amber thought in satisfaction, watching as the baby fire types didn't waste time in greeting each other and bounding into a game of tag, running around the stronger Pokemon. I'll have to teach them to battle soon, if there is a looming danger. They won't be much good against Misty, but learning to defend themselves is always a good thing.

On the thought of bettering her Pack, she then remembered all of the items she now had strewn around her bag. At the rate of the perishables sitting in there, it was probably best to use then at the present time before they expired, if they did such a thing. Rare Candies are pretty sketchy, aren't they? Fishing out a decent pile of stuff, she divvied them into piles, earning the curiosity of the canines around her. First came the Rare Candies, as she had a bulk of 37 of them. After a minute's consideration, she came up with a game plan.

"Amethyst gets five, Azure gets six, and Lavender gets five, boosting them to level twenty. Then, Ash gets nine and Iris gets twelve, making them both level thirty... and Iris will evolve!" She figured out loud, speaking helped her keep her numbers straight. Settling the candies, she took out a few more items, ones that'll teach egg moves. "I'll use this egg move stone to teach Iris Signal Beam, and these Candy Canes to teach Cerulean, Cinnamon, Lavender, and Carnation random egg moves, hopefully they'll get something good."

Nodding in satisfaction, the Trainer gave each of her Pack members their respective items and got back to her feet, crossing her arms, and watching in satisfaction. It was always nice to see her Pack grow in both size and strength, and she now had reason to use a second trainer's belt to keep all of her Pokeballs stored. She adjusted them in a criss-cross pattern along her waist, making all twelve slots reachable with a little effort, though her Pokemon weren't typically in their balls, so it was more for the sake of ease and balance. Satisfied, she let out a long breath. Whatever was coming, she'd be ready.

---

Ash > 9 Candies > Level 30: Learns Roar and Swagger

Amethyst > 5 Candies > Level 20: Learns Taunt

Azure > 6 Candies > Level 20: Learns Bite

Lavender > 5 Candies > Level 20: Learns Psybeam > Candy Cane > Random EM

Iris > 12 Candies > Level 30: Learns Roar and Swagger, Evolves > EM Stone > Learns Signal Beam

Carnation > Candy Cane > Random EM

Cinnamon > Candy Cane > Random EM

Cerulean > Candy Cane > Random EM

[OOC: Candy Cane moves handled]

The woman watched Amber carefully, making note of her actions and observed as the trainer's pokemon seemed satisfied with all the goodies they had been given. "I see; strengthening your pokemon before the battle with Misty," she questioned lightly to the trainer. "If you'd like... I could, try, to see anything of usage to you for the gym battle..." She seemed a bit, well, nervous of the suggestion. She seemed to have a really odd power, and it could be of usage to Amber if used right.

"Oh, really?" Amber asked, surprised by the woman's offer. She hadn't expected much from her, but as she was apparently a 'psychic', the girl didn't mind humoring the lady, after all, perhaps she could be a help if she truly was what she said. "Guess I'll bite," her eyes took in the nervous composure the woman suddenly took, and a slight apprehension built, she didn't want to have caused any discomfort from taking the offer. It was an offer, though. "What did you have in mind? I'm not sure what, well, no offense," she gestured toward the woman and her Absol, "that could help me with in a battle."

The woman scratched the back of her head lightly. "Well... Maybe I could see a move that you'd need to dodge to win the battle or something," she told Amber. "Given that seeing the future is random and not always true, who knows if it'd work or not..." She then sat down where she was, her absol sitting down in turn as she began to focus, hopefully to reveal something of usage to Amber. After a bit of time, the woman's arm seemed to lift as though she were reaching towards some invisible object; however, this wasn't the case. Unlike the last time, this time the woman's movement was calmer, no screaming or pain to be felt. "It's dark," she told Amber. "You... Walk into the gym... But Misty... She's not there." She shook her head as though clearing it of thought. "Something about, er... An explosion." Her hand moved to her head. "The boy... The group from before... A center..." Her eyes opened, though they seemed hazed as she stood, her absol looking up at her as the woman waved around her arms. "There's snow in the way... But there's black spots... I see something... A ruin; something burned... A pokemon center!" She pointed directly at Amber. "There's a girl with an eevee... The boy from before with... An absol? No... It's human... Wait, a ring. I see a ring... They're holding hands..." She closed her eyes and put a hand over her head again. "I see Misty staring at a television... She's grabbing something; a bag? Keys? She's saying something... I can't read her lips..." She turned and rubbed her eyes. "Something... Something... Gym... Something... Investigate... Challengers... No challengers yet... Priorities..." After a few more moments the woman lifted her head, opening her eyes anew before she turned to Amber, her arms at her sides. "What could this be... I wanted to see something about your future gym battle, but ended up with something entirely different..."

[Just to note, since the topics will merge at some point I figured to add more about events from STC and begin the tie-in. Which means you may be fighting Misty out of her gym o3o]

An empty Gym? those words were enough to bring a jolt of worry coursing up Amber's spine. It was bad enough that she had almost bested Brock's stand-in and was grasping victory with her finger tips when it was wrenched away from her while her life spiraled into even more torment. Pewter had been a waste and a nightmare, and she wasn't looking forward to Cerulean being the same... not if she could help it. It wouldn't hurt to check, regardless, she decided. The words still swirled around her mind, trying to make sense of what the supposed psychic had said. Somehow... deep down... she knew she wasn't about to have a stroke of luck on her horrid record so far.

The Pack seemed to sense Amber's discomfort, and the scowl on her face wasn't quite helping to hide it. She rested a hand on Ash's coarse fur, stroking it absentmindedly as they all took their places among her. That is, except for Fennekin and Growlithe, who seemed lost in the sudden movements of the older, more experienced Pokemon. With a little nudging from Lavender, the two found their proper positions in the Pack structure, creating a solid group for, well, about one minute before Carnation did what she did best and bound in rapid circles, chasing her tail as she skipped and nearly mowed the newly evolved Iris over. Chuckling, Amber found the kitten Pokemon's actions to always somehow brighten her mood, no matter what the situation was. She was a good addition to the team- all of the Pack members were.

"If you don't mind," Amber said, "I'm pretty sure whatever 'vision' you had, if you did actually have one, doesn't say good things about my future. Like always," she couldn't help but feel as if life just wanted her to suffer, or some other higher being. "I'm going to check out the Cerulean Gym and see if Misty is around. At least if she isn't, I'll consider your words to be more valid than the street performers I used to work with. They're frauds, but at least they made quite the bank. Heh, maybe I should've been a 'psychic' instead of a Trainer."

"If I'm a fraud," the woman spoke to Amber, her expression a bit lightheartedly, "Then does that mean that..." After a few moments of silence, she then spoke, seemingly having learned something new without desiring to. "Does that mean your precious growlithe that was taken away from you is a fraud too? That the girl with the bloodied arm was truthful?" She wrapped her arms lightly. "Because if that's the case, then allow me to leave now..." She kept her eyes distinctly directed at Amber's. "Because I'm just so sure you want to be alone... To die alone after all your pokemon come of age and then pass away a long time from now." She twitched her eye lightly. "That's your greatest fear isn't it? To die alone?" Her absol stayed at her side, silent as she observed.

"H-how..." Amber trailed off, feeling a sting with every word the woman spoke. At each word, it was clear that the Trainer was becoming visibly shaken. The woman's words brought up things Amber never wanted to dwell on, things that she had pushed far back into the depths of her mind. This emotional reaction got a rise out of the Pack, and both Ash's and Iris's rugged fur began to bristle on their back, as they were in the two Alpha positions and the most reactive of the group. Snarling, Ash growled toward the woman, not liking the way that her words had made his trainer's eyes widen and wince. Iris wasn't about to allow such a thing happen to the one human who had shown her kindness. "W-Wait," she said, motioning for the two to stop and back off from the woman.

"What you said has merit," she manage to force out, pushing back the trembling in her voice. "I- you, uh, brought up some stuff I'd rather not hear. Please don't do that again." She was trying to calm herself, and though she herself wanted to lash out and punch... something, she kept herself back. She also eyed the calm expression of the Absol, the reason she had kept her Alphas back, as a fight wasn't something she wanted to happen, especially with an unfamiliar Pokemon. Lavender eyed the Absol as well, a glint in the Espeon's eyes. She was growing curious as she watched the Absol's demeanor and expressions, seeing a reflection of herself on the other Pokemon's actions.

"If you don't mind," Amber pressed, trying to change the subject, "I'd really like to check the Gym anyway. Maybe what you saw hasn't happened yet, since you seem to have focused on the Gym leader, maybe you saw her future instead of mine..."

"I would prefer you not," the woman spoke to Amber. She didn't reveal the reason why, but perhaps she was, again, hiding something from Amber... Perhaps something about what she had seen, or something she was currently seeing. Her pokemon, meanwhile, ended up connecting gazes with the pokemon, exchanging a thought or two with her about the two other canines' behavior. "Not like she meant to upset her," was one. "But necessary, no? If one cannot trust her companions, then she need not be with those companions in the first place... And I see what my trainer sees; please, do not let your trainer go to that gym."

"For what reason?" Amber said, crossing her arms. She was already upset, already now hostile toward the woman and pushing those feelings back, and here she was telling her what to do. She couldn't stand it any longer. "For what it's worth, I'm not really fond of you right now, nor will I ever probably be. I get that you have some sort of power and attachment to me, but that doesn't make us friends. I want you to get that into your head: I do what I want and you do what you want. If you want to follow me, fine, feel free. But that doesn't make you suddenly able to dictate what I want, got that?" She lifted her hand from Ash, who read the sudden change in Amber's tone and body language, and he too snarled. It was clear that the trainer had been upset with the woman's words, and it wasn't long until she'd snapped, and she reached that point. She needed something to lash out at, something to give a piece of her mind, and the psychic was the easiest target, considering she was the cause of the out-lash.

The Pack tensed, save for Carnation who just glanced curiously at the two humans, tilting her head to the side with a glint in her eyes. The little kitty was an enigma to be sure, but she was strong and willing to defend her trainer, no matter how carefree she seemed. The others too seemed nervous, ready to read the reaction of the other woman and the Absol and retaliate. They were a Pack, after all, and no matter who was at fault, they helped one another. Lavender seemed to be the only one who was out of place, and she remained still and composed, maintaining eye contact with the Absol. 'I'd like to hear the explanation. I am familiar with visions, my brother was an Espeon like myself and often could foresee the inner intentions of those around him, however his powers had faults and misdirections. I do not put all of my merit on visions or psychic abilities. Especially those from a human, I apologize for being blunt, but I will ponder your words and create my own judgments before taking any action.'

"Once a brat... Always a brat," a voice spoke to Amber from a few feet away. "Attacking an innocent... I figured you for that type when we were kids." The stranger moved a bit forward, getting in front of the psychic woman as she locked gazes with the other trainer. "Hello Amber... Or should I call you the devil incarnate for wanting to attack an innocent?" The woman speaking to Amber gave her a light grin; it was apparent by her voice, her posture, and her appearance whom she was. "Miss me you little runaway?" The absol, meanwhile, listened to the espeon's words. "This last piece of the vision is not to be ignored though," she spoke in response. "Sticks and stones may break the bones, but words will never hurt... She didn't mean to cause pain unlike what is about to happen... Trust in my word; I wouldn't lie; I want to prevent disasters."

"Crimson," Kim spoke, a growlithe rushing past Amber and sitting at the woman's side. The pokemon's eyes were a bit greyed, one with a scar clearly making it blind in one eye. "Teach this brute a thing or two, would you?" The pokemon snarled lightly before looking up, seeing a familiar face. The pokemon stood up slowly afterwards, tail stiff before it began to jitter and he bounced forward barking. Kim put a hand over her face, scoffing lightly as she stomped her foot. "Attack you little fluffball, or no supper like yesterday," she roared, the pokemon's fur spiking up before it settled, Crimson's eyes turning back a bit grey unlike the sudden spark of energy that had been present prior. The pokemon growled again at Amber and her pokemon, backing away a few feet.

"Do you like him Amber," Kim questioned the trainer, laughing lightly. "Abused and misused... Oh this pokemon of yours has great strength behind him. If only you cared to tap into it." She held her hand out lightly, a few black wisps arising before they disappeared, the growlithe's fur turning ragged as it roared angrily at his past friend, eyes covered with a black fog that could terrify anyone. "And he's not the only one... Years after you left I found out I was capable of using aura... I had your friend here at my side because I readopted him in secret." She put her hand back to her side. "And since then... I trained... I tortured him, put him through so much pain and torture in the hopes that I'd see you one day."

The trainer laughed again. "Now we can fight; face your old friend Amber! You're gonna love this fight!" The pokemon, who's fur was ragged and upright viciously, clearly had scars on his body and legs; just how much suffering had he been through since Amber's disappearance? The psychic woman, meanwhile, had her head downcast; this had been what she hid from Amber for just a few moments. To think she didn't trust her.

It didn't take a second of thought for Amber to recognize the voice that spoke. Without her even noticing, her hands began to shake, her eyes moistened. She had almost calmed down- almost gained her composure again. Like she always did. But those words, they brought back emotions she had buried ages ago. Ones she wasn't particularly keen to feel again. And they all came bubbling to the surface as she took in everything with shock. Then, she went numb. There was only one thought: she didn't want to let this bitch make her cry. Didn't want to ever see her again, but that wasn't going to happen now. But how? I'm all the way in Kanto? "Fuck you," was her reply to Kim's initial words. They were laced with ice, like daggers. But she doubted the girl cared about how she said it, she knew what Amber's reaction would be. If she could see aura, she would be able to see the colors flash and spark irradically, betraying how broken down and shattered she felt inside. But it would also show the red tinge of anger, of business long needing to be finished between them. The psychic was long forgotten at this point: Amber had a new person to lash out at.

Then, she saw him. Her old friend, her first Pokemon. Beaten, abused, and under Kim's control. Her worst nightmare, come to life. It all started here, why I hate people. Guess I shouldn't have thought that things could get better eventually, that it was a rare occasion. No, this is human nature. Everyone I've met's been selfish and manipulative. Give someone an inch and they take a mile, and here it is. She's taken everything and built nothing but more malice. I wish they'd all die! Her teeth clenched, and her aura would burst a bright, well, crimson red. "You should have moved on," Amber said, "you put in all of that effort, and for what? Showing some nobody that wants nothing to do with you that you're so much better now? What a pathetic waste of time. "If it's a fight you want, then I'll give you one. But I'm not fighting him." She pointed toward Crimson. "Use a different Pokemon, though I doubt any treated by you are any more willing to fight. If I were someone's punching bag, I'd punch them right back when they weren't expecting it." The latter part of her words were aimed at Crimson, an attempt to get the Growlithe to realize that he could turn on his trainer, that he'd be better because of it.

The Pack didn't seem to know just how to react to this new development. Ash's focus turned from the psychic to Kim, and his growl grew deeper as he felt the same anger radiate from his trainer: his Alpha. Iris was quick to join in, the fur around her mane bristled as she waited for any sign that she needed to fight. Her fur seemed to crackle with electricity, as if she could tell that a fight was inevitable. There was also a dark look in her eyes, as if the actions of Kim also got a rise out of Iris more than the others- and if it did come to a fight, she'd be the one to participate. She didn't know the girl, but she did know the pain of a trainer who didn't see their Pokemon as another living being, and she too wasn't one to emphasize with others. She and Amber had a lot in common, not that her new trainer was aware of that fact. The others stood back, waiting to see the results, but all carried a hint of a darker emotion in their eyes. In front of them was a Pokemon that deserved a better life, and they could do something about it. Whatever it took, the Pack would be there to help others, it was in most of their natures.

While Lavender and Carnation stayed back next to the two baby Pokemon, Cinnamon and Cerulean, the rest of the Pack stood by Amber, Ash, and Iris, making it quite clear that they were ready to fight. They all looked somber and fierce, almost as if they were the beast familiars and weapons of a god of vengeance. In a sense, they were.