Trees at mid-day

'They really like keeping me in the dark about things, don't they?' Sunrise mutters to himself. 'So is she going back home or isn't she? Either way, this's my ride back. I ain't climbing down that mountain on only these four legs.'

'Hey, four legs is more than i've got,' puts in a Dratini with particularly good hearing.

'Shut up,' returns Sunrise. The Pikachu waves good-bye, runs after the Eevee, and hops on the aura-powered motorbike.

'Strange creatures,' comments a second Dragonair who has just returned from his mid-day swim.

'Not as strange as us,' pipes up the short girl Dratini.

'Ah, Whitestreak, transportation specialist,' the bespectacled Dragonair greets its fellow scholar. 'This fine young Poochyena is in need of your assistance: where is this Leonmuir?'

'Leonmuir?' muses Whitestreak. 'That place down a mountain or two and a nook away from the forest? There is a quicker way to get there, if you're willing to take the plunge. Whitestreak means it literally, for he leads Max to a trapdoor on one of the quartz rocks. 'Hope you like free fall. It won't kill you; the landing's actually pretty soft; likely you'll just break a nose or a rib.'

Collin is completely oblivious to your presence on the motorcycle as she speeds along, down the mountain side, and after coming through a grassland, heads torward a village on the beach. The village stretches out to the water, suspended by rafts and walkways made with planks, (Like Pacifalog town in ruby and sapphire if you know that).

Max nervously nods, and closes his eyes as he prepares for the drop. To avoid details during the drop, it ends with him falling and likely breaking two of his left ribs, but nothing serious otherwise. (Sorry, I had no idea what to put for the drop or anything about it ^^;)

(I also replied to the message you sent me. Is there anything else you want to know?)

A Spinda, out on her mid-day Teeter Dance, hears a thump. She turns around to see Max. 'Autumn is here, and the dogs are falling,' she quotes, then stumbles over to him. 'Poor poochy pooh,' she says sympathetically, feeding him a Max Potion, which heals his injured ribs. 'Want to play four-square?'

'This is your hometown?' asks Sunrise, thinking voicing his thoughts aloud may startle Collin. 'To live on bridges is such a cool idea,' he adds with a twinge of awe in his voice. Upon their arrival at the market Sunrise exchanges the dragon scales he gathered for their weight in the local currency and buys enough berries of various kinds to fill half his Tauros hide sack. He then stops at a small roadside cafe to purchase another item, which he extends to Collin with a smile. 'Here's the Razz Berry cheesecake you asked for earlier. Now, what non-food supplies will you need for your trip?'

It takes Max a while to realize that he woke up, as he thinks he's still passed out until he realizes there's no ache in his ribs. "Ahh... where am I?" He seems to have contracted amnesia, though I doubt the spinda would know this XD

Collin munches on the cheesecake, making a mess of epic proportions. She seems drawn and unaware as she waltzes clumsily over to a cave entrance, then apparently coming aware again, she grins, showing her teeth as she is attacked by two smaller Eevee's that came out of nowhere. One is female, and the other is male. They roll over the ground and stop, forming a pile of wiggling brown fur as Collin grabs them under the forelegs and pulls them up happily. "Rena! Rona! I'm home!"

The female Eevee grins until she notices you, and then stares, slightly embarrassed as she slowly sets her children down. "Uh... These are my kids. Kids, this is Sunrise. I met him today, I know he's a Pikachu and that he seems to be nice... but I still don't know where he comes from." The children bounce up and dance around you as they give you random questions that don't particularly relate to anything you could actually answer, the way some kids tend to do.

Says the Spinda, 'You didn't fall from a nearby Tropius? We have met at Level 35, in the grass outside Leonmuir. There's a basketball court right inside the village, if you don't like four-square.'

Sunrise looks around the cave. 'Nice place. So you two are Rena and Rona, eh? Very cute. To answer your queries, my rank's 3rd Master, my serial number is 932781, and my favorite food is apple pie. Here's a present; hope you like it.' He digs into his sack, selects two rare Starf Berries, and gives one to each little Eevee.

"Four square huh? I think I'll join if that's okay with you." Max considers all of the possibilities for the rest of his now completely open day.

Collin looks in shock as you're able to answer all of their questions. "I can't even understand what they said! How'd you do that!" Collin calls Rena and Rona over, and she huddles them close. "Sorry, but mommy can't stay. I'm here to get supplies, but I think grandma Crystal's going to be able to come over later. By the way... Has Daddy been here already?"

The twin eevee's look at eachother and look back up to Collin. "Daddy hasn't been here yet." Collin looks around, confused. "Then we'll have to wait for him..."

Collin remembers something and grins as she looks down, embarrased. "Oh yeah... I took the bike. May take a while for him to get here then..."

'Lucky *' says the Spinda happily. 'Now that we're unofficially playmates, I'll introduce myself as Alicia. What's your name?' Alicia leads Max to a patch of firm, bouncy turf and produces a piece of chalk, which she uses to draw a square and divide it into four, each long enough to fit a Dunsparce. Alicia produces a ball the size of a deflated Jigglypuff; it is almost as bouncy as an Igglybuff. She skips about in place, practicing bouncing the ball.

'How? Cows. Way too much Moomoo Milk,' says Sunrise in response to Collin's query. 'Are there any supplies you will need that I could buy? I'm thinking of donating this sack of berries to your cause - that's why I bought them - and the sack is still half empty for the stuffing of more items.'

Max pauses in thought with a thoughtful face and he ponders the question. "... What IS my name?" He plops down and thinks, but no matter how hard he tries, he can't get it.

"You can come with me actually, as soon as Max gets here anyways... Where is that silly pooch?" Collin ponders the question as the kids bounce around excitedly. "You're going on an adventure? Can we come with you?" They bounce around repeatedly, circling Collin and endlessly repeating the question.

She's so confused about the lack of Max, she can't really think.

'Amnesia's a good move,' nods Alicia in understanding, 'I didn't know Poochyena could learn it. With straight 60s for base stats, it would be nice if I could sharply raise my Special Attack just like you. For now, we'll call you Poochy, okay? It's a nice name for a cool Poochyena. Now, you pick a place to stand in those two squares,' she indicates the pair of squares opposite herself, 'bounce the ball once in your square and then hit it to me, but be careful, because it's coming right back. Don't let it bounce twice in one of your squares, and don't hit it out of these squares. Let's have fun!'

'You left him on top of the mountain, remember?' chides Sunrise. 'Maybe the dragons found away to send him down here. I'll go look around just in case that happened.' The Pikachu walks outside of the cave into the mid-day sun, blinking at the contrast in light, and strolls across the planks toward the city's outskirts. 'Such a cool city design,' he mutters, 'we'll have to implement it back in Kanto.'

Max nods, not understanding, but willing to accept the possible explanation. Max stands in the square with a tense expression, throwing the ball up high. As he watches it, a single memory applying to the rescue team entry physical test series comes to mind, and he keeps concentration on the ball. When it comes in range, he jumps up and smacks it into the square of the dunsparce at high speed, landing on his hind paws to be ready for anything.

Collin tags along with the children, the children excited to see their father Max, and Collin worried about his hopelessness with survival. Collin runs around frantically, ungracefully tripping repeatedly, with now horrible reflexes as she's concentrated on finding Max at all costs.

'Yay! You know how to play, Poochy; this is great!' exclaims Alicia happily as she returns the ball without any effort. It has a nice bounce and a slight spin.

As Max is playing with Alicia just outside Leonmuir, it doesn't take long for Sunrise, Collin, Rena, and Rona to locate him. 'So those crazy long on charm folks did find a way to return you after all? How convenient. Collin was worried sick about you, which is really funny because she's the one who drove off without you,' smiles Sunrise.

Alicia catches the ball after Max hits it in her square, thus pausing the game. 'So these are friends of yours, Poochy? But with your Amnesia, how will you remember them? How does Amnesia work, anyway? Surely the Pokemon that use it must be able to remember their current situation, their trainer, opponent, etc. Hey Poochy's friends, want to join us? We can have up to two more players right now, and the other two line up to take a turn once one of the players hits the ball out of bounds or lets it bounce twice in their square.'

Sunrise gives Collin a 'what do you think we should do?' look.

(Say what? Max is Collin's mate?!)

Max stares at Collin and Sunrise, and his children as he tries to keep his mind on the game. "I know you? Where did we meet?"

Collin stomps her hindpaw and snorts. "Can't remember my fluffy brown A... Butt!" She stops just in time to keep her children from hearing. She calms down and stares into Max's eyes. "I'm sorry about leaving you. I was so concentrated and in a rush I forgot. I'd promise not to do it again, but I don't want to lie to you."

Rena and Rona bounce around and join in a line to wait for a turn to play, since there are already four pokemon.

(Oh! And yeah, Max is Collin's mate. Why?)

'This is interesting,' says Alicia, 'Let's see how far the effects of Amnesia go? How long will it take for Poochy to recognize his friend?' Meanwhile, she serves the ball to Sunrise, who hits it back with a slam. 'You're not bad, Pikapika,' she says, dropping it in the corner of his square. Sunrise has to dive to get the ball in time, and then the Spinda hits it over his head, but he jumps up and Headbutts it back into the center of Alicia's square. Although this is just a two-square practice, it seems to be good exercise for Sunrise and good fun for Alicia.

(It just came as a surprise to me. I expected them to be just friends based on their interactions up to this point.)

Max continues to think as Collin pleads for him to remember her. She can't seem to function right, and she's reduced to a mess as she begs for his attention. He still doesn't seem to remember her, and the kids don't seem to notice as they watch the ball fly between you and the Spinda.

'Just a minute,' says Sunrise, causing Alicia to catch the ball to pause the game. Sunrise steps behind Max. 'Sometimes this works,' he says by way of apology, and delivers a Mega Punch to the back of the Poochyena's head.

Alicia doesn't like to waste time while the 'adults' are busy fussing around. She tosses the bouncy ball to Rena. 'Catch!'

(Sunrise isn't me any more than Alicia is! Sunrise is the trained Pokemon of my RP persona (a trainer who probably won't appear in this story) and I haven't decided yet if Alicia is a wild Spinda or another of my trainees.)

Max is knocked out completely. He's a complete lightweight when he comes to battling, so he can't take much. Collin fusses around with her tail, fidgeting and hoping that he'll come up right. She doesn't deal with being knocked out the way other pokemon do, with a reviver seed or oran berries, she personally beleives that a full rest is much better, and she will completely deny anyone from using such practice on Max.

Rena catches the ball, and let's its momentum spin her around, though she uses one paw on the ground to keep in place as she returns it in a smooth movement to the thrower. Rona watches on with a smile, content to watch and enjoy more than play.

(I guessed that. Maybe we should have our trainers meet in yet another roleplay. What do you think? There's been too many purely pokemon, so it would be a nice change.)

'Whee!' exclaims Alicia, catching the near-Igglybuff-bounce-level ball, dribbling it, twirling it over to Sunrise, where it spins on the tip of one of his pointy ears, catching it before it hits the turf, rolling it up one arm, over her shoulders, and down the other arm into her paw, whereupon she tosses it back to Rena.

Sunrise is mostly concerned about Max, but he takes a gander at the scene. 'Show off,' he mutters.

'Of course,' agrees Alicia.

(Funny that you say you guessed that, because you still referred to Sunrise as 'you' in your post before this one. An RP where my trainer meets with yours could be fun, but unless you want a pure fight or just a 'let's hang out' RP, you'll have to come up with the plot. Another site where Fircoal and I RP has drained much of my creative juices. Apparently I'm not that good at coming up with plots to begin with, as shown by the fact that I haven't written a short story since July.)

Rena grins as it flies towards her, and she double teams the ball with Rona, bouncing it back and forth between them in a complex pattern with them slowly coming together, and then when they can touch, they grab the ball together, jump up in the air, flip, and throw the ball down, landing neatly and gently on their paws.

Collin's busy protecting Max from anything she perceives as dangerous with a ferocity that would surprise most, even those who know how voilent she can be. She even growls at anyone that comes within five feet of them, glaring and warding them off with spread forelegs and raised hackles.

(I know that you have a trainer character and that sunrise is your pokemon, I'm just a very first person story guy. Sorry that that may confuse you.)

'You two are really good,' says Alicia in admiration and she returns the ball with a flip and a hairpin turn. 'I had no idea two Pokemon could use Double Team in combination form.'

'Calm down, Collin,' says Sunrise. 'We're letting Maxie take his beauty rest and the ball isn't going to Bite. Igglybuff can't learn Bite, anyway.'

When Max finally recovers from his faint, Alicia catches the ball and hops over to Max, where she and Sunrise stare expectantly to see the remaining effects of Amnesia or lack thereof.

Rena and Rona stand in front of Max, but Collin pushes even them away as she crouches in front of Max and longingly stares and waits and hopes for him.

He wakes up and holds his head, shaking it and screwing his eyes shut as he sits up and looks at Collin. "Oh, I was worried we were going to get seperated, don't ever let me listen to ideas of flying ever again."

Collin cries in releif and grabs him unexpectadly, leaving you to explain everything to a confused Max.

After the fiasco is over, they gather the group for the adventure.

'So that's how you got here so quickly? Stupid unpredictable dragons forgetting that unlike them not everyone has heads made of rubber,' says Sunrise, finishing his dialogue with the Poochyena.

'I didn't know the Dratini clan had brains of rubber,' wonders Alicia.

'I'm starting to think they're made of sawdust,' adds Sunrise.

'Please have a great trip. I'll give Rona and Rena a fun time while you're gone,' says Alicia cheerfully.

'Do you have all the supplies we'll need for the trip here at your cave or shall we go purchase them at the market?' queries Sunrise, 'I still have half an empty sack and a yipyip load of currency left.'

Collin nods that everything is ready, and makes up her mind to bring you along. "The more the more likely you can survive anyways."

"And that..." Collin points to a looming floating island. "Is where we will be going. To get there, we will be taking the cloud steps. It's going to take a while, but I know a few places to stop by, so we'll be going in increments. Are you ready?"

'Let's go!' says Sunrise, pumping a Pikachu fist. 'Can your aura-bike do the trick?'

"Okay then, let's go!" Collin pumps a fist in the air too. She loads all of you up on the bike, and immediately sets off for the direction of clouds that rise in an up formation, looking like steps that lead up to the island. You pass through a forest, and halfway through a gang of Bidoof slams into the bike with malevolent intent.