[center][h2][b][u]Pokemon Day-Care - Route 117[/u][/b][/h2][/center][quote]Heavy breaths. Apounding Heart. Panic and exhilaration. Fear and bravery. Defiance and independence. Pride and a sense of responsibility. Empathy is powerful and exhausting. Sometimes being a psychic medium was overwhelming. It was always a constant debate to allow herself to feel or to force objectivity. Having a powerful mind can make one's psyche fragile - delicate. Mastery could only come from reflection, meditation, and developing effective defense mechanisms. Few understood the struggle of Psychic-types. Spiritual awareness is the only path to growth and stability.
	[i][color=magenta]He only wants to help.[/color][/i]
	The voice filled her mind and blocked out all else. All the worry and guilt. It sounded soft but filled Haven's mind and her spirit. It was what a goddess would sound like if such things existed, if one believed. It was maternal and warm, like it'd been watching her her whole life. It wasn't judgemental or chastising. It was simply an explanation.
	[color=magenta][i]Accepting help when it is freely given is not a weakness. Weakness is not recognizing when you should accept it.[/i][/color] 
	It seemed the voice was asking more than it was stating. "Can you truly protect yourself? The egg? Your Pokemon? Is there nothing for you to learn? Is there no way to grow from experiencing life with others?"
	It was rhetorical. Something to think about before committing to a decision. 
	[color=magenta][i]If you know you are strong enough, then continue on your path.[/i][/color]
	Haven's mind cooled. Her heart lightened. Her body loosened. She was finally relaxed. She could fall asleep at the foot of the door if she wasn't also invigorated by the cleansing. The soreness of her muscles washed away. They tingled. Her eyes were no longer heavy, her head no longer bogged by her own insecurities. If she wished to surrender herself and her party to rest, she could. If she needed to pursue independence, her body was ready. It felt like her bones were on fire, smoldering. It was up to her whether that fire would lull her or fuel her to journey onward.
	[i][color=magenta]They care about you. They want to make sure you're okay as you have made sure they are okay. They do not judge, they provide security - love. You have given them financial security. They wish to give you mental stability. Love goes both ways.[/color][/i]
	The voice wasn't talking about Forrest or Mrs. James. The voice merely suggested to speak with her mother. She didn't need to hide from them. She was already a region away. What could they do? What power or influence did they have over her now? What could she lose by confiding in those she cared for and who cared for her? The questions couldn't hinder Haven's now-cleared mind. Instead, they'd be answered without effort and in complete truth.
	[i][color=magenta]Speaking to them isn't what will still their worry. Knowing you are okay and safe and happy is what they want to do for you. If you aren't, they want to help in whatever ways they can, even if it's just listening.[/color][/i][/quote]

[center][h2][b][u]Mauville City[/u][/b][/h2][/center][quote]The entirety of the city showed itself as a three-dimensional plasma cube suspended in the air. A corner glowed, creating a red cube in the light orange of the whole. This cube was actually made up of tiny and an uncountable number of red lines. Mr. Sturm's hand twitched in a way that enlarged the red cube and exposed those red lines.
	His eyes darted, looking for something in the mess of a web. He walked around it, examining each connection and source, each bend and terminal. The slightest malfunction would have been rerouted, compensated by the fail-safes he'd designed. The fact that the entire block was out of power was suspicious. [i][b]What the hell is going on?[/b][/i]
	Plusle hopped onto his shoulder and squeaked with a paw pointing to the base of the cube. There was a split in the diagram not there before. It was the pipe of the Major Conversion Chamber responsible for distributing power to the block. [i][b]But how could that break cause a power outage?[/b][/i]
	"[b]We're going to have to investigate,[/b]" He told his party. 
	Another twitch of his hand vanished the blueprint. His other hand placed two fingers on his left earlobe and he spoke as if into a phone or gauntlet. "[b]Sector Charlie-7-Foxtrot, Zone 0-November-67-Queen-1. MCC split. Evacuate and block all transportation in Quadrant 8.[/b]"[/quote]

[center][h2][b][u]Mt. Pyre[/u][/b][/h2][/center][quote]The slate slopes cascaded like a waterfall. The crests glowed softly in the haze surrounding the mountain. MacKenzie gazed longingly at the orbs of light. The Altar was but ruinous ruble for the past - centuries. The full, but cool, air seemed to preserve them as if time held no affect at Mt. Pyre. The blues and reds from the orbs filled each crack with blackness. The power of the orbs emitted swirled around each other. 
	MacKenzie's gray-green eyes looked clear in the refractions. His dusty orange hair now brown in the overcast sun. He wore a full suit, as if attending a funeral, that made his slim and long figure look sharp and intelligent.
	His right arm extended out as if to grab something in the empty space. His fingers curled as if clutching one of the orbs before him. A purpled-black fog began to form in its center. It bulged and boiled for a moment extended in existence. A cyclone developed and fell to the brown-green grass of the ground. The blades weren't affected by the fog or the apparent force it possessed. It spilled over the grass but kept some kind of density unnatural to the physical realm.
	"[b]Sable-[/b]" The voice formed as the body formed. Red gems pierced as eyes out of the cloud that grew to MacKenzie's mid-thigh. The darkness fog began to still into stalagmites - spikes against the head and arms. It's almost-black body with bloodstone eyes. A large jet pierced its chest creating an illusion of some kind of black hole as its heart. Cloudy and chiseled jade stone littered the entire back of the Darkness Pokemon. Granite Cave helped adorn its body with the intent to intimidate.
	Just as Sableye "materialized," a Gengar appeared above The Altar, hovering and looking down on them with the classic "Gengar Grin." Sableye chittered, the sound echoing abnormally around them lit it was reverberating against the air itself. MacKenzie closed his eyes, focusing his third eye for a greater perception of this challenger.
	It wasn't unusual for Ghost-types to be attracted to his abilities as a medium and his powerful aura. Malevolent spirits were attracted for the goal of devouring, whereas most others just wished to be seen. He was known as the Spirit Rehabilitator, calming or simply grounding the more nasty spirits actually harming people and other Pokemon.
	But this one - no, this one was different. Interested in socializing with others of its kind. Or was that a need to prove its superiority? And it was a party member of a trainer. But not in a Pokeball? Young man, canine, arthropod? Unova...
	"[b]Welcome,[/b]" MacKenzie said, his arms out as if to embrace the challenger without a trainer. "[b]I am MacKenzie Gutermuth, medium and Gym Leader. What is your request?[/b]"
	His eyes, still closed, listening with his crown, his mind in the realm shared by his Pokemon.[/quote]

[center][h2][b][u]Slateport City[/u][/b][/h2][/center][quote]The gaggle of girls dispersed in huffs and giggles and sighs. Comments were made by some spectators about the lack of coordination on the part of the coordinator. Other comments were made about the validity of the younger girl's assessment while she hugged her Ditto. but these spectators moved on to more impressive shows of talent and skill anywhere else in the city.
	However, one spectator held more interest in the Ditto-girl than the others. She approached from behind with a Whismur hopping beside. "[b]Hi,[/b]" she said with a level of cheerfulness unexpected from most. "[b]You seem to know quite a bit about Pokemon training.[/b]"
	It was largely a redundant observation but worked well enough as an introduction. "[b]I'm Jenna,[/b]" she said "[b]and this is my Whismur,[/b]" she added with a look down to the silent pink orb. "Have you studied at the Academy? I've never seen you before."
	The girl, older than Sarah by a half-decade, combed her fingers through her straight brown hair and positioned it behind her ear as Sarah responded.
	"[b]Yeah, the Johnson Academy in Oldale. I'm heading back there for a special demonstration. If you're not doing anything else, you should come with me. You'll learn a lot.[/b]"[/quote]