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Zorua, the Tricky Fox Pokemon. Pure Dark type. Has the ability to transform into another Pokemon at its own will. A black fox with red eyebrows, a red tuft of fur on its head, and red paws. Evolves into Zoroark, the Illusion Fox Pokemon.
Ditto, the Transform Pokemon. Pure Normal type. Has the ability to transform into another Pokemon upon seeing it. A simple pink, gelatinous blob with black eyes and a thin black mouth. Does not evolve.
These were the notes of Scientist Rowen Grissman, a young man researching the abilities of Zorua and Ditto. The young dirty blonde, who was no more than twenty years old, was seated at his oak desk peering over paperwork that was scattered on his desk. His notes, written in his messy handwriting with a black ink pen, on Zorua and Ditto were on top of the mess.
I'm sorry I was unable to make it to Castelia City to discuss the two Pokemon you're researching. I'm afraid I was unable to make it away from the lab long enough to meet with you. We will have to reschedule that meeting for another day. I hear there's a new restaurant in Castelia City. Perhaps we could meet there someday? We'll have to talk about that next time you come to Nuvema Town.
Anyways, I've enclosed the pictures of Zorua and Ditto like you asked, and I also sent pictures of Zoroark so that you could see what Zorua looks like when it evolves. I hope all of this helps your research.
Until next time,
Professor Aurea Juniper
The letter from Professor Juniper of Nuvema Town, one of Rowen's former classmates and his former crush, was on the left side of Rowen's desk. The envelope sat beneath the letter, and you could see bits and pieces of the pictures below it. Some pink from Ditto's picture and some red and black from Zorua and Zoroark's pictures, though one couldn't really tell if it was part of Zorua or Zoroark unless they looked closely at it. Rowen sighed as he leaned back in his black computer chair.
The blonde young man stood up and exited his office, gently closing the door behind him. In this room were a few black, plush armchairs and a matching couch. An oak desk sat off to the side by the window, and this desk was much more organized than Rowen's. A black name plate sat on the desk with the name Hailey Treiborne engraved in gold letters; the word "secretary" was engraved under Hailey Treiborne's name in smaller gold letters. A woman who appeared to be in her mid-thirties with auburn hair and bright green eyes sat at the desk, and she looked away from her computer and up at Rowen when he entered the room.
"Leaving for the day, Mister Grissman?" Hailey asked. She had a quiet voice, and a small smile appeared on her face as she spoke to Rowen.
"Yes, I am, Hailey. I suggest you leave soon as well. I hear the weather tonight is supposed to be bad," Rowen replied simply. He walked over to the coat rack, removing his white lab coat as he approached it, and removed a black peacoat. He placed the lab coat on the hanger where his black peacoat was, and then he put the black peacoat on, buttoning it up and shoving his hands in the peacoat's pockets when he was done. "Good night, Hailey."
Two large cylindrical containers sat in the center of a room in the laboratory. The light coming from these containers was the only thing that illuminated the dark room. The quiet whirring of machines was the only sound one could hear if they walked into the room.
In the left container, a black fox-like Pokemon with red eyebrows, a red tuft of fur on her forehead, and red paws floated inside. Wires were attached to the Pokemon inside, and it appeared as if she was sleeping away without a care in the world. In the right container was a pink blob, and like its companion in the left container, it was sleeping away.
A crash woke the pink blob up, and it frantically looked around for the source of the noise. The wide awake Zorua in the container next to it had broken out of her container, and she was standing amongst the water that once surrounded her and broken glass on the floor. She shook herself off, sending the water that had clung to her black and red fur flying onto the glass container next to the one she had been in as well as the surrounding equipment. The water being shaken off by the little fox wasn't enough to damage anything; it was just creating little droplets of water on the screens of the computers.
Zorua looked over at the glass container holding Ditto. The pink blob was looking curiously at the black and red fox standing before it. Ditto closed its eyes, and when it reopened them, it had taken on the coloration of the fox. A frown appeared on Ditto's face as the black and red fox leaped up towards the glass container and swung a red paw at it. A black horizontal line appeared and collided with the glass container, shattering the glass surrounding the Ditto. Water poured out of the container and onto the black and white tiled floor amongst the glass and water that was already there. Ditto tumbled out of it, eventually bringing itself to its full height of no more than an inch; it was now back to its normal bubble gum pink coloration.
An alarm sounded, and the lights in the room the two Pokemon resided in flickered on. The two Pokemon exchanged looks of fear; they knew they needed to get out.
"Can you transform into something with legs?" the Zorua asked. To a normal human being, Zorua's speech actually sounded like she was just saying the name of her species repeatedly, but Ditto understood; two Pokemon could understand each other because it was like two human beings talking to each other.
"I'll try," the Ditto replied. Like Zorua, Ditto also responded by saying the name of its species, except not nearly as much as Zorua had seconds ago. The pink blob closed its eyes, and when it reopened them, it had taken on a pale green color; there was a leaf shaped spot above its eyes that was a darker shade of green than the rest of its body, but otherwise, it was a pale green color. Ditto still looked like a Ditto, minus its coloration. When the pale green gelatinous Pokemon spoke again, it sounded upset. "I don't think I can..."
"Okay, well, we need to get out of here before those weird people get back here! Move fast!" Zorua replied. Without even waiting for Ditto's response, she ran towards the door, using Night Slash for a third time, and knocking the door off of its hinges. Ditto followed after its companion, but the pink blob, as Ditto had reverted back to its natural coloration, trailed behind the much faster fox.
A small lamp with a cerulean blue base and a cream lamp shade was the only thing illuminating what appeared to be a small bedroom. Rowen Grissman was sitting up in his bed, his feet hanging off of the edge of it. A blue C-Gear was being held in his hand. A woman about the same age as Rowen was also up, and her arms were wrapped around Rowen's waist.
The lamp illuminated only a small amount of the room. Rowen's tired face was partially illuminated by the lamp's light, and a bit of the woman's tired face was lit up as well. The lamp sat on a dark nightstand next to the bed alongside a simple alarm clock; the clock's time was 3:02 in the morning, and the numbers showed up in red. The pale yellow curtains could clearly be seen in the dimly lit room; they went nicely with the orange walls.
"What is so important, Richard, that it cannot wait until it isn't nearly two in the morning to be dealt with?" Rowen asked through gritted teeth. The deep blue-haired woman flinched at the sound of the blonde male's voice. She had never heard him like this before.
"The Pokemon escaped. That Zorua and Ditto you were researching. They're gone. There's people out looking for the two of them, but no one's been ab..." the voice belonging to Richard replied. Rowen didn't let the man on the other line finish before he ended the call. The blue haired woman's hands were on Rowen's bare back; the only thing the blonde was wearing was a pair of striped pajama pants. He tossed the C-Gear onto the bedside table and sighed.
"I'll be back," Rowen mumbled before stepping into the bathroom.
"Find them!" a brunette roared, "if Rowen gets here and they're not back, he's going to kill us!"
Hailey was sitting at her oak desk, the computer screen illuminating her tired face. Her auburn hair was tied up in a bun, but several strands were falling out of it. She had been wearing professional attire earlier in the day, a simple black blouse and a red pencil skirt with black tights and matching black heels, and a red blazer had been sitting on the back of her black computer chair. Her outfit now consisted of a dark blue pair of jeans, a large grey t-shirt, and a pair of white sneakers. A black jacket was sitting on the back of her computer chair. She looked much less professional now than she did earlier.
"Can you track them, Treiborne?" the gruff voice of the brunette asked after several poorly dressed men and women fled the secretary's office. His short brunette hair was a mess; it was sticking up in places, and he looked very unprofessional, much more so than Hailey did. A striped button up shirt and plaid pajama pants showed just how tired the brunette was.
"They haven't come up yet. It's going through every Pokemon we've ever put trackers into, but Zorua or Ditto haven't come up yet. It would be a little easier if we had the numbers on their trackers," Hailey said softly, stifling a yawn.
"Well, get their tracking numbers!" the brunette roared again. Hailey frowned as she continued to watch the screen go over several Pokemon names. Pikachu, Jigglypuff, Squirtle, Castform... the list went on and on. There were at least several hundred Pokemon Rowen had injected tracking chips into when he released them from the laboratory, but Zorua and Ditto had yet to come up. There was the possibility that Zorua had removed the silver necklace that was placed around her neck upon her arrival at the laboratory and abandoned it somewhere, and unless the fox was with Ditto, there was no hope in finding Zorua. Ditto, on the other hand, had a tracking chip injected into it upon its arrival since one could not simply put a tracking necklace around a Ditto's neck because it didn't have a neck.
"I can't, Richard," Hailey replied simply to the brunette, "Rowen has the tracking numbers. They're in his office, and that's locked. If you fancy losing your head this morning, you can break into his office and find them for me. I, however, fancy keeping my head. Rowen's going to be furious when he gets here, and if he finds out someone broke into his office to get some silly tracking numbers, it's just going to make him more mad than he's already going to be. Why don't you do something useful and make some coffee? We could all use it right now."
Richard frowned at the indifference in Hailey's voice when she spoke. He was relatively new to Rowen's group of scientists, so something like this happening was new to him. He was in a panic because Rowen would have his head if something happened to that Zorua and Ditto. Rowen would have his head if someone had broken into the room the two Pokemon were in and stolen them. Richard was the head of the security division in this building, and he, nor any of his men, had seen any signs of a break in. No one had any idea as to how the Zorua and Ditto got out, but Richard wanted them back in this building well before Rowen arrived. Hailey spoke as if this was a natural occurrence, as if something like this had happened before. The woman with auburn hair had been around much longer than Richard had.
With a sigh, Richard walked over to the coffee machine in Hailey's office. Hailey had a point; they could use some coffee right now. Everyone was tired, having been woken up at an ungodly hour of the morning after working all day, and everyone was really irritable due to their lack of sleep. The thin line that made up everyone's patience was getting thinner and thinner as time passed by, and Rowen's presence would only make that line even thinner. Coffee would do them some good. Coffee would make this much easier on everyone, especially once Rowen finally showed up.
Rowen sped through the streets of the Unova region. The house he shared with his girlfriend was on the outskirts of Castelia City. It was the only house he and his girlfriend could agree on, and Rowen, on a good day, would happily admit that he loved the house. Right now, he'd probably say he hated it. Then again, Rowen hated everything and everyone right now. He was so furious with the world.
He hadn't expected the Zorua or the Ditto to get out of those containers.
The last time he had held Pokemon in containers similar to the two that Zorua and Ditto were in was many years ago, when he was new to the job he held now. He had been researching Castform and its ability to change forms based on the weather. If it was sunny, Castform would become an orange sun; in the rain, Castform became a blue raindrop on top of a grey storm cloud; in the snow and hail, the Weather Pokemon took on a purplish-grey coloration surrounded by a pale green cloud. The Castform escaped from the cage it had been in using a simple Fire Blast that melted the bars that surrounded it. The Pokemon that changed forms based on the weather was found days later in Nimbasa City.
Rowen was young and reckless then. He was naive. He didn't know what he was getting into. He should have known that Castform would have been able to escape from the cage it was in using a Fire type attack... but he didn't. He didn't know anything at the time, and his naivety allowed the Castform to escape from the cage it had been in and flee to Nimbasa City before being recaptured. That had been why Rowen hired Richard and his security team. Richard and his security team had been hired to prevent something like this from happening again.
Richard and his security team had failed him. The Zorua and Ditto broke free, just like Castform did many years ago. It was like deja vu, and Rowen didn't like it.
Zorua and Ditto fled through the alleyways of Castelia City. It was dark, cold, and dreary. The only illumination in the alleyways were from dim streetlamps, and that was only at each end of the alley. Footsteps could be heard, and Zorua and Ditto froze. A poorly dressed man and woman approached the alley they were in, and the two Pokemon hid behind trash bags that wouldn't fit into the green trash can they sat outside of.
"Maybe they're not in the city anymore, Nick," a feminine voice said. Her voice echoed off of the stone walls in the alley. She was wearing a simple blue blouse, black sweatpants, and brown and cream slippers that had the head of a Lopunny on them. A grey fleece jacket was the only thing shielding her body from the cold. Her purple hair was thrown into a pony tail, but strands were falling from it.
"I doubt it. I've read about Zorua before. It's probably somewhere in the city, and it's just hiding from us. They're pretty crafty Pokemon. If we find Zorua, we're going to find Ditto, and we should be able to spot that pink blob from a mile away," Nick replied. Nick was an older man with spiky black hair. Unlike his colleague Richard back at the laboratory, Nick's hair wasn't all over the place, and even if it was, messy hair was a natural look for the black haired scientist. He wore a blue button up shirt, plaid pajama pants, and black tennis shoes. Nick shivered from the cold; he hadn't thought about grabbing a jacket before leaving his house in Castelia City. "Let's go, Madison. They're not down here. I don't see any pink blobs."
Nick and Madison turned away from the dark alleyway and continued walking down the dimly lit street in Castelia City. Zorua peered above the black trash bags she and Ditto were hiding behind. The pair was gone, so the fox nudged the putty-like Pokemon next to it.
"Maybe we should leave the city. They'll never find us outside of the city!" Zorua quietly suggested. Her blue eyes were fixated on the spot where Nick and Madison had just been standing. The two Pokemon were a few steps away from recapture. If they hadn't hidden behind those trash bags when they did, Zorua and Ditto would be in black trash bags like the ones they were hiding behind, and they'd be on their way back to the laboratory they had just escaped from. "They don't expect us to leave the city."
Ditto looked curiously at the black fox before it. Zorua was right. Nick even said he doubted they were out of Castelia City. If he doubted it, his colleagues probably did too. That was enough for a mischevious grin to appear on Ditto's face. It was enough for the putty-like Pokemon to agree with Zorua.
"Let's do it then. Let's get out of here."
"We have no idea how they got out of the containers, sir," Richard quietly told Rowen as he walked across the room. Compared to his co-workers, Rowen was well dressed. His co-workers wore their pajamas and jackets in an attempt to get to the laboratory and recapture Zorua and Ditto before Rowen arrived. Their attempts had failed, as Rowen was standing before Richard in his red silk dress shirt, khaki slacks, black dress shoes, and the same black peacoat he had left the laboratory in hours ago. The crunching of glass could be heard as Rowen cautiously walked over to where the containers were. The water that had been in them had drained out and spread out across the floor, and only a small puddle resided in the center of the containers. Water was still dripping from the top of the container to the bottom, forming the small puddle at the bottom. Wires with white suction cups at the ends that once held Zorua and Ditto in place in the once liquid filled containers hung limply inside the broken glass container.
"Did you think about checking the security cameras?" Rowen asked through gritted teeth as he made his way over to a computer that was covered in droplets of water that had dried up and created spots on the screen that were only visible when the screen was illuminated.
"I would have, but I left my keys at home. They're on a separate keychain than my car keys. I was so focused on getting here that I forgot them," Richard replied nervously. Rowan tossed a key ring with a few silver keys on it to Richard, who caught it with shaking hands. "I-I'm sorry, sir."
"Keep your apology to yourself and check the security cameras," Rowen demanded gruffly, "if you're lucky, you'll have a job by the time you get back to Treiborne's office."
Without another word, Richard quickly left the room that once housed Zorua and Ditto. He didn't even bother closing the door behind him as no slam was ever heard from him closing it. The door being closed was the last thing on Rowen's mind right now. He was more concerned about just where exactly the two Pokemon had gone and how they had gotten out of the building without being seen or heard.
When those two Pokemon were back in the hands of Rowen Grissman, they were going to be monitored twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, and three hundred sixty five days a year until they were released back into the wild to roam with their fellow Pokemon once more. Grissman Laboratories would become more secure after this incident. Rowen Grissman would never allow this to happen again. He was not going to let his naivety get the better of him ever again. He accepted it the first time, and he was going to have to accept it this time too, but if this ever happened a third time, which Rowen doubted it would with the new security measures he was already dreaming about in the back of his mind, he wouldn't accept the fact that his naivety had gotten the better of him for a third time.
"They're moving towards Nimbasa City," Hailey said with a yawn. A yellow sticky note sat on her desk with the tracking numbers of Zorua and Ditto scribbled onto it in black ink. Each Pokemon that came into Rowen's possession was given a silver necklace upon their arrival. This necklace stayed with them until they left, when it was replaced with a tracking chip injected into the Pokemon's body. In Ditto's case, it skipped the step where it received a necklace and just had a tracking chip injected into it.
"Good, we can send a search party after them," Rowen said, grabbing a round device off of Hailey's desk and turning to the small group behind him. Many of Rowen's employees had been sent home after everything had been pieced together. The majority of them turned out to be useless at this point, and there was no sense in keeping them around if they weren't going to be useful.
When Rowen had been in the room that once housed Zorua and Ditto, one of the computers had the movement patterns of the Pokemon. That was why the wires with the white suction cups on them were attached to the two Pokemon. He had watched Zorua's movement patterns first, noting that the tiny fox-like Pokemon had swiped the air with one of her paws. Rowen wasn't sure what had happened after Zorua had swiped the air with her paw, but he was sure that she wasn't dreaming as after that, the connection had been lost. The only time the connection was ever lost was either when the power in the laboratory went out or if the suction cups on the Pokemon's body were removed; Rowen had generators in the building that automatically activated in the event of a power outage, so he knew that wasn't the case. Ditto, on the other hand, seemed like it had tried to transform into Zorua at first, but it only took on the fox Pokemon's coloration. The connection had been lost after that. Rowen could only assume at that point that Zorua had broken the glass surrounding Ditto so that the pink blob could get free.
He watched the security tapes with Richard after that. Well, technically, it was after Richard had yelled at the woman who was supposed to be watching them as she had fallen asleep. She hadn't noticed what had happened to the two Pokemon, and Richard fired her. She probably would have had a job right now if she had seen what had happened. When they finally did watch the security tapes, Zorua swiping the air with her paw was actually an attack, specifically Night Slash. It created a black shockwave in the air that shattered the glass of the containers that once held the Pokemon. That was how Ditto had gotten free, just like Rowen had assumed. The two Pokemon snuck out of the facility, hiding from the guards as they passed by.
Where they were now was no mystery, however, as they still had their tracking devices on. Rowen still had the upper hand here.
"Can't we do this in the morning, sir?" a red-head asked, stifiling a yawn.
"No, you cannot do this in the morning," Rowen replied snappily. The red-head flinched at his voice. No one at the laboratory, except for Hailey, had seen him this angry before. After the Castform incident, Rowen's employees left, and he had to hire new ones. He could tell that he would have to hire new employees after this incident was all over with. "If they get too far away, we'll never see them again. You can take turns sleeping."
Before any of them could object, Rowen shoved the round device in the red-head's hands. She grasped it with both hands, knowing that if she had dropped it and broke it, she would have been in a much worse situation than she already was, and looked at her colleagues. They were thinking the same thing she was. As soon as they were far enough away from the laboratory, they were going to sleep. They could get Zorua and Ditto later. They didn't realize just how important these two Pokemon were to Rowen. They didn't realize that this was deja vu for Rowen and that something similar to this had already happened with a Castform. Rowen's employees were ignorant to just how serious this situation was in their boss' eyes.
"That's a global positioning system. It'll show you where the Pokemon are. They should show up as red dots on there," Rowen explained. The group looked at him, and then back at each other. He frowned, and when Rowen spoke again, he was more commanding, more orderly. "Go, then!"
Without a third glance at each other, the group left Hailey's office; they would have time to exchange glances at each other later. Rowen turned to face Hailey's computer, watching the red dots that continued to move north towards Nimbasa City. They would stop every so often; Zorua and Ditto were probably stopping to take in their surroundings or making sure that no one was following them.
Little did they know they were actually being followed, just in ways that they hadn't even expected.
To the citizens of the Unova region,
In the early morning hours of the eighth of January 2011, two Pokemon escaped from Grissman Laboratories. A small black fox with a tuft of red fur on her head, red paws, and large blue eyes and a pink putty-like blob, otherwise known as a Zorua and Ditto, were the escapees. They will only respond to Zorua and Ditto; they have no nicknames.
Both of these Pokemon are capable of transforming into other Pokemon and possibly humans. The Zorua is capable of transforming into another Pokemon or humans perfectly, however, the Ditto has been having some difficulties with transforming into other Pokemon and humans. It retains the natural facial features of a Ditto, simple black eyes and a thin black mouth, but the coloration of the Pokemon changes based on the Pokemon it's trying to transform into.
If you see either of these Pokemon, please contact Grissman Laboratories immediately. Do not let them out of your sight. Grissman Laboratories will come and retrieve the Pokemon and pay you a 10,000 Poke Dollar reward for your services per Pokemon. We will also pay for any damages done to any property you own while trying to catch the Pokemon. You can contact Grissman Laboratories at 123-456-7890 at any time of the day; there will always be someone around to answer your call and assist you.
Thank you,
Rowen Grissman
The sun rose on the horizon beyond the Musical Theater in Nimbasa City. Zorua and Ditto were resting in an alley behind some trash bags that didn't make it into the trash can. They had spent the better half of their night getting away from the laboratory in Castelia City and heading north out of the city and into Nimbasa City. Light was starting to peek through the clouds when the pair arrived in the city.
Exhausted, they used the last of their energy to find a safe place to sleep. They didn't want to be easily seen by anyone that was looking for them and happened to be passing by. A blue light on a silver necklace around Zorua's neck flashed every once in awhile, illuminating the fox's neck for a brief second or two.
A young boy and girl no older than eight years old ran through the alley where the escapees were resting from their long and perilous journey to Nimbasa City. They were smiling and laughing without a care in the world. As they passed the sleeping location of the Zorua and Ditto, the blue light on Zorua's necklace flashed again, causing the girl to gasp.
"What's wrong, Ellie?" the young boy asked, his hazel eyes full of excitement and worry. The young girl named Ellie ignored the boy, however. Her eyes were fixated on the spot where Zorua and Ditto were. The Zorua shifted slightly, and the rustling of the trash bags was heard. The sound made Zorua jump, waking the Ditto next to her, and Zorua's blue eyes, full of fear, fixated on Ellie.
Ellie sat on her knees and held out her arms for the Zorua. The Zorua showed no signs of moving, but Ditto was sleepily moving around, completely unaware as to what exactly as going on.
"It's alright. My brother and I won't hurt you," Ellie said softly. Her brother, the young boy with hazel eyes, sat on his knees next to his twin sister, also holding his arms out. The Ditto's sleepy black eyes were now fixated on the twins. Sleepily, Ditto moved over to the boy and into his waiting arms. The boy closed his arms around the pink blob Pokemon, embracing it with a smile.
"Come on. It's alright. We want to help you," Ellie coaxed. Hestitantly, the Zorua edged forward towards Ellie. She looked around, as if expecting some sort of trap, but nothing happened. No rope to grab her around her tail and hold her up, no bags thrown around her head, nothing. Just a little girl holding her arms out. Zorua looked over at her companion; Ditto had fallen back asleep in the boy's arms. Zorua walked onto Ellie's lap, and the small girl, whose brunette hair was tied back in a long French braid, wrapped her arms around the black and red fox.
"Here, let's take this necklace off of you. It's not very pretty, is it?" Ellie said softly. She placed her hands on the silver band around Zorua's neck, and the small fox flinched slightly. Ellie pulled her hands back, but when the Zorua relaxed again, she put her hands back on the necklace and removed it by simply pressing a small red button that stood out amongst Zorua's black fur. The brunette casually tossed the necklace into the trash can as the blue light on it flashed again. A smile lit up her face as she and her brother stood up, and when she spoke, she sounded truly happy. "Come on then. Let's get home. We'll wash you two up and feed you."
Zorua sat on a bed adorned with pink sheets and a purple comforter. Pillows in the shape of pale blue flowers were situated neatly on the bed. A dark red towel was folded neatly on the bed, and the black and red fox was sitting on the towel to keep the sheets and comforter from getting too wet. Though the fox's fur was somewhat dry, drops of water still dripped off of her fur and onto the towel she was relaxing on.
The room Zorua sat in belonged to Ellie. The eight year old girl had claimed Zorua while her brother claimed Ditto. Zorua was quite happy to be in a safe enviroment, and she was quite happy to be surrounded by such cheerful colors. She liked the pinks, purples, and pale blues that made up the room's decorations. Ellie's room was even neatly organized, which Zorua enjoyed.
Ellie stepped into the room and joined the fox on the bed. A smaller dark red towel was in her hands, and she used that to finish drying Zorua's fur off. Soon enough, no more drops of water would fall from her dark, damp fur. Zorua got up and leaped off of the bed, situating herself on the black carpet that covered the wooden floor beneath it. Ellie smiled and took both towels, casually tossing them in a half-full purple laundry hamper situated against the pale blue wall by her bedroom door. She crossed the room to the cherry wood dresser that sat opposite her bed. The reflection in the mirror showed that of an eight year old girl with long brunette hair neatly put into a French braid and pale blue eyes. Her skin was mostly pale, but there was a lightly tanned touch to it.
The mirror's frame held a couple pictures of Ellie and some of her closest friends. There was also a picture of her parents and her brother, and then there was just a picture of her and her brother. On the dresser itself was a sparkly silver hair brush, hair ties in miscellaneous colors, a jewelry box that was decorated in a colorful zebra print fashion, and bows of various colors. A single, pale blue scarf sat on the dresser as well. Ellie picked the scarf up, and then she moved to kneel down in front of Zorua, who was peering up at the young girl with her curious blue eyes.
"This will look a lot better on you than that ugly old necklace you were wearing earlier, don't you think?" Ellie asked as she gently tied the scarf around the black and red fox's neck. The brunette picked the fox up and brought her over to the mirror. Zorua peered at her reflection in the mirror with a look of confusion. The fox leaped out of Ellie's arms and onto the cherry wood dresser, scattering some of the hair ties and bows around. She pawed at the mirror, and the reflection pawed back. It made Ellie giggle, and the fox turned to look at the young girl. "It's your reflection, silly. Do you like the scarf? It matches your eyes."
Zorua looked at her reflection again, and a smile lit up her confused face. "Zorua!" she replied happily. Ellie scooped up the small fox in her arms and smiled.
"I'm glad you like it! Let's go show mommy! I'm sure she'll love it too!" Ellie replied excitedly as she exited her bedroom.
Ellie and her eight year old twin brother sat on a pale yellow leather couch in the family's living room. A brick fireplace adorned with more family pictures as well as individual pictures of Ellie and her brother; the fireplace was not lit as sun poured through the white curtains. A woman with dirty blonde hair was seated in an armchair that matched the couch; her belly was a little enlarged, and it was quite obvious that she was with child. A man with brunette hair sat on one of the arm rests of the chair that the pregnant woman was seated in. Zorua and Ditto were seated in front of Ellie and her brother, respectively, and both Pokemon looked up at the adults with fear in their eyes.
"Where did you two find these Pokemon?" the blonde woman asked, her hands resting on her belly.
"In an alleyway. We were running through the city, and I saw this Zorua sleeping in amongst the trash bags. The Ditto was with it," Ellie replied, "please, mommy, we can't just leave them out on the streets! Something could happen to them! They deserve a good home!"
A smile lit up the mother's face, and that made Ellie and her brother smile as well. Even the Pokemon cheered up a little, but the frown on the man's face kept a fearful expression on their faces. He cleared his throat, and his children and the Pokemon looked over at him.
"Ellie, Emmett, you do realize that having these Pokemon requires responsibility," the man said, pausing to allow his children to nod. When they nodded in response, he continued. "You'll have to take care of them and feed them yourselves. They're your Pokemon now, kids. If you want to keep them, you have to promise to take on most of the responsibility for them. Your mother and I won't be the ones taking care of them, but we will help."
"We promise!" the twins exclaimed excitedly. It was the man's turn to smile now, and his smile wiped the looks of fear off of the Pokemon's faces. Ellie and Emmett leaped off of the couch, nearly knocking Zorua and Ditto over, and hugged their father's legs. "Thank you, thank you, thank you so much!"
"What the hell do you mean they're not there?" Rowen roared into the black telephone receiver in his hand. A curly black wire connected the receiver to the phone's base that sat on Hailey's desk. Hailey jumped when Rowen roared into the phone, and her coffee jumped out of the paper cup it was in and spilled onto her white button-up shirt. A frown was on her pale face as she rummaged through the pockets of her black Coach purse for her Tide To-Go stick to remove the light brown coffee stain on her blouse.
"We found the tracking necklace that was around Zorua's neck, but the Pokemon aren't there," a masculine voice on the other side of the telephone said nervously. Rowen slammed his hand onto Hailey's desk, causing the woman with auburn hair to jump again. Her head collided with the desk, and her cup of coffee fell over. Light brown liquid from the white paper cup with the ever-so familiar green Starbucks logo on it spilled onto the desk and Hailey's paperwork. Hailey scrambled to pick it up, groaning as she did so from the headache she was starting to receive, but when she took a moment to look up into Rowen's brown eyes that were full of anger, she froze.
"Come back to the office," Rowen hissed into the phone, "and if you're not back by six tonight, you can consider yourself fired."
Hailey was suddenly glad that her only problems consisted of dealing with a furious Rowen, a coffee stain that was still on her white shirt, and the fact that her Starbucks coffee had spilled all over her desk and the papers on it. Today just wasn't her day, but at least she was better off than the man who Rowen had just gotten off the phone with. At least she hadn't just received a threat from Rowen about being fired if she wasn't back at the office by six o'clock this evening. A quick glance at the clock behind Rowen showed that it was just past noon; the man Rowen had just gotten off the phone with had a little less than six hours to get back to Grissman Laboratories from wherever he was.
"Track the Ditto. Those two are probably still together," Rowen growled as he picked up the now empty coffee cup from Hailey's desk and threw it into the trash can on the opposite side of the room. The cup bounced off of the wall and into the trash can, but spots of coffee were splattered onto the white walls of the secretary's office. Hailey sighed as she turned to face her computer and began typing away.
"Could you clean this mess up? It's kind of your fault my coffee got all over my desk and the papers here," Hailey asked, gesturing to the spilled coffee that was now being absorbed by the papers on her desk. Rowen quietly nodded and left Hailey's office to retreive some paper towels. He returned a few minutes later to Hailey anxiously looking at him; the coffee stain on her white-button up shirt had disappeared, and the orange and white Tide To-Go stick was sitting to the left side of her keyboard. "I need the tracking number for the Ditto."
"I gave those to you the night this all started," Rowen replied as he began dropping paper towels on the desk where the coffee had yet to be absorbed by anything.
"Yes, you did. However, they're under this pile of sticky, coffee covered papers. Unless you want to get your hands sticky to look for them, then I suggest you just tell me the number," Hailey replied nonchalantly.
"Fine, fine," Rowen replied as he crossed the room to grab the cylindrical silver trash can by the door, "it's DIT-1321."
Hailey entered the tracking number and pressed the enter key on her keyboard. It was a waiting game now. Tracking numbers were never used twice. They always consisted of the first three letters of the Pokemon's name, the Pokemon's number in the National Pokedex, and the number of moves it was able to learn. If Rowen had multiple Pokemon with the same name, he would add a number following the first three letters of the Pokemon's name. For example, if he had two Dittos, the first one would be DIT-1321, and the second one would be DIT2-1321. The tracking necklaces that were placed around a Pokemon's neck upon their arrival to the laboratory had the same number as the tracking chips that would be injected into them upon their departure from the laboratory.
A beeping from Hailey's computer was quickly silenced by the auburn haired woman. She looked at the flashing red dot on her screen, and she gasped when Rowen accidentally collided with her computer chair. He had abandoned his work with cleaning the coffee off of Hailey's desk to come see what she had found.
"Zoom in," Rowen said breathlessly. Hailey did as she was told, quickly zooming in on the red dot. A mid-sized two story house came up once she was zoomed in as far as the computer would allow her to do so. The house was made up of red bricks like the ones surrounding it were, and a garage was attached to the home. In the front of the house was a nice, small garden full of roses and various other flowers and plants. A red sedan sat outside of the house in front of the garage, and a man with brown hair had just stepped out of the car. "Who's that man?"
"I'll check," Hailey replied. She managed to get a picture of the man's face when he turned to where the camera was actually able to get a decent shot of his face rather than his profile. She pasted the picture into a program and clicked the green circle that said "go" in white letters when it popped up on her screen. Figuring out who this man was would take time, so Hailey returned to the visual of the man's house.
"What does that say?" Rowen asked, gently placing his finger on some small black text on the screen. Hailey smacked his hand, and Rowen quickly retracted it with a frown. "Sorry."
"Don't put your nasty hands on my computer screen," Hailey scolded. Rowen was about to apologize again, but Hailey held her hand up, quickly silencing the scientist. "It's their address. 702 Musical Lane in Nimbasa City."
"Looks like I should go pay them a visit with a nice letter," Rowen mused aloud. He began walking towards his office, but when Hailey cleared her throat, he froze just outside of the door to his office.
"At least finish cleaning up the mess you made before you make a new one, Rowen."
That evening, Zorua and Ditto sat on the back porch of the home that had taken them in. The Pokemon were looking up at the sky; it was dark, and the only things illuminating it were the stars and the crescent moon.
"Do you think those guys will find us?" Zorua asked quietly. Ditto shook its head, and the simple action of Ditto shaking its head resulted in its whole body to wobble. "I don't think they will either. I don't have that stupid necklace anymore. We're free from that place. They'll probably never find us."
Ditto shifted its gaze from Zorua to the night sky. A weak smile appeared on Ditto's face. The Pokemon opened its mouth to speak, but it closed its mouth just as quickly as it opened it. Ditto didn't have the heart to tell Zorua that there was a tracking chip in the putty's body. It would most likely mean that Zorua would ditch Ditto, and the Transform Pokemon would be all alone again. Zorua would stay with Ellie, Emmett, and their family, and Ditto would be left on the street. The people at Grissman Laboratories would find the poor, lonely Ditto, and they would take the poor, putty-like Pokemon back to Castelia City. Ditto shuddered at the thought.
"We're safe here. We'll be happy here," Ditto said, mostly to itself, but it saw a smile form on Zorua's face out of the corner of the black dots it had for eyes. That smile on Zorua's face reassured Ditto. That was what the putty-like Pokemon needed. It needed Zorua.
"We'll have to work on your transforming abilities though," Zorua said, "I'll help you. I think Ellie and Emmett will too."
Ditto managed a confident smile at this. The Transform Pokemon would learn how to use Transform again. It would learn how to transform into other Pokemon again. It would regain the ability it once had, the ability it was known for. Zorua would help, and she would be an excellent help because she too had the ability to transform into other Pokemon. Ellie and Emmett would even help; Ditto wasn't quite sure how the eight year olds would help, but they would, and that was good enough for the putty-like Pokemon.
Ditto would learn to transform again.
Dear citizens of the Unova region,
You may remember the correspondence I sent out about a week ago about a Zorua and Ditto that escaped from Grissman Laboratories. You no longer need to worry about those two Pokemon. They have been found, and they are back in the laboratory. The employees of Grissman Laboratories and I thank you for your cooperation during the dark and dangerous times that once plagued you, the citizens of the Unova region.
Thank you,
Rowen Grissman
A little less than six months have passed since Zorua and Ditto initially escaped from Grissman Laboratories. Those six months have been a living hell for Rowen Grissman and the employees at his laboratory in Castelia City, and the past six months have been terrific for Eleanor and Emmett Robins of Nimbasa City.
For Rowen Grissman, he spent the past six months making arrangements to get the Zorua and Ditto back that were presently in the possession of the Robins twins. He would have had the Pokemon back about six months ago if he didn't have to go through the police departments of Castelia and Nimbasa Cities. If he had just gone to try and claim the Pokemon back from the Robins, the family was legally allowed to not give the Pokemon back to Rowen. In order for him to get them back, he had to get the police involved. Nearly six months later, he was able to get the Zorua and Ditto that were rightfully his back.
For the Robins family, the Zorua and Ditto that Eleanor and Emmett brought home one afternoon from an alleyway in Nimbasa City weren't the only newcomers to the family. The twins' mother gave birth to a baby boy just a few weeks ago. The parents, Christine and Garrett Robins, named their newborn son Dimitry Seth. Ellie and Emmett had also spent the past six months teaching Ditto how to transform again.
It worked.
The twins took pictures they had found in books, from wanted signs around town, and their homework at school and taught Ditto that way. Zorua helped by transforming into the Pokemon for Ditto so that it would have a physical, three dimensional example of what it was supposed to be transforming into. There were six hundred and forty-nine Pokemon, plus the various forms of Pokemon, to go through. Ellie and Emmett had covered maybe a quarter of that number in the past six months. They covered all of the legendaries and their various forms if there were any, the starter Pokemon of each region, and some Pokemon that Ditto would see a lot in the regions.
Ellie and Zorua were working alone on this fine fall day because Emmett had caught a cold at school, and no one, especially their parents, wanted the nearly nine year old boy to get any sicker than he already was. It was a Saturday afternoon, but Ellie's parents still remained busy. Her mother was busy taking care of Emmett to help him get better, and Dimitry required constant attention as he was only a few weeks old. Her father, unfortunately, had to head to work at the Musical Theater today since there were shows going on all day. Ellie had to work with Zorua and Ditto by herself today.
"Okay, Ditto, we'll review from what we went over yesterday, and then we'll start with something new. First is Pidgey," Ellie said. She held up a thin green book, and on the left page was a picture of a Pidgey. Ellie was pointing to it. Ditto fixated its gaze on the brown feathered bird that Ellie pointed to. A flash of white light appeared, and when it faded away, Ditto had taken on the form of the brown and cream feathered bird that was in the picture. Zorua jumped up and down, and Ellie clapped. Ditto reverted back to its normal pink, putty-like form with a smile on its face.
"Great job, Ditto! Okay, how about this one?" Ellie asked. She had flipped a few pages in the book and pointed to a new picture. This one was of a dark grey feathered bird with a white face, a Starly. Ditto took a moment to look at the picture, and then it transformed once more, this time into the dark grey feathered bird with a white face like in the picture, with a flash of white light. Ellie clapped again as Ditto reverted back into its normal self.
A knock at the door made Ellie jump, and the book in her hands fell out of her hands and closed on the floor. The cover said "Flying Type Pokemon for Beginners" in large yellow letters shaped like clouds. Zorua and Ditto hid behind Ellie, and the young girl looked towards the stairs. Her mother, a beautiful woman with beautiful, curly strawberry blonde hair that fell to just below her shoulders and stunning hazel eyes, was coming down the stairs, holding a baby wrapped up in a blue blanket; one could see a little bit of strawberry blonde hair peeking through the blanket. She passed Ellie and opened the door, revealing a young man with dirty blonde hair and a woman with auburn hair.
"Hello," Christine said casually. Ellie shifted slightly so that she could see the man and the woman at the door. The blonde man's gaze fell upon the Zorua and Ditto behind Ellie, and a smile appeared on his face.
"Hello. I was wondering if my secretary and I could come in. We have a few questions for you," the blonde man asked.
"Of course," Christine replied, stepping aside to allow the man and the woman to enter. She turned to Ellie, who was looking at the adults entering her home curiously. "Ellie, can you come take Dimitry back upstairs and put him back in his crib?"
Ellie nodded, and she stood up and approached her mom. She took her sleeping brother out of her mother's arms and walked up the stairs. Zorua and Ditto followed, and neither of them looked very happy. When Ellie and the Pokemon returned, the blonde man and the woman with auburn hair were sitting on the couch, and Christine was sitting in an armchair. Ellie went to sit in the other armchair; Ditto hid behind the armchair Ellie was sitting in, and Zorua cuddled into Ellie's welcoming embrace.
"I suppose I should introduce myself and my assistant before I get to the point. My name is Rowen Grissman, and I'm the owner and head scientist at Grissman Laboratories in Nimbasa City. This woman next to me," he gestured to the woman next to him as he mentioned her, "is Hailey Treiborne. She's my secretary," Rowen stated, placing his hands back in his lap. Hailey casually waved to Christine and Ellie with a small smile on her face. Rowen moved his gaze from Christine to the Zorua that was nervously moving in Ellie's arms. "That Zorua you're holding and the Ditto behind the chair you're sitting in belong to me. I don't know if you've heard, but about six months ago, they escaped from the laboratory. I don't know how they came to be in your possession, but I'd like them back."
"Do you have any proof that they're yours?" Christine asked.
"Of course! That's why it's taken so long for me to come to see you and your family. I had to arrange that paperwork," Rowen replied as Hailey extracted the paperwork from the purple crossbody bag she brought along with her. She stood up and handed the manila folder to Christine, who took it and began flipping through it. "I found your home thanks to the tracking chip that was implanted in Ditto when I brought it into my possession. Zorua had a tracking necklace around her neck, but I assume your daughter must have removed that and replaced it with that scarf around her neck."
"Ditto," the pink blob behind Ellie's armchair said. Ellie and Zorua peered behind the armchair to see that Ditto had flattened itself to look similar to a puddle of water. It didn't even meet Zorua's gaze when the fox looked at it.
"Ellie, I'm afraid that these Pokemon do belong to Mister Grissman. You'll have to give them back to him," Christine said, closing the manila folder and handing it back to Hailey. Zorua leaped out of Ellie's arms and joined Ditto behind the armchair.
"What? Why?" Ellie asked, her blue eyes filling with tears that were just waiting to fall, "he can't just come here and take them away from me and Emmett!"
"Zorua and Ditto never belonged to you or Emmett, Ellie. They always belonged to Mister Grissman. It's time they went back to their rightful owner," Christine said softly. Ellie peered back behind the couch, and Ditto still looked like a pink puddle of water while Zorua looked up at Ellie with blue eyes filled with fear. Neither Pokemon wanted to go back to Grissman Laboratories. Zorua and Ditto were happy with the Robins family. Ellie gave Zorua and Ditto a reassuring smile, and when she brought her attention back to Rowen and Hailey, her reassuring smile had been replaced with a confident, determined smile.
"I'm not letting you take Zorua or Ditto away from me or my brother," Ellie said confidently, "they're not happy with you. They're scared. They're happy here."
"Why would you want a useless Ditto? It can't even transform into a Pokemon properly!" Rowen angrily replied.
"Ditto, Zorua, why don't you come out and show Mister Grissman your transforming abilities?" Ellie called to the two Pokemon behind the armchair she was sitting in. Zorua was the first to emerge, though she still looked rather nervous, and Ditto slowly and nervously followed after its foxy companion. Zorua nodded to Ditto, and suddenly, a flash of white light appeared. Rowen and Hailey had shielded their eyes, and when they dropped their arms, their eyes widened.
The pink putty-like creature known as Ditto had disappeared, and in its place was a sky blue turtle-like Pokemon known as Squirtle. With a pop, Zorua transformed into an orange lizard with a cream colored belly and an orange and yellow flame on the tip of her tail known as Charmander. Rowen gasped as he looked at the transformed Ditto-Squirtle and Zorua-Charmander. Ditto and Zorua reverted back to their normal forms, and Rowen gasped again.
"I... I don't believe it. How?" Rowen asked breathlessly.
"Easy! My brother and I showed Ditto pictures, and Zorua would transform into the Pokemon we showed Ditto. Ditto just copied what Zorua was doing," Ellie replied simply, "we haven't gone through all of the Pokemon yet, but we've gone through a fair few."
Rowen simply stared at the Zorua and Ditto that were confidently standing before him. When he had brought the two Pokemon in, only Zorua could transform properly. Something had happened to the Ditto when Rowen brought it into his laboratory that kept it from transforming properly. When Zorua and Ditto had escaped from his laboratory, Rowen couldn't believe what was happening. He strongly believed that there would never be another incident like the Castform incident from many years ago. He had been holding onto false hope. Rowen thought he had prevented all of this from happening again. He had increased security in Grissman Laboratories, he had put Zorua and Ditto in containers he had thought they wouldn't be able to escape from, and everything still went wrong.
Perhaps Rowen wasn't cut out to be a scientist. A Castform escaping from his laboratory was one thing. He was a new scientist then. He was still learning the ropes. A Zorua and a Ditto escaping from his laboratory was a completely different story. Rowen had given into his naivety, and his naivety had resulted in a repeat of the Castform incident. Ellie had a point. Zorua and Ditto were never happy when they were with Rowen. Castform was never happy when he was with Rowen. No Pokemon that Rowen had ever owned, no Pokemon that Rowen had ever given a tracking number to, was happy when they were with Rowen.
Being a scientist wasn't what Rowen Grissman was cut out to be.
"Keep them," Rowen said softly.
"What? Rowen, what are you doing?" Hailey asked frantically.
"Keep the Zorua and Ditto," Rowen repeated as he stood up, "you're right, young lady. They weren't happy with me. There's just one more thing that I want to do before I leave."
Ellie watched as he took a needle out of the inside pocket of his black peacoat. He kneeled down near Ditto and Zorua; both Pokemon backed away from Rowen. They looked back at Ellie, who gave them a reassuring smile. Rowen managed a weak smile as he stuck the needle into Ditto's gelatinous body; he pulled the white circular piece of the needle towards him, and inside the tube was some of the pink gelatin that made up Ditto's body and a silver chip with a flashing blue light.
"Thank you for making me realize the wrongs that I was doing. I hope to correct them now that I've realized what I've been doing," Rowen said softly so that only Ellie and the Pokemon could hear him, "I'm sorry to bother you. I wish you, your brother, and these two Pokemon the best in life. Perhaps one day we'll meet again."
Rowen smiled as he stood back up and walked towards the door. "Come on, Hailey. We have no further need to waste this family's time," Rowen said to his secretary. Hailey stood up, curiously looking at Rowen as she did so. Rowen smiled at Christine, then at Ellie and the Pokemon. "Thank you for your time. I apologize for bothering you and your family. Have a nice day."
In the following weeks, Grissman Laboratories became an abandoned building in Castelia City. Upon Rowen's return to Castelia City, he gave a heartfelt speech about researching Pokemon against their wills. He gave his employees their final paychecks, and they went their separate ways. Richard had traveled back to his home in the Kanto region, and he took on a job as a security guard at Pewter Museum of Science. Hailey moved to Nuvema Town in the Unova region and started working at Professor Juniper's laboratory as a secretary; it was Rowen that helped her acquire that job as he knew Professor Juniper had been looking for a dedicated secretary, and Rowen knew that Hailey would do an excellent job as Professor Juniper's secretary.
Rowen's life had taken the most dramatic changes. In the days leading up to the official closing of Grissman Laboratories, Rowen and a few of his associates looking for the extra money they had been offered went out and hunted down each of the tracking chips that had been injected into the Pokemon's bodies and destroyed them. By the time Grissman Laboratories had officially closed down, no Pokemon that had ever come into Rowen's possession had a tracking chip in them anymore. Those days were over. Following the destruction of the tracking chips, Rowen proposed to his blue haired fiancee, Taryn, and they were now in the planning stages of their wedding. Rowen and Taryn moved away from their home on the outskirts of Castelia City and into a home within Humilau City. It was a nice change in their lives, and the move from the outskirts of Castelia City to Humilau was doing Rowen well. He was adjusting to his new life rather quickly.
Three years following the closure of Grissman Laboratories, a brunette boy and girl were standing outside of a two-story brick house. Next to the girl was a black and red fox Pokemon, and next to the boy was a pink gelatinous creature. A man, a woman, and a three year old boy were standing opposite the twins; the man was excited, but the woman's smile showed excitement and fear all in one. The twins, Eleanor and Emmett Robins, were starting their Pokemon journey.
Ellie wanted to be a Pokemon Coordinator. She planned to start in the Unova region by getting all of the contest ribbons in that region, and then she was going to travel to the other regions to get their contest ribbons. One day, she'd be a grand coordinator. She also planned to add other cute and adorable Pokemon like Zorua to her team, but for now, she'd just have her trusty Zorua to help her achieve her dream of becoming a grand coordinator.
Emmett wanted to be a Pokemon master. He wanted to conquer the Elite Fours and the Champions of each region, starting with the Unova region, and see the entire Pokemon world. He knew that there were other regions outside of the one he had been born in, and he wanted to see them. One day, he would, but first, he wanted to defeat the Champion of the Unova League. That would take time, but with Ditto by his side, Emmett knew he could take on the world.
Ellie and Emmett said their good-byes to their parents and little Dimitry; in seven years, little Dimitry would be able to follow in the footsteps of his big brother and sister, but for now, he could only sit at home, hear the stories of Ellie and Emmett's adventures, and dream about his own adventures that he'd embark on one day. When the twins reached a fork in the road in Nimbasa City, they gave each other a final hug, and even the Pokemon exchanged loving gestures.
"We'll cross paths again someday," they said together. And they would cross paths at some point. Ellie and Emmett shared a womb at one point in their lives, they shared the honor of raising Ditto and Zorua into the strong, trustworthy Pokemon they were today, and now was their time to go their separate ways and embark on journeys of their own.
But one day, perhaps sometime in the near future, their paths would cross again. They would even cross paths with Rowen and the woman who would possibly become his wife by the time Ellie and Emmett met up with him again. Though they didn't know they'd ever cross paths with Rowen again, they would. The ability that Zorua and Ditto had, the ability to transform into other Pokemon and possibly even humans, was merely an illusion that would fade away after time or even at their own wills. The bonds that Ellie and Emmett shared with their Pokemon and Rowen weren't illusions though. They were real, and the paths that would eventually lead them back to each other one day were also very real.
For now, though, they were taking separate paths and going their separate ways... at least until fate brought them back together.
Pokemon: Zorua & Ditto {Both Complex, 60-80k total}
Characters: 60573
Author's Note: I think this is the longest story I've ever written for URPG and probably ever will write for URPG. It probably sucks, and if you (the grader) completely fail me, I'll understand. :x Title also sucks, but this is probably the best I'll come up with. Oh, and this is for WWC. I tried.


text:
The Best Breakfast Muffins
Author Notes: This is the recipe that gets used most often in my house. I make these every 2 weeks without fail, as my go to "I'm running out the door" breakfast. They are packed with nutrition and easy for anyone (even non-bakers like me!) to make. I first came across the recipe when I was researching paleo diets, and it's stuck with me. I always change it up a bit but the base is the same- eggs, almond flour, banana, and carrot. - DailyMeals
They never get boring because the options are endless. Enjoy. - DailyMeals
Food52 Review: DailyMeals gives us a solid and versatile breakfast muffin recipe that will take care of us in the morning. With a wonderfully moist texture, this muffin packs a bounty of health in every bite. Banana, carrot and egg team up with almond flour, grapeseed oil and flax meal. I love the way that the apple cider vinegar combines with the baking soda. I added both poppy seeds and fresh blueberries in a rustic batter that I hand mixed. The recipe yielded 15 absolutely delicious muffins, which lasted me all week! These muffins fill you with that happy anticipation each morning of a great breakfast. Whether you slowly savor one with a cup of coffee or have to dash off to work in minutes flat, these muffins deliver. Whip up a batch today! - Sagegreen - Sagegreen
Makes 12 muffins
- 2 cups Almond Flour
- 3 Bananas
- 3 Eggs(Organic if possible)
- 3 Medium Carrots, Shredded
- 3/4 cups Walnuts(or other nuts), Chopped
- 1/8 cup Grapeseed Oil
- 1 tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Baking Soda
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 2 teaspoons Cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons Maple Syrup or Apple Juice Concentrate
- 1/4 cup Options: Dried Cranberries, Currents, Diced apple, Fresh berries
- 2 teaspoons Chia Seeds and or Flax Meal
- (Preheat oven to 350) First, shred your carrot. I use my food processor because its easier, although it does make the carrot quite juicy so you may have to squeeze out excess moisture, or grate with a hand grater. I never measure the carrots exactly, but it should be about 1 1-2 to 2 cups.
- Next, smash your bananas with a fork in a medium bowl. Add oil, vinegar, cinnamon, and eggs. Mix with a hand mixer for a minute or so until you have a pretty smooth consistency(there will be some lumps from the banana).
- Now add all of your optional ingredients. Here's where I add my apple juice concentrate, dried cranberries, chia seeds, flax meal, and nuts. Stir to combine.
- Now mix your flour with the baking soda and add 1/2 the flour mixture at a time into your banana/egg mix. Gently stir to combine.
- Last but not least add your carrot. It will take a bit of work to break it all up and make sure the batter is well mixed.
- Add to nonstick muffin tins(use paper liners or a silicone tray). This should make 12 muffins. Bake for about 25-35 minutes. Times will vary as this tends to be a very moist muffin. So if you like them a bit drier just cook for a few more minutes. It also depends on the add ons you've put in and their moisture content.
- These are impossible to mess up, and a really delicious and super nutritious. Some other variations include: substituting hazelnut meal for some of the almond meal, or adding a bit of steel cut oats if you feel the batter is too wet.
- This recipe is a Community Pick!
- This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Gluten-Free Baked Good
Comments (26) Questions (1)
7 months ago natasha
i discovered your site yesterday ! I LOVE IT! I LOOOOOOVE IT! i just made these muffins, without a DOUBT the best muffin recipe i have ever come across! and i have looked at many as i have quite a severe sensitivity to gluten ! mmmmm good!
10 months ago Chelsey1818
I made these for a camping trip and they were delicious! I added fresh rasberries, dried cranberries, and coconut shavings. Super healthy and tasty!
11 months ago MnCampCook
My family can't get enough of these muffins. The basic recipe is has handled any improvisation I've thrown at it. I usually use 4 eggs and add a cup of rolled oats. I've also decreased the cinnamon to 1 tsp. and added 1/2 tsp each of ginger and mace. I love nuts and dried fruits so I don't limit those additions to 1/4 cup. The batch is generally 24 to 28 small muffins that disappear quickly. Thanks for such a great recipe!
11 months ago DailyMeals
Thanks MnCampCook! I just recently started putting dried sour cherries...its fun to always mix it up! So glad your family likes them
about 1 year ago adele93
would a combination of almond meal and whole wheat flour work as a sub for almond flour?
about 1 year ago Daria Faulkner
These guys are great!
I was going to substitute almond flour with smth I have, but then decided to go ahead and buy one. It takes time to make (more than I think most of the muffin recipes do), but it worths it! seriously, you are having the whole great healthy breakfast packed in this little treat.
over 1 year ago Kelly Walsh
Hi - I made them with 1/2 maize flour and 1/2 whole spelt flour and they were great. Think you'd be fine with whole wheat.
over 1 year ago Daria Faulkner
Thank you! Spelt is a good idea, I'll try spelt/whole wheat;) Excited!
over 1 year ago Daria Faulkner
also interested in using whole wheat flour. will it work the same way?
over 1 year ago WoooPigSooie!
Has anyone tried whole wheat flour instead of almond flour?
over 1 year ago Kelly Walsh
Do you think I can substitute Doves Farm gluten free flour for the Almond flour?
over 1 year ago AEC
Definitely going to try these Any reason canola oil cannot substitute for the grapeseed?
over 1 year ago db7
oops, I see its already in there, my bad.
over 1 year ago db7
Jessica, if you try it with applesauce maybe also try adding some ground flax meal mixed in water to act as a binder. Maybe 2 TBSPs. If you look at some vegan recipes it should give you a good ratio to use
over 2 years ago starving_artist
This recipe is amazing. I went with raspberries and dried apples. Huge hit!
over 2 years ago FrancesRenHuang
I made it this AM and loved how every delicious bite, I'm not thinking of the amount of butter, sugar and white flour in it. Mine turned out a bit moist this time, going to try to bake it a bit longer and see how it turns out! Thanks for the recipe!
almost 3 years ago DailyMeals
Thanks Sagegreen for your review! :)
almost 3 years ago Sagegreen
My pleasure, DailyMeals. I added a photo, too.
almost 3 years ago JessicaBakes
I know this makes me weird, but I absolutely loathe bananas. Suggestions for other fruit that could take its place well?
almost 3 years ago DailyMeals
Hi Jessica, you could try applesauce/purée perhaps... I havent tried it but it seems like maybe it could work. Maybe 1-1/2 to 2 cups, or equivilant to 3 bananas. I would love to know if you make it work!(we are having a severe banana shortage here in Oz)
almost 3 years ago Sagegreen
Yum, thanks DailyMeals for this great versatile recipe. I used 2 small bananas, since you suggested this recipe was forgiving, along with fresh blueberries and poppy seeds. Love the flavors and JessicBakes, I really don't taste banana much at all. I think if you tried a small banana with some applesauce you would get all the great moistness without any detectable banana flavor. I think rhubarb would be great in these! Do report back whatever you try.
almost 3 years ago JessicaBakes
Ha...trust me, I can literally detect ANY banana. I mean, i can smell banana from across the room and feel the need to leave. It's pretty bad for someone who loves baking! Love the pumpkin puree idea though...going to try to make these for some upcoming airplane travel and will let you all know how it goes!
almost 3 years ago DailyMeals
Thanks Sagegreen..hope you like them, its the most versatile recipe, i love it!
almost 3 years ago Sagegreen
What attracts me to make these is how healthy they sound. I anticipate that they will also taste wonderful with carrots and almond meal....maybe a bit carrot cake-like? I will use fresh blueberries, too. I picked up ground flax meal. Wasn't sure if golden or whole would be better, but as you say, they sound versatile. Looking forward to these. I always love how the editors ferret out those overlooked, almost hidden recipes where no one has yet commented.
almost 3 years ago DailyMeals
They are healthy but also not overly sweet which is why for me they make such a great breakfast...can't wait to hear how they turn out!
almost 3 years ago Sagegreen
Looking forward to making these! Great set of ingredients. This will motivate me to get the flax meal I have been meaning to buy, too!

subset: commoncrawl


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Special Offer
When it comes to pleasing the women in their lives, every man wishes he had ESP (extrasexual perception). But the truth is, your libidinous longings can be baffling. "That's why a guy loves it when you're able to guide him without barking out orders," says Gardos.
So when giving erotic instruction, throw in some positive reinforcement. "Tell him how good it feels when he does something right, or remind him of a technique that always gets you off," suggests Brame. "If he's not giving you enough foreplay, ask him to use his hand or mouth to warm you up, saying that you want to draw out the experience."
For men, what they see is almost as good as what they get, so make sure to give him an eyeful. "One time during sex, my girlfriend led me over to a mirror so we could see ourselves in action," remembers Tyler, 21. "I found it really sexy, but what made it hotter was how into it she was."
Another way to turn him on with sight: Keep some clothes on. Sometimes men prefer when you leave a little to the imagination. "Sexy lingerie can be as arousing or more so as being nude, because it builds anticipation," says Bob Berkowitz, PhD, coauthor of When Men Stop Having Sex.
More great views: you in girl-on-top position or, if you're feeling brave, touching yourself in front of him.
Even if you're a bad girl at heart, you might hold back with your guy. "Women are often afraid to get naughty in a relationship, because they don't want to shatter any 'good girlfriend' image he has or they don't want him to think they're weird," explains Brame. "But men want to see that no-holds-barred side of you they just don't want to offend you by asking for it."
What dirty-girl tricks fit the bill? Pretty much anything that shows him how much you like sex and how much you want it with him, says Gardos. To let him know you're into him, grab his butt hard when he's climaxing or gently nip his shoulder.
You may also want to do something unexpected, like initiating a new position or trying a passion prop. "My girlfriend and I were out shopping when she suggested we check out this sex-toy shop," Nick, 27, says. "We ended up buying this thing called a penis sleeve, which is basically a thick, bumpy condom. Not only was it fun to use, but I loved how eager she was to try it."
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Overall Experience:
This is really a great school and the teachers there actually care about you!
Career Services:
The advisers can help out!
Tuition & Financial Aid:
You get what you put in!
Campus Resources:
I only have a need for the bookstore mostly, however if I am on campus I can find a nice quite spot to study when needed.
Campus Resources:
The library there is very well organized and they are plenty of spots for study!
Academic Experience:
They have a GREAT and WIDE range of options that you can consider!
Academic Experience:
The teachers truly work with you! I am currently taking an online economics class and the teacher for the course is quite helpful!
Academic Flexibility:
This school really works hard to work with there students. Making sure that they have all payments in and have made reasonable arrangements
Student Body:
Even though I only participate with students online, most discussions are very engaging!
Online Courses:
I enjoy taking online classes a little more than being on campus. It gives me the ability to be able to work and still earn my degree. I love how most teachers get back to me quickly!
Online Courses:
Excellent online course still hard as if were on campus.
Tuition & Financial Aid:
Always had everything run smooth
Student Body:
They are great and always willing to team up.
Academic Flexibility:
They have all time available for me.
Career Services:
Career services is great they help you with jobs. Spice up your resume.
Campus Resources:
They have all resources need it to succeed.
Campus Resources:
Great access. Nominal computer but most students use WiFi.
Academic Experience:
Very excellent work done on campus and online and both are great.
Academic Experience:
So far is great only started one major class this semester.
Academic Flexibility:
Cannot really attest to administration.
My review is as an online student only. I have enjoyed the ease of taking online classes at ACC.
Online Courses:
I have had a lot of good experience with the online classes. That's actually all I take, and it has been helpful
Campus Resources:
They exist although they don't seem appealing so I don't try.
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They have good technology and I feel like I can easily access computers.
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ANNAPOLIS, Md. (April 20, 2010) – Lt. Governor Brown issued the following statement today on the passing of Civil Rights leader Dorothy Height:
"Americans mourn the passing of Dorothy Height today. She has left our world, but her legacy lives on. While we are all the beneficiaries of her good work, she gave a special voice to the oppressed and fought for their inclusion. By opening doors for her own education, she opened them for African Americans and women across the nation. She lived her life by carrying the example set in her own words. It was a life of 'quiet dignity and a kind sense of caring and a feeling of joint responsibility.' Ms. Height will be missed dearly, but her dedication to equality and inclusion will not be forgotten."


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A compact, low-cost case is tailored to fit the Raspberry Pi board and provides openings for all the connectors. This includes an exit slot in the side of the case allowing a ribbon cable to be fitted to the board's 40-pin GPIO header.
An optional SD Card Cover is available Here
The case, which is supplied in a distinctive Black color and printed with the Raspberry Pi logo, provides an attractive solution for protecting the printed circuit board.
The case is a very basic, minimal, case for the Raspberry Pi. Some nice features include covers for the ethernet port and one of the two USB ports. This came in handy for our application. The light guide for the on-board LEDs do not work very well, however. The red PWR LED bleeds over into the green ACT LED and the other red FDX LED. That said, I don't intend to look at the LEDs that often. So I'd buy these again.
Login Here to rate and review this product.
83-14421 - 512MB Raspberry Pi Model B Project Board
The Raspberry Pi is a small SBC (Single Board Computer) perfect for learning programming or using as a small desktop PC. It supports both HDMI and composite video which makes it very versatile for both business and educational environments. The Raspberry Pi can do...
831-3058 - Wi-Pi Raspberry Pi 802.11n Wireless Adapter
A 802.11n compliant wireless client for your Raspberry Pi installation. Tested with the Raspberry Pi release of Debian Linux. Drivers are built into the Raspberry Pi software release and like most other adapters it supports WPA and WPA2 security features.
83-15499 - Raspberry Pi Model B Board with 8GB O/S Card
Save some money by bundling the Model B Raspberry Pi with an 8GB card, featuring six different operating systems.
Raspberry Pi Basic Board Model B
8Gb SD Card loaded with the your choice of 6 different Raspberry Pi optimized operating systems
MCM Cat 57, Page 662


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The KEO Connect charging and information kiosk provides a safe location to charge mobile phones and stay up-to-date on current events.
Available at Hudson News locations, the KEO kiosk provides all-in-one service including:
The SoloHealth Station® is an interactive, self-service health-screening kiosk that empowers consumers with free and convenient access to healthcare tests.
Add value and drive incremental sales with mobile charging stations, keeping consumers charged up. Mobile charging stations accommodate a variety of mobile devices including smartphones, iPads and tablets.
ITI self-service kiosks provide self assisted, full-service capabilities at these DMV sites. Each ITI self-contained terminal houses fully integrated systems which allow consumers to complete a variety of DMV transactions.
Transitions Optical Interactive Lens Demonstrators educate consumers and provide selling tools for store personnel regarding the variety of photochromic lens options available.
The Mizuno modular displays feature a variety of golf wedges and baseball bats for consumers to review their options of sporting goods products.
At Frank Mayer & Associates, Inc., we combine our in-store merchandising experience with an award-winning team of associates to create custom designed point of purchase display solutions.
Designed and produced for Microsoft Corporation the interactive displays demonstrate the Windows Phone 7 operating system allowing consumers to use the latest smartphone technology.
Applying for a job has never been easier. Simply walk up to this Human Resource Employment Kiosk and within minutes you may be on your way to a new career.
John Deere has leveraged the technology investment they made in a very sophisticated company website and offered greater value to their retail customers at the same time.
Giant Foods creates your own Personal Shopping Experience.
The Ford Work Solutions program became available with the launch of the Fall 2009 Ford F-150.
The portable Tablet PC Floor Display offers several opportunities for branding, using either temporary or permanent approaches and materials.
The Security Cabinets feature lockable glass doors that slide on rollers mounted on both the top and bottom tracks.
The SlideBuy Shelf Merchandising System makes it possible to put a tablet PC on a track that slides along the front of a retail shelf. shelf, in-line, without disrupting product placement.
This innovative technology features the latest smart phone and tablet device multi-touch applications available for any retail environment.
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WASHINGTON, DC, Dec 06, 2006 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX News Network) -- Blackboard Inc. (NASDAQ: BBBB), a leading provider of enterprise
technology to the education industry, announces a dedicated users
conference for Blackboard Commerce Suite clients, BbWorld Commerce
'07. The three-day conference will be held in Carefree, Arizona,
April 15 - 18, 2007, and will provide unique opportunities for
educational professionals focused on student life and campus services
to network with peers from across the country.
Larry Moneta, Vice President for Student Affairs at Duke University,
will deliver the opening keynote address on the challenges of
integrating student consumer and learner needs on the contemporary
college campus. BbWorld Commerce '07 will feature a robust
client-centered program with sessions dedicated to the use of
identification technology to enhance the student experience. Topics
will include wireless technologies, Social Security conversion
strategies, access control and card office management strategies,
among others.
John Beckwith, Director of Campus Business Services at Loyola
Marymount University and member of the BbWorld Commerce Client Program
Committee, said, "With a dedicated conference in Carefree for
Blackboard Commerce Suite clients, we anticipate great opportunities
to network with our colleagues and learn from their experiences. It
will be extremely valuable to hear different perspectives and
solutions from other institutions -- everything from marketing campus
cards, to how folks are using wireless technology, to off-campus
programs. And if you haven't been to a conference in Carefree -- you
won't want to miss it!"
"Campus services are a very big part of what students expect and want
from their college experience," said Michael Chasen, President and CEO
of Blackboard. "It's very exciting to host a dedicated users
conference for this group, where clients focused on this part of the
college experience can come together to share best practices,
exchange ideas and form lasting relationships."
The Blackboard Commerce Suite includes three enterprise software
applications that support cashless transactions on-campus, off-campus
and online, linked to university ID cards. Hundreds of academic
institutions rely on the Blackboard Transaction System(TM), the
center of the Blackboard Commerce Suite, to securely process millions
of transactions involving payments, data transfer, physical access
control and activity authentication, 24 hours a day, seven days a
week, 365 days a year.
A call for proposals for presentations at BbWorld Commerce '07 is now
open. For more information about submitting a proposal or to register
for BbWorld Commerce '07 please visit
About Blackboard Inc.
Blackboard Inc. (NASDAQ: BBBB) is a leading provider of enterprise
software applications and related services to the education industry.
Founded in 1997, Blackboard enables educational innovations
everywhere by connecting people and technology. Millions of people
use Blackboard everyday at academic institutions around the globe,
including colleges, universities, K-12 schools and other education
providers, as well as textbook publishers and student-focused
merchants that serve education providers and their students.
Blackboard is headquartered in Washington, D.C., with offices in
North America, Europe, Australia and Asia.
Educate. Innovate. Everywhere.(TM)
Any statements in this press release about future expectations, plans
and prospects for Blackboard and other statements containing the words
"believes," "anticipates," "plans," "expects," "will," and similar
expressions, constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning
of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual
results may differ materially from those indicated by such
forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors,
including the factors discussed in the "Risk Factors" section of our
Form 10-Q filed on November 9, 2006 with the SEC. In addition, the
forward-looking statements included in this press release represent
the Company's views as of December 6, 2006. The Company anticipates
that subsequent events and developments will cause the Company's
views to change. However, while the Company may elect to update these
forward-looking statements at some point in the future, the Company
specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. These forward-looking
statements should not be relied upon as representing the Company's
views as of any date subsequent to December 6, 2006.
Senior Manager Public Relations at Blackboard:
Melissa Chotiner
Blackboard Inc.
202-463-4860 ext. 2404
Contact via http://www.marketwire.com/mw/emailprcntct?id=9AC270C545239CCA
Media Contact, Fleishman-Hillard:
Amy Storey
Fleishman-Hillard Inc.
+1 202 828-8819
Contact via http://www.marketwire.com/mw/emailprcntct?id=ACD186B354D0ACD6
SOURCE: Blackboard Inc.
Copyright © 1997-2013. Blackboard Inc. All rights reserved. Blackboard, the Blackboard logo, BbWorld, Blackboard Learn, Blackboard Transact, Blackboard Connect, Blackboard Mobile, Blackboard Collaborate, Blackboard Analytics, Blackboard Engage, Edline, the Edline logo, the Blackboard Outcomes System, Behind the Blackboard, and Connect-ED are trademarks or registered trademarks of Blackboard Inc. or its subsidiaries in the United States and/or other countries. Blackboard products and services may be covered by one or more of the following U.S. Patents: 8,265,968, 7,493,396; 7,558,853; 6,816,878, Re.44,535.


text:
In the News
Original journalism from the Center's OpenSecrets Blog
- Granite State Money Chase, Joe the Plumber Rises Again and More in Capital Eye Opener: Oct. 11October 11, 2011 11:45 AM
As they chase voters and campaign cash, the eight Republican presidential hopefuls will debate tonight at Dartmouth College, in New Hampshire, from 8 p.m. until 10 p.m. Notably, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has collected more money from residents of the Granite State than any of his GOP rivals.
- OpenSecrets.org Informs Congressional DebatesSeptember 14, 2011 3:00 PM
Lawmakers in Washington, D.C., routinely rely on the Center for Responsive Politics to inform the conversation on some of the hottest topics and high-profile policy fights.
- Lobbying on Clean Coal, AFL-CIO Forms Super Labor PAC and more in Capital Eye Opener: Aug 26August 26, 2011 8:00 AM
The AFL-CIO will soon join more than a hundred other groups in the ranks of those with super PACs. The organization says it will use its new power to harness unlimited contributions from union members and other donors for state elections, rather than on the national level.
- Bad News for Incumbents, Self-Financing Candidates in Most Expensive Midterm Election in U.S. HistoryNovember 4, 2010 10:25 AM
The priciest midterm election in U.S. history saw a Republican tide sweep numerous Democrats out of office, as voters anxious about the state of the economy ousted more House incumbents from office than any time since 1948. While several money-in-politics axioms held true, money was not a panacea for embattled politicians.
- Self-Funded Candidates Experiencing Spotty Success in 2010October 6, 2010 11:45 AM
Most political candidates raise their campaign cash in conventional ways: Calling voters, wooing donors, knocking on doors, and lately, collecting online donations. Or, a political hopeful can own a professional basketball team, make billions of dollars through credit default swaps or serve as chief executive of a wrestling entertainment empire.
- Some Congressional Challengers Flex Bigger Fund-Raising Muscles Than IncumbentsSeptember 28, 2010 11:05 AM
Incumbency is a monumental obstacle to overcome for any political challenger. But 11 congressional challengers -- nine Republicans and two Democrats -- have managed to raise more money than their incumbent rivals, a Center for Responsive Politics analysis found.
- Some Congressional Challengers Defy Odds by Out-Raising Rival IncumbentsJuly 23, 2010 5:58 PM
Incumbency is a monumental obstacle to overcome for any political challenger. But 10 congressional challengers have managed to raise more money -- an average of about $640,000 -- than their incumbent rivals, a Center for Responsive Politics analysis found.
- Charlie Rangel Admonished, Timothy Walz Joins PAC Club and more in Capital Eye Opener: February 26February 26, 2010 10:00 AM
Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) broke U.S. House rules by accepting corporation-funded trips to the Caribbean, a congressional ethics committee ruled Thursday.
- Campaign Cash From Wall Street Favored Representatives Who Opposed Finance Reform BillDecember 12, 2009 5:30 PM
Lawmakers in the House who voted against the finance reform bill collected an average of about $849,200 from Wall Street interests over their careers, while lawmakers who supported the bill collected an average of about $694,000, the Center for Responsive Politics found. This means members of the House who opposed the bill received an average of 22 percent more from the finance, insurance and real estate sector since 1989 than supporters.
- Third Quarter Campaign Finance Reports Show Money Race Is OnOctober 16, 2009 5:50 PM
An initial Center for Responsive Politics analysis has found that sitting members of the U.S. House of Representatives raised $48.2 million from July 1 through Sept. 30, 2009, based on the 336 reports we have in. The mean amount these lawmakers raised was $143,640, and the median amount was $126,680.
- Insurers On Alert Have Given $4 Million to Committees Grilling ThemSeptember 15, 2009 10:00 AM
A number of lawmakers have requested that insurers disclose their financial records, including details on executive pay and entertainment expenditures. Members of three of the committees to receive this information have also collected millions from these companies for their campaigns.
- Congressmen Overseeing Defense Budget Got $8 Million from PMA Group and ClientsMarch 2, 2009 5:00 PM
The FBI hasn't been the only group continuing to investigate lobbying firm PMA Group, which specializes in securing federal earmarks for its clients. At the Center for Responsive Politics, we've expanded our original analysis of contributions from the lobbying firm to lawmakers, specifically those on the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, to include contributions from PMA's clients, as well.
- Embattled Lobbying Firm PMA Targeted Members of Defense CommitteesFebruary 12, 2009 1:55 PM
The close ties between Rep. John Murtha and a Washington lobbying firm raided by the FBI have put the powerful Pennsylvania Democrat under greater scrutiny. The lobbyists at PMA Group have been Murtha's fifth most generous campaign donor over time, but he is just one of 284 members of the 111th Congress who have collected money from the firm, which specializes in securing federal earmarks for its clients. In total, PMA Group's employees and its political action committee have given current members of Congress $3.4 million since 1989.
Feel free to distribute or cite this material, but please credit the Center for Responsive Politics. For permission to reprint for commercial uses, such as textbooks, contact the Center.


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The concept of beauty means many different things to different people. In my case, beauty can mean different things at varying points in your life. If I was asked this question in my early 20s, it would've been to look like the celebrities I saw on TV. I totally bought into what the advertisers were selling me and because those images were so unrealistic, I found myself trying way too hard. The end result was always frustration and self criticism. As I got older, I became more comfortable in my beauty skin but still wasn't all the way there. When I turned 30 and then had my daughter a year later, my whole perspective on beauty changed. I realized that you can't find beauty in a magic bottle or on a beauty counter. I learned a major lesson:
Beauty products are supposed to bring out the beauty you already have.
My focus went from trying to look like everyone else to maintaining the best version of me. Not only does that include getting all dolled up but making sure my skin and hair are as healthy as can be. That meant streamlining my beauty routine and making my products work for me (not the other way around).
Being Selective of the Products I Buy
I know what you're saying. How can a self-professed product junkie be selective of the beauty stuff she buys? A lot of the time it takes tremendous restraint but at the end of the day, it's really worth it! I learn from all the trials and errors I've made and nailed down what really works and doesn't work for me. For example, my hair is not a fan of sulfate shampoos so those are on my no-no list. My skin doesn't like a lot of powder, so I only use a little press powder and stick to cream based blushes and foundations.
Putting My Beauty Health FirstCleansing my face every day, moisturizing my skin, eating better, drinking more water, getting plenty of rest - all of that has moved up to the top of my beauty to-do list. One of things having a baby taught me was to appreciate my body and to take good care of it. That means going back to the basics and keeping things simple. A major thing I stopped doing was relaxing my hair. The chemicals were destroying my hair, and after three years of hard work, it's the healthiest it's ever been. I'm also more aware of what I put into my body, which is just as important as what I put on it.
Having Fun without the Pressure of Being Perfect
This especially applies in the makeup department. Sure, there are a lot of beauty rules out there but that doesn't mean you have to adhere to them all of the time. I look at makeup as a way to de-stress, have fun, and experiment! I don't worry about looking like the girl in the commercial. If it looks good on me, I'm rollin' with it! If it doesn't, I have a good laugh, wipe it all off, and start over. No more getting frustrated with the girl in the mirror. I think she's awesome no matter what!
What does beauty mean to you?
MJ is a Yahoo! Shine Beauty Guru, a freelance writer and social media manager, a style blogger for Fierce, and a mom to a gorgeous baby girl.


text:
A 19-23 record shows what choice the Valley Cubs' veteran coach made, but it was big-picture call. Alexandria has won 14 of its last 22 games headed into the North Central Regional, which starts today in Tuscaloosa's Sokol Park.
"A lot of people, when they know they're going to have a young team, will kind of scale the schedule back," Hess said. "I felt like we needed to challenge them and just see how well they could play."
Lately, that's a lot better, and that's what Alexandria needs headed into a Class 4A bracket with Cleburne County, Locust Fork, third-ranked Cherokee County, Crossville, No. 4 Sardis, St. Clair County and Lincoln.
The North Central Regional also features Pleasant Valley and Wellborn in the 2A bracket.
Star-area teams are spread through three regionals, all scheduled for today and Saturday. Oxford will play in the North Regional's 6A bracket at Huntsville's Sportsplex.
The South Central Regional at the Troy Sportsplex will feature defending 3A champion and No. 7 Saks in the same bracket with No. 6 White Plains and No. 3 Glencoe. The 1A qualifiers include No. 4 Ragland, Talladega County Central and Wadley, and Randolph County will represent the area in 2A.
The winner and runner-up from each regional in each classification will advance to next week's state tourney at Montgomery's Lagoon Park.
Teams that make postseason runs often aren't those that win the month of March, and Alexandria has come a long way since its 5-15 start.
"I feel like we really have a good chance," said Madison Shanks, the Valley Cubs' top hitter at .341. "We've started peaking at the right time."
Alexandria lost four seniors from last year's team, and Amanda Young is the lone senior this season. The Valley Cubs have seven juniors, a sophomore, two freshmen and three eighth-graders. Two eighth-graders start.
They also started the year without freshman pitcher Lauren O'dell, who is 5-1 since doctors cleared her to play the week of the Calhoun County tournament. She missed time mending from a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her drive (right) leg.
"I've been pleasantly surprised at the innings I've been able to get out of her," Hess said. "She'll probably be my number one (at regional), and Taylor Ellison (10-5) will be my number two."
Having O'dell in the fold has goosed Alexandria's improvement, but it's been more about playing against strong competition.
The Valley Cubs play in the same area as Cherokee County. They've also played two other teams in their regional bracket, St. Clair County and Sardis.
Alexandria has also played Saks twice, White Plains four times and Glencoe three times. They also saw Oxford (three times), No. 2 Sparkman, Spain Park and Opelika in 6A and Springville (twice) in 5A.
"That first half of the season was just brutal," Hess said. "Every week, we were playing a top 10 team, whether it be 6A all the way down to 2A, and they were getting challenged.
"We knew it could go one of two ways. It could either go south, and we challenged them too much, and they would get that mannerism of, 'We just can't win,' or they would accept the challenge and just get better. They decided to accept the challenge and started playing well."
Hess said the lightbulb came on when the Valley Cubs came back from their spring break trip to Gulf Shores. He said he lost count of their come-from-behind victories.
He sees his team playing more confidently.
"The younger kids, at the beginning of the year, they would swing at anything that come across, even around, the plate," Hess said. "Now, they're starting to take those pitches. They're starting to make the pitcher work a little bit. We're going deeper in the count.
"A lot mental errors were made in the field, and now you're starting to see a little different. Now, they're feeling a little more confident and making a play at the plate instead of taking the easy out at first (base) and giving up the run."
Now, Alexandria gets to take it to the second layer of postseason play, after finishing runner-up to Cherokee County in the Area 11 tournament.
"It's like I told them the other day, I don't think they're going to see any better pitching than they've already see at the regionals," Hess said. "They've seen from Sparkman all the way down to Pisgah, so I don't think they'll see anything that will surprise them."
Sports columnist Joe Medley: 256-235-3576, email@example.com. On Twitter @jmedley_star.


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