Here is a title card for Umbra Plays Brilliant Diamond, the latest in the Umbra Plays series! I'll be going back to an abandoned Mystery Egg Run I did for Brilliant Diamond later this year. I'm hoping to finish it before Legends ZA comes out. Will I succeed? We'll see...
21st April - The Caldarium Egg Run (AKA The Perfect Day.)
6.30am soon arrives. Scott gets up, I grunt and roll over. He says bye and heads downstairs. A few moments later I hear shouting and swearing from outside. Of course, the bike wont start. I hear a loud bang and not long after I head downstairs. By this time, he’s gone and I go out to inspect the bike. The battery was flat, and the one that had been on charge overnight hadn’t charged.
Over the past few months I’ve managed to try and not panic until the last second, so I make a coffee and message Scott to see if there are any alternatives. Luckily Scott works at a building suppliers where they have a super charger for the lorries. So I chuck the battery in a backpack and head over to his work, give him the battery and cross my fingers.
Scott hurries back from work, extremely stressed and rushing like mad. He chucks the battery in the bike, tells me to put my gear on and within ten minutes we’re making our way as quick as possible (not without a crazy amount of shouting and swearing) to the Littlemore Rugby Club.
Mark in the middle facing the camera, Scott and I on the right. No idea what is going on with my butt. Think my phone was in my back pocket? photograph credit to @paulnikki fab photographer and great guy.
A small relief washed over me after seeing Mark’s excited grin as we pulled into the car park. He would be blocking during the rally, which is where a couple of chosen club members ride ahead of the pack and cut off any traffic coming from the side roads to let the pack through. He would also be riding a V-Rad since his bike had broken after a crash, only adding to his excitement. After and chat and a few giggles the stress began to wash away and was replaced with excitement.
When the rest of the club arrived Caldarium’s president called everyone over for a briefing before we set off. Hearing so many bikes start at once gave me goosebumps, and once we were all geared up we moved into the pack and left the rugby club. The feeling of riding in a pack was incredible, riding pillion I didn’t think I’d be that bothered about it, but It’s definitely a great feeling. Occasionally a few excited howls, many grins and the revving of engines. Mark seemed in his element and did a fantastic job being as it was his first ride with the club as prospect and his first time blocking.
Our first stop was Fewcott House Nursing Home in Fritwell. We went inside in groups to hand out Easter eggs and fluffy toys to the elderly. One elderly lady pointed to a triumph and told her carer she was going to take it and ride off into the sunset!
We stayed there for around half an hour before climbing back on the bike and heading to our second stop, a disability centre in Bicester. Riding past the idyllic landscapes, the bright yellow mustard fields and rolling hills made me feel incredibly calm, and reminded me of my home in Devon.
We carried out the same procedure at the disability centre and met some of the patients, they all had a wonderful sense of humour and beautiful smiles. The nurses bought out a tea and coffee station for us. Scott and I took this opportunity to have a look at some of the bikes, including a bike decorated with characters from Tim Burton’s ‘The Corpse Bride’.
Unfortunately upon pulling into the disability centre, a girl in front of us broke harshly with no warning and my glove got caught where I was holding the back of the bike, so I slammed into the back of Scott whilst my arm stayed at the back causing quite a painful stretch in my wrist. I was too happy to worry about it at the time, however the next day was rather painful.
I’ll post more pictures in a separate post. The bike above is Yorkie’s custom bandit, pretty neat, huh?
The ride just kept getting more and more beautiful as the day moved on. The ride back to the club was met with a pink sky. We were riding behind Hagrid on his Honda Goldwing, and on the back in a carrier he had his dog Lily, who was bravely standing almost on top of the carrier quite enjoying the breeze!
When we returned to the club they began setting up a BBQ. We stretched out on the grass and I made some friends, particularly a couple that came to sit with us. Dan, the male counterpart was part of the Hog membership and had quite a few hog patches on his vest. His parents happened to live near mine in Devon, so we were talking for quite a while. His girlfriend Claire was extremely lovely and had the best pair of Harley boots I think I have ever seen.
Jack and Abi also came to join us, which topped off the perfect evening.
Mark was busy prospecting, and after staying around to see one of the prospects receive their patches and Pockets’ receive her birthday cake Scott and I bid farewell and rode home. Exhausted, Exhilarated and feeling on top of the world, I fell asleep almost immediately. The trip was around 80 miles in a full circle.
Hey hey hey here's another installment in the Snippets series, and this one's a bit of an odd Psyduck for multiple reasons.It's for a Mystery Egg Run of Pokemon Brilliant Diamond that I started in 2022, promptly dropped, then resumed in 2024 because it was the first year in a while with no mainline Pokemon content and people voted for it to fill the gap, and I finally finished in 2025.Second, due to this being kind of a filler Umbra Plays, there was less drabble content for it, which is why this is a oneshot everywhere instead of being a oneshot some places and a mini-chapterfic others like the last few Snippets. Third, the plot is a bit out there in ways you'll have to read to find out.
(Though before I go in credits to the We Are All Pokemon Trainers RP and especially DuneTheWanderer for the entire concept of The School.)
So go ahead and do that in:
Brilliant Diamond Snippets: Sins Of Education
Greed looked around Veilstone City. The seaside view contrasted with all the concrete and tall buildings. Leaving that aside, he turned to his teammates, who were lounging outside the Pokemon Center.
Wrath was seething in the corner, as usual. Lust was preening herself. Pride was gloating about... something to Sloth, who had fallen asleep. Gluttony was chowing down on chips. Envy's tail head was glaring at him again for reasons he couldn't ascertain. Greed groaned.
"Come on guys! We need to get to the next Gym! There are trainers there! Trainers mean money!"
"We don't need such things," said Pride. "I'm perfect."
"I'm busy here," said Lust.
"Why do you always act like you're in charge?" said Envy's tail head.
"Leave him alone!" said Envy.
Sloth was still asleep. Gluttony was still eating.
"Yeah, why do you act like you're in charge?" said Wrath. "Buzz off."
Greed sighed. "You all are useless."
Neon watched them from a short distance away. He couldn't glean everything, but his telepathic powers picked up a lot. His team was definitely... disjointed.
But he kind of enjoyed that. They were good companions. Not like—
No. The School was behind him. It was gone. Mewtwo had struck it down. He was free. He didn't have to look back.
So why did all the experiments, all the discipline, all the tests still haunt him?
No. He couldn't think about that. The Veilstone Gym awaited.
He went to get his team.
…Was he going to make it?
-------------------
Neon and his team had fought Pavo again recently.
Pavo was also from the School. They were a specially engineered Templar, one of the School's enforcers. They’d been lucky to escape with their life when Mewtwo had destroyed the School, but they'd been hounding Neon ever since for reasons only known to them.
Pavo had imposing powers – they could create monstrous phantom Pokemon from people's mindscapes and control them through that – but as an actual Pokemon battler they were ineffective, and Neon always won against them. Pavo would always fume, seethe, and storm off.
How different things were.
Back when the School was around, the Schoolchildren like Neon were "liquidated" – culled – when they had outlived their usefulness as human-with-Pokemon-power experiments. And the Templars were often the ones to do the deed.
If that were still the case, Pavo could have slaughtered him easily.
But that was the past. Mewtwo had made sure of that personally. And now Neon was eternally grateful that Gluttony could oneshot Pavo's Monferno with a Bulldoze.
----------------
"Neon, can I ask you something?"
Neon turned to Riley, who was walking behind him in the dim caves of Iron Island, and tilted his head.
"Sure?"
"What's your story? You don't seem like the people like me who are here because they have too much time on their hands."
Neon thought to himself for a moment, then scanned Riley's thoughts.
"...I can tell you're doing that."
Neon jumped and squeaked.
"Don't worry," said Riley. "I mean no harm."
Neon nodded. "Alright..."
He told Riley everything. About the School, how he was raised as a disposable lab rat, how Mewtwo did it all in when the School used his DNA, how he and the survivors were picking up the pieces. By the end Riley's face was very grave.
"I'm... so sorry. It's awful you had to go through that."
Neon just nodded solemnly.
"You said these people are gone, but... You've been fighting remnants of them, correct?"
Neon nodded again.
"If they wanted complete genetic control of Aura... there's no telling what those remnants will try to do to recapture their former glory. Be careful."
He frowned.
"Speaking of.. The Pokemon here are restless. I don't like this. We should keep moving."
Neon looked around and froze. Near them were two people in odd purple armored uniforms. He gestured to Riley to look. Riley's face grew steely.
"...Right. Let's go."
They marched forward to the two strange trainers, ready to take them down.
---------
Neon couldn't believe what he was seeing.
Before him was Justinian, a Templar – elite unit – of the now-gone School. Before HIM was Dialga, the god of time.
"We've done it, dudes! We've summoned Dialga! Now I can rewind time and restore the School to its former glory!"
~You're insane,~ said Pavo, right next to Neon. ~Dialga... Can't you feel its anger? It's not going to help you, it's just going to go berserk!~
Neon could feel it too. But he wouldn't call it anger. He was picking up thoughts like, "Not again," and, "Didn't the last guys in spacesuits try the same thing?"
"I've learned there's more to live for than the School, Justinian," said Pavo. "You need to end this."
"I'll end this when I win!"
He sent out a very unusual Tauros. One with black fur and fiery accents. Neon sent out Envy.
"A Paldean Tauros? Where the hell did he get that?" said Envy's tail head. "I'm jealous, could use a team member like tha—"
The Tauros rammed into her full force, sending her skidding back.
"Ow, ow, never mind!"
She blasted the Tauros with a Psychic. It went down.
Next, however, was a very large, Qwilfish-like creature. It chomped into Envy with a Crunch.
"Ow... Damn... you..."
Envy collapsed. Neon knew he had to act fast. He sent out Gluttony.
"Food?"
He looked at the strange Qwilfish.
"SUSHI!"
He slammed the ground with an Earthquake. The strange Qwilfish was sent careening into the stony floor of Spear Pillar.
"Dude... how? That was all my Pokemon!" said Justinian.
~You seriously still had just those two? You were going to resurrect the School with just a few flunkies and TWO POKEMON?!~
"...Yes. But I'm not afraid! We still have Dialga!"
Dialga rolled its eyes and looked expectantly at Neon. As if to say, "Get me out of this situation. Please." Neon nodded and sent out Wrath.
"I'M GOING TO KILL TIME! LITERALLY!" said Wrath.
He hit Dialga with a Drain Punch. Dialga flinched but stayed standing. Neon pulled out an Ultra Ball, then tossed it at Dialga.
"Ha!" said Justinian. "You'll never catch it in tha—"
The ball sucked Dialga in, shook three times, and clicked.
"...Maybe I should rethink my life."
------------
Neon was facing Pavo down.
~Spear Pillar wasn't enough,~ they said. ~I need to truly test you here.~
Neon nodded and produced a Pokeball. Pavo and he tossed theirs out at the same time.
First came Gluttony vs. Pavo's Infernape. Gluttony sized up the Infernape before him.
"You don't look like food..." he said with a frown.
The Infernape simply screeched in defiance and rammed into Gluttony with a Close Combat.
"Ow, ow, ow!" said Gluttony. He retaliated with an Earthquake, knocking the Infernape to the floor.
"Not good... " said Pavo. "Go, Basculegion!"
A Basculegion was sent out. Neon responded with Wrath.
"Your fish face... It makes me ANGRY."
He produced a Seed Bomb and chucked it at the Basculegion. It was stunned but responded with an Ice Fang. Wrath screamed and staggered back himself, limping.
"You... you will not stop my FURY!"
The Basculegion lunged at him with another Ice Fang, but Wrath dunked another Seed Bomb straight into its jaw. It flopped to the floor.
"Nnngh... Victreebel!" said Pavo.
A Victreebel was sent out, giving an unholy screech. Neon sent out Envy in retaliation.
"Man, how come I got sent out third?" said the tail head. "I should have been top priorit—"
She was interrupted by a Sludge Bomb from the Victreebel, drenching her in gunk.
"Okay, that DOES IT!"
She blasted the Victreebel with a Psychic. It screamed, twitched, and fell.
~How are you so powerful...?~ said Pavo. ~No matter. Eliminate them, Dubwool!"
A Dubwool was sent out. Neon responded with Pride.
"Ha! As if you could best my shining bod!"
The Dubwool responded by attempting to flatten him with a Body Press.
"Bah! Take this!"
The Dubwool tried again, but Pride intercepted with a Low Kick. The Dubwool was tripped, and a second Low Kick to its side did it in.
~How is this possible?~ said Pavo. ~I need to crush you. Talonflame!~
A Talonflame took to the air of the Pokemon Center. Neon responded by sending out Sloth, who yawned.
"Can we do this later?"
He was nudged back ever so slightly by the Talonflame's Flare Blitz.
"...Fine."
Rocks glowed around him in a Power Gem. They pierced the Talonflame's wings, grounding it as it screeched.
~This is it... My last Pokemon.~ said Pavo. ~Altaria!~
An Altaria was sent out, trilling softly. Neon sent out Lust in response.
"Oh, hello, dearie! Shame we had to meet up like this, hmmm?"
~Now you will witness my full power!~ said Pavo. ~Mega Evolve!~
The Altaria was enveloped in a cocoon of light and emerged as a Mega Altaria.
"...Oh dear," said Lust.
~Hyper Voice!~
The Altaria blasted Lust with a shrill voice charged with fairy energy. She winced as it rocked her very being.
"You need to cool down, dear."
She fired an Ice Beam that frosted the Altaria's fluff over but left it still floating in the air.
~Another Hyper Voice!~
The Altaria blasted Lust with her song, and she was barely hanging on. However, she managed to fire one more Ice Beam square at the Altaria's head.
It went down.
~No!~ said Pavo.
They clenched their fist.
~You have far surpassed me, I admit... You are more than worthy to challenge the Elite Four. Go ahead.~
Neon nodded. He knew he still had to heal his team, and stock up on items, but after that?
It was time.
...Could he do it?
-----------
Neon couldn't believe it.
Here he was, facing up against Cynthia. Cynthia! Even after beating the Elite Four he wasn't sure how he’d gotten here.
What he did know was he needed a solid strategy. And fast.
Cynthia had sent out Spiritomb. In response, he sent out Sloth.
"Zzzzz... Wha, is this the final fight already?"
The Spiritomb screeched and hit him with a Dark Pulse. Sloth barely flinched.
"Slow down..."
Sloth hit the Spiritomb with a Thunder Wave. The Spiritomb recoiled and thrashed in futility as Sloth followed up with a Power Gem. Cynthia's eyes widened.
"This is bad... Spiritomb, return! Go, Gastrodon!"
She swapped to her Gastrodon. Neon grinned and swapped to Wrath, who stood tall in the face of an Earthquake.
"That tickled! That makes me ANGRY!"
He lobbed a Seed Bomb, taking out the Gastrodon in one hit. Cynthia flinched.
"Lucario!"
A Lucario was sent out. Wrath scoffed.
"I could beat one of you guys before, I can beat you again!"
He hit the Lucario with a Mach Punch. The Lucario lobbed back with an Aura Sphere, damaging Wrath considerably.
"Nnngh..."
Neon quickly recalled Wrath and sent out Gluttony. The Lucario responded with a Dragon Pulse, leaving Gluttony barely hanging on. Neon winced. He’d forgotten Lucario could do that.
"That tasted terrible!" said Gluttony. "You'll pay!"
He slammed the ground in front of the Lucario with an Earthquake, knocking it out in a flash.
"You're pretty good," said Cynthia. "Roserade!"
A Roserade was sent out. Neon paled. He knew he had no good counter to this one.
Wait. Unless...
He sent out Sloth. He yawned.
"Again? I said slow down."
He fired another Thunder Wave. The Roserade flinched at the electric current but lobbed an Energy Ball. Sloth stood tall as Neon used the time to heal his team.
"This is going nowhere..." said Cynthia. "Milotic!"
A Milotic burst onto the scene. Neon responded with Greed and immediately charged him up with an X Special Attack. Greed grimaced at the Scald sprayed in his face.
"Cheap bitch... Watch this!"
He charged up his fur and unleashed a Thunderbolt. The Milotic flailed and flipped over. Cynthia also grimaced as she sent Spiritomb back out... only for it to suffer the same fate. She sent out her Roserade... only for it to topple over from a well-placed Greed Shadow Ball.
"Haha, yeah! I'm on a roll!" said Greed.
"This isn't over!" said Cynthia. "Time for my ace... Garchomp!"
A Garchomp roared onto the scene. Neon had to suppress panic. Greed couldn't deal with this. He recalled him and sent out Lust.
"You need to chill, dearie," said Lust.
She fired an Ice Beam. However, the Garchomp pulled out a Yache Berry and snarfed it down. The ice coated its body, but only by a fraction. It fired back with an Earthquake, shaking Lust up and heavily damaging her.
Neon knew he should have counted on that...
He returned Lust and sent out Wrath.
"She's still not beaten yet? That makes me MADDER!"
He swatted the Garchomp with a Mach Punch. The Garchomp held on and hit Wrath with a Poison Jab he barely survived. Neon knew he needed a different strategy and swapped in Envy.
"Really? I get sent out last?" said the tail head. "Come on."
She blasted the Garchomp with the light of a Dazzling Gleam. The Garchomp recoiled but retaliated with another Earthquake. Neon used the diversion to heal up Lust and send her back out.
"I told you to chill."
The Garchomp attempted to send out another Earthquake. However, Lust rolled to the side with surprising dexterity and fired another Ice Beam.
This time the Garchomp fell.
Cynthia stared in shock. Then she regained her composure and clapped.
"Congratulations, Neon. You're our newest Champion."
Neon himself stared in shock for a second. Then, for the first time in a while, Neon's face broke out into a wide smile.
He had done it. No, they had done it. He and his team had made it.
-------------------
Neon was on Newmoon Island. He wasn't sure why. He had entered that odd house in Canalave, was lulled asleep, then almost as if he was summoned there.
He made his way through the forest, lost, confused.
And then he saw it.
Before him was Darkrai.
Neon wasn't scared, though. He approached Darkrai, curious.
"You. Kid."
Okay, there Neon jumped a little. He wasn't expecting it to speak.
"You... don't seem scared. Why?"
Neon thought a bit. Then he explained the best he could.
"...I see. You've lived through far worse than nightmares, huh?"
Neon nodded. Suddenly a Shaymin ran up to them both.
"Ah, Persephone, fancy seeing you here," said Darkrai. "I assume this boy is under your protection now."
The Shaymin nodded. "Yes. Yes, he is."
Darkrai nodded back, then turned to Neon. "Listen here, kid. Every day for me is a nightmare. My powers... they were a curse. A curse for misdeeds long, long ago. But you don't have to be the same. You've told me of your pain, of your trauma. But you've moved past it. You stopped this School. You've become Champion. You've still got some baggage to work through. But I'm confident that if you did, your nightmare would finally be over."
Neon pondered this for a moment, then slowly nodded.
"Now get outta here. Wake up."
----------
And so Neon did, in the same bed he fell asleep in.
He got up, got dressed, and set out for a brighter tomorrow.
