Sethera

Wartortle Galarian Ponyta Sylveon Tatsugiri Dudunsparce Gholdengo

BGM: Pokémon Anime Sound Collection - Raid! "Weak for a Pokémon you mean right? Ever get Tackled by a Zigzagoon before? I'd rather you run into me again than that!" Shawn shouted over the din. Anna chortled from her position on the floor. "Yeah, I meant for a Pokémon! Even a Zigzagoon is stronger than them." "Hell of a first test for us, Assistant Professor!" Dahlia called out, somehow retaining her sense of humor even now. "Hey, this wasn't my—ugh!" Anna's indignant cry cut off as another Crowdent jumped on her back. The air came out of her chest in a whoosh. For one terrifying second, she could not breathe. And then the Crowdent crawled off, skittering to join its fellows in their assault against those still standing. Anna took in a deep breath then, letting it out quickly in her panic. Another breath in. And then the backward slide as she exhaled. Spots gathered in the corners of her eyes. This was a disaster. And it was all her fault. She had known the Crowdent were inside, had heard their faint whispers that grew silent at her call. But she had told the others to enter, anyway. She had erroneously assumed her abilities protection enough. She had been wrong. 'This never would have happened if I had just went with the original plan and let the professor come here instead.' Nikolaos's question tugged Anna away from her pity party. It also provided her with a glimmer of hope. She could still fix this! She could fix this and pretend like this was all part of the plan. Except she had a feeling the others wouldn't fall for it. Especially Dahlia. She hadn't known the woman for very long, but the other seemed as sharp as a Larvara. But even if Anna couldn't pretend, she could still fix this. That was what mattered. Their current situation was precarious at best. Dahlia had been overrun with Crowdent, though as soon as the woman fell down they lost interest in attacking her, content to sit on her instead like they did Anna. The rest crawled off of the woman, aiming for the others. Several flew at Shawn and Chigusa, but scattered at Chomper's Aqua Jet. Those that were hit passed out then and there. Several more, aiming for Lini, fell to the floor in sleep from Pinky's Hypnosis. The nearby Crowdent let out high-pitched keens, which the others soon took up. Then they came at the Totodile and Munna with Tackles, joined by others racing in from the back of the warehouse. Though Chomper and Pinky posed the greatest threat so far, not all the Crowdent focused on those two. One Pokémon found the pack of crackers that Nikolaos had dropped, paying no mind to the battle as it stuffed its cheeks. Various Crowdent still kept Anna and Dahlia flattened to the ground. A few more approached the latter, wary of her skill with an umbrella. Though they would soon have something else to distract them from the fallen woman. Selini found that telekinesis on an animate organism was much harder than on inanimate objects. Objects didn't resist being pushed, but living beings did. And the psychic's attention was divided between multiple Pokémon, which made it even harder. Still, the rodents' lightness worked against them here, and three Crowdent were thrown back into the horde. While she still had some Crowdent on her back, they were few enough now that Dahlia could pick herself off the floor if she wanted. The keening resumed, but this time the Crowdent had no obvious target to direct their energies towards. The rats shifted in confusion before running toward Dahlia, Chomper, and Pinky in renewed fury. With most of the pack distracted like this, Nikolaos made his way to Anna mostly unmolested. The girl was ready for him, having shifted around enough to open up her duffel bag and take out the thin square metallic box containing the starter Poké Balls. How she had imagined this would go! She would give a grand speech—but not too long, of course, because she was never great at public speaking. And then she would provide a test to choose which trainers to give the starter Pokémon to. Professor Appel had thought it a good idea to give them out to those trainers who were less confident in themselves, or less likely to catch one themselves. But Anna thought that was stupid. Why give out valuable Pokémon to weaklings who would give up before they even got their first Gym badge? They wouldn't be of any help to the professor or his research. So she had devised a test. She would find some willing wild Pokémon to scare the group, and she would choose the three trainers who could handle the fright best to receive the starters. Honestly, not that different from what they were going through right now. Except now Anna was also part of the test. The girl handed over the container to Nikolaos, gritting her teeth as the boy stared down at the box, making no effort to help her up. While she also would've appreciated some help, she knew that time was short. She wasn't the priority right now. The Pokémon were. And then a Crowdent crashed right into Nikolaos's back, another running forward and knocking the box out of the boy's hands. "No!" Anna cried. With a surge of adrenaline, she clawed her rat-laden self forward, desperate to catch the container. Her focus narrowed on the box, and for one second, she believed she would make it. And then the back of her hand slapped against the latch of the box, and instead of catching it, she threw it further away. The movement had also undone the latch, and the container flipped open, revealing a velvet interior cushioning three shiny Poké Balls. It was like watching a chariot wreck in action. The box crashed to the concrete floor, dented but whole. Separately, the three Poké Balls all landed as well. BGM: Pokémon Anime Sound Collection - Pokemon I Choose You! When she first arrived at the laboratory, Anna didn't know the first thing about Poké Balls. But Professor Appel was quite knowledgeable. He had showed with an empty Poké Ball how clicking the button in the middle once would resize it, and holding it down would open it. Closing it required just a simple press of the two sides together. "Applied force to the surface of the Poké Ball also works," the professor explained. "When thrown, they open after hitting the ground. If the ball is empty, they release a red particle beam that converts electrons into muons, and if the ball is full, they do the reverse. It's quite fascinating, and discussed in full in Professor Westwood's essay on the mechanisms of Poké Balls." And that was where he lost her. But she understood the basics. Using force from the outside on a Poké Ball would open it. So then, these falling Poké Balls… would the force of them falling to the floor be enough to open them? According to Professor Appel, the answer was no. "Considering the negligible mass of a Poké Ball combined with gravitational acceleration… not even mentioning air resistance, ahem. Dropping a ball from up to seven feet above the ground does not produce enough force to open it. Poké Balls were designed that way to avoid accidents. After all, most new trainers drop their Poké Balls from time to time. Heh, even I've done the same when my arms were full." So normally, the balls would have just dropped to the floor. But Anna, in her attempt at catching the container, inadvertently transferred energy, or positive work, to the container, which then acted on the Poké Balls. Now their acceleration had increased, surpassing the threshold. In simpler terms, her knocking the box away caused the Poké Balls to fly out and not just drop, but slam against the floor. This excess of force caused them to open, revealing the Pokémon inside in a flash of white light. The first to appear was a tiny green snake with a darker scale pattern on the back of its head, narrowing down to a point between yellow almond-shaped eyes. A shiny round red fruit hung from its tail. It blinked and tasted the air, then shook its tail in a rattle of warning. The second was a fierce-looking silver kitten with blue extremities and a shock of white hair on its head. It bore matching white markings on its face and belly. A spiky tail glowed faintly, lighting up the surrounding space. It crouched down, letting out a low growl as its sky-blue eyes darted from person to person. The last was a small calf with a milk-colored coat and brass-colored nose, horns, and front hooves. Aqua blue hair curled over its head in gentle waves. While the front looked like a normal bull, the back ended in a blue fish's tail, giving it the look of a bovine mermaid. It peered into the darkness with wide eyes, hooves pawing at the ground. "Grissy, Felight, Calfin!" Anna called out, still lying on the ground. The three turned toward her, recognition lighting up their faces. "I know this situation isn't like we discussed before, but these people will be your new trainers." She gestured at the group. "Listen to them and follow their directions!" The two-toned girl looked toward the other humans in the warehouse. "These are Grissy, the fruit snakelet Pokémon; Felight, the glowing cub Pokémon; and Calfin, the sea calf Pokémon. They are—" she cut off as a Crowdent jumped on her, and then took a deep breath when it leaped off, "—grass, fire, and water types respectively. I wish I could give you more time to decide, but you'll need to choose quickly. Or just take a random one for now and decide your starter later. We need more battlers, and fast!" OOC: Hello, hello! It's that time of the RP. Yes, it's starter time! For those of you choosing fakemon starters, anyway. Just as Anna said, you can either decide amongst yourselves which starter you're choosing (and of course, certain people get priority for certain starters). Or you can choose a random Pokémon to fight this battle now, and decide your actual starter later. Also, once I am sure everybody has read this post, I will post a picture of the starters in the Discord chat.

"There is no way you were two hours late because of me! You probably ran off after another Pokémon!" That… was not wrong. Anna had, in fact, gotten distracted by a Pokémon. A Rattata who had alerted her to some unrest going on at the harbor. Not that she had seen any sign of that herself. Still, she hadn't been in the city for very long, what with hurrying to make it to the meeting spot on time. She was sure that Professor Appel had meant for this to be some grand meeting with at least a couple dozen young trainers. The sun would be shining overhead, like it usually was in the Zeia Fields. The professor would arrive, right on time as usual, where Lytos Pier met the main harbor. As he would call it, "the junction between land and sea." There would be a speech, since it was expected, but it would be short, because it was him, after all. And everybody would smile and laugh and even the most nervous of them all would relax. Because that was who the professor was. And they would depart with more smiles and waves, and then Anna would return to the lab with the professor to continue his research. But that was not what happened. Instead, Anna had volunteered to do this for him, and now she and the five remaining trainers huddled in a circle to dry off in a dark warehouse. Outside, a veritable hurricane lashed its fury against the walls, rattling the rafters and blowing rain into the open doorway. None of them were far enough inside to avoid the rain entirely, but none of them dared to venture further in where they couldn't see, either. At least, not until Nikolaos brought out his flashlight. The rest of them seemed to ease up at the light and named themselves, but Anna tensed. Not even the introduction of two of their Pokémon was enough to drop her shoulders. Because she could hear something. Something that the others seemed unaware of, though those with sensitive ears would hear what sounded like high-pitched squeaking. Dahlia had hit the nail on the head with her comment. They were not alone, and the others did not like the light. "Light." "Bright." "Sun?" "Lightning?" "Bad." "Twofeet." "Two others. Bigmouth and dreamflower." "Dangerous?" "Dangerous." The Totodile and Munna, called Chomper and Pinky, both tensed and moved forward to stand between the group and the inner part of the warehouse. Anybody paying attention to the two Pokémon would be able to tell that something was wrong. Anna sucked in a breath. "It's nice meeting you all," she said, keeping her tone steady. "But, uh, I need to bow out for a moment. I'll be… right back." The girl walked past the two Pokémon to face the darkness. Small pinpricks of red light broke up the blackness, which from up close could be identified as glowing eyes. "It's fine, it's fine," the two-toned girl reassured. "We won't hurt you. We just came in to get out of the storm. The light's for us to see by." "Hurt us?" "Storm." "Bad light." "Hate light." "Bad twofeet." "Run?" "Bighouse no escape." "Attack?" "Attack." BGM: Pokémon Anime Sound Collection - Raid! "Come on, listen to me. Wait, no, hey, turn off the light—" Anna turned around to shout at Nikolaos, but she wasn't able to finish her sentence. Something small and heavy crashed against her back, and then several more followed suit. The girl fell to the ground on her stomach again. "Ouch," she groaned. "I did not need another crash landing today. And this time, I don't have somebody to break the fall for me." She glanced up at Shawn and the others, who were all a good several feet away now. Closer to her, Chomper and Pinky faced off against the darkness. Tiny claws dug into the back of her raincoat as several creatures ran forward at the group. One of them jumped into the beam of the flashlight, revealing itself as a tiny brown rat Pokémon with black extremities and red eyes. Anna struggled to rise, but found herself unable to when several rats stood on her, their weight keeping her down. She lifted her head instead to shout out a warning. "Be careful, everybody! These are Crowdent! They're pretty weak, but don't underestimate them, especially in these numbers." OOC: Our first fakemon appearance! I will be including a picture of Crowdent and any future fakemon in the Discord chat. Also, we have our first battle! However, only two of you have Pokémon. Guess the rest of you should've decided to bring your own, too bad so sad. :P However, there might just be a way for those of you without a Pokémon to join in as well... And yes, the Crowdent are attacking all of you, not just Chomper and Pinky. Fortunately, those two Pokémon are also between all of you and the rats.

"What did I do?" "You left me behind, that's what! Once it started raining, you sped off like it was chasing you!" Anna pointed accusingly at Nikolaos. "Anyway, one of us has to be the scape-Aquoat, and it won't be me. So it has to be you!" The girl cared not one bit about the fairness—or lack thereof—of this statement. Decision made, Anna turned around and grinned at Shawn. "Roger dodger! I won't do that again. Or at least, I'll try not to," she winked. At the boy's next words, she peered at the fallen door, bringing a finger to her mouth in thought. She had arrived too late to see how the door fell. "Huh, so it came off on its own? How spooky." She peered around the psychic. "That means the warehouse is open, though. I don't want to stay outside here, so I'm heading in too. Not that I can get any more wet." She gestured down at her raincoat and mud-splattered knees. Without waiting for a response, Anna walked inside after Lini. "Sure wish there was a light in here, huh? Maybe you can help us out?" she turned to face the darkness. "Can you tell us where the light switch is?" She paused, as if expecting an answer, but no such thing was forthcoming. The only noise Lini and anybody else within the warehouse would hear was a faint rustling. "Huh? No answer? Are you tired?" Anna hummed in thought. "That's fine. The dark works just as well. We're going to stay here for a bit. Let us know if we bother you." The two-toned girl turned back to the group, though they wouldn't see the movement in the dark. "Come on in, already! Yes, I know you can't see, but follow my voice. Let's not be too loud, but normal talking tones should work, since this storm is loud enough." She waited for everybody to enter the warehouse. "Because you were all determined enough to wait for me, you've, uh, passed the test! Yes, there totally was a test, and not me, you know, running late." Anna coughed. "That's not important right now, though. It's time for introductions! I'll go first. My name is Anna, and I'm Professor Appel's assistant. I volunteered to substitute for him today to meet you all and ask you for a favor on his behalf. He's been pretty busy at the lab, so it worked out okay, I think. Weeded out some of the less worthy." The girl grinned toward where she thought Dahlia was, though it was only when the lightning flashed through the open doorway and the windows that she could make out anything more than darkness. She turned back to face forward. "How about you all? What do you call yourselves?" OOC: Post didn't take as long as I expected, since Anna already talked to most of you in your posts. So that worked out nicely. Anyway, it's introduction time! We can FINALLY learn each other's names.

The boy in the beanie said nothing while the others spoke their piece, but the darkening expression on his face said it all. He was annoyed at their disagreement. "Sure, you can't get anymore wet, but you can get sick. And it's not stupid at all!" By the end, his voice rose into a shout. "What's stupid is staying here! Why wait around like this when it's obvious that nobody's coming? That poster was probably just a prank or something! And you!" He whirled on the girl currently trying to break the warehouse door down with her mind. "What are you doing?! What if the cops show up?" His voice rose in dismay. The girl in an orange shirt, who until now had seemed willing enough to stay, looked to have changed her mind as she listened to both him and Dahlia. She leaned away from the latter, as if further distance would prevent her from getting either condition the woman spoke of. "I think…" she started. "I think I'm going to leave now. Even if I can't start my journey now, I'd rather not start off on the wrong trench foot—er, foot. And it's probably best not to begin our journey with breaking and entering either," she drawled out with a look toward Chigusa and Selini. The boy in the headband shook his head. "I doubt anybody will notice right now. Still," he glanced at the sky. "The weather's not getting any better. And I don't know if it's the storm or something else, but I can't get any signal here with my phone." He took out his phone and showed the screen to the gathered people, but especially Shawn. "I tried to call my brother an hour ago, but wasn't able to. Honestly? Kind of spooky." Despite his words, his voice itself came out flat. "I hate to agree with him," he nodded at the beanie boy, "but I think we all might be better off finding some shelter before we get electrocuted. And not in the warehouse," he added. "Yes, there's a low chance anybody notices, but I'm not risking getting my trainer's license revoked over this." "Argh! Why did everything turn to shit?!" the boy in the beanie scrubbed at his hair through his hat. "What if we got the wrong place? Or what if something happened to the assistant? Or maybe it really is a prank? Crap, I don't know, and that makes everything worse!" He shook his head. "It doesn't help that the longer we stay here, the more likely we all are to come down with something later!" The boy seemed to realize he was spiraling. "Listen," he took a deep breath. "I can't stick around any longer or I'll go crazy. You're all free to do what you want. I'm not your boss. Just… be careful. And don't get arrested. I'd hate to hear of anything happening to you all later on. Would make me feel bad." He took another breath. "The name's Isaac, by the way." "I'm Reina," the girl chimed in. She leaned toward Dahlia briefly before darting away. "Good luck with your trench foot. I'm leaving before I catch that." "She was obviously joking," the last boy muttered. Then, even quieter, he said his name. "… Qadir." Isaac adjusted his beanie one last time. "Well, hope I see you all later on our journeys." Then he turned around and walked away from the pier, toward a hazy building in the distance. For those who had already booked a stay, they would recognize it as Hotel Atlantica. Through the rain, they could only make out bright points of golden light and the vague outline of pointed spires. But even that seemed like a beacon of warmth and safety in the storm. "Stay frosty, but not too frosty, you hear?" Reina waved and followed Isaac toward the hotel, Qadir trailing behind with one last nod. And then they were five. Qadir's words proved true. The storm was not getting any better. In fact, it seemed to worsen, as if determined to make the group of five change their mind about staying behind. The clouds had covered the sun and cast the land below into an early night. Soon enough, everybody was treated to the sight of rain falling sideways. In the distance, a small potted plant hurtled through the skies before crashing onto the deck of the cruise ship S.S. Lemu, still docked at the port. The warehouse door was giving way with each psychic shove. Perhaps it was because of the ruckus Selini was making, or the ambience of the storm, but Chigusa was the only person to hear what came next. A low, mournful howl that came not from the land, but from the sea. One could have mistaken it for the wind itself, but for the deeper, almost yawning cries. The sound blended with the crashing of the waves like the notes of a song. Chigusa and the others would get the unmistakable sensation of being watched. It was an eerie feeling, made even more so for the girl by the deep singing that only grew louder as time passed. Try as she might to look out over the sea, though, she would spot nothing capable of making that sound. Though it was difficult to see much of anything. The scenery would go from pitch black to a blinding white whenever the lightning flashed. There was not enough time for one's eyes to adjust to either the light or the darkness. And then suddenly, the singing stopped. Soon after, Chigusa heard the patter of frantic footsteps from the opposite side. A few seconds later, a young woman who looked about the same age as everybody else whipped around the corner, hands clutching at her duffle bag. Though far more bedraggled, her distinct cotton candy locks identified her as the same girl that Nikolaos had traveled with for part of the route to Khalk Harbor. "I'm here! Sorry I'm late! I got lost on the road of life!" she shouted. The girl skidded to a stop, but her feet gave out on the slippery path. For a second she stood there, arms spread wide like a bird's in an attempt to right herself, and then she crashed forward, headbutting Shawn in the stomach. The two fell to the ground, splattering mud and rain everywhere. "Ow…" the girl groaned, rubbing at her skinned knees as she sat up. "That really hurt..." Distracted by her pain, she hadn't yet realized she was half sitting on the boy. At that same moment, Selini finally broke the warehouse door down. It fell to the ground with an even louder crash, revealing the shadowy interior of the warehouse. A few pinpricks of light winked at the group from the darkness. OOC: A lot happened in this post! Feel free to react and respond. You can also post more than once this round if you feel like it, though that's of course, entirely optional.

I am now closing acceptance since all the slots are fill (the last one being taken up by my character). And with that, the RP has started, everybody!

<OOC> Act 1, Scene 1: A Stormy Arrival Khalk Harbor BGM: Welcome to the World of Pokémon (Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire OST) In the pouring rain, a poster was plastered against the warehouse wall. On it, a colorful picture of three Poké Balls hung above some text. This same flyer had been posted all over the cities of other regions, not just Lemu. Announcement! For any interested trainers! I, Professor Roman Appel, welcome any and all locals as well as visitors to the mystical Lemu region. Once you arrive at Khalk Harbor, the entry point to Lemu, there is a request I would ask of you. Of course, you shall be rewarded for your efforts. Three of you may also receive a Pokémon. Please meet with my assistant at two in the afternoon on Sunday, March 31st, at Lytos Pier. It is the same pier where the S.S. Lemu will dock, near the Khalk Airport where the Lemu Airlines will land. — BGM: Driftveil City [Pokémon: Black & White] What a day for a storm. Anna was no stranger to rain, of course. The Zeia Fields were known for their incomparably clement weather, but that didn't mean that it was always so. This spring had been a rainy one. Anna had spent more days than she could count running for cover beneath clouds flattened into thin gray mats. Just a couple of weeks ago, she had gotten a cold, her body weakened from the change in temperature. She had only stopped sniffling yesterday. Despite her interest in the change of weather, a small part of her could not help but miss the usual cloudless skies and warm sun. But it wasn't just rain today. The wind joined in, bounding and howling like a Woolf. It carried the freezing rain and drove it into clothes and exposed skin like bullets. Above her, a metal crane creaked in the wind. She eyed its swinging end, picking up the pace to run past it. As she ran, she made a game of how many puddles she could jump into, ignoring the biting rain. Professor Appel would scold her if he saw, but he wasn't here to see, was he? "One puddle, two puddles, three puddles, four. Now, how many more?" she sang. The wind blew away her breath, so that even she could barely hear the words of the song. All that remained was a faint tune. It didn't usually storm like this down here, but nothing was usual about this year. It was the year, after all. The one year out of every seven that the mists and whirlpools surrounding Lemu finally cleared. Perhaps the storm was a side effect of that, or perhaps it was just Lemu's unique way of welcoming visitors. The teenager's booted feet slapped against the concrete, the raincoat she wore slick from the rain. Her hood fell back, revealing pale two-toned hair that waved about her face like a Tangela. Anna grinned, dancing alongside the rails, uncaring of how closely each step carried her toward the crashing waves below. "I stepped into a puddle, but it was a pond! A pound for a pond, a song for a sea. Turns out, it was the sea for me!" she sang. A Finizen popped up, peering up at her from the waves. "Hey, hearer, be careful!" he warned. "It's not a good day for you finless ones to go swimming." "Haha!" the girl laughed. "Don't worry, friend, I'll be careful. But if I fall in, you'll save me, right?" The Pokémon bobbed his head. "Of course! I have no grudge against the finless ones, least of all a hearer. But it's like we say: don't go looking for Sharpedo. Inviting danger is only asking for trouble." Anna mimicked his bob. "I'll keep what you said in mind! Anyway, did you see if any new finless, er, people arrived in the city yet?" "There are some finless ones at the end of the floating spike," the Finizen replied. "Near where the big metal birds come to land and the metal wave-top fish rest." It took Anna a second to figure out what he meant. "You mean at the dock near the airport?" she asked, then continued. "That sounds about right. I think the professor told me that was the right place. Thanks, Finizen!" "Of course. Stay safe, hearer," and with that, the dolphin dove back into the sea. Anna sighed, eyes narrowing in determination. Much as she wanted to enjoy the stormy weather, it was time for "serious business." Unfortunately, "serious business" was boring, which was why she was rarely ever serious. But her skin was stinging and dimpling from the cold and rain, and Professor Appel had told her to hurry. She was already running behind schedule. So, the girl adjusted the strap of her duffel bag, gritting her teeth as she ran faster. — The large gray warehouse rose like a dark shadow in the storm. Initially, around a hundred trainers gathered, all eager to either receive a Pokémon or learn more about the task and the professor's reward. Now, only eight remained, the rest having left to take shelter from the storm. "Ugh, I've had it," a boy in a red vest complained. The beanie he wore dipped down his head, weighted down by the rain. He grabbed it, cringing at the wet feel of it. "Look, it's almost four now, long past when the flyer told to be here at two." He jabbed a thumb back at the sodden poster on the wall. "We've been standing around for almost two hours, and the assistant still hasn't arrived. So I vote we just leave and start our journey now." "But it's not like we'd be able to get much journeying done in this weather," a girl in an orange shirt sighed miserably. "Still, we can at least find somewhere to wait out this storm," the boy replied. "Like that hotel nearby. What was it called? Hotel Landick, or something?" "Hotel Atlantica," a boy wearing an orange headband corrected quietly. "Though I have a feeling most of the rooms might be taken right now. After all, I doubt those trainers who left earlier made it out of this city." "Yeah, but there should still be some rooms remaining. Or we can just stay at the Pokémon Center or something." The boy looked over at the five remaining people. "What about you? You guys coming, too?" While the three trainers all were different in their own ways, the other five didn't lose in eccentricity. The first was a boy who was so pale that he glowed almost incandescently against the backdrop of the storm. The second was a girl with hair a rare shade of dusky brown and large blue eyes like a small Pokémon. Third was a girl with dark brown hair and blond highlights who looked a few years older than the rest of the group. And then there was the lavender-and-white-haired girl who seemed almost comfortable enough to sleep in the rain. Last, the boy with red-and-black hair and two painted black stripes under his eyes. The boy adjusted his beanie again. "You got some grit to stick it out this long, but don't you think we should all call it quits for the day? No point in getting sick by staying outside any longer." OOC: And with that, the RP has started! You might have noticed that rather than being split up into two groups, you all are gathered together. This is not an accident! While I have two groups in mind, I figured the best way to test character compatibility is interaction. So before I make a final decision, you're all going to be grouped together for a little while first. Please let me know if you think certain characters work better with yours. And as always, have fun! Especially now. You won't stay as one big group forever!

Ayyy glad to have you! And with that, this is now an OOC! I will also create a Discord server for this RP, hopefully pretty shortly. Also, after looking at what people are choosing, I have decided not to keep to the hard limit of three native and three foreigner characters. I think I can make it work with an uneven distribution. I think I might also be able to do the same for fakemon vs non-fakemon. I will still divide you all into groups of two, however. And it looks like I'll be making my own character as well to join one of the teams lol.

Ayyy glad to have you on board! Yep, lol! I'm glad you're interested, though! And I'll keep all you said in mind, though best-case scenario nobody will have to change much if at all. Ikr don't know who else would do an idea like this. Glad to have you, though! Glad to have you! Okay, I'll give it some more time but hoping to get 1-2 more people on board. As I said 5-6 is the optimal number and anything less is... well, not optimal. lol But we'll see!

Theme Song: Opening Movie - Pokémon Diamond & Pokémon Pearl <IC> Hosted by: Sethera The world of Pokémon is full of mystery and wonder, with new discoveries made every year. However, many would argue that one of the greatest mysteries is the elusive Lemu region. Most of the time, it lies surrounded by whirlpools and shrouded in constant mist, inaccessible by plane, ship, or Pokémon. However, for one year out of seven, the mist and whirlpools vanish, and curious trainers can come and go as they please. For this one year, the normally sleepy region buzzes with activity. Many take advantage of this time to go on Pokémon journeys. You are one such person. You might already have a Pokémon of your own, or you heard that the local Pokémon professor is hosting a giveaway. But you will need to act fast if you want to receive one of their Pokémon. There are only three, after all… As for who you are? You have lived in Lemu for at least seven years already. Perhaps you moved here when you were younger. Or you could have been born and raised here. This year, the region is stirring with new tourists and trainers. Now is the ideal time to travel. Or… You are a Pokémon trainer already, or you are a fresh newcomer who hopes to start your journey soon. Though you have never been to Lemu, you have heard stories, and look forward to traveling there. There are several ways you could have arrived. Regardless, you are here now. So then… Your very own Pokémon legend is about to unfold! A world of dreams and adventures with Pokémon awaits! Let's go! Rules Things to Know Setting Trainer ID Trainer Character "From NPC to PC"

Belle's eyes widened at the talk of ghost Pokémon, but that wouldn't change her plans. She just had to… be a bit more careful. That's all. In the end, Belle drank a large glass of water and went to sleep first, to ensure she was the first awake. And her bladder woke her up in the middle of the night as planned. The girl took out the note she wrote earlier. She hesitated and then placed it on her pillow. When the others went to look for her… they'd see it. I'm leaving. Don't look for me. Be well. I'll miss Don't do anything stupid. Normies. ~B Her eyes stung and her chest hurt, but… this was just how things had to be. If she couldn't find a way home, she'd just go at her own pace. The others were too ambitious, too eager, too… nice. 'They're cramping my style,' she told herself as she exited the Pokémon Center slash Day Care. If she said it enough times, she might even believe it. Part of her felt like, in some ways, this was fate. Perhaps in another world, she was the one the others left behind. She could almost see it. Stumbling through a swamp, meeting a girl with purple hair and a rough-and-tumble boy, and journeying together until the inevitable end. She wasn't cut out to work with others. Nate and Quinn were nice, but how long would that last? No, she had to leave first. Before she let herself get hurt like that time so long ago. A little girl ran out toward the beach, wearing a white dress and a sunhat over silky sapphire locks. Her golden eyes sparkled like gemstones under the summer sun. She grinned, revealing a gap between tiny baby teeth, and shouted a greeting to a group of children her age nearby. The kids' expressions twisted. One held his nose, another made a gesture to ward off evil. Even more spat out vitriolic words, while others turned away as if she didn't exist. The girl's face fell. She grabbed the sides of her dress and twisted them in her hands, looking down at the ground. The earth underneath was flat and mixed with yellow clay and sand. Belle crouched down and reached out a hand. The girl took a finger and swirled it into the sand, creating shapes in a corner of the beach by herself. Every so often, she looked up, biting her lip and gazing at the other children wistfully. "Why don't they like me, Mommy?" she asked her mother when she arrived to pick her up from the beach. The woman gave a painful smile. "Because you're different, and people don't like those who are different." "I…" the girl trembled. "I don't wanna go outside anymore, Mommy." "What? But you've been wanting to go to the beach all month! And what about our trip to the park next week?" "No!" the girl screamed. "I don't wanna do that anymore!" She sniffled. "Sorry… I know shouting's bad." "No, it's fine." Her mother frowned. "I understand. Take as much time as you need. But please, don't shut yourself away." The girl shook her head and said nothing. Belle withdrew her hand from the ground and snorted air from her nose. This wasn't the end of her journey, but this was the end of her journey with other people. She stood up. Maybe one day, she could let herself heal, open her heart, and move on. But that day seemed faraway, as distant as the stars in the night sky above. And then she began to walk. Step by step, on the road that would lead her to her eventual destination.

Penelope and Alois "Oh, go an' blow a flabby one, ye pinprick-pinteled wandought," the maid spat crudely. If looks could kill, she'd have speared him through already. Fortunately for Alois, he remained intact and whole. Unfortunately for him, the maid found her second wind shortly after. Fueled by frustration and anger, she used Alois's momentary lapse of attention to her advantage. The woman heaved the fighter off of her and regained her feet. "I ain't 'ave time fer ye two, so I'll jest be on me way. Ye gots yer answers, so leave me be, an' I'll do ye the same." The maid hared out the door, swerving around Penelope, the sudden motion causing a flurry of activity from the pigeons in the dovecote. It would be difficult to follow her through the hail of birds. Gunther, Citron, Raki, and Peaches Luckily for Peaches, with Citron leading the way, and Gunther, Raki, and the villagers helping, the operation went without a hitch. The arrow was out, and the biggest danger had passed. Despite the wyvern's body still being injured, sore, and weak, the sharp pain that had wracked her chest had lessened slightly. All that remained was to wait for recovery. The bandages would need to be changed out for fresh ones every so often, and the wound checked in case infection set in. But that was, at least, familiar territory for most of them. When Citron expressed her gratitude, Thile grinned. "Oh, t'was no problem a'all. Us Phar folks, we git things done." "Right glad I am t'see the wyvern's doin' all right. Wouldn't be right t'see one o'em go. T'would be a bad omen, 'em being so alike to—" Achos wiped his brow. "Aye," Pheodea spoke over him. "I'm sure it would. But for now, we should focus on cleaning up the area." The older woman turned to Raki. "I don't know how you got here, and I don't know what your purpose is, but anybody who would help a creature in need like that is somebody I'm willing to trust. If you do no harm to Phar, then no harm will come to you here neither." The weaver smiled momentarily at him before purposefully turning her back to the Isaurian and barking out orders to the other villagers. "Clean up the area. Any sharp pieces need to be cleaned up, sharpish. Make sure all the blood is gone, or it'll attract flies. Gather up all the cloths." When one of them gave her a sullen look, she shook her head. "Don't look at me! I'm just an old woman! You're lucky my old bones even made it over here." Link, Tsetseg, Cora, and Garinphasia Tsetseg's arrow struck true, and Gaston staggered with a cry like a wounded beast. "Oh, woe is me! Lackaday, for I have been besieged most aggressively by these foul ruffians." A mad glint came into his eyes then. "But ho, there is yet promise." He stumbled forward, angling toward his horse. Were Link or Cora to approach him, he would ignore both. Meanwhile, his horse, still galloping, veered to the side to avoid Garinphasia, running over her tail. Spittle flew from the horse's mouth as it turned, aiming away from the trees and toward open land. Where Gaston stood, arms outstretched, though one of them was bent at an odd angle. "You will cessate now! For your master! You are but a mere beast, and I, a hunter of beasts. I, Lord Pylauses Gaston, commendate you!" When it became apparent the horse would not stop, his brow furrowed, and with his good hand, he grabbed hold of the animal by the neck, forcing it to a stop in front of him. The man laughed wildly. "Yes! Yes! If you shall not acquiesce, then I must bring you to heel. Now, let us go!" Once more, he attempted to get back astride the horse.

Training was. Well. It was not going well. Belle was out of shape. And even worse, she was holding the others back. As she trained with the others, a decision she had been avoiding previously grew impossible to ignore. 'I have to leave.' The others would not approve of the decision. Part of her agreed with them. But it was necessary. She had grown to care (somewhat) for the other two. This was as much for their sake as it was for hers. By the time they arrived at the day care, Belle was dragging. She said little to the others, simply nodding her head when addressed. If anybody directly asked her a question, she would grunt, giving off an unapproachable atmosphere. And when both Nate and Quinn were suitably distracted by Billy, she took out a piece of paper and wrote, crossing out some words and wishing she had chosen a pencil instead of a pen to write with. Her chest hurt, and her eyes stung a little, but that was fine. Things weren't okay now, but they would be soon.

BGM: In the Morning Sun - (Pokémon Mystery Dungeon - Explorers of Sky) To an outside observer, it appeared as though the Pokémon were engaging in a cheer or pep rally. But their faces did not display passion, but grim determination and fear. And then, at the last, smiles. Jirachi himself looked wistful, tears falling from his closed eyes. And then, everybody felt. Clobber's hopeful joy, Z.'s satisfaction and anticipation, Noibat's innocent excitement, Chester's proud fulfillment, Es's cheerful camaraderie, Marv's nostalgic affection, and Hector's optimistic gaiety. Mixed in among them was a warm sense of belonging. Though nobody knew which emotions came from whom or what brought them about, they experienced them all the same. The feelings washed over everybody in a dizzying wave that seemed to only amplify their own happiness. And soon, despite their current situation, the world did not seem as dark or as overwhelming as before. Each one of them felt as if they were a star illuminating the night sky. Nothing in the world could put out their light. It seemed only right that they began to actually glow, though the light traveled across their bodies and ended at the badges, which then emitted a blinding effulgence that seemed even more so under the cover of night. At that moment, they could feel a pale cloud surrounding them, growing ever closer. And each knew intuitively that if they were to let it touch them, they too might become washed with its color, as the rest of the world had. But as soon as the light reached it, the haze pushed back before dissipating as mist beneath the morning sun. And then the light expanded, resembling an inflating balloon, enveloping a larger and larger area. Until everybody's foreheads beaded with sweat and the euphoria ebbed away. "Stop," Jirachi's voice awoke them as if from a spell. Their bodies and badges no longer gave off light, but the air seemed purer and the night sky brighter somehow. And then they realized why that was. Without knowing it, perhaps distracted by the task before them, night had come and gone. The black of the sky diluted to a pale blue shot through with streaks of orange. At that moment, everybody there was both exhausted and buoyant. Because they all knew they had succeeded. A mysterious energy protected the entire island from the Mist. Even now, they could still feel it like a static crackle on the skin, but only if they concentrated through the badge. A period of silence ensued. There seemed no need to speak, because they had all shared in the same emotions and success. Finally, however, Jirachi broke the lull. "Thank you, everybody." He sniffled, dabbing at his eyes with his arm-sleeves. "I predicted, of course, that we would succeed, being a genius," he chuckled wryly. "But even genius plans fall through, and… well, I guess it doesn't matter, since we succeeded. ♪" BGM: Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon OST - Partner's Theme The mythical beamed radiantly at the group. "I think I've decided what I want to do now. Everyone, I have a request! ♪" He paused, "I understand that I've already asked a lot, but…" The Pokémon ascended into the air. "As you know, we could only restore the island. While that is an amazing accomplishment, it doesn't change the fact that the Endless Mist still covers the rest of the world." His expression turned determined. "I don't think it's any coincidence that, of all things, the wish gave us badges. These badges were initially used by Rescue Teams, then by the Exploration Guild, then Adventure Squads, and then by the Expedition Society." His voice softened at the last two words before it rose again in conviction. "So I think it's only right that we team up as well." Jirachi hovered in the air. "Though the teams, guild, squads, and society are gone, I want to revive the sentiment of cooperation and hope that started them all. I want to make this world a wonderful place for Pokémon to live in again." Stars seemed to shine in his eyes. "And after what we all experienced, I firmly believe that you can grant this dearest wish of mine. So everybody…" He extended an arm toward the group. "Please unite with me to restore this world and establish the Restoration Union!" OOC: Finally, the long-awaited title drop (sort of)! And more music! The plot is finally starting to move forward, and things are happening! What will you do? What will you say? Is this a "but thou must" scenario? Find out next time, on Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Union of Stars! The host does not guarantee the fulfillment of this promise. Side effects of taking the host at their word may include annoyance, disappointment, and outrage. No Pokémon were harmed in the creation of this post. The words above do not necessarily represent the opinion of the host.

Belle didn't like the sound of that "nowhere near the worst thing a Pokémon has done," but she also didn't care enough to ask what Quinn meant. "If you say so," she said instead and turned away. She was tired and ready to go home. But she couldn't do that, so she did the next best thing—return to the Pokémon Center. The way back was quiet except for the occasional wild Pokémon. Remembering her earlier loss, Belle bit her lip and sent out Moo to get some training in. The cow seemed to handle most of the Pokémon just fine, which was good, at least. Nate seemed to take their shared interest in the Hoenn Rangers as a sign that they were friends now. Or that she was open to chatting. With a put-upon sigh, the girl replied in short sentences: "Yes," and "fascinating" and "uh-huh," though her irritation subsided eventually as she was drawn into the conversation despite herself. "You mean Littleroot Crimson," she corrected. "And he's not bad. I preferred Pacifidlog Cobalt, myself. She was the coolest, but she was also hyper-aware of how the world saw her. She felt the most realistic out of all the Rangers." Moo didn't have to rest much compared to the others (having done the least amount of battling) but he still benefited from a rest in the center. When everybody was done, Belle approached the other two, agreeing with Nate as she glanced over Quinn's stomach. "It did. I wouldn't overdo it if I were you." She didn't push the subject, however, instead grunting at Nate's last words. She didn't enjoy training (it sounded too much like work), but she also didn't enjoy losing. Which is why she got good at League and Unite. But if she didn't want to lose in actual battles, she had to train. Sabrina had told her that enough times.

Nate seemed both surprised and delighted to find a fellow Hoenn Rangers fan. "You know about them?" "Of course I do!" Nate's question had Belle rearing up, affronted. "Not only did I watch every episode, but I also have a a full set of their limited-edition figurines made for their ten-year anniversary." She puffed up with pride. Maniac collectors had offered her thousands, but bragging rights were worth more than money any day. The girl deflated when Nate expounded on their request to the ranger. Right. They were here because of the injured Pokémon. It wasn't the time to think about her home collection. She could dwell on it later, along with everything else back home. Where she wasn't. Because she was on a stupid Pokémon journey. The ranger leaned in to examine the Rattata. "Yeah, dunno why but lately lot of Pokémon have been more on edge. Must be something they know we don't, like usual, but don't have the slightest clue what it could be." He straightened up again. "I'll take em off your hands for you." Belle breathed out a sigh of relief. 'Finally.' She didn't have to worry about these Rattata anymore. They were officially "someone else's problem." That, plus knowing that they had done a good deed... it felt nice. Not that Belle was the type of person to make a habit of such things. She wasn't generous enough to save every Pokémon she met, but the injuries on these two had been astonishingly brutal. Then she took in the ranger's words about Pokémon on edge. Definitely a bubble burster there. "Well, that's that done," the girl muttered. "No questions here, unless you have any advice for avoiding those edgy Pokémon. Thanks for doing this, Mister." She turned to the other two. "Looks like we can finally relax after we get Quinn seen to." However, the ghost seemed to disagree that she was injured at all. "And let me assure you, I am not injured! It is true I was attacked, but look!" the youth lifted his shirt. Belle did not expect the colorful bruising mapped across her companion's skin. 'It seems ghosts really can get injured.' What a strange world they lived in. "Looks like it did quite a number on you. I can't believe you want to keep that thing around." Her tone was flat save for a pale strain of disbelief.

BGM: Dark Wasteland - (Pokémon Mystery Dungeon - Explorers of Sky) "Hold on just like that, we're just gonna, what....go right into it and hope for the best? You crazy or something?" "Seems crazy, but a genius wouldn't lead us into danger, right? Ready." "I mean, we may as well... A-A-Anyway! I-I'm good to go when you guys are..." "Alright. Let's go get lost." "Ta-daaaaaa! G-G-G-Gotta look my best when saving the world, after all!" "Alright. I'm ready to uh... wing this?" "Yay! It sounds like everyone's ready. ♪" Jirachi clapped his hands together. "And don't worry. This shouldn't hurt if we all do it right. Just make sure not to move too much. Let's go!" With that, he held his badge up to the air. And not a moment too soon. For then, everyone would see a wall of white mist roll in from the sea, gliding over the beach, and curling onto the grass. Unlike actual mist, which hangs low over the earth and can at least be seen through, this seemed an endless expanse of white, stretching all the way into the sky, as if it could reach into space itself. Perhaps what was most terrifying was how it came in faster when it reached the island. Where before it crawled along at an inch or two per second, now it ate up a whole Starly of distance in that time. And then, one by one, each Pokémon was enveloped by a column of light. First Z., then Clobber, then Es, then Marv, then Noibat, then Chester, then Hector, and finally, Jirachi himself. Those who went first would only see the Endless Mist (for what else could it be?) licking at the grass. The unlucky few at the end would see it almost upon them, stretching out long pale tendrils toward their position alone, like a living thing. And when only Jirachi remained, they were so close they almost brushed against his face. The mythical didn't move, staring into the Mist with an unknown expression as the light came for him too. In that light, each felt a sort of wobble in their stomach like what you get in an elevator, though at that moment it was hard to tell whether they were going up or down or whether they were moving at all. And then it all ended after a few seconds, anyway. The light faded, and they found their surroundings had changed entirely. Where before they were where they first encountered Jirachi (since he had never really moved from his original spot), now they found themselves in an unknown clearing surrounded by dense forest. In the middle stood a single boulder with a shallow bowl-shaped depression at the top. When Jirachi appeared, he alighted in the middle of the hollow. "This," he made a sweeping gesture with his arm, "is the very center of this island. It is from here that we will either make our last stand," his voice dipped lower, "or begin our first steps toward saving this world. Please." He stared out at the group, locking eyes with every single one there. "On my count, lift your badges into the air. When you do, please focus on happy thoughts. On hopeful thoughts. What brings you happiness? What brings you hope? These will provide you with the strength you need to stand against the Endless Mist." He smiled then. "And lastly, make a wish! Wish to clear away the Mist! ♪" When it looked like everybody was ready, Jirachi nodded. "All right. On my count: One, two, three, wish!" He held his badge to the sky once more and closed his eyes in concentration. OOC: Decided to count the collab post as Chester's post, and it is assumed that he is with gathered with the group. Also, more music! ♪ I will try to remember to use more music during posts because I love posts with music in them, but I might forget. Feel free to write out reactions and stuff! Hopefully, I gave everybody enough to work with this round.

Belle walked behind the other two, making sure to neither draw too close nor stray too far away. She frowned to herself. 'If we don't find a Pokémon Ranger soon, then Nate will probably spend all his Potions on these Rattata. Everybody's pointing in the same direction, so we just need to keep walking. But how long do we have to walk for? My legs are getting sore.' When they found the ranger, her face brightened for a moment. "That's the—wait, no, you're not them. Who are you?" After his introduction, the light came back to her eyes. "No, it couldn't be! Are you one of the Hoenn Rangers Coexistence Force?!" They were an obscure team of heroes native to Hoenn, but their fame had once been legendary. She had watched every season before they got canceled. "I've never heard of a Ranger Black, though. Are you sure you're with them?" Before the man could respond, an actual ranger chased him away. "Tch," Belle clicked her tongue. "You've gotten away for now, Pokémon Ranger Black." She turned her attention to the newly-arrived ranger. "Yeah, we have a couple of injured Rattata here." She pointed at the Pokémon in Nate's arms. "They got hurt by another wild Pokémon, which also injured my companion here." The girl gestured at the ghost.

Jirachi looked at Es and beamed, swallowing the last of the apple. "Wow, you're a strange one, for sure! But maybe it's because you're a Rotom?" Despite his words, his voice held no malice. It felt more like an innocent comment from a child's mouth than anything else. "You have good eyes too! Indeed, I am a genius! Jirachi, the genius!" He floated upward. "Because you're so discerning, I will use my genius brain… and help you out, just this once! ♪" He hummed in thought. "Let's see… There are some Nomel Berries further inland, and some Aspear Berries nearby. Oh, oh! And I have this! Ta-dah!" With a flourish, he produced what looked like a pear. But unlike the pears from our world, this one was blue. Not aqua, not indigo, but a deep blue with an orange ring at its base. "It's called a Belue Berry and I've heard it's super sour! And a little spicy too. Even better! "As for the water," he settled himself back against a rock, "it's as clean as can be! It comes from a spring and Suicune himself rated it safe to drink!" He puffed up his chest and then deflated. "Of course, that was long ago, and who knows if that's true anymore, but I can't imagine that much has changed. I had a drink myself a while ago and I'm still fine. ♪" Fired up by Es's comments, the mythical would also take part in the foraging, gathering water in small handwoven cups made from large, stiff leaves. He gave these to Es and anybody else who passed by. Even though they were made of leaves, they were stable and didn't wobble or fall over when placed on the ground. — Once everybody gathered together and received a cup, Jirachi clapped his hands together in enthusiasm. "All right! Now that we're all here, it's time to make a game plan. This is just like old times—" his smile froze for a second before he changed the subject. "I know you've got other questions. Like, how are you going to save the world? What can you do to do to stop the Endless Mist? Well, you weren't the only ones asking these questions. Even I, a genius, wondered the same. When I granted the wish to save the world, there was another wish—my last wish—that if I couldn't save this world myself, that I could have help. I'm sure that's what summoned you all. "And it also brought me these!" He held up a single gold badge, produced from who-knows-where. It appeared similar to the one he wore on his chest, but lacked the taiko drum shape of the original. Rather, it looked like a metal coin with a five-pointed star affixed to the front and a pair of wings to the back. "These are called badges," Jirachi explained. "Back then, the world had many different kinds. Rescue Team Badges, Explorer Badges, Adventure Squad Badges, Expedition Society Badges… But now they're all gone..." he glanced down at his chest, "mostly." The Pokémon returned his attention to the others with a smile. "There is a special energy in these badges. They were first created by the Pokémon Rescue Organization to combat the natural disasters and rise in mystery dungeons throughout the world. If you set a 'Home Point' for them, then they will bring the bearer and anybody else nearby back to that location. You can also use them on other Pokémon and choose to stay where you are, badge in hand. However, they don't always work, and in those cases you must use an Escape Orb. Pretty mysterious, huh? ♪" Jirachi lowered his hand and stared down at the star-shaped badge. "But I believe these badges have more to them than that. There must be some other reason they were sent to me along with you all. I believe they can combat the Endless Mist." He looked up, eyes blazing with determination. "So, I would like you all to take part in an experiment with me. Please, everybody, take a badge and stand still. I will soon teleport us all to the center of the island." With a wave of his hand, the psychic summoned more badges that floated over to each Pokémon. Unlike normal badges, these didn't have pins, nor could they be sewn on. However, as soon as the Pokémon placed them on their bodies, they stuck in place. They could also be removed with some resistance (like taking off a magnet) and then reapplied elsewhere. Jirachi nodded in satisfaction at seeing them stick. "Let me know when you're ready. We don't have much time left before the Mist arrives." OOC: Yes, banana leaf cups are actually a thing, which is neat. Look them up if you're curious! Also, I finally get to show you all these badges! I'm pretty excited about them, and I think they fit the RP pretty well too. And feel free to finish up any interactions you've started from last round and then react to what's going on here and stuff. I'm planning on moving us on next round, so if there's anything your character wants to say or do still, now's your chance!

Penelope and Alois The maid spat crossly. "I throw whatever I want." She stopped struggling, though, as if realizing the futility of it. "Didn't expect that kind o' strength outta a twig like you," she mocked instead. "Needed a girl to save yer butt, too. What a joke." Gunther, Edrick, Citron, and Raki The villagers gave what help they could, following directions and working together with an ease found only in those used to such things. Villages are formed when people come together for the sake of living. They work together and put their skills to use. In times of crisis, they gather with a readiness only found in trained servants or soldiers. A few glanced sideways at Raki, but most paid him no mind. Their usual xenophobia put aside in favor of helping an injured creature. "We'll provide what help we can," the shopkeeper said. "I've got a bowl of water here," Pheodea, the village weaver, stepped forward. She placed it on the ground next to Citron, keeping the girl between her and the wyvern. "Bandages 'ere," Thile plopped down a basket of bandages. "An' I can lift the wyvern if'n ya need," Achos bragged. "I'm very strong. Only fer a bit, though. 'M not that strong. It'd take a beast t'lift it o'erhead or summat," he joked. Everything was in place. Citron had the tools. She had the supplies. She had the help. Now, all she had to do was start. Link, Tsetseg, Cora, and Garinphasia Link jumped, but whether it was because of the wind, the timing, or the speed of his horse, he fell short. Thankfully, the meadows outside Phar were carpeted with a rich layer of grass, fertilized with sheep's dung, and as Timmy would say, "perfect fer lyin' doon on." And so the mercenary's landing was soft and springy. Even the earth was soft, churned up like butter by sheep hooves. Considering what happened next, one could even say he had the most fortunate result. Tsetseg's arrow flew straight, finding its mark on the horse's flank. With a piercing neigh, the horse stopped and reared. While the bundle stayed strapped on, Gaston was flung off of its back. It stamped its hooves down, tossed its head, and then galloped in a frenzy toward Garinphasia, rolling its eyes till the milky whites showed. In its panic, it didn't care how large or dangerous the wyvern was. All it knew was the pain in its leg. Meanwhile, Gaston slammed onto the ground, rolling to the side and clutching his arm with a piteous moan. He rose, staggering after the horse, with an expression as wild as the beast's. "No! I must… for His Lordiness…"

"Oh, no! I am not injured. At the very least, I am not hurt in a way that would impede our journey. I am ready to continue onwards once you two have wrapped up your business here." Did that mean that ghosts didn't feel physical pain? Or did injuries not matter unless they were to the soul? What attacks could mar the soul, anyway? Dark moves? But before she could think of an answer or reply, both Nate and Quinn departed the scene. Left behind again. Though this time she knew they weren't leaving leaving her, a trace of insecurity remained. Of 'What if they do?' Sometimes it felt like all that was needed was one more snide comment, one more complaint, and she would be out. Abandoned. Lost. The girl shook herself from her doldrums. "This is stupid," she muttered to herself. "Nate's just trying to find a Pokémon Ranger, and Quinn's following him. That's all." She wasn't sure where this insecurity came from—lie—but she would like to not-so-kindly ask it to leave and never show its face around her again. She wasn't insecure. She was used to being on her own. So why should it bother her if the others left her? She was better off without them. Belle ran after them anyway. They needed her help to find the Pokémon Ranger. She doubted Nate even saw them in his endless jabbering earlier, though he was at least headed in the right direction. And Quinn? Might not have seen them at all. That was why she needed to catch up to them and make sure they didn't get lost on the way back. For the sake of the Rattata, if nothing else. It took her some time to catch up, being as out of shape as she was, but when she did, she pointed in a certain direction. "That way… I saw one… that way. Before." She stopped and leaned over, hands on her knees, gasping for breath.

Belle was not a social person. She wasn't even a fake introvert: someone who couldn't stand social interactions in person but chattered away behind a screen. She denied any friend or team requests and ignored all messages sent her way. It was to the point where "Deadly Nightshade" grew notorious among League and Unite fans for being a highly skilled but terrible team player. People had to coordinate around her instead of the other way around. They didn't complain too much, though. After all, they usually won those games. So she genuinely could not understand why this boy Nate seemed to love the sound of his own voice so much, or why he wanted to team up with Belle for double battles, or even triple battles with the addition of Quinn. At least Moo didn't have to deal with this. She had returned him to his Poké Ball earlier. But now, her initial relief at seeing Nate return for her quickly changed to annoyance and exhaustion. It was as if he were a Sunflora taking in all the nutrients from the surrounding soil, and she was a withered Oddish beside him. When they passed a Pokémon Ranger, she almost asked them if they rescued human beings. Finally, the boy stopped. "Belle?" His voice dropped in pitch, turning unusually serious. "Do you see that?" He gestured toward a patch of grass in front of them. Belle had seen injured Pokémon before. That was just expected when employed by a Pokémon League Gym, even if unofficially. But their injuries had never gotten truly serious, and they had trainers to look after them. She knew they were going to be taken care of. These Pokémon… they had nobody. Belle frowned. "There's a website for if you find injured Pokémon. Pokémon Help Now. They locate the nearest Pokémon Ranger or on-call Pokémon Nurse for you." She had heard about it on Seddit. "Also Pokémon Centers. And Potions." Sabrina sometimes used a Hyper Potion in tougher fights, so Belle knew how to use one. "They're sprays." Before she could try to put her words into actions, Quinn—who had not abandoned her either—arrived, showing off her new Pokémon. "Cool." Belle glanced at the Ratffian who, if the boy was telling the truth, was the one that had inflicted these injuries. "Strong Pokémon," she admitted grudgingly. "Weird name, though." It sounded like what she had called Nate and Quinn earlier, except fancier. The girl purposefully turned away from the rat, anger kindling in her chest. Was this how all wild Pokémon fought? Were injuries like these common between Pokémon? She shook her head and continued the previous conversation with Nate. "Let's just contact a Pokémon Ranger. We passed one on the way here." Belle looked back at Quinn. "They might help you as well." Now that she thought about it, didn't "bruise my material body" mean that the girl was injured? It seemed like this Ratffian didn't distinguish between Pokémon or ghost in hurting others. Since ghosts, or at least Quinn's type of ghost, could get hurt. The girl shook her head. Yet another strange thing to add to the list of strange things about them. OOC: I feel like I should post a disclaimer that any views, thoughts, and opinions expressed by Belle are solely that of herself and do not reflect the views, opinions, policies, or position of myself, the writer. Also, yes, I had way too much fun making that fake website. However, it is actually based off of Animal Help Now, which is a great resource if you come across any injured or problematic wild animals. It will show you any wildlife rehabilitators in your area as well as their contact information. One of those websites that isn't useful until it is.

No it's stored in the sandwich smh

Where's the third option of: "I don't have peanut butter to store"

Belle walked down the path, step by step. Her feet, clad in orange Running Shoes now, pounded on the dirt road. How long had it been since she had trodden the ground outside like this? She couldn't remember. But she was in no state to dwell on it. Her mind whirled with plans of revenge. Her cousin was powerful, but overconfident. If Belle could get the drop on her, then she might have a chance. She would show Sabrina not to mess with her. If she could just get ahold of pink hair dye… But of course, she would have to get through the Korova region first. Which would be difficult. Each step caused Belle's stomach to lurch and her lungs to heave. If I had known I'd have to walk so much, I'd have tried to get in shape before this. Oh, who am I kidding? I would have just made plans to avoid this situation altogether. It was then that she realized something. The sound of twin footfalls, one energetic, the other feather-light, had disappeared. The girl looked up, only for her eyes to confirm what her ears had picked up for a while now. Belle closed her eyes. Opened them. No, everything was still the same. She was… "Alone," she muttered. Why was that? Did those two tire of her and run ahead? They must have decided that they didn't want her around anymore. She was slow, after all. Gloomy too. Really, it was no wonder nobody liked her. At this moment, Belle forgot her earlier complaint about being stuck with normies. Now she realized that there was something even worse than that. Solitude. Belle clenched her hands in her recently purchased shorts. No, she was being stupid. She was not unfamiliar with loneliness. Hadn't she been alone for most of her life? But this time, her parents weren't here. She didn't have the few friends she had made in Pokémon Unite either. She would even welcome her stuck-up cousin at this point. "Hello?" she called out. "Nate?" she paused, "Quinn? Are you there?" No answer. "H-Hey, I'm sorry I…" slowed you down, "No, whatever. Just come back." No answer. She hadn't known either of those two for very long. Just as long as they had been on that cruise. So why did she care if they left or not? She clenched her fists. "No. I don't care. I don't need them." She took a breath. "I'm fine." And then she looked up, locking eyes with a youngster around her age in the tall grass. Like a pointer dog, he straightened in place, and then bounded across the field. "I'm trying to find more Pokémon. Wait! You look weak! Come on, let's battle!" The blue-haired girl glared at him. "What are you talking about?" Despite herself, the pinched feeling in her chest melted away. "Huh? Don't you know the rules? You lock eyes, and you battle!" The boy bounced back to stand about ten yards away, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet. "Come on! Let's go!" "I—Fine. Yeah. Let's fight." The boy released a Rattata, pumping a fist. "Great! Let's go!" Belle took out her own Poké Ball and twisted the top. With a flash of light, a tiny cow with a grassy hide appeared. It turned to look at its trainer, giving a soft low. "How do I do this again?" the girl muttered to herself. "Whoa, cool Pokémon, but we won't let that stop us. Rattata, use Tackle!" "Oh right. It's like a turn-based role-playing game." Belle pointed at the cow. "You," she moved her hand to aim at the charging Rattata. "Use, uh…" She paused. "Crap. I don't know." The cow looked over its shoulder and gave a plaintive moo. In the next second, the Rattata reached its front, lowering its head and slamming into the grass type. The cow flailed its hooves helplessly and fell backward onto the dirt road. "Hey, why aren't you doing anything?" the youngster demanded. "You don't want to fight after all? Belle sighed. "That's not it. I just don't know which moves to use." The boy stared. "You're kidding, right?" He leaned over, holding his sides as he laughed. "What the heck, you're serious?! Okay, look," he pointed a finger. "That red thing sticking out of your backpack. Isn't that a Pokédex?" "This?" the blue-haired girl leaned her arm back to grab what he was talking about. "I think so. A sailor gave it to me when I got this Pokémon." The boy nodded. "Yeah, that's it. I've got one of my own." He dug into his shorts and retrieved a red gadget shaped like an old-fashioned handheld gaming device. "This is mine. Got it all the way from Johto. Yours looks like a Korova-style one. Anyway, point it at your Pokémon. You'll find out what its moves are that way." "Got it." Belle followed his directions. "Huh, it says…" ♂ Poamoo Grazing Pokémon Type: Grass Height: 2'6" Weight: 20 lbs A gentle Pokémon which takes grass in its mouth only to absorb the moisture and is careful to leave the grass unharmed. Name: Poamoo Lv. 5 Original Trainer: Belladonna Morgane ID No. 235536 Current Moves: Tackle, Tail Whip Ability: Overgrow This Pokémon is pretty Docile by nature. You first met one another on the SS Rising Sun. It's capable of taking hits! "Yeah, so whatever moves it lists, those are the moves it knows." The youngster nodded sagely. "You ready then?" "Huh." Belle studied the Pokédex for a second longer and then stashed it away in her pack. "Yeah." "All right, it's time to go! Rattata, use Quick Attack!" "Use Tackle, Poamoo." The cow attempted to move, but before he could, the Rattata had knocked him off his feet again. "Too slow! You have to do better than that. Rattata, use Quick Attack again!" "Huh, looks like Pokémon battles are tougher than I thought. Poamoo, turn around and use Tail Whip." "Moo," the cow lowed and slowly turned around, tail swishing in the air. When the Rattata arrived, it received a face full of bristles. "Now, use Tackle backward!" Belle shouted. In her excitement, she completely forgot her exhaustion. The cow dug his front hooves into the ground, lifting his haunches and slamming backward into his opponent. "What?! I've never seen a Tackle used that way before…" the youngster muttered. Belle smirked. "Guess I'm just full of surprises." "But that won't be enough to take us down. Rattata, use Hyper Fang!" "What?!" The rat nodded and raised its head, incisors glowing white over the Poamoo's behind. And then it bit down. "Moo-OO!" The cow let out a pained cry and collapsed on its side. "Yes!" Belle's opponent grinned and held up two fingers in a peace sign. "We win! Go Rattata! I knew you were top percentage." "I… lost," the blue-haired girl blinked. At that moment, all of her fatigue came flooding back. She yawned. "Oh well. Win some, lose some. Return—" "Hey, wait," the boy interrupted. "I'll patch up your Pokémon. Got some Revives on hand in case Rattata goes down during training. It's a bit of a walk back to New Point Landing, and you don't want to miss your friends, right?" He crouched down next to the Poamoo. "… Okay. And what are you talking about?" Belle approached the boy and collapsed on her butt beside him, leaning her head into her arms and yawning. The boy's Rattata nosed into her side, sniffing inquisitively. "Your friends. The ones you came with. They went off into the grass. One of them said something about exploring, and the other got ambushed by a Rattata and then walked into the grass. You didn't know?" He took out a small diamond-shaped medicine that he placed into the Poamoo's mouth. "… No. I did not," the girl grumbled, waving off the rat. Nate and Quinn didn't leave after all. They just went to catch Pokémon. I should've known. Guess I just lost my head back there. Good thing they weren't around for that, or that would have been really embarrassing. She breathed a sigh of relief. Not that I'm happy to have those normies around. I'm just glad that I didn't make a fool of myself. That's all. The boy massaged the cow's throat, causing him to swallow. "That makes sense. I was wondering why you were calling out like that earlier. Turns out you had your head in the clouds!" He laughed, but continued before she could say anything. "Well, you weren't too bad for a cloudy Swablu. You surprised me once you actually started battling." "Really? Huh," In her distraction, Belle did not guard her pocket, and the Rattata scooted forward and bit off a chunk of granola bar. The Poamoo twitched and rose to its hooves weakly. "Yeah, you'll do okay." the boy spritzed a Potion and rubbed it into the cow's coat before climbing back on his feet as well. "Look. Good as new. Hey," he turned to Belle and held out a hand. "My name's Joey. What's yours?" Belle did not take the hand, placing her own hands over her pocket defensively. "Belle. And get your rat off of me!" Joey laughed. "Sure, sure. Rattata, come on." He whistled. The rat turned to Joey, munching on granola happily. "Return!" The Rattata never lost its smug look, even as it glowed red and returned to its Poké Ball. "Hey, do you have a Pokégear? If you do, let's exchange phone numbers." With the rodent menace gone, the girl relaxed. "Nope." "Too bad," the boy sighed. "Well, maybe I'll see you around. I'm training here in the Korova region, too." "Maybe," Belle said. Then, when the other turned to leave, she cleared her throat. "Hey. For earlier. Uh, thanks," she mumbled out the last word awkwardly. "No problem! That was a great battle." With a wave, Joey ran back into the tall grass. Belle fell onto her back on the dirt road. "What a weirdo." Her mouth twitched into a smile. "He didn't take my money, either. Guess he really did just want to battle." She flopped onto her side, facing her Pokémon. "Hey, you. Go stand right there," she gestured weakly. With a low moo, the cow obliged, blocking the sun from hitting his trainer's face. "Thanks'a bunch," the girl's words slurred from exhaustion. "Should name y'something too. Maybe Moo. You sure moo a lot." "Moo." "Yeah. Like that." "Moo." "Exactly." Belle closed her eyes. "Wake me up… when… s'time to go home." OOC: This time, I didn't post a couple hundred words while low on sleep. Woo! Go me.