Pokemon: Mind and Soul (Retry) [IC / PG / Probably Not Accepting / Co-Hosted by Skaia]

LordCowCow · June 26, 2023

The Korova region, being much less tourist friendly than other regions, isn't one that many people travel to in this day and age. It wasn't prepared to take in visitors with much pomp and circumstances. It did however have one thing going for it when it came to visitors from other regions and that was New Point Landing.

Located at the western edge of an island, which was itself to the west of the mainland, New Point Landing was the main place for visitors coming into the region and it, at least, had a dock that ships could stop at to drop of passengers which was more than can be said about most of the rest of the region.

Once upon a time the city was the place to go for trading and shopping. These days it has fallen far from its high point and many of the stores are closed and boarded up. Awaiting a day that the region was more prosperous. Many of the remaining stores were family-run and managed by stubborn folk who refused to let the city fall completely off of its original purpose. There existed a singular, larger, department store where the rare visitors were able to get most necessities for their travels.

The ship that was currently coming into the dock was different than most that the city would usually see. It resembled a cruise ship more than anything else and instead of supplies from other regions it instead was full of trainers.

Unbeknownst to the people of the city, nor truly the trainers themselves, these passengers included those who would be much more precious to the region than any other cargo. For these trainers were destined to take part in a struggle that would determine the fate of the entire region.

Pokemon trainers from across the world all coming here with the purpose of taking on the Pokemon League challenge and becoming the Champion that the region has been lacking for many long years.

Anneliese looked out at the city that approached. Her eyes were shining with excitement as she watched the city, much different than Sunnyshore City back home, came closer and closer. "My goodness Leopold, how do you think the ship knows when to stop without any eyes?" She asked the small, lion-cub-like, Shinx that was currently standing next to her and watching with great concern as she leaned over the edge of the railing with no regard to her own safety.

The Pokemon had no answer for her. He didn't have any more knowledge than she did about ships and he wouldn't be able to bring himself to correct her if he did.

This didn't stop the girl from continuing her dialogue with the small creature. "Oh look over there, that's Goldeen right? My goodness there's so many of them. Leopold do you see them right there?" She leaned over the edge to point out the Pokemon swimming along the side of the boat. In doing so she went too far and very nearly tumbled off the edge.

Only stopped by Leopold biting the bottom of her dress and pulling the girl backwards. She stumbled but managed to avoid falling as she looked down at Leopold. "Oh, what's wrong?" She asked, oblivious to how she had almost fell into the water. "Did you want something to eat?"

Leopold shook his head and wondered where the other humans that he had gathered to keep an eye on her were. He could do most of it himself but when Anneliese was this excited sometimes it could get...difficult. When the captain had informed them they would be required to set off in groups of three, for safety reasons, Leopold at first blanched at the idea of trusting strangers to accompany his trainer but he realized that it was something he'd have to accept. As long as they kept Anneliese safe and happy, of course.

---

As the ship docked everyone would be helped off of it by the crew. They were greeted by a tall middle-aged, man with mutton chops of such grandeur that they were nearly indistinguishable from a full beard. "Hello, and welcome...to Korova! I got word of your arrival and sallied forth to greet you! I am the dockmaster here, and I wish to be the first to welcome you all to my fair city, the jewel of this region, in my eyes at least, New Point Landing. I'm sure you'll find it accommodating to your needs...You may not even want to leave, gwahahahaha!"

"Oh what a delightful man!" Anneliese said as she smiled brightly at him. She wanted to stop and chat with the pleasant man some more but another part of her wished to hurry off to begin her adventure.

It was then she remembered that she had teammates with her and so she turned to the two of them with an even bigger smile, "So, where shall we start?"

OOC

Spoiler

And so the adventure has started! Welcome to New Point Landing. Information on the city will be in the google doc in the Locations section of the chat once I post this.

The groups have already formed during the trip here, to save us the awkwardness of having to create believable scenes of why they grouped up, but feel free to write out what it was your character did during the ride and what they think of the other characters in their group.

Whatever you do at least get up to the greeting by the dockmaster, getting together with your group, and begin your exploration and/or interactions.

I've mentioned before but there are a couple small things planned for the city. One on the dock itself and one later. Each team will encounter one of these and I'll determine which depending on a few factors. So don't go too far in your initial post without input I suppose.

Also since going with not keeping track of money I'll say at least for the start if you go to buy things the last RP started with 2000 so that seems a fine guideline to begin with but feel free to ask if you are unsure.

Tiamat's Circus · June 26, 2023

…Things sure had been moving fast.

To be honest, though, she knew she should have expected that from an adventure such as this, and so she had at least managed to steel herself. This had allowed her great alacrity when it came to making her way onto the ship, and as far into the ship as she could manage; resolving to spend as much of her time in-doors as she could, for the time being. This meant that even now, she was still inside, in her room, as they neared their destination “...Even still, from in here, the waves sound… Almost nice, don’t they, Confi?” she murmured to seemingly no one in particular, before lifting the small rock that had been in her hands up in front of her face, and tilting her head.

In response, two pink eyes crept open, gazing dully at her, before a small, almost wistful “...Cor…? La...So...” rang out; one that she felt more than heard, before nodding.

“...I know…” Anima trailed off, sighing. “...He’ll never let us hear the end of it if we don’t head back out there to keep an eye on her,” she agreed with her Pokémon, giving her an almost apologetic look as she placed the Pokémon down on the foot of her bed, and finished packing her things into her bag before slinging it over her shoulder. “...So… Let’s get on with it,” she smiled, holding out a hand, and allowing the small, white Pokémon to trot onto her palm; transferring the Ghost-type to her bag as soon as the Pokémon had made it onto her hand, so that she could peer out from the darkness with her piercing Pink eyes. “...Just… Try to be more careful who you… Er… Threaten, okay?” she chuckled, as she slid open the door to her room, and began to trace her way back towards the deck.

She felt bad, at least a little, scolding her quiet Pokémon, but it was only fair given that’s how they had gotten into this mess, after all. Even now, she couldn’t help but feel mildly proud of Confi for standing up for her. Even if it was a mistake, and even if both she and her new friend had been at fault for the sudden meeting (and impact, as they literally ran-into each other), the undead-coral Pokémon had wasted no time in skulking out from the darkness to look at the other woman's Pokémon in a way that she no-doubt had thought intimidating... Only to get scared away as the small Lion held their ground, looking at any moment ready to fight. Of course, Anima had had no flights of fancy that Confi had actually managed to intimidate her self-made opponent, especially given how much she had been shaking, and so in the end she and her soon-to-be-friend Anelleise had ended up having to calm their respective Pokémon down themselves, but... it was the thought that counted, she reasoned; she just hoped that-

“Cor…”

Anima blinked, as she came to a sudden stop for a moment, as the wistful ring of her Pokémon in her ears brought her back to reality; and she narrowly dodged the wall she had just about walked straight into. “Ah…Aha, right,” she murmured, deflating slightly. “Sorry,” she rubbed the back of her head, pausing for a moment, before she resumed her trek of the maze-like ship…

---

In the event, she had only just made it out to the deck as the crew had begun rounding everyone up to be ushered off and onto the docks; which was, by her account, remarkably good timing. This allowed her to get off the boat as soon as possible, which was a concept she would hardly give up under any circumstances. Even as her group had made their way off the ship, she had made sure that when they stopped moving, she had put at least a few other groups (as well as her group-mates) between her and the docks; just in case. It didn’t do completely ease the gnawing feeling in the pit of her stomach, but it certainly didn’t hurt.

Distractions also never failed to hurt; and so the boisterous greeting of the Dockmaster was welcome as she gave a quick, agreeable nod. Even as she opened her mouth to speak and thank the Dockmaster, one of her assigned traveling companions, Anneliese, spoke first, proclaiming him to be a ‘delightful man’. Unsure of just how to add onto this, she just sort of smiled as she turned to look at Anneliese, and decided to instead acknowledge the girl’s question.

“I… Um… Hope I’m not speaking out of turn here,” she began, glancing between the two of them. “But we should… Probably stock-up on any supplies we may need for the next leg of our journey-- And find anything about it out that we can,” she’d counsel, bringing a hand up to her chin. “Of, course, it’s a group decision though, so… I'll, uh... Leave the final decision to you...” she trailed off, absentmindedly bringing a hand to rest on her bag’s strap, as she glanced between her companions.

Edited June 26, 2023 by Tiamat's Circus

Sethera · June 26, 2023

At the back end of the ship, or "the stern" as those savvy with nautical jargon would know, stood another girl. Except standing was not quite the right word. She leaned over the side of the railing, much like Anneliese had at the bow. But her eyes were not on the horizon, nor was her mind on the coming journey. No, it preoccupied itself with a separate journey. The journey of her partially digested meal, all the way from her stomach to over the side of the ship.

After that journey ran its course, the girl stared miserably at the waves below. "The internet lied to me," she muttered. "Being outside is supposed to help with seasickness, but I still feel sicker than a Snubbull."

This person was Belladonna, but only when she was in trouble. For all other times, she was Belle. And unlike some trainers on the ship, she did not have a Pokémon by her side. Her new starter was tucked safely inside its Poké Ball, which itself was tucked safely inside a pocket of her dark blue sweatpants. They were baggy, though a little tight around the waist, matching the puffiness of her navy-and-white sweatshirt, now stained with dried vomit. Her outfit was not one meant for the outdoors. She had first worn it days ago in blissful ignorance. Believing her day would comprise the usual tasks of mopping the floors and finding trainers lost in the mess of warp tiles the Saffron Gym was known for.

Belle wiped her mouth and groaned. With her mood about as low as it could get, it got worse, and then better, when the cruise ship slowed to a halt. Worse, because she almost fell backward onto the deck from inertia. Better, because the ship stopped moving. Which meant her stomach could stop imitating the Whirl Islands for a change.

The girl sank to her knees, head lowered, till her ultramarine hair pooled on the waxed wooden tiles of the ship's deck. "Ugh." Several minutes passed before she moved. In fact, she would've stayed put, but for the kind person who lifted her to her feet and helped her off the cruise ship. She gave them a tired thumbs up when they reached the dock.

By the time Belle got off the ship, most, if not all of, the other new trainers had already greeted the dockmaster. At his enthusiastic reception, the girl raised her head from its near-constant droop. Sunken yellow eyes set into a face like congealed milk sent him a thousand-yard stare—or a teenager's best approximation. "Somehow," she rasped, "I doubt that."

Belle hobbled past the man. Several times, her knees gave way and almost sent her into the drink. "Still got my sea legs," she muttered. After far too many paces (but was in fact just a couple dozen), the girl finally gave up and crumpled onto the dock face-down. "Wake me up when it's time to go home," she muttered, mouth pressed into a gap in the slats.

Note: The "kind person" could be anybody. Feel free to have your character help Belle off the ship if you want. Otherwise, it'll be one of the ship's crew.

Edited June 27, 2023 by Sethera

Cheshire Toon · June 27, 2023

“One-two.”

Thump-thump.

“One-two.”

Thump-thump.

Anyone watching the boy on the deck of the ship could have been forgiven for believing that he simply never learned to count higher than two. Everyone aboard the ship would have seen him standing around and waving about two rubber pads he had strapped to his hands; he had done it every day since boarding.

“One-two.”

Thump-thump.

“Really put your body into it, Peat, don’t be afraid to follow through.”

Most would have gathered that Peat was the mossy blue bear Pokémon that was always hitting the pads, re-contextualizing the boy’s actions as training. Other things that marked the boy as a Pokémon Trainer—aside from his Pokémon—were the iconic Poké-Belt with a minimized PokéBall clipped to it, his very practical manner of dress, and the PokéDex he sometimes whipped out of his pocket to stare at.

Thump-thump. Peat struck the pads, one after the other, with the flats of his fins.

Nathan shook his hands in the fashion one did when trying to shake-off a papercut, yet he was grinning down at Peat. “See how much stronger that was? That’s how you do it! Just about knocked my hands off!” He unstrapped the pads and let them hang loosely from his wrists, crouching down and patting Peat on the head.

The cub excitedly tackled him to the ground and began pressing his snout into his trainer’s chest.

Nate tumbled backwards onto the deck, laughing the whole time. “Hey! Careful! With how strong you’re getting, you keep bowling into me like that and you’re gonna have to find a new trainer!”

Peat made a high-pitched chattering sound deep in his chest that was reminiscent of a running motor. Nate giggled and playfully wrestled his starter off of him, shoving him back onto the deck. “I’m serious! With how much weight you’re putting on—Peat?” Nate cut himself off when he noticed his starter waddling off towards the stern of the ship. “Where you goin’?” he shouted after him, but it was too late.

Nate scrambled to his feet, shoved the punching mitts into his backpack, and chased after the runaway Pokémon. “I was kidding about the weight, bud! It’s all muscle! You’re not really gonna flatten me into a pancake! Come back!”

Even with the head start, Nathan was much faster than the naturally aquatic Bearble. He caught up just in time to see Bearble finally coming to a stop beside a kneeling figure. Nate wasted no time in darting over to see if he could help. “Yo, you okay?” he asked. Then, after getting a closer look, he realized that he recognized the figure. “Belle? Seasickness is still bothering you, huh?”

He had actually met her in a very similar situation. They had boarded the ship on the same day, and both of them had spent the first few hours puking off the side of the boat. His own sickness had thankfully gone away after the first day. It appeared that hers hadn’t.

Nate wasn’t sure why but he felt somewhat responsible for helping her. He felt guilty, bouncing back so fast while she was still suffering. Peat also seemed determined to help. The cub pressed his nose into her arm until she was forced to acknowledge them. Nate took the opening to grab her hand and pull her to her feet, slinging her arm around his shoulder when she proved unable to support her own weight. “Don’t worry. I got you. I think it’s time for us to get off, anyways, so how about I help you off the boat? I’m sure you’ll feel better then.”

He paused only long enough to return Peat to his PokéBall. The little bear hadn’t yet learned how to navigate crowds, and had a tendency to trip people or get stepped on, so Nate had taken to returning him whenever they had to travel in busy places.

It didn’t take long to get off the boat. Belle was heavier than she seemed, but Nate was also a lot stronger than he seemed.

Nate let her remove her arm from around his shoulder and hold her own weight once they were far enough onto land. A man with glorious facial hair that had Nate longingly stroking his own cheeks, wondering when he would be able to grow something like that, welcomed them to the city. Nate very nearly cheered with excitement. “Finally! We finally made it to Korova! This is the first step in our journey. Can you believe that, Bel—BELLE?!”

Nate rushed over to her side and pulled her back to her feet. He was careful to stay close enough to catch her if she were to fall again. “Here,” he said, pulling a bottle of lemonade out of his backpack. “Drink this. You’ll feel better. You’re probably dehydrated after being sick for so long.”

Edited June 27, 2023 by Cheshire Toon

Skaia · June 28, 2023

"Goodbye home, and hello to a new region!" The girl stood at the stern of the ship, foot on the railing holding onto her hat so as to not have it blown off by a sea breeze for the fourth time during this journey. "Now I know what you're wondering, Rus, why look back now when the beginning is right in front of us?" The Lepash, that had been standing a healthy distance from the railing, had no such thoughts and seemed to be tired of the constant speeches she had similarly been dolling out for the past two weeks. "It's obvious, right? Since from here on out we'll only be facing forward! This is the last time to have fond reminiscence of what brought us here before starting our adventure! See she's got the right idea of it," Jacklyn pointed to a blue haired girl who had been keeled over the railing of the ship, and without being able to actually see her expression Jacklyn took it to mean that she was having a great time experiencing all the marvels of large boat travel. Jacklyn then looked out onto the horizon for approximately five seconds before she had said, "well that's enough of that. Come on Rus!"

Rus had nothing to reminisce about. If anything it was actually returning home rather than going anywhere new and unexplored. Of course this was entirely missed by her trainer as she ran ahead. Rus started to chase after her, only to stop for a moment as a man passed him, holding a pokemon he could've sworn was familiar before remembering that his trainer was moving to the front of the ship. One to make a competition of everything and a sore loser, the Lepash broke into a sprint keeping up with its trainer until they got to the bridge connecting the ship to the land. With all the people crowding up to get off the boat, Jacklyn picked up Rus saying, "don't want you to get lost. And here you go Rus, look! A new town! A new region!" To her. "Ooooh man, I can't wait!" The Lepash was growing less comfortable with this, already disliking the idea of being carried around, as Jacklyn's excitement started to cause her to wave her arms around with the fire type still in them.

Once off the boat, the girl made an emphatic jump onto the first land of the port saying, "wooooohoooo! We're here! It's really real!" Giddily chuckling to herself, as the fire type squirmed in her hands the girl said, "oh right. Here you should do this too. Hup!" The girl lowered her arms and let go of the Lepash, who let out an annoyed grunt, and seemed thankful that experience was over with. After a moment, the girl spotted her other teammates saying, "oh, look, there they are! Let's go Rus." The Lepash turned its head to the side and scoffed for a moment, eliciting a frown from the girl before she remembered, "right, you don't get along with that Shinx very well, huh? Oh, well...That won't do! We've all gotta be pals since we're adventuring together, I think. But I'll let you sit out so you don't get lost in town and you two can have a chat about uh...pokemon things, later." The Lepash rolled its eyes before being called back to its pokeball.

Running to meet up with the others, she waved enthusiastically saying, "heeeey guys!" Once with them, she heard Anima's suggestion and smiled, pointing emphatically at her. "I like the way you think! We're going to be out there. In the wilderness braving the uh, wild! No beds, or houses or running water. Just us and the desert sand! Or dirt or something. So we'll need supplies. Plus who knows what kind of souvenirs and knick knacks you can find here? Now, if I were a good place to shop where would I be." Jacklyn had no idea where to start. In fact, now that she was up close she was starting to realize just how small all the buildings here were compared to her home and how different, even still just being a port city, it all felt. Her excitement began to burst forth again as she just said, "ah whatever, let's just go look around and see if we can find anything."

radio414 · June 29, 2023

Dearest Mother and Father,

By the time you read this, the SS Rising Sun will have arrived at New Point Landing of the Korova region, and my grand excursion will have properly begun. I do have to thank you again for your care package. I have already made great use of the stain remover, and the contents of the little pill bottle have proven very helpful in adapting my corporeal form to the ocean waves. Cassiopeia enjoyed the candy you packed for her as well. I worry you spoil her even more than I do!

I tried to find you in my dreams last night, were you looking for me? I could not find you, and you have my apologies for that. I could not help but return to the more abstract and dreadful regions of the astral plane. I have described to you before, I am sure, the various dangers I have encountered, but what struck me this time was the utter lack of sound. It was a deafening silence, the kind that can strip away the ego and leave nothing behind but an empty shell. When I returned to the material world, I had to spend several minutes lying motionless just listening to the water crash against the boat before my wits returned to me. I do not mean to make you worry, though. I am handling it well.

You will be pleased to learn that I have already made new friends who are also undertaking adventures of their own. I met each of them individually, and it turned out by fortuitous happenstance that they had already acquainted themselves with each other! My encounter with Nathaniel was so marvelous the margins of this letter are too narrow to contain it, but I will describe my meeting with Belladonna as you may find it entertaining. Cassiopeia and I were wandering one of the decks of the ship. It was midday, but the clouds had just parted after a particularly violent storm, so there was hardly anyone else around. The crew had only just put the chairs back out. We were looking out at the horizon and experiencing the sublime vastness of the ocean beneath our feet when we noticed the body of a woman lying in one of those chairs. I thought she was dead! I thought the storm had proven so exhausting for her that she had either left for new worlds or joined me in the interstice between them. I poked her. I had to. My curiosity would not allow me otherwise. My cheeks flush just recalling the moment, because, of course, she was not, even if she said she wished she was in that moment. Thankfully, we are already past the point of grudges and on to what I suspect will be gentle ribbings where appropriate. I am sure someday I will have similar gaffs to make about their behavior too.

The horn has just sounded announcing our arrival at the docks, and Cassiopeia is looking at me with an antsy expression on her face. I will have more for you soon, but I must be going now, first to find my companions, then to a mailbox, and then, adventure!

Sending love, even in death,
Quinn

Quinn looked over their letter with quite a sense of satisfaction over how it had all turned out. The way he saw it, people either had very good handwriting or very poor, with no in-between, and Quinn was proud to be of the former category. “See? All done,” she said, showing the letter to Cassiopeia. Either the Drifloon could read or she made a very strong impression of doing so, and gave off a happy sort of hum when she had finished regardless of which it was. “I knew you would approve,” Quinn said. “Come now, we really must be going. All right, then. Now, just to double-check…”

They made one final loop around their cabin, making sure they had everything a good ghost needed to go on a Pokémon adventure (or at least everything that they had packed to take along with them. All the clothes had been cleaned, toiletries were all put away, ze had either stowed or put on any personal effects… it all seemed just so. Once hir pens had been put away, the only things left loose in the cabin were the letter and Cassiopeia herself. “Would you like to be in your ball?” Quinn asked, “Or would you- Oh!” Cassiopeia had refused, instead nuzzling right up to Quinn and looping her strings around its wrist. “I was only asking in case it was windy, you silly balloon. We do not want a repeat of two days ago.”

Again, Cassiopeia made a noise and rubbed her face on Quinn’s. “Alright, you win,” Quinn said. “But we really must be going.”

Their cabin was pretty far away from the gangplank, which made Quinn worry that they might be keeping the rest of the group waiting, though that turned out not to be the case. Quinn and Cassie stood just off to the side, scanning everyone else coming off, looking for the two familiar people on the whole ship, listening to the dockmaster give a welcome to each and every passenger with the same laugh every time. Fortunately, it was not windy, even if that meant Cassiopeia got to float around all vindicated and full of herself.

It was quite a while before Belladonna and Nathaniel stumbled off the ship, and Quinn rushed over to meet them as soon as she spotted them. “My friends!” she said. “Hello! I just have to purchase some stamps and a few other supplies and then-” For the second time that day, though, they were interrupted, as Belle broke from Nathaniel’s shoulder and collapsed onto the dock.

She had seen this before, of course. In fact, Quinn remembered doing similar things when they were alive. Sometimes, when you did not want to do something, the only recourse was to not do anything. But that would not do for Quinn. They did not just go through the effort of making new friends and explaining their condition to them enough times until they accepted it, just to abandon them as soon as they were off the boat.

Quinn could not help himself. While Nathaniel desperately tried to tempt Belladonna with lemonade, Quinn kneeled down next to her and, for the second time this trip, gave her a good poke in the arm.

LordCowCow · June 29, 2023

Team JAA/AJA/AAJ

“Of, course, it’s a group decision though, so… I'll, uh... Leave the final decision to you...”

Anneliese took Anima's hand in her own two and nodded excitedly. "Oh I think it's a wonderful suggestion, I have not been on any adventures but I hear that you need to actually bring your own things. I am looking forward to seeing what these things called 'stores' are like. Have you been to a store before?"

Jacklyn too seemed pumped up to head off and buy some things, to which Anneliese grew even more delighted. She reached out with one of her hands and grabbed onto Jacklyn's as well. "It seems we are of one mind, isn't that just delightful? Now come on let us be off. I am certain we will find something if we simply keep out eyes open!"

And with that the group set off. Anneliese having her hands occupied meant that she could not return Leopold to his ball just yet which suited the Pokemon fine. He glared at both Anima and Jacklyn for a moment before turning and leading the way. He didn't know where they were going better than any of them but he still seemed determined to be the first off the dock and into the city. In fact he seemed to be going a bit too fast for the group to keep up by just walking.

While many of the stores around were boarded up the ones that weren't had people outside it trying to convince the passing trainers to stop by. Many of these seemed to be selling things like herbs, berries, and in general food stuff but there were some that looked to be selling various crafts and souvenirs. Anneliese, for her part, seemed utterly fascinated by a small shop that was selling bowls and plates painted with things related to the city.

Through it all it wouldn't be hard for them to spot the department store as it was easily the largest building in the city and where many of the trainers were making their way towards.

Spoiler

Feel free to come up with shops that you check out, or just to department store, or just...interact. I don't want to lead too heavily. Also you do not need to keep hold of Anneliese's hand she will not mind or really notice.

Team BQN

As the band of adventurers, and Belle, tried to get their group, mostly Belle, moving up and off the docks they would get approached by someone. A young girl wearing a yellow shirt, blue shorts, and had a blue baseball cap on her head.

When she saw the group she made a beeline right for them and hastily grabbed up a Pokeball from her belt. "Hey, you three! You're supposed to be trainers right? What kind of trainer sets out on an adventure without a comfy pair of shorts? It looks like I'm gonna have to teach you not to underestimate our region if you think you can just come in here like a buncha unprepared tourists! Come on me and Rattata will take all of you on!"

Spoiler

You are challenged by Youngster Zoe! She'd battle whoever wants to so you can figure that out among yourselves who want to take her on. Multiple can fight her too just will have to figure a way to work that out. Also if you want interaction before she shows up that's fine.

Cheshire Toon · June 30, 2023

Nate offered Quinn a smile when they approached. “Hey! Was wondering where you got off to.” He was fond of the younger teenager. In spite of the ghost routine they put on (which he found was more often than not entertaining to play along with), Quinn was a friendly person and another new trainer like him. “Getting supplies is a great idea. I wanna grab some Poké Balls before we leave town. Oh, and camping gear and food. I’m pretty sure I’ll fade away into a Gastly if I go more than a few hours without something to eat. Oh, and we should pick up some potions too. Don’t want our Pokémon getting too hurt. Plus then there’s poffins, ‘cause Peat has an appetite like you wouldn’t believe, and then maybe antidotes. Do you think we need some? Bug-type Pokémon can know a lot of Poison-type moves.”

Nate frowned and pulled a coin pouch out of his pocket. It still had a decent amount of Poké left in it, but he counted it and the result left him worried. If the group had started to travel, he would follow behind them, saying, “Hmm. Well… I’m sure we’ll figure it out.”

He was distracted from his coin counting by the approach of a girl who he thought couldn’t have been older than ten or eleven. A newfound intensity gleamed in his eyes when she challenged them to battle, and Nate was quick to step toward the front of the group. “Shorts, Schmorts,” he said. “My pants are plenty comfy. And I can roll the cuffs up if I get hot! What are you gonna do if it gets cold?” The truth of the matter was that Nate had actually put a lot of thought into his outfit. It was modeled after the very one that the famous and mysterious former champion of Kanto, Red, had worn on the television when he was a child. It was the perfect outfit for an adventure!

Nate reached for the lone Poké Ball on his belt and clicked the button that caused it to grow to full-size. “If it’s a battle you want, though, I’ll take you on,” he said. The hand that gripped his Poké Ball was shaking if anyone looked closely.

His first real battle as a trainer! He had seen a ton of battles growing up in the dojo, but they were different. They had rules. Limits on what type of Pokémon could be used. What type of moves were allowed. It was nothing like a real battle. This was his first chance to prove to himself and everyone else that he was meant for this sort of thing, that he was born to battle. All he had to do was--

Nate blanched and took a step back, looking apologetically at his friends. He had totally forgotten about them in his excitement. Of course they would want to battle too! “Sorry. Um… I didn’t mean to just claim dibs on the first battle. You uh… one of you guys can go instead, if you want.”

Edited June 30, 2023 by Cheshire Toon

Tiamat's Circus · June 30, 2023

Anima wasn’t used to being listened to; in fact, with the groups she was most used to existing around, she was used to her suggestions falling on deaf ears, or fading into the background. Perhaps then, maybe more surprising was the agreement that followed, and how quickly they had settled into it. “H-huh?” she stammered, as Anneliese took her hands, frantically looking between her, and then Jacklyn. “H-huh?!” she repeated, with a bit more fear, as Anneliese pulled her along--

And as her bag swayed from the sudden movement, a faint, almost baleful whisper fled from her bag, though Anima could hardly hear it, as she was too busy speaking up; something she felt she was going to have to do far more than she thought she would. “Y-You… Haven’t been in a store? Not- Not even for groceries?” she asked, her voice sounding simultaneously confused, and worried. “And-- Are you sure there won’t be houses or hotels or anything like that…? I’m sure-- Or well, I thought there would be towns during our journey, and that we’d be able to stay there-- That we’d just need to be, um… Prepared for the in-between, is all,” she explained, trying to smile as she did her best to keep up with the boundless energy of the other two.

Luckily for her, however, she didn’t have to awkwardly try to keep up for too much longer, as Anneliese had been suckered in by someone selling tourist-y knickknacks. Specifically, this one apparently seemed to be selling… Decorative plates. They looked nice enough, but, at the same time… “Um… I- I don’t mean to interrupt you, here,” she tried her best to cut in, swallowing nervously. “But-- I’m not sure traveling with… Dishware will be exactly, er… Practical?” she’d ask Anneliese, before shaking her head. “Of- Of course, if you’ve got a plan for it, that’s all the better! But, I was, er… Thinking we could look at camping supplies, or, um… Potions, or Pokeballs or…” she trailed off, glancing towards the department store, and then back towards Anneliese.

“Of- Of course, if you’d like to get something to remember this adventure by, don’t let me stop you,” Anima would once again backpedal, smiling as she used her free hand to adjust her bag. “But, I just thought that, it could be a good idea for us to save our funds in case we get into a situation where we really, um… need them, y’know…?” She’d add, swallowing nervously as she glanced back at the department store, taking note of the amount of trainers making their way towards it. “And-And additionally, that we might want to get to the store before they run out of stock of something we may or may not need…” she’d trail off, as if the thought had only now occurred to her.

Sethera · July 1, 2023

Belle thought about getting up. She really did. But that would require effort, and effort was not a word the girl cared to hear. Or say. Or imagine. So while she thought about getting up, it was a transient thought. A bubble rising to the surface of her brain and popping before it could so much as stir the waters of her imagination.

Nate was shouting something. He was a loud person; a high-energy type that encouraged his companions to emulate him. Exhausting to be around. Very different from their first meeting, vomiting his guts out over the side of the ship. Unlike Belle, he had bounced back from his bout of seasickness like a Spoink. It just went to show that the world was unfair and there was no God.

Belle would've avoided Nate and his unfair health, were it not for him helping her multiple times while on the ship. When she needed hydration, he was there with a drink. When she was too sick to move, he walked her to her cabin. So her feelings balanced equally at gratitude and regret. Time would tell which would weigh heavier in the future.

There was a poke on her arm. At first, Belle thought it was the little bear Nate had chosen as his starter. Back on the ship, it had snuffled into her arm. She had ignored it, though its nose really was very ticklish, and unfortunately, Belle was the ticklish sort. Not that she would ever let anybody know.

But it was Quinn this time, not the bear. Belle groaned out loud, mentally raising a white flag. "Fine, I'll get up." She let Nate pull her back to her feet and accepted the lemonade. Belle then stared at Quinn with a weary wariness. The third member of the group, and an absolute weirdo. Coming from Belle, that was saying something.

The person (if one could even attribute that word to them) had made it clear just how weird they were from the start. The two first met while Belle lay on a chair, recovering from a recent storm (and the subsequent tossing of the ship). Most passersby would ask if she was okay. Quinn poked Belle and asked if she was also a ghost lingering on the mortal plane. Belle had taken the comment in stride, unable to do much else in her condition. But now, with her stomach not distracting her so much, she could finally parse that sentence (and the others) with the care they deserved.

This… person (or ghost, whatever) was a weirdo. There. Analysis done. Nothing more. Or at least, Belle would like to end it there. But Quinn was… peculiar. Unusual enough for Belle to wonder if they were a ghost, after all. Belle was an internet guru and knew that ghosts weren't just of the ectoplasmic variety. Quinn could be a half-ghost, an evil spirit, or something else.

Sometimes, Belle wished she had honed her psychic powers more, or at least directed her attention to matters beyond telekinesis. Then she could say for sure. But that would have meant effort, and as mentioned before, effort was not a word one could associate with the girl.

Speaking of effort, walking. Belle managed several more steps, gaining confidence that she would, in fact, be able to walk without falling over. A momentous occasion soured by the appearance of a girl in shorts shouting about a Pokémon battle. Again, effort. Not something Belle was partial to. She took a sip of lemonade (not gulps, because she didn't need her stomach turning over itself again). With that done, she waved at Nate. "I'm fine. In fact, I have an idea." The girl coughed, throat raw from throwing up so often on the ship. "You can 'claim dibs' on all of my fights for me. Sounds like a win/win situation."

The strange girl had a point, though. Belle needed a change of clothes. Badly.

Edited July 3, 2023 by Sethera

Skaia · July 2, 2023

Jacklyn was glad to actually have like minded companions on this journey. Both of them already seemed to know about the necessities of going on an adventure, though Jacklyn couldn't help but feel something was off about the way Anneliese spoke but paid it no mind. As the girl went to grab her hand, Jacklyn was caught off guard in a similar manner to Anima was, having this be something of an unfamiliar experience as the girl pulled the two of them along. After a moment, the girl pulled her hand back and cleared her throat before saying, "this way then!" Following after the Shinx, almost as if in competition to keep pace with, and maybe overtake it, as they lead the way.

Jacklyn's eyes went wide with excitement when they had entered the market place. Having grown up in a big city such a thing wasn't exactly new to her, but being in an entirely new region and seeing these same kind of sights made it feel all the more new and exotic to her.

"Hey guys, look what I got!" Jacklyn walked over to her two companions, as Anima was explaining what their course of action and purchasing should be like. As it had turned out, Jacklyn had split off from the other two almost immediately upon entering it and had come back with three apples in hand. "Here you go guys," she passed one off to each of them before saying, "I found a fruit stand and like, sure we've all eaten fruit before but have you ever had a Korovan apple before? I sure haven't! So, I thought we gotta try it to really mark it that we're in a new place. So, to the start of our journey!" The girl raised the apple into the air as if making a cheer before biting into it. "It tastes like adventure! And a little tart." After a moment passed she then said, "oh look what else I got." Reaching into her pocket the girl pulled out a small notebook and opened it to reveal a stamp marking that had a picture of a boat with the town's name under it. "See, got something to commemorate all the tourist places we've been so far! Gotta keep records after all."

"Anyway, you were saying something about other shops right? Well, I think our best bet is over there." The girl pointed towards the big department store. "But I'm sure we got all the time in the world, and all the money. After all, my sister told me all about how lucrative adventuring is. So we're set! Well, eventually, but we'll strike it big on the road for sure!"

Looking over Anneliese's shoulder she said, "oh, were you looking at plates?" Tapping the top of her apple against her chin she said, "those are pretty fancy looking plates. But plates aren't really great for backpacking all over the place. I remember one time I tried helping my mom out and well, uh - well they break easily. If you wanna get a souvenir you gotta make sure it's something that you can look at or use whenever. Like, a necklace or bracelet or like a favorite spoon that you'll use while we're out in the wilds with nothing but a campfire and logs to sit on while eating out of our freshly boiled cup noodle cups! That kinda stuff, so let's keep looking!"

radio414 · July 2, 2023

Belladonna was staring at her, so it was only natural for Quinn to stare back. Quinn had always been good at staring contests, even before their death, and he was pretty confident he could win this one too if push came to shove. That was to say, if it was a staring contest, anyway. It was also quite possible that zey just had something on their face. Quinn wiped her mouth with her arm but maintained eye contact all the while. Even as Belladonna took a few careful steps, Quinn kept at it just to make sure. Cassiopeia was staring too. She was mostly hiding behind Quinn just peeking out over the ghost’s shoulder but Quinn could feel her stare all the same.

Really, Quinn was not sure what to make of Belladonna. Even besides the times Belladonna pretended to be dead, which was always confusing -- who could pretend something so terrible? -- what struck Quinn the most about the girl was how she seemed entirely unprepared for any of this. Did Belladonna not know what she was signing up for when she came aboard the SS Rising Sun? Was she cognizant of what awaited her in the future? She was quite inscrutable, or perhaps that was just her ragged, seasickness-stained attire. Still, she was nice to be around, if only because she seemed more accepting than most about Quinn’s… condition. Nathaniel was too. Most people would have at least asked to hear an explanation a second or third time, but these two just went along with everything Quinn said without even a single question.

“I need to buy stamps,” Quinn said, repeating himself a little bit as they finally broke eye contact to give Belladonna a once-over, “and you need to buy new clothes.”

Quinn’s first sign that there was one more person on the docks was feeling Cassiopeia jerk suddenly, alerting her companion to the young girl with shorts and the attitude to match. The youngster was actually much more polite than Quinn had been expecting of rival trainers. The way her parents had put it, it was frequently a dichotomous choice between two different types of violence, the Pokémon kind or the physical -- a physical kind that, to their parents’ insistence, could even affect ghosts. It was nice to see that the first encounter was with someone who was a bit overly excited at most. Fae was ready to accept, but Nathaniel got the jump on them. “If it’s a battle you want, I’ll take you on,” he said, but then he seemed to hesitate. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to just claim dibs on the first battle.”

“No, it is alright,” Quinn said. “Just because this is your first battle does not mean you are superseding my own. I can have my first some other time. Here, I will pre-emptively call ‘dibs’ on the next battle, and Belladonna and I can go prepare for the odyssey ahead while you two scrap. You said Poké balls, antidotes, potions, and what else?” That plus clothes, plus the other miscellanea, they would likely go clean through the small stipend Quinn had received as part of winning that art contest, but they could pool their resources, could they not?

LordCowCow · July 4, 2023

Team BQN

"Arrrgh it doesn't matter who goes first didn't you hear me I'll take you all on if ya want to!" The girl pouted and pointed at Belle, "And you, don't think you can get away without a battle sometime, jeez you tourists don't got what it takes to make it in our region!"

She then faced Nate and pulled out a Pokeball. "And I guess imma have to teach you the hard way, come on Rattata, lets show them why you're the king of this city!" The purple rat Pokemon popped out of the ball and looked just as raring to go as their trainer did, pawing at the ground and crouching down low in preparation to pounce.

And, as soon as Nate sent out his Pokemon, the second Bearble appeared, Zoe shouted "Quick Attack!" and the Rattata darted forward to slam into Peat.

Spoiler

Youngster Zoe

Rattata. Level 7. Quick Attack, ???

Team JAA/AJA/AAJ

“But, I just thought that, it could be a good idea for us to save our funds in case we get into a situation where we really, um… need them, y’know…?”

Anneliese looked between the plates and Anima back and forth for a few minutes. Then, finger on her cheek, her eyes drifted up to the sky as she thought about it. Finally she asked "What are.....funds?"

She clapped her hands together as Jacklyn approached and showed her purchase. "Goodness how quaint! What a wonderful idea, that way you will never forget this journey."

For the second time Anneliese was told of the problems with buying the plates. "Ah, and I thought they would be a good memento as well." She looked downcast for a moment but then brightened. "Well, perhaps I shall find myself a spoon then!"

It was then that the shopkeeper spoke up and told Anneliese that he also had utensils if she was looking for that instead. And with that brought out a comically large spoon which had a handle that had a decoration at the end shaped like a boat. Anneliese's eyes brightened as she saw it, "Why it must be fate, look you two, a spoon just like Jacklyn suggested! Surely this must be what I'm supposed to get yes?"

Spoiler

Don't feel need to stick with this interaction if you two want to move along we can wrap it up then set out and fill in the blanks.

Cheshire Toon · July 5, 2023

Nate pumped his fist. “I owe you one. Both of you,” he said, flashing both of his companions a smile so bright it could have been mistaken for a beacon. “You got most of it. Poké Balls, potions, antidotes, and whatever else you guys think we might need. I brought a sleeping bag from home so I’m good there. So probably just food and water and that sort of thing?” He rummaged in his pocket and pulled out a coin pouch in the shape of a Snorlax’s head and handed it to Quinn. “Here. Just put anything leftover into the group stuff. Feel free to use it all, if you gotta. Is there anything else…?” He blew a stream of air out of pursed lips and looked up at the sky. “Hmm… I think that’s all. So… ifyouguysdon’tneedanythingelseI’llseeyasoon!” The words spilled out so fast that they would be near impossible to make out. There would be no chance for clarification, either, because Nate rushed off immediately to face the youngster that had challenged the group.

“We’re not tourists.” Nate tossed Peat’s Poké Ball up and down softly as he talked. His smile seemed permanently plastered to his face. “We came here to take on the Gym Challenge. My friends can be a little… different… but I promise we’re all tough. And we’re gonna prove it to everyone in Korova, starting with you!”

He pressed the button on the ball and Peat appeared on the street. First only as a red silhouette of energy, but it filled in to reveal a dark blue bear cub with mossy fur and fins in place of paws.

Peat sat back on his hind legs, snuffled the air a few times, then cocked his head to look at Nate. More training? He seemed to ask.

“Not this time pal. This time it’s the real deal! Our very first battle. You ready for this?” Nate bounced from foot-to-foot. He seemed ready to break into a dead sprint.

Peat immediately leaned forward to stand on all fours. He roared (as well as a young cub could roar) a challenge and started to waddle forward. He only made it a few steps before a blur of purple and white slammed into him and sent him sliding back to Nate’s feet.

“Hey! That was a cheap shot!” Nate protested. Youngster Zoe stuck her tongue out at him and said something about dumb tourists and Korovans always being prepared. “I see how you wanna play it. Use Growl Peat!” Peat had clambered up to find his footing again. The attack seemed to have done little more than disorient him, and having grounded himself, he slapped his fins into the street and rumbled an admittedly higher-pitched growl towards the Rattata. It shrank back a little bit but didn’t retreat.

“Use Quick Attack again Rattata!”
“Scratch, Peat!”

Rattata lunged forward and bowled into Peat again. The attack pushed the bear cub back a few inches, but did not have nearly the same effect as the first blow had. Peat tried to return fire with a smack from his claw-toting fins, but Rattata darted away before it could make contact.

The Younger seemed more than pleased with her success. “See? You’re too slow! None of you are even gonna leave a scratch on Rattata!”

Peat clawed his fins into the street and wiggled in frustration. Nate frowned. “Rattata are all real fast Peat. Just keep your cool bud.”

Peat looked back at his trainer for a split second. In that time, the Youngster yelled for another Quick Attack. Nate watched the little rat intensely. It reared back and gathered all its weight on its hind legs, muscling bunch up, and then--it vanished. Peat yelped. Nate whipped his head toward him just in time to see the purple blur darting away again as his own starter stumbled backwards. He felt helpless watching the little bear struggle.

“Hang in there Peat! Use Growl!” Peat shuffled forward and rumbled at the Rattata once again. It shrank down further. Nate could tell that it was fighting against its own instinct, to run from a bigger and tougher Pokémon. That was good at least. It meant that it was holding back a bit whenever it attacked.

“Don’t be scared of him Rattata! Use Quick Attack again!” the youngster called. Rattata bunched back on his hind legs and prepared to lunge forward to attack.

Nate recognized the signs the second time. “Peat! Get your guard up!” Peat tried to drop his head to shelter them with his legs, but he was too slow. Rattata hit him again and sent him stumbling towards his trainer.

Nate clenched his fist into his pants legs. His blood was pumping just like it did in his own matches. Think. Think. Think. This is my first test as a trainer. Just think of it like a boxing match. What would I do if my opponent was too fast to react to? The answer was obvious. Watch the hips and shoulders and the feet. Look for them to telegraph their move and react to it before they throw it. Peat isn’t experienced enough to do that though. We’ve only done drills. Unless…

Nate crouched down to be on the same level as Peat. His starter was only a couple feet in front of him at this point, and when he crouched down, the little cub turned to look at him curiously. Another wave of guilt washed over Nate when he saw how hard Peat was breathing. “Hey. You’re doing great, okay? We just gotta mix it up. When I give the word I want you to Scratch straight in front of you as hard as you can. Alright? Don’t worry about watching Rattata.”

Peat’s little black eyes shined like buttons. That was always his reaction to anything Nate said about training. His faith still sometimes overwhelmed the boy. Nate steeled his nerves and pushed himself back to his feet.

“Hey! Stop talking so much!” the youngster shouted. “Use Quick Attack Rattata!”

Nate watched the Rattata more closely than he had ever watched anything. He could see its whiskers twitching in response to the command. He could hear the loose asphalt of the street sliding as the Rattata started to move. He could see when the little rat leaned back onto his hind legs to prepare to dash--”NOW PEAT!”

Peat wiggled his nose in confusion but did not hesitate to swipe at the air with his fin. It made contact with a purple-and-white blur that seemed to materialize out of thin air, and sent said blur flying back the way it had come.

Rattata bounced off the ground and rolled once before managing to find its footing. It was panting heavily now too.

Nate whooped with joy and leapt a foot off the ground. “You did it! Good job Peat! I knew you could do it!” Peat slapped the street with his fins and then reared up on his hind legs and adorably roared his victory to the sky. Nate had to resist the urge to rush forward and sweep the little cub up into a hug.

The youngster stomped her foot and shouted, “the battle isn’t over! You just got lucky!” Rattata immediately launched forward into an attack.

Nate shouted a warning and Peat sent the Rattata sprawling again.

Nate thought Zoe seemed a little bothered that time. She pointed forward and said, “oh yeah! Well we have another trick up our sleeve! Use focus energy Rattata!”

Sethera · July 5, 2023

"No, it is alright," Quinn said, "Just because this is your first battle does not mean you are superseding my own. I can have my first some other time. Here, I will pre-emptively call 'dibs' on the next battle, and Belladonna and I can go prepare for the odyssey ahead while you two scrap. You said Poké balls, antidotes, potions, and what else?"

Belle frowned, adding two bullet points to the mental checklist (it would've been physical, but she was far too lazy for that) she kept on Quinn.

Reasons Quinn Is an Actual Ghost

Claims they are one (most sane people do not claim they're ghosts)
Has a ghost-type Pokémon
Is very weird
Uses big words (is precocious or secretly ancient… like a GHOST)
Calls me Belladonna (only old or angry people do that. This plus the big words thing makes me think Quinn is a ghost)

And then the meaning of Quinn's words seeped into her brain. "Wait, we're doing what now? Can't we just stay and watch?" Of course, if Belle had her way, they would stay right here on the docks until they could go back home.

The girl also had the minor issue of being low-key, terrified of Quinn. Ghosts and psychics did not mix. She still remembered seeing that trainer with a Haunter sweeping the floor with her cousin's Alakazam. And that was just a ghost Pokémon. An actual ghost sounded ten thousand times scarier.

So she needed a buffer. And that buffer was Nate. Or else, who knows what might happen? Quinn could eat her or something. Belle pinched her side. Would she be tasty for ghosts? Or would they prefer a leaner fare? Or maybe Quinn was the type of spirit that didn't eat people. If only she knew. That'd make things easier.

Belle would have continued on in this vein, mulling over the many ghosts she had heard of—from creepypastas, podcasts, and short stories—for who knows how long. Most likely until she got hungry or tired. That was usually how it worked. But then the youngster addressed her, finger pointed rudely. "And you, don't think you can get away without a battle sometime, jeez you tourists don't got what it takes to make it in our region!"

"But what if I don't want to make it here?" Belle deadpanned. "And I don't see what's so special about this place. Why do we need to be tough to 'make it' here?" She made halfhearted air quotes. "And she's not listening anymore. Great. Whatever."

"We’re not tourists." Nate tossed a Poké Ball up and down like a showoff. "We came here to take on the Gym Challenge. My friends can be a little… different… but I promise we’re all tough. And we’re gonna prove it to everyone in Korova, starting with you!"

Belle gave Nate a mental black mark. Not for the "different" comment, but for the "prove it to everyone in Korova" comment. "That sounds a whole lot like you're signing me up for work. I don't like that."

Note: Yes, Quinn will probably need to drag Belle away to get any shopping done. Sorry/not sorry.

Edited July 6, 2023 by Sethera

radio414 · July 8, 2023

Quinn was confused by Belladonna’s insistence on staying. Not that there was anything wrong with cheering on a friend, of course, especially on a momentous occasion such as this, but there were so many extenuating circumstances that called them elsewhere. “Nathaniel has already given us his purse,” he said, naming one of them as they held up the Snorlax bag. “It would be rude not to at this point.” Quinn grabbed at Belladonna’s wrist and tried to guide the girl along, ignoring her flinch as their skin made contact. And yet, pulling still got them nowhere. Belladonna had proven herself to be not only sedentary but the stubborn sort of sedentary as well.

A second tug on the wrist proved to be equally ineffective, as did a third. “Come, Belladonna,” Quinn said. “You will feel much better with some fresh linens on you. I know this from experience; it is the first thing my parents did when I was brought back down the mountain.”

That finally did it. Belladonna’s shoulders drooped down to a surely-uncomfortable posture even by her standards. “Fine,” she said. “I do need new clothes.”

As Quinn found out, this was easier said than done. New Point Landing was very much a tourist town, and most of the stores they could find were targeted towards that demographic, so while the Poké Balls, Potions, Antidotes, and, yes, even stamps (with a fancy stamp book provided for purchasing a set) were easy finds, clothes proved a bit more difficult. The bags full of stuff weighed on Quinn as it looked. She had had Cassiopeia wrap her tethers around her and Belladonna’s wrists to free up a hand for shopping bags, but eighty-some pounds of ethereal presence could only do so much.

The Korova region, it turned out, or at least the New Point Landing part of it, only really had two shirt designs. They were plastered on all different kinds of shirts, sure, from sweatshirts to long-sleeves to tees and every other kind a merchant might think would sell but they were these: The first had a lavish design (even if it was still clearly printed on) of a lush and wild landscape capped off with a rainbow arching over it all. Within the rainbow were words, printed in nice big friendly letters:

~KOROVA THE RAINBOW~

and then below the design, in smaller yet no less friendly letters, just in case somebody didn’t get the joke

(over the rainbow)

The other shirt was much simpler. It was only text, so no big fancy image getting in the way of its message, and the letters were blocky and firm.

i visited the korova region and all i got was this dumb t-shirt

“Oh my,” Quinn said upon realizing just how limited things were. They held up the two options to Belladonna. “I might suggest alternating between the two? That way neither gets too dirty, and I am sure we will be able to find hostels that can provide the right amenities to clean them.”

Skaia · July 9, 2023

Jacklyn smiled, letting out a small laugh as Anneliese had made mention about her stamp book, proudly saying, "I know, right? I thought it was pretty amazing too!" Anneliese and the vendor then seemed to take her words to heart and shifted gears in both wanting to buy and sell a spoon, respectively. The spoon itself was pretty large and had a boat figure attached to the end of it, giving it a very novel and port towny look. It definitely seemed a bit too large and Jacklyn couldn't help but think the boat at the end was anything but practical to have around. But the novelty of it all and timing of it had seemed to make Jacklyn not care about any such concerns, instead nodding saying, "it is a pretty cool spoon. And you know what they say. 'There are no coincidences in adventure!' So let's get that spoon!" The girl smiled brighter and gave Anneliese a pat on the back as she seemed content with her shopping help the girl let out a hearty laugh as she marched forward through the shopping area.

It didn't take long for her to reach the department store from where they were, having something of a triumphant smile on her face as the doors automatically slid open as they went to enter. "Our first major destination. The store!" The girl called out, loudly and drawing some attention to herself and the group in the process before people went back to their own business. Her smile then turned to a bit of a frown as she said, "I guess this isn't really the most exciting first step. Hmmm...well, the thousand steps to hatch an egg all begins somewhere! Or something like that," the girl looked back to her two companions. "We've got adventure supplies to go buy and a whole store to explore! Usually they have a guide posted around here to tell what's on what floor, so let's go buy some gear!"

Tiamat's Circus · July 9, 2023

In a moment of characteristic weakness, Anima had hoped that Jacklyn would have brought with her a bit of… Reason, to the discussion; that the approach of their third adventurous third would dissuade Anneliese from wasting her money-- Only for them to have fallen into the same tourist-trap pitfalls, even if to a lesser extent. “W-Well, the stamp, does look nice,” Anima did her best to smile encouragingly, only to… Pause, as something Anneliese said seemed to process in the recesses of her mind, prompting her to release her bag with her left hand, so as to bring it in front of her mouth.

“...What… Are funds?” she’d repeat, cocking her head to the side as she stared at the girl she was traveling with, growing distress evident on her face. “N-No! Jacklyn, don’t encourage her-” she spoke in an uncharacteristically worried tone, before turning back to face Anneliese. “Anneliese, you… You do… You do know what money is, right?” she’d stammer, tightening her grip on the other girl’s hand, rather than simply letting it be held. “You do know what money is, right?! I- I only have enough money for one person…!” she’d exclaim, distress evident in her voice as it mixed with an eerie wail from her bag as she practically shook.

"Of course I do. That's what father and mother use to get things."

“Then why did you ask what funds were?!” Anima asked, the distress fading from her voice slowly; slower than she would have liked, that was for sure. “Money is-- Er, funds are the money you have on yourself-- You know that, right? You- You have some money on you, right?” she'd ask, a terrible, sneaking suspicion gnawing at the back of her mind.

"Of course I don't. Father and mother have the money and I couldn't very well ask them before I left."

“I… I see,” Anima would almost visibly deflate, before looking towards the shopkeeper, and then back towards Anneliese. “Then… Unfortunately, um… until we find a way for you to, uh, make money, you’re not going to be able to get a souvenir like the spoon,” she’d explain, her voice almost sounding pained as she tried to explain it. “I’ll, er… I’ll cover your supplies at the department store today, but… Um… That means I’ll need to budget it a bit more, but… I, suppose I can probably manage that,” she murmured, releasing one of Anneliese’s hands, as she began to trail off to catch up to Jacklyn; still intent on dragging the girl with her, as long as she didn’t protest.

Regardless of whether Anneliese behaved or not, Anima would eventually arrive just as Jacklyn was saying something about ‘a thousand steps’ and an ‘egg’; clearly an over exaggeration, at least… She hoped it was, if any of them came across eggs later on. “Right,” she’d agree with Jacklyn, smiling as she once again adjusted her bag, cocking her head to the side. “A, er, guide…” she trailed off, still mentally trying to run the budget in her mind so that she could get items for both herself and Anneliese. “Do you… Know what a guide like that might, er… Look like?” she’d ask, completely out of her depth as far as going to a large store like this was concerned. “I’m afraid I, er… mostly only ever went to the Pokemart back home, so I'm not super familiar with a store this, uh...” she rubbed the side of her neck. "Large."

LordCowCow · July 10, 2023

Team N

The small rat Pokemon hunched down and watched Peat intently. For a moment it almost seemed as though some sort of energy emitted from the Pokemon's body and afterwards the Rattata seemed a lot more aware and, as the name of the attack implied, focused. "We won't make the same mistake twice, if you countered our Quick Attack just means I gotta use another move, check it out, Tackle!"

At first it didn't seem to be much different a move than before. The rat Pokemon simply ran forward at Nate's Bearble with the intent to slam into it. However it was moving slower than before. Perhaps Zoe hoped that the different pace of the move would throw off Nate and Peat.

But more likely the girl didn't really think anything beyond "I have another move I should use that one too."

Spoiler

Youngster Zoe

Rattata. Level 7. Quick Attack, Focus Energy, Tackle, ???

Probably can finish the fight off next post. Sorry to B and Q if you need more from me let me know but it feels like you've probably got enough on your own atm.

Team JAA/AJA/AAJ

Anneliese seemed to get more excited about the spoon when Jacklyn approved of her choice. Alas it was not meant to be and when the shopkeeper found out she didn't have money, and they realized they couldn't convince the other two to buy it, they wandered off to try and sell to another passerby.

Anneliese seemed to be disappointed in the result. However she bounced back rather quickly as she realized something. "We have barely started and I already have learned something new! So you're telling me that people use money for things other than yachts and summer homes and the like? Goodness I assumed things like food and trinkets were just handed to you."

“I’m afraid I, er… mostly only ever went to the Pokemart back home, so I'm not super familiar with a store this, uh...Large."

Once at the store Anneliese replied with confusion. "Large? But, it's not even as big as my home, how could this possibly be large?"

As the group looked for a guide they would notice near an elevator a large sign that listed off what was on each floor.

F1: Travel supplies and food
F2: Medicine and Vitamins
F3: Sporting goods and gear
F4: Entertainment items

"Oh my, there's so much to buy!" She turned towards her two companions. "So how are we to carry it all?" She asked, implying that she thought they were going to buy everything in the store.

Spoiler

Short post sorry, if there's more you want then lemme know.

Also I will continue to name the team that until y'all decide on one.

Cheshire Toon · July 11, 2023

Nate was quick to react. “Dodge it Peat!” The command was superfluous. Once the rodent had slowed down enough that the little bear cub could see him, Peat was quick to spot the danger and attempted to push himself out of the way of the attack. Attempt being the keyword. Peat was still clumsy and uncoordinated on land, and his slippery flippers found no purchase on the street beneath him. He slipped and tumbled forward.

Rattata—its focus recently heightened—capitalized on the situation. It rammed its head into Peat’s soft, squishy underbelly, pushing with enough strength and momentum to lift the Bearble off the ground and launch him several feet away.

“Ha! See?” the youngster shouted.

Nate bit the inside of his cheek and fought down the urge to tell her it was a lucky shot. He knew better than most that every fight had a degree of randomness that had to be accounted for.

He crouched down to be closer to Peat, who was struggling to get up by his feet. “Hey bud. You okay?” Peat looked up at him with his little button eyes and snorting, still trying to find his footing. “I thought so. You’re made of tougher stuff than that, huh?” Nate smiled when Peat swelled at the compliment and finally managed to steady himself. “In that case… When I say jump, you jump straight up, alright? We’re gonna finish this fight before he gets another lucky shot like that.”

Peat nodded and waddled forward, staring down the Rattata more intensely than Nate had ever seen him look at anyone. Oh yeah. He’s got that fire in him alright. First knock down and he’s finally taking it seriously.

Like trainer, like Pokémon.

“Now you see why Rattata is the king of this city!” the youngster shouted, throwing her arm forward to gesture at them. “Finish it off with another Tackle, Rattata!”

Rattata threw itself forward again. Nate slammed his closed fist into the palm of his hand and shouted, “gotcha! Peat, jump!”

Many things could be said about the young Bearble. He was clumsy. He was too curious for his own good. But one thing that was certain was that Peat had total faith in his new trainer. The little bear cub had been crouched and ready to jump from the moment he had waddled away from Nate, his face scrunched up in concentration. The moment that he heard the signal he launched himself into the air with every bit of power he had.

Rattata’s eyes widened as its attack missed, the youngster across the field shouted “what?!”, and then the rest of the plan became clear. Peat landed on top of the Rattata when it came down and pinned it to the ground.

“Quick! Do the Scratch combo, just like we talked about!” Nate yelled.

One-two. One-two. One-two. Peat smacked the pinned Rattata across the face with his flippers repeatedly. His claws were small and not very sharp, but the strength behind the blows was enough that within a few hits Rattata’s head sagged back and its eyes started to swirl.

“That’s enough, Peat!” Nate called as soon as he noticed. Peat was mid-swing but Nate raced forward and scooped him off of the little rat. Peat squirmed for a moment before calming down when Nathan’s grip held firm.

Rattata disappeared in a flash of red light as Younger Zoe returned it. Nate closed the distance and offered her his hand to shake. “That was a great battle. You and Rattata nearly had us. Right, Peat?” Peat, now looking much calmer, made a noise somewhere in between a grunt and a purr and wiggled his earfins at the girl.

Youngster Zoe crossed her arms and huffed. "Urgh, listen here! I'm gonna train so hard, and get all the top Rattata around and show you who the top percentage really is!"

Nate grinned and put his hand down. “You’re on,” he said. “Until then you can tell everyone about the time you almost beat the future-champion of Korova.”

Younger Zoe huffed one more time and then she was gone. As soon as she was out of sight, Nate spun around and threw Peat several feet into the air. “WE DID IT!” he yelled to the heavens. He caught Peat as he came down and buried his face into the cub’s mossy fur. It was always damp and smelled like seaweed, but Nate was so caught up in the moment that he barely noticed. “You did amazing! I can’t believe you got up from that tackle! Rattata was all like, BOOM, but then you got up and you jumped and it was like, BAM! RING THE BELL! MATCH OVER!”

Peat roared and rumbled and wiggled his body from the tips of his ear fins all the way to his rear flippers. The two of them continued to dance around and be totally over the top loud until Nate realized they were drawing attention to themselves.

He put Peat on the ground and reached for his Poké Ball. “I’m gonna return you until I can get to a Pokémon Center,” he said. Peat grunted his protest but Nate pushed on. “No way. Fight hard, rest hard. That’s the golden rule. You earned a rest, alright?” Nate scratched him behind the ear fins one more time. “I’ll let you out tonight and get you some good food and we’ll celebrate even more then. You did awesome bud.”

Peat protested for a few more minutes but eventually caved and vanished into his Poké Ball. Nate clipped it to his belt and started walking, hands behind his head and looking up at the sky. The smile on his face never once faltered.

Life was good. He had won his first battle. He had the greatest Pokémon in the world. And he was on his way to a Pokémon Center.

Except…

“Excuse me. Do you know where the Pokémon Center is?” he would ask the first passerby he saw, feeling very stupid for not following his opponent when had the chance.

Edited July 11, 2023 by Cheshire Toon

Skaia · July 12, 2023

Jacklyn nodded at Anneliese's comment. She had glossed over the part where she had mentioned it was her home and said, "yeah, this place is certainly bigger than anywhere else in the town but back home we have tooons of buildings that are way bigger than here. Heck our Gym isn't that much smaller either, come to think of it. A lot of them are kind of boring and for like boring job stuff which is pretty lame. But there's a ton of cool supermarkets and even better are the ones under construction! Though people don't like you walking there."

After saying this it was then that Jacklyn realized something off about what one of her teammates had said. Something she had hardly considered until this moment but struck her as definitely of note about their home. Jacklyn turned, walking over with purpose and looking Anima in the face saying, "wait, are you saying the biggest place in your home town is a pokemart smaller than this? Like one of those small little hole in the wall shops or something?" After a moment passed her expression brightened with sheer enthusiasm as she shouted, "that's amazing! I mean sure the city is cool and all but I've always wanted to explore a town or village or something. Those are the kinds of places just oozing with old stories and places waiting to be explored! Not to mention haunted areas and myths circulating around everywhere." As Anneliese had found the sign telling them what was where she said, "oh! Great job Anneliese!" Placing a hand on Anima's shoulder she said, "you gotta tell me all about it later!"

Walking over to the sign where Anneliese was, Jacklyn said, "pfft, isn't it obvious Anneliese. On our backs and backpacks!" Pointing at the sign she said, "our main goals are here gang. Floors 1 and 2. We're gonna need stuff to sleep in, food, and a lamp to tell ghost stories by in a tent! Those are the essentials. So let's get to shopping!"

Edited July 12, 2023 by Skaia

Sethera · July 13, 2023

"So. This is what you have for a selection?" Belle stared hard at the shopkeeper. The shrug she got in return was not promising. Sighing, the girl turned to Quinn. "I don't particularly want to wear anything… colorful. I think I'll just get the one shirt." After some searching, she also found an "I ❤ Korova" sweatshirt hidden in a corner. "I'll take this too."

Remembering the youngster's words from earlier, Belle grabbed a pair of shorts and running shoes. "I think I'll be good with this." She yawned. "Anything else we need? The sooner we get done, the sooner I can take a nap." The girl's eyes drooped. Although she had no desire to buy out the entire store, necessities were still a must. Like food, a backpack, food, beverages, food, and of course, food.

Tiamat's Circus · July 17, 2023

By this point, very little Anneliese could say would be able to out and out surprise Anima, an almost comforting smile coming to her face as she took in the younger girl’s question. “...People perform a job or service, such as working at a supermarket, or managing a business, and gain money. Money can then be exchanged for Goods and Services,” Anima did her best to explain in the simplest terms she could, ignoring the ‘large as my home’ comment for now. “In more, er… Extreme examples, Money can even be exchanged for a home or a boat, yes,” she’d nod. “But more often, Money changes hands for food, drink, or a place to simply rest one’s head for the night.”

She then attempted to let herself drift to the back of the conversation; in many groups, this was the role she provided. She would give information, help inform decisions, but mostly listen to others speak rather than… Well, speak herself. This was not a privilege she seemed to have here. “Er…” she trailed off, closing her eyes as she gave an embarrassed-looking smile towards Jacklyn. “Not, exactly so much-- The only store we had was much smaller, located in the Pokemon Center, actually,” she chuckled, adjusting her bag (and eliciting an almost annoyed sounding wail from the contents of it). “But the Stadium back home for the Gym battles were much larger,” she explained, glancing curiously away from the girl. After all, she had never been to the Stadium, as it was much too loud a place for her, but it was larger.

As for their ultimate goals and purchases, she simply nodded along with Jacklyn, leaving her eyes closed as if to let them rest. “...That, er… Seems like a good plan to me, to be honest,” she opened her bag (as well as her eyes) and peered inside, two pink, unfocused eyes staring back at her with perceived contempt. “...Do you think we should get Pokeballs too?” she’d murmur to the Pokemon, more asking herself than her partner, but still taking the ‘So…la….’ to be an agreeing wail, rather than a plea to not be shook around anymore. “...Then it’s settled; let’s add Pokeballs to the list, along with food, a tent, and sleeping bags,” she glanced back up towards the others, with a slight nod, before… Pausing.

“Do, um… we want to go about selecting all of the items together, or… Do you think we should perhaps split up?” she’d ask, cocking her head to the side slightly, as she glanced between the two. She wasn’t exactly keen on leaving Anneliese alone, so she would probably insist that someone accompany the girl so as to make sure she didn’t try to do something naive like buy a Luxury-Ball, but it would also go much faster if they were to divide and conquer. Still, she was determined to not make this decision for the group; instead choosing to idly shift back and forth, so as to glance between her two companions, and to swing her bag slightly as she did so, much to its occupant’s chagrin.

LordCowCow · July 17, 2023

Team JAA/AJA/AAJ

"Ghost stories? Why that sounds, um." Anneliese seemed not to be able to muster her usual cheer at that, and ended up trailing off entirely. "Oh yes, a lamp would be good. Perhaps a very, very, strong lamp."

Anneliese listened to Anima talk about money, how it's obtained and what it's used for, but even as the girl nodded politely her eyes showed that her head was entirely empty of thought and she didn't actually understand what it was the other girl was talking about.

“Do, um… we want to go about selecting all of the items together, or… Do you think we should perhaps split up?”

"Oh, I can gather up my own! It will be exciting to find out how people normally...shop!" Anneliese seemed excited by the prospect as she went towards the Pokeball section. She looked around and gasped, leaning in towards a certain selection. "Goodness, it looks just like Leopold's ball." She took out said ball, having had to return the Pokemon as they entered to keep him from challenging the first strange Pokemon they saw inside, and marveled at seeing the half dozen Luxury Balls priced at 17,500 for all six together.

"These would be perfect, don't you think?" She turned to look back at the group with her eyes aglow with excitement. Off in the distance the worker perked up and her attention focused on Anneliese. They could practically see the money symbols in her eyes.

radio414 · July 18, 2023

“Oh,” Quinn said as Belladonna made her final clothing selections and as he returned the unloved and unchosen garment back to its place on the shelf. It was more an “Oh” of relief than one of disappointment. The shirt was too colorful for Quinn as well. Quinn, of course, wore only white linens, except for in cases where one had been stained by spirit wine or discolored through general use. Just because they were a being of the ether did not mean the clothing she wore was ethereal as well. Quinn did like to pretend, though. Perhaps an appreciation for muted clothing was something they could bond over.

When Belladonna asked her question, Quinn held up the shopping bags. “We should have everything,” they said. “If we have forgotten something, it likely was not important in the first place, no? And we did manage everything Nathaniel asked for, so he should not be too disappointed in us either. Speaking of, we should probably go meet up with him. If he is finished battling, he will be waiting for us, and if the fight continues, some of our purchases may be beneficial to him.”

It still took a moment for Belladonna and Quinn to find Nathaniel since following that train of logic meant it made sense to go all the way back to the docks first before looking anywhere else. Once they had made it and found Nathaniel absent, it stood to reason to look for the Pokémon Center, which was back across town again. The one saving grace was that there were signs all over town pointing in the Center’s direction, so there was no need for anyone to have to ask, they could just look up. Still, Belladonna had already requested a nap, and despite Quinn’s adventurous spirit, they were ready to join her, almost collapsing over eir own shopping bags. Cassiopeia did her best to keep at least one of the bags above ground by pulling up on Quinn’s wrist, but as full of hot air as she could be sometimes, she still only barely helped. Find Nathaniel they did, though -- they stumbled into the Pokémon Center and collapsed into some seats near the door right as he and his Bearble were checking out.

Quinn pulled out a box of granola bars -- as a ghost, Quinn could not handle flavors very well so they were the nutritious kind, not the sweet kind -- unpacked one for herself, and offered another to Belladonna by shaking the box in her direction and staring at her until she took one.

She did the same to Nathaniel when he and Peat walked over to meet them. “Consider this either a celebratory reward or an offer of commiseration, depending on how your battle went,” Quinn said. They paused for a moment, recalling something, then added, “I believe you said you would become a Gastly or some such Ghost-type Pokémon because you had not eaten in half a day. I would like to correct that assertion. I myself made it almost a full seven days before my passing, and I have heard tales of those who have pushed their bodies even further.”

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