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

[Skaia 618]

The woman couldn't help but wonder if she had stepped on something of a sore spot as Anima continued to elaborate but cleared her throat as things seemed to be fine. "Well...it's good to be so determined and know what you want when you're still young." The woman looked barely older, if at all, then Anima did. Then thinking about something else she said, curiously she asked, "oh, are you something of a picky pokemon catcher?"

"Ah..." Anima paused for a moment, considering the woman's words. "You could, um... Say that," she smiled, rubbing idly at the back of her head as Confi splashed happily below. "I'm... Mostly interested in catching Ghost type Pokémon, though, I'm honestly interested in any sort of Pokémon that has a bad rap, so to speak," she laughed a little, staring down at her partner. "I... Want to prove people wrong, about Pokémon like Galarian Corsola-- Show them that they aren't really all that scary, or, um... 'Evil'," she explained, making air quotes to emphasize the last word.

The woman chuckled at the response and said, "Ghosts, huh? Well, I think I can understand what you mean by 'evil' pokemon." 

"Why, you found a new friend I see! How delightful!" The woman looked up, seeing that one of the other two who had been fishing had no longer been doing so. In fact neither of them seemed to be actually fishing now that there was something on the dock that they presumably pulled up. 

The the girl's sudden intrusion Anima had not quite jumped out of her skin but definitely seemed to be startled by the sudden comment, glancing away from Confi, and the woman, and towards where Anneliese and Jacklyn were. "Ah-- I, um...! Yes! I have!" she called out, smiling. "It, uh, looks like you have too!" she called across, pointing towards the Goldeen Jacklyn held.

"My I suppose you're right! Though I do not think they were caught the same way....were they?" She looked at Jacklyn, "Shall this Goldeen be a new companion?"

The woman gave a slight look of confusion at the question that Anneliese had asked Anima. Jacklyn, for her part, had sent out Cherry and was ready to battle. "Hm? Nah, this one's for training. And proof that I'm a great fisher! Alright Cherry let's go!" 

"Bu bu!" 

The woman sighed at their exuberance, commenting, "how lively." Then looking back to Anneliese will say, "don't mind me too much, I just sat down to rest." After a moment of pondering she asked, "but, if you're her companion then how about you? Do you want to be champion of this region?"

"Champion? Oh...my that would be rather exciting wouldn't it?" Anneliese said, before scooping Eleanora up. "What do you think, Eleanora, do you want to be a champion?" The bird seemed more flustered than anything at being picked up suddenly but Anneliese interpreted its fluttering as excitement. "I believe she does!"

Yet another chuckle escaped the woman's mouth at Anneliese's somewhat noncommittal answer. Figuring that it would only be right to go for all three she asked, "and how about you?" 

"Hm?" Jacklyn turned away from her battle to face the woman.

"Do you want to be champion?" 

Jacklyn scoffed at the question saying, "that's like, the whole point of the adventure right?" With a bright smile she pointed at the woman, "so of course I'm going to be champion at the end of it all!" 

"Well, before that you uh, might want to..." the woman pointed to Cherry and the Goldeen's battle behind her. 

"Ah! Cherry, stop using Splash!" 

[yui 597]

The enemy Malamar seemed to really be on the ropes by now. Just a little more, and the question would be less of how to approach this hostility and more what prompted it in the first place. That said, Arthur was likely in no state to be thrown out to deal the finishing blow, and as much as Bridget approved of her newfound partner's capabilities, the Confusion it had unleashed before did very little in the grand scope of things. Bridget had expected that, of course, but at this moment, it was probably time to switch up tactics.

"Awright, don't give 'im the chance to hurt the other pokemon! Intercept that attack wif Protect!"

A sound with a clear tone of doubt came out of the Solosis, but it either didn't know what sort of backup plan to offer in exchange (not that Bridget would understand it even if it had one), or didn't care enough to protest further. Solosis moved itself in the path of the Malamar's tackle, before putting up a defensive wall between itself and the much larger pokemon. A wall that the Malamar was unable to avoid running straight into. While Malamar was none the worse for wear because of it, neither was Solosis. Or Normandie, for that matter. As far as Bridget could reason, this fight was more or less as good as wrapped up.

Now, what kind of berries should I get for this little one when we're done here? And what should I call my new partner, for that matter?

[radio414 940]

The statue was no longer some enigmatic structure in Quinn’s eyes. No, the winds had shifted and it was now some evil thing to be avoided. Normandie bristled from being so close to it. Even from where he was, standing next to Bridget, Quinn could see the Ratffian’s discomfort, and she started to move in so Normandie at least would not feel isolated again. “I am coming, Normandie!” they said. It did not care about the mud all over hir clothing anymore. Quinn just wanted to be there for eir Pokémon.

And yet, fae could not stop the Malamar from ramming into Normandie with a Tackle. It did get the Ratffian away from the statue, though, and closer for Quinn to be there and comfort her. Bridget’s new companion, a Solosis, leapt in the way of the Malamar’s next attack, throwing up a Protective barrier that bought them a little time. “You are doing well, Normandie,” Quinn said. “I know you have been hurting but we do have it on the ropes now. Just a little bit more.” Thankfully, Normandie was not the sort of Pokémon that needed to be told twice. She was already on her feet, and though she was scratching at her mud-caked fur that was somehow even more ruffled than when Quinn had encountered her in the wild, she still had that fire in her eyes. Quinn’s words were appreciated, but not necessary.

The close proximity did allow the two to come up with another quick plan, though. The Malamar was still stymied by the Solosis’ Protect, though Quinn knew such defenses could not last for long. Normandie, at Quinn’s instruction, charged back into the fray. The Malamar saw her coming, and as Normandie weaved back and forth, it too oscillated across the Protect barrier to intercept as soon as she crossed through it. Whether to the left or to the right, it would be ready.

But Normandie did not go left or right. Instead, she used the Solosis as a springboard, leaping on top of the ectoplasmic creature and over the Protect to Tackle the Malamar head-on. “Yes!” Quinn cried. It was just as the two had planned it. All that was left was to wait for the dust to settle and see if the Malamar had finally well and truly yielded.

[Cheshire Toon 152]

The battle was turning in their favor. Nate could recognize the signs of a tired Pokémon; fatigue was surprisingly consistent across species. Even a human boxer expressed most of the same signs of being on their last legs. “He’s on the ropes, guys,” Nate shouted. “Just a bit more! We’ve got this!” 

A little green bubble he had never seen before slid between Normandie and the charging Malamar and used a Protect. The Tackle bounced harmlessly off of the barrier.

Peat growled when he saw the Solosis. “Seems like he’s with Bridget bud. It’s alright,” Nate assured his companion. Peat stopped growling but his fur remained bristly and his eyes were focused on the Malamar. He had never been in such an extended fight with a powerful enemy. “Just a bit more,” Nate repeated.

He turned his attention to the battle. “Good job Bridget!” Nate shouted loud enough to be heard over the melee. “Follow Normandie, Peat! Go in with a Scratch!”

Peat sloshed through the water with ease and charged toward Malamar. His fur was still glossy and clean; Nate made a note somewhere in the back of his head that it must have some property that caused water and grime to not stick to it well. “Now! Go low!” Peat dove forward and scratched at the Malamar’s lower half. 

There was no way he could escape both attacks.
 

[Tiamat's Circus 133]

Anima practically deflated at Jacklyn’s reply to her prior statement, making her look right like a fool as she immediately set about contradicting the ghost-type trainer’s statement. Of course, a small smile replaced the subtle frown in an instant, as the others continued their conversation, and Anima was given the ability to, at least for that moment, relax again. She glanced downwards, listening to them talk for a moment as she kicked her legs idly from the edge of the docks, and stared downwards at Confi - who continued to splash about for fun in her own little corner of the pond.

It was only after the woman redirected Jacklyn’s attention to the ongoing Pokémon battle, then, that a thought crossed Anima’s mind, and she glanced upwards from the water, and towards the woman. “Ah… I know hadn’t introduced myself properly, but, as you heard, I’m Anima--” she did her best to smile, even as curiosity mixed its way into her expression. “And I was wondering-- What I should, er… Call you? And also if there was a reason you were so interested in finding out who all planned on trying to become Champion…?” she continued, rubbing idly at her neck.

"My name is Keira and as for my questioning..." The woman paused before returning a still friendly smile. "I was just curious. I've heard recently that lots of foreigners have come in looking to challenge the pokemon league here, so, I just felt like asking."

“Ah, I, um… see,” Anima nodded, despite the rather obvious lack of true answers. “Then… It’s nice to meet you, Keira,” she paused again, for a moment, before thinking back to their previous conversation… And cocking her head to the side. “You said you… Knew what I meant about ‘evil’ Pokémon-- Do you mind if I, er… Ask what you meant by that? Or-- If that’s too personal a question,” she began, doubling back for a moment. “Do you mind if I ask what kind of Pokémon you like to catch? Assuming you’re a, uh, trainer too…”

The woman let out a small chuckle saying, “oh, I don’t do much catching these days. I used to be a league challenger myself back in the day. But those days are behind me now so-“ an alarm could be heard coming from the women’s pocket. Letting out a resigned sigh she said, “well, I guess that’s enough break time for me.”

“Ah…” Anima’s smile faded for a moment, as she nodded. “Well, don’t let me keep you. Though, er…” she trailed off, recalling exactly how the woman had fared getting here, scratching idly at her neck. “Are you going to be fine getting back to… Wherever it is you work on your own? You seemed… Exhausted when you got here…” she trailed off, trying her best to put it lightly, and in an inoffensive way.

Waving off her concerns she’ll comment, “I’m used to it by now.” 

“Ah…” Anima trailed off, glancing back towards the water, and Confi; her smile fading for a moment, then. “Alright then. Have... A good day.”

[LordCowCow 878]

Team BQN

The Malamar seemed surprised enough at the flying Tackle attack coming for it. It hadn't anticipated the Scratch going for its lower half as well.

The plan was clearly that at least one of the attacks, even with the Malamar's current speed, would strike it. However it didn't quite go that way....It went better.

The Malamar's instinctive response to seeing Normandie's Tackle attack was to launch a Hypnosis at it instead of trying to dodge. The attack did manage to land but the sleep wouldn't take hold immediately. Which meant that the rat Pokemon would still sail right into the Malamar's face and knock it backwards with the force.

Peat was able to get in low and strike at the Malamar without any trouble, dragging its short claws across the Malamar's lower half and tipping the scales into their direction.

It let out a weak cry of frustration as it was struck twice and backed closer to the statue.

The Pokemon then used its speed in a different manner. Suddenly leaping behind the statue and retreating from the field of battle.

They had driven it off. But it seemed that it had left something behind. There was an object laying where the Malamar had previously been and they'd need to grab it quick before it sank into the mud.

Spoiler

Victory doot doot!

Solosis has gained a level
Peat has gained a level. Peat has learned Fake Tears
Either Normandie or Cassiopeia has gained a level I'll leave which to who you thought did more in that
And you have obtained TM 17, Confuse Ray

---

Team JAA/AJA/AAJ

Anneliese was focused on the conversation, and then the battle between Cherry and the Goldeen. So much so that she didn't notice as her fishing pole began to be slowly pulled toward the water.

Eleanora, however, did take notice of it. And she quickly flew over to grab onto the pole with her talons. She tried to pull it back to no avail and felt herself getting dragged toward the water as well.

She let out a loud chirp to get Anneliese's attention. "What was that Eleanora, did you want to join in the conversation as we- Oh goodness!" She was startled by what she saw and hurried over to grab the pole.

She began to pull with all her might and didn't seem to be making any headway. In fact she, too, began to slowly be pulled towards the edge. Eleanora then flew up to grab the top of the pole and both of them yanked on it. A Shellder appeared then and landed on the edge. It seemed surprised by suddenly being on the surface.

"My, perhaps THIS will be a new friend!" Anneliese declared. Then was startled once more as Eleanora suddenly darted in and began to Peck the Shellder. "Oh no, do not hurt....wait that's right, we are supposed to weaken Pokemon before catching them yes? I suppose...keep it up Eleanora!"

And so the bird Pokemon continued to hit the Shellder with Pecks, even as the Shellder Withdrew into its shell to raise its defense.

At first it seemed this would be a simple matter of waiting it out but then the Shellder suddenly launched itself forward in a Tackle. Eleanora was able to fly up to dodge the attack but then the Shellder turned and hit her with a Water Gun.

"Aren't you an energetic one!" Anneliese said as she fished around her bag and realized... "Oh...I am out of balls!"

Spoiler

Just a short thing mostly for Anneliese, feel free to respond to it if you'd like or if you want to do something else just get some information to do so. If one of you wants to wrap the scene up in your post even that's fine too I just figured this would be a good stopping point.

 

[Skaia 618]

"Way to go Cherry!" Jacklyn exclaimed, as the Buneary let loose its final move and took down the goldeen before knocking it back into the water where it came from. With a big grin on her face she brought her hand down, the Buneary hitting the palm with its ear to high five the girl, and said, "you'll be super strong in no time." Standing back upright, the girl looked over to see that Annelise had managed to fish up something herself, and exclaimed, "way to go Anneliese!" Seeing her current predicament, she added, "oh, I think I have an extra." The girl rummaged through her bag and presented the pokeball to the girl.

"Oh thank....ah, no, that won't do. I already caught a Pokemon in a regular Pokeball."

"Oh...that's right..." Jacklyn was then reminded of what she had said at the start of her journey, and her own failings in catching Cherry. She'd need to do something to Cherry's pokeball to make it look different from Rus's later. Clearing her throat, she emphatically pointed to Anneliese regaining her bluster as she exclaimed, "that's right! Um, good job remembering that Anneliese!" 

As Keira stood up, she looked at the duo at the fishing duo and with a smile muttered, "good grief, what a lively bunch." Looking to Anima she then said, "really don't worry about it too much. It's just how I am. And if I don't get up now I probably wouldn't be able to get back up for the rest of the day anyway." The girl let out a chuckle though her resigned sigh and slightly defeated expression made it difficult to tell if she was actually joking or not. Regaining her smile the woman said, "well, best of luck on your adventures. There's a lot of neat ghost pokemon out there so I'm sure you'll have no trouble with your goal." 

As the woman began to walk off she stopped, feeling as though she had left something unfinished. Or perhaps in her own emulation she had figured a closing remark would be appropriate here.  She turned around and looked back at the party, a smile still on her face. "Oh, and I'm glad you're all resolved to become champions but some advice from this old woman; a journey isn't just a string of battles and the championship bout. There's a lot to see in our region, and you never know what life may throw at you. So enjoy yourselves." And with that, Keira had walked back into the city proper. 

Jacklyn watched her go, silently in thought as Keira had left. "There sure are a lot of strange people here don't you think?"

[radio414 940]

Both Quinn and Normandie let out a cheer at the same time, both as high-pitched a squeal as they could muster. Quinn also jumped up and down, too excited to care about the mud squelching around in their shoes. This victory felt different, somehow, from the others that Quinn had experienced so far in faer journey. To say that was because of teamwork felt a little trite, but it was true, was it not? Besides, it was a slightly more complex realization than that, borne both of its new understanding of Normandie and her habits and of meeting their new friend and travel companion Bridget. The difficulty of the foe did not escape notice either. Right now, it felt like if they could take down a raging Malamar, they could conquer anything. He knew was an ephemeral feeling, but Quinn wanted to hold onto it for as long as possible.

Quinn bounded across the mire, releasing Cassiopeia from her Pokéball as e did so to allow her to celebrate in their victory as well. Cassiopeia rushed forward, practically pulling Quinn along to greet Normandie and celebrate with her. The statue still radiated with malevolent energy, but that was manageable now. “Thank you, both of you,” Quinn said. He touched zir forehead to Cassiopeia’s brow, and offered xir hand to Normandie, and though the Ratffian eyed the gesture suspiciously, she still allowed herself to be petted.

It was an opportunity Quinn seized on, to get a closer inspection of Normandie, searching her for any wounds she might have picked up in the battle. It was a difficult endeavor, especially given all the tangled fur from the mud, but Quinn reckoned they could all use a bath at that point, this was hardly anything new. Normandie grew increasingly antsy as Quinn continued to poke and prod, eventually trying to nip at the ghost’s fingers, to which Quinn could only conclude that the battle had taken at least some measure of toll on Quinn’s Pokémon. “I understand,” Quinn said. “But it is an equal walk back to where we came. There are some contingencies just in case, so worry not. At the very least, Cassiopeia and I will protect you.”

Cassiopeia gave a little “Loon!” at that. Normandie, for her part, did not seem too happy to hear such news, but seemed to accept it, at least, and allowed Quinn to return her to her Pokéball.

As they turned to leave that dreadful spot in the middle of the swamp, a metallic glint caught Quinn’s eye. “Oh?” Quinn said. When ze wandered over, she saw it was a portion of a disc sticking out of the mud. “That is curious.” It was whole, at least, which was surprising. She held it up to hir two companions. “A compact disc… or digital versatile disc perhaps? Would either of you have any use for this?”

[yui 597]

It was over. The oddly aggressive Malamar, apparently having admitted defeat, leapt over the statue in retreat, disappearing soon after. As much as Bridget wanted to join Quinn and their pokemon in celebratory jumping for joy, muddy terrain like this was often hell on Bridget's balance. Trying to jump in this would surely end in a faceful of mud and very wet clothes. No thanks. She did, however, give a smile and a nod, and a cheerful "Great work, everyone!"

Close enough, right?

Bridget took this opportunity to look over the Solosis she'd caught right before joining in the battle. Injured, yes, but it seemed he would be fine. A lot of the damage was in the bubble surrounding the pokemon, which was gradually on the mend. Solosis was a fascinating pokemon! As much as Bridget wanted to check closer, she took care to not touch the bubble directly. She'd yet to confirm for herself, but she recalled reading the fluid encasing its fully evolved form - Reuniclus - was highly toxic. It stood to reason Solosis was the same, then, right? It was certainly just a hypothesis, but it wasn't one she wanted to test firsthand. So, she checked her pokemon as thoroughly as she could without touching it. It was then, while being mindful of the bubble, and thinking about her theory about it, that the idea of a name flashed across her mind.

"Mifridates," Bridget mused, looking into the Solosis's eyes. A name that prompted a confused warbling from the pokemon that would be named Mithridates. "Hmm... bit long, innit? Maybe not."

"Well, whatever I end up callin' you, you did a great job. I'll get you somefin' nice later. Right, back in the pokeball wiv you."

With that, Bridget returned Solosis to his pokeball. Next matter of attention, the disk that Malamar had dropped. She'd know that type of disk anywhere! What a find!

"Oooh!" Squelching through the mud as fast as she could without sacrificing her precious balance for speed, Bridget eagerly eyed the disk in Quinn's hand. "It's a Technical Machine! Or TM. It teaches a pokemon a new move. Dunno how they work, but jus' between you 'n' me, I say it's magic. Hey, can we take this conversation back over to dry land? I don't mind muddy wellies since it's their job, but I feel like I'll slip and eat mud sooner than later if we don't get outta here."

As much as Bridget wanted to know about that statue there, it was not worth the immense discomfort that would cause. Already turning and heading back the way the group had come from, she added the additional thought of "Acshally, if you were curious about the statue, I won't stop you. But I'm heading back over that way. Try not to attract any more unusually aggressive squids, okay?"

Bridget turned and gave the group a playful wink at that last comment, making sure they got that it was a joke. A turn that very nearly took her down to the watery ground below. Fortunately, she was still on her feet, and could resume her trek back to dry land relatively unbothered.

[LordCowCow 878]

Team JAA/AJA/AAJ

Anneliese seemed to brighten at Jacklyn's praise. "I am glad to put into practice the things I'm learning about adventures so soon!" She heard a loud chirp from Eleanora and turned her attention back to the battle just in time to see the Shellder hop off back into the water. Though she could have sworn it turned and looked at her for a moment before escaping.

"Oh....darn." She said, then gasped. "P-Pardon my language." She then approached the others. "Do you think perhaps they have special balls for the fishing competition?"

A passerby then told them that, yes, in fact part of the fishing competition was that everyone who takes part gets one Net Ball. Most of the fee for entering was to cover the cost in fact. Unfortunately it seemed that there wouldn't be another competition until tomorrow.

"I...am sure you both wish to continue on before nighttime." Anneliese said. Though it was clear she hoped to participate.

Whatever the group decided they would need to head back up the stairs to the main city once again. At the very top of the stairs a Youngster stood. "Hey, you! You're from another place right? I got a questi...." His eyes went to the fishing rods in their hands and he looked upset suddenly. "Are you kidding me? You're from another town and you're also fish obsessed? I'm so tired of fish all the time....That does it, if I beat a trainer from out of town then I'm sure ma and pa will let me leave!" He then pulled out a Pokeball and stared them down, daring them to take him up on the challenge.

Spoiler

Can figure out what y'all wanna do for rest of time in this city but first...Youngster Calvin would like to battle. He has 3 Pokemon so he can do three 1 v 1s if everyone wants a bit of battle time.

He's mostly here just as a bit extra heck if you really want you can ignore him.

---

Team BQN

Eventually the trio made their way down the rest of the route and into Islebury, where the smell of fish would overwhelm any other senses for some time. As they went through the city and got their bearings they would hear tell of how the "Fishing hut got new stock for the competition, now people don't have to deal with getting scraps for their prizes."

As they passed by what looked like a diner of some sort the door suddenly flew open and a short, red-haired, girl stormed out of the building in a huff. "I realize this is a fishing town but is it too much to ask to get SOMEthing that doesn't involve seafood?"

As she grumbled she noticed the three of them, who naturally would have looked towards the sudden noise. Her face reddened slightly and she pointed at the trio. "What are you looking at? Never seen a lady before or something? Wait a second...you're not from around here are you?" She hurried her way towards them. "Please tell me you have something to eat that doesn't involve fish. I'm going to STARVE to death if I have to stay here another day!"

Spoiler

Short part but the city info can be found in the doc and if you have more questions let me know.

But hey look, an image'd npc to interact with if you'd like!

Be sure to figure out individually and as a group what you hope to do in this city.

 

[Skaia 618]

With the group now done with their fishing escapades and conversing with the mysterious woman, all that was left was exploring the rest of the town and finding some place to sleep. As Anneliese seemed keen on getting a new type of pokeball, though, asking around about the fishing contest the young adventurer looked to her. Curiously, she asked, "did you want try out the fishing contest tomorrow?" Then, thinking about the pokeball again, she cautiously asked, "oh, did you really want to catch that pokemon from earlier?"

Anneliese's eyes widen. "Oh, are you secretly psychic? You're completely right!"

Jacklyn looked away from Anneliese for a moment, a little embarrassed that the advice she had given at the start of the journey had kept her from actually catching a new pokemon. Even worse that Jacklyn herself hadn't followed it and she only had two pokemon to her name. The girl cleared her throat before looking back and confidently responding, "well, knowing what her crew is thinking is par for the course for a leader right? But, if that's the case then we have a duty as adventurers to give it our all tomorrow!"

"That's incredible! I shall not fall behind in adventuring then!" 

"That's the spirit!" As the girl declared this, it was then that some youngster had walked over to them. While he seemed friendly enough, Jacklyn's face couldn't help but scrunch up in annoyance as he had both called them fish obsessed and decided to challenge them. "Huh?! Who are you calling fish obsessed? I'll have you know I'm obsessed with new things! Fishing just happens to be new." Going from annoyed to now confident the girl declared, "but, if it's a battle you want, as a fellow trainer I'll take you on! Let's go Rus!" The girl sent out her fire bunny pokemon. 

"I can't trust anyone who thinks that fishing is new, but you're on! I won't lose to some fishing girls!" The boy sent out a Starly, of approximately one Starly in height and length, which promptly took the skies to charge at Rus with a tackle. 

"As if an attack like that'll stop us! Go on Rus, show this bird what you got and ember it!" The Lepash did a small hop to the side to the side to avoid the bird's straightforward attack before striking its side with a small burst of fire. "There we go! Now hit it with another!" 

The boy, annoyed from the hit connecting, shouted, "Starly, quick attack!" 

Rus had already started to get ready to fire off its Ember yet again, however, with the increased speed of Starly's assault the Lepash couldn't dodge out of the way. With the Starly rapidly moving and powering through the fire attack of Rus, it struck the Lepash and knocked it to the side. The boy was emboldened by his successful attack, prompting the Starly to let loose another attack. Jacklyn shouted, "alright Rus, dodge and then Ember again!" However, Jacklyn had misread the situation. Rus, listening to his trainer, had hopped to the side immediately and had launched yet another ember. However, neither of them had realized that rather than quick attack, the Starly had gone for the much slower tackle. With time to adjust its own flight path, it moved slightly out of the way, the ember only grazing it, before hitting Rus head on with the tackle. "Tsk." The girl was annoyed that things didn't work out from there, but as the Starly was coming in for yet another attack, Jacklyn shouted, "alright Rus, hit it with an ember one more time!" 

Rus, however, did not enjoy getting hit from a misstep on his trainer's part. Seeing the Starly coming at him with yet another quick attack, Rus did an immediate hop to the side only to then hop back at the Starly's side, hitting it with a tackle of its own. With the attack having landed on its mark, the Starly was knocked to the side and tumbled onto the ground, now knocked out. Jacklyn was confused by the turn of events but, a win was a win, so she smiled saying, "yeah, way to go Rus! How's that for a fishing adventurer!" 

[radio414 940]

The way Bridget explained Technical Machines made Quinn feel like knowledge of them was information e should have absorbed before setting off on this journey, but there had been so many other things -- so many books, so many pamphlets -- that Quinn supposed it was understandable that things fell through the cracks. Before Quinn could ask any follow-up questions, though (what sort of magic? would they have to forge contracts with denizens of the infernal planes?), Bridget had both proposed and taken action on progressing further down the route, away from the baleful statue. By the time Quinn had managed to pack up and follow suit, Bridget was already well on her way. It was all Quinn could manage with their not-even-five-Starly-tall body just to keep up and the questions were forgotten.

Quinn was glad to have Route One Oh Two behind hir. Meeting Bridget had been exciting and the encounter with the Malamar was a strong indicator of what the next few steps on the journey would be like, but also, of course, there was mud everywhere now. Every step was uncomfortable, even as the ground firmed up. Wet socks squelching inside wet shoes gave way to the somehow even more intolerable feeling of dried, crusty fabric rubbing against ghostly skin. The only thing keeping Quinn going was the glimpses of Islebury on the horizon, the red roof of its Pokémon Center in clear view promising laundry, lodging, and loving care for zir exhausted Pokémon.

Quinn stepped out of the Pokémon Center a couple of hours later, having made good on those promises, having even found time to shower between loads of laundry. There were still somehow hours left in the day, too, and a whole new town to take in. She had already heard murmurings of acquiring fishing equipment and other fishing-related materials, and while he was excited at the prospect of a new experience, surely there was more to Islesbury than just its aquatic neighbor.

Case in point: it did not take long for Quinn to stumble across a kindred spirit in this regard. A taller woman -- taller than Quinn, at least -- came out of a diner lamenting the menu, and though Quinn did not mean to stare, the commotion the woman caused certainly attracted a reasonable amount of attention, and when she demanded food with the threat of starvation, Quinn could not help but feel a pang of sympathy. “Oh! Yes, I have…” Quinn reversed their backpack to be more of a chestpack and dug around the various pockets, bypassing Normandie’s berries with a mumbled “No, those are not mine to share…” before seizing on some granola bars at the bottom of the bag, buried between a travel paint kit and the book of star charts. It pulled one out and offered it up to the woman. “It is a little smooshed, but still fine nourishment for both body and spirit.”

The woman sighed. “I suppose I cannot be picky. Very well, that will do for now,” she said.

The flourish she made with her hand indicated she thought Quinn was doing her a favor, even when Quinn felt quite the opposite as he gingerly placed the bar in the woman’s hand. “I know what it is like to be starving,” Quinn said. “I would not wish such a fate on anyone.” But with such morbidities out of the way, Quinn immediately perked back up. “Oh, but we should acquaint ourselves, too. My name is Quinn. I am a ghost!”

“Yes, that would be- you’re a what now?” She looked Quinn up and down, looking suddenly tense, and then poked their forehead. She sighed again, this time with relief. “Is that some kind of joke from… wherever it is you’re from?”

Quinn smiled. This was familiar territory for him. “I am from Sinnoh, and still a new ghost, which explains my materialism,” xe said. “I am trying to make the best of my death. Surely you would want to do the same? Oh!” An idea crossed Quinn’s mind, and fae went digging back into eir bag, finding zir Pokéballs much easier than she did the granola bars. “You can poke Cassiopeia too if that is something people do where you are from? I promise she is just as corporeal as I.”

“It’s not,” the woman said, her lips pursed. She looked over Quinn’s shoulder. “What about them? Are they ghosts too? Is this city not only full of fish but haunted as well?”

“That is a good question! I have not asked them,” Quinn said. It turned around and waved at their companions as they wandered the harbor. “Hey!” Quinn called out. “This woman wants to know if you are also ghosts! You have to say if you are, you know. That is part of the Ghost Law!”

[yui 597]

As the team trekked up the rest of the way along the route, they found themselves in a cute little town called Islebury. As Bridget took her first steps into town, she could immediately tell something was fishy around here. The smell. The whole place smelled strongly of fish. She for one didn't mind the smell of fish, but she couldn't help but wonder if the other two were of the same mind. As she opened her mouth to ask about that, the door of some kind of diner swung open, and out stormed some girl she'd never seen before. It didn't take a detective to tell she was unhappy, all the more so because she was quite vocal about what was bothering her. Seafood was a personal favorite of Bridget's, but she could easily imagine even her fine self getting tired of it if she had nothing else to eat for long enough.

Luckily, Quinn - the friendly ghost they were - was ready to help, with a granola bar from inside her bag. Which in turn led to a brief and quite frankly adorable conversation between the two of them. Which, in its own turn, prompted a question Bridget never imagined she'd be asked.

“What about them? Are they ghosts too? Is this city not only full of fish but haunted as well?”

“That is a good question! I have not asked them,” Quinn said. It turned around and waved at their companions as they wandered the harbor. “Hey!” Quinn called out. “This woman wants to know if you are also ghosts! You have to say if you are, you know. That is part of the Ghost Law!”

"Uhh, no, I'm still alive 'n' well, pichure of healf I am," Bridget smiled, briefly taken aback by the question. "I 'ave been called a witch in the past, but never a ghost."

Actually, if this girl had been here before the team's arrival, she probably had a better lay of the land. It would probably be wise to get some directions from her, that everyone would appreciate.

"Acshally, while we got you, d'you know anyplace we could do a bit of shoppin'? The talk 'bout food made me realize I should prolly stock up on stuff to eat on the road. Fish is fine too, if noffin else is in stock 'ere." Oh, it was probably smart to see how the others felt about fish too. Glancing back and forth between Nathan and Quinn, Bridget further asked "D'you two like fish?"

Quinn frowned. "I do not especially care for fish -- it is often, in my experience, more than my ethereal stomach can handle," it said. But he quickly brightened back up. "All the more reason that I am now acquainted with my new friend here." Quinn gestured to the new, increasingly mortified woman. "It is another shared trait of ours and I am excited to discover more commonalities."

"I do not know where you got the idea that I am some tour guide but I can assure you I am not. I'm sure you can find shops somewhere if you really want something that likely smells like fish..."

"A simple "no" would've sufficed," Bridget huffed. She'd just have to go looking for some canned fish for the road on her own, then.

[Tiamat's Circus 133]

…And thus, she had been alone. Not for long, of course; with the departure of her new… Friend(?), Anima had been left with some time to think, as she listened to the others nearby. For the most part, they were just… Fishing, and battling Pokémon, and in truth, Anima wasn’t sure when she had really stopped fishing, the line growing slack as she laid the pole down, and simply… Watched the waves before her. With every small paddle, Confi stirred up water; and the water pushed out in a small, imperceptible wave. The wave disappeared into the rest of the water after a moment, and thus, barely made any dent in it, and yet…

It still happened.

Every action, no matter how small, has an effect on those around it; and even should that effect seem to dissipate, to disappear into nothing, it still exists. And so even as that water disappears, it was still moved; it was still witnessed, and no matter how small, it still impeded Confi’s path, if even for a moment. She wondered, then, as she stared… How many of the issues they had seen, encountered, and dealt with, would be like that wave. How many interactions, conversations, would disappear from memory completely? Would stand in their way, and yet… Be… Nothing, when they looked back on the journey?

Would she remember the person, she had just met? Would she remember the weird-man with the Gas Mask? Or would she simply… Remember she had a conversation. That they had been slowed down on their way, but not how, or why, or what the conversations entailed. Would she perhaps, then, only remember that one was a ‘good’ conversation, and another a ‘bad’...?

It hurt her head to think about, and yet… It was all there really was to think about, for her, as she had tuned out the sounds of those around her; and reached downwards to lift Confi up and out of the water. Perhaps, she decided, as she was getting up, that the sun was too bright; and it was clearly messing with her head. So it was that as she tucked Confi under one arm, and the fishing rod under the other, that she came to reach the others, just as Anneliese made mention of ‘surely wanting to move on’, in a tone of voice which…

Made it sound like that was hardly what she wanted to do at all. This resulted in more banter, of course, between her and Jacklyn, and yet Anima couldn’t help but smile at their lively conversation, nodding along as she gave a slight squeeze of Confi, and glanced between them. “If… it’d be important to you, to participate in the Fishing Competition, and catch that Pokémon,” Anima began. “Then we’ll stay the night, and join the competition in the morning. The rest of the region isn’t, um… Going anywhere, and…” she trailed off, glancing downwards at Confi. “The rest could be good for us, for all of us. It’d give me time to read some more of the papers the Professor gave me, after all; it’d be wonderful if there were some ghost-types around here I could try to catch, and I haven’t read any papers about port-cities yet…” she murmured, trailing off as she followed behind…

And, as she allowed Jacklyn to handle the trainer which accosted them; choosing to stay quiet as she did so, only glancing towards Anneliese and Jacklyn both as she spoke, ignoring the presence of the child Jacklyn was in the process of trouncing all the while. “Ah-- But if we are going to stay the night, we should start trying to find somewhere to stay…” she trailed off. “Perhaps, asking someone at the Pokémon center might be a good start…?” she wondered aloud, not really sure where to begin herself.

[LordCowCow 878]

Team JAA/AJA/AAJ

Anneliese's expression visibly brightened as they both seemed to be fine with staying. Especially Anima as Anima was an Adult. And in her experience Adults tended to try and avoid anything that took them off course of their plans. Yet she was perfectly fine with it!

“The rest could be good for us, for all of us. It’d give me time to read some more of the papers the Professor gave me, after all; it’d be wonderful if there were some ghost-types around here I could try to catch, and I haven’t read any papers about port-cities yet…”

"Ghost-types? Oh, Anima, do you have some sort of affliction that only allows you to work with Ghost types?" Anneliese frowned in concern. "Does it bother you that we have types other than Ghost? If that were the case I do not know what I can do to fix that..."

She was surprised by the sudden trainer incoming and cheered for Jacklyn as she bravely decided to take them on. At first she wasn't sure if they all were supposed to do battle but as Anima hadn't really reacted she assumed that it meant this was to be a battle between the boy and Jacklyn. "Fight on, Jacklyn, show them...who is the boss!" She had heard that phrase from one of the servants before, though she wasn't sure what it meant, and she had wanted to try it out herself.

Anneliese settled in next to Anima to watch the fight. Though she kept glancing over at the woman too. "Are we not going to set up a tent like we did on the route here?"

-

The Youngster seemed annoyed at Anneliese's words but even more so at Jacklyn's. "This has nothing to do with fishing how many times do I have to say it? Grrr....fine, you might have handled that but let's see what you do against this!" He then sent out a Pichu. Who looked around in confusion, as if not used to being sent out in this area. "I know it's not a fish Pokemon but WE have to show THEM who's boss, Pichu, use Charm!"

Spoiler

Pichu, Level 8, Static, Charm, Thunder Shock, Tail Whip

---

Team BQN

"A simple "no" would've sufficed,"

"Is that not what I said? I don't think my words were that complicated, though of course I have been told I speak with distinction." The girl tossed her hair and gave a smug smile. "In any case, a ghost, a witch and...." She looked Nathan up and down, "some ruffian, a bodyguard perhaps? Well, whatever. I believe I have spent too long here as is. I must get back to my...group now." She smiled wider. "After all even if I do not care for fish today's fishing competition is bound to be thrilling."

She seemed set to leave but then she paused. "By the way, my name is Alicia. But you might as well call me "my lady" because soon enough I shall be the one at the top of this region. And you get the honor of having met me before my glorious rise to power!"

Spoiler

If there's anything more you want with the girl do so in your next post otherwise she'll be gone by next round.

 

[Tiamat's Circus 133]

Well, she had at least made Anneliese’s day; that was… Something, to be sure, but the question which followed was one which caught Anima off guard for a moment; even as she tightened her hold on Confi, and earned herself an unhappy chirrumph from the little ghost. She opened her mouth then, to reply, and then… Closed it, trying to think of a good way to reply to it. She paused again, as if trying to find the right words, and by the time she felt as if she had almost found them--

She was interrupted, once again, by another question from Anneliese; though, this one was a lot easier for her to answer.

“Ah, um, right,” Anima nodded, and knelt down, leaning the rod against a nearby surface, should there have been one, and placing Confi down to toddle around her legs as she spoke. “Well, setting up tents in the middle of a city or town is… Generally, um, frowned upon, as far as I am aware,” Anima gestured with her hands, then, towards the buildings around them. “But, this being a port city, and a bit larger and more full of life than the last one we set foot in, they should have an Inn-- And as far as I remember, Inns generally run specials for trainers who are passing through, so we should, potentially, be able to find a room to stay in; you know, with a bath, a shower, perhaps even a washing machines and dryer to do some laundry, and just all around relax a little, ‘fore we move on,” Anima explained; gesturing as she spoke, a good deal more…

Lively, as she adjusted her bag, and then began to gesture again; this time with her palms outwards, as if trying to soothe some sort of… Beast, as she spoke; though it would become increasingly clear the only thing she was trying to soothe was her growing discontent, with the question that came before. “But-- But, but,” Anima began, a bit of an… Accent, creeping around the edges of her voice; as if, in this moment of… Not annoyance, but something approaching it, she found that speaking clearly, and quickly, was more important than speaking in a way that wouldn’t link her dialect more forcefully to where she had been raised. “‘s less of an affliction, an’ more of a preference, to be honest,” she did her best to begin, gesturing… As she began to pace a bit, mid-speech.

“Right, Confi? Yeah, ‘s more like a preference,” she nodded, smiling as she knelt down, and held out a hand for the little ghost to bump into. “All my life, I ‘ad been told how heartless an’ soulless the Corsola of Galar were; vengeful spirits, drains on life-- But this l’il bugger here’s the only reason I’m standin’ here yappin’ away, so I… Want to try an’ find other Pokémon, on this journey, who’re subject to the same stigma, an’ show the world what all we can do,” she explained, reaching over and lightly scritching Confi on the noggin, before pausing. “...Not t’mention th’fact that I tend t’push myself an’ those I work with hard when I actually focus on a battle; almost worry tha’ ghost types are the only ones that’d be able to keep up with me,” she grinned, almost goofily; as if she was finally relaxing…

Before clearing her throat, and rising back up to her full height, dusting herself off, and clearing her throat. “Ah-- But, um,” she cleared her throat a couple of times; the lack of an easily placeable accent, which veered off towards something approaching - but not quite - middle-Unova kicking in as she cleared her voice, and slowed her speech. “That- That is to say, it doesn’t bother me that you’re not using Ghost-type Pokémon! I just, um…” she fidgeted, with the bag-strap around her shoulder. “...Like them. It wouldn’t even just have to be a ghost, after all! There are a lot of Dark types that I’d be curious to see if they’re as, um, ‘evil’, as people claim,” she explained, nodding her head a bit.

"Oh, I get it! It's like how mother only likes to eat food from the gold trimmed dinner plates."

“That’s…” Anima scrunched her nose a bit at the concept, of what Anneliese had said. “Well that’s not completely the same now is it?” she asked, a small bit of that accent cracking through again as she brought a hand up to her chin. “One’s a preference for how to eat dinner in the... Flashiest manner, an’ the other is…” she trailed off. “Just how I plan best to work with what I know; playing to my strengths,” she explained, clearing her throat a bit as she tried her best to quantify it in a way Anneliese might understand. “It’s like-- Think of it like, you’ve got two pairs of shoes, right? An’ one pair is the best looking pair you’ve ever worn; can go with just about any outfit an’ you’ve got everyone dead to rights on who’s wearin’ the best pair of kicks, but it isn't your most comfortable,” she explained, gesturing. “Yeah, your most comfortable is a pair that doesn’t look quite as nice, really they're a bit beat up, but they’re as comfortable as can be, an’ you can move better in them than any other set. A nice broken in pair of sneakers, or tennis shoes,” she continued, pausing her gesturing, as she simply held two hands out, raising them in time to try and emphasize what she was saying as she did so. “So, when you’ve got to run a race, or when you need t’beat everyone else in a dead-heat sprint, which pair are you going to choose, eh?” she paused for a moment; this time, not giving Anneliese the chance to reply. “You’re going to choose the more comfortable pair, that you can move in easier-- Because it doesn’t matter how good they look if you’re not able to keep up a nice sprint, or jog innit? All that matters is that you keep one foot in front’a the other, and keep up your pace at that point,” Anima paused, waggling her finger a bit as she spoke… And as she finally noticed that she had clearly lost Anneliese.

Likely, when she had implied that someone could only have two pairs of shoes, she imagined.

She wrinkled her nose, again, and… Winced slightly, as she adjusted her bag, and knelt down again to pick her Fishing Rod, and Confi up. “...Right, well…” she cleared her throat again, doing her best to slip back into that mid-unovan accent she had spent so long perfecting. “I’m… Um… Going to go find an Inn for us to stay in. You should keep an eye on Jacklyn here, and cheer her on, though,” she smiled as gently as she could, as she slowly did her best to try, try so hard, to make her exit in a diplomatic fashion. 

[Skaia 618]

With the first pokemon down, Jacklyn puffed her chest in pride as Anneliese had called her "the boss." Giving a confident smile to the boy she was facing she said, "you're gonna learn here and now just who the real boss is! Let's go Rus!" The Lepash let out a huff, smoke coming from its mouth, as it glared at the Pichu and got ready to attack. As the Pichu looked at Rus with large, round, beady eyes, the Lepash cocked its head curiously towards the pokemon only to then move as Jacklyn shouted, "use Ember!" 

Letting out a burst of fire, the Pichu was  taken off guard by the sudden attack, the fire lightly hitting it. "Alright Rus, now go in for a tackle!" Wanting to press the advantage Jacklyn had Rus close in on the Pichu. The Lepash stood still for a moment, trying to make sense of their trainer's order, before finally rushing forward. Unfortunately with ample time to dodge the Pichu had jumped to the side, whipping its tail around at the same time only causing Rus to become even more off guard then it already had been. "Tsk, oh well. Keep it up and tackle again!" 

As she shouted this, the boy had commanded his Pichu to charm once more but rather than Tackle this time Rus decided to meet the gaze of the Pichu head on. However as opposed to pitying, concerned or infatuated by the charming stare as one might have thought, Rus was leering with intensity at their opponent. Jacklyn frowned and once more shouted, "come on Rus, tackle!" 

"Pichu, dodge and thundershock!" The Pichu was ready to dodge, even if off kilter by the leer of its opponent, but found itself surprised as the Lepash went for an ember once again. The Pichu didn't have time to dodge the attack it wasn't expecting and so, in a panic, let out the thundershock early. The two attacks passed by each other, each one finding their mark. Rus grimaced as the second bolt had struck it and the Pichu was no longer steady on its feet after having taken two small bursts of fire directly either. However, seeing that the Lepash had more of a reaction to this thundershock then the last one, the boy decided to press his luck and go for yet another Thundershock. 

"Alright Rus, dodge and then Ember again!" Rus, this time, decided to listen to his trainer however his body did not. As he attempted to side step the thundershock, a jolt of electricity coursed through its body, causing it lock up and slow his reactions. Rus, noting that his legs wouldn't listen to him in time, opted to for yet another Ember. Before it could let out yet another blast of fire, though, the thunder from the Pichu had struck true. As it was the third hit, on an already battered body that didn't seem to move anymore, the Pichu had thought its victory all but assured. However its power still paled in comparison to that of an actual Pikachu, and it had not accounted for the natural bulk of the Lepash against such attacks. As such it had made no effort to dodge as Rus, who had managed to hold on through the attack, let out yet one more Ember and struck the Pichu dead on. 

As soon as the fire had hit, the Pichu fell to the ground, unconscious. With a big smile on her face Jacklyn shouted, "see! We're still the boss." A frown crossed her face though as she looked down at Rus saying, "but what's with you?" Though she wondered why her pokemon was being so disobedient, these thoughts didn't last long as she shrugged it off and counted a win as a win. Confident in her position now Jacklyn said, "so, got anything else?"

[Cheshire Toon 152]

Nate rubbed at his head as they walked into town. Things had been…strange, since the battle with the Malamar. Winning had felt great—the adrenaline rush from defeating such a powerful Pokémon as a team was indescribable—but once they were back on the road, it had been hard to focus. His head hurt, his body felt sluggish, and his eyelids were heavy. He felt like he was stuck in that strange state people were in after just waking up. His brain was functioning, but it hadn’t sent the signals to let the rest of his body know it was time to get a move on.

Even the smell of fish, strong enough to be considered a scent-based attack, was barely enough to get a reaction out of him. He dutifully trudged beside them. One foot in front of the other… I’ll be able to rest soon. Maybe a hot shower will help.

It felt like a longshot. Nate resolved to see a doctor if he still felt weird after his shower.

These thoughts, coupled with his grogginess, were what occupied him for most of the conversation his team had been having with… someone. He had missed their greetings. If they had done any. She seemed to be leaving though. Which was good. He was normally very warm and welcoming, but he desperately wanted to get somewhere to shower and rest. At least until she said something about a competition.

Nate’s reaction was visible. He stood up straight for the first time and forced his eyes fully open. There were heavy bags under them, and they were slightly bloodshot. He took a step toward the redheaded girl. “Did you say something about a fishing competition? Today? Where? Can we still sign-up?” He stared at her, waiting for an answer, before suddenly blinking and shaking his head. Having jumpstarted his brain awake for the time being, parts of the exchange he had missed flooded into his brain. "And uhh... I'm not a ghost. By the way. Or their bodyguard. I'm Nate. From Kanto."
 

Edited September 28 by Cheshire Toon

[radio414 940]

Being the only ghost they were aware of (human ghost, anyway) came with a certain amount of loneliness, but Quinn so far in its afterlife had been able to swallow that loneliness down, and the present situation was not an exception to that rule. It was good that Nathaniel and Bridget and Alicia were not ghosts. Life was precious enough. Still, Quinn internalized the fact that Bridget was a witch for later use. Surely some obstacle would appear on their journey that could be alleviated by pagan sorcery.

Alicia’s claim was similarly impressive, though. Alicia had made a proclamation of her future greatness, and Quinn’s eyes widened even further than they normally were. “Amazing,” Quinn said. “Nathaniel, our bodyguard, is also aiming to become champion of the region. This means either you will succeed him, he you, or you two will become co-champions and be mixed in a torrid love affair that will be the talk of the region for years if not decades to come.” After a moment, they added, “I can see the future, you know.”

Unfortunately, Alicia did not seem to share Quinn’s enthusiasm. She looked agog, if that was even the right word, or aghast, even. “I never said I wanted to be champion…” she said, which seemed like a contradiction in terms, but before Quinn could challenge her on the matter, Nathaniel finally stepped in and asked about an earlier statement Alicia had made about a fishing tournament. Alicia righted herself quickly, looking Nathaniel up and down and muttering. “Well, if it looks like a Ducklett…” before responding to his inquiry with, “I’m not an expert on this town, you know. But as far as I know, they hold one each day. There’s some dingy shack by the water where they hold it.”

Quinn became very loud all of a sudden. “Yes, of course!” she said. “That sounds like just the sort of opportunity this adventure was made for! Thank you, dear Alicia. I hope you find what you are looking for, whether that is fame, love, or just another granola bar.” Quinn turned to hir compatriots. “Perhaps the dingy shack will also rent dinghies, and we can become truly in tune with our aquatic natures.” And like that, e was off, running down the shore as fast as faer legs could carry him.

[yui 597]

"By the way, my name is Alicia. But you might as well call me "my lady" because soon enough I shall be the one at the top of this region. And you get the honor of having met me before my glorious rise to power!"

Alicia, then. Bridget didn't much care for her on first impression. It was the way she talked, more than anything. It reminded her of her childhood, being a cultural foreigner in Hammerlocke, surrounded by kids who were more "dignified" than her and thought less of her because of it. A lot of that was just in her head, in hindsight, but some kids really were like that. Bad eggs, all of them. But it was important to remember that those bad kids were the exception and not the norm, and even the ones that were bad eventually changed their tune. In conclusion, even if the way she talked didn't sit well with Bridget, Alicia was completely trustworthy and probably a good person!

And as if to cement that trust, Alicia had shared some very interesting information. There was a fishing competition happening today! Bridget was no master angler, but she'd at least been fishing before. Even if most of what she wound up catching was junk and not actual fish. That, however, was still a valuable service to the pokemon in the water! With any luck, she could end up doing a bit of both today.

“Perhaps the dingy shack will also rent dinghies, and we can become truly in tune with our aquatic natures.”

And with that, the so-called ghost was off! Down toward the dingy shack that perhaps had dinghies? A dingy dinghy shack?

"We'll catch up wiv you!" Bridget called out. The shack sounded interesting, but Bridget had other things that needed doing right now, before she considered going inside any buildings. Plus, Nate looked like he could use a quick looking at or pick-me-up. And when a trainer needed to make a quick pit stop, shopping notwithstanding, there was one place that always had everything one could ever need.

Bridget gave Nate a nudge on the arm, and said "Come on, this way."

How did she know which way? Why, just look for the red roof! They were very distinct, after all. Bridget led the way, checking behind her every few steps to make sure Nate was at least following her. She didn't need him to be fully snapped back to reality, but the party was already being split, and it wouldn't do for one party of three to become three parties of one because of her own carelessness. So it was that Bridget led the way through Islebury, navigating between buildings before coming to that red-roofed sanctuary. A haven for trainers the world over. The Pokémon Center! Bridget walked up to the door, opened it, but didn't quite step inside. Her boots were all dirty from her trek through the marsh, and she didn't want to find herself tracking mud through the place.

So, instead she called over to the counter, "'Scuse me! You got a hose out here I can rinse off my wellies wiv? We just got in from Route 102 and were all in that marsh."

"Oh, er...a hose? Wellies? Are you...oh my, yes I can see this. There's bathrooms upstairs, let me get you the keycard...."

Initial confusion aside, that was more or less exactly the answer Bridget wanted. "Right, up we go. If you need anyfin done in 'ere, now's a good time."

Bridget removed her boots before stepping inside. She'd wanted to rinse them outside to avoid the extra step, but taking them off, heading upstairs, then rinsing them up there was close enough. Once indoors, she took the key card, gave the lady at the counter a quick "thank you" on the way upstairs, and promptly made for a bathroom. Washing time! Bridget used a spraying hose meant for pokemon to rinse them off, but as she was rinsing, it occurred to her she also had a pokemon who could probably do with a quick rinse himself. Arthur had been involved in that fight with the Malamar, after all. And bath time was one of the few things he was consistently cooperative about.

Once she got the muck off her boots, Bridget put them back on and went into her bag, pulling out and opening up Arthur's pokeball. He knew this type of room, and an excited series of chirps and rattles immediately came out of his maw. What followed was a good few minutes of rinsing, scrubbing, rinsing again, then drying. Clean as a whistle!

With all her business done, Bridget left the bathroom, waiting around in the upstairs of the pokemon center for Nate to wrap up himself.

[LordCowCow 878]

Team JAA/AJA/AAJ

Anneliese wasn't sure she got it but instead of saying that to Anima, who seemed to have put a lot into her explanation, the girl just nodded. "You must really love Ghosts." After all that's what was important right?

“I’m… Um… Going to go find an Inn for us to stay in. You should keep an eye on Jacklyn here, and cheer her on, though,”

"Oh I do not think that there is an Inn. After all everything here is rather small, we would have seen an Inn when we walked into town." Anneliese said with a smile. She hadn't been to any Inn that wasn't ten floors tall at least after all. "Oh but yes, I most certainly will! You can count on me!"

She turned towards the battle and called out, though admittedly not very loudly, "go go, Jacklyn, go go Rus, go go!"

This seemed to cause the already angry Youngster to get even more riled up. "Grrrr, you think you're hot stuff just because you have a cheerleader? Making fun of me for not having a girlfriend? Well girls are gross anyway! Just like fish! I won't hold back now, this is my strongest Pokemon, go Elekid!"

And then out popped the spark plug baby Pokemon. While it was small the Pokemon looked to be brimming with confidence as it stared Jacklyn down. "Thunder Shock!"

Spoiler

Elekid, Level 8, Static, Leer, Quick Attack, Thunder Shock

Rus has gained a level! Rus is now level 7

Since Jacklyn will wrap up this battle in the next round we should decide how much we want to do before the fishing competition thing next day.

---

Team BQN

The Pokemon Center was a Pokemon Center. Imagine a Pokemon Center in your head and this sure was it. It really was Pokemon Centering with the best of them.

The main difference seemed to be that while it was small it had a few floors stacked on top of each other. That and the painting. In the corner was a rather large panting that seemed to depict some sort of serpent creature wrapped around a giant squid. Most of the people in the Center ignored it except a few, quite possibly others from other regions, who were snapping pictures and chatting about it.

Spoiler

I just wanted to write SOMEthing. As said in chat if you want stuff to do let me know and I can provide but other than that time for y'all also to decide what to do prior to fishing competition time. I don't think I specified that it was over for the day on this side so it could be same day still if you'd like.

 

[Skaia 618]

Jacklyn's pride continued to swell as Anneliese's cheering persisted. However, as the boy made his comment clear annoyance flashed across her face as she said, "hey! I didn't travel to a whole new region just to get called gross again, especially by some kid who doesn't like water! And Anneliese isn't gross either! But if that's how you want it then, Rus, let's show him a thing or two!" The Lepash was still fired up to keep battling, seeming more determined then ever.  As the Thunder shock came towards the fire bunny, Jacklyn shouted, "alright Rus, dodge!" 

The lepash did not want to get hit, but it could still feel the electricity flowing through his body and preventing from moving as well as he wanted to. So, he didn't bother trying. Instead his fur blazed red as flames stronger than any others before had collected in the Lepash's mouth. Letting loose an ember, being struck hard by the thunder shock and barely able to hold on from it, the flame sailed towards the Elekid and struck true, the Elekid not expecting such a brash retaliation had made no effort to dodge as well. Frowning, Jacklyn admonished, "come on, Rus, you didn't even try there. Oh, well, fine, go and Ember again!" 

The Lepash started to gather flames in its mouth once again, ready to fire off yet another powerful blast. "Elekid, quick attack." However, Rus was never able to release this strike, as the Elekid had bolted from its original position and slammed its body into the Lepash the pokemon went flying back off its feet.

"Alright Rus go on and...Rus?" As Jacklyn called out to her pokemon, she realized he wasn't responding to her. He wasn't even getting back up onto his feet. A concerned look crossed her face as she said, "well you did battle 3 in a row, I guess that was a bit much. Alright Rus, come on back." Returning her pokemon back to his ball she pulled out her second one. "If you think I'm just a one pokemon pokemon trainer than you've got another thing coming. Let's go Cherry, let's finish this off!"

"Bu!" As the Buneary came out, confused as ever, it had immediately hyped itself up to get into the fight.

"Thunder Shock!" 

Deciding to try the same thing for the second time Jacklyn shouted, "alright Cherry dodge!" At her trainer's behest, Cherry had swiftly leaped out of the way of the attack, the Thunder Shock striking the ground instead, only to then immediately get ready to hop again as Jacklyn shouted, "side hop!" Moving again immediately as its feet had touched the ground, it had managed to narrowly avoid getting slammed by the speeding Elekid's quick attack. "Now pound!" Once more as soon as it had landed it hopped forward and kicked the Elekid in the chest. As the spark plug pokemon was kicked back, static electricity discharged off of its body and traveled across Cherry's body. Grinning, the Elekid then followed his trainer's next command and unleashed a point blank Thunder Shock, knocking Cherry back with its electrical strike and causing electricity to crackle across the Buneary's body yet again. 

"Leer!" With the pokemon clearly having been struck by the static of Elekid's body he went to set up before going in for the kill. 

However the Elekid's nasty look towards the Buneary was interrupted as Jacklyn called out, "Cherry! Pound again!" 

"Bu bu!" Without any speed missing in its step, Buneary leaped forward yet again and took advantage of the opponent's lapse in judgement to go and kick the Elekid in the face once more. Though static discharged from his body yet again, the cotton fluff of Buneary's body managed to disperse most of it and their body proved too Limber to be bothered by what little remained. At his misreading of his opponent's abilities the boy hastily commanded the Elekid to let loose another Thunder Shock. Jacklyn, seeing the electricity crackle through the two plug like antennae on its head opted to for a follow up attack of her own. 

"Cherry, kick in its weird plug head!" As the Buneary landed, unable to dodge the Thunder Shock but seeing it coming, it managed to brace itself through the attack before leaping up and slamming both of its feet into the Elekid's head protrusions. Electricity sparked wildly out of the plugs as the attack critically struck its mark, and combined with the injury it had already suffered from Rus, proved enough to bring the pokemon down. Cherry landed back on her feet, though despite not being paralyzed barely seemed able to keep herself standing. "Way to go Cherry!" The girl cheered enthusiastically at her victory, the buneary raising an ear in joy as well, as Jacklyn looked back to the boy. "Now who's gross?"