[PKMN FULL] TRAINERS (IC)

Aubrey Joad - Route 25 pt. 1

The sunlight filtered through the trees as Aubrey sat leaning her back against one of the many wide tree trunks around her. Charlie lay beside her, soaking in the sun's rays and napping to his little heart's content. The freshly met pair had traversed through the hills of Route 25 for the first few hours of their trek, so it seemed now was the perfect time for a short break. While excited for the beginning of her very own pokemon journey, the novice trainer knew how important it was for her new partner to take breaks if he wanted to travel on foot beside her as he did. It didn't seem very practical to do in the long term, but from the extensive number of studies that she had read on the topic, it did seem that traveling side by side with one's partner boosted the longstanding relationship between trainer and pokemon.

When she first discovered that her starter would be a Bulbasaur, she also read as thoroughly as she could about the species and from everything that she had seen, one of the more important aspects to caring for them was to make sure that they get as much time to sleep in the sunlight as possible. Its rays help to cultivate growth in the seed carried on their backs, creating a healthier, happier pokemon overall. Charlie also seemed to have the type of personality to appreciate this extra naptime. By no means lazy, the Bulbasaur certainly seemed to be quite a relaxed and carefree individual. While Aubrey was busy soaking in the sights and taking notes on every wild pokemon and berry she could find, her partner sauntered alongside her, casually enjoying the brisk walk.

As Aubrey's nose was buried in a book about the flora surrounding Cerulean City, a familiar face entered into the periphery of her vision. Out on the well kept path of Route 25, a boy about the age of 15, strode through. His jet black hair, backwards hat, and torn jeans induced a wide array of negative emotions inside the young girl, prompting her to hide her bright red face behind the pages of the book in her hands, praying that she would go unnoticed.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't little Miss Country Bumpkin herself." The smug voice calling out to her, confirmed her fears otherwise. Breathing in and out slowly in order to regain her composure, Aubrey slowly lowered her book, finding that the boy was now faced towards her about five feet away. Her eyes glanced around, but she couldn't bring herself to look him in the eyes. "Wass' tha' mattuh' Meowth gotcha tongue?" His mocking voice brought a tightness to her chest, as the rush of old feelings continued to assault her.

Bradley Stevenson, 15 years of age, the heir of a thriving clothing company in Saffron City, and the bane of Aubrey's existence during her first year at Cape College. His constant torment on her accent, her clothes, her intelligence, her upbringing, her family, culminated in the young girl not wanting to return when visiting home on break. It was only the thought of the work her parents had put into sending her there, and a conversation with her eldest brother that convinced her to continue on. During her second year, she made real, solid friends that put Bradley's harassment to an end, for the most part. He still would sneak in a snicker or two when she'd speak up in class, but she hadn't had to deal with him much since then, because she wasn't alone. Alone, like she was now.

"H-hi there Bradley. Hope yer travels'r treatin' you well so far." Aubrey's voice was quiet, anxious in comparison to her counterpart's loud, brash way of speaking. She fumbled with the book in her hands, hoping that it would distract her from the anxiety closing itself around her throat. As his trainer endured the waves of panic continually washing over her, Charlie lay unpeturbed, continuing to enjoy his midday nap.

"They've been going just fine. Unlike apparently you have been, I've been proactive with my time and me and my Machop just beat down on some rookie trainers. We're well on our way to beating every gym leader in the region." He cocked his head to the side, as if in mock deep thought. "Say, now that I think about it, why don't we have a battle now? It looks like your Bulbasaur there could definitely use some training."

"W-well I'm not so sure 'bout that. Charlie's gotta get his rest'n all 'n I don' wanna trouble you none. Y'all go on head, thank you fer the offer though, Bradley." Aubrey's chest tightened even more than before. She wasn't much of an experienced battler and the thought of putting Charlie in the way of her bully's warpath didn't help much to relieve her of the overwhelming disquieting of her emotions.

"That wasn't an offer." Bradley's expression became one of a smug grin as he brandished a shiny red poke-ball in his hand. "Get your redneck self, up and battle me.

With a sigh of deep regret, the young girl struggled to her feet. "I suppose I'ont got a choice in the matter then..." She looked to the still dozing pokemon to her right. "Charlie, wake up buddy. Iss time fer our ferst battle."

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Among the hilly sea of trees of Route 25, the two trainers stood opposite of each other. One stood self-assured, his hat snuggly secured backwards upon his head and his Machop, eagerly awaiting the battle by his side. The other stood shaking in fear, the demons of her past she had thought she'd left behind, back to haunt her. Her Bulbasaur, stood beside her, a disengaged yet confident look in his eyes.

Aubrey looked to her partner, breathing in hard to steady herself. "You ready, Charlie?" He gave a curt nod in return, more ready for the battle than his trainer could have ever hoped to be. "Alright... les' get 'er done then." She turned her focus to the boy across from her, attempting to feed off her pokemon's boldness. "We ready 'never you are."

Bradley's cocky grin seemed to grow even wider as the rush of battle began to hit him. "I'll go ahead and call the ambulance for you, let's go Machop! Hit that little plant with a Low Kick!" In response to his trainer's command, the muscled up pokemon came charging towards the Bulbasaur ahead of it.

The words "Low Kick" threw Aubrey's mind into overdrive, making her thoughts race across her head. Machop was a strong physical attacker, making its Fighting type moves a potent force, yet Charlie wasn't among the heavier pokemon species so Low Kick wouldn't do too much damage quite yet. The best course of action seemed to be to lower the pokemon's attack so that it'd progressively do less damage. Making these connections in her mind, the young girl called out to her partner, "Charlie, hit 'im with Growl!"

However, before he could respond, the Machop came through, pummeling the Bulbasaur with a kick, sending him sprawling across the grass. "What's wrong? Your hillbilly mind thinking a little too slowly for battle?" Bradley snorted out a laugh, causing Aubrey to grit her teeth in frustration. "Sorry, Charlie, but keep et up! Get 'im now while we got time!"

The Bulbasaur grimaced, the Low Kick hadn't done too much damage, but it still definitely hurt. He nodded in response to his trainer, glad to have some direction as to what to do. He scrambled forward, sending an ear piercing growl towards the Machop, lowering its attack.

"You don't think, I'm that stupid do you?" The boy continued to chuckle at his opponent's inexperience. "Machop, use Leer to cancel out that garbage!" The fighting-type flexed back, replicating his trainer's confidence and glowered at the pokemon across from him, lowering its defense and making any stat changes null and void.

Aubrey grimaced, feeling out of her depth. She could read all she wanted to about battling strategies and tactics, yet it was quite clear to see that when it came to the actual thing she was being thoroughly outclassed by her opponent. Two steps 'head, girly, gotta be thinkin' two steps 'head. So far she had only seen Leer and Low Kick from the Machop, and considering the fact that they had only started their journeys that day, it couldn't have learned too many other moves already. There was no type advantage available either way, so she was going to have to think outside of the box.

"Machop hit it with another Low Kick!" Once again, the pokemon came charging towards Charlie, who glanced back at his trainer for directions. "Alrighty, get 'im with a Vine Whip, but go fer the legs!" Reacting instantly to his commands, two vines shot out of the Bulbasaur's sprout, cleanly sweeping his adversary off of his feet and onto the ground. "One more tahm! Vine Whip!" As if connected to the thoughts of his trainer, the vines whipped forward again, squarely striking Machop across its body.

With their first hit on the board, both Aubrey felt the confidence within her begin to grow. "Way t'go Charlie! Ya done did 'im right!"

The cocky smile across Bradley's face vanished as he realized what had just happened. A wave of anger crashing over him, he called out, "So you think you're so smart with your little strategies huh? Let's see how you like this one, Machop, use Bide!" The fighting-type nodded promptly, crouching down, awaiting the next attack.

Bide, a move that caused a pokemon to be unable to move again for quite some time. It takes in damage, only to return it twice-fold when the waiting period was over. The only thing was that if the pokemon were to not be damaged, Bide had no use, a fact Aubrey recalled from a Battle Tactics class. Recognizing the mistake that the boy had made in his fit of rage, she felt another wave of elation run through her body. This was the rush of the battle. "Thinkin' a lil' too far 'head I suppose. Charlie hit 'im with some Growls 'til he's out've it!"

The Bulbasaur, once again, shot a continuous roaring growl towards his opponent who was helpless against the attack-lowering move.

"God damn it!" Bradley shouted in anger, comprehending the oversight he had taken. He bit his lip, unable to do anything until Bide's waiting period had ended.

While her opponent, stirred restlessly, Aubrey went about thinking out her next move. He would most assuredly go for a Leer as Machop's attack would be lowered to the point that any physical moves were deemed useless. She could either go for the big home run and attempt to knock him out then and there, or take the safe route and whittle down his health. The choice might have seemed obvious for any sensible trainer, but this was about sending a message. She hadn't wanted to battle in the first place, but she was going to end it right then and there.

Finally, Machop was able to move again and Bradley immediately made the move that his opponent had predicted. "Machop, use Leer!" With the trace of a bold smile across her face, the girl nodded towards her partner. "Hit 'im with the special thing, Charlie." Confused at first, the Bulbasaur thought to himself, until it dawned upon him, prompting his own smile to form across his face.

As his defense was lowered, the Bulbasaur assumed his own waiting stance, with his head tucked in and resting upon the grass beneath him. "You think, I'm gonna fall for the same strategy that I just used? You're getting a little too cocky there, freakin' redneck! Machop, use another Leer!"

Aubrey's smile turned to a full on grin as Bradley walked straight into her trap. "Alright, Charlie, let 'er rip!" The moment the words left her mouth, the pokemon charged forward at lightning speed, smashing his skull straight into the Machop's jaw. The impact sent it sprawling off into a nearby tree, its body limp and knocked out.

Skull Bash, a two step move in which a pokemon takes some time to tuck their head him, vulnerable to damage in the process, but unleashing a devastatingly powerful attack upon the next turn. Bulbasaur generally only learn it through selective breeding, so it was peculiar that her starter pokemon would come with such a move, but the rookie trainer made an instant mental note about it when she saw it appear in her poke-dex, and it paid off.

"We did it, Charlie! We did it!" Filled with elation, Aubrey scooped up her partner and hugged him tightly. While feeling the same emotions, the pokemon was nice and tuckered out awaiting his next chance for a nap. He offered a content "Saur" in response and allowed his trainer to feel the rush of victory.

Bradley, on the other hand, silently returned his Machop to its pokeball. He paused for a moment, as if he were about to begin saying something to the girl he had tormented for so long, but just bit his lip in frustration, turning towards the beginning of the route to get his pokemon healed.

As the adrenaline finally started to wear off, Aubrey looked around only to find Bradley to have vanished off into thin air. "Well 'suppose he got what he deserved." She looked down towards her partner, satisfied with how well her first battle went. She had much to learn, but if she could take on the boy that had made her life miserable, she felt like she could take on the world. "Let's git goin' Charlie, we got a lotta ground t'cover by t'night."​

Rosie and Ted continued along the path with Noel steadily trailing behind them. Luna was perched right on top of Noel's head, perhaps on the stake out for suspicious trainers, or maybe she just wanted a free ride. Either way, Noel did not mind much at all. As Noel travelled, Noel couldn't help but to think. Her mind was remembering all of the previous times when she was a younger kid. When she was younger, she watched her parents and the crew perform all the time in Kanto. Not one person left the show without a smile on their face. Noel included.

Even before that, Noel was someone who did not have any friends. She was shy, quiet, and very sensitive. She always stumbled and faltered whenever she made a mistake, got embarrassed, or if someone made fun of her. She used to cry alone, while staring at the nearby park in Saffron. Her mother one day, saw her crying. "Noel…" she said. "Always remember. The best trainers are those who have the biggest smiles. No matter what."

Since then, Noel took that to heart. Even to this day. She continued on her way along the path, looked up on her Clefairy and smiled. Meanwhile, Ted glanced at the map he was carrying, then peered upon the road ahead. More and more buildings were in view, until the group found themselves in a vast area of farmland, that had all sorts of crops and plants. All sorts of buildings were in place, including a larger building that stood right in the front and center of them all. "This is…" Ted started, once more double checking the map. "Ah, we're in North Maple!"

"North Maple, huh," Rosie replied, observing the view. "I think the professor said loads of farmers come around here, cultivating crops and the like. All sorts of Pokémon who help them out are with them as well. It has some of the richest soils in the entire region."

"Waaaaa…" Noel beamed in delight, pointing at the centermost building. "Look at that! Think it's a lodge of some sort?"

"I believe it is," Ted replied. "The farmers here are really hospitable for trainers, so I think maybe we can set out here tonight."

"It's the perfect place to come up with a plan too," Rosie added. "Shall we?"

The Maple Lodge was seemingly busy today. It stood at the center of the North Maple as a hub for trainers, farmers, or travellers to stay and relax before continuing on their way once more. Right inside, they heard immediate yelling from a woman who was seemingly in charge. She directed each passerby where to stay, alongside a schedule for things to come. It took awhile for the party to get their turn, but at last, they did.

"Howdy! Reckon' y'all trainers?" the woman greeted. She was accompanied by a Miltank, who was carrying a bunch of paperwork and books right to the nearby desk. She quickly greeted the group with a wave before carrying on her task.

"I... reckon so!" Noel replied, with an attempt to mimic her seemingly thick accent. It was amusing to her. The woman tilted her head slightly in confusion. "I'mma trainer, and these are my buds'. Nice to meet… y'all!"

Rosie sighed, and shook her head back in forth. "...I'm sorry about her," Rosie apologized. She then gave Noel an icy glance, and then promptly turned back to the woman. "My name is Rosie, and that's Ted. And this is… Noel."

"The amazing Noel, thank you very much!" Noel corrected with a bow. "Never on stage without her beloved partner, Luna the Clefairy!" Luna waved, and blew a kiss to her assumed audience.

"Right," the woman replied, followed with somewhat of an awkward giggle. "Name's Bryony. Nice to meet y'all! Gimme a sec while I get you your rooms… Mille! Oy! MILLIE!" she called out to her Miltank, who had recently finished her task, to be given another one: she got out a pouch from inside the desk drawer she was nearby, and headed to Bryony's way. She then opened it, taking out three keys from within, and giving one to each of the trainers. "Room number eleven, just right across number twelve. Dinner's at seven, an' if you have any questions, feel free to ask! By the by, if ya'll see a small Magikarp floppin' about anywhere, grab em', because a kid is lookin' for em', ya? Oh and, careful of any stains, cause a guy brought his Grimer and, ugh, I told him to not let that thing out here…"

"Thank you! We'll be careful," Ted happily agreed. The trio waved to the kind receptionist, as they made their way to their room, making sure to evade any suspicious materials on the floor. Finally they arrived at their room. It had one bed, window, dresser, and bathroom, but it was to be expected.

"Heeeey, maybe we can play cards for that bed later?" Noel suggested. "Or a comedy night competition? Maybe karaoke?"

"Just take it, I already got a sleeping bag," Rosie replied, with Ted nodding as he got out his. "Besides, I'm pretty sure just before you'd possibly lose, you'll go: Awwww shoot, I forgot my sleeping bag! You wouldn't want the best entertainer in the world to sleep on the cold floor, would you?! ...Did I get your impression right?"

Noel playfully stuck out her tongue and sofly bopped her head with her right knuckle. No other words, but that response just says it all. This is going to be an interesting night.

North Maple's dining hall, in contrast to its haphazardly organized main hall, was a methodical arrangement of tables. Each table sat six people and was set perpendicular to either the north or south wall, creating a wide aisle down the middle of the room. Through the three entryways people wandered in to claim seats by the fireplace on the eastern wall or to head straight for dinner on the western. The counter that spanned almost the entire west side of the room was piled high with food; the remaining space taken by an open doorway to the kitchen. Cooks swiftly rotated plates and dishes as the farmhands set upon the buffet. With the clanking of utensils, scraping of chairs, and chatter of nearly a hundred voices- it was loud, yes, but nonetheless welcoming.

Rosie sat down next to Ted, her plate with a fair amount of food, but not as much as Ted's. "That's quite a plate you've got there," Rosie observed with a smile.

"I guess I was so frantic before that I kinda forgot to eat," Ted laughed, a bit ruefully. "It's quite busy in here… I guess there's not quite a feast to lift up spirits, huh?"

Rosie gave a sly chuckle. "I think Noel would argue otherwise," she said. She then searched around the area. There were plenty of people alright, but Noel was not in sight. "Where is she, anyway? Still getting food?"

Ted shrugged. "I'm not sure, but…" he then gave a stern look. "Why do I have this… foreboding feeling?"

"What do you mean--"

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN OF ALLLLLL AGES!" A general hush fell in the wake of the shout. The people looked around to where it was coming from, until they realized that it came from above. Ted and Rosie were astonished… in an awkward sort of way. Indeed, it could have been none other than Noel, garnering for attention. "Introducing, the star that shines as bright as the sun itself, Noel Yukino, here to descend, and dazzle you all!"

Noel was standing on a beam that supported the structure of the building above. She had both of her arms up in the air, as she carefully took both steps off the platform she was standing on. To the naked eye, it appeared as though she was… floating. A ripple of amazement rushed through the crowd. She slowly descended, keeping a confident and ready posture.

However, nearby, there stood Luna, holding up what seemed to be a thin rope. It was supporting Noel as she was slowly descending, with Luna holding Noel up in place. Luna was much stronger than she looked; she was able to lift Noel at will, so supporting her with a rope was a simple task for her.

Until her hands started to slip and she slowly started to lose her grip.

"Feast your eyes, everyone!" Noel meanwhile gloated. "Noel, the dazzling agent of the gods, now dances upon the evening sky an-- EEEEEEEK!" Luna eventually lost her grip completely. Noel fell face first on the floor with a somewhat large thud. Quizzical glances were exchanged along with a few concerned murmurs.

Luna walked on by, softly giving Noel a poke. "Wouna wai twuat wue refurfed fis…" Noel muttered, her voice muffled by the floor. Two women stepped forward from the crowd, ready to offer a hand to the prone girl. Noel took one of them, and stood right back up, and rubbed her nose. "Okay! Noel is okay, my friends! Let's forget that ever happened, ahahaha!" Luna showered Noel with another stream of confetti. Ta da…? Fortunately, Noel had a back up plan.

"Noel is just full of talents, my fellow trainers," she announced. "How about, I sing for you all instead?" Ted and Rosie exchanged looks. Singing? Now?

Luna borrowed a chair from a nearby table, and gently placed it in front of Noel, for her to stand on. Noel did so, clasping her hands together, with her eyes closed, and tilting her head forward slightly. The room was silent, yet anxious. Eventually, Noel looked up at her new audience. It took her awhile to realize, this is the first seated audience who Noel is about to perform. It was an odd feeling. She was nervous, yet… excited. She took a deep breath, and started to let it out, and started to sing.

The magic fee~ling… it's grown so strooong.
Always leads me to a place where I be~long.
Won't go away!
Never let me dooooown.
I've got the greatest friends
That ever could be found.

Across every river!
Behind every tree!
On top of every mountain
They're a part of you and meee!

They rush like waaater…
They soar like the wind…
They're always with me
Ev~ery day I begin!
They BURN like fiiii~re
They CHILL like ice…
They take on an-y challenge
Make any sacrifice…

Across every river!
Behind every tree!
On top of every mountain
They're a part of you and meee!

One world, One world! Now and forever!
Best friends, Best friends! Loyal and true!
One dream, One dr~eam... Put side by side
There's nothing we can't do!
One hand, one hand! Helping the other
Each heart, Each heart! Beating as one!
We live, We live... Always together!
Sharing the same bright suuuuun!

Whoaaah~whoa~hoa~hoah~
You and me!
And Po-ke-mon!

A smattering of applause broke out even as the audience began to disperse. A few people cheerfully patted Noel on the back as they resumed their evening. Noel lost herself in the applause and admiration. Luna cheerfully showered her with even more confetti (seriously where does she get all this confetti?), while Noel took bow after bow, until her hand was grabbed.

"Come on now," Rosie directed, getting Noel to sit down next to her and Ted. Rosie sighed. "You're something else."

A plate piled precariously high with mostly vegetables appeared across from Noel, its owner plopping down in the chair a second later. The sandy-haired boy greeted her enthusiastically.

"Noel! I thought that was you! Hey, that song was good, but how did you do that cool thing before? Floating, or whatever?"

Noel giggled, brushing her hair to the back of her shoulder. "Naughty boy, a performer never reveals her secrets," Noel explained with heightened arrogance. She then looked up at her new endearing fan. She stared at him, with curiosity. "You… wait, I recognize you!"

"Yeah, we had some classes together. Casey, remember?" He didn't seem bothered that she hadn't recognized him. "But come on, how'd you float? Was it a Pokémon move? Did you get a psychic-type?"

"No can do Casey," Noel replied. "I told you, a true performer never reveals her--"

"It was her Clefairy," Rosie interrupted. "Hoisted her up with a rope."

"Rosie!" Noel snapped. "How could you?!"

Casey's lips flung a blink-and-you'll-miss-it frown in Rosie's direction before returning to a more cheerful smile. "Ah, I won't tell, don't worry! Anyway, you got a Clefairy? That's great! I think it suits you- in aesthetic, anyway; are you working together okay? Like, for battles?"

"Of course, my dear Casey," Noel reassured. Luna climbed on top of the dinner table, to perch herself on top of Noel's head. "Luna is the lovable guardian of the stars… the perfect partner for Noel."

"But Noel," Rosie chimed in. "Don't you know what Luna actually does?"

Noel gave Rosie a puzzled look. "Whatever do you mean?" Noel could only ask. "She is the ever lovable guardian of the stars and--"

"No, no, no," Rosie corrected. "Have you ever talked with your pokemon? Do you ever look up a Clefairy on your Pokedex? Do you... even know Clefairy's moves?"

Luna and Noel exchanged looks. "O-Of course I do!" Noel slyly confirmed, but with somewhat of a hesitant tone. She made a 'V' for victory sign with two of her fingers, with Luna mimicking her shortly afterward. "As I already told you! Luna is the lovable guardian of the stars, and the perfect partner for me! That is a common fact! N-Now as I can see this is growing into a privileged Q' and A' session from my adoring public, are there any other questions?"

"Am I the adoring public?" Casey laughed, paused to take a large bite of his dinner, then continued. "I guess like-- I didn't see anyone from our class on the way here, so I don't know what anyone's been up to.

So did you guys do anything interesting today? Did y'all catch a Pokémon yet?"

"We all just started, so we didn't really have the chance yet," Ted explained, adjusting his glasses.

"Au contraire Ted," Noel corrected. "Noel had many opportunities, but she did not take one of them, and do you know why? Because Noel believes in destiny. For if life's a stage, we'd all be actors. Noel only looks for the best suited actors in the play only she is qualified to be in."

"Right," Rosie commented, with a sigh. "And I suppose any Pokemon you would catch would only be subjected to your whimsical acting."

Casey spoke up, slightly muffled by the rather revolting amount of food in his mouth. "She's right to look for Pokémon that will fit with her style. It'll make working with them easier. Can't force 'em to do anything they don't wanna do."

"Now there's a sensible lad," Noel beamed. "I humbly do agree! Wouldn't you agree, Rosie?"

Rosie sighed. "Well, whatever I guess. You do you," she said. "What Pokemon do you have, Casey?"

"I picked Charmander to start with! He's really fun and he's got a lot of energy- he walked almost the whole way with me. And he helped me catch a Buneary. She's really strong! It's… mostly because she hates me at the moment, but it'll work out!" Casey leaned back in his chair, hands behind his head. "I almost caught a Pancham. But they can be trouble, and I have to focus on Buneary for a while so she feels better about being with me."

"Daw, well, keep at it! Buneary is sure to like you," Noel reassured. "If not sooner, give her a show! I'll gladly help you!"

"Thanks for the offer, but it's more of a bonding thing than an entertaining thing. Maybe I'll find somebody to battle tomorrow; she seems to like that. At least, she likes getting berries after."

"Hmm, speaking of battle…" Rosie said with a more dire tone. "We should talk about that now."

"Y-yeah," Ted agreed, in a hesitant tone. "Casey, have you heard? There are a group of thugs around the Nugget Bridge… they've been battling every single new trainer that tries to pass by, but no one can beat them, and no one can get through. They say their leader is unbeatable!"

"Well, that's definitely not true," was Casey's matter-of-fact response. He gestured pointedly with his fork. "They're picking on new trainers, right? That means they're not even that strong. Anyone who did a decent amount of training on the way down can probably take them out easy enough."

"I wouldn't make that assumption just yet," Rosie commented. "We don't actually know how strong they really are. That being said however, we're still going to try and defeat them. But to do that, we'll need as much trainers as we can recruit. Will you help us?"

"I mean…" Casey tipped back in his chair contemplatively. "I'll tag along. Be backup, or whatever. I gotta get to Cerulean at some point anyway."

Rosie nodded, then turned to Noel. "What about you?"

"O-Of course I'm going!" Noel reassured. "The.. the humble agent of the stars will not lose to those… those ruffians!"

"If you're not going to take this more seriously, don't bother," Rosie suggested. "Otherwise, you'll be nothing more than a burden. It's for everyone's safety, Noel. Yourself, and your Pokemon included!"

"O-Oh," Noel meekly nodded. She said nothing else, but drank a cup of water that rested nearby. Luna looked on, with a puzzled glance on her partner. Noel then stood up. "If you kind folks will.. .excuse me," she then grabbed Luna off of her head, and carried her away out from the dinning all.

What do I do?

David Alexander

Chapter 1: Route 24
Day 1, Part 3: Early Evening

Kurogane was unamused. "What are you supposed to be, some sort of damn clown?" he roared. "What do you want, kid?"

Noel chuckled. "What else?" she replied confidingly, pointing right at him. "To challenge you to a battle of wits and strength.. A Pokemon battle!"

Kurogane spat on the ground. "You want to fight me?" he asked. "Pretty ballsy for a clown, kid."

"I hail from the prestigious Cape College," Noel explained. "You will not turn down my challenge, yes?"

"Interesting," Kurogane said with a sly smirk. "But what makes you so sure you're any different than from the other brats from that damned college that I've already wiped the floor with? You kids aren't even worth my time."

Another thug approached. "You heard the boss!" he said. "Get the hell out of here, kid!"

"The number one entertainer, vs. the authority of of high intense street battles… wouldn't that make an exciting match?" Noel tried to coax. "Would you truly turn away from this opportunity?"

Kurogane raised an eyebrow. "I see," he said. "The number one entertainer, eh? That actually does sound interesting… Alright, kid. You got a battle. Try to entertain me then! In fact… let's make this interesting." Kurogane snapped his fingers another thug approached him. "Let's see you take on two of us. That should me mighty entertaining to see."

"How right you are!" Noel agreed. "In fact, I'll raise you one better! I have gotten the honor of meeting your assistant, allow me to have you meet mine! The star lad who's as bright as the cosmos… introducing, Casey!!"

Casey, who was looking for a Potion and hadn't expected to be addressed, jumped. "Wait- Noel, what-"

"Come now, Casey, don't be shy!" Noel encouraged. "This stage is for the two of us, and we mustn't keep the audience waiting!"

"Oh, are we battling?" Casey's expression shifted from mild panic to cheerful determination. "Count me in, then!"

"Heh, whatever," Kurogane shrugged, turning to the other thug. "Take care of him. I got the clown."

***

Noel was now face to face against Kurogane. She saw, meanwhile, Casey face to face against the other thuggish trainer, who had sent out an Elekid. Casey hesitated only a second before commanding his Buneary to step forward. This probably wasn't Casey's first battle, but this was Noel's first serious match. Kurogane stared down at Noel, as she got out a pokeball, with a sort of slight of hand trick that made it seem like it appeared right before the naked eye.

"Alright...introducing…" Noel threw her pokeball in the air. The capsule opened, with the energy showing a brilliant silver light, until it materialized to a familiar shaped friend. "Luna, my eternal partner of the stars!"

Kurogane snickered at her pokemon. It was just small potatoes for him. "Magby," he called out confidently. His Pokemon, Magby was already out, but leaped into the fray while shooting his fire breath wildly in the air, ready for battle. "Easy, boy!" Kurogane cried. His Magby was as battle thirsty as it was vicious. Only Kurogane could calm it down just enough for it to focus his strength onto his opponent. The Magby let loose one last flame breath to the air, until it faced his Fairy-type foe.

"Flamethrower!" Kurogane shouted. His Magby spewed a stream of flames right towards Luna. Noel clapped her hands.

"Allow me to show you, how Noel and Luna battles! For our first performance… twist and roll through the sky! Rolliiiing Luna!!" Noel commanded. Luna, with her trademark smile and grace, spun around like a spinning top, evading the flamethrower with ease, not a scratch on her. "You're going to have to catch us, if you wanna beat us!" Luna started running away from Magby, straight into the deepwood to the nearby forest.

"Tch! Running away?" Kurogane grumbled, spitting on the ground. "Go after her! Once you do, Fire Punch!" His Magby tried to follow suit. He then jumped once he gained a bit more distance, activating a storm of flames that formed on his small fist.

"It's time for our next performance! A Disarming Voice! Lunaaaa Howl!!" Luna let loose a charming cry, that blasted Magby in mid-air. Magby was hit, but managed to regain his footing. Luna then started running again, maneuvering past a couple of trees.

"What are you doing, Noel?!" Rosie shouted. "You can't just win by defense and running away, you've got to fight back!"

Noel simply turned back and smiled. "I am fighting," she stated, with a surprised look of a response from Rosie. "Noel realized something: Through this battle, she will reinvent herself!"

"What do you mean, reinvent yourself?" Ted asked.

"Noel-- er, I've been thinking," Noel started to say, in a more composed and straightforward tone. "I always thought that I needed to find my own way on helping to entertain people, no matter what form it took. I hid myself behind a mask of buffoonery, so that at the very least, I can get people to smile by laughing at me. But now I realized, I really just want to become like my parents, whom I've loved ever since I was a kid. That's why I'm going to change my approach, and level up!"

Kurogane meanwhile, looked on in a quiet anger. "Talkin' about dreams, huh?" he scoffed, gardening the trainers' attention. "Don't be stupid. What good are dreams if you're not strong enough? You're not living in the real world yet, kid. I'll show ya how." His Magby continued chase of Luna's Clefairy. "Widespread Flamethrower!" Magby spread his flame attack in a wide area, instead of a direct contact this time. It burned the grass and plantation life nearby, leaving no room for Luna to evade and hide.

"Next performance!" Noel cried out. "Luna! Downward face Disarming Voice, go!" Luna jumped, pointing her body towards the ground. It then released a slightly stronger Disarming Voice; the air pressure from the move allowed her to lift herself upward from the ground, allowing her to somersault up and above Magby's Flamethrower, and landing herself safely back on the ground. "Luna SummerSault!"

"Hmph, I see now," Kurogane remarked. "You're not just clowinin' around. You've been using your moves for maneuvering, and you've been trying to scout out the terrain to use as to your advantage. Smart." Kurogane then looked around. "But now, you've got nowhere to hide n' run to now, thanks to our last attack. What cha' gonna do now?"

Noel started to wince and sweat. It was indeed her battle plan; if she couldn't win by overpowering her opponent, she decided to try and be tricky about it… but now what? Kurogane however, left her with no more time to think. "Direct Flamethrower!" Kurogane commanded. His Magby inhaled, and spewed another vicious Flamethrower attack, this time making direct contact with Luna. Luna was blasted a few feet, landing on top of some burnt leaves and twigs from the earlier blast. "Now, Fire Punch!" Luna tried to get back up from that point, but Magby was fast -- he punched Luna with a direct contact with a fist of burning flames. It caused Luna to be blown away, hitting square against a nearby tree that still stood.

Noel started looking wryly at the situation. Kurogane simply chuckled. "Now do you get it?" he said. Noel ran over to her hurt Pokemon, who sat there, trying to recover, but was even struggling to get back up. "Dreams can't come true if you're weak. Kids your age have it so easy. You think you can just dream big, and it will instantly come true with a little faith. Peh, well, welcome to the real world, kids. And it ain't nice." Kurogane then pushed up his stylish orange glasses ."Giving up, now? Or do I have to get more rough?"

Noel had a grave expression. In an attempt of desperation, she covered her face with both her hands and turned away while kneeling down, seemingly in a defeatist state. At the very least, if she was going to cry, she didn't want anyone to see…

Maybe it was hopeless after all…
What was I thinking?
I'll never be like... Mom or dad…
What do I do? What do I do? What.. do I.. do…?


Remember to smile.

Noel widened her eyes. It was the first thought she remembered, that popped in her head. It was from her dad, who told her some advice while she was in her depressed state, long ago. Remember, Noel. The greatest performers are those who always smile. No matter what. Courage is the magic that turns your dreams into reality.

"Courage is… magic that turns dreams to reality…" Noel whispered to herself. She then felt something. A tiny hand that pressed on her cheek. It was Luna, who managed to stuck her hand out, to try and comfort her partner, and friend. She simply smiled, and cried. Noel couldn't understand what she was saying, but Noel could probably guess, I'm always here for you.

Noel wiped the small tears from her eyes, and stood back up. "Luna," she said. As if on cue, Luna managed to stand back up, ready to continue. "It's time to get back into the climax." Luna cheerfully agreed. As she leaped back over to face her opponent once more.

"Not giving up, huh?" Kurogane observed. "You're tough kid, I'll give you that… but stupid if you think this changes anything. I told you, what's the point of dreaming while you're weak? This world will swallow you whole."

"That's.. That's wrong!" Noel shouted, with an unfamiliar passionate tone. "It's dreams that drive people to their goals! If you don't put in the effort, perseverance, and most importantly, the courage to face obstacles as they come, anyone can follow whatever dreams they wish! You have no right to tell people to not follow what their heart wishes!"

Kurogane gritted his teeth, giving a more vicious look. "Stupid… And just what will you achieve? You kids all just pal around, and believe that your dreams can come true. Dreams don't exist for dumbasses like you!" he grumbled. It was almost as if… he was trying to confirm something within Noel.

"If you believe in your dreams, then they can come true!" Noel announced. "And to make my dreams come true, there's only one thing to do first." she then pointed straight at Kurogane. "Luna and I will defeat you!"

Kurogane spat on the ground once more. "Haaaah? You really think your dreams will come true, kid?"

"Why don't I show you!" Noel stated. Luna readied a battle stance, with Kurogane's Magby, doing the same. "It's time.. for the fun to begin!"

This kid… What's with her?" Kurogane could only think. She reminds me of… of… who I was before.

"Go Luna!" Noel shouted, with her Clefairy blazing forward. "Move in for another Disarming Voice!"

"Magby! Flamethrower!" Kurogane countered. Luna stepped even closer to Magby, right before the two attacks simultaneously went off. The two attacks collided, and appeared evenly matched until the result ended up in a mini explosion that sent the two Pokemon flying backwards.

"Time for our rising action!" Noel declared. "A resounding Encore! Luna's cheer for a dramatic counter strike!" Luna started clapping her hands, releasing a mysterious orange light that soon enveloped Magby. It didn't seem to damage him though. "Signalling the time for… Luna's Ray!"

"I don't give a damn what it's called!" Kurogane shouted. "Magby! Fire Punch!" However, Magby did not do as instructed. Instead, it released his Flamethrower attack once again. Luna was ready for it, making it easy for her to evade. "What?!"

"Encore isn't just for a resounding applause after a stellar performance," Noel explained. "It's a move that forces your Pokemon to repeat the same move it did before, for quite a while."

"Wow, I.. didn't know that," Rosie muttered, looking on in the battle. But something more curious has her intrigued. What happened to her? Is that really… the same goofball, Noel?

Kurogane grunted in frustration. Damn... she got in close on purpose to force me to use Flamethrower! She had this planned all along! But then, all of a sudden… there was a flash. Kurogane was.. Smiling. Heh… haha. Ahaha! I wonder, when was the last time I've really felt anything during a battle? This exhilarating feeling… yeah, I remember… this was back when I became a trainer too…

"Now, our climax!" Noel declared. "A performance for all ages! Now Luna, Another Disarming Voice, while a head over heels roll to your foe! Now go!" Luna tucked herself into a ball, and rolled herself over to Magby.

"Let's see what you've got, then!" Kurogane boasted. "Can't use anythin' else at the moment, so.. Flamethrower! Make it a strong one!" Magby inhaled as much as he could, spewing another Flamethrower attack.

"Go, Luna! Luna's cosmic hurricane!" Noel cried. On cue, Luna used her Disarming Voice. The air pressure from it made it bounce right up, as it kept soaring to evade Magby's flames. Magby redirected his Flamethrower, striking Luna while she was in mid-air. Kurogane looked on, seemingly triumphant, only to then release the pressure from the Disarming Voice was so great that it repealed the flames completely, leaving Magby staggered as Luna soared in the air above it, released from its ball position.

Kurogane started to sweat. "No way…" he whispered. "This… this is…"

"Now, for the finale!" Noel shouted.



"Luna! Attack Magby with your most valiant Pound attack!" Luna readied a first, as it dropped straight down towards the Magby.

"Lunaaaa's… Star Crush attack!!"

Luna hit Magby square on the head with her Pound attack, bashing Magby straight down to the ground. The impact caused dust to swarm, leaving the two combatants to look on and hope for their Pokemon's success. When the dust cleared, it was settled. Luna was breathing heavily, but was standing tall over Magby, was crushed on the ground, seemingly fainted, and defeated.

"I..." Kurogane looked in disbelief. "I... lost?"

Chapter 2: Cerulean City
Starting date May 21th, Monday

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ADOPTABLES: Any day in May / OPTIONAL
- The pokémon rescue center is a place on the western outskirts of the city to which locals know to bring wild pokémon who seem hurt, or pokémon who seem to have been abandoned. Recently, some very peculiar pokémon were brought in and they seem to enjoy the companionship of humans so much after having been nursed back to health, that they refuse to go back into the wild. It would be a kind act if you adopted one of them!

- Reward? You acquire one pokémon you otherwise wouldn't be able to get! Note that there are several of each, so no need to fight over them.

- Alternative? Well, you don't, I guess?

DARK MORNING: May 22nd / MANDATORY
- On Wednesday morning, Cerulean awakes to discover that several of the pokémon residing at the famous Dragon type gym have gone missing. Leader Hoshi asks everyone in the city to spread the word that they are looking for lost dragon type pokémon and offers a reward to anyone who brings them back. Pokémon trained in the gym usually have a temporary tattoo with a stylized dragon somewhere on their body.

- Reward? If you choose to find a dragon pokémon somewhere in the city, be creative! They will be riled up and need to either be calmed down or knocked out (and in the latter case, perhaps you'd better call the gym or police to come fetch the knocked out pokémon). As a reward, gym leader Hoshi will offer you a TM of your choice.

- Alternative? You can instead choose to encounter a dragon pokémon who is in the process of being forced into a mysterious dark pokéball by a human dressed in dark unlabeled clothes and wearing a mask not resembling any known pokémon. There will be several of these humans, so several players can go this route. You will not be able to beat them nor save the dragon. But if you tell gym leader Hoshi or the police what you saw, they will save your name and number for future use.

Arianne Chandler & Ralph Gonder
🍀🍀🍀
Route 25 - Day 1 - May 20^th
Joint post with Astronaut
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Arianne's team: •
Ralph's team: •