[PKMN FULL] Hoenn: Square One [IC]

QueenNothing · Feb 28, 2022

Junko "June" Enomoto

Monday, October 5th
Afternoon
Route 110

"Oh- another one of these?" June says aloud, holding another stone with a leaf engraving up. Seems these might be a little more common than she initially thought, but she'll keep it anyways. It couldn't hurt to have more than one. She's spent all of yesterday and today continuing with cleanup, and it's starting to wear on her. Aside from a Technical Machine containing the move Cut, she hasn't found much interesting unlike her first day in Route 110. Einstein hasn't really slowed down except to eat or sleep, as he sees it as an opportunity to practice his telekinesis. When the canvas bag started to fill up, June and Einstein thought it'd be practical to crumble up any waste made of material such as paper, aluminum, or cardboard, sometimes even mashing multiple items together to save space- something June would do if she didn't want to remain relatively clean. Plus, during his little excursions he found a few Ultra Balls in the midst of all the garbage, and like before he did his absolute best to sneak them into June's backpack.

Chip, of course, has continued eating to his heart's content. June, having been preoccupied, hasn't exactly been paying as much attention to him as she should, but he's had very little trouble so far. In fact, this might be the happiest he's been yet on this entire journey.

After finishing a rotten apple core, Chip notices a little something a short distance ahead of him. It's a dark green garbage bag with a neat knot out of the top, and just looking at it gets his imagination running with what kinds of goodies he can find. He eagerly scurries over to it, ignoring any closer trash on the way, and starts nibbling on it in hopes that goodies will pour from it. What's strange though is how long it's taking to tear it open. He effortlessly ripped open plenty of garbage bags during his Dewford days. Hm, has his bite just gotten weaker over-time? Or is this one of those extra durable bags humans prefer? Either way, he wants what's in the bag, so he sinks his teeth deeper and deeper into the bag, anticipating the spoils of his endeavor.

…Hey, where'd that high pitched scream come from all of a sudden?

The bag somehow turns around, and Chip's heart starts beating insanely fast. Was a Pokemon inside the garbage bag? No wait, the garbage bag is a Pokemon! The bag, having revealed itself to be a Trubbish, gives Chip an irritated glare, causing him to violently tremble and whimper in fear. The Trubbish then makes a hacking sound and hurls up a blob of toxic sludge directly onto Chip. A burning sensation is felt on his exoskeleton, and Wimp Out is activated. Chip hightails it away from the Trubbish and heads back to his Pokeball for safety.

Except wait a second. He has no Pokeball right now. Where is there for him to go? He doesn't really know, but he's less concerned with that than he is just getting away.

"Chip? Oh no- Chip! Where are you going!?"

Seeing her Wimpod make a run for it, June follows suit. She's already eating his dust as there's already a wide gap between the two, and June just isn't fast enough to catch-up. Einstein joins the chase shortly after, staying ahead of June a few steps but also struggling to keep up with Chip due to his headstart. Einstein tries to use Confusion to restrain Chip, and for a split second psychic energy does surround the water-type but it fades quickly. As useful as Confusion has been, it's still plagued with its fair share of limits, and apparently its range is one of them.

As the chase goes on, the terrain shifts from a paved grass path to a scattered series of tidal pools along the rocky ground. Chip, having been raised in an environment not dissimilar to this, navigates the area with relative ease, twisting and turning to sidestep the tide pools at an impressive speed. June can't say the same, and instead carefully watches each step she takes as she looks for bare rocks to find footing on. Einstein doesn't have to worry about any of that of course, and without the terrain disadvantage he simply zips close enough to Chip that Confusion can get ahold of him, finally preventing the Turn Tail Pokemon from gaining any more traction.

While seeming like a good idea at first, feeling the pressure of Confusion only has Chip freak out more, and he has even less of a reason to want to go back to June now. To think, the all-knowing sphere of psychic power keeping him back was a defenseless little worm just two weeks ago! In comparison, Chip hasn't even learned a single new move in that time. That's fucking terrifying! He knows Einstein isn't operating at full power right now (picking up all that trash must be draining), but if what he's feeling now has him panicking, who knows what he'll do when at full power? Hell, Einstein isn't even done growing for all he knows!

"Chip!!! Please come back here!" June's concerned cries grow closer and Chip squirms harder. He surrounds his entire body with water, and while that process is slowed down by Confusion, his attempt for takeoff is going somewhere. Slowly but surely he finds himself inching forth, and the speed his tiny feet move at starts to kick up a few notches, even if Einstein puts more and more pressure on him. As he hears June's frantic footsteps bolting behind him, he only puts in more strength and finally manages to zip away with what must have been the fastest Aqua Jet he's ever performed. He flings himself forward so fleet-footedly that he barely even has control over the attack, and flies riiiight into the entrance of an out-of-place industrial building.

"Oh no!!! Chip!!!" June cries with what little breath she has.

Exhausted and worried sick, June falls to her knees, heavily panting while taking in the details of the building. The overgrowth of nearby plants and very visible decay indicates the long abandoned status of it. She has zero doubts this was the "scary building" Ranger Diya was referring to. "Oh, Chip, please be okay! Help will be on the way!" She calls out as she throws her backpack to the ground, hysterically rustling through her bag, taking longer than she should to find her phone.

"Hoenn Pokemon Ranger helpline, what's your emergency?"

"Oh it's terrible! My Wimpod, I don't know what happened, but he just started running away! I mean, I know that's typical of Wimpod, but I don't even know what caused it and now he ran into an off-limits area and I'm so worried for him, why I just feel terrible thinking what trouble my poor little Chip has gotten himself into, and-"

"Ma'am, slow down please." The operator interrupts. "Deep breaths, deep breaths… now then, your Wimpod ran off into an off-limits area, correct?"

"Mhm!" June nods.

"Where are you right now?"

"Route 110, I'm by the run-down building I was instructed to avoid!" June answers. It seems reasonable the operator would respond immediately, but for some strange reason he takes his time. "Hello? Do I need to repeat myself? I said I'm in Route 110. Can you hear me?" Unsure of why the operator goes silent, she moves her phone from her ear to see if she accidentally hung up. What her eyes halt on instead though is that the screen of her phone has gone completely dark. June, screeching in terror, mashes the power button multiple times, all in rapid succession of eachother, but the screen stays the same. Her phone battery just had to die at the absolute worst time imaginable, didn't it?

"What!? This can't be!!! B-but why!? I-I know for certain I charged it during lunch! Ohh, did I forget to charge my portable charger!? I swear it had plenty of power left!"

As she holds her head in panic, Einstein curiously eyes June's Pokegear, examining it to see if he can figure the problem out. Looking at it from the front doesn't give him any clues, but when he floats behind the phone the problem hits him in the face- literally. A tiny yellow blur leaps at him from behind her phone, but despite its size it he's hit with an intense amount of force and tackled straight into the ground.

"E-Einstein!?" June scrambles forward, in a frenzy to check on him. She was so hasty to know if he was okay that she didn't notice until too late that whatever attacked him springs towards her as well. She shrieks, shielding herself despite knowing it won't do much, but Einstein reacts quickly enough to use his remaining psychic energy to keep it midair. Once her arms are cautiously lowered, she stares at the perpetrator in shock at first, but seeing the small yellow creature squirming its stubby legs she realizes what it is and at the drop of a hat her mood is the polar opposite of the fearful state she was in just a second ago.

"Oh- oh my! A Joltik!" She gleams with her palms clasped together. "How absolutely adorable!" She places her wrist underneath its legs and uses her index finger to lightly pet the extremely small Pokemon, giggling as she hears it's purrs. "Aw, you just needed a recharge, didn't you? Joltik are unable to generate their own electricity, so it only makes sense you'd end up being drawn to my PokeGear. But I'm so ecstatic to see a Joltik in-person, it's so small! I mean, bug-types are known for their small stature, but…"

"...W-wait, we can't stay here! How could I get distracted in such an urgent situation, we need to rescue Chip! Ohh, how foolish of me to forget!" Promptly, her arm is placed to the ground for Joltik to crawl onto. June then swings her backpack over her arms and sprints into the building, letting out a "Sorry!" as she and Einstein disappear into the darkness.

Joltik stands still for a few minutes, tilting its head left and right as he wonders what the human girl and her Pokemon could be doing. Without giving that any further thought, it jumps up and down while squeaking with joy, taking wide leaps forward in hopes of finding the two.

🐞 June's Party 🐞

14,892

Spoiler:

Groc · Mar 4, 2022

Edison Kintobor
Sunday, October 4th
Route 110

🌅 🌅 Morning 🌅 🌅

Ed is slower to rise than usual today, and the sun is already up by the time he gets his camp put away. He blames his general lack of energy on yesterday's lack of sustenance. He hadn't the courage to try foraging again, and while he had enough food for Addie, Neo had drained the last of Ed's portable batteries for dinner. It's a sobering reminder of how unprepared he was when he came down here, and the thought stays in his mind as he and his team start moving again. Their time would be wiser spent moving toward the exit than exploring the Route itself.

So naturally Addie is especially productive at spotting trash today, which Ed had already promised to pick up if he spotted it. After the third plastic cup he's retrieved, he gets the idea to start compacting the trash to better fit in his satchel. Not only is it efficient, but also cathartic to smash the discarded debris.

As they're exploring, the wind shifts slightly, and a foul stench is carried on the breeze. Looking around for the source, Ed spots what looks like a discarded trash bag floating in the water. Most of the garbage he's collected so far could charitably be attributed to accident or carelessness, but to drop an entire bag of garbage off the bridge reeks (no pun intended) of malicious intent. Clearly, this was the work of someone too lazy and inconsiderate to deal with their problems responsibly.

Moreover, the bag may smell bad, but it has more room than the simple satchel he'd received from Ranger Lake. Addie hangs back as Ed approaches the bag, but Neo hovers nearby, unconcerned by the aroma. Benefits of not having a nose, he presumes. He reaches out with his stick to drag the bag to shore, causing it to yelp and flounder in the water.

That's... unconventional.

The trash bag scurries to shore, revealing itself to actually be a wild Trubbish. Ed briefly feels bad for the things he said about it, but puts those thoughts from his mind as Trubbish expels a foul gas from its head. The gas surrounds Neo, and Ed hides his face in his arm to block the smell. "N.D., get out of there!"

Neo backs away as instructed, but is unharmed by the gas. Trubbish seems surprised by this, and coughs up some thick sludge at Neo. Though disgusting, Neo remains unfazed, merely looking to Ed for instructions. Ed shakes his head.

"Battling is frowned upon, and we're in the wrong here. Let's just go, and leave this one to its business."

Neo beeps in acknowledgement, though keeps their eye on the Poison type as Ed recovers Addie. The wild Pokémon seems highly disturbed at Neo's lack of reaction, and throws a handful of rusty metal shards at Ed as he tries to leave.

Neo buzzes a warning at Trubbish, recognizing the danger in the sharp objects. Trubbish isn't a threat to Neo, being immune to Poison as they are, but they won't stand for it attacking their human. A short burst of Supersonic static dissuades any further attacks, and they return to Ed's side.

☀️☀️ Afternoon ☀️☀️

The rest of the morning passed quickly and uneventfully, with the most notable find being some wild berries that Ed decided to pass on, as he wasn't certain if they were toxic or not. After yesterday, he wasn't going to gamble on anything less than 100% certainty.

That, and a local Chatot had yelled obscenities at him until he left. He slightly regrets telling Neo to hit it with a Thunder Shock, but can't change it now.

The thought occurs that perhaps this would be a good time for some training. He'd helped Sunny teach her Seedot a new move, but he hadn't spent as much time with his own team lately.

Without a reliable source of power, he's reluctant to experiment with Neo's electricity, but the encounter with Trubbish reminded him of their secondary Type. "What kind of Steel techniques do you know?"

Neo dutifully launches a Magnet Bomb, guiding the tiny projectile into the water where it explodes harmlessly.

"Hmmm..." Ed puts his hand to his chin. "You can guide the projectile with your magnetism, so it's incredibly accurate, but it lacks power. I don't think we've ever used it to good effect, except for against Ground type Pokémon. But I have to ask, where do you get the bombs?"

Neo tilts back and forth in midair, their version of a shrug.

"I suppose you produce them internally, but you'd need to intake some form of material to process. What do you eat, other than absorbing electricity?"

Neo floats over to a rock, then over to a bush. They hover over Addie, who is happily eating one of the berries Ed had decided not to risk.

"Organic material in general, I suppose... not very efficient, is it? Let's try something else. I know this is biology, not technology, but I've seen you develop new abilities before, like your Light Screen. Let's focus on that."

Neo helpfully projects a Light Screen, which Addie happily and repeatedly jumps through as they walk.

"You can use the screen defensively to absorb incoming energy, but what about the opposite? If you reverse the polarity of the neutron flow, we might be able to create a focused beam of light rather than a defensive barrier."

Neo buzzes as they process the information. After a moment, they create a second, albeit smaller, Light Screen.

"Something like that, but it's still a barrier. Try focusing it even more, something narrower."

Neo ponders for a moment, small sparks popping from their magnets as they rapidly rotate them. A tiny barrier appears in front of their eye, which they quickly drop.

"That was good! I don't think creating a smaller shield is ideal, but we're definitely making progress of some kind! Maybe it's a matter of power? Your Light Screen is meant to absorb incoming energy, maybe it takes some charging first."

Neo hums as they focus, then starts to move erratically and let out some bizarre clicking sounds. Ed watches with interest, but starts to grow concerned when Neo's pupil starts to change expression. Normally a stoic dot, it flattens to line, curves down, becomes wavy, and in general moves about inside the eye socket. "Neo, are you okay?"

Sparks shoot from their magnets again as they jitter in midair, and a thin line of smoke rises from the screw atop their body. They suddenly stop, letting out a whine as they sink to the ground. Ed catches them, pulling them closer to inspect. "Easy now, I got you. Are you okay?"

Neo beeps twice in confirmation, closing their eye for a moment. When it opens, it's back to its usual look. Ed sighs in relief, holding them close for a moment. "I don't know what that was, but I'm sorry. That didn't seem comfortable."

Neo lifts out of Ed's arms, zipping over to a nearby rock. Their eye flashes yellow for a moment, and starts to glow. They look at the rock, and suddenly a bright beam of light emerges from their eye, reducing the rock to rubble.

Addie cheers in delight, and Ed watches in awe. "You have a laser eye now!?" He fishes his Pokédex from his pocket, which confirms that Neo has forgotten Magnet Bomb and learned Mirror Shot.

🌙 🌙 Evening 🌙🌙

After spending some time practicing their new move, Ed is confident they can use it reliably in battles. The brief charge time causes slight accuracy issues, and it can't be redirected midflight like Magnet Bomb, but it's overall stronger and honestly much cooler. As they set up camp for the night, Ed contemplates his journey thus far. Seeing Neo learn a new technique like that was fascinating, and he wishes he better understood the process. It was as though Neo was reformatting their internal hardware, but such a thing shouldn't be possible for a biological being, right?

Although, Pokémon are capable of amazing feats of transformation, even without taking evolution into account.

He looks over at Neo, resting peacefully on the ground by his side. They'd worked hard today, and Ed wishes he'd saved one of those batteries for tonight. But if he had, would Neo have had the energy to learn a new move at all?

He sighs, reaching into his satchel once more. The bizarre cloth whispers as he touches it, but he pushes past it to grab his Holotch. Turning it on, he nods at the 75% battery remaining. It's a good phone, even in its current state.

"Here, N.D. You need the power more than I need the apps." He sets his Holotch in front of Neo, who looks up at him. Their expression doesn't change, but their hesitance is clear.

"You've earned it. Besides, I know where we're going. We just follow the path to the end, and we're in Mauville. We should reach it before sundown. I doubt I'll need the map or the Ranger Database before then."

Neo ponders, then beeps appreciatively. They sit atop the Holotch, closing their eye as they drain the battery. Ed smiles slightly, wishing it was that easy for humans to eat. His stomach growls quietly, and his attention is grabbed by a tiny paw on his arm.

Addie looks up at him with concern, pointing to his stomach. Ed smiles as he pulls Addie closer. "I'm fine. This won't be the first time I've missed a meal doing some research. Besides, we'll be in Mauville tomorrow, and I can eat then. Maybe I'll take you to a nice restaurant. See if they have an all-you-can-eat buffet somewhere. Doesn't that sound nice?"

Addie nods, already salivating just at the thought of it. It does sound good, but Ed would settle for a sandwich or even some crackers right about now.

Eleanor · Mar 7, 2022

Avril Reese

16 - ♀ - Laverre City

Featuring Hikaru

Pokémon / Inventory:

AVRIL'S MONEY: $38 500

AVRIL'S TEAM:
🌼 Poppy (Flabébé) ♀
Flower Veil
Synthesis, Fairy Wind, Grassy Terrain, Aromatherapy, Wish, Magical Leaf

🌼 Hydrangea (Shellos) ♀
Storm Drain
Water Pulse, Mud Bomb, Recover, Rain Dance, Mud Sport, Hidden Power (?)

🌼 Wisteria (Inkay) ♂
Infiltrator
Night Slash, Hypnosis, Topsy-Turvy, Pluck, Reflect, Psybeam

🌼 Thistle (Wooloo) ♀
Bulletproof
Tackle, Growl, Defense Curl, Copycat, Guard Split, Double Kick

Away:
🌼 Venus (Mawile) ♀ - at Littleroot Research Lab

AVRIL'S INVENTORY:
🌼 1 Empty Pokéball
🌼 2 Potions
🌼 Eviolite
🌼 Silk Scarf
🌼 TM for Ally Switch
🌼 5 Rare berries
🌼 Sea Incense
🌼 Pink Scarf

🌼 Holotch (phone version)
🌼 Fanclub Membership card - valid until October 17^th
🌼 Various clothes and commodities
🌼 Pink Woolen Hat

AVRIL'S CONTACTS:
Jordie, Shuna, Natsuko, June, Marcella, Hikaru

AVRIL'S BADGES AND RIBBONS:
🥊 ➕

🎀• 1

🌼 Avril's birth date is April 25^th, 2010
🌼 Character art made with [SPAN="color:rgb(40,180,40);"]https://picrew.me/image_maker/338886[/SPAN]

Say No

Saturday, October 3^rd - late afternoon - Mauport Bridge

After nearly giving up on following Hikaru, I decided to get some help from Wisteria. He playfully floated around the place, before finally agreeing to give me a little push. Thanks to that, I was able to not lose my lungs and enjoy a somewhat calmer, more fun ride as I followed that other trainer. All while they seemed to run out of breath, at last! But of course, they were stubborn about keeping up the pace - they were definitely overworking themselves by that point.

Before I could reach them, or die trying, I met a different destiny… falling. Let's be real: with the high speed, with Wisteria pushing me forward but barely looking in that direction, with a large bag on my shoulders, and with Taillow and Wingull floating around the place, it was only a matter of time. And when it happened, part of me just hoped that Hikaru would keep going without noticing.

But… they came back in the end, a hand reaching out for mine. I just accepted their help and got myself back up on my feet, only to fix my eyes on the closest bench and crash down on it. This is something they seemed to care about, though, because they joined me right away and checked on my wounds. They even seemed pretty worried about it, they asked about how my ankles were holding up… but after ten minutes or so of us standing still and recovering, they're up again. Once again they wave their hand in front of me, so eager to help me out.

"We can keep going some more, right? You got this!"

"Hikaru… calm down. Why don't you… tell me why you were going so fast first?"

"Oh, I really want to see Mauville, like I said… and this bridge kept getting more boring as we continued."

"That's not even true, come on… but still. Is Mauville that important to you?"

"Of course! We can always come back here later, right?"

I roll my eyes for the umpteenth time at them but keep asking them why they're going so fast until I get some sort of answer. Well, first, they confess that they're growing tired, so that's something… but then they triumphantly show me this website with some information for a Pokémon tournament.

"Winstrate Cup, uh…? And you wanna get to Mauville before slots run out…?"

"Well also that!"

"How come that's the only way to-"

I try to look up the same tournament on my Holotch and soon enough I'm the one showing Hikaru what I found on my device. "See? You can do it here if you just enter your data…"

"Oh nice, that's convenient!"

Convenient. I roll my eyes once again, but I have to say, that online form really is convenient. For me. Because maybe it will slow them down, now that they finally aren't afraid of missing out. I take that time to attend some more ordinary business that Hikaru forced me to skip, such as feeding Poppy some berry slices, drinking some water, and getting a quick snack for myself.

When I think the worst is behind me, though, they prove me wrong and get back up and ask me to do the same. "Ready to go again, Avril?" They ask a few times, and at this point I'm really lost on why they would ever do that.

Sooner than I realize, I find myself telling Hikaru that it's ok if they go ahead without me. I can reassure them that I know where I can find them again, I even have their number, and I don't care about the Mawilite they still have in their backpack, because I couldn't use it right now. Now that I have no more reasons to stay by their side, their own requests to keep sticking to each other start to become illogical, uncalled for. And so, when they reach out with their hand once again, what they get is… a slap.

QueenNothing · Mar 7, 2022

Junko "June" Enomoto

Monday, October 5th
Afternoon
New Mauville

"Chiiiiip! Chiiiip! Where are you? Ohhh, please be okay…"

June, carrying Einstein close to her chest while managing to hold a flashlight, explores the dark corridors of the mysterious building, being careful with each and every step while the sounds of flip-flops against the tile floor echo throughout. The only other sound to be heard is a quiet buzzing sound, which could be some far-off machinery… although the uncertainty of it's source doesn't unease June in the slightest. It's good she has Einstein with her, what with his radar and all that, but it still doesn't feel like they're doing anything more than aimless wandering.

If only her phone wasn't dead, she'd do a quick search to learn as much about the maze-like building as she could and maybe even find some maps of the area to make it a quick trip. If only! Times like this make her appreciate just how much knowledge she has at the tip of her fingers at most times. How did her dad travel through Hoenn, no, how did anyone through any region alone before the invention of smartphones?? It's unfathomable to her…

Every so often when a fork in the road is presented, Einstein will make a hissing noise while pointing in the right direction with his scrawny little fingers. Usually he'd simply lead June down the correct path, but in order to preserve energy he's being held by his trainer. If he could float this might go faster, but when taking into account how long it'll be before they get to a Pokemon Center, it's better to play it safe in-case they come across any obstacles, wild Pokemon included. They've only come across that Joltik so far, but being a parasitic species, that sets a scary precedent. Truthfully though June's been less concerned about that than something else that might be a bit less realistic…

"So, um, Einstein?" She sheepishly speaks up while hesitantly trudging forth. "So, it's pretty, um, clear this is a man-made structure, right?" Einstein nods. "Right. And being so run-down, it's safe to assume this was abandoned quite some time ago, right?" Einstein nods again. "Right. So knowing all that, it might not be, um, unreasonable to ask… do you think this place might be inhabited by… g-g-ghosts???"

Feeling Einstein squirm left and right within her loose grasp, she knows that's Einstein's way of saying "No." "Yes, I know that might sound silly, b-but how can you be so sure!? It's possible that maybe this place was abandoned because of… because of… b-because…." June starts trembling so uncontrollably that finishing that sentence becomes a challenge. "A-and if I'm terrified of such a thought, imagine how Chip must feel!? Ohhh, poor Chip… I really hope he's okay…"

After enough twists and turns through the industrial labyrinth, the machine-lined walls eventually turn into a wide-open room. Shining a light on her surroundings reveals not just some machinery, but also a few shelves and tables as well. Instinctively she taps her lip- she knows she's here to look for Chip, but she can't help but want to investigate. "Well… maybe I can learn something about this place." She says to herself, taking a step through the door frame. To her surprise however, a click sound is heard beneath her foot, and the ground below it starts to sink. She shrieks, jumping back, and shivers once an unbearably loud whirring sound is blasted through the space. Terrified of what it might be, she falls to her knees and claps her hands together in prayer.

"AAAAAHHHHH!!! OH NO, I ANGERED THE SPIRITS THAT REST HERE, DIDN'T I?!? OH, I'M SO SORRY, PLEASE DON'T HURT ME!!! I'M SORRY, I'M SORR- Oh?" June peeks an eye open to see the whirring wasn't coming from any spirits, but in reality was nothing more than the power starting up for what must have been the first time in awhile. The room that was pitch black not too long ago is now completely lit-up, meaning June has no need for her flashlight. "Oh… um, my bad." She awkwardly giggles as Einstein floats himself into her arms.

Now that she's calmed down, she checks out the closest bookshelf and picks up the first book which her vision rests on at the top shelf. As to be expected, the cover is coated in a thick layer of dust that has her coughing when wiped off. Flipping through its contents doesn't really show much useful information to her, as it's mostly just engineering drivel that flies over her head. "I wonder if I can find any floor plans…" Continuing to quickly read through the books gives her more or less the same results, tech writings too esoteric for her and instructions intended for people who once worked in this building.

And then among all that is a single volume of a Detective Greedent manga aimed at very young children. She glares intently at it, extremely confused why this would be found here, and thoroughly examines it to see if she can find out why this would be here. It's in extremely poor condition, as shown by the wrinkled and yellowed pages, and a few holes were poked through the back cover. The art is cute from what she can make out of it… but she ends up sticking it back in its place to move on to the next book.

"It doesn't look like I'll find them on this shelf… Oh!" June gasps, turning around to see a floating steel orb blankly staring at her with its one eye, slowly spinning two magnets attached to its sides. It doesn't look like it came alone though, as looking past it shows a large quantity just floating about.

"Is… is that a Pokemon?" Her muscle memory has her reach for her phone, but realizing it's dead, she instead looks for her stand-alone Pokedex. Up until now she found little reason to use it, as using the smartphone app is so convenient, but looking at the page for the Pokemon in-front of her- colloquially referred to as "Magnemite"- has her wishing she used this device more often. Not only can she see it's typing, moves, height, weight, general location and general information, but it goes into incredible depth about it's history, various myths and rumors surrounding Magnemite, behavior, and much more.

"My, why haven't I used this sooner?" She wonders aloud, giggling. "If I weren't on the lookout for a runaway Pokemon I could simply spend all day learning about Pokemon!... but since nothing here has been of use, I suppose all we can do is resume our chase." Her next destination is another door frame on the other side of the large room she jogs over to. Thankfully the next hallway is lit up, likely because she happened to step on a power switch.

As that room is being left in her dust, more and more Magnemite flood in from where June exited, using their magnets to absorb electricity from the dingey machines. One Magnemite in particular, the one so close to June's face, continues to feed off energy from a dated computer model, yet for some reason doesn't feel any less drained. It's beeps grow more and more frustrated, unsure why it's still hungry, and tried to absorb energy faster… before its pupil turns into a narrow line and collapses to the ground with a CLANK. The reason for its mysterious hunger is then made known- not to the Magnemite, of course- as a jolly Joltik crawls out from Magnemite's rear-side, squeaking in delight after absorbing its power. She's glad she followed that human girl, as she not only was kind enough to feed her her entire phone battery, but even led her to an abundant supply of electricity!

She prepares to lunge at another Magnemite, but the sound of flip-flops slapping against steel draws her in. From down the hall she can see that same human girl on her way, and Joltik, wanting to see what other fortunes she can be led to, joyfully hopping up and down before making wide leaps forward to follow her.

🐞 June's Party 🐞

14,892

Spoiler:

Groc · Mar 10, 2022

Natsuko Soyokaze
Saturday, October 3rd; evening
Mauport Bridge

Despite not being the only guest staying at this particular B&B, Tsu ended up having dinner alone when she asked if she could let her Pokémon out for a while. She took her meal outside, for Shiny and Stacy's sake, but quickly found herself alone with her team. With Shiny and Cyrano at her side, she watches Rip and Dagi argue and fight until Stacy has to separate them. It reminds her of having children, or at least what she imagines having children would be like.

Which draws her attention back to the large egg in her lap. "Maybe I should call someone..."

So after dinner, she heads to her room. Whenever she needs advice, she knows just who to call first.

"Sounds like you have quite the crew, Natsuko. Are you sure you're ready for so many so quickly?" Aunt Nyamo asks.

"They're all really good Pokémon! ...mostly. But Stacy helps me keep them in line. I just thought you'd have some advice, since you had a full team, too."

"Well, I never ran with six, actually. You can't have a full squad on stage at once, you know. Carrie has six with her right now, why not give her a call, see how's she's handling them?"

"She's not with you? Where is she?"

Nyamo sighs. "Oh, some battle tournament across the country. She stopped in Dewford this morning."

"Oh. That's cool for her, I suppose. Hey, one last thing, what do you know about babies?"

Nyamo is silent, and Tsu has to check that she didn't drop the call. "That's... why? What happened?"

"I found a Pokémon Egg today, and I have no idea how to raise it. I thought you might."

"Oh! Baby Pokémon, okay. I thought you... nevermind. I've never hatched an Egg or raised a baby Pokémon. Just my regular team. I don't think I'm ready for babies, I'll just stick with my regular kids. Or my regular Pokémon."

"...okay. Thanks, Aunt Nyamo. I'm gonna go now. I love you!"

"Me too. Bye, Tsu!"

Tsu hangs up with a soft, "Oof..." There's a bit to unpack after that conversation, but none of it pertinent to her. She considers calling Aunt Carrie, but she doesn't actually have her number. She tries to think who else she could talk to, but she doesn't have that many friends. She's about to call someone else when she gets a text.

hey, you busy? can you talk?

It's from Sam, and Tsu quickly fires back sure, what's up?

An incoming request for a video call is her answer, so she picks up. She's greeted by her newest friend, half her face hidden by her hair, but an excited grin still visible. "Hey girl, what's up?"

"Hi, Natsuko! How's your day going? Mine's gone great, look what I got!" She holds up her Trainer's License with a grin and a "ta-da!"

"Whoo-hoo, look at you! You're ready to start your journey for real, now! You know what you're going to do first?"

Sam shakes her head, still smiling. "No, not really. I've got a list in my head, I'll just see how it goes. Go to the beach, check out the Fan Club, go to the Gym... you know, just see the sights!"

"I think I did pretty much the same thing, actually. Hey, wanna see what I got today?" She stands up her phone, retrieving the Egg from the easy chair she'd left it on.

"Oh wow, a giant rock!"

"It's not a rock, it's an Egg! I won it in an escape room."

"That sounds really cool, how'd that go?"

"It was pretty fun, actually. Bit of an adventure, got to play with a Steelix. They play rough, actually. I got a few scrapes, and I think I bruised my butt."

Sam tilts her head in confusion. "You think? Let me see."

"No, it's fine, I'm just... wait. Sam."

"I was just joking!"

Tsu doesn't believe her, but doesn't push it. "I'm not sure if I'm ready to raise a baby Pokémon, though. I already have so many."

"It's probably not that different. From what you've told me, you're really good at raising Pokémon. And it'll be a new experience! That's what you were looking for, right?"

"Something like that, yeah. You really think I'd be a good parent?"

"Absolutely. That Pokémon will be lucky to have you raising it."

Tsu smiles a bit, genuinely warmed by the sentiment. "Thanks, Sam. Hey, if you can afford it, you should join the Fan Club. I'm part of it, maybe we can do something fun sometime."

"I love fun things. I'll keep that in mind. I'm gonna turn in, though. Good luck with your Egg!"

"Good luck with your journey! Good night, Sam." Tsu hangs up, bouncing the Egg in her arms slightly. "Maybe I'll keep you. Let's get one more opinion."

She puts it back in the chair, then calls up Sir Bill.

"Why, if it isn't Miss Tsu! To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Hi, Bill. I received a Pokémon Egg today, and was wondering if you knew anything about raising a baby?"

"I know that there is no deeper bond than that of a parent and child. That what you put into that relationship is returned tenfold. And that you will experience pride and joy unlike any you have known before. Do you feel you are prepared for that?"

"Uh... honestly? I don't know."

Bill chuckles. "Often the hardest part is admitting that. You are ready, Miss Tsu. I believe in you."

"Aw. Thanks, Papa Bill!"

"Ah! There's that word again. Why do you toy with my heart?" Despite his dramatic words, he can't keep the smile out of his voice.

"Heehee, I'm sorry. I just like talking to you. You always know what to say."

"Years of experience. Now, tell me more about your adventures! I'm growing terribly bored here in Slateport, and am starting to consider going off on my own if you don't share your stories with me."

"What's to tell? I've mostly just been walking."

"Just been walking? My dear, where's your sense of adventure? You've crossed the waves on dragonback, explored caverns by the light of a flaming mane, pulled mighty beasts from the water to fight by your side! Do you really mean to tell me you've done nothing exciting these past few days?"

"Well... I met a girl." Tsu immediately regrets saying it like that.

Bill thumps his cane against the floor emphatically. "A girl, you say! A new friend? An admirer? Something... more?"

"That first one, just a friend! Well... maybe a rival. Her name is Sam, and she just got her license. She's going to take the same route I did, so she's going to be behind me for a while."

"Someone to look out for, hmm? And your other friends, are they not also your rivals?"

"Who, Sunny and Marie? No, nothing like that. Those two are too caught up in their own rivalry, plus whatever they have going on with Ed. And Avril still isn't sure she wants to even be a Trainer. I've tried to help her, but I don't know what else I can do."

"I'm afraid I can't help you there. But there is still plenty to do for yourself. You're in Mauport! City of the Arts! Take in a show, or participate in a show! You still do Contests, right? Or attend an art class! How's your photography coming along? I know you don't much care for battles, but have you considered Sky Battles? The Grand Duchess might enjoy the freedom of flying."

"That's... a lot to think about. How long do you think I'll be here?"

"As long as you want, my dear! It's your story, after all. You're not in some hurry, are you? Didn't you just say you had a friend following your footsteps?"

Tsu lays back in the bed, thinking it over. "I guess you're right. I should make the most of my time here. I've just been stressed lately."

"Give it some thought. And do try to have fun. I won't take up any more of your time. You probably don't want to spend all night talking to an old man. Besides, I should probably go to bed."

"Bill... it's like 7:30, are you already tired?"

"Early to bed, early to rise, and all that. Ta-ta for now!" He hangs up.

Tsu looks at the phone in confusion. She's pretty sure she's been up later with him before, in person, even. Maybe he'd just had a busy day. She certainly has. She'll probably take his advice and get some sleep, get an early start to the day.

Just one more call.

*ring-ring*... *ring-ring*...

"Hey, Mom. It's me..."

Aquacorde · Mar 12, 2022

Marie Rachelle Mocinno

AGE: 17 ⟡ HOME REGION: Johto
DATE: Tuesday, October 6 ⟡ TIME: Midday
LOCATION: Mauport

Chapter 5 #6 - Messy

Tuesday will be, according to Marie's maps, their last day of moving across the bridge.

She hums contemplatively at that timetable. Certainly, she promised Sunny that they would alternate moving and working- but she's not going to let Sunny speed them on towards Mauville just like that. The girl still hasn't learned to slow down as much as Marie would like. Every day of moving has been full-on acceleration, breaking only for food or battle, and-

Oh!

Battles!

Marie's lips curl up into a sneaky smile. That's how she can slow Sunny down. Find challenges at every corner, press her new advantage in Sky Battles for some moneymaking- perfect plan, absolutely!

Or so she thought.

Two battles in, and she's identifying a problem. Five battles, and now the problem is hitting her wallet uncomfortably. Eight, and she puts her foot down.

"Next battle I'm going solo," she huffs at her companion. It will still force Sunny to slow down as she waits for Marie, which is the ultimate goal, but maybe that way Tuie can actually fight. "Sputter's just not up to this format."

"No, hang on, I think she's nearly got it!" Sunny's been saying this after every battle, despite Sputter consistently being the first one out. "I'm just not being aggressive enough, or maybe I'm getting the angle wrong, or… I'm only winning because of Tuie, don't shut me out now!"

"Yes, you see, this is the problem. You may only be winning because of Tuie, but I am only losing because of Sputter. I can't afford to continue that pattern, and you can't either."

Despite this, Sunny still picks fights every time Marie finds a solo match. And if Marie's words weren't proof enough, their track records are- three wins for Marie and Tuie are three losses for Sunny and Sputter, with the added insult of Sputter touching down within the first three exchanges.

She'll have to come to her senses sometime. In the interim, Marie wins another two battles.

Sunny sulks against a wall after yet another loss, but her anger has run its course and she's looking burned out now. "...I hate losing. I hate not being good enough. And I hate giving up. But… maybe you're right. Sputter isn't cut out for this."

"It was rushed to push her into it with only one tactic," Marie agrees. "Did you forget the idea was for her to evolve before jumping in?"

"I can't just make her evolve. What do you want me to do, throw her off the bridge?" Sunny winces as soon as she says this, but Sputter just looks at her with a smile. "I wouldn't do that, I'm not that desperate. I'm not…"

"How dare you."

Marie's voice comes out colder than it has in years, but she can't push any more words past the rushing fear, indignance, shame- so she clutches blindly for Tuie, guiding the bird to clutch onto her forearm as she frantically picks up her bike and leaves Sunny in the dust.

How dare she!

Her jaw clenches against the tears that burn at the corners of her eyes, tears that she can almost pretend are caused by the salty wind, and she pedals faster so she can pretend the shuddering breaths are of exertion. How dare she, how dare she! That's all that echoes in her mind as she forces all her energy into spinning pedals. As if it was her fault the wind picked up at that moment, as if it was her choice to battle in the first place, as if she did that intentionally-

She pushes down hard, too hard, and with a gasp she careens into the corner of a building, going down in a clatter of metal and wild flutter of wings. Bruised, scraped, and unfortunately perceived by several well-meaning people, she brushes off offers of help and instead stumbles back toward the rail of the bridge, dropping to the ground in the corner made by it and the building she'd crashed into. Her forearm stings when Tuie lets go but she doesn't care, just drags the bird into her arms.

"I didn't throw you off the bridge," Marie chokes out. She has to say it out loud. She can't let Sunny's bullshit narrative be the real one, not in her mind, not in Tuie's mind, and each beat that passes makes her heart race faster, desperately waiting for Tuie to agree with her.

Tuie trills a quiet confirmation and Marie lets out the breath she's been holding. She sits up a little straighter and goes to push her unruly hair back into place, but her wrist stings on the lightest contact.

Oh.

She's kind of beat up.

Her left side took the brunt of the fall, after all- her pants are turning darker than their usual coral at the knee and her arm from shoulder to wrist aches with deeper bruising as well as superficial scrapes. That's what happens when you hit a stucco façade at speed, apparently. But her right forearm, that shouldn't be bleeding like that, she didn't fall that way… No, those cuts are talon-shaped. Tuie must have been jostled enough for her grip to become a tear.

That's not great.

Marie zones out as she watches the blood drip down her elbow. She should probably do something about it, but… things a little hazy, and she can't quite come to a conclusion on what she should do.

Eventually, a sound reaches Marie's ears: bicycle spokes, the screech of brakes, the clatter of a dropped bike. And a voice. "Marie? …I hope not. No, wait, I hope so, but you're not hurt… Marie!"

Sunny looks around the area, not seeing Marie in her shadowed corner, asking everyone nearby where she went. "Whose bike is that? Was it a girl? Where'd she go?"

With the same floaty indecision as applied to the open wound across her arm, Marie struggles to make a choice. She should probably hide this, shouldn't she? Appear strong and unbothered and brush Sunny away, move on without her and never deal with her bratty nonsense again. Or she could just keep hiding, wait until Sunny dashes off in another direction and deal with everything later.

Or Tuie could make a decision for her, as she's been ignoring the concerned nudges and trills for a few minutes now. The Xatu targets the edge of the building with a weak flash of purple light, finally catching Sunny's attention.

"Marie! There you are. Look, I'm sorry about what I- Oh, that's blood. Damn… uh, it's not so bad, I've seen worse. But we gotta get that cleaned up. Come on, get up." She tries to pull Marie to her feet, away from the wall. A dulled voice somewhere inside her head tells Marie no, we don't like her, don't go with, but what else is there to do? So she lets herself be hauled upwards, Tuie fluttering up to a gliding position so she can follow the girls.

Sunny slides Marie's less injured arm over her shoulders, getting in close and supporting her. She's talking the whole time, too. "I don't know what I was thinking, but I probably wasn't. I do that, I'm sorry. It just slipped out, I know you wouldn't actually… hey, those are ours, okay? We're coming back for them. I just wanna get my friend-"

What are you- ouch, dislocated? No. Friends? …bikes, our legal responsibility- who is she…? Stand up! "Where are we going?" is the only thing Marie can figure out how to ask through the tumbling whirlwind of things her brain is trying to assess. Straightening her posture means Sunny is supporting her less, there's less pressure on her left arm, she can see a little more despite the hair still in her face.

"Huh?" Sunny promptly ignores whoever she'd been talking to. "I don't know, I was just trying to get you inside, somewhere with water so we could clean you up. You look like hell, and I don't know how bad you're hurt…" Her grip on Marie tightens as her words trail off.

Shake it off. Marie finds her footing again, metaphorically and literally, and shakes her pesky hair out of her face. "It's mostly dirt and grit, isn't it? Brush the stucco out of my hair and I'll look just fine."

"You are literally bleeding right now. Stop being stubborn. At least get your arm wrapped up!"

"Fine, yes, pick a place to beg for bandages. Not a restaurant." Too many people in those. And she's not going to be responsible for being a biohazard in a place where people eat.

"Yeah, okay, they'd definitely have a bathroom, and a first aid kit… hey, clothing store. Right there. Let's go. Sputter, stay with the bikes." She pulls Marie in that direction, still refusing to let go. Marie resists just slightly, long enough to tell Tuie to stick with Sputter, then falls into step under her own power. She's in control here. Obviously.

A clerk looks up as the little bell above the door rings. "Hello, anything I can help you- oh!"

Sunny doesn't let her start. "We're fine, just need to use your bathroom real quick. Won't be long!"

"O-of course, just over there. Please, mind the displays?"

Marie would bleed on them just to spite the clerk if she wasn't fairly sure she'd have to pay for damaged merchandise. As it stands, she lets herself be led carefully to the single-stall bathroom at the back of the store.

"In with you, let's get you cleaned up. Don't even need to beg, I have bandages in my bag." Sunny helpfully removes her backpack as she follows Marie in. Marie almost pushes her back out, but at least some shred of sense says wrapping your own arm is a bitch to do by yourself.

It's a bit cramped with both of them, but Sunny focuses on Marie's arm. She's quiet now, speaking up only after they've washed the blood away. "Yeah, these are long scratches, but they're not too deep. Look like talons, Tuie did this? I don't think she meant to, but I'm not a bird expert."

"Mm. She got thrown around when we crashed." Marie shrugs. There's not much else to it.

Sunny rummages through her pack for some disinfectant, butterfly bandages, and adhesive wrap. "You won't even need stitches. You'll be back to your old self in no time."

"Already am," Marie brushes her fingers through her hair and immediately gets them stuck. "Eugh. Once I brush my hair out, anyway."

Marie waits impatiently for Sunny to finish what she's doing, questions like why? and what do I do now? swirling around in her head. Nobody is meant to see her weak or affected, what does she do when someone does? She'd tried to threaten Avril, however well that may have worked, but she doubts anything of the sort will actually press Sunny into keeping her mouth shut. Unless-

"Do you feel guilty?" is the tactless way to find out, but what's said is said. Sunny freezes, and that's answer enough.

"I… you wouldn't have crashed if I hadn't said that. It's my fault you fell, just as much as if I'd pushed you myself."

"True." Marie leaves it at that, matter-of-fact. It is true. And she could easily follow that thread into keeping Sunny under her thumb for quite a while.

Maybe she will.

"You're not even gonna try and argue?" Sunny grumps, though sounding more surprised. "Eddie would have at least said something to cheer me up."

Yes, of course he would have. He does all the lifting in your relationship. "Why should I do that, then? I'm the one that's been hurt."

"I guess… you're right, but the thought is still appreciated. Show there are no hard feelings?"

"Well, the assistance is certainly appreciated." Marie runs her fingers down the new bandages, wrapped surprisingly well. Maybe she won't use Sunny's guilt against her, but keeping her off-balance is yet par for the course.

Sunny looks at the dark stain on Marie's pants before they leave, frowning in thought. "How's your leg? Just a scrape, right? You still good to ride your bike?"

"It's functional," Marie confirms briskly. The rest of her bruises and scrapes can be kept to herself. The more concerning part will actually be getting the stains out later, really. Hopefully the Bed and Breakfast has something. "Where did you leave the bikes?"

"They're where I found you. Someone helped me pick them up, and Sputter is keeping watch on them. We should probably get back there before someone tries anything."

The only thing anyone would try would probably be returning them to a Rydel's, if the rest of their trip has been any indication of the locals' temperament. But Sunny leads the way back out, to the relief of some kid waiting for the bathroom. No crowds or anything hover around the shop nor the corner she crashed into, so the incident seems to have been forgotten. Marie finds herself staring as Sunny heads straight for the bikes leaning against the stucco wall- well, more at their proud caretakers. Her own Xatu, looking just as appraisingly back at her, and a classic-looking lamp with a face.

"Are you Sputter?" Marie asks the lamp.

The purple flames inside the lamp flicker as the lamp chirps happily. Flames erupt from her bottom as she rockets up, spinning around with her arms wide. She gently floats down to nestle against Sunny, who grins at the display. "She evolved right after you left. I'm still figuring out what she can do."

"Huh." Marie wonders why Sputter chose that moment to evolve, what prompted that change at all- it was barely ten minutes before Sunny caught up with her, wasn't it? "Well, hovering's a good start."

Sputter eagerly floats over to the basket, wrapping her long arms around herself as she settles in. "Yeah… she's still not fast. I doubt she'd be able to keep up with Tuie, even. But we can work on that later."

"We all have work ahead of us, don't we?" Marie ruffles the short feathers of Tuie's head. "Perhaps not today, though."

"Maybe not. When we're ready." Sunny climbs on her bike, lightly patting Sputter's lampshade-like head.

Marie pauses, one foot on a pedal. Huh.

Maybe this exercise got through to Sunny after all.

featuring Groc as Sunny Dey ⟡

Spoiler: Team

Spoiler: Inventory

Spoiler: Contacts

QueenNothing · Mar 12, 2022

Junko "June" Enomoto

Monday, October 5th
Afternoon
New Mauville

If only I'd known the horrors that'd await me on this treacherous journey…

I didn't really have any choice in this- I was abducted from my home in Dewford and forced along this wild ride. Has life gotten worse since then? Hard to say for sure really… Sure, I've encountered enemies far more terrifying than other Dewford residents and the amount of pain I've experienced has been insane… But on the other hand, I've been fed better food, received an unprecedented amount of affection, and I feel a sense of comradery with June and her other Pokemon (even if they can be scary sometimes). And even if I've occasionally overworked myself in battle, I've definitely gotten stronger from it… but nothing compared to the likes of everyone else!

I've been out in the wild long enough to know what I'll eventually grow up to be. I had times where I, along with other Wimpod, would accompany a Golisopod out in the field. Their strength is admirable, and to think I could one day be like that… Maybe then I won't be in this mess, backed into a corner surrounded by dozens of these frightening sentient blobs of sludge as they engorge on all the filth here…

How'd I get into this? Well, after I had run away from June and Einstein I just sort of started aimlessly navigating the area since I didn't have anywhere to go. Bumping into wild Pokemon only had me running farther off into the unknown. After doing that for a while I did pick up something with my antennas, and I got closer to get a better look. When I held it in my mouth I couldn't help but notice how shiny it was! It even has a lightning bolt symbol on it!... and then I turned around and realized a little too late that these putrid Pokemon were all around me…

My instinct tells me to run away during times like this, and I did, but I had been stopped when I ran right into one of the sludge piles. I could feel its thick, almost liquid-like body burning my exoskeleton, just like what that trash bag Pokemon did to me, but that didn't even come close to the suffering caused by the smell! Now, I've eaten my fair share of trash, so normally the smell wouldn't bother me, but this was an exception! I can only really describe it as if all the garbage I've eaten in my life had been combined into one pile and was multiplied. As soon as the scent hit my antennae I turned around and flew right into a large pile of metallic scrap, desperately hoping they wouldn't find me…

That's not really looking so good. Although plenty of waste occupies this space, the blob Pokemon continue to consume, and it's depleting quickly! I can feel my body violently shivering, but I need to keep it under control to not be noticed. That grows increasingly more difficult though, as hearing the deep growls of the blob Pokemon only frightens me more…

Ohhh, why did it have to be me? Why couldn't June have caught another Wimpod?

Sensing several blob Pokemon drawing towards this pile is taking me back to my days as a wild Pokemon... Out in the wilderness, it's a common understanding among wild Pokemon that life is short, and I was no exception. Sure, some of us might end up living longer than others, but expecting you to be that exception was naive. It's dangerous out there, prey such as Murkrow, Meowth, Grapploct, and even humans all run amok, and it's highly likely you'll end up as dinner. Living under June's care almost made me forget all that, but now I'm back in my old mindset. I'm accepting that I'll die here. I'm trapped and I don't think I could survive the unspeakable horrors that must be the digestive system these blob Pokemon possess… But why does it have to end like this? I'd much rather just have a Murkrow swoop down and take me away.

"So… that's where Chip is?? A-are you sure?? It's just that, well, the stench is just so repulsive! I can't bear it!"

Oh. That's nice timing, I guess.

I peek out of the scrap pile, and just as I thought, standing at the top of a short staircase is June, flashing a light through the room and putting the crude blob Pokemon into focus. She stares at them just as they do to her, and then jumps back with a blood curdling shriek escaping from her mouth. "WHAT IS THIS!?!?" She wails, upsetting all the local population. She makes sure to keep an eye on the abominations around her while carefully removing her backpack to search for something, presumably her phone.

Einstein looks like he's in a world of his own. In contrast to his trainer's unease, he stays blank and his pupils scan the run-down room before they freeze and make eye-contact with me. Even if most of my body is obscured, he's still managed to seek me out already… I miss when he wasn't so daunting. By the time June's gotten ahold of a device, Einstein is ten steps ahead of her and his spots glow while I feel my body being squeezing and I'm involuntarily being lifted from where I stand. All the scrap pieces I'm submerged under gradually start rolling off of me. The slow pace at which this happens gives my anxiety more time to run wild, so to comfort myself I bite down on the yellow stone I had found…

But the sounds of all that inadvertently makes me- or more specifically, the junk mountain that I was buried in- the new focus for the blob Pokemon. They all swarm over to the pile, indiscriminately shoveling whatever they can get into their extensive jaws while I'm just barely in the air. With so many of these Pokemon closing in on me, Einstein struggles to stay focused and lightly drops me. As weary as I am of him, I know he wouldn't leave me here to die (Mostly to please June…). His focus shifts to the smaller blob Pokemon of the crowd and flings them to the wall behind me, splattering drops of a toxic sludge everywhere.

"Hm, so these are Pokemon, Grimer and their evolved form Muk. They don't really look like an evolved form though, the only difference is their size… Oh? Oh no, I got distracted again!" June gasps, witnessing in horror a flood of Grimer and Muk flowing forward. A barrier is swiftly propped up to halt the incoming Pokemon. The Grimer stuck to the wall a second ago rebound, strengthening their forces. Einstein's really struggling to keep Reflect up, the rest of his dwindling energy is concentrated into it. Using Confusion on even one measly Grimer is out of the question…

The smartest option for June right now would be to turn around and run away, but she won't do that, not with the knowledge that I'm somewhere in this room, and she'll endanger herself trying to find me… The sheer terror written all over her face while a larger Muk swings its gooey fist at her shield and all of its underlings copy the motion to splatter sludge at it fills me with guilt… Even if spending these past few weeks with June has had its negatives and I've mourned the loss of my freedom, am I really just gonna stand by and watch her fight for her life because of me?

More and more cracks are made in the barrier, and the slime droplets have burnt small holes through it. Einstein does everything he can to reseal them, even if a new one takes its place seconds later. June's legs are quivering. I know what I need to do. I close my eyes and take a deep breath. I set my sights on Einstein, and he looks back at me. He nods, understanding my plan. Water engulfs my body, and I'm suddenly launched forth. Every piece of scrap around me tumbles down, and the Grimer and Muk turn their heads- June does the same, finally noticing me.

"Chip!! There you are!!!"

I fly over the heads of all the poisonous Pokemon and aim straight for June, not minding Reflect. When it looks like I'm about to crash headfirst into it, Einstein puts down the barrier and I land right into June's arms like a football. June's wide smile fills me with comfort, and I purr to show I'm glad she's here.

But this is no time for reunions! Without anything to halt them, Muk and Grimer are finally free to exact their revenge. Without a single trace of hesitation, June's long legs hightail it out of there, Muk and Grimer following suit.

🐞 June's Party 🐞

14,892

Spoiler:

QueenNothing · Mar 18, 2022

Junko "June" Enomoto

Monday, October 5th
Afternoon
New Mauville

June's not even granted a second to catch her breath. Being continuously pursued by a horde of angry Muk and Grimer down the relatively narrow corridors doesn't allow for that. She's not concerned with where exactly she's headed, just anywhere that can get these Pokemon off her tail!

Einstein, like Chip, nests in June's backpack with his head poking out and faces whatever is at his trainer's heels. Ideally it's so he can hit the poisonous predators with a super-effective Confusion, but at his level of exhaustion the most he can manage is to throw a Grimer to the wayside every now and again to little avail.

June's breath gradually gets more and more unsteady as she makes an effort to create more distance between her and her pursuers. As she turns her head away from the wave behind her and back to what's in front of her, she can just barely see a steel door marking the end of the poorly lit hallway. Taking a few strides forward shows the exit lacks any sort of door knob or handle, and instead a pressure plate is placed on the floor. Her steps grow wider until she takes a wide leap right onto the button, dropping enough weight on it for the door to activate. Feeling she outmaneuvered her foes, she pants like a Yamper and wipes her forehead, waiting not so patiently for the door to open.

It doesn't open nearly as fast as she'd like though. A familiar whirring noise goes off while the door sluggishly slides by, and barely moves an inch by the second. The taunting growls from Muk and the mischievous giggles from Grimer only get louder, and it's not even close to being half open! June bites her lip, and has Einstein use Reflect again. This one being significantly thinner than the previous though. A single strike from the alpha Muk puts a massive crack in the shield that extends to every corner. At this pace, she'll be history before the door is even a quarter of the way open.

She calls for Chip to crawl into her arms. "I know this might be poor timing but do you think you could use Aqua Jet to surround them?" He reluctantly glances over to the Muk and Grimer before turning back to June with a half-hearted nod. At her cue he flies onto the ground and skids in circles around the Grimer gang, serving as a distraction rather than an actual opponent. He kicks sand into one of their eyes every few seconds, making Chip an even trickier target to attack. June looks back to the door- little progress has been made. She grips its edge to try and pry it open, but it barely budges. Even if it is possible to force it open with human strength alone, June is the last person capable of such a feat. She plants her legs in the ground so she can put all her body into it, but her flip-flops lack the friction to stay grounded, almost causing her to slip.

She continues to pull it back regardless, shifting her glance from the door back to the Grimer and Muk, hoping the door might have made some progress. When looking back to Chip evading poison-type attacks, at the edge of her eye she spots something getting ever so closer with every head-turn, eventually coming into view as a Joltik, the same one from earlier. The Joltik examines the scene, tilting her head, and seemingly ignores the horrific implications it could have as she happily squeaks and leaps at the nearest Grimer.

While midair, a green energy surrounds her entire body. It seems innocuous enough until she tackles said Grimer at its side, ramming into it with enough force that it splatters all across the floor, walls, and its comrades. Chip was lucky enough that Aqua Jet deflects the small drips that hit him. June cups her hands over her mouth in horror, but the growling Grimer don't really mind. Their ire is still focused on the human girl.

Joltik gives a saddened low-pitch squeak, upset that Grimer couldn't play with her. She looks over to another Grimer and hops over. She latches on and releases a weak electric pulse through her sinking feet, slowing the Grimer's movements, and then springs to another to do the exact same. Going Grimer to Grimer inevitably does make Joltik their next target, but when half of their swarm is paralyzed going after her isn't exactly easy. Two Muk spit toxic gunk at it, nearly hitting Joltik a few times, but she's just too fast for them.

The alpha Muk, growing tired of Joltik, faces her and roars mercilessly, summoning a giant wave of goo that nearly swallows up everything in its way and sending it on a current down the hall, including its own underlings… but not Joltik. She jumped out of the way and hit Muk's face with a Lunge before using Thunder Wave right into its eyes. Muk screeches, sluggishly squirming to no avail, heavily contrasting Joltik's pleased chirps, and it's at this time the door finally opens.

June and Chip flee, skittering into the next room, and Joltik can't help but look up from her position and follow as if her tussle with Muk never happened. Muk takes a few to recoil from the pain before roaring and using its oversized hands to pull itself forward.

All that had been awaiting June on the other side of the doorway was nothing more than another room adorned with desks, shelves, artificial plants and the like. Just like with the first room she entered, another door lies on the opposite side, however this one is sealed shut. There's no pressure plate nearby or anything else that resembles a switch, no matter how hard she looks.

Hefty panting is heard from behind June, and she has Chip ram into it with Aqua Jet, That merely puts a dent in it though, and the panting Muk draws closer. Chip hits the door with a few more Aqua Jets, but the door is too thick to be knocked down.

"W-well maybe Joltik can still handle Muk while we find another way out!" June suggests as Joltik stops at her feet. The tiny Pokemon prepares to excitedly hop up and down, but out of nowhere she starts writhing and struggles to support her own weight. A quick Pokedex check reveals that making contact with Muk left her poisoned, and it just started kicking in. Having another go with the sludge Pokemon isn't at all viable, and her Pokemon aren't fit to fight such a beast. What now? Feeling all hope is lost, June panics, banging her fists against the door while wailing, tears nearly escaping from her ducts as the rancid odor encroaches further.

…That is until a sudden weight is felt in June's hand, nearly taking her out of her episode. She lowers her arm and somehow a Pokeball with a black and yellow top is in her grasp. "Wha- where did this come from!?" She drops the ball to the ground. But it's surrounded by a flickering pink aura that feebly floats it back to her hand.

"...Einstein!? What are you… Wait, you aren't implying I should catch Muk, are you!?" The Pokeball moves up and down to mimic a nod. "B-but I can't! You remember what Ranger Diya said, don't you!? That's strictly forbidden!!! It might sound good now, yes, but what if-"

She interrupts herself when a desperate battle cry echoes throughout the room. In a last ditch effort, the large Muk unhinges its jaw, and gunk builds up within its mouth into a round shape that grows larger and larger… June doesn't even need to feel the attack to know how painful it'll be, not when she can smell it clearly! Her burning nostrils require her to immediately pinch her nose, but even then the repugnant stench still overwhelms her. Sure, throwing the Pokeball at Muk would be a violation of the rules here, but what does that matter if she's not alive to feel the consequences? She intently stares down the floating Pokeball, knowing what her decision will be, even if she's greatly opposed to it.

"I really wish I didn't have to do this…!" She closes her eyes, facing away from the ball and slaps it forward almost like a volleyball. It strikes Muk right below its mouth, opening up and sucking in the poison-type Pokemon before falling to the floor and tightly closing, silencing the cries of resistance. June slams her back against the metallic door as the Pokeball roughly rocks back and forth, more than the usual three shakes she's seen. She slides against the smooth surface and falls to her rear, all while keeping a close eye on the ball and wheezing furiously.

Even when the clicking noise confirms Muk will be of no worry to her, she remains curled up for about ten minutes, her breaths just barely slowed down. The fear she felt was unlike any prior experience, and even when it's all over she still hasn't fully processed everything. But she does eventually come back to her senses, even if not fully. That's when the guilt of what she did really sinks in.

"Okay… so firstly I really don't think I'll be taking Muk with me... Maybe if I leave its Pokeball here the rangers won't find out…" She announces as her pupils stroll over to the ill Joltik. She whines repeatedly, and June lowers her index finger to her to take her along. "Secondly, I'd feel awful if I just left you here while poisoned! I unfortunately lack any sort of antidote with me, but perhaps once we depart from Route 110 we can take you to a Pokemon Center… even if that is a ways off…"

With her free hand, she straightens her crooked glasses and hoists herself up. Now that she's located Chip, she might as well try to find the floor plans and escape the man-made labyrinth.

🐞 June's Party 🐞

14,892

Spoiler:

Groc · Mar 21, 2022

Edison Kintobor
Monday, October 5th; midday
Route 110

Ed hunkers down in a tide pool, arms wrapped around Addie as Bullet Seeds rain down around him, and can't help but feel like this is his fault.

His morning had started out fine. Sure, he was awakened earlier than he'd like by his own rumbling stomach, but as Sunny used to say, "Early to rise makes a man wise." He'd told her there was more to that saying, but she'd preferred the shorter version.

In desperation, he'd tried eating some of Addie's food, but it tasted terrible and didn't have the correct blend of nutrients anyway, so it probably wasn't good to eat.

Then they'd found that flock of Wingull, which just brought back painful memories of stolen sandwiches, and it took far too many Thunder Shocks before the annoying birds left them alone.

Unfortunately, Ed had lost track of which way they were going, and picking a random direction had only led them to more birds. Pikipek, in this case, which at least might have had some Berries he could snack on. Unfortunately again, they didn't take kindly to Addie investigating their bushes, and Neo's Shock Waves knocked a few out, but that just angered a nearby Toucannon.

Why did it have to be a Toucannon? They could have handled Pikipek, they probably would have even been okay against a Trumbeak. But a full grown Toucannon? Running away again was the best option. But Addie couldn't run fast enough, and Ed couldn't carry him, so the whole flock had chased them, spitting seeds and dive bombing them. It was like something out of a nightmare, except Ed couldn't wake up from this.

Addie had tried Metronome, and the resulting Teeter Dance had caused many of the Pikipek to crash, but that Toucannon knew Mirror Move, and had returned the favor to poor Addie, who is now suffering from motion sickness. Ed kneels in the tidewater, holding his baby boy close while Neo defends them with their electricity, a limited resource that they'd tried so valiantly to conserve.

And as much as he'd like to fight back, to run, to do anything, he just can't bring himself to face this enemy. And it's all because he wanted to go exploring. Next time he'll come prepared. Next time he'll bring more batteries, more food, and maybe some smoke bombs in case they get attacked by wild Pokémon again.

But he'll have to deal with that later. First, he has to survive this ordeal.

Addie stirs in his arms, finally shaking off his confusion. Edison hugs him close, then sets him down. "On the count of three, run as fast as you can towards that structure. We'll be right behind you. Ready? ...three!"

Addie takes off, and Ed throws a handful of pepples at the Pikipek, all of which fall pitifully short of the birds. They have the advantage of flight, after all, and are shooting down at him. Undeterred, he calls out to Neo. "Save your Shocks, use Flash Cannon! Aim for the big one!"

Neo charges up their new laser, blasting Toucannon with concentrated light. It subsequently misses its next shot, and in the brief moment of distraction, Ed and Neo are racing toward the building in the distance.

When they catch up to Addie, Ed instructs Neo to charge another Flash Cannon. When Toucannon gets close, they fire again, causing the bird to squawk angrily at the blinding light. It gets wise when they try again, dodging the laser and mocking them for missing.

Then Neo blasts it with Shock Wave, punishing it for its hubris.

They turn and run again, catching up to Addie at the door of the structure. He can't reach the handle, despite his best efforts, and Ed has to open the door for him. The three rush inside as Toucannon's bill starts to glow, slamming the door before it can compete its attack. A muffled thump emits from the door, and a small spot grows slightly brighter from the impact of whatever it just did.

"...I almost regret closing the door. I've never actually seen a Beak Blast in person." Ed touches the spot on the door, immediately retracting his hand as the door singes his fingers. "Contact with the beak can cause a burn, but I didn't expect the beam itself to be hot. Fascinating..."

Addie groans quietly from his spot on the floor, having fallen over in exhaustion. He isn't used to running like that, and doesn't even have the energy to pluck a berry from his fur.

Neo lists lazily to the left, somewhat drained from the battle and loopy from low battery.

As the adrenaline fades, Ed looks around the area. The area is dark, except for where it isn't: the dull red "EXIT" sign overhead and scattered LED emergency lights providing dim light. Not enough to properly see, but just enough to make out the area and move around.

"If these lights are still on... there must be power here. But why? It looks abandoned. Oddly clean, but abandoned." He specifically notes the lack of dust or overgrowth that he'd seen in other derelict buildings. This one could have been cleared out yesterday, if not for the general state of the entrance outside.

"I'd say we have a mystery on our hands. But more importantly, if there's power, we can charge N.D.'s batteries in case those birds are still outside. And also my Holotch so we can find the path to the exit." He curses his own hubris, but won't deny his heart was in the right place giving Neo a meal.

But his heart doesn't make decisions, his brain does, and his brain is saying look around, explore the space, dig deeper. It knows what he wants.

He idly wishes Sunny were here. Sputter would easily provide light, or even her Seedot with Sunny Day. He adds "flashlight" to his mental list of things to pack next time he goes adventuring. As it is, he's left to stumble around in the dim light, and can only imagine what he's missing.

After exploring a bit, he finds something interesting: a locked door. The sign says "Employees Only", which is actually a good sign.

"Addie, can you open this for me? A good Rock Smash to the handle ought to work." Addie looks at him skeptically. "What? No one works here anymore. If only employees are allowed, but there are no employees, then there's no one to enforce the restriction. Ergo, anyone is allowed."

Addie can't argue with that, because he is a child. After Ed finds him a step to stand on, he breaks the handle with one well placed Smash. Ed leads the way in, but naturally the lights don't turn on. They seem to be in an employee lounge of some kind, with a long table, some mail cubbies, a fridge, and a vending machine. Two more doors lead to restrooms.

Ed immediately checks the fridge, but it's empty and unpowered. The vending machine is also out of power, but he has no way to open it, and can't see inside it without lights. He checks the cubbies, and finds a small disk (which after close examination is a TM for Focus Energy) and some keys!

"Maybe I can get this place running again... let's see if we can find a fuse box." Armed with a master key, the three set out to explore once more.

Item Get!
Ed found one (1) TM Focus Energy!

Juno · Mar 22, 2022

3-8: Tough Call

🏃 Petalburg City / Track 🕙 Sept. 23rd, Morning

Marcella had made the effort to get up relatively early and put in some training for the day, for herself and her Pokémon. By 10 am, they hit a nearby track for some exercise.

"Pick up those paws, dears! Good! Keep it up!"

This part of 'training' she was quite familiar with, but she wasn't really sure what to do when they stopped running. She'd put it off long enough though, and eventually, she slowed to a stop and rounded up her team for a huddle by the bleachers.

"Alright, so..." She made a popping sound with her lips. She turned to Midas. "I suppose we should find out what you can do first." He was similar enough to Bijou, so it shouldn't be too hard to figure this out. He'd likely know some of the moves she does.

"Let's see. Scratch? You know Scratch?" She curved her fingers and made a scratching motion through the air, which was probably unnecessary, but got her point across. Midas swiftly turned to his nearest victim and raked his claws down Bijou's face, who yowled in protest and hit him back with her own. Soon, they were wildly slapping each other with Scratches.

"Okay! Good. Good?" She questioned over the flurry of claws and pandemonium. Is this what training looks like? She actively avoided paying attention to Avery's training sessions when he was home; the boy got enough attention from their dad, and she wasn't about to give him more. But now...

She bit her lip. After a moment of contemplation, she pulled the cats off each other and sent the three Pokémon with legs back on the track for another lap or two. She picked up her phone and dialed that number.

"Hey."

"Hey. How's it going?"

"Great. Good. It's okay. I mean," She let out a frustrated sigh. "I... I don't know. I don't really know what I'm doing. Can you help me? Not, like, 'send me your Pokémon' kind of 'help me' again, but I just-"

"Of course." Her brother accepted with no hesitation.

"Oh. Thank you." She responded stiffly.

He peered at the surroundings behind her. "You're not in Slateport, are you?"

"No, Petalburg." He probably expected an explanation for why she didn't backtrack to Slateport like he'd told her to, but she didn't owe him one. "Any tips for the Gym Leader here? What Pokémon does he have? What did you do?"

"Not really. Well, I've gathered through the grapevine that Norman's actually not been handling his own battles lately - It's, uh, Wally Greene. Kind of a little guy, might have seen him on TV? You know, Hall of Fame...?" His voice trailed off as Marcella stared back blankly without a hint of recollection in her eyes. "Nevermind."

"Gym Leaders can do that? Why doesn't he just make this guy the Leader, then?"

"I'm sure that's the plan, but my point is that a rundown of exactly what I did 5 years ago is not going to be 100% applicable here. Nor would you have wanted that, anyway. You wouldn't be learning. What do you do for the next gym if I just gave you blueprints?" A small, sad smile tugged up the corners of his lips. "I know how much it kills you to have to call me even once for help."

She pursed her lips together. "True. Alright, so where do we start?"

"Basics. And get to know your Pokémon, their strengths, weaknesses, et cetera. Where are they now?"

"They're doing a bit of running right now, and... that's as far as I got."

"Okay, good. That's a good start." He responded encouragingly, but couldn't help sliding in a: "I know at least one of them could use some cardio. Let's see 'em."

With a quick tap, she switched to her Rotom phone's back camera, showing Avery the racing Pokémon as they passed the bleachers.

"That one is Midas."

"He's fast." Avery remarked. "Got a real shiny coat too, cool."

Marcella squinted. She never noticed much of a difference between Midas and Fortuna, assuming the latter was maybe just a little dirtier from all the dumpster diving and Parker's lack of grooming. She shrugged. "If you say so."

Opal careened around the corner next, not too far behind Midas. She doesn't run very fast, but switches to rolling frequently to catch up.

"And Opal - well, I call her Opal, but she's not mine. Probably has a different name." Or doesn't have one, like Fortuna until yesterday.

"Doesn't hurt to train with her too, if we can. We're not just training the Pokémon, you know. We're also training you. Your Pokémon are only gonna be as good as you are as a trainer."

"Sure, whatever."

As she waited for Bijou to catch up, she quickly pointed the camera to the clamshell settled in next to her. "You've met Pearly already. Not racing for obvious reasons."

Marcella wasn't sure if Avery saw her, since the clamshell quickly shut as she pointed at her. "She's shy." She dropped her voice. "I don't really know what to do with her. She's like, you know, just kind of there."

An indignant spluttering noise came from within the shell told her she didn't drop her voice low enough. Oops. At least the Clamperl didn't spit at her this time.

"We can figure something out for her, I'm sure. Just 'cause she can't run doesn't mean we can't do some target practice, maybe work on her reflexes and defense. How's that sound, Pearly?"

The shell creaked open, and the gentle burbling noise she made seemed to indicate contentment.

As she turned the camera back towards the track, an amused smile spread across her brother's face. "Ah, there's the big chonker."

"She's been working hard," Marcella snapped. "Give it time."

"I'm just kidding."

"No, you're not."

"No, I'm not." He admitted. "Anyway, round 'em up after this lap and let's get to it."

✾ ✾ ✾ ✾ ✾

They decided to start with the newest addition to her team.

"Alright, so what are we working with here, moves-wise?"

"He knows Scratch and... Pay Day." Marcella paused. "I caught him yesterday, that's all I know."

"Right, okay." Avery tapped his lip. "You're probably not too far off from his full moveset anyway, an untrained Meowth in that area... maybe he can Growl, and he might also know Feint."

She furrowed her brows. "Is that like a defensive tactic, kind of like playing dead?"

"What? No, not faint, Feint is the opposite of a defensive tactic - if an opposing Pokémon is protecting itself, the attack will still land. I don't think we can test this now, but try it out the next opportunity you get. He's probably speedy enough to do it. But for now, let's have him spar a bit with Ch- Bijou."

To the side of the bleachers and off the track, there was enough space for them to train without getting in anyone else's way. They positioned the two feline Pokémon opposite of each other, like a real battle.

"Alright. Now, how would you open?"

"Um, Bijou knows Fake Out?" Marcella asked back, and Avery nodded at the screen with his chin jutting out, signalling for her to actually execute the command.

"Right. Fake Out!"

Her eyes were on Bijou, but before the portly Purrloin lifted a paw, something unexpected happened. It seems someone else heard and understood the command, and beat her to it. When Marcella had realized what happened, Midas had already retracted his claws and bounded back in place, leaving poor, confused Bijou stunned.

"Alright, interesting. That's another data point. You said you caught him yesterday?" Marcella nodded. "So he's not had much training. With how much that seems to have affected Bijou, it looks like you got a little Technician on your hands here. With his current moveset, and if he can Feint..."

His eyes were sparkling with excitement and Marcella could see the little cogs turning in his head. She didn't like that. Well, specifically, she didn't like him... plotting about her Pokémon without her knowing what he was getting so excited about.

"What? What is it?"

"Oh!" He snapped out of his contemplation and began explaining like he was holding a lecture. "Technician is an ability that gives certain attacks a boost. We don't have to get into the intricacies of it today, but for Midas, it will mean moves like Fake Out, Feint, even Scratch and Pay Day—you said he knows those as well, right—will be affected. I encourage you to go over the list of moves his ability boosts in your spare time, you can find them easily on your Dex app." He prattled on. "On top of that, these moves of his are... what type...?" He was doing that annoying teacher thing where he was pausing to let her answer the question. Marcella rolled her eyes.

"...Normal." He finished when she stayed silent.

"I know that." She didn't.

"Right. And Meowth, being a Normal-type as well, means Midas' attack is boosted once again dishing out Normal-type moves. He's gonna be a hard-hitting offensive player for your team early on here, I think."

Emboldened by the high praises he was receiving, Midas decided to continue the battle unprompted, pelting Bijou with a few coins. Bijou let out a whine and slinked between Marcella's legs.

"Hey, Bijou, you want him to stop doing that, right?" Bijou peeked out and looked up towards the sound of Avery's voice coming from Marcella's Rotom Phone. "I think we should try to teach her Torment."

"Yeah, what is it?"

"Basically, if she makes him angry enough, she can stop him from using the same move in a row. Can be a pretty valuable trick if you time it right. Now, if I recall correctly, she's a bit of a drama queen, so I think she can pull this off. Wanna give it a try, Bijou?"

A mischievous grin spreads across the Purrloin's face as she was given permission to enrage Midas, while the Meowth was instructed to continue attacking with his coins from afar. It took her a few tries and various suggestions from Marcella and Avery—she felt a little weird about coaching her Pokémon on how to be mean to each other—but eventually they stumble into something that actually looks like a move and not just Bijou being rude as hell.

Amidst the mocking gestures, the two Pokémon lock eyes for a moment and a dark energy swirls about Bijou.

"Is that...?" Marcella started. "Midas, Pay Day."

But the coins clattered to the ground as the Meowth took the bait, physically lunging forward at Bijou instead of continuing his ranged assault. Bijou simultaneously hopped aside and swiped a Sand Attack in his direction.

"See? Torment. She's a natural at it. Really takes after you." Marcella flipped him off. He continued, unfazed. "Try to teach her stuff like that. In any case..." His finger briefly flicked across the screen, not in the same rude gesture, but it looked like he was checking the time. "I actually have to get going here, but I think this is a solid start and we learned a lot about your team today."

"Wh- but there's still Opal and Pearly!"

"I know, gonna have to take a rain check on that target practice. But hey, if I did my job right, you should have learned a thing or two about how to train your Pokémon, and you can keep at it without me. There's a lot of knowledge you need to read up on, sure, but a lot more of it is common sense, going with the flow and just getting to know your team. You'll get better with practice. I know you will."

He sounded sincere. Marcella couldn't help but smile a little at that.

"But also, about the Gym," He continued cautiously, sounding like he wasn't sure if he should say it or not. "Whether it's Norman or Greene, the Petalburg Gym is tough. It's not gonna be like Brawly." He started.

"Alright...?" Her smile faded as she responded apprehensively. Where are you going with this?

"Don't be discouraged if you don't... You know, win. On your first challenge."

"Did you?" She asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Well, yes, but-"

"Then I can do it, too." There was an edge in her voice that came out harder than she meant for it to, but she held her gaze on the screen.

"Alright, then, just-" Her brother exhaled and gave her a small smile. "In the incredibly slim chance that you do not win, don't feel too bad, okay?"

Had to go and ruin it. "Thanks for the training, Avery, bye."

Party

Purrloin ♀ // Bijou

Scratch
Fake Out
Sand Attack
Play Rough
Torment

Art

Clamperl ♀ // Pearly

Clamp
Water Gun
Whirlpool
Iron Defense

Art

Wooloo ♀ // Opal

Tackle
Copycat
Double Kick

Art

Meowth ♂ // Midas

Pay Day
Scratch
Growl
Feint
Fake Out

Dear Diary

CHAPTER 2: LIVE FOR FUN

2-1: M.I.A.
2-2: Footwear Filchers
2-3: Cut Off
2-4: Bijou Bootcamp
2-5: Beached
2-6: Pearly
2-7: Showtime - ft. Avril, June, Tsu, Robynn, Shuna
2-8: Natsuko vs. Marcella - ft. Tsu
2-9: The Three C's
2-10: In/Dependent
2-11: Connections - ft. Avril, Hikaru

CHAPTER 3: YOUR BRAIN GETS SMART

3-1: Fiancé
3-2: Promise
3-3: Roughing It
3-4: Feline Friends
3-5: For Tuna
3-6: The Bear and the Maiden Fair
3-7: Unruly
3-8: Tough Call

Inventory

₱31,000, more or less

Medium-sized leather suitcase of clothes
Rotom Phone (Sky Blue)
Fanclub Membership Card (Annual)
Luxury Balls x 3
Silk Scarf
Contest Pass
Safety Goggles (Bijou-sized)

Trainer Info

Badges

Caesar · Mar 22, 2022

Saturday, October 3rd @ 1700 - Route 110

The rest of Route 103 went off without a hitch, simple straight forward walking that took Clint about two days, and he now found himself at a crossroads, with signage directing travelers either north to Mauville, or south to Slateport. Clint of course was heading north, there was a gym in Slateport he never ended up making it to, at least for now but his eyes were set on Mauville. He turned north, and kept on moving, it was getting late in the day now but he could still march on a little while longer before setting up camp.

The northward turn presented Clint with more signs displaying more options. He could pick his choice of route to Mauville, either the 'natural' Route 110 land bridge or the Mauport Bridge, which was apparently a town as well. Clint quickly settled on taking the low road, and made his way over to the Ranger Station nearby, looked like he had to stop by as the rest of the route was fenced off.

Clint walked into the building, a fairly non-descript office, with a ranger manning a desk. This ranger was a short man with long blonde hair, probably in his thirties.

"Welcome to the one-ten land bridge, I'm Jesse and I'm the supervisor for the rangers here," Jesse introduced.

"You gonna let me through," Clint said in a gruff tone.

"Well of course, just a few things to bring ya up to speed on. Firstly we're going to need your Pokeballs, both empty and being used. You're allowed to bring up to two Pokemon with you, provided they walk along side you out of their balls. Second, no battling either with other trainers on the route or with wild Pokemon, it's bad for the ecosystem here. Speaking of the ecosystem, take one of these canvas bags with you, to pick up any garbage you find along the way, who knows you might find something good along the way as well," Jesse explained,

"Make sense to you, or are there any questions."

"No, I get the jist," Clint replied, taking off his pokeball holster and placing it on the desk.

He took just one of his pokeballs off his holster and released Ralts from his Pokeball.

"Just going to take one with me, easier to keep an eye on," Clint explained.

Ralts then climbed up onto Clint's shoulder, hanging on with his little arms.

"Well it should take you and your little buddy there two days to make your way to Mauville, best of luck out there," Jesse said.

Clint tipped his hat to Jesse and walked out to Route 110. The road ahead was devoid of any elevation, as the low road was winding to and from the bridge supports, with patches of grassland dotted throughout, as well as miniature sandy beaches were found all along. The ocean wind found its way through the pillars of the Mauport Bridge, giving Clint a solid breeze. Was a nice sight, other than a soda can being rolled by the wind right in front of Clint. Clint crouched down to pick it up, and stuffed it in the trash bag he had been provided. Nice, at least he wasn't leaving here empty handed. Not like he was making much of a difference as far as conservation of the area went however, as the giant bridge stretched out over the coast likely affected the local wildlife more than a solitary soda can.

No sense in getting into logistics, he had to keep moving. Clint made his way along the path, which was relatively easy walking even with Ralts clinging onto his shoulder like a burr. It was getting late however, so finding a spot to set up for camp would be ideal, Clint would be keeping his eye out for a spot out of the wind. He progressed on ahead when out of nowhere Ralts began tugging on Clint's neck and pointing to his west.

"What?" Clint asked, not seeing anything alarming when he looked to his west. But Ralts wouldn't let up, so Clint shrugged his shoulders and started walking in that direction. To his surprise, he found a Corphish down by the water, its pincers stuck in plastic six-pack rings. Ralts must have sensed this, Ralts' are supposed to be naturally talented as sensing emotions through the horn on their heads. Clint knelt down to the Corphish, and tried to get the Pokemon to stop flailing around.

That was a bad idea, as Clint immediately got his hand poked by the Corphish's spikes. Clint pulled his hand back, grabbing his struck hand with his other hand to try and mute the pain. After recoiling from the hit, Clint went into his backpack and pulled out his multi-tool, and pulled out the knife attachment on the tool. He would have to find a way to cut the rings so Corphish could go free. As he hovered over Corphish trying to figure a way to get a handle on the Pokemon, it kicked up a bunch of sand, some of the sand hitting Clint directly in the face.

Alright, go psyduck yourself then, Clint thought to himself. But no, he couldn't leave the poor Corphish like that, so he tried to pick his spot again. No luck, as now the Corphish's additional flailing has resulted in one of the rings being caught up in his spikes. Now it was all bound up, but still spinning around in a fit of rage. It was going to be difficult for Clint to get a clean break at helping this Corphish out.

It was then when Ralts climbed down from Clint's shoulder, and walked up to the Corphish. He stuck his hand out, and stared at the Corphish, and did some psychic stuff that was far beyond Clint's paygrade. Whatever Ralts did however worked, and the Corphish's flailing slowed down to a stop, giving Clint the opportunity to grab onto the Corphish, cutting the plastic rings that caused all the problems, and then letting the Pokemon back down onto the beach.

The Corphish waved its pincers freely in the air, celebrating its newfound freedom, Clint supposed. The Corphish then waddled over to a spot that had looked previously dug up before, then started digging at the spot, before wandering back off into the sea. It appeared as if the Corphish was thanking Clint by gifting him whatever stuff that Corphish had found on the beaches. Clint went over to the hole, to find out what he had been gifted. A market bag full of berries, plus three of those Technology Machines or whatever they were called that gym leaders liked to hand out. Not a bad haul for a little Corphish, and definitely not a bad haul for rescuing a Corphish from a plastic death trap.

With that, Clint was ready to call it a day. He found a spot nearby that gave him protection, as long as he didn't stand up. He laid out his bedroll in the nook of the spot, he decided to forgo the tent as it wasn't particularly necessary. Clint collected enough driftwood for a small fire, and he and Ralts laid down next to the fire and watched the sun go down.

Clint and Ralts shared one of the survival ration bars he had picked up in Littledale before he left, they tasted like the void but they were cheap, filled with calories and easy to carry around. Also according to the label they never go bad, which actually might not be good. All in all, Clint had himself a good setup for the night, if only the Wingull would shut up....

- Clint received Iapapa Berries (x5)!
- Clint received Oran Berries (X10)!
- Clint received TM Rock Smash!
- Clint received TM Low Kick!

Team & Inventory:

Spoiler:

Blaze|Brave| Moves: Ember|Dragon Breath|Bite|Smokescreen|Fire Fang|Slash

Overgrow|Sassy| Moves: Leaf-age|Detect|Quick Attack|Double Kick|Assurance

Water Absorb|Quiet| Moves: Hypnosis|Water Gun|Pound|Mud Shot

Synchronize|Gentle| Moves: Confusion|Double Team|Teleport|Growl|Draining Kiss
Inventory:

$28,500
2x Potions
1x Pokeballs
5x Iapapa Berries
10x Oran Berries
Sceptilite
TM Protect
TM Bullet Seed
TM Rock Smash
TM Low Kick

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

QueenNothing · Mar 25, 2022

Junko "June" Enomoto

Monday, October 5th
Evening
New Mauville

Chip is the only Pokemon June has with her that could act as a defense if she were to encounter anything dangerous. Einstein basically drained all his psychic energy, and while a wild Joltik did accompany her, she's currently too weak to do anything but take refuge in June's palm while sucking the electricity from a portable charger outlet so generously gifted to her. Yes, Sting or Heracr- Joe would be terrible partners for the majority of Route 110, but if she had known what she was getting into she would've chosen them in a heartbeat. Maybe that way she wouldn't have had to resort to what she did earlier…

Yes, pondering that thought shouldn't be a priority when she still needs to leave this labyrinth, but the guilt crawling down her back places so much weight on her it's a challenge to not notice it. As a distraction she repeats to herself she needs to find the floorplans, find the floorplans, find the floorplans…

Her flashlight starts to dim when she stumbles across another dark room. There's no functioning lights here and the pressure plate switch is stuck inside the floor. The only thing present are rows of unrecognizable machinery, at least by a 14 year old girl's standards. They're all full of buttons, blank monitors, switches, and other parts, and most of them are too tall for June to reach the top of. It's unlikely any sort of floor plans might be found here, but she's always had a "better safe than sorry" sort of mindset.

"Find the floorplans, find the floorplans…"

Walking further down the space between the machines reveals the room to be much more expansive than her first impression, it's almost as if there's no end in sight to the area. Pretty soon the entrance she came in from starts to disappear into the distance. It's not as intimidating to her as it is to Chip, especially not after the whole Muk kerfuffle.

"Find the floorplans, find the floorplans… wait, what was that!?"

A rapid clicking noise runs behind her, and June flashes her light to find out what it was. Nothing there. "...alright." She wheezes, turning around to advance as if that never happened. Joltik's whining reminds her what she should be focused on.

But the same clicking passes by again, this time to her side. She jerks the flashlight to her left. This time a small yellow creature blurs through the light. Not small like Joltik, more like Herdier small really. To most people that might signal whatever this could be is harmless, but June knows well from research not to judge a threat by its sight. She speedwalks back the way she came, but the identical machinery has her confused which direction that would even be, so she goes down what route looks the most vaguely familiar.

Hurrying between the machines doesn't give her the illusion of safety when she's not certain she'll find her way back- especially not when the same blur she was hoping to get away from zooms in-front of her. Her feet skid against the floor as she shrieks, and Chip's reaction isn't dissimilar. But almost as if he became just a little more brave, he shuts his eyes and shoots a green energy pellet forward, barely grazing the target before it can escape.

"Oh?" June peeks through her fingers. The blur had gotten out of their sight, but it then crawls out from the corner to hiss at them, revealing itself to be a yellow spider Pokemon. "Oh, that's all that is." June chuckles with relief.

"Why, it's nothing more than a Galvantula. No need to worry Chip. They're mostly passive unless provoked, and fortunately-"

An electric web from Galvantula's rear flies straight into them, draping them with it. A weak electric charge is felt not just by the Pokemon, but June as well, feeling a sensation unlike anything else. Even if it is super effective against Chip, at least he's used to it. The fibers burn against June's exposed arms, forcing agonized screeches from her mouth as she writhes about, and the portable charge in her hand only seems to amplify the pain.

Joltik is the least affected by this, although it's still a lot for her tiny body to handle. She squeaks, pleading to the encroaching Galvantula to have mercy on them. The EleSpider Pokemon freezes, not having noticed Joltik until now, and considers her cries. Possibly because it wanted to help out a member of its species, Galvantula uses its mandibles to bite the net in half in a way that doesn't harm the group. Electricity stops pulsing through the fibers as they slide off of June, although she ends up needing to kick it away from her feet. Marks in the shape of a spider web are left on her arms from the shoulders down.

Joltik leaps from June's palm onto the back of the Galvantula and weakly chirps. Galvantula, knowing exactly what she's in need of, releases a small charge from its body and into Joltik, restoring her strength. Full of life, Joltik hops up and down and gives the closest thing it can to a smile. June returns the expression, even if faintly.

"Aww." She rubs her wounded shoulder. "That's- thh!- that's so adorable! Looks like you've found your kin." Joltik hops laps around Galvantula, who looks pleased to be accompanied by such an upbeat Pokemon. They look so blissful together…

"Well," June unscrews her flashlight to drop the dead batteries into her palm. "I suppose we'll be on our way once I change these. It was a joy to meet you…"

Joltik tilts her head left and right. June sighs.

"What I mean is, my Pokemon and I are going to have to part ways from you."

Joltik's eyes droop downwards and she releases a low-pitched chirp. "I know, I don't want to either, I really don't… but after what happened earlier, well, taking you with me would be too great of a risk… Plus, seeing you so at home here, well, I'd feel bad for taking you out of your habitat. You'd end up causing a lot of trouble in Mauville and other similar areas, absorbing energy from outlets and all, and I know it's not your fault and that you can't help it. But it's all the more reason for you to stay here. Even though this area was abandoned some time ago, there's enough running electricity to keep you satisfied, more than what I could do. This is where you belong."

Joltik squeaks louder, pleading to June to let her join. "Ohh, I'm so very sorry! It just wasn't meant to be…" The tiny Pokemon whines, and June gives her scratches to try and ease her.

"I shouldn't stay here much longer." She adjusts her backpack straps. "So with all that being said, farewell." She bows and then quickly walks towards the exit. Even with the injuries still stinging her arms, she wishes to remove herself as soon as she can. "Out of sight, out of mind" is a phrase she heard growing up, something especially relevant when she thinks about the Pokemon she knows she'll miss. Sure, she didn't know Joltik for very long, but having to say goodbye to a cute bug is never easy.

Loud whines echo from behind, making her regret her decision all the more, but eventually they come to a halt. Hopefully that'll make the expedition to the exit less gloomy.

"Find the floorplans, find the floorplans…"

"Huh? I don't recall there being a door here?" Her finger taps her lip.

It was as time-consuming as feared, but June did stumble across the floor plans at some point which she used to guide her way back to the entrance. Unlike before though, a wide metal door barricades the exit, and at first June worries she's blocked off for good- until she notices a latch on the far right side of the door. She sighs, and at long last swings it wide open to a flash of light.

She's temporarily blinded by the setting sun, but once that fades the beautiful Hoenn nature acts as a warm welcome after all the hell she's gone through in the abandoned structure.

…But the same can't be said by the three Pokemon rangers conversing with each other, accompanied by Arcanine, Swampert, and Jolteon respectively. One of them mounts an Arcanine, and the one with Jolteon by their side sits in an ATV. They must have arrived recently. The creaking of the door has them all turn their heads in-unison.

"My, what have we here?" One of the rangers asks while dismounting his Arcanine. His skin tone is similar to June's, and removing his helmet reveals his straight brown hair pulled up into a neat ponytail. "Greetings, young trainer," He pushes up his rectangular glasses with his long blue nails, "I am Ranger Kentaro Keri with the Hoenn Pokemon Rangers. You must be Miss Junko Enomoto, is that correct?"

"Oh, well yes, I am, but how-"

"It's quite simple, really." He interrupts. "You see, earlier today we received an abrupt call from a trainer who was in need of assistance with a runaway Wimpod along this route, but that was all we knew. We contacted the Southern Ranger station to view the history of trainers who stopped by and that's when we came across your profile, which matched with the report." He glances down to Chip and looks back up to June. "But I take it that's been resolved?"

"Um, indeed, yes! Sorry I made you go through all this trouble for nothing…"

"No need to feel bad. Not for that anyways." Ranger Keri's demeanor turns stern and he stands erect. "Because it seems we have a new issue at hand."

"Um...I-I'm sorry, what do you mean?"

"Don't pretend as if you don't know! Those marks on your arms give it all away! But even then, Rangers Wilks, Davila and I are all eye-witness to you trespassing in New Mauville, an area strictly off-limits to civilians! That alone would earn you a warning, but it seems as though you've done worse than mere trespassing. Just recently, a new Pokemon was registered to your profile despite the restrictions placed on catching Pokemon in Route 110!"

There it was.

"I…" It was a little naive to expect to not get caught, but she didn't think it'd come back to bite her so soon. Her eyes start to well up at the ranger's words and with her hands glued to her sides, she gives him a deep bow. "I'm so sorry about that! I… I really didn't want to do any of that, but I really didn't have a choice! I didn't want to leave my lost Pokemon there!!"

"That's to be expected with Wimpod, being a timid species and all." The ranger snorts. "Not sure who appraised your Pokemon… but first and foremost, I'm going to need you to hand over Muk's Pokeball so I may release it back into its natural habitat."

"Ummmm, w-well, you see, I-I…" Her pupils dart both directions while her legs wobble. "I don't have it…"

"What!? What do you mean, 'you don't have it'?"

"It's just that I-I-I…" The pressure causes her to break, forcing her to her knees while she starts to bawl uncontrollably. "I-I LEFT IT BACK WHERE I CAUGHT IT BECAUSE I FELT SO GUILTY ABOUT CATCHING IT!!! I TRIED TELLING MYSELF I WOULDN'T GET CAUGHT IF I DID AND I'M- I'M SO SORRY!!!"

"You mean to tell me you not only caught a Pokemon that's off-limits in a restricted area but you also left the Pokeball in the wild habitat?" Ranger Keri further knits his brows. "Do you have any idea how dangerous and foolish what you did was!? Even if Muk is to safely escape from the Pokeball on its own, that still leaves a Pokeball in-circulation in Route 110! Were you not told of these regulations?"

He pushes his glasses up again. "Of course, even if you were, I'm not sure if that'd make much of a difference. From my experience, it takes a lot for a hooligan to change their ways.

June can barely hear him over her wailing. Even if she could, she wouldn't make any effort to argue with the ranger. She really doesn't have any right after breaking the rules she agreed to follow by going down the route.

"I take it you understand the consequences of your actions?" June nods with her face buried in her palms. "Very well then. Rangers Davila and Wilks shall venture into New Mauville to release the Muk you so carelessly captured." He turns to the other two rangers who both nod and proceed with their mission, making their way into the cavern. "As for your punishment, I'll need to escort you to the ranger station so we may discuss that in-full. Until we get around to that, you shall be under our custody in the meantime."

"You…" June quivers, unable to face Ranger Keri. Hearing those words directed at her might be the worst thing that's happened to her in Hoenn, maybe even her entire life. Catching Muk might have saved her from certain death, but living in shame isn't much better. "Y-you don't mean that I'm…"

"To put it into other words: You're under arrest."

🐞 June's Party 🐞

14,892

Spoiler:

QueenNothing · Apr 4, 2022

Junko "June" Enomoto

Tuesday, October 6th
Morning
Northern Ranger Station

Being guided to her jail cell has got to be one of the most degrading things to ever happen to June, hands down. She was compliant enough with the ranger escorting her that he doesn't even feel the need to place his hands on her, but it's still humiliating all the same. It's just fortunate that her cell is well-kempt unlike what's shown in TV dramas, although the toilet out in the open is less than pleasant.

The bar door slides shut in her face, and she falls to her knees, curling up into a ball. If she didn't already cry until her face hurt, she'd weep some more, but she doesn't have it in her. All she can do is lament her decision and how she'll explain this to her family… How would her parents react? Or her aunts and uncles? What if Marie found out, or even Avril? It's unbearable to think about, but at least she doesn't have to deal with anyone she knows finding out just yet.

Or so she thought.

"Well well, look who it is! What's buzzin, cousin?" An unfortunately familiar voice remarks behind her. "Didn't think I'd see ya here, tall lady!"

Sitting cross legged on the tatami floor is none other than the nasty boy himself, giving the biggest most obnoxious smirk imaginable. His sunglasses are low enough that his irritating glare makes its way to June. As if being detained wasn't miserable enough, she just had to be placed in the same cell as Jessie Baron of all people…

"What'd they throw ya in for? Come on, spit it out! You're the last person I woulda thought I'd see in the slammer!"

"I'd really appreciate it if you could leave me alone right now…" June faces away from him and back to the cell bars. There couldn't be a worse time to have to deal with him.

"Aw, what's the matter lady? Can't do the time?" He cackles. No response from June though, much to his disappointment. "C'mon, spit it out!"

Jessie continues insisting, but his unsuccessful attempts only further frustrate him. "Fine, don't talk then! Seein' ya here after creaming me back in Petalburg is revenge enough!"

Reverse-psychology doesn't pan out either when June lacks the energy to so much as open her mouth. She continues to ignore the greaser boy, and he folds his arms and grunts. "Jeez, you're really startin' to bug me… Whatever. I'm gonna nod off."

Jessie drops onto one of the two futons and falls asleep after just shutting his eyelids. It almost seems like his annoying antics won't be a problem for at least another six hours. Until he starts to snore, that is. His snoring roars through the cramped cell, and it's so loud June has no hopes of sleeping tonight. That was already going to be difficult, since all she can think about is how ashamed of herself she is and how much she misses her Pokemon, but like with everything else, Jessie just makes that worse.

She covers her ears while laying on her own futon, wanting so badly to drown out the snoring. She tries resting on her side at first, but that only further stings her bandaged arms, so she rolls onto her back. She sure hopes Einstein and Chip are fine… Well, given they're under the custody of the Pokemon Rangers, there's no doubt they're being taken proper care of, probably like how Sting, Kit, and Joe all are. But are they going to be emotionally okay without her there? Most of her team is probably indifferent to not having her around honestly, but there's no way Einstein doesn't sorely miss her. She can vividly picture him seeing her in a sad state and comforting her with a few nuzzles. Having him around right now sure would be comforting…

"Miss Junko Enomoto."

Ranger Keri stands on the other side of the bars, keys in-hand. It's a bit of relief after spending the entire night fearfully anticipating confronting the ranger to get it over with.

"Um, yes sir." She slowly rises to her aching feet, tired yet wide-awake. Sunlight fills the room, making the atmosphere a little less depressing, yet in-spite of all this Jessie still sleeps like a Snorlax. Now that she's no longer suffering through an agonizing night with him, there is something satisfying about seeing him detained.

"Right this way." He pushes up his glasses, leading her down a hallway that feels longer than it actually is. Hopefully whatever her punishment is won't be worse than having to share a room with Jessie.

"So Miss Enomoto," Ranger Keri shuffles through some papers. "Do you have any objections to being charged for trespassing and violating the Pokemon Protection Act?" June shakes her head in somber. Quite frankly, she doesn't deserve to defend herself after being caught violating such an important law. "Very well then. That brings us to my next point."

"Upon inspection of your belongings after your arrest, we found five Friend Balls and four Ultra Balls, not counting the Ultra Ball used to capture the wild Muk. As you know, these are items strictly forbidden to possess when entering Route 110, yet they were found on your person in spite of that. What do you have to say for yourself, Miss Enomoto?"

"Wha-what!?" June cries, flabbergasted. How could those have gotten there? The Ultra Balls are completely out of nowhere, but she did see a few Friend Balls during her trek. But she strictly refused when Einstein presented them to her… He couldn't have anything to do with that, could he? "I-I don't have any memory of even owning those Pokeballs, I swear! I was confused when my Orbeetle even handed me the one I used in the abandoned facility, honestly! It just- I know it doesn't make much sense, but I'm telling the truth!"

"So you were carrying Pokeballs yet you didn't place them in your bags?" The Ranger asks in an icy manner. "A likely story."

"W-well it might not sound highly convincing, but… I wouldn't dare to break such an important rule!"

"Like catching Pokemon that are explicitly off-limits?"

"Um, well…" June bites her tongue on this point, not wanting to further incriminate herself. "Um, well all I know for sure is I had a few Net Balls and a Premier Ball with me, and I left all of those with Ranger Diya at the Southern Ranger Station!"

"Ranger Diya…" Keri grimaces. "That certainly explains a lot… Err, but anyways, the point is that you violated the laws set in place. As such we will continue to keep you under our custody as you await trial."

"T-trial?" June tremors, eyes starting to water.

"Yes, that's what I said. Obviously you won't be tried as an adult, so you likely won't be sentenced to anything worse than probation or a suspension of your trainer's license, possibly both."

How is he able to say that all so straight-forwardly? Tears begin the drip against the table as the waterworks start. Growing up, her dad would frequently lecture her about the importance of staying out of trouble after enough run-ins with the law himself, and that definitely had a big impact on her. She spent her entire life being an obedient child, she was a model student in school and complied with every restriction set by her parents, no matter how arbitrary it may seem. Yet here she is, faced with the reality of trial for the one time she went against the rules for the sake of survival. Sharing a cell with Jessie, an actual thief, only worsens that feeling. Hopeless, she slams her face into her palms, drowning in despair and tears.

"Hold it!"

Just then, the door swings wide open, and an out-of-breath Pokemon Ranger stands on the other side. June perks her head up- she definitely recognizes this woman. That's…

"Speak of the devil…" Keri groans. "What business do you have here, Ranger Diya?"

"I'd like to vouch for June here!" She announces, suddenly waving to the young trainer. June returns a half-hearted wave.

"Vouch?" He raises a brow. "Ranger Diya, that's an attorney's job at a later date. You should know these things."

Diya shakes her head. "You can't be serious about going through the whole legal process, right? I mean like, come on. She's just a kid! And even if she broke some rules, she's not a repeat offender or anything like that Elvis kid!"

"She may be a child, yes, but laws are laws. I can't let her off easily unless I have a reason."

"That's what I'm here to do!" Ranger Diya winks and makes a peace sign. The contrast between the two is certainly amusing. "And I think you forgot to mention what else was found in her bag!"

"You mean the Joltik?" June's eyes widen at the ranger's words. A Joltik in her bag? He can't be referring to the one that followed her through New Mauville, is he? "I'm not quite sure what that has to do with anything."

"Think about it: why else would she bring another Pokemon with her? Clearly it's because she wanted to catch it. Isn't that right, June?"

June removes her lenses to wipe away her tears. "Well actually-" She interrupts herself upon seeing a quick wink from the pink-haired ranger. She doesn't understand the gesture at first, but changes track once she picks up on it. "I-I mean, yes, that's correct!" It never feels good to lie, but that's not entirely untrue. Even if she didn't actually bring Joltik along or lacked the intention of catching her, she did want to catch her. A weak point, yes, but anything to ease herself.

Ranger Keri remains expressionless. "I fail to understand your point here."

"I'm just saying, there's gotta be a pretty good reason she caught Muk. If you look at her registered Pokemon, you'll see she only has bug-types. So why would she just catch an unpopular poison Pokemon like that? If she was doing it because she wanted to break some rules don't you think she'd catch Joltik as well if she was already in trouble?"

Both rangers face June, awaiting an answer from the nervous girl. "Well, um, that is true actually… I was cornered by that Pokemon, I didn't have anywhere to run and then my Orbeetle handed me that Ultra Ball. I was desperate, so I went along with it."

"It's also worth noting," Diya adds. "With all the trash that falls from Mauport, it's not a stretch to say her Orbeetle found some Pokeballs and stuffed them in her backpack."

Ranger Keri rubs his chin. "That does make sense, yes. They are quite intelligent Pokemon afterall."

"Yeah! See what I mean Kenny?"

"Don't call me that!" He scowls and then forces a cough, pushing up his glasses. "Err, anyways- even if this doesn't change the illegality of the situation, there is leniency for self-defense." Diya grins ecstatically, slowly nodding along. "Instead of a trial, I feel a fine might be more appropriate."

Internally June is very conflicted by the idea that Einstein could have taken along those Pokeballs against her wishes, but externally she has an excuse to get out of court. "Um, thank you sir."

"It's not going to be a light fine though. You still knowingly trespassed and left your captured Muk behind. For that, you will be left with a fine of one million Pokedollars. Understood?"

"That much!?" She gasps. "B-but I…"

"Yes, I've heard it before: You didn't have a choice. But at the end of the day, you brought along not only Wimpod, but an Orbeetle who acts on his own. This should serve as enough of a reminder to not only think about your actions, but to also have better control over your Pokemon so you may avoid a repeat of this situation."

June looks over to Diya, who just shrugs. It's an unfortunate consequence, yes, but at the end of the day it's better than the alternative. Plus, she does deserve some kind of punishment after all that, and she should be grateful for the end result.

"Um… yes, I understand. Thank you."

🐞 June's Party 🐞

0
Debt remaining:

985,108

Spoiler:

Aquacorde · Apr 5, 2022

Chapter 8: Rock Star

There are three ways to walk from Lavaridge to Fallarbor Town. The traditional trainers' route brings one through the desert and up into the ash-coated scrubland of Route 113. It is not always a pleasant journey, and it does take some time to backtrack from Lavaridge through the rest of Mount Chimney Park Reserve. An alternate version of the trainers' path cuts through the base of the mountain- the burning, dangerous tunnel known as the Fiery Path that travellers must push through in a single day, a gruelling 12-hour hike because sleeping in such a place tends to invite death. But- you get to avoid the desert! The third, non-traditional route is becoming more and more popular, in the face of those two choices, and that is a slow hike directly from Lavaridge to Fallarbor that takes travellers through beautiful, wild, mountainous Forina.

Which will trainers choose?

AREAS
Route 113, Forina, Fallarbor Township

POKÉMON
Doduo, Drampa, Jangmo-o, Larvitar, Mareep, Rattata, Sandshrew, Skarmory, Spinda, Swablu, Torchic, Yungoos

Trainer Route #113

Desert sand gives way to beautiful but sparse scrubland where Desert Station North sits at the junction of Fiery Path and the western desert cliffs. Technically, this tiny stretch is what remains labelled as Trainer Route #111, but people around here are hardly so specific in their labelling and it tends to be thought of as part of #113. Gentle ashfall is present even down here, when the wind turns a certain direction, and a layer of ash hides the soil that replaces sand and vineyards overtake the scrub as trainers make their way north and west toward Fallarbor. Most travellers take five days and four nights to hike from Desert Station North all the way into Fallarbor proper.

Ashfall in this area is frequent, but not usually heavy enough to blot out the sun on its own. However, the ash mixes with just enough water vapor to keep the stretch of land partially cloudy for much of the time, which is important for the area's farmers. The vineyards love the mineral-rich volcanic soil and the cloud cover to keep them cool, making the Fallarbor area a perfect place for winemaking. Many vineyards, berry fields, and wineries are scattered across Route #113.

SPINDA
"Spinda live primarily on the shelf of lava flows that run up to the south border of TR#113. They spend much of their time falling and sliding." [Common - 40%]

SANDSHREW
"Tough, hardy Sandshrew make their burrows in the cliffs and scrubland near the mouth of the desert. " [Uncommon - 25%]

DODUO
"Trails of ash criss-crossing the landscape are a sure sign of Doduo. Good luck to anyone trying to catch them." [Uncommon - 25%]

SKARMORY
"Doduo are the favored prey of the local Skarmory- best not to get between them and their meals." [Rare - 10%]

Forina

The area known as Forina sprawls forth from the western slopes of Mount Chimney, northwest of Lavaridge and yet southeast of Fallarbor. Legends of all types and magnitude surround this lush, mountainous part of the region, but of course the one that draws people from all over is that of the Wishmaker. It is said that Jirachi makes its home here, hibernating days and weeks at a time wrapped in a shell of amethyst- and that much is true. It is the details surrounding the Wishmaker's powers that are muddled in myth and legend. People say Jirachi may grant any wish- or perhaps only three. It may use its powers to conjure anything into reality- or perhaps it can only move tangible items from one person's hands to another. People say that there is, has been, and will only ever be a single Wishmaker- but others say the Wishmaker is just as much a Pokémon as any other, and must obey the same laws. Rarely does the Wishmaker appear, and never does it let itself be studied. But that doesn't stop some extremely determined people from gearing up and hiking into Forina in search of such power.

PROMPT: forina's fast lane

Picking up at Lavaridge Pokémon Center at 10am on Fridays, the Ranger-led caravan tour of Forina is popular amongst trainers and non-trainers alike. It is a quick and easy trip: tourists are provided with a seat on a Pokémon or in a wagon and all meals until arrival in Fallarbor on Sunday evening. There will be no deviation from the predetermined route, and the rangers do well at keeping wild Pokémon at a safe distance.
Reward: Quicker access between Lavaridge and Fallarbor. Less walking.
Consequence: Unable to capture Forina-based Pokémon, unable to explore Forina.

PROMPT: wishful thinking

You're going to find Jirachi! …or rather, you set out into Forina with such a wish in your mind and on your lips. Take as many companions as you wish into the difficult terrain of Forina- perhaps more eyes will be better for this endeavor?
Reward: A lucky find! One Key Stone OR Mega Stone OR Evolutionary Stone.
Consequence: At least five days of trekking through Forina.

PROMPT: make a wish

Someone you just met insists that they must find Jirachi, but could use some help in their search. After at least five days of searching, Jirachi will find your party and grant your companion their altruistic wish. It will then hear yours- try not to look like an asshole when you follow up.
Reward: A wish. [Anna will help establish what Jirachi can achieve.]
Consequence: At least six days spent in Forina with a stranger.
Other: Only one main character can claim this prompt. Interest check will be made as people enter Chapter 7.

SWABLU
"Flocks often gather to bathe and preen together in the numerous pure streams and waterfalls." [Common - 40%]

LARVITAR
"Spend most of their time wandering in small groups along the valleys." [Uncommon - 25%]

JANGMO-O
"The clanging of scales allow Jangmo-o to communicate with their clans across the mountains." [Uncommon - 25%]

DRAMPA
"The occasional Drampa floats peacefully across the landscape, playing with the young Pokémon of the area." [Rare - 10%]

Fallarbor Township

Fallarbor Township is a multifaceted area that technically spans from the easternmost farms of Trainer Route #113 to the westernmost of northern #114. Farmers, scientists, artisans, and foreign socialites are forced to function together in the quaint huddle of buildings they call the town proper, no matter how much certain factions would prefer not to.

The laboring farmers and food artisans are, as a whole, hardworking and down to earth people who have been here for generations. Their big families live comfortably in old but well-maintained houses scattered throughout the town and surrounding countryside, most often on or near the land they work with. They are and always have been the backbone of Fallarbor, the ones that maintain the land, power the community, supply the artisans, and fuel the majority of the town's economy. They get along well with the artisans and are polite with but often irritated by the scientists. However, they harbor a deep dislike for the rich tourists who dare come to Fallarbor to interrupt their operations rather than just buy their products whenever they live. Unfortunately, they must grit their teeth and bear the injustices thrust upon them if they want to continue making profit off these people.

The many traditional glass artisans tend to live closer to Route #113, where the gentle ashfall is more available for collecting and desert sand can be delivered easily. They are part of what makes Fallarbor products so unique: the highest of the high end wines are bottled into handcrafted vessels and sold at a premium for not only the contents but the piece of art they come in. They also continue to craft traditional items and designs, putting generations of accumulated knowledge behind each piece. They are, as a whole, patient and focused and primarily interested in their craft and others like it. They are friendly with the farmers and food artisans and form the smaller but no less important wedge of the generations-old Fallarbor community. They have little interest in the scientists, unless the scientists would like to talk about ash or glass, and actively avoid the rich tourists in a bid to avoid awkwardly demonstrating the process of making the famous bottles.

A few old dormitory-like buildings on the western edge of town house a gaggle of scientists. On a supreme technicality, these are the founding buildings of Fallarbor itself- the area had not been designated a township until scientists wishing to study meteorites had moved into the area and proclaimed it to be so. Despite this being nearly two hundred years ago, despite few scientists ever choosing to stay in Fallarbor, despite the fad of studying such things ebbing and flowing with time- the scientists proclaim themselves part of the community and find importance in their historical contributions. Those that have resided in Fallarbor for generations find this supremely annoying. The rich socialites who accidentally engage with these people find the history charming, but refuse to stay for a discussion about meteorites. The scientists are constantly negotiating with the farmers of western Fallarbor to study meteorfall on their land. This is frustrating for both parties.

Fallarbor is not much of a tourist destination. However, the idea of a vacation to wine country has captured the palate of many an upper-class socialite, and a luxury resort has been built with a spectacular view of Forina to accommodate the influx of such tourists. The wineries put on their best schmoozing mask for these people, making themselves out to be swanky and elite, and the socialites eat (and drink) it up. However, they certainly put everyone on edge- their vocal disdain for people working laborious jobs and their devaluation of the more traditional product lines are highly offensive to the entirety of the community. But never are they corrected or stood up to- they have wide circles, after all, and one bad word in the mouth of someone with influence could be devastating.

MAREEP
"While some farmers retain small flocks, marking theirs with ribbons or paints, most Mareep in the Fallarbor area are wild." [Common - 40%]

RATATTA
"A pest often found rummaging through the vineyards and berry fields at night. Farmers are grateful to trainers who capture and remove them." [Uncommon- 25%]

YUNGOOS
"Farmers of Fallarbor fell into a trap some years ago- import some Yungoos, someone told them. They'll solve your Rattata problems, they love to eat 'em! Unfortunately, however, Yungoos are diurnal and Rattata are nocturnal- the two rarely cross paths. The farmers turned their Yungoos loose, and they quickly spread across the area. [Uncommon - 25%]

TORCHIC
"A favored wild Pokémon when it chases berry-eating birds away, but less so when it misses its foes and fries crops or Combee." [Rare - 10%]

PROMPT: not your typical cliff face

The ash blanketing the Fallarbor area is light these days, but ancient eruptions of Mount Chimney frequently buried what is now farms, trees, and cliffs. It is within those ancient layers of ash, specifically along the north edge of town, that archaeologists are finding more and more Pokémon fossils. Meeting and assisting an excavation team might net you a few fossils! But they don't exactly guard them very well, either…
Reward: You may help a team for up to 4 hours. Each hour assisting gives you one fossil roll. During this time, a fellow excavator may also teach one of your Pokémon the move Dig OR Chip Away. And/or you may attempt to steal one fossil of your choice, contingent on a stealth roll. All but Galarian fossils are on the table.
Consequence: If you are caught taking fossils that were not offered to you, all fossils in your possession are forfeit, even ones you may have received prior. The authorities will also be called.

Lumbrooke House
With a membership to Hoenn's Pokémon Fanclub, travellers are invited to stay in the charming boarding house run by Lumbrooke Winery. The house is not very busy, and the kind, matronly woman who runs the place busies her hands with piano practice these days. For those that enjoy her small performances, she will either give a Metronome to keep time with or teach a Pokémon the move Metronome.

Interested parties may also tour Lumbrooke's vineyards and facilities on Route #113- ₽3000 for the general public, but that is discounted to ₽500 for Fanclub members. Anyone with Ophelia la Cour's stamp on their membership card will be offered discounts at the winery's shop: 20% off any processed products and 50% off any berries. Wine tasting events are restricted to 18+ year olds.

Fanclub memberships are not offered at either facility.

A sample of products, listed at full price:

Common Berries - ₽200 / each

Uncommon Berries - ₽500 / each

Rare Berries - ₽800 / each

Honey - ₽800 / 4oz pot

Preserves - ₽800 / 4oz jar

Dragon Ridge Resort and Spa
This luxury hotel has only one public access area, and that is its beautiful theatre where the resort's affluent guests play at being coordinators with their pampered pet Pokémon. Each competition is a valid one despite that, though due to the nature of the usual participants, the hall only hosts D-Rank singles contests. It may seem strange at first that only a handful of Fallarbor residents are ribbon-holders even though many often round out the competition, but if you talk to them in confidence you will understand why: it is best not to rock the boat. Let the rich have their fun, don't offend them by taking the ribbons they see as theirs. Allow them their celebratory drinks that they buy directly from us, and let them continue to buy when they return home.

Economic strategy, okay?

If visiting trainers would like to participate, they should make it very clear they are not from Fallarbor. That said, contests are held every day at 11am. Dress code is daytime formal.

Fallarbor Gym and Ninja Training Ground
In the more forested southwest, butting up against the rocky edge of Forina and punctured by the streams winding their way down from the mountains, the traditionally styled building of the Ninja Training Ground rests proudly. The school is headed up by 27-year-old Fallarbor Gym Leader Kinji Lao, and is utilized by fewer dedicated trainees than he would like. However, he is kept busy as host to Rustboro Trainer Academy's survival training retreats during most weekends. He'll still accept challenges at pretty much any time of any day, though! Just be ready for a swarm of nosy students critiquing your battle strategies if you interrupt their training days.

Kinji is fast and bright and excitable, which makes his stealth a shock and his dark outfits feel unsuitable. His burgundy hair is usually tied back in a short braid and the freckles all over his face are particularly prominent this time of year. His clothing choices range from full ninja garb to branded athletic clothes but no matter what the combination, the majority of his skin is covered even in the summer heat. He is ultimately a playful person- he treats battles and training like games, teases his challengers and students as he would his friends, and loves to show off for the sheer joy of showing people what is possible. No wonder he gets along well with the Academy students! Especially the ones that tease him back, he likes to see people push back against a supposed authority figure. He's immune to most ribbing, but still does get flustered when people hit upon his persistent crush on Kanto gym leader Janine.

Kinji's battle format is, on the surface, relatively simple. Challengers only have the option of 2v2 doubles, and Kinji makes it clear that any rules about trainer interference are set aside. The battlefield is the entirety of the Ninja Training Ground, which has few true paths and is much larger than one may expect. Its perimeter is marked only by the occasional yellow hemp rope tied around a tree, post, or rock. Challengers may use anything they personally own to assist their Pokémon in any way they see fit, and Kinji will allow you to choose bonus supplies from his arsenal- though he will take the exact same items as his challenger, in exact quantities. Smoke bombs, berries, and a few very special glass flutes are just a few of the offered helpful items. Trainers may target each other, but Pokémon must not target a human with intent to harm. Kinji may temporarily restrain, but will never harm, fully incapacitate, or put a challenger in a situation that is impossible to get out of. The goal is, as usual, to knock all of your opponents Pokémon out before yours faint. However, these matches take far longer than the usual: expect to set aside at least two hours of your time for this endeavor. And watch out- Kinji is reported to be a bit cheerfully feral, with no qualms about getting down and dirty when the situation calls. He and his Pokémon are fast, tricky, dangerous, and love to keep opponents off-balance. But if you win, you will be given your prize money, your choice of colorful blown glass flute, and a polished Soot Badge!

Kinji should also inform you that the white and black flutes are banned in standard battles, while the other colors are allowed to be used once per battle by a trainer if their current active Pokémon is not holding an item, or unlimited in use of a Pokémon is the one using it. And be wary with their use- sound carries, and they can be heard by all Pokémon whose hearing is not compromised by move, ability, or physicality.

KOFFING
Poison . Neutralizing Gas
Poison Gas . Smokescreen . Haze . Belch . Shock Wave . Flash
Koffing's gases may be ignited by flame or electrical spark. Shock Wave is a dangerous maneuver. Neutralizing Gas is only effective within a certain radius of Koffing. Always assume it is able to use Belch.

NINJASK
Bug/Flying . Infiltrator
Double Team . Fury Cutter . Aerial Ace . Dig . Swords Dance . Defog
Often used as a quick-hitting distraction, but is useful for laying traps and clearing air.

SHEDINJA
Bug/Ghost . Wonder Guard
Dig . Protect . Hex . Ally Switch . Will-o-Wisp . Telekinesis
Moves in complete silence. Uses this to sneak into position, then switch with a teammate. Stays hidden as much as possible.

ACCELGOR
Bug . Hydration
Water Shuriken . Swift . Acid Armor . Double Team . Spikes . Gastro Acid
Prefers to fight in or near the water.

GRENINJA
Water/Dark . Protean
Water Shuriken . Smokescreen . Shadow Sneak . Spikes . Fling . Smack Down
Spends a lot of time throwing things.

SHIFTRY
Grass/Dark . Pickpocket
Leaf Tornado . Fling . Grassy Terrain . Attract . Low Sweep . Leaf Blade
Loves to use items.

ARIADOS
Bug/Poison . Insomnia
Toxic Thread . Spider Web . Leech Life . Dig . Disable . String Shot
Primary tactic is to set traps using its thin but strong webbing, or spin thread for Kinji to use as rope. Spider Web will completely encase an opponent, and Toxic Thread is carefully applied when there is no danger of a trainer stumbling into it.

prepare yourselves

QueenNothing · Apr 6, 2022

Junko "June" Enomoto

Tuesday, October 6th
Afternoon
Mauville City

Under most circumstances, June would have no interest in the Mauville Game Corner. But having heard they pay well, and being in as much debt as she is, she doesn't really have anything to lose.

The atmosphere definitely isn't for her, not with all the bright flashing lights, blaring arcade machines, and swarms of people making their way through the dense building. She's heard it's usually worse during weekends when kids are off school, so she should at least be grateful it's only a Tuesday. Her work uniform, a violet polo shirt and black jeans, heats up easily and it doesn't take long for it to feel filthy. She really has to give it her everything to stay awake after a night at the Ranger Station.

Oh, how she wishes she would have taken a nap before her shift.

Most of her job consists of cleaning up after customers and wiping down surfaces. It's very tiring in such an environment, especially how many times she needs to repeat the same tasks. She's not allowed to have Pokemon out on the job, which is a shame because it'd be helpful to have Einstein out… but that might not be such a good idea given why she's working here.

As she clears paper plates and food scraps off a table, she finds herself distracted by a TV mounted on the wall. There's a lot of advertisements for local services such as a bike shop and a Galarian restaurant, but amidst all of that is a commercial featuring two confident trainers battling in a crowded stadium. The commercial places emphasis on a Grovyle and Absol exchanging blows in various dynamic camera angles, ending with Absol slashing it's horn across Grovyle to knock it out, and then flashing to some text.

"Winstrate Cup: Beginner's Pokemon Tournament. For Trainers with 2-4 Badges. Win up to ₽300,000! October 9th-11th. Sponsored by Kevin."

The tournament is enticing in its own right, but the prize money is what really catches her eye. It's not enough to completely relieve her debt, but that would take out a huge chunk.

"Enomoto! I need you to mop the lobby after taking the trash out!"

"Oh, yes sir!"

However, it is worth considering that in their current state, June's Pokemon might not be suitable for the tournament. Not that they're not strong enough, far from that, rather discipline- or the lack thereof- is the greater concern.

Even if Joe is full of vigor, he can often get out of control. Chip runs away, Kit occasionally disobeys, Sting's intentions are questionable at best, and even Einstein, the one Pokemon she thought she could consistently rely on, has proven to be defiant. Even if it is a beginner's tournament, judging by the commercial, competition will still be fierce. It probably won't be anything on the level of, say, Mr. Yamaguchi, but what she's seen in contests might be representative of what to expect. She'll definitely have to do some more training, although she only has until the end of the week. Throw in the fact she has to balance that with working to pay off her debt… Yeah, it's gonna be a busy few days.

"ENOMOTO! That trash ain't gonna take itself out!"

"Ah! S-sorry sir, right away!"

🐞 June's Party 🐞

0
Debt remaining:

895,108

Spoiler:

Groc · Apr 9, 2022

Edison Kintobor
Monday, October 5th; midday
Route 110

Edison's investigation had proved enlightening. In its heyday, the facility would have produced enough electricity to power a small town on its own, but there were backups in the form of solar, wind, and hydroelectric power, all built around a geothermal vent. In short, the power would stay on through anything short of a major environmental disaster. The primary generator had been disabled, but the backups still kept the juice flowing.

Except for where the power lines had been frayed or chewed through, leaving several areas dark and without power. Without proper equipment, messing with these cables would be the height of foolishness.

So Ed made sure to only do it once, using tools from a nearby maintenance locker and restoring power to the employee lounge he'd discovered earlier.

Neo hums happily as they draw power from a wall outlet. Ed goes straight to the vending machine, which fortuitously still has product inside. The "best by" dates on the snacks inside was over a decade ago, but most of them probably have enough preservatives that they'd be edible, still. He'd hesitate to call that a meal, but it's food.

With his and Neo's dietary needs sated for now, Edison next moves to the janitorial closet near the lounge. He'd been camping for the better part of a week, and although his companions hadn't said anything, a nice hot shower would be nice. Unfortunately, there are no showers here, but after getting an electric water heater running, he's able to get enough hot water to use a mop sink for a quick bath.

He's surprised how much more relaxed he's feeling after all this. Perhaps he's missed the comforts of society more than he'd realized. Not enough to make him regret coming here, but definitely another check for the "not prepared for camping" box.

His ruminating is interrupted by a brief power surge, causing the lights to dim for just a moment. It's enough to catch his attention, and he pauses to look around, just in time to hear skittering over his head. He sees a flash of yellow scurry out the door, and he leaps to his feet, throwing a towel around himself as he dashes out the door, surprising Addie and Neo. "We're not alone here. There's a Joltik nearby!"

Neo buzzes in alarm, but falls into step beside their trainer. Ed can't blame them. Joltik also feed on electricity, and have been known to prey on Magnemite in the past. Ed rushes down the hall after the yellow flash, Neo at his back and Addie doing his best to keep up.

The Joltik is fast, and has the advantage of knowing the area better than them, but Ed is persistent to follow it. A lone Joltik could easily survive off of the emergency power, but it might lead him to more, which could provide more answers about this place.

Joltik nearly loses them a couple times, but tenacity and luck ensure that the Kinyo trio keep up with it. It wriggles underneath a door that Ed hasn't seen before, but the door is locked. He fumbles for his keys, but realizes too late he left them with his pants, and his towel doesn't have any pockets. He briefly entertains the idea of adding pockets to a towel, but before he can even finish realizing how impractical it would be, Addie distracts him by jingling the keys.

Ed flashes a triumphant grin at Addie. "There's my smart boy, good job!" Addie beams with pride as Ed unlocks the door. Going through, they find themselves in an office of some sort. It's sparsely furnished, with just a desk and chair, a small trash can, obviously fake plant and a computer on the desk, and a stone statuette standing in the corner.

Ed is intrigued by the statue, a life-sized statue of a Golett. He almost thinks it's an actual Golett, but it stoically ignores his movements, words, and prodding. Clearly a fake, then. He returns his attention to the desk. He hadn't redirected the power to this area, so there's no chance of turning the computer on, but it's strange that it would be left behind. Perhaps something else was left here as well...

Searching through the drawers earns him a jackpot. The top drawer has two TR disks inside, while the lower drawer holds five Poké Balls! But not regular Poké Balls, these are red on top and bottom, even the button is red. There are grooves along the side for easy grip. He's never seen Poké Balls like these before, and after confirming that they're empty, ponders just how rare they are.

He gets that feeling of being watched again, but a cursory sweep of the office shows that Joltik has evaded them again, meaning the detour to the desk probably cost them the chase. But the Balls and disks are an adequate prize, so he bundles them up in his towel and goes for the door. "We should probably get going. We've lingered here long enough."

He ushers Neo and Addie out, giving the room one last glance. He pauses at the Golett statue again, wondering if it's moved slightly or if it's just the low light playing tricks on him. He shivers slightly, and shuts the door behind him. He hadn't noticed how chilly it is in here while he was running, and hurries back to get dressed again.

Item Get!
Ed found one (1) TR Strength!
Ed found one (1) TR Crunch!
Ed found five (5) Cherish Balls!

Eleanor · Apr 10, 2022

Avril Reese

16 - ♀ - Laverre City

Featuring Hikaru?

Pokémon / Inventory:

AVRIL'S MONEY: $38 500

AVRIL'S TEAM:
🌼 Poppy (Flabébé) ♀
Flower Veil
Synthesis, Fairy Wind, Grassy Terrain, Aromatherapy, Wish, Petal Blizzard

🌼 Hydrangea (Shellos) ♀
Storm Drain
Water Pulse, Mud Bomb, Recover, Rain Dance, Mud Sport, Hidden Power (?)

🌼 Wisteria (Inkay) ♂
Infiltrator
Night Slash, Hypnosis, Topsy-Turvy, Pluck, Reflect, Psybeam

🌼 Thistle (Wooloo) ♀
Bulletproof
Tackle, Growl, Defense Curl, Copycat, Guard Split, Double Kick

Away:
🌼 Venus (Mawile) ♀ - at Littleroot Research Lab

AVRIL'S INVENTORY:
🌼 1 Empty Pokéball
🌼 2 Potions
🌼 Eviolite
🌼 Silk Scarf
🌼 TM for Ally Switch
🌼 5 Rare berries
🌼 Sea Incense
🌼 Pink Scarf
🌼 TM for ??? (from the Trick House)
🌼 Light Clay

🌼 Holotch (phone version)
🌼 Fanclub Membership card - valid until October 17^th
🌼 Various clothes and commodities
🌼 Pink Woolen Hat

AVRIL'S CONTACTS:
Jordie, Shuna, Natsuko, June, Marcella, Hikaru

AVRIL'S BADGES AND RIBBONS:
🥊 ➕

🎀• 1

🌼 Avril's birth date is April 25^th, 2010
🌼 Character art made with [SPAN="color:rgb(40,180,40);"]https://picrew.me/image_maker/338886[/SPAN]

Smooth Sailing

Sunday, October 4^th - up to late afternoon - Mauport Bridge

Avril did not agree to travel with Hikaru any longer, but not all ties were severed. They were still together, although in a much less tangible way.

It wasn't so up in the air to end up in the same building of the Mauport Bed & Breakfast, even though this time both Avril and Hikaru had to book their rooms separately. During the morning, on the ground floor, a bunch of steel blue hair would pop up somewhere in the same room as the blonde girl. But unlike before, this time that blue hair was at a safe distance, away from her.

Avril took that as her cue to have a normal day again… for her standards at least. She started it off by letting out Thistle and checking on her once again, at first encouraging her to walk or roll around, but then ending up cuddling her as she stood completely still, evidently much happier with that kind of treatment. Avril was probably too kind to believe it but to everyone else, it could have been clear that the Wooloo walked so rarely purely out of laziness… and wool mass, perhaps.

The blonde girl actually took that time to think about her next moves too, and definitely considered traveling backwards on the bridge to spend some more time near all the spots that Hikaru forced her to rush through. The fishing spot, the cute plaza near there, that local restaurant, the souvenir shop, and so many other fragments that she's not even sure how she's remembered.

But she's only about half way through the bridge, right? Maybe there's something better waiting for her just a few blocks ahead, or even… in Mauville. And if she ever needs to get back to Slateport, she can always take a bus from Mauville itself.

🐦🐦🐦

One thing that made her believe her choice was the right one was the big "Pokémon Fan Club" sign on one side of the bridge, appearing just a few minutes after she started biking in that direction. She didn't know there was a location on Mauport Bridge and… in a way she was right, that was more of a community center that hosted some of the Fan Club's activities, but stopping by seemed like a rather good idea, given the precedents.

The building was much larger than Avril expected, but most importantly- after a narrower entry room, it opened up into a very wide space that only had a few columns breaking it up. That was the impression looking at the ceiling, at least… because the amount of things that were housed there made it look much smaller otherwise. The girl was guided through the hall by a friendly Fanclub staffer, who excitedly described and explained all the paintings that were showcased in one section of the room, before moving onto an area for pottery and sculptures, then one for… clothes, apparently. It all made sense though, that was a "Center of Visual Arts" after all!

Before she even knew, Avril was already signing up to a small workshop organized by the center. Specifically, a clay sculpting class. About ten Fanclub members or so were attending, following the directions of a short, somewhat unassuming, but very engaging young man with a Numel by his side. The clay Avril received, which turned out to be a membership gift from the Fanclub, was of an unusual shade of green and required the help of a Pokémon to be handled correctly- in this case, Angie, who was more than happy to swallow that chunk of clay whole and basically cough it up way more malleable than before.

Not sure what shape to go for, Avril followed what one of the members near her was doing, but definitely chose the wrong one. The gentle elderly woman by her side was modeling some of her own clay on the spinning body of what the Pokédex referred to as a Baltoy, and her craft was starting to look more and more like a Baltoy itself the more she kept going. At one point, Avril asked her if she could also use Baltoy's help, in the form of Rapid Spin, to mold her own green clay, but it didn't really work as expected… and even with Angie providing water and additional material, the figure Avril achieved was way less defined and much more flat.

The tutor appreciated Avril's effort to make a Baltoy nonetheless, though. That is, until he told her that she made something even better than a Baltoy and added his own touches to that little figure… and then quickly put it to dry on top of Numel's back. When it was time to paint, the man suggested the colors Avril should use as well, and what a surprise when the final result looked like a statue of Manaphy!

Well. It's not like Avril had ever heard of that name. Maybe one or two times. But making the statue of a mythical Pokémon, as basic as it was, without even knowing it, felt like a wonderful coincidence. Walking away from that building with a new small craft she made herself finally made her feel good, accomplished… satisfied with her day. And getting to see how useful Pokémon could be, even for something so unexpected like sculpting clay, was just as good!

Avril was, of course, also told that the clay she had just used was phosphorescent. If it spent a day in the sun, it would emit a faint glow through the night. And it would also make moves like Reflect or Light Screen last longer, something which would come in useful for Wisteria. But… she didn't care excessively about that aspect, she was just happy enough she created it with (mostly) her own hands.

The rest of her day was smooth sailing for Avril. Whereas she had left many cities and towns that originally felt great to stay in, either because of some people she didn't enjoy being around or because of… bad coincidences, this was the one place that she entered alongside someone she didn't really like being around, but was able to enjoy regardless, having now separated from them. She really had no real trouble coming her way, and that felt like a breath of fresh air after a couple of rough days in a row. She had time to enjoy her lunch, rest for a few minutes on the side of the bridge, and even get a report done - that's because she also had the time to look around and absorb enough information to do so!

It was afternoon already when the news of a soon to be held Contest made their way to Avril's ears. Or rather eyes, given that they mostly came in the form of signs. With Poppy eager to try another contest after so long, and Avril feeling happy and confident enough to give it a try, getting to the "Amphiteatre" was the only mildly difficult part. But luckily, Avril still had that bike…

Thinking about it, she's almost sure she's seen some more bright blue hair pop up among the crowd.

🐦🐦🐦

I've been biking along Mauport Bridge lately, and I've come across a lot of Taillow flocks. Today (Sunday, October 4th) I counted at least three of said groups flying by in the span of a few hours, and each seemed to be made up of ten to twenty Taillow, if not more. That number is lower for groups of Taillow that are just hanging out down on the bridge or inside nests, though.

It seems that when they're on the ground, or are just standing in a place, Taillow are all intently chirping at each other as if they're discussing or arguing. When they're flying though, it's only one or two who chirp consistently, and when they do the sound is more piercing and clear as if it's an order. Thinking back to that one moment when a Taillow bumped into me but tried its best to keep flying, this all points me to believe that sticking together and keeping up the pace is very important for a flock.

Going back to the nests, though, I've been able to find very few of them during my time on Mauport. Maybe I haven't looked hard enough, but the ones I've seen on the greenery or near some balconies surely aren't enough for all the Taillow! Are roofs or even… under the bridge safe locations too? Because those would be my next guesses.

I've also seen a few Swellow around today, and I even spotted two of them brushing each other's feathers. But they're way less than the Taillow, and also seem to create smaller groups of… no more than five individuals. Plus, for some reason, they don't usually join the Taillow flocks but rather, do their own thing instead. I saw a Swellow arrive from somewhere off the coast of Route 103, for example, but nearly all the Taillow I see don't venture far from the bridge itself.

I didn't have a real choice as to which Pokémon to make a report of, it was either this or Wingull… but I hope this helps regardless! I think Taillow's situation could be a pretty interesting one to keep an eye on!

Caesar · Apr 12, 2022

Sunday, October 4th @ 0700 - Route 110

Clint woke up to the sunrise on the beach, a feeling he figured some people would pay a lot for, yet he found it for free. He sat up, and Ralts woke up as well, rubbing his eyes with his hands. Clint sat there briefly, before getting up and rolling up his bedroll. Time to get moving.

He looked at the charred remains of the small fire he had last night, should probably hide that evidence. Doubt the Rangers would be thrilled about a fire, what with their fancy conservation efforts. He was probably being overcautious but Clint still covered the burnt wood in sand, before letting Ralts climb up on the top of Clint's backpack, standing on it while holding onto Clint's hat, before the two took off, continuing north to Mauville.

The walking was fairly easy, very few changes in elevation, and those changes were often small and gradual. Weather wasn't an issue today, other than the occasional wind gust. Ralts was along for the ride, precariously perched on Clint's backpack. He hadn't run into anyone else yet, which was alright by him.

After a couple of hours, Clint let Ralts down and let the little one walk beside him. Sure this slowed down the pace, but there were no free rides here, other than all that time in a Pokeball. Sure Ralts seemed annoyed by this at first, liking his perch up high but eventually warmed up to the idea of moving around on his own two legs, darting around the path and in and out of patches of grass. Clint's father had talked about letting your Pokemon out of their balls to get exercise, something about helping their conditioning in battle. The logic checked out, and who knows maybe Ralts would be ready to run a marathon by the time they reached Mauville.

Clint had knelt down to pick up a couple of empty soda cans he found washed up against the beach, Kevin Cola was the label on it. Gotta wonder how that became a thing, Clint thought to himself. As he was putting the cans in the canvas bag, he heard Ralts calling from a short distance away. Didn't sound like he was in trouble, so Clint took his time walking over.

As he made his way to Ralts' position, he noticed Ralts was carrying a big, bright blue stone in his arms. Well the stone was big in Ralts' tiny arms, as the Pokemon was using all his strength to carry the stone, like he was Atlas carrying the weight of the world. This didn't last for long, as eventually Ralts lost control, falling down while dropping the stone. The stone rolled towards Clint while Ralts looked up, disappointed that he couldn't keep hold on the stone.

"Well, well, what did you find here," Clint said, going down on one knee to pick up the stone, and examining it in the sunlight.

Clint wasn't sure what it was, but it looked important, and the fact that Ralts picked it out most likely meant something as well, so Clint put it in his bag, keep it for now and find out what it's for later. Clint looked back down at Ralts, who hadn't got back up yet.

"C'mon buddy, no time to lay around we got places to be," Clint goaded.

Ralts was still refusing to go anywhere, so Clint took a few steps away. Still nothing. So Clint waited another minute, and still no budging from Ralts, except for stretching out while laying on the ground. Eventually Clint had to give in, and gave Ralts what he was obviously wanting.

"I guess you're done with walking for a bit hey? Well fine, up you go," Clint said, picking Ralts up and letting him sit on his shoulder.

Ralts let out a happy chirp, as the two continued north.

- Clint received a Water Stone!

Team & Inventory:

Spoiler:

Blaze|Brave| Moves: Ember|Dragon Breath|Bite|Smokescreen|Fire Fang|Slash

Overgrow|Sassy| Moves: Leaf-age|Detect|Quick Attack|Double Kick|Assurance

Water Absorb|Quiet| Moves: Hypnosis|Water Gun|Pound|Mud Shot

Synchronize|Gentle| Moves: Confusion|Double Team|Teleport|Growl|Draining Kiss
Inventory:

$28,500
2x Potions
1x Pokeballs
5x Iapapa Berries
10x Oran Berries
Sceptilite
Water Stone
TM Protect
TM Bullet Seed
TM Rock Smash
TM Low Kick

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Eleanor · Apr 15, 2022

Avril Reese

16 - ♀ - Laverre City

Featuring QueenNothing as Robynn White

Pokémon / Inventory:

AVRIL'S MONEY: $38 500

AVRIL'S TEAM:
🌼 Poppy (Flabébé) ♀
Flower Veil
Synthesis, Fairy Wind, Grassy Terrain, Aromatherapy, Wish, Petal Blizzard

🌼 Hydrangea (Shellos) ♀
Storm Drain
Water Pulse, Mud Bomb, Recover, Rain Dance, Mud Sport, Hidden Power (?)

🌼 Wisteria (Inkay) ♂
Infiltrator
Night Slash, Hypnosis, Topsy-Turvy, Pluck, Reflect, Psybeam

🌼 Thistle (Wooloo) ♀
Bulletproof
Tackle, Growl, Defense Curl, Copycat, Guard Split, Double Kick

Away:
🌼 Venus (Mawile) ♀ - at Littleroot Research Lab

AVRIL'S INVENTORY:
🌼 1 Empty Pokéball
🌼 2 Potions
🌼 Eviolite
🌼 Silk Scarf
🌼 TM for Ally Switch
🌼 5 Rare berries
🌼 Sea Incense
🌼 Pink Scarf
🌼 TM for ??? (from the Trick House)
🌼 Light Clay

🌼 Holotch (phone version)
🌼 Fanclub Membership card - valid until October 17^th
🌼 Various clothes and commodities
🌼 Pink Woolen Hat

AVRIL'S CONTACTS:
Jordie, Shuna, Natsuko, June, Marcella, Hikaru

AVRIL'S BADGES AND RIBBONS:
🥊 ➕

🎀• 1

🌼 Avril's birth date is April 25^th, 2010
🌼 Character art made with [SPAN="color:rgb(40,180,40);"]https://picrew.me/image_maker/338886[/SPAN]

Contest at Mauport

Sunday, October 4^th - late afternoon - Mauport Bridge

Signing up for a contest when nearly every other participant is already gathered near the arena is not making Avril feel any better about making it in time to begin with. But she pulls through, picking up cues from other contestants to create a first round routine that would be effective enough.

One of them is a girl Avril's age. Donning a scarf wrapped around her blue button-up's collar, she claps along to a beat as a Persian stands on its hind legs, juggling coins in its paws. The Pokemon wobbles about as it tries balancing, and the girl takes notice of this. She stops her clapping and points upwards, shouting "Release!", to which the Persian takes as a sign to shoot her coins into the air, where they then gracefully rain down. Persian quickly falls back to his front paws, and its trainer bows to the applause of the few people surrounding her.

It's fair to say, that girl looks familiar. Avril doesn't have many well defined memories of her, but is sure to have met her already. And so she follows her with her eyes as she walks away from the center of the amphitheater, possibly for a little too long.

"Oh- why hello there! I believe we've met before?" She says sauvely, running her hand through her white fringe. The blonde girl is somewhat startled by this, but tries not to give it away. "Oh, I… I think so too, yeah…"

The white haired girl chuckles. "Seems a reintroduction is needed- I'm Robynn, nice to meet you! And you're, what was it again? Avery, Alice, April…?"

"Avril, yes…" The girl runs a hand through her hair, somewhat ashamed for not remembering Robynn's name. "Right, nice to meet you too. Well, again."

"Avril, that's right! Quite a beautiful name, if I may say so." She chuckles playfully. "I take it you're here for the contest?"

"Thanks… and yes, I am." Avril blushes slightly. "That was a nice performance by the way!"

"Why thank you! Of course I couldn't have done it without the help of Ruby here." She scratches her hesitant Persian's head. "Probably goes without saying, but I'll be entering as well." She smirks, holding up three Pokeballs in her free hand. "I may or may not be bringing Ruby with me, it's a hard decision with this many. But just know it won't be such a cake walk."

Did Avril account for something like this happening during the contest? She didn't join to win, not necessarily. Even in her other contests, winning was more of an added bonus to her. The battles themselves were never her focus and she probably could've done without them. But they still acted as an opportunity to see where her limits were, in a more controlled environment than a full blown battle against a Gym Leader or something. So… fine. Time to accept the challenge.

"Alright alright…" Avril mutters, unable to sound convincing enough - but hey, at least the thought is there. "But… I'll do my best too!"

Although subtle, Robynn's grin only seems to grow. "Looks like I better be on the lookout then! In the meantime though, I'll have to further prepare for the contest- See you then."

Ruby is returned to her PokeBall, and right before Robynn heads over to register, she winks and casually waves goodbye. Avril answers with a nod and a wave of her own, before getting back to her routine preparation with Poppy.

🍃🍃🍃

Although she didn't have that much time to get ready, Poppy is still feeling confident she can put on a show, at least for the first round. She's gotten used to the Mauport Bridge wind gusts, she's tried to use her newly learned Petal Blizzard a few times, and she is feeling so enthusiastic about participating in a contest again.

It's a singles contest - the themes are Platinum, Vines, Spirit.

She happens to start with an unusual move choice, Wish. A tiny but sparkly comet is summoned from the flower she carries and flies up, leaving out a trail of what's actually Fairy Wind behind. The comet eventually comes back around, following Poppy like a magnet, as is typical of Wish.

She's able to dodge it though, with a swift movement that's made easier by the wind gusts. The Wish, still following the nearest Pokémon in need of healing like a spirit, loops back around her, the wind still helping the Flabébé to avoid it a few more times. Only after a few more loops, Poppy readies up her Petal Blizzard, which the comet passes through, creating various sparkles. Now spreading Aromatherapy through the air, she can then expand that cloud of leaves, the wind carrying all of those particles around until they fade away- and with that soothing fragrance around her, Poppy can finally land back on top of Avril's head.

"And done! Thank you all," the girl smiles, slightly bowing her head in sync with her partner. And with that, she slowly walks away from the center of the stage, leaving space for the next contestant.

"Welcome one and all to the contest debut of my newly evolved Pokemon, Alexandrite the Kirlia- you can just call him Alex." The psychic-type twirls out from behind Robynn, bowing to the moderate applause. "Now without further Ado, let's get this show on the road!"

Alex spins back and forth, shifting his weight from one foot to the other while moving his arms to a rhythm. Using Double Team, copies appear in a straight line both in front of and behind him and then start to move to their right one at a time before doing the same to their left. This continues until soon enough it creates a vine-like motion from certain angles.

"Alex loved to dance with his friends- that all changed one day though after tragedy struck…"

In a dramatic fashion, Alex slowly collapses, sinking into the ground with a shadowy force as his copies follow the same motion, disappearing into nothingness. He's able to pop back up quick enough, but his copies remain dispersed. Alex, looking surprised, gazes around him, seeming devastated, and falls to his knees to let out a mournful cry.

There's a minute of silence in-between the end of the performance and applause, and Alex's demeanor one-eighties from somber to proud. Quite the actor. Avril applauds as well, as the anticipation to see the first round results grows larger inside of her.

And they finally come. She's not necessarily relieved to know she's made it to the Battle Rounds, but the opponent she's assigned to is what tips the scale towards uneasiness.

Juno · Apr 17, 2022

3-9: In Your Shadow

🏥 Petalburg Pokémon Center 🕙 Sept. 23rd, Evening

For a Gym that is presided over by a Champion, it wasn't very impressive-looking.

At least it wasn't difficult to find. But when she got there, Marcella was told the Leader was already with another challenger, so she booked a later timeslot and made her way back to the Pokémon Center to let her Pokémon rest up from the training. While she waited, she decided to get a head start on packing. Regardless of the outcome of this battle, she'd already made plans to leave for Littledale with Parker tomorrow.

So she'd better win.

Having only been in Petalburg for a few days, she didn't have too many things to put away. What wasn't helping, though, was Midas occasionally rummaging through the leather suitcase to take things back out and thoroughly investigate them.

"I know you're bored, but stop it," Marcella snapped, carefully extricating a blouse from his claws. "We're going to challenge the Gym soon, save your energy for that."

Still a bit over half an hour left. She sat down on the bed and scrolled through her messages and social media, looking for something to drown out her thoughts. Avery's words from that morning echoed in her mind.

'Don't be discouraged if you don't... You know, win. On your first challenge.' And the condescending smile when he said that...

She scoffed. He doesn't know what he's talking about. He doesn't know what I can do.

But doubts crept back into her mind as she fiddled with her phone.

He kind of does, though. Pokémon-wise, anyway. Maybe he's right. I'm not ready. Challenging a Champion... what am I doing?

She contemplated cancelling or just not going, but how would that look? They have her name and everything already. A soft rustling from behind her finally pulled her out of her thoughts.

"What do you have there now, love?" She sighed, turning around. Midas was sitting on the open suitcase, rubbing his face against a soft, white fabric he'd yanked out. "...Oh?"

She'd almost forgotten about this. Bijou had worn it once during the contest in Dewford, but didn't seem particularly attached to it. No, and it was truly a shame that her beloved Purrloin—who'd been with her for years and should know better—did not really seem to get fashion. She glanced over at the armchair she was purring in and sighed at the oblivious Bijou, whose current favourite accessory were those ugly goggles they got from the ranger station. Where did I go wrong?

But perhaps it wasn't too late to cultivate Midas' sense of style.

"You like this? Give me a moment." Marcella took the Silk Scarf back briefly—she had an idea. "Okay, I saw this on TikTok. She folds it like this, I think, and then..."

Carefully recreating the video she saw, Marcella folded and knotted the Silk Scarf into a pouch with a strap, leaving a little opening in the center of the pouch big enough for Midas to put his paws in.

"Here." She presented it back to him briefly so he could examine it, before strapping it around him snugly. "Now you can put all your toys and coins and random shiny debris in here and carry them around in style."

Delighted, Midas quickly rounding up his trinkets and loose change as suggested to fill up his new satchel. Marcella beamed at his apparent appreciation, though she gave his paw a light swat when he moved on to gathering items from her purse. "I said your coins. Haven't I given you enough already?"

She checked her phone one last time, before standing up and smoothing out her skirt. "Anyway, I think it's time to get going. You guys ready?"

'Cause I'm sure not!

🏟️ Petalburg Gym 🕙 Sept. 23rd, Evening

Well, Avery did say he was 'kind of a little guy'.

Marcella blinked down at the Hoenn Hall of Famer. Now that she was looking at him, she does vaguely remember seeing his face when Avery was watching TV at home, maybe some posters here and there. But seeing him on screen would not have prepared her for how incredibly small he was. Very young-looking, too. Like a child. This is a Hoenn Champion?

Don't be mean.

"My name is Petalburg Gym, welcome to Wally. I mean! I'm—"

"Champion Wally Greene!" Marcella warmly finished for him, disguising the start of her laughter as a jovial greeting as she beamed and reached out to shake his hand. "I'm a huge fan. It is such a pleasure to finally meet you, Mr. Greene. My name is Marcella MacMillan."

"Oh! Ah, a pleasure to meet you as well, Marcella." Ignoring his blunder seemed to put him more at ease, and his face returned to a normal color as he smiled back. "Please, uh, call me Wally. My mentor, Norman—" He gestured towards the older man next to him, who nodded back. "—is the official Leader of this Gym, but I will be battling you today, and he will be acting as referee for our battle."

"Welcome, welcome to Wally." Unfortunately, to Wally's dismay, Norman didn't seem to let that go quite as easily; he gave his protégé a playful wink before taking Marcella's hand as well. "So! MacMillan, you say? I had a young man come in a few years ago with the same name—you wouldn't happen to be related to an Avery MacMillan, would you?"

"Oh." Marcella's smile faltered. She just couldn't escape his influence in the Pokémon world, it seemed. How annoying. "Yes, he is my brother, actually."

"Ah, excellent! He challenged me right here in this Gym, back in... I want to say '21... '22? Bah, the years are a blur at my age, but I remembered him well!"

"He must have left quite an impression on you to remember him by name, with the number of challengers you've had over all these years." Wally remarked.

"Absolutely. Sharp kid, that one. Really knew his stuff." He didn't have to say it, but the look of approval on Norman's face said 'and I expect the same of you!'

"Yup, that's... that's Avery for you." was all Marcella had to say through her strained smile.

"So! Hey, don't go easy on his sister today, Wally." Norman said jokingly before taking his spot at the referee's box. It sounded like a joke to Marcella, at least. But even if it was, Wally seemed to take it seriously.

"Got it!" His eyes lit up as he called back to his mentor eagerly. His demeanor changed as he stepped onto the field with a slight bounce in his step, and he suddenly looked more confident. Marcella could tell this was the Champion in him coming out.

Maybe I should say something.

But the battle was starting.

Say what, though? 'I'm not good like my brother, actually?'

Fuck that. At this point, standing right here, she couldn't really afford to listen to any doubts she had in her mind. We're moving forward.

She'd spent the bulk of their morning working with Bijou and Midas, so it made the most sense to send them out. Her Pokédex told her they were going up against a pair of Indeedee, introduced to her and her team as Indy and Deedee. She'd very rarely seen Pokémon of the same species that looked that different based on their sex, so that was interesting, but it wasn't the time to ponder this.

There was a different kind of vibe to this battle. Different from the handful of battles she'd had over the last few days. Is it just because she knows Wally is a Champion? Regardless, she immediately had questions before a single move had taken place on the field, but she didn't want to ask and look foolish. That's what Gym Leaders are here for, though, right? Like Brawly did? Teaching trainers stuff? And Marcella didn't know what this faint pink glow surrounding the field was, so maybe she should ask.

But Avery MacMillan's sister would know, so she said nothing.

Instead, she bent down to adjust the strap on Midas' new bag, and Bijou, the Safety Goggles. Marcella wasn't entirely sure if those would come in handy here, but let the Purrloin wear them all the same. Why not? "We got this. Start us off with a Fake Out on... um." She peered behind her Pokémon at the Indeedee. Does it matter which one, if they're technically the same Pokémon? "The mean-looking one. And then Play Rough with him, Bijou."

There was really no rhyme or reason to her choice, just that the male Indeedee seemed to be giving off a more hostile energy. Take out the perceived bigger threat early. Her Pokémon sprang into action, but things were falling apart immediately. Midas' opening attack not only failed to surprise its target, but seemed to miss him entirely. He bounded back in place after the attempt and shrugged at Marcella.

"Indy has Psychic Surge!" Wally called out, as if it meant anything to her other than don't try that again, but she pushed on and made a mental note of this Psychic Surge to look up later.

"Right!" She nodded back distractedly, eager to see if at least Bijou's attack landed—it did, but not quite the way she imagined.

"Hey, that's not—" She protested to no one in particular, since Bijou's claws were already connecting with the wrong target when she noticed what was going on. Somehow, the Indeedee had switched positions, leaving Indy unscathed and Deedee in his place. "Indy, Magical Leaf." Wally commanded, without missing a beat.

Indy's permanent pout briefly curled upwards before dishing out his own attack. Marcella winced as the colourful leaves knocked Bijou back. At least they got a hit in, but Deedee taking the hit for Indy also meant his attack power was left unaffected, and Bijou took the full force of his attack.

That won't do. Especially since it seemed like Marcella may be right about the male being the one on the offensive. They need to find another way to put him at a disadvantage with his attacks.

"Okay, that's no problem," Marcella reassured her team, perhaps not as convincingly as she wanted to sound. Morale! Morale is important. "So, we are going to hit him with a Sand Attack. Okay, Bijou? And Midas..." But the Meowth had already bounced away from her before hearing a command. "Okay, just... go. Attack." She said vaguely as she waved a hand dismissively in his direction. He was already too far away to hear her, anyway. At least the zeal is there, I guess. He's having fun. She tried to convince herself this wasn't going terribly, as Midas reached into his pocket to throw some coins at Deedee of his own accord, shuriken-style.

He shouldn't have gotten too close, though, since it seemed like Deedee was finally getting a move in also. As he picked up his coins, she whisked over to the Meowth's side and... kissed him?

"Wally, your Pokémon—! They just met—" Marcella pointed at the transgression, but he just laughed at her comment, seemingly taking it for a joke. Midas' reaction to the kiss was so exaggerated it must have been more than a cute little display of affection. Marcella cursed quietly.

On the other side of the field, Bijou was able to kick up enough sand in the targeted Indeedee's direction to have him coughing and rubbing his eyes. Perfect! Marcella thought with a grin, but perhaps too soon.

"That's alright, Indy," Wally cooed at his Pokémon. "Use your Magical Leaf again."

Still coughing, the Indeedee conjured up a volley of colourful leaves that pointed threateningly in the direction of Marcella's Pokémon. But surely there's no way—

And they land their hits. Every single one of them manage to find a target, mostly in Bijou but Midas caught a few as well.

"How—!" Marcella cried out audibly this time. "Indy has sand in his eyes!"

"Oh, it's uh, Magical Leaf. It doesn't miss." Wally shrugged as if to say 'obviously'. He cocked his head to the side, looking at Marcella, then back at Norman. If he had any opinions on how the battle was going so far, the old man's expression did not betray any of them. With no feedback, Wally turned back around and carried on with the battle.

"Scratch! Play Rough!" Marcella was losing her cool a little, admittedly, but she knew they just needed to persevere and keep attacking. Right?

"Ally Switch into Mystical Fire," Wally commanded. And just like that, both Bijou and Midas collided with Deedee instead, once again, leaving Indy free to scorch the two felines.

Okay. This switching thing was getting kind of annoying. If they wanted her to be like Avery so bad, perhaps it was time to employ one of the tricks her brother shared. "Bijou, Torment her!"

Despite having just learned the move, Bijou seemed to excel at doing this—she really does have a flair for the dramatic. Marcella smirked as Deedee fell for the Torment. See you pull a fast one on us now, without your Ally Switch.

Wally did not seem fazed, though. "Calm down, girl." He spoke gently. "Let's give 'em a Terrain Pulse this turn."

The ever-present pink glow surrounding the field shifted slightly, as the Indeedee seemed to channel the energy into a concentrated beam, before unleashing it onto the Purrloin. "Oh—! Bijou!" Marcella rushed over to pick her up in her arms.

"I take that to mean she is unable to battle." Norman commented from his seat after watching them for a while. Marcella nodded bitterly, before returning Bijou to her Luxury Ball. She glared at Deedee. So she can full on attack too, what the hell?

At least she can't pull that one again. But she is free to do switching thing now. She looked at Midas on the field, who held a fistful of coins at the ready in opposition to Indy. The Indeedee was shrouded in a faint, blue glow that projected like a shield around him. Do we... keep going...?

Avery said...

'Don't be discouraged if you don't... You know, win. On your first challenge.'

Shut up. I'm not a quitter.

Avery said... Avery said... Avery also said Midas can use Feint against protective moves. And that blue light certainly looked like one.

What else do we have to lose right now? It's worth a shot. And knowing the slippery little pair, I bet... "Midas, Feint! Target Deedee!" she whispered to him quietly, without giving away their plan.

But they didn't switch.

Marcella's eagerness must have given it away or something; Midas' struck out at the targeted Deedee, which missed the actual target Indy, and neither of them were affected at all.

"That was good thinking!" Wally said, almost encouragingly. "Nearly had me."

Yeah, but it didn't. She thought, fuming at the way he had seen through the one trump card she still had and outplayed her. It's no use.

At this point, it seemed Norman finally had something else to say. The old man had been watching quietly with his arms folded.

"Wally." He called out, sternly but not unkindly. His protégé gave Marcella an apologetic smile as he briefly turned to see what his mentor had to say. "Now, I don't want to tell you what to do, but..." Norman dropped his voice as he noticed Marcella's eyes on them. They exchanged brief, hushed tones.

'She's not like her brother at all. She's weak. Stupid.' Probably not exactly what they were saying, but it must be along those lines. She felt her own face redden at the conversation she imagined taking place.

Regardless, she wasn't so dumb she couldn't see where this was going. He was playing 4D chess while she was just kind of doing a jigsaw puzzle by herself. She can't win.

It was stupid of her to come here so soon.

"Um, I'm so sorry about that, Marcella." Wally had turned back to the field as she mulled this. "Let's continue where we—"

"Actually, Wally," She took a deep breath as she looked back at him. This is the right choice. For now. "I forfeit."

"Oh—! No, I—" Wally shrank back into the slouch he had when he first greeted Marcella and he looked back at Norman as he wrung his hands, floundering for words as if he had done something wrong. "I'm sorry! I—You see, I—I overestimated your skill because... because—"

She knew he meant no actual offense by that, but it was not helping her bruised ego. Marcella turned her grimace into a smile as she tried to brush off his comment, and Norman held out a hand to calm Wally down as he stepped up to the field as well to address Marcella in a more diplomatic manner.

"No, that was my mistake, making the remarks I did earlier about your brother, and the whole 'don't go easy on her' thing. I apologize for that. Wally is an excellent trainer, but he might have been slightly... overzealous—" He continued with a paternal smile as he looked at his protégé, but it didn't stop Wally from shrinking down further in his posture, making him look impossibly small. "—in his battling, and I may have unintentionally spiked up the difficulty here when I said that. So I apologize."

He couldn't have known how much more it hurt to be held in a higher regard because they thought she was like Avery, and then also losing because she wasn't. But that wasn't his fault.

"Thank you, but I think I would still like to return when I am more prepared. Thank you both for the opportunity." She smiled as she gathered up her belongings and beckoned Midas to her side. "When I come back, I don't want you to have to even think about scaling down your difficulty for me. I can do it," she said, convincing herself of that more so than trying to convince them.

"Don't go easy on me."

Party

Purrloin ♀ // Bijou

Scratch
Fake Out
Sand Attack
Play Rough
Torment

Art

Clamperl ♀ // Pearly

Clamp
Water Gun
Whirlpool
Iron Defense

Art

Wooloo ♀ // Opal

Tackle
Copycat
Double Kick

Art

Meowth ♂ // Midas

Pay Day
Scratch
Growl
Feint
Fake Out

Dear Diary

CHAPTER 2: LIVE FOR FUN

2-1: M.I.A.
2-2: Footwear Filchers
2-3: Cut Off
2-4: Bijou Bootcamp
2-5: Beached
2-6: Pearly
2-7: Showtime - ft. Avril, June, Tsu, Robynn, Shuna
2-8: Natsuko vs. Marcella - ft. Tsu
2-9: The Three C's
2-10: In/Dependent
2-11: Connections - ft. Avril, Hikaru

CHAPTER 3: YOUR BRAIN GETS SMART

3-1: Fiancé
3-2: Promise
3-3: Roughing It
3-4: Feline Friends
3-5: For Tuna
3-6: The Bear and the Maiden Fair
3-7: Unruly
3-8: Tough Call
3-9: In Your Shadow

Inventory

₱31,000, more or less

Medium-sized leather suitcase of clothes
Rotom Phone (Sky Blue)
Fanclub Membership Card (Annual)
Luxury Balls x 3
Silk Scarf
Contest Pass
Safety Goggles (Bijou-sized)

Trainer Info

Badges

[PKMN FULL] Hoenn: Square One [IC]

More options

QueenNothing

Groc

Eleanor

Princess Era 🎀

QueenNothing

Groc

Aquacorde

⟡ dig down, dig down ⟡

QueenNothing

QueenNothing

Groc

Juno

3-8: Tough Call

CHAPTER 2: LIVE FOR FUN

CHAPTER 3: YOUR BRAIN GETS SMART

Caesar

Saturday, October 3rd @ 1700 - Route 110

QueenNothing

QueenNothing

Aquacorde

⟡ dig down, dig down ⟡

QueenNothing

Groc

Eleanor

Princess Era 🎀

Caesar

Sunday, October 4th @ 0700 - Route 110

Eleanor

Princess Era 🎀

Juno

3-9: In Your Shadow

CHAPTER 2: LIVE FOR FUN

CHAPTER 3: YOUR BRAIN GETS SMART