[PKMN FULL] Hoenn: Square One [IC]

QueenNothing · Apr 18, 2022

Junko "June" Enomoto

Wednesday, October 7th
Morning
Mauville City

It was nice to get away from the world for a few hours of a well-deserved rest. Too bad being awake means June is thrusted back into the harsh reality of being in debt.

There's some good news, her next shift won't be until noon, and she's up pretty early. Rather than dreading when the time will come, she instead soaks in the sunlight seeping in through the blinds while lounging in her Ledyba print pajamas. There's plenty of time to relax.

Maybe after breakfast she can battle other trainers in her spare time. But there's no guarantee she'll win against them, and losing will only put her into further debt. There's the Mauville Gym, but winning that would disqualify her from the Winstrate Cup. Seems her only real option is to keep working and cross her fingers that she can win the prize money.

It'd definitely be a good idea to train her Pokemon up though, with how defiant they all can be. The only issue to arise there is where she could do that in Mauville, being a very dense city and all. Good thing we have technology! Surely a quick internet search will show her training hotspots in the city…

Except it can't, because somehow, her phone is completely dead once again.

"Huh!? How is it already out of power!?"

June stares at her phone, absolutely flabbergasted. She rarely used it at all yesterday, in-fact, she left it charging while at work. Nothing about this makes any sense. Unless…

No, it couldn't have been Joltik. Ranger Diya informed her she released it back into New Mauville, since leaving such a species in an urban area would be disastrous. But what other explanations are there?

Forgetting to put her glasses on, she sluggishly rushes to her backpack, pulling on any and all zippers across it. Her extremely blurry vision puts a stop to her search pretty quickly, but it's nothing her lenses can't solve.

The contents of her backpack seem to be a lot tidier since she was released from detention the previous night. Maybe Ranger Keri was kind enough to reorganize it after searching it? That'd be much appreciated if not for the fact that everything is organized in a way that June doesn't know where anything is. A Pokedex and a portable charger should not be this hard to find.

It takes longer than it needs to, but soon enough she can feel her Pokedex deep in her bag- and attached to that is something small and fuzzy.

"Looks as though my suspicion was correct." June faintly grins, pulling out her Pokedex to reveal none other than Joltik latched onto it. She doesn't notice at first, but as soon as she sees June she squeaks with glee.

"It's nice seeing you again too." She giggles, holding out her finger for Joltik to perch onto. A surprise visit from the tiny Pokemon raises her spirits after everything she's gone through lately. How she'd love to catch her, but of course, it's against the rules. She'll have to go back to the ranger station so they can release her back into the wild again.

Or, does she?

Once her phone has enough power to function, she boots up the HPD app just to make sure. She scrolls through Joltik's page up and down, rereading every word at least 3 times to make sure she's seeing it right. Wouldn't you know it though- Joltik found in Route 110 are allowed to be caught if outside of their native route. It would have been nice to know that earlier, but nothing can really be done about that.

A Net Ball sits in her palm and Joltik springs forth, hitting the button in the center headfirst. The PokeBall pops open and she's sucked inside. The ball shakes once and… that's it really. Since she didn't put up much of a fight, that's all it takes for Joltik to be registered in June's party. With pure adoration in her eyes, she smiles, ecstatic to have another bug-type with her. "Welcome Joltik!"

June briefly fidgets excitedly before scratching her chin. "Although, now that you're officially with me, I think it's time I give you a name. Hmm…"

"Well, for such a peppy Pokemon, I think I have just the right name. From now on, I'm going to call you Diya!"

During my trek through Route 110, I ended up having to run into New Mauville because my Wimpod ran away and ended up getting lost there. I ended up paying the consequences of that though, so don't worry about that detail. It wasn't the greatest experience I've had in my life, but I did end up coming across Joltik and Galvantula, which I will be writing about.

A Joltik had snuck up on me right before the entrance as I was trying to call the rangers about the situation at-hand and completely drained my phone battery before I could even inform them. Then, she attacked my Orbeetle by using Lunge, but she seemed to do that in a playful manner as opposed to being hostile. We intended to leave her behind while searching for my Wimpod, but she continued to follow us through the abandoned facility.

At some point I entered a room deep into New Mauville I thought was empty until I noticed a Galvantula crawling around. The room was full of machinery, so it makes sense why Galvantula would appear here. Galvantula aren't usually aggressors, only really attacking if provoked. I was under the impression it would leave us alone, but while I wasn't looking, my Wimpod must have panicked and attacked, so in-turn we were both covered with Electroweb. It goes without saying that it was painful, it even left behind marks across my arms in the shape of the web. It's fortunate the rangers had an ointment for such things. The only way we were really able to survive that was because the Joltik continued to follow us and communicated with Galvantula to set us free. Afterwards, Joltik, who had been poisoned not too long ago, leaped onto Galvantula's back and the fully evolved Pokemon released a charge into Joltik to heal her up. It's curious how, despite both Pokemon usually traveling alone, they still share a sense of comradery.

Even if I do feel very guilty for having to resort to such measures, it was definitely very interesting to see bug-types in the area. Having to look around the facility as much as I did, I couldn't help but notice it must have been abandoned about twenty or so years ago, so the arrival of the Joltik line must have been relatively recent. I have to wonder if they inhabited any other areas in Hoenn before or if they're an invasive species. Regardless though, it's certainly a much better environment for both Pokemon than populated urban areas, since they're known to contribute to power outages.

🐞 June's Party 🐞

[PokeCommunity.com] Hoenn: Square One [IC]

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Aquacorde · Apr 18, 2022

Marie Rachelle Mocinno

AGE: 17 ⟡ HOME REGION: Johto
DATE: Wednesday, October 7 ⟡ TIME: Evening
LOCATION: Mauport

Chapter 5 #7 - Mauville, ho!

Marie spends a good chunk of the evening learning how to stain treat clothes, with advice from Sunny that she blatantly fact-checks at every opportunity. It's annoying, to be in charge of her own laundry. She'd much rather hand it off to either of her housekeepers. But they're not here on a journey with her, and that's probably ideal. She's supposed to be Doing It Right, after all.

At least she's more comfortable financially- for now. She's still sharing a bed with Sunny for their last night on Mauport. Money goes faster than she thinks. She's never had to pay attention to it before.

Her dad did tell her all of these things. She just didn't quite take them to heart.

He also had said something about having reliable companions. She'd assumed he was talking about Pokémon. But now she remembers other stories. Remembers Alton talking about other people, some of which she grew up knowing were as close to Alton as Marie's siblings are to her.

Marie skims her fingertips over the fresh bandages around her arm.

Reliable might be a stretch, but helpful is certainly appropriate.

Wednesday is slow and meandering, as Sunny finally starts taking things in on this last leg of their trip. The newly-evolved Sputter gets to try a few Sky Battles, but they also stop for lunch, and to watch half a play, and browse trinkets at various stands. Marie puts half down on an order for a falconry gauntlet with, oddly enough, the person who had encouraged them to evolve their Pokémon in the first place. They don't seem to have had this motive in mind, though, considering how genuinely excited they were to see that progress.

Not everything is a business venture.

The bike rentals certainly are, though. The amount of people in line to return bikes on a Wednesday afternoon and put their number through the lottery is somewhat astonishing. And still, nobody wins. Sunny seems shocked that she didn't, but shrugs it off fairly quickly.

The temper has been tempered, perhaps.

Mauport empties its pedestrians into a cute, structured park. Most of the coast is cut off by a retaining wall, but a little path dips down toward a building standing guard over the land bridge. The northern ranger station, Marie assumes.

"Edison is probably long past here, isn't he?" The ranger station doesn't look busy this evening. A single ranger sits in a standalone hammock facing the sunset, book in hand.

"Maybe… unless he got lost down there or something." She checks her phone for a moment, looking annoyed. "He said he'd call, though. If he forgot his promise, I'm gonna pound him!"

"I'm sure he'll be delighted to hear it," Marie says absentmindedly.

Sunny shoots Marie a weak glare, just a hint of her temper returning. "Whatever. I'll just be happy to leave this town behind. I've had enough of bridges for a while."

"We won't see anything like this again in Hoenn." Marie stares up at the houses peeking over the rails. "I don't know if that's sad or not. I think I'll miss it."

"It was… interesting, sure. But, you know, we could always come back later and visit. It's not gone forever." She reaches up to put a hand on Marie's shoulder, but doesn't make eye contact.

"No, I suppose it's not."

But it's going to be a while before they can come back.

They?

We?

"You want to come back here with me?" Marie's surprise is poorly concealed, she knows. But it's a surprising sentiment, isn't it?

"What? I said you! You can come back! Shut up!" Sunny trips over her words as she gets increasingly flustered. "Well, I mean… look, you're really annoying, right? Like, you have to be trying to annoy me or something. But… you've also been nice to me. And… I can be nice, too. So that's what I'm doing. I'm being nice."

Marie reaches up to pat Sunny's hand. "I approve of this new skill, thank you."

Sunny pulls her hand away, heading for the gate. "Yeah, yeah, you're welcome or whatever. Let's just go."

"Still going together then, hm? Do you know where we're going?" Marie catches up easily. Sunny in a huff is still no match for her stride.

"Uh…" Sunny looks between the path ahead and the Ranger Station below. "We're both going to Mauville, right? So we're heading in the same direction anyway. Might as well stick together."

"Ah, you're loathe to part from me and you know it. But one does not simply walk into Mauville. There's meant to be a tram station- are we just going to the Pokémon Center? It's not too late to look around, but…" But they should probably be responsible upon entering a new city. Have some recovery time from the struggles of their last week or so.

"Yeah, the Pokémon Center. We should get a room. Or rooms! Plural. At least establish where we'll be sleeping before we go wander."

Marie puts on a pout, for the drama. "You're going to make me sleep by myself? All alone in a cold, empty room? How ever will I fall asleep without your breathy little snores?"

Sunny sighs in annoyance. "Oh don't get all- wait, snores?! I don't snore!"

"How can you know? You're asleep when it happens."

"I… gah!" Sunny can't argue with that. "Look, the one-bed rooms were cheaper, but we don't have to worry about that in a Pokémon Center. We can each have our own bed again. …even if it was kinda nice to share."

Marie's smirk finds its way onto her face at that admission. "I suppose you're right. We'll be keeping all our money and living in luxury. What's not to enjoy?"

"I'd enjoy it more if I hadn't lost so many Sky Battles…" Sunny grumbles. "My pockets are a little lighter than yours."

"You really should stop betting on battles you're unlikely to win," Marie scolds, choosing not to mention that her pockets are lighter than they should be, entirely thanks to Sunny. "Remember that couple who had five badges each? They were clearly out of our league. It's much more stable to find real work."

"Oh, sure, because the 'real work' we did was so fun." Sunny scoffs as they make their way into the tram station. "I don't want a stable job, I want to raise Pokémon, and battle, and win. That's what a Trainer does."

"What do you think trainers do between tournaments?" Marie asks, as if she's ever really thought about it before now. But now that she is- "There's no way they can just wait around until the next one. Prizes aren't that much, are they?"

"Well… no, I guess not. But there's got to be more than just tournaments, right? I mean, what else do Trainers do? Work at a Gym?"

"Yes, most are likely salaried…" Marie really doesn't know, so she studies the board in front of her for something to do. She's never considered how professional trainers actually manage to exist- this wasn't her choice of career and never had been. Training is a bit of fun, proof of independence, a crazy adventure in a new region. Not a career. She just has to keep making enough to keep herself afloat for a few months or so.

Sunny, on the other hand…

Does she not have a plan? How do you go to a dedicated school, graduate, and come out of it without a plan?

"Hey! Look at this!" Sunny excitedly taps on a large poster in the center of the board. "See, this is how a Trainer makes money! ₽300,000 for winning one tournament? Piece of cake!"

Marie's eyes rove over the flyer. "That can't be right. That's a lot for a beginner's tournament, isn't it? And look at the second and third place prizes…"

"Hey, you asked how much a tournament could pay, here's your answer. Get good and you're set."

"Hm." Marie taps a line of smaller text. "You'll have to get good. It's a two-badge minimum."

Sunny's gleeful expression freezes as she reads the fine print for herself. "No… no no no, this can't be right! It's not fair! This is what I wanted, why don't I get what I want?" She angrily turns away from the poster, looking for the nearest tram. "Forget the Center. I gotta get to the Gym."

"Now hold on…" Ah, shit, it's been a week of getting Sunny to slow down and now-! Damn this Winstrate Cup. "There's some time yet. I doubt the gym is open this late, and we have yet to find Edison. No sense in scrambling right this moment."

"But… oh, fine." Sunny quickly rubs at her eyes before looking back. "You're right, there's time. I can do this."

"You can," Marie affirms. "We spent the last week training every day, didn't we?"

"Yeah. Yeah! We did!" Sunny nods, a bit of fire back in her eyes.

"Then we'll investigate the gym tomorrow. Hopefully we find Edison somewhere along the way."

featuring Groc as Sunny Dey ⟡

Spoiler: Team

Spoiler: Inventory

Spoiler: Contacts

Juno · Apr 19, 2022

3-10: Renewed Resolve

🏃 Petalburg City / Track 🕙 Sept. 24th, Morning

She's not going to mope.

She's not going to give up.

She is going to learn. Do research. Take notes. Keep training. Make sure that kind of embarrassment never happens to her again.

She means it this time.

She even has a notebook, that's how serious she is.

Seated at the Petalburg track's bleachers once again, Marcella balances her Rotom phone over the fluffy, pink book she is writing in. "So Pearly could have... Shell Armor or Rattled, but how do I tell...?" She mutters to herself, absently doodling a scared-looking Clamperl in the margins. As she quietly contemplates having someone smack Pearly around to figure out her ability, a loud clatter makes her yelp; a round, woolly beast barrels into the metal bowl of water she had placed nearby for her Pokémon. She throws her hands up wearily, before turning to chastise the Wooloo.

"Opal, the field! The field is for running—you don't need to crash into the bleachers at top speed every time you need a drink of water." Her lecture falls on deaf ears. Completely unbothered, Opal laps up the spilt water from the ground. "No—gross—a refill, please, Pearls. Again." She calls out to her Clamperl as she tries to pull the fluffy little monster away from the puddle. Pearly's Water Gun hits Marcella in the shins before finding its way in the bowl, but her aim was improving. "We're getting there!" Marcella cheers. The water from her first attempt is finding its way to her socks now, but she doesn't want to discourage the Clamperl, so she opens her suitcase and changes quietly.

She isn't the only one working hard today; Marcella has Bijou running laps on the track again, and Pearly is getting in some of that target practice she was promised, taking aim with her Water Gun at the Wooloo of boundless energy for training. And Midas has been alternating between both activities, stopping to pelt coins from his pouch at Opal whenever he gets tired of lapping Bijou.

It's a little chaotic, but all in all, a fairly productive morning.

As she scrolls through the Pokédex entry on her phone, the sound of approaching footsteps, followed by a shadow being cast over her notebook alerts her to the presence of her traveling companion for the day.

"Hey."

"'Morning, Miles. Hey, we match." Marcella observes when she looked up from her notes, pointing to the braid down Parker's back and pulling her own ash-brown hair over her shoulder to show him.

"Oh, so we do." He nods, taking a seat next to her at the bleachers with Fortuna in tow. The Meowth hops up and makes herself comfortable between the two, stretching out in the sun. "Sorry to keep you waiting. What are you writing?"

"Oh, not at all—I came early to get these guys moving. And just brushing up on my Pokémon's abilities and movesets." She looks out proudly, glancing between each of her Pokémon. Her smile turns into a slight frown as her gaze lands on Midas, who is currently rounding up his scattered ammo. Her eyes follow his movements briefly, before calling out to him. "Midas, come here." His ears perk up at the sound of his name being called. He quickly stuffs the coins he is holding into his Silk Scarf satchel and scampers over.

"Your bag's looking a little heavy." Marcella notes. He stomps on the ground angrily at her accusatory tone, indicating all the coins in his bag are rightfully his. Marcella tugs on the strap, feeling the weight of the bag. "Are you suuure?"

He holds a stoical expression for a moment, but eventually breaks under her glare. Defeated, he sheepishly fishes back out approximately $700 worth of change and returns it to a little girl in the front row. Marcella shakes her head, but a small smile turns up the corners of her lips.

"You'd have thought he had Pickup rather than Technician with his sticky little fingers, huh? What about you?" She gently scratches Fortuna's rear, and the Meowth purrs without opening her eyes.

"Tuna has Pickup, comes in pretty handy. But she's good at like, finding berries and potions, stuff Pokémon might use in battle." Parker pauses in thought. "I think Midas just enjoys petty theft, it's not really an ability."

Marcella sighs. Everybody has to have a flaw, I guess. "Well, Technician's pretty good, too, yeah?"

"Yeah, he can steal children's pocket change and kick ass—a twofer." He smirks. "So, how did it go yesterday?"

Pretending she can't hear him is pretty childish for her, but she doesn't really want to talk about it.

Parker breaks the silence. "That's okay."

"What?"

"You lost, right? 'Cause if I know anything about you—"

"You literally don't, I met you on Monday." She reminds him in a song-song voice.

"Yes, and you were real quick to mention your new badge at the time." He laughs. Marcella grimaces into her notebook. Did I do that? Cringe. "And you haven't today, so. It's okay." He repeats. "Wally's tough."

She shrugs. "Yeah, he was."

Another skip of silence goes by before he speaks up again. "Hey, you know you don't have to leave today, right? If you wanna train for another week and challenge Wally again, like—I live here, so anytime you want to make the trip down, I'll... uh, I'll be here. I go to Littledale often."

Marcella had thought about doing that, but isn't sure what good it would really do her. She could just keep training here, but the limits of what she can do and learn here are, well, limited. That's not what journeying trainers do. They journey. "No, I think I need to get out there, and see more people. Trainers. Pokémon. I am challenging Wally again, don't get me wrong—but I don't know if getting stuck on this one hurdle and staying in Petalburg until I clear it is going to help me grow all that much as a trainer, if I really want this."

Parker nods. "Do you?" He asks suddenly, after a pause.

Marcella cocks her head to the side. Nobody's really asked her that since it was decided she would be doing this. Decided for her, mind you. "I think so?"

He studies her contemplative expression, but doesn't push the line of questioning further. "Well, you have some time to figure it out. Especially with a few days in the great outdoors, maybe some nature and fresh air will give you a new perspective or whatever."

"Yeah, I think a nice, long hike will help clear my—I'm sorry, what?" She must have misheard him.

"What?"

"Well, I—Pardon, I think I heard you say a few days' travel?"

He looks taken aback by how taken aback she looks. "Ah, yeah? It's—the distance between Petalburg and Littledale—wait, I thought you were from here. Like, Hoenn."

"I am, but geography." She waves her hand dismissively. "Never was my forte." And I don't come to Hick Town, how would I know? She holds her tongue on the last part, thinking it unwise to insult his hometown before following him into the woods.

"Um. Okay. Well, I did think it was weird all you had was that." He nods to her suitcase. "I'm assuming you don't have stuff in your fancy leather trunk. Like, useful stuff." He adds as she begins to protest. "Camping gear, you know? Alright, you know what, just—come."

🏬 Petalburg City / Sports Center 🕙 Sept. 24th, Morning

"And it folds into this little bag here? Wow. Amazing." Marcella watches as the sporting goods store clerk demonstrates to her how to shove a rather spacious-looking tent into a duffel bag. The only camping she had done previously was at resorts with cabin-style abodes, but with something like this, a night or two under the stars might not be so miserable.

"M-hm! We have step-by-step instructionals on our YouTube channel, too, if you need help setting this up or putting it away on your trip! Might have to muscle it a bit, but it fits, along with the components it comes with." Marcella silently evaluates the chirpy girl, whose nametag reads 'Penney'; she is kind of scrawny, so if she can manage to fold this up in a few minutes, Marcella is confident she can do it as well.

Parker had left Marcella to free-roam the store as he browsed other provisions on his own, but when he finds her again, he looks slightly apprehensive at her choice of gear. "Marcella, this is a family-sized tent."

She feels like she isn't going to like his opinion, but asks for it anyway to be polite. "Mm. What would you suggest?"

"I don't know, a one-person tent, like mine? Because you're one person? Something like..." He glances a few displays down. "That one, over there. And look, it's only like, $5000, too."

Marcella looks at the pitiful tent he's pointing to. "Miles, that looks like one gentle gust of wind would take it right off the ground." She turns to Penney with an apologetic smile. "No offence."

The girl shrugs. "Well, it's less than half the price of this one for a reason."

"There's also a ranch along the way there, so you are really only going to be camping outdoors for like, one night or so." Parker counters. "You really don't need a tent like this—you're just giving yourself grief, 'cause this is, what, an extra 10 pounds to carry?"

Penney gives Parker a slightly unamused, 'why-are-you-blowing-my-commission-for-me' kind of look, before turning back to Marcella. "Um. Anyway, it's going at a promotional rate right now, $17,600. That's about 20% off!"

Marcella nods approvingly at the price tag. She can still feel Parker's eyes on her, though, so she reaches out and lightly squeezes his shoulder. "I am touched by your concern—I am! And you make some excellent points. But I like to be comfortable. And so do my Pokémon, so I have to think of them as well. I'll take this one, Penney. What colours does it come in?"

Evidently excited to have made the sale, Penney quickly separates the two and leads Marcella to the front desk. She can hear Parker's resigned sigh, but he follows them to the cash register.

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
3-10: Renewed Resolve

Inventory

$13,400

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)
Family-sized tent - includes queen-sized air mattress and two inflatable stools

Trainer Info

Badges

Groc · Apr 20, 2022

Edison Kintobor
Monday, October 5th; afternoon
Route 110

The employee lounge has two bathrooms attached to it, so Ed had stepped into one of them to get dressed. It wasn't strictly necessary, but there are some things you just don't do, like changing clothes out in the open.

Or barging into a bathroom when it's in use.

"Addie, what's wrong?" Ed finishes buttoning his shirt as his little Munchlax holds open the door for Neo to swoop in. "You too, N.D.? What's gotten into you?"

The lights dim before flickering back to full strength, and Neo buzzes in alarm.

"I'm sure that's nothing to worry about, just a power surge. Although, what would be drawing power? Hmmm... no, you're right. We should go."

Stepping back into the lounge, he sees what Neo was so nervous about: a Joltik chewing on the power cord of the microwave, draining electricity from the exposed wires. Another one watches eagerly, while two more descend from the ceiling on threads. And there are even more going for other wires. Everywhere he looks, he sees more Joltik, all looking for a meal.

Behind him, Neo lets out a low, nervous whine. Ed reaches back to comfort them, although the sheer number of Joltik has him slightly on edge himself, and he begins talking to himself to calm his nerves as he moves toward the door.

"They're only looking for the electricity. It's their preferred food, and they can store excess energy for use in Electric techniques. They also eat Berries, and smaller, mundane insects. They wouldn't be interested in me, I'm too big to eat and a human brain doesn't produce enough electricity to provide any worthwhile charge. Oh, but a Magmemite..."

He slowly grabs his backpack from the floor, making sure no Joltik are clinging to it. His satchel is already over his shoulder, but the trash bag and stick he'd received from the Ranger Station are currently being investigated by a pair of the Bugs. They're not worth agitating the swarm for, so he leaves them behind as he backs out of the lounge, keeping Addie and Neo close.

He closes the door as quickly as he can while still being quiet, and breathes a sigh of relief when it clicks shut. His sigh almost drowns out a brief whisper from his bag, almost sounding like static from an old radio. He looks down, but it's just the Reaper Cloth he'd picked up, emitting those eerie sounds again. If it didn't fascinate him so, he would have tossed it aside for being so creepy and distracting.

He turns around to head back for the exit, and is surprised by a small statue standing right in front of him. It takes all of his willpower not to shout, but he does jump and stumble back a step. It's a Golett, possibly the same one from the office, but how did it get here?

...oh, it's not a statue. It's real.

Golett drives a fist forward, punching Ed in the stomach. As the air is knocked from his lungs, he has enough time to notice the shadows swirling ominously around Golett's fist, and the shiver that runs down his spine from the impact. Were he prone to colloquialism, he'd say he felt that punch in his very soul, but the larger, more rational part of his brain believes the punch may have simply resonated in his component molecules.

Either way, it didn't feel good. Already off balance from his surprise, the punch knocks him on his butt as his hands instinctively move to his stomach. He can't help it, but the rush of adrenaline and endorphins makes him start laughing. Golett tilts its head to one side as it watches him, apparently not expecting that reaction.

Addie puts himself between Golett and Ed, glaring angrily at the clay robot. Neo hovers overhead, magnets spinning and sparking as they charge electricity.

Ed forces himself to calm down, helped immensely by the sight of something small and yellow clinging to his shirt. A Joltik scurries onto his arm as he holds his stomach, going for his freshly recharged Holotch. "Hey, stay away from that!"

He swats at the Bug, but it nimbly dodges his hand. He doesn't remember any of the Joltik from the lounge getting close to him, so this one either snuck into his bag while he was getting dressed, or it hitched a ride on Golett's fist. Which is improbable, but Golett did just shift into an aggressive stance when Ed swatted at Joltik.

"Addie, N.D., keep it away from me, I'll deal with this Jolt- ah! Don't bite me!" He manages to grab Joltik, keeping it pinned under his hand. "You'll have to use Flash Cannon, it's immune to your shocks! Addie, it'll just phase through your attacks unless you Bi-yai that hurts!" He quickly turns his attention back to the Pokémon chewing on his finger, trusting his team to protect him.

Addie waddles forward as Neo rises into the air. Standing its ground, Golett swings at Neo, its hand detaching from the wrist and launching toward them, still connected by a cord of shadow. Taken by surprise, Neo is unable to dodge in time, and the shadowy tether retracts, pulling Neo into melee range. They fire their Flash Cannon point blank, which Golett doesn't even try to dodge.

Addie bites Golett's shoulder like he would an oversized apple, his fangs infused with mischievous energy. Golett grabs Addie with its free hand, joints clicking as the hand clamps shut around Addie's arm. With just one exchange of blows, Golett has restrained both of Ed's Pokémon, forcing them to focus on it instead of Joltik.

Ed knows full well what being shocked by a Pokémon feels like, so he's surprised Joltik hasn't done so to him yet. Instead, it keeps trying to avoid his hands and reach his Holotch. Perhaps this one doesn't have any electricity stored up? Joltik are incapable of generating their own electricity, and are reliant on external sources to charge up. So why doesn't this one join the others inside the lounge? Why ambush him outside?

He moves closer to the door, reaching for the handle. Joltik screeches in alarm, leaping for that hand rather than his Holotch. He lets it land on his hand, wincing as it bites the skin between his thumb and index finger, then slams his other hand down on top of it. Joltik squeaks in pained surprise as it gets squished under his hand, but its body is surprisingly squishy and malleable, and it simply continues biting him. It'd be fascinating if it didn't hurt so much.

Golett continues to keep Neo and Addie engaged. Despite holding onto Neo, Golett still manages to hit them with the shadowy aura surrounding its fist. The punch itself seems to just be a somatic component of the attack, but Neo's armored body is apparently resistant to Ghosts, so the punches are little more than an annoyance.

Addie is even more resistant to the Shadow Punches, so Golett hits him with a powerful Mega Punch. With its hand clamped around Addie's arm, the punch more closely resembles just picking Addie up and slamming him into the wall. It's an impressive display of strength, but it makes Ed mad to see his baby being tossed around so roughly.

"Hey!" He steps away from the door, holding his hands up with Joltik still in his grasp. "I think I have something of yours. Come and get it!" And he dashes down the hall, back toward the office he'd previously chased Joltik to. With any luck, Golett will need to release his friends to chase after him.

He hears the clunking footsteps of Golett behind him, and turns to confirm. Golett is giving chase, still holding Addie and Neo aloft as it does. Ed is astonished at the robot's strength, considering he can barely lift Addie with both hands, and certainly can't run while holding him.

Adding to his surprise, Addie is still Biting Golett's arm, and Neo is still shooting it in the face with Flash Cannon. And yet, it keeps coming. He's never seen a wild Pokémon with such devotion to another, and he can feel Joltik trying to squirm free from his grip. What is going on here?

"Whoa, okay, stop!" He lifts his hand off of Joltik, showing it to Golett. "Let's just talk this over, okay?"

Golett doesn't slow, but its eyes suddenly glow violet. An aura of matching color surrounds Joltik, lifting the bug off of Ed's hand and bringing it over to Golett, where it hangs mere inches above the robot's head. Ed quickly dives to the side before he gets run over.

"It has psychic powers, too?! Fantastic!" Despite this technically being a setback, Ed grins like a fool at the display.

His enthusiasm is short lived, as Golett stumbles and drops Addie, then falls backwards from Neo's Flash Cannon to its face. Its eyes flicker and dim, the violet aura vanishing from Joltik as the bug falls. It lands on Golett, and the robot lets go of Neo to reach for Joltik, but falls unconscious before it can.

Joltik squeaks in protest, scurrying up to Golett's face. It tries to shake Golett awake, but two against one was too much for it to handle.

Ed makes sure Addie and Neo are okay. They're a bit battered, but they've had worse. He approaches Joltik, who hisses at him in warning. He stops, leaning against the wall as he sits down. "I think we're far enough from the power that the other Joltik won't follow us here. I doubt you'll leave your friend, so why don't we all just get some rest? How about it, hm? Care to have a little chat?" Addie and Neo come up beside him, sitting at his sides non-threateningly.

Joltik looks between the three warily, then at Golett. It squeaks out a sigh, then sits on the robot's chest. It shrugs, lifting a claw as if to say, "So, what do you want to know?"

Caesar · Apr 20, 2022

Sunday, October 4th - Route 110

Clint and Ralts kept moving north along the land bridge, unimpeded except for the occasional bit of discarded debris he was obligated to pick up along the way. Clint knew what laid ahead of him, and it most certainly set him on edge, but for now he was still breathing open air, he had to enjoy it while he could. Yes, the big city he had heard so much about couldn't have been too far now.

Thinking too much about the future removed Clint from the present, where his companion, Ralts had taken off again. Oh great, Clint whispered under his breath. He turned around back, and didn't see anything. Must have went ahead, Clint thought. So he kept pressing forward, looking for any clues. Ralts' footprints were small and light, so almost impossible to pick up.

After more walking, Clint picked up on a sign, a spot where the dirt looked to have been disturbed by Ralts' skirt. What was that even made of, hair, skin, something else entirely? Would be a good question for a smart person, just a matter of finding one around here. Clint kept his eyes and ears open around the site, trying to find something to clue in on. Sure enough, he had a new lead soon enough.

"Kip, Kip," was the noise coming from over the ridge.

Clint made his way over, and looked down on what was happening, a blue, four-legged Pokemon with orange cheeks was hitting Ralts with a Water Gun, while Ralts winced at the amphibian while being attacked.

"Well come on Ralts, don't just stand there," Clint exclaimed, as he slid down the bank to where the two Pokemon were,

"Let's try Confusion."

Ralts put his hands on his temple, before sending a psychic wave towards the blue fella, causing it to stutter back. The water type returned fire with another water gun, except this time Ralts used a Double-Team to evade the attack. Key for Ralts in battle is to not get hit, or get hit as few times as possible. Luck ran out however, as their opponent connected with a Tackle, knocking Ralts back along the beach, disturbing the sand as he went back. Ralts picked himself back up, and faced the other Pokemon.

The sound of an ATV broke Clint's focus on the battle, which allowed the Mud Fish Pokemon to hit Ralts square in the face with a Water Gun. Clint thought quickly, only the Rangers would have ATV's around here. Those same Rangers that told Clint that there was to be no harassing of the wildlife in the area. But they get to cruise around on ATV's, burning fuel and digging into the ground with their tires. Thinking of the best way to pretend there wasn't a battle happening right where there was in fact, a battle happening, Clint had Ralts Teleport away from the scene of the crime, which got one Pokemon out of the way. Now what to do with the blue one?

The wild Pokemon had no intentions of moving off of its turf, as it launched a Water Gun at Clint this time, hitting him directly in the face, causing Clint to flinch his eyes shut, followed by spitting out of some water that made its way into his mouth. You little b*st*rd, Clint said to himself. Clint wiped his face off with his shirt, as the mischievous blue critter hopped back into the water, presumably to fill its cheeks with more ammunition for Water Gun attacks.

The ATV had made its way over to Clint now, and rolled to a stop right on the ridge above where the brief skirmish had happened. The other combatant had swam away at this point, most likely to terrorize other poor souls.

"What have you gotten yourself into today trainer," the Rangers, a stout young blonde woman, most likely in her 20's, asked Clint.

Clint was good at a couple things, but spinning a yarn wasn't one of them,

"Uh..... I was uhh..."

"No need to explain, I can see what happened here, clear as day," the Ranger began,

"Seems as if you lost your Pokemon, and when trying to find them you stumbled on this poor little Mudkip's territory, not very nice of you, umm... never gave me your name."

"Clint."

"Well Clint, someone who spends as much time as you look like you do should know not to disturb wild Pokemon habitat," the Ranger nagged.

"Well, Mudkip here disturbed me pretty good as well, so I'd say we're even," Clint remarked.

Mudkip, guess that's what the little blue rascal was called.

"Suppose I can let you off with a warning then, but next time I might not be so lucky," the ranger reasoned,

"Do you want some help finding your lost Pokemon?"

This was the moment Ralts decided to Teleport, materializing on the back of the ATV. Nice timing kid, Clint chuckled to himself.

"No I think I'll be just fine ma'am, thank you though," Clint said sarcastically.

"Seems like you need to get a better handle on your Pokemon," the ranger jeered back.

"In my defense, what he's doing is cheating, can't expect me to keep up," Clint said, picking Ralts up off the ATV and putting him back on his shoulder.

"Fair enough, stay safe out there Clint," the Ranger waved goodbye, peeling off in her ATV.

Clint, surprised he didn't get caught, kept moving on towards his destination.

Later...

Clint forged his path north, only briefly stopping along to eat for a bite to eat from one of those calorie bricks, or a quick swig of water from his canteen. That was getting a little lower than he liked, but if he rationed properly he would be able to make it to where he could refill it in the city. Considering it was about a two day trek, he should be there by sundown tomorrow if everything worked out.

It was time to start looking for camp tonight however, as he and Ralts were both in need of some rest. Clint followed the same protocol as he did yesterday to find a spot, out of the way and out of the wind. The search led him to another small cove, this one full of garbage. It was more than he could take in the bag he was provided by the Rangers, there was an entire car's exhaust there for Arceus' sake, but at the very least he could pull some of the stuff out of the water and put it in a pile, make it easy for someone to bring a trailer and an ATV down to pick it up.

Clint started with the exhaust pipes, and started to drag them along the beach. They weren't heavy, just awkward. Not helping with the heavy part was Ralts, who decided to climb on to the exhaust and hold on. You're not helping bud, Clint sighed to himself. But once again he decided to relent to Ralts' wishes, and drag him around for a couple back and forth's on the beach. Clint then stopped in a spot and motioned for Ralts to climb down. Ralts shook his head no.

"Someone's gotta set up camp tonight, don't figure you're going to do that for me," Clint said.

Ralts hopped off his ride, now covered in rust flakes. Great, looks like I'm going to have to clean him up too, Clint thought to himself. Clint started his pile, moving various odds and ends to the same spot he left the muffler. It wasn't a perfect plan but at least it was better than scattered across the beach. Ralts was even trying to help, to little effect but again, better than nothing. Clint was pretty sure he saw Ralts carrying a straw over his head like a Gurdurr. Clint had found a bag with four clear gems in them, figured he'd keep those for his troubles. Also in the bag was a yellow stone with a lightning bolt through it, another keep, since he had heard about stones like that which could evolve some Pokemon.

It paled into comparison the next weird pale purple stone Clint found next, which was housed in a weird purple box, like a miniature version of a magician's trunk. The stone also had purple and red accents running through it, glistening in the fading light as Clint looked at it. He also swore he heard a weird, manical laugh as he opened the box. What the h*ll man, Clint said to himself, probably that Mudkip messing with him.

Clint decided to set the weird stone next to his backpack, where his camp was going to be. Just like last night, Clint was going to risk it with no tent, as he didn't see any sign of rain. So he just rolled out his bed roll on the beach, and laid out on it, with Ralts. The two started to drift off, resting up for another day of hiking.

Monday, October 5th (Morning) - Route 110

Clint woke up with Ralts nestled up again his chest, the two of them survived another night without being rained on. The weird stone Clint found last night was surprisingly still there, as Clint was almost certain that it was going to turn into a Zubat and fly off in the middle of the night. So Clint ditched the box for it, and slipped the stone in his bag. His bag was starting to get heavier with all the random s*** he had been keeping with him, not to mention the stuffed full canvas bag of garbage he had been instructed to carry around with him. I mean technically he could have left the bag empty, but too late now.

Speaking of late, he should get moving. He placed Ralts, who was still sleeping, on a patch of grass not too far away while Clint packed up his stuff. Didn't take too long, as he didn't stop to unpack much other than the bed roll. After hiding evidence of him setting up camp, he picked up Ralts and made his way towards Mauville, the sprawling spectre of a city just coming into view now.

- Clint acquired Normal Gem (x4)!
- Clint acquired a Thunder Stone!
- Clint acquired a Gengarite!

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
4x Normal Gem
Sceptilite
Gengarite
Thunder Stone
Water Stone
TM Protect
TM Bullet Seed
TM Rock Smash
TM Low Kick

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Juno · Apr 21, 2022

4-1: Ranger's Regret

🌲 Route 102 🕙 Sept. 24th, Morning / Noon

While Marcella wouldn't characterize herself as "outdoorsy", she isn't a complete stranger to hiking. It's not her go-to cardio activity, mainly because of how time-consuming it can be, but it is one of those hobbies her and her friends back home would pick up once every couple of months to get in touch with nature or whatever. Or, okay, when they wanted to get some pretty, panoramic shots for the 'gram.

So far, this hike is nice and manageable—the terrain is not too crazy, and the weather is alright. She's well aware she will be out here for the next few days, though, so maybe her opinion will change over the course of their journey to Littledale. Her Pokémon seem to be having a great time outside as well, for the most part. Unrestricted by the confines and social rules of civilization, Opal, Midas and even Fortuna are free to unleash their wild side in the woods. Well, wilder side. This mostly involves terrorizing the local wildlife; so far, they seem to be encountering mostly Seedot, and occasionally chasing Lotad back into any ponds they come across.

The one in their group lagging behind the most is, surprisingly, not Bijou.

"Another break? Dear, you're not as fit as I thought you were." Marcella calls out as she looks back to find Parker sitting on a felled log and digging out his water bottle. Seizing the moment, Bijou catches up with her and whines to be picked up, gently pawing at her trainer's leg. "Alright, you've earned a 10 minute ride." She relents, scooping the Purrloin up.

"Well, Marcella—you're not carrying—two people's stuff—and a 10-pound tent—" The ranger retorts between breaths, leaning on her leather suitcase and taking a swig of water. Marcella clicks her tongue, but perhaps now is not a good time to ask him to keep her trunk off the ground. She'll check it for scratches later.

As soon as he regains enough energy to get out a full sentence, he forcefully adds:

"What the hell is in your suitcase, did you bring your entire wardrobe on the road?"

"Oh, goodness, no!" She can't help laughing at the absurdity of his question, as if a suitcase could contain her wardrobe. I guess he only offered to carry some of my stuff. She walks back to where he's sitting and pulls the smaller pack off his back with her free hand, slinging it over her shoulder. "There," She exclaims, as if she's doing him a big favour. "Don't say I made you carry everything."

"Oh, thanks. It's a good thing I pack light." Parker grumbles, shoving some pretzels into his mouth.

"Anyway, come on. If you have the energy to complain, you have the energy to hike. I want to make it to—well, I don't know, far. Before nightfall."

⛺ Route 102 🕙 Sept. 24th, Night

Nightfall comes soon enough, and she feels like they've made good progress. Or so Parker convinces her of, but he could just be saying that so she would let him rest. Regardless, she is starting to feel the fatigue a little as well, so she doesn't complain when he declares their surroundings a suitable campground and drops their gear to start setting up for the night.

"Okay, that's me done," Parker's tent is up within minutes, and he gives his modest shelter a light pat. "Now, let's set up your monstrosity."

He opens up the duffel bag and pulls out a large tarp—the tent itself—but also a bunch of other components. "What's all this?"

"Oh! The tent comes with an air mattress, and two inflatable stools, too." Marcella explains cheerfully, pointing to each rolled up lump he pulls out. "What? Excuse me for having standards." She adds as Parker shakes his head in disbelief.

"Okay, well, as long as I don't have to manually inflate it." A look of worry flashes across his face. "I don't—it comes with a pump, right?"

"Um, I don't know, actually." Marcella shrugs. "Penney didn't mention that part."

He digs around the bag a bit more and lets out a sigh of relief as he pulls out a small, black device. "Electric pump! Battery-powered. Great, excellent. Here, let's do the stools first so we have something to sit on."

Parker is quite handy. Marcella had the instructional Penney mentioned pulled up on her phone, but between the video's buffering spikes, he's already figured out how to connect the poles, and which flaps they go into. It takes a good few minutes more for her extravagant shelter to go up, but eventually, they are set up side-by-side, with the entrances facing each other so they can still talk while in their respective tents.

She can't fully stand up in it, but it's definitely spacious. Bijou hops up on the air mattress and dozes off as soon as it is inflated, and Midas claims one of the stools. Opal is not quite ready for bed yet, but even accounting for her, and also Pearly's heavy shell sitting in the corner, it was still pretty roomy. Marcella peeks out of her tent and into Parker's. Despite how tired he had claimed to be, he is hunched over his sketchbook.

"You wanna sleep in here?"

"Um, I—" The redness in his ears as he looks up indicates to Marcella there is a slight misunderstanding.

"Not, like, in my bed." She clarifies indignantly. "I just feel bad because your tent is—you know. You can put your sleeping bag there." She points to the unoccupied left wall of her tent.

"Hey, stop hating on my tent—we've been through a lot together, okay?" He fires back jokingly, in a feigned offended tone. "No, but I'm fine, thank you. You enjoy your luxury tent with your crew."

"Okay, well, if you change your mind. Plenty of space in here." She almost disappears back inside her own tent, before catching a glimpse of the Meowth resting against Parker's leg, peering into her large tent longingly. "What about you, Fortuna?"

She didn't have to ask twice. Fortuna gets up and eagerly leaves her trainer's side.

"Traitor," Parker smiles as he watches the Meowth crawl into Marcella's tent. "Whatever, 'night, guys."

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
3-10: Renewed Resolve

CHAPTER 4: SO MUCH TO DO, SO MUCH TO SEE

4-1: Ranger's Regret

Inventory

WALLET: ₽13,400

KEY ITEMS

Fanclub Membership Card (Annual)

Contest Pass

HELD ITEMS

Silk Scarf (

)

Safety Goggles (

)

CONSUMABLES

Luxury Balls x 3

MISC. GEAR

Medium-sized leather suitcase of clothes
Rotom Phone (Sky Blue)
Family-sized tent
Inflatable mattress
Inflatable stools x 2

Trainer Info

Badges

Groc · Apr 22, 2022

Natsuko Soyokaze
Monday, October 5th; midday
Mauport Bridge

Mauport itself is truly a work of art, in addition to all the art being showcased here, but for some reason it just isn't gripping Tsu like she thought it would. After her visit to the Trick House on Saturday, she'd focused more on the large egg in her basket than anything going on around her. Every bump or disturbance in the road had made her wince, despite the egg's rock-like shell being so durable.

The one detour she'd made that day had been to a clothing store to pick up some bike shorts after someone complimented her skirt with a whistle.

Sunday had gone better. More confident in herself and her egg, she'd taken a more leisurely ride along the bridge, even stopping by the Fan Club for a bit. They'd offered her a jar of Bright Powder that they'd claimed was diamond dust, but she doubted they'd just hand something so valuable out for free. They encouraged her to take one of their crafting classes, but Tsu couldn't decide what to do, and had left without making anything. Which was probably just as well, she'd probably just screw it up anyway. She never was very good at making things, but saying so during her talk with Lucy that night was a mistake.

📞 📞 "Natsuko, you simply must stop putting yourself down like that!" Tsu had to move the phone away from her head, she was being scolded so loudly. "The point of the class isn't to make something beautiful, it's to make something unique! To take something that exists only within your mind and to make it a reality! Do you think I got to where I am today because I was afraid of people judging my designs?"

"Well, no, but-"

"No buts! Natsuko, darling, promise me you won't deprive yourself of such an experience because of some silly fear ever again. You are better than you give yourself credit for."

"You're right. Sorry, Lucy. I promise."

"Thank you, dear. I know quality when I see it. Oh, and do let me know when your egg hatches. I shall make something wonderful for the new arrival." 📞 📞

And so, today's objective is to have an experience that she normally wouldn't, something she's never tried before, and to not talk herself out of it. No matter what it is, she'll say yes to the next question someone asks her!

"Hey lady, wanna have a Pokémon battle?"

She just wishes it hadn't been during lunch.

"Right now?" Tsu looks at her challenger, a green haired and bright eyed girl whose age is probably still a single digit, as she excitedly waves a Poké Ball around.

"Uh huh! You have an Eggy, so you must have a Pokémon! I wanna battle 'em!"

Tsu sighs in resignation. A promise is a promise. Besides, this probably won't take long. "Yes, I will battle you. Time for your first real fight, Dagi!" She sends her Popplio out, but the young girl just laughs.

"We can't battle here, silly! We have to battle up there! In the sky!" She points up dramatically, just as a Swellow passes by overhead. "You gotta send out a Flying Pokémon!"

"But... none of my Pokémon can fly..."

The joy on the little girl's face fades, and she slumps sadly. "Oh. Okay, then. It's okay if you don't wanna play with me. No one ever does."

Oh, that's just mean.

"Wait! I forgot, Stacy can fly. She's just never done it in a fight before."

"Yay!" The girl instantly cheers back up, grabbing Tsu's hand and leading her away from the picnic area. "I'm gonna battle Stacy!"

They don't go far, just away from the tables. "Send her out, send her out! Say hi, Mine!" The girl tosses her Poké Ball, and a Wingull appears and lands on her shoulder.

"Okay... here we go!" Tsu tosses Stacy's ball, and the Duchess' sudden appearance causes quite a few heads to turn.

The little girl gasps, then stomps her foot angrily. "No fair! You said she was gonna fly!" She points an accusatory finger at Stacy, resting comfortably on the ground. "If you touch the ground you lose!"

Stacy leans back slightly from the pointing finger, looking down at herself as if she's just noticed for the first time that she's resting on land. With the tiniest of hops, she pushes herself a few inches off the ground, looking slightly uncomfortable.

"That's better!" The girl nods, smiling brightly with her eyes filled with determination. "You can't touch the ground, or a table, or land on your trainer or you lose!"

"Yes, please don't land on me!" Tsu chimes in, earning a chuckle from the crowd.

Wait, crowd?!

Everyone in the area, and even some people who were passing by, are looking at them now. Tsu is suddenly nervous, but she can't really blame these people.

"Hey, go easy on her, Clara! Looks like it's her first time!" Someone in the audience shouts, earning another laugh from the crowd. The girl sticks her tongue out at him.

She's not even scared? I thought she was a rookie! What have I gotten myself into? Tsu panics for a moment, but forces herself to relax. She'll just have to give it her all...

Mine jumps off Clara's shoulder, and the battle has begun. "Use Water Gun!"

"Stacy, use Crunch!"

Stacy darts forward, and before the Wingull can get off a single spray of water, she has it entirely inside her mouth.

The crowd collectively lets out a loud "Ooh!" as they wince. Tsu looks around in confusion, while Clara just stares in shock.

"So... did I win?" Tsu looks to the nearest spectator.

"Uh... your Pokémon's mouth doesn't count as the ground, so... no?"

"Oh, right, right... Stacy, drop it! You can't eat other people's Pokémon!"

Stacy rolls her eyes, then spits the Wingull out. The bird is covered in saliva and hits the ground with a wet *splat*, but seems otherwise uninjured.

Clara's cheeks are puffed up as she returns her Wingull, and she doesn't say anything as she hands Tsu ₽500.

"You'll get her next time, Clara!" The same guy from before laughs, and people largely return to what they were doing before.

Tsu is suddenly very uncomfortable. "Uh... hey, Clara? You don't have to-"

"Daddy says you pay your debts. You won and I didn't, so you get the prize." She finally looks at Tsu, bowing deeply. "And Mommy says a proper lady is always graceful. I'm a little lady, you know? So thank you, I had fun."

She runs away, leaving Tsu confused. Tsu looks at the money in her hand, deciding that yes, she did win.

The good feeling goes away when she looks back to see Stacy licking her plate. "Hey, that was my lunch!"

Eleanor · Apr 26, 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]

*pop!*

Sunday, October 4^th - evening - Mauport Bridge

At first, Avril is rather proud of herself.

She's told Poppy to use her newly learned Petal Blizzard, and it's working just as she envisioned it. Alexandrite had started the battle just like during Robynn's first round, with a series of copies made up by Double Team, to disorient Poppy and make her unable to predict where his next attack would have come from. But now, the Flabébé is able to dispel most copies before Alex can fire off his Psybeam, and that allows her to dodge it more easily.

The issue is… that is still Robynn on the other side of the battlefield. That confident smirk of hers signals she has more tricks up her sleeves.

"Alex, Shadow Sneak!"

Seemingly out of nowhere, Alexandrite spins rapidly right towards Poppy, speed boosted by a sudden gust, and smashes right into her while covered in ghastly energy.

Poppy can't help but take the hit as Avril's tension builds up. "Uhh, go for Synthesis!" she calls out, Flabébé trying to float back up to her previous height as she absorbs what little energy the setting sun can provide. Unfortunately, that leaves her vulnerable to another attack from Alexandrite, who again takes advantage of the wind to get close to Poppy so he can deliver a gentle peck on the cheek- although in this case it ends up being her entire head.

Of course that wasn't just any old kiss, but a Draining Kiss. The earlier Synthesis had been for nothing, as all that energy had been absorbed by Kirlia.

Poppy, at this point, takes the liberty to go for a Fairy Wind right after that attack, pushing herself away from Alex and up into the sky. But she's not safe there, as a Psybeam follows closely after, leaving her with little time to breathe. he. The wind helps her in this case, as she's able to dodge most of those attacks coming from below by following the right gust at the right time, but that's not a pleasant sight for Avril. Why does it always end like that, with her looking at the timer and hoping at least that thing will have mercy?

At some point it seems as though Alex has given up on Psybeam, which at a face value, would be a good thing. But when he disappears again, that's just a dead giveaway that the opposing duo are far from finished. From right below Poppy, Alex jumps up, twirling midair to hit her with Shadow Sneak a second time.

This attack actually connects, and a staggered Poppy is soon plummeting down towards the battleground, before falling right in front of her trainer. It doesn't matter what the timer says anymore if she's close to getting knocked out, does it? Avril grimaces and starts to tremble, almost forgetting who she's battling… until the two girls' eyes cross one more time. Aside from a playful wink, Robynn remains mostly stoic.

"Ugh… come on Poppy, you can do this!" the blonde girl sort of cheers, already somewhat relieved to see that her Pokémon is trying to get herself back up. And case in point, her Pokémon does get back up, hovering slowly over the battlefield but not even reaching Avril's knees.

Here the girl's vision starts feeling different. Maybe it's just the sunlight's angle, maybe it's tears starting to build up. The buzz and chatter from the audience wakes her up and makes her realize, Poppy is actually glowing.

She doesn't know how to process this because it never happened to her before, but her mind is still quick enough to make the connection that maybe this, this is an evolution taking place. The world outside doesn't quite exist as she calls out her Pokémon's name and essentially puts herself in Poppy's guidance.

When she's fully engulfed by light and her shape starts to lose definition, though, some sort of popping sound is heard, and all of the light is dispelled in a flash. In its place remains a fainted Flabébé.

And behind it, a seriously puzzled Avril.

Of course, the judges can't do much else other than declare Robynn the winner of the battle, and the one who will continue on to the final round. That's… fine to Avril, she's definitely not the one contestant who wanted the win the most. She now has to deal with bigger problems, too, like… understanding what the hell happened to Poppy.

Mauport doesn't help with that because there's no Pokémon Center there. All that Avril can do is leave the amphitheater (before the contest wraps up), get to the nearest building of the Bed & Breakfast, get herself a room, and ask the owners for some help. She doesn't get anything besides some reassurance, though.

Avril is adamant to sleep with Poppy even if she's fainted - and so she keeps her right beside her pillow, still wrapped in that familiar berry print kerchief. But even if she may be in tears again, the blonde girl notices a difference.

They come slow this time.

Groc · Apr 29, 2022

Edison Kintobor
Monday, October 5th; evening
Route 110

Rebel. Outcast. Thief. The others had branded her and exiled her from the group, banishing her to the dark areas where the power was scarce and the polluted Pokémon lived. She knew that survival in the dark would be a daily battle, and called them heartless for leaving her to die, but they didn't care. If she wanted to take the humans' artifacts, to hoard them and not share, then she wasn't welcome in the community.

Or something along those lines. Ed doesn't actually understand the small Joltik (and she is small, even for her species, at just under 3 inches), so he's mostly guessing from her attempts at pantomime, and embellishing the rest with his imagination.

But things changed when she met the giant. The Golett had rescued her from a Muk, taken her to safety, and protected her while she recovered. Afterwards, it moved to leave, but Joltik had begged it to stay, saying she would die without it to protect her. That, and she learned it had a fondness for lemon candies, of which she had a large stash recovered from the human vending machines.

This lines up nicely with the behavior Golett displayed during their fight, and explained its loyalty. Noble intentions paired nicely with a bribe of food, though Ed isn't certain what Golett actually eat. Further research will be necessary.

"I think I get it now. You can't go back to your swarm, so Golett protects you while you scavenge the area and provide it with food. But when I redirected the power, I brought your swarm to where you two were living, driving you out or your home."

Joltik nods, an angry pout on her tiny face.

"Well, then I apologize. I'll figure out a way to fix this. Just give me some time to think, and for us all to recover from our fight."

Joltik nestles in against Golett's chin, giving Ed one last glare before falling asleep. Addie is already snoring softly, while Neo keeps watch. Ed puts his hand to his chin as he thinks, before drifting off himself.

Tuesday, October 6th; morning

"I think I know what to do."

Ed didn't sleep well, sitting against the cold wall, and he has to work out some stiffness, but his mind is as sharp as ever. He was surprised that Joltik and Golett hadn't left in the night, but they both look to him as he speaks.

"The most logical conclusion would be for you both to come with me. You don't have to worry about food, or avoiding your old swarm, and I can provide for you since it's technically my fault. Everyone wins."

Golett stares stoically forward. Joltik looks unsure, looking at Golett from the scarf wrapped around his neck. Wait...

"Hey, that's my cloth, when did you get that?" Ed reaches for the Reaper Cloth, causing Joltik to hiss and Golett to raise a fist in warning. He drops his hand, but stands his ground.

"You've hit me once, I'm ready for it this time. And you can keep it if you come with me. I frequently find such items on my travels, and as part of my team you'll have access to my supplies and much more."

Joltik's eyes sparkle at the prospect, and her enthusiasm wins over Golett, who nods once.

"Excellent. Then we leave at once. The exit is-"

Joltik squeaks in protest, leaping to the floor. She scurries about for a moment, then looks to Golett for help. He nods, looking around the hall before finding a dusty spot. He draws a circle in the dust, adding a line through the middle and a U-shaped symbol on the top half.

"Wait, is that an Ultra Ball? What about it?"

Joltik hops around the drawing, squeaking and chittering. Ed extrapolates that she knows where one is, but there are many Joltik around it.

"You don't want to leave without it, but you have to go through your swarm to get it. And they won't let you back, or else you would have gone before. Even with Golett's help?"

Joltik leaps onto Golett, pretending to bite him, causing him to slump over with a low whine.

"They overwhelmed him, like Addie and Neo last night. ...him? I'm sorry, I assumed. My Pokédex says Golett are Genderless, do you prefer 'they', like N.D.?"

Golett waves a hand dismissively, gesturing to Ed, then to Neo, flip-flopping his hand before pointing to Ed again.

"He/they, understood. With that settled, I guess we're planning a heist today..."

~~Later...~~

After some more discussion and a little bit of scouting, Edison had determined that the best way to move forward was to go back. Joltik and Golett admitted they stood little chance against the combined might of the Joltik swarm, so he'll need something from the Rangers for his plan to work.

So it is they find themselves walking north along Route 110, away from New Mauville. Joltik had argued against it, but Ed had been able to convince her of his plan, and they make their way to the North Gate.

They are greeted by a surprisingly familiar Ranger. "Good morning, citiz- oh. Mr. Kintobor. A pleasure to see you again." Ranger Lake offers a greeting, and Ed is momentarily taken aback.

"Oh, hello. Weren't you stationed at the South Gate?"

"You are correct. But, there was some sort of incident earlier, and they needed another Ranger on duty. And when duty calls, she calls collect, and I must accept the charges."

Ed nods slowly, pretending to understand the metaphor. "Well, then this makes things convenient. I'm here to recover my stuff."

"Of course. Please wait one moment while your 'stuff' is transferred over." Lake begins typing on her computer, fixing Ed with a stern look when she finishes. "As I recall, you were given a satchel and stick at the South Gate. Where might those be?"

Ed glances back at his Pokémon, and at Joltik in particular. "I set them down and was unable to recover them. I should probably go back for those."

"You should. Now, I notice you've brought some additional Pokémon with you. Have they agreed to accompany you?"

"They have, which is why I need my stuff. I could have just used these Poké Balls I found along the way, but there are rules about that sort of thing." He pulls two Cherish Balls from his satchel to show.

Ranger Lake nods, her hand on her chin. "Indeed there are. I appreciate your integrity, and your honesty in telling me about these Cherish Balls you've found. Some ne'er-do-wells would try to cheat the system after finding such discarded devices."

Edison's gear arrives with a soft *ding!* Lake places the Balls on the counter. "You have my permission to register your new companions, Mr. Kintobor."

"Thank you, Ranger." Ed offers the Cherish Balls to Joltik and Golett, who accept and are pulled inside. For phase two of his plan, Ed recovers his TM Reader from his bag, placing Golett's ball inside. Unfamiliar with Golett's techniques, he is somewhat disappointed with his current stock of TMs, but his original plan will still work. "As I thought, you can learn the Bulldoze technique I got from Merry. That should help even the odds."

He turns back to Route 110, but is stopped by Ranger Lake. "Aren't you forgetting something? The rules say you can only bring two Pokémon with you. You currently have four."

Ed pauses, looking at his team. Golett is essential for this plan to work, and Joltik knows where they need to go. Addie doesn't have a reliable method of dealing with Joltiks, and Neo would mainly serve as a target for their hunger. He pats Addie on the head before returning him and Neo to their Balls.

"Then I'll be taking these two. It'll be a chance to bond a little more while we recover my last satchel." He hands over the three extra Cherish Balls as well, to Joltik's annoyance.

Ranger Lake nods, a small smile gracing her face. "Very well. Enjoy yourself, and good luck out there... Edison."

Ed nods, then heads back out onto the land bridge without a word, already adjusting his plan in his head.

Ranger Lake sits back down, frowning slightly. "Oh dear... I may have gotten a bit too personal, there."

budube · Apr 30, 2022

Jordie "Jo" Hughes

Monday, September 28

Chapter 1: Part 1 - Battle Advice

11:30 - 13:00, Oldale-Littleroot Township
Monday morning. I'm in my room at Oldale Town's Pokémon Center, barely able to feel my legs, and in urgent need of a bath. Not too different from any other day after my daily workout, except this time I haven't really worked out at all, just walked for almost three whole days and a half, and tried to make it shorter just to get some money back when I returned the camping kit.

It didn't work, especially with all that training I did along the way. In the end, the fact that I tried speeding up only allowed me to get here in time to not pay extra.

Maybe leaving Petalburg just after getting the badge was a bit rushed, had I left Saturday and traveled at the same pace, then I would've saved $500 and gotten today as well.

Whatever, what's one more rushed decision to the pile?

"Goddamit," I whine, heaving a sigh before rolling down my bed and landing on my knees. I get up using the bed as a support and complain with another sigh the moment I sit on the foot of the bed.

I don't plan on staying here much. I booked my Gym Battle for tomorrow, which means I'm not doing any training today and use the whole day to go see those two trainers Reed mentioned the other day, May Norman and Brendan Birch.

But the more I think about it… what do I need them for? Is there anything they can teach me at all?

Probably not. I'm aware I have more knowledge than the average trainer, in fact I think I have just as much as a professional one. Other than the experience, I don't know what these two could have that I don't.

Experiences to share? I have some of those too.

Maybe information about the Gym Leader.

I'll think about it while I'm in the shower.

According to Reed, May and Brendan would be in Littleroot Town. That's south of Oldale, which is where I am right now, and it's like an hour from here, that's what the XT says, at least.

Sigh.

It's easier now that I had a shower and my legs have relaxed a bit, but the last thing I want to do after walking for three days straight is walk even more, y'know?

That said, so far Littledale has been a really nice place to take a random walk and chill for a bit, y'see? Just as it's expected from a place that has farms on nearly every corner, it's full of green and the skies are clear, which at times is annoying, but nothing a pair of sunglasses doesn't fix, and I'm always carrying one because of my own style preferences.

It was inevitable that I had to interact with the townsfolk at some point, though. An hour later, once I finally reach Littleroot, I'm completely lost, and the XT's map obviously won't tell me where exactly I could find the people I'm looking for–that would be really creepy. I also failed to consider the fact that apparently there's no Pokémon Center in Littleroot, just in Oldale; I… that's my fault, I should've checked that before leaving the Pokémon Center, but the thing is, I really thought Littleroot and Oldale were two completely different towns that were just too close to each other, but apparently Oldale-Littleroot is a single thing, I-.

I don't know, I'm really confused.

At some point, after asking various farmers and other townspeople for directions thatI fail to understand at 100%, I end up in a park not too far away from the old Route 101, where I find a lone old woman–probably in her late 60s–, with a Herdier on her lap. Despite looking old, she does seem to be completely sound, even her movements are quick for someone her age, since she quickly realizes I was looking at her, so I decide to ask her for directions, since there's no one else here to talk to.

"Brendan? Oh, you must be talking about Daniel's son!" she says, a glint on her eyes full of nostalgia after mentioning both names.

"Brendan Birch. That's who I'm looking for."

She nods. "It seems like it was just yesterday that Brendan left with his pokémon to travel through Hoenn together with that other girl… What was that rascal's name, now… she was Norman's kid."

"May Norman?"

She looks at the sky, as if the answer she's looking for was up there. Maybe her memory is as good as I thought. "I don't know, I believe she had another name… she was a really smart girl, though. She could understand pokémon perfectly, to the point some people thought she was able to speak their language too," she laughs and takes a long pause to get some air. Then her smile fades away and she frowns, still with a certain gleam in her eyes, though. "... What a troublemaker she was, always jumping over fences or barging inside Daniel's lab just to see little Brendan and help him research. I don't think that habit has changed to this day."

"Uh… O-okay? Do you know where I can find tho-"

"You know, looking back at it now, I think they both meeting each other was destiny's doing," she interrupts, her smile returning as she goes back to look at the clouds. "Little Brendan didn't have any friends his age in Littleroot until that girl came, and not long after that, they both left town together to help with Daniel's research."

"Uh… miss, I don't like interrupting, y'know? But I'm in a bit of a hurry right now, and I need to-"

She looks at me, just as calm as she has been all this time, but more serious. "Sorry, I got carried away, it's just that I like this story so much. Daniel Birch and those two kids are really important to this town."

I exhale listlessly and carelessly wave my hand at her. Birch! That's what I wanted to hear. "Don't worry about it. Can you tell me about where I can find Brendan and May?"

"May, huh?… I still don't remember that being her name. Did she change it? I believe she would, she really hated it when her father called her Junior..." The old lady looks at how I lift my eyebrows at her and clench my fist, as she keeps talking about anything but what I asked, but she just laughs it off. "I'm messing with you. They should be in Daniel's Research Institute, in the southern part of Littleroot. It's not hard to notice the building when most you see around are small houses and farms."

I nod my head and thank the lady, it's the first time someone mentions the name of the building. I start making my way to the Research Institute, looking what direction I should take with the help of the XT's map.

"Leaving already? Gosh, you must really be in a rush, then," the lady says as she sees me turn around.

"I don't plan on staying here much, so I gotta do my stuff here as soon as possible, y'see?"

"Is that so? That's a shame, Littleroo- Littledale–I'll never get used to that–is a nice place to visit," she says. "I like coming here twice a week, it's good coming back home from time to time, and Harry likes it," the Herdier looks back at its owner once she mentions its name.

"Don't you live here?"

"Not anymore, no. I live in Cottage Grove, north of Oldale. I doubt you'll like it, it's even smaller and quieter than here."

"Perhaps. I'm a big city person."

"Hmph! I noticed," she says with a smug smirk on her face. "Well, if you need a place to stay if you ever put a foot in Cottage Grove, just ask for that oldbag that never stops talking. They'll know who you are talking about."

"I'll keep that in mind, thank you."

"Brendan Birch?" I ask the tall, short haired man that opened the door to me and he just walks away signaling me to come in. "Oh, uh… I'm Jordie Hughes. I'm a trainer, and I heard-"

"Ah, I'm not Brendan," he interrupts, sitting in his swivel chair and pointing his finger at another office. "He should be in that office, checking some reports."

"Really? That's… sorry." I look away from him in embarrassment before walking to the office that guy mentioned.

I'm allowed to come in as soon as I knock, and am welcomed by yet another man in a lab coat. He doesn't have the most recognizable face, but the biggest turn-off is that purple and black top hat that says "Happy New Year 2010" that he's wearing.

"Good afternoon, what can I help you with?" he says with a gentle smile and a head tilt as he takes a sip from his coffee mug.

"I'm… looking for Brendan Birch?"

"Well, you're talking to him." He confirms, abruptly opening his arms and spilling some of his coffee before taking a seat himself. "Professor Brendan Birch, or just Professor Birch if you want to, although some might think you're talking about my father. Please, take a seat as well, don't be shy."

"... Right," I say, still unable to not stare at his hat; main reason why I'm still with my shades on. "Um… my name is Jordie Hughes, or just Jo, I guess… I'm a Pokémon Trainer."

"Nice to meet you, Jo," he says. "I would have thought you weren't from here, you certainly don't look like most of the Littledale townsfolk, plus the accent. But a Trainer?" He straightens his posture, trying to look above the table. "You're not carrying any pokéballs right now, are you?"

"I- oh, my pokémon, right. They are at the Pokémon Center. I just got here today, y'see? I figured they'd like to rest a bit. And well…" I look down at my legs before answering. I wonder how this will make me look like, "these shorts aren't really made to be used with a magnetic belt, y'see?"

Brendan laughs and takes another sip from his mug. "Fair enough. I do think some of them might have appreciated the walk, though."

"Maybe… My Aron, specifically, has a lot of energy. But anyways… I am actually looking for assistance." Brendan gets more serious and stares at me for a second before taking another sip from his mug and nodding at me, still with no intention of taking his hat off. "I heard you and May Norman were trainers, y'see? I wanted to know if you could help me out with some advice."

"What kind of advice?"

"I- I don't know… battle related, maybe?"

Brendan plays with the spoon inside his coffee mug as he thinks before looking back at me. "You don't seem to be really sure about needing any battling advice, am I wrong?"

I don't say anything.

"I don't think I can help you with battling advice anyways, if I'm honest," he adds. "I'm not dedicated to pokémon training anymore, see?"

"I see."

"I can help you with something else, though. How much do you investigate about pokémon?"

"Not much," I say. "I just do some research about the pokémon I catch or plan to catch for competitive purposes, y'know?"

"That's still more than most people," the Professor shrugs. "But aren't you interested in knowing more about other pokémon outside their competitive utility?"

I shake my head, without giving it much thought. "I don't see how that might help me win."

Brendan tilts his head and grimaces, still fidgeting with his spoon. "Maybe it won't, or maybe it will help you become more knowledgeable and analytical in battle," he says, then looks back at me, leaving his mug alone to say something else. "The Birch Research Institute is dedicated to investigate pokémon behavior in their natural habitat. And while we can conduct some of this investigation ourselves, it's only traveling trainers the ones with enough freedom to investigate the pokémon outside Littledale," Brendan adds. "If you want to, you can help me out with the research, writing reports about pokémon habitat, how they interact with it, and with each other, also a number of how many you see."

"What do I get in exchange?"

"Straight to the point, uh? But I'm glad you asked. Outside honing your observation skills, as I mentioned, I also like giving trainers a gift for their trouble. You know what I mean, items, consumables," Brendan drinks what's left of his coffee and leaves his mug on the table again. "She's not here right now, but May takes a lot of pride in her Pidove's tracking abilities, you don't have to worry about the item not getting to you."

"Consumable of what kind? Berries?"

"Berries, seeds, herbs. Perhaps stuff that's not edible, yet still usable in battle. I might drop something else there, who knows?" he answers. "Whatever it is, it will save you money and time, since this is something you can do while you're chilling in the Pokémon Center, or while you are camping in another route."

Well, I've been short of money this entire time. Berries on their own are already pretty useful in a competitive aspect.

"Count me in," I reply.

Brendan nods with a wide smile and grabs a piece of paper and a pen. "Great. Hang on for a minute, I will write down my e-mail here, just so you know where to send your reports. I don't need really well detailed reports, whatever you can fit in 300 words is enough."

I leave the building a bit disappointed. That didn't really take the turn I needed, but to be fair, I don't know what I was expecting either, at least I got a source for items now, yet still…

"What the hell did I get myself into? I don't know how to write a report."

Jordie's Party:

Battle Subway:

Inventory:

Spoiler:

Jo's portrait made with: https://picrew.me/image_maker/1140610/

Eleanor · May 2, 2022

Avril Reese

16 - ♀ - Laverre City

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]

♥

Monday, October 5^th - morning - Mauport Bridge

I wake up inside your familiar berry print kerchief, lulled by some gentle rocking movement. It's folded up into some sort of satchel, with a tie over my head, which in turn is held up by some sort of white thing…
It's just Wisteria.

I can barely move around, and most importantly, my head is still ringing like crazy. But from what little I can see, the larger Pokémon is just following you on your bike, and we're still both on that long bridge. More time for me to rest up, I guess, although I can imagine how difficult it would have been for you to sleep tonight, with me remaining fainted all this time. I just wonder…

if I made the right choice after all.

I've seen Pokémon starting to glow, lose their shape, and morph into something different and stronger, but I've never experienced it myself obviously. In fact, I'm not even sure if those two events can be compared. But I still felt my body lose shape and dissolve, with my mind just quickly twirling around it. I think I heard you call this "evolution". But if this is indeed what will turn me into a different Pokémon… what's that gonna be like? Am I ready for it?

You may have changed on the inside but on the outside it all happens more slowly and gradually. Can't deny I envy you for that. I remember you as a little, carefree, stubborn girl, having the time of her life chasing after me across the family orchard… and while now you're a taller, older girl with troubles on her mind and constant challenges to overcome, parts of the previous you are still there, inside and outside. And so I wonder, would you be ready for me to change this much? Would you leave the cute, tiny, playful Flabébé-Poppy in the past and see what comes next?

Why does it have to all come down to a single moment? Why can't I go back if I need to?

I suppose the same question could be twisted- would I leave you in the past, accept my new self, and continue on with my life? I heard some other trainers ask that, after all. Well, of course not. My place is with you, and I want to help you as much as I can while you're here; I want to see you grow and blossom, and I know that I will grow and blossom in the process as well. Is there any other purpose to my life that I can work on? What else could I be doing if not this?

And yet, I want to see it through. I still want to grow stronger and be the companion you deserve, and I'll be glad to do it as a Flabébé. But I also would love to know more about what's waiting for me in the future. About how you and your other Pokémon may handle something like this. About how I will change. So we can take those steps… together. And look, our next step is already on the horizon. I can only see part of this strange skyline, but I feel that the city it belongs to will be a blast to explore.

Eleanor · May 7, 2022

Avril Reese

16 - ♀ - Laverre City

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 (from Leader Wally)
🌼 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
🌼 Ophelia's stamp
🌼 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]

The Cooking Lesson

Monday, October 5^th - afternoon - Mauville (Pokémon Center + Sky Park)

There's only a small stretch left of Mauport, between the last Bed & Breakfast location where Avril stayed the night, and the ending of the bridge town, marked by an overhead "Goodbye!" sign and another installment of Rydel's cycles. That's where she ends up, of course - queuing up to give back the bike that Hikaru made her rent, discovering that there was a bike giveaway she was participating in, and realizing she hadn't won it. Probably better off that way. She does spot, for the umpteenth time, someone with blue hair, and they're leaving Rydel's place with a bike beside them… but she decides to pay them no mind.

From that point, Mauport Bridge turns into… a large park, where Avril stops and takes a well deserved break. Here, on a bench facing the sea (but with the Mauville towers already looming over it) she realizes that Poppy is recovering, as she sees her take a peek from inside her bandana. When Wisteria gives it to her, she presses it right against her cheek, as that's her way to hug Poppy.

Somehow, they made it this far.

🏙️🏙️🏙️

Following the most trafficked path leads Avril directly inside a tram station. Which is part of a huge, modern tower, surrounded by many other shiny new buildings. She's never seen anything like this, not even in Lumiose's newest business districts (which she's only seen from afar anyways) and she's never felt so small next to a building, but realizing that such a structure is on the edge of Mauville is even more of a surprise for her. If this is the rim, what's the center going to be like?

She soon gets her answer, once she boards the tram that's meant to take her to the Pokémon center and finds herself floating through a maze of concrete, glass, and… greenery. There's so much of it even in a place like this, growing on the sides of suspended pathways, on top of buildings, or on small areas jutting out of other walls. The higher the tram takes her, the more impressive all of this becomes, until it starts feeling like a completely different world. A few stops later, she finds herself in the Central Hub, which apparently is where the Pokémon Center also is… sort of.

Most people are already at work and it's not quite lunch time, but the station still looks packed… at least for what she's used to. This makes it hard for Avril to see where she needs to go or what she needs to do, and causes her to back-and-forth a few times - a healthy Poppy would be so useful right now! - but she finally manages to get to destination. A series of escalators take her up to the Pokémon Center, which happens to be right on top of the hub.

Poppy is eventually taken from her hands - as well as the rest of her Pokémon - by a clearly busy young nurse, who awkwardly has to push her away and call in for the next trainer who needs their Pokémon healed. Finding herself a room goes better though…

Well, at first, Avril is asked if she has a preference for a certain floor. She doesn't really know what to say though, since she's only visited one - the lowest one according to most of the signs inside the building - and waits long enough for the receptionist to say, "You look like a coordinator to me". Once Avril remembers what she's wearing she can't help but agree, and yet her actual reply is messier, claiming that technically she's also here as a trainer and that (if not considering paperwork, or whatever prizes she already has to her name) she's in it mostly as a tourist. And so, middle floor it is. At least that is secured.

Now, she can deal with some other chores. While her Pokémon get healed, she brings her stuff in her room, sorts out her clothes, and takes some of them to wash. Only after that, she ends up having lunch, at a time that is already quite late for her standards. But it's worth waiting in this case, as she can retrieve her Pokémon from the healing counter (and have the nurse tell her that Poppy is fine).

Poppy… does seem fine, in fact. She may not be as active as is typical of her, she may not be smiling as much, but she looks healthy enough and Avril can't necessarily blame the Pokémon Center staff for their judgment. They must have measured her fitness or something like that, and if those indicators are fine, then… it's all good, right? Shame Avril can't remember anything more specific from her trainer school days.

Having lunch with Poppy and feeding her berries as usual proves that point. She's fine physically, and when it comes to her emotions, she's pretty calm. Again, she's not that energetic, but she doesn't look sad or hurt either. She clearly appreciates Avril's company, and that's all the girl really needs at the moment.

🏙️🏙️🏙️

Once lunch is over and Avril treats herself to a quick nap, it's time to do something. Right?

The first thing she asks herself is whether she has more things planned or not. Getting to Mauville was originally done just to play along with Hikaru, hoping to get back the Mawilite from them and let Venus keep it. Then, Avril needed to get here because she just needed a place with a real Pokémon Center, where Poppy could get checked up. With that done, only the stone remains.

The problem here is that finding Hikaru won't be easy. She technically has their number but she's not so keen on calling, and she knows that… soon enough, they'll be around for the Winstrate Tournament. May as well wait for that and do something else in Mauville or in the vicinity.

Going back to Mauport feels like a valid option. Avril didn't get enough time to explore that place, with Hikaru always pulling her away from things, but the more she ponders the idea, the more it leaves a bitter taste in her mouth. Kind of like Petalburg, or Dewford, or Slateport before that. So why not explore Mauville first, right? There definitely is some reason behind Hikaru's craze for this place and the term "first impact" has never felt more literal than here. Surely, there will be enough things to do before that tournament comes around.

Once again, Avril enlists the help of a pamphlet. It's more like a small book actually, detailing all sorts of amenities one can find in Mauville as well as offering some practical tips for how to navigate the city. It's… a long read though, and the girl ends up skipping at least half of it, focusing instead on the first place that seems to catch her attention. In this case, the Pokémon Fanclub.

Interestingly enough, she has to take the same tram line she caught before and make her way through the Mauport station a second time to get there, but then, a lift that appears to be only for Fanclub Members takes her to destination in no time. When the doors open and she enters the Fanclub proper, she's in total awe.

The main hub, much larger than she expected, is surrounded by various different environments, either on the outside terraces of the building or encased inside a special room. Lots of trainers and even more Pokémon can be seen all over the place, and of course, all of those areas allow for a great Pokémon diversity, too. It's not on this floor, it seems, but there must be a cave room in here too, according to the signs, to make even a Pokémon like Venus happy to be here.

But it's mostly Poppy that Avril came here for.

The girl quickly reaches the counter opposite of her, attempting to ask for some more information about how the place is run, but ends up being offered something else… a cooking lesson. She hesitates at first, but she's got time, and Poppy's faint but affirmative chirp points her in that direction. Soon enough, she's introduced to a somewhat familiar face… from very long ago.

Avril scans the middle-aged woman in front of her. Straight brown hair in a tidy bob cut, hazel eyes, a red and black outfit showing underneath her white apron. And a wide, welcoming smile. "Hello, I'm Ophelia la Cour, a master chef from Kalos. It's a pleasure to meet you." she says, revealing herself as the person Avril saw on many TV shows and magazines when she was still a child.

"You are…" The blonde girl interrupts herself and switches to Kalosian. "Well I'm from Kalos too, I'm aware of your excellent results in your job and I admire you for that…" She continues, utterly surprised to find such a big deal, at least for her, in Mauville of all places. "Anyways, my name is Avril. And there is my companion, Poppy."

The Flabébé has spent most of the afternoon, once again, in Avril's folded kerchief, which she has tied to her cloth bag's handles. She peeks out and chirps slightly to greet Ophelia, but quickly retreats inside the mock-up satchel. The woman chuckles at that, before giving Avril an explanation of what the lesson entails: making PokéPuffs, a typical sweet from Kalos. Even if the girl already knows the basics of baking, Ophelia makes sure to go over those aspects too. Avril is not brave enough to tell her it's fine to skip that part.

She is brave enough to get Angie out though. Angie, the ever-hungry Shellos.

It was actually Poppy who suggested that in the first place when Ophelia asked her whether or not she wanted to help her trainer out. She shook her head and pointed inside of Avril's bag instead, where she kept her other three Pokéballs. And so, the chef questioned Avril about the rest of her team… and the girl made the mistake of mentioning the Shellos. Not wanting to stir up too much of a fuss over that, she brought her out.

Angie materializes on the ground, beside Avril, and takes in all the fantastic smells coming from behind Ophelia, where all of her kitchenware is. It's clearly something she's never felt before, but all of her previous experiences with stolen sweets have definitely ingrained in her head that the smell she's feeling equals something tasty.

Avril picks her up immediately as a preventive measure, whereas Ophelia just chuckles and looks at the Pokémon straight in the eyes. "What if I tell you we're going to turn all of that into something even better?" She smiles, and Angie raises her imaginary eyebrow at that. It takes Avril to reassure her, and Poppy to keep an eye on her constantly, but she agrees to wait and help.

She watches carefully as Ophelia guides Avril through every step. Her explanations are still on the long side and she really doesn't take her eyes away from Avril at all - she is very, very concerned with the final taste of the PokéPuffs - but the blonde girl is not a total beginner, and eventually Ophelia has to acknowledge that.

Angie gets a momentaneous reward by getting to munch on some leftover ingredients, mostly berry peels and small bits of butter or cocoa powder. You can see it in her eyes that it doesn't taste that good, but she gulps those things down regardless. It sure makes her feel better about those poor PokéPuffs being burned inside the oven…

When the timer runs to zero and Ophelia pulls out the six PokéPuffs she and Avril made, though, Angie is even more in seventh heaven. Poppy seems just as interested in what's come out of the oven, whereas Avril can't hide her pride and her satisfaction for the results of her work. Ophelia congratulates her too, as she looks towards her Pokémon.

Hopefully, Angie will have learned at least something today. Making food takes effort, and so does waiting for it, but it's worth it. "Next time you're helping me make more, got it?" She playfully calls her out, as the Shellos curls up next to her and nods slightly with her head.

QueenNothing · May 17, 2022

Junko "June" Enomoto

Wednesday, October 7th
Morning
Mauville City

"Oh, the Winstrate Cup! Kinda forgot it was happenin' already, but whatever. Are ya gonna sign up, Junko?"

"Indeed I am, Uncle!" June nods. "Or well, rather I already have."

It's a shame Mauville's Sky Park is closed off to all but Pokemon Fan Club members. It's a nice park with man-made ecosystems designed for trainers and their Pokemon (as well as being a perfect spot for a Pidove delivery). June came with the intention of training, but she instead ended up using it as an opportunity to relax with her Pokemon before a hectic day of work. Chip and Kit run along the river, Sting and Joe spar with each other, and Einstein and Diya play a game of tag. In some ways the park reminded her of the family conservatory- and that had her realize she hadn't spoken to her Uncle Tetsuo since she left Petalburg. It's a good time to put him in the know of her whereabouts, as well as reach out to him for any advice.

"Heyyy, nice! I'm sure you'll do great out there with that Enomoto blood in yer veins!"

"Ah, thanks. But I don't think I can be so sure about my performance…"

"Eh? Why not?"

"You see, it's just that, um, well lately I've realized I don't have great control over my Pokemon, and I'm not sure how to get there."

"I see. The age-old problem." Tetsuo grunts. "It probably goes without saying that Junichi and I had the same exact issue in our day. They used to say that with the right amount of badges, any Pokemon will listen to ya no matter what. And not to say that isn't true or anything, but it's not so much about the badges as it is your proof of skill, y'know? It's a good step to take after "

"Hm, I see."

"Yeah, basically you want to earn their respect. Show them yer worth listening to!"

This is beginning to sound similar to Mr. Yamaguchi's words: Instead of meeting Heracross at his bar, have him meet you at yours so you can keep him safe. She didn't have any space to really practice after spending a few days on a route where battling is flat-out prohibited, but with the upcoming tournament there couldn't be a better time. "Yes, I'll be sure to keep that in mind! Thank you so much Uncle!"

"Don't sweat it, kiddo!" He clicks his tongue. "Now, anything else ya wanna talk about?"

"Well there is one thing… Um, it might be a silly question given your responsibilities, but I might as well ask… um, do you think you could come over to Mauville this weekend to watch me in the Winstrate Cup?"

"Aww, I'd love to stop by and see it all in-person, Junko. But I'm so busy with the conservatory, y'know? Pete has been a good help 'round here, but it's still a lot. Taking days off is always a hassle, especially on short-notice."

"No worries Uncle. Work duties come first." She says, masking her disappointment. It was to be expected, but it's never easy being turned down for something important to her. It's always helpful having someone she knows watch her battles, but if Tetsuo can't, maybe she could ask Avri-

No, no she can't. That wouldn't go smoothly at all.

After she and Tetsuo exchange goodbyes, June sighs and looks to her Pokemon, steeling herself for what's next. It's about time June does what she came here for, that being training.

Looking through Diya's Pokedex entry, she has some interesting techniques- Lunge, for example, is a powerful move that the Joltik line can only learn by breeding with other species of bugs. Another one of its moves is Spider Web, a move very similar to Sting's Electroweb… which, ironically enough Diya doesn't know, despite being part electric-type. They'll have to work on that it seems, and what better time than now?

Sting and Diya are partnered up, side-by-side for Sting's demonstration. "How about you go first, Diya? Show me how you use Spider Web." Diya cheers excitedly and shoots from her rear a, well, a spiderweb at the ground. Shortly after, Sting shoots an Electroweb right next to it, and June kneels in close.

"This is the type of web we're working towards." June says, looking at the Electroweb. "As you can see, it's very similar in shape and functionality, with the main difference being- Oh my!"

Suddenly awestricken, June throws herself to the ground on her chest and leaves a healthy distance between her face and the electric web, eyes sparkling as she fawns over it. "How have I not noticed until now!? These fibers aren't like Galvantula's Electroweb- those were silk fibers with electricity flowing through them. But these- Sting, Air Cutter!"

After she backs away, Sting blows a gust of sharp wind at the web that slices it in half, causing it to fade away completely. "Just as I thought! These fibers are made of pure electricity! How fascinating! I suppose it makes sense, since Sting's body no longer produces silk, but still interesting all the same."

A confused squeak from Diya catches her trainer's attention. "Oh, um, I got a bit caught up in that. My bad." She blushes. "But what I was trying to get at is that our goal is to have you learn Electroweb by channeling an electric charge into your regular web. Does that make sense?"

Diya stares blankly for a moment before she nods enthusiastically. "Great! Just keep practicing, and you should learn it in no time! Sting can continue to demonstrate for you if needed- I'll have to write about this in the meantime."

June leaves her Pokemon with her portable charger- her phone is fully charged, she's fine- while she begins to obsessively type out her observations. She'd like to send this to Brendan Birch, but he's looking for data mainly on wild Pokemon, so it might be better off sent elsewhere.

Wait, the HRD has a feature for this, doesn't it?

Why didn't she think of this sooner? Sure there won't be a tangible reward for it, but getting her findings out is its own reward. Eager to share her knowledge, she hastily yet carefully finishes up her writings so she can submit it for all to see. With that done, she returns her attention back to her Pokemon.

It's not just Diya either who needs training though. There was the Technical Record she picked up the other day that was just used on Chip. So, June has him practice his new attack, Waterfall, by surrounding his entire body in a wave of water that comes crashing forth. On first use it comes out with so much force that he's almost swept far off into the distance, hissing with terror as he's involuntarily being carried by the wave. If it weren't for the tree he rammed into, he'd have probably gotten lost again.

"Well, that will be effective against enemies at least, but there has to be a way to do that less recklessly…" June winces. "Let's try that again while keeping that in mind."

Chip whines but goes along with it. Wanting to be more careful, water slowly engulfs him that gradually forms into a large (for his size) wave. But the second it forms into a wave, it flings him forward into a nearby bush that conveniently blocks his path.

"This will definitely require more practice… Um, hm, how about you try again without worrying where it'll take you? Einstein can pull you back if necessary."

Chip nervously glances over to the psychic-type, hesitant about the idea, but goes along with it again. Being handled by Einstein again doesn't sound pleasant, but who knows where he'll end up if he's not able to control Waterfall?

Luckily Einstein isn't too rough this time and doesn't put any more pressure on Chip than necessary, lightly plopping him back to where he started if he goes too far out. With enough back and forth, Chip is soon able to get a slightly better handle on Waterfall.

Next up is Joe. He's easily the most in-need of training, although June really isn't sure what to do with him. She's not really sure exactly how to follow Tetsuo and Yamaguchi's advice, with getting him to respect her and all that. It might be best saved for a later time, but she can't put it off forever- not with the Winstrate Cup creeping up on her.

🐞 June's Party 🐞

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Debt remaining:

895,108

Spoiler:

Juno · May 18, 2022

4-2: Creative Outlet

🌲 Route 102 🕙 Sept. 24th, Night

It's quiet. Too quiet.

Marcella is tired, but unlike her traveling companions, she's not quite ready to sleep yet. The only one still awake with her is Opal, who's been popping in and out of the tent, accumulating more twigs and debris in her thick wool every time she reappears. But the rest of her Pokémon—and Fortuna—are snoring away gently in separate corners of the tent. So aside from flipping through her pink notebook, trying to text people on a Rotom phone with very spotty reception and occasionally making sure the Wooloo had not wandered off too far, there is really nothing around for her to entertain herself with.

It also occurs to her she forgot to buy something very important. Food.

"Miles, I am hungry." Marcella pokes her head into the adjoining tent with a shawl wrapped around her shoulders. There is sheer terror in his eyes as she startles him awake, and he jolts up.

"Oh my god, I thought you were an Ursaring." He puts a hand over his face and mumbles groggily, in an unconcerned tone that does not match the contents of his statement.

Marcella narrows her eyes. She should be more offended by that comment, but she's too hungry to care right now. "I apologize for disturbing your rest, but do you have anything to eat?"

"Mm. There's trail mix and Tauros jerky in my bag. Knock yourself out." He lays back down and rolls over to face the other side of his tiny tent.

"Thank you." She gingerly kneels down at the foot of his sleeping bag to rummage through his pack. "Maybe you shouldn't turn your back to the entrance if you think there are Ursaring about."

"I think I'm dead regardless of which direction I'm facing if there is an Ursaring looking for food in my tent." She can barely make out his muffled reply, but that's probably what he said.

"Yes, I suppose so. Well, good luck, I hope you make it through the rest of the night." My GPS signal is quite weak out here, after all.

With that, she leaves him to focus on raiding his stores, but not before calling Opal back inside her own tent and zipping up the entrance, just in case. Man, he really packs his stuff in tight. Marcella thinks to herself as she tries to free the trail mix container. She hopes she will be able to jam everything back in later. In her peripheral vision, Parker is reaching for a sweater to put over his head as the nuts and pretzels rattle again. After a few more unsuccessful attempts, she thinks it would be easier to just bring the whole bag into her tent for the night, so as to not disturb him further.

It's not much of a meal, but she can't be picky at this point. Or question why there is colourful candy in a grown man's trail mix; she just takes those out and eats her fill of the healthier options. It's a fairly large container, so there should still be enough to tide them over on the way to the ranch that Parker had mentioned.

As she reaches for the jerky, her hand brushes against the smooth cover of Parker's sketchbook. She glances over at his tent again. Surely, he wouldn't mind if she takes a peek.

Settling down on the empty stool with her snack and a small flashlight from his bag, she flips through the art book. It's mostly filled with various charcoal drawings, but he also dabbles in pastels and paints from time to time. There are sketches and studies of people, scenery, Pokémon—he's really quite talented. It seems he will draw pretty much anyone and anything, but a lot of detailed landscapes in particular seem to occupy most of the pages. Unsurprising for his occupation and the amount of time he spends outdoors.

As she finishes admiring his work and returns the book to his bag, another item slides into view. It's a flat, metal container held closed with a thick elastic band, with a couple paintbrushes of varying sizes bound to the lid. Marcella smiles. It's something to entertain herself with.

Pulling out her own notebook, she flips it open to the page she had drawn her Clamperl on earlier and carefully opens the tin. Tubes of acrylic paints are lined up neatly in it, with a few smudges of colour staining the inside. Mixing out the appropriate tones on the lid, she slowly fills out the small Clamperl doodle with the narrowest brush to get a feel for the consistency of the paints before she tries to draw something bigger. It's been a long time since she painted anything other than her nails, after all.

A few moments later, she finishes the little Pearly painting and leans back to evaluate it. It's not Parker-level art, but it's cute. She leaves her notebook open while the paint dries, and as she does, a shuffling noise alerts her to the presence of the other night owl in her tent.

"Honey, do you not need any sleep?"

The Wooloo is standing over her notebook, sniffing the page curiously. She wrinkles her nose at the smell, but doesn't move away. More importantly, she is standing still and seems very interested in what she is doing.

A quiet, stationary activity.

"Do you want to try painting something?" Opal's eyes light up, and she sits down next to Marcella eagerly. "Okay! Pick a colour."

After surveying her options, Opal nudges a bright pink tube of paint out of the tin, and Marcella squeezes a coin-sized amount out on to the inside of the metal lid. "You can't hold a brush or anything, but you can dip your hoof in the paint. Like this. See?" Marcella gently takes hold of the Wooloo's front leg to show her, before stamping it on the paper. Opal's ears twitch as her hoof leaves the page with a bright, pink mark on it. Immediately, she launches into action on her own, dipping her hoof in more paint. She continues to leave prints in a circular shape on the paper.

"Hey! Good job. Kind of looks like a flower." Opal bleats excitedly. "Is that what you were going for? Yes, I see it! Here." Marcella reaches over with some green paint, finishing off the flower with a stem and some delicate leaves.

Delighted, the Wooloo jumps up and down, bleating with glee. In the corner of her eye, Marcella can see Fortuna stir in her sleep. As light of a sleeper as her trainer. She thinks to herself, though she has to admit the Wooloo is being a tad noisy.

"Shh, everyone else is sleeping. Come, we'll paint more together once you sit down." Wow, this is like magic. She can't believe how good the typically unruly beast is being right now. As Opal sits down again, Marcella tears out several pages of her notebook to lay down on the tent's floor.

She's not sure how long they were at it, but eventually, all the tent space immediately around them is covered in pages of their collaborative work. Some of them are a bit more... abstract than others, but considering the Wooloo has no fingers to hold a brush with, they are pretty good paintings.

Opal touches her nose to her latest masterpiece and raises her head with a smudge of paint on it.

"You have to let it dry, dear. If you don't, it's ruined." Marcella cautions with a smile, rubbing the paint off as best as she could. "My, you're gonna need another bath soon, too..."

Obediently, the Wooloo curls up next to her painting, not moving an inch. The most obedient she's ever been, actually. What an amazing breakthrough this painting night has been. Marcella thinks to herself as she gently strokes the thick wool on her back, picking a twig out of it. She's very cute when she's not tearing through mud, I suppose.

"I hope we find whoever is looking for you. I'm sure they miss you dearly."

The expression that Opal glances up at her with is an unexpected one, but maybe she's just tired and is misinterpreting it. Maybe they're both tired. She could swear there is a hint of sadness in the Wooloo's eyes, though.

But before she can dwell on it further, she falls asleep with the Wooloo at her side.

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
3-10: Renewed Resolve

CHAPTER 4: SO MUCH TO DO, SO MUCH TO SEE

4-1: Ranger's Regret
4-2: Creative Outlet

Inventory

WALLET: ₽13,400

KEY ITEMS

Fanclub Membership Card (Annual)

Contest Pass

HELD ITEMS

Silk Scarf (

)

Safety Goggles (

)

CONSUMABLES

Luxury Balls x 3

MISC. GEAR

Medium-sized leather suitcase of clothes
Rotom Phone (Sky Blue)
Family-sized tent
Inflatable mattress
Inflatable stools x 2

Trainer Info

Badges

Caesar · May 21, 2022

Monday, October 5th @ 1900 - Mauville

Clint had been on the road for a few days now, something he didn't mind but he could certainly use a shower, and a a real bed wouldn't hurt either. He was now at the north end of Route 110, at the Ranger station on the outskirts of Mauville. It was here where he was supposed to get the rest of his team back, as well as rid him of the burden of this bag full of garbage he had been toting around, which most certainly added to the 'need a shower' energy Clint was giving off. Clint slung the bag of refuse up on the counter, and the desk attendant responded by laying out Clint's pokeball belt on the desk. Clint picked the belt up, and buckled it back on to his waist, putting Ralts back into his Pokeball and putting the Pokeball back into its holster.

"Looks like you picked up quite a bit of trash on the road, let me see if I have anything here that will help you," the attendant said, heading to the back room. The attendant then returned with a couple of TM's, and gave them to Clint.

"A couple of extra TM's we found along the way, sure someone like you can use them."

"I'll put them to good use, thank you," Clint responded, picking up the TM's, as well as the rest of his things he left with the folks at the south gate. With all his gear back into tow, it was time to face the City of Mauville.

The sight itself was a major shock to Clint. He spent most of his life on farms or out in the bush, never coming close to anything like he was witnessing here and now. He looked out of the large glass window, which displayed a view of high-rise buildings that seemed to touch the heavens themselves. After reading a couple of digital signs, Clint concluded he was in some sort of train station. Guess that's how people got around in the city. Finding a map would be a good idea, lest he end up somewhere he shouldn't.

Luckily for Clint, there was a big, brightly coloured map in the lobby of the station, turns out it was a touch screen as well. Clint found the 'you are here' sign, down in the south end of the map. Makes sense, considering he was travelling north to get here. From there, the next thing to grab his attention was the Central Hub Pokemon Center, which is where he most likely would be spending the night. Just hop on a tram and end up there, seemed simple enough.

While Clint had hopefully figured out his way to the center for the night, an advertisment popped up on the screen that caught his attention. Winstrate Cup, catch the Pokemon trainers of the future in a 32 person tournament, hosted by the Winstrate family, October 9th to 11th at the Winstrate Manor! Registration open, $30,000 prize for the winner!

A tourney full of trainers is just the place Clint should find himself at, plus a cash prize wouldn't hurt either. He'd have to make a note to go to the Winstrate Manor tomorrow morning, get a sign up in. An event like this one would imagine the sign-ups are only open for a limited time, he better get in.

Clint made his way over to the turnstiles in front of the tram station, but couldn't get through. S***, where do I go to pay, Clint thought. He looked around for a help desk, only to find an empty one. Clint thought about stopping one of the many people coming and going, but he felt nervous about asking a question that the locals probably thought was incredibly stupid. While standing there dumbfounded, another trainer walked up to him and said,

"Just scan your trainer's license, it's not that hard cowpoke."

"Oh.. um.. thanks," Clint replied, as the trainer walked away. Pulling his license out of his wallet, Clint tapped the top of the turnstile with his license, and he was able to pass through. From there, he hopped on a train marked for the center hub, and found a seat, just barely. There were quite a few people in this train, too many for Clint's tastes. It was also felt too stuffy inside, he missed the open air already. Something about your own two feet on the ground felt more comfortable that winding through a large metropolis stuffed like sardines in a aluminum death tube.

At least the ride wasn't too long, as it was only a few minutes from the south station to the central hub, which is where the Pokemon center was supposed to be. What he stumbled onto instead was a large circular building, open to the sky in the middle, but with a ring of businesses all around it. Twisting through the architecture were more of those tram lines, with tram cars moving along them almost constantly. Of course, there were also way too many people here for Clint's taste, this city really knew how to bring the anxiety out of him.

After making his way through the crowd of people, Clint finds himself another map. This one was just of the hub, and displayed where everything was in the hub. Most of it Clint was disinterested in, things like high-end fashion, for both people and Pokemon, overpriced restaurants and hotels, and all sorts of other terrors. After a few minutes of reading, Clint found that the center was actually above the hub, and not part of it. Clint scanned around for the nearest escalator, and found one not too far away. From there it was just a matter of going up until he was at the center.

Just like everything else in this city, the Pokemon center here was a giant monstrosity, much bigger than any of the other centers he stayed at. Taking a big sigh before doing so, Clint went inside. This center was huge, a ring concept just like the hub below. It was nice enough of them to put a help desk right in front of the door, so Clint walked up to the desk, currently being staffed by a gray haired old lady.

"Evening ma'am, looking for a room from now until the twelfth, as well as a chance to heal up my Pokemon," Clint requested.

"We can certainly do that for you young man, for a room we'll put you on floor twenty-four, that's where trainers such as yourself usually stay, and I'll take your Pokemon from you here, pass them on to the medical department, and they'll bring your Pokemon back to your room once their done," the attendant explained.

Floor twenty-four? There better be a gosh darn elevator. Clint was in no mood to climb twenty or so flights of stairs. Clint removed his Pokeballs from their holster, and placed them on the desk. Clint also put his license on the table, which the attendant took and entered his information into the system. The old lady also put Clint's pokeballs in a marked container, and put them aside to be taken to the medical staff. Lastly, she handed him a room key with the room number on it.

"Enjoy your stay, feel free to ask for help if you need it," the attendant said.

Clint tipped his hat and said thank you, before making his way up to his room. Turns out floor twenty-four was only up two flights of escalators, much better than Clint had thought. Why did they call it twenty-four then? Clint let the thought leave his mind for now, as he went to his room. The room was pretty standard for a Pokemon Center, just slightly fancier. He did have a window view, which was a solid score. He looked out into the city, taking in the sight. He noticed a surprising amount of greenery hanging from balconies, which he didn't mind. He left his bag on the floor, and immediately stretched out on the bed. He'd get food later, he had to relax for a bit, then strategize for this tournament coming up.

- Clint received one TM Grass Knot!
- Clint received one TR Sludge Bomb!

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
4x Normal Gem
Sceptilite
Gengarite
Thunder Stone
Water Stone
TM Protect
TM Bullet Seed
TM Rock Smash
TM Low Kick
TM Grass Knot
TR Sludge Bomb

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Groc · May 27, 2022

Edison Kintobor
Tuesday, October 6th; late morning
New Mauville

Returning to New Mauville isn't the most logical course of action, but Ed had made a promise to Lady Bug, and he doesn't plan on breaking his word to the Joltik now. It would be a terrible start to their partnership.

So Ed follows Automaton (as he'd named the Golett), Lady Bug perched on their head, deeper into the facility than he'd gone before. He notices Bug getting more nervous as they proceed, at one point crawling down onto Tom's hand to receive comforting head scritches. Ed puts a hand to his chin as he observes this. He distinctly remembers fighting the Golett, and getting hit himself, so it's interesting to see their softer side. Personally, he doubts he'd be comforted by Tom's large claw hands, but the two have a particular dynamic between them.

It's actually something he'd love to explore further. Occasionally, they encounter other Pokémon in the area, but most of them turn and go the other way. Ed isn't sure if it's because of him or Tom. He's spotted a few other Golett around, cleaning the area or performing basic repairs, but his Pokémon advise hiding or going around them, avoiding them however they can. Ed takes notes on their behavior for later.

As they keep going further into the facility, Ed starts to doubt this trip will be as quick as he'd anticipated. A sadly recurring theme on this route in particular, and his journey in general. That feeling of being watched returns as they get closer to their destination: the central power room.

Ed was expecting something ominous and grand, but a rather simple door stands between them and their goal, the emergency lights providing dim light enough to see by. Tom keeps walking, and Ed can't help but peek into the room, but Lady Bug hisses at him not to, so he curbs his curiosity for the moment.

Their true destination lies down another hallway, this one notably darker and less maintained. Faint rustling and skittering noises reach Ed's ears, only making the area more unnerving. He risks a peek through an open doorway, spotting dozens of small, yellow-green objects carefully bundled in webs.

Joltik eggs.

He's been led directly to their nest.

Now, some might panic at this revelation, might suspect treason and betrayal from their guides. But Ed finds this fascinating, and would gladly explore further, but he considers the communal nature of Joltik, and realizes that they wouldn't leave their eggs unattended.

He winces as something latches onto him, nearly crushing his hand and making his knuckles pop painfully. Automaton pulls him along, while Bug squeakily cusses him out for dawdling. They go into a side room, once a collection of cubicles, probably where scientists collected data. On the back wall, several photos are hung, with faded paper letters reading, "m oy e of t e Mon h".

A nearby glass case displays an Ultra Ball and a small trophy, which upon closer inspection appears in all of the photos. "Ah, I see. Employee of the Month gets their picture taken with a trophy and gets an Ultra Ball as incentive. And this is what we're here for?"

Lady Bug nods enthusiastically, looking around the area nervously. She squeaks at Ed, gesturing to the case as if to hurry him along.

"I thought we here because your swarm took this from you. You implied you wanted it back." Ed looks at the case, with not a scratch on it. He puts his hand to his chin as he thinks back to the pantomimed performance she'd put on previously. "You never had it to begin with. You just saw it and wanted it, didn't you?"

Bug averts her eyes from Ed, letting out a reluctant squeak. Then she stares him in the face and starts chittering in a hushed tone, gesturing at the Ultra Ball again. Ed grimaces, upset that he'd fallen for her story. But then, had he really? Perhaps he just misinterpreted and made it all up. Either way, he's here now.

Searching through the keys doesn't turn up any results. He may have access to all the doors in the building, but apparently the janitors didn't open the case. He sighs in frustration, unwilling to get yelled at for this, and punches the case angrily. It rattles slightly as the sound of impact resonates for a moment. Bug squeaks in protest, and the ever-present chittering actually quiets for a moment, the sudden silence more unnerving than anticipated.

"Oh. It's not glass, it's plastic. Where brains and finesse fail, we'll simply have to rely on..." Ed pulls the case to the floor, where it lands with a loud *SMACK* as the plastic cracks. "...brute force. Automaton, if you'd kindly?"

Lady Bug wails in despair at all the noise they're making, and the chittering returns, much louder than before. Tom steps up to punch through the case, allowing Ed to recover the Ultra Ball and tuck it into his satchel. "Shall we go, then?"

He turns back only to see dozens of Joltik milling about the doorway, blocking their path. Bug hides herself inside the Reaper Cloth around Tom's neck, and Ed belatedly thinks that there may have been some truth to her story after all. Maybe she really wasn't supposed to come back.

"Ah. Automaton? Now might be a good time to use that technique I taught you." Tom's eyes flash yellow as he dramatically pulls the Cloth from his neck, Bug protesting from inside as she's handed to Ed. To Ed's surprise, he feels a sudden weightlessness as he is lifted off the ground, suspended in Tom's telekinetic grip. He can't say he enjoys it, but he stops flailing when Tom looks back at him, his eyes burning with the effort.

The Joltik seem to realize something is up, several of them spitting silk at the intruders. Ed instinctively curls up as Tom moves him closer, preventing any of the attacks from hitting Ed or Lady Bug. The string instead hits him, but the electric webs have no effect on him and he simply tears the sticky silk off.

Tom's legs retract up into his torso, leaving just his feet in contact with the ground. He starts rolling forward (Ed wasn't aware he had wheels on his feet, making a mental note to inspect that later), his hands becoming like piledrivers as he repeatedly strikes the floor, sending ripples through the ground and scattering the Joltik swarm with his Bulldoze technique. Ed realizes now why Tom took the time to lift him with Telekinesis, as the impact of Tom's fists causes small quakes and cracks in the floor around him.

Slow as he may be, and hindered by more Joltik hitting him with sticky string, Tom picks up speed as they reach the hallway, expertly moving Ed away from attacks and taking them himself. When the Joltik start throwing themselves at him, biting into him to drain his energy, Ed pulls out his damaged Holotch, activating the SCAN function to send out a ping. Much as it had back in the West Wilds, it begins shaking and sparking, letting out a shrill whine that in unpleasant for everyone to hear. But it drives the Joltik back, and between that and Bulldoze it looks like they'll make it out of Joltik territory without issue.

Then a sticky glob of webbing hits Tom in the face, and he nearly drops Ed from his psychic grip. A Galvantula drops from the ceiling ahead of them, screeching in fury at the noise Ed's Holotch is making. Ed quickly pulls the battery out, shutting down the noise, but Galvantula is still in their path, snarling and stomping in a rage. He can only imagine what kind of effects it may have had on the nearby Eggs.

Ed slowly descends as Tom's Telekinesis fades, and while the experience was interesting, he's glad to be on solid ground again. "I'll walk from here, we just need to get past this one. Looks like the smaller ones are hanging back. Not sure why they're afraid but this one is angry, it must have something to do with the Holotch signal. Perhaps it effects different species in different ways..."

Galvantula screeches as it charges, snapping Ed out of his thoughts. Tom pulls his head and limbs into his body, curling into a slightly egg-shaped form as he revs his internal engine. Lady Bug leaps out of the Cloth in Ed's hands, releasing a String Shot at the ceiling and swinging past Galvantula. It lunges for her, mandibles snapping shut on empty air as she quickly slings another web, changing direction and heading back towards Ed. She lands on his head, blending in almost perfectly with his hair.

Tom takes advantage of the momentary distraction, rolling forward to slam into Galvantula. It reels from the impact, but Tom reaches out to grab its front legs, hands clamping shut and locking it in combat with him.

Ed runs forward, ignoring Galvantula as it lashes out at him with its pedipalps. Luckily for him, Tom continues to roll forward, shoving Galvantula and throwing off its aim, allowing Ed and Bug to get past. The attack doesn't phase Tom, merely passing through his body.

Ed keeps running before more Joltik show up, to Lady Bug's protest. She tugs as his hair, which is annoying but not painful, but he keeps going. "Have some faith, I'm sure he's got this!"

Bug quivers with indignant rage at being so blatantly disregarded, biting into Ed's scalp and draining some energy from him.

"Ow!" He stops running, reaching up to snatch Bug off of his head. "I believe I made my opinion clear on the whole biting thing! I don't like it!"

Bug squirms one leg free from Ed's grip, pointing back down the hall.

"He's stronger than both of us, he should be able to catch up. You don't have to... oh. Oh, that's right! You drain energy with Absorb, which is a Grass type move! Yeah, we should help him."

Ed runs back down the hall, where Tom is still literally locked in combat with Galvantula. Long scratches run along one wall where he had dragged the spider while continuing to Roll Out, but the light in his chest is flickering as Galvantula is latched onto his neck, Absorbing his energy to heal itself.

Lady Bug wastes no time, spraying a stream of electrically charged silk at the pair. The webs settle over them, having little effect on Galvantula but absolutely no effect on Tom.

"We need to get out of here! Let go, Automaton, and use your Telekinesis to keep it in place! Lift it off the ground and leave it there!"

Tom stands up straight, lifting Galvantula with his strength and throwing it over his shoulder. He clumsily turns as his head pops out of his torso, eyes flaring brightly as he wraps the spider in telekinetic energy. He stumbles back, watching as Galvantula slowly spins in midair, limbs flailing as it tries to find any purchase, any way of moving itself.

"We got what we came for, let's go. I don't know how long you can hold that, but I don't want to be here when it gets lose." Ed leads the way back to the exit, making a slight detour to recover his trash satchel and pick-up stick on the way out. He'd promised the Ranger he'd do so, after all.

Juno · May 28, 2022

4-3: Homework

🌲 Route 102 🕙 Sept. 25th, Morning

The air mattress is far squishier of a bed than she's used to, but after what feels like hours of tossing and turning, Marcella finally gets comfortable enough to fall asleep. And then, all too soon after, she hears a voice.

"Hey."

Her brows furrow. Go away. I just fell asleep. She turns away from the noise.

"Hey!"

I am going to hurt someone. She rolls back around and opens her eyes, glaring daggers at her intruder. Parker is standing over her, wearing an equally stern expression.

"Hey yourself, you can't just come in here when a girl is sleeping—" Marcella begins, pulling her shawl around her before noticing the state of her tent. The paintings they left out to dry are still all over the floor, and several tubes of paint are sitting outside of their tin.

Oh, right.

"Oh, that—I couldn't sleep last night so I thought I'd try my hand at a bit of painting. You won't believe this, but Opal of all Pokémon actually really enjoys painting, and..." Her voice trails off when he does not look amused. Parker lets out an audible sigh, slinging his bag over his back as he starts putting things away.

"And then we—I uh, fell asleep, but I was going to clean it up—"

"I see." He says. He's always been a man of few words, but she detects an iciness in his tone she hadn't heard before.

"Are you mad at me?"

"What gave it away, Marcella?"

It's just paint, she wants to say. What's the big deal? But judging from his expression, she knows better. She reaches down to grab her own bag. "I'm sorry. Here, I'll pay you back. Does ₽10,000 cover it?" Out of habit, the words fly out of her mouth, but she grimaces when she notices how light her wallet is actually getting.

"No, it's fine." Parker finishes gathering up his supplies and starts heading out the tent.

"Wait," Marcella gets up, carefully stepping over the pages still on the ground to follow him. "Are you leaving?"

"Yes. It's almost 8."

"No, I mean—are you going to leave without me?"

"What? No, I'm not that mad. Hurry up and get out so I can collapse this thing."

✿✿✿✿✿

They walk in uncomfortable silence for what seems like an eternity. It's usually quiet when she walks with Parker anyway, but it definitely feels different this time.

It's annoying. She already apologized. If he wants something more, he should say it.

"Are you sure you don't want me to pay you back?" She finally breaks the silence.

"Yes, it's fine." The more terse he is with her, the angrier she gets, and she's about to tell him if he has a problem he can just say it like an adult instead of moping, but then he continues— "It's not the money, I just wish you asked before going through my stuff."

"I get that, I'm sorry. Truly." Well, that's more words than I've been able to get out of him in the past hour or so, I'll take it. She thinks to herself, glad she didn't jump the gun on picking a fight. She decides to soften him up a bit more after a beat of silence. "Your art is really good, by the way. Like, mind-blowingly. That pastel Roselia portrait? Amazing."

The smallest hint of a smile turns up the corners of his lips. "Thank you."

By dusk, they reach the Fanclub Ranch, and even thought she'd only spent exactly one night in a tent, Marcella is so ready to sleep in a real bed again. And take a shower! Once they get their rooms, she makes a beeline for the bathroom to do just that.

She joins Parker in the dining hall after, where he appears to be poring over some notes at a table. When they've eaten, they are both presented with a small, silver platter each. "For the little ones." The waiter tells her with a smile, nodding at the cats resting under their table.

"Ooh. Dessert time!" Marcella peeks under the shiny tray's lid and sees a handful of berries. She grabs a few and puts them in a napkin before setting the platter down. "Gonna save a few for Pearly and Opal." There's a decorative pond in the ranch's backyard, so Marcella let the Clamperl out there, with the Wooloo keeping her company in the yard. Okay, it's more so she wouldn't tear her way through the ranch's interior, but at least she's having fun outside and she's got a friend with her.

Parker glances over as she puts the plate on the floor. "You're just gonna give it to them like that?"

"Why not?" She asks as she lifts up the lid. Bijou and Midas are eyeing the berries excitedly, sniffing each one to decide which to bite into first.

"Well, I'm sure there's no harm, but most of these berries have special properties you might want to hold on to." He picks up a green berry and a bright red one. "This one cures status conditions, for example, and I find this one really good for making friends with wild Pokémon."

"Oh, interesting." She considers this for a moment, then lightly swats the uneaten berries out of her Pokémon's grasps, dropping the lid back over them. "You can finish the ones you're eating, I'm saving these." She informs the disappointed pair, before turning back to Parker. "Anyway, what are you working on?"

"Finishing up a report on Araquanid that I've been writing." He shuffles some pages around and types something on his phone.

"Oh. I didn't know that rangers have homework." Marcella picks up a diagram depicting a six-legged creature. Parker gives her a sidelong glance as he continues typing. "...May I please look at your drawing?"

He smirks. "Yes. Anyway, it's not homework. Well, kind of? But it's not ranger work—I have a buddy down in Littledale who runs a research institute. He employs trainers and travellers, in a sense, to help him collect data on Pokémon they come across, send him notes and reports on their observed behaviours. Stuff like that."

She looks at the scattered pages of notes on the table. "I see. Well, I hope he's paying you well because this looks like a lot of effort for some not-your-job work."

"Well, I'm being a little extra with my diagrams and stuff because I like doing this, but I've seen him send good stuff for much shorter reports, too. Even you could do it, if you wanted to."

"What do you mean, 'even'?" Marcella huffs. He cracks a smile without looking up. The offer, if you can call it that, is tempting though; she can make a little money from writing about Pokémon to fund her journey. She's already seeing Pokémon all the time, anyway. "So, what's the pay like?"

"Mm. Varies." Marcella raises an eyebrow at his response. "It's usually either something based on the contents of your report, or what he thinks you might need. Like, he sent me an Absorb Bulb to help Tuna fight off the Araquanid for me when I accidentally angered it writing the first part of my report, and it attempted to suck me into its bubble every time I tried to leave the cove we were hiding in. Pretty thoughtful gift."

"I... see." She isn't sure how to process this anecdote or how casually he told it, but it seems like an easy enough job that she could do whenever and wherever. She was hoping the pay was something more useful, like money. When she was in school, she was always good at padding out essays and reports though, so this should be pretty easy for her, too. "Can you put me in touch with him?"

"Yeah, sure. His name is Brendan. I'll text you his email address, just introduce yourself and let him know you're interested in the gig. He's always looking for more help with this."

Once she gets Professor Brendan Birch's contact information and a general rundown of what is expected from Parker, she heads outside to where Pearly and Opal have been hanging out to find her first report subject. Before long, a Poochyena catches her eye—it appears to be here with a small family of three, and is currently sitting with the little boy. She gets comfortable at a table close to theirs and pulls out her phone to start writing.

Humans and Pokémon have been working closely together for thousands of years. Although our wonderful world is teeming with wildlife, it is also important to study and pay close attention to our domesticated companions as well to see how these bonds and relationships we have formed with them alter the behaviours of certain species.

A good enough intro. And 54 words down already. While she waits for the Poochyena to do something interesting, she brings up its Pokédex entry on her phone and skims it briefly to see what she can use there.

Poochyena in the wild are known to be quite aggressive and tenacious hunters, with a very persistent nature when it comes to chasing their prey down. Their excellent sense of smell is also a great tool for this purpose.

When she looks back up from her phone, the kid's Poochyena is wagging its tail as it begs for scraps. It looks as much of a hunter as Bijou does. She jots that down.

The domestic Poochyena, on the other hand, is observed to have a much friendlier disposition. Unsurprising, as hunting for live food is typically no longer a part of a captured Pokémon's lifestyle.

That's almost half her report done already, but she's getting bored just waiting and observing. There must be a way to expediate this. Marcella looks around her immediate area for ideas. Spotting a short, fallen branch on the ground, she grabs it with a smile and beckons the Pokémon to her as its family is preoccupied with their dinner. As expected, the guileless Poochyena trots over curiously to see what she has for it.

"Do you know how to play fetch? Fetch?" The dog's vacant expression does not indicate it knows what 'fetch' is. "It's a game. Do you like games? If I throw the stick, can you bring it back?"

It takes a few tries and a bit of coaxing, but eventually, the Poochyena is enthusiastically playing fetch with her. After a few tosses, she lets the pup gnaw at the branch by her leg as she types out a few more lines.

Regardless of whether they are wild or domesticated, they are intelligent creatures, capable of learning new concepts and adapting very quickly.

She reaches down for the stick again, and is met with a growl this time as it refuses to give up its new toy. Marcella frowns. Fine, didn't really want to play with you anyway.

They've certainly not lost all their natural spunk though, and can be quite aggressive and territorial still at times, especially when challenged.

"Um—miss?" She looks up to see the child with his mother walking over. They must have heard the growling. Oh. This might look a little weird.

"Hello! I'm sorry, I was just playing with your Poochyena here—couldn't resist! It's very adorable. The coat is so shiny and beautiful, what do you usually feed it with?"

"Oh!" The kid bounces on his heels, relieved she's not luring his Pokémon away. "Shaggy eats pretty much anything, really. Fruits, veggies, jerky, burger patties." Ah, a trash dog. She nods along politely. "Mom gives him supplements sometimes though, maybe that's why his fur is so soft and shiny."

"I see. Well, thank you so much for the information! I'll be sure to use that in my Pokémon's diet as well. And thank you for letting me play with Shaggy. I'll let you guys get back to your meal now." She beams, finishing up her report as they head back to their picnic table with a wave, Shaggy in tow.

Omnivorous in nature, the Poochyena can subsist on a variety of foods. An expert I interviewed for this report recommends a good, mixed diet of fresh vegetables, berries, as well as meats to emulate what they would eat in the wild. Enriching their meals with vitamins and supplements is also recommended sometimes. In addition to promoting general health, this sort of diet also seems to contribute to a thick and shiny coat.

All in all, it would indeed seem the domestication of many species of Pokémon have a mutually positive effect on both humans and Pokémon. Pokémon provide humans with companionship, loyalty and invaluable assistance in so many areas of work, and in return the majority of humans also love and cherish their Pokémon, providing food, shelter and a more carefree lifestyle.

She checks the word count. 300. Not a word under or over. After checking in on Pearly and Opal, who are still playing by the pond, she goes back inside to find Parker taking picture of the sketches he'd made to send Brendan.

"I've finished my first report." She announces proudly as she sits down.

Parker looks at her, then looks at his watch. "You were out there for 10 minutes. Did you write a report on the first thing you saw outside?"

She shrugs with a smile, tapping the side of her head with her index finger. "Work smarter, not harder."

"Let me see it. Its... fine, I guess, I just don't know how much he needs to know about the behaviours of the common Poochyena in his own backyard, so to speak." He scans her draft email. "Wait, you didn't even write about a wild Poochyena?"

"Hey, I happen to think observing the effects of domestication is just as important as—oh, hold on, that's a good title for my report." She grabs her phone back, and her nails make a soft clacking noise against the screen as she types that into the header.

Still, looking at the amount of effort Parker is putting into his report is making her a little self-conscious about the quality of her work now. "Can you draw me a Poochyena?"

"No. Well, like I said earlier, you don't need a drawing. I just included a diagram because the way the Araquanid uses its bubble is fascinating, you see—"

Marcella nods along to whatever Parker is yammering about as she gives her email a final once-over. If a diagram's not needed, then it's not needed. It's not like she'll get fired if this is bad; worst that can happen is she doesn't get an Absorb Bulb or whatever. Satisfied, she hits send.

Subject: Birch Research Institute Assistance

From: Marcella MacMillan <[email protected]>

To: Brendan Birch <[email protected]>

Hello Mr. Birch,

I received your contact information from my esteemed colleague Ranger Miles Parker. I understand you are in need of some assistance in gathering data on Pokémon, so I hope you will find my discoveries useful in your work as well.

Attached below is my report. Thank you for your time.

Poochyena: Observations on the Effects of Domestication

Humans and Pokémon have been working closely together for thousands of years. Although our wonderful world is teeming with wildlife, it is also important to study and pay close attention to our domesticated companions as well to see how these bonds and relationships we have formed with them alter the behaviours of certain species.

Poochyena in the wild are known to be quite aggressive and tenacious hunters, with a very persistent nature when it comes to chasing their prey down. Their excellent sense of smell is also a great tool for this purpose. The domestic Poochyena, on the other hand, is observed to have a much friendlier disposition. Unsurprising, as hunting for live food is typically no longer a part of a captured Pokémon's lifestyle.

Regardless of whether they are wild or domesticated, they are intelligent creatures, capable of learning new concepts and adapting very quickly. They've certainly not lost all their natural spunk though, and can be quite aggressive and territorial still at times, especially when challenged.

Omnivorous in nature, the Poochyena can subsist on a variety of foods. An expert I interviewed for this report recommends a good, mixed diet of fresh vegetables, berries, as well as meats to emulate what they would eat in the wild. Enriching their meals with vitamins and supplements is also recommended sometimes. In addition to promoting general health, this sort of diet also seems to contribute to a thick and shiny coat.

All in all, it would indeed seem the domestication of many species of Pokémon have a mutually positive effect on both humans and Pokémon. Pokémon provide humans with companionship, loyalty and invaluable assistance in so many areas of work, and in return the majority of humans also love and cherish their Pokémon, providing food, shelter and a more carefree lifestyle.

Best regards,

Marcella MacMillan

"—And I just found that so interesting, so I wanted to include a diagram for him since I'm not that good with words, you know."

"Well that is fascinating, dear, and I think you explained it quite well just now." She stifles a yawn. "Oh, goodness, think I'm actually ready to turn in already." It's pretty early still, but she's beat. "Must be all the writing, and I didn't get much sleep last night as it is, what with all the... the—"

"—helping yourself to my stuff, yes." Parker sniffs dramatically, but Marcella can tell he's not mad anymore. She nudges him with a grin, before standing to go round up her Pokémon.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm gonna call it a night. Don't work too hard, now."

"Mhm. Goodnight."

ADDED TO INVENTORY:

Lum Berry x 2

Razz Berry x 2

Sitrus Berry

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
3-10: Renewed Resolve

CHAPTER 4: SO MUCH TO DO, SO MUCH TO SEE

4-1: Ranger's Regret
4-2: Creative Outlet
4-3: Homework

Inventory

WALLET: ₽13,400

KEY ITEMS

Fanclub Membership Card (Annual)

Contest Pass

HELD ITEMS

Silk Scarf (

)

Safety Goggles (

)

CONSUMABLES

Luxury Balls x 3

Lum Berry x 2

Razz Berry x 2

Sitrus Berry

MISC. GEAR

Medium-sized leather suitcase of clothes
Rotom Phone (Sky Blue)
Family-sized tent
Inflatable mattress
Inflatable stools x 2

Trainer Info

Badges

Juno · May 31, 2022

4-4: Ghosts of the Past

🏘️ Oldale-Littleroot Township 🕙 Sept. 26th, Night

She's been told that Oldale and Littleroot used to be two smaller settlements, but over time they've met in the middle to form what it is today. And yet, even merged together and eating up Route 101 in the process, they did not utilize any of the extra space to progress into any less of a hick town. In a way, she's kind of glad about that, though; she's not looking or smelling her best after the long trek through Route 102 herself, so the fact that many of the townsfolk she's seen so far are just okay with strolling around rocking dirty overalls and farmer's tans is making her less self-conscious about her current state, at least.

Parker shows her where the Pokémon Center is when they arrive, and once she's all set up with a room, he leaves her to meet up with his family. With how early she slept at the Fan Club's ranch last night, Marcella doesn't want to turn in just yet but there really isn't much still open or happening in the small town at this hour. So after a hot shower, she buys herself a scone and a drink, then sits down in the Pokémon Center's café to return messages and missed calls she'd accumulated during her time out in the wilderness. When she's bored of that, she turns to investigate the bulletin board. She doesn't have much hope that there are many jobs available here—or, rather, any jobs she would want to do available here—but the money situation is not looking good and she can't ignore it too much longer.

As her eyes pass over the farmhand positions and garage sale notices, a photo of a Wooloo grabs her attention. She quickly unpins a few of the overlapping notes to reveal the 'Lost Pokémon' flyer. Aside from the photo, everything else on it is handwritten, which makes her think the writer of it must be rather old or technologically impaired, but on it details a phone number to contact the owner at, and a home address to return the Wooloo to if found. It's a little late in the night to give them a ring now, but she can go directly there tomorrow.

Marcella feels funny, even though this is one of the things she came here to do. It's a bittersweet moment since she's come to regard her as one of her own, but it seems Opal's going home at last.

🏠 35 Cheri Lane 🕙 Sept. 27th, Morning

The little cottage doesn't have a doorbell, so Marcella raps on the wooden door sharply with her knuckles. "Opal, come on—stay still." Uncooperative 'til the end, Marcella sighs wistfully as the Wooloo twists and tugs on the scarf-leash she's got around her once more. This scarf is not going to be good as a scarf anymore after all the work it's put in to reign her in these last few days, that's for sure.

A few moments later, the shutter covering a small viewing window on the door opens, and a pair of sea-green eyes stare back at her.

"Hello, can I help you?" An older lady's frail voice quivers out from the other side of the door.

"Hi there! I saw your flyer posted in the Pokémon Center, and I think I have your Wooloo?" Marcella bends down slightly to speak with the woman through the little window. "I met her in Briney Port and the people that had her said she must have climbed aboard when their ship was docked here. I offered to bring her home and she's been tagging along with me since."

"Oh! Oh, goodness. Give me just one moment, dear." The shutter snaps close and the door swings open, revealing a portly lady in a mauve jumper. Upon seeing Opal, she kneels down to throw her arms around the Wooloo and tries to pick her up, but Opal's aggressive wiggling makes it difficult, and she settles for a hug instead.

"Oh, Sofie! Sofie, there you are!" Her voice is muffled by the wool as she buries her face in the Wooloo's back.

Opal—Sofie—squirms out of the lady's grasp and tugs free of her leash, running recklessly into the house and under a wooden table, almost knocking over a vase. She's not even Marcella's Wooloo anymore—or ever, rather—but she still feels embarrassed on her behalf. "I'm so sorry about that, she can be—well, I'm sure I don't have to tell you about it." She laughs, stopping herself from explaining the woman's own Pokémon to her.

"That's okay, she's a lively one, yes." The woman chuckles. "Thank you so much for bringing her back to me, I have been worried sick! Oh, come, do come on in. The least I can do is make you some tea. I'd love to hear all about your adventures together the past few days. Do you like Darjeeling tea?"

"I do, thank you!" She beams as she steps into the old lady's house. "My name is Marcella, by the way. It's nice to meet you."

"Oh, how rude of me—I got so excited, I forgot all my manners! My name is Josephine, but you can call me Josie. It is very nice to meet you as well, Marcella."

Along the corridor she's led through, black-and-white photos line the wall. Most of them feature a young woman with curly black hair, who is unmistakeably a younger version of Josephine even though her hair now is shorter and peppered with grey. She's in the pictures with friends, family, and a man who looks to be her partner, judging from how they pose together, but is absent in her later photos. Marcella stops at a series of photographs featuring a Wooloo and smiles. She touches the frame. 'Sofie' is etched into the wood. They appear to have a great relationship, so she's glad, at least, that her little traveling companion has returned to a loving household.

As she follows Josephine into the kitchen area, the bay window by the back features more photos of just her and Sofie, but in what appears to be various Contest Halls. Several small, bedazzled outfits are hung up neatly here as well, along with some ribbons.

"Oh, yes, those." Josie notices her looking at the little display. "Wanted to get Sofie here in some contests too, but the dang Littledale Contest Hall closed down not too long ago. And I'm not so good with traveling long distances these days, 'else I'd head down to Mauport or even Mauville with her sometime. We'd have a lot of prep work to do before I'd even think of doing that, though. Anyways, please, take a seat."

Marcella glances back at the photos curiously before sitting down at the kitchen table. Something doesn't feel right. The photographed Wooloo looks a lot like Opal—Sofie—but judging from Josephine's much more youthful appearance in them, a lot of these photos must be decades old. And Sofie really does not strike Marcella as a very old Wooloo. On top of that, if she's actually been an award-winning contest Pokémon this whole time, she sure had her fooled.

As Josephine returns with a teapot and two teacups, Marcella can't help but to ask. "Josephine, I—I'm sorry if this is a bit nosy of me, but this Sofie in the pictures isn't this Sofie, is it?"

The old woman tsks, but smiles at her. "Like I said, please, call me Josie! And you're right—very observant of you, Marcella. My dear Sofie passed away... oh, quite a few months ago now. How time flies." She sighs. "But I searched high and low for a reputable breeder 'round these parts, and, well, she got me my Sofie back." Her smile falters as they turn to look at the Wooloo, who is sitting by the bay window, chewing up one of the small, handmade outfits.

"She has... definitely been a bit of a handful. Stark contrast to my calm little Sofie. But I'm sure you've gathered as much the last few days with her." Josie laughs. "Briney Port, eh? She sure traveled a long way on her own."

"Right," Marcella leans in with a smile. "Let me tell you some of the wildest things she did while she's been with me. Oh, she's adorable and I love her, but does she drive me crazy sometimes—"

Marcella tells her of the adventure they're been on together, of sweet little Ginny, who first discovered the stowaway, and how they've been spending their time traveling. They share some laughs along with a few cups of tea, and in return, Josephine tells her some stories as well, but Marcella can't help but notice how often the stories slip back into tales of the 'old' Sofie. She smiles sadly. Maybe I can see why Opal—or, 'Sofie', rather, wasn't thrilled to come back. But what could she do? This isn't her Pokémon. This little old lady seems sweet, and she does care for her. I'm sure they will learn to love each other once she adjusts from her loss.

It is nearly noon by the time Marcella decides it is time to head on out. "Alright! Well, thank you so much for having me, Josie, but I think I should be on my way now."

"Thank you for bringing my darling back to me, dear. Let me see you out. Sofie, do you want to come say goodbye to Marcella, who's been taking such good care of you?"

At the sound of the door unlatching, Sofie careens around the corner to bolt outside, standing behind Marcella's leg. She smiles, reaching down to scratch her behind the ears.

"Bye, Sofie. You be good, now."

As Marcella turns to leave, though, the Wooloo trots along with her. "Hey," She laughs lightly. "You're not coming with me." But the Wooloo looks up longingly at her. "Oh, dear, what is it...?"

"Sofie, why? I..." The look on Josie's face breaks Marcella's heart as it dawns on both of them the Wooloo is trying to leave with Marcella.

"I'm sorry, I don't know—" Marcella says quietly as she shakes her head, unsure of what she else she could say or do.

"No, no. That's okay. If... If she is happier with you," Josie takes a deep breath after a moment. She retreats inside her home and returns a minute later with Poké Ball. She presses it into Marcella's hand with a sad smile. "I want her to be happy."

Marcella looks at the Poké Ball in her hand, and at the Wooloo. Is she... my Pokémon now? But...

This doesn't feel right.

"Josie, wait." She calls out as the old woman turns back inside her cottage.

"Yes, dear?"

"If you don't mind me stepping out of line here, I think—do you think perhaps the issue is that she doesn't want to be the 'replacement' Wooloo? Maybe that's why she keeps leaving." She looks around the house, all the memories of the old Sofie. How hard must it have been for the Wooloo to be someone she isn't? "I can tell you have a lot of love to give her, but... I think you need to let Sofie go, because this is hurting both of you."

Josie looks a little taken aback, and Marcella thinks she may have overstepped bounds as tears start to form in the old lady's eyes, but she shifts her gaze down to the Wooloo and she kneels down to put a hand on her. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. You're not Sofie. And... and that's okay." The Wooloo cautiously peeks out from behind Marcella's leg to let Josie pet her.

"Hah!" Josie lets out a short laugh through her sniffles. "You must think I'm such a crazy old lady—both of you! But I've... I've lost so much these past few years. And I thought I could get at least Sofie back. But that wasn't the right way to do it. It was very unfair to you. And time marches on, doesn't it? I can't dwell on the past."

She takes a deep breath, wiping her tears away. "I'd like to start over, if you don't mind. I would be so lucky if you still want to stay with me. If... If you will still have me. I promise to do my best to love and take care of you right. The way you deserve to be cared for." The Wooloo bleats softly, but nuzzles her hand in agreement. "I shouldn't call you Sofie anymore, should I?"

"I've been calling her 'Opal', actually, and she seems to like it fine." Marcella offers gently.

"Opal... that's a beautiful name. Thank you, Marcella."

Marcella smiles, holding the Poke Ball back out. "Here, I think you should have this back. And wait, actually—I have an idea. Don't—actually, yes, do close the door, but I'll be right back!"

As she steps back out on the main road, she pulls out her phone. He picks up after three rings. "Hello, Parker. Where is the art shop you get your painting supplies from? There's gotta be one around here, right?"

"Marcella, I said it's fine. Don't worry about it—"

"No, no. It's not for you, don't worry. Remember how I said Opal likes to paint?"

✿✿✿✿✿

Marcella's not very good at following directions, so after some frustrating navigation, Parker tells her to just stay put, stop moving where she is, and they meet up so he can physically bring her to the art supplies store himself.

Half an hour of shopping later, they return to 35 Cheri Lane with an acrylic paint set, a few brushes and some protective tarp.

"I—I just don't know what to say! Thank you," Josie laughs as Parker and Marcella carry the supplies into her home. "And you say she loves to paint? I never would have thought that!"

"Yeah, me either! She really liked painting together with me the other day, actually, that's why I got these brushes for you, too. I think it'll be a fun bonding activity."

The Wooloo runs around the house excitedly as they pick a good spot to set up their new painting zone in the house. "Oh, look at her go. I've never seen her so happy. I hope she can really come into her own here now, after today." Josie smiles when Opal stops at her feet. She lets the old lady pick her up this time, and she hugs the fluffy Pokémon close.

"I hope so, too." Marcella grins back, before glancing at her phone. "Alright, I really should get going now." She didn't think this would eat up her whole day, but it was a nice day, and she does not regret any of it. "Bye, Josie! Bye, Opal. I will miss you." She taps her little nose lightly and gives her a kiss. "I've exchanged numbers with Josie, so I will be calling to check up on you, maybe see any new paintings you guys have done together. And who knows, if I'm back in the area again, I'll swing by for tea again!"

"Absolutely, we would love to have you. Oh! Before you go," Josie sets Opal back down and walks out to the living room, pulling out a bejeweled chest from under the sofa. "I have a gift for you."

"Oh, no, Josie, that's okay!"

"Please, I can't express enough gratitude for what you've done for me and Opal today. This is just a small token of my appreciation. Now, I have a bunch of unused TRs here from my contest days still, and I want you to have one." She unlatches the chest and presents it to Marcella.

The little devices inside are all labeled neatly with numbers. The names and descriptions of the moves are printed on the other side of them as well, but she would have to pull each one out individually to read them all. Overwhelmed and not wanting to admit she doesn't know, Marcella pulls out an orange one at random. "Um—I'll take this one, thank you."

"Oh, Flamethrower! An excellent move if—now, hold on, you did tell me you have a Purrloin, Clamperl and a Meowth, so that's quite an unorthodox choice given your roster. Who did you want to teach this to?"

"I—I don't know, really—" She confesses, embarrassed. But Josie smiles kindly and takes the TR back from her.

"You know what? Let me show you how to use one tomorrow. I'll take you to the old Contest Hall, show me what you got and I'll pick a good TR for you. You seem like you would have a blast during contests, and I'll make sure you win your next one."

The old lady is quite persistent about this, and why not? She could certainly use more training, and the contest scene really fascinated her—she's just not been back to try since her loss. Marcella accepts the offer graciously before heading out the door with Parker.

Opal has been reunited with Josie.

"That was a really nice thing you did." Parker comments as he walks her back to the Pokémon Center. It's a fairly short walk, but the streetlights have started flickering on already as they make their way down the quiet road.

"You don't have to sound so surprised." Marcella sniffs, feigning indignance the way he would, and he smiles. "Thank you again for your help today."

"Mhm," Parker nods. There's a lull of silence as they approach the brightly-lit center, but it's broken by a squawk as a small, grey bird Pokémon flies by and a well-wrapped package is dropped on Marcella's head. She lets out a shrill cry of surprise.

"Oh, they found you quick." Parker remarks as he picks up the parcel and hands it to her. "We are in the same town, I guess."

"What is that?" Marcella huffs, snatching the parcel from his hands. She unwraps it to reveal a small pair of binoculars.

"Brendan." Parker responds simply. "Catch it next time. Anyway, here we are, m'lady." They step up to the Pokémon Center, and he bows ridiculously as the sliding doors open. "Go get some rest. Sounds like you have quite a day ahead of you."

Binoculars have been added to Marcella's inventory.

Party

Purrloin ♀ // Bijou

Scratch
Fake Out
Sand Attack
Play Rough
Torment

Art

Clamperl ♀ // Pearly

Clamp
Water Gun
Whirlpool
Iron Defense

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
3-10: Renewed Resolve

CHAPTER 4: SO MUCH TO DO, SO MUCH TO SEE

4-1: Ranger's Regret
4-2: Creative Outlet
4-3: Homework
4-4: Ghosts of the Past

Inventory

WALLET: ₽13,400

KEY ITEMS

Fanclub Membership Card (Annual)

Contest Pass

HELD ITEMS

Silk Scarf (

)

Safety Goggles (

)

CONSUMABLES

Luxury Balls x 3

Lum Berry x 2

Razz Berry x 2

Sitrus Berry

MISC. GEAR

Medium-sized leather suitcase of clothes
Rotom Phone (Sky Blue)
Family-sized tent
Inflatable mattress
Inflatable stools x 2
Binoculars

Trainer Info

Badges

Eleanor · Jun 6, 2022

Avril Reese

16 - ♀ - Laverre City

Pokémon / Inventory:

AVRIL'S MONEY: $37 000 ↓

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 (from Wally)
🌼 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
🌼 Ophelia's stamp
🌼 Various clothes and commodities
🌼 Pink Woolen Hat
🌼 Binoculars

🌼 Rental skates ~~again~~

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]

Training in Disguise

Tuesday, October 6^th - around 9 a.m. - Verdanturf Parkway

Poppy was only moderately satisfied with how her Monday went. She was able to rest and recover from that failed evolution, and even got a fantastic PokéPuff from Avril and Ophelia, but many of her doubts did not get dispelled just yet.

The girl had tried to look for some information on the internet during and after dinner, looking at simple terms like "evolution" or "Flabébé" but not much of what she found made sense to her, let alone her Pokémon, and there was just too big of a difference between looking up things on the internet or experiencing them first-hand. All that the two had gathered was that Flabébé could turn into a slightly larger Pokémon who hides under her flower and not inside of it - Floette was her name - but that was mostly it. How big was Floette going to get, for example, was still more of a mystery, given that the internet only offered a lot of different numbers and pretty much confirmed that Pokémon sizes, especially for Flabébé and Floette, fluctuate a lot.

Avril at least couldn't complain at all, having had a very nice welcome to Mauville - outside of the crowds at the tram stations probably - and having even met none other than Ophelia la Cour. Who also put a stamp on her trainer card that felt nearly as important as a proper autograph (but was probably more useful than that, as it supposedly could help her get discounts on some berries and ingredients). She was just a bit at a loss for new ways to spend her time and she still had to get used to such a strange, interesting place.

So, when Tuesday morning came and she woke up early, she essentially left Poppy in charge.

It's not like she would allow her to do everything, things like training in the gym were too much for both of them and in fact, the girl didn't even know who the leader was or where the gym was… because she totally skipped over that part of the pamphlet. But there wasn't anything in her mind that stood out anyways, besides checking in on Poppy and the rest of her Pokémon. And, if that's really the case… spend some more valuable time with Flabébé-Poppy just like in the old days.

Plus, if there's something that Ophelia and the other fanclub attendees had really seemed to care about, was how useful Pokémon could be even outside of battling. Outside of a journey, in fact. Ophelia's signature Slurpuff was often checking out the quality of the ingredients she was using during the lesson, and even the fanclub Staff was enlisting the help of Pokémon such as Meowth to help out with cleaning and managing the SkyPark. That knowledge in itself wasn't that useful to Avril in that moment, but at least it was inspiring. And it made her more inclined to give herself some time to be alone with her Pokémon.

🌻🌻🌻

Eventually, I'm once again on wheels. Eight of them to be precise. Rented in a place near the "Parkway Station". They let me glide on one of the various pathways that make up the nearby Verdanturf Parkway, a place that… definitely looks more like a 'Park' than a 'Way'. In fact, it really resembles the park I passed through yesterday, on my way from Mauport. The parkway feels incredibly open to me, with large grass patches and a few trees here and there. It's somewhat crowded, but everyone else looks small and far away. Or… maybe it's just what happens when you're suddenly leaving the jungle that is Mauville City.

Coming here was Poppy's idea, at first, but I'm happy to comply regardless. This is the perfect place to let my mind wander a bit, process all my thoughts, and let Poppy enjoy the ride in the meantime: I don't mind skating leisurely like this, I'm starting to enjoy it more and more if anything. But then, she wants to spice things up. We start playing catch, with me clumsily following Poppy as she floats around the place - just like when I was a kid, except with the added difficulty of the wheels under my feet. And from there…

"Wait, I never really tried this! Since when did this turn into another waitress practice-"

Poppy is trying to help me go backwards. From what I think she's trying to tell me, she's doing this because she's noticed a few more skaters during our time here, and indeed there's a rather skilled one on the path nearby, trying out a few tricks not unlike those I've seen Ellen and Erin do. As fun as skating leisurely can be, mastering those tricks is not my current goal.

That stuff is beyond what I feel comfortable with, but simply going backwards is probably manageable - just not something I've done in a long time, or expected to do just now. But for Poppy, knowing the situation… I'll give it a try.

Except I stumble and can't get going for several attempts, until she puffs her chest, nods happily, and… tries to push me away from her, with her strength alone. Of course, I don't really budge, given our difference in size. But I nevertheless have to endure Poppy literally flying into me before I can let her understand what's going wrong with her attempts. At least, I got another idea.

Wasn't there a time when I was about to fall spectacularly on these things but was saved by… by Einstein? June's Orbeetle? Would I still be skating today if things went differently back then and fell miserably… in front of June, may I add? But besides that, what if my own Pokémon could help me a bit?

To Poppy's dismay, I first call out Wisteria. He's definitely larger than my first Pokémon, and that alone makes the difference. I'm still not sure what movements to make to keep going on my own, but I am going backwards as intended once he starts following my instructions and either pushes me or drags me along as he floats along the pathway.

One could say that's phase 2 of this workout. Whereas before I was just trying to chill and think about all the things I've been through before getting here, to Mauville, now I'm focused on something in particular - skating backwards - and on how my Pokémon can help me get there. Including Poppy, who I'm sure would love more spotlight.

"I think I have an idea, Poppy!" I let her know after a while, grinning at her. "Just gotta try some things out."

After a few minutes, I get the results: turns out Wisteria's Psybeam doesn't quite work as I imagined. Once the coast is clear, I let him fire off the attack away from me as I hold him, and I barely move. Not the outcome I expected, I confess. Poppy scratches her head while I try to stay positive.

I swap Wisteria for Angie, who materializes near me and nibbles at my feet, probably curious about what I'm wearing. I pick her up as she looks back at me warily, without explaining what's happening, and let her use Water Pulse. I move only slightly, but it's better than nothing, and so I tell Angie to try again. After a few attempts, we're both gliding on the pathway!

Angie seems worried at first, and stops using Water Pulse after a bit. But she's not taking it that bad- she's curious, she's interested. I explain my thought process a bit before trying that again, but eventually I let her rest on the grass.

Now that I know some Pokémon moves may be able to give me a little boost… let's see what Poppy can do. I know she can direct her movements effortlessly with Fairy Wind when she needs to, but will that be enough to move not just her, but also me? In all honesty, the answer seems to be no. There's only so much a 4 inches tall Flabébé can do, I suppose. But we might be onto something by trying to emulate Angie's Water Pulse. If Poppy charges up Fairy Wind and lets it go all at once… or if these skates (or the path) would be better and in mint shape, maybe…

on second thought, this is fine. We're having fun anyway. Poppy seems kinda happy as well despite the underwhelming results. I'm actually making some progress myself, lifting up my feet just enough to take some small steps and keep up the momentum. And from there…

I let Poppy practice her Fairy Wind nearby, noticing how the cloud of sparkles gets gradually thicker with each attempt. Angie may not float, but she can also slide around without the need of wheels, courtesy of Mud Sport - and so, I get her to use Water Pulse while standing on the mud she's splashing in. I keep practicing on my own, with just Wisteria checking on me in case I need some help. And, cherry on top, I also let out Thistle, so that all of my Pokémon are out of their Pokéballs.

To be fair, it looks like she's finally fully healed, but she's still drowsy and doesn't feel like moving much. But that only makes it more heart-warming to see all three of my Pokémon wanting to help her out, cheering for her to start playing with them, until they actually get her to start rolling around in typical Wooloo fashion. All of this feels… perfect. Until…

"That's an interesting way to train your Pokémon's mobility! Winstrate participant by any chance?"

"Uhhh? Not really, n-no…"

"Aw, I think you'd do well, you should sign-up if there's still some open slots! And we could practice some of those moves together, what'd you say?"

Oh boy, here we go again…

That's what I'd say.

Juno · Jun 6, 2022

4-5: Direction

🏟️ Oldale Contest Hall 🕙 Sept. 28th, Morning

"Oh, hello there. Yes, dear, nice goggles. Very cool." Bijou rubs against Josie's leg, purring as she soaks up the attention of this New Person. Marcella frowns. She doesn't really want to encourage the goggles-wearing, but it couldn't do much harm; they're going to be working together a lot today, so it's good to have them bond a little.

"And you must be Midas! Oh, you two would be so cute together in a doubles contest." The Meowth jumps up on the chair next to Josie to investigate her as well. His attention is on her briefly, at least; Josie brought her TR chest as well, and the shiny box sitting next to her is far more interesting to the Meowth than the little lady. The only one keeping to herself—and in her defense, she can't really move her heavy shell on land—was Pearly.

She could at least open up her shell, though, but it stays clamped shut in the presence of a stranger who wants to interact with her. Marcella sighs. The most progress she's really been able to make with Pearly was when they first met, but most of the time, she stays in her Luxury Ball. They can't walk together, her shell is too heavy and clunky to carry long distances and Marcella doesn't really know where and how to spend time with her little bivalve friend. She feels a little guilty they haven't bonded much, nor has she really helped her come out of her shell, as it were. Maybe once she evolves it will be easier, but how...? She makes a mental note to look up what she even evolves into, since she doesn't actually know yet.

But that's likely a long ways away, and for now they have something else to occupy their time with. Josie smiles patiently after Marcella tries to physically pry her open a few times. "That's okay, let her come out on her own."

After introductions, Josie goes over the basics of being a coordinator with Marcella—nothing she didn't already know, but it's a good refresher on information like the formats of contests and how much time is allotted for each round. She does get out her notebook to write down a few dates as Josephine fills her in on the contest hall schedules, though.

"Now, Mauport has a lovely amphitheatre, but it hosts more than official contests and most of the week is just that—practice contests, small plays, other fun shows. You would have to show up on the weekends if you want to participate in a judged contest." Marcella nods along, jotting this down.

Her interest is piqued when Josie mentions Mauville. Marcella is familiar with the city—it's a go-to travel destination of her and her friends when they want to go somewhere for a short trip, but not outside of the region. Her modelling agency is also based out there. It's fun! A beautiful, uniquely structured city with a rich night life. She vaguely writes down the contest times, but pretty much already has her heart set on traveling there next as soon as it was mentioned.

And then she could go shopping after with the winnings!

"So if I want to participate in Mauville, I could enter a contest any weekday I arrive?"

"You can, if you want to look like a fool." Josie responds indignantly. "No, the contest themes are announced a whole week ahead of time for a reason—prepare! Now, unfortunately, right now we can only see up to the Monday contest themes, but... oh! I think Noah over there is preparing for the Monday Singles, is that right? Maybe he can tell us a bit about it." The old contest hall is very sparsely populated, but there are a couple other trainers in here practicing as well. She points to a boy sitting in front of a mirror with his Pokémon.

"Yup! The main theme is 'Statue', with 'Glass' and 'Enchanted' as the bonus themes, so I have my Noctowl—hold on, is she participating?" He gestures to Marcella warily, inching in front of his Pokémon to cover their routine from her view.

"Maybe! I'm thinking about it." Her smile isn't returned, and the boy continues to stand between her and his Noctowl.

"Okay, well, you think about it—over there." He gives her a bit of a side-eye as he turns away, and Marcella shrugs at Josie. Some people take these contests way too seriously.

But 'Statue', 'Glass', 'Enchanted'. She tries to come up with a routine involving her own Pokémon, though nothing is really jumping out to her for this set.

"Well, that's why being able to see the themes ahead of time is so crucial! You don't have to participate in a contest if the theme is not something you can think up a routine for. That's what I was going to show you next," Josie gestures to Marcella's Rotom Phone, and she picks it up to open the browser. "The themes are all posted exactly a week in advance on the website, so you can prepare ahead of time. So for the doubles on that same day, for example..."

Pillars, Puzzled, Magic.

"Is that something you can work with?"

Marcella thinks it over for a moment. "Yes, actually. I think so." She turns to the bivalve in the corner.

"Pearly..." Marcella walks over and gently knocks on the shell. "I see your Iron Defense is very good, can you show us something else?"

Pearly cracks her shell open, peeking out. Josie is standing a respectable distance away, but she calls out, "Marcella tells me your Whirlpool is very impressive, could I see it?"

From within the shell, Marcella can see a small smile on the Clamperl's face. "Oh, yes, I think she's—might want to stand back," She cautions as the shell opens towards the high ceiling and a column of swirling water shoots upward.

"Oh, marvellous!" Josie claps encouragingly. "I see what you're going for."

"Yes! Now, Bijou, come—I have an idea for the 'magic' prompt, too."

As they practice, Noah walks past them to return a book to a shelf. He watches their display with intrigue, and Marcella fights the urge to tell him to keep walking but he seems much less opposed to sharing routines now. "Oh, you're doing doubles?"

"Yup! We are working with pillars of water here." Might as well keep it cordial, if she wants to get more information out of him. "Say, you've seen ours now, can we see your routine, too?"

He smirks. "Well, I guess there's no harm if we're not in the same contest. Come," He beckons them over to the side of the stage he was working with his Noctowl on.

"Alright, Esra—show 'em what you got."

The Noctowl hops up on a foam pedestal carved and painted like the base of a statue. Reflective panes of light materialize and refract all around its body and an odd, pulsating power surrounds it. Light dances off the conjured panes beautifully as the two moves she's using work together. Marcella gets out her phone as she watches, looking up the Pokémon's move pool to get a better understanding of their routine's inner workings. "Is this... Reflect and Extrasensory?"

"Close! Reflect and Psychic. You can't really see Extrasensory. Anyway, I am going to be temporarily styling her feathers grey and texturing them to match the pedestal and give her a statue-y look when we're closer to the date—it's going to look so cool." He muses. "That's the book I was reading, by the way. Lot of neat tricks on styling and prepping Pokémon for contests, lists of non-toxic paint brands and stuff like that." He points to the book he returned, the spine facing out reading Dress for Success: A Guide to Style in the Contest Hall.

"Oh, thank you! I will definitely check that out when I get to costuming, maybe get my own copy." Marcella quickly writes down the name of the book. "Your routine looks really cool, by the way, really nailed the prompts. Hope you win your contest!"

"Hah, thanks. And back at ya. More to it than round one though, I'm afraid. We're gonna train a bit for the battle round tomorrow, I think Esra's beat today. See you around!" Noah collects his belongings and returns the Noctowl to her bejeweled Dusk Ball, before heading out the doors with a wave.

As the doors swing shut, his parting words remind her to get on her battle round, too. This was where she lost to the mousey little Natsuko last time, after all.

When she worked with Avery, the bulk of their focus was on Midas and figuring out his deal, so she thought she should work a little more with Pearly and Bijou today.

Having opened up a little with their themed routine practice, Pearly is ready to show off the rest of her moves. She cycles through her Water Gun, Iron Defense, Whirlpool and Clamp with ease, especially since Josie sends Opal out and she's quite used to sparring with her at this point.

As Josie watches Bijou though, she offers a few more words of advice. "Remember, this is a contest, so even in the battle round, you still have to make it a show. It's usually easier with special moves, I'd say—so Pearly has an upper hand in that regard because stuff like Whirlpool and even your basic Water Gun can be more of a spectacle for the judges and audience than just watching Pokémon slapping or scratching each other." It makes sense, but Bijou only knows physical attacks, so...

"But it's not impossible to make physical attacks fun!" Josie continues, as if she detected Marcella's concern. "You just have to incorporate a bit of their personality in their battle styles. I can kind of see it a bit with Midas already, for example, especially with his Pay Day. He has a very stylized way of using it. Tell me more about Bijou, maybe that can help both of us get some ideas going."

"Well, she's a little... lazy?" Were the first words out of Marcella's mouth. They both laugh a little, and she's glad she said that out of earshot since she knows that's not very fair; Bijou has been working harder and doing more than she's used to her whole life. That's just comparatively not a lot because what she's been used to her whole life is eating pastries on the couch and watching TV. "I mean, I know she can put in the work, but I don't know. She's not very fast, she doesn't hit especially hard..."

"So let her be a little lazy." Marcella looks at the old lady, puzzled. "There's strategy in that. Be a little sneaky, work that into her style. I think she has that in her, hm?"

"Interesting, how do we do that?"

"Well! I don't know." Josie says with too much confidence in her voice. "I'm just telling you of other battle styles I've seen, I'm not a competitive battler. I knew how to train my Sofie and I studied up on Wooloo moves, and that was that. But—" She taps her very old Pokédex model. "I assume you have one in your fancy phone. Put it to work. You know your Pokémon better than I do."

Marcella lets out an impatient sigh, but doesn't say anything. And I thought you were actually going to teach me!

"I'm giving you direction." Josie retorts like she heard, but she probably just saw her rolling her eyes.

So Marcella gets her little pink notebook out, and gets back to work. With Bijou perched on the table, they look through the Pokédex together for moves she's comfortable trying. "Oh, this looks kind of up your alley. How about Sucker Punch? Won't have to chase after them, just wait until they draw close, and then, at the right moment... pow!"

Bijou curls her paw up and mimes a punch in the air as she says pow, which Marcella takes to mean she's willing to try it. She smiles at the Purrloin and they both get up on their feet.

"Alright, then. Let's try it!"

It takes a little while for her to watch for attacks and time her hits well, but Josie's right—working with instead of against her personality seems to help a lot, and without having to expend the energy running around or chasing after faster opponents, Bijou is doing pretty good and grasps the concept of Sucker Punch quickly. She spars with Midas, and then Opal too, until Bijou could reliably counter their attacks with her own Sucker Punch.

Although Pearly can't run, there's still an element of surprise in her attacks, so she's up next. Bijou is soaked repeatedly as she tries to time her attack, but by the fourth attempt, Bijou is dangling off the edge of her shell, ready to dish out her new move as soon as she opens up to use Water Gun.

"Yes! I think she's got it!" Josie exclaims as she claps, and Marcella almost regrets hugging the drenched Purrloin as she pulls away with water soaking the front of her blouse, but she's proud of her.

The other move they work on is just a solid skill to have all around; Bijou practices honing her claws against various surfaces until they are sharp and pointy, while Josie brings out her TR case again.

"You've seen me do my nails a million times, now it's your turn." She jokes lightly before turning to Josephine.

"Now, do you feel more comfortable picking your TR now?"

"I do, thanks so much for working with me today." Marcella beams. She browses the records with more confidence now; having gone through the Pokédex, it would seem Pearly naturally learns far fewer moves than Midas or Bijou can in her current state, so she decides to pick one out for her.

The Clamperl's bubbling wails of protest are cut short as she'd returned to her Luxury Ball—once she warms up a bit to her surroundings, she really doesn't like going back. But Marcella can't really blame her. What's it like in a Poké Ball, anyway?

She doesn't dwell on this much; Pearly's only going in long enough for the TR to register, which is apparently a very quick process. Marcella watches with fascination as Josie locks the Luxury Ball securely in the blue TR she chose, and with a push of the "start" button, it is... done?

"Is that it?" Marcella doesn't know why she's whispering, but that's how her question comes out.

"Yes, all done! Let's get her out of here..." Josie removes the Luxury Ball and hands it back to Marcella. It's a little warm to the touch.

"Alright, let's see how we can test this." Marcella pokes around the backstage of the old contest hall for a few moments. She returns a minute later with a box of tea bags and a steel pitcher. "Pearly, can you make us some tea with Scald?"

✿✿✿✿✿

After their tea break, Josie suggests using the remainder of their time to learn how to showcase her Pokémon's best moves for the third round. "It can be rehearsed, but you don't want to lock into one routine, you know? Be a little versatile; you are going to want to be able to mix and match when you do doubles with different combinations of Pokémon, or singles, and so on."

Midas works on a Pay Day routine that involves throwing his coins like shuriken at targets, and Pearly showcases her water temperature control between Water Gun and the newly-learned Scald with a cute cooking show. For Bijou's tricks, Marcella incorporates herself a bit more prominently—mostly as a prop, since Bijou is not really attacking her, and they work on a bit of a slapstick-type show with the Purrloin as a slick and tricky thief thwarting Marcella's attempts to stop her with Fake Out and Sucker Punch. They don't put this to practice, but she imagines the routine could end with her having prepared a sack of coins, and Bijou will slice through it after using Hone Claws. It's fun imagining the different scenarios they could do for the open-ended round three.

If she makes it through the battle round this time, that is.

It's almost 7 in the evening by the time they are ready to call it a day. The tea is cold now, but it's not a problem with Pearly's new move. They sit down to look at Marcella's path to Mauville on her phone.

"So if your heart's set on the Monday doubles, I would suggest going through Route 110. The distance is comparable to moving through Mauport, but in my experience it always took longer to travel through Mauport because of, well, all the shops and distractions up there," Josie chuckles. "So, up to you—but that is my suggestion. If you head on out for Route 103 tomorrow, you should make it there in good time, unless you are absolutely abysmal at camping or navigation."

"Oh, I'm sure it can't be that bad with a map, right? Let's see..." She has a little camping experience under her belt now, she assumes it will just be more of the same. Boring but manageable, even without Parker. As long as she remembers to bring food this time. She drags and pinches on her screen to look at their surroundings on the map. "And I totally get you on the shopping thing, so good call, I think I will cross through Route 110 instead—" A notification chimes in before she finishes her sentence, and her heart drops.

Marcella sighs. She knows he's just trying to help, but she's slightly annoyed at the reminder of her failure and where her priorities should be. "Ah, right. I guess I have to go challenge this Merry first. Probably gonna put me off schedule a bit for the contest. So I think I'll just have to see what happens with that first before I start planning out the finer details of getting to Mauville."

"You don't sound excited." Josie states; it's not a question.

"I am," Marcella says, not too convincingly. "But I'm just more stoked for the contest now, especially after all the work we did here today."

"So go do the contest," Josie returns lightly. "Merry's not going anywhere, as far as I can tell. Nobody says you have to do anything you don't want to."

She's not wrong. What's the rush, honestly? She's already "behind" on her badge journey, if she's comparing her 'badge-to-time spent travelling' ratio to Avery's when he took the same trip, so what's another week or two travelling?

"You're right." She closes out the text with a smile. She'll return his message later, probably. Let him know what's up. For now, she scoots close to Josie as they look at the map together.

This is just a quick detour.

Bijou has learned Sucker Punch!

Bijou has learned Hone Claws!

Pearly has learned Scald from TR84!

Party

Purrloin ♀ // Bijou

Sucker Punch
Fake Out
Sand Attack
Play Rough
Torment
Hone Claws

Art

Clamperl ♀ // Pearly

Clamp
Water Gun
Whirlpool
Iron Defense
Scald

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
3-10: Renewed Resolve

CHAPTER 4: SO MUCH TO DO, SO MUCH TO SEE

4-1: Ranger's Regret
4-2: Creative Outlet
4-3: Homework
4-4: Ghosts of the Past
4-5: Direction

Inventory

WALLET: ₽13,400

KEY ITEMS

Fanclub Membership Card (Annual)

Contest Pass

HELD ITEMS

Silk Scarf (

)

Safety Goggles (

)

CONSUMABLES

Luxury Balls x 3

Lum Berry x 2

Razz Berry x 2

Sitrus Berry

MISC. GEAR

Medium-sized leather suitcase of clothes
Rotom Phone (Sky Blue)
Family-sized tent
Inflatable mattress
Inflatable stools x 2
Binoculars

Trainer Info

Badges

[PKMN FULL] Hoenn: Square One [IC]

♫ following where my arrow goes ♫

3-10: Renewed Resolve

CHAPTER 2: LIVE FOR FUN

CHAPTER 3: YOUR BRAIN GETS SMART

Sunday, October 4th - Route 110

Monday, October 5th (Morning) - Route 110

4-1: Ranger's Regret

CHAPTER 2: LIVE FOR FUN

CHAPTER 3: YOUR BRAIN GETS SMART

CHAPTER 4: SO MUCH TO DO, SO MUCH TO SEE

WALLET: ₽13,400

KEY ITEMS

HELD ITEMS

CONSUMABLES

MISC. GEAR

Perish Song?

Hi I'm Cube

Perish Song?

Perish Song?

4-2: Creative Outlet

CHAPTER 2: LIVE FOR FUN

CHAPTER 3: YOUR BRAIN GETS SMART

CHAPTER 4: SO MUCH TO DO, SO MUCH TO SEE

WALLET: ₽13,400

KEY ITEMS

HELD ITEMS

CONSUMABLES

MISC. GEAR

Monday, October 5th @ 1900 - Mauville

4-3: Homework

CHAPTER 2: LIVE FOR FUN

CHAPTER 3: YOUR BRAIN GETS SMART

CHAPTER 4: SO MUCH TO DO, SO MUCH TO SEE

WALLET: ₽13,400

KEY ITEMS

HELD ITEMS

CONSUMABLES

MISC. GEAR

4-4: Ghosts of the Past

CHAPTER 2: LIVE FOR FUN

CHAPTER 3: YOUR BRAIN GETS SMART

CHAPTER 4: SO MUCH TO DO, SO MUCH TO SEE

WALLET: ₽13,400

KEY ITEMS

HELD ITEMS

CONSUMABLES

MISC. GEAR

Perish Song?

4-5: Direction

CHAPTER 2: LIVE FOR FUN

CHAPTER 3: YOUR BRAIN GETS SMART

CHAPTER 4: SO MUCH TO DO, SO MUCH TO SEE

WALLET: ₽13,400

KEY ITEMS

HELD ITEMS

CONSUMABLES

MISC. GEAR