[PKMN FULL] Hoenn: Square One [IC]

Aquacorde · Dec 1, 2022

Marie Rachelle Mocinno

Knuckle, Dell

₽33,000

Monday Oct 12, Morning

Mauville

Chapter 6 #9 - You Were Warned

Life goes on, and someone has to pay for it.

Alton had offered, of course, but Marie is stubbornly determined to prove her ability to support herself. So another job she must get, for the next leg of her journey will take significant funds to prepare for. She's been looking at the maps again, but with a plan this time. The most efficient way to hit the rest of western Hoenn's gyms is to trek out to Lavaridge, cut through Forina to Fallarbor, hike down to Rustboro, and then straight east through Verdanturf and back into Mauville. That sounds so simple!

Unfortunately, this is Hoenn. There is a significant amount of nature in the way. And so. To buy food and supplies: a job.

Though for this particular job, her payment will not come entirely in cash- not this first day, anyway. Half her shift is paid for by admittance to the Hoenn Fanclub, of which this SkyPark facility is a part of. Even more enticing is the current member perk: some famous chef's seal on her new membership card will apparently save her money on berries in the future. A great bonus for a financially independent person, isn't it? Even if baking is very much not a skill she has ever possessed.

That's a problem for later, though, as her problem for the next few hours is to check on, tidy, and spot clean every room in the facility. Well, as many as she is able to get to during her shift, at least. The corners and alcoves of the main spaces are unending, so Marie took the seemingly easier route: opening every door to every secluded and climate-controlled room. It's amazing, the variety of spaces here- the boiling steam baths that frizzed her braided hair, the pitch-black cave room where she bruised every inch of her shins, the mud pits that she'd declined to step into, the freezing snowfall that she'd immediately shut the door on- "a habitat for every Pokémon," her boss-for-the-day had said, and they hadn't been exaggerating.

As interesting as it is, Marie and her little utility cart return to the main areas. The greenery and water features and open spaces are much easier to identify issues with. Or find railings and windows to halfheartedly wipe down. Whichever. The only downside is that these areas are more populated, and while people stopping to chat is occasionally pleasant-

"Hey- hey girl! You! With the bandana and the bucket, yeah, hey-"

-it is also sometimes not.

Marie bristles at the demanding interruption of her window-washing by a lounging patron with an ugly smirk rolling across his wide mouth. "May I help you?"

"C'mere, c'mere. Look," he stage-whispers as she reluctantly makes her way over. "I know you."

"Oh. Do you really."

"Yes!" Marie's flat tone does nothing to deter this person. "I do some scouting, you know, on the side. Trainer scouting. Saw you crash and burn at the Winstrates' this weekend." Marie's hackles raise higher, teeth clenching behind pressed lips. "I wondered something else, though, because I'm an estimator by trade. I wondered what the heiress to the Mocinno Corporation was out playing trainer for. And I'm still wondering, now that I see her washing windows. Doesn't she have daddy's fortune to pull from?"

The man's slimy smirk only heightens the cold sweat breaking out along her spine. What does she even say to that? Nothing, nothing, she owes this guy nothing, she doesn't have to say a thing. "I am allowed to pursue what I wish."

"Oh, you're allowed. That's interesting, Miss Mocinno. I wonder how far you're allowed to fall before daddy brings you back home?"

Maybe yesterday, those words would be ice dumped down her back, leaving her shaking and helpless with shock. But today it's burning anger flaring up her right arm as it comes to her necklace, the man's grating laughter mistaking the motion for shock. But it's not her that's shocked- it's him, yelping and screeching and falling off the bench with his hands cupped protectively over where Stunnie's bolt of lightning had delivered a precise shock. Marie kneels down to grab the man's chin in a pinching grip. "You speak to or about me or my 'daddy' again and I'll make sure there's no possibility of you ever being one. Is. That. Clear?"

"Clear, clear!" the nasty man squeaks. She releases him and scoops up her wonderful little Stunfisk, dragging her utility cart away toward a less secluded part of the facility.

She's not sure she'll be able to clean much while she's shaking like this.

So instead she curls up on a padded chair and hugs Stunnie tightly. He smells like fried cables and dust and a little bit fishy but that's not really that bad, and he's tolerating the cuddling. Perhaps even enjoying it. He's a good Pokémon. A good partner, a good protector.

She really has to be a better trainer to him.

Spoiler: Team

Spoiler: Inventory

Spoiler: Contacts

Juno · Dec 11, 2022

6-2: Botany

🌱 Verdanturf Parkway 🕙 Wed. Oct. 7th, Noon

"But Pudding is weak to Grass-types, I know that. I want a real battle."

"I mean, he's still going to be quite a challenge for y—you know what, nevermind." Avery quickly beckons his Azumarill back to his side. In his place materializes a ball of fluff that Marcella recognizes only as 'Meringue', but knows little else about battle-wise. She consults the Dex again through her phone for more information before they begin. She's a Whimsicott. Grass-type like Jade, but also part Fairy.

"Alright." Marcella breathes out. Her brother had given her a few tips on the quickest ways to identify a new Pokémon's skillset, and it's time to put some of that to the test. Her eyes scan the movepool on her phone, calling out the first one she sees that might be viable.

"Okay, Jade—how about a Mega Drain?"

The leaves on the Petilil's head twitch in response, and she quickly launches into action. Yes! Marcella grins as the green flecks of light emanating from her find their way to their target. They hit the Whimsicott—or do they? They just seem to disappear into her great, fluffy mane, and she can't even tell if it's doing anything. At most, it seems to be a mild irritant.

Despite demanding a "real battle", she knows no other opponent would stand by idly while she checks her PokeDex, but Avery and Meringue wait patiently as Marcella goes through her list.

"Do we know... Stun Spore?"

Jade tilts her head to the side. No.

"Sleep Powder, then." The Petilil perks up, spinning out excitedly with a flourish as she recognizes another command. She scatters out a beautiful but much less dazzling silver powder, compared to the kind embedded in her skirt.

Marcella claps encouragingly. "Very good, dear. And extra points for style." Rudimentary battle tactics or not, Jade certainly is a natural at delivering with flair.

What they sacrifice for style is apparently accuracy, though—Meringue is surprisingly nimble, weaving and dancing in the air as she effortlessly dodges the falling dust. "She's immune, too, remember?" Avery calls out to her.

"Yeah, yeah, then why's she showing off her sick backflips?" Marcella mutters under her breath as she continues looking through her phone. But on the bright side, it's still another move to add to their arsenal. So we have Magical Leaf, Natural Gift, Mega Drain, Sleep Powder…

Her next few attempts are misses, but she doesn't mind; she eventually just sits down next to Avery, idly scratching Bijou behind the ear, and they all watch as the Whimsicott spars gently and patiently with Jade. The Purrloin's tail flicks as she watches, whining to sit on her lap. "Not now, dear." Marcella responds distractedly.

She reminds herself that she'd learned of Jade's Magical Leaf and Natural Gift through just letting the Petilil do her own thing, so perhaps if they just let her at it and observe her, she'd naturally show them something else she knows.

In the interest of time, they do jump in for some more guided activities after about fifteen minutes of this, but not before discovering Jade can also use Growth, which leaves them with five moves.

"Good. That's okay," Avery tells her. "Wild Pokémon don't always have more than that, but this gives you plenty to work with for now. So! On to ability. Petilil can have—"

"Own Tempo, Chlorophyll or Leaf Guard." Marcella quickly finishes his sentence.

"Alright, look at you go!" Her brother smiles approvingly. "Someone's been studying."

"Mhm!" She beams proudly. "I've been meaning to figure that out myself, the weather just hasn't been good enough for the sun-based ones."

"Well, I can definitely help you with that. But first thing's first—" He lets out a short whistle, and Meringue bounces over to him. "Hurricane."

Marcella hears the briefest yelp from Jade, but the Petilil's scream is cut off as she's whipped into the air, swirling in the violent vortex created by the Whimsicott. She watches in horror. "Avery, what the fuck—!" She grabs his arm, shaking him. He rolls his eyes at her.

"Stop," The Hurricane abruptly ceases, and Meringue drifts up to pluck the disoriented Petilil out of the air, dropping her in Marcella's lap before perching on Avery's head herself.

"Oh, my poor honey," Marcella croons, gently placing Jade back on her feet. She teeters dizzily as she takes a few steps forward, and then she falls right on her face.

"Alright. Well, it's not Own Tempo." Completely unfazed, Avery clinically announces his finding as he roots through his bag. The Whimsicott on his head bobs up and down as he moves, her little hands gripping fistfuls of his hair to keep herself in place.

"I'd be careful about letting her do that, the physical stress on your scalp might make you go bald earlier than expected." Marcella advises her brother as she observes the creature on his head.

He glances up and shrugs. "No more so than the mental stress you give me does."

"Suit yourself."

When he finally finds what he is looking for, he rolls Jade over and puts a pink berry in her mouth. Persim. Marcella notes, mentally reviewing her newly-acquired berry knowledge. Jade takes a small bite of it, sitting up as she chews. She doesn't finish the whole thing and pockets the rest of it, but it seems to be doing its trick. Avery waits until she is standing back up before calling out his next move. "Okay, now—hit us with Sunny Day, Meringue."

Meringue leaps up into the air once again, little puffs of cotton now adorning her trainer's shoulders and hair. She leaves a small, generated sun above them before dropping back to the ground, and it radiates brightly over the field. Pearly is invited out to try and Scald her; she ends up steaming and a bit uncomfortable, but the Petilil does appear to be immune to any lasting effects from it under the concentrated sunlight.

"Alright! So that means—"

"Leaf Guard!" Avery holds up a hand for a high five, and the session is going so well so far that Marcella does not leave him hanging, despite how lame the gesture is.

She picks up Jade and gives her a squeeze. "We're doing so good today! Now, dear, how about we..."

Before she can finish her sentence, a flash of purple enters her periphery.

...Bijou?

The Purrloin suddenly runs out onto the field, crashing into Meringue with a flinch-inducing Fake Out.

What—? Marcella glances over at Avery, who looks back with a shrug; the very out-of-character behaviour elicits a somewhat amused but also confused expression from him. He decides to roll with it, though. "Guess we're doing a double battle now. You wanna do that?"

"Oh! Yeah, sure—it's my contest format, after all. Okay! I-I guess we have a bit of time for this." Granted, she would have preferred if it was Jade and Pearly, since they are the ones competing later, but Bijou has not shown a lot of enthusiasm for battling in the past, so she won't fault her for being proactive. Marcella smiles and cheers encouragingly. "Alright! Let's go, Bijou!"

Party

BIJOU
Purrloin, F

Ability: Prankster

Sucker Punch
Fake Out
Sand Attack
Play Rough
Torment
Hone Claws

PEARLY
Clamperl, F

Ability: Rattled

Clamp
Water Gun
Whirlpool
Iron Defense
Scald
-----

MIDAS
Meowth, M

Ability: Technician

Pay Day
Scratch
Growl
Feint
Fake Out
-----

JADE
Petilil, F

Ability: Leaf Guard

Magical Leaf
Natural Gift
Sleep Powder
Growth
Mega Drain

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
4-6: A Quiet Day
4-7: Long Road Ahead
4-8: Observations

CHAPTER 5: YOU'LL NEVER KNOW IF YOU DON'T GO

5-1: A Crossroads
5-2: Lurker
5-3: Peace Offering
5-4: Loophole
5-5: Recharge
5-6: A Quick Detour
5-7: Shining, Shimmering, Splendid

CHAPTER 6: SHINE AND GLOW

6-1: Avery
6-2: Botany

Inventory

WALLET: ₽5,950

KEY ITEMS

Fanclub Membership Card (Annual)

Contest Pass

HELD ITEMS

Silk Scarf (

)

Safety Goggles (

)

Bright Powder (

)

Quick Claw

Wave Incense

EVOLUTION ITEMS

"Battery Pack"

TMs/TRs

TM Toxic

CONSUMABLES

Luxury Balls x 3

Quick Balls x 2

Net Balls x 5

Poké Balls x 8

Lum Berry x 2

Razz Berry x 2

Sitrus Berry

Oran Berry x 8

Occa Berry x 6

Yache Berry x 9 (-1)

Honey (¾ of jar left)

MISC. GEAR

Medium-sized leather suitcase of clothes
Rotom Phone (Sky Blue)
Family-sized tent
Inflatable mattress
Inflatable stools x 2
Electric air pump
Binoculars
Small lidded pot
Fabric glue

Trainer Info

Badges

WizardOfOdd · Dec 11, 2022

Arthur Weissmann
Location: Winstrate Stadium, Winstrate Estate
Sunday, October 11th
Late Morning

Chapter 6 - 6
Go Big or Go Home
Part 4

There wasn't that much time for Arthur to raise his spirits enough to forget the stupid meltdown he had after beating Ed soundly, but the show must go on. Leaving that embarrassing moment behind him, he donned his shades and once more put up the facade of Jacques Tannenbaum as he approached his opponent for the next round, Clint Shaw.

"Hi, how're you feeling?" Said Jack, attempting to break the ice between them.

"Still six feet on the right side of the ground," muttered Clint, taking a second of silence before realizing he should probably ask his opponent the same question, not that he cared what the answer was,

"How about you?"

"Me? So-so, I guess," Jack said, feeling from his response that his opponent wasn't the type to be buddy-buddy with the ones they met recently. With that in mind, he decided to cut to the chase. "Wanna do doubles?"

"Doubles aren't my style, how about we stick to singles," Clint replied, once again pressing the single battle issue. What's with these trainers and their double battles?

Jack scratched his neck after hearing his opponent's response. There was no doubt that his team was better tailored for doubles than singles, but it wasn't like he didn't have anything stored up his sleeves in case someone rejected his offer.

"Well, singles aren't my usual style. But sure, I'll bite, but only if it's a 2 vs 2 singles," Jack proposed.

The number of Pokemon didn't matter all that much to Clint, as long as he had enough Pokemon to make it an even fight, so two versus two was more than agreeable. Clint paused for a second, figured out which two Pokemon he was going to use, then answered his opponent,

"I can make two-on-two work."

Clint readied his holster with the two Pokeballs he was going to use in the match with him, he also brushed off some dirt stuck on his boot. He had to get in the zone now, from what he had seen, this Jack kid was quite the trainer.

"Well, that's great to hear–" As Jack was about to say something else, a notification sound rang through the intercom inside the waiting room before an announcement was made.

"Clint Shaw and Jacques Tannenbaum, please enter the field."

"Oops, I guess there isn't much waiting left to do now we're in the final four," Jack adjusted his shades. "Good luck out there."

"You too, Pal." Clint made his way out to his side of the battlefield, as Jack made his way to his respective side. Clint couldn't help but notice the crowds have been growing since Friday's battles. He just had to block them out, no matter how much he didn't like all the people around watching him. The two stood in position, waiting for the referee to call the start of the match. Clint put on his most intense scowl, staring down his sunglasses-wearing opponent.

Jack couldn't help but realize that his opponent was looking at him intensely, but strangely enough, he didn't feel intimidated much even when it was the semis already, most likely because of the pep talk Vincent and the girls gave him before. Yet despite wanting to think about it any further, he knew well that it was time to battle. And it would be discourteous of him to not try his best and put all his concentration against Clint.

Both threw their Pokeball into the field and revealed their starter Pokemon for the battle. Charmeleon for Clint and Braveheart the Metang for Jack.

"Now, Agility!" Jack ordered as soon as the whistle was blown.

"Charmeleon, Fire Fang," Clint called out his first move. Charmeleon quickly started to chase Braveheart, who was using Agility to speed up.

"Poor choice, Zen Headbutt!" Jack ordered.

Before Charmeleon managed to sink his fiery fangs into the Iron Claw Pokemon, Braveheart barely finished using Agility before enveloping itself in psychic energy, pushing the Charmeleon off as it collided with Braveheart's metal body.

Charmeleon bounced off to the side following the impact but was able to land on his own two feet. Charmeleon spun around to face Braveheart once again, this time attacking from a distance using Ember. Charmeleon conjured up a small batch of fire, and shot it at the Metang, scoring a direct hit.

Unfortunately for the Charmeleon, Metang was one of the Pokemon known for its incredible endurance. Despite being visibly affected by the flames, Braveheart soldiered on creating a back-and-forth that lasted for some time. Clint kept up the pressure, firing more embers at Braveheart, trying to wear down the tough Steel-type Pokemon. Clint had the one-up due to typing, he had to use that advantage if he wanted a win.

"Well, this is certainly annoying," Jack muttered under his breath. While things were going very well according to his plan, he didn't expect Clint's Charmeleon to be a tough one to wear down. While switching sounded like the move considering Braveheart's type disadvantage, he was confident that his Pokemon which had been his longest partner could beat Clint's Charmeleon.

"Braveheart, now! Zen Headbutt," Braveheart charged again towards Charmeleon, but this time its arms are put on its back whirling rapidly which increased its velocity by awfully a lot. Surprising the Charmeleon who was already conditioned on purpose to its initial speed as the powerful impact hit it square on its torso. It was so strong it ended up sending the Charmeleon crashing toward the wall.

The crowd started to erupt in cheers, as the deadlock that lasted for a while seemed to be finally broken. Perhaps the battle was going to end soon in the Metang's favor, they thought. Arthur had the same idea, it would be hard for Charmeleon to come back and win the match, but he and his trainer had other plans.

Charmeleon picked himself up out of the corner, and let out a mean-sounding snarl, while fire simultaneously blew out of his nose. Focusing back on his target, Charmeleon made another move.

"Fire Fang," Clint called out. Charmeleon obliged, a fire brewing in between his jaws as he clamped down on the Metang. Usually biting hard steel would not be advised, but the fire Charmeleon conjured up was so hot that his teeth were able to sink in. Using his jaws, as well as the force of gravity, Charmeleon brought Braveheart down with him, the Metang making a loud screeching noise as it was slammed into the ground.

Jack sighed. "Sorry Pal, but it's enough for now," he retracted Braveheart from the battlefield. While he knew that Braveheart was strong enough to swat off the Charmeleon, the red aura surrounding him was nothing but bad news.

Blaze. An ability that gave the user a boost on fire-type related capability. There was no doubt that even a Pokemon as sturdy as Braveheart wouldn't last very long if it had to deal with a Blaze-powered Fire Fang for much longer, so rather than letting it stay and continue the fight. Changing his Pokemon seemed to be a better answer. Besides, Blaze only activates when the user is near a fainting state. All his next Pokemon needed to do is just to finish him off, and he certainly had prepared the right Pokemon for it.

Under the loud cheers of the crowd who had witnessed the sudden turnaround, Jack grabbed the Pokeball containing his second and last Pokemon.

"Come on in, Kaplan!" The Wingull emerged from inside his Pokeball, letting out wails of excitement as he finally came out to his maiden battle of the tournament.

Wingull? Well s***, there goes the type advantage, Clint thought to himself. No point complaining about it, just have to find a way to win.

"Charmeleon, Smoke Screen," Clint issued his next command, which led to Charmeleon deploying a thick cloud of smoke to hide in.

It was a pesky strategy, Arthur thought. But he already had come into the battle prepared with the knowledge of how to counter it.

"Well, we'll just have to wait then. Kap, raise your altitude, Agility!" Sky-high, the Wingull's body shook slightly as he raised his mobility.

It wasn't the first time Clint found himself in a standoff like this, although he imagined his current opponent might be a little more patient than the last one. So thought to try something else. He had Charmeleon create a ring of thick smoke, and then Charmeleon stood in the clearing in the middle of the cloud, giving Kaplan a nice bullseye to aim at, where the plan was Charmeleon would hide in the ring as Wingull got into range.

"You really gonna stay put like that? Really?" Jack scratched the back of his head, not sure why Clint was stalling considering his Pokemon was stacking up Agility. Yet his opponent didn't let out a single word at his question.

Clint was playing the waiting game, keeping the smoke screen deployed while Kaplan was high in the sky. Not too much he could do while the Wingull was up there, but in order for the Wingull to attack he'd have to bring himself into range as well.

"Well, fine by me! Water Pulse!" Wingull created a water orb that exploded inside the smoke curtain, partially removing it, despite Charmeleon seemingly able to avoid the blast. Having a good chunk of his smoke screen gone, Charmeleon used the move Smoke Screen once more to restore his cover.

"Water Pulse," Jack ordered once more.

What Jack did may seem like a boring and pointless repetition, but everything was still according to plan. After all, he had watched how Clint had beaten his last opponent, all he needed to do was to be patient and adjust accordingly to the knowledge he had about Charmeleon's moveset.

The crowd however didn't share the same patience he did. He noticed that quite a few that had faced his side were not enthused in the slightest as they were forced to watch another deadlock between the two, and as Clint ordered another thickening of the Smoke Screen it seemed that they were trapped watching a borefest of a Semifinals.

That, however, wouldn't last long. As Jack finally uttered a word other than Water Pulse.

"Let's wrap it up, shall we? Icy Wind."

Kaplan lowered himself from the skies to deliver a powerful gust of breeze that not only froze the battlefield floor that was already wet thanks to Water Pulse, and that wasn't the end of the effect. Despite Charmeleon's agility managing to help him to avoid the catastrophic hit from the barrage of Water Pulse, he couldn't completely avoid himself from being doused in water which ended up freezing and caused him to not be able to move freely as the freezing water amplified Icy Wind's slowing qualities.

It was less than ideal for Charmeleon. But thankfully, Charmeleon had a way to melt ice. Knowing that, Clint had Charmeleon use ember around his feet, to melt and dry up the area around his feet. It worked like a charm, as Charmeleon was able to get moving once again. Now that he was free, it was time to focus back on Kaplan.

But little did Charmeleon realize that when he turned his gaze upward to focus back on his opponent, he was greeted by an incoming water orb that exploded on his face, knocking him out of the battle.

"Should've used Smokescreen first. But then again, I would've still used Water Pulse and then Icy Wind, you know what, never mind…" Jack stopped himself from telling his advice as he realized how dumb it was while his Wingull soared back into the air while squawking in joy, possibly feeling glee after his first knockout of the tournament. "And your final Pokemon?"

Clint sighed, and returned Charmeleon to his Pokeball, clipping that Pokeball to his holster before quickly drawing the other ball, releasing Grovyle into the fray. Grovyle stood at the ready, sizing up her opponent.

"Not much of a talker, eh? Well fine by me, the battle ain't gonna last longer anyway" Jack declared with a voice full of confidence.

Jack felt that the wind of victory was blowing hard behind his sails, as the advantage seemed to be on his side. After all, he already expected that Grovyle was going to be one of Clint's Pokemon that would be used in the battle, and the fact that she actually was used just made him more elated as he managed to predict his second Pokemon correctly.

Now all Jack needed to do was apply his strategy properly, and victory would be his for the taking.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Party

Braveheart (Metang) (-) | Ability: Clear Body | Confusion, ???, ???, Metal Claw, Zen Headbutt, ???

Hunter (Noctowl) (Male) | Ability: Insomnia | Hypnosis, Ally Switch, Air Slash, Confusion, Psycho Shift, Wing Attack

Muchorin (Darumaka) (Male) | Ability: Hustle | Rollout, Incinerate, Taunt, Work Up, ???, Fire Punch

Kaplan (Wingull) (Male) | Ability: Hydration | Quick Attack, Air Cutter, Icy Wind, Supersonic, ???, Water Pulse

Nero (Inkay) (Male) | Ability: Contrary | Topsy-Turvy, ???, Swagger, Night Slash, Destiny Bond, Taunt

Tempest (Seedot) (Male) | Ability: Chlorophyll | Harden, Rollout, Absorb, Payback, Bide, Growth

Egg (Cutiefly) (???) | Ability: ??? | ???

Inventory

Money: ₽14.560

Badges

Knuckle Badge

Balance Badge
Dell Badge

Evo Items

Water Stone x 1

Held Item

Eviolite x 1

Safety Goggles x 1

Silk Scarf x 1

Twisted Spoon x 1

TM/TR

Taunt

Bulk Up

Sand Tomb

Attract

Ally Switch

???

Consumables

Ability Capsule

Other Items

Dome Fossil

Caesar · Dec 11, 2022

Sunday, October 11th - Mauville

Featuring Wizard Of Odd as Arthur Weissmann

"Kaplan, let's dive!" Jack yelled at his airborne Wingull, who nodded after recognizing the signal his trainer gave.

Kaplan dove toward Grovyle without much hesitation, complying with his trainer's order. Grovyle responded by using Bullet Seed, firing three shots directly at Wingull. While the first shot missed, the second shot managed to clip Kaplan's wings allowing the third shot to land perfectly, knocking Wingull out of the sky, and sending him barrelling toward the ground.

Jack's eyebrow twitched in response. This was the first moment that was not planned in the slightest, he expected Grovyle to hit Kaplan with a short-range move but in hindsight, he should've prepared with the chance that someone did use a long-range move like Bullet Seed. Still, the fact that none of his opponents in the last few days ever retaliated with it during his test runs at the gym didn't help with the fact that such a possibility slipped his mind.

Fortunately for Jack, Kaplan pirouetted himself enough mid-air to execute the strategy despite having to improvise, as a wave of nauseating waves passed through the Grovyle, causing her to start stumbling, which combined with the huge part of the battlefield that was slippery after being frozen earlier created quite the trouble for Grovyle. Meanwhile, as Grovyle struggled mightily to balance herself, Kaplan was able to take the opportunity to go airborne once more.

Grovyle then attempted to make her way over to the patch Charmeleon had cleared earlier, but the ice coupled with the confusion led Grovyle to fall flat on her face. She was having a hard time getting upright again after that, which led Grovyle to scamper awkwardly on all floors like a baby Deerling over to the dry patch. Once there, Grovyle was able to get up and turn her attention to the airborne Wingull once again.

Despite the dizziness she had, Grovyle dished out two shots of seeds this time, which both missed, clearly, Grovyle's confusion was affecting her aim. There was a bright spot, however, as the second shot was close enough to hit that Kaplan had to deviate from his flight path to avoid it. Sadly, it wasn't close enough to stop Kaplan from mounting an assault against her.

"Icy Wind."

A wave of chilling cold was whipped up against Grovyle who despite her best efforts to dodge just couldn't get away from the freezing air on time, causing chunks of ice to form slightly on her body, impeding her movement more as if the confused state she was in wasn't enough.

In the same time, Clint couldn't help but notice Kaplan had come a bit closer, with that he came up with a plan quickly,

"Hit 'em with Assurance!"

Grovyle was enveloped by dark energy and thrust toward Kaplan, but her footing was thrown off by the ice on the field, and her trajectory was thrown off, missing the Wingull and crashing down on the battlefield surface.

It was all according to Arthur's plan, the strategy of trading a hit for a Confuse Ray hit worked the most of time he had tested it, limiting the opposing Pokemon's mobility and ability to dodge attacks. And this was no exception, especially after the Icy Wind which had crippled Grovyle's mobility even further.

"Let's end this, Air Cutter!"

Kaplan let out a loud squawk as he flapped his wings, conjuring multiple chainsaw-like blades that rained on the fallen Grovyle. Things were going pretty well for Kaplan as Grovyle struggled to raise her body to avoid the storm of air blades, victory seemed almost assured, but contrary to the situation in hand, Clint didn't seem to waver.

Grovyle shook her head as she turned her attention to the incoming barrage of blades from the sky. Grovyle was able to regain her composition, looking to her trainer for what to do next.

"Grovyle, Detect," Clint commanded.

Despite having difficulties, Grovyle rolled out of the way of the incoming saw-blades using all her might, the icy surface actually aiding her for once as she slid out of the way of the blades, the air cutter blades raising up bits of snow as they collided with the icy surface of the arena. As the last of the blades hit the battlefield, Grovyle performed a roll and ended up sitting on one knee, facing Kaplan, and Clint issued another command,

"Bullet Seed!"

Sitting sturdy on one knee, Grovyle was able to fire four Bullet Seeds at Kaplan, the first seed was a direct hit, as was the second and third. The fourth one was a miss but the intended effect still happened, as Kaplan was losing altitude due to the bullets.

"Nice idea, but have you considered that it's a double-edged sword?" Jack exclaimed. Kaplan's lowering of altitude meant that while it was hard to effectively flap his wings to use Air Cutter, it also meant that his distance with the Grovyle also grew shorter.

As Kaplan sent out another chilling wave with a single powerful flap of his wings clad in blue energy, it proved Jack's point as Grovyle's already crippled mobility wasn't enough to avoid the Icy Wind in time, sealing the victory for the bespectacled "Kalosian".

Clint sighed heavily, and tipped his hat down, shielding his face as much as he could. His face turned bright red, feeling like the whole world was closing in on him. All these people just watched him blow the biggest Pokemon battle of his life. He returned Grovyle to her Pokeball in a dejected, lethargic manner. Just after that, the referee took center stage.

"Grovyle is unable to continue, therefore Jacques Tannenbaum is your winner."
Clint wasn't happy with the result, but he had to give credit where credit was due, his opponent was just plain good at battling. Clint walked towards Jack, and stuck out his hand for a handshake, and said,

"Thanks for the battle, we'll have to do it again sometime."

"Anytime, let's have another battle down the line. But for now, take care of yourself." Jack shook Clint's hand with a smile on his face before walking away back to the waiting room.

Clint walked behind Jack, with no smile on his face, head hanging down while contemplating where to go from here.

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|Bullet Seed

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:

Caesar · Dec 11, 2022

Sunday, October 11th - Mauville

Clint stepped out of the arena, agitated about what had just happened inside that arena. He had come so far, only to lose in the semi-finals. He could feel spectators and combatants alike staring at him, the guy who just lost the battle they were watching. Clint wanted nothing more than fresh air, but the outside air didn't even feel fresh with all the people around him, walking in and out of the arena, preparing for the final matchup of the weekend.

Walking up to Clint was his part-time mentor, Sergei who had been watching from the stands.

"Well kid, sometimes you just get beat fair and square."

The two kept walking for a short distance, until they were away from the commotion. Sergei then looked back and forth, before sneakily handing Clint a flask that Sergei had concealed in his jacket. Clint took a swig out of the flask, the contents of the bottle were harsh, and Clint grimaced after he took the drink, but he supposed a little booze to numb the pain wasn't the worst idea in the world.

"Well I told ya kid, they'd run out of schmucks for you to battle and you'd have to battle a real trainer," Sergei began,

"Now that Jack kid is on his way to the finals, with girls waiting for him after his match, while you're stuck talking to me."

"I just got a shitty deal with the type matchup, it is what it is," Clint had already baked up an excuse.

"Bull. I've seen fire types beat water types before, you got outplayed, thinking you could do the same s*** in the semi finals as you did earlier. Did it occur to you that you were being watched? Especially by other trainers in the tournament," Sergei ranted,

"You've done some good with your team kid, you got talent for this stuff but you're not going to be able to just overpower everyone in your path, you need to think out there, your Pokemon are relying on you. Can't have your opponents making you look like the big dumb hick that you are, surprise 'em a little."

Guess Sergei wasn't going to go easy on Clint, who made a motion with his hands hinting that he wanted Sergei to hand him the flask again. Sergei obliged, and Clint took another drink.

"Well what now, I ain't staying to watch the finals."

"If you could swallow your pride it might not be the worst thing in the world, but if you're not in the mood, you could go pack your stuff up, get ready for the road again. It's quite the trek to Lavaridge, and I think you could use some time out of the city," Sergei continued the lecture.

"Some fresh air wouldn't hurt, now that you bring it up," Clint replied, shocked that he's spent almost a week in the nightmarish hell-scape that some people call a major city.

"Exactly, it'll do you some good, clear your head up," Sergei said,

"Also, this isn't the worst thing to happen in the world, you got some good battle experience in, people took notice of your existence, you learned a thing or two, hopefully and you walked out of there $10,000 richer, there's worse ways to spend a weekend kid."

Guess it wasn't all bad for Clint.

"Good point."

"What about the Gym around here? Got busy prepping for the tourney, never got a chance to battle the leader."

"I mean go ahead, but trust me you're not going to like the set-up," Sergei replied.

"I don't like much of any set-up around here," Clint retorted.

"Hah, fair enough kid, well I don't have all the answers, you figure out what you want to do, we'll keep in touch."

"Keep in touch? what you got plans already," Clint asked.

"Yup, on my way to Slateport tomorrow, got a few errands to run down there, but I'll run into you again at some point kid."

"Well then, thanks for everything Sergei, see ya later."

Clint and Sergei went their seperate ways, Clint definitely felt better after talking to Sergei, or maybe that was the booze, most likely a combination of both. Clint figured his next move, that Gym was open late in the night according to Zoe, so Clint hatched his next plan. Time to hit the Pokemon center, Clint had work to do.

F*** feeling sorry for yourself, you're going for that badge tonight.

-Clint won $10,000 from his semi-final appearance in the Winstrate Cup!

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|Bullet Seed

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

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

$38,500
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:

Juno · Dec 12, 2022

6-3: "Friendly" Fire

🌱 Verdanturf Parkway 🕙 Wed. Oct. 7th, Noon

To match her two on the field, Avery tosses out a scratched up and worn Poke Ball that looks like it's practically held together by the fire-shaped stickers adorning it, and his next Pokémon steps out amidst the flashy smoke-and-flame holograms.

Marcella always thought Shortcake was ridiculously named, but Avery argues she was small when she earned the moniker, even though her days as a Torchic were extremely limited under his training. Still, as the Blaziken towers over her team now, she can't help but remember what a menace this thing can be. True to her typing, Shortcake is hotheaded and always ready to fight. Marcella wonders if that's what evolving too quickly does to one's temperament, or if she was just always destined to be an asshole.

"Ready?" Avery asks, pulling her out of her fond memories of the Blaziken. Marcella nods.

And they begin.

"Okay! Jade, let's—" But before she's able to say anything more, she's distracted by Bijou, who draws in close to Meringue for a Sucker Punch. Once. Twice. Marcella can tell she is lunging at her hard, but both attempts fail to surprise her target as the idle Whimsicott deftly dodges her attacks, glancing back at Avery for instructions. "It's okay," He murmurs, letting it play out.

"Bijou! You have to listen to me!" Marcella calls out, but her words fall on deaf ears. Her moves require some tactical timing that she doesn't yet have the experience to pull off on her own. She, too, looks to her brother exasperatedly for advice, and between his own Pokémon and sister, his reaction is a little delayed. "Uh—"

He's able to make a decision a moment later, and it seems he is deliberately giving them an in. As the sunlight fades away, he calls out to Meringue.

"Okay, start charging up for a Solar Beam. It's alright," He tells her gently when she gives him a 'really?' kind of look.

As the Whimsicott closes her eyes and focuses—harder than she would have had to in brighter sunlight—Marcella kneels down next to her Purrloin. "Bijou, you have to wait. Remember? Catch them off guard when they're preparing an attack. Hone your claws first."

Her tail flicks, but she obeys.

"You have to make sure they don't see it coming, right?" She continue patiently, petting her with a smile. She glances back Meringue, still in deep concentration. "Okay, now Sucker Punch."

As the Purrloin bounds forward, though, both Marcella and her brother are suddenly reminded that not everybody got the memo about this training session's purpose, and Shortcake instinctively flings herself at Bijou to protect her vulnerable partner.

"Shorty, don't—" Avery steps forward a second too late, and Bijou goes flying.

"Bijou!" Marcella calls out, but the Purrloin rights herself exceptionally quickly. "Come here," she beckons. Bijou looks back at her briefly, before disobeying and taking a step forward. She hisses at the Blaziken, which seems to invite her to ready another attack.

"No—!" Marcella gasps. She rushes towards her, but Avery grabs her wrist. "Marcie, don't be stupid, you can't take Close Combat. Shortcake, stop!"

And then, amidst the chaos, a pink berry soars through the air. The Persim Berry Jade had pocketed. She'd hurled it at Shortcake, and the bird squawks in surprise as it bursts, entombing her with Ground-type energy.

Marcella breathes out; Jade's stunt stalls her enough to halt the assault, and Avery swiftly lets go of Marcella's wrist, waving his arms in the air to catch his Blaziken's attention. "Shortcake, we're not battling battling—" She hears him say as she drops down by Bijou's side.

"Baby, what's gotten into you lately?" She coos, gently picking her up. "That was very reckless. I'm glad you want to battle, but we're a team—you have to listen to me. I know I'm not the best trainer, but—" Bijou meows softly, almost as if in protest to that. Marcella smiles, hugging her close.

"And you—" She shifts the Pokémon around and picks up Jade too, so that she has one in each arm and they are both on her lap. "That was really great thinking, Jade. Saved the day, and that was so cool. Oh, I can't wait to do more with that Natural Gift thing! Good thing she was around, huh, Bijou?" She beams at the Petilil, but when she turns to Bijou, she's only met with a steely gaze. She holds eye contact for a moment, before turning away from the little green Pokémon on her trainer's lap.

"Oh. Um," The sullen reaction throws Marcella off guard. "Anyway, do we want to take a break, or—?" But the Purrloin leaps off her lap, scampering back onto the field.

"Right, let's keep going, then." Marcella breathes.

When they reunite with Avery and his team, Shortcake is sitting off to the side with her arms crossed, sulking a little and clearly having been reprimanded. Pudding has replaced her on the field; the Azumarill bounces merrily as he regards the Purrloin and Petilil in front of him. "I know what you said, but—you know," Avery smiles apologetically. "But it's two-on-two anyway, so this is more fair, all things considered."

"Oh. Yeah, that's fine," She responds, head hanging low. It was dumb of her to ask him not to hold back and expect her Pokémon to not get hurt like that. Avery doesn't have a single Pokémon, regardless of typing, that can't flatten her team if they tried.

But she has to pay attention now to prevent that from happening again.

With no instructions from Avery other than to "play nice", Pudding and Meringue are given free reign to train with Marcella as he supervises. They are not as cutthroat and are willing to be patient with her less experienced Pokémon, but even in their lighthearted and self-directed battling, they can be a little tricky. Marcella witnesses the Whimsicott's Switcheroo, where she vaults over Bijou's head and snatches her Safety Goggles off her, replacing it with her own Miracle Seed necklace before sticking out her tongue and sprinkling a handful of Poison Powder her way.

She decides to direct Bijou to attack Pudding, while Jade uses Growth. Marcella had forgotten about Pudding's dual-typing, though—the Azumarill begins to target Bijou with his own Play Rough, which could be quite dangerous for her, but the Purrloin kicks up a Sand Attack into his face and he misses, thankfully.

She's able to get Jade to direct a barrage of Magical Leaves at him after that, but the Fairy-type attack could still be a problem for them, and she wants to do something about that. "Bijou, Torment! And Jade—" She turns to the Petilil to call out a command, only to see her acting on her own, proactively throwing an Occa Berry at Meringue. "That's—that's right! Great job." She's pleasantly surprised by how intuitive Jade is, despite how little 'proper' training she's had.

It's a stark contrast to Bijou, who'd only been staring at Jade since the Occa Berry burst into flames as it made contact with the Whimsicott. She's not listening. "Bijou, what are you doing? I said Torment!"

The lull in action from her gives Pudding an opening, and he's running towards her; even if she uses Torment now it would be too late. They have to do something else. "Jade, Sleep Powder!" Marcella calls out, and the Petilil springs into action, diving between the Azumarill and her partner to throw the dust at him. He slows to a halt just in time, falling over at their feet, fast asleep.

"Yes, Jade—good work!" Marcella sighs with relief as the Petilil runs over to her, holding up a hand. Oh, great. She must have picked that up from watching Avery do that earlier. But she did well, and Marcella obliges, giving her the tiny high-five she wanted.

"Bijou, come on! What's going on?" She shakes her head at the Purrloin. "That's twice she's saved you from your carelessness today. If Jade didn't—"

Her sentiment is cut short as she notices the Dark energy swirling around the Purrloin, much like it does when she uses Torment. But she's looking directly at Jade, skulking over to where the Petilil is standing. It almost looks like she's targeting her.

She can't be, though.

But she is. She's targeting Jade. Consciously, purposely, and seemingly with none of the more lighthearted spirit the rest of their battle had up until this point.

Jade looks confused too, glancing between their trainer and the Purrloin approaching her. Backing away, she's not able to defend herself and she stands, stunned, as Bijou lurches forward and rakes down the small Petilil's face with sharp claws, causing her to stagger back. It all happens so fast, so unexpectedly, that Marcella doesn't know what to do.

It's quiet for a second, then the Petilil's expression crumples. And now Jade is crying on the field. No, she's bawling.

All eyes turn in their direction, and Avery makes his way over to her side. "Hey, is everything okay—oh. Lotta tears today, huh? Okay, back up, back up."

Meringue and Shortcake crowd around her to see what's stopped the battle, and Avery ushers them back, kneeling down to inspect Jade.

"Well it doesn't look like it hurt that much, Pokémon can take a lot." He assesses. "Maybe it's just the shock of being attacked by her teammate, or—"

Still bawling, Jade holds out her hands, and Marcella sees her clutching half of a leaf. She turns her around to find where it came from, and sure enough, she see one of the shiny, green leaves on her head is torn.

If humans take pride in their hair, it would seem this is the closest thing to that for the Petilil. And if there's one thing she knows about Jade, it's that she can be a little vain, too. Marcella can empathize.

"Oh—oh dear. It's okay. The leaf will grow back," She reassures her, picking her up. "We'll snip it off a bit more cleanly at the contest venue—like pruning a plant, right? It will grow back greener and more beautiful, I promise."

The crying tapers off as she gently rocks her in her arms with more quiet reassurances, and when she's settled, Marcella lets her back down. "Okay, go sit with them for a bit, I'm going to check in on Bijou." Jade glances nervously at the Purrloin before fleeing to Meringue and taking her hand.

Taking a deep breath, she waits until everyone else has followed Avery off the field, and sits down next to the Purrloin. "Okay, Bijou, what is going on?" Marcella demands sternly.

She, of course, does not expect her to communicate whatever it is she's feeling to her through words, but what Bijou does is also not what she was expecting. She simply climbs onto Marcella's lap, paws tucked defensively under her body as she stares intently at the ground.

She'd wanted to yell at her, scold her for disobeying, for attacking Jade for no reason. But in this moment, she doesn't see an unruly battle partner, but a pet that just wants to be held. Marcella exhales, and she just sits quietly, petting the Purrloin and unsure of what to do, what to say, or what brought this on.

She supposes it could be jealousy, but why now? What specifically about the newest addition to her team seems to threaten Bijou like this?

It's not not important, but she thinks the complex feelings she might be having about Jade right now demands more time than she has at the moment. And after a few minutes of pondering, she checks her phone. "Oh, honey, I don't have time to figure this out right now, but we will talk about this after the contest, okay? We have to prepare."

Bijou doesn't budge. Marcella picks her up and slings her over her shoulder. "I need to get Pearly out here to practice her and Jade's routine, too." She explains softly as she hauls the Purrloin off the field. "We will talk more after the contest," she promises again.

Occa Berry x1 burnt to a crisp.

Party

BIJOU
Purrloin, F

Ability: Prankster

Sucker Punch
Fake Out
Sand Attack
Play Rough
Torment
Hone Claws

PEARLY
Clamperl, F

Ability: Rattled

Clamp
Water Gun
Whirlpool
Iron Defense
Scald
-----

MIDAS
Meowth, M

Ability: Technician

Pay Day
Scratch
Growl
Feint
Fake Out
-----

JADE
Petilil, F

Ability: Leaf Guard

Magical Leaf
Natural Gift
Sleep Powder
Growth
Mega Drain

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
4-6: A Quiet Day
4-7: Long Road Ahead
4-8: Observations

CHAPTER 5: YOU'LL NEVER KNOW IF YOU DON'T GO

5-1: A Crossroads
5-2: Lurker
5-3: Peace Offering
5-4: Loophole
5-5: Recharge
5-6: A Quick Detour
5-7: Shining, Shimmering, Splendid

CHAPTER 6: SHINE AND GLOW

6-1: Avery
6-2: Botany
6-3: "Friendly" Fire

Inventory

WALLET: ₽5,950

KEY ITEMS

Fanclub Membership Card (Annual)

Contest Pass

HELD ITEMS

Silk Scarf (

)

Safety Goggles (

)

Bright Powder (

)

Quick Claw

Wave Incense

EVOLUTION ITEMS

"Battery Pack"

TMs/TRs

TM Toxic

CONSUMABLES

Luxury Balls x 3

Quick Balls x 2

Net Balls x 5

Poké Balls x 8

Lum Berry x 2

Razz Berry x 2

Sitrus Berry

Oran Berry x 8

Occa Berry x 5 (-1)

Yache Berry x 9

Honey (¾ of jar left)

MISC. GEAR

Medium-sized leather suitcase of clothes
Rotom Phone (Sky Blue)
Family-sized tent
Inflatable mattress
Inflatable stools x 2
Electric air pump
Binoculars
Small lidded pot
Fabric glue

Trainer Info

Badges

Aquacorde · Dec 12, 2022

Marie Rachelle Mocinno

Knuckle, Dell

₽36,000

Monday Oct 12, Afternoon

Mauville

Chapter 6 #10 - A Calling

"Marie!" "...Marie?" "Why are you in Dad's phone?"

"Why are you calling random people in your father's phone? That may be the better question," Marie sniffs.

"Because we're bored!" "She's bored." "And you're boring. I wouldn't be calling people if you were entertaining me!" "Is that my job? I'm reading." "B-o-r-i-n-g."

Marie pinches the bridge of her nose. "Where is your father?"

"Doing dishes!" "Sparring with Reed." "Wait, he's still sparring with Reed?" "Yeah, I can hear them outside." "Aw, I wanna watch!"

"Go watch, then, and stop bothering me." Marie snips. A pair of preteens chattering her ear off was not what she expected when she picked up a call allegedly from Brawly. Not that she had known what to expect. Why would a gym leader call her out of the blue at all? The only thing they may have seen her do is embarrass herself at the Up-And-Coming tournament.

"We can't, we're banned," Girl-Alex sighs a rush of static down the line. "Someone was providing too much commentary." Boy-Alex, further away but still audible, lets out a yelp as something goes thunk. "Yeah, it was you, you little rat! Got us banned from spectating for three days this time!" "It's not my fault Dad's in a mood!" "You know he gets all gloomy when Mom leaves!"

Marie lets the twins bicker on speakerphone as she sits in front of the mirror and tames her usually-manageable hair. Jumping between extreme temperatures and humidity levels while working at SkyPark hadn't done it any favors, but the thick, rolling humidity starting to envelop Mauville is the main culprit behind unreasonable frizz. Even the weight of her hair at this length isn't enough to keep it in check and so she resorts to working a light oil into the strands and twisting each half into braids along the side of her head and behind her ears, tied with thin vermilion ribbons just above each shoulder.

It's better.

The other end of the line has devolved into the sounds of physical sparring, and the tinny echo of a PokéBall release is distinct even through the questionable audio quality.

"That's cheating," she says vaguely, as Boy-Alex yells the same with added indingance.

"Oh, I forgot to hang up on you," Girl-Alex returns to the phone somewhat breathlessly while her brother shouts in the background. "Do you need something?"

Marie hums, mind racing to somehow rescue Boy-Alex out of a clear predicament even from halfway across the region. "Training advice?"

"Ooh!!" "Did she say training advice? Let me go, c'mon!" "Yeah, fine, drop 'im." A thump means mission accomplished. Marie pats her finished braids and tries to think of questions she could have.

Well, there's a lot of them.

"How do I know what moves to teach a Pokémon?" is the first thing that comes to mind; she knows well how to use at least three of Tuie's and has an inkling of how the rest can be helpful. But are they ones she should keep, that is the question, and it's not as if she's given any particular thought to her other Pokémon's moves. They've just had what they've had and learned some things as they went- on accident, primarily.

The Alexes make noises of understanding, finally at the same volume.

"It's up to you, really," Boy-Alex muses. Marie's dissatisfied noise forces more elaboration. "It's about what you want to do. Like that Jordie person, they know what they want to do- all their Pokémon make use of really low speed."

Oh, so they had watched the tournament. Gross.

"Yeah, I bet they thought about that when they caught 'em all!" Girl-Alex chimes in. "That's high-level stuff usually. Most people we see in there just catch what they like."

Oh, they watch it religiously. Double gross.

"Well, what do normal people do, then?"

Some hurried discussion about whether the twins count as 'normal' occupies the line, with a conclusion of 'no'. "I guess they see what their Pokémon do well- what the species lends itself to and what works well within their team." Boy-Alex is ultimately the more helpful of the two. "For someone who, um, hasn't studied Pokémon very much, it might be best to focus on making sure you have well-rounded individuals."

"But Hoenn is the land of doubles!" Girl-Alex counters. "Everybody has teams that work in pairs. You even pulled off a good triple battle already! Don't waste that!"

"Waste what?"

"Talent!" There's some kind of smack sound, as if Girl-Alex has punched the palm of her hand for emphasis. "You're not that good still, but you held your own in a triple battle against your second gym leader! I mean, yeah, it's Dad, but that doesn't mean you weren't pulling combos outta a bunch of new Pokémon!"

Talent?

Marie stares blankly at her own reflection, only half an ear tuned to the squabbling discussion on the merits of individual versus team set building. Her journey thus far has been about work, about learning and doing and making ever so incremental progress, about fighting for every foothold to drag herself to the level of her peers and not once, not once did she ever consider that maybe, just maybe, she might have an affinity for any aspect of this endeavor. And still, she is almost inclined to brush off such a statement as it comes from a pair of twelve-year olds- the instinct to discredit them purely for their age is strong. But these are not just any preteens, spouting mouths off with overly dramatic language. These are the children of a gym leader and battle fanatics in their own right; they've likely been studying battle strategy straight out of the womb. Their words, in this instance, hold weight. And Marie is going to hold them precious for some time.

Meanwhile, a consensus has been reached.

"You have to make sure they're individually capable," Boy-Alex emphasizes. "But some of their moves can be allocated to support or team combos."

"Yeah, you have six of 'em on each! That's plenty to work with!"

"You could start by thinking of things your team could achieve together with the moves they already have. You did that pretty well on the fly, but some thought would help." A much deeper, jovial voice enters the conversation and the Alexes shriek in tandem.

"Ah- good afternoon, Leader Brawly."

"Good afternoon, Marie!" Brawly laughs. The chattering complaints of the Alexes decline in volume as Marie hears the switch from speakerphone to handheld. "Sorry about the kids."

"No, um, they're no problem at all. Actually quite helpful." She's a little off-balance, suddenly, having Brawly's ear entirely to herself. "They know more than I do, at least."

"Don't sell yourself short, kiddo. You're experiencing trial by fire, and that's a recipe for learning a lot of stuff in no time at all. As much as these two have absorbed so far, there's not a lot they've been able to put into practice."

"And whose rules are those?!"

Brawly shushes his children. "That's neither here nor there. Point is- practical application has a lot of value. Keep on doing! But between you and me, dude-" the gym leader's voice lowers and the background echo is muffled, perhaps by a hand cupped over the microphone. "-they're on the right track. Your team is a team. Even trainers who prefer solo formats view the team as a whole, and have moves that will set up an advantage for other members of the team. Weather to strengthen each others' moves, Baton Pass to send built-up energy on, Trick Room to make slow partners faster- they all end up working together as a whole. It's easier to see it in real-time through multi-battles, which- seems like you liked 'em, and were figuring 'em out pretty good. I don't know how much you've been following up on that, but I'd say keep on it! Hoenn is the land of doubles, after all!"

A fleeting smile appears in the mirror at Brawly's unintentional echo of Alex. "I'll keep that in mind."

Brawly ends the call shortly, off to deliver some sort of menial punishment to his youngest children, but assures Marie she is free to call, text, "or babysit? Just a thought-" any time. Isn't that strange? She hadn't thought it, in her brash request to exchange phone numbers, but to have a person of high status and extensive experience in the field take note of her, be social with her, invite her to babysit his children- isn't that overly friendly? Nothing about Brawly as a person says he should be more reserved, but as a gym leader…

But Hoenn is a friendly region, isn't it? And being a trainer is often accompanied by a complete lack of decorum in any case, as tends to happen when your formative experience in the profession is one of wild forays into the wilderness. Young trainers are generally quick to bond, she thinks, like Sunny and Edison, and Junko and Avril- like Wally and May and Brendan, generations ago- and perhaps that carries over to their adulthood, with Brawly adopting random kids and Brendan encouraging any level of research that a trainer is capable of and Wally stepping into the role of a mentor for a person he'd just run into on the street. Perhaps trainers are the catalyst for this instinctive support of each other that seems to permeate Hoenn- Hoenn, one of the top regions for Pokémon training in the world. It could potentially be a cultural thing, couldn't it? Just another of the many to acclimate to.

But in the meantime, she'll need to acclimate to multi-battles.

Talent, huh?

Spoiler: Team

Spoiler: Inventory

Spoiler: Contacts

WizardOfOdd · Dec 12, 2022

Arthur Weissmann
Location: Winstrate Stadium, Winstrate Estate
Sunday, October 11th
Afternoon

Chapter 6 - 7
Go Big or Go Home
Part 5

Despite the faint noise of percussion coming from the outside sparking a brief imagination of how he would enjoy listening to the ensemble with his loved ones as most people would. For Arthur, this was nothing but a distraction at the moment. After all, he had a tournament to win in less than 30 minutes, and failure was definitely out of the question after all the effort he had poured. So with a resigned smile painted over his face, he sent out a message to his mentor telling the latter that he was going to start preparing the finishing touch to the winning plan he had concocted since the very first day he had set foot on Mauville.

With a deep sigh, the boy wearing the red dress shirt leaned back his head to the wall and closed his eyes for a moment to rest. It was clear from the fatigue he felt, the burden that came from his unquenchable desire to win had weighed him more than he initially imagined it would, no matter how much he had convinced himself that it was okay to lose, especially now that he was one step away from winning the ₽300,000 that could be pivotal to propel his way to be the greatest trainer anyone had ever seen.

That money was something he need– No, he must win, no matter what. After all, becoming a trainer doesn't require a lot of money, but to be among the greatest that had ever graced the field, pure effort, and dedication to master the craft alone wasn't enough to push you to that level. After all, dedication alone wouldn't pay for the TMs, held items, and berries you'd need to progress far, you'll need cold hard cash for that. Something that the bespectacled boy was painfully aware of even before he reached the tender age of seven.

Feeling that his eyes were getting heavy, Arthur slapped the right side of his cheek as hard as he could, not only causing his cheek to turn red, but also causing one of the female staff to look his way before lowering her head and rushing outside, perhaps because she felt awkward, or perhaps it was just his imagination and she did have to go outside. Either way, it was an embarrassing moment for sure.

But he had no time to dwell on such things, not now. Time waits for no one, and the more he let the time tick down not doing anything, the less chance he had of gripping the victory firmly in his hand.

So he projected the screen of his Holotch for better viewing. Inside the device contained the fruits of his labor last night, everything that he thought was essential for him to clinch his victory.

His opponent's usage of Pokemon, their moveset, how they won each and every matchup, and even how his opponent reacted to certain moments that he thought were noteworthy to record was all there inside the device, and that wasn't the end of his preparation, far from it. Because it wasn't the only thing that was contained inside the sleek black Holotch Arthur had, as from distilling and analyzing the data he had obtained, he had meticulously designed the best strategy he could to ensure that the victory would be his. Of course, he even had several plans up his sleeves just in case that the implementation of his strategy had gone awry one way or another, that's just par of the course.

Was it excessive? Perhaps. But considering what was at stake, Arthur was sure that it was worth a shot, even after facing several laughs and criticism that was addressed to him by those who felt that his methods were dumb during his training at the Mauville Gym. Besides, what better way to shut them up other than to show them the fruits of his effort?

After Arthur had skimmed over the details of the plans and made sure that none of the details were left unaccounted for, now for the next part, was time for him to rebrief his Pokemon to make sure that they still remembered what to do when certain situations came up during the battle. And that would've been a simple task to do, at least if he didn't feel a sudden pain in his head.

Arthur couldn't help but have the urge to scream while dropping to one knee as he felt that the throbbing pain inside his head, so much so, that he wouldn't be surprised if his head blew up at any moment.

With his trembling right hand, he reached out toward the front pocket of his bag where an old friend of his resided, a single strip of tablets containing 500 milligrams of Mefenamic Acid. It is a type of painkiller that Arthur really liked, mostly because it wouldn't take long for the effect to work, usually 5-10 minutes after drinking from his experience ingesting it when he felt headache during his time pulling all-nighters to study.

As Arthur desperately drank the water inside the bottle he had put on the side of his bag after ingesting the painkiller, he couldn't help but have thoughts about what had really caused the throbbing pain. He had carefully adjusted his schedule to prevent things like this from happening, six hours of sleep should've been plenty enough in this kind of situation. It's not like he overdid his training too, he had done much worse during his time enrolling in Mahono.

But there was nothing he could do but lean back his head and constantly take deep breaths to alleviate the pain. There was no need to alert the attendants about his condition, after all, the medicine should be good enough to sustain him at least until the final battle ended so there was no need to kick up some fuss just because of the slight issue he had. And just after five minutes had passed, it seemed that it was most likely going to be the case as his head felt light once more as if the throbbing pain never happened in the first place.

From the boy's belt, he pulled four Pokeballs of the ones he trusted had the best chance to win. He couldn't help but feel grateful that his Pokemon wasn't there to see what had happened earlier since distraction was the last thing they needed in their collaborative effort to bring the title of Winstrate Cup Winner away with them. The boy in red didn't skip a beat and continued to brief his Pokemon as if nothing ever happened in the first place.

He had to be strong, he had to be brave, as he and his Pokemon had squeezed every single blood, sweat, and tears that they could muster all in the preparation for this very moment. For nine long days they have persevered, now they were one foot away from tasting the sweet taste of victory, and Arthur would do everything in his power to make sure that no one would be able to stand in their way to prevent them from tasting it.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Party

Braveheart (Metang) (-) | Ability: Clear Body | Confusion, ???, ???, Metal Claw, Zen Headbutt, ???

Hunter (Noctowl) (Male) | Ability: Insomnia | Hypnosis, Ally Switch, Air Slash, Confusion, Psycho Shift, Wing Attack

Muchorin (Darumaka) (Male) | Ability: Hustle | Rollout, Incinerate, Taunt, Work Up, ???, Fire Punch

Kaplan (Wingull) (Male) | Ability: Hydration | Quick Attack, Air Cutter, Icy Wind, Supersonic, ???, Water Pulse

Nero (Inkay) (Male) | Ability: Contrary | Topsy-Turvy, ???, Swagger, Night Slash, Destiny Bond, Taunt

Tempest (Seedot) (Male) | Ability: Chlorophyll | Harden, Rollout, Absorb, Payback, Bide, Growth

Egg (Cutiefly) (???) | Ability: ??? | ???

Inventory

Money: ₽14.560

Badges

Knuckle Badge

Balance Badge
Dell Badge

Evo Items

Water Stone x 1

Held Item

Eviolite x 1

Safety Goggles x 1

Silk Scarf x 1

Twisted Spoon x 1

TM/TR

Taunt

Bulk Up

Sand Tomb

Attract

Ally Switch

???

Consumables

Ability Capsule

Other Items

Dome Fossil

QueenNothing · Dec 13, 2022

Junko "June" Enomoto

Friday, October 9th
Evening
Mauville City

"That was some first round, eh Junko?" Tetsuo asks while still chewing his food to the varying disgust of everyone else at the table. To celebrate June's victory, Tetsuo had taken his family out to Mauville's oldest sushi restaurant, his treat! And as much as she dearly appreciates it, Tetsuo demonstrating his lack of table manners sure makes him harder to defend from her aunt who already wasn't too keen on him.

"Um, indeed." June nods, making sure to properly chew her food before speaking. "I caught a glimpse of the other battles myself and it sure seems it'll be a challenge."

"Yeahh, there were some real tough kids out there. And a lot of birds, for some reason…"

"Who were some trainers that stood out to you Junko?" Giorgia asks, eager to converse with her niece.

"I suppose the few I know myself did- Edison is someone I've recently made friends with. His opponent was quite tricky, but I'd say he managed quite well. Then there was Marie, who I also know, umm…" It's at this point that June's cheeks start to redden. "Well, the way she was able to take out all three of her opponent's Pokemon with such ease was impressive to say the least. I don't think I could expect any less of her… um, there was another girl too, though I don't know her- I believe her name was Alice? The way she was able to command her Larvesta was, well I wasn't even aware Larvesta could move like that! The amount of skill she and knowledge she must possess about the Larvesta line must be vast, and-"

"Slow down there missie!" Akira laughs. "I don't think Avril would be too happy 'bout ya gettin' all blushy over other ladies."

"Um, yeah. Avril. Ehehehe…"

"Heh. Young love." Akira chuckles to herself. "But speakin' of other trainers though... I gotta say that Sora fella ya went up against was so damn rude! Treatin' ya like garbage for no good reason, how terrible! Good thing ya taught him a lesson! That boy was a real piece of work, I tell ya what!"

Tetsuo gives a half-hearted shrug. "Yeah, he was pretty obnoxious. But I dunno if I'd go as far as calling 'em a bad person or anything, I mean he is just a kid. Boy probably needed some adults in his life to give him some guidance."

"Of course you'd take the side of the nasty boy." Akira scoffs. Tetsuo rolls his eyes with resentment and now June can't ignore the piercing tension at the table no matter how hard she tries. "Shoulda expected no less from the one who still defends Junichi."

"Not this shit again…" Tetsuo furiously shovels sushi pieces into his mouth. "I take you out for dinner, which isn't cheap by the way, and this is the thanks I get?"

"Boy, don't you try n' play innocent after what you did!" Akira slams her hands onto the table, diving straight for the heart of the issue. "You've been dancin' all over ma's grave like a Ludicolo on a stormy day!"

"I mean…" Tetsuo shivers as he realizes what he's done. "I'm just sayin' its probably not a great idea to complain about how horrible of a person Junko's dad is when she's literally sitting here."

"Don't give me that!" She bolts out of her seat, her frame like a boulder. "I ain't lettin' ya off easy again!"

June looks to Giorgira while she rubs her temple. They've become the center of attention, and all the eyes of the patrons and employees alike are glued to the conflict. Giorgia couldn't be more embarrassed when she notices the timid server cautiously approaching them, no doubt here to give them a warning if not straight-up kick them out.

"Excuse me, could we get a box for leftovers please?"

Now that Tetsuo and Akira were outside the establishment, there was nothing holding them back from engaging in a shouting match. Though realistically it was more like Tetsuo was cowering in fear while being endlessly assaulted by Akira's words. Giorgia felt the need to step outside to keep Akira under control and June, not wanting to be alone in the sushi restaurant, hesitantly followed. At times during the argument she considered leaving without so much as saying a word, but stayed around in the hopes Giorgia could do something to solve this conflict.

Akira's yelling wasn't anything new. It was all about the same couple of actions Tetsuo did she wasn't fond of, as if that was something that needed reiterating. But Tetsuo could only take so much abuse, and once he became tired of the berating he used every muscle in his scrawny body to stand up to her.

"...Do ya have any idea how much blood, sweat and tears ma put into the conservatory? You should be darn ashamed of yerself!"

"Holy shit, I get it already!" Tetsuo snaps and flails his arms with each word for emphasis. Everyone, even Akira, flinches. Her baby brother was never known for asserting himself and it sinks in how much she pushed him if he got to this point.

"For fuck's sake, it's been three fucking years! 'Oh, do you have any idea how upset mom would be?'" He mockingly pleads in a high-pitched voice before sneering in disgust. "Yeah, because you fucks wouldn't shut the fuck up about it already! My entire family estranged me because of this, every single one of them except Junko! How do you think I feel? How do you think it feels to have your career forcefully put on-hold for fuck knows how long because my family is basically holding a gun to my head and telling me to take over the conservatory I don't care about? And Arceus forbid I try to make a living off it after needing to quit my previous job! You should consider yourselves fucking lucky I didn't sell the damn place- it'd sure as hell would make my life easier! But I was considerate enough to keep it in the family, and what do I get? Nothing but shit from all of you guys! You know, I used to be adored as the baby of the family. Hayato and Junichi would play video games with me, Yu taught me about Pokemon, Mikochi was like a second mother to me, and hell, even you would have fun playing games with me when I was little! But all those memories apparently mean jack shit to you all- Oh, but I'm the bad guy! Oh go fuck yourselves!!! Arceus almighty!"

June and Akira stand frozen from shock as Tetsuo aggressively hyperventilates after finally unleashing three years of pent-up frustration. Giorgia, who had stepped closer to him during his rant, gently rubs his back. "Are you done dear?"

A few more unsteady wheezes escape from his mouth. "Yeah… yeah, I think I'm done."

Giorgia smiles before looking back to Akira to give her a face of "I'm not mad, just disappointed."

"Tetsuo has a point, Akira. Even if you don't like his decision, that doesn't give you a right to treat him poorly."

"Ain't that easy for you to say!" Akira yells. "You ain't got no idea how much that conservatory meant to ma, no, to the entire gosh darn family!"

"Not firsthand, I don't. But based on how worked up the subject gets you, I feel confident in saying I have an idea of how much this means to your family."

"I…" Tetsuo pants. "I'm gonna go back to my hotel…"

"Rest easy! Arrivederci!" Giorgia waves as he walks off. As much as June is a tad bit upset about his departure on short notice, she doesn't hold it against him at all. In fact, she thinks she'll do the same. Witnessing this all, even with little direct involvement, has felt so uncomfortable, so disturbing almost, with all the insults being flung around about family members she loves. Even with the worst likely out of the way, she can't take the pressing atmosphere anymore. So after a very brief goodbye, she heads straight to the Pokemon Center and prays to whatever higher power there is that this can all be forgotten.

But even as naive as she is, June has a feeling it won't be that easy.

🐞 June's Party 🐞

0
Debt remaining:

885,508

Spoiler:

Juno · Dec 15, 2022

6-4: Round One, Take Two

🏅 Mauville Contest Hall 🕙 Wed. Oct. 7th, 3:30 pm

Marcella swindles her brother into taking her shopping for a few last-minute props before they arrive at the venue, stopping at an arts supplies store and a cookware shop first. They're supposed to separate into their respective contestant and audience seating areas at the contest hall, but Avery sneaks backstage to keep her company until the show starts.

"'PokéChef' kinda sounds like you're cooking the Pokémon, by the way." Avery comments as he looks over her shoulder.

"No, it doesn't." Marcella snaps at her brother as she puts finishing touches on the sign she's prepared for the third and most important round. "…It's a working title. I'm on to something here, I know it. It's gonna be great. Okay, get—get out of here, I think we're starting soon. You want a front row seat to my victory, don't you?"

"Everyone's getting a front row seat—it's a D-rank contest, only parents and siblings are gonna be watching."

"Elitist." Marcella sniffs.

"That's not even what that means."

"Rankist."

Avery rolls his eyes, standing up. "Yeah, yeah, I'm going. Good luck out there."

.•° ✿ °•.

She's given a pretty early number this time, and they are on stage for their first round after only two other contestants. She flashes a smile at the crowd and judges as the MC introduces her, bringing both of her Pokémon to the center of the stage—Jade on one shoulder, her bag on the other, and Pearly in her arms. The Clamperl is very heavy, but she keeps smiling through gritted teeth, walking as gracefully as she can into the spotlight.

She knows she could just carry both of them in their Luxury Balls, but it's probably better for their nerves if they are not just suddenly thrust onto stage; she wants them both to be able to acclimate to the contest setting and she figures it's better that they are out for the whole process.

As she gently sets the Clamperl down, Jade hops off her shoulder and Marcella quickly reaches into her bag, setting down the five clear glasses she'd bought with Avery earlier in front of Pearly, then handing Jade two spoons. She curtseys before retreating to the back of the stage, letting her Pokémon take the spotlight completely.

And then it's quiet.

Pearly… come on. Marcella exhales nervously, hoping the Clamperl doesn't freeze up. But after a beat of silence, she launches into action. Their routine is a little slow to start, as Pearly aims her Water Gun into the five glasses in front of her, carefully filling them up to the varying levels Marcella had marked out on them backstage. And then Jade steps up. A simple melody rings out loud and clear as she starts playing the tune Marcella had taught her by tapping the spoons against the glasses.

There's a few polite ooh's from the crowd as the notes chime and echo through the quiet hall, but nobody's thoroughly impressed by just half the routine yet. As she hits the high note, though, she lets it ring out for a moment in a dramatic pause, before giving the crowd a flashy spin in her dress and letting loose a barrage of Magical Leaves.

The colourful, glowing foliage swirls around them, rotating between the various floral shapes they'd practiced together on Route 110. And then Jade directs a single blade of leaf right at Pearly before picking her spoons back up to continue playing her song. The Clamperl catches the blade on cue with her two front appendages and holds it to her mouth, playing it like a whistle in harmony with her partner's tune.

The crowd gets a bit livelier as the two Pokémon play their 'instruments' together, and as the song draws to an end, it's up to Jade to close out their routine. Her Magical Leaf freezes in the shape of a flower over the stage, and then she directs all the leaves back at her and Pearly. The two gather as many of the petals as they can, arranging them into three small, glowing bouquets. And then Jade hesitates.

She turns back to look at Marcella, who nods back encouragingly at her. 'Go on!' She mouths. The Petilil's cheeks redden, but she does as they planned, bringing the bouquets up to the judge's table.

Delighted chuckles and awws sound out from the crowd as the shy Petilil climbs up and presents each judge with a "bouquet", which, next to a grown human is really more of the size of a boutonnière, but they each graciously accept it all the same with wide smiles.

"Thank you, Jade! And thank you, Pearly and Miss MacMillan, that was a very cute routine." One of the judges lean over her mic to address her over the applause as Jade clambers back on stage and up Marcella's shoulder. "We look forward to seeing you in the next rounds."

"Thank you!" Marcella beams as she rounds up her props and Pokémon before exiting the stage. She squeals once they are backstage and reunited back with Midas and Bijou, who are still lounging in the armchair she'd left them. "Oh, that went so well! You two did great out there. See? Not scary, right?" The flush in Jade's cheeks had left, and she smiles back through her eyes.

Placing Pearly down next to them, she scoots her two feline Pokémon over to make room for herself on the chair, and they patiently watch the next nine contestants' routines as they await the next round.

Party

BIJOU
Purrloin, F

Ability: Prankster

Sucker Punch
Fake Out
Sand Attack
Play Rough
Torment
Hone Claws

PEARLY
Clamperl, F

Ability: Rattled

Clamp
Water Gun
Whirlpool
Iron Defense
Scald
-----

MIDAS
Meowth, M

Ability: Technician

Pay Day
Scratch
Growl
Feint
Fake Out
-----

JADE
Petilil, F

Ability: Leaf Guard

Magical Leaf
Natural Gift
Sleep Powder
Growth
Mega Drain

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
4-6: A Quiet Day
4-7: Long Road Ahead
4-8: Observations

CHAPTER 5: YOU'LL NEVER KNOW IF YOU DON'T GO

5-1: A Crossroads
5-2: Lurker
5-3: Peace Offering
5-4: Loophole
5-5: Recharge
5-6: A Quick Detour
5-7: Shining, Shimmering, Splendid

CHAPTER 6: SHINE AND GLOW

6-1: Avery
6-2: Botany
6-3: "Friendly" Fire
6-4: Round One, Take Two

Inventory

WALLET: ₽5,950

KEY ITEMS

Fanclub Membership Card (Annual)

Contest Pass

HELD ITEMS

Silk Scarf (

)

Safety Goggles (

)

Bright Powder (

)

Quick Claw

Wave Incense

EVOLUTION ITEMS

"Battery Pack"

TMs/TRs

TM Toxic

CONSUMABLES

Luxury Balls x 3

Quick Balls x 2

Net Balls x 5

Poké Balls x 8

Lum Berry x 2

Razz Berry x 2

Sitrus Berry

Oran Berry x 8

Occa Berry x 5 (-1)

Yache Berry x 9

Honey (¾ of jar left)

MISC. GEAR

Medium-sized leather suitcase of clothes
Rotom Phone (Sky Blue)
Family-sized tent
Inflatable mattress
Inflatable stools x 2
Electric air pump
Binoculars
Small lidded pot
Fabric glue

Trainer Info

Badges

Eleanor · Dec 19, 2022

Avril Reese

16 - ♀ - Laverre City

Pokémon / Inventory:

AVRIL'S MONEY: $37 000

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

🌼 Hydrangea (Gastrodon) ♀
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
🌼 Yellow Nectar (4 doses)
🌼 9 Quick Balls
🌼 TR for Hyper Voice (Mauville Beach)

🌼 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~~ until Friday 10/9

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]

Improvised showdown

Thursday, October 8^th - late morning - Verdanturf Parkway

Of all the places it's the Verdanturf Parkway that becomes the setting for Hikaru and Avril's next chance meetup. The former is there looking for opponents, after a lackluster series of practice battles and people just refusing to fight them, and the latter is just doing some skating practice with Paulie in that hour or so she's still available.

A pretty good reason for Hikaru to get close.

She still starts things off with a "can I help you?" once the Unovian trainer shows up and calls out her name. But judging by her tone and expression, it's more of a can I actually help you? No way, right?

"Just putting my eyesight to the test. It's definitely you. Thanks." Hikaru chuckles. "Good moves though, I'm impressed."

Avril stays neutral with her voice, seemingly waiting for something else, like a change of topic. "Thank you… I guess. I need to use these while I have them."

"Wait, are they rented?" Hikaru tries to look closer. "But whatever, I mean it! As a skateboarder… or former skateboarder, I know the struggle," they sort of wink at that. "So yeah, Avril…"

Oh, here it is. What could they want from me? Avril talks to herself.

"Winstrate Cup? Did you get a spot?"

Hikaru going there was extremely obvious. Avril looks back towards Paulie – who knows what she actually thinks about that topic – then rolls her eyes as she turns back to Hikaru and just shrugs. "Why would you think I did?"

"Naïve optimism." They also shrug back. "Truth be told, I asked because I have a promise to keep…"

Avril takes a while to connect the dots. But if there's one promise that Hikaru would actually be trustworthy enough to keep, that would probably be… oh no. She almost manages to fall from a still standing position before collecting herself once again. "Well…"

"It's fine, that's in the past." Hikaru fuels Avril's pessimism before changing course. "I mean, what happened on the bridge. I'm- I'm not angry or anything." The girl raises an eyebrow while Paulie looks from further away without intervening, probably expecting this to be a very complicated situation.

"S-So?" is all that Avril can say.

"You should remember what I told you in Slateport given that you wanted the Mawilite so bad right?"

Avril nods, she clearly remembers that. But she can only shrug (again) at the thought of not being able to do anything about it. "Maybe another time, if you want to do things the right way…"

The awkward moment is broken up once again by Poppy, who floats towards Avril after being perched up on Paulie's backpack for most of the time. That's more than enough, because…

"Wait a second, Avril!" Hikaru yelps, catching the attention of the girl who's already turning away from them. "Poppy did it!"

"Oh, uhm… yeah, that happened!" Avril replies, sort of hiding her emotions while trying to stay collected. "But if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to…"

"Oh no," the Unovian grins. "What about a practice battle?"

It doesn't take long for Avril to feel outright surrounded. Hikaru wants to battle? Well, Poppy seems more than happy to oblige, and Paulie is suddenly very excited about the idea, too. As much as Avril used to be against that...
Alright, things have changed – Poppy is a Floette now, she's stronger and more capable of taking hits… and I helped her to get there.
Sooner than she can realize, Poppy is out there battling it out against Hikaru's Treecko, with Paulie acting as some sort of referee.

The rules are 3v3, no switches, but that was the result of what was basically a majority vote with Avril being the only one voting against. It made more sense for Hikaru to try out more Pokémon, it made more sense for Paulie to see more Pokémon battling it out, it made sense for Poppy to test her strength against as many opponents as she could muster.

It's no wonder that Avril is the only one being… somewhat awkward during the battle, as well. Like many times before, she's not issuing commands, but only limiting herself to letting Poppy know of incoming attacks. Not that the Fairy-type needs much else, or even does much at all. For Poppy, it's all a matter of dodging hits, firing back some Moonblast towards Tsuga, and healing herself when needed with Synthesis. If at first Treecko seems to have some chances, since Pursuit lets her come close and strike down Poppy with Quick Attack or Mega Drain, the Floette can always hit back with a Moonblast from point-blank range or surround her opponent in Petal Blizzard.

The battle turns boring, at least for Hikaru. While Avril is still there, making sure that Poppy is fine and telling her to heal herself up, they're already switching out their Pokémon (which counts as a KO, Paulie reminds them). Rei appears on the field, and Poppy gets fired up.

It's time for her redemption after the lost Sky battle at Mauport.

Tynamo starts off strong, catching Poppy with a Thunder Wave as she heals. But even there, the Fairy-type has a trick up her sleeve (or flower), Aromatherapy. Rei is still able to get some damage in with Spark, but Poppy is still able to recover.

In between the frequent cheering from the side, Paulie is also encouraging Avril to be more proactive. But that's the thing – with a battle of attrition like this one, it's the trainer's skill that matters the most. What plans they can come up with and what counterstrategies they can find.

Avril and Poppy may know each other very well, but so do Hikaru and Rei. And they know about a plan they could attempt to break the stalemate. So, at every opportunity, the Tynamo makes sure to fire a Charge Beam towards his opponent, each one getting progressively stronger and eventually passing through even the swirling Petal Blizzard that Poppy has put up as protection.

"It's unfortunate that Tsuga couldn't do much against Poppy, but this is working way better!" Paulie states at one point, and Avril immediately picks up on that. She can feel the pressure, especially knowing that she and Poppy have already lost to Rei once, but…

Somehow her brain puts together a train of thought. She's lost to Rei during a sky battle, but nothing prevents Poppy from landing on the ground this time. And Poppy can do something interesting down there, Grassy Terrain. She quickly forwards the plan to her Pokémon and she's happy to comply, clearly delighted by all the flowers sprouting on the battlefield as she bounces off the ground.

Rei comes charging with a Spark – like Hikaru likes to say, there's not that much he can do in general – but that is just the perfect occasion for Poppy to hide among the flowers and line up a Moonblast. And even when Tynamo is sure he's on the right path to hit his opponent, a Moonblast aimed at the ground lets her spring up and escape.

Paulie can confirm that… maybe Rei and Poppy aren't that different. Each of them being small, agile, floating Pokémon, and having just a few moves but finding ways to make them work anyways. Every battle between those two was going to get down to the wire, apparently.

This time the winner turned out to be Poppy, mostly because of Grassy Terrain – the only move that Avril really had to step in to get done. She turned towards her trainer after Hikaru had to recall Rei, and she's never looked that proud and accomplished in a while. The blonde girl can't quite get it – she's not that used to competitions in general, she's never enjoyed that kind of mindset – but Poppy's own happiness is contagious. Even when she's clearly looking more tired and has taken quite a lot of damage she hasn't been able to heal off.

Hikaru takes their time, seemingly trying not to ruin the party right away. But eventually, their last Pokémon is out, and Poppy isn't really that happy to see who it is.

Hikaru introduces them as Kansei the Klink – that is clearly the Pokémon that Avril helped them get back at the Trick House. Allegedly, it came in a Pokéball encased in some kind of strange device… which doesn't look too different from that of TMs. The Pokéball wouldn't even open until enough electricity was provided, but luckily Tynamo was helping out…

"Sure, but I wanna see it battle!" Paulie shouts from the side as Hikaru is still telling everyone the story of how Kansei woke up for the first time and started spinning properly. Not that it's spinning properly anyways, since it seems to go faster, then slower, then stall, then spin quickly again.

Klink is happy to comply with that and goes for a Gear Grind, without the need for Hikaru to say anything. The two independent gears zigzag through the Grassy Terrain, looking to connect with Poppy in the middle, but she's fast enough to avoid them and spring up with a Moonblast when Kansei is about to get itself back together.

But just like Tynamo, Klink can float. And unlike with Tynamo, Petal Blizzard doesn't do much to stop it. Soon enough Kansei has the better of Poppy and nails her with a Gear Grind. Avril can't help but look away, but Paulie keeps her waiting and doesn't state out loud that Floette is knocked out. And that's because she isn't, she has indeed survived the attack.

"Alright alright, time out, I'm changing Pokémon!" Avril goes her own way, fully knowing that Poppy's time on the battlefield wouldn't last much longer anyways, and now that the Grassy Terrain has disappeared, skates up to the center of the makeshift battlefield. Floette eventually perches on her head, even if she's much larger now, while Kansei keeps doing what it does best and spins overhead, waiting for the next opponent.

The battle was meant for practice, Paulie reminds both trainers. Avril herself isn't too happy to potentially crush all of Klink's hopes and dreams too soon, even if she may have the right Pokémon to do that, and with Poppy still conscious (and too much else at stake), she has no reason to skate away. And so Wisteria comes out, only to be immediately in the way of a Gear Grind. Avril has already told her Pokémon to set up a Reflect though, and so the Steel-type only bounces off an iridescent wall instead of joining its two parts together.

Without a lot of orders to follow, Inlay follows that up with a Night Slash, which throws off Kansei's rotations and sends the two gears further apart. But the way they're moving is confusing. Wisteria misses Hypnosis a few times while Hikaru buys some time by having Kansei spin around its opponent, using Charge to bolster up its Special Defense. And then the strategy changes: it's Thunder Shock time. Wisteria fires off Psybeam to fend off against the streams of electricity. Kansei stalls and gives up on attacking, to focus instead of taking hits and dodging when possible. The two Pokémon go higher and lower as Avril can feel the motion sickness getting to her as she keeps track of them. Then a jolt of electricity leaves Wisteria surrounded by static.

Oh no, that's…

With Wisteria paralyzed and Reflect about to be lifted, Kansei readies up for a Gear Grind once again. One of Inkay's tentacles gets caught in the middle even as he tries to make an escape, and all he can do now is smacking Kansei with Night Slash. Except he can't, he's too slow and clunky thanks to his paralysis. Avril calls for a Psybeam but the resulting cloud of violet energy looks nothing like that attack usually appears. Case in point, Wisteria is declared fainted soon after. The girl recalls her Pokémon into his Pokéball right away, taking a proper look at Kansei.

"T-That's a pretty strong Pokémon for being such a new catch…" she tells Hikaru, who shrugs it off. "I know right," they smirk. "Actually I think Rei put too much energy into this…"
As if on cue, Kansei starts spinning erratically, moving around the battlefield at random without a single care for whoever else is in the way. Hikaru gets their hair ruffled up by one of Klink's gears getting too close, while Avril preemptively puts down a toe stop (as if that would save her from falling in case of impact).

"Is it… ok?" Paulie asks, tension showing on her face. "Yeah no," Hikaru complains, slightly worries as they call out their Pokémon's name to no effect. "But it should end soon enough, right?"

"Yeah, maybe Psybeam confused it." she chimes in for the second time. "But the battle isn't over just because of… this, technically."

As the two talk a bit more, keeping an eye on Kansei above them, Avril feels the tension building up inside of her and knows the ball is in her court. She has to send out either Thistle or Angie, and even with such an easy decision to make she finds ways to overthink it... but only for so long.

A flat, dry "Ah." from Hikaru accompanies Angie's entrance onto the battlefield. That's another Pokémon that the unovian didn't know had evolved, and that's also a Water and Ground-type that Klink has absolutely no way to put a dent on. "I thought I had one small chance but…" Hikaru grimaces, "no way Kansei is getting past that thing."

Avril calls for a Mud Sport and Angie happily executes, covering the battlefield in mud and getting some sprays even on Kansei, who for whatever reason has its movement become slower and more regular everytime some mud hits it. But before that turns from a Mud Sport into an actual Mud Bomb, Hikaru has the readiness to recall Kansei into its Pokéball and out of trouble. The battle ends right there and then, with an enthusiastic Paulie announcing Avril as the winner.

"That was… unexpected…" the girl comments as she recalls Gastrodon, unsure how to feel about the battle she just witnessed. Hikaru however has just one thought in their mind. "Two of your Pokémon evolved already, that is… that is amazing!"

They end up telling Avril something along the lines of Ophelia's own advice. With a generous sprinkle of envy, of course, since Hikaru makes it very clear that as much as they'd like their Pokémon to evolve, that has never happened, not even for their 'bestie' Rei.

"Oh and by the way, it almost looks as if you evolved too…" they add at the end, playfully. "Shame you didn't make it into the Winstrate cup because you would definitely do well but… can't blame you."

"Excuse me, didn't my Pokémon do all the work anyways?" Avril questions, playing down all that praise.

"Yeah." Hikaru shrugs with a smile. "That's how it works in the first place. You say stuff and your Pokémon do stuff."

And with that, the promise is kept. Not a lot of time passes before everyone is on their way, but as Avril goes back to the Pokémon Center, her bag is slightly heavier - there's a Mawilite and a Key Stone in there now.

Her head is also slightly heavier as she processes what Hikaru said when they left. A return game is in order now, you know?

Juno · Dec 19, 2022

6-5: Hollow Victories

🏅 Mauville Contest Hall 🕙 Wed. Oct. 7th, Evening

The girl standing in front of her is a stark reminder of why she needs to climb out of the D-rank. She is fighting literal children. Her opponent looks thirteen, maybe, and there's no way around how insignificant even a win is going to feel against someone so young. But a win is a win.

Marcella takes a moment to study the opposing team. Both of her Pokémon look like they are at least part Grass-type; she'd probably just wandered into her parents' garden and—

"Ollie, Take Down!"

On the girl's command, the bulbous, shrub-like creature charges recklessly into Pearly, her shell skidding backwards from the impact with a horrible screech.

Oops. Focus. It would be much more humiliating to lose to a child.

Since it's still close to the Clamperl after its attack, she seizes the opportunity to have Pearly swiftly Clamp down on it before it regains its balance. A suspiciously hardy thunk can be heard as the shell snaps shut, and Ollie wriggles fiercely in the Clamperl's grasp. Marcella squints, scrutinizing the little chunks that seem to have chipped off of his body.

That's a rock.

Huh. Tricky little thing. It definitely looks like a small bonsai plant. Alright, so what does that mean for us? She ponders this while Pearly keeps Ollie trapped, and has Jade deal with the purple flower in front of her.

Her Magical Leaf chases its target before knocking it into Ollie right as he frees himself from Pearly's shell. And once again, Marcella hears a noise that's almost like grating pebbles.

Are they… both rocks?

"Jolie, Acid Spray!"

Poisonous rock, that one. Could be a little scary for Jade, but that simplifies matters. Drawing back some energy with Mega Drain to ensure she can withstand any tricks the purple "flower" might have, Jade spins away from her opponent. She narrowly dodges more acidic liquid as the Bright Powder in her dress casts a blinding glare, and it also gives her a moment to set up Growth.

The girl and her not-plants fight valiantly, but the Rock-types are really fighting an uphill battle against Marcella's team. They dominate the stage, making quick work of Ollie and Jolie.

Within minutes of starting, Marcella calls out her final moves, fairly confident this ends the battle. "Pearly, Scald! Magical Leaf again, Jade!"

And it's over. Easy.

She sure showed that child.

.•° ✿ °•.

"Welcome to the first ever instalment of Petite PokéChefs! I'm your host, Marcella MacMillan, and we are joined here today by Jade—" The Petilil curtseys as Marcella presents her to the crowd, and then the girl moves next to the Clamperl, who waves with a shy smile. "—and Pearly! What are we making today, chefs?"

Jade juggles a few berries in the air enthusiastically, and Pearly holds up a pack of soba noodles.

"That's right! Pearly and Jade will be showing us how to make a Berry Stir-Fry!"

The contest hall staff had kindly let her borrow and help set up one of their folding tables on stage between rounds, and she has her sign propped against it now, with all her ingredients, cookware and Pokémon sitting on the surface.

"Now, our first step is to prep the ingredients. The noodles have to be cooked before we can add them to the stir-fry—not too much, since they will also be cooking in the skillet and we don't want them to turn mushy, but do boil them first." She pushes the pot over to Pearly, who throws the noodles in.

"And why wait for water to boil when you can do this? Pearly, Scald!" She points to the Clamperl, taking a step away from the table as Pearly shoots boiling water into the pot. "That's right, instant hot water—you don't need a stove if you have Pokémon. And be careful of any splashing, because it is boiling water."

Moving along the table to where Jade is standing, Marcella continues her narration. "While we wait for that to cook, let's chop our other ingredients." She picks up a berry and tosses it behind her back, which Jade instantly dices it up neatly with Magical Leaf.

"That's right, Magical Leaf is not just beautiful, but as you may know, very sharp and never misses! So why use that just for battling?"

Jade continues to make a show of finely chopping the array of colourful berries with her Magical Leaf, as Marcella tosses them in the air for her and catches them back in the skillet once they go through her blades. "Beautiful work. Let's check in on the noodles—"

Marcella picks them up with her tongs, putting them into a dry bowl to inspect. Soft, but not overcooked. Perfect for their next step. "Looking good! Let's put them all in the mix," After adding a splash of oil to the pan to prevent sticking, she lets Pearly do the honours, holding out the skillet for her to dump the soba noodles into. "Alright Jade, let's turn up the heat!"

Murmurs of confusion and intrigue fill the room as they watch to see what the Grass-type was about to do.

With a flip of the skillet from Marcella, she tosses its contents into the air as Jade pulls an Occa Berry from her pocket, drawing Fire-type energy from it to cook the ingredients. A few oohs and gasps can be heard as the berries and noodles are seared, and they give it all a few more flips and tosses over the fire to get an even cook on them.

They carefully plate the dish when it's finished, garnishing it with some of Jade's glowing leaves before proudly presenting it to the judges and cameras.

"Oh, that looks great! Now, do we get to try some?"

Ugh. She was afraid they would ask that. Despite all her confidence that her idea is novel and cute, she doesn't actually know how the dish tastes—not great, she would have to assume, as she'd planned everything more from a visual aspect. But she did realize on some level that, if she is presenting this as a cooking show, the judges will want to eat the final product. Still, she emphatically declines and hopes they understand.

"Oh, no, but definitely next time! We just have refine our technique a bit, so be on the lookout for us in one of the upcoming contests if you want an excuse to snack on something mid-show!" Marcella gives the judges a playful wink.

"We sure will!" Luckily, she's not pressed further, and this is probably one of the perks of being in a D-rank contest—the expectations aren't too high. She grins, relieved, as the MC comes up to lead her off the stage.

"One last round of applause for our little—sorry, Petite PokéChefs Pearly and Jade, and of course their lovely coordinator Marcella!" With a curtsey and a wave, she exits the stage with her Pokémon as a few staff members help her retrieve the folding table and supplies.

Occa Berry x1 used to cook a questionable but pretty Berry Stir-Fry on stage.

She takes a bite of their dish backstage and scrunches up her face, glad that she did not let the judges try it. It's not terrible, but could definitely use some seasoning. She takes another bite, chewing slowly. It is terrible, actually. Marcella makes a mental note to make something actually palatable next time.

She'd spent all the time poring over berry knowledge studying their Natural Gift effects and medicinal properties, but not their flavour profiles, so the sauce is a confusing blend of sour, spicy and sweet, but in the worst way possible. All the berries she'd picked were entirely from the criteria of which colours looked prettiest together.

She is about to bin the rest of the noodles, but notices Pearly staring at her. "What? You're not a bad chef. The flavours just don't really work. And that's on me! Next time, we'll—we just have to look at the flavours together—"

Pearly's frown deepens and Jade joins in now. "Ugh—" She groans, but takes another bite. "Mm…!" Marcella exclaims, much like a mother pretending to enjoy their kids' fake tea party and biscottis.

But they look appeased, and the first chance she gets where they look away, she quickly scrapes the remainder of the dish in the garbage can.

.•° ✿ °•.

"And in first place, we have Miss Marcella MacMillan, and her delightful Petit PokéChefs!"

Marcella feigns shock and surprise as she accepts her ribbon, but having seen the rest of the routines, she knew she had this in the bag.

Marcella has earned a D-Rank Ribbon and ₽5,000 prize money.

She takes a few moments to admire her new ribbon as all the contestants pack up to leave backstage. It's the first merit she'd earned this trip she actually feels proud of, and it feels good to be making some progress.

"Great work today, my dears. This is the first of many!" She promises, showing Jade and Pearly what they helped achieve, before tucking the ribbon away safely. "Alright, let's grab Bijou and Midas and get out of here, Avery's probably waiting for us outside."

She looks back at the armchair she'd left the two in, and through the crowd she can see Midas' brown-tipped white tail flicking as half of him hangs off the side of the seat. He's deep asleep, she realizes as they approach, and she gently shakes him. "Hey, we won," She tells the Meowth, and he snorts as he jolts awake, putting his paws together for a few unenthused claps before sitting up properly. "Where's Bijou?"

He looks at the empty spot next to him, as if it's the first time he'd noticed she is not beside him. He shrugs, grooming his fur. Marcella sighs. "Where did she go?"

She must have gotten bored and wandered off. Marcella quickly checks under the armchair, looks around the vending machines down the hall in case she was hungry and was trying to break into one of them, and searches up and down the backstage area. "Bijou?"

As people file out, it becomes more and more apparent the Purrloin is not here.

"Bijou!" There's panic in her voice now. As she comes back to the armchair her Pokémon are sitting around, she quickly returns Pearly to her Luxury Ball and lets Jade back on her shoulder. She picks up Midas and clutches him tightly despite his protests so she doesn't lose him, too.

"Has anybody—seen my Purrloin?" There's not a lot of people left backstage to ask now, but she approaches everyone anyway even though she's only getting back blank stares and headshakes.

Bursting back on the stage, she tries some of the staff cleaning up as well. "Excuse me! I had a Purrloin backstage, she was sitting in an armchair, and she's—"

"N-no, I haven't seen a Purrloin…"

Marcella roughly pushes past her to get to the main door, emptying into a sea of people as she exits the contest hall. To her right, she can faintly hear Avery calling to her as he approaches, but he sounds far away.

Her vision blurs as she looks around, ignoring her brother and dashing out onto the walkway. It's rush hour now, so people are all around, leaving work, going home, getting to their vehicles.

She earns a few dirty looks as she stands obstructively in the middle of the walkway with her eyes fixed to the ground, looking for a flash of purple fur among all the busy movements, a hint of the Purrloin still around the venue, anything. There's a few pushes and shoves as she moves against the grain calling out to Bijou, but she doesn't feel it. She doesn't feel anything except the lump in her throat as she tries not to cry.

Party

BIJOU
Purrloin, F

Ability: Prankster

Sucker Punch
Fake Out
Sand Attack
Play Rough
Torment
Hone Claws

PEARLY
Clamperl, F

Ability: Rattled

Clamp
Water Gun
Whirlpool
Iron Defense
Scald
-----

MIDAS
Meowth, M

Ability: Technician

Pay Day
Scratch
Growl
Feint
Fake Out
-----

JADE
Petilil, F

Ability: Leaf Guard

Magical Leaf
Natural Gift
Sleep Powder
Growth
Mega Drain

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
4-6: A Quiet Day
4-7: Long Road Ahead
4-8: Observations

CHAPTER 5: YOU'LL NEVER KNOW IF YOU DON'T GO

5-1: A Crossroads
5-2: Lurker
5-3: Peace Offering
5-4: Loophole
5-5: Recharge
5-6: A Quick Detour
5-7: Shining, Shimmering, Splendid

CHAPTER 6: SHINE AND GLOW

6-1: Avery
6-2: Botany
6-3: "Friendly" Fire
6-4: Round One, Take Two
6-5: Hollow Victories

Inventory

WALLET: ₽10,950 (↑ ₽5,000)

KEY ITEMS

Fanclub Membership Card (Annual)

Contest Pass

HELD ITEMS

Silk Scarf (

)

Safety Goggles (

)

Bright Powder (

)

Quick Claw

Wave Incense

EVOLUTION ITEMS

"Battery Pack"

TMs/TRs

TM Toxic

CONSUMABLES

Luxury Balls x 3

Quick Balls x 2

Net Balls x 5

Poké Balls x 8

Lum Berry x 2

Razz Berry x 2

Sitrus Berry

Oran Berry x 8

Occa Berry x 4 (-1)

Yache Berry x 9

Honey (¾ of jar left)

MISC. GEAR

Medium-sized leather suitcase of clothes
Rotom Phone (Sky Blue)
Family-sized tent
Inflatable mattress
Inflatable stools x 2
Electric air pump
Binoculars
Small lidded pot
Skillet
Fabric glue

Trainer Info & Merits

Badges

Contest Ribbons

Juno · Dec 21, 2022

6-6: Crowded

🚆 Took a midday tram going anywhere 🕙 It's getting dark

They used to sit by the windowsill together, eating pastries and looking down into the courtyard from Marcella's bedroom. Rain or shine, Avery trained day in and out there whenever he was home. And Marcella would laugh, feeding PokéPuffs to Bijou and mocking her brother as the little orange chicken jumped and kicked and flailed as hard as she could under the boy's direction.

And even as the Torchic grew into a Combusken, and every time Avery returned to that courtyard, he brought with him a larger team—even as the Combusken had grown into a Blaziken and Bijou stayed the same, Marcella never once indicated that she wished for the Purrloin to be anything else. Or to have any other Pokémon, even.

Or so Bijou had always thought. But something's changed.

The last few weeks have been hard. Plucked from their comfortable, spacious home, they were suddenly sent out on the road, camping in the rain, walking for days, thrust into battles and new situations neither were familiar with.

There were some terrible times, but they were having a terrible time together, and Bijou found some sense of contentment and solidarity in that. The journey was family-imposed, but somewhere along the way, it wasn't anymore. That in itself isn't a problem—it's not like Bijou would like her trainer to be miserable, but for the first time ever, she's started to feel pressure. Pressure to change and adapt in ways she'd never felt before, pressure to fight. Not just physically, either, but for Marcella's attention. And despite her best efforts, she isn't keeping up.

And as their team keeps growing, she feels the pressure more and more. She feels in the way. Not good enough. Replaceable.

Despite being Marcella's first Pokémon, she's not a hard-hitter, she doesn't have any practical skills outside of battle and, seemingly most importantly to Marcella right now, she's not really that good on stage. Everybody has a role on this team except for her. And it's become glaringly obvious.

When their team first started growing, Bijou really didn't mind. She kind of likes their company, even.

First, there was Pearly. The young Clamperl is fine. She doesn't really spend a lot of time outside of her Poke Ball. Bijou often forgets she's with them, and even when she is, she's not really cuddly.

Then, there was Midas. Another cat. Like me. But a little grosser. A little less loveable. Kind of aloof and independent. He was just an alley cat when Marcella took him in, and now... well, he's still just an alley cat, but an alley cat with a satchel.

Perhaps most importantly, neither of them really compete with her for Marcella's attention. Not in the same way, at least.

And then came Jade.

By all accounts, she never should have even been with them. She's a thief, she's an intruder, but she forced her way into their lives and, somehow, Marcella's heart. And suddenly, everything was about Jade—let's train Jade, let's make a dress for Jade, look at what Jade can do with the berries besides just eating them. And she's light enough to constantly sit on Marcella's shoulder, or be carried like a big baby.

But as Bijou runs now and her body and mind tires enough for her to let her guard down, she sees things a little more clearly; she knows it's not Jade, but her presence has merely been shining a bigger light on her own inadequacies.

Because what was the Petilil's crime? She... likes their trainer, and is good at following her commands. This is just a Petilil who wanted a different life, a life like hers. And she lashed out because she couldn't keep up.

But she's tired of trying to keep up now. Maybe she's just not good for Marcella anymore. Maybe Marcella doesn't need her anymore.

And she's tired of running now. She's not exactly sure how long ago she left the contest hall or how far she'd run, but it's far enough that she can't be a burden anymore. Maybe she'd thought that if she kept running she could run away from her jealousy, her shame, her guilt. But she just feels empty and tired now. She slows to a jog and then a walk, trying to catch her breath.

What do I do now? Where do I go?

She looks around, noticing her surroundings again for the first time since she'd left. The tram station she had wandered into is packed, but she weaves through the many sets of legs in front of her to get through.

The door chimes as it opens, and Bijou walks in with everyone else without thinking.

There's people all around her and it feels crowded, almost suffocating. The world is suddenly so much scarier now that she's alone. She looks up, meeting the unfriendly gaze of a man and quickly averts her eyes. She takes a step back, bumping into someone else.

"Out of the way, tubby."

"Sir, please put your Purrloin away."

"Yeah, man, look around—there's not enough space on this thing for people to be letting their Pokémon out—"

"Bro, it's not mine!"

Frightened, Bijou scurries under a seat as people continue to argue around her, where she bothers no one and no one can bother her. As the voices die down, she gains some momentary relief from finally being able to rest and she closes her eyes, waiting to see where the tram takes her.

BIJOU
Purrloin, F

Ability: Prankster

Sucker Punch
Fake Out
Sand Attack
Play Rough
Torment
Hone Claws

Memories

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
4-6: A Quiet Day
4-7: Long Road Ahead
4-8: Observations

CHAPTER 5: YOU'LL NEVER KNOW IF YOU DON'T GO

5-1: A Crossroads
5-2: Lurker
5-3: Peace Offering
5-4: Loophole
5-5: Recharge
5-6: A Quick Detour
5-7: Shining, Shimmering, Splendid

CHAPTER 6: SHINE AND GLOW

6-1: Avery
6-2: Botany
6-3: "Friendly" Fire
6-4: Round One, Take Two
6-5: Hollow Victories
6-6: Crowded - Bijou POV

Caesar · Dec 27, 2022

🌖 Sunday, October 11th - Mauville

Clint arrived on the scene at the Mauville Game Corner, where he was gearing up for a battle with the city's gym leader, Eiddon Roth. Was Clint moving quickly following his defeat at the Winstrate Cup? Perhaps but maybe the best way to get over a loss is with a win. Clint had sufficiently stopped to rest, checking in at the Mauville Pokemon Center to both heal up his party and stuff his face with a quick dinner. Clint entered the game corner, only to be battered by an intense array of flashing neon lights, big TV screens and loud music. Truly a technological terror in a city full of them.

Clint found an employee at the game corner, and asked them to point him in the right direction towards the gym leader. The employee, who clearly was not invested in their career choice, sighed and limp-wristedly pointed towards a small office in the corner. Clint gave a quick thank you to the employee and made his way over to the office. Clint knocked on the door, and waited for a response.

"Good evening, welcome to the Mauville Gym, I'll be ready for you just in a moment, would you like to design yourself a costume while you wait," an intercom voice said, with a screen turning on, showing a character customizer.

"No thanks, fine with the costume I have on right now," Clint replied.

"Noted, your current appearance will be uploaded in the system. Our leader is ready, feel free to enter the studio," the voice replied.

System, Studio? Things might have gone from bad to worse here for Clint. Giving his head a quick shake, Clint entered the studio where an assistant was waiting for him.

"Welcome to our Gym, would you please place the Pokeballs you plan to use in the scanning device here, while you yourself enter the booth," directed the assistant, a young man who seemed to be more into his job then the employee outside who gave Clint directions was.

"Scanning device, booth, I'm sorry can we slow down for a sec, what's the deal here," Clint asked.

"I'd be happy to clarify for you sir, the battles here in this gym all take place in VR, Leader Eiddon is at the forefront of innovation in the VR department, and his gym is his pride and joy, don't worry you and your Pokemon will be safe here, the damage carried out in the VR battles does not hurt your real life Pokemon, fascinating isn't it," explained the assistant.

Clint rolled his eyes at the concept, First time for everything I suppose.

"Alright, not like I have a choice then," Clint replied, placing three pokeballs, containing Charmeleon, Grovyle and Ralts into the three slots in the scanner, before he walked into the VR booth.

"Just put the goggles on when you're ready, the motion capture booth records all your movements," the assistant instructed.

Well, here goes nothing, Clint thought to himself, donning the VR goggles. He was presented with a variety of pictures of various landscapes, which Clint guessed must be arenas for whatever was going on here.

"Just pick one already," a voice, much different from the assistant's, instructed Clint.

Must be the gym leader talking now, Clint deduced in his head. He was sure a simple Pokemon battle in the real world would be much easier to pull off than this VR nonsense.

"How about you pick one, homefield advantage for you," Clint replied.

"Well, if you say so," the voice replied.

The screen faded to black, then it reappeared in what looked like an abandoned old western town in the middle of a desert. There was a slight wind, enough to push a tumbleweed through the town. It looked all too real to Clint, he almost forgot for a second that he was wearing VR goggles. Clint still didn't approve of this whole VR stuff but he had to give Eiddon credit for doing a convincing job. Clint walked through the town, not sure on what he was supposed to do here.

He walked up to the Saloon, in the middle of the main street of town, and there was someone there waiting for him. A woman, dressed in a very complex white shirt, with turquoise paisley print and rhinestones on it, as well as tassels hanging off of it. This woman was also sporting a very large white cowboy hat, as well as black designer jeans and black snakeskin boots with a rhinestone pattern on them as well. Very fancy indeed.

The woman flicked the toothpick out of her mouth, and began to speak.

"This town ain't big enough for the both of us hun."

Clint wasn't sure how to respond to that, nor was he sure what was happening here.

"I thought you'd have to be sharp to make it to the Winstrate Semi-finals, guess that isn't the case sweetie," the woman continued,

"I am Miss Virtua, the leader of the gym you want the badge for, so walk ten paces, turn around and show me what you're made of cowpoke."

Clint tipped his hat, and make his way over to the spot Miss Virtua indicated. Clint turned around and faced his opponent, he felt weird for some reason, something wasn't right in his head. He tuned all that out and focused back on the VR realm.

Clint sent his Charmeleon out first, while Virtua sent a Porygon into battle. Virtua put her hands on her hips for a second, and then snapped her fingers twice. Porygon turned into a different form, Porygon 2 was what Clint thought it was called.

Clint had Charmeleon start off with Fire Fang, and he quickly closed in, and bit the Porygon, leaving a trail of fire as the Porygon winced. Porygon replied with Scary Face, where a large digitized face appeared, intimidating Charmeleon, lowering his speed.

Meanwhile in the real world, Clint could feel his head throbbing with pain, a spinning sensation and his balance getting worse. He stumbled briefly, before leveling himself out, trying to focus back on the battle.

Next move planned was Dragon Breath, and Charmeleon forced a nebula of purple flames directly at the Porygon, battering the Pokemon with the flames. Yet, after the flames settled, Porygon 2 stood strong, seemingly undeterred by the attacks.
Porygon 2 shifted forms yet again, turning into Porygon Z this time. How in the world does a Pokemon evolve twice in one battle, Clint thought to himself. He was completely out of his element here, something with this whole VR setup rubbed him the wrong way. Porygon Z used the move Spirit Shackle, enveloping Charmeleon in an eerie shadow, before pinning Charmeleon to the ground.

Clint felt his problems getting worse. He couldn't focus, he had what felt like a terribly bad migraine and he felt dizzy, like he was riding on a small boat in the middle of the ocean. He was stumbling around now just trying to stay upright, but it was becoming more and more difficult. He could faintly hear someone yelling in the background,

"Pull him out, pull him out!"

But it was too late, Clint felt himself going limp, falling down and everything going black.

Some time later…

Clint regained consciousness in a vague room, with a computer desk and some cabinets being the only defining features of the room. Oh, and the bed he was laying on. Clint could feel a dull pain in his temples, and a sharp pain anytime he moved his left wrist. He eventually looked around, and saw two people watching him. One was a woman, maybe in her mid twenties wearing a game corner employee uniform, but with a red cross on it, and a man, also in his mid-twenties with long dark hair tied up in a bun, and sporting a plain hoodie.

"How long was I out for," Clint questioned the watchers.

"Couple of hours, tops," the man answered,

"You were lights out kid, mind if I ask you a couple of questions, I'm always curious when someone passes out in my studio."

"Ask away."

"Thank you, was this your first time using VR software, of any kind?"

"Yup, don't exactly have this kind of stuff where I'm from."

"Ok, did you eat or drink anything that might have a negative effect on you?"

"What are you a cop?"

"No, just curious, People here like to, for example drink alcohol then use our VR machines, even though I discourage it."

"Fine, I had a drink or two after I lost in the Winstrate Cup, but that was almost nine or ten hours ago now, shouldn't have anything to do with it."

"Noted, any past experiences with motion sickness, vertigo, head injuries anything like that?"

"Felt a little queasy on the boat over here from Kanto, and I've had my bell rung a couple times as a kid."

"Well that's all I have for now Mr.Shaw, I'd like for you to take my contact information, let me know if you have any symptoms in the future, and also let me know when you feel ready for a re-match."

Clint took down the Eiddon Roth's contact information, copying Eiddon's phone number into his PokeNav. Eiddon left the room, and now it was just the first aid attendant and Clint.

"Well Mr.Shaw, I've got a glass of water and an ibuprofen here for your head, and I'll tape up that wrist of yours for you, then you should get to the Pokecenter and get some sleep," the first aid attendant advised.

Clint followed suit, and took the pill, and drank the glass of water. He held out his wrist, struggling to keep it held straight while the attendant taped it up. The tape made it easier to stabilize his wrist, but didn't do a thing to stop the pain.

"Looks like you sprained your wrist trying to break your fall. The tape I put on should make things easier for you tonight, but make sure to see a doctor tomorrow, get it looked at better, only so much we can do here with limited resources and time. Good evening Mr.Shaw, I'll lead you out to the entrance."

Clint got up slowly, taking a second to regain his balance once he was upright, and followed the first aid attendant outside. The outside air, even though the freshness of it was up for debate, felt good after being cramped inside the game corner. Clint walked over to the railing of the walkway, and slouched over it, looking off into the city lights.

It was time to hit the road again, before this place inflicts more pain on him.

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|Bullet Seed

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

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

$38,500
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:

Juno · Jan 2, 2023

6-7: Search Party

👤 ft. Groc as Natsuko Soyokaze 🏙️ Mauville City 🕙 Thurs. Oct. 8th, Early Morning

She looks like hell.

Marcella couldn't sleep at all last night. How could she? She'd spent most of her evening running around the city like a madwoman, but as Avery had pointed out once he'd caught up to her, Mauville is massive and densely populated. With no plans or any idea where to start, Bijou was not going to be easy to find. And she was running on fumes.

So he'd forced her to eat a small dinner, then they each got a room at the Pokemon Center to rest for the night, where she mostly laid awake for hours wondering what went wrong, replaying everything she had said to her Purrloin leading up to the disappearance.

Maybe she shouldn't have delayed the talk at all. She didn't think a few hours would have mattered. Maybe, at the very least, she could have given her some kind of reassurance that things would be alright, that nothing had changed and nothing would change. That Marcella loves her very much.

But she didn't. She just said she would talk with her after the contest. And now there's no 'after the contest' with her.

I did this. She concludes.

At least she was able to put together a 'Missing' flyer on her phone during the night, something she could get printed tomorrow bright and early to help with the search. So it was a somewhat productive night, even if it wasn't restful at all.

And as she looks in the mirror now, it really shows. Marcella sighs, dabbing concealer under her eyes. It hides the dark circles under them, but not how red and puffy they are.

As soon as the closest print shop opens, she gets her flyers made and hands half the stack to Avery, ultimately deciding to split up so they can distribute them over a larger range together.

And the hours fly by as she plasters the city with them, handing them out to anybody who would take one. She'd decided to start with the area Bijou was last seen in, in case she's still just hanging around, but as noon rolls around and it feels like she'd searched all of level 25 and spoken to every single person on it, the sinking feeling sets in again.

As she gets to Hill Station, she collapses on a bench.

She's exhausted.

She closes her eyes for just a moment when she hears a rustling as her stack of fliers is disturbed. Someone takes one off the top and looks it over. "Lost Pokémon? Oh, that poor kitty! And you must be devastated!"

She's had a few sympathetic glances thrown her way as she accosted people with her fliers, but not too many people had willingly come up to take one. And aside from a few creepy dudes she ran into earlier, certainly nobody wanted to stay and talk about it unless she was adamant in stopping them, so she jumps out of her seat and seizes the opportunity now to ask if they have seen her.

"Why yes, dear! I've—" She pauses briefly as she studies the small girl reading the flier. "Hey! Natsuko, wasn't it? Oh, your—" 'Your Magikarp humiliated us on stage' are not the words she wants to use to jog the girl's memory, but they are the first ones that come to her tired brain as she recalls their first encounter. "We fought back in a Dewford contest a few weeks ago, if you can recall. It's- it's the Purrloin I had with me in that contest, actually. Have you been in the city long? I don't suppose you've seen her?" She adds hopefully.

Natsuko looks at her in confusion for a moment before recognizing her. "Marcella! Oh, wow! I'd ask how you've been, but…" She gestures to the fliers vaguely. "I've only been here a few days, but no, I haven't seen her. When did she disappear? Where did you last see her? Tell me everything."

The two sit down and Marcella spares no details, even telling her about the Purrloin's strange behaviours she had noticed leading up to it. She feels a little bad dumping everything on the poor girl like this when they are essentially meeting for the first time off-stage, but Natsuko doesn't seem to mind, listening intently. And verbalizing it all seems to help her think.

"So it would have been around 4 or 5 yesterday that she went missing - it was right after the contest. Well, that was when I noticed she was gone, anyway." Marcella lets out a frustrated sigh. "But I don't think she's here. Not anymore." She gestures around her vaguely, having already told Natsuko she'd searched high and low at the very level Bijou had gone missing. As she does, her eyes land on the Hill Station tram schedule they are sitting next to. "I wonder..."

Natsuko herself looks at the tram car in the distance. "If we've checked everywhere on this level, logic dictates that she must be on another level. If she got on a tram somehow, she could be anywhere!" She ponders for a second before realizing how that sounded. "Oh, but at least we have a starting location! We just have to follow the tram to its first stop! Maybe someone saw her get off?"

"Yeah, maybe." Marcella responds glumly. "Well, that's a plan, then," It's not a good one, but the best that she has, given the circumstances. Bijou really could be anywhere, like the girl said.

She also said 'we'. "Wait, are you coming with me?"

"Only if you'll allow me, I suppose." Natsuko shrugs, then looks at the flier in her hand. "I know we don't know each other well, and maybe we're not friends, but your Pokémon is missing, and I want to help. I know what it's like to lose a friend."

She stands up, offering Marcella a hand. "But this isn't the time to talk about my backstory, we have a tram to catch! If we work together, we double the chances of finding Bijou! Let's go!"

She hasn't had much to smile about today, but a smile spreads across Marcella's face now as she takes the girl's hand, and they rush to get on the next tram together.

The girls split up at each station to cover more ground, and her stack of fliers gets thinner at each stop. They really start to move through the stations quicker once she threatens to return Midas to his Ball to prevent him from moseying off, and he begrudgingly follows more closely so she, at the very least, doesn't have to worry about both of her cats running loose in the city.

By the time they've made their way down to level 18, they have a fairly good system of popping in and hitting all the most likely areas without straying too far from the trams. They figure asking the staff at each station and just checking in with the people working in the surrounding areas and shops is more efficient than running through the entirety of every level blindly, if they are to cover this many of them.

Their monotonous routine is disrupted on this level, however, as Marcella taps on the shoulder of a janitor she spots. "Excuse me, sir! Have you seen this Purrloin? She went missing yesterday at-"

"Yep." His eyes barely flick down at the flier and only says the one word, but it was unmistakably a confirmation - the only confirmation she or Natsuko had heard today - that someone had seen Bijou. And then he just continues pushing his cart, leaving her with her mouth hanging open. Stunned, it takes Marcella a moment to react, but she steps forward and reaches out before he moves away from her, grabbing the back of his shirt with so much force Jade almost falls off her shoulder.

"Hey, hold on! Where?"

Her reaction seems to have startled him, and he stops in his tracks, finally turning to look at her. "I-I don't know. I cover a lot of stations here. I'm- paged every time a kid spills his soda or, or Berry Juice or whatever. See a lot of things." He pauses, seemingly reflecting on the last bit. "Lotta Berry Juice calls lately, actually. And people get their panties in a bunch about that shit more than anything else 'cause it kinda looks like blood, but-" There's a bit of pity in his eyes as Marcella's shoulders slump and he sighs, softening his tone. "Your cat- she got on some kind of red and green eyewear? I remember 'cause it looked kinda funny."

"Yeah! That's her!" Marcella's squeal echoes through the station as she grabs the man's arm. "Oh, please, try to remember where you saw her."

The commotion draws Natsuko's- or Tsu, as she said her friends call her- attention, and she quickly approaches the pair, silently clutching her fliers to her chest.

The man scrunches up his face as he thinks, but shakes his head. "Man, I don't know," He repeats. "It was low, though. Like, single digits."

"That's something!" Tsu swoops in. "Cuts the number of places to check in half! We'll head to Floor Nine next! …what's on the lower levels, anyway?"

"Eugh," Was Marcella's reflexive response, but she thanks the janitor and lets him get back to his job before answering Tsu. "Not much we'd want to involve ourselves in, really. But I guess we have to, if that's where she was last seen."

She'd really hoped they would have found her before they went much lower. The only times she'd ever gone to the single digit-levels was as a younger teen, and even then it wasn't frequent; she and her friends had gone a few times because certain pockets of Mauville's underbelly play a little fast and loose with the law and legal drinking age and all that, but since she turned 18 a few months ago and can get a drink anywhere, she's had very little reason to even think about it.

"There's a Game Corner that takes up a few of the lower levels - she had accompanied me there a few times. They serve- well, you know, greasy arcade food and all that, maybe she got hungry enough and made her way there for something to eat." A pang of guilt hits her again as she thinks out loud. She had changed her diet pretty drastically.

"A Game Corner? Interesting…" Tsu ponders the concept for a moment, then snaps her fingers decisively. "From what I know of Game Corners, the patrons wouldn't have seen anything, but the staff are always on alert. If your hunch is correct, we'll definitely get some answers there!"

Her new companion's optimism doesn't really allow her to wallow, and she's grateful for that. "Yes, let's go, then!"

Back on the tram, Marcella looks out the window, but her vision dims as they make their way to the Mauville Game Corner's levels. Even if it wasn't already getting dark, not a lot of natural light reaches the depths of the city.

As they arrive at their destination, she and Tsu get off with a few other passengers; the atmosphere is immediately different from the ten-or-so floors above they came from. She and her friends never left each others' sides the times they'd been here, so she grabs Tsu's hand now, as she starts to head off. "Oh, hun—maybe we shouldn't split up this time."

Tsu looks around, her curiosity fading to uncertainty, and she gives Marcella's hand a small squeeze. "Yeah, that makes sense. Better to stick together down here."

Together they ask around, targeting staff members of the dingy Game Corner to question as Tsu had suggested and also getting permission to put up a few fliers. Most of the staff are just teens working part-time, so they don't really care. Although Tsu had predicted patrons wouldn't have been paying attention, Marcella does notice a girl looking over her shoulder as she puts one of the fliers up. She squints at the photo on it like she's trying to remember something, and Marcella watches her expectantly.

"Hey, I think I just saw it. Your Pokemon." It takes her a few seconds, but she finally speaks up. "Like, right back there."

"Really? Oh, that's wonderful!" Marcella exchanges excited glances with Tsu. "Is she still there? Can you take us to her?"

"Yeah! For sure, come on. It was literally just now when I was buying my drink."

The girl looks harmless enough, so they follow her. Led through a few rows of arcade machines, they're brought to a lounge area of sorts, and the girl points to the Pokemon there that's being unsuccessfully wrestled off the bar by a weary-looking boy in the Game Corner staff's uniform.

"There it is!" The girl exclaims cheerfully.

Marcella's not sure what to say. It's definitely her cat.

The Silk Scarf he wears as a bag rolls onto his back as he reaches up a shelf behind the counter he's standing on, and Marcella finally finds her words. "When the hell did you- Midas!" Startled, the Meowth looks back, meeting her gaze with guilty eyes.

Marcella takes a deep breath, turning back to the girl. "Okay- that's a Meowth," She starts evenly, a little annoyed, but decides she did a good thing for her after all, since she might have lost Midas too if she wasn't informed. Seriously, when did he leave her side?

"Yeah! What did you say you were looking for?"

"A Purrloin—they're purple!"

"Well it's—kind of purple. Now it's blue. Now it's red. Now it's purple again." She giggles, slurring her words as the neon lights above them dance and flicker, bouncing off the white cat and turning him various shades of bright colours.

"Yeah." Marcella sighs. Further questioning doesn't seem necessary; she should have noticed sooner but probably just ignored it in the hopes that she really had spotted Bijou, but she can now clearly tell that the girl is not sober. "Thank you." She says curtly as she turns away, marching over to where Midas is, with Tsu already there and holding onto his Scarf.

"What did I say about wandering? Get down from there—I'm so sorry," She smiles apologetically at the boy behind the counter as she grabs Midas by the scruff of his neck and pulls him into her arms.

"No worries. He, uh, sure has an eye for quality." The boy chuckles awkwardly as he reaches out, trying to grab something out of Midas' paws. The Meowth hisses, swatting him away.

"Midas!" Marcella scolds. "What have you got there?"

Shamelessly, the Meowth presents his new treasure to her.

"It's an Amulet Coin. I don't blame him–you know, they really do work. Just got one myself last week, found ₽500 yesterday! It'll basically pay for itself in-" The boy behind the bar counts his fingers, quietly mouthing numbers to himself like he's doing some math in his head. He doesn't quite seem to get there. "Well, um. Anyway. Maybe you should buy that one for him." He adds hopefully.

"Oh, I think I'm good, thank you. Tsu?"

"No thanks. Most Amulet Coins are just a scam anyway. There's no way to prove if they work or not, and usually places like this just sell slightly modified Meowth coins rather than the real deal. You'd have to already be pretty lucky to get an actual blessed Amulet, you know?" Tsu shrugs nonchalantly, unintentionally insulting the Game Corner as Marcella nods along. She has no idea if what she's saying is true, but regardless, she doesn't really believe in good luck charms. It's not like horoscopes or anything, this is completely baseless.

"Oh. Okay, then." Unsure of what to say, the boy shifts uncomfortably before turning back to Marcella and looking pointedly at her Meowth. "Well..."

"Alright, Midas, give it back." Marcella tells him gently, but he wriggles out of her grasp and drops back on the counter, stamping his feet angrily as he clutches the coin.

"We're not doing this right now. Hand it back over to him." She tells him sternly. He crosses his arms and glares at her for a moment. Then he jumps off the counter and scampers away on all fours.

Tsu immediately chases after him. "Not you, too! Get back here, Midas!"

"You–!" Marcella has some words for him, but he and Tsu have already run out of sight. She hastily pulls her wallet out of her purse. "How much is the damn coin?"

"Um. That'll be ₽6000, thank you ma'am."

"Six-" For a cheap arcade keychain?! "Fine. Whatever, here." She fumes silently as she hands over her contest winnings and an extra ₽1000, rushing to catch up with Tsu and Midas.

Amulet Coin begrudgingly purchased for ₽6,000.

She finds the pair outside, Tsu sitting on the ground and holding Midas close. "Hey, watch where you're going next time!" The girl indignantly calls out.

"Why don't you watch it? And keep your cat on a leash?" An obnoxious voice responds.

Tsu is about to reply, but stops, staring at the individual who had apparently knocked her over.

"Hey, what's going on? Are you two alright?" Marcella stoops down at her side to check on them. Midas seems fine, the only thing remotely amiss are his paws tightly curled around something; his new coin was in one paw, and something crinkly in the other. "What's this? 'Aw, Shucks! The spicy candy that makes you blush'?" She mumbles to herself, reading out the text on the wrapper.

Just some candy he appears to have swiped from the run-in. She gives it back to him before turning to follow Tsu's gaze; Marcella only sees him for a second, but even as he vanishes into the crowd, it's clear to her what Tsu must have been staring at. "Wait! That's-" She quickly stands up and tries to get to the man wearing what was unmistakably Bijou's goggles, but he was already gone without a trace.

No trace but a trail of prints the soles of his shoes left, that is. A dark red trail.

Blood.

She covers her mouth in shock as she looks down, her head going through all the combinations of scenarios that could have possibly led to this man being in possession of those goggles and the stains she's looking at, and very few of them are positive.

She feels ill.

She faintly hears footsteps behind her, and feels Tsu's hand on her shoulder. "I was right, wasn't I? Those are definitely- hey, what's wrong?"

"Look," Marcella whispers, pointing down. "And you saw the goggles too, right? I know it's not the only pair in the world, but what are the odds? And now there's- Midas, what the fuck are you doing?!" Her voice peaks at a hysterical shriek as she roughly grabs the Meowth to pull him away from the stains he'd started lapping up. "That's evidence and disgusting-" She begins as she holds him up, their faces just inches apart, but stops when the sweet-smelling scent on his breath hits her.

She gingerly leans in closer to give him a good whiff, and the sticky red substance coating his whiskers seems to be... "Berry Juice?" A wave of relief washes over her as she utters the two words out.

"It's- it's juice. Well, it's definitely not blood, at least." Marcella exhales sharply as she strokes Midas until he whines to be freed from her grasp, then puts him back down. There is now less proof Bijou has met a terrible fate, but she is left with more questions than ever. "What is the meaning of all this? What do we do now?"

"What do you mean, 'what do we do now?' There's a literal trail of evidence here to follow!" Tsu gestures to the footprints leading deeper into the city. "We're closer than ever, but we're gonna have to hustle or we'll lose the guy!"

"Right, okay. You're right!" This is the lead they've been searching for all day. She's filled with apprehension about what lies ahead for them but at least she's not alone; Marcella grabs Tsu's arm again with one hand and beckons for Midas to stick close with the other, and their little search party follows the prints into the depths of Mauville.

Party

BIJOU
Purrloin, F

Ability: Prankster

Sucker Punch
Fake Out
Sand Attack
Play Rough
Torment
Hone Claws

PEARLY
Clamperl, F

Ability: Rattled

Clamp
Water Gun
Whirlpool
Iron Defense
Scald
-----

MIDAS
Meowth, M

Ability: Technician

Pay Day
Scratch
Growl
Feint
Fake Out
-----

JADE
Petilil, F

Ability: Leaf Guard

Magical Leaf
Natural Gift
Sleep Powder
Growth
Mega Drain

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
4-6: A Quiet Day
4-7: Long Road Ahead
4-8: Observations

CHAPTER 5: YOU'LL NEVER KNOW IF YOU DON'T GO

5-1: A Crossroads
5-2: Lurker
5-3: Peace Offering
5-4: Loophole
5-5: Recharge
5-6: A Quick Detour
5-7: Shining, Shimmering, Splendid

CHAPTER 6: SHINE AND GLOW

6-1: Avery
6-2: Botany
6-3: "Friendly" Fire
6-4: Round One, Take Two
6-5: Hollow Victories
6-6: Crowded - Bijou POV
6-7: Search Party - ft. Tsu

Inventory

WALLET: ₽4,950 (↓ ₽6,000)

KEY ITEMS

Fanclub Membership Card (Annual)

Contest Pass

HELD ITEMS

Silk Scarf (

)

Amulet Coin (

)

Safety Goggles (

)

Bright Powder (

)

Quick Claw

Wave Incense

EVOLUTION ITEMS

"Battery Pack"

TMs/TRs

TM Toxic

CONSUMABLES

Luxury Balls x 3

Quick Balls x 2

Net Balls x 5

Poké Balls x 8

Lum Berry x 2

Razz Berry x 2

Sitrus Berry

Oran Berry x 8

Occa Berry x 4

Yache Berry x 9

Honey (¾ of jar left)

MISC. GEAR

Medium-sized leather suitcase of clothes
Rotom Phone (Sky Blue)
Family-sized tent
Inflatable mattress
Inflatable stools x 2
Electric air pump
Binoculars
Small lidded pot
Skillet
Fabric glue

Trainer Info & Merits

Badges

Contest Ribbons

budube · Jan 3, 2023

Jordie "Jo" Hughes

Sunday, October 4

Route 110 - Land Bridge

Chapter

Pokémon

Inventory

Chapter 5: Part 2 - On Sight

16:00 - Land Bridge Entrance

"Nineteen, Twenty, Twenty-One, Twenty-Two Dusk Balls!" The Ranger in charge seems very surprised at that number, opening her eyes wide as she finishes placing all of my stuff in a plastic container. "Your belt too. You can keep two of your Pokémon."

"Only two?" I think about it for a second, ending up taking Bane's and Gabby's DuskBalls with me, putting the rest of the belt with the empty DuskBalls in the container. I send both Pokémon out for the Ranger to see, when she nods, I put them back in their DuskBalls.

"They stay out."

"sigh. Okay!" I send Bane and Gabby out again and place both of the DuskBalls on the magnetic belt. I kinda prefer it that way, though. It's a bit inconvenient to carry Balls without the belt.

The Ranger opens the gate and lets me walk through

"Hold on." She interrupts me all of a sudden, checking the screen of the computer on her desk. "Jordie Hughes, right?" I roll my eyes and nod. "There are more Rangers on duty on the Land Bridge. No battling means no battling, got it?"

I nod a second time, giving a bitter smile. I guess Reed said I'll keep being watched by them. "Sure. No battling."

I leave the Ranger's building behind me as I start walking through. The Land Bridge is certainly something. Everything down here has this artificial feeling when you have another bridge on top of you with actual buildings on it –how does it even hold up?–.

As always, Gabby stays as close to me as possible, while Bane is the most excited one for having another place to explore. He's not really a good runner, but his energy is a different thing. He moves a lot and it's difficult to keep up with him.

"Bane boy, calm down a little bit, will you?" The Aron barks at me and nods but keeps jumping around regardless until something rustling the leaves from a bush calls for his attention.

Bane looks at said bush with curiosity, steadily getting closer to the moving bush. He stops for a second when it moves again, but then keeps getting closer. His nose is in front of the leaves when they suddenly move once more. Bane yelps and jumps backwards, totally startled by that move but it does nothing other than increase his curiosity.

I walk near the bush just as Bane examines it from different angles, except I go behind it. Something moves between the branches. Is it a cat?

I crouch to take a look at it, and Gabby slowly floats behind me, but all of a sudden the creature jumps out of the bush. The black cat hisses at Bane, who has almost destroyed its hiding spot and runs away. I crawl to where he is, seeing that he is now sniffing something on the ground. He moves away when I extend my hand and I take the small metal piece from the ground.

And boy, am I surprised by what I found?

The crown-like symbol at the top is what's necessary for me to know that this isn't the average cap of a soda bottle or whatever. This silver bottle cap is legit currency, more valuable than money itself in some instances.

Bane looks up at me, trying to climb on my legs as he whines trying to get closer to my hand.

"No, you can't eat this! It's worth a lot!" I say with my hand closer to my chest.

The Aron cries and backs off, looking sad at how I put the bottle cap in my pocket.

How did something like this get here? Did it fall from the top bridge or did someone else drop it? I wonder if there's more stuff like this dropped here. I guess I won't just walk through this place.

I keep walking at a slow pace, looking from side to side at the ground and in certain instances, looking back to see if I missed anything, but most of it is just rocks or trash. In fact, I think I saw a Trubbish jumping around some puddles.

"Gabby, see anything?"

She shakes her head looking downwards, going "nuh-huh". Then looks up at the bridge, and opens her eyes once she sees something is falling from there. She floats upwards to grab it and carefully goes back down once it's on her face.

"That's just a feather, Gabby girl." I say, removing it from her eyes.

Disappointing, but I guess more stuff can fall from up there instead of just feathers. After all, I haven't seen anything that looks remotely similar to this dark blue down here.

For the next hour or so, I slowly get closer to the water edge. Bane is scared to get too close, so he takes the other side, closer to the grass and bushes, but he doesn't find anything there other than an empty can of Kevin, which he starts munching on while Gabby flies her way out of the land bridge and past the pillars holding the upper bridge. Seems something grabbed her attention.

The Solosis gets closer to the water, part of her bubble submerging. She squints her eyes, concentrating to try to take the thing she found out of the water using her psychic powers.

It takes her time. She's not a heavy lifter, so taking something out of the water is difficult for her, but in the end, it comes out.

The sunrays from the sunset flash right through it and the beams hit my eyes while I had my sunglasses off, so I have to cover my face with an arm while Gabby turns around to block the sunlight with her body and starts floating back to me. For a moment I think that whatever she's holding might as well be a piece of broken glass, except it isn't. It's a scale. A colorful, not really small scale. Its colors remind me of the keystone a little bit, except for the fact that sunlight doesn't phase right through it, y'know? It's not a dragon scale, either, those are thicker. I don't know how much this is worth, but it's beautiful. Maybe I'll keep it until I am aware of what this is.

After putting the scale in my bag, I look for a good spot to put the new tent before the sun goes completely down. The spot I found has a few tents around, belonging to a number of trainers. Or Rangers? If they are patrolling this area, they should sleep somewhere, right? This is a large bridge. Reed had a Noivern for transportation, though, so maybe they don't need that.

Whatever.

There's only one person awake aside from myself, right now. I can barely see their face, since they are wearing a brown hat and their tent is a fair distance away from mine, but they have short hair and more importantly, a very interesting two headed Pokémon. I get to see how one of its heads spits a small fireball to light a fireplace, and then goes sit by their trainers' side while they take out some cooking gear.

The trainer turns their head and looks at me, staring at me for a while until I look away a bit intimidated by that and keep doing my tent instead. However, this person wasn't staring at me because I was looking first, because they start approaching my tent shortly after I look away, giving large steps forward, with their eyes wide open and the two headed Pokémon behind them trying to keep up.

"You're Jordie Hughes!," they cheer with genuine excitement and a huge smile on their face. Needless to say, I'm shocked by the sudden mention of my name. Unable to understand at first how this person knows my name, I can't give a proper answer until the trainer keeps talking. "I saw your name a while ago, when you beat Brawly in Dewford!"

Oh, right! The magazine! No one has really mentioned it at all until now, I almost forgot about it,y'know? So is this person a fan?

"Is that so? That's… great! Who are you, though?"

"The name's Fer, and this here is my Scovillain. The name's Rocoto."

The two headed Pokémon puts one of its arms on its chest, keeping the other one still on its hips and bows down, the green head, however, gets up and smiles at me, with its tongue out.

"Scovillain… Never heard about this one before."

Fer snickers, lifting the tip of their hat up with their thumb while looking at me, proud.

"They are a weird one. You gotta see him in action!"

"So… you are a trainer."

"Yeah!" they answer, excitedly. "Currently on my way to Mauville. I'm participating in the Winstrate Cup!"

I smile. Another rival. Good to know.

"You are going too, right?"

I nod.

"Well, yeah, I thought so." Fer puts both arms on their hips, looking around them. "Man, you must be the fan favorite in that tournament. The trainer that beat Brawly… ya know, I got his badge too."

"Well, Brawly is tough. That's good."

"Yeah, he really is. Thing is… I never actually beat him? He kinda just kicked my butt and gave the badge away." Fer smirks, still looking away.

He did what?

"It was a bit discouraging, not gonna lie. That's why…" Fer suddenly turns their face to look straight at me, pointing at me with their fingers forming a gun. "If I beat you, it counts as beating Brawly, right?"

I look back at them, not really intimidated by the sudden war declaration of this trainer– why would I?–. Honestly, I'm just more confused on why would Brawly give away his badge. You can't do that as a Gym Leader, what the hell! Badges are supposed to be earned in battle!

But with that aside, does that mean I achieved the strange feat of being able to beat Brawly without him giving away the badge? I wonder. Should I feel good about myself for that?

I wonder if there's more people in the tournament that have me on sight like this dude.

This is starting to become very interesting.

"Just kidding!" Fer laughs, with a big smile. "Man, you looked like I really scared you there…"

I smile back.

"Anyways. Don't even know if I'll even get the chance to battle you there," Fer adds. Then shrugs it off. "Just wanted to say hi! Am a big fan."

With another huge smile on their part, Fer walks back to their tent. A fan? I don't know why, but that last part sounded like sarcasm.

Whatever, they don't matter. Scovillain does, though. I saw the red head shoot a fireball. That's a fire type, but what about the green head? I might have some research to do.

The next morning:

I wake up to some munching sounds outside the tent, it sounds as if someone or something is biting something, except that someone or something is Bane biting met– holy shit, the bottle cap!

I quickly reach my bag, on top of it lie the clothes of yesterday. The pockets are closed, but just to make sure, I put my hand inside and sigh in relief after confirming the bottle cap is, in fact, okay.

Then what the hell is that sound from outside?

I take a peek outside of the tent, and see Bane trying to bite on… an Iron Ball? How did that get here? Did it fall from the bridge? I sure hope not, it could have killed someone! And Bane's teeth can't even put a dent on it, by the looks of it. Guess it's like jawbreaker candy for Aron. I guess I can keep it, though, it certainly might come in handy for me.

The other thing I notice is that Fer's tent is gone. An early riser, I see.

Pokémon

Jordie's Party:

Gabby the Solosis

Female ‧ Magic Guard
Hidden Power (Bug) ‧ Psyshock ‧ Recover ‧ Trick Room ‧ Endeavor ‧ Ally Switch

Maroon the Dhelmise

Genderless ‧ Steelworker
Gyro Ball ‧ Whirlpool ‧ Grass Knot ‧ Astonish ‧ Giga Drain ‧ Iron Defense

Bane the Aron

Male ‧ Rock Head
Iron Head ‧ Take Down ‧ Curse ‧ Mud Slap ‧ Rock Slide ‧ Protect

Dewey the Dewpider

Female ‧ Water Bubble
Spider Web ‧ Aqua Ring ‧ Infestation ‧ Bug Bite ‧ Water Gun ‧ Bite

Quinn the Slowpoke

Female ‧ Oblivious
Curse ‧ Confusion ‧ Growl ‧ Water Gun ‧ Yawn ‧ Disable

Star the Geodude (Alola)

Male ‧ Magnet Pull
Defense Curl ‧ Tackle ‧ Rollout ‧ Spark ‧ Charge ‧ Rock Polish

Battle Subway:

*: to be sent to the Battle Subway

Inventory

Money: ₽1200

PokéBalls:

22 Dusk Balls

Held Items:

Eviolite (

)

Aggronite

Iron Ball

TMs/TRs:

Coaching TM

Protect TM

Grass Knot TM

Other:

X-Transceiver

Key Stone

Bait

Bottlecap

Prism Scale
Camping Gear

CSS Template by Juno
Header CSS Template by Aquacorde
Jo's portrait made with this picrew

Aquacorde · Jan 9, 2023

Marie Rachelle Mocinno

Knuckle, Dell

₽33,000

Monday Oct 12, Evening

Mauville

Chapter 6 #11 - Contested

It may be conceit that marches Marie into Mauville's Contest Hall, but it's been conceit that's brought her from Johto to Hoenn, from schoolgirl to trainer, from spoiled city kid to destitute backpacker- why not let it carry her another light step into another new world? She doesn't have such conceit as to ingrain herself into contests out of the blue, no- she's never been interested, nor once thought herself artistic enough to choreograph such enthralling displays. Even the fragmented routines of practicing Coordinators are a level well above anything she could dream- but those fragments are her entire reason for prowling through the glitzy stages of a theater rather than the robust floor of a gym. They shine and sparkle like the badge she aims for, and with that as her focus she pounces on a chance.

The conceit that thrusts her onto a stage jutting out towards eastern Hoenn, cast in evening shadow, is that she will learn to swim by diving headfirst into open ocean.

Stunnie and Cutie take the stage only to receive the pinched glare of the short, fluffy-haired, babyfaced Coordinator opposite her. His lilting voice isn't nearly as amiable as it had been in their earlier conversation- he did say he takes his work seriously, after all. Then again, who doesn't? "I assume they can create something beautiful?"

Marie crosses her arms with a huff. "This is a battle, Luca."

"And you agreed to battle on my terms- a Coordinator's terms." A Swinub joins the Teddiursa reclining against Luca's bare calves- oh, great. Ice. At least she knows what both of these Pokémon are. "Beautiful is my preference and my goal. Perhaps you will be best off aiming for… spectacle, to begin with. But I will show you beauty!"

A thick mist begins to swirl around Luca's feet and quickly rolls toward her end, easily concealing Stunnie and not quite doing the same for Cutie. But before she can decide what to do about it, the mist spins toward the center of the stage, revealing Luca's Swinub atop a throne of ice behind a cloudy vortex at mid-field. Barely visible, Teddiursa's twirling dance swirls the remains of the fog upwards into gray-white clouds rolling to cover the whole of the stage.

And it begins to rain.

Marie shrieks indignantly- it's cold and wet and it's not her that's battling! Luca ignores her, though, opening his arms to the sky and tilting his head back in a perfect copy of his Teddiursa's final pose as the vortex breaks. "Much better!" he giggles, twirling on one sandaled foot. Teddiursa copies his twirl in turn. "It's way too hot to be October."

Marie's said the same thing recently, of course, but she can't condone this method of dealing with said heat- Luca may be unconcerned or unaware of his already-sheer pink top going completely see-through in the rain, but Marie is both very concerned and very aware of her own fluffy blouse suddenly becoming form-fitting. And annoyed that she is going to have to put her shoes through a dryer again. Stunnie slaps the wet stage indignantly with his tail, and oh yes, commands- "Water Gun, then, if they want things to be wet. Cutie, make a wall."

Shimmering psychic walls thunk down in a line across the stage, one flexing and rippling with but not hindering the Water Gun passing through it, headed straight for Teddiursa. Luca nods approvingly, water shaking from his now-sleek hair. "That could be something pretty. Oh! Teddi, catch it."

"What does-" catch it mean?, she would have said, had it not been quickly obvious in action. Teddiursa shifts its stance and takes the Water Gun with the icy pad of one paw and the ice grows larger and larger, fed by the splashing water until Stunnie no longer can keep up the pressurized blast. The crystalline shield falls from Teddiursa's paw and splashes into the- no, crunches down on more newly-formed ice; she'd been so confused by Luca's command that she hadn't noticed Swinub turning the wet stage into a rink- and it's nearly hit Cutie's wall! "Cutie, Bullet Seed!"

Seeds flare out from three of Cutie's heads and as always they scatter wide. Stunnie is smart enough to hide directly under Cutie, and Teddiursa holds a glowing rectangular shield above its head that flashes with every impact, but Swinub on her throne wears the brunt of the attack even as she turns her Ice Beam skyward, a handful of frozen seeds dropping like hail before the beam encases one of Cutie's heads in ice.

The other two look as if they have a sudden headache.

"Dragon Hammer!"

Cutie whips his neck and crashes down on Swinub's throne a split-second after it scurries away, facets of fragmented ice from both his head and the throne sparkling in the fading light. Stunnie, unprompted, zips across the slick stage floor to clock the Teddiursa upside the head with Dark-type energy and in retaliation the bear grabs him by the tail, freezing around his grip even with ice climbing into its fur. The Swinub ignores Stunnie's irritated, flashing lightning, busy freezing Cutie's feet to the floor, and the Teddiursa takes the brunt of it, static clinging to frozen fur even as the ice around its grip shatters into shining dust.

Luca flashes a dazzling grin.

The rain turns freezing cold before giving way to chunky hail, shattering in bursts on the icy floor and the psychic barriers as they fade away, and a whirling storm stakes the stage: Teddiursa, all twirling jumps and bouncing spins, pummeling Cutie and Stunnie in turn with energy-wrapped shrapnel while laughing, dancing, twisting, turning, with a speed Marie's never seen. Behind the distraction, she can see Swinub building again, but what can she do? Throwing another Reflect in the midst of it does nothing, not when the bear dances along the tops of them, now buffeted in its jumps by glittering snowy gusts from Swinub's perch on her new ice castle.

"No, no, stop stop stop." Luca's irritated command freezes the tableau mid-step, his own Pokémon listening faithfully and Marie's in confusion. "I didn't do it well," he grumbles, pinching the bridge of his nose. "That was a disaster!"

"Disaster?!" Marie's voice is pitchier and more indignant than she'd like. "You completely shut me down!"

"Yes, sure," Luca waves his other hand dismissively. "But it looked terrible. Messy! Chaotic! Sparkly at best, that's all anyone could say about that. But you can't just slap glitter on a Raticate and call it a show!" While Luca paces, wedged sandals crunching on the ice, his Teddiursa dances in the middle of the field, calling back the rain and sending it out into Mauville's atmosphere. "Do your Pokémon even have combinations? Moves that look interesting? Or are you just like all battle types, just hit back and forth with no flair?"

The October warmth flooding back into the space is welcome, even though she's still soaked, but the burn of shame and irritation that bunches her fists at her sides is doing an even better job of steaming her clothes dry. "I'm not a Coordinator! I told you! I don't even want to be!"

"That doesn't mean you can't be interesting!" Luca scrubs his fingers through his hair, annoyance driving water from it more effectively than anything else. "Nobody's interested in watching blow-by-blow battles! Not even your opponent! It's predictable and repetitive and boring and ugly. You know why high-level battles are so much more interesting to watch? Because there are surprises! Because the trainers know how to create! Nothing like the Up-And-Coming tournament that was on the other day, no- high-level battlers know how to dance, even if they don't think they do!"

"And what do you think I came here to learn?" Marie bites back. Luca's head snaps up, plump lips parted. "Why do you think I wanted to battle?"

Luca folds his arms tight over his chest as his lips thin out into a pressed line. "You never said, did you? Just came in here looking to battle, so I said 'alright, if you do it like a contest'. And you said 'yes, alright'. So I expected you to know what that meant."

Conceit. With Coordination, just as with training, what she sees on television is nothing like reality. Doing is far more difficult than imagining.

"You don't need to battle." Luca decides, some irritation still lacing his words. "Do you? You need to train."

"Battling is training," Marie parrots old advice, with a tinge of petulance.

"To the extent that you may learn something new in a match, or learn better how to work with or against others," Luca concedes. Swinub and Teddiursa are swept up in his wake as he walks his lecture toward Marie, somehow not slipping on the slick ice still layering the stage. "But it's far more effective to develop skills outside the pressure of a fast-paced exchange. A real battle doesn't let you critique in the same way, not when your eyes are busy watching your opponents. And how can you find combinations when your opponent is working to shut you down? Do you think I ever would have figured out Mist could interact with Rain Dance in that way in the midst of battle? How long Teddiursa would need to distract before Swinub could ice over the stage? That Teddiursa can freeze himself to increase his speed?" His hands rest haughtily on his hips, and Marie is distinctly reminded by the thin, pale scars visible across his chest that neither of their soaked shirts are doing anything useful at the moment. She crosses her arms again self-consciously.

"I suppose not."

Luca clicks his tongue at her reluctant acknowledgement and extends an expectant hand. "Show me your Pokédex."

"What? Why?"

"So I can see their movesets. Come on, now. If you want to learn something from me, you'll be doing it my way."

Marie drops one hand from her chest to fish her PokéDex out of her back pocket, silently berating herself for not even attempting to use it in battle. Luca skims through information, though his expression turns somewhat sour. "Eugh."

"Excuse me?"

"These sets are boring," is probably the most blunt way to put it. "Do you have any TMs?"

"Um- only one."

"Only one? Like, total?"

"Do you have any TMs?" Marie challenges.

"Of course! A whole shelf full, at my apartment. Which is in Hearthome. So that's not going to do you any good. Which TM do you have?"

"Um." No, come on, you only have one, there's no reason to have forgotten what it is. Even though Merry chose it for you. "Magical Leaf?"

"Magical Leaf!" Luca's eyes practically sparkle with the possibilities he can suddenly see. "Thank god! Let's start there- well, we'll have to go back to the Pokémon Center, actually, clearly you don't have a reader on you. Come on-" Luca catches her wrist and drags her toward the stage exit, leaving Marie barely enough time and coordination to hit the buttons on Cutie and Stunnie's PokéBalls. She shouldn't have worried, it turns out- someone yelling Luca's name forces him to skid to a halt with a wince.

"If you leave that stage full of ice one more time, Luca Sivoy-!"

Luca pivots slowly, and Marie's vantage point is such that she can watch his expression deliberately morph from oh, busted to I am just a little boy please be nice to me. "Audrey please… I'm really late for something and you know I don't have any Pokémon that can clean up ice…" Luca ducks his head, peeking up at the black-haired woman through messy, damp bangs. It's impressive that he manages to make himself look so much smaller than Audrey when they're the same height.

And Audrey falls for it, despite apparently having done so before. "Fine. You'd better clean it up next time, though. People don't like to hear about their contest idols being inconsiderate people, do they? Especially as high as A-Rank…"

"Threat understood!" Luca bows, deeply and probably sarcastically. "I'll be back tomorrow!"

"Whole stage will still be wet by then." Audrey's grumbling fades as Luca once again whisks Marie away.

A-Rank, huh?

No wonder she'd been so easily shut down. Coordinators are usually not the most effective battlers, but they must still battle- and for Luca to get where he is, he'd have to have won many and participated in many more. Marie has a sudden suspicion that Luca is much older than his looks suggest. That's what she gets for the assumption that she could pick any young-looking Coordinator and battle on equal level, she supposes. And now she's been forcibly taken under his wing, and will be learning contest techniques. How does she manage to get into these situations? At least an A-Rank Coordinator is probably a better teacher than a couple of preteens. Maybe not as good as a gym leader, but Luca is here and Wally and Brawly are not. Besides, she came here in the first place to find new ways for her Pokémon to work together- she can wear a Coordinator's hat for a while, just to learn, even though she already knows Contests aren't for her. What had Luca said? High level battlers know how to dance, even if they don't think they do.

It's time to learn to dance, apparently.

luca sivoy - click for picrew maker

Spoiler: Team

Spoiler: Inventory

Spoiler: Contacts

Caesar · Jan 15, 2023

🌤️Monday, October 12th - Mauville

Clint woke up later than he prefers, still feeling the pain from his collapse yesterday. Two collapses, if you include every battle he lost that day. He could still feel a headache, as well his wrist was swollen, and mostly useless at this point. He dragged himself out of bed, and after freshening up and getting dressed he walked down into the lobby. He still had to get his wrist checked out, as the first aid attendant at the game corner didn't do the most thorough diagnosis. Not her fault though, she appeared to have her hands full at the game corner.

Clint made his way over to the medical center in the Pokecenter. As it turns out, in addition to having staff that heal your Pokemon, they also have medical staff designated to help out trainers who have hurt themselves along their journeys. Clint walked in, and waited for some help. Looks like everyone's busy these days.

After waiting for about twenty minutes, someone came to speak to Clint.

"Morning, what happened to ya."

"Hurt my wrist breaking a fall, it's all swollen and hurts like a son of a gun, need someone to take a look at it," Clint requested.

"Umm sure, fill out this form and we'll send someone out for you," the staff member answered, as they handed a clipboard with a form on it to Clint.

Clint said thank you, and got to work on the form. It was the standard stuff, name, age, trainer ID, what'd you do to hurt yourself and so on. Clint took his time filling it out, he still had to go slow in order to make his writing intelligible. Not that he was in a rush, because even after he finished he had to continue waiting for another forty-five minutes.

Eventually, a medical professional was ready to see Clint. Clint got up, handed his paperwork over to the nurse, and walked into the examination room with her. The nurse motioned for Clint to sit over on one chair, while she sat down in the other. Clint followed the directions and sat down.

"So, Clint, what's brought you in here today?"  

"My wrist, did something to it breaking a fall yesterday."  

"Let me see," the nurse said, grabbing Clint's hand and examining his wrist. After a quick investigation, the nurse came up with her solution.

"Looks like a simple sprain, should heal itself up in a few days. What I'll do is make you a quick splint and bandage your wrist up, should make recovery go easier. Also, I'll prescribe you some painkillers for your wrist, take them as needed. Go easy on that hand for a couple weeks, I know you trainers are always out and about but try and avoid using that hand whenever you can, it will make for a shorter recovery time. We'll also put you under a quick X-Ray, make sure nothing's broken."

So their Clint went, following along as first his hand was put into an X-Ray machine, which turned up all good, no major damage. Second step, the nurse fashioned a splint, which she secured to Clint's wrist via more elastic bandage. Last might have been the most painful part, the filling out of paperwork. That took longer than Clint would have liked.

"We'll enter your paperwork into the system, that way if you have any issues in the future any Pokecenter will have your history on file," the nurse explained.

Cool story, Clint could have cared less, all this for something my father would have had told me to stop complaining about. After all that was done, Clint was let out of the medical center, and back into the rest of the Pokecenter. Time to figure out his plan for leaving town.

Later, after running a couple of errands around town, Clint had loaded up on supplies. Preserved meals, a step up from simple canned stuff, and easy to cook too. Just put the bag in boiling water, wait a few minutes and they're ready to eat. They also make meals for Pokemon too, yea Clint could just keep them in their balls the whole time and not have to worry about that, but he believed it was good for his party to spend time outside with him.

The other notable purchase for Clint was a portable butane stove, a very small and lightweight one, as it was just a fuel tank with a burner on top of it. Most of the time Clint went camping he preferred cooking on an open fire, but with his recent injury gathering wood was going to be easier said than done. So, he had to fork over some money for an easier way to do things.

One thing Clint had to begrudgingly compliment Mauville for was all the wilderness outfitter stores they had. Clint only visited the first one he found, conveniently placed near the Pokemon center to grab the attention of travelling trainers, but there were apparently many more, each stocked with everything you could imagine. Only thing stopping Clint from spending more is the realization that he would have to carry everything he bought with him during his travels.

With his stocking up complete, Clint headed back to his room, his plan was to make sure he was packed, and do a little reading of a book he bought, Backpacking In Hoenn, should hopefully have some useful information.

-Clint spent $12,500 preparing for his trip!

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|Bullet Seed

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

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

$26,000
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 · Jan 17, 2023

Edison Kintobor
Monday, October 12th; morning
Mauville City

Monday brings a change to the atmosphere of Mauville, and it's not just the aftermath of the Tournament. Clouds gather in the sky, threatening rain, which most Mauvillians probably paid little heed. It had little bearing on Ed himself, as his mind was on other things.

His conversation with Tom and Bug had convinced him to redouble his training efforts, especially with those two. He'd taken Tom's metaphor about becoming stronger somewhat literally, utilizing a TR he'd found on Route 110 to teach him Strength, a much more powerful attack than Pound. The power could be unleashed all at once as a strong punch, or used more passively outside of battle to help move heavy objects.

After some initial difficulty, he'd administered the Ability Capsule he'd received from Miss Virtua to Lady Bug, to fascinating results. The hidden wellspring of Bug-type energy within her, able to be tapped into only under duress, had been redirected through her body and into her eyes. While the change itself occurred near instantly, it will take her some time to adjust to her new, enhanced vision. Ed decides to halt further training until that time, allowing her to ride on his head as she excitedly looks around at the world with fresh eyes.

While it's a start, he still has much to do in his training. He needs to take it seriously if he wants to be on par with Arthur or Sunny, so he leaves Switch and Aster behind for now. A full team of six is a lot to juggle, and those two are the least interested in Ed's goals.

Mauville City has been an interesting experience for him, but it's time to move on. After a quick stop to gather supplies for the road, of course. He's learned from his time on the land bridge. He needs to plan for the weather, the time he'll be traveling, and how many Pokémon he'll have with him. He pauses on that last point. It wouldn't hurt to plan for how many humans will be there as well. Not just himself, but he needs to consider if any of his friends will be joining him this time. He supposes he should at least talk to them, see if they want to leave as well, or at least let someone know of his intentions.

budube · Jan 17, 2023

Jordie "Jo" Hughes

Tuesday, October 6

Route 110 - Land Bridge

Chapter

Pokémon

Inventory

Chapter 5: Final - Next Stop, Mauville City

Near the final stretch of the land bridge, lies an empty building. An abandoned project of some sort, with broken machinery on the inside and a few Pokémon living around it, feeding themselves on what's left of it. Whatever had been going on in that building years ago, dragged different Pokémon to it, yet none of the kind of the lone Pikipek living in an old tree.

In fact, the lone Pikipek was in constant danger living near said abandoned building, hiding inside his nest from other electric Pokémon who could zap him with no mercy. It was the reason why there were barely any other Pikipek around; yet still, the lone Pikipek wanted to stay there, protecting his home and the weird yellow rock he had been curious about ever since he broke from his egg.

The odd stone is yellow and oval shaped, and it smells like wood. Inside, there is… honestly, the lone Pikipek doesn't know what it is. Is it a claw? Is it a fang? Is it the bone of another Pikipek's wing? Or maybe a strange beak? The lone Pikipek has been asking himself whenever he sees his reflection on the odd stone.

One morning, the lone Pikipek woke up to search for berries. He would normally find the berries at the top of the tree, or in the bushes nearby and would take them to his nest for him to eat for some days. However, unfortunate as his life could be, a little jolly Joltik jumped in front of him when he was taking his food from the branch. The loud clicking sound it made with its teeth, together with the spark released from its fur, startled the bird and made him drop his food on top of a sleeping Voltorb.

He tried to go back inside his nest, but the Voltorb wouldn't stop following him, so he had no choice but to go a different way to escape.

The Voltorb chased him until the bird hid inside a bush. It rolled around it a few times, trying to see the Pikipek, but seeing how he had seemingly escaped, it rolled back to the tree.

With nowhere left to go, he decided to venture into the old abandoned building. Maybe he could find a new home inside an old machine or a pipe, something that wouldn't attract those electric types.

After flying for an hour, he found a strange room, almost empty, with only one dormant Pokémon laying in the middle of it with its head down. The lone Pikipek explored around the room, and strangely enough, there were no signs of electric type Pokémon. Maybe he could make this place his new home…

If only the dormant Pokémon didn't mind.

The Pikipek stood on the Pokémon's shoulder, facing directly at the Pokémon's head. He slightly leaned back and rapidly knocked on the Pokémon's head five times. Something clicked inside the dormant Pokémon and its eyes glowed a bright yellow.

The strange Pokémon looked to its left side, where the Pikipek was looking at it, eyes wide open and tilting its head to different sides, trying to call for its attention to ask if he could stay there, but the Pokémon didn't understand quite well. It looked to the entrance, the yellow on its eyes flashing quickly switching through various intensities, and not long after that, it opened its right hand in front of the Pikipek.

The bird stared at the hand, tilting his head sideways. He then jumped on the palm of the Pokémon's hand. The strange Pokémon put its other hand around it and started moving its arms upwards until reaching its head, where the Pikipek jumped on. After that, the strange Pokémon went back to sleep.

Days have passed ever since that little creature came to make this room its home. Despite being in a dormant state for a while now, Golett is capable of understanding the concept of time quite well, at least enough to know they've been sleeping in this room for 7305 days, waiting for the correct call into action, an actual master to follow.

Instead, they got a bird and a yellow rock. One even more ancient than Golett. The bird made them follow it to the nest to get it. Seems it couldn't get the rock on its own because of a Voltorb, but Voltorb holds no power against Golett. It seems having the rock around makes the bird very curious for some reason.

However, the bird also needs food. Golett has to follow it back to the same tree so it gets food berries, their hands are big enough to carry them all. Even if Golett is unable to eat them by normal means, they still enjoy the bird's company, mostly because the bird is very weak and an easy target for other Pokémon, so it gets into trouble easily and Golett likes fighting.

Not to say the bird can't fight, its shrieking just doesn't have any effect on Voltorb most of the time, although it's good for when the bird is calling for help. Better than the pecking, at least.

At the moment, Golett and the bird are sleeping in the room. Nothing really out of place, except for the sound of steps coming from outside. Fast steps, and loud enough to make Golett wake up, even if they keep their head down. Someone is running and they have… six legs? That doesn't sound right for Golett. Maybe it's two creatures with three legs each. No, that's worse.

"I think we lost them," a voice says between heavy breathing. A human. Two legs. "Bane, Gabby, are you alright?" Something barks in response to that. Bane and Gabby are two Pokémon. That makes three creatures with two legs each. That makes sense.

One of them keeps walking, likely the human, the breath is as heavy as theirs. However it's at a much lower speed, then they sit.

"Stupid Voltorb." There's some silence around the room for a while, however Golett feels the bird hopping on their head. "What's wrong, Gabby girl? Did you see a ghost…? Ah! You… did. And also…"

"Pikipek, the Woodpecker Pokémon. Flying and Normal type. It can peck at a rate of 16 times a second to drill holes in trees. It uses the holes for food storage and for nesting. This Pokémon feeds on berries, whose leftover seeds become the ammunition for the attacks it fires off from its mouth."

A machine. Human machine, probably. It scanned the bird, probably. Golett is no Pikipek.

"What's a normal type bird doing here? And… is that thing a fossil?"

Now, that's just rude.

Golett catches a glimpse of the human's hand trying to reach the yellow rock before the bird, Pikipek, jumps on top of it.

"Relax! I won't do anything to you, y'know? Just wanted to check that rock you got under your legs."

Pikipek shakes its head, hopping defiantly on the rock, opening its wings to scare them away. It apparently worked, because one of the Pokémon suddenly started barking.

"Bane, what's wrong!"

Two shots are heard from outside, hitting some kind of barrier.

"Shit, they caught up with us! Gabby, use Trick Room again!" the human runs, dropping something on their way out. Something heavy. "Bane, remember: No attacking, protect yourself with Iron Head!"

Interestingly enough, Golett started feeling more energized. They could possibly run a marathon.

It feels…

As if this was the call they were waiting for.

Two more shots are heard. These are familiar shots. Electric shocks. The Voltorb are back.

"Bane, Protect yourself!"

Bane growls, as multiple shots apparently hit the same barrier as before. The Voltorb keep attacking, and the trainer orders Bane to use Iron Head again to protect the Pokémon.

The cracking sound from the electric attacks starts getting more frequent and louder, as Bane keeps growling trying to uselessly resist the electric attacks. The bird climbs up to Golett's shoulder.

"It's no use, there are too many!" the trainer says. "Even if we keep walking forward, we won't be able to get past five of these! Gabby, Pain Split on Bane! Bane, use Curse and get ready to attack!"

A fight's about to start. That's the call. Normally, Golett waits for Pikipek to knock on their head, but before it can do any of that, they are already standing up.

They are capable of seeing the battlefield now. A green haired trainer stands at the entrance, and by their side is a floating green creature.

There's also something else about the environment. When Golett takes a step forward, they get slightly dizzy. It's not because of the sleep, the floor just feels slippery, somehow. But it's not. Golett is just moving faster. It has to do with that extra energy Golett feels. It will be difficult fighting like this.

Golett's right hand disappears inside their arm as they walk outside the door. However, because of the sudden change in their speed, they crash against the corridor's wall as soon as they leave the room.

The bird jumps right after the impact to pose itself on Golett's shoulder, angrily knocking its beak against their head, yet still, with their body leaning against the wall, they look to their right side. On the trainer's side is another small, quadrupedal Pokémon, taking all of the Voltorb attacks; that must be the barking one. In front of it, Golett manages to see one, two, three, four Voltorb; probably more outside their visual range.

Golett doesn't do that just to count, though. As they are scanning the battlefield, they set their eyes on a Voltorb, then they quickly extend their arm and before the creature can even react, it's blasted away by a direct Mud Slap, shot so suddenly quick, that Golett is also pushed backwards, making them fall down.

"Incredible…," the trainer laughs, looking at Golett. Then they turn back to the quadrupedal Pokémon, a huge grin on their face. "Bane, change of plans! Keep tanking attacks!"

The Voltorb keep attacking Bane, while Gabby keeps healing the Pokémon and the bird watches, hiding most of itself from the room. Golett gets up, charging their cannon once again, aiming at a different Voltorb. This time, Golett tries to focus better on their balance, but once again has trouble timing their shot. They don't fall this time, but end up slightly dizzy because of it.

This opens an opportunity for the wild Voltorb. One of them Screeches, while a different one attempts to tackle Golett with Rollout, but Bane is there to stop the attack with its head. Meanwhile another two Voltorb start to slowly Charge themselves up.

The two Voltorb attack. One of them shoots a Thundershock from the distance, while the other one tries to slam Bane with its body covered in electricity, but Bane has no trouble tanking both hits with its own head, growling with some discomfort as it also takes the next Rollout from the other Voltorb. Then suddenly, a white light starts surrounding the creature, covering it even more as more hits land on him, after some time, the Voltorb even stop attacking, just watching the spectacle before them, with concerned looks between them, slowly backing off as the steel-faced creature grows in size.

"Oh my-! Bane!" the human shouts with excitement. "Oh my god, you're evolving!"

The light disappears. Bane has become larger, with numerous spikes appearing on its back. It also has a tail now, which doesn't stop moving.

Golett takes this moment the Voltorb are distracted to charge another Mud Slap. They are too afraid to even attempt to attack anymore, so they all left the scene, except this one that started glowing.

"Oh no! Gabby, hide!" the human and Gabby quickly make their way inside the room, and then the Voltorb explodes. Bane takes some damage itself, but nothing critical, and Golett just to be pushed down because of the shockwave, but the attack itself did nothing.

For a moment I thought I accidentally sat on that Pikipek when I went to hide from the explosion, but no, the bird managed to get away before that happened. Now it's standing on my knee, observing me while tilting its head from side to side. Do all birds do that? Or does this one just get that habit from other Pokémon?

The Golett from the battle starts walking inside the room back again, and when the Pikipek notices it, it flies to its shoulders to then hop to the top of its head. That's when I know I can go back to see Bane.

I really can't hide my excitement about Bane's evolution. All that training finally paid off, so I all that emotion made me run to hug him.

"Bane, oh my god! I'm so happy!" Bane yelps, except this time he doesn't sound like a dog anymore, but an actual metallic creature, a baby metal dragon or something. "You're a big guy now, so training is gonna get harder from now on. Oh my god, you've become so strong!"

I notice something on the ground, it's the Eviolite, with pieces of the broken bracelet that used to it around it. Well, of course that happened, Lairon's legs are very thick compared to Aron's. I'll have to buy something new for him in Mauville. For now, let's go out of here.

I couldn't explore as I wanted in New Mauville with all these Voltorbs following me around, but honestly it all wasn't that interesting, just abandoned rooms and old machines. Boring. But I don't know what I expected. The interesting part actually comes when I leave the building.

Gabby is the first one to notice the Golett and Pikipek following us, floating behind me to make me turn around. The former holds both the Iron Ball and the Old Amber, one on each hand.

"The Iron Ball, right. Thank you!" I say, receiving the item to put it back in the bag, at the moment I get down, the Pikipek hops on my shoulder. Next thing I see is the Old Amber said Pikipek was so protective about being given to me by the Golett.

"Are you two for real?" The Golett nods and I smile, a bit confused, but also excited about the situation. I guess I can take two Pokémon, after all. The Golett also fights, but what does the Pikipek do? One way to find out.

The Pikipek remains on my shoulder during what's left of the walk. The sun starts setting down, however we are already close to the exit. At some point, the Pikipek jumps down from my shoulder, making its way between some trees and tall grass just to come out with a cloth bag which it tries to clumsily drag through the grass. The Golett walks to help carry it and then approaches me, eyeing what's inside the bag before giving it to me. It's a TM? Also some purple berries. Payapa berries, I think they were called. I'm not really big on berries, but they can be very useful. They all seem to be in perfect shape.

I give the bag back to Golett, not without putting the TM inside my bag, wouldn't want it to get some berry juice on it. "You carry it. I got too many things right now, y'see?"

After that, I go inside the Rangers building. This is where I get my stuff back and also get to introduce Golett and Pikipek (now Blaster and Quiver) in their Dusk Balls to officially catch them so I can scan them.

Next stop, Mauville. Finally.

Pokémon

Jordie's Party:

Gabby the Solosis

Female ‧ Magic Guard
Hidden Power (Bug) ‧ Psyshock ‧ Recover ‧ Trick Room ‧ Endeavor ‧ Ally Switch

Maroon the Dhelmise

Genderless ‧ Steelworker
Gyro Ball ‧ Whirlpool ‧ Grass Knot ‧ Astonish ‧ Giga Drain ‧ Iron Defense

Bane the Lairon

Male ‧ Rock Head
Iron Head ‧ Take Down ‧ Curse ‧ Mud Slap ‧ Rock Slide ‧ Protect

Dewey the Dewpider

Female ‧ Water Bubble
Spider Web ‧ Aqua Ring ‧ Infestation ‧ Bug Bite ‧ Water Gun ‧ Bite

Quiver the Pikipek

Male ‧ Pick Up
Peck ‧ Growl ‧ Echoed Voice ‧ Rock Smash ‧ Supersonic ‧ Pluck

Blaster the Golett

Genderless ‧ No Guard
Mud Slap ‧ Rollout ‧ Defense Curl ‧ Shadow Punch ‧ Pound ‧ Astonish

Quinn the Slowpoke*

Female ‧ Oblivious
Curse ‧ Confusion ‧ Growl ‧ Water Gun ‧ Yawn ‧ Disable

Star the Geodude (Alola)*

Male ‧ Magnet Pull
Defense Curl ‧ Tackle ‧ Rollout ‧ Spark ‧ Charge ‧ Rock Polish

Battle Subway:

*: to be sent to the Battle Subway

Inventory

Money: ₽1200

PokéBalls:

Dusk Ball x20

Held Items:

Eviolite

Aggronite

Iron Ball

Berries:

Payapa Berry x6

TMs/TRs:

Coaching TM

Protect TM

Grass Knot TM

Encore TM

Other:

X-Transceiver

Key Stone

Bait

Bottlecap

Prism Scale

Old Amber

CSS Template by Juno
Header CSS Template by Aquacorde
Jo's portrait made with this picrew
Shiny Dhelmise recolor by TonOfDirt726 on DA

[PKMN FULL] Hoenn: Square One [IC]

⟡ dig down, dig down ⟡

6-2: Botany

Ability: Prankster

Ability: Rattled

Ability: Technician

Ability: Leaf Guard

CHAPTER 2: LIVE FOR FUN

CHAPTER 3: YOUR BRAIN GETS SMART

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

CHAPTER 5: YOU'LL NEVER KNOW IF YOU DON'T GO

CHAPTER 6: SHINE AND GLOW

WALLET: ₽5,950

KEY ITEMS

HELD ITEMS

EVOLUTION ITEMS

TMs/TRs

CONSUMABLES

MISC. GEAR

Kirbmeister

Sunday, October 11th - Mauville

Sunday, October 11th - Mauville

6-3: "Friendly" Fire

Ability: Prankster

Ability: Rattled

Ability: Technician

Ability: Leaf Guard

CHAPTER 2: LIVE FOR FUN

CHAPTER 3: YOUR BRAIN GETS SMART

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

CHAPTER 5: YOU'LL NEVER KNOW IF YOU DON'T GO

CHAPTER 6: SHINE AND GLOW

WALLET: ₽5,950

KEY ITEMS

HELD ITEMS

EVOLUTION ITEMS

TMs/TRs

CONSUMABLES

MISC. GEAR

⟡ dig down, dig down ⟡

Kirbmeister

6-4: Round One, Take Two

Ability: Prankster

Ability: Rattled

Ability: Technician

Ability: Leaf Guard

CHAPTER 2: LIVE FOR FUN

CHAPTER 3: YOUR BRAIN GETS SMART

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

CHAPTER 5: YOU'LL NEVER KNOW IF YOU DON'T GO

CHAPTER 6: SHINE AND GLOW

WALLET: ₽5,950

KEY ITEMS

HELD ITEMS

EVOLUTION ITEMS

TMs/TRs

CONSUMABLES

MISC. GEAR

Princess Era 🎀

6-5: Hollow Victories

Ability: Prankster

Ability: Rattled

Ability: Technician

Ability: Leaf Guard

CHAPTER 2: LIVE FOR FUN

CHAPTER 3: YOUR BRAIN GETS SMART

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

CHAPTER 5: YOU'LL NEVER KNOW IF YOU DON'T GO

CHAPTER 6: SHINE AND GLOW

WALLET: ₽10,950 (↑ ₽5,000)

KEY ITEMS

HELD ITEMS

EVOLUTION ITEMS

TMs/TRs

CONSUMABLES

MISC. GEAR

6-6: Crowded

Ability: Prankster

CHAPTER 2: LIVE FOR FUN

CHAPTER 3: YOUR BRAIN GETS SMART