Fandom Pokemon: A New Adventure!

[Midnightclub]

CJ's smile never quite left his face as he listened to the girl ramble on, nodding at the right times. Blitz was busy being pestered by the Espeon and he used CJ as a shield, crawling down his back to avoid losing any of its bubbles. The Froakie leapt off of his back and onto a nearby building, swiftly increasing the distance between them. Luckily, the girl distracted the churlish Pokemon with a chew toy. He took the time to gauge the other Pokemon with her while still keeping Blitz in the corner of his eye. Their size alone was sobering. These were powerful creatures, evolved or simply just better than most. Aside from the Espeon. Just looking at that pink monstrosity made him want to grimace, but he refrained. Blitz had ventured closer to Thirteen, using the friendly Absol as a screen to avoid further contact with Cherry. "Really, it's fine. I got the wallet back, so no harm done." Oh but he would remember that Pokemon.

He snapped back into focus as she began mentioning Pokemon names and types. So the four legged green creature with the massive flower was grass. Seemed like something he should have been able to guess on his own. Once he'd learned the types this kind of thing would be much easier. He wasn't sure what a Greninja was, but the way she'd included Blitz in that sentence was curious. He wasn't about to flout his ignorance though. Admitting his faults once in a day was more than enough. "Strong and Fast. Blitz won his first battle today in just three moves." He felt stupid, bragging, but it was important to maintain an image. He was a trainer, after all. "Oh. Thirteen's not mine. His partner is somewhere in the city. He was just delivering a message to me." He shrugged. "Well, we better get on our way, we've got a lot of errands to run before nightfall. Er, try to keep a better eye on...Cherry, was it? Not my place, but there's other people out there who probably wouldn't just let something like that slide." He looked back at Blitz. "C'mon." That was all he needed. In a heartbeat, Blitz was back on his shoulder. He nodded to the girl. "Have a good one." Before he stepped out onto the sidewalk, headed towards the nearest Mall and using his Pokedex's GPS function.

He waved goodbye and said thanks to Thirteen. As he walked he began formulating a list of what he'd need. Survival supplies, rope, food for a few days, a backpack, a knife, Pokeballs, medicine. A book on types, training techniques, and battle tactics would be great too. Budget or no, necessities like that would be invaluable while he and Blitz trained. He absentmindedly stroked the Froakie between the eyes. Already he'd put the strange day behind him, he was looking forwards.

Soulmuse explosiveKitten

 

[Soulmuse]

Arielle Atken

“I don’t know. Growing up, I wanted to travel more than anything else, so I think I would have eventually gone out to see the world.” That much, at least, was true. No matter what, she would have left Lilycove. “In the end, I would have been a Trainer, although probably with just Thirteen as company.” It was a question she never gave much thought before. What if she didn’t run into that bunch in Kalos? Or, what if she never left Lilycove at all? That answer, she decided at once, would be best kept private. “I would have certainly given up on the whole battling bit years ago if I didn’t get dragged into Gym battling and the like of it.” She found herself curious what idea’s Zeke would present, and what insight’s he’d made into her presented character.

Despite wanting to burst into outright laughter at his suggestion that she would have been a cop, Arielle’s lips only quirked upwards. “I’m afraid I am not nearly charismatic enough to be an effective tour guide.” The rest of his assessment turned out to be quite spot on, however. “As for a career in law enforcement…I can’t say I ever considered it.” She wouldn’t pass the background check, no doubt, leaving it a moot point. “I’ve gotten into the habit of checking out every new city and town I visit if given the chance. Helps if I need to run to the Pokémon Center, or meet someone for something.” Also helped to scope out where she might run into trouble. “While I often travel with friends or acquaintances, I have also traveled alone, so learning to a sense of direction was important.” Yes, that sounded like a good lie.

Entering the Pokémon Center, she approached the counter, exchanging a few idle words with the Joy as she handed over Archen’s Pokeball. Without anything better to do, she turned to follow Zeke into the waiting area. Shrugging off her own pack, she settled down, watching in amusement as he shuffled through his supplies, obviously having forgotten something, based on his muttering, and his follow up question.

Arielle knew of at least six ways to make a quick buck in the city, although none of them would appeal to a young trainer who wanted to stay on the right side of the law. “There’s usually ads somewhere of people looking for help, although where they stuck them is another matter. And that’s always a bit of a roll of the dice.” Quickly, she rifled through her list of mistakes rookie trainers made, or things they forgot. He seemed to have Shinx and the relevant supplies in good order, although one thing did stand out, although she wouldn’t say as much. “What’d you forget?”


Theo713



Thirteen


Thirteen, satisfied there would be no further problems between the two trainers, turned, and padded along with CJ for a short distance as he departed, before turning and bounding off to find his trainer. Not, before, however, giving a short bark of goodbye towards CJ.

Satisfied that his obligations were fulfilled, Thirteen took a few seconds to acquire the scent of his Trainer, following the scent with practiced ease. Fortunately for him, some was leaving the Pokémon Center at the same time he wanted in, allowing the Absol access. Stopping next to his Trainer, Thirteen gave her a quick once over, before curling up on the floor beside her chair.

Midnightclub explosiveKitten

 

[Angelofwishes7]

Christopher Andrew O'Dwell ​

"Most versatile Thespian huh? That's certainly a title to hold." Christopher smiled as he continued. "So, do you plan on continuing your shows while you're helping the professor? Or will you be taking a break for awhile?" He raised an eyebrow as he asked the question.

Tags
Killerclown

Leanna Ivy Lin O'Dwell ​

Leanna watched Xavier for a moment before smiling and putting the awakening away. She then watched as some of her smaller pokemon, such as aron and spheal were trying to both interact and play with some of Xaviers. "Well, I've never been too keen on pokemon battles. I will battle occasionally, but I prefer shows." Leanna smiled happily as she spoke, though she felt a ting of anxiety form at the thought of her pokemon possibly getting harmed, even if it was just a simple battle.

Leanna then brought her attention to the girl who brought out a Lilligant. "A Lilligant," Leanna watched as it quickly joined the other pokemon. "Very beautiful, she reminds me of my mother's Bellossom." She then paused, listening as the girl and Xavier spoke, her eyes finally settling on the girl as she asked if Xavier was ready. Of course, they were ready! They had Pokemon and a Pokedex for a reason, right?

Leanna was pulled from her thoughts when a girl with pink hair commented about her pokemon. "Thank you." Leanna smiled happily as she heard her flaafy let out a happy call, her tail waving side to side slightly.

Tags
Malkav Captain Spooks cinnabuns
(I'm sorry about the lack of replies, 13 days straight of work has made me miserable. But I have some days off coming up! So I'll be able to reply much more often!)​

 

[Theo713]

Zeke would lay his head against the back of his chair, looking up when asked what he had forgotten. “It seems....in my haste....I forgot to grab my starter poke-balls from the professor's Lab. Remembered the Dex no problem. Just...not the actual poke-balls.” And here, he had talked such a big game about being ready to undertake his big journey, having forgotten the most basic of tools at a Pokemon trainer's disposal. Looking to Arielle, he would continue. “I budgeted maybe needing to buy a few extra balls, but not enough at the start of my journey to replace all of them.” Looking back in his backpack, he had literally everything else a good trainer would need. A few Potions, Antidoes, Paralyze Heals, an Aweakening, and even two Escape Ropes. He also managed to stuff his trusty Fishing Rod in to his back, a feat that at the time he thought for sure would break the pole. But he was glad it hadn't. He finally came to the conclusion, telling his friend “It'll be fine. I'll buy the balls I budgeted for, and make them last 'til the next town. Perhaps by then I'll have battled and beaten a few trainers.” At least he hoped so. Zeke would call his Shinx over then, the Shinx coming immediately as he thought Zeke was finally ready to play. Reaching under his collar, Zeke would produce and remove the Amulet Coin his mother had given him for good luck, placing it around the Shinx neck. “Don't you go losing this. It was hard to get. It'll be harder to replace.” And harder still to explain to his mother what happened, if anything happened at all. Looking back to Arielle, Zeke would then ask “Did Thirteen have to travel far to find your friend? I'm sure he's fine, its just I know I couldn't trust Shinx here to run off on his own like that right now.” The Shinx would yip at Zeke's statement, Zeke putting a hand on the Shinx head. And what's more, how could the Absol find its way back to its trainer? Could it smell her out like an Arcanine or a Growlithe?

Soulmuse Midnightclub

 

[Midnightclub]

After their trip to the mall, CJ and Blitz had traveled quite a ways out of town. To preserve resources, CJ had decided to forage and hunt. CJ had been about to mention that fact to Blitz when a yellow worm-like Pokemon had scuttled out from under a nearby brush and onto the road. Blitz hadn't even given any warning before it had leaped off of its position on her shoulder and onto the creature, slamming into its back and causing it to cry out in pain. Blitz then unleashed a surprisingly effective torrent of bubbles directly into the prone creature that ended its cries.

He had already taken a few bites of his prey when CJ came over, her mouth slightly agape. "Wow." Blitz looked up at her then, cocked his head and ripped off a piece of the worm to hand to her. She had to choke back a gag. "Thank you, but you need all your strength." She said, eyeing him carefully. A nod and then the Froakie had gone back to his meal.

She let him eat and looked around the clearing for anything more edible. It seemed it was her lucky day as she was able to find some eggs nestled in a knotted tree not too far away. She used a lighter to start a fire with some twigs and set about trying to find a rock to cook her eggs on. That was when she heard the buzzing.

It seemed to rattle the trees, the ground, even the air itself. Everything around her was rattling with the buzzing sound. She looked up and heard a surprised croak from Blitz. She could understand his surprise. There were probably hundreds of them, flying yellow and black striped creatures with three spikes, one on each 'arm' and one coming out of the thorax. CJ ran and grabbed Blitz, ignoring the creature's protests, and flew off into the woods, looking for a safe place to hide and hoping they hadn't seen her yet.

They'd run until they found a cave by a small creek. She and Blitz dove into the cave and she'd noticed that the buzzing had stayed back by the fire...The fire! She looked back in that direction. The wind from the Pokemons' wings must have blown the fire out but she could guess why they had stopped. That worm thing, and the eggs, must have belonged to those flying Pokemon. She had to know... She pulled out her Pokedex to find out more about the Pokemon. After a search she found the flying Pokemon. Beedrill, a bug/poison type it could fly at high speeds and attack with three stingers: one on its rear and one on each of its two forelegs. May appear in swarms. Poison? That was worrying, and that made the smaller Pokemon a Weedle. Her theory was verified. She looked at Blitz. "They're going to be looking for us, hunting us." She held out the Pokeball. "Stay in here, and I'll try and get us to safety. We just have to wait until nightfall."

Blitz shook his head and she frowned. “Listen. You can’t fight those things. We have to find a stealthy way out of here and if you’re in your ball you won’t get in my-“ She cut herself off and Blitz stared at her unblinking. It let out a slow, low croak. “Uhm. I mean, look. You’re not trained yet.” Blitz’s long tongue flicked out to slap her cheek and her head snapped back, her hand flying to the already red spot. “Hey! What the-“ The Frokie’s webbed hand rested on hers, its eyes locked onto her. “This is how you want to train? Seriously? Well your bubbles won't be weak...” He nodded. She shook her head, amazed. But inwardly she’d have to admit, a fight against these creatures might prove to be a way to train, if they could outsmart them. She just hoped she wasn’t about to bite off more than she could chew.

“Alright. Let’s plan this out.”

 

[Soulmuse]

Arielle Atken

So, she’d been right. Not overly surprising, given the commotion in the lab, and all the people bustling about. For someone starting out, it would be easy to get swept away in the commotion. For a few seconds, Arielle considered. In her experience, doing random nice things for equally random people tended to backfire, but at the same time, she wasn’t about to use most of her own Pokeballs, unless something drastically changed. As Zeke reasoned out his course of action, she starting digging in her own supplies, making a mental note to re-organize her backpack, something that hadn’t gotten done in the journey out of Alola.

Pausing in her search, she couldn’t help but chuckle. “It’s hard to say. I doubt delivering the message itself took long, but Absol can be a bit odd at times.” Her eyes flickered to Shinx for a while, considering her answer. “I don’t blame you. It took several years before I could trust Thirteen with running around on his own. As your grow to know each other, it will come.” As she spoke, the Absol padded up, head swiveling between the two trainers, before settling down. “Took your sweet time, hm?” He gave her quick glance, before curling up beside her chair. “Anyways…” There, buried in the bottom of her bag, she finally found what she wanted. “You can have these.” She pulled out a handful of Great Balls, tossing them to Zeke. “Better someone who’s actually going to use them has them, instead of letting them collect dust in here.”

Theo713

 

[Theo713]

Zeke would hurriedly reach out to catch the balls, just barely missing dropping one. With a sigh of relief at the fact of having not dropped any, Zeke would look to the balls in hand for a second before back to Arielle. He would offer her a smile, telling her “Thank you. Truly. I'll pay you back for this one day.” That day likely wouldn't be soon, but it would happen nonetheless. This was it. The base of his greatness was laid out before him. All he had to do was reach out and take it. Placing the currently empty balls on his belt, Zeke couldn't help but to stand. With a new found gusto and determination setting a fire under his feet, Zeke would take one of the paper maps that was laid on the coffee table in front of his seat and begin examining it. It was a larger, more generalized map than the one on his Pokedex, the one on his dex showing much more detailed information about its current surroundings. This map however showed the entire city at a distance, with a red dot indicating where the Pokemon center was. With this he could find his way out of the city with no troubles. Without taking his eyes off the map, Zeke would tell Arielle “These Great Balls aren't going to fill themselves. Maybe there's Pokemon just outside the city that I could catch, and still be back in time before the Pokemon center closes its doors for the night. Do you want to come with me?” The question was posed as he looked up to her, closing the map without looking at it. He knew which way he had to go now.

Soulmuse

 

[Soulmuse]

Arielle Atken

She shook her head. “Don’t worry about paying me back. I can afford it, and it isn’t as if I’m going to be using them anytime soon.” Or likely ever. With the exception of Archen, she’d been using the same set of Pokémon for years, and saw no reason to change that fact. Maybe pick up a Glaceon or something along those lines one day. So maybe she did plan to catch a few more Pokémon eventually. Eventually.

In truth, she didn’t have much else to do for the day. Go back to her hotel, organize her stuff, maybe figure out what she was actually doing. None of these things needed help, nor would most of them do well with help. Of course, by the same token, she didn’t have a good reason to refuse, and, outside of being rather green at the gills, Zeke seemed alright. Internally, she sighed. Why was it that every place she went, she seemed to collect rookie trainers? “Eh, sure, why not.” She could organize later, and maybe it would be good training for Archen. At the very least, outside the city, she could use some of her other Pokémon. “Give some of the others a chance to stretch.” Standing, she headed to the counter to retrieve Archen from Nurse Joy, Thirteen rising to follow her.

Theo713

 

[Midnightclub]

CJ Slater, novice Pokemon trainer and trained assassin, currently in over her head. The plan had been simple, isolate the Beedrill and take them out with well timed strokes. She should have known better.

There she stood, rock in hand, staring down their first target. The Beedrill was bigger in person. It was no knife, but CJ had been drilled in the proper use of throwing weapons since she could walk. Her first stone struck the creature in its abdomen, and the second found one of its eyes. With a pointed finger she commanded Blitz to attack, she'd been able to drill that much into him in the short time. But she hadn't gotten the chance to teach him anything specific. A note for the future, that. With it weakened, the Beedrill should have been simple for Blitz to take out. But she underestimated his strength and the insect's stamina. A quick pound caught the Beedrill on its blind side, but it quickly avoided the follow up Bubble. It was fast, faster even than Blitz by a fair margin, and now it was aware of them. It let off a hideous buzzing sound that struck her ears and made Blitz release a hurt croak. Not good. Any assassin knows that the whole point is to never be caught. CJ found another rock, now they'd have to be careful. But her only choice was to press the attack and give Blitz his shot. She threw the rock towards the creature's good eye, knowing full well it would dodge. "Bubble! Now!" She called out to Blitz as the Beedrill avoided her rock. It flew directly into the powerful spray and several small explosions caught it in the side. It wavered, slowed by the drenching and CJ saw her chance. "Now! Before it can move! Pound!" With a swift jump, Blitz landed on the Beedrill and a shove of its powerful legs sent the creature hurtling to the dirt. It lay there, too stunned to move. Down but not out, CJ drew her knife. She had to be sure...

As she approached she heard the buzzing, this time in the multitudes. She cursed. "Blitz! Let's go!" CJ had found herself running again and without the distraction of the fire, these Beedrill weren't about to let up any time soon. Her Froakie caught up to her in three bounds and landed on her shoulder. She looked around for potential avenues of escape but found only trees and hills. It was safe to say she'd gotten turned around somewhere. So much for having a plan. As she ran she heard a branch snap high above their heads. CJ grabbed Blitz and jumped just in time for a whistling object to make heavy impact with the ground. She got up to see a large acorn planted firmly in the soft earth right where they'd been standing. She checked Blitz and saw he was okay, which was good because the acorn had begun moving. It was a small, brown Pokémon that only resembled an acorn. It had a gray cap covering the top of its head and a beige mask-like pattern on its face. Not good. They didn't have time for this.

"It's a Pokemon! Defensive position." She yelled and Blitz squared up between her and the wild beast. It slowly got up on two stumpy feet and stared wearily at them, as if it was just waking up and hadn't almost pulverized them like an over-sized bullet. She watched carefully as it suddenly realized that they were prepared for a fight and its shell suddenly began to have a glossy look to it. "It's hardening its body! Quickly! Pound!"

Blitz jumped in and landed bodily on the creature before bounding off of it with its full strength, keeping himself moving now that the fight had started. He'd shown her he could battle even against something like the Beedrill. He'd prove to her that he was good enough to even face trainers. The creature fell back with an audible squeak but got back up. It hazily regarded Blitz with an almost carefree attitude and continued sitting still. "Blitz again!" Blitz charged in to bounce off of the creature again but found that this time it didn't even react to the full force of the blow. "Shit." The sound of the Beedrill was growing closer. They'd be seeing them soon and this thing was sitting directly in their way. "Get behind it and try Bubble!" Blitz was able to move to the creature's backside before it could even think to turn but the stream of bubbles that he'd released popped harmlessly off of the creature's bark-like skin. If she hadn't known better, she thought back to the Beedrill and Archen she'd seen destroyed by that attack, she'd think that Bubble wasn't worth the effort to use. It must have been ineffective.

"Pound, focus on weak points." This time Blitz's feet landed directly on the mask part of the creature's face close to the eyes. They heard a cracking sound and a squeal of pain as Blitz rebounded and moved back towards CJ. The creature had been wounded and had sap seeping from a crack down the bark under its right eye. It slowly sat up and jumped back to its feet. In a flash of movement it rammed the tip of its cap into Blitz's body and Blitz flew back into a tree with a thump. Before CJ could even shout out, the creature had turned towards her. In a split second of inspiration she held out an empty poke-ball in front of her as it charged and pressed the button on the creature even as she dodged its attack.

Three heart-pounding shakes later and the Pokeball was sealed. CJ didn't take the time to congratulate herself, instead putting the hurt Blitz in his Pokeball and running off again, knife in hand. The nearest Beedrill had grown visible just beyond the branches, and CJ had just lost her greatest weapon to a fucking seed. This did not bode well.

 

[Theo713]

Even if she told him not to worry about paying her back, it was still going to happen. He just wasn't going to worry about it. It was already a done deal as far as he saw. When she stepped away to retrieve her Archen Zeke would nod, turning his attention to his Shinx. “Time to prove you're not just an energetic ball of fur.” The Shinx would merely yip at his trainer, ready to have some real fun.

Zeke would keep the paper map for reference, and in the time Arielle was gone he had penned down the fastest route out of town. Zeke would wait until he was sure Arielle was ready to go, giving a nod before turning his attention to his map. Following his own directions was simple enough, the duo soon finding themselves heading out of town. In an almost comical fashion, Zeke would pipe up when they neared the exit of town, telling Arielle something that was already painfully obvious. “We should be able to see the path leading out of town riiiight abooooout......now.” Looking up, Zeke would see that they were already outside of the city entirely, Zeke looking around for a few brief seconds before back towards the city and then back to his map with a confused look on his face. “......I need to work on my map reading skills.” He also needed to work on his preparation skills, but that was a post for another time. Coming to a stop, Zeke would fold the map up and put it away, shaking his head. Right. Now then. How did one go about attracting wild Pokemon? He hadn't actually given that much thought either. Looking around, something became painfully obvious to Zeke, another fact that was likely already obvious to Arielle. “...is it just me....or is it kinda quiet?” He would ask as he looked to his new friend, a faint buzzing coming from farther down the road. Ok. So it wasn't entirely quiet. In fact, he was sure he would have preferred silence to the sound of buzzing. Even Shinx, the usually energetic and fun loving ball of fur, was hunkered down, growling in the direction of the buzzing sound. With an angry yip Shinx would take off towards the buzzing sound, and after a few steps his entire form would become engulfed in blue electricity. "H-Hey! Wait for me!" Dammit. He had a feeling something like that would happen. Zeke would take off after his Shinx as fast as he could, which wasn't very fast at all given how short he was.

Soulmuse Midnightclub

 

[Soulmuse]

Arielle Atken

Archen so retrieved, Arielle let Zeke led the way, having decided that this promised some degree of comedy, a promise that payed off when having left the town some minutes before the younger trainer declared, they should be just out of town. “Practical experience is best when it comes to reading and following maps.” She offered in response to her somewhat disgruntled remark. “As trite as the phrase may be, practice does in fact make perfect.” Only half of Arielle’s attention was on Zeke however, as Thirteen took a few steps forwards, head swiveling side to side, a sure sign he felt something amiss. In the distance, a low buzzing could be heard, almost inaudible.

For a moment, Arielle considered making a remarkably trite response about how it was ‘too quiet’. Even for her somewhat limited sense of humor however, that seemed a bit much. “Yes. Something isn’t right here.” Her fingers traced along her belt, curling over Scizor’s Pokeball. At the same moment, both Thirteen and Zeke’s Shinx focused in on something in the distance, the low buzzing rising to a much louder one. Thirteen’s hackles stood straight up, and Arielle bit down a curse. Bug types of some sort then. Presumably someone kicked a nest or something like that. Fantastic. Before she could make that observation aloud, Shinx charged off. Without hesitation Zeke charged off after his Pokémon, Arielle taking only a second to catch up and pass him, mind racing with possibilities.

“Thirteen stay with them.” If someone had kicked a nest, they had a problem. A big problem. The Forested area made using Volcarona less than ideal, Lapras wouldn’t do much good against Bug types. Zoroark would have the same problems as Thirteen, Archen wasn’t in any sort of skill for this sort of situation. That left, of course, Scizor. In a flash of light, the metallic bug emerged. “With me Scizor.” Depending on the swarm, she still might want to bring out Volcarona, but hopefully Scizor, and Thirteen would be enough. The buzzing reached a fever pitch, two Beedrill darted out of the trees, rushing her, stingers raised. Skidding to a halt, Arielle’s eyes flickered between the two for only a second. “Slash, left, then Swords Dance.”

With a cry her Pokémon darted forwards, striking down with its right pincer, sending the left Beedrill crashing into the dirt. Completing the strike, Scizor darted back, performing a quick series of twirls, before settling into a confident stance, as a person came into view from the trees.

Theo713 Midnightclub

 

[Midnightclub]

CJ Slater No. No time for that sarcastic crap. A stinger narrowly missed her as a Beedrill dived past her and into the ground. She'd slowed just in time, but the throbbing in her left leg reminded her that she was running on borrowed time. With her heart beating at this advanced rate the poison was bound to get to her soon. She dodged left and rolled, narrowly avoiding a barrage of needles from several of the insects. She came up again and started in a new direction. That made at least thirty. She winced, feeling a sharp point in her shoulder. One of the darts had hit her.

It hadn't taken long , she thought, for the first of the Beedrill to catch up. She'd wanted to fight, it was in her nature, but she'd known better. She'd kept running, trying to avoid the creatures as well as she could. She'd swerved, ducked, rolled, anything to avoid those points. And it had worked for awhile. But they didn't let up and she was growing tired. She wasn't sure how long she'd been running when the first Beedrill caught her in the leg as she ducked but after that, the seconds went by far too fast. She had seen what they were doing after that. The flying insects were herding her, bunching together and attacking in ways that forced her to change direction. She wasn't sure where, but she could guess. They wanted revenge, and they'd take her straight to their nest to get it.

Well, CJ wasn't having it. She wouldn't let these beasts decide where and how she died. Her Pokemon were too weak to fight, so it was up to her to get them out of this mess that she'd gotten them into. She stopped, her feet skidding on the dirt and rotten leaves of the forest floor. Knife out, she threw it at the nearest cluster of Beedrill, running directly at them after they parted to avoid it. She dove through, feeling scratches hit her shoulders and back as they drove back in to close the gap. But it was too late, she was through. She ran as fast and hard as she could. Distance, she needed distance. It was going to be OK. It had to be. The trees were thinning. She thought she could even see buildings in the distance. Safety! She stumbled a little but found her footing again just in time to lose balance completely and collapse. Her legs refused to move and she struggled to get back up, she could feel the poison in her veins now, pumping death through her circulatory system. The world grew darker as she pulled herself forward by the elbows. The buzzing was deafening. "No..."

Theo713 Soulmuse

 

[Theo713]

“That meant you too~~!” he would call as Arielle ran past him, instructing her Absol to stay with him and his Shinx, likely to keep them from harm. He didn't want to admit it, but he did need the protection. Shinx was somewhat trained, but his training was next to nil compared to the no doubt years of training the Absol had had. Looking up ahead, Zeke would see his Shinx closing in on Arielle, her Scizor, and the two Beedrill. The right Beedrill seemed unfazed by his companion's defeat, going after his companion's attacker while his companion was still going down. “Shinx, right side!” The Shinx would yip, darting around Arielle's right side and jumping head first at the Beedrill on the right. His attack would land successfully, smashing the weight of his entire body in to the Beedrill's lower abdomen and thus transferring the electric current from his body to the Beedrill. With a screech the Beedrill would go down, Shinx hitting it with a Shock Wave attack to show the Beedrill he had won their game.

Having finally caught up, Zeke would lower himself to put his hands on his knees while panting some. “I wasn't built for this.” he joked, the sound of something smashing behind him making Zeke turn around. There he would see two Beedrill entangled with one another at the base of a tree, Thirteen turning to look at Zeke with a somewhat bored look on his face. Zeke had let his guard down, and because of it he was nearly taken out by a Beedrill. “U...Thanks.”

Thinking the game was over, Shinx would begin to jump with joy, until the Beedrill he was on forcibly raised its head and fired a Poison Sting at point blank range, poisoning the Shinx as made evident by the sudden appearance of a purple colored blush appearing under the electric cat's eyes. Shinx would let out a pained yip before striking back with another Shock Wave attack in retaliation. Shaking his head, Zeke would kneel down and remove his backpack. “C'mere you.” He called to the Shinx who was all too happy to oblige, Zeke quickly pulling an Antidote from his organized backpack. Everything had a place and everything was in its place. “This'll take care of th--” Zeke stopped talking when the buzzing hadn't gone away, despite the fact that the Beedrill had been defeated. There, a fair distance down the road from where they currently were, stood the figure of a person. A person that, as soon as Zeke saw them, decided it was a good time to make friends with the ground. Zeke would mutter a Bitch, figuring the person who had just fallen to the ground was likely the same person that pissed off all the Beedrill in the first place. Without even giving it a second thought Zeke would take off running towards the downed individual, with the full intent of giving them a piece of his mind once this was all over.

"Arceus I hope this works." Zeke would mutter as he ran forward as fast as he could towards the downed trainer, nearly tripping more than once in his haste. This was his way of contributing. Shinx was strong, but not strong enough to take on that many Beedrill at once. As he neared the downed trainer Zeke would call for the Thirteen and Shinx to each use Night Slash and Spark to make a hole, the two complying despite knowing they wouldn't be able to hold the entire swarm off forever. Skidding on his knees the last few inches to his destination, Zeke would immediately get to lifting CJ's body in to an upright position, muttering "Geeze Alien Kid, you really need to lay off th sweets.” He would wrap the rope around CJ's midsection a few times, then tying the rope in a knot even John Silver would be proud of. Giving a whistle, Zeke would make sure the rope was again secure before beginning to haul the unconscious CJ back towards town, the Absol and Shinx duo following close by to make sure no other Beedrill got to Zeke. "Ya know....I woke up this morning expecting to start my journey. I wasn't expecting this." He would mutter, realizing he wasn't making much progress. CJ probably weighed more than Zeke did, so the fact he was getting anywhere at all should be a surprise. "Arielle!!! It's not working!! I have a big head, an lil aaarms!!!" He would call, only able to hope she could hear him over the buzzing of the Beedrill.

Two Beedrill multiplied rapidly, mostly off to her side, in the direction of Zeke and the other Pokemon. “Slash again.” If this continued, forest fire or not, she might need to bring out Volcarona. Dutifully, Scizor darted forwards, striking out twice, sending another pair of bugs crashing into the nearby dirt, unmoving. This, however only drew the attention of several others, who turned, firing poison stings and Twin-needles in Arielle’s direction. Scizor blocked the majority, forcing Arielle to dive away from the rest. From the corner of her eye, she could see Zeke running forwards, Thirteen’s horn glowing with Dark energy, and Shinx crackling with electricity. Zeke seemed to be using a rope to tie up an unconscious body. Probably whoever kicked the nest. “Bullet Punch!” Another Beedrill crumpled, a metallic claw buried in its chest. However, the Beedrill, having wised up to Scizor’s game, changed tactics, scattering back, forcing him to choose between his trainer and the fight. “Arielle!” Zeke’s voice cut across a low point in the din, although the rest of what he tried to say got lost in the noise. However, it wasn’t hard to work out the problem. Either due to small size, or, Arielle swore aloud, finally getting a good glimpse of the person in question, CJ’s size, they weren’t making much headway, and neither Thirteen nor Shinx could keep that many Beedrill at bay for much longer.

“Scizor! Cover!” Without waiting to see if her Pokemon obeyed the command, Arielle started running back towards CJ and Zeke, grapsing ahold of another Poke ball as she did so. Skidding to a halt next to Zeke and the unconscious CJ, she took in the situation for a split second. Most of the Beedrill were facing her, with obviously still quite angry. “Volcarona.” With a brilliant flash the fiery moth emerged, six orange wings flaring with an angry cry. At the same moment ,she flicked her wrist, recall the increasingly frustrated Scizor through a cap in the swarm. The sudden interjection of another Pokémon took the Beedrill aback, the angry buzz dying down for a few seconds. “Zeke, get CJ back to town. Have Thirteen and Shinx help if you need to.” A note of authority crept into her tone for the first time. Although the Beedrill were temporarily cowed by her strongest Pokémon, that wouldn’t last. “I’ll catch up.” For a moment, she contemplated sending Zoroark with Zeke, but the Illusion Pokémon didn’t play nice, and this wasn’t the time for his antics.

Just as it seemed all hope was lost, that he too would succumb to the onslaught of Beedrill, enter the savior Arielle to...well....save the day. Zeke, much like the Beedrill, would look at the new Pokemon in awe. A real life Volcarona. Sure he knew of them, had studied them, but he never thought he would ever see one up close and in person. And that was just one of the powerful Pokemon Arielle had on her team. Every Pokemon she had released so far had been impressive, but this Volcarona took the cake. Zeke's awe was broken when Arielle began speaking, telling him to get back to town with CJ. “Aye boss.” was his response, Zeke calling Thirteen over so he could tie the rope around the Absol's abdomen. “You pull. I'll support his head and push. Shinx” He stopped when he saw his electric cat swaying where it stood, clicking his tongue. The poison from earlier was starting to get to him. He wanted to let his Shinx rest, and it killed him not to be able to, but right now he needed all hands on deck.

Zeke would look to CJ when he started to wake up, unable to avoid having some of the guy's blood spat on his shirt. When he asked why he was tied up and stated the obvious, Zeke had to fight the urge to tell him he thought he liked that sort of thing. Instead he said nothing, reaching back in to his backpack and again grabbing hold of the Antidote he meant to give Shinx earlier. While he did, he would explain “We found you K.Oed and poisoned. You need to chug this. Then, if you can walk, even if I have to be your arm rest, that would be wonderful. If my guess is right, Arielle is about to turn this part of the forest in to a charcoal wasteland.” He would offer the Antidote to CJ, or if he didn't have the strength to drink it himself he would pour the medicine down CJ's throat for him. Even as the call for them to watch out was made Shinx was on the job, plowing in to the Beedrill with the last of his strength in the form of a Spark attack. He would land on the Beedrill, unable to even shock the bug type despite all he needed to do was generate the electricity. Fighting back tears, which was hard to do at this point, Zeke would take Shinx's poke-ball off his belt and recall the electric type, whispering to the ball that he had done a great job. He would make sure to tell the Shinx that in person later. But for now, they had to move. If CJ could walk, then true to his word Zeke would allow himself to be an arm rest for the other male, or if CJ couldn't walk it was back to the dragging board for the weakened trainer.

Arielle nodded, turning her fully attention to the Beedrill, Arielle took a breath. Something needed to be done to keep this from turning into a total mess, as if it wasn’t already. Already, the Beedrill were regaining their confidence, if anything they seemed angrier than before. “Keep it close and controlled. We don’t want a forest fire. Fiery Dance!” Shaking herself just once, a vortex of flame started to form around Volcarona, globules of fire launching out with every flap of her wings. A few of the Beedrill, either daring or foolish charged headlong, only to be flash-fried by the fiery moth. Letting the corona die away, Volcarona floated a few feet back, before screeching her own challenge to now reduced number of Beedrill. Perhaps half as many as before faced down her Pokémon. She flicked a quick glance over her shoulder, just in time to see a Beedrill get knocked out by Shinx, who Zeke subsequently returned. This was getting far too dangerous. “Screw it. Forest fire be damned. Heat Wave!” All six wings flaring, Volcarona glowed bright red, the air starting to warm as a sudden rush of wind bore the full force of the attack into the Beedrill. Most were thrown from the air, singed and unmoving, although a few on the edge limped back, now regarding her quite warily indeed. “Finish them off if they get any closer.” Confident with that, she turned back towards Zeke and CJ. “You two alright?”

CJ reached up to take the antidote, fingers shaking. "Thanks." He watched the two and their Pokemon fight as he downed the antidote, grimacing at the bitter almond-y taste. Why were they doing this? Where did they even come from? He had come really close there. Too close. Training like this would only get him killed, of that he was sure. But still, he watched in awe as the moth destroyed half the Beedrill in a corona of flame, easily taking down many in one hit where Blitz had struggled to beat even one. That was power, that was what he needed. If he managed not to get himself killed, he felt he might have a shot. Even as he thought that, his limbs began to loosen and the pain lessened. He was still weak, but he could stand, at least. "I can get up..." He struggled but pushed himself to his feet after a moment. His legs tingled but the feeling was coming back. He wouldn't run, but he'd be able to walk at least. He pushed himself to a hurried pace. "Hurry, before they call any more!"

Zeke would nod, untying the rope from around trainer and pokemon's waist. “You can thank me when we're back safe in town.” CJ was not only up and moving, but already retreating at a pace faster than Zeke thought he would be able to manage for someone who was just a moment ago out cold. At Arielle's question Zeke would shake his head “Shinx's out, and he's the only Pokemon I've got. I suggest a tactical retreat with Volcarona covering our backs.” Looking back, Zeke saw that Thirteen was already caught up with CJ, the Disaster Pokemon likely figuring that Zeke would be alright as long as he was with Arielle. “I'll go with Alien. Make sure he actually makes it back to town. If you're staying, make sure you stay safe.” He would take one of the Great Balls she had given him earlier from his belt then and offer it to her, just in case things still got dicey. Whether she took it or not Zeke would then take off after CJ, either producing another Great Ball or keeping in hand the one she hadn't accepted. He hadn't planned on catching any Beedrill, but if that's what it came down to then that's what it came down to.

Seeing CJ up and moving pushed some of the adrenaline out of Arielle’s veins, as the immediate urgency of the situation passed. As much as the idea of staying behind and flattening the remaining Beedrill sounded enjoyable, the more pressing matter remained ensuring the other two got out safely. “I doubt they’re going to follow very far. Beedrill aren’t overly intelligent, but they have survival instincts.” Even as she spoke, Volcarona cried out, and another blast of heat washed over them. “Mostly.” Zeke’s suggestion made good sense, and she wasn’t about to argue. “I’ll come with. No reason to stick around.” Arielle waved off the offered Great Ball. “I’ve got my Bug of choice right here.” Giving Zeke a few seconds head-start, she considered the small field of destruction. Quite a few Beedrill lay in various states of ill-health, a few embers continuing to smoulder. “Back with the others. Good work Volcarona. Keep my back covered?” The Moth bobbed up and down releasing an affirmative buzz, and Arielle turned to jog after CJ and Zeke.

CJ used Thirteen as a crutch, doing his best to keep moving forward. He grimaced, feeling the cuts and bruises as adrenaline began to wear down. With a powerful Pokemon guarding their rear, the Beedrill were giving up the chase, preferring to live rather than die fighting for vengeance. CJ frowned at the glaring difference between himself and Arielle. How long would he have to train to be that good? If she was an average trainer, how could he hope to make a living in this field? Too many worries when he should be focused on returning to safety, something he wouldn't have had to do if he had refused Blitz and just done as he'd wanted. He couldn't blame the Froakie for that though. He was the Master and he should have known better. He looked up as the two other trainers returned to his side, running to catch up. "You saved my life today...I won't forget that."

Once he caught up to CJ Zeke would pull the male off the Absol and make him use Zeke for support. Not because he wanted the Absol's job or anything, but because if they were attacked Absol wouldn't be able to do anything while lugging around CJ. He would look to Arielle when she caught up just a few seconds later, giving her a nod before looking ahead to Thirteen. “Thirteen. You were awesome back there.” All of their Pokemon had been. Especially his Shinx. He took down a few Beedrill all on his own. Maybe having the little electric kitten around wouldn't be so bad after all. Zeke became embarrassed when CJ said he wouldn't forget what they had done, lightly scratching his cheek with his free hand. “Yeah well.....Anyone would've done th same. It was mostly Arielle. I...just happened to be there. I'm just glad we're all mostly alright.”

After making one final check for a lack of pursuit, Arielle sighed with relief. Any situation requiring her to use Volcarona was too close for comfort. She really should have planned better, to avoid something like this. She’d dealt with Beedrill swarms before, and that, while successful, represented a less than optimal tactic. She could have handled that with just Scizor and Thirteen with a little planning. “Thank you Thirteen.” Standing beside her Absol gave him a quick look for injuries, finding none. “You did good.” Echoing Zeke’s praise, Arielle mulled over CJ’s thanks, and Zeke’s subsequent deflection to her. They got lucky, more than she did anything well. “You did more than you think, Zeke. Getting CJ to safety, and an Antidote, was as important, and anything I or my Pokémon did.” Focusing on CJ, Arielle started to shrug before thinking better of it. “It’s the right thing to do.” She wasn’t really sure what else to say.

CJ shook his head, unwilling and perhaps unable to explain why he knew she was wrong. "I should have died there." He said as they walked, making their way into town and to the nearest Pokecenter. "I made a tactical error, I got too cocky, and it shows. I almost lost Blitz." He frowned, his eyes darkening a bit as he looked down. He used Zeke as his crutch but avoided eye contact with both of the trainers. "If it weren't for you two...I can't let this happen again. I can't just hope someone will be there to rescue me."

Zeke would look to Arielle, flushing lightly as she praised him. It was rare for anyone not his mom to do that, and yet here she was saying what he had done had mattered. He knew it had, and while she was saying it merely as stating facts, it still felt good to have his efforts recognized. When CJ spoke Zeke would listen, knowing sometimes that's all someone needed when things like this happened. He would nod after every point that was made, agreeing with each one. Zeke quickly came to a decision then, voicing it by saying “Then...let's make sure it doesn't happen again. What do you say to traveling together? With your....reckless, look before you leap attitude and my extensive knowledge of Pokemon, we could make one hell of a team.” He couldn't help but to toot his own horn. He had earned that much at Pokemon Tech. He would grin then, looking ahead before continuing “And...ya know...I guess Arielle could be our muscle. If she wanted.” Of course she was absolutely free to turn down the offer. They both were. But in Zeke's mind, it would at least make sense for the two new trainers to travel together so they knew they had someone watching their back.

 

[explosiveKitten]

“Hehehe, yeah, I know~!” Cross chirped, in an overly happy and cheerful voice, and as the young man walked off, she called after him with a hand raised to awkwardly wave goodbye, “Oh! Uhhh... okay! Um.. bye?”

But it was too late, he was gone, not even acknowledging her farewell. The smile slid off Cross’s face- she was suddenly alone again. Er, well, her company was void of humans again. Now that she was left alone with her thoughts, she began to mentally go through the exchange, a grimace spreading across her face as she began to mumble to herself.
“God, Cross when will you ever learn to just say ‘sorry about her’ and get on with your life? You looked like an idiot, just rambling on and on, why didn’t you just start telling them about the chemical properties of Haunter spit, huh? Surely that would have really caught their attention! Frickin’ idiot...”

The six Pokemon all looked at her as she berated herself, all immediately picking up on her mood change. Cherry seemed to be the first to notice, having watched the young man wander off with a disappointed look on her face, the chew toy forgotten briefly.
Meganium, standing beside her pacing trainer nudged the young woman with her head, earning her attention. Once the two trusted partners met eyes, Cross seemed to calm down and remember what she was here to do.
“... yeah.. Alright team, move out.”

On the road again, the group of seven wandered off down the road. As usual, Nikki the Ninetales and Zero the Raichu took point, wandering ahead of the group as a whole, Cherry wandering off a ways away, while Clark, Luna and Graceon all stuck close to their trainer.
The young woman had her notebook in her hands, idly scratching notes onto the pages as she walked, occasionally stopping to note the occasional Pidgey, when suddenly something seemed to catch the attention of Graceon. His sharp ears picked up some faint, that gradually got louder and louder till it suddenly stopped. But nobody else had seemed to notice... curious.

Down the road, the young woman sat on a rock, taking note of a Pidgey that had a little plastic green ring delicately wrapped around its leg, with a couple numbers on it. She smirked at it and watched it hop around, foraging in a group.
“Hello, little friend... fancy meeting you here...” She mumbled, looking up at the Pidgey, then down at her book, up at the Pidgey, down at her book again, scribbling notes.

Anybody ???? Maybeee??

 

[Midnightclub]

CJ

The assassin stared at the two who had saved his life and inwardly revolted at the concept of travelling with them. He shook his head slowly as he made his way to the desk, handing his two Pokeballs to the Joy. "Please be careful. My Froakie might be poisoned." The Joy smiled politely, taking the balls and bringing them to the care unit to be healed. In the meantime, CJ turned back towards Zeke. "Listen. You saw what happened out there. I'm not going anywhere until I can train with my Pokemon. This is something I have to do alone." He frowned, feeling as though he was making a mistake and warring with that feeling with all he had. He *had* to go it alone. More people meant more danger, not the other way around. And the closer he let them get, the more they might learn. "I appreciate what you did, really. And I don't know how I could ever pay you back. But No. I just- I just can't."

Theo713 Soulmuse

Cassie

"Well now." A young woman stood behind the Researcher, looking at the Pidgeys as they foraged and smiling widely. Her long curly hair was tied up in a tight ponytail, away from her shoulders. Her ebony skin glistened with sweat and she looked like she had just finished a run. Her chest rose and fell noticeably as her heart rate slowly came back to normal. Still, she didn't look tired. In fact she seemed energetic and alert, her violet eyes meeting the stranger's with a glint of curiosity and friendliness. Standing behind her legs and peering at Cross warily was a small Vulpix with wide brown eyes and a curly mane. Attached, almost literally, to her shoulder was a Misdreavus. The ghost Pokemon seemed almost translucent in the daylight but despite her nocturnal nature, she looked to be more vibrant than the Vulpix, jumping up to float around the redhead with a chirrup of greeting. "That one with the green band. He one of yours? Proud little guy, isn't he?"

explosiveKitten

 

[explosiveKitten]

“HeNAAAH!” The young woman squealed, dropping her pencil and spinning around, her head pulled back and her eyes wide, clearly having been startled. With the squeal that erupted from her, the bird pokemon nearby, once calmly just picking about for food, had now taken off into the sky, screeching alarm calls and wheeling around in the sky.

“Wha- Whe-Where did you come from?” She blustered, looking for the words to say in this situation.
“I-I, I wouldn’t exactly call the- it, mine, persè,” She stammered, awkwardly shuffling her papers around and trying to... well, to be honest, she wasn’t sure what she was trying to do. “It’s just a wild Pidgey, I uhh, I put the tag on it in the Kalos region, and uhh... it’s here, so that shows... migration patterns... for.... Pidgey...”
Nice going, McGee. Sound real confident. One person shows up and you turn into a bumbling idiot!

“... A-Anyway, how you know that the one random Pidgey with a piece of plastic wrapped around its foot has anything to do with me? That could just be a piece of trash it picked up in its travels.” She said, looking up at this random person, “Were you reading my notes over my shoulder? Cause that is hella not cool.” She snapped the notebook closed when she noticed the Misdreavus float by, being fully aware of the mischevious nature of the Pokemon.

Meanwhile, the young woman’s many Pokemon, having picked up on their trainer’s distressed squealing, immediately rushed over and began to cluster around her, not aggressive, but wanting to make sure that everything was okay.

Midnightclub

 

[Soulmuse]

Arielle Atken

“I’d prefer something a little more dignified than muscle, thank you very much.” She understood the joke, of course, but she’d been the ‘muscle’ before, and that didn’t end well. “Otherwise, I’m certainly not opposed to the idea.” Although she did need to pay for her hotel room at some point, but that wouldn't take very long. And, to be honest, it seemed both rookies needed a more level head to keep them out of trouble...or solve the trouble they found for themselves. A role she'd filed enough to be somewhat experienced in it. All in all, the proposal seemed fairly reasonable.

For several seconds, Arielle considered CJ's response. Something about his denial caught her attention. It sounded remarkably similar to the way she tried, and usually failed to push others aside. “It has been my experience that those trainers who work together, both with each other, and with Pokémon, are far more successful than those who try and go things alone.” She glanced down at Thirteen, and abrupt, fond smile on her face. “Even personally, I’ve gained far more skill in those times I’ve spent with others than when I’ve traveled alone. It keeps you from falling into ruts, or being blind to your, well, blind-spots.” One of her old contacts always claimed her style of argument to be to methodical, and perhaps Arielle could see the point, as she considered CJ’s second point. “As for training, that is something that can be done while traveling, particularly as a group of people is much slower than one person alone, with the added advantage that something like what just happened is much less likely, both by virtue of numbers, and in this case, by virtue of having someone with powerful Pokémon around to prevent it.” Another thought occurred to her, as the list of arguments wound down. “Oh, and I suppose having me around would be also deter the dipsticks who like to pick on newbies and steal their money or whatever else for a laugh.” Abruptly realizing she’d been somewhere between waxing lyrical, and lecturing, Arielle flushed a small degree, and shrugged, trying to deflect attention away from herself. “Think it over a bit, once everything cooled off a bit.” With that, she clamped her mouth shut, and focused on a very interesting spot on the wall. Even if she'd been doing the traveling thing for years, and had seen a lot of rookie trainers, getting into a lecture about traveling and training tended to leave her just a bit flustered.

Midnightclub Theo713

 

[Theo713]

Zeke would walk with CJ to the counter Nurse Joy stood behind, also offering her his Shinx's poke-ball. “Same deal. Beedrill are a nasty bunch. My Shinx is also out cold, so he'll be resting for a while.” There was no reason to tell their story to the world. All Nurse Joy needed to know was that both of their Pokemon had been poisoned, and by what, and that was the exact amount of information he intended on sharing with her. When CJ turned down his offer of traveling together, Zeke couldn't say he was all that surprised. One's journey was supposed to be about them and their Pokemon, going on adventures and growing together. Hell, in all honesty part of him had been looking forward to journeying alone as well, deciding it would be a nice change of pace after being cooped up with people in the same place for so long. And yet at the same time, he couldn't help but to feel a little down about the fact that his suggestion had in fact been turned down. Not that he let it show of course.

While Arielle explained to Alien the benefits of traveling in a group, Zeke would think on her request to be considered more than just the muscle of their group. It seemed she was alright with the idea of traveling together, so that was already a thing. “How about....model.....role model... Model Role model. Try saying that 10 times fast.” Zeke was muttering to himself at this point, while at the same time still keeping focused on what Arielle was telling Alien. Now that he said it out lout it sounded a little silly. That's when it hit him. “No no no, I got it now. Role Model Rival.” He nodded, proud of the conclusion he had come to in such a short amount of time. Arielle seemed the perfect role model to teach the two of them how to be rivals for one another. Or was that just him reading too much in to things right now? He wasn't sure. When Arielle finished Zeke would head for the counter Nurse Joy was behind again and ask for a pen and a sheet of paper, ripping off two scraps from the sheet and writing on both of them. “Arielle's right. Give it some thought. If you still decide you want to travel alone, I won't stop you. That's not my intention. If you want to join us, you're more than welcome to. Either way, here's my number. This way we can keep in touch, yeah?” He offered the slip to CJ, hoping he took it. Whether he did or not Zeke would then head to Arielle and offer her the other slip of paper, which also had his number on it. “With Shinx out of commission, my best bet is to stay in town. Now's as good a time as any to get some fishing in off the docs. Maybe I'll get lucky and rustle up a Gyarados.” He chuckled. With the way their luck had been today, he honestly wouldn't put it passed not happening. With his number successfully distributed to his new companions Zeke would salute and head for the exit of the Pokemon Center. He had sat around for 5 years waiting for the freedom he now had. He wasn't about to squander a second of it sitting around again.

Soulmuse Midnightclub

 

[Midnightclub]

Cassie

The young woman laughed. It was a soft, sultry sound that echoed a bit in the now empty plains. "No, no." She waved one hand while holding her other hand to her mouth to stifle the giggle that was about to rise. She blinked, noticing the nearby Pokemon approach. They wanted to protect their Mistress, she'd felt the surprise but hadn't really paid close attention. It was rude, she thought, to read someone too deeply. Maybe she'd actually scared the girl, her Pokemon certainly thought so. She held up her hands in a mollifying gesture, already she felt Amesha tremble with trepidation. "Don't worry, I'm not here to fight or anything. And I wasn't reading your notebook either. I'm just more observant than most."

Rogue floated over to her side, away from the worried Team. The sweet creature was aware that she was causing distress and trying to avoid it. "I didn't mean to startle you. I was just jogging nearby and saw you studying." She watched the last of the Pidgeys escape from sight with a wistful sigh. To be so free... She met the girl's eyes again. "It was pretty obvious that one was yours though. He was so proud to see you watching and you, you practically pointed him out for me."

She shook her head and held out her hand to shake. "Cassie. It's nice to meet you."

explosiveKitten

CJ

“It has been my experience that those trainers who work together, both with each other, and with Pokémon, are far more successful than those who try and go things alone.”

Above all the other arguments, that one had been the one that stuck with CJ even after they'd recieved their healed Pokemon and went on their separate ways. She'd sat in her hotel room for some time after that, absentmindedly writing down type match ups as she chewed over their offer. She'd said no. But they insisted that she think it over. She owed them that, at least.


On the other side of the room, sitting at the window and watching the world, CJ's Froakie too was deep in thought. Mistress-and he'd been surprised to learn she was, in fact, female-was upset and he knew why. He'd lost, in that fight with the seed. He'd been knocked out by one hit. He wasn't strong, not enough. Not like Mistress was. For even after he'd been out of commission, she defeated the seed and outran the swarm that he'd thought he could fight. He'd been frightened, to wake up in that white room with machines and the big pink Pokemon. But after she'd calmed him and explained what had happened he learned the truth. He had been far too reckless. Mistress always said they needed to train. Well he would train. And he would do his best.

CJ looked up, eyeing Blitz as he let out a low rumble. "We're alright bud. Don't let em bother you." The Froakie croaked as he looked back at her from the windowsill, barely even moving his head. She shrugged and looked at the notes she'd copied. "Bug is super effective against Dark and Psychic? What? That can't be right..." She went back over the site again and shook her head, amazed. "Well so much for the common sense argument." She studied for a little longer before she realized she was doing the opposite of what she's promised to do. She turned her mind back to the idea of travelling with partners.

It boiled down to three points, as far as she was concerned. Were they a liability? Could she keep her secrets from them if they traveled together? Would she do any better on her own?

After a long night of contemplation, CJ called the two in the morning and requested they meet up. She would answer their offer in person.

Soulmuse Theo713

 

[Soulmuse]

Arielle Atken

After the excitement of the mid-day, anything else seemed excitable by comparison, and after a short time of ineffectual wandering, Arielle returned to her hotel.

Dropping onto the bed, she huffed in exasperation. “This is why we stopped traveling.” Thirteen huffed, curling up on the floor, starting to clean his paws. “Very funny.” Then again, the Absol probably knew all of this would happen, and just thought his Trainer would have an exciting day. “How much did you know?” He lifted his head, tilting it to the side. “You’re not going to tell me, are you?” Thirteen’s head settled down, obviously in agreement. “Figures.” She didn’t mind too much. If something really dangerous cropped up, the Absol would have reacted more strongly. “Just…some warning before we go fighting off swarms of Beedrill, alright? I’m not in the business of scaring years off my life.”

The next morning, Arielle rose early, completing her morning routine, and taking the spare fifteen minutes to re-organize her backpack, putting her more important supplies in easy reach. Thirteen padded alongside as she left the room, heading in the direction of a ‘free’ breakfast. “I’m going to live to regret this, aren’t I?” Thirteen bumped her hand with his head. “Yeah, yeah.” Halfway into her breakfast, CJ called. Arielle quickly accepted the offer to meet-up, trying to ignore the incredible smugness radiating off her Absol.

Meal finished, she paid for her room, and headed out.

Midnightclub Theo713

 

[Theo713]

Once the trio had gone their seperate ways, Zeke would keep true to his word and hit the nearest body of water in hopes of landing a water type Pokemon. And land he did. Magikarp. Magikarp. Annnnd, you guessed it, another Magikarp. What was this? Were Magikarp the only Pokemon brave enough to come up to the shore? Or maybe perhaps it was the only one dumb enough to do so. Zeke could imagine other water Pokemon trying to warn Magikarp not to go near the humans, but the karp being too stupid to understand or care and approach anyway. There was a third, potentially humorous yet terrifying possibility he didn't even dare consider: he was catching the same Magikarp over and over again, releasing it back to the wild, only to catch it again the next time he tossed his line out. After the fifth or sixth time reeling in a Magikarp Zeke gave up on the whole fishing idea, instead opting to use his new found time alone to relax without having to worry about anything. Shinx was in good hands with Joy, Alien was safely back in town, and Arielle was capable of taking care of herself no matter what. At least, that's how he felt. Sitting there, Zeke began to wonder: Why had he ran head first in to danger like that? What had caused him to act the way he did? He had never been one to charge towards such a dangerous situation before, a situation he knew full well he wouldn't make it out of unscathed, so what had made him do it this time?

Never coming to an acceptable answer, Zeke would eventually force himself to stand from where he had taken up space and head back for the Pokemon center, retrieving his Shinx from the Nurse Joy that was on call before getting a room in the center to spend the night in. At least when he was in towns he wouldn't have to worry about lodging or bathing. Before retiring for the evening Zeke would break down and buy an Antidote to replace the one he had given Alien, as well as two standard poke-balls. It was better to have more than less, and two was well within his calculated budget. He would spend the night in the center, waking up with the rising sun to set out and get some early morning training in. Training that involved his Shinx using Spark on an unsuspecting tree, only to turn around and run across the area they had chosen to do the same thing all over again every time Zeke said “Again.” After some time had passed Zeke would allow his Shinx to rest, his X-Transciever ringing. It was Alien, requesting their presence in the Pokemon Center. “Time to go Shinx.” is the only warning his electric kitten would get before Zeke moved off, following the path he and Arielle had traveled the day before to find his way back to the Pokemon center. Once they arrived Zeke would approach whomever was already present, taking a seat. Looking to CJ, Zeke would grin “You rang?”

Midnightclub Soulmuse

 

[Malkav]

"Hey, stop, my Pokemon!" a young punk shouted. He sported a mohawk and a leather jacket, looking the part of a typical young rebel.

Taylor was sprinting as fast as her legs would take her. She wored a bandana mask and her school girl jacket, buttoned. In her hand she clutched an ill-gotten Pokeball. She slid it into her belt and reached for another one.

"Romulus, use earthquake!" she shouted before the ball even released her Tyrantrum. The Pomemon stomped the ground and threw the young kid off kilter. She grabbed the ball back while still in full sprint and recalled her Pokemon.

That should slow him down.

Taylor ducked into an alley and followed along to the other aide of the block and followed continued to run the length of the next street.

She spotted a Pokemon Center down the street and laid low, doing her best to appear casual. She watched that kid treat his Charmander like shit. Someone who got his starter and then coasted. Petty crimes and drugs for him. This Charmander would find a better home thanks to Rocket.

All she would have to do would be to use the PC to upload it and she was good. Instead she spotted her old frenemy, Zeke. She removed and pocketed her bandana, along with the jacket before he could notice anything. Charmander would have to wait.

"Oh hey Zeke, fancy meeting you here," she said with a practiced smile.

Theo713

 

[Midnightclub]

CJ

CJ Slater, Assassin and Novice Trainer, currently meeting with the only people she'd had meaningful contact with in years. Scratch that, possibly her entire life. Now here she was, hiding herself while still reaching out. If that was any hint to why he'd asked them to meet him at the Pokecenter, he didn't let it show on his face. Blitz on his shoulder, he nodded to them. "I thought about it, like I said I would...And you're right. I can't...I shouldn't go all of this alone. I'll go. All I ask is that I can train my way whenever I feel like it."

He looked up as a girl in a school uniform entered the center and almost immediately made a beeline for their small group. He forced himself to hide his frown as she smiled at Zeke and said hello without even glancing in his or Arielle's reaction. After a moment he smiled back. "Zeke you know this girl?"

Theo713 Malkav Soulmuse

 

[Theo713]

Zeke would listen as CJ said that he had called them to let him know he had changed his mind about traveling with them as long as he could train his Pokemon his way, Zeke giving a nod. “That's what being a Pokemon trainer is all about. Doing things your way. Who am I to stand in the way of someone's journey?” he shrugged, relaxing some in to his seat. Now their group was set. The three of them were going to be a knock out trio once CJ and Zeke got caught up to a piece of the level that Arielle was at. “And I'll be more than happy to offer any advice you may need. Type matchups, battle strategy, training partner. You name it. That's what friends are for, right?” He grinned, quickly adding in “Just don't ask for advice on money. I'm still struggling a bit with that one myself.” A thought crossed Zeke's mind then, Zeke looking to the Froakie on CJ's shoulder before back to his new friend. “Which reminds me. The first thing any trainer should learn is everything they can about their partner Pokemon. The basics if you will. How much do you really know about Froakie? And I mean more than just type and type match ups. If you want I can write out a list of all the different things you should know. I wasn't able to graduate top of my class for nothing you know.” He smiled, glad he could potentially put his knowledge to good use, not only for himself but also others.

When Taylor came in to the Pokemon center and sat next to Zeke, Zeke would upnod to her in greeting. “Yo Johto. Surprised you're still in town. I thought you would've made tracks yesterday.” He knows he wanted to. Zeke would nod at her question statement however, telling her “Yeah...things came up yesterday.” He was about to add more when CJ asked if he knew this girl, Zeke looking again to CJ and nodding an affirmation. “This is Joh...Taylor. She went to the Johto branch of Pokemon Institute for some time while I went to the Kanto branch. We've crossed paths a few times....but...that's outside the purview of the question. Johto. This is CJ and Arielle. Arielle, CJ, Taylor.” Zeke would again grin as another thought crossed his mind, Zeke again looking to CJ “Diiiid I detect a hint of jealousy in your voice there CJ?” Zeke would puff out his chest some before flexing his arms “Hate to break it to ya bud, but I don't swing that way. Straighter than a arrow and twice as deadly.”

Soulmuse Malkav Midnightclub

 

[explosiveKitten]

“... Cassie, huh?” The young woman repeated, looking at the outstretched hand before hesitantly reaching out and shaking her hand, “Cross. And this is my team, obviously. Don’t mind them, they’re just protective. Knock it off, you guys.” She ordered, and with that, the group wandered around and sniffed about the trainer.
The Ninetales stuck by, sniffing at the shy little Vulpix, shoving her nose into the little thing’s face and looking at her. Zero jumped up onto Luna’s head and pawed the air in the Misdreavus’s direction, trying to bring her closer. Luna looked relatively undisturbed by the sudden intrusion of the Raichu.
Cherry hopped into Cross’s lap and extended a paw in Cassie’s direction and waved it around a bit. “... That’s Cherry. She’s asking for a handshake.” Cross said, gesturing at Cherry.

Midnightclub