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Fandom PokéSync: Team Delinquent (Private)

PokeCenter [Resort Area] – Battle Zone


Three sunrises. Three sunsets. Three days. That's how long it had been since she left behind the only home she had ever known. Already there were things she was missing. Solid ground for one, and a nice warm bath for another. The captain had afforded her all the privacy she could ask for during the trip from Toracotta Town up until now, but she would be damned if the captain thought for one second he was going to catch a glimpse of her in anything less than the clothes she was still wearing. She sat in silence below deck, watching the waves sway to and fro, the constant rising and falling of the ship as it sailed a constant reminder just how far from home she was now, and how large the world truly was. If I ever step foot on another boat again it'll be all too soon she thought to herself as she sighed, lowering her head and closed her eyes. She hadn't really slept since she left home, instead opting to nap as often as she could. The small talk with the captain had dried up by the end of the first day, leaving her with nothing to do. Out in the middle of the ocean she had had no recpetion, so she couldn't browse the web or even check the news to know what was going on with the world. Another virus could have hit and she would have been the last to known.

"Land Ho!" the captain's voice cut through the otherwise silent boat ride, causing Riley's ears to perk up. Finally she thought, standing from her seat and stretching, her aching bones popping in glorious relief after having been idle for so long. She adjusted her stance to match the swaying of the ship before making her way out of the small cabin of the ship and on to the deck, shielding her eyes from the sun's rays until they adjusted to the brightness. For the first time in three days she smiled, seeing the Resort Area on the horizon. A school of Magikarp jumped from the water's depths swimming parallel to the boat, Riley taking the opportunity to scan their data in to the pokedex app on her phone. It didn't have the Rotom feature all the most popular phones at the momet had, but it did everything she needed it to do. "What pokemon do you think you'll be getting??" The captain called, Riley ignoring him for a moment before shrugging a reply.
"I dunno! As long as it can stand on its own two feet, I don't really care!"


What felt like an hour but was really just a few moments later the ship was docked. Riley practically jumped from the ship's deck as soon as it was secured, and like a Ponyta at the races she was off! Her game plan was simple: Hit the pokemon center, use their facilities to take a bath, get her starter, grab some supplies, and find somewhere off the beaten path to camp out for the night. Money was tight at the moment, and with no current cash flowing in, she would have to stretch every dollar to its limit. If that meant sleeping outside for a while, who was she to care? You have to do what you have to do in order to survive in this world. Alright, let's see here. Apps -> Maps -> Resort Area -> Pokemon Center. Perfect. A passerby could hear her muttering the directions to the center to herself before the phone was put away, Riley nodding with all the confidence of a foreigner in a foreign land.

Not wanting to admit she took a few wrong turns and was too stubborn to open the map app again, Riley eventually found herself standing in front of the pokemon center. She could almost smell the hot shower she was about to take. Keeping her giddiness in check through years of practiced perfection Riley took a deep breath in before entering the pokemon center, scanning the building's interior for where the rest rooms might be. Where there's a rest room in a pokemon center, there's a shower! As calmly as she could she made her way to the rest rooms where she enjoyed the best shower of her life, coming out an undisclosed amount of time later feeling like a million dollars.

Alright. Next point of order. Like all other new trainers that had arrived that day she stood in line to get their starter pokemon, following along with her group to the off site enclosure to meet all of the pokemon. There were pokemon here from all over the world, kept together in one large enclosure so they could interact with one another and potentially begin to recover from whatever trauma had sent them here. Under no other circumstances would some of these pokemon interact. A pair of Roggenrola rolled at a steady pace as a Teddiursa gave chase. A Slakoth lazily hung from a tree while a Fletchling tried to sleep next to it. There was even a Bounsweet trying to make friends with Budew who didn't seem particularly interested. Dozens of other pokemon were present, all for the dozen or so for each of them to choose from. Seemed the virus had displaced more pokemon than it had humans. Though she had brushed off the captain's question earlier, she truly did have to give it some thought. What kind of pokemon did she think she could raise? Which one would she pick? The answer to that question came in the form of an angry hiss that drew her attention, where she spotted a Nidoran Male backed in to a figurative corner, staring up at a pair of Mankey. Without warning the Nidoran charged forward towards the two, slamming the entire weight of its body in to one of its potential bullies with enough force to knock it in to a backwards barell roll. Another angry hiss later sent the two Mankey retreating, which by this point had Riley leaning on the railing of the enclosure with a small smile on her face.
"Well. He's not standing on two feet, but he'll do."
she mused, jumping the railing at the protest of the attendee.

The nearby pokemon gave the redheaded human a wide berth, some of them even scurrying away so as not to be near another one of those filthy species. The Nidoran's ears twitched at the sounds, his attention going to the person coming in his direction. It gave off a few angry clicks and hisses in warning as she approached, but she paid it no mind. She grew up around Nidoran. She knew how to handle them. She only stopped once its horn began to extend, squatting down so she was more at his eye level.
"I saw the way you handled those Mankey. That was good. If you come with me, I'll help you get even better."
While she spoke she didn't notice the attendee coming her way, not realizing he was there until he was right behind her. "Miss, you can't just jump the barricade like that. It's there--" As he spoke she stood and turned to him, balling a fist and jerking like she was going to hit the man, who flinched in response.
"Then move me."
she challenged, staring him down until he stepped back with a sigh. With that taken care of she relaxed before turning her attention back to the Nidoran, raising an eyebrow to him.
"Whatdyasay? Do you wanna stay here, cowering at every pokemon that comes your way, or do you wanna get outta here and make them cower at you?"
The Nidoran considered for a few second before letting out a softer, gentler chittering sound, which she took to mean he was in.

"You heard the mon."
She told the attendee as she turned back to him and started to walk, patting him on the shoulder as she passed.
"Ooh and by the way. You stepped in poo. You might wanna do something about that."
She quickly glanced him up and down before smirking, walking away from the man with the Nidoran Male on her heels. With the paperwork handled and the Nidoran captured in the latest poke-ball technology, she and the other new trainers were lead back to the pokemon center where they were allowed to disperse. Finally free of the confines of the group Riley found an empty table and took a seat with a light sigh, her new Nidoran companion hopping up on to the table and looking around before back up to his new trainer expectantly.
"What? We're gonna get there. I just have to gather my bearings, alright? Just...let me think."
Now that she had a pokemon, her next move should really be to gather some supplies and head out of town. But what all did she need? Food, obviously. Food that was going to last a while. A few poke-balls for protection if nothing else. Matches? She could look up how to start a fire on her phone without them. Taking a deep breath in, she looked back up to her Nidoran.
"I have to give you a name. Nidoran is too long. I don't like it."
Nidoran began to chitter at her, which she mimicked back to it in a mocking manner. What was that one spell from that book series that made light? Nox? Dox? Rocks? Those didn't sound right. Ooh wait! He was small and purple, just like a demon.
"What about Mox? Like...Moxie. You've got that spunk to you. I think it fits."
She nodded, proud of her decision. Why had he agreed to this the Nidoran angrily thought to himself. Suddenly, staying here and dealing with those two monkey brains didn't seem like such a bad idea.


Sprites by Smogon Sprite Project
Base Code by Ambiloquous




4:47 p.m. – July 2nd
 



























PokéCenter [Resort Area], Battle Zone



Tsk, Should’ve seen this coming a mile off.

The room’s single bulb gasped and choked; its death knells were the electric spark-crackles of faulty wiring. The light and shadows danced and writhed, stretching in ways that were decidedly… unnatural. Nate was happy he’d had the foresight to request a separate room away from his ‘friends’. Shame he hadn’t foreseen this—foreseen her.

『Dead? Dead!? How could I be dead?!』


Denial. That was normal. The first stage of grief and all, right?

The fox paced; the boy watched. Most curious. Her fur billowed without wind; her paws fell without sound. Not even the dust was disturbed by her passage. If that wasn’t a ghost, then he was stumped. The fox disagreed.

『LIAR!!』


Shadows jumped and sparks flew! Nate watched the ceiling. The bulb wouldn’t blow…would it? He really didn’t want to get fined again…

『You’re lying! Who are you! And where have you taken me? Why are you—eek!』


The fox flinched as a crumpled paper ball tried and failed to strike her; it phased right through her, of course. She was after all—

『Dead. See?』


Nate crumpled another page in his notebook and tossed it right through her body. This time she didn’t react. His little demonstration had been effective. How much so? He’d find out soon…

At least the lights had stopped flickering.

*Knock* *Knock*

She was still, still in shock. He answered the door. It was a nurse.

“Sir, if your Pokémon damages any of our infrastructure we’ll have to charge you.”

He grimaced as the nurse left. When he turned back to the room, she was finally waking up from her fugue.

『I’m…dead?』


『’fraid so, I found you in shortly aftered you…’revived’. You’ve been a bit out of it, but it sounds like your coming around. 』


『I…I–I can’t remember.』


『That’s normal, death tends to do that.』


『…does it?』


Nate hadn’t the slightest clue how DEATH worked, but confidence had sold more outrageous lies.
『Of course. So what do you plan to do now that you’re…aware?』


It was a question the fox couldn’t even begin to answer. She’d been ‘aware’ for all of an hour? Maybe? What would she possibly know about planning for the future?

Silence reigned and Nate hid a smirk behind an easy smile.

『I’m headed towards a specialist, someone who knows a lot about Ghost types like yourself. Maybe they can help you remember who you are? But you’ll need to stick with me in the meantime, deal? 』


Nate allowed her some time to consider, but she did she really have a choices? What was the alternative? Fuck off into the world relying on her scants hours of experience? Even if she wanted to he would’ve never allowed it. Not until he had a second Pokémon at least. Of course, dangling a meeting with Fantina was just an easy way to motive her towards goals Nate already intended to achieve. Furthermore, what if she actually could restore Juejue’s memories? If it turned out she had previously belonged to a trainer than Nate was more than happy to sell her back to them—at a cost. He had to recoup his investment, and he’d need some compensation for the damage a broke bond would do to him, then a little bit more on top as a ‘thank you’ for his noble deeds. Zorua were rare Pokémon, Juejue’s former trainer couldn’t be too poor. They could afford $15,000. He was already being pretty generous. Of course, if it turned out Juejue didn’t have a past trainer then nothing would change, she’d be a wild Pokémon that he’d caught and that would be that. He’d at least earn some good will from her in the process. If she still wanted to leave under those circumstances, then she was free to go after he’d shored up his fortitude and lined up a replacement. It was never good to work with subordinates who harbored hatred for you. That was how gang leaders died. He’d bet a few trainers had died that way too.

『Had enough time to think?』


She stirred slowly, but another moment’s delay could hardly change her situation.
『Okay…deal.』


Nate smirked. Perfect.


With matters temporarily dealt with, Nate moved onto the evening’s plans. From the Resort Zone to Pastoria required the ferry sail at least half the circumference of Sinnoh. Even if their ship was fast, they were looking at a journey of 10 – 12 hours, perhaps more. They wouldn’t arrive in Pastoria until…7 or 8 in the morning?

Would the ferry serve dinner? He wouldn’t count on it. He needed to prepare supply enough for himself and Juejue. At least with Juejue he could advance some PokéFood from the PokéCenter; thankfully, the League was bankrolling their first week of PokéFood.

Nate submitted his request to the nurse and looked for a seat. His frown immediately came to his face as he spotted a red head playing with her Nidoran. That in itself wasn’t a problem but—

“Oh c’mon Red, poison types on the tables? Some of us eat there, y’know?”


Sprites by Smogon Sprite Project
Base Code by Ambiloquous



4:47 p.m. – Friday, July 2nd
 
Last edited:
Resort Area





'...lay. You promised.'

Zera rolled her eyes and rubbed her right temple. She wondered and not for the first time, just what she was thinking when she thought replacing the word play with battle/training was a good idea. She didn't mind training the bunny Pokémon. If anything it was calming, therapeutic even. Occasionally she could just forget that the world is a hellscape full of murderous Pokémon. It's a far-cry from the peaceful journey that her father had stories of. Sleeping under the stars in the wild with your Pokémon. Listening to bird Pokémon sing and the soft hums of distant bug Pokémon. When you could step out at the age of ten and travel the world. Now? It's nothing short of suicide.

'Please? We can play now right?'

Lukina has been begging for the past 20 minutes, and it has gone on for nearly 19 minutes too long. A sigh was all I was willing to show and I let the pink bunny out of her ball. Once out, she seemed to begin vibrating in place. If I didn't know better I'd think Lukina would use Self-Destruct due to the kinetic energy build up. It is what I decided for her so it isn't as if I can complain.

'Yes, since you've been quiet when I was busy and was well behaved we can play together today.'

The smile that split my Buneary's face and the glee clear in her subtle bouncing from left to right was as if I said Christmas came early. Taking a seat, I explain the game to Lukina. It is a variation of Strike and Dodge. A game we have played before, only I would play too. Ultimately it would teach Lukina to be observant during close combat. How to dodge, counter, control her strength, and when to strike. I wrap my hands in some boxing tape and explain what she is to do. Boiling it down for the outside looking in it looks like boxing drills some fighting types like Hitmonchan would do but Lukina is allowed to use her whole body strike back.

-----

A slight internal sigh was released. Nate had began to seemingly berate a girl for having her Pokémon on the table. Sure it was a poison type however it's just a Nidoran. Most Nidoran are docile, until provoked by getting too close too fast. Although, this one seemed a little different. Then again most of her knowledge on the skittish and cautious Pokémon was from before the calamity. Those big old ears are like high grade sonar. If she chose that pokemon she made a smart choice. Few Pokémon can sneak up on the species and it's evolutions making them a solid choice for a partner in the world we live in. She'd keep her thoughts to herself on that topic for now. "Nate, is it really necessary to poke at someone minding their own business? There isn't any food on the table. I'm sure she knows to pick up after herself and the precautions around owning a poison Pokémon. Even then Nidoran have to make conscious effort to secrete the poison from their horn or barbs on their body. Touching them or surfaces they have won't poison you unless your blind and or dumb enough to touch their horn, spikes, or a little pool of purple colored poison that is left on the table." Zera gestures to said table making sure that the poison type can see her and being deliberately careful not to spook the usually cautious species of Pokémon. "I don't see any poison on that table."
​



Sprites by Smogon Sprite Project
Base Code by Ambiloquous








4:48 p.m. - July 2nd
 
Last edited:
PokeCenter, Resort Area, Battle Zone


Draven Davidson
Interactions: Nathanael, Zera Quinn, Riley Reid
CloudySkyLoftyMoon CloudySkyLoftyMoon Absollover77 Absollover77 Theo713 Theo713

Draven could honestly tell that Nate did not seem enthused with the options he gave. Beggars can't be choosers. He just pressed his lips in a thin line to bite back the thought and just nodded along. It was a good idea to go to the other cities first and to see what it was like within them before they start thinking of a home base.

Nate left to get a room and Zera went to train her pink Buneary. Meanwhile, Draven had looked at the Pokemon he had caught, the PokeBall the new Trapinch was held in still giving that eerie silence. Sitting at the table he was at with his allies, he released the Trapinch. The bond was weak, that was for certain. The Trapinch looked about warily with his beady black eyes, before gazing up at Draven with the side of his head, as Trapinch's eyes were bimonocular - on opposite sides of his head... maw... thing.

'Where am I?'

'It's called a Pokemon Center. It's a place where people take their Pokemon to heal them, and a place where we can get food. You hungry?'

Silence. Then, a response. 'Who are you?'

'I'm your new trainer, Draven. You upset that I took you from your home?'

A nod. Draven gave an amused huff.

'Sorry about that. I promise I'll make it up to you. Is there anything you want to do?'

All Draven could feel were emotions or ambitions to be something, but it seemed like the Trapinch couldn't make words or thoughts that would help Draven in learning what it was as their synchro bond was still new and Trapinch only knew simple phrases as of right now. Whatever it was, it wasn't some nostalgic or a homesick feeling, so it wasn't about getting back home.

'When we get stronger, I'll help you get back home to see what it's like there. But from what I can gather, I'm assuming you just want to get stronger or something?'

The Trapinch nodded.

For a moment, Draven was silent. He grew up in Unova, and some regions of the Desert Resort and Unova's Route 4 were named - some had changed their names throughout the years. As Draven began thinking of which sand dune to call the Trapinch, he heard a deep rumbling noise come from the Ground-Type antlion when the Trapinch - with his limited vision - saw food get plated to a nearby table.

Seemed like the Trapinch was hungry-

Wait... that deep, rumbling noise...

His father always talked of Route 4 and Desert Resort, as it was his favorite places to go to before the virus set foot on their planet. There was a particular set of dunes he liked within the Desert Resort that had the same sort of deep, rumbling noise as wind passed over it, and it was known as one of the Booming Dunes. It also had Trapinch there. It had a particular name, one Draven only remembered it because it sounded like kelp when he was younger. Kelso.

So, if he just changed the name around and-

"Kelessu!" He just about shouted and he quickly held his hand to his mouth, embarrassed. He gave a shy chuckle. "Uh... sorry." He said to the people around him, before looking at his Trapinch. 'I'll name you Kelessu. You like it?'

'If I take the name, does it mean I can eat?'

Draven chuckled, sighing as he ordered some food for his Trapinch. As food came and the antlion hesitantly ate the new food, Draven noticed Zera and Nate had come back, and Nate was scolding a woman at a table. Wait, why was there a Nidoran on there?

Still, Zera drove a hard point. Nidoran had to make a conscious effort to secrete poison, but Draven didn't know anything about it. All he knew was that this lady seemed to be at the start of her journey. He pursed his lips, then sighed. "I'm gonna have to agree with Zera. While I would agree with you, Nate, Nidoran don't seem biologically capable of causing accidental toxin spillage unless you spook it." He said as he sort of walked over, his Trapinch still eating away at the food that was sitting before him.

He looked at the lady, giving an easy smile amidst the constipated look on his face. Getting over the fact that he just set his Hoothoot in the PC - his longest-owned Pokemon through all this mess - was bugging him. "You starting out on your journey? Name's Draven."


Sprites by Smogon Sprite Project
Base Code by Ambiloquous




4:49 p.m. – July 2nd
 
Last edited:



























PokéCenter [Resort Area], Battle Zone




"Alright lets see. I got off the boat. I....came here. I picked you"
She mused, gently poking the Nidoran's nose with a light smile.
"Just need to grab some supplies and we'll hit the road. Sound good?"
The Nidoran looked up at his new trainer before mustering whatever might pass for a sigh "If it'll help me become stronger. Whatever." Hmm. Not the very friendly sort yet, was he? Nidoran's ears twitched at the sound of someone approaching them, Riley gasping playfully
"What is it Nox? Did Timmy fall down the well??"
the joy quickly left her body and her face fell when a voice behind her spoke up, calling her Red and judging her decision to have her new partner up on the table. She turned to face the new arrival, an annoyed upper lip curled up as she looked at him like she had just smelled something foul.
"Really?"
She asked, slowly looking away from him to the left half of the room. She scanned the room from left to right before back up to him, ready to retort with a quip of her own only to find that someone had already come to her defense. Someone that knew the man at least well enough to know his name.

"Yeah, NaTe"
she put a hard emphasis on the T.
"Ya know, you caught me at a good time. I still have a few things left to do, and it is getting rather laTe. So let's do this: We skip the witty banter, you apologize, and we'll go our separate ways. We can even pick this up at a later daTe. What do you say?? I'll waiT"
she smiled a mischievous grin and fluttered her eyes at him, waiting for his answer. For just a second she averted her attention to Zera and quickly sized her up, giving her a wink before her attention went back to Nate. During the exchange her Nidoran would click and chip in Nate's direction, which eventually caused Riley to gasp.
"Nox, that wasn't nice~"
she play berated, reaching down and gently rubbing the top of the Nidoran's head between his ears. Did he like his new trainer? That much he hadn't determined yet. Did he like this human that had come over for no other apparent reason than to try and throw his weight around? Not particularly. That much the two of them could agree on. Maybe it would be the start of their friendship, his trainer's and his.

As yet another trainer came over and towered over her, she started to become a little nervous. Not because it was them that intimidated her, but because of the fact there were three of them and only one of her. She glanced to her Nidoran for a split second, recalling the situation she found him in not too long ago, a light chuckle escaping her as she looked back to the trio. She couldn't very well tackle any of them to the ground to assert her dominance, That would get her banned immediately.
"That's right handsome. And judging from the looks for you"
she looked between the three before back to the man who introduced himself as Draven
"I'm going to guess you're all....roughly in the same boat?"
she had to hide a light shudder. She didn't want to even think about boats right now. "And as there's three of you and only one of lil ol me, I think that's my que to leave. But. In the interest of fairness." [/div] She turned from them and to the table, wiping it down with a napkin to appease her would-be oppressor before back to them.
"Satisfied, NaTe?"
she grinned again, tossing the napkin without breaking eye contact with him. She threw it in the direction of the nearby trash cans, but her shot fell about three feet too short. She curled her lips in to an annoyed pucker to hide her smile, not wanting to break her bravado.
"Didn't go in, did it?"
She asked no one in particular, shaking her head with a light sigh.
"And people wonder why I never joined the basket ball team."
she moved past the trio to retrieve the napkin and throw it away proper.

Sprites by Smogon Sprite Project
Base Code by Ambiloquous



4:47 p.m. – Friday, July 2nd
 



























PokéCenter [Resort Area], Battle Zone




“Are you dumb?”
Nate side-eyed Zera, she’d taken the lead in this nonsense, and mentally lowered his evaluation of her ability to survive. Draven took a hit too for being an accessory to idiocy. Another moment or two passed before the Orrean realized,
“Sorry, I wasn’t supposed to say that out loud.”


Red over there didn’t look like a veteran trainer and Nate doubted that Nidoran was aged or wizened. Young poison types were almost universally more dangerous than their adult counterparts precisely because they couldn’t control when and how they secreted their poison.

But hey, maybe Zera was right. Maybe Red over there had a bottle of industrial grade disinfectant or something that would break down the poison and prevent any residue from poisoning the next trainer to use that table. Regardless, he’d filled his quota of good deeds, and he wasn’t going to debate Zera or Draven on the wisdom of allowing poison types to contaminate spaces where food was handled. He was sure Nurse Joy had taken note and even if Red failed to clean things up, the Nurses would sterilize.

As for an apology? LOL!

The Orrean slipped his hands into his pockets and strolled away. He had preparations to make, and he wouldn’t be delayed. BUUUUT… Nate still made a quick stop in a bathroom stall just to make sure. His phone quickly pulled up the available information on Nidoran.

Nidoran, the Poison Pin Pokémon.

Its large ears sense danger. It extends its toxic spikes or secretes poison when angry. The size of its body thorns indicates its toxicity. The poison hidden in its small horn is extremely potent. Even a tiny scratch or drop can have fatal results.


Say LESS fam!

Why had he ever doubted himself? For Zera? For Draven? Pfft!

Nate strolled out of the bathroom with exaggerated swagger of a man who’d been vindicated beyond reproach. It was truly difficult to be the only one with common sense, but that was his cross to bear.


Sprites by Smogon Sprite Project
Base Code by Ambiloquous



4:50 p.m. – Friday, July 2nd
 
PokeCenter, Resort Area, Battle Zone


Draven Davidson
Interactions: Nathanael, Zera Quinn, Riley Reid
CloudySkyLoftyMoon CloudySkyLoftyMoon Absollover77 Absollover77 Theo713 Theo713

Okay, he was going to give this lady grace, but her attitude is just awful, compliment aside. He could tell she was just saying that because she looked nervous having three people around her so suddenly. But he did hear her musings to herself. She wanted to leave? Maybe she could use a bus or a boat, but she won't even be able to enter any Bronze rated areas without a team of three. But the emphasis of Nate's name also seemed to stir a bit of anger within him, and he wasn't sure why.

Nate's little outburst was also surprising, which had Draven wonder if he and Zera were even in the right. He didn't know where Nate came from, he honestly should ask. It also probably wasn't cool for him to just disagree with Nate when he didn't even know a thing about Nidoran. He just sorta jumped in right after naming his Trapinch, no thought whatsoever.

Was that why Nate was so agitated? No forethought? He seemed so agitated during their trip to get a Trapinch...

"Are... we in the wrong?" There was just no way he could side with this girl after her horrendous attitude, but strangely Nate took it with some stride, but took to using the bathroom.

And this girl didn't even give her name yet. "Well, what's your name?"

After a bit of a delay, Draven's phone shot out of his pocket, his Rotom speaking out. "Query: Are we in the wrong? Context: Having a Poison-Type on a table where food could be present in the future. Answer: Yes. According to the Male Nidoran's Pokedex entry, while its horn and barbs extend to secrete poison when angered or for self-preservation, Male Nidoran are naturally cautious - and sometimes skittish - Pokemon. The larger its horns and barbs, the more powerful its secreted venom. However, even a tiny scratch or drop can have fatal results. According to the research regarding natural growth of young Poison-Typed Pokemon done by several professors of many regions, while not all Male Nidoran are skittish, some inexperienced Nidoran may accidentally secrete venom from a perceived threat as an automatic self-preservation measure, even if there are no actual threats present. Conclusion: Inexperienced trainers and Pokemon can accidentally cause a male Nidoran - especially inexperienced ones - to create a potentially fatal spill of toxins. Which this Pokemon Center is full of."

Wow, how sassy at the end. He could practically feel the Rotom's eyes boring through his skull, as if the Rotom was really sending home how inexperienced he was. The eyes were also staring through Zera's and that lady's skull. The phone then zipped back into his pocket.

Still, now that he had this information, Draven realized he was actually in the wrong.

"Huh..." Was all he said about that. "I... guess Nate was right. And your attitude really helped me change sides, thanks. Regardless of what's going on between you two, it's not my business. But, while you can travel to other towns and cities by bus, boat, train, or plane, you can't access any part of the wild area without a team of at least three people. You'll just die out there on your own, especially if you exhaust yourself, as new trainers are wont to do. Good luck on finding a team to join." He waved his hand and went to find Nate.

He found Nate just walked out of his bathroom, looking quite vindicated. He scratched the back of his head, feeling extremely embarrassed for his previous behavior, looking away from the taller man as his cheeks became flushed. "Hi, Nate, uh..." He swallowed his pride and continued. "I just noticed how careful you are, and at first I thought you were just paranoid, but then I realized you're just more meticulous than I gave you credit for. I don't know what sort of stuff you went through, but whatever it is, you're obviously wise beyond your years with this sort of stuff and I want to learn from you. After thinking about what just happened and uh... being humbled by my own Rotom Phone..." Man, this was embarrassing. "I'm sorry for doubting you. She looked new, the Nidoran also looked inexperienced, and I shouldn't have jumped into a conversation of a topic I knew nothing about. I..." He spoke a bit quieter. "I hope you could forgive me..."

He realized that his Trapinch had been following him, apparently silently judging him from what he could feel in their bond. He could feel that this antlion was staring at him with a smug look. Apparently, this not-bug thing was acting smarter than Draven.

That's even more embarrassing...


Sprites by Smogon Sprite Project
Base Code by Ambiloquous




4:50 p.m. – July 2nd
 
Last edited:
Resort Area





Zera's gaze narrowed at Nate, extremely displeased about being called dumb. It wasn't like what she said was false. Nidoran differ from male to female. The huge ears and differing of color are clear indicators. Plus, agitating the trainer linked to a poison-type Pokémon via a Synchro Bond isn't exactly the brightest idea.

Zera shakes her head looking to Draven and then listening to his Rotom phone begin it's sassy explanation. She could see the annoying phone's point but it doesn't match some of the knowledge her father told her about Nidoran. Shiny Nidoran female happens to be a lovely pink color same with Nidorina... The deal breaker was Nidoqueen. She didn't exactly like the color it became at the final stage or she'd be here with a female nidoran right now and not Lukina. She studied a lot of pokemon with pink shiny coloration before the world went to hell. Did things change due to the addition of Synchro Bond, perhaps amplifying the emotional reactions of the typically skittish creatures to a more fight instead of the normal flight response? That seems a logical assessment but the Nidoran was fine and docile before Nate opened his mouth. She didn't really mean to ignore Draven as he spoke to her but she was overall lost in her own head while she came to her own conclusions. Sure she could clarify with her own Rotom phone but she feels that she should try to figure it out herself first. Being given all the answers before actually trying to figure it out yourself is safer yes, but where is the growth in that? She doesn't think treating the little guy like a biohazard will be good for it.

Zera watches Draven scurry off to go to Nate, shifting her attention back to the red haired girl and her Nidoran. Watching her head towards the crumpled napkin and pick it up, focusing on the Nidoran. Slowly offering her left hand to the small Pokémon being sure to be deliberate and slow in her actions a small bit of food in the palm. "You aren't too dangerous yet, but one day you will be a huge Nidoking. You'll have a mighty horn, strong body, and people will have a real reason to be afraid. I look forward to seeing it. My Buneary, Lukina will have a challenging opponent in the future." She made sure to speak calmly to the Pokémon.​



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4:50 p.m. - July 2nd
 
Last edited:



























PokéCenter [Resort Area], Battle Zone




Of all the things Nate could’ve expected—this, whatever this was—was not one of them. An apology? An olive branch? A sudden onset of blubbering insecurity? Some combination of them all? Regardless, Nate’s opinion of the matter was–
“It’s not that deep.”
he rest a palm on Draven’s shoulder, more to ground the guy and shut him up rather than offer any real comfort.
“I made an observation; you’re allowed to say what you want about it and I’m allowed to retort in kind, ya?”
That was how it went in rough and tough Orre. Tempers flared, verbal barbs were traded; they hadn’t the time nor the energy to care about courtesy and excess politeness. If you thought a fella was dumb for putting his poison type where he ate then you let him know, he’d call you a slur and then you’d both go on your way. People outside Orre cared a bit too much if you asked him.

Then again, when in Rome…

“Tell you what. The Ferry to Pastoria’s gonna be a few hours, upwards of twelve by my guess so why don’t we grab Zera and go looking for dinner? We can kiss and make-up or whatever you do in Sinnoh.”
There. That should put his anxious heart at ease. As much as Nate didn’t care for the song-and-dance, he knew that acceding to others in small ways created the necessary social lubricant that made things easier on everyone. Given he was stuck with Draven and Zera for the next 16 weeks, he could at least try to stay cordial with them.
“C’mon.”


A jaunt down the hallway returned them to the duo of Zera and Red, they seemed to get along. It wasn’t really his business. He eyed Zera,
“Boat ride’s gonna be long, so we’re looking to grab an early dinner and something to tide us over. You coming or you sticking with Red?”


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Merciless Medic Merciless Medic | Absollover77 Absollover77 | Theo713 Theo713




4:50 p.m. – Friday, July 2nd
 



























PokéCenter [Resort Area], Battle Zone




Ok seriously. Who were these people?? First NaTe beraTes her out of no where for no apparent reason, other than to have something to do, and his backup dancers were just tagging along for the ride. A true look of confusion came across her face when Draven pointed out a fact that she hadn't heard about until right this second: She couldn't go in to the wild areas without a group? Why did they need a group? The world was survival of the fittest. You survive or you die. She didn't need anyone's protection. She hadn't needed it for 12 years. When Draven walked away she slapped the side of her own face gently, mouth agape.
"Ooh no, a group of complete strangers doesn't like me. Whatever will I do???"
she spoke in a sarcastic voice, rolling her eyes. Whatever.

Riley watched as the female of the trio, Zera, slowly reached her hand out towards Nox. The poison type eyed this new human cautiously, sniffing first her hand and then the food she offered before taking a small nibble. Riley wasn't about to tell him no. He could eat all the free food he wanted as far as she was concerned. Once the offered food was eaten Nox chittered a softer, happier sound before rubbing his forehead against the side of her hand. She might be on some level connected with NaTe and Draven, But Riley got the impression Zera was the kinder, more honest soul of the trio. Now that she wasn't outnumbered by the group Riley relaxed, walking back over to Zera and her Nidoran.
"Thank you for standing up for me like that. Your friend needs to learn to keep himself in check. I grew up near Pewter City. I know how to handle Nidoran. If he had bothered to ask, and not jump to conclusions, he would've learned that."


She sighed, rubbing her temples. Draven hadn't seemed like an inheritantly bad person, it was just his choice in friends left a lot to be desired. If what he had said was true, that she needed to find two more people to team up with before she could start her journey, then it might be over before it even began. By now all the good teammates were already taken, paired up with one another so they could all be on their merry way. All that would be left over would have been the bottom of the barrell pickings, and even they would have been scraped up by trainers desperate to get the ball rolling.
"I'm Riley, by the way. I don't suppose you'd want to pair up so we can get out of this one Ponyta town, would ya?"
She asked, her eyes focusing again on Zera. It was then that Nate and Draven began coming their way, likely to pick up their third teammate to hit the road. She needed to think, to act, and fast. When NaTe spoke up, asking Zera if she was sticking with Red, she acted on the first thought that ran through her mind. She draped an arm over Zera's shoulder
"Sorry boys. Zera here's decided to tough it out with lil ol' me. Wait a minute, ummm."
she pointed and each male, counting them off in turn.
"One...two...awww, you don't seem to have enough team members now, do you?? And, as Draven so kindly pointed out, your team needs at least three members. So how about this? Girl Power"
she pats over her heart twice
"is willing to team up with you Boy Banders so we can all get what we want: out of this city and on with our lives. Whaddya say?"
she knew her entire act would fall apart the second Zera spoke up for herself, but she was banking on the fact that of the three, Zera was so far the one most in her corner.

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4:47 p.m. – Friday, July 2nd
 
Last edited:
Resort Area





Watching the pokemon eat the food Zera nodded, observing the poison-type Pokémon's actions. He seemed happy with her, that she supposed, was a good thing. Pokémon are quite easy to please. It boils down to food, training, a home, and a trainer who takes time to take care of them.

She hasn't ever picked up a Nidoran before, and keeping that in mind she resists the urge to do so to get a better look at it. She does give the little Pokémon a few scratches under the chin and a few light touches with her thumb behind it's ears.

As she went to stand up she heard the boys return only to have another pointless verbal fencing happen. She wasn't all the way up to her full height when the new girl threw her arm up over her shoulders and began spouting some nonsense about girl power. Yes, she is a girl but does that mean she's going to cause more conflict? Nope, she just wants to get the ball rolling and leave this place. There is far too many memories here, after getting some food she plans to wait by the marina until it's time to leave. Maybe she'd go through a few more drills with Lukina as well.

A slight roll of her eyes, "How about we just go eat and just get ready to leave? We have very little need for bickering and the like. I won't stop anyone from tagging along place to place. League rules state that a minimum group of three is required to leave town unless on a boat, bus, or air transport. Four doesn't make much difference." She steps out from under the red head's arm. "Gather your stuff, buy yourself a boat ticket to Pastoria City. There is very few if any options for any of us left. Being in conflict and delaying all of our start would screw us all. I'll see you all on the boat, should you decide to go. I am going to lay down." Without another word she walks off to a different part of the center and takes up a free couch by laying down and putting an arm over her forehead staring at the ceiling. She was not used to this. The clashing of personalities, and social interactions. She buried herself in exercise and books to prep for this. Why did she have to get such a mess to deal with?​



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4:50 p.m. - July 2nd
 



























PokéCenter [Resort Area], Battle Zone




What does any of that have to do with lunch? Leave it to a woman… Nate’s brow pinched in confusion but relaxed soon after. The gist of things was Zera had invited Red to join them or Red had invited herself—scratch that, Red had definitely invited herself ‘cause Zera abandoned her a moment later. Ultimately, details didn’t matter—Red wanted to join the squad and…

“Okay? It’s rare but I agree with Zera, three or four doesn’t make much of a difference. Welcome to the team Red. There’s a $50 registration fee, but you can pay that on the boat. Ship leaves at 6:30 by the way, it’s gonna be a long trip so I suggest you get dinner and tomorrow’s breakfast from now.”


With that Nate also turned to leave the group, subtly reaching out through his bond to call to Juejue. He’d given her plenty of time to mope about in the room. He focused on his hunger-pangs and pushed them through the bond and, sure enough, they echoed back.

『Come on, you can’t mope about on an empty stomach, we’re gonna get food.』


No verbal response came, but he could feel the Zorua coming closer—in a straight line. She may not have come to terms with her death, but she certainly had not qualms making things more convenient with her ghostly nature. Small ticks of fortitude were consumed as she phased through wall after wall and—huh?
『What was that spike?』


『Ow…Dark wall…』


It took another minute for the fox to navigate to her trainer, but when she did, it looked as if she’d slammed snout-first into a wall. Which was probably what happened.

『Probably the Dark TE Emitters, they’re pretty common to prevent ghost phasing and teleporting. You probably tried to walk into their storeroom or something.』


“I think I saw a Pizza place on the way here, sound good?”


『What’s pizza…?』


『Something good, you’ll like it.』


With steps lighter than air, Juejue leapt onto Nate’s shoulder and made herself comfortable,


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4:51 p.m. – Friday, July 2nd
 
PokeCenter > Boat, Resort Area, Battle Zone


Draven Davidson
Interactions: Nathanael, Zera Quinn, Riley Reid
CloudySkyLoftyMoon CloudySkyLoftyMoon Absollover77 Absollover77 Theo713 Theo713

Wait...

It's not that deep?

That confused Draven. Were people - wherever he came from - that laid back? He looked up at him in mild confusion. Even as Nate tried to explain that 'it simply just happens, it is what it is', Draven felt like that was foreign to him. Apologies should be given if people crossed a line, but he also was no one's parent.

Looking for dinner...

Draven was starting to warm up to Nate. Maybe he wasn't so bad after all. He nodded, only to chuckle with an amused grimace at the thought of just kissing a random stranger. Thank you for putting that in my head...

As if like a lost Lillipup, he followed along after Nate, feeling a little bit better. When they had returned to the two girls, Draven caught the tail end of Zera giving the Nidoran some food. Nate also extended some sort of an olive branch to 'Red' to come with.

Only for the most confusing interaction to ever take place in Draven's eyes. Draven stood there, dumbfounded, at the mental gymnastics it took for this girl to try and not seem inferior. Did she have a complex?

He gave a tired huff, his grimace turning into a smirk as Zera just abandoned this 'Red' girl like that. He felt a little bad for Zera as she gave suggestions (which honestly sounded like orders) and went to lay down. Poor girl...

Draven bought a $100 boat ticket to Pastoria and, after stuffing themselves with pizza (thanks to Nate pointing it out), the ragtag group of four made their way on the boat.

As Draven got settled onto the boat, he held Kelessu in his arms. The poor antlion - without its tether to the earth - was getting a bit seasick, and Draven was getting it. He pet the top of the antlion's head with a sympathetic expression. "It's alright, Kelessu. We'll be on land tomorrow. Try to get some rest." He returned his Trapinch, and tried to get over the seasick feeling as he sat at a table.

They should probably start looking through into the future, they only had a handful of weeks left before they could even qualify for Silver rank. So, Draven - sick - wasn't going to be talking too much. Just absorbing information and hoping to focus on not wanting to vomit if hard-to-swallow personalities made themselves harder to handle.


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4:51 p.m. > 6:40 p.m. – July 2nd
 
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Boat [Off Shore], Battle Zone




“Alright Red, if you’re gonna be part of the team we should catch you up on our plans.”
With a large Town Map underarm, Nate hustled into room they’d managed to commander for a ‘team meetings’. The map unfurled and soon all of Sinnoh lay across the table.
“I borrowed this from one of the sailors.”


“In another 12 hours or so we’ll disembark in Pastoria,”
Fingers traced the contours of the region, as Nate pointed out the locations as he called them out. The map was annotated but who knew where Red was from? Best not to assume.
“Then head up R212 until we reach Hearthome. That’ll be the first Gym for most of us since we’re got good matchups against Ghosts types.”


A double tap over Hearthome and Nate continued,
“See here? Smack in the middle of Sinnoh. We’ll set up base around here, close to the city, so we can take PokéJobs; we’re gonna need the money if we want to secure the best Pokémon for the League-end Conference.”


That was straight-forward enough, yea?

“We need to plan around catching Pokémon, doing events, and tackling the Gyms. If you see any Pokémon you’re interested in then the sooner you tell us, the better.”
Red should’ve known that already, but it was worth repeating. With his little exposition dump finished, Nate retrieved his own rotom gear and projected a list.
“The Pokémon migration patterns for the rest of the Bronze League are already out, take a look—”



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6:41 p.m. – Friday, July 2nd
 



























PokéCenter [Resort Area], Battle Zone




Perfect! Her plan had gone, more or less, according to plan. She was in now and that was all she needed. She Darth Vader screamed internally when Nate mentioned a boat ride, her right eye twitching. She had really had been looking forward to a good night's rest on dry land. She didn't try to keep Zera in place when she got up, letting the other woman go without any resistance. It had never been her intention to keep her hostage in any way. She just needed the group to invite her to join them. After their initial encounter, there was no way she cou ld ask to join them and expect to get anything other than a no.
"Greaaaat~"


After a few seconds she shook her head, attempting to get the displeasing thoughts out of her mind. She had a pokemon's feelings to consider now. She glanced tot he Nidoran and gave a light smile before nodding reassuringly.
"Then I'll meet you on the boat. I really do need to go get some supplies. Balls. Potions. You know. Pastoria, 6:30. Got it."
She stood to leave with her Nidoran in tow, stopping in the doorway of the Pokemon Center as the doors opened behind her.
"And by the way. Name's Riley. But you can keep calling me Red. I kinda like it."
She grinned a toothy grin before turning on her heels and leaving.

"What'sa boat?" the thought came to her as they walked, Riley making an effort and failing to not wince at the word.
"It's a big"
She started out loud before stopping, starting again mentally
**It's a big, loud metal man made thing that's going to take us to our first step in our journey.**
she looked to the Nidoran as they walked, thinking.
**You probably won't like them. Their horns are loud, and can give you a headache just from hearig them! And the closer you are, the worse it gets. You'll definitely want to chill out in your ball while we're on the boat. But I'll let you out once we get on dry land again.**
There was a pause before the voice spoke to her again "Promise?" There was a fear behind the question Riley didn't think the Nidoran would want to go in to right now, so she instead gave the pokemon a nod and another smile.
"Promise."


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

With her supplies purchased Riley recalled Nox as they neared the docs, an incoming ship blowing its horn and confirming for the both of them what she had warned. The Nidoran's sensitive ears felt like they were going to burst, which in turn caused Riley to feel the same way. Massive migrain in tow she purchased her ticket and boarded the ship bound for Pastoria, finding her new teammates and taking up residence with them immediately. As soon as she sat down she got back in to the position she had been in earlier in the day, seated so that the rocking of the boat could easily be counter acted. But she found that might not be an issue. The seats on the boat were a lot nicer than the ones she had grown accustomed to. Larger. More comfortable. She cautiously sat back as the horn blew again, signaling their departure.
"I'm gonna tell you right now: If the captain starts singing sea shanties, I might take my chances with the Magikarp."


Unlike her attitude and personality thus far, Riley gave Nate her full attention as he went over their already constructed plan. She followed his teaching of the map with a studied look, nodding when he stated their plan was to make Hearthstone their base of operations. It was a good idea, with only one small caveat
"We have a backup plan, in case everyone else had the same idea? If the cities over run with new trainers, there might not be any jobs to find."


There was another problem theor plan hadn't been able to factor in. Her. While their pokemon might have a good type matchup against against the ghost gym, the same couldnt be said for her and her Nidoran.
"I'll have to catch another pokemon to tackle the gym with"
she mumbled, leaning back in her seat and reading over the list of migrating swarms. A few of them seemed like good candidates, but nothing really jumped out at her like Nox had. Porygon seemed to be the natural selection given its typing, but she felt in a battle against any ghost type it would be a stalemate with neither side being able to do anything to the other. The only other potential candidate from the list was
"Noibat might have some potential"
she mused, rubbing her chin. It was also right outside the city, so she wouldn't have to go very far to catch one. The only problem was could she have it trained up and ready to go against the gym in a manner similar to her new traveling companions.

Producing her phone and a quick internet search later, she had a list of all of the known pokemon that surrounded Hearthstone City. Zubat? No. Psyduck? No. Machop? Double no. Even Ralts, as rare as they were, wouldnt have a good matchup against the ghosts of the gym. She continued thinking on her selections, only looking up if someone else spoke.

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4:47 p.m. – Friday, July 2nd -->6:41 p.m.
 
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Boat [Off Shore], Battle Zone




As it turned out, Red had something between her ears.
“Good point, but I don’t think that will be an issue for now. I did some research on the Bronze League and usually, trainers try to challenge it in the ‘traditional’ order—it’s a cultural thing. In any case, Oreburgh and Eterna City will be the first to get swamped with trainers. After that will be Hearthome. We have a few weeks at least.”


“And speaking of Eterna…”
Nate’s traced a path westward.
“Hop across Mt. Coronet and we’ll reach Eterna, the Grass Gym is a better first Gym for you and we should be able to get there easily. Alternatively…”
He recentered on Hearthome and then traced east.
“It’s a longer trip but if we pass through Solaceon Town we can challenge Veilstone, it’s a fighting Gym and should also work out well for us.”



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6:41 p.m. – Friday, July 2nd
 
Resort Area





Cracking an eye open Zera thinks about her options. She has a few options she has been considering. Her path as a trainer is going to be long and while she'd like to mold her pokemon into elites of their species some Pokémon wouldn't make the cut. A few Pokémon would be top options... Porygon and Feebas. It would put her through quite a bit. She'd have to be careful catching them. Porygon wouldn't cause any big issues... however Feebas would be difficult. She'd need a fishing rod, one that would last a while. Matter a fact, it would be good for everyone to get one. Although by a cursory glance over her new traveling associates, water type may not be on the top of the groups list of sought after Pokémon. Depending on the Pokémon they catch, it may not have as many opertunities to fight. Feebas is an investment for the future, and it won't be too hard to get a hold of the beautification products to make Feebas evolve. Worst case, buying a Prism Scale wouldn't be impossible. It would just take time. Having Lukina, as a Lopunny... A Porygon or even a possible Porygon2... and then a Milotic? That seems like a huge power move. Considering the expirence needed for other Pokémon she'd logically like to use. Ursaring is a good option but finding one of those elusive Teddiursa would be difficult. Luring it in with honey would be possible but it could and would draw more than just the tiny bear Pokémon. Porygon is more available and it would be useful... If she was remembering right, the pokemon can learn Teleport. A teleporting Pokémon would be nothing short of a benefit especially when it comes to getting out of trouble and going back to places she'd already been. It would be a boon for later on in her journey as well. However, if she wanted to truly train the Feebas properly it will need to be able to fight back with more than just Tackle. It would need to evolve as soon as possible. Meaning she'd need a few badges. Lukina will be working hard for the foreseeable future. "Feebas. They will be good investments to get a hold of now. Feebas is a rare Pokémon that is difficult to get a hold of. Once evolved one of the stronger water Pokémon used by champion level trainers it would be remiss to not get my hands on one. Having a 40 foot giant eel would cut down on water travel costs here and in every subsequent region." Lifting herself off the couch, moving over to point at Lake Verity on the map. "I'm going to buy myself a rod and some fishing line. I'll get some practice on the boat toward Pastoria. I might pull up a Magikarp or two. If any of you would be interested in getting some expirence beating it off the boat."

---------

It took her nearly the whole time to get the fishing rod and line at a price that wasn't thousands. Thankfully she knew when someone was attempting to scam her and found an old fisherman near the harbor selling them for more reasonable prices. It costed 310 but it was worth the price. She even got a nice little staryu lure that catches the light and reflects it with the little marble in the center. The old timer said it was a remnant pole from some trainer who was a water enthusiast. They left it here and never came back. With a shrug she paid the man and headed to the boat. In a rush she bolted for the docks and managed to get to the boat before it set off for Pastoria. If they were going to be on this boat for several hours may as well cast a line and practice. Letting Lukina from her ball to spend some time with the bunny Pokémon she headed for the back of the boat to get to work.​



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6:42 p.m. - July 2nd
 
Last edited:
Boat, Resort Area, Battle Zone


Draven Davidson
Interactions: Nathanael, Zera Quinn, Riley Reid
CloudySkyLoftyMoon CloudySkyLoftyMoon Absollover77 Absollover77 Theo713 Theo713

Finally getting Riley's name before they left for the boat, Draven was able to put a name to the face who actually said something quite intelligent. He was too sick to even pay attention what happened with Zera, all that he heard her talk about getting a Feebas and that she was going to get a fishing rod. Or, did she already get it?

Either way, he tried to focus on the lists, but he was so nauseous. He groaned. "I wonder if anyone's got any seasick pills..." He grumbled. He was digging his knuckle into the pressure point in the middle of his wrist, as it was the spot his mother told him helped with nausea. Or at least, preventing oneself from puking. She said the bands she used while she was pregnant with him were called 'Seabands', which made sense. He wondered if anyone had those...

At least Draven felt good to hear that Hearthome - his idea - was chosen as home base. He groaned, coughing a little. "I need to get through the gyms sorta quick. I can't keep either of my Pokemon in the PC boxes. Feels like it's gonna kill me if I keep changing them out..." And it might end up doing just that.

He sighed, looking over at Riley. "Fortitude is, unfortunately, something you need to grow not only through training your body, but getting gym badges. We only got a couple "slots" - as I'll call them - right now. If you get a Pokemon that only evolves once, you'll have to put them in the PC box like I had to with mine. It sucks... And if you leave them in there long enough, your Pokemon's going to starve to death. I think after your third badge, you can comfortably have a dual-staged Pokemon - like Noibat - alongside your triple-staged Pokemon - like Nidoran. Don't... Don't make my mistake..." He gave a hesitant smile. "I have a Hoothoot in storage. Continuously putting your Pokemon away in storage damages your Fortitude, too. Makes it harder to give them energy they need to use attacks..." At least he did his reading on Fortitude - after realizing how important it was since Zera's last explanation of it.

Either way, he continued. "I can probably get badges from Veilstone, Eterna, and Hearthome to start with. I don't want to keep Hearthome unbeaten, I don't want to get caught with those damned status moves they're known for."

At least people got ideas on what Pokemon to nab, but it was going to be a killer if they don't get enough "slots" to help accommodate for those Pokemon.


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6:43 p.m. – July 2nd
 



























Boat [Off Shore], Battle Zone




“Lake Verity..? We’ll have to move quick if we want to make it before the week’s out.”
In fact, they couldn’t afford to stop if they wanted to reach Verity in good time. The distance from the Resort Zone to Pastoria was definitely the greatest length of their journey, but ships were a lot quicker than feet.
“We’ll arrive in Pastoria Saturday morning and then…”
the distance between Pastoria and Hearthome was…not small, and through swamp to boot.

Nate chewed his lip. The best way to hit all their objectives was something like…

“At least another day to reach Hearthome, so we’d arrive on Sunday and we can take the day to challenge the Gym. We can head to Eterna on Monday and Red can do her challenge, then we’ll have to bus it down to Verity—that’s two maybe three trips? We should be able to make Verity for Tuesday and Zera can try her luck with Feebas,.”

“Sounds like a plan?”


Nate lifted his gaze from the map to meet each of his teammates. They all looked resolute, except Draven who looked a little uncertain—even more than usual.

“Seasick?”


Wasn’t that some kind of motion sickness?
『Juejue, help him out. Can’t you help his nausea with an Illusion?』


『???』
Amber eyes fell on Draven, confusion weighing palpably against the bond.
『How…?』


『I dunno, just…make things stop swaying for him? 』


『???』


Despite her confusion, Nate could feel his fortitude dwindle away and Juejue’s red fur danced in hypnotic waves.


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6:43 p.m. – Friday, July 2nd
 
Boat to Pastoria





Setting up at the back of the boat Zera sets up her spot with Lukina helping by holding whatever was handed to the little bunny Pokémon.

'Hey, hey what's with the stick and string? Is it a new game?'

The sound of her Pokémon's voice drew a soft amused snort from Zera. She thought a bit how to explain it to the excitable ball of pink fluff while casting the line out. The staryu lure glittering in the air before sinking into the water with a soft sound drowned out by all the other sounds surrounding them.

'Remember when I told you there is a lot of different Pokémon in the world?' Lukina tilted her head trying to recall before nodding her head. 'Well, there are more than 100 different Pokémon that live beneath the water. A few of them are powerful in or out of the water. During this time I plan to teach you a few things about water Pokémon. Namely that no matter how pathetic some may look they can be just as strong if not stronger than you. Namely, Magikarp. They are a red fish pokemon with yellow or white whiskers. They seem harmless but should they evolve they are strong enough to level cities with their raw power. Never underestimate them, sudden evolutions of Magikarp usually result in mass evolution of others in the area into Gyarados. Rage is a powerful motivational tool and Magikarp are bundles of rage waiting to be unleashed.' Lukina seemed to absorb what Zera said wondering just how strong a Gyarados could be. She could handle some fish outside water but fighting one in water would be a whole different story. She can sswimbut to fight and swim at the same time would be hard.

'What does a Gyarados look like? I wanna be strong strong enough to play with them too!' Zera chuckles a bit nodding. That was the plan. Making Lukina powerful enough to put a thunderpunch right into the face of a Gyarados without fear or hesitation and with the confidence that her power is enough to topple things no matter how big they are. Grabbing her rotom phone she pulled up a picture of Gyarados and showed it to the Buneary. The little bunny held the phone looking at the picture with interest clearly leaking from the bond between them. 'One day soon I know you'll be able to send such Pokémon running with a few punches.' Taking back the phone she put it back in her pocket. She felt the pole in her hand jerk and with a vicious smile she clenched the rod and began reeling in what she had on the line. The training had begun and she was going to teach Lukina how to weaken these fish. Punching or kicking their gills and eyes would be the basics but soon more complicated stuff would be taught. For now she'd just have to take her time with the basics. Lukina's excitement at getting to fight and learn was sending jolts of excitement and enthusiasm over the bond that Zera didn't have the ability to repress in her efforts. So when a softer more genuine smile appeared she had no knowledge of it.

​


Sprites by Smogon Sprite Project
Base Code by Ambiloquous








6:45 p.m. - July 2nd
 



























PokéCenter [Resort Area], Battle Zone




As Draven spoke, mental images of what he was explaining played out in her mind. The constantly swapping, the drain it would have on someone, the potential for death to be looming in the face not not being able to manage all that it entailed.
"Duly noted."


Giving Draven a passing second glance, she could see all the telltale signs if what he was going through. Slowly she reached out and gently rubbed his back, showing a concern for other people she didnt normally display..
"Easy there Handsome. You'll get used to it...just in time for us to hit land"
ooh sweet land. She could tell from his body language he wasn't going to make it all the way to Pastoria without seeing his dinner again, remembering having experienced it the first time or two she had set foot on a boat herself. As she rubbed his back her attention again went to Nate as he suggested a battle plan.
"What if we just hauled ass to Verity and hit the gyms on the way back? That would give the rest of us time to rest while Zera goes for the gold, and on the way back she can rest while we three amigos tackle our gyms?"
Could she see herself catching a Feebas of her own to train up? Absolutely. Did she think she could handle the strain Draven was currently putting himself through to achieve that goal? Absolutely not. Training it would be difficult, as it would need some form of water to even breathe in to battle. Not to mention a very large fish bowl to let it out in when stopping on the road to let it spread its fins. It all added up to one big headache for their current situation, at least to Riley.

After another few seconds of attempting to ease Draven's seasickness she stood, not wanting to be here to see how many slices of pizza he might have had for dinner in person.
"I'm fine with whatever we decide on. That's just my opinion on what we should do."
She motioned towards Draven with a tilt of her head
"You got this, right ooh fearless leader??"
She looked to Nate with a grin before stretching.
"Think I'll go see how Zera's fairing."
Couldn't be any worse than what was about to happen in here. With that she turned and headed for the exit, adjusting her stance to easy with the ship as it rose and fell with another wave.

As soon as the door to the room was closed behind her she leaned against it, gently shaking her head.
"Mans a ticking time bomb"
she muttered before shoving off it, wandering towards the back of the boat. As luck would have it, she arrived just in time to see Zera's line go taut, Riley grinning ear to ear.
"Just in time for the show. Let me know if you need help reeling it in, yeah??"
She wouldn't normally have made such an offer, but she didn't want to held responsible if Zera should go flying off the back of the ship.

Sprites by Smogon Sprite Project
Base Code by Ambiloquous



4:47 p.m. – Friday, July 2nd
 
Boat [Off Shore], Battle Zone


Draven Davidson
Interactions: Nathanael, Zera Quinn, Riley Reid
CloudySkyLoftyMoon CloudySkyLoftyMoon Absollover77 Absollover77 Theo713 Theo713

Seemed like they had their roadmap, which was nice. Zera was busy fishing, and Riley was showing a bit of her sympathy and compassion with rubbing his back. However, there seemed to be of a snag with what to do with Lake Verity. Either going through all the gyms on their way there or on their way back...

Honestly, both decisions had some major cons. But granted, this was the first week of Swarms. If they dawdled too long, Zera would lose her chance. He forgot what day it was, he was sure it was a Friday though. If Swarms end on this upcoming Wednesday, they only had five days including their boat trip to Pastoria. He groaned. "We have four days to get to Verity before the Swarm ends once we get to Pastoria. I'm pretty sure we can at least get Hearthome done, go to Verity because traversing swamp will take forever, and then go to Eterna. But if doing your plan is better - especially considering Zera's Fortitude, then yeah, we can do whatever-- the fuck-..." He grunted as he tried to keep in a burp. The soothing back rubs from Riley really were helping though. If he weren't looking so green, he'd have turned a little red from Riley calling him handsome, even if she was just doing it to be compassionate and meant nothing by it.

But then she left to see what Zera was up to. Nate asked if he was seasick, and he nodded.

"I think it's best if we get seasick pills. They exist somewhere on this ship-... Eugh..." He felt dizzy, but then not dizzy? His vestibular system said they were on a swell of a wave as the boat tilted, but his eyes were saying they weren't on a swell because he didn't see the boat rock. His mind felt conflicted, and he suddenly felt extremely sick.

Grunting, he immediately ran to a trash can and retched into a garbage bin, his body tensing as emptied his stomach of those pizzas they had earlier. Unfortunately, feedback loop was a bitch. His Trapinch immediately left the Pokeball, and puked up bile and insect meat all over the floor too. Draven's body felt like it was turning into jelly. As soon as he was done heaving and retching, he sunk to his knees, resting his forehead against the bin. He winced as he saw his Trapinch lay on the floor, beady eyes unfocused as his poor antlion felt just as unsteady.

He groaned. "Please just give me us a pill or two..." He pleaded Nate, as he didn't want Nate to try that again. . He shakily reached out to pet the Trapinch's head. "At least, if nothing else, this is quite... increasing bond or whatever... Bond strengthening... There we go..."

The Trapinch burped as it tried to chuckle. Draven could tell he was amused, even if they both miserable together.


Sprites by Smogon Sprite Project
Base Code by Ambiloquous




6:46 p.m. – July 2nd, Friday
 



























Boat [Off Shore], Battle Zone




Huh, where are you going…? Nate blanched. Zera said her piece, derailed their plans by half the region, and then fucked right off. Shooketh didn’t begin to describe... Nate stewed in silence, everyone seemed to accept that the discussion had simply ended at that. Fine, when he finished planning their route, he didn’t want to hear shit from anyone.

『Is he…okay?』


That brought Nate’s attention to Draven, he looked…
『Fine…he’s fine. Humans are just like that sometime. 』


『Really..?』


『Positive, Good Job. We’ll have more time to practice your Illusions when we land. 』


That was how you dealt with kids, right? Positive reinforcement?

Maybe one of the sailors had a remedy for seasickness, he’d ask around in a bit.


“So I shove this ginger up his nose? The whole thing?”


“Aye laddie, bes’ cure fer da woozies.”


“Got it, thanks.”


Now…where was Draven?


Sprites by Smogon Sprite Project
Base Code by Ambiloquous

Interactions:



6:45 p.m. – Friday, July 2nd
 



























Pastoria Port, Pastoria City




“Alright folks, we’re taking the train to Twinleaf.”


That was the decision Nate came to after some thought. The realities were that time was more important than money in the short term since Gym Badges would enable the team to out earn their travel expenses. Therefore, the best decision was to expedite their trip and thankfully, Sinnoh’s robust transportation network made that possible.

“Tickets will run us about $110 and we’ll need to switch trains near Jubilife. The train leaves at 11 and we should arrive at around… 5pm or so. Any questions?”


If Zera was quick about things they could be back in Hearthome on Monday, and they’d have plenty to time to challenge the Gym. Or maybe they’d stop in Eterna first? Could Juejue take on Eterna? Zorua were relatively offensive, so maybe he’d give it a go. He could at least use the time spent traveling to get more familiar with Juejue’s moves and their fortitude drain.


Sprites by Smogon Sprite Project
Base Code by Ambiloquous

Interactions:



8:45 a.m. – Saturday, July 3rd
 
Boat to Pastoria → Pastoria City





Pulling up a rather small magikarp and then directing Lukina on what to do to subdue it was simple. A few pounds and once the fish was knocked out a quick anatomy lesson was given to the Buneary. Where to strike to get the most out of it, before tossing the knocked out Magikarp back out into the water.

Having been focused on her task she returned to fishing only passing a cursory glance at the red-head who joined the group a few short hours ago. She said something about if she needed help but she wasn't overly concerned. If something was too strong she knew at least the basics of what to do should it happen. Nothing too big was in the shallows around here primarily because of the port activity and through a lot of painstaking effort on the league's part.

Spending her spare hours fishing before bed she pulled up around twelve or so Magikarp. A Goldeen that was less than pleased it was pulled from the water, odd considering it's a fresh water fish. Nothing that Lukina couldn't handle, she grabbed its tail fin spun once and tossed it off the boat. A few pieces of random junk that was promptly dropped in a trash can. The last thing however was somewhat concerning, a Pokéball, a Pokéball with a metal ring clasped around it keeping it shut. Why it caused her more trouble to pull out of the water than the thrashing Goldeen from an hour ago she wasn't sure but this was troubling. It was likely either a powerful Pokémon or one that someone wanted to hide or get rid of for specific reasons.

Putting it in her bag she shook her head and noted the late hour. Feeding Lukina and herself didn't take long and she went to her assigned cabin for sleep. She had a long day of travel tomorrow.

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

Pastoria City in the morning had a rather mellow and peaceful atmosphere. Zera supposed it might have to do with the water and possibly the interesting blend of modern mixed with rustic buildings that were everywhere. Snapping out of the rather calm mindset by Nate speaking up with their plan. Straight to Twinleaf town? It was a possibility, and she saw the logic in it. Get the travel out of the way for the week in one go considering they were already on the move and then buckle down to train and work towards the badges.

Doing the calculations in her head she nodded at the expense and hummed softly. It was effectively the best route to take given Draven's seasickness, the guy was turning green while on the boat. That was until ginger was shoved up his nose. It was rather amusing to see that.

"Alright." Zera nods in agreement. "That seems like a solid idea." Taking out her phone she sends $110 to Nate, "I got some prep work to do, grab my tickets for the train and I'll meet you guys at the station at 10:45." She sped up her steps to break off but stopped glancing over her shoulder. "Thanks." After saying so she started jogging towards the Pokémart she had some balls to buy and maybe a net.

Stepping inside the Pokémart I check the shelvesy eyes scanning the shelves. This city is the home to the water gym, so this place more than any other should have things to assist with the capture and care of water Pokémon. Fortunately our final stop will likely be Hearthome City. The fashion center of the region, where I can get my hands on the things I'll need to evolve my future Feebas. It would be so much easier if I could buy the Lure ball sitting on the shelf but the damn badge restrictions prevent it. The one thing I can't stand about the League, can't just let us use the correct tools for a job without making us jump through hoops. It would be so much easier if I could just make them myself. Zera paused for a moment, and thought about that. That was a good idea, she could learn how to craft Pokéballs. She's never have to worry about those stupid regulations if she did. Pulling out her phone she began bookmarking several books as well checking the Pokémon University for any classes involving the practice. Her eyes shapen at the restrictions and warnings. A huff of annoyance escaped her grabbing several Pokéballs and taking them to the counter. After a few moments and a noticable dip in her money once again it made her grumble slightly. She was going to really have to buckle down to make money as soon as possible after this week. She may get lucky and handle the first few gyms without many issues. Her training of Lukina on how to fight has been going well, hopefully it will be enough for the moment. Picking up her newly purchased capture devices she puts them in her duffle bag in the spot where she keeps her other balls. Her eyes lock on the odd ball she pulled out of the ocean with the metal clasp locking it closed. A trip to see Nurse Joy would probably be best. Opening this Pandora's box is far from what she wants to do.

-----

The small chime of entering the Pokémon Center doors a familiar sound that made her grimace. Some things never change no matter where you go. Approaching the counter she shoved her hand into the bag grabbing the ball.
"Nurse Joy, I found something I'd like to turn over. I pulled it out of the ocean on my way here from the Battle Zone." Pulling out the clamped Pokéball I place it on the desk before the pink haired woman. "I thought about opening it to see whatever is inside, however it is highly likely that it is far too much for me to handle."

​


Sprites by Smogon Sprite Project
Base Code by Ambiloquous








6:45 p.m. - July 2nd. → 8:45 a.m. - July 3rd.
 
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