@samreaper
"Oh trust me, I already have enough justification. It's just that I can cross 'coward' off my list, for now.", said Freya, pulling her hair back and tied it into a ponytail, albeit a pretty bushy, messy one. She was not even paying attention the crowd and was completely dead focused on Tristan. He really should have felt like she was peering right through him. She was pissed, but that steely focus in her eyes showed that her rage was not really going to be a factor for this battle.

Still, she was slightly surprised to see a shiny Murkrow just right after seeing a shiny Litwick. What were the odds?

Typically, a Murkrow would have the advantage in this fight simply due to having a very high attack stat and superior speed for this point of the game, but its attack stat had been decreased due to Intimidate, but Tristan probably would not know this due to his general lack of knowledge of Pokemon. Of course, there were other factors that one would have to consider though due to Tristan's complete inexperience he would probably fail to recognize them, which is terrible against an already experienced trainer.

Right now, she just wanted to see how his reactions were. "We'll see about that. Growlithe, Ember!" The Growlithe opened its mouth wide, and a tiny barrage of fire balls flew straight towards the Murkrow. Even if King were to dodge, the Growlithe would adjust its position so it could keep attacking the potentially moving target.

How does Tristan react?

It indeed felt like he was being pierced by those harsh, cold eyes that had shivers running down his spine. Not only that but she was looking down on him just like everyone else having him want nothing more to show everyone they were wrong to underestimate him. Starting with defeating her in this battle. And seeing King so determined helped him shake off some of the frustration and doubt.

Then the battle begun as Tristan saw the growlithe spew fire from its mouth flying at the Murkrow. His first thought was to tell him to dodge, but had a feeling that was what she expected him to do since King could take to the sky and get out of its range though doubted he could move fast enough to do so with lack of training. Tristan took note that the wave of fire wasn't that big or strong and an idea came to mind." Tch, don't think I'll fall for your tricks. King! Flap your wings and use the gust to hold back the flames and the moment it lets up quickly follow up with a featherdance!" Calling out the set of orders as King cawed out in response then began rapidly flapping his wings to fan up a gust, if the plan was successful a gust of black feathers would fly at the growlithe the moment the ember was stopped.

Hiking out of the city was less about noting landmarks - though anything of note that would help her navigate her way around Grand Glory would certainly be memorized - and more about the fastest route out based on her map. Once the city was behind her and the open fields were finally around, she stopped again to admire the sights. Wild Pokémon, a handful of people walking to their own destinations, the kids playing whatever it was. It was after walking a bit further and realizing the forest nearby wasn't on her map - after pulling her compass out to double check she was reading it correctly - she stopped again. "Huh...That's weird."

Sage looked up at her and yipped, catching her attention. Faye looked down at her Eevee and shrugged. "It's just that, almost every forest in the region is marked. This one isn't marked though. Like, it's not on my map and it doesn't have anything posted..." She crouched and showed Sage the map she was referencing, despite the fact he couldn't read it. Yet. She'd eventually teach him that. She had lots to teach him anyways. "You know, now that I say that, though, I was reading up about the various areas of Evig. I'm from King's Cross so I know a lot about that area, and I know a decent amount about the Fenris City area from spending a lot of time there over the years. So I was making sure I was ready for getting you and getting started on our journey. Anyway, I was reading about the area, and I came across some old legends. If that's the forest I'm thinking of, it would actually make sense they would leave it off maps. Most people aren't foolish enough to wander into forests that aren't marked on maps....and from what I read it can be quite dangerous."

Still, she couldn't help looking over at it. If the rumors were true, that was a good place to go hunting for fairy type Pokémon. But if the rumors were true, that was also a very dangerous venture for anyone to take on, especially someone with their first Pokémon. There was an itch in the back of her head to go check it out. If the rumors were true maybe she would end up walking out of the forest almost as quickly as she ventured in past the tree line; or, she could end up being lost forever...on her first day as a trainer...right after getting her starter and an egg from one of her idols. However if the legend was to be believed, maybe it would let her go in and explore and be able to leave again without getting lost, if she had no intention of hunting any of the Pokémon there. Maybe. There was no thinking or consideration either way. It was just the itch to go check it out - feed her curiosity about it - and maybe, hopefully, get a picture of whatever the Pokémon of legend was that guarded but not mess with it. Or it would keep her there forever because she wanted to see it but not mess with it.

Another nudge and yip, and the purple haired trainer blinked herself back to her body. A soft laugh escaped her as Faye looked back at Sage. "Thanks. You know, you've got a big role to fill - keeping me on track - but you're doing a great job of that. Let's at least get some more teammates and hit that Daycare that Basil mentioned. Then we can go see if the forest spirit is real."

"Ee eev." Sage nodded his head. "That's my boy." She scritched behind his ear then stood, and put her map and compass away. They did have other things to be doing than wandering after fairytales.

The giggling of kids playing caught her attention away from their objective again. She picked up her camera from where it hung against her side and focused it on the group of kids, using the lens to focus in and get a better look at what they were doing before snapping their picture. She then lowered the camera and headed over to get a closer look. Sage kept pace beside her.

@samreaper

Okay, so there was a very big difference of blowing a gust of wind against dirt and grass and then blowing winds at flaming projectiles with their own momentum. Here's the issue, while King can make a gust of wind, he can't use Gust, which would've actually blown the flames away. Or if it had a colossal level advantage but King didn't. So King was essentially a still target and those embers met their mark with extreme prejudice. The poor bird was set ablaze by the attack and sustained massive damage.

It was a critical hit!

Along with the damage it suffered, it looked like parts of King were signed though they would occasionally glow red, damaging King over time.

King was burned!

Of course, Tristan had no idea about status effects though he would have to know that something was wrong. Or not. Who knows.

King did at least get that Featherdance in and the Growlithe was covered in feathers though considering it just used Ember, this was not much of an issue.

What does he do?

---

@Sanguine Rose

Smart of Faye to leave that forest for later.

As she approached the kids with Sage by her side, one of them took notice of her. "Miss, miss!" A little girl called out to her, which was then followed by a group of kids running up to her.

"Are you a trainer?"

"Is that your Eevee? It's so cute!"

"We're short a person. Can you join?"

They all kept badgering on and asking her questions until they heard a harsh voice yell, "Hey, quit it ya munchkins" The source of this came from a blonde-haired that was braided into twin-tails, freckled girl wearing denim overalls and a t-shirt. She looked to be around Faye's age as well. She was probably just babysitting these kids though judging from that scowl it seemed very unwilling.

"But we need another or else it won't work!" complained one of the other kids.

The result of his plan ended up disastrous as he was forced to witness King take a bad blow as the bird stumbled back with a cry of pain while flapping his wings to put out any small lingering fires.* Damn it! Yet again my plans just got King injured....you fucking moron!* Tristan chastised himself; frustrated at getting his own pokemon hurt and this time worse than it was against Princess for he could see the Murkrow wincing in even more pain even when the ember gone out. Having not gotten to status effects yet had him unable to tell that King was afflicted with burn, not that he could even do anything about it.

The featherdance got through, but was nowhere near worth the cost with Freya's growlithe still in full health and King.* Hngh...shit...what do I do? Shitshitshitshit!* He repeated in his head; uncertain and now hesitant to call out his next attack fearing he will just send King into another attack. It was taking everything he had to keep himself together as he couldn't break down in front of all these people after talking big, but most of all that he didn't want his own pokemon seeing him that pathetic and lose faith in him... since he was already doing enough of that himself." King fly up and..no wait....char-" Cutting himself off as he stood there panting trying frantically to think of what to do with King taking some unknown damage that keeping his distance to wait for an opening wasn't an option now, but all of his movies were direct physical moves besides featherdance which was useless.

Tristan could do nothing but realize just how horribly inexperienced he was and probably less so than the usual trainers. He might have thought of quitting were it not the last chance given to him and that he had the pokemon relying on him now. And so far he has done nothing but done more harm to King with his stupid ideas who only got hurt like this to begin cause of him and just wanted to stop it before it got any worse." I...I surrender!" He forced himself to call out the words leaving the taste of bile on his tongue while hanging his head, shame and anger coursing through his veins like poison. This in turn made King look back in disbelief with a confused and worried caw before wincing from the burn damage.

Stella Lumite

Oh dear. Had she just sentenced the professor to some terrible fate? "I really couldn't have asked for a battery opportunity. To have a living ancient Pokemon to study is a dream come true, I'm very thankful to him. Please don't destroy him over this."

She looked over to see the little bug Pokemon, surprised to see it approaching then. "Oh, and it seems you've made a friend somehow." She looked at the Tyrunt in her lap, at least glad we was the personable sort. She had the feeling she lucked out, in that regard. Maybe because of how he was born, and what that meant for his experience growing up? Always around people, never in the wild. Of course he'd turn out like a puppy...

Speaking of a puppy, Kaebe had gotten up and was approaching the little bug, but much more slowly this time. He sniffed, and then gave the bug a lick.

"Kaebe, give the poor thing some space, come on now." She leaned forward and wrapped an arm around her excitable puppy, slowly bringing him back to her side. She then placed a PokeBall in front of the Blipbug, smiling softly, "you seem like you want to come with me? Or maybe you just want to say hi. I don't mean to be presumptuous, but you must have had a compelling reason to come out from hiding."

@samreaper

This was just a slaughter and honestly, there was no satisfaction in it. Tristan was a pathetic trainer, to put it lightly. He was not just an amateur, he literally had no knowledge of Pokemon or any basic concept of strategy. It was as if he never watched a Pokemon Battle in his life. Why in the fresh hell did Adriane pick him of all people?

And he surrendered?

Freya scowled but shrugged and returned her rather satisfied Growlithe back into its ball. "Well, I can't say I blame you. It's almost commendable to put your Pokemon ahead of your own pride. Just take care not to insult your own Pokemon's efforts, even if you mean well." With that, she turned heel and began to walk away from the arena to wherever Steph was. It really looked like she wanted nothing to do with him.

At this point the crowd had dispersed with murmurs of disappointment or relief. To be frank, it was such a pathetic sight that no one really wanted to stay anyway.

To save us time, we will say that Tristan had gone to the Pokemon Center to heal King again. When the Nurse Joy arrived, she didn't just hand him back King's Pokeball. A large, heavy hardback textbook filled with many posted notes fell on his lap. It looked like it was in rather bad shape; the cover was rather beaten up and the corned were bent upwards. He would have received a stern look from the Nurse Joy. Yes, the same one that called him a little shit. "I saw that... 'battle.' If it's any consolation, it really was just bad luck." She said, her eyes now peering down at the book on his lap. "You look like you care, but if you really do, read that book. I'm sorry if it's a bit rough. It's the one I used in school. I kept it around for this exact reason."



What does Tristan do now?

---

@CitrusArms

Too late, Kapoc is in a whole lot of trouble.

As for the Blipbug, it was rather curious about this strange duo. A Pokemon from the past living in the modern era with this kind, yet odd girl who appeared to be quite studious if what her intentions with the Tyrunt were to be true. How would such a duo workout in the end? Curiouser and curiouser.

The Blipbug did flinch from the lick, but at least it didn't run away this time! Progress! It looked at the Pokeball, contemplating a bit more though it seemed to have made its decision. The bug crawled over to it, hitting the button with one of its stubby arms before it was absorbed in a beam of light.

It rolled once... it rolled twice...it rolled thrice!



While this was not the most exciting of first captures and perhaps a bit strange, it was the start of her journey. There were also so many things to do the city as well!

What does Stella wish to do?

She hadn't gotten a chance to get a very good look at the game before the children stopped and started approaching her. A quick volley of questions bombarded her not long after. Faye may have been a multitasker, but keeping track of so many questions all at once was far from easy. At first, she was up for answering, but the nonstop questions made it so she wasn't sure where to butt in and actually start answering them. Sage had been cheerful of the attention at first, but slowly backed away to hide behind his trainer to avoid any of them potentially grabbing at him.

But when what appeared to be their babysitter yelled for them to leave her alone, she looked over at the other teen. She must have missed the blonde girl when she first approached. Though that wasn't terribly surprising. Her focus had been on whatever they were trying to do.

Faye smiled softly, laughing awkwardly as she scratched the back of her head. "Well, I didn't really mind. I just wasn't sure where to butt in to answer them. Yes, I'm a trainer. My name's Faye, and this is my Eevee - Sage. You all looked so engaged with your game and having such fun it caught my attention on my out of Grand Glory, and I came over to see what it was. I can't agree to play if I don't know though, so would any of you mind filling me in?" She looked over at what appeared to be their caretaker. "If you're okay with me getting involved, that is."

The last ten minutes or so had gone by in a blur leaving Tristan uncertain as to how exactly he found himself sitting there in the corner of the pokemon center. King already handed over to be healed though not with a bit of fight as the bird didn't want to leave his side due to being worried for its trainer, but a bit of coaxing got him settled down enough to go.

His mind still hazy and out of it though Freya's last words were still fresh in his mind, and they stung worse than her prior insults since it was true. Next thing he knew a tattered heavy book was dropped on his lap pulling him his fog filled mind with a grunt to see nurse Joy standing before him. Listening to her explain with a bit of condolences while looking down at the book; normally would have told her he didn't need any of her pity or this beat up book which looked as if it belonged in the trash, but he felt too dejected and defeated to talk much. And after that utterly abysmal display he probably needed it or the fact this nurse was still willing to help him made him think it best not to refuse it though it did little to help quell the shame sitting in his stomach. A few moments longer before he finally realized King was back on his shoulder gently pecking at his cheek prompting a faint weak smile and gave the shiny murkrow some pets.

" Um....thanks." He murmured his thanks to nurse Joy for the book in an awkward manner; not much used to such acts of actual kindness. Things really were different when not surrounded by nothing but people that were all about me mentality and it left him feeling so out of place. Without another word he got up and made his way outside while actively avoiding looking at others not wanting to see if any were pointing and laughing at him, the mere thought almost making him seethe with anger though not them but himself. So filled with shame and self-hate that he wanted nothing more than to leave this town soon as possible and turn back as it was just a reminder of one of his most pathetic failures, before that though he figured he should make a stop at the pokemart thankfully located nearby. Seeing that he didn't know when the last time he would reach a town and so made his way to the shop, putting the book away in his bag along the way.

@Sanguine Rose

The girl looked at Faye, back the hopeful kids, back to Faye and then just shrugged. "Eh, it's fine. You seem nice enough." Honestly, this was pretty irresponsible for her to do considering this girl was a stranger, but what would anyone expect from someone who was being forced to watch munchkins, which was the last thing she wanted to spend her day.

The kids' eyes though lit up as they were absolutely ecstatic to have a new person join their little game. They all huddled up as if they were playing a game of American Football and were whispering to each other albeit rather loudly though it was not exactly discernible.

Eventually, they broke from the huddle and all eyes were now locked on Faye and Sage as if the council of the Lollipop Guild had come to a conclusion.

One of the kids, the little girl that noticed her earlier ran up to her with a big, bright grin. "We're having a tourn...tourna...tournmant? Sis, what's the word you used?" The kid turned to the teen who just sighed and shook her head. The shit she had to deal with on a daily basis.

"Tournament. You know what, I'll just explain it. It's my fault anyway." She huffed and turn to Faye. "It's just a simple tournament. You know how it goes; fight the person who won the previous round. Whoever wins gets to-"

"Whoever wins gets to challenge Mr. Hoots!" One of the other kids chimed in.

The teen just looked very much done with all of this. "What they're trying to say is that this Pokemon with a bowtie showed up recently and they kept arguing who gets to catch it, so I just suggested this mess. What I didn't anticipate was that we didn't have enough to make it fair so you dropping by is pretty lucky." She looked at least a little thankful for Faye for making the numbers even so this whole matter could be laid to rest. "Now I don't own a Pokemon so I can't battle so make sure you don't go easy on them for me. I wouldn't."

At that, all of the kids stuck their tongues out at the teenager though she ignored them.

"Now for the trouble, I'll heal your Pokemon for each round since, uh, you look like you only have the one. That is if you do decide to join." She was really hoping Faye would join.

What does Faye do?

---

@samreaper

Perhaps to his surprise, no one actually pointed and laughed at him, or really mock him in general. Even the people who saw that disaster of a battle merely gave him a glance that acknowledged his existence, but just was quickly went back to their own lives since they had better things to do. While this may be a strange concept to him, no one actually gave a shit about him because the world did not revolve around him. No one was going out of their way to mock him as if the world had it out for him. Despite what he thought, Tristan was simply not that important. In the greater context of the world, he was just a nobody. This was the reality that he now lived in.

Tristan, after so many attempts to find a Pokemart, finally found one. He would walk through the sliding doors and greeted by a clerk. "Hello there! How can I help you?"

These are the items available to Tristan at the moment.

Pokéball -200P
Potion -300P
Antidote -100P
Paralyze Heal -200P
Awakening -250P
Burn Heal -250P
Ice Heal -250P
Escape Rope -550P
Repel -350P

Well, she had to give Freya credit here. She didn't think she looked all that strong, but maybe it was the size difference? Guess it helped that Steph didn't weigh much either, but regardless it was impressive that she managed to reign her in with how much thrashing and flailing the girl was up to. And not only that, she managed to throw her aside! Steph might've gotten angrier if she wasn't impressed by the feat....though whatever admiration or anger that was left quickly evaporated as she could do nothing but look blankly at Freya.

This was the same girl right? The same girl she had just been talking to? That Freya? She was so...Kapoc right now it wasn't even funny. But suppose that most certainly cemented the relation, if the confirmation from Freya herself wasn't enough anyway. But this presence, the way she just tore shreds off of him like a pack of hungry hyenas with her brutal verbal assault, you only had to meet the professor to know this familiar reaction. Well, Steph mostly only ever got a blank look from him but he didn't seem very nice to other people otherwise!

But back to reality, all Steph could do was watch much like everyone else as she challenged Tristan to a battle before storming off outside. Following the crowd outside, she found a nice little shady spot under a tree as a keen observer of the battle. If both Freya and Tristan were supposedly 'chosen' trainers by Adriane, then Steph figured they both must have some innate talent for battling. It was best to get a proper view of her potential rivals skills in action now while she could! Though she wasn't even sure if Tristan would have the...oh he did have the guts to actually turn up after that tongue lashing he received. Well, at least he salvaged something of a reputation; he might be a pretentious dickweed, but at least he wasn't a spineless one. That was actually a pretty big tick in Stephs book.

Anyway back to the battle, and any form of respect he had hoped to gain from those watching was quickly washed after in a matter of seconds. The battle had barely even started and already Freya's growlithe had dealt massive damage to his Murkrow; so much so that he was quick to throw in the towel. This left her shocked just as much as King was, like seriously?! Maybe he really was spineless...to give up so easily, jeez. But she wasn't as harsh as some might be in her shoes; no, as an avid watcher of the Galar league she could see the difference in skill between the two. It made her look over to her shoulder at Dusk for a moment, then down to the ball that contained Dennis.

If she was to battle Freya right here, right now for example....she might actually have done what Tristan just did. Freya just had this aura of experience and awe about her. At the very least, even if Steph was too stubborn to surrender it's not like the result would've been any less embarrassing. So despite how much she really, really, really wanted to, she fought back the urge to challenge Freya. She hadn't even had her first battle yet, no way would she even stand a remote chance. But she had to get Freya's contact info at the very least, so they could organise a battle at a later date. If Freya was this strong, then Steph would need to test herself against her eventually.

Luckily, or maybe unluckily?, she seemed to be looking for Steph anyway so sitting up, she waved over to the taller girl as she approached.

"Jayz Freya thaht was fuckin brutul...boy would Oy hyte t' be on yoah bahd soide huyhahha." Running her hand through her hair, she held up her pokedex after fiddling around with some buttons on it. "Sao haow do yah add someones cawntahct aw whuytevah ih' was cohled t' thiies doovuylahcky? Oy wahnted t' add yah buh' Oy dunnao haow."

The amount of trust that babysitter placed in her wasn't misplaced, but Faye wasn't entirely sure it was the right thing. She supposed maybe the girl wasn't as irresponsible as that statement first appeared given she could easily watch to make sure the new trainer didn't do anything improper. So long as the game was kept out in the field anyways. Given how much the kids all seemed delighted she might just join - Faye struggled to find a viable reason it wouldn't be okay. Even if it was a game of tag, she could still spare an hour to a little lighthearted game if Sage could play, too, she supposed.

It was odd watching them all huddle up to discuss, though. What could those little devils be planning? The way they eyed her and Sage after coming to a consensus on whatever their discussion was made her second guess wanting to see what the game might be. Maybe coming over wasn't the right call. She certainly didn't want to start off her journey with getting Sage mauled by some kids.

Of course, then the blonde explained it all. Hearing it was a Pokémon battle tournament...How could she say no to that? Especially if it was the fair way to get a chance to catch the wild rowlet.

'Don't go easy on them for me' the girl had said. Problem was, Faye was still a new trainer. The first round in this would be her first fight ever. She was confident she could handle a fight, but a round robin match? Even against kids, there was no telling how long any of them had their Pokémon, aside from the fact that only one Pokémon still meant a bit of a learning curve. Not to mention Eevees were normal type; Sage may have seemed a bit stronger

Faye looked from the girl to the kids to Sage. "Well, what do you think?" Sage seemed to do the same evaluation before looking up at his trainer. "Vee eev eevee," he yipped with a nod of his head and determined look. The teen nodded her head as well and looked back at their waiting opponents. "Alright. We're in. After all, it might be her very first match as a trainer, but she had been studying, and eventually there would have to be a first battle. She was confident she could handle fighting a couple of kids. Especially if it meant getting a chance at a rowlet.

Tristan entered the shop while knowing he didn't have much; a far cry from what he typically had for shopping and hated his lack of funds. It was cause of this that he came here to get some pokeballs seeing how he only had four left which would make catching new pokemon risky and difficult. How he even caught the Riolu with only one still left him shocked or at least would be if his mind wasn't filled with thoughts on that horrid battle which left an acrid taste on his tongue.

His mood foul and plenty done with this town and so didn't waste time perusing the shops wares as he might normally have done and went straight to the counter though unlike him King was curiously looking around; hopefully nothing overtly shiny in sight as murkrows tended to be unable to help themselves around shiny things." Hey...I'll take ten pokeballs please." His reply short and simple, the sooner they could get out of here the better, but then stop to consider how long till his next visit to a town and figured it best to get some info even if a little having already hurt himself plenty as is for the day." And if can tell me about any certain or special intel that would be appreciated." He asked the clerk, struggling to hide the annoyance in his tone though it wasn't that the clerk annoyed him and just his bad mood almost spilling into what he said hence why he kept his talking to a minimum lest he said something he shouldn't.

He waited to get his pokeballs to which he muttered his thanks and would remain to hear what the clerk could tell him, if they had no information to give then he would exit the shop without another word. A good thing too for King was getting antsy atop his shoulder due to the few glittery things it could see and he with no money to afford any such damages.

@Lunarlord34

Freya did not seem to react well when Steph commented on not getting on her bad side though it seemed not directed at Steph, but more at herself. She groaned and face palmed herself. "I did it again!" The young woman said in a frustrated dismay, but she was able to compose herself. She sighed heavily and shook her head. "I'm sorry about that. I've been really trying to keep my temper in check, but guy is so irritating!" Seriously, what an asshole though if this was her reaction, how did Professor Kapoc react?

At least Steph was able to reign her back in with her question. She focused on the Pokedex that Steph was fiddling with "Oh, um, sure. I'll show you." Freya would help show Steph how to add contacts on her new Pokedex and used her own number to show her now. After giving her number to Steph, Freya would receive Steph's number in return.

What does Steph do?

---

@Sanguine Rose
The group of kids cheered with joy as soon as Faye agreed to participate. The teenage girl babysitting them sighed with relief and smiled at her, quite thankful for making her life easier... and perhaps provide entertainment.

"Awesome. Alright kiddos, get ready." To which, the kids gleefully were getting set up for their little tourney and a few of them had begun their own battles.

As for Faye, she was up against a little boy. "I'm not gonna go easy on you, miss!" He boldly declared, perhaps overestimating the abilities of his own Pokemon.

Preschooler Will would like to battle!

"Go, Ratatta!" The little kid threw a Pokeball and out in that flash of light came out a purple rat that Faye saw earlier in Grand Glory City.

With only a basic level of strategy, the kid would just repeatedly order his Ratatta to use Tail Whip and then Tackle as they were its only moves.

What was going to be Faye's course of action?

---

@samreaper

Tristan bought 10 Pokeballs!
Received 1x Premiere Ball
2000P was spent.

Okay so Tristan was not very specific with what kind of info he was looking for, but the shopkeeper would rightly infer that the boy was looking for info that would be helpful for his journey or an adventure for him to explore. It wasn't a bad idea to ask the shopkeep either; there were always trainers coming in and out gossiping about the happenings going around and rumors.

"Well, there are a few things. I've heard that one of the ranches on Route 1 is having some issues with some Pokemon stealing their eggs and they are paying for anyone to help. If you're looking for something in the city, I've heard that lately something has been coming out from the sewers at night though if you are looking for something to do right now, the docks are always bustling with something though it's a pretty rough crowd. If you're more into ruins, go to Route 4 though I've heard that some odd things have been going on in Starbor Woods. You look like a rookie so I'd wait for that to pass before you go."

"I wouldn't recommend this, but there is a place between Route 1 and 4. A chasm or something. From what I hear, whenever people approach it, they always without fail feel a sense of dread crawl under their skin so everyone just turns back. I wonder what's in it..." "Also, whatever you do, do not enter the forest on Route 1. I've heard tales of people entering and never being seen again." Now this was curious because if Tristan could understand anything on the map in his Pokedex, there were no woods indicated on it.

With Freya giving her the rundown on technology that most people their age already knew, it suddenly seemed so...easy to Steph. It was really just typing in some numbers and a name? Guess her problem was actually getting to that stage....oh well guess some things really were just that simple. After exchanging numbers, Steph put her pokedex back into her pocket and stood up, making sure to keep Dusk steady on her shoulder who just seemed to be looking at Freya expectantly.

"Waell, Oy'm gaowin t' hayd on daown t' the dawcks if yah wahnted t' tahg alawng?" Steph offered, though she was sure Freya had her own things to do. She seemed like a busy gal, what with helping out strangers and all. Though from what Freya had just experienced, leaving Steph to her own devices could be hilariously bad. At any rate, if Freya decided not to tag along Steph would just big her adeiou and be on her way, and if she decided to tag along she might talk about the 'battle' along the way. Help make the mundane trip down to the docks a bit more exciting you know?

This was all assuming there was nothing that caught Stephs eyes on the way there.

Tristan was told a good number of things from the clerk which offered up plenty of choices for him to pick to do. Though the sewers were an instant no as he had no intention of traversing such a dirty and disgusting place, the smell alone would be impossible to get off him and would not help his bad mood either. And his pokemon probably wouldn't much care for any of it as well, plus the fact he would have to wait till nighttime gave another reason for refusing to traverse the dank and dark underbelly filled with waste along with the unknown dangers lurking within.

Besides, he wanted nothing more than to leave this town after that whole debacle and so took out his pokedex to peruse over the map. None of it made sense to him due to his inability to read maps, but even he could see that route one seemed the easier route as route four looked to consist of rocky like terrain. After some more thought his decision was made; choosing to use the gps this time so he wouldn't be wandering around aimlessly this time. a decision that caused some unseen force to let out a great sigh of relief.

With the use of the pokedex gps, Tristan eventually found his way outside the city with a few delays here and there as he still struggled to make out the paths at time. There was also the brief moment he hesitated as this would be the first time he has ever ventured out from a city into the wilds where all sorts of dangers waited out there. But he was a trainer; traveling the region was inevitable and unavoidable and so after a few minutes to gather up his courage combined with some encouraging caws from king did Tristan finally stepped foot outside for the very first time in his sheltered life. As one could expect he was nervous and uncertain being out and away from the safety of a town, but he wanted to put behind that horrid battle and the city that did nothing but remind him of such humiliation.

Now that he was actually out and traveling did, he find that his mood was beginning to improve, possibly aided by all the new and strange sights never seen before by one who lived all his life in high end extravagant cities. The closest he ever got to seeing the wilds were the glimpses from when looking out the plane or train windows when traveling. The sweet and gentle smell of plant life were certainly more soothing and pleasant on the nose compared to car exhaust and motor oil or metal that he was all too used to. Still, he couldn't shake off the depressing mood or feeling of guilt as he looked at King, reminded once more of horribly he handled that battle as he took notice of the weight of the book nurse Joy gave him.

As much as he detested having to study or read up on things he normally didn't care about since it was a waste of time. Yet, he definitely could not keep carrying on being so clueless on pokemon battling, especially if his aim was to become champion in the end. And so, Tristan chose to do something he never thought he would actually do...study. Having found a shaded spot beneath a tree and after laying a blanket down as he refused to get his pants dirty did, he settle down where he took the old and tattered book out." Ugh...can't believe I have been reduced to this. But if it will help me get payback against Freya....let's just get this done with." He said with a defeated sigh and opened the book and this time he actually paid attention to what he was reading even if he had to force himself to do so. As now one of his current goals was to actually be competent at battles for the sake of his pokemon and to get a rematch against Freya to prove both to her and himself he wasn't a failure of a trainer.

@Lunarlord34

Freya gave the Litwick more chin scratches since the cute little thing seemed to be quite expectant. She then turned her back attention to the redhead who asked if she would like to come tag along with her to the docks. "I'd love to. Would be a nice way of forgetting what just happened." That and she really did know that she needed to keep an eye on this girl, especially if she were to go to some of the rougher edges of the city. It's not that she was afraid that Steph wouldn't be able to hold up; she was afraid that she would be arrested for assaulting someone that probably deserved it, but she would get the brunt instead.

They were going to take the bus to the docks, but for some reason she felt like something was... rummaging through her bag?! She couldn't get a good look at it because as soon as she looked, the thing dashed off though the only thing that she got a good look of was that it had large redish-pinkish feather.

If she were to check what was gone and... her Pokedex was missing. Oh no.

---

@samreaper

Well, Tristan read the book given to him by the Nurse Joy from Grand Glory and for quite a while fueled by his motivation to get his vengeance against Freya. Tristan had already learned about Types from his brief bit in the Pokemon Center and now with no one to interrupt him, he could actually study everything else. Thankfully, this book was chock full of notes that was able to make it far simpler for him to understand.

This was what he read this time and could be summarized into this.

From what he read; he would learn the very basic concepts of Pokemon that were common knowledge to many already. For starters, he would learn that Pokemon do indeed have stats. They essentially parameters that showed what the species of Pokemon excelled at and what they struggled with. There was HP (Hit Points), which was the amount of damage that a Pokemon could withstand before fainting. Attack, which was the stat that determined the strength of physical moves, and special attack which determined attacks the power of special attacks. Then there was defense and special defense, the stats that showed how well a Pokemon could eat a physical or special attack. Finally, there was speed, something that was pretty self-explanatory.

After that, he would learn about status conditions. He would learn about Burn, a status that seemed way too familiar due to his recent experience with Freya's Growlithe. The Burn status condition decreased Health over time and halves the damage physical moves and was caused by fire-type moves mainly though there were other moves and abilities that could cause the same effect. Fire type Pokemon could not be burned. There was then Poison, which was just damage over time, but unlike Burn, the damage continues outside of battle and there was the upgraded version, Badly Poisoned. For this status, the amount of health that is lost over time is increased. Both are caused by poison-type moves and certain abilities. Poison and Steel types could not be poisoned. Paralysis was the status condition caused by electric type moves, certain other ones, and abilities that cut down a Pokemon's speed by half and could even at times prevent them from moving. Electric and Ground Types could not be paralyzed. The Sleep status was really how it sounded; the Pokemon were asleep unless the Pokemon had the ability Insomnia or Vital Spirit. There was the frozen status, where Pokemon were made immobilized by being frozen in ice by ice-type moves. There was also another status that could occur from ice type moves called Frostbite, where instead of being frozen, they take damage overtime, and the strength of their special attack moves is halved. Ice types, for both statuses, are not affected.

Finally, he would arrive at Abilities. Abilities were traits that all Pokemon have with a litany of effects though it is possible for one Pokemon from the same species to have a completely different ability from another. Some had the ability to boost the power of moves from their respective typing when they are in a pinch, some Pokemon have stats that double their attack stat, some have the ability, such as his Murkrow, to increase the critical hit ratio of their attacks, and so on. Abilities even had their uses outside of battle!

This was all that he could muster into reading because it was quite a bit of information to take in. He would have to read more at a later date.

Now with out of the way. Tristan was now on...




(Ignore the mountains. This was the only picture that came close to my mental image.)

Those heading to Route 1 would be welcomed by the site of rolling green hills with wildflowers beginning their spring bloom strewn about, painting the route with vibrant, untamed color that ran along the entire route. The road itself was like any road; there was a paved path for cars, but for those walking around they would only have a dirt path to walk on though it was well maintained. It was a popular route for beginning trainers due to the lack of challenge that the terrain offered and the close proximity to Florasong Town compared to Route 4's challenges and length.

Aside from hills of greenery and flowers, there were a sizable number of farms on this route each with their own specialty. Some grew wheat, some grew berries, some grew vegetables, and so on. A large portion of the region's food is grown here on this route. Of course, this was common knowledge to anyone living in Evig would know that the only thing not produced here is meat, which is actually produced in places such as Nexus due to the region having advanced cultured meat to the point that it is now the mainstream.

There were also ranches in the area where it can be safely assumed that had Pokemon on them and plenty of Breeders who offered their expertise. One could get Moomoo Milk in some of them. There was even a Day Care Center where a nice elderly couple who were very much experienced Pokemon Breeders. Tristan did know that one of these ranches was having trouble with Pokemon stealing eggs from them and were paying quite a bit for anyone to help.

The route was decently well-trafficked with trainers and others coming down from Florasong or from Grand Glory. There were many trainers in the tall grass searching for Pokemon or on the edge of a forest that strangely wasn't marked on the map. What could be in it?

There were kids playing in the grass, well, actually it looked like they were holding a little tournament of some sort. If Tristan was paying attention, perhaps he would recognize Faye, one of the others at the lab who received their starter as well.

Along the grass there were puppy Pokemon going about their day, mainly just lying in the now midday sun or playing amongst themselves. There were also these creatures with zigzagging markings all over their body scavenging for food.

Pokédex Entry #835 – Yamper, the Puppy Pokémon. This Pokémon is very popular as a herding dog in the Galar region. As it runs, it generates electricity from the base of its tail. It only assists people with their work because it wants treats. As it runs, it crackles with electricity.

Pokédex Entry #263 – Zigzagoon, the Tiny Raccoon Pokémon. It marks its territory by rubbing its bristly fur on trees. This variety of Zigzagoon is friendlier and calmer than the kind native to Galar. If you've lost something, this Pokémon can likely find it.

However, slithering in the grass were these purple, poisonous snakes with yellow rattles at the end of their tails hunting the near endless supply of Zigzagoons.

Pokédex Entry #023 – Ekans, the Snake Pokémon. By dislocating its jaw, it can swallow prey larger than itself. After a meal, it curls up and rests. The eggs of bird Pokémon are its favorite food. It swallows eggs whole, so sometimes an egg gets stuck, and Ekans faints.

Connected Areas:

Grand Glory City
Florasong City
Unmarked Woods

Stella Lumite

She'd heard tales of trainers capturing Pokemon without a battle, but it had always also sounded dubious or made up. Would someone think the same if she told them this story? She picked up get PokeBall, still pretty proud of herself for charming a Pokemon into her roster. Not that she had intended it.

"Seems like you've made a friend, after all, Kaebe." It might be a struggle to train the struggle bug. Doubles combat was a thing, right? Maybe she should train them together... She considered a few ideas while she stared at her new Blipbug's ball. "Did you like giving a ride earlier? Let's get the two of you better acquainted. Ocul, say hello to your teammate." She opened the ball and let him out.

The Blipbug named Ocul emerged and took a look around. That had been an interesting experience. Not uncomfortable, but certainly strange. Ocul turned to look at Stella, before facing his new "teammate". Ah, yes, this frightening creature. Kaebe regarded the bug for a moment before turning around and laying out, offering out his tail.

"Tyrunt."

Ocul hesitated before approaching, and climbing up on Kaebe's back. The ancient Pokemon got up and started to trot around happily, with a light passenger on his back.

Stella smiled softly at the two. This would be good teamwork training, right? Sure. They can play together while she goes to the pokemart. "Alright, you two. Come along, and don't cause too much fuss."

She'd buy herself a potion, maybe two before leading her pair out to one of the routes. Running around, battling wild Pokemon inside the city to train seemed like a quick way to make people-Pokemon relations very tense.

Sighing when Adrianne hung up, Jason put the pokedex away and continued on his trek. Of course she would beat around the bush about the person falling out of rift in the sky, that's probably some top level government shit and frankly, he wasn't that curious. Content with what was said for now, the young man continues walking until he arrives at Starbor and upon initial arrival, can do little more than stare at the trees in awe. That's...holy shit that's huge. And there are people finding those slash marks on them? I'm sorry, but HOW? Deciding to save the questions for later, he continues past the border of the trees and into their proper, where the forest really showed off its size. Walking and looking up, he almost ran into someone on their way out of the forest and that was when Jason decided to actually pay attention to his surroundings outside of what he was walking through.

Finding groups of bug catchers was unsurprisingly easy as he saw the various bug types crawling around and living their lives. The bug catchers all seemed to alternate between watching and catching the various bugs, but some seem to be discussing things in various sized groups. However, what really caught Jason's attention was the sight of a familiar cowboy hat bobbing around further up the path. Jogging over, Jason smiles and rests a hand on Connor's shoulder. "Fancy seein' you here. You chasing those claw marks too?"

And that fear was probably very justified considering her seemingly short fuse and quick to violence approach to things. Which was on show once more as they were sitting around waiting for the bus, Steph having finished commenting on the battle felt a weird...disturbance about her. Turning back to where she had left her bag at the bus stop seat, she noticed a flash of redish movement as a small figure ran away. Was that a pokemon? Wait, it had just been rummaging through her bag hadn't it?

"Shiieh'." Running over, she quickly went through the contents. It seemed to all be there, but what caused her to utter such an annoyed curse was what wasn't there. Her pokedex was gone. Turning to Freya, she huffed out angrily. "Thaht leettle buggah waent and up took moy pokaedex." Standing up, she began to look around, seeing the similar figure dashing out down an alley.

Now Freya could probably see this coming behind it happened, but Steph snatched up her bag and began to chase after the unknown pokemon almost immediately without much else said. Well, there were a few more things mentioned, but considering the tone Steph was using maybe it was best that Freya didn't try to understand it.

She wasn't about to let this little shit steal her pokedex and get off scotch free.