[IC] Pokemon Chrome: The International League

[Sho Minazuki]

The Galar Championship match is underway!
Will the femme fatale princess Felicia defend her title as Champion, or will the new challenger create a new legend in Galar!?

The sound of the blaring crowd was emanated throughout the field, the stands, and the trainers, the green grass suddenly marred black as a brief lash of fire would strike them. The bright lights of the stadium would illuminate the battle unfolding before the crowd, the sound of their cheers beaten only by the impact of two flames. Each time the Cinderace's kick would meet the Blaziken's, the shockwave was enough to for just a moment, overtake the crowd, the grass below them would blow and sway as they traded blows.

"Cinderace, Pyro Ball!"

"Blaziken use Blaze Kick!"

The two Pokemon would jump back away, Cinderace kicking up some dirt that ignite in moments before it leaped into the air, a graceful spinning kick as it struck multiple embers, quickly turning into flaming balls of fire, flying straight for the fire fighting type. The Blaziken returned in kind, kicking the flames away before giving the last one a hard flame-accentuated kick. Like a comet the pyro ball was struck back at the Cinderace, but not losing a beat the flaming rabbit gave it yet another kick, and for a moment the Blaziken and Cinderace were in a deadly game of kick-ball. The stalemate was quickly broken by,

"Sky Uppercut", the Blaziken burst forth, striking the Pyro ball skyward, within moments the Blaziken began to be surrounded in energy, Mega Evolution. The Pyro Ball would land as soon as the Blaziken now Mega Evolved, took a stance, causing dust to pick up in the arena, for it to only clear in an instant as the two fire Pokemon's legs met once more with deadly force in the center.

Welcome to Chromis

"Welcome to the world of Pokemon, I am Champion Rylen of the Chromis League, and am here to proudly announce the commencement of the International League this year, which is being held in the Chromis Region. Every four or so years, trainers from all over the world converge onto a host region to compete in an extraordinarily competitive version of that league's Gym Challenge. However it's not a challenge just to find the best trainer in the region, no, it's a hot-blooded contest to find the world's strongest trainer, and it happens every four years! That means every trainer wishing to test their mettle is invited! From the trainer who has just obtained their first Pokemon, to another region's champion, all are invited!

So from henceforth I officially announce the beginning of the International League!"

---

Brittanium City Stadium

The air was electric with energy as the Champion of the Chromis region made his announcement to the world on the commencement of the International League. Trainers from all walks of life and all sorts of regions were here today to compete and take part in the league. The International League was originally brought about by the cooperation of the many regions in the world to foster good will and strengthen each other's trainers, originally being something like an exchange program, however as time went on, it became a full-fledged worldwide event.

This entire event was broadcast to all the regions, those here with family overseas or out of country can watch their progress through the specially streamed channels. As the crowds cheered upon the announcement, the Champion himself basked in the atmosphere, two hands pointed skyward, before slowly lowering them, the crowds cheering de-escalating in tandem.

"I am glad to see so many trainers here today for the opening ceremony, I'm sure you've already taken care of registration but if you have not, it's never too late to start!", this would probably assure any trainer who was late to the party, that all was not lost. Registration was simple, whichever region's trainer card they had, they were marked as that region's representative when registering.

"As some of you may know, the International League always runs through eight gyms, an Elite Four challenge, and then a Championship tournament. Fret not if you make it to our vaunted Elite Four and lose to them, for it will simply qualify you for one of two brackets. Those who beat the Elite Four move onto the Winners bracket, while those who lose will move onto the Losers bracket. In a high stakes elimination tournament at the very end, we will find once and for all who is this year's International Champion!", the crowd cheered in excitement as he explained the rules. So it seems after beating the eight gyms, they were still in the running for champion. There have been great upsets in the past, and they have never been any less than exciting.

"This year however we have a special surprise for all you Coordinators out there! In place of the Pokemon Contests, we have competitions at each of the gyms for the honor of showing off your talents as the closing ceremony for each of the gyms!", there was a bit of interested murmuring and cheering, but overall a positive reception. After all, the region's most famous coordinator was a gym leader.

"That being said, the first gym to be challenged will take place in Arsenic Island just off the shore from Brass Town, all challengers, you have one week to make your way there to begin your challenge! Remember, give it your all, for the eyes of the world are watching! Fret not for failure, as opportunity is always there for those who look for it,"

"Now then, let the International League, commence!"

The stadium went wild with cheering, but soon after all was concluded, everyone was back out onto the streets of Brittanium City. Crowds poured out, some were families of some of the competitors, while others were fans of particularly famous trainers in their own region, either way there were people from all kinds of regions here today, not just Chromis.

---

Brittanium City

The crown jewel of Chromis, and it's most populated city center, with beautiful ports and modern skyscrapers, as well as a giant stadium just off the shore where contests are conducted, as well as it being a Pokemon gym. It had boutiques, hair salons, big shopping malls, and the famous Arclight Company's headquarters are here, a leading company in technology and research. With the opening ceremony here today, everywhere was both crowded and energetic, even smaller districts enjoyed some measure of busy business, and the park in the center of the city was a great spot where people have begun having friendly battles. Regardless, today was a good day to be going sight-seeing in the big city.

Everyone who was participating had one week to make their way to a ferry at Brass Town, travelling on foot it would only take two days, while it'd be a half day Flying Taxi ride from Brittanium. Either way, they had a lot of time to either spend in Brittanium, or visit someplace nearby.

@Ryik@King Cosmos@KiwiHalcyon@Sunbather@Milim@Ryuzaki@Riegal@Ryik

[King Cosmos]

Henrietta Durand

Arsenic Island

The Corviknight touched down at the Port of Arsenic Island, its powerful wings kicking up a fierce gale as it came in for the final landing, slowing its descent so as not to disturb the passenger riding on its back for this final stage of the journey. As the Flying-type came to a stop, said passenger hopped down from the Flying Taxi and surveyed her surroundings with a small, coy smile. She paid no mind as a handler for the company that ran the Flying Taxi service came over and took the Corviknight away, its job now complete as it had finished the half-day journey from Brittanium city to the isolated island.

If Henrietta had a mind to look at the people standing around she would have seen them looking back at her, paying attention to her; people rarely came here unless they had a purpose, this out of the way island occupied mostly by forest an inhabited by hosts of poisonous Pokémon. For most of the year that meant very few people used the ferry or arrived by taxi at all, the exception being that period where the Pokémon League was in full swing and trainers showed up in large numbers to challenge the gym.

With the change to how things worked this year, the gyms now to be challenged in a specific order, aspiring trainers would descend upon this island en masse to challenge this, the first gym. The people who lived and worked here were probably prepared for it, realising ahead of time what the change meant, but they probably didn’t expect the challengers to arrive so soon, barely half a day after the opening ceremony had finished. Henrietta wondered how many trainers would do as she did, hailing a Flying Taxi as soon as she was able to after leaving the ceremony and flying directly to her first destination with no hesitation at all?

Perhaps it would have been more fun to take the scenic route, to take her time traversing the well-worn path from Brittanium City to Brass Town, maybe take a look at the Silumin Reserve before taking the ferry to Arsenic Island a few days before the challenge began. But taking the slow and leisurely path simply wasn’t Henrietta’s style; she had a goal in mind, a purpose to achieve and a plan of action that all led her here, so why should she waste time? The forest was before her and she had a week to prepare for the challenge the Poison Gym Leader would give her; Henrietta had a very clear image in mind of how best to do so.

Hitching her bag higher on her shoulder, Henrietta walked towards the edge of the port and found the path that would lead her towards the centre of the island and the greenhouse/gym. Before reaching that destination however the trainer left the path, ducking into the trees and into the wilder areas of the island.

It was time to see what her Pokémon and her battling style could do against what this island had to offer.

[Ryik]

Estelle
Brittanium City

You stick around for just a little while to listen to the commencement ceremony before heading out with a skip in your step. What's there to say other than that you're excited for this? The dazzling performances and battles you've been watching online for the past week straight have been all you've been able to think about. It's gotten to the point where you're kept awake at night imagining ways you and your pokemon could do the same, about their abilities, typing, moves, everything. After all, the key to a perfect performance is in not cutting corners!

Still, no matter how grand your goals, the reality of the situation is that you're still a novice trainer. You want to dive right in to training for the performances you dream of, but even if your pokemon had the tools to learn them now, you fear you won't even have the experience to direct them. Battles are performances and performances in the pokemon world are competitive rather than strictly cooperative. You can't rely on your opponent to give you the opportunity to shine, and you've never actually battled to begin with.

You're not sure where you should even start, so you end up doing a little bit of sight-seeing to get your bearings, grabbing a few maps along the way, before finally winding up at the park in the center of Britannium City. It's not as if this was the first place you intended to go, but it's the first place to catch your eye with the excitement of pokemon battles all around. You make your way to the most interesting one you see and watch the back-and-forth of it from the sidelines.

Immediately, the differences in experience between you, the trainers before you, and the professional trainers in videos online are readily apparent. You can at least say you recognize the obvious areas in which these trainers are less experienced than gym leaders or champions, but they also exhibit an adaptability to the flow of battle that you find yourself struggling to keep up with. A lot of the professional trainer videos involve overwhelming their opponent with devastating efficiency, but in a more evenly-matched battle, there's a ton of back-and-forth. You start to put yourself in their shoes, imagining your own responses and options, when a young voice calls to you out of the blue.

"Hey lady, you like pokemon battles?"

You turn to find a young boy holding a pokeball, also watching the battle before you. "Why, yes, I've taken quite an interest in them." Without thinking, you take out one of your own pokeballs, thinking about finding someone to challenge in this park.

The boy saves you the trouble. "You're a pokemon trainer, right? Then you have to battle me!"

You only have time to give him one confused look before he backs away to a more open position and sends out his Rattata. It would appear that Youngster Mikey has challenged you to a battle! You can't help but admire his enthusiasm, so you oblige, turning away from the battle you were just watching to have one of your own.

Estelle vs. Youngster Mikey

"Go! Xi-on!" You send out your Ponyta, who makes a dazzling entrance, letting out an adorable cry as colors stream through its mane.

"Rattata! Tackle!"

He wastes no time coming at you. Xi-on has one defensive option you can try, so without any alternatives, you call out to it, a little unsure of yourself. "Quick! Agility!" Ponyta understands your intention and avoids Rattata's attack, quickly confounding it with movements so fast that it's difficult to track. When you realize that Rattata and your opponent are also having trouble keeping up, you snap out of it your hesitation. Moments like these can decide battles, after all. "Xi-on, Fairy Wind!" She obliges, coming to a quick stop behind Rattata and unleashing a sparkle-filled gale, buffeting Rattata and locking it down. Wanting to keep the pressure up, you come up with an idea, and immediately try to put it into action. "Now, Xi-on! Use Confusion on the Fairy Dust!" She understands immediately. Her horn lights up, and all the sparkling particles that come with Fairy Dust freeze in the air around Rattata before being launched at it, striking it mercilessly from all directions.

"Rattata!" The youngster cries out, but it's clear at this point he's flustered. He eventually gives the command for another Tackle, but by then it's too late, and Rattata is knocked out. He quickly withdraws Rattata, and stares at the pokeball for a moment before reaching for another one. You didn't expect your first battle to be this one-sided, and it's kind of making you feel bad.

"Nicely done! Return, Xi-on!" You withdraw your Pokemon as well, hoping to give your other pokemon some time in the spotlight. You've already explained your intentions to them before arriving here, and it'd be a shame to leave some of them out of the action. "Go, Sepher!" You send out your Froakie, who quickly assumes a fighting stance with three limbs on the ground.

You took your eyes off of Youngster Mikey, so you're not sure if he's still sore about his Rattata, but he's smiling and looks pumped-up all the same now, so you brush off your reservations. He throws his next pokeball, "go get 'em, Pidgey!"

Last time, he took the initiative, but you're determined to take it this time. "Sepher, Quick Attack!" Sepher obliges, taking off quickly and landing a solid blow on Pidgey, sending it reeling.

"Now Pidgey! Whirlwind!" Pidgey seems to do a midair spin at that, rolling with the momentum of Sepher's Blow before sending a powerful gust straight into Sepher with a flap of its wing. Sepher is send flying, blown off the ground and only coming to a stop as it crashes into a nearby tree. Ouch.

"Are you okay Sepher?" He stumbles off the tree and nods, though it certainly looks worse for wear. "Alright, then let's go for a water pulse!" Sepher runs back towards the original battling area before firing off rings of water.

Seeing it coming from a mile away, Youngster Mikey is quick to react. "Counter with Whirlwind!" Pidgey begins to blow away the rings of water, returning them directly to their sender

You see this as an opportunity. "Quick, Sepher! Go through them with Quick Attack!" Sepher looks back at you for a moment before attempting to literally jump through hoops. In your head, Sepher would deftly avoid the rings of water and attack Pidgey directly. What actually happens is Sepher goes through one of them, gets hit with the others, and then gets knocked back down by an impromptu Wing Attack from Pidgey.

Yikes.

"Sepher! Are you alright?" He stands up, and makes an irritated noise. Irritated because you asked too much of him? Irritated with himself? These questions would have to wait however, since Youngster Mikey is pressing the attack.

"Pidgey! Finish it with Quick Attack!" The Pidgey lets out a battle cry of sorts, coming at Sepher at high speed. You then remember Sepher's ability and come up with the perfect idea.

"Sepher! Use Lick!" Sepher looks back at you with another confused look. It tilts its head and then sticks out its tongue. You see its skin go translucent for a moment before it turns back to Pidgey. "Get ready to use Water Pulse!"

Pidgey comes and soars right through Froakie, as you expected. What you did not expect however is for Sepher to turn around, chase Pidgey down and then attempt to lick it. Needless to say, it was not very effective. "Pidgey! Wing Attack!" Pidgey slaps Sepher across the face, knocking it out. Hrmmm. That went a lot more poorly than when you were using Xi-on. You might have taken for granted how easily Xi-on understood your commands, but you'll have to ruminate on that later.

Youngster Mikey, meanwhile, is basking in his temporary victory. "How do you like my super cool Pidgey? My Pidgey is different from regular Pidgey. It's like my Pidgey is in the top percentage of all Pidgeys."

Although you can't help but feel slightly bitter at having your failure rubbed in by a schoolkid, you do your best to congratulate him all the same. "Well done, it certainly is a strong Pidgey. Although..."

You bring out the pokeball of your last Pokemon and give it a good toss, sending out Demetori, the Charmander. "Pride is a common tragic flaw for heroes. This isn't over yet!"

"Pidgey! Quick Attack!" Pidgey is quick to assault Demetori, landing a solid blow with its quick movements. Still, you aren't about to let it get away with that so easily, and you hope Demetori feels the same. "Ground 'em with Slash!" Demetori quickly takes a step toward Pidgey before it gets away and nails it with its claws, knocking Pidgey to the ground. "Follow up with Fire Fang!" Demetori roars adorably and pounces on the Pidgey, its mouth wreathed in flames. It takes a gnarly chomp into Pidgey, which prompts Pidgey to writhe and cry out helplessly under it. Pidgey puts up an admirable fight, truly belonging in the top percentage of Pidgey, but Demetori brutally pins it until it is unable to continue. It then dismounts Pidgey and lets out a celebratory roar before returning to you. You crouch down to pet him on the head. Its maintains a flawless poker face. "You did well. I'll get you a Poke Puff later, okay?" Demetori nods. He should really smile more. You return him to his pokeball and go back to thank Youngster Mikey for the battle.

Thankfully, he's a good sport, but he is pretty shocked by his loss. "Man, that's strange. I've beaten everyone else I've challenged."

"Have you fought many trainers?"

"No, but I always win against my friend!"

Hmm. "Well, still, thank you for the battle. It was a great experience."

"Oh sure, anytime! Oh, there he is now!" The youngster runs off towards another young boy who seems to have just arrived at the park. Cute kids. A decent warm-up. Still, you're not quite comfortable with battling yet. In any case, first thing's first, you head to the nearest pokecenter to heal up Sepher. Money is no object to you, but you figure you should take advantage of the pokecenter services anyway, considering they're so close by. As you get your pokemon back from Nurse Joy, you send them out in the lobby and offer them each a pokepuff to celebrate your first battle.

...Turns out you were wrong about Sepher. Although your intentions didn't get through to him like they did with Xi-on, he wasn't annoyed because of your orders, but because you kept asking him if he was okay or not while he was busy with battling. He has a point there, you guess. Truly, a learning experience.

[Sho Minazuki]

@King Cosmos
Arsenic Island

As the young Henrietta went about exploring the island, it didn't take long for her to be alone in this endeavor. Other trainers were too, but stuck to the main path. As she got deeper, pools of what appeared to be acid or poison chemicals were visible, and if she brought a book on poisonous plants, it'd be able to name most of the things here. Yet it was not a dark forest, light travelled through this place well enough, but wherever it was dark, it was dark.

She looked around and there were... Quite a few Pokemon. Some sleeping Zubats were hanging off a tree within her eyesight, there was a glimpse of a Toxicroak as it run between some bushes far off, but closer to her were some Nidoran both male and female who seemed curious to the newcomer, yet were not willing to approach or leave the safety of their bush. As naturally occuring as they were, various bug Pokemon were seen too, specifically those that also held the poison typing such as Wurmple, Weedle, and Venonat, and a Gloom was sleeping in a small grove of flowers.

This island was brimming with Pokemon, being rather untouched by the outside world thanks to the efforts of the gym leader who called this island home.

---

@Ryik
Brittanium City Park

The City of Brittanium was a lively city not just for people, but for Pokemon as well. Many Pokemon that had adjusted to modern conditions lived here, with no shortage of flying Pokemon, and some common bug Pokemon right there in the park. As Estelle just looked around she could already spot a bunch of Pidoves being fed by an old woman sitting at a bench, and the small nest of trees seemed to hold some Bug types such as Caterpie, along with some more perched flying types. In particular she spotted a Hoothoot sleeping, and a Sentret ruffling the long grass. There was also a particularly fluffy tail too... Minccino? No... The shape and colour was brown and thicker. She'd have to see what that is. Among other things there was also a small group of Hoppip flying peacefully, a Seedot sleeping by a tree, and an Emolga she just saw gliding to another tree.

Today in particular this place was brimming with Pokemon as if they had come out to meet the people who lived in this city. Based on Estelle spotting some children just having fun with some of the wild Pokemon, it seems the Pokemon here were quite friendly towards people.

[King Cosmos]

Henrietta Durand

Arsenic Island

The forest, despite or even because of its poisonous nature, was teeming with life. The pools of acid and the toxic plants should have meant that the area was death for any form of life foolish enough to wander inside, a danger Henrietta was very aware of, but Pokémon, as always, could be found anywhere. Zubats in the trees, Wurmple in the undergrowth and Gloom in the flowers; the Poison Pokémon who made this island their home were thriving, flourishing even, and could be seen anywhere the young trainer looked.

It was the Nidoran that caught her attention the most however. Henrietta had come into this forest with the intention of training, yes, testing her Pokémon against the same Poison-type Pokémon that the first Gym leader would be using against her and the other challengers, but she was also thinking further ahead, towards the team she would use moving forward. A Nidoking or Nidoqueen was be a strong addition to her Ground-type team and Arsenic island was the perfect place to find the Poison-type Pokémon.

Reaching for her belt, Henrietta retrieved a Pokeball and tossed it lightly to the forest floor. The device split open and released a burst of light which coalesced into the four-legged shape of her Mudbray, Atlas, the donkey-like Pokémon looking around curiously as it dug at the ground with his front hooves. Pointing towards the Nidoran staring in her direction, Henrietta directed her Pokémon’s attention towards them as she gave her order. “Atlas, prepare for battle.”

The Ground-type Pokémon stamped his feet on the soft, loamy dirt of the forest floor, braying and making noise as he tried to sound as aggressive as a small donkey could in the face of a herd of Nidoran. Which ones would run and which ones would stay and fight the aggressor? Henrietta was looking for one with a little spirit.

@Sho Minazuki

[KiwiHalcyon]

---

The screen on one of the PCs within the Pokemon Center filled the small area with it’s ringing, clashing with the sounds of activity as people went about their day inside. Caliso waited patiently for his professor to pick up, eager to tell her about his safe travels and get her insight as to how he should proceed. He took a deep breath, lightly slapping his cheeks to keep himself composed when the ringing stopped and the live chat began. He looked up, a smile appearing on his face as he saw his professor staring back at him with a confident smile.

“Hi there, I’ve been waiting for you to call Caliso! How’s the Chromis region so far, and did you enjoy the opening ceremony?” She asked, causing him to chuckle to himself for a small moment before smirking back at her.

“It’s definitely not what I was expecting, I’ll tell you that much. And I mean that in a good way, they’ve given us an entire week to get to the first gym, so I’m not that worried about getting there in time. Not sure if I should head straight there or not though.”

“Well, if that’s the case, why not stop by the Amalgam University? They’re researching coexistence at the moment, it’s an interesting topic that you may find useful as a starting trainer. I think one of my associates is also at the University, but I may be mistaken. Either way, it’s one of the many places you can stop by on your way to Brass Town. They also are in charge of the Silumin Reserve if you’re interested in bug or grass Pokemon.”

Caliso paused for a brief moment, considering what Professor Juniper had said, pulling out his rotom phone and bringing up the map on it. He’d have to go through that Silumin Reserve anyway to get back to Brass Town if he stopped by Amalgam University, and he would have enough time to do so too. Well, at the very least it couldn’t hurt to stop by.

“I’ll probably do just that, Professor. My Darumakas would probably get good training at the Reserve, so after this, I’ll be heading off to the University.”

“Excellent, I look forward to hearing your progress! Good luck in the International League!” And with that, she hung up on Caliso, more than likely on her way to research one thing or another. Caliso took a step back, checking his satchel one more time to ensure he had all the necessary materials for travel and when he confirmed everything was accounted for, he left the Pokemon Center on his way to route 9. He didn’t think this journey would be that easy, but he wouldn’t be here if he wasn’t up for it. It wasn’t long before he was facing the entrance to route 9, ready to officially begin.

[Ryik]

Estelle
Brittanium City

After finishing up, you decide to get back on your feet and return to the park. It's not like you know of any other popular battling spots, and one battle is not nearly enough to make you feel confident in the capabilities of you and your pokemon.

When you do arrive, however, you're overwhelmed by the sheer variety of wild pokemon all over. You kind of want to battle them all, but not all of them seem up for it. You make your way between the trees, closer to a few of them. When they notice you, you slow down, coming to a stop in front of them and give them a smile full of charm. "Would any of you cuties care to help me learn my way around battles?"

[Ryuzaki]

TL;DR

Lachlan loses his favorite pokemon, who finds Alaric. The zigzagoon and the trainer search for Lach, before realizing they can call him. The two boys meet once again and battle. Both gave it their all but this time Lachlan won, bringing the record to 1-1. The two heal and head to route 2 to meet new Pokemon and people.

Lachlan left the ceremony with a wide smile on his face, excited to face the trials that the international league would bring. Dozens of other trainers walked out of the ceremony beside him, so many faces he couldn’t ever remember them all. Something felt slightly like it was tugging on his bag but he paid it no mind. He continued down the path back from the stadium to the hotel for a while longer before spotting a shopping mall that he hadn’t noticed before and began wandering in the general direction of it.

Ziggy had hopped out of Lachlan’s bag and was weaving his way through the feet of the trainers on the bridge to the familiar face he had spotted a ways back behind Lachlan. Within a few minutes he had found the boy he and Lachlan had sparred against a year ago and did a small circle around his feet before calling out to get the boy’s attention.

Alaric was feeling plenty smug after the ceremony, as usual. Arsenic Island wasn't somewhere he knew a lot about, and he wanted to know what sort of pokemon he'd encounter there, as perhaps he could expand his party. His train of thought was interrupted however by a familiar face, a Zigzagoon that he recognised almost immediately when he saw it. He'd almost tripped on it as it ran in circles around him before his attention was caught.

"Well, what a surprise! I didn't expect to see you here so early. But if you're here, then where's Lach?" Alaric enthusiastically spoke while rubbing the top of the pokemons head. He didn't expect to run into a familiar face before he'd even set out, but it was perfect for him. He could test his mettle against a worthy opponent already, and focus on shoring up his weak points afterwards.

Ziggy looked around at the mention of Lachlan, quickly realizing he had lost track of his trainer. He looked back at Alaric and then began to head back to where he had last seen Lachlan, sniffing the ground and moving slowly to try to get a trail on him. When he got to where he had abandoned the comfort of his trainer’s bag, Ziggy caught the scent and turned around to make sure Alaric was following him. The crowds were beginning to thin out and there would hopefully be enough space for the boy to follow him closely. He circled around the spot where he had left
Lachlan and sat there, then he tried to mime out himself spotting Alaric from in the bag and jumping out by standing on his hind legs and looking out around then at Alaric and jumping toward him.

Alaric had been following Zig fairly easily. His thin stature made it easy to get through the crowds. Before long, the pair arrived at Zigs intended destination but Alaric couldn't, for the life of him, figure out what the Pokemon was up to. It felt like he was trying to act out something, so he figured he'd just go with the flow, even if he couldn't quite understand what he was trying to show.

"Do you know where he might have gone?" Alaric questioned the pokemon. He wasn't exactly expecting a response but he figured that with that sense of smell, they'd eventually be able to find him.

The zigzagoon sniffed around and pointed himself toward the city and began to hurry off in that direction. He led Alaric down the main road following the crowds for the most part, from here Ziggy recognized the hotel that he and Lachlan had stayed in before and continued following the trail toward it. About 20 feet further he suddenly stops, surprised to notice that the trail did not continue toward the hotel but instead some other way. He turned toward Alaric and sniffed in the direction Lachlan had went then pointed at the hotel.

Meanwhile, Lachlan stood in the food court, he had just ordered some food for his pokemon and let Applin and Toxel out to eat when he realized Ziggy was gone. He had carefully taken everything out of his bag and put it back in to make sure he wasn’t pranking him. Panic was starting to set in. He had no idea when Ziggy had even run off.

Within 30 seconds however, Lachlan's rotom phone began ringing. He looked over at his two pokemon, who looked back at him expectantly. He picked up and said, “Hello?”
Alaric responded with a laugh. "Yo. I seem to have found your partner."
“Oi, Alaric, you found Ziggy? Thanks so much, I just noticed he was gone. Where are you guys?” Lachlan said, relieved.
"More like he found me, haha. Little fucker nearly tripped me up. We're at the hotel. I'll wait here with him." He chuckled a little as he spoke.
“Yeah, he gets excited sometimes, must have seen you and remembered our battle.” Lachlan laughed, “I just bought some food at the mall, be there in, i dunno, 10?”
"Making me wait huh. Tsk tsk. You better battle me to make up for it. I'll catch you in 10 then" He teased, as he hung up the phone. Alaric wasn't one to hold onto phone calls, and even if he was joking around, he was still a bit miffed that he had to wait even longer to get his rematch.

Lachlan was about to start talking when he heard the line disconnect and the *Bzzt* of the rotom phone locking. “Mate, imma make you pay for that, ya ass,” he chuckled, as he turned back to Applin and Toxel, who were just finishing their food. He quickly grabbed what he ordered for himself, recalled his pokemon, and began the walk back to the hotel while he ate.

Alaric sat down on a nearby bench, looking curiously at the zigzagoon. It'd obviously had some battle experience since they last met, and that meant that they were in store for a great battle. Figuring that it'd probably be boring for him to just sit there, Alaric sent out Lance, since the two were familiar and left them to play, while he messed around on his phone, occasionally tapping his foot and fidgeting like an impatient child.

Lachlan could see Alaric looking blankly at his phone as he came around the corner and whistled, which prompted Ziggy to drop what he was doing and run up onto his shoulder. “Oi, Alaric, you cant just hang up on me like that, bruv,” Lachlan said rather loudly, “I’ll oblige your battle, but when I win, you’d best not be such an ass again eh?”

Alaric put his phone back in his pocket and looked at Lachlan, giving him a small wave.
"That's implying that you can win! For I am the great Alaric. Once I remind you who is the greater duelist between us, you will address me as Sir until we battle next!" He exclaimed, grinning in expectation. He'd been looking forward to this.

Battle

Both trainers found an empty space to battle and commenced almost immediately after agreeing to a best of 3 format. Both trainers opted to use their Dragon pokemon first, with Alaric sending out his Bagon and Lachlan sending his Applin.

“Here we go! Applin use astonish!” The small apple-like pokemon began wailing wildly as it rolled toward the enemy Bagon, with its sights set on knocking it off balance. The hit landed cleanly and Moko found herself being knocked down. She was quick to get up however, and her trainer was even quicker to give out a command.
"Moko, use headbutt!" Alaric spoke with confidence. The Bagon charged forward toward the Applin, stumbling slightly due to the prior attack but still moving with a full head of steam. Applin was sent flying over Moko’s head from the attack, doing some definite damage.
“Quick Applin, respond with sucker punch!” Applin landed on the ground behind Moko, her leaves beginning to exude a dark aura, which she then tried to smack Moko on the back of the head with. The punch connects with Moko but it does little in the way of damage. Without skipping a beat, Alaric commands "Quick Moko! Take a bite out of that apple!" Within seconds, Moko was baring its fangs at the Applin and charging forward again, even more unsteady than the last time. The bite connected and the Applin fainted. Alaric let out a grin. "Looks like I'm still on top." pointing to himself triumphantly before calling Moko back to her pokeball.

Lachlan gave his opponent a determined grin, “Not for long!” He said, the red beam extending from his pokeball to retrieve his fainted pokemon. “Go! Toxel!” he shouted tossing a second ball into the air before him, the shimmering form of the small purple pokemon coming into view a few inches below it. Alaric responded in kind, sending out his Aron a few seconds after his peer sent out his pokemon. He didn’t wait much before issuing a command however, figuring that he’d have to strike first.

“Emil, use metal claw!” Alaric shouted to his Pokemon as the Aron began charging toward the toxel, looking to close the distance to attack. Unprepared for the sudden assault, the hit collided with the surprised Toxel, causing her to stumble back a few steps.

“Pull it together, use Nuzle!” Lachlan called in response as Toxel recovered her balance and shoved her face toward Emil, her head and cheeks sparking with electricity. The Aron, being a steel type, wasn’t hurt that badly by the electricity that connected with him. It hurt mind you, but he didn’t feel himself strongly staggered by the blow. Alaric grinned, thinking that the attack power of the Pokemon must have been weak. “Finish em’, Emil. Use headbutt!” he called out, yet his pokemon did not move. He couldn’t seem to move his body, no matter how much he tried.

“Now, Follow up with Power-Up Punch!” Lachlan called, seeing an opportunity for an extra attack. Toxel brought her fist up in an uppercut aimed at Emil’s head, a red glow around it. The aron found itself unable to move, dodge or do anything against the assault and found himself uppercutted. He was very dazed and looking pretty rough from the scuffle, and Alaric was perplexed, almost like he’d been the one punched. He didn’t know why his pokemon couldn’t move, until he’d figured out that he’d been paralyzed. Hoping he’d be able to break out of the effects, Alaric called out to his pokemon one last time.

“Emil, use Rock Tomb!” he spoke with confidence, feeling like a bit of electricity wouldn’t hold down his pokemon for long. Yet, his Pokemon didn’t have the same feelings. He was still stuck, unable to act in any way or defend himself against the coming assault.

“Now’s your chance, Toxel, give it everything you’ve got to finish this!” Lachlan said triumphantly, prematurely relishing in the coming victory. With that, Toxel began flailing her arms around wildly at Emil, full force closed fists battering his immobile form, using the move Thrash. It was clear the Pokemon wouldn’t withstand the pummeling as he collapsed and fainted. “Alright! Nice work Toxel!” Lachlan said as she slowly waddled over to him. He kneeled down to pat her a few times before he pulled out his pokeball to return her to it. Ziggy, who was already raring to go on Lachlan’s shoulder jumped down eager for his turn.

Lance had already been set out, so there was little time before the last bout started. Alaric let out a smile. It surprised him that one of his Pokemon had been taken out in such a way, but using a move to induce paralysis was a smart choice given that he was met with a type disadvantage.

“Not bad, Lach. Not bad at all.” he spoke smugly, before returning to a more serious tone. Whilst he appreciated the competition, he wasn’t about to lose and thus gave the command to his partner. “Lance, use disarming voice!” he spoke, as the Pokemon let out a charming cry toward its adversary. The sound seemingly caused Ziggy to recoil as if it had been a slap to the face, he cried out from it then regained his composure and readied for his trainer’s command, which came shortly after.

“Ziggy! Pin Missile!” was the shout that came from Lachlan, prompting Ziggy to lift the end of his tail over his head and fire 5 black and white quills out at Lance, each attempting to home in on him. 3 of the missiles stuck into Lance, whereas the other two went off course due to an evasive maneuver. They hurt, but he did his best to shrug them off and not let the pain show. Without missing a beat, Alaric gave his next command.

“Lance, draining kiss!” and moments after he spoke, the Ralts ran at the Zigzagoon, looking to try to steal their life force. Ziggy’s slender form and experience climbing trees allowed him to dodge out of the way of the attack, ending up 10 feet to Lances left.

“Woah, nice dodge, now Stop him from trying that again! Sand Attack!” As Lachlan commanded, Ziggy spun around and began kicking up dirt and sand into Lance’s direction, filling the air with lingering dust and sediment and attempting to get some in Lance’s eyes. Lance was not one to back down from a challenge however and stood bravely against the attack, letting it hit him but covering eyes with his wrist, before trying the attack again, given as he had not been given an alternate command by his trainer. Whilst some sand got in his eyes, he didn’t stop moving toward his target. Ziggy Heard the attack coming from in the dust and got ready to dodge, but didnt notice in time as it connected, absorbing some of his energy.

“One more Pin Missile from close range!” Lachlan said as the zigzagoon fired off 5 more of the monochrome quills from his tail at the foe who was still nearby, an audible whistle could be heard as they raced toward their target. Whilst Lance was lucky the time before in dodging a few of the missiles, he wasn’t so much this time. All 5 connected, 3 to his wrist and 2 to his chest, and he fainted. A look of surprise crossed Alaric's face before he let out a smile. He was genuinely surprised. He called back his Ralts, before walking over to Lach and shaking his hand.

“You’ve gotten stronger since we last fought. That was a good battle, and my first ever loss.” he spoke with a grin as he scratched the back of his head.

“You put up a good fight too, had me really worried at the end there.” Lachlan said, proud of his win, but also impressed with Alaric’s growth as well. “Why don’t we head back to the Pokemon center and get our pokemon healed up?” Lachlan said, realizing they’d be in no shape to travel each with only one badly hurt pokemon.#

“Sounds like a plan.” he responded, still somewhat surprised by his loss. He began analysing the match in his head, thinking more about how he’d had Paralysis used on him by that electric type. Perhaps status conditions were something that he needed to pay mind to, lest he lose another battle like he just had.
(Imma write the summary if you wanted to write something else before that put it here)

After that the two brought their Pokemon to the Pokemon Center to heal. Once they were ready to go they headed out onto Route 2, both eager to encounter new Pokemon and people on their trip to Brass town. Who knows what awaits our two heroes, find out next time on Pokemon Chromis Chronicles.

[Sho Minazuki]

@King Cosmos
Arsenic Island

The bunch of Nidoran were among the only Pokemon in this forest in this immediate area that were not the most cautious of the young trainer, but as soon as she brought out her Mudbray they senses hostile intent and began to scatter. Yet only one remained, a female Nidoran. A bit different to what she expected, this Nidoran was not brave, but seemed paralyzed by fear. Before Henrietta could say anything though, another Nidoran ran in front of her, a male one at that, come to it's protection. It seemed most ready to fight, and it's grit and determination was perhaps what she was looking for.

Encounter Info

Nidoran ♂
Battle Experience: 5
- Poison Sting
- Peck
- Focus Energy
- Double Kick
Notes: Aggressive, and already has a few scars along it's body, it's not afraid to get into a scrap.

Nidoran ♀
Battle Experience: 1
- Fury Attack
- Leer
- Peck
- Poison Sting
Notes: This one is docile, it's not likely to attack, and seems to scare easily.

---

@Ryik
Brittanium City Park

As Estelle approached the Pokemon among the trees, and grass, they looked at her curiously. As they listened to her request, it is perhaps understandable that they mistook it for wanting to play with them, and they approached her playfully. A Caterpie and Sewaddle approached her while a Rookidee emerged from the canopy to a much closer branch to observe the young trainer, all the while an Eevee looked at her curiously from the tall grass just barely visible. Truly these were some very friendly Pokemon, but playing did not seem to be her intent. She would find herself awkwardly allowing them to prance around her for a little bit... At least that was until she heard a voice shout from behind her.

"Hey you! Very gorgeous lady!", it was a young boy, fair hair, and... A rose in his hand? He presented it to Estelle. Based on his posh clothes he seemed to be quite wealthy. The Pokemon around her scattered back behind the trees and grass except the Rookidee that remained on watch above.

"Yes, I think so indeed, perfect! Say lady! If I beat you in a Pokemon battle, how would you like to become my girlfriend?", the boy was quite young, barely half her age. This... Was not exactly what she was looking for, but a battle was a battle right?

Rich Kid Roy

Trainer Experience: Low
Items: x1 Full Restore

Mincinno (female)
Experience: 2
- Pound
- Baby-doll Eyes
- Echoed Voice
- Charm

Shinx (male)
Experience: 1
- Tackle
- Leer
- Charge
- Spark

---

@KiwiHalcyon
Route 9

Caliso's journey was just about to begin, or well, already has as soon as she arrived to Chromis. She'd probably had about a day or two to enjoy Brittanium City before the opening ceremony, and now she was in her first route. A guide was readily available on all the routes of the region, and according to that guide, Route 9 was a forking path that in all parts of it was essentially a giant park by the lake. Even as she just looked around there were Pokemon and people everywhere having fun. An inordinate amount of battles were taking place too likely with the fervor of the International League. Various flying and normal types were immediately seen, a bit further in undergrowth she could see some grass and bug types, and by the lake were water types.

She was headed for Amalgam University, so... That means she turns right here. She went along the route for a bit, enjoying the pleasant atmosphere of the route, until she saw a young boy, blonde hair and blue and white jacket, just by the road talking to an Alolan Vulpix. The boy was sat beside a miscolored Froakie which obviously seemed like his Pokemon, but this other one was...

"Heeee you don't say", the Froakie patted his trainer and then did just as unintelligible sounds as the Vulpix did. And for some reason he immediately understood.

"Oooh, so you're lost! Gotcha! You're really far from home because there are only red Vulpix around here, did you want to go to Cobalt Island and-", the Froakie pat his trainer again and relayed more information that only he could understand.

"Oooooh, so your trainer is around here but you lost her? Okay! So let's go find her!... But... Where to start...?", the young boy began to contemplate... He seemed stuck.

[Flood]

@Ryuzaki@Milim
Route 2

It was a beautiful day on Route 2, the sun was shining, the sky was cloudless, and the tall grass was absolutely rustling with wild pokemon ready to be fought and maybe even caught! But that didn't deter the stall owners, who were eager to make a pretty penny off all the fresh new faces who were surely looking for just a few more pokeballs, or maybe just one glass of Lemonade for the road! Yet the hustle and bustle so close to the city didn't deter the pokemon who watched from the edges of the path, curious Caterpie eyes peering from the forest paths and a Bunnelby or two wandering over from the plains to see what all the commotion was about.

Alaric and Lachlan would find more than a few Pokemon around as they explored the route, eventually deciding to split up so they could catch some fresh new Pokemon so they could get the edge the next time they battled. Alaric would find himself in the side paths leading to the forests of Route 2, a small conglomeration of trees and bushes that housed many Bug types, Grass types, and even a few Flying types nested in the trees that curiously watched him as he explored their home. Lachlan meanwhile would find himself in the rolling plains where patches of tall grass and puddles of mud lay scattered about, Ground types and Normal types making their home here along with a few Flying types overhead.

---

@Ryuzaki
Route 2:Forest

As Lachlan pushed past the branches and shrubbery, he would soon find himself the center of attention for many Pokemon all around. It seemed most new trainers had gone for the plains rather than the forest for some unknown reason, but that just meant more eyes on Alaric as the Pokemon around investigated the newcomer. Seedots and Bounsweet hung from the trees with bleary eyes as they woke up and got ready for the day, a group of Sunkern feeding on the morning dew and watching him apprehensively. Many Bug types also watched the boy with curiosity, a group of Weedle eating a pile of fallen leaves under the shade of a tree nearby, Scatterbugs and Wurmples cautiously crawling around as they watched the newcomer to the forest.

---

@Milim
Route 2: Plains

Alaric meanwhile found himself walking into the plains of Route 2, where the Ground types and Normal types made their nests amongst the tall grass and mud. There were a few more trainers wandering around the plains, but it was also a lot more open then the forests, so people would have to make a concerted effort to get in each other's way while catching wild Pokemon. The Pokemon here definitely seemed much more nonchalant about the trainers around, not nearly as apprehensive or anxious as the myriad Bug types that made their home in the nearby forest. A flock of Doduo casually waltz around looking for vulnerable bugs to pluck and eat, only to get into a fight with their other head as they go for the same food at the same time. Patrat watch the trainers all around like sentries, guarding their homes from would be intruders while a group of Rhyhorn stand around in a daze, having forgotten what they were doing or where they were going.

[Ryik]

Estelle
Britannium City

"Hey you! Very gorgeous lady!"

You turn to see a young boy offering her a rose. It's quaint, if a bit embarrassing, considering his age.

"Yes, I think so indeed, perfect! Say lady! If I beat you in a Pokemon battle, how would you like to become my girlfriend?"

Ah, what was that? Could it be that you heard the barking of a feral dog passing by?

Nothing angers you like being summarily judged at a glance. In fact, you'd have to say it's your biggest professional weakness. You can handle some overly forward fans; even creeps can be flattering, but when people talk about you without knowing who you are, it really gets to you.

Normally you would have picked a foreign language and tell him what you really think of him with a smile on your face, but not today. Cameras or not, there's always the risk of being overheard by someone who could understand, and you strive to always do better. Now is a perfect opportunity, since, thinking rationally, it's just some child's crush. His definition of a relationship is much different than yours. At worst, he's just some brat lacking in "parental guidance." You don't consider yourself the motherly type, but perhaps you should give him a small lesson...

"Le coup de foudre, n'est-ce pas? Désolé de dire que je ne suis pas croyant."

Translation

"Love at first sight, is it? Sorry to say I'm not a believer."

"Uh... What? Do you speak English, lady?"

"Mais si c'est juste une bataille que vous recherchez, je suis heureux de vous obliger." You wink as you say it and pull out a pokeball.

Translation

"But if it's just a battle you're after, I'm happy to oblige."

"Wait, so you accept then?"

"Allons-y! Xi-on!"

(Estelle vs. Rich Kid Roy)

As Rich Kid Roy is summarily defeated, he drops his rose the ground and you give him a wide smile, as if taunting him. "How can I be your girlfriend when we don't even speak the same language?"

"Well, I guess you're ri-WAIT, HEY!"

You can't help but giggle. "Ah, well, it's too bad you couldn't beat me. I guess I can't be your girlfriend now."

Rich Kid Roy blushes, but his brow lowers in irritation. "Hey, if you say it like that, then I'm going to take it as a promise, alright!?"

Ah, such an innocent kid. "Ah, Well, I think you're a bit too young for me, but maybe if you can show me a battle I can't forget, I'll give it some thought when you grow up. That good enough for you?" You don't want to play with his feelings, but outright denying someone is a big no-no in your profession. After all, where would you be without the love of your fans? That being said, you'd love a rematch after he trains up some more, though you don't expect anything special, even if he manages to win.

He seems upset, but you're not sure if it's because you've hurt his pride or because you turned him down. "I'll be back! I'll beat you yet! You'll be begging to be my girlfriend, you'll see!" With that, he stomps off, cheeks still red.

Haha, fat chance.

[King Cosmos]

Henrietta Durand

Arsenic Island

Disappointingly, rather than stay and face up to the challenge she presented most of the Nidoran instead chose to scatter and flee. A single individual did stay behind, but not in the way the young trainer had hoped; a small and timid looking female had remained, apparently paralysed in fear and certainly not displaying any desire to fight.

Henrietta couldn’t help but feel a little dejected at the result, her usual smile falling away and a slight frown creasing her brow. She supposed that was to be expected when dealing with the younger examples of the species; a Nidorino or a Nidoqueen would have like stuck around to fight off an aggressor and to defend their territory, while for the younger Nidoran it made more sense to run. Nonetheless she was hoping to find at least one among the bunch who showed the spirit and vigour of their larger brethren.

Then, as if in response to her wishes, another Nidoran appeared to stand between her and the female; male, small like the other one was, but certain not timid. It had a few small marks that she could see, perhaps scars from previous fights, as It stared down her Atlas with exactly the kind of determination that she was looking for. “Bien. Very good. A knight comes to defend the fair lady; such valour should be rewarded. I guess it’s up to us to play the villain, hmm, Atlas?”

Battle!

The Nidoran made the first move, charging towards the Mudbray in small bounds as it rapidly closed the distance between them, leaping once it was close enough and driving its horn into Atlas using its Peck attack. The Mudbray recoiled, tossing his head and braying loudly as the pain set in.

“Atlas, use Bulldoze.” The Ground-type reared back, forelegs rising off the ground before slamming back down, the Mudbray repeating the action again and again as it stomped the soft dirt under his feet flat. The Nidoran was caught in the middle of it all, alternately trampled under the heavier Pokémon’s hooves or battered by the shockwaves the heavy footfalls produced, before eventually managing to break free and run some distance away.

Now looking bruised and beaten, yet still with a defiant look in its eye, the Poison-type Pokémon charged in again. This time he leapt sooner, jumping higher and flipping over in the air to point his hind legs towards Atlas; the smaller Pokémon collided with Mudbray with one foot extended, the heel impacting with Atlas’s forehead, before using its other leg to both deliver a second kick and push away from his opponent at the same time. The Double Kick left Atlas looking dazed, but he shook it off a moment later and held his ground.

“Good work, Atlas. Finish this with Strength.” Now it was Atlas’s turn to charge, lowering his head and breaking into a gallop towards the Nidoran. The Poison-type didn’t seem to be able to move out of the way in time, perhaps too injured by the Bulldoze to do so, and the Mudbray crashed bodily into the smaller Pokemon and sent it tumbling and rolling through the dirt. It came to a stop and despite being clearly hurt by the attack it still tried to stand again, lifting itself up on shaking legs and turning towards Atlas again. Just as Henrietta was about to call this fight to a close, the Nidoran opened its mouth and fired several glowing purple darts in a stream towards Atlas, catching both trainer and Pokémon off guard. “Dodge it!”

The Mudbray dove to the side, throwing himself to the ground a moment too late to completely avoid the Poison Sting as a few of the purple needles dug into his skin and the dirt behind him. The poison did not take hold, fortunately, and Atlas rose back to his feet not much worse for wear. “Use another Bulldoze; end this.” Rushing forward again, Atlas this time leapt towards the weakened Nidoran before coming down on top of it with both forelegs soon followed by both back legs as well. Rather than continue the attack, the Ground-type pulled back, moving out of the way to reveal a clearly unconscious Nidoran.

“That’s enough Atlas. Come back.” Henrietta didn’t return her Pokémon just yet, instead calling him back to her side as she walked towards the defeated Nidoran. It had fought well, but the difference in size and weight, the type disadvantage and the fact that Atlas only grew tougher with each hit served to make it something of a one-sided arrangement. Nonetheless she wore a wide smile as she approached the fallen Pokémon, crouching down as she neared its side, and reached out a hand to stroke along its side. “You fought well little knight. A knight who will one day become a king. I’ll have to think of a suitable name for you.”

Reaching into her bag Henrietta pulled out a Pokeball and pressed it to the Nidoran’s side. The Pokémon turned into red light in an instant and was sucked inside the device, the ball shaking three times in Henrietta’s hand as a light in its centre pulsed intermittently before both shaking and pulsing light ceased. Still with the smile on her face the trainer stood and turned towards the female Nidoran, who was still frozen in fear in the same spot as before. It was unlikely to be feeling any less afraid after witnessing the battle that had just taken place.

“Run along little one. Go back to your friends.”

@Sho Minazuki

[Sho Minazuki]

@King Cosmos
Arsenic Island

As the battle concluded, and the purple Nidoran was added to Henrietta's lineup, the young blue Nidoran was still sitting there in fear. Her gaze was fixed upon the Pokeball in her hand. It was the Nidoran's. Perhaps she should feel bad about what she'd done, but there was an equal determination in this Nidoran's eyes, albeit a lot softer. She tried to take one step forward, but the shaking was visible even from the distance it was away from Henrietta, before it would turn and run, disappearing into the bushes. She thought she may have seen some tears... Though the Nidoran had fled, she had some kind of gut feeling this wouldn't be the last time she saw her.

---

@Ryik
Brittanium City Park

The park was pretty big to say the least, it took about half an hour to get from one end to the other. Soon she reached a rather popular meeting spot, or a safe assumption as one at least. A big fountain, with a statue of a knight riding a Rapidash holding a saber. Supposedly it depicts a man who rode around the Chromis Region on a Rapidash, and was the region's first ever courier. A strange profession to be glorifying, but there was likely more history to it.

Though that wasn't what she was interested in, Estelle wanted more battles. A young child would not test her mettle, but coming to this fountain seemed like a good idea. There were already groups of trainers conducting battles here, amidst the chatter she could make out, it seems most trainers present were taking part in the International League. She recognized common fashion styles sourced from various regions here, Kanto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, even a few Alolan shirts. Perhaps this was a good chance to get her fill of battle.

It seemed to just be a matter of stepping up after a battle was over, for the moment, people swapped in and out rather quickly, no one lasted more than maybe 2 battles in a row. She can pick her time when to step in if she'd like. There were a couple trainers looking raring to go. A young girl who seemed to be in highschool chatting with some friends, an older guy who seemed a bit confident given his expression, and among others too. There were a lot and anyone could seem like a possible opponent.

[Ryik]

Estelle
Britannium City

As you come to watch the battles around the fountain, you find herself in awe. Sure, they aren't the most spectacular of battles, but you can't blame them for not comparing favorably to professionals, and there are so many battles going on at once that it's hard to find a dull moment. You wonder how difficult it would be to conduct multiple battles at once before dismissing the idea. Let's not get ahead of ourselves here, you can barely hold your own in a normal battle. Still, there is always double battles...

Ah, well, it seems one of the battles has come to a close, giving you an opportunity to join in. It's just what you need to focus on the things in front of you. "Mind taking me on?"

The lass responds in kind. "If you think you can take me!"

Estelle vs. Lass Michele

(replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8nation…)

"Go, Skitty!"

"Go, Demetori!" You send out your Charmander and watch as it roars adorably. It's like a tiny godzilla and you love it. You couldn't decide on your starter, so you let your fans pick for you. Although you had your doubts on picking the fire lizard, you can certainly see the appeal now. In any case, it's go-time. "Demetori! Fire Fang!"

Demetori is right on it, practically jumping on Skitty and sinking its flame-wreathed fangs into it, pinning it down. Skitty quivers. "Skitty! Get him off of you with Attract!" The Skitty embraces its helpless position, striking a certain cliché pose. You see Demetori blush, but his bite remains firm. "Now, bring it home with Disarming Voice!" Skitty lets out an embarrassing cry, and suddenly you fear for your pokemon's chastity.

"Demetori! Fire Fang!" Thankfully, it seems that disarming voice wasn't very effective, because Demetori has no issues doing a spin while still biting Skitty, twirling it around before throwing it into the air. Without any commands this time, Demetori follows up, jumping into the air, grabing hold of Skitty with fiery jaws yet again, doing a fucking front-flip, then dunking Skitty into the ground.

Dang. That's impressive.

Lass Michele grimaces before returning Skitty and sending out her next pokemon. "Go, Taillow!"

After seeing the incredible dunking that her Skitty just receives, she seems to think she needs to psych herself up to continue. What better way to get yourself pumped up, though, than to have your pokemon get pumped? "Taillow, focus energy!" Taillow begins to charge up, so to speak, and begins to look much more dangerous.

Well, perhaps you can make use of this momentum to throw them off. "Demetori, use Smokescreen!" Demetori gets to work flooding the vicinity with smoke. Hopefully this isn't meddling with other battles.

Lass Michele is quick to reply. "Taillow! Quick Attack him before you lose sight!" Taillow is indeed very fast, but ultimately not fast enough to pinpoint Demetori through the haze.

"Grab them!" Demetori is good on the follow-through, snatching Taillow out of the air with its fiery fangs. Taillow, restrained, lashes out.

"Peck him off!" Taillow gets in some very good hits, even going so far as to poke Demetori in the eye. Still, Demetori is unwavering, with admirable endurance.

"Finish it! Fire Fang!" Demetori gets to work yet again in comically rough fashion. He begins slamming Taillow against the ground like a T-Rex trying to subdue its meal. Eventually it succumbs, wherein Demetori tosses it aside like a toy it's bored with. Demetori is certainly looking worse for wear, but it stands strong, as if it's ready to continue. You voice your concerns. "Do you want to keep going?" It responds quickly and briefly in the affirmative, not even looking back at you as if the state it's in is no big deal. Well, alright then.

Lass Michele has a determined look on her face now. Maybe she won't be beating you, but she's sure as hell coming for your Charmander. "Go Silcoon!" A Silcoon pops out.

This is... uh... actually pretty good for you? "Demetori! Fire Fang!" He pounces it, dealing heavy damage immediately.

"Silcoon! Finish him!" Silcoon then does what appears to be a backflip, slamming itself against Demetori, knocking him out. You saw this coming, but it's still surprising for some reason. "Some Silcoon can only sit there and harden, but you can't keep mine out of the fight!"

"Duly noted. Return, Demetori. You did well. Go, Sepher!" You send out your Froakie, who looks as Silcoon apathetically. You understand how it feels. it's just clean-up duty.

"Silcoon! Tackle!" Silcoon, in spite of the huge damage it took from Demetori, seems fit to attack. Well, if it's going to use such a simple attack though...

"Sepher, Lick!" Sepher twitches a bit, but seems to get the idea from last time. Silcoon passes right through him, but is caught as he comes out the other side and given a big nasty lick. You really need to teach Sepher more ghost moves. "Finish it with Water Pulse!" Sepher nods once and then holds Silcoon up and blows out the rings of water. Silcoon is launched out of its hands and falls to the ground, defeated.

After her loss, all she has to say is, "Aw, darn."

You try to comfort her with words of encouragement. You figure it's what you'd like were you in the same position. "It was a good battle. Your Taillow is pretty strong."

Before she can respond though, one of the spectators is quick to step in, taking her place. "If I may cut in~"

Lass Michele doesn't seem to mind and simply nods. "I've been beat. Go ahead." You don't seem to have any say in this, but you suppose going for another battle is par for the course.

Estelle vs. Student Tenson

(replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8nation…)

"Go! Charmander!"

You stare at his Charmander. You turn your head to look at your Froakie, still out of his pokeball. He turns to look at you, as well. "Uh, go, Sepher, I guess?"

"Hmph, making use of your type advantage. How shrewd of you." You can't help but raise an eyebrow. "Still, I shall not shy away from your challenge!"

Whatever you say. "Sepher, Water Pulse." Sepher launches rings of water which quickly devastate his Charmander.

"Hah, well done, but can you handle this? Charmander! Dragonbreath!" His Charmander quickly shakes off the water and fires blue flames across the battlefield, nailing Sepher.

Student Tenson pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose with one hand, like some kind of anime character. What does he think this is, Digimon? "Haha! How was that!? Do you see how your own Charmander compares to-"

"Water Pulse." He water pulses. Charmander faints. Student Tenson does not utter a single word, or even move a muscle.

Seconds go by.

You almost feel sorry for interrupting him when he snaps out of it, returning his Charmander to its ball while maintaining a strained version of his previous triumphant smile. "Well done. But now, it's time for my Misdreavus!" He sends out a Misdreavus, which you know to be quite strong in spite of their small size. They're quite cute in fact, maybe you should catch one sometime. "Misdreavus, Psywave!"

Right, focus on the battle. You're familiar with the move Psywave because of its peculiarity. Its damage is based on the strength of the opponent, but its also highly inconsistent, and can do significant or insignificant damage depending mostly on how it hits; mostly a matter of luck.

Psywave devastates Sepher, but a plan hatches in your head. A very risky one, but it could potentially pay dividends. You give a loud command to Sepher, to make sure Student Tenson hears. "Alright, Sepher, remember your Protean ability? Normally Water Pulse is stronger, but as a ghost type, your Lick will be better! Use Lick!" Sepher gives you another strange look. He probably knows. Super-effective Lick is actually exactly the same strength as Water Pulse, if those guides you read on the moves are to be believed. That just leaves it to whether Sepher is better at physical or special attacks better, and as a species, Froakies tend to lean more towards special attacks. If Sepher can intuit this, then it should know something's up, and so you meet its gaze, trying to make it understand your plan nonverbally. You're not confident you got through to him in those few short moments, but whether you did or not, Sepher obeys, closing the gap and giving Misdreavus a long lick. Again, you really need to teach Sepher a new ghost-type move.

"Oh yeah? a ghost type now, huh? Misdreavus! Finish it off with Astonish!"

Not so fast. "Now! Smokescreen!" For the second time, you fill the area with smoke and hope you're not messing with other battles in the process. It's not fast enough though, and Misdreavus nails Sepher with Astonish, coming to a stop right in front of it with wide, thousand-yard stares and horrid screams.

Sepher stares at it, unperturbed. Student Tenson lets out an audible "Huh?" Before you give the command for a counter-attack.

"Sepher! Water Pulse!" Sepher Blasts Misdreavus from close range, knocking it to a distance. It seems your plan worked. You figured that they'd avoid using Psywave if there was a better option, especially if it was to just finish someone off.

Student Tenson seems unshaken. "You think you'll beat Misdreavus that easily? Misdreavus! Psywave!" Misdreavus tries to launch its psychic waves at Sepher, but Sepher evades and disappears into the fog. "What? Misdreavus should be faster than your Froakie! What did you do?"

Not that you're a very good trainer either, but this guy should at least pay closer attention. "Take a closer look at your own pokemon." Misdreavus is paralyzed, thanks to Lick. It probably would have been too late to get Smokescreen off otherwise, something your plan really didn't take into account. It was an amateur mistake that could have easily cost you the battle, but it seems you lucked out. You'll have to work on thinking things through, but for the time being, your number one priority is making sure he gets no more chances. "Sepher! Water Pulse!"

Sepher dances around Misdreavus, making full use of the smoke screen as it chips away with Water Pulse. Misdreavus even gets confused in the process, dizzied by the ultrasonic nature of water pulse. Even so, as you've said before, Misdreavus are a strong kind, and it shows when it snaps out of confusion at a crucial moment as Sepher reveals its own location. "Misdreavus! Psywave!" Misdreavus predicts Sepher's movement and hits him through the smoke perfectly, leaving you with only one pokemon left. You run to Sepher, and lift his head up. "You've done so well. I'll have to come up with a better plan next time, hmm?" Sepher gives you a cute, froggy smile and you give him a good few pets before returning him to his pokeball.

One pokemon left, and it's at a type disadvantage, no less. Still, you have confidence. It's heavily weakened and even paralyzed. "You can do this, Go! Xi-on!" You send out your Ponyta, who dazzles the spectators with a mane that stands out even amidst the lingering smoke. No more hiding. "Confusion!"

"Misdreavus! Hide in the smoke!" Misdreavus is about to turn tail and run, but is stopped in place by its paralysis, and helpless to your confusion. Misdreavus is picked up by Xi-on, spun around until it's dizzy, and then tossed into the air. "Come on, Misdreavus! Psywave!" Misdreavus somehow manages to right itself on the way down and lets loose a Psywave. Unfortunately, it is not let loose in the right direction. It flies upwards, hits an overhead tree branch, and sends the branch flying straight towards Misdreavus. It tries to avoid it, but its paralysis kicks in at the worst possible moment and the tree branch collides with it, knocking it out. You return Xi-on to its pokeball as Student Tenson runs over to Misdreavus' rescue. It seems it's alright, at least.

Whew. After a long battle, you manage to pull out a victory. You may have won, but it was your first time fighting such a tough opponent, and to be honest, you think it's time to take a breather. You come to realize you might be in a little over your head when a couple try to step in for a third round double battle. As much as you'd like to take them up on their offer, you're down to one pokemon, so you regretfully decline. You thank Tenson for the battle before retreating to the pokemon center and taking stock on your pokemon's condition.

Xi-on is raring to go.
Sepher is feeling more comfortable with your commands.
Demetori hungers for the blood of his enemies.

Now that your pokemon feel better, you do as well. You were thinking of taking a break, but maybe you should keep going. There's still so much to improve on after all, and progress is coming in spades... You could get used to being a trainer.

[King Cosmos]

Henrietta Durand

Arsenic Island

Regarding the Nidoran with curious eyes, Henrietta watched as the little Pokémon tried to steel itself for something. It was still afraid, probably more than ever now that her knight had been defeated, but there was something else in its eyes now that hadn’t been there before that caught the trainers interest; a kind of muted determination hidden underneath the fear, that existed in spite of the fear, that was different from the grit and spirit the male had shown her. The Nidoran took a tentative step forward, or tried to at least, only to turn and run without making it any further as her courage failed her.

Had it been her imagination, or were there tears in the little Pokémon’s eyes are it turned away? Perhaps she should have felt bad about that, for scaring her and for capturing her friend, but battling and catching wild Pokémon was what a trainer did; she would raised and care for the Nidoran she had caught and that was the best she could do. Maybe she could have caught the female as well so that they would not be separated, assuming there was anything ties between them in the first place, but the fact of the matter was she didn’t have a need for a Pokémon who was too fearful to battle.

That might have been a cruel stance to take, that certain Pokémon were worth less to her if they weren’t able to battle, but wouldn’t it be equally cruel to force a Pokémon into a life of battles and training and challenges if they weren’t suited for it? The male she had caught was a fighter, she could tell, and would likely adapt well to being a trainer’s Pokémon. The timid little female would not.

But perhaps she would surprise Henrietta in the end. That look in the female Nidoran’s eye before it had fled, the spark that was not quite determination or courage but was something close to it; perhaps she would see the Nidoran again before she left this island and perhaps Henrietta would catch her after all, if she had found her spirit by then.

But these were thoughts for another time. She had but a week to prepare for her upcoming Gym challenge and she had four Pokemon to train now if she included her new friend; there was no time to waste if she wanted her team to be battle ready and capable of winning against this islands Gym Leader. “Come on Atlas. I want to fight a few more battles before we stop for the day; let’s see what we can find.” Turning away from the bushes where the Nidoran had disappeared, Henrietta began to walk away with Atlas at her side. She would travel deeper into the forest and see what she could turn up that wasn’t a Flying type or a Grass type that would serve as a good opponent for her current team.

@Sho Minazuki

[Typical]

Essie Hietz

---

^{Brittanium City || Day 1: Morning}

“Wow. I mean, wow, I saw Champion Rylen live. Like in-person, onstage,” Essie said, still a little stunned as she left the stadium. Walking along at her side was Todd, who was pretty used to her ramblings by now, and on her shoulder, Mica squawked.

“Right, Mica? Like, wow. He’s so cool! The champion of the Chromis League… If I get to fight him… I can’t even imagine it,” she said, sighing. Todd uttered a slow word of disagreement, prompting a laugh from her. “Yeah, Todd, you’re right.”

Looking at the trainers disbanding around her, she grinned again. “Man, there’re so many cool people here, and all of them are trainers!” Would she be able to befriend any of them? Would they see her as nice enough, cool enough to be a friend?

“Tooor,” Todd said again.

“Right, right. Where we’re going, um, what were the options again? Arsenic Island’s the gym, and we have, um, one week to get there, right?” she asked. Todd nodded, Mica squawking a note that may or may not have been agreement, and Essie nodded. “Alright then, well, we have some time? No need to head to the island right now, so let’s take a look around the city! This place is so fancy—is this what all cities are like? I mean, Violet City’s pretty big, but not this big, right?”

“Tooor,” Todd repeated yet again.

“Okay, you’re right, let’s go,” Essie said, making for the main street. “Wasn’t there a park or something in town? Maybe that’ll be a good first stop before we hit the road. We can even get a battle or two in while we’re around a Center. What do you say, Mica? Todd?”

Mica squawked, fluffing her feathers, and Todd uttered a slow word of assent.

“Sweet, race you there, Todd!” Essie said, grinning as she broke out into a run. In reponse, Todd puffed some smoke, withdrawing back into his shell and spinning off after her. Luckily for Essie, the main street was pretty big, though she soon stopped running when strangers started to stare.

“Whoops,” she said, flashing anyone who’d turned to stare an apologetic smile. Cities—she couldn’t wait to get out.

---

Actions

Actions:
Heading to the park to fight 1-2 trainers through Simple Battles, depending.

Pokemon

Pokemon Party:

Todd — Torkoal Todd Torkoal ◼ BE: 3 ◼ ♂ ◼ Shell Armor ◼ 100% ≻ Ancient Power ≻ Smog ≻ Lava Plume ≻ Yawn		Mica — Wingull Mica Wingull ◼ BE: 1 ◼ ♀ ◼ Keen Eye ◼ 100% ≻ Wing Attack ≻ Water Gun ≻ Soak ≻ Supersonic

---

Inventory

Inventory:

• Potions — 5
• Pokeballs — 5
• Revives — 1

[Typical]

Essie Hietz

---

^{Brittanium City || Day 1: Morning}

Arriving at the park, Essie was pleased to find that many trainers had the same idea as her. Trainers engaged in battle speckled the sprawling park, and Essie didn’t make it five steps in before someone approached her and her Pokemon.

“Human trainer, I challenge you!” a boy in a green dinosaur outfit said, raising his gloved arms up and baring the costume’s dull claws dramatically.

“Accepted! And sweet costume! But, um, what are you supposed to be, exactly?” Essie asked. The costume reminded her of a Larvitar, but the outfit was too green and didn’t have any of the telltale red and black.

“I am insulted by your disrespectfulness! I am obviously a Larvitar!” the boy said, huffing. “Prepare to suffer the consequences of your actions! You face Larvitar Frank!”

Essie laughed and, realizing that she’d just angered the boy more, cleared her throat, backing up. “Right, um, the battle. Here is fine, right?”

Pokemaniac Frank

“Tremble before Thundurus!” the boy yelled, throwing a Pokeball, and for one, heart-stopping second, Essie was genuinely scared. Thundurus? The legendary Pokemon? How was she supposed to face that?

What coalesced in the red light, though, was a small, yellow Pokemon that was easily identifiable as not Thundurus, and Essie let out a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding. Thundurus, she couldn’t handle. Pikachu? She probably could.

“Right, Todd, you’re on,” she said.

Todd plodded forwards, smoke puffing out of his shell as Frank loudly faked a laugh in the background. “How low, dishonoring a Pokemon with a human name!” he shouted.

“Well you’re one to talk. Your poor Pikachu is named ‘Thundurus,’” Essie muttered as Todd huffed smoke.

“What?”

“Nothing! Todd, Yawn!”

“Thundurus, Thunderbolt!”

The moves called, the Pokemon rolled into action, Thundurus—Pikachu—bristling with faint flickers of electricity as Todd opened his mouth to yawn, pink bubbles drifting out onto the battlefield. From the Pikachu shot an arc of electricity, striking Todd so brightly Essie had to avert her eyes for a second. When she looked back, Todd looked faintly singed, though less so than the grass around him, which had been reduced to a blackened patch around the Torkoal.

“Nice, Todd! Now Lava Plume!” Essie yelled. On the other side of the battlefield, the boy was vainly trying to get his Pikachu to avoid the pink bubbles Todd had produced, but dodging one led to backing into another, and the boy quickly gave up on that.

“Nevermind that, Thundurus, we’ll just take the poorly-named creature out first! Thunderbolt again!” he yelled.

Once again, the Thunderbolt hit first, further singing Todd, but the Torkoal was not as shaken as before. The Lava Plume he’d been prepping spewed out of his mouth towards the Pikachu, which had been too caught up in executing its Thunderbolt to dodge. The lava hit squarely, engulfing the electric-type and fainting it pretty much instantly. Luckily, Frank had the brains to recall his Pokemon before the lava hardened, which was something Essie had learned through first-hand experience.

“Woah, good shot, Todd!” Essie shouted with a grin. The Yawn hadn’t even been necessary.

“Lucky shot!” Frank retorted from across the field, waving his gloved arms again. “Next time you won’t be so lucky, human!” he shouted, promptly taking off.

“Um, yeah, good fight!” Essie called at the retreating costumed figure as she jogged over to Todd. Mica fluttered down from her shoulder as she bent, looking over the Torkoal. The grass looked worse off, but that didn’t mean Todd looked good. Copious amounts of ash swabbed off with her finger, and Todd looked a bit worn out despite his effort to appear otherwise.

“Alright, to the Center we go, and no you’re not walking,” she said, pulling Todd’s Pokeball from her belt, much to his silent yet watchful protest. “You can walk from the Center, not to, and that’s final.”

The trip to the Pokemon Center was a short one, which Essie figured was about right given that they were smack-dab in the middle of town. Why build the Pokemon Center any further from where all the trainers were sure to gather? So, as soon as she got Todd healed and out of his ball, she was back at the park, this time with the mind to avoid anyone who looked like they had an over-the-top get-up. While she didn’t mind Frank’s enthusiasm, his whole schtick got kinda old towards the end, and Essie still wasn’t sure if his comments had been purely part of his act. If they were, he was a pretty amazing actor, the odds of which didn’t make Essie feel any better.

“Hey, you looking for a battle?” Essie asked a girl who was standing around talking to her Aipom.

She looked up, glancing at the Pokemon at Essie’s side, and smiled. “Sure! Kylie, pleased to meet’cha,” she said, holding out a hand.

“Essie,” Essie said, grinning as she shook Kylie’s hand. Finally, a normal—

“Prepare to lose,” Kylie said, grabbing onto Essie’s hand as she tried to withdraw it. Her smile widened, and Essie recoiled, tugging on her hand desperately until she managed to snap out of Kylie’s grip.

“W-wha—”

“Good luck!” Kylie said, giggling as she skipped a short distance away. Essie stared at her until her Aipom hopped onto the field, the movement shaking her out of her stupor.

“Yeah, um, Mica? You ready?” she asked, looking to her Wingull. Mica squawked happily, taking off with a strong beat of her wings.

Student Kylie

“Aw, cute Wingull! Cha-cha, Fury Swipes!” Kylie shouted. Her Aipom jumped into action, and Essie was left scrambling for a response.

“Um, Mica, Water Gun!” she said, shouting the first thing that came to mind. Water Gun was her go-to move with Mica, as well as a move Essie was extremely familiar with. Besides not being able to count the number of Water Guns she’d coaxed out of baby Pokemon, Water Gun was also the first move Mica had picked up. Essie remembered her Wingull’s first Water Gun fondly, but that one was nowhere near as strong as Mica’s current ones. With age and size came power, and Mica was still growing.

Cha-cha ran at Mica, but the Wingull easily flew out of range, instead landing a torrent of water from squarely above. Though the water hit directly on the Aipom’s head, Cha-cha quickly shook off the water, looking more annoyed than hurt.

“Flying out of reach? That’s cheating! Cha-cha, slap that bird out of the air!” Kylie shouted.

“Dodge it, Mica!” Essie called. However, Mica’s attempt to gain altitude was cut short as Cha-cha leapt into the air, hand raised. Grabbing onto Mica with its tail, the Aipom used its paws to land one Fury Swipes after another as Mica tried to angle her body so that she could land a Water Gun. Cha-cha proved too strong, though; by the third hit, Mica was out cold, dropping from the air, and Essie quickly returned her before she hit the ground.

“You were great, Mica,” she said, the Pokeball still in her hand for a moment before she clasped it back onto her belt.

“Well, I hope your Torkoal proves to be more of a challenge,” Kylie said, flipping her hair over a shoulder. Essie ground her teeth.

“Todd, show ‘em what we got,” she said, crossing her arms. Mica was a bit weak, yes, but she was a baby. The only sparring partner she’d ever had was Todd, who regularly took it easy on the Wingull despite her type advantage already doing plenty for her. So what if Mica was a bit weaker than the norm? Essie wasn’t about to let any insult about her Pokemon slide, even if it were true.

“Lava Plume, Todd!” she shouted.

“Cha-cha, Fury Swipes!”

The Aipom ran at Todd, leaping and landing on the Torkoal to deliver several ferocious-looking scratches onto the Torkoal’s shell. Unfortunately, this also put it in prime blast radius, which it quickly realized, jumping back when lava spewed out of the top of Todd’s shell. Though it leaped away quickly, it didn’t leave unscathed, and it was left shaking molten liquid off its hands a short distance away.

“Tsk, again, Cha-Cha! And this time, aim for the head!” Kylie called.

“Lava Plume again, Todd!” Essie shouted, grinning. The same move again, and aiming for the head? That wasn’t a good strategy, especially not against Todd. As soon as the Aipom leaped for Todd’s head, Todd ducked back into his shell, which glowed in preparation of another spew of lava. Cha-cha was left scrabbling against the front of the Torkoal’s shell as a fresh wave of lava flowed out of the Torkoal, this time proving sufficient to knock out the Aipom.

“Hmph, fine,” Kylie said, reaching for her other Pokeball. She paused, looking up at Todd, then released her other Pokemon. “Rose, show that fire-type that not all plants burn!”

Essie had to wince at the Ferroseed that came out. A double weakness, against Todd? Ferroseed were hardy and didn’t burn as much, but metals had a tendency to soften around Todd.

“Flash Cannon, Rose!”

“Lava Plume!” Essie called, watching as Todd shot a jet of lava at the Ferroseed, which instantly collapsed under the heat. When another second passed without the steel-type stirring, Kylie returned it, sighing.

“Alright, you beat me,” she said, walking around the hardening lava to stretch her hand out to Essie again. “Congratulations. You’re stronger than you look.”

“Thanks, but, um, I’ll pass on the handshake,” Essie said, offering Kylie an awkward, apologetic smile. “Good battle, though!” she said, giving Kylie a thumbs up as she rapidly retreated, Todd at her side. No way was she getting involved with miss hot-and-cold-and-slightly-psycho, nuh-uh.

“Are there no normal people around here?” she asked Todd when they were out of earshot. Todd gave a sympathetic ‘Tor,’ and she sighed. “Well, I hope there are more normal trainers on the road. Maybe it’s just the city—it attracts crazy.”

---

^{Brittanium City || Day 1: Late Morning}

A Pokemon Center trip later, Mica was again squawking happily on her shoulder, and Todd spruced up at her side. Essie, however, was focused on the map on her Pokedex, a frown on her face. “Huh, Arsenic Island is the first gym, right? But it looks closer to Brass Town than to Brittanium City. Why not just head to Brass Town first, then?”

She looked between her Pokemon, both whom were in no position to give her a response. Mica, though, gave her a happy squawk anyway, prompting a laugh from her.

“Thanks, Mica. Alright, it’s settled then. To Route 2 we go!” she said, pointing to the way out of town. “Let’s see if what kinds of cool wilds are around this place. Hopefully we see some rare Pokemon we don’t see back home!” she said, grinning. “Maybe we’ll even find someone to join the team! What do you think about a new teammate, Todd, Mica?”

Todd gave a slow ‘Tor,’ which wasn’t exactly a no, while Mica gave her usual happy squawk.

“I hear you, Todd, but I’m just saying, what if we find the one? Or maybe, if we’re lucky, the two?” Essie asked, at her Torkoal. Todd puffed some smoke, repeating his answer, and Essie sighed. “Yeah, you’re right Todd. But, I mean, still, what if?”

As Essie continued her discussion with Todd, Mica squawked happily on her shoulder, settling into a pitchy song that was more improvisation that what was necessarily needed. Thankfully, the city’s outer edges had fewer people, but Essie still had to ask her to tone it down a few times. As soon as they were out of the town boundaries, though, Essie ended her discussion with Todd in favor of joining Mica in her song. It was nonsensical, but it was fun, and Todd dealt with it by walking to what was probably the beat, much to both Essie and Mica’s delight

---

Actions

Actions:
Two battles down, and now it’s onto Route 2 to look for/battle some wilds.

Pokemon

Pokemon Party:

Todd — Torkoal Todd Torkoal ◼ BE: 6 ◼ ♂ ◼ Shell Armor ◼ 100% ≻ Ancient Power ≻ Smog ≻ Lava Plume ≻ Yawn		Mica — Wingull Mica Wingull ◼ BE: 2 ◼ ♀ ◼ Keen Eye ◼ 100% ≻ Wing Attack ≻ Water Gun ≻ Soak ≻ Supersonic

---

Inventory

Inventory:

• Potions — 5
• Pokeballs — 5
• Revives — 1

[Ryuzaki]

@Flood

Lachlan was amazed by the number of different bug pokemon that he saw as he wandered deeper into the forest, Pushing through low-hanging branches and bushes. When he came to the other side of a bush, he suddenly found a Combee was on his arm where the teal accents were on his sleeves. After a second it flew away from him and buzzed angrily, upset that the boy was not a flower. Lachlan jumped back a bit in suprise, Zigs taking note of the angry bug type and jumping off Lach's shoulder, ready to battle.

"Great idea, Zigs! Lets show 'em." Lach said, assuming a stance where he would be more prepared to command his pokemon.

(Showdown Replay)

Lachlan dusted off his shoulders and looked at Zigs. "See he wasnt nothin." He said while patting the zigzagoon. "You guys took some hits that fight, here," Lachlan said, sending out toxel and reaching into his bag. He retrieved 2 potions from inside and used one on each pokemon. "Alright, lets get back to business." Lach said, returning toxel to her ball and continuing a bit deeper into the forest.

[Flood]

@Typical
Route 2:Forest

As Mica made her way onto Route 2, she eventually found her way to the forest after observing the various stalls around the beginning of the route. As it so happens, she had entered from a different path than another certain young man who had come to the forest looking for a new friend, so she found a whole new variety of Pokemon wandering the forests and going about their lives. Burmy hung from the trees lazily as they photosynthesized and gathered leaves to make themselves a pretty coat, a group of Yungoose dashed by aggressively chasing after a Rattata, a Snubbul arguing with a Smeargle about the painting(?) it was making on a nearby rock. It was all so beautiful, that it was almost easy to miss the shrill cry piercing through the air and that a Starly was flying DIRECTLY AT MICA'S FACE!

A Wild Pokemon Appeared!

Starly ♂
Battle Experience: 5
Moves: Quick Attack
Growl
Wing Attack
Fury Attack