Chezka

The Awakening

Relief washed over Luke at Devon's confirmation, and he returned his sarcastic grin with a sincere one. It took him a while to get used to the dark haired boy's sarcastic tendencies. Luke initially had a hard time discerning when to take his words at face value and when not to, and that led to a lot of pretty embarrassing missteps. They seemed to clash in everything they did, but instead of making them drift apart as he originally feared, their contrasting personalities actually made them closer as friends. Synergy born from antitheses or something like that.

In any case, he felt stupid for even worrying about it in the first place. Of course that was Devon; who else could it be? A gho-- Luke had to physically stop himself from finishing the thought, tapping his hands lightly against his head repeatedly to do so, or he would start freaking out all over again. His heartbeat already went up a notch, and he had to take a deep breath to regain his composure. Looking around, he realized that the others have already eased into their less than ideal surroundings. Devon was still in his corner of darkness and enigma, but the others have all convened by the couch, watching as Anwen did her fortune telling. It was only him that was still jumpy. Luke scrunched his nose in disdain as he realized how ridiculous he was being, but even he was amused by his own folly. Right now, he was acting like a little kid afraid of his own shadow! He chuckled to himself, feeling slightly relieved.

"Stop lurking in the dark and join us here, bogeyman," Luke called out jokingly before he sat down across from Aidyn and Nixie. He caught only the last bit of Anwen's predictions, about there being an impending drastic change, but he made sure to keep it mind. His lips curve into a gentle smile as he thought back on Anwen's previous tarot readings, most of which were pretty spot on. That was pretty amazing!

Luke glanced up at Aidyn after she gave the group some suggestions of things they could do. He noticed the tiny girl looked less at ease than the others, and he was suddenly worried that she was feeling guilty about the situation they were in. Almost as if he were driven by instincts, his hand automatically reached across to ruffle the girl's hair and he flashed her a comforting smile. Aidyn should have been used to this habit of his by now. He does it whenever he thinks he sees her start to get restless.

In response, Nixie suggested a round of hide and seek. Luke was conflicted. On one hand, this would be the first time he'd get to play the game. The disadvantage to his family's constant traveling was that he never stayed in one place long enough to get to know and befriend kids his own age. This was one of the things he'd always wanted to try. On the other hand, and this was a big drawback, scary mansion. He wasn't too keen on the idea of willingly separating himself from the others and hiding alone in a dark corner, where there were probably more eerie crows and gho— y'know.

Before he could share his worries, Devon had joined them and casually sat down on the couch, nary a word about the bird perched atop his head. Luke stared at black bird for a moment, then chuckled. It still gave him the creeps, but he couldn't shake the feeling that the two of them just fit together. He told Devon as much, commenting on how the bird looks completely comfortable with him.

Anyway, that was two for hide and seek. Luke didn't want to spoil the others' fun, so he decided to tough it out and kept quiet.

The Awakening

I'll have a post up later today! I'm almost done, but I have to step out for a bit so I can't finish it until I get back.

The Lost Lands of Ialdia: A paired high fantasy RP

I'm thinking of either a female human, maybe of noble descent. She'd be like a songstress/bard, so her specialty lies in supportive/protective magic.

Or maybe a blind elf/half-elf. She'd use her magic so she'd have sight to some degree, although it can't completely compensate for it.

Pokemon: League of Champions

Looking back at it now, Juliette has come to the conclusion that she probably did deserve this punishment. Well, just a little. All she did was sneak into the engine room and tinker with the electrical wiring for a bit. Sure, she caused a two-hour blackout, but the ship came out ten times more efficient after she was done with it! They should be grateful that she had optimized their whole system. Juliette looked at the bald man doggedly standing by the cabin's entrance, arms crossed stiffly and mouth turned in a stern frown, and grinned sheepishly. They were pretty light with the punishment, all things considered. For messing with the electricity, she was only confined within the ship's deckhouse, and was to remain there until they'd arrived at Azure Bay.

Juliette stared up at the bald man again, the gears in her head grinding as she tried to come up with a way to get past him. Light punishment or not, she didn't take well to sitting still and she'd been stuck in the room for five hours now. Her Klefki hovered beside her, the keys he collected rattling as laughter racked his frame, watching in amusement as his trainer tried to sweet talk her way out of confinement. So far, it was a no go. Juliette deliberately jutted her lower lip out and batted her eyelash in what she thought was an attractive way, pleading with the most persuasive tone she could muster, but nope. No reaction at all.

She clicked her tongue and plopped down on the leather couch huffily, throwing her hands up in an exaggerated display of defeat. Bah, that cutesy act used to be super effective when she was younger. She supposed she needed to find another tactic now. Lockhart was still laughing at her, but he unlinked his arms and patted her hair in sympathy anyway.

Juliette blew a few loose strands of her bangs out of her face. "Guess I should just wait it out, huh, Locke?"

There was another rattling of keys as the Klefki nodded, still looking very much amused.

Luckily, the wait didn't turn out to be that long. They arrived at the port city within an hour, and soon as they had docked, she was allowed to join the other chosen trainers disembarking the ship. Juliette reveled at her freedom and bounded out and down to the docks with a spring in her step. She passed by the other trainers as she made her way down, some of whom she had gotten to know during her time under Bill's tutelage. Cynthia and her had been acquainted just weeks ago, in fact, after she upgraded her Pokedex's software. The blonde gave her a greeting in passing before returning to her heated debate with Drake.

As she reached the bridge, she took a moment to soak in the sight, welcoming the gentle sea breeze that ruffled her hair and tickled her nose. The ocean stretched endlessly beyond the horizon, a sheet of sparkling blue, broken only by the occasional water Pokemon jumping out. There were Wingulls and Pelippers circling above them, cawing happily amongst themselves. Juliette reached for the configured Dive Ball on her belt and released her Nova out for a quick dive. The Starmie spun into the water with flourish, its gem gleaming bright as it excitedly plunged deeper into the ocean.

As she waited for Nova to return, Juliette caught sight of an imminent battle just off the port. She took a seat on a nearby bench and watched them, curiosity piqued. From what she could glean, the Unova ex-champion was being challenged by a trainer, and there was a dark haired trainer willing to officiate the match. She recognized them all as passengers of the ship, the few whom she had yet to get acquainted with. Although, as a fellow Unovan, Juliette knew about Jay Rayne and his record-breaking conquest. Her sister was a pretty big fan of his, but then he got involved in that scandal. She'd always wondered why he beat up that trainer. Maybe she could ask him about it...

With nothing else to do, Juliette and Locke cheered from the sidelines as the battle began, whooping enthusiastically just for the heck of it. It was pretty exciting watching an ex-champ battle.

Lost Lands of Ialdia

I'd like to throw in my interest! The pairing aspect seems like it'd make for really interesting player dynamics.
I'd be throwing off the balance, though. :<

Pokemon: League of Champions

I'll get to posting soon! :D How's your collab battle going?

The Pokémon Ranger Association

Are we waiting on anyone in particular? :0

The Awakening

There was something haunting about the night's gentle breeze. It rattled trees and fences, and made spooky hissing noises every once in a while. If he listened really closely, he could almost hear his name being whispered! A shiver ran down his spine at the thought, but Luke tried his best to ignore it. He couldn't be scared, he told himself repeatedly. It would only worry the others, and they had enough on their plate. Although, to be honest, he didn't really know what the fuss was all about. He couldn't understand why it mattered who stayed in someone else's home the longest. Was it really important to prove yourself to others?

Luke shook his head, pushing his thoughts away. None of that mattered anyway. Aidyn had seemed determined to see the challenge through, and Luke wanted to support her as best as he can. It didn't matter what the reason was; he didn't want to let Aidyn and the others down. If he had to be brave, for his sake as well as everyone else's, then so be it.

Of course, that was easier said than done.

Luke held his yellow flashlight with both hands, grip tightening the nearer they got to the creepy mansion. It took all of his energy to ignore the shadows dancing around his peripheral vision—why does nighttime make everything creepy?! He hummed softly to himself to soothe his frayed nerves, but it didn't help much. The only thing that gave him some solace was the narrow beam of light radiating from his flashlight. He concentrated on how it broke through the darkness, and although he still had to muster all of his courage to even move one step, he found that he wasn't as jittery as before.

Once they were in the mansion, Luke wasn't sure whether to be relieved or be even more terrified. Upon stepping foot in the decrepit building, a strange sense of foreboding had washed over him, and it felt like something was trying to stop him from going further. He chalked it up to his skittishness, though; he was definitely just being a scaredy cat.

Still, the whole place looked exactly like the haunted mansion from that movie he watched, right down to the old-fashioned furniture. Luke drifted toward the brightest part of the room—which was by the television, where Aidyn had set down her lantern—automatically. Unlike the others, he didn't feel particularly compelled to explore. In fact, he really wouldn't mind if they just stayed in the living room all night. Watching the others curiously move about the room made him smile, though. At least they looked like they were having fun.

"Are you cold, Nixie?" he asked, after the younger girl had asked about a weird icy feeling. He knew that her skin was always unnaturally cold, but that didn't mean she didn't get cold once in a while, right? "I can lend you my jacket, if you waa--"

Luke's heart practically leapt out of his chest when a crow popped out of nowhere and flew out the window, only to return moments later to perch on something… or was that someone?... by the door. His eyes trailed after the dark bird, and as he looked down to avoid staring at its creepy red eyes, he had to do a double take.

"D-Devon… ?" he asked uncertainly, making sure that it was indeed their friend standing by there.

Pokemon: League of Champions

Juliette McIver

Name: Juliette McIver
Age: 19
Gender: Female

Why you were accepted:
Juliette was invited to the Mande Region under unique circumstances. Unlike the others, she was allowed to enter not because of her prowess as a trainer, even though she has shown great potential in training her Pokemon, but because of her technological expertise. Despite how eccentric and sometimes downright airheaded she may seem, Juliette is actually an engineering genius. She is known throughout Unova for her incomparable technological innovations... and also for her quirky habits, but that's beside the point.

After graduating from a prestigious tech academy in Unova at only fourteen years old, the Pokemon Researcher Bill approached her and personally took her in as his protégée. He taught her everything he could, and even traveled with her to expose her to the different types of technological advancements specific to each region. Under Bill's tutelage, Juliette was able to dabble in many different fields and get hands-on experience with industry-standard technology. During those five years, she has made considerable contributions in the development of the holo caster and has made improvement upon gadgets like the Xtransceiver and the Pokedex. She also has several prototypes under her belt, which are currently being tested and iterated upon even now.

Juliette was sent to the Mande Region in order to spearhead the maintenance of the region's Pokemon Storage System. She had recently optimized the system and managed to increase storage space, so she was the first choice for the job.

Pokemon:



Klefki
Nickname: Lockhart, or Locke
Gender: Male
Ability: Prankster
Bio: Carefree and fun-loving, Locke is usually quick to go along with his trainers whims. He's often in a playful mood, but if Juliette is ever in danger, he becomes overprotective and serious. Juliette and Locke have been together for as long as she can remember. In fact, her mom once told her that Locke hatched the same day she was born, and that they've been inseparable since. She doesn't know if that was another of her mom's tall tales, but it is true that Locke has been her constant companion. From kindergarten to her academy days, the sprightly Klefki has always been there to support her. Long story short, he's family. Juliette can't imagine not having him by her side.

The two of them are definitely kindred spirits. Locke is perhaps the only one able to get in the same wavelength as his odd trainer, which is actually quite a feat, considering how scattered and random the girl's way of thinking is. He can anticipate when she's about to go into her engineering mode—a state in which Juliette is fixated on her craft and forgets everything else, even eating and sleeping—and knows how to snap her out of it. He can read her like a book, and just one glance is enough for him to tell her current mood. He can even understand her when she starts spouting nonsense! Their tight bond is a blessing during battles.

Other: Locke's most treasured item is a small toy screwdriver keychain, the one Juliette used to play with as a child. He doesn't let anyone touch it.



Porygon-Z
Nickname: Crypto, but Juliette usually just calls him C
Gender: N/A
Ability: Download
Bio: Juliette received Crypto from the ones who first recognized her aptitude for engineering, Doctor Fennel and her sister Amanita. She got it as a Porygon2, and later on got C to evolve using a boot disk that contains a program she wrote, although it was mostly by accident and she's pretty sure (like, 99.5% sure) she can't replicate it. C is as absentminded as they come, lost in its own world most of the time. It is always earnestly trying to help others, but because of its klutziness, it usually ends up making bigger a mess. Juliette likes to coddle it, especially when it gets startled and goes into a panicked frenzy.



Rotom
Nickname: Tinkerer, or just Tink
Gender: N/A
Ability: Levitate
Bio: Restless and overly energetic, Tink likes to keep moving. It absolutely hates staying in one form for more than a few days, so Juliette has to set up a 'transformation station' for it wherever they go (which is harder than you'd think, considering she has to purchase new appliances every time she stays at a different region). Tink is her engineering partner. It likes to join her whenever she's working on new inventions, and the two of them experiment on her inventions all the time.



Golurk
Nickname: Titan
Gender: N/A
Ability: Iron Fist
Bio: Titan is the epitome of a gentle giant. Protective and nurturing, it treats Juliette like its child and fusses over her constantly. It's like that for her other Pokemon, as well. Titan acts like a mother hen; it scolds the others (Juliette included) when they're too rowdy and soothes them when they're troubled.



Starmie
Nickname: Nova
Gender: N/A
Ability: Natural Cure
Bio: Nova is meticulous with its appearance. It likes to preen and always ensures that its gem is perfectly polished. It often acts haughty, especially in front of people and Pokemon it isn't familiar with, but those who know better have seen that it has a surprisingly meek side. Nova gets along with Titan the best, most likely because it feels like the others are too exuberant and childish for its standards.



Genesect
Nickname: Juliette can't name Genesect, but she likes to call it Genny or Gen.
Gender: N/A
Ability: Download
Bio: Juliette met Genesect when she visited one of her academy's labs. It was put there for protection after the whole Team Plasma incident transpired, but it was starting to feel suffocated after years of confinement. After being assigned to make tweaks on the cannon that was attached to it, she and Genesect bonded and she managed to befriend it not long after. The scientists in charge of Genesect saw that her companionship was having a positive effect on Genesect, so they decided to temporarily leave it under her care.

Genesect is unexpectedly very naïve and often falls for Locke and Tink's pranks. It hasn't gotten a lot of chances to see the current world, so it's always amazed by everything it sees.

The Awakening

Name: Luke Alexander

Age: Twelve

Gender: Male

Element: Light

Personality:
Luke sees the world through one-of-a-kind, rose-tinted glasses that never seem to crack. He is ever the optimist. His faith in the goodness of others is as unwavering as his firm belief that no matter how dire the situation, there will always be a silver lining just around the corner. He's a walking ball of sunshine on a daily basis, happily bouncing from one place to another. Frowny faces, beware! Luke has designated himself as an official cheerer-upper, and he won't rest until he has cured any bad mood in sight. If it isn't obvious already, Luke is also the type to earnestly pursue any and all endeavors, no matter how trivial a task. He won't ever be content if he's not giving it his all.

Suffice it to say, it is far too easy to take advantage of his inherent good-naturedness. His willingness to trust in others has made him very susceptible to getting tricked and manipulated, and he is embarrassingly terrible at picking up on even the most blatant of lies. He will seriously fall for any trick. Luke can be easily swayed by sentiments and emotions as well, so he's not exactly the best one to approach for unclouded judgments.

History:
His father told him once that he was born in a remote island, thousands of miles away from Rayville. Luke thought it was rather fitting. After all, he was born to a mother with a terrible case of wanderlust and a best-selling novelist of a father who was only too eager to appease his wife. So they traveled, a lot. At only twelve, Luke has already seen more of the world than others would in their lifetime. They flitted from one country to another, staying just long enough to see and appreciate the beauty of the locale. Luke embraced their nomadic lifestyle, but he knew it wouldn't last forever. There was a reason his mom wanted to see as much of the world in as little time as possible.

Luke had just turned twelve when his mom passed away. He and his father eventually settled in Rayville afterward, as it was there that his mom asked to be buried. They couldn't fathom ever leaving her there alone, so they stayed. It didn't feel right traveling without her, anyway.

It's been six months since then. They've mostly coped, and even though his father still didn't laugh as much as he used to, he knew they would be okay. It was difficult adjusting to their new lifestyle, it actually still is, but Luke was lucky to have met his group of friends. They showed him the ropes and continue to teach him about things he still doesn't have a firm grasp on… mostly social etiquette.

Secret: Luke is absolutely terrified of the dark (and of the occult by extension) and he'll actually burst out crying if he's left alone in any remotely dark area. He can't even sleep without a nightlight on!

Other: Luke's a natural athlete, even though he doesn't look like it all. He has fast reflexes and pretty good stamina.