“It’s fine,” Aedre said, doing her best to smother the roll of guilt that washed over her when Amber brought up thieving Pokemon. Instead, she focused on Amber’s mention of the gym. She herself hadn’t thought to challenge the gyms before since she had only ever been a visitor in Kosei. Now, though, it looked like she might be staying a while, or at least until she was able to find what she’d… lost.
A soft flutter at her shoulder signalled Little’s landing.
“Hey, Little.” Reaching up to scratch Little’s chin, Aedre smiled, which prompted Thea to shift indignantly on her lap.
“Toge,” Thea said, pointing at Little with a glare. “Togepi.”
Little preened his feathers nonchalantly, pretending not to notice. Beside Aedre, Decus shifted, his sash drifting above him as he pushed away his bowl of mince, watching Thea and Little with what Aedre could only interpret as interest.
“Alright, upsy-daisy,” Aedre said, standing and lifting Thea up. Little managed to stay on her shoulder despite the motion, but his brief moment of imbalance afforded Thea a satisfied “To!” which Little took with a curt ruffle of his feathers.
“Should we head to the gym then?” Aedre asked, ignoring her Pokemon in favor of Amber. “We’re ready to go when you are.”
Team:
Pasithea “Thea” ♀ — Togepi (12)
Attacks:Growl, Charm, Metronome, Sweet Kiss
Ability:Serene Grace
Alitis “Little” ♂ — Fletchling (12)
Attacks:Tackle, Growl, Quick Attack
Ability:Gale Wings
Decus “Dee” ♂ — Honedge (6)
Attacks:Tackle, Swords Dance, Fury Cutter
Ability:No Guard
Bag Items:
Pokedex (with Kosei Region Map)
Smart Phone
Credit Card linked to a private account that houses a decent amount of money
Poke Radar
Collapsable Bike with two gears (third for bike ramps, fourth for muddy slopes)
Aedre blinked. “Well, that’s true,” she said, repocketing the Water Stone. Better safe than sorry which, in this case, was feeding the stone to Almandine, who had by now noticed the stone and responded accordingly with a cry and a few gouges on her chair.
“Oh, no. That was my fault—for offering the stone. I’ll go explain it,” Aedre said, rising from her seat and looking around for someone in a uniform. Spotting someone wiping down the tables with the help of his Shellos, Aedre walked over, her nerves kicking in now that she was closing the distance. What was she going to say? ‘Sorry for inciting the destruction of governmental property?’
Her eyes drifted to the other trainers in the canteen, some with all their Pokemon out and some with none at all. Perhaps she could offer to replace the chair that saw so much use before today—that’d be a start, right?
The Pokemon Center employee noticed her approach, looking up, and Aedre jumped on her chance.
“Hi, um, I’d like to report a damaged chair.” Aedre pointed to where Amber sat with a sheepish smile. “Is there some sort of replacement or reimbursement policy?”
“If it works it’s good,” the man said, holding his towel out to receive another dribble of water from his Shellos. “And if it’s good, you’re good.”
Aedre paused. “Oh, alright,” she said, hesitating briefly before heading back to Amber. Well, it was true that the chair still worked. A glancing couple claw marks that didn’t affect the integrity of the structure didn’t matter much in the long run. Besides, Pokemon probably damaged property all the time. This was likely neither the first nor last time something would be scratched in the Center, and with all this reasoning Aedre was starting to wonder whether she should be feeling more guilty.
“He said, ‘if it works it’s good,’” Aedre told Amber. “I guess this isn’t a rare occurrence.”
When Aedre sat, Thea sidled up to her, planting herself on Aedre's lap. A glance at her other Pokemon told Aedre they were ready to leave, and she made a mental note to record that Decus didn’t end up eating anything after all.
“Do you have plans for this morning?” Aedre asked, looking at Amber. While she was in limbo, unable to do anything except wait, she could still tag along and help out when possible. Better something than nothing, right?
Team:
Pasithea “Thea” ♀ — Togepi (12)
Attacks:Growl, Charm, Metronome, Sweet Kiss
Ability:Serene Grace
Alitis “Little” ♂ — Fletchling (12)
Attacks:Tackle, Growl, Quick Attack
Ability:Gale Wings
Decus “Dee” ♂ — Honedge (6)
Attacks:Tackle, Swords Dance, Fury Cutter
Ability:No Guard
Bag Items:
Pokedex (with Kosei Region Map)
Smart Phone
Credit Card linked to a private account that houses a decent amount of money
Poke Radar
Collapsable Bike with two gears (third for bike ramps, fourth for muddy slopes)
Route 2: True Infested Woods || Night Butterfree were supposed to be the nice bug-types—the ones that couldn't help their muted emotions and apathetic kindness, fluttering overhead and sprinkling glittery dust over trainers marching off into the sunset. What they weren’t supposed to be, though, was terrifying, and that was exactly what they’d become at the moment. Even the second it took for Eryn to register what was happening and snap out of her shocked gaping was one second too many, and when Eryn collected herself she knew all she had time for was snap decisions.
“Run!” Eryn took off, leading her Pokemon into the denser part of the forest where she hoped the foliage would serve to block some of the falling dust. “Kylie, Fairy Wind overhead! Dei, Ember anything that gets too close!”
In her arms, Tula wiggled, causing Eryn to clutch her tighter. No time to return her Magikarp right now, unfortunately. She barely had enough headspace to figure out where she was going and how she was going to avoid tripping, nevermind trying to retrieve Tula’s Pokeball.
“This way!” Eryn skipped over exposed roots and overgrown vines, doing her best to avoid anything her Pokemon wouldn’t be able to run over themselves. As the trainer, she was unable to do anything helpful in terms of abilities, so she’d do her best to do everything else and leave that up to her Pokemon. She’d briefly considered returning her Pokemon and running for it herself, but that would be dangerous—suicidal, even, especially given the status effects involved. If she were to get poisoned or paralyzed out in the woods… well, she’d rather not consider those possibilities at the moment. Plus, Kylie would probably be able to blow the worst part of the dust away to allow for an escape, though that probably wouldn’t buy them too much time. More than anything, Eryn was counting on the Butterfree not giving chase. She’d trespassed on their territory and presented herself as a threat, most likely, so hopefully they wouldn’t be too vengeful if she were heading in the opposite direction.
“I officially hate Butterfree!” Eryn shouted as she ran, more out of exasperation than frustration now. This was a little too much stress than she signed up for, and between the adrenaline and the icy numbness that came with fear, she was having a hard time figuring out what to do if the Butterfree didn’t let up. She deserved this, she supposed, for trying to brave the dangerous part of the woods in the dead of night. She shouldn’t have expected anything short of status effect-focused moves when taking on bug-types, and now she was doing her best to running away from the consequences.
Actions: Eryn is hightailing it away from the Butterfree swarm and into the denser part of the forest, wherever that may be. To allow for an escape, she’s told Kylie to Fairy Wind away the first bit of dust overhead, and Dei will be ready to burn away the leftovers as well as any Butterfree if they choose to swoop close enough.
Route 2: True Infested Woods || Night The darkness was humid and murky, and Dei’s fire offered Eryn little solace as the bug-catcher’s words ran through her head again. ‘It’s dangerous in there at night,’ he’d said, and her experience moments earlier of almost walking into a nest of Spinarak remained unpleasantly close to her thoughts. By now, she’d revised her plan from training in the deep woods to just popping in and out to get a glimpse of the ghosts she’d heard about. From what she knew, most of the wilds in the woods were bug- and poison-types, neither of which were particularly effective against her Pokemon. That said, she loathed the thought of Dei getting poisoned when they were in the ‘dangerous’ part of the woods, so she figured she’d best save training for the daylight hours. Now, she’d have her Pokemon conserve their strength for emergencies—and cross her fingers that there won’t be any.
The fact that there were ghosts rumoured to haunt the insect-dominated Infested Woods confused her: why would any ghost-type choose to compete with bug-types, especially poison-types that, being nocturnal, often picked up some nasty defensive moves of their own? It didn’t make much sense unless, of course, the ‘ghosts’ she’d heard about weren’t ghosts at all. Maybe, just maybe, the rumours were more than what they seemed.
“Careful!” Eryn hissed, spotting another swath of webs precariously close to where she and her team were trying to traverse.
Hearing her warning, Kylie skirted the obstacle and dusted herself off with a displeased “Maw.” On her other side, Dei growled, his tail flaming brighter for a moment to warn the invisible Spinarak off.
“Awfully dark place. Wonder if the warden actually lives here?” Eryn smoothed her fingers over Tula’s scales as she walked, more to calm herself than anything. Though she’d never been one to be afraid of the dark, she’d have to admit that the woods wore darkness in their own way, and she was thoroughly unsettled. “Well, wherever she is, I hope we find her soon.”
The ‘path’ seemed to grow smaller as the four continued on, the forest eating away with shadows and shrubbery at the road she seemed to be following. Even the ponds seemed menancing, holding unknown promises of slippery mud and treacherous inhabitants. Eryn gave Tula another stroke as she continued on, now hoping she found the warden before she had to turn around and admit the fact that she might very well be lost.
Actions: It's a combination of hurrying and moving along as Eryn tries to lead her team through the woods to find the warden she’d heard about. She’s also looking for the ghost she heard rumours about, but she’s more focused on moving through and finding the warden (or anyone, really) at the moment. So if the warden doesn't appear, she'll probably end up going deeper into the woods... fingers crossed something happens before then.
Route 2 || Night While Eryn didn’t see herself actively reaching for a fishing rod in the future, she didn’t mind the extra tool in her backpack even if it stuck out at an awkward angle no matter how she strapped it to her bag. Nevertheless, she had a broad grin on her face as she thanked Darryl, promising to call him when she passed through Fairsee in the far—or near—future.
The outer Infested Woods were, much to Eryn’s surprise, a beacon much brighter than Dei’s in the darkness. Gold lit the leaves and elevated them to ethereal status, reflecting off the puddles off the ground and turning them into pools of molten light that failed to lose their luster even after Eryn was close enough to identify the source of the glows.
“Volbeats, right.” Eryn snapped her Pokedex close, tucking it away to return her hand to Tulu’s flank. “There’s so many… Wonder if there’s an Illumise nearby?” Eryn paused, spotting the strange, cluster-like shapes the Volbeat streams were outlining in the sky. “Huh, weird.”
A growl from Dei prompted Eryn out of her upwards stare, and she looked ahead to spot a few figures bathed in golden light. Trainers armed with nets and… couples and families. Here to enjoy the show, it seemed, and Erin couldn't blame them.
“Well, wasn’t expecting a mob of Volbeats when I headed here,” Eryn said, waving at a net-armed trainer as she approached, Dei and Kylie in tow. “Do you know what’s up with the formations? Why the shapes?” The bug-type enthusiast seemed as good a person as any to ask about the Volbeats’ strange behavior.
“Also, are any of you planning on heading deeper into the woods? I was hoping to see whether the rumors I heard about ghosts in the woods had any merit,” Eryn explained with a grin. No harm in trying to get some more manpower when heading into the dark, she figured, and there was no better group of people to tag along with in the literal Infested Woods.
If the Bug Catchers aren’t planning on heading deeper into the forest, Eryn will head in directly. If the Bug Catchers are planning on heading in, Eryn will tag along, waiting for them if required. Should she be made to wait, Eryn will look around for some bug-types other than Volbeats to train on, having Dei Ember them and Kylie support with Growls in the back. If either of her Pokemon fall below 50% in health, she’ll heal at the hut before heading deeper into the woods.
@Balthazar007 Been a long minute there, but I'd love to join in again too! I'll be rebooting my old characters as well, though I believe I'll be editing Dana's team and Camden's personality (keeping the rest the same), and I'm open to running edits by you over OOC or PM when I get to them. That sound okay with you?
Route 2 || Night Eryn stared at the orange fish she’d reeled up, watching as it flopped on the dock. Was she surprised she’d reeled up the most common fish in the region and perhaps even the world? Of course not, and she felt dumb even thinking that she was a bit disappointed.
“Well, would you say it’s worth catching?” Eryn asked, glancing at the fisherman. “Wait.” She paused, looking back at the beached Magikarp. “You know what, don’t answer that.” She’d pulled up her first catch, and sure it wasn’t the most fascinating specimen—alright, so maybe not even an interesting specimen—but hadn’t she been the one internally touting that she hadn’t signed up to be a trainer to coast along? She’d signed up for the long haul: the side routes, dead ends, and all, and what better personified a temporary setback for long-term gain than a Magikarp?
“Sorry about that,” Eryn said, crouching and touching the Magikarp’s scales. They were slick smooth, built more like a carapace than like individual scales and surprisingly solid to the touch. As if registering her touch, the Magikarp stilled its flopping, its round eye staring up at her with an indecipherably blank gaze.
“Of course you’re worth catching,” Eryn murmured, retrieving a Pokeball with a grin. “You’re worth catching, even if it’s just ‘cuz I’m the one who fished you up,” she said, pressing the Pokeball to the Magikarp’s flank. Immediately, the Magikarp disappeared, engulfed into the red glow and into the Pokeball that glowed in Eryn’s palm. The capsule hummed with indecisive energy, caught between shaking and stilling for an uncertain second as Eryn stared down at it, uncertain herself. Then, the glow faded, and Eryn grinned anew.
“Alright, let’s see,” Eryn said, pressing the button and pocketing the Pokeball before she caught the newly-released Magikarp in midair, huffing. “Big gal, huh, Tula. Welcome to the team.”
Lowering the Magikarp down so that her other two Pokemon could take a gander, Eryn watched their reactions carefully, scanning their faces for any sort of indication as to what their thoughts were. Dei was, unsurprisingly, unimpressed with his new teammate, which he punctuated with a smoky snort after he finished looking Tula over. Kylie, on the other hand, slowly neared the fish, pressing a black-gloved hand to Tula’s scales before snapping the hand back and glancing at it. Then, she repeated the movement, this time leaving her hand on Tula’s scales and peering into the Magikarp’s eyes with a friendly smile.
“Mawile,” she said, stretching the syllables out in a sing-song manner. Dei snorted again.
“Glad that you both approve,” Eryn said, holding Dei’s gaze for an additional moment before straightening again, Tula circled in her arms. “Thanks for the tips, Mr. Fisherman. I think I’m set on fishing for a bit here, but thanks for letting me borrow the fishing rod.”
If the fisherman took the rod back, Eryn would move on without another thought since she doesn’t see herself actively reaching for it in the foreseeable future anyway. If he told her to keep it, though, she’d be pleasant surprised and accept, being the kind of person who liked to have too much over too little. A practical hoarder, if you will, though she’d keep herself within limits since she’s travelling. And she’d get the fisherman’s name and contact information through her Pokedex to keep him updated on her Magikarp because, after all, she owes her catch to him from tools and execution to reeling and completion.
Then, having properly thanked the fisherman again, she’d head along to the Infested Woods because what better time than the dead of night to see if the rumors about ghosts were really true?
“Right-o, Dei. Get that flame ready for some action.” Eryn grinned, patting Tula’s side as she watched Dei’s tail flick in front, the glow a small beacon in the darkness. “Don’cha worry, Tutu. You just watch and see how it’s done for now.” Given the darkness, she kept her ears perked instead of her eyes. She’d get some last training in before she called it a night and maybe—just maybe—get a glimpse or two of the rumored ghost-types haunting the woods.
Aedre woke up to her alarm, and she stretched before sitting up, yawning. Murmuring a ‘morning’ to her Pokemon, she got ready for the day, reading through her messages and emails as she did so. Obviously, she’d gotten no word back from the police yet. It was too early for that. From her lab back home she got reassurance and encouragement, which she’d expected. Her mentors were too nice for their own good, though they admitted that they were unable to disclose more information about the package at this time. They would get back to her as soon as they could, they said.
“Right.” Aedre sighed, picking up her bag. “Breakfast?”
The cafeteria was sparsely populated when Aedre arrived, though she picked out Amber among the tables, who looked engrossed in her laptop. Herding her Pokemon towards the food, Aedre filled a tray with bowls before joining Amber at her table.
“Good morning!” Aedre said with a smile as she slid the bowls of Pokeblocks out for her Pokemon. “The food here looks great.”
Rubbing Thea’s shell with a hand, Aedre paused to watch her Pokemon dig in—or, rather, just Thea, since she was the only one enthusiastically inhaling her meal. Little ate in the carefully peckish way he did, tossing pieces into the air and swallowing them after he gave them a thorough examination with his beak, and Decus seemed more interested in cutting up his Pokeblocks than eating them, which made Aedre wonder if he even ate.
“I see Almandine’s loving her meal,” Aedre noted, seeing the Sableye crunching down her meal with a wide grin. Then, remembering her Water Stone, she retrieved it, giving it to Amber. “Here—as thanks for the Dusk Stone. Took me a minute to realize that I don’t actually need this.”
Team:
Pasithea “Thea” ♀ — Togepi (12)
Attacks:Growl, Charm, Metronome, Sweet Kiss
Ability:Serene Grace
Alitis “Little” ♂ — Fletchling (12)
Attacks:Tackle, Growl, Quick Attack
Ability:Gale Wings
Decus “Dee” ♂ — Honedge (6)
Attacks:Tackle, Swords Dance, Fury Cutter
Ability:No Guard
Bag Items:
Pokedex (with Kosei Region Map)
Smart Phone
Credit Card linked to a private account that houses a decent amount of money
Poke Radar
Collapsable Bike with two gears (third for bike ramps, fourth for muddy slopes)
Route 2 || Night The fisherman seemed nice enough, and his Pokemon were certainly impressive. The Vaporeon was the first to notice Eryn approaching, alerting the fisherman, who seemed rather unsurprised. So unsurprised, in fact, that he offered Eryn a fishing rod without batting an eye.
“Oh, thanks,” Eryn said, receiving the fishing rod with some surprise. Taking the fisherman up on his offer, she sat down beside him, Dei and Kylie gathering on the other side of her. “Er, like this, then…” Eryn fumbled with the hook for a bit before managing to cast the line. Though she’d fished before, she’d only done so a few times to make sure she had the basic trainer skills down. Past being able to cast and reel, she was out of her element.
“Right, waiting.” Straightening, Eryn turned back to the fisherman, who was again waking up his Swampert. “Long day?” It was getting late, but Eryn didn’t feel too tired yet. She glanced at her Pokemon. Dei stood beside her, staring impassively at the fisherman’s Pokemon, and Kylie sat next to him, dangling her legs over the edge of the dock as she peered into the water. Then, as if noticing Eryn’s gaze, Kylie looked up, grinning as she met Eryn’s eyes.
“Maw,” she said, kicking her legs back and forth.
“Glad you two aren’t that worn out yet,” Eryn said with a smile. Then, remembering the fisherman’s question, her smile turned sheepish. “I’m at Dragon Lake, so tips on finding Pokemon would be great. I’m looking to catch a water-type and, if possible, a dragon-type.” She paused. “But, other than that, do you know any good training spots? And fishing spots, I guess,” she said, glancing down at the bob floating in the water. “Or any interesting rumors you’ve heard. I’d be up for an adventure.”
Remram
Achronum
