Set in the original region of Arciel, Legends Rising is a route-inspired, but not strictly route-based, Pokemon roleplay. Pick a faction, pick a class, and strike out into the wild to take on the League, master Contest coordination, research the mysteries of Pokemon and Arciel, and much, much more. Will you be a classic trainer? A criminal? A farmer? Choose your destiny on Legends Rising.
A repeat ball, hm? Atticus snorted. “Might have come in handy capturing that Umbreon…” he murmured more to himself than to Shalin then. He really didn’t expect to be capturing Pokemon he already had, but he supposed there was expectations for everything.
“Hm?” Atty registered something else before Shalin’s words, and his head turned backwards. Something was coming— from two sides? “Top…” The Lycanroc growled softly— Her eyes caught the Hitmonchan that was coming from the other way— and her entire body tensed when a roar hit from the other side. Topaz helped. Suddenly another Kangaskhan was coming in with blows, and Topaz was scrambling to get Atty out of the way. Her teeth sunk into his hand as she yanked, and he went tripping back and almost landing on her in the process. Shalin was yelling they run—
But just as the Kangaskhan went swiping forward aiming to attack Top, Atty, (and the Larvesta pair Top was still carrying), the Hitmonchan yelled. The Kangaskhan turned and yelled back, and they were suddenly in… a screaming match? And then in a punching match as it were. Topaz’s eyes dropped, and she was once again scrambling to get Atty to grab her harness and go. He managed it, and both broke into a run after. “Arceus Mew….” Atty hissed as he adjusted his shades some even while running.
Even as the two fled, they could hear the heavy impacts of the two wilds during their boxing match. The noise grew more intense as the battle went on, neither one of them in agreement as to whose territory they were in. As tempting as it was to watch them, Shalin knew she would only draw attention if she turned to look back. Sol looked frightened, both of how fast Topaz was running and of the two wilds going at it.
Once the two had passed through the "dead woods", as Shalin called it, she finally succumbed to temptation and turned around. The two Pokémon were still going at it, but it was hard to tell any details from such a distance. In the distance the other way appeared to be a large and tall fence with a gate in its center. The girl checked her map. "That must be the old Ranger outpost."
Stopping a few hundred feet outside the woods to their northwest, Shalin released Kiku again and took a look at him. Both of his cheeks were red, and he definitely looked uncomfortable at best, agitated at worst. Setting her pack down, she dug out a Super Potion and started applying the strong medicine to one side of her injured partner's face, then the other. "Stay still now..." The red color in his cheeks started to slowly fade, and she was sure the swelling would go down. It seemed to do wonders for the pain, as well.
"Alright, feel better, Kiku," she assured her tough, Poison-type partner. "Tag out for Serena!" The girl swapped out to a different Pokémon - a regal, tall, almost prissy-looking Persian that immediately knocked her over in an attempt to hug her. "Right, I haven't seen you in so long - not since you've grown up!" Once the big cat permitted her to stand up, Shalin dug back into her bag's main compartment, locating gaudy-looking riding gear that Shalin started affixing to Serena. It looked more glamorous than functional, sparkling in the sun's rays. She let out an affectionate purr as Shalin finished gearing her up, slobbering all over her with a big, licking tongue. "No kisses now!"
Atticus was tall, but Topaz was fast. She practically dragged him as she ran through the brush with her whole body moving in wide stride. It was only when Atticus’s hand set upon the back of her shoulder that she slowed again. Atticus grabbed his chest taking deep breaths over and over to calm the thundering in it. “Easy girl… easy…” he breathed more to himself than to Topaz. The Lycanroc hadn’t even broken a sweat, though, and wanted to keep moving. So she stepped forward carefully leading her trainer back forward.
They came back up upon Shalin just as she had finished healing Kiku and went on to release another Pokemon. Atticus’s ears caught the name change as well as the distinct cries of a “Persian huh….” He couldn’t help but smirk upon remembering a certain individual who had a Persian. “You alright?” he called over to Shalin right after. They’d had to make a break neck run for it even if she had been riding something.
Shalin and Atticus on the other side of the grove now, the two highly aggressive wilds were well out of sight. The time her Persian had her pinned to the ground let the Lycanroc and trainer catch up with them. "I'll be okay - the last time Serena saw me was when she was a Meowth." The normal-type, up to Shalin's shoulders in stature, closed her eyes and started walking past Atticus and Topaz as though she was in some kind of glamorous Pokémon Contest, her head tilted upward. Unlike Kiku, Serena's gaudy saddle was the only piece of gear she wore--it appeared that she preferred to be controlled only by the bridle of trust.
Serena returned to Shalin's side and sat down, slobbering her trainer's face with another big kiss. "She's a sweetheart...sometimes, a bit too much of one," the girl sighed, walking into place to straddle her Pokémon. After letting Shalin briefly pet her head, Serena stood up and lifted her partner off the ground. The rider pointed southeast and cried, "Onward!" Serena didn't move. Instead, she tilted her head to the south and purred loudly. Shalin likewise tilted her head. "Oh." Dugtrio were crossing the badlands, their leader sporting a hairdo Shalin had never seen. "We should let them pass first."
Topaz snort-huffed at the Persian as she walked passed. Prissy felines were so annoying. Sherona, meanwhile, shifted very uneasily around the Persian until she had returned to her trainer. She didn’t… have the best relationship with cats, but so long as she wasn’t being directly attacked, she supposed it was fine.
Atticus, meanwhile, half-laughed at Shalin’s words. “I have a few Pokemon like that,” he answered. A certain large Pumpkaboo came to mind. At the behest to move onwards, though, he shifted Top’s harness a little. “Ya good?” the Lycanroc snorted again. Yeah, she was fine now that they weren’t about to be bludgeoned by Fighting moves. She’d started to walk and lead Atticus only to pause at the sight of the Dugtrio. Further on, a Watchog was gophering around but seemed otherwise unobtrusive. Once they had passed, Topaz led onwards again.
A thought occurred to Atticus then, and not one to hold out on it, he asked. “So what do you plan to do in Maple? Taking on the city Gym?” he asked. There were plenty of people who did.
Serena immediately turned around and growled at Topaz menacingly the moment she heard her snort. "Come on, be nice around strangers," Shalin chided her Normal-type, gently petting her head as she waited for the Dugtrio to pass. The ground-type sped northwest, a Pignite was shouting loudly, sledding along the wake the Dugtrio had created. It appeared to be sliding along the edges of the wake, using expulsions of flame to propel itself. "That Pignite looks like she's having fun - it almost looks like it's skiiing with the Dugtrio," the blonde remarked. "Might have to do that with one of my water Pokémon this summer!"
Serena quickly caught back up to the Lycanroc, a little reluctant to walk alongside her but did eventually do as Shalin asked. "Depending on what the Leader's specialty is, I might. I'm more interested in the woods to the north - I've heard rumors of really big Pokémon out there." The woods were also very dangerous - she had heard stories of even strong trained Pokémon be seriously injured or killed out there, but those kinds of stories never stopped her from going places few humans had traveled before. What made this different?
Topaz’s lips pulled back, bearing her fangs in silence as Serena hissed at her. Had she not been harnessed and aware that a fight out on the Routes could be dangerous, she’d teach that cat a few lessons. For now, she turned and looked back outwards.
Atticus, meanwhile, pulled up his shades very briefly to look at the blurry mess before them. If he squinted, he could kind of sort of guess that that blur of color moving around was the Dugtrio and Pignite Shalin was talking about, but there was no definition, no nothing, just streams of color passing by. Dropping his shades again, he then closed his eyes. “Huh, interesting.”
Moving along, he listened as Shalin spoke. “Ah, the Sequoia Forest? Yeah, it’s home to the Golden Tree and its guardians,” he commented. “Wouldn’t advise getting too close to either, though.”
Further up ahead, a Jolteon peered out from behind some brush, an impish grin upon her features. Just as they were about to pass by her hiding spot, she shot a few playful pin needles at Topaz’s legs. Already irritated from the sassy Persian, the Lycanroc whipped around (dragging Atticus sideways in the process) and snarled. “Woah easy Top—“ Atticus spoke, reaching to ruffle her neck fur a bit. The Lycanroc growled a little again.
Atticus frowned. “You want after something?” The bark assured him that was the case. “Do you see what it is?” Atticus asked Shalin. Either way, he unclasped Topaz’s harness, and she went bounding forward after the Jolteon. Fluidly, Sherona leapt from her back and managed to land in Atticus’s arms (the latter shifting awkwardly from the sudden force).
The fight that ensued was loud enough. The barks and scuffs and ‘roc’s and ‘jolt’s were enough to give Atticus the picture. A Jolteon, yeah? Heh, what was he just attracting Eons today? Not that he minded any. They were good, reliable Pokemon. “Mind helping me out, Sher?” The Larvesta huffed but oblidged. Fishing a Pokeball from Topaz’s harness, he handed it over to her. The burning bug took it and hopped down scrambling over to take a moment of the chaos to bean the Jolteon with the Pokeball.
Shalin started to get the feeling a fight was going to break out between Serena and Topaz, with the latter flashing her sharp fangs in the former's face. "That's quite enough, Serena," Shalin sternly said, bringing her right hand on the Persian's back a little harder than she thought she did. "I'm so sorry, Atticus," she apologized, having nearly caused an unneeded fight. "She wasn't at all like this when she was a Meowth, which was the last time I saw her."
Shalin's eyes lit up when she heard about the Golden Tree and its guardians. "Sounds really similar to a legend passed down around my hometown - the tale of the Legendary Beasts, if you've ever heard it. Very famous around the Johto-Kanto area." The girl and her Persian couldn't help but each let out a chuckle when Atticus caught a Jolteon so shortly after the Umbreon farther up the road. "You'll have a whole family on your hands before long!"
The dusty road made another lazy couple of turns in the next mile before Shalin could make out some buildings in the distance. There was nothing tall there - not even a proper gate or wall. "That's got to be Hickory Town - it's not far now. Just a few more miles and we'll be there!"
The legend of the legendary beasts? Hmm. “Entei, Suicune, and Raikou?” he asked for brief confirmation. “I think there are a couple of shrines to them across Arciel, actually, along with some of the other Legendary Pokemon.” He’d only really heard traveler stories regarding them, but for those who actually worshiped them as deities, it made complete sense.
As the familiar ding of the Pokeball rang in his ears, Atticus half smiled to himself. “I wonder if they are related…” he realized aloud. He’d have to check between this new Umbreon and the Jolteon to be sure, but it would make sense that they were in such close proximity to one another. Meanwhile, the sound of Topaz returning had Atty stretching a hand out. He found a wet nose ready and waiting, and a softer smile came to his features as he shifted the harness clasps back on again with relative ease from force of habit. With that, they were on again.
As they moved, Sherona would notice a lone Apricorn on a branch above her. Using a Magnet Rise, she raised up off Topaz briefly and grabbed it before settling back down again. All was good with the world. Too bad she’d realize too late it wasn’t exactly edible. More for Atticus, then.
At the guestimation of Hickory Town, Atticus let out a breath. “Ah good… was a much longer trek than I remembered,” he admitted. Still, exercise was good, he supposed.
"Those are the ones," Shalin replied, her smile growing with Atticus mentioned the shrines to them. "Out here, too? Awesome - I'd like to go to these shrines some day soon! Shrines to those three are commonplace in Ecruteak." She paused to collect her thoughts. "The legend goes that they were reborn from a Vaporeon, Jolteon, and Flareon that died in a massive fire and a tower collapse. You catching a Jolteon and now an Umbreon reminded me of it, that's all."
The girl squinted. There were far too few buildings for that to be Hickory Town. "Sorry, I forgot there was a pit stop on the way to Hickory," she apologized, a little embarrassed. "I misread the map - ahead is a Ranger station that serves as the halfway point to Hickory Town."
Serena quickly turned around and growled menacingly, her claws glinting in the sun. "What is--" Her question was interrupted when Serena reared and made a sudden lunge at an Unfezant that was flying a bit too close to Sol and Sherona. She clenched the Persian's fur tightly, being yanked in one direction, then another from a leap back across where the bird was flying. The wild got the hint and flew off in a different direction. "Hey, I'm still riding you, Serena!" Shalin yelled. "Do I look like a knight to you?"
Serena stopped for a few seconds before growling again, letting out almost a roar-like purr. The cat started running wide circles around Atty and their Pokémon, taking extra long strides in an effort to buck Shalin off. Nothing was going to stop her now - the blonde, green girl felt she had little choice but to roll with it. She buried both her hands in the feline's cream-colored fur, grunting loudly as her Pokémon buried her claws in the ground, reversing direction on a dime.
Contested checks: Shalin's Ride skill (+18) vs. Serena's speed (result x 1.2)
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Shalin let out another cry as Serena dug her claws into the ground again to come to a sudden stop, then equally suddenly rearing and leaping as if she were climbing a tree. "Yeeeeee-haaaaaa!" she let out a joyous whoop, unsure if the Persian was playing games with her or was actually upset. It was hard to tell with her.
Serena's circling of Topaz and the two Larvesta grew wider as she built speed up again, Shalin's fingers white from how hard she was holding on. The two started drifting around a bush before shifting her weight and kicking in the opposite direction, Faking Out her trainer's anticipation of the drift and sending the girl rolling back in Topaz's direction, stopping just in front of Atticus. The Persian did not take long to run up to the fallen Shalin, slobbering her with big kisses.
Post by Atticus Evans on Apr 10, 2020 15:10:47 GMT
Ecruteak… Had he heard of Ecruteak before? Atticus wasn’t sure. Not like it mattered too much in context. Atty nodded along listening to Shalin’s story. It sounded vaguely familiar, but he was pretty sure the story he had heard had not named the actual Pokemon involved. It was funny how lore varied like that from region to region. But ah that made sense as to why it reminded her. Atticus smirked a little to himself. “Ya think they’re the legendary beasts in disguise?” he asked dryly. Now that would be something! Even if he didn’t really believe it to be possible.
At the mention of the Outpost, Atticus paused in his step. Ah…. He remembered that place. Distantly, he wondered if his old friend was there. Heh, maybe time to drop in uninvited. You know, like you do. “T’s all right,” he assured Shalin.
This was cut off by the conflict between the Persian suddenly growling. Alarmed, Topaz immediately stepped in front of Atticus, ready to return any attack that came at them—Sherona immediately shrunk down on her shoulders, almost trying to disappear in her fur. “What’s going on??” Atticus asked. The blur of color was not something he could focus on let alone hope to understand immediately. He got a better understanding as Shalin spoke. Something was up with her Persian. Shaking his, he closed his eyes behind his shades again and just listened. The hard stomps, the trembling of the ground, he could understand it better than what his eyes saw at the moment.
And he was aware that they were being circled. Atticus stepped a little closer to Topaz. Topaz’s entire body was on edge as she looked one way and then the next following the path of the cat with her eyes. Sherona immediately started to climb the harness and found herself up in Atticus’s free arm/hand. This was loud and stressful and Arceus almighty. It was only marginally better as the distance outwards was expanded.
At least until Shalin came rolling back. Immediately Topaz pulled forward, a soft whine in her voice. Atticus took the steps after her. Just as the Persian came forward again, she growled softly. Her recklessness could have seriously hurt her trainer! She was ticked. “Easy …. Easy Top….” Atticus was trying and failing to get Topaz to chill. She only continued to growl and bark irritably. That was not cool! Not cool!
Post by Shalin Nariya on Apr 10, 2020 20:25:58 GMT
In her anger, Serena had needlessly endangered Topaz, Atticus, and both the Larvesta. The moment the cat had stopped to catch her breath, Shalin recalled her. The girl was still catching her own breath from the wild and crazy ride her Persian took her on. It was really fun, but something she needed to do only when alone...or when others were at a safe distance.
"Serena apparently needs to learn manners," Shalin answered, then explained to Atticus what had happened. "I don't know if it was something I said or just something spooked her, but she suddenly started running out of my control, doing whatever she could to fling me off her. That's how I ended up in front of you. I have to say, it was really fun while it lasted, though!" She smiled again just thinking about doing that with some of her other Pokémon - Prance, her Stantler, came to mind first.
Shalin dug through her bag, finding a backup shirt that she used to wipe her face clean of all the Persian slobber. They were close enough to town that she could stop to wash it clean. "I'm so sorry to have scared you like that. She acts like that when she doesn't get her way - I'll teach her she just can't do that." The outpost wasn't far now - they'd be there by the top of the hour at the rate they were going.
Post by Atticus Evans on Apr 10, 2020 23:10:28 GMT
The sounds of the catty licking and breathing had disappeared, and the small echo of the Pokeball as it recalled the Pokemon assured Atty the Persian had been recalled. That and… Topaz slowly easing back again. She had no one to scold directly then and so stood there still irritable but unable to do much about it. Her ears twitched forward and back in rapid succession several times.
As Shalin explained what had happened, Atticus frowned softly. “I could hear that,” he mentioned at the ‘running out of control’ part. The assertion that it was fun, though, brought a coy smirk to his features. “Gettin’ thrown around like a bucking Tauros?” Yeah, he could imagine that clear as day. “Sounds like a rodeo event.” And then some.
Topaz looked up at Shalin as she started to apologize. Slowly, she stepped forward and pressed her nose against the girl’s arm or hand in a vague forgiveness over the matter. So long as Shalin herself was ok right then, she was….. at least somewhat less worried. Atticus, meanwhile, smirked a little. “So long as no one got hurt who cares…” A growl from Topaz assured she did. Atty snorted softly. “Sorry, Top.”
After that, they started walking again. The closer they got to the town, the sooner they could relax. Still, something rolled out onto the road— and promptly tripped Topaz and then Atty by association. The latter fidgeted dropping the grip on the harness and standing straight as he looked about.
Sherona, meanwhile, saw what it was and once more paused her conversation with Sol. Looking over, she made a face at the Togedemaru and then Flame Charged forward— to be very much surprised at the spikes she rammed right into. The Togedemaru took some seriously havey damage from her flames but she was not unscathed.
The cries of both of them caught Atticus’s ears. “Top—“ The Lycanroc had gotten up again and quickly come back to Atty. His hand moved, and sure enough he didn’t find Sherona there. The sounds of the conflict continued, and he was sure of what was happening now. “Sher, be careful!” But the prideful Larvesta was totally being careful. Never mind that she was taking damage from giving damage and this stupid mouse was making a fool of her. She would not be made a fool of.
From the sounds of the attacks and chitters of the Pokemon, Atticus was aware of what it was. “Top,” she knew that tone and accepted the Pokeball in her mouth when given. The Lycanroc was quick to toss it when the Togedemaru wasn’t paying attention to her.
Post by Shalin Nariya on Apr 11, 2020 22:15:30 GMT
Shalin was a little embarrassed when Atticus referred to it as a "rodeo event". While it was true what she and Serena did mimicked one, she had a problem with the way those types of events were typically run. The Pokémon involved were artificially stimulated to do so, continuing to move like they were trying to fling their riders off even after having done so already. While most of the time the stimulus was harmless irritation, inflicting pain on the poor Pokémon was not unheard of. "I'd rather not be associated with--" Shalin started before cutting herself off. "It's far too complicated to explain."
When Shalin saw a conflict involving the Larvesta was about to break out, Shalin recalled Sol. "I know you were having a great time talking with Sherona, but I don't want to see you get hurt." She held the Poké Ball up to her face and smiled in an effort to reassure the fire-type it was for his own good. Good thing, too--the Togedemaru that Sherona was fighting would have easily outclassed her Larvesta.
At last, the Ranger outpost. It looked more like a village than an outpost--from what she could tell, there were small commercial and residential districts scattered around the outpost itself. Even that didn't look like a true outpost - it was the biggest standout in the settlement, being the only building more than two stories tall. While the lines of trees on either side of the road could be considered a "gate", this town was not properly gated like the rest of the towns and cities she had visited.
"You know, Atticus," Shalin said, "if I were to settle down and move from Johto to Arciel, I'd probably want to live in a place like this." A small community where everyone knew everyone, far away from the hustle and bustle of a metropolis like Goldenrod back home. It would be perfect. The girl's eyes caught low-hanging Apricorn fruit from one of the trees, and it was ripe and ready to be picked! Score!