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.
Post by Elliot Sunderland on May 6, 2020 22:34:13 GMT
Elliot couldn't help but laugh at Lynn's suggestion. "If someone I taught came back to beat me at my own game? Heck, I think I'd be proud more than anything," he admitted. "Half the point of a journey is going across the world, making little impacts on the people we meet, right? I think if I could make an impact like that, I'd consider my journey a total success. And it's only just begun, too!
Though I'm sure you can make a team capable of fighting me before he does, right?" Elliot's words may have been earnest, but the slightest of smirks spread across his face at those final words. Was he really giving Lynn a taste of her own medicine the one time she chose to be sincere? How cruel!
A pity it wouldn't last. Elliot's confidence faltered when she asked him about ambitions. Elliot's smirk dialed back to a shy smile, the boy awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. "I can't say I'm really sure yet," he admitted. "Right now, I'm still trying to see what my team and I want to do, you know? I mean, I'm pretty sure if Echo had it her way, our ambition'd be sitting around in fancy cafes, eating cake, and wearing giant hats. But once we've had a bit more time on the road, I'm sure both she and I are going to have a few more plans under our belts."
That said, the only plan Echo had at the moment was being cute as heck. She blushed, demurely waving off Lynn's compliment with her bouquet. The blush only continued when the Pichu newcomer approached to chatter over how cute she looked. She babbled back at the Pichu, before toddling up to tuck a flower behind her ear as well. There! Now they totally matched! She took a few steps back to admire how the Pichu looked, clapsing her hands warmly.
"Its funny. I've always felt like I came up short on the luck department," he admitted. Though apparently, he hadn't been coming short on the looks department. Lynn's compliment, delivered smack dab in the middle of his explanation and advice, got Elliot blushing quite a bit! "B-but clearly either that's not the case, or all that leftover luck's going right to you.
That said, don't go thinking its all luck. You've been putting a lot of skill into these catches too, even if I haven't always had a chance to pay full attention." It was a trap Elliot had fallen into time and time again. Dismissing his earliest successes as mere luck had lead to him ending up way over his head when facing actual adversity. If he felt like he even deserved to be a trainer in the first place, would he have frozen up when Levy was on the wrong end of a Seviper horde? Would it have taken him so long to trust in his more aggressive party members, like HYAH! and Lord Beerus? Heck, would he have had the guts to just tell his family what he wanted, instead of having to run away from home first?
Luck was nice. But using it as an excuse was just asking for trouble.
Nevertheless, it was time for the crew to get back to walking. "I think that sounds nice," Elliot said, turning to the lake and smiling. "This lake may've given us a lot of fun opportunities, but we're not going to make any progress if we just spend all day staring at it." With that said he fell in step with Lynn, ready to check out the rest of the route.
~~~~
He could do this. He had been waiting, practicing, longing for this day. Time and time again he had watched the trainers on this route come passing by, and time and time again he lost his nerve, diving into the kelp. But no longer! Today would be the day he changed! Some practice, some training, some guided meditation sessions, and he felt ready to take on the world. And with how long these trainers had been waiting by the water, maybe they'd be the first to see what he could do.
The Octillery breached from the waves, letting out a hearty wave. It was only then that he saw they had already turned and walked away. He sighed sorrowfully before sinking down beneath the waves.
Could Lynnette make a team before some six year old could? Of course! She'd been waiting her entire life for this! To beat Elliot! To become the strongest Pokemon trainer that the world would ever see!
"Oh, you'll see, you'll see, Elliot," she said, giving him a sweet, daring smile in response.
Lynn nodded when Elliot started explaining his ambitions, or rather lack of them. She tilted her head somewhat when she realised how directionless Elliot really was. Either way, she giggled at the mention of what Echo would do - she seemed a far cry from Wolfram in that respect. "You could be a great trainer. Challenge a gym, then some more, become an eight badger, you know? But I guess maybe that's not for everyone," she mused.
She laughed. "Don't worry, I'm not planning on relying on it. Chance is a fickle mistress," she said, not realising the hidden undertones that luck had played, and hadn't, all throughout Elliot's life.
Meanwhile, Pichu touched a paw to the flower by his ear that Echo had placed there, then smiled. He loved flowers and cute things in general. Hand in hand with Echo, Pichu did an adorable little on-the-spot dance with her.
"Hey guys, are you coming?" Lynn called and looked back at the two Pokemon. "Aww, aren't they adorable?"
Oshawott, who was still in Lynn's arms, just rolled her eyes and retreated back into her PokeBall, which was stowed away in Lynn's coat pocket, leaving Lynn to shrug and smile at the otter's silly attitude. It seemed that Pichu would much rather stay out for such a nice day though, and instead he took Echo's hand and went to walk hand-in-hand with her, smiling and chattering happily as he did, right beside Lynn and Elliot.
Two trainers and their Pokemon walking alongside on a beautiful sunny day.
They were even greeted to the sight of a Yungoos strolling happily along the side of the road with a litter of her young in tow, though upon seeing Lynn and Elliot she quickly ushered them aside into a bush to hide.
After aww-ing at the cute sight, Lynn turned to Elliot and started up a new thread of conversation. "So, Cedar Town," she said. "What's it like? I've heard it's a pretty cool spot for tourism, but that's about it really."
While she talked, the Binacle egg that'd been stuffed in her bag wiggled slightly. It waited...
Wolfram: Rookidee, Lv8, Energy 2/5 Marill: Marill, Lv3, KO Oshawott: Oshawott, Lv12, Energy 1/5 Pichu: Pichu, Lv4, Energy 2/5 Binacle Egg: 3/3
Post by Elliot Sunderland on May 8, 2020 1:08:44 GMT
Elliot returned that smile with one of us his own. For someone with such little ambition, there sure was some fire behind it! "I hope I do!" he said. "Amazing as the journey can be, there are also times when it can catch you by surprise. And not always in good ways." There was a slight undercurrent of concern to Elliot's voice. How could there not be? The time when Levy was poisoned by a Seviper. The Surskit swarm that had chased him down. Even Lord Beerus snapping his walking stick so that he'd stay and fight. These memories danced through his head, all potential encounters that could be waiting for Lynn further up the road. Would she push through with that determination, spunk, and never-say-die attitude of hers? Or would she get in over her head, not showing these encounters the respect and caution that they deserved?
Perhaps the answer was closer than Elliot knew.
Nevertheless, a small smile spread across his face. There was still some worry behind his eyes, but he was doing his best to swallow it down. "And when the journey doesn't tire you out, gym fights really put your will to the test," he continued. "But, with what you've been saying so far? I'm sure you'll be fine." Compared to Elliot's wandering mind earlier, he spoke more quickly and optimistically here. What changed his mind so suddenly?
As he spoke, Echo giggled, dancing with the Pichu in joyful, sweeping moments. It reached a crescendo when she gave the Pichu a big spin, only to catch him and dip him down. Dizzying? Yes. Dazzling? Also yes. Who knew Echo had such sweet moves? Though at the very least Elliot did, judging by the way he looked at Echo and mouthed 'please don't throw this one.'
As Lynn talked to him, he smiled warmly. "They seriously are," he said. "Maybe I'm not the one whose cute looks are bringing over all those rare Pokemon!" At Elliot's compliment Echo blushed, giggling up a storm. Yep! She was easily the more adorable of the duo, despite any of Elliot's best (unintentional efforts.) As Elliot turned to follow Lynn down the route, Echo gleefully clapsed the Pichu's hand and fell in step with their trainers.
"I didn't stay too long in Cedar, funnily enough," Elliot remarked as they walked. "A lot of the stuff there was a bit too expensive for me, sadly. Expensive souvenirs and starting trainers aren't really a perfect combo. The town's gorgeous, though, and it has such a unique look to it! Almost reminds me of Pacifidlog or Fortree over in Hoenn, with how it's built somewhere you'd never expect to see a town. I can tell you, though, that the beaches are fantastic. I was expecting Arciel to be a lot chillier than Hoenn, but you're actually in the perfect weather for checking them out! Usually they're pretty crowded, but the best part about being on a journey is that you can sneak over when everyone else is sleeping. It's actually really peaceful, and if you look out far enough into the distance you can totally see Pokemon. I think I even saw a Lapras once! But it was so far away I couldn't really tell."
If only Lynn and Elliot could actually make their way there! Unfortunately, the chances of that happening drastically dropped. The route was pretty much blocked off by a pair of Slowbro, three smaller Slowpoke gathered at their feet. Slowly but surely they made their way over to a berry tree, picking their lunch for the day one fruit at a time. It was an agonizingly slow process; ten minutes must have passed before the male Slowbro had even finished picking his lunch! He then proceeded to step back as the female Slowbro took his place, continuing to block the way forward as he watched. All the while, the three Slowpoke played what seemed like the world's slowest game of tag, trotting around the path in a widespread circle. At this rate, passing was going to be a lengthy, impossible process.
Elliot studied the group for a second, looking towards Lord Beerus, then shrugged. "Bring a lunch? 'Cause this is going to take a while." Elliot asked, a cheeky grin on his face. He was really just going to wait this one out, wasn't he?
Apparently, Cedar Town was quite expensive. Not surprising, considering it was a tourist destination. "Urf, yeah," Lynn remarked. "Even I'm not rich. Parents didn't give me much starting money either," she said. Nonetheless, the way Elliot described Cedar Town made it sound sublime. "Place sounds great though. It'll certainly be an upgrade after such a long boat-ride to get here," she said.
Lynn was actually excited to get there, despite the lack of gyms or trainer facilities.
Or at least, if she managed to get there.
"You've got to be kidding me," she said, exasperated at the leisurely pace of the Slow-bro and Slowpokes. "Lunch?" She repeated. "When someone gets in your way, you can't just sit around and eat lunch, Elliot! You said that you're not much of a battler, didn't you? Well, it's not that hard. I'll show you."
A Tangela watched curiously from the sidelines at this curious pair of trainers. It too had been blocked by the Slowpoke, but it had no idea how to proceed and instead watched from the bushes.
What it saw next was Lynnette pointing towards her Pokemon and directing them towards the Slowpoke.
"Pichu," she asked. "These Pokemon are water types, so how about giving them a big ol' shock?"
Pichu stopped in his leisurely hand-in-hand walk with Echo and searched Lynn curiously. He looked between the Slowpoke and back towards the trainers. Letting go of Echo, he shrugged. Then, Pichu's cheeks began to crackle dangerously...
Unfortunately, Pichu didn't actually have much control over his power. Electricity exploded outwards from the Pichu and rained down on top of the Slowpoke and Slowbro. It was an electrical Armageddon. Dirt flew from the spots that bolts struck towards the ground.
Slowbro and Slowpokes screamed slowly as the bolts that didn't miss coursed through their bodies. Unfortunately, Pichu also wasn't very strong, so as soon as he ran out of juice, the Slowbro and Slowpokes recovered.
They ponderously turned to face Lynnette and Elliot. Tangela screamed and ran away. One never messed with the Slow Gang.
"See?" Lynn said. "They're probably going to see us and run away, most likely. Or better yet, battle us!"
The Pokemon gently, slowly, opened their mouths. It almost looked like they were yawning, that was, until a torrent of water came blasting out. It was like a tsunami. The torrent coursed down the path, heading straight towards the two prone trainers.
Post by Elliot Sunderland on May 10, 2020 18:13:38 GMT
"My family's situation is pretty humble," Elliot admitted. "We were better off in Hoenn, but between moving to another region and job changes, we've all had to tighten our belts some." That was certainly one way of saying "I had an easy life while my dad was a Team Magma grunt, only for a divorce and a move to drastically change that." However, Elliot was very much not interested in getting into the finer details of his personal life like that.
He also wasn't very interested in picking a fight with a group of very powerful water types. He did a visible double take as Lynn mentioned that he couldn't sit around and have lunch when people were in their way. Was she seriously going to-
She mentioned battle. And then her Pichu was out, sparking up a storm. Yes. Yes, she was seriously going to pick a fight here.
Even Lord Beerus' jaw dropped in shock at the girl's candor. For the first actual time on this journey, Elliot turned to Lynn, genuine shock and irritation in his voice. "What are you doing?" he asked, still glancing between the girl and the Slow family in disbelief. "They aren't hurting anyone, just having lunch! And they're-"
It was too late. Lightning sparked towards the Slowbro and Slowpoke alike, striking them all to barely any effect. "-really, really strong," Elliot said, his advice coming too little, too late. For whatever it was worth, Pichu's attack did seem to hurt them. However, pain wasn't the same thing as damage, barely a scratch on the Pokemon as they turned to face Elliot and Lynn. Their eyes narrowed in irritation, two of them opening their mouths as torrents of water poured forth. Two others' eyes started to glow, a move Elliot had seen executed time and time again. That just left the last one, who . . . well, he was genuinely just yawning. Poor guy was probably exasperated at his wife and kids getting bugged for the hundredth time over.
Regardless, while the Slowpoke and Slowbro's movements were sluggish, their attacks sure weren't. Pulses of psychic energy gathered to each side of Elliot and Lynn, and water rushed towards them like a tidal wave. Elliot shuddered nervously, gripping his Poke Balls closely, only to feel a tiny hand on his back. Echo had one hand on Elliot and one hand on Lynn, letting out an alarmed squawk. Seeing this, Lord Beerus was quick on the draw, snatching up the Pichu with his tails and ushering him into the impromptu group hug. When the gang was all settled Echo teleported away in a flash of light, leaving the water cascading over nothing.
With the trap escaped, Echo and her friends materialized onto the soft grass nearby. The little psychic had never teleported this many people at once before, so they all landed in an unwieldy pile, but it was better than nothing! The Dudes popped out from the ground next to them, checking on the pile and catching Echo as she tiredly flopped onto them. "That was a really close call," Elliot groaned, worming his way through the pile to start checking in his backpack. "No joke, these might've been the strongest Pokemon I've met on my journey so far. Seriously, Lynn, what'd you even do that for? We're in a real mess now.
Hold on, I'm going to check and see if there's anything I can do to help with this . . . we should have time before they come back over here." He glanced nervously over his shoulder. The Slowpoke and Slowbro still didn't register that they had teleported away, the fearsome fivesome looking around to try and see where Elliot and Lynn had sneaked off to. "Just . . . please don't piss them off. They're stronger than any of the Pokemon I've got on hand, and even if they weren't both of our teams are running on fumes right now." There was legitimate desperation in how Elliot rifled through his backpack. This wasn't just him playing a prank on Lynn for her earlier teasing!
Post by Lynnette Aria on May 11, 2020 15:49:12 GMT
WOLFRAM ♂
LV9 ROOKIDEE BIG PECKS 10/10 HP 2/5 ENERGY
WEBS ♂
LV4 PICHU STATIC 10/10 HP 2/5 ENERGY
TSUNAMI ♀
LV12 OSHAWOTT TORRENT 10/10 HP 1/5 ENERGY
MARILL ♂
LV3 MARILL HUGE POWER KO 0/5 ENERGY
MONSTROSITY ♀
LV1 BINACLE SNIPER 10/10 HP 5/5 ENERGY
EMPTY
"Oh my days," Lynn swore. "It's like I almost died! Did you see that? We were actually in danger! My heart feels like it's going to burst out of my chest! Spending all that time at home didn't turn me into a geriatric!" She laughed. "But yeah, thanks for the save. Maybe I should brush up on my 'judging opponents' skill as much as I do on my actual battle skill," she mused. Yep, she probably should.
Wolfie chirped agreeably. Even if he could get stronger from lost battles, as per his PokeDex entry, didn't mean he enjoyed getting completely wiped out. Pichu meanwhile, just appeared dazed. Hadn't he been just about to get drenched by a wall of water?
"You know," Lynn started after a moment's pause. "Those Slowpoke are kind of like you. Waiting to ambush newbie trainers on Route 1," she said with a teasing grin. "To be honest, if they come for us, we should just bloody leg it."
Her eyes had wandered down to Elliot's injury when she realised her mistake. "Oh. Right," she said. Damn, if only Wolfram was a Corviknight right now. He could easily whisk them away out of danger. Even if Lynn had some other rideable Pokemon she could pop Elliot on top of, that'd be more than adequate.
A soft growl escaped her throat. This was a problem that needed rectifying if she was going to be going on life-threatening adventures with Elliot in the future. She either needed to fast-track Wolfram's growth or find some kind of horse Pokemon for quick get-aways when she'd inevitably get in over her head.
Lynn cocked her head when she saw Elliot reach into his backpack. "What'cha doing? Cos unless you've got some smoke bombs or a hand grenade in there, I'm not sure there's much we can do," she said. Lynn was a good fighter but outside of that she was rather clueless.
"I guess I'll just check my bag too. Maybe I can distract them with a packet of crisps." Turning around, Lynn brought her own bag out and opened it up. The egg from earlier was inside. "...or we could perform a sacrifice," she joked, grinning playfully.
That's when the egg wiggled. "Uh... Elliot," she called him quietly.
Whatever was inside didn't bother to come out quietly. Or peacefully, for that matter. Instead, it simply stretched out all of its mutant limbs at once and sent eggshells exploding outwards. When the dust cleared, a horrific creature was sat innocently in Lynn's bag.
A Binacle.
Curiously, its eyes rolled over the two present trainers. As soon as they settled upon Elliot, the Binacle stopped. Elliot had done nothing, yet its expression said that it was definitely pissed off at him.
Before Lynn could say a word, the two heads opened their mouths...
- and screamed!
Lynn's hands shot up to cover her ears. "I think it doesn't like you!" She tried to mouth over the horrid wailing.
In the distance, this must've surely been audible to the searching Slowpoke.
Post by Elliot Sunderland on May 11, 2020 23:28:46 GMT
For someone who was in legitimate danger, Lynn sure didn't seem like it! Yet as frustrating as her disregard for the situation was, Elliot had to admit that her pluck was kind of admirable. It'd be a lot easier to recover from setbacks along the road with that kind of spirit, even if she caused half of those setbacks by herself! Nevertheless, the admiration could wait until they weren't about to get slowly mauled to death. "Gee, you think?" Elliot asked, voice layered with sarcasm. " 'Cause you're making me wonder if you've heard of the whole 'look before you leap' thing before." Then again, knowing Lynn, she probably viewed it as a challenge.
At the mention of legging it, Elliot blushed self-consciously and averted his eyes. That probably wasn't meant as a low blow, but. Ow. "Don't worry. Echo can teleport-" Elliot started, only for the non-attacking Slowbro's eyes to flash. Echo, too, flashed, looking towards Elliot and shrugging. "Or they could know disable." There was a bit more urgency in Elliot's voice, and he started rifling through his bag with a bit more speed. "My team can take more punishment than yours. And half of them are still fresh. So worst case scenario, you run, okay? We should be able to keep them busy for you." Elliot's voice was deathly serious. He may've been annoyed at Lynn, but he didn't want her to get hurt! And if that meant he had to be the distraction . . . well, so be it.
Maybe then she'd know this wasn't some game.
Unfortunately, a new wrinkle came to that plan. Lynn's egg started hatching, and Elliot realized that his curse was more than just ancestral. No, it was in the blood. As soon as the Binacle popped out of the egg it started shrieking at Elliot, Echo flinching and covering her ears. Elliot pretty much shoved his head into his backpack to block out the noise, pleading "Pretend they're Wolfie and cheer them up, please!" He wasn't so coldhearted as to suggest shoving a Pokemon in the ball the second it saw the morning sun, but he really wasn't in the right situation for cheering up babies! Especially not ones that hated his face! If he could just buy himself a little more time!
Fortunately, he found the solution. "You were close. But not quite," Elliot said, popping out from his bag with a bento box in tow. Echo gasped in horror. No! He couldn't! And yet Elliot had to flash her a smile, guilty smile. "I'm sorry, Echo. But I gotta," he said, the Ralts looking up at him and solemnly nodding. With his walking stick in one hand and his bento box in the other, he moved away from Lynn as quickly as he could. "Pichu! Pi, Pichu!" he called, doing his best to get the Slowbro and Slowpoke family's attention away from Lynn and her squawking bundle of "joy."
Sure enough, the cries of the Pokemon that wounded them did the trick. They averted their gaze and turned towards Elliot, eyes narrowed and jaws slackening. Elliot could already hear the sound of water flowing, and feel the psychic distortions surrounding him on both sides. He knew he'd only have once chance at this. In a single, smooth motion he dropped his walking stick and opened the bento, holding it out towards the aggravated Pokemon. Their jaws slackened ever so slightly more, and water began pouring from their mouths. However, this time it wasn't an attack. It was drool at the delicious smells coming from the bento. Curried rice, fresh berries, and even sausages cut to look like little octopi. Clearly, this was a meal that had a lot of heart put into it. Yet, unfortunately, today it was to be offered up as a sacrifice.
He staggered forward, balancing the bento in both hands. Without his walking stick the action was much slower and more laborious. However, it helped quite nicely with the distraction. The Slowpoke could barely take their eyes off of him, and Elliot could flat-out hear a growl coming from one of the Slowbro's stomachs. He grinned slightly, yet didn't rest on his laurels just yet. After all, one wrong move, and he could burn all of the goodwill he had just earned. After a few shaky steps he looked towards Lynn, bucking with his head for her to start moving. In case things went bad . . .
Well, he figured it'd be better to make sure she would be safe first.
Post by Lynnette Aria on May 13, 2020 19:40:50 GMT
WOLFRAM ♂
LV9 ROOKIDEE BIG PECKS 10/10 HP 2/5 ENERGY
WEBS ♂
LV4 PICHU STATIC 10/10 HP 2/5 ENERGY
TSUNAMI ♀
LV12 OSHAWOTT TORRENT 10/10 HP 1/5 ENERGY
MARILL ♂
LV3 MARILL HUGE POWER KO 0/5 ENERGY
ABOMINATION ♀
LV1 BINACLE SNIPER 10/10 HP 5/5 ENERGY
EMPTY
All right, things were really going to the dogs.
Or the Slowpoke, apparently. At the mention of Elliot's suggestion that Lynn run away and abandon him, she frowned. "Don't be a hero, Elliot," she said. "You hardly even know me, you know," she pointed out. "Or do you just like heroically sacrificing yourself in front of cute girls?"
And Lynn was back to joking again, but it wasn't because she hadn't seen the danger in this situation, or maybe it was because she had. She was looking just as anxious as anyone else would.
It wasn't helping that a screaming Binacle was making it a lot more difficult for her to put on a brave face. Thankfully, Echo had come to the rescue and managed to placate it for a precious few seconds. Though Elliot might not have been willing to shove it into a PokeBall at first sight, Lynn certainly was. She wasted zero time taking out a fresh PokeBall and using Echo's distraction to return it into the ball.
It was a short reprieve from horror.
And then Elliot took his lunchbox and started doing Pichu impressions at the Slowpoke. "Oh. Now you're a Pichu," Lynn observed, deadpan. "You're just going to piss them off -" She was watching with a concerned expression, though, and her hand went to her last PokeBall in her coat pocket, fingers brushing against the finished surface anxiously.
She traded a look with Wolfram and Pichu that said 'be ready.'
And almost had a heart-attack when the Slowpoke's mouths dropped open again. Lynn could see why though - never in her life had she seen someone's lunch look so damn good. Realising, she muttered a choice word. "No wonder you wanted to sit around and eat lunch," she muttered. "Looks better than what I have for dinner most days."
Upon seeing Elliot try to nod her away, she shook her head, but would there be a point if she stayed?
Of course. Likewise, she and Elliot could've left their Pokemon as bait while they ran away, but they didn't. Trainers and Pokemon stood together.
And now, Elliot was having to be resourceful in order to fix the situation Lynn'd created. He had powerful Pokemon, but he was using his lunchbox. Lynn frowned. She'd only ever had Wolfram, and his strength had always been pure power, but everything looks like a nail when all you have is a hammer.
Lynn didn't have any good food on her - she'd been planning on stocking up in Cedar Town.
Echo's teleport was disabled, so they couldn't use that...
"Pi... Pichu," the little electric rodent looked up at her sadly and chirped after sparing a concerned glance at Elliot.
Lynn frowned and she felt her hand brush against something else in her coat pocket. Her phone.
"Hey, Pichu," Lynn asked, her lips tugged upwards in a slight smile. "Do you think you could do me a favour? Don't worry, I'm not asking you to shock a bunch of powerful Pokemon. I'd just like you to..." She bent down and whispered to the Pichu, then brought out her phone.
From Elliot's point of view, if he'd turned around to watch, it probably looked like Lynn was having a secret meeting with her Pokemon instead of worrying about the potentially dangerous situation. The Pichu was then returned into his PokeBall, leaving only Wolfram, who disappeared behind Lynn as she then went to converse with him.
The little Rookidee took to the skies and began circling above Elliot and the Slowpoke's heads. A noise that nobody expected to come from a Rookidee rang out. "Chu! Pichu ♪ Pi ♪ Piiiii ♪"
It was the most obnoxious, perfect rendition of Pichu's voice. And it might've possibly been saying something very rude.
"Pichuuuuu ~ ♪ Piiiiiii ~ ♪" The impossible cries continued to project from Wolfram as he flew above the Slowpoke's heads, taunting them. If it was enough to distract, or even cause the Slowpokes to give chase, Wolfram would be agile enough to flit between their attacks.
And unlike Echo's teleport, flying wasn't a move. It was a skill. No disabled shenanigans to be found here.
Lynn took the initial few seconds of surprise to race up to Elliot, hand him his walking stick, and start tugging him away from that mess. "Let's go!" She whispered, still holding onto him and ready to start running. "I'm trying to save your precious lunch, but we might still have to sacrifice it if this doesn't work too well."
At least the extra distraction would hopefully buy them some more time for both of them to escape. Cause there was no way that Lynn was abandoning her first and only friend in Arciel.
Even if it took carrying him away from the danger bridal-style.
Post by Elliot Sunderland on May 15, 2020 1:12:17 GMT
Elliot jumped up a little in surprise as he heard the platonic ideal of a Pichu voice. It was more chirpy, more irritating, and more saccharine than any real Pichu could've come up with. Certainly, it was a lot better than his own attempt. The Slowpoke and Slowbro looked up, eyes widening with curiosity before narrowing in irritation. The usual onslaught started anew but three dimensional space was a lot harder to trap an opponent in than two dimensional space. With a Y axis that Wolfie could freely fly along, he was able to fly circles around the slower Pokemon's attacks. Would his luck hold out forever? Maybe not. But all Wolfie needed was Enough time, and that was exactly as much time as Lynn was prepared to give him.
Elliot was so stunned that he didn't even realize what was going on until Lynn grabbed him. "H-huh? Wait, but is Wolfie-" Elliot started, only for her insistent tug to turn into sweeping him off of his feet. "H-hey!" he yelped, but it was too late. Carrying him bridal style, the girl spirited him away from the peeved-off pack before they even realized something was amiss. As awkward as the sudden kidnapping was, Elliot couldn't help but sigh in relief as the Slowbro and Slowpoke became pink dots on the horizon. Nevertheless, he watched the skies nervously, aiming to make sure that Wolfie had made it out of the scuffle intact.
The Slowpoke and Slowbro sure wouldn't be making it easy for him! Water and psychic pulses continued firing on all sides of the poor Rookidee, the assault surprisingly relentless. Wolfie's speed made it hard for the Slowpoke and Slowbro to react to his quicker movements in time, but what they lacked in speed they made up for in great focus and stamina. No matter how many agile movements Wolfie made, they would always be following his motions again within seconds. Why did psychic types have to be such jerks?
Elliot had been hoping that the lunch could make up for the unexpected shock and lead to the two groups parting on agreeable terms. However, he also had to acknowledge that it could've gone quite wrong if the Slowpoke and Slowbro proved unforgiving. "It looks like we all made it out okay," Elliot said, continuing to take careful looks towards to where Wolfie should be rejoining them. "That . . . could've gone smoother." Frankly, he didn't know how to feel about this. On one hand, Lynn had risked her own hide just to bail him out of a bad situation. On the other hand, she had caused the situation in the first place, and interrupted his own resolution because she thought her own would work better. Was she right? Elliot had no way of knowing. Did he wish she asked if he needed the hand? In a real life or death situation, taking the time to do that could've been a big mistake.
Oh, who was he to start a fight like that? "But, thank you for that," he said, a soft yet somewhat unsure smile on his face.
Post by Lynnette Aria on May 15, 2020 14:07:19 GMT
WOLFRAM ♂
LV9 ROOKIDEE BIG PECKS 10/10 HP 2/5 ENERGY
WEBS ♂
LV4 PICHU STATIC 10/10 HP 2/5 ENERGY
TSUNAMI ♀
LV12 OSHAWOTT TORRENT 10/10 HP 1/5 ENERGY
MARILL ♂
LV3 MARILL HUGE POWER KO 0/5 ENERGY
ABOMINATION ♀
LV1 BINACLE SNIPER 10/10 HP 5/5 ENERGY
EMPTY
Psychic types, could indeed, be jerks.
Which is what Wolfram was thinking as he weaved in and out of the Slowpoke's attacks, flying as erratically as he could while Lynnette and Elliot made their escape. Or rather, as Lynnette ran off with Elliot in her arms.
A few stray water droplets managed to glance Wolfram's feathers as he flew, weighing him down, but thankfully by then he considered the two teenagers to be far away enough from the Slowpoke that he could high-tail it out of there himself.
The Rookidee then flew higher and higher, occasionally tucking his wings and dropping, before bursting upwards further, flying in the typical unpredictable fashion that songbirds did. Soon enough, he was out of range from the Slowpoke/Slowbro brigade and like a homing pigeon, made his way back towards Lynnette and Elliot, almost skimming the clouds as he did.
Lynn, meanwhile, was panting. She dropped Elliot on his feet and fell backwards onto the grass to catch her breath. "Yep," she choked out. "Let's just hope Wolfie made it out okay too," she said worriedly. For once on her journey, Lynnette looked genuinely fearful.
"Pichuuuuu ~ ♪ Piiiiiii ~ ♪"
A familiar sound drifted down from the sky, and Lynn looked up to see Wolfram. She jumped to her feet and Wolfram flew straight into her arms, letting her clutch him happily. "You're okay! I was so worried!"
Now that Wolfram was in Lynn's arms, it was clear where the Pichu sounds had come from. Tied around his back with string, was Lynn's phone.
"Pi... Pichu!" It repeated brightly and Lynn switched the app off.
"Thanks? Well, you kind of helped me come up with the idea to do this," she admitted. "Solving the situation creatively and pretending to be Pichu and all that. But what could be better than a recording of the genuine article?" She paused thoughtfully. "God, am I never underestimating a Slowpoke ever again."
After she checked Wolfram for any injuries and put away her phone, she smiled lightly. "Or how annoying a Pichu can be if they want," she added.
"At least you get to keep your lunch." She nodded towards his lunch box. "Because the real crime would be losing that, if you ask me."
For a brief second, Lynn looked incredibly guilty. "Sorry about that... I didn't - "
Didn't think? Didn't realise? Underestimated the enemy? Was too hasty and eager to get going and show her friend how it was done?
"Well, you were there. Which is good, since we are never doing that again," said Lynn, taking Elliot's hands in hers and looking at him seriously. She then let go and brushed herself off. Arceus, did she suck at talking about these things.
She glanced into the horizon. Today, she'd learned an important lesson: don't pick fights that can't be won.
"I've got a loooooot of work to do," she said. "Gotta strengthen up so I can put my money where my mouth is." Lynn turned to Elliot and smiled with determination.
Wait, was she forgetting about something?
The forgotten PokeBall shuddered in her bag and the Binacle emerged once again, scowling angrily at Elliot.
"That was meant to be yours, wasn't it, Elliot? You know what..." She bonked the PokeBall on top of the Binacle and recalled it again, snapping the PokeBall shut forcefully. "I'll take care of it. Don't worry about it," she said, smiling.
Post by Elliot Sunderland on May 16, 2020 2:40:54 GMT
So it wasn't just Wolfie! A lot of Elliot's hesitance passed as he realized the trick that Lynn had pulled. He laughed a little as he put two and two together, his own trick being perfected like that before his eyes. "Okay. That was actually really clever," Elliot admitted, a grin spreading across his face despite his best efforts. He really, really didn't want to admit that such a reckless, dangerous plan was also such a good one. But how could he ignore that? A trainer who could think on her feet so quickly and resourcefully was going to go far! Yet, if she was also going to be so reckless . . .
The gears in Elliot's head were turning. And every little piece of information Lynn was giving him gave him a bit more to work with. The lunch that looked oh so delicious. The determination to keep improving and refining her technique. The little bit of guilt that flashed across her face. Like a puzzle, Elliot slotted each of these little pieces together, keeping quiet until Lynn was all done speaking.
Her guilt was the first, most important thing to address. Elliot smiled softly at the poor girl, not even blushing as she took his hands. Was that just a sign that he was taking Lynn's worries really seriously? Or was he too focused on his perfect little plan to get worked up? Even Elliot was unsure. "Hey. If there's any time to make mistakes, it's now, right?" Elliot said. "There are way more dangerous parts of the region than this. And if anything, I think it might be a little bit my fault, too. Strong Pokemon tend to get drawn to strong trainers. If I wasn't here, you might not've had to have even dealt with those guys. But nobody was hurt beside their feelings. Heck, you even saved my lunch! So if anything this was really more learning experience than anything.
That said . . ."
Elliot pulled his two hands away from Lynn's, only to clasp them back over hers. This time, they felt different; round, hard, and made of metal. It'd all be explained as Elliot pulled his hands back one last time, revealing a pair of Ultra Balls now cupped into Lynn's hands. "You wanted to battle, right?" he asked. A mischievous grin spread across his face, and the glint that shimmered in his eyes showed he was absolutely serious about his offer. "We couldn't earlier, on account of the gap between our Pokemon. But I think, say, if you were allowed to use some of mine? Well, obviously my team'd be on par with itself, right?
I know it can be hard to get a sense of how strong Pokemon are, especially when you're just starting your journey off. But I think if you have a chance to not just watch, but guide and experience, that kind of power, you should have a much better idea of what to look out for." It was equal parts guidance and reward. Not only would Lynn get exactly what she'd wanted, but she'd also get some valuable learning experience along the way! Yet, just in case Lynn wasn't convinced, Elliot had a little trick up his sleeves.
"Besides. If it wasn't for you, my lunch would've been gone," Elliot admitted, setting it on the floor between him and Lynn. "So why don't we say the winner gets to keep it?" Who knew he could be so daring! Lynn must've brought out another side of Elliot entirely!
Post by Lynnette Aria on May 19, 2020 13:50:52 GMT
WOLFRAM ♂
LV9 ROOKIDEE BIG PECKS 10/10 HP 2/5 ENERGY
WEBS ♂
LV4 PICHU STATIC 10/10 HP 2/5 ENERGY
TSUNAMI ♀
LV12 OSHAWOTT TORRENT 10/10 HP 1/5 ENERGY
MARILL ♂
LV3 MARILL HUGE POWER KO 0/5 ENERGY
EMPTY
EMPTY
When Elliot took Lynnette's hands into his own, she appeared confused at first. To be honest, she was still reeling from having sent Wolfram into danger and this type of behaviour from Elliot was new.
"You wanted to battle, right?"
At that, she nodded lightly. "But our Pokemon - "
And then Elliot suggested that she could use his. At that, she smiled and drew back from him, playing coy. "Well, then, I suppose we could..." It wouldn't be the same as using her own trusted Pokemon, but it'd also be no different from all the times she'd practised with her father's team.
"Oh ~ Offering a reward, then, are we? I suppose it's not a battle without spoils," she chimed, practically merrily, as she saw Elliot drop his lunch onto the ground between them. "First the Slowpoke, and now me? I guess if you really want to get rid of your lunch that badly ~"
For all her trash-talking, Lynn was brimming with excitement. It seemed that her time spent with Elliot had opened him up somewhat with this surprise offer - and it was the perfect thing to take her mind off of the Slowpoke incident.
"Still, almost half your team is wiped out, so I'm guessing this is a one versus one," she mused. "Hmm. If the cat half-listens to anyone at all, I wouldn't mind borrowing him," she added. Was it a wise idea to choose Beerus? Maybe not, but Lynn was also interested to see how the Espeon would do. "Else I guess its the Huntail."
Post by Elliot Sunderland on May 21, 2020 1:00:04 GMT
She may have played it coy, but for all the excitement in Lynn's voice he might as well have gotten on his knees and proposed. She had a few shy reactions at first, but with each second she warmed up more to the idea. "What can I say? Half the fun of making a lunch is seeing how much the other person likes it," Elliot said. "Though I am starting to get a little hungry. Look out, I might be motivated to win this one!" The grin on his face was ear to ear. Clearly, Elliot knew how to motivate someone, and even himself!
Though, one v. one? Elliot's grin widened a hair. "Oh, Lynn, clearly you misunderstand me. Y'see, both of these are yours. And I've got my own right here." Elliot rolled the Ultra Balls over to Lynn's side, then removed two balls from his own pocket. One was the Ultra Ball he had just used to catch Curly, the ball still wet from the water's edge. The other was a perfectly ordinary Poke Ball.
The Dudes perked up, recognizing their own ball among those rolled. They churned their way up to Elliot, letting out a series of inquiring trills. Lord Beerus, much less inquisitive, lazily watched as his own ball rolled over to Lynn. "Now, I know Lynn's not your trainer," Elliot said. "And don't worry, Dudes. This isn't a long term trade or anything like that. But she's got a sharp trainer's instinct, a lot of creativity, and more than enough spirit to serve you both well in a battle. She might be me, but I want you guys to listen to her and work with her just like you'd work with me.
Or better than you would with me, in Lord Beerus' case." The cat scoffed a little, but there was a small smirk across his face. "You'll like her, anyway. She's a lot less hesitant than I am about getting her hands dirty." While quite a willful creature, Lord Beerus seemed intrigued enough to not mind the arrangement. He trotted over to Lynn's side, standing tall and proud on the battlefield. His tail swished from side to side, and there was a faint glow to his eyes. He had to admit, this was going to be enjoyable.
The Dudes simply nudged up to Elliot for a second, then churned over to Lynn's side. "I recommend starting with Lord Beerus. He's stronger than The Dudes are and doesn't have a type disadvantage, so he should have a better shot at fighting off Curly. And if he does lose, he should do enough do enough damage that The Dudes have a chance of evening things up." As if on cue, Elliot picked up Curly's Pokeball, releasing the crafty eel onto the battlefield. He flashed a menacing, scary face towards Lynn, only to reset to his usual goofy expression seconds later.
Rather than take the lead, he just swished his tail patiently, waiting for Lynn to make the first move.
Post by Lynnette Aria on May 24, 2020 23:54:07 GMT
WOLFRAM ♂
LV9 ROOKIDEE BIG PECKS 10/10 HP 2/5 ENERGY
WEBS ♂
LV4 PICHU STATIC 10/10 HP 2/5 ENERGY
TSUNAMI ♀
LV12 OSHAWOTT TORRENT 10/10 HP 1/5 ENERGY
MARILL ♂
LV3 MARILL HUGE POWER KO 0/5 ENERGY
EMPTY
EMPTY
Quick to respond, Lynn crouched down to catch the rolling Ultra Balls in her hands.
"Oh ~" She said with intrigue. "You want to go all out, guns blazing, don't you?"
At that, her own grin met Elliot's. Despite her earlier gaffes, today she'd still get what she'd come to Arciel for and what she'd set out on Route 1 for. And ultimately, what she'd initially approached Elliot for.
Like Lord Beerus, Lynn stood beside the Espeon proudly. Seeing that the Espeon was willing to fight for her, she spared him a nod. "You've a right to be a proud Pokemon," she said. "Anyone could tell just by looking at you that you're strong. Now I'll do my best to preserve that pride, so we can beat the hell out of Elliot's team," she said with an almost menacing grin.
She glanced at Elliot. "Nothing personal," she added, smiling.
"And of course. As if I'd send a mon out to suffer against a type that was stronger against them," she said and rolled her eyes. Not unless she had a trick up her sleeve, but this was Elliot's team: he already knew all of his Pokemon's tricks.
In fairness, Lynn was already slighty disadvantaged. Slightly.
Now with The Dudes and Lord Beerus, she took a sharp breath, steadying her mind. She couldn't let excitement cloud her judgement. Not even Wolfram was around to bother her in this state - he'd flown up into a tree branch to stay well out of the fight and watch.
Lynn frowned at Curly's Scary Face. For a brief second, it'd affected her, but it was a good reminder... and Beerus seemed like the quick type, stood square against the Huntail, twitching, ready for the battle to commence.
"Sand attack! And follow it with a Swift!" She commanded, motioning at the eel's eyes. After all, it was hard to look scary with sand in one's eyes. It was also a generally good strategy to put the opponent under pressure.
Post by Elliot Sunderland on May 25, 2020 0:30:43 GMT
"What can I say? Pretty sure any less and you'd be disappointed," Elliot said, a teasing smirk on his face. He ran down the list of his Pokemon's moves as Lynn got her head ready for the battle, not wanting to leave her fighting with a disadvantaged hand. Sure, these weren't her usual Pokemon. But she seemed bright enough to pick up on strategies with little more than a move list and some knowledge of their temperament. "Lord Beerus can kick up some powerful distractions with his Sand Attack, heal with Morning Sun, and snatch his opponent's last-used move with Copycat. But his favorite thing to do is smash away with higher-power moves; Psychic, Psybeam, and the difficult-to-avoid Swift. You're right. He's got a lot of pride in his strength, and he walks the walk so well that he can talk whatever talk he wants. He and I may not always see eye to eye, but I know I can rely on him no matter what.
The Dudes are a lot more carefree. I met them shaking up an entire route just because they were dancing too hard to their music. Even in a fight, they keep those earbuds in. I haven't actually had much chance to battle with them yet, but they can shake the ground in a controlled Bulldoze or a much more unpredictable Magnitude. They can also slice up close with Night Slash, pepper foes from afar with Mud Bomb, or use Tri Attack to burn, freeze, and paralyze opponents. Unlike Lord Beerus, they're a lot more straight-up offensive, but their mellow personality stops it from being too overwhelming."
He returned Lynn's ever-so-slightly menacing smile. "Nothing personal here, either," Elliot said. "But don't think Curly and I are gonna go easy on you guys."
At Lynn's command, Lord Beerus turned around . . . and promptly sprayed Elliot in the face with sand. Curly took one look as he coughed and sputtered and just rolled over, guffawing up a storm. That is, of course, until Curly took a direct hit to the eyes. Now it was his time to lose himself to a coughing fit, leaving him barely able to notice the stars surrounding Lord Beerus with each swish of his tail. It was the same sort of deadly efficiency that Elliot believed Lord Beerus was renowned for, and he was sure proving that fact to Lynn right now!
"Curly, dive!" Elliot coughed, the eel looking up and thrashing his tail in circles. Waves seemed to surround Curly with each swish, as if a Surf attack was being chambered without being fired. Lord Beerus' stars launched into the waves, but seemed to vanish beneath the water. Could even the almighty Swift be avoided, if its target was sufficiently hidden? Lord Beerus grit his teeth, watching the waves carefully, as Curly launched out from within them. Still covered in a solid layer of water, he was set to launch right into Lord Beerus' side!
Post by Lynnette Aria on May 29, 2020 14:12:18 GMT
WOLFRAM ♂
LV9 ROOKIDEE BIG PECKS 10/10 HP 2/5 ENERGY
WEBS ♂
LV4 PICHU STATIC 10/10 HP 2/5 ENERGY
TSUNAMI ♀
LV12 OSHAWOTT TORRENT 10/10 HP 1/5 ENERGY
MARILL ♂
LV3 MARILL HUGE POWER KO 0/5 ENERGY
EMPTY
EMPTY
Lynn stifled a laugh at Elliot's suffering. She didn't do a very convincing job of it though.
"Excellent distraction!" She praised Beerus, though it was arguable how fair it was in a match to incapacitate a Pokemon's trainer as well as his Pokemon. And of course, Lord Beerus didn't lag for a second on Lynn's second order: a deadly swift.
That was proving not so deadly as Curly disappeared beneath summoned waves. "Wait for it..." Lynn hissed beneath gritted teeth. The air became tense as both trainer and Pokemon watched the shimmering waters, each poised for the counterstrike that'd surely come.
Elliot had said that earlier, Beerus enjoyed going full pelt with high power attacks. And surely now, the psychically-tuned feline could sense Lynn's own anticipation to unleash mayhem and fury. "Psybeam!"
But was it too late? Curly, sheathed in water, was slamming into Beerus' side within seconds. To go from a command to an action took time... had she misjudged?
Perhaps, but Beerus wasn't the type to take punishment face down. His cry of pain at the side-slam turned into an enraged war-cry, and a hasty beam of energy formed at his mouth to launch at the Huntail, even as the overgrown eel's momentum carried them through mid-air.
Post by Elliot Sunderland on May 30, 2020 0:49:55 GMT
"He's done it a few times before," Elliot said, slapping the side of his head to dislodge some sand from his ears. How the hell did Lord Beerus get so much in there? "Don't gotta worry if we ever battle for real, by the way. He saves the Sand Attacks for me, so you should be nice and un-pelted." Kind of you to reassure your opponent, Elliot, but make sure you're paying attention to the battle too!
Not that there was a lot for him to do, with Curly safely lurking beneath the waves. He snapped back into action as the serpent breached, glad that he was now sand-free and able to focus on the battle. Lynn's order got Elliot's hand clasping around his walking stick, eyes sparking with interest. "Good call! Lord Beerus is quick and precise, and your opponent can't dodge in the air," he advised. "But you're also giving up defense. It's a risky gamble." As Lord Beerus took the knockback from Curly's attack on the chin, a Psybeam drilled the sea serpent down into the ground. Not only had Lord Beerus answered for the hit, but he had also created some separation between the two of them. For Curly, a primarily melee-based attacker, this wasn't a good place to be.
"Slither on over there, Curly. Nice and slow, so you can weave around Lord Beerus' attacks. He can't keep running forever," Elliot said. "Once you're up close, lunge in for the Bite!" Curly nodded, then began crawling serpentine toward Lord Beerus' position. Right now, dodging would be the name of the game; if Lord Beerus wanted to get another hit in before he arrived, he and Lynn would have to plan their moves smartly!
Did Elliot really have to lecture Lynn on strategy as they fought?
She rolled her eyes. "You sound like my dad!" She shouted across the battlefield.
"Great job, Beerus," she shot a quick note of praise towards the Espeon as he deftly landed a few meters away from Curly and took a moment to recover. The Pokemon had better stamina than a human could ever hope to achieve, but Lynn doubted it'd be better than Curly's.
Still. Elliot had a point. Cats excelled at short bursts of speed and power, not sustained fights. She couldn't let him drag this fight out with dodging and running. If she did, he'd win. At the same time, she didn't want to wait and let Curly take control of the battle-field. That snake had avoided a full blown Swift earlier.
No, there was no better time than to grab a fight by the balls than at the start.
"Wait." She commanded Beerus at first. "Catch your breath," she said more quietly. She wasn't going to waste his energy unnecessarily. The Huntail was incoming, though was Curly confused by Lynn's lack of aggression?
In a second, she swapped gears. "Charge and use Psychic!"
Whatever Beerus thought of the unusual tactic, he launched forwards like a mini-jaguar towards Curly just as the Huntail got close, ready to use Psychic at close range!
00
Lv32 
Lv7 
