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.
Rui was fine taking the long way to Ash City. It would give her more opportunities to explore and discover whatever the land had in store. But she had a bike now, and she'd be lying if she said she wasn't eager to get to Moonrise Ruins. Thus, she found herself on Cycling Road, helmet fastened securely to her head as she mounted her newly cleaned bicycle. Maybe this road wouldn't be as tough; after all, it was meant for bicycles, unlike the frosty, Sandile-infested paths of Route 12.
Then again, she did have to worry about the egg strapped into the basket. She checked again to make sure it was secure before gripping the handlebars and pushing off, immediately feeling how much smoother this road was as she pedaled. She gently corrected herself to straighten up and slowly felt herself relax into the ride. Some travelers glided past her, but Rui was content with her current pace; it wasn't a race, after all.
Party Status: Clarence - Lv 16 Phantump - 5/5 Energy Raijin - Lv 16 Pikachu - 5/5 Energy Kama - Lv 16 Scizor - 5/5 Energy Onibi - Lv 16 Litwick - 5/5 Energy Anahita - Lv 15 Blissey - 5/5 Energy Honedge Egg - 1/10 posts
"Coming through!" someone shouted from behind, and a moment later, someone rushed by Rui so quickly that she actually felt a brief breeze. A large basket sat on the back of this person's bike, its contents bumping together with the force of the biker's pedaling. Something popped out and fell to the ground, prompting Rui to brake so she didn't run over it. She glanced around to make sure she wasn't in anyone's path, pushed down her bike's kickstand, and paced over to look at the pink object. An apricorn?
"Excuse me!" Rui called, picking it up and waving it at the retreating figure. "You dropped something!"
But the biker didn't seem to hear her. Rui frowned and glanced back at her own bike with its own precious cargo. She couldn't risk going too fast, but maybe if she was lucky, she'd be able to catch up? It was worth a shot, at least. She pocketed the apricorn and hopped back onto her bike to continue down the road.
Party Status: Clarence - Lv 16 Phantump - 5/5 Energy Raijin - Lv 16 Pikachu - 5/5 Energy Kama - Lv 16 Scizor - 5/5 Energy Onibi - Lv 16 Litwick - 5/5 Energy Anahita - Lv 15 Blissey - 5/5 Energy Honedge Egg - 2/10 posts
Something stunk. Rui scrunched up her nose, but that didn't stop the smell from getting into her throat. She finally had to pull over so she could cough into her arm. Was that... paint?
"Hey!" someone shouted. "You got a problem?"
Rui looked up to see a young woman with wild pink hair (what did a person even call that style?) glaring at her, holding a can of spray paint. Graffiti of some kind was in the midst of being painted on the path at the stranger's feet. Well, that explained the smell, at least. Rui also noticed a Simisage standing at his trainer's side, hands on his hips, while a Zangoose stood a bit behind them, glaring at Rui.
"You really shouldn't be doing that," Rui said, and then immediately regretted saying it.
"Oh, come on!" the delinquent girl groaned. "First some idiot almost runs me over, now Little Miss Goody-Two-Shoes is gonna try to stop me?"
"Um, no, I—" was all Rui could get out before the delinquent interrupted:
"Danny, Sandy, take care of this square."
"Wait! We don't have to... Square?"
The Simisage (Danny, Rui guessed) leapt forward, and Sandy stepped in behind him, claws out. Rui fumbled for her Poké Balls and tossed two of them in front of her: "Onibi, Kama!" The Litwick and the newly evolved Scizor burst from their Balls; Kama held her pincers slightly down and to her sides, and Onibi shrunk back a bit at the sight of the two charging Pokémon.
"Onibi, use Will-O-Wisp on the Zangoose! Kama, Focus Energy!"
Lights swirled around Kama as she took a deep breath and began to focus on her opponents more closely. Onibi squeaked nervously from behind her; before he could act, Danny and Sandy were already striking with Vine Whip and Slash. Kama hissed softly as she took both hits despite her resistance to them. That seemed to be enough to spur Onibi into action: He ducked under one of Kama's arms and shot a Will-O-Wisp at Sandy.
"Oh, that's how it's gonna be, huh?" the delinquent called. "Danny, Seed that Litwick! Sandy, Hone Claws!"
"Kama, Vacuum Wave on Sandy!"
A split second before Sandy could use her move, Kama whirled her pincers around to create a vacuum that shot at the Zangoose. She growled as she stood back up, and then her claws gleamed before she sharpened them against each other. Meanwhile, Danny jumped out of melee range and aimed his leafy "hair" at Onibi to shoot out a Leech Seed. The seeds stuck to Onibi's waxy body, where they sprouted.
"Onibi, use Will-O-Wisp on Danny, too!"
Despite his visible discomfort with the sprouts on him, Onibi shot out a Will-O-Wisp. He winced as the plants on him vibrated, and green light flew out of them and toward Danny, sucking out some of Onibi's energy.
"Bite the little bastard, Danny!" the delinquent commanded.
"Kama, intercept!" Rui called.
"Oh no, you don't! Sandy, Pursuit!"
The Zangoose leapt at Kama with surprising speed, her claws gathering dark energy. She slashed at Kama, causing her to stall mid-leap. Danny took the chance to rush forward and Bite down on Onibi, who let out a pained squeak.
"Hang in there, Onibi!" Rui shouted. "Use Ember! Kama, Bullet Punch on Sandy!"
Kama's fist flew faster than Sandy could even process it. She staggered back, eyes swirling, and then fell face-down onto the trail. Onibi, meanwhile, shot out a super-effective Ember at Danny.
"Dammit!" the delinquent growled. "Danny, Bite again!"
"Kama, Quick Attack!"
Danny lunged at Onibi again, only to be knocked out of the way when Kama rushed into him. Danny growled and bared his fangs, prepared to strike this new target, instead.
"Onibi, quick, Ember!"
Kama glanced over at Onibi, then leapt out of the way, wings buzzing, just before the Ember attack connected. Danny let out a defeated groan and fainted.
The delinquent sighed loudly and rolled her eyes. "Fine, you win," she said, recalling her Pokémon. She stomped over to her bike, which was parked on the side of the road, and fished out a few Pen and items. "Here," she said, shoving it all into Rui's hands. Without another word, she got on her bike and headed back toward Maple City.
Rui's shoulders slumped with her relieved sigh. "I'm glad that's over..." She smiled at Kama and Onibi. "Good job, you two. Come on back and rest."
Once they were safely back in their Poké Balls, Rui looked at the mess of paint and spray cans the girl had left behind. Maybe she should clean this up a little...
Party Status: Clarence - Lv 16 Phantump - 5/5 Energy Raijin - Lv 16 Pikachu - 5/5 Energy Kama - Lv 17 Scizor - 4/5 Energy Onibi - Lv 17 Litwick - 4/5 Energy Anahita - Lv 15 Blissey - 5/5 Energy Honedge Egg - 3/10 posts
Onibi grew to level 17! Kama grew to level 17!
Delinquent Dixie was defeated! Rui won 64 Pen, 3 Chesto Berries, 1 Stone, and 1 Rare Candy!
Rui set the paint cans aside so people wouldn't run over them as easily, but she realized she didn't have a way to clean up the paint itself. She'd just have to tell an attendant what had happened and hope they could send someone to clean up.
"Excuse me," a voice said from behind. "Are you painting the road?"
Rui spun around to see a young girl on a bicycle, one foot on the ground, watching Rui curiously. "Oh, no, no," Rui said quickly. She really didn't want another fight to break out. "I was just trying to clean up so nobody got hurt."
"Oh," the girl said. "Okay." She smiled, and Rui smiled back, feeling herself relax. "Hey, do you wanna battle? I'm trying to get stronger, and the best way to do that is to battle other trainers."
"Sure," Rui found herself saying. So much for avoiding another fight—though she supposed that this was friendly competition more than anything else. "What's your name?" she asked.
"I'm Eurwen," the girl said as she parked her bike on the side of the road. "What's yours?"
"Rui."
"Rui..." Eurwen repeated. "Okay, got it! Raticate, you're up first!" Eurwen tossed out a Poké Ball, and an Alolan Raticate popped out with a hiss. Rui had been hoping it would be the Kantonian variant, but she could work with this.
"Kama, go," Rui said, tossing the Scizor's Poké Ball out. Luckily, Kama still seemed alert despite her participation in the previous battle. "Let's start with Focus Energy."
"Oh!" Eurwen exclaimed. "That's a good idea! Raticate, you do that, too!"
Light swirled around both Pokémon as they stared each other down, scanning each other for weak points. Rui couldn't help but smile at the inadvertent lesson she'd given.
"Now use Pursuit, Raticate!" Eurwen called.
"Kama, quickly, Vacuum Wave!"
Raticate scrambled forward to strike, but Kama's Vacuum Wave was quicker. Raticate screeched and dragged her claws along the ground as she was knocked by the force of a double-super-effective attack, which was even further strengthened by Kama's Technician ability.
"Raticate!" Eurwen cried. At her trainer's call, Raticate tried to stand, but her paw trembled before she fell to the ground, defeated. "Aww, man... That was a really good move." She recalled Raticate back into her Poké Ball.
"You did well to use Focus Energy," Rui said. "That would have been a very different fight if I hadn't had the type advantage." Kama nodded.
Eurwen took another Poké Ball from her bag. "Well, I won't make that mistake again! Drilbur, go!" Drilbur squeaked as he was released.
"Good job, Kama," Rui said. "Get some rest." She recalled Kama back into her Poké Ball and grabbed a different one. "Clarence, it's your turn."
"Oh, fooey," Eurwen said after the Phantump had emerged with a haunting cry. "W-Well, that's okay! Drilbur, use Metal Claw!"
Drilbur put his claws together, and then, faster than either Rui or Clarence could react, he spun forward and slashed at Clarence, who let out a surprised, pained cry as he was hit.
"Clarence, quick, use Will-O-Wisp!"
The hesitation that flickered across Clarence's features made Rui worry that he wouldn't be able to do it. Even after their training, there was no doubt that Clarence still feared fire above all else. She was about to tell him to use Confuse Ray, instead, but then Clarence's eyes narrowed at his opponent, and he spread his arms, summoning a blueish-white flame that floated toward Drilbur. Drilbur hissed in pain as the flames ghosted over him, inflicting a burn.
"Shoot," Eurwen muttered.
"Great job, Clarence," Rui said.
Although Drilbur was able to strike with two more Metal Claws, his burn weakened his attack power and did enough damage to allow Clarence's Magical Leaf to knock him out after two hits.
"That was really smart of you," Eurwen said as she recalled Drilbur. "But we're not done yet! Gumshoos, go!" Gumshoos growled quietly when he was sent out and folded his front paws behind his back.
"Clarence, Will-O-Wisp again."
"Gumshoos, Bite 'im!"
Rui's and Clarence's eyes slightly widened simultaneously. Clarence spread his arms to summon another Will-O-Wisp, only for Gumshoos to Bite down on him before it was fully formed. He cried out and flew back to shoot his attack, which, luckily, hit its mark, but Rui knew she couldn't keep Clarence out for long with an attack like that against him.
"Good work, Clarence. Return." She zapped Clarence back into his Poké Ball and quickly thought through her options. Kama had Vacuum Wave, but she still needed some rest after two battles in a row. Who else could she...? Right, of course! "Raijin, go!" The Pikachu squeaked in challenge and got down on all fours, static gathering in his cheeks, almost as soon as he emerged.
"Gumshoos, use Bite again!" Eurwen commanded. Something was different this time, though: There was a glint in the Gumshoos' eyes before he charged forward and chomped down on his new opponent. Raijin cried out in pain, the attack far stronger than he or Rui had expected it to be. Eurwen giggled. "Gumshoos has Stakeout," she explained. "So when I forced you to switch, his Bite got even stronger."
Another unintentional smile played on Rui's face. "Very clever," she said. Raijin turned his head and squeaked his disapproval. "Ah, right," Rui said. "Raijin, use Pay Day." It was a learn Raijin had learned for last month's Showcase, but it still came in handy for its ability to conjure what was apparently legitimate Pen, which Raijin shot at the Gumshoos.
"Whoa, I didn't know Pikachu could do that," Eurwen said, just loud enough to be heard. Then, louder: "Gumshoos, use Sand Attack!" Gumshoos turned around and kicked sand right into Raijin's face, causing the Pikachu to let out an affronted squeak. Raijin rubbed his eyes to little avail.
"It's okay, Raijin," Rui said. "You can do this. Just listen for him when he attacks again."
Raijin's ears perked up in curiosity. He was supposed to just... listen? He was itching to attack, to get revenge for the sand hurled in his face... but Rui hadn't steered him wrong yet. So he waited, ears and tail twitching.
"Gumshoos, Bite again!" Eurwen called. Gumshoos came charging at Raijin, who forced himself to stay where he was... until Gumshoos was just close enough for Raijin to leap into the air and fall back, kicking his legs. Gumshoos wasn't able to stop in time, and he took on the full force of Raijin's Double Kick. That, combined with the damage from his burn, was enough to finally make him faint. Raijin cheered when he realized he had won.
"Oh, wow," Eurwen said as she recalled her Pokémon. "You're really good."
"You did very well, yourself," Rui said. Raijin huffed, and Rui chuckled. "You did, too, Raijin. Come on back." She recalled Raijin into his Poké Ball, where he'd hopefully be freed of the sand still in his eyes.
"I guess I still have a lot of training to do," Eurwen said. "Here, this is for winning." She handed Rui a few Pen and a small pouch of items. "We're gonna go heal up, but thanks for the battle!"
"It was my pleasure," Rui said with a bow. "Take care."
Eurwen hopped on her bike and waved before taking off for Maple. Rui, having done all she could with the graffiti mess, began riding toward Ash again.
Youngster Eurwen was defeated! Rui received 108 Pen (thanks to Pay Day), 2 Sand, 3 Copper, and 2 Gold!
Kama grew to level 19! Clarence grew to level 19! Clarence forgot Branch Poke and learned Feint Attack! Raijin grew to level 19!
Party Status: Clarence - Lv 19 Phantump - 4/5 Energy Raijin - Lv 19 Pikachu - 4/5 Energy Kama - Lv 19 Scizor - 3/5 Energy Onibi - Lv 18 Litwick - 4/5 Energy Anahita - Lv 18 Blissey - 5/5 Energy Honedge Egg - 4/10 posts (Levels adjusted for Showcase rewards)
Some ways ahead, Rui saw a well-dressed young man standing by his bike, phone to his ear. As she got closer, she noticed that his bike, which looked quite expensive, had a flat tire. She came to a stop and watched for a moment as he tapped his foot impatiently and checked his gold watch.
"Excuse me," Rui said. The man looked at her with a raised brow but didn't say anything. "Do you need any help?"
"Can you fix a flat?" the man asked.
"Well, no, but—"
"Then you can't help me—yes, hello?" he continued into the phone. "Ugh, finally. I have been on hold for ten minutes. I'm stuck on Cycling Road with a flat all because some buffoon couldn't keep hold of his items, and I..."
Rui chose to pedal away at that moment. He seemed to have things handled well enough, and it wasn't like she could offer any substantial help, anyway. She felt sorry for whoever was on the other end of that phone call, though...
Party Status: Clarence - Lv 19 Phantump - 4/5 Energy Raijin - Lv 19 Pikachu - 4/5 Energy Kama - Lv 19 Scizor - 3/5 Energy Onibi - Lv 18 Litwick - 4/5 Energy Anahita - Lv 18 Blissey - 5/5 Energy Honedge Egg - 5/10 posts
There was a blonde lady waving down the road. Rui glanced behind her to see just who she was waving at, but there was nobody there.
"I'm talking to you, silly!" the lady said. "What's a pretty girl like you doing all the way out here?"
Rui braked at the other girl's side, her brain stalling at the "pretty girl" comment. "Uh... I'm just on my way to Ash," she said. She didn't think Cycling Road counted as "all the way out here," but it didn't seem appropriate to mention that.
"Ooh, that's where I live!" the lady exclaimed. "My mom owns this super-trendy cell phone shop. You should come check it out!"
"Oh, well... I'm actually not very good with technology," Rui all but muttered.
"Whaaaaaaat?" The lady looked almost comically shocked. "But you look so smart!"
This caused a blush to creep into Rui's cheeks. "Oh, um, thank you. I am a researcher, so..."
"Ooh, so you are smart! Oh, duh, I totally forgot my manners." She tapped her fist against the top of her head with a little giggle, then held out her hand. "I'm Treasure."
Rui automatically reached forward to shake the outstretched hand. "Rui," she said after a brief pause while she processed the fact that this girl's name was actually Treasure.
"Rui—oh, that's such a pretty name! Is it... Wait, don't tell me... Hoenn?"
"Kanto, actually."
"Ooh, so close," Treasure said with a snap of her fingers. "So! How about we battle and get to know each other a little more?"
"Sure," Rui said somewhat hesitantly. Was she being flirted with? Treasure had called her "pretty" and "smart"...
"Yay!" Treasure skipped a few paces away, took the Poké Ball hanging from her purse, and tossed it out with a flourish. "Let's go, my little Valentine!"
A Luvdisc emerged from the Poké Ball and did a little mid-air twirl, trilling.
"Clarence, go," Rui said as she tossed out the Phantump's Poké Ball.
"Ah, what?!" Treasure covered her mouth with one hand, looking downright shocked. "You can't just send out a Pokémon with a type advantage like that!"
Rui stared for a couple of seconds, confused. "Why... not?" she asked.
"Because it's rude! Oh, forget it! Val, sweetie, let's show them how cute you are!"
Valentine turned so the left side of her body faced Clarence and winked. Tiny hearts appeared above the Luvdisc and floated toward Clarence to swirl around him. Once they'd dissipated, Clarence was left staring at Valentine with a dopey smile and hearts in his eyes.
Treasure giggled. "See? No one can resist our charm!" She winked at Rui, and oh, jeez, this was flirting, wasn't it? How was Rui supposed to react? Did she even like girls? Or was Treasure just not her type? Oh, boy, she had not expected to be thinking about her sexuality today.
"Um, Clarence?" she asked, mostly to have something to say. Clarence let out a high-pitched warble, still staring at Valentine. "Use... Leech Seed?" Clarence just warbled again. "Oh, dear..."
"Hehe, even your Pokémon doesn't want to attack because we're just too cute! Valentine, go give him a kiss!"
Valentine hovered forward while Clarence just floated there, staring at her. She leaned forward and planted a long smooch on Clarence's cheek, but when she pulled away, Clarence let out a haunting cry of pain as his energy was sucked away. He stared disbelievingly at Valentine, and Rui took that opportunity to issue an order:
"Clarence, Magical Leaf, quickly!"
Angered at Valentine's betrayal, Clarence spread his arms and summoned a multitude of rainbow-colored leaves, which he fired at his opponent. Valentine widened her eyes before she was knocked back by the force of the blow with a cry. She lay on the ground for several seconds, yet Treasure didn't recall her. Clarence warbled in question and slowly floated forward. Had he really hurt such a cute Pokémon? Suddenly, Valentine sprang up and landed another Draining Kiss on Clarence's cheek. Clarence, realizing Valentine had used his attraction to him to fool him, narrowed his eyes and shot another Magical Leaf. This time, Valentine didn't get up.
Treasure pouted as she recalled her Pokémon back into her Ball. "You're so mean!" she shouted. She stormed up to Rui and all but shoved her winnings into her hands before getting on her bike and pedaling off toward Ash. Rui stared after her. That had been... awkward. She looked down at Clarence, who was staring at the ground, trying to hide his shame.
"It's okay, Clarence," Rui said, reaching down to pat him on the head. "You did well."
Rui recalled Clarence into his Poké Ball and hopped back onto her bike. She made sure to keep her pace slow as she continued down the road, not wanting to run into Treasure again.
She'd have some thinking to do about this later...
Rich Lady Treasure was defeated! Rui won 358 Pen, 2 Oran Berries, 2 Cheri Berries, and 3 Wood!
Clarence grew to level 20! Clarence forgot Astonish and learned Hex!
Party Status: Clarence - Lv 20 Phantump - 3/5 Energy Raijin - Lv 19 Pikachu - 4/5 Energy Kama - Lv 19 Scizor - 3/5 Energy Onibi - Lv 18 Litwick - 4/5 Energy Anahita - Lv 18 Blissey - 5/5 Energy Honedge Egg - 6/10 posts
Another well-dressed young man with a Croconaw with a pink bow on its head was flagging Rui down. How many rich people were on this road?
"Yes?" Rui asked as she came to a stop.
"My sweet little Princess has been agitated since we got out here," the rich boy said in a tone that bordered on baby talk. His "sweet little Princess" growled. "Would you mind battling her? That always calms her down. I'll even pay you."
"Oh, certainly," Rui said. Her hand hovered over Raijin's Poké Ball, but the thought of her previous encounter made her hesitate. She didn't want to make this man upset; plus, it was just a battle meant to calm down the other Pokémon. Instead, she tossed out her Luxury Ball. "Go, Anahita."
The Blissey trilled and waved her arms when she emerged. Princess narrowed her eyes, then shot a Water Gun. Anahita gurgled and stumbled back as it hit her right in the face.
"Princess, no, you're supposed to wait for an order!" Yeong said. Princess huffed.
"Anahita, use Light Screen," Rui said just loud enough for her Pokémon to hear. Anahita nodded and waved her hands, causing a shimmering wall of light to manifest in front of her.
"Okay, Princess, now use Water Gun!" Yeong called. Princess did as she was told, only for most of the attack to bounce off of Anahita's new barrier. "Oh," Yeong muttered. Princess turned to glare at her trainer.
"Light Screen protects against special attacks," Rui said.
"Yeah, I figured that part out."
Rui cleared her throat. "Of course! Anahita, use Double-Slap!"
With her surprising speed, Anahita rushed forward, lifted the shocked Princess into the air, and slapped her across the face a few times before setting her back down. Princess growled, but Yeong spoke up before she could do anything: "Wait! Wait for an order first." Princess clenched her jaw but didn't move. "Okay, good. Use Bite."
The command was barely out of Yeong's mouth before Princess rushed at Anahita to chomp at her.
"Anahita, Soft-Boiled!"
Anahita put her hands together as if praying, and the egg in her pouch began to glow. That glow spread through her body, restoring her health. Princess widened her eyes as she watched the damage she'd done get reversed.
"Show them your Rage, Princess!" Yeong commanded. Princess began to glow red, then ran forward and attacked.
"Rage..." Rui whispered as she recalled how it worked. "Anahita, Soft-Boiled again!"
This little back-and-forth continued a few more times before Princess, realizing that her efforts were futile, waddled back to her trainer's side with a defeated huff. Yeong leaned down to pat her head. "Is that better, girl?" he asked. Princess chuffed in response, which seemed to satisfy the rich boy. "Thanks for that," he said to Rui. "She gets a bit antsy being cooped up inside all the time. Here." He handed her some Pen and a few other items.
"I'm glad I could help," Rui said.
Yeong recalled the calmer Croconaw into her Ultra Ball and cycled off. Rui smiled and thanked Anahita before recalling her and continuing onward.
Rich Boy Yeong was defeated! Rui won 425 Pen, 2 Cotton, 1 Copper, and 3 Stone!
Anahita grew to level 19!
Party Status: Clarence - Lv 20 Phantump - 3/5 Energy Raijin - Lv 19 Pikachu - 4/5 Energy Kama - Lv 19 Scizor - 3/5 Energy Onibi - Lv 18 Litwick - 4/5 Energy Anahita - Lv 19 Blissey - 4/5 Energy Honedge Egg - 7/10 posts
From the corner of her eye, Rui notice someone pedaling next to her. She glanced over and met the eyes of a serious-looking blonde girl. The two came to a stop, still watching each other.
"When two trainers' eyes meet," the girl said, "that means it's time to battle."
"I suppose it does, yes," Rui replied. Of course, any trainer with a shred of politeness knew that if someone needed to turn down a battle, they shouldn't press it, but Rui didn't really have a reason to turn down this battle. Her Pokémon were still in good shape, and she wasn't in a hurry, having long lost hope of catching up to the person who had dropped their apricorn.
"Then let's begin." The other trainer took a Poké Ball from her belt and tossed it out. "Honchkrow, go."
"Raijin, go," Rui said, tossing out the Pikachu's Poké Ball. This girl seemed serious about this battle, so Rui was more than okay with gaining a type advantage.
"Honchkrow, Night Slash."
"Raijin, use Nuzzle."
The two Pokémon let out battle cries as they rushed at each other, electricity gathering in Raijin's cheeks. Raijin leapt up, and Honchkrow reared back a wing. Honchkrow's Night Slash connected, but not without rubbing over Raijin's cheek, causing Honchkrow to get a nasty shock that forced her to land before her wings seized up.
"Raijin, quickly, Nasty Plot!"
Raijin snickered and held a paw under his devious smirk.
"Honchkrow, Mist!" The other trainer's voice had begun to lose that calmness it had had at the start of the battle.
Honchkrow started to lift her wings, only for a jolt to go through her, causing her to stiffen up and wince.
"Raijin, Electro Ball!" Rui called.
Raijin conjured up a large ball of electricity from his cheeks, then jumped up to swing it at his opponent with his tail. At an order from her trainer, Honchkrow spread her wings, prepared to strike again, but Raijin was faster, and another Electro Ball knocked Honchkrow out.
"Not bad," the blonde said, recalling her Pokémon. "Slurpuff, it's your turn."
"Come on back, Raijin. Kama, let's go."
The Slurpuff and Scizor emerged from their respective Poké Balls. The corner of Yulia's mouth pulled down into a slight half-frown at the type disadvantage she found herself at.
"Slurpuff, Play Nice."
Slurpuff skipped forward and began to dance around Kama, grinning. Kama watched, her expression softening.
"Kama, Focus Energy!" Rui called. Kama snapped out of her reverie and narrowed her eyes in concentration, scanning the Slurpuff for any weak spots. "Now, Bullet Punch!"
Kama struck faster than Yulia could even send out an order, and though Slurpuff tried to sustain herself with some Draining Kisses, it wasn't nearly enough against an onslaught of super-effective, type- and Technician-boosted Bullet Punch.
"Hm, looks like I need to reconsider my move pool," Yulia said after recalling the fainted Slurpuff. "Good fight."
"Thank you," Rui said, nodding since she couldn't bow on her bike. "You fought well, too."
Yulia's lips quirked up into the smallest, briefest of smiles. "Thanks." She handed Rui her winnings and continued on her way. Rui followed shortly after.
Ace Trainer Yulia was defeated! Rui won 366 Pen, 1 Nanab Berry, 2 Stone, and 2 Clay.
Raijin grew to level 20! Raijin forgot Electro Ball and learned Spark!
Kama grew to level 20!
Party Status: Clarence - Lv 20 Phantump - 3/5 Energy Raijin - Lv 20 Pikachu - 3/5 Energy Kama - Lv 20 Scizor - 2/5 Energy Onibi - Lv 18 Litwick - 4/5 Energy Anahita - Lv 19 Blissey - 4/5 Energy Honedge Egg - 8/10 posts
"Hey, hey! We should battle!" Lass Justine's enthusiastic words, combined with Rui's politeness, caught Rui in another friendly battle.
"Togetic, let's go!" Justine shouted, tossing the Poké Ball into the fray. Said Togetic emerged in mid-air and bowed to Rui. Rui nodded at him. What a polite Pokémon!
"Raijin, go," Rui said, sending out the Pikachu. He still seemed raring to go, judging by his immediate drop into a battle stance as his cheeks sparked.
Justine giggled. "Don't think you're going to win so easily just 'cause you have a Pikachu! Togetic, use Yawn!"
Togetic opened his mouth wide in an exaggerated yawn. White clouds emerged from Togetic's mouth and flew toward Raijin, causing him to yawn in turn. Oh, that wasn't good...
"Raijin, quickly, use Nuzzle," Rui said.
Raijin shook his head in an attempt to ward off his drowsiness. Electricity crackled in his cheeks, and he rushed forward and jumped at Togetic to rub his electrified cheek against Togetic's face. Sparks danced across the Togetic's body, and he fluttered down to the ground, squeaking softly. Raijin grinned proudly... and then promptly fell to the ground, asleep.
"Raijin, wake up!" Rui shouted.
"Togetic, use Ancient Power!"
To Rui's dismay, Togetic pushed through his paralysis, lifted his arms, and summoned what looked like several fossils to hurl at Raijin. Somehow, the impact wasn't enough to wake him up, but luckily, Rui didn't see the telltale signs of Togetic's power increasing. That was good, at least.
"Raijin!" Rui tried again. Raijin's ear twitched, and he squeaked something in his sleep, but he still didn't wake up.
"Try again, Togetic," Justine said. Togetic raised his arms again, but this time, he flinched and huddled into himself as his paralysis took hold.
"Raijin!"
This time, Raijin lifted both ears and opened his eyes with a questioning squeak. Right! He'd been battling! How could he let himself fall asleep like that?! He hopped up onto all fours and narrowed his eyes at his opponent.
Rui sighed in relief before giving her next command: "Raijin, use Spark."
The electricity at Raijin's cheeks spread to his entire body, and he slammed into Togetic with a charged tackle. Togetic cried out and flew back, defeated.
"You did great out there, Togetic," Justine said before recalling her Pokémon. "Okay, Tangela, your turn!"
"Good job, Raijin." Rui recalled the Pikachu back into his Poké Ball and took another one from her belt. "Onibi, go!"
"Tangela, start with Poison Powder!"
"Onibi, Will-O-Wisp!"
The two attacks hit almost simultaneously, leaving Onibi wincing and Tangela glaring.
"Tangela, Ingrain!"
"Onibi, Confuse Ray!"
Unfortunately, Tangela was able to plant his roots before Onibi's colorful Confuse Ray could hit, allowing Tangela to effectively negate the damage from the burn. No problem, Rui reasoned. She still had the type advantage, and Tangela's lowered attack and lessened chances of hitting were further boons.
"Tangela, use Vine Whip!"
"Ember, Onibi!"
As expected, though Onibi flinched back a bit at the Vine Whip, that was mostly due to his timidity; the attack itself barely did any damage. Onibi's Ember, on the other hand, quickly had Tangela on the ropes. Even with his poison slowly chipping away at his health, Onibi was able to come out victorious.
"That was a great battle!" Justine said once Tangela was safely back in his Ball.
"It was, yes," Rui said. She knelt down to administer an Antidote to the whimpering Onibi, who looked at her with shy gratefulness once the poison had been dealt with.
Justine handed Rui her winnings, waved goodbye, and headed off on her way. Rui waved and bowed after her before getting back on her bike. The end of the road was in sight!
Lass Justine was defeated! Rui won 202 Pen, 2 Aspear Berries, 3 Greenery, and 1 Razz Berry!
Raijin grew to level 21! Raijin forgot Spark and learned Thunderbolt!
Onibi grew to level 19!
Rui used an Antidote on Onibi.
Party Status: Clarence - Lv 20 Phantump - 3/5 Energy Raijin - Lv 21 Pikachu - 2/5 Energy Kama - Lv 20 Scizor - 2/5 Energy Onibi - Lv 19 Litwick - 3/5 Energy Anahita - Lv 19 Blissey - 4/5 Energy Honedge Egg - 9/10 posts
Rui supposed it made sense that she was seeing so many rich people on Cycling Road. After all, it was right between two of the region's major cities, and aside from fancy beach houses on the coast, that's where most rich people would live, right? That's what Rui assumed, at least.
The woman she was now battling looked more like she belonged at one of those beach houses with her breezy green dress and wide-brimmed sunhat. Of course, that was far from the most important thing on Rui's mind.
"Go, Kama," Rui said as she sent out her Scizor in response to Rich Lady Becca's Sylveon, Oberon. "Use Focus Energy."
Once again, light swirled around Kama as she focused in on her opponent.
"Ooh, that's a good move," Becca said. "Oberon, use Copycat!"
Light gathered around Oberon and then swirled around him, and his eyes glinted with that same concentration that Kama held. That was the second time that day that her opponent had used that move right after Kama, Rui noted to herself.
"Kama, use Bullet Punch."
In a flash, Kama had crossed the distance between herself and Oberon and struck with her closed pincers, dealing what was clearly a lot of damage. Kama hopped back and looked at her opponent... and felt herself soften. She suddenly wanted nothing more than to protect this Sylveon, to teach him how to defend himself from such devastating attacks.
"Kama?" Rui asked, but Kama didn't seem to hear her.
"Oh, how lovely!" Becca exclaimed. "Oberon's Cute Charm worked! Oberon, why don't you use Draining Kiss?"
Oberon winked and formed his mouth into a little "o," summoning several small pink hearts that floated over to Kama. The Scizor didn't even try to dodge, just letting the Draining Kiss latch onto her and drain some of her vitality. She didn't even flinch.
"Oh..." Becca muttered. "Well, that didn't do much damage, did it? Hmm... Let's try Double Kick instead!"
"Kama!" Rui called, but Kama just watched as Oberon ran at her, leapt up, and kicked her twice in the face. This, fortunately, seemed to snap Kama out of it, and she shook her head. "Kama, quickly, use Bullet Punch again!"
Kama was quick to obey, and this was enough to knock Oberon out.
"Oh, my sweet little Oberon," Becca cooed before recalling him. "I guess it's time to get serious. Maleficent, let's go!" She tossed out a Luxury Ball with a Flapple inside.
Rui looked to Kama. The Scizor would probably be Rui's best bet for winning this battle, but she looked exhausted after so many battles in one day. "Come on back and rest," Rui said before recalling Kama into her Poké Ball. "Onibi, it's your turn."
Maleficent opened with Leech Seed, and Onibi retaliated with Will-O-Wisp. "Onibi, Confuse Ray," Rui said.
"Maleficent, Protect!"
A hexagonal barrier appeared in front of Maleficent, and Onibi's colorful Confuse Ray was absorbed into it, protecting the Flapple from its effects.
"Okay," Rui whispered. Then, louder: "Onibi, use Sunny Day."
Onibi raised his stubby little arms and summoned what looked like a small sun high above the battlefield.
"Maleficent, Acid Spray," Becca said. Maleficent complied with her trainer's order, but the attack didn't appear to do much damage. Rui knew why: Poison-type moves weren't very effective against Ghost-types. "Oh, not again," Becca huffed.
"Onibi, quickly, Confuse Ray!"
Onibi squeaked and sent another series of colorful lights at Maleficent; this time, they hit home, swirling around the Flapple until she was dizzy with confusion.
Becca stammered through her next order: "Uh, use, um, Wing Attack! That's it." But all Maleficent managed to do was slap herself with one her apple wings. Between that, the lingering damage from burn, and the boosted Ember that Onibi shot out a moment later, Maleficent finally went down. Rui and Becca both recalled their Pokémon, and the latter sent out her Togekiss, Titania. Rui called out Raijin to counter her.
"Now we'll show you what we can really do!" Becca said. "Titania, use Ancient Power!"
"Raijin, Nuzzle!"
Raijin ran at Titania as the Togekiss raised her wings to summon Ancient Power. Ultimately, Raijin was faster, able to leap up and paralyze Titania before she could fire off the attack. But though the sparks flying across her fur clearly impeded her movement, she was still able to stay afloat and flap her wings toward Raijin, causing the fossils she'd summoned to fly at him. Raijin let out a surprised squeak as he was hit. Rui then saw the telltale glow of a Pokémon whose power had just been raised. Oh, dear.
"Raijin, use Thunderbolt," Rui said.
"Titania, use Metronome!"
Raijin's Thunderbolt struck true, causing Titania to cry out in pain. She tried to raise her wingtips so she could waggle them, but the sparks across her body finally forced her to land and kept her from executing the attack.
"Raijin, use Nasty Plot while she's paralyzed," Rui said. Raijin grinned deviously; a glint appeared in his eyes, and his body glowed with his increased power.
"Try again, sweetie!" Becca called. "Metronome!" This time, Titania managed to raise shaky wingtips and wave them back and forth. Her body began to shine like steel, and she lowered her head to charge.
"Raijin, Thunderbolt!"
But Raijin was too fast, and before Titania's Iron Head could make impact, she was struck by another bolt of lightning that caused her to faint.
"Aww, fooie," Becca said, recalling her Pokémon. "You've got a lot of tricks up your sleeve."
With the prize money and congratulations (plus a few tips from Rui on type match-ups) exchanged, the two went their separate ways. For Rui, that meant finally reaching the end of the road and the gate to Ash City. As she moved to get off her bike, she noticed movement from the basket up front. "Oh!" she exclaimed, picking up the egg. It was hatching!
Rich Lady Becca was defeated! Rui won 495 Pen, 2 Bamboo, 2 Rare Candies, and 1 Wood.
Kama grew to level 21!
Onibi grew to level 20! Onibi forgot Ember and learned Flame Burst!
Raijin grew to level 22!
Party Status: Clarence - Lv 20 Phantump - 3/5 Energy Raijin - Lv 22 Pikachu - 1/5 Energy Kama - Lv 21 Scizor - 1/5 Energy Onibi - Lv 20 Litwick - 2/5 Energy Anahita - Lv 19 Blissey - 4/5 Energy Honedge Egg - 10/10 posts
06
04
00
Chesto Berry x3, 
Stone x1, 
Rare Candy x1
Sand x2, 
Copper x3, 
Gold x2
Iron x3, 
Wood x3
Lv22 
Oran Berry x2, 
Cheri Berry x2, 
Cotton x2, 
Nanab Berry x1, 
Clay x2
Aspear Berry x2, 
Greenery x3, 
Razz Berry x1
Bamboo x2, 
