[Alicia Westfield]

Alicia’s current party:

Reeshra: level 15 Alolan Vulpix, 5 Energy
Makaro: level 5 Alolan Vulpix (special color), 5 Energy

—————————

With a quick garden visit, a stop by the Center to heal up, and a fast trip to the mart to restock on some more heavy duty pokeballs, Alicia was off on the road beside her two foxes. Newly minted Makaro wobbled a bit as he tried to get used to his changed form. Just a short while ago he’d been fire-aligned and it was a bit jarring for him to suddenly be white, more fluffy, and chilly. Alicia, meanwhile, was shocked that powders existed to adjust a Pokemon’s form. How had they cracked that one, she wondered. Either way, she had shelled out for that as well and wasted no time. It was a move she would never regret. The purple coloring of old was good, but the hues on the alternate colored Alolan Vulpix just blended perfectly.

“Oooh... you’re both just so adorable!” Alicia cooed softly, giving a pet to both Reeshra and Makaro in turn. The large female yipped happily and nuzzled into her palm. The smaller male, however, rolled his eyes and took a few steps to get out of range. He’d been quite happy in that garden after all! And the male still didn’t know quite what to make of the woman who’d caught him.

“I’m sure you’ll come around soon enough.” Alicia mused softly as she straighten back up, fixing her hefty backpack as she did. Who knew what, or possibly who, they’d meet in the mean time. After all, it was a whole new region for her, with all that such a distinction entailed. With any luck she could even get some training in a wild battle with Makaro. That would be good both to get her used to him, and him used to being an Ice type.

Makaro shook his head huffed a low bark, turning to look away from Alicia and Reeshra. The larger ice fox, seeing this, crossed over and nipped his ear to get his attention. That earned her an annoyed yip and quick but light puff of snow to her face. To which she responded with a soft paw to the shoulder for a moment. It was almost as if she was trying to reassure him that it would all be okay now that they were on the same side.

Alicia sighed softly as she watched this, smiling at their antics. Reeshra really did need another friend, but it looked like it would be a bit before Makaro warmed up to the idea. They did have a rocky start, after all, what with his introduction literally being lighting a fire right up against her from behind. Not the greatest first impression ever, but they’ll make work somehow.


—————————

Shalin Nariya

This is gonna be interesting

[Shalin Nariya]

After a playful romp at the plateau, Agate and Shalin had parted ways, Shalin making it back to Birch's northern gate...where she had initially started her journey with Caprice as a Vulpix, as well as Prance. How far she had come in eight months...the memories came flooding back in when she looked over the beautiful valley that was Route 1. The one of her racing down the steep road, riding Prance at high speed was one that came to mind first. This time, though, the green-dressed blonde wanted to fly down the hill...or more like hover, given Queen Zing couldn't fly too high with Shalin aboard.

Queen Zing, upon being released from the explorer's Poké Ball, stretched her front stings high. "Ready to go?" Shalin popped her earplugs in and climbed into the bug-type's saddle. She scanned the road as the Beedrill warmed her wings up, smiling as she saw the white blurs at her sides before they had even taken off. Prance, the tall Stantler who insisted on being out of her Poké Ball, took off ahead of the two. "Don't run too far ahead, Prance!" Shalin shouted, though she wasn't sure if the normal-type could hear her as her Beedrill's wings beat faster. Once Prance was halfway down the hill, Queen Zing jumped off the ledge and took flight, angling her body to remain just a few feet off the ground as much as possible, accelerating more quickly than normal due to gravity aiding her dive.

By the time the two reached the grassy valley proper, they had surged ahead of Prance. Shalin let go of the Beedrill's reins and let her fly how she wanted to, bobbing up and down to make her rider smile and even giggle from time to time as the terrain flew past. "Wahoo!" the girl cried, not paying attention to what was on the road beneath her...

---

Alicia Westfield

NAME          SPECIES       LV    EP   STATUS
Caprice       Ninetales      44     5      Good
Prance        Stantler       33     5      Good
Flit          Yanmega        47     7      Good
Kiku          Skuntank       38     5      Good
Serena        Persian        35     5      Good
Queen Zing    Beedrill       24     5      Good

{WC: 318}
{PC: 1}

[Alicia Westfield]

Alicia sighed to herself as she took a moment to break her two Vulpix up. Much as Reeshra tried to entice Makaro into being more open, the other fox was having none of it. She didn’t want them getting into a fight for no reason after all. The larger female had a dejected pout as a result, but relented at last. After all, the vulpine ears flicked back and forth in a frenzy. There was something big coming into the area. Makaro yipped and whined, eyes wide, while Reeshra’s fur bristled out of nervous energy. Alicia herself couldn’t help but look between them and wonder what the hell had gotten into them.

Whatever it was, it was spooking the two ice foxes something fierce. Seeing as she didn’t know what was up, and thus couldn’t settle them down, the pinkette explorer opted to return her two friends to their pokeballs. At the very least that way they wouldn’t have to endure whatever it was that was scaring them. With her own muscles tensed, she kept going onward with much more caution this time around. Then she heard the drone of an insect’s wings coming in hot. Followed shortly by arguably the largest Beedrill she’d ever seen. For a second she didn’t even register that there was someone riding this absurdity. All she could immediately identify about it was that it was bigger then she was and it was disturbingly close to the road she was walking on. Given it was a hornet of positively crazy sizes, ‘close’ could be argued to be ‘anywhere in eyesight from the road itself’.

“Holy mother of-!” The terrified screech was cut off as she dove to the side away from the Beedrill. With how it was bobbing around, she wanted no chance of possibly winding up in it’s way. ‘Zig when you should’ve zagged’ was a slang saying for a reason! And if this is what her foxes had heard coming, no wonder they were distressed and afraid, respectively. Anybody would be if they saw a hornet that large anywhere close to them. Hopefully it didn’t notice her? Then again with her outcry just a second ago she doubted anyone would be able to miss it. It was only after her dive though that she wondered why a massive Beedrill wasn’t hanging around in the forests like most of it’s kind were. Foraging, possibly, but something didn’t seem right about that explanation.

—————————

Shalin Nariya

[Shalin Nariya]

Shalin was lost in her adrenaline rush for a while - though she had been on the speedy Beedrill many times, that charge forward never got old. As she gave a traveling, pink-haired female a wide berth, the blonde couldn't help but see her dive into a bush. Queen Zing was tacked up - could she not see the Pokémon was trained? Then again, a fear of stinging insects was common in the Johto and Kanto regions - Beedrill stings were the one of the most common causes of injury in the Ilex and Viridian Forests. There was a morbid statistic that stuck with her since her childhood - more people died from Beedrill stings than Sharpedo attacks each year.

Just as she was about to pass the fallen girl, the girl tugged back hard on her mount, the yellow and black insect making a sharp loop, turning around and landing on the side of the road opposite to where the other female had ducked for cover. Two vulpine Pokémon she didn't recognize were crowding around her, as well. Once the Beedrill's wings had stopped, Shalin popped one of her earplugs and cried, "You okay? Thought I gave you wide enough of a berth! Sorry to scare you like that!" The Beedrill's red eyes began to tear up, as to apologize for flying too close to the three.

---

Alicia Westfield

NAME          SPECIES       LV    EP   STATUS
Caprice       Ninetales      44     5      Good
Prance        Stantler       33     5      Good
Flit          Yanmega        47     7      Good
Kiku          Skuntank       38     5      Good
Serena        Persian        35     5      Good
Queen Zing    Beedrill       24     5      Good

{WC: 226}
{PC: 2}

[Alicia Westfield]

With years officially scared off of her life from the shock, Alicia pulled herself back out to see that the Beedrill was not only still there, it even seemed to have come back. Reeshra and Makaro had wound up popping back out of their balls in the confusion as well. And that’s when the call from the Beedrill’s back came ringing, and Alicia blinked, taking a closer look. “I… Yeah, I’m okay! Kind of just saw ‘huge Beedrill’ and my brain went blank.”

Then she heaved an exasperated sigh at the sight of what details she missed earlier. Not only was the Beedrill of significant size, it was bearing a saddle. And a rider in turn, who she could make out now that she was actually able to think it out again. Someone was willingly riding one of these things? Never mind the insanity of it all, did the Beedrill have some kind of special training to be strong enough? It never occurred to her that Beedrill could get that big, given the possible logistical issues of flying at that size. To be so big and still bear a rider implied to her that this Beedrill was much more powerful then it’s fellows, at least at first glance.

That being said, there was probably an example of a pokemon flying on improbable dimensions of body mass to wing size if she really looked, so who could say for sure? Of course, of more pressing concern were these two that she’d crossed paths with. Alicia didn’t even have to try to notice anything about the other woman’s temperament, she seemed to wear her heart on her sleeve. The Beedrill, in turn… how could she ignore such an expression? With the initial shock out of the way the hornet pokemon looked much more approachable. She gave a quick whistle for her two vulpine friends, with Reeshra yipping happily and falling in line. There was clearly no danger here after all. “Anyways,” Alicia began again, humming and walking closer, “you probably did but… it’s not every day you see a Beedrill bigger then the average man.”

She came right up to the hornet and smiled softly, reaching a hand up and close to the bug’s head in an offer to pet it. “Well, now that we’re here, I’m Alicia Westfield. How’s about we get this impromptu meeting on a better foot now that the misunderstanding is out of the way, hmm?”

—————————

Shalin Nariya

[Shalin Nariya]

Shalin couldn't help but laugh at Alicia's reaction. "I'm just glad you're okay! It's...a problem with her, and I get it. The number of rescues she's helped out with back home, around Ilex Forest, is...too many. Wild Beedrill are no joke - if you're allergic, one sting and you're in the ER. Queen Zing here is docile as can be, though." Her expression was as close to a smile as she could get - no matter what expression she tried to make, those mandibles and stings were intimidating. When Alicia reached over to pet the yellow female's head, she moved that head a little closer as to embrace the other traveler. When she rubbed over a particularly soft spot in Queen Zing's carapace, the Beedrill fluttered her wings like she was warming them up for takeoff, Alicia able to feel mild tingling in her hand and arm if she continued.

"Nice to meet you, Alicia!" Shalin answered her greeting, her long, thin hair being blown around a little from her Beedrill's wings going. "Shalin Nariya, wildest rider this side of Arciel!" As tacky of a title as it was, that title never got old. "If you're in a hurry to get to Cedar, I can help you get there a lot faster!" The bug-type's wings calmed down as Shalin prepared to release more of her team. "Come on out!" She lobbed two more Poké Balls into the air, the first opening to reveal a large Skuntank - thankfully he had discharged all of his musk in the last battle, so he didn't smell at all of it! The second opened to an even bigger bug than Flit - a menacing-looking yet curious Yanmega, his still wings spanning nine feet. Both did their best to smile, but it was rather difficult to make a face resembling a smile with those big, green mandibles. Both wore tack much like Queen Zing's. "Kiku and Flit," she gestured toward both her Pokémon. "Two of my closest allies."

---

Alicia Westfield

NAME          SPECIES       LV    EP   STATUS
Caprice       Ninetales      49     5      Good
Prance        Stantler       38     5      Good
Flit          Yanmega        47     7      Good
Kiku          Skuntank       43     5      Good
Serena        Persian        40     5      Good
Queen Zing    Beedrill       29     5      Good

{WC: 332}
{PC: 3}

[Alicia Westfield]

Alicia sighed softly at the elaboration, nodding a bit in understanding. “So she’s been helping try and turn the usual reaction around, huh? What a busy bee, if you’ll pardon the pun.” She did indeed spend more then a few moments petting the grand insect, in part to reassure the bug that no harm was done and to also marvel at the feel of the carapace. And when Queen Zing pressed in a bit closer, she giggled softly and kept going. Even feeling the tingle from the happy buzzing didn’t really sway her too much. It wasn’t hurting or anything and she could work anything else out at a later time. But alas, soon enough she had to pay attention to the newly introduced Shalin.

“I can definitely buy the ‘Wildest Rider’ bit. You picked a Beedrill as a mount for crying out loud.” Alicia commented off hand with a smirk, before mulling over the offer. Did she have another plan in mind? Because Queen Zing, no matter how strong she was, almost certainly couldn’t carry both of them. Before she could ask about it, her fellow explorer was off tossing a new pair of friends into the area. Wildest Rider Shalin may have proclaimed to be, but even that couldn’t brace her for what came out, geared up in similar ways. “A… Skuntank and a Yanmega…?”

She couldn’t help herself. The absurdity of the sight wouldn’t allow anything less then utter disbelief. The following uttered question was all but inevitable. “You… You don’t have any of the standard fare of Pokemon the average folk would consider ride-worthy, do you?” In spite of herself, though, she wasn’t going to hold it against the free-spirited blonde. Someone needed to give these lesser known options their due after all. The fact that it took someone who probably had a few screws loose in her head was one Alicia pointedly ignored. That being said, she had a question to answer. “I’m not actually in that big of a rush...”

Reeshra then yipped and made a big leap onto Alicia’s shoulders, causing the pink-haired explorer to stumble a step forward with a distressed squeak. The fox also had to carefully balance herself to avoid falling over as well, but kept her eye on Shalin and tilted her head in curiosity. “Reeshra, I’m not your perch and you’re not a bird!” Alicia cried out with annoyance, grabbing the fluffy fox and picking her up. Fixing her own posture, she then hugged the fox close to her chest and sighed. “See? You can see just fine from here, jeez… Anyways where was I? Oh right, not in a rush but… I probably should pick up the pace. I’ll need to scout out options for my team later, hopefully including someone that can fly and swim. As you can probably tell, I just got here.”

She couldn’t bring herself to ask what exactly the plan was on what their ride would be. She wasn’t entirely sure yet if she was comfortable with the idea of riding along side any of the pokemon Shalin had out at the moment.

----------------

Shalin Nariya

[Shalin Nariya]

Shalin couldn't help but chuckle at Alicia's pun, as lame as it was. "The queen likes you already!" she remarked as the friendly insect crawled toward her trainer once the traveler was done showing her affection as well. Queen Zing held her wings still, a curious Kiku approaching the two Vulpix to say hello and strike up idle banter.

Shalin couldn't help but elevate her smile to a grin when she saw Alicia simply stunned from seeing Kiku and Flit. "Does a Stantler count? She's a bit rough around the edges, though - Flit here is as friendly and gentle as a Yanmega can be! Plus, imagine the view from above!" The key phrase being "as can be", as demonstrated by Flit warming up his wings. Even the lowest and lightest of his wings' drone made Shalin raise her voice a little, prompting her to dig through her bag for her second set of earplugs. She always carried another pair on her for this exact reason. "You might want to use these, too - they're kind of important if you value your hearing, heh!"

"Reeshra..." Shalin thought aloud as she watched the ice-type jump into Alicia's arms. "I've never seen a Vulpix like that! I have a Ninetales myself, but she's the standard breed...other than her size. She's just...big. She was one of the first Pokémon I learned to ride while here!" When the pink-haired girl mentioned her need of an aquatic Pokémon, Shalin was quick to answer, "I found a whole bunch of them northwest of here, near Bass City. I can take you on the waves if you want - I have a Milotic, Floatzel, and Tentacruel that all take turns carrying me over the waves. I'm sure they wouldn't mind a second!"

---

Alicia Westfield

NAME          SPECIES       LV    EP   STATUS
Caprice       Ninetales      49     5      Good
Prance        Stantler       38     5      Good
Flit          Yanmega        47     7      Good
Kiku          Skuntank       43     5      Good
Serena        Persian        40     5      Good
Queen Zing    Beedrill       29     5      Good

{WC: 296}
{PC: 4}

[Alicia Westfield]

The two Vulpix looked over to the Skuntank as the much larger Pokemon came over to them. Makaro looked a bit concerned over Kiku’s size, but once the pleasantries were out of the way the male fox relaxed a bit. Reeshra yipped and her tails fluffed and wagged happily, enjoying the meet and greet for the moment. Meanwhile Alicia mulled over the answer she got.

“Well Stanler’s still unusual but of the ones I’ve seen so far, yeah I’d say that counts.” That being said Shalin’s preference was coming to the forefront with her attempts to sell a ride on the bigger dragonfly Pokemon. And the sound of a bird’s eye view was tempting. Rather, would that be bug’s eye view given the mount? There was just one issue, which Flit handily showcased. That buzz was louder then anything had any right to be at warmup. Fortunately, the crazy woman at least thought about that, already having a spare set of earplugs for her if she did take Shalin up on the idea.

That was still a big if at the immediate moment. “Oh? This breed is much more common in my home region of Alola. I have seen the Kantonian version too, but through and through I prefer the fluffy Alolan one.” She smiled a bit and nuzzled her chin into the fluffy fur on Reeshra’s head. The fox turned and let out a happy bark, trying to lick her trainer’s cheek but angles didn’t let her right now. Of course, Shalin was kind enough to inform her of where a good place to look for water types.

“That sounds like a good idea, lets do that. Don’t want something silly like a body of water slowing me down!” That being said, Cedar was probably still between them and Bass, wasn’t it? “I... guess we’re riding?” That was said with far less confidence as she reached out and grabbed the spare set of earplugs. She did indeed value her hearing, thank you.

Especially when it let her catch some rustling going on in the distance earlier before Flit warmed up. Part of her wanted to investigate that right away but it felt like something that could wait a while longer. Shouldn’t be too hard to make a quick back track on her own, should it?

———————————

Shalin Nariya

[Shalin Nariya]

Kiku stretched and wagged his giant tail slowly as he continued to chat with the two Vulpix. "Regional variants are still new to me," Shalin explained. "This is the first time I've been outside Johto in a while. I'm from Johto myself, though I took a trip to Hoenn some years back and loved it. Had to pick between going back there and coming here. It's hard to say which I like more." She raised a hand toward Flit, who relaxed as soon as he saw it.

The green-dressed girl's smile continued to grow as Alicia reluctantly agreed that flying was a good idea, particularly with how far it was to the ocean. "I'm sure you'll love it once we're in the air. If you're nervous about it, just let him flying on his own. Controlling a mount that moves in three dimensions...is complicated. Flit won't let you down, though." As soon as she saw Alicia pop in her earplugs, Shalin popped hers back in as well and climbed back onto her Beedrill, ready to take off north. If Alicia were to climb on and sit in Flit's harness, both the bug-types would start warming up their wings again, eventually leaping into the air and taking off. Flit's rumbling might be a bit tough to get used to at first, but his trainer was confident she could get used to it.

---

Alicia Westfield

NAME          SPECIES       LV    EP   STATUS
Caprice       Ninetales      49     5      Good
Prance        Stantler       38     5      Good
Flit          Yanmega        47     7      Good
Kiku          Skuntank       43     5      Good
Serena        Persian        40     5      Good
Queen Zing    Beedrill       29     5      Good

{WC: 232}
{PC: 5}

[Alicia Westfield]

Alicia nodded softly and hummed with interest. She had wondered if Shalin was local or not but wasn’t exactly planning on asking. It wasn’t like that was need to know information. “Good regions for sure. Kind of surprised I didn’t meet you earlier then. I’ve been on a round the world trip for some time now. Came from Alola, and I’ve gone to Kanto to start and hit up neighboring Johto right after for a while. Didn’t head into town very much though so that might be why. Need to swing back around to Hoenn at some point though. Kind of had to pass that one up since it was only recently that I was considering expanding my team beyond Reeshra. As such I didn’t have a surfing pokemon to ride and I’m seeing just how far I can get within a region with just me and my Pokemon. Reeshra loved Sinnoh after that trek theough Johto though. Nice cool place for an Ice type after all. Anyways, after Sinnoh I took a cruise over to Arciel and here we are.”

That being said, she doubted she could stall much longer. With the time for talk over, she had to call Reeshra and Makaro back to their balls so they didn’t get left behind or thrown off. Then the earplugs went in and she was off to mount up on the Yanmega. There was a moment of fussing to get herself properly seated just because it was something she’d never even fathomed of doing before. However, soon enough she was on board with hearing safely protected. The warm up buzz was disquieting for a moment, making her body shudder significantly and prompting her to cling tighter to Flit. Then the take off made her shriek a bit in fright, both from the action itself and the raw power of the massive dragonfly.

”Never again, never again, never again...” was the thought that kept echoing over and over in her head. Who knows, though, maybe she’d change her tune wasn’t she fully adjusted?

——————————

Shalin Nariya

[Jae]

Shalin Nariya

Psychic Alphonse would like to battle!

242 Pen Copper x2, Bamboo x3, Wool x1 Exeggcute Lv46 5 Energy Huge! Quirky Chlorophyll MOVES Uproar, Extrasensory, Bullet Seed, Giga Drain

Alicia Westfield

A wild Popplio has appeared!

What will you do?

	Popplio Lv7
		5 Energy
	Huge!	Bashful
	Torrent
MOVES
Pound, Growl, Water Gun, Disarming Voice
NOTES
N/A

[Shalin Nariya]

Flit seemed eager to lead the way down the valley, his takeoff likely a bit rougher than Alicia was expecting. Once he was comfortably in the air, the bug-type relaxed his wings, only beating them fast enough just to stay aloft. Shalin peered forward toward Alicia, making sure she was okay. "Hey Queen Zing, can you catch up to Flit?" she asked, gently patting the yellow Pokémon. Her white wings disappeared almost completely as the two zoomed forward to catch up to her bug-type friend.

Flit's flight dipped for a split second as the Beedrill flew alongside him, getting a little too close to one another. Queen Zing's flight dipped for a bit as well, the two bugs' wing tips getting caught on each other for a short moment. With precision shaming even the most talented helicopter pilot, Alicia's mount rapidly zipped to her right while facing forward, giving the insectile predator wide enough of a berth that it wouldn't happen again.

Flit took the lead again, seeing a psychic trainer with an Exeggcute at the bottom of the hill. "Hey, mind landing and hopping off for a bit?" Shalin yelled over the buzzing. "I think Flit's itching for a fight!" If Alicia was willing to left Flit have his way, the Yanmega would pick up incredible speed, charging at the Exeggcute almost faster than the eye could follow...until he got within 50 feet, where he slowed to a crawl. The Psychic had projected a Trick Room field to save his Pokémon from almost certain doom.

While psychic Pokémon and psychics themselves were potent battlers, they had one critical weakness - the buzzing of insect wings made it impossible for either to concentrate on their psychic powers. The Trick Room field slowed Flit down enough to get off a single Extrasensory attack, desperately trying to repel him back outside the strange space where fast was slow. Nothing was going to stop that Yanmega, though.

Landing on top of the Exeggcute's center egg, the bug-type took a deep breath, squinted, and started fanning his wings. Though it looked like time itself had slowed for the Yanmega, his wings were moving so fast that the two could barely make out individual wingbeats.

Once the powerful vibration reached the trainer, he could no longer hold the Trick Room field up, and Flit's wings disappeared completely, uprooting and shredding all the grass around him within several feet. The two could hear it loud and clear even with their earplugs in - it had to be absolutely deafening down by the battlefield. By the time the two could see through the whirling dirt and grass, the deafening noise had stopped, revealing a recalled Exeggcute and a psychic with what seemed like a crippling headache. "He'll be okay after a while," Shalin reassured Alicia. "Now you see why I told you to get off!"

---

Flit's level is now 48!
<EXP. Share> Queen Zing's level is now 30!

Alicia Westfield

NAME          SPECIES       LV    EP   STATUS
Caprice       Ninetales      49     5      Good
Prance        Stantler       38     5      Good
Flit          Yanmega        48     6      Good
Kiku          Skuntank       43     5      Good
Serena        Persian        40     5      Good
Queen Zing    Beedrill       30     5      Good

{WC: 480}
{PC: 6}

[Alicia Westfield]

The sheer power the massive dragonfly could summon up was never going to stop surprising her, was it? Alicia shivered a bit more as she tried to calm herself down. Flit’s trained, after all. Right…? Shalin may clearly have a screw or two loose in her head but there was no way she would try to ride a Pokemon that was liable to cause issues for one reason or another. Sadly, that didn’t do much to actually comfort Alicia when she could clearly tell that despite the significant buzz this was not even the tip of the metaphorical iceberg on how much more power he could put into it. A quick look over his Aura with her sight, indeed, implied that this pace was just a leisurely jog for him at most.

She could then only hope that the buzzing of the two insects covered up her restrained shriek as Flit adjusted his flight path. There was just a moment where the buzz was distorted by the impacts, which told Alicia all she needed to know, and far more then she cared to know. But it at least proved that the Yanmega was well trained for this kind of thing, as unusual of a choice as he was. This particular one, at least, Alicia could probably get used to. On the topic of other members, however, the whole thing was up in the air in a more literal sense then she would’ve liked. There was a growing thought, oddly enough, that she should’ve already been used to this kind of thing by now though. Where it came from, she had no idea.

That being said, things got odd when she noticed the quick fluctuations in Flit’s Aura, and barely managed to hear Shalin over the buzz and the ear plugs she had. Itching for a fight definitely did describe what she’d felt and seen, and the pinkette was not one to get in the way of that nonsense, so she made to try to direct Flit down for a landing. Fortunately, given what the dragonfly wanted to do, doing so was simplicity itself and Alicia hopped off for the moment. Then she gave Flit plenty of room to go nuts with as soon as possible. That was a wise choice, given how fast the bug took off for a psychic trainer and the Exeggcute partner they had. She actually felt bad about the severe mismatch. This was going to end pretty much the first move. Maybe one move from each Pokemon at most.

She, however, had other things to be concerned about. There was a small section of beach nearby with some wild pokemon splashing about in the farther ocean. But there, resting on the sands, was a surprisingly big Popplio. That seemed rather odd, given the cheery demeanor most members of it’s species had. And weren’t the little seals just all too happy to get in on playtime, especially in the water or doing tricks? Why was this one seemingly secluding itself…? Either way, Alicia found the sad thing adorable and wanted to hug it. Sounds of battle not too far away promptly shoved to the back of her mind, she gently walked up behind the seal. By the time Shalin had turned to say anything, she’d see her traveling partner for the time being well and truly involved in something else.

She was quiet enough that when she sat herself down just a few inches away, the Popplio actually spooked to attention and looked behind itself at her, eyes wide. “Hey there.” Alicia called softly, reaching a hand out to pet the seal. The aquatic pup shied away from the hand, curling up. But it didn’t leave right away, and took a moment to look up at Alicia in surprise. “There’s no need to be so lonely, alright? Come here...”

Shifting a bit closer, she ran her hand along the Popplio’s smooth back. The seal flinched a bit in fright, as if expecting worse. But that was all Alicia did for a short while, short and light pets on the seal’s back. It was enough to finally get the poor thing to relax a bit, peaking it’s nose and one eye out from behind the flippers it had folded over it’s head. “See? It’s not so bad, is it?”

Alicia did have to wonder what brought this on though. Had it been picked on by other water pokemon? Over it’s much greater size compared to the average Popplio? It wasn’t unfathomable, all animals had the capacity to be both extremely caring and shockingly mean. “How about coming with me? I promise I’ve got room in my squad for a sweetheart like you. I’m sure you just need the right place to grow up better.” The pup barked softly at the offer, lifting it’s head up and tilting it slightly. Big eyes blinked slowly, almost like there was disbelief there.

Alicia smiled and gently pat it on the head in reassurance. More and more she was willing to buy the possibility that Pokemon was bullied in some fashion by it’s peers. It would explain how withdrawn and shy the Popplio seemed to be. So she showed how serious she was about offering the seal a home. Reaching into her backpack, Alicia fished out an Ultra Ball she’d bought earlier in the day and readied it. Then she set it down in the sand between her and the Popplio. “Could you give it a fair chance? If it doesn’t work out, I won’t make you stay.”

All she could do for this approach was reassure the little seal, and leave the offer out for it.

------------------

Shalin Nariya

[Jenesis]

Alicia Westfield

Go, PokeBall!

One... two... and...

cedkJQUCp_


The Wild Pokemon was caught!
One Ultra Ball has been removed from your inventory.

[Shalin Nariya]

Both of the giant insects landed after the battle with the Exeggcute, the two walking and crawling toward Ali. It felt a bit odd to Shalin, but she understood why - she would never forget when Flit sprinted to Ash City, straining his wing muscles to get her there to make the report about the Ultra Beast attacks. After roaring his wings to the point where he sounded like a jet engine, of course they were tired! "I don't think you needed to go all-out on that poor Exeggcute. You could have killed the thing!" she chided the Yanmega.

The green bug hung his head low, crawling alongside Queen Zing toward the coastline where Alicia was. Beedrill were built for speed and agility in combat, not for long flights - she had to rest her wings a lot more frequently than he did. Once the two had reached the beach, she saw her traveling partner playing with a Popplio that was rather enormous for its species - almost to the same proportion Queen Zing was.

"I see you've made a new friend!" Shalin cried out to her, the two bug-types doing their best to smile, Flit finally perking up. By now, Kiku the Skuntank had caught up as well, standing in front of her other two Pokémon to watch Alicia at play. The shadow of cloud cover draped over the three large Pokémon, all of them enjoying the reprieve from the beating sun while the two bug-types stretched. Strangely, Shalin didn't move from her perch at all while she observed them. "I'm not afraid to pick up the pace if you want!"

---

Alicia Westfield

NAME          SPECIES       LV    EP   STATUS
Caprice       Ninetales      49     5      Good
Prance        Stantler       38     5      Good
Flit          Yanmega        48     6      Good
Kiku          Skuntank       43     5      Good
Serena        Persian        40     5      Good
Queen Zing    Beedrill       30     5      Good

{WC: 271}
{PC: 7}

[Jae]

Shalin Nariya - 242 Pen, Copper x2, Bamboo x3, Wool x1

Rocker Clint would like to battle!

208 Pen Bamboo x1, Generic Dye x3, Copper x1 Volbeat Lv40 5 Energy Large Timid Swarm MOVES Bug Buzz, Helping Hand, Zen Headbutt, Signal Beam Raichu Lv42 5 Energy Average Rash Surge Surfer MOVES Psychic, Nuzzle, Sweet Kiss, Spark Lanturn Lv47 5 Energy Average Careful Volt Absorb MOVES Eerie Impulse, Bubble Beam, Discharge, Aqua Ring

Alicia Westfield

Bug Catcher Vaan would like to battle!

91 Pen Sand x3, Sand x1, Clay x2 Nincada Lv8 5 Energy Average Adamant Compoundeyes MOVES Harden, Scratch, Sand Attack

[Alicia Westfield]

OOC note: Party updated for thread.

Reeshra: Alolan Vulpix, Level 15, 5 Energy

Makaro: Alolan Vulpix, Level 5, 5 Energy

Belrina: Popplio, Level 7, 5 Energy (Friendship Capture)

--------------------------

For a moment, Alicia and the Popplio just sat there for a while. The seal seemed to be mulling over the offer, taking a glance at the Ultra Ball that had been set down. Then she took one last look up at Alicia herself. The explorer smiled softly in return and gave the little water-type another gentle pat on the head. It was then that Shalin called out to her, and she looked back with a smile. “Well, maybe! Jury’s still out on if this pup will take the of-”

She was interrupted by the Popplio nosing the Ultra Ball, disappearing into the device. It then rolled around gently a few times, before clicking shut to confirm the capture. “Scratch the ‘maybe’. I guess that settles that.” She finished her interrupted comment, picking up the ball. With a smile, she stored it away and got up, brushing the sand off of herself. Coming back to Shalin’s little group, she smiled and hummed about the idea. “Maybe we should? Then again I don’t know if I’d be able to handle Flit picking up more speed. That Bug Buzz was more a Bug Roar. Which, I’m certain, you’re already well acquainted with.”

It was kind of hard not to be. Flit was Shalin’s pokemon, after all, and she got the feeling he had been for some time. Given the second-nature feeling of the interactions she’d briefly heard and seen from them, such a conclusion seemed natural. However, they were not going to have a chance to get rolling in yet. The quick skirmish she had made a point to ignore had drawn some additional attention in the form of a second trainer.

”Oh my god! I knew I heard something big happening over here!” came the higher voice of the young boy, a little Nincada clinging to his shoulder to hold on. The kid’s eyes locked right on to the Yanmega, admiring him quite openly before looking at his partner. ”One day soon, alright buddy?” The cicada pokemon gave a quick chitter before hopping off. Then the boy looked between Shalin and Alicia. He quickly realized who among the two was way too far out of his league, and then pointed out to Alicia. ”Hey miss! Lets have a battle! One of your pokemon against my Nincada!”

Alicia jumped a bit upon being addressed, regarding the boy thoughtfully. The kid was bouncing with such energy and passion… And unfortunately for him his pokemon of choice gave her a good opportunity. “Alright. I’m not usually one for battling but I can change my tune some. After this I really should get going though.” With that, her hand went right to the Ultra Ball she had just stored away. Her new friend looked perfect for this, even. “Let’s go… Belrina!” With a quick lob, the seal once more popped into existence and landed with a soft bark. Her new Popplio looked back curiously before taking a deep breath and focusing on the battle in store.

Vaan, however, looked a bit more nervous on seeing the water type. But he wasn’t going to back down just because of that. “Harden up!” It was a good plan, trying to potentially decrease incoming damage. The Nincada tensed up and her carapace shined bright, bracing herself for the incoming barrage. Alicia had something else in mind, something to knock things off track a bit.

“Disarming Voice, will you sweetheart?” The pinkette explorer smiled a bit as Belrina propped herself up on her tail fins, singing in a rather sorrowful tune. So sorrowful, in fact, it looked like the Nincada was tearing up a bit over it. And Alicia herself was taken aback. If she had her suspicions before, they were all but confirmed now. “Poor baby...” she muttered under her breath to herself. She then shook her head to focus again. It at least got through the Harden, no amount of physical defense would help against an attack like that.

”Aah! Let’s get it together, Scratch!” The bug catcher’s follow up managed to get his Nincada focused again as well, and the bug skittered over to deliver a quick swipe of her foreclaw. Belrina cried softly and hopped back from the swipe. The seal barked back and got herself situated for some return fire of her own. Alicia though was happy with how well the water pup took the hit. She could definitely rely on this one in the long run for sure.

“Time for a Water Gun!” Alicia ordered. Her Popplio was all to ready to oblige, spray a fast jet of liquid at her opponent. Unfortunately for the bug, coming in for a scratch left her far too close to even consider evading. She promptly got hosed down and pushed back as a result, buzzing her growing wing to try and flick water off of them. The super effective blow took quite a bit from her, though, and it showed. Vaan knew this wasn’t going to end well unless he got lucky.

”Sand Attack!” Again, not that bad an idea. His Nincada responded quickly, digging up enough dirt around her to fling it at Belrina. The seal whined in irritation as there was no way to really avoid that up close, just like her Water Gun earlier, and she had her eyes squeezed shut to try and keep it from getting worse. Which would be perfect for Vaan if it wasn’t for…

“Fine, we’ll finish it this way. One more Disarming Voice!” Unfortunately for him, a sound based move just needed to be heard by the target, and aiming was a secondary concern. Once more the Popplio sang her song, filling the area with her budding opera voice. Another dose of the emotional tune was all she wrote, and the Nincada wound up rearing up and falling onto her back, curling up with swirls in her eyes.

”Aww man...” the bug catcher groaned out, returning his Nincada to her pokeball with a sigh. ”Guess I bit off more then I could chew.” He tilted his hat down and glanced away. He had to go take care of his Pokemon soon, but Alicia didn’t want to let him go with just that, so she jogged over and grabbed him by the shoulder gently.

“Hey, don’t get too down on yourself. Don’t let a little stumble like this slow you down too much, okay? Keep at it, she’ll evolve and make you both proud.” The boy looked up, showing there was a tear of disappointment in his eyes. He smiled and wiped his eyes dry, then nodded and thanked Alicia for the encouragement. Pretty soon he’d take off again, to start up once again.

----------------------------------------

Shalin Nariya

OOC: Quick few turns of combat get Belrina a level up and burning one point of energy.

Reeshra: Alolan Vulpix, Level 15, 5 Energy

Makaro: Alolan Vulpix, Level 5, 5 Energy

Belrina: Popplio, Level 8, 4 Energy (Post Battle)

[Shalin Nariya]

Shalin couldn't help but smile back upon seeing the successful catch. "I've thought about raising one myself...but I already have so many water Pokémon," she answered, her excited tone becoming a bit more somber when Alicia referred to Flit's strongest attack as a Bug Roar. "The first time I saw him do that, I was so terrified." She gestured toward the uprooted grass back around where the battle had taken place. "Looked exactly like that, too." The giant dragonfly perked his head up at that very mention - he was proud of the power behind them.

Just as the two were getting ready to take back to the skies, a traveling guitarist and his Alolan Raichu were tuning some of his electrical equipment. A slight power overload caused a shriek to come out of his amp. Both of the bugs squinted as though they were in pain, Queen Zing buzzing her wings as though she was flying full speed. The squeal had hit a very sensitive frequency for Flit as well. He briefly buzzed his wings at his previous flight speed, shaking his body to anchor his legs into the ground.

Once he was secure, he filled the air around him with a deafening, pounding drone, the trainers' earplugs the only things keeping them from going deaf. The bug-type uprooted grass in front of and behind himself and Alicia, his entire body shaking from the power behind the feat. While it wasn't Bug Buzz, it was about as fast as he could manage without it. Though Alicia was only exposed to the powerful vibration for a few seconds, that was all it took to cause trouble for some people, particularly ones not trained. "You alright?!" she shouted, the performer getting the message to practice his solo elsewhere. "I'm so sorry!"

---

Alicia Westfield

NAME          SPECIES       LV    EP   STATUS
Caprice       Ninetales      49     5      Good
Prance        Stantler       38     5      Good
Flit          Yanmega        48     6      Good
Kiku          Skuntank       43     5      Good
Serena        Persian        40     5      Good
Queen Zing    Beedrill       30     5      Good

{WC: 301}
{PC: 8}

[Alicia Westfield]

Alicia hummed softly to herself, smiling. There were just so many Pokemon of all types so she could personally understand Shalin having trouble deciding between them all. The admission of her terror witnessing Flit’s Bug Buzz in action was, itself, a bit sobering. “Oh, good, there is some common sense in you.” Alicia quipped with a light-hearted chuckle. “Because that would definitely be terrifying to experience first hand. Still, mounting up was in the plan and to get going again.

Alas, no plan completely survives contact with reality. There was an angry electrical screech that rang through the area, making Alicia herself wince in surprise and aggravating the bugs in turn. She only got a few moments of warning as Flit buzzed his massive wings and began to secure himself. But it was enough warning for her to realize things were going to get bad. She would’ve loved to get the hell off by rolling back and jumping off, but the extra wings on the Pokemon’s tail made that dicey at best. All she could do was strap in.

She closed her eyes and gripped tight as the dragonfly’s wings roared once more. Not quite as powerfully but still to a heavy degree that left her more then a little rattled. “Oooof...” Once Flit was done expressing his anger, the pinkette explorer was left swaying and shaking her head to get herself back together. “I… I’m okay but… That’s a fair bit too much for me… Any chance we could maybe switch it up…?”

At the very least she wasn’t injured in any way. She fancied herself as a fairly sturdy individual. But there were things humans were not meant to deal with. Not without some kind of protection or enhancement. Flit’s massive buzzing was one of those things when he really got going. Alicia herself was just happy she’d gotten Belrina back into her pokeball before that nonsense happened. She didn’t want to think of how the shy seal would’ve handled it. Absolute chaos, this woman was. What had she gotten herself into with joining up with her…?

----------------------

Shalin Nariya