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 Alicia Westfield on Sept 22, 2020 4:11:54 GMT
Alicia sighed softy as she walked on the freshly soaked earth. She’d planned on moving out much earlier but the rainstorm had curtailed any plans of that type. She wasn’t exactly keen on getting herself sick with a cold after all. Nor did she have any Fire types on hand to keep her warm through the rain fall. Again she wondered if she was too hasty with Makaro. But what was done is done. Now, did she want to just walk the whole way? Or… Josh had mentioned that Jolteon were extremely fast. But at the same time that felt like it was way over her head.
“… Hell, lets try. Take it easy at first. Sefarr!” If she could handle a more reasonable speed, she’d try to urge the Jolteon to run faster. Though… part of her wished she could speak telepathically to her pokemon. If Sefarr got running too fast, and couldn’t hear her… that could be a problem. Still, the sparking fox appeared with a happy yip. Then she went and gave Alicia several licks, sparking as she did. “Eep!”
Needless to say, Alicia did not appreciate the tingles down her spine from the careless girl’s antics and she gave the fox a swift but light smack to the head. “Joool-!” Sefarr folded her ears back and looked down at the chastisement. For a moment, Alicia just looked at the fox being rather subdued. Then she heaved a sigh and hugged the Jolteon, cheering her up again as a result with another yip. The explorer still wasn’t one hundred percent on board with the idea of riding a Jolteon, so she had yet to go all out on gear for Sefarr, just a saddle to not get pricked too easily. Probably a mistake, but she’d live with it. “One, two, and… hup!”
With a quick hop and a swing of her leg, the pinkette was astride her Jolteon, taking a deep breath as she did. “Talk to me Sefarr...” she mused quietly to the fox as she adjusted herself. She listened closely and felt out how Sefarr was reacting to try and get them both comfortable with the arrangement. “Uuuugh, what am I doing? There’s a hundred ways for this to go wrong. For both of us.”
Shaking her head, she was about to abandon the whole prospect when Sefarr suddenly took off with her. “Aah!” In a panic, Alicia managed to lean forward enough to get a grip and keep herself from falling off “Just HOLD ON a second!” Sefarr at least seemed to hear that and skid to a stop again, looking back. Alicia heaved a sigh.
“We’ve gotta work something out before we can take off like that, okay?” Alicia huffed, before smiling and scratching the fox’s ear.
Reeshra the Alolan Ninetales: Level 16, 5 Energy Makaro the Alolan Ninetales: Level 5, 5 Energy Fairlee the Leafeon: Level 12, 5 Energy Sefarr the Jolteon: Level 7, 5 Energy Belrina the Popplio: Level 8, 5 Energy
Having finished all his racing-related errands on the west side for the rest of the year, Josh decided he would remain on the east side of Arciel for the winter - maybe hunker down in the Secret Base during the snowy months. There would be plenty to do, and he had plenty of fire Pokémon that could supply heat! Most of the Gyms were out east as well, save Plum City, which was looking like it would be a "next year" thing.
A quick rupply restock later, Josh found himself at the east gate leading to the longest straight road in Arciel - the road to the Weeping Forest. That forest was one he did not want to cross in the winter. It got disturbingly cold, and wildlife was typically more aggressive there in the winter months. Today was also one of the last warm days of the year - it was going to get to the point where he would need to bundle up for simple travel, particulary at the speed he loved getting to.
The long and straight path to the woods inspired Josh, the racer calling out his Jolteon, Blinky. "I think this is the best chance you're going to get. The other day, you wanted to find a place where you could show me your speed, right?" The electric-type let out a bark of approval, her head bobbing up and down in excitement. Even her paws were sparking in anticipation. Saying no more, the young man swung aboard the quilled, saddled Pokémon, her fur already standing on end from excitement. "There's a long straight road to the forest ahead - you'll be able to run as fast as you want. Once I give the signal--"
Suddenly, Josh heard a familiar scream from the east. "Is that...wait...that's Alicia!" he shouted, digging his heels into his mount's quilled fur and leaning low. The electric-type accelerated into a swift gallop few land Pokémon could keep up with. By the time they crested the first hill, the rider saw the source of the scream - a familiar, pink-haired female sitting atop a Jolteon that appeared to be even bigger than Blinky. Not by much, but he could tell a difference. The racing Pokémon immediately ceased acceleration, thankfully having enough distance between them to not simply shoot past in a blur. "Are you okay?!" Josh shouted. "Jolteon is a really dangerous Pokémon to ride on unless you're experienced with ones so fast! You at least need a helmet and something to protect your eyes!" He didn't lower his volume at all despite being close now. Blinky exchanged glances around the other Pokémon of her fellow species, but otherwise looked nervous as Josh told the other Jolteon's trainer off.
Post by Alicia Westfield on Sept 23, 2020 6:22:17 GMT
Taking a deep breath to center herself again, the pinkette gave Sefarr a pat on the head and smiled. She was working out what to use for physical cues that Sefarr would actually pay attention to when she heard a familiar voice coming up. Huffing a quick sigh with a shake of her head, Alicia leaned forward to prop her elbows on Sefarr’s back. Resting her head on her folded hands afterwards, she focused on the incoming Josh as he ranted a bit to her over the dangers of what she was doing.
“I’m fine. I wasn’t planning on doing too much. Work things out for communication, primarily non-verbal because roaring wind is a thing. Then go for the equivalent of a jog with her to acclimate further. Feel it out, adjust to get better suited for it, the works. Someone however decided she wanted to just go, ready or not.” Alicia glanced pointedly at Sefarr at that last bit making the Jolteon’s ears flatten.
“As for the helmet thing... I’m special in that regard. But I’m afraid I can’t show you. I don’t think you’ve got an active Aura. So I guess you’ll just have to take my word for it? That being said, Sefarr is a bit trigger happy about it.” Alicia pulled her new pack off her back went digging through it for a minute to dig out a set of goggles. She put those on and adjust them for a bit more comfort, before nodding softly. “That should do it.”
While she was getting her, currently, last bit of gear on, Sefarr was far from idle as well. She blew right past the fellow fox’s nervousness with numerous animated yips and barks. Asking questions about the other Jolteon, talking a bit about herself in turn, all things to in general be a happy and sociable critter. And then a thought occurred to her. Sefarr started hopping in place, making Alicia yelp and grab on again. “Sefarr, what’s gotten into you!?”
She want to ask a question that would seal their fate for the day. The Jolteon asked her counterpart if she wanted a friendly race to the forest, without even remotely considering whether Alicia was ready for such a thing yet.
Seeing both the giant Jolteon with outstretched claws showed just how inbred Blinky was. The poor girl had to be inbred for generations to maximize her raw speed. How thin her claws looked was almost unhealthy. Josh's attention was split between this revelation and Alicia's explanation. "Sounds like she just wanted to run," he replied in his half-aware state. Her explanation of how she didn't need a helmet made Josh cringe, though, reigniting his temper. "That Aura voodoo? That martial arts nonsense won't save your skull from an impact at well over a hundred miles an hour if you fall!"
Sefarr and Jolteon were yipping back and forth while Alicia was getting the rest of her gear on. At least she had the common sense to put goggles over her eyes. "That's one reason Jolteon can be dangerous for newer riders - they tend to be impatient!" Josh explained. Blinky's smile turned to a grin as Sefarr asked Blinky for a good old-fashioned race to the Weeping Forest's west entrance. With there being no turns at all, it would be the Pokémon equivalent of a drag race between two Pokémon of one of the fastest species on land. Josh's Pokémon nodded, then lined up next to the eastward-facing Sefarr and flexed low. "Blinky, what's gotten into you?" he asked.
Post by Alicia Westfield on Sept 24, 2020 11:37:38 GMT
Alicia too could notice the differences between the Jolteons now that they were side by side. And it spoke... a bit badly of how far the most serious racers were willing to go for an advantage. But that was secondary at the moment. She couldn’t help but trigger a bit on Josh calling Aura ‘voodoo’ and ‘nonsense’. She knew he didn’t mean it in that fashion, but with her experiences it was almost the same as saying she herself was just a figment of the imagination.
“Whether you believe it or not...” Alicia began, her voice suddenly ice cold. It was a stark contrast to her normal demeanor, impossible to miss save to the most dense of individuals. “It is real. And claiming its not is the closest thing to saying I don’t exist. It’s saying that six years and four months ago-“
She froze for a second, clenching one fist tight. The other hand reached up to cover her scarred cheek. The pinkette screwed her eyes shut and curled inward on herself as for a moment she could see herself back then again. She saw a glimpse of the whirling blade of death hurtling toward her. Felt the phantom pain of her skin splitting under an attack too fast to react to. A tenth of a second was all it took. A subconscious act of desperation her only salvation, stunning the thing that was moments away from finishing the killing stroke. A precious second that she was able to use, breaking line of sight and escaping with both her life and Reeshra’s. A one in a million coincidence because not only did she have a power that was beyond the normal human ability, that ability awoke at the critical moment. And it did so in an explosive way she could never truly recreate, or so she believed. What felt like forever was only a few seconds, fortunately.
Alicia took a sharp and deep breath, forcing the momentarily resurfacing nightmare back down. Regaining her composure, she exhaled just as sharply. Taking another breath to make sure she was fine, she changed what she was going to say. “I wouldn’t be breathing right now if it wasn’t for the Aura I now have. It’s already proven itself for me.”
Perhaps Josh would realize when exactly Alicia was referring to earlier. Who couldn’t? It was a worldwide event that affected countless millions. But Sefarr knew just the thing that would get her trainer’s mind off those dark recollections! So when Blinky braced to take off, Sefarr did the same and Alicia gulped.
“Um, I think they made plans without our input.” Alicia squeaked out. “I hope I don’t have to actually prove what I was talking ab-OOOOOOOOUT!”
On a signal the two foxes had decided on themselves, Sefarr and Blinky took off. Alicia at least had the moment to get a good grip, as she’d been reaching to do so as she spoke. She could only hope Josh had figured it out himself and prepared accordingly. It would be almost immediately obvious which Jolteon was faster. For all that Blinky’s inbreeding had reduced other aspects of her body, the boon to her speed would be undeniable. In spite of that though, Sefarr was going to give her as much of a run for her money as she could.
It at least certainly got Alicia’s mind off the past, though.
Alicia's story was terrifying - he somewhat zoned out as the young woman explained the origin story of her Aura powers. A lot of the details went way over his head, particularly what caused her to not only receive such a traumatic injury, but how she managed to recover from it so fast in the first place. "Simple endurance training couldn't account for something like that," Josh slowly answered, trying to take it all in, but he couldn't fully understand. "That got me thinking...back when I was in Bronze League, a lot of people I competed with asked me how I withstand the speeds I do." He paused to collect his thoughts.
"Most people, when getting into racing Pokémon, have to train their bodies to handle a lot of acceleration. It's not uncommon for a flying Pokémon, for instance, to pull several G's turning a sharp corner. If you tried that without practice, you'd pass out. But I never had to train for it at all, and I don't know why."
The moment Alicia started screaming from Sefarr accelerating down the road, Josh grabbed Blinky's reins tightly, flipped his visor down, and braced himself. She fully outstretched her claws, flinging herself forward with acceleration the rider had never seen before. He felt like he had been shot out of a cannon, except one that bounded and bounced so rapidly that he was nearly floating on the yellow Pokémon's back.
While Blinky shot past Sefarr, Alicia may have been able to get a glimpse of a face she had never seen Josh make before. Best case, such a face indicated incredible, unbreakable focus in maintaining a lightning-fast rhythm of his own. Worst case, it was a panicked face of not being in control of his mount...or maybe even a painful face from acceleration a young man should not be able to withstand without side effects. And this was all with the racing-bred Jolteon holding back. Not much, but she was holding back. The thought of it made Josh sweat, both physically and emotionally.
Post by Alicia Westfield on Sept 26, 2020 3:38:33 GMT
At least they had reached something of an accord on the Aura issue. While Alicia doubted Josh fully believed that the power most iconic to Riolu and Lucario could be wielded by humans, it was true that she had had a terrifying encounter. With what exactly she didn’t elaborate, didn’t want to delve further into what it was she saw. What interested her was that Josh brought up something he was also aware of. Something that set him apart from his fellow racers. She didn’t exactly have a chance to comment on it, as by the time he was done she was having to focus and grabbing on to hold Sefarr who was sprinting at full speed.
Of course Blinky overtook her, though. How could she not? While Sefarr had the natural traits of a Jolteon, she was wild born and thus nature took it’s course to make sure she would’ve survived had she been alone. To the concept of survival of the fittest, concessions could be made on top speed to allow for better and easier cornering for example. Blinky, bred to race as she was, was always intended to be in the care of whoever owned her. Turn the race-bred fox out in the wild to fend for herself and the infirmities bred into her to raise her speed would spell her demise.
In the brief moment of their passing, though, Alicia had managed to get a look at him, having seen his Aura coming up from behind. Her Sight had flicked on subconsciously for some semblance of attempting to see what was going on around her as the wind roared in her ears. And as she looked at him, she saw it all. The pain of sudden acceleration, which she too could feel even as she tried to spread her reinforcement out to mitigate it even slightly. The panic from this having started without his awareness or approval. Then the sudden shift. Like some entity devoted to speed possessing him, she saw the focus that snapped into place. She wasn’t sure what it was. It didn’t seem like his brilliant aura was working subconsciously, though she would be the first to admit that she could’ve missed something. Whatever it was, it explained why Josh experienced the things he did.
Then time resumed and he was off, Sefarr pushing as hard as she could to make up ground. It wasn’t to be, though. She was of a larger frame and heavier, producing just the slightest bit more air resistance. Blinky was lighter and smaller, her muscles achieved more momentum with each rapid stride. Minor things these may be, but in a race between two members of one of the fastest breeds known on the world, the devil was in the details. And as such, the winner of this impromptu drag race was decided before it even began.
Sefarr didn’t care though. She was happy to run. Happy that she at least gave a dedicated racer a half-decent run for her chow. With nothing in their path, she wouldn’t stop until Alicia either forced her to stop or they reached the forest entrance. Though… the Jolteon dared a half-second glance back.
And saw that Alicia had leveled quite the glare down at her before refocusing on the trail ahead of them. Uh oh, there was going to be a lecture later.
Josh was impressed Sefarr was able to maintain pace - while it was obvious to him that Blinky was holding back, the wild-born Jolteon was still a well above average runner for her kind. The two were running so fast that a patterned road, such as many brick roads in larger cities, would give the illusion of strobing among all its colors. At least Alicia appeared to be handling the crazy speed well herself. Josh thought she would be a natural for the track. Why not try it? The way she was handling such a speedy mount, she would be able to make it to Silver League at least.
The subtle incline of the foothills leveled out at last, a campground barely visible in the far distance a sign that they were getting close to the forest. Were they going so fast that their destination was in sight already? Blinky barked in excitement. With the two being just about there, this was the only chance he had to see just what this Jolteon he had paid so much for could do. "Blinky, jump into a Quick Attack!" When he issued the command, Alicia was close enough that she could probably hear the shout.
Sparks violently flew from the quilled Pokémon's paws as her body was borderline throbbing from how rapid her running stroke was during the Quick Attack burst. Josh only wished he could have seen himself from Alicia's perspective. Any scenery, other than what was directly in front of him, was no more than a blur. His entire body started tingling as he was entirely at his lightning-fast Pokémon's mercy. He came to the realization of his folly: this Jolteon was a drag racer, not a Federation racer. This kind of raw speed would be far too much to control running solo on a track, let alone with up to 29 others battling for position. Thinking was all he could do; he could not move a muscle in his body.
By the time the Quick Attacks expired, the forest entrance and campground were clearly visible. The first motion Josh made was to ease up on his Pokémon, slowing down from a breakneck pace to ensure there would not be a high-speed crash that left him in the hospital.
Post by Alicia Westfield on Oct 4, 2020 4:13:27 GMT
Alicia was most certainly not handling it as well as she would’ve liked. From the word go her Aura was straining hard to help her endure. But maybe there was a place on the race track for her after all? She wasn’t immediately passing out from the speeds, which said something about what she could possibly do if she strengthened herself and adjusted properly. The question was whether he could talk it up enough to her to consider it. If there was no passion for the thrill of acceleration, and drift of corners one would have to take, was there any hope of making it as a racer?
Alicia’s mind was promptly boggled as the racer pulling further ahead of her had the audacity to order his Jolteon to, for lack of a better phrase, push the pedal to the metal. The speed must have gone to his head, but Alicia didn’t dare voice anything out loud for the time being. It was only for a moment, but what she could see was as if Josh were trying to fly while still tethered to the earth by his Jolteon mount. Then he was gone in a flash of yellow, white, and black. Hopefully he’d realize his mistake before it killed him.
For all that they spat a bit earlier, Alicia liked being friends with the young man. He was a good and honest person, if perhaps a bit prone to comedic error and overreaction. Sefarr yipped a bit, shaking her head in turn. She knew she stood no chance of winning the race. Had known it from the onset. But she wanted to try, wanted to give shooting for the moon a chance. Still, it wouldn’t be too much longer before Sefarr closed the gap once Josh pulled back on Blinky.
Her own build, more advantageous for controlling the absurd speed Jolteon were known for, let her skid to a stop much easier and much sooner then Blinky possibly could. She could actually grip at the ground with her claws for extra traction and brakes with out them snapping off. Something she took full advantage of to meet back up with the man and his race-bred fox. A chain of happy barks followed, until Alicia groaned heavily from her saddle.
“This… is why… I wanted… to… build up… to this...” Alicia heaved out. She felt like her lungs burned with every word as she tried to catch her breath. And yet, she still managed to find the strength to lift a shaking hand up, clench it into a fist, and pop Sefarr on the head, much to the Jolteon’s dismay. “Think… before… you… take off… next time… okay…? Could’ve… hurt me… really bad. Next time… we don’t go… until we… have ground rules… laid out. Or I’m… never… mounting up… again.”
Nudging the Jolteon a bit to get her to lay down there, Alicia’s strength finally failed her. The explorer flopped off to the side, off Sefarr and onto her own back, where she laid gasping for breath. She frankly looked like she’d been run ragged in a marathon for days straight with how exhausted she seemed to be. And it took this for Sefarr to realize just how badly she goofed up, casting a concerned glance to Alicia before looking up to Josh and Blinky with guilt written all over her face.
Once the two had come to a stop near Alicia, Sefarr, and most importantly, a campground just outside the Weeping Forest, feeling started to grow back into Josh's body. His arms and legs tingled like mad as he no longer had the strength to stay aboard Blinky, the Jolteon courteous enough to balance and move him far enough that he would wind up sprawled about in the middle of the road. While Sefarr seemed talkative even after their wild run, Blinky wasn't as much so - her heart was thumping far faster than a landbound creature had a right to. Under a stethoscope, it probably sounded like a drumroll.
For a while, all Josh could do was take deep breaths. Even from Sefarr's perspective, he and Blinky were no more than a blur - that said something about how fast the Quick Attack was. While he wasn't quite at the point of hyperventilating like Alicia was, he wasn't exactly in any condition to move either, what with his arms and legs still tingling like mad as though circulation had been cut off to them for quite some time. Content to let Blinky and Sefarr guard them, Josh let the tendrils of sleep and dizziness take him. Thankfully it was still warm outside. With how long he usually napped, they would probably need to make camp and take on the Weeping Forest's trail the next day.
Post by Alicia Westfield on Oct 7, 2020 3:30:03 GMT
Sefarr folded her eyes back whimpered a bit in concern when Josh and Blinky also showed signs of being rather run down from the race. Certainly she was feeling her heart race from the run. Who wouldn’t after such a high speed drag race? But had the quick attack really taken that much out of her fellow Jolteon? With both Alicia and Josh out of commission, it looked like it was going to be up to the two lightning foxes to cover the trainers that had either been pushed to far or bit off more then he could chew.
Alicia, for her part, managed to look over to where Josh had passed out. On one hand, she wanted to snark about the equivalent of having eyes bigger then ones stomach. On the other... she actually felt bad for him. He’d mentioned he bought Blinky because she was specifically bred to race. Seeing him out cold from having her really floor promised a much different outlook on things once he recovered. She could only imagine how that would bruise his ego, and thus sour his temperament going forward.
Part of her wondered if the full extent of Aura could help him withstand Blinky’s full speed, but she certainly wasn’t experienced enough to make that call herself. Plus there was a possibility that either he didn’t want Aura or the power would be incompatible with him for some reason. There were enough variables, plus her own lack of experience, that made her decide to not approach him with the topic. With a pained groan, she pulled herself into a seated position, taking a breath and holding it for a short time. Once she exhaled, she was finally back to something more normalized, shaking her head. Her body was still quaking under the after effects however, but she felt like she could at least move again. So she stood up, taking a few shaky steps towards the campground.
“Don’t worry Josh...” she muttered more to herself. “I’ll start getting things set up. Should be fine enough to do it...” Then she yelped as she stepped wrong, falling to one knee again. Sefarr was immediately at her side again, nuzzling her with a soft and concerned bark.
“I’m fine now. I promise. Just... slipped.” In a moment of bullheaded stubbornness, she once more forced herself back up and swung her pack around pulling the supplies she’d need to make her half of the camp out. Before she started, she gave the rest of her team a chance to stretch their legs and flippers. Most of them looked noticeably concerned at her haggard state, but none of their concern seemed to sway her as she went to work. Slow and methodical was her pace of choice, but it was working out. She wasn’t sure when Josh woke up, but whenever he did was whenever he did.
She would be ready long before nightfall. The only question would be if the soft commotion would rouse him early.
While Josh was physically exhausted, his subconscious mind was still running about as fast as Blinky was. When he had purchased Blinky from that breeder, he expected to get a racing Pokémon. What he got was a Pokémon built for drag, straight-line races, not Federation races that brought in the big money. While he wasn't in debt from the purchase, he would never get the money to pay a breeder for a Pokémon like that again. Plus, he was invested in taking care of the Jolteon by now, even if it wasn't ideal for what he wanted to do.
Even if Josh was more into that kind of race, there was another problem. He would have to do a lot of physical training to be able to withstand at all, let alone try to control, the kind of speed Blinky loved showing off. While he was in fair to good physical shape just by virtue of being an active Pokémon racer, staying atop a sprinting Jolteon required what felt like a superhuman level of stamina. At first he thought about a harness for the Pokémon, but given how rapid her strides were, that might only make the problem worse.
Alicia's scream caused Josh to briefly stir. He groaned and stretched a bit before passing back out, as if it were the middle of the night. By the time he was ready to wake up for real, Alicia had to be at least close to done, if not done, setting up their camp. Blinky briefly looked back when Josh stirred a second time before resuming guard duty with Sefarr. He moaned before managing to get to a sitting position. His hips still ached, but at least he wasn't gasping for air anymore. "...We're... there already?" Josh slowly asked, though he wasn't exactly sure where Alicia was. The two Jolteon were nearby, so she couldn't have gone too far.
Post by Alicia Westfield on Oct 8, 2020 20:13:34 GMT
Alicia was finishing pounding the last nail in to pin the tent down by the time Josh woke up from his nap and revelations. She already had no delusions she wouldn’t be able to handle a Jolteon’s sprint, as she’d mentioned to Josh already more or less. Still, it felt possible. And part of her wanted to train up to prove it was possible.
“Welcome back to the waking world, sleeping prince.” Alicia commented off hand with a chuckle as Josh spoke up. “We are. These two are way too fast for our good. I’ve got camp set up for us already so all we need to do is grab a bite to eat for dinner and bed down for the evening. Also, I have to ask if you’re insane. What possessed you to order a Quick Attack at those speeds?”
It was a valid question. The Jolteon was already fast enough. To order Blinky to accelerate further. Surely there a limit to being a speed demon? That there was a point where it was too much of a good thing? If there was, though, she wouldn’t have been surprised if Josh had discovered that limit today. Part of her wondered similarly to Josh about a more specialized tack, before discarding it just as quickly. That kind of strapping in was a one-way ticket to severe whiplash at the minimum and something... much worse beyond that. She didn’t want to be the one to experience what that was like.
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