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 Graeme Rowette on Sept 23, 2020 0:20:22 GMT
Journey Post 01/15
Graeme had returned to his apartment not that long ago, both to ensure that it was still there and also to take a rest after the bit of strolling he'd done over the past few month. It was nice to take a breather to himself and just vegetate alone, occasionally with one of his beloved dragon-types at his sides. Fang, Aranea and Freya had all seen action in some form or another, so when it came time for him to continue his journey out of Birch to explore the other routes, he decided to swap them out for Barbara and Heustienne, his Drampa and Applin who'd yet to stretch out their legs or see much of the world beyond.
He wondered what it was like being in a PC box. He didn't imagine it was very exciting, so he felt less guilty when he took them out and attached them to his belt for this day's journey.
Somehow, he'd also managed to come into possession of more eggs, things that were sent as gifts from the other cremwate's of his father's old job. He couldn't rightly tell what they were from the pattern, and while he would have been a little exhausted at the prospect of having so many new babies running around, he supposed it was better to try and get them all out of the baby stage at the same time, so he wouldn't have to go through this so many times. Already Heustienne had proved herself to be the more mature of the current batch he'd hatched; while occasionally tying herself in little knots, she did so in a way that kept Aranea and Freya from fighting over much, and the blockade of her body worked as a good enough deterrent to get them to stop biting at each other.
She was soaring now overhead, drifting lazily on the occasional passing current as Graeme consulted his fully-charged phone and looked over the route they'd have to take to get to the next town. Er... Forest, it looked like, since there wasn't much stops between Birch City and Weeping Forest. He wondered if there was an outpost or a settlement within where they could rest, or if he'd have to simply head back to Birch when he was done. He might just end up doing that anyway if this trip turned out more perilous than expected, and he set his phone dex away and looked at Barbara, the Applin that was currently snoozing on his shoulder.
He had done his research on the species he'd hatched, and he'd been pleased as punch to find that they were all dragon-types. One step closer to his ideal of living in a cave far removed from civilization. Barbara was by far the smallest, albeit she was still large-than-average, and she was easily able to slip into his bag or around his shoulders or even the hood of the jacket he wore to curl up in her quest for the perfect napping spot. He wasn't at all fussed by this and simply let her be, and after readjusting one of the many straps of sacks of eggs he had on his person - two over each shoulder, to try and make the strain on either side of his body equal - he looked forward to the path ahead, lit only by the peeks of sun through cloudy skies overhead.
Post by Graeme Rowette on Sept 23, 2020 4:50:44 GMT
Journey Post 02/15
At some point the terrain turned rocky, shifting at an incline that seemed like it led into the mountains. There was another path that seemed more trodden, cresting over a nearby hill to disappear over the other side, and it was there that Graeme continued, feeling the burn in his calves and thighs as he ascended slowly up the incline. Heustienne continued to drift and twirl lazily overhead, and while it hadn't yet hit Graeme yet that he could mount the massive, serpentine dragon to cut his travel time down, he was starting to wonder if there was a possibility of him teaching her fly.
He was brought out of his thoughts, abruptly, when he spotted a round fluffy blob of a pokemon rolling down the hill towards him, tongue lolled out and eyes fixated on the tasty looking appl-- oh. No no no, Barbara wasn't food! As drool leaked out the sides of the Swirlix's mouth, Barbara let out a squeaking noise that devolved into a hiss, the tiny pokemon trying her best to both present herself as intimidating but also hide behind the long thickness of Graeme's ponytail. The Swirlix advanced, looking about ready to pounce or, at the very least, jump up and try and steal the tasty treat for itself... Heustienne came soaring down from above, screeching out an Echoed Voice that while at first astonished the Swirlix into not attacking. The pokemon was thrown off guard and stumbled back as Heustienne circled overhead, rounding about to return for another Echoed Voice as the fairy-type struggled to attack.
There was another Swirlix cresting the hill at the sound of the commotion going on, and as Heustienne landed with with a thud and another loud, warning cry, it also tumbled down the hill to join the fray. It was larger than the first, but no less hungry looking, and it held up well for the first few moments as Heustienne beat her wings and tried to look intimidating. It worked - at least a little bit, because the Swirlix seemed to hesitate before proceeding forward, upon which Heustienne let out another Echoed Voice that just narrowly missed the Swirlix. With the other one scrambling to get back upright, and more tumbling down the hill, Graeme thought it best to book it before it got rough.
The other path was still open, and though it seemed to take them into the mountains it was far enough away from the gaggle of Swirlix that he could regroup and try and think over his next plan of action. After readjusting the satchels of eggs on his sides, he booked it, Barbara tucking herself somewhere safe in his clothes while Heustienne let out another Echoed Voice, louder this time, and beat up into the sky.
ESCAPE FROM SWIRLIX HORDE we runnin Heustienne - Lv1 Drampa -> Lv2 Drampa (4/5 energy) (idk why i put 1 energy in the first post since this is the beginning of the thread lmao) Barbara - Lv1 Applin (5/5 energy) Dratini Egg - 2/15 Posts Gible Egg - 2/15 Posts Bagon Egg - 2/15 Posts Tyrunt Egg 2/15 Posts
Post by Graeme Rowette on Sept 26, 2020 11:58:27 GMT
Journey Post 03/15
Graeme'd managed to escape the group of Swirlix tumbling down the hill and had put a fair bit of distance between them. The road he was walking on now was a little uneven, but it wasn't enough to make him lose his footing and smash his eggs on the ground, and he was able to proceed along at an ambling, easy pace. Barbara had relaxed and was snoozing happily on his shoulders, and though Heustienne flying overhead was a dead giveaway to their position to any other pokemon that might decide to attack them, Graeme continued to let her do so anyway. Who was he to take the joy of flight away from a dragon? That seemed a rather foolish decision.
Gradually the path began to even out, and the occasional passerby would crest the ridge ahead and make their way down. Graeme passed by a few elderly riders taking their stock of items and other necessities from town to city to town, a few younger kids either riding their bikes or else riding their parents' pokemon in their ventures, haggard-looking nurses... and occasionally, a pretty girl that would give him a wave, which he returned with a grin that felt like more effort than usual. Since he was just starting on the route he wasn't tired, not yet, but it seemed like lately he was more mentally exhausted than anything.
Maybe it came with raising a clutch of little baby dragon pokemons. He was certainly bruised black and blue from Aranea's headbutts, his hands perpetually bandaged from all the scratches and bites from both the Deino and Freya whenever their spats got particularly violent. He was grateful he didn't bring them this time, and the calmer, more tranquil mood set by Barbara and Heustienne did wonders for his mood.
He was so deep in his thoughts that he didn't notice the young, prepubescent lass dressed in an awkwardly short skirt bump into him, easily dwarfed by his tall frame. She gave a squeak of surprise and stumbled back, and by the time he realized that he'd actually run into someone and turned to look she was already swiping down over the front of her uniform with a scowl and a huff of displeasure.
"Watch where you're going!!" The trainer said, scowling at him while he checked over his eggs to make sure they didn't get jostled or cracked. The girl was terribly, incredibly short, and Graeme knew that it was inevitable that he'd be looking down at her, but he did his best not to close the difference between them so he wouldn't tick her off any more than she already was - although the squint she gave him, sizing up both his eggs and the Applin on his shoulder was telling enough. Something seemed to register in her brain and it was as though a lightbulb went off in her head; she pointed at him imperiously, and when she spoke her voice rang out clear and true in the air. It was enough to signal Heustienne to descend, which the dragon did with all the grace of a creature that wasn't a few weeks old, oddly enough.
"You're a pokemon trainer, aren't you?" Her voice seemed to rise an octave and, while he didn't outright laugh at her, Graeme felt the corners of his lips quirk up in a smile. But he affected a nonchalant air and rubbed the back of his neck, sighing out as Heustienne cast a shadow over him and Barbara. The Applin poked her little head out from where she was currently snoozing in the shade of Graeme's ponytail and gave the girl an odd look.
"Yeah, I am." He had a feeling he knew what was going to come next. The girl grinned, an all too mischievous look for someone of her stature, the kind that meant trouble. Without another word she was unhooking a pokeball from around her belt and tossing it out to him, letting the pokemon within emerge in a flash of light and a whooshing noise. A Fennekin blinked sleepily up at them before it reasserted its stance and let out a growling cry, standing its ground with the confidence of one all too accustomed to engaging in battles. From his vantage point he thought he could see a nick or two on its little head, small dents and singes in the fur where it had taken a few hits. The girl puffed out her chest and pointed a finger at him, but it wasn't as if she really needed to explain herself. He knew a pokemon battle challenge when he saw one. When she issued the challenge verbally he considered declining, seeing that he only had two pokemon, but then relented with a nod. They agreed to two out of three, since the girl apparently was pressed for time - why she was walking instead of riding a pokemon, then, he'd never know - and Graeme was left to figure out which of his pokemon he'd use.
Barbara, surprisingly, was the first to leap forward, hopping from his shoulder to his forearm and then down before he could react. Heustienne seemed content to watch from her vantage point, but there was a stiffness to her that suggested protectiveness over complacency, and her eyes bore into the back of Graeme's head before focusing on the Applin currently inching across the field. She didn't stop until she was a few feet or so from the Fennekin, and only when there was a sharp cry from somewhere far off did the battle begin. The Fennekin immediately bounded forward and let loose a series of Scratches that forced Barbara to Withdraw as her health was whittled away. The firefox was fast, and it bounded from side to side, trying to find an opening to rake its claws into. Having read up and studied the moves that his pokemon could use - almost painstakingly so, just in case his phone died again like on the last excursion - Graeme know that Barbara only had access to two: Withdraw and Astonish. When the Fennekin was in the midst of hopping over to the other side, still trying to find an opening, Graeme shouted out for Barbara to Astonish it, which she did quickly and efficiently.
J09Qj2qZp_ - Fennekin flinched!
With the firefox reeling from the blow, Barbara was able to smack it again with another Astonish, and while it didn't quite have as much power to it she was able to knock it back slightly, and the Fennekin reeled from the blow while the trainer let out a frustrated noise and stamped her foot. She commanded another Scratch, and Graeme had Barbara Withdraw again to try and endure the blow. This repeated, over and over, until eventually the Applin was getting in two hits with every one of Fennekin's scratches, thanks largely in part to being able to catch the Fennekin off-guard with successful and unsuccessful flinches from the barrage of Astonish. Graeme knew that Barbara would learn more when she evolved, but he hadn't done enough research into that and so suffered with only the two movesets.
Eventually, the Fennekin was tired, and the girl was growing frustrated, so she withdrew the pokemon with another huff of annoyance and readied another pokeball. This time the pokemon she sent out was... massive. Graeme had to crane his head back to see the tops of the heads, and while he recognized it as an Exeggutor it was... different from what he was used to. Oof. Although Barbara would have liked to continue the battle, he felt bad pitting here against something so large, and so he bid her come back and Heustienne flapped herself forward, her wings fluttering as she slithered to meet her foe. She rumbled something out, something that made the Exeggutor pause, the very top of the crown of leaves on its head vibrating as though with uncertainty. It seemed she was bidding the Exeggutor to Play Nice, and it seemed to work - for a little bit. The Wood Hammer that slammed down onto Heustienne's head was reduced in power somewhat, but it still had her reeling, although it wasn't enough to weaken the Echoed Voice that was shot back in retaliation. With the Exeggutor having inflicted damage to itself with the first attack, Heustienne was already at a bit of an advantage in the fight; her Echoed Voices only seemed to grow in power and strength the more she used it, and the Exeggutor was barely able to start the beginnings of a Solar Beam before Heustienne, having built up quite a good amount of power in her Echoed Voice due to repetitive use, was able to finish it off.
With two out of three of her pokemon down, and the lass with still a long ways to go before she got to the next town, she decided to cut her losses and returned her pokemon with a begrudging look. Graeme gave her a grin that was only half-apologetic, and though he would have rejected the offer of prize money and other things, she girl insisted on paying it out of a sense of pride and the promise she'd win the next time they met. Graeme thought about returning his pokemon to their balls, but before he could Barbara re-settled herself on his shoulder, and Heustienne immediately took to the skies again, and that was that.
Post by Graeme Rowette on Sept 27, 2020 23:57:52 GMT
Journey Post 04/15
The path eventually began to even out, making it so he didn't have to strain too hard to continue traversing the path he was on. He was grateful more than anything that he'd had the sense to dress for the journey, and while he hadn't come to Arciel with much in the way of clothes, there was still enough of a variety that he wasn't left wanting when it came to dressing for his day-to-day excursions out into the wild. With the prize money he'd gotten from the girl earlier he'd definitely be able to do a bit more shopping for himself - after stashing some away for rent and other emergencies, of course - and he was actually looking forward to the inevitable trip.
The people that were filtering down the mountainside were few and far between, now, despite the path having evened out. Though he still had some time to go before he reached the next settlement - something he had checked on his phone after the last battle - he thought he could see the dark shapes of trees far away at the end of his path. It definitely didn't look inviting, and with Barbara and Heustienne having already gone through a few bouts he doubted they'd be up for traversing the woods any time soon.
The steady, albeit uneven gait of footsteps behind him had him turning to look instinctively, and when he spotted the elderly, prim lady making her way up the path he immediately moved aside a bit to make room for her. But rather than the older woman bypassing him and continuing on her way, she instead sidled right up next to him and gave him an appraising once over, handbag settled comfortably in the crook of her elbow. She dressed... not like the elderly he'd seen back home. Rather, she dressed more like she were in her early thirties. And the look she gave him wasn't like a grandmother looking fondly at her grandchildren, but rather more like a woman in a bar might give a man who they were interested in--
Oh. Oh no.
He wasn't really anything to look at at first glance; sure, he had the advantage of being tall and rather lean on his side, and there wasn't any lack of muscle visible on his torso and biceps. The occasional jobs at the shipyards loading and unloading cargo had seen to that. And he wasn't exactly swimming in Pen, so his fashion sense left much to be desired although he still took care to dress himself properly, again utilizing his shoujo manga in this endeavor to make himself look as appealing as possible: jacket over a hooded sweatshirt, some faded and washed out jeans and some scuffed doc martens to help him get through this rocky terrain. It wasn't as casual-formal as he usually went, but it didn't look half bad either. Certainly not to any older, grey-haired females, especially not the one that was eyeing him up appreciatively as they walked.
Oh Arceus. What should he do? He could feel a sweat breaking out, heat creeping up the back of his neck enough that it got Barbara poking her head out to see what was going on, and unfortunately - or fortunately - this caught the old woman's attention.
"My stars, is that an Applin?"
Her voice was high and lilting and almost certainly sounded like one of his older aunties or the grandmothers that liked to sit in the markets back home and gossip about this or that. Unsure of how to proceed except his usual methods around girls - which really, really didn't seem like a good idea, given the circumstances and his suspicions - Graeme decided on giving her a nod, and a casual grin that he hoped didn't look as nervous as he felt. The older woman let out a keening laugh, and reached out to touch at his elbow. Although he tried to write it off as a motherly or familial sort of gesture, the way she tucked her hand against his bicep and squeezed as though she were feeling him up had him even more on edge.
"Have you heard the stories about it?" She leaned in close, so close it felt like his head were smothered in her perfume. It wasn't bad, but that combined with his rising anxiety and awkwardness and general discomfort over the situation made him have to try hard to keep his stride even. She was so close - too close - and he felt visibly hot under the collar, the rate of his heart picking up to the point it was nearly palpitating. The older woman, seeing this, only leaned in closer, continuing her confident pace beside Graeme's awkward one.
"Er... no..." He had to swallow hard to keep his voice from cracking, though it did get a little higher pitched towards the end. Barbara, who'd moved to the shoulder away from the old lady, was peering up at her master with a curious look albeit there wasn't any real danger to be had. Therefore she did nothing except enjoy the heat that Graeme was putting off, settling comfortably against his skin before falling into a light doze.
"No?" The woman let out another laugh and squeezed his bicep a little tighter. The shift of her fingers over the muscles in his arm told him that yes, she was absolutely feeling him up. It felt like his heart were going to beat right out of his chest, and the woman, taking this as a sign that he was getting into it as much as she was, leaned in close to his ear to murmur into it.
"They say..." Her breath fanned at his neck. He felt the muscles in his stomach clench as True Fear seized him. His other hand was clenched into a fist, the palm clammy and fingers a little wobbly. "If you give someone an Applin, someone you really, really like..." Where was Heustienne? The shadow passing overhead told him she was still airborne, which did absolutely nothing for him. The woman was close enough now she could surely feel his eggs against her hip - like literally, because everything else on him was definitely not up for anything except high-tailing it out of there - and it was all he could do to try not to pull away to make it too obvious.
The lipstick-covered lips pressing against his ear made him jump, Graeme jolting so violently he nearly gave himself whiplash. He hopped away, one hand clamped over his ear, bicep pulled from the elderly woman's grasp as his face went as red as a tomato. A feeling of nausea and indigestion swept through him, and after taking in the lady's surprised, but intrigued expression he thought of some excuse frantically to try and get out of the situation.
"I - I don't speak English!" And before the woman could speak, or tell him that he was actually speaking English right now, hello? Graeme was running as fast as he could ahead with his long legs, sprinting probably the fastest he'd ever run in his life to try and high-tail it away from the silver-haired cougar.
Post by Graeme Rowette on Sept 30, 2020 12:33:57 GMT
Journey Post 05/15
Once he'd reached a reasonable distance away from the old lady, enough that he couldn't even see the speck of her from far off, then Graeme let his shoulders relax and slumped down over a conveniently propped up boulder low enough to be used as a bench. The shadow of Heustienne appeared overhead for a moment before the great, serpentine dragon landed with a muted thud that scattered rocks and various other debris all around him. She ruffled a small clump of thin, scraggly trees standing off to the side, and as Graeme worked to catch his breath again he didn't notice the blur of a colorful torso falling out from where it was perched among the branches.
"I'm fine, I'm fine!" Heustienne had pressed her rounded snout up against his hand, bumping it to both get his attention and make sure he was actually doing fine after a run like that. After determining that her trainer was, as a matter of fact, no longer running for his life away from grabby old ladies, she settled back before peering this way and that around the area, grounded for the time being. Barbara took the opportunity to peek out of Graeme's hair and chirp a greeting to the larger dragon-type, which was returned, and after taking a moment to catch his breath Graeme got up and stretched out his legs. He was a little wobbly, but it wasn't anything too severe and he was able to make his way to the path to continue on his way.
Or he would have, if there wasn't a rather stern-looking Hawlucha blocking his path just then. It pointed at the tree when it caught his attention, then at Graeme himself, and then made the ominous gesture of pounding its fist into a clawed hand. Graeme bent a knee slightly, squinting at the smaller bird pokemon while he tried to piece together what it was saying. He looked from it to the tree - where even now a Combee was hovering around, buzzing happily and rubbing up against the bark - and felt his brow furrow a bit.
"You... want me to help you beat up that Combee or something?"
The Hawlucha grunted, and after hopping from foot to foot, claws glowing, she suddenly lunged forward, throwing the entirety of her body wait into a wild Tackle attack. Graeme, caught off guard by the sudden action, reared back just enough that Heustienne could shove her head through and retaliate with an Echoed Voice that had the Hawlucha shifting off course to the point where she slammed against open air. Her taloned feet scrabbling in the dirt, she abruptly changed course to do another assault, this time on the interfering Drampa, who was reay to receive her with another jaw-widening blast of Echoed Voice. Used twice in succession it had the Hawlucha stumbling again, but she powered through and slammed the entirety of her small body weight against the lengthy Drampa. Oof.
The battle continued on in this way; the Hawlucha was a fighter, Graeme had to say that much, but Heustienne had the experience of a few battles on her side and, in addition, was a good deal larger than the bird assaulting her on all sides. Even with her limited moveset she was able to wear down the Hawlucha with repitive bursts of Echoed Voice that left long grooves in the dirt and grass, and when at last Hawlucha slumped down, exhausted, she gave a victorious huff and fluttered her little wings victoriously. Graeme gave her a rubdown over her snout and then, checking to make sure the Hawlucha was okay - she was already dozing, snoozing in the shade of a tree where she wouldn't be disturbed - he gave the Combee a departing wave and the trio headed out. Heustienne waited a moment before taking to the skies once again, and her shadow passed overhead standing out starkly against the billowing cloudfront.
Wow! Is that a cloud in front of you? Wait, clouds aren't that low to the ground are they? A thick wave of fog is rolling in, you better make sure you know where all you're Pokemon are before you can't see anything because the fog is coming quickly! Now you really feel like you are walking on clouds!
Last Edit: Sept 30, 2020 16:48:02 GMT by HopelessStar
Hey, that cloudfront was actually a lot thicker than expected. Like a lot, enough he was a bit concerned for Heustienne soaring so high above. Just before the fog could swarm over his senses he scrambled for his poke balls, nudging aside the satchels of all four eggs to get to them so he could pull Heustienne back inside. He imagined that as high as she was she'd be able to see better than he ever could, but he also didn't want to run the risk of her being attacked or injured without Graeme to keep an eye on her.
"Heustienne!!" He called out, and the beating of wings and rush of wind heralded her approach even as the fog smothered his vision on all sides. He listened, straining hard, and just when he heard the familiar chirping rumble of the winged dragon he aimed the ball in that general direction and called out a command. "Return!" The beam of light burst forth from the pokeball -
kwgeOqW6p_
- catching hold of the massive dragon-type and pulling her in. With a sigh of relief Graeme tucked her against his belt, readjusted the strap of his satchel and looked this way and that, trying to figure out if he'd gotten turned around at all. With Barbara tucked into his hair her presence was something of a comfort; at the very least, the familiar, ever-present weight of her on his shoulder ensured that he knew where she was at all times, so he didn't have to worry overmuch about losing her. He could feel the Applin trilling against him cautiously, and after a moment's thought he pulled out his phone and opened up a compass app. If he recalled correctly, he was heading eastward... so if he kept on walking that way, then surely he'd either make it out of the fog or make it to .. the Weeping Forest. Which, if he got there and it was still foggy...
Yeah, wandering through a foggy forest was more the stuff of nightmares. He was used to fog back home, when it would roll in from the sea and coat the port city in a thick blanket. But here, in an unfamiliar land, where he still had yet to get acquainted with the landscape... yeah, that didn't sit too well with him.
Resolved to at least try and make it out, he steeled himself and continued on, heading east with Barbara keeping a lookout as best she could while they travelled.
The fog didn't look like it would let up any time soon, and Graeme wasn't having a very good time of it. On the plus side, because his phone had been fully charged and he still managed to get signal, he was able to navigate his way back to where the path was winding and twisting over the route with minimal difficulty. The fog was so thick now that it was hard to see more than a few feet ahead of him, and though Heustienne had the advantage of being able to soar high, perhaps high enough to rise above the fog and give them a better vantage, he didn't want to risk her being attacked and him not being able to do anything about it. Instinctively, he checked to make sure all four of his eggs were in their sacks and not missing, and was relieved when he felt the round, smooth surfaces of each in turn.
Funnily enough, the thought that he could ride her didn't even cross his mind.
While Graeme was doing all right getting through the fog, he could hear the shouts of voices that made it seem like others weren't having such a good time of it. It sounded like a grown, blubbering man with a deep voice who was crying out for someone named Honchie? Which sounded more like a pokemon name than anything. While Graeme would have loved to help out, it was hard to tell in which direction the voice was coming from, and after a few seconds he heard the flapping of wings nearby and heard a triumphant cry as man and pokemon were reunited. Well, that's good.
The blubbering and cawing faded in the distance as he continued, and Barbara chirped against his neck before settling and squinting through the fog. The journey went on.
You are doing what you can to stay on course, but the fog is so thick some things are still hard to see. Like whatever the shape is that just floated by quickly in front of you! Now it's gone, but you definitely could tell it was round, and sort of small and definitely seemed like it was running away. The fog is beginning to clear enough though that now you can make out more.
And there is a very large, very angry Gourgeist in front of you, hovering over a broken stump. Inside that stump is something shiny though, and the Gourgeist most definitely seems to think you'll take it and screams at you! It's demanding a fight!
A wild Gourgeist has appeared!
What will you do?
Gourgeist Lv6
5 Energy
Large
Rash
Frisk
MOVES
Curse, Astonish, Shadow Sneak, Confuse Ray
NOTES
Tag: This is a Mod Controlled Pokemon. Unless you are only engaging in battle, you must Mod Call to have him react to any events.
Last Edit: Oct 1, 2020 5:01:41 GMT by HopelessStar