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.
Shalin waved goodbye to Addy as the shy Coordinator headed back to Birch City. Her team was ready and raring to go, a good night's sleep and some first aid being all they needed to get back up to strength. As she started to tear down her tent, a sudden chill overcame her. Apparently a strong front had passed overnight, because it was freezing cold outside. Shivering, she released Caprice, a majestic and enormous Ninetales bigger than her trainer was tall. The golden Pokémon tailed Shalin, serving as a portable space heater, as she packed her tent up.
While she was grateful for her team to have recovered so quickly overnight, she was still a bit lower on supplies than she would like. She would be able to fix that issue once she made it through the woods; there was a good-size town that had to have a Pokémon Mart, or at least a general store she could resupply at. The more quickly they could make it there, the better.
The moment Shalin had packed the last collapsible pole away, Caprice sat down next to her, beckoning her aboard. "Easy, girl! Let me finish packing first." She stuffed a neatly-folded tarp into her pack, then made sure her medical supplies were easily accessible. Everything...looked good to go. The girl straddled Caprice, the Pokémon quick to lift her off the ground. "Let's go!" she pointed forward, and the two of them were off, down the woods' main trail...or what could loosely be considered a trail.
{WC: 261} {PC: 1} {Shalin: 72/72}
Last Edit: Dec 14, 2019 22:32:24 GMT by Shalin Nariya
Post by Shalin Nariya on Dec 15, 2019 19:02:58 GMT
The dirt trail through the Weeping Forest abruptly ended, forcing Shalin and Caprice to blaze their own through the woods. The dark conditions reminded her of the Ilex Forest back home, though this wasn't quite as dense. There would be plenty of light to see mid-morning, when the sun was overhead instead of being blocked by the dense array of tree trunks. Caprice kept heading eastward, startled when she and her rider heard the snap and thud of a nearby tree falling. After a second snap, Shalin was able to see a tree falling in her direction. "Caprice!" she shouted, instinctively shoving her hands toward her mount. With a quick jump, the two made it to safety...for about five seconds.
Their assailant, a blue-skinned, human-shaped Pokémon Shalin had never seen before, was blocking the way. By the gi and black belt it was wearing, it was a Fighting-type, but she had no idea of its strength otherwise. If it could snap a small tree in half with its hands, then engaging it in melee would be deadly. The girl reached for Kiku's Poké Ball and hurled it about halfway between her and the Sawk. "Keep your distance, Kiku!"
The Stunky turned around and let loose a noise that would make children (and dirty-minded adults) laugh, the wild choking on the vapors for a moment before entering his space. Winding up, it delivered a one-two chop directly ahove the Poison-type, Shalin recalling him upon hearing what she thought was a cracking noise. Wild Fighting-types tend to be some of the worst chiropractors one can visit.
The blonde reached for another Pokémon, about ready to toss it forward when the wild got right up in her face, Caprice loosing an array of embers from her open, burning mouth. This was not the idea she had in mind, but it would have to do. Giving her mount more maneuverability, she slid off and continued to back away from the battle. If she took even a single chop from that Pokémon, she probably was not making it out of the woods. Choking on Kiku's fumes again, the Sawk stepped out of them and let out a loud kiai, its eyes red. Oh Arceus no.
"Caprice, use Heat Wave!" Shalin commanded, now a safe distance from her Pokémon. Glowing an orange-red, the canine's fur stood on end, and all of the frost and dew on the ground around her evaporated in an instant. It turned the corner of the woods the battle took place on into that of a sweltering summer's day. Remaining steadfast in the suddenly hot conditions, the fighting-type lunged at Caprice, burying his hands in Caprice's left side. She was limping, just barely able to blast another spray of embers in its face before dropping to a sitting position and a loud whimper. The final attack, combined with Kiku's toxic musk, sent the Sawk likewise limping away.
Once the weather had returned to its normal state, Shalin examined Caprice's left side. There was a big purple bruise close to her front leg. "...I'm so sorry to have put you through this. girl," she apologized for not being able to properly assess her foe's strength. She released a whining Kiku, then dug through her bag for two Potions. "This will sting a little, but it should do the trick. Now hold still, girl..." She braced one of her hands above the leg where the wound was to try to keep it as still as possible, spraying the vial with the other. Caprice let out a loud yelp when the medicine made contact. Kiku was a lot more cooperative, merely expressing a cringed look when the medicine was applied. "You'll feel better. I promise." With that, Shalin sat down with her two Pokémon for roughly ten minutes, letting the medicine do its work.
Mod Note: Please remove 2 Potions from Shalin's inventory. Kiku's level is now 12! {WC: 645} {PC: 2} Shalin's level is now 8! {Shalin: 85/85}
Last Edit: Dec 16, 2019 0:33:11 GMT by Shalin Nariya
Note on last encounter: Technically because it was not greater than 5 levels above you, you'd only receive 1 point, not two (so pick which Pokemon to level up).
Having taken some time to treat her team's wounds, Shalin stood up, Caprice and Kiku following suit seconds later. The Ninetales fanned her tails gently toward the girl before walking up to her side and sitting down. Shalin mounted up, her Pokémon lifting her completely off the ground when standing back up. She turned around to recall Kiku before resuming her trip eastward, Caprice quickly entering a brisk trot. It was slowly warming up in the forest, the night's frost starting to melt away. It was warm but overcast, from what little of the sky she could see.
After a few miles, a fashionable lady in pink and lavendar called out to the rider, looking for an opponent to battle. A Sunkern at her feet was vigorously twirling the leaf on its head, as was the Chikorita. Both were Pokémon she recognized immediately. They were Grass-types commonly used by new trainers from her home region of Johto. Come to think of it, Meganium wouldn't be a bad fit for her. They certainly were not the swiftest Pokémon, but they made reliable mounts (if a bit too enthusiastic for the rider's own good). She would need to keep an eye out for one. After thinking about it for a bit, she grabbed two Poké Balls from her side and held them close to her face. She peered inside Prance's first, then Vannifar's. As close as she was to Prance, it was the newcomer's time to shine. "Vannifar, you're up!" she aimed her throw toward a small pool of water just off the beaten path. She pulled back on Caprice. "I'm going to need you to stay out of this battle - this is Vannifar's battle, not yours." Nodding, the Ninetales seemed content to observe with her trainer.
The enormous Tentacool emerged from her Poké Ball, a floating, spherical veil of water allowing her to fight at full strength in such an environment normally hostile to purely aquatic Pokémon. "Interesting," Shalin mused, having never seen this phenomenon before in all her travels. While Tentacool had enough ranged attacks that they could still fight somewhat effectively on land, this was a nice surprise. Not going to question it--just gonna roll with it, she thought.
It was at that moment both of the Pokémon rushed Vannifar, Chikorita leading the charge as Sunkern hopped toward the water-type at a much slower pace. Tromping forward, he leaped toward the unsuspecting Tentacool, slicing with the blade of his head-leaf between her red orbs and into her skin composed mostly of water. Polluted water, mind you, but still water. Sunkern was quick to follow up, her head-leaf rapidly twirling, sucking up Vannifar's moisture as if she had a root inside her."Wait, since when was this battle Doubles? Reinforce Vannifar, Prance!" The hulking Stantler towered above both the Grass-types, rearing and stomping in an effort to scare them and knock them off balance.
"Keep them away from Vannifar, Prance!" Shalin encouraged her team. "You too! Eat them up!" Pointing her twin tentacles at the opposing Pokémon, she sprayed a volley of bubbling acid at both, each of their head-leaves now with a couple of holes in them. To the water-type, they were weeds. Weeds that needed to go.
Holding back while Chikorita covered for Sunkern, the smaller Grass-type planted herself next to a large tree, ingraining herself in its root system. The courageous Chikorita sliced deeper into Vannifar's slushy skin while simultaneously flooding Prance's surroundings with a minefield of Razor Leaves. On their own, the attacks were nothing serious, but did those two Grass-types work well together, double-teaming Vannifar while still keeping Prance occupied.
With both of them able to effectively fight at range, Vannifar's own range was not helping. Shalin had little choice but to order her fading Tentacool to get closer. Her red orbs were fading quickly--a sign the Pokémon was badly injured. In a last-ditch effort, she fired a burst of corroding acid toward the two grass-types, the Chikorita letting out a cracking screech before collapsing in pain. With her Sunkern badly injured as well, the female yielded to Shalin.
Vannifar, her red orbs still flickering, extended her water geyser to float up to Shalin's chest level. "You did amazing holding two Pokémon off all on your own! Now let me patch you up." She set her pack down, locating yet another Potion and spraying its contents into the deep wound the Chikorita caused. The only reaction she got was a flinch. This was one tough Tentacool! All these water-types made her look forward to the spring and summer. For now, it was far too cold to think about an aquatic adventure. She recalled both of her victorious Pokémon, then pressed on aboard Caprice.
Mod note: Please remove 1 Potion from Shalin's inventory.
Prance's level is now 13! Vannifar's level is now 16! {WC: 797} {PC: 3} Shalin gained 48 exp. {Shalin: 85/85}
The farther Shalin rode along the trail, the more rugged the terrain became. She wondered if a glacier had carved a path through the mountains in ancient geologic times, or perhaps the woods were once a giant lake that had dried up. There were many possibilities of how the woods came to be. If Senara was here, she probably would be able to tell her - that girl knew her stuff with rocks. But she wasn't here. And come to think of it, very few others were.
A couple of miles later, the trail Shalin was following came to an abrupt end. Ahead of her was ground unsullied by mere travelers. The only people who would come out to such a remote corner of the Weeping Forest were Trainers looking for a particularly feisty Pokémon to add to their roster, or scientists looking to study areas of Arciel where civilization had not yet encroached. That, and explorers like her who just wanted to see everything Arciel had to offer.
She pressed on, trying to have Caprice move as straight east as possible, though the density of trees made that difficult. Many trainers who dared brave the wilds relied on a compass to navigate, but Shalin didn't need one. She had this knack for navigating the wilds, and loved putting it to the test. She had to slow her Ninetales to a trot at fastest, many of the gaps between trees a somewhat tight fit for the tw
Another half-mile in, she located a tree that stood out from the others, white fruits hanging from its branches. "Aha, Apricorn fruit!" she identified it. "Just like back home. It's too high to pick normally. Maybe we can shake a few of them loose." She released Prance in front of the Ninetales. "Prance, could you give that tree a kick for me?" the trainer asked her partner.
The hooved Normal-type backed up to get a running start, then entered a speedy gallop toward the tree and kicked it with both her front hooves. A few loose white Apricorns rained down, the girl quick to grab the first one. She pocketed it then guided Caprice to the other side of the tree where most of her prize had fallen. As she reached for the second one, something nailed her in the back of the head, and her vision faded to black.
When she came to, Shalin was slumping in Caprice's saddle, and still a bit woozy. From what she understood of how her Pokémon acted things out in front of her, a Pancham had thrown an Apricorn at her at high speed just as she was reaching down to retrieve them, striking her with the pointy end. The bleeding at the very least had stopped, and she had walked away with a single Apricorn. Digging into the first-aid pocket in her pack, she patched up her wound the best she could, though it was difficult with all the hair she needed to push aside. Onward!
{WC: 502} {PC: 4} {Shalin: 55/85}
Last Edit: Dec 18, 2019 4:43:03 GMT by Shalin Nariya
Post by Shalin Nariya on Dec 21, 2019 20:13:06 GMT
As the sun rose more directly overhead, more light began to filter down into the dense forest. Shalin still had to squint from time to time to see, but she was a lot less reliant on Caprice to see. One thing was clear in her vision, though: there was a child in brightly colored clothing, dancing with her Audino and Togetic a few hundred feet away, and they were right in her path. Curious, she and Caprice came closer, maintaining a fast walk. The Ninetales didn't move her head at all. "What's gotten into--" The child's eyes sparkled yellow, and Shalin likewise ceased moving her head, only able to direct her gaze toward the mysterious, pink-dressed female.
"I'm River. Will you...dance with me?" the child asked a delirious Shalin.
8GIyR_t5p_ {Wisdom save: 5+5=10}
The rider's eyes sparkled the same yellow. She reached for Kiku's Poké Ball and commanded him to begin battle, as if compelled by forces of the fae to do so. The girl's Audino stood in front of her, then slowly walked toward the Stunky, beckoning the Poison-type to make the first move. Happy to oblige, he turned around, discharging a putrid gas cloud from his rear directly toward Audino, both Trainers pinching their noses shut. The Normal-type stepped out of the cloud, coughing several times before inhaling deeply and loosing a scream of such volume that it could be heard for miles. Kiku, in close range, immediately collapsed, the sound ripping Shalin's ears apart and deafening her. Not even Trainers were safe.
p_ {Wisdom save: 6+5=11}
Even through the harm to both Kiku and her personally, River's fae charm continued to grip her, compelling her to continue the battle. Vannifar was next to come, drawing water onto his tentacles from the pillar keeping him floating above the ground. He pointed them both at the Audino, the foe riding the rapid pressure changes and shrugging off the attack. Inhaling deeply again and walking directly in front of the Tentacool, the pink Pokémon loosed another point-blank shout, the vibration disfiguring the space around her right orb.
p_ {Wisdom save: 12+5=17}
The sparkle in Shalin's and Caprice's eyes faded. Her cognizance returned, the first thing she saw was a badly bruised Kiku and a disfigured Vannifar. As she rotated her neck to see if her mount was okay, her ears started pounding, and each thump was painful. She recalled her battered Pokémon and shouted, "I yield!" As if she wasn't heard, she shouted it again. As River turned around, Shalin realized it wasn't River that wasn't hearing her. She wasn't hearing her own voice! Before she could travel onward any more, she needed to figure out what was going on.
Digging out a hand mirror from her bag, she took a look at her face. Her ears were red and purple. No wonder she couldn't hear anything - the vibration probably cracked or burst something in her ears. There was a little she could do with her first aid kit, but ultimately it would only be enough to stave off long-term damage until she could be seen in Ash City. As much time as she would lose from making camp and resting, she needed to take care of herself. After traveling for another half hour or so, she dismounted Caprice, set up her tent, and administered first aid to her and her Pokémon the best she could.
{WC: 571} {PC: 5} {Shalin: 17/85}
Shalin is deafened for the remainder of the thread.
··
Last Edit: Dec 21, 2019 20:35:03 GMT by Shalin Nariya
Post by Shalin Nariya on Dec 23, 2019 20:40:02 GMT
After her nap, complete silence was the most eerie experience Shalin had undergone in a long time. Had she known Audino could shout so loudly, she would have put her earplugs in before starting battle. Too late for that now. She needed to get medical attention, and it would be far faster to press on to Ash City than turn back to Birch.
She summoned Caprice to let her stretch, then started packing away her tent. A Sewaddle was inching its way up one of the poles as she was taking it down. She swatted it away before finishing. It was already well past noon, and she was going to run out of daylight before making it at her current rate. Shalin pat the Fire-type on the head, mouthing, "We need to avoid battle when possible," but wasn't sure if she was being heard. With that, she mounted up and continued eastward. Feeling her Ninetales' gallop but not hearing the sound of her paws was grossly unsettling, her muscles tensing as she rode eastward.
Shalin had to squint from time to time again just to see clearly in the dense forest. Her concerns about the daylight were becoming more and more valid with each passing minute. At least the mountains didn't block the sun out completely due to their angle. Caprice was radiating heat, but not enough to see by unaided. Not wanting to be caught completely off guard, she set her pack down while she could still see well enough to dig through it, and pulled out a small lantern. All she needed was a spark. With a fire-type beneath her, this would be little trouble. She slid off her Ninetales and opened the lantern's beacon, lifted it to her partner's mouth, and asked for an Ember attack. She flinched as the fire-type nearly knocked the lantern out of her hands with the attack. What mattered now is she had a working light source.
She covered the rest of her lantern with the hood such that the beam would only shine straight ahead. If she had to, she could make it to town after sunset. Come to think of it, that would be ideal if immediate care was open late enough for her to be seen by a physician this evening. No more than a few steps, her light illuminated a pair of Chesto Berries that had fallen far from the branches of the trees they had come from. Score! She scooped them up before hopping back aboard Caprice. She could not afford to waste more time.
The Pokémon's fan of tails unfurled as she broke into an eastward run. If it were morning, she could probably tell how far away the town was...but not so. Her ears were still throbbing, but the pain had become more mild. Every so often, she could have sworn she faintly heard something. It was probably a hallucination from being deprived of a vital sense for so long. There was a glimmer of hope that she would be able to recover on her own, but it would be much better to see a medical professional. And she could not wait.
Post by Shalin Nariya on Dec 24, 2019 21:23:55 GMT
Shalin's lantern was the only thing that allowed her to see now that the sun was below the tree line. She widened its beacon to be able to see better in front of her. With Kiku down for the count, Caprice was her only reliable form of night vision. Levy was far too big to even think about releasing in the woods, and Serena was in storage - big mistake!
Caprice shifted her head, then suddenly stopped. Her head continued to move as if following something. Shalin squinted, barely able to make out the silhouette of what appeared to be a Farfetch'd. Strange that such a bird would be out so late - they were not nocturnal. Perhaps it was out looking for a late snack before bed? It was definitely on the prowl, and its presence forced her to cover her lantern completely. While light was necessary for her to see in the dark woods, light also attracted predators. This Farfetch'd was clearly a predator.
She had greatly overestimated the amount of light coming into the forest - without her lantern lit, it was so dark she could barely see Caprice's nose. She leaned back to turn the other direction, and could not see the tips of her mount's tails. Her heart raced, now effectively robbed of her two most vital senses. Caprice stepped as quietly as possible, trying to evade the bird's keen senses and get Shalin to safety.
zD6Q6rzpp_ {Stealth: 16}
Each step seemed like an eternity, Shalin flinching as twigs and small branches fell on top of her from time to time. Her skin was tingling. It wouldn't be so bad if she could at least hear the Farfetch'd. But she could neither hear nor see it. The only advance warning she would get of an attack would be if Caprice could deflect it away. If their cover was blown, though, she would be turning the lights back on. This one travel experience gave her a new respect for the deaf and disabled.
When Caprice accelerated into a brisk trot, she knew the danger was over. After another half-mile, she switched her lantern back on, and could faintly make out some lights on the other side of the thicket. Ash City was just around the corner, and the end of this travel nightmare, she hoped.
{WC: 384} {PC: 8}
Last Edit: Dec 24, 2019 21:24:07 GMT by Shalin Nariya
Post by Shalin Nariya on Dec 25, 2019 21:15:41 GMT
The lights got brighter the farther Caprice journeyed eastward. By this hour, the sun had completely set, the only light coming from her lantern. Not even the moon was visible - it was an overcast night, and even if the moon wasn't behind the clouds, there was no way its meager light would reach the forest floor. She was almost there, though - the towers of downtown Ash City became brighter by the minute.
As the west gates of the city came into view, a purple silhouette lit up directly along the east tree line marking the end of the forest. A pair of menacing, red eyes stared the girl down, a burst of flames roaring from just below eye level. Shalin ducked behind her Pokémon, who absorbed most of the attack. Only the girl's shoe tips were singed. She shined the beacon of her lantern toward the source of the flames, and it was another Ninetales!
The wild was obviously not going to let her pass, and direct confrontation would be risky. Though Caprice could absorb any fire attack sent her way, the real risk was her rider being pulled off her mount and being roasted. Not wanting to see any of that, she immediately tossed a Quick Ball toward the fire-type, even though she had no need of a second Ninetales. She just wanted it gone. Now.
{WC: 228} {PC: 9} {Shalin: 41/85}
Last Edit: Dec 25, 2019 21:15:50 GMT by Shalin Nariya
Shalin's quick thinking had saved her life, the Quick Ball coming to a rest. Caprice slowed enough for Shalin to safely lean over her side and scoop up the Ball containing her new catch. Now what would she do with the Ninetales? She really did not need a second one - capture just happened to be the easiest way to deal with the snarling, ferocious wild quickly. Depending on how long the line was at Ash City's immediate care facility, she might have a while to think on it.
After using her Pokédex to return her new catch to her online account, she shoved her hands hard into Caprice, the fire-type wasting no time entering a speedy gallop out of the woods. Once she had reached the city's outskirts, she was able to cover her lantern thanks to street lights keeping her new surroundings bright. Forced to greatly reduce her speed to comply with traffic laws, Caprice slowed to a trot, the rider shifting her eyes at every intersection. Around a dozen blocks to the east of the city limits, she was able to locate a medical facility that was still open. She crossed her fingers, hoping it wouldn't be too busy...and that her hearing problem was fairly simple to fix.
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