[Rui Sasaki]

Poplar Town was rife with superstitions, thanks in no small part to whatever spirits or Ghost-type Pokemon might have been causing supernatural oddities for as long as Rui could remember, and those superstitions even extended to the area around the town itself. Some considered Route 13 to be unlucky for a number of reasons, ranging from the more sensible dangers of fallen trees and thick swampland to the ridiculous notion that 13 was an unlucky number. There was no denying the eerie atmosphere that permeated the path, but Rui had learned long ago not to fear such things. Fear leads to panic, and panic makes one an easy victim—especially to any lurking spirits.

But for once, Rui wasn't in the forest to deal with spirits (though she kept her gohei tied to her hip for good measure). Instead, her trip through this route had two purposes: First was to train. If she was serious about traveling to learn more about the spiritual realm and all that it entailed, she and her Pokémon had to be strong enough to defend themselves. And, as much as she loved Clarence like the ghost child she was sure he was, it wouldn't hurt to have more Pokémon. Second, she had a destination in mind, albeit a far-off one: Ivy Town, a hub of research and knowledge. Her family already had a respectable collection of occult knowledge, but the possibilities of what she could learn in a gathering place of researchers and scholars were too exciting to pass up. She didn't intend to skim over the other towns, cities, and sights along the way, though. After all, wasn't the purpose of a Pokémon journey to see as much as you could? (Well, some might have argued it was about collecting badges or winning contests, but neither of those really applied to Rui.)

Clarence was out of his Poké Ball for this trek; after all, it just felt wrong not to include him in this momentous occasion. As was usual when the two walked together, Rui held the Phantump's ghostly little hand.

"Are you ready, Clarence?" Rui asked, smiling down at him.

Clarence nodded, the smallest of smiles on his face. Rui squeezed his hand and looked ahead.

"Then let's go."

---

Current Party:
Clarence - Lv 5 Phantump - 5 Energy

[Jae]

A wild Slakoth has appeared!

What will you do?

	Slakoth Lv6
		5 Energy
	Small	Relaxed
	Truant
MOVES
Scratch, Yawn, Encore
NOTES
N/A

[Rui Sasaki]

A rustling in the leaves above made Rui stop and look up. A Slakoth lay on a thick branch above, slowly chewing on a leaf. It stared down at her, pausing in its eating for only a second. Rui couldn't help but smile. So much for the "haunted forest," she thought—regular Pokémon lived here, too, minding their own business and not bothering anyone as long as they weren't bothered.

She glanced over at Clarence; unsurprisingly, he was just looking back at the Slakoth, his expression neutral. Rui briefly wondered how he would react if there was a real threat right in front of him, but ultimately, she trusted him to at least defend himself. She looked back to the Slakoth to see it finishing its meal before covering its mouth with one clawed paw and yawning. Rui found herself yawning along and heard Clarence do the same next to her. She shook her head. This wasn't the time to take a nap.

"Come on, Clarence," she said, tugging on the Phantump's hand. "Let's keep going."

[Jenesis]

A wild Escavalier has appeared!

What will you do?

	Escavalier Lv1
		5 Energy
	Average	Gentle
	Swarm
MOVES
Fell Stinger, Peck, Endure, Take Down
NOTES
N/A

[Rui Sasaki]

Of all the sounds Rui had expected to hear on this path, the clanging of metal was not one of them. Even Clarence looked more alert as they stopped again, looking around for the source of the sound. A nearby bush rustled a few yards away, and out popped an Escavalier, one of its lances pulled back as if prepared to strike. Clarence pulled free of Rui's grip and floated in front of her, eyes narrowed slightly at the wild Pokémon. Neither of the Pokémon moved, leaving only the breeze and the sounds of the forest to be heard.

Finally, Rui heard a rare yet familiar sound, one akin to a child's distant cry echoing in the wind: Clarence was speaking to the Escavalier, who chittered back in what to Rui sounded like a surprisingly calm tone. After a bit of back-and-forth that Rui wished she could understand, the Escavalier relaxed her stance but cast a wary glance at Rui.

A couple more seconds of silence passed before Rui realized she should probably say something: "Um, we mean you no harm. We just want to pass through."

The Escavalier looked back at Clarence and chittered again. Before Clarence could respond this time, though, higher-pitched chittering was heard in the brush, and a couple of Karrablast stuck their heads out. The Escavalier quickly moved in front of them, taking up a defensive stance and narrowing her eyes.

"Oh!" Rui exclaimed. "You're just protecting your babies." She held her hands up and took a step back, making sure to face the Escavalier and her curious children. "We're leaving, see? We won't hurt you. Come on, Clarence."

Clarence floated back to Rui's side and reached for her hand, but Rui waited until they were a good distance away before holding Clarence's hand again. Finally, the Escavalier turned around and nudged her children back into their hiding place, and Rui turned so she could continue down the path.

[whimsae]

Rui Sasaki

A wild Pichu has appeared!

What will you do?

	Pichu Lv2
		5 Energy
	Large	Bold
	Static
MOVES
Thundershock, Charm
NOTES
N/A

[Rui Sasaki]

Clarence tugged on Rui's hand, causing her to look down at him. "What's wrong?" she asked. Clarence was staring at something, so Rui followed his gaze to see a small berry bush. "Oh! Well, that's a lovely surprise." She began to approach it, only to be startled back by an arc of electricity across the bush that fried one of the berries and knocked it clean off the branch. A small yet mighty squeak sounded out, and a Pichu emerged from the undergrowth to stand above its meal. He didn't seem too happy about these would-be thieves.

"Oh, our apologies," Rui said, stepping back. "We'll just be on our—"

But this Pichu wouldn't hear any of it. With a cry, he lowered himself onto all fours, cheeks crackling with electricity. Clarence floated in front of his Trainer just as the Pichu fired off a Thundershock, causing the Phantump to take the hit.

"Clarence!" Rui called. No, this wasn't the time to panic, she quickly reminded herself. It looked like they had no choice but to fight. "Clarence, use Confuse Ray!"

Clarence opened his eyes wide, and they shot out an array of colorful lights that twirled toward the Pichu and danced around his head. The Pichu watched them go round and round, his eyes beginning to spin. He shook his head back and forth, but the spots still floated around him, blurring his vision. Still, electricity gathered at his cheeks again, and Clarence braced himself to take another attack... only for the electricity to short out, causing the Pichu to shock himself. He let out a surprised shout and stumbled where he stood.

"Quickly, use Branch Poke!" Rui was grateful she had memorized Clarence's moves before setting out; fumbling at a time like this wouldn't have been good.

Clarence's version of Branch Poke was lowering his head and rushing at his opponent to smack them with one of the branches on the side of his head. He hovered away while the Pichu pulled himself back to his feet, clearly weakened but still seeming determined to fight.

Maybe that determination piqued Rui's interest. Maybe it was just a spur of the moment thing. Either way, she found herself grabbing one of her empty Poké Balls and tossing it at the Pichu.

---

Rui uses a regular Poké Ball!

[Jae]

Go, PokeBall!

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

K3H1twNHp_



The Wild Pokemon broke free!

p_
Pichu didn't flee, though! In fact he seems downright ecstatic to keep going! 

p_
...But the Pokeball broke!
One Pokeball has been removed from your inventory.

··

[Rui Sasaki]

The Pichu burst out of the Poké Ball, which broke in half, and reappeared on all fours, fur bristled. Rui murmured a quiet "Oh, dear" as the Pichu outright smirked and shot another Thunderbolt at Clarence. The fact that it wasn't very effective was definitely a point in Clarence's favor, but still, the longer this went on, the more tired he would be, and they still had so much of the route to cover...

"Clarence, use Astonish," Rui said, reaching for another Poké Ball. She'd give it one more shot.

Clarence covered his face with both hands. After a few moments, the Pichu began to spark up again, seeming ready for another attack, but then Clarence suddenly moved his hands aside and let out a shriek that sounded almost too human. The Pichu squeaked in alarm and rolled back, and Rui took that as her chance to throw the Poké Ball.

---

Rui uses a regular Poké Ball!

[Jenesis]

Go, PokeBall!

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

zECTL2qTp_


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

[Rui Sasaki]

A beam spread across Rui's face as the Poké Ball clicked shut, indicating a successful catch. Without prompting, Clarence floated over to the Ball, picked it up, and floated back over to hand it over to Rui, who took it with a "Thank you." She turned the Poké Ball over in her hand. Her first caught Pokémon. Sure, she didn't consider herself a "real" Trainer, but catching a Pokémon for the first time was still an exciting milestone.

"He needs a name..." Rui mused, mostly to herself; even if Clarence had any ideas, it wasn't like he could voice them. Rui searched her memory of all the stories her father and grandmother had told her and all the folklore books she'd read over the years. Finally, her face brightened as she recalled the name of a storm deity from her ancestors' folklore.

"Welcome to the team, Raijin."

[Jenesis]

A wild Metapod has appeared!

What will you do?

	Metapod Lv7
		5 Energy
	Large	Timid
	Shed Skin
MOVES
Tackle, String Shot, Harden
NOTES
N/A

A wild Impidimp has appeared!

What will you do?

	Impidimp Lv1
		5 Energy
	Average	Impish
	Prankster
MOVES
Fake Out, Confide
NOTES
N/A

[Rui Sasaki]

When Rui heard high-pitched laughter, her first instinct was to reach for her gohei and prepare to deal with a mischievous spirit, but she realized a moment later that she didn't actually feel any spiritual activity in the area. Clarence tugged on her hand to get her attention and pointed up into the trees, where an Impidimp was poking a Metapod right between the eyes with a stick. The Metapod cowered, closing his eyes and trembling in his shell, while the Impidimp just kept poking him and snickering.

Before Rui could decide whether to interfere or not, the Impidimp stopped and suddenly turned toward her. A wicked grin spread across the imp Pokémon's face before she abandoned her current target and scampered down the tree. Clarence's grip on Rui's hand tightened; Impidimp was part Dark-type, so Phantump wasn't the best choice for dealing with her. Instead, Rui tossed her newest teammate's Poké Ball. "Raijin, go!" she remembered to call out just before the Pichu popped out. He still seemed pretty worn from his fight with Clarence, but when he saw the Impidimp coming toward him, he got on all fours with a (frankly adorable) growl, electricity crackling from his cheeks.

"Raijin, use Thun—"

Before Rui could finish her command, though, the Impidimp lunged forward and clapped her hands together right in front of Raijin's face, causing Raijin to stumble back with a sharp cry. The Impidimp downright cackled at that, especially when Raijin glared at her.

"It's okay, Raijin," Rui said. "Try again."

Raijin jumped back to his feet with another growl. The Impidimp tried to charge forward again, but Raijin was prepared this time; he hopped out of the way of the failed Fake Out and fired off a Thunder Shock. The Impidimp's cocky face immediately broke out into panic.

"Use, um..." What other moves did Pichu know? Rui would just have to stick with the one she knew until she found out: "Use Thunder Shock again!"

Fortunately, Raijin seemed more than happy to do just that. With Fake Out off the table, the Impidimp only had one option left: She lowered her voice and Confided something to Raijin, shocking him into losing his concentration, even if just a bit.

"One more Thunder Shock!" Rui called.

The Impidimp's Confide wasn't enough to save her from fainting. Raijin let out a triumphant (and still adorable) cry, hopping up and down.

"Great job, Raijin," Rui said with a smile. Clarence warbled in agreement. "Here..." She pulled a Potion from her bag, knelt down, and sprayed it on Raijin. The Pichu squeaked his excited thanks, static collecting around his cheeks. Rui stepped back to avoid getting shocked.

"Get some rest, okay?" Fortunately, Raijin was still smiling when he was recalled back to his Poké Ball. She looked up into the trees to check on the Metapod, but he had vanished sometime during the battle, probably to hide somewhere where he couldn't be bothered. Well, at least that ordeal was over. Making a mental note to buy some rubber gloves or something later, Rui continued down the path.

---

Rui uses a Potion on Raijin.

Party Status:
Clarence - Lv 5 Phantump - 4 Energy
Raijin - Lv 2 Pichu - 5 Energy

[Jenesis]

Raijin gained +1 level. 1 Potion removed.

A wild Seedot has appeared!

What will you do?

	Seedot Lv7
		5 Energy
	Average	Impish
	Early Bird
MOVES
Tackle, Harden, Absorb, Astonish
NOTES
N/A

[Rui Sasaki]

The lack of a spiritual presence meant that Rui wasn't prepared for something as startling as a 1'8" acorn falling right in front of her face. She jumped back with a gasp, instinctively grabbing for her gohei (again—she was quickly discovering how much of a reflex it was, even without any spirits around); even Clarence jumped a bit in her grasp, though no sound escaped him. The acorn—a Seedot, actually—stood and looked up at Rui. He didn't have a mouth, just like any other member of his species, but the sound he made and the way he narrowed his eyes made it seem like he was snickering at her reaction.

Rui sighed, relieved that it wasn't anything serious. Far too used to Ghost-types and the mischief they tended to cause, Rui simply said, "Come on, Clarence," and kept walking.

The Seedot stared after them for a moment, eyes wide. What kind of reaction was that?! Determined to get at least something satisfying out of this human and her Phantump, he rushed after them and then charged at Clarence. Clarence turned around just in time for the Seedot to let out a startling cry. Clarence pulled free of Rui's hand and flinched back as he was hit by the Astonish. Rui whirled around and stepped back to put some distance between herself and the dueling Pokémon.

"Very well," she said, resigning herself to this outcome. "A battle it is, then. Clarence, use Tackle."

The Seedot's eyes widened at Rui's calm order; he was so caught off-guard by her tone that he took the full force of Clarence's Tackle without even trying to dodge. Weren't Trainers supposed to be more intense than that? What was wrong with this girl? With a growl, he crouched down on his stubby little legs and focused. After a moment, his body shone as if sunlight had reflected off of it, raising his physical defense. That would show her.

This was going to be rough, Rui realized. Clarence relied on physical attacks, and although Raijin had a special move in Thunder Shock, it wouldn't be very effective against this opponent. She'd have to end this quickly before the Seedot's defense got too high to deal with.

"Clarence, use Astonish."

Clarence floated over to the hunkered-down Seedot and covered his eyes with his hands. Then, with a shout, he uncovered his eyes and rushed forward. Even with his buffed-up defense, the Seedot still tumbled backward, dazed by the attack. Rui couldn't help but clench her fist in a small display of celebration. She'd been hoping the attack would cause the Seedot to flinch.

"All right, one more should do it," she said. "Clarence, Tackle."

The Seedot pulled himself to his feet with a growl... only to be knocked right back over by Clarence's attack. This really wasn't his day, he thought as he fainted.

With his enemy down, Clarence floated back to Rui, a small smile on his face. Rui returned the smile and reached down to pat him on the top of the head. "Good job, Clarence," she said. "Do you want to rest in your Poké Ball?"

Without hesitation, Clarence shook his head and fell right back into place next to Rui, holding his hand out expectantly. Still smiling, Rui took it. "All right," she said. "Let's go."

---

Party Status:
Clarence - Lv 6 Phantump - 3 Energy (+1 Level, -1 Energy from battle)
Raijin - Lv 3 Pichu - 5 Energy (+1 Level from previous battle)

[whimsae]

Rui Sasaki

A wild Burmy has appeared!

What will you do?

	Burmy Lv3
		5 Energy
	Tiny!	Sassy
	Shed Skin
MOVES
Protect
NOTES
N/A

[Rui Sasaki]

Rui stopped at the telltale rustling of leaves above. Instead of a living acorn, though, something very different greeted her a moment later: A Burmy lowered herself from the trees on a string of spun silk, chitter-squeaking in challenge. And it was so tiny. Rui couldn't help but widen her eyes a bit in wonder. This little gal couldn't have been more than four inches tall. And yet here she was, challenging the much-larger Rui to a fight.

"Are you sure?" Rui asked.

That just got the Burmy riled up even more; she practically shrieked as she wiggled her six legs under her cloak, glaring at Rui indignantly.

"All right, all right." She held her free hand up in assent, a slight smile playing on her face, and took a step back before using that same hand to grab and toss Raijin's Poké Ball. The Pichu was already clearly excited when he popped out, and when he saw that he had an opponent, he got down on all fours with a high-pitched growl. The Burmy growled back in an equally high-pitched manner.

"Raijin, use Thunder Shock," Rui commanded.

Raijin squeaked his understanding before sending a jolt of electricity at the Burmy. The Burmy closed her eyes tightly, focusing, and before the attack aimed at her could hit, she was surrounded by a blue energy barrier, which the electricity dissipated on. Raijin squeaked in alarm.

"Oh," Rui muttered. Then, louder, because now was as good a time as any, she asked, "Raijin, what other attacks do you know?"

Raijin looked at her with a slight tilt of his head and then turned back to face his opponent. He stood up on two legs, clasped his paws together in front of him, and wiggled his shoulders, all while putting on the cutest expression he could muster and letting out a "Piiiiii~" Again, though, the Burmy closed her eyes and conjured a barrier around her... though Rui noticed that this one seemed shakier than the last.

"Try that again, Raijin," Rui said.

Raijin doubled his efforts at looking cute; little pink heart shapes even manifested in the air around him this time. The Burmy squeezed her eyes shut, and Rui winced as another barrier began to manifest... but it fizzled out. The Burmy chitter-squeaked in alarm, eyes widened as she was disarmed by her opponent's Charm.

"Okay, good!" Rui smiled. "Quickly, use Thunder Shock."

Like a switch had been flipped in him, Raijin got right back on all fours, put on his battle-ready expression, and shot another jolt of electricity at the Burmy. This time, the Burmy couldn't get anything to happen at all when she closed her eyes in an attempt to Protect herself.

Is that the only move it knows? Rui thought. No, surely it wasn't. Surely, she wouldn't have challenged them with no actual attacks... right?

"Raijin, another Thunder Shock, please."

Again, the Burmy closed her eyes, and again, nothing happened. She glared after being hit by the second Thunder Shock, growling and wriggling her legs. Raijin growled back and, without even being prompted, shot out another Thunder Shock to finish the poor thing off.

Rui stared at the fainted little bug, confused. Why had she challenged them? Had she really thought her Protect would be enough to win? She felt a bit sorry for the poor little thing. Raijin clearly didn't, though; he looked up at Rui with his paws on his hips, grinning. Rui sighed a bit and offered the Pichu a slight smile.

"Well, good job, Raijin," she said before recalling him back to his Poké Ball.

---

Party Status:
Clarence - Lv 6 Phantump - 3 Energy
Raijin - Lv 4 Pichu - 4 Energy (+1 Level, -1 Energy from battle)
Raijin learned Play Nice!

[whimsae]

Rui Sasaki

A wild Foongus has appeared!

What will you do?

	Foongus Lv8
		5 Energy
	Average	Lax
	Effect Spore
MOVES
Defense Curl, Absorb, Growth, Astonish
NOTES
N/A

[Rui Sasaki]

Rui saw something red out of the corner of her eye and paused to look toward it. A familiar red-and-white pattern peeked out from the dark underbrush; had someone dropped a Poké Ball there? She stepped toward it, eyes narrowed a bit in suspicion.

Clarence was the first to notice that something was off and tugged on Rui's hand with a quiet warble. Rui looked at her companion and then back at the Poké Ball pattern. Once her eyes had adjusted properly to the darkness in which it was shrouded, she realized it was too fleshy-looking to be an actual Poké Ball. She'd lived near this route long enough to know what she was looking at: a Foongus, lying in wait for someone to fall for its disguise so it could pounce.

Or maybe it was just napping. Rui didn't really want to get any closer and check.

"Good call, Clarence," she whispered. Clarence gave her a small smile before the two backed away and continued along.

---

Party Status:
Clarence - Lv 7* Phantump - 3 Energy
Raijin - Lv 4 Pichu - 4 Energy
*Forgot to add a level after catching Pichu

[whimsae]

A wild Woobat has appeared!

What will you do?

	Woobat Lv4
		5 Energy
	Small	Sassy
	Unaware
MOVES
Confusion, Odor Sleuth
NOTES
N/A