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 Elliot Sunderland on Mar 17, 2020 23:41:25 GMT
With Professor Holly's advice in mind, Elliot didn't wait very long to get started on his journey. After all, the Pokemon in this egg was pretty much going to hatch as a full-fledged member of its species, right? And it was already super close to hatching, right? For all Elliot knew, this little guy was already getting a sense of the world around it. Sitting around town was nice and all, but it also would've been so samey for the poor thing. Wouldn't a change of pace be the perfect thing to make sure this Pokemon's life started out on the right foot?
Judging by how Elliot's little bundle of joy squirmed in his arms, he was pretty sure he'd picked the right answer!
"See this, little guy?" he asked, a soft smile on his face as he held the egg aloft. As he did so a breeze drifted past from the nearby beach, tickling his hair behind his ear. He took in the tangy, salty smell with a deep breath, stopping his approach so he could just drink the environment in. Currently he stood on a vantage point atop one of the route's many hills. From the beaches to the west, to the rivers to the east, to the forested and rocky regions dotted around the middle, it felt almost like Elliot had stepped into another world entirely. "This is where it all begins." Before, he was so focused on getting away from his home that he didn't even have a chance to see where he was escaping to. But now? For the first time, Elliot realized the sheer enormity of the choices lying before him. There were so many options at his fingertips, and he hadn't even left route 1!
In that precious second, Elliot was 10 years old again.
Practically vibrating with excitement, he brought the egg back to his chest. He snuggled it closely against him, his hoodie warmly yet wrapped around it, and then slowly began to ease his way down the hill. "Steady, steady now," he hummed, voice quiet. "I'm not gonna let us fall, don't worry. See? Look, we're already halfway down." Unfortunately, that wasn't exactly what Elliot had wanted. He'd hoped that the climb would help narrow down his route for the journey, but now he was even more indecisive! But, hey. Maybe that's what the journey was all about. If it was already all figured out, where was the fun of it?
Besides, Elliot at least had one idea to go off of. As capable as his freshly-hatched Pokemon would be, it was still a fresh hatchling. Compared to your average starter it would be a little bit weaker, a little bit slower, and a little bit less of a natural fighter. Besides, the poor thing was a newborn! What kind of monster would make its first moments the middle of a battlefield? No, no, for the time being safety was the key. If Elliot could just keep to the pedestrian parts of the route, and avoided any overly-territorial Pokemon, then everything would be fine.
Right?
Current Party: Egg - Lv 0 Egg - 4/5 Posts until Hatching
Post by Elliot Sunderland on Mar 18, 2020 0:34:16 GMT
And so, like a cop on a well-maintained speed trap, Glen lied in wait. The hill always caught the tourists and the sight-seers off guard, and by the time they pulled their heads out of the clouds to focus on a battle his Oddish had already gotten a Growth off. By that point, it was usually curtains for them. The fact that he had the lowland advantage also meant if a particularly strong looking guy came around, he could avert his eyes and pretend he wasn't looking for any trouble. Not a bad racket for a kid, huh? And with some oblivious-looking guy inching down the hill like it was an active volcano, he knew he'd found the pick of the evening. He ducked down behind his bush, before springing out, finger outstretched. "Hey! You!" he called out, his other hand smooshed on his pocket to muffle the jingling of coins. "Our eyes met, you know what that means!"
Elliot looked down at the sassy, lost child that had accosted him out of nowhere. He blinked a few times, as if uncomprehending, before laughing warmly. "Oh, sorry, I don't actually have a Pokemon with me," Elliot said. "I'm just traveling right now, and-"
Now it was Glen's turn to blink. Back and forth, they blinked in mutual confusion, before Glen practically doubled over laughing. "You don't have a Pokemon? Seriously?" he asked, before swallowing down his laughter just enough to focus. "Well, clearly someone's gotta teach you a thing or two before you hurt yourself. You know. Again." Ouch. The cruelty of a snot-nosed kid could be laser precise sometimes. He stepped away from the bush, rolling a Pokeball behind him into the bush. As he did so he tossed another to the ground. A Farfetch'd emerged, swinging his leek in overelaborate circles before sheathing it like a samurai. "Donald and I are gonna show you how to catch a Pokemon!"
Even the ever-patient Elliot found his brow furrowing with annoyance. "I know how to catch a Pokemon, I just-"
Glen's hands flung to his face in mock surprise as he looked at the bush. "Look! The grass is moving! A wild Pokemon's about to come out!" he said. Nothing happened. "I said, a wild Pokemon's about to come out!" Still nothing happened. Glen huffed, storming over to the bush and leaning into it. "I said! A wild Pokemon's about to come out!" he called, before a crown of leaves shot out from the bush. An Oddish the size of a 5-year old came walking out of the bush, yawning passively.
"This one's so strong looking. I bet whoever trained it's really cool and handsome," Glen said, smirking. "Anyway! Time to show you how to catch it! First, you use a move. Donald, Hyper Beam!"
The Farfetch'd pulled its hands back and sunk into a deep stance, brow knit in concentration and wings pulled back in a familiar pose. "Far . . .fetch . . . far . . . fetch . . . FAR!" it called, thrusting its wings forward as Glen made helpful wooshing noises with his mouth. The Oddish, naturally, was completely unphased by this invisible Hyper Beam. So Donald walked up to it and bonked it on the noggin with his leek. This time the Oddish got the message. Either that, or it had just fallen back asleep. But that's just semantics: what mattered was that it was KO'd! Glenn fished its Pokeball out of the bush and tossed it right back at the plant, catching it in three perfectly symmetrical wobbles.
"Alright! Now that's how you do it!" Glen cheered, snapping his fingers. He closed his eyes, a smug grin on his face as he turned back towards Elliot. "Now, since you've got no Pokemon, that's a surrender and I get half of your money. Oh, maybe a little extra, too, for the catching lesson. My talents don't come cheap, y'kno-"
Glen opened his eyes, and promptly realized that he was talking to nobody. "Nuts," he muttered, Donald snickering behind him. "I knew we should've gone with the quick lesson."
As for Elliot? Well, with that delightful little show playing out behind him, he was just glad to be back on the path. Maybe he'd steer clear of where the trainers were camped out, though. Would he be able to straddle the line between trainer turf and wild Pokemon territory without any further incident?
Party Changes Egg is at 5/5! Let loose the eggs of war!
Post by Elliot Sunderland on Mar 18, 2020 2:15:10 GMT
"See that? If someone gives you trouble, don't trouble them back," Elliot said, giving the egg another gentle pat. "No need to start a fight when you don't need to, you know? Not that, y'know. We could've." The egg hopped in Elliot's arms, as if in affirmative, bringing a bright smile to the boy's face. "See! Now you get it!" he said, only to raise an eyebrow in confusion as the egg continued to bounce.
It was then that Elliot remembered that his egg was an egg.
He quickly unwrapped his hoodie, setting the egg back down on the ground. In seconds he had joined it, lying down with his head in his hands as he watched it shake, bounce, and hop in place. Would it stop? Or would it already be time? The Professor warned him it'd hatch fast, but he didn't think it'd be this quick! It was almost a disappointment when the egg came to a stop. Elliot stood up, sighing as he prepared to pick the egg back up. Then, right before he could touch it, a small crack appeared on its surface. It spread a little further every few seconds, until something finally broke through; a small, nubby looking red horn. As soon as this window to the outside world was made, the horn retracted. Clearly, the Pokemon inside wasn't ready to come out yet.
Elliot got back on one knee to look at the egg, trying to resist all urge to squeal as he saw who was inside; a baby Ralts, peering back up at him through its thick green bangs. His heart skipped a beat, and in this moment Elliot knew that this was the most precious, adorable thing that he had ever laid his eyes on. Already his mind and pulsed raced alike as he thought about the journey they would embark on together, the joys and hardships they would share, the people they would meet, and even-
Before he could even finish that thought he noticed the Ralts shrinking back, clutching her head. Immediately he quieted his brain down, tapping his walking stick a few times with his fingers to ground himself. Right. Ralts fed off of emotions, and he'd just mind-babbled at least fifty of them at the poor little thing. He closed his eyes, breathed in deeply, and breathed out softly. At least for now, he needed to keep nice and calm. A small smile spread across his face as his eyes eased back open. "Hey, you," he said, his voice as quiet as his thoughts. "Welcome to the world."
The Ralts looked up at him, peeking her head out for but a second. As soon as it emerged it retreated right back into the egg, shaking its head no a few times. "Hey, hey, that's okay. You've got a whole lifetime to check it out, you know?" he said, voice gentle. "It's okay if you take a little longer. Come on out when you're good and ready."
Elliot waited. The Ralts waited. For a while, they just sat there looking at each other. It was only when Elliot heard a small thud behind him that he snapped out of this patient trance. He turned around and noticed a Pecha Berry behind him, a small slit already cut along its side. Elliot may not have always been brilliant, but even he could put two and two together here. He finished splitting open the berry, fished out the pit, then gently set it in front of the egg. "This one's for you," he said, wafting the smell slightly closer to the hatchling. It sniffed, toddled curiously towards the berry, and picked it up to sniff it more closely. Once it was thoroughly examined, she took a cautious bite.
From her previous demeanor, Elliot sure didn't expect the Ralts to break into a feeding frenzy! And yet that's exactly what she did, stuffing her face with the Pecha Berry and letting out small, contended chirps. In fact, it was so distracted by the delicious berry that it ended up tumbling right into Elliot's leg. It yelped in surprised, but as it looked up at him and his warm smile it slowly started to ease. Now that his positivity had calmed down some, it was actually kind of soothing.
A few more Pecha Berries rained down from the sky, but before Ralts and Elliot could pick them up the snap of a branch made both of them jump up in surprise. Before Elliot even knew what was going on he felt a hard bump to the forehead, knocking him down to the ground. His vision swam, leaving him clutching his head as he tried to right himself. The falling object took the fall a lot more gracefully, bouncing off of his noggin and landing right on his stomach. It was a squat, orange looking hamster; as Elliot learned with a dizzy flick through his Pokedex app, a Dedenne.
The Dedenne hopped off of him and walked up towards Ralts, who took a few cautious steps back towards her egg. However, the offering of another Pecha Berry quickly made her reconsider. Before the Dedenne could even cut this one the Ralts snatched it away, trying her hardest to bite through the skin of the berry. She wasn't exactly doing a great job, much to Elliot and the Dedenne's shared amusement.
The first thing that Elliot noticed about the Dedenne were the flecks of grey in its fur. Compared to the vibrant orange one in the Pokedex, this one almost looked faded out by comparison. Its ears and whiskers seemed a little bit droopier, its tail seemed a little bit less flexible, and its cries were somewhat hoarser. Was this a more elderly member of its species? Whatever the case may have been, it was clearly doing a good job at getting Ralts out of her shell. Who knew a calm smile and an excess of food could accomplish so much?
They sat there, bonding in quiet like this, for a while. By this point Elliot had joined in as well, de-pitting the Pecha Berries and offering comforting smiles of his own but otherwise doing his best to avoid breaking the calm that had settled over the trio. For someone who always had so much running on his mind, he needed this nothing almost as much as Ralts did. He smiled gratefully at the Dedenne, finally breaking the silence with just two words. "Thank you."
When the time would come to leave this route, he knew the matronly mouse's lesson would stick with him. And yet he found himself wondering if this chance meeting really had to end so suddenly. "You know, me and Ralts here have a real big journey ahead of us," he said, his voice and his smile equally soft. "I don't know where we're gonna be going, or what we're gonna do along the way. But . . . you really helped show me that sometimes, the best thing to do is to sit down and stop worrying about all that stuff. I think I'd really like having a friend around to help us keep that in mind."
He took a single Premier Ball out from his pocket, holding it to the Dedenne in offering. "No pressure, but would you like to come along with us?"
Party Changes Ralts (to be named) - Lv 1 Ralts - 5/5 Energy
Post by Elliot Sunderland on Mar 20, 2020 0:59:49 GMT
The Dedenne didn't turn tail and run, but she didn't accept the offer of the Premier Ball either. Instead, she simply took a step back, looking up at Elliot firmly yet gently. He had his suspicions from earlier, but a closer look at her made it all the more clear how much that Dedenne had been through. Her eyes were the slightest bit cloudier than most, and the wrinkles around them were faintly noticeable. It was clear that she was waiting for Elliot to explain himself a little bit better than that.
He chuckled a little, a warm smile on his face. "It's okay. I know it's a quick offer, and a lot to think about," he admitted, looking down at the Pecha Berries that the Dedenne had brought down. "Say, where'd you find these, again?"
He followed the Dedenne's gaze upwards, noticing a large bush studded with berries. For the foot tall hamster, it was quite the climb. For Elliot, who was at least five times her height, it was child's play. He braced himself against his walking stick and leaned upwards, nabbing the berry with relative ease. He put a little pressure on the berry to snap it in half, fished out the pit, and then offered half to each of the two Pokemon. Ralts had taken it all too quickly, whereas Dedenne ran up to it, sniffed it a few times, and then gave it a cautious bite. Soon the two Pokemon were both sitting down and eating away. "See? We can help each other out like this," he said, his smile widening some. "If we're both handling the parts that're harder for each other, we can do way more good for Pokemon out there than we can alone, right?"
The Dedenne nodded in hesitant agreement, but didn't seem too convinced yet. "I'll be the first to admit I'm not sure what I'm doing with my journey," he said. "My dad was pretty ordinary with his. Train strong Pokemon, challenge gyms, make a name for himself. I don't think that's really for me, but at the same time I still don't know what is, you know? But I think if I'm able to make people smile, I'll be happy in the end. And I'm pretty sure you're the same. I mean, you didn't need to feed me and my Pokemon, or help me get her out of her shell. But you did, because you're kind. And I think that kindness is the most important part of a journey like this."
He found himself thinking about these first steps he had taken. He considered how the understanding and love he had been shown by those in his life had made him so eager to begin his adventure. He also considered how that same understanding being pulled back was what spurred him into starting on his own terms instead. Where would he be now if he didn't need to make that push all on his own? "I'm not just asking you to come to help me," he explained. "But if I want to help others, I'm going to need Pokemon I can depend on by my side. The same sort of kind, understanding Pokemon that'll help make other people want to start their own journeys, too. Please, help me in that goal."
For the first time since starting this uncertain journey, resolve sparked in his eyes.
Party Changes Ralts (to be named) - Lv 1 Ralts - 5/5 Energy
Post by Elliot Sunderland on Mar 20, 2020 1:59:13 GMT
This time, the Dedenne leaned into the ball, smiling as she booped its capture button with her snout. The ball wiggled once . . . twice . . . and it was a catch! Elliot smiled softly as he held the ball up, then pressed the button to let the Dedenne back out. She looked around, confused, but smiled as she saw Elliot looking bakc down at her. "I'm not just gonna keep you locked up in there forever," he said, voice warm. "But if you ever get tired and need a ride, just let me know and I'll bring you right back there, okay?" The Dedenne nodded, smiling softly, before hopping onto Elliot's arm and scaling up it. Soon she had found herself a nice, comfortable perch on his shoulder. She squinted as she peered towards the horizon, blocking the sun out of her eyes with a single paw.
Elliot smiled at this sight, only to feel a pull at his pant leg. He looked down and put a hand over his mouth, audibly trying to stifle a squeal from the adorable sight before him. Ralts had taken his hoodie, bundling herself up in it for some extra warmth. The hood fit her head perfectly thanks to the bump created by her horn, but the rest trailed behind her to a hilarious degree. "You are just too adorable," Elliot finally managed to say, grinning from ear to ear. "You can keep it, if you want. I'll even do some sewing so it fits better once we're done traveling, if you want." Judging by the small smile that spread across the Ralts' face, she liked the sound of that.
The two turned to walk at nearly the same time. Elliot found himself snickering a little as he realized this. "If you're gonna keep copying me, I'm gonna have to call you Echo," he joked, the Ralts letting out a matching laugh at the sound. "And that means I should probably name you too, huh . .. " he added, trailing off as he looked at the Dedenne.
"Ampma?" The Dedenne tilted its head in confusion. Echo looked up at Elliot, stroking her chin, before shaking her head no. "Right, right, you can feel emotions. You can probably help keep me on track with this. How's Zappy?" At this one Dedenne puffed up in indignation, Ralts shaking her head and motioning with both hands rapidly. "Okay, no, that's awful. Sparkster? Ham Ham? Joule? Tes-"
Each name got a stern no from Echo, but at the mention of Joule she suddenly perked up. She clapped her hands excitedly, cutting off Elliot before he could even get to that last one. Elliot turned to the Dedenne, as if to confirm, and she answered with a single sage nod. "Then welcome to the team, Joule," Elliot said. "See any good paths through the route from up there? Hoping we can make it to town before the sun starts setting."
Joule nodded, pointing towards a more northwestern path. With a smile, Elliot nodded, following after the sage advice only an old hamster could deliver.
Party Changes Ralts (to be named) - Lv 1 Ralts - 5/5 Energy Joule - Lv 4 Dedenne - 5/5 Energy
Post by Elliot Sunderland on Mar 20, 2020 2:57:15 GMT
Joule's directions lead Elliot down to one of the many stream pathways that dotted the landscape. From the initial survey, it seemed like a good idea. The flat, low land was free from trees and high grass that would hide any antagonistic Pokemon, and bar a few easily-bypassed fishermen it seemed quite clear of trainers as well. Getting around by traveling upstream would be nice and easy, right?
Perhaps Elliot should've paid more attention to why other trainers and Pokemon weren't around. As he approached the river, he heard a sudden yelp of alarm from Echo. He turned to look at the Ralts, only to notice that she was pointing a stubby arm at the source of the water. Immediately she ran to hide behind Elliot, pulling at his pant leg to try and spur him into moving.
It was a good thing she provided so much warning. As soon as Elliot took a step to the side, a beam of bright green light shot out from the stream. If he had been a second slower, it would've hit him right in the chest.
He turned back to the stream, eyes wide with alarm, just in time to see three blue spheres raise from the water. These were more Hoenn natives, so he already knew what he was dealing with; Surskit. They were usually rare and gentle creatures, but the knit brows and menacing glimmer in their eyes made it all too clear that these weren't the bugs he was accustomed to.
Joule leaped from Elliot's shoulder, cheeks sparking in a threat display. Most water types would have backed down upon seeing this, but these Surskit were a lot more confident. The largest of the trio rose from the waves, strolling out of the water confidently. The sparks began to short from Joule's cheeks, but it was clear that there really wasn't much more electrical power that the Dedenne could bring to bear. Was she even capable of using electric moves yet?
Regardless, she kept a brave face as she stood guard, hunching down to ready her guard as she stared the Surskit dead in the eyes. It chuckled, then Lunged forward with all of its might. The Dedenne tried to leap out of the way, but as it leaped it flared both of its forelimbs out in a double backhand. The strike sent it sprawling away, bouncing a few times as it hit the ground. It got up, clutching an arm but still glaring defiantly at the Surskit. She was still standing . . . but after a hit like that, would she be able to bring her full attack power to bear?
Elliot didn't even wait to test this. Instead he ran right for Joule, the Ralts hurrying after him as he went to scoop the poor hamster up. "Joule, please, we don't need to fight this!" he pleased. "I'll get away, keep you guys safe. No matter what it takes. I promise." Before waiting for an answer he clutched Joule close to his chest, using himself to shelter her from any further injury. He then ran as quickly as he could, his walking stick frantically tapping away at the earth.
The Surskit folded its forelimbs, looking back and nodding towards its two cronies. The first of them let out an excited laugh as it scuttled towards Elliot. While easily able to catch up to the boy, it found it far more amusing to launch Bubbles at the boy from afar. With his bad leg he wasn't able to change directions very quickly, and each sudden dodge he needed to make to avoid getting hit left moving clumsier and more desperately. After the first one, his heart was pounding in his chest. After the second, he was forcing his good leg to take two steps for each limp he could force out of his bad one. By the third he had squeezed his eyes shut so he could focus on running and running alone.
As for the second? It lazily strolled after him, more content to let the naughtier of the duo do all the hard work. From the looks of things, he'd be handling this interloper just fine on his own. If only he'd stop playing with his food!
Party Changes Echo - Lv 1 Ralts - 5/5 Energy Joule - Lv 4 Dedenne - 5/5 Energy
Josh had been so distracted with his recent contract work that he had completely lost track of time! The season opener was next weekend, and the only Pokémon he had that could compete was Twilight. It was also far away - all the way up the coast. While getting to the city in a week wouldn't be an issue, there would be no more side trips for him for a while. With his Gym Challenge during the week and the racing season during the weekend, he was about to become a very busy man.
Just outside the north gate overlooking the coastal flats, Josh made sure Twilight's riding gear was properly fastened and secured. He released the easily-excitable trio of Blitz, Saber, and Aslan, the three sounding affectionate barks and roars in excitement. Aslan in particular was pumped. "All of you ready for the racing season to start?" The three mirrored their excited noise from before; Twilight simply closed her eyes and nodded. "Only a week until the season starts! Let's goooooo!" He pointed northward, the young Pokémon leading the charge down the hill. Twilight lagged behind the three to allow Josh to keep an eye on them.
The biting apparent wind from Twilight's run was still cold; despite it being the eve of the vernal equinox, it felt anything but Spring-like. It didn't take long for his face to start growing numb. "Twilight, stop." The stoic dark-type did as instructed, killing his speed with a long and powerful slide. Rummaging through his pack, Josh located his yellow-and-purple racing helmet, decorated with a lightning motif. He donned it and flipped the transparent visor down before taking off again.
A few miles down the road, Josh caught a glimpse of a panicked trainer as well as what appeared to be some wild Pokémon chasing him. "Someone's in trouble! Floor it, Twilight!" Rolling her eyes, the Absol dramatically accelerated, Josh scowling as he leaned into the wind like he would barreling down a straightaway.
It was far worse than he had anticipated - a trio of Surskit, one of them incredibly large, had the young man surrounded. Quickly catching up to his Pokémon, he recalled Aslan and Blitz, tossing his number four Poké Ball toward the center of where the Surskit were attacking. A Skiddo emerged, his eyes shifting to see himself surrounded. "Saber, Nitro, help him!" The two rammed the Surskit immediately attacking the helpless man, Saber charging a sphere of electricity around himself to add shock to smash.
Not too happy with the intrusion, the giant Surskit turned toward the grass-type, raising all but two of its legs. From them emerged different colors of light that focused into a single, white, laserlike beam. It started eating away at the Skiddo's bushy, leafy fur, the force of the beam pinning Nitro against a tree. Josh's Pokémon was out cold from a single attack. He thought about getting the Rangers involved, but there would be no time. He had to do this himself. "Stay back!" he called out to the terrified-looking young man.
Post by Elliot Sunderland on Mar 20, 2020 4:48:36 GMT
The Surskit continued to loom closer, snickering as it started to match, then exceed, Elliot's pace. No matter how hard he tried to run, he could practically feel it nipping at his heels. Yet just when danger seemed inevitable, another trainer had emerged to turn the tides. A Skiddo and Electrike burst from out of the blue, smashing into the Surskit with reckless abandon. If the Tackle didn't already ring its bell, the Spark certainly did, and the spider was sent tumbling back towards the treeline.
Unfortunately, this one-two punch was met with a cross counter. Just as the triumphant duo landed, another Signal Beam rocketed towards the Skidoo of the group. A cheap shot from an oversized Pokemon, and with type advantage to boot? It was no wonder that the Skiddo went down, crashing gracelessly into the treeline. Elliot immediately stopped, turning to look at the sight. He reached out, as if to do something, anything, but the other trainer instead told him to keep running. Maybe that was a good idea. Along with the freakishly strong Surskit, there was another one looming at his peripheral vision.
However, while Elliot was ready to flee, Joule wasn't. She writhed and wriggled until she squirmed out of Elliot's arms, making a beeline towards to injured Skidoo. She passed the crumpled Surskit that the Electrike had downed as she went. Barely forcing an eye open, it tried to fire a stream of Bubbles from its nozzle as she approached. However, she was quick to hop to the side, tackling the Surskit square in the forehead for trying. Her tackle was far weaker than the Skidoo's, and the pain from the earlier attack she took left her landing somewhat awkwardly, but with the Surskit on its last legs that was just enough to finish it off. Its eyes swirled as it hit the ground, too dazed to fight any longer.
Her interloper taken care of, Joule continued to run towards the treeline. She scampered up to the Skidoo, fussing over its fur and checking it for any further injury. At least she wasn't trying to keep on fighting.
The calmest of the three Surskit, seeing that Elliot was left distracted and vulnerable, figured now was the time to finish what her kin had started. She crept up from behind, foam gathering at the tip of her nozzle as she prepared to fire her own bubbles. However, as she did so, Echo turned to face her. She held her hands up, making a pitiful noise in a plea to repel the watery spider.
It looked at the tiny Ralts, then at the beating its brother had just taken from no less than three Pokemon in the span of thirty seconds. Then it shook its head and quietly crept away. This just wasn't worth it.
Needless to say, that just left the head honcho of the unit. It was unharmed, unhindered, and all too unhappy with how its subordinates performed. It chittered in disappointment, then backed up to return to the waves. Was the fight already over?
Far from it! Rather than sink into the river it began skimming across it, taking advantage of the current to move at twice the speed it had before. If Elliot still planned on running, there'd be no feasible way that he could escape now. Fortunately, the Surskit didn't seem to be paying him any mind yet. Instead it focused its efforts on the Electrike, raising its hindlimbs to prepare another bring white Signal Beam. After a brief charge it would rain the blast down on the electric hound, taking advantage of its speed to drift in strange, difficult-to-predict patterns. Maybe if it could confuse its foe, it could avoid retaliation.
"You just saved my life. I can't just leave you hanging," Elliot said, turning to the man. His voice was breathless, fear shone in his eyes, and his chest was pounding from his attempt at running. Yet at the same time, he could barely bring himself to move. "Especially when your Pokemon's hurt. Is there anything we can do to help? Even just distract it?"
Party Changes Echo - Lv 1 Ralts - 5/5 Energy Joule - Lv 4 Dedenne - 5/5 Energy
Everything was moving so fast, and in a way even Josh had trouble following. His idea of speed was measured quantitatively along a race track, not qualitatively as in the speed events were happening. Multiple fronts of the same battle were being fought at the same time, the trainer only able to keep up with one. Nitro's battle faded into the back of his mind, focused on dispatching the big, angry Pokémon.
The bright, pulsing beam rained directly in Saber's face, the electric-type letting out a screech-like bark that sounded unnatural for its kind. It drove the electric-type to great anger, expanding his electric sphere outward. While resulting in a stronger Spark attack, the exertion required to maintain such a field was dangerous for such a young Pokémon. Sparks flying from his legs, the Electrike rammed the wild with speed so great one could blink and miss it. The two Pokémon fell on top of each other, Saber not quite unconscious but gasping for air.
Josh recalled both his battered and beaten Pokémon, extending a hand to the young man...at least as far as he could from his mounted position. "It's over. Are you hurt?" he asked, making sure the terrified boy was at least physically okay. Twilight tilted her head toward Elliot as well, mostly expressionless but still worried--now, for both of them.
Josh peered into Saber's Poké Ball - there did not appear to be many surface injuries from the Signal Beam. Josh would still need to have him looked at, but the injuries appeared to be moderate at worst. Mostly it was overexertion, which was something only rest could cure. "He'll be fine. What I want to know is why Pokémon swarm like this in Arciel? It's hazardous, if not outright deadly, to new trainers. I'm Josh, and this here is Twilight." The Absol didn't even respond to her name being called. "We're a Pokémon racing team, and the season starts next weekend."
Post by Elliot Sunderland on Mar 21, 2020 5:52:47 GMT
The other trainer hadn't answered Elliot's question, but frankly, Elliot couldn't hold it against him. After all, he was laser-focused on winning this battle. With little more than a glance, he and his Electrike worked as a unit, not even needing words between them to mount an attack on the Surskit leader. A single Spark, fueled by the waters that the Electrike had tackled it into, was all that it took. The Electrike popped up from the water, while the buoyant Surskit bobbed away down the stream. The retreating Surskit sighed and scampered after it, making a detour to grab its fallen companion and drag it behind her. Did she have to do everything around here?
Echo was a lot more interested in what was next to the Surskit. What looked like a dark green orb was bobbing in the water. She toddled over to the stream's edge, watching it curiously, before jumping right in. Instead of breaking the surface, she actually started skimming right over the surface! If one noticed closely, the technique she used was almost identical to that of the Surskit's, standing on the tips of her toes to glide without breaking surface tension. Perhaps Elliot's name was more apt than he had expected.
She scuttled over to pick the object up: it looked to be a Pokeball, but a strange dark green color rather than the standard red and white. It was covered in scuffs and scratches all along its surface, with occasional spots of water damage visible on the outer shell. Even the hinge in the back seemed a little bit loose. To many this would be trash, but for Echo? This was the first thing she ever found! She held it up above her head, letting out a triumphant chirp before running back to her trainer. He didn't notice at first, but after she gently bumped his leg with it he snapped out of his reverie.
As his focus returned, Elliot released a breath that he didn't even know he was holding. He must have stumbled a little during his retreat, because the Pokemon rider had come over to offer him a hand. "Huh? No, no, I'm okay, but . . . oh, goodness, Joule!" As he took the other trainer's hand and righted himself, he looked towards the treeline. Joule was last seen running there to check on their helper's Skiddo; was she okay?
Fortunately, Elliot didn't need to go looking very far. As soon as he peered over Joule came scampering from the treeline, running a little bit unevenly thanks to the earlier hit she had taken from the lead Surskit. She let out a weary sigh, then flopped right against Elliot's leg. It wasn't long before Echo had joined her, flopping against the other side of his leg while still clutching her prize. She even swung some of her stolen hoodie over in Joule's direction, the Dedenne sighing comfortably as she wrapped herself up in it. "Joule's a bit banged up, and we're all really worn out. But I think we're all okay here," he said, his voice and his smile equally soft. He did his best not to move a muscle, lest he disturb the rest of the two Pokemon that were currently using his leg for lumbar support.
He hummed curiously at the other trainer's question. "Well, I mean, they all seemed pretty close to each other. Maybe they're a family or something?" As he speculated, he looked down at the ball in Echo's hands: it was indeed a Pokeball, and a really banged up one, too! "Or . . . maybe he had a good reason to not want to deal with trainers." As he said this, a slight frown spread across his face. He continued looking at the Pokeball, almost as if looking through it. Was he hoping to find out one answer or another?
Right. That silence hung for way too long. Clearly, Elliot had gotten stuck up in his head again. He coughed a little to shake the thought, turning to Joshua and putting a smile back on his face. "It's really nice to meet you guys. And not just because you saved my life and all that. I'm Elliot, and these little guys are Echo and Joule. They're a bit sleepy right now, so don't mind if they're not too chatty.
You said Pokemon racing, right? What's that like? I don't think I've really seen any before." Elliot's home of Hoenn, with all of its oceans, ash, and extra tall grass, really wasn't the ideal place for Pokemon racing. While he still seemed a little bit distracted by the mystery of the Surskit, it was clear he was trying to push that out of his mind to focus on the other trainer.
Perhaps a little demonstration would help him forget?
Party Changes Echo - Lv 1 -> Lv 3 Ralts - 4/5 Energy Echo learns Double Team!
It seemed like Saber would be alright. Josh shifted his focus toward Nitro, examining him the best he could from within the Poké Ball. The Skiddo's wounds were not pleasant to look at - not at all. Given how far they were from town, serious complications could arise by the to he had crossed into Cedar - and that was only his halfway point.
Josh dismounted his Absol, starting to rummage through his medical supplies. "Of course it's all the way at the bottom, he mumbled, locating a vial of Revive and a bottle of Potion. "Always the last thing you pull out." Setting the Poké Ball down, he gently released the unconscious Skiddo, administering the vial of strong medicine. The grass-type's eyes rolled around a few times before he aroused to consciousness. He was a teetering from side to side at first, as though he had rolled out of bed the wrong way.
Now that the Skiddo was awake, a simple application of Potion would fix the rest. The young but large Pokémon flinched when the medicine popped out, but it seemed to do the trick. "Nitro here is my backup in case Twilight has to fight instead of carry me. Though I should probably start using him more often - it's getting warmer."
Josh and Twilight turned around to face Elliot, the Absol supporting his off arm. "I've noticed the wild Pokémon of Arciel are more easily provoked than the ones back home in Johto." When the younger trainer mentioned his Pokémon were tired, he thought twice about introducing the rest of his team. "Better not introduce you to Aslan quite yet, then. He's my Litleo, and he's a loud and rambunctious one. When he grows up, he'll make a wonderful partner. He just doesn't like taking 'no' for an answer."
Nitro slowly walked toward Elliot, smiling as he sniffed the brown-haired teen out. "It's been around a while, but the mainstream sports media haven't covered it until recently." He let out a sigh, Twilight's soft forehead blade shifting in the light breeze. "Think of it like a Pokémon battle, but of speed instead of strength, and you as a trainer are more directly involved in the competition than with a Gym battle. It's gotten especially popular in Kanto and Johto."
Josh didn't too often pull up media on his phone - high data plans were expensive! He pulled up a short clip of coverage from one of last year's big races in Hoenn. The track was designed around natural features of the main waterfall cavern in the Meteor Falls complex, a cave system known for its dragon Pokémon.
"I've never been able to do runs at this track before, but I want to once Saber evolves," Josh remarked as a Zebstrika, Meganium, and Houndoom led a pack of eighteen Pokémon and riders down the track's most prominent feature: a high jump onto a down-sloping landing zone. Pokémon who nailed the landing came out of it at crazy speeds - far faster than could normally be maintained. "It's not everywhere that you can ride a Pokémon using Quick Attack, but here it's a necessary technique for a trainer to master. Riders take a much more active role in a race than a Trainer would in a battle - they have to be able to know each others' limits." He paused for a bit, mounting back up and getting ready to continue his journey north. "Sometimes I wonder whether I'm training her, or she's training me..." He shook his head. "If you need a lift, just ask - I'm sure Twilight or Nitro would be willing."
Post by Elliot Sunderland on Mar 21, 2020 18:22:18 GMT
Joule nodded in approval as she watched Josh heal up his injured Skiddo. Unfortunately, when she had scampered over to check earlier, there really was nothing she could've done. While she was a caring soul, ultimately there were other Pokemon with far better healing abilities, and even then would need to be many levels above her current strength to do anything. To see such a quick response to such a bad looking burn did a lot to ease her earlier concern. Now she could truly nap in peace!
Elliot simply laughed warmly as Josh explained a bit more about his team. "Yeah, Echo's just hatched, so she's still getting used to the whole senses thing herself. For now, quieter might be better for her," Elliot explained. "I think she's already starting to find her favorites, though. Don't think I've seen a newborn eat that many Pecha Berries before!
Once she's had a bit more chance to rest, I'd love to meet Aslan and the rest." The smile on Elliot's face was soft and gentle, and as Nitro approached he extended a hand to gently pet the Skiddo if it so wished. Everything was nice and peaceful.
Yet in the best possible way, that wouldn't last.
When Elliot thought about Pokemon racing, he imagined Pokemon racing around on a ring-shaped track. Speed and skill on display, yes, but orderly and safe. Yet from how Josh was describing it, Pokemon racing was much more intense than that. Not covered on television? A battle of speed and trainer skill? Just what kind of underground activity was he talking about here? The video footage made it all too clear, and Elliot'd be lying if he didn't perk up as soon as he saw this was in Hoenn. Joule by now had pretty much fallen asleep against Elliot's leg, but Echo found herself looking up in curiosity as she felt Elliot's excitement.
Soon, she had scrambled up on Elliot's shoulder, the two of them watching enraptured as these fast and furious Pokemon came charging down a high, sloping jump. Elliot's eyes were wide and practically seemed to sparkle with awe, and Echo was leaning so far over to Elliot's shoulder that she had to hold on to avoid falling off. Neither of them even seemed to know Pokemon could move like that! Elliot looked over to Josh, voice still hushed as he asked "You do that kind of thing?" Slowly the grin on his face spread from ear to ear. "That's so awesome!"
Needless to say, as soon as Josh mentioned a ride, Elliot and Echo both nodded in excitement. "Yes!" he chirped, before quickly lowering his smile to avoid seeming too eager. "If, y'know, that's okay of course."
Pokémon medicine truly was miracle medicine - Nitro was patched up in very little time. It was a shame that human medicine wasn't like that...yet. The grass-type, excited to meet someone new, consented to being pet, letting out an affectionate cry. That felt good! The Skiddo's soft, bushy foliage had to feel good for Elliot, too.
Josh hummed for a couple of seconds as he watched his new friend bond with the Skiddo. "Young Pokémon are like that - I lost track of the number of times Saber tripped when learning how to control his speed." He laughed upon hearing of the Ralts' appetite. "I've heard Ralts develop much of the same personality as their trainers have. They're almost like a brother or a sister when they grow up."
Josh couldn't help but smile when Elliot's grin stretched across his face. "This is why I'm excited to journey in Arciel. I've already seen some really large Pokémon while here - back in Johto, people pay breeders hundreds of thousands, if not millions of Pen for, say, a Ninetales big enough to carry a person." He paused to collect his thoughts, Twilight tilting her head. "Yet they're...not exactly common here, but they're not exorbitant to find. They're also prime targets for thieves, unfortunately. I just hope Arciel's Pokémon don't get over-hunted."
The racer's smile grew when Elliot seemed excited to accept the offer. "Once you get a Pokémon like this for yourself, you'll feel so free. There truly is nothing like feeling the wind against your face, watching the road fly past." He was a bit worried that perhaps Elliot was a bit overeager, but Skiddo were some of the easiest Pokémon to learn riding with. "The most important part is to keep your balance. A lot of Pokémon use the difference in pressure between your legs to know when to turn, like Twilight here. They'll turn in the direction you lean. Skiddo and Gogoat are different in that they have steering horns. Just put pressure on them with your hands, like you would the handle bars of a bike, and he'll turn. He's fast, but gentle." With that, Twilight faced north. "Try to keep up!" The Absol started trotting north along the foothills, the terrain flattening into a coastal plain and opening up more the farther north they headed.
Post by Elliot Sunderland on Mar 22, 2020 4:13:40 GMT
Elliot smiled softly, continuing to pet and stroke the Skiddo's hair. It almost felt like petting a shrub, but with a softness to it that your average shrubbery couldn't really compete on. "That so? Huh, maybe I was onto something with the name," Elliot said, looking back up his shoulder towards the Ralts. She looked back at him, and the two shrugged in near unison. "She's already getting really good at the whole mimic thing. Once we have more time to get in sync, I'm almost scared to see how easily she'll be able to do that. Heck, she might know what I'm doing before I even do!" Echo simply tilted her head in response, but was that the faintest trace of a smile on her face?
That said, not every Pokemon had such a good relationship with their trainer. As Josh mentioned the thread of poaching, Elliot looked down at the ball that Echo held between her hands. She clutched the ball closer to her, as if reluctant to let anyone else get a hand on her treasure. "Can I see it, please?" Elliot asked, the look on his face soft. "I'll give it back. I promise. I just want to think about something." With the soft smile on his face, the understanding look in his eyes, and the calm, almost concerned presence about him, Echo really didn't have reason to doubt how genuine that was. She handed it over, and Elliot turned it over to get a closer look at it.
It seemed to be a Dusk Ball. It wasn't a usual Hoenn ball, but it was hard not to recognize such a useful implement for a trainer. It was also, unfortunately, the kind of ball that'd be very useful for poachers. If you were doing your dirty work in the dead of night, a ball whose effectiveness drastically increased in the dark just made sense. And an oversized Surskit with some powerful moves behind it made an appealing target. Was it any wonder that the Surskit was hostile, when this was the kind of welcome wagon humanity set out for it?
He felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. It didn't take a lot of guesswork to figure out who it was. "Thanks, Echo," he said, turning to the source to give her the ball back. She took it once more, clutching it close as she settled herself onto his shoulder.
Elliot nodded as he listened to Josh's advice, looking down at the slumbering Joule. By now she was pretty much fully asleep, so Elliot fished her Premier Ball back out of his pocket. He pressed the button, returning her and giving the ball a pat on its top. "Rest up, Joule. I'll let you know when we're back at town, okay?" he said, putting the ball back in his pocket. His Pokemon were accounted for. His journey had been put back in the right direction. And now he had a Skiddo before him, ready and eager to give him his first riding lesson. It was showtime!
Elliot climbed onto the Skiddo's back, slinging his injured leg over first to avoid falling over in the process. He didn't have the heart to admit to Josh that, due to this injury, he didn't have the chance to learn how to ride bicycles in the first place! But turn handlebar-horns to turn Pokemon seemed like a fairly intuitive idea. How bad could this be?
It turned out, his habitual gentleness might not have helped him here. With how gingerly Elliot usually conducted himself, and the Skiddo being a living creature, his attempt at spurring Skiddo onwards did little more than get it gently trotting forward. Despite this, the wind blowing through his hair and the sudden feeling of motion left Elliot beaming from excitement. "There we go!" he called, his relatively slow speed making no difference on Elliot's excitement. In fact, it was still a little bit too exciting for Ralts! She clung onto Elliot for dear life, wrapping her slender arms around his neck and billowing as if she was cloth in the wind.
To any onlookers, they must've looked ridiculous. But Elliot was too excited, and Ralts was too bashful, to really take issue with any of this.
Their slow speed perhaps caused one issue for them, though. Every once in a while, Elliot noticed a purple clam shell on the banks of the nearby coastline. The first few times, he didn't really pay it much mind. The whole area was so beautiful. What was one little piece of scenery to keep track of? Yet somewhere around the third or fourth repetition, he found himself getting a little curious. Finally, the fifth time, he could've sworn that he saw a pair of eyes poking out from the shell. As he narrowed his eyes to focus on it, he noticed the shell pretty much slam itself shut. He called out to Josh, who had hopefully taken mercy on the poor kid when he found out how slow of a Pokemon rider he was. "I think something's following us! I'm gonna go check it out real quick," he said, turning the Skiddo's handlebars gently to steer towards the shell.
The shell was trying really, really hard to just look like a shell. Elliot was starting to doubt the veracity of his earlier statement. However, the living emotional savant perched on his shoulder was a little bit less fooled. She hopped off of his shoulder, walking up to the shell and patting it gently on the head.
Pat.
The shell didn't react in any way. But that didn't stop the Ralts from giving it another pat. And another. And another. And another. And another. At some point, her cautious probes had turned into consecutive pats to the head, giggling as the repetition started to take a turn for the amusing.
Less amusing was when a tongue prodded itself out from between the lips of the clam shell, hanging high in the air before flopping right down on the Ralts' forehead.
Pat.
Elliot shuddered a little, imagining how that felt, but the Ralts just giggled and retorted with another pat. The clam shell responded with another pat of its own. And so the two continued, back and forth. Pat. Pat. Pat. Pat. Pat.
Either this was the world's slowest Pokemon battle, or the two were basically communicating entirely through head pats. What the heck was even going on here?
Party Changes Echo - Lv 3 Ralts - 4/5 Energy
Joule - Lv 6 Dedenne - 4/5 Energy
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