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.
The Clauncher, meanwhile, was bewildered - staring at his claw, and continuing to try to use Water Gun in a frustrated fashion. Each time he tried to jut his claw out to use it, though, there was something - almost like a mental block, at the back of his mind - that just.. wouldn't... let... him... fire...! The crustacean would begin to grow frantic, as though he was in a worse situation than both Andrew and Inari expected him to be; smacking his larger claw against the ground, as though it would fix it. But, no matter how hard he tried...
There was no using Water Gun; at least not while the move was disabled.
Andrew and Inari both would grow similarly puzzled, as the Clauncher didn't use any attacks - instead continuing to try and use Water Gun, in futility. Was... Was there something wrong? Andrew had thought that the Clauncher would know another attack - so why was it continuing to only try and use Water Gun...?
A glance down at his pokedex once more would quickly answer his question, however. For all the Clauncher's bravado, it was very likely that it was around Inari's level. And if that was the case, well... The only attack that it could use, was Water Gun! The other moves that the Clauncher likely other knew were Water Sport, and Splash of all things...! "Ohhh..." Andrew would murmur to himself - prompting a quizzical look from Inari.
"... I think we locked the poor guy out of his only proper attack." Andrew explained; wincing a bit guiltily and sympathetically. Whoops; he kind of felt bad for the Clauncher, now - though he didn't exactly want to wait out the Water Gun and risk Inari getting hurt too badly, either...
...
After some consideration - paired with the background noise of the Clauncher's frantic clacking - he'd decide to simply make this fight quick. Drawing it out any longer seemed like it'd just be needlessly cruel..! "Alright... Inari, show us your Heat Wave...!"
"Aouu!" Inari would bark in affirmative at Andrew's command; her tails lighting on fire, one by one. Once every tail was aflame, it was like Inari's tail was a fan of fire - a fan that she would swing in the Clauncher's direction, with a flashy frontflip...!
A wave of bright flames and scorching winds would be let loose from the swing of her tails - washing over the poor Clauncher, who could only attempt to Splash away to little avail. Once again bracing himself, the Clauncher would be sent tumbling backwards from the sheer force of the attack; Heat Wave being significantly stronger than Ember, overall. As the flames and winds faded away, the crustacean would be visibly hurting; scorch marks dotting his carapace in a visible burn, as he tried to wearily lift his claw at Inari once more.
Still though, there was no Water Gun to be spoken of here.
Andrew would, for a moment, be quiet - wondering whether to defeat the Clauncher here and now, or whether to, alternatively, catch it. Though the idea only occurred to him now, he realized that it was indeed an option; glancing down at the empty pokeballs on his belt, and feeling out the Net Ball that was still in his pocket. Ah, that's right, he still had the net ball that they had found before... Perhaps it was fate, that he had found a water-type pokemon that would be perfect for this ball..?
Grinning a bit lopsidedly and giddily at the thought - having a Clauncher for his second party member did sound cool - he'd decide to pull out the Net Ball... "... Well, let's give this a shot..!"
... and throw it at the Clauncher...!
Throwing a Net Ball at this Clauncher; it's burned from Inari's heat wave!
Post by Elliot Sunderland on Apr 16, 2020 3:54:18 GMT
Lord Beerus blinked slowly, as if trying to figure out what the Gothita was doing here. Then as he realized that it was just clowning around, an angry vein throbbed in his forehead. It hits him with a cheap shot, and then had the audacity to start dancing like an oaf afterwards? How dare it! Lord Beerus snarled in a fury as he looked the Gothita in the eyes, stealing the essence of its last move. He blurred forward in a series of back-and-forth movements, disorienting the upstart before drawing back a paw for a Feint Attack of his own-
"Wait!" Elliot called, Lord Beerus audibly groaning as his focused was splintered. He turned to Elliot, disbelief in his eyes. "I don't think it wants to fight you, Lord Beerus. I think it wants to have a dance-off." The Gothita nodded, holding a hand high and snapping his fingers in response to Elliot's statement. Lord Beerus rolled his eyes, only for the fur on the back of his neck to bristle as he heard churning earth behind him. He looked over his shoulder, only to see that The Dudes had interposed themselves between the two fighters.
They looked between Lord Beerus and the Gothita. And then they started to beatbox.
Elliot laughed warmly as he watched the trio work their magic. "I think they're trying to help you, Lord Beerus!" Elliot chirped, before putting his hands over his mouth and joining in on the beatboxing. It wasn't a very complex beat that Elliot was throwing down. For the time being it was pretty generic, a bum-buhbuh-PSH that he repeated over and over again. Yet it was good enough for The Dudes to work with, their multiple voices helping them layer on a harmony as they merrily bumped up and down. Before long Elliot was truly getting into it, closing his eyes in delight as he carried the beat forward. He was even starting to groove in place as well! He looked down at Murex, taking one hand away from his mouth to point towards her. "Come on, help us add some percussion!" he requested, Murex nodding in interest. She began opening and slamming her shell shut, a clattering similar to the Clauncher's castanet-like beats now underlying the more rhythmic backbeat that Elliot and The Dudes were making.
Lord Beerus just watched, horror dawning in his eyes as he turned to Vivi. Surely she'd understand, right? Yet even his own daughter was signing up for this ridiculousness, happily hopping in a circle to the tune of the beat. She stopped her hopping when she saw Lord Beerus' eyes on her, instead turning towards him and flashing a bright smile. He set a paw on his nose, groaning and sinking down to the ground, only to hear a tiny foot tapping next to his ear. It was Joule, who had her arms folded and a good natured smile on her face. She shook her head as she looked at the despaired Espeon, then leaned down and kissed him on the nose. That got Lord Beerus blushing a bright red, and he was a little quicker than expected to spring to his feet.
The Espeon may have groaned in fatigue and frustration, but he turned to the Gothita nonetheless. If it was time to play ball, he'd play ball.
He hopped back and forth with a series of shuffle like movements, feet bouncing in nearly every direction. At times, they moved so fast they didn't even seem to hit the floor. It was almost as if Lord Beerus was dancing on air. After a few seconds of this shuffle he splayed down, chest nearing the floor, before swaying slightly as he rose back up to his feet. His contribution to the dance battle made, he pointed his tails forward and snapped them against each other, making a flicking motion to the Gothita.
Gothita wasn't about to take that lying down, though! The same moves that gave him his agile Feint Attack also made him quite the surprising dancer! Now he started pumping his hands back and forth, walking in place all the while. It was a classic Running Man, followed by leaning down and bringing his head up and around in a circle. After making this circle he continued to make a few more stepping motions, now strutting towards Lord Beerus instead of running in place. He swayed his hips as he strutted forward, stopping mere inches away from the Espeon and snapping right in his face.
Lord Beerus simply tossed his head, laughing at the attempt at intimidation. Was he actually starting to get into this? Sensing the excitement coming from the Espeon, Elliot started beatboxing a little bit faster. He also started experimenting a bit with the composition, mixing a little bridge between every few beatboxes. It wasn't much, but it at least added some much-needed variety to the beatbox now that it picked up in speed. The Dudes followed his lead, intensifying the pace of their own beatboxing, and even Murex began slamming her shell down faster to serve as a more accurate timekeeper.
Their enthusiasm fueled Lord Beerus' own, and he leaped to get some distance away from the Gothita. Instead of landing on his feet, as cats tend to do, he instead landed flat on his back. Elliot expected to cringe from the impact, but Lord Beerus had done more than just stick the landing. In fact, he hit a perfect curve, swishing his tail to spin himself forward in a breakdancing move. From his back he seamlessly transitioned to his head, the Gothita clearly getting dizzy as he tried to follow Lord Beerus' movements. Even Elliot was having a hard time keeping up. The faster Lord Beerus spun, the faster he beatboxed. The faster he beatboxed, the faster Lord Beerus spun. It was getting to the point where Elliot could barely get in a breath between beats, his "backing vocals" starting to get a little bit ragged and breathless as a result.
Lord Beerus only stopped when he stretched out a single paw, balancing on it and rising a little off of the ground. He blew a raspberry Gothita's way, then hopped back onto his feet.
The Gothita staggered back a step, stunned. How was he supposed to expect that old fuddy duddy to have such moves? A hand flew to his chest as he tried to think of something, anything, he could do to compete. Then he remembered what he was here to do. He turned around, calling out to Echo one last time and stretching an arm towards her. She looked him up and down, tapping her foot and stroking her chin as she mulled over the idea. The Dudes, Murex, and Joule all leaned forward in interest, trying to see just what the Ralts was thinking, as Elliot slowed the beatboxing back down to a more relaxed tempo. His beats became few and far between; part because this was the break in the "song", and part because dangit, he needed a chance to breathe too!
The "battlefield" fell still as Echo pondered her response.
As the Net Ball sailed through the air, Andrew was unable to help holding his breath in anticipation; his heart beating hard both from the excitement of his first battle, as well as in excitement over the potential of his first catch. Inari, similarly, was as still as a statue - the only movements being her tail swishing antsily, and her eyes following the arc of the Net Ball. Was it going to work? Was he gonna be able to catch the clauncher, or was the crustacean going to escape?
The odds were in his favor hopefully, given the state that the Clauncher was in - on top of the ball used - but he had no way of knowing, until the lobster either got caught or fled...!
First, the ball made contact with the Clauncher - who was too weary to even try dodging it. He would be pulled into the ball as a red light, before the Net Ball closed, landing on the dirt road below. Inari, slowly but surely, would finally move - creeping up to the ball and attempting to sniff it. However, she would be startled - jolting back - as the ball shook once..!
Upon the second shake, Andrew clenched his hands in a giddy but tense anticipation; taking a couple of steps closer as he watched the ball. Inari, seeming to catch on, would allow her tails to wag; letting out a giddy yip of her own..!
And after a few breathless seconds that felt like an eternity...
... The ball would shake one last time, before clicking. The Clauncher had been caught.
The realization would make Andrew's heart skip a beat, as he near-ran his way up to the Net Ball, where it sat on the dirt road. At his side, Inari would be following after, as excited as ever, if the barking implied anything...! "Aouu! Aouuf!" This was Andrew's first catch - and it went as smooth as could be...!
As the young trainer bent down to pick up the net ball, he would notice as the sun's light no longer seemed quite so harsh - Drought's influence on the light fading, now that the fight was over. He'd still leave his hood up though; better safe than sorry, now that the sun had risen proper. No, he was instead more focused on the Clauncher he had caught - staring down at the pokeball in his hand. "Heh... We... We did good, didn't we?" Andrew would glance down to Inari, smiling lopsidedly.
Inari, still quite happy, would respond with a yip. They indeed did good; and on top of that, she had a teammate now..!
Though, Andrew did wonder; just what name was he going to give the Clauncher..? He was indeed a fighty little fella; and he was good with his Water Gun, when it hadn't been completely disabled...
For a brief moment, Andrew had considered letting the Clauncher out, so that they could talk about a nickname for him; but Andrew was quick to squash that thought. Likely, the Clauncher was still burned and hurting - it was better to wait until they were at a pokecenter, so that he could heal his new friend up first. Once they were sure that the crustacean wasn't hurting, then Andrew would let him out for a bit.
In the meantime, Andrew figured that he'd see how Elliot's battle was going - surely, a fight with the pokemon that Elliot had would be far more exciting and hectic, yeah? Turning to glance in the direction of Elliot and co, though...
... He'd be greeted by a very different sight from what he had expected.
Indeed, he was bearing witness to a fight; a battle between Beerus and the wild Gothita. However, what he didn't expect, was for this battle to be a dance battle, of all things..! Inari, similarly, appeared a bit bewildered at the sight; tilting her head with a confused "Aouuu?" that would prompt a half-chuckle from Andrew. "... Yeah, I... I don't know either..." He'd admit to his partner, in an understandably confused tone.
Though, despite not knowing what's going on, he'd walk up to the gathered entourage nonetheless - curious to see just how, exactly, a feline danced. Inari, too, would be close behind; the beat-boxing having her idly bob her head to the beat. By the time that the duo arrived on the scene, they would be just in time to see Beerus leaping back into his break-dancing; spinning faster than either Andrew or Inari could keep track of..! Inari, even, would briefly stagger into a seated position; clearly having made herself slightly dizzy, in trying to keep track of Beerus.
Despite neither Trainer nor Fox knowing what was going on, though... They had to admit that they could dig it - Andrew grinning a bit goofily as he sat down next to Inari to watch. Inari, meanwhile, would contribute to the beat - her tails wagging and hitting against the ground in a rhythmic thump, thump, thump in time with the others' beat-boxing. Even when the beat began to pick up in speed, Inari would simply compensate by alternating her tails; allowing her to keep up with the beat-boxing, without sacrificing too much energy..!
Andrew wouldn't contribute to the beat-boxing - being a bit too shy for it. But, he'd still watch Beerus with a visible awe; impressed that the Espeon was able to break-dance quite like that..! Maybe he could teach Inari, to do something similar, one day...? He could tell at a glance that the Vulpix was indeed quite interested in the dancing that was going down - so he wouldn't be surprised, if she was receptive to giving it a try...!
As Beerus - after spinning fast enough that Andrew would've expected him to make a tornado - soon came to a stop, Andrew would do a modest and polite applauding; not loud enough to draw too much attention to himself, but he wanted to make his support and the fact that he was quite impressed known. Inari, similarly, would softly yip her support! Where did Beerus learn to dance like that, they both wondered?
In any case, it appeared that the Gothita was staggered by his break-dancing skills; and for a few moments, Andrew and Inari both expected the gothic psychic-type to throw in the towel. However, it quickly became clear that he wasn't done yet - extending an invitation to none other than Echo, for them to dance together..! This would get the duo's attentions - Inari's ears pricking up curiously - as they, too, peered to the Ralts.
Would she accept the invite, or would the Gothita be left hanging..?
Party Update:
Inari - Level 6 Vulpix - 4/5 Energy Deadeye Claude - Level 3 Clauncher - 2/5 Energy, Burned
Last Edit: Apr 16, 2020 4:54:05 GMT by Andrew Wynn
Post by Elliot Sunderland on Apr 16, 2020 17:20:37 GMT
Lord Beerus basked in the applause, taking a deep bow. No matter what happened now, his job here was done, and if the Gothita wanted to appeal towards Echo try try and steal the show that'd just mean more chances for him to rest. The cat stalked away to a nice sunny spot and laid down to rest, Vivi running up to snuggle into his silky fur.
For once, Lord Beerus figured he could let a bit of affection slide
Echo looked at the Gothita's outstretched arm, then let out a happy chirp as she jumped forward to take it. The Gothita let out a victorious whistle as he took the Ralts' hand in his, holding their hands up high into the air. He then turned to her, shooting her a grin and a nod as the two began to move. For the time being it was quite the simple dance. They moved in a circle, pulling themselves towards each other, circling, and then drifting back apart. By now the beatboxing had died down, replaced with the soft, gentle twangs of The Dudes' surfer rock anthem. Joule scampered over to them, her whiskers twitching as she began messing with the device's signal. It turned out that, when slowed down enough, their music actually sounded really peaceful! Even Elliot was getting in on the action, taking out his phone to record everything that was going on. "Oh man. The PNG girls are gonna love this," he said to himself, hoping he'd be able to capture all of the footage.
While at first their movements were steady and cautious, soon they started getting a little bit more into it. Instead of pulling towards each other, now the two Pokemon pulled past each other, gesturing outwards with a little flourish as they drifted past one another. After the third time they did this, Elliot had an idea. "Hey, Echo!" he called, the Ralts tilting her head curiously without breaking her stride. "Why don't you show him one of your secret tricks?" Echo nodded, chirping excitedly. A small vortex of psychic energy gathered at the tip of her free hand. The Gothita, eyes widening with interest, began to do the same. Whereas hers was a shimmering spiral, his was more like lavender sparks popping from the tip of his hand. The two pulled past one another, each leaning back, and then pointed towards the sky.
In perfect sync with one another, Echo fired a Psybeam into the air while the Gothita fired a Psyshock. The rainbow beam and purple jolt fired into the air, casting both of their users in a brilliant light.
Elliot smiled from ear to ear, proud of his little idea. The Dudes and Joule hooted, hollered, and cheered, Joule holding their music player up higher so the sound would continue to travel. Murex hopped back and forth excitedly, trying to catch one of the psychic sparks on her tongue as the Psyshock dissipated in the skies. She shuddered back at it zapped her, only to hesitantly stick out her tongue to try and catch another.
As for the Gothita? He looked at Echo as if seeing her for the first time, a blue blush spreading across his light purple face. He then pulled her back towards him with renewed vigor, lifting her up and holding her above his head. Echo giggled at the attention, holding her head his hand stretching both arms out in a cheerful pose. He set her down, then proceeded to hoist her up again, Echo striking a different pose for variety's sake. This continued another few times, but by the fifth aerial pose session Echo had an idea. This time she wanted to be the one holding Gothita up! Before he could lift her she lifted him overhead, letting out a triumphant cry at this show of strength.
Wait, show of strength? Echo swayed with the Gothita, rocking him up and down, before flinging him sky high into the air.
All grace had left the Gothita, who had devolved into a mess of flailing arms and panicked cries. Echo simply watched him sail into the sky, giggling all the while, as Elliot and his team looked at her in shock. "Uh . . . did you just-" Elliot started, only to be interrupted as Echo stuck a nubby hand towards him. She watched the Gothita sail upwards, waiting for his ascent to slow, then vanished without a trace.
Up in the skies, the Gothita's surprised shout would be interrupted by a familiar pair of arms supporting his back. It was Echo, who had teleported up to catch him before he started falling. The Gothita fell silent, face a complete, blushing mess, as Echo dramatically dipped him down in midair. For a second the two hung there in midair, silent bar the uproarious applause coming from Elliot and his team. Then Echo waved a hand behind her, sending a whirlwind of multicolored leaves rolling out in its wake. The Magical Leaves caught the two on their descent, gently allowing them to float downwards.
When they were on the ground, Echo let go of the Gothita, so stunned that he remained leaning back in mid-dip. She ran up to Elliot, chirping excitedly as she pawed at her trainer's leg. Before he could even say anything Murex and Joule mobbed her, Murex scooping her up into a big hug and Joule ruffling her hair affectionately. "I think they agree. You did amazing!" Elliot gushed, only to turn and see that the poor Gothita was still frozen in place. "But, I, uh. I think you broke your partner," Elliot said, the ladies of his team turning and giggling at the poor, starstruck Gothita.
Elliot headed over, looking at the poor guy. He waved a hand in front of his face, as if trying to confirm the Pokemon was still alive. "You know, you and Echo make a pretty good duo," he said, a soft smile on his face as he unhooked an Ultra Ball from his belt. "And I can tell you like spending time with her. I don't know how often we'll be visiting this route, but do you want to come along so you can get to know her better? Oh! And meet the rest of the team too, of course." With his offer made, he held the Ultra Ball towards the Gothita, hoping that even if it didn't accept the offer it would at least start moving again. It was starting to get worrying!
Andrew and Inari both were on the edge of their proverbial seats, as the Gothita extended an invitation out to Echo - his hand outstretched. Though this felt like one of those cheesy romance shows that Andrew's mother loved, the duo could certainly see the appeal in it now that they were witnessing something akin to it...!
When Echo accepted the invitation to dance, Inari would be unable to help a yip of excitement. Though they, initially, had been rooting for Beerus in the dance battle, the Vulpix wanted to see Gothita get a fair chance at wooing the Ralts as well...! Andrew, too, couldn't help a faintly excited smile of his own - shifting in position so that he was sitting down crisscross with Inari, so that he could get comfortable as the psychic duo came together to dance.
As the Ralts and Gothita began to dance, the beatboxing and music would shift with the tone; something more peaceful to match the fact that this wasn't quite a dance battle anymore. Andrew would tap on his leg in time with the music, a slow and gentle rhythm as he watched Echo and the Gothita both circling about eachother; starting slowly, but picking up pace as they found their tempo! Andrew and Inari would both glance over to Elliot - noting that he was now recording it - before Inari glanced back to her trainer, yipping a bit and nosing at the pocket that his phone was in. Did Inari want Andrew to record this, too?
The young man couldn't help a chuckle; smiling softly as he patted Inari's head - "Alright, alright; I hear ya..." - before pulling out his phone, and starting a recording of his own. Maybe he could show this to Mom, when he started heading back south through Cedar Town...? It certainly was an option; and it'd make for a great story at that, too, he was sure...!
In the meantime though, Andrew would simply watch as Echo and Gothita both practically orbited eachother; pulling past eachother, flourishing, and then circling back around to do it once again.
Then, Elliot made a suggestion - calling for Echo to show the Gothita one of her 'secret tricks'..! Inari and Andrew were both curious at this; watching as Echo would show the beginnings of a Psybeam, prompting the Gothita to do the same - except with his own Psyshock..! They'd watch as the two psychic types would once more pull past one another - leaning back... before pointing upwards, firing off both attacks up into the air, where they'd meet in a brilliant burst...!
Andrew laughed and applauded at the duo's combo; watching as lavender sparks rained down from the Psyshock-Psybeam combo. This was quite creative, in his opinion; and it had the young man wondering if he could mimic this sort of combo, with other pokemon..! The sparks seemed to be everywhere, almost like a shower of glitter or sparkles; and everyone seemed to reacting to it in their own ways, from Murex's attempts to catch them with her tongue, to Inari yipping as she pawed at a couple of the sparks, and...
Last Edit: Apr 16, 2020 20:00:33 GMT by Andrew Wynn
... For a moment, Andrew couldn't help but glance in Elliot's direction in quiet observation - the other trainer back-dropped by the raining sparks - and noting just how pleased that he appeared to be, over his idea coming to fruition...
Before long however, Andrew's attention would be torn back to the dancing when he heard Echo's giggling - glancing over just in time to see the Gothita lifting her up in the air, even if the little psychic-type in question had quite the blush. These two were quite an adorable duo, in Andrew's opinion - and he found himself wondering, whether or not Elliot was going to catch the little Gothita after this. It'd be quite the shame, if he just left after all of this, after all...!
After being lifted up and posing a small handful of times, however, Echo appeared keen on turning the tables around; taking hold of the Gothita, and lifting him up instead...! In fact, Echo was so enthusiastic about it all... That she'd decide to fling him upwards, much to the poor Psychic type's alarm..! Andrew and Inari both would be similarly shocked; wondering just what in the world Echo had in mind, for all of this. Surely, she had a plan in throwing the Gothita so high up, right?
That question would quickly be answered, when Echo would watch the Gothita rise up into the air... Before vanishing, in yet another teleport. Andrew and Inari had to take a second to glance about, wondering where Echo went, before Inari would spot her - letting off a bark, and pointing with her paw to the Gothita. Indeed, up towards the Gothita - who had reached the peak of his ascent - there would be Echo, who had her arms around him..!
Echo's plan would click in the duo's minds then - Andrew smiling wide both in recognition and awe, as he applauded for the dancing duo; watching as they'd gradually descend, heralded by a whirlwind of Magical Leaves to soften the landing for them both.
As Echo gathered with Elliot, Murex, and Joule - the Ralts recieving plenty of praise and applause - Inari couldn't help but slowly pad her way towards the frozen Gothita; briefly sniffing him, and waving her tails in front of his face. She'd tilt her head a bit, and make a soft and concerned "Aouu?" of inquiry, as if to ask 'You okay, buddy?'.
Andrew couldn't help a soft chuckle, especially at Elliot's comment about how Echo might've accidentally broken the Gothita. He certainly looked as though he had quite the time dancing with Echo, if Andrew had anything to say about it...! Inari would respectfully return to Andrew's side as Elliot approached to check on the Gothita - unhooking an Ultra Ball, no doubt in preparation to offer the psychic type a place among Elliot's pokemon.
Once more, there was a quiet and giddy anticipation - silence falling over the duo, as they watched the Gothita and Elliot both. Would the little Fixation Pokemon accept Elliot's offer, to join with him, so that he could spend more time with Echo as they traveled?
Post by Elliot Sunderland on Apr 18, 2020 2:13:41 GMT
The Gothita continued to stare blankly as Inari and Elliot checked on it, to the point where Elliot wondered how its strange, surprised pose wasn't giving it spinal pain. Yet it finally seemed to recover from its zoning out, scuttling forward so quickly that Elliot nearly jumped back in surprise. It pretty much headbutted the Ultra Ball, disappearing in a stream of red light as it let itself get sucked in. The ball didn't even bother wiggling; it was a clean catch, no problems whatsoever. Elliot wasn't sure if he was relieved or a little bit worried, but he was quick to crack the Pokeball open.
Or, at least, he tried to. Instead it just wiggled back and forth, a red light glowing on the release button. "Right. I've got more than six now," Elliot said, gently turning the ball over in his hands. "Not gonna lie? I didn't think I'd get to this point yet. And I'm not even at Ivy yet! Still, guess that means one of you guys needs a brea-" Before Elliot could even finish, Lord Beerus raised a paw to volunteer. The look on his face said it all: he was completely and utterly done for today. "You know, you entertained my nonsense more than usual today. I think you earned a break." Lord Beerus let out a victorious cheer, Elliot returning him to the comfort of his Ultra Ball. He hit a few buttons on his phone's PC app, and then the ball disappeared in a shimmer of red light.
With that done, Elliot released the Gothita's ball. "It's safe to come out, Reverb," he teased, the newly-named Gothita looking around in confusion. Upon realizing where he was, he let out a cheerful chirp, heading back over to strike up a conversation with Echo. The two babbled and whistled at once another. Whatever they were talking about, it was a pretty animated conversation! Joule headed over to nestle up to Vivi, happy to accept her affection now that Lord Beerus was no longer around to give his own. Murex hopped up to The Dudes, peering at their music player and watching with great interest as they cycled through the same song over and over again. With the battle settled, this was a nice little rest stop.
Elliot simply smiled warmly, standing back up to his feet. "You know, why don't we do a bit of bonding on the road?" he asked. "It's a beautiful day out. And you're all getting so strong. I think we can skip the Pokeballs and just take a walk as a team, eh?" Echo cheered in excitement at the idea, running over to pick up Murex and falling in step behind Elliot. Reverb huffed at the Shellder somewhat jealously, but ultimately fell in step with the Ralts. Then came Vivi, Joule perched on her head as she zoomed after their companions, leaving The Dudes taking up the rear.
Before heading out with his team, however, Elliot gave Andrew a warm smile. "Which way are you heading?" he asked. Sure, he knew darn well that Andrew had been following this side of the route so far. He needed to pass The Dudes, and now he'd finally have the chance to do so. Yet at the same time, Elliot knew that Andrew was kind of awkward around large groups, and with a six-Pokemon bonanza this had just turned into one of those. Was he trying to give Andrew a possible out?
Andrew and Inari watched for seemingly an eternity as Elliot offered the Ultra Ball to the starstruck Gothita; quiet and anticipating. With how long the Gothita had been completely frozen stock-still, the duo wondered if the Gothita was just gonna be like that permanently, or if Elliot would have to toss the Ultra Ball to him first! Before long though, the Gothita seemed to snap back to reality; darting towards the Ultra Ball, and disappearing into it in a perfect catch..!
But, then there was the fact that Elliot would have to switch out a pokemon, now that they were at more than six. Lord Beerus, who had quite the day today, was more than happy to take Elliot up on the chance for a break; and Andrew and Inari would both wave bye to him, before he disappeared into his Ultra Ball, and before his Ultra Ball then disappeared in a shimmer of red. For as antisocial of a pokemon as Beerus had been, Andrew was impressed at the Espeon overall; from his psychic abilities, to even - surprisingly enough - his dance moves..!
Perhaps he should've been recording the dance battle between Beerus and the Gothita, too. That could've been an interesting story to share with Mom..!
Either way though, with Beerus gone, the Gothita - thusly named Reverb - was there to fill in the emptied place. Near-immediately, Reverb went to spend time with Echo - the duo chattering and whistling to each other - whereas the other pokemon mulled amongst each other..!
Inari, briefly, was tempted to go and join in the socializing and bonding; though decided to remain at Andrew's side, idly sniffing the Net Ball that the Clauncher was in. She was a little unsure if having the Clauncher that nearly attacked you on your team was wise, but... She at least understood that the Clauncher inside probably deserved some rest, and needed a Pokecenter visit before he could come out.
One thing was for sure, though; she was going to lay down some boundaries the second that the crustacean was well enough to come out...
Andrew, meanwhile, was simply excited to meet the new member of the team..! With this Clauncher being his first wild pokemon caught, there was already a bit of special sentimentality to him - even if he was quite the ornery crustacean. But, even that being said, Andrew had a feeling that they both could teach him to chill out a little, every so often...
The duo would be broken from their thoughts, however, when Elliot approached - after having decided to let his party of pokemon walk together. Andrew would be unable to help shyly scrunching up - still somewhat unsure on whether he had the energy to talk to Elliot - and was initially quite silent, as Elliot asked him about which way he was heading.
Due to his shyness, it took a few moments for Andrew to formulate a response - still as nervous and quiet as ever. "I, u-uhm..." Fidgeting, he'd begin to run his fingers through Inari's fur, as the supportive Vulpix snuggled closer to him. "... N-North. To B-Bass city, but uhm..." Andrew paused, seeming to be thinking. He could see the potential out; though he didn't want to lie on which way he was going, either. That didn't feel right. "... I... M-might just rest here, with, well, Inari, f-for a bit..."
Hiding the lower half of his face against Inari's curls once more, both this and his hood would leave only his eyes visible as he peered up to Elliot. "It... It w-was nice meeting you though, and, uhm... Everyone else, too..." The sentiments were genuine; cause for as much as he just wasn't a people person, Elliot was still a pleasant individual.
He did, deep down, wish he could get the courage together to keep interacting with someone; it was frustrating, in a distant way, that he couldn't bring himself to stick with Elliot. Though he also felt as though he was gonna burn out, if he tried to go any further with the other trainer...
Post by Elliot Sunderland on Apr 18, 2020 4:51:39 GMT
Elliot shot Andrew a soft, understanding smile. "It was great meeting you too, Andrew," Elliot said. Whereas his eyes usually sparked with quite a bit of excitement, they had dulled down some today. Instead they held a soft, understanding warmth, Elliot dialing his usual intensity down for his new friend's sake. "And you too, Inari. Oh! I know I missed, like, all of the fight. But congrats on making your first catch! Make sure you guys tell me how the Clauncher's doing when they're back on their feet, okay?" Elliot thought a little about his statement, then fished his phone out of his pocket. "Oh, right! I guess you can't exactly do that unless you have my number, huh? Want me to give it to you?" Wait, no. Not quite right. He paused for a bit, turning the statement over again in his head. "Not that you need to give me yours back or anything. It can totally be a one way trade, so you wouldn't need to worry about me texting you out of the blue or anything like that," he added. He really was trying to cover all of his comfort bases here, huh?
However, Echo didn't seem too happy with that answer, puffing out her cheeks in irritation as she watched the exchange. As Elliot finished she set Murex down, patting the Shellder on the outer rim of her shell, then ran over and grabbed Elliot by the hand. "Huh? Are you o-" Elliot started to ask, but before he could even say anything Echo teleported the two of them away in a flash of light.
Fortunately for Andrew, this time Echo wouldn't be teleporting on top of him. This time she appeared standing right on the ground, a dazed and confused Elliot to her side. Her choice of location? Why, right next to Andrew, of course! She stuck a thin, flipper-like white hand out at him, letting it hang there for a good few seconds before giving it a little wiggle for emphasis. Elliot, shacking off the confusion, laughed warmly as he saw her reaching out. "Aw, I think she's gonna miss you!" Elliot said between laughs. "Ah, c'mon, Echo. Let's let the poor guy get some rest." Yet she dug her heels into the ground, continuing to flail listlessly for Andrew's hand.
Elliot, bless his heart, was perfectly understanding over Andrew's nervousness; remaining calm and gentle for the nervous trainer's sake. As he addressed Inari, the large Vulpix would yip in response, her tails wagging happily; and Andrew was unable to help a shy smile at the response, even if most of his face was hidden. Inari seemed to really like Elliot, and Andrew couldn't blame her; the other trainer seemed to be very good with pokemon...
As Elliot fished out his phone and offered to share his phone number though, Andrew couldn't help a brief blink; as though something clicked for him. That... That actually didn't seem like a bad idea, overall; given how often he tended to browse the internet, before he decided to set off on an adventure on his own.
Yeah! This... This was doable..! Though Andrew's reaction to it might've been delayed, the young man would quietly nod a bit; agreeing to them sharing numbers. He'd take his phone out and bring up the contacts list, so that he could add Elliot's contact details to it. And once he had Elliot's saved to his phone... He'd bring up his own number, in the status screen for his phone, and hold it up so that Elliot could read his number off the screen.
Once their contact details were exchanged proper, Andrew would be unable to help a small smile, nodding to Elliot...
Ping..!
... and sending a small text to him - consisting of a waving emoticon! He didn't have the social energy to muster much more, but... This was far less draining, than talking out loud; it was a far more controllable social situation than talking in person - he had time to decide what he wanted to say and to properly word it, and he was able to wait on responding to a text until he was in a better mindset.
Echo, though, appeared displeased that Andrew was leaving. She'd take Elliot's hand, and teleport the both of them before Andrew - much to the equal surprise of the duo - before trying to extend a hand towards the young man in an insistent fashion..! Did... Echo want him to keep going with them? Andrew, honestly, did find it a bit of an adorable gesture - though he was unable to help some sympathy as well, for how much she wanted him to stay...
Though Andrew, initially, was going to insist to Echo that it was going to be okay, that they can meet again... He'd glance down at Inari, just in time to note that the Vulpix was giving him a look. A gentle and encouraging look, but a look that he knew all too well nonetheless - it being the same look she gave him, when she was trying to encourage him to step outside.
Much like before, Andrew would take some time to make up his mind; though when he did, he'd take in a deep breath, and stand - gently nudging Inari off his lap. The Vulpix's tails would be wagging as he bent down to take Echo's hand, and he'd peer down to the Ralts - asking softly "A-are... Are you going, well, north, too...?"
He wasn't exactly sure what he was doing, but... He didn't want to disappoint poor little Echo, either.
Last Edit: Apr 18, 2020 14:12:03 GMT by Andrew Wynn
Post by Elliot Sunderland on Apr 18, 2020 17:11:01 GMT
Huh! Andrew was actually giving Elliot his number too? Now that was a surprise. He figured he'd at least need to wait for Andrew to text him back first, but Andrew actually flat-out flashed his number over to him. "Thank you," he said as he jotted the number down, perking up a little in surprise when he got a very quick text back! It was when he was about to respond with a waving emoji of his own that Echo had put her plan into motion. Distracted texters made for the best targets!
Pretty much any disgruntlement that the Ralts had evaporated when Andrew took her hand, which she clutched just as tightly as she did Elliot's. Being a Ralts, in both cases this grip strength was not much. Yet it was the thought that counted, and the thought here was that Echo trusted them both quite a bit! She nodded eagerly at Andrew's question, letting out happy squeaks in the affirmative. "Yep! I'm trying to get back to Bass," he said, explaining on Echo's behalf. "I keep on missing the ferry over to Ivy, so I've been exploring the routes a bit more while I wait. Honestly, I'm starting to wonder if that thing's even been working.
But, yeah. I'm going North too. What are you heading there for?" Elliot looked down the northern end of the route, then turned to Andrew with a patient smile on his face. He didn't need to ask if Andrew was coming with him anymore. With how the other trainer's hand softly took Echo's, he was fairly certain that the answer was clear by now. Yet at the same time, he made no motions to move on. Neither did Echo, instead all too happy to dangle between Elliot and Andrew's hands while giggling softly to herself.
This was the start of Andrew's journey. There was nobody better to decide when they'd take the next step.
The response of another waving emoji would make Andrew smile a bit - a certain giddiness to it that he'd shyly hide against Inari's curls. He... He was making a friend, wasn't he? Maybe this wasn't too bad....
As Elliot explained that they were originally going back to Bass to hopefully grab the ferry to Ivy, Andrew would nod briefly - smiling gently, even if still shyly. Hopefully the ferry would be there, when they reached Bass; Andrew had wanted to check out the island, too..!
The question as to why Andrew was heading north, though, would make the young man pause a bit - as if trying to decide whether to respond. He'd glance down to Echo once more - the Ralts happily giggling and dangling from her grip their hands - and couldn't help but very gently swing his arm, so as to slowly and gently swing Echo back and forth in turn. Then, his eyes would move to the phone in his opposite hand - and at Elliot's own text of an emoji.
After some thought, Andrew wouldn't respond - or, at least, not verbally. Instead, he seemed to tap away at his phone for a moment, until...
... ping...!
... he texted something to Elliot..!
'I just want to explore new places. And meet new pokemon. North seemed like a good start. (๑•́ ω •̀๑)ゞ'
It seemed that the young man liked kaomoji, if the little face he appended the text with was anything to imply. And indeed, the main reasons he was heading north was, well... That he wanted to explore! He figured that since there was less to see up north than if he went south, he'd finish exploring the northern islands decently quick - which would leave him free to explore the entirety of the southern and eastern portions of Arciel, with less backtracking.
It would be around then though, that he noticed that Elliot hadn't started walking yet. Briefly, Andrew would freeze a hair with indecision - stuck between asking Elliot and trying to take a step forward. Would it be rude to just start walking? Was Elliot waiting on something? He'd like to ask, though he wasn't sure if it'd come off as impatient...
... Inari, though, was there to help him make a decision in the right direction; grabbing the sleeve of Andrew's unoccupied hand, and dragging him along the first few steps..! "Wh-, I-Inari..!" Andrew stumbled briefly, but would follow along with Inari's pull - continuing to walk, once she was satisfied and let go of his sleeve. "Aouu!"
OOC: Reposting my team here for a journey roll- Inari - Level 6 Vulpix - 4/5 Energy Deadeye Claude - Level 3 Clauncher - 2/5 Energy, Burned
Post by Elliot Sunderland on Apr 18, 2020 23:33:16 GMT
Elliot followed in Andrew's lead without even needing any prompting. His arm swung in perfect time with Andrew's, allowing the two to gently sway Echo back and forth without any problems. Echo giggled as she lifted up into the air, allowing herself to dangle between the two without a shred of resistance. In fact, it wasn't long before she started pumping her legs in time with their swaying, letting herself get the most momentum and entertainment out of each swing. The more she swung, the more she giggled, until soon her laughing pretty much echoed across the route. Elliot couldn't help but smile, turning to Andrew and mouthing a quick "thank you" in his direction. Yet as he did so, he saw that the other boy was texting away. With one hand, too! Yet his fingers were moving so gracefully. No wonder he was such a good groomer! Elliot reached for his own phone to respond, only to freeze up as he realized that he'd either have to drop his walking stick or drop Echo.
Fortunately, Joule solved the dilemma. She scampered up Elliot's leg, fished his phone out of his pocket, and input his password with an efficiency that'd be worrying if it wasn't so convenient. She then held the phone out towards Elliot, shooting him a wink and a smile. "Should I be worried about how much of a little hacker you're becoming?" he asked, the two of them laughing warmly at the question. Nevertheless, he read Andrew's text, smiling warmly. "Heh. That makes us two of a kind, Andy-" Wait, no! He couldn't be lured by the coziness of them swinging a Ralts back and forth! He had to keep respectfully distant! "-rew. And honestly, with all the Pokemon I've bumped into so far? I think I'm hitting that goal really well already. So let's keep going til we've gone across all of Arciel, okay? I bet when we meet after it all, we'll have so many stories to tell."
With that, Inrari guided them forward, and the group was off! Though what they encountered may not have been what they expected. The route's path had cut through a gentle stream, a small bridge stretching across it. Most people may have first noticed the breeder sitting by the waters, smiling softly as he watched his duo of rare water types playing together in the stream. Yet Elliot's eye wandered from the breeder to the Pokemon standing in close proximity to him, a Binacle that had made itself at home on the bridge. Its two heads swiveled in opposite directions, as if trying to keep watch on the entire route at once, and every once in a while it let out an undulating cry. The Breeder listened, looking around, then shook his head. "Nope! Still don't see any of those."
Of course, his expression shifted completely as he saw Andrew and Elliot approach. Much like Elliot, his eye was drawn right to the Pokemon; namely, the Ralts that they held between them. "Woah! That's one happy looking Ralts," he said, all smiles. "You two are doing a killer job raising her. What's her name?"
Two? The implication got Elliot blushing a slight bit, but he figured any attempts at clearing it up would just get Andrew blushing more, so he bit his tongue on it. Instead, he just smiled warmly. "Her name's Echo! And mine's Elliot. Nice to meet you!"
At the name, the breeder facepalmed. "Oh! Right! That's what this guy's been trying to say!" he said. "I totally thought he was trying to say Tater Tot." With that, he looked over to the Binacle, before squinting. "Hey, wait, yeah! You're the guy that was passing through this morning, right? Yeah, yeah! I remember you now! Ever since you and your Shellder came passing through, this guy's taken the bridge for himself. Kept on saying . . . hold on, lemme see . . ." He cleared his throat, then did his best attempt at replicating the guttural cry of the Binacle. "Yeah! That! Totally thought he was saying, like. Tater Tot. Or Better Not. Forget-me-Not? But I guess he was trying to do your name. Funny, huh?"
Maybe to the breeder it was funny. But to Murex, who took one look at the Binacle and then hid behind Elliot's leg, it wasn't quite so amusing. Elliot turned to look at her, peering down. "Hey, c'mon. What's wrong, Murex?" he asked, only for the Shellder to point tongue-first at the Binacle. "Well, yeah, I know that. But, like, are you worried? Scared? Did she hurt you?" Murex shook her head, nodded, then shook her head again. "Oh. So you're just intimidated. Well, hey, that's okay. I know you're not much of a fighter, and she does look pretty intense. Do you know her from somewhere?" Another nod. "Well, where do you know her fr-"
Another undulating, guttural cry. With the sound of suction cups sticking and unsticking, the Binacle had hopped from its perch on the bridge, making her way over to Elliot and Murex. She looked the two up and down, eyes narrowing in a fearsome glare, before folding her heads across her stone like a would-be tough guy folding their arms across their chest. All the while, their eye contact never broke from Elliot and his Pokemon, even as Murex tried to cower behind Elliot all the more.
Much like Lord Beerus, Elliot got the feeling he wasn't going to talk his way out of this one. But what would he even do here?
Admittedly, it was a hair awkward for Andrew to text with one hand, but it wasn't hard; his hand and phone were both just the right size, that he could reach across the screen with his thumb. All the while, he would try to match the momentum and speed that Echo was trying to go for - unable to help a sheepish smile at Elliot, as the other trainer mouthed his thanks to him.
However, then they both had a realization; How was Elliot going to check his texts, with both hands occupied..?
Almost immediately, a hint of shame and embarrassment crossed over Andrew's face; he should've realized that Elliot's walking stick would've gotten in the way, after all - what was he thinking...? He'd be unable to help chewing the inside of his cheek anxiously, feeling bad over his attempt to find a more comfortable form of communication having inconvenienced Elliot like this. It was only slightly abated when Joule was on the case - fishing the phone out of Elliot's pocket so that he could read the text - and when Elliot responded quite casually, as if nothing awkward had just happened.
In fact, Andrew would be quick to forget the fact that he had caused Elliot this inconvenience, when the other trainer would nearly call him by 'Andy'..!
Despite Elliot's attempts to cover it up and stay on a respectful first-name basis, Andrew's cheeks would flush - blinking owlishly. "A... Andy...?" He'd mumble - mostly to himself - as though he were surprised by the nickname. He didn't appear uncomfortable over it, however; even as he grew quite sheepish, blinking down at his feet and nodding shyly. The idea of a nickname was just... A bit unfamiliar. Would it be bad, he wondered, to say that he even kind of liked it?
(... Though, he had a feeling that being called by that on the regular was probably going to kill him.)
Inari wasn't sure what to make of Andrew's visible reactions to this; tilting her head briefly at Andrew, as they walked. She could tell he at least wasn't uncomfortable or getting too anxious, so she didn't see any reason to step in... But she still was a little puzzled..!
However, nicknames aside... It wouldn't be long before their travels would bring the assembled group towards one of the various streams that crisscrossed over the route, though; a bridge ahead providing passage over the waterway...
... Or, at least, it would; if it wasn't for the fact that there was a Binacle standing atop it...!
Andrew, initially, would be a bit puzzled at the sight; the small barnacle pokemon seemingly looking around for something, and occasionally calling out with a strange and guttural cry! Nearby the bridge, he'd also spot another trainer on the road - a breeder, who was letting his water-types play in the stream - who briefly called back to the Binacle about how he couldn't 'see any of those'.
It was a strange sight, to say the least; though before Andrew could investigate the Binacle, the aforementioned breeder would notice them, and approach..!
Andrew seemed to grow a bit shy - fidgeting with the drawstrings to his hoodie - as the breeder approached. He figured he could let Elliot handle talking to this guy - he already had had enough socialization for the day, really. But, when the breeder commented on Echo - mentioning how 'you two' were doing a wonderful job raising her...
... Andrew would, somewhat by accident, and also somewhat by impulse, end up yanking too hard on the drawstrings; resulting in the hood of his hoodie closing around and obscuring most of his face...! At least this would obscure the flush on his cheeks - seemingly taken by surprise by the implication - with how obvious it was against his pale skin..!
The breeder would be a little bewildered by Andrew's reaction - glancing at Elliot a bit quizzically initially. Though, after a moment, recognition would flash in his eyes as he sheepishly laughed; rubbing the back of his head. "Ah... Pardon me, I tend to fumble with my words sometimes..!"
Inari, concerned, would turn around to Andrew and paw at his leg - making a soft and inquiring whine. Andrew, if he was frank, wasn't sure if he was ready to show his face to the breeder again (not that he could exactly see the other man's face right now,) but he'd still murmur a soft "I-I'm okay," to Inari - muffled by the hoodie - as the breeder talked to Elliot.
The question as to whether or not he was actually okay would probably have to wait, though. For as the breeder explained the Binacle that vigillantly stood upon the bridge, Murex would seemingly react - quickly growing nervous, and hiding behind Elliot's leg..! And, not long after Elliot attempted to figure out what had Murex so nervous, the Binacle would act - clearly having noticed the assembled group..!
Andrew, meanwhile, would tug back the edge of his hood - just enough so that he could see, and assess the situation. It didn't quite seem like they'd be able to talk their way out of this; and the pokemon that the Binacle was so keen on fighting - Murex - wasn't exactly as keen on fighting, either. Though Inari stood at the ready - visibly tensed to fight - Andrew could tell that this Binacle outclassed her, and likely had more than one attacking move with its strength. The possibility of Elliot asking another pokemon to fight in Murex's stead was quite possible, but...
... Maybe he could do something, instead...?
Carefully, Andrew would set Echo down and let go of her hand - briefly patting her on the head - before walking around behind Elliot, so that he could crouch down next to Murex. "Hey," He spoke softly; trying to get the nervous Shellder's attention. "It... I know y-you're scared, but i-it's okay, Murex." He'd murmur; trying to force the stammers out of his voice the best he could, as he slowly reached out to stroke the top of Murex's shell.
Once more, Andrew channeled his aura - trying to reach out, and spread a calm and soothing feeling, so as to try and help ease Murex's fears. It was a subtle effect - very subtle, likely not about to abate Murex's anxiety all that much. But Andrew still hoped that it would help, as he continued to speak. "I... I don't know w-what history you two have, but... You won't be alone in this, o-okay...? We're all here to back you up and help out; y-you're gonna be okay..."
Meanwhile Inari, attempting to help in soothing Murex, would let out a gentle yip; laying down next to the Shellder, giving the top of the shell a brief and friendly lick, and coiling her fluffy tails around her in a cozy and affectionate gesture. She'd rest her head on her paws, and quietly watch the bivavle; watching to see if this would be enough to help ease Murex's fears.
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