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.
SNAP— That was the sound of the Pokeball breaking up and dumping its contents. Sid grimaced a little. Shoot. That catch had looked secure. The Excadrill shook out her body and seemed to hesitate before taking a defensive stance again. She had an open escape she could make a break for if she absolutely needed, but for now she’d continue to battle this human! Sid, meanwhile, looked over at Phantom and Nurse. “Are you two ok?” they asked. There was an assured sound from both.
“Ok… Phantom—“ Hm, well they could try. “Use Hypnosis!” The Haunter glanced back at them, frowned, but then looked forward again. Fine with him! Z snapping again, he raised his hands and began to make slow even circles. The Excadrill squinted and then shook her head determined not to fall under the spell. As the circles continued, however, and she started to lull a bit before finally falling asleep entirely.
Quickly, before it could wake, Sid grabbed another— Oh, looks like all they had left was an Ultra Ball. Well that was fine then. Tossing that at the Excadrill, they waited.
Koa Leilani Your speech strikes a cord within the tsundere delinquent, and she quickly dips out! I-it's not like she wanted to battle or anything, baka! +1 Charisma!
Go, PokeBall!
One... two... and...
1fpLBvd|p_
The Wild Pokemon was caught!
One Ultra ball and one Magost berry has been removed from your inventory.
The other trainer conceded and left Sid alone. With a heavy sigh, Koa went to focus on the Pokeball he threw at the Mienfoo. He gulped nervously and ran a hand through his hair...then, it stopped shaking. He did a little victory gesture and smiled from ear to ear. "Yes...!" He could barely keep himself composed as he picked up the Pokeball. He got a prompt from his phone. He decided to send over Ali'i, figuring the Spoink needed a break. Ali'i's Pokeball vanished and was sent to the PC while the one with Mienfoo, whom Koa will name Toki, would remain with him.
He let the Mienfoo out of his Pokeball and guided him over to the others "How does the name Toki sound?" He asked, to which the Mienfoo thought about for a few seconds before nodding, satisfied with the name. "Toki it is!" Once Toki was around the other Pokemon currently out and about, they all started to get to know each other and welcome their new friend. Sakuya was still snoozing away as Fomantis tend to do during the day. Azura happily bounced around Toki, happy to meet him. Toki looked bashful around Azura, but otherwise retained his composure.
Koa met up with Sid "Hey, thanks...for the berry, I mean. What are the odds, huh? I talk about one and...there he is." He said with a smile. "And congratulations on your own capture! That was looking a little tense there for a moment." He said, though he did look a tad embarrassed "Did I go a little overboard with that other trainer? I worry that I did...huh...w-well anyway." He looked at his ever growing group "It's surreal. I started my adventure with Azura and Kupuna, and here I am with all of these wonderful new Pokemon. I never had the motivation to go out and train Pokemon when I was younger...now that I do, and that I have a little dream team in the works here, it's such a confidence booster. That I can do this, and seeing how happy they are makes me realize that I made the right decision."
He stopped himself before he rambled "Oh, sorry for rambling. Do you want to keep going or maybe take a break to get our new friends a chance to relax?" He asked. They were on the road for a while now with a lot of encounters behind them already. Maybe a break was in order, though he would leave that up to Sid.
-------
Koa swaps out Ali'i for his new Pokemon, Toki the Mienfoo!
As the Pokeball dinged in capture, Sid let out a breath they hadn’t even realized they’d been holding. And then they clapped both hands together and let out a noise of jubilation! “Great work, guys!” they looked from Phantom to Nurse and back again.
“How are you feeling, Phan?” The Haunter twirled about and rubbed the back of his head. He was fine! Those last few attacks hadn’t been too bad! He promised! A soft breath escaped from Sid. “Good, thank you too, Nurse, for keeping an eye on things.” The Audino gave a small nod and folded his arms. He hadn’t done much as far as he was concerned, but he really didn’t want to anyways.
It was only after the fact that Sid realized another presence was there. The trainer that had been stopped by Koa was standing there for a moment longer before shaking her head and walking away. Sid watched her for a moment before looking towards Koa who was now talking to a—
Ah…. What a blessed event. A softer smile pulled onto their features as they bent down and started going through their bag. Phantom would be handed an Oran berry for his efforts to which he quickly devoured. Sid, however, was focused on another berry. Ah, there it was. They did have it on hand. Quickly tossing the Magost berry over, they offered Koa a smile before tending to their own Poemon again. GS seemed alright. Nurse seemed alright. Good, good.
As the Mienfoo was successfully captured, Sid smiled. Seemed they were both having a good day for capture. “What a wonderful day,” they spoke just as Koa came over to them. They couldn’t help but grin at his words thereafter. “Thank you! Excadrill is one of my favorite Pokemon,” they admitted with a small laugh. “Such a knightly Pokemon.”
Some color touched Sid’s pale features as Koa asked about the trainer. “Ah, sorry, I was so caught up in trying to capture Excadrill that I didn’t even really notice the other trainer until it was over…” Their head turned and they looked back the way she had come. “Trainers are such spirited types of people…” They half laughed. “I’ve never been able to follow down that route.” It sounded like an awful amount of work.
As Koa spoke more, however, Sid looked back at him. Oh… what an adorable person. Koa may have shared more of that spirit than Sid had original registered. A goofier smile pulled across Sid’s features right then. “I think a break would be nice, actually,” they answered. “Phan would probably appreciate some time to hole up and eat….” Where had that Haunter gone now, actually? Sid squinted around and saw a shadow off of a tree that extended just a little too far there. There you are….
Using one Oran berry. Honedge [Excalibur, 35, M], Audino [Nurse, 34, M (4/5 Energy)], Haunter [Phantom, 28, M (4/5 Energy -> +1 5/5 Energy)], Scolipede [Great Serpent, 35, M (4/5 Energy)], Espeon [Angel, 37, F], Frosmoth [Mothra, 27, M]
Last Edit: Apr 25, 2020 3:52:50 GMT by Sidney Ridley
It was a great day for the two of them. They both managed to catch Pokemon that they really liked and now they had the time to relax now that things calmed down. Kupuna lowered herself to the ground and rested while Koa went over to check on Sakuya. He took out a water bottle and poured a bit into a cupped hand before he gently poured some on Sakuya. She seemed to relax even more, appreciating it. "I'll need to invest in a spray bottle so I can tend to her a little better than that, but it's a start." He said as he left her alone.
To hear that Excadrill is one of Sid's favorite Pokemon made Koa feel even better about what he did to help out. "Oh, that's excellent! I'm so glad you were able to catch it, then!" He said, beaming happily. "To be honest, I now have three of the Pokemon I've always wanted on a team. Popplio, Fomantis, and Mienfoo...this was a huge goal for me, and the fact it's met already just...it's a bit overwhelming. Looks like I'll have to come up with more goals! Meet even more Pokemon. I'm still surprised the Rangers gave me Kupuna as a graduation gift. A Dragon type of all things. I was honored." He said as he brushed her fur slightly. She grunted, pleased with how happy Koa was right now.
He seemed a bit surprised that Sid didn't notice the other trainer, but he laughed "Yeah, I can understand that sort of tunnel vision. Happens to me sometimes too." He listened to Sid as they explained how they've never been able to follow the route of the trainer "I can understand that. It's a lot of work...and a lot of their goals involve traveling all over the world and taking on every challenge with a determined smile. I admire them a lot." He rubbed at his right hand a bit as he still felt ashamed for being involved with Team Skull. He sighed, but he kept to his kind, warm demeanor. He dug around in his bag and pulled out a bowl and a bag of Pokemon food. He gathered around the tree the Haunter was supposedly hiding in the shadow of and poured some food in. His Pokemon happily gathered around him and started to eat, save for Kupuna. He took out a slightly larger bowl and filled that up to before he set it in front of her. She craned her neck down and started to happily munch away. "I always come prepared." He said as he watched his Pokemon interact and eat together.
He wasn't too sure what to talk about, so he decided to ask Sid about their Pokemon "So what can you tell me about your team? How'd you meet them all? Nurse is such a cute name for an Audino, by the way. Phantom's perfect for Haunter. Also...thanks for that berry. I seriously mean that."
Post by Sidney Ridley on Apr 25, 2020 18:26:37 GMT
Sid grinned. “That’s an amazing accomplishment then,” they answered. Their eyes raised to the Drampa again, and they smiled a bit more. “I think they made the right choice in doing so…” They murmured more to themselves than to Koa then. He radiated such an interesting spirit. It was nice to be around.
A small forced laugh came and went from Sid as Koa reacted to their admissions. Sometimes they wished they had the spirit of a trainer. They could have left school, gotten a Pokemon, and went traveling. It sounded so nice without the nuance. But I could never… follow in that man’s footsteps…. Not ever. Sid gave a small shake of head and looked sideways to Nurse and then back towards GS. The Audino remained close while the Scolipede had settled against a tree near Phan. Whether he actually knew the Haunter was there or not was left to be questioned.
As Koa started towards the tree, Sid half smiled and followed suit, Nurse at their heels. Leaning against the tree, Sid realized very briefly right then how tired they actually were. Shaking their head a little to clear it, they glanced back towards Koa again before looking down at Nurse.
A small smile came to their features at the question (or series of questions, perhaps). “I met Nurse in nursing school, actually,” Sid started. The Audino gave a sagely nod turning to Koa and affirming with a soft call. “He actually belonged to the instructor, but….” They paused thinking over Yatsumura-san. “Could be… ah… well, they didn’t really get along…” Nurse made a face before pulling down an eyelid and sticking his tongue out. Sid reached up a hand to cover their mouth before their snicker became too loud. “He was a good teacher, as far as I’m concerned, but he could be a bit head strung and reckless. When I graduated, he asked if I’d take Nurse with me since we got along better.” The Audino folded his arms and gave a sagely nod again. “We’ve been friends ever since.”
Great Serpent had never heard that story before and was slowly leaning around the tree to get better sound quality. Even Phantom peaked up from his shadow to listen very briefly before catching Sid’s eyes and disappearing into the shadow again. Sid chuckled. “…Phantom was a gift from my father.” And that would be it on that regard.
“I caught Great Serpent in the Weeping Forest when I first got here… I actually work in Birch and live in Fuji,” they explained. It was one heck of a travel to come and go from, but still.
“I also met my Honedge, Excalibur, in the same way.” Shifting briefly, they grabbed and enlarged a Pokeball. “EXXXXXXXXXCALLLIBURRRR!” they called tossing it up. The Honedge that took form swayed and swatted the air as if to clear it from Sid’s unnecessary call. Sid laughed back. “Excalibur is the first Pokemon I caught for myself…” they smiled reaching out to the Honedge.
The blade Pokemon rolled its singular eye but twisted up and around to settle the grip in Sid’s hand. “I’ve done several different cosplays with him so far including at the Halloween Gala if you happened to be around for that.” What fun memories. Letting to of the grip, Sid sat back again.
Excalibur shifted and swayed moving about to observe this new cohort with Sid very carefully. “They’re friends, Excalibur, be nice,” Sid called. The Honedge turned back to them and stared for a moment before giving a small shrug with his tassels. He wasn’t going to do anything but observe. Probably.
Fishing out their last to Pokeballs, Sid paused before releasing them.
The Espeon that appeared rather quickly climbed into their lap earning a sideways glance from Nurse. “This is Angel, she was kind of sort of abandoned…” Sid spoke carefully reaching and scratching the Espeon’s ears even as they said that.
The Frosmoth that had appeared right after was…. massive. Huge. Absurdly large for its species. He fluttered about and then went right up in Koa’s face. “Atch! Mothra! Don’t—“ The moth Pokemon was already using his feelers to touch and squish Koa’s face, however. Sid slapped a hand over their face and fought back a laugh. “Mothra is harmless, I promise…. Just…. a bit too curious….”
An amazing achievement? Koa scratched the back of his head a bit. It was mostly luck, at least to him, but to have it acknowledged in such a way felt nice. Reaching goals should feel accomplishing, right? So he gave Sid a smile "Thanks. It means a lot to hear that."
Koa listened to the story of how they met Nurse and frowned a bit. It always upset him when he heard about Pokemon who just didn't get along with their trainers. "Well I'll say I'm glad the two of you found friends in each other. It's impossible to get along with everyone, and that applies with Pokemon, too." He said with a nod. "In the end...I think that was really thoughtful of your teacher. Maybe it wasn't intentional on his part, but he surely brightened your lives."
It seemed there was a story there with Sid's father, but he didn't want to pry into their personal lives if it's something they didn't want to talk about. He was surprised to hear about where Sid worked and lived "Birch? Wow that's quite the long way from Fuji. I'm not sure if I'd be able to handle a commute like that." He looked over at Great Serpent, wondering if that's how Sid makes the trip every time. If so, that was one remarkably patient Scolipede.
He blinked slightly at Sid suddenly shouting into the sky as they called upon their Honedge, Excalibur. "Impressive name for such an impressive Pokemon." He said with a nod as he admired the appearance of the floating sword. "Makoto, my Pancham, was the first I caught for myself. She's a lot calmer than most Pancham I've seen or heard about, but that's part of her charm I think." He said as Makoto waved at her name being said.
He tilted his head slightly "I've never really kept track of the cosplay scene but it's always seemed really fun. Not something I'd be able to pull off myself, really, but it's always cool to see people dress up. I'll have to keep the Halloween Gala in mind for this year, then."
Koa happily waved at Excalibur "Nice to meet you, Excalibur!" He said. He found the sword's aloof behavior endearing. He held a hand over his heart when he saw Angel "Aw...poor thing." He gave a tiny wave to them, not reaching out. He didn't want to spook them at all.
He jumped a bit in shock as the Frosmoth that appeared zoomed right up to his face and started to poke at him with its feelers "Aw, hello there!" He said with a laugh. He pat Mothra's head gently in return "It's okay, I think they're adorable." He said. He looked over at his Pokemon. They had finished their meals and were resting together. Toki looked like he was meditating, but was clearly flustered as Azura was curled up nearby. "Pokemon are incredible, huh? They all have their own personalities. It's a treat to meet every one."
Post by Sidney Ridley on Apr 26, 2020 21:06:15 GMT
A soft smile pulled onto Sid’s features as Koa regarded their relationship with Nurse. Looking back to Nurse, they caught him smiling a bit at that. “Sometimes, I think, we’re all just waiting for someone to come into our lives, and the minute they do, it just sorta clicks…” Nurse blushed and shook his head only to receive a head pat back. “Fate’s been very gracious to me, I’d say, meeting Nurse when I did.” Among other things.
The distance between Birch and Fuji was not one to be taken lightly, and Sid nodded at that. “I spend most of the work week in Birch and go home to Fuji when I can,” they explained before looking up and back towards Great Serpent that had leaned a little around the tree. “GS and my own Drampa, Lord, get me there and back in good time.” It was still a trek, all the same.
As Sid and Koa talked about him, Excalibur the Honedge floated about observing Koa’s Pokemon for himself. Hmmmm hmmmmm. They all seemed unfit candidates to do battle with at that point. Maybe someday they would, but he could be patient. For now. That Pancham could grow. Perhaps it would be interesting someday. Looking back at Koa, he tilted his hilt and blade in a vaguer acknowledgment of him.
Angel the Espeon looked at the person she was being introduced to and gave a small nod to him before resting a little more on Sid. She received a few more ear scratches for the efforts.
And then there was Mothra who was busy squishing Koa’s face with his soft buggy feelers. At… at least Koa took it alright. Being pat on the head had Mothra uttering a soft cooing noise and tilting his head to one side to receive more pats. This was a very soft human. Very squishy. Very good, or so he decided.
As Mothra relaxed again, Sid breathed out softly. “They are….” they agreed to Koa’s words. They never did tire of them.
Floating back around after assessing everything that he wanted to, Excalibur squinted at the extended shadow…. And then immediately jumped into it blade first. Phantom shrieked bounding out of his own shadow right after. Sid jolted. Angel tensed. Nurse and GS deadpanned in unison. “Gak— Excalibur!” Sid squeaked a little. Their voice would be drowned out by a now inconsolable Phantom who was yelling and throwing his arms up and down at the shadow in the tree where Excalibur had disappeared into.
Sid tried… they tried very hard… to keep a straight face… but suddenly they were laughing all over again. Oh no. Oh poor baby. Oh gosh…
Waiting for someone to come into your life...Koa looked over at Azura and the other Pokemon. "Yeah...that's a great way to put it." He said with a smile. "Azura's own strength in the face of the hardships she had to deal with has been very inspiring to me. She was downtrodden after what happened to her mother, but once she bounced back, it was night and day." He explained. "It was such a wake up call. Just because things are difficult doesn't mean they're always going to be. Sometimes you have to find the will to keep going. I used to be with...a bad crowd growing up. Thought I wouldn't make anything of my life. She taught me that it's okay to go through hardships and that I could change for the better."
"I figured it was like that." He said with a nod when Sid explained how their work week was. "When I'm not traveling I usually just stay in Ranger barracks. I don't really have a place of my own yet. I should do something about that once I explore a bit more. It's fun traveling around, though. I get to meet all sorts of people and Pokemon in the meantime."
Excalibur seemed to acknowledge Koa and his Pokemon, though he was interrupted when Mothra wanted more pats, so Koa obliged. "There you are. Affectionate, aren't you?" He said "I've never seen a Frosmoth up close before, but even I know he's a big one. I don't think there are any Frosmoth or Snom in Alola, so it's amazing to meet one in person."
Suddenly the atmosphere changed as Phantom started to fuss after Excalibur did...something? He didn't notice, though he did look concerned. Though apparently it wasn't all that bad as Sid started to laugh "Um...? I'm not entirely sure what just happened, but are they all okay?" He asked. The noise woke up Sakuya, who looked groggy and annoyed. She made an annoyed little squeak as she turned away and tried to get back to sleep. "Oh dear...someone's cranky."
A gentle smile held on Sid’s features as Koa spoke of Azura. It was always so nice to hear ‘success stories’ like that. Heartwarming. The omission that followed, however, had Sid blinking surprised. Koa didn’t look anything like what they’d imagine the wrong crowd to look like. But a change of heart can change a whole person…. Heh. That’s wonderful too.
Listening to how Koa spent his days, Sid gave a small nod. “There’s so much to see still, I can understand….” If Gaki hadn’t wanted to be a farmer, would Sid have settled down? They didn’t know.
A soft laugh escaped from Sid as Koa regarded Mothra. “I met Mothra as a Snom in a recent swarm,” they explained. “Turns out their evolution method is affection and well….” Well, it was clear how much Sid cared for their Pokemon. Mothra’s big doey eyes were a glaring reflection of that. What a silly creature.
After Phantom’s outburst, however, Sid couldn’t help but laugh. “Ah… ah yeah, sorry, yeah,” they assured with a small nod. “Ghost Pokemon can move through shadows, and Excalibur likes to kick Phantom out of his own sometimes…” The Haunter looked sideways at Side and flailed both arms a bit irritably. That was at least until a squeak caught Phan’s attention. Looking at the baby, he frowned and floated around behind Sid. Sid reached back and gently pat his hand in assurance.
“I guess it might be like getting kicked out of your house by an annoying younger cousin…” Sid snorted softly at that. Their eyes flicked over to the shadow that was now Excalibur’s. Only one cool and vaguely judgmental eye could be seen from it.
Koa walked over and picked up Sakuya, who just sort of squished against Koa happily as she quickly fell asleep again. "She's so precious." Koa said happily as he cradled her. "I'll admit, after living on an island for so long, living somewhere on the mainland is a bit overwhelming. Still, it's a great experience. I always wondered what it was like for my dad whenever he traveled abroad for work, and now I suppose I understand in a way. There's always more to discover."
He looked back at Mothra and smiled at him "Well he's adorable, that's for sure. I should see about finding a Snom one day. Mothra's just won my heart." He said with a laugh. "He loves meeting new people and isn't afraid to show his appreciation for another's company. That's a lovely personality."
Koa didn't mind Phantom's antics, really "No need to apologize. He was just having fun, and Excalibur was teasing or play fighting. At least...that's how I see it. Besides, he looks apologetic for waking Sakuya. He's honestly really nice, isn't he? Well, he's forgiven. These things happen." He said as he waved at Phantom to show he had no hard feelings.
He looked over at the shadow, quirking an eyebrow at Excalibur's 'expression' but otherwise paid it no real mind. "After a quick visit to Fuji Town I was actually planning on doubling back to Birch. I think I might be qualified to take a test for a promotion within the Rangers. I'm...nervous. I feel like I still have so much to learn, but I'm progressing faster than I thought I would. Not to brag, of course..." He said nervously. He had a problem with self-esteem and didn't really know how to talk about his accomplishments very well.
Kupuna raised her head and looked at him, but it was mostly out of concern. The others were simply enjoying the nice rest. Toki was meditating as Azura watched him, curious though also thinking her new friend looked really cool. Janus, meanwhile, just observed everything atop a small rock, being silent and near motionless as Natu tend to be.
A small chuckle escaped from Sid as they watched Koa squish the baby effectively comforting her back to sleep again. It was precious, absolutely adorable.
Their attention pulled back to Koa, however, as he started speaking. “Oh yeah?” Sid hummed back softly. They’d never lived on an island before, well if you didn’t call Kanto’s landmass an island island. They could only imagine the strange sight of so much water in every direction. It actually sounded a bit unnerving now that they thought about it.
Mothra cooed at Koa’s words and fluttered his wings some after that. He was very pleased to receive such nice compliments!!! Sid smiled all the more, happy to see their Pokemon so happy.
Thereafter, though, Sid glanced back to Phan as he was addressed next. The Haunter tilted his body one way and then the next before stretching. He wasn’t shy or anything! He was just stretching back here, yep! Sid chuckled again.
Excalibur, meanwhile, stared out from the shadow with his singular eye and then… made a strange expression back at Koa to acknowledge him.
Leaning back against Phantom, Sid hummed softly as Koa spoke. “Trial by fire is a respectable stance to take,” they replied. “In Saffron, there are entrance exams for nursing school… and then four exams total you take before you finish.” They half laughed. “The entrance exams were by far the hardest, but once I took them, it felt like I could face anything so…” They shrugged their shoulders lightly. “Being nervous is reasonable, just don’t let it stop you.” Flashing a grin, they raised a peace sign right after.
Koa felt better after Sid's reassurances and tales of their own nerves dealing with nursing exams. "Yeah, you're right." He nodded. "There's so much I want to do here in Arciel. Do my job as a Ranger and keep people safe...and travel around, doing the things I never let myself have the chance to when I was growing up. Once everyone's a little stronger I'll start taking on some gyms and see how that plays out." He said, excited to give that a try. He wanted to push himself and take on increasingly difficult challenges alongside his team.
He watched the various reactions of Sid's team and laughed "You've got a lot of personality in your team. It's never a dull moment, huh?" He said with a smile "I love observing different personalities in Pokemon, especially within the same species of Pokemon. There's always going to be some kind of difference, even if it's very subtle. They always have such fun personalities that make them stand out as individuals."
He thought about that for a moment "I wonder if I get that from my dad. My mom likes Pokemon too, but my dad is very passionate. It's part of the reason he started working in Pokemon conservation. He goes from region to region and makes sure the local Pokemon population is cared for and in balance. As a result he's away a lot of the time, but we keep in touch pretty well."
"Anyway, back on the topic of tests...thanks again for the encouragement. Being nervous can be a good thing as long as you don't let it stop you. I've been like that for far too long. I really do want to better myself in that regard and face the future with my head held high. As nervous as I am, I'm honestly looking forward to the challenge just to see how far I've come."
Oh? “You’re interested in doing the gym challenge?” Sid asked, already pretty sure they had heard correctly. “That’s interesting. I haven’t had a chance to see what it’s like here actually…” Granted, they hadn’t ever really considered doing anything close to that before then either. “Back home, they were very elaborate events sometimes.”
A softer smile pulled onto Sid’s features as Koa reflected on their team. Never a dull moment…yeah? Yeah. “You know when I consider this versus the Pokemon center I work at, it doesn’t seem like much, honestly,” they answered with a small grin. Nurse gave a dramatic sigh at that. Sid snorted and elbowed him back gently. “<You know you love it, Nurse-chan>” they replied in Kantonian. The Audino rolled his eyes and then slowly shrugged his shoulders back. He supposed.
Angel, meanwhile, rested a little harder on Sid as she listened to Koa’s words. She wondered how she compared with other Espeon if at all. Feeling the weight shift, Sid gently raised a hand to scratch her ears. A soft appreciative purr was given back.
As Koa spoke about his dad, Sid bit the inside of their mouth. So many wandering dads… Did they even have the right to be mad at their own? It was a question they considered time and time again. Ah well, their feelings were their own, and that was that. Maybe I should call Mom, actually… They’d been away for a while now. Surely, she missed them, right? Ngh.
It was easier to focus on Koa’s words, easier to focus on Koa as a person. “Gambatte,” they answered with a small nod. “If you do take it in Birch, you should come to the Center after— ah, the one on main street and fifth,” they corrected. “I’d love to take care of your Pokemon.” Nurse stood and gave an immediate salute at that He would do the best!
Koa nodded "Yeah, I'm interested. What better way to prepare for the battles ahead than to get that kind of experience under my belt, right?" He said with a confident smile "Nervous as I am...I'm going to push forward for myself and my team. I'm excited to see what it all entails!"
They mentioned that gym battles back where they're from were elaborate events "I hear a lot of really strong trainers got their start in Kanto. Anything you can tell me about them if you have any good stories? Gym battles are still sort of a new concept to Alola, but the League that formed there is very strong. Just thinking about going up against each Kahuna like that...I respect anyone who could pull that off."
He couldn't help but chuckle at Sid's interaction with Nurse "If I didn't meet Azura I probably would have become a nurse myself. I just loved meeting the different Pokemon that came in. It would get pretty heartbreaking from time to time though, so I have nothing but respect for those who can deal with tough situations like that."
He rubbed the back of his head as Sid wished him good luck "Heh, thank you. I'll take you up on that offer, too! I'll let you know whenever I'm in the area and how the test goes. Speaking of which, maybe we should exchange contact information?" He suggested. Koa's Pokemon felt comfortable with Sid. They had this air about them that relaxed them and made Sid seem trustworthy. "Once we get going, we should be close to Fuji Town. Today's been quite the adventure, huh? Glad you decided to say hello when you did." He said with a warm, happy smile. "Selfish as it sounds, it always feels great to have my journey validated by others. I know I should believe in myself more, but having the support of others definitely helps me move forward."
Ah hmmm. Sid paused to consider what they knew of Saffron’s gym. They had seen a couple matches here and there, but were there any that stood out especially? Actually— Oh… Sid drew in a breath and then let it go.
“I did have a chance to see a match with a challenger who would go on to be in the League semi-finals,” they spoke carefully down at Angel instead of Koa. She looked back up at them with a questioning gaze. “He had a Gengar but still struggled against Sabrina’s Psychic tactics. She was very good at covering all her bases with things like Light Screen and Reflect reducing even super effective damage. I think all Gym Leaders are like that, though, covering Type disadvantage with tricks and different things.” Looking up again, they smiled a bit easier again.
Sid lightened even more as Koa mentioned that he would have been a nurse in another setting. “It can be difficult, but it is very rewarding,” they agreed. They were just as happy when Koa agreed to let them look at his Pokemon after the challenge was met. “Oh yeah, sounds good,” they shifted a little to pull out their phone. “Why don’t we do that now before either of us forgets.” Once they had Koa’s information stored, Sid returned their phone to their pocket again.
At the mention of support, though, they grinned. “It may be selfish, but it’s not wrong,” they answered. “The world is a lot less lonely and sad when you have friends supporting you.” Raising two fingers, they gave a peace sign. “You have my support!” And there it was, that knightly voice again rising up in them and that bright wide disposition again.
Koa pondered this for a moment "It makes sense that gyms would take care to come up with all kinds of tricks and strategies to mitigate type disadvantage. I'll have to consider that and come up with tricks of my own. Can't really brute force my way through everything." He would have to consider what moves to teach his team. "Still that sounds incredible. I'll have to watch gym battles online and see what I can learn from them. I've read a lot of books during training, but practical experience and research will help out a ton."
He added Sid's information to his phone and put it away. "Even during volunteer work I was pushed to my limits, but I wouldn't trade those days for anything. They gave me my appreciation for Pokemon again. How to take care of certain species and seeing the happy faces of trainers once their Pokemon were all better. It was such a good experience."
Koa couldn't help but blush at Sid's next words "Thank you..." He said softly. "I noticed that. I lived a long time feeling pretty lonely and miserable, but once I started making friends it started to brighten day by day, even if I didn't really know how to describe it at first. Your support is very appreciated, Sid. I hope I'll be able to support you too when you ever need it." To meet someone who valued mutual support and cherished friendships like this brightened Koa's day more than Sid might realize. He knew a few people who just gave up on friendships and kindness after one too many bad things happening. He was determined to be a friendly and supportive figure and to inspire others to do the same.
"I'll do my absolute best to be a Ranger people can look up to. I want to make something of myself and be an inspiration. If people find the strength and courage to pave their own paths forward because of me, then I'll live a happy life."
Sid smiled a little softer. “I was really lonely as a kid,” they admitted. “My dad travels, and my mom works full time…. But then I met a precious person who needed me as much as I needed her.” Sid chuckled softly at that. “She was so lonely and hostile and dumb and cute, and I just wanted to be there for her no matter what.” Exhaling, Sid shrugged their shoulders and grinned. “I even followed her out on a whim to Arciel, and honestly, I have no regrets.”
At Koa’s assurance that he’d work hard, Sid gave a sagely nod back. “Sounds like you have a plan. Gambatte. You’ve got the heart of a knight, so I’m sure you’ll do great.” They grinned a little only to receive a paw to the face from Angel. A laugh escaped from Sid as they looked down to her again. The Espeon trilled softly and purred right after. “Ah, yeh, me too,” Sid answered with a small nod. “I want to heal as many as I can, so they can go on to fulfill their magical destinies." hey looked up to Koa again and grinned.
"Sometimes it takes finding someone you really care for to help you figure out your life. I know how that is." Koa said with a nod as he listened to Sid's story. "We're a lot alike in that sense. I was cripplingly shy growing up, with that and my insecurity really messing up my childhood. But I also don't have any regrets being where I am today."
"It's the start of a plan, but it's definitely a plan! Thanks for your well wishes, Sid. They're appreciated. I'll do my best to live up to the encouragement." He laughed. "We both have pretty admirable goals, huh? Let's not lose track of them anytime soon."
Koa gathered up his team and climbed onto Kupuna along with the rest "Well, I think we should continue towards Fuji Town. We should see about getting there before it gets too late." He said as he looked out towards the road. He would wait for Sid to get ready before moving along. "Today's been a lot of fun, by the way. I'm glad we bumped into each other when we did!"
Sid smiled softly. “Sounds good,” they agreed to Koa’s words. So long as they didn’t lose sight of their individual goals in life, they would probably be fine, yeah. Yeah. Time to get home, though… They started to move as Koa did, returning those who didn’t need to be traveling too much, before climbing on GS. “Yes indeed!” they spoke again brightly this time. “Onwards!” On into town.
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