Beginner RP: Rick [Enigma]

@Rick;

NBP#19

Ranger Ivy Frost

---

Rick put his hand on Iris to help calm her down, and it worked for the most part. But for all his trying to pull her and her struggling, she wasn't budging from that spot.

Puzzled, the Trainer thought for a while, looking over his Pokemon. His eyes settled on her hooves, which, coincidentally or not, made him focus on the shadow there. A shadow that was not moving with the horse, no matter how she shifted.

Rick confirmed that parts of Iris that weren't her legs, like her head, she was able to move freely. It was just the bottom part stuck. “So... Shadow Tag?” he asked himself. “How sneaky...”

Ivy nodded. “Most likely. This place can bring in Pokemon from all over the park, so there's a couple different things this could be.” She glanced at Haji on the other side of Iris. If it wasn't anything too dangerous—which she had to trust he'd tell her so—then the options of what it could be were pretty limited actually.

Then, Rick got an idea. He asked them to back up. Considering their track record with fires today, Ivy wisely took several steps back. Haji took considerably fewer, but then again, he could protect himself pretty easily.

When they were safely away, the Trainer said, “Alright, Iris, flare up with a strong flame cloak!”

Ivy saw the thought process behind the suggestion. As the Ponyta concentrated, her mane and tail flickered and glowed brighter, then flared up around her, licking her body in flames that did nothing to harm her. The Ranger could feel the heat intensify even from several feet away—probably not helped by the thin tube they were in.

However, even when the shadows considerably dimmed underneath the horse, she still couldn't budge. The darkest place was between two objects, and there was no such thing as light without darkness. Underneath her feet, the dark still dwelled, still anchored her into place. But it was a good attempt.

Iris thrashed her head, sending the flames spurting wildly. The flare made Ivy flinch and she put up her hands.

“Okay, you can probably tone it down now. That didn't seem to work,” she said. It was hot on the patches of her exposed skin. Curiously, though, even with the intense light, the corners of the hallway were still sort of dark, almost unnaturally so.

This whole tunnel gave her the heebee-jeebies really, and she had seen some dark stuff in her line of work. It just... wasn't right.

With a mental nudge to Haji, she asked him his opinion.

“It is not...normal,” he finished, hesitating a moment, searching for the right word. And, oddly enough, the transmission was... staticy. That had never happened to her before, not once their bond had been solidified. Something was interfering.

“I don't think this area of the Ruins is behaving correctly,” Ivy reported, scanning the hall for anything out of place. “However, Haji says that the Pokemon is nearby—it has to be for this.” Yes, she was able to pick that up at least. But Haji's mental thoughts were not as clear as they should be.

“Look for anything strange. The Pokemon has to be here. Since Iris can't do much, we're going to have to rely on us.”

---

Current Encounter Stats: N/A

Area Effects: Iris is still frozen in place. But the offending Pokemon is nearby.

---

Trainer Stats

Name: Rick
Place: Enigma Ruins
Encounters Remaining: 2
Area Effects: Tight, dark hallway.
Pokemon Encountered: Tyrogue, Purrloin, Cleffa
Pokemon Captured: Naive M Tyrogue
MCR: 7,130

Items: Park Ball x2, Energy Powder x1, Lava Cookie x1, Pokedoll x1

Pokemon Stats

Species: Ponyta @ 89%
Nickname: Iris
Gender: Female
Ability: Run Away
Nature: Hardy
Taught Moves: Sunny Day; Solar Beam; Morning Sun

 

Still feeling stuck in place even after brightning the room, Iris started flaring to a point where the mane started spurting embers, most like in the previous room. Sure, I asked for a strong cloak, but there's a difference between a controled flame cloak, and one that is triggered by anger. Being in a confined space also didn't help with the increasing temperature.

"Alright, that's enough!" Having said that, her flames toned down. "You can keep it just in case. Just not that much. You were almost in a Flare Blitz". She droped her head slightly, with her body still ablaze. It wasn't as bright as when she was flaring, now it was just to serve as a layer of protection.

We were back to square one. The ranger let us know the room wasn't behaving properly. "Look for anything strange", she said. "Something strange? This entire building! Nothing is normal here." I replied. "I can't fight what I can't see..." I then stopped for a brief moment. "And why didn't it light up the corners? Nope, that's it! I'm done playing this Hide & Seek!"

I put my hand on my pocket, pulling off a doll they give us at the beginning and which I didn't realize until then that it had the shape of a pink blob, similar to the one we had found the room before, except this one also had some appendices which people call "wings"... yuck...

Anyways, it was supposed to be used to distract pokémon for when a trainer wants to escape a problematic pokémon. Except I was gonna put it to an alternative use as decoy. Objects can be used in more than one way. "How curious are pokémon in the Park?" I asked while glimpsing at the doll for a while. "Let's find out."

I went a few steps into the darkness and placed the doll into a sit pose in the middle of the hallway. Then I came back, walking backwards towards Iris before crouching at her side. "You managed to hear it back at the start of the hallway" I said to her, she turned her head slightly towards me. "Now focus, and try to catch that same noise again".

That said, she closed her eyes, with her ears perked scanning the surroundings. If one can't rely on sight, then one must rely on their other sences. "If you pick something, shoot it! Better yet, trap it in a Fire Spin. Don't worry about the doll, it's just a cheap tool."

(Word count: 421)
(Character count: 2,271)​

@WinterVines

 

(( taking this over for Winter by request! Let's get this started back up! Woo! ))

NBP #1

Strange was an understatement--deep within the abandoned structure of the old laboratory, something is very wrong. Suffocating shadows seem to creep in on them from every angle, swallowing the brilliant light given off by the equines vibrant flame. Rick tires quickly of the game, and nobody can blame him; it seemed like they were truly trapped, stranded in a narrow corridor without any way to leave or progress. Rick shifts his strategy, opting to use his Pokedoll to attract their hidden foe.

The doll sits in the center of the hallway. Cupped ears of the alert--and still very nervous--Ponyta swivel forward, straining to capture any sound. For several agonizingly long moments, there is nothing, only the crackling of the filly's flame. Then, in the darkness, there is a scuffling of feet near the doll.

Iris' reaction is swift. Flame from her cloak peels away in a rapid stream that races out to encircle the doll. Eager to avoid the heated flame passing them in the narrow hall, Ivy and Haji lean close against the corridor's wall. Things happen quickly, then. The Ranger and her Pokemon disappear suddenly the moment that they touch the surface, blinking away as if they had never existed. Their shadows disappear abruptly with them as their touch activates the warp pad embedded into the wall, delivering them who-knows-where. In the same span of time, the fire sweeps about the laid bait.

A startled cry leaps from within the burning ring. "Wyyyy!" As the Fire Spin dies down to its smaller, entrapping ring, it lowers its flaming veil enough to let them see the culprit. The blue Pokemon has been knocked to its rear in surprise, though a happy smile and glee-scrunched eyes still adorn its features. However, large blue bang droops atop its head. Then, as it regains its bearings, its lowered head snaps up.

One gets the feeling that if the creature could open its eyes, a glare that would leave them in smithereens would be fixed upon Iris but they remain closed as it continues to face Iris with that impossibly wide smile. Its only movement is its black paddle of a tail, which begins to smack the ground repeatedly. Then, a soft glow begins to overcome its body as the creature channels its anger. Some of the fire that loops around it begins to raise from the ground, swirling briefly in the air before being fired straight back at Iris and Rick!

With Ivy and Haji gone, Rick is on his own, now. The stream of flame races toward them--he'd have to think fast! ​

Encounter Stats:

Wynaut / ?? / ? / ??? / 92%
used Mirror Coat!


Iris / Ponyta / Hardy / F / Run Away / 89%
used Fire Spin!​

Trainer Stats:

Spoiler

Rick at the Enigma Ruins!
Remaining Encounters: 2
Environment: Enigma Ruins, within the laboratory.
Pokemon Encountered: Tyrogue, Purrloin, Cleffa
Pokemon Captured: Tyrogue M Naive

Items: Park Ball x2, Energy Powder x1, Lava Cookie x1

MCR: 9,401 characters
Total: (will calculate later!) characters

Pokemon Stats:

Spoiler

Iris / Ponyta / F / Hardy / Run Away / 89%
EMs: TM Sunny Day, TM Solar Beam, BM Morning Sun

 

It took a while for Iris to detect something, but a few moments later, she finally reacted to the presence of some individual that had been curious enough to drop its guard and go check the doll. She fired the flames from her cloak at the target, which formed into a ring of fire that trapped the pokémon inside. This new lighting was enough to reveal what turned out to be a Wynaut.

"See? Now everything becomes clearer." - I exclaimed with a smile, mostly directed for the ranger. Only for me to realize that there was no ranger anymore... nor her pokémon, by the way. "Err... wait, what? Where did you guys go?" - I called, but there was no response. Iris also turned back at me trying to figure out what was happening. It was way too quick for them to simply go away back through the corridor, and I was also pretty sure there was a policy for rangers not leaving trainers at their mercy like that.

"My mind is playing tricks on me..." I said to myself, rubbing my head. Iris had already turned back to the flames circling the pokémon that was now back up on his feet, though her head was still slightly turned to me. "Nah, it's just this place as a whole, really. Looks like its only you and me now". That said, she was now focused on the Wynaut.

The pokémon was mostly motionless, with only his tail slapping the ground, but that alone was a sign of anger. Now, Wynauts and their evolution can't attack by their own, but they endure a lot and return moves sent to them back to their owners. And right now, he was doing that. His body started to glow, and some of the flames surrounding it from the last attack raised up and were shot back at us.

Normally it would actualy be a good thing to take a few embers, but Iris was still too young to absorb fire. Also in this case in particular, there wasn't much space to maneuver either, so anything thrown at us would have to be taken head on. "Intercept those flames with Fire Blast!" - I ordered. A fire ball shoots from her mouth, taking on a star-shaped flame along the way. "Now. Follow behind with Flame Wheel!" - I told her immediately after. In quick response, Iris charges toward the target while concealed in flames, with the Fire Blast moving ahead to serve as counterfire against the incoming embers. The size of it should also be enough to partially hide her from her opponent as she closed in.

(Word count: 442)
(Character count: 2,354)​

@K'sariya

 

BP #1

As the Wynaut is exposed, the grip of the shadows slowly recedes, like claws unclenching from slender legs. Rick's order is followed up on swiftly. Hooves clatter loudly on cracked linoleum as the filly begins to charge forward without hesitation. It is done easily; after all, it's the first thing she would have thought to do, so she doesn't even have to think about the command. Heavy skull lowers and wide lips part to let loose a stream of flame even as her own fiery mane devours her form.

Fire of the Fire Blast and reflected Fire Spin mingle, flame clashing against its own essence. The fiery star collapses back upon the flaming Ponyta as it charges through, but her own fire helps shield her from what the Wynaut had closed back. Vision having been blocked by the star until Iris had come crashing through it, the Wynaut suddenly realizes it's being charged. It gives a furious cry. Its uses its tail to impressively--and unexpectedly--launch itself into the air straight at Iris!

Its long, rabbit ear-like appendages begin to glow as it charges the Counter to the Flame Charge. They strike forward as the two collide, driving Iris' attack back with equal force as the bangs slap across her face. Startled,
the Ponyta rears with a whinny, front hooves striking the air, but quickly seeks to bring the back down upon the Wynaut with a mighty Stomp. Legs crash her weight down upon the creature right as it lands, catching it by surprise. It barely manages to avoid its body being stomped--instead Iris' right hoof catches the Wynaut's left bang, coming down upon it to pin it!

The Wynaut gives a furious set of cries, swinging its tail back against Iris' front right leg, but it's weak struggling; it doesn't hit with much force. It tugs, trying to get away, but that only makes it hurt more, so it eventually stops struggling with its face down against the floor. It turns its head only to face closed eyes and happy features up at the Iris in what one can assume is the most hateful imagined glare ever, waiting for something to happen. ​

Encounter Stats:

Wynaut / ?? / ? / ??? / 75%
used Counter--is pinned!!


Iris / Ponyta / Hardy / F / Run Away / 80%
used Fire Blast, Flame Charge--then Stomp!​

Trainer Stats:

Spoiler

Rick at the Enigma Ruins!
Remaining Encounters: 2
Environment: Enigma Ruins, within the laboratory.
Pokemon Encountered: Tyrogue, Purrloin, Cleffa
Pokemon Captured: Tyrogue M Naive

Items: Park Ball x2, Energy Powder x1, Lava Cookie x1

MCR: 11,764 characters
Total: (will calculate later!) characters

Pokemon Stats:

Spoiler

Iris / Ponyta / F / Hardy / Run Away / 80%
EMs: TM Sunny Day, TM Solar Beam, BM Morning Sun

 

In a few seconds, Iris was already up-close the Wynaut, and the Fire Blast had served its purpose. Wynaut, despite having a short time frame to react, still managed to see Iris charging at him soon enough to counterattack. However, he ended up being in a bad spot right under Iris as she was rearing, which she used to her advantage by pinning the opposing pokémon down by his left arm. The Wynaut still struggled to get free, but it was no use. "Ow... how ironic. Who's trapped now?" - I mumbled with a faint smile.

She got him where she wanted it. But having no ranger with us now, it was hard to tell what we were allowed to do to a pokémon. They would usualy take care of any injuries the pokémon from the park would sustain after a battle. This one would be by its own, and it was a baby even. The ruins also weren't the easiest place to search for a pokémon even if they later knew.

"Alright, that's it! I think he learned by now." - I told her. Iris briefly looked to her right at me. "He poses no threat, and I wasn't going to catch it anyway." - I added. She turns back at her pinned opponent and snorted before steping out of the Wynaut's arm... at least that's what I would say is the equivalent to an arm for that species.

Iris made a few steps back, and we were now side by side. We nodded at each other before I mounted on her back. "Wherever we end up ahead, should be better than this corridor." - I told her while patting her neck twice. Before the little pokémon would get back on his feet, we were getting out of there past him. We would need a moment to assess our situation, and a place where we could barely see anything coming and almost no space to fight wasn't the ideal. "Alright. Let's go! Onwards!"

(Word count: 334)
(Character count: 1,723)​

@K'sariya

 

NBP #2

Hoof raises from the pinned blue arm. With a stubborn harrumph, the Wynaut rolls onto its bottom. Its other bang curls to tenderly nurse the injured one, though that same glare-not-glare follows the pair silently as they make their way by. Fortunately, it seems to have had enough; it doesn't follow. After a few moments, it merely slips back into the shadows, the rest of the fire petering out around it as it does so.

The adventurer was now Rangerless, without anyone familiar with the eerie ruins to guide him. Ahead lies the end of the corridor; to the left are two doors, but both of the lights above them are dark and empty, inactive and impassible without forcing the way through. In front, nestled at the corridor's end, is a door above which flickers a dim green light that means it'll slide open if they were to approach it. To the right, a yellow; active, but locked.

Ruins lie ominously still. Piles of metal crates and cardboard boxes line this part of the corridor. Papers lie scattered across the broken linoleum, pale as bone. There doesn't seem to be anything else here--for now.​

Encounter Stats:
none yet!​

Trainer Stats:

Spoiler

Rick at the Enigma Ruins!
Remaining Encounters: 1
Environment: Enigma Ruins, within the laboratory. It is quiet.
Pokemon Encountered: Tyrogue, Purrloin, Cleffa, Wynaut
Pokemon Captured: Tyrogue M Naive

Items: Park Ball x2, Energy Powder x1, Lava Cookie x1

MCR: 1,729 characters
Total: (will calculate at run end!) characters

Pokemon Stats:

Spoiler

Iris / Ponyta / F / Hardy / Run Away / 80%
EMs: TM Sunny Day, TM Solar Beam, BM Morning Sun

 

As we were getting away, I still took a glimpse at the Wynaut standing up. For a few seconds I was actually waiting for it to want more and trap Iris again, in which case I should probably brace myself for a flight due to a sudden brake. But the pokémon opted for the other way around and left. That brake would eventualy come though, as Iris was reaching the end of the corridor, and we already knew the issues of high speeds in this kind of environments.

"Whoa, hang on! Wall!" - I shouted while leaning back slightly. Iris stopped striding and slided a few meters before coming into a stop. I took a few moments looking at all sides of that room we were in, including the ceiling and high on the walls, while dismounting. Pretty much in any area we would get in where there's none of those holographic systems to recreate areas, all we would find was piles of trash.

This one wasn't in as bad of a state as the first one where we found the Tyrogue, of course - that was the extreme - but it still kept the trend of a messy, dark room and, something recurrent until then: no windows nor anything where some light could get in. That one didn't surprised me anymore. I knew a good part of the Ruins were underground. So if we ever thought about some classic techniques like smoke signals or the sort, then too bad!

And another thing: there wasn't just one way of proceeding. While I was examining the room, and I hadn't even started making a deeper inspection, there were four doors. I sighed "Alright, here we go again, more decisions to make..." - I mumbled, putting my hands on my waist. That would be way too linear and even practical for whoever used to work here. Having four doors with which to get even more lost is way better.

I still took my time to check some papers scattered, hoping to find something useful. Best case scenario would be to find plants of the Ruins, although since rangers themselves didn't have them - and they sure came here a lot more times and went further than I did - I honestly thought they would be just junk. And for the most part I was right. These were so old, that most of the ink had already been worned out, and the few ones who still had something on them were illegible. And I had my doubts that any of the technology here besides the simulation system was functioning.

"Nothing!" - I said out loud, while throwing some of the paperwork into the air. I sitted down by one of the doors, thinking. Iris came to my side, her head lowered close to me. It wasn't hard to tell that she understood my frustration at that point. I think anyone would. I reached out my hand to pet her neck. "You know what? If we look at it this way, we've been there already." - I told her. "No one was there to guide us on those woods nor caves or wherever we've been exploring in our field trainings." - She nodded.

I got up and clapped hands. "So...! All we're gotta do is move forward, deep into this place! Whatever happens, happens. And we deal with it." - I said. Iris whinnied in agreement. From the four doors, only one was actually unlocked and still functioning. If we were to get through the other ones, it would have to be through force, at least for the two on the left side. It would be possible to go to the right if I knew a way to unlock it, but I wasn't interested on wasting my time trying to figure a way to open it. "Normaly, green means it's good. We'll go the easy way." - I gestured to the one on the center. I didn't even need to do anything else, it just opened by itself once I got closer. I think that was the one we had found in best condition in the entire building so far.

I turned to Iris at my side before we walked in. "Alright, priority to find the way out. No unnecessary risks, and we'll fight to defend ourselves. This isn't the typical walk in park anymore."

(Word count: 731)
(Character count: 3,811)​

@K'sariya

 

NBP #3

Echo of hooves skidding to a stop on the linoleum ripple and bounce loudly about them as the two come to a halt at the end of the hall. Shuffling through papers proves unfruitful; the hall has been scavenged, disturbed, and otherwise upset by past explorations. The green-lit door slides open easily to receive them with a whoosh of hydraulics.

Within is an office, a fairly standard one. Scattered papers lay discarded and spread across the floor, painting a similar picture as outside, in the hall. This one seems more intentionally ruffled, though; filing cabinet drawer have been pulled nearly off of their hinges, their contents dumped everywhere. It seems like there isn't a single piece that has gone unturned within. It's almost as if someone was looking for something intentional. From the door's side-by-side relationship with the unlocked one, it seems likely that they'd been looking for some sort of key.

Otherwise, the room is small, quiet, and uninteresting. Iris gives a snort as they step in, eyes flicking attentively about.

The office itself is silent for a few long moments, and then suddenly, there's a low humming sound. The walls flicker with holographic projection, the world falling away around them. Brilliant plantlife buds around them, verdant trees and flora springing to life at their feet. The Botanical Gardens is projected, but the boundaries of the room are gone--if they were to reach behind them, there would be no wall or door any longer, as if they're caught in some sort of in-between; not quite in the Ruins, but not quite out of them, either, but it's impossible to tell.

Before them stands a small, round Pokemon, yellow in hue and with dark brown stripes latched onto its front and eyes. Large, beady orbs glitter in the sunlight above as the Pokemon stares at them, its breath held, seemingly startled by what is, for it, their sudden appearance. Leaves stand perked in surprise as it watches them, both wary and curious. ​

Encounter Stats:

Sunkern / ?? / ? / ??? / 100%
is watching carefully!


Iris / Ponyta / F / Hardy / Run Away / 80%​

Trainer Stats:

Spoiler

Rick at the Enigma Ruins!
Remaining Encounters: 0
Environment: Enigma Ruins, within the laboratory. It is quiet.
Pokemon Encountered: Tyrogue, Purrloin, Cleffa, Wynaut, Sunkern
Pokemon Captured: Tyrogue M Naive

Items: Park Ball x2, Energy Powder x1, Lava Cookie x1

MCR: 5,554 characters
Total: (will calculate at run end!) characters

Pokemon Stats:

Spoiler

Iris / Ponyta / F / Hardy / Run Away / 80%
EMs: TM Sunny Day, TM Solar Beam, BM Morning Sun

 

The door slided open, and just a few steps ahead we were already in the next room. I perked at the room before taking a step inside. The scenario was pretty much the same. "Is this place playing tricks on us again? This looks exactly the same where we were at about 10 seconds ago..." - I said, with arms crossed and looking around. This one looked like if someone else before us had already turned it upside down, and that's pretty much the only diference I noticed. Even if this place was abandoned and things would eventualy deteriorate, time doesn't open shelves.

The room was equally silent and had pretty much no lighting. It stayed like that for a long while, untill the Ruins decided it was time to show off a bit more of its charm, as the system that recreated the biomes suddenly turned On. "Uhuh... I missed this..." - I murmured, as I watched the room, that pretty much looked like a standard office, turning into a vast, verdant plain. Up until that point, when we entered in other rooms that had this system, the area was already being projected before we arived. This was the first time we were watching the full proccess.

Being the first time at the Park, I hadn't been in any other areas of the island, and with no Ranger no tell, I didn't know what area of the Park it was recreating. But we live in a plain, so at least for once it felt like home. Of course, once you get back to your senses and remember that this is all just an illusion - a really well made one - those feelings start fading away, and we start focusing on the important stuff: the system turns On once it detects a pokémon in a room, and picks the area that suits it the most. Which means we should get what would be our last encounter here.

Once the projection was fully complete, I said to the Ruins as if they were some sentient being, "Give me your worst". A few moments after saying that, one of the bushes starts shackling. Now, we all know that phrase "Ask and you shall receive". Well... Iris and I were already adopting a more offensive pose, staring at the bush atentively, ready for some action. What kind of action? A Sunkern... I did ask the Ruins to give me the worst... and so it did...

Needless to say that I had quite a depressing face after looking at what was in front of us. Iris's ears perked down and her head droped. "Err... is this a joke?" I said, while looking at the ceiling. The Sunkern was staring at us, motionless. Iris walked towards it, sniffed the pokémon's leaves, and raised her left hoof above it while looking at me, as if asking "stomp it?".

"Don't!" - I shouted. "Can't even call that training. And uh... too much flamable stuff here anyways." - I added. She put her hoof back to the ground and trotted away from the Sunkern. We walked past, trying to ignore it, at the same time that we looked for some door or any kind of exist we could use to leave the room. "Okay... what now? See if you can find something we wouldn't normaly find in a plain. These projections shouldn't really trap someone inside them while active, do they?" - I said to Iris, while expressing a thoughtfull look.

(Word count: 584)
(Character count: 3,111)​

@K'sariya