_|-Individual RP: Mud the Kip-|_

NBP5

Ranger Makina Auran

OOC: Just realized I called Makina Akinai in a paragraph... also sorry this took so long to post D: hopefully this encounter makes up for it.

*~~~~~~~~~*

Upon seeing Mew's true form, Elisa seemed lost for words. This was certainly understandable; after all, few hardly witnessed seeing the elusive Pokemon even from a distance. To have one so up close and personal had to be an interesting experience in the very least. Still, she still managed to take this advantage to its fullest and pulled out a small camera to take a quick snapshot of the rare Psychic-type.

As the flash faded, Mew blinked its large eyes from the sudden burst of light. Still it hovered in place a moment, the pink feline's expression changing from idle curiosity to deep thought. Locking eyes with Elisa, as if trying to read the other Ranger's thoughts, Mew gave a short nod and turned away. After moving a few feet away, it turned about and looked back at them, as if expecting them to follow.

This time it was Makina's turn to be surprised. Legendary Pokemon tended to stay outside of Park affairs, mainly keeping to themselves while rarely stumbling into groups of Trainers exploring the area. Every now and then were was the rare poacher or two that managed to sneak their way in and try to capture the unique creatures, but those incidents were far between and handily dealt with by either the Rangers or even the Pokemon themselves. To have one actually try to lead them was almost unheard of. “Oh, this is going to be interesting,” Makina mused to herself before looking over at Elisa. “I'd say let's go on and follow Mew. We're having little luck looking about, and worst case scenario we can always backtrack.”

Seeing that the two humans were finally beginning to walk forward, the New Species gave a small flip in midair in glee. It then quickly moved ahead down a narrow overgrown path, as if time was of the essence. It was nearly impossible to see where the road ended and garden began, due to both being merged due to years of disuse. Eventually though, the trail opened up to a small grassy clearing. In the center stood a small grove of apple trees, with their fruits still green and far from ripening.

Still, there was one Pokemon who looked far too impatient to wait for the food to become red and sweet enough for eating. A midsized green Pokemon was currently hopping about, every now and then landing a swift kick on one of the thick trunks in a vain attempt to shake down one of the apples. Due to the movement and the easily identifiable form, it was easy to tell just what this Pokemon was.

“Looks like Mew had passed by a Breloom on the way to us and decided to show us the way,” Makina remarked. She noticed that while they had been observing the Grass-type's futile actions of apple harvesting Mew had managed to slip away, but it was hardly surprising; they had reached their destination, and the favor had been done. “It's likely to put up a fight, but up for it?”

*~~~~~~~~~*

Trainer Stats:

Name: Elisa, @MuddyMudkip;

Location: Botanical Gardens

Area Effects: Sun is shining, a light breeze is blowing... it's a nice day.

8 Encounters remaining

Pokemon Encountered: Happiny, Starly, Petilil, Roselia, Lillipup, Mew, Breloom

Pokemon Captured: Impish F Happiny

CC since last Encounter: 3963

Pokemon Statistics:

Pokemon: Icabella (Glaceon) (100%)

Gender: Female

Ability: Ice Body

Nature: Calm

TM/HM/EM: TM Hidden Power [Psychic]|TM Ice Beam|HM Strength

Pokemon: Abby (Ambipom) (75%)

Gender: Female

Ability: Pickup

Nature: Jolly

TM/HM/EM: TM Substitute|TM Low Sweep|TM ThunderPunch|TM Fire Punch

Total Items:

Pokedolls (3x), Parkballs (4x), [1 Package: Pokedoll; Poketoy; Fluffy Tail; Slowpoke Tail] (x3), Fragrances (3x), Super Potions (2x), Max Potions (2x), Max Revives (2x), Soothing Fragrance (1x), Superball (1x), Hyperball (1x), Blank Voice Disk (1x), Intermediate Bellow Disk [Durant] (1x), Supreme Park Ball (1x), Uncommon Voice Disk [Shroomish] (1x, 0 uses left.), PokePlayer (1x), Digital Camera (1x)

*~~~~~~~~~*

 

@Akinai;

OOC: Took me the whole day to finish this up... So tired and brain-dead. XD Oh, and Breloom's gender would be male. ^_^

With a click, Mew's picture had been snapped, and stored for a more important use in the near future. The creature blinked a few times from the bright light, but it did not seem to be too bothered or fazed by flash. It did not even show a hint of discomfort or irritation - good thing, too, else it probably would have fled right away.

I was rather surprised, though; it was already a rare phenomenon to even set your eyes on a legendary Pokemon, much less have it hover very close to you - but this one was even hanging around, though it had all the reasons in the world to stop lingering, pick itself up, and then leave. Not that I was complaining, of course! I felt like one of the most blessed people alive to be witnessing this - and that wasn't even an exaggeration.

The New Species Pokemon locked eyes with me, as if attempting to decipher just what I was thinking about - or rather, what I had been thinking about. Clearly, it was an intelligent Pokemon, proven by the fact that it had tried to deceive us earlier on by pretending that it was a Shroomish. Perhaps, the entity really did know that I was on the look-out for a Mushroom Pokemon.

Dropping its gaze, the legendary took a moment, pondering to itself with more than just a spark of curiosity in its eyes. Glancing back at us, it dipped its head in a nod, then turned and flew away. I sighed with content - this rare sensation was indubitably an occurrence I would never ever forget. I would forever cherish this moment, preserving it in my heart, as well as in a treasure chest in my mind, full of wonderful memories and reserved for only the most brilliant experiences - yes, that is certainly what I would do.

A gasp of surprise from my fellow ranger caused me to snap out of my thoughts and get my head back into the game. Following her gaze, an expression of astonishment came over me as well. Apparently, the Mew hadn't exactly departed from this area just yet - it was looking at us with an expression of expectation that seemed to say, Hey! Follow me!

"Oh, this is going to be interesting," Makina remarked with amusement in her voice. She suggested to continue on and follow the New Species Pokemon - a proposition I definitely agreed with. I nodded firmly in affirmation, not really feeling the need to say anything more as I tried to contain the enthusiasm bubbling within me - who knew where the feline would lead us? Plus, to my knowledge, it was almost unheard of for legendaries to be sticking around people, much less to lead them to some unknown place. I was going exploring, led by a Mew, of all specimens - who wouldn't be excited?

As we started to walk towards the pink creature, it gave a woop of glee - and, perhaps, if it was a human, it might have pumped its fist into the air - but instead, being a Pokemon that could float in the air, it did a nice 360-degree somersault, chuckling to itself. Impressive, I must admit - but then again, legendaries were always nothing short of being just that amazing (most of them, anyway).

It zipped in between a large grove of trees, not bothering to slow down or check back on us. We hurried along, very much keen on following the creature and making sure we did not lose sight of the pink feline. The trail here was, for a start, narrow - there was barely enough space to have the two of us walk side-by-side.

Dust and dirt had settled down everywhere, getting kicked up and forming a puff of particles whenever one of our feet stepped on the ground. The trees surrounding us provided shade from most of the sunlight, allowing the atmosphere to have a sense of coolness. However, they also made me feel rather confined - gazing up at them not only made it seem that it would be mighty easy to get lost in the wilderness, but also made me feel small and insignificant. And it didn't help that you could actually see the speckles of dust fluttering about, pushed here and there by the calm breezes. A few beams of sunlight managed to seep in, in between the leaves of the trees; sunlight streaming down would have been a beautiful sight to see - from my perspective, it would have given the place a sense of life and hope. I couldn't quite appreciate the light, though, with all the dirt creating fragments in the otherwise splendid rays.

Another thing to note here was how overgrown most of the plant-life was. The already-limited piece of land we were traveling on seemed to grow even slimmer as the rest of the garden overlapped the edges of the path, having merged with them over the long years of the inattentiveness of the people visiting the Botanic Gardens. Seeing the area in this kind of dreary state made my heart drop, and my stomach churn in an unpleasant way - I couldn't help but frown at the ignorance this part of the zone has received. I made a mental note to come back here one of these days to commence a, should I say, "renovation" session.

The legendary directed us into a wide open area, a clearing of sorts. Upon stepping into freedom, I took in a deep breath of fresh air. It was nice to be out of that dust-filled place - I certainly did not want any allergic reactions to arise. Wind rushed in from all directions, giving me a serene state of mind. I allowed myself relax for a while, closing my eyes and granting myself the freedom to feel. It was truly soothing to solely feel cool gusts of air flowing past you - you would just feel as free as the wild creatures roaming about the Gardens.

A very much audible thump brought me back to my senses, causing my eyes to jerk open in one sudden movement. My line of vision came to focus on a small grove of fruit trees in the middle of the grassy area. How I wasn't able to notice that earlier is completely beyond me. Apples adorned the branches of the trees, however, they clearly weren't ripe enough yet, having various shades of green. At any rate, what really piqued my interest was the Pokemon hopping around the orchard. I couldn't help but smile in pure delight, and it took every nerve in my being to regain control over my emotions and hinder me from simply jumping up and down in absolute exhilaration. Instead, I did a little victory dance inside my head.

Mew was easily one of my favorite legendaries, now - right next to Suicune, Kyogre, and Rayquaza, of course. I was exceptionally thrilled at what we had found in the middle of this clearing - and it was all thanks to the New Species Pokemon that we had encountered this creature.

He sported a bipedal body structure, but more importantly, very agile-looking body proportions, and I knew for a fact that his speed was indubitably a force to be reckoned with. A mushroom-like green "cap" sat atop his head, that seemed to have holes for scattering spores. The so-called cap also had visible gills and a round, somewhat berry-like part on both sides. The entity's*head, neck and tail were all tan in coloration, while his chest and lower half were colored a green hue. A petal-like arrangement extended out from his shoulders. His feet had two red claws, as did the creature's foreclaws, which seemed to be ideal for slicing and hacking away. A low growl escaped the his beak-like mouth as he continued to kick at the trees, seemingly desperate for some fruit.

"It's likely to put up a fight, but up for it?" Makina asked.

"Definitely," I replied, the vigor and ebullience evident in my voice. I couldn't stop smiling, nor could I keep the fervor from showing through my every action.

Personally, I couldn't even care less anymore if he was an evolved form of what I had been looking for and that I wouldn't have had the chance to bond with him or raise him up from a wee Shroomish - I was simply beyond grateful to have encountered such a rare being, and saying no to this now was definitely not something I would want to do.

However, before I could decide on which of my two partners to use in the upcoming battle, I resolved to obtaining more information about the wild Pokemon before all else. After all, it was always an intellectual idea to first become knowledgeable about what exactly you would be facing before establishing any course of action. That being said, I reached into my satchel once more, bringing out my Ranger's Digital Assistant, or RDA for short. It was a yellow device that somewhat looked a somewhat like the Poketch's of Hoenn, and could, with the press of a button, turn into a gadget that could be strapped around my wrist. Even though I was pretty much acting as a trainer on this run, that didn't necessarily mean I couldn't use my ranger gear to my advantage and convenience. Besides, the RDA definitely had a better, less irritating voice compared to most Pokedexes.

Bringing it approximately up to level with the continuously-moving Grass-Fighting-type, the gadget emitted a ray of red light that scanned the creature from top to bottom, without even disturbing him at all. "Breloom, the Mushroom Pokemon. It loves warm and humid climates and feeds on trees and plants in fields and forests. Once threatened, Breloom will not hesitate to fight and will not cease until their enemies have been warded off or beaten. Seed clusters made of hardened toxic spores can be found on the end of its tail, which it uses to slam into its foe. Its arms appear to be short and of little use, but they can stretch surprisingly far to deliver punches. Much like most Fighting-types, they are also very strong in the physical aspect and extremely fast. Some of its unique moves depends on these two factors; one, being able to hit high opponents, and the other to make sure it strikes first. Breloom closes in on its foe with light and sprightly footwork, its excellent footwork getting it within striking distance, then, using its stretchy arms, it unleashes a barrage of punches at its opponent. It knocks out its enemies with quick, virtually invisible punches," the device squeaked up.

I was pretty sure my mouth was literally hanging agape now, my jaw dropped. Information overload, you could say. But what surprised me even more was how good Breloom actually was, with all those awesome - though rather worry-some from my perspective - techniques and features. I mean, I knew their species was amazing, but now I realized it truly was an excellent Pokemon. And, in spite of the embedded warnings I had elicited out of everything the RDA had said, my courage did not falter one bit - in fact, it sparked up even more determination from within me to capture that Grass-Fighting-type. I had to be especially wary and alert in this battle, though; one careless thought and it could already spell disaster for my whole team - and I absolutely did not want anything similar to that happening, no way.

Now, who should I select for this bout, I wonder? Icabella would most likely do well in this fight, considering how Grass-types are generally weak to Ice-types attacks. Furthermore, Abby was probably still rather drained from the earlier battle with Happiny, so it was only right to leave her undisturbed with her well-deserved rest.

However, there was another factor that was pulling the strings of my mind. Fighting-typed moves would be super-effective against both my Pokemon. And, judging from the information my RDA had delivered, Breloom were generally fond of throwing punches, which were, more often than not, Fighting-types attacks - that was a rather large problem, come to think of it. I now regretted not teaching my Ambipom the Flying-type move, Acrobatics - I had been planning on working on that move with her for a while now, but I had never gotten around to do it, for some reason or another.

No matter - I just needed to trust my partners to get through this, whatever it takes. Forcing myself to shake the negative thoughts out of my head - they did nothing except to bring even more worry and fear into my mindset, anyway - I grasped a familiar red-and-white orb. There was no use in backing down now, I reasoned.

"Come on out, Icabella!" Settling on using my Glaceon, I tossed her Pokeball out in front of me. In mid-air, the ball snapped open with a rather audible clicking sound. Bright white light flooded out, bringing with it a creature that was soon revealed once the beams had shifted into their proper form on the ground. The glow dissipated, uncovering an entity covered in light blue fur and whose species was one of the seven eevee-lutions. Twitching her rhombus-shaped ears in greeting, she bounded up to me, awaiting orders with a peaceful expression on her face. There wasn't anything rushed or agitated about how she moved, and in a way, this brought about a serene atmosphere around me as well.

As I pondered to myself, trying to create a viable course of action to start off the battle, a few similar words kept flashing across my mind... Serenity... Peacefulness... Calmness... That was it! Before I could determine what moves Icabella should execute, I first had to take into consideration her personality and behavior, her nature - of course, why hadn't I thought of that earlier?

She had a very calm demeanor about her, which meant that she preferred her moves to be-- one, super-effective; two, a dodge-attack-dodge-attack combination; three, ranged combats. A mental list of all the moves the Fresh Snow Pokemon knew popped up in my head, and I carefully went over each of them, weighing down my options. I was obviously taking my time to set up a plan - there was no rush for this bout to start, after all. I was in no hurry, and as long as the wild Pokemon didn't notice us, we could, practically, commence the attack sequence at any time we wanted - that is, once we were ready.

My mind wandered to the Glaceon's ability, Ice Body, which would heal her by around 6.25% of her maximum health each round if it was snowing. I had half a mind to call for the Ice-type to use Hail, however, I soon realized that this was not a good idea. Whipping up a hailstorm in the Botanic Gardens, of all places, was certainly not going to end well for all of us.

I snapped my fingers as I finally came up with something. I wasn't quite so sure if it would work, but for now, there did seem to be one problem. I had settled on first using a quick, dodgy move to swiftly close the distance between Icabella and the Breloom as well as to catch the target off-guard. Then, a super-effective Ice-typed attack would follow, dealing even more damage to the surprised creature. The potential loophole? After Glaceon's attacks, there was obviously a high probability that the Mushroom Pokemon would retaliate - and I didn't quite like my chances between getting inflicted with a status ailment or getting recklessly punched. And, based once again on what my RDA had informed me earlier, the Grass-Fighting-type could very easily unleash punch after punch after punch so quickly that his fists would barely even be visible - which, presumably, also meant that they would be that much harder to evade.

If only there was a move Icabella could use to boost up her defenses... And then it all clicked into place, as though it was the last puzzle piece falling into place, completing the picture.

I crouched down to come eye-to-eye with my Glaceon, then started to speak slowly, making sure she understood me completely. "Okay, Icabella, I know you like attacking from a distance," I began, and to this she nodded in affirmation. I bit my lip. "But, we're not doing that for now... And you also like to dodge then attack... But we won't do that either - not exactly, anyway." I paused, checking to see if she was following. She nodded, though I couldn't really tell if she was beginning to dislike the plan already.

I continued, "What I want you to do is first use Barrier, to raise your defenses - that way, if the Breloom hits you with a physical move, you'd take less damage. Then, I want you to use Quick Attack to close in on him, and also to try to dodge any attacks he throws at you. After you slam into him with that attack, bite down with Ice Fang. This will be a very effective move, Icabella - I promise, just trust me, okay?" I stand, a bit shaky, because the more I think about my scheme, the more worried and unsure of myself I get. What if it doesn't work? What if my Pokemon get hurt, a lot? What if everything just went wrong?

I clenched my fists at my sides - no; I couldn't think like this. No - I will not permit myself to stay in this kind of horrible mindset. No. I ignored every possible loophole and every possible flaw with my plan, decidedly focusing on how I envisioned it to turn out instead.

The plan was actually quite simple, really - simple but effective was what I had been aiming for; hopefully, it would prove to be just that. First and foremost, a light blue bubble of energy would envelope the Fresh Snow Pokemon, toughening her up, boosting up her defenses, to prepare her for any possible physical attack from the opposing side later on. Afterwards, she would start to glimmer in a white light instead, the pool of energy peaking at her legs and feet. Boosted by the power circling her legs, she would be able to speed across the ground, perhaps almost become a blur within the blades of grass. While running, though, she would also be gathering up some Ice-type energy from within her, accumulating it at her mouth, making sure to have her fangs as icy as possible. They would shine a bright cyan color, a hue similar to the rest of her body, and, as terrifying it might be to think of it, these teeth would extend for maximum grip on the Grass-Fighting-type. After colliding with the wild Pokemon - and hopefully managing to throw him off guard - she would crunch down on his body, and upon doing this, a beam of ice would shoot out, adding even more to the freezing effect of the move. I wouldn't be expecting for inflicting a status ailment on the Mushroom Pokemon, nor a flinch, but if either happened, then all the better, of course!

I watched with agitation as Icabella the first of three commands - Barrier. A shimmering blue energy surrounded her, buffing up her defenses. I could only hope that this would be enough to dampen the impact the Breloom's physical attack would have, if he did attack in this manner. I had faith in my Pokemon, that's for sure - and I hoped my determination coupled with her strength would be enough to pull us through the battle and somehow come out on top.

 

@MuddyMudkip; Woo!

BP#1

Ranger Ivy Frost

---

Ivy was under a bench when she got the call. Literally. She peered down at the phone clipped to her belt, but since the wooden seat cast a shadow, she couldn't read the screen. Her hands were too busy to hit the button to make it light up, since she was holding a screwdriver in one hand and holding the wood up with the bolts in the other. She even had a small flashlight in her mouth, but she couldn't angle it enough, so she decided to wait.

She fastened the bench so it would no longer break when someone sat on it and then slid out from under the seat. Sitting up, she clicked her phone to see that one of her fellow Rangers who was out in the field had an alert. There were some technical troubles at home and she was needed right away. Claudia, one of the secretaries at the front desk, had sent her a request to take over the run Makina was on.

“This bench is sufficient,” a voice said in her mind.

Ivy felt a presence behind her and turned to see Haji, her Espeon, had perched himself on the bench. He was laying upright like a cat would, soaking up the sun rays that filtered down. She laughed at his comment, shaking her head and smiling. “Feel up for a run?” she asked him.

“Indeed.”

Ivy got up and brushed off her red duster vest, pulling out her long red hair from where it was stuck in the collar. Her black pants and turtleneck seemed in order with not too many dust patches on it, so she just shrugged and checked her phone one more time. They were headed to the Botanic Gardens.

“Well, Haji, ready to go?” she asked the purple cat. He nodded and jumped off the bench to join her. When she crouched down beside him, he whisked them away using his Psychic powers.

Sweet smelling air currents and a humid temperature clued her in that they arrived. She was a little dizzy from the teleportation, since once in a while the sensation of being nowhere threw her off. She got up shakily and instantly thought that her turtleneck was going to get hot. She could already feel the sweat gathering at the base of her neck. They were approaching the warm season.

She rose a little disoriented, and just as she had her feet, something appeared in her face, almost making her fall down. She locked gazes with curious blue eyes, and as she leaned back, she saw it was a pink, almost-catlike Pokemon. It didn't take an expert to realize it was Mew, a legendary Pokemon.

It backed away and started to giggle then, floating midair in a semi curl, its tail flicking happily. Ivy was at a loss for words. It was very rarely that legendary Pokemon interacted with Trainers and Rangers here at the Park. The last legend she had encountered, Cobalion, had actually spoken to her. She wasn't sure what the Mew wanted, so she kept quiet.

“It would like us to follow,” Haji said, answering her question.

That was strange too, but Ivy decided not to question the legendary. Instead, she nodded and began to follow the Mew as it happily bobbed up and down the path, weaving back and forth has it hovered along. Haji padded next to her, seemingly unworried. She supposed if he wasn't, then she wouldn't be either. Then again, Haji's calm demeanor meant he rarely got worried anyway.

After long, they were dipping through trees and taking smaller side paths that she hadn't traveled on in a while. They passed the greenhouses and the hedge maze, and then they came along the orchard. This side was rows and rows of apples, and in the front, where they popped out at, there was a grassy field.

“Oh, hey,” Ivy said suddenly, seeing Makina and a Trainer she recognized as Elise, one of the other Rangers. Her dark brown hair was about the same length as Ivy's. It looked like the Mew brought them right to the Trainer. “Thanks-” she started, only to turn and see that Mew had already disappeared. She looked around, but the Psychic-type wasn't anywhere to be seen. Ivy shrugged. Some legendaries operated like that.

She looked over to see Elise crouched down to talk to her Glaceon, the Ice-type Eeveelution. It had a light and dark blue fur, with rhombus-shaped ears that looked like icicles. The Trainer stood, and then the Glaceon took a battle stance and focused. A shiny light blue energy cloaked her for a moment, which settled into a tough silvery second skin. Ivy recognized it as a Barrier technique—something that would greatly improve the user's defenses.

Ivy looked over to see that their opponent was a Breloom, and she understood the need to play a little defensively. Breloom hit hard and fast, their kangaroo-like bodies easily able to move at rapid speeds ot land powerful hits.

“Hey, Makina,” the Ranger greeted as she approached. “I can cover you until you get the technical stuff sorted out. I hope it goes okay,” she said as Makina waved and took her departure, having something important at home to take care of. “Hey, Elisa.”

When she looked at the field next, the Breloom had caught sight of them. It was previously trying to get an apple down from one of the taller trees, but upon seeing the Trainer and her Pokemon, he switched stances. He planted his feet about a shoulder length apart, and he braced his arms. His tail even swung ominously, like a cat's would if they were feeling playful. It was clear that this wild Pokemon knew how to fight.

Then, the Glaceon, who Ivy thought was named Icabella, was coated in a bright light seconds before she darted off, much faster than she expected. Glaceon were known more for their impressive hitting power over their speed, like a Jolteon, so it must've been a Quick Attack. The fox darted from side to side, appearing and disappearing almost instantly as she gained ground on the Breloom.

The fighter didn't know exactly what to do, so he just watched, intense in his stance. His eyes followed Icabella with every jump, however, so he must not have been worried enough to take immediate action. In seconds, the Glaceon barreled into the Breloom, and she saw the fox's mouth fog with icy energy. She clamped down on the Breloom's shoulder, and she heard the fighter cry out as he put his body into motion.

With a smooth, seemingly effortless swing, he lobbed his tail at the Ice-type, turning his body in the process. As a result, Icabella was hit, causing her to release the Breloom's shoulder, and with a twist of his body, he gave her a little extra momentum to throw her up in the air, jabbing her with one of his fists in a Sky Uppercut in the process. Ivy heard the solid thunk as the technique hit, and she winced.

The Breloom didn't stick around however. He bounded like a kangaroo into the more open part of the field, doing a little war dance as he shook his body. Tiny, yellow spores floated out of his mushroom cap hat, and Ivy watched them float down and coat the grass in a golden aura. They were going to have to be careful, since that was a Stun Spore, a chemical that many Grass-types produced in order to paralyze opponents.

The Breloom was unaffected by his own status, easily moving around in the spored field. He was moving around more now, though, moving his arms and staying light on his feet so he could move more easily. He had got a good hit off, but then again, so did Icabella. Ivy could see the light blue tinge where the fox had bit down. Even though it hadn't frozen completely, it would still hurt, and it might even reduce the sting of his hits from that arm.

Icebella flew through the air, but she landed gracefully on her feet, not seeming damaged that much. The Sky Uppercut had been partially blocked by the Barrier technique she had used before. The more concerning thing was the Stun Spore, since the Breloom and the field were in between Icabella and the rest of them.

“It looks like your Pokemon got a good hit off with that Ice Fang. I think he might lose partial use of his arm if the battle continues for long. Her name was Icabella, right?”

---

Current Battle Stats:

??? M Breloom: 70% [Used Sky Uppercut and Stun Spore]
Calm F Glaceon: 87% [Def+2][Used Barrier, Quick Attack, and Ice Fang]

Area Effects: Stun Spore field.

---

Trainer Stats

Name: Elisa
Location: Botanical Gardens
Area Effects: Sun is shining, a light breeze is blowing... it's a nice day.
8 Encounters remaining
Pokemon Encountered: Happiny, Starly, Petilil, Roselia, Lillipup, Mew, Breloom
Pokemon Captured: Impish F Happiny
MCR: 22,335/35,000 [Rare Rank]

Items: Pokedolls (3x), Parkballs (4x), [1 Package: Pokedoll; Poketoy; Fluffy Tail; Slowpoke Tail] (x3), Fragrances (3x), Super Potions (2x), Max Potions (2x), Max Revives (2x), Soothing Fragrance (1x), Superball (1x), Hyperball (1x), Blank Voice Disk (1x), Intermediate Bellow Disk [Durant] (1x), Supreme Park Ball (1x), Uncommon Voice Disk [Shroomish] (1x, 0 uses left.), PokePlayer (1x), Digital Camera (1x)

Pokemon Statistics

Pokemon: Icabella (Glaceon) (100%)
Gender: Female
Ability: Ice Body
Nature: Calm
TM/HM/EM: TM Hidden Power [Psychic]|TM Ice Beam|HM Strength

Pokemon: Abby (Ambipom) (75%)
Gender: Female
Ability: Pickup
Nature: Jolly
TM/HM/EM: TM Substitute|TM Low Sweep|TM ThunderPunch|TM Fire Punch

 

OOC: I guess you could say this took me almost two days, but it was well worth it when I finally finished. :3 Also, yay - character development! (I think xD)
Oh, and, I got the idea for this round from Glaceon's Flavor Texts from in-game Pokedexes. ^_^;;

Spoiler

Flavor Text
DP: As a protective technique, it can completely freeze its fur to make its hairs stand like needles.
PT: By controlling its body heat, it can freeze the atmosphere around it to make a diamond-dust flurry.
HGSS: It causes small ice crystals to form by lowering the temperature of the surrounding atmosphere.

@WinterVines;

"Hey, Elisa..." Makina tapped my shoulder to take hold of my attention.

"Hmm?" I mumbled, forcing myself to tear my eyes away from the battlefield for a moment to face my fellow ranger.

"My apologies, but I'm needed at home right away - apparently there are some technical issues I have to trouble myself with," she explained, an apologetic expression evident on her face. Her shoulders were slumped, eyes dim, and mouth curved downwards in a frown.

"Oh," was the only thing that sputtered out of my mouth for the time being. I bit my lip, sad and disappointed at the same time that Makina could not ranger for me anymore. My demeanor shifted into something similar to hers, my mood returning to its previously melancholic state before encountering the legendary Mew and the wild Breloom. Even the atmosphere seemed to turn gloomy and dark. "Well, I hope you can solve the problem quickly, then. And thanks for being my ranger, anyway." I managed to put up a smile.

Right at that moment, one of the Elite rangers and a good friend of ours emerged from the trees behind us, from where we had come from.

“Hey, Makina,” Ivy greeted, approaching us with an Espeon by her side. “I can cover you until you get the technical stuff sorted out. I hope it goes okay,” she told Makina, who nodded her thanks and waved as she departed, heading back the way we came. “Hey, Elisa."

"Hey, thanks for coming and taking over the run." I replied with a smile, before turning my attention back to the battle at hand.

At this point in time, Icabella was just about finished with setting up the Barrier, a second layer of defense to lessen the damage the Grass-Fighting-type's physical attacks could possibly inflict. The bright blue glittering bubble of energy that had engulfed her was now slowly dissipating, fading into thin air and revealing a firm- and sturdy-looking silvery coat that would somewhat serve as a piece of armor for the Ice-type. The Mushroom Pokemon wouldn't be able to break through our defenses that easily - no sirree!

Now for part two of the three-part course of action. The Glaceon was enveloped in another flash of bright light, this time a blinding white in color. As she pushed off, paws skidding along the grass, barely even touching the ground, I noticed that the wild creature had not caught sight of us. He abandoned the apples that were out of his reach, instead focusing on the Fresh Snow Pokemon charging at him speedily.

He took up a battle stance, with his body straight upright with confidence, and his legs spread apart for balance and posture. He crossed his arms over his chest, as if trying to look as menacing as possible, as he swung his tail left and right, as if attempting to intimidate the incoming opponent.

However battle-ready his position may have implied, he definitely didn't seem to be doing anything about the Quick Attack the Glaceon was performing. She was darting here and there, going from left to right, as if trying to confuse the Mushroom Pokemon while also closing in on him in the process. Tendrils of white-colored energy continued to glitter around her legs, some even creating a trail of chrome in her wake.

A split-second later, Icabella had launched herself at the target once she was in range, slamming into him head-first and pushing the rest of her body weight onto him for a harder and stronger blow. The collision resulted in him losing his resilient stance as well as his sense of balance - the force of the impact causing him topple backwards.

He tumbled, giving lee way for the next assault to be even more effective - it would naturally be more difficult for someone to brace themselves for an incoming attack if they were caught off-guard and were in a vulnerable state, such as the position the Grass-Fighting-type was in now.

The Fresh Snow Pokemon opened her nuzzle, baring her teeth that were suddenly coated with an icy blue mist. She pounced on the Breloom, her fangs growing and extending as they glinted under the sunlight. Aiming for his arm - which was an intelligent choice on her part - she crunched down, beams of Ice-type energy bursting out from her frosted jaws as they came into contact with the enemy's limb. The bitter cold spread swiftly, and soon blue markings were visible as evidence of the assault.

The creature cried out from the icy pain, but he was quick to react - very quick. In one swift movement, his was able to shift his body, allowing his tail to swat at the Glaceon, forcing her to lose her grip on his shoulder as he pushed her off him and sent her soaring back the way she came. And he did all that as if it was the easiest thing in the world - something that didn't even require effort from him, or so it seemed.

I gulped - now it was Icabella's turn to be susceptible and unprotected. Her head had been thrown back, her underside was very much exposed, and her muscles seemed to have gone limp. Unguarded against what the wild entity had planned for her, the Ice-type took a harsh upward punch to the chest. A solid thud resonated around us, and the wind seemed to have been knocked right out of my partner - that's when I froze.

My vision seemed to have become a faint blur, not really focusing on anything around me. My mind went blank, as if it couldn't find any thoughts of optimism and determination to reassure me of Icabella's safety. My mouth was set in a thin line, and my expression was unreadable. I felt helpless and useless - I couldn't do anything about this battle, I thought, I couldn't do anything to assist my Glaceon. The only emotions that were left and burning inside of me were worry, anger, depression... And a sort of hollowness that seemed to swallow me up, sucking me into its dark, murky depths the same way a black hole would.

It was only when the Eeveelution landed at my feet with an audible thump that I snapped out of this... Whatever "this" was. It definitely couldn't be called a reverie, as those were supposedly fantastic and happy visionaries. A daymare - is that what it was called? Something extremely similar to a nightmare except it occurred during daytime?

I groaned inwardly, my palm coming up to hold my suddenly throbbing head. Oh, no - not now! How was I supposed to concentrate and do well in this battle when I had an agonizingly awful (awfully agonizing?) headache to deal with?

Forcing myself to tolerate the stinging jolts of pain up in my attic, I crouched down to help my Pokemon up and brushed the dust off her sleek blue body. I was on the verge of tears, feeling as helpless as ever. "A-are you alright?" I croaked out. She nodded, her expression calm, cool, and collected. There were times that I just wished that I had such a relaxed nature such as hers - it would definitely help me in dire incidents such as these. Icabella didn't even seem to be too bothered by the Sky Uppercut assault, seemingly brushing it off as a natural part of battle. That was definitely something I ought to learn, among other things.

Biting my lip unsurely, I gazed back up at the battlefield before us. The Mushroom Pokemon was hopping about the open area, shifting from foot to foot. At the same time, he was shaking his body, particularly his head, resulting in him moving in a dance-like fashion. From the mushroom cap atop his head emerged puffs of yellow grains which were easily carried off by the wind. They fluttered down to the green landscape in between him and the rest of us, creating a layer of perilous spores over the grass, somehow seemingly turning into a veil golden in coloration as opposed to the ground's original green shade. Great - more things for my hurting head to ponder about.

This was a Stun Spore, and sprinkling the field with these particles meant that crossing them would be hazardous to the Fresh Snow Pokemon. They would no doubt paralyze her if she dared cross to the other side of the battleground, which meant we had to attack from right here. That was good, in the sense that my Glaceon's calm personality suited this perfectly - she preferred attacking from a distance, anyway. However, a good deal of Icabella's moves were physical-based ones, needing contact with the target Pokemon. Another point that could prove to be a bit troublesome was the fact that, while we couldn't cross over to the Grass-Fighting-type's side of the battlefield, he could effortlessly come over to ours - meaning the rapid-fire punching technique his species was known for could still be just as efficiently executed, nothing to it. This brought yet another onslaught of pessimism and anxiety into my head...

My negative thoughts were quickly interrupted by Ivy's remark. “It looks like your Pokemon got a good hit off with that Ice Fang. I think he might lose partial use of his arm if the battle continues for long. Her name was Icabella, right?”

"Yup, that's her name, alright!" I smiled, glad to have my mind wandering off to other things. Sometimes interferences from others were just what you needed to take your mind off the things that weren't even really worth worrying or wondering about.

"Hmm... If his arm turns out to be rendered useless, it could prove to become a disadvantage on his part, and an advantage for us," I mused to myself, pondering about the Elite Ranger's first statement. "An advantage turned into opportunity." Or did it make more sense the other way around? An opening turned into leverage, into benefit? Either way, I figured it would be in our best interest to disengage at least one of Breloom's arms - the Glaceon having already mildly frosted one of his shoulders.

As of yet, both competitors of the battle seemed to be fairing pretty well, as if on par with each other. They had both found themselves in situations wherein they had been rendered defenseless against the foe's assault, resulting to a significant amount of damage sustained by both creatures.

What to do now, though? I didn't want to whip up a Blizzard in a place like this - I simply couldn't bring myself to destroy nature in this way, especially considering how the Botanic Gardens was probably my favorite zone of the Park - so that Special attack was absolutely out of the question. More pangs of pain jabbed at my head as I tried to search my brain for any alternative moves the Fresh Snow Pokemon could possibly know. I faintly recalled going over Ice Beam with her some time ago - rather recently, actually - yet that training session had been quick and abrupt, and the attack was still flimsy and a difficult task for her; we hadn't quite gotten out all of the kinks yet.

As I searched my mind for answers, I felt a some sort of nagging sensation at the back of my head. Subconsciously, I raised my hand to my nape, my palm rubbing it in vain attempts to ease the pain, as well as in the hopes of triggering an important memory from the past. And then, it all came to me in a flash, pictures and scenes flooding my mind...

"Awww!!! He's so cute!" I shrieked, giddiness dropping from every exaggerated word that slipped out from my mouth. I gazed fondly at the Eevee in front of me. He was rolling about and just being the playful little creature that he was. I scratched his fur once again, dreaming of the day when I would finally get one of these for myself.

A chuckle escaped the lips of the Normal-type's owner. I gazed up at one of my closest friends since childhood. "I'm glad you think so," he joked, never once minding my crazy antics. "I still have to think of what to name him, though." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, gazing down at me with a playful glint in his eyes.

"Well," I said carefully, not quite sure what to call the little guy either. "What do you plan on evolving him into?"

Shawntae feigned hurt, clutching his chest as he gasped dramatically. "How could you not know?" he accused, glaring at me, yet I could still see that twinkle in his bright emerald green orbs.

He was right, though. I usually kept up to date with all his latest Pokemon partners, especially his collection of Eeveelutions. However, recently, we had grown a little farther apart, with him heading off to his hectic school life. I hadn't seen him in at least two weeks now - maybe even three - so I didn't really know what he has been up to lately. Basing my inference off what I knew before school days got insane, I conducted a little process of elimination. I came up with only two possible answers - Glaceon, the Ice-type, or Leafeon, the Grass-type.

"Glaceon?" I guessed, half-asking. This time, I saw that he was really surprised, and possibly disappointed.

"What? No," he replied, evidently shocked. "I got Stormfur right after I headed into Breeding academy. And we've already managed to squeeze in a few practice sessions for a technique or two."

"Ooh, really?" I mused with fervor, my blue eyes shining. "Can I see him? And your tactic, as well?"

Shawntae laughed, shaking his head and wagging his finger at me. "Nu-uh-uh! You've gotta give this fella a name first!" He gestured over to the Evolution Pokemon, who gazed back up at me with those jolly eyes.

I laughed along, nodding as I crafted something up. "How about Camo?"

"Perfect!" he agreed, grinning as he retrieved a Pokeball from the utility belt around his hip. "As promised," he stated, calling out his newly-acquired Fresh Snow Pokemon. The blue creature appeared before us, smoothly landing on all fours as he looked to Shawntae for orders. "You know what to do," he told the entity, his voice full of confidence and trust in his partner.

Suddenly, I felt a sensation of coldness, as though the temperature had dropped out of the blue. The fur on the Ice-type's back stood, layers of frost forming on their tips, glimmering under the faint sunshine.

"It's kindof like a protective instinct for their species." Shawntae explained how he'd discovered it when they had encountered a stray and hostile Houndour on the way home, and Stormfur had done the exact same thing, his survival instincts kicking in.

"So, technically you didn't teach him this?" I asked teasingly, trying to elicit a reaction out of him.

He only laughed it off, saying he'd make my life a miserable living hell if I continued to insult him like that.

"Uh-huh, sure - whatever helps you sleep at night." I stuck my tongue out at him. "I bet you can't even beat me and Kindle at a battle!"

His eyebrow arched as he folded his arms over his chest. "Wanna bet?"

"Bring it." My tone was as challenging as his. My hand dug out a red-and-white orb from the pocket of my hoodie, which contained my Quilava. She was released in an erratic beam of white energy, and she eyed her Ice-type opponent with a relaxed but steady gaze.

"Alright, Kindle, let's start this off with a Firewheel, shall we?" She nodded, then curled herself into a ball - the blazes on her back firing up. She rolled across the grass rapidly, leaving it scorched black once she ran over them.

"Use Quick Attack to distance yourself from her, then unleash those icicles!" Shawntae called out quickly. His Pokemon zipped away from mine, leaving white trails of chrome behind him. He sped left and right, and as my Fire-type pursued him, she had managed to create an evident route of burnt grass in her wake. Still, the Fresh Snow Pokemon kept jumping away - and once he created a fair distance between him and his opponent, he fired off the icy spears from his back...

A spark of hope kindled inside of me - this could work, I just had to believe it would, and have faith in my Pokemon. "Icabella, I know you can do this," I told her sincerely, expressing my trust and confidence in her capabilities. "I know this can come naturally to you - it's a protective instinct all of your kind have... You just have to think - how would you react in times of danger? In times when I wouldn't be there to give you a command and your life was on the line...? Or, when I... When I would be too frozen or frightened to think properly? to make coherent decisions? To do anything?" I bit my lip, the throbbing in my head coming back even stronger and more frequent now.

If my Glaceon's instincts didn't kick in, how could I be sure that she would survive without me next time - or with me, but an unfocused and worthless version of me? Like what had happened just moments before... I forced myself to gaze into her eyes, searching for something... Trying to trigger something she should've been aware of from the start...

The Fresh Snow Pokemon blinked, and then, all of a sudden, the temperature seemed to have dropped, and I could feel shivers running up and down my spine. My mouth broke out into a grin, a smile that showed in my eyes, stretched up to my ears, and made my cheeks ache. "That is amazing..." I breathed in awe, praising my partner. I stood up with one hand rubbing the other arm, attempting to generate heat from the friction. Or perhaps I was just hallucinating that the plan had worked... Nah - I believed in my Pokemon; certainly all was going well, right?

"Don't make it too cold, though," I cautioned Icabella. "We certainly do not want to destroy the beautiful Gardens." I'd say the atmosphere around us grew a bit colder still - just enough for the anticipated ice to begin forming on the tips of her fur - but not enough to cause the wilderness around us to wither. I'd imagine the opponent was feeling the sudden change in temperature as well, but I wasn't entirely sure, of course.

Even though we had never practiced this tactic before, I figured - and hoped - that it would come naturally to her. It was considered a survival instinct, after all. I wasn't sure how strong this attack would be, though - and right now, it seemed that we needed all the extra power we could get, if decapitating (by means of freezing) the Grass-Fighting-type was our primary goal - so I raked my brain for answers once again, even though that only added to the already existing dreadful headache. Massaging my temples in deep thought, I knew another move was definitely necessary to enhance the power of the icy needles - but what? The right amount of additional energy could be the deciding factor between whether we would be able to render the Breloom's limb useless or not. If we did manage to produce the right mix of power and decommission his arm, that would greatly limit his punching options, perhaps even enough to discourage him from using the well-known technique my RDA had informed me of earlier.

"Use Hidden Power to strengthen the icicles!" The words sprang out from my mouth before I even had the time to contemplate about my scheme. "Release the ice first, and then shoot out the waves of energy, making sure they envelope the frozen spears, okay? This will make your attack even stronger and even more effective against the Breloom - just what we want to do, right?"

Assuming everything went according to plan, it would turn out to be something like this: once the cold had frosted Icabella's fur, her hair would turn into some kind of needle-like object, gleaming with Ice-type energy. These would then be fired off towards the other side of the field. Then, for the Hidden Power, her eyes would glow white while her body would be outlined in a light blue hue. Multiple orbs pulsating with power would then form beside her, surrounding and spinning around her. Upon unleashing these balls in the same direction as the icicles, they would stretch, the energy contained inside the spheres flooding out as they altered form. It would be a mini-explosion of sorts, allowing them to bend and shift into radiating beams of energy. These rays would latch onto the Glaceon's first assault, making them glow with enhanced strength and empowering them to - hopefully - not only do a significant amount of damage to the Mushroom Pokemon, but also to perhaps frost up the creature's arm.

Truth be told, I was wishing for this battle to end as quickly as possible and with little commotion and suffering for I did not know for how much longer I could hold out and endure the sharp jolts of pain in my attic. And if a less problematic and troublesome battle required inflicting a status ailment upon the opponent, then that was exactly what I desired to do with this round's course of action.

 

@MuddyMudkip;

BP#2

Ranger Ivy Frost

---

Elisa's face looked pained as she considered her Pokemon's condition. Ivy understood how she felt—every time a wild Pokemon or her own took unnecessary damage, it was very tempting to blame herself even if she wouldn't have been able to stop it. She also looked like she had a headache, however, since she kept cringing and rubbing her temples. Ivy had a lot of supplies, but she didn't know if aspirin was one of them.

“Perhaps I can help when the battle is finished,” Haji said against her mind.

She knew what he was referring too—his Heal Bell technique. While normally used to restore a Pokemon's condition to normal when they were suffering from some sort of status, she found the sound to be pleasing to her own ears too, and she had used his skills when she had headaches of her own. In the meantime, Ivy started to dig through her pockets. Her vest had many.

Still, even with her concerns, Elisa still believed in her Pokemon. “Icabella, I know you can do this,” she praised. She then tried to inspire an instinct in the Ice-type. Ivy didn't really understand what it was at first, since the wording was a little vague. Obviously it was something they had encountered before.

Then, the Glaceon's fur began to change shape. Almost as if it had gotten wet, her hair spiked up in sharp points, looking a lot like a coat of needles. The temperature in the area dropped too, at least around the fox. Ivy could see her breath as she exhaled, and it felt good. Her turtleneck had been getting a little warm.

Ivy had read up on the temperature-altering abilities of this Pokemon when she had idly gone through files on off days at the office. That's how a lot of Glaceon radiated energy too. The Ranger had felt a similar phenomenon happen with her Espeon, only that had been a mental force.

“Don't make it too cold, though,” Elisa added. “We certainly do not want to destroy the beautiful Gardens.” It was nice to see people caring about the Park, even though Elisa was a Ranger and understood the importance of it. Sometimes Pokemon were not as thoughtful, even if their Trainers were.

Ivy felt goosebumps form on the part of her arm bared by her three-quarter sleeve, and she stopped sifting through her pockets in order to rub them. As she did, she noticed that the Breloom was also preparing something. For a second, he looked up to the sun and held his arms out wide. He seemed to be drinking down the sun, although Ivy didn't think he was restoring his energy.

Instead, his skin got a more glossy texture, and he began to move a little quicker, like he was motivated. It looked like he had increased his strength. That had probably been a Growth then, a move that let the user absorb energy around them, especially from the sun, and improve their hitting power. Haji knew it too, and they had used it effectively many times.

“Use Hidden Power to strengthen the icicles!” Elisa suddenly shouted, and at first Ivy wasn't sure what type of technique this was.

She could see ice forming on the Glaceon's fur, adding onto the spikes. She thought that maybe it was another defensive measure, but the suggestion of Hidden Power contradicted that a little. The Breloom's Stun Spore had sort of put them in favor of long-range attacks anyway, since wading into that field was likely to end up paralyzing the Ice-type.

The fox nodded, and at once, orbs of a ghastly purple energy formed around her. The moved in a circle, but then they sort of melted together into a blob of energy that hovered close to her body. The shade of it was like Haji's energy, so the type of it might've been Psychic. That was good, since Breloom's Fighting side was weak to that too. Since she was combining attacks, it would do even more damage.

Then, the fox fired off the spikes on her fur with a cry. Dozens of tiny icicles shot off like spears, but since the net of Hidden Power had hovered close, globs of energy clung to the javelins, coating them in a purple aura. They flew across the Stun Spore field, straight at the Grass-Type.

He wasn't totally unprepared though. He had stopped his growing, and he was now facing the Glaceon. He took a big breath that involved throwing his head back, and then he lunged forward as he spit. Tiny seeds spewed from his mouth, darting in like bullets toward his target.

Halfway through the field, the attacks collided. Sturdy seeds shattered some icicles, sending tiny crystalline debris down into the field that would soon melt. Seeds ricocheted off of the spears, sending them flying off course and out of harm's way.

The needles hit the Breloom first. He hissed and threw up his arms to block his face as he was bombarded. His right arm moved slower than normal, however, because it was partially frozen. This caused his shoulder to receive even more damage. He staggered back, but he didn't go down.

Icebella ducked her head to protected it as the Bullet Seed attack came raining down on her. Ivy heard the 'tink' sound as the seeds bounced off her, partially reflected by the Barrier she had set up earlier. It ended almost as quickly as it started, but Ivy could see that it had done a little bit of damage, probably due to the Breloom's increased attack.

The battle wasn't over yet, though. The Glaceon stood, and then the grass waved ominously, like it was alive. Ivy's brow furrowed as she studied it. The Breloom looked calm and meditative now, like he was focused. Was he controlling the grasses? If so, Elisa was going to have to be careful. Grass-types could be tricky.

Then, Ivy found was she was looking for. Digging into one of the pockets on the inside of her vest, she pulled out a small white bottle. “Hey, Elisa? Do you have a headache or something? I have some aspirin here if you can take it,” she offered.

---

Current Battle Stats:

??? M Breloom: 43% [Used Growth and Bullet Seed. Using ???]
Calm F Glaceon: 79% [Def+2][Used Protective Instinct and Hidden Power]

Area Effects: Stun Spore field.

---

Trainer Stats

Name: Elisa
Location: Botanical Gardens
Area Effects: Sun is shining, a light breeze is blowing... it's a nice day.
8 Encounters remaining
Pokemon Encountered: Happiny, Starly, Petilil, Roselia, Lillipup, Mew, Breloom
Pokemon Captured: Impish F Happiny
MCR: 42,554/35,000 [Rare Rank]

Items: Pokedolls (3x), Parkballs (4x), [1 Package: Pokedoll; Poketoy; Fluffy Tail; Slowpoke Tail] (x3), Fragrances (3x), Super Potions (2x), Max Potions (2x), Max Revives (2x), Soothing Fragrance (1x), Superball (1x), Hyperball (1x), Blank Voice Disk (1x), Intermediate Bellow Disk [Durant] (1x), Supreme Park Ball (1x), Uncommon Voice Disk [Shroomish] (1x, 0 uses left.), PokePlayer (1x), Digital Camera (1x)

Pokemon Statistics

Pokemon: Icabella (Glaceon) (79%)
Gender: Female
Ability: Ice Body
Nature: Calm
TM/HM/EM: TM Hidden Power [Psychic]|TM Ice Beam|HM Strength

Pokemon: Abby (Ambipom) (75%)
Gender: Female
Ability: Pickup
Nature: Jolly
TM/HM/EM: TM Substitute|TM Low Sweep|TM ThunderPunch|TM Fire Punch

 

@WinterVines; Is it bad that I had kinda only figured out a move combo for this turn after I had written that BP#1 for Rotom? xD Recycling techniques, yeah? ^^;; Thank you, Rotom and Ominous Wind! xD

--

The gusts of air blowing around us grew even cooler. They were not the usual calm, soothing, and refreshing breezes the Botanic Gardens was known for - instead, they seemed to bring a sense of urgency about them as they whipped around us ominously; even the leaves of the trees around us began to rustle in the same frantic manner.

Gazing at my Glaceon, I could see that the fur on her back was in a chaotic and ruffled state - quite the opposite of her calm and collected demeanor. On the other hand, it was just like my pounding head at the moment, my thoughts in disarray thanks to the pain. It was even a wonder that I could still focus on the battle somewhat, but I knew I wouldn't be able to hold out for long as the stabs became more frequent and more intense.

Ice then began to form on the tips of her hair, pointed straight and sharp, much like pinnacles. I couldn't help but wince at the sight - they only reminded me further of the prick of dreadful pain that was slamming repeatedly into my mind, among other things. I have never liked needles to begin with, anyway - they held a much deeper and darker meaning for me, a symbol of tragedy in some ways. I shook my head, forcing these thoughts out of my mind, knowing fully well that they would only add to my suffering - now was not the time to delve into these types of matters.

I forced my eyes to tear away from my partner for a brief moment to peer across the battlefield. My blue orbs scanned the opponent's side warily, picking up every single detail. Not much had changed since the last time I had surveyed that part of the area, except for the Breloom. The said creature had his arms out to his side, as if just waiting for something to drop down to satisfy his starvation. He lifted his gaze up to the heavens, and his mouth seemed to be hanging agape, as though he was drinking in the atmosphere around him. His whole stance spoke of a hungry consumption as he ravenously devoured on the nutrients and energy he needed for his own gain, for his growth and improvement, for buffing up his abilities.

I gulped - the execution of this move could only be a forewarning, a predecessor to a powerful attack. Multiple icy shivers scampered up and down my spine, leaving a tingling sensation in their wake - I wasn't quite so sure whether this was from the cold or caused by the worry building inside of me, the nagging feeling I had that some large and tragic incident was bound to happen.

Swallowing hard, I managed to keep my cool - at least, on the outside. I concentrated on my Glaceon, the spears on her back even larger and sturdier-looking now, shining with a dangerous coldness in them. Then, dark purple pulses circled her, revolving around her as they gained power, trembling and flickering while the tendrils of Psychic-type energy melded and clashed with each other inside the balls.

The orbs then came together, one sphere's power mixing in with and complementing the other's as they formed a band around the Ice-type, making it even stronger with their combined energies. A moment later, they expanded into a larger, somewhat dome-like shape, engulfing her while she prepared to fire off the frosted crystals. With a hiss and a resilient swing of her tail, the Fresh Snow Pokemon unleashed the icicles into the air. The ring-like mass of purple energy that was surrounding her quickly latched onto the pinnacles, the layers of blob soon becoming a dark coat outlining and contrasting the faintly-glinting blue ice needles.

The Breloom wasn't unprepared, however - apparently, he had been able to ready himself with a counter-attack; his growing stage was not to be wasted. He tossed his head back with such force to gain momentum, then he lunged forward with his head following through, perhaps moving twice as fast as before. The jerk of his head allowed him to spit out a barrage of glowing oval-shaped grains, which soared through the air at such high velocities, you would think they had shot right out of a barrel of a gun. They came barreling across the battlefield, battling and pushing over air resistance, then charging along towards the center as their purpose was to meet the purple-coated icicles head on.

Pointed, frosted javelins met tiny yet indubitably sturdy yellow seeds, resulting in a balance that would tip to one side one moment but could just as easily favor the opposing side the next. My head throbbed to the beat of my heart - sometimes fast, when the icy spears would shatter against the resilient shell of the bullet-like speckles; sometimes slow that I felt I could breathe again, when the seeds would bounce off the layer of Psychic energy; sometimes so hard that I thought I was going to pass out for sheer fear of Icabella taking more damage or getting her energy drained out.

Biting the inside of my lip in attempt to steady myself, I watched as a shower of diamond dust drizzled down from the shattered crystals, momentarily blending in with the layers of yellow particles before melting away. The stray grass bullets generated thunking sounds as they ricocheted off the barks of the trees around us.

Whatever surviving vestiges of both assaults had continued on their merry way towards their respective targets. The seeds came pouring down onto the Glaceon's back in audible tinks, jabbing at her fur as they contested against the tough protective layer she had set up earlier; the frozen needles, meanwhile, pricked at the foe, seemingly causing his arm to feel even worse as he tried to bring it up in time to protect himself. His arms crossed in front of his head in attempt to lessen the damage the attack would deal. He staggered back with a grunt, but found his footing before he could trip and fall. Good - no need to hurt the Mushroom Pokemon more than what was necessary.

"Are you alright?" Concern dripped with every word as I fought to keep the worry from clouding my eyes, from hindering my mind from focusing. Still, I had to make sure that Icabella hadn't been hurt too much by the Bullet Seed attack, that she was still fighting-fit and could keep going, one way or another. She gave me a reassuring nod in reply, twitching her tail as if attempting to appease me with her gestures. The serene look never once left her face, and her rather lulled body movements spoke of a soul at peace with herself and the things happening around her. With a clearer mind, I began to think vigorously about my next move. I probably should've thought of that earlier, though; admittedly, I was never known to plan ahead, anyways.

"Hey Elisa? Do you have a headache or something?" The Elite Ranger called out to me, offering up a small bottle that she had most probably produced out of one of her many vest pockets. The contents were white and circular, and recognition spread across my face. "I have some aspirin here if you can take it."

I grinned in spite of the blinding, stabbing headache I was experiencing. "Just what I needed! Thank you," I replied as I dug out a canteen from my bag. I can't have myself taking this medicine without a good couple of swigs of water. I popped a pill into my mouth, gulping down a flood of water right after. The container went from full to completely empty in a matter of moments. I made a mental note to myself to be more prepared next time - with the onslaught of mental agony becoming more frequent, I couldn't afford to go on a journey without bringing along some aspirin for myself.

As I recapped the jug, movement in the grass surrounding us - most evident in those around the Fresh Snow Pokemon's legs - came into my peripheral line of vision.My eyes widened with alarm at the sight of this. The blades swayed back and forth with great urgency; their movements were frantic and foreboding. They weren't flicking back and forth chaotically from the gusts of wind, no matter how strong the breeezes seemed to be - instead of moving with the flow of air currents, they seemed to twirl towards the Ice-type, curling their tips in her direction as though she was the core, as though she had a magnetic force about her, pulling them towards her. I knew I couldn't risk the Glaceon's health any further, especially with how problematic and cunning Grass-types could get with all those complex tricks up their sleeve.

Without a second thought, I blurted out the first course of action that came to mind. "Icabella, hurrry! Run up one of those trees, and get away from the grass now! No time to waste - I won't have you getting hurt even more when we're this close to capturing him." The Eeveelution took off immediately, running as fast as she could. She didn't seem at all fazed by what was happening or by how hastily I had just spurted out my command with that same overly-worried voice as the last time I had panicked.

"Use Strength to help you climb up and grab a hold of those branches," I called out to her as a bit of an after-thought when I noticed how much she was struggling to scamper up the tree she had chosen as her, hopefully, soon-to-be safety haven. The white aura that was now engulfing her should be able to give her the ability to hoist herself up by buffing up the muscles in her limbs. I made a mental note to let her have a couple of days of rest after this before asking her to do any serious physical activity. Her muscles would definitely be pretty sore after climbing - this was no easy task for her. I told myself I'd train a bit more with my Pokemon on this physical aspect to avoid similar issues in the future. It would surely hurt at first, but it would also save us the trouble later on.

Now that the surge of panic had had a chance to settle down, I took this opportunity to think things through. First, I had to identify just what kind of assault this was. It was no doubt coming from the wild creature who appeared to be meditating on his side of the battlefield. He must be controlling the grass somehow with his mind, or so it seemed.

Perhaps it was one of those nutrient-absorbing (or rather, -stealing) moves where the target's health would get drained, and the energy sapped and transported back to the attacker. It was one mighty good technique - you'd lower the opponent's power while boosting up your own with the "stolen" nutrients. But, as far as I knew, most of these tactics involved releasing a beam of energy, or perhaps a vine or something similar, at the target. This streak would supposedly latch onto the opponent, stealing its strength and delivering it back to the user. However, it was the grass blades that had been whirling around, so it couldn't possibly be one of those moves, could it?

I suddenly remembered one of my most recent journeys through the National Park where I had escorted Voltaire Magneton through this very same zone, though we had explored a different area of the Botanic Gardens. The trainer had been battling with a Deerling then, alongside his Lucario. The Deerling had opened his nuzzle to reveal a number of seeds, which were released high into the air before going in a southward direction as they buried themselves into the ground around the Steel-Fighting-type, burrowing their way through the grass until they had implanted themselves deep into the earth. Green vines had crept up and out from under the ground just a few moments later - those seeds had definitely grown rather speedily. They had first clung to the creature's legs, latching themselves onto him as they entangled themselves with his body. They had twisted and turned, slithering up and around the Aura Pokemon and coiling themselves around him with a firm, tight grasp. On the other side of the battleground, plants had also sprouted out from the soil underneath the wild creature. They had broken the surface of the ground, though they were significantly shorter than those wrapped around the Lucario. These ones had only cared to latch themselves onto the specimen's legs. Both sets of vines had then begun to glimmer a shiny red color, as if symbolizing the sapping and absorption of health that had been taking place between the two Pokemon. The plants had served as a bridge between the two, connecting them to each other; it was where the nutrients drained from one were transported and delivered along to the other, relinquishing the Lucario's might while reinvigorating the Season Pokemon.

I considered this possibility for a moment, but it just didn't make enough sense to me. It was the grass that was waving ominously, and not a single bit of new plantlife seemed to be popping up from the ground, either. Perhaps he used this technique in a different manner? I hadn't seen any seeds being launched across the field, as well - unless you counted the earlier Bullet Seed assault, but that couldn't possibly have been it... Could it?

But then, another scenario came to mind. I had been in a battle once where Kipper, my Swampert, had tripped on a knot of twisted grass blades that had been set up by the foe on purpose. It may not seem like much at first, but when he had fallen, he had fallen hard. He had toppled over with all his weight crashing down on him, which only added to the force of the impact, pushing him further into the ground. He had pretty much landed face-first into the dirt, and streaks of soil were all over his face when he had picked himself back up. That attack had definitely drained the life out of him, leaving him off-balance and shaky, as though he could not feel or control his own legs. He had been trembling from bottom to top, wobbling uneasily on the battleground.

I shuddered as this memory washed over me, my heart thudding even faster now. The last thing I wanted was for Icabella to experience the same fate - she might be quite a bit lighter than my Starter, but that could only lessen the pain so much. Besides, who knew what twists the Breloom had thrown into this technique of his?

Every Pokemon performed a certain attack differently, and even then, there were also differences in how the same attacks were executed by the same creature. You could never really tell with things like these - much like how humans differ from one another, making each individual unique and hat much more interesting. Even people from the same family have their individual differences, and while some may be categorized into or labeled as part of a certain group based on personality, there were still sure to be distinguishing characteristics that made them who they really are. The same way one could never be completely sure how a certain technique would be used in battle, one mustn't generalize when it came to people especially.

Could the Grass Knot assault, if that's what it even was, reach the Glaceon from her spot on one of the trees? What about if it indeed was a Leech Seed or a similar energy-stealing tactic? She would need to be more prepared than just hiding in a tree, attempting to avoid the attack...

Glancing at my partner, I called out, "Try setting up a Mirror Coat, Icabella - this way, you can reflect back any ranged move that Breloom throws your way." In the back of my mind, I knew that the Eeveelution was still very much likely to take a bit of damage if indeed the opponent decided to attack, but this retaliation technique was known for reflecting the damage right back at the foe. Her body would soon be glowing with another layer of reflective substance, adding to the Barrier technique she had put up earlier, except this time it was meant to protect her from Special-based tactics as opposed to Physical-based ones.

I contemplated about whether or not I would ask the Fresh Snow Pokemon to perform another attack, or to just toss an orb and hope for a triumphant result. I almost retrieved her red-and-white housing and called her back to her Pokeball when a little voice inside my head prodded me not to. It is a sign of deafeat, of weakness, it reasoned with me - or rather, I reasoned with myself. You simply cannot just give up when you're this close to succeeding, when you're extremely close to victory. My mind seemed to agree with this logic, thankful that the waves of pain were receding and had almost completely faded now - there was no longer any brick slamming into it to confuse it or cloud its trains of thought.

At this point, I decided just needed another assault to lower the Mushroom Pokemon's energy levels a bit more so that he would be rather ripe and ready for the catch. I usually did not attempt capturing wild entities until they were more exhausted than the Grass-Fighting-type's current state, but I figured I might as well take a chance and relieve the fighter of his suffering. There wasn't really any good, solid reason to chill him to the bone, after all, when it wasn't utterly necessary.

"Alright, Icabella, this battle's almost over. What I want you to use next is an Icy Wind to create a sort of cyclone around the Breloom. Use the cold gusts to trap him in a twister, making them circle him over and over again while dealing a decent bit of damage as they billow against him. This should keep him pre-occupied while you prepare to unleash your next assault, an Ice Beam. You should be able to have control over the winds, I'd like to think so, and I want you to capitalize on that advantage to be able to create a small opening within the swirls for the streak to pass through. Then, once it has found its mark, I want you to redirect that beam back out to freeze the vortex instead, making sure that the opponent really is stuck inside the frosted whirlpool. It doesn't matter if he gets significantly damaged or not, our main goal here is to make sure he can't escape so that I can throw this Superball without too much worry." I pulled out an Advanced Park Pokeball right as I finished speaking for good measure, gripping it firmly with sheer determination. I willed myself to take slow, deep breaths in and out, reminding myself that calmness was the key here. Freaking out now could only spell doom for me and my team.

I played the scene over and over in my head, desperately hoping all would go according to plan, according to what I had anticipated for it to be like. I had envisioned Ice-type Eeveelution to release gust after gust of frosted wind from her nuzzle, sparkling blue snow-like particles complementing the already-chilly breezes. She would direct the wind over across the field and towards the Mushroom Pokemon, twirling them about in a tornado-like manner to create an icy swirling tomb to trap the him in. They would revolve around their target, pushing him around the make-shift cyclone with strong gusts of air, pulsing against him and tossing him back and forth between all the breezes like a tennis ball continuously being smacked up and down across the court during an intense match.

While still feeding some of her power into the vortex, Icabella would also focus on another assault. I had visualized a bright blue sphere to appear right in front of her mouth, continuously growing larger and stronger with every wave of Ice-type energy she poured into it. Then, a few currents in the hurricane would be pulled apart from each other just a bit to create a small hole through which the beam could zoom through. I trusted my Glaceon enough to be able to part the breezes even by just a little bit, the same way Bible stories say how Moses had parted the Red Sea, except this time my Pokemon would be dispersing wind, not water. Erratic streaks of frost would then burst out from the cyan sphere, zipping through the air much like a lightning bolt would - except, of course, this one was made of ice and bitter-coldness. The zig-zagging rays would slip through the tiny cracks in the vortex then would jolt the Grass-Fighting-type with a mighty current of Ice-type power.

The next thing the Eeveelution would hopefully perform was the closing off of the gaps she had created to let the beams through, sealing them rather tightly shut using the snowy gusts. She would then redirect her attention to the whirling tomb, allowing the icy bolts to latch themselves onto the snags of wind in attempt to fully freeze them. It would obviously require a lot of effort and power from Icabella for this course of action to unfold as such, and her energy would definitely be quite drained out by the time she will have finished, but I had to trust in her, to place my faith in her if I aspired for our side to emerge victorious at the end of all this. For now, I could only hope her exhaustion would not cause her to faint if in case the wild creature did somehow manage to find a way to execute another assault before I would have had the opportunity to hurl the Superball in his direction.

 

@MuddyMudkip;

BP#3

Ranger Ivy Frost

---

Elisa saw the offered asprin and started to grin. “Just what I needed! Thank you,” she said as she accepted it, pulling out her canteen to wash it down.

“No problem. I didn't used to carry it, but after getting stuck out on the field for a long time and getting sick those two weeks, I haven't gone without,” Ivy replied. After the Deckbi incident, she had taken sick leave for half a month, and every day her head throbbed with splitting aches. It hadn't been fun.

The other Ranger didn't like the look of the grass one bit, though. She blurted out, “Icabella, hurry! Run up one of those trees and get away from the grass now!” The Glaceon apparently knew the Strength technique, which would help her ascend the fruit trees.

The Ice-type dashed off toward the apple trees coated in a white light. With a powerful leap, she jumped toward one and bounced off of it, using it as a springboard to gain height and make it to a higher branch on an adjacent tree. She settled on top of it, a safe distance away from the plain of moving grass. The Breloom watched her, but he didn't chase after her, only turning his body slightly in her direction. He was a patient battler, it seemed.

“Try setting up a Mirror Coat, Icabella,” Elisa called next, preparing for some counter strike by the Grass-type. Mirror Coat was used to reflect damage back at the attacker as a defense mechanism. The Glaceon was pretty solid and capable of taking hits, especially with her calm nature that prevented her from panicking and skewing damage, so she was a good candidate for the technique.

As Elisa gathered her thoughts and formulated a plan, Ivy saw the Breloom shift his stance again. He was facing the fruit trees now, starting to slowly stalk toward them in an unhurried pace. The grass still rustled at his feet, almost parting as he moved. He was definitely using a technique to control it.

Then, the girl set up another combination of orders. She wanted her Ice-type to form a type of ice tornado using Icy Wind and Ice Beam, hoping to trap the Grass-type inside so she could make a capture. Elisa pulled out a Super Park Ball while her Pokemon prepared the moves, waiting to throw it.

The Glaceon took a deep breath and then breathed out. Tiny ice crystals could be seen in front of her muzzle, but more than that, the winds in the area picked up, responding to her frost. They began to circulate like a vortex, spinning around the field and around the target. Ivy saw the tops of the grasses start to become flecked with snow and ice.

The winds became thicker with added winter particles, and the Breloom then realized if he was going to strike at all, it had to be soon. Fighting through the harsh winds, he dashed toward the trees. In a quick swoop, he threw his arm forward into the trunk of the tree Icabella was perched on, making her wobble. Since she didn't fall, he hit it again, and this time, the Glaceon did fall.

However, the Breloom couldn't go after her. The Icy Wind had picked up too much strength, and it was now obscuring their vision of him. The Glaceon hit the ground hard, and at once, the grasses responded. Vines snuck out from the field, like tiny snakes searching for prey. They were slowed down a little by the cold, so Icabella had time to react.

With a powerful blast, she sent an Ice Beam right into her icy vortex. The spinning tornado started to freeze, becoming less translucent and more solid with every second. However, the Glaceon didn't get to see the results of her efforts. With a snap, the vines from the field wrapped around her and pinned her down as she tried to get up, sapping her strength.

At once, the Mirror Coat responded, cloaking her in a harsh light. With a cry, that reflected energy glowed and shot off from her. Some of it was aimed off due to her being pinned down, but other pieces of it flew through the area, some even going through the ice trap before it was solid and striking the Breloom. Then, the vortex abruptly closed off, becoming solid white and trapping the mushroom Pokemon inside.

Ivy heard a solid thunk, and the frozen tornado shook a little, but the Breloom was just not strong enough to break free of it. He was too tired to even jump over the lip of the trap.

A cry from Icabella drew her attention back to the trapped Pokemon, and Elisa seemed to realize that the quickest way to rescue her partner was to end the battle. That meant a capture attempt. With a strong throw, she lobbed the Super Ball up and over the lip of the cone. The ball fell over the edge and then they could only wait, not being able to see what was happening inside.

After a few seconds, the vines around Icabella faded, their master no longer able to fight. The Ice-type was able to get up and shake herself free of remaining debris. “The capture must've worked,” Ivy said, noting how the attack fell away.

Then, the ice began to fade, revealing the locked Super Ball lit up red in the center. Ivy went over to pick it up and put it in one of her zipped pockets. She wouldn't want it to get lost after Elisa battle so hard for it. “The fruit doesn't even look hurt,” she then remarked, examining one of the apples on the trees. It was unblemished, even though some deep freezing had just happened to other parts of the area. “Icabella must be pretty good at controlling her techniques. Did you want to rest a bit here or keep going?” she asked then.

---

Current Battle Stats: N/A

---

Trainer Stats

Name: Elisa
Location: Botanical Gardens
Area Effects: Sun is shining, a light breeze is blowing... it's a nice day.
8 Encounters remaining
Pokemon Encountered: Happiny, Starly, Petilil, Roselia, Lillipup, Mew, Breloom
Pokemon Captured: Impish F Happiny, Timid M Breloom
MCR: 0

Items: Pokedolls (3x), Parkballs (4x), [1 Package: Pokedoll; Poketoy; Fluffy Tail; Slowpoke Tail] (x3), Fragrances (3x), Super Potions (2x), Max Potions (2x), Max Revives (2x), Soothing Fragrance (1x), Hyperball (1x), Blank Voice Disk (1x), Intermediate Bellow Disk [Durant] (1x), Supreme Park Ball (1x), Uncommon Voice Disk [Shroomish] (1x, 0 uses left.), PokePlayer (1x), Digital Camera (1x)

Pokemon Statistics

Pokemon: Icabella (Glaceon) (70%)
Gender: Female
Ability: Ice Body
Nature: Calm
TM/HM/EM: TM Hidden Power [Psychic]|TM Ice Beam|HM Strength

Pokemon: Abby (Ambipom) (75%)
Gender: Female
Ability: Pickup
Nature: Jolly
TM/HM/EM: TM Substitute|TM Low Sweep|TM ThunderPunch|TM Fire Punch

 

@WinterVines;

My heart dropped to my stomach as my eyes trailed Icabella as she was thumped out of the tree and pulled to the ground where the green blades were just waiting for her, their prey, just itching to latch onto her legs and curl around her feet with killer-grips. I sucked in a deep breath, gritting my teeth to keep myself from trembling. I implanted my shoes firmly into the grass, afraid that I'd topple over any moment now. I felt as helpless as ever as I watched the elongated plantlife slither around my Glaceon, who had - thankfully - just the right amount of time to unleash an erratic bolt of ice before being rendered confined in vines.

While the beam was gradually freezing up the swirling vortex of cold gusts, the grass had pinned the Eeveelution down, prompting the Mirror Coat from earlier to activate. The reflective layer glimmered with a blinding white light before firing off multiple chunks of the substance that looked somewhat like shattered pieces of glass. A good number of the shards had been hurled around the area, but there were still some that had found their way over to the freezing cyclone, slipping in through the still-wind parts and damaging the opponent a bit before the tornado had suddenly ceased its whirling around altogether.

The snow-filled air currents had become one solid funnel of iciness, trapping the wild entity inside.*My eyes zipped back and forth between the frozen whirlpool and the fallen Ice-type. My thoughts were in disarray once again, torn between running over to my Pokemon and focusing on the opponent.

A loud thunk jolted me out of my illogical thoughts and indecisiveness. My gaze snapped to the frosted twister, and right then and there was the only time I actually figured out what it was that I needed to do. I realized that the only way to free Icabella from the grass trap was to end this battle - and that meant I had to go for the capture.

Swallowing a lump in my throat, I pulled my arm back as far as I could, striving to gain momentum. I swung it back forward quickly, putting all my might into that one throw to make sure the Superball would actually land inside the cyclone and come into contact with the Mushroom Pokemon inside. The orb soared through the air, as if in slow motion, building up the tension that was already threatening to kill me.*The sphere landed right on the edge of the topmost layer of the funnel's ice, then rolled into the vortex.

I rushed over to my Glaceon, furiously trying to come up with a plan to release her from the clutches of the vines. I'd use brute force if I had to. I kneeled down next to her, praising her tremendously for an amazing job. As I was examining the plants wrapped around her, they had suddenly began to untangle themselves from her body, slowly creeping away. They slipped back under ground, which could only mean one thing, I'd like to say so.

A spark of hope rekindled inside of me, the flare warming me up from inside-out. I stood up from my crouched position and lifted my eyes to peer across the battlefield, my gaze resting on the frosted hurricane that was now slowly dissipating. The tiny crystal-like particles faded into thin air, revealing a still camo-colored orb resting serenely on the grass. A large grin broke out on my face, and it took all my willpower to keep myself from leaping into the air right then and there as though I was insane. I patted the Glaceon on her head appreciatively, praising her once more for her brilliant efforts.

Ivy picked up the orb, then slipped it into one of her vest pockets. She then began to examine the apples on the trees. "The fruit doesn't even look hurt," she said, and she was right. Walking over, I saw that the red skin still looked perfectly smooth in spite of the sudden drops in temperature as well as the iciness that had conquered most of the place. "Icabella must be pretty good at controlling her techniques."

I smiled, proud of my partner and how well she did in the battle. "Heh, yeah, guess she is." I laughed sheepishly, not wanting to come off as boastful.

The Elite Ranger then asked if we would want to rest a while in this area or continue on with the expedition. I glanced at Icabella, who dipped her head in reply while flicking her tail in the direction of the path we had come through earlier. I nodded then called her back into her Pokeball to give her the opportunity to rest for quite some time - she deserved it, after all.

"Alright, I think we're okay for now. So let's journey on!" I responded with enthusiasm evident in my voice, looking forward to the entities we would encounter next.

 

@MuddyMudkip;

NBP#1

Ranger Ivy Frost

---

Elisa looked a little embarrassed at Ivy's comment, rubbing the back of her head with a hand as she accepted praise for her Pokemon. “Heh, yeah, guess she is,” she said. The girl patted her Glaceon on the head for her good work, and after a few minutes, they were all set.

“Alright, I think we're okay for now. So let's journey on!” she shouted, looking pretty happy. Ivy didn't blame her; Breloom was a great catch.

Then, Haji let the way for Ivy and the rest to follow. His forked tail bobbed from side to side as he trailed ahead. Ivy could feel his mental energy fanning out, scanning all the different foliage. They weaved through the fruit trees, ducking around low-hanging branches and pushing leaves aside. The apples were ripe by now, and the sun shone off of the red, yellow, and green skins as they passed.

The different apple-colored trees were scattered around in a random pattern, which was odd considering it was the Rangers that planted them. Whoever was working that day must've not followed the plan. The different types weren't even organized into sections. Ivy wasn't really that surprised, though, after seeing some of their slow days and the lack of effort some people put forth.

Eventually they made it out of the fruit forest, leaving the area behind for a more open space. Ivy recognized it. They were getting closer to the greenhouses, a place she had spent a lot of time repotting flowers and fixing the solar-absorbing panels on the greenhouse roof and walls.

Small rows of dirt appeared over the small hill, expanding out before the green-tinted shed. Various vegetables were planted here. The Rangers used them for their events, since that saved on costs. They all took turns caring for them. She spotted lines of carrot tops, radishes, and other things she enjoyed eating when she could.

Then, one of the plants moved. Haji saw it first, coming to a stop at the end of the row. He sat down and stared at the vegetable, prompting the rest to do the same. Ivy tilted her head to the side as the bushy leaves shook.

“What in the world...” she trailed off.

Suddenly, the plant burst from the ground. A blue object came with the leaves, and when it landed on the ground and shook itself free of dirt, Ivy recognized the Pokemon. It was bulb-shaped, with beady eyes and small limbs. It looked up at them curiously. The Ranger wondered how long it had been resting underground.

“It's an Oddish,” she said, turning to Elisa. “Are you interested in this one, perhaps?”

---

Current Battle Stats:

??? ??? Oddish: 100%

---

Trainer Stats

Name: Elisa
Location: Botanical Gardens
Area Effects: Sun is shining, a light breeze is blowing... it's a nice day.
7 Encounters remaining
Pokemon Encountered: Happiny, Starly, Petilil, Roselia, Lillipup, Mew, Breloom, Oddish
Pokemon Captured: Impish F Happiny, Timid M Breloom
MCR: 4,607/4,000 [Common Rank]

Items: Pokedolls (3x), Parkballs (4x), [1 Package: Pokedoll; Poketoy; Fluffy Tail; Slowpoke Tail] (x3), Fragrances (3x), Super Potions (2x), Max Potions (2x), Max Revives (2x), Soothing Fragrance (1x), Hyperball (1x), Blank Voice Disk (1x), Intermediate Bellow Disk [Durant] (1x), Supreme Park Ball (1x), Uncommon Voice Disk [Shroomish] (1x, 0 uses left.), PokePlayer (1x), Digital Camera (1x)

Pokemon Statistics

Pokemon: Icabella (Glaceon) (70%)
Gender: Female
Ability: Ice Body
Nature: Calm
TM/HM/EM: TM Hidden Power [Psychic]|TM Ice Beam|HM Strength

Pokemon: Abby (Ambipom) (75%)
Gender: Female
Ability: Pickup
Nature: Jolly
TM/HM/EM: TM Substitute|TM Low Sweep|TM ThunderPunch|TM Fire Punch

 

@WinterVines;

Haji took the lead with his tail swinging back and forth. We followed him into the forest, carefully picking our way through the foliage. I was glad that the Espeon was up in front, alert and constantly sensing for any sort of danger using his Psychic-type capabilities. We wandered through the trees, trusting the Eeveelution for directions.

Once, I almost smacked my head right into a low-hanging tree branch, ducking at just the last moment. I let out a sigh of relief - I definitely did not want to bump my attic right after experiencing wave after wave of seemingly endless pain right up in my mind. Every now and then, I would still feel a prick slamming into my head, but it was a dull, throbbing kind of pain now, the aspirin working its wonders.

I took our time here as an opportunity to appreciate the wildlife surround us every which way, just drinking in every little detail. At some points, we had to push the leaves sticking out and blocking our path aside, as well as the outcroppings of some other plants that were simply extremely overgrown. The apples on the trees looming over us were in different shades of red, yellow, and green, and those of the same coloration and type didn't even seem to be grouped together. I thought this rather odd, but didn't bother pondering about it too much.

Despite the apparent unkempt atmosphere in the place, the wildlife around us was still blooming to its fullest. Sprouts popped out here and there, symbolizing hope and new life, reinvigorating me as I admired their beauty. There was a lot you could learn from Mother Nature, that's for sure. And, at times, some fresh air was just what you needed to achieve a calm and collected state of mind.

After a little bit more weaving through trees that were so closely clumped together, we finally emerged from the dense forest and found ourselves on a rather familiar path. I had been here quite a number of times before, considering how often I visited the Botanic Gardens on runs with trainers and during my free time. The greenhouses were just a bit further up ahead, though there were already rows upon rows of healthy, growing crops in fertile soil. I did not fancy nor frequent these sheds quite as much as I did the other areas of the Gardens. Still, the sight of the vegetables refreshed me as they were all in good condition and reminded me of the countless times I would enjoy munching on them. They were the fruits of our labor, our hard work, keeping everything orderly and well in the National Park.

Movement in the ground caught my eyes, almost causing me to launch myself into the air in surprise. A plant was moving! On its own! What the... My mind whirred, and I almost considered the possibility that I was hallucinating (again) when Ivy echoed my thoughts.

"What in the world..." She gasped, letting her sentence hang in the air.

I glanced at the Elite Ranger to see if she had any answers, but she looked just about as surprised as I was. I rubbed my eyes hard and then stared at the clump of crops where I had seen the motion occur. A blue thing with green leaves atop its head suddenly jumped out at us, darting out from in between the vegetables. The creature resembled that of a bulb, its beady little eyes peering up at us with evident curiosity.

"It's an Oddish. Are you interested in this one, perhaps?" The woman inquired.

I thought about it for a brief moment, but finally decided to decline the offer. I shook my head. "No, thanks." My hand dug into my satchel, retrieving a plush toy that seemed to have been based off a Cleffa. "I've got a Pokedoll if in case it doesn't allow us to get away." I willed the wild entity to let us sneak away without trouble; I didn't like using up my escape items unless absolutely necessary. They were not the most expensive of accessories - that much was true - but, nowadays, even a teensy little amount of money accounted for something.

 

@MuddyMudkip;

NBP#2

Ranger Ivy Frost

---

Elisa considered the small Grass-type for a moment before eventually shaking her head. “No, thanks,” she replied. She then reached into her sack and pulled out a small Cleffa-shaped doll. Ivy didn't have any of the new ones yet, instead stuck with the ones that were Clefairy-shaped. Elisa's had brown-tipped ears. “I've got a Pokedoll in case it doesn't allow us to get away,” she said.

It didn't look like the little Pokemon was going to put up a fight, though. Instead, it skipped around happily, making humming sounds. Small petals shot out from it top, spiraling down sort of like a flower girl in a wedding. It danced around them as it went, eventually trailing off over the small hill and into the fruit trees, a pattern of flowers in its wake.

“Someone was in a good mood,” Ivy said, glad that Elisa didn't have to waste her supplies. Thankfully that Pokemon had been good-natured.

They made it through the planting fields and came up to the greenhouse next. Ivy could feel the heat radiating off it, even though it wasn't too late in the afternoon yet. The house would be boiling inside, but it was good for the plants.

“Let's check it out real quick,” Ivy said, pulling open the door. A wall of heat greeted her. “Just in case.”

They went inside and took a look at all the long tables filled with vegetables, flowers of all colors and shapes, and small trees that hadn't sprouted tall enough to be planted outside yet. The mixing fragrances was strange but interesting, and Ivy caught wind of some of her favorite types. They walked down some of the isles to make sure nothing was out of order, looking for any places a Pokemon might've made a hole in the wall or something. Pokemon often went in and out of here, since the doors were usually kept open unless one of the Rangers was working on a project that couldn't be disturbed. It didn't happen often.

Then, a small meow caught Ivy's attention. She looked to the side to see that a small pink and cream-colored cat was nestled under one of the leafy ferns on top of the table. It smiled cutely at them, calling out again when they stopped.

“Oh, there's a Skitty there,” Ivy said, pointing the small cat out. “My neighbor has one—they're pretty good house-sitters and lap 'mons,” she said, thinking of the older lady's cat. “Are you in need of a lap-cat?”

---

Current Battle Stats:

??? ??? Skitty: 100%

---

Trainer Stats

Name: Elisa
Location: Botanical Gardens
Area Effects: Sun is shining, a light breeze is blowing... it's a nice day.
6 Encounters remaining
Pokemon Encountered: Happiny, Starly, Petilil, Roselia, Lillipup, Mew, Breloom, Oddish, Skitty
Pokemon Captured: Impish F Happiny, Timid M Breloom
MCR: 0/4,000 [Common Rank]

Items: Pokedolls (3x), Parkballs (4x), [1 Package: Pokedoll; Poketoy; Fluffy Tail; Slowpoke Tail] (x3), Fragrances (3x), Super Potions (2x), Max Potions (2x), Max Revives (2x), Soothing Fragrance (1x), Hyperball (1x), Blank Voice Disk (1x), Intermediate Bellow Disk [Durant] (1x), Supreme Park Ball (1x), Uncommon Voice Disk [Shroomish] (1x, 0 uses left.), PokePlayer (1x), Digital Camera (1x)

Pokemon Statistics

Pokemon: Icabella (Glaceon) (70%)
Gender: Female
Ability: Ice Body
Nature: Calm
TM/HM/EM: TM Hidden Power [Psychic]|TM Ice Beam|HM Strength

Pokemon: Abby (Ambipom) (75%)
Gender: Female
Ability: Pickup
Nature: Jolly
TM/HM/EM: TM Substitute|TM Low Sweep|TM ThunderPunch|TM Fire Punch

 

@WinterVines;

"Someone was in a good mood," Ivy remarked as we watched the Bulb Pokemon hop its way up and over a small hill, twirling around elegantly as it went. Its sweet humming echoed around us as beautiful flower petals burst out from its head, cascading down around it in a swirling motion.

I nodded in agreement, a giggle playing on my lips as I watched the petals land on the meadow with such grace, creating a brilliant trail of flowers. Turning away from the creature and its cute antics, I made sure that my bag was all zipped up, then slipped the unused and apparently unnecessary pink toy into the pocket of my jeans for easier access later on. I was thankful that the Oddish hadn't been looking for trouble - there was no good reason to waste any item, after all.

We came upon the first of a number of green-tinted sheds in the area after getting through the rest of the cultivated grasslands without incident. Warmth radiated off the greenhouse, solar energy powering it through the solar panels that had been set up on the shed's roof. Already, I could feel some strands of my hair start to stick to my nape from the humidity. Another reason why I wasn't exactly quite as fond of these houses as compared to the other areas of the Gardens. Still, I knew this was for the best - just the thing the wildlife needed to grow into even healthier plants, absorbing the energy from the sun.

"Let's check it out real quick," the Elite Ranger suggested, about to open the door. As much as I despised the heat, I agreed anyway. I felt compelled to check on everything, to make sure that nothing had gotten disturbed. And, well, *if something strange did occur, then that was another matter altogether. We'd cross the bridge when we get there - and hopefully, we wouldn't arrive there.

A sizzling blast of air flooded right out of the greenhouse, smacking my flesh - my face, most especially - with its rather unpleasant warmth. I felt a bead of sweat trickle down my right cheek; I hoped we would be able to check all the lanes inside quickly but thoroughly, not wanting to spend too much time in the scorching heat.

Upon entering, we were greeted with a unique mix of aromas, soothing our nerves with their sweet wisps. I breathed them in, cherishing the moment. I could identify most of the wafts, though some were familiar but I could not quite place my finger on what exactly was giving off that certain scent. The tables were filled with a glorious array of plants - from flowers to little trees that were not large enough to be transferred to the outdoors just yet. We walked up and down the aisles, keeping an eye open for anything that seemed to be even in the slightest bit wrong or out of place, you could say.

We were almost finished checking each of the plants when a mew grabbed our attention. Ivy spotted the entity first, gesturing over at a primarily-pink cat-like specimen, who seemed to be comfortably resting under a large green fern. It purred, as if beckoning us over to it.

"There's a Skitty there," the woman stated, gazing at the feline. She then went on to tell me about her neighbor who had a Kitten Pokemon of her own. Apparently, its species were known to be excellent house-sitters as well as being a lap 'mon. "Are you in need of a lap-cat?"

"Not really - no." I laughed a little at the term and word choice; it was definitely a cute way to call the Normal-type, but the way Ivy had put it made me chuckle a bit. I pulled out the Pokedoll from my pocket, ready to hand it over to the kitty if it would show interest in us. "Hopefully, though, I won't have to use this doll," I told Ivy, "But it's right here and ready if need be."

 

@MuddyMudkip;

NBP#3

Elisa laughed a little at her description, and Ivy grinned. Lap-cat was the term her elderly neighbor used, and it had stuck with her a little.

“Not really, no,” she said, declining the pink cat.

They turned to go, but when Ivy passed the feline, it reached out with a tiny paw and hooked its nails into her vest, snagging it. The Ranger stopped so that the canvas wouldn't rip. “I appear to be stuck,” she said. In response, the kitty let out a sad meow, like it didn't want them to go. “I think you better use that doll just in case.” Cats got nasty when they were upset. Luckily Haji was super chill or else there would probably be nightmares at home. The thought of him being anything like Vergil made her shiver.

Elisa complied with the Cleffa-shaped doll she didn't have to use on the Oddish, and upon seeing it, the kitten started purring, curling up with it when the girl handed over the toy. The cat then happily settled down to nap, wrapped around the plush and content to leave them be.

“I think I've seen enough of the greenhouses. This heat is killing me. What about you?” Ivy asked, pulling at her turtleneck under chin.

When they left, Ivy kept the door ajar so the Skitty and other Pokemon could come and go into the warm house. She had a feeling that when it rained they clustered in here, since there were always pots knocked over and grass trampled on after a storm.

Leaving the greenhouse and garden behind, Ivy led them to another familiar place. High hedges rose above their heads, trimmed in neat blocks. They formed walls to what was a maze. She had led many Trainers through here before, and it was always a lot of fun. The entrance on this side of it had Virizion-shaped sentries as statues, looming almost as high as the walls.

A curious pecking sound then came to her ears, and she saw a small brown bird trot out from behind the statue on the left. Its two heads were nosing around the ground, probably looking for something to eat. One of the heads saw them and looked up. Then, it turned and pecked the other one so that both of them were looking toward the group.

“Looks like that Doduo spotted us. Are you interested?”

---

Current Battle Stats:

??? ??? Doduo: 100%

---

Trainer Stats

Name: Elisa
Location: Botanical Gardens
Area Effects: Sun is shining, a light breeze is blowing... it's a nice day.
5 Encounters remaining
Pokemon Encountered: Happiny, Starly, Petilil, Roselia, Lillipup, Mew, Breloom, Oddish, Skitty, Doduo
Pokemon Captured: Impish F Happiny, Timid M Breloom
MCR: 0/9,000 [Unommon Rank]

Items: Pokedolls (2x), Parkballs (4x), [1 Package: Pokedoll; Poketoy; Fluffy Tail; Slowpoke Tail] (x3), Fragrances (3x), Super Potions (2x), Max Potions (2x), Max Revives (2x), Soothing Fragrance (1x), Hyperball (1x), Blank Voice Disk (1x), Intermediate Bellow Disk [Durant] (1x), Supreme Park Ball (1x), Uncommon Voice Disk [Shroomish] (1x, 0 uses left.), PokePlayer (1x), Digital Camera (1x)

Pokemon Statistics

Pokemon: Icabella (Glaceon) (70%)
Gender: Female
Ability: Ice Body
Nature: Calm
TM/HM/EM: TM Hidden Power [Psychic]|TM Ice Beam|HM Strength

Pokemon: Abby (Ambipom) (75%)
Gender: Female
Ability: Pickup
Nature: Jolly
TM/HM/EM: TM Substitute|TM Low Sweep|TM ThunderPunch|TM Fire Punch

 

@WinterVines;

We hadn't even taken two steps forward when the kitten meowed in strong protest. I had half a mind to just lose it and run off right then and there - I didn't mind getting out of this heat, after all - but the young creature had snagged Ivy's vest with the claws on its tiny paws for emphasis, as if making sure we could not escape.

"I appear to be stuck," the Elite Ranger stated. I nodded, handing over the Cleffa-resembling doll over to the cat. I didn't want to have to deal with those sharp nails - no matter how small and inexperienced one might appear to be, felines could always get fierce and repulsive, especially if one was made upset or infuriated. I wasn't going to take any chances, and besides, the sooner we were out of this humid atmosphere without incident, the better.

The Skitty purred in content as it settled back down onto the tabletop, making itself comfortable under the fern. I breathed a sigh of relief, eager to move on - particularly out of these sheds.

Ivy seemed to have been thinking of the same thing. "I think I've seen enough of the greenhouses." I could only murmur in agreement. "This heat is killing me. What about you?"

"Same," I replied, attempting to fan myself with my hand, but to no avail. "I don't think I can stand this temperature any longer." Whenever I visited the greenhouses to fulfill my ranger duties, I always tried to finish things up as quickly and as efficiently as possible, keen on getting in and out of the warm environment in seconds. It wasn't always this scorching hot, though - of course, the seasons changed, and so would the atmosphere of the place. Today just happened to be one of those extremely humid ones.

Right before we exited the green-tinted house, my eyes swept around the place a final time to check that everything was indeed undisturbed. Content with the peacefulness and orderliness of the area, we headed out, leaving the door slightly open to allow Pokemon to come and go as they please.

A few moments later, we came across towering hedges that seemed to be guarded by a sentry of a legendary. I stopped to gaze at the statue dedicated to Virizion, a legendary creature, admiring the artistry and effort that had been put into this masterpiece.*The green blocks that made up the walls and boundaries of the maze were apparently very well-kept and attended to, considering their smoothly-trimmed edges. This was in large contrast to the forest we had wandered through some time earlier. It was nice to know that, at least, most of the things in the Gardens were still being well taken care of for the most part.

I couldn't tend to this zone all by myself, of course, so I rarely reached this place before my shift was over. As much as I liked the Botanic Gardens, I had to care for the other areas of the Park as well, so I usually left the maze-cutting business to the other rangers. I had explored this puzzle a couple of times now, though, so it wasn't entirely new, but it wasn't that familiar of a place to me either - at least compared to other areas. I made a mental note to myself to take trainers through this part more often - it would surely prove to be a ton of fun!

A pecking noise snapped me out of my thoughts, my head whizzing around reflectively in the direction the sound had come from. A rounded body covered with brown feathers branched off both upward and downward. Two long thin legs with four-clawed toes sprouted underneath it, while on top, two long flexible tube-like necks sported a head on each. The long sharp beak on one of the fluffy heads tapped the other, gesturing over to us. Now, four small black eyes stared at us from behind one of the statues.

"Looks like that Doduo spotted us. Are you interested?" the Elite Ranger asked.

I shook my head. Dodrios were pretty fast Pokemon, and they were some rather good physical attackers, but they just weren't what I was looking for, for some reason. "No, thanks." I grabbed another pink toy from my bag, ready to toss it only if need be. "Hopefully, it'll leave us alone, if not, I'll just give it this."

 

@MuddyMudkip; D: sorry I didn't get on this right away. First it was Shakespeare and then I got distracted by coloring a Hoppip picture.

NBP#4

Ranger Ivy Frost

---

Elisa shook her head. The small, dual-headed Pokemon saw the action and tried to mimic it, but the two heads ended up knocking together. Then, each one squawked and they started to fight, pecking at each other angrily.

“No, thanks,” Elisa said, pulling out a doll.

Ivy shook her head and waved it away. “I don't think that'll be necessary. They look a little preoccupied to,” she said as she laughed, seeing the still-fighting birds.

The Ranger waved them on and they managed to slip between the two statues without a hitch. The birds stayed fighting with each other as the group left them behind, entering the maze proper.

Even though she had been through here many times, the maze still freaked her out a little. The hedges were high, well over her head, and the foliage was packed together thickly, making small sounds echo. One could still hear the distant sounds in the maze, though. The walls made the sounds eerie and far away, distorting them sort like one of those haunted houses on Halloween. Sometimes it took a lot not to shiver.

Ivy led them around turns and twists, wondering if something was going to jump out at them. She always worried about going around a corner too fast, since the square blocks were sharp and put together in a box-formation, making it impossible to see around them until you even made the turn. She always imagined running into a wild Pokemon like that. The adrenaline rush kept her light on her toes too, since she couldn't tell what was going to happen next.

They soon weaved their way through the puzzle to come into a small clearing. It looked like a rest area of sorts, with stone benches lining three of the walls of the small room. There weren't any other paths leading out of it, so the room was nice and cozy. Beds of flowers were set in squares too, with a small square in the center of the place that was shaped in just the outline, leaving the middle bare with green grass.

In the center of that piece was a Pokemon. It looked like a flower in a green dress. A fringe of ferns topped the bulb-shaped head, and it didn't seem to have any appendages. It squeaked as it saw them, turning from the pile of flower petals it had made on the ground to look at them.

“There's a Petilil over there,” Ivy said. “Any interest in it?”

---

Current Battle Stats:

??? ??? Petilil: 100%

---

Trainer Stats

Name: Elisa
Location: Botanical Gardens
Area Effects: Sun is shining, a light breeze is blowing... it's a nice day.
4 Encounters remaining
Pokemon Encountered: Happiny, Starly, Petilil, Roselia, Lillipup, Mew, Breloom, Oddish, Skitty, Doduo, Petilil
Pokemon Captured: Impish F Happiny, Timid M Breloom
MCR: 0/9,000 [Unommon Rank]

Items: Pokedolls (2x), Parkballs (4x), [1 Package: Pokedoll; Poketoy; Fluffy Tail; Slowpoke Tail] (x3), Fragrances (3x), Super Potions (2x), Max Potions (2x), Max Revives (2x), Soothing Fragrance (1x), Hyperball (1x), Blank Voice Disk (1x), Intermediate Bellow Disk [Durant] (1x), Supreme Park Ball (1x), Uncommon Voice Disk [Shroomish] (1x, 0 uses left.), PokePlayer (1x), Digital Camera (1x)

Pokemon Statistics

Pokemon: Icabella (Glaceon) (70%)
Gender: Female
Ability: Ice Body
Nature: Calm
TM/HM/EM: TM Hidden Power [Psychic]|TM Ice Beam|HM Strength

Pokemon: Abby (Ambipom) (75%)
Gender: Female
Ability: Pickup
Nature: Jolly
TM/HM/EM: TM Substitute|TM Low Sweep|TM ThunderPunch|TM Fire Punch

 

@WinterVines; Apparently Chainy wants one. ^^ Money for you! xD

I was standing on the balls of my feet, poised and all tensed up, ready to toss the Pokedoll, and then make a run for it. Being in the presence of a Doduo could be pretty dangerous at times, especially if you happened to make one angry. Its two heads had a sleek and mighty sharp beak each, only doubling the trouble the species could cause. The last thing I wanted now was to infuriate it by declining a challenge, assuming it did want to fight. I could only hope that one plush toy was enough for both heads.

I shook my head again, hoping that the Twin Bird Pokemon would understand the message without any violent reactions. My actions elicited movement from the two heads, causing each to mimic my head's shaking with a wiggle of its own. This action caused the two heads to smack into each other, the equal and opposite forces throwing the heads backwards. And then, the fighting ensued. My eyebrows shot up at the scene unfolding before me as I straightened my back, my shoulder muscles relaxing from their hunched position. I loosened up slightly at the sight of this, thankful that the beaks were jabbing at each other, stabbing the brown fur with loud and enraged pecks - thankful that they were not aimed at me, or Ivy, or any of our Pokemon. Still, I couldn't help but feel sorry and worried about the Normal-Flying-type; I didn't like seeing Pokemon getting hurt for no good reason - it pained me and shot guilt and anxiety surging through my soul, even in battle. But I knew better than to interfere in this case.

Ivy giggled at the antics of the dual-headed bird, and my brain came up with a light remark about them, just to lighten the mood. "And here I was thinking that two heads were better than one!" I managed to joke, playing along - anything to keep the growing uncertainty and distress from swallowing up my soul.

With one last glance at the still-squawking heads, I heaved a heavy sigh and followed the Elite Ranger through the Virizion-statue entrance and into the maze. As before, I squeezed the unused pink doll into the pocket of my jeans, then took the time to gaze at the surrounding hedges of green. They loomed over us the same way the towering trees of the dense forest from earlier had, making me feel that much smaller and insignificant once again. Metaphorically speaking, they could be likened to giants, representing hurdles in life that looked down on me threateningly, tauntingly - and no matter what I did, it seemed as though I could never defeat them, as though I could never be good enough to even be on par with them. I couldn't stop myself from shuddering at the thought of this as we rounded another corner, continuing on our merry wandering way through the puzzle with my pace quickening in time with Ivy's. I was in stride with her now as we carried on with our brisk walk.

The sound of our feet thudding against the ground echoed back to us, but the thick foliage made the sounds seem distant and distorted, resulting in the sound waves carrying very eerie vibes with an ominous atmosphere about them. It gave me the jitters, shivers zipping up and down my spine with every crunch of the grass under the soles of our shoes. A step on a fallen twig caused a cracking sound to bounce back to us. Every nerve in my being quivered. I clenched and unclenched my fists, letting out a shaky breath.

The dense walls kept on hurling the sounds around, and my heart threatened to leap straight out of my chest. My mind whirred, just on the verge of being conquered by yet another episode of headache. I willed myself to keep going, to fight off the impending onslaught of pain - agony that felt like a heavy brick constantly being slammed into the back of my head, in time with every throbbing wave. No. I would not succumb to the hurt; I would not even let these chilly sounds affect me - not enough that they would bring about blinding ache, at least.

At last our twisting and turning came to a stop as we came upon a small, peaceful-looking clearing. I massaged my temples as I allowed my eyes to survey the area, drinking in every little detail as the sweet scent of flowers flooded my nostrils, complementing the serene and soothing breezes fluttering their way around me. Icabella would love it here; it was right down her lane - a calm, tranquil mix of brilliant blossoms popping out from under the earth, revealing their sheer beauty and magnificence, and resting places dotting the boundaries, inviting benches placed conveniently around the perimeter of the place.

It seemed extremely different from the rest of the maze; here I felt relaxed and without a care in the world, but back when we were weaving through the foliage, I had been on the edge of my feet every single moment, and not because of ebullience either, but rather of terror, to be quite frank. Here, it felt as though time was stretched out to last forever; there, time was like a summer bird, vanishing way too soon, and that we were running after it, giving chase just to grasp onto that evanescent flicker, even if only for the briefest of moments. When the pieces of the puzzle suddenly clicked together, I found myself with a heart-stopping realization - at least, this was what it seemed like to me.

There was the reality, where time was fleeting, and things transient; it was authentic and genuine, the truth slapping you in the face with a concrete block. The verity being that nothing lasted forever, however much we wanted it to, and not everything was just within our reach - most especially not time. There was the reality, where opportunities could slip out of your grasp, and things could fall apart as easily and as quickly as putting out a candle's tiny, flimsy ember, eliminating all traces of light and hope in a dark void.

But here... Oh, here was paradise. A fantasy, a dream. No such thing as time, no such thing as worry or fear, or disappointment or hurt - no such thing could be found here. But only here. Towering expectations and frightening veils of darkness could not chase you here; the icy claws of reality, of pain and suffering, and hardships and troubles, could not lay a single finger on you here. Here was paradise, filled with warm light and rays of hope and faith, strengthening you by flooding your soul with the courage and the heart to keep on striving. Here was paradise... Was it even real?

"Any interest in it?" A familiar voice jolted me awake, snapping me out of my trance-like state, lost in my own world of thoughts. I hadn't quite caught the first part of what Ivy had said, but I decided not to ask. I quickly covered up my earlier distracted condition by sweeping my eyes over the area once more, my gaze settling on a small, primarily green-colored creature sitting gracefully in the middle of a flower patch.

Her species was one I was familiar with, having encountered another of her kind earlier and owned one of my own. Her green dress flowed around her, and the ferns sticking out from the top of her head seemed to look very much like a crown of sorts. She looked so delicate in her position, surrounded by blooming flowers and piles of petals. I remembered Ella, my Lilligant, whom I had caught in the Gardens a while back as a Petilil herself. Just thinking of my Pokemon made me realize that we needed to train more often - I hadn't spent as much time with her as I had with my other partners, and for that I felt extremely guilty and regretful. I sighed, about to decline the offer just as I had before, but something made me shut my mouth before I could utter a word.

I suddenly recalled that there was someone I knew who was interested in this Pokemon. Now, why hadn't I battled the one earlier? Oh, yes - I was much too keen on finding and capturing a Shroomish that I, pretty much, turned down every other wild entity on sight. I hadn't even given any of them a single thought back then with all the enthusiasm bubbling inside of me.

"Yeah," I answered with a grin, nodding my head vigorously. "I know of a friend who wants one."

Both of my Pokemon had been rather worn out from the earlier battles with the Happiny and the Breloom, though Abby was in a slightly better condition compared to my Glaceon, considering how the Ambipom had had more time to rest and had battled a seemingly less tough opponent. On the other hand, I knew that the Fresh Snow Pokemon would feel right at home in this place, the environment complementing her personality and nature. Still, something told me it would be risky to bring her out in an area like this, if only because her Ice-type abilities could potentially leave the wildlife in a wreck. It wasn't that I didn't trust my Pokemon, but it was just less risky this way, I figured.

"Let's go, Abby!" I called out my Long Tail Pokemon, and with an erratic beam of white light, she appeared before me, bouncing on the hands on the tips of her tails. She was grinning with much fervor; the giddy aura radiating off her was extremely contagious that I found myself smiling even wider. This was going to be a great battle, if only due to my partner's high-spirited personality. I had a feeling I was going to hate myself throughout the rest of the battle, though, as the Bulb Pokemon was going to have to take a rather large amount of damage before I could attempt a capture, and the strategy I currently had in mind wasn't going to be that much fun for her, it seemed.

"Hey there, Abby! You up for a battle?" When she nodded enthusiastically, I grinned, knowing she enjoyed doing just about everything and was always honored to do something for others, including winning a battle for me. She was also a very optimistic fellow, especially when it came to bouts like these, boosting my morale and balancing us out whenever anxious thoughts would cloud my mind. "Awesome!"

"Listen to me for a sec, here, okay?" I needed to give her a little pep talk kind of thing first, though, as she might take my idea the wrong way and not battle at all if she were to feel that I had prompted her with an extremely harsh course of action. "I want you to understand that as much as I don't like hurting Pokemon, we're still gonna have to drain the Petilil's energy before trying to catch it, and that would require some assaults on our part... She's most likely not going to enjoy the tactic I have in mind, as it involves her being up in the air while you attack. But, I believe in you, Abby - I know you can do this swiftly yet efficiently. Exhaust her real quick so that I can toss a Parkball and relieve her of any pain right away. You get what I'm saying?" The Normal-type nodded - nothing could bring her spirits down.

"Okay, good. We're gonna play a little game of sorts, alright?" I began to explain my plan, and as the words tumbled out of my mouth I started becoming a little bit more confident that Abby would take it as a playful and fun challenge, and not a dreadful one. "The objective of this game is to never allow Petilil to touch the ground. But first, you gotta get her up in the air, of course! Low Sweep her and push her up, then never let her fall by bouncing her back up with your tails - this should tire her out a bit. Then, Tickle her when you're ready - this would let her guard fall and would also prove to be quite a cheery thing by making her laugh 'til it hurt. After you do that, bounce her back up high enough so that you can fire off a Swift attack. Be careful, though - the Petilil is sure to have tricks of her own." The warning was a bit unnecessary now that I thought about it; Abby had always been aware of others' capabilities, such that she wouldn't underestimate them nor would she deliver a knock-out.

I watched the Long Tail Pokemon dash off to the center of the clearing, getting ready to sweep the opponent off her feet with the use of her hand-like tails. By keeping the Grass-type in the air, we would be able to gradually tire her out, as the Ambipom would be continuously smacking her back up whenever gravity would pull her back down. She'd get rather dizzy, too, I'd imagine, so it was possible that her retaliation techniques would miss or would be out-of-control. The next part of our plan was a technique that would bring about hordes of laughter but would also let the Bulb Pokemon's defenses fall - if you couldn't control your laughing, you're very likely to be vulnerable to attack, and might not be able to fire off an assault yourself. This tactic was an additional precautionary measure; I didn't want my partner to get hurt. Hopefully, between the hurling into the air and the tickling act, she would be able to avoid taking damage from the wild entity. The last thing I had envisioned for Abby to perform, at least for the meantime, was a move that consisted of firing golden stars at the Grass-type. I had told her to bounce the opponent high enough into the air such that she would be able to fire off a nice, long stream of stars traveling at extremely high velocities. The barrage of multiple yellow stars would shoot through the air, hopefully unleashed with enough force that they would reach their target, spamming the small Pokemon's face with bright golden shapes. Once this attack would have been completed, the Petilil would drop back down to the ground, where the Ambipom would be waiting, ready for her - ready to continue on with the game, with Operation: Bouncing.

 

@MuddyMudkip; Woo money!

BP#4

Ranger Ivy Frost

---

After zoning out for a few minutes, Elisa eventually responded. Like flicking a switch, the vacant look disappeared from her eyes and the wrinkle in her forehead smoothed away. The headache must still be bothering her a bit. Ivy saw the woman scanning the field, locking onto the wild Pokemon she had pointed out.

“Yeah,” she answered with a grin and a nod. “I know of a friend who wants one.”

Ivy nodded and smiled in return. She knew what that was like. Most of her own runs were related, since she wasn't really looking for many new partners due to many things, such as the size of her apartments. However, people that couldn't make it out to the Park put up requests that came in on their boards, and often Ivy would choose an area to visit based on what someone was looking for. She liked taking a load off and giving her Pokemon the chance to battle, and she got to help someone else in the process. A win-win situation.

“Let's go, Abby!” she then called, pulling out a Pokeball.

A purple and cream-colored monkey with two tails emerged—her other partner. Ivy recognized the creature since she had one just like it, only in male form. He didn't go with her on runs much anymore since he preferred to wreck havoc around the office or at home instead. This one seemed to have a similar temperament though—high-spirited and genuinely happy.

Ivy trailed over to one of the stone benches that was farthest away from the Petilil so that she'd be out of the way. Haji followed her, and when she sat down, he jumped up and laid down next to her, curling his legs underneath him like a cat. He was happily content to soak up sun rays while they watched the battles. The slight breeze made the heat bearable.

Elisa's Ambipom was totally pumped and ready for battle, even though she had already battled prior to this, judging from the small scrapes the monkey had on her. She was well-rested, though, and Ivy thought that she'd probably be fine. Elisa had to explain to her Pokemon that even though she didn't like to fight and hurt others, they would need to in order to catch this one. Ivy knew how that went too, only the problem was mostly with her Crobat. He preferred to be sneaky and elusive, which usually meant avoiding confronting wild Pokemon. It made catching them difficult sometimes. However, Abby seemed to be on board with the plan—a swift and hard strike would ensure the Petilil suffered less.

“Okay, good,” Elisa said. “We're gonna play a little game of sorts, alright?” At this, the monkey nodded vigorously. “The objective of this game is to never allow Petilil to touch the ground.”

That was a pretty interesting strategy. Considering the Grass-type didn't have arms as it was, the added difficulty of motion and action would be interesting to see. However, it didn't do well to underestimate the wild ones either. These Pokemon were trained to deal with Trainers on a regular basis, and they were well-adapted to their forms.

The Ambipom dashed off, leaving dust trails even over the well-trimmed grass. The Grass-typed noticed, and jumped to attention. Then, she got a defiant look in her eyes and gave a battle cry, running forward at the same time. Ivy was a little surprised at this, and so was Abby. The Petilil was pretty daring to just charge ahead like that. Maybe she wanted to stand out.

That didn't change the monkey's plan, however. In a graceful motion, she suddenly dropped and swept her legs out. This startled the Grass-type enough that she lost her footing. Before she could hit the ground, though, the Ambipom moved in quick with her two hand-tipped tails and scooped her up, launching her toward the sky.

Clearly she had not expected that, as Ivy saw her wide eyes as she turned slowly in midair. As she dropped down, Abby caught her again with her tails, this time reaching in with her arms to tickle the Grass-type. That was definitely more up the monkey's alley in the art of battling. The Petilil immediately erupted into giggles, wiggling her armless body around.

This time, Abby used the full motion her hands to propel the laughing Pokemon upward. She soared even higher this time, slowing as she reached the peak of the launch. By this time, although there was still a smile on her face, Ivy could see that the Grass-type had overcame her uncontrollable giggles. As the Ambipom started throwing golden-lighted stars upward, the wild Pokemon acted.

The first couple of stars hit the Petilil, but then she got the rhythm and judged the distance better. She forcefully hit one of the stars with her feet, and although Ivy saw the wince (probably from the energy still striking her), she gained a little control from it. Using the stars, even though some of them still stung when she landed and others sliced her, she was able to slow her descent. She even did a few twirls as she bounced off of them, creating a flashy show and standing out even more.

When she was close to the bottom, she suddenly let out another cry. This time, leaves shot up from the ground and from the surrounding foliage, combining with the wind to create a hurricane of leaves. The air was filled with brightly lit ninja stars and leaves that surrounded both Pokemon in a whirl. The Leaf Storm struck Abby strongly, and Ivy could hear the Petilil cheer in victory. She definitely liked to stand out.

The monkey caught the Grass-type again as the storm died out, and she was panting quite heavily. Such a strong attack would've definitely taken a lot out of her. Abby didn't go unscathed either, but she was still eager to fulfill her Trainers' wishes. With another scoop and toss of her hands, she threw the Grass-type back up, keeping her off the ground successfully and looking like she was having a good time doing it.

This time, the Petilil tried something else. With another stylish twirl, tiny yellow spores and green leaf-like objects began to fall with the wild Pokemon. Ivy recognized the status-inflicters immediately.

“Look out, Elisa,” she called. “That seems like a Stun Spore and possibly a Leech Seed.”

At this rate, Abby was in direct range from the two attacks, especially if the wind caught hold of them and blew them around the field. She was going to have to think fast to dodge them, and at the same time, worry about the Grass-type that was falling back to earth.

---

Current Battle Stats:

Bold F Petilil: 65% [Atk/Def-1][SpAtk-2][Used Leaf Storm and Using Stun Spore and Leech Seed]
Jolly F Ambipom: 62% [Used Low Sweep, Tickle, and Swift]

---

Trainer Stats

Name: Elisa
Location: Botanical Gardens
Area Effects: Sun is shining, a light breeze is blowing... it's a nice day.
4 Encounters remaining
Pokemon Encountered: Happiny, Starly, Petilil, Roselia, Lillipup, Mew, Breloom, Oddish, Skitty, Doduo, Petilil
Pokemon Captured: Impish F Happiny, Timid M Breloom
MCR: 13,360/9,000 [Unommon Rank]

Items: Pokedolls (2x), Parkballs (4x), [1 Package: Pokedoll; Poketoy; Fluffy Tail; Slowpoke Tail] (x3), Fragrances (3x), Super Potions (2x), Max Potions (2x), Max Revives (2x), Soothing Fragrance (1x), Hyperball (1x), Blank Voice Disk (1x), Intermediate Bellow Disk [Durant] (1x), Supreme Park Ball (1x), Uncommon Voice Disk [Shroomish] (1x, 0 uses left.), PokePlayer (1x), Digital Camera (1x)

Pokemon Statistics

Pokemon: Icabella (Glaceon) (70%)
Gender: Female
Ability: Ice Body
Nature: Calm
TM/HM/EM: TM Hidden Power [Psychic]|TM Ice Beam|HM Strength

Pokemon: Abby (Ambipom) (62%)
Gender: Female
Ability: Pickup
Nature: Jolly
TM/HM/EM: TM Substitute|TM Low Sweep|TM ThunderPunch|TM Fire Punch

 

@WinterVines; This slipped my mind for a while actually D:

A horrified expression conquered my face as the Petilil commanded a spinning vortex of leaves to strike Abby, the sharp edges of green pelting against her skin, threatening to embed marks on her outermost covering. The blades tore at her, slicing her skin wide open and prone to infection. The tornado whipped at her, and when it finally died down, I saw blood-red gashes dotting the Ambipom's skin, the sight of them sending my mind into a frenzy, a whirlwind of terror and agitation. The fantasy was crumbling as the stabbing pain seemed to be catching up to me. My palm came up to my forehead for a moment, holding it as I fought against the prick attempting to stab my mind.

My arm dropped to my side, and my fists clenched as I watched the opponent get hurled up into the air once again thanks to a rather powerful swat from the monkey's tail. She did a little twirl mid-air, spinning elegantly to release a whirlwind of yellow and green spores; this was two different techniques combined into one cunning strategy. I swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat, my stomach feeling rather queasy.

"Look out, Elisa," Ivy shouted from her spot on one of the benches. Her warning confirmed my suspicions; this wasn't good - not good at all. "That seems like a Stun Spore and possibly a Leech Seed."

"Well, now, that was unexpected," I muttered under my breath as I scavenged my brain for ideas and answers. Not that I had enough time to make a thorough ransack, but you get the idea. The seeds seemed to cascade down in a slow, tantalizing manner as the gusts of air pushed them about. I couldn't just let them engulf Abby with their foulness and inflict her with a status ailment - and the wounds from the earlier Leaf Storm would make matters even worse! My mind whirred, pulsing hard as I thought furiously. "Any second now..." I grumbled to myself, as if telling my head that I was impatiently waiting for it to actually work was going to solve anything.

If only we had some water to work with, I thought grimly - that would've done wonders, I expect; the liquid might've been able to dissolve the hazardous mixture, separating the venomous chemicals from the cyclone of grains and making the assault harmless. But then, another idea revealed itself to me, and without wasting a single moment, I called out to my partner. I didn't even bother to go over the plan I had in mind, but I didn't care now.

"Abby, counter-act those spores by creating your own tornado of dirt with a Sand-Attack! Quickly now!" I prompted her hurriedly, a sense of urgency evident in my tone with my agitation seeping into my voice. "You can do this, Abby - you got this, I believe in you that much. We're gonna get through this, and not even a Stun Spore can bring you down, isn't that right?" The Long Tail Pokemon was nodding eagerly at this, showing her solid affirmation while she worked at unearthing some dense clouds of dust. Yes, nothing could ever dampen her spirits - this much I was sure of, and was willing to bet on if indeed the scheme happened to fail. Paralysis would not stop her; it wouldn't hinder her from performing any better as long as we kept pushing on in spite of the circumstances. I could only hope that my mind would cooperate, no distracting headaches or over-thinking, no unnecessary negative and worried thoughts... I owed my Pokemon that much, at least. It wouldn't do either of us any good if I wasn't up to the task even though she was.

I contemplated asking the Ambipom to perform the move Astonish in the hopes of possibly scaring the wild creature enough so that it would not even think of retaliating. However, I had quickly realized that a tactic of that sort would most definitely not work on two points: one, judging from her actions earlier on, the Bulb Pokemon seemed to be a daring sort, much like my Machamp with his Bold nature, so we couldn't possibly succeed if our plan was to frighten her; and two, I had a feeling my partner would not like this move choice at all, as that would involve terrorizing someone she regarded as a friend, even if we were battling. Instead, I figured out a much less, er, unpleasant and unfriendly way to go about this.

"Alright, what I want you to do next is zip around the 'spore and sand' storm - which couldn't be too large, could it? - to increase your speed, then swiftly extend your hand-tail out to grab the Petilil right before she falls back to earth," I called out again, deciding that if we were to end this battle as quickly as possible we needed to launch another attack. "Fill one of your tails with burning Fire-type energy as though you'd be executing a Fire Punch assault, then do the same with the other one, except this time, I want you to use Thunder Punch to engulf your tail in electricity. By using a Double Hit technique, I then want you to knock her back and forth between your two tails. Hopefully, this would be enough to tire her out so we can go in for the capture later on."

Puffs of dirt began to arise for the ground, melding in with the thick layers of tiny yellow shells. Hopefully, between the opposing sandstorm and the Agility technique, the Normal-type would be able to avoid the paralyzing spores, at least for the most part. The particles of dust wouldn't actually be able to actually stop or eliminate the hazardous spores, that much I knew, but in ordering Abby to execute this tactic, I had hoped that the sand would, at least, be able to contradict the other tornado for a while, keeping it from getting a hold of my partner - just enough to buy the Ambipom enough time to become more agile and to snatch the Grass-type out of the air before zipping off to a different part of the clearing. There, I had envisioned her each of her tails to become coated in two rather different but powerful energies. Flames would dance across one of them while the other would be surrounded by sparking yellow currents of lightning. Smacking the Grass-type back and forth between her two tails would certainly prove to be rather exhausting for the opponent, as though she was the ball in a game of tennis or a shuttlecock in badminton where Abby's two hands were the rackets that would continuously be striking her back and forth. I chided myself for describing the scene in such a nasty manner, but it was better than terrifying the poor thing, no matter how dauntless she may make herself out to be.

 

@MuddyMudkip; No worries at all! It's not like you don't have other stuff going on anyway XD

BP#5

Ranger Ivy Frost

---

Elisa had to think quick in order to save her Pokemon from the status effects. Not only could the Stun Spore potentially cripple the monkey, but the Leech Seed would sap her health and bring it back to the Petilil to slowly restore the Grass-type. Thanks to the Leaf Storm and the battle that Abby had participated in earlier, it wouldn't take long for her to be completely drained of strength if they didn't do something.

“Abby, counter-act those spores by creating your own tornado of dirt with a Sand-Attack! Quickly now!” Elisa suddenly shouted.

The Ambipom was on board with this and immediately went to kicking up enough dirt for her to use, scooping some of it out with her tails. In seconds, the monkey grabbed handfuls of the dust and threw it up into the air, mixing with the leaves and spores along the wind. The wind wasn't super focused at the moment since the Leaf Storm was dying down, so that meant all of the particles weren't going to get blown away. The Sand-Attack did make the spores and seeds more visible, though, which was good for what Elisa asked her Pokemon to do next.

In a burst of speed, the monkey performed an Agility, using her flexibility to dash around the hazardous area, making her more likely to dodge the incoming status. She had to stay close in order to keep their plan working, since they were trying to keep the Grass-type Pokemon off the ground. That meant Abby had to be close enough to catch her as she fell.

Elisa also had another plan, one that sounded like in involved a sort of tennis match for the wild Pokemon and Abby's tails. Ivy was interested in seeing how it would play out. She subconsciously scooted to the edge of the stone seat in preparation of what was going to happen next.

Abby's running kicked up the sand even more, and pretty soon, Ivy couldn't tell the difference between the dust and the spores. That could be bad. The Petilil wasn't pleased at the turn of events however. She coughed in her descent, flinching and trying to shake the sand out of her eyes as she came falling down. She fell through the dust, spore, and seed mix, and right before she hit the ground, one of Abby's tails flicked out and caught her.

The other tail burst into red-hot flames that flickered orange, yellow, and ruby as she threw the wild Pokemon into the blazing hand. As the fire-coated appendage came up to flick the Petilil back in the other direction, the other tail cackled and spared as it burst to life with electric sparks. When the Grass-type came sailing back, the electric hand came back up to bat her again.

The sensation of hot and sparking must've been unpleasant, the Ranger thought, as the Petilil made an angry noise each time she was flung back and forth. It was just like a game of tennis. Ivy thought that maybe that was why Abby was going along with it so well. While her high-spirited nature demanded she be nice to Pokemon at all times, she was still following commands by Elisa. The Ambipom wasn't hitting the Grass-type super hard, though, and that might have to do with her acting like this was a game and not a battle meant to hurt the Pokemon. Either way, it worked.

Abby was also edging away from the danger zone as she flopped the Grass-type around, so she could avoid any of the stray status effects that fell to the ground. Ivy thought that she was going to keep the game up until the Petilil wore out, but something surprising happened sooner.

Abby all of a sudden cringed and dropped the Petilil. She landed with an oomph to the ground on her behind. The Ambipom was looking at her hand-tipped tails, their elemental energy fading. They looked yellow, as Ivy peered over. Seeing the Grass-type on the ground, she noticed that she was also stained with yellow, and suddenly she knew what happened.

“Some of the Stun Spore must've gotten onto the Petilil as she fell, and since Abby batted her back and forth for a while, I guess it rubbed off,” Ivy said, theorizing what must have happened.

The Grass-type jumped up then, pretty miffed at the way she had been treated. She had slight scorch marks from both the fire and the electricity on either side of her. With a scowl, she stomped the ground hard, and the earth seemed to roll. Snake-like vines came threading out of the ground, coiling around the Ambipom's limbs like they had done to Icabella earlier, in the battle with the Breloom.

Abby cried out as she was pinned in place, standing upright but locked there. Ivy thought it was similar to Elisa's plan: while they had tried to confine the Petilil to the air, she was now trying to pin Abby to the ground.

The green-skirted Pokemon wasn't done, however. With a whoosh of her dress, she dashed off, running and twirling through the grass. In response, globs of grass came flying up high and arching down toward the field. A few of the smaller ones hit first, and the ground had a miniature explosion of grass blades and dirt as it landed. A Seed Bomb.

More and more of the seeds were flying up, all ready to rain down on the pinned Ambipom unless Elisa did something. The attack was going to hurt if she did nothing, yet it wasn't easy for the Petilil either. After her third dash through the field, she had to stop, bending over a little to pant as she tried to catch her breath. The combined attacks from before, plus her own techniques, had started to seriously tire her out.

In fact, if Elisa jumped on this chance, she might be able to make a capture. First, however, she needed to save her monkey from the grass bombing.

---

Current Battle Stats:

Bold F Petilil: 32% [Atk/Def-1][SpAtk-2][Used Grass Knot and using Seed Bomb]
Jolly F Ambipom: 51% [Spe+2][Slightly Paralyzed in tails][Used Sand-Attack, Agility, and Double Hit (Fire and Lightning style)]

---

Trainer Stats

Name: Elisa
Location: Botanical Gardens
Area Effects: Sun is shining, a light breeze is blowing... it's a nice day.
4 Encounters remaining
Pokemon Encountered: Happiny, Starly, Petilil, Roselia, Lillipup, Mew, Breloom, Oddish, Skitty, Doduo, Petilil
Pokemon Captured: Impish F Happiny, Timid M Breloom
MCR: 19,765/9,000 [Unommon Rank]

Items: Pokedolls (2x), Parkballs (4x), [1 Package: Pokedoll; Poketoy; Fluffy Tail; Slowpoke Tail] (x3), Fragrances (3x), Super Potions (2x), Max Potions (2x), Max Revives (2x), Soothing Fragrance (1x), Hyperball (1x), Blank Voice Disk (1x), Intermediate Bellow Disk [Durant] (1x), Supreme Park Ball (1x), Uncommon Voice Disk [Shroomish] (1x, 0 uses left.), PokePlayer (1x), Digital Camera (1x)

Pokemon Statistics

Pokemon: Icabella (Glaceon) (70%)
Gender: Female
Ability: Ice Body
Nature: Calm
TM/HM/EM: TM Hidden Power [Psychic]|TM Ice Beam|HM Strength

Pokemon: Abby (Ambipom) (51%)
Gender: Female
Ability: Pickup
Nature: Jolly
TM/HM/EM: TM Substitute|TM Low Sweep|TM ThunderPunch|TM Fire Punch

 

OOC: I don't even know what I've just written/been writing :/ But oh well, here it is, after a whole century. Sorryyy D: Also, I'm a couple of paragraphs into the post for your run, and hopefully I'll have it up by the end of the week, at the very latest. ^^;;

@WinterVines;

The plan was going perfectly well; Abby had managed to snatch the Petilil from the swirling mass of spores and sand blended together and had begun swatting her back and forth with her glowing tails, each bursting with a different type of elemental energy - one was kindling with fire and the other, sparking with electricity. That is, until the Ambipom cringed all of a sudden, letting the Grass-type slip from her grasp. It went downhill from there, as though the tables had been turned just like that.

The Bulb Pokemon plopped onto the grassy ground with an audible “oomph,” looking extremely disgruntled at the rather harsh way she’d been smacked across the air repeatedly. Of course, being the sortof “ball” of the tennis game, her violent reaction was to be expected. Guilt flickered across my face, my expression solemn and quite ashamed, as I noticed a mixture of red and yellow singe marks dotting her green body. My stomach flipped at the sight of them, color draining from my face, but before I could consider them further, Ivy’s voice rang out through the internal (and possibly external as well) chaos threatening to swallow me whole.

“Some of the Stun Spore must've gotten onto the Petilil as she fell, and since Abby batted her back and forth for a while, I guess it rubbed off,” she theorized confidently. Ah, yes, of course. That would explain a lot - after all, Pokemon don’t just suddenly wince and drop their opponent, right?

I shouted my thanks, managing to smooth down a nervous grin. However, before I could address this complication to our plans, the wild entity had pulled herself up with a shrill cry of defiance. She glowered, a stubborn set to her jaw; she didn’t seem to be too bothered by the blisters, as though she was forcing herself to simply ignore the sweltering pain, to mask how much the monkey’s assault had actually hurt her. She stomped on the land with all her might, sending a mighty wave of force crashing down onto the ground. The impact seemed to jerk the earth awake, the blades of grass springing to life, lurching as the Grass-type’s power, her commanding aura, willed them to do her bidding.

Vines seemed to have sprouted out from underneath us, or were they just elongated green blades? They crawled their way towards the Long Tail Pokemon like a snake slithering stealthily upon its defenseless prey. My breath hitched in my throat as I could do nothing but watch the whips hastily latch onto the creature's ankle, twisting around her legs. They gripped her limbs tightly as they continued to creep up her body, pulling her to the soil with the harshest of grasps. Though she was still standing in an upright position, it was clear that she was pretty much stuck. The plantlife were binding her legs to the ground, and her tails had been caught as well. Even her tiny hands had been pinned to her body, pressed against her chest to prevent them from wiggling about.

And just like that, in a fraction of a moment, Abby was pinned down, stuck to the earth just as the Petilil had been stuck tumbling in mid-air earlier. Not only was she trapped now, but her tails were also rather paralyzed thanks to the opponent's Stun Spore technique - it was highly probable that she wouldn't be able to move them as quickly as need be; she might not even be able to use them at all! And that, was certainly a problem; the hands on the end of her tails were easily her greatest feature, and losing control over them meant that she'd lost her mightiest weapon, something that she absolutely needed in a situation like this. No, I wasn't planning another assault. The Bulb Pokemon was exhausted and in pain, especially with the many wounds - which I deeply disliked seeing etched on her body - she sustained from that last combative scheme we'd set on her; she need not be hurt more, need not be attacked more. Now was a good time to attempt a capture, but I couldn't just leave the Ambipom lying there helplessly with volts of electricity zipping through her bloodstream trying to conquer her, trying to stop her from moving, though the Grass Knot technique was certainly doing that already.

"We're gonna get you outta there, Abby," I told my partner in what I hoped was a convincing and reassuring tone. "Just hang tight; I'll work something out."

As my mind whirred fervently, the Grass-type took off, weaving her way speedily through the grass and gloating rather menacingly, as if she was dead-set on taking advantage of the monkey's ensnared position. "Oh, what now?" I muttered exasperatedly as the Petilil continued to whirl around the area, awakening the earth, the wildlife, even more. She finished her little dance routine with a flaunting, splendid leap to exhibit the talents, the elegance, that she so desired for everyone to take notice of and admire. We've got a bit of a show-off here, haven't we, huh?

But all thoughts regarding her self-centered character flew out the window when the ground suddenly began trembling, bringing about a haunting sense of dread with its ominous quivers. My knees buckled as the earth gave way to the quakes, jagged cracks splitting the land and creating sizable openings from which at least a dozen green orbs arose with a harsh, taunting gleam emanating off them. The tremors stopped then, but my heart rate only sped up, pumping even faster as it banged against my chest, its constant jabs doing nothing but agitate me even more in this already chaotic and tension-filled situation. A few of the smaller globs disappeared as quickly as they had come, exploding in a thick cloud of grass and dust as they smacked against the ground, awakening the earth even more as more rounds of the same substance, only larger, began to rise up from underneath my very feet.

I needed to get my partner out of that trap, that stupid snare. Right now. Dear brain, please stop lagging at the worst possible moments. I sputtered out the only "plan" - if you could even call it as such - that I could think of. "Abby," I started, my voice quivering just as horribly as the ground had, cracking under the pressure. "Can you try to sortof wiggle your way out of there? Just try to loosen your limbs a little... And then, try to slice up those vines with some Fury Swipes, alright? Use your tails, or your hands, or even both! Just try to do whatever you can to snap those plants into pieces. I just need you to avoid that Seed Bomb as much as possible; I don't want you getting hurt anymore - especially not now when we're so close to capturing the Petilil and winning this fight. Just try to get yourself out of there while I throw this Parkball, okay?"

I sucked in a deep, shaky breath, not knowing whether to set my eyes on my Pokemon or on the wild creature. "Come on, Abby, I believe in you," I said with as much conviction as I could muster. "Wriggle your way outta there then hack away as if it's all just a game - don't worry about the attack; instead, just focus on escaping." A game? Seriously, what in the world was I thinking, saying that of all thing? I don't even know, man, I don't even know.

Well, to be fair, it wasn't exactly the worst idea in the world - I mean, the Ambipom could actually look at this scenario in that light, where the objective of the game was to escape from a certain trap in the least possible amount of time and to suffer from little to no casualties. And, in this case, the prison just happened to be in the form of slithering, twisting, turning, binding vines. This was a snare to be reckoned with, no doubt. And that Bulb Pokemon could easily be considered as a very formidable, a very capable, opponent after the show she just put on; she was looking rather exhausted now, her ragged, heavy breathing signaling that it was indeed a perfect time to attempt a capture, but managing to perform those powerful techniques was no easy feat, no sirree.

As my gaze lingered on the Grass-type, watching carefully - warily, even - in case she decided to pull off some more tricks, I quickly retrieved a camo-colored orb from my bag; it was a standard Parkball, nothing special to it, but I did hope that it would suffice. I grasped the sphere in my right hand stiffly, my grip on it firmer than what was necessary. Still, I held it tightly, my clenched muscles acting as a sortof outlet for my agitation as I nearly forgot how to breathe, waiting tersely for the moment that my Long Tail Pokemon would finally be able to untangle herself from those horrid knots. She was still wriggling and squirming as of yet - would those vines ever loosen up? And those explosive seed-like bullets were closing in on her from everywhere, getting ready to just blow up on her, literally. Oh, how I hoped she'd be able to writhe her way out of there soon even if it were just her hands or tails. At least then she would be able to swiftly unleash a quick succession of slashes at the rest of the snare to fully free herself from the trap. Once she was safe, I'd take my chances with the orb in my hand; I'd chuck it at the wild entity, make a run for it, and hope for the best.