Individual RP: Akinai

NBP6


Woobat's cave wasn't too far. The Psychic-type directed us across the grass into a line of trees, which turned out to be covering a cave. I don't think anyone was surprised by this turn of events. Inside, it was spacious and incredibly quiet. It wasn't often that a Woobat lived on its own, so it was likely that the rest of its group had left until whatever had been causing trouble was able to be dealt with.

"Gargargargargar!"

When we got into what I assumed was the main chamber, there were a number of Gastly, but there was also a single Gengar leading them in a weird dance. I couldn't tell whether Gengar was gloating in victory or just a happy fellow, but as we got to the chamber, the horde of Gastly all vanished. Gengar, having noticed us, stared us down and made a weird face in an attempt to scare us.

With its tongue flailing about and its attempt to stretch out to look larger, all I could say is that it looked silly.
---

Name: Akinai
Area: Meteor Valley
Encounters Remaining: 13
Items: x1 Parkball, x3 Superball, x2 Hyperball, Super Potion, x4 Pokedoll, Digital Camera, Apricorn Box , Blue Apricorn, PokePlayer, 1 Type Repellent - Ground, 1 Type Repellent - Fighting Captured Pokémon: Zoroark/F/Bold

Battle Statistics:
Area Effects:
Character Count: 2526/45000

Pokémon Encountered: Zoroark, Woobat

Pokemon: Wist (Banette)
Gender: Female
Ability: Insomnia
Nature: Sassy
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Dark Pulse, Hidden Power (Bug), Thunder Wave, Calm Mind, Thunderbolt Stats: 100%

Pokemon: Cryrosant (Aggron)
Gender: Female
Ability: Rock Head
Nature: Docile
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Earthquake, Aqua Tail, Head Smash, Fire Punch, Thunderpunch, Strength

Pokemon: Gaard (Absol)
Gender: Male
Ability: Super Luck
Nature: Careful
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Thunder Wave, Aerial Ace, Ice Beam, Hidden Power (Electric), X-Scissor

 

Not surprisingly, Woobat's home was not that far away. What did surprise me though was the fact that it was almost completely hidden unless the seeker knew just where to look. Due to the trees obscuring the entrance, no one would be able to see it from the path and would end up missing it entirely.

“No wonder you were looking for help,” I remarked to the Woobat. “It's not like this place was bound to be visited any time soon, after all.”

As we entered the cave, it became immediately clear just what the issue was. Several Gastly were floating around the interior, circling about in a strange formation. Their gaseous forms seemed to blanket the center of the area, fixed in their task. The strangest part though, was what was leading them.

In the center of the formation, a dark violet Pokemon floated in place, leading its lesser evolutions on in a strange chant. While it was currently facing us, I knew that if it turned around it would possess spikes running along its back as well. This had to be a Gengar. Sensing our presence, the Gastly vanished out of sight, leaving just their leader to deal with. It floated down to ground level, making faces the whole time as if trying to scare us off.

At this time, I was already halfway pulling out my camera. The Gastly line was a fairly popular line, true, but I already owned a Gengar of my own. Plus, I was in no hurry to get in another challenging fight so soon after the first one. While the Ghost Pokemon was still making faces at us, I snapped a quick picture of the creature. If the flash didn't scare it off, I would just go to plan B and try intimidation instead.

 

NBP7

The flash stunned Gengar, but before long it forced itself into a more serious pose. It seemed resigned to defeat once it saw we weren't leaving, though it actually seemed impressed. Maybe Pokémon found it scarier, I can't say, except that Sela didn't respond either.

Gengar walked through us, prepared to leave. However, before the ghost-type got to far, it reached into the ground and pulled out a dark purple blob. It was a second before I realized what was happening; Gengar seemed to be offering Akinai a Gastly in congratulations for not fearing it.

This was one of the strangest things I've seen a Gengar do, to be honest.

The Gastly itself bounced about in Gengar's hands. It seemed ready to prove itself, but it was up to Akinai whether she wanted to grab it or not. At least now it seemed Gengar would leave Woobat in peace.
---

Name: Akinai
Area: Meteor Valley
Encounters Remaining: 13
Items: x1 Parkball, x3 Superball, x2 Hyperball, Super Potion, x4 Pokedoll, Digital Camera, Apricorn Box , Blue Apricorn, PokePlayer, 1 Type Repellent - Ground, 1 Type Repellent - Fighting, Gengar Picture Captured Pokémon: Zoroark/F/Bold

Battle Statistics:
Area Effects:
Character Count: 0/???

Pokémon Encountered: Zoroark, Woobat, Gengar

Pokemon: Wist (Banette)
Gender: Female
Ability: Insomnia
Nature: Sassy
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Dark Pulse, Hidden Power (Bug), Thunder Wave, Calm Mind, Thunderbolt Stats: 100%

Pokemon: Cryrosant (Aggron)
Gender: Female
Ability: Rock Head
Nature: Docile
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Earthquake, Aqua Tail, Head Smash, Fire Punch, Thunderpunch, Strength

Pokemon: Gaard (Absol)
Gender: Male
Ability: Super Luck
Nature: Careful
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Thunder Wave, Aerial Ace, Ice Beam, Hidden Power (Electric), X-Scissor

 

As the flash went off, Gengar simply stood its ground, blinking as if dazed by the sudden light. It wasn't long before its vision focused once more though, and was looking to see just where the flash had come from. Seeing that only one Trainer was the possible culprit, the Ghost-type's face quickly turned serious and its form shifted into a battle pose.

Well, so much for that idea. Thinking back on it, maybe it wasn't the best idea to snap a picture right in the face of a Pokemon that had the chance to attack at any moment. I had hoped the flash would at least scare it off, since a lot of Ghost Pokemon despised bright light, but instead it had barely fazed the creature. Throwing a Doll could work, but for the moment it seemed really focused on fighting rather than play around with a stuffed animal. Not wanting to look away from the Gengar, I kept the camera in one hand while reaching for Gaard's Pokeball with the other hand. A few Dark moves may make it think twice about sticking around, or maybe just seeing an Absol will make it leave...

Seeing that no one was trying to back away, Gengar looked puzzled. The same trick had worked on the previous residents of this cave, leaving the area free for itself and the Gastly to do as they please. Why wouldn't it work again, especially on a human? Maybe another method needed to be worked out. After all, the previous one was too easy- there had been nothing but younger Pokemon living here, they were bound to scare more easily. Pleased that it had come to this conclusion, the Ghost-type walked forward to leave, ignoring the fact that there were solid creatures in its path.

I shivered slightly as the Ghost's form passed through me; the feeling was like being doused with ice water only for it to dry off moments later. While I still was not sure why the Gengar had suddenly changed its mind, I wasn't going to gripe about it either. Relaxing, I finally put away my camera. “Right... so we're done here?” I asked, looking over at Siless. The Woobat from before was nowhere in sight, but it was probably off trying to tell its friends that the cave was safe once more.

Surprisingly, Gengar stopped in place before reaching the cave entrance, almost as if it had left something behind. It held up a hand (claw?) before sinking the limb into the ground, moving it about a moment before managing to pull something out wreathed in purple smoke. While I thought at first this was some sort of unusual attack, it wasn't until I saw something move in the center of the smoke that I realized just what it was.

The Gastly floated in place as still as possible, apparently shocked that it had been pulled from its hiding place. Seeing just who had yanked it free though, it appeared to converse with its higher form. Hearing the Gengar's response, it began to hop in place and turned to face us, overjoyed for a chance to have some fun.

I tried not to groan as it finally sunk in what Gengar had just done. The Pokemon was apparently happy to see that someone had stood up to it, and was rewarding the task by allowing the chance to battle one of its henchman. I was not a huge fan of battling the same wild Pokemon, especially when I still owned one as its final evolution, but nor did I want to upset either of them. Like it or not, I was stuck in a battle. At least this one wouldn't be an uphill battle though. “A battle it is, then. Gaard, you're up!” I unhooked the Absol's Pokeball from my belt, holding the sphere forward to call the creature forth.

The capture device opened up, releasing a bright burst of light that quickly formed into the form of a white-furred creature standing on four legs. The tail and lone horn adorning his head were in a scythe like shape, their color the same dark gray shade as the Pokemon's face. While the Absol allowed himself to relax as he sensed he was back home in Meteor Valley, he tensed up once more as he saw the two Pokemon directly ahead, fur bristling as he let off a low growl.

“You've fought a Gastly before, Gaard. You can do this again,” I said, trying to sound encouraging. It was never fun to fight Ghosts. They always seemed to love using status moves, and I had no way to treat them save for trying to dodge them before they managed to sink in. Plus, during our last battle we had assistance. Gaard had teamed up with a Scizor, and together the two had taken down both the Ghost-type and a Munna. I doubted Gengar would do anything in this fight, but it also meant this would be a one-on-one fight this time around. “Let's kill any chance of letting it set up. Start out with Taunt, then shift into Me First.”

Gaard hesitated, looking at both Pokemon. While Gengar no longer looked aggressive, it also appeared content to stick around for a little while. Unsure which to attack, the Absol looked over at his Trainer for confirmation.

“Focus on Gastly. I'm pretty sure its friend is just sticking around for the show.” I hope at least, I added silently. With a Ranger around, especially one with a Psychic partner, It was not likely that another wild Pokemon was going to jump in and gang up on one battler.

Gaard didn't seem to be too comforted by the news, but turned to direct his full attention to the lesser evolutionary form. He barked out a series of short phrases, deriding the Gastly for being too afraid to take on a real challenge head-on. With any luck, this would anger the wild Pokemon into using only offensive attacks. When this task was done, the Absol would wait patiently to see what his opponent would do next, then strike.

 

BP6 (Vs. Gastly Post 1)

Gaard, Akinai's Absol, was up to fight the Gastly that Gengar offered. Sela shifted on the reveal; the Gardevoir had a great respect and admiration for the Absol species as a whole. Part of this was their ability to detect future disasters and warn others, but part of it was also that they were pretty much big, fluffy cats. With scythes. She would hug them as much as they'd let her, though it was a bit tough for her. They were able to really hurt her, though, and there wasn't as many willing partners as she would like, so for the most part she was stuck with admiring them form a distance.

Gaard began to bark at Gastly, who looked visibly frustrated. Gastly approached Gaard, and stuck out a long tongue while Sela and I began to analyze the battle. Gastly didn't seem to have anything special about it, and it was much easier to know what it had up its sleeve since it couldn't pull out a tricky ability, as all it had access to was Levitate. Gaard had a bit more variety available to him, but a quick response from Sela gave me all I needed to know.

He is pr- er... He feels lucky.

...It's a good thing Sela wasn't battling, as Gaard was a huge distraction without even trying. She was, however, able to fill me in that the Absol had Super Luck, so at least I could understand if an attack had a lot more power than it should.

As Gastly approached with the enlarged tongue, Gaard revealed his own tongue. It didn't have anywhere near the reach of Gastly's, so instead Gaard jumped over the Gastly's rope of a tongue and landed a Lick attack right on its head (not that there was anywhere else to land it).

Gastly bounced back from the hit, unable to land with its large tongue, but instead of stopping, Gastly turned around in midair and charged back at its opponent. It seemed to be using the strength of the Lick (not that Lick should have had too much strength to begin with) to launch a counterattack.
---

Name: Akinai
Area: Meteor Valley
Encounters Remaining: 13
Items: x1 Parkball, x3 Superball, x2 Hyperball, Super Potion, x4 Pokedoll, Digital Camera, Apricorn Box , Blue Apricorn, PokePlayer, 1 Type Repellent - Ground, 1 Type Repellent - Fighting, Gengar Picture Captured Pokémon: Zoroark/F/Bold

Battle Statistics: Absol 100% Gastly 79% TNT Used Lick, Using Payback
Area Effects:
Character Count: 0/???

Pokémon Encountered: Zoroark, Woobat, Gengar

Pokemon: Wist (Banette)
Gender: Female
Ability: Insomnia
Nature: Sassy
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Dark Pulse, Hidden Power (Bug), Thunder Wave, Calm Mind, Thunderbolt Stats: 100%

Pokemon: Cryrosant (Aggron)
Gender: Female
Ability: Rock Head
Nature: Docile
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Earthquake, Aqua Tail, Head Smash, Fire Punch, Thunderpunch, Strength

Pokemon: Gaard (Absol)
Gender: Male
Ability: Super Luck
Nature: Careful
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Thunder Wave, Aerial Ace, Ice Beam, Hidden Power (Electric), X-Scissor

 

Upon seeing Gaard, both Ghastly and Gengar seemed to to take an almost miniscule step back from the Disaster Pokemon. The latter even looked concerned, as if it realized that its underling had quite the disadvantage in this fight. As the Absol began to call out insults towards Gastly though, riling the spirit, Gengar gave a large grin. Giving the lesser evolution a slight pat on the head, perhaps ironically wishing it luck, the shadow Pokemon retreated to the farther wall to watch the fight.

I let out a sigh of relief, not noticing that I had been practically holding my breath before to see just what Gengar would do in this fight. Now that I only had to keep an eye on a single wild Pokemon, I took a glance over at Siless and his partner. Both had been pretty quiet ever since we entered the cave, which I thought was a little odd. What I saw though was more than a little confusing-Siless seemed to be rolling his eyes about some unheard comment, and Sela had her eyes glued to Gaard, watching the Absol's every move. The Gardevoir didn't look that wary though, far from it. Looks like Gaard has an admirer. It was a good thing Absol were not Psychic-types. If he could overhear my thought and discover just what was going on, he would likely become slower with his movements while trying to not make a mistake. Besides, there were more important things to worry about at the moment.

Gastly, now practically hopping in agitation, was sticking out his long tongue at Gaard. This was an immature response more than anything else, and hardly effective. After all, the very point of Taunt was to anger the opponent. There appeared to be more to it though. Rather than close his mouth and charge up an attack, Gastly simply barreled forward, tongue still out as the ghost tried to make contact with the Absol.

Seeing Gastly's attack, Absol stuck his own tongue out, watching the Gastly carefully and biding his time until the right moment. That was how Me First worked- mimic the target's attack, and attempt to one-up the technique before the original user could strike. When Gastly was within distance, Gaard deftly leaped over the gaseous creature, landing a lick of his own on top of the Ghost-type's head. Managing to land behind the wild Pokemon, Gaard shook his head disgustedly in a vain attempt to get what was most likely a terrible taste out of his mouth.

I shook my head at this, both feeling a little sorry for Gaard and wondering just how one could lick a Ghost in the first place. While the move was a considered an innate Ghost technique, the logic of it still made no sense at all. Proof that Pokemon would always be a mystery, I suppose.

Across the cave, there was a sound very similar to laughter, causing me to look towards the noise. Gengar was apparently enjoying the show, especially amused to see the ridiculous sight of two Pokemon using such unorthodox moves. There wasn't much time to think about this, as Gastly was already beginning his next attack.

Annoyed that his own move had been used against him- even worse, his leader was laughing at him- Gastly immediately swirled around, facing the Absol once more. He swiftly charged forward, glowing with a sinister aura that appeared to glow slightly brighter in the small area on his head Gaard had managed to strike. This was most likely Payback, since the only other move that I knew that had a similar effect was Revenge. Even though wild Pokemon in this area tended to use the strangest moves, I doubted Gastly would have a Fighting move under his belt.

“Stun it with Thunder Wave!” I called out, seeing that the Gastly was attempting to ram Gaard this time around. For being a Ghost, it seemed to be a fan of contact moves. Either the Absol had done a great job of annoying his enemy, or this was just a strange Gastly. If the former was true, this battle would likely not last long at all. “Once you're done, go with Aerial Ace and step back.” While Gaard had a handful of other moves that could do much more damage, I didn't want to accidentally knock out the little ball of gas.

Gaard began to build up static electricity, much like Wist had done in the previous battle. Instead of gathering the energy in his claws like Wist had done, he began to generate in in his fur instead, making his coat slightly stand on end. Once he built up enough of a charge, he would launch the attack towards the approaching Gastly.

 

BP7 (vs. Gastly Post 2)

I had to feel bad for Gaard. Gastly was a floating ball of poisonous gasses, and Gaard just re-actively licked it due to Me First. It was certainly effective in terms of the battle, but Gaard ended up with what I could only accurately describe as a bad taste; I was thankful enough to not have licked a Gastly. Admittedly, this was pretty normal for humans, but I still couldn't help but feel bad for the Absol.

Gaard began to charge up Thunder Wave, and electricity pulsed through its body. Gastly, however, was charging fast. Before Gaard could release the electrical energies, Gastly hits Gaard's face and... bounced off. Gaard flinched slightly, but it almost looked like the impact damaged Gastly more. Gastly wasn't very physical, and its Dark-type attack was resisted by its same-typed opponent, but... I kind of expected more. Gaard responded by releasing its electrical charge, and slashing at Gastly almost immediately afterward with his scythe.

Gastly backed off from the slash, giving space to form an orb of shadowy energy in front of it. At this, Sela giggled.

Silly Gastly, you can't beat Kitty.

"It's a good thing you aren't fighting him. You'd be too distracted to do anything."

I'm only distracted because I'm not battling.

This banter would probably go on for a while. I kept it quieter to try to keep from distracting Akinai, but...
---

Name: Akinai
Area: Meteor Valley
Encounters Remaining: 13
Items: x1 Parkball, x3 Superball, x2 Hyperball, Super Potion, x4 Pokedoll, Digital Camera, Apricorn Box , Blue Apricorn, PokePlayer, 1 Type Repellent - Ground, 1 Type Repellent - Fighting, Gengar Picture Captured Pokémon: Zoroark/F/Bold

Battle Statistics: Absol 91% Gastly 38% PAR TNT Used Payback, Using Shadow Ball
Area Effects:
Character Count: 9979/15000

Pokémon Encountered: Zoroark, Woobat, Gengar

Pokemon: Wist (Banette)
Gender: Female
Ability: Insomnia
Nature: Sassy
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Dark Pulse, Hidden Power (Bug), Thunder Wave, Calm Mind, Thunderbolt Stats: 100%

Pokemon: Cryrosant (Aggron)
Gender: Female
Ability: Rock Head
Nature: Docile
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Earthquake, Aqua Tail, Head Smash, Fire Punch, Thunderpunch, Strength

Pokemon: Gaard (Absol)
Gender: Male
Ability: Super Luck
Nature: Careful
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Thunder Wave, Aerial Ace, Ice Beam, Hidden Power (Electric), X-Scissor

 

Even though Gaard was attempting to gather up enough energy for his attack as quickly as possible, Gastly was already charging forward. Seeing that this time he would hit the Absol this time around, the small ghost glared triumphantly at his opponent and rushed head-long towards Gaard. Maybe this time he would end up humbling the powerful Dark-type.

Gaard, realizing he was helpless to counter in time, closed his eyes for impact- and opened them moments later as it felt like something had merely bounced off his face instead. Seeing an equally confused Gastly in front of him, the Absol simply released the built-up electrical charge forward, shocking the Ghost-type. While the wild Pokemon was still knocked back, the white-furred creature slashed the air in front of him with his scythe-like horn, causing a strong force of wind to ram into Gastly and slash at his form.

“...What just happened?” I looked towards Gaard, unable to figure out how it was possible for a Ghost to simply bounce off a target like a basketball. Absol were far from heavy, and while Gastly looked somewhat frail the whole situation seemed just ridiculous. The only conclusion that even halfway made sense was that this Pokemon was still very young, unable to exert enough force in his attacks just yet.

From Gaard's reaction, apparently the Absol was thinking similar to my current frame of mind. Once the shock had worn off, he studied Gastly carefully. Oddly, this time around the gaseous Pokemon backed up, wanting to create some distance between this time. Noticing this reaction, Gaard responded with what almost sounded like a snort, even relaxing his normally cautious stance. It was obvious to him that this opponent couldn't do much more harm, if any.

Across the cave, Gengar was still overseeing the battle, its grin never fading. If anything, the specter looked as if it had been expecting this type of outcome. Seeing that now Gastly was backing up though, it called out what sounded to be a quizzical statement to the small Ghost-type.

Gastly froze as he heard the other wild Pokemon's statement, and stopped shrinking away. Rather than respond, his gaze became determined, glaring forward at Gaard with his large eyes. Whatever Gengar had said, it appeared to either boost Gastly's confidence or make it so that he no longer decided to run away.

Noticing the exchange between the two Ghost Pokemon, I couldn't help but be just a little curious. Gastly was hardly a match for Gaard, that was obvious enough for everyone present here. Plus, after only two moves, the small Ghost Pokemon was already feeling his wounds. The way his form was floating limply in the air couldn't entirely be due to his newfound paralysis. This was actually a little worrisome. Gaard had yet to use any same-type attack moves, yet it was highly unlikely Gastly would be able to withstand even a low-damaging Dark attack like Pursuit. That also meant that Psycho Cut and Future Sight were out as well due to being super-effective to the Poison typing Gastly also possessed, along with any Normal-type moves thanks to the natural immunities Ghosts had against the attacks. Just what was Gengar planning?

Despite Gastly's earlier misgivings about continuing, he appeared ready to fight once more. Charging up yet another attack, this time a small orb of violet-black energy appeared in front of the Ghost Pokemon. While the sphere started out miniscule and slightly shaking at first, it was slowly building in both size and power.

While I tried to decide what move would be next to utilize, I thought I heard Siless mutter something to the side...something about being distracted? I took a curious glance over, and saw that the Ranger was currently conversing with his Gardevoir. Judging from the fawning expression Sela was eying Gaard with, it was pretty easy to figure out just what Siless was commenting on. Trying not to laugh on both Sela and Gaard's behalf, I simply shook my head and went back to figuring out what to do next before the Absol caught just what was going on.

“We're almost there, Gaard. Let's go with Double Team so Gastly won't have a clear shot at you,” I said. Even though it looked as if the wild Pokemon was utilizing a Ghost attack, there was little point in having Gaard stand around and take it. Even a weakened move could do damage, and I really didn't want to use my last healing item just yet. Thinking a moment, I added, “Let's end this with Ice Beam. Remember, we want to capture this so try not to go overboard on this one.” Absol were known as close range battlers, and had a stellar attack power due to this. Still, in this case I was hoping to rely on the species less-than-great long range power. While I doubted Gastly could take a critical hit from the move, at least he possibly had a chance to stay conscious with a normal-powered one.

Gaard gave a short nod to my added comment, though he didn't appear to be too happy with being told to use a long-ranged attack. Regardless, he began to circle the Gastly, picking up speed as he did so. If successful, the Absol would begin to leave afterimages behind, which would make it difficult to discern just where Gaard was hiding.

While Gaard was using his first attack, I readied another capture device- a Parkball this time, as I doubted a stronger Ball would be needed. As soon as the Absol finished his second attack, I would toss the sphere towards the hopefully still-awake Gastly.

 

BP8 (Vs. Gastly Post 3)

Gastly's Shadow Ball charged up, growing as large as the Ghost-type itself, while Gaard built up a Double Team, making multiple illusions of itself appear, and making it far less likely for Gastly to get a hit in. Upon seeing a horde of Absol, the Gastly shuddered at the sight, inadvertently releasing its orb. Amazingly for the ghost type, it hit, but the lack of aiming and power behind it led to the Shadow Ball attack smacking against Gaard's leg for little damage. Gaard responded with a beam of frost, hitting true and sapping away what little energy the Gastly had left.

Akinai threw the camouflaged Parkball; though the capture attempt would have been even more effective with Ice Beam freezing Gastly, it was hardly necessary, as even if Gastly somehow managed the energy to break out, it wouldn't have anything left. Indeed, the Parkball locked with Gastly inside. Gengar disappeared (and Sela confirmed it had left the area completely, so we wouldn't have to deal with it again), and I grabbed the Gastly's ball and put it in the pack.

"Should we go back out? We finished what we came to do here."
---

Name: Akinai
Area: Meteor Valley
Encounters Remaining: 11
Items: x3 Superball, x2 Hyperball, Super Potion, x4 Pokedoll, Digital Camera, Apricorn Box , Blue Apricorn, PokePlayer, 1 Type Repellent - Ground, 1 Type Repellent - Fighting, Gengar Picture Captured Pokémon: Zoroark/F/Bold, Gastly/M/Quiet

Battle Statistics:
Area Effects:
Character Count: 0/????

Pokémon Encountered: Zoroark, Woobat, Gengar, Gastly

Pokemon: Wist (Banette)
Gender: Female
Ability: Insomnia
Nature: Sassy
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Dark Pulse, Hidden Power (Bug), Thunder Wave, Calm Mind, Thunderbolt Stats: 100%

Pokemon: Cryrosant (Aggron)
Gender: Female
Ability: Rock Head
Nature: Docile
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Earthquake, Aqua Tail, Head Smash, Fire Punch, Thunderpunch, Strength

Pokemon: Gaard (Absol)
Gender: Male
Ability: Super Luck
Nature: Careful
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Thunder Wave, Aerial Ace, Ice Beam, Hidden Power (Electric), X-Scissor Stats: 86%

 

Thankfully for everyone involved, Gastly managed to somehow endure Gaard's attack. Even though the Ghost-type shivered from the icy attack that had struck his form, he struggled to still keep his gaseous body floating in the air. At this point, I had already thrown the Parkball and it was now heading straight towards Gastly. The creature was sucked in and the sphere shook feebly a couple times before finally coming to a standstill.

“Glad that's over with,” I grumbled to no one in particular, looking over to where Gengar had been overseeing the match. Surprisingly, the wild Pokemon had already disappeared, apparently satisfied with how things had turned out. While I wasn't exactly sad to see it leave without warning, the entire situation had just seemed odd to me.

Siless, seeing that Gastly had been successfully captured, walked over to the still Parkball and picked it up, storing it in his pack for now along with Zoroark's Ball. “Should we go back out? We finished what we came to do here.”

“Definitely,” I said, giving Gaard a quick appraisal before turning back around to face the cave entrance. Even though Gastly had managed to get a lucky shot on the Absol's leg, he still appeared to be in near peak condition. Plus, it would be good to have him look around his old home once more. “Sooner we leave this cave, the better. I've had enough of Ghosts for one day.”

 

NBP8


Sela gave some applause to Gaard for winning the battle (and probably just for being an Absol) while we exited the now vacant cave. It was nice to be in the sun again, though almost as soon as we made it back to the path, we hit a roadblock. And by roadblock I mean-

"WOBBA WOBBA!"

Wobbuffet was essentially a big blue punching bag. Its fighting style consisted of trapping its opponents and predicting its moves by using Counter and Mirror Coat for massive damage. Whatever this Wobbuffet is doing, all I could do was hope we could pass safely; if it trapped Akinai in a battle, Wobbuffet could end up doing massive damage with a right prediction.

"Do you want a Wobbuffet, Akinai, or should we try to slip past?" For all the frustrations it caused when battling, at least someone was bound to want one; whether they wanted to actually battle it or not to get the chance to own one was another question entirely. I wouldn't be surprised if I never saw a park-goer willingly battle a Wobbuffet simply due to how frustrating they are to battle against.
---

Name: Akinai
Area: Meteor Valley
Encounters Remaining: 11
Items: x3 Superball, x2 Hyperball, Super Potion, x4 Pokedoll, Digital Camera, Apricorn Box , Blue Apricorn, PokePlayer, 1 Type Repellent - Ground, 1 Type Repellent - Fighting, Gengar Picture Captured Pokémon: Zoroark/F/Bold, Gastly/M/Quiet

Battle Statistics:
Area Effects:
Character Count: 0/????

Pokémon Encountered: Zoroark, Woobat, Gengar, Gastly

Pokemon: Wist (Banette)
Gender: Female
Ability: Insomnia
Nature: Sassy
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Dark Pulse, Hidden Power (Bug), Thunder Wave, Calm Mind, Thunderbolt Stats: 100%

Pokemon: Cryrosant (Aggron)
Gender: Female
Ability: Rock Head
Nature: Docile
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Earthquake, Aqua Tail, Head Smash, Fire Punch, Thunderpunch, Strength

Pokemon: Gaard (Absol)
Gender: Male
Ability: Super Luck
Nature: Careful
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Thunder Wave, Aerial Ace, Ice Beam, Hidden Power (Electric), X-Scissor Stats: 86%

 

As we prepared to exit the cave, Siless' Gardevoir quietly applauded Gaard for a successful victory. While the Absol appeared to be silently confused for receiving praise from a Psychic Pokemon, his only reaction was giving Sela a slight nod before taking his place behind me.

While I could sort of understand Gaard's confusion, I saw no reason for worry or even to recall him just yet. It wasn't as if he got to walk around in his home often these days, and Sela was hardly hurting anyone either. If he grew to be truly annoyed I would act accordingly, but for now it was probably best to let the Absol deal with it. For the moment, getting out of this cave and back out in the sunlight was my main priority.

Not long after we finally made it out, our path back to the main trail was blocked by yet another Pokemon. Its light blue body stood right in front of us, and didn't look likely to budge an inch.

“Do you want a Wobbuffet, Akinai, or should we try to slip past?” Siless asked upon seeing the creature.

“Let's just try to walk past it,” I replied. Wobbuffet were extremely annoying to fight, and even more annoying if you tried to run from one thanks to Shadow Tag, an ability that forced the opposing Pokemon to stay and fight. “I'll use a Doll if needed, but hopefully we won't need one.”

 

NBP9


The four of us tried to slide past the Wobbuffet, but the Psychic-type cut us off with a leap (with surprising speed, I might add. Wobbuffet doesn't look like a Pokémon that moves much). Akinai dropped a doll to distract it, and we continued on the path, with Wobbuffet sitting there staring at its new toy. At least it wasn't intent on battling. Could've been much more of a pain if it was...

A bit further down, the grass rustled and parted, revealing... a black hat. The hat bobbed up and down a couple times, before the one 'wearing' it popped out of the grass; a Murkrow hopped into the pathway, holding a couple Oran berries in its beak. The Darkness Pokémon was oblivious to us at first, but once it noticed us it seemed happy to see us, placing one of its berries on the ground in front of us as a gift. I didn't know whether it was trying to be caught, or was just friendly, but if Akinai wanted it I couldn't see how it would be that hard to get it to join.
---

Name: Akinai
Area: Meteor Valley
Encounters Remaining: 10
Items: x3 Superball, x2 Hyperball, Super Potion, x3 Pokedoll, Digital Camera, Apricorn Box , Blue Apricorn, PokePlayer, 1 Type Repellent - Ground, 1 Type Repellent - Fighting, Gengar Picture Captured Pokémon: Zoroark/F/Bold, Gastly/M/Quiet

Battle Statistics:
Area Effects:
Character Count: 0/????

Pokémon Encountered: Zoroark, Woobat, Gengar, Gastly, Wobbuffet

Pokemon: Wist (Banette)
Gender: Female
Ability: Insomnia
Nature: Sassy
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Dark Pulse, Hidden Power (Bug), Thunder Wave, Calm Mind, Thunderbolt Stats: 100%

Pokemon: Cryrosant (Aggron)
Gender: Female
Ability: Rock Head
Nature: Docile
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Earthquake, Aqua Tail, Head Smash, Fire Punch, Thunderpunch, Strength

Pokemon: Gaard (Absol)
Gender: Male
Ability: Super Luck
Nature: Careful
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Thunder Wave, Aerial Ace, Ice Beam, Hidden Power (Electric), X-Scissor Stats: 86%

 

Unfortunately for us, Wobbuffet didn't appear to be in an agreeable mood. As soon as the wild Pokemon noticed that we were trying to walk past it, it quickly moved to block the path once more. While it was odd to see a Wobbuffet use its own body to prevent escape when all it had to do was activate Shadow Tag, the end result was no less annoying.

Since there appeared to be no other way past it, I quickly fished out a Pokedoll from my pack and set it down directly in front of the stubborn Wobbuffet. As soon as the Psychic-type was fully engrossed in his new toy, it was all too easy to finally walk away from it once and for all.

Now that we were back on the main trail, I allowed myself to relax a little. Out here under the open sun (well, as sunny as it probably got in this area), it was hardly likely we were going to run into any other Ghost Pokemon. Granted, I would have doubted to run into any especially powerful Pokemon that were out in the open, but that disguised Zoroark earlier completely blew my theory out of the water.

I must have lost track of time, for it didn't seem long before another Pokemon appeared before us. Oddly enough, while the avian creature managed to hop right in the middle of our path it seemed completely oblivious to us at first. Instead, it seemed far more interested in the two berries it currently carried in its yellow beak. Once the black-feathered bird looked forward though, its eyes focused in recognition and gave a squawk that sounded almost welcoming.

“Huh, never seen Murkrow happy to see newcomers before,” I mused, kneeling down to greet the wild Pokemon. When I saw that not only was the Dark-type happy to see us, but was offering one of its two Berries as a gift I couldn't help but give a grin in response. This Pokemon (a male most likely, judging from the size of the brim of the “hat” design adorning his head) was definitely a friendly one, that's for sure.

Gaard, who had immediately tensed up when he saw a new Pokemon appear, relaxed his pose by just a fraction upon seeing that Murkrow was not aggressive. Taking a few wary steps forward, he approached the fellow Dark-type and called out a short greeting as well, eying the nearby Berry.

While I was quickly warming up to this Murkrow, there was a small problem. Like the Gastly before, where the issue was I already owned a Gengar, I already owned a Honchkrow. Though I had received Loretta in her fully evolved form, the Honchkrow had also been a gift from a friend. That, and I would be leaving here with two Pokemon that I already owned... Guess I would just let luck decide whether or not I should capture this one. “Would you like to tag along with us? I doubt any of my teammates want to fight you, but if you want you can follow us and decide later if you want to be a part of our team or not.” Looking over at Siless, I added “I have another Doll if this doesn't work, but I really don't want to battle if it's not needed.”

 

NBP10


Murkrow was happy to tag along; he bounced alongside us, trying not to lose his new friends while staying out of their way. He seemed peppy, like a little cheerleader, except of course there wasn't quite anything to cheer for yet. Gaard didn't seem to be too bothered by him, nor did Sela, and if Akinai decided she wanted to have Murkrow, there probably wouldn't be too much fuss about it unless she tried leaving immediately.

The path split off, the left path heading into an uphill path, while the right immediately sloping down into a cave. At the mouth of the cave, a Cofagrigus stood. At first I thought it was just blocking the cave, but it approached us as soon as it saw us; it seemed a fair bit more active in defending its territory than the Gengar we dealt with was.

"How do you want to deal with this guy?" I asked Akinai. Cofagrigus weren't too common outside of Unova, but they were easy to obtain, and I could see most trainers not wanting to deal with trying to catch the Ghost-type. There was also the issue of where to go, but we could figure that out once we weren't staring down a Pokémon intent on mummifying us.
---

Name: Akinai
Area: Meteor Valley
Encounters Remaining: 9
Items: x3 Superball, x2 Hyperball, Super Potion, x3 Pokedoll, Digital Camera, Apricorn Box , Blue Apricorn, PokePlayer, 1 Type Repellent - Ground, 1 Type Repellent - Fighting, Gengar Picture Captured Pokémon: Zoroark/F/Bold, Gastly/M/Quiet

Battle Statistics:
Area Effects:
Character Count: 0/????
Character Count (M Murkrow):2958/13500

Pokémon Encountered: Zoroark, Woobat, Gengar, Gastly, Wobbuffet, Murkrow

Pokemon: Wist (Banette)
Gender: Female
Ability: Insomnia
Nature: Sassy
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Dark Pulse, Hidden Power (Bug), Thunder Wave, Calm Mind, Thunderbolt Stats: 100%

Pokemon: Cryrosant (Aggron)
Gender: Female
Ability: Rock Head
Nature: Docile
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Earthquake, Aqua Tail, Head Smash, Fire Punch, Thunderpunch, Strength

Pokemon: Gaard (Absol)
Gender: Male
Ability: Super Luck
Nature: Careful
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Thunder Wave, Aerial Ace, Ice Beam, Hidden Power (Electric), X-Scissor Stats: 86%

 

Murkrow immediately gave a happy squawk in reply, apparently glad to travel along with us. He immediately fell in line next to Gaard, earning a curious stare from the Absol but thankfully nothing else. Once in place, the feathered creature gave another squawk as if to tell us it was ready to move on.

Definitely a strange one. It was hard not to grin at Murkrow, both by the way he quickly pushed his way into the group even though it had been barely a minute since the Dark-type had approached us and from Gaard's slightly stunned reaction. Murkrow were generally hoarders, keeping to their nests and collecting anything shiny while sticking with their flock. To see a lone one happy to follow anyone around was an amusing sight. “I'll take that as a yes, then. Are you all right with that, Gaard?”

The Absol gave a small nod in return, still keeping an eye on the Murkrow. Even though the wild Pokemon seemed friendly, it was hard to break old habits. Most Dark Pokemon loved to use deceit, and Gaard was one of the most careful Pokemon I knew-almost bordering on paranoid, in fact. Still, he seemed content with letting this strange newcomer stick around so long as he could watch for any danger.

Thankfully, our walk along the trail was largely uneventful. No more Pokemon popped out from the tall grass lining the edge of the path, nor were we stopped by any disguised creatures this time around. Every now and then, Murkrow would let out a small chip as if trying to add music to the walk or maybe just to cheer us on. Every time I looked back, I would see that the wild Pokemon was hopping happily along rather than fly like most aerial creatures. An image popped in my head of Jade attempting to travel using hopping instead of flying like she normally did, and I had to immediately fight back from laughing. No Flygon could travel that way and still keep their pride afterwords.

Eventually, we came to a fork in the path. While the trail continued further on, leading lower into the Valley, there was a nearby cave entrance as well. In addition, the entrance appeared to have a guard; a Cofagrigus stood in the way, waving its many spectral arms menacingly in our direction.

“How do you want to deal with this guy?” Siless asked me, motioning to the nearby Ghost-type.

“Considering that it looks like it's guarding a cave of all things, let's just pass it and continue down the path,” I replied. Behind me, I could hear Gaard giving the Cofagrigus a warning growl. Even though Murkrow was a lot closer to us, a fully evolved Ghost Pokemon was a much greater threat. “Once again, I can use a Doll if it thinks we're a threat for some reason.”

 

NBP11


Cofagrigus blocked the path to the cave, though it wasn't even our intended path anyways. We started away from Cofagrigus towards the hill-path, and the ghost-type seemed content to know that we weren't going into the cave it was defending.

We made our way uphill, sun high above us and Murkrow chirping with each step. Before long, the path turned, and we were heading back down the hill alongside a small plot of trees. A ruffle of leaves caught my attention, and I stopped the group; upon further investigation, several of the trees appeared to have many thin cuts, and branches of varying sizes were laying on the ground, cut clean off from the trees.

The leaves ruffled again. "I think we came across something here." I backed up, and a Bisharp slowly stepped out of the foliage. Bisharp looked ready for a fight, clanging the silver blades that made most of its body together. I wasn't sure if Akinai wanted a Bisharp, but if she did, this one would make a powerful ally. Assuming it was willing to be caught.
---

Name: Akinai
Area: Meteor Valley
Encounters Remaining: 8
Items: x3 Superball, x2 Hyperball, Super Potion, x3 Pokedoll, Digital Camera, Apricorn Box , Blue Apricorn, PokePlayer, 1 Type Repellent - Ground, 1 Type Repellent - Fighting, Gengar Picture, White Apricorn Captured Pokémon: Zoroark/F/Bold, Gastly/M/Quiet

Battle Statistics:
Area Effects:
Character Count: 0/????
Character Count (M Murkrow):5615/13500

Pokémon Encountered: Zoroark, Woobat, Gengar, Gastly, Wobbuffet, Murkrow, Cofagrigus

Pokemon: Wist (Banette)
Gender: Female
Ability: Insomnia
Nature: Sassy
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Dark Pulse, Hidden Power (Bug), Thunder Wave, Calm Mind, Thunderbolt Stats: 100%

Pokemon: Cryrosant (Aggron)
Gender: Female
Ability: Rock Head
Nature: Docile
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Earthquake, Aqua Tail, Head Smash, Fire Punch, Thunderpunch, Strength

Pokemon: Gaard (Absol)
Gender: Male
Ability: Super Luck
Nature: Careful
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Thunder Wave, Aerial Ace, Ice Beam, Hidden Power (Electric), X-Scissor Stats: 86%

 

Upon seeing us simply walk past the cave it was so zealously guarding, Cofagrigus appeared to calm down. Its multiple shadowy limbs retracted back into the the creature's sarcophagus-like body and its form grew still. Whatever vigil it was holding, it was not willing to chase after anyone so long as they did not pose a threat.

Gaard lagged behind a bit, eyes still on the now distant Ghost-type. Even though he was no longer growling, the Absol seemed to be unwilling to look away from the spectral creature. In fact, he was beginning to slowly walk backwards as if not wanting to expose his back.

I slowed down. It was hard to not notice a partner's actions when said Pokemon is usually following closely behind you like a large white-furred shadow and then suddenly act differently. Upon looking back and seeing the almost comical display that Gaard was currently using, I could only roll my eyes. It was admirable that the Absol was always vigilant, but at this rate we would be stuck in the Valley until sunset. “Gaard, it's all right. It's not even paying attention to us anymore, see?”

Gaard visibly flinched, apparently a little ashamed that it had been caught acting paranoid once more. Taking one final look back, he bounded forward and caught up in a few short moments. Nearby, Murkrow let off a short encouraging chirp as if welcoming the Absol back. This earned nothing but a baleful glare from the fellow Dark-type.

“Right...now that we're all accounted for, shall we continue?” I asked, looking at the two Pokemon. With a short nod from Gaard and a squawk of confirmation from Murkrow, I quickened my pace and caught up with Siless.

Eventually, as we walked further down the path and passed some twists and turns the scenery began to become somewhat different. While before we were surrounded by tall grass with caves off in the distance, there were now actual bushes and even an odd tree grouping or two struggling to survive in this environment. It was near one of these cluster of trees that Siless suddenly stopped us, looking closely over at the plants.

“Something wrong?” I asked, leaning closer for a better look. A few of the leaves had fallen from the tree, but I didn't really see anything else of interest.

“I think we came across something here,” Siless said, beginning to back away from the trees.

Barely a moment passed where, sure enough, the leaves and a lower branch on the closest sapling began to move about before a Pokemon walked forward to reveal itself. It was a brilliant red in color, and was covered in silver blades along its abdomen. It didn't appear too happy to see us, and began to cling the blades on its claws together as if warming up for a battle.

“Bisharp,” I muttered, taking a giant step back to distance myself from the Pokemon. This was a problem. I had mulled over the thought of capturing a Pawniard due to its unique typing, but encountering its more powerful evolved form would make this a difficult fight. Plus, save for maybe a few added moves from Cryrosant, I had nothing that could really scratch the creature. That, and the fact that if Murkrow was targeted I really had no way to protect the little bird, the safest thing would be to just leave this one alone.

Gaard became still as a statue as he saw Bisharp, tensing up as he prepared to strike at a moment's notice. Beside him, Murkrow appeared to be slightly worried and hopped behind the Absol.

Again, I pulled out my Camera. It had worked on Gengar before, maybe it would work once more. After taking a moment to center the Bisharp into the lens, I took another snapshot. At the very least, I would have a nice picture for later if the Steel-type was not successfully scared away.

 

NBP12


Bisharp hopped back into the trees at the flash of the camera, and we were relatively safe to pass. Still, the Pokémon was surprisingly aggressive, and I was considering having the Park Office buy that particular picture to serve as a warning. At least we did have a break from it now though, and I took the opportunity to lead us away as quickly as possible. Murkrow seemed particularly shaken by the ordeal, though it wasn't long before it was cheering for Akinai once again. It seemed to be particularly ecstatic about having gotten out of the encounter with the Bisharp, and I couldn't blame it; I'd be happy too if I were in its shoes.

It wasn't long once we were clear of Bisharp's forest before we came upon another Pokémon (which was good, I supposed, as most people came here for the Pokémon). A black bird significantly larger than our Murkrow friend, a Honchkrow, flew down from above. It seemed to have heard Murkrow, and upon seeing it appeared to be relieved we weren't hurting it. I couldn't be sure it was satisfied with us though, as it proceeded to examine us. I didn't know if it was watching over Murkrow at this point, or looking for a battle, and I doubted Akinai wanted a Honchkrow with the Murkrow following us, but I couldn't really say for sure. I've certainly been wrong on this stuff before.
---

Name: Akinai
Area: Meteor Valley
Encounters Remaining: 7
Items: x3 Superball, x2 Hyperball, Super Potion, x3 Pokedoll, Digital Camera, Apricorn Box , Blue Apricorn, PokePlayer, 1 Type Repellent - Ground, 1 Type Repellent - Fighting, Gengar Picture, White Apricorn, Bisharp Picture Captured Pokémon: Zoroark/F/Bold, Gastly/M/Quiet

Battle Statistics:
Area Effects:
Character Count: 0/????
Character Count (M Murkrow):9329/13500

Pokémon Encountered: Zoroark, Woobat, Gengar, Gastly, Wobbuffet, Murkrow, Cofagrigus, Bisharp

Pokemon: Wist (Banette)
Gender: Female
Ability: Insomnia
Nature: Sassy
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Dark Pulse, Hidden Power (Bug), Thunder Wave, Calm Mind, Thunderbolt Stats: 100%

Pokemon: Cryrosant (Aggron)
Gender: Female
Ability: Rock Head
Nature: Docile
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Earthquake, Aqua Tail, Head Smash, Fire Punch, Thunderpunch, Strength

Pokemon: Gaard (Absol)
Gender: Male
Ability: Super Luck
Nature: Careful
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Thunder Wave, Aerial Ace, Ice Beam, Hidden Power (Electric), X-Scissor Stats: 86%

 

The Camera, thankfully enough, worked like a charm. As soon as the flash went off, Bisharp took an impressive leap backwards as it went back to its hiding spot. For a moment, I worried that the aggressive Steel-type was simply setting up for an ambush and would jump out once more as we passed by. This fear was thankfully nulled as there was movement from the branches furthest from us and quickly moving outward. Wherever Bisharp was going, it was clear it would be nowhere near us.

Gaard, seeing the movement and recognizing it as a sign that Bisharp had retreated, began to relax once more. While he was still on edge, likely due to the wild Pokemon's sudden appearance, his fur was no longer standing on end nor was the Absol giving the appearance of walking on eggshells anymore. Hearing a small chirp from behind, he turned around and faced the sound.

Murkrow still appeared to be a little worried, trying to shrink his feathered form behind Gaard and stick out as little as possible. Either he recognized that it was likely that Bisharp would be remarkably resistant to any attacks either he or the Absol could dish out, or he was simply scared of other wild Pokemon, something about the creature had made him uneasy. Seeing that Bisharp had retreated though, along with a small nod from Gaard as a confirmation that all was safe once more, the Flying-type's spirits lifted.

I had stayed silent this entire time, wanting to see how my partner would handle the situation. It was interesting to see Gaard act protective of anyone other than my other teammates, and even then the Absol had his limits. He didn't get along with Wist at all, and while he absolutely hated Magi there was no one on my team who seemed to like the Spiritomb. Everyone else Gaard either tolerated or had a grudging agreement with. Murkrow must truly have a magnetic personality to warm up the normally formal Absol.

With Bisharp out of the way, we were free to move on and explore even more of the area up ahead. Murkrow appeared to be back in better spirits, and was chirping in a singsong matter as he hopped along right beside Gaard. While the sound was a little loud and every rare moment or two the small bird would call out an off note and quickly correct himself, the walk was actually a little relaxing. It was a nice day, and while the sun was still obscured by clouds I was pretty certain that it was actually rare for the Valley to have a sunny day. Every time I visited this area, whenever I was not in a cave the sky always seemed to be cloudy. It wasn't long until yet another Pokemon appeared to greet us, yet in a manner that had yet to happen today.

A loud squawk rang in the air, coming from directly above us. For a moment, I thought it had been Murkrow but a quick look behind me nixed that as the young Pokemon was still hopping alongside Gaard. It wasn't until a large shadow passed from overhead that I finally looked up, and was greeted with the sight of a large familiar-shaped form. The avian creature let out another crow, though this one sounded more like a greeting as it landed right in front of us.

Upon seeing the evolved Pokemon, Murkrow let out a large squawk of his own. Rather than act afraid, however, he immediately hopped over to the fellow Dark-type. The two conversed a moment, and both appeared happy to see each other. They almost appeared to be close friends, or even related...

I then noticed that Honchkrow had a smaller “hat” design adorning its head, identifying it as a female. Suddenly it all made sense. The way Murkrow had been hopping about instead of flying, the strange friendliness he had shown to everyone right at the start, and Gaard's over-protectiveness towards the Pokemon- Murkrow was younger than I had thought. All the signs pointed towards the Flying-type being little more than a chick, either leaving his home due to curiosity or maybe just somehow lost his way. This Honchkrow was either his mother or an older sibling looking out for the younger Pokemon.

Her conversation over with Murkrow, the Honchkrow then turned her attention towards us. For a moment she stared at Gaard, then nodded at the fellow Dark Pokemon as if the two had a sudden understanding. With that completed, the large bird then turned her gaze directly at me. It was almost as if the Big Boss Pokemon was sizing me up, though as a potential opponent or as a babysitter I had no idea.

It was difficult to be anything but uneasy with Honchkrow effectively boring holes into me with the piercing gaze she was currently employing. I was no stranger to what this Pokemon could do, thanks to owning a Honchkrow of my own. I had even battled a wild one in this area before, and it had been an extremely difficult one that had required a bit of quick switching out and an aerial fight between it and my starter, Jade. Unfortunately, I had been unable to take it along with me thanks to being given Loretta as a gift and then running into a fourth Pokemon in the Park that had ended with me releasing the Dark-type. Realizing that my silence was probably not winning any points in my favor, I tried to speak, “I take it you and Murkrow were friends? We ran across the little guy earlier, and since he seemed to like us I invited him along.” Seeing no change in Honchkrow's expression, I decided to continue. “I was hoping to take him along, but now I'm not sure. If he's too young to make a decision I understand, but if not the choice is his.”

This next part was risky, but I saw no way out of this save for throwing a Pokedoll at Honchkrow and running. Plus, what I had said was true. It was sort of underhanded to capture a Pokemon that clearly too young to make the important decision on deciding to become a Trainer's Pokemon or to stay in the wild. I really did not want to battle Honchkrow, and doing so would probably upset Murkrow as well. I pulled out a Superball from my pocket, having kept it in there in case I was unable to reach the other capture devices in my pack in time, and knelt down to look at Murkrow face-to-face. I heard a sound behind me as Gaard stepped forward, but I held up my other hand to warn the Absol to stand back. The only thing I could do was wait for Honchkrow's answer, as well as see as how Murkrow would react if the small bird was indeed old enough to make this large choice in his life.