Individual RP: Akinai

NBP1

Some would call it a hiatus. I call it being swamped with paperwork.

Either way, I was finally back into the field. Now to figure out what to actually do... I was more than a bit rusty. At least Meteor Valley was a comfortable place for both me and my Pokémon. I teleported into the Meteor Valley outpost with my Gardevoir, which unless one hadn't ever teleported in their life, didn't leave much room for it to be eventful. All I had to do was go over the paperwork while waiting for my trainer.

The run has to be better than all this paperwork...

---
Name: @Akinai
Area: Meteor Valley
Encounters Remaining: 15
Items: x1 Parkball, x3 Superball, x3 Hyperball, x2 Super Potion, x5 Pokedoll, Digital Camera, Apricorn Box , Blue Apricorn, PokePlayer, 1 Type Repellent - Ground, 1 Type Repellent - Fighting
Battle Statistics:
Area Effects:
Character Count: 0/????
Pokémon Encountered:

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

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

 

OOC: Going to try writing in first person for this run, both to try a new form of writing for me and to try make it a little more easier since you prefer first person style writing.

Today, I find myself back at the National Park once more.

Oddly enough, It feels like both a mix of coming back to something familiar and exciting as I step off the docks and make my way to the front desk. Even though my trip to Unova allowed me to see many species of Pokemon I had never known of before, there was a certain charm to being able to see wildlife from all regions in one area. Because of that, I always seem to find myself back here. Though, why I kept getting drawn back to Meteor Valley of all places here was confusing even to me.

“It's like I'm a glutton for punishment,” I remarked wryly to myself, earning a slight nudge from the white-furred creature standing beside me. Gaard was an Absol, who was my first real battle in the Park. He was also from Meteor Valley, which means why I was both excited and a little worried about this run- this made me decide to use him as my main partner for this expedition. Even though I usually used Jade or Zen for this roster instead, both the Flygon and Gallade seemed to want to sit this one out instead.

<There's no reason for me to go, and Jade wanted to do some sparring before doing any real battles,> Zen had explained, waving me off with a blade-arm. <She said that she had learned a possible new technique or two during your stay in Unova?>

“She can do her sparring while in the Park! Besides, who am I supposed to use instead?”

<Take Gaard, or even Wist,> the Gallade replied, turning away. <Arceus knows that Banette needs some way to burn off her energy before she annoys someone else. Unless you want to take Magi->

“The Spiritomb can stay.” I shot back, perhaps a little too quickly. The last thing I wanted to do was to take Magi along, especially without a trusted partner and in Meteor Valley of all places!

On that note, I let Zen be and set off, which brings me once more to the Park. After having a short talk with the front desk secretary for directions where to go (along with a short warning from her to recall Gaard before receiving a Teleport, in order to not startle the Psychic Pokemon in charge), I recalled the Absol and made my way to the third door to the left, where a lone Abra was patiently waiting.

“Can you take me to Meteor Valley?” I asked, flashing a small slip of paper showing my destination out of habit. The Abra, without even opening its eyes, gave a small nod and began to glow. Everything flashed white before my eyes, and I was suddenly standing directly at the gate leading to the Valley. I looked about and seconds later another figure materialized in place, likely a Ranger. I didn't recognize this one, though.

“Looks like we got here around the same time! I'm Akinai, and I'm assuming you are my Ranger?” I asked carefully, seeing if anyone else was showing up.

 

NBP2

As my vision adjusted itself to the sudden change in scenery, I saw a trainer was appearing in the outpost in the same manner I was. "I'm Akinai, and I'm assuming you are my Ranger?"

"Nice to meet you, Akinai. I'm Siless." I gestured towards the Gardevoir that brought me in with Teleport. "This here is Sela, my partner, and we'll be taking you through the valley today." Sela made a quick bow in greeting to Akinai.

"Is there anything in particular you're searching for? It might be hard to find specific Pokémon, but I could maybe get us going in the right direction. Or we could just wander off, get lost, find Pokémon, and adventure our way back. That shouldn't be too difficult, if you're just in this for adventure, since the outpost sticks out against the valley like a Wailord."
---

Name: @Akinai
Area: Meteor Valley
Encounters Remaining: 15
Items: x1 Parkball, x3 Superball, x3 Hyperball, x2 Super Potion, x5 Pokedoll, Digital Camera, Apricorn Box , Blue Apricorn, PokePlayer, 1 Type Repellent - Ground, 1 Type Repellent - Fighting

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

Pokémon Encountered:

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

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

 

The Ranger took a moment- likely trying to regain his bearings after Teleporting in-before responding. "Nice to meet you, Akinai. I'm Siless. This here is Sela, my partner, and we'll be taking you through the valley today." The nearby Gardevoir gave a polite bow to this statement.

“Nice to meet you both,” I replied, nodding to both of them. It wasn't surprising to see Siless walking around with a Pokemon partner; it seemed to be a trend among most Rangers, least from what I could tell. Psychic Pokemon appeared to be especially popular for some reason. Still, I decided to keep Gaard in his Pokeball for now, at least until I saw how Sela reacted to Dark Pokemon.

"Is there anything in particular you're searching for?” Siless asked. “It might be hard to find specific Pokémon, but I could maybe get us going in the right direction. Or we could just wander off, get lost, find Pokémon, and adventure our way back. That shouldn't be too difficult, if you're just in this for adventure, since the outpost sticks out against the valley like a Wailord.”

“I'm not really searching for anything specific, to be honest.” I admitted. “I'd rather not run into any Ghosts though, so could we try to avoid those if possible?” Granted, during my previous trips here I never looked for any Ghost Pokemon- rather, they found me instead.

As if on cue, one of the Pokeballs on my belt began to shake slightly. After taking a look down to see just who it was, I sighed and lightly tossed the ball up, revealing Wist, my Banette. The purple-hued spirit gave both Siless and Sela a cursory look before looking back over at me, with what could be nothing else but an accusing glare.

“Showoff,” I muttered, earning a slight smirk from Wist. “Either way, as you can see I have my hands full with Ghost-types as is.” Still, Wist's distraction made it so I didn't have to mention the other Ghosts on my team, both previous and current, so that was a slight relief.

 

NBP3

Wist, Akinai's Banette, decided to introduce herself as Akinai was mentioning that she already had her hands full with Ghost-type Pokémon. I could understand that easily; while any Pokémon could potentially be mischievous, Ghost Pokémon had the potential to make themselves the biggest headaches if they were.

"Most of the Ghost-type Pokémon I find here opt for the valley caverns, though the stronger ones obviously go wherever they please. If we stay out of the caves, we should be able to avoid most of them." There was always the chance of a rogue Giratina, though in that case we'd have things to worry about other than the fact it's a Ghost-type.

I led Akinai and Wist outside of the outpost into the valley proper. Sela kept her distance from Wist, cautious of the Pokémon that released itself without orders or apparent reason, though everything seemed fine otherwise.

The road was a plain of grass separated by a dusty trail formed by the trampling of grass by both Pokémon and Trainer. It was a relatively easy way to get into the valley, and stayed clear of the caves embedded into the hills surrounding us. About a half-minute down the trail, I heard running behind us. It seemed to be a secretary from the outpost, and at first I thought we forgot something, but then a particular trait of the 'secretary' caught my eye. Her hair was black and red, and her ponytail came down to her waist. I knew the secretaries of the Meteor Valley Outpost well enough, since Sela preferred the place to most others, but none of them had hair with these colors, while there was a particular something that did.

"We're being followed," I pointed out to Akinai, "and I think our guest is special." And indeed, once the 'secretary' caught site of Wist, 'she' let out a growl. She didn't seem to mean to, but it was easy enough to hear, and confirmed my suspicions. "I'll give you three guesses as to who this is, and the first two don't count."
---

Name: @Akinai
Area: Meteor Valley
Encounters Remaining: 15
Items: x1 Parkball, x3 Superball, x3 Hyperball, x2 Super Potion, x5 Pokedoll, Digital Camera, Apricorn Box , Blue Apricorn, PokePlayer, 1 Type Repellent - Ground, 1 Type Repellent - Fighting

Battle Statistics:
Area Effects:
Character Count: 4731/????

Pokémon Encountered:

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

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

 

Wist's distraction appeared to work perfectly. Rather than ask further about the issue, Siless seemed to understand my reason to avoid Ghost Pokemon well enough. “Most of the Ghost-type Pokémon I find here opt for the valley caverns, though the stronger ones obviously go wherever they please,” he explained. “If we stay out of the caves, we should be able to avoid most of them.”

I nodded in response, and followed the pair outside the outpost and towards the valley itself. After taking a quick look at her surroundings Wist tagged along as well, apparently in much better spirits than before. While she didn't seem to care much about the sunlight, there was something about the area that seemed to cheer her up.

Probably has to do with the region, I mused to myself. After all, there had to be some reason why such a wide variety of clashing types shared the same area. Psychic, Dark, and Ghost Pokemon all had an extreme dislike to each other, yet each time I visited the Valley I would always run into at least one of each type here. Either there was some hidden truce between the three, or they simply stuck to their own areas. Still, wouldn't hurt to ask. “You're cheerful for once, Wist. Liking the view?”

Wist actually jumped in surprise at this, obviously not expecting to be questioned. In response the Banette merely nodded, keeping her face as innocent as possible. Too innocent.

“Good to know.” I grinned back, not fooled by Wist's response in the least. Most Pokemon, like people, tend to have their own personality. While most rookie Trainers thought otherwise, these traits were dependent on the individual most of the time rather than species. Jade, while she was a reliable battler, had a serious issue keeping her calm when getting beat down by anything smaller than her. Zen, on the other spectrum, was often quiet. Wist was none of these things. While she didn't have the prankster personality common in most Banette, the Marionette Pokemon still loved being in the center of attention. If there was one thing Wist was, it was not being a scenery watcher.

Sure enough, when she thought that no one was watching her, Wist began peeking glances over at Sela, checking to see if the Gardevoir was paying any attention. In all actuality, the Psychic-type was trying to do the complete opposite, even trying to keep well away from the Banette. Giving a grumble of annoyance at this, Wist opted to keep an eye out for anyone else she could impress.

True to his word, Siless decided to keep us well away from any caves; instead of taking the rocky paths normally walked on near the entrance, this trail was more flat and grassy in nature. While there were some hills a close distance away, we appeared to be a safe ways away from any of the possible entrances. All in all, a nice change of pace for once.

It didn't seem to last for long though. We couldn't have even been walking along for even a minute down the trail when Siless gave a warning to stop. Rather than point ahead though, he pointed directly behind us. “We're being followed, and I think our guest is special,” he noted.

“What could have sneaked behind us?” I asked, turning around as well. Sure enough, there was someone running towards us on the path, and closing the distance fast. By their garb, it appeared to be one of the personnel in the Park, likely a secretary or even another Ranger. Still, something seemed off... as far as I knew, I had left nothing behind and had filled out everything needed before entering the Park.

“Is there something-” I began, but was cut off before I could finish the question. Wist, who had perked up upon hearing that something was coming our way, had disappeared and reappeared in front of the secretary to make a somewhat impressive entrance. Rather than earning a normal impressed or surprised reaction though, the secretary did something else entirely- she growled.

“I'll give you three guesses as to who this is, and the first two don't count,” Siless stated.

While the “human” was trying to cover up for their mistake by giving a small apologetic smile, I looked over at the figure once more. Other than the extremely un-humanlike snarl, there was something else that seemed off. Her hair was two-toned- both black and a vibrant red- and came all the way down to her waist, held together by a light blue ponytail holder at the end. While the two-tone shade didn't really seem odd considering where I came from hair shades didn't really seem to follow any rhyme or reason, there was something about this particular style that seemed familiar. In fact, it was almost identical to a certain Pokemon I had noticed while exploring Unova...

“Wist, get back over here,” I said, trying to sound annoyed rather than worried. If I was right about what this particular creature was, it could easily apply a beatdown to the Banette within seconds. This would require either careful planning or a switchout.

Wist floated back over to me, looking a little miffed for having her intro ruined. While the Banette obediently stayed put, every now and then she would turn a shifty red eye over to the waiting newcomer.

“This is your time to shine,” I whispered to Wist. “I think we have a trickster here. If she tries to do anything flashy have a Snatch ready. If not, try to startle her with a Thunderbolt. Only aim for her if she turns out to not be, well... human.” Despite the obvious confusion on the marionette's face, she nodded in response and floated back over to her current interest.

“Sorry about that, my Banette tends to sneak up on people without warning,” I said to the disguised secretary. “That's the problem with Ghost Pokemon, always full of surprises.” While I continued talking, I noticed Wist's eyes begin to glint with what had to be more than just mischievousness-the beginning of Snatch. If this plan worked, not only would we have a step up on this battle, but this “person” would soon be revealed for what they really were. Either way, this was bound to be an interesting battle.

 

BP1 (Vs. Zoroark Post 1)

The 'secretary' studied the Banette in front of her, backing off slowly. Wist mimicked her target, focusing on the secretary, plotting in an exaggerated fashion. The two were pretty focused on one another, and for a while I was surprised that neither attempted to take advantage of the other by attacking or startling, but then I realized what was happening.

It was safe to say we already knew what the 'secretary' was, but this mimicry through Snatch pretty much confirmed it; human 'attacks' typically weren't strong enough to be Snatched away. Soon enough, Wist looked as though she was going through a eureka moment, while the 'secretary' roared in frustration.

With the facade finished, the 'secretary' had no choice but to reveal itself. The human form standing before us erupted into darkness, revealing the more bestial Zoroark. Wist seemed to be prepared for battle, especially with her new plot, but Zoroark wasn't wasting any time. Zoroark's Illusion barely had time to fade before it was enveloped in a growing darkness.

"Zoroark doesn't seem too happy with us seeing through the illusion. But now it should be easier to see what it's doing. Maybe not so much dealing with it though, since it's actually attacking now, but..."
---

Name: Akinai
Area: Meteor Valley
Encounters Remaining: 15
Items: x1 Parkball, x3 Superball, x3 Hyperball, x2 Super Potion, x5 Pokedoll, Digital Camera, Apricorn Box , Blue Apricorn, PokePlayer, 1 Type Repellent - Ground, 1 Type Repellent - Fighting

Battle Statistics: Wist 100% Sp.Atk++, Zoroark 100% Using Night Daze
Area Effects:
Character Count: 10759/35000

Pokémon Encountered:

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

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

 

The secretary didn't respond back- that or couldn't, though I had heard a tale once that Zoroark could use human speech- and opted instead to back up a step. She kept her eyes on Wist, eyes narrowed as she studied the Banette carefully.

Wist, in perfect tandem, took a step back as well. While the marionette seemed to be doing nothing but staring back at her opponent, after a moment's pause she tilted her ghostly head, as if catching a stray thought or figment. Immediately Wist began to wring her hands together, even snickering a little as if she was mulling over some evil deed.

“What in the world are you doing,” I muttered, mostly to myself than Wist. I knew that the Banette was always wanting to be the center of attention, but this was going from being a drama queen to outright getting attacked by her target fast. Even a Slakoth would likely catch on to the mocking farce Wist was doing currently, a Dark-type like Zoroark would be furious.

As if she could read my mind, the secretary let out a load roar in response, obviously angry at the way things had turned out. Seeing that the illusion had failed, her human form shimmered and was replaced with a now very annoyed Zoroark. Judging by the feminine way the Pokemon still posed even after letting the mirage disappear, it looked like I was right to assume that this particular Zoroark was a female. The Dark-type's fur bristled as she snarled at the nearby Marionette Pokemon, ready to exact her revenge.

“Well, least that worked,” I said, nodding to Wist. “Still, could you have shown at least a little tact?” Now I had to figure out how to get the prima donna out of harm's way before her head was in danger of being torn off. Granted, not like it could be fatal to a Ghost Pokemon... Still, it had to be an unpleasant feeling to have any extremity ripped off.

Wist's eyes widened slightly as she finally took in what she was going to be fighting for the first time, and floated back a small bit. Still, she didn't appear to be afraid; her zippered mouth was still wearing the same smirk she was sporting earlier when looking over at the disguised Zoroark, and was even brimming with some sort of ethereal energy. It was almost like the aura the Banette sported after using Calm Mind, only this one felt far more powerful and less guarding. Zoroark's anger, Wist's smug confidence, and a lack of a move used by the wild Pokemon before shifting into her true form... It finally clicked into place just what had happened. Wist wasn't being just obnoxious, she had Snatched away a Nasty Plot technique!

Zoroark doesn't seem too happy with us seeing through the illusion,” Siless pointed out. “But now it should be easier to see what it's doing. Maybe not so much dealing with it though, since it's actually attacking now, but...” the Ranger trailed off.

Sure enough, the Dark Pokemon wasted no time in preparing an attack. Her form started to glow with a dark energy, and the surrounding area began to have an almost foreboding feel to it as the attack charged up. Zoroark looked directly ahead, her red eyes fully on the Banette.

Surprisingly, even Wist shivered a bit as the effect hit her as well. There was no backing down once someone took center stage though. Instead of shirking away, the Ghost comically adopted an over-the-top battle pose, even throwing in a small “bring it” gesture for added effect.

Now came the hard part. While I had seen a single Zoroark during my stay in Unova, it had not been battling at the time. It had only been by chance that I had noticed it at all; the black-furred creature had been sneaking around a back alley in Castelia City looking for scraps in one of the dumpsters behind a restaurant. Once it had noticed that I had noticed it, the creature had given a small growl and shifted its appearance into a raven-haired young man, running away. It had appeared to not be well off as well, with its mane tangled and matted with dry mud. Needless to say, I never saw it fire off a single attack and had next to no clue how wide a variety of moves it could use.

Wist's own repertoire of moves weren't exactly varied as well. While I had managed to teach her some added moves far before entering the Park, she only had a few that could actually hurt a Dark-type. Plus, considering that whatever attack the wild Pokemon was charging was causing even her to shudder, meant that it was likely a Dark move. It didn't appear to be any that I had seen before though. Letting her take a supereffective attack, even a non-boosted one, seemed foolhardy. Seeing Wist's eagerness to begin along with still holding confidence in the face of danger though, I decided to give the Banette a shot.

“Quick, Wist, use Dark Pulse to try hitting whatever attack is coming your way!” I called out to my partner. This was a gambit more than anything. With any luck, the two sametyped attacks would dampen or cancel each other out. “Once that is done, Go with Thunderbolt.” After a moment's thought I wryly added, “I'm sure I don't need to tell you to actually aim for her this time.”

Wist let off a snicker as she heard my final words, and brought both of her spectral hands together as she began to charge her first move. Like Zoroark, the Marionette Pokemon took on a dark glow as midnight-black energy began to grow larger around her. Unlike her opponent's attack, there was no aura of foreboding- least not until it would strike the target. It was due to this that the move had a chance of causing the opposing Pokemon to flinch, but that wasn't the plan this time around. Once this attack was finished, for better or worse, the Banette would begin to gather electrical energy for another attack. With the Snatched boost powering her attacks, at least one was sure to cause the Zoroark worry.

 

BP2 (Vs. Zoroark Post 2)

As Zoroark released the dark waves it was charging up, Wist released its own wave of dark energy. Both were headed directly at each other, but when they came in contact, both attacks seemed to shatter against each other, sending dark energies to all sides of the battlefield. Neither party seemed too damaged, but Wist had a dark mist covering its eyes, while Zoroark seemed to be visibly recoiling from the explosion of energies. Even though the attacks never made any real contact with their targets, it seemed that their secondary effects went through just fine.

Wist immediately followed up with a sizable bolt of electricity, powered up by the plot she stole. Zoroark was defenseless while flinching, but even then, the obscuring mist it forced on Wist seemed to work in its favor, as the main bolt of the electricity sailed past Zoroark's head. The Dark-type still took a good portion of side-bolts as the main bolt passed, but it managed to avoid a large portion of the damage simply through messing up Wist's aim. Wist didn't care, or at least hid it well, and Zoroark seemed to be annoyed at what it saw as the ghost not taking it seriously.

Zoroark started yelling. While I couldn't understand what Zoroark was saying, Sela did her best job at translating, telling me that Zoroark was taunting Wist for not using her best attacks. It seemed to be trying to force other moves, and I relayed this to Akinai; Wist, meanwhile, looked like it was laughing it off, but through the vision-obscuring mist over her eyes I could see her glare at the Zoroark. This was going to be interesting...
---

Name: Akinai
Area: Meteor Valley
Encounters Remaining: 15
Items: x1 Parkball, x3 Superball, x3 Hyperball, x2 Super Potion, x5 Pokedoll, Digital Camera, Apricorn Box , Blue Apricorn, PokePlayer, 1 Type Repellent - Ground, 1 Type Repellent - Fighting

Battle Statistics: Wist 97% Sp.Atk++ Acc- TMNT, Zoroark 82% Used Torment
Area Effects:
Character Count: 16548/35000

Pokémon Encountered:

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

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

 

Whether it was by chance (or by perfectly timed skill by both Pokemon), the two Dark attacks were released almost simultaneously. As they collided into one another, the energies appeared to almost combine for a split second before finally becoming destroyed altogether. As the moves dissipated however, shadowy waves broke off in all directions, striking both the Banette and Zoroark.

Seeing that even that Dark-aligned Pokemon appeared to be shaken up by the backlash, I looked over to see how my partner was faring. Even though she didn't appear to be petrified by the attack like her opponent was, something still seemed off. “Wist, are you all right?” I asked, carefully watching to see how she would respond.

Wist didn't respond, keeping her attention on the currently defenseless Zoroark. Taking advantage of this, she immediately shot off Thunderbolt, the attack greatly powered thanks to the stat-boosting move she had Snatched before. As the electrical bolts went towards her target though, it was clear something was wrong. Even though Thunderbolt usually had an extremely high chance to do full damage, this time around the main bolt missed the mark entirely. While Zoroark did end up taking some damage from a few stray sparks, it had to be nearly nothing compared to what a complete attack would have done.

Confused, I shot another glance at Wist. It wasn't in the Ghost-type's nature to take it easy on an opponent like this, and as far as I could tell Zoroark hadn't tried to dodge the move in the least; it had still been flinching when the move went off.

Seeing that I was giving her a skeptical look, Wist simply grinned back, waving a claw as if she had planned her move to work out in such a fashion. Her vision appeared to be slightly unfocused though, judging from the way she had to keep blinking her eyes when looking over at the nearby wild Pokemon.

Not for the first time, I wished that I had saved up the funds for a Pokedex. Word by mouth only traveled so far, and it wasn't bound to be always accurate. Whatever move Zoroark had used, it had to have some sort of accuracy-lowering effect as well. Granted, this was only a guess- since the creature had flinched from the backlash, I figured it was from Wist's own attack since Dark Pulse could not cause the target to become blinded. It could have just been an aftereffect of the two moves combining into one and I could be completely wrong for all I knew.

Zoroark, on the other hand, seemed completely oblivious to her opponent's disability. Rather than becoming smug for blinding her opponent, the creature's eyes were glaring daggers at the Banette once more, as if suspecting the Marionette Pokemon for not taking the battle seriously. Either the creature was blinded by anger, or had an easily bruised ego.

Wist, of course, played along in turn. Shooting back an unintelligible remark, she puffed up her small body in pride and crossed her wispy arms, even turning her head away to complete the effect. To the untrained observer, the Banette was pulling off the perfect “you're not worth my time” to anyone watching.

Same old Wist, I mused to myself, watching the Banette's display silently. Even as a Shuppet, she always had a habit of playing along with what the observer saw, instead of trying to focus on full-out battling like most Pokemon. While I had thought this was just a trait all Ghosts had, after owning a couple others I had quickly been proven wrong. For a brief time, I had become the owner of a Mismagius who had focused more on landing perfect attacks rather than care what their opponent thought. As for Magi...well, I tried not to think about the only other Ghost Pokemon on my current roster too much. That Spiritomb didn't care how attacks looked or what his opponent was doing, just in getting the job done while giving me a chilling glare on the side. Either way, Wist's trait was quickly marked off as “just a Ghost thing” rather quickly.

After one particularly vexing battle, the Trainer I had been battling had suggested entering Wist in Contests. After all, the shows were all about flair, not about fainting the other contestants. Figuring that it would be interesting to try out another form of battling (as well as a way to get the then-Shuppet to burn off some excess energy, I decided to try it out. It had started out well at first- the first turn had been randomized, and we had somehow managed to pull off our performance first in the starting round before anyone else. Seeing a large crowd in front with eyes only for her, Wist pulled off her chosen move with added flair. Hearing their applause in turn, the Shuppet's eyes went wide in excitement- then the other Pokemon began to use their own moves, and the spotlight was taken from her. It had all went downhill from there, especially when she had shot a Sucker Punch at the leading Pokemon in the third round. After that, I never entered Wist in a Contest, and she had never expressed interest. In fact, she outright avoided them now.

Without warning, Zoroark began shouting at Wist, both causing the marionette to look back at her opponent and knocking me out of my reverie. The Pokemon was pointing an accusatory claw at the Banette and said something with an accusatory tone, not quite taunting but it didn't exactly sound normal either. The creature's fur didn't seem quite as puffed up in anger as it had been before, and was now coldly eying Wist.

The Banette didn't seem phased by whatever Zoroark had said, even giving a small chuckle and waving the Dark Pokemon away offhandedly. Still, she was no longer looking away, and she was meeting Zoroark's eyes with her own, beginning to look slightly serious.

Siless, who had apparently been getting a quick translation from her Gardevoir, gave me a rough translation of what the wild Pokemon had said. According to the Ranger and his Psychic partner, Zoroark was trying to trick Wist into using new moves, calling her current attacks weak.

“Talk about hitting where it hurts,” I said in reply, trying to speak low so that neither Pokemon nearby could overhear. No wonder Wist had started paying attention-her own skills were being called out! This battle just got a little more difficult.

Winning this battle with brute force wouldn't be too difficult. If I remembered correctly, Wist's Hidden Power had a type that Dark-types were weak to, and with the power boost she had obtained earlier would make it all the more stronger. Still, a nagging feeling prevented me from trying that method... Wist would probably not care for such a method, and the last thing I wanted to deal with was an angry teammate in the middle of a Run. Switching out was an option too, but that would annoy the Banette as well since she had expressed such an interest in battling this target at the start, dangerous or not. That meant for now, I was limited to using only Wist and an assorted amount of moves.

“All right Wist, time to show her you mean business! Get in close with Faint Attack, then switch over to Will-o-Wisp!” I called out to the Banette. Getting in close was really the last thing I wanted to try, but making the second attack hit was important. If she could find a way to both hinder and lower Zoroark's attack, this fight would become a little less dangerous. Plus, status ailments were always nice- while there was another I could use if this one failed, using another electrical attack so soon after the first would probably earn a refusal from the vain Marionette Pokemon.

Wist nodded, beginning to fade out already. Faint Attack normally worked one of two ways; either the user would pretend to act weak then go for an attack when their target got closer to investigate, or they would disappear for a moment only to reappear behind their target for a quick strike. Whichever method Wist used, it would hopefully let her get close enough to use her next move without worry of missing Zoroark.

 

BP3 (Vs. Zoroark Post 3)

Akinai kept clear of recent moves in her orders, trying to avoid the hesitation of repeat maneuvers caused by Torment. Wist's Faint Attack would ignore the accuracy penalty brought on by Zoroark's Night Daze as well, while the close proximity to Zoroark after the physical blow would make it significantly easier to land the Will-o-Wisp attack as well. If Wist couldn't land the burning blow, however, it'd be open for a powerful retaliation.

Akinai's Banette faded from view, but Zoroark seemed to have expected this; I didn't know whether this was a high-level understanding of human language for a wild Pokémon, or a bit of strategy, but as soon as Banette landed the blow from behind, Zoroark turned and landed a nasty slash on Wist. Wist was knocked back a considerable distance by the blow, and I initially thought the blow would cripple the Ghost-type, perhaps forcing a switch. My concerns seemed a bit unnecessary, however, as a flame burst from Zoroark's back. It seems in the mayhem, Wist landed the Will-o-Wisp attack quickly, and that burn probably saved it from a severely damaging blow.

Despite the burn, Zoroark wasn't finished fighting. The Dark-type chased after Wist, arm raised. It seemed to want to land a powerful blow while Wist was stunned from the Night Slash, and though the Burn would help, I didn't think Wist could take many more Super Effective attacks.
---

Name: Akinai
Area: Meteor Valley
Encounters Remaining: 15
Items: x1 Parkball, x3 Superball, x3 Hyperball, x2 Super Potion, x5 Pokedoll, Digital Camera, Apricorn Box , Blue Apricorn, PokePlayer, 1 Type Repellent - Ground, 1 Type Repellent - Fighting

Battle Statistics: Wist 82% Sp.Atk++ Acc- TMNT, Zoroark 62% BRN Used Night Slash, Using Foul Play
Area Effects:
Character Count: 24484/35000

Pokémon Encountered:

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

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

 

It appeared that Wist, for once, didn't want to risk having her attack fail. Rather than pretending to act weak to lure Zoroark in, she instead chose the more stealth-like method of attacking from behind. As the Banette faded from view however, something unexpected happened.

Zoroark, rather than acting confused by seeing her opponent disappear without a trace, simply stood still, as if waiting patiently for something to happen. Almost immediately after Wist reappeared right behind her, the wild Pokemon whirled about and landed a slash with one of her front claws, knocking the Banette a fair distance away.

As I watched Wist get swiftly knocked away, I began to have my doubts about keeping the Ghost-type on the field. Stealth and trickery was the only thing on our side currently, due to a limited moveset and Wist's own stubbornness. Unfortunately, Zoroark were known to be the masters of trickery, even apparently out-trumping the natural knack Ghosts had for it. If Wist couldn't even rely on that...

Fortunately, it seemed that a blow had indeed been landed before Zoroark had countered the Banette away. As the Dark-type allowed herself a triumphant grin at successfully guessing her opponent's move, she let out a surprised yelp as the dark fur on her backside became alight with a violet flame. While the fire quickly died out, the move had left a searing burn in its place, causing her to wince in pain.

Nice one! This time it was my own turn to grin. Even though Wist had been ambushed almost instantly, she had still managed to use her Will-o-Wisp technique, which had obviously worked if the flames were of any proof. Now Zoroark's attacks would be dulled considerably, making long-range attacks the main concern. As I looked over at Wist though, there was another concern. Whatever attack she had been struck with had taken a toll on the the Banette-she still appeared ready for more, but seemed to be having trouble struggling back to her feet. Judging from the slashing motion the wild Pokemon had made upon landing the blow, it could only have been Night Slash.

Fueled by both her opponent's moment of weakness and rage for being scorched, Zoroark let out a roar and bounded forward, obviously trying to land another attack before the Banette could recover. She bounded towards Wist on all fours, raising one of her claws upwards as she grew closer.

There was hardly any time to react. All I saw was a dark gray blur heading towards the Marionette Pokemon, with the latter still appearing unsteady. “Use Hex, now!” I shouted out towards Wist. There may have been a way to stop Zoroark in her tracks if I could manage to paralyze the creature, but she was already feeling the effect of a burn. While I had heard stories in the past of Pokemon being afflicted with multiple status effects at once, it was extremely rare. In this situation, it was best to stick with what I know had a chance of working over what was only a possibility.

Wist seemed to take a double take as she began to fully register just what had happened, and began to chant lowly. While the words sounded like gibberish (even in Pokemon speak, at least from what I had been told before), they seemed to hold a sort of power to them. If the move was successful, a dark violet glow would illuminate the nearby Zoroark for a moment before the attack would pinpoint any weaknesses and make their pain more severe. This was particularly effective on ailments...namely, Zoroark's burn. It was unlikely that the wild Pokemon would be hurt enough to stagger in her attack, but it was worth a shot... that, and I didn't dare to call out another attack until I knew just what was going to happen.

 

BP4 (Vs. Zoroark Post 4)

Hex was, barring the legendary Shadow Force, the strongest Ghost-type move, given appropriate circumstances. When bolstered by the pain of a status ailment on the target, Hex surpassed even the powerful Shadow Ball, though without that status, the move was far closer to the power of the weak (yet still useful) Shadow Sneak. Since Wist already scored the Burn with Will-o-Wisp, she had the strongest non-legendary Ghost-type move available to her. However, it was still Ghost-type; with its power, it would certainly hurt, but Zoroark would resist a lot of the damage caused. Akinai seemed to be focusing on the distraction value of the move, as drawing out the pain of the burn would hopefully mess up Zoroark's focus on its attack enough to at the very least weaken it...

Wist emanated an aura of darkness, and Zoroark's burn on its back flared up greatly compared to before. The Dark-type cringed in pain, but kept forth with its attack. Zoroark's arm made a wide sweep, and Wist dove to the side. Once the attack was done, Wist and Zoroark were facing each other with us Trainers on the side. Wist stood up proud, showing no more signs of being flustered, but upon closer inspection there was a rather sizable scratch in her leg. It wasn't as good as it could have been, but Zoroark still managed to get a good blow on her.

Zoroark started bouncing around, seemingly getting limber. It appeared to be using a highly mobile attack of some sort, though it seemed tense from the battle thus far.
---

Name: Akinai
Area: Meteor Valley
Encounters Remaining: 15
Items: x1 Parkball, x3 Superball, x3 Hyperball, x2 Super Potion, x5 Pokedoll, Digital Camera, Apricorn Box , Blue Apricorn, PokePlayer, 1 Type Repellent - Ground, 1 Type Repellent - Fighting

Battle Statistics: Wist 66% Sp.Atk++ Acc- TMNT, Zoroark 31% BRN Used Foul Play, Using Agility, U-turn
Area Effects:
Character Count: 28168/35000

Pokémon Encountered:

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

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 Wist's chanting grew louder, a dark aura surrounded her ghostly form, giving her an eerie glow. This continued for a few seconds before the effect was transferred over to Zoroark, illuminating the Dark-type's body as well. At first, it just appeared to be a flashy light show and nothing more...until the glow reached Zoroark's burn. The Hex, sensing the ailment, made quick work in increasing the pain it caused, causing the creature to wince in pain.

Still, the Illusion Fox was hardly deterred from her goal. Merely shaking off the move with an irritated snarl, Zoroark simply continued rushing towards Wist, her attack fully charged at this point. Eyes blazing, she aimed a wide slash towards the Banette, determined to end this nuisance once and for all.

With mere moments to react, Wist dove nimbly to the side. While the Hex technique had failed in stopping the wild Pokemon's assault, it had at least given the Ghost time to catch her breath, so to speak. It may not have been as elegant as it would have been if she had more time, but that was hardly the biggest concern at the moment. It had done the job- Zoroark's strike had mostly hit air.

Zoroark's eyes widened in surprise, staggering a little as her attack hadn't connected as solidly as she had hoped for. Seeing that her opponent had dodged-worse, was still on her feet- the bipedal vulpine creature took a wary step back, checking her opponent for any sign of weakness.

Whatever uncertainty Wist had felt before, it was obviously gone. Smirking at Zoroark's unease, she crossed her arms once more and stood smugly in front of her foe. She was favoring one leg though, and for good reason. On her right leg, a long slash marred the limb. While it was impossible for Ghost-type Pokemon to bleed, it was still possible for them to take wounds, especially against those Dark affiliated; the mark was midnight in hue, standing out against the Banette's violet form.

I halfway thought about making a joke to Wist about how she could no longer make a nuisance of herself by bouncing about everywhere, but thought better of it for now. Even though the injury was far from hidden and could be seen by nearly anyone with common sense, I wasn't sure how Zoroark would take advantage of it. If I pointed out that the Marionette could no longer dance about, she would most likely resort to nothing but rapid attacks to quickly tire out Wist. Instead, I opted to focus on her dodge instead. “Nice one out there! Don't get too confident though, we're not done yet.”

Instead of taking my words seriously, Wist just gave a disbelieving snicker back. Apparently she was seeing something I was not aware of just yet. Even though the Ghost had been tossed about, continually taking blows that had to seriously hurt her, and generally having a rough time of it, she was still in good spirits. If anything, she was acting like the battle was already over. Seeing that I was now looking at her as if she had hit her head or something, the spirit rolled her eyes over towards Zoroark.

Curious, I took a closer look over at the still-wary wild Pokemon. The creature's red mane was lightly singed thanks to Wist's flames from earlier, though it was nowhere near as scorched as the dark fur on her backside. In addition, a few patches of fur along her body still seemed frazzled by static electricity and were still standing on end. This, along with battered around by multiple weakened moves and having her weariness strengthened thanks to Hex, left the Zoroark in a sorry state. Still, she didn't seem ready to black out at any second.

It looked like, for once, I had underestimated the power of stat-boosted moves. Sure, I had been expecting Hex to do more damage than usual, even counted on it to give Wist time to get out of the way or stop the Zoroark's assault entirely. I had forgotten one important factor though: the Banette still had a formidable increase to her power thanks to the Nasty Plot she had snatched away right at the beginning. Now I had the challenge of not only surviving, but in keeping Zoroark on her feet as well. The creatures were rare enough as is, if I managed to accidentally faint one while in the process of weakening it I would kicking myself about it for a good long time. It was official, long-range moves were banned for now.

Noticing that now both Pokemon and Trainer were examining her carefully, Zoroark let out a low growl of warning, as if to show that she wasn't finished just yet. To better prove this, she hopped quickly from one foot to another, as if warming up for a marathon. It actually seemed to work, as with each hop her movements became quicker. Even seriously hurt, the Illusion Fox Pokemon was still a formidable opponent.

Seeing that Zoroark was boosting her speed, I tried not to show my unease. Even though I had held back from commenting, it seemed as if this creature was smart enough to realize that she could now out-move Wist and was increasing her chances of doing so to better land a series of uninterrupted combos on the hapless Banette. If it continued, Wist would become a literal rag doll to Zoroark's attacks.

As Zoroark's movements quickened, Wist still kept up her air of indifference. Her glowing red eyes never darted away from her target though, watching each hop carefully as if expecting the fox creature to leap forward at any moment. It was apparent that while the Banette was doing her best to play the role of a confident battler, she was still worried about getting attacked without warning.

We need a way to strike first... but how? The only way I could see Wist making a move first was luring Zoroark into using a damaging move, but the only Pokemon who could use Taunt was Gaard. While the Banette line could learn the move, I had yet to teach it to her; yet another technique I would have to teach her in the future. Maybe there was another option, but it would require a bit of trickery. “All right Wist, time to fire off a Thunder Wave. Quickly, before Zoroark finishes her technique!”

Unsurprisingly, Wist blinked in confusion at hearing such an odd move commanded. After all, she had already managed to burn Zoroark quite severely. Adding another ailment to the mix seemed next to useless, and she raised a nonexistent eyebrow in my direction.

“Trust me on this, alright? Think of this as the start to your grand finale,” I added, giving Wist a knowing nod. With any luck, this would prompt her to show off more and put Zoroark even more on edge, and more eager to strike.

Immediately Wist shook off her confusion, replacing it with a shrug that said, “sure, why not?” and began to build up electricity into her spectral hands. Unlike Thunderbolt from before, this move was a cobalt blue in color and generated with multiple small sparks rather than several large bolts of lightning. Once enough of a charge was generated, she would let the sparks fly towards the opposing Dark-type.

As this was happening, I carefully watched Zoroark for any aggressive movements. As soon as I saw the creature begin to back up and charge another move, I called out, “Quickly, shift into Sucker Punch!” This was yet another move the Zoroark would be resistant to, but it had a decent kick to it. With any luck, it would be just enough.

Whether or not she had managed to finish her prior move or not, Wist quickly dashed forward, attempting to land a swift jab before her opponent could react. As the Banette moved towards Zoroark, I quickly fished out a capture device from my pack; a Hyperball just in case. As soon as Wist had finished her attack, I would take aim and throw.

 

BP5 (Vs. Zoroark Post 5)

As Zoroark limbered up, tendrils of electricity shot out from Wist, moving around with excellent control and striking each muscle Zoroark was exercising. The Dark-type seemed stunned for an instant, stopping its stretches, but as its burn flared up again, Zoroark lunged towards its opponent. While Thunder Wave had incredible accuracy, it seemed that the existing burn built up Zoroark's resistances enough to weaken the effects of the electric jolt. Status was incredibly difficult to stack up, and while the resultant combination of status was often enough to justify an attempt, one needed to have a backup plan in the likely case that it failed. Akinai had two things going for her; Wist was ready to pull off another quick strike, while the Thunder Wave canceled out the Agility attack even though it failed to paralyze Zoroark.

The Illusion Fox Pokémon made its way to incredible speed, despite the failed Agility. However, as soon as it got close to Wist, it got the air knocked out of it by a full-body slam into its stomach; Sucker Punch took many forms, though the primary element was surprise and, as Wist was taunting the fox as it fell, Zoroark really did look surprised.

Akinai tossed a Hyper Ball at the fallen Zoroark, and the ball locked almost immediately. It seemed the Dark-type had no energy left for battle, which made for an easy finish. I picked up the ball and put it in my bag.

"Nice battle. Do you want to take a moment to rest up, or should we continue?"
---

Name: Akinai
Area: Meteor Valley
Encounters Remaining: 14
Items: x1 Parkball, x3 Superball, x2 Hyperball, x2 Super Potion, x5 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: 0/????

Pokémon Encountered: Zoroark

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: 66%

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

 

The distraction had worked like a charm. As Wist launched bolts of static electricity straight towards Zoroark, the wild Pokemon stopped her hopping about and opted for a more defensive pose. It was only for a moment though, as almost instantly the creature winced in pain from the burn once more. Seeking for a way to get revenge, Zoroark recklessly charged forward.

It was at this moment that Wist switched to her second attack. Before the Dark-type could connect an attack, she landed a sharp jab on Zoroark's midsection, causing her to collapse. Seeing that her opponent was now all but defeated, the Marionette gave an eerie zippered grin.

By this time, I had already tossed my Hyperball forward, seeing that Zoroark was still manage to cling on to consciousness. As the Dark-type was drawn into the device, the sphere didn't even move before giving a soft ping of success. Despite putting up a rough fight, she must have finally wished to rest.

“Nice battle. Do you want to take a moment to rest up, or should we continue?” Siless asked, pocketing the Hyperball.

“A moment would be great, actually,” I replied, making my way over to Wist. The Banette was practically brimming with pride, giving a bow in our direction and grinning widely the whole time. Still, that injury on her leg looked fairly deep and she had been knocked around by a creature using almost exclusively Dark-type moves. Taking out one of my Super Potions, I lightly sprayed down the worst of her injuries before storing away the now-empty bottle. With that done, I recalled Wist for now- she would be content with her victory, hopefully.

“Alright, I'm ready whenever,” I said, looking back over at Siless. “Where to?”

 

NBP4

Akinai took some time to administer a Super Potion to Wist's leg while the Ghost-type took the time to bask in her victory. The potion had an immediate effect, numbing the pain and starting to mend the flesh, and though it would take a bit of time to completely recover the leg, Wist was back to full fighting potential almost immediately. With Wist returned to her ball, her leg would have the perfect environment to mend until her next battle, when it should be as good as new.

With Wist returned and the battle finished, we headed back on the road. In the grass, there was a large amount of Pokémon that were apparently watching the battle; a Spoink bounced around on the left side of the path, while a Gothita peered at us across from it. When we approached, both ran away, but a third Pokémon popped in from behind the Gothita.

"Wooo-batbat!"
---

Name: Akinai
Area: Meteor Valley
Encounters Remaining: 14
Items: x1 Parkball, x3 Superball, x2 Hyperball, Super Potion, x5 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: 1699/4000

Pokémon Encountered: Zoroark

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

 

Surprisingly, we didn't have to go very far at all. As soon as Siless turned to lead us further into the Valley, a couple of the locals decided to pop out of the nearby tall grass. Judging from the fact that they were all the lowest evolutionary form of their line, it was likely they were just children. At the moment, they seemed to be entranced by some recent event.

“Odd.. were both of you hiding the whole time?” I asked, looking over at the closest one- a Gothita. It was possible they had sneaked in to watch the earlier battle. There was no chance to really keep an eye out for anything else save for trying to figure out what Zoroark would do next, and Wist had been on her toes the entire time as well. All in all it was ironic- the Banette had an audience after all, just hidden out of sight.

The Gothita didn't seem that eager to speak, shying away as soon as I took a step in its direction. The second Pokemon, a Spoink, seemed to share the same thought, looking down the path as if looking for a way to escape since the show was over. Suddenly, a third Pokemon popped out of the grass, flying in front of Gothita as if to protect its friend.

“Easy, I'm not looking to fight any of you,” I said, taking a step back this time while holding my hands up to show that I wasn't going to do anything else. Looking over at Siless, I added, “Let's see if we can get past these guys. If not, I'll use one of my Dolls.”

 

NBP5

Knowing we weren't hostile, Woobat calmed down. The psychic bat still tried to grab our attention though. Sela stopped me from going too far while the Woobat explained what was going on. Apparently, there was a problem with aggressive, powerful Pokémon in its cave, and one lone Woobat is not enough to take on whatever is causing the trouble.

I relayed as much information as I could to Akinai. It was up to her if she wanted to confront this monstrosity, even if just to see what it was. There was a bit of risk involved; Woobat couldn't even tell us what we were to be up against. I had to admit though, after seeing Wist take on Zoroark successfully, I had no doubts that Akinai could handle whatever it was that was causing mayhem. Barring something like Giratina, maybe, but we'd be able to tell that it was the legend before we got anywhere close.
---

Name: Akinai
Area: Meteor Valley
Encounters Remaining: 14
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: 0/?????

Pokémon Encountered: Zoroark

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

 

Seeing me back away, the Woobat appeared to relax slightly, as if glad it didn't have to battle after all. Still, it appeared adamant on sticking around, and was now giving off a series of cries as if trying to explain something. Whatever it was, the small Psychic-type was clearly agitated- its white fur was standing on end and it kept turning around, as if looking back on a location.

Without a translator, I was completely clueless on just what was agitating this bat so much. “Could you... possibly elaborate please?” I said somewhat lamely back. And this is why I try to keep Lia or Zen around. It's not like I can speak Pokemon! Not sure how to continue, I looked over at Siless to see if the Ranger had any idea just what was going on.

Judging from the way Siless was looking over at Sela, it was likely the two were sharing a conversation. After a few moments, the Ranger gave a brief translation of what Woobat was saying, courtesy of Sela. Apparently the Woobat's home was being terrorized by an unknown Pokemon, and was looking for assistance on chasing away the creature. Seeing the earlier fight, it must have thought we could help out.

I took my time before responding, trying to decide what to do next. This sounded more like a Ranger job than something a random Trainer entering the Valley could help out with, and I was definitely the latter. Sticking my nose into a situation that definitely wasn't my business didn't seem like good news at all. Plus, bat Pokemon like Zubat and Woobat lived in caves. Caves meant there would also be a high chance of running into Ghost Pokemon. “I'm not sure if I would be the best choice for your problem. There's bound to be someone else along soon who can help you out, or maybe you can ask one of the people who work here...”

That was definitely not the answer Woobat had been expecting. Before I could say any more, the creature's cries immediately stopped and its wings drooped, as if accepting defeat. Giving a small cry of defeat, it turned to begin its journey back home.

And suddenly I'm the villian. Seeing such a normally happy Pokemon clearly so upset was distressing to say the least, and it was most likely returning to deal with the problem rather than ask someone else for help. Maybe sticking around to see what the problem was first wouldn't be that bad an idea at all. “All right. I can't promise anything, but let's take a look at just what is bothering you.” Who knows, maybe I would be able to just send out Cryrosant and scare the creature away