Individual RP Axion ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

@Axion;

BP#3

Ranger Ivy Frost

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Axion got the idea. It would be bad to be stuck in these caves even for a little while—it was too easy to freeze out here. While the Ranger team would be out here stat to dig them out, a lot of bad things could happen during the time it took them, even if they had GPS to help them.

In response, the Trainer pulled out a ball to catch the ghost. She saw it was one of the Hyper Balls, and she was glad he came prepared. The standard Park Balls manufactured couldn't hold strong Pokemon like the Froslass at all—they had too much energy and just broke out of the devices.

He clicked the button on the ball so the capture device grew in size and said, “I really hope this works.”

“Me too,” Ivy agreed, huddling close to Haji so she could absorb the warmth from his Hidden Power technique. His fire may have been strong, but she didn't want to spend the night with only that for heat.

Axion then pulled his arm back and lobbed the ball forward, and they watched as it sailed through the air. It was almost to its target when the wind picked up speed. It was only slightly, but since it was coming from the opposite direction, it slowed the device down just a hair.

The Froslass caught sight of it at the last second, but it was too late for her to move. Her smashing against the cave wall abruptly halted as she was sucked into the ball in an aura of red light. Even though the snow, Ivy could see the Hyper Ball shake furiously on the ground as the ghost fought. Then, the device went still for a second, and the Ranger thought he had it.

Unfortunately, the device opened with a burst of light, and the Froslass's shrill cry echoed through the tunnel and was emphasized by the wind. She slapped the ball away, and it hit the stone with a powerful crack. Ivy winced. She hoped the ball didn't break.

The Froslass decided to take her anger out directly on the cave wall. Like before, she gathered herself, and then she slammed up against the wall so hard that it shook the entire path even more violently than last time. A patch of rocks on the ceiling came loose, and snow and ice came crashing down on Scizor who was stuck in the path. He dodged part of it by hugging the nearest wall, but Ivy could still hear the clunking sound the debris made against his steel plating. Ivy was just glad the entire cave didn't fall in—Scizor could take a few small hits like that one.

Using the mini-avalanche she created, the Froslass tried to use that window of opportunity to back up even farther. In response, the wind howled even louder, and an unnatural snowfall began to accumulate in the cave. Froslass was calling down a Blizzard.

Ivy strained her eyes, but the ghost was getting hard to see. The pale blue body of the Ice-type was blending into the surroundings. Was she trying to get away?

“She's even farther down the path now,” Ivy said, having to raise her voice against the wind. “If she's trying to get away, Scizor's gotta move fast. He might be able to use that Hyper Ball out there. I don't think it's broken, and there might not be time to toss another one if she's really escaping.”

The red insect shook off the snow and smaller rocks that had toppled onto him, but the cold winds continued to bite and slice harshly. It would only get worse if the battle didn't end soon. She had once seen a Weavile fill up an outside path with snow in minutes—and Froslass were more in-tuned with spiritual attacks than the other Pokemon was.

---

Current Battle Stats:

??? F Froslass: 24% [Spe+2][Used Avalanche and Using Blizzard]
Bold M Scizor: 74% [Spe-1][Used Throw Ball!]

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Trainer Stats

Name: Axion
Location: Mount Oktori
Encounters Remaining: 13
Area Effects: In a jagged cave.
Pokémon Encountered: Smoochum, Froslass
Pokémon Captured: Sassy F Smoochum
MCR: 46,190/45,000 [Special Rank]

Items: Park Ball x2, Super Ball x2, Hyper Ball x1

Pokémon Stats

Bold M Scizor @ 74%
Ability: Technician
EMs: Hidden Power Fighting, Roost

Jolly M Empoleon @ 64%
Ability: Torrent
EMs: Earthquake, Ice Beam

 

@WinterVines

The ball left his hand as Ivy responded to his comment with “Me too.” Neither relished the idea of spending hours in freezing conditions. The ball flew true for the first few moments as Axion observed its trajectory. Despite the decent throw he had initiated, the winds managed to grab at the ball and twist it ever so slightly. A moment of panic flashed through the trainer's mind as the sphere threatened to miss the target entirely, throwing off his desperate plan to prevent the avalanche. However the hyper ball made contact with the otherwise engaged Froslass, and it fell to the ground, violently wiggling around on the icy stone floor. For a moment, the ball ceased its incessant motion, making Axion believe he had finally caught the difficult pokemon opponent. But as his muscles prepared to move towards the silent ball sitting on the ground, the sphere split open and the force of energy re-materialized into the Froslass, now angry from almost being captured. The ball, now empty and laying useless on the floor, was angrily flung away as a gust of wind summoned from the shrieking pokemon bashed it against a nearby rock face. Axion winced as the expensive ball was smashed against the solid rock, hoping the device was still functioning.

Froslass then took the remainder of her rage out on the already weakened cave wall, the ghost type slamming it with surprising force given her type and semi-transparent appearance. The ice and stone that had until now remained sturdily over Scizor’s head fell, creating a number of pinging sounds, the hard debris hitting Scizor’s heavily armored coat. As the steel-type pokemon shook off the minor offensive that did little but cover him in dust and snow, Froslass took advantage of the situation to turn tail and run away from the offensive mountain that was Scizor. In her running, a new wind began to move through the cave, bringing with it a harsh drop in temperature and snow. If Axion were not within a cavern he would say a snowstorm had come out of nowhere; in this instance, he took it to be a blizzard attack from the crafty ghost type.

“She's even farther down the path now,” Ivy said, her voice loud and hoarse in the high, frigid winds. “If she's trying to get away, Scizor's gotta move fast. He might be able to use that Hyper Ball out there. I don't think it's broken, and there might not be time to toss another one if she's really escaping.”

Axion took the advice and calculated a moment before giving Scizor his new orders. “Scizor, grab that hyper ball in your claw, keep it nice and secure. Then use quick attack to catch up to Froslass.” In the harsh conditions now existing within the cave, Froslass was beginning to gain some nice camouflage. Taking a step closer to try and get a better view, he nearly slipped on the slippery ground. This gave Axion an idea. “Scizor, skate while using quick attack, gain some extra speed. When you catch up to Froslass, use the claw with the hyper ball to attack with metal claw and get her health down a notch. As soon as you hit release the ball and surprise her.” Hopefully with the element of the little extra damage and the surprise of the ball, the Froslass wouldn't be able to adequately react.

 

@Axion;

NBP#1

Ranger Ivy Frost

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Axion acted fast. He looked at the path for a moment and then called out to his Pokemon. “Scizor, grab that Hyper Ball in your claw and keep it nice and secure. Then use Quick attack to catch up to Froslass.”

That was good thinking, since the ghost would probably leave if she wasn't trapped somehow. The red bug nodded and darted over to the ball, snatching it up and zooming off toward his target. As he did, the Trainer called out for him to use a Metal Claws and surprise the ghost with the ball at the same time. It wasn't a bad plan.

Scizor moved fast through the Blizzard, the ice picking away at his joints. Ivy mostly kept track of him just by his bright color. As the ghost backpedaled, she swiped her arms out, as if to keep him away. In response, the snow fell harder and the wind blew stronger.

That wasn't enough to stop him. With graceful movements, he lunged out with his claw, hitting her middle. The Froslass curled over the spot on reflex, and then she let out a shriek of surprise. The Hyper Ball was in his claw, and as soon as it hit, it enveloped the ghost in a red aura. Ivy could hear her shouts on the wind as she was sucked inside the device.

Scizor backed up, which was probably a good idea considering her violent spasm the last time the capture had failed. However, this time, the ball did slightly less shaking. That was probably because she had been more surprised and tired. Wild Pokemon may put up more of a fight when wearing down, but that didn't mean they always had the energy to back it up.

The snow started to slow down, and soon the hallway was clear again. Then, the ball lit up in the center, and the ping noise echoed through the hall.

Ivy breathed a sigh of relief and stood up, giving the mental signal for Haji to end his Hidden Power heater. He closed his eyes briefly, and then the orbs poofed out of existence one by one. Tiny smoke clouds remained until they, too, dissipated.

“Great job,” she told the Trainer. “Like I mentioned before, I'm Ivy, the replacement Ranger. This is Haji,” she added, motioning toward the Espeon.

Then she stepped onto the path to go collect the ball. When she put her foot down, it slid forward a food and she lurched to a halt. “Wow, guess I didn't realize how slippery this was at first. We'll have to be careful.”

Ivy made her way over to the Froslass's ball, nodding to the Scizor as she passed it. She picked up the capture device and put it into one of her pockets with the zipper, along with the Smoochum she had snagged off Jay before he left. That way she wouldn't lose them just in case something extreme happened—like an avalanche or them falling into the lake.

“I'll hang on to this until your run is finished,” Ivy told Axion. “Do you want to take a breather for a few? That was a pretty intense battle. Where had you been headed before? To the lake maybe? Just let me know when you're ready.”

---

Current Battle Stats: N/A

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Trainer Stats

Name: Axion
Location: Mount Oktori
Encounters Remaining: 13
Area Effects: In a jagged cave.
Pokémon Encountered: Smoochum, Froslass
Pokémon Captured: Sassy F Smoochum, Naive F Froslass
MCR: 0

Items: Park Ball x2, Super Ball x2

Pokémon Stats

Bold M Scizor @ 72%
Ability: Technician
EMs: Hidden Power Fighting, Roost

Jolly M Empoleon @ 64%
Ability: Torrent
EMs: Earthquake, Ice Beam

 

@WinterVines


For once, everything went according to plan. Axion watched as Scizor retrieved the capture device from the floor and skated his way to Froslass, his speed still incredible given his typing and the weather conditions. Reaching the fleeing maiden, Scizor’s claw lashed out to make the slightest contact against her white shell. At the moment of impact, the hyper ball was released from its hiding place within the claw, and it immediately impacted against Froslass. The ghost-type emitted a low fail as her body was transformed into energy, which was collected and stored within the ball. As Scizor backed up, apparently wary of retaliation should the pokemon again break free, the ball wiggled with less vigor than before. Finally, the central button changed from red to a whitish silver color, and the well known ping sound echoed throughout the cave. The wind and snow which until now had been bombarding the tunnels with their ferocity died in power, until they were nothing more than a whistle that carried a single white flake down into the inky darkness.

Axion relaxed as he realized he had been holding his breath, the cold fresh air flooding in as he swallowed a large gulp of the life giving fluid. The temperature became more apparent as he noticed the Espeon shaking itself free of the snow that covered its body and retracting the orange lights that had been so comforting. All that remained were tufts of smoke that dissipated rapidly.

The ranger, also attempting to remove the majority of the snow that covered her, stood up and spoke. “Great job,” she said to Axion. “Like I mentioned before, I'm Ivy, the replacement Ranger. This is Haji,” she added, motioning toward the Espeon.

Axion nodded, studying both for an instant. Ivy obviously missed the fact, as she turned around and almost slipped, the path having become treacherous due to Froslass’ assault. “Wow, guess I didn't realize how slippery this was at first. We'll have to be careful.” Scizor, returning to his trainer after a hard-fought battle, had no problems crossing the dangerous path, to sit down and rest his tired joints. “Scizor, go ahead and use roost for a moment, build your strength back up. He split his attention between his resting pokemon and the ranger, who was pocketing the second poke ball he had used today. Thus far, he had been quite lucky in the pokemon that had approached him, but he would likely have to be somewhat more selective as he had but one more opportunity to catch something, and plenty of time left in the day.

Ivy, returning to the relative safety on the other side of the cave, came up to the trainer. “I'll hang on to this until your run is finished,” she told Axion. “Do you want to take a breather for a few? That was a pretty intense battle. Where had you been headed before? To the lake maybe? Just let me know when you're ready.”

Axion nodded. “We were heading to the lake, yeah. As for a breather, I think moving these overly cold and stiff joints is the best medicine for me, but Scizor’s roosting for a sec to get up his strength.” While he waited for Scizor to regain his energy, Axion removed his backpack and again removed the thermos that was rapidly being emptied. Another glass of hot chocolate later, his throat was far less parched and the relative warmth of the beverage made him feel renewed. Scizor timed his rest to end just as Axion had finalized repacking the drink container. “Scizor, head back into your ball for a while, you've earned a bit more rest than just those few minutes.” The steel type gave no argument as the faded, scratched park ball recalled its lone inhabitant. Securely fastening the ball to his backpack strap, Axion turned to his replacement ranger. “Alright Ivy, I’m ready to go whenever you are.”

 

@Axion;

NBP#2

Ranger Ivy Frost

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Axion nodded. “We were heading to the lake, yeah. As for a breather, I think moving these overly cold and stiff joints is the best medicine for me, but Scizor's Roosting for a sec to get up his strength.”

Ivy nodded her approval. “Yeah, it's good to keep moving when cold, otherwise you tend to want to nod off. We'll give your Pokemon a second and then keep going. I haven't been down to the lake in a while, so that should be fun.”

The red bug rested for a minute to restore some health, and Ivy could see the time was doing him good. The frost started to melt of his plates, and he was moving around a lot more agile, the effects of the frost wearing off. When he looked rested enough, Axion called him back into his ball. Then he said, “Alright, Ivy, I'm ready to go whenever you are.”

“Okay, let's get this show on the road then. Haji, if you could?”

The Psychic cat nodded and took the lead like he normally did. He usually tried to brush it off as liking the peace and quiet out in front, but Ivy really knew that he liked to be first in case anything jumped out at them. He had a habit of wanting to protect her, which had its benefits, but she didn't really think it was necessary all the time. Plus, she hated seeing him get hurt.

They left the icy path for one with better footing. The walls were glazed with ice instead, dripped in strips like ice cream that rolled down the cone. The light hit them so they sparkled in blues, pinks, and purples. It gave the caves a nicer sheen than Deckbi, that was for sure.

The next room they entered continued the icy theme, only more of them hung from the ceiling. The icicles jutted down in varying lengths, and she was surprised to see many of them did or almost touched the floor, like giant ice pillars. It made for an interesting effect, the lighter shaded ice against the dark stone floor. There were shards of those spikes scattered on the floor too, and she spotted some slippery patches too.

Then, there was a curious sound. Ivy looked up see a weasel-like Pokemon. It had a cream-colored body with magenta limbs. The wild Pokemon was a Fighting-type. She had recently taken a Trainer through here who battled one—Chainy's brother Jakk. It was the only strike on a Trainer's record she had given for Park damage.

“Well here's a Mienfoo. Do you need a Fighting-type on your roster?”

---

Current Battle Stats:

??? ??? Mienfoo: 100%

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Trainer Stats

Name: Axion
Location: Mount Oktori
Encounters Remaining: 12
Area Effects: In a cave with large icicles hanging from the ceiling.
Pokémon Encountered: Smoochum, Froslass, Mienfoo
Pokémon Captured: Sassy F Smoochum, Naive F Froslass
MCR: 3,766/15,000 [Borderline Rank]

Items: Park Ball x2, Super Ball x2

Pokémon Stats

Bold M Scizor @ 100%
Ability: Technician
EMs: Hidden Power Fighting, Roost

Jolly M Empoleon @ 64%
Ability: Torrent
EMs: Earthquake, Ice Beam

 

@WinterVines

“Okay, let's get this show on the road then. Haji, if you could?”

Axion followed Ivy and her eeveelution companion as the trio began to carefully make their way along the slippery path. He found it interesting that the psychic type led the ranger instead of the other way around, but shrugged it off as the pair's way of doing things. He himself had certain methods of working with his pokemon that others could possibly find strange, so he took this to be the norm here. He had noticed that ranger liked the Eevee-based pokemon, both of his rangers had primarily used one. He had not himself attempted to pick one of these often sought after pokemon up, but after today's frequent run ins decided it might be worthwhile as a backup for his preferred type.

Eventually Haji led them off the treacherous path, opting for something far easier to walk on. The icy had moved from the floor to the walls, creating an almost mirror-like surface. Axion watched as the party's reflections distorted in the the rough hewn ice, the lithe Espeon looking more like a pink Munchlax at one point, and his trainer following suit. He attempted to swallow his laughter, but a chuckle or two did manage to escape. In addition to the reflections, light bounced off the ice itself, creating rainbows throughout the cold mountain air. It was a majestic sight, however none of the three took any large pause to admire the natural beauty surrounding them. The sights continued into the next room, icicles forming to stretch from the high ceiling almost to the floor. Occasionally a drip would fall, one hitting Axion squarely in the head and causing a momentary chill. The sound of slowly running water could be heard up above, as if the cavern was below a stream which leaked through to the walls and froze as it entered.

The ranger stopped as both her and Axion heard a sound. Ivy searched the room, finally looking up and pointing up. He looked up, seeing a reddish-yellow blob that finally formed itself into a generally bipedal humanoid pokemon. While Axion had never seen one in person, he had a general idea of what he was now looking at. Ivy confirmed his suspicions by saying “Well here's a Mienfoo. Do you need a Fighting-type on your roster?”

The pokedex whipped itself out, the brushed metal freezing cold against his hand. The information on the pokemon told him all he needed to know. “Its a good pokemon, but not something I really need at the moment, so if we cn get by I’d prefer to pass on it.” He then returned the miniature database to its home pocket.

 

@Axion;

NBP#3

Ranger Ivy Frost

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Axion immediately took out a Pokedex upon seeing the wild Pokemon. There were a bunch of Trainers that loved to collect information on every species, and even some that tried to collect every Pokemon itself. The Park was a great way to do that, since they had recorded sightings of every known Pokemon in one of the various areas.

The machine spoke in its monotone voice, relaying vital information to the Trainer. The computer voice echoed off the walls eeriely, and as soon as the Mienfoo heard it, it made a squeaking noise and its eyes went wide. It stared at the device until it finished talking and Axion slid it back into his pocket. The little Pokemon's ears stood up straight.

“It's a good Pokemon,” the Trainer said, “but not something I really need at the moment, so if we can get by I'd prefer to pass on it.”

Ivy nodded, a little surprised by his choice. Of all the Trainers she had taken to Oktori, all of them had tried to capture a Mienfoo if they stumbled across it, including herself. Still, some people liked to collect favorites or were looking for specific Pokemon only, so she didn't try to talk him out of it. She'd rather see Trainers catch Pokemon they really like.

“What do you say?” Ivy said to the fighter as she turned toward it. “Think you can let us pass through today?”

The wild Pokemon looked at their group for a minute, particularly at Haji, who had a type advantage against it. Then, it nodded rapidly and bounded off to the other side of the room, behind another pillar of ice.

Ivy shrugged and moved forward, looking for where the fighter had disappeared to. She was fairly sure it was still in the room, but as they crossed, she didn't catch a glimpse of it. It was determined to stay hidden, and that was okay with her. She was sure another Trainer would come along soon and try to catch it.

As they left the room of ice, they came upon a slanted path leading down. They were pretty close to the lake now, she gathered. She couldn't quite remember the way, but if they kept lowering in elevation, they were going to run into it sooner or later. It was kinda hard to miss. She could always cheat and look at the map on her phone, but she found wandering around more fun.

The hall was pretty dark, missing a lot of the ice that covered the rest of the mountain. This one looked pretty safe to travel on, which was good considering the hill. There were rocks strewn all about in different shapes and sizes. There was even some sort of rock-fort on one side, build up like the stones were bricks. Someone had spent a lot of work on it.

As they passed it, there was a noise. Ivy stopped, and a small, gray Pokemon stuck its head out of the fort. It rambled something at them, though the Ranger couldn't understand it. The Machop ended up pointing at the Trainer.

“Well, it seems interested in you somehow. What do you want to do with this one?” she asked.

---

Current Battle Stats:

??? ??? Machop: 100%

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Trainer Stats

Name: Axion
Location: Mount Oktori
Encounters Remaining: 11
Area Effects: In a sloped path clear of ice.
Pokémon Encountered: Smoochum, Froslass, Mienfoo, Machop
Pokémon Captured: Sassy F Smoochum, Naive F Froslass
MCR: 0/4,000 [Common Rank]

Items: Park Ball x2, Super Ball x2

Pokémon Stats

Bold M Scizor @ 100%
Ability: Technician
EMs: Hidden Power Fighting, Roost

Jolly M Empoleon @ 64%
Ability: Torrent
EMs: Earthquake, Ice Beam

 

@WinterVines

“What do you say?” Ivy said to the fighter as she turned toward it. “Think you can let us pass through today?” With a quick once over of the group, the fighting type gave what looked like a nod of agreement, and disappeared farther into the room. Ivy continued to watch for it as they passed the rest of the pillars, however the pokemon seemed more than happy to be left in peace. Axion was more than fine with it as well.

After passing the Mienfoo, Ivy, Haji, and Axion left the room filled with the crystalline water pillars, they began to walk down a sloping path. Axion found his footing far more steady, as it appeared the convection and small amount of heat within the cave had melted or perhaps merely removed the ice from the floor, offering firm, secure stone to walk on. The path went on and downward for quite a while, until a natural stone building was noticeable on the right side. It appeared to have taken quite some time to construct, but was now as abandoned as much of the island had become, save the rangers and their occasional trainers. From one of the open holes that could once have served as doors, a noise came out, followed by a grey, roughly humanoid form. The leathery skin showed the bulging muscles that hid beneath. Replacing hair were three bony ridges that stood out just enough to looks almost like three faded blonde mohawks, or perhaps a hat. He recognized this pokemon almost instantly, as it was a native to the route near his hometown. This was the fighting type pokemon Machop. Its response was unintelligible to the humans, but its body language spoke volumes as it pointed directly at the trainer.

“Well, it seems interested in you somehow. What do you want to do with this one?” Ivy asked, stepping back just a hair.

Axion didn't see a need to scan it, he knew its potential power. While he’d had other pokemon on his list before this one, he could always use Machop as a backup third. “Sure, I’ll try and catch him. Can’t hurt.” Saying this, he reached behind him, bringing out Scizor. The steel mantis materialized next to his trainer, his face showing surprise at having been called out so soon.

“Scizor, we've got us another pokemon to try and catch. Hopefully you shouldn't have as much trouble with this one.” Ideally he would have used Empoleon, to give Scizor a longer break, but the penguin was weak to fighting types, and he didn't want to put undue strain on the already weakened pokemon. “So, we’ll start off simple with a quick attack. Use it more to get some speed than to hit him, but give him a little whack on the head as you run by.” Axion knew Scizor’s speed would far outmatch the smaller pokemon, his short stubby legs built for lifting, not running and chasing. “After that” he continued, “go ahead and get a good leap. THen pull out your wings and use them to steer yourself towards Machop. When you are close enough, I want you to blow Machop away with a wing attack, throw all your power into the attack. Force him into submission on the ground with the airspeed and force you can muster. Just stay far back enough that he can’t grab onto you; Machop love to grapple opponents, so let's use range and speed to get a fast capture.” Axion hoped this wing attack panned out more successfully than the last one, Froslass having then all but glued Scizor to the wall. It had been a tense moment, and he was quite glad that it was over.

Taking a few steps back to allow Scizor room and a chance to size up his child-sized opponent, Axion waited for the fun to begin, having already palmed one of his park balls in anticipation of the hopefully fast finale.

 

@Axion; Did you want Machop to be M as suggested by your pronouns?

BP#4

Ranger Ivy Frost

---

Axion didn't look very surprised upon seeing the Pokemon, not even scanning this wild Pokemon like he had done the last, so Ivy thought maybe they were common where he came from. It was certainly true for her. Living near Eterna ensured a plethora of Grass-types, but her sometimes-house was close enough to the mountains that she saw the more rugged ones such as this Machop as well.

“Sure, I'll try and catch him. Can't hurt,” he said.

Ivy nodded. “You can catch as many Pokemon as you have supplies for. The decision of which ones to keep can be made at the end, and we'll release any others you don't wish to take home.”

Then, the Trainer took out a Pokeball. In a burst of light, his Scizor re-emerged to battle. Ivy wasn't sure what happened before she got here, other than he had caught another Pokemon, but by calling on Scizor again, she theorized that the other one he brought with him must've been really tired out.

After giving the bug the low-down, he started issuing the plan to take the Machop down. By this time, the fighter had abandoned its rock-fort and jumped into the middle of the path, flexing its muscles by rolling its shoulders. It was loosening up so it could fight. It even arched its neck to the side, and Ivy heard the loud crack as it popped.

“So we'll start off simple with a Quick Attack,” the Trainer began, telling the Scizor to stay out of range as much as possible. That was true with most fighters, especially the Machop's last stage in its evolution line—Machamp had four arms to grapple with. Then, Axion said for Scizor to unleash a Wing-Attack, something that would be able to hit the fighter extra hard.

Sometimes Ivy felt bad for these wild Pokemon, since the odds were often stacked against them. Then she remembered that these Pokemon grew up in a natural habitat and often learned how to deal with threats. While there weren't any birds here in Oktori save the extremely rare Aerodactyl, the Machop probably had to deal with foes much faster than it.

The red-plated bug loosened his own limbs up and hopped back from foot to foot nimbly. His wings buzzed behind him, ready to propel him forward in a blur. Scizor were definitely fierce opponents, as she had seen from the snipped of the Froslass battle she encountered.

With a whoosh of air, the bug darted off, doing just what the Trainer had asked. He zoomed by the fighter, clipping it with a claw on the head as he flew past it and down the path a little. The Machop reeled for a second, rubbing at his head and scowling. It was possible that the fighter had expected to go one-on-one with the bug and not for him to dart around.

That had changed, however. Ivy saw as the Fighting-type planted its feet in a steady pose and turned slightly toward the bug, keeping its gaze settled on the Scizor. Ivy had seen a lot of people in the martial arts classes do a similar thing, and that was when they were at their most dangerous.

The Scizor's wings buzzed as he prepared the next attack. He came shooting through the tunnel head-on, speeding toward the fighter almost faster than Ivy could follow. At the last second, he jerked his body, throwing his wings out to bowl over the Machop.

There was a thudding as the bug's wings hit, and the Machop winced. However, this was what the fighter had been waiting for. With a snap, the gray Pokemon's hands shot out in a fluid motion, faster than she thought was possible. It latched on to Scizor's appendages and settled its center body. Upon seeing that, Ivy knew what was coming before it even happened.

The Machop heaved, using its shoulder as a rolling part to yank the bug off-balance. Using the red-armored Pokemon's own momentum, the fighter swung him straight into the ground, slamming him down into the rocks with a mighty heave. The cave rumbled as Scizor hit, and a cloud of dust and small rocks flew up.

It looked almost identical to a Judo throw the Ranger had witnessed at a class. While a lot of Judo techniques focused on making the foe vulnerable to get them into a lock, the throws could really hurt if enough force was put behind them. She had been on the receiving end of a few, so she knew this first-hand. The bruise on her lower back took two weeks to disappear.

The Machop wasn't done, however. With a leap, it moved backward, keeping its sights on the downed bug. Then, it threw and arm back, and with a tight fist, it slammed it into the ground. The cave rumbled again, and Ivy stumbled a little at the force of the quake. She had expected a Fissure of some sort—and coincidentally, that's what caused her to give a strike to a Trainer that had damaged a part of the mountain beyond repair—but instead, rocks came lose form the ceiling and rained down on Scizor.

There was the thunk of the rocks hitting steel as they fell, many of them breaking apart as soon as they hit the bug. They were lucky it was only the small rocks—bigger ones might cause the entire tunnel to cave in. The Machop stayed with its fist in the dirt until the rocks has settled and Scizor was struggling to get up.

It seemed the fighter was in its battle zone now. With a smooth grace, the Machop got up from the floor and placed its closed fists together in a bar across the front of his body. After a few seconds, its fists ignited in brilliant red-orange flames that sizzled and popped. It didn't rush out to attack, however. Much like the throw, the Machop waited for its opponent to act first. Axion was going to have to be really careful if Scizor engaged with the fighter again. Fire was the one thing that some Bug-type's like Scizor had trouble handling.

---

Current Battle Stats:

Brave ??? Machop: 53% [Used Counter and Rock Slide. Using Fire Punch]
Bold M Scizor: 86% [Used Quick Attack and Wing Attack]

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Trainer Stats

Name: Axion
Location: Mount Oktori
Encounters Remaining: 11
Area Effects: In a sloped path clear of ice.
Pokémon Encountered: Smoochum, Froslass, Mienfoo, Machop
Pokémon Captured: Sassy F Smoochum, Naive F Froslass
MCR: 3,625/4,000 [Common Rank]

Items: Park Ball x2, Super Ball x2

Pokémon Stats

Bold M Scizor @ 86%
Ability: Technician
EMs: Hidden Power Fighting, Roost

Jolly M Empoleon @ 64%
Ability: Torrent
EMs: Earthquake, Ice Beam

 

@WinterVines

Scizor executed the beginning of the plan flawlessly. With well-trained speed and accuracy, Scizor began moving down the tunnel. With the velocity the pokemon had gained, Axion was surprised that there had not been a sonic blast to accompany the crimson blur. He trusted his pokemon to best utilize his abilities, the pokemon and trainer had been together for many years now, almost eight in total. So Axion stood back and allowed the metal insect some amount of freedom, allowing him to execute the moves as he saw fit.

As the initial vacuum from where Scizor stood created a brisk blast of wind, cooling Axion’s already cold face further. Machop, having offered the challenge himself, seemed quite surprised at the speed; the pokemon had likely not encountered a Scizor before , living in the frigid mountainous conditions. Scizor’s claw snapped the pokemon’s grey, leathery head as he passed, Machop surprised and showing a hint of pain in response. The hurt then became unhappy at the indirect attack methods Scizor and Axion had used. However, Axion knew the fighting type’s true strength, looks were deceiving. He planned to keep Scizor away from the strong pokemon for as long as possible.

Scizor leaped into the air, his strength and speed combined giving him a great amount of lift. Axion watched, attempting to split his attention between the now flying Scizor and the Machop, who was changing posture. Despite his knowledge of fighting types, he was unsure if this pokemon had a specific fighting style, or if it was something created on the fly. As Axion focused on Machop, Scizor’s speed brought him to bear on the fighting pokemon. His wings, instantly shooting out and creating a shing sound like a blade from its sheath, slapped at the Machop. Violent power battered the pokemon, yet they caused only minor facial expressions. In retaliation two strong hands grabbed Scizor’s arms, locking him within range of Machop’s most dangerous attacks. Axion could not accurately discern what would happen, so he stood back, tensed and ready for anything.

Scizor soon found himself on the ground, as Machop utilized his strength and the bug pokemon’s own momentum to flip it onto his back, countering the wing attack quite successfully. Axion winced as the cloud of dust came up from the attack, almost feeling the pain his pokemon was enduring for him. The energy related to the counter attack even caused the rocks themselves to shift ever so slightly. Before Scizor could even react, its motions jerky and unsure, Machop forced his closed fist into the ground. The strength transferred into the walls and ceiling of the cave, forcing any loose stones above the bug to rain down. Pings and crunches echoed through the hall as stones bounced and cracked apart on the steel carapace.

Scizor was getting up as Axion watched Machop ready his next onslaught. The normally gray fists lit up, fire in both the pokemon’s hands as well as in his eyes. The pokemon seemed to be in his element. Axion had only moments to react, as he knew how Scizor and fire interacted. Badly might be a mild way of putting it, disastrous likely to be a closer and more accurate term. “Use vacuum wave to add some distance. The attack should push Machop back and hopefully extinguish those flames. We need to fight a ranged battle and take away his best advantage. As soon as Machop gets hit by the wave, hop around from rock pile to pile using agility, just to keep away from his reach.” Preferably, he would have used a protective move. But Scizor hated them, so he hadn’t attempted to teach one to the steel-type yet. However, vacuum wave seemed to be a useful move today, and Axion hoped the sphere of nothingness could at least slow down the fighting pokemon long enough for Scizor to gain a hint more speed. “Then I want you to blow gusts of wind at Machop by using air slash. its won’t do as much damage, but at least its ranged and might hlp kep him away from you.”

As Machop went in for the attack, Axion reeled himself away, waiting to see if his plan worked.

 

@Axion;

BP#5

Ranger Ivy Frost

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The Machop was focused, his fists blazing with crackling fire. Ivy was always amazed how skilled these wild Pokemon were—some of them fought more creatively than the Trainers who visited. She supposed that was a product of habitat, and it was one reason why she enjoyed working in the Park so much.

The fire would be very dangerous if Scizor got too close to it. Thankfully, the Trainer thought of this and opted for them to keep as much distance between the two battlers as possible.

“Use Vacuum Wave to add some distance,” Axion said, wanting to push the Machop back even further down the cave. Normally, the air pocket drew things forward from the force, but it should be easy enough to reverse, just like a switch on a cleaner.

“As soon as Machop gets hit by the wave, hop around from rock pile to pile using Agility, just to keep away from his reach. Then I want you to blow gusts of wind at Machop by using Air Slash,” he added, with the intent to keep the fighter at bay. Ivy didn't blame him—she wouldn't want to get singed either.

The gray-skinned fighter was braced for some sort of attack, but she didn't think he expected what the Scizor threw at him. The red-plated bug threw a claw forward, and then the winds began to change. At first, the gust was flying toward them, and the Machop staggered forward from the force behind him. Then, however, there was a sharp shift in it, and the gusts reversed. With a cloud of dust and small stones, the fighter was shoved back roughly. In response, he threw his arms up in an X to block the force on his face.

The flames on his fists flickered and burned low, but they didn't go all the way out. However, he was much too far away to do anything with them yet. Even before the Machop had stilled again, Scizor shot off to stay out of whatever the wild Pokemon might throw at him. He zoomed from rock to rock in a blur, never staying in one place for more than a few seconds.

Machop was stunned for a minute, but he quickly regained his composure. He stared at his hands for a few seconds, still a spark of inspiration flickered across his features. He looked up to see Scizor moving around rapidly and then got an idea.

Just like the bug, the fighter held out his fist, and Ivy felt that jerk as the air shifted again. The Scizor was yanked off the rock he dashed to, not falling but landing heavily on the path. The wind was trying to draw him closer with the same Vacuum Wave technique. The Scizor's body slowly moved closer, dragging along inch by inch. Ivy felt the force on her air as it was drawn forward, and she had to brace her body so she didn't move as well.

That was when Scizor shot off his next attack. With a slash of his arm, a thin streak of wind sliced out, aided along with the vacuum force. It slashed the Machop across the front, and since he was concentrated on pulling the bug closer, he couldn't block it. The blow made him stumble back, and abruptly the winds died out. Scizor lurched backward for a second as the counter force disappeared.

The Machop breathed heavily, the slash across his front making him grit his teeth. He wasn't done, though, only more determined. He glanced at the small embers still coating his palms and decided to change it up. Instead of rushing in for a Fire Punch, he held both his hands out, palms up.

He took a deep breath, and then Ivy's skin prickled as she felt the energy stirring in the air. With his exhale, the flames grew exponentially from the wisps they began as. Then, once the flames danced in his hands, the Machop drew both his arms back and to the side. With a thrust, he shot them forward, and the fire responded.

A five-pointed star emerged in flame, like an asterisk. With the force, it flew up the path and toward Scizor, crackling and sizzling. Ivy felt the wall of heat as it flew by them. The bug, slightly panicked, immediately knew he needed to move. With his loosened limbs, he darted to the side as the Fire Blast blew past him. Ivy heard the sizzle of impact however, as one of his arms was singed.

Scizor cradled it to his middle, hunching over it as he kept his eyes on the fighter. Ivy didn't think it hurt him too much, but there were charred black lines on the claw—at least, from what she could see. It probably wouldn't be smart to take another one of those.

The Machop was poised again, loose but ready for another attack. He was panting, though, which meant he was losing steam fast. If Axion acted quickly, he could probably finish this battle up before his Pokemon took too much more damage.

---

Current Battle Stats:

Brave M Machop: 25% [Used Vacuum Wave and Fire Blast]
Bold M Scizor: 76% [Used Vacuum Wave, Agility, and Air Slash]

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Trainer Stats

Name: Axion
Location: Mount Oktori
Encounters Remaining: 11
Area Effects: In a sloped path clear of ice.
Pokémon Encountered: Smoochum, Froslass, Mienfoo, Machop
Pokémon Captured: Sassy F Smoochum, Naive F Froslass
MCR: 7,682/4,000 [Common Rank]

Items: Park Ball x2, Super Ball x2

Pokémon Stats

Bold M Scizor @ 76%
Ability: Technician
EMs: Hidden Power Fighting, Roost

Jolly M Empoleon @ 64%
Ability: Torrent
EMs: Earthquake, Ice Beam

 

@WinterVines

Scizor, his ruby claw moving faster than lightning, executed the vacuum wave perfectly. The winds that came with a significant drop in the air pressure flew by Machop, dragging him, and to a lesser extent Axion and Ivy, towards the whirling emptiness that had been focused into a singular point. The fighting pokemon fought against the gusts that surrounded him, but he faltered, the focus that had summoned the flames gone and reducing the menacing fire to low flickers. Scizor then released his grasp on the vacuum, and the air rushed back to its former position as if in protest of the disturbance. Its swift motion caught a number of small pebbles that were thrown into Machop’s face, his arms in front of his defenseless eyes as a desperate measure.

Not one to waste time, Scizor used his monetary advantage to fully throw himself into the next attack. Leaping from rock to rock, the bug pokemon rapidly gained speed, looking more like a fast forwarded cricket than the mantis more closely resembled at one point.

Machop took a moment to study his opponent, failing to define a pattern and attempting to devise a counterattack to the speed. His face curled upward in a smile, and his movements mimicked that of Scizor’s a minute ago. The fist punched the air in front of him, causing pocket of void space; the air surrounding Machop and Scizor quickly rushed in to compensate for the change. While the short strongman was ready and had adequately braced himself, Scizor was thrown off-balance, landing awkwardly on the path instead of the intended rock. The wave continued its onslaught, bringing the bug type closer to its intended executioner.

Scizor, realizing his minimal speed advantage had been gained, utilized his improved speed to launch his final attack. Axion’s eye could not see the air that was thrown at the Machop, but he could hear the air howling towards Machop, its attack unintentionally fueling the Air Slash to greater heights. It hit Machop as he stumbled back, the vacuum wave having made him unable to change positions for a block. The sudden lack of winds caused Axion’s breath to palpitate, the air now equalizing in a powerful spurt. He realized his muscles had been clenched against the pull of the winds, and he released, instantly feeling more at ease. Machop's breathing was under similar stresses, for he labored to gulp in large mouthfuls of the life-giving transparent fluid.

However, Machop was unwilling to yet give up. His hands shifted position, the embers that still flickered now being raised to the sky. Taking in a final breath of air, Machop fed the flames, returning them to their former brightness. With a singular thrust, Machop launched the flames at the bug pokemon. They spread like wildfire, forming a roughly star-shaped configuration. The intensity of the flames made Axion’s eyes water, despite the lack of visible smoke. Scizor’s speed kicked in as a last second-defensive reaction, managing to avoid the worst of the rushing inferno. But as one claw managed to lag behind the rest of the body, it received a black mark from the heat and energy. It streaked along, starting at the tip and travelling down the length of the arm to end just short of the elbow. Scizor seemed mostly unfazed, only hints of pain blinking through the primarily determined look of the pokemon.

Axion looked carefully at the muscle-covered pokemon. While still appearing ready to fight, it was winded, injured, and looked to be on its last reserves of energy. Before another surprise fire attack could come from the diminutive monster, the trainer grasped a park ball from the pocket he had been storing them in, and it quietly expanded to its full size. He tossed it, aiming directly at the Machop and hoping that this would keep Scizor from any more harm.

 

@Axion;

NBP#4

Ranger Ivy Frost

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Axion acted fast—he didn't want to risk another fire attack from the fighter. That was a good idea, since Ivy thought that Machop learned a few more than he displayed too. Scizor wouldn't be able to dodge the flames forever, not in cramped corridors like this.

The Trainer took out a Park Ball from his pocket and lined up a shot. The safest way to end this was by trying a capture. Ivy thought that due to the wild Pokemon's fatigue, there was a really good chance it would work. Axion lined up the shot for a second and then lobbed the ball.

The downward slope helped the arc of the device, and before the fighter could retaliate, he was hit on top of the head with the ball. Ivy winced, since he had already gotten hit in the head from Scizor's Quick Attack. He'd probably have a headache later, until they healed him up back at the main outpost.

With a flash of red light, the Machop was sucked into the ball. It wobbled slightly as it hit the rocky ground, rolling backward down the path. It started to gain speed, and Ivy took a step forward to pursue it, but then the device halted. An inky blue energy surrounded it, making the device rise and hover in midair.

The ball lit up red in the center underneath the murk, signaling the successful capture. Then, the ball inched back and was flung toward her. On reflex, Ivy's hand snapped out to catch the ball, guided by Haji's psychic powers. A lot of Trainers got good at catching them like that.

“Thanks,” she told the purple cat. “For a second I thought we were going to have to go on a chase.” Ivy rubbed the back of her head and put the Machop's ball in the zippered pocket with the rest of Axion's captures. “You're getting pretty good at this now. Let's see what else there is,” she said as she motioned them onward.

The path eventually evened out at a lower altitude, and the slope died off as they entered a much larger room. Since they were getting to the bottom of the mountain, a lot of the caves had higher ceilings with deeper pits. There was plenty down here that went undiscovered most of the time, so she had a feeling there would be some interesting Pokemon waiting.

A crunching sound filled her ears faintly, though she was pretty sure it was something in the room despite it being muffled. Then, there was a sharp crack, followed by more crunching. The Ranger tilted her head as she looked off to the side, where a forest of large boulders sat. To her surprise, one of the ones in the center suddenly collapsed and disappeared form view, accompanying the crunching noise.

Before she could say anything, one of the rocks in front also crumbled, revealing a Pokemon. It was a small blue lizard with slicked back waves on its head that resembled, much like the Machop. The lizard didn't seem to see them at first despite facing them. It quickly turned and headbutted another rock, the force breaking it into pieces.

Ivy pointed to it. “There's a Bagon over there. They like to get stronger by bashing rocks until they evolve. Any interest in it? They evolve into a pretty neat Dragon-type.”

---

Current Battle Stats:

??? ??? Bagon: 100%

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Trainer Stats

Name: Axion
Location: Mount Oktori
Encounters Remaining: 10
Area Effects: In a sloped path clear of ice.
Pokémon Encountered: Smoochum, Froslass, Mienfoo, Machop, Bagon
Pokémon Captured: Sassy F Smoochum, Naive F Froslass, Brave M Machop
MCR: 0/25,000 [Intermediate Rank]

Items: Park Ball x1, Super Ball x2

Pokémon Stats

Bold M Scizor @ 76%
Ability: Technician
EMs: Hidden Power Fighting, Roost

Jolly M Empoleon @ 64%
Ability: Torrent
EMs: Earthquake, Ice Beam

 

Axion watch the park ball as it made sharp contact with Machop’s head. As the pokemon transcended into stored energy within the ball, he held entirely still, as if the slightest movement by him would break the spell cast over the cave, silent save for the metallic wiggles of the poke ball. The ball slowly began rolling down the hill until Espeon used its telekinesis to hold the ball. After another few moments of protest, the ball silenced and Haji brought it to his trainer, where it was carefully placed within her hand. It made its way into the pocket with the rest of the balls, and Ivy said “Thanks. For a second I thought we were going to have to go on a chase.” She then turned from the purple feline to Axion. “You're getting pretty good at this now. Let's see what else there is,” she said as she motioned them onward. Axion recalled Scizor, saying “Excellent work Scizor, take a break.” He then followed Ivy down the path.

After descending for an indeterminate period of time, the inability to see the sun freezing everything to a semi darkness that never changed, the party reached a room with a high vaulted ceiling. Axion took the cavern’s increased size to mean that they were getting close to the bottom of the mountain itself. Sounds echoed through the chamber, footsteps from the two humans as well as some other noise that came from an unknown location. Axion’s gazing eyes eventually landed on a pile of boulders in motion, as one disappeared and other split in half from a sudden impact. Now visible, Axion faintly recognized the pokemon. It was a Bagon, or so he believed.

Ivy pointed to it. “There's a Bagon over there. They like to get stronger by bashing rocks until they evolve. Any interest in it? They evolve into a pretty neat Dragon-type.”

Axion ran through his mind the evolution's secondary typing, noting some minor flaws. His pokedex confirmed it a moment later, as well as behavioral issues and a tendency to shoot flames, something he already had enough problems with in his Charizard. “I’ll have to pass on this one, if only to keep the peace between some of my more fire-wary pokemon,” he said.

 

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Run Ended by Trainer Request​

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Trainer Stats

Name: Axion
Location: Mount Oktori
Encounters Remaining: 10
Area Effects: In a sloped path clear of ice.
Pokémon Encountered: Smoochum, Froslass, Mienfoo, Machop, Bagon
Pokémon Captured: Sassy F Smoochum, Naive F Froslass, Brave M Machop
MCR: 0/25,000 [Intermediate Rank]

Items: Park Ball x1, Super Ball x2

Pokémon Stats

Bold M Scizor @ 76%
Ability: Technician
EMs: Hidden Power Fighting, Roost

Jolly M Empoleon @ 64%
Ability: Torrent
EMs: Earthquake, Ice Beam