Individual RP: Fengor

Ranger: Trainer Sara
NBP #1​

“All right guys, great job,” I said, grinning as my Pokemon laid down under a scraggly tree. I’d recently obtained a few new Pokemon and had been letting them spar with some of the wild Pokemon living at the base of Mt. Deckbi. The wild Pokemon had needed to leave, most likely to tend to offspring or get some food, and so my Pokemon were content to relax. It was a nice day at the mountain range; it was usually sweltering and humid as heck, but today it was somewhat cool and the air was dry. There was even a pleasant breeze blowing every so often.

I watched as Vice, Pit, and Fossil settled down, though Fossil was actually perched in the tree. The Archeops preened his vibrantly-colored feathers while Pit dug himself down into the gritty earth. Being a Krookodile meant he was more at home buried in the ground rather than just sitting on top of it. Vice watched the two of them with alert eyes; he was very tame for a Drapion, but he always kept an eye out for trouble, even when resting.

I sat on Vice’s right side and leaned against the tree, staring into the cloudy sky. It was fairly overcast today; the weather forecasters for the Park had said it was supposed to rain later on, sometime in the late afternoon. It was only around noon now, so the storm wasn’t supposed to hit for another several hours. The coming storm was why it was relatively nice here at Deckbi for once, instead of being like a trip to a desert.

As the four of us relaxed, my radio let out a little buzzing noise to indicate someone was trying to contact me. I pulled the device from its clip on my belt and answered the hail.

“Ranger Sara here.”

“Ms. Sara, I know you said you were training your new Pokemon, but would you have time to take a new Trainer on his first run?” came the voice of one of the older male receptionists. I sensed the attention of my Pokemon shift to me; none of them had been in an official run through the Park yet. I glanced at them to see they looked eager to give it a go, and Pit had even unearthed himself, shedding dirt as he surfaced fully. I chuckled at their enthusiasm.

“Yeah, it’s no problem. What’s the Trainer’s stats?”

“His name is James,” the receptionist said, giving me all the information taken from the young man’s application. He was apparently bringing in a Gothitelle and a Dragonite and, luck of luck, wanted to visit Deckbi. I grinned at how perfectly it worked out, leaning against Vice as my Pokemon fidgeted in excitement. They’d only had a few rounds of friendly sparring, after all, and still had plenty of energy for escorting a Trainer through the Park. Fossil glided from the tree and landed next to me as he folded his wings along his sides, looking all the world like a winged raptor as he paced back and forth.

“All right, I got it,” I said once the receptionist is done. “I’ll meet him here. Since this is his first time, you might want to offer one of the Psychic Pokemon Teleport him here or have a Flying Pokemon bring him. It’ll be hard to miss me either way,” I added, laughing as Vice jostled me about. I thumped his back affectionately and stood, stretching as I did. The receptionist confirmed everything before we ended communications, and I clipped the radio back on my belt as I clapped my hands.

“Now all we gotta do is wait for him to arrive.”

===

TRAINER INFORMATION:​

*Name: Fengor
*Location: Mt. Deckbi
*Trainer Items: ParkBall x3 ; SuperBall x2 ; HyperBall x1 ; Energy Powder x3

*Area Effects: 15 Encounters Remaining | Very warm, overcast, and windy
*Pokemon Encountered: n/a
*Pokemon Captured: n/a

*MCR Count: n/a
*Pokemon Stats:
-Naughty Male Gothitelle @ Shadow Tag w/ no EMs | In Ball | 100%

-Brave Male Dragonite @ Inner Focus w/ no EMs | In Ball | 100%


@Fengor

 

James stepped off the boat and breathed in the crisp, salty breeze. At last he was far, far away from the dark and secluded cutting rooms of Pokestar Studios; where his work could keep him hidden from the sun for days. The gentle lapping of the waves against the dock, the creaking of the planks of wood under his feet, and the stunning view of the island ahead filled him with a sense of adventure he hadn't felt since his days as a teenage trainer. The thrill of traveling around Unova and meeting new people, building a team of pokemon, and challenging the gyms; it had been a great two years. He did feel though that his life after being a trainer had been quite rewarding as well; becoming a freelance editor with Pokestar had turned out to be a perfect career for him. As he placed his hand on the door to the entrance of the National Park, it occurred to James that his life was almost perfect. That's when Jerry's pokeball opened up and the gothitelle materialized beside him.

Almost perfect.

Jerry, he was the ever present thorn in James' side. "So tell me again why we've made a special trip out to this cliche horror movie plot device of an island," Jerry asked; broadcasting his telepathic thoughts aloud.

"First off, stop that," he began,"You know it freaks out anyone within earshot. Second, we came out here to build a new team to compete in the league again."

"Right, I remember now. You want to resurrect your long dead life as a trainer because you don't like being an adult," Jerry said rolling his eyes.

"It's not like that at all, and you know it," James retorted, "I'm making enough money now that I can afford to take the summers off. I thought it would be fun if we used that time to work our way back through the Unova circuit...and I'll have you know I made it to the semi-finals of the Unova league and I'm damn proud of that."

"I know," the gothitelle replied, "I was on the field when you lost." Jerry glided past James and entered the lobby.

"That's right," he thought to himself, "Jerry was the last Pokemon I sent out against Shauntal's Chandelure, and it crushed him."

Just as he was about to lose himself in the memory of the fight, Jerry poked his head out of the door, "Are you coming or what," he asked with a bit of annoyance in his voice; this time he didn't broadcast it for the world to hear.

"Yeah, I'll umm...be right there," he replied and moved into the lobby. Once inside, he bought some supplies from the park store and filled out the appropriate paper work. After being told it would be a few minutes before they assigned him a ranger, he took a seat next to Jerry; who was hovering a few inches off the floor with his back resting against the wall. "So I picked Mt. Deckbi for our destination," he began, "their brochure says it's supposed to have a wide variety of fire, rock, and ground types living up there."

"Fun," said Jerry crossing his arms,"the active volcano. No way that choice can go wrong."

The pair sat in silence for a few more minutes and it seemed to James that Jerry was being a little more moody than he usually was. "You know, Jerry, I know Shauntal's fight is a sore topic with you, but you can't let one defeat years ago upset you every time it's brought up."

"Why would it upset me? It's not my fault we lost; you just suck as a trainer, that's all."

"Wha-...but you...Now listen you pompous pri--"

"James? Would James please come to the counter," interrupted the voice of the woman behind the counter.

Jerry flashed him a wide grin as he got up to walk to the counter. "One of these days I'll get in the last word with him" "Yes mam," he said to the gray haired woman behind the counter.

"Yes, James, I'm pleased to tell you that one of our rangers, Ms. Sara, has agreed to take you through Mt. Deckbi," she said cheerfully, "Since this is your first time here you can take one of our flying pokemon there and get an aerial view of the island, or you can have one of our Abra teleport you directly to her location."

"I think I'd like to take the scenic flight there, though I don't want it to take too long," he replied.

"I understand sir, I think I know just the pokemon to give you a ride," she said rising up from her seat at the counter,"If you and your pokemon would just follow me we'll get you on your way."

He and Jerry followed the woman down a hallways leading towards a door at the back of the building. Exiting through the door brought them to a concrete helicopter pad that overlooked the path leading into what he suspected was Meteor Valley. A shiver ran down his spine when he thought of how the brochure said it was crawling with ghost pokemon. Against the wall of the building was a mesh cabinet filled with a number of pokeballs. The gray haired woman unlocked it with a key, pulled one out, and tossed it into the air. A stream of white light burst from the ball and before them materialized a fully grown braviery. The bird pokemon stretched out it's large wingspan and let out a happy skwak.

"Magnificent, even in Unova you don't run into too many of these," James said with awe.

The gray haired woman chuckled, "This one's name is Apache, he was born and raised in the wild right here on this island so he knows his way around well," she said striding up and stroking his back. "Now I'm afraid for the flight you're going to have to return your gothitelle to its pokeball; Apache's maximum capacity is one passenger."

"With pleasure," he replied, and not without a bit of glee in his voice at the prospect of silencing Jerry for a bit. James fished out the correct pokeball from his jacket pocket, and a red beam shot from the ball and pulled Jerry back inside. For a second though it looked like he stuck out his tongue just before the light caused him to lose his form; typical.

"Now, if you'd just step over here onto the large H and hold out your arms," directed the woman.

James moved into position and did as told. He hoped he was wrong about what was about to happen.

"Now Apache," began the woman to the bird, "James here is being led though Mt. Deckbi by Ms. Sara today. She should already be there with her pokemon, so shouldn't be hard to spot. Oh, and this is the boy's first time here, so give him a good show," she said with a wink.

"Good show? What do you mean by good SHOOOOOW!!" He was suddenly snatched up under the arms by a pair of talons that held on to him gently, but firmly. He looked over his shoulder to see the smiling figure of the gray haired woman, waving goodbye, dwindling to a speck as he rose into the air. Higher and higher they rose into the sky, each rhythmic beat of Apache's powerful wings seemingly bringing them closer to the sun. His feet dangled helplessly under the large bird, and a dual feeling of excitement and terror filled James as slowly the entire profile of the island came into view. That's when he heard a skwak from Apache. The bird had turned its head down towards James and had a mischievous look in its eyes, "Oh you better not be thinking what I think you're thinking," he cried over the rushing air. Apache ceased flapping his wings, and began to tilt backwards. Just as James was laying flat on the bird's underside a terrifying thing happened; Apache let go. James' upward momentum continued to carry him skyward, and the slight spin the bird had applied to him turned him around to where he was now facing the ground. The momentum he had ran out and he began free-falling. Frantically he looked around for the braviary but the pokemon was nowhere to be seen. His speed began to increase, and the more seconds that passed the more he began to worry that Apache had left him to fall to his doom.

Suddenly he impacted something soft, "Oh that was it. That was my body going splat against the ground and this is death's soft embrace. Funny though, it looked like I had lots more time before hitting the ground." James cautiously picked his head up and saw that he was now laying astride Apache's back. He sat up, checked that his body was in fact not mush on the ground, and looked around. The braviery looked back and sort of chuckled through its beak. "Yeah laugh it up, ya got me." James relaxed and settled in to his new seat; though he could still feel his heart thumping in his chest.

Apache's flight speed became more relaxed and he brought them lower over the top of a dense forest. James could hear the leaves of the trees rustling as they flew by, and he noticed a few bug pokemon stick their heads above the tree line to investigate the noise. About midway across the forest they flew over a beautiful clearing with a crystal clear pond. There didn't seem to be any pokemon around it, but then again they passed over it just fast enough for him to not get a good look. To his right he could see Meteor Valley. The place just seemed to radiate a darkness that gobbled up any light that got too near it; though floating on the wind just above he could spy what he thought were a pair of drifblim bobbing lazily on the breeze. In the distance he could see two towering peaks. The one directly in front of him had a snowy white cap and grey stone; the one off to his right was belching a steady stream of smoke from its peak and had a dark-red shading to it. "That one is most likely Mt. Deckbi." he thought to himself.

When the pair reached the end of the forest Apache dove down even further and began skimming over a series of large lakes. James cautiously looked over the side of his mount and could see his reflection clearly in the waters below. He had to catch himself from falling over the side as the bird banked to the left and let his wing slice through the water. It sent a spray of cold water into the air; creating the image of a rainbow. Apache banked back to a neutral position just as a school of magikarp began to splash in and out of the water. All of them loudly shouting together, "Karp karp, magikarp karp karp!!" The braviery skillfully bobbed and weaved through the flailing school of fish; but had to bank sharply upwards as the large, blue shell of a blastoise rose up out of the water.

They continued to rise back into the air and leveled out when their altitude brought them about a fourth of the way up the snow-capped mountain. This was not their destination so Apache banked to the right once he got closer. The temperature dropped quite sharply in proximity to the mountain; a stark contrast to the previous areas. Down below, the terrain had changed from a warm temperate environment into a frigid tundra. Patches of snow and ice dotted the landscape, separated by larger areas of brown permafrost dirt. He could see a herd of mamoswine plodding across it and an abomasnow ducking it out with a bearartic; the combatants seemingly locked at the moment in a contest of strength.

Onward they flew out of the frigid land around the snowy mountain, and now Mt Deckbi sat firmly in their sights. The temperature began to warm to one more reminiscent to that of spring time. The tundra had opened up into a large,sprawling grassland. Below them they passed over a snoozing snorlax that had an adorable pink skitty resting on its stomach. They passed a bayleaf that looked up at the pair as it munched on a mouthful leaves and berries it had just procured from a bush, and a little ways further on were a pair of bulbasaur romping playfully in a meadow of flowers.

James had been grinning ear to ear ever since they'd passed through the lakes area. It was all so wonderfully amazing; he wanted nothing more than to spend weeks exploring the park on his own. Oh the wonderful things that were surely tucked away there that he simply couldn't see from astride his braviary taxi. Jerry would hate it, but James at this point couldn't care less. Heck, it would serve the antagonizing heckler right to be miserable out here. They would train out here; train against every type of pokemon imaginable. Then they would go back to the Unova league and not only wipe the floor with the elite four, but dethrone the champion. Maybe that would prove to Jerry he's not a bad trainer.

The sky darkened and the lush grassland gave way to craggy brown rocks and the smell of sulpher. Like the snowy mountain before, the temperature here also changed in close proximity to the volcano. It became warmer, but not intolerably so. James unzipped his windbreaker halfway so the breeze would keep him cool. Apache began to struggle slightly against the increased wind that seemed to be in the area; now his attention was turned to most likely seeking any sign of the ranger Sara he was supposed to meet up with. After a few minutes they spotted her and her small band of pokemon and Apache began his decent. With graceful precision the braviery landed a few feet away from the ranger and leaned to one side to let James get off. He turned and stroked the bird affectionately on the head, "Thanks big guy, you really did give me quite the show." The skin at the edges of Apache's beak turned upward in what appeared to be a smile. James stepped back and watched as the bird rose back into the air and flew off.

With his ride now gone, James turned to meet the ranger who would be guiding him through the park, "I hope that didn't take too long. I took the receptionist up on the scenic route and well, your braviery certainly gave me the scenic route; plus a bit of a scare.

@Dog of Hellsing

 

Ranger: Trainer Sara
NBP #2​

It didn’t take too awfully long for James to arrive. About 30 minutes after the initial call from the Docks, Fossil started squawking and hopping about, his tail lashing the air in his excitement. Pit joined in the feathered Pokemon’s antics, though Vice simply turned his gaze skyward. I followed his lead and saw a large shape approaching us; it soon revealed itself as a Braviary. The giant avian landed a few minutes later and let its passenger off, which turned out to be the Trainer I was going to be leading through the Park.

Once the bird flew off after being thanked, James faced me and said, "I hope that didn't take too long. I took the receptionist up on the scenic route and well, your Braviary certainly gave me the scenic route; plus a bit of a scare.” I chuckled and shook my head, offering a hand as Pit and Fossil continued to gallivant behind me and Vice made a sort of chuffing sound at their behavior.

“You’re fine, we’re in no rush. I’m Trainer Sara and I’ll be your Ranger for today’s run. You can call me Trainer or Sara or whatever you’re most comfortable with. We can get to your run right away or if you’d prefer we can do some sight-seeing first, seeing as this is your first visit.”

===

TRAINER INFORMATION:​

*Name: Fengor
*Location: Mt. Deckbi
*Trainer Items: ParkBall x3 ; SuperBall x2 ; HyperBall x1 ; Energy Powder x3

*Area Effects: 15 Encounters Remaining | Very warm, overcast, and windy
*Pokemon Encountered: n/a
*Pokemon Captured: n/a

*MCR Count: 13,361
*Pokemon Stats:
-Naughty Male Gothitelle @ Shadow Tag w/ no EMs | In Ball | 100%

-Brave Male Dragonite @ Inner Focus w/ no EMs | In Ball | 100%

@Fengor

 

She wasn't at all what James had expected a ranger to look like; he'd figured from their profession that they'd all be rugged, outdoorsy types. Sara, on the other hand, looked like she wouldn't be too out of place roaming the Pokestar back-lot among the other young starlets; though the cynical film person inside him questioned if her long blond hair was real or not. He could think of at least seven directors off-hand who would kill to have someone of her appearance as the lead actress in their films; regardless if she could act or not.

"It's nice to meet you Sara," he replied, "your sight-seeing offer is tempting, but I think after that ride I'd like to get down to business."

Jerry had yet to reemerge from his ball, and James was rather hoping he wouldn't. With any measure of luck the Gothitelle would remain in his ball until needed, "At least until I've made it past the first impression stage, he silently prayed, "I'd hate to start off on the wrong foot with the person who could 'accidentally' lead me into an Onix den."

@Dog of Hellsing

 

Ranger: Trainer Sara
NBP #3​

James wanted to get right to his run, which didn’t surprise me seeing as that’s how most Trainers were. I smiled at his enthusiasm before facing my Pokemon.

“All right, guys, we don’t want to chase off any Pokemon that James here might encounter. Fossil, I want you to ride on Vice’s back, and don’t even think of running off to play with the first Pokemon you see, mister. You’re somewhat terrifying for a lot of the smaller Pokemon here.” Fossil bobbed his head in acknowledgement, knowing very well how scary he could be for anything smaller than him and being proud of it. He trotted over to Vice and hopped onto the Drapion’s back, settling down with a satisfied chirping noise. “Vice, Pit, you guys follow behind us so you don’t look like a threat. A lot of the Pokemon here have come to associate Pokemon behind people as Trainer Pokemon and rarely cause a commotion.” Vice nodded and while Pit looked a little disappointed, he was clearly happy to be able to stay out of his Ball and see Mount Deckbi first-hand with the others.

After that was settled I waved for everyone to follow me and headed off towards the volcano. As we walked I pointed out a few Pokemon that were close enough to identify, but too far away to try and engage in battle. We passed a team of Durant, who were clearing an escape tunnel leading to their nest under the mountain range. They watched us as we went by, curious but more concerned with their work than investigating us.

We’d only gone a few yards past the Durant when I noticed movement in the gritty dirt about five feet ahead of us, off to the left. I paused and peered closer, only spotting whatever had moved because it shifted around again. It turned out to be a Krokorok, the second evolution of Pit’s line. The only thing visible above the ground was the top of its dark tan head. There was a thick black strip in the middle of its snout, and its eyes appeared to be black as well, though that was just because of a protective membrane to keep sand and dirt from the Pokemon’s sensitive eyes. It blended in incredibly well with its surroundings, and had it not moved (most likely to get more comfortable beneath the ground), we probably would have passed right by it without noticing it.

“I don’t suppose you’re interested in a Krokorok?” I asked.

===

TRAINER INFORMATION:​

*Name: Fengor
*Location: Mt. Deckbi
*Trainer Items: ParkBall x3 ; SuperBall x2 ; HyperBall x1 ; Energy Powder x3

*Area Effects: 14 Encounters Remaining | Very warm, overcast, and windy
*Pokemon Encountered: Krokorok (Borderline Rank, 15,000 Characters)
*Pokemon Captured: n/a

*MCR Count: 14,400
*Pokemon Stats:
-Naughty Male Gothitelle @ Shadow Tag w/ no EMs | In Ball | 100%

-Brave Male Dragonite @ Inner Focus w/ no EMs | In Ball | 100%

@Fengor

 

"I don't suppose you're interested in a Krokorok," Sara asked.

He scanned their surroundings but saw nothing. Out of the corner of his eye though he spotted a slight shifting of dirt on the ground ahead of them. He watched the spot closely too be sure he wasn't seeing things, but sure enough a few seconds later the dirt shifted again; this time he spotted the eyes of the Krokorok. "Oh yeah, now I see it." He rubbed his chin as he considered if he wanted try adding the pokemon to his team. If he'd read the brochure right he'd figured he could walk out with at least a fire, ground, and rock type pokemon each. A ground and dark type seemed like a good mix if he was remembering his old trainer knowledge right. "Yeah, this seems like it's worth a shot," he concluded. "It looks so comfortable, I hate to disturb it," he said reaching for Dragonite's ball on his belt, "but if I let it keep sleeping I'd always wonder what could have been."

James hit the release button on the ball and the white light that came out coalesced into his Dragonite. The large orange dragon tested out its wings with a few quick flaps and thumped its tail on the ground happily.

"Ready for your first battle big guy?"

Dragonite put on its best heroic face and started looking around for its opponent. Seeing Sara's Drapion, it got into a fighting position and growled a bit.

Realizing that Dragonite was about to try and open a can of whoop-ass on Vice, James quickly moved in front of him and tried calm him down, "Easy there Dragonite, Vice is one of Sara's pokemon and is helping guide us through the park." The dragon immediately dropped its stance and tilted his head quizzically at James, "Our opponent is over there in that shifting dirt."

Dragonite squinted its eyes for a few seconds at the spot James pointed to, it then resumed its stance and demeanor; this time aimed at the correct target.

"Now you've got it. Go on over there and use leer on them, see if they're up for a fight." The dragon stomped over to the Krokorok and started leering down at it "Crisis averted," James thought to himself; letting off a relieved sigh in the process. "Sorry about that," he said turning to Sara, "This is his first time outside of the studio so he's a little overeager to fight something that's not a green-screen prop."

@Dog of Hellsing

 

OOC: Krok’s gender?

IC: Ranger: Trainer Sara
BP #1​

It took James a moment to spot Krokorok lying under the ground, but when he spotted it he seemed more than ready to start the battle. He let out his Dragonite and the Pokemon stretched a bit before looking around. James asked if he was ready to battle, to which the bulky Dragon replied by adopting a determined expression as he glanced around again, hunting for his opponent. Unfortunately, he ended up spying Vice and assumed that was the target. For his part, Vice simply waved his tail at the Dragon, clearly not bothered by the mix-up and more than happy to excuse it. James quickly called Dragonite’s attention to the right Pokemon either way, ordering his Dragonite to use a Leer and try to gauge how willing to battle the Krokorok was.

"Sorry about that," the young man said as he faced me as his Dragonite strode over to where Krokorok was buried, his muzzle scrunching up a little and his eyes narrowing as he bore down on the crocodile. "This is his first time outside of the studio so he's a little overeager to fight something that's not a green-screen prop." I chuckled and waved his concern away as Fossil’s head poked up over Vice’s, they and Pit all watching to see how things would turn out.

“Don’t worry about it, mistakes happen.” I then focused on Dragonite and Krokorok, because a bit of movement on the latter’s part alerted me to an impending reaction of some kind. By now Dragonite was directly in front of Krokorok and glaring at it with a fearsome expression. Krokorok didn’t move again for a few seconds during this time, but then the Pokemon abruptly sprang into action. One second it was still, and the next it practically exploded up out of the ground, sending dirt and grit flying everywhere. Dragonite stepped back a few paces out of surprise, his Leer faltering as the dirt and debris returned to the ground to reveal Krokorok now standing on the surface.

The Pokemon opened its long muzzle and released a loud, harsh hissing noise as it raised its tail, then shifted its weight and slammed the heavy appendage into the ground. It then thrashed its tail about before raising it and smashing it into the earth again. It did this several times in rapid succession until the air was heavy with swirling debris. Vice moved a fair distance from the Sandstorm that had been whipped up, clearly not wanting to risk getting caught in it. I followed his example and moved back as well, tapping James’s arm and indicating that he should move away as well. Pit stayed where he was, obviously as at home in such conditions as Krokorok was. Fossil chattered a little and hopped off Vice’s back, trotting to stand next to Pit so he’d have a better view of the battle. Being part Rock type meant the scouring debris in the air wouldn’t bother him.

“I think Krokorok was hunting,” I said as the crocodile backed into the heart of the Sandstorm, almost completely swallowed by the rough conditions on the battlefield. “It seems that it was sizing Dragonite up and when it decided he was too big to eat, it would instead get rid of the intruder in its territory.”

===

BATTLE STATISTICS:


Brave Male Dragonite
Last Used Move: Leer
Stats: Normal
Status: Normal
HP: 93.78%

VS


??? ??? Krokorok
Last Move Used: Sandstorm
Stats: -1 DEF
Status: Normal
HP: 100%

Battlefield Effect(s): Sandstorm [5 turns remaining]
MRC: 16,713/15,000 (0 characters remaining)​

===

TRAINER INFORMATION:​

*Name: Fengor
*Location: Mt. Deckbi
*Trainer Items: ParkBall x3 ; SuperBall x2 ; HyperBall x1 ; Energy Powder x3

*Area Effects: 14 Encounters Remaining | Very warm, overcast, and windy
*Pokemon Encountered: Krokorok
*Pokemon Captured: n/a

*MCR Count: n/a
*Pokemon Stats:
-Naughty Male Gothitelle @ Shadow Tag w/ no EMs | In Ball | 100%

-Brave Male Dragonite @ Inner Focus w/ no EMs | Out of Ball | Currently In Battle | 93.78%

@Fengor

 

OOC: It feels like a Tina, so let's make it a female Krokorok.​

"Well I guess that answers the question if it's up for a battle," James thought to himself as he tried to shield his eyes from the sandstorm with his forearm. Through the storm he could just make out Dragonite being buffeted by the debris, "This isn't good, Dragonite may be able to weather the storm but he'll never be able to see an attack coming," he cringed under the stinging abrasiveness of the sand, "and I won't be much help if I don't get out of it either." James backed up until his lungs filled with fresh air and he could no longer feel the abrasive wind. His view of the battle wasn't much better, but he could at least tell where the storm was centered now. He needed to buy some time until he could figure out how to deal with the sandstorm. "Dragonite," he yelled towards where he last saw him, "use your safeguard and stay sharp!" A twinkle of light followed by a dull, spherical glow began emanating from inside the debris cloud. "Hopefully that'll buy us a bit of time."

Jerry's ball burst open and the Gothitelle materialized in front of him, "So James I've been thinking," he said broadcasting his thoughts aloud.

"Jerry, you're doing it again"

"I know, but I just don't care," he said waving a hand dismissively, "Like I was saying, I've been thinking about listing all the ways you fail as a trainer. Maybe then you'd see reason and we can go home. I'm stuck on item number three though. Would you say you don't plan ahead or that you're just incompetent?"

James put his hand over his face, "Now's really not a good time for this," he said with exasperation.

Jerry raised an eyebrow and turned around, "Oh hey, what's going on over there?"

"Dragonite is trying to fight a Krokorok through the sandstorm it kicked up," he said.

"Aww, you sent the new guy in and didn't let me out to watch the train wreck," Jerry said mockingly

"I really don't have time for this routine Jerry," he said sliding the hovering Gothitelle to his right, "I'm trying to figure out how to get rid of this sandstorm."

"Pfft, figures you wouldn't know how to deal with such a simple problem," he said rolling his eyes.

"I'm open to suggestions if you've got any," James said with irritation creeping into his voice.

"Hmm, not off hand," Jerry said tapping a hand on the bottom of his face,"but I can tell you I'd have gotten rid of that sandstorm by now."

James turned to Jerry in mild disbelief at the claim, "Oh you're so full of crap Jerry. We both know there's nothing in your arsenal that could get rid of it."

Jerry put his hands where hips would be on a human, "Well if I had a trainer who didn't wait to send his psychic trump card last against Shauntal's team of ghost types, maybe I'd know something right now that would."

He threw his hands in the air, "Again with the Shauntal fight! Why can't you just let that go?"

"Because James," he began as the two locked their foreheads together and stared each other down, "you weren't the one who got clocked by a point blank shadow ball!"

"I tried to warn you that her Chandelure was coming up behind you, but you just stood there like a Deerling in headlights!" James turned away from their stare down and rubbed his eyes in frustration, "I've lost count of how many times I've said this, but I'm sorry; okay? I'm sorry you took a shadow ball to the face, I'm sorry I didn't bring you out first thing, and I'm sorry it cost us the semi-finals." He turned back to Jerry, "Now we can continue to waste energy on this, or you can help me think of a way to blow this sandstorm away." The revelation hit him like a brick wall and he slapped his hand over his face. He couldn't see it, but he just knew Jerry had a cheek to cheek smirk on his face, "Not a word."

He composed himself and turned his attention back to the battle. "Dragonite," he yelled once again into the debris cloud, "use twister to suck up this sandstorm and send it right back at Krokorok!"

Within the storm, Dragonite dug its feet into the ground and began flapping its wings as hard as it could; soon manipulating the air into a burgeoning cyclone before it.

Well, let's hope that solves the problem," James thought to himself, "I probably looked like a real jerk fighting with Jerry in the middle of a battle. Small mercy that he was broadcasting his telepathy; least I don't look like a crazy jerk."

@Dog of Hellsing

 

Ranger: Trainer Sara
BP #2​

James was trying to come up with a way to help protect Dragonite against the Sandstorm Krokorok had kicked up, calling for the large Dragon to use a Safeguard as a means to guard against further unpleasant surprises. There was a brief flash of light which gradually dulled down to a light green pulse that was barely visible inside the Sandstorm. It wouldn’t fully prevent the scouring debris from reaching the Pokemon, but it would filter out some of it and prevent any sort of unwelcome status effects to boot.

Things quickly took a turn for the distracting when James’ Gothitelle abruptly released himself from his Ball and began delivering scathing remarks to his Trainer. I quirked an eyebrow at the exchange but wasn’t overly surprised; I’d been leading the Park long enough to have heard plenty of arguments between Trainers and their Pokemon. Still, it was pretty poor timing for James’ attention to be diverted from the battle, because it wasn’t long before I saw a tan streak diving through the sands, literally vanishing underground as the Krokorok dug into the gritty soil and buried herself.

“Ah, James,” I said, trying to intervene in the argument and draw my Trainer’s attention back to the battle, but at that moment Pokemon and human shoved their foreheads together and entered an intense staring contest as the verbal conflict grew heated. I glanced back at the battlefield in time to see Krokorok suddenly explode from the ground right under Dragonite. The startled Pokemon gave a cry and leapt into the air with a few powerful beats of his wings, but Krokorok’s claws still caught him along the stomach. He landed a moment later, several feet away from where Krokorok herself hit the ground on all fours. For a moment she held that pose before rearing onto her hind legs and hissing at the larger Pokemon. Her muzzle gaped open and I could see licks of fire spring to life around her fangs, though it only looked like little flashes of red-orange light from this distance.

Before the Krokorok could attack again, James suddenly returned his attention to the battle and called to Dragonite, ordering the bulky Pokemon to blow the Sandstorm at its creator. Dragonite started to pump his wings with a great deal of force, quickly whipping up a spinning funnel of air in front of him. The suction drew a lot of the Sandstorm into the cyclone, but it couldn’t hold all the debris in the air and thus there was still a fair amount swirling around the battlefield; on top of that, the momentum of the cyclone caused the air in the general air to stir up more, causing the remaining particles in the air to move faster and more erratic. The cyclone was then launched at Krokorok, sending her tumbling before she could try to execute her Fire Fang.

The crocodile recovered quickly though, rolling onto all fours before standing upright again. This time the Pokemon puffed out her chest as she let her muzzle gape open. I didn’t know what she was planning, but I was willing to bet it was something nice.

“At least Dragonite managed to cut down on the Sandstorm some,” I said, “but he took some damage from that Dig.”

===

BATTLE STATISTICS:


Brave Male Dragonite
Last Used Move: Twister
Stats: Normal
Status: Safeguard [5 turns remaining]
HP: 80.82%

VS


??? ??? Krokorok
Last Move Used: Dig
Stats: -1 DEF
Status: Normal
HP: 82.48%

Battlefield Effect(s): Sandstorm [4 turns remaining]
MRC: 21,044/15,000 (0 characters remaining)​

===

TRAINER INFORMATION:​

*Name: Fengor
*Location: Mt. Deckbi
*Trainer Items: ParkBall x3 ; SuperBall x2 ; HyperBall x1 ; Energy Powder x3

*Area Effects: 14 Encounters Remaining | Very warm, overcast, and windy
*Pokemon Encountered: Krokorok
*Pokemon Captured: n/a

*MCR Count: n/a
*Pokemon Stats:
-Naughty Male Gothitelle @ Shadow Tag w/ no EMs | Out of Ball | 100%

-Brave Male Dragonite @ Inner Focus w/ no EMs | Out of Ball | Currently In Battle | 80.82%

@Fengor

 

"I think congratulations are in order," Jerry began, "you've managed to thin the sandstorm, and at the same time make it worse."

James simply gritted his teeth; responding would only encourage him. With the cloud of debris thinned he had a much better view of what was going on, and it didn't look very good. Dragonite was sporting a set of claw marks across his belly. "Damn, the Krokorok must have attacked while I was fighting with Jerry."

Jerry's behavior in recent weeks had become utterly intolerable; the two were constantly squabbling over some insignificant issue. The Gothitelle had always had a mischievous streak in him, and had taken great pleasure in the past playing tricks on James or the rest of his team. It had always been in a good fun, even if it did sometimes get out of hand, and laughing about it was usually easy after the fact. That day at the Unova league though, something changed; something at the very core of Jerry's personality. It had taken James some time to notice that something was wrong. In fact at first it seemed that his friend was simply upset at losing the match; Jerry didn't speak for days after the match and he avoided the rest of the team. When he finally did speak again, the sting of cynicism laced every word. As the years passed that cynicism turned bullying, and eventually to outright cruelty. Trying to approach the topic was futile, he'd simply heap all of the blame on to James, so eventually James gave up trying.

It hadn't been long after the league that James went ahead and released his team back into the wild. Their journey was over after all, and realistically he couldn't continue to take care of them all. Though the goodbyes had been quite emotional, they all seemed to understand. They spent one final night together, to celebrate what they'd accomplished together, and in the morning they left; one by one. Only Jerry stayed behind. He refused to go, or as he put it, "You don't get to release me. I'll be the one to decide when it's time to leave your miserable side." It had touched James back then that Jerry was so attached to him that he didn't want to leave. Though looking back on it from the present, he often wondered if maybe he hadn't stayed just to punish him.

Had their failure to beat Shauntal really affected him that much? Was the root of his anger really just damaged pride? It seemed to James unlikely, but he didn't have much else to go on. He hadn't told Jerry, and hoped that the Gothitelle was still polite enough to not read his mind, but he really wasn't making enough money to be jumping back into the trainer circuit; this trip to the park alone had wiped out a large chunk of his savings. He wanted his friend back, and if it took becoming champion to achieve that then so be it.

Though he might find himself in the poor house if Jerry made a habit of sabotaging him like this.

He needed to hit Krokorok hard and fast to wrap this up, and he had a good idea of how to do that. Unfortunately, just as he was about to give the order a horrible, high-pitched noise shot through his head that caused him to drop to his knees clutching his ears.

"Argh," he screamed. He looked to his right to see Jerry, eyes glowing, looking down at him.

"You know, it's rude to ignore someone when they're coming up with witty insults," the Gothitelle said bluntly. "Had to overload the hearing center of your brain for a fraction of a second to get your attention."

"Did it ever occur to you," he said through gritted teeth, "that I was taking a moment to evaluate Dragonite's situation and come up with a counter attack?"

"It did, but I'm sure whatever strategy you had cooked up would garbage."

James was angry, angry to the point that it started to scare him, but he fought it back to focus on the battle at hand. Still on his knees, he grabbed Jerry's pokeball and activated the return function, "We're going to talk about the line you just crossed later."

He was dizzy and his arms were shaking; getting up was not going to be easy. A pair of orange claws helped him to his feet; Dragonite must have heard him scream and come to help at some point. He could see the concern on the dragon's face, "I'm fine Dragonite, really. Just a little shaken that's all." He took a deep breath and dispelled the dizziness, "Listen, I don't think we're going to draw that Krokorok out of her sandstorm, so we need to get her weak enough for the capture as quickly as possible." He let go of Dragonite's supporting arm, "Use Agility to increase your speed and try to Slam her with your tail; not too hard though. Then I want you to follow up with a fire punch while her guard is down. Assuming that works without a hitch, she should be ready to capture; understand?"

Dragonite nodded his head.

"Awesome," he said giving the large dragon an encouraging slap on the back, "now go get her, and remember she's part dark type; they're prone to dirty tricks in combat."

There was a visible release of muscle tension in Dragonite as he used agility, after which he made ready to charge back into combat.

 

Ranger: Trainer Sara
BP #3​

It seemed James and Jerry weren’t exactly the best of friends, or maybe there was just a lot more to their relationship than the normal bond between Pokemon and Trainer. Still, while most Pokemon would simply ignore a Trainer they felt unworthy of them, few Pokemon went out of their way to actually hurt their Trainer. It seemed like whatever Jerry did caused physical pain to James, judging from the way he cried out and fell to his knees.

Dragonite wasted no time in rushing over to see what was wrong upon hearing his Trainer’s shouts of pain. Krokorok blinked but made no move to escape, keeping her gaze firmly focused on Dragonite. I didn’t know if perhaps she was worried for the human who’d suddenly yelled out and collapsed or if she merely wanted to finish the battle that had started, but she made no attempts to approach or wander off as Dragonite helped James back to his feet once the young man had recalled his Gothitelle.

"I'm fine Dragonite, really. Just a little shaken that's all,” the Trainer said as he blew out a heavy breath. "Listen, I don't think we're going to draw that Krokorok out of her sandstorm, so we need to get her weak enough for the capture as quickly as possible. Use Agility to increase your speed and try to Slam her with your tail; not too hard though. Then I want you to follow up with a fire punch while her guard is down. Assuming that works without a hitch, she should be ready to capture; understand?" At this Dragonite nodded and James continued. "Awesome, now go get her, and remember she's part dark type; they're prone to dirty tricks in combat."

Dragonite turned his attention back to Krokorok, who still hadn’t moved from her spot, and exhaled a long, steady breath. The muscles beneath his scales shifted and his posture relaxed, when he suddenly flew towards Krokorok, it was a much faster pace than he’d been moving before. Krokorok made harsh hissing noise, clearly surprised by Dragonite’s newfound speed, and was only able to take a few startled steps back before the larger Pokemon had closed the distance between them. Whirling in midair, he whipped his tail around and bashed it into Krokorok’s belly.

The crocodile was obviously winded by the way she sort of fell against Dragonite’s tail after the impact, but once again she recovered surprisingly fast and retaliated before Dragonite could attempt his Fire Punch. Shifting her weight, the Pokemon grabbed Dragonite’s tail in her claws and heaved with all her might. Dragonite was sent flying into a scrawny tree that snapped right in half when the large Dragon collided with it. He managed to recover before hitting the ground, remaining airborne as he righted himself and flew back towards the battlefield.

“Looks like Krokorok just used Foul Play,” I commented. “She used his own strength against him. Dark Pokemon certainly do like their tricky moves.”

===

BATTLE STATISTICS:


Brave Male Dragonite
Last Used Move: Agility and Slam
Stats: +2 SPD
Status: Safeguard [4 turns remaining]
HP: 69.09%

VS


??? Female Krokorok
Last Move Used: Foul Play
Stats: -1 DEF
Status: Normal
HP: 61.96%

Battlefield Effect(s): Sandstorm [3 turns remaining]
MRC: 26,123/15,000 (0 characters remaining)​

===

TRAINER INFORMATION:​

*Name: Fengor
*Location: Mt. Deckbi
*Trainer Items: ParkBall x3 ; SuperBall x2 ; HyperBall x1 ; Energy Powder x3

*Area Effects: 14 Encounters Remaining | Very warm, overcast, and windy
*Pokemon Encountered: Krokorok
*Pokemon Captured: n/a

*MCR Count: n/a
*Pokemon Stats:
-Naughty Male Gothitelle @ Shadow Tag w/ no EMs | In Ball | 100%

-Brave Male Dragonite @ Inner Focus w/ no EMs | Out of Ball | Currently In Battle | 69.09%

@Fengor

OOC EDIT: Just realized all this time I've had your Remaining Encounters count as if you were in the Ruins XD. The numbers have been corrected and sorry for any confusion it may have caused.

 

James winced as he watched Dragonite crash into the tree, "The best laid plans as they say," he thought to himself.

Sara made a comment about the counter attack but James' ears were still ringing from Jerry's little trick so he only heard part of it, "own strength against him. Dark Pokemon certainly do like their tricky moves."

"There's a fine line between tricky and smart I think," he replied as he watched Dragonite fly back towards his opponent, "and it looks like she knows how to walk it brilliantly. Let's see if she can counter this though. Dragonite, use Agility again and flank her!"

A ripple, originating from Dragonite, spread through the dust cloud as the airborn dragon relaxed his muscles again and vanished in a blur; only to reappear seconds later directly behind the Krokorok.

"Now, use Dragon Rage," James cried.

The large dragon opened its mouth and red energy began to well up from his throat.

"I'd be interested to see how she counters this; if she even realizes what's about to hit her in time," James thought to himself.

The ringing in his ears was faint now, but still loud enough to bother him; he still couldn't believe that Jerry had done that to him. Something had been really eating at Jerry ever since he'd learned about the trip to the island, and it had done nothing to improve his mood. The insults, snide remarks, and occasional mean spirited prank he could handle but this was completely out of left field. Jerry was a jerk sure, but hurting someone physically was not his style. James just wasn't sure what to make of it. He knew that eventually he'd Jerry to step up and battle here in the park, but he wasn't sure if he could trust him anymore. There was no way he'd make it through the entire visit using just Dragonite, and there wasn't time to get into a proper argument with Jerry about his behavior out here. He figured he'd just have to make the gamble when the time came, and hope Jerry brooded in his ball until then. James silently wished that Pokeballs had a physical lock on them, or that he at least had a roll of duck-tape to wrap Jerry's ball in.

@Dog of Hellsing

 

OOC: Keep in mind you’re not allowed to say whether your Pokemon successfully performs a move or not .

===

IC: Ranger: Trainer Sara
BP #4​

"There's a fine line between tricky and smart I think, and it looks like she knows how to walk it brilliantly,” James commented. “Let's see if she can counter this though. Dragonite, use Agility again and flank her!" Dragonite responded by speeding up, becoming hard to follow as he hurtled towards his opponent. The large Dragon flew past Krokorok before executing a sharp turn, putting himself behind the crocodile. Before the startled reptile could react, James ordered his Pokemon to unleash a Dragon Rage. Dragonite opened his jaws and disgorged a burst of red energy tinged with crystal-blue streaks. Krokorok was turning just as the energy was released; this ended up in her favor, as only part of the Dragon Rage struck her thanks to her partially moving out of the attack’s path. Instead of being hit square in the back, the Dragon Rage clipped her left side as she turned. The impact, while not full-on, was enough to send her sprawling to the ground. She landed in a dazed heap a few feet away, blinking dazedly.

Dragonite landed with a flap of his wings, watching his foe while she clambered to her feet, shaking her head and clearly feeling the last blow. Still, she recovered enough to come up with an idea of some kind, as evidenced by her suddenly lunging at the ground. She rapidly burrowed under the gritty dirt, vanishing into a hole like she had before. Dragonite, obviously remembering what had happened the last time Krokorok went belowground, stretched his wings out in preparation to take flight again. He hesitated a moment though, and that was all the time that was needed.

Krokorok exploded up out of the ground behind her larger adversary, black energy pulsing around the claws on both her forepaws. She raked her talons along Dragonite’s back, earning a sharp cry from the Pokemon. He swung his tail around in an effort to knock Krokorok away, but by then she had already retreated. She was definitely moving slower now, though, somewhat hunched over as fatigue started to set in. Dragonite whirled to face her, his eyes narrowed as his wings beat the air. It was clear he didn’t appreciate sneak-attacks from behind when they were used on him.

===

BATTLE STATISTICS:


Brave Male Dragonite
Last Used Move: Agility and Dragon Rage
Stats: +4 SPD
Status: Safeguard [3 turns remaining]
HP: 55.95%

VS


??? Female Krokorok
Last Move Used: Assurance
Stats: -1 DEF
Status: Normal
HP: 38.38%

Battlefield Effect(s): Sandstorm [2 turns remaining]
MRC: 28,231/15,000 (0 characters remaining)​

===

TRAINER INFORMATION:​

*Name: Fengor
*Location: Mt. Deckbi
*Trainer Items: ParkBall x3 ; SuperBall x2 ; HyperBall x1 ; Energy Powder x3

*Area Effects: 14 Encounters Remaining | Very warm, overcast, and windy
*Pokemon Encountered: Krokorok
*Pokemon Captured: n/a

*MCR Count: n/a
*Pokemon Stats:
-Naughty Male Gothitelle @ Shadow Tag w/ no EMs | In Ball | 100%

-Brave Male Dragonite @ Inner Focus w/ no EMs | Out of Ball | Currently In Battle | 55.95%

@Fengor