Individual RP: Jake434

@Jake434
NBP1

“All right. Yes. Once he arrives, tell him I’ll be waiting in the ranger outpost in the woods. I’m currently the only one here, so he shouldn’t have trouble finding me.” Either all the other rangers were at the main outpost, or they were already out on their runs. Trevor was about to exchange goodbyes with the secretary on the line when he remembered that this was going to be the trainer’s first time. “I almost forgot. It’s his first time, so it might be better if you have one of the pokemon at the outpost teleport him. I don’t want him to get lost on his way here. Mhmm. Sure. Thanks.” Setting the phone back down on the desk, he sat down on one of the chairs in the office.

A smile started to play across his lips as he thought about the adventure he was going to have. It was his first assignment, and he had made sure that he was thoroughly prepared. Having already read the manual from cover to cover repeatedly, he’d made sure he had stocked an ample amount of pokedolls and healing items. He was pretty confident that today’s expedition was going to go off without a hitch. The sky was cloudy, and only the slightest of winds blew through the woods. He’d even gone ahead and scouted the route he had plotted out beforehand – the reason why he was at this outpost and not at the one with the registration deck. There didn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary. He spotted the occasional Nincada and Pidgey while he made his way, and the various cries of pokemon filled the air.

Trevor, wanting to review the data on his trainer, propped his feet up on the desk while flicking a finger across the screen of his tablet, scanning the profile database. Here it is. Jake Mills. This’ll be his first time, and he’s bringing along a Houndour and a Hoothoot. Most of the trainers preferred bringing fully-evolved pokemon into the park. Whatever floats his boat, I guess. I better bring Drift along just in case his Houndour gets a little excited. Although his Politoed wasn't one of those which could summon rain as soon as they came out of their pokeballs, it could call on the rain with a Rain Dance. What better way to handle a forest fire than with a little rain? Thinking it would be terrible if a fire broke out in the woods, it made perfect sense to bring along his Politoed. Most of the pokemon there were vulnerable to fire, and the environmental implications would be disastrous. Also, his reputation would never be able to recover from a fiasco like that. It was important for his first run to go smoothly. He walked towards the corner of the room and used the transporter to exchange his pokeballs. Let's see. Who else should I bring along? After some deliberation, he picked his Tyranitar, and Flutter, his Butterfree to round off his team. While Tyranitar had a type advantage against most of the pokemon which could be found in the area, this was the perfect environment for Flutter considering the ample foliage throughout the area. Apart from that, Flutter had access to a variety of moves, including Sleep Powder, String Shot and Whirlwind, which would be helpful just in case something happened.

With not much left to do, Trevor decided to check the time and pressed a button on his tablet, causing the screen to come to life with a faint glow. He could’ve glanced at the clock, which was conveniently placed just above the doorframe, but he preferred using his tablet for the most menial of tasks. One day, the battery would run dry, and he’d be in for quite a surprise. Today, however, wasn’t that day. The time flashed on the screen for a few moments before the glow faded. It was only a few more minutes until Jake was supposed to arrive.

----
Name: Jake Mills
Location: The Woods
Items: 3 park balls
Remaining Encounters: 15
Area Effects: Cloudy, Slight breeze
Pokemon Encountered: n/a
Current Encounter: n/a
Pokemon Captured: none
MCR: 0/?

Soot the Houndour (M) - Adamant
Early Bird
EM: none

Chase the Hoothoot (M) - Careful
Keen Eye
EM: none

 

@Sky Lark;

With the sun rising not too long ago, Jake could see the sky was now covered in different colors. The sky right over head was shifting from a dark, almost black blue to a soft, light blue. Then as it got closer to the sun the sky switched from a purple to red, a big area of orange, then yellow and then the sun was there. The clouds were white in the middle with a pinkish outline along the top. Jake wished he had a camera to capture the beautiful moment, but there would be more sunrises. He looked back at the road that he was walking on and remembered that he was heading somewhere, a place that was probably even more special than the sunrise.

Jake excitedly walked down the road that led to the National Park. "I finally made it!" he exclaimed, even though no one was around to hear him. I've been planning this for months now, and it's happening! Jake couldn't wipe the smile from his face. Okay, I have to focus. Just relax and breathe. He put on a serious face even if underneath he was bursting with excitement. Jake knew that he had to contain himself if he wanted to have as good of a run as he could. This would be his first trip and he didn't want to screw it up.

He looked up from the ground as he neared the gates, staring in awe at what he could see of the park. He strolled up to the front gate and asked the gate attendant, "Excuse me, but is my ranger here? I'm heading for the Woods." Jake was guided to an Abra inside the entrance's building. Wow, I've never seen an Abra this close before. Jake noticed that Abra always had their eyes closed and had an urge to ask the Pokémon to open its eyes, but he was here for an adventure.

Suddenly, Jake wasn't facing an Abra anymore. Instead, he was in a different part of the park. There were trees all around him and another building in front of him. Jake read the sign in front of it, "The Woods Ranger Station." Jake walked up to the cabin door and knocked three times, making sure anyone inside could hear him.

 

@Jake434
NBP2

Trevor didn't wait long before he heard the sound of knocking. Hoping it was his trainer, he quickly got to his feet and walked towards the door, almost falling off his chair in the process. He was bursting with energy and wanted to go as soon as possible.

Trevor opened the door to find someone he’d never met before. Wearing a hoodie and a silver necklace, the stranger was slightly taller than him. Giving the stranger a quick glance from head to toe, Trevor silently ran through the profile of the trainer he was escorting. Blue eyes and brown hair, check. Lightning bolt necklace, check. This must be him. Trevor immediately introduced himself and outstretched his hand, offering the newcomer a handshake. “Good morning. I’m Trevor Rains. I assume you’re Jake Mills.” He paused. “Welcome to Ranger Outpost number three. I’d give you a tour of the place, but I figure you’d want to start your run as soon as possible. I apologize for not meeting you at the main outpost. I went ahead and checked out the path we’re going to take.” From the looks of it, Jake seemed as eager as he was to start the run.

Trevor stepped outside, remembering to flick the lights off before he closed the door behind him. “All right, why don’t we get this party started?” Trevor was a bit too excited, and it showed. He started tripping over his words, and he kept nodding his head like one of those bobblehead figures that went up-down, up-down repeatedly on the dashboards of cars. He grabbed a pokeball from his belt, pressed its button and waited as a brief flash illuminated the brief vicinity. The light faded to reveal a butterfly with a purple body. With a quick mid-air somersault that ended in a flourish, the Butterfree excitedly fluttered around Jake, clearly curious. Its wings were white and had black markings, the norm when it came to Butterfree. “Jake, I’d like you to meet Flutter, one of my pokemon. Flutter, this is Jake, the trainer we'll be leading through the woods." Absentmindedly giving Flutter the thumbs up to explore the immediate vicinity, Trevor addressed Jake once more. "She will be accompanying us and keeping an eye on things just in case an aggressive pokemon shows up. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask.”

Trevor still had a couple of things to say, but he noticed that Flutter was excitedly hovering above some bushes near the entrance of the outpost. Realizing his introduction was probably becoming a bit too lengthy, he was glad to be able to steer the rather one-sided conversation elsewhere. “It seems as if Flutter has found something.” He motioned for Jake to follow him as he walked towards the bushes. Upon nearing the bushes, he found a Venonat desperately trying to hide itself amongst the plants. Trevor turned to Jake. Clapping his hands together, he happily exclaimed, “It looks like your first encounter’s a Venonat. It’s pretty young, but I’m pretty sure it’s capable of defending itself. Do you want to try capturing it?”


----
Name: Jake Mills
Location: The Woods
Items: 3 park balls
Remaining Encounters: 14
Area Effects: Cloudy, Slight breeze
Pokemon Encountered: Venonat
Current Encounter: Venonat (Uncommon)
Pokemon Captured: none
MCR: 1983/9000

Soot the Houndour (M) - Adamant
Early Bird
EM: none

Chase the Hoothoot (M) - Careful
Keen Eye
EM: none

 

@Sky Lark;

Jake stepped back as he heard the door begin to open and then saw someone step out. He introduced himself while extending his hand. “Good morning. I’m Trevor Rains. I assume you’re Jake Mills.” I stretched my hand out to his and shook it before he continued. “Welcome to Ranger Outpost number three. I’d give you a tour of the place, but I figure you’d want to start your run as soon as possible. I apologize for not meeting you at the main outpost. I went ahead and checked out the path we’re going to take.”

I was still shaking a bit from being so excited, but I replied wit a simple, "That's okay." I didn't want to make it seem like he offended me.

Trevor flicked a switch inside the Ranger Outpost, which I assumed was lights, and he started leading Jake back down the path. “All right, why don’t we get this party started?” Trevor continued speaking, stuttering part of the time or messing up, but Jake could understand what he was saying. Jake watched as Trevor pulled out a Pokéball out and called out one of his Pokémon. After a quick flash of light, Jake could see that a butterfly had appeared before him. It had a purple body, red eyes, blue hands, feet, and mouth, and white wings with a black pattern on them. The Butterfree did a quick trick and fluttered around Jake's head. Trevor then introduced the two, “Jake, I’d like you to meet Flutter, one of my pokemon. Flutter, this is Jake, the trainer we'll be leading through the woods." Trevor gave the butterfly a thumbs up before continuing, "She will be accompanying us and keeping an eye on things just in case an aggressive pokemon shows up. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask.”

Jake felt that the conversation was getting a little one-sided and spoke up before Trevor could continue. "Hello, Flutter. It's nice that I get to join you on this adventure." Jake turned to his ranger, "So far, I don't have any, but if I think of a question, I'll ask."

Trevor looked past Jake and he turned to see why. Flutter had started hovering over a clump of bushes. “It seems as if Flutter has found something.” Jake followed Trevor as he motioned for Jake to follow him. He stood behind the ranger as Trevor investigated. He turned back towards Jake and happily said, “It looks like your first encounter’s a Venonat. It’s pretty young, but I’m pretty sure it’s capable of defending itself. Do you want to try capturing it?”

Jake thought on this for a few moments before deciding. "Yea, I'll go for it. Catching and raising a young Pokémon sound like a challenge, so I'm in!" Jake stepped back from the bushes and pulled out one of his own Pokéballs. He threw it in the air and called out, "Let's go, Soot!" As the quick flash of light disappeared, a black dog with an orange belly and muzzle, and bone-like armor appeared in front of Jake. Hopefully the Houndour could handle Jake's first National Park battle.

 

OOC: What gender would you like for Venonat?
@Jake434

NBP3

A few moments passed before Trevor received a reply from Jake, which was perfectly understandable. It was Jake’s first ever encounter in the National Park, and there were a lot of factors one could consider when it came to deciding whether one wanted to battle. Venonat were pretty uncommon sights in the park, and Venomoth were pretty formidable in battle. After all, Jake still had fourteen encounters remaining before his run would end. It was possible that rarer pokemon would show up. However, the opposite was also possible. It was sometimes a difficult decision and a gamble. Trevor was well aware of the fact that Jake had only three park balls. If he chose to use a park ball on Venonat, he’d only be able to capture two more pokemon. Trevor knew there were instances in which trainers would capture more than three pokemon and decide at the end of the run which ones they’d take with them. Clearly, Jake wouldn’t have the luxury of cherry picking at the end of this run; he’d have to make each park ball count.

"Yea, I'll go for it. Catching and raising a young Pokémon sound like a challenge, so I'm in!" Jake responded. Nodding, Trevor took a few steps back and grinned. He’d forgotten that Jake had previously been a daycare assistant. Young pokemon were right up his alley. Hoping everything would go smoothly, Jake gestured towards Flutter, prompting the Butterfree to hover above his head. Swiftly, Jake took his place and tossed a pokeball in the air, revealing his Houndour.

Trevor wondered how Jake would start the battle, but to his surprise, the Venonat made a high-pitched sound akin to whimpering – if bugs could whimper, that is. Clearly, it viewed Soot as a threat and didn’t appreciate his appearance. With a sudden cry, the Venonat vanished in a blink of an eye.

Suddenly, Venonat was gone. Trevor was baffled until he remembered that Venonat were able to teleport. Holding a finger to his lips, he signaled for the others to be quiet. To his delight, the nervous chatter of the Venonat emerged. It was still nearby and was probably hiding among the trees. Trevor had a couple of ideas as to how he’d locate the wild pokemon, but he decided to let Jake have a go first. “I’m pretty sure the Venonat’s close by. Why don’t you see if you can locate it?”

----
Name: Jake Mills
Location: The Woods
Items: 3 park balls
Remaining Encounters: 14
Area Effects: Cloudy, Slight breeze
Pokemon Encountered: Venonat
Current Encounter: Venonat (Uncommon)
Pokemon Captured: none
MCR: 4869/9000

Soot the Houndour (M) - Adamant
Early Bird
EM: none

Chase the Hoothoot (M) - Careful
Keen Eye
EM: none

 

OOC: Female, please @Sky Lark;

Jake stood stiff, shocked that the Venonat had just disappeared. Jake turned to looked at Trevor and saw that he had backed away and was holding a finger to his lips. Jake understood that Trevor wanted him to be quiet, but he couldn't help thinking how the Venonat could just drop out of sight. Jake then heard the Venonat chattering somewhere, but he wasn't quite sure where it was coming from.

“I’m pretty sure the Venonat’s close by. Why don’t you see if you can locate it?” Trevor said and asked.

Jake nodded his head and tried to think of a way to find Venonat. He tried going through Soot's moves, but he couldn't remember a couple which didn't help. He thought about yelling at the Venonat, but that would scare it even more which might cause it to leave the area altogether. As he kept looking around, a thought popped into Jake's mind. Even though it's young, it obviously knows how to defend itself, but I might be able to track it. Jake stepped towards Soot so that he wouldn't have to talk to loud which might have scared the Venonat. "Soot, I want you to use Odor Sleuth and track that Venonat." Jake thought that this plan would at least get them closer to where the Venonat was hiding. Perhaps it would lead them right to the wild Pokémon. Jake watched as Soot's nose became a light green color and started to glow that same color. The Houndour put his nose to the ground and walked over to the bushes where the Venonat had been at first. With the Pokémon's scent, Soot was able to catch a whiff of Venonat in the air and the Houndour quickly followed the trail to another cluster of bushes nearby which surrounded a tree. Jake watched Soot go through and into the bushes, circling the tree until he stopped and set his front paws on the trunk, signaling that Venonat had been found.

Jake walked up to Soot and the tree. It was a Pecha berry tree in full bloom, some berries already coming in. Jake knew that Pecha berries tasted sweet and that they could heal a poisoned Pokémon. Jake started looking up in the branches to try and spot the little purple Pokémon, but it was difficult with all of the leaves and buds. Jake caught a lucky break as he noticed some movement near the end of a branch. Jake started thinking that Soot could just use Ember to get it down, but he remembered that he was supposed to try to not cause damage to the park "Soot, how are we supposed to get it down without harming the tree?" Jake was asking more aloud than at Soot. Suddenly, he snapped his fingers and he went up to the trunk. "Soot, I'm going to recall you into your Pokéball." Jake could already tell Soot did not like the plan. "Just wait, then I will call you out again, but this time you will appear on those branches. Then just make your way to the Venonat without falling and use Bite. Okay?"

Soot started grumbling and muttering, as much as a now grumpy Houndour could, but he complied. Jake pulled out his ball, returned the dog with a click of the button and then threw back up, but higher and aimed a the tree branch. "Soot, go!" The Houndour appeared again in a flash of light, but this time above Jake's head in the Pecha tree. "Go get it, Soot." The dog obeyed his trainer and disappeared in the foliage. There was some shuffling and then Jake saw Venonat jump to the ground with Houndour right behind it. It didn't seem like it had taken any damage, so it must've jumped down before Soot got to it. "Good job, Soot! Now use Crunch!" The Houndour charged at the Venonat with his fangs bared and ready.

 

@Jake434
OOC: I apologize for the massive delay. School has been eating up my time

BP1

Trevor watched as Jake stepped forward and said something to Soot. He couldn’t hear what Jake was saying, but it seemed as if he had figured out a way to find the Venonat. A light green glow started emanating from the Houndour’s nose. Not quite sure as to what the Houndour was doing, Trevor grabbed his tablet and opened an app that served as a comprehensive pokedex. As he glanced through the entry for Houndour, he concluded that Soot must have been using Odor Sleuth.

By the time Trevor looked up from his tablet, Soot was already at the foot of a nearby Pecha berry tree. The Houndour had apparently found the Venonat. With its front paws set on the trunk and its nose pointed up, it was clearly indicating that the Venonat was hiding among the leaves of the tree. “Clever!” Trevor excitedly muttered. Odor Sleuth was usually reserved for Ghost type pokemon, but it was also useful for locating evasive pokemon. Suddenly, Trevor heard Jake say that he was about to recall his Houndour and send it out on one of the bushes. Caught off guard by the statement, Trevor called out. “Wait!” he shouted, but it was too late. In a flash of light, the Houndour rematerialized among the Pecha berries. Trevor bit his lip, expecting a couple of branches to give way at any moment, causing the Houndour to fall. To his surprise, the branches were able to support Soot’s weight. Apparently, he had been way off when he estimated how heavy the Houndour was. Nimbly, the Houndour started making its way through the foliage. It wasn’t long before the tree shook violently, indicating a scuffle. The sound of panicked buzzing filled the air as the Houndour furiously snapped at its foe. However, the branches apparently worked to the Venonat’s aid as they hampered Soot’s movements, making it impossible for him to get a solid bite in. Moments after, the Venonat jumped to the ground in a frenzy with the Houndour right at its heel.

With its mouth wide open and its fangs bared, the Houndour rushed forward, catching up to the Venonat in a burst of speed. Without any branches to hinder its movement, Soot was feeling quite dandy. With a vicious bite, Soot sunk his teeth into the Venonat’s side before tossing it unceremoniously into the air. The Venonat, seemingly unfazed by the attack, simply rolled on the grass and stood up. However, something seemed amiss. Its behavior was completely different from its previously panicked state. Trevor noticed that the Venonat’s eyes were uncharacteristically dull, and it seemed somewhat… sluggish. Unsure as to whether the Venonat was all right, Trevor decided that he’d observe the Venonat and wait it out for a bit longer. Maybe it was just using an attack that he wasn’t all too familiar with.


----
Battle Stats:
??? F Venonat: 78% [Atk, Def+1, Spe-1] [Used Curse]
Adamant M Houndour: 100% [Used Bite and Crunch]
----


Name: Jake Mills
Location: The Woods
Items: 3 park balls
Remaining Encounters: 14
Area Effects: Cloudy, Slight breeze
Pokemon Encountered: Venonat
Current Encounter: Venonat (Uncommon)
Pokemon Captured: none
MCR: 8393/9000

Soot the Houndour (M) - Adamant
Early Bird
EM: none

Chase the Hoothoot (M) - Careful
Keen Eye
EM: none

 

OOC: That's alright. I understand that everyone has to deal with life first. @Sky Lark;

Jake couldn't help but grin a little when Soot was able to pull off the Crunch attack. It wasn't because he wanted to see the little Venonat get bit and then thrown like a ragdoll, but Jake grinned because his plan to get the purple Pokémon down had worked and so did Soot's move. He was about to call another attack out, when Jake noticed that there was something off about Venonat. Instead of its intensely purple eyes, they were paler. It's seems kind of slow, too. Maybe it's just hurt a lot more than I thought. Or it was slow to start off with. Jake shook his head to clear it, he couldn't get distracted. He still had a battle going on even if a Pokémon's behavior was weird. Besides, Trevor hasn't said anything about it. Jake looked over quick to see if his ranger was still there and didn't go off somewhere. He was pretty sure that would never happen, but there could always be an emergency somewhere.

Jake felt a small tapping on his ankle. He looked down to see Soot by his side, ready to go. The dog looked slightly irritated that Jake hadn't called out an attack yet, but that was coming up. "Ready, Soot?"

The Pokémon jumped forward, closer to the odd Venonat, and held his head low and made a deep growl.

"Okay, Soot! Get closer to the Venonat. Then jump up and use an Ember attack right over it!" Jake thought that without much to work with, this would at least give the Venonat the smallest chance of escaping Soot's attack since he could always just move his head to change the direction. The Houndour ran at the Venonat again and started building up the embers that would be used when he opened his mouth. Though, unlike the Bite and Crunch attacks Soot jumped up before letting lose the concentrated fire attack.

 

@Jake434
BP2

"Ready, Soot?" Jake asked. He had been distracted by the Venonat’s sudden sluggishness, and his pokemon had started growing impatient. Expectantly looking at its trainer, the Houndour was waiting for his next move. Realizing this, Jake quickly called out a command. "Okay, Soot! Get closer to the Venonat. Then jump up and use an Ember attack right over it!"

Trevor knew that Ember was a relatively weak Fire type attack. He appreciated the fact that Jake didn’t order his Houndour to use Flamethrower, which could’ve accidentally started a fire among the trees. However, he was still wary about the attack. The wind was starting to pick up, and it would only take a couple of poorly aimed sparks for some plants to catch fire. Moving his hand towards his belt, where his Politoed’s pokeball was located, he watched as the Houndour started running towards the Venonat.

Full of energy, Soot rushed forward with its teeth bared as if it were using Crunch once more. The wild pokemon seemed stuck in its daze, unmoving as the Houndour approached. Suddenly, Soot leaped into the air, jumping above the Venonat. Multiple, tiny balls of fire shot out of the Houndour’s mouth as it landed at the edge of the woods. Most of the embers found their mark, shocking the Venonat out of its trance. The few that missed lightly singed a few blades of grass, but otherwise, the attack did little damage on the surroundings.

The Venonat’s eyes returned to their previously bright state as it was pelted by the miniature balls of flame. Immediately gathering its wits, the Venonat angrily spun around, glaring, and lunged towards the Houndour. Then, it proceeded to nip Soot’s ear with its pincer-like teeth, causing the Houndour to wince and howl in pain as it freed itself from the Venonat’s teeth. The Venonat immediately hopped back a couple of feet, anticipating Soot’s next move.

Trevor didn't expect the Venonat to be able to strike with such force. Something had to be up. Grabbing his tablet once again, he searched for information pertaining to moves that Venonat could perform. As he skimmed through the list, he didn't spot anything remarkable. Then, it hit him. "Jake, I think the Venonat previously used Curse. That would explain its sudden sluggish behaviour. You better be careful. Its physical attack and defense are considerably higher than before, so you might want to distance Soot and use long-range attacks instead."

----
Battle Stats:
??? F Venonat: 52% [Atk, Def+1, Spe-1] [Used Bug Bite]
Adamant M Houndour: 84% [Used Ember]
----


Name: Jake Mills
Location: The Woods
Items: 3 park balls
Remaining Encounters: 14
Area Effects: Cloudy, Slight breeze
Pokemon Encountered: Venonat
Current Encounter: Venonat (Uncommon)
Pokemon Captured: none
MCR: 10130/9000

Soot the Houndour (M) - Adamant
Early Bird
EM: none

Chase the Hoothoot (M) - Careful
Keen Eye
EM: none

 

@Sky Lark;
OOC: Sorry for the late reply, I had no internet for a few days

Jake's happiness that Soot's Ember attack worked was quickly killed as the Venonat was able to recover, albeit faster than expected, and attack the Houndour by biting its ear. Jake heard his partner howl and saw him cringe as well. Soot, luckily, was able to free himself from the Venonat's pincers. The bug then hopped back a few feet from Soot, just watching him.

Trevor spoke up with some great information, but it was bad news for Jake. "Jake, I think the Venonat previously used Curse. That would explain its sudden sluggish behaviour. You better be careful. Its physical attack and defense are considerably higher than before, so you might want to distance Soot and use long-range attacks instead."

Great, Soot doesn't have any ranged moves that aren't fire based besides Smog, but Venonat wouldn't be effected very much. Jake had to think quick before the Venonat realized that it could attack again. I guess I'll have to stay close for attacks, but still go with fire, unless... An idea suddenly popped into Jake's head that may help him out in this situation. "Soot, use Leer to lower the Venonat's defense!"

The Houndour started slowly making his way to, glaring into the Venonat's eyes until it would give way to a weak point. Soot started growling as well just to help out his own move.

Time for part two of Jake's plan. "Now, Soot! Use Foul Play!" Jake remembered that Foul Play used the opponent's attack against itself. Since the Venonat raised it's attack, why not use it to Soot's advantage?

Soot then started running around the Venonat which will somehow cause it to hurt itself. Jake hoped that Soot wouldn't get his by mistake.

 

@Jake434
BP3
OOC: :X I profusely apologize for the delay. You’re well over your mcr at this point, but for future reference, you can flesh out your attacks more instead of “Soot then started running around the Venonat which will somehow cause it to hurt itself,” which is a bit vague.

Trevor saw Jake furrow his eyebrows. It was clear that he was having a hard time finding a move that was appropriate for the situation. With neither of his pokemon were fully evolved, and their movesets being quite limited, Jake was definitely stuck in a tight spot. In a matter of seconds, Trevor heard Jake call out.

"Soot, use Leer to lower the Venonat's defense!"

How interesting, Trevor mused. Not knowing what Jake was planning to do after the Leer attack, Trevor arched his eyebrows inquisitively and watched as the Houndour started menacingly approaching its opponent.

Sneering, Soot assumed a hunting pose and started growling at the Venonat. With his head close to the ground and his hips high in the air, it looked as if Soot was about to pounce. With fangs bared and a piercing stare, the Houndour glared at his opponent, intimidating it and causing it to drop its defenses.

Seeing the Venonat cringe, Jake quickly called out another attack. "Now, Soot! Use Foul Play!"

Trevor couldn't help being impressed by his trainer's string of commands. Using Foul Play to turn the Venonat's strength against it was a brilliant showing of flexibility and presence of mind. Many trainers simply went with brute force, and clearly, Jake wasn't one of them.

Suddenly, the Houndour's glare turned into a taunting grin. Goading his opponent, the Houndour gave out a series of hoarse barks. It seemed as if it was actually laughing at the Venonat, daring it to attack. Soot then started running around, barking all along. Its barks were probably taunts that only the pokemon could understand, something about the Venonat not being fast enough to even attempt to hit the Houndour.

Enraged, the Venonat ran towards the dog. It was still sluggish, but its eyes were filled with passion. Seeing the Venonat start to give chase, the Houndour stopped, waiting for its opponent to catch up.

The Venonat's fangs were bared, and just as it was about to strike, the Houndour stepped aside, causing the Venonat to stumble due to its inertia. Becoming increasingly distressed with a combination of chagrin and fury, the Venonat got up and blindly rushed at the Houndour, striking at it with its various limbs and erratically flinging its various antennae.

Trevor could see that the wild pokemon’s blows were becoming increasingly weaker. It was starting to tire out. Trevor figured that it was about time to attempt a capture. “Jake,” he called out, “you should probably consider attempting a capture soon. The Venonat’s getting weaker.”

----
Battle Stats:
??? F Venonat: 26% [Atk+1, Spe-1] [Used Frustration]
Adamant M Houndour: 62% [Used Leer, Foul Play]
----


Name: Jake Mills
Location: The Woods
Items: 3 park balls
Remaining Encounters: 14
Area Effects: Cloudy, Slight breeze
Pokemon Encountered: Venonat
Current Encounter: Venonat (Uncommon)
Pokemon Captured: none
MCR: 11782/9000

Soot the Houndour (M) - Adamant
Early Bird
EM: none

Chase the Hoothoot (M) - Careful
Keen Eye
EM: none

 

@Sky Lark;

OOC: As I've said before, I understand, plus you warned me. No need to apologize. And I didn't know how Foul Play looked (even after looking it up) and so I did my best. I' so glad you know what it looks like.

Jake was surprised that this young Venonat was still going strong. As the Houndour taunted it, using the Venonat's attack against itself, Jake could tell that the wild Pokémon was becoming furious. After falling, due to Soot's Foul Play, while trying to use a move the Venonat got up and rushed, seemingly blindly, at Soot. The little bug Pokémon struck the Houndour various times with flailing antennae and limbs.

“Jake,” Trevor called out, “you should probably consider attempting a capture soon. The Venonat’s getting weaker.”

Jake listened to Trevor's words and then looked back at the Venonat. It was indeed becoming weaker. "Alright, Soot! Time to wrap this up." Jake pulled out a small, round ball that had a small button in the middle. The ball was also green on top with white on the bottom and a black stripe through the middle. Jake pressed the button and the ball grew in size, from travel to capture mode. Jake threw the Parkball at the weakened Venonat yelling, "Go, Parkball!" The Venonat was hit by the ball which then popped up into the air and opened, sucking the Pokémon in in a red light. The ball dropped to the forest floor, rocking and beeping.

 

@Jake434
NBP4
OOC: Again, sorry I couldn't post sooner.

Warily, the Venonat eyed Jake as he brought out a Park Ball. Although it was pretty worn down, it clearly had no plans of giving up any time soon.

Excited about potentially capturing his first ever pokemon in the park, Jake called out. “Go, Parkball!” To Trevor’s surprise, the Park Ball had been thrown with too much force. It flew straight over the Venonat, narrowly missing it by a few inches. Luckily, a mild gust of wind suddenly picked up, causing the Park Ball to change its course and fall towards the Venonat. Had the wind not redirected the Park Ball, it would have probably gotten stuck in some low hanging branches.

Trevor watched intently as the Venonat, feeling the pull of the Park Ball, stepped back in surprise before it was completely engulfed in the red light. The Park Ball wiggled violently once it dropped to the ground – a sign that the Venonat was defiantly trying to escape.

Not long after, the Park Ball ceased moving and made a soft clicking sound. Seeing this, Trevor clapped his hands and grabbed the shiny sphere, pocketing it immediately before he turned to face Jake. With a goofy grin on his face, he said, “Congratulations on your first capture in the park! That was an awesome first battle. I’ll be hanging on to Venonat while we continue exploring this area, but after the run is over, all you have to do is accomplish some forms before you’ll be able to claim her.”

“What a great way to start today’s expedition. All right, I figure you want to continue exploring the park,” Trevor stated as he quickly jotted down a few notes on his tablet. After double-checking the map for his intended path, he stashed his tablet inside his bag, and with Flutter by his side, he started walking towards the edge of the forest.

The morning was still young, and he was sure that they’d be able to spot a couple of interesting pokemon if they continued on. The sunny weather was extremely pleasant, providing just the right amount of warmth. The ranger and the trainer were only at the edge of the forest, but once they were deep inside the forest, the sunlight streaming through the canopy would surely provide a stunning sight to behold.

Suddenly, a Pidgey landed smack dab right in front of Jake. It seemed curious more than anything, but Trevor knew it was best if they avoided making any sudden moves lest the Pidgey take that as an affront.

"What do you think, Jake? Looks like the Pidgey's just inquisitive, but you're allowed to battle it if you want to."

----
Name: Jake Mills
Location: The Woods
Items: 3 park balls
Remaining Encounters: 14
Area Effects: Fairly sunny, Slight breeze
Pokemon Encountered: Venonat, Pidgey
Current Encounter: Pidgey (Common)
Pokemon Captured: Venonat (Timid)
MCR: 11782/9000

Soot the Houndour (M) - Adamant @62%
Early Bird
EM: none

Chase the Hoothoot (M) - Careful
Keen Eye
EM: none

 

@Sky Lark;
OOC: No problem, but after this post, I won't be able to get back on until September 3.

Jake could only watch as the ball rocked back forth. So many things ran through his mind at once; 'Will I capture it?', 'Will it escape?', 'Do I need to keep battling?', 'Will Soot be mad at me if it gets away?'.

Suddenly, the ball clicked and Trevor clapped his hands together. The ranger walked up to the ball and quickly deposited it onto his person. Trevor then faced Jake and spoke, which partly scared the trainer because of the ranger's distorted face, but also made him quite proud of himself. "Congratulations on your first capture in the park! That was an awesome first battle. I’ll be hanging on to Venonat while we continue exploring this area, but after the run is over, all you have to do is accomplish some forms before you’ll be able to claim her.”

“What a great way to start today’s expedition. All right, I figure you want to continue exploring the park,” the ranger continued before writing something on his tablet and then packed it away. Jake followed as Trevor started off again, this time hopefully deeper into the forest before anything else happened. Jake recalled Soot before he could forget him and end up leaving the fire-type to his own devices.

Suddenly, a Pidgey landed smack dab right in front of Jake. It seemed curious more than anything, but it was odd to the trainer that it would just plop itself right there. Jake watched the small bird as it pecked at a couple things and stared at him.

Trevor then spoke up, "What do you think, Jake? Looks like the Pidgey's just inquisitive, but you're allowed to battle it if you want to."

Jake thought about his answer for a few seconds before replying. "I think I'll let this one pass. I just finished a battle and I would like to get farther into the forest for my next one." Jake was about to start walking when he though of one other thing. "Uhh, how should I go about getting past it?"

 

@Jake434

NBP5

Tilting its head to the side, the Pidgey watched carefully as Jake spoke. "I think I'll let this one pass. I just finished a battle and I would like to get farther into the forest for my next one." He seemed ready to walk past the bird before stopping, a thought suddenly popping up. "Uhh, how should I go about getting past it?"

Good question, Trevor thought. Park pokemon were unpredictable to say the least, and the slightest of actions might have come across as threatening. “Hmm,” Trevor replied. “I’ve heard of trainers who talk to the pokemon, explaining why they don’t want to battle. Personally, I avoid eye contact and just walk away, but whatever floats your boat,” he finished, shrugging. Right at that moment, as if on cue, the Pidgey spread its wings and flew off, quickly disappearing amongst the trees as something else piqued its interest. “Or that,” Trevor muttered. “That works too.”

With that, Trevor waved his arm, motioning for them to carry on. Dry leaves making crunching sounds underfoot, Trevor walked on, keeping an eye out for landmarks. So far, the landscape consisted of tree after tree, some stockier than the rest, but none stuck out in particular. He was looking for Honey trees, which he knew were few and far in between. With their golden leaves and the sweet scent that wafted from their bark, they had the potential to attract the shier and more obscure pokemon. No luck so far though.

In an effort to make conversation, Trevor asked if Jake was specifically looking for any pokemon. He wouldn’t be able to guarantee anything, but he’d be sure to keep an eye out.

For quite some time, they walked deeper into the woods, Flutter leading the way. She flit this way and that, weaving her way amongst the trees as they kept their eyes peeled. The cries of pokemon filled the air, practically indistinguishable due to the sheer number of voices that simultaneously called out, a sign that they wouldn’t have much difficulty encountering pokemon.

Suddenly, there was a yawn. A yawn? How odd. Seeking the source of the sound, Trevor glanced up, and to his surprise, a pokemon was hanging from above. Lying on a thick branch was a brown sloth-like pokemon , one of its arms dangling lazily. The Slakoth, still sleepy, slowly opened its eyes. Trevor knew them to sleep for a greater portion of the day, and seeing one awake, or at least, half-awake, was certainly a surprise. He hoped it wasn’t their noise that caused it to wake. Turning to Jake, Trevor inquired, “How about this guy? I’ve heard some good things about Slaking, its fully-evolved form.”

----
Name: Jake Mills
Location: The Woods
Items: 2 park balls
Remaining Encounters: 12
Area Effects: Fairly sunny, Slight breeze
Pokemon Encountered: Venonat, Pidgey, Slakoth
Current Encounter: Slakoth (Common)
Pokemon Captured: Venonat (Timid)
MCR: 0/4000

Soot the Houndour (M) - Adamant @62%
Early Bird
EM: none

Chase the Hoothoot (M) - Careful
Keen Eye
EM: none

 

@Sky Lark;

Jake watched as the Pidgey flew off between the trees.

Trevor motioned to continue on down the path, and Jake followed him with Flitter in the lead. As they walked, Jake couldn't help but notice all of the dried leaves on the path that he was stepping on.

There must not be people on this path very often, he couldn't help but think. At least that should mean lots of Pokémon in the area. Maybe some rarer ones will show themselves. Jake's thought drifted a little as he focused on the calls made by the many forest Pokémon. He couldn't pick out just one voice as they all seemed to create one single mass of sounds.

Eventually, as the trio got deeper into the woods, Trevor seemed to notice something. Jake stopped and looked around questioning what it was. It wasn't until Trevor spoke that Jake noticed the Pokémon above them.

“How about this guy? I’ve heard some good things about Slaking, its fully-evolved form," said Trevor.

Jake thought it over and about Slaking. It would be useful to have such a powerful normal type on my team, but I have heard they sometimes fall asleep or just don't move at times. Jake quickly made his mind up as it seemed Trevor was waiting. "Yes, I'll try and battle it." Jake backed up a little to give his Pokémon some space for when he called it out. He grabbed a red and white ball from his pants pocket. As he threw it, Jake yelled out, "Let's go, Chase!"

"Hoo! Hoo!" a small round, brown shape said as it emerged from the Pokéball. As the Hoothoot turned to Jake, he could see that the little owl only had one foot on the ground, as the other was tucked away in its feathers. Hoothoot peered at Jake with large red eyes, waiting for his trainer to speak.

"Are you ready?" Jake asked. The owl nodded and put on a stern face with its wings outstretched. "Great! Now fly up to that Slakoth and use Peck!"

The owl put down both feet to jump and get a boost as it flapped its small wings and flew upwards to the sloth. As its beak began glowing, Chase threw his body, beak first, at the Slakoth.

 

@Jake434
OOC: What gender would you like for Slakoth?

BP4
With a quick flick of his wrist, Jake called forth his other pokemon, a Hoothoot. Known for their habit of standing on one leg, Hoothoot were no strangers to treetops. Jake called out his command, brimming with confidence, and just like that, the Flying type had set into motion, propelled by its tiny wings. A silver sheen enveloping its beak, the Hoothoot launched its attack, incessantly pecking at the Slakoth.

Trevor had to wonder, though. Was the Peck attack really doing substantial damage? The longer he watched, the more strongly he felt that the attack was simply riling the wild pokemon up.

At first, the Slakoth paid the Hoothoot no mind, absentmindedly scratching at the areas that the Hoothoot had targeted, but it was not long before the Slakoth groaned, irritated that its usual lull had been disturbed. With a yawn, the Slacker pokemon slowly got to its feet as it prepared to counterattack. Frowning, it lashed out with its claws, swiping furiously at the offending pokemon.

The Hoothoot, despite its cautious nature, was initially caught off guard due to the sudden movement of its opponent. As a result, it was scratched several times. Screeching in pain, the brown avian flew backwards, quickly retreating from its attacker. Hovering a short distance away from the branch, the Hoothoot narrowed its eyes, wary of its opponent. Its Peck attack, after all, had done a minimal amount of damage, and to its surprise, the sloth was not as slow as it expected. More importantly, however, it was now out of the Slakoth’s striking range.

Now that its claws were slashing through empty space, the Slakoth became even more irritated. With a grunt, the mammalian pokemon started its descent, realizing it would be difficult to battle in the treetops. Despite its impressive claws, it would simply become too difficult to manage both attacking and maintaining a firm grasp on the tree. Surprisingly (or perhaps not so), it displayed agility as it climbed down, managing to reach the floor in a matter of moments. Maybe Slakoth weren’t to be underestimated after all.

----
Battle Stats:
??? ? Slakoth: 83% [Used Scratch]
Careful M Hoothoot: 88% [Used Peck]
----


Name: Jake Mills
Location: The Woods
Items: 2 park balls
Remaining Encounters: 12
Area Effects: Fairly sunny, Slight breeze
Pokemon Encountered: Venonat, Pidgey, Slakoth
Current Encounter: Slakoth (Common)
Pokemon Captured: Venonat (Timid)
MCR: 2038/4000

Soot the Houndour (M) – Adamant @62%
Early Bird
EM: none

Chase the Hoothoot (M) - Careful
Keen Eye
EM: none

 

@Sky Lark;
OOC: Female please.

~~~

Jake and his Hoothoot, Chase, were both taken aback by the Slakoth's speed. The normal Pokémon was able to land some Scratch attacks before Chase could flee to a branch a safe distance away from the Slakoth. Jake watched as it then began climbing down the tree it had been in, with surprising agility and speed.

"Get directly over it, Chase, and use Air Slash!" Jake yelled to his Pokémon. The last move Jake chose, Peck, didn't seem to afflict a lot of damage, so hopefully a different move will hurt the Slakoth more.

The Hoothoot fluttered its way over to a space above the Slakoth. It gained some altitude as its two wings started to glow. Then Chase focused the Slakoth below it and started swinging its wings across its body in order to throw blades of air. Chase threw three or four from each wing and then settled on the tree branch the Slakoth was originally resting on, waiting for the dust to clear.

"Good job, Chase!" Now to see the Slakoth's next move.

 

BP5
OOC: Oops. I forgot to mention you. Sorry
@Jake434

Jake, thinking on his feet, immediately called out. "Get directly over it, Chase, and use Air Slash!"

Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea for them to have disturbed the Slakoth. There were certain pokemon that, when woken from sleep, reacted violently, lashing out at whatever had the gall to bother them. Apparently, this sloth-like pokemon was one of them. Trevor raised his hand with two fingers outstretched, a sign which he had taught Flutter not too long ago. As she landed on his shoulder, he whispered, “Get ready to use Sleep Powder just in case things get out of hand, all right?” Her response was a gentle nudge against his ear, and with a light shrug of his shoulder, she took off once again.

It took but a moment for the Hoothoot to position itself above the Slakoth. Concentration etched onto its face, it furiously flapped its wings, whipping up strong gales. Every so often, the Hoothoot would flap harder, launching a concentrated burst of wind towards the Slakoth. The attacks generally found their mark, hitting the Normal type as well as displacing the leaves around it.

The Slakoth, barely reacted, undeterred by the barrage of wind. It, however, was ready with an attack of its own. As the owl attempted to retreat to the safety of the trees, it leaped with claws outstretched. It was only for a moment, but energy the color of coal swirled around the Slakoth’s arm, empowering the attack. With vengeance and anger filling its thoughts, the Slakoth latched onto the Hoothoot before it escaped, gripping the owl’s leg tightly with its sharp claws.

Startled by the attack, the Hoothoot struggled to break free, unfortunately causing more damage as it tried to pull out its limb. With a flurry of movement, the Hoothoot desperately thrashed about, tossing and turning in the air as it repeatedly struck the Slakoth with its wings.

The Hoothoot eventually escaped, landing on a nearby branch. It had sustained damage from the attack, but its leg seemed relatively fine.

----
Battle Stats:
??? F Slakoth: 46% [Used Pursuit]
Careful M Hoothoot: 68% [Used Air Slash]
----


Name: Jake Mills
Location: The Woods
Items: 2 park balls
Remaining Encounters: 12
Area Effects: Fairly sunny, Slight breeze
Pokemon Encountered: Venonat, Pidgey, Slakoth
Current Encounter: Slakoth (Common)
Pokemon Captured: Venonat (Timid)
MCR: 3006/4000

Soot the Houndour (M) – Adamant @62%
Early Bird
EM: none

Chase the Hoothoot (M) - Careful
Keen Eye
EM: none