Individual RP: Roulette

NBP#1

Ranger Ivy Frost

---

Ivy stretched, letting out a relieved sound as a few of her bones cracked. She headed into the Main Ranger Outpost with a neutral look on her face, slightly flushed and ruffled from working out in one of the storage sheds. There had been some spare time lately, so she had put it to good use, rearranging the sheds so they could actually get to the stuff they needed. She had plans to fix every one, though alone the task seemed pretty overwhelming. She had only managed to finish two of them, and there were quite a few around each area of the Park. She mentally shrugged though; it would keep her busy on days like today.

She came through the doors and headed over to the main counter, signalling to one of the secretaries. She had stopped her sorting because she'd gotten a message on her phone that there was a Trainer available to take through on a run. A secretary, a taller, brown-haired woman, who she thought was named Lacey, nodded to her and dug through one of the filing cabinets behind the ledge.

Ivy looked around the office as she waited, leaning back nonchalantly with her elbows braced on the surface behind her. She met many pairs of curious eyes, including Leo and Chainy, from the main work area. It caused her to smirk. Surely their minds were wandering at her appearance. She simply brushed her long red hair back into its place and straightened her long red canvas vest, all with a grin on her face. Let them wonder.

The closing of the cabinet turned her back to Lacey, and she was handed the file on the next Trainer. Ivy opened it where she was, letting the others get back to work. It looked like she had a big game hunter on her hands this time. Tony Heath was younger, but it looked like his application was very straight-laced and proffesional. She would have to remember that on the run. Some thought hunters were a problem, but she didn't believe the same. They were really just enthusiastic and serious Pokémon collectors. As long as they didn't abuse the Pokémon or the Park, she had no problem with them.

She left the folder on the counter for her to pick up when she got back and headed back outside. She already had all her gear with her, including her emergency potions and Pokédolls, so she was good to go. She stepped through the doors and could immediately feel the link between her and her Psychic Pokémon grow stronger. It never really went away, but she had noticed that it tended to flare up whenever they were closer and get dimmer when they were apart. It made her smile that she was learning how to use it.

“Hey, Haji,” she called, seeing him curled up on a flat rock, soaking up the sun. “We've got a run to the Valley, unless you'd rather nap.” She never tried to force him to do anything he didn't want to.

Unsurprisingly though, he jumped off the rock and padded to her side as she headed directly south to their destination. There wasn't one run he let her go on without him ever since they had gone looking for poachers in Deckbi with Chainy and Buzz. There had been some problems with their mental link at that time, and it revealed more of her thoughts and memories than she planned on. One of the ones Haji had picked up while they were connected was the time she got trapped in the caves here in the Valley on her very first run. She hadn't had a Psychic type or even proper equipment back then.

They eventually reached the smaller Outpost Eight after absorbing more of the sun. Usually her black underclothes would be overheating her by now, but it was a little breezy. She'd also be glad for the extra covering if they went traipsing through the trees and long grass. The caves too were pretty clammy, so she would manage.

They took a seat on another large rock near the outpost as they waited for their Trainer.

---

Current Battle Stats: N/A

---

Trainer Stats

Name: Tony Heath
Location: Meteor Valley
Area Effects: 15 Encounters Remaining
Pokémon Encountered: None
Pokémon Captured: None
MCR: 0

Items: Hyperball x2, Parkball x2, Max Potion

Pokemon Stats

Breloom, M, Brave
Nickname: Jaun Carlos Santana III
Ability: Technician
Moves: Absorb, Tackle, Stun Spore, Leech Seed, Mega Drain, Headbutt, Mach Punch, PoisonPowder, Counter, Worry Seed, Force Palm, Growth, Sky Uppercut, Giga Drain, Mind Reader, Seed Bomb, Spore, DynamicPunch
EMs: HM Cut, HM Strength, TM Stone Edge, TM Bulk Up, TM Energy Ball, TM Iron Tail, TM Rock Slide, TM Focus Punch, TM Substitute, TM Swords Dance, TM Drain Punch, TM Rock Tomb, TM Return, TM Low Sweep

Houndoom, M, Careful
Nickname: iLa Fantoma!
Ability: Early Bird
Moves: Thunder Fang, Leer, Ember, Howl, Smog, Roar, Bite, Odor Sleuth, Beat Up, Fire Fang, Faint Attack, Embargo, Flamethrower, Crunch, Nasty Plot, Inferno, Foul Play
EMs: TM Dark Pulse, HM Strength, TM Fire Blast

Gallade, M, Brave
Nickname: N/A
Ability: Steadfast
Moves: Leaf Blade, Night Slash, Leer, Growl, Confusion, Double Team, Teleport, Lucky Chant, Fury Cutter, Magical Leaf, Slash, Calm Mind, Swords Dance, Psychic, Psycho Cut, Imprison, Helping Hand, Future Sight, Feint, Charm, False Swipe, Hypnosis, Protect, Dream Eater, Close Combat, Heal Pulse, Stored Power
EMs: TM Substitute, TM Bulk Up, TM X-Scissor, TM Drain Punch, BM Shadow Sneak, BM Ice Punch, TM Skill Swap, BM Thunderpunch, BM Encore, TM Thunderwave

 

OOC: Long, I know. I'll try to post regularly lol.

After I had gone through everything at the Main Outpost, I headed toward Outpost 8 where my ranger would be waiting to take me through Meteor Valley. I usually preferred to look for pokemon alone, but in the National Park a ranger was required to make sure I followed all the rules. The Main Outpost had frustrated me a bit. I was anxious to begin my trip through the park, but I was held up for a long time giving various secretaries and rangers information about myself. My name, my pokemon and how they behaved, and a lot of other things. I supposed that it was a screening process to keep low-lifes out of the park, so I didn't let it bug me too badly. Another thing was how the reacted to my "gun". I must've explained to fifteen rangers that it wasn't lethal, only a more accurate way of throwing pokeballs. Though it angered me, I played it cool. I knew that a hot-headed big-game hunter wouldn't be welcome in the park.

I had walked a short distance down the path towards Outpost 8 when I heard an engine behind me. I turned around and saw a small vehicle making its way towards me. As it neared I could see that a worker from the Main Outpost was driving, and that it was a two-seater. A small bed was attached to the back of the cab, and a few tools were laid out in it. Since I was now looking into the sun, I pulled the brim of my hat down over my eyes so that I could see the approaching vehicle.

“Morning, sir, where are you headed?” the main hollered at me once he was within hearing range. The small vehicle, which seemed to be a utility vehicle of some kind, pulled up beside me now, and I could see the words “Ranger Outpost Property” labeled on the side. The man driving was wearing a modified ranger’s outfit that was modeled for grounds-keeping in the park.

“Outpost 8,” I told him as he slowed to a stop “Meteor Valley.”

“Ah, I’m headed somewhere just past the Valley. I can drop you off at the Outpost if you’d like,” the man said, smiling.

It was a hot day, and I still had quite a long way to go until I got to the outpost. I didn’t say anything and tossed my bag into the floor of the vehicle. I pulled my gun off of my back and threw it into the bed with the other tools. I made sure my bag wouldn’t fall out of the doorless vehicle, as all of my valuables were inside. A Max Potion in case my pokemon were injured in the park, four empty park balls, and three balls containing my pokemon all sat inside, along with some money, bug spray, and bottles of water. I thought I was pretty well equipped for my excursion.

The vehicle’s engine began to rumble again as we drove on down the path. Neither of us said much as we drove, instead he watched the road while I took in the scenery of the National Park. I had been to several pokemon reserves and parks, but this one could easily be described as the best. According to most, it had the best Rangers and more importantly, the best pokemon selection. As I gazed out at the landscape I saw huge plains, lakes, and two tall mountains. One mountain was higher than the other, and it had snow on its peak. The other seemed to be really rocky, and resembled a volcano. In between the two mountains there was a deep valley. I assumed that this was my destination, as it fit the description in the Park’s Guide.

“A wide, deep valley at the bottom of two large hills. The valley is several miles long and on either side is flanked by thick trees. There are caves in the sides of the kills and dozens of boulders and piles of stone strewn all over. The grass is knee-high and there are hundreds of flowers. At the far end of the valley there is a large pond.”

I could see the high grass now, but couldn’t see the pond or flowers. The valley looked sort of gloomy from here, but perhaps it would look better once I was in the actual valley. I could now see the Outpost, which seemed to be a smaller version of the Main Outpost. A few vehicles just like the one I was riding in were parked outside. We pulled up to the building and parked next to the others, and I grabbed my stuff and hopped out. I tipped my hat to my driver, and he backed out and carried on down the path. I looked around and saw a few people walking around, looking busy, but didn’t see any rangers that looked like they were waiting for me. I was just about to walk inside when I noticed a ranger sitting on a boulder in the grass next to the outpost with her pokemon. I read the card the secretary had given me and it said “Ranger: Ivy Frost, Description: Red hair, you can’t miss her”. That was right; her hair was very striking and noticeable. As I walked over to her she noticed me and stood up.

“Hello, I’m Tony Heath. I’m ready to start my run. I assume you’re my ranger?” I said calmly. I tightened the sling on my pokeball-rifle and pulled the straps of my bag over my shoulders. I fastened the drawstring of my hat under my chin so that it wouldn’t fall off while we were trekking through the park. I had removed my pokemon from my bag earlier, so I placed the balls on my belt for quick access.

 

NBP#2

Ranger Ivy Frost

---

She heard the rumble of the Park vehicle before she saw it come over the crest. Rocks crunched under the tires and a mini dust cloud kicked up behind the cart as it approached the Outpost. She watched a well-built man get out and start to walk in her direction as the staff drove off. In response she got up, jumping off the rock while Haji did the same next to her.

“Hello, I'm Tony Heath,” he said politely. “I'm ready to start my run. I assume you're my ranger?” He spoke calmly, though he looked a little anxious to get on with it.

He had thicker cargos than she did, accompanied with tall hiking boots. He also had a vest lined with pockets over a white button-up. She was sure the bag slung over his shoulders held a lot of useful supplies too. He seemed like he was well prepared. He probably did stuff like this on his own all the time.

He shifted his had so the drawstring drew tight, and she caught sight of the rifle on its sling. She didn't say anything about it. It looked wider than regular rifles, so she was pretty sure it had some other use. He had probably gotten enough grief back at the Main Outpost anyway; he didn't need any from her. Even if it was real, she still wouldn't have a problem with it. Chainy, one of her fellow Rangers, usually carried a pistol. She wasn't sure how many people actually knew that, but she wasn't fussed about it. As long as the user wasn't hurting people or Pokémon with it, she didn't have a problem.

She smiled politely at him. “Hi there, I'm Ivy, and yeah, I'm the Ranger on this run. I won't bore you with details since you've probably done your own research already, but I'll let you pick what way we go. We can check out the trees and caves-” She motioned towards either side of the valley. “-or we can head through the tall grass towards the lake on the far side. I'll let you think about it as we head down the main hill, so if you would, please follow me.”

She headed away from the Outpost, descending down the steep hill that marked the start of the Valley. She remembered almost rolling head first down it on her first run with a Trainer named Alaska. Dust kicked up around her feet as she slid carefully, and when she cleared the bottom, she was standing in front of a large, isolated tree. She waited for Tony to catch up, and was about to ask him what he wanted to check out first when she heard a sort of slurping laughter.

She looked around but saw nothing, and the laughing rang out again, like it was mocking them. There was a snapping of a branch, and she turned and looked up into the tree's looming foliage to see a dark shadow moving about. “Hey, what's the big deal,” she called to it, and it responded by laughing again and then spinning around the tree in a downward spiral.

As it came into the light, the black shadow faded into a purple mist-like color, accented with a grinning mouth and wide eyes. The Haunter came to float in front of them, taking interest in the humans.

Ivy turned back toward the Trainer. “A Haunter on your list somewhere? This one would probably be up for a fight if you wanted.”


---

Current Battle Stats:

??? ??? Haunter: 100%

---

Trainer Stats

Name: Tony Heath
Location: Meteor Valley
Area Effects: 14 Encounters Remaining
Pokémon Encountered: Haunter
Pokémon Captured: None
MCR: 5034/25,000 [Intermediate Rank]

Items: Hyperball x2, Parkball x2, Max Potion

Pokemon Stats

Breloom, M, Brave
Nickname: Jaun Carlos Santana III
Ability: Technician
Moves: Absorb, Tackle, Stun Spore, Leech Seed, Mega Drain, Headbutt, Mach Punch, PoisonPowder, Counter, Worry Seed, Force Palm, Growth, Sky Uppercut, Giga Drain, Mind Reader, Seed Bomb, Spore, DynamicPunch
EMs: HM Cut, HM Strength, TM Stone Edge, TM Bulk Up, TM Energy Ball, TM Iron Tail, TM Rock Slide, TM Focus Punch, TM Substitute, TM Swords Dance, TM Drain Punch, TM Rock Tomb, TM Return, TM Low Sweep

Houndoom, M, Careful
Nickname: iLa Fantoma!
Ability: Early Bird
Moves: Thunder Fang, Leer, Ember, Howl, Smog, Roar, Bite, Odor Sleuth, Beat Up, Fire Fang, Faint Attack, Embargo, Flamethrower, Crunch, Nasty Plot, Inferno, Foul Play
EMs: TM Dark Pulse, HM Strength, TM Fire Blast

Gallade, M, Brave
Nickname: N/A
Ability: Steadfast
Moves: Leaf Blade, Night Slash, Leer, Growl, Confusion, Double Team, Teleport, Lucky Chant, Fury Cutter, Magical Leaf, Slash, Calm Mind, Swords Dance, Psychic, Psycho Cut, Imprison, Helping Hand, Future Sight, Feint, Charm, False Swipe, Hypnosis, Protect, Dream Eater, Close Combat, Heal Pulse, Stored Power
EMs: TM Substitute, TM Bulk Up, TM X-Scissor, TM Drain Punch, BM Shadow Sneak, BM Ice Punch, TM Skill Swap, BM Thunderpunch, BM Encore, TM Thunderwave

 

The ranger hopped up quickly when I spoke to her. A pink cat-like pokemon nimbly crept behind the ranger, slowly waving its forked tail through the air behind it. Its eyes and ears were huge, clearly for taking in all that happened around it. I recognized it as one of the “eeveelutions”- an Espeon. It stood behind the ranger’s feet, peeking around her legs so that only the oval-shaped face was visible.

“Hi there, I'm Ivy, and yeah, I'm the Ranger on this run. I won't bore you with details since you've probably done your own research already, but I'll let you pick what way we go. We can check out the trees and caves-” she said ““-or we can head through the tall grass towards the lake on the far side. I'll let you think about it as we head down the main hill, so if you would, please follow me.”

She started walking down the hill in front of us, treading the ground very cautiously. I followed her example and chose my steps carefully. I pondered my options about where to go; the caves or the lake. There were certain pokemon I had traveled here to obtain, and most were Dark and Ghost types. Past experiences told me that they would probably be found in dark, secluded areas, so I decided I would tell Ivy I’d like to go to the caves.

I was glad she was cutting to the chase too. The previous checkpoints I had been through had been so repetitive, it was nice not to hear the same lectures again. When I had gotten out at the outpost I noticed her eying my rifle, but she didn’t seem bothered by it, which was a relief. I didn’t want her to be worried though.

“I thought I’d let you know, the rifle isn’t deadly, or even dangerous at all. It’s just a highly accurate method of throwing pokeballs,” I said. I spared her the details of how it worked.

As we walked further down the hill and into the wilderness, I figured it was a good time to get ready for pokemon encounters. I reached into my bag and grabbed the ball that contained my oldest friend- Houndoom. He was the first pokemon I ever obtained, and we shared a lot of chemistry. He was my favorite battling and hunting partner. I opened the capsule and released the black beast onto the hillside. Upon exiting the ball he caught sight of Ivy’s Espeon and began to growl.

“Houndoom, enough; she’s a friend,” I said calmly. Houndoom looked up at me and immediately calmed down.

We reached the bottom of the hill and arrived at the base of a barren tree. It looked like the kind of tree that a flock of Murkrow would be sitting in, though I couldn’t see any through the few scraggly leaves. As I walked up to where Ivy was stopped, I heard something odd. It was a faint laugh. I looked at Ivy who seemed to hear it as well. Both of us looked around for the source of the noise, but saw nothing. The eerie cackling came again, this time from above us. We both looked up and saw a shadowy being floating through the leaves and limbs of the tree, smirking at us. It was a purple mass of what seemed to be shadows and gas, with two big hands floating in front of it.

“A Haunter on your list somewhere? This one would probably be up for a fight if you wanted,” asked Ivy, not seeming too unnerved by the ghost. I was glad my ranger wasn’t soft.

“As a matter of fact, it is. I’ve been pursuing a Haunter for quite awhile now. I’d say this is a pretty fortunate encounter,” I said to Ivy “I’ll definitely battle it.”

Ivy stepped back, and Haunter, seeing that I was here to fight, floated down from the tree limbs above. It was much larger than I anticipated, and hovered menacingly above the ground a few feet. Houndoom and I stepped back too, staring down the Haunter who still wore a crooked grin on his face.

“Houndoom, are you ready to battle?” I asked my partner. He was glaring at the Haunter and snarling loudly, baring his teeth.

I looked around the area and saw that it was pretty empty. The only thing that protruded from the ground was the tree that the Haunter had come from, and everything else was flat and empty. I was hoping to be able to use the landscape to my advantage, but I could manage without. I did notice that things were noticeably darker in the valley, probably due to the shadows cast by the mountains.

“Houndoom, let’s start things off with a pretty basic attack. Use the darkness to your advantage and blend in with it. Try using Faint Attack to sneak up on Haunter!” I said to my hound. I had experience with fighting Ghost type pokemon, and knew they could be tricky. I was just testing the waters here though. The Gastly family was especially tricky, and was notorious for their pranks. I was curious to see what unorthodox tactics it would throw at me.

 

(OOC: Haji is a boy >.< Also, gender?)

BP#1

Ranger Ivy Frost

---

“As a matter of fact, it is,” Tony said. “I've been pursuing a Haunter for quite a while now. I'll definitely battle it.”

The ghost waited patiently as the Trainer prepared for battle. He reached into his bag and pulled out a ball, releasing the Pokémon in a flash of light. A devil-like dog appeared, with smooth, dark skin and bone-like horns and ribbings. He caught sight of Haji and growled. The Espeon simply narrowed his eyes, not moving from Ivy's side.

“Houndoom, enough,” Tony said calmly, and the dog immediately stopped. He must've been a strict Trainer. Sometimes that was a great thing. She didn't need a fight started between them.

An amused sound came through the mental link to her Pokémon. “Do not worry. I would not let a dog get the best of me.” Ivy smiled at Haji's comment, trying not to let it show on her face lest her Trainer ask about it.

“Houndoom, are you ready to battle?” the Trainer asked, and the Houndoom snarled loudly at the ghost, showing off his teeth as he answered the question with action.

Ivy and Haji backed up to give them space, keeping quiet. Tony looked like he knew what he was doing, so she was going to stay out of the way and let him work. If she needed to talk to someone, she always had Haji.

“Houndoom, let's start things off with a pretty basic attack. Use the darkness to your advantage and blend in with it. Try using Faint Attack to sneak up on Haunter!” Tony called.

This part of the Valley was pretty bare, as it was just the start. The only real thing around was the tree Haunter came from, but the whole area was a little dark due to its low elevation and the surrounding hills and woods. It was even known to get a little foggy at times. Still, she was sure they'd be able to make use of the surroundings.

Before Houndoom could move, Haunter rushed up with its tongue hanging out, making sure to drag it across the pooch's face before laughing and quickly retreating back to the tree. The dog shook his head rapidly, trying to clear the feeling with a rumble of protest. Then, the Dark Pokémon darted off to the side, heading towards the long shadow created by the branches of the tree.

The ghost was too busy laughing to really take too much notice, though it did seem prepared to move at a moments notice. It was in Tony's favor that Haunter floated. Since it wasn't touching the ground, it wouldn't be able to feel the vibrations in the ground from the dog's moving.

Houndoom blended, managing to get around to the other side of the tree unnoticed. He snuck up quietly, eyeing his target warily. Then, a small twig snapped, and the ghost whirled around. It was too late for it though, as Houndoom was already fading out of his spot, disappearing from view. The ghost was puzzled for a second, and then it flew forward into the tree as the dog appeared behind it, striking it quickly. The dog kept his eyes on Haunter as he backed up closer to his Trainer, waiting his next orders.

The ghost recovered, shaking itself as it rattled through the branches. It floated up about twenty feet, staying out of the ground range, probably agitated that it had been hit. It had a devious smile on its face and then opened its mouth. An inky smoke trailed out of it, and it just didn't stop. Soon the whole area was coated in a dark fog.

Ivy coughed as she tried to wave the smoke away from her face. Houndoom looked a little bothered too, like it was stinging his eyes a bit. It was probably going to make it hard for everyone to see too, as it didn't look like it was clearing up.

Haunter laughed from the shadows once more, though she couldn't tell from exactly where due to the smoke. She felt Haji send his energy out, so she had a general idea where it was, but it would still be hard to locate. She wondered what Tony would do next.


---

Current Battle Stats:

Careful ??? Haunter: 85% [Used Lick and Smog]
Careful M Houndoom: 95% [Used Faint Attack]

Area Effects: It's murky.

---

Trainer Stats

Name: Tony Heath
Location: Meteor Valley
Area Effects: 14 Encounters Remaining
Pokémon Encountered: Haunter
Pokémon Captured: None
MCR: 5034/25,000 [Intermediate Rank]

Items: Hyperball x2, Parkball x2, Max Potion

Pokemon Stats

Breloom, M, Brave
Nickname: Jaun Carlos Santana III
Ability: Technician
Moves: Absorb, Tackle, Stun Spore, Leech Seed, Mega Drain, Headbutt, Mach Punch, PoisonPowder, Counter, Worry Seed, Force Palm, Growth, Sky Uppercut, Giga Drain, Mind Reader, Seed Bomb, Spore, DynamicPunch
EMs: HM Cut, HM Strength, TM Stone Edge, TM Bulk Up, TM Energy Ball, TM Iron Tail, TM Rock Slide, TM Focus Punch, TM Substitute, TM Swords Dance, TM Drain Punch, TM Rock Tomb, TM Return, TM Low Sweep

Houndoom, M, Careful @ 95%
Nickname: iLa Fantoma!
Ability: Early Bird
Moves: Thunder Fang, Leer, Ember, Howl, Smog, Roar, Bite, Odor Sleuth, Beat Up, Fire Fang, Faint Attack, Embargo, Flamethrower, Crunch, Nasty Plot, Inferno, Foul Play
EMs: TM Dark Pulse, HM Strength, TM Fire Blast

Gallade, M, Brave
Nickname: N/A
Ability: Steadfast
Moves: Leaf Blade, Night Slash, Leer, Growl, Confusion, Double Team, Teleport, Lucky Chant, Fury Cutter, Magical Leaf, Slash, Calm Mind, Swords Dance, Psychic, Psycho Cut, Imprison, Helping Hand, Future Sight, Feint, Charm, False Swipe, Hypnosis, Protect, Dream Eater, Close Combat, Heal Pulse, Stored Power
EMs: TM Substitute, TM Bulk Up, TM X-Scissor, TM Drain Punch, BM Shadow Sneak, BM Ice Punch, TM Skill Swap, BM Thunderpunch, BM Encore, TM Thunderwave

 

As Houndoom was about to begin his attack, the quick Haunter shot over to where Houndoom was standing and stuck out his longue, thick tongue. It raked the side of Houndoom's face, leaving a sticky trail of saliva behind. Houndoom swayed from side to side, clearly shaken up by the attack. He snapped out of it though, and shook the attack off. The cackling Haunter was floating in the opposite direction, so Houndoom launched his attack. The dog bolted for the nearest shadow, which happened to be the one casted by the tree. His dark body seemed to become part of the shadow, and he became nearly invisible. The silent pokemon swiftly neared the Haunter, preparing to hit it with the Faint Attack. It was making absolutely no noise as it crept across the terrain, and since Haunter was hovering above the ground and not paying attention, it couldn’t feel Houndoom getting closer to it. Just as Houndoom was about to leap from behind the tree, he stepped on a twig which gave a faint snapping noise. It was barely audible, but it was enough to catch Haunter’s attention. The pokemon turned around, startled, but not quick enough to fully evade the attack. Houndoom hit Haunter in midair, and a black trail of antimatter traced the outline of his body as he dug his claws into the ghost. Haunter looked stunned, but not horribly damaged by the attack. As Houndoom lifted himself off of the fallen ghost, Haunter opened its wide mouth. I assumed it was to laugh at us again, but instead purple fumes were emitted. They filled the air around Haunter first, cloaking him almost completely, and soon covered everything within a 20 feet radius. Both pokemon returned to where they were standing, or floating in Haunter’s case, and eyed each other, awaiting each other’s move.

I couldn’t see Ivy anymore, but Houndoom’s black frame was still slightly visible. My opponent was also cloaked entirely, meaning I would have to trust Houndoom to find him through the haze and smog. Houndoom was my most trusted hunting partner though, and I knew he was an excellent tracker. One thing that made Houndoom such a great tracker was his keen sense of smell. He could follow a trail that was days old and still find whatever had left it.

“Houndoom, you may not be able to see Haunter right now, but I know you can smell him. Can you?” I asked through the purple fog Haunter had summoned. Unfortunately it wasn’t dissipating, just covering the ground around them. Houndoom, who was squinting and searching the smog for Haunter, stopped what he was doing, and looked up at me.

“Use Odor Sleuth to get an accurate reading of where it might be!” I shouted to Houndoom.

Houndoom now closed his eyes completely. His ears perked up, resembling satellite dishes ready to receive information. His wet nose, which was fine tuned to pick up thousands more scents than humans could smell, was twitching and sniffing. He would inhale some of the air in front of him, blow it back out, and then inhale again, separating the fumes to pick out each individual scent. He did this for a few seconds, and suddenly his eyes opened wildly. He was focusing on an unseen object in the foggy air, and baring his teeth. Slobber dripped from his fangs and onto the ground beneath him. Growls and snarls filled the air, while everything else in the valley seemed to be silent.

“Great job, Houndoom. Now I want you to use Dark Pulse. Hopefully the move will also clear some of this smog out of the way,” I said. If my plan worked, the move would get rid of the bulk of the move as it cut through the cloud.

Houndoom took in my orders, never averting his focus from where Haunter was hiding in the smog. He closed his eyes again, and a very placid and serene look fell onto his face. His mouth closed as dark energy built up inside of him. As he was focusing, black energy was being pulled from the air and was beginning to form an orb of some kind in front of Houndoom’s face. The orb kept growing until finally it was about the size of a basketball. The purplish-black sphere then started spinning and rotating, and then it started to separate. The process took a few seconds, and the final product was three black rings lined up in front of Houndoom. They were suspended in the air for a bit, but then Houndoom snapped out of his trance. His eyes shot open and the rings shot into the fog at full speed. As they flew, they cut through the smog like a hot knife, causing some of the fumes to evaporate. I waited with intense anticipation to see if the attack would be accurate enough to hit Haunter.

 

(OOC: Hey, hey listen. Gender, yo. Dun ignore me D: )

BP#2

Ranger Ivy Frost

---

Tony and his Houndoom were pretty hard to see now. She could make out a really faint outline of each though, and she was pretty sure it was from training with Haxbat, her Crobat. He liked to play ninja, so her hearing, sight, and speed were constantly tested against him when he was being serious.

She felt Haji reach with his senses beside her, and before she could mention it, he opened up the link with her, letting her into his mind to see what he saw. It wasn't wide open though, and she was grateful for that. They had experienced too much when on Deckbi, and it had overwhelmed her. They were more careful about it now, but she knew the more they practiced, the easier it would get.

It was like looking at the field with heat sensing glasses, only energy signatures made a color on her mind instead of in her vision. She could feel them over seeing them, but it was sort of the same thing. There was a swaying presence above, and she recognized it to be the Haunter. Tony was farther back across from them, unmoving. Houndoom was the hardest to pick out. There were blurbs of energy and then nothing, and it came in pockets and spots that weren't quite whole.

“The darkness interferes,” Haji said, sounding only slightly annoyed. “But, it is good practice.”

She nodded, though she wasn't sure he saw it. He'd know either way. She wasn't really sure how to help Haji train more yet, so any useful information she snatched up. They knew how to help is movement and other physical aspects, but mental strength was something different. If Dark type Pokémon affected his abilities by just being around, they could work with that. If she wasn't mistaken, both Leo and Chainy had a Houndoom. She was pretty sure she could convince one of them to help them out.

“Houndoom, you may not be able to see Haunter right now, but I know you can smell him. Use Odor Sleuth to get an accurate reading of where it might be!” Tony shouted.

The dog perked up as he began to strain his senses to locate the ghost. Canines had much greater senses than humans did, and she wasn't really surprised when the Houndoom started snarling, baring his teeth to a spot in the fog. From what she could sense, that was pretty close to where Haunter was lurking.

When his Trainer spoke, he sounded pleased. “Great job, Houndoom. Now I want you to use Dark Pulse. Hopefully the move will also clear some of this smog away.” Ivy agreed; she would like to be able to see.

Houndoom charged up his energy, focusing as black energy gathered to him, forming three basketball-sized orbs that thinned out into hazy rings. She could see those easily enough, despite the haze. The dog let them go, and they cut through the smoke easily, all headed for somewhere near where Houndoom had sensed the ghost. Ivy waited as they zinged, straining her senses.

One ring flew off into the fog, but there was no following sound. It must have missed. The second shot off not too far behind, veered slightly above the last. There was a muffle and a painful hiss, and then the third ring swung off in the same direction. Another displeased sound echoed through.

The area around the Houndoom had cleared a little bit, the smoke being coiled and wrapped around into his attack. Suddenly, the ghost was in that cleared space, looking a little agitated. He lashed out with fists coated in dark energy, and though she knew Dark type attacks wouldn't be that affective, the ghost looked like it was striking back with a vengeance, probably peeved that it had been attacked.

Houndoom flinched a bit and was knocked back, and Haunter disappeared as quickly has it popped up. There was chuckling again, so Ivy figured it wasn't as angry as it had seemed.

A burning spot appeared from above next, somewhere in the vicinity of the tree. Then a spot to the Ranger's left ignited, putting her on edge for a second. Another one started near the base of the tree, and one appeared to the right of Houndoom. Eerie laughter rang out more, echoing through the fog.

It was starting to get blacker again, despite Houndoom's attempts at clearing it. She could also smell the smoke, making it hard to focus on anything else. She didn't know why the ghost had started these mini fires, but maybe it had something to do with covering its scent better, seeing how the dog had been able to track him the first time. The Trainer would have to be careful to out-maneuver the ghost.

She hoped Haunter had the flames contained too. The one near her didn't seem to be spreading, but the last thing they needed was a fire in the Valley. If Houndoom used any fire attacks, he'd have to be really careful about what he targeted. If he added to the fires Haunter already made, they could get out of hand really easily.


---

Current Battle Stats:

Careful ??? Haunter: 60% [Used Payback and Will-o-wisp...?]
Careful M Houndoom: 85% [Used Odor Slueth and Dark Pulse]

Area Effects: It's murky and smoky.

---

Trainer Stats

Name: Tony Heath
Location: Meteor Valley
Area Effects: 14 Encounters Remaining
Pokémon Encountered: Haunter
Pokémon Captured: None
MCR: 14,223/25,000 [Intermediate Rank]

Items: Hyperball x2, Parkball x2, Max Potion

Pokemon Stats

Breloom, M, Brave
Nickname: Jaun Carlos Santana III
Ability: Technician
Moves: Absorb, Tackle, Stun Spore, Leech Seed, Mega Drain, Headbutt, Mach Punch, PoisonPowder, Counter, Worry Seed, Force Palm, Growth, Sky Uppercut, Giga Drain, Mind Reader, Seed Bomb, Spore, DynamicPunch
EMs: HM Cut, HM Strength, TM Stone Edge, TM Bulk Up, TM Energy Ball, TM Iron Tail, TM Rock Slide, TM Focus Punch, TM Substitute, TM Swords Dance, TM Drain Punch, TM Rock Tomb, TM Return, TM Low Sweep

Houndoom, M, Careful @ 95%
Nickname: iLa Fantoma!
Ability: Early Bird
Moves: Thunder Fang, Leer, Ember, Howl, Smog, Roar, Bite, Odor Sleuth, Beat Up, Fire Fang, Faint Attack, Embargo, Flamethrower, Crunch, Nasty Plot, Inferno, Foul Play
EMs: TM Dark Pulse, HM Strength, TM Fire Blast

Gallade, M, Brave
Nickname: N/A
Ability: Steadfast
Moves: Leaf Blade, Night Slash, Leer, Growl, Confusion, Double Team, Teleport, Lucky Chant, Fury Cutter, Magical Leaf, Slash, Calm Mind, Swords Dance, Psychic, Psycho Cut, Imprison, Helping Hand, Future Sight, Feint, Charm, False Swipe, Hypnosis, Protect, Dream Eater, Close Combat, Heal Pulse, Stored Power
EMs: TM Substitute, TM Bulk Up, TM X-Scissor, TM Drain Punch, BM Shadow Sneak, BM Ice Punch, TM Skill Swap, BM Thunderpunch, BM Encore, TM Thunderwave

 

OOC: Sorry sorry sorry D: I meant to do this earlier, but I kept forgetting/getting caught up in other stuff/many other lame excuses. Either way, it's here now, and I made it a bit longer Sorry again~

Houndoom fired the rings one by one into the smoke, relying solely on scent and smell. The first ring zipped through the smoke, not really getting rid of it like I had hoped, and never made contact with anything. Shortly after it exited the smoke, we heard a blood curdling cackle erupt from inside the smoke cloud. Haunter was simply toying with us. By laughing though, Houndoom got a more accurate reading of where the pokemon was. He fired the second disk of dark energy at the laugh, and then we heard a smacking noise. Haunter let out a yelp of pain, and Houndoom fired off the last of the rings, hitting Haunter again. The smoke was slightly less obtrusive now, but what we saw inside wasn’t very good. Haunter had recovered from the attack and was now flying through the air towards Houndoom. One thing that could be said about Haunter was that it was blindingly fast. Before Houndoom could react, Haunter was battering him with black fists.

“I know that attack,” I thought, recalling a battle with a Scraggy a short time ago “It’s Payback.”

I knew the move could be deadly if used properly, but luckily Houndoom was a Dark type. Houndoom winced as he took each flashy punch from the Haunter, backing up with each blow, but suddenly Haunter was gone again. It had disappeared into the smog once more, and was emitting laughs from its haven. The smoke had settled on the ground once more, like a blanket across the ground. It was as thick as ever, as if we were trying to look through something solid. No matter how hard we strained our eyes, we couldn’t see a thing that was happening inside the fog. I looked back at Houndoom who had recovered from the fairly weak attack Haunter had delivered moments before. The combination of Haunter’s weak physical attacking abilities and Houndoom’s typing had made for quite a weak attack. Houndoom still looked lively and ready to battle. Another eerie cry from inside the mass of smoke called out, this time sounding a little less enthusiastic.

“We’re wearing it down, Houndoom. Keep up the goo-“

I was cut short by a strange image near the tree. There was a strange orb floating in the air by the lone tree, and it seemed to be changing colors. First it was red, then it slowly transformed into a pale blue, and then once more into a deep purple. It cycled between these few colors as it floated there. Suddenly the orb began to flicker and sputter, until finally I could see that it was a flame. Another of the strange balls appeared next to Ivy’s feet, blackening the grass around her feet. I saw her jump to the side a bit, surprised by the sudden ball of fire.

“I hope that Haunter isn’t targeting us, Ivy,” I said, somewhat jokingly. I knew that Ghost type pokemon were tricky, and usually mean-spirited, but I had never known them to blatantly attack a human being without being provoked.
I reached into my bag and pulled one of the several bottles of water I had brought with me out. I tossed it over to the ranger who was eyeing the fire wearily.

“Put it out with this, if you want,” I said.

When I looked up once more, I saw that Haunter had summoned more of the ghostly flames. Some were floating in the air, but others were actually burning on the ground and on the tree. I observed the flames carefully for a bit, and noticed something peculiar. Though they were setting the grass and limbs around them on fire, the flames didn’t seem to be spreading at all. The Haunter must have had excellent control over its attack. Even if Haunter was making sure not to cause a wildfire in the valley, we would still have to keep an eye on them. Haunter was controlling the flames using its ghostly powers, but if a stray, uncontrolled flame came from Houndoom, we could be in serious trouble. In addition to that, I wasn’t sure what the smog surrounding Haunter was composed of. For all I knew, that gas could be extremely flammable.

“Haunter, until that fire is put out and the gas is gone, we can’t use any Fire attacks, okay?” I shouted to my pokemon. He looked up and nodded happily, still looking like he had a lot of fight in him “I also want you to make sure you avoid those fiery balls. If you hit one, you’re sure to get burned, and that could really be a problem since the run just started. We can’t have you getting injured yet.”

As I finished telling Houndoom to be careful, a strange scent filled my nostrils. It was an offensive odor, but not an unfamiliar one. It was clearly the aroma of fire burning something, in this case grass. I looked over at Houndoom who was also sniffing the air. His snout was twitching around and searching the air for the smell, until finally he looked over at the nearest fiery ball, which was burning on the ground about five feet away. Houndoom carefully walked over to the flame, sniffing at it some more.

“Houndoom, step away from it! Don’t get near the fire!” I shouted at Houndoom. He obeyed though, and stepped back from the fire “The smoke from those Will-o-Wisps is filling the air, Houndoom, so it doesn’t look like you’re going to be able to smell anything else. I guess that takes away our Odor Sleuth strategy, huh?”

I surveyed the field before us. It looked exactly how it had earlier, but now there was fire floating all around, and Houndoom couldn’t smell anything but smoke. We were at a severe disadvantage now, and I wasn’t sure how we would get around the many obstacles Haunter had conjured up. I didn’t really see how Houndoom could handle all of this. Houndoom was more of a direct attacker, and really that versatile. He had a niche, and filled it well, but in situations like this, a more adaptable mon was needed.

“Houndoom, you’ve done well, but come on back,” I said, zapping him into his pokeball and off of the field “Instead, I want you to come out and fight, Gallade!”

I cracked open Gallade’s pokeball and he came out onto the field, fists raised. I had captured Gallade on hunting trip once before. It had been to the region of Hoenn, and I was in the woods near a small city called Petalburg. It was a small town, but there was a lot of wilderness around the area, and several pokemon in Hoenn were only available there. The other pokemon I had brought along, Breloom, had also come from Petalburg Woods. Gallade, a Ralts then, had become very attached to me, so we were a strong team now. He had become a great hunting partner as well, putting his psychic powers and brute force together to track down and fight pokemon. He was especially valuable due to his huge movepool, and super effective coverage of almost all types. He learned several attacking moves, and status moves alike, so I could use him in just about any situation. Today was no different.

“Gallade, look out for the floating fire scattered around the place, okay? Also be mindful of that smog. Okay, Gallade, I’ve worked out a strategy for you. We’re going to bait that Haunter out of the smog so we can attack it first. First, I want you to set up our trap!”

We had used this strategy to attract potential captures several times on hunting trips in the past, and with much success. We would set up something that would attract the pokemon we wanted, and then my pokemon would come out from hiding, catching it off guard.

“Set up a Substitute of yourself where you’re standing, quick!” I shouted.
Gallade nodded and crossed his arms and closed his eyes, focusing hard. He moved back and forth rapidly, reminding me of a pokemon using Double Team. Two images of Gallade were visible now, as Gallade continued to move side to side. Finally, Gallade stopped moving and stepped away. There was a permanent image of him sitting on the grass now, and it looked exactly like him. I had never felt a pokemon’s substitute before, so I wasn’t sure if it was solid or not, but I know it would disappear if a strong enough move hit it.

“Great Substitute Gallade, now for phase two. I want you to use Shadow Sneak to blend in with the shadows. Rush over to the tree and wait in its shadow until Haunter decides to come out and attack. Hopefully that Sub will catch his attention and bring him out! When he comes, you continue your Shadow Sneak attack by hitting him full force with it,” I shouted onto the field. Gallade nodded and crouched down a bit, taking a stealthy pose. His colors changed a bit, all of them turning a more somber tone of their former selves until he was nearly all grayish black. He rushed over with intense speed and hid in the shadow of the tree, awaiting his target.

“Come on, Haunter, fall for it,” I said, watching the smoke cloud intently.

 

(OOC: Why do you ignore my notes ;-; Toby Keith does not approve.)

BP#3

Ranger Ivy Frost

---

In the end, Tony decided that Houndoom wasn't the greatest match up for this Pokémon encounter. The smog could be flammable, and since fire was the dog's most effective attack, he'd be really hindered. Instead, the Trainer called upon his Gallade to come out and fight. “Houndoom, you've done well but come on back. Instead, I want you to come out and fight, Gallade!”

The green and white Fighting type entered the field and flexed his arms, the green sword-like appendages flashing dangerously, ready for a fight. Ivy was familiar with the Pokémon, as Chainy, one of her fellow Rangers, had a Gallade as his main partner. They were very loyal, as well as fierce fighters with few weaknesses. Tony would have to be careful though, as one of Gallade's weaknesses happened to be to ghosts.

The Trainer warned his Pokémon about the fires and the smog before directing their next course of action. “Okay, Gallade, I've worked out a strategy for you. We're going to bait that Haunter out of the smog so we can attack it. First, I want you to set up our trap!” he called.

Tony looked very confident about what they were going to do next, like perhaps he had tried this plan before and had it work on previous expeditions. “Set up a Substitute of yourself where you're standing, quick!” he yelled.

The Psychic nodded, crossing his arms and closing his eyes as he focused. He seemed to split in a few seconds, and when he stepped away, there was a perfect copy of him, only it was sitting in the grass in a meditative-type pose. Subs were great decoys in battles from what she had seen. They did disappear if attacked enough, however, so the two would have to be careful. They also drained on a Pokémon's energy, so he wouldn't be able to make too many of them.

Tony then called the next stage of the plan, wanting his Pokémon to blend in with the shadows while Haunter hopefully came out of hiding to inspect the Sub. Then, they could strike.

The Gallade nodded, seeming to blur as he quickly blended in with the shadows. The murky smoke helped him out since the whole area had been toned a few shades darker, and he easily snuck off in the direction of the tree, hopefully keeping his Substitute in sight.

A short cackle alerted her to Haunter's notice of the clone, and with Haji's help, she felt him move closer before she saw him. The ghost peeked out of the smog, only slightly visible, about twenty feet from the Sub. It quickly vanished again, only to reappear on the left side. It did this several more times, popping up behind and to either side, watching it closely. Then, done with watching and assuming it was safe, it appeared in front again, only this time it had a swirling ball of ghastly purple energy that swirled and cracked. Ivy recognized it as a Shadow Ball, one of Haunter's strongest ghost attacks.

It let the attack fly, watching with a gleeful look on its face as the ball hurled towards its opponent. It hit the sub with a whoosh, and the clone exploded in a shower of dust. The ghost was overcome with confusion, and just as they planned, Gallade took advantage of this.

He streaked out from behind the tree in a gray blur, striking the Haunter in the back hard. The ghost went flying forward, stopping around where the Sub had just been. It whipped its head back to look at the Fighting type, a nasty gleam in its eyes. Suddenly, it let out a cry, and then the wind began to churn, visible from the wispy smoke. It gained a purple-ish sparkling, and it flew towards Gallade. He grimaced as it struck, the ghost type attack doing some damage because he wasn't expecting it.

Then, the ghost disappeared with a pop. The fires around the area began to tremble, and Ivy clenched the bottle of water that Tony had thrown at her, ready to try and use it if she needed too as the burning flame next to her started to move. She wasn't sure how effective it would be, but it was thoughtful of the Trainer to offer it. It suddenly disappeared, and the other lights flickered and went out too, darkening the area even more.

Ivy had a puzzled expression on her face as she wondered what the ghost was doing. Gallade was looking around too, tensed as if he expected a surprise attack any second. Then, fire ignited around him, one by one in a circle, flicking on like old theater stage lamps. They continued until he was completely surrounded by fifteen or so flames, all bigger than the last ones. They stood about waist high and danced like living things.

If they weren't careful, Gallade could suffer a burn. Haunter's cackling continued from the smog, the ghost still hidden from sight. They would definitely have to act smart.


---

Current Battle Stats:

Careful ??? Haunter: 35% [Used Ominous Wind and Will-o-Wisp]
Brave M Gallade: 65% [Used Substitute and Shadow Sneak]

Area Effects: It's murky and smoky. Also a burning ring of fire.

---

Trainer Stats

Name: Tony Heath
Location: Meteor Valley
Area Effects: 14 Encounters Remaining
Pokémon Encountered: Haunter
Pokémon Captured: None
MCR: 22,765/25,000 [Intermediate Rank]

Items: Hyperball x2, Parkball x2, Max Potion

Pokemon Stats

Breloom, M, Brave
Nickname: Jaun Carlos Santana III
Ability: Technician
Moves: Absorb, Tackle, Stun Spore, Leech Seed, Mega Drain, Headbutt, Mach Punch, PoisonPowder, Counter, Worry Seed, Force Palm, Growth, Sky Uppercut, Giga Drain, Mind Reader, Seed Bomb, Spore, DynamicPunch
EMs: HM Cut, HM Strength, TM Stone Edge, TM Bulk Up, TM Energy Ball, TM Iron Tail, TM Rock Slide, TM Focus Punch, TM Substitute, TM Swords Dance, TM Drain Punch, TM Rock Tomb, TM Return, TM Low Sweep

Houndoom, M, Careful @ 85%
Nickname: iLa Fantoma!
Ability: Early Bird
Moves: Thunder Fang, Leer, Ember, Howl, Smog, Roar, Bite, Odor Sleuth, Beat Up, Fire Fang, Faint Attack, Embargo, Flamethrower, Crunch, Nasty Plot, Inferno, Foul Play
EMs: TM Dark Pulse, HM Strength, TM Fire Blast

Gallade, M, Brave @ 65%
Nickname: N/A
Ability: Steadfast
Moves: Leaf Blade, Night Slash, Leer, Growl, Confusion, Double Team, Teleport, Lucky Chant, Fury Cutter, Magical Leaf, Slash, Calm Mind, Swords Dance, Psychic, Psycho Cut, Imprison, Helping Hand, Future Sight, Feint, Charm, False Swipe, Hypnosis, Protect, Dream Eater, Close Combat, Heal Pulse, Stored Power
EMs: TM Substitute, TM Bulk Up, TM X-Scissor, TM Drain Punch, BM Shadow Sneak, BM Ice Punch, TM Skill Swap, BM Thunderpunch, BM Encore, TM Thunderwave

 

OOC: Oh right, can it be male?

As Gallade hid behind the tree, blending perfectly with the shadows it casted, Haunter floated around inside his gas cloud, awaiting our next move. The Substitute sat where the actual Gallade had been standing just moments before, ready to be sacrificed so that Haunter could be further weakened. It looked exactly like my Gallade, the colors were just lighter versions of themselves. To me, the Substitute was unconvincing and unrealistic. I, and probably most other trainers, could tell that it wasn’t a real pokemon, but they seemed to fool pokemon in the wild.

Soon I saw a dark spot floating around inside the purple mist. It was going in circles, all the while getting nearer and nearer to the edge of the cloud. As Haunter inched closer, the Substitute stood by, ready to take the hit. Haunter finally came to the edge, and nearly poked outside the smog. I could see its features clearly now and it was eyeing the Gallade replica. It smirked, probably realizing that it had a type advantage over his adversary, and bolted from within the mist. At first I thought it was going to rush in for a close range Shadow Claw or something, but it stopped just outside of the purple cloud and began to form dark energy in front of it. It reminded me of Houndoom’s Dark Pulse attack, but the two still had their differences. Houndoom’s attack was completely lacking of life and color, instead being dead and black, and absorbing dull and negative energy from the air around it. Haunter’s ghostly orb was purple and red, and seemed to be constantly moving around. It grew and grew in the air in front of Haunter, who stood there smirking and laughing at the free attacking he was being granted. Gallade’s duplication was as still as ever, while the real Gallade watched the Haunter from behind the tree, awaiting an opportunity to attack. Finally, Haunter fired off the ball of ghoulish energy at the Substitute which shattered and evaporated into dust. Haunter’s grin instantly vanished, and a look of pure confusion came over his face. His hands dropped to his sides as he looked in wonder at the place where Gallade’s replica was standing only moments before.

Gallade took his chance. He bolted almost invisibly from behind the tree, shrouded in black, shadowy energy, and shot straight towards Haunter. Haunter didn’t even have time to turn around. Gallade slammed hard into its back, knocking it to the ground. Haunter looked to have taken quite a lot of damage from the attack, and looked stunned as he got up, not knowing where the real Gallade had been. He floated through the air back towards his haven in the fog, but before entering it he turned around. A ghostly hand waved at us all, and he was engulfed in gas again. Suddenly, the fiery orbs that were scattered about began to swarm around Gallade. They all surrounded him until finally he was trapped inside a ring. He had almost no room to move, and stood there looking around anxiously. I could still see the outline of Haunter floating around inside the fog, now at a much slower speed.

“Gallade, don’t move an inch! I’m going to try and end this battle right now so you don’t get burned,” I said to my pokemon. He held his ground and awaited my action. I reached around for the rifle on my back and shouldered it. I already had a Hyperball inside, so it was ready to go. I cocked it, and looked down the long barrel until I saw the floating Haunter at the other end. I knew that even if I was off the mark, which I rarely was, the pokeball would be attracted to the pokemon’s energy, and would snap on to it sort of. I fired. The ball flew through the air, into the cloud, and straight toward Haunter. I heard the ghost squeal inside, but then everything was quiet. Ivy, Gallade, and myself all looked on in anticipation, waiting to see if Haunter would be captured.

 

NBP#3

Ranger Ivy Frost

---

“Gallade, don't move an inch! I'm going to try and end this battle right now so you don't get burned,” Tony called. That was a really good idea, as it was hard to attack physically when burned. Since Gallade were more physically gifted, a burn would cripple him immensely. The Gallade nodded and waited for his Trainer to take action.

Tony reached around for the rifle on his back, shouldering it so he could take aim. Ivy assumed it was already loaded because he didn't stop. After a few seconds, he fired, and the Ranger noticed a Hyperball come out of the interesting device. It flew through the smoky air, straight toward the Haunter. The ghost just looked on curiously. Ivy was a little surprised; most Park Pokémon, though people friendly, were a little more cautious than that. Maybe it was wondering about the gun.

The ball hit the ghost right on the forehead, and he made a strangled noise as he was sucked inside. The ball fell to the ground, and it shook twice before clicking shut, the sound of the mechanism locking echoing through the area.

Immediately, the flames around Gallade vanished, and the smoky fog dissipated, letting them all see once again. Ivy walked over to the captured Haunter and picked up the ball, throwing it in a pocket. She turned toward Tony and grinned. She was about to ask him where to next, when a feline yowling caught her attention.

She turned toward the large tree only to see a purple flecked cat reaching up and dragging its claws down the trunk, using the plant as a scratching post. The Liepard took one look at them and stopped, getting closer and eying up the Gallade standing in the field.

“Well,” she began, “I was going to have you lead the way, but it looks like this cat is interested. Got cat scratch fever at all?”


---

Current Battle Stats:

??? ??? Liepard: 100%

---

Trainer Stats

Name: Tony Heath
Location: Meteor Valley
Area Effects: 13 Encounters Remaining
Pokémon Encountered: Haunter, Liepard
Pokémon Captured: Careful M Haunter
MCR: 0

Items: Hyperball x1, Parkball x2, Max Potion

Pokemon Stats

Breloom, M, Brave
Nickname: Jaun Carlos Santana III
Ability: Technician
Moves: Absorb, Tackle, Stun Spore, Leech Seed, Mega Drain, Headbutt, Mach Punch, PoisonPowder, Counter, Worry Seed, Force Palm, Growth, Sky Uppercut, Giga Drain, Mind Reader, Seed Bomb, Spore, DynamicPunch
EMs: HM Cut, HM Strength, TM Stone Edge, TM Bulk Up, TM Energy Ball, TM Iron Tail, TM Rock Slide, TM Focus Punch, TM Substitute, TM Swords Dance, TM Drain Punch, TM Rock Tomb, TM Return, TM Low Sweep

Houndoom, M, Careful @ 85%
Nickname: iLa Fantoma!
Ability: Early Bird
Moves: Thunder Fang, Leer, Ember, Howl, Smog, Roar, Bite, Odor Sleuth, Beat Up, Fire Fang, Faint Attack, Embargo, Flamethrower, Crunch, Nasty Plot, Inferno, Foul Play
EMs: TM Dark Pulse, HM Strength, TM Fire Blast

Gallade, M, Brave @ 65%
Nickname: N/A
Ability: Steadfast
Moves: Leaf Blade, Night Slash, Leer, Growl, Confusion, Double Team, Teleport, Lucky Chant, Fury Cutter, Magical Leaf, Slash, Calm Mind, Swords Dance, Psychic, Psycho Cut, Imprison, Helping Hand, Future Sight, Feint, Charm, False Swipe, Hypnosis, Protect, Dream Eater, Close Combat, Heal Pulse, Stored Power
EMs: TM Substitute, TM Bulk Up, TM X-Scissor, TM Drain Punch, BM Shadow Sneak, BM Ice Punch, TM Skill Swap, BM Thunderpunch, BM Encore, TM Thunderwave

 

The ball flew through the fog, and a screech was soon heard from within. The ghost was zapped inside with a flash of red that we could see through the smoggy cloud. Once the ball fell though, we couldn't tell what was happening. Everyone was completely silent now as we waited on Haunter to either accept capture, or escape the pokeball. Suddenly, I looked over at Gallade and saw the ring of fire surrounding him disappear. He stretched his blade-like arms out, glad to be free. Slowly, the purple fog began to dissolve and rise into the air, revealing grass again, and allowing us to see the rest of the valley. Something caught my eye in the middle of the grass, something I had been waiting on for a long time. Laying on the ground was a closed pokeball! I watched in triumph as Ivy walked over and placed the ball in a pocket. Another successful hunt.

Just as she began to walk towards me again, we heard a faint meow. We all turned to the tree, and saw a purple cat with an odd, yellow pattern painted on its side crawling down the bark of the tree. It paced slowly, wafting its tail through the air, eyeing us with curiosity. I recognized the pokemon as a Liepard, a fairly common species.

"Ivy," I said, smiling at the new pokemon in front of us "Are all the pokemon in the valley going to come out of this tree?"

I was beginning to think if we stood here long enough, any pokemon would come out of it. So far we had only come down the hill at the beginning of the valley. Even though we had only just started the run, I had encountered two pokemon and caught one. I was excited to see what else the valley had in store for me.

“Well,” she began, “I was going to have you lead the way, but it looks like this cat is interested. Got cat scratch fever at all?”

I laughed a bit at the last part. Fortunately, I wasn't too interested in the Liepard. I could find it just about anywhere, and didn't really need one in my team. This being said, we could continue throughout the valley, and hopefully make it to the caves where Ghost pokemon might be hiding.

"No thanks, Ivy. I don't seem to have any need for a Liepard at the moment. Now back to my run. I wouldn't mind heading over to the caves," I said, pointing at the faraway caverns that were scattered around "Can we start making our way in that direction?"

 

(OOC: Escape fail ;-; Also, I say tab for role play purposes only. You still need to subtract the doll cost from your stats right away.)

NBP#4

Ranger Ivy Frost

---

Tony wasn't in need of a cat, and he informed her of it, as well as making a comment about so many wild Pokémon being around the main tree. It was kinda peculiar, but Ivy didn't think much of it. It was probably a common crossing point for many paths through the area.

She knew he wanted to head towards the caves, so she started to head in that direction, motioning him along. They made it about twenty feet to the east, and then the Liepard darted in front of them, hair bristling as it growled. She sighed.

“Well, looks like it's not going to let us go so easily. Usually they're a bit more compliant. Maybe the battle with Haunter disturbed its nap or something. We've got a couple choices here. We could go west instead and try to avoid it again, or you have the option of purchasing a Pokédoll that will guarantee our escape. For some reason they really distract wild Pokémon. I can run a tab for you to pay when we get back to the station. I'll leave the choice up to you. I suppose you could always battle it to try and scare it away as well.”


---

Current Battle Stats:

??? ??? Liepard: 100%

---

Trainer Stats

Name: Tony Heath
Location: Meteor Valley
Area Effects: 13 Encounters Remaining
Pokémon Encountered: Haunter, Liepard
Pokémon Captured: Careful M Haunter
MCR: 2310/9000 [Uncommon Rank]

Items: Hyperball x1, Parkball x2, Max Potion

Pokemon Stats

Breloom, M, Brave
Nickname: Jaun Carlos Santana III
Ability: Technician
Moves: Absorb, Tackle, Stun Spore, Leech Seed, Mega Drain, Headbutt, Mach Punch, PoisonPowder, Counter, Worry Seed, Force Palm, Growth, Sky Uppercut, Giga Drain, Mind Reader, Seed Bomb, Spore, DynamicPunch
EMs: HM Cut, HM Strength, TM Stone Edge, TM Bulk Up, TM Energy Ball, TM Iron Tail, TM Rock Slide, TM Focus Punch, TM Substitute, TM Swords Dance, TM Drain Punch, TM Rock Tomb, TM Return, TM Low Sweep

Houndoom, M, Careful @ 85%
Nickname: iLa Fantoma!
Ability: Early Bird
Moves: Thunder Fang, Leer, Ember, Howl, Smog, Roar, Bite, Odor Sleuth, Beat Up, Fire Fang, Faint Attack, Embargo, Flamethrower, Crunch, Nasty Plot, Inferno, Foul Play
EMs: TM Dark Pulse, HM Strength, TM Fire Blast

Gallade, M, Brave @ 65%
Nickname: N/A
Ability: Steadfast
Moves: Leaf Blade, Night Slash, Leer, Growl, Confusion, Double Team, Teleport, Lucky Chant, Fury Cutter, Magical Leaf, Slash, Calm Mind, Swords Dance, Psychic, Psycho Cut, Imprison, Helping Hand, Future Sight, Feint, Charm, False Swipe, Hypnosis, Protect, Dream Eater, Close Combat, Heal Pulse, Stored Power
EMs: TM Substitute, TM Bulk Up, TM X-Scissor, TM Drain Punch, BM Shadow Sneak, BM Ice Punch, TM Skill Swap, BM Thunderpunch, BM Encore, TM Thunderwave

 

We began to walk in the direction of the caves again, leaving the Liepard by the tree. We had only walked a few feet though, and the Liepard quickly rushed over in front of us. It was playfully pacing back and forth in front of us again, staring at us intently.

"It seems that this Liepard really likes us. I really don't need it though..." I trailed off.

“Well, looks like it's not going to let us go so easily. Usually they're a bit more compliant. Maybe the battle with Haunter disturbed its nap or something. We've got a couple choices here. We could go west instead and try to avoid it again, or you have the option of purchasing a Pokédoll that will guarantee our escape. For some reason they really distract wild Pokémon. I can run a tab for you to pay when we get back to the station. I'll leave the choice up to you. I suppose you could always battle it to try and scare it away as well.”

"Hm, I really don't want to waste anymore time. I've got plenty of money, so I'll just purchase a pokedoll," I said.

 

(OOC: I'm not sure if it's required, but you should probably put the deduction of your money in a thing like this before your post.)

NBP#5

Ranger Ivy Frost

---

“Hm, I really don't want to waste any more time. I've got plenty of money, so I'll just purchase a Pokédoll,” he said.

Ivy made a memo on her phone as she pulled out one of the inflatable dolls for the cat. She pulled the string to expand it to around a basketball size, and then she set it down in front of the cat, edging away carefully. The Liepard immediately took interest in it, ignoring the rest of them completely.

The Ranger breathed a sigh of relief as she started leading the Trainer through the woods that separated the grasses from the caves. She didn't want to waste this guy's time, but she couldn't really control what Pokémon appeared and which didn't.

She parted the branches in front of her as she waded through the sea of thick trees. She was careful where she stepped, as the ground was littered with fallen logs and other wood debris. Haji was having an easier time of traveling, as a lot of the tree branches stopped a little above his height. She didn't exactly have a lot of room to turn around and check, but she was pretty sure Tony would be okay. He was the outdoorsy type anyway.

A rustling up ahead caught her attention, and she slowed as she looked carefully. A small clearing about twenty feet in either direction came up, and she stopped completely in it as the rustling continued.

Haji said, “Darkness,” and that was all the warning she got before a small mass of growling gray fur came shooting out of the underbrush. The Poochyena eyed them careful, growling every couple of moments.

“Well,” she said, “You're not a cat fan, but what about a dog?”


---

Current Battle Stats:

??? ??? Poochyena: 100%

---

Trainer Stats

Name: Tony Heath
Location: Meteor Valley
Area Effects: 12 Encounters Remaining
Pokémon Encountered: Haunter, Liepard, Poochyena
Pokémon Captured: Careful M Haunter
MCR: 0/4000 [Common Rank]

Items: Hyperball x1, Parkball x2, Max Potion

Pokemon Stats

Breloom, M, Brave
Nickname: Jaun Carlos Santana III
Ability: Technician
Moves: Absorb, Tackle, Stun Spore, Leech Seed, Mega Drain, Headbutt, Mach Punch, PoisonPowder, Counter, Worry Seed, Force Palm, Growth, Sky Uppercut, Giga Drain, Mind Reader, Seed Bomb, Spore, DynamicPunch
EMs: HM Cut, HM Strength, TM Stone Edge, TM Bulk Up, TM Energy Ball, TM Iron Tail, TM Rock Slide, TM Focus Punch, TM Substitute, TM Swords Dance, TM Drain Punch, TM Rock Tomb, TM Return, TM Low Sweep

Houndoom, M, Careful @ 85%
Nickname: iLa Fantoma!
Ability: Early Bird
Moves: Thunder Fang, Leer, Ember, Howl, Smog, Roar, Bite, Odor Sleuth, Beat Up, Fire Fang, Faint Attack, Embargo, Flamethrower, Crunch, Nasty Plot, Inferno, Foul Play
EMs: TM Dark Pulse, HM Strength, TM Fire Blast

Gallade, M, Brave @ 65%
Nickname: N/A
Ability: Steadfast
Moves: Leaf Blade, Night Slash, Leer, Growl, Confusion, Double Team, Teleport, Lucky Chant, Fury Cutter, Magical Leaf, Slash, Calm Mind, Swords Dance, Psychic, Psycho Cut, Imprison, Helping Hand, Future Sight, Feint, Charm, False Swipe, Hypnosis, Protect, Dream Eater, Close Combat, Heal Pulse, Stored Power
EMs: TM Substitute, TM Bulk Up, TM X-Scissor, TM Drain Punch, BM Shadow Sneak, BM Ice Punch, TM Skill Swap, BM Thunderpunch, BM Encore, TM Thunderwave

 

OOC: Transaction for Pokedoll: 39.5k-.5k=39k

Ivy pulled out a small pink ball from her bag, and started fiddling with it. I assumed this was the pokedoll I would be paying for at the end of my run. She finally tugged a string at the back of the dall, and it expanded to the size of a basketball in the same way an inflatable life raft might. She walked in front of me and placed the doll in front of the pacing Liepard, and then stepped backwards very slowly and cautiously. She signaled that we move over to the woods between the caves and grass while the pokemon was distracted. I looked back and saw the Liepard happily playing with the inflated Clefairy, pawing at it gleefully.

We made it into the woods, and were soon bogged down by thick underbrush. Ivy, being an experienced ranger, pushed her way through it, and I followed with ease. Her Espeon was walking under most of the bushes and limbs, not being harmed at all. As we trekked through the thick brush, I saw Ivy exchange a worried look with her pokemon. As soon as we had looked up again, we were confronted by a small, grey, growling mass of fur that was blocking our path.

There was a small clearing in front of us, and in the middle of it was a fearsome looking Poochyena. It was small and cute, but we could tell that it was trying to act tough. We had probably unknowingly stumbled into its territory. Though it was small, it made a lot of noise, causing a flock of Murkrow to fly from their roosts and into the sky.

“Well,” she said, “You're not a cat fan, but what about a dog?”

I laughed a bit at this. I did like dogs a lot, but I already had a trusty hound. The little Poochyena reminded me a lot of my Houndoom when it was just a Houndour. Though it was nostalgic, I really had no need for another dog on my team, a dark type one at that.

"I do like dogs actually, but I don't really need another one. Houndoom fills the slot quite well. Let's move along towards the caves if we can," I said, pointing in the direction I thought the caves were.

We began to inch away from the dog when I remembered what happened last time.

"By the way, if he won't let us pass, I'm prepared to pay for another pokedoll, so don't hesitate to throw one out," I said, patting the pocket where my wallet was.

 

(OOC: Escape fail; another doll used. Sowwy ._.)

NBP#6

Ranger Ivy Frost

---

Tony did in fact like dogs better, but he wasn't in need of another one when he had Houndoom. He was even part Dark type, like the Poochyena. They tried to pass this Pokémon too upon the Trainer's request, but like the Liepard, it failed to let them pass through the clearing and into the trees. Upon asking, Tony said he wanted to use another doll, so she made another tally on her phone and repeated the process used with the cat. It worked to perfection, and they slid through the trees, getting closer to the caves.

“What's with the Park Pokémon today?” she mumbled, brushing a branch out of her way. “I hope they don't all do this. Maybe something is upsetting them.”

They finally made it through the tree line, the caves looming before them. She remembered her first run as a Ranger, standing in close to this very spot. They had been victim of a cave in and were forced to navigate the caves while her Ambipom went for help. She shook her head. It seemed so long ago now.

A clinking sound had her looking around then, as it got louder. There was nothing around them though, and she even checked the tree line. Then, a few small rocks fell in front of her, and a cloud of dust floated down. She looked up to see a small, machine-looking object coming down the side of the cliff. It clunked off the side of the cave and ricocheted off the rock face to land twenty feet in front of them, creating a small divot.

A red robotic-like eye stared at them, coming from a small blue head attached to an arm-looking appendage. It made a curious sound as it stared at them.

“Hey, look, Beldum fall from the sky these days. Any interest?”


---

Current Battle Stats:

??? ??? Beldum: 100%

---

Trainer Stats

Name: Tony Heath
Location: Meteor Valley
Area Effects: 11 Encounters Remaining
Pokémon Encountered: Haunter, Liepard, Poochyena, Beldum
Pokémon Captured: Careful M Haunter
MCR: 0/25,000 [Intermediate Rank]

Items: Hyperball x1, Parkball x2, Max Potion

Pokemon Stats

Breloom, M, Brave
Nickname: Jaun Carlos Santana III
Ability: Technician
Moves: Absorb, Tackle, Stun Spore, Leech Seed, Mega Drain, Headbutt, Mach Punch, PoisonPowder, Counter, Worry Seed, Force Palm, Growth, Sky Uppercut, Giga Drain, Mind Reader, Seed Bomb, Spore, DynamicPunch
EMs: HM Cut, HM Strength, TM Stone Edge, TM Bulk Up, TM Energy Ball, TM Iron Tail, TM Rock Slide, TM Focus Punch, TM Substitute, TM Swords Dance, TM Drain Punch, TM Rock Tomb, TM Return, TM Low Sweep

Houndoom, M, Careful @ 85%
Nickname: iLa Fantoma!
Ability: Early Bird
Moves: Thunder Fang, Leer, Ember, Howl, Smog, Roar, Bite, Odor Sleuth, Beat Up, Fire Fang, Faint Attack, Embargo, Flamethrower, Crunch, Nasty Plot, Inferno, Foul Play
EMs: TM Dark Pulse, HM Strength, TM Fire Blast

Gallade, M, Brave @ 65%
Nickname: N/A
Ability: Steadfast
Moves: Leaf Blade, Night Slash, Leer, Growl, Confusion, Double Team, Teleport, Lucky Chant, Fury Cutter, Magical Leaf, Slash, Calm Mind, Swords Dance, Psychic, Psycho Cut, Imprison, Helping Hand, Future Sight, Feint, Charm, False Swipe, Hypnosis, Protect, Dream Eater, Close Combat, Heal Pulse, Stored Power
EMs: TM Substitute, TM Bulk Up, TM X-Scissor, TM Drain Punch, BM Shadow Sneak, BM Ice Punch, TM Skill Swap, BM Thunderpunch, BM Encore, TM Thunderwave

 

As Poochyena's attention averted from us and onto the pokedoll, we slipped past it in the direction of the treeline. We could now see the caves ahead of us, and I was ready to enter them and discover what pokemon were waiting for us. The pokemon were acting so strange, but I figured it was the weather or something. Perhaps the pokemon in the caves would have a different attitude.

As we neared the caves, a faint metallic, clicking noise came from somewhere above us. Ivy and I both looked around for the source of the sound, but could see nothing. We kept walking beside the cliffs, and suddenly something came tumbling down at us from above in a hail of rock and dust. A light blue piece of floating metal was staring straight at us with one red eye. I recognized it as a Beldum, a pokemon I had owned once in the past.

“Hey, look, Beldum fall from the sky these days. Any interest?” said Ivy.

"Not really," I said, looking at the robotic pokemon "But if it decides not to let us pass, I'm ready to buy another pokedoll."

Expecting that it wouldn't, I readied my wallet. Ivy and I prepared to make our way around the floating hunk of metal and trek into the cave. I hoped that we wouldn't have to waste anymore time and money on escaping from pokemon.

 

NBP#7

Ranger Ivy Frost

---

Tony wasn't interested in the small, mechanic-like Pokémon, and Ivy didn't blame him. She had heard rumors that there were a few places that had many of them up for grabs as part of a project to introduce more Steel type Pokémon to the world, sort of like a mart. A lot of people used the Park to find more rare creatures.

“If it decides to not let us pass, I'm ready to buy another Pokédoll,” he said.

The two began walk around the metal Pokémon, and Ivy tensed as she prepared for it to make some movement to not let them pass. All the rest of the wild Pokémon they encountered and been trying to pick a fight, so she didn't expect much from this one. Strangely though, the creature just sat where it had landed, just watching them as they passed. It made no movements and no sounds, letting them continue on.

She shrugged, thankful they didn't have to delay the run even more. The cave entrance loomed in front of them, showing a dark corridor within. Ivy headed in without any fear, reaching into a pocket for a flashlight and shaking it twice before flicking it on. She shined it on the path in front of them, holding it up about shoulder height so they could somewhat see where they were going. She walked on confidently, no longer fearful of the paths that had once trapped her.

They went a short way before a small, cream-colored Pokémon with dark triangle ears appeared peeking from behind a rock. “Cleffa...” it said shyly, watching the group. Even without the light it stuck out a little due to its bright coloring.

“Want to do anything with this Cleffa?” Ivy asked the Trainer.


---

Current Battle Stats:

??? ??? Cleffa: 100%

---

Trainer Stats

Name: Tony Heath
Location: Meteor Valley
Area Effects: 10 Encounters Remaining
Pokémon Encountered: Haunter, Liepard, Poochyena, Beldum, Cleffa
Pokémon Captured: Careful M Haunter
MCR: 0/4,000 [Common Rank]

Items: Hyperball x1, Parkball x2, Max Potion

Pokemon Stats

Breloom, M, Brave
Nickname: Jaun Carlos Santana III
Ability: Technician
Moves: Absorb, Tackle, Stun Spore, Leech Seed, Mega Drain, Headbutt, Mach Punch, PoisonPowder, Counter, Worry Seed, Force Palm, Growth, Sky Uppercut, Giga Drain, Mind Reader, Seed Bomb, Spore, DynamicPunch
EMs: HM Cut, HM Strength, TM Stone Edge, TM Bulk Up, TM Energy Ball, TM Iron Tail, TM Rock Slide, TM Focus Punch, TM Substitute, TM Swords Dance, TM Drain Punch, TM Rock Tomb, TM Return, TM Low Sweep

Houndoom, M, Careful @ 85%
Nickname: iLa Fantoma!
Ability: Early Bird
Moves: Thunder Fang, Leer, Ember, Howl, Smog, Roar, Bite, Odor Sleuth, Beat Up, Fire Fang, Faint Attack, Embargo, Flamethrower, Crunch, Nasty Plot, Inferno, Foul Play
EMs: TM Dark Pulse, HM Strength, TM Fire Blast

Gallade, M, Brave @ 65%
Nickname: N/A
Ability: Steadfast
Moves: Leaf Blade, Night Slash, Leer, Growl, Confusion, Double Team, Teleport, Lucky Chant, Fury Cutter, Magical Leaf, Slash, Calm Mind, Swords Dance, Psychic, Psycho Cut, Imprison, Helping Hand, Future Sight, Feint, Charm, False Swipe, Hypnosis, Protect, Dream Eater, Close Combat, Heal Pulse, Stored Power
EMs: TM Substitute, TM Bulk Up, TM X-Scissor, TM Drain Punch, BM Shadow Sneak, BM Ice Punch, TM Skill Swap, BM Thunderpunch, BM Encore, TM Thunderwave

 

As we began to walk around the robotic pokemon, it continued clicking. The noises it made creeped me out, and that red eye wasn't exactly helping. We inched around, expecting it to block our path and force me to buy another pokedoll. I could see that Ivy was rigid, also expecting the worst. The further we got away, however, the more the pokemon seemed to relax. It was probably mad that we got so close, and was relieved that we were getting away from it. We walked up to the cavern entrance without another problem.

The cave was fairly large, and very dark inside. Ivy flicked on a flashlight, shaking it a bit. The beam of light cut through the darkness, illuminating the path in front of us. I could see further down the cave, and the path ahead was littered with a few stones and rocks. For some reason it had always bugged me to be in the dark and not be the one holding a flashlight, but Ivy held it steady and kept it right in front of us. Most people had a habit of shining it on stuff they want to look at.

We hadn't been in the cave that long when we saw two pink little triangles with brown centers pop up from behind a rock. A tiny little puff ball waddled out from behind it and spoke its name with a squeaky voice. It was a Cleffa. Though cute, I really didn't care for Cleffa or any of its evolutions.

“Want to do anything with this Cleffa?” Ivy asked me with about as much enthusiasm as I had.

"No thanks, let's try to get around it. As always, I'm ready to buy a doll if I must."