Individual RP: Sky Lark

NBP #3

Ranger Chainy

OOC: @Sky Lark; Payment please.

~~~~~

As I predicted, Eric didn't want to capture the Skitty. I couldn't say I was surpised, as while they were fairly rare they weren't particularly good at battling. Skitty made much better house pets than fighters, and anyone who wanted a pet Skitty would much prefer to get one at a shop or a breeder's ranch than trek all the way out here to the National Park.

When we tried to walk past, the Skitty woke up and hissed at us. It seemed like the Pokemon felt it had been slighted by Eric's dismissal. I knew just how bad cats could be: I'd often been on the bad side of Ivy's Espeon, and that never ever worked out well for me. I hated to admit it, but Haji was way smarter than I could ever hope to be, and I'd die before admitting it. And that was the problem: the damn cat's mind-reading was better than my blocking, and he'd ferreted all kinds of interesting tidbits out of me from over the years. All I could do was hope that he didn't share the juicier ones with Ivy.

I pulled out a plush toy, which rather coincidentally was a Skitty, and tossed it lightly towards the Normal-type. The Pokemon caught the doll and immediately started shredding it with tiny, sharp claws. My eyes widened and I made frantic motions with my hands, indicating to Eric that we should get out of here as quickly as possible. We power-walked down the path, and I was conscious of soft toy's demise with every step we took.

A couple of minutes later, we finally arrived at one of the more open areas of the Gardens. Flowers were arranged in plots by species and colour, with immaculately-trimmed lawns about twenty metres wide separating them. Walking gingerly between a pair of flowerbeds was a small Girafarig, a child if I had to guess.

"Feel like trying to capture a Girafarig?" I asked Eric.

~~~~~

Trainer Statistics:

Name: Eric Lundt
Location: Botanic Gardens
Area Effects: 11 Encounters Remaining
Pokemon Encountered: Chatot; Munchlax; Servine; Skitty; Girafarig
Pokemon Captured: Quiet Male Munchlax
MCR: 0

Pokemon Stats:

Docile Male Gengar @ Levitate w/ EMs TM Telekinesis ; TM Counter ; TM Focus Blast ; TM Snatch ; TM Thunderbolt ; MT Pain Split | 100%

Gentle Female Togekiss @ Serene Grace w/ EMs TM Captivate ; TM Roost ; TM Substitute ; TM Psych Up ; BM Psycho Shift ; MT Heal Bell ; SM Tri Attack ; MT Softboiled | 78%

Item Statistics:

Trainer Items: x4 ParkBall ; x1 Super Ball ; Digital Camera

~~~~~

 

37600 – 500 = 37100
@ChainReaction01 Uh. I may or may not have eaten too many sweets before writing this. Male please.

Eric, for one reason or another, decided to channel the pink panther as he and Chainy made their escape from the oh so unsuspecting kitten. The trumpets from the pink panther theme blaring in his head, Eric started tiptoeing, ready to follow Chainy’s lead. Squinting his eyes, he raised his hands in front of him, fingers flexed as if he himself was a cat on the prowl, accidentally brushing a hand against his Gengar’s pokeball in the process.

Opening just a peep and without the usual bright flash of light, the pokeball allowed a Gengar, whom Eric had nicknamed Specter, to silently materialize out of Chainy’s peripheral vision, just behind Eric and awaiting instruction. Other, more mischievous, Gengar might have started playing pranks or making faces at the sleeping Skitty, but Specter was quite the oddball among his kind. Breaking the stereotype, so to speak, Specter was never one to hide in other people’s shadows, mimicking them and cackling madly in the process just for fun. Being the laid back and compliant pokemon that he was, Specter just waited, watching the Skitty with mild interest.

At that moment, the Skitty woke up, causing Eric to sigh. For whatever reason, Eric did not know, but it was fairly common for pokemon in the national park to suddenly wake up wanting to battle or suddenly decide they needed to stop trainers from escaping even though they were previously fixated on other matters. One moment, a pokemon might be frolicking about, caught up in its own antics, and the moment a trainer decides to walk away from it, bam! The pokemon’s attention is inexplicably shifted towards the trainer. It was as if some mysterious force that Eric decided to call “dice” would say, “Lol, nope. You fail,” in an effort to taunt trainers with the tantalizing chance of saving five hundred pokedollars. Yes. Tantalizing. It was as if the “dice” had said, “Here, have a sleeping pokemon. Oh, and feel free to assume that you’ll be able to escape since, you know, it’s sleeping,” before screaming “Psych!” into Eric’s ear like the bully that the “dice” really was.

Such was the case with Skitty. Its cat nap abruptly interrupted by Eric’s decision to flee, the kitten hissed with its hackles raised. Eric didn’t know whether it was just Specter’s presence or something else entirely, but the Skitty was most definitely upset. Later, Eric would curse the “dice” and mock them, but now was not the time for that. (Of course, he had thanked the “dice” the moment he had encountered the Munchlax, but he was fickle, just as the “dice” was.) Now was the time to return Specter, who was very nonchalant about the entire situation, to his pokeball. Watching the Skitty carefully, Eric brought his hand to his belt, tapping Specter’s pokeball mostly on muscle memory..

Chainy, seeing the Skitty’s hostile reaction, grabbed a pokedoll and immediately tossed the plush being toward the wild pokemon. Catching its doppelganger midair, the Skitty pounced and quickly proceeded to shredding the doll with its razor sharp claws. Charming. Just charming. That was why Eric was a Lillipup person. Seeing Chainy’s frantic look and hurried motions, Eric barreled down the path with Specter, following Chainy’s suit.

After a few uneventful minutes had passed of Eric silently berating himself for not exercising more often, accompanied by heavy, labored breathing, Eric set his eyes on the national park’s flower beds. It was like an explosion of color, vibrant and widespread, covering a huge area, only more organized. One section contained mostly Marigolds, and just to its side, Eric could see Roselia tending to some roses. The plethora of flowers amazed him. With all the Grass type pokemon that resided in the area, it was but natural for the flowers to have thrived. Taking out his camera and preparing to take a panoramic shot, Chainy pointed out a pokemon.

"Feel like trying to capture a Girafarig?" he asked.

Looking up from his camera, Eric spotted what Chainy was referring to. A quadruped, hoofed pokemon was walking nearby between two of the flowerbeds. Something Eric hadn’t previously seen in real life, Eric took interest in the Girafarig, noting the pink spikes that lined its back and its odd coloration. Sure, many pokemon had odd markings, but when Eric tried recalling pokemon whose pelts were remotely similar to the Girafarig, none came to mind. The front half, a bright yellow with a small number of black spots was markedly demarcated from its rear, which was the exact opposite – black with yellow spots. Though the most interesting aspect of the pokemon, by far, was its tail.

The tail, a mesmerizing black baton, bobbed in the air rhythmically with its set of eyes and single mouth. Occasionally stopping to stare at Eric and Chainy as if it possessed sentience, the tail both fascinated and intrigued Eric.

Eric, recalling a conversation he had previously overheard, put his camera away lest he scare the pokemon off. Apparently, for some reason or another, some of the park’s pokemon had an aversion to having their picture taken. While, according to the conversation, it was usually the evolved pokemon that took off upon being photographed, Eric decided he’d take a photo after he battled the Girafarig. It was better to be safe rather than sorry after all.

“I think I might just have a go at it,” responded Eric somewhat absentmindedly. He was already mulling over which pokemon he wanted to use. At first, Specter seemed the obvious choice. Eric didn’t want to tire Togekiss out too much, and Specter did have a couple of Dark type moves at his disposal. Specter’s secondary type, though, worried Eric. Seeing as he was about engage in a pokemon battle, a bit of collateral damage to the environment would perhaps be inevitable. A couple of uprooted flowers and some energy burns on the grass maybe, but he didn’t want to accidentally kill off a large portion of the flowerbeds with the poison that lined Specter’s incorporeal skin. (As to whether or not it was actual skin or something else entirely, Eric had no idea.) He’d probably have a lot of explaining to do if the flowerbeds got destroyed, both to the rangers and the pokemon that tended them, and in his mind, a pokemon battle was a pretty pathetic excuse. That left him with Togekiss. Oops. That extra pokemon permit that he brushed off thinking he would not need it, sounded really good right about now. “All right. I guess that’s that,” Eric said, mostly to himself, pushing the button on his Togekiss’ pokeball.

“Togeee,” she cried out, appearing in a flash of white. After taking a quick look around, Togekiss took to the air, circling around once before hovering just above Eric.

“Togekiss, why don’t you go ahead and greet the Girafarig with a charming introduction?” offered Eric as he motioned toward the long necked pokemon, wanting to test the waters. “Careful though. We still don’t know if it’s aggressive. Look out for its tail too. It might take a nip at you if you get too close.”

 

BP #1

Ranger Chainy

OOC: @Sky Lark; Girafarig gender?

~~~~~

At some point in time after we booked it away from the Skitty, Eric had released his Gengar. There was no malice in this action that I could see; many Pokemon disliked being inside their PokeBalls. My Gallade held no particular fondness for his, and my little brother's Gyarados actively disliked being inside hers. Which made for all kinds of amusing situations, considering the size of the Gyarados species. I had actually heard from him that he was planning an Expedition to the Ruined Manor, and he was considering taking his Gyarados with him. I loved the little tyke, but I never accused him of having lots of smarts.

Eric seemed even more enthralled with the flowerbeds than I was. I didn't tell him that this was just one of the close to sixty flowerbeds that could be found throughout the Botanical Gardens. This one was reasonably close to the entrance. The further away they were, the more likely that the area was watched over by increasingly powerful Pokemon, and these Pokemon were usually pretty territorial. The three furthest-away actually hadn't been visited in quite a few months, simply because the Wild Pokemon took the protection of the sites a bit too seriously. Actually, I'd nearly lost a sizable part of my left buttcheek to a grumpy Tropius about a year ago in one of those gardens. Ever since then I'd refused to go back, and good bosses don't make their employees do things they themselves refuse to. Personally I didn't have a problem forcing people to do things I hated, but Ivy got all on my case if I did it too often.

A bright light reflected into my eye momentarily and I saw that Eric had taken out his camera. I thought for a second he intended to try and scare the Girafarig off with it, but he appeared to reconsider. I was glad of this because I doubted that the Archives would buy a shot of a Girafarig: they were just common enough that sightings were unremarkable.

"I think I might just have a go at it," Eric replied slowly. His hand drifted towards his belt as he considered which Pokemon to use. In the end, he decided on using his Togekiss again, as opposed to the Gengar which was already out. I trusted Eric not to try and tag-team the Girafarig, but if he tried to do so I'd have to act quickly before anyone was hurt.

“Togekiss, why don’t you go ahead and greet the Girafarig with a charming introduction?” Eric suggested. “Careful though. We still don’t know if it’s aggressive. Look out for its tail too. It might take a nip at you if you get too close.”

The Flying-type nodded and began bounding over to the Wild Pokemon, being careful not to step on any flowers or disturb any of the others. She made happy-sounding trills, and the tilt of the Girafarig's head told me that it was, at the very least, curious. Togekiss jumped up and down in front of the Psychic-type, waving her wings without actually taking flight. The Girafarig itself was enthralled, and lowered its head to get a closer look at this new potential friend. I was slightly worried that the Girafarig would be taken completely unaware by an attack from the Togekiss: when Wild Pokemon were suddenly attacked by a trained Pokemon they considered friendly, most became quite nasty.

Thankfully, my worry was unfounded, as the Girafarig proved it was not stupid. Coloured lights began flashing through the air in trails. They meandered a little bit but I could make out a definite path that went from the Togekiss to the Girafarig and back again. I recognised it as a very rare technique, the Power Split. This move was actually quite ingenious, as the Girafarig hadn't actually attacked, allowing it to remain peaceful, but if the Togekiss attacked now it would be weakened to the Wild Pokemon's own level. Truly, Eric was dealing with a very intelligent Pokemon.

~~~~~

Current Battle Statistics:

??? ??? Girafarig: 100%, ATK-2 (used Power Split)

Gentle Female Togekiss: 78% (used Charm)

~~~~~

Trainer Statistics:

Name: Eric Lundt
Location: Botanic Gardens
Area Effects: 11 Encounters Remaining
Pokemon Encountered: Chatot; Munchlax; Servine; Skitty; Girafarig
Pokemon Captured: Quiet Male Munchlax
MCR: 7000 / 15000

Pokemon Stats:

Docile Male Gengar @ Levitate w/ EMs TM Telekinesis ; TM Counter ; TM Focus Blast ; TM Snatch ; TM Thunderbolt ; MT Pain Split | 100%

Gentle Female Togekiss @ Serene Grace w/ EMs TM Captivate ; TM Roost ; TM Substitute ; TM Psych Up ; BM Psycho Shift ; MT Heal Bell ; SM Tri Attack ; MT Softboiled | ACTIVE

Item Statistics:

Trainer Items: x4 ParkBall ; x1 Super Ball ; Digital Camera

~~~~~

 

@ChainReaction01 Male please

With a nod and a slight flap of her wings, Togekiss made her way, hopping and chirping merrily as she approached what Eric hoped would be a new addition to his team. Excited to meet someone new, Togekiss waved her wings animatedly, first introducing herself with a few chirps before cocking her head to the side, waiting for a response.

Eric carefully watched the Girafarig for the slightest of movements, knowing that his plan might very well backfire at any moment. The Girafarig lowered his head ever so slightly – not a cause for concern but something to note, Eric thought. He had no idea what to make of it, but it didn’t seem to be an aggressive action.

Then it started waving. The Long Neck pokemon’s rear head caught Eric’s attention once more as it vigorously cut through the air. Waving faster and faster like a metronome, the tail hypnotized Eric in mere seconds. Tick-tock it went. Tick-Tock. Faster and faster it went, and Eric couldn’t help but be enthralled by its rhythms. “Tick-tock,” Eric said. “Tick-tock.”

At that moment, fuzzy spheres of light started emanating in succession from the Girafarig’s horns until there were at least six of them circling the giraffe’s head. Slowly, they moved in a winding path, twisting and turning, mimicking the path of the Psychic type’s smaller head. The tail was leading the lights like a conductor’s baton, prodding them and egging them on as they made their mystical way forward, trailing and cavorting with mirth as they darted towards Togekiss who remained motionless throughout the entire spectacle, enthralled by the dancing lights.

And then they hit her. At first, she felt warm, tingly even as the orbs of energy dissolved into her body one by one. For a moment, Togekiss cringed purely out of reflex. From past experience, spheres of energy usually inflicted pain, but not this time. Strangely enough, the pain that Togekiss expected did not come. There was only tingling, tingling from her innermost being that emanated outward.

Then there was light. The orbs of light emerged once again, but this time, they came forth in synchrony from the tips of the Fairy’s wings, possessing entirely different hues. What had once been vivid violets, reds, and yellows were now the blues of the oceans, the greens of the trees, and the oranges of the fires that laced the sky at sunset. Now, they moved with direction and purpose, no longer floating in the wind and carried by whims, instead heading straight towards the Girafarig.

Now it was over. The Psychic type’s tail released Eric from its grasp, leaving him with only a vague idea of what had happened. Togekiss was none the wiser. Suddenly, she felt empty, as if the magical lights had taken a part of her. No longer did she feel familiar and comfortable with summoning the powers of the elements as she had done mere moments before. Fire, ice, electricity, grass, and air felt distant and foreign, energies that she could still harness but to weaker effect.

Suddenly it dawned on her. It was only now that Togekiss realized what had happen. The floating spheres had stolen some of her energy but had granted her a different prowess in exchange. Slowly, she extended her wings and instantly knew that they held more power. She realized she was now capable of hitting faster, harder, and stronger.

Togekiss felt wronged. Throwing rocks at her? Sure. Good job at that. Blasting her with bolts of electricity or beams of ice? Nice one! Props to you and all that jazz even. Hurtling blobs of corporeal energy at her? Only an idiot would do that. Nice try though. But taking away her abilities? No. That was a big, fat no. That made things personal, and she was definitely going to make sure if and when things got personal, it wasn't going to be fun. While she knew herself to be a gentle soul, even gentle souls had their breaking points.

For now, she had to play nice though. Eric had just told her to captivate the Girafarig with her charm, and it would be a cold day in Hell before she openly disobeyed her trainer’s orders in battle. She chirped with all the sweetness in the world.

Eric stood there in a daze. He saw some lights come from the wild pokemon dissolve into his Togekiss and vice versa. It was probably a Psychic type move. That much he knew. Girafarig was part Psychic type, and he’d bet quite a large amount that he was right. Which Psychic type move that was though, he had no idea. “Erm… Do you have any idea what that was?” he asked, hoping Chainy could enlighten him. For now, he had to work with what he could gather. One, the move was of the Psychic type. Two, Togekiss didn’t seem to be in pain, so it was probably a status move. Hopefully, he’d find out soon. Feeling rather limited with his options, Eric tried to play on the safe side. “Togekiss,” he called out. “Use Encore on the last move that the Girafarig used. Make sure it’s that move and not a different one. If you don’t think you can manage that, abort. Don’t try to Encore the Girafarig into other moves.”

Togekiss bounded over to the Girafarig once again. Jumping up and down with excitement and wings flapping about, she called out in a language that only pokemon understood. “Togee, toooo. Kiss tokiss togekiss,” she merrily chirped. According to her, the move that the Girafarig just used simply enthralled her, and she wanted to see it again. Frankly, it was quite stunning, magnificent even. If the Girafarig could perform that technique once or twice more, that would be absolutely wonderful. Apparently, it was the most unique and colorful move she’d seen in a long time, and it was utterly fascinating. Cheering and praising the Girafarig with pure unbridled enthusiasm, Togekiss had started applauding with her wings. She demanded an encore for the performance which was so appealing and well done. No other pokemon would’ve been able to perform the technique with such skill, and for that, she wanted to see it again, see the move that involved the transference of power between them two. "Such talent!" she remarked, although she was understood only by her fellow pokemon. The technique provided a most mesmerizing and captivating feeling, and she would absolutely adore another performance. Yes! An encore. She asked, no, demanded the Girafarig for an encore.

 

BP #2

Ranger Chainy

OOC: @Sky Lark;

~~~~~

Eric seemed rather confused about what was happening. I couldn't say that I blamed him; Power Split was a rare and esoteric technique, rarely used in battles. "Erm… Do you have any idea what that was?" he asked.

"It's a Psychic-type attack called Power Split," I replied, genuinely pleased that a Trainer was asking for help as opposed to muddling themself in deeper like usual. "It's a mental technique that completely eliminates the differences in attacking power between the user and the target. To put it simply, your Togekiss is now exactly as powerful as the Girafarig it is fighting."

Eric took a few seconds to think this over. "Togekiss," he called out. "Use Encore on the last move that the Girafarig used. Make sure it’s that move and not a different one. If you don’t think you can manage that, abort. Don’t try to Encore the Girafarig into other moves."

This was a very clever idea. Since Power split didn't do any damage, Togekiss wasn't in dager of being wounded by a sudden attack, and repeated Power Splits wouldn't have any effect. Using it five times had the same effect as using it once, assuming of course that the opponent hadn't gotten stronger or weaker in the mean-time.

Togekiss started cheering and chirping and clapping with her soft wings, apparently enthralled by this latest development. Personally, I thought the performance was just a little bit hammy, but the Girafarig apparently disagreed. Its eyes grew wide and it widened its stance proudly, loving the attention it was getting. I had been privately worried that the Encore wouldn't work, seeing as it was a mental technique being used on a Psychic-type. However, I had forgotten to account for the fact that the Girafarig was still young, and not yet used to battling, let alone this strange kind of non-aggression battling. The Girafarig started to perform the move again, and once more colourful lights flew through the sky, making a multicoloured trail between the Psychic-type and the Flying-type. If Eric had a plan, this was the time to put it into action: I very much doubted that the Girafarig would stay locked into the Encore for long.

~~~~~

Current Battle Statistics:

??? Male Girafarig: 100%, ATK-2 (used Power Split)

Gentle Female Togekiss: 78% (used Encore)

~~~~~

Trainer Statistics:

Name: Eric Lundt
Location: Botanic Gardens
Area Effects: 11 Encounters Remaining
Pokemon Encountered: Chatot; Munchlax; Servine; Skitty; Girafarig
Pokemon Captured: Quiet Male Munchlax
MCR: 13283 / 15000

Pokemon Stats:

Docile Male Gengar @ Levitate w/ EMs TM Telekinesis ; TM Counter ; TM Focus Blast ; TM Snatch ; TM Thunderbolt ; MT Pain Split | 100%

Gentle Female Togekiss @ Serene Grace w/ EMs TM Captivate ; TM Roost ; TM Substitute ; TM Psych Up ; BM Psycho Shift ; MT Heal Bell ; SM Tri Attack ; MT Softboiled | ACTIVE

Item Statistics:

Trainer Items: x4 ParkBall ; x1 Super Ball ; Digital Camera

~~~~~

 

@ChainReaction01
Heart thumping in his chest, Eric watched with trepidation as the Girafarig’s tail came to life once more, indicating that the Girafarig was about to perform a technique. This time, Eric knew better than to watch the tail, instead focusing on the giraffe-like pokemon’s main head. The glowing lights reappeared once again, meandering as they did before.

Eric let loose the breath he didn’t know he was holding as he pondered his next move. Encore had worked, and while it was the kind of move that was at times difficult to pull off, if done effectively it allowed one the opportunity of getting the upper hand. This was the Eric’s chance to pull a rabbit out of his hat, metaphorically speaking – that is, if he actually had one. He took the risk of possibly encoring the Girafarig into an offensive move, but it had paid off. Now was the time to capitalize. To Eric’s frustration and annoyance however, as much as he racked his brains for moves that would blow the Girafarig’s nonexistent socks off, nothing to came to mind. Alas, he was coming up with squat – diddly, unassuming squat.

In all honesty, he’d already been trying (and failing) to formulate a strategy against the long necked pokemon the moment he set eyes on it, but none had come to mind. Specter would’ve been a solid choice if only Ghost type moves could hit the Girafarig, but no. Being a Normal type, the Girafarig possessed a natural immunity against Ghost type attacks, and that severely limited Specter’s useable move pool. Togekiss wasn’t exactly threatening either. Eric’s gut told him that the Power Split technique had reduced the power of Togekiss’ special attacks, which made up most of her movepool.

“Right,” Eric said as he weighed his options. Togekiss was more or less limited to using attacks that involved her throwing herself at the Girafarig such as Extremespeed and Sky Attack while Specter was limited to a measly eight moves give or take. “I guess it’s time to shake things up.” While he was doing relatively ok with his battle, he wasn’t doing much damage either. “Time to try out some mind games then,” he muttered, hoping to change the pace of the battle.

Playing mind games with a Psychic type. You’re really smart, you know that?

And you’re a real smart-ass, he thought, chastising the tiny voice inside his head that wanted him to give up and call it a day. The voice of doubt whispered not-so-sweet nothings in his ear, calling his plan flawed and illogical. Maybe it was, he conceded, but he was going to give it a shot anyway.

“Togekiss, return. You’ve done an awesome job!” Eric deliberately called out, making sure that the Girafarig noticed. With a single pointed beam, Togekiss dissolved into nothingness for the time-being.

If the Girafarig was going to use Power Split, as Chainy had called it, once more, Eric was going to make the most of it. “Specter, to the fore if you please,” said Eric with feigned confidence.

With a nod, the ghost floated forward, the slightest hints of a smile on his face. It was his first time battling in the national park and was understandably curious about the wildlife, especially about their battling ability.

Gengar usually weren’t the best physical attackers, but with the help of Power Split, Specter’s punches were bound to hit harder. With this in mind, Eric instructed his Gengar. “You’ve got the upper hand when it comes to speed, so make use of that. Zip toward your opponent, not in a straight line though. Try to confuse the Girafarig by zigzagging around, and expect it to use Power Split at least once more. Don’t hold back as the technique works its magic; if anything, it should make your attack stronger. Then strike the Girafarig’s muzzle with a Shadow Punch. It’s part Normal type, so that might have absolutely no effect. Your fist will probably pass right through, and if you can manage, pass your entire body through, following this by immediately disappearing into the Girafarig’s shadow. As soon as it drops its guard, strike again, but this time, hit it with a Sucker Punch. That’ll throw it for a loop,” Eric concluded. “Oh, and be mindful of the flowers. We don’t want to accidentally poison them,” he added as an afterthought.

With a nod, the Gengar moved away from Eric, zipping left then right in a blink of an eye, caustic ghostly energy starting to amass on his right fist. In a matter of seconds, Specter would strike, and Eric would find out if his plan would go without a hitch.

 

BP #3

Ranger Chainy

OOC: @Sky Lark;

~~~~~

Eric stared at the Girafarig as it pranced around with lights shining about its stubby horns. It was quite clearly showing off and trying to impress the Togekiss as per her earlier encore. However, while the Girafarig knew exactly what it was doing, Eric did not. The Girafarig's Power Trick had stumped him, and he obviously did not know what to do. Togekiss battlers relied on their wide movepool and utility in battle, but without the ability to do any real damage, Togekiss could only stall, and the only Pokemon better at stalling than Normal types were Psychic types. And the Girafarig was both.

Finally, Eric appeared to make up his mind. "Togekiss, return. You’ve done an awesome job! Specter, to the fore if you please," he commanded as he returned his Togekiss and resummoned his Gengar. I was immediately concerned by his choice: Ghost Pokemon were ineffective against Normal-types, and Poison Pokemon were usually caned by Psychic-types. Eric's choice was an interesting one, but at least it meant that he was finally preparing to go on the offensive. The Girafarig noticed this and narrowed its eyes: it had been having fun with the Togekiss, how dare its Trainer swap it out?

I listened to Eric's attack plan, at first with horror but then with begrudging respect. It was an unconventional attack plan to be sure, but with the typings of both Pokemon in play it had a million-to-one shot to work. The Gengar zipped off at high speed, juking left and right to evade any incoming attacks. The Girafarig was still too fired up from the Togekiss' Encore to attempt an attack, though: it sent out the multicoloured lights of its Power Swap, but this time they were in an expanding orb instead of a direct stream. The Gengar had no choice but to ram straight through the lights, and in the instant that it did they started to flicker and rush as the connection became good. Once again the Girafarig shared and split the offensive energy between itself and its target, but this time it felt like a mistake. The Gengar's ghostly aura seemed to weaken, sure, but I could also swear that it appeared to have bulked up slightly. There was now a light purple blob of bubbling energy surrounding the Gengar's fist, and it rammed the energy straight through the Girafarig's midsection. Rather predictably, it had no outward effect, but I noticed that the Girafarig started to shiver in discomfort. While its Normal-typing protected it from direct damage, its Psychic tendencies must be picking up on the other effects of the Shadow Punch. The Gengar swept through the Girafarig's body entirely and then disappeared into the ground.

The Girafarig wasn't stupid, though. It knew exactly where its enemy had gone. Perhaps it could even sense the Gengar with its mind. Whatever the reason, it pranced around and fired multicolour waves of light from its forehead right at its own shadow. Immediately the Gengar leapt out of the shadow and crashed into the energy waves. The Gengar flinched and narrowed its eyes but determinedly flew straight up to the Girafarig, clipping it rather solidly under the chin with a fist that was black as night. The Girafarig definitely felt that one: I could hear the clack as its jaw was forced upwards. The giraffe Pokemon was pushed onto its side, and it whinnied with shock before rolling over and backing away from the Gengar, watching it warily. This foe was entirely different to the Togekiss from before.

~~~~~

Current Battle Statistics:

??? Male Girafarig: 80%, ATK-2 (used Power Split, Psybeam)

Docile Male Gengar: 100% (used Shadow Punch, Sucker Punch)

~~~~~

Trainer Statistics:

Name: Eric Lundt
Location: Botanic Gardens
Area Effects: 11 Encounters Remaining
Pokemon Encountered: Chatot; Munchlax; Servine; Skitty; Girafarig
Pokemon Captured: Quiet Male Munchlax
MCR: 17746 / 15000

Pokemon Stats:

Docile Male Gengar @ Levitate w/ EMs TM Telekinesis ; TM Counter ; TM Focus Blast ; TM Snatch ; TM Thunderbolt ; MT Pain Split | ACTIVE

Gentle Female Togekiss @ Serene Grace w/ EMs TM Captivate ; TM Roost ; TM Substitute ; TM Psych Up ; BM Psycho Shift ; MT Heal Bell ; SM Tri Attack ; MT Softboiled | 78%

Item Statistics:

Trainer Items: x4 ParkBall ; x1 Super Ball ; Digital Camera

~~~~~

 

@ChainReaction01

The strange lights appeared once again as Specter dashed forward. To both Eric and his pokemon’s surprise, the Girafarig had slightly modified its attack. This time around, instead of the usual multiple spheres that flew one after the other, the Power Split manifested as a single massive orb, expanding as Specter drew near. The Girafarig certainly was intelligent, Eric had to give it that. With only the slightest hint of hesitation, Specter passed through the light, suddenly empowered as he collected the ethereal energy into his fist, and in a matter of moments, he was ready to strike. As Specter punched the Girafarig’s side, trails of the flickering energy radiated outwards and dissipated almost instantly. Then he was gone, mingling with the shadow underneath the Girafarig and using what belonged to his target as a place of hiding.

The Girafarig shivered as Specter passed through its body, its Normal type attributes granting it immunity from most, if not all of the ghostly energy. Going on the offensive, the Girafarig fired off a beam of multicolored particles from its horns toward its shadow.

As if he’d been waiting for the Girafarig to attack, Specter sprung out at this exact moment, black energy trailing from the shadow into his fist, fueling his surprise attack. Without hesitation, Specter struck, managing to hit his opponent’s jaw with a considerable amount of force, causing the Girafarig to cry out, stumbling backwards in the process. Once it regained its footing, it set its sight on the Gengar, carefully anticipating the next attack.

Eric was able to establish two things as he observed the exchange of moves. The first was that the Girafarig was well-versed in battle. Not only did it use a Psychic type attack, one that was made stronger by its natural affinity for that particular type of energy and which was particularly effective against Gengar. It also attacked its shadow, proving that it wasn’t going to be, in any way, easily tricked.

The second was that while the Girafarig didn’t actually get hurt from the Shadow Punch, it was still able to “feel” and somewhat be affected by them, as evidenced by its shivering. Maybe, just maybe he could use that to his advantage.

Sending out Specter and keeping him in battle against the Girafarig was a very risky decision. Right now, Eric’s primary concern was taking the least amount of damage as possible. “Use Night Shade to cast an illusion. Make the Girafarig think as if it has been engulfed into a world of black, one that is composed entirely of shadow, and fire off a Dark Pulse afterwards,” he quickly called out, not wanting to give the Girafarig time to recover from shock. Since everything would be black, Eric hoped that to the Girafarig, it would seem as if the Dark Pulse had come out of nowhere, possibly confusing and disorienting it afterwards.

Normally, Night Shade was an attack that caused its target to see a frightening mirage as it inflicted damage, but due to the Girafarig being a Normal type, Eric wasn’t entirely sure whether or not the attack would work. It was certainly unconventional, but Eric decided he’d follow his gut.

Specter’s eyes suddenly turned black as a beam of the same color emerged, streaking towards the giraffe-like pokemon’s head. At the same moment, he started thinking malicious, vindictive thoughts, channeling the thoughts into the dark energy that made up the sphere between his palms. In a matter of moments, the swirling energy had grown wild, threatening to burst forth, and so Specter pulled the trigger, so to speak, causing the rippling waves of concentrated energy to flow towards his target.

 

BP #4

Ranger Chainy

OOC: @Sky Lark;

~~~~~

Eric had been watching the battle carefully, and I had been watching him equally closely. This match-up was a unique one, in that the Ghost-typed moves seemed to be having an effect on the Normal-typed Girafarig, if only slightly. Personally, I wouldn't have relied on this, but Eric seemed to have other ideas.

“Use Night Shade to cast an illusion. Make the Girafarig think as if it has been engulfed into a world of black, one that is composed entirely of shadow, and fire off a Dark Pulse afterwards,” he called out.

The Gengar closed his eyes for a couple seconds before reopening them. Instead of the normal mischievous red, however, Gengar's eyes were pure, deep, soul-less black. I fancied that I could see black energy flying towards the Girafarig, but as I blinked my eyes, I realised that I actually couldn't. The Girafarig stood ram-rod straight for a moment, and narrowed its eyes, as if curious. I couldn't see what illusion was enveloping the Wild Pokemon, but I got the feeling that it wasn't affecting the Normal-type very much. Still, it was a definite distraction, and as the Girafarig started to sniff at the air to determine what was real, the Gengar started powering up its Dark Pulse. He held his hands in front of himself, and darkness began to spiral between his stubby palms. It grew and grew, the streams of energy appearing to emanate from his head. When it was finally ready, the Gengar pulled his hands back, cracking the sphere. Waves of darkness radiated towards the Girafarig, and when they made contact there was a definite physical reaction. The Psychic-type was forced backwards, and it whinnied in pain as the Gengar's malicious thoughts forced their way into its mind.

When the attack was over, the Girafarig snorted angrily. It was tired of dealing with this trickster. The Pokemon broke into a gallop, heading straight towards the Ghost-type. The Gengar's response was to laugh; no Normal-type attacks could harm it, after all! It was unpleasantly surprised when the Girafarig's round horns caught it in the belly and sent it spiraling through the air. Gengar landed with a thump on the ground as the Girafarig slowed to a stop, panting heavily.

"The Girafarig must have used Odor Sleuth," I said to Eric. "Gengar's defenses are running out one by one."

~~~~~

Current Battle Statistics:

??? Male Girafarig: 43%, ATK-2 (used Odor Sleuth, Take Down)

Docile Male Gengar: 91% (used Night Shade, Dark Pulse)

~~~~~

Trainer Statistics:

Name: Eric Lundt
Location: Botanic Gardens
Area Effects: 11 Encounters Remaining
Pokemon Encountered: Chatot; Munchlax; Servine; Skitty; Girafarig
Pokemon Captured: Quiet Male Munchlax
MCR: 21393 / 15000

Pokemon Stats:

Docile Male Gengar @ Levitate w/ EMs TM Telekinesis ; TM Counter ; TM Focus Blast ; TM Snatch ; TM Thunderbolt ; MT Pain Split | ACTIVE

Gentle Female Togekiss @ Serene Grace w/ EMs TM Captivate ; TM Roost ; TM Substitute ; TM Psych Up ; BM Psycho Shift ; MT Heal Bell ; SM Tri Attack ; MT Softboiled | 78%

Item Statistics:

Trainer Items: x4 ParkBall ; x1 Super Ball ; Digital Camera

~~~~~

 

@ChainReaction01
The dark energy broke free unrestrained and raced forward, rolling in waves as the Girafarig stood in place. Eric, intrigued by the wild pokemon’s reaction, wondered whether the illusion had paralyzed the Psychic type out of fear or the Girafarig was simply waiting for its opportunity to act. As much as this intrigued him, there was no time to ponder as the dark energy streaked towards the Girafarig, hitting it straight between the eyes and causing it to reel back both from pain and shock. The Dark Pulse had hurt. That much was clear.

The Girafarig then cried out. Perhaps it was a battle cry, signaling the wild pokemon’s resolve. Maybe it was just an outcry of pain. The Girafarig though, made its intentions very clear in the next few moments. Snorting, it charged, using its long legs to quickly gain speed.

Specter, seeing this, snickered. The Girafarig was as capable of ramming him just as he was capable of hitting it with Ghost type attacks after all. It would just pass straight through him, or so he thought.

As the Girafarig made contact, the Gengar’s eyes widened in surprise. Easily lifted into the air, he landed with as much grace as a Magikarp. Now he was angry. Getting to his feet, Specter resumed levitating, a glint in his eyes. If the Girafarig thought his previous attacks had hurt, it would be in for a surprise.

Chainy called out. "The Girafarig must have used Odor Sleuth. Gengar's defenses are running out one by one."

Odor Sleuth, to Eric’s understanding, was a move that, when used by a pokemon, allowed that pokemon a heightened sense of smell, giving that pokemon the ability to seek out its target with guaranteed accuracy. He knew it to be an incredibly efficient move against opponents who were hiding under the cover of fog or smokescreens, but how it granted its user the ability to make Ghosts corporeal (if only at the moment of being struck with an attack), he’d never understood.

Eric grinned. Considering the Girafarig’s size, it was reasonable to assume that it was still young, and if it was this capable a battler at such a young age, there was much fun to be had once the Girafarig became a member of his team. “All right, Specter. The Girafarig isn’t pulling any punches, so you shouldn’t either.” Eric wanted to use something entirely different and take the Girafarig by surprise – something that was neither Ghost nor Dark type, something shocking. “Show him your grandest Thunderbolt.”

Specter grinned. Snapping his fingers, he called forth sparks of electricity. The air around him crackled as he narrowed his eyes, concentrating on the task at hand. Electricity was not something that he was inherently familiar with, but he had fairly acceptable control over it. With a wave of his arms, the energy shaped itself and streaked towards the Girafarig, the tendrils hungrily searching for a vessel that would allow them to flow into the ground. Hopefully, the electricity would disrupt the Girafarig’s nervous impulses, making it difficult for it to voluntarily control its movement.

Meanwhile, Eric grabbed a Park Ball, preparing for the attack to hit. If and when the Thunderbolt zapped the Girafarig, he’d send the capture device flying.

 

BP #5

Ranger Chainy

OOC: @Sky Lark;

~~~~~

"All right, Specter. The Girafarig isn’t pulling any punches, so you shouldn’t either. Show him your grandest Thunderbolt," the young Trainer commanded.

The Gengar grinned and snapped his stubby little fingers together. As he did so, sparks flew from his hands, and an orb of yellow energy slowly grew in size. The Ghost-type drew his hand backwards, preparing to cast the attack. This was not lost on the Girafarig; the Wild Pokemon crouched low and brayed a challenge. Its rounded horns started to glow with a violet light, which was almost as painful to look at as Specter's Thunderbolt. This attack exchange was quite clearly going to be the final one in the battle.

With a loud snort, the Girafarig sent the energy flying into the air, heading for Specter. Not a second later, Specter brought his hand down like a pitcher would throw a baseball, and a jagged lance of electricity streaked down towards the Psychic-type. The energy-based attacks passed within centimeters of each other, and struck their targets at the exact same time. Purple energy assaulted Spectre, shaking him around and rolling his eyes in their sockets. As the energy faded, small tendrils of smoke drifted off the Ghost-type Pokemon into the air. Still, all-in all he looked relatively healthy.

The Girafarig had it much worse. The lightning strike had plowed it into the ground, and the Psychic-type was weakly kicking at the ground, trying to get up. Clods of earth flew into the air as its thrashing hooves tried unsuccessfully to bear its weight. Acting fast, Eric threw a camouflage-patterned Park Ball at the Wild Pokemon. It tapped the beast on its side and absorbed it with a red flash. The sphere shook on the ground for a couple seconds before laying still.

"Good job, that was an interesting battle to watch," I said as I walked over to pick the ball up. As I did so, I saw a small white-and-cream coloured Pokemon watching us from inside a particularly bushy flower shrub. "It looks like this Sentret agrees with me. Do you want to try and catch it?"

~~~~~

Trainer Statistics:

Name: Eric Lundt
Location: Botanic Gardens
Area Effects: 9 Encounters Remaining
Pokemon Encountered: Chatot; Munchlax; Servine; Skitty; Girafarig; Sentret
Pokemon Captured: Quiet Male Munchlax, Careful Male Girafarig
MCR: 0

Pokemon Stats:

Docile Male Gengar @ Levitate w/ EMs TM Telekinesis ; TM Counter ; TM Focus Blast ; TM Snatch ; TM Thunderbolt ; MT Pain Split | 80%

Gentle Female Togekiss @ Serene Grace w/ EMs TM Captivate ; TM Roost ; TM Substitute ; TM Psych Up ; BM Psycho Shift ; MT Heal Bell ; SM Tri Attack ; MT Softboiled | 78%

Item Statistics:

Trainer Items: x3 ParkBall ; x1 Super Ball ; Digital Camera

~~~~~

 

@ChainReaction01
OOC: Buying a doll if the escape fails

Eric crossed his arms. A defiant pokemon, the Girafarig was. It had bowed its head, pointing its horns toward Specter just before rapid pulses of energy started coursing through them. The dazzling purple energy was soon let loose, flying straight towards Specter and narrowly avoiding collision with the streak of lightning that was headed in the opposite direction. Both attacks had found their mark, sending the two pokemon sprawling.

Specter felt as if he’d collided with a speeding truck. The attack had hit him dead center and had caused a minute explosion of light, stunning him with its power. Motes dancing around in his field of vision, he hurriedly got to his feet, for a battle was no time to be lying around. Wisps of ghostly smoke wafted from his body as he cleared his head, trying to recover from the attack’s effects.

The Gengar hissed. A burst of light had appeared once more, this time red. He raised both his arms to his face as he forcefully shut his eyes trying to shield himself from the painful display, but the glow had instantly disappeared. Hesitantly, he lowered his arms, slowly opening one eye before the other. His foe was gone, and in its place was a spherical object which appeared similar to the device in which he resided but was not quite the same.

Specter watched as the man, the one whom he found slightly strange and who’d introduced himself as Chainy, picked up the equally strange device and stored it somewhere out of sight. Silently, he floated towards his trainer, who was now conversing with the man. His trainer was happy, smiling, and for that, he too was happy. He did not pay much thought to the injuries from the battle as he knew they would heal quickly once he had the chance to rest. Instead, he observed as the strange man and his trainer conversed. The strange man had pointed towards a pokemon, a brown and furry one whose inquisitive mind had caused it to venture forth. Meanwhile, his trainer had started shaking his head and had already taken out a brown pouch, the one which contained the green paper that humans exchanged quite often.

 

NBP #4

Ranger Chainy

OOC: @Sky Lark; No doll necessary.

~~~~~

Eric shook his head and pulled out his wallet to pay for a doll, but I gestured that it wasn't necessary. The Sentret was just watching, and it didn't seem to have any interest in battling. I smiled at the Normal-type and I watched as it disappeared back into the bush, no doubt hunting for some tasty treats now that it had been assured we were no threat.

The clouds were gathering, much darker than they were before. I repeated my prayers to stave off the bad weather, because I hated exploring in rain. If the sky was just dead-set on ruining my day, maybe Eric and I would at least be in a place with some modicum of cover, like a wooded area or a greenhouse or something.

I was looking around, seeing if there was anything interesting left in this area. My eye landed on a large green Pokemon with a huge bushy tail that was delicately leaning over to smell some flowers. It was a Sceptile, which was interesting because they rarely left the more forest-like areas of the National Gardens. Furthermore, I doubted that Eric would be interested in it but Ranger policy stated that all Pokemon that were in a healthy condition were to be offered to the Trainer as a potential capture. I pointed it out to Eric and asked him if he was interested in battling it.

~~~~~

Trainer Statistics:

Name: Eric Lundt
Location: Botanic Gardens
Area Effects: 8 Encounters Remaining
Pokemon Encountered: Chatot; Munchlax; Servine; Skitty; Girafarig; Sentret; Sceptile
Pokemon Captured: Quiet Male Munchlax, Careful Male Girafarig
MCR: 0

Pokemon Stats:

Docile Male Gengar @ Levitate w/ EMs TM Telekinesis ; TM Counter ; TM Focus Blast ; TM Snatch ; TM Thunderbolt ; MT Pain Split | 80%

Gentle Female Togekiss @ Serene Grace w/ EMs TM Captivate ; TM Roost ; TM Substitute ; TM Psych Up ; BM Psycho Shift ; MT Heal Bell ; SM Tri Attack ; MT Softboiled | 78%

Item Statistics:

Trainer Items: x3 ParkBall ; x1 Super Ball ; Digital Camera

~~~~~

 

@ChainReaction01

To Eric’s relief, it seemed that the Sentret was not interested in battling. He watched as the Sentret left; its large tail was the last to disappear.

Chainy, Eric had noticed, was now looking at the sky with a slight furrow on his forehead. The sky was indeed darker, and the clouds had become thicker. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that it would not be long before the rains came. Better get a move on. It would be a shame if the pokemon he sought were driven away by the rain.

As Eric was contemplating how best to skirt the rain, Chainy pointed out another pokemon. This time, it was much larger and was a stark green. Bladelike leaves decorated its arms. As it bent down, smelling the flowers, Eric noticed the yellow pods that lined its back.

Eric grabbed his camera in a frenzy. If memory served correct, that was a Sceptile, the fully evolved form of Treecko, and although it was now relatively easy to obtain a Treecko, seeing wild Sceptile was an uncommon occurrence. With haste, Eric framed the shot and pushed the button, accidentally setting of a flash. He silently cursed. The flash would probably scare away the Grass type – a shame.

 

NBP #5

Ranger Chainy

OOC: @Sky Lark;

~~~~~

As I pointed out the Sceptile to Eric, I noticed that he was looking up worriedly at the sky too. Before I could ask him what he wanted to do (and prayed that his answer wouldn't be "enjoy a shower") he reached quickly for his camera and took a snapshot of the Sceptile. The picture would fetch a high price back at the Archives because it showed the Pokemon out of its natural habitat; it was sniffing at flowers in a relative plain as opposed to being in high trees like it normally was. The Sceptile caught a glimpse of the camera's flash and shot us a dirty look before padding away.

"So, as you've no doubt seen, we've got a bit of a rainstorm approaching," I said as I turned to Eric. "You feel like taking cover somewhere? The wood gardens, or the greenhouses perhaps?"

Before Eric could answer, there was loud bellow from the other side of the garden. I looked over and saw a white-painted picket gate explode outwards, and a large bull Pokemon raced through it. The Tauros sniffed the air and bellowed again, no doubt unpleased about something. I felt a moment of remorse for the flowerbeds that were about to be destroyed by the Tauros' blind rage, but Rangers weren't supposed to interfere with the Wild Pokemon unless they put others in danger, and this one was just having a temper tantrum. Still, there was no way to know how it would react when it realised there were two humans present.

"Eric, unless you want to battle this Tauros, I advise we get moving," I said quickly to the Trainer. "I've seen Tauros turn real nasty, and this one definitely seems upset about something."

~~~~~

Trainer Statistics:

Name: Eric Lundt
Location: Botanic Gardens
Area Effects: 7 Encounters Remaining
Pokemon Encountered: Chatot; Munchlax; Servine; Skitty; Girafarig; Sentret; Sceptile; Tauros
Pokemon Captured: Quiet Male Munchlax, Careful Male Girafarig
MCR: 0

Pokemon Stats:

Docile Male Gengar @ Levitate w/ EMs TM Telekinesis ; TM Counter ; TM Focus Blast ; TM Snatch ; TM Thunderbolt ; MT Pain Split | 80%

Gentle Female Togekiss @ Serene Grace w/ EMs TM Captivate ; TM Roost ; TM Substitute ; TM Psych Up ; BM Psycho Shift ; MT Heal Bell ; SM Tri Attack ; MT Softboiled | 78%

Item Statistics:

Trainer Items: x3 ParkBall ; x1 Super Ball ; Digital Camera, 1x Sceptile Picture

~~~~~

 

@ChainReaction01

Eric had been right. The flash had disturbed the Sceptile, and now it was staring daggers at them – him in particular. The look on its face was unmistakable. The Grass type’s tail now held high into the air, it turned away in a huff, none too pleased, and clearly affronted, it left.

It was a shame, really. Eric would have loved a couple more shots of the Sceptile. He had been planning to sell one of the prints while keeping the others for his personal collection. Cross at himself, he turned off the flash, swiping at the camera’s touch screen with just a tad too much force. After he had done so, he turned off the device and carelessly stuffed it into his bag.

"So, as you've no doubt seen, we've got a bit of a rainstorm approaching. You feel like taking cover somewhere? The wood gardens, or the greenhouses perhaps?" It was Chainy who had spoken. Eric considered Chainy’s suggestions. He’d already made his mind about the greenhouses, but the mention of the wood gardens had intrigued him. It was the first time he had heard of the term, and he was curious. Not having a clue as to what they were, Eric envisioned a section of the forest – brimming with the sounds of life, vibrant, and filled with trees whose branches reached to the sky in prayer but also somehow more structured, orderly, and perhaps more…

Eric searched for the word that lingered on the tip of his tongue. Manmade? Unnatural? For a moment, he was at a loss, trying to describe the vague image he held in his mind. Then it hit him. Artificial was the word he was looking for. He imagined the area to have wooden sheds, fences, and cobble steps. In essence, he had imagined a regular garden like the ones in parks but containing a larger number of trees than what was usual.

Unexpectedly, a loud bellow broke his trail of thought. It had been low and guttural and had been immediately followed by another loud sound. This time though, it was quick, snappy, and quite literally, explosive. A picket fence exploded, and among the rain of wooden debris was a gruff, enraged beast. It had horns as dark as the clouds overhead and as threatening as jagged rocks. Thick fur protected its hide, and three tails whipped angrily at the air, striking down invisible foes with force and precision.

Eric instinctively braced himself. The brown quadruped was clearly suffering from a blind rage, poised to mow down anything in its path, and Eric very much liked his current state – standing, rather alive and, well, three dimensional. Unless something calmed the Tauros down, things were about to get real ugly. The beast bellowed once more.

"Eric, unless you want to battle this Tauros, I advise we get moving. I’ve seen Tauros turn real nasty, and this one definitely seems upset about something."

Eric didn’t doubt the ranger for one second. His fight or flight response was starting to kick in, and a surge of adrenaline now coursed through his body, causing blood to be preferentially shunted towards his limbs. If the need arose, he’d be ready to run. Not now though. Maybe he was crazy. He wasn’t usually impulsive, but something inside of him wanted to battle, to test his skill, and maybe his luck too.

He already knew which pokemon he wanted to use. “Good job on that last battle, Specter. Have a good rest,” he said as he lightly tapped one of his pokeballs, recalling the Ghost type.

Eric then took out Togekiss’ pokeball, rolling it back and forth between his spindly fingers and onto the palm of his hand in an effort to steel his nerves. His voice shaky, he spoke. “I think I’ll have a go at a capture.” As an afterthought, he added, “Who knows? Maybe this will all be over with before the rain comes,” trying to interject a hint of positivity.

Sighing, Eric pressed the button on the middle of the metallic sphere and threw it into the air; once more, his Togekiss took flight. “Togee,” she calmly called out. The rampaging Tauros immediately caught her eye. She was a Jubilee pokemon after all, and it was time for her to live up to the name of her species.

“All right, Togekiss. We need to calm that Tauros down. Fly on over. Don’t get too close though. Use Heal Bell as soon as it’s within earshot,” he ordered. His voice gaining confidence as he spoke, he said, “Follow that with a lofty Yawn. That should settle it down.”

Heal Bell, Eric knew, was a sound based move which was usually reserved for healing pokemon and easing their maladies, but it also had the added benefit of soothing those who heard its sound. Hopefully, it (and the Yawn that would follow) would be enough to stop the Tauros’ rampage.

 

BP #1

Ranger Chainy

OOC: @Sky Lark; Gender?

~~~~~

Eric didn't immediately respond; he was busy looking out at the Tauros that was bellowing into the air. Its three tails were lashing at the air and small clods of dirt were being kicked up by its dancing hooves. I still had no idea what the Tauros was so angry about, but more than likely it was a chance tantrum-the species was well-known for having anger issues and they could flip out off the smallest thing. It was just pure bad luck that we happened to be around.

'I think I’ll have a go at a capture. Who knows? Maybe this will all be over with before the rain comes," Eric said hopefully. This was immediately punctuated by a sigh, rather ruining the effect of the statement. I looked up at the clouds with a practiced eye; they weren't on top of us, so anything was possible. It would depend entirely on how quickly this battle proceeded. Eric returned his Gengar and summoned his Togekiss back out. It took into the air with a sprightly call; the Flying-type had recovered from its previous engagement.

“All right, Togekiss. We need to calm that Tauros down. Fly on over. Don’t get too close though. Use Heal Bell as soon as it’s within earshot. Follow that with a lofty Yawn. That should settle it down,” Eric commanded.

Togekiss crooned and started flying over towards the bull. The Tauros saw this almost immediately and started raging even harder. Strands of saliva and snot dripped in lines from its snout as it pranced around. Right now, it was hard to tell if the Tauros was furious or excited about having an opponent to pound into the ground. The amount of energy that the Wild Pokemon was putting out into its pre-battle war dance was seriously impressive.

As Eric' Togekiss approached the Tauros, a gentle bell tinkling rang throughout the air. I didn't know how the large fluffy Pokemon was summoning it, but it certainly felt relaxing and refreshing. The Tauros stopped prancing and looked at the approaching Togekiss with narrowed eyes, as if it was expecting a trick. For a moment, there appeared to be none coming as the Togekiss simply circled overhead. Slowly, the large white bird began to yawn. Its mouth stretched incredibly wide and a very thin cloud of gas dispersed from within. The fog moved down towards the Tauros and surrounded it completely. There was an immediate, marked change in the Tauros' demeanour. It was now pawing at the ground rather tiredly and the Pokemon's eyes were only half open. This was definitely a very interesting tactic for Eric to have used; the Pokemon had been calmed down, but he'd have to be very careful about his next choice of move lest he psych the Tauros right back up.

~~~~~

Current Battle Statistics:

??? ??? Tauros: 100%, ATK+1, SATK+1, DROWSY (used Work Up)

Gentle Female Togekiss: 100% (used Heal Bell, Yawn)

~~~~~

Trainer Statistics:

Name: Eric Lundt
Location: Botanic Gardens
Area Effects: 7 Encounters Remaining
Pokemon Encountered: Chatot; Munchlax; Servine; Skitty; Girafarig; Sentret; Sceptile; Tauros
Pokemon Captured: Quiet Male Munchlax, Careful Male Girafarig
MCR: 4603 / 25000

Pokemon Stats:

Docile Male Gengar @ Levitate w/ EMs TM Telekinesis ; TM Counter ; TM Focus Blast ; TM Snatch ; TM Thunderbolt ; MT Pain Split | 80%

Gentle Female Togekiss @ Serene Grace w/ EMs TM Captivate ; TM Roost ; TM Substitute ; TM Psych Up ; BM Psycho Shift ; MT Heal Bell ; SM Tri Attack ; MT Softboiled | 78%

Item Statistics:

Trainer Items: x3 ParkBall ; x1 Super Ball ; Digital Camera, 1x Sceptile Picture

~~~~~

 

@ChainReaction01
OOC: I’m going to say female (even though that doesn’t exist)

Togekiss, after receiving her commands, puffed out her chest in confidence. A Heal Bell followed by a Yawn? Simple enough – she could do that. That was something she could do in her sleep. After all the practice she’d had using those moves, anything subpar would be embarrassing. Singing softly, she took to the air, flapping her wings effortlessly.

Ascending slowly and gracefully, Togekiss glided through the air. She noted that the air was heavier, much colder and more saturated than it was during her previous battle. It wasn’t much of a problem as of the moment, but she absolutely hated flying in the rain. The added weight simply bogged her down too much.

Approaching the frenzied Tauros, Togekiss slowed her flight. She observed, curious as to what it was doing. It seemed to be performing a strange dance with its snout in the air as it thrashed this way and that. She thought the wild bull pokemon’s movements to be extremely jerky and strange – definitely strange. It was turning in circles, stomping its feet and lashing its tails. Throughout its wild sequence of huffing and turning though, it had repeatedly stopped mid-dance just to stare at her and huff.

Right. It – (he? Was it a he?) – was definitely crazy. Heaven pardon her for thinking such foul thoughts, but the creature was outright bat---t insane. It was probably best to keep her distance. It was a good thing she wasn’t being asked to use physical attacks, she wanted to stay clear of those horns. Nasty things those horns.

Clearing her throat, Togekiss brought to mind the purest thoughts she could muster. She was calling forth the energy needed to perform Heal Bell, which was quite unique among the various techniques pokemon could perform. She circled overhead, a faint white glow surrounding her entire form and suddenly, there was ringing. The sounds of a glass chime reverberated through the air. The Tauros halted its movements and looked at her, probably wary of any tricks she was about to play.

Slowly, the sounds of the invisible bell started to drift away. Carried away by the winds, the melody became softer and softer only to be replaced by the low, distant rumbling of thunder, a reminder that Eric had to wrap things up soon.

Togekiss, still circling around the Tauros, then opened her mouth wide. A thin white gas flowed forth, descending as it formed a ring. The gaseous substance washed over the Tauros and immediately exhibited its potent properties. The gas was very similar to anaesthetics in that it had the capacity to dull the senses. It also brought on sleep upon those who had the misfortune of inhaling it.

The change in the Tauros’ demeanor was very evident. Pawing at the ground without much force, the wild pokemon’s eyelids started drooping. Its movements now sluggish, the Tauros was clearly drowsy. Its tails now hung limp, the extreme opposite of their previous state.

Just a few more moments, and the Tauros would fall asleep. Eric had to be careful though. He pondered his next attack. Definitely nothing too flashy or loud. He wasn’t about to go on the offensive just yet. He figured that direct attacks would just fire up the drowsy pokemon. Instead, he decided to stall things out. “Togekiss, use Safeguard. After that, use Psych Up.” Through the use of Psych Up, his Togekiss would be able to probe and enter the target’s mind, allowing her to mimic the Tauros’ tenacity for battle.

Eric watched as Togekiss nuzzled her wings, fluffing her feathers as a silky see-through screen started to form.

 

BP #2

Ranger Chainy

OOC: @Sky Lark; Deeeeeeeerp.

~~~~~

The Tauros was quite clearly having trouble staying on its feet. The large brown bull was swaying from side to side, using all of its brainpower to stay up. The Togekiss' Yawn had been very infectious, and as stubborn as the Wild Pokemon was, I knew that eventually it would succumb.

“Togekiss, use Safeguard. After that, use Psych Up,” Eric commanded.

The bird started preening her wings, shaking out some fluffy dander as she did so. Instead of falling straight to the ground, the dander floated in the air in a roughly spherical shape. The white orb surrounded Togekiss completely, although it was hard to see clearly: the Safeguard particles were so small that although you could definitely see the impression of a protective sphere, it didn't look completely there. Random leaves moved through the orb without difficulty, and I knew a Tauros horn would too. The only attacks blocked by Safeguard were ones that weren't directly detrimental: burns; poison; paralytic spores. Some decry this move as a waste of time, but those are usually the same people that whine about Toxic stallers and the parafusion tactic.

Finally, the Tauros fell onto one side. It looked up sleepily with one eye at the angelic figure hovering over it. Togekiss decided to take this chance to begin the second part of her orders-she focused her mental energies on the bull. A very slight shade of violet coloured the air around the Flying-type's head as she sifted through the Tauros' subconcious, looking for any strengths that she could mimic. The Tauros must have felt her doing so before it forced its eyes wide open. Small, barely-audible grunts and mumblings emitted from the Wild Pokemon's mouth. I couldn't quite pick up the gist of the communication, but the Tauros looked like it was promising pain to the Togekiss as soon as it woke up. I noticed that Togekiss ended the Psych Up almost immediately, and furthermore she looked a little worried. Angering a Tauros was not a smart thing to do, and most sentient beings did not approve of their minds being invaded.

~~~~~

Current Battle Statistics:

??? ??? Tauros: 100%, ATK+1, SATK+1, SLP-1 (used Confide)

Gentle Female Togekiss: 100%, SG-2 (used Safeguard, Psych Up)

~~~~~

Trainer Statistics:

Name: Eric Lundt
Location: Botanic Gardens
Area Effects: 7 Encounters Remaining
Pokemon Encountered: Chatot; Munchlax; Servine; Skitty; Girafarig; Sentret; Sceptile; Tauros
Pokemon Captured: Quiet Male Munchlax, Careful Male Girafarig
MCR: 8128 / 25000

Pokemon Stats:

Docile Male Gengar @ Levitate w/ EMs TM Telekinesis ; TM Counter ; TM Focus Blast ; TM Snatch ; TM Thunderbolt ; MT Pain Split | 80%

Gentle Female Togekiss @ Serene Grace w/ EMs TM Captivate ; TM Roost ; TM Substitute ; TM Psych Up ; BM Psycho Shift ; MT Heal Bell ; SM Tri Attack ; MT Softboiled | 78%

Item Statistics:

Trainer Items: x3 ParkBall ; x1 Super Ball ; Digital Camera, 1x Sceptile Picture

~~~~~

 

@ChainReaction01

From Togekiss’ fluffing of her feathers, multiple minute barely visible particles spread into the air, spontaneously coalescing together as if attracted to each other by some unseen force. Floating in the air, the particles formed a sphere, one with properties that would protect its creator from certain deleterious and bothersome conditions.

Eric was just passing time, waiting for the Tauros to fall asleep, but with the use of Safeguard, he was hitting two birds with one stone. Apart from the move taking some time to perform, the barrier that was formed could perhaps prove useful. It would prevent most toxins from passing through, and in the case of moves such as Flamethrower and Thunderbolt, the nearly invisible shield would hinder them to some extent, absorbing some of the energy and thus preventing them from causing burns and paralysis. It was better than doing nothing at all.

At that moment, the Tauros finally fell asleep (or so Eric thought). From Togekiss’ point of view however, she could see that the Tauros was still on the verge of consciousness. Thinking that this would be the appropriate time to perform her next move, she started to act.

After all, based on her experience at least, the sleeping mind was substantially more difficult to navigate through. Various stages of sleep and the corresponding changes that occurred depending on the stage made it almost impossible for the intruder to know what to expect. It would be easier to explore the target’s mind during REM sleep as opposed to non-rapid eye movement sleep due to the unconscious pokemon’s brain activity actually somewhat mimicking the waking state. In fact, apart from increased activity in the sensory and motor cortices of the brain, during rapid eye movement, heart rate, blood pressure, and blood flow to the brain were increased. Togekiss wasn’t exactly aware of these physiological changes, but past experience told her that now, the moment between wakefulness and sleep, was the prime moment for her to enter the Tauros’ mind.

A light violet hue surrounded the air around Togekiss’ head as she started to pry. Cautiously, she entered the Tauros’ mind. Surprisingly, she found the process incredibly straightforward, easily breaking the mental barriers that protected the Tauros’ thoughts. It was much more effortless compared to when she had tried using the technique on Eric’s other pokemon. Of course, it was harder to get into the minds of Psychic types – Alakazam and Metagross being the most difficult, but it was strange how even Eric’s Beautifly’s mind had been more difficult to infiltrate. Perhaps it was due to the Tauros’ emotional state, or maybe it was purely due to the Tauros’ drowsy state. Either way, she was in, and she now actively sought out her prize – perhaps courage, strength, or even the Tauros’ reckless abandon in battle. With her mind’s eye, she looked around, quickly exploring the Tauros’ various thoughts.

However, the wild bull’s eyes fluttered open. It grunted weakly. The grunts, barely audible, weren’t perceived by Eric, but due to Togekiss’ technique, the grunts need not be audible at all. She knew what the Tauros was conveying, and the message had gotten across loud and clear. Immediately, she retreated, scared away by the Tauros’ threat. It had been angry, really angry, livid even, and it had told her that it wasn’t holding any punches the moment it woke up.

The purple sheen surrounding Togekiss’ head immediately disappeared, and she started chirping nervously. Unwillingly, she felt a shiver run down her spine as she backed away some distance. Suddenly, the confidence she had found in the Tauros’ mind had evaporated. She felt mildly shaken up, but that was nothing some encouragement couldn’t fix.

Eric found it strange that Togekiss seemed to have recoiled. It was unusual for her to sever the connection so suddenly. Usually, she spent a good few moments in her target’s brain, exploring the various nooks and crannies until she was satisfied, but this time she seemed… unsettled? He wasn’t entirely sure, but something felt wrong. “Togekiss,” he called out with concern. “Is everything all right?” Maybe it would be best if she were to take a break – if she were to compose herself as she watched from the sidelines. “Specter,” he said, grabbing his pokeball as he came to a decision, “It’s your turn once more. Quickly, while the Tauros is sleeping!”

With the press of a button, the ghost materialized with a flash of red light, its dark, shadowy form slowly shimmering into existence. “Togekiss, you’ve done an excellent job. Why don’t you take a moment to get some rest?” Eric called out. The Flying type flew towards Eric, and the Ghost type zipped forward, ready to battle once more. As Togekiss landed beside Eric, he stroked her head, trying to calm her down. She appeared much more composed now that she was by his side. Noticing this, his thoughts returned to the battle. Strangely enough, it appeared that Specter was now covered by the transparent barrier that previously surrounded Togekiss. Somehow, Togekiss had managed to pass the protective shield to her partner as they exchanged places. “Specter, use Nightmare,” Eric commanded with the intent of fully capitalizing on the wild pokemon’s sleep. “Make sure not to use it at full power. Don’t want to accidentally knock it out,” he reminded.

Nightmare was a move that did more mental than physical damage. Only exhibiting effects if the target was asleep, as proven by experiments wherein pokemon in varying degrees of consciousness were subjected to the move, it taxed the target’s mind, forcing it to enter REM sleep and inducing dreams, specifically, horrendous visions that were often interpreted as nightmares. These nightmares were known to be highly individualized, varying in intensity, duration, and content depending on the target’s fears and desires. According to one theory, the visions induced by this move were expressions of the innermost level of the unconscious, manifestations of the victim’s unknown. It was an interesting enough theory. However, it was even more interesting to note that as soon as the pokemon under the effects of Nightmare was recalled back into its pokeball, the negative effects would cease even though the pokemon remained sleeping. Wild pokemon obviously had no such relief, and the only way for them to be released from the move’s effects was to actually be awakened.

Eric then gave out a second command. “Provided that the Tauros hasn’t woken up, use Dream Eater.” He knew that Dream Eater, apart from damaging the target, improved the condition of the attacker. However, it only worked if the target was still asleep, and he didn’t know just how long that would last.

Dream Eater, similar to Nightmare, only affected sleeping targets. Based on data collected from experiments, the attack exhibited varying degrees of effectiveness depending on the stage of sleep of the target. Studies have proven that the attack was most powerful during REM sleep. However, the exact mechanism is unknown. It is currently theorized that the pokemon who performs the move enters the targets psyche and consumes the dream. However, this theory is problematic in that it does not explain two things. One, the pokemon whose dreams are “eaten” aren’t guaranteed to wake up once the technique is performed. There have been cases documented wherein a pokemon was subjected to Dream Eater repeatedly with the moves not deteriorating efficiency-wise. This suggests that either the dream is not completely consumed or the subject immediately has another dream afterwards, the first scenario being more supported by evidence. The second conundrum with regard to the theory is that the condition of pokemon who are under the effects of Nightmare are not alleviated by them being subjected to Dream Eater. It is logical to assume that in a pokemon suffering from Nightmare, the mental status would be improved by Dream Eater since the target’s nightmare is being removed. However, this is not the case. Studies have shown that using Dream Eater on pokemon afflicted with Nightmare has deleterious effects, exacerbating their condition instead. Another theory proposed is that Dream Eater, instead of actually consuming entire dreams, only consumes the positive aspects of the target’s dreams. This theory covers the insufficiencies of the other theory, but there has not been sufficient evidence supporting this. The healing aspect of Dream Eater is currently not understood.