Individual RP: TheProtobabe

@TheProtobabe

NBP #1

It has been awhile since I have visited Ranger HQ, being pulled away with dead explorations and my own. Nothing seemed to have changed since the last time I saw the building, so I didn't bother inspecting and went right in. No one seemed to be around at the moment, probably off with trainers exploring the various park areas, since we have been quite busy as of late. I decided to go over to my locker and grab whatever mail I might have here. Nothing showed up on my RDA (Rangers Digital Assistant) as far as messages from James Carter (A.K.A. Chainy), but he liked to dump some of Ivys quite large application files on us instead of simplifying them and sending them to our RDAs.

Not to my surprise, there was one sitting in my mailbox. Closer inspection revealed it was larger than usual, and I let out a low groan when I noticed. Deciding to look in it and transferring anything I might need into my RDA. Giving it a quick skim and thumb-typing whatever I needed, I closed the file and walked it over to my locker.

"I really wish Ivy wouldn't include a full background on people... I don't think medical history, schooling, and what brand toothpaste they buy is something I'd like to know." I muttered under my breath as I closed my locker. The trainers name was Zorayda Anna Moonlin, and she's bringing two pokemon; Ninetales and Umbreon. That's virtually all I needed to know, but I guess being told ahead of time about her being a huge flirt would be useful. Chainy might be jealous when I tell him, but I'll have to make sure Ivy is around when I do.

"This might be more fun than I thought." With that, I turned and exited the building. Locking the door behind me, I decided I needed a quick form of travel to the Botanic Gardens, where I was to meet the trainer. As much fun it would be to hike over there, it would take more time than I have. I wasn't about to make my trainer wait, so I quickly pulled a Pokeball off of my belt and tossed it, which proceeds to pop out and spew white light onto the ground. Slowly, out of the light came a silhouette of a Pokemon, slowly dimming until my Gallade was standing in front of me.

"Alright, our mission is Botanic Gardens. Mind Teleporting us there?" I asked my partner. Gallade were quite common among us Rangers, but they were extremely versatile in the park. We all went out of our way to grab a Ralts early on for use in our missions.

<As much fun as flowers and greenery are, I'll have to pass.> Gallade said directly into my mind. Being psychic was very useful for him, but right now he was just pressing my nerves.

"Our trainer is a flirtatious girl, you might have some fun tagging along. Now let's go." I told him, giving him a look. He seemed to ponder about this for a moment, and then nodded. His eyes started to glow a bright blue color, and suddenly the world around us seemed to swirl into itself. Before I knew it, we were at the Ranger outpost in the Botanic Gardens. I thanked my partner before recalling him. Now all I had to do was wait for our trainer to show up, who should be along shortly.


Trainers Stats

Name: Zorayda Anna Moonlin
Location: Botanic Gardens
Items: 5 Parkballs
Encounters Remaining: 15
Pokemon Encountered: n/a
Pokemon Captured: None
MCR: 000 / ???

Pokemon Stats

(Dusk) Umbreon | Male | Synchronize | Serious | EMs: None | 100%

(Viola) Ninetales | Female | Flash Fire | Quirky | EMs: None | 100%​

 

The new Trainer swallowed nervously as she stepped foot into the entrance of Botanical Gardens, the lush grasses giving off a sweet and cloying smell. The grasses were abuzz with the sound of plentiful Pokemon--the knowledge of being in the presence of so many of them got Zorayda's heart thumping with excitement. It wasn't often a Trainer was given an opportunity like this--to follow a Ranger around and be allowed to capture the Pokemon she encountered. It was all very overwhelming. She pushed her dyed hair back from her forehead--bright violet streaks on blonde, this time--and pulled a hairband from her pocket, wrapping the long tresses with practiced ease. Her ninetales, Viola, cocked her head and gave her a questioning look. Zor reached down and ran her fingers through the tall fox's fur, scratching behind a pointed ear just how Viola liked. The ninetales' eyes closed with pleasure at her mistress's touch.

"Are you ready, Vi?" Zor asked her Pokemon. Viola simply answered by crooning softly. The Trainer flicked her eyes over to her other Pokemon--an umbreon, sitting stiffly on his haunches. "I didn't forget you, Dusk. Think we'll do well today?" The stoic umbreon simply dipped his head and blinked slowly in answer. It was a normal response from him; Dusk never made much noise outside of battles. He was her serious Pokemon, with a personality that could suck the humor out of a clown car. Zorayda loved him all the same, despite their sometimes clashing personalities--she'd learned long ago that he worked better when she didn't joke around too much or call him by her favorite nickname for him: "Dusky". Viola, on the other hand, seemed in sync with what her Trainer was thinking at all times. The two of them made a perfect Trainer/Pokemon combo, and when the ninetales used strange tactics in battle, Zor would understand right away what the clever fox was doing and move along with it. However, it was difficult balancing her two Pokemon's styles, and sometimes Dusk and Viola bickered or snapped at one another. In the end, the two cared for each other very much, but oftentimes Zor found herself separating the two and refereeing their interactions. On the other hand, however, their styles could balance one another perfectly, complimenting both trickery and directness. Zor found that Viola's odd style rubbed off on Dusk at times, while Dusk's straightforward attitude (which was odd, considering his species) would influence Viola's style and cause her to be a bit more direct when needed. Both Pokemon were extremely loyal to their Trainer and would follow any order she gave. Zor considered them highly intelligent friends who just so happened to be in Pokemon form. The thought made her chuckle aloud. Dusk cocked an ear in both curiosity and slight annoyance at the sound.

A sudden flash seen from Zorayda's peripheral vision made her turn to see a young man appear alongside a tough-looking gallade. He was obviously her Ranger; his attire and confidence in trekking through the grasses made her aware of that. The next thing she noticed was his somewhat shaggy hairstyle and bright emerald eyes, on top of his tall height and decent build. A little smile quirked the edge of the younger girl's mouth as she eyed him shamelessly as he walked towards her. Viola made a coughing bark sound that Zor equated to a laugh, while Dusk seemed just...bored. Vi knew what her mistress was thinking and obviously found it to be amusing.

Well, he is really cute, Zor reasoned with herself as he approached, her back straightening automatically in a more confident stance. Meekness didn't get a girl anywhere, after all.

"Well, hi there!" She chirped cheerfully, sticking her hand out for a handshake. "I'm Zorayda, and I guess I'm your Trainer for the day," she smiled. "You must be my Ranger. And you must be his partner," she added, addressing the gallade politely. The Pokemon seemed to give off a serious, no-nonsense attitude. He'd get along great with Dusk, then...

 

NBP #2

To our surprisal, the trainer was already waiting for us not far from our teleportation landing. She was accompanied by two Pokemon; A seemingly amused Ninetales and a more serious Umbreon. Not wasting any time, she ambushed Gallade and I with her introduction.

"Well, hi there! I'm Zorayda, and I guess I'm your Trainer for the day," she smiled. "You must be my Ranger. And you must be his partner," she trailed off after this, as my partner decided to try and look serious and tough. He looked more like he was zoning out staring at a tree. I sighed under my breath as I turned to face her.

"Hello, and welcome to the Botanic Gardens. I'm Taither, your ranger for this little expedition." I said while gripping her outstretched hand. "I'm sure you don't need me to repeat the rules again for you, so lets get down to the fun stuff, shall we?" Smiling back at the chipper young trainer. While we exchange introductions, I hear Gallade in my head, rambling nonsense as usual.

<W-what does it want? It looks like it wants to bite into your arm like some sort of zombie.> He says to me telepathically, a giddy smirk on his face. I look back at him with a bit of a scowl and threaten to put him back in his Pokeball with a slight hand gesture before turning back to my trainer.

"Shall we head out? Our best chances of grass-types are during the late afternoon into dusk, so if you want other diurnal Pokemon, now would be the time to search them out." I mention, pointing her towards a pathway leading down the middle of a grassy field, some trees and bushes planted sporadically throughout the area. Down the path was where most of the gardens laid, with ponds scattered here and there along with some fallen hollowed trees.

We both nodded in agreement as we started down the path with our partner Pokemon following. The stroll through the gardens was sometimes a very relaxing trip, either due to the refreshing scenery or, more probable, the abundance of exotic pollens that probably cause euphoria. The air didn't seem to thick today, but it was noticeable that it was springtime in the gardens. Many plants had their flowers budding, even the trees. Anyone crazy about exotic flora would get lost in here on that alone, but there were also rare grass-types roaming the fields and hiding in the bushes that make even the most experienced of trainers drool over the idea of catching them.

My trainer seemed to have a thought of what she wanted as it was, and was determined to spot something. Even with her eyes peeled for any little bit of movement, her inexperience showed through as a shadow floated along the ground around our feet, going unnoticed until I spotted it while pushing a branch off the path with my foot.

"Might want to watch out from above." I called to the trainer, just as a blue streak dove between us, whirling a pretty strong wind against us as it lands on a nearby log. The sudden wind was startling enough, but it was also pretty startling to see a Taillow with the guts to do that to trainers with Pokemon out in full view. Definitely a Pokemon I wouldn't mind having for that trait alone.

"So, want to try to go after that one? Looks to be a pretty strong Taillow." I said to Zor, pointing out to the small bird as it preened itself without a care after catching our attention so forcefully.

Trainers Stats

Name: Zorayda Anna Moonlin
Location: Botanic Gardens
Items: 5 Parkballs
Encounters Remaining: 14
Pokemon Encountered: Taillow
Pokemon Captured: n/a
MCR: 4002 / 4,000

Pokemon Stats

(Dusk) Umbreon | Male | Synchronize | Serious | EMs: None | 100%

(Viola) Ninetales | Female | Flash Fire | Quirky | EMs: None | 100%​

 

Zor relaxed as the Ranger opened up and introduced himself. It was nice to know that her guide for the day was polite and somewhat friendly, at least.

"Hello, and welcome to the Botanic Gardens. I'm Taither, your ranger for this little expedition. I'm sure you don't need me to repeat the rules again for you, so lets get down to the fun stuff, shall we?"

Zorayda shook her head, Taither's smile sending her into a fit of quiet giggles.

"No, you don't have to repeat them. I must've gone over 'em like, three times already!" She exclaimed excitedly. Dusk groaned slightly beside her, indicating his displeasure at his Trainer's overeagerness. "Oh, and by the way, you can just call me 'Zor', if you want," she added, giving him a quick and harmless wink. Her eyes watched as Taither glanced at his gallade and scowled. She'd heard about Pokemon using special Psychic powers to speak telepathically, but she'd never really seen such a thing until just now. She bit her lip as the gallade was returned, questions burning in her mind. Zor restrained herself (barely) and allowed her guide to speak instead of interrupting, however.

"Shall we head out? Our best chances of grass-types are during the late afternoon into dusk, so if you want other diurnal Pokemon, now would be the time to search them out."

"Oh, okay, then," she answered, blinking. As a new Trainer (and new to Botanic Gardens), she obediently listened to everything her Ranger had to say. She looked where he pointed, gray eyes alert for ground-bound Pokemon, or perhaps those at the water's edge... The exotic flora and fauna were equally as interesting, perhaps hiding new and exciting Pokemon within their leaves. The scent that the plants produced gave off a cloying, but enchanting scent... Zor couldn't describe it if she tried. It was almost intoxicating how calming it was, though, and she could see Viola sometimes closing her eyes blissfully when they paused. Even Dusk seemed less stiff than usual.

Zor forced herself to concentrate. She needed to find Pokemon or she'd never be the Trainer she'd always wanted to be! The blonde kept alert, watching for any sign of them and keeping as quiet as possible. Her ponytail swung to and fro as she looked, a serious look on her face--but Taither's voice brought her back down to Earth.

"Might want to watch out from above," Taither called out to Zor. She didn't need to be told twice; Zorayda looked up instantly to see a small blue bird Pokemon swooping their way. The Trainer held her arms in front of her automatically as the taillow pushed the wind around. Viola automatically snapped to attention, head lowering slightly in an instinctive attack pose. Dusk looked nonplussed, but Zor knew that he was as alert as Viola. The ninetales looked up at the Trainer, tongue lolling out and head tilted in a question. Zor shook her head, however.

"So, want to try to go after that one? Looks to be a pretty strong Taillow."

"Taillow... is not a Pokemon I'm looking out for. While this one's definitely got spunk--" she jerked her head in its direction--"I need different kinds of Pokemon. Ya know what I mean?" the Trainer finished, her voice going from businesslike to flirty again in 2.2 seconds flat. Dusk, bored, sat back on his haunches. "Er... though, we might need to start running if we're gonna get away from this one," she added, noting the aggressive stare from the little bird. "Viola, would you...?" But the fiery fox's eyes had already started glowing with a mysterious purple light, her body tense with focus. The fox's handy Ghost powers were a blessing at times like these. Zorayda grinned at the beginnings of Confuse Ray. "Good job, girl!" the Trainer praised. Dusk stood back and watched carefully as Viola stared intensely at the taillow, willing her inner kitsune powers to take effect and confuse the taillow so they could all escape from the bird without harming any of them in the process.

 

@TheProtobabe

NBP #3

"Taillow... is not a Pokemon I'm looking out for. While this one's definitely got spunk--" she continued with a slight jerk of her head towards the small blue bird. "I need different kinds of Pokemon. Ya know what I mean?" I understood completely. Taillow was not a rare Pokemon in the gardens, and many of them can be seen chirping and horsing around in the branches of some of the bigger trees in the area, where they normally nested during the springtime. This one didn't seem all that interested in us all of a sudden, before I noticed that the trainers Ninetales had sent a Confuse Ray at the unknowing Pokemon. It seemed as if it didn't even remember we were there, and continued to find something else to entertain itself with.

"Alright, lets continue onward, then!" I said, trying not to grab the attention of the Taillow again. We proceeded on down the path towards one of the first pond of the area. This particular pond wasn't known to have many rare Pokemon near it, but sometimes there were some gems to find loitering around the banks, probably due to territorial conflict or crowding at some of the ponds deeper into the gardens.

Just as the surface of the water came into view, I noticed it was unnervingly quiet at the moment. This wasn't something that happened often, especially on a hot day like today. The local Pokemon loved to bathe and relax near the edge of the ponds when the weather is this warm. Grass types especially liked to float in the shallows and soak up some water and sunlight to help with their photosynthesis. None were doing so now, which was somewhat weird to me. I shrugged it off as I lured my trainer closer to the pond.

Coming down the pathway, my trainer noticed a particular pretty pink flower blooming off of a weirdly shaped plant. Without a second thought, she ran over to it to get a better look. She seemed oblivious to anything else around her, and didn't think the shape was strange. Thinking about the weird shape and oddly placed flowers along the plant, I realized it wasn't exactly inanimate. Quickly moving to my trainer, I grabbed ahold of her arm just in time to avoid the plant jumping to life, swinging its thick arms in an attempt to catch something with its barbs. The Maractus hopped around on its stubbly legs and seemed to giggle at my trainers naivety.

"Maractus are known to play dirty tricks, might want to be careful with this one. Would you like to try and capture it?" Maractus were quite rare in this part of the gardens, mostly enjoying the dryer parts of the area and not often coming around the greener and moist grounds too often. This one seemed like a trickster, so it might have been hoping to get some passersby off-guard. This Pokemon might be a bit tricky to battle, but not too hard for new trainers to overcome. It would still take a good amount of brainpower, though.

Trainers Stats

Name: Zorayda Anna Moonlin
Location: Botanic Gardens
Items: 5 Parkballs
Encounters Remaining: 13
Pokemon Encountered: Taillow, Maractus
Pokemon Captured: n/a
MCR: 3942 / 15,000

Pokemon Stats

(Dusk) Umbreon | Male | Synchronize | Serious | EMs: None | 100%

(Viola) Ninetales | Female | Flash Fire | Quirky | EMs: None | 100%

​

 

Zor sighed with relief as the small bluebird seemed to forget that they were there. Viola's Confuse Ray had done its job and had allowed them all to get away without harming the bird. The Trainer smiled down at the nine-tailed fox and scratched behind her ear. Viola panted with joy at a job well done and the praise given afterwards. The Trainer was practically trembling with excitement from the Park run already, having already encountered her first Park Pokemon--though common--and gotten away with a little luck. Her Ranger was super nice, and her faithful Pokemon companions were already showing their skill in battling and escaping wild Pokemon. It was a lot to take in at once, and the new Trainer simply couldn't contain her excitement.

"C'mon, Dusky, isn't this fun?" Zorayda asked her umbreon quietly as they moved on. Dusk gave his Trainer a look, but gave in to her happy smile and butted his head against her leg like a contented cat.

"Alright, lets continue onward, then!" Taither pronounced while being cautious around the confused taillow. He led the trio onward to a pond, where the plants began to get more lush, the ground more muddy. It gave a bit more under Zor's and her Pokemons' feet. Dusk was unappreciative of the mud that squished between his webbed paw toes. It was very quiet here; Zor couldn't even hear any bug Pokemon making noise. The small pond's surface was as still as glass; completely placid and peaceful. An interesting flower caught the Trainer's attention. Inevitably, she was attracted to it, having an affinity for both the color pink and for girly things in general. Zor went to reach for it, eager to feel the velvety petals against her skin. The plant it grew from was an interesting, blobbed shape, something like a soggy cactus. She was about to touch the thing when Taither suddenly grabbed her arm, yanking her away from it.

"Hey! Get your hands off--" she shouted, but then noticed that the cactus-plant had come to life, dancing an odd little jig and cackling madly. Zor's gray eyes widened with both wonder and a bit of fear, glad to have escaped the Pokemon's attack. It might have caused her injury with its wicked spikes. Nearby, she heard Dusk barking and snarling at the thing, angry that the wild Pokemon had taken a swing at his mistress.

"Dusk! Be careful!" Zorayda called to her umbreon. Dusk's hackles were still raised, but he obeyed his Trainer and quit barking. She could still hear his thunderous growls. The umbreon could be a bit overprotective at times, and though he had a gruff demeanor about him, he would never allow any harm to come to Zor. She smiled slightly at his display. Viola stood a bit back, nearer to her Trainer but ready to back her Pokemon partner if needed.

"Maractus are known to play dirty tricks, might want to be careful with this one. Would you like to try and capture it?" Taither asked her calmly.

'He's probably used to weird stuff like this happening,' Zorayda thought to herself, rubbing her wrist where the Ranger had roughly grabbed her and saved her from getting a face full of cactus spikes.

Giving the Pokemon a wary look, the Trainer sized it up before slowly shaking her head.

"I dunno... this doesn't look like the kind of Pokemon that would work so well with my team," she remarked apprehensively, eyeing the spikes on the dancing cactus Pokemon. "I think we should just leave it be and try to get away before it spikes one of my Pokemon... or me," she concluded. She looked up at Taither, smirking. "Shall we run, then?" she asked facetiously. Dusk flicked an ear, listening in on the conversation and ready to follow his Trainer's orders.

 

@TheProtobabe

OOC: Sorry for the wait, school and junk... Should be good now. Caught up for the time being. @[email protected]

His eyes carefully watch the trainer and the wild Maractus as Zorayda thought about the pros of catching such a mischievous creature. Before long, she had an answer.

"I dunno... this doesn't look like the kind of Pokemon that would work so well with my team," turning in my direction and continuing, "I think we should just leave it be and try to get away before it spikes one of my Pokemon... or me. Shall we run, then?" Nodding in agreement, I point in the direction we should take to escape the living cactus. This lead us between a few trees, but would mask our change from slowly creeping away to a full-on sprint. Surprisingly, the Maractus just let us creep away and didn't even think twice when we started to run. It was all too happy to sit there and surprise the next traveler to come across it, possibly even spiking them. As long as it wasn't us, I thought to myself.

Once we were sure to be out of sight of the last encounter, we slowed to catch our breath and take a look around us. We hadn't gone too far, but made it closer to the pond. The air was fresh with the smell of flowers and other flora that grew in the wetlands, and not so much in drier areas. It was almost like a completely different world from the grassy gardens that surrounded each pond. Our Pokemon partners looked at us, kind of scoffing at our need to breathe so deeply after such a short sprint. Surely they are more used to the running, being used in battles and all. I didn't consider myself in poor shape, but the area was treacherous for humans, and not very practical to sprint without taking heed of inclines and such. There I go, rambling in my mind again. Back on topic, now.

Looking around us, I didn't see anything particular. The area was very calm, almost too calm. There was something up, but I couldn't tell at the moment what it was. There was definitely something hiding in the shadows, ready to reveal itself at any moment. Just as my mind started to wander away from the situation again, a small pink Deerling slowly walked up to the edge of the water, leaning down to take a refreshing drink from the cold pool. It looked pretty fearless for a Deerling, walking so confidently and putting itself into a compromising position so close to trainers. Definitely not normal behavior for the species, so it was probably quite strong.

Turning to Zorayda, I inquire about her tastes again. "This Deerling seems pretty strong, care to take a shot at capturing it?" Pointing at the deer-like Pokemon, in case she hadn't noticed it yet. I knew she was specifically looking for grass-types and other rarer types wandering around the gardens, but I figured this would spark some sort of intrigue, being cute and all. I wouldn't mind having it, since they did evolve and become quite useful in battles with its' normal typing. Very nice against ghosts.



Trainers Stats

Name: Zorayda Anna Moonlin
Location: Botanic Gardens
Items: 5 Parkballs
Encounters Remaining: 12
Pokemon Encountered: Taillow, Maractus, Deerling
Pokemon Captured: n/a
MCR: 000 / 9,000

Pokemon Stats

(Dusk) Umbreon | Male | Synchronize | Serious | EMs: None | 100%

(Viola) Ninetales | Female | Flash Fire | Quirky | EMs: None | 100%

​

 

The Trainer followed Taither carefully, attempting to not rustle too much when they ran from the cackling Maractus as it had its fun with its little practical joke. She panted a bit after the run, being somewhat out of shape, and had to stifle a laugh when Dusk looked appalled at her lack of exercise. Of course the umbreon would scoff at her. Viola didn't mind so much, though; her tongue lolled out in a sort of laugh at her Trainer. They went on through the forest a bit and into a thicket, where there was sparkling clear water running between some of the tree roots. This place was calming and pleasant; Zor thought that she might visit again sometime. She was staring into space and letting her mind wander when she heard Viola whining at her for her attention. Something was close; the ninetales could smell it. Perhaps a new Pokemon? Zor turned and looked around but didn't see anything; little did she know the Pokemon was right under their noses and staring them down.

Taither got her attention and she quickly looked around to see a bold Deerling there, daring them to come any closer. It appeared to be quite brave for its size; perhaps it was confident in its power? Taither mentioned that it looked strong and Zorayda had to agree; the rippling muscles on the animal were apparent even from here. With a slowly forming smile, Zor grinned widely. This was exactly the kind of Pokemon she'd been looking for; something strong, capable, and confident enough to hold its own on her team. She looked at Taither and gave him a quick nod before pulling out Dusk's Poke ball.

"Dusk, return," she said softly. The umbreon followed orders right away, understanding that this first battle was for his partner, Viola. Dusk disappeared in a stream of red light only to be contained in his Poke ball. Zorayda put the ball on her belt, careful not to jostle her friend too much. Zorayda nodded down at Viola, giving her a silent signal that the battle was about to begin and to prepare herself. The fox in question looked up at her trainer, eager for a battle. It had been a while since she'd participated in one, and catching a Pokemon like Deerling would be a great way to push herself a bit.

"Okay, girl. Remember to be careful about fire," Zor warned, gesturing to the leaves and grass surrounding them. Viola took on a casual stance to put the Deerling off. "All right, Vi, use Will-o'-wisp and then Faint Attack!" Zor ordered. The ninetales's eyes glowed with her inner power and the tiny but powerful flames shot at the Deerling. While the deer was distracted, Viola swept in for a Faint Attack, using the dense foliage as cover in order to make it land.

 

BP

Ranger Chainy

OOC: @TheProtobabe; What gender?

~~~~~

I stumbled through the dense undergrowth, sparing a second to mentally curse at the bitch of an Elite Ranger that had sent me here. Apparently there was an active Expedition being led by Taither, and he was needed back at base for something. Seeing as I was an Elite too, I thought I should be clued in, but apparently not. All of the Rangers that could normally be spared were busy, and Ivy had decided that my video games were not as important as the Trainers that visit the Park. Normally I would agree, but I had been in the middle of a boss battle. Instead of waiting the ten minutes I had requested, the power cord had been pulled from my console and I had been unceremoniously booted out of Headquarters. Dual even had the tenacity to laugh at me.

"Stupid Gallade," I muttered to myself. If Dual was going to be an arsehole I would just leave him behind next time I went on a run with Leo.

The ground had become noticeably more moist and I was no longer walking as much as squelching through the plants. I heard the sound of voices though, and my PDA confirmed they were coming from the general direction of Taither's locator, so I followed my ears.

Sure enough, barely a minute later I emerged in a small clearing next to one of the many ponds that could be found in the Botanical Gardens. A Ninetales was squaring off against a Deerling, and two people were watching them. As I approached the battle, the Ninetales moved its many tails like a fan, and they became wreathed in flame. They formed into small balls and shot towards the Deerling. The fireballs peppered the Deerling like machine gun fire, but they didn't seem to do much damage. It was only when I looked back towards the Ninetales that I realised it wasn't standing still. It was already moving towards the Deerling, darting from plant to plant before swiping cruelly at the Grass-type. However, the Ninetales only got a couple swipes off before the Deerling quickly turned and kicked at the Fire-type with its hind legs. At the same time, the Deerling pushed off into the air with its forelegs, so the Ninetales went flying into the air. It crashed into the ground and got up, but its legs were shaking a bit. Strangely, the Deerling's legs were too.

I walked over and tapped Taither on the shoulder. He looked a little confused to see me but I quickly informed him of the situation in hushed tones. He nodded and turned to leave. I held my hand out for the Trainer to shake - she looked like the friendly sort.

"Hey there, my name is James Carter and I'll take you on the rest of your run," I said.

~~~~~

Current Battle Statistics:

Quirky Female Ninetales: 85% (used Will-o-Wisp, Faint Attack)

??? ??? Deerling: 82%, BRN (used Jump Kick)

~~~~~

Trainer Statistics

Name: Zorayda Anna Moonlin
Location: Botanic Gardens
Encounters Remaining: 12
Pokemon Encountered: Taillow, Maractus, Deerling
Pokemon Captured: n/a
MCR: 000 / 9,000

Pokemon Stats

(Dusk) Umbreon | Male | Synchronize | Serious | EMs: None | 100%

(Viola) Ninetales | Female | Flash Fire | Quirky | EMs: None | 100%

Item Statistics

5 ParkBalls

~~~~~

 

[I'd like this one to be male, please. And for description purposes, I want him to be in his Fall form, please Also, I apologize for the seriously long flashback. I got a little carried away 0_o]

Viola yelped in surprise as the Deerling kicked out with his powerful hind legs, hitting her square in the chest. The fox tumbled backwards but got up again, her legs shaking a bit from the blow. Zorayda gasped, knowing that the attack must have hurt; the Deerling looked very strong. Viola's red eyes were narrowed in concentration as she tracked the deer's movements, waiting for her Trainer's next orders. Zor hardly noticed that Taither had gone off to switch with another Ranger in his stead until he came up and introduced himself.

"Hey there, my name is James Carter and I'll take you on the rest of your run," he said kindly, sticking out his hand. Zorayda accepted the handshake and smiled warmly. His hands were somewhat large, she noted. James seemed the nice sort, and he had a friendly face. He had soft brown eyes and somewhat messy brown hair that gave him a boyish look; his Ranger's uniform almost made Zor think of an Eagle Scout leader, only less dorky. His tall figure should have been imposing, given her short stature, but it surprisingly wasn't. She got the impression that he was the 'gentle giant' type. Her eyes only took this in for a moment, however; she kept glancing at Viola.

"Hello, I'm Zorayda. You can just call me 'Zor', though," she introduced. Her stormy-gray gaze kept flicking over to her Pokemon, who had just taken a heavy blow from harsh hooves. "Um, I'm sorry, I have to finish this, my ninetales is counting on me," she apologized. She tugged worriedly at a loose strand of blond-and-purple streaked hair that had fallen from out of her ponytail, watching as wild Pokemon sized her ninetales up with a nasty glare.

The Will-o'-Wisp attack should keep the deer from attacking too harshly from now on... but with such a stubborn, powerful little Pokemon, it was hard to tell. Viola's tails swished almost lazily behind her, though her shivering legs gave away the trauma from the last attack. The blonde trainer sucked in a breath, deciding on what to do. Ghost attacks didn't work on Deerling, it being a Normal/Grass type... and big, fiery attacks would most likely hurt it too badly and catch the environment on fire. So, logically, a different type of attack would be more likely to work here in the Gardens. Pursing her lips for a moment, Zor called out to Viola once more, who perked her ears but kept her attention upon her opponent.

"Okay, girl, use Captivate, then follow up with an Extrasensory attack!" Zor called, fists clenched and sweating slightly. The ninetales complied by relaxing her dominating stance to a docile one, lowering her ears to the sides of her head. Viola almost seemed to grin as she sauntered her way over to Deerling, swishing her undulating tails and even tracing the other Pokemon's chin with the tips of them. The fox pranced away coyly, just out of Deerling's reach, and fixed him with her red gaze. In the next second, her eyes were aglow with a mysterious white light; white-yellow slashes of brightness shot out in a wide arc and narrowed into a harsh beam. Viola concentrated her hardest as the beam shot from her mind. The ninetales was using her strange psychic tendencies of her kind to force the Deerling to accept the 'sixth sense' of Psychic-types, overloading it with information that it could not possibly be able to handle. However, depending on how quickly the deer moved, the attack could have no effect at all... but what with Viola's excellent abilities and great attack power, she would more than likely make the hit. The fox was also good at attacks that were of a differing type than Fire for some reason, though it was one of those phenomena Zor was unable to explain. It went along with Viola's 'wild card' tendencies in battle; the fox was unpredictable, but often a boon to battling.

She remembered a time when she used Viola against a Legendary Pokemon in a Trainer Battle against a very powerful Gym leader. The fox was only a vulpix then, but she was just as odd and intelligent as the present ninetales. The Legendary was a Latias who was kind and very bubbly. She had the ability to speak through telepathy, as well... it was a bittersweet memory.

[hr][/hr]

"Zorayda...Viola...I must congratulate you. No matter how this battle ends today, you, and all your other Pokemon, have achieved something no other Trainer to face this Gym has ever achieved before. In all my history as Leader of this Gym, I have never had to use my final Pokemon before." Zor looked up when Tyson spoke again, listening intently. She knew that no one had seen the secret Pokemon, and now he was dying to know what it was… she imagined a huge dragon, a towering figure that held all power and was as intimidating as the statues that stood behind both trainers. She nodded in answer to Tyson’s words, palms sweating with nervousness.

“I want to thank you for such an amazing and educational battle,” Zor returned, smiling. Viola nodded in agreement. “…My strength comes from my Pokemon, as I’m sure is the case for you.”

As Tyson finished that last statement, he finally pulled the Cherish Ball off his belt. "My last Pokemon..." he said almost reverently. "I have deliberately avoided using this Pokemon before now, attempting to keep its identity a secret. The fact that you, Zorayda Moonlin, have finally forced me to reveal this secret at last is nothing short of exceptional...win or lose today, you should be extremely proud of your efforts today. But now...it's time for you to have the honor of being the first challenger to meet my last companion...Auda, the time has come!" With that last cry, Tyson threw the Cherish Ball straight up over his head, the Ball snapping open. Zorayda held her breath as Tyson clutched the Cherish Ball before releasing the Pokemon inside—a ray of light zoomed forward, materializing… she could feel Viola’s excitement as well as her own humming in her veins as the light morphed into a shape, becoming larger, obviously a flying Pokemon, until—A flash of light materializing above the Gym Leader, revealing a sleek, streamlined form of red and white with long, thin wings and large, innocent amber eyes. It gave a shrill, happy cry as it did an air-tumble, coming towards her beloved human companion. Tyson's last Pokemon was, of all things, a Latias! The Latias, Auda, took a moment to take in her surroundings, before spotting Tyson down below and immediately zipping in his direction.

"A Latias..." Zorayda breathed, awed. "She's... beautiful..."

-Tyse!- she cried out telepathically, not bothering to direct her telepathic communication, which allowed both Zorayda and Viola to hear as well as Tyson. The female Eon dived at her Trainer before collecting him up in a happy, clearly affectionate hug. Auda, despite her almost deity-like status, was clearly very fond of Tyson. Tyson, for his part, simply hugged the bubbly Eon back, showing just as much care and affection as the Eon, chuckling and smiling. Zor watched the Eon Pokemon swoop down to catch her trainer in a hug. Her 'voice' held a level of feminine charm about it, sweet and bubbly at the same time. The challenging Trainer's heart melted at the absolutely adorable display of affection from the female Eon.

"Hey, Auda...I take it you know what's happening?" he asked.

He got a simple nod from Auda in response, the Eon skimming Tyson's mind for memories of the battle as the Latias broke the hug, before turning back and smiling happily at Zor and Viola, crooning cheerfully even as she spoke up telepathically. -Hi there! Guess you're the ones finally beating Tyse around, eh?- she asked rhetorically, a hint of a giggle in her telepathic 'voice', as she finally floated out over the battlefield, her happy look never fading, even as determination was added to the expression. She may never have been used in an offical battle before, but she was still well-trained, and naturally powerful in her own right.


"It's... lovely to meet you, Auda," Zor said politely, still slightly overwhelmed by the Legendary Pokemon's presence. "I can see you and Tyson are great friends, like me and Viola here." The vulpine in question sat on her haunches, tongue lolling out. Zor stratched behind her ear and the fox growled affectionately. "Okay... are you ready, Vi?" she asked of the little fox. Viola nodded, determined, and the battle began once more.

[hr][/hr]

It was nearing the end of the battle. Viola was panting, clearly exhausted. The rest of Zor's team was already downed; she was their last chance to win this badge and defeat the Gym Leader. She couldn't give up now... the vulpix's eyes were determined as well, ready to fight 'til the end. The vulpix moved on her own before her Trainer even gave an order, eyes aglow with a purplish light that Zor knew to be Confuse Ray

Viola jumped up, her eyes glowing as she tried to use her strange powers, Tyson knew Viola was not going to let this fight end easily, no matter how exhausted she got.

"Auda, shut your eyes!" Tyson called mentally. "Viola's up to something!" Auda spotted Viola just as she got the orders, and snapped her eyes shut...but not before she saw the glowing eyes of the Confuse Ray. Between the short exposure to the attack, and the Fire Spin making true eye contact nigh on impossible, it was barely a glancing shot, but it still gave Auda one nasty headache, as she wailed, the Fire Spin adding it's own level of pain...she was starting to tire. Zorayda snarled in sync with her vulpine Pokemon as the Confuse Ray only landed a glancing blow, the fire blocking most of it and Auda's quick reaction helping to rid of some of the flash...

"Auda, come on, hang in there!" Tyson called vocally, before focusing mentally. "Are you alright?" he sent, hoping Viola's Confuse Ray had failed...otherwise it could be over. -I...I think so...- Auda said, obviously starting to hurt now. -But between these flames and my headache, I can see, and my Psychic power's useless now...- there was a note of desperation in her voice now; she knew the Vulpix was putting up a massive fight, and that she would not last much longer.

"Auda!" Tyson called mentally. "Remember what I trained you in...time to use it!"

Auda's expression noticably became reluctant to Tyson even through the flames. -But, I...- She sent shakily, clearly reluctant to use Tyson's plan. "Auda, it's our only choice...I don't want to, either, but Zorayda cares about Viola, she'll be well looked-after. Please, Auda..." he pleaded, knowing that Auda did not like using this attack. Her pacifist side fought against the use of this move... Finally getting a hesitant, but affirmative pulse of emotion from Auda, he steeled himself for what was to come. "Now Auda...just like we trained...Draco Meteor!" he ordered, watching as Auda prepared, a ball of bright, multicolored energy forming in her arms.

'I should have known better...' Zor thought grimly. Viola landed on the ground, all four paws spread, panting heavily... her ears and tails all drooped with exhaustion, but her eyes kept burning with determination. "Whatever happens today, we made it far, Vi," the Trainer told her Pokemon, an edge of hardness in her voice. She knew as well as her Pokemon did that this battle would be near impossible to win... A cry from the Latias made them turn to look, the Eon pulling in rainbow-colored lights in preparation for an attack. It was one that Zor recognized, one she'd seen her dragonair use...

'Oh, no...'

-Sorry, Viola...- Auda sent apologetically, before letting out a fierce, shrieking cry as she hurled the ball of energy straight up at the roof of the arena. The attack exploding in mid-air, sending a massive shower of colored meteors raining down on the whole arena, Auda reeling as the attack sapped a lot of her strength. The vulpine growled so loudly that it was almost like a roar as the meteors came crashing down, trying to dodge them--but they shook the ground hard with every hit, each blast radius causing a minature earthquake... Viola tried in vain to leap, dodge, roll, anything to get away from the attacks, but her tiredness and the inevibility of getting hit by the powerful draconic attack made her efforts futile. Zor's fists clenched so hard that her nails bit into her palms, drawing blood. Tears formed in her eyes as she watched her beloved vulpix flew into the air as a meteor landed directly behind her. Viola tumbled, not having the energy to find her footing.

"No...!" The battle couldn't be over. She'd come so close, so close to defeating the Dragon Tamer. But she'd failed. The vulpix came crashing to the floor along with Zor's heart. Feeling her Pokemon's pain for her as she let out a bark and lie still upon the gound, eyes closed in a dead faint. Her last Pokemon was out. With a strangled cry, Zor rushed onto the field, not caring about the dying embers of Draco Meteor or the faltering Fire Spin Viola had set up before. She picked up the fox and cradled her in her arms, bereft. She'd failed her team. They all worked so hard, and for what?

Zor recalled Vi to her ball and wiped a tear from her face in frustration, only to have her eyes film over with more tears that began to pour down her face. She stood up, slowly, her back rigid. Zor forced a watery smile to her face and faced Tyson, feeling no resentment towards either the Trainer or the Eon--it'd been the best battle she had ever been a part of. Still, she felt empty inside.Tyson stepped slowly onto the battlefield, showing no elation at his victory. Auda returned to his side, nuzzling him briefly on the shoulder, before floating over to Zor and Viola. Noticing that Zorayda was about to return the Vulpix to her ball, she quickly channeled her psychic powers, sending a small healing pulse to the Vulpix. -I'm sorry...- she sent telepathically as the Vulpix was returned to her PokeBall, sending the message to Zor as well, before turning and making her way back to Tyson's side. -Did we really have to do that?- she asked softly, her own eyes a little watery from the display of affection Zorayda showed to her vulpix.

"Sadly," Tyson replied softly, his own emotions a little rattled in the aftermath of the battle. "Both she and Viola would have felt insulted if we didn't give it our all...it's only fair, even if I don't like it."

"Thank you," Zor said to Auda as she healed Viola slightly. She turned to Tyson, sniffling and hiccuping. "You were a tough opponent, as were you, Auda. I appreciate your time." Zor stuck a hand out stiffly, trembling. Auda gave a weak smile at Zorayda's words, but left Tyson to do the talking as the challenger offered her hand, managing to be a good sport despite the bitterly disappointing loss. Tyson managed a small smile in response. He grasped the offered hand, then went the added step of reaching around to gently hug Zorayda, his smile becoming more and more genuine. "Zorayda, I know taking a loss is never easy, especially one like this...but I truly hope you are proud of yourself today. You and your Pokemon gave it their all, and never backed down, and you should be proud of their efforts. No other Trainer, including several members of the regional Elite Fours, have come anywhere near as close as you have to defeating me. You are the best Trainer I have ever had the honor of battling, Zor...don't let this get you down. You may have lost this battle...but you have also won a key victory for not just yourself, but all Pokemon Trainers...you backed me into a corner, and when the news of this gets out, you will have proved, to the world, that I am not unbeatable, that I am just as vulnerable as anyone else."

Smiling again, Tyson slowly lead Zor towards the Gym Leader's side of the stadium, still speaking as he did.

"Zorayda, I am glad to have met and battled with you...and I wish I could bend the rules and present you the Badge, I really do...you've already thoroughly earned it, in my eyes." Having led Zor to the far end of the Leader's side of the battlefield, Tyson turned back, allowing them both to look across the battlefield from his usual perspective. "But I can't...but I can give you my sincerest thanks for such a thrilling battle...I have learned of lot of my own shortcomings from it, and please remember, you will always be welcome back here, whether you want to train, have a re-match, or just stop by and say hi, you will always be welcome."

Zor's lips trembled as she tried to hold back her emotions, but she couldn't, and instead she gave in and leapt on the Gym Leader, hugging him tightly.

"I'll be back. I promise," she said, sniffling.

[hr][/hr]

Zor came back to the present, realizing that her Pokemon had already attacked and that she was waiting for the next order. The memory of such an intense battle made the Trainer smile a little, feeling better about the current battle agains the wild Deerling. Though it was a tough opponent, the Trainer had faced harder challenges with her beloved Pokemon, and she would continue to do her best for each of her companions. Vi was the Pokemon she'd started out with, and therefore she was the most closely bonded with Zor... but the Trainer loved every one of her Pokemon, and so she would try her hardest to be the best Trainer she could be for each and every one.

 

BP

OOC: @TheProtobabe;

~~~~~

The Trainer looked me over quickly, but she didn't seem intimidated. It was quite possible she didn't know who I was, which was good. I hated my status as an Elite Ranger putting our visitors on edge. She took my hand and shook it, smiling as she did so. For the first time I noticed that she had strains of purple shooting throughout her blonde hair - quite a novel look.

"Hello, I'm Zorayda. You can just call me 'Zor', though," she said to me. "Um, I'm sorry, I have to finish this, my Ninetales is counting on me."

"Of course," I replied as I took a step backwards.

It didn't take Zor long to figure out a plan. "Okay, girl, use Captivate, then follow up with an Extrasensory attack!" she called out.

The fox's tails fanned out and she pranced coyly towards the Deerling, who now looked thoroughly confused. I didn't blame the Wild Pokemon - not ten seconds ago this Ninetales had been spitting fire at it, and now it wanted to be friends? The Deerling wasn't stupid, but it was also young and felt like giving this newcomer the benefit of the doubt. It approached slowly, one hoof at a time, and that was exactly what the Fire-type was waiting for. Her eyes lit up and she focused a beam of mental energy at the Deerling. It took a second to get under control, but once she did she had the Deerling's mind in her hands. Figuratively speaking. On both counts.

However, the Deerling was not weak. Despite the Ninetales' mental strength, the Wild Pokemon was only hindered for a few seconds before breaking free. It made a kind of whinnying sound and backed up towards the water. The yellow flower on top of its head seemed to glow. My jaw dropped as a huge wave rose out of the small pond and flew straight over the Deerling before crashing into the Ninetales. The spray obstructed vision of the entire battlefield for a good thirty seconds. When everything had calmed down, I took a look around. Zor's Ninetales was on her side in what was now a sea of mud. The Pokemon got to her feet - she did so fairly easily, but there was a slight shake in her legs. No doubt the Fire-type hadn't expected to be blasted with water in this battle.

After grimacing over the state of my shoes, I realised the Deerling was nowhere to be found. I knew instinctively that it hadn't run away, but it couldn't be seen. That would be an interesting problem for Zorayda to figure out.

~~~~~

Current Battle Statistics:

Quirky Female Ninetales: 65% (used Captivate, Extrasensory)

??? ??? Deerling: 48%, SATK-2, BRN (used Nature Power, Camoflage)

~~~~~

Trainer Statistics

Name: Zorayda Anna Moonlin
Location: Botanic Gardens
Encounters Remaining: 12
Pokemon Encountered: Taillow, Maractus, Deerling
Pokemon Captured: n/a
MCR: 19,903 / 9,000

Pokemon Stats

(Dusk) Umbreon | Male | Synchronize | Serious | EMs: None | 100%

(Viola) Ninetales | Female | Flash Fire | Quirky | EMs: None | 100%

Item Statistics

5 ParkBalls

~~~~~

 

Zorayda cried out in fear as the wave crashed down on her poor Fire-type fox, who made a pitiful kee-yi sort of noise before stumbling backwards, her luscious fur dripping with water. She keened for a few moments, whimpering. The natural heat from her body dried her off quickly enough, but Zor felt that her fiery power was probably lowered by the attack... looking back, she saw the Deerling give them a look before vanishing completely. Viola tilted her head in confusion, and Zor just gaped. What...? How did the deer just, disappear like that?? What move would make it do that...? Zor didn't know very much about this particular Pokemon, so she had no clue what sorts of moves it could learn. Pressing her mouth into a frustrated line, she tried to think...

Vi gave her an expectant look, waiting for orders... her fur fluffed out as it dried. She flicked her tails to get the last few droplets off of her, then shook out her body, spraying warm droplets onto her Trainer. Zor ducked her head as she did so. Bits of mud from the silty water were also sprayed outwards like so many tiny little bullets, too, pelting the Trainer's skin.

"Agh! Watch it, Vi, you're getting... dirt... on me..." Slowly, an idea began to form in the girl's mind as she said that out loud, realizing something. No, they could not see the Deerling anywhere... the brown buck had vanished using some odd move that was indistinguishable. But it was wet, and being a Grass type, didn't have the same drying-out ability Viola naturally had due to her dry, fiery heat... therefore, things would stick to it. With a sudden grin of inspiration, the blonde clapped her hands together. "Vi, you're a genius!" the fox made a questioning noise at the statement, but perked up in interest, full attention on her mistress. "See this dirt everywhere? Look at this," she commented, showing the Ninetales her skin. Mud had stuck to her in places from where the fox had flicked it upon her. Realization dawned in Viola's wine-colored eyes, and suddenly her tongue lolled out in a foxy grin, knowing exactly where Zor was going with this line of thought.

"Got it? Use Tail Whip to do it, then make it go farther with another one before hitting him with a solid Flamethrower!" the Trainer told her. The fox nodded affirmation and leapt into action. First she scattered the dry earth into the air with her many tails, whipping up the debris so it flew into the air. It was about to lazily float down, useless, but the Ninetales influenced the dirt to blow in all directions with a powerful whip of her tails once more, the force of the air blowing the sand and earth everywhere. Zor watched the Ninetales attempt to track down the deer's location; the dirt would stick to the damp Deerling, outlining its shape and making it apparent to the fox enough for her to land the next blow. Viola's maw opened, a surge of fiery power blasting forth towards the wild Pokemon.

Zor pulled out a Park ball and expanded it in her hand, waiting for the perfect moment, then throwing the ball forth to attempt the capture of the Fall-form Deerling.

 

BP

OOC: @TheProtobabe; Just a warning here, if your posts weren't of the high quality that they are, I would have KOed the Deerling here. Considering that you're 14k over the MCR and the last, neutrally-effective attack did 34%, commanding a super-effective attack is a bit of a silly move when the Deerling has only 48% left. A rule of thumb is that the battle health of a Pokemon should roughly match the ratio of the MCR (i.e. if a Pokemon has an MCR of 7,500 / 15000 it's health should probably be between 35% - 65%). Matching that to this case, the Flamethrower probably would have KOed the Deerling.

tl;dr your quality saved you, be careful of commanding powerful attacks in the future.

~~~~~

I grinned as I saw the Ninetales shake mud all over Zorayda. My boots were the only thing that had been dirtied - poor Zorayda had mud everywhere. The only time I had seen a woman dirtier than that was at the women's mud wrestling rink that Leo and I attended every couple of months, much to Ivy's exasperation. She'd always roll her eyes and sigh when we left, and comment acerbically on our activites the next day. One time she asked how dirty the girls were, and Leo had replied that they didn't get truly dirty until he was done with them. It had actually shut her up for a good fifteen minutes.

On the bright side, being coated in filth appeared to give her an idea. "Use Tail Whip to do it, then make it go farther with another one before hitting him with a solid Flamethrower!" she commanded.

The Fire-type turned around and used her many tails to spray mud all over the field. Thankfully, none of it hit me. It did, however, reveal an invisible Pokemon that was hiding at the edge of the tree-line. The Ninetales saw this and immediately breathed a stream of ultra-hot flames at the quivering pile of mud. The fire baked the mud dry, but it cracked and fell apart as the Deerling collapsed. It looked very much done-in. I was actually afraid that it had fainted, but when I squinted my eyes I could see that it was just slightly stirring.

Zor threw a Park Ball and it struck the Deerling. The Grass-type was absorbed into the ball and it only shook for a couple of seconds before laying still. I squelched through the mud and picked the ball up. I gave it a thorough wiping before storing it in the side pocket of my bag.

A wet squashing sound made me turn around and I saw a small green Pokemon that appeared to be made up of vines enter the battlefield. No doubt it had just come for a drink but now by pure chance it had run across our path. Its eyes darted back and forth between Zor and I.

~~~~~

Trainer Statistics

Name: Zorayda Anna Moonlin
Location: Botanic Gardens
Encounters Remaining: 11,
Pokemon Encountered: Taillow, Maractus, Deerling, Tangela
Pokemon Captured: Deerling
MCR: 0 / 9,000

Pokemon Stats

(Dusk) Umbreon | Male | Synchronize | Serious | EMs: None | 100%

(Viola) Ninetales | Female | Flash Fire | Quirky | EMs: None | 65%

Item Statistics

4 ParkBalls

~~~~~

 

"Yes!" Zor shouted in glee when the deer stayed in the Poke ball. For a moment there, she was afraid it had fainted after the Ninetales blasted it with her fire, but in the end it stayed conscious enough for a legal capture. Next time she'd have to be more careful to have her 'mons pull their punches and use weaker attacks. Viola, a bit tired but still her cheerful self, wuffed happily and trotted alongside Zor. The Trainer figure she could handle one more fight with something weak to Fire-type moves and that wasn't fully evolved... but if it was too tough, she'd have Dusk handle what Viola couldn't.

James (or "Chainy", as Zor recalled as his usual nickname) walked over to pick up the Park ball that contained the Fall-form Deerling. The blonde smiled.

"Sorry about before, I was just busy trying to battle," she apologized. "Let me introduce myself properly. I'm Zorayda, and the Ninetales here is Viola. Very pleased to meet you, and thanks for taking me on the rest of my Park run! Too bad that Taither had to go, though," she lamented. There was a squishy sound behind the Ranger, however--Zor saw a blobby plant behind Chainy, when suddenly two beady little eyes flashed. "Ah, watch out!" she called, but the Ranger had already seen the Tangela that was lurking in the mud.

"Mm, I think we'll leave this one alone," Zor told him after he'd gotten away properly. "I don't really need the little guy on our team."

 

NBP

Ranger Chainy

OOC: @TheProtobabe;

~~~~~

After I retrieved the Park Ball Zorayda quickly apologised. "Let me introduce myself properly. I'm Zorayda, and the Ninetales here is Viola. Very pleased to meet you, and thanks for taking me on the rest of my Park run! Too bad that Taither had to go, though."

"Yeah he was called up by the big bods, not sure why," I replied.

By now Zor had seen the Oddish. "Mm, I think we'll leave this one alone, I don't really need the little guy on our team," she said.

"No worries, he looks a little thirsty so he's probably quite happy to leave us alone," I replied. I smiled at the Tangela and it moved towards the water warily. Instead of using a mouse to drink, it simply lowered itself into the water and began absorbing moisture through its roots and vines. I motioned for us to leave and we moved quietly off. After a couple minutes of walking I found a path, and it seemed to lead out of the trees. I was glad of this - I was getting a little claustrophobic.

Suddenly, a small pink Pokemon with green leaves for wings wafted out of the trees. It yapped a happy greeting at us.

"Do you feel like catching that Hoppip, Zorayda?" I asked the Trainer.

~~~~~

Trainer Statistics

Name: Zorayda Anna Moonlin
Location: Botanic Gardens
Encounters Remaining: 10
Pokemon Encountered: Taillow, Maractus, Deerling, Tangela, Hoppip
Pokemon Captured: Deerling
MCR: 0

Pokemon Stats

(Dusk) Umbreon | Male | Synchronize | Serious | EMs: None | 100%

(Viola) Ninetales | Female | Flash Fire | Quirky | EMs: None | 65%

Item Statistics

4 ParkBalls

~~~~~

 

Zor smiled at the Tangela as it happily sipped water from its roots. It apparently was content to leave them be so long as they left it alone.They trekked a bit through the Gardens, the intoxicating scents bringing a slight curve to Zor's lips as she walks alongside Viola. The fox seems a little bit tired, but nothing major. Her many tails tickled Zor's legs as they walked, following Chainy until he came to an abrupt halt, pointing out a new Pokemon. It was a Pokemon Zorayda recognized from a book she'd read once on the top cute existing Pokemon, and one of her favorites even though it wasn't very strong. A pink, kitten-like Pokemon floated before them on green leafy wings, its wide chartreuse eyes regarding them with a somewhat cheerful expression. The happy little yip it greeted them with melted the Trainer into a metaphorical puddle. She just had to have this Pokemon.

"Oh my goodness, look how cute!" She squealed girlishly. Viola stuck her tongue out over her pointed teeth in an open-mouthed vulpine smile, agreeing with her mistress. "I definitely want to catch it! We'll bring it home and spoil it rotten, lookit you you're so adorable, aren't you, you cute little thing?" Zor said, ending the speech in baby-talk aimed at the Pokemon. She turned to the Ninetales and gave instructions, beginning the battles with the small flying Pokemon. "Okay, Vi, Hoppips aren't super tough when it comes to taking hits, so be gentle! Grass-types are also usually pretty tricky, so Safeguard up before hitting it with an Ember, okay?"

The Ninetales nodded in assent, closing her eyes in concentration and bathing herself in a purifying aura, hopefully making a successful shield against status-changing attacks. A poisoned or asleep Pokemon would not battle well and would take hits very hard, as opposed to a slightly tired but still healthy 'mon. Next up, the fiery fox summoned a small tongue of flame between her jaws before unleashing it in the direction of the flying Pokemon. Zor wanted to get a little bit of damage on it and hopefully burn it, weakening its attacks and causing a small amount of damage over time in order to gently knock it down to exhaustion for the capture.

 

BP

Ranger Chainy

OOC: @TheProtobabe; Man your Trainer is so adorable, I wish more people were like this xD Also, gender?

~~~~~

"Oh my goodness, look how cute! I definitely want to catch it!" Zorayda squealed. "We'll bring it home and spoil it rotten. Look at you you're so adorable, aren't you, you cute little thing?"

I grinned happily. It seemed like this Expedition might be fun - it would be a nice change from the serious, up-tight Ivy Frost. The only things she smiled at were her Pokemon or when one of us male Rangers got shot down by the support staff. There was an ongoing joke amongst the Rangers that Ivy's smile was so warm that whenever she did so all of the snow on Mount Oktori melted, and so she deliberately kept a stony demeanour. I'd caught her a couple times with Haji or Haxbat, and I almost believed it.

"Okay, Vi, Hoppips aren't super tough when it comes to taking hits, so be gentle! Grass-types are also usually pretty tricky, so Safeguard up before hitting it with an Ember, okay?"

The Ninetales nodded and was immediately surrounded by a light blue aura that focused on her head and chest. She then summoned a small ball of fire inside her mouth and breathed it out between her teeth. This caused the fire to split into multiple smaller fireballs. They peppered the air all around the Hoppip, exploding near it like anti-aircraft rounds did. The Hoppip didn't seem to notice, though - it had an incredibly blank look on its face. Suspiciously blank, considering it was a Grass-type that had just been hit by a super-effective Fire-type attack. Most Grass-types would be running away screaming after that.

Still, for some reason the Hoppip didn't seem too disturbed. Once the fires had died down the Wild Pokemon dipped quickly towards the ground and knocked into Viola with its green leafy wings. The attack must have had a surprising amount of force because it actually caused the Ninetales to recoil. The Grass-type then rose high into the air, out of easy-to-reach range. Clearly it didn't want to make this battle easy for Zorayda.

~~~~~

Current Battle Statistics

Quirky Female Ninetales 65%, SAFE-1 (used Safeguard, Ember)
vs
??? ??? Hoppip 68%, SDEF+2 (used Amnesia, Aerial Ace)

~~~~~

Trainer Statistics

Name: Zorayda Anna Moonlin
Location: Botanic Gardens
Encounters Remaining: 10
Pokemon Encountered: Taillow, Maractus, Deerling, Tangela, Hoppip
Pokemon Captured: Deerling
MCR: 2195 / 4000

Pokemon Stats

(Dusk) Umbreon | Male | Synchronize | Serious | EMs: None | 100%

(Viola) Ninetales | Female | Flash Fire | Quirky | EMs: None | 65%

Item Statistics

4 ParkBalls

~~~~~

 

[Hehe, thanks ^^ I like Hoppips :x Speaking of which, make it male, please!]

Zorayda watched as Viola carried out her attacks, landing a solid blow on the Hoppip, but the flying kitten looked oddly... blank, and didn't really react to the fire as a Grass type normally would. Confused, the Trainer looked down at the fox, who tilted her head back and pushed her shoulder forward in a vulpine shrug. Neither of them had ever experienced an Amnesia status changing move before, and so the two of them were clueless as to what had just happened. The blonde yelped as the Hoppip suddenly dove forward on leafy wings, bombarding the Ninetales in a Flying-type attack. Viola yipped and flinched, but turned back to finish the fight. She was beginning to tire out; her tongue hung over pearly teeth in a pant. It was time to finish this battle up quickly and allow the poor girl to get some rest in her Poke ball.

"Hmm..." Zor murmured, watching the Hoppip dance tantalizingly far away in the air. "You're a tricky little thing, aren't you? Let's see..." What needed to happen was an attack that wouldn't harm the poor thing to much, but to reach it in the air... The Trainer looked back at her Pokemon, who was tired and ready to finish up... So an attack that could reach, wasn't too powerful, and was relatively easy to do. Nodding to herself when she'd formulated a quick plan, she gave Viola her next orders.

"Okay. Hoppip are playful creatures, so I need you to use your Captivate--but this time, lure the Hoppip in a bit closer to you by trying to play with it. Then I want you to try and trap him in a Fire Spin before hitting him with a simple Quick Attack, okay Vi?" The fox nodded, understanding her orders. Zor was counting on the blank, forgetful look on the Hoppip's face to make it forget that Viola had ever attacked it in the first place. That should trick it more easily into a Captivate, and allow Vi to get in a couple of quick hits that would pare the flying kitten's health down a little bit. The Ninetales chose to go the playful route this time, and did the typical dog's 'bow', her jaw parted in a foxy grin and her rear end upward while bending her forelegs to make her chest brush the grass. She bounced from side to side a few times and spanked the ground with her paws, tails wagging like a house pet. She even wuffed good-naturedly in an attempt to get the little kitty to play.

Hoping it worked, the fox then summoned a thin flame from her jaws, racing around the Hoppip in a tight circle and lighting the grasses ablaze. The Ninetales used her speed and her many tails to fan the flames, making them rise in size and create a small column of fire. It acted as a small cyclone, contained within itself but likely to leave a small scorch mark where it was. Zor winced; she hoped a little burnt grass wouldn't be too much of a nuisance to the Park Rangers. They were supposed to protect the environment, but Zor didn't think a bit of burnt greenery would be too much of a big deal... After fanning the flame, Vi turned around on swift paws and threw herself bodily at the Hoppip at lightning speed.

"Ooh, not too hard, Vi!" Zor called worriedly. She was wringing her hands; having to battle such a cute Pokemon went against all her motherly instincts. But all Pokemon in the wild tested Trainers with a battle; it was just their way. And Pokemon were tough; they could handle some solid hits before going down. As if to emphasize this point, Viola looked over her shoulder and rolled her eyes at Zor's fretting.

 

BP

Ranger Chainy

OOC: @TheProtobabe;

~~~~~

Zorayda hummed quietly as she stared up at the high-floating Hoppip. The Grass-type's Amnesia was starting to wear off, and its eyes crinkled slightly in pain as the memory of the Ember's searing hot explosions slowly returned. Despite this, it had quite enough energy to maintain flight at its current altitude. The little Pokemon stuck its tiny pink tongue out at us below in a show of defiance. It was an incredibly cute gesture, and I thought I heard a muffled squeal from my Trainer.

"Okay. Hoppip are playful creatures, so I need you to use your Captivate - but this time, lure the Hoppip in a bit closer to you by trying to play with it," Zor said to her Ninetales. "Then I want you to try and trap him in a Fire Spin before hitting him with a simple Quick Attack, okay Vi?"

The Fire-type bounded forwards and whipped its tails in a mock-playful gesture. She raised her rear end and pawed at the ground, looking for all the world like an excited puppy. I noticed that Zorayda frequently used mind games in her battles, which was a breath of fresh air from the usual crop of Trainers, who simply fired off Thunder Waves and then beat the Wild Pokemon into submission. This style of battling kept the Wild Pokemon off-balance and often delayed or prevented them from using their most powerful moves. That said, not any kind of Pokemon could change the appearance of their mood at a drop of a hat like Vi could - the Ninetales obviously had a Nature that supported this kind of playstyle. A Brave or a Naughty Pokemon would sooner scoff than try to appeal to the enemy fighter.

The Hoppip had a slight frown on its face, but the Amnesia was still in effect, so it drifted slowly downwards. When it was a few feet above the ground, Viola leapt into action. She blew a thin tongue of flame in front of herself and ran a quick circle around the Grass-type. She then fanned the flames with curled strikes from her tails. The wind blew around the circular fire and caused it to rise high into the sky. The Hoppip started squeaking in discomfort - only the Amnesia kept it from shrieking in pain. Thankfully, Zorayda didn't plan to keep the Hoppip in danger. Viola leapt into the fire from one side and burst out of the other, pushing the Hoppip along with it. Both Pokemon plowed into the dirt, knocking up tufts of grass as the did so. The Fire Spin started to slowly die down, without the care from Viola, but it would take a couple of minutes to disappear completely.

Somewhat surprisingly, the Hoppip responded immediately. A huge bright blue energy blast was detonated right underneath Viola, and the Ninetales was sent spinning into the air. She landed a good ten metres away with a big whoof as the air was knocked out of her. I now understood why the Hoppip hadn't tried anything earlier - it had been charging a Solarbeam! The bad news was that it wouldn't be able to do so again - the Wild Pokemon had scorch marks all over it and it barely had the energy to hover over the torn up grass.

~~~~~

Current Battle Statistics

Quirky Female Ninetales 45%, SAFE-2 (used Captivate, Fire Spin, Quick Attack)
vs
??? Male Hoppip 21%, SDEF+2 (used Solarbeam)

~~~~~

Trainer Statistics

Name: Zorayda Anna Moonlin
Location: Botanic Gardens
Encounters Remaining: 10
Pokemon Encountered: Taillow, Maractus, Deerling, Tangela, Hoppip
Pokemon Captured: Deerling
MCR: 5655 / 4000

Pokemon Stats

(Dusk) Umbreon | Male | Synchronize | Serious | EMs: None | 100%

(Viola) Ninetales | Female | Flash Fire | Quirky | EMs: None | 65%

Item Statistics

4 ParkBalls

~~~~~

 

"Oh!" Zor gasped as the Hoppip blasted Viola with a Solarbeam. The attack was fierce for such a small Pokemon; this Hoppip was really strong! Its defense didn't really match its attack, however, and it was starting to wear out rapidly. Its little wings dropped with exhaustion as it began to slowly descend, chartreuse eyes drooping with tiredness. "Aww, you poor thing..." the Trainer lamented, now feeling really bad for knocking it about so badly. But now she'd hopefully capture it and let it rest in the Poke ball, with a synthetic but soothing ideal environment simulated by the device. When they got back she would take care of the both the Deerling and the Hoppip and treat them to some high-quality Pokemon food. Hopefully she could figure out what their favorite foods were.

"Okay little guy, sorry we had to hurt you! But we're gonna give you a new, comfy home. You'll love it! And we'll be best friends!" With that promise she chucked a Poke ball at it, Viola grinning alongside her mistress and feeling proud of herself.