Individual RP: WinterVines [Endurance Run]

@WinterVines; Yay! xD Also, really sorry for the dealy on this :x

BP#2

As I tried to figure out just what move the Koffing was using, I glanced over at Ivy, who seemed to be lost in thought - or rather, lost in a vision of the future. It was as though she, herself, was radiating energy while she was connected to Haji. And then, it all stopped so suddenly - the blue outline of his eyes fading - leaving the trainer in a state of shock and wary.

She quickly blurted out her next command, keeping a close and watchful eye on the opponent. The flimsy purple bubble around the wild creature continued to grow and expand, more ominous waves sloshing around his body - just on the very verge of release as the Espeon started setting up a number of Light Screens to act as a barrier of sorts against this oncoming assault.

The ruby on his head began to shimmer with Psychic-type energy, and as he swayed his head from left to right, a light blue screen materialized over to the opposite side of the corridor. I took this opportunity to move closer to the safe side, where the Elite Ranger was standing, as the Eeeveelution continued to create firm, sturdy-looking glass walls around the Poison Gas Pokemon, making sure they curved around (he started from the wall then worked his way towards the middle arch where both sides of the screens would meet) in such a way that the flow of hazardous goo would be pushed to one side of the hallway. He had barely finished completing this trap before the purple energy was released, wave after wave of Poison-type power flooding the Plant's floor. I couldn't help but wince - this was going to be a pain to clean up later, assuming the toxic in the substance would not seep through the old, worn-down cement first.

The ominous sludge crashed against the resilient glass, barely leaving a dent in them before rolling back. However, the barriers weren't without their flaws - some of the substance still managed to seep their way through the bottom of the screens, most prominently in the front ones, the ones that were in the middle of the arch, whose creation Haji had rushed to prevent a more disastrous event. They slithered their way to him as he panted from the exerted effort - creating multiple blue glass walls was no small task. They were pretty fast for dense globs of poison, scorching his legs with their intoxicating touch. This seemed to jolt the Espeon's senses as he suddenly leaped away, but the goo had left a burning sensation running along his limbs. Whatever pain he felt, he did not show on his face as he remained calm and collected, his gaze steady as he watched for any more of the enemy's tricks.

"Use a Psychic to take a hold of him," Ivy called out. "While straining his mental senses, I'd like you to move him around." She then suggested to bounce the Koffing off the walls to try to make his head spin a bit, increasing the chances of him not attacking due to his dizziness. And so, that was exactly what the Psychic-type did.

His eyes - along with the gem on his forehead, which augmented his powers - glowed a bright blue. As the glimmer strengthened, the Poison Gas Pokemon was then outlined in the same shade of blue, allowing Haji to have control over his opponent's actions and movements. Purely using his mental capabilities, he threw the creature to one side, then swung him back to the other, repeating this chaotic process again and again in all possible directions; he ended up tossing the Koffing all around the battefield, slamming him against the walls, ceiling, and floor. The Eeveelution's shoulders were relaxed, not hunched in the slightest, as though this took him little to no effort - or that, it was all relying on his head, his Psychic powers. After all, he was only controlling the Poison-type, and while that would certainly require some brain power, muscle exertion on his part was unnecessary. Most of the energy-draining that was taking place right now was only happening due to the wild entity's resistance against being treated as a puppet as well as his constant slamming against the Power Plant's walls.

After all that was said and done, the Koffing was left in a rather drastic state of dizziness, with his head throbbing dreadfully with pain - the stabs having no mercy on him.

BATTLE STATS:
Wild Koffing (M, ???)
Health: 44%
Currently Using: [none]
Last Move Used: Sludge Wave
Status: Rather Dizzy

..::VS::..

Haji the Espeon (M, Calm)
Health: 88%
Last Move Used: Light Screen+Psychic
Status: [none]​

Trainer Statistics:
Name: Ivy Frost
Location: The Abandoned Power Plant

Encounters Left: 15 [Endurance Run]
Area Effects: SUNNY :3
Pokemon Encountered: Electrike (F, Hasty)|Zubat (?, ???)|Electrode (?, ???)|Electrode (?, ???)
Current Encounter: Koffing (M, ???)
Pokemon Captured: Electrike (F, Hasty)

Total Items: Three Parkballs|Two Superballs|Two Hyperballs|Five Super Potions|Two Full Heals|Two Max Revives|Two Red Apricorns|One Blue Apricorn|Digital Camera|Apricorn Box|Two White Apricorns|One Black Apricorn
MCR: 13908/9000 [Uncommon]

Pokemon Stats

Haji the Espeon (M) - 88%
Ability: Magic Bounce
Nature: Calm
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Hidden Power [Fire]|Grass Knot|Shadow Ball|Skill Swap|Sunny Day|Calm Mind|Reflect|Light Screen|Substitute|Protect|Psyshock|Heal Bell|Stored Power|Signal Beam|Growth|Trick|Wish|Yawn
<Currently Engaged in Battle>

Candle the Chandelure (F) - 83%
Ability: Flash Fire
Nature: Brave
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Flame Charge|Calm Mind|Hidden Power [Electric]|Flamethrower|Energy Ball|Taunt|Protect|Psychic|Substitute|Psych Up|Fire Blast|Toxic|Trick Room|Clear Smog|Acid Armor|Haze|Dark Pulse|Trick

Vergil the Gallade (M) - 100%
Ability: Steadfast
Nature: Hardy
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Will-O-Wisp|Thunder Wave|Drain Punch|Bulldoze|Shadow Sneak|Ice Punch|Fire Punch

 

@MuddyMudkip; lol you're fine. Shorter post is shorter.

TP#11

Ivy felt the slight discomfort as the poison washed across Haji's legs, and she winced. Almost immediately after, the feeling stopped, and she suspected the Espeon had cut off that part of their bond. She knew that he just didn't want her to worry, but it still bothered her.

Thankfully the Light Screens had formed enough of a barricade for the liquid poison to keep to one side, making them safe since they had retreated to the other side of the hall. Some of the sludge was thicker in parts, and Ivy saw how it clung in patches to the floor and walls. They were going to have to burn it off or something when all of this was done—otherwise it could be a hazard to the remaining Pokemon inside the plant, and she couldn't just leave it.

Then, Ivy saw the Koffing become coated in a shiny blue energy—the same shade as Haji's lit up eyes. With his mental powers, the purple cat did almost exactly as she imagined. The floating ball of gas was bounced from one side of the hall to the other, spinning and twirling and bumping into things as he went. Haji made it seem like the easiest task in the world. Now that the moment of pain was over from the Sludge Wave, he had opened up the channel a little more, so she felt how effortlessly he commanded his mind.

“Almost there, Haji,” she called to him, not wanting to put extra strain on his mind as he used it. He released the Poison-type then, and Ivy saw how unsteady it was. It was bobbing up and down slightly, like it wasn't totally in control of its motions. Ivy decided to capitalize on that.

“We've almost got him,” she said. “Sharpen your senses with Calm Mind so you can really get inside his head, and then I'd like you to use Confusion! Play on that dazed state of his and try to make him even more confused. With a little more mental strain, he might not be able to resist this,” she said, pulling out a standard Park Ball from her zippered vest pocket.

Confusion was another one of those mental attacks that could trip up the foe. She was hoping that Haji could make the Koffing see double or triple even, further adding onto the already dizzy state he had been put in from being thrown around a bit. She relayed that to the Espeon mentally, and he agreed.

Some Pokemon were physically able to make doubles of themselves in an illusion, but since she had been working so much, she hadn't got to teach Haji, or any of her Pokemon really, any new techniques. She felt a little bad about that. Hopefully after this expedition she would make some time for that. She owed them that much, and it might even make Vergil more tolerable. He was currently looking bored, although he wasn't crossing his arms anymore.

Ivy tensed to throw the ball when she thought she'd have a good opportunity. If Haji's attack could trip him up and confuse him entirely, they had a decent shot.

 

@WinterVines;

BP#3

Seeing as how the Koffing's mind had been all shaken up from the earlier Psychic assault, Ivy decided to take advantage of this by attempting to confuse the creature even more with this next course of action.

Haji gave a quick nod of acknowledgement before shutting his eyes in deep concentration. He released any and all negative or worrisome thoughts from his head, pushing them out of his mind to achieve maximum serenity from within himself. It wasn't a difficult task for him, considering how he was already a very calm and collected Pokemon - he was naturally relaxed about just about everything. Soothing waves coursed through his body, making him forget about the battle and the other hardships of life, leaving him feeling refreshed and strengthened as he found that sort of "inner peace" bubbling inside of him.

Upon opening his eyes, the Espeon quickly locked his gaze onto the opponent - who still seemed unaware of what exactly was going on - just as he did with his earlier attack. A lighter blue hue outlined his pupils once again, shimmering with Psychic-type energy. Bursting out from his eyes a moment later were two slim, bright rays, zipping right towards the Poison-type.

The telekinetic force barreled into the entity, seeming to zap him and ruffling up his thoughts. It left him in an even worse state of dizziness; his eyes seemed blank and unfocused, as though his senses couldn't seem to pick up that he was currently engaged in a battle - that he was meant to be attacking his foe, or at least, doing something about the fight at hand.

Instead, he was bobbing about the place with his head up in space. He hovered from side to side, bumping his head on the wall once or twice before a Parkball was thrown over to relieve him from more suffering. The red erratic beam that had blasted out from the orb sucked the Poison Gas Pokemon in just as it moved outside of the sludge filled area. The camo-colored sphere dropped to the cement floor as it snapped shut, just narrowly missing the ledge of one of the glass screens. It tumbled about a couple of times, shaking in the manner one would expect it to. The Koffing inside didn't seem to have put up much of a fight - most likely due to his confusion - as the orb quickly came to a full stop, resting peacefully just a few inches from the purple ooze.

After picking the ball up, my gaze stayed on the walled waves of goo for a while as I tried to fabricate a way to fix up this mess. I glanced over at the Elite Ranger, knowing that she, herself, knew that we couldn't just leave it like this in its hazardous state. "Any ideas?" I asked, my mind still whirring for one of my own.

BATTLE STATS:
Wild Koffing (M, ???)
Health: 30%
Currently Using: [none]
Last Move Used: [none]
Status: [CAPTURED]

..::VS::..

Haji the Espeon (M, Calm)
Health: 88%
Last Move Used: Calm Mind+Confusion
Status: [none]​

Trainer Statistics:
Name: Ivy Frost
Location: The Abandoned Power Plant

Encounters Left: 15 [Endurance Run]
Area Effects: SUNNY :3
Pokemon Encountered: Electrike (F, Hasty)|Zubat (?, ???)|Electrode (?, ???)|Electrode (?, ???)|Koffing (M, ???)
Current Encounter: [none]
Pokemon Captured: Electrike (F, Hasty)|Koffing (M, ???)

Total Items: Two Parkballs|Two Superballs|Two Hyperballs|Five Super Potions|Two Full Heals|Two Max Revives|Two Red Apricorns|One Blue Apricorn|Digital Camera|Apricorn Box|Two White Apricorns|One Black Apricorn
MCR: 0/???

Pokemon Stats

Haji the Espeon (M) - 88%
Ability: Magic Bounce
Nature: Calm
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Hidden Power [Fire]|Grass Knot|Shadow Ball|Skill Swap|Sunny Day|Calm Mind|Reflect|Light Screen|Substitute|Protect|Psyshock|Heal Bell|Stored Power|Signal Beam|Growth|Trick|Wish|Yawn

Candle the Chandelure (F) - 83%
Ability: Flash Fire
Nature: Brave
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Flame Charge|Calm Mind|Hidden Power [Electric]|Flamethrower|Energy Ball|Taunt|Protect|Psychic|Substitute|Psych Up|Fire Blast|Toxic|Trick Room|Clear Smog|Acid Armor|Haze|Dark Pulse|Trick

Vergil the Gallade (M) - 100%
Ability: Steadfast
Nature: Hardy
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Will-O-Wisp|Thunder Wave|Drain Punch|Bulldoze|Shadow Sneak|Ice Punch|Fire Punch

 

@MuddyMudkip;

TP#12

The ball clicked shut and Ivy breathed a sigh of relief. They wouldn't have to deal with the poison spewing everywhere anymore. Ivy adjusted her canvas vest and smiled at her Espeon. “Nice work as always, Haji,” she said.

Now they just had to deal with the sludge that was leftover from the battle. Globs of sticky purple goo was splattered on the walls and lining the floor worse than last month's leftovers. Ivy knew that if any stray Pokemon came across that, they could become poisoned by it.

“Any ideas?” Elisa asked, looking at the poison too.

“Hmm,” Ivy murmured, thinking. “I think the best way is to probably burn it off. Haji, can you help us out?”

The purple cat nodded, and his eyes began to glow that shimmery purple color again as he rose his energy. Five orbs of red-orange energy appeared around him, hovering in midair and floating slowly around. The flames inside them licked the invisible barriers that kept them trapped.

“Haji's Hidden Power type is Fire, so we can probably make use of the leftover Sunny Day to try and get some of this gunk off. Candle can probably help if needed. What do you think?”

 

@WinterVines; I just realized I forgot to put in Koffing's nature last post ^_^;; Also, here come the marts, dundundun.

NBP#7

"I think the best way is to probably burn it off." Ivy suggested after a moment or two of contemplating to herself. My eyes sparked up as I realized where she was going at; I could see it now. The thick layers of purple haze that had been released by the Koffing earlier in the battle had been easily thinned out by the make-shift sun the Espeon had created; and the trapped waves of hazardous ooze were more likely than not of a similar substance, which meant that we could kill it with fire.

"Haji's Hidden Power type is Fire, so we can probably make use of the leftover Sunny Day to try and get some of this gunk off. Candle can probably help if needed. What do you think?" the Elite Ranger said.

"Great plan! I think fire is just the thing we need," I replied with a grin. If the Psychic-type could pull this off in one swift move, then that would leave us with no troubles to worry about at all. "Haji just might be able to finish this off, though." I nodded over at the Eeveelution who was already surrounded by a circle of five fireballs, while his eyes were glowing a bright purple color.

The orbs revolved around him, the flames inside them dancing with a fiery passion just waiting to be unleashed. He took a few steps back, before pushing forward and leaping into the air, hoping to have a clear opening so as to make it easier for him to aim his attack. He rose up above the summit of the blue glass walls, allowing him to just the right angle to be able to shoot off his assault. The reddish-orange blazes were unleashed in mid-air, slamming straight into the pool of sludge.

As the Sun Pokemon landed back on the ground smoothly, I peered over the side of the barrier of screens. I watched as the flares sunk into the goo, effectively toasting it, with smoke rising up from the incineration that had occurred. The embers spread like a wildfire - as though the purple globs were trees clumped together, making it even easier for the kindling sparks to spread around. Soon, the whole sea of ooze had been scorched, the flames flickering wildly as the blobs were smoldered into nothingness.

"Well, that's that, I'd say," I remarked as the last of the embers had died down. "I'd give these Light Screens a couple more minutes, tops. They've been as resilient as they could ever have against the sludge." I nudged one of the blue squares with my foot, testing its strength. They would be fading soon, that's for sure - they were never meant to last extremely long in the first place, and this set of glass barricades have definitely served their purpose with all their might.

"Alright, let's go," I told my fellow ranger as we moved on.

Slipping around the corner brought us to a glob of purple goo stuck on the wall. "Well, I don't think the earlier Sludge Wave could've made it this far," was my lame attempt at a joke, somewhat. As if in reply, the blob moved, pulling itself from the wall and slithering its way down to the floor. It was a lighter purple shade compared to the poisonous gunk earlier, which was by far darker and more ominous looking.

"Interested in a Ditto?" I asked Ivy.

Trainer Statistics:
Name: Ivy Frost
Location: The Abandoned Power Plant

Encounters Left: 14 [Endurance Run]
Area Effects: SUNNY :3
Pokemon Encountered: Electrike (F, Hasty)|Zubat (?, ???)|Electrode (?, ???)|Electrode (?, ???)|Koffing (M, Bashful)
Current Encounter: Ditto (?, ???)
Pokemon Captured: Electrike (F, Hasty)|Koffing (M, Bashful)

Total Items: Two Parkballs|Two Superballs|Two Hyperballs|Five Super Potions|Two Full Heals|Two Max Revives|Two Red Apricorns|One Blue Apricorn|Digital Camera|Apricorn Box|Two White Apricorns|One Black Apricorn
MCR: 1131/25000 [Intermediate]

Pokemon Stats

Haji the Espeon (M) - 88%
Ability: Magic Bounce
Nature: Calm
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Hidden Power [Fire]|Grass Knot|Shadow Ball|Skill Swap|Sunny Day|Calm Mind|Reflect|Light Screen|Substitute|Protect|Psyshock|Heal Bell|Stored Power|Signal Beam|Growth|Trick|Wish|Yawn

Candle the Chandelure (F) - 83%
Ability: Flash Fire
Nature: Brave
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Flame Charge|Calm Mind|Hidden Power [Electric]|Flamethrower|Energy Ball|Taunt|Protect|Psychic|Substitute|Psych Up|Fire Blast|Toxic|Trick Room|Clear Smog|Acid Armor|Haze|Dark Pulse|Trick

Vergil the Gallade (M) - 100%
Ability: Steadfast
Nature: Hardy
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Will-O-Wisp|Thunder Wave|Drain Punch|Bulldoze|Shadow Sneak|Ice Punch|Fire Punch

 

@MuddyMudkip; Bring 'em on!!

TP#13

Elisa was on board with the idea, and soon Haji went to work, using the last traces of his Sunny Day technique combined with his Fire-type Hidden Power. He released the orbs in a whoosh, and they crashed over the poison, igniting it. Black tendrils of smoke rolled off the piles as they were burnt up. The flames grew as they found material to burn, and soon the fire was crackling nicely, sort of like the campsites they made when she was still taking Ranger courses.

Soon the poison was just black scorch marks on the ground. Ivy didn't mind too much about that, since a few residue marks weren't going to hurt anyone. Besides, the rest of the Plant had damaged walls, floors, and ceilings already. This was considerably less hazardous.

“Alright, let's go,” Elisa said once they were all done.

Ivy followed her down the hallway. When they turned around the junction, there was another patch of sticky ooze on the walls. “Well, I don't think the earlier Sludge Wave could've made it this far,” she joked, recognizing the Pokemon. Ivy smiled. “Interested in a Ditto?”

The woman shook her head as the glob pulled itself from its stuck position and slid to the floor eerily. Ivy saw Vergil shudder a little out of the corner of her eye. She didn't blame him—Ditto freaked her out a little bit too.

“No thanks,” she said. “I think we'll pass on this one. I've got a doll if it happens to be stubborn.”

 

@WinterVines;

NBP#8

"No thanks. I think we'll pass on this one," Ivy replied, shaking her head. She pulled out another pink toy from her vest pocket. "I've got a doll if it happens to be stubborn."

It stretched its flexible body, making sure to encompass both sides of the corridor, as though it wasn't allowing us to pass through. Vergil seemed to shudder at the creature's closeness, but chose to hide how much it irked him by glaring down at it as stubbornly as ever.

Upon tossing the Pokedoll over to the Normal-type, its body suddenly shifted back into it usual shape - a smaller purple blob that we could easily slide past. Make-shift glob arms reached out to catch the plush toy, and with that, we were off once again.

At this point, it was safe to say that our eyes had pretty much adjusted to the darkness as best they could, rendering us that much more useful in the dark - we weren't quite feeling our way around the place anymore, though we were stll being extremely cautious about how we moved about, of course. I was always grateful for the occassional flickering lightbulbs, scattered sporadically around the Plant. Despite their scarcity, they were still very much helpful in the pitch-blackness.

So, when the lightbulbs above us abruptly sparked to life, the flare caught us off-guard, blinding us before we could even react - before our arms could even shoot up to our face to shield us from the gleam. The sudden flood of light caused my vision to blur with dancing spots; it felt as though the bursting glare could just burn me to ashes after being in the dark for such a long time. I almost stumbled, barely regaining my balance before tripping on my own feet from the dizziness that had occurred from the unexpected flash of light. My palms came up to rub my eyes viciously, trying to get the blotches out of my line of vision.

It was only after a few, torturously long minutes later that my blue pupils could finally gaze around the area once again, quickly pin-pointing the entity who had caused all this trouble. A primarily pink-colored Pokemon stood on its hind legs at the far side of the corridor; and the blue sphere at the end of its ominously-swinging black-and-pink-striped tail crackled with dangerous sparks of electricity. Remnants of wool seemed to be situated on its head and around its collar, just above its two, small, stubby arms. A single-clawed toe on both of its feet seemed to glint under the light as it hopped around the place.

"How about a Flaaffy?" I asked the Elite Ranger, wondering how her Pokemon had reacted to the burst of light.

Trainer Statistics:
Name: Ivy Frost
Location: The Abandoned Power Plant

Encounters Left: 13 [Endurance Run]
Area Effects:
Pokemon Encountered: Electrike (F, Hasty)|Zubat (?, ???)|Electrode (?, ???)|Electrode (?, ???)|Koffing (M, Bashful)|Ditto (?, ???)
Current Encounter: Flaaffy (?, ???)
Pokemon Captured: Electrike (F, Hasty)|Koffing (M, Bashful)

Total Items: Two Parkballs|Two Superballs|Two Hyperballs|Five Super Potions|Two Full Heals|Two Max Revives|Two Red Apricorns|One Blue Apricorn|Digital Camera|Apricorn Box|Two White Apricorns|One Black Apricorn
MCR: 0/15000 [Borderline]

Pokemon Stats

Haji the Espeon (M) - 88%
Ability: Magic Bounce
Nature: Calm
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Hidden Power [Fire]|Grass Knot|Shadow Ball|Skill Swap|Sunny Day|Calm Mind|Reflect|Light Screen|Substitute|Protect|Psyshock|Heal Bell|Stored Power|Signal Beam|Growth|Trick|Wish|Yawn

Candle the Chandelure (F) - 83%
Ability: Flash Fire
Nature: Brave
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Flame Charge|Calm Mind|Hidden Power [Electric]|Flamethrower|Energy Ball|Taunt|Protect|Psychic|Substitute|Psych Up|Fire Blast|Toxic|Trick Room|Clear Smog|Acid Armor|Haze|Dark Pulse|Trick

Vergil the Gallade (M) - 100%
Ability: Steadfast
Nature: Hardy
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Will-O-Wisp|Thunder Wave|Drain Punch|Bulldoze|Shadow Sneak|Ice Punch|Fire Punch

 

@MuddyMudkip; 8,900 – 500 = 8,400

TP#14

The Ditto ended up being stubborn. Ivy tossed a Pokedoll in its direction in order to appease it. She didn't really want to battle it—not only because she was a Ranger and didn't like hurting the wild Pokemon unnecessarily, but also because Ditto tended to copy their opponents exactly. A mirror match with any of her Pokemon wouldn't be a very good idea.

They continued again, and as they traveled, the area got darker and darker. A lot of lights in the Plant where out, since the power supply had been cut off long ago. The remnants of lights were from old machines with a little bit of electric current still left in them or of Pokemon techniques activating them. Most other places were dark unless there was a hole in the walls letting in sunlight.

As they went down the corridors, it grew even blacker, making it hard to see at first. It didn't take long to get used to, thankfully, since she didn't want to run into anything. She had gone out with Haxbat, her Crobat, many times like this, in order to practice stealth techniques. Learning to see in the dark was one of them, although she could admit that she was a little out of practice. Working so much hadn't left her much time to work with her own Pokemon.

Suddenly, the light bulbs on the ceiling flickered to life, illuminating the entire area with a blast of blinding energy. Ivy's eyes snapped closed painfully, and she caught a glimpse of Elisa tripping as she did, stunned just as much as she was. The other Ranger jerked herself to a halt, and in doing so, collided with the Gallade behind her.

Vergil stumbled into her, calling out a noise of protest, bothered both by the collision and the brightness. Ivy felt the flicker of Haji reacting to the light as well, although he was able to settle a lot easier. Thanks to his Psychic typing, he could close his eyes and still 'see' since he could hone in on energy signatures. Vergil could too to some extent, but because he was more of a physically-based Pokemon, he wasn't as good at it. Not that Ivy would ever say that to his face.

Ivy shielded her eyes with a covered arm as she sought out the source of the light. Things like that didn't just happen out of nowhere—not in a place like this. It didn't take long to locate the Pokemon on the other side of the hall. It was a pink sheep with tufts of puffy white wool on its head and neck. Small sparks were coming from the blue orb on its tail.

“How about a Flaaffy?” Elisa asked.

Ivy shook her head. “That's alright. Was that really necessary?” she asked the sheep Pokemon then, still squinting. “We can use a doll if needed. Maybe that would help make sure it doesn't surprise any more Trainers in here.”

 

@WinterVines; And just when I thought my dice were starting to behave, they decided to troll and roll a 21 for the apricorn. :/

NBP#9

I could make out, despite the remaining spots in my eyes, the Elite Ranger shaking her head in declination. Turning to the wild entity, she asked, "Was that really necessary?" As much as I loved Pokemon and nature in itself, I agreed that the sudden flood of light was rather uncalled for, and irritating at some level. And surprising trainers in a place like this was dangerous, what with the building having a high risk of collapsing any moment.

The Electric-type seemed to understand the slight reprimanding tone in Ivy's words, though. It backed away with its head hanging down in embarrassment, shaking its head slowly and letting out a solemn cry of apology. I couldn't help but smile - now this was the kind of Pokemon who knew its place, who knew its boundaries, who knew when too much was too much. This Flaaffy earned my respect in the end. It seemed to dip its head respectfully once more, before turning around and scampering off into the darkness, launching itself from the floor and soaring through a hole in the wall that would have been too small for anything significantly larger than its size.

Continuing on, my eyes seemed to have adjusted to the illumination, the lightbulbs radiating with brilliance thanks to the Wool Pokemon. While they did make traversing across this long corridor a whole lot easier and less risky, I knew that we would have a hard time once we were enveloped in pitch-blackness again. Rounding a bend, we still had a light source, but that surely wouldn't last long. Delving deeper and deeper into the Plant, the bright rays could only come so far.

At one point, when we had delved into the darkness once more, I heard a clap of thunder coming from the outside. It was rather muffled, I'd say, by the walls of the building. Though, of course, the rumble was still mighty loud, the sound seeping in through the cracks in the run-down walls, penetrating the feeble cement. A thunderstorm was definitely brewing, and who knew how much longer 'til the rain would come pouring down. The Power Plant's zone was frequented by thunderstorms, which wasn't unexpected at all, considering the vast number of Electric-types that inhabited the area. All this made me wonder if a Pokemon was responsible for the storm - after all, a good number of Electric-types were, indeed, known for their connections to thunder and lightning and rain and electric currents and whatnot (rambling here).

It didn't surprise me when the next creature we bumped into was the kind known for tending to play out in the middle of thunderstorms. It was yellow and round-bodied with black stripes and accentuations. Three claws sported out from its bulky arms, while two horns shaped like the prongs of a plug sat atop its head. I could make out some sort of black lightning bolt marking on its chest, faintly remembering how Bolt, my Electivire, had looked like back when he was in his most basic form. The walking - or, at this point, sitting - power plug seemed to be happily feasting on tendrils of electricity crackling around it, charging up the electrical power from within him. The humidity in this area was no doubt fueled by the storm outside - I should've taken note of this earlier when Ivy had battle the Electrike - causing static electricity to generate around us, the currents even stronger now.

"Want an Elekid?" Beads of sweat started to break out on my neck and forehead as I turned to my fellow ranger. Funny, isn't it? How it can be stormy and extremely warm at the same time, but then again, that happens all the time anyway. It was something I was pretty much used to already, but the static in the air did not help one bit.

Trainer Statistics:
Name: Ivy Frost
Location: The Abandoned Power Plant

Encounters Left: 12 [Endurance Run]
Area Effects:
Pokemon Encountered: Electrike (F, Hasty)|Zubat (?, ???)|Electrode (?, ???)|Electrode (?, ???)|Koffing (M, Bashful)|Ditto (?, ???)|Flaaffy (?, ???)
Current Encounter: Elekid (?, ???)
Pokemon Captured: Electrike (F, Hasty)|Koffing (M, Bashful)

Total Items: Two Parkballs|Two Superballs|Two Hyperballs|Five Super Potions|Two Full Heals|Two Max Revives|Two Red Apricorns|One Blue Apricorn|Digital Camera|Apricorn Box|Two White Apricorns|One Black Apricorn
MCR: 0/4000 [Common]

Pokemon Stats

Haji the Espeon (M) - 88%
Ability: Magic Bounce
Nature: Calm
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Hidden Power [Fire]|Grass Knot|Shadow Ball|Skill Swap|Sunny Day|Calm Mind|Reflect|Light Screen|Substitute|Protect|Psyshock|Heal Bell|Stored Power|Signal Beam|Growth|Trick|Wish|Yawn

Candle the Chandelure (F) - 83%
Ability: Flash Fire
Nature: Brave
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Flame Charge|Calm Mind|Hidden Power [Electric]|Flamethrower|Energy Ball|Taunt|Protect|Psychic|Substitute|Psych Up|Fire Blast|Toxic|Trick Room|Clear Smog|Acid Armor|Haze|Dark Pulse|Trick

Vergil the Gallade (M) - 100%
Ability: Steadfast
Nature: Hardy
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Will-O-Wisp|Thunder Wave|Drain Punch|Bulldoze|Shadow Sneak|Ice Punch|Fire Punch

 

@MuddyMudkip; But at least I saved 500 on the doll! XD

TP#15

The Flaafy responded to Ivy's comment, hanging its head and bleating what sounded like an apologetic cry. Then, it turned and fled, darting through a hole in the wall that Ivy hadn't noticed before. It was way too small for them to follow, so it was a good thing she didn't want to capture it. Chasing after wild Pokemon wasn't very fun when there were a lot of obstacles.

The bulbs on the ceiling remained lit while they finished passing through it, but after that they descended into darkness once again since they were out of the sheep's affect range. It was easier to adjust to the impaired vision this time—at least it would be unless something else decided to flash light at them.

The dark reminded Ivy that it was humid. She pulled at her collar absently, trying to get a cool breeze. That had changed since they entered the Plant, which meant a storm was cooking up. Even now she could hear a low rumbling that was approaching. It would probably be over the place soon. If it held any rain, they might get soaked if they walked through a portion of the complex that had holes in the ceiling.

Then, there were tiny shocks that gave off a little light as they rounded another corner. A small Pokemon sat in the middle of them, seemingly happy. It was all bright yellow, and it's head and paws were shaped like electrical plugs. Seeing the Pokemon playing in the shocks reminded her that it was very possible a Pokemon was generating up the storm outside too.

“Want an Elekid?” Elisa asked.

Ivy shook her head. “That's okay. He looks pretty content playing there. Let's not disturb him if we can help it. I've got a doll for distraction.”

If something was causing the storm outside, she was sort of curious to see what it was. That and she wanted it to pass over or stop. It was warm enough without the added head. A little rain might be nice after all.

 

@WinterVines; Dice trolled and rolled 50, but at least you got an apricorn. ^_^;;

NBP#10

The deafening sound of thunder barraged through the Plant yet another time, echoing around us, seemingly louder than the last as it sent a tremble coursing through our limbs. This seemed to have jolted the wild creature out of its reverie; it turned its attention away from the yellow currents sparking around him, its gaze landing on us.

Curiosity shimmered in its eyes as it picked itself up from its sitting position. It regarded us with a wary gaze as well, but I could tell it wouldn't flee just like that. It seemed to be the brave and perhaps reckless type, always on the look-out for adventure and discovery.

It hobbled over to us, quick on its feet. Ivy pulled out yet another pink doll from one of her multiple pockets - I lost count of how many she had used up in just this trip alone - handing it over in the hopes that the Electric-type would lose interest in us. The plush toy seemed to work its charm on the Elekid; it gazed at the Pokedoll with wide eyes, seemingly entranced by it the same way any little kid would be.

We side-stepped the creature, quickly slipping away before it could return to staring curiously and questioningly at us. Passing the spot where the Electric Pokemon had been playing around in just a few moments ago, I noticed an orb of yellow coloration resting on the very same zone. I picked it up quickly then showed the apricorn to Ivy as we hurried along, away from the Elekid.

For a couple of minutes, we journeyed on without incident - not a single Pokemon in sight. I even checked a rather large hole in the wall - vast enough for all of us to fit through and cross to the other side - finding nothing but a mess of more twisting and curving hallways further inside the enormous Power Plant. They didn't seem to be in any better condition than the one we were traversing on at the current moment - they were just as old and rundown, just as dusty and without sufficient light source. I figured we were still pretty far from the center, where the actual electricity-generating machinery was situated.

"Well, there doesn't seem to be anything there," I muttered under my breath, rather disappointed. Encountering Pokemon of every shape and size was always fun, despite the stubbornness or hazardous qualities or behaviors of certain species. There was always something you could learn form these wild entities, one way or another, and I always looked forward to bumping into more and more specimens in spite of the risks and possible consequences that accompanied it.

I turned to Ivy. "Would you rather we continue down this hall, or hop on through this gaping hole?" It seemed that there were barely any Pokemon in sight either way, though.

Trainer Statistics:
Name: Ivy Frost
Location: The Abandoned Power Plant

Encounters Left: 12 [Endurance Run]
Area Effects: Gigantic hole in the wall, plus the usual dust and darkness
Pokemon Encountered: Electrike (F, Hasty)|Zubat (?, ???)|Electrode (?, ???)|Electrode (?, ???)|Koffing (M, Bashful)|Ditto (?, ???)|Flaaffy (?, ???)|Elekid (?, ???)
Current Encounter: [none]
Pokemon Captured: Electrike (F, Hasty)|Koffing (M, Bashful)

Total Items: Two Parkballs|Two Superballs|Two Hyperballs|Five Super Potions|Two Full Heals|Two Max Revives|Two Red Apricorns|One Blue Apricorn|Digital Camera|Apricorn Box|Two White Apricorns|One Black Apricorn|One Yellow Apricorn
MCR: 0/???

Pokemon Stats

Haji the Espeon (M) - 88%
Ability: Magic Bounce
Nature: Calm
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Hidden Power [Fire]|Grass Knot|Shadow Ball|Skill Swap|Sunny Day|Calm Mind|Reflect|Light Screen|Substitute|Protect|Psyshock|Heal Bell|Stored Power|Signal Beam|Growth|Trick|Wish|Yawn

Candle the Chandelure (F) - 83%
Ability: Flash Fire
Nature: Brave
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Flame Charge|Calm Mind|Hidden Power [Electric]|Flamethrower|Energy Ball|Taunt|Protect|Psychic|Substitute|Psych Up|Fire Blast|Toxic|Trick Room|Clear Smog|Acid Armor|Haze|Dark Pulse|Trick

Vergil the Gallade (M) - 100%
Ability: Steadfast
Nature: Hardy
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Will-O-Wisp|Thunder Wave|Drain Punch|Bulldoze|Shadow Sneak|Ice Punch|Fire Punch

 

@MuddyMudkip; At least I get an Apricorn XD Money for doll: 13,400 – 500 = 12,900

TP#16

Ivy had a bad feeling as the Elekid looked up at them. He had that glint in his eyes that said he could be spoiling for a fight. Vergil got that look sometimes.

As the Electric-type got up, she heard the Gallade take a step forward. She didn't need to look back at him to know that he was probably sporting a similar look. He took challenges seriously since he loved to test his strength. He used every opportunity to make himself stronger. But Ivy wasn't going to let him beat up on a baby Pokemon just because he was ticked off.

The Elekid neared, and before Vergil could act, Ivy pulled out another Pokedoll. She was still on the Clefairy-shaped ones, even though they did come in a couple different styles. They were ordered in bulk and she just hadn't bothered to pick from the different boxes. She just loaded up her pockets with the first box she opened. If she remembered, some of the others had Igglybuff and Pachirisu versions.

She handed over the doll, and the Elekid looked transfixed for a second as he reached out to grab it. There had to be some sort of aphrodisiac in the dolls to make wild Pokemon become so fascinated with them. She had never looked up to see what exactly it was, however.

Then, Elisa led them around the baby Pokemon. She did stop to pick up something, though. When she held it out, Ivy saw that it was a Yellow Apricorn—another one to add to her collection. She was definitely going to have to look into making some of those specialized balls. She had a starter kit at home, and combined with all of the acorns they had found on this run, she probably had enough for at least three Apriballs.

Then, they slipped past the wild Pokemon before he could cause a fuss. Those dolls worked like a charm. It was quiet after that. There were no random sparks and not sudden flashes of light. Their footsteps echoed hollowly off the empty walls. Vergil was still trudging stubbornly behind her, while she could barely hear Haji's steps next to her. He didn't seem bothered by the place at all.

The only real noise was the low rumbling of the storm gathering outside. It was probably almost overhead on the Plant now, although she wasn't a great judge of time when she wasn't able to see the sun. She couldn't hear if it had started to rain yet.

“Well, there doesn't seem to be anything here,” Elisa muttered. Ivy barely heard it and that was probably only because she had endured stealth training with Haxbat.

She was right, however. There were no more Pokemon either surprising them or being snuck up on. Everyone was gone, which was a little strange. Usually even something like a stray Voltorb could be found around every corner. Ivy knew there were a ranged amount of Poison, Steel, and Electric-types here in the Plant, but they hadn't run into very many. Where was everyone?

Elisa looked into the wall and seemed to study the giant hole there, analyzing it for safe passage probably. Then, she turned to the other woman. “Would you rather we continue down this hall or hop on through this gaping hole?” she asked.

Ivy thought about it for a second and smiled. “Why don't we take the more adventurous route? This hall doesn't seem to have anything right now, so going deeper into the Plant sounds kinda fun. Even if it's not, at least we can scope the whole place for any signs of disturbance. The poachers have been quiet for a while,” she said, absently rubbing her left wrist with her right hand. Not that she was complaining—she wanted the poachers to stay far away from here.

 

@WinterVines;

NBP#11

Ivy decided to try the more adventurous route, considering how the current corridor we were traversing on didn't seem to have any signs of life at all. "Going deeper into the Plant sounds kinda fun," she said. "Even if it's not, at least we can scope the whole place for any signs of disturbance. The poachers have been quiet for a while." I nodded firmly; I had to agree with that. The apparent scarcity of wild encounters bothered me, as though it was an ominous symbol that something was up... I didn't want to believe that the thieves were stirring up trouble again - nevertheless, it was always a good idea to check around the area and stay alert for any other signs of danger and fishiness.

We stepped through the hole, and then just like that, we were in yet another twisting and turning hallway of the complex. I had sortof expected something to happen - perhaps a trigger of some sort explaining just what was going on, if there were any disturbances at all. The tingling sensation coursing through my spine didn't fade away, though, and somehow I knew something was bound to happen.

The foreboding feeling swelling up inside of me seemed to grow with each step. Tellings of a thunderstorm did not help any, either. Every rumble of thunder sent another wave of trembles to zip through me. I wondered if any droplets of rain had tumbled down already outside. Just how safe were we in this abandoned building? We'd more likely than not get splattered with rain, but would the force of the liquid overcome the worn-down cement? Would the rubble erode from the strong slushes of water? I shivered yet again at the thought of this - the last thing I wanted right now was to get stuck here in the middle of a downpour.

A shrill cry snapped me out of my thoughts, my ears perking up and my eyes growing wide with alarm. The mourning sound blasted through my ears as I rushed towards the direction it was coming from with Ivy and her Pokemon. I wasn't too sure, but the wails seemed to be full of agony and longing more than anything. We sped across the complex, turning a couple of times, and I pretty much skidded around a corner in my haste, almost landing face-first on the cement floor as my shoes lost their grip. I made quick mental notes of the corridors we were running through and their intersections, in case we needed to find our way back later on.

We came to a sudden halt in front of a large bipedal entity blocking what was apparently the entrance to another part of the Abandoned Power Plant. My shoes squeaked against the floor, and I was thankful just then and there for the opposing motion of friction that had hindered my movements. The creature in front of us almost blended into the shadows with its gray coloration, as though nothing was there at all, but the bright and evident red dots on a black stripe that ran along what appeared to be its face convinced us otherwise. I guessed it was a black-colored stripe for it seemed to be the most well-camouflaged part of its body compared to the rest of its gray spherical upper-half. Three red triangles were situated on each of its black arms, right before its fingers.

Gazing up at the Iron Pokemon's massive figure, I sucked in a sharp breath. How rare was it to come this close to a legendary? My eyes glazed over with sheer awe and wonder, and I didn't dare move. I almost stopped breathing as well, but my mind still had enough sense to tell me to do otherwise - no use in suffocating myself while surrounded by dust and dirt, of course.

But then, confusion washed over me. The Registeel definitely wasn't the one weeping, but why was it seemingly guarding this door? There was obviously something of worth or interest in there, but what? And why would a legendary be protecting it? The bawling sound started up again, adding to my incomprehension of what exactly was going on. The howls were certainly coming from inside that door, right behind the Steel-type, but... It just didn't make sense to me - was I missing something?

"Wow... What a rare sight..." I finally managed to utter words once again. I had to voice out my most recent thoughts to the Elite Ranger, though. "The Pokemon crying is definitely in there, but Registeel must have some reason for guarding it in this way..."

Trainer Statistics:
Name: Ivy Frost
Location: The Abandoned Power Plant

Encounters Left: 11 [Endurance Run]
Area Effects:
Pokemon Encountered: Electrike (F, Hasty)|Zubat (?, ???)|Electrode (?, ???)|Electrode (?, ???)|Koffing (M, Bashful)|Ditto (?, ???)|Flaaffy (?, ???)|Elekid (?, ???)
Current Encounter: Registeel (?, ???)
Pokemon Captured: Electrike (F, Hasty)|Koffing (M, Bashful)

Total Items: Two Parkballs|Two Superballs|Two Hyperballs|Five Super Potions|Two Full Heals|Two Max Revives|Two Red Apricorns|One Blue Apricorn|Digital Camera|Apricorn Box|Two White Apricorns|One Black Apricorn|One Yellow Apricorn
MCR: 3530/??? [LEGENDARY]

Pokemon Stats

Haji the Espeon (M) - 88%
Ability: Magic Bounce
Nature: Calm
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Hidden Power [Fire]|Grass Knot|Shadow Ball|Skill Swap|Sunny Day|Calm Mind|Reflect|Light Screen|Substitute|Protect|Psyshock|Heal Bell|Stored Power|Signal Beam|Growth|Trick|Wish|Yawn

Candle the Chandelure (F) - 83%
Ability: Flash Fire
Nature: Brave
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Flame Charge|Calm Mind|Hidden Power [Electric]|Flamethrower|Energy Ball|Taunt|Protect|Psychic|Substitute|Psych Up|Fire Blast|Toxic|Trick Room|Clear Smog|Acid Armor|Haze|Dark Pulse|Trick

Vergil the Gallade (M) - 100%
Ability: Steadfast
Nature: Hardy
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Will-O-Wisp|Thunder Wave|Drain Punch|Bulldoze|Shadow Sneak|Ice Punch|Fire Punch

 

@MuddyMudkip; I had to get creative with my picture taking XD Me gusta what's happening!

TP#17

Talking about the poachers had sent a tingle of worry down her spine. It was sort of like seeing or hearing about bugs—after that you imagined them crawling on you. Ivy brushed her arms down on impulse to try and get rid of the feeling. Then again, she supposed that feeling could be real. After her encounter with the poachers in the Woods, she often lost feeling in her limbs because of the stun guns they used. It was entirely possible they were just acting up, like some people's bones and joints did when a storm was brewing.

Elisa climbed through the hole in the wall, and Ivy followed. She waited as Haji gracefully jumped through the gap like it was effortless and wished she was half as graceful. She didn't do too bad since she had a lot of practice traveling through rough terrain, but sometimes it would be nice.

Vergil didn't have much of a problem either, though his trailing foot caught the lip of the hole and he stumbled a few steps. Ivy had to turn away when he looked up and glared so that he wouldn't see her smile a little. She walked on without looking back at him because she knew that would just make him upset. He hated to appear less than perfect, and he often got indignant. She heard him continue walking behind, although he was stomping a little bit now, upset at himself for tripping. It was silly, but that was just Vergil's way. There was no getting around it.

More of the Plant complex expanded before them, leading them around curves and sharp corners, passing by deteriorated structures and empty, abandoned rooms. Some time, she wanted the Rangers to come in and at least clean the place up a little. She didn't think a lot of the wild Pokemon minded the rubble, but she did—especially when it came crashing down on someone or something. She remembered her first run in the Valley since the same thing had happened to her there. One of the caves collapsed because it hadn't been inspected lately. She didn't want to obstruct and change the habitat here so much, she just wanted to make it safer. There were more than just Electric-type Pokemon here, and the loose cables that were still active were dangerous to everyone else, people included. Its remote location was also a key spot for poachers. There had been a couple incidents before.

Ivy supposed that if her motion didn't go through, she could just start hauling debris out herself on off days or when they tried to bog her down with paperwork. It would give Vergil something to do so that he might stop being a pain—at least for a day.

The storm continued to grow beyond the walls, but Ivy couldn't tell how bad it was. They hadn't entered a room with any missing ceiling pieces yet, so she didn't know if it was raining. The cement was way too thick for her to hear the water splatter against it from so deep inside the Plant. All she knew was that it was getting louder, so either the storm was stagnant and they were nearing it, or they were happening to cross paths with it as it passed over. She wasn't sure which one she preferred.

They were quietly traveling down the empty hall when suddenly a shrill cry echoed down the corridor and flooded their ears. The group immediately picked up the pace and dashed around the next corner, drawn to the noise. The cry hadn't sounded pleasant, and they were both Rangers. It went without saying that if a Pokemon was hurt, they were going to help out.

Technically, if it was a natural event, they weren't supposed to help per rules, since the Park was meant to mimic real life. She didn't buy into that, however, since the whole place was artificial, and what was the point of protecting Pokemon if they weren't going to actually protect them? Especially from each other. They brought Trainers through here already, so a little more interaction definitely wouldn't hurt.

They all came to a sliding halt as a large gray entity loomed in front of them. Ivy had to grab part of the wall as she stopped so she would fully slow down; she saw that Elisa had almost tripped in her haste too. The hall had opened up into a half-room of sorts. It was probably twice the width of the hallway only, but she could see another hallway beyond. The problem was the Pokemon in front of it.

Ivy could only stare for a moment as she took in the Steel-type's massive size. A great sphere of slate gray was bisected by a line of smooth darkness, patterned with red dots that served as ever-watching eyes. Black-clawed limbs sported on either side of it too, giving it an ominous, guarding aura. Ivy backed up a little into the hallway to make sure they were all out of reach.

“Wow... What a rare sight,” Elisa managed to say after a few seconds of staring, and Ivy had to agree. Seeing a legendary Pokemon was considered a treat, since it didn't happen very often. Ivy had seen a few, but never one of the Regis. Its quiet, sturdy stance was unnerving her.

The only problem was that it didn't look hurt. It didn't look like it would make any noise at all. So what had made it? Was it guarding it? Or was it something more sinister? Legendary Pokemon were mostly neutral, but she had heard stories of some legendaries falling to darker persuasions for some purpose. Was this a collaboration of bringing justice upon something? Were they reacting to some sort of threat?

Immediately she thought poachers, and a sharp chill when through her. Then, Elisa said, “The Pokemon crying is definitely in there, but Registeel must have some reason for guarding it in this way...”

“You're right,” Ivy answered, trying to think. It was possible that the legendary was just protecting a hurt Pokemon. In that case, they had to get past it to see what was up. “I wonder how long this has been going on,” she mused.

Ivy reached for her phone and unclipped it from her belt, hitting the button to take her to the picture screen. “I'll buzz headquarters really quick to see if anyone else noticed it here,” she said, lining up a shot. She clicked the 'take picture' button and sent it to Claudia, one of the more mature secretaries at the main outpost. If anyone else had commented on it recently, they would have a note of it on file.

A few minutes later her phone buzzed with a reply. Ivy looked at the message, but it was a negative response. “It looks like nobody else has noticed this or its fairly recent. Nobody reported to the main outpost in a while. Looks like we're on our own. Not that that's new.”

Now they had to figure out how to get past the Registeel. Almost like he could read her mind, Vergil stepped up with intent. Ivy held her arm out in front of the Gallade as he approached, not wanting him to start a fight. A legendary Pokemon would be just the thing for him to test his strength, and she was having none of that, especially if another Pokemon was in trouble.

“There'll be time for fighting later, Vergil. We need to get past without violence. Someone could be trouble up ahead,” she said.

She expected him to get angry, and for a second his face flickered like he was going to, but to her surprise, he stepped back without comment. She wanted to tell him she appreciated the gesture of trying to solve their road block problem, but she was pretty sure he was only doing it for his own benefit. He always wanted to get stronger.

Instead, Ivy turned to the Registeel and attempted to talk to it. She didn't expect an answer, but stranger things had happened. Cobalion in Oktori had talked to her about stopping a Froslass that had been causing trouble all through the icy mountain. That had been a big shock too. If anything else, she wanted some sort of response so they could decide how to deal with the Regi.

“Can we go through?” she asked it. “Something sounds like it might be hurt on the other side, and we want to help. We're Park Rangers,” she added, as if that would help their case. She wasn't sure how aware the legendary Pokemon were of what they did. “Please,” she said.

 

@WinterVines;

NBP#12

"You're right," Ivy agreed. Her hand traveled to her belt, quickly snagging off her phone. She brought it up, making sure it was all lined up with the mythical creature in front of us. "I'll buzz headquarters really quick to see if anyone else noticed it here," she told me as she snapped a shot of the Registeel. I nodded - it was definitely in our best interest to figure out if any similar incidents had occurred recently before going any further.

It was only a few moments later that the Elite Ranger's phone beeped with a reply. The message Ivy relayed over to me from one of the secretaries was indeed disappointing. Apparently, no other circumstances of this sort had been encountered lately - no reports, no files, nothing. My heart hammered against my chest upon hearing this; I had to swallow hard, grit my teeth, and clench my fists to keep myself from shaking. We were, in a sense, alone on this mission - whatever it was.

I took this information in, setting my gaze back on the massive Steel-type. As I was seizing it up, trying to think of a way around the entity, Vergil took a firm step forward, as though he was just itching to battle the legendary. His eyes seemed to blaze with a vehement fervor in them as he flexed his muscles agitatedly in anticipation of a battle to test his strength. Ivy's hand shot out in front of him before he could attempt anything, though, her arm blocking his path and holding him back. The Blade Pokemon crossed his arms over his chest with a fierce and steely resolve, letting out an irritated humph while the fiery passion still danced in his pupils.

"There'll be a time for fighting later, Vergil. We need to get past without violence," Ivy said firmly, authority seeping in her tone. The Gallade could only grunt in reply, grumbling as he backed down, though he didn't seem to make any further comment after that.

The other ranger then attempted to converse with the Steel-type Regi. I hoped it would respond, one way or another, so we could figure out what exactly was going on and if we could do anything to help - or rather, if it would let us interfere at all. We couldn't just leave with the hurt Pokemon still wailing up ahead, without even fully knowing what the problem was, exactly. How were we, as rangers, supposed to fulfill our duties if we were being blocked out in this manner?

"We're Park Rangers," Ivy added after expressing our determination and willingness to help the crying creature.

We pleaded with the Registeel seemingly peering down at us calculatingly and thoughtfully. I couldn't bear the thought of having to turn away - just like that. The guilt would wash over me, sticking with me forever. I couldn't stand just sighing in defeat and retreating if someone was hurt - I would never live it down. I remembered why I had wanted to become a ranger in the first place - it was so I could connect more with Pokemon and watch over them best I could, making sure they were safe and content in their habitats. If we turned away now, it would defeat the whole purpose of even being a ranger.

Then, a low rumble echoed around us, a deep voice flooding my ears. It didn't sound humane, nor was it like any other Pokemon cry I had ever heard before... I thought I was just hallucinating. It wasn't quite there, not quite real; it sounded*like metal chipping against metal, clink, clink, clink as though chunks were flying everywhere. But they were forming words - words that I could actually comprehend.

I have seen the truth in your eyes, and I am trusting you to take care of this matter once I reveal it to you. I am placing my faith on you, and now resting upon your shoulders is a duty to fulfill. What you might see later on, once I step aside, may seem like a trivial thing - assuming you see anything at all. But while I may be made of firm steel, iron, and other alloys, my heart is pure and gold. I've come as a guard despite my legendary status, for in reality, I am just another concerned Pokemon protecting another specimen. The red dots on the Registeel's black body seemed to glow even stronger now, with a hearty warmth radiating off them. I fear the two won't be able to hold out on their own for much longer, but I had to make sure only the right kind of trainers would be allowed passage and permitted to interfere.

True to its word, the mythical entity pushed his gigantic body aside, giving us just the right amount of space to slip through. Hidden amongst the darkness seemed to be two creatures - one was definitely the weeping one and was smaller in size, while the other seemed to be talking a soothing and encouraging tone... Suddenly, another Pokemon surged out from the shadows, challenging the already-fragile entities. With a sudden flash of cyan-colored electricity, the smaller specimen was smacked to the other end of the place - further down the other corridor - a sharp yowl resonating around us. The second Pokemon let out a furious growl - one last hiss of protest and defiance before it fled in the direction of its comrade, the curtains of blackness shading them from view.

The levitating entity turned its attention to us, a mischievous glint twinkling in its unique blue eyes, which had dividing lines across them. Its body seemed to be made of plasma, though the Electric-Ghost-type took the shape of a lightning rod with electricity outlining its structure. It bared its teeth at us maniacally, looking even more battle-hungry than Ivy's Gallade had been earlier. Its growl came out hysterical and unrestrained, its body wobbling viciously as it laughed. My hands rubbed my arms from the sudden cold that had gripped my bones, all thanks to the crazy antics of this Plasma Pokemon.

"Looks like we're gonna have to go through that Rotom first," I told Ivy. I didn't think she would mind battling and attempting to capture it - if it did come to that - as its species were generally very powerful creatures indeed. "You up for it?"

Trainer Statistics:
Name: Ivy Frost
Location: The Abandoned Power Plant

Encounters Left: 10 [Endurance Run]
Area Effects:
Pokemon Encountered: Electrike (F, Hasty)|Zubat (?, ???)|Electrode (?, ???)|Electrode (?, ???)|Koffing (M, Bashful)|Ditto (?, ???)|Flaaffy (?, ???)|Elekid (?, ???)|Registeel (?, ???)
Current Encounter: Rotom (?, ???)
Pokemon Captured: Electrike (F, Hasty)|Koffing (M, Bashful)

Total Items: Two Parkballs|Two Superballs|Two Hyperballs|Five Super Potions|Two Full Heals|Two Max Revives|Two Red Apricorns|One Blue Apricorn|Digital Camera|Apricorn Box|Two White Apricorns|One Black Apricorn|One Yellow Apricorn|One Legendary Picture [Registeel]
MCR: 11629/35000 [Rare]

Pokemon Stats

Haji the Espeon (M) - 88%
Ability: Magic Bounce
Nature: Calm
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Hidden Power [Fire]|Grass Knot|Shadow Ball|Skill Swap|Sunny Day|Calm Mind|Reflect|Light Screen|Substitute|Protect|Psyshock|Heal Bell|Stored Power|Signal Beam|Growth|Trick|Wish|Yawn

Candle the Chandelure (F) - 83%
Ability: Flash Fire
Nature: Brave
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Flame Charge|Calm Mind|Hidden Power [Electric]|Flamethrower|Energy Ball|Taunt|Protect|Psychic|Substitute|Psych Up|Fire Blast|Toxic|Trick Room|Clear Smog|Acid Armor|Haze|Dark Pulse|Trick

Vergil the Gallade (M) - 100%
Ability: Steadfast
Nature: Hardy
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Will-O-Wisp|Thunder Wave|Drain Punch|Bulldoze|Shadow Sneak|Ice Punch|Fire Punch

 

@MuddyMudkip; Yaaaaay! That is most definitely not a mart.

TP#18

For all intents and purposes, the Registeel didn't seem to move. Ivy throught she saw the red of its eyes flicker but she couldn't be sure. She waited for their words to sink in, wondering if they would even make a difference. Just because they were Park Rangers didn't mean anything really—sure, they had a job, but not all Rangers upheld that duty. She unfortunately had had to help arrest some corrupt ones that were using their position unjustly.

Ivy couldn't make out what was behind the legendary, so she didn't know if something was hurt for sure. Either way, they couldn't risk it. They had to get around the Steel-type, even if that meant a battle. There was silence for a few minutes longer, and Ivy thought that they were going to have to fight after all.

Then, there was a rumbling in the room. It was more like a wobb in the air, sort of like a dupstep song. It wasn't physically shaking the room, but the noise was there. Some sort of energy in the area changed, but she wasn't sure what it was. Did the others hear it?

“The Registeel is speaking,” Haji said against her mind, soothing her worries with his voice. Immediately, she relaxed a little. By deduction, since it wasn't talking to her, it must be talking to Elisa.

They could only wait as the Ranger received whatever message the legendary Pokemon was trying to give. Ivy looked over to the other woman to see that her eyes had gone distant—she suspected that she looked much the same when she was having in-depth conversations with Haji mind-to-mind. The rumbling noise stopped then, and the large Steel-type began to move.

It inched to the side bit by bit until there was about three feet of space to slip by. They went through without a word. Ivy had to look back and give Vergil the look just to make sure he didn't try anything passive-aggressive as they passed. She didn't want him to start trouble just when the Registeel was cooperating with them.

They trailed down another hall that was cloaked in darkness, and soon Ivy could make out the form of two Pokemon up ahead. “Oh, there it is,” she exclaimed on seeing one that was crying. That must've been the one they heard earlier. There was another Pokemon trying to console it, too. She wondered what had happened.

Then, the shadows around the two moved, and an electric blue bolt came flashing out of the murk, striking the small, weeping one. It cried out as it was sizzled, getting knocked back. Its protector let out a ferocious growl, but it didn't attack. Instead, it fled down the hall further to join its partner. Ivy didn't recognize the calls since the hallway was echoing them too much to be clear. She wondered what they were. Whatever the case, they needed to help.

The creature in the shadows revealed itself then, coming out of the darkness so its form was visible. It was sort of shaped like a cone, with blue energy coated around it like bolts of lightning. Its limbs were made of that. It hovered above the ground too, bobbing eerily just like Candle did. It was a Rotom.

That impish look in its vivid blue eyes said that it enjoyed its actions. Suddenly it grinned, and its sharp teeth looked even more threatening. It was almost like the way Vergil looked sometimes, when he was spoiling for a fight. The ghost growled then, and it was a crazy, maniacal one that turned into laughter that echoed throughout the area.

Ivy knew then, that they weren't going to be able to get around it without a fight. It wouldn't let them pass in peace. Not after what it had done to the other wild Pokemon. It was too aggressive.

“Looks like we're gonna have to go through that Rotom first,” Elisa said, echoing her thoughts. “You up for it?”

“Yeah,” she answered, starting to think furiously. She needed to figure out how they were going to take down this Pokemon.

There was a chance that this Pokemon wouldn't be like this once it left the National Park. Sometimes wild Pokemon had quirks that were brought upon by the situation they were in, like bad memories. Some of these creatures had been abandoned by Trainers too, which affected their temperament. Vergil wasn't a very good example because he had stayed unpleasant throughout their experience together, but her Volcarona at home had started out very quiet and blossomed into a Pokemon that was very satisfied with herself after spending some time with them.

She didn't believe that Pokemon needed to be 'fixed' per se, since Pokemon were just like people and had strange personalities too, but if there was something deeply hurting this one, she'd like to help it out.

She knew they were powerful battlers too. Rotom were almost the top-sought Pokemon on the mainland, mostly because of their versatility in battle. They could possess different objects and take on their forms, using them as armor to fight. That power wasn't what interested her, however. Ivy didn't battle much, although that was starting to change. She wasn't just going to push off the problem Pokemon onto someone else in a trade either, even though she knew many people would gladly take it.

Beyond aiding it, there was another, hidden reason Ivy was interested in catching this Pokemon.

“This is the Pokemon Elena mentioned?” Haji asked her silently. Ivy nodded. “I can see your concern. If many indeed have this temperament, it could seriously have an affect on others,” he commented vaguely.

That was mirroring her thoughts pretty exactly. Elena, a friend of hers that was involved in taking out a criminal organization ring related to some poachers she had encountered, reported about a lot of the other people involved in their plight. Ivy had gotten semi-involved too, since the League the others fought hurt Pokemon, and that went against her creed. She was only half-way invested however, because she was restricted by the same station that spurred her into supporting them.

They were a small group of good people, no matter what way Ivy looked at it, so she couldn't not help them with their mission. Elena had brought up wanting to study a Rotom because of some of the experiments they read the League had performed. When Ivy had heard about them, she almost couldn't believe it. That was, until she saw the pictures.

This League was attempting gene splicing between Pokemon and people, and it was working.

Elena had come into the Park sort of looking for a Milotic, and when Ivy had asked why, she showed her pictures. A girl with a human half had sported the sea snake's pink and blue-colored tail, seamlessly blended into one creature. Glenne, another member of their resistance group, had reported that the drive for genetic engineering was brought about by wanting to save one of their leaders from cancer. They were attempting to take positive aspects from a Pokemon's body and inject them into human ones, ending up with the hybrids like the Milotic girl Ivy had seen pictures of.

The only problem with their method is that one subject or the other was usually destroyed, since their techniques weren't perfected and polished. Their rashness was ending more lives than saving them. Among all other reasons, that was definitely one reason to stop them.

At first the group hadn't really focused on this aspect—they had just worried about finding labs and shutting them down—by destruction if necessary. Ivy had helped make an arrest at one of these herself. However, the League had eventually captured one of their group and apparently experimented on him.

The target had been someone Ivy had never met, only heard stories about. He had been Kyra's partner while they were in another organization, the person most knew as the woman in black. Ivy had never seen the stoic and refined woman so broken, and that had driven her enough to take a run to the Plant to investigate this issue for herself. While the black-dressed woman hadn't really outwardly shown it, Ivy could tell defeat when she saw it, and she couldn't just let them give up because of one set back. Besides, helping them fight helped Ivy remember to fight her own battles too.

The partner's fusion had been with a Rotom, and if they had any chance of reversing the effects, they had to understand how the base Pokemon worked. Even if they couldn't change it, the Pokemon's behavior would help the man understand how his new body worked. Ivy wanted to do anything she could.

The first step was deciding who was going to fight. Rotom was a Ghost-type while in this form, allowing it to possess objects easier. The problem was that all of her Pokemon were weak to that type, being Psychic and Ghost-typed themselves. It was going to make battling difficult. They would have to be tricky.

Ivy knew the Rotom would be double so, too. It was fast, and it could disappear and reappear at will. She remembered taking another Trainer through the plant who fought a Rotom. It had done tricky maneuvers like that, changing forms at will since they had met it in an old storage room. It didn't appear that there was anything useful in this half-room at least, so that was one worry she could probably check off the list.

“I can fight,” Haji offered, seeing all her thoughts at once thanks to their psychic bond.

Ivy mentally shook her head. “As much as I know you could handle it, we both know who really has to fight here,” she answered.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Vergil had become more serious, if that was possible. He had locked his gaze on the ghost, his arms tense at his sides. His feet were planted in a shoulder-width stance, a sturdy position meant for fighting.

“If I don't let him fight now, that could be it.” If she prevented him from fighting at this instant, it would break whatever small shred of relationship they had left, and she would probably never get through to him ever again. It was one thing to make him wait fairly, it was quite another to block him entirely. “How is he doing?” she asked silently, unable to connect with Vergil the same way she did with Haji.

“He is focused. He is angry. But he will fight,” he said.

As much as she didn't want the Gallade to fight when he was angry, they didn't have much of a choice. Besides, he was the only one who hadn't fought today. He would be fresh, if not unruly. With any luck, she could get him to cooperate. There was a slim chance of that, at least, since he became super concentrated when he battled. That's the only reason she managed to finish the Easter Event with him.

“Vergil,” she said without turning around. She saw him glance in her direction. “Now is the time for fighting.”

She didn't have to ask the question because he was already ready. He grinned then, not crazy like the Rotom, but satisfied all the same. Getting closer, he gave the ghost a flat look, flexing his arms to loosen them up. Ivy analyzed the Rotom too, trying to decide the best way to go about the battle. The half room they were in offered few places of cover unless one counted the shadows. And she did.

Vergil liked to incorporate his surroundings into his battle style, so she wanted to capitalize on it. Luckily, he knew a technique that would let him.

“I don't care how confident you are, Vergil—don't underestimate this one. It's coveted for a reason, and I have a feeling we're in store for many tricks yet.” At her words, he scoffed halfheartedly, though she did notice he was still listening. “The first order of business is using a Bulldoze technique. The room is decently narrow, so you should be able to direct the move in the Rotom's direction easily enough. It probably wont hit, but it can be used to distract it,” she added in a low voice, not knowing how far the ghost could hear.

Since it levitated even more so than her Chandelure, it could evade most, if not all, Ground-type attacks. However, if Vergil was able to move the wave of dirt high enough as it rolled, the ghost would have to levitate even higher to avoid getting touched by the technique, which was what she was hoping for. She just needed it to focus on something else while Vergil executed another technique.

“Then, melt into the shadows with Shadow Sneak. There's enough of them around for you to disappear completely. When you get a good opening, rush in to attack, and see if you can paralyze it with a Thunder Wave. If we can slow it down, you'll be able to fight easier.”

The Gallade nodded and focused, seemingly on board with the plan, which was a big relief for her. In the Easter Event, he had ran off to attack on his own without thinking, and it had cost them a little bit. Now, in an environment she could control better, she had higher hopes. If something went wrong, she could always try to call him back and let someone else fight, though there was no telling if he would be able to break out of his Park Ball if he was recalled against his will.

His Shadow Sneak was probably not going to do too much damage, but it would allow him to hide for a few seconds to get close to the Rotom. He was a better close-range fighter, being Physically based. However, a lot of his strategies would be rendered ineffective by this foe, since it could go invisible and make some moves phase right through him.

As Vergil tensed to stomp the earth for his Bulldoze, she could only hope that something worked. Vergil would have to take a little bit of backlash, but hopefully not too much. Most likely he would just take it as a test of his strength.

 

@WinterVines;

BP#1

Ivy took up the offer of battling the wild entity, then began to converse with her Espeon telepathically. Her eyes became a bit distant, somewhat blankly gazing at Haji. The Gallade beside her was all tensed up in a fighting stance, looking just about as vigorous as the Rotom, though perhaps not as maniacal. He seemed to be a serious fighter - eager for battle, yes, but not insane. The Plasma Pokemon, on the other hand, did look pretty crazy right about now with the vicious glint ever-present in its eyes.

"Vergil." Ivy straightened up as she paused from talking with the Eeveelution. The Blade Pokemon glanced in her direction questioningly, expecting something. "Now is the time for fighting."

His eyes brightened up upon hearing this as he grinned in satisfaction. He took a few measured steps forward, gazing at the opponent with calculating eyes. He set his jaw firmly and flatly, his expression unreadable. Only one thing was clear - this was the perfect opportunity for him to test his strength, and he was not one to waste openings like this.

“I don't care how confident you are, Vergil—don't underestimate this one," the Elite Ranger warned her partner, who only snickered in reply with a roll of his eyes. Still, he chose to listen to his trainer's next words, which was a lucky break for Ivy. It seemed she was used to his stubbornness, though, which probably explained why she seemed to know just how to handle the Gallade.

After calling out all her commands for the moment, the Psychic-Fighting-type began to stomp his feet onto the ground as hard as he could, generating tremors that sent the Plant (not to mention Ivy, Haji, and me) shaking. To speed up the process, he also began to hack away at the floor with his blade-like arms, attempting to cut through the cement to create a large enough crack to be able to control the soil underneath. Fortunately for him, the floor was run-down and the cement was feeble. A large hole had opened up, and from there, the Gallade willed the earth to rise. A wave of brown emerged from underneath, flooding through the opening and heading for the Electric-Ghost-type.

The mucky sludge continued to climb, forcing the Pokemon to hover even higher. One could clearly see the fear threatening to creep into its mischievous eyes as it attempted to evade the slushes of dirt. If there was one thing the Rotom was afraid of, it was having to deal with Ground-type assaults, which could definitely pack a punch and deal a significant amount of damage to its health, when it normally wouldn't have to worry about these types of attacks. Still, it seemed to be enjoying itself somewhat - it was all part of the battle, all part of the challenge, just what it was hoping for when it initiated battle with those two earlier creatures and with the Gallade and Ivy.

Taking advantage of the Plasma Pokemon's sudden worry and undivided attention on the continuously-rising soil, Vergil began to slip in and out of the pitch-black curtains surrounding us. He moved about stealthily, sometimes even seemingly becoming a dark blur himself in the blackness. A moment later, his shadow zoomed forward, taking the lead as they made their way towards the Rotom. The ghoul served as another distraction more than anything, complementing the already-disturbing wave of mud. Vergil found his way around the half-room, positioning himself a few feet away from the target, making sure he was well-hidden as he lurked behind the creature. The shadow raised its ghostly blades then slammed its arms down, jabbing opponent with a burst of dark purple energy. The assault, coupled with the wild entity's narrow-minded concentration on the murky sludge, generated the perfect scenario for the Blade Pokemon's next move, giving him the lee way he needed to catch the Plasma Pokemon off-guard and hopefully paralyze it.

The Gallade released a steady stream of blue electricity from his arms, the multiple erratic beams easily finding their target. The tendrils latched onto the Rotom's body, twirling around it like a rope tightly secured around a pole. They coiled around him as they sparked with tiny but obviously very powerful brilliant blue volts, growing tighter and tighter and never once loosening their grasp as if they were trying to suffocate the specimen. It had always been a wonder to me how Electric-types themselves could get inflicted with their own status condition, paralysis. Then again, if one would think long and hard about it, a large part of the assault usually depended on how tightly the electric currents were gripping the target - in most cases, at least. The charges seeped into the Rotom's bloodstream, threatening to conquer and control it. It let out a sharp shriek of pain as they electrocuted its plasma body, managing to break through the lightning surrounding the flimsy structure inside.

And when the electricity finally dissipated into thin air, the creature almost went limp but somehow managed to regain altitude just in the nick of time. It hovered around the battleground tentatively, as if trying to make sure all its parts were still intact and working, at least for the time being. Upon discovering that he was not a recipient of any fatal injuries or otherwise, the maniacal expression returned to its face as it stared Vergil down with much fervor.

Due to the glowing electricity surrounding it, I could distinguish just where the Rotom was and what it was doing - as long as it didn't decide to disappear within the shadowy curtains, of course. I watched as it hovered about ominously, swaying back and forth in the warm gusts flowing through the Power Plant. It seemed to be dancing as it floated around the area, controlling the blackness at will. The shadows twirled around it, sometimes hiding it completely from view, sometimes letting it dart in and out to add to the disappearing effect.

The void around the Gallade seemed to move around as well, giving him a slightly uneasy feeling as the darkness seemed to be closing in on him. He stubbornly held his ground, though, as if trying to convince himself that this was nothing more than a trick - something he, of all Pokemon, would not fall for. He wasn't afraid; anyone who thought otherwise was blatantly wrong.

Suddenly, the air around us seemed to grow cooler. The temperature hadn't dropped, but the wind billowing around me sent shivers coursing through my body, my flesh tingling from the abrupt coldness. The Blade Pokemon was no doubt experiencing the same change as the shadows continued to whirl around him in a dangerous fashion. A cyclone of purple gusts burst out from the dark curtains somewhere, pulsing against the Psychic-Fighting-type. They swirled around and around in a twister-like fashion, the dark shades mixed in with violet to complement their hostile, forbidding aura. They threw themselves against Ivy's Pokemon, pushing him to one side one moment, then to the opposite side the next as another breeze knocked him back. It was as though they were playing a game of tennis of sorts, where Vergil was the ball that the rackets (the wind) kept on slamming back and forth between them.

He let out an irritated growl - the last thing he wanted was to be made a fool of in this outrageously absurd manner. The opponent seemed to think this a funny sight, though, as its comical laughter echoed around us, only making the Gallade even more furious. What was he now - entertainment?!

As the Rotom continued on with its unruly behavior of rudely laughing about - though its movements were quite sluggish now, probably from the paralysis it had been induced with - it also chose this time to release its own bolt of blue Electric-type energy. Whether this was unintentional or not was beyond me - I thought it quite possible that the zig-zagging beam had only been unleashed due to the wild entity's uncontrolled laughing. Either way, the lightning found its mark pretty quickly, zipping through the small opening in between the gusts of air then zapping the Gallade with a jolt of blue. The electricity shocked him all the way to his core, sending charged volts of static to crackle all throughout his body. He did not let the pain show on his face, though, keeping his mouth set in a thin, straight and expressionless line as the attack ended. His jaw stayed firm and he did not utter a single grumble despite having his energy drained.

He seemed to steel himself for a moment, then attempted to push his way out of the vortex he was being held captive in. The dark purple breezes held their own against him, though, keeping him firmly secured in his place as they threatened to close in on him even more. Every now and then, we would see his head pop out from within the shadows as he tried to fight his way out of the hurricane.

Vergil allowed his stony gaze to rest on us, cold ire brewing up in his eyes. Something told me he would not tolerate this ridicule much longer, and that could spell doom for Ivy and her chances at winning this battle, as well as our chances at fulfilling our duties and going by what we stood for through helping out the hurt Pokemon.

BATTLE STATS:
Wild Rotom (GL, ???)
Health: 72%
Currently Using: [none]
Last Move Used: Ominous Wind+ThunderShock
Status: [PRZ]

..::VS::..

Vergil the Gallade (M, Hardy)
Health: 85%
Last Move Used: Bulldoze+Shadow Sneak+Thunder Wave
Status: [Trapped in a Purple Cyclone]​

Trainer Statistics:
Name: Ivy Frost
Location: The Abandoned Power Plant

Encounters Left: 10 [Endurance Run]
Area Effects:
Pokemon Encountered: Electrike (F, Hasty)|Zubat (?, ???)|Electrode (?, ???)|Electrode (?, ???)|Koffing (M, Bashful)|Ditto (?, ???)|Flaaffy (?, ???)|Elekid (?, ???)|Registeel (?, ???)
Current Encounter: Rotom (GL, ???)
Pokemon Captured: Electrike (F, Hasty)|Koffing (M, Bashful)

Total Items: Two Parkballs|Two Superballs|Two Hyperballs|Five Super Potions|Two Full Heals|Two Max Revives|Two Red Apricorns|One Blue Apricorn|Digital Camera|Apricorn Box|Two White Apricorns|One Black Apricorn|One Yellow Apricorn|One Legendary Picture [Registeel]
MCR: 25058/35000 [Rare]

Pokemon Stats

Haji the Espeon (M) - 88%
Ability: Magic Bounce
Nature: Calm
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Hidden Power [Fire]|Grass Knot|Shadow Ball|Skill Swap|Sunny Day|Calm Mind|Reflect|Light Screen|Substitute|Protect|Psyshock|Heal Bell|Stored Power|Signal Beam|Growth|Trick|Wish|Yawn

Candle the Chandelure (F) - 83%
Ability: Flash Fire
Nature: Brave
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Flame Charge|Calm Mind|Hidden Power [Electric]|Flamethrower|Energy Ball|Taunt|Protect|Psychic|Substitute|Psych Up|Fire Blast|Toxic|Trick Room|Clear Smog|Acid Armor|Haze|Dark Pulse|Trick

Vergil the Gallade (M) - 100%
Ability: Steadfast
Nature: Hardy
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Will-O-Wisp|Thunder Wave|Drain Punch|Bulldoze|Shadow Sneak|Ice Punch|Fire Punch
<Currently Engaged in Battle>

 

@MuddyMudkip; Osnap, put your thinking cap on, Winter. Haji POV gogogo!

TP#19

The murky whirlwind tingled the edge of Haji's senses. The ghastly energy didn't disrupt his abilities, however, unlike some aspects of Dark-type Pokemon. Instead, it just left him with that strange sensation, letting him distinguish energy types without seeing with his eyes.

It bothered him much less than it did the Gallade, who was radiating waves of frustrated energy that the Espeon could feel without even trying. The strange hurricane was fascinating if not treacherous, although Haji did not think he would panic if the two Psychic-types' positions were swapped.

Beside him, Ivy shivered, and she rubbed her arms mechanically without realizing it. She was honed in on the battle almost as intense as Vergil was. They really were more alike than different, and Haji thought maybe that was why they clashed so much. That and Vergil just had a bad temperament.

The Gallade growled his anger as the ghost laughed, its crazy voice echoing in the winds and wrapping around the move. The taunt would certainly enrage him further on some level, and Haji simply shook his head mentally at the fighters actions. That was one problem with youth.

As lightning flickered in the ghost cloud, Vergil held his ground and gritted his teeth stubbornly, obviously hurt but determined not to show it. The Espeon still had hope for him yet, though, if only he would stop being so pig-headed.

Vergil attempted to get out of the whirling winds, but the forces kept pushing him back, keeping him in decently close proximity to the ghost. He sent a glare backwards in their direction, challenging Ivy to do something. He hated to be humiliated.

She saw it, Haji knew. He felt the flicker of emotion skirt across his senses. She worried, like always, for their safety, but she was worried deeper still about her rocky relationship with the Gallade. Haji felt that underlying fear of failing him, and beneath that, her guilt.

The Espeon thought these things were unnecessary, but it was hard to convince her of that fact. Vergil was just being stubborn. He was young. He did not truly know what hardship was, what it was like to wonder if one would survive the night, or the next, or even in that moment. He did not know what it was like to really be trapped. Darkness and shadowed laughter haunted his memories and reminded him exactly what the Gallade did not know.

Vergil would eventually learn that he did not truly know, but it did not change how they were now.

The wind whipped around the room and howled, making it hard to hear anything other than the ghost's energy. Ivy called out to Vergil, but the fighter did not hear. She wouldn't be able to give him battle prompts as long as he was out there. He wouldn't connect with her mind-to-mind like Haji had.

“I don't think he heard me,” Ivy said to him telepathically. “That's gonna make this challenging. Can I ask you to convey my thoughts to him instead, Haji?” she asked.

The purple cat nodded, closing his eyes for a moment to listen better, even though they had very little impact on his senses. “I will try. Do you wish to call him back?”

The woman shook her head right away, sending her red hair falling over her shoulder, moved in part by the Ominous Wind. “He would never forgive me if I did that. That's not one of our options this time.”

She sighed, and Haji was close enough to hear it. “Do you see the pattern of the wind?” he asked her.

“Yeah, the wind is moving like a funnel, keeping Vergil trapped inside near the ghost. It takes a lot of energy to keep the wind spinning like that. I'm not sure if the Rotom is continuously giving it energy or not, but I would think it would peter out if it wasn't. I think if we can hit the ghost hard enough that it'll let go of the forces controlling the wind,” she said silently.

Haji nodded, approving of her deduction. He could not tell if the ghost was truly feeding energy into the vortex or if it was just strong enough to twirl on its own. The two energies were too similar for him to tell.

“Okay,” Ivy said. Her fists clenched at her sides, hiding her stress in the hard grip of the digits. “Tell that to Vergil, please. He should be able to use a Night Slash effectively in the whirlwind. The inky energy will blend in with the ghost's shadows and strike from the spinning wind. It'll be like using the Rotom's attack against it. He could probably do the same with a Will-o-Wisp too, since the flamed orbs would spin around just like spare debris.”

Haji watched her think for a minute, but she didn't add on to her plan. He could read from the thoughts she didn't verbally speak that she couldn't instruct any farther ahead until the wind was dealt with. The Espeon thought she was correct in assuming that once the ghost was injured, it would be distracted enough to stop the funnel.

He then connected his mind to the fighter's. It was almost like swimming through a thick fog that clung to his mind and tried to hold him back. Then, there was something more solid—a barrier that the Gallade had constructed to keep foreign people, including Ivy, out of his head. Vergil was not as powerful as he, however, and Haji easily broke through the steel-like barricade to touch minds.

The Gallade's emotions washed over him in a rush, but Haji kept his head and deflected them, like he was a rock in the middle of the river letting the water just flow around him and out of the way.

“Get out,” Vergil immediately said, as soon as they connected.

Haji let his amusement flood the temporary bond he had constructed between them—showing the fighter just what he thought of his emotional outbursts. Things would be so much easier if the Gallade just cooperated, he thought, creeping along the corridors of the other Psychic-type's mind without struggle. Haji could not be refused if he did not wish it.

“No, get out,” Vergil repeated, trying to force the Espeon to stop stalking through his head. His mental powers fluxed and ebbed as he pushed and pulled with willpower. Haji was unaffected.

“Instead of fighting me, you should focus on your foe. You cannot best me now,” Haji said plainly, just stating facts. “Ivy has requested that I relay this information to you.”

“I don't care,” Vergil said through their link, the huffing sound clearly audible as if he had made the gesture out loud. If he hadn't been locked in battle, he would've most likely folded his arms too. “I don't need her—”

“You will stop,” Haji said coldly, shoving a tremendous about of force along with his words. He cut the Gallade off mid-speech, making the fighter go silent abruptly. Haji couldn't make Vergil willingly change his ways, but he could stop him from running his mouth, silent or not. Like it or not, Vergil was indebted to Ivy, and Haji would not tolerate insults.

“There is much you do not know. But you will learn.”

Haji then showed Vergil his vision, the compilation of Ivy's plans and how he thought the battle would play out. It was much simpler than using words, since the impression would be understood immediately. A entire plan could be laid out in seconds.

The Espeon could see it too. The inky winds swirled around Vergil as the fighter held his stance in the vision. Then, he flicked his arms in a warrior's pose, intending to strike. Darkness coated his blades, staining them black with hazy energy. Then, he focused, and slashed out toward the whirling wind, feeding his own energy into the vortex. Inky tendrils spun around, waiting for the right moment to strike.

Vergil would be able to control these, Haji knew, since the energy was his own. When they had gathered strength and momentum from the winds, he could pull them in to strike the Rotom and hopefully end the attack.

Alternatively, Haji also foresaw a similar thing happening with the Will-o-Wisp technique. Vergil had been training for a close-range flame move, but letting the wisps float free would work all the same. The Espeon cleared the previous image and started again, similar to rewinding a tape and recording over it again.

This time, puffs of red and silver flames appeared around the Gallade, coaxed into the winds to be whirled around. Like the Night Slash, the flames would be called to the Rotom. A burning sensation in addition to the direct attack could draw its focus away from the winds and let them all breathe a little easier.

To make his point clear, Haji then overlaid the two scenarios, indicating that it would be wise to do both of them in fewer words. The Espeon knew Vergil understood from the change in his thoughts. While Vergil may have issues with all of them, he was truly interested in becoming stronger, and this was an opportunity to try a new technique that could prove useful for a later time.

As the Gallade focused, Haji withdrew from his mind and settled back into his own, content that Vergil would do as Ivy wished, if only because Haji made him.

 

@WinterVines;

^OMG, THIS PART! THIS PART.

BP#2

Ivy was struggling to get through to the Blade Pokemon - and not just because of attitude issues. The dark purple air was howling to its fullest, whipping against our flesh while also making it almost impossible to hear each other over the wind. The case was especially true for the Psychic-Fighting-type, where the breezes whipping around him were just that much stronger. The Elite Ranger's commands were drowned out by the gusts, making her unable to communicate with her partner - that potentially meant doom if Vergil would decide that he had had enough of this nonsense and choose to act on his own.

Turning to gaze at Haji, the woman had an expression of pure worry and some sort of exasperation written all over her face and evident in her heavy sigh. I figured she had decided to ask the Espeon for help, seeing as how she couldn't reach out to Vergil herself. A wave of telekinetic energy radiated off the two as they began to converse telephatically, most probably laying out a scheme in which the Gallade would be able to break out of the cyclone's grasps. This energy was very much like the type I would feel whenever I communicated with my own Blade Pokemon, Adrian. Of course, there were some individual differences in the radioactive signals, but I could feel a sort of tingling at the base of my skull, most likely due to being in such close proximity to Ivy and her Eeveelution. I couldn't tell what they were talking about, of course, but the intense waves spoke of a bond too tight to break, that sort of special connection that not a large number of trainers would have with their partners.

I peered at the Rotom, who was still slowly hovering around the area. Every now and then, a volt of blue would crackle around it, seemingly electrocuting its plasma body and making it pause with its movements. If this kept up for long, it would be likely that the creature would virtually be unable to evade the foe's attacks - something Ivy could definitely take advantage of. For the meantime, however, it appeared to be attempting to prepare something, though its energy-gathering process was evidently slowed down from the paralysis that had been inflicted onto it using the earlier Thunder Wave technique. At one point, it looked as though the Electric-Ghost-type had almost succeeded in releasing another attack as its body had started to glow with a stronger blue color. However, the glimmer had faded back to its normal shine just as quickly as it had come to be, resulting in an enraged expression to spread all over the entity's face. This was a lucky break for the Elite Ranger's side - while being unable to address the trapped Gallade, a mighty attack from the opponent could've been just the thing to turn the tables around, which was exactly the kind of trouble Ivy (and anyone else, really) would most likely not want to deal with.

I averted my attention back to Ivy and the Psychic-type, who appeared to be smiling in content, seemingly rather pleased with himself. I figured this could only mean one thing - he had managed to communicate with Vergil through a mindlink, and had probably knocked some sense into the temperamental fellow's brain.

I watched as the Psychic-Fighting-type's blades were coated with a hazy black energy, though I could only barely distinguish where his arms stopped and where the ominous tornado began for they both had a dim, murky shade, complementing the darkness of the half-room. The appendages seemed to extend to large sizes, coated with a dangerous aura as Vergil repositioned himself into a fighting stance, his feet digging into the cement as hard as they could so as not to be hurled about by the twister-like gusts. He then began to flail his arms around wildly, striking at the hurricane with all his might. His blades whirled around and around, countering the spinning motion of the vortex, as they poured their own type of energy into the funnel, contesting with the Ghost-type power the Rotom had been feeding it.

Dull, inky black pulses swirled against shadowy purple currents, melding with each other and at the same time battling for dominance. The wild creature's jaw dropped, eyes widening with sheer surprise at the cyclone's sudden change of energy component. Yes, it still had some amount of control over the winds, but so did the opponent now - it all came down to who was the stronger of the two of them. It pumped more of its power into the ghostly whirlpool while the Gallade's blades leaked it with Dark-type energy, staining the purpleness with its gloomy color.

Electricity crackled around the Plasma Pokemon, exhausting it while also effectively hindering it from moving as efficiently as before. With wild creature weakened and worn out, the once-thick and confining layers of gusts then started to thin out and widen, revealing more and more of the Blade Pokemon's figure.

I saw him grit his teeth, setting his jaw in a firm line, concentration dripping in his every feature. He would not quit - not now, not ever. This was his chance to prove himself, to prove his worth, to prove that he was the mightier battler. This was also an opportunity to test his strength, and to get even stronger. And he wasn't going to let openings like these just slip out of his grasp. He pushed the tornado away from him, forcing it to twist its way back over to its creator - the Electric-Ghost-type would have a taste of its own medicine, except that the assault's power would have been amplified now thanks to the Night Slash technique.

The mischievous glint in the opponent's eyes disappeared in a split-second as it realized that it was in really big trouble now. It knew it had lost this time; its might was not enough to best that of the Gallade. It braced itself for the impact for the status ailment it had been induced with was hindering it from moving one bit. The gusts billowed against it, knocking the wind right out of it and sweeping it away.

The Psychic-Fighting-type took this opportunity to execute his next move. Redish-silver kindling orbs circled him, dancing around him the same way indigo fireballs had revolved around Candle in the earlier battle with the Electrike. The flames licked the edges of the sphere keeping them contained, flickering with a scorching passion threatening to overwhelm the barrier that kept them confined.

Most of the ominous funnel had faded into thin air now after having barreled into the Rotom, who now laying broken on the cement floor, breathing heavily as the paralysis fought to keep it down. It managed to overcome its compromising condition, pushing itself back up into the air. It appeared extremely exhausted, though, its movements seemingly having little life in them. Still, it would not just back down easily. Taking advantage of the fact that it could keep its status ailment in check, it began to shimmer with new-found energy. Its blue outer coat of electricity brightened, almost completely engulfing the entity with its brilliance, crackling tendrils zipping their way throughout the thick layer of lightning. With a mighty heave, the Plasma Pokemon unleashed a massive blast of electrical energy towards the foe. It took the shape of a wave - much like the Water-type attack, Surf - as it zoomed across the battleground.

Vergil released his own attack, firing off the embers just in the nick of time. The blazes were launched in a direction opposite that of the Charge Beam, though they did not collide with each other. While the former aimed low and straight for the barely levitating entity, the latter curved into a high arch about to come tumbling down onto its target. The sludge of blue crashed into the Gallade, sending shock waves coursing throughout his body. He was enveloped in a similar cyan hue as the volts electrocuted him, jolting him as many times as possible. The fiery spheres, meanwhile, had also found their mark, ramming into the Electric-Ghost-type with their searing touch. They left a trail of burn marks everywhere they went, charring the opponent and leaving it feeling even more feeble with exhaustion.

Still, the Rotom persevered. The twinkle in its eyes returned, speaking of a vigorous enthusiasm for battle even if it was at quite a bit of a disadvantage already. It generated an orb of the same dark purple energy, letting it grow in front of its body. It seemed to be growing at a drastically slower rate, though, compared to the other Shadow Ball assaults I had seen before. The creature seemed to be reserving some of its strength for later, the blue electricity surrounding its plasma body sparking with power... When it deemed the sphere large enough, it hurled its body forward, sending the ball soaring through the air. Then, just as the orb was released, another tactic of similar nature took its place. This time, it was radiating a bright yellow color - no doubt another Electric-typed attack. This second sphere grew at a much faster rate, which explained the snail-like speed of the earlier technique. Almost as quickly as it had appeared, the crackling golden ball was launched with a whole lot more force, following the ominous-looking orb and attempting to catch up to it with its somewhat higher velocity.

The wild creature was rather worn out now, but if Ivy would decide to attempt a capture, she'd have to deal with the two spheres first.

BATTLE STATS:
Wild Rotom (GL, ???)
Health: 45%
Currently Using: Shadow Ball+Electro Ball
Last Move Used: Charge Beam
Status: [PRZ][BRN]

..::VS::..

Vergil the Gallade (M, Hardy)
Health: 76%
Last Move Used: Night Slash+Will-o-Wisp
Status: [none]​

Trainer Statistics:
Name: Ivy Frost
Location: The Abandoned Power Plant

Encounters Left: 10 [Endurance Run]
Area Effects:
Pokemon Encountered: Electrike (F, Hasty)|Zubat (?, ???)|Electrode (?, ???)|Electrode (?, ???)|Koffing (M, Bashful)|Ditto (?, ???)|Flaaffy (?, ???)|Elekid (?, ???)|Registeel (?, ???)
Current Encounter: Rotom (GL, ???)
Pokemon Captured: Electrike (F, Hasty)|Koffing (M, Bashful)

Total Items: Two Parkballs|Two Superballs|Two Hyperballs|Five Super Potions|Two Full Heals|Two Max Revives|Two Red Apricorns|One Blue Apricorn|Digital Camera|Apricorn Box|Two White Apricorns|One Black Apricorn|One Yellow Apricorn|One Legendary Picture [Registeel]
MCR: 33961/35000 [Rare]

Pokemon Stats

Haji the Espeon (M) - 88%
Ability: Magic Bounce
Nature: Calm
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Hidden Power [Fire]|Grass Knot|Shadow Ball|Skill Swap|Sunny Day|Calm Mind|Reflect|Light Screen|Substitute|Protect|Psyshock|Heal Bell|Stored Power|Signal Beam|Growth|Trick|Wish|Yawn

Candle the Chandelure (F) - 83%
Ability: Flash Fire
Nature: Brave
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Flame Charge|Calm Mind|Hidden Power [Electric]|Flamethrower|Energy Ball|Taunt|Protect|Psychic|Substitute|Psych Up|Fire Blast|Toxic|Trick Room|Clear Smog|Acid Armor|Haze|Dark Pulse|Trick

Vergil the Gallade (M) - 76%
Ability: Steadfast
Nature: Hardy
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Will-O-Wisp|Thunder Wave|Drain Punch|Bulldoze|Shadow Sneak|Ice Punch|Fire Punch
<Currently Engaged in Battle>

 

@MuddyMudkip; One day I will go into Haji's backstory XD Going to try this move a little differently. Let's see how it goes!

TP#20

The winds increased in velocity as the Gallade added his own strength to them, the Night Slash bleeding into the Ghost-type attack better than she envisioned. Ivy's hair whipped in the gusts, all until they came whirling back on the Rotom as Vergil bested the ghost for control of the tempest. The murky energy overcame the ghost, and then they dispersed.

The Rotom was knocked down onto the floor, breathing heavily as its energy was drained. Ivy could see the flickers of the Thunder Wave Vergil had applied, though it wasn't hindering the tricky Pokemon too much. That was probably because it was Electric-typed, and they tended to have control over similar abilities.

The ghost then got up and prepared another technique. With a cry, a flickering bolt of electricity shot at Vergil, and the energy coated him in electric blue sparks as he fired off his own Will-o-Wisp attack. The mini fireballs rolled into the ghost and left scorches, marks of burns where the ultra-hot flames had struck. It wasn't going to immediately drain the Pokemon, but it would wear it down over time. If they got lucky, it would also make the ghost even harder to move since it was coupled with paralysis.

However, the Rotom wasn't done either, able to recover and start charging up another technique. If Ivy could ever befriend it, it would be a fearsome battler indeed.

Shadows and globs of darkness started to gather near the ghost, becoming a conglomeration of purples, grays, and blacks. They gathered into a rough orb-shape, and Ivy recognized the attack—a Shadow Ball, one of the strongest attacks it could learn. Ivy winced and thought furiously. That would hit Vergil hard if they didn't so something.

The ghost added onto it, however, forming another orb immediately after launching the shadowed one. This one was crackling yellow: an Electro Ball. Usually that technique required the speediness of the user, needing the kinetic energy to really get the sparks rolling. Since it was paralyzed, it wasn't going to be as powerful as the Shadow Ball, but the follow-up attack was still worrying.

She had to get Vergil out of there. Thankfully, a plan jumped to mind.

“Vergil, quick, use a Double Team!” she yelled.

With that technique, multiple copies would fan out from the fighter, all identical in appearance. Vergil would be able to hide among them, throwing the ghost off as to which one was the real thing. Ivy had seen him use it before a couple times; he usually made five or six clones. These were just illusions, but she was hoping it would throw off the ghost's aim. There was no guarantee it would work, however, since the attack might hone in on energy or even split off into a lot of different orbs. They had to try something. Now was the time to strike, while the ghost was starting to wear down.

“Don't stay there for long. Teleport behind the Rotom and use an Imprison next!” she called rapidly, hoping to get through to the fighter in time.

Imprison was a technique she had only used very few times. The theory behind it was using energy to pin down the foe, effectively trapping them with energy seals for a small period of time. It was stronger when the two battlers shared similar attacks—since that made an energy link between them. The Gallade didn't know as many techniques as either of them liked, but if she remembered right, the tricky ghost could learn both Will-o-Wisp and Thunder Wave, and that might be just enough of a link between them, helped along by the ghost being afflicted by both status effects.

She wanted to pin the ghost down for now to give Vergil a breather. After that whirlwind and now this dual-attack, he was going to get winded, even if he wouldn't admit it. The burn should help deplete the ghost's energy while they came up with a counter-attack too. One more strong attack would maybe be enough to attempt a capture. She couldn't try now—the Rotom was far too high spirited. She had a feeling it would fight until it passed out if possible.

Vergil might take some damage, but she hoped he would be able to get out of the way in time. She wasn't sure how comfortable he'd be with Imprison, but it was worth a shot. If anything, he might try harder in order to prove that he could do it. He couldn't be seen as anything less than strong.