Individual RP: WinterVines [Endurance Run]

@WinterVines;

BP#3

Once the orbs had been launched into the air, the Gallade had taken up a resilient fighting stance, boiling with the eagerness to fight back or, perhaps, use those techniques to his advantage somehow. He had been expecting a command that would test his skills and allow him to show off how courageous he was by meeting the attacks head on...

And so, when Ivy's command had reached his ears, he had whirled around in disbelief, wide wild eyes staring at the woman, his expression clearly bewildered and disgruntled. Double Team? He thought it to be a weak move, only used by those who had no other means of escape, or just weren't dauntless enough to try a different and more direct, more daring, tactic.

He blinked a couple of times before a clone materialized beside him, and then another on his right. They flickered in the darkness as they came to be, shaky and hologram-like to our eyes, but the Rotom would never know that. And either way, the two orbs would still have to get through them anyway. One more *Blade Pokemon copy blinked to life on either side of Vergil, making a grand total of four decoys.

I saw the confusion in his eyes, as though he was trying to figure out just why Ivy had ordered for that move - how was he supposed to get stronger if he was to dodge attacks in this puny manner? His guard was down now as he was lost in deep concentration, as if torn between following the trainer's battle prompts and his own reasoning and decisions. That, was a mistake. He had lost his warrior-like stance, making it more difficult for him to jump into action in split-seconds if need be.

The spheres barraged their way through the clones, getting smaller and weaker with each collision but not quite defeated just yet. And by the time the Elite Ranger's command had actually gotten through to the Gallade, it was just a bit too late. Lost in confusion and shock, as well as indecisiveness and a bit of frustration, Vergil's teleportation process hadn't begun early enough to let him avoid the now-much-weaker balls of purple and yellow. As his figure flickered into momentary disappearance, the orbs managed to just barely scrape the vestiges of his leaving body just before all of his cells were gone completely. The two masses ended up smashing into each other after their target had disappeared; their energies cancelled each other out, leaving nothing but a shower of tiny electrical sparks and Ghost-type tendrils.

The Psychic-Fighting-type ended up right behind the wild entity, radiating an aura of telekinetic strength as he executed this next technique. Power pulsed off his glowing hands, waves of energy latching onto the Rotom and encompassing it with a bubble of sorts. The forcefield trapped it to this specific spot, hindering it from almost all forms of movement - the only thing the Plasma Pokemon could do now was hover around inside the dome. It pushed against the film of the sphere, trying to find any flaw through which it could escape through or at least send its attacks through.

A trail of blazes suddenly ignited on its exterior, reminding it of the inferno it had just experienced with the Blade Pokemon's earlier assault. The embers seemed to suck the life out of it, leaving it looking even more drained than before. Being burnt was nothing to laugh about, after all; playing with fire was dangerous, to say the least.

Vergil lifted his gaze then, peering at Ivy with his apparently cold eyes. His expression was one of distaste and questioning - he hadn't particularly loved the move combinations he had been tasked to perform this turn. He seemed to be challenging the Elite Ranger to prompt him with another "weak" tactic, as if he was so tempted right now to just stop listening to her commands and act on his own free will. And just when he thought things were actually going better - he had enjoyed his previous course of action, after all. The Night Slash and Will-o-Wisp technique had allowed him to pit his might up against that of the foe, as well as exhaust the opponent even further - something he was really pleased about as he was able to prove just how strong he was. But this? He couldn't, at least that was what he seemed to think.

BATTLE STATS:
Wild Rotom (GL, ???)
Health: 38%
Currently Using: [none]
Last Move Used: Shadow Ball+Electro Ball
Status: [PRZ][BRN][Imprisoned]

..::VS::..

Vergil the Gallade (M, Hardy)
Health: 71%
Last Move Used: Double Team+Teleport+Imprison
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: 38258/35000 [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) - 71%
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; Well done.

TP#21

As soon as she saw Vergil tense, she knew things weren't going to go very well. He threw her a glare, but she met it even-eyed. He was angry, but that wasn't really anything new.

He didn't like her move choices, and that didn't really surprise her either. There had been little option if he wanted to avoid an attack. She knew that he didn't like dodging and other evasive maneuvers, but what he didn't realize was that if he took a big hit, he wouldn't be battling for very long anyway. He was at a disadvantage while fighting the Rotom, and even if he didn't care about that, Ivy did.

As a result, he was only seconds ahead of teleporting away from the incoming attacks. She saw the energy graze his skin as he barely escaped in time. It had been a test.

“He is not ready,” Haji said against his mind. “He cannot be trusted as of yet.”

As much as Ivy wanted to believe the opposite was true, she couldn’t argue against the Espeon. She had wanted to see what Vergil would and wouldn't do—if he would trust her plans or just go along with his own. She could see now that despite the miniature truce they had while battling, it didn't extend near far enough to battling for real. In the Park it was a little different, since wild Pokemon weren't holding strategy meetings with Trainers, but this let her know that outside of here, Vergil wasn't going to be able to fight very often. If he didn't listen to her, he could be a hazard to other people, and she wasn't going to let that happen.

Ivy sighed deeply, frustrated at both the fighter and herself. She just didn't know what to do with him. She had tried to cater to him at first, but he had just taken advantage of it and became even more unruly. The only way to remotely get through to him was to challenge him, but that was working less and less.

She was pleased that he managed to pull off the Imprison, however, since he took advantage of the scenario they had set up. It was pretty impressive seeing how he was mostly a physical attacker and not a mental one. The technique required some pretty finely-honed skills. Still, the realization that they weren't much better off than when they started was disappointing.

Fire danced within the bubble prison that held the Rotom, and Ivy debated what to do. She didn't know how mentally strong Vergil was—if he could hold the barrier up while at the same time attacking through it. She had a feeling that he would break it with an attack, but unless they all stood around and waited, the Rotom wasn't going to tire out any other way. Besides, if they didn't keep up the pressure, there was a good chance it would just heal itself.

“Vergil, if you want to best the Rotom, you'll need to attack it again,” she called, trying to get his attention. He looked at her from over the electric-blue of the dome, though it wasn't a very friendly look. Ivy stayed neutral. She was just so tired of his antics. “If you can, fire off an Ice Punch. You'll have to get close to the ghost to do it, but you also have to watch out not to break the Imprison. If you can,” she added again, providing that little spark of motivation that might drive him to listen. If he thought he had something to prove, that he could pull this technique off without failing, he might try harder, just so he could prove her wrong. It was the sort of the reverse-psychology she had to adapt while dealing with him.

The icy cold of the technique would counteract the burning sensation from the Will-o-Wisp, and because the two were so drastic, it might distract the ghost for a little bit. She didn't want Vergil to attack with much more than that, since there was a risk that the Rotom would faint.

“Careful not to knock it out, though,” she said, wondering if he would listen. Then, she started to seriously worry about it. Vergil wanted to win, and to him, the battle might not be over until his foe is knocked out. She couldn't let that happen either. She sighed again, softer this time.

“Haji, do you think you would be able to stop Vergil from hitting the ghost too hard if necessary? I'm a little concerned he might just try to hit it as hard as he can. I don't want him to make it faint,” she said to her psychic cat silently.

“The ghost is still healthy,” he responded thoughtfully. She could feel his mental energies reach out, so he was probably analyzing the wild Pokemon. “It is capable of sustaining more damage. However, Vergil will not over act,” he said. He left no room for argument, sure of his answer. Ivy wasn't sure what Haji would do to him, but she was very confident he could stop Vergil if necessary, perhaps by even seizing up his mind.

She just hoped it wouldn't come to that. The Rotom was being whittled down, and she wanted to end this battle before something bad happened. She had thought battling would cool Vergil off a little, but as usual, he never acted she predicted. The sooner she could make a capture, the better.

 

@WinterVines;

BP#4

Ivy recognized the fury glinting dangerously in Vergil's eyes immediately. She knew she had to order an attack, one that would make him believe that they were still on the same page, one that would make him believe that she knew what she was doing... A tactic that would question his might, and would allow him to strengthen himself if he did manage to overcome the challenge.

"If you can, fire off an Ice Punch. You'll have to get close to the ghost to do it, but you also have to watch out not to break the Imprison," the Elite Ranger called out to him, a coaxing tone evident in her words. She just had to get the Gallade to trust her, to get motivated to do things her way, even if it meant a whole load of persuasion and mind games. She paused then, waiting for her command to sink in, before adding, "If you can," for emphasis, as though performing the technique was a trial for him in itself. This*challenging-at-the-same-time-encouraging tone and choice of words of hers seemed to have affected the Blade Pokemon in the way she had hoped it would, perhaps enough to keep the battle in their favor.

While his mind concentrated on keeping the prison walls firm and resistant against the wild creature's hopeless attempts at pushing its way out of the barrier, Ice-type energy began to surge through his arms. He was charging up his power and gathering strength from within him, keeping himself going by repeating to himself over and over again that he was doing this to become a better fighter; meanwhile, the Rotom continued to scour the bubble's layer, hoping to find a means to escape. It smashed itself repeatedly against the trap's wall, only to bounce back from the reactive force of the dome, tiring itself out even more. I wondered why it was doing that - why would exhaust itself even more, especially when it was burnt and paralyzed, the status ailments giving it an even harder time?

Frost coated the whole of the Psychic-Fighting-type's right blade, giving it a bright blue shine that contrasted the darkness surrounding us. He struggled to keep a good balance between his mental and physical techniques, considering how he was attempting to use both types at once. His species were more known to be physical attackers rather than mental ones, and considering how Imprison was a move that did require some pretty fine skills in order for it to be executed, I figured Vergil was having a bit of trouble keeping up with that - not to mention the fact that he had to keep it sturdy enough to make sure that the opponent would not be able to break free despite its best efforts. He was gritting his teeth now, dividing his power between the two tactics, and persevering despite the hardships this move combination came with, if only because he wanted to best the foe and become a stronger individual. He didn't feel quite compelled to be fighting for Ivy, but rather for his own benefit, but that was acceptable enough for now, I figured - better than having him run off and do things to his own accord.

Lowering the defenses of the forcefield for a moment, the Gallade slammed his icy fist into the prison, managing to stab the wild entity with all his might. The punch generated multiple cyan sparks crackling around the area of impact. The cold spread quickly, as if freezing the surrounding spots on the bubble. Diamond dust-like particles washed over the inside of the trap, sending a flurry of iciness to rain down on the target, pelting against its exterior.

The creature saw this move as an opportunity for it to retaliate as the frost hadn't quite frozen over all of the cracks just yet. Its eyes shimmered with a dangerous purple and ligth red glint, causing it to appear even more eerie than normal. The energy seemed to seep through the tiny cracks the collision had created, the tendrils of Ghost-type power pulsing through the air in waves before latching onto the Blade Pokemon. He was engulfed in the same harsh light, symbolizing that he was now under the control of the opponent - or rather, the foe was attempting to conquer him. This alarmed and infuriated Vergil even more so than Ivy's "weak" prompt, for it meant he was succumbing to the authority of the enemy, surrendering to its power. No. He would never allow this! Never.

His mental capabilities contested against that of the Electric-Ghost-type as he struggled to toughen up the defenses of the bubble prison. He willed the cold to seal up all the little openings with its iciness before it was too late. Despite his honed skills in being both a special and physical attacker, the battle had definitely taken its toll on Ivy's Pokemon, and mental techniques had seemingly never been his strongest point in the first place. He was starting to wear down now, the only thing that kept him going was his will to get stronger, to prove himself worthy. He grunted with effort, and though he would never admit it, he was tilting over to the losing side.

The Rotom was a rash one, no doubt; it charged at the barrier once again, thinking the Ice Punch had created a crack, an opening for it to escape through, especially now that the fatigue seemed to have caught up with the Gallade. It was wrong for it to think and act in that manner, though - ramming itself into the wall, it found itself colliding with a ton of icicles that had sprouted out from the cold, the icy shards piercing its layer of lightning, impaling themselves into its plasma interior. It jumped back immediately from the pain, its face contorted with dread. Just what was this entity thinking?

Vergil saw this as an opportunity to make a come back, and grabbed at it. He poured all his energy into creating a stronger barrier as he fought against the Ghost-type forces that were threatening to conquer him. It exhausted him and drained his energy, yes, but it was worth it, he thought, to be level with his opponent, even if it did cost him some. The ominous glimmer outlining his figure did not disappear, however, which meant that the Plasma Pokemon was still fighting as well - just like him.

They both had egos much too large, making them too proud to lose, and perhaps only because of that, they were both determined to keep on going like this, aspiring to emerge victorious even if it sucked the life out of them. This was a risky situation at this point if time - if the wild creature exhausted itself too much, it could possibly faint right then and there, and Ivy would have lost the chance of capturing it. At the same time, it would also be difficult for the Elite Ranger to prompt the Gallade as he was extremely immersed in the mental stand-off between the two of them, so calling him out of that could be just as tricky.

BATTLE STATS:
Wild Rotom (GL, ???)
Health: 19%
Currently Using: Hex
Last Move Used: Hex
Status: [PRZ][BRN][Imprisoned]

..::VS::..

Vergil the Gallade (M, Hardy)
Health: 64%
Last Move Used: Ice Punch
Status: [Coated in Purplish-Red Light]​

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: 43206/35000 [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) - 64%
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;

TP#22

The Gallade tried his best to hold the barrier up, though he was straining with the effort. Ivy was glad he was working so hard, however—even if it was only for his own benefit.

The ghost rattled around in the cage, wearing itself out even further. It was acting a little strangely, but since it was so tired and afflicted with status elements, she didn't blame it. She would be acting out a little desperately too if she was in its position.

Vergil patched up his Imprison right after his Ice Punch, but that wasn't stopping the ghost. Purple energy had coated the Psychic type as the two Pokemon entered a battle of wills. Ivy knew that Vergil wasn't going to last long with that, since even though he was very confident in his abilities, his mental powers just weren't as good as his physical might.

“How are they doing on energy?” she asked Haji silently.

He waited a moment and then answered. “The Rotom is at the threshold. Vergil would not admit it, but he is faltering.”

She nodded. That's what she had been thinking. “Right,” she said out loud. “It's time to make a capture then.”

She pulled out a standard Park Ball and lined up a good shot. She would need Vergil to cooperate with her one more time in order for this to work. Since he was feeding so much energy into the barricade, she worried about the ball just bouncing off of it, unable to reach the ghost. She would need the fighter to drop it.

“Vergil,” she called. “I'm going to throw a ball. I think you've beaten it down enough for it to work. When I throw, drop the Imprison field,” she said.

She prepared to throw, hoping that the fighter would listen. Since he was currently fighting off the ghost's energy, it probably wouldn't be hard for him to stop paying attention to the screen that was seeping his energy and holding his focus. She just hoped it would work. She wanted the battle to end.

 

@WinterVines;

NBP#13

Ivy had decided that now was a good time to throw a ball and hope for a successful catch. She called out to her Pokemon, prompting him to release the wild Rotom from its confinements. Vergil hesitated upon hearing this; he didn't seem to want the battle to end just like that - the stubborn guy wanted to best the opponent first before allowing the woman to toss a Park ball.

He grumbled to himself repeatedly, his energy going down the drain, but so did the strength of his foe. Eventually, he came to realize that he couldn't keep going at it in this manner forever, and gave in. Sending one final blast of mental power to the Plasma Pokemon, making sure that it would not attack him once he set it free, he dropped the layers of the bubble, letting it fall apart to make room for the camo-colored orb.

The sphere was hurled across the room immediately, a bright erratic beam of red zapping the creature and sucking it into the insides of the ball. With a click, it jerked close, landing on the cement floor with a soft thud. The Gallade stood there, watching the orb tumble and whirl about, as though the Electric-Ghost-type was attempting to break free. My mind conjured up an image of it with its battle-hungry and mischievous eyes, and I could only imagine how much the entity wanted to keep the fight going.

A ding symbolized the succeeded capture attempt, the sphere coming to a full stop next to the Blade Pokemon's feet. It rested there with a red beeping light flickering in the middle. I walked over to pick it up, placing it with the rest of the balls Ivy had used in earlier battles to catch the Electrike and the Koffing. In my peripheral line of vision, I could make out another orb-shaped object in the darkness just a few inches left of me. I grabbed it then brought it up to examine it more closely.

"Oh, cool! Another one of these." I grinned, showing the Elite Ranger the Black Apricorn.

Suddenly remembering the main reason we had ventured here in the first place - and mentally slapping myself for forgetting about that for even a split-second - I gestured down the hall, figuring that there wasn't any other place the two specimens could have run off to. A wail broke the silence of the void of black, and perhaps the entity had been crying this whole time, its shrieks just drowned out by the battle...

"Let's go...?" It came out as more of a question than anything. I didn't want to go charging into the darkness if Ivy wasn't ready yet. Her Pokemon might need to rest after that bout, or she herself might want to pause for just a brief moment (though I doubted that), but it was always safer to ask.

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 (?, ???)|Rotom (GL, Impish)
Current Encounter: [none]
Pokemon Captured: Electrike (F, Hasty)|Koffing (M, Bashful)|Rotom (GL, Impish)

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|Two Black Apricorns|One Yellow Apricorn|One Legendary Picture [Registeel]
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) - 64%
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#23

At first Ivy didn't think Vergil would stop the barricade. However, she saw the flicker in his eyes when he realized he was fighting a losing battle. She knew that he didn't like captures—that much was evident from the Easter Contest they had participated in—but it seemed this time he was going to allow it. It may have had something to do with the Rotom being a foe.

The Imprison dropped and Ivy threw the camouflage ball, making sure to aim well. It worked, and the device sailed over, activating once it was in the proper range. A beam of red light shot out to suck up the wild Pokemon, and Ivy held her breath as the ball snapped shut and fall to the cement. The Pokemon inside fought hard, but in the end the device lit up red in the center and clicked.

Ivy breathed a sigh of relief. That had been a little taxing, especially for Vergil, even if he wouldn't admit it.

Now though, she could help Elena and the others figure out just what that organization was up to. Maybe they could stop what was happening, and for that, she would gladly deal with an unruly Pokemon. And really, once she worked with the Rotom a little bit, it might really warm up to them. She didn't think the ghost and Vergil would ever really get along, but there was some hope yet.

Elisa went to collect the Park Ball and add it to her pocket. She saw something else, too, and exclaimed, “Oh, cool! Another one of these.” She reached down again to pick up a Black Apricorn. Ivy was certainly collecting those today.

Then, the Ranger sobered up, looking at her concerned. “Let's go...?”

Ivy nodded. “Yeah. Let's see where that crying Pokemon got off to. There's no time to waste,” she said. She thought about recalling Vergil to his ball so he didn't have to walk around with them, but he would probably get offended at that. Instead she said, “Vergil, if you want back in your ball, let me know. If you get tired.”

She didn't want any more fighting. She just wanted to figure out what was wrong in the Power Plant. Vergil could make up his own mind about what he was doing for now. She didn't have a lot of time to sit around and argue about it.

 

@WinterVines; Really sorry for the delay. We were moving house, and I haven't had internet access for the last few days. Things should be back to normal soon. ^^;;

NBP#14

We plunged into the endless darkness, venturing off into the hallway connected to the half-room that had been the make-shift battleground earlier. Vergil had put on a resilient expression with his jaw set firmly, as if to imply that he did not need to rest, that the bout with the Rotom had not exhausted him at all.

I attempted to follow the wails to the best of my abilities, but the shrieks seemed to echo around the whole place; the sonic waves were seemingly bouncing off the walls and floors, making it virtually impossible to track down where the sound was coming from.

After a few moments of dashing through the corridor, scouring every nook and cranny, we came upon a door that had been left ever-so-slightly ajar - open just wide enough for a small creature to squeeze through - that it could have been easily overlooked in our haste. This had to be it, I figured; the cries seemed to be loudest here...

We pushed through the doorway and stepped into a room that looked like an office or perhaps a surveillance area of sorts. Old computers lined the long tables, cobwebs dripping from the ceiling while rust and dust scarred the once-smooth and shiny surfaces of the technology. I didn't even dare run my finger across the edge of one of them - it was evident that it was abound with dirt that would only make my finger as black and as grimy as it.

Shaky yellow currents sparked off at one end of the room, and I figured that was where the wailing creature was. I led Ivy and her partners in that direction, but before we could even make it half way through the room, a deep throaty rumble stopped us in our tracks.

The entity responsible for this low warning growl was a small, cute little one, though obviously it was not meant to be underestimated. The said Pokemon had rammed its head into my legs in vain attempt to throw me off; I stood my ground, but honestly the sudden collision had almost uprooted my feet from their firm, planted position. It was continuing to hiss menacingly with its shoulders hunched, muscles tensed, and fur bristling dangerously. I never would've guessed a cute creature such at itself could be capable of such taunting glares and ominous howls...

Golden tendrils crackled around its white fluffy fur, which only further complemented the already-glum atmosphere we were in, resembling a thunderstorm's tempestuous cloud just on the verge of releasing a reckless, heavy downpour. Its tail swished back and forth, curled in such a way that the electric ball on the tip was facing us directly, as though it was just waiting to unleash bolts of lightning.*It placed itself in between us and the hurt entity; it seemed to think we were its enemies, and as such, was extremely determined on beating us up to protect its friend and itself as well.

As a lump formed in my throat, a thick fog full of problems seemed to settle on my shoulders, clouding my mind with anxious and choatic thoughts; I could only barely understand the situation. Why was the Wool Pokemon so hostile towards us? Obviously it wanted to guard its friend, but did it not know that we were here to help? That we were rangers? That it could trust us? Or was there something more? Was there a reason behind all of the madness that seemed to be happening in this certain point in time? Were they all connected somehow?*

My mind was flooded with questions, and for a while, it drifted to the storm brewing on the horizon. Or maybe it had arrived already? Perhaps the thunderstorm was another cause for the creature's agitation?

Frustration gripped my brain as I racked my mind for answers and explanations - I couldn't comprehend what was happening. It was as though the closer we got to uncovering one mystery, another problem needing solving seemed to pop up out of nowhere.

I sighed, letting my gaze linger momentarily on the wild entity blocking us. "Well, we're gonna have to get through that Mareep first, then." I turned to Ivy, and then decided to offer anyway. It was always polite to do so, even though I had a gut feeling she wouldn't be fighting the Electric-type. "Or would you rather battle it? Perhaps it interests you?"

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

Encounters Left: 9 [Endurance Run]
Area Effects:
Pokemon Encountered: Electrike (F, Hasty)|Zubat (?, ???)|Electrode (?, ???)|Electrode (?, ???)|Koffing (M, Bashful)|Ditto (?, ???)|Flaaffy (?, ???)|Elekid (?, ???)|Registeel (?, ???)|Rotom (GL, Impish)
Current Encounter: Mareep (?, ???)
Pokemon Captured: Electrike (F, Hasty)|Koffing (M, Bashful)|Rotom (GL, Impish)

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|Two Black Apricorns|One Yellow Apricorn|One Legendary Picture [Registeel]
MCR: 2136/4000 [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) - 64%
Ability: Steadfast
Nature: Hardy
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Will-O-Wisp|Thunder Wave|Drain Punch|Bulldoze|Shadow Sneak|Ice Punch|Fire Punch

 

@MuddyMudkip; That's no problem at all!

TP#24

Ivy rolled her eyes at Vergil—but she did it so he wouldn't be able to see her. He was being stubborn, refusing to rest because he was such a tough guy. The woman was used to his antics so she didn't argue with him. She could monitor his strength and judge if he could battle or not later.

They followed Elisa down the hall as they tried to pinpoint the source of the wailing sound. Ivy was really starting to worry about it. Had it been hurt for long? And what other Pokemon would be drawn to the noise? The Power Plant was pretty quiet as far as she could remember, and she didn't want any more mischievous Pokemon like the Rotom potentially hurting the creature more.

They needed to hurry, but the sound echoed through the hallways and empty rooms since there was nothing there to soak up the sound. It made it really hard to follow it. Soon after, however, Haji stopped at looked toward an ajar doorway at the same time Elisa did. It was only open a tiny bit—something they surely would've missed had they been running.

Without question Elisa pushed open the door, and even in the darkness, Ivy could see a thick layer of dust floating in the air. Her nose tingled as they walked around the room. Lines of office computers were coated in dirt. Ivy tried not to sneeze. She didn't have allergies, since being a Ranger would've been mighty hard for her if she did, but because she spent so much time outdoors in the fresh air, this musty stuff was threatening to make her cough.

On the other side, sparks ignited, which marked their destination. They started making their way to it when suddenly Elisa stopped with an 'omph'. Ivy had just caught a short glimpse of something ramming into her legs.

The area around the wild Pokemon glowed a little, just as it had with the Flaafy. It probably had something to do with the bright wool. This sheep was a step before in the evolution line—a Mareep. It growled and tossed its small blue head as its orbed tail flicked back and forth. Had this been the hurt Pokemon's protector?

“Well, we're gonna have to get through that Mareep first, then,” Elisa said, and Ivy nodded. “Or would you rather battle it?” she asked after a second of deliberation.

Ivy shook her head. “We've no time to lose,” she answered. The hurt Pokemon was close, and they needed to help. She looked down at the little sheep and said in a placid voice, “We're here to help. We want to help your hurt friend,” she said, hoping to appease the creature. Then she turned to Elisa and said, “If it won't let us pass, I've got a doll.”

 

@WinterVines;

NBP#15

The Mareep stared calculatingly at Ivy after she had spoken her words in the hopes of persuading the wild entity. It looked at both of us in turn with curious, gradually softening eyes. Its muscles seemed to relax as its wooly coat seemed to be smoothened out and patted down now. There was a flicker of doubt for a split-second, but it was quickly replaced with understanding and trust. Looks like we wouldn't need the Pokedoll, after all.

It gestured over to the hurt Pokemon with a swish of its tail, and suddenly its eyes were coated with alarm and dread. This time, it was its turn to beg for us to understand. How would we be able to do that, though? Perhaps the Psychic-types could converse with the Electric-type and then relay the message over to us? I could probably bring out Adrian and see what he could make of the creature's growls.

At the thought of this, my Gallade connected our minds together despite being inside his Pokeball. <I'll do it,> he said simply, nonchalantly.<I won't even need to get out of my ball.> He was boasting now, but I could care less really - he did have some pretty great and well-developed mental skills, and right now, we needed all the help we could get if we wanted to uncover this mystery and solve the rest of the problems the Plant had at the moment.

The Wool Pokemon began to growl, worry seeping into its voice. Hajj stepped closer to it, as if trying to make out its words as well. Good - at least we'd have two interpretations and could compare them later on. Snatches of the conversation between the Blade Pokemon and the Mareep whizzed through my head at lightning speed, so I could not really understand what they were saying as of yet. It was just a blur of letters and words against my mind. At some points, the sheep would incline its head over to the Espeon, which meant that it was trying its best to respond to both Pokemon at once so that it could relay all the information needed.

A few moments later, the Electric-type had stopped barking, and Adrian began communicating with me telephatically through our mind-link. <The Mareep says its friend is hurt both physically and emotionally. It lost a friend, a partner - they were extremely close friends and would almost never go anywhere else without the other; they were inseparable, a pair. As for the physical aspect, it's not as bad, you could say. It got bullied by a Rotom earlier on, taking advantage of its fragile state. From what I gather, it was struck more than once, only adding to the pain. Got hit square in the chest a couple times, too.>

I took this information in, my heart going out to the hurt creature. Registeel popped into my mind, making me wonder how the Steel-type could've been connected to all this. I decided to ask the Gallade if he knew anything about this, as well.

<Oh, yes. The sheep did mention something about that,> he answered. <It said that the legendary was acting as a guard to them after sensing that its friend was in so much agony. It served to block unworthy travelers and other wild Pokemon from intruding. Registeel knew about the Rotom, but hadn't wanted anyone else to interfere.>

I let my mind absorb this for a moment, lingering on the thought. I never would've guessed that such a mythical creature would even care about these little things, would even notice these little details, let alone do something to help in its own way.

<Seems kinda trivial, don't you think?> the Gallade added a moment later. I shushed him immediately, receiving only a grumble in reply.

It wasn't as big of a problem as I had expected - yes, I'll admit that much - but perhaps that's a good thing in itself. It meant that we didn't have to worry too much, and for that, I was grateful. Still, there was a nagging feeling at the back of my mind that there was something more, and it was affecting the Power Plant as a whole. I shook the thought out of my head, decidedly forcing my attention back to the matter at hand.

Turning to Ivy, I relayed over the things Adrian had told me. "My Gallade says that the Mareep's hurt friend has lost a partner, an utterly close friend - its like they were inseparable. And then add to that the mischief of the Rotom, picking on it when it was already at one of its lowest points in life. Says it was smacked quite a number of times, too. Also, the Registeel was apparently guarding them from any so-called 'unworthy' trainers and other curious Pokemon who would no doubt only add to the problem by interfering."

We followed the Wool Pokemon over to its weeping friend, who was sitting atop one of the old computers in the room. Its large ears with red accentuations hung low and drooped across its face. Tiny electric tendrils were bursting out from cream-colored plus signs voided in the middle of their circular red cheeks, but they were not the energetic sparks one would normally see; this time, the electricity seemed to be gloomy and dead, ripped of life and torn apart. The creature's small cream-colored feet dangled over the edge of the computer it was sitting on. It broke my heart to see the Plusle in such a down state; it was known for its cheery and encouraging attitude, always supportive of its friends, especially in battle.

"I think the partner the Mareep told us about was a Minun," I said, struggling to keep my voice from cracking. "I'm not sure how the Plusle lost its friend, though."

At this point, the Electric-type lifted its gaze upwards, glancing at us with a sudden twinkle of hope in its eyes. It gave a weak cry, its forepaws coming up in attempt to rub the tears off its face.

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

Encounters Left: 8 [Endurance Run]
Area Effects:
Pokemon Encountered: Electrike (F, Hasty)|Zubat (?, ???)|Electrode (?, ???)|Electrode (?, ???)|Koffing (M, Bashful)|Ditto (?, ???)|Flaaffy (?, ???)|Elekid (?, ???)|Registeel (?, ???)|Rotom (GL, Impish)|Mareep (?, ???)
Current Encounter: Plusle (?, ???)
Pokemon Captured: Electrike (F, Hasty)|Koffing (M, Bashful)|Rotom (GL, Impish)

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|Two Black Apricorns|One Yellow Apricorn|One Legendary Picture [Registeel]
MCR: 0/9000 [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

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) - 64%
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#25

The Mareep seemed to absorb their words and consent. It nodded its head but then looked a little alarmed. Ivy felt the flicker of Haji's powers activating, indicating that he was using his mental reach to try and connect to the sheep. He moved closer to the Electric-type as it started to growl and make other communication noises, but Ivy couldn't make out what they were talking about. She could've asked, but she wanted to make sure he was done first so that Haji could concentrate.

When they were done, Elisa relayed the information too, meaning her Gallade must've been helping translate. That was more than Ivy's was doing.

The hurt Pokemon was apparently a Plusle that had lost its very close partner. The Mareep led them over to the other side of the room where they found the small Electric-type.

The yellow mouse was sitting on top of a computer, its read-tipped ears hanging low. Even the sparks coming off the Pokemon seemed dull in comparison. Ivy scanned the Plusle over and noticed that it did indeed seem hurt a little—the result of the Rotom's badgering. She hated to see it so down.

“I think the partner the Mareep told us about was a Minun,” Elisa said. “I'm not sure how the Plusle lost its friend, though,” she added.

A bunch of possible solutions popped into her mind, but the one that stuck out the most was poachers. That didn't mean it was true, but since they had been talking about it, on top of her wrists twitching every now and then from her run it, it just floated to the top of her mind. She really hoped that wasn't the case, however, and hoped it was just a Trainer or something that had captured its friend.

The Plusle, noticing them, looked up and seemed to be rejuvenated a bit. Ivy didn't doubt that it was lonely. However, she didn't want to battle it. It was already hurt and depressed—a battle probably wouldn't change that. Additionally, that she caught the Rotom was a good reason not to try and take the Plusle home. She foresaw conflict with that one.

“I think you've seen enough violence,” Ivy said as she stepped forward, patting the mouse softly on the head. “But I think I know something to cheer you up. Come on out, Candle!”

With that, she pulled out the Chandelure's Pokeball and released the ghost. Candle was easily the most happy of her Pokemon. Haji was too serene to cheer the Plusle up, even though his advice was good. She didn't even want to go into Vergil. He wasn't going to be any help. Even now he was just standing there crossing his arms. He wasn't making the situation worse, but he didn't look sympathetic either.

“Luuuure,” the ghost said, hovering close to Ivy and peering at the Plusle.

“Okay, Candle. Plusle here needs some cheering up. It's in a bad spot right now. If it wants, you can play for a while. Would you like that?” Ivy asked the Electric-type.

Candle gave a happy cry and bobbled up and down, indicating that she, at least, wanted to play. Ivy smiled and hoped the Plusle would like that. When the mouse had calmed down a little bit, she planned on giving it a doll to hold on to for a while. Hopefully between Candle and the toy, the mouse would feel a little bit better.

 

@WinterVines; plot twist like. XD

NBP#16

Ivy's eyes lit up suddenly. In one swift movement, she had called out Candle, telling her to have fun and play with the Plusle for a while. I grinned as the Luring Pokemon bobbed up and down with much enthusiasm, quickly making friends with the wild creature. The next few moments went by in a blur with the two Pokemon just chatting to their heart's content; soon, the Electric-type's frown had turned upside-down into a full-blown smile.

I watched as the Cheering Pokemon gestured over to the computer it was sitting on, as if asking the Chandelure to inspect it. My face scrunched up as I squinted, trying to make out the little details of the computer. It was one of the newer models in the room, though still rather old and "low-tech" compared to today's new, modernized civilization with bustling technology being developed every single day. It was also one of those portable types - definitely heavy and bulky, but it had been one of the first of its kind that had sparked up the start of creating such devices, thus leading to the sleek and slim new models we had today, otherwise known as the "laptop."

The mouse pointed at the computer once again, and when Candle only gave it a look of confusion, it rammed itself into the side of the old laptop. It required almost all of its might to send even a small rumble to shake the device awake. Wait, what?

I did a double-take, my eyes blinking rapidly a couple of times. I wasn't believing what I was seeing. The computer was beeping loudly as little dot-like lights flickered to life on its surface.

"What in the world..." I uttered under my breath. How was it possible that this computer was still up and running? As far as I knew, the Power Plant had been abandoned ages ago, possibly even before the National Park was even open to visitors. And when the Park staff had found out about this complex, almost nothing was in working condition - it had been in a better state back then, but even then, a lot of the machinery had already been destroyed, and the walls worn-down.

Of course, there was a possibility that someone else had placed the laptop here, and not the Power Plant's workers, and it had happened recent enough that the computer would still be working to this day. But who would do that? And why? Another question was, if it was just placed here by an outsider, why wouldn't they have used a newer model? These old things were rather heavy and a burden to carry around for the most part - why inconvenience yourself? Furthermore, shouldn't a report have been filed about this? Or had it just gone unnoticed?

I shifted my gaze over to the Plusle, agitation threatening to cloud my mind. Its smile seemed to have grown even wider now, seemingly very pleased with itself. It hopped up and down on the table, a playful glint in its eyes. A lump formed in my throat when I saw what it did next. Skipping its way over to the keyboard of the computer, it started jumping on the keys as though it was playing a game, happy yelps escaping its lips.

"So that's what these Pokemon do in their free time!" I had meant it as a joke, but the anxiety had creeped its way into my voice, making it come out differently altogether. The words were stripped bare, I knew, devoid of humor and low with seriousness.

I allowed myself to peer at the screen of the computer, but other than some occasional flickers of blue light flashing across the whole of the screen, there was nothing. Seeing as how the Plusle had been cheered up and was just bubbling with vigor, I nodded at Ivy, signaling that our work here was done. At least, for the mean time. We still hadn't figured out how it had lost its friend and if it had anything to do with the Rotom, or poachers, or something else. Plus, the thunderstorm on the horizon was still bothering me, though I myself could not even comprehend why.

We started to turn away, but the little mouse hopped off the table and came running to us, tugging on Ivy's pant leg. Once it had gotten a hold of our attention once again, the Electric-type dashed off and clambered its way back up to the laptop.*

It nudged the device once more, frustration threatening to overcome its expression. Ivy walked over to it, offering it a Pokedoll, hoping that the plush toy would be enough to let us move on. The Cheering Pokemon glanced up for a moment, took the toy gratefully, and then went back to work. I was about to turn around again when the creature stomped on one of the keys, pressing down on it with all its might, causing the screen to actually light up with something that seemed to be of significance.

Numbers flashed across the screen - binary codes and syntaxes. My mind whirred with numbers as they zipped across at a lightning-fast pace, my vision blurring, making my feel rather dizzy. And then, it stopped.

I blinked a couple of times, trying to get the blue spots of light out of my eyes. What I found on the screen made my gasp in disbelief. They seemed to be journal entries from an extremely long time ago - back when the Park had just been acquired by the Orange Islands government, back when construction of the outposts had just begun, maybe even before that! I didn't know the full history of the National Park, but I knew and remembered enough details to know that this could possibly be one of our biggest finds yet! The Park was full of mysteries, of course, and also had a rather tragic or, one could say, dangerous past. Poachers had already been lurking around the area even before construction had began, looking to steal valuable minerals from the island's abundant resources or to snag off some Pokemon. And there has always been stories circulating - tales of seeing and hearing unusual thing hiding in the shadows of the Park... I figured perhaps the entries could shed some light on these matters, and might even manage to answer some of the greatest mysteries that the island has ever had - questions that baffled even the greatest of archaeologists, biologists, scientists in general, and even the regular visitors, too.

The Plusle shouted its thanks with a growl, gesturing over to the doll Ivy had given it. It nodded at us, seemingly able to hold back the pain in its heart for now, then leaped off the table to join the Mareep from earlier. The sheep flicked its tail warmly, motioning for the mouse to come over. They chatted off into the darkness, their voices echoing back to us as they wandered farther into the shadows.

I took this opportunity to scroll through some of the entries, but my mind didn't seem to want to cooperate, and neither did my eyes. The bright light that the screen was emitting was blinding me, almost forcing my eyes to just snap shut to block out the glow. I rubbed my eyes with the back of my hand, shaking my head. This was going nowhere, and we didn't have all the time in the world, especially with the storm brewing.

I glanced at Ivy, expressing my thoughts. I told her about my theory, that perhaps this could contribute to our understanding of the National Park. "We'd probably have to carry this all the way back, though," I said, but I was willing to carry this load if it meant helping the Park and solving its mysteries.

And that was when a rumble shook the place, claps of thunder complementing the tremor surging through our bodies. The thunderstorm was here. Or it had been since a while ago, and it had just gotten that much stronger and more dangerous. I swallowed hard as the shaking stopped, gripping the edge of the table for support. I slowly let out a deep, shaky breath, my mind churning with questions and theories mixed with anxious and agitated thoughts. I feared for our safety in this place - what would we do if the water came rushing in? After all, the complex was already very old and worn-down, cracks in the cement scattered across the whole area. And the flood could affect the Pokemon inhabiting this place, most especially the Electric-types whose static-charged fur would react hazardously with the water. It was already bad enough that the electricity stored in their bodies were just barely being kept under control with the humidity in this place, as seen in our earlier encounters with them, what more if wave after wave of rainwater came surging in?

"We'd better go check that out and get outta here as soon as possible." I glanced again at Ivy and back at the laptop. There was no time to waste.

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

Encounters Left: 8 [Endurance Run]
Area Effects:
Pokemon Encountered: Electrike (F, Hasty)|Zubat (?, ???)|Electrode (?, ???)|Electrode (?, ???)|Koffing (M, Bashful)|Ditto (?, ???)|Flaaffy (?, ???)|Elekid (?, ???)|Registeel (?, ???)|Rotom (GL, Impish)|Mareep (?, ???)|Plusle (?, ???)
Current Encounter: [none]
Pokemon Captured: Electrike (F, Hasty)|Koffing (M, Bashful)|Rotom (GL, Impish)

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|Two Black Apricorns|One Yellow Apricorn|One Legendary Picture [Registeel]
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) - 64%
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#26

Candle bobbed up and down excitedly and then hovered over to the yellow and red mouse. She easily made friends with the Electric-type, and the next while was filled with ghostly cries and static chirps from the two.

Ivy was glad to see that the Plusle was looking a lot better. She still didn't like the bruise mark on the rodent's stomach, but at least it was looking happier. Candle was really good at doing that. Sometimes she thought that even Vergil was lightened a little by her antics—even if he wouldn't admit it.

The Plusle turned to show Candle the computer, and the Chandelure looked back at her. Ivy smiled and nodded at her, silently telling her what a good job she was doing. This made the ghost smile even wider and bob up and down once before she floated over to the machine.

Ivy thought it was in fairly good shape for being in an abandoned complex. Who knew how long it had really been down here. It sort of made her wonder. It was one of the early portable ones too, so although it was high-tech during its time, the clunkiness of it was obsolete now.

After slamming itself into the computer, the Plusle hit a few more buttons. Then, Ivy was amazed that the device started responding. It beeped loudly as it started up, like all the old models did, and lights started to flash.

“What in the world...” Elisa said as she trailed off. Ivy was thinking along the same lines.

It was very strange that a still-usable computer was left in this place. The Power Plant had been abandoned before the Rangers even found it, and all the working equipment had been cleared out a long time ago. It would've especially been that way for here, which had been discovered for years. The Enigma Ruins, a place uncovered by the fall out the Outer Heavens, had already been purged of most of its stuff, and that had only been investigated for a short time.

While they were preoccupied with the computer, Ivy noticed the little Plulse came over and tugged on her cargos. “Oh, that's right,” she said, remembering that she wanted to give the mouse a doll. She took one out from her vest and handed it over, and that seemed to please the Electric-type so much that it hit the keyboard of the obsolete laptop with a huge force.

Something popped up on the screen then, but Ivy didn't take close enough look at it to understand it. It looked to be a lot of code, and she wasn't a programmer of any sort. Elisa thought that it might hold ancient history about the Park and that it would be useful to dig into it. “We'd probably have to carry this all the way back, though,” she added.

Ivy nodded. “Might be worth it though, provided it is some old records and not something... planted here recently,” she finished, thinking the worst. What if the poachers had been using it? That doubly meant they should check it out.

Then, thunder rolled across the sky and shook the entire place. Even through the walls, Ivy could hear a downpour of rain. It was either that strong or there was a leak somewhere. Either way, it wasn't good. Her arms erupted into goosebumps from the energy in the air, and she rubbed them unconsciously.

“We'd better go check that out and get outta here as soon as possible,” Elisa said, and she nodded.

“If you wanted to take that with us,” Ivy added, “it would probably be okay. I don't think anyone would mind. It might get ruined by the rain if we don't. Okay, Candle, you can rest now,” she said, recalling the ghost to her ball so they could leave. She was ready to go once Elisa decided if she wanted the machine or not. That storm was suspicious, and Ivy wanted to see it for herself.

 

@WinterVines;

NBP#17

"If you wanted to take that with us, it would probably be okay," Ivy told me, nodding at the computer. "I don't think anyone would mind. It might get ruined by the rain if we don't." I nodded in reply, going over to test the machine's weight, while the Elite Ranger called her Chandelure back to her ball.

I picked the laptop up, feeling my arm muscles set to work. It was heavier than the sleek models we had nowadays, but not so much that I wouldn't manage; its bulkiness was the real problem here. I was going to have to lug it around for a while before the run officially ended, but I didn't mind as I constantly told myself that it was all going to be worth it in the end. Later, we would be able to examine the device more once we got back to the Ranger Headquarters.

I thought about calling out Adrian to ease me of the load. If his muscles got tired, he could always try to move it around with his honed mental abilities, and vice versa. But then Vergil crossed my mind, and I realized it probably wasn't such a good idea after all. From what I had seen since the start of our expedition through the Plant, Ivy's Gallade's personality and character was much like mine - always looking to test and buff up his might, always up for a challenge, and rather stubborn, too. Bringing out my Blade Pokemon could possibly spell disaster as the two of them might end up clashing with each other, making matters worse. But we needed them both to work together, especially in dangerous times like these. Adrian wasn't going to be of much help if it came to that - he wasn't exactly a team player, and from the looks of it, neither was Vergil.

Hoisting the computer up, I repositioned my arms and hands, allowing for a firmer grip on it and hopefully a more efficient way of carrying it as well. I knew that the fatigue would eventually take its toll on me; I could only hope that we got out of here before that, though it was unlikely. In any case, I could perhaps ask Bolt to carry it for a while, or Hamilton could take on that task just as easily. If we were to encounter some water, though, I'd probably have to leave it to my Heracross and not my Electivire - water could do quite a bit if a creature's fur was all charged up with electricity; the machine would get fried once even a single tendril of electrical energy happened to latch onto it.

We headed out of the room, carrying on with the exploration. I couldn't exactly say "continuing on our merry way" as it seemed as though a thick fog of dread had settled over us after everything that has happened and was happening during this particular run. I feared the worst for Plusle's friend, and I had a feeling Ivy was thinking of similar things. And the large bruise on the entity's body didn't lessen the apprehension any either.

The cracks that dotted the ceiling overhead allowed water droplets to splash their way into the complex, their plink, plink, plink splattering sounds getting even more maddening with every passing moment. I could hear the rain very clearly now, water pounding against the roof, against the ground outside, against everything. I could even smell its stench, and the air around me felt more humid now that I could just about feel the wetness on my arms. It was an icky feeling, I tell you, feeling that stickiness on your skin.

Our walk became a brisk one as we delved further into the Plant, checking to see if a flood had penetrated its way into the building. So far, there didn't seem to have been any leaks or holes on the wall big enough to let the water in. I wondered then how high the water level was outdoors - had a flashflood already occurred? Could we even still get out later at this rate? I realized we could always teleport back to the main Ranger Outpost if we needed to, but that didn't solve the problem of the flood if ever we did have to deal with such an incident during this run.

We got our first actual glimpse of what was happening outside the Power Plant when we came upon a rather large, gaping hole in the wall situated at the end of the short corridor we were traversing on that branched off into another to its right. As we neared it, a Poison Gas Pokemon hovered its way in, soaking wet from the storm. Though its purple body was made of various gases and toxins, I could still see little droplets dripping here and there, speckles glinting in the darkness. The creature seemed cold, shuddering, the particles that made up its body shaking ominously. The downpour must have been going on for quite some time now then - long enough to drench this entity and even to get a Pokemon sick like this, it seemed. I wondered how much time we'd already spent wandering around the hallways of this place... It'd been quite a while since our encounter with the little electric mouse - where was everyone? The thunderstorm seemed to be taking its toll on all the entities in the Plant, perhaps forcing them into hiding. I wondered why, though - storms frequented this zone of the Park, as far as I knew, so was there something more to this mystery?

Pushing these thoughts aside for the time being, I turned to the Elite Ranger. "Would you like to battle this Koffing?"

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

Encounters Left: 7 [Endurance Run]
Area Effects:
Pokemon Encountered: Electrike (F, Hasty)|Zubat (?, ???)|Electrode (?, ???)|Electrode (?, ???)|Koffing (M, Bashful)|Ditto (?, ???)|Flaaffy (?, ???)|Elekid (?, ???)|Registeel (?, ???)|Rotom (GL, Impish)|Mareep (?, ???)|Plusle (?, ???)
Current Encounter: Koffing (?, ???)
Pokemon Captured: Electrike (F, Hasty)|Koffing (M, Bashful)|Rotom (GL, Impish)

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|Two Black Apricorns|One Yellow Apricorn|One Legendary Picture [Registeel]
MCR: 3614/9000 [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

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) - 64%
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#27

Elisa gathered up the old-fashioned laptop in her arms, and it highlighted just how bulky the machine was. Ivy didn't carry a bag with her or anything since it tended to get snagged when traipsing through the underbrush and drag her down—not to mention the fact that she disliked the extra weight making her sluggish—or she would've offered to put the computer in there. Elisa was strong, though, so she looked like she could handle it just fine. Rangers tended to be with all the outdoor work they did.

They continued on out into the hall and further into the complex, but the pouring rain and ominous feeling that was building didn't really make for a pleasant experience. Ivy couldn't help that gnawing dread hovering on the edge of her senses. She couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right.

Plusle's situation was confusing, she wasn't sure what was up about the laptop, and the storm outside seemed to be a bit unnatural. What did it all mean? They needed to find out.

They were headed into a less-kept part of the Plant now, as the ceiling crackled and numerous holes appeared in the floor. The rain was seeping in from outside, making dripping noises as it splashed down, though they hadn't seen any floods yet. There were only a few small puddles which were nothing to be worried about.

What was worse was the muggy feeling that went with the storm. With Ivy's turtleneck, it made the feeling super uncomfortable. She didn't do too well with a lot of heat, and it was definitely muggy. She was rubbing her arms when they came up to a large hole at the end of the hall.

A Pokemon hovered in, and she recognized it as one she had seen before. The thick, durable skin was dotted with water droplets as the purple Pokemon came in from the storm. The toxic gasses around the Koffing was muted, canceled out in part by the weather. It looked cold too, which was just a little odd. Although spring rains could be chilly, they had had a warm spell and the mean temperature was rising. The rain shouldn't be that cold this time of year.

“Would you like to battle this Koffing?” Elisa asked.

Ivy shook her head. She had only seen the request for one Koffing on the board, and she wasn't in need of one at this time. She didn't think her landlord would really appreciate smoke damage on the walls of her apartment anyway.

“I'll pass this time. I've got a doll if needed,” she said.

She wouldn't be surprised if the Poison-type didn't leave peacefully, though, since being cold and dreary sometimes put her in a foul mood too. Its state might make it agitated, and she didn't want to fight it when it was already trying to adjust. She hoped it would just continue on, but she wouldn't mind parting with another doll if it was really stubborn.

 

@WinterVines; Short post is short, sorry. ^^;;

NBP#18

"I'll pass this time," Ivy replied with a shake of her head, reaching once again into one of her vest pockets.

The Koffing seemed to understand, giving a growl in consent, bobbing its head (or rather, its whole body) at the hole in the wall. It hovered away from us, floating down the hallway we'd just come from, water droplets sliding across its outermost covering.

I stepped forward, peering into the hole. Outside was as gloomy as ever, layer upon layer of dreary fog settling over the place. The rain came rushing down in heaps; the sound of water splattering against the ground was deafening. Waves rolled across the ground, sloshing against the complex's walls. I gulped as I felt the vibration reverberate around me as another murky sludge slammed into the cement. The flood wasn't too deep yet it seemed, though it wouldn't be for much longer at the rate the rain was petering down. The scene was disheartening, to say the least, a heavy feeling swallowing me just like the thick haze outside blanketing everything in darkness. I turned away with my lip quivering, letting Ivy take a look.

I ran my hand through my hair indecisively, trying to get my mind off the thunderstorm - but you couldn't really accomplish that for the claps of thunder, the bolts of lightning, and the sound of heavy rain were constant reminders of it. The forlorn feeling did not lighten one bit. Another roar of thunder jolted me, and sighing heavily, I turned to Ivy.

"I think it's a good idea to start heading back before we find ourselves, er, trapped." My voice was heavy and dull, just like the bleak atmosphere we were submerged in. I rubbed my eyes from exhaustion, glancing mometarily at the gaping hole. "There doesn't seem to be any leaks, thankfully, though we should do something about this hole first, just in case." Hopefully, it wouldn't come to that, and I really did not feel like talking about it. Still, apprehension was flooding me - something was off about this storm, that was for sure, but what?

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

Encounters Left: 7 [Endurance Run]
Area Effects:
Pokemon Encountered: Electrike (F, Hasty)|Zubat (?, ???)|Electrode (?, ???)|Electrode (?, ???)|Koffing (M, Bashful)|Ditto (?, ???)|Flaaffy (?, ???)|Elekid (?, ???)|Registeel (?, ???)|Rotom (GL, Impish)|Mareep (?, ???)|Plusle (?, ???)|Koffing (?, ???)
Current Encounter: [none]
Pokemon Captured: Electrike (F, Hasty)|Koffing (M, Bashful)|Rotom (GL, Impish)

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|Two Black Apricorns|One Yellow Apricorn|One Legendary Picture [Registeel]
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) - 64%
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#28

Thankfully, the Koffing didn't want to fight. Ivy didn't think it would be a good idea anyway, seeing how it was already suffering from the cold. It shivered a little as it bobbed in acceptance of the truce, and then it floated away as water dripped off of it and onto the floor.

Elisa took a look out of the hole the Poison-type came in from, into the darkness of the storm. She didn't look happy about it. Eventually, she turned with a solemn look and motioned Ivy over. The other woman peered into the downpour, noting how the water was starting to build below. If the Plant had any basement rooms with cracks, they were probably filling up. Gaps in the walls like the one they were hanging out of didn't help either.

The air still felt weird, though, which lead Ivy to believe that the storm wasn't natural. She wanted to rub her hands to get rid of the feeling. Surely regular rains this time of year weren't this violent or heavy. The water was building up too rapidly.

“I think it's a good idea to start heading back before we find ourselves, er, trapped,” Elisa said. Ivy nodded. “There doesn’t' seem to be any leaks, thankfully, though we should do something about this hole first, just in case,” she added.

“Yeah, holes like these are a problem,” she answered, stepping back from it as she examined the area. “I don't really think there's much we can do right now, though, at least physically. I'll put in a call to have some relief guys get out here stat, since it's a high-risk flood area,” she said as she pulled out her phone to make the request.

She hit the correct buttons and sent a text message to Claudia, one of the more mature secretaries back at the main outpost. She would hone in on their GPS location and send a team out, hopefully. If the storm didn't prevent them.

“I think what we should really do,” Ivy began, “is get to the bottom of this storm. It feels unnatural, like something isn't right. If we can move toward the source, if it's being created by a Pokemon or otherwise—” She had dark images of the things the poachers were capable of. “—we'll have the chance to stop it. I think that would stop the flooding.”

She waited for Elisa to decide where they should head to next. Time was running out. They were going to have to work fast.

 

@WinterVines; I'm actually quite happy with how this one turned out ^_^

NBP#19

We couldn't do much about the hole, of course - Ivy was right. She quickly sent a message to one of the secretaries, hitting the keys on her phone urgently. I willed the relief team to get here soon - and safely, at that. There was no telling what dangerous threats this unnatural storm could pose, seeing as how we had never actually encountered something like this before.

Looking up as she tucked he phone away, the Elite Ranger spoke again. She voiced her thoughts on the dreary situation we had somehow found ourselves in today. “I think what we should really do is get to the bottom of this storm. It feels unnatural, like something isn't right." I nodded, agreeing whole-heartedly as she continued. "If we can move toward the source, if it's being created by a Pokemon or otherwise -” Ivy paused, and I had a feeling we were thinking about the same dark thing we didn't exactly want to put to words nor consider, even. “-we'll have the chance to stop it. I think that would stop the flooding.”

My head dipped again in affirmation, but my mind was in chaos; her plan and way of thinking was just, of course, but it was easier said than done. No, duh. We couldn't exactly stop the source if we didn't know who or what it was, and where it could be found. And stopping it was an entirely new problem altogether as well. I heaved a heavy sigh, wondering what went wrong. Had the day really started out so gloomy?

I shifted my weight around uneasily, my legs threatening to give out under me, though I wasn't entirely sure if it was because of exhaustion or sheer fear and worry. I could feel them trembling ever-so-slightly in time with the waves of numbness that had began coursing its through my arms, fatigue from carrying the laptop catching up to me. My head throbbed, searching in vain for answers that didn't come. My thoughts seemed to be melting into a violent sea of ache, incoherence gripping me firmly.

Time was running out.

I shook my head before the pain could lay even one nasty finger on me - I didn't want to deal with this now, not when we were in this kind of danger and risking so much; I couldn't let the pounding distract me, couldn't let it hinder me, couldn't let in conquer or defeat me. Not now, not ever.

I switched my gaze back over to the outside of the Plant, as though staring desperately at the storm through this hole would somehow reveal the answers needed to solve this problem, or at least, give me a clue.

And help me it did.

Hidden amongst the layers of dark, foreboding gray was a seemingly large figure moving around, an aura of power radiating off it - I could just feel the creature's presence, feel that this was a breakthrough in unravelling the mystery we were facing. The entity was still weaving its way around the hazy fog; I wasn't sure what it was - didn't have time to ponder about it for much longer - but it was there, and we had to do something about it, if only because it held some sort of connection to this puzzle. I only had a hunch, a sensation, that gut feeling one sometimes has about something... But it was better than nothing. Yes - that was the reasoning that fueled my sudden and what I considered to be an intuitive decision, the reasoning that drove me to do what I did next.

"Let's head back out," I told Ivy hurriedly, already making a start on backtracking. "I think I might've just found the reason behind all this..." I dashed down the hallways as fast as I possibly could with the computer in my arms, explaining what I'd seen to the older Ranger. My words tumbled out quickly; I didn't miss a beat as I swerved dangerously, rounding another corner. My earlier weariness seemed to have been replaced by an adrenaline rush, a spark of hope that maybe we were just that much closer to uncovering this mystery.

I could see the hole we'd come through earlier, the one we had passed through just before the Plusle's wails had rang out. I slowed down enough to step across the jagged remains of what used to be a sturdy cement wall, making my way across with a sense of urgency about me. And then I was sprinting again, breathing hard with the machine pressed to my chest as I ran.

Skidding to a stop in front of what seemed to be two Koffing stuck together, I grasped the computer even tighter and glanced at Ivy and her partners, making sure everyone had gotten here safely. One head was larger than the other, and there seemed to be another round chamber connected by appendages to the two of them. The smaller mass did not have the skull and crossbones design the other did, and looked less nasty somehow, more gloomy, actually. One head deflated, and the other inflated, and I knew for a fact that this behavior caused their individual toxins to mix, polluting the air around us.

Inhaling sharply in an attempt to make up for the lost breaths in our hasty run, I smelled the stench of hazardous gases once again, and chided myself for even attempting respiration in this kind of atmosphere. I pushed the suffocating air out quickly, asking Ivy, "Are you in need of another toxic gas 'mon?" I jerked my thumb over to the Weezing, steadying myself as I was incredibly tempted to just gulp down every little puff of air available.

We'd get to the bottom of this, I told myself - we would, we would. And nothing was going to stop me if I wanted to get things done. Before we knew it, we would be off again, leaving this Pokemon behind and dashing off at full speed as though our lives depended on it. And maybe they did.

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

Encounters Left: 6 [Endurance Run]
Area Effects:
Pokemon Encountered: Electrike (F, Hasty)|Zubat (?, ???)|Electrode (?, ???)|Electrode (?, ???)|Koffing (M, Bashful)|Ditto (?, ???)|Flaaffy (?, ???)|Elekid (?, ???)|Registeel (?, ???)|Rotom (GL, Impish)|Mareep (?, ???)|Plusle (?, ???)|Koffing (?, ???)
Current Encounter: Weezing (?, ???)
Pokemon Captured: Electrike (F, Hasty)|Koffing (M, Bashful)|Rotom (GL, Impish)

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|Two Black Apricorns|One Yellow Apricorn|One Legendary Picture [Registeel]
MCR: 2281/25000 [Internediate]

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) - 64%
Ability: Steadfast
Nature: Hardy
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Will-O-Wisp|Thunder Wave|Drain Punch|Bulldoze|Shadow Sneak|Ice Punch|Fire Punch

 

@MuddyMudkip; Don't forget to add Plusle to the encounter list! The number count is right, but you forgot to list her XD

TP#29

Elisa looked out the hole in the wall one more time before she caught sight of something. She stepped even closer as she squinted to get a better look, her brow furrowing. Then, the look of inspiration flashed across her face, and she hastened into motion.

“Let's head back out,” she suddenly said before she started running back the way they had come.

Ivy didn't argue and follow, as the Ranger explained what she saw as they went. Haji easily jogged behind her, and she even heard Vergil's much louder steps as he kept up with them. Apparently she had seen a Pokemon out there, and more than likely it had something to do with the downpour. If they could get outside in a safe place, they would be able to investigate.

They ran on, through the halls and past the rooms they had encountered before. They made it back to the first hole they had came through, and here they all slowed down for a second so they wouldn't trip and hurt themselves. Ivy hadn't been much of a Track and Field person when she had been in school, and even though she was more fit now as a Ranger, she didn't want to gamble with it. They didn't have time to stop.

Eventually they came to a halt in front of a Weezing, another Poison-typed Pokemon evolved from the one she had caught earlier. The design was much the same too, looking like multiple Koffing were joined together. The Pokemon puffed at a more casual pace than they did, since they were all gasping for breath after running so far.

Even though they were in a rush, Elisa was still obligated to ask her if she wanted to capture the wild Pokemon, since that was technically their job. “Are you in need of another toxic gas 'mon?” she asked.

Ivy shook her head. “Nah, let's keep going. There's no time to lose if you saw something outside. If it won't let us pass through right away, I've got a doll here.”

They needed to hurry, lest the strange entity Elisa saw disappeared before they could get there.

 

@WinterVines;

NBP#20

"Nah, let's keep going," Ivy answered. I nodded, making a start towards slipping our way around the wild entity.

I felt my legs kicking in once again despite my exhaustion as we made a break for it, running away from the Weezing. I glanced over my shoulder, watching the creature speed down the other way as another rumble of thunder shook the Plant. I felt rather guilty seeing it so scared in this way - no doubt the other Pokemon were terrified as well - but it gave me all the more reason to get to the bottom of this mystery once and for all, and stop this murky storm from harming anyone else.

I pushed on determinedly, blatantly ignoring the searing pain shooting through my limbs and sides. I was quite used to this sensation, though, seeing as how I was an athlete when I was still in school. The only thing different now was that I was carrying this computer with me, hindering me from sprinting to my fullest. I felt a rush of adrenaline, though, and perhaps it served to balance out the "burden" of the extra load, the danger all too real as the shadows seemed to creep up on me. The exhaustion from the weary, dreary day threatened to stop me as well, but I decidedly told myself that the only thing getting stopped today would be that thunderstorm. Come on, come on... Just a little farther...

I almost led us straight down the wrong corridor in my haste, then doubled-back (with an "Oh, wait..." and an apologetic look at Ivy) just as another ripple of lightning illuminated the area, tearing a zigzag mark in my vision as it flashed dangerously. The roar of thunder followed soon after as I blinked away the spots in my eyes.

We rushed down another hallway and almost missed a cowering Electric-type whimpering over at one side. Another combination of lightning and thunder rocked the place, sending a series of terrified sniffs to escape the creature's throat. I paused, my heart going out to the crying Pokemon. "There's an Elekid over there," I murmured to Ivy, nodding at the fellow as a bead of sweat slid down my cheek. "Interested?" Sometimes it did feel wrong to offer up 'mons, especially in times like these, but it was our obligation as a ranger to do so, and I told myself to just take it as an act of politeness if anything.

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

Encounters Left: 5 [Endurance Run]
Area Effects:
Pokemon Encountered: Electrike (F, Hasty)|Zubat (?, ???)|Electrode (?, ???)|Electrode (?, ???)|Koffing (M, Bashful)|Ditto (?, ???)|Flaaffy (?, ???)|Elekid (?, ???)|Registeel (?, ???)|Rotom (GL, Impish)|Mareep (?, ???)|Plusle (?, ???)|Koffing (?, ???)|Weezing (?, ???)
Current Encounter: Elekid (?, ???)
Pokemon Captured: Electrike (F, Hasty)|Koffing (M, Bashful)|Rotom (GL, Impish)

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|Two Black Apricorns|One Yellow Apricorn|One Legendary Picture [Registeel]
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) - 64%
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#30

Elisa sprinted off again after her comment, leaving the Weezing in the dust. Ivy looked back, but it was content to go in the opposite direction, away from the storm and their destination. They ran on, hopefully to solve whatever was going on.

Ivy found that even with the computer luggage, Elisa was quite fast. She must've had some good athletic background before she became a Ranger, since although Ivy was fit, she only barely kept up, and she didn't have all that extra gear.

The group almost headed down the wrong route, but the other Ranger quickly pulled to a stop and backtracked. Thunder rolled outside, even louder than before, signaling how much the storm had grown. They would have to hurry. Lighting flashed as they dashed down another hallway. A scared cry caught her attention then, as the storm raged.

A small Elekid was cowering as close to the wall as he could. He had his arms up over his head as if he could cover his ears, and every time the lightning flashed or the thunder rumbled, he whimpered and shook.

Elisa stopped and motioned to him. “Interested?”

Ivy shook her head. “As much as I'd like to help him, the best thing we can do is get to the bottom of this storm so the entire thing will stop. Let's keep going, but if he looks too scared to be left alone, I'll leave him a doll,” she said.