Individual RP: WinterVines [Endurance Run]

@WinterVines;

NBP#21

"Hang on there, little guy..." I whispered to the Electric-type, trying to comfort him. "The storm'll be over soon, I promise." The wild creature could only nod as another low sob shook him. I tried to convince myself with my own words as I ushered Ivy and her Pokemon along.

After seeing the fellow so hurt, so vulnerable... I couldn't take it anymore; I needed to get out right now and uncover this mystery once and for all, putting a stop to this horrid thunderstorm. Images of the drenched Koffing, the cowering Elekid flashed in front of my eyes, giving me that extra push, driving me to keep going, to keep running, in spite of my muscles screaming in pain from the sprint.

I almost slammed straight into the Power Plant's entrance, the computer in front of me and just inches from the door, when I noticed a gear-like entity blocking our path. It somehow wedged itself in the rather large gap between the handle and the gate, its two gears rotating rapidly in opposite directions. I knew that this was a way for them to communicate with each other. A thin spiked rim on its bottom held it in place as it spun and charged different types of energy, never once moving from its position on the door.

"Klinklang," I uttered, my chest heaving up and down rapidly as I gasped for air. "Wanna battle it?"

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

Encounters Left: 4 [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 (?, ???)|Elekid (?, ???)
Current Encounter: Klinklang (?, ???)
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: 0/25000 [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) - 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#31

“Hang on there, little guy,” Elisa soothed. “The storm'll be over soon, I promise.”

The brave little Pokemon nodded as the storm raged again, and they made to move on. “We're gonna fix it,” Ivy added as they turned to go, hoping the Elekid would be alright. Whoever or whatever was responsible for this storm, natural or not, had some explaining to do. Although she was a Ranger and her first priority was protecting the Pokemon, she still felt in the mood to lay a beatdown on someone if they were using this for nefarious ends. Too many were being negatively affected by it.

To Ivy's surprise, they headed back out to the gate, perhaps to go around the entire complex. Since they had been running so much, she was a little disoriented as to where exactly Elisa had seen the form of the entity. The rain poured down, creating a torrent of noise that drummed against her ears. The sooner they could stop this, the better.

As soon as they got the gate, a Pokemon appeared to block their path. They screeched to a halt before running into it, and Ivy heard Vergil huff behind her, in response to seeing the wild Pokemon.

“Klinklang,” she said, a little out of breath. “Wanna battle it?”

The large steel type reminded her of one of the reasons she had come back here in the first place. While in the Easter event, she had promised to come back and battle a Klink she had encountered with Vergil. She didn't think this one was the same one. Not too much time had passed, and a lot of Pokemon didn't evolve in the Park for whatever reason. This creature had large and small gears together, with a spinning ring almost like a force field guarding it on the bottom. It was very different from the Klink.

Ivy shook her head, and she heard Vergil make a noise. He probably knew the two were related in species. The Klink had annoyed the Gallade a little, and they had almost fought about it until Ivy had promised to come back another time. It looked like they were going to have to search out that other Pokemon later. Right now, they had a bigger problem.

“Let's just find out what this storm is up to,” she said. “If the Klinklang is unmovable, we can try to distract it with one of my dolls.”

 

@WinterVines;

NBP#22

Vergil seemed to have tensed up at the sight of the Steel-type, and when Ivy shook her head, he made a noise that sounded like low grunt, as though he was grumbling to himself. “If the Klinklang is unmovable, we can try to distract it with one of my dolls," Ivy said.

The creature didn't seem too interested in us, though, which was a mighty lucky thing. The last thing we needed right now was another delay to uncovering the truth and solving this mystery right when we were just so close already. With a bit of difficulty, I fumbled around and managed to grab a hold of my

Gallade's Pokeball. I called him out, asking him to hold the computer while I squeaked open the Plant's door. He obliged, though he was muttering to himself, as the muscles in my arms gave a cry of relief. I tugged open the heavy metal door, and as I did so, the Gear Pokemon's whirring grew louder and faster. Switching my attention to it momentarily, the entity shifted its position to reveal an Apricorn behind its body. I picked the red orb up and handed it over to the Elite Ranger to add to her collection in her Apricorn Box.

Outside, it was pouring, just as we had seen through the hole in the wall earlier. The stench tickled my nose as my eyes narrowed down to slits against the gale, attempting to keep the water out, not that I could see much of anything anyway - the thick layers of mist and curtains of rain made sure of that. Large droplets splattered against my skin, billowing in with the strong and urgent gusts of wind.

Adrian, we're gonna need some cover when we head out, I told the Psychic-Fighting-type hurriedly. Can you try to make some sort of cover for us? He nodded, using his mental abilities to create a light blue dome of energy around us.

I led the group out, closing the door tightly shut to keep the flood from rushing into the Power Plant. The water was probably a few inches higher than our ankles, but still pretty far from reaching our knees. The rain pattered against the barrier that followed our every step, plink sounds echoing around us every time a droplet would come into contact with the cover's surface. The drops slid down the shield's sides, making it even harder for us to see where we were going.

If you need any help to keep the dome up and stable--

<I won't need any help.> The Blade Pokemon seemed to sneer, and I could detect his stubborn pride getting in the way again.

I ignored him. Vergil's there; I say, you should at least try to work together. He snorted at this, but then eyed the other Gallade with unmistakable curiosity. I shot him a stern glance, telling him off through our mind-link. I knew what he was thinking - that he was far better than Ivy's partner, and could and would want to prove it, at that.

We circled around the complex in a hasty silence, peeling our eyes for any signs of the creature. We headed towards the back area of the Plant, seeing as how I had spotted the suspicious creature lurking outside that area. Another strike of lightning illuminated the dark, foggy sky, but the brightness did nothing to lessen the heaviness inside of us, the dreary atmosphere resting dejectedly on our shoulders.

"There it is!" I shouted suddenly, my voice ringing out above the defeaning thuds of raindrops, as I pointed skyward at what seemed to be a yellow creature.

As it zipped its way in and out of the clouds, I noticed that it was obviously a very large bird with yellow and black plumage. Its feathers were spiky and seemingly sharp-edged, just like the zig-zagging strokes of electricity. In fact, now that it was soaring around the area at a much faster rate, lightning seemed to be crackling everywhere and more frequently, particularly around the entity itself. At one point, I could barely even tell where its tail feathers, which were sticking out in several different directions, ended and where the erratic bolts began, the dense clouds and thick layers of murky mist concealing the Pokemon every now and then.

But,.. No; I couldn't - didn't want to - believe it. I didn't want to believe that the legendary was to blame for this mess, for this turbulent storm. Why would it even have any reason to do it? Or was this seemingly unnatural storm actually a natural thing for the Electric Pokemon to be creating?

Keeping my expression neutral, I mentioned my presumption to Ivy. "It seems that Zapdos caused this thunderstorm." My initial wonder and awe at laying my eyes on this mythical being was dampened by the possibility that it was responsible for all this, whether it meant to create such mayhem or not.

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

Encounters Left: 3 [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 (?, ???)|Elekid (?, ???)|Klinklang (?, ???)
Current Encounter: Zapdos (?, ???)
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/??? [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) - 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#32

The Klinklang seemed pretty passive, so they were lucky. Ivy was sure that Vergil would've been more than happy to fight, but they didn't have time for that now. They were so close to getting to the bottom of this problem storm that she could taste it. They had to keep going.

The Steel-type was happy to let them pass. Elisa monkeyed with the gate. It seemed to be a little stuck, She called out her own Gallade so he could hold the computer she had been carrying while she managed to wrench the barricade open. Immediately, there was a flicker of energy that even she could sense. It was coming from Vergil, of course. He got defensive and prideful whenever another strong fighter was around. If they were lucky, he wouldn't start a fight.

Elisa found a Red Apricorn as the Klinklang moved, and she handed it back to the other woman as they stepped out. Ivy added it to her Apricorn box. She was going to have to empty it soon—it was becoming quite full from this run. She would definitely have materials for crafting her own Park Balls once this run was over.

They crossed over the gate threshold and into the downpour after that. Ivy pulled her hood up over her head seconds before a wash of rain came rushing down. The wind whipped her long vest back and forth, and she could feel the weight from inside the pockets pulling her in the wind gust's direction.

It didn't last long however. A wave of energy came from Elisa's Gallade, and then a blue dome of energy was protecting them from the elements. Ivy saw Vergil scowl, as if upset the other Gallade was showing off, but Ivy knew she never could've asked him to do the same for them. He would've just scoffed and ignored her. She really hoped he wasn't going to make it an issue with the other fighter. They had enough problems already.

The rain was loud on the barrier, the sound almost drowning out her thoughts. She wasn't sure how far they traveled around the Plant grounds when Elisa shouted, “There it is!” She pointed up.

The static electricity in the air increased tenfold as Ivy saw the creature descend between the clouds. Jagged yellow spikes formed feathers on its wings in black and gold. Electricity sparked with every flap of its wings. Zapdos, the legendary thunder bird.

“It seems that Zapdos caused this thunderstorm,” Elisa said, sounding as bewildered as Ivy was.

Why had the legend done it? What purpose did it serve? Of all the times Ivy had seen them, these rare Pokemon more often had been protectors. They didn't go around causing trouble for no reason.

Ivy shook her head. Something wasn't right. “No,” she said. “I don't believe this.”

She thought of all the scared and hurt Pokemon, and all the damage that the Plant would endure because of the rising water. Homes that would be affected. Pokemon that would be provoked and hurt in panic. She wouldn't accept it.

“We're going to find out if Zapdos really did make this storm. And if so, we're going to find out why,” she said with a stubborn set to her jaw. She wasn't going to let the other wild Pokemon suffer any more.

Haji stepped up beside her, sensing from her thoughts what she wanted to do. She felt through their mental bond that he was with her one hundred percent, though, and his confidence in her reinforced her actions. “This is either going to be a great idea, or it's going to turn out awful,” she said. “Drop the barrier from around us,” she told Elisa's Gallade. “We're going to need the space.”

He did so, and the rain and wind came down on them in a torrent. It flipped her hood off so that the weather whipped through her hair and sent it sailing behind her like a cape. The Espeon's eyes glowed bright as he gathered energy, and Ivy stepped to the side a few spaces to give him room. Then, she looked back over her shoulder at Vergil, who looked curious. She didn't know if Haji had relayed the plan to him or not.

“If you think you can, you might need to back Haji up if this gets ugly,” she said. Then, she turned back to the Espeon. “Whenever you're ready, Haji. Let's get this big bird's attention.”

She may have been half crazy, but they were going to alert the Zapdos one way or another. She didn't want to attack it, just signal it. The legend's actions were very strange. She remembered to take out her phone quick to snap a picture so she would have some proof to go along with her paperwork later. Something like this couldn't go unmentioned, especially if it was happening in other areas of the Park as well. That could indicate some sort of trend. She had to use her arm to cover the device so it didn't get too wet. She was glad she put that weatherproof seal on it now.

Haji's energy peaked, and he nodded. Ivy returned it. “Now,” she said.

The psychic cat threw his head back, and from the gem on his head, a thin beam shot high into the sky in purples, blues, and pinks mixed with green. The colorful Signal Beam would hopefully be enough to bring the legend down to them. She had some questions for it, and she was sure Elisa had the same ones.

 

@WinterVines; Sorry this took a while D: Hopefully this next encounter’ll make up for the delay a bit, though ^_^;;

NBP#23

It was a crazy plan. It was. But, it was also a good one, in a sense – it was certainly understandable and expected that Ivy wanted to grab the Legendary’s attention and talk to it, ask it some questions; even I wanted to do the same. In fact, I liked the plan. After all, there was no harm in trying to talk to the large bird, especially since we kindof really did need to do that if we wanted to solve this problem once and for all. We’d use any means to get to the bottom of this mystery, even if it meant having to turn to these kinds of extreme measures just to do it.

Adrian was a little bewildered at first at what Ivy had told him to do, but after another piercing glance from me, he stopped feeding his power into the dome, letting the protective layer of Psychic-energy fade into the storm, carried swiftly away by the frantic winds. The gusts whipped against my face, seizing what little warmth I had left out of me. The downpour drenched my whole body in only a few moments' time, the dreary atmosphere lashing out at me, as if attempting to throw me off, but I didn't take much notice of it - after all, we were doing this for the sake of all those Pokemon inhabiting the Power Plant who were being disturbed by this storm, and it would be well worth it if we finally got to the bottom of all this, even if it meant tolerating conditions like these on our part.

I didn’t think that the Blade Pokemon had been hesitant to drop the barrier because he was scared of the turbulence, considering as how his Hidden Power type was Water and he was probably one of the most dauntless and daring Pokemon I’d ever met, if only to keep his pride intact; more like, he had lost his opportunity to show off, even though keeping a barrier that large stable and resilient against the torrential downpour was sure to have been an extremely exhausting task (though he would never admit that it had worn him out), no matter how honed he may make out his skills to be, Another possibility was that he was not used to taking orders from others - in fact, he sometimes paid little to no heed to my words either. And that was just the understatement of the year.

“Now,” the Elite Ranger said, nodding firmly at Haji. Her jaw was set in a rigid and determined manner, as was mine, as we gazed up at the Electric Pokemon who was still up in the clouds and circling the area, multiple bolts trailing its every move.

With a thrust of his head, the Espeon unleashed an array of menacingly bright multi-colored lights from the red gem on his forehead. I averted my gaze quickly as the rays shot upwards, practically blinding me with their sheer brilliance. And that was when I noticed the laptop my Gallade was holding. Chiding myself for even forgetting about it for a split-moment just because we'd seen a legendary Pokemon, I quickly hissed under my breath, just loud enough for the fighter to hear, "Keep that dry!" in an attempt to make up for my negligence. Ivy didn't hear me, I think, as she was preoccupied with the signal dancing around the air, circling the mythical creature but never once touching it. I watched the captivating lights with a bit of difficulty with the rainwater continuously dripping down onto my face, the drops sliding their way into my eyes. The beam itself was much like a searchlight in the dead of the night, purposefully sweeping a dark area with its illuminating glow.

A mighty growl echoed in the space around us, penetrating through the thick veils of rain and their deafening noise, as Zapdos finally took notice of the shimmering beam surrounding it. It weaved its way through the clouds as it began its descent by soaring across the complex’s sky slowly, flapping its great black and yellow wings as it lost altitude at a steady pace. While it was slowly gliding its way down to us, the Elite Ranger fished out her water-proof cellphone (I made a mental note to myself to get my RDA - Ranger's Digital Assistant - one of those coverings as well) and snapped a quick picture of the entity.

The sound of beating wings blended in with the splattering rain and howling wind as the Zapdos hovered just about two or three feet above the ground, and another good foot or two in front of us. Its beady eyes peered at us from its long and very sharp-looking beak, as if sizing us up. And don’t even get me started on its talons, its claws ready and waiting, it seemed. I didn't want to think that it was looking at us apprehensively, but rather with curiosity, but my stubborn thoughts didn't help me from feeling an anxious kind of hollowness in my stomach... The tension in the air was high, warm and crackling, as though there was some sort of electricity between us and the mythical Pokemon - and maybe there was, as this was an Electric-typed bird known to be able to generate lightning with a single flap of its magnificent feathers. I felt shivers shooting through my spine, tremors reverberating throughout my whole body, and it was not just because of the cold water soaking us - in fact, it was as humid as it had been moments ago, save for the rain on our skin; it was really the close proximity of the legendary that sent us all into such a frenzy. Its mere presence was enough to send static dancing along my skin as my eyes glanced warily at the golden tendrils sparking around the creature, outlining it in an authoritative sort of aura.

I noticed Ivy’s mouth open, her lips moving as she spoke, but I couldn’t quite comprehend what she was saying; it was as though thunder itself was roaring in my ears, making it virtually impossible for me to hear the words of my fellow ranger. I figured she was asking Zapdos if he’d caused the storm, and I felt no need to interrupt or add anything else until all of her questions were answered for my inquiries were pretty much similar to hers anyway.

A low rumble found its way through the area, as though the mythical entity was truly conversing with us - just as what had happened with the Registeel. At first, all I could hear were incomprehensible growls that made my head spin trying to make sense of them, but a few moments later, the cries had become words, words of our tongue. I managed to glance in Ivy’s direction before my eyes blurred with the immense power radiating off the legendary; the Elite Ranger was lost in concentration, her brow furrowed as she listened intently to what the bird had to say for itself. I felt my eyes suddenly cloud a split-second later, glazing over as the Zapdos’s answers echoed in my head. My head pounded, as did my heart, hammering - rather audibly, I’d say - against my chest. I felt my legs shaking, as though the gale carrying the Electric-type’s grunts was enough to topple me over. Its mighty voice overcame the thundering rain and bellowing winds, far louder than the unnerving sound of the storm.

“Am I the cause of the thunderstorm, you ask? Well, in a way, yes. It’s something that really happens when I’m around; my wings themselves generate lightning, y’know? I shed a good number of bolts while airborne.” It paused to give a show of its glittering feathers, waving one wing to release multiple currents of electricity. “Storms like these are a natural occurrence whenever I happen to linger around a certain place for long. It’s nothing to be afraid of, really - I quite like the rain. Not much I can do to stop these things from happening anyway.

“I’m not to blame for this storm. Okay, well, maybe I am - but there’s nothing I can do about it. I’m telling you, it’s a natural occurrence; nothing could’ve stopped it from happening. It was just coincidental, I’d say, that this one turned out to be one of the strongest and wildest storms we’ve experienced in ages, in spite of the time of the year. I dunno, it’s been extremely cloudy the whole day and even for the past few days now - one could perhaps assume that my timing just overlapped with a thunderstorm that was already lurking on the horizon anyway - even before I decided I needed some exercise. I love flying, y’know? And dark, ominous atmospheres are just the type I like to play around in. Shame, though, that this Power Plant’s out of business; I could’ve done for a good, hearty meal of sparking tendrils. Though, if I’m not mistaken, there was some electrical activity going on there earlier, wasn’t there? Must be from the Electric-types inside acting up and all; they’re always like that when a storm comes along. Their fur gets all charged up and everything, enough to last them for a number of battles if they ever needed to release a couple of volts.”

I was stunned for a while as I let the legendary’s words seep in. "Do you even know how much they're suffering?" I spat, pure rage boiling up inside of me as I jabbed a finger at the building beside us. "We came running all this way thinking they were in some sort of immense danger, impending doom... Poachers! Or whatever else. And here we are, uncovering the truth that there wasn't anything to be actually downright worried about except a legendary who can't control what it, itself, has created? Sure, the heavy and murky downpour and the resulting flood that has come out of this mess is definitely a bother, but surely - surely - you can do something about it?" I was seething with indignation now, my teeth gritted and fists clenched hard at my sides as I struggled to keep my exasperated voice under control, to keep it from cracking with bitterness.

<Calm down, Elisa, sheez! Don't go making it agitated!> Adrian reprimanded me, shaking me out of my rampage with his words and jolting waves of Psychic energy. <Are you out of you mind? What, do you want us to get blasted off just because you lost your temper? Just because you were being rash and made Zapdos just as furious?>

I turned to glare at him but felt the emotion ebbing away, my anger deflating. I heaved a rather reluctant sigh that seemed to be as heavy as the layers of mist around us, switching my gaze back over to the Electric Pokemon. My Gallade was right, of course; we needed the legendary on our side, especially in situations such as this one, and my violent reaction wasn't going to help any. I tried again, forcing my voice to take on a calm demeanor, "Surely there is something we can do about this thunderstorm? Anything at all?" I let my eyes sweep over our group. "All of us here are willing to lend a hand, if you'll initiate something, some sort of plan to fix this - return things back to the way they were before, if only for the Power Plant's inhabitants' sake... You're the most powerful one out of all of us, and the one who has at least some amount of control over the skies. We're going to need your assistance just as much as you'll need ours, if not more. So, please? There's gotta be something we can do...?"

The legendary's eyes seemed to pierce right through my own, as though they could clearly see my mind and everything else inside of me. It lifted a wing in a shrug, then growled coolly, "I'll see what I can do." There was a blotch of ire in its tone, and it began to ascend into the clouds. "I can't guarantee anything, though. I can probably try to redirect the storm to m'self, so that the lightning is focused around me, then I can pull the rain and everything away from here." It shrugged again, then flapped a feather at Haji. "Might do you some good if you could speed up the process by helping out instead of losing your head." It smirked coldly before heaving itself up into the skies, zooming off without wasting a single moment. I let out a shaky breath, relieved that my impulsiveness hadn't destroyed everything, though I was still chiding myself for acting stupidly. Adrian must be enjoying this, I would think so - his trainer's going mad, what fun! Great way for him to further inflate his mindset of superiority.

The downpour was starting to lighten already, and a few rays of sunshine had penetrated the dreary fog, sending a shimmer of hope and warmth coursing through me. It looked as though whatever the bird was doing, it was working, at least. The image of it gesturing over to the Psychic Eeveelution flashed across my mind suddenly, and thinking hard, I recalled a move he had used in his battle with the Koffing earlier.

"I'm guessing Zapdos means a Sunny Day technique," I told Ivy, indicating her Espeon with a small hand motion.

However, right at that moment, we heard - and felt - what seemed to be tendrils of electricity crackling. I whipped my head around as my skin tingled with static, my jaw dropping as I laid my eyes on the golden bolts all around the laptop. It all happened in a flash, and in a literal sense, too - one moment, there were sparks engulfing the computer, and the machine seemed to explode with a blast of blinding yellow light, then the next moment a creature was hovering right next to it.

Its head, which held its yellow, dartboard-patterned eyes that peered at us with sheer curiosity, was detached from the rest of its rounded body. Its legs were blue, as was its round beak, and were somewhat wing-like, while its similarly-colored tail was just as plump; the Virtual Pokemon's posture certainly resembled a bird of sorts. The rest of its body was a contrasting red hue.

I knew what this was - a very rare find, indeed. "Are you interested in battling this Porygon-Z, rain or shine?" I choked out, glancing momentarily at Ivy while more pressing thoughts consumed my mind. Did encountering this entity mean that we'd lost all data stored inside the laptop? I didn't dare believe it - no way, right? It couldn't be that simple, that easy, to just lose what had appeared to be such valuable information. ... Right...? The little voice inside of my head had never sounded any less convincing than at this very moment. "I'm gonna... I'll just try and have a look at the computer... See what I can find out and stuff."

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

Encounters Left: 3 [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 (?, ???)|Elekid (?, ???)|Klinklang (?, ???)|Zapdos (?, ???)
Current Encounter: Porygon-Z (?, ???)
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|Two Legendary Pictures [Registeel|Zapdos]
MCR: 5036/45000 [Special]

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; Not a problem at all! And the encounter is great :3 Plot twist! You had great set up for that—I didn't see it coming at all!

TP#33

The wind whipped around them as Haji signaled to the bird. At first, Ivy didn't think it was going to work. The entity was high up in the sky and seemed to be ignoring them for the most part. Then, the energy in the air changed. It became more charged, and the humidity rose even though the rain was pouring down. Ivy could feel her shirt cling to her skin uncomfortably. Then, the electrical bird began to descend.

It hovered down, and Ivy's skin prickled with every flap of its wings as power rolled off of it. That it was a legendary Pokemon there was no doubt—she just hoped that this storm could be resolved.

As the bird settled, the woman got a good look at it. It hovered there a few feet off the ground, having to flap its enormous wings every so often to stay afloat. Its long, slender beak diffused rain droplets as they rolled off, and its yellow and black feathers stood out in the glum.

The look in its eyes meant that it wanted to seem intimidating and authoritative. Ivy stood it down and stubbornly refused to bow to either intent. She wanted answers. The other wild Pokemon in the Plant depended on it. She wasn't going to fail them. It would take a lot more than one egotistical bird to change that.

“Are you responsible for this?” she asked the entity without any more pause.

Then, the Zapdos began to speak to her—if speaking was entirely the right word. It was a weird sensation against her mind really, which made her think of some form of telepathy. First, the feeling was fuzzy, and then her head tingled, like it had fallen asleep. Words formed then, becoming more clear after a few moments. She couldn't tell if Haji was translating and relaying the message to her or if the legendary bird was speaking to her directly—some of these Pokemon had those abilities despite not being Psychic-typed.

The bird more or less answered her question. It was indeed the cause of the storm, but since storms naturally generated around it, it didn't feel there was anything it could do to fix it. The blasé attitude of the legendary angered Ivy even more. Legendary Pokemon were supposed to protect and look out for the others. That was their job as guardians, as Pokemon supposedly stronger than the rest. That's why they had their elevated status. Ivy sometimes put the Rangers in the same vein as the legends since they worked for the same goals. But not this one.

In fact, the Zapdos wasn't concerned at all. Did it not know how the Pokemon inside the Plant were afraid and agitated? Surely this storm seemed unnatural enough for the bird to tone it down. While regular storm activity was expected, this torrential downpour was ridiculous.

“Do you even know how much they're suffering?” Elisa suddenly yelled, angrier than Ivy had ever seen her. She couldn't blame the other Ranger, really. The woman was worried about the other wild Pokemon too. Ivy felt much of the same.

Elisa then went quiet suddenly, and her Gallade was looking at her strangely. They were probably having a mental conversation. From the almost-alarmed look on Adrian's face, he was probably worried that the Zapdos would get offended and blast then to smithereens.

Ivy thought, let it. She wasn't afraid of this Pokemon. Her station as a Ranger and a Trainer demanded she do something, so she would.

“I am disappointed in you,” she told the Zapdos. “There are enough opposing forces at work in the world, from poachers and poor Trainers to the weather itself. I expected Pokemon at least to work together and help their own kind. That you could care less about the wild Pokemon you're upsetting is just sad.”

Haji stepped up close to her, his own gaze steady on the Zapdos. Ivy figured it was for her benefit—if the Zapdos got ticked off now, the rage would probably be directed at her since she spoke last. His presence gave her courage to stare down the legendary bird, knowing that at least he would stand beside her no matter what.

“I once put us as allies, you legendary Pokemon and us Rangers. I thought we both worked toward the well-being of all Pokemon. But now I know that we're not, really. Some Pokemon are just more self-centered than others,” Ivy said flatly. She didn't flinch or look away from the bird, hoping the words would sink in. She didn't really care if she offended it. It had crossed a line that as a Ranger and a Trainer, she couldn't allow.

Elisa then tried to plead with it, proclaiming that the group would do anything in their power to help out if something could be done. Seeing as how the Zapdos was responsible for the mess, Ivy thought it should help out, regardless if they did or not. The other Ranger was being smart out it, though, playing to the Legendary's ego by commenting on how powerful it was. Ivy wasn't going to do that, however. She was still a bit angry.

After a few moments of deliberation, the bird finally answered, saying it would try to redirect the storm onto itself so it could absorb the energy. Then, it pointed a wing at Haji, and Ivy's brow raised as it said “Might do you some good if you could speed up the process by helping out instead of losing your head.”

Ivy had a hot remark for that, since Haji was the most calm out of all of them. He never lost his head no matter what, and it was insulting that the Zapdos would imply it. Of course, turnabout was fair play, and she had insulted the bird, but anger rarely shared the same bed with logic. She took a step forward, but before she could say anything, the Espeon's cool energy flowed over her senses. It made her stop. If he wasn't bothered by it, then she supposed she could let it pass this one time, even if Haji was a bit passive.

The bird then ascended into the sky, and Ivy felt the pull of energy at work. The rain did lighten up though, and small beams of sun began to filter through the dreary air. The storm was lifting, it seemed. That would hopefully abate the wild Pokemon's fears inside the Plant.

Seeing the sun also sparked something in Elisa. Suddenly, she said, “I'm guessing Zapdos means a Sunny Day technique,” indicating that she had also heard the legendary bird.

“Probably,” Ivy replied, nodding. Heating up the air a little more would help part the clouds and let more sunlight stream down. That would dry things up, and the rumbling thunder should stop completely.

Before she put any sort of plan into motion, however, there was a disturbance. Static crackling drew her attention over to Elisa's Gallade. The laptop that the other woman had handed off to him began sparking. Bolts of bright yellow light flickered off of the device, startling all of them. Ivy could feel Haji's senses rise in alertness, and Vergil took a defensive stance, his arms braced up in an X in front of him, like a soldiers's guard.

The computer glowed even more, and Ivy had to shield her eyes with her arm as it intensified. She looked away for a second until the light faded in the edges of her vision. When she turned back, there was another creature in their group, hovering next to the device it had emerged from.

It was a sleek Pokemon, hovering slightly above the ground. Ivy guessed it to be around three feet high—more than half her height. Its body was a rose-shaded orb, with a cyan blue band around it. Three oblong limbs attached to it in a triangular formation. Bright yellow eyes regarded them curiously, its blue bill tilting with its head, that appeared to be floating above its body.

Elisa gave a sound of admiration and Ivy mimicked. “Are you interested in battling this Porygon-Z, rain or shine?”

Ivy looked over to her as she appeared to choke on the words a little, as if she had to squeeze them out. Elisa did look a little pale. She was staring at the computer still lodged in Adrian's arms, seeming a little lost. After all, that laptop had just undregone some serious electrical charge.

“I'm gonna...” she started, “I'll just try and have a look at the computer... See what I can find out and stuff.”

Her tone made Ivy smile a little, despite the situation. The lightening of the storm had relieved a coil of tension in her, and now she was starting to relax now that the main danger was out of the way. The storm was subsiding, and with a little more time, it would probably lift up entirely.

“Now that the danger seems to be over for the time being, I think we probably have time for another battle. And actually,” she added, “this Porygon-Z might be able to help us with that computer even. Since it spent so much time in the machine, it might be able to call up and decipher some of the information. You know, dig up some hidden files or something.” She hoped the silver lining would cheer the other woman up a little. All wasn't lost yet.

That was, if she could capture the wild Pokemon and convince it to help them. At least this one didn't look like it had any malicious intentions, unlike the devious Rotom. It simply looked curious, and that was a good start.

“What do you think?” Ivy called out to it. “Does a battle sound all right?”

Adrian backed up a little, to give them space after her comment. His footsteps squished as he had to track through the mud, and that gave Ivy and idea of how to start.

The ground was still really soggy and muddy after the heavy rains, and if done right, they may be able to use it. Ivy knew these Pokemon were strong battlers. They could increase many of their aspects, from their speed to attacking prowess. She would have to be careful and watch its movements. With any luck, they could use the environment to slow it down before it got set up.

One thing was for certain, though. There was no way that any single one of her Pokemon were going to be able to handle this wild Pokemon themselves. If she asked the question out-loud, Vergil would probably be pretty sure of himself, but Ivy had noticed how he wasn't operating at his normal speed. The battle against the Rotom had taken more out of him than she knew he was willing to admit.

She would have to play around that. Most likely, she would need all three of her partners for this. Even now a sort of plan was forming in her head. Because of his injuries, she'd have to save the Gallade for last, even though his type was naturally strong against the Porygon-Z. Maybe holding him off until the end would make him feel more important—like the saying “saving the best for last.”

“Shall I start? Haji asked against her mind. Ivy nodded.

“We'll have to be extra careful with this one,” she answered silently. She was pretty sure that the Porygon was capable of understanding their speech because of its intelligence, so she wanted to keep dialogue to a minimum. It was unfortunate that it would only work for Haji's time on the field, but she would take what she could get.

“Sunny Day is on the agenda again, but not quite yet. Let's use some of the leftovers from the storm before we dry it out,” she told the Psychic cat. Ivy glanced around the field again to look at all the mud still soggy from the rain. “Can you feel the roots from here?”

He nodded. “Indeed. They are deep, but the rain has revitalized them.”

“Okay, good. The first step involves that. With your Grass Knot, reach out to those roots and vines and pull them up. The ground is still wet, so the mud should cling to them. Then, try to trap the Porygon with the plants and mud. I don't think you'll be able to hold it still at this point since it's not tired, but lather it as much as you can.”

Ivy thought for a moment and then nodded to herself. “After that, it should be okay to use Sunny Day. Really crank up the heat if you can. Let's try to harden the mud and plants onto the wild Pokemon. If you can get a few roots around its limbs especially, the sun should absorb most of the moisture out of them and make them a lot tougher.”

Haji often used his Grass Knot skill, depending on their environment. Luckily, they were outside, so it was a little bit easier to reach down with his mental strength and drag up the roots and vines down there. Sometimes it was even necessary to collect vines from distant places, and then it took longer.

Ivy felt her skin prickle as Haji started his technique. The energy in the air became thick, and she backed up a little bit to give him some space. She expected some sort of counter-attack from the Normal-type, but they needed to weaken it a little so it was safe for Candle to come into the fight.

If Haji was successful in getting at least a little mud on the wild Pokemon, his sun-making technique should really slow it down. She had experienced that often in the field—if she didn't wash the mud off right away, her skin became scaly and stiff, and it was hard to move if she didn't make cracks in the soil stuck to her limbs. She was hoping they could pull of a similar maneuver here.

The Sunny Day would hopefully also dry up the ground a little, and that would make it safer for Vergil to fight, since he had to get close with most of his attacks in order to do much. Haji preferred at a distance and Candle could float, but Vergil liked up close and personal the best.

It would probably be a long fight, but it would be worth it. For now, she would see what Haji could do, and then she'd plan accordingly.

 

@WinterVines; This took way longer than it should have, I am so so sorry :< But I think I'll be able to work on things a bit faster now - just needed some time to adjust to new teachers and the speed at which we're tackling all these lessons 'cos of the new curriculum/education system.. thingy...

BP#1

Ivy's optimistic tone definitely helped me relax some;*her determination to capture the Porygon-Z was rather inspiring indeed. I just needed to remind myself to take it easy and not worry too much - we still had some amount of hope for the computer and its files, and the sky was brightening up already as well. Things were going pretty good, and if the Elite Ranger were to catch that Normal-type, then all the better.

"What do you think?" she called out as the wild entity looked around with evident curiosity. "Does a battle sound alright?" At the mention of a challenge, the Virtual Pokemon perked up, seemingly even more alert, more interested, now.

I signaled for Adrian to back up a bit to give them some space. He nodded mutely, his eyes still wandering between the Porygon-Z and Ivy's Pokemon, particularly the Gallade. It was easy to figure out that he was very much interested to see the other Blade Pokemon battle and how he would fare out against this rather formidable opponent. I shook my head - some things would never change. Adrian did move, though, with his feet mashing through the mud, audible squishing sounds symbolizing the sinking of the moist soil under his legs.

The murk could indeed prove to be a hindrance to Ivy's side of the battlefield - it would be rather difficult for both Vergil and Haji to navigate their way through the mushy mass of brown and green if they would need to attack the wild entity head on. The opponent on the other hand, wouldn't be too affected by this, as it was levitating in mid-air anyway. Vergil would probably be at an disadvantage here, if ever Ivy did ask him to step forward, despite his advantage with regards to typing, as immobility was just about the last thing he needed in a battle; the fighter seemed to be one who liked getting up close and personal, much like my own Gallade.

I was pretty sure Ivy had already taken notice of and had considered this, though. She wasn't an Elite Ranger and overall a brilliant battler for nothing! And my speculation was indeed proven to be correct when the Espeon began to carry out the plan Ivy had prompted him with.

He shut his eyes tight in concentration, a natural aura of power radiating off him. He felt his way into the earth, awakening the slumbering plants underneath us. He communicated with them, willing them to wriggle their way out from underground, to leave their resting place and poke through the soil with their sleek green figures. And poke they did.

Mud slid apart as twisting, curling vines slithered out from under the earth, creeping stealthily along the moist*battlefield. They journeyed through the tides, currents of rainwater pushing against them as they made their way towards the Normal-type. The downpour had weakened considerably once the legendary Zapdos had taken to the skies, yes, but the flood had remained, and as of yet, it certainly looked like it would be staying for a quite a while longer.

As the vines broke the surface of the murky water, a bright white orb formed in front of the Porygon-Z's nuzzle, the creature's calculating eyes watching the plants with apprehension. It seemed to be intelligent enough to know that this was some sort of assault, some sort of trap, and that it needed to act quickly now to lessen the technique's effect on it.

The large sphere burst open, exploding into three different elemental rays: one swirled with fiery blazes like that of a Flamethrower, another was a zig-zagging yellow streak of lightning like that of a Thunderbolt, and the third was much like the second in terms of erraticism except that it was a chilly blue hue, a beam of ice. The flames danced across the vines' sleek expanses, scorching them before being put out by the remaining crashes of rain. Electricity surged through the other vines, as if attempting to control them, to bind them from living, from moving. And as for the frost, well they did their job, too - freezing the last of the vines with icicles jutting out here and there as the plants collapsed to the damp ground.

All wasn't lost, however - Haji was still fighting, still trying to will the wildlife to keep going, to fulfill their duties; some listened.

The singed ones responded first - most of them had multiple parts charred off, black spots in their place, but they were alive and more than good enough to at least grasp and trap the Porygon-Z in some way. The vortex of fire hadn't posed that much of a threat thanks to the rain.

When it came to the sparking vines, however, we weren't as lucky. Some of them, those that had been hit harder by the golden tendrils (a few of them had even been victimized by more than one of the three elements), had sputtered to the ground, laying there with little currents of electrical energy crackling around them. However, a couple of others had carried on anyway, struggling against the power threatening to paralyze them, as they entwined themselves with the burnt ones, strengthening the binding force that held the wild entity in place.

Those that had met the sharp coldness of ice head on unfortunately had been hit the hardest of all, getting the worst of it. They had landed with a soft thud on the still-flooded battlefield, shining with the chilled spears poking out from everywhere. The frosted javelins were like the stalactites and stalagmites one would usually find in caves, outcroppings with mighty fine peaks, jagged rock-like formations that were instead this time made from ice. Their pointed summits glinted under the first rays of sunshine streaming down upon us; they were beautiful in a way, with creative and unique artistry as nature worked its wonders, but they sure weren't to be taken lightly.

Haji didn't seem too fazed by the opponent's counter to the Grass Knot assault, though the Tri Attack had definitely managed to complicate things by a fair bit. The Espeon then proceeded to performing part two of the move combination, a Sunny Day technique. A kindling red and orange orb of what looked like molten lava formed in front of his nuzzle, growing larger and larger with each passing moment. The ball of fire was cloaked in a harsh fiery bubble of burning energy, a brilliant searing glow radiating off its warm surface. Once he had deemed it large enough, the Eeveelution launched the make-shift sun into the sky with a sudden jerk of his head. The gas ball zoomed upwards, water evaporating rapidly from the heat emanating off it, then found its place in the horizon, warm drapes of sunlight falling down on us as if signifying hope reignited.

The effects could be seen immediately. There were little to no dark clouds remaining in the magnificent blue skies; the water level down on the ground had lowered by a bit (though it still wasn't completely gone). Things were starting to get brighter, no doubt.

The heat from the sun affected the Virtual Pokemon as well. The vines wrapped around it from head to toe were soaked with moist mud that rock-hardened under the new-found blazing warmth. This only heightened the technique's effect on the wild creature, efficiently hindering it from most forms of motion and dramatically turning the battle in Ivy's favor.

However, the Elite Ranger did still have to face off against the vines that had remained on the battleground, those that now seemed to be serving as a trap in their own right, what with all the electricity and frozen shards scattered about. I would probably liken them to entry hazards like Stealth Rocks and Spikes that are often put to good use by a good number of competitive battlers; they certainly did come in handy a lot of times and had sometimes been the crucial, deciding factor in a match as well. The plantlife laying about on the field could pose as a bit of a threat to both Haji and Vergil if in case either of them needed to get up close and personal with the Porygon-Z.

In any case, the Normal-type was rather immobilized at this point in time as well, so both sides of the battlefield were still a bit even. Of course, the Virtual Pokemon could still be very much capable of attacking from a distance, as could the the Espeon and even the Psychic-Fighting-type. If anything, the elemental maze of vines would serve as a challenge, and who knows, Ivy might just be able to use the "complication" to her advantage.

BATTLE STATS:
Wild Porygon-Z (?, ???)
Health: 93%
Currently Using: [none]
Last Move Used: Tri Attack
Status: firmly binded by vines

..::VS::..

Haji the Espeon (M, Calm)
Health: 88%
Last Move Used: Grass Knot+Sunny Day
Status: [none]​

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

Encounters Left: 3 [Endurance Run]
Area Effects: It's Sunny now, yay! Vines filled with electricity and with icicles jutting out are all over the battlefield.
Pokemon Encountered: Electrike (F, Hasty)|Zubat (?, ???)|Electrode (?, ???)|Electrode (?, ???)|Koffing (M, Bashful)|Ditto (?, ???)|Flaaffy (?, ???)|Elekid (?, ???)|Registeel (?, ???)|Rotom (GL, Impish)|Mareep (?, ???)|Plusle (?, ???)|Koffing (?, ???)|Weezing (?, ???)|Elekid (?, ???)|Klinklang (?, ???)|Zapdos (?, ???)
Current Encounter: Porygon-Z (?, ???)
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|Two Legendary Pictures [Registeel|Zapdos]
MCR: 18264/45000 [Special]

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) - 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#34

Their plan hadn't turned out perfectly, but since she had never battled a Pokemon like this, she didn't think they did too badly. The Porygon-Z had countered the vines with a Tri-Attack—a move that put together three different elemental forms: fire, ice, and lightning. It was the same three elements as the legendary birds.

The three bolts had seemed to char, freeze, and sizzle the vines so that few of them actually made it to the target. A lot of them had broken and shattered into dangerous pieces coating the field. It was good to know her foe's strengths, though, so it hadn't been a complete waste. It was testing the waters, to a point.

At least some of them did seem to wrap around the wild Pokemon, and the sun had helped solidify them a bit. It wouldn't last long, she knew, so they needed to step it up a notch. She didn't want to switch Haji out just yet either. She would need either him or Candle to get rid of the obstacles before Vergil took the field. The Chandelure could float, but the Gallade could not. She had a feeling that if she didn't let Vergil fight in this one, there would be trouble later.

She didn't want the Espeon to get close, and that wasn't his preferred method of battling anyway. The sun was favorable, and like a light switch, she suddenly thought of some way to use the vine hazards that hopefully wouldn't come back to bite her.

“Okay, Haji, I'm not sure what it's going to do next, but we need to act like it'll strike full force. First things first, put up a Light Screen around your area in case it tries something long-distance,” Ivy said.

She figured a half-circle would help protect him from what she wanted to do next. It wouldn't spare him all damage, but it could help deflect some of it. The purple cat was capable of restoring his energy, but that took time, and they may not have that. The trouble of the storm was gone, but it was always something else. She didn't want this powerhouse of a wild Pokemon to smash through her team.

She felt his energy rise, but Haji didn't move to act just yet. He knew she had further things to say, probably from their mental connection, but he waited for her to speak them. He would need the extra energy anyway. The near-invisible screens didn't take much strength to use, but what she had planned might.

“Alright, you'll need a bit of juice for this next part, so start off with a Growth before you attack. Use the sun to soak up energy, just like you have before. It should help with this next bit. I want to use the bits of Grass Knot shards that the Porygon broke up,” she said, scanning the field of dangerous objects as she spoke. “With any luck, the binds around it will hold for a few seconds while you do this.”

That would be her luck, really, that they went ahead and did this and then the Porygon broke out. There were a couple preventive measures she could plan, though, and she was confident in Haji's ability to pull them off.

“With your Psychic attack, collect as many shards as you can. You may have to bust some of the still-solid vines if possible. Thanks to the charring and the freezing, some of them should be pretty brittle. The sun helps too,” she added, remembering old, dried-out vines she had to remove from the sides of the house she didn't like to think about. They had come off pretty easily at least, so even if she didn't like to look at it, it didn't look like an overgrown jungle to passerbys.

“Once you've got ahold of them,” she continued, “whirl them up together in a tornado. I think they'll be small enough that your energy should be able to hold them. If you can get a cone around the Porygon, it should help you trap it even if it breaks out of the Grass Knot early. If it works, this whirling shard thing is probably going to break its binds anyway, so the Light Screen is extra important.”

With all those sharp objects flying around at high speeds, she would be surprised if the Porygon didn't break out. That and she didn't think they were that lucky.

“Don't keep it up for too long, though. I want us ready for some sort of counter-attack. Once you've struck it a little, or if you see its binds break, drop the shards so that we can see. That and I don't really want the Porygon to use them either, if we can help it,” she said. She knew that was something she couldn't control, but she didn't really want them on the receiving end of those things. That's one reason she didn't want Haji to continue the attack for too long—sure, it may be a battle, but she didn't want to hurt the wild Pokemon that much either.

As the Espeon enhanced his energy, Ivy kept her eyes glued to the field. The shards of debris reminded her of that house again. A storm had blown through the area recently, and she hadn't been up to survey the damage yet. She hadn't been there in weeks. With any luck, it would just be a few branches to clean up. Worst case scenario meant some broken windows, and maybe the tree falling on part of the roof. Of course, her distant-neighbors probably would've called her if it was something that major.

She didn't want to go back to that house any time soon—or at all really, but she was the only one to do maintenance—but she couldn't bring herself to get rid of it either. Ivy would have to make time to head up there after this run. Maybe right after it. Some of her new Pokemon might like the place, and a peaceful, secluded area would probably help all of them bond a little more. Less stress at least, she hoped.

She really should get rid of it, seeing how she had problems keeping up with rent as it was, and even though the house was paid for, it still required frequent trips (at least too frequent for her tastes) and upkeep. Going there took time away from work, even if it was nice to get away sometimes. The real cost wasn't something she could hold. Why hadn't she sold it already?

“Because it is a part of you,” Haji chimed in, silent except the whispering against her mind. “As much as our apartment or the sun and wind caressing your face.”

Ivy shook her head, but she was smiling. “Always so poetic. But what's that saying they use sometimes? That it's good to let go? I wouldn't mind letting that part go, but I guess if that were true, that still doesn't explain why I won't.”

“Why, indeed.”

She rolled her eyes at his slightly cryptic answer and stopped her musings so she wouldn't distract him. There would be plenty of time for thought once this run was over. Then she could try to tackle her other problems. Maybe.

 

@WinterVines; let me know if I'm not making sense in these posts xDDD

BP#2

Despite the unexpected challenge posed by the Porygon-Z's counter-attack, Ivy seemed to have been able to draw inspiration from something yet again, delivering her next set of commands after a few moments of concentration.

The first task Haji set about to do was a tactic we'd already seen him put to good use earlier during the battle with the Koffing and its flood of murky, hazardous sludge. Using a considerable amount of Psychic energy, the Espeon created multiple thin yet sturdy-looking transparent barriers. He placed these walls side by side, forming a semi-circle between himself and the wild entity, to protect himself as much as possible from the attacks (the long-range ones especially) of the foe. The glass screens were, to some extent, fragile as well, not being able to fully withstand all forms and effects of assaults; though they were particularly capable of holding their own against special-based moves, physical charges could probably shatter them rather easily. It would be wrong to say, though, that they couldn't at least shield the Eeveelution from taking too much damage, physical or otherwise. They'd certainly weaken the forces of any type of assault, lessen the effect they would have on Haji, at least, if not totally deflect the blows right back to the Virtual Pokemon.

Then, with the protective wall set up, the Psychic-type lifted his head, eyes closed, to the heavens, his face so serene basking under the brilliant sunlight, as if he was just that confident that the Light Screens would shield him and that he need not worry. Perhaps it was just his generally peaceful and collected nature kicking in, but it was still pretty amazing nevertheless to see someone so trusting in times like these, someone who believed in his own potential and in the strength of the things he'd created. With an aura of sheer calmness emanating from him, the Eeveelution absorbed the nutrients coming from the sun's rays, allowing the light and the nourishments that come with it to penetrate his purple skin and stream through his body, strengthening him and flourishing his abilities and techniques. The developmental tactic of Growth was particularly effective in these conditions wherein you could just feel the healthy, warm rays of sunshine on your skin, the nutrients seeping in to awaken the potential within you.

Fortunately for Ivy, the wild creature didn't seem to be having much luck with the vines binding him and couldn't do much of anything whilst trapped. That is to say, couldn't do much physical activity requiring movement of its limbs. It still seemed to be perfectly capable of delivering special attacks, with little to no difficulty. While it sat there, looking all content and pretty on the damp grass, its unharmed beak (and by that I mean untouched-by-vines) released a strong, steady stream of speedy stars whose shades were like that of the sun as it breathed heavily with the restraining plants clamped around its chest. Then came a chilly breeze of snow and small ice particles, and I felt the temperature drop immediately. The cold, gripping wind swept through the wave of golden stars, frosting their already-pointed edges; it now looked as though sharp and sleek-looking icicles had been joined together to form the shape of a star.

Haji, who'd used his Psychic capabilities to pluck the frozen shards off the trap vines on the ground and create some sort of a twister with them, had a counter-attack ready to go just in the nick of time - or rather, his twirling cyclone of little icy javelins really did have to surge through the whirlwind of frosted stars to reach its true target.

And so the two storms clashed with each other, driving their fine-edged projectiles into one another. Icy stars slammed into the smaller frozen spears, resulting in a couple of jagged lines zipping across the stars' surfaces with little bits of ice snapping off all of them. The multiple impacts seemed to blow the fragments outwards, making them zip around the area dangerously. I turned to look away, shielding myself with my bare arms which were soon embedded with a few of the stray chilled glass-like shards. I wouldn't be surprised if the Eeveelution had been hit by a couple of them as well, dealing some light damage and adding to the tiny cuts on his skin.*

By the time I felt it safe enough to look again, I found that a lot of the frosted shards had been reduced to nothing but diamond dust that shimmered under the harsh rays of sunlight. What remained of the ice needles managed to make their way toward the Normal-type, the Espeon still in deep concentration as he controlled the tornado to circle around the opponent, slicing through the vines that bound it. The stars, meanwhile, sped towards the semi-circular wall of screens like shurikens, smashing into them with all their might. Their pointed edges stabbed the protective barriers, causing erratic lines to dot the once-sleek surfaces. The stars cracked, too, though - most of them met the same fate as the frozen spears, crumbling to sparkling dust, while the rest had remained stuck to the glass shields like darts on a dartboard, brittle and on the breaking point as well with some dents and pieces already chipped off.

I brushed the icy debris off my arm, wincing as they slid out from the little slits they'd opened in my skin. And such was the life of a ranger, gashes and bruises all around, wounds which always seemed to take so long to heal, leaving marks to constantly remind me of the past. I grabbed a jug of water from inside my bag then poured the liquid on my arm in an attempt to cleanse the tiny scars. I bit my lip to mask the pain as the droplets pounded against the cuts; this was probably the only thing I could do for myself as of right now - it'd have to do 'til we got back to the main outpost. I recapped the bottle, doing my best to ignore the little jabs of pain along my arm; it was a good thing they weren't larger or deeper than they were now for it felt as though I had a hundred paper cuts dotting my skin, sending tiny jolts of pain to course through me every now and then.

I shifted my gaze back towards all the action. The Espeon's eyes were no longer glowing in a blazing aura of Psychic-type energy as the cyclone of ice shards died down, whittling away to reveal the now-free but evidently-scarred Porygon-Z. The frosted spears had not only sliced away at the firm vines around it but had also ripped its outer covering, leaving multiple open slash marks on its exterior just as the debris from the earlier collision had pierced my arm.

The Virtual Pokemon seemed to know exactly what it wanted to do though, as if it had just been waiting to be freed and had a scheme ready to be put into action straight away. A yellow bubble outlined the creature who continued to expend a significant amount of energy, its face etched with concentration. And then, it began to move... Upwards. The Normal-type was magnetically lifting itself up off the battlefield, fighting against the gravitational pull of the earth as it pushed itself higher and higher above the ground. As it hovered in the air, quite a good couple of inches above the tip of the Light Screen wall, a shadowy and somewhat flimsy-looking ball of dark purple energy formed in front of its beak. The orb seemed to be composed of frail and constantly-shifting ghostly winds that danced about tauntingly as they grew in size and might.

Ivy would have to watch out for this assault - a Ghost-type attack could potentially spell a loadful of trouble for Haji if they didn't react quickly enough. Lucky for her, though, that it seemed their plan of slowly and gradually wearing down the opponent was working; the wild entity was slowly being worn down, the tight vines had seemingly sucked the life out of it, and sooner or later, it was going to be just thoroughly exhausted - tired enough that it wouldn't be so difficult to capture.

BATTLE STATS:
Wild Porygon-Z (?, ???)
Health: 85%
Currently Using: Shadow Ball
Last Move Used: Swift+Icy Wind+Magnet Rise
Status: [MR]

..::VS::..

Haji the Espeon (M, Calm)
Health: 83%
Last Move Used: Light Screen+Growth+Psychic on the ice shards
Status: [ATK+2][SPATK+2]​

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

Encounters Left: 3 [Endurance Run]
Area Effects: It's Sunny now, yay! Vines filled with electricity are all over the battlefield. Semi-circular, slightly weakened wall of Light Screens, most of which have small cracks running along the surface.
Pokemon Encountered: Electrike (F, Hasty)|Zubat (?, ???)|Electrode (?, ???)|Electrode (?, ???)|Koffing (M, Bashful)|Ditto (?, ???)|Flaaffy (?, ???)|Elekid (?, ???)|Registeel (?, ???)|Rotom (GL, Impish)|Mareep (?, ???)|Plusle (?, ???)|Koffing (?, ???)|Weezing (?, ???)|Elekid (?, ???)|Klinklang (?, ???)|Zapdos (?, ???)
Current Encounter: Porygon-Z (?, ???)
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|Two Legendary Pictures [Registeel|Zapdos]
MCR: 24783/45000 [Special]

Pokemon Stats

Haji the Espeon (M) - 83%
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) - 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; Nah it's all good. Sorry it took me so long. School for a bit and then other posts and stuff. I didn't have it in me to make a longer post D:

TP#35

Ivy winced as broken shards of ice and vegetation washed over them. She threw up an arm to block most of it, though she could tell the tiny stings where debris had worn into the skin—the downside of wearing a three-quarter sleeve. She had had much worse before since it was habit to travel in the harsh environments here in the Park, so she wasn't too bothered by it. She knew Haji had taken the brunt of the damage, however, even with his screens.

The Psychic cat calmly shook his body clear of sharp pieces, though. Ivy was once again glad that he was so cool tempered. While Vergil would've been offended and probably retaliated in his rage, the Espeon shrugged it off as part of the experience.

The debris tornado whirled, guided by Haji's Psychic force. Ice collided and wore itself into dust that coated the field with a shimmery gleam, and roots from the plants were torn up and chopped into fine bits like decoration on a salad. Like she had planned, the Psychic tornado also managed to slice the Porygon-Z free, and that's when things got interesting.

As soon as it was free, it gathered energy, and its normally white, pink, and blue body now glowed golden. It was faint at first, but the color began to solidify as the creature started to rise. She recognized the technique as a Magnet Rise.

Using a lot of energy, the Pokemon was able to hover off the ground. It was especially popular among Electric-types since it allowed them to dodge a lot of ground-based moves. Some Pokemon like Metagross used magnets and physics principles to accomplish this feat instead of the energy the Porygon-Z was using, but hell if Ivy understood much how it worked. Sometimes she wasn't sure if anyone did.

It didn't stop at the normal foot off the ground, though, and Ivy realized what it was doing. With a little extra height, the wild Pokemon was at a diagonal line to be able to hit over the Light Screen Haji had set up. Then, the shadows started to twist and gather in front of the Porygon's beak, curling and flexing into an orb shape. That was a Shadow Ball.

Ivy sighed. “Of course it is,” she said, mostly to herself.

Ghost-type techniques were something her entire team was weak to. She definitely couldn't switch Haji out now. Even if all of her Pokemon could be deeply affected by it, the purple cat was the best equipped. She knew he could take it despite the type disadvantage. She was prone to worry, but he had taught her to believe more firmly in him, so she did. She could feel his confidence underlying hers in her mind.

“Okay, Haji, slight detour in plans. I guess I wasn't expecting it to try and go over the screen,” she said, thinking fast.

“Since the Shadow Ball will be on an angle, get as close to the Light Screen as you can for now. It might throw off the trajectory and be mostly deflected by the screen.” Ivy sort of doubted that would really help, so they had to have a back-up plan too. “I think a Future Sight skill would be good now,” she added. “I don't think we need to use it as an attack for now—just use it to keep track of that Shadow Ball. It may give you just a few seconds to dodge if necessary. There's going to be a lot going on, but I know you can do it.”

Future Sight would cast Haji like a seer and let him see into coming events. How far into the future that was depended on the energy put into the technique and the events that happened, from what Haji had explained to her. Since this wasn't going to be the only thing the Espeon was doing, she guessed he probably wouldn't be able to see ahead very far at all. Even a few seconds might help him, though, so as long as he could handle the multitasking, she was going to suggest it.

“Hmm,” she said as she watched the Porygon-Z. There wasn't a lot of time left before its attack would be ready. It was hard to stop looking at the golden glow around it, and that gave her an idea.

“Alright, Haji. To help you do all these things at once, use Calm Mind. Then we're going to use that extra power and see if we can't knock the Porygon out of the sky,” she said, seeing her plan form in her mind. That had the added bonus of cluing Haji into what she was envisioning too, since he could read it.

The Calm Mind would just help clear his head. There was a lot going on, and even though he was naturally very rational and didn't get overwhelmed that often, a little boost to his mental capacity wouldn't hurt. Freeing up more energy also made his attacks more powerful. He had gained a lot of energy from the Growth technique in the sun already, but what she wanted him to do next would need a lot of power.

“That is an... interesting plan,” Haji said into her mind, reading her plans.

“Well, I'll give it interesting, I guess. More on the heavy-lifting side, but I think you can do it,” Ivy said out loud, mostly for Elisa's benefit. When she was on runs, it was always helpful if the Trainer spoke what they were planning, especially if it required her to move out of the way. The Porygon-Z was smart enough that it probably didn't matter if they kept silent or not.

Then, Ivy elaborated what she was thinking. “Use Psyshock against the wild 'mon, and let's see if you can't shock it out of dropping the Magnet Rise. I think by targeting the Porygon's body itself instead of the energy field, it could throw it off guard. If you can control it's body, you might be able to throw it back toward the ground using just your mind. It'll most likely fire off the Shadow Ball before this happens, so keep watch for that, too,” she added.

Psyshock was weird, because instead of attacking a foe's mental capacity, it targeted the physical part instead. It tended to throw off a lot of people because they expected mental attacks from a Pokemon like Espeon. When the force instead came down upon their physical body, it was really surprising. Ivy liked to think that's how they decided to name the technique. It came in handy on a lot of foes, particularly bulky ones like Snorlax, who didn't have a lot of mental prowess to attack.

If all went well, Haji would be able to grip onto the Porygon-Z's body and then drag it back down to the earth into the shards their attacks had broken up into. It would put added strain on the wild Pokemon's shell to damage as well. The creature would likely fire off the Shadow Ball before this could be accomplished, but that couldn't be helped. She just had to hope Haji could maybe dodge it or take the hit well enough.

After that, she would see what happened. It was probably time to give her other Pokemon a turn to fight too, so she set that clockwork in her head ticking to think of a plan.

 

@WinterVines; Woo, I got this posted before wages! xD

BP#3

Ivy sighed, her gaze resting on the gradually-enlarging purple orb. "Okay, Haji," she said, not wasting what little time they had to prepare for the Shadow Ball assault. "Slight detour in plans."

As the ranger explained the course of action she had in mind, the Espeon set right to work. He bounded his way over to the wall of glass screens, taking shelter behind them the way a soldier would if he was trying to evade the bullets of an enemy. The Eeveelution's shoulders were hunched, but not because his muscles were tense; rather, he was being alert, while keeping his head cool and thoughts collected, ready to skid over to the other end of the barrier if the Porygon-Z launched the dark sphere his way. The Future Sight technique he performed next helped keep his senses sharp, honing his abilities as a Psychic-type, as his eyes followed the Virtual Pokemon attentively.

When the wild entity noticed that its opponent had changed locations, it too decided to get a move on. It certainly understood that trying to take aim at Haji at such a difficult angle was just asking for unnecessary inconvenience and more trouble - why waste the attack if you could move yourself about, too? And so that's what it set about to do - slowly but surely, it used the Magnet Rise technique from earlier to move around, opposing the force of gravity and moving, floating, across the air with a yellow aura enveloping him. The whole procedure was slow-going, much like one of the earlier robotic inventions (back when technology wasn't so advanced yet) or some sort of old machinery, making small and extremely sluggish movements; the Normal-type wouldn't be able to switch positions as quickly as it might've liked, especially considering it was battling against such an agile purple feline. The task of hovering a couple of inches over and across the wall of Light Screens, had exhausted the wild Pokemon, using up a considerable amount of its strength and had made the dark purple orb seem shakier afterwards, more flimsy and weakened from trying to multi-task and divide up its energy.

Meanwhile, the Espeon had been up to something as well. His eyes were shut, as if he was sleeping serenely, as the gem on his forehead glowed a soft hue; I could feel the energy radiating off him as he relaxed and gave his tired body and mind a rest. A clear and peaceful state of mind was sure to do wonders in a battle like this, especially when he needed all the help he could get in looking a bit into the future - it certainly required a whole load of skill on the Eeveelution's part and lots of practice exercises of performing the technique beforehand. He wouldn't be able to really see that far into the future and who knew how accurate his visions would be, but what little he could, could make all the difference in the world if they wanted to wear this Virtual Pokemon down.

Haji's eyes sprang open all of a sudden, a wave of adrenaline washing over him as his muscles leapt into action. He skidded over to the other end of the glass shields, keeping low, gracefully evading the Shadow Ball that whizzed right past his head. He'd ducked just in time, the tip of his ears just narrowly missing the shaky dark mass. It soared straight into one of the Light Screens, the force of the impact nearly shattering the barrier, the glass nearly breaking under pressure. But it held its own against the attack, and the sphere ended up bouncing back.

Which wasn't such a good thing in the end - since Ivy's partner had been prowling about as close to the protective screens as possible, the orb had managed to slam into the part where his tail met his body, sending waves of pain to course through his hind leg. He jumped then upon reflex, a small surprised yelp escaping his lips. He shook his head then went back to preparing his next move, as if nothing had even happened - he wouldn't let anything disturb his peace of mind or get in his way. The ball had lost most of its strength after colliding with the resistive glass, though; the nearly-cracked screen had absorbed most of the shock, most of the power that the sphere had, so the Psychic-type had taken minimal damage, at least. His leg was tingling, though, slightly numb from the unexpected collision and jolt of pain, but he wasn't worried about it in the slightest, and perhaps that was a good thing - if he wasn't making a big deal of it, then maybe there really was nothing to worry about anyway; sometimes it was all about mind games and how mentally-disciplined you were.

The ruby on the Espeon's forehead started glimmering once more, but this time with a much stronger, harsher hue of brilliant red. A few thick masses of blue and purple energy then began to form in front of him, continuously growing in size, shaping up to be somewhat oblong-like - it was as though large, shimmering gems of sorts were floating all around him. These orbs looked extremely solid and tough, a complete opposite to the earlier flimsy ball made of constantly-shifting ghostly breezes. And so, when Haji launched the spheroids forward to come crashing down on the opponent, they managed to pierce through the magnetic field of energy surrounding the Pokemon, heading straight for the Normal-type's weary body.

He fired them one after the other at a rapid pace; the wild creature was bombarded by a shower of solid thunks of Psychic energy, and with every stone-like oval chucked at it, the Porygon-Z continued to decrease in altitude, much like a nail being hammered, forced down slowly and bit by bit. The entity's face was all scrunched up with pain, and I couldn't help but wince as the heavy bombs continued to nail it further downwards; it was evident that it was tolerating the pain as much as it could and at the same time trying to keep itself afloat, expending a significantly large amount of energy in the process.

At the end of the attack, the Normal-type had been forced back into its side of the battlefield - back on the other side of the glass wall - and was only a few inches from being completely back on solid ground again. But it was still fighting, still resisting, and it didn't seem like it'd be giving up any time soon. A few of the thick masses were still resting on top of its body, working hand in hand with gravity in the hopes of bringing the creature back down to earth.

I didn't know how long the spheroids would stay there, though; Psyshock wasn't a technique that I was too familiar with, and I didn't know the full properties of the attack. Surely Haji was feeding energy into it? Considering it was, technically speaking, a special-based move (only that it hit the target directly the way a physical assault would), I presumed it still needed the Eeveelution's mental Psychic abilities for it to continue working its charm; if that was so, it now seemed to be a stallmate between the two Pokemon, waiting to see which one was more resilient, was stronger, to see which would surrender first.

BATTLE STATS:
Wild Porygon-Z (?, ???)
Health: 67.5%
Currently Using: ~fighting against the Psyshock
Last Move Used: Shadow Ball
Status: [MR-2][somewhat "smacked down" in a sense]

..::VS::..

Haji the Espeon (M, Calm)
Health: 78%
Last Move Used: Future Sight+Calm Mind+Psyshock
Status: [ATK+2][SPATK+3][SPDEF+1]​

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

Encounters Left: 3 [Endurance Run]
Area Effects: It's Sunny now, yay! Vines filled with electricity are all over the battlefield. Semi-circular, slightly weakened wall of Light Screens, most of which have small cracks running along the surface.
Pokemon Encountered: Electrike (F, Hasty)|Zubat (?, ???)|Electrode (?, ???)|Electrode (?, ???)|Koffing (M, Bashful)|Ditto (?, ???)|Flaaffy (?, ???)|Elekid (?, ???)|Registeel (?, ???)|Rotom (GL, Impish)|Mareep (?, ???)|Plusle (?, ???)|Koffing (?, ???)|Weezing (?, ???)|Elekid (?, ???)|Klinklang (?, ???)|Zapdos (?, ???)
Current Encounter: Porygon-Z (?, ???)
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|Two Legendary Pictures [Registeel|Zapdos]
MCR: 31429/45000 [Special]

Pokemon Stats

Haji the Espeon (M) - 78%
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) - 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; Woo, I responded before a month went by! Hopefully, with any luck, we can finish this run before we both get bogged down with schoolwork XD

TP#36

Ivy hissed as Haji let out a pained sound. While he had managed to dodge the brunt of the blow, the Shadow Ball had still clipped him. “Haji, all right?” she asked through her thoughts, unable to mask all of the worry. Her heart had sped up, and she could feel her pulse beating against her skin like it was trying to escape her body.

“I am fine,” he smoothly replied, his voice a little strained because of his techniques.

The plan had more-or-less worked the way she thought it was. Haji's mental prowess had been enough to almost disable the Magnet Rise completely, although she could see the Porygon-Z fighting it. Continuing the struggle would only tire Haji out quicker if he kept having to feed energy into the force preventing the wild Pokemon from rising. They couldn't keep it up forever, especially when it wasn't totally clear how it even worked.

Ivy's fingers tapped against her leg to a beat she only heard in her head as she thought. Then, she pulled out her Chandelure's Park ball. “Hold onto it for a little bit longer, Haji. Candle,” she called, as she dropped the device.

In a burst of light, the Fire-typed chandelier-looking Pokemon emerged. She gave off an eerie but happy cry as she bobbed up and down, hovering in midair. The ghost even went so far as to wave happily at Vergil who just scoffed and crossed his arms, not responding to her. Ivy shook her head with a light smile.

“Okay, Candle. I need you to get ready to sub in for Haji,” she explained. The ghost eagerly nodded her head, sending her flames dancing. She gave a brave cry and puffed out her chest, flexing her candlestick arms like she was a buff bodybuilder.

While Ivy knew Haji could probably finish this battle himself, she didn't want to wear him out too much. It was likely that when she finished her run, there would be other Trainers to take, and she'd probably have to take up a job when they returned to the office. It was only fair of them to still do their jobs—going on runs themselves was just a perk, but only when they weren't too busy. Haji would likely want to go with her, since there was rarely a run he didn't accompany anymore, and she didn't want to drag him along tired. He wouldn't complain about it, but since he was so quiet (and stubborn, she added in her head, feeling Haij's amusement at the comment), she had to be pretty perceptive of his state, since he wouldn't say anything even if he was wiped.

“The energy fights,” Haji said then, referring to the energy keeping the wild Pokemon afloat. He let her glimpse the strength of it for just a moment, pulling down those protective sheilds between their minds for a second. She felt the force on her head and staggered, her eyes popping wide as her body broke out in shivers. It lasted only for an instant before Haij snapped the barrier tight again, blocking out the effects of the battle.

“Wow,” she said, inarticulately. “Well that's certainly pulling, isn't it,” she added as she shook her head clear of the feeling. They definitely weren't holding onto that. As her brain stopped humming, she thought about what she wanted the Chandelure to do, exactly.

“Let's try something new,” she said after a few moments, contemplating using a technique they had been practicing. Candle bobbed up and down in response, eager to try it. She was eager to do most things. Ivy wished for even a quarter of the ghost's energy.

She felt Haji's attention shift to her also as he struggled to keep the Porygon as close to the earth as possible. “Okay, remember that thing we were trying? Let's use it now. When Candle takes your place, Haji, pass off your energy to her with Baton Pass,” Ivy said.

Many of the Eeveelutions were capable of this technique. Ivy wasn't really sure how it worked exactly, only that the two partnered Pokemon sort of exchanged energy. She figured that Haji's Psychic typing let him do this pretty easily, since he could establish a mental connection with Candle. In fact, that connection was already present for a lot of her Pokemon, since that's how Haji communicated. Sometimes speaking mind-to-mind was pretty handy. Faster too.

As both of the Pokemon concentrated, the Chandelure would take the Espeon's place out on the field, and he'd be able to rest without having all the energy he gathered go to waste. It would help Candle fight, too, as she hadn't had prep time. Now that Ivy looked at the field, she knew what she had to do.

The sun was still shining strongly, and she could see the glittering pieces from their previous clashing attacks. The Porygon was still fighting to rise up, and Ivy thought to herself, let it. It might not help it in the long-run.

“Okay, Candle, your fire moves are gonna get a big boost from the sun and the energy Haji will pass to you. Let's clean up the field a little, shall we? Your part is going to be a little closer range, is that alright?” Ivy asked the ghost.

The Chandelure bravely nodded, ready to take action. There was little that phased her, and Ivy was so glad of it. If the Fire-type had been a coward, Ivy probably would've ended up with a lot worse injuries when she had encountered those poachers in the Woods. Maybe she'd even be dead.

But Candle had been brave and came to rescue her, jolting her limbs back to life with her electrical Hidden Power. For now all the Ranger had were tingling limbs now and again, but it was much better than the alternative. That's why she could trust the ghost with this and now she'd be okay.

“Gather momentum for a Fire Spin, and use the build up to try and burn up some of the sharp ice and grass pieces out there,” she said, nodding to the field where their debris still rested. She wasn't too worried about starting a fire, since after the small pieces melted or burned up, there wasn't really anything else to catch on fire. The ground was still a little soggy due to the rain, and the sun was drying it out to the mostly-barren plain it had been before. “We'll have to clean it up sooner or later anyway, and this way, if you clear the ground, Vergil won't have such a hard time moving around.”

At this, the fighter's head swiveled toward her in interest. Ivy figured he was listening to the plan now, if he hadn't been before. She ignored him as she finished explaining to Candle what she was aiming for.

“When Haji passes out to you, he's going to lose the grip on the Magnet Rise, so the Porygon is likely going to fly up again. Don't worry about that just yet, but still make your way toward it. As you gather strength with your attack, you should be able to make your fires grow. When close enough, wrap that Fire Spin around the Porygon and let it spiral upward. The sun and Haij's prepping should help you,” she said.

With so much energy flying around, it was possible the attack could get out of hand too, she knew. She trusted Candle to have a pretty good control on it, but energy was funny like that. Sometimes things went wrong. She had to put a clarifier in there, just in case.

“If something isn't right, or if you feel the fire start to get out of hand, cut it off. We don't want any accidents. I'm hoping that if you can surround and engulf the Pokemon, it'll wear down a little faster. If it tries to use the Magnet Rise to float out of the way, try to move with it.” Moving a column of fire wasn't likely to be fast, just like the Porygon-Z's hovering, but as long as she could match the wild Pokemon's speed, it could work.

“Alright, ready guys?” she asked.

Candle trumpeted a fierce battle cry, and she felt Haji's energy shift as he prepared the transfer. The Chandelure hovered close to the field, ready to do her magic. As soon as they were ready, they would exchange places, and then she'd see what else this wild Pokemon could do.

 

@WinterVines;

BP#4

"Hold onto it a bit longer, Haji," Ivy told her partner as she released her other Pokemon from her Pokeball. The Chandelure emerged with a joyful and energetic growl, waving at Vergil as if trying to get the Blade Pokemon's spirits to rise as high as hers, though to little avail. The ranger turned to the Ghost-Fire-type, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips, and said, "Okay, Candle, I need you to get ready to sub in for Haji." The creature replied with an eager cry, her courage and enthusiasm showing all over her face.

Ivy continued to explain the rest of her plan to both the Eeveelution and ghost. "Alright, ready guys?" she asked, prompting Haji to begin executing the Baton Pass technique. He nodded slightly, closing his eyes in deep concentration, as the Luring Pokemon hovered ever closer to the heat of the battle, creeping closer and closer to the Porygon-Z who had yet to notice her presence, much too busy dealing with the Psyshock that was still weighing it down.

Baton Pass was one of those moves where no one really knew how it worked - all I knew about it was that one Pokemon's stored energy was to be transferred over to the next Pokemon, effectively switching out in battle. Usually trainers did this so that their next Pokemon could get mixed in the heat if the battle without being at much of a disadvantage - boosts in power would be passed over, which could really potentially decide a battle, assuming the technique was performed properly. It took a whole lot of skill to be able to perform this procedure, though I figured being a Psychic-type, as in Haji's case, helped him out loads - he had this connection not just with his trainer but also with his Pokemon teammates, a kind of strong bond that seemed to be established a lot easier if one happened to be a Psychic-type, able to truly feel for others and read others' thoughts and soul. Moments passed and you could just feel the energy radiating off the Pokemon, the energy shifting through some weird machanism that definitely needed to be researched on on a deeper scale. Eventually, the Chandelure was just inches away from the wild entity, with the Espeon backing away from the battlefield, making his way to Ivy's side. Candle looked extremely refreshed now, even more energetic and spirited than before, as if she'd suddenly awoken with renewed vigor.

The flames on her arms grew and she tossed fiery spark after fiery spark at the remaining vines scattered around the battleground, the ice shards melting and the plants burnt to a crisp. It was then that the Virtual Pokemon realized that it had company - new company. But before it could fire off an attack, its movements sluggish and weak after expelling a good deal of its energy fighting the Psyshock for so long, the Luring Pokemon had directed the embers towards it, the flames engulfing it in a swirling vortex of red and orange cinders. The Ghost-Fire-type continued to fan the flames higher, stronger; it was a tornado of fire, its vibrant colors dancing in my eyes as the wild entity shrieked in pain, and mind you, it wasn't a particularly pleasant sound. I could just see it with little embers running along its body, scorching every little spot they happened to touch. Fire Spin wasn't a particularly strong attack, but most of the damage and pain came from the target attempting to escape the blazing cyclone while it continued to close in on the creature; if the user - in this case, Candle - could keep the vortex spinning and spinning and spinning, and if the target could never get out, then its health and energy would be slowly and gradually whittled down.

But, of course, the Normal-type wouldn't give up that easily. As the embers attacked it from every angle, it launched multiple yellow bolts into the air, electrical energy shooting upwards from the top opening of the cyclone. Erratic beams dotted the bright sky, crackling ominously. There were only two techniques I knew of that could be executed in this manner: Zap Cannon and Thunder. Both were dangerously strong Electric-typed assaults, with varying levels of accuracy. Thunder was generally the more accurate one, but Zap Cannon was almost always the sure tactic into paralyzing the target, and right now the difference in accuracy wasn't as large as it usually would've been, thanks to the sunny weather. Still, Candle would have to be careful; the lightning bolts could come striking down any given moment at any point within the area, and there was a decent chance that she could be inflicted with a status ailment if hit by one of those streaks, especially if the Porygon-Z had used Zap Cannon over Thunder.

While we all waited with bated breath for the zaps of electricity to strike, the Virtual Pokemon decided to work on countering the fire vortex from down here, from inside. Cold breezes started to swirl with the flames, trying to dampen their blazing spirits with iciness. The winds seemed to be filled with little icy particles as they clashed with the twirling embers. Some frost melted while the cyclone weakened slightly in power, though it seemed that the fire was winning with much help from the sunny weather we were having. Still, the opponent was fighting, wearing both of them down, but doing something nonetheless - Candle might encounter some difficulty to keep the flames constantly spinning now, especially with the lightning bolts to worry about.

BATTLE STATS:
Wild Porygon-Z (?, ???)
Health: 52%
Currently Using: Icy Wind
Last Move Used: Zap Cannon/Thunder
Status: [MR-3][FS-1]

..::VS::..

Candle the Chandelure (F, Brave)
Health: 83%
Last Move Used: Fire Spin
Status: [ATK+2][SPATK+3][SPDEF+1]​

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

Encounters Left: 3 [Endurance Run]
Area Effects: It's Sunny now, yay! Semi-circular, slightly weakened wall of Light Screens, most of which have small cracks running along the surface.
Pokemon Encountered: Electrike (F, Hasty)|Zubat (?, ???)|Electrode (?, ???)|Electrode (?, ???)|Koffing (M, Bashful)|Ditto (?, ???)|Flaaffy (?, ???)|Elekid (?, ???)|Registeel (?, ???)|Rotom (GL, Impish)|Mareep (?, ???)|Plusle (?, ???)|Koffing (?, ???)|Weezing (?, ???)|Elekid (?, ???)|Klinklang (?, ???)|Zapdos (?, ???)
Current Encounter: Porygon-Z (?, ???)
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|Two Legendary Pictures [Registeel|Zapdos]
MCR: 39207/45000 [Special]

Pokemon Stats

Haji the Espeon (M) - 78%
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
<Currently Engaged in Battle>

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; Sorry it took so long D: Uni and all that jazz.

TP#37

Ivy could feel increased heat even from the other side of the field as the Chandelure whipped up her fire storm. The vortex did exactly what she wanted it to, wrapping around the Normal-type in a Fire Spin. The roaring flames were loud even from a distance, so she knew Candle wasn't going to be able to hear any of her other calls out loud.

“Translate for me when needed?” Ivy asked Haji, the purple cat now restored to her side. He didn't look too worse for the wear, but from their bond she could tell that he had used up quite a bit of energy and would need to rest a little bit.

“Of course,” the Psychic cat responded, his tail flicking as he watched the battle.

“She's really something, huh. That went over great, and she didn't have any trouble adjusting to the Baton Pass like earlier,” the Ranger commented, proud of her Pokemon.

Haji matched that emotion through their link. He and Candle had been the primary testers of this technique. “Indeed.”

“That doesn't look good,” Ivy said as a stream of electric bolts arced upward from within the Fire Spin. The sky tried to darken a little, but the burning sun made it hard. Still, it rumbled overhead as electricity crackled ominously from above.

Ivy wasn't sure which attack it was going to be—if she recalled correctly, the Porygon line could learn a handful of lightning techniques. Either way, that wasn't something she wanted Candle to endure, so they would have to act fast.

Then, she caught sight of an icy blue gleam from within the gaps in the fire. It looked like the Porygon-Z was trying to freeze the flames. She couldn't tell from here if it was working or not. If given enough time, it probably would.

“Alright, Haji, transmit this to Candle to be sure she hears,” Ivy began, watching the sky warily. “This is going to be tricky, but I think it might work.”

The first order of business was taking care of that ice, hopefully in one quick burst. Then they could deal with the electricity charging up before it struck. They'd have to be fast, however.

“Okay, Candle,” Ivy said, knowing Haji would transfer the words to Candle's mind the same way the two of them communicated. It made things handy, especially because shouting would look obnoxious and the words could get muffled. “We need to move quick. That lightning has set a timer for us. The first thing we need is to cancel out that ice if possible. Turn up the heat and unleash a burst of Inferno. Don't worry about trying to hold it—with the sun and your boosted energy, a blast might startle the Porygon.”

Inferno was one of the most powerful techniques that the Chandelure could learn. In an incredible whoosh of flame, Inferno singed the foe with scorching temperatures and sometimes even left a burn on the target. With the sun shining brightly and Candle's supercharge from the Baton Pass, she was hoping it would work. As long as the attack wasn't held up for long, she didn't think it would knock the wild Pokemon out. Candle was strong, but she was also a good judge with her attacks. She wasn't a Park newbie either. Ivy had to trust her Pokemon.

The Ranger thought for a second more as she analyzed the sky, wondering if her idea was going to work. Candle would have to be quick, and it would probably take up a lot of energy. The boost Haji transferred to her would hopefully be enough to pull it off.

“Okay, next we have to try and dodge that bolt, whatever it is. We're going to try something different, but I believe in you. Try to use your Hidden Power as lightning rods to draw the attack away from you. Spread them out in a star pattern a good distance away and see if you can morph them into longer bolts instead of orbs. Use that energy Haji passed to you.”

Normally, Candle's Hidden Power attack appeared as five or so baseball-sized orbs that radiated electrical energy. They were pretty potent—when Ivy had gotten paralyzed by a stun gun, Candle had used the attack to jolt her limbs back to life. She was hoping that the ghost would be able to manipulate them thanks to the extra mental energy she now possessed.

The problem was that she didn't really know exactly how electricity worked. She did know that lone objects did tend to attract lightning strikes, and beyond that, that opposite charges attracted each other. But what charge was a lightning bolt? She passed along to Candle to see if she could change the charges of some of the Hidden Power orbs to be both positive and negative. With any luck, she'd have the right type to attract the blast.

Ivy didn't think that would suffice by itself, though. With another thought, she added onto the plan. “Candle, when you set that up, immediately shrink with Minimize and try to hug close to the Porygon-Z. Hopefully, if the lightning rod technique doesn’t work, you'll be too small to really hit. Added to that, the Porygon might be hesitant to strike if you're too close, since it might get caught up in the hit too.”

The rest was up to the Chandelure. All Ivy could do was trust the Fire-type in what she was doing. It was a hasty plan in a time-crunch, but they didn't really have much choice. It wasn't great that Candle was going to be close to the wild Pokemon after the Minimize either, but that lightning strike could potentially disable her, and Ivy wasn't willing to risk that.

She did know that Candle was brave, and the ghost wouldn't be against trying it even if there was a risk. Now all they could do was wait.

“Come on, Candle. You can do it.”

 

@WinterVines;

BP#5

Ivy always seemed to come up with the best solutions even in the midst of dire and often chaotic situations - brilliant responses for whatever trick the wild Pokemon might've thrown her way.

Even with the threat of getting struck down by a large lightning bolt or two, Ivy had decided to first deal with the Porygon-Z's current frosty antics with a quick, supplementary burst of fire, and perhaps to startle the opponent in the process, maybe break its concentration - every little piece of effort, whether successful or not, could never be considered a waste in times like these. The Chandelure tossed a ball of flames into the whirling vortex, the blazes quickly extinguishing the threat of the foe's freezing gales, melting the ice and snow in them.

Candle shut her eyes tight in concentration as she prepared to execute the next part of the plan. She looked within herself, discovering - or re-realizing, perhaps - her hidden potentials; she searched and found and summoned the power that dwelled in her fiery heart and soul. Utilizing this energy, she created glowing yellow orbs that began to spiral around her as she poured more and more of her might into strengthening their power. Once she had deemed them strong enough for the task she needed them for, she whisked them away towards the other side of the battlefield, a good distance away from any of us. She willed them to rearrange themselves into what appeared to be a star-like formation, drawing in any and all electrical currents present in the area with their Electric typing.

As an additional precaution, the ghost pulled her torch-like arms closer to herself, as if forcing herself to be as small as possible. I never really understood the evasive and mysterious technique called Minimize, but that was what Ivy's partner was doing - just trying to be as small and slim as possible so as to decrease the chance of getting hit by any incoming assault. As the Pokemon was performing this move, she hovered ever closer to the wild entity, even going so far as to be floating less than an inch away from the burning cyclone. She wasn't scared, of course, because first and foremost, she was a part Fire-type - embers weren't particularly threatening for her - and secondly, her character was a mighty courageous one; she wasn't going to let her own Fire Spin attack harm her or hinder her from obeying her trainer's commands.

As the flames swirled in front of the Normal-type's eyes, it suddenly noticed just how close, how within reach, the foe was now, peering at it with a guarded expression through the little gaps between the embers of the twister. The Porygon-Z's eyes seemed to light up with excitement and confidence, the light of the fire making its features even more pronounced, more ominous - as if it'd just come up with a plan... And, in fact, it had.

The Virtual Pokemon didn't even seem to care, didn't even seem the least bit terrified, as lightning tore through the air, heading straight for it and its opponent. It had come up with some sort of plan, alright, but it was a dangerous and rash one - not one that was well thought-out at all; what scared me the most, however, was that the creature didn't even look concerned even though its own safety, its own well-being, was on the line.

Thankfully, I didn't have to witness a Zap Cannon or Thunder or whatever attack that was fry two Pokemon to pieces. The Hidden Power strategy that Ivy's team had used worked like a charm. The electrically-charged orbs attracted the erratic bolts towards themselves like lightning rods, as if they had some sort of volt-absorbing property to them, or maybe that was just electricity and magnetism for you. In a flash, all the charged up power of the wild creature's assault was gone, just like that; the spheres had absorbed the beams, and the threat had been eliminated, just as my fellow ranger had hoped.

Realizing that its tactic had failed completely, its scheme thwarted, the Normal-type felt a rush of mixed anger and adrenaline. It just wanted to actually deal some damage to its opponent for once, instead of being countered every time or being trapped in situations like this. It was starting to get rather pissed, I'd say, at having all these flames revolve around it, scorching it every single time it tried to escape.

Still, that didn't give it enough reason to decide so rashly - at least, that was what I thought. Acting on impulse, it charged headfirst through the fire, ignoring the heat and the burning pain. Its head glowed a bright pink color, and from there, the creature released waves of Psychic-type energy, designed to attack the mind of the target.

Candle couldn't help but let out a small yelp in surprise as the impulses smacked her brain, messing with her mind and nerves. She flinched slightly just as the Virtual Pokemon pushed its whole body through the blazing tornado and launched itself at her, throwing its whole weight onto her when it slammed into her shady figure. The headbutt did not affect the Chandelure that much at all - she was a ghost, after all, and physical attacks didn't really hurt them the way they normally would other Pokemon - and dealt minimal damage; what had more significance was the mental energy that had hacked away at her head (in a sense), or the insides of it, rather.

When the Ghost-Fire-type had recovered from the initial shock, she quickly took control of her Fire Spin technique once more. She once again trapped the opponent in the whirlwind of embers, keeping it there, continuously suffering from the heat, at least for now.

All in all, the wild creature had acted recklessly - and that, hurt it more than it had hurt the opponent, I would say. Still, it wasn't completely worn out just yet, and who knew what other things it might be considering doing now, just to be on par with, or on the same level as its foe.

BATTLE STATS:
Wild Porygon-Z (?, ???)
Health: 41%
Currently Using: [none]
Last Move Used: Zen Headbutt
Status: [MR-4][FS-2]

..::VS::..

Candle the Chandelure (F, Brave)
Health: 74%
Last Move Used: Inferno+Hidden Power+Minimize
Status: [ATK+2][SPATK+3][SPDEF+1][EVA+1]​

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

Encounters Left: 3 [Endurance Run]
Area Effects: It's Sunny now, yay! Semi-circular, slightly weakened wall of Light Screens, most of which have small cracks running along the surface.
Pokemon Encountered: Electrike (F, Hasty)|Zubat (?, ???)|Electrode (?, ???)|Electrode (?, ???)|Koffing (M, Bashful)|Ditto (?, ???)|Flaaffy (?, ???)|Elekid (?, ???)|Registeel (?, ???)|Rotom (GL, Impish)|Mareep (?, ???)|Plusle (?, ???)|Koffing (?, ???)|Weezing (?, ???)|Elekid (?, ???)|Klinklang (?, ???)|Zapdos (?, ???)
Current Encounter: Porygon-Z (?, ???)
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|Two Legendary Pictures [Registeel|Zapdos]
MCR: 44769/45000 [Special]

Pokemon Stats

Haji the Espeon (M) - 78%
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) - 74%
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
<Currently Engaged in Battle>

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; Woo posting!

TP#38

The sky rumbled, and electricity rained down. Ivy clenched her fists and hoped as Candle shrunk and got close to the Porygon-Z. Then, the Hidden Power rods lit up as the lightning was drawn to them. The light was bright for a second before it faded away, and Ivy breathed a sigh of relief.

“That worked out a lot better than I thought it would. She didn't even flinch,” Ivy commented, feeling Haji's pride in the Fire-type as well.

The Normal-type didn't take the plan so well, however. Ivy felt a flare of energy relayed through Haji as the Porygon prepared to act. The Chandelure hadn't released the fire twister after turning up the heat, so it was probably not pleased about that. It didn't looked burned either, but they could fix that.

Then, there was a glowing pink energy surrounding the Porygon-Z, and seconds after, she saw it flash through the fire in order to slam into Candle. She let out a cry, but she didn't really look that hurt. Being small probably helped, on top of being a ghost. Ivy didn't really think the Normal-type was perfectly suited for physical moves anyway.

Ivy thought for a second as Candle got the fire tornado back around the Porygon. They could probably make some use of that. The strain was going to start adding up, though, so the Chandelure needed to get out of there.

“Vergil,” she called. “How well do you think you can hold up an Imprison?”

She felt Haji's interest spike a little as she spoke to the Gallade. Vergil, too, was curious. He stepped up closer, but he didn't hesitate throwing a glare her way and waving toward the Normal-type while rolling his eyes. She was pretty sure what his answer was, so full of himself that he was.

“Okay, then. Ready to sub in?” His flat stare answered for him. “Good. You and Candle are going to coordinate attacks. Haji, if you could send this to Candle too?” she asked.

The Gallde perked up a little at this, standing straighter and narrowing his eyes at the battlefield. Ivy thought carefully. What she was going to have her partners attempt wasn't exactly normal. Then again, few things here were. It was a lot different than normal battling.

“Candle, use your Fire Spin as a ruse to set up an Imprison. With that extra energy from Haji, you might be able to craft it so that the prison holds the Porygon-Z in place. It looks like the Magnet Rise keeping it afloat is starting to break down.”

Imprison usually barred the opponent with a mystical force that made it really difficult to use the same techniques that the user also knew. However, they had been messing around with that energy to see if they could vamp up the seal to create bars of energy to lock the target in a cell instead. It required a lot of energy to do that, so their training sessions hadn't exactly been perfect, but now Candle had a lot of energy from Haji's Baton Pass.

Vergil might not be able to hold it for too long, but he really just needed to hold it long enough to get moving. Candle should be able to take care of most of that as they switched places. It was unfortunate that they couldn't share energy the same way Haji could, but Vergil used more physical attacks anyway.

“When Candle leaves the field, there's going to be a second where the Imprison is really weak. You'll have to jump on that, Vergil, or you'll lose it,” she said. That was the part she was most worried about.

“You don't need to hold it for long. When you get your feet, charge in with a Drain Punch, and to amplify its effect, try cloaking it with a Thunder Wave. The longer you can hold the Imprison the better, but focus on the attack if you can't.”

She knew it would probably needle him if he couldn't do it, so she hoped it would. Despite his sour attitude, she wanted to help him get stronger. Part of that was going to be pushing him to his limits and expecting him to exceed them. Maybe then, once he finally attained the strength he wanted, would he finally stop being a killjoy all the time. She still hoped for that eventual connection.

Vergil was a little low on energy from his battle with the Rotom, but the Drain Punch should be able to restore some of his health. She didn't think it would knock the wild Pokemon out at this range, especially since the Gallade was going to tweak it with status. If Vergil managed to pull off the Thunder Wave, it would slow the Porygon-Z down a little and hopefully make it easier to capture.

“Ready, Vergil?” she asked. In response, his left food slid forward as he prepared to rush out. Ivy was glad that Candle had cleared the battlefield with her fire a little. Debris would slow him down.

“Candle, when ready, give the signal,” she said, waiting for the moment when the ghost and the fighter would swap places.

 

@WinterVines;*

BP#6

“Vergil, how well do you think you can hold up an Imprison?”

The Gallade perked up in interest - it was finally his turn to fight, to showcase just how good, how skilled, of a battler he was - and to be honest, even I was quite excited. He had always seemed to be the one with the more "complex" personality of the three Pokemon Ivy had brought with her on this run; he was harder to figure out, I guess was the better term, much like my own Blade Pokemon, whose full attention had snapped to the battle once he'd heard about the other fighter's involvement.

And with that, the Elite Ranger began to elaborate on her scheme, calling out commands to her Chandelure and making sure Vergil understood he had to switch in straight away - take control over the energy Candle would have used in the Imprison technique.

The signal of the plan's initiation came in the form of a burst of flame. A growth in energy, in strength; a stiffening or hardening of the blazes, if you will. It was difficult to explain, except that there was certainly a change in the fiery tornado that was whirling around the Normal-type. The embers fanned higher, stronger, more intimidatingly, and they seemed to form a kind of shape or structure now; it was less of a cyclone and more of a prison cell, lengths of fire straightening resolutely from their initially curved, swirling states to serve as the scorching bars of the cage.

The Gallade took this as his cue to jump into the heat of the battle as the Ghost-Fire-type slipped away, hovering backwards through the shadows. Vergil entered the fray, forehead scrunched in absolute concentration as he held the burning jail up with his mental power, pouring even more energy into the bars that supported the structure. Of course, he was no Fire-type, which made it even more challenging for him to control the rather shaky technique; perhaps the only reason he wasn't failing was that he new how to execute this move as well - Imprison was something both he and Candle knew how to use, though her prison was made of flames and his was, I assumed, made of Psychic-type energy. He seemed to be mentally-capable and skilled enough to sustain the cell, though, and within a few moments, he appeared to be comfortable with the amount of energy he was expending, the same way an experienced distance runner would easily settle into a comfortable pace after the initial burst of speed.

Now that he was used to the amount of effort the Imprison technique required of him to exert, Vergil could begin the next and final part of the plan. His blade was filled with Fighting-type energy, coated by an aura of green and yellow streaks that spiraled around his arm as he charged up the attack. He powered it further by channeling electrical energy into the appendage, tendrils of electricity soon zipping up and down his arm as he approached the Porygon-Z. In one quick motion, he drove his blade straight through a gap in between two bars of fire, ignoring the temporary though still scorching heat and deciding instead to focus on delivering this blow.

As little embers tickled at his arm, the fighter released pulse upon pulse of mixed fighting- and electric-typed energy at the foe as they collided. Electricity surged through the Virtual Pokemon's bloodstream in waves, while green sparks bounced off its exterior and returned to the Gallade, filling him with renewed vigor. He felt his strength, his power, return - almost as if the flames weren't even there, or that the Rotom from earlier had barely even touched him. Sliding his arm back out the same way he had swung it in, he had not only managed to leech some life from his opponent but had also inflicted it with a status ailment in the process.

Though Porygon-Z were mostly regarded as having some Electric-type characteristics in them - the Magnet Rise tactic from earlier, the Zap Cannon or Thunder attack, plus the fact that they dwelled here, in the Power Plant - they still were just Normal-types, and so the Thunder Wave technique had still managed to conquer its "muscles," in a way, thus rendering its movements sluggish and seemingly weak. Still, that didn't mean it was downright immobilized. Perhaps it simply decided to use an Electric-typed move itself, or perhaps it happened to make use of the yellow currents that had been, er, injected into it just moments before - either way it, too, quickly charged up some form of retaliation.

Vergil had paralyzed it, and so the wild entity would attempt to slow him down in return. From its beak came a string of golden hue, crackling with electricity as it shot out between two blazing bars then branching out into numerous thin streaks that flew in every direction. They latched onto their target like glue, sticking onto him and draping themselves onto his shoulders first before working their way downward to the rest of his body, attacking mostly his limbs as they wrapped themselves around him. The Gallade soon found himself in some sort of a prison of his own, trapped in a cocoon-like web (if that even made sense) of electrical tendrils.

The Porygon-Z was exhausted, extremely worn down already, for sure, but knowing Ivy she'd address her Pokemon's problem first before focusing solely on the wild creature, no matter how ready-for-capture it currently was. After all, this was Vergil we were talking about, and if he was even a tiny bit like my own Gallade - and we had already established that they had rather similar personalities - then he was probably loathing his current sticky situation and wanted out. And fast.

BATTLE STATS:
Wild Porygon-Z (?, ???)
Health: 22%
Currently Using: [none]
Last Move Used: Electro Web
Status: [PRZ][FS-3; acting as a prison]

..::VS::..

Virgil the Gallade (M, Hardy)
Health: 72%
Last Move Used: Imprison+Thunder Wave-coated Drain Punch
Status: [SPE-1][covered in cobwebs]​

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

Encounters Left: 3 [Endurance Run]
Area Effects: It's Sunny now, yay! Semi-circular, slightly weakened wall of Light Screens, most of which have small cracks running along the surface.
Pokemon Encountered: Electrike (F, Hasty)|Zubat (?, ???)|Electrode (?, ???)|Electrode (?, ???)|Koffing (M, Bashful)|Ditto (?, ???)|Flaaffy (?, ???)|Elekid (?, ???)|Registeel (?, ???)|Rotom (GL, Impish)|Mareep (?, ???)|Plusle (?, ???)|Koffing (?, ???)|Weezing (?, ???)|Elekid (?, ???)|Klinklang (?, ???)|Zapdos (?, ???)
Current Encounter: Porygon-Z (?, ???)
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|Two Legendary Pictures [Registeel|Zapdos]
MCR: 44769/45000 [Special]

Pokemon Stats

Haji the Espeon (M) - 78%
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) - 74%
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) - 72%
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; I'm gonna try to capture this post, and if it works, I think I want to end the run so I have time to sign up for the event, get gym rents, and travel for holidays and all that. Thanks for Rangering—you've been awesome!

TP#39

Vergil liked to battle. That was one thing Ivy was completely sure of. He liked testing his strength and proving that he was the best, even if he did dumb things in the process. Still, that was just a part of who he is, and virtually the only way Ivy could remotely relate to him. She wanted to help him get stronger, so giving him opportunities like this was the only way she knew how.

Something in the air snapped when Candle prepared her Imprison. The fire vortex she had created morphed and warped into bars, just like a cage. Ivy's brow raised. She hadn't expected the Chandelure to use the fire—usually in training they had used the more common mental energy. Was that going to prevent Vergil from using it? He was skilled mentally, as all Psychic-types were, but compared to Haji or even other Gallade, Vergil wasn't at the top of the ladder.

Still, Ivy did believe he could pull it off, if only because he was really stubborn. Sometimes that came in handy. She knew that he'd try his best despite the circumstances just to show everyone that he could.

The fire flickered as Vergil charged into the field and Candle retreated, coming back to Ivy's side along with Haji. The fire looked shaky for a minute, and the Gallade even slowed his assault, but then it evened out and became balanced. Ivy was impressed he managed it. It showed just how much he had grown since they first met.

“Good job, Candle,” she told the ghost as she came near.

In response, the Fire-type bobbed up and down cheerily. She looked a little worn out but not too hurt, which made Ivy relieved. This was a powerful foe, and it was going to take all of them to bring it down.

Now that Vergil was steady, he unleashed his attack. Electric threads wove across his arm as he brought it back, pausing mere seconds before slamming it through a gap in the bars to strike at the Porygon-Z. Energy fluxed as the Gallade absorbed energy, restoring his strength that was lost in the battle with the Rotom.

However, the wild Pokemon didn't just take that attack, as she figured it wouldn't. Being so up close and personal, Vergil was in range for a retaliation attack. Yellow waves rolled down its body, and she didn't think it was from the Thunder Wave he had afflicted.

The Porygon-Z jerked its head, and out of its beak came a thread-like web of gold that crackled sharply even through the roaring of the flames. The strands flew out and stuck to Vergil, drenching him in the electrical strings. It was an attempt to slow him down and entrap him, just like they had done to the wild Pokemon.

With tactics like that, Ivy could tell the wild Pokemon was starting to wear out. The battle would have to be ended soon, but first she needed to help Vergil. He'd been so cooperative so far, and she didn't want to ruin that by leaving him tied up.

“Vergil!” she called out to be heard over the noise. “Call up a Bulldoze around you to nullify the electrical charge of the web and then slice through it with False Swipe! If you can, try to hit the Porygon too so you distract it!”

Ivy pulled out a Hyper Ball from her vest pocket, edging a little closer so she'd have a more accurate throw. “I might need your help on this one, Haji,” she said, judging the distance to be too far for a light capture device.

The Psychic cat nodded and prepared to give the ball a little boost if needed. Hopefully, Vergil's attempt to get the Electro Web off and slice through it would distract the Porygon-Z. The technique did often do damage, but it wasn't used to knock foes out. It was more of a skill that faked out the opponent and left an opening for another attack. In this case, it was going to be a ball.

Ivy planted her feet and prepared to toss the Hyper Ball as soon as the Gallade freed himself. Then the run would be pretty much over. If her count was right, she still had a couple of encounters, but after all that had happened, she was pretty tired. Not to mention she'd probably still have work later today—both she and Elisa. She couldn't complain with what she found, and the battles had been challenging and exciting. Over all, it was a good day.

 

@WinterVines; Had a brilliant time taking you through the Park, Winter! Enjoy your new 'mons!

BP#7

Vergil was in a bit of a tight situation, and as I should've expected, Ivy got him out of it in no time at all. The Elite Ranger and her team have been continuously amazing me throughout this day with their little tricks, unique schemes, and developed techniques; I sure did hope I would be able to ranger her again some time in the near future.

As the threads binding the Gallade were pretty much just tendrils of electricity, their power and slowing effect was quickly nullified by the Ground-type move Bulldoze. With his arms tucked in at his sides and the string wound up around him tightly, he had no choice but to awaken the earth by means of hopping, which was a rather unfortunate sight on his part, but he did it anyway - though he certainly did not enjoy it. As the ground cracked beneath his feet, he willed the dust and soil to rise just as he had done earlier in the battle against the Rotom. He soon had a brown wave of muck splashing over the golden streaks that bound him, seeping through the tiniest gaps between the woven threads and dowsing them, drenching them, extinguishing them of their power.

He was this much closer to freedom - the murky liquid acting as somewhat of a lubricant as well - now he was able to move his arms and wriggle around in the tangled mess of stained strands. He soon found himself slashing through the now-powerless strings, shredding them to bits and untangling himself completely from them as he took a swipe at his foe, who hadn't been expecting much of anything at all.

The Porygon-Z looked startled and distracted, even a bit distant - perhaps it was just too exhausted to be thinking quickly and clearly, its brain sluggish and worn out. The blow rattled its senses as its attention snapped to the Blade Pokemon, just as Ivy had hoped.

With that, she tossed the HyperBall into the air, not wasting a single moment because who knew how long Vergil could keep the wild entity occupied. Haji stepped forward as he worked his mental Psychic energy on the orb, propelling it forwards and exactly in the direction it needed to go. As the fire cell began to fade around the Virtual Pokemon, as if signaling or symbolizing that the bout was about to draw to a close, the sphere soared right through the remaining embers before bopping the creature on the head.

The ball burst open to emit a flood of red light, sucking the paralyzed Porygon-Z into the compartment. It snapped close, dropped to the ground, and proceeded to do what any capture device would usually do: shake, rattle, and roll. Nothing much else could be said about the scenario, except that it was filled with tension and silence, until a resounding click broke the calm quiet... And then, it was over.

The run, itself, was over; there were a few more encounters left, but I couldn't blame Ivy for wanting to end it here and now - it had been one helluva day, that's for sure. And we all needed a break, some time to rest and relax; the adventure, the running, the battles, had all exhausted us - that was enough for one day.

I nodded at the old computer that Adrian was still carrying. "We can get this back to the Headquarters and have some of the more tech-y people have a look, see what they find. Might even be able to coax that new Porygon-Z of yours into helping, if need be. And well, if that still doesn't work, then I guess we'll never really find out what went down way back in the National Park history - not this time, anyway. But that's okay; we can save it for another day... Another time, another place, another adventure altogether, yeah?"

BATTLE STATS:
Wild Porygon-Z (?, Quirky)
Health: 15%
Currently Using: [none]
Last Move Used: Electro Web
Status: [CAPTURED]

..::VS::..

Virgil the Gallade (M, Hardy)
Health: 72%
Last Move Used: Bulldoze+False Swipe
Status: ​

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

Encounters Left: 3 [Endurance Run]
Area Effects: It's Sunny now, yay! Semi-circular, slightly weakened wall of Light Screens, most of which have small cracks running along the surface.
Pokemon Encountered: Electrike (F, Hasty)|Zubat (?, ???)|Electrode (?, ???)|Electrode (?, ???)|Koffing (M, Bashful)|Ditto (?, ???)|Flaaffy (?, ???)|Elekid (?, ???)|Registeel (?, ???)|Rotom (GL, Impish)|Mareep (?, ???)|Plusle (?, ???)|Koffing (?, ???)|Weezing (?, ???)|Elekid (?, ???)|Klinklang (?, ???)|Zapdos (?, ???)
Current Encounter: Porygon-Z (?, Quirky)
Pokemon Captured: Electrike (F, Hasty)|Koffing (M, Bashful)|Rotom (GL, Impish)|Porygon-Z (?, Quirky)

Total Items: Two Parkballs|Two Superballs|One Hyperball|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|Two Legendary Pictures [Registeel|Zapdos]
MCR: 0/???

Pokemon Stats

Haji the Espeon (M) - 78%
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) - 74%
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) - 72%
Ability: Steadfast
Nature: Hardy
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Will-O-Wisp|Thunder Wave|Drain Punch|Bulldoze|Shadow Sneak|Ice Punch|Fire Punch

======================================

ROLEPLAY COMPLETED!

Name: Ivy Frost (WinterVines)
Location: Abandoned Power Plant

Items Retained:
Two Parkballs|Two Superballs|One Hyperball|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|Two Legendary Pictures [Registeel|Zapdos]

Pokemon Claimed:
Electrike (F, Hasty)|Koffing (M, Bashful)|Rotom (GL, Impish)|Porygon-Z (?, Quirky)

======================================​