Individual Run: Ultra.

NBP#1.
Ranger A. Silverswift.

As usual, Argent was in one of the several outposts scattered around National Park, working on some paperwork like he normally did. He wished something interesting would happen to him while he was working, so that if a story was ever written about him, it wouldn't consistently describe him plainly working on paperwork all the time in between the many runs which he had to take as a Ranger in the National Park. Chimey, Argent's loyal Chimecho companion, had rested herself on top of his computer screen, her eyes closed because she was fast asleep. Her tiny body moved up and down gently as she inhaled and exhaled rhythmically, and with each exhalation a small jingling sound escaped her mouth. Chimey was a wonderful companion for Argent to have in the office, as when he grew bored Chimey always found the inspiration to do something entertaining for Argent to watch. Sometimes, they just sat and talked there for hours - they had a special telepathic link which many trainers shared with their Psychic-type Pokémon, but Argent felt that theirs was the most special in the world. It might have been to him, but perhaps not to others.

Argent, placing down his pen after looking over a report made about a recently completed Park Run in the Botanic Gardens and completing the necessary paperwork in order to file it away into the archives, sighed as he looked at Chimey. She was so at ease, even if this did seem to be a bustling place. Argent swivelled his computer mouse around the desk erratically in order for the standby screen to fade away into the actual desktop. Chimey murmured in her sleep, feeling a whirring motion underneath her body where the monitor was working, bringing up the screen - the background was a picture of Argent, Chimey and Cassidy (Argent's Clefable) on their first Park Run in the Botanic Gardens. There, Argent had to leave the run early, but had still caught a Munchlax before leaving. It was a memorable day, and Argent had loved every single moment of it. That was when Argent had really fallen in love with the park... now, six years on, he still loved it every bit as much. He took the arrow pointer to the 'Ranger Database' icon, where he could spot run submissions and the like.

Seeing nothing new as yet, nothing that he'd particularly want to take, he leant back in his chair, stretching his arms out and yawning. He wondered what Chimey was dreaming of at the moment... when an idea struck him. He could actually look into Chimey's dream through their link - he didn't know how, of course, but he was going to find out. Outstretching three of his fingers, he gently placed them on Chimey's body and closed his eyes tightly, screwing them slightly in concentration. On touching Chimey's body, his mind felt like it had burst into colours and carousels, and there was a faint buzzing. He pushed his psychic being towards those colours, knowing instinctively that this would land him in her dream. He could watch what Chimey was dreaming of - it would be extremely exciting. He remembered doing this before, and that memory urged him onwards into the dream. He smiled in his real body, but then became utterly lost in his psychic essence. He pushed it on, until finally the feeling of breaching something had come over his thoughts.

***

[INSERT DREAM HERE]

***

"Holy crap!" Argent exclaimed as he bolted upright, panic across his face. He saw that a colleague was looking at him with a strange expression on her face, which then became amused. She started to laugh with a certain mirth, prompting Argent to flush and Chimey to awaken, blinking. Argent, looking to the screen, saw that there was a new run up. He smiled, accepting this run with a few clicks of the mouse and then decided that he had better get going soon to this run. He printed out the files as fast as he could and then placed them in his satchel. Picking up this satchel, he slung it across his shoulder and chucked Chimey under her chin, Chimey still being in a half-asleep daze. Argent picked her up also and laid her on his shoulder - she wasn't very big, so she could lie somewhat comfortably on his shoulder without being disturbed until she woke. He started to walk from the room, Chimey slowly regaining something resembling thought.

Once they had gotten out from the Outpost (they were at the Woods outpost, so they needed to drive or fly for a little), Argent quickly pressed the keys to a National Park Jeep. Slipping inside, he shoved the keys roughly into the ignition, twisted it and off they were. Argent had never made a good driver, so he made a few desperate swerves at some points - he'd likely get a few points on his license for reckless driving soon enough, but at least he was getting there. After a short while driving, they arrived at the outpost to Mt. Oktori, a place where Argent had never been and was now taking some trainer who he did not know - James Caan was his name, according to the files, and Argent wasn't going to argue with whatever he had taken really. Opening the door of the Jeep, he jumped from the Jeep and landed on the ground rather hard. Chimey had awoken fully at this point, and gently rose from Argent's shoulder, stretching herself out and floating. She looked at the rather large mountain, dominating sight and shadowing quite a bit of land... to be honest, she was rather intimidated.

Argent hopped inside the Outpost for a few moments to get on warmer clothes - Oktori was rather cold. Walking back out, he leant against the wall of the outpost, waiting for his trainer.

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Trainer Stats.

Spoiler

Trainer Stats.
Username: Ultra.
Trainer Name: James Caan.
Location: Mt. Oktori.
Pokémon Encountered: None.
Remaining Encounters: 15.

Items:
Park Ball x2, Super Ball x2, Lava Cookie x2, Energy Power Plus x2.

Weather: Very chilly. Looks like it could snow anytime soon.

Pokémon:
Species: Charizard.
Nickname: Ultra.
Gender: Male.
Ability: Blaze.
Nature: Lonely.
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Quick Attack, Thunderpunch.

Species: Gligar.
Nickname: Banshou.
Gender: Male.
Ability: Blaze.
Nature: Impish.
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Sandstorm.

 

I got off the train and flashed my ticket at the inspector. He nodded with a stern rock solid look on his face, lookingdown through his circular glasses, his moustache not twitching an inch, what a weirdo! Then I realised it was freezing cold and everyone was wrapped up warm and I was only in vest and shorts. I quickly got a jacket out of my backpack and put it on. I passed a young female trainer who stared and smiled awkwardly at me, as I returned a gentle smile and she turned red and ran in the opposite direction hitting into a man loading a crate of berries onto the train. I laughed and half-walked half-jogged out of the station and stepped out onto the frosty landscape. The trees were aligned up straightly and the slightest wind didn't shake them. Many children were playing in the ice by the side of the station and after managing to weave past them I got to a sign saying 'Mt Oktori 1.5 miles ahead'. I released Ultra out of his shiny red and white pokeball and popped it back in the backpack, then we went on.

Ultra stood a couple of spaces behind me; he had a lot on his mind since our last battle. I used him so much when he was my starter and only pokemon and now he feels forgotten. Sure I sympathised with him on the outside, but really? For a Charizard to be moping around desperate for attention was pretty pathetic, my other pokemon look up to him as a leader and what goods a leader with no backbone geez...

I'd signed up for a National Park run as I hadn't done so before and to be honest at first it didn't look that great. We saw in the distance the big mound of rock people call Mt Oktori, where we were to encounter some new pokemon. I had my backpack slung over one shoulder and as I walking I soon felt cracks underneath the ground, the whole path was one giant sheet of ice and it was getting thin!

"Ultra! The ground is ice and its getting thinne-" but just as I said that Ultra's foot went straight through the ice and back out in a quick movement. The ground underneath Ultra cracked and he spurted up in the air with a powerful swoop of his wings and hovered while the ice shuddered and caved into the water, it didn't really help that Ultra's breathing was actually making the air hot, I nearly thought of taking off my jacket before he was up in the air grabbing hold of my jacket by his talons so that I also wouldn't fall in the water which was gradually increasing in volume. As it turned out we'd veered down a side-route which was actually a frozen over river leading into a tributary. Ultra finally landed back on the main path less than a quarter of a mile away from the mountain and threw me down with a thud. I usually would be annoyed but it was good to see a little fire in his belly so I just thanked him, smiled and went on with the journey.

We soon made our way to the outpost. The ground was covered with rocks and dirt, my white sneakers turning a hue of brown. A ranger, who would presumably be taking me through the Park was stood leaning against the wall of the outpost waiting. He looked quite professional and had a chimecho hovering happily next to him. I grinned, unlike most of the locals here he didn't have the solid stone-like expressionless face so it was relieving to see someone who didn't look like a Geodude or in the case of the ticket inspector, a Probopass.

"Hi!" I called out to him, "My name's James Caan, are you the ranger for this place?"

 

NBP#2.
Ranger A. Silverswift.

Argent sang under his breath to himself in a rather tuneful voice (in his opinion, that was). He was still waiting for his trainer to hop along and arrive already, so he could get the run underway. Standing around in the cold to wait for someone was not a pleasant experience, and Argent's teeth began chattering with the intense chill of the area. Inside his coat was actually quite toasty and cosy. Chimey was shivering so much that several loud jingles were escaping her body a second, which was unnoticed by Argent for several minutes. Argent, when he finally did notice, tutted in a "motherly" way and began to converse with her through the telepathic link they shared, smiling as he delved through this link to deliver the message.

Chimey, come nestle in my coat, Argent chided her, not helping the imprint of amusement that was nestled in this thought.

It's fine, Argent, Chimey snapped, irritated at her trainer's thinking of the situation quite funny. I think I can stand the cold. Us noble heroines learn to cope with all sorts of things.

Don't be silly, Chimey. I will wrestle you into my coat if I must, you know! Argent replied cheerfully.

Don't make me use Extrasensory on you again, Argent! Chimey warned him lightly. Argent was unfazed by this threat, as he could distinctly sense that Chimey was also turning this into a joke as well. Delving further into this feeling but trying to keep his activities unnoticed, he found that she did actually want to be relaxing in his warm coat; but she wanted a fight for it.

Argent simply grabbed Chimey around her middle and pulled her inexorably towards his coat. She struggled in a pretending way, but in fact just let him pull her away. Argent placed her down his coat a little, but she still had her head peeping out. It was much, much warmer for Chimey inside the coat, and Argent's body warmth added to the general heat inside it. She played around with the zipper of the coat as they both waited together still for James and his Pokémon to arrive. Argent was sure they'd be here at any stage, but Chimey was growing ever impatient as she sat in Argent's coat, her head half-frozen at this stage already. The weather was certainly getting gradually cooler, and they hadn't even gotten to the mountain yet. Argent shuddered to think what the temperatures might be like on the very peak of the mountain - he would probably get so completely frozen if he stood on the peak for very long. It was a scary thought, really, that they might even get to the top of the mountain during this run.

"Hi!" A voice called out. "My name's James Caan, are you the ranger for this place?"

Argent turned around, and broke into a large grin. "I sure am! We'll start immediately, yeah?"

Argent quickly led the trio on towards the foot of the mountain, in order to start climbing it - or going through the series of caves which Argent knew were under the mountain. It was up to the trainer which way they wanted to go, really, but Argent knew immediately that he would prefer going through the caves. However, seeing as that wasn't his decision and wouldn't be troubling him for a good many moments yet, he walked onwards, smiling all the way encouragingly, just to keep up the morale of everyone thus far. Of course, he doubted it was necessary - going on a run in itself was enough of a boost of morale for anyone to have whilst in the national park, as the whole place was quite inspirational and wouldn't get boring so easily. Argent knew that the mountain itself was also difficult to navigate, littered with many obstacles to prevent avid climbers from reaching the peak - whilst it would be cold, Argent knew it would make a good story to tell grandchildren if he had actually conquered Mt. Oktori once in his lifetime. Again, he put the decision out of his mind, deciding not to resolve this issue until it actually faced them, which would be soon enough.

UNFORTUNATELY, A POKÉMON WAS IN THEIR WAY. It was rather small 'n' squishy 'n' such a qt. Its body was shaped like a scoop of ice-cream, complete with cone and all. It stood (or whatever Vanillite do) in their way bravely, daring anyone to pass. Of course, Argent wasn't really intimidated, but he smiled, turning to the trainer with that same encouraging smile.

"Hey, want a Vanillite?"

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Trainer Stats.

Spoiler

Trainer Stats.
Username: Ultra.
Trainer Name: James Caan.
Location: Mt. Oktori.
Pokémon Encountered: Vanillite.
Remaining Encounters: 14.

Items:
Park Ball x2, Super Ball x2, Lava Cookie x2, Energy Power Plus x2.

Weather: Very chilly. Looks like it could snow anytime soon.

Pokémon:
Species: Charizard.
Nickname: Ultra.
Gender: Male.
Ability: Blaze.
Nature: Lonely.
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Quick Attack, Thunderpunch.

Species: Gligar.
Nickname: Banshou.
Gender: Male.
Ability: Blaze.
Nature: Impish.
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Sandstorm.