Main RP: Meteor Valley

Akinai stared over at the now-still Parkball, absolutely dumbfounded, “...I caught it?” she whispered, then broke into a wide grin “I caught it!” she said louder, pumping her fist in the air.

Cryrosant, who had been watching the capture standing shock-still, appeared to relax as if to say Finally, no more getting thrown around by a white furball.

"Congratulations on your capture," Chainy said, picking up the Absol's Ball. *"We'd probably better move on; I wouldn't make any large bets regarding this tunnel's stability after that battle."

“Good point. It's not like anyone was holding back that fight,” Akinai replied, taking a look around the passage. There was still a decent-sized trench in the ground thanks to the Mud-Slap barrage, along with mud everywhere, including quite a bit on the walls. Add that to the cave-in and random rocks skewed everywhere, it would make even the most seasoned veteran stare at the scene in amazement.

Cryrosant thumped her tail hard on the ground, impatient to be returned to her Ball and to leave this cave. In response to her reaction, the entire tunnel shook dangerously.

Akinai swung her pack back on, grabbing the Super Potion resting on top first. She walked over to Cryrosant, pulling out the Aggron's Pokeball as she did so. “I hear you! You're getting some first aid first, though.” She sprayed the Super Potion onto the worst of the wounds, mainly the crack in the armor, and then recalled her Pokemon.

Cryrosant dematerialized in a swirling red light, closing her eyes in contentment.

“Ready whenever!” Akinai said, walking back to Chainy and storing the now-empty Potion away.

 

NBP

Ranger Chainy

~~~~~

“Good point. It's not like anyone was holding back that fight,” Akinai replied. She seemed very happy that she had managed to capture the Absol, and I didn't blame her - it was a hard battle, and the Darkness Pokemon was incredibly rare.

My Trainer walked over and sprayed her Aggron with a Super Potion that she had pulled out of her backpack. She sprayed Cryro with the medicine, and then returned her to her ball. "Ready when you are!" Akinai called out, storing the empty bottle back into her pack. I was glad to see that - the Boss was talking about doing away with traditional potions because Trainers often discarded the used containers carelessly.

"Alright, let's head on out," I said. I boosted the brightness of my torch to 80%, and a white lance shot out into the gloom of the tunnel. It stayed roughly the same size. We walked for five minutes, and I noticed that the tunnel was slightly inclined upwards. Hopefully that meant we'd find a way out soon.

I heard an echoing noise, and I held out my hand, indicating to Akinai that we should stop. Nothing happened for a couple seconds, and then suddenly a very dark Pokemon ghosted through the walls. It turned to look at us, and a single red light shone at us from where its face would be. The Ghost-type would have really creeped me out, except I owned one of its species, and she was one of the most gentle Pokemon I had ever met.

"Interested in battling a Dusknoir?" I asked Akinai.

~~~~~

Trainer Statistics:

Name: Akinai
Location: Meteor Valley
Area Effects: 11 Encounters Remaining
Pokemon Encountered: ??? Chingling(?); Naive Kirlia(F); Careful Absol(M); ??? Dusknoir(?)
Pokemon Captured: Naive Kirlia(F); Careful Absol(M)
CC since last Encounter: 1636

Pokemon Statistics:

Serious Female Flygon[Nicknamed Jade] 85% (HM Fly, HM Strength <Levitate Ability>)

Hasty Male Mightyena[Nicknamed Lunaris] 73% (HM Strength <Intimidate Ability>)

Docile Female Aggron[Nicknamed Cryrosant] 100% (HM Strength, TM Earthquake <Rock Head Ability>)

Item Statistics:

x1 Parkball
x2 Superball
x2 Super Potion

~~~~~

 

Akinai eyed the Dusknoir warily, waiting a moment to see if it would do anything else. She was not a huge fan of Ghost types, and Dusknoir was one of the more powerful ones.

For now, the Ghost Pokemon seemed to be doing the same thing. It had turned around, and was silently watching the two humans.

Didn't I see three types of Balls when I was shopping earlier? Akinai mused. Thinking back, she remembered a third box next to the Parkball and Superball containers, an almost empty one marked “Hyperball”. If the first one could only capture ones that did not evolve and the second one could, that meant only one of two things: that Hyperballs were a more effective version of the second version, or they were designed to only capture the most powerful of evolved Pokemon. She kicked herself for not buying at least one of all three versions.

“Let's not risk it,” Akinai said to Chainy, lowering her voice in the hope that the Dusknoir would not hear her. “I don't want to try fighting a Ghost in this closed an area; it could just phase and laugh at us the whole time. Plus, I'm not sure if we should stay in this tunnel any longer.” She had noticed that they were walking for a while, but had no idea how far away the exit was.

 

NBP

Ranger Chainy

~~~~~

“Let's not risk it. I don't want to try fighting a Ghost in this closed an area; it could just phase and laugh at us the whole time," Akinai explained. "Plus, I'm not sure if we should stay in this tunnel any longer.”

"That's fair," I agreed. I turned to the Dusknoir, which was still calmly watching us. "Will you allow us to pass?" I asked it.

Silently, the Ghost-type sunk into the ground, without moving its body at all. The only movement was its eye, which tracked me even as it slipped through the floor. I shuddered - I'd had occasion to phase through objects before, and it wasn't fun. Well, the ability itself was, but the feeling certainly wasn't.

"Alright, onwards," I said under my breath, leading my Trainer through the tunnel.

The tunnel gained a definite upwards slope, and after a couple minutes I was breathing heavy. Fortunately, a light became visible, shining brightly towards us. I stood up straight and laughed with relief.

"There's our way out." I pointed to the light.

Instead of hearing Akinai reply, however, I heard an ethereal giggle. Down at my feet was a small little puffball of a Pokemon, cream in colour with brown ears and tiny little sparkling eyes. The Cleffa tugged on my shoe, and pointed at Akinai. I nodded, and the Normal-type bounced over to Akinai, a mock-fierce look on its face.

"The Cleffa wants to battle you," I said to Akinai. "Feel like taking it on?"

~~~~~

Trainer Statistics:

Name: Akinai
Location: Meteor Valley
Area Effects: 10 Encounters Remaining
Pokemon Encountered: ??? Chingling(?); Naive Kirlia(F); Careful Absol(M); ??? Dusknoir(?), ??? Cleffa(?)
Pokemon Captured: Naive Kirlia(F); Careful Absol(M)
CC since last Encounter: 0

Pokemon Statistics:

Serious Female Flygon[Nicknamed Jade] 85% (HM Fly, HM Strength <Levitate Ability>)

Hasty Male Mightyena[Nicknamed Lunaris] 73% (HM Strength <Intimidate Ability>)

Docile Female Aggron[Nicknamed Cryrosant] 100% (HM Strength, TM Earthquake <Rock Head Ability>)

Item Statistics:


x2 Superball
x2 Super Potion

~~~~~

 

Akinai had to try her best from laughing as she saw the Cleffa hop over to her, sporting what she assumed the Pokemon thought was a fierce face. The effect was lost on the tiny creature though; it looked more like a child who was trying to get it's favorite toy back then a battle-ready Pokemon.

"The Cleffa wants to battle you; feel like taking it on?" Chainy inquired.

Akinai knelt down to the Cleffa, trying to keep an apologetic look on her face as she addressed the baby Pokemon. “Much as I would love to accept your challenge, I might be the wrong choice for you.” To further express her point, she unhooked Jade's Pokeball from her belt and lightly tossed it a few feet further ahead in the path, calling out the Flygon.

Jade materialized in a flash of light, looking around her surroundings. When she had finally noticed the Cleffa she gave the tiny Pokemon a look of disapproval, then turned to Akinai with a small sigh. She was tired of babysitting children for the day.

“As you can see, we might be a little beyond your reach at the moment,” Akinai said with a tone of finality, and stood up. “Also, you might want to leave this tunnel. It's a dead end, and we passed a Dusknoir earlier. Sorry I'm not able to help you.”

 

NBP

Ranger Chainy

OOC: If you want to buy a doll, it's $500.

~~~~~

Akinai knelt down, trying to get as close to face level as possible with the Baby Pokemon.

“Much as I would love to accept your challenge, I might be the wrong choice for you," she said. She summoned Jade back out, and the Flygon didn't seem happy at the prospect of having to look after another young Pokemon.

“As you can see, we might be a little beyond your reach at the moment,” Akinai continued, standing up. “Also, you might want to leave this tunnel. It's a dead end, and we passed a Dusknoir earlier. Sorry I'm not able to help you.”

I nodded, understanding the cue, and we moved forwards towards the exit. However, the Cleffa didn't want to let us go. It ran and bounced to get ahead of us and then blocked our way, trying to look dangerous. It frowned and its little cheeks puffed out, determined to keep Akinai from leaving. I chuckled - even though the Pokemon was trying to look battle-worthy, all it was doing was looking cute.

"Looks like we're not going anywhere just yet," I said to Akinai. "You could battle it to get it out of the way - it doesn't look particularly strong, and I doubt it will stick around if you hit it hard and fast. Alternatively, I have a soft toy that will distract it long enough for us to get past if you'd care to purchase it from me."

~~~~~

Trainer Statistics:

Name: Akinai
Location: Meteor Valley
Area Effects: 10 Encounters Remaining
Pokemon Encountered: ??? Chingling(?); Naive Kirlia(F); Careful Absol(M); ??? Dusknoir(?), ??? Cleffa(?)
Pokemon Captured: Naive Kirlia(F); Careful Absol(M)
CC since last Encounter: 1235

Pokemon Statistics:

Serious Female Flygon[Nicknamed Jade] 85% (HM Fly, HM Strength <Levitate Ability>)

Hasty Male Mightyena[Nicknamed Lunaris] 73% (HM Strength <Intimidate Ability>)

Docile Female Aggron[Nicknamed Cryrosant] 100% (HM Strength, TM Earthquake <Rock Head Ability>)

Item Statistics:

x2 Superball
x2 Super Potion

~~~~~

 

(OOC: Here's $500 then, my good sir.)

It was almost impossible for Akinai to keep a straight look on her face as Cleffa bounced in front of the two humans, trying to block their progress. With the way it was starting to puff up, the baby Pokemon was more similar to an Igglybuff trying to throw a tantrum then a veteran wild Pokemon with many victories under their belt.

Jade watched the display as well, her tail beginning to twitch. She did not know if she wanted to swat the Cleffa aside to teach it some manners, or take pity on the tiny creature. The Flygon turned her gaze towards Akinai, asking for a command.

"You could battle it to get it out of the way - it doesn't look particularly strong, and I doubt it will stick around if you hit it hard and fast,” Chainy pointed out to Akinai.

Akinai shook her head at this. This Cleffa might be foolhardy, but she didn't want to hurt it.

“Alternatively, I have a soft toy that will distract it long enough for us to get past if you'd care to purchase it from me," Chainy continued on.

“Let's go with the toy,” Akinai replied, pulling out her wallet, “I have a feeling this one is looking more for a playmate than an actual battle.” Hopefully it doesn't stay here long. Normal type or not, no Pokemon should stay near a Ghost type's home any longer then absolutely needed.

 

NBP

Ranger Chainy

~~~~~

“Let's go with the toy. I have a feeling this one is looking more for a playmate than an actual battle," Akinai said.

She pulled out her wallet and handed me a wad of bills. I took the cash and gave her a plush toy shaped like a Nidorino in return, which I had just pulled out the pack strapped inside the small of my back. Akinai tossed the Poke Doll to the Cleffa. The faux-toughness faded away and the Normal-type giggled, swinging its new friend in circles. It ran past us happily as if we weren't even there. Apparently it wasn't worried about the Dusknoir. I didn't blame it - the Ghost hadn't attacked us so it was probably peaceful.

I led us out of the cave, back into the sunlight. We emerged about halfway down into the valley on a plateau, which was covered in sparse vegetation and gently sloped down towards the giant fissure that was Meteor Valley.

A small black dog-like Pokemon ran up to us and growled warningly. I couldn't help but grin at the Poochyena - it was probably defending its "territory" from us.

"Awww, it's like a cute widdle Lunaris," I chuckled. "I don't suppose you feel like battling it?"

~~~~~

Trainer Statistics:

Name: Akinai
Location: Meteor Valley
Area Effects: 10 Encounters Remaining
Pokemon Encountered: ??? Chingling(?); Naive Kirlia(F); Careful Absol(M); ??? Dusknoir(?), ??? Cleffa(?); ??? Poochyena(?)
Pokemon Captured: Naive Kirlia(F); Careful Absol(M)
CC since last Encounter: 0

Pokemon Statistics:

Serious Female Flygon[Nicknamed Jade] 85% (HM Fly, HM Strength <Levitate Ability>)

Hasty Male Mightyena[Nicknamed Lunaris] 73% (HM Strength <Intimidate Ability>)

Docile Female Aggron[Nicknamed Cryrosant] 100% (HM Strength, TM Earthquake <Rock Head Ability>)

Item Statistics:

x2 Superball
x2 Super Potion

~~~~~

 

Despite the warning growls coming from Poochyena, Akinai couldn't help but be a little smitten by the young Pokemon. Poochyena and Mightyena were two of her favorite Pokemon, hence why she brought Lunaris along for her first Park run. “It's definitely brave confronting us, that's for sure,” Akinai grinned. Not many Pokemon would go after someone being followed by a fully grown Dragon type, and Jade was still closely following the young trainer.

Jade slowly glided in between the Poochyena and Akinai, and glared at it warningly. To further express the point that she could easily defeat it, she blew a small sand cloud in front of it with one of her mighty wings.

"Awww, it's like a cute widdle Lunaris," Chainy said with a laugh. "I don't suppose you feel like battling it?"

“Guts or not, I'd rather not catch it,” Akinai said to Chainy, still grinning at the Poochyena, “I already have Lunaris, and he's already a handful to feed.... Imagine if I had two of them!” Favorites or not, she was on a budget, and Lunaris ate enough for two Jades.

 

NBP

Ranger Chainy

~~~~~

Jade glided in the air around us, sending small dust-squalls towards and around the Poochyena. I would have scolded the Dragon-type except I knew she was just warning the Poochyena - demonstrating how her own power far eclipsed the Dark-type's.

“Guts or not, I'd rather not catch it.” Akinai smiled, watching the Poochyena “I already have Lunaris, and he's already a handful to feed. Imagine if I had two of them!”

I laughed. "Fair enough, lets move on then."

We walked onwards, away from the Poochyena, but it wasn't done with us. It growled again and ran forward, grabbing the back of Akinai's jeans with its little teeth. It shook and growled viciously, but I knew that Akinai wasn't in any real trouble. Its little teeth wouldn't have been able to penetrate her jeans - it looked quite young.

"Looks like you have a way with young Pokemon," I chuckled. "Want another doll for this one?"

~~~~~

Trainer Statistics:

Name: Akinai
Location: Meteor Valley
Area Effects: 10 Encounters Remaining
Pokemon Encountered: ??? Chingling(?); Naive Kirlia(F); Careful Absol(M); ??? Dusknoir(?), ??? Cleffa(?); ??? Poochyena(?)
Pokemon Captured: Naive Kirlia(F); Careful Absol(M)
CC since last Encounter: 1050

Pokemon Statistics:

Serious Female Flygon[Nicknamed Jade] 85% (HM Fly, HM Strength <Levitate Ability>)

Hasty Male Mightyena[Nicknamed Lunaris] 73% (HM Strength <Intimidate Ability>)

Docile Female Aggron[Nicknamed Cryrosant] 100% (HM Strength, TM Earthquake <Rock Head Ability>)

Item Statistics:

x2 Superball
x2 Super Potion

~~~~~

 

As the Poochyena grabbed hold of the cuff of her jeans, Akinai stopped dead in her tracks. You've got to be kidding me! Lunaris had managed to get her attention long ago by doing something similar, except aiming for her sidepack (and the food within) instead. “Do all of you guys so this to every Trainer you see?” she muttered to the puppy Pokemon.

Poochyena simply growled in response and shook it's head a bit, as if he had a chewtoy in it's mouth. Obviously he didn't want to let go anytime soon.

Jade stepped closer to the wild Pokemon, giving her own growl in response. One of the Flygon's claws glowed, as if she was readying an attack.

“Jade, no!” Akinai called out to her starter, holding up a hand in warning. Poochyena, while they did not have as strong a bite as their evolution, had a tendency to hold on to whatever they were biting on very, very well. The last thing she wanted was a nice tear in her jeans due to an overzealous puppy.

"Looks like you have a way with young Pokemon," Chainy laughed. "Want another doll for this one?"

Akinai silently took out her wallet, handing out the required amount for a Doll once more. She held out the money for Chainy to take, daring to not move just yet.

 

NBP

Ranger Chainy

~~~~~

“Do all of you guys so this to every Trainer you see?” Akinai asked the Poochyena, clearly not impressed with the little puppy Pokemon.

Jade landed on the ground and stepped ominously closer to the Dark-type, and her claws starting glowing - a fair indication she wasn't far off delivering some whup-ass to the Poochyena. However, Akinai told her not to do so, which I was happy to see. She then took out her wallet and passed me some more money. I pulled out a second Poke Doll, one shaped like a Meowth this time, and I tossed it back the way the Poochyena had come from. The puppy immediately let go of Jade and chased after the doll.

"There we go, she's fine, okay Jade?" I asked the Flygon.

The Dragon-type took off back into the air silently, apparently satisfied.

We continued walking down the slope, keeping an eye out for any Pokemon. None were to be seen, though, and I wasn't surprised - the sun was rising pretty high. It wouldn't be long before the Valley got really hot, so most of the Pokemon went lower down into the valley, hid in the shade, or took refuge in the cave system. I saw a jagged opening in the side of the rock, and I pointed it out to Akinai.

"Want to go in there, or continue on downwards?" I asked her. "It looks like Jade should fit in there, so that shouldn't be a problem, if you want to."

~~~~~

Trainer Statistics:

Name: Akinai
Location: Meteor Valley
Area Effects: 9 Encounters Remaining
Pokemon Encountered: ??? Chingling(?); Naive Kirlia(F); Careful Absol(M); ??? Dusknoir(?), ??? Cleffa(?); ??? Poochyena(?)
Pokemon Captured: Naive Kirlia(F); Careful Absol(M)
CC since last Encounter: 0

Pokemon Statistics:

Serious Female Flygon[Nicknamed Jade] 85% (HM Fly, HM Strength <Levitate Ability>)

Hasty Male Mightyena[Nicknamed Lunaris] 73% (HM Strength <Intimidate Ability>)

Docile Female Aggron[Nicknamed Cryrosant] 100% (HM Strength, TM Earthquake <Rock Head Ability>)

Item Statistics:

x2 Superball
x2 Super Potion

~~~~~

 

“I should start doing that,” Akinai remarked, watching the Poochyena run after the Meowth doll. In moments, the Pokemon was wrestling with the toy as if it was a real live Meowth. “Easy way to distract the ones young enough to have a short attention span, yet foolhardy enough to go after a non-rookie Trainer.” She grimaced a bit, knowing that some trainers would never go easy in a battle, child or not.

As they walked further along the slope, Akinai had to shield her eyes a few times to block the sun's glare. While she had headed out early, the sun was already pretty far along; the trip in the cavern must have taken longer than she thought.

"Want to go in there, or continue on downwards?" Chainy inquired to Akinai, pointing to a jagged side path. "It looks like Jade should fit in there, so that shouldn't be a problem, if you want to."

“Let's keep going down. We have no idea if the path would be much more narrow later on, and I might need Cryrosant again.” The last thing Akinai wanted was to try fighting on limited terrain; walls were one thing, but she would rather deal with walls then a sheer dropoff. “Plus, most Pokemon who love the heat are probably going to stay out in the sun. Knowing my luck, they'll know a Fire move or two as well.”

 

NBP

Ranger Chainy

~~~~~

“Let's keep going down," Akinai replied. "We have no idea if the path would be much more narrow later on, and I might need Cryrosant again. Plus, most Pokemon who love the heat are probably going to stay out in the sun. Knowing my luck, they'll know a Fire move or two as well.”

I didn't really understand, but I nodded and we moved on. The downwards slope continued for another hundred meters or so before ending in a sudden drop. A thin bridge arched over the abyss to the opposite side. There was nowhere else to go, so I shrugged and led Akinai out onto the bridge. Jade soared effortlessly over and under us as we crossed.

Exactly halfway over the bridge, Akinai slightly tripped over a roughly triangular gray stone. I caught her before she could fall off. I turned around to make sure that everything was still in order, but I noticed a purple gas leaking out of the stone. My mouth dropped - I had seen this before.

"Akinai, there's a Spiritomb inhabiting that rock," I said to her quickly in an urgent tone. "If you don't want to battle it we need to move, and now."

~~~~~

Trainer Statistics:

Name: Akinai
Location: Meteor Valley
Area Effects: 9 Encounters Remaining
Pokemon Encountered: ??? Chingling(?); Naive Kirlia(F); Careful Absol(M); ??? Dusknoir(?), ??? Cleffa(?); ??? Poochyena(?); ??? Spiritomb(?)
Pokemon Captured: Naive Kirlia(F); Careful Absol(M)
CC since last Encounter: 1261

Pokemon Statistics:

Serious Female Flygon[Nicknamed Jade] 85% (HM Fly, HM Strength <Levitate Ability>)

Hasty Male Mightyena[Nicknamed Lunaris] 73% (HM Strength <Intimidate Ability>)

Docile Female Aggron[Nicknamed Cryrosant] 100% (HM Strength, TM Earthquake <Rock Head Ability>)

Item Statistics:

x2 Superball
x2 Super Potion

~~~~~

 

OOC: Basically trying to run away, only attacking if the escape roll fails.


As the two approached the bridge, Akinai eyed the contraption. The bridge was way too narrow for her tastes, and her heart sunk at the fact that she would have to cross it. “I was afraid of this,” she whispered. Not only was there very little room to walk, this looked like the only way across, save catching a ride on Jade. If she decided to use Fly to cross, however, she would be a sitting duck if a wild Pokemon decided to attack. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she followed Chainy onto the bridge.

“Don't look down, don't look down, don't look down,” she muttered over and over to herself into a mantra, carefully walking along. She had no idea how far down the drop would be, and she didn't want to know. “Just take this one inch at a time, and everything will be alright.”

Jade, unlike her Trainer, appeared to be enjoying the view. Happy to be out of the caves and able to stretch her wings out once more in the sunlight, she soared around the two humans. To show off a bit, she even flew under them, careful to avoid hitting the bridge with her wings. Earthly limitations like walking around were beneath her now; for this moment, she had the sky.

Akinai, who had been focusing on only looking straight ahead and absolutely nowhere else, was caught completely off-guard when she stumbled onto something hard on the bridge. She lost her balance a moment and panicked, afraid that she would go over the guard-way and fall off.

Jade, noticing her Trainer's predicament, flew quickly to position herself underneath the bridge in case Akinai indeed lost her balance. If bad got to worse, she would try her best to catch the human. Thankfully this was not the case; Chainy had managed to grab one of Akinai's arms to help right her balance.

“Thanks,” Akinai said to Chainy, “My life flashed before my eyes for a moment there!” She frowned, noticing that the Ranger's attention had shifted to whatever she had tripped on. In all appearances, it seemed like a normal, slate-gray stone. Looks were deceiving this time around though: it was beginning to emit a smoky, light violet gas from the center.

"Akinai, there's a Spiritomb inhabiting that rock," Chainy informed Akinai quickly, the urgency in his voice extremely noticeable. "If you don't want to battle it we need to move, and now."

Akinai went white as a sheet upon hearing this. Spiritomb were one of the most maleficent Pokemon out there, known for bringing wrath down on anyone that disturbed their rest. The fact that it was a Ghost type as well did nothing to relieve her fear; if anything, it made matters far more worse. The fact that they were on the worst fighting ground possible sealed the fact that this situation definitely fell on her list of the top three worst situations ever.

But on the other hand... Having a Spiritomb on her team would make it a powerful ally. If she recalled correctly, the spirit was a dual-type, and had an impressive resistance to many moves, along with the normal immunity to Normal-type moves that most Ghosts had. Opponents fighting it also tended to have a more difficult time attempting moves on the creature due to the ghost's intimidating aura and skill. Capturing the creature would mean fighting against it's aura as well though. Those facts enough would make the battle difficult, but the terrain made it near impossible.

She could not call out Cryrosant; the Aggron was far too heavy for the bridge, and if she fell... Akinai tried to not dwell on the thought. Lunaris was a coice, but a risky one. The Dark-type's attacks might do some damage to the Spiritomb, but the Mightyena was still landbound. If he fell, Akinai might be able to order Jade to catch the Pokemon, but the plan was still risky. That left only Jade to fight. She had mobility, and would be able to fly out of the wild Pokemon's range with no trouble at all. The Flygon would have little backup however, and if she fainted her team would be short a flyer. She saw only one way to make this battle easier, so decided to go with it.

“Fighting on this deathtrap would be suicide. Ghosts never have to worry about falling off, while we have the very real risk of doing so,” Akinai answered Chainy, keeping an eye on the rock. “Let's get off this bridge, and quickly.”

Jade hovered up to Akinai, curious to see what their decision was. She stole a glance at the rock and moved away from it, as if she inherently knew something was unnatural about it.

“Keep an eye on that Spiritomb while we move away,” Akinai whispered to Jade, “Get ready to unleash a Supersonic on it if it tries to follow us.” Spurred on by the fact that a possibly angry Ghost was after her, Akinai got ready to move quickly off the bridge.

Jade eyed the rock warily, moving to position herself directly above the trainers. Her wings seemed to buzz slightly louder than normal, preparing a Supersonic in case the Spiritomb decided to pursue.

 

NBP

Ranger Chainy

~~~~~

“Fighting on this deathtrap would be suicide. Ghosts never have to worry about falling off, while we have the very real risk of doing so,” Akinai replied, keeping a nervous eye on the Spiritomb's keystone. “Let's get off this bridge, and quickly.”

She waved Jade over, and the Flygon hovered gingerly closer. “Keep an eye on that Spiritomb while we move away. Get ready to unleash a Supersonic on it if it tries to follow us.” Akinai said quietly to the Pokemon.

The purple gas was billowing up faster now, forming into a spherical cloud. Green lights began to wink and play around inside the cloud, and I knew it was only seconds until the Spiritomb awoke. I grabbed Akinai's arm and we moved away from the Ghost typed Pokemon, getting as close to a run as we dared on the thin bridge. I head Jade hovering over us, keeping a careful eye on the Spiritomb, preparing to unleash her Supersonic if it proved to be hostile.

Luckily, we reached solid ground and took cover behind a rock before the Spiritomb fully awoke. I watched through my visor in magnification mode as the Spiritomb's incorporeal form finished manifesting. It looked around, apparently confused as to why it had woken up. After a couple of minutes, the Spiritomb's green eyes closed and the purple gas started retreating back into the stone.

"It looks like we've gotten away clean." I exhaled heavily, relieved.

A gentle bell-like chiming suddenly rang behind us, and I turned around to see a very unique Pokemon hovering in the air. It was mostly red and white, except with a yellow bobble off of its it head. Its face was innocent - it had a gentle smile and its yellow eyes were shining happily, probably at the prospect of making some new friends.

"Since the Spiritomb has gone back to sleep, do you want to battle this Chimecho?" I asked Akinai.

~~~~~

Trainer Statistics:

Name: Akinai
Location: Meteor Valley
Area Effects: 8 Encounters Remaining
Pokemon Encountered: ??? Chingling(?); Naive Kirlia(F); Careful Absol(M); ??? Dusknoir(?), ??? Cleffa(?); ??? Poochyena(?); ??? Spiritomb(?); ??? Chimecho(?)
Pokemon Captured: Naive Kirlia(F); Careful Absol(M)
CC since last Encounter: 0

Pokemon Statistics:

Serious Female Flygon[Nicknamed Jade] 85% (HM Fly, HM Strength <Levitate Ability>)

Hasty Male Mightyena[Nicknamed Lunaris] 73% (HM Strength <Intimidate Ability>)

Docile Female Aggron[Nicknamed Cryrosant] 100% (HM Strength, TM Earthquake <Rock Head Ability>)

Item Statistics:

x2 Superball
x2 Super Potion

~~~~~

 

Akinai breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing that the Spiritomb had chosen to not follow them. While she had missed out on a powerful teammate with her decision, it was not worth possibly losing one of her Pokemon trying to capture it. “Let's not take that bridge back when we're done, okay?” she grinned, trying to normalize the situation.

Jade, overhearing Akinai's comment, simply snorted. Humans should grow a pair of wings like she did; that way they would never have to worry about cliffs and the annoying necessity called “walking”. She hovered above Chainy a moment, curious to see what the human was peering through.

Akinai, distracted by a pleasant ringing sound, did not notice what her Flygon was up to. She looked around, trying to place where the tune was originating from. The ringing suddenly grew louder, and Akinai swirled around to meet the sound.

A tiny Pokemon, hovering just near Akinai's face, greeted her. Unlike the Spiritomb, it seemed happy to see them, and looked to be near bursting with happiness.

"Since the Spiritomb has gone back to sleep, do you want to battle this Chimecho?" Chainy asked Akinai.

Akinai gave a smile back to the Chimecho; the Pokemon's joy was infectious. “I'm not sure I want to hurt it. While it could be useful, I don't think it would fit well on my team.” She nodded to the Chimecho, then held out her hands apologetically, “I'm sorry, but may we pass?” She felt bad for not being able to stop to play with the Pokemon, but she wanted to be away from the bridge as far as possible.

 

NBP

Ranger Chainy

~~~~~

“I'm not sure I want to hurt it. While it could be useful, I don't think it would fit well on my team.” Akinai explained to me. She then turned to the Psychic-type.

“I'm sorry, but may we pass?” she asked it.

The Chimecho nodded happily, causing a jingling sound to pour forth from its head. The Wild Pokemon floated off towards the bridge, but instead of moving over the bridge it descended silently into the chasm. It probably didn't want anything to do with the Spiritomb either. Still, it had left us alone to continue on, which was great. I motioned to Akinai and we walked on.

The path continued to descend, which was nice. Much nicer than walking uphill, anyway. We stumbled across a tiny creek, which bubbled merrily out through a crack and across the path. I was about to kneel down and use the water to cool off when another Psychic Pokemon found us. The little gray pig-like Pokemon had a springy tail that it bounced on, and it was carefully balancing a pink pearl on its head. It grunted a greeting as it hopped skilfully over the screen.

"How about a Spoink?" I asked Akinai.

~~~~~

Trainer Statistics:

Name: Akinai
Location: Meteor Valley
Area Effects: 7 Encounters Remaining
Pokemon Encountered: ??? Chingling(?); Naive Kirlia(F); Careful Absol(M); ??? Dusknoir(?), ??? Cleffa(?); ??? Poochyena(?); ??? Spiritomb(?); ??? Chimecho(?); ??? Spoink(?)
Pokemon Captured: Naive Kirlia(F); Careful Absol(M)
CC since last Encounter: 0

Pokemon Statistics:

Serious Female Flygon[Nicknamed Jade] 85% (HM Fly, HM Strength <Levitate Ability>)

Hasty Male Mightyena[Nicknamed Lunaris] 73% (HM Strength <Intimidate Ability>)

Docile Female Aggron[Nicknamed Cryrosant] 100% (HM Strength, TM Earthquake <Rock Head Ability>)

Item Statistics:

x2 Superball
x2 Super Potion

~~~~~

 

Akinai watched the Spoink bounce along, somewhat impressed by the pig-like creature. It took skill to keep one's balance to bounce along without pause, and it seemed to do so naturally. To add along balancing an object into the mix seemed almost impossible, especially such a round object as a pearl! Still, it probably left the Pokemon with little else to concentrate on; trying to focus on such an intricate thing as a battle would probably push it to the limit, or be downright impossible entirely. Having a Pokemon like that seemed pretty unorthodox.

“I'd rather not,” Akinai replied to Chainy, “At least this guy is a good sign, right? We haven't run into any more Ghosts.” Granted, we also aren't in a cave, she mused. The creatures, like in most stories, must hate being out while the sun was up. That would also explain why the Spiritomb they had run across was fast asleep. She nodded a return greeting to the Spoink and looked for the driest way to cross the creek.

Jade, already on the other side, was eying the water with a look of utter distaste. She hated water with a passion, and always tried to stay as far away from the cursed element as possible. She hovered in place, wings slightly buzzing, impatient to be on her way.

 

NBP

Ranger Chainy

~~~~~

“I'd rather not,” Akinai said. I wasn't particularly surprised - it seemed like Akinai was more interested in catching powerful Pokemon for her team than the general collecting that was common in the Park.

“At least this guy is a good sign, right?" my Trainer asked me. "We haven't run into any more Ghosts.”

"That's true," I replied slowly. "Generally, Psychic-types don't like to be near Ghosts, although the more powerful ones are able to hide their presence, like the Dusknoir from before."

We forded the little stream easily - all it took was one jump. Jade hovered high over the stream, avoiding any chance of getting splashed by the merry brook. The Spoink didn't seem inclined to follow us - it bounced off in the direction of the bridge. I considered warning it about the Spiritomb, but I figured the only reason it had awoken was because Akinai had bumped its stone, and the Spoink didn't have the physical presence to do that.

After crossing the stream, the slope ended at an abrupt cliff. A large cave opening was visible to the left, promising a much more palatable experience than climbing the rock wall. I was about to ask Akinai which she preferred when a small brown/gray Pokemon hovered over to us. It had pink markings on its face, and I expected its eyes to be open, but they were not. The Pokemon must find its way around using a psychic version of echolocation.

"Interested in catching a Baltoy, then?" I asked Akinai. "Claydol are quite powerful, especially when used defensively."

~~~~~

Trainer Statistics:

Name: Akinai
Location: Meteor Valley
Area Effects: 5 Encounters Remaining
Pokemon Encountered: ??? Chingling(?); Naive Kirlia(F); Careful Absol(M); ??? Dusknoir(?), ??? Cleffa(?); ??? Poochyena(?); ??? Spiritomb(?); ??? Chimecho(?); ??? Spoink(?); ??? Baltoy(?)
Pokemon Captured: Naive Kirlia(F); Careful Absol(M)
CC since last Encounter: 0

Pokemon Statistics:

Serious Female Flygon[Nicknamed Jade] 85% (HM Fly, HM Strength <Levitate Ability>)

Hasty Male Mightyena[Nicknamed Lunaris] 73% (HM Strength <Intimidate Ability>)

Docile Female Aggron[Nicknamed Cryrosant] 100% (HM Strength, TM Earthquake <Rock Head Ability>)

Item Statistics:

x2 Superball
x2 Super Potion

~~~~~