Main RP: The Great Lakes

NBP 2, Ranger Adelaide 'Jello' Crowe
OOC: Haha, don't worry about it, Emma; you're doing fine so far. :}
@EmBreon @Princess Crow
~~~

Adelaide's first impressions of Gertrude and Grace were about as different from each other as the Trainers themselves. She immediately appreciated Grace's friendly smile and had to stifle a snicker when the younger girl mouthed an apology for Gertrude's bizarre odor. With Gertrude, however, Adelaide found herself stifling sighs, if not swear words. The old woman's bizarre miasma of vomit and rot was bad enough, but Adelaide didn't appreciate the way she sneered at Jello in the least. At least the crone didn't have the nerve to insult Jello aloud. Adelaide tended to respond to insults to herself or her Pokemon by using her fists, and she didn't want to have to beat back the temptation to beat anyone up on what would hopefully be such a nice day.

Grace's voice snapped Adelaide out of her irritation. "I think I'm okay," she said, still seeming as amiable as ever. "If it's allowed though, I would like to have my Alakazam out with me. He wouldn't be battling unless I asked him to, but I feel more comfortable with him around." With that, she lifted up the Pokeball that undoubtedly contained the Psychic-type - although she waited for Adelaide's reply before actually letting the psychic fox loose.

"Get on with it already," Gertrude snapped acidly before Adelaide could answer, "my kidneys are failing." The old woman arched an eyebrow at the two younger women, as if daring them to challenge her. Grace smiled faintly, as if she was confused; Adelaide just shrugged. Either the old woman was being sarcastic or she was stupid for coming here, and while she was certainly abrasive and bizarre, she didn't strike Adelaide as an idiot.

"Ready when you are!" Grace replied to the old woman. Frankly, Adelaide was glad that one of them had the patience for dealing with Gertrude.

Clasping her hands together, Adelaide moved on. "All righty. Grace, that's A-okay. Just make sure he doesn't interfere with the wild Pokemon at all. Whatever comes up to us is fair game, but anything else can get you fines and the like. I don't think you want fines. Now, follow me!" she added, beginning to walk along one of the paths that led to a shallower lake. She kept up a relatively slow pace; there was no need to hurry, after all. The wild Pokemon weren't going to go anywhere, and walking quickly might cause Gertrude to stumble or some other such. As much as Adelaide disliked the old woman's attitude, she didn't want to see anybody hurt themselves.

Fortunately for them, the sand of the footpath was smooth and easy to walk on. Long fronds of yellow-green beachgrass sprung up on either side, providing shelter for the Pokemon that couldn't sleep underwater. There were some sparse, tough-looking trees scattered along the grassy verges between beaches, but for the most part the vegetation was limited to the grass and a few scraggly bushes. As the three women walked, the breeze began to intensify, blowing the rich smell of saltwater toward them. The new breeze also carried Pokemon: a pair of white birds with bright orange beaks and long, skinny wings built to carry their smallish bodies over water. Adelaide watched them with a smile on her face. While they were not particularly strong at flying on windless days, Wingull such as these were excellent gliders. This particular pair was quite acrobatic; they flew in harmony, gliding in a series of synchronized loops and twirls that suggested trapeze artists at a circus.

Suddenly, the two birds banked toward the trio of humans. They landed on the footpath directly in front of Adelaide, who shot a glance behind her at Gertrude and Grace. While Wingull were awesome in their own right, their evolved form - the Water Bird Pokemon, Pelipper - wasn't spectacular in a fight, so Adelaide was pretty sure that she already knew that the answer would be 'no' when she asked the usual question - although she'd been wrong before. "These two Wingull seem pretty curious about us," she said. "Do either of you want to try your hand at catching one, or should we try and go around?"

~~~
Trainer Stats (EmBreon)

Spoiler

Name: Gertrude Smith.
Location: Great Lakes.
Area Affects: Ranger Outpost; nothing significant.
Items: Park Balls (3x), Super Balls (2x), Hyper Ball (1x).
Encounters Remaining: 14.
Pokemon Encountered: Wingull/???/???.
Pokemon Captured: 0.
Current Character Count: 2561/4000.


Mighty Fox of the Forest/Umbreon/M/Synchronize/Quirky/Substitute, Sleep Talk, Double Team, Sunny Day, Taunt, Dark Pulse, Rest, Dream Eater, Toxic, Psych Up, Psychic, Shadow Ball, Protect, Curse, Nightmare, Facade, Snatch, Iron Tail, Hidden Power (Dragon), Wish, Yawn, Body Slam, Mimic/100%

X/Porygon-Z/Genderless/Adaptability/Substitute, Ice Beam, Shadow Ball, Charge Beam, Psyshock, Thunderbolt, Thunder Wave, Thunder, Psychic, Solarbeam, Sunny Day, Rain Dance, Protect, Dark Pulse, Icy Wind/100%

SuperStar/Staryu/Genderless/Natural Cure/Bold/Substitute, Protect, Rest, Sleep Talk, Psychic, Thunderbolt, Thunder, Thunder Wave, Rain Dance, Ice Beam, Grass Knot, Flash Cannon, Reflect, Toxic, Skill Swap, Trick Room, Hidden Power (Fighting), Psych Up, Icy Wind, Avalanche, Surf, Waterfall/100%

Trainer Stats (Princess Crow)

Spoiler

Name: Grace Stone
Location: Great Lakes.
Area Affects: Ranger Outpost; nothing significant.
Items: Park Balls (2x), Super Balls (2x), Hyper Balls (2x), Poke Dolls (2x), Digital Camera (1x), Pokeplayer (1x), Borderline Voice Disk (Staryu) (1x).
Encounters Remaining: 14.
Pokemon Encountered: Wingull/???/???
Pokemon Captured: 0.
Current Character Count: 4139/4000.


Alexander/Alakazam/M/Magic Guard/Calm/Substitute, Focus Blast, Hidden Power (Fire), Shadow Ball, Energy Ball, Thunder Wave, Encore, Barrier/100%

Soak/Wash Rotom/Feminine-Gender-Neutral/Levitate/Quirky/Protect, Psych Up, Volt Switch, Will-o-wisp, Hidden Power (Dragon), Snatch, Toxic, Shadow Ball, Thunderbolt, Dark Pulse, Hydro Pump, Pain Split, Sucker Punch, Signal Beam/100%

Sachiko/Raichu/F/Static/Jolly/Rain Dance, Reflect, Brick Break, Hidden Power (Dragon), Charge Beam, Grass Knot, Focus Blast, Volt Switch, Protect, Substitute, Focus Punch, Tickle, Wish, Encore, Fake Out, Magnet Rise, Signal Beam, Counter, Surf, Yawn, Teeter Dance, Pain Split, ExtremeSpeed, Fly, Endeavor, Petal Dance/100%

Battle Stats (EmBreon)

Spoiler

A wild Wingull has appeared (2561/4000)!

Battle Stats (Princess Crow)

Spoiler

A wild Wingull has appeared (4139/4000)!

 

OOC: I actually had 4 Hyper Balls before this started ^^; @VeloJello ; @EmBreon ;

"All righty. Grace, that's A-okay," Adelaid said. Grace nodded and let the red and white sphere roll off of her fingers. The ball bounced on the ground, released a bright light, and bounced up back into Grace's hand. "Just make sure he doesn't interfere with the wild Pokemon at all. Whatever comes up to us is fair game, but anything else can get you fines and the like. I don't think you want fines," Adelaide added as Alexander stretched.

"Patronize us more, please," Alexander sarcastically retorted telepathically to Grace. "I can handle myself around these Pokémon, I'm not a child."

"She was just being polite," Grace replied. "Thanks for the tip. I'll be sure to keep him under control, and he'll behave around the Pokémon," Grace said. "Isn't that right, Alexander?" The Alakazam gave a slight smirk and began levitating off the ground, headed down the path that they would presumably follow. Though his sassy gesture might've indicated the lack of respect he had for the request, Alexander knew the gravity of the situation if he messed up. They might get fined, yes, but more importantly, they would get kicked out of the Academy.

"Now, follow me!" Adelaide exclaimed, taking charge and eventually passing the Alakazam. Grace simply nodded and followed the woman down the path, taking in the sights of all that was around her. The lake itself reminded her of the Lake of Rage, one of Grace's first areas to visit after starting on her Pokémon journey. It was several years after the Red Gyarados Crisis, but the legendary lake was still one of the most beautiful sights she had seen. The taste of salt in the air, the soft-grained sand, and the warm, gentle breeze caused memories to flash through her mind.

It was the strong gale of wind broke Grace from her semi-trance, but a squawk from the skies was what drew her attention most. Two blue and white birds soared with the gust, squawking as they saw the two trainers. Through a series of seemingly coordinated loops and turns, the pair of acrobatic seagulls fluttered down to the sand where the three girls stood.

"These two Wingull seem pretty curious about us," Adelaide noted. the Wingull to the left squawked once more in response. "Do either of you want to try your hand at catching one, or should we try and go around?"

"These are quite interesting specimen, Grace," came Alexander's booming voice. "They're stronger than they might look, and they have above average intelligence for the species."

"That's not saying much, Alexander..." Grace thought with a sarcastic undertone. "Besides, we've already seen enough of these. Don't you remember?" She was referring to the traumatic memory of the flock of Wingulls attacking Grace and Alexander while they were mapping their migratory behavior. She shuddered. "So much bird poop..." she thought.

"I think I'll try and pass this one up. I'm not too interested in a Wingull, and I don't see it working with the rest of my team," Grace coolly lied. "I'll see if I can get around it, and if I can't, I'll toss one of my Pokedolls. Wingull are scavenger Pokémon, so the distraction should work if it doesn't decide to leave immediately."

"Aren't you looking for something else too?" Alexander chimed in.

"Oh yeah!" Grace exclaimed. "I almost forgot, but I'm on assignment here to find a Staryu. They've become increasingly rare in Johto, and I told my professors I would try to find one so I could study it. He gave me one of these," she said as she pulled out her Pokeplayer, "and told me to press it so that I might find one. The disk is programmed with a Staryu mating call or something, I'm not sure, but I've heard it can work wonders. Any chance I could use it?"

 

@VeloJello ; @Princess Crow


The old woman was picking at eye crust that had built up beside her nose when she realized the midget and their tour guide were already venturing down the path towards the beach. She ruffled her skirts in a hurry and hobbled after them.

The fresh air was making her sick. It blasted her in the face, carrying the smell of the lake water and the hillside with it. She scrunched her nose, and tried to endure the stench while her companions stared curiously into the sky. Gertrude fixed her shawl and followed their gaze... to a pair of sickly looking Wingulls descending with the breeze. The way they swooped through the air and bawked like chickens was giving Gertrude a headache, and she resisted the urge to knock them out of the sky with a couple of timely-thrown rocks.

"These two Wingull seem pretty curious about us," Adelaide commented, a bit of moderate appreciation for the creatures in her tone. "Do either of you want to try your hand at catching one, or should we try and go around?"

Gertrude snorted. "They look like they're about to keel over and die, probably infested with diseases." She folded her thick arms over her chest, exposing her calloused elbows. "Noooo thank you." She shook her head dramatically.

Grace seemed to be in deep thought. Is she seriously considering catching one of these featherbags? Gertrude wondered.

"I think I'll try and pass this one up. I'm not too interested in a Wingull, and I don't see it working with the rest of my team," Grace answered finally. "I'll see if I can get around it, and if I can't, I'll toss one of my Pokedolls. Wingull are scavenger Pokémon, so the distraction should work if it doesn't decide to leave immediately."

Gertrude grinned, her yellowed teeth radiating from the depths of her mouth like a headlight. She straightened and began to turn away from this scene as Grace rattled on again about some gadget from her school. But as the old lady did, she also noticed something that made her wet her willies.

"AGH!" Gertrude shrieked, flailing to the ground and picking up a loose stick. Standing a few feet away from Grace was a giant hairless alien with a long mustache. The thing turned slowly to look at her, a hint of confusion on its calm face. "BACK, BACK DEMON." She waved the stick around menacingly toward it. But, it was then she also noticed the two spoons it clutched in its hands, as well as the glint of sunlight reflecting off of a few Poke Balls clipped to Grace's belt. "Oh..." the revelation of this being one of the midget's Pokemon came to her. ...Stupid thing looks like E.T.

Gertrude dropped her stick and turned back towards the path as if nothing had ever disturbed her, and hoped the Ranger would lead them to proper opponents.

 

NBP 3, Ranger Adelaide 'Jello' Crowe
@EmBreon @Princess Crow
~~~

Apparently, Adelaide's powers of precognition were sharp that day. Gertrude immediately gave a disdainful snort and folded her wrinkled old arms. "They look like they're about to keel over and die, probably infested with diseases," she sniffed in her usual sneering tone. "Noooo thank you." To further emphasize her point, she gave a great shake of her old, gray head.

Adelaide shrugged and turned to the other side, looking to see Grace's reaction. The girl's head was bent slightly, and her eyes were narrowed as if she were thinking hard, or listening to something. For a moment, Adelaide considered asking her question a second time, but Grace perked up again before she could. "I think I'll try and pass this one up," the young woman said. "I'm not too interested in a Wingull, and I don't see it working with the rest of my team. I'll see if I can get around it, and if I can't, I'll toss one of my Pokedolls. Wingull are scavenger Pokémon, so the distraction should work if it doesn't decide to leave immediately." She paused for a moment. "Oh yeah!" she exclaimed suddenly, as if something had been brought to her attention. "I almost forgot, but I'm on assignment here to find a Staryu. They've become increasingly rare in Johto, and I told my professors I would try to find one so I could study it. He gave me one of these, and told me to press it so that I might find one. The disk is programmed with a Staryu mating call or something, I'm not sure, but I've heard it can work wonders. Any chance I could use it?" As she spoke, she pulled a Pokeplayer out of her bag. The smallish, rust-red CD-player looked brand new - probably fresh from Grace's school. A flash of silver below the glass on top of it indicated the presence of a disk.

Before Adelaide could reply, Gertrude let out a loud shriek and staggered backward. Adelaide whirled around, convinced that something was about to attack, but to her surprise all she saw was the old hag attacking Emma's Alakazam with a stick. The Alakazam himself - his name was Alexander, Grace had said - looked bemused, but to his credit he refrained from lashing out. "BACK, BACK DEMON." Gertrude continued to wave the stick about, until clarity suddenly dawned on her. "Oh..." she murmured, sounding mollified. The stick fell back to the ground and she turned back toward Adelaide with a nonchalant air about her, as if the incident had never happened. Adelaide was tempted to tease the old woman, but she decided that that would only lead to arguing.

She then turned to look at Jello, who gazed up at her with a smile that seemed faintly quizzical. "Jello, want to fly with the birds?" The little mouth opened wide with wonder, and Jello's whole body jiggled from the force of her nod. She immediately began to glow white and change shape, her arms elongating into a pair of wings and her body compressing into a small teardrop shape. The glow began to fade and she took flight, cawing at the other Wingull to follow. They shared a curious glance and joined the strange Wingull, resuming their aerobatics while graciously allowing Jello - who, Adelaide had to admit, was a lot less coordinated - to join them. Adelaide grinned, satisfied that the two birds wouldn't bother them anymore. "Okay, Grace, do your thing," she said. The sound of Staryu's call - a bizarre noise, almost like a crackling trumpet note - rang out, carried by the moving breeze. "We'll wait here for a bit; if nothing shows up, we'll move on to a different lake and try again."

As Adelaide spoke, there was a loud cawing sound from above. A familiar, winged shape was descending from the sky - another Wingull that was probably, Adelaide thought, attracted by the rotting smell of Gertrude's perfume. The intrusive bird landed directly on Gertrude's shawl, pecking at her hair as if searching for food. Adelaide leaped into action, waving her arms to shoo the bird away. It flew backward with a loud, shrill cry and hovered near Gertrude, still probably under the impression that she possessed food. Adelaide resisted the urge to grin at the ridiculous scene. "Looks like you're a Wingull magnet, Gertrude," she said. I assume you want to skip by this one, too - oh?"

A small, red crustacean was peeking out of the beach-grass, its claws twitching nervously as it watched the three women. Its large eyes gawked as it looked toward Alexander, as if it perceived a threat from the other Pokemon. Adelaide glanced at Grace. "It looks like there aren't any Staryu in this area, but there's plenty of curious Pokemon! Gertrude, I can have Jello chase the Wingull off for you if you want, and while I'm doing that, Grace, you can go for Corphish here. If you want to, that is."

~~~
Trainer Stats (EmBreon)

Spoiler

Name: Gertrude Smith.
Location: Great Lakes.
Area Affects: Ranger Outpost; nothing significant.
Items: Park Balls (3x), Super Balls (2x), Hyper Ball (1x).
Encounters Remaining: 14.
Pokemon Encountered: Wingull/???/???.
Pokemon Captured: 0.
Current Character Count: 2732/4000.


Mighty Fox of the Forest/Umbreon/M/Synchronize/Quirky/Substitute, Sleep Talk, Double Team, Sunny Day, Taunt, Dark Pulse, Rest, Dream Eater, Toxic, Psych Up, Psychic, Shadow Ball, Protect, Curse, Nightmare, Facade, Snatch, Iron Tail, Hidden Power (Dragon), Wish, Yawn, Body Slam, Mimic/100%

X/Porygon-Z/Genderless/Adaptability/Substitute, Ice Beam, Shadow Ball, Charge Beam, Psyshock, Thunderbolt, Thunder Wave, Thunder, Psychic, Solarbeam, Sunny Day, Rain Dance, Protect, Dark Pulse, Icy Wind/100%

SuperStar/Staryu/Genderless/Natural Cure/Bold/Substitute, Protect, Rest, Sleep Talk, Psychic, Thunderbolt, Thunder, Thunder Wave, Rain Dance, Ice Beam, Grass Knot, Flash Cannon, Reflect, Toxic, Skill Swap, Trick Room, Hidden Power (Fighting), Psych Up, Icy Wind, Avalanche, Surf, Waterfall/100%

Trainer Stats (Princess Crow)

Spoiler

Name: Grace Stone
Location: Great Lakes.
Area Affects: Ranger Outpost; nothing significant.
Items: Park Balls (2x), Super Balls (2x), Hyper Balls (4x), Poke Dolls (2x), Digital Camera (1x), Pokeplayer (1x), Borderline Voice Disk (Staryu) (1x).
Encounters Remaining: 14.
Pokemon Encountered: Wingull/???/???
Pokemon Captured: 0.
Current Character Count: 3692/9000.


Alexander/Alakazam/M/Magic Guard/Calm/Substitute, Focus Blast, Hidden Power (Fire), Shadow Ball, Energy Ball, Thunder Wave, Encore, Barrier/100%

Soak/Wash Rotom/Feminine-Gender-Neutral/Levitate/Quirky/Protect, Psych Up, Volt Switch, Will-o-wisp, Hidden Power (Dragon), Snatch, Toxic, Shadow Ball, Thunderbolt, Dark Pulse, Hydro Pump, Pain Split, Sucker Punch, Signal Beam/100%

Sachiko/Raichu/F/Static/Jolly/Rain Dance, Reflect, Brick Break, Hidden Power (Dragon), Charge Beam, Grass Knot, Focus Blast, Volt Switch, Protect, Substitute, Focus Punch, Tickle, Wish, Encore, Fake Out, Magnet Rise, Signal Beam, Counter, Surf, Yawn, Teeter Dance, Pain Split, ExtremeSpeed, Fly, Endeavor, Petal Dance/100%

Battle Stats (EmBreon)

Spoiler

A wild Wingull has appeared (2732/4000)!

Battle Stats (Princess Crow)

Spoiler

A wild Corphish has appeared (3692/9000)!

 

@EmBreon ; @VeloJello ;

Grace dropped her thumb onto the central button of the disk player. Cringing slightly, the box released a screeching sound that reminded Grace of a mix between an alien and a French horn. There was something mysterious and captivating about the noise, however, and Grace found herself somewhat lost when the cry stopped resounding. "It's hypnotizing..." Grace thought.

"You'll have to watch out for that, if we encounter one. Staryu aren't the best fighters, but the mind tricks they can play are on par with my own," Alexander said with a smirk. "Keep your eyes out for one and hope that you spot it before it spots us."

"Noted," Grace thought as the two Wingull fluttered away. "Looks like we'll continue on!" Grace exclaimed before yet another Wingull dropped from the sky and landed in front of the group, but more specifically Gertrude. They must've been attracted to the group (the stench radiating off of Gertrude's wrinkly body might've been the scent of their standard prey, which would've drawn them closer.)

Grace hardly noticed as a small, red crustacean scurried its way up towards her. The crab pecked gently at Grace's feet, indicating its rather shy nature. However, its beady eyes darted towards Alexander, who must've intimidated the Corphish, so it scurried back into the bushes. Regardless, the same crab continued to glance through the tall grass towards Grace, almost as if it was asking for a battle.

"...and while I'm doing that, Grace, you can go for Corphish here. If you want to, that is," said Adelaide as Grace turned back around to face her. Adelaide stared at Grace with a questioning expression while she reached into her bag.

"I think I'll leave it here. He seems like a child, and it would be cruel to take him from his life in the wild before he can defend himself. Let's try and leave the Corphish be," Grace said. "If he sticks around for a battle, I'll toss a Pokedoll," Grace said, pulling a Bonsly doll out from her bag just in case. "I guess I'll try the disk again, too," she said and pressed the button once more. This cry, though similar, seemed to have a different tone. The disk must've realized that if a cry doesn't work the first time, a different attempt would probably be more successful. Regardless, Grace found herself struggling to stay focused on the world around her instead of the call of the sea-star.

 

@Princess Crow ; @VeloJello

Gertrude waited impatiently for her companions to stop lollygagging. She tapped her foot on the ground with angst while Grace activated her doodad, which emitted a sound resembling that of a whining whale. The noise made her scowl.

"We'll wait here for a bit; if nothing shows up, we'll move on to a different lake and try again," Adelaide spoke afterwards.

Their waiting didn't last long, because another caw echoed out from the atmosphere and a third Wingull was diving towards them. But 'them' became Gertrude as it ventured closer, and the seabird was upon her within a matter of seconds.

"Ohhh don't you dare!" Gertrude threatened, pointing a stubby finger at the bird as it swooped in her direction. The creature ignored her warning, however, and lodged itself onto her shawl. "SON OF A JEW! GET OFF OF ME, YOU BLASTED SKY RAT." Dismayed, the old woman's hands flew above her head as she tried to swat the Wingull away from her hair. The thing wouldn't let up, and proceeded to peck farther into her hairline. She may have found this sight to be humorous had she been watching the misfortune occur to somebody else. But it wasn't; she was furious.

A moment before Gertrude was about to take the 'Stop, drop, and roll' approach to her pest, her escort intervened. Adelaide waved her arms about and came towards them, pressuring the bird off of her. "Looks like you're a Wingull magnet, Gertrude," she said as Gertrude regained her composure and straightened her outfit. "I assume you want to skip by this one, too - oh?"

Of course I'm a magnet, I smell fabulous. "The only thing I want to do with that animal is put it in my stew." Gertrude glared at the avian Pokemon flapping its wings obnoxiously beside her. If it did not remove itself from her presence, she just might.

Gertrude removed her shawl, and inspected the damage. There were three holes in it and a tear. But even despite this, the Wingull had left a pasty pile of poop right on top of it. Gertrude clenched her fist. Her temper was becoming murderous.

"It looks like there aren't any Staryu in this area, but there's plenty of curious Pokemon! Gertrude, I can have Jello chase the Wingull off for you if you want, and while I'm doing that, Grace, you can go for Corphish here. If you want to, that is." Adelaide addressed the situation.

The old bat did not respond. It took all of her patience to keep herself from body slamming that bird to the ground and snapping its measly little neck. She didn't want to be kicked out of the park, and she also didn't want to ruin Grace's trip. The young girl had no friends as is, and even though Gertrude gave Grace a hard time usually (as she did everyone), she did genuinely care for the company of the little lass.

So although no words were spoken, Gertrude turned her back to the Wingull and snottily stuck her nose into the air. The Ranger would surely get the message.

 

NBP 4, Ranger Adelaide 'Jello' Crowe
@EmBreon @Princess Crow
~~~

For reasons that were unclear to no one, Gertrude turned away from Wingull with a haughty lift of her chin, signifying her supreme distaste for all things larid. Adelaide nodded and let out a quick whistle. With eagerly flapping wings, Jello spiraled toward the group and chased after the trouble-making Wingull, letting out a few angry caws just to let it know who was boss.

Meanwhile, Grace spoke up. "I think I'll leave it here," she said, looking down at the smallish Corphish. "He seems like a child, and it would be cruel to take him from his life in the wild before he can defend himself. Let's try and leave the Corphish be. If he sticks around for a battle, I'll toss a Pokedoll," she decided, pulling a little plush Bosnsly out of her bag, just in case Corphish decided to try and scuffle. "I guess I'll try the disk again, too," she added, pulling the Pokeplayer out with her free hand. She tapped the button, and a loud cry echoed out over the lakes, similar to the first but slightly more aggressive. Corphish let out a little squeal of fright and scuttled back into its lake.

"Hmph," Adelaide frowned, looking at Grace. "I doubt there are any Staryu in this lake - otherwise, Corphish wouldn't have run from the cry and into the water, y'know?" She glanced out over the shallow lake, thinking. Staryu weren't very common in the Park, but they were around. "I know!" she snapped her fingers. "We're looking in the wrong places. Staryu like to hang around in the much deeper, much brinier water. We should head there before trying the disc again." Having said this, she took off, trekking quickly down the path toward the nearest salty lake.

The lake that they came to was a fairly small but deep and richly blue. The turf around it was sandy, dotted with tough vegetation, while the air was chilled by the breeze rolling off of its surface. Adelaide almost regretted not bringing her coat; these deeper waters got very -

She stopped suddenly as she saw a white shape breach the waters: a round creature with an elegant fin on its tail and an ivory horn on its head. It shot a threatening glare at Alexander and began to bark in challenge. The Pokemon was a Seel, and based on the way its stump-like front paws slapped the water, it didn't like the other Pokemon's presence at all.

Before Adelaide could make comment on Seel's territorial behavior, a new flash of motion caught her attention: an arc of water jetting from near the shore. The water hit some sort of flying bug - Adelaide couldn't clearly see what sort, exactly - which promptly fell toward the waves and was gobbled up by a small, blue fish that Adelaide identified as Remoraid.

She turned back toward the Trainers. "Well, it's up to you to decide how to handle this," she said over Seel's urgent barks, "but here's how I see the situation: Seel doesn't like you much, Grace, Alexander. You guys could make some sort of show of power to let it know who's stronger, or you could catch it, or we could leave and see what it does. But," she added, "this is a good Staryu spot. And, Gertrude, there's a Remoraid ripe for the taking out there, too. I hear good things about Octillery."

~~~
Trainer Stats (EmBreon)

Spoiler

Name: Gertrude Smith.
Location: Great Lakes.
Area Affects: The ground is a bit muddy and cold.
Items: Park Balls (3x), Super Balls (2x), Hyper Ball (1x).
Encounters Remaining: 12.
Pokemon Encountered: Wingull/???/???, Wingull/???/???, Remoraid/???/???.
Pokemon Captured: 0.
Current Character Count: 2894/9000.


Mighty Fox of the Forest/Umbreon/M/Synchronize/Quirky/Substitute, Sleep Talk, Double Team, Sunny Day, Taunt, Dark Pulse, Rest, Dream Eater, Toxic, Psych Up, Psychic, Shadow Ball, Protect, Curse, Nightmare, Facade, Snatch, Iron Tail, Hidden Power (Dragon), Wish, Yawn, Body Slam, Mimic/100%

X/Porygon-Z/Genderless/Adaptability/Substitute, Ice Beam, Shadow Ball, Charge Beam, Psyshock, Thunderbolt, Thunder Wave, Thunder, Psychic, Solarbeam, Sunny Day, Rain Dance, Protect, Dark Pulse, Icy Wind/100%

SuperStar/Staryu/Genderless/Natural Cure/Bold/Substitute, Protect, Rest, Sleep Talk, Psychic, Thunderbolt, Thunder, Thunder Wave, Rain Dance, Ice Beam, Grass Knot, Flash Cannon, Reflect, Toxic, Skill Swap, Trick Room, Hidden Power (Fighting), Psych Up, Icy Wind, Avalanche, Surf, Waterfall/100%

Trainer Stats (Princess Crow)

Spoiler

Name: Grace Stone
Location: Great Lakes.
Area Affects: The ground is a bit muddy and cold.
Items: Park Balls (2x), Super Balls (2x), Hyper Balls (4x), Poke Dolls (2x), Digital Camera (1x), Pokeplayer (1x), Borderline Voice Disk (Staryu) (1x).
Encounters Remaining: 12.
Pokemon Encountered: Wingull/???/???, Corphish/???/???, Seel/???/???.
Pokemon Captured: 0.
Current Character Count: 2364/9000.


Alexander/Alakazam/M/Magic Guard/Calm/Substitute, Focus Blast, Hidden Power (Fire), Shadow Ball, Energy Ball, Thunder Wave, Encore, Barrier/100%

Soak/Wash Rotom/Feminine-Gender-Neutral/Levitate/Quirky/Protect, Psych Up, Volt Switch, Will-o-wisp, Hidden Power (Dragon), Snatch, Toxic, Shadow Ball, Thunderbolt, Dark Pulse, Hydro Pump, Pain Split, Sucker Punch, Signal Beam/100%

Sachiko/Raichu/F/Static/Jolly/Rain Dance, Reflect, Brick Break, Hidden Power (Dragon), Charge Beam, Grass Knot, Focus Blast, Volt Switch, Protect, Substitute, Focus Punch, Tickle, Wish, Encore, Fake Out, Magnet Rise, Signal Beam, Counter, Surf, Yawn, Teeter Dance, Pain Split, ExtremeSpeed, Fly, Endeavor, Petal Dance/100%

Battle Stats (EmBreon)

Spoiler

A wild Remoraid has appeared (2894/9000)!

Battle Stats (Princess Crow)

Spoiler

A wild Seel has appeared (2364/9000)!

 

After pressing the button on her player once more, the same hypnotizing lullaby radiated through the air. Though it sounded like a mix between a broken trumpet and a siren of a police car, the sound was still so soothing. It was as if it was seeping its way into Grace's mind and discovering her deepest secrets. But Grace was okay with it.

"Grace, keep it together," came Alexander's irritated voice. "It's just an imitation, for Arceus' sake. You have to stay on top of it if you ever want to capture one."

Grace shook her head to herself. "You're right. Sorry," she thought as she turned from the rust-red player. Thankfully, the call had stopped, and Grace looked forward to see Adelaide leading the way ahead. Grace assumed Gertrude had scared off the second Wingull, either by physical force or a loud and vague Wailord call, but she could hardly recall. "What even happens when I'm out?"

"Your eyes get dull and you look like an idiot." Grace heard an audible smirk from Alexander's direction, but it was hard to tell where it came from exactly. Alexander was floating somewhere in the nearby grass, not quite touching the sand of the beach. "Also, look behind you."

Grace spun around as nonchalantly as possible to see Adelaide staring at her, as if she was expecting an answer. "Sorry what?" Grace asked.

Adelaide giggled and repeated, "Seel doesn't like you much, Grace, Alexander. You guys could make some sort of show of power to let it know who's stronger, or you could catch it, or we could leave and see what it does."

Grace stared at Adelaide for a moment, confused. "Seel?" she asked. Looking around, Grace spotted an angry-looking Pokémon washed up on the beach of the lake. The Pokémon was a pasty white color, and though its horn and bright pink tongue were quite amusing, the expression on the Seel's face showed pure hatred. "Oh..." Grace muttered, her voice faltering. "Uhh, yeah. I don't really want to fight this. We should probably try running, and we can throw a Pokedoll if it doesn't want to leave us alone. I don't think having a face-off would be the best idea, seeing as the local Staryu would probably sense our group before we could encounter one. Let's try and leave peacefully," she concluded.

"And this thing, too..." Grace trailed off as she pulled the player out once more. Grace debated whether or not to cover her ears. On one hand, she would stay conscious the entire time. On the other, she would hear the call one more time...

Grace pressed her thumb on the player, breathed in heavily, and opened her ears to the surrounding noise.


@EmBreon ; @VeloJello ;

 

@Princess Crow; @VeloJello

Finally the group was moving again. Gertrude followed Adelaide as she led them down the main park path to another similar lake. This place was chillier than the last, and the breeze was less forgiving. Gertrude gazed at the open water, unimpressed by the change of scenery.

"What's so special about this dump?"

Her question was answered by some splashing water on the bank and two fishy Pokemon emerging from the lake's surface. One of them, a dopey-looking white one, was glaring maliciously at Grace's Pokemon. This didn't surprise Gertrude in the slightest, considering she had had a very similar reaction to the weird alien creature. The other thing that emerged from the deep was something the old lady had seen before. A silver Remoraid.

"Well, it's up to you to decide how to handle this," Adelaide remarked through some relentless yapping of the white Pokemon. The thing would not take its eyes off E.T. "...but here's how I see the situation: Seel doesn't like you much, Grace, Alexander. You guys could make some sort of show of power to let it know who's stronger, or you could catch it, or we could leave and see what it does. But, this is a good Staryu spot. And, Gertrude, there's a Remoraid ripe for the taking out there, too. I hear good things about Octillery."

Gertrude huffed and whipped out her outdated PokeDex. The device was quadruple the size of its updated counterpart, and had an obnoxious antenna attached that needed to be pulled completely out. The old woman pressed the oversized buttons to a frenzy of beeps before finally grunting and putting the thing back into her pocket. "I already have an Octillery, apparently," she said finally, uninterested. Unless I turned it into jerky... The thought trailed off into her mind as the Ranger addressed Grace, who was also daydreaming about something.

That blasted whale music began playing again, and Gertrude turned and saw that Grace was fiddling with her poke-contraption.

"If that thing attracts any more Wingull... someone is buying me a new scarf."

 

NBP 5, Ranger Adelaide 'Jello' Crowe
@EmBreon @Princess Crow
~~~

Much to Adelaide's surprise, Gertrude didn't immediately make some comment about how weak the Remoraid looked or how stupid it certainly was. Instead, she pulled out an object that it took Adelaide more than ten seconds to identify as a Pokedex. The thing was unbelievably old; it was like a large book with an antenna and loud, irritating beeps coming out of it. Gertrude fiddled with it for a few seconds before letting out an apathetic grunt and stuffing the brick of a machine into her pocket - how she found room for it, Adelaide couldn't begin to guess. "I already have an Octillery, apparently," she said with some disdain. Adelaide nodded and turned back toward Grace, who still seemed to be in something of a daze.

"Oh..." Grace sounded dazed, as well. Adelaide offhandedly wondered if the heat was getting to her; then again, she could very well have been having a mental conversation with her Alakazam. "Uhh, yeah. I don't really want to fight this. We should probably try running, and we can throw a Pokedoll if it doesn't want to leave us alone. I don't think having a face-off would be the best idea, seeing as the local Staryu would probably sense our group before we could encounter one. Let's try and leave peacefully." She sounded decisive, which gave Adelaide a sense of relief. The last thing that she wanted was to have Trainers fainting on her watch.

"All righty, then!" Adelaide waved cheerfully at the Seel, who had quieted down somewhat but was still glaring daggers at Alexander. Hopefully, it would see that they wanted nothing other than to clear out. "There's a really big salt lake up ahead. We can check there next -"

Unfortunately, Adelaide hadn't bothered to check whether Grace or Gertrude were following her - which they weren't. Grace was quite preoccupied with her Pokeplayer, which she proceded to let play. Immediately a loud, challenging Staryu's cry rang out. A chill ran down Adelaide's spine; there was something deeply malevolent about it. The malice was not lost on Seel, who immediately went into an apoplectic fit of loud barking. It waddled at top speed onto the shore and slapped the sand, glaring right at Grace and Alexander. One look was sufficient to tell Adelaide that it wasn't going to leave without a fight. Remoraid had disappeared, but a confrontation with Seel would probably be enough to draw it out of its watery shelter.

"Grace," Adelaide's voice was calm; she had dealt with this type of situation before. An angry wild Pokemon was nothing to blow off, but there was no cause for panic. Panic was just as bad an idea as overconfidence , in any case. "You still have that Pokedoll, right? Because now would be a good time to use it."

~~~
Trainer Stats (EmBreon)

Spoiler

Name: Gertrude Smith.
Location: Great Lakes.
Area Affects: The ground is a bit muddy and cold.
Items: Park Balls (3x), Super Balls (2x), Hyper Ball (1x).
Encounters Remaining: 12.
Pokemon Encountered: Wingull/???/???, Wingull/???/???, Remoraid/???/???.
Pokemon Captured: 0.
Current Character Count: 4875/9000.


Mighty Fox of the Forest/Umbreon/M/Synchronize/Quirky/Substitute, Sleep Talk, Double Team, Sunny Day, Taunt, Dark Pulse, Rest, Dream Eater, Toxic, Psych Up, Psychic, Shadow Ball, Protect, Curse, Nightmare, Facade, Snatch, Iron Tail, Hidden Power (Dragon), Wish, Yawn, Body Slam, Mimic/100%

X/Porygon-Z/Genderless/Adaptability/Substitute, Ice Beam, Shadow Ball, Charge Beam, Psyshock, Thunderbolt, Thunder Wave, Thunder, Psychic, Solarbeam, Sunny Day, Rain Dance, Protect, Dark Pulse, Icy Wind/100%

SuperStar/Staryu/Genderless/Natural Cure/Bold/Substitute, Protect, Rest, Sleep Talk, Psychic, Thunderbolt, Thunder, Thunder Wave, Rain Dance, Ice Beam, Grass Knot, Flash Cannon, Reflect, Toxic, Skill Swap, Trick Room, Hidden Power (Fighting), Psych Up, Icy Wind, Avalanche, Surf, Waterfall/100%

Trainer Stats (Princess Crow)

Spoiler

Name: Grace Stone
Location: Great Lakes.
Area Affects: The ground is a bit muddy and cold.
Items: Park Balls (2x), Super Balls (2x), Hyper Balls (4x), Poke Dolls (2x), Digital Camera (1x), Pokeplayer (1x), Borderline Voice Disk (Staryu) (1x).
Encounters Remaining: 12.
Pokemon Encountered: Wingull/???/???, Corphish/???/???, Seel/???/???.
Pokemon Captured: 0.
Current Character Count: 4932/9000.


Alexander/Alakazam/M/Magic Guard/Calm/Substitute, Focus Blast, Hidden Power (Fire), Shadow Ball, Energy Ball, Thunder Wave, Encore, Barrier/100%

Soak/Wash Rotom/Feminine-Gender-Neutral/Levitate/Quirky/Protect, Psych Up, Volt Switch, Will-o-wisp, Hidden Power (Dragon), Snatch, Toxic, Shadow Ball, Thunderbolt, Dark Pulse, Hydro Pump, Pain Split, Sucker Punch, Signal Beam/100%

Sachiko/Raichu/F/Static/Jolly/Rain Dance, Reflect, Brick Break, Hidden Power (Dragon), Charge Beam, Grass Knot, Focus Blast, Volt Switch, Protect, Substitute, Focus Punch, Tickle, Wish, Encore, Fake Out, Magnet Rise, Signal Beam, Counter, Surf, Yawn, Teeter Dance, Pain Split, ExtremeSpeed, Fly, Endeavor, Petal Dance/100%

Battle Stats (EmBreon)

Spoiler

A wild Remoraid has appeared (4875/9000)!

Battle Stats (Princess Crow)

Spoiler

A wild Seel has appeared (4932/9000)!

 

Grace had closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, expecting that same soothing soprano call to strike through the air once more, but after a few short seconds of bliss, the cry turned into almost a shriek. The sound exploded in violence. Grace quickly dropped the voice box and covered her ears. The call was as if Staryu was attacking but not by force - instead, the shrill sound waves were booming through the opponent's mind.

"Focus on my voice," Alexander said to Grace. "The call isn't real. There is no Staryu. Focus on my voice, and we'll pull you out of this."

Suddenly, the scream stopped ringing through Grace's ears. The call still played from the voice box, but it was nothing like the bombardment Grace had just experienced. It now seemed like a simple recording as opposed to an attack. Grace slowly lowered her hands from her ears and picked up the box from the ground. She stuffed it back into her bag without another word.

"Grace, you have to be careful."

"I know that..." she thought, regaining her composure. "I just... can't turn away from it. I know I have to stop listening, but I can't."

"What you heard, at least at first, is what a true Staryu call sounds like. They're formidable opponents, which is why we're here. They've been all but exterminated in Johto because they're so powerful," Alexander explained. "I'll explain more later, but your call seemed to have affected the Seel as well."

Grace turned back to see that the Seel was infinitely more angry. It seemed to have a territorial instinct and was unlikely to let the group pass. Grace couldn't blame the Pokémon - they'd lived in this area for an extremely long time without human contact, so why should they let the group stomp through their land? Still, the Staryu were up ahead...

"Grace," came Adelaide's voice from behind. She seemed to be completely serene in this situation, so it might've been a common occurrence. "You still have that Pokedoll, right? Because now would be a good time to use it."

"Yeah, of course. It's right here in my bag," Grace said, pulling out a Clefable-styled Pokedoll. Grace quickly threw the Pokedoll towards the Seel, in hopes that it would accept the peace-offering and allow the group to pass through.

@VeloJello ; @EmBreon ;

 

NBP #1 @Princess Crow;

"Gah... why's it so wet and cold up here..." Zorayda trekked through the slippery mud and silt, her rubber boots making a sucking sound with each step. Behind her, Nix the Glaceon squished through the mud with something close to amusement. Seeing her trainer get all worked up over the mud, the little Ice-type stuck her tongue out and pounced to land on all fours, effectively splattering Zor with a healthy amount of the mud. "Urgh! Niiiix!" The blonde Ranger whined, wiping mud from her face. Her pristine Ranger's uniform was now splatted with the stuff, as well as her hair and skin. The Glaceon's jaw parted and she panted with a foxy grin. Zorayda pursed her lips in irritation and attempted to chase after her, though compared to fox paws, her boots were like cement blocks on her feet.



"Grrr... don't worry, I'll get you back," the trainer muttered under her breath. The two of them made it to more hard, solid ground, where the air was distinctly chilly. "Must be where those Seel and Lapras hang around," she observed. Up ahead, she could hear human voices. The blonde made a beeline towards them, having gotten a call from Adelaide to come take her place. Apparently, one of her trainers was grouchy as all get-out and was ready to up and leave the run in a snit, though the other trainer had wanted to stay. So, to prevent safety hazards, Zor came in to take Adelaide's place for the second trainer. Soon enough she came upon a trio of people and a few Pokemon. She made her way to one of the banks, where a thicket of tall water reeds had gathered, and watched carefully.



The young lady of the group was holding a voice recorder and covering her ears, looking somewhat distressed, while the eerie calls of Staryu echoed through the watery park. It seemed to agitate a nearby Seel, as well, one of the Pokemon Zor knew was native to this particular area. She stayed back as they distracted the dual Ice/Water type with a doll that looked like a Clefable. They got away without much of a hitch, but it looked as if the Alakazam was following the young distressed woman and communicating with her on a telepathic level. The concentration on his and her faces were a telltale sign of this.

Nix sniffed the air at Zor's side, having rejoined her trainer after the muddy incident from earlier. She gave Zorayda a small whine and the Ranger nodded slowly, making sure Seel had dived back into the water and was unaware of a new arrival. She pushed her way through the tall reeds and shouted out to them.

"Hey! I'm here, Jello!" the blonde called, using Adelaide's strange nickname from around the park. The other woman looked relieved and came forth with Gertrude--the grumpy trainer, and updated Zor's Styler on-hand with the stats and encounters that the other young lady had accumulated. With a nod, the two made an understanding, and Adelaide was off, straight towards the gates of the Great Lakes. Then, with a spring in her step and a professional smile (well, as professional as she could manage, covered in mud), Zor made her way over to the second trainer and smiled.

"Hi there! Your friend had to be escorted back with Jello, but no worries, I'm here to continue your run through the park with you!" Nix panted happily and whined at her side. Zor chuckled and ruffled the fox's fur behind her long ears. "This is Nix, my Glaceon. She's coming out for a little air today. Do you want to continue right now, or would you like a little break? I saw you back there with Seel and you seemed a bit... distressed," she noted, her eyebrows knitting together slightly with worry. She gave the other woman's Alakazam a friendly nod in greeting, as well, before turning her attention back to the trainer.

Trainer Stats

Spoiler

Items: Park Balls (2x), Super Balls (2x), Hyper Balls (4x), Poke Dolls (1x), Digital Camera (1x), Pokeplayer (1x), Borderline Voice Disk [Staryu, used 3/5] (1x).
Encounters Remaining: 12
Pokemon Encountered: Wingull, Corphish, Seel
Pokemon Captured: 0
MCR: 0/000

Battle Stats

Spoiler

N/A

Pokemon Stats

Spoiler

Alexander [ALAKAZAM] | Male | Calm | Magic Guard | EMs: Substitute, Focus Blast, Hidden Power [Fire], Shadow Ball, Energy Ball, Thunder Wave, Encore, Barrier | 100%
Soak [ROTOM-W] | Genderless/Feminine | Quirky | Levitate | EMs: Protect, Psych Up, Volt Switch, Will-o-wisp, Hidden Power [Dragon], Snatch, Toxic, Shadow Ball, Thunderbolt, Dark Pulse, Hydro Pump, Pain Split, Sucker Punch, Signal Beam | 100%
Sachiko [RAICHU] | Female | Jolly | Static | EMs: Rain Dance, Reflect, Brick Break, Hidden Power [Dragon], Charge Beam, Grass Knot, Focus Blast, Volt Switch, Protect, Substitute, Focus Punch, Tickle, Wish, Encore, Fake Out, Magnet Rise, Signal Beam, Counter, Surf, Yawn, Teeter Dance, Pain Split, ExtremeSpeed, Fly, Endeavor, Petal Dance | 100%

 

@TheProtobabe ;

Once the Clefable-styled doll had hit the sandy beach, the previously hostile Seel simply glanced down at the doll before all its anger dissipated. Just as rapidly as the Pokemon had been angered, the Seel snatched up the doll in its over-sized mouth and slithered back into the chilly waters. An abrupt slap of its tail signaled that it had returned to the depths of the lake.

"At least that's over with..." Grace muttered to herself. Thankfully, the audio player had ended playing the call, and the lake seemed to be serene once more.

"Heads up, Grace. Glaceon and its Trainer. Friendly," Alexander said, levitating out of the tall grass and standing beside Grace. It would be better to introduce himself to the new people now rather than later. That way, he could easily slip away later instead of an awkward confrontation when the duo discovered Alakazam by himself.

The woman walking towards Grace and the others was covered in a thick sludge of mud. She must've been splashed by a scared Pokemon, but she kept a smile on her face. She had shoulder-length blonde hair that was also tainted with the thick gunk in the grassy areas. They were of almost identical height and couldn't have been too far apart in age. She was a pretty girl, and her bubbly Glaceon followed close behind.

"Hey! I'm here, Jello!" the approaching woman shouted towards Grace's Ranger. Adelaide glanced up, spotted the woman, and gave a quick smile before cautiously grabbing Gertrude by the arm. Adelaide slowly began walking forwards, edging herself along with Gertrude at her side. Adelaide and the newcomer connected eyes for the briefest moment, but Grace could instantly tell that Adelaide was giving her thanks to the new woman. Adelaide continued back down the path that they had previously walked through, which meant that Gertrude was headed back to the Front Gates.

"Hi there! Your friend had to be escorted back with Jello, but no worries, I'm here to continue your run through the park with you!" spoke the woman in a kind and welcoming voice. Her face beamed with a smile.

"Oh... I wonder why she had to turn back..." Grace muttered to herself. Alexander simply shrugged. "Oh well, nothing we can do about it. I'm Grace," she said as she observed her ranger's nametag. "What an interesting name, Zorayda..."

"This is Nix, my Glaceon. She's coming out for a little air today. Do you want to continue right now, or would you like a little break? I saw you back there with Seel and you seemed a bit... distressed."

Grace shook her head politely. "I'm fine, thanks. I was a little off-put by the Seel's aggression, but I should be fine now. Seel took the bait of a Pokedoll just like most other Pokemon, so it should hopefully be leaving us alone for quite some time. Well, at least long enough for us to get out of here." Grace decided not to inform her ranger of her current issues with the CD Player.

"It would be wise to leave the audio player alone, at least for now. The Staryu's call clearly upset the local Pokemon, and playing it again would only generate more angry Pokemon. Perhaps we can try the disk in a more stable environment," Alexander said.

Grace gave a very subtle nod to her Pokemon. Alexander's logic was right - it would be an unnecessary risk to take at the moment. As long as she didn't come back empty-handed, her professors wouldn't know or care about her experience at the park.

"I'm ready to head on when you are!"

 

Run Ended Early