Easter Contest: WinterVines

NBP1

*~~~~~~~~~*

As you enter the Power Plant, a loud sound echoes inside the building as multiple Pokemon either hide or take their places. Judging from the mad scramble, they had not expected anyone to come to this place. Still, you and Vergil take this with indifference and begin searching about right away.

It is near an old scrap pile, one filled with random appliance parts and something you swear almost looks like an archaic water pump, that you discover your first Pokemon. The Grimer edges away from Vergil, but holds his ground for the moment.

*~~~~~~~~~*

Trainer Stats:

Name: @WinterVines;

Location: Power Plant

Area Effects: Event

5 Encounters Remaining

Pokemon Encountered: Grimer

Pokemon Captured:

CC since last Encounter: 0

Pokemon Statistics:

Pokemon: Vergil (Gallade)

Gender: Male

Nature: Hardy

Ability: Steadfast

Extra Moves: Will-o-Wisp, Shadow Sneak, Ice Punch

Total Items:

3 Park Ball, 2 Super Ball, 1 Hyper Ball, 2 Lava Cookie, 2 EnergyPowder, 1 Pokedoll

*~~~~~~~~~*

 

@Akinai;

TP#1

Vergril wasn't talking to her.

Of course, that wasn't anything new really. They didn't get along very well on the best of days thanks to his bad moods and Ivy's stubbornness. The Ranger just shook her head as he stalked angrily in front of her. She hadn't really expected him to be overjoyed in coming here, to the Abandoned Power Plant, on a Capture Event run. He was a bit bitter about those.

He came from the last one, after all.

It had been Haji's, her Espeon's, idea to take the sour Gallade on this run, and Ivy was really wondering why she listened. This was not improving their relationship in the slightest.

Ivy brushed her long red hair over her shoulder so it stayed out of the way, and she and Vergil started to explore the plant. It was a sad place, full of trash and the remains of what was. Nobody had been here in a long time. Sometimes she felt like her own life was like that, but then she just felt like she was projecting.

Her boots echoed off the almost-empty hallway as she trailed from room to room. Her long, red canvas vest flapped behind her like a cape, but she didn't feel very heroic. Right now she sort of felt like she was torturing Vergil, dragging him along to a place that was bound to bring up bad memories.

They came across some sort of storage room for old parts and things eventually, and Ivy noticed boxes filled with random junk that hadn't made the move to wherever the people that were here went. Then, she noticed a fowl smell, and a purple gooey Pokemon slid out from under some debris. It sidled a little away from them, since Vergil had reluctantly neared, but then it stopped and stared at them.

“Grimer, one of five Pokemon down. I think we should pass on this one,” Ivy said to Vergil, even though he probably wasn't listening to her. Her words were muffled as she put her arm up to cover her nose.

The Gallade scoffed and folded his green arms, turning away from her. She rolled her eyes at him when he wasn't looking.

“Okay, if it won't let us leave, we'll figure something else out.”

 

NBP2

*~~~~~~~~~*

Unfortunately for you both, Grimer doesn't seem too keen on letting either of you just walk on by. Leaving a foul-smelling trail as it oozes forward, it adamantly stands in front of the doorway leading to the next room. While it is likely your Gallade can easily clear the way, there is no telling what lies ahead either. Stand your ground, or try to escape in another fashion?

*~~~~~~~~~*

Trainer Stats:

Name: @WinterVines;

Location: Power Plant

Area Effects: Event

4 Encounters Remaining

Pokemon Encountered: Grimer

Pokemon Captured:

CC since last Encounter: 0

Pokemon Statistics:

Pokemon: Vergil (Gallade)

Gender: Male

Nature: Hardy

Ability: Steadfast

Extra Moves: Will-o-Wisp, Shadow Sneak, Ice Punch

Total Items:

3 Park Ball, 2 Super Ball, 1 Hyper Ball, 2 Lava Cookie, 2 EnergyPowder, 1 Pokedoll

*~~~~~~~~~*

 

@Akinai;

TP#2

Unfortunately, when Ivy tried to back away slowly, the Grimer proceeded to follow, leaving a sticky and nasty-smelling trail of ooze in its wake. Ivy waved the air in front of her face, but it didn't help much. She heard Vergil make a disgusted-sounding noise behind her.

She was at an impasse now. They could try to escape again, but if the Grimer protested, it might start attackign them. Vergil was pretty hardy in that he could take attacks decently, but they still had a lot of ground to cover. They had to get through five Pokemon for this event, and she didn't want to wear him out early. She had one Pokedoll in the basket of items they gave her upon signing up, but what if there was something infinitely tougher than this Poison-type ahead?

She sighed. Either way, getting the Gallade to cooperate her was going to be a headache in itself. “Vergil,” she called as she looked over her shoulder. The fighter twitched, but he didn't turn around or unfold his arms. She continued anyway. “Let's try to get out of here again, but if the Grimer doesn't let us, we'll need to battle.”

Vergil scoffed, and Ivy rolled her eyes again. She was pretty stubborn too. He had never responded to her asking nicely. She figured he was one of the types that needed to be beat to make a point to. That had also been Haji's idea, although it had sprung up in one of the rare times he was frustrated.

“Why don't you put those dirty looks to good use and start off with a Leer. Then start charging up a Psycho Cut – that is, if you know how,” she said instead. She didn't want to sound mean, but sometimes Vergil really just needed a kick in the ass.

As she suspected, the Gallade straightened immediately and uncrossed his arms, stamping his foot slightly as he whirled on her. He gave her a glare, and Ivy just shrugged her shoulders with her palms up. “What?” she asked as she looked at him. She found he responded better when she didn't put up with his moodiness. “If we can't get away, that's the game plan. We'll have to wait until it moves to plan any further,” she added.

 

NBP3

*~~~~~~~~~*

Thankfully, this time around Grimer seems to think twice. Eying the obviously growing-impatient Gallade, the Poison Pokemon grumbles to itself and slithers away back into the pile. Taking care not to step in the ooze-like substance it had left behind, you and Vergil safely walk on to the next room.

As soon as you clear the doorframe, there is a loud whirring of gears as a Pokemon quickly hovers over to greet both of you. The Klink circles Vergil as it happily floats about, glad to have met a possible new friend.

*~~~~~~~~~*

Trainer Stats:

Name: @WinterVines;

Location: Power Plant

Area Effects: Event

3 Encounters Remaining

Pokemon Encountered: Grimer, Klink

Pokemon Captured:

CC since last Encounter: 0

Pokemon Statistics:

Pokemon: Vergil (Gallade)

Gender: Male

Nature: Hardy

Ability: Steadfast

Extra Moves: Will-o-Wisp, Shadow Sneak, Ice Punch

Total Items:

3 Park Ball, 2 Super Ball, 1 Hyper Ball, 2 Lava Cookie, 2 EnergyPowder, 1 Pokedoll

*~~~~~~~~~*

 

@Akinai; And runnin' runnin', I'm runnin' runnin'.

TP#3

Thankfully, the Grimer took a look at the angry Vergil and decided to back away. It shuffled back into the boxes it had crawled out from and left them alone. Ivy watched her step as she sort of hopped over the gunk in order to get to the room's door. She heard the Gallade following, but reluctantly.

They wandered out into the hall, and then Ivy stopped as she heard a noise. What sounded like the starting-up of a machine grew louder, and then a spinning gray Pokemon came to greet them. Two gears that seemed stuck together much like Magneton were appeared, the two faces never pointing in the same direction. Its blue nose looked a little cute, though.

The Klink hovered around Vergil, bobbing and weaving through the air as if happy to see them. On a normal run, she probably would've considered battling such a nice Pokemon, but since the goal was to capture just one Pokemon for a score, she was going to pass. She didn't know if she could get Vergil to participate in even one battle, let alone more than that, and she wanted to see if something else came up.

“Not today, little guy,” she said, hoping it didn't get too upset. “We've kinda got to be somewhere,” she added, as Vergil was looking to get even more agitated. She didn't want him acting out and starting a battle accidentally. “Can we pass?” she asked the Pokemon.

 

NBP4

*~~~~~~~~~*

Klink, upon hearing your question, abruptly freezes in mid hover. Whatever question it had been expecting, it certainly wasn't planning on being told to leave you be. In response, the Pokemon's gears whirl even faster and it moves directly in front of you, adamantly shaking its body in a clear “no” gesture. Will you battle, or try to reason with it?

*~~~~~~~~~*

Trainer Stats:

Name: @WinterVines;

Location: Power Plant

Area Effects: Event

3 Encounters Remaining

Pokemon Encountered: Grimer, Klink

Pokemon Captured:

CC since last Encounter: 1337 (No, seriously)

Pokemon Statistics:

Pokemon: Vergil (Gallade)

Gender: Male

Nature: Hardy

Ability: Steadfast

Extra Moves: Will-o-Wisp, Shadow Sneak, Ice Punch

Total Items:

3 Park Ball, 2 Super Ball, 1 Hyper Ball, 2 Lava Cookie, 2 EnergyPowder, 1 Pokedoll

*~~~~~~~~~*

 

@Akinai;

TP#4

The happily bobbing Klink froze, focusing its two beady eyes on her. The gears stopped turning for a second as it stared. Then, it made a frustrated sound, and its two heads began spinning around and around even faster than it had before. It made a negative sounds and wobbled its body back and forth, clearly indicating its answer was no.

Ivy sighed at put her hands up so it would stop spinning a little. She thought it might hurt itself. Vergil had gone quiet behind her, which was a bad sign. When he was angry he at least scoffed and made other agitated sounds. If he was quiet then he was getting prepared for action.

“Vergil, don't,” she warned, knowing that he might not listen to her. She had to do something fast before this escalated.

She turned back to the little Steel-type Pokemon and tried again. “Could we please go through? We really do need to finish this contest soon, but I promise we'll come back to the Plant when its over. What do you say?”

In case they couldn't get away again this time, she pulled out a doll and held it behind her. If it started to attack, she wanted to use the toy and appease the wild Pokemon before Vergil was goaded into a fight. Right now he wouldn't fight very fairly, and she didn't want to seriously hurt the other Pokemon since it was usually so good-natured.

 

NBP5

*~~~~~~~~~*

Fortunately, Klink seems to understand that you are in a hurry. After giving you a hopeful look as it hears your promise to return to this area soon, the Klink slowly floats away. Even though Vergil appears to be unhappy with the fact that he had missed out on another fight, the Gallade follows you into the next room.

The next room, unlike the first, is relatively clutter-free. In the center, two Pichu are happily running about playing a version of electric tag with one another. As you walk forward, both of them immediately look your way. While one runs away to the nearest corner, the second stands its ground.

*~~~~~~~~~*

Trainer Stats:

Name: @WinterVines;

Location: Power Plant

Area Effects: Event

2 Encounters Remaining

Pokemon Encountered: Grimer, Klink, Pichu

Pokemon Captured:

CC since last Encounter: 0

Pokemon Statistics:

Pokemon: Vergil (Gallade)

Gender: Male

Nature: Hardy

Ability: Steadfast

Extra Moves: Will-o-Wisp, Shadow Sneak, Ice Punch

Total Items:

3 Park Ball, 2 Super Ball, 1 Hyper Ball, 2 Lava Cookie, 2 EnergyPowder, 1 Pokedoll

*~~~~~~~~~*

 

@Akinai; Dice please be good. Dice please be good!

TP#5

Ivy held her breath as she tried to reason with the Klink again, hoping that it wouldn't get more angry. Thankfully, understanding showed in its little eyes, and it bobbed up and down in agreement. Ivy let out a sigh of relief and smiled at it.

“We'll be back, I promise. I'll make the Plant the first thing on my list.”

The wild Pokemon floated away down the hall and turned the corner, and Ivy turned to keep going the opposite direction. Vergil kept staring at the direction the Klink had disappeared to, even when she passed him. He was still intensely focused, and for a second, she was worried that he was going to follow. He wanted to fight that badly.

“Come on,” she said, reaching out and pulling on his arm to get him to follow.

That made him respond right quick.

He swung his arm away immediately in order to get her to let go, whirling and giving her a bad look. Ivy just raised her eyebrow at him. “Are you coming or not? You go chasing after Pokemon here willy-nilly and you'll lose free-roaming privileges, got it?”

The Gallade didn't like the sound of that, but he shook his shoulders out to get rid of some of the built up tension and relaxed a little. He crossed his arms and then slowly stalked after her, making each step he took heavy and loud in the empty hall. All the wild Pokemon in the Plant probably knew they were coming now, but she didn't want to tell him to stop and disturb the rare moment when he was actually cooperating.

In the next room, a couple of Pichu were running around and playing tag, using little shocks of electricity to tag each other as they chased. When they came in, the two Pokemon made a surprised noise and stopped their came. One of the little electric mice went running off into the corner farthest from them while the other one stood up and tried to look tough, puffing out its cheeks and saying, “Pi-chu!”

“Oh, sorry,” Ivy said. “We didn't mean to interrupt your game. You can keep playing. We'll just keep going, okay?”

Hopefully, this one would just ignore her and go back to playing tag. Vergil was calm for now, but there was no telling how long that would last.

 

NBP6

*~~~~~~~~~*

Seeing that you were simply passing by, the Pichu gives a relieved smile. Giving a small squeak of thanks, it runs back to meet the other Pichu to return to their game. Vergil gives a dismissive shrug; it seems as if he hardly considered the electric mice a challenge anyway.

As you turn to leave, a soft mewling sound from the next room catches your attention. Walking over to investigate, you spot a small blue feline Pokemon walk out from under the archway. The Shinx hurries over to you and begins to look you over.

*~~~~~~~~~*

Trainer Stats:

Name: @WinterVines;

Location: Power Plant

Area Effects: Event

1 Encounter Remaining

Pokemon Encountered: Grimer, Klink, Pichu, Shinx

Pokemon Captured:

CC since last Encounter: 0

Pokemon Statistics:

Pokemon: Vergil (Gallade)

Gender: Male

Nature: Hardy

Ability: Steadfast

Extra Moves: Will-o-Wisp, Shadow Sneak, Ice Punch

Total Items:

3 Park Ball, 2 Super Ball, 1 Hyper Ball, 2 Lava Cookie, 2 EnergyPowder, 1 Pokedoll

*~~~~~~~~~*

 

@Akinai; I hope you rolled something good for the last encounter XD

TP#6

The young Pichu smiled and nodded its head, and Ivy was relieved. The Electric-type scampered off toward its friend with a squeak, and Ivy waved as the two continued to chase each other around, sparking as they went.

Thankfully, Vergil didn't protest too much. He probably didn't think the little mouse was a competent battler, and for that she was glad. She didn't want him to go running around beating up less experienced Pokemon when he was on his own. She worried enough about his actions when he wandered the Park as it was.

They continued into the next room, and at first it looked pretty empty as far as other life went. There was an archway at the end of it, but there were also other rooms down the hall to look at. Ivy was just about to turn and head back outside when she heard a soft meow.

When she looked again, a blue cat was coming out from under the arch. Its star-tipped tail was swinging playfully back and forth. “Hey there,” she said as she smiled, kneeling down to its level. While she knew Shinx grew up into a powerful and intimidating fighter, its base form was just too cute to injure. Ivy took out the one Pokedoll allowed for the event and set it down next to the cat.

The little Clefairy plushy caught its interest right away, and Ivy petted the small cat before rising, content that the kitten would have something to entertain it for a while. She brushed the dirt off her pants and hands as she rose and then paused.

“I guess that makes four Pokemon so far,” she said. “Since we're only allowed to encounter the first five, that means we'll have to catch the next one if we want to get scored.”

Vergil stiffened instantly, and she didn't like the look he was giving her. She stared back at him but didn't say anything. The last capture contest was when she had caught him, and she didn't think he had ever forgiven her for it. She didn't think the next battle was going to go very well. He might choose not to participate at all. She was sort of regretting listening to Haji. Any amount of threats he could deliver might not be worth all the fun they would have shortly.

Still, she had agreed to come on this run, and she was going to see it through. Whether or not it made her relationship with Vergil better was another matter. Haji's ideas generally worked, but she would have to see this time. She wasn't so sure.

 

NBP7

*~~~~~~~~~*

Shinx happily accepts the Pokedoll, happily rubbing against your legs before grabbing the doll with its teeth. After letting out a muffled cry, it runs over to the Pichu and the three begin to play with their new toy. You and Vergil watch the group for a minute or so, and then quietly slip into the next room.

At first, the room appears to be deserted. There are metal shelves lining the wall, with assorted tools and appliances lying upon them. As you move to check out the rest of the room, a large purple blob with a small mustache that had somehow managed to stay hidden in a shadowed corner moves forward. Judging from the fact that it just spit up a frayed plug cord, it's been munching away on the objects here.

*~~~~~~~~~*

Trainer Stats:

Name: @WinterVines;

Location: Power Plant

Area Effects: Event

0 Encounters Remaining

Pokemon Encountered: Grimer, Klink, Pichu, Shinx, Swalot

Pokemon Captured:

CC since last Encounter: 0

Pokemon Statistics:

Pokemon: Vergil (Gallade)

Gender: Male

Nature: Hardy

Ability: Steadfast

Extra Moves: Will-o-Wisp, Shadow Sneak, Ice Punch

Total Items:

3 Park Ball, 2 Super Ball, 1 Hyper Ball, 2 Lava Cookie, 2 EnergyPowder

*~~~~~~~~~*

 

@Akinai;

TP#7

Ivy watched as the little cat ran off with the doll in its mouth. She trailed into the area where the two Pichu were, and all three of them started playing with the Clefairy toy. The Ranger watched them with a smile on her face, but Vergil was not as easily amused.

He was staring off into the distance with his arms crossed again – forever in a bad mood. Ivy was running out of ideas on what to do with him. She had tried a ton of things to get him to warm up to not only her, but her other Pokemon as well (and for Candle, her Chandelure, sometimes that meant literally). Nothing had worked so far. She thought maybe that her problem was that she didn't battle enough, since that was Vergil's favorite pastime. Maybe that was what Haji had planned for this trip. It could just be an opportunity to battle.

If that's what it was going take, though, there were better places than on the same Capture Event that she had caught him on, she thought. Ones that involved less reasons to dislike her.

Ivy went down the hall and stepped into the next room, deciding that she probably couldn't put off seeing another Pokemon much longer. What would be, would be. Vergil was stepping much quieter now, which meant that he was probably lost in thought. A lot of the time she wished that they had a psychic connection like she and Haji did; that would make conversation a lot easier. Unfortunately, Vergil wanted nothing to do with that, and he blocked all attempts at her talking to him through the mind.

She did think that sometimes he did hear, however, like that time poachers had confronted her in the Woods. He had heard her call for help then, and he had come to her rescue. Somehow she didn't think there was going to be a repeat performance of that.

The room was quiet, much like the last, but Ivy knew better than to assume nothing was in here. It looked to be a storage of sorts, as there were metal shelves stacked along the walls, littered with tools and other odds and ends. She thought she saw an old blender in one of them, even.

She waited for a second, but nothing popped out at her. She turned to Vergil and shrugged, making a move to leave the room. Then, there was noise. From the corner, a blob-like creature emerged, hidden in shadow.

She got a good look at it after a second, realizing it to be a Swalot, a Pokemon known for eating almost anything. In fact, the frayed plug end of a cord flopped out of its mouth as it approached. The yellow tendrils of its moustache and the black diamonds around its middle were the only other colors on the purple bag-like Pokemon.

Vergil started almost as bad as she did, which meant that he definitely had not been paying attention. It was really hard to sneak up on a Psychic-type Pokemon when they were using their senses. He whirled and threw up one of his green-bladed arms in a blocking motion, much like a knight would. He wasn't thinking about defense, though. She could see the fury in his eyes that someone had bested him, even for that small second. He took his battles very seriously.

The Swalot looked ready for a battle, and Vergil had been spoiling for one, so that's what they were going to do.

“Okay, this is Pokemon number five, the last in the event. We'll have to battle and catch this one for score-” she began, only to cut herself off as she looked at Vergil.

His breathing had sped up, and his muscles trembled as he stood. He shot her a dark look, but it was only for a second – his eyes were all on his opponent. That wasn't what had tipped her off, though. She had felt a flicker of... something from the Gallade, which never happened. He kept his energy cut of from her too, at least when it wasn't in excess from an attack or technique.

Something was wrong with Vergil.

She watched his eyes unfocus, something he would never do in a real fight. Being unfocused made moves sloppy and blinded the mind from incoming attacks. Vergil cared too much about getting sloppy to be anything less than perfect.

Then, a dark, inky energy coated both of his arms as he tossed them down to his sides. He lunged his leg slightly and braced his other one while tensing all of his muscles. Ivy knew what he was going to do seconds before it happened, but she couldn't stop it.

“Vergil, wait!” she called, but he ignored her.

Like lightning, he dashed off toward his opponent, his arms prepared to strike. Of all the moves to use against a Swalot, Night Slash wasn't really at the top of the effective list. At least it was better than something like Leaf Blade. Still, he wasn't thinking.

Vergil was pretty hardy, so she knew he could suffer a few attacks. Even more than that, his daring and rushing nature was his normal battle style anyway. But what was making him be reckless?

What was wrong with him? And more importantly, how could she fix it?

 

BP1 (Vs Swalot)

*~~~~~~~~~*

Vergil wildly charges forward, landing a sharp blow on Swalot with Night Slash. The Poison-type gains a small mark on its hide from the attack, but manages to shrug it off somewhat easily. The large purple blob looks over at the Psychic-type in faint surprise, then swallows the plug cord that was dangling out of its mouth. Acting almost bored, Swalot slams down on the floor with its short arms and causes the ground to slightly shake. The Bulldoze causes Vergil to become somewhat unsteady on his feet, but otherwise seems all right.

*~~~~~~~~~*

Pokemon Stats:

Hardy Male Gallade: 93%, SPD-1 used Night Slash

??? ??? Swalot: 86%, used Bulldoze

*~~~~~~~~~*

Trainer Stats:

Name: @WinterVines;

Location: Power Plant

Area Effects: Event

0 Encounters Remaining

Pokemon Encountered: Grimer, Klink, Pichu, Shinx, Swalot

Pokemon Captured:

CC since last Encounter: 4,842/15,000

Pokemon Statistics:

Pokemon: Vergil (Gallade)

Gender: Male

Nature: Hardy

Ability: Steadfast

Extra Moves: Will-o-Wisp, Shadow Sneak, Ice Punch

Total Items:

3 Park Ball, 2 Super Ball, 1 Hyper Ball, 2 Lava Cookie, 2 EnergyPowder

*~~~~~~~~~*

 

@Akinai;

TP#8

Vergil slashed forward as he sped, slicing as he slid past the Swalot. The inky energy sharpened with his blade-like arms, rippling against the Poison-type's skin as it hit. Ivy could see leftover traces of energy on the purple body, sort of like scorch marks on burned pieces of paper.

The Gallade was breathing heavily as he finished, ending in a lunge with his arms outstretched, like in those old samurai movies. The downside to Vergil's straight forward nature is that it usually left him open to attacks.

Suddenly, her mind sharpened painfully, and she felt a dull image form in her mind. A flash of light and then darkness swallowed her, enclosing her in a claustrophobic sensation. She was both scared and outraged, but she couldn't breathe-

And then it was over. Ivy shook her head, chasing away the thoughts that weren't hers. Was that what Vergil was feeling? What was it? Before she could really think about it, the feeling ceased – probably Vergil closing off foreign minds subconsciously.

The Swalot looked surprised as the fighter lashed out, perhaps not expected something so fast and reckless. It swallowed the leftover parts it had been eating and then in a nonchalant manner, lifted part of itself up and slammed back down, making the earth rumble. The floor responded, and like an ocean wave, the Power Plant flooring bobbed up in a wave, flowing over to Vergil.

Ivy braced her feet and tried not to fall as she watched her Pokemon. The contents on the shelves rattled and jingled, and some of the boxes closer to the edge even fell off, crashing down to the floor below to be scattered around even more. The ground wave rolled toward Vergil, and when it connected, it made him stagger violently. He didn't look too hurt from it, which was amazing in itself since he had been so unfocused in attacking.

He wasn't steady on his feet after that, though, his drunken-walking causing him to almost hit some of the shelves on the wall. He tripped once and started to fall, throwing his arms out in front of him. Ivy waited for impact, but he quickly disappeared only to reappear sprawled out on the ground near her once again.

Like a wild animal, he scrambled up, almost like he was panicking. His arms were slightly up in a defensive position. Ivy remembered that cramped feeling from before and thought that Vergil probably was the source after all. Upon seeing that wild look in his eyes and his short, clipped breathing, she tried to approach him.

“Hey, hey,” she said softly, holding her hands out like she would soothe a wild Pokemon. Vergil had never done this before.

He snapped his head in her direction, but Ivy could tell that he wasn't really seeing her. He didn't recognize who she was. He just kept that same strange look in his eyes. She could tell her soft voice wasn't going to cut it. With Vergil, that rarely did.

“Hey!” she called louder to get his attention, watching as his eyes flicked from her to the wild Swalot awaiting their next move. Even though she knew it probably wasn't smart, she came around between them, blocking the Gallade's view. “Vergil,” she tried again, making him look at her. She even went as far to grab his arms to make him stop moving.

There was a really good chance that this was going to end very badly for her. Vergil didn't like her as it was, and now that he was unstable, he wouldn't even think about lashing out if he felt threatened. Still, she couldn't just leave him like this – especially not when it was her fault.

“Vergil!” she called again, even sharper. This time, he really did look at her. “You have to calm down,” she said. Even though he had shut her out, she could still feel his wobbling energy, and it worried her. “Calm you mind,” she repeated again.

Slowly, she watched his eyes loose that frantic look. They fluttered open and closed, like he was tired. She knew he was starting to focus. If she could get him performing his Calm Mind technique, it might settle him enough so he could battle clearly.

She wasn't sure if it was going to work or not, but she let go of his arms and stepped back a little so she wouldn't interfere with his energy. She could hear a sloshing noise from behind her and knew that the Poison-type wasn't going to wait around for them forever. Vergil needed to get back on his game quick.

She wanted to stay between them, but that was foolish if the Swalot decided it had enough of waiting. She slowly stepped to the side and back a little bit, willing this to work so Vergil would calm down. It was probably best if he stayed out of the battle for a few minutes. They needed more time, however, so the Swalot had to be distracted.

“Can use sense all of the things in the room?” she asked him softly. “Consider this a training excersize. You like using your surroundings right? Then let's do that. You need to chill a little before you go rushing in,” she said, hoping her words were getting through to him.

His breathing did slow down, and she thought she could feel a flicker of energy from his Calm Mind, but she wasn't so sure. It would either work or it wouldn't, so she tried to continue.

“Feel out the stuff on the shelves, and use your Psychic attack to throw things at the Swalot if you can. Any time you can gain would be great, but you can take all the time you need. If you're feeling gutsy,” she added, to flare up his competitive side, “you could even try to attack the Swalot indirectly. How do your mental abilities compare to his?”

Psychic usually put a mental strain on the target, indirectly tiring them out. It could be used to pick up and throw things as well, like what she had planned for the contents of the shelf. Even if he would go back to being moody, she wanted Vergil back to the way he really was. She had a suspicion that some sort of trauma was involved, though she couldn't place where. A lot of Pokemon she had encountered had dark pasts, like Haji, so it was highly possible.

This attempt at indirect attacking might not work at all, but she had to try something.

 

BP2 (Vs Swalot) OOC: Swalot gender?

*~~~~~~~~~*

After consoling Vergil, the Gallade manages to get a shaky grip on himself before using Calm Mind. As he focuses his thoughts, Swalot notices the technique and angrily spits out a spray of Sludge towards you both. Vergil reacts quickly, bodily shoving you to the side while trying to avoid the use of his blade-arms. While he manages to shield you from the toxic attack, Vergil ends up taking it full force.

Shaking off the sludge, Vergil manages to concentrate on the objects lining the shelves and lobs them at the Swalot. A few fall well short of their mark, but soon enough the wild Pokemon is slapped around by a couple blenders and even what appears to be stove burners. This causes it to look about wildly, as if afraid to have any more random objects appear from nowhere. In retaliation, Swalot tosses out an acidic blast at Vergil. The Acid Spray causes the Gallade to shudder, making his defenses lower.

*~~~~~~~~~*

Pokemon Stats:

Hardy Male Gallade: 79%, SPD-1, SATK+1, SDFN-1 used Calm Mind, Psychic

??? ??? Swalot: 66%, SDFN-1, used Sludge, Acid Spray

*~~~~~~~~~*

Trainer Stats:

Name: @WinterVines;

Location: Power Plant

Area Effects: Event

0 Encounters Remaining Pokemon Encountered: Grimer, Klink, Pichu, Shinx, Swalot

Pokemon Captured:

CC since last Encounter: 10,886/15,000

Pokemon Statistics:

Pokemon: Vergil (Gallade)

Gender: Male

Nature: Hardy

Ability: Steadfast

Extra Moves: Will-o-Wisp, Shadow Sneak, Ice Punch

Total Items:

3 Park Ball, 2 Super Ball, 1 Hyper Ball, 2 Lava Cookie, 2 EnergyPowder

*~~~~~~~~~*

 

@Akinai; We'll go M.

TP#9

Vergil began to focus sharply once she quit talking. Despite him trying to block her, Ivy could feel his energy even out a little bit as he worked on his Calm Mind technique. She tried not to touch him while he thought, since that would both ruin his concentration and possibly make his energy jump between them. She had enough of that already when she was with Haji.

Gallade were usually a more physically-based Pokemon, while Gardevoir, their species line counterpart, was Specially-based. Vergil was versatile though, since he knew some special skills too. She was hoping that the mental challenge was going to calm him down enough to focus on his brute strength.

Ivy faintly wondered what the judges were making of this too, since she was assuming they could see her. The last event they held in Meteor Valley had cameras displaced all over the area so that judges could score Trainers on their battles and their actions. She had set some of the cameras up herself, hidden in thick foliage, high up in trees, and even on the cliff walls.

She wasn't sure if Vergil knew they were probably being filmed. She wasn't going to tell him if he didn't. He had already freaked out before from something, and she didn't want to upset him again. If she was lucky, he would cooperate for this battle and be alright. She needed to figure out what was bothering him, unless it was just memories from the last contest. That was something she couldn't change.

Ivy kept her eyes on her Pokemon, but movement from the wild one made her turn her head. The Swalot apparently either didn't like what Vergil was working on or that he wasn't acting right away. His eyes dipped down in concentration and maybe anger, and he shook for a couple seconds before lunging forward a little and spitting up something fowl.

The green and purple Sludge flew toward them at a pace faster than Ivy imagined. Since she was still standing so close to Vergil, she was in range to get hit. She planted her foot to move, but she knew she wasn't going to be quite fast enough.

Then, seconds before she was bracing herself for the attack, the Gallade snapped to attention. Vergil quit relaxing and stood straight, instantly moving in Ivy's direction. He shouldered her aside quickly, putting himself in the line of fire as she was knocked aside.

Ivy fell and tumbled to the ground as the Sludge attack landed on top of Vergil. He made a disdainful noise as the ooze fell off of him in clumps, trailing and burning over the limbs that it hit. Flecks of the stuff sprayed in Ivy's direction, and she rolled to get further away, avoiding the poisoned patches.

“Vergil!” she called, but he didn't answer. He shook himself off and grimaced, but he didn't look too badly hurt, thankfully.

Ivy's heart was beating too fast from the adrenaline rush to really fathom the enormity of what Vergil had done. To willingly take an attack for her like that was unheard of from him, but she would remember it. It was like the time he came to her rescue in the Woods. She would never forget it.

Now she sort of wanted a copy of that video footage.

Vergil shook his arms out one last time before he concentrated again, and this time she saw a blue-purple cloud of energy hover around some objects on the shelves in the room. Various appliances were picked up by Vergil's technique, and after a second of floating off their perch, some of them flew toward the Poison-type.

A toaster didn't quite make it, and Ivy saw what looked like a mini coffee maker go flying past the Swalot, missing the mark. However, the longer the attack went on and the more Vergil focused, the better his aim got. A blender flew off the wall and smacked the Swalot in the head, making it grumble. Then, slats of stove tops came crashing down, followed by some other kitchen odds and ends.

When it stopped, the Poison-type looked around wildly, worried that more things would come flying toward him. He didn't cower, though. Instead, he readied another poison blast, spitting it at Vergil. This one was thinner than the last, and it was missing the green blobs. It was just a violent purple shower.

The Gallade was tired. His breathing was deep and heavy as he recovered from his attack. Some people thought that only physical activities tired them out, but mental ones took a big strain on the body as well. When Ivy had adapted to the psychic bond with Haji, she had been violently ill for two weeks, not being able to hardly get out of bed.

Because Vergil was momentarily exhausted, he couldn't dodge the Swalot's next attack very well. He tried to jump backwards, but he misjudged the distance, and his front was still sprayed with poison. He shuddered then, and Ivy knew that the attack had affected his body somehow. It didn't look like he was poisoned, so she figured it was going to make his body more vulnerable. They were going to have to be careful.

“You alright, Vergil?” she called from the ground, rolling up on her knees so she could stand.

She expected him to ignore her like he did before, but instead he turned to her and nodded. His limbs trembled, though, so he wasn't as fine as he thought. They might have to make this quicker than she thought. She didn't want him battling for too long in these conditions.

“Alright, you got a few good hits off on the Swalot, so a couple of heavy hits should wear him out enough for capture-” she started, only to be cut off by Vergil.

He made a disapproving noise and waved one of his blade-like arms in a negative gesture. It looked like he wanted to fight, but he didn't want the Poison-type to be captured at all. Before he could stop it, an image rushed to her mind again. A Park Ball was flying at her, its green camouflage pattern spinning and bouncing off her chest. Then she felt that compression, and the rage returned-

Ivy staggered as her breath left her, now realizing what Vergil's previous feeling had been. He had been remembering being captured last year in the Valley. She looked over to him, and his face matched the emotion that was coming off of him. He looked frustrated, angry, hurt, and nervous all at once, and the different feelings were flickering in his eyes and gestures. He didn't want another Pokemon to feel trapped.

“Hey,” she started, but Vergil immediately made a swinging motion with his arms, indicating he didn't want her to continue. Instead of stopping, she yelled it a little louder, making him listen. “I don't have an intention of keeping this Pokemon trapped,” she said, and Vergil calmed down enough to at least listen. He still had a dark look.

“I have plan that should make it where the Swalot doesn't even notice he's being captured, so he shouldn't feel much of anything. This is just for the event. Once we get a score, we can release him back into the Plant and he can go back to living in peace.”

Vergil didn't look satisfied. He crossed his arms, and from the impressions coming across his mind, she saw that he didn't care too much for that idea. Catching Pokemon shouldn't be a sport.

Is that what he thought he was? A capture for sport? She wondered, but she knew Vergil wasn't listening to her mind. If he was, then he would know that wasn't true at all. He would've known that for an entire year. Ivy sighed.

“This isn't about a sport. This isn't about being arrogant or torturing anyone or anything,” she began. “So stop thinking that right now. This is about my job,” she said flatly, hoping to finally get through to him.

That last comment made him pause. He looked interested in what she was saying now, although only slightly. She kept going just in case he changed his mind.

“I hate bothering the wild Pokemon if I don't have to. I don't like fighting, if you haven't noticed.” Her hands curled into fists and she looked away for a second before snapping her eyes back to him. “It's my job to protect these Pokemon, not hurt them. But it's also my job to help Trainers catch these Pokemon so they don't overrun their resources. It's my job to draw Trainers into the Park so they can do that. It's my job to advertise and support and promote our events so that people keep coming. So I can do my job. So I can feed all of us and pay rent and make sure that we don't end up scrounging in the wild like some of these Pokemon.”

Her breathing had sped up a little, getting hot along with her words. Sometimes his attitude ticked her off, especially when he assumed things that were entirely untrue because he didn't bother to listen or pay attention.

He was listening now, though, and Ivy saw it. “Think about that before you go around casting judgments. This is how I make my living for us. How do you make yours?”

He grimaced a little, looking away, and she knew she had won the point. Vergil liked to get stronger, and he had just recognized that he needed her resources to keep doing that. She let her words sink in, hoping that if this didn't alter their permanent relationship, then he would at least change his behavior here for the event. She also really hoped that the cameras didn't include audio. Arguing with her Pokemon looked really unprofessional.

Ivy knew that the Swalot was not going to wait around for them forever, so she spoke again. “Are you going to try and cooperate with me? Just this once.”

Vergil looked back to her and was motionless for a few minutes. Then he nodded once and got into a battle stance that he was comfortable with. She knew he wasn't defeated, nor did she want him to be. She just wanted him to listen.

“Okay. Let's finish this then,” she said. “It's time to hit the Swalot hard, but we don't want to knock him out. Right before capture, I want you to try and put him to sleep. That comes after, though. Right now, just worry about hitting him hard with a Psycho Cut.”

She had to hope that he could pull this off. He didn't seem likely to freak out anymore, but that didn't mean he would succeed. They at least seemed to be at an understanding about their current situation. The sooner they could get out of here, the better, she thought.

Vergil tensed his muscles, and she could feel the energy rolling off of him as he prepared to attack. He held one arm out to the side like a blade while his other was crossed over his body, sort of like a knight. Pink-tinted energy flickered along his limbs for his once-signature move.

While this attack could be either long or short range, she knew that Vergil would want to get up close. That was just his style. She could only hope that he could handle whatever else the Swalot threw at him.

 

BP 3 (Vs Swalot)

*~~~~~~~~~*

Vergil looks stunned by your words, their meaning slowly sinking in. The effect seems to be near instant, for as you call out for him to use Psycho Cut he readies the technique with zeal. After focusing a great deal of psychic power into his blades, the Gallade dashes forward and lands a sharp slice on Swalot.

The Poison-type reels in response, both from the deadly blow and the fact that his opponent was now opting for close combat rather than long-range. More by instinct than anything else, the Swalot retaliates with a swift ThunderPunch jab.

*~~~~~~~~~*

Pokemon Stats:

Hardy Male Gallade: 68%, SPD-1, SATK+1, SDFN-1 used Psycho Cut

??? Male Swalot: 18%, SDFN-1, used ThunderPunch

*~~~~~~~~~*

Trainer Stats:

Name: @WinterVines;

Location: Power Plant

Area Effects: Event

0 Encounters Remaining

Pokemon Encountered: Grimer, Klink, Pichu, Shinx, Swalot

Pokemon Captured:

CC since last Encounter: 21,452/15,000

Pokemon Statistics:

Pokemon: Vergil (Gallade)

Gender: Male

Nature: Hardy

Ability: Steadfast

Extra Moves: Will-o-Wisp, Shadow Sneak, Ice Punch

Total Items:

3 Park Ball, 2 Super Ball, 1 Hyper Ball, 2 Lava Cookie, 2 EnergyPowder

*~~~~~~~~~*

 

@Akinai; Wee, go, Hyper Ball, go! Also using an Energy Powder somewhere in there.

TP#10

Vergil set his jaw and tensed his muscles. Ivy could see that what she said had at least some effect on him. Whether or not it would be permanent was a different story, but at least he would cooperate with her here in the event. That was the main concern. Anything else she could work on later.

In a blur, the Gallade shot off, the nearly-invisible remains of where he had been standing streaking behind him. He pulled his right arm blade back as it glowed with that pinkish Psychic energy, and with a throw of his shoulder, he rotated his limb and sliced across the purple blob Pokemon.

The Swalot was knocked back a little, and Ivy could see the wincing of where the wound stung. Since Vergil was going all out now, it probably caught him a little off guard; before he hadn't put much focus into his wild attack, and long-range techniques weren't as strong on principle.

Vergil landed quite close to the Poison-type, and in retaliation, the Swalot hooked back with a fist and rushed forward, his limb crackling with electric energy. The Gallade threw up his arms in an x-like formation as the Thunder Punch hit him, and using the momentum from the Swalot's attack, he slid backward and closer to Ivy, getting away from the target.

Ivy could still hear the static coming off his limbs as he stopped in front of her, and he shook them out rapidly, probably trying to prevent them from becoming paralyzed, which was often a side effect from Electric-type attacks. He looked okay thankfully, and when he put his arms to rest, he looked over his shoulder at her.

She nodded at him, knowing that a bunch of overactive praise would just annoy him. He was a serious battler, and she'd treat it that way too. She found that he needed more of a coach and less of a Trainer in his battles.

“That was a good hit. I think Swalot's almost ready for capture now.” She saw the Gallade tense again, like he would continue arguing, but she put up a hand and shook her head. “I told you we could make it where he hardly felt anything, and I mean it. Ranger's honor.”

He stopped then, knowing that she took her job pretty seriously. It's how they survived, after all.

Ivy also saw how he tried to conceal the minute shaking of his body and how his breathing was forced slow. She could see his lungs trying to suck down more air, but he was being a tough guy about it. She reached into her pocket for one of the event packets they had given her for use. No other items were allowed on the run other than the ones they offered.

“Here, eat this Energy Powder while you have a second. It'll probably taste awful and bitter, but it'll keep up your stamina until the fight's over.” He took it without complaint – probably because it would make his fight better. They only had a few moments before the Swalot was likely to attack again, so now was the time to end the battle.

“Okay, we're at the end stages now. Your next move should be to both burn him with a Will-o-Wisp and put him to sleep with Hypnosis.” Vergil looked at her and raised a brow, wondering how he was going to do that. Usually, techniques like Hypnosis were more often used by his female counterpart, Gardevoir, but Ivy figured the extra awareness of his mental ability from the Calm Mind would help him out.

“You've been practicing a new Will-o technique, right? Try it out here.”

At that, the Gallade did stiffen a bit, and he turned away slightly, like he was embarrassed she had watched him. He liked to train alone, and that was probably the reason why. Still, she had seen him performing the technique, and it looked pretty good. Orbs of silvery-red flame usually popped up and spun around, eventually forming a conga line to chase an opponent. Vergil was trying it a different way that more suited his close-range battling. Instead of freely bobbing energy, the flames would spin around his blade arms until they were coated in flame. Then he would strike with them, giving his attacks a burning effect. She was banking on that now.

“Use your arms to conduct the fire, and that should help you pull off the Hypnosis. You'll need to get as close as possible for that one, so you can get good eye contact. If it's not too dangerous for you, putting him into a hold should let you get close to his face and expose him to the burn. If he tries to close his eyes and resist, the burn should prevent it. Then, you should have him.”

With his eyes ablaze, he should be able to lock the Swalot in that stare, putting him to sleep almost instantly. Then, she was going to get ready to capture him. She pulled out a Hyper Ball and hit the button to expand the device.

“I can't prevent all hurt. Battles are battles. But we can spare him any unnecessary trauma with this plan. What do you say, Vergil?”

He looked at her for a long moment, and then he nodded. She felt his energy rise as he attempted to call up his flames, and she got ready to throw the ball once he was finished. Even if the sleeping technique didn't work, she would still throw. There wouldn't be a lot of time to judge that anyway, since she wanted the timing to be one after another.

She just hoped it would work.