Gen VI Run - Chainy

NBP1

Ranger Makina Auran

*~~~~~~~~~*


“Finally, I thought that Run would never end!”


Makina headed into her office, glad to be back at the main Outpost once more. It had been a busy few weeks in the Park, thanks to so many Trainers wishing to enter and attend the event that was currently going on. While the waiting list had been completely overrun at first, with the return of a few inactive Rangers and the others working overtime it was finally down to a manageable size.


<It couldn't have been that bad.> Aria, Makina's main partner Pokemon, had followed the Ranger into the office and was currently watching as the human was going through drawers on her desk. <You said your last Trainer was a child?>


“A child who had serious bowel issues,” Makina grumbled, looking about. “I'm going to hold off from taking any more Runs for the next day or so and just work on paperwork. Have you seen my game system?”


<I saw one of the Heads walk out with it, actually,> the Gardevoir replied. <He left a paper on your desk as well, you might want to take a look at it.>


They better have a good reason for taking away my DS, Makina thought, silently fuming. Sure enough, there was a single sheet of parchment that looked like it had been tossed upon her desk. Judging from the format, it was yet another request to enter the Park. After a quick skim, one segment in particular stood out. “Carter... wait, isn't that Chainy's last name?”


<If you mean James, yes,> Aria replied. <They're brothers, which is probably why he was selectively chosen.>


“Got to love getting a boost through a family member,” Makina said sarcastically, shoving the paper back. “Tell him that he has to wait just like everyone else, we're slammed here.”


The Gardevoir didn't move to pick up the form, only continued to stare at the Ranger. <There's something on the back as well.>


“Lovely, probably just a note...” Making a note to just leave her office locked next time, Makina flipped over the paper to discover that one of her games had been taped on the form. In addition, there was a short scribble from what looked to be Chainy, judging from the handwriting. After reading the note, Makina punched the desk in irritation.


“Son of a-”


Thirty minutes later...


Makina stood outside the front doors leading into the Manor, looking about for the Trainer who was supposed to be showing up any minute now. Beside her, a Banette floated just by her left shoulder, looking at the abandoned building with some confusion.


“Yes, we'll be heading back inside soon, Pierrot,” the Ranger said to the Ghost. When this is all over, I may need to invest in drinking.


*~~~~~~~~~*

Trainer Stats:


Name: Jathan
Location: Ruined Manor
Area Effects: 15 Encounters remaining
Weather: Clear
Pokemon Encountered:
Pokemon Captured:
CC since last Encounter: 0

Pokemon Statistics:

Pokemon: Bisharp
Nickname: Koma
Gender: Male
Ability: Inner Focus
Nature: Brave
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Cut, Toxic, Thunder Wave, Substitute, Protect, Taunt, Brick Break, Rock Polish, Stone Edge, X-Scissor, Psycho Cut, Sucker Punch

Pokemon: Ninetales
Nickname: Saya
Gender: Female
Ability: Drought
Nature: Gentle
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Solarbeam, Fire Blast, Substitute, Hidden Power[GROUND], Protect, Energy Ball, Overheat, Hypnosis

Pokemon: Gyarados
Nickname: Slip
Gender: Female
Ability: Intimidate
Nature: Quirky
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Surf, Strength, Whirlpool, Waterfall, Rock Smash, Dive, Ice Beam, Earthquake, Thunder Wave, Substitute, Roar, Flamethrower, Stone Edge

Items: 4x Park Ball; 2x SuperBall; 3x HyperBall; 2x Calming Fragrance Plus; 12x PokeDoll; 5x Honey; Squirtbottle; Pokeplayer; Digital Camera; Blank Disk x2; 7x Lava Cookie; Status Bomb x2; Pax-A-Punch; Oak's Trinket; Digital Camera Zoom Lens; Supreme Park Ball x2; Glossy Lens; Apricorn Box

*~~~~~~~~~*

 

OOC: I have no clue what Chainy did ._.

Jathan kept his hands in his pockets and his head down as he walked up the path to the rather foreboding building that stuck sharply up into the sky. He found it quite amazing that this building had only been recently discovered on the National Park, and when he had quizzed his brother on it, James had explained that the Rangers were spread thin enough as it was without organising a geographical sweep of the entire island. Between regulating Trainer visits, fending off poachers and monitoring Pokemon species counts, there simply wasn't the manpower to go exploring off the beaten path.

Jathan's Bisharp, Koma, was walking alongside him. The Dark-type's posture could not have been any different from his Trainer's: his brisk steps and steady shoulders conveyed quiet confidence, and his raised head moved continually, taking in all of the surroundings. Normally Jathan would have kept his Pokemon inside its ball but seeing as the location they were going was haunted, he felt it was reasonable to take precautions. Not that he was particularly fearful, but still. He was looking to stay that way.

Eventually he saw a woman standing in front of the large double doors. Her clothes instantly identified her as a Ranger, and there was a Banette hovering next to her. Jathan approached slowly, looking her over but avoiding eye contact just in case she was mean.

"Uh, hello ma'am," he said, rocking back and forth on his feet. "My name's Jathan, might you be looking for me?"

 

@ChainReaction01;

NBP2

Ranger Makina Auran


*~~~~~~~~~*


Fortunately, it did not take long for someone to show up. Makina had hardly been waiting a few minutes before two figures approached the building. The first one, a Bisharp, was looking about the area with not a sign of worry in its form; clearly the Dark-type felt that it could easily take on any threat that could be hiding. As for the Bisharp's Trainer, the way he looked about in apprehension made him the exact opposite of his partner.


“Uh, hello ma'am. My name's Jathan, might you be looking for me?” the Trainer said. He kept his gaze downward, as if afraid that Makina would snap back at him.


Wait, this is Chainy's brother? I figured he would be older. Whatever annoyance Makina had about taking the run had been lowered upon seeing the obviously nervous Trainer. She had been expecting to see someone a lot more stuck-up, there seemed to be an increase of Trainers acting in that fashion for some demented reason. Worst case scenario, it could have been the older brother- most of the staff had heard of Jakk's antics already, and Makina has no desire to deal with them.


Seeing that Makina had yet to respond, Pierrot decided to handle introductions instead. The Banette hovered over to Jathan, stopping about a foot away to get a good look at the Trainer. He tilted his head staying silent for once; either he had no idea what to make of the young man, or just had no response.


“Back, Pierrot,” Makina warned, keeping an eye on the two Pokemon. She didn't remember what the application said about Jathan's Bisharp's personality, but Dark and Ghost Pokemon weren't exactly best buddies. Realizing that she hadn't said anything to the young man, she looked over at the Trainer. “You'd be right. I'm Makina, and I'll be taking you through the Manor today. Don't mind Pierrot, he tends to check anything and anyone new without thinking.”


Pierrot rolled his eyes at Makina's remark, though did back away from the Trainer and Pokemon. Instead, he focused his attention back towards the Manor once he saw that the Ranger was opening the doors to let everyone inside. Oddly enough, the Ghost didn't look to be in any hurry to rush on ahead.


Figuring that Pierrot was simply in no rush to explore the house- they had just returned from here, after all- Makina gave a shrug and motioned for everyone to enter as she stepped inside. As she opened her mouth to go over the normal “You can only leave with three Pokemon, no contraband allowed, so on and so forth” regulations though a white puff of fur suddenly dropped down from the sky between the two humans. Before it could touch the ground, a pair of black wings sprouted out from the fuzzball. The creature chittered in a high-pitched tone, swiveling about to take a glance at everyone present.


“I'm starting to think there's a family of Woobat guarding the entrance to this place,” Makina remarked, shaking her head. “Still, this one looks pretty interested in us.”


*~~~~~~~~~*

Trainer Stats:


Name: Jathan
Location: Ruined Manor
Area Effects: 14 Encounters remaining
Weather: Clear
Pokemon Encountered: Woobat
Pokemon Captured:
CC since last Encounter: 1,482

Pokemon Statistics:

Pokemon: Bisharp
Nickname: Koma
Gender: Male
Ability: Inner Focus
Nature: Brave
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Cut, Toxic, Thunder Wave, Substitute, Protect, Taunt, Brick Break, Rock Polish, Stone Edge, X-Scissor, Psycho Cut, Sucker Punch

Pokemon: Ninetales
Nickname: Saya
Gender: Female
Ability: Drought
Nature: Gentle
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Solarbeam, Fire Blast, Substitute, Hidden Power[GROUND], Protect, Energy Ball, Overheat, Hypnosis

Pokemon: Gyarados
Nickname: Slip
Gender: Female
Ability: Intimidate
Nature: Quirky
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Surf, Strength, Whirlpool, Waterfall, Rock Smash, Dive, Ice Beam, Earthquake, Thunder Wave, Substitute, Roar, Flamethrower, Stone Edge

Items: 4x Park Ball; 2x SuperBall; 3x HyperBall; 2x Calming Fragrance Plus; 12x PokeDoll; 5x Honey; Squirtbottle; Pokeplayer; Digital Camera; Blank Disk x2; 7x Lava Cookie; Status Bomb x2; Pax-A-Punch; Oak's Trinket; Digital Camera Zoom Lens; Supreme Park Ball x2; Glossy Lens; Apricorn Box

*~~~~~~~~~*

 

The lady didn't respond straight away. In fact, her Banette decided to make the first move. It hovered to within licking distance of Jathan and tilted its head, scrutising the young boy. Koma's fists clenched and he leaned forwards a little bit, clearly protective of his Trainer. Jathan made no move to stop him: this Banette hadn't made its intentions clear, and besides, Jathan knew that those small movements of Koma's were actually great restraint on his part. Koma was usually reasonably calm, a trait he had developed from the training he had from Dual. However, in tension-charged situations, his normal nature reasserted himself, and the Bisharp was only too happy to display his power. Jathan liked to think that Koma did so to defend his friends, but he knew there was some element of trying to prove he was the best. The only Pokemon Koma recognised as a true battling equal was Dual, and only begrudgingly at that.

The woman called her Banette back and it went, albeit relucantly. She introduced herself as Makina, and the name rang a vague bell. "Don't mind Pierrot, he tends to check anything and anyone new without thinking," she said.

"No offense taken," Jathan said, rocking back on his heels and shooting the Banette a quick look. It was rather disinterestedly watching as Makina turned and opened the doors to the Ruined Manor. The doors squeaked slightly as they opened, and Jathan wondered if this was because the hinges were actually in a state of disrepair, or if the Ghosts who lived here just liked the noises.

Almost immediately upon the group entering, a small mostly-white bat flew down from the rafters. It had a heart-shaped nose and thin black wings, which had to beat fast to support its flight. Jathan instinctively took a step back: while he didn't particularly have a fear of bats, Dual certainly did, and having been mind-bonded for so long tended to leave impressions.

"I'm starting to think there's a family of Woobat guarding the entrance to this place. Still, this one looks pretty interested in us," the Ranger said, apparently unsurprised by the sudden appearance of the Pokemon.

"Intending no disrespect, but I have no interest in it," Jathan replied, looking the Pokemon in the eyes to show it he meant no hard feelings. "I would be happy to give this little one a doll if it likes, I have plenty of them spare."

 

NBP3

Ranger Makina Auran


[SIZE=2 [MENTION=33962]ChainReaction01[/MENTION];[/SIZE]

*~~~~~~~~~*


At Woobat's appearance, Jathan took a step back. He didn't look too afraid of the small Psychic-type, so it may have just been a reflex to act upon seeing drop down from the sky. “Intending no disrespect, but I have no interest in it,” the Trainer replied, trying to look the bat in the eyes; a hard task, since they were normally hidden in the large amount of fur they had. “I would be happy to give this little one a doll if it likes.”


Like most young Pokemon, at the word “doll” the Woobat let out a happy cry and began to circle around the human. For some reason, wild Pokemon adored the plushies; the younger they were, the more they wanted one of the toys to own.


“Looks like you're going to give it one now that you mentioned it,” Makina said, not sure whether to grin or be annoyed at the Woobat's antics. She was almost convinced that a lot of wild Pokemon would simply leave Trainers alone if they knew that they would not receive a Doll in return for their harassment. They couldn't exactly let any genuinely dangerous ones just maul whoever they likes though, so it was a necessary evil.


As Jathan pulled out a Doll to placate Woobat, the wild Pokemon latched on to the plushie in a winged hug. After placing the toy on the ground, they were finally ready to enter the Manor proper.


Whoever had owned this building in the past, it was clear that either they were a fan of class or trying very hard to emulate the style. The main hall, though still coated with a thick layer of dust in most areas, was elegant in design and large enough to fit a large group of people easily. The nearest walls were lined with landscape paintings, with even a few elaborate decorative weapons breaking the pattern every now and then. Near the pair of staircases leading to the second floor, the tiled floor was slightly cracked and one of the paintings had been knocked down from the wall.


“Odd, I don't remember seeing that earlier,” Makina muttered, stepping forward to check out the area in greater detail. A puddle of water also lay near the bottom of the staircase; looking up, it was discovered that the carpet lining the stairs was also soaked, as if someone had somehow summoned a wave and dropped it down from the top of the stairs. Likely a prior Trainer's actions had caused it, or two wild Pokemon had a spat.


Pierrot seemed to pay little attention to the odd sight, looking off to the right instead. He tapped the Ranger on the shoulder, trying to get her attention.


“What is it?” Makina asked, following the Banette's sight. A young boy, his short black hair in a mess, was looking over at Jathan's Bisharp in what could only be called awe. His large blue eyes were focused on the Dark-type, and seemed to be paying attention to no one else. Something about the boy seemed off though, and he looked way too solid to be a Ghost playing tricks. Most of them didn't care for Dark Pokemon either, and vice versa.


“Looks like your Bisharp has an admirer,” Makina noted to Jathan.


*~~~~~~~~~*

Trainer Stats:


Name: Jathan
Location: Ruined Manor
Area Effects: 13 Encounters remaining
Weather: Indoors, ground nearby is slightly damp
Pokemon Encountered: Woobat, ???
Pokemon Captured:
CC since last Encounter: 0

Pokemon Statistics:

Pokemon: Bisharp
Nickname: Koma
Gender: Male
Ability: Inner Focus
Nature: Brave
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Cut, Toxic, Thunder Wave, Substitute, Protect, Taunt, Brick Break, Rock Polish, Stone Edge, X-Scissor, Psycho Cut, Sucker Punch

Pokemon: Ninetales
Nickname: Saya
Gender: Female
Ability: Drought
Nature: Gentle
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Solarbeam, Fire Blast, Substitute, Hidden Power[GROUND], Protect, Energy Ball, Overheat, Hypnosis

Pokemon: Gyarados
Nickname: Slip
Gender: Female
Ability: Intimidate
Nature: Quirky
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Surf, Strength, Whirlpool, Waterfall, Rock Smash, Dive, Ice Beam, Earthquake, Thunder Wave, Substitute, Roar, Flamethrower, Stone Edge

Items: 4x Park Ball; 2x SuperBall; 3x HyperBall; 2x Calming Fragrance Plus; 11x PokeDoll; 5x Honey; Squirtbottle; Pokeplayer; Digital Camera; Blank Disk x2; 7x Lava Cookie; Status Bomb x2; Pax-A-Punch; Oak's Trinket; Digital Camera Zoom Lens; Supreme Park Ball x2; Glossy Lens; Apricorn Box

*~~~~~~~~~*

 

OOC: oh god whats going on

Immediately upon mentioning the PokeDoll, the little fluff-ball started squeaking in delight and flying in rapid circles around the young Trainer. Jathan smiled, enjoying the intensity of the Wild Pokemon's pleasure. Without hesitating he knelt down and pulled a Rhydon-shaped plushie out of his backpack. Before he'd even put it on the ground, the Woobat attached itself firmly to the soft toy, nibbling on the soft material. Jathan placed it onto the floor and the bat seemed quite content to chew on his new friend. Jathan thought he saw a flash of a smile on the Ranger's face, but it was gone before he could be sure. He followed her into a large room, which was very impressive, despite its state of disrepair. Fancy paintings hung on the wall, their frames chipped and the canvas covered in dust. Koma, however, was more interested in the couple of archaic weapons that were mounted on the wall. He approached one, a two-handed medieval polearm called a glaive. The Dark-type ran his finger along the weapon's blade and a steely sound rang through the air. Koma gave a short nod, pleased that the weapon was, somehow, still battle-ready.

Makina muttered something that Jathan didn't quite catch, and walked over to a large, imposing staircase. Jathan looked nervously between the Ranger and his Bisharp, but Koma had wandered over to another weapon, a shortsword with an intricately molded crosspiece. The young boy decided to follow the Ranger, knowing that the Bisharp could look after himself. The first thing he noticed was that there appeared to be a bit of water pooling at the base of the stairs. Jathan wasn't surprised by this-a decrepit old building like this obviously had all kinds of holes for rain to leak through-but there hadn't been any rain forecasted here for almost a week.

Jathan bent down and extended a finger, preparing to get a taste of the liquid, when Makina spoke up. "Looks like your Bisharp has an admirer," she said.

Jathan turned around quickly and saw that a young boy was peering at Koma with an intensity that bordered on hero-worship. The child had thick, matted hair that should have completely obscured his eyes, but they shone forth like blue spotlights. He was obviously watching Koma's every move. Koma was of course loving this, performing stretches and demonstrating combat stances and coaxing all kinds of metallic ringing noises out of his armour and blades. Jathan wasn't as happy about this development.

"If that kid's a Trainer, shouldn't there be a Ranger too?" Jathan asked Makina. Unless the boy was a Trainer who had somehow gotten lost, there didn't seem to be any logical reason for his being here. And things being illogical put Jathan very much on edge.

 

NBP4

Ranger Makina Auran


OOC: lol'd more than I should have at this.


[SIZE=2 [MENTION=33962]ChainReaction01[/MENTION];[/SIZE]

*~~~~~~~~~*


Jathan turned around, shocked to see the newcomer. “If that kid's a Trainer, shouldn't there be a Ranger too?” he asked, watching the boy admire his Bisharp. The Dark-type was obviously reveling in the attention, even striking poses to show off even better.


Makina couldn't help but grin as she saw the Bisharp's antics. Unless a Pokemon was shy, most loved showing off if they knew they could gain attention from it. Dark Pokemon especially loved proving their power, displaying it as often as possible and having a deep admiration for those who looked strong. The boy's clothing was very nondescript; just a black longsleeved shirt with pants of the exact same color. All in all, a very lazy appearance... or disguise.


“Pierrot, mind saying hello to our friend over there?” Makina asked her partner, the Banette still hovering by her shoulder. Jathan's Bisharp seemed absorbed in his showing off, so likely would not do anything. She was fairly sure who this visitor was, and with any luck this would provide a hint.


Pierrot stared at Makina, obviously confused, but moved over to the young boy instead. At the Ghost drew closer, the child gave an audible yelp and jumped back. There was a flash of what looked to be fur along the boy's backside, but he quickly moved his hand to hide whatever had been made visible.


Makina raised an eyebrow at the revelation, looking to see Jathan's reaction. “I think our new friend here has let slip just why he doesn't have a Ranger.”


*~~~~~~~~~*

Trainer Stats:


Name: Jathan
Location: Ruined Manor
Area Effects: 13 Encounters remaining
Weather: Indoors, ground nearby is slightly damp
Pokemon Encountered: Woobat, ???
Pokemon Captured:
CC since last Encounter: 2,721/25,000

Pokemon Statistics:

Pokemon: Bisharp
Nickname: Koma
Gender: Male
Ability: Inner Focus
Nature: Brave
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Cut, Toxic, Thunder Wave, Substitute, Protect, Taunt, Brick Break, Rock Polish, Stone Edge, X-Scissor, Psycho Cut, Sucker Punch

Pokemon: Ninetales
Nickname: Saya
Gender: Female
Ability: Drought
Nature: Gentle
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Solarbeam, Fire Blast, Substitute, Hidden Power[GROUND], Protect, Energy Ball, Overheat, Hypnosis

Pokemon: Gyarados
Nickname: Slip
Gender: Female
Ability: Intimidate
Nature: Quirky
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Surf, Strength, Whirlpool, Waterfall, Rock Smash, Dive, Ice Beam, Earthquake, Thunder Wave, Substitute, Roar, Flamethrower, Stone Edge

Items: 4x Park Ball; 2x SuperBall; 3x HyperBall; 2x Calming Fragrance Plus; 11x PokeDoll; 5x Honey; Squirtbottle; Pokeplayer; Digital Camera; Blank Disk x2; 7x Lava Cookie; Status Bomb x2; Pax-A-Punch; Oak's Trinket; Digital Camera Zoom Lens; Supreme Park Ball x2; Glossy Lens; Apricorn Box

*~~~~~~~~~*

 

OOC: Man I really hope this actually is Zorua or I just made Jathan look like an idiot.

The Ranger chose not to reply immediately. She was rather amusedly watching Koma's antics: the Bisharp had graduated from muscle flexes and flashy poses to full-on backflips and elemental techniques. He was moving his arms in fluid, circular motions as small sparks of electricity crawled along the blades on his gauntlets. The sparks grew in size and formed into swirling patterns which leaped through the air. Jathan recognised this as the charging-up of Koma's Thunder Wave attack, a battle technique that he had mastered only with months of repetition under the tutelage of Dual. The young Trainer rolled his eyes, far too aware of how quick Koma was to show off. He modelled himself after Dual, but the Bisharp was very different to the Gallade in quite a few key ways. This was one of them: Dual would never reveal his techniques to anyone outside of a battle or a training session.

Jathan's attention moved to the young boy. He was enthralled by the Bisharp's show, reaching out to grab at the sparks occasionally. His clothes seemed a bit starchy, almost like they were made out of damp cardboard: they didn't quite follow the movements and contours of the boy's body like proper material clothes did. Furthermore, there was something slightly off about the boy's movements, and more than once Jathan could have sworn that a spark flew straight through the boy's hand, like it was incorporeal.

"Pierrot, mind saying hello to our friend over there?" Makina asked her Banette.

The Pokemon seemed just as confused as Jathan, but the look on the Ranger's face told Jathan that she knew exactly what was going on, and he took comfort in that. He was content to watch as the Ghost-type floated over to the young boy, who was completely engrossed in Koma's play-acting. It was only when the Banette entered the boy's peripheral vision that he reacted. The boy seemed to realise in an instant that he'd let his guard down and he instantly backed up a bit, emitting a strangely wolf-like yelp as he did so. The most interesting thing to note, however, was that for a brief second, there was a black glossy tail where the seat of his black pants were supposed to be.

"I think our new friend here has let slip just why he doesn't have a Ranger," Makina commented.

Jathan's eyebrows twitched as he tried to resolve logically what he had just seen. Koma had stopped showing off and was curiously watching the boy, who was crouched low and holding his backside with one hand like his mother had just slapped him there. This boy was not human, that much was obvious. Seeing as Makina wasn't freaking out, he wasn't a legitimate supernatural ghost. That meant he had to be some form of Pokemon. Following that logic, seeing as it was here in the Manor, it was probably either a Ghost-type, Psychic-type, or Dark-type. Ghost-types were usually malicious pranksters, and they weren't given to being impressed, and Psychic-types very rarely used illusions to fight, instead preferring to overwhelm their opponents, usually with their extreme mental power. That only left a Dark-type. And when you crossed a Dark-type Pokemon with the ability to create and manipulate illusions, one particular species jumped to mind: the Zorua/Zoroark evolution line. Finally, Jathan doubted that a Zoroark would be impressed with Koma's power: seeing as they were a fully-evolved Pokemon with their own considerable strength, if they chose to acknowledge Koma at all it would probably be with a battle challenge, not this adoration. Logically, this illusion was hiding a Zorua, although Jathan did not yet know why it was choosing to hide.

This revelation opened up many possibilities for the young Pokemon Breeder. Zoroark were highly sought-after by many Trainers for their battle ability. Their illusions were incredibly useful, both on and off the battlefield, and they had access to a devastating array of elemental techniques. Coupled with their raw strength, Zoroark were truly foes to be feared. So, while this Zorua wasn't one of the Pokemon Jathan had been hoping to encounter, he decided that if it wished, he would try to capture it.

Koma was now watching the Wild Pokemon curiously, and Jathan got the feeling that his Bisharp knew what it was too. Dark-types were usually pretty cool with each other, which was amusing because Fighting-types almost always started challenging each other the first chance they got. The illusion of the boy was mostly static now, as if the Zorua inside wasn't quite sure what to do.

Jathan walked towards the illusion, bending down as he did so, being sure to move slowly so he wouldn't spook the Pokemon. "Hey there little one," he said in his gentle tone, the voice he only used when speaking to young Pokemon and very close friends. "I see you are rather impressed with my Koma here. Would you like to try a bit of a spar? We promise not to go full-out, unless that's what you would like."

 

NBP4

Ranger Makina Auran


OOC: Gender on the trickster?


[SIZE=2 [MENTION=33962]ChainReaction01[/MENTION];[/SIZE]

*~~~~~~~~~*


Jathan was now watching the boy carefully, as if trying to puzzle out just what exactly was going on. His Bisharp had stopped posing for the moment as well, though he didn't look confused in the slightest. It was very possible that the Pokemon had noticed the Dark-type almost right away and had just been showing off his skills for a fellow member.


His task done, Pierrot backed away to keep a safe distance between himself and the boy. While there was next to no chance of the Banette getting involved in the fight, Ghosts had an extreme weakness to Dark Pokemon. For some reason they couldn't handle their attacks, something that a few wondered the exact reason why. Either way, better safe than sorry.


Realizing that it had been caught, the boy seemed to flicker as whatever was powering the illusion was uncertain on what to do next. His face darted between Jathan and the Bisharp, looking at the former as if he (or perhaps she) had never noticed the human until now.


Using slow, careful movements, Jathan approached the boy. After kneeling down to meet the illusion at eye level, he addressed the creature. “I see you are rather impressed with my Koma here. Would you like to try a bit of a spar? We promise not to go full-out, unless that's what you would like.” He kept his voice slow and steady, likely to not startle the Pokemon.


With those words the boy faded out entirely, revealing a small vulpine Pokemon. The creature's fur was as dark as the prior illusion's hair, with a red tuft at the tip of its head. It still possessed the striking blue eyes, which were now lit up in joy. It gave a short yip and nodded, clearly accepting Jathan's offer.


“It was probably wanting to battle Koma soon as he walked into the Manor,” Makina remarked, glad to finally put a name to the Bisharp. “If you haven't noticed yet, Zorua are tricksters. Be ready for anything.”


*~~~~~~~~~*

Trainer Stats:


Name: Jathan
Location: Ruined Manor
Area Effects: 13 Encounters remaining
Weather: Indoors, ground nearby is slightly damp
Pokemon Encountered: Woobat, Zorua
Pokemon Captured:
CC since last Encounter: 7,641/25,000

Pokemon Statistics:

Pokemon: Bisharp
Nickname: Koma
Gender: Male
Ability: Inner Focus
Nature: Brave
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Cut, Toxic, Thunder Wave, Substitute, Protect, Taunt, Brick Break, Rock Polish, Stone Edge, X-Scissor, Psycho Cut, Sucker Punch

Pokemon: Ninetales
Nickname: Saya
Gender: Female
Ability: Drought
Nature: Gentle
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Solarbeam, Fire Blast, Substitute, Hidden Power[GROUND], Protect, Energy Ball, Overheat, Hypnosis

Pokemon: Gyarados
Nickname: Slip
Gender: Female
Ability: Intimidate
Nature: Quirky
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Surf, Strength, Whirlpool, Waterfall, Rock Smash, Dive, Ice Beam, Earthquake, Thunder Wave, Substitute, Roar, Flamethrower, Stone Edge

Items: 4x Park Ball; 2x SuperBall; 3x HyperBall; 2x Calming Fragrance Plus; 11x PokeDoll; 5x Honey; Squirtbottle; Pokeplayer; Digital Camera; Blank Disk x2; 7x Lava Cookie; Status Bomb x2; Pax-A-Punch; Oak's Trinket; Digital Camera Zoom Lens; Supreme Park Ball x2; Glossy Lens; Apricorn Box

*~~~~~~~~~*

 

Jathan was a bit nervous with the offer he had given the Pokemon. If it was shy, it could quite easily have become intimidated and fled, and if it was courageous, it could have been insulted with Jathan's intention to pull his punches. So it was with relief that Jathan saw the illusion jump backwards and fade as it did so. The boy disappeared from the top down as if some godly Photoshop-user slid the transparency buffer from 100% to 0%. At about the boy's shins the Pokemon appeared, and like Jathan had guessed, it was instantly recognisable as a Zorua. The Dark-type had the form of a little black fox with red markings on its feet and the tuft of hair on its hard. Its large eyes were just as blindingly blue as the illusion-boy's had been. The Zorua blinked its red eyelids and yapped in anticipation.

"Alright, we'll do our best, and if we impress you, you're coming with us! Koma, get ready to battle!" Jathan yelled.

The Bisharp stepped forward, moving between his Trainer and his opponent. His dark eyes blazed out from underneath his helmet and he clenched his fists, showing off his razor-sharp wrist blades. Koma sunk into his usual battle posture, which was a very aggressive one that lowered his centre of gravity and proferred the large axe-shaped yellow blade on his head. His aura had completely changed; the Steel-type's playfulness had changed into ice-cold seriousness in preparation for the battle. Jathan spared a couple seconds to worry that Koma would ignore his commands and go all out, but the young breeder disregarded this. He was pretty sure that Koma would love to have another Dark-type around the farm, and furthermore he appeared to have a bit of a soft spot for the Tricky Fox Pokemon.

Normally, when starting a battle, Koma's standard procedure was to incapacitate the opponent or empower the user. However, Jathan decided not to do so; if this was a sparring match moreso than an actual battle, he didn't want to keep the Zorua from showing off its more powerful moves. He also didn't want to raise Koma's attack power too much because one unlucky movement as the Zorua could end up losing a leg. It wasn't something Jathan worried about against fully evolved Pokemon, but this Zorua seemed quite young and the breeder wouldn't be able to forgive himself if anything happened. Jathan considered ordering a Taunt, but once again, it seemed like that went against the spirit of the friendly spar that he had offered.

"Koma, let's start this off nice and easy," Jathan said. "Demonstrate your power with a Iron Head! Don't use the blade though, we don't want to hurt the Zorua."

The Bisharp nodded and ran his left wrist-blade along the axe on his helmet. A terrifying metallic ringing sound echoed throughout the dusty room. Thankfully the very top of the axe head was flanged, which meant that Koma could choose to inflict a less dangerous attack than a simple slash. Koma tensed his white legs for a second before rushing towards the Zorua. The floorboards creaked and groaned, not appreciating the weight of the Steel-type. White and yellow energy gathered around Koma's helmet and settled along his head-blade. Again, this was a protective measure: hitting a Pokemon with energy was sure to do much less long-term damage than slashing at them with a blade. Jathan hadn't commanded that, so he was pleased to see that Koma was following his mindset.

The Iron Head attack was similar in principle to a Tauros charging; normally Koma would stay upright until the last second, so that he could keep his eyes on his opponent and bring the axe-blade slashing down at the last second with as much power as possible. In this situation, however, he was aiming to use the flanged tip of his helmet, which meant that he had much more trouble staying locked visually on the Zorua. In many ways, Jathan was putting a large bet on his Bisharp's speed, which was in all honesty fairly mediocre. It occurred to the breeder that he should have commanded a Rock Polish first, but it was too late for that. He held his breath and crossed his fingers as his Steel-type Pokemon approached the Zorua, axe-head literally lighting up the room.

 

BP1 (vs Zorua)

Ranger Makina Auran


OOC: Still need a gender, yo.


[SIZE=2 [MENTION=33962]ChainReaction01[/MENTION];[/SIZE]

*~~~~~~~~~*


Upon seeing Zorua's excited response, Jathan's behavior seemed to change entirely. “Alright, we'll do our best, and if we impress you, you're coming with us! Koma, get ready to battle!” the Trainer called out. Whatever uncertainty he had shown before appeared to have vanished.


Koma responded in turn, adapting a stance more suited for battle than just merely showing off. The Bisharp was likely waiting for this, and looked eager to begin his spar with the wild Pokemon.


“Let's start this off nice and easy. Demonstrate your power with a Iron Head! Don't use the blade though, we don't want to hurt the Zorua.” Jathan commanded the Bisharp. Considering that Koma likely had more powerful moves in his arsenal, they were likely testing the waters to see just what Zorua could do.


Koma lowered his head as he readied to charge, and took off in a dash towards the vulpine Pokemon. Zorua, oddly enough, made no sign of dodging. Instead, the fox looked deep in thought, as if it was trying to brainstorm something but just couldn't decide how to go about it. Finally, the wild Pokemon's face lit up in realization- right as Koma barreled into the Zorua, knocking it back about a foot. It quickly shook off the attack, ready for more.


Despite being struck, Zorua had a huge grin on its face. Judging from the fox's happiness, either it knew something Koma did not, had something sinister planned, or was simply a glutton for pain. Finally it reacted... but not to ready an attack. Instead the Tricky Fox was yipping in a derisive tone, acting as if Koma's Iron Head had done nothing. While the Bisharp had not yet reacted, there was a good chance he soon would- Dark Pokemon tended to not take insults well.


*~~~~~~~~~*

Battle Statistics:

Brave Male Bisharp: 100%, (used Iron Head)
??? ??? Zorua: 87%, SATK+2 (used Nasty Plot, using Swagger)


*~~~~~~~~~*

Trainer Stats:


Name: Jathan
Location: Ruined Manor
Area Effects: 13 Encounters remaining
Weather: Indoors, ground nearby is slightly damp
Pokemon Encountered: Woobat, Zorua
Pokemon Captured:
CC since last Encounter: 11,809/25,000

Pokemon Statistics:

Pokemon: Bisharp
Nickname: Koma
Gender: Male
Ability: Inner Focus
Nature: Brave
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Cut, Toxic, Thunder Wave, Substitute, Protect, Taunt, Brick Break, Rock Polish, Stone Edge, X-Scissor, Psycho Cut, Sucker Punch

Pokemon: Ninetales
Nickname: Saya
Gender: Female
Ability: Drought
Nature: Gentle
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Solarbeam, Fire Blast, Substitute, Hidden Power[GROUND], Protect, Energy Ball, Overheat, Hypnosis

Pokemon: Gyarados
Nickname: Slip
Gender: Female
Ability: Intimidate
Nature: Quirky
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Surf, Strength, Whirlpool, Waterfall, Rock Smash, Dive, Ice Beam, Earthquake, Thunder Wave, Substitute, Roar, Flamethrower, Stone Edge

Items: 4x Park Ball; 2x SuperBall; 3x HyperBall; 2x Calming Fragrance Plus; 11x PokeDoll; 5x Honey; Squirtbottle; Pokeplayer; Digital Camera; Blank Disk x2; 7x Lava Cookie; Status Bomb x2; Pax-A-Punch; Oak's Trinket; Digital Camera Zoom Lens; Supreme Park Ball x2; Glossy Lens; Apricorn Box

*~~~~~~~~~*

 

It didn't take long for Koma to reach the little fox Pokemon. The Bisharp took one last step forward and then jammed his white boots into the ground. His spine rippled in a wave as he rolled his shoulders back and brought his head down before striking forward with the speed of a snake. The twin flanged points of his helmet shone a brilliant silver for a single second, and in that second they made contact with the Zorua. Jathan took a quick look at the fox, and noticed something curious. The Dark-type was watching Koma closely, not even attempting to dodge. Its expression was slightly speculative, as if it was considering all of its options at once. When the attack connected, the Zorua was knocked backwards, but nowhere near as far as Jathan thought it would have been. Furthermore, it appeared to take only minor damage, which it easily shook off. Jathan's jaw dropped in surprise; clearly he had underestimated this Pokemon. After all, its evolution was one of the most powerful non-Legendary Pokemon known to mankind, so it was logical that its earlier evolution would be quite something too.

The Zorua's retaliation attack wasn't something that Jathan expected. Instead of biting Koma or launching some kind of special attack, the fox started to chitter and yap, all the time with a huge grin on its face. It was quite clearly belitting Koma, telling him that his physical prowess was much less impressive than it had originally thought. Koma's fists clenched and his eyes narrowed.

Jathan was in a mild form of shock. He hadn't been expecting the fox to use this kind of underhanded tactics. However, the breeder soon realised that he should have. Both of the Pokemon in this battle had the Dark typing, which meant there was definitely going to be sneaky tricks utilised. Jakk's Fighting-inspired honour regarding duels had obviously sneaked inside Jathan when he wasn't watching. Well, now it was time to stop underestimating the Tricky Fox Pokemon and battle like a real Trainer fighting a real Dark-type would.

What Jathan really wanted to do was Taunt the Zorua so that its bad of tricks was severely limited. However, Koma had been insulted, and Jathan knew his Pokemon. He was a Brave Pokemon and didn't hold with mind warfare when a direct attack would potentially have a better result. The only kind of attack that Koma would deem to perform now was an offensive one. The Taunt would have to wait for now.

"That Zorua thinks it can laugh off your attacks, so let's show it an X-Scissor!" Jathan called. "Don't hold anything back!"

Koma grinned and held his wrist-blades in front of himself so that they crossed over. The blades started to glow a sickly shade of lime green and they extended in length, thinning down to a point. They looked almost like needles, the kind of sting that a nasty wasp had. Despite this, they were still slashing blades and not stabbing blades. The edge was thin but the bevel was strong, and towards the tip of the blade there was a slight saw-edge for prying at armour. That had come in quite handy when battling armoured Pokemon like Claydol and Tyranitar. Jathan could remember the time that he had challenged a Rock-type Trainer to a duel and sent out Koma, expecting a Nosepass or an Archen. Instead, the smiling Trainer had fielded the biggest Tyranitar that Jathan had ever seen. A huge sandstorm had immediately kicked up, clogging Jathan's nose and forcing him backwards. Koma had likewise recoiled, being newly evolved and not expecting one of his first serious fights to be versus a pseudo-legendary. Nevertheless, the battle had begun, and the Rock Trainer commanded a Dragon Dance. Jathan ordered an X-Scissor, and quick as a flash of light, Koma had zipped up to the Rock-type and used one of his glowing green blades to pry a piece of the Tyranitar's chest plates right off. The Tyranitar had roared in pain and anger, and none of its subsequent attacks had landed, while Koma's attacks had unerringly landed on the unprotected section of the Tyranitar's chest. This precision and controlled brutality had been the first hint that Koma would turn out to be the most powerful Pokemon Jathan had ever bred.

Of course, Jathan wouldn't want anything like that to happen now, but it wouldn't. The fox Pokemon had no armour to pry at, so the X-Scissor would be a simple slash intended for maximum possible damage. The question was whether or not Koma would be able to perform the attack, seeing red as he was.

 

BP2 (vs Zorua)

Ranger Makina Auran
@ChainReaction01;

*~~~~~~~~~*

Jathan looked dumbfounded by the Zorua's reaction. Makina couldn't say she blamed him; few Pokemon would provoke a dangerous Pokemon like Bisharp on purpose, and fewer still would remain conscious after doing so. Zorua were tricky though, so time could only tell just what was going on.


“That Zorua thinks it can laugh off your attacks, so let's show it an X-Scissor!” Jathan called out.


Upon hearing the Trainer's choice of attack, Makina did a double-take to make sure she had heard the move correctly. X-Scissor was a powerful move as is, and with an attack boost it would deal serious damage to the little fox. Jathan was taking a gamble on using it. Granted, with the way the wild Pokemon had shrugged off Koma's prior attack maybe there was little to fear.


Koma eagerly readied his next attack, obviously vexed with Zorua's derisive comments. His claws glowed a brilliant lime green color, and the Bisharp did a test swipe into the air before rushing to meet his opponent.


Seeing that its target was advancing forward once more, Zorua quickly changed tactics. Its chattering ceased as the Dark-type inhaled deeply, then breathed out an alarmingly large amount of flames. Coupled with the fox's devious planning earlier, the technique was given a boost that was apparent almost immediately.


Koma slowed his advance, closing his eyes in pain as the flames seared his form and threatened to melt the steel plates covering his body. In the next instant, the Bisharp let out a defiant cry and barreled forward, claws outward. Still powering its attack, Zorua was unable to dodge as Koma landed a slash on his midsection before leaping out of the fire. Both Pokemon bore marks this time around- Koma looking a little singed (though didn't seem to be burned) and Zorua was nursing an impressive cut on his body.

*~~~~~~~~~*

Battle Statistics:

Brave Male Bisharp: 82%, ATK+2 (used X-Scissor)
??? Male Zorua: 52%, SATK+2 (used Swagger, Incinerate)


*~~~~~~~~~*

Trainer Stats:


Name: Jathan
Location: Ruined Manor
Area Effects: 13 Encounters remaining
Weather: Indoors, ground nearby is slightly damp
Pokemon Encountered: Woobat, Zorua
Pokemon Captured:
CC since last Encounter: 16,286/25,000

Pokemon Statistics:

Pokemon: Bisharp
Nickname: Koma
Gender: Male
Ability: Inner Focus
Nature: Brave
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Cut, Toxic, Thunder Wave, Substitute, Protect, Taunt, Brick Break, Rock Polish, Stone Edge, X-Scissor, Psycho Cut, Sucker Punch

Pokemon: Ninetales
Nickname: Saya
Gender: Female
Ability: Drought
Nature: Gentle
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Solarbeam, Fire Blast, Substitute, Hidden Power[GROUND], Protect, Energy Ball, Overheat, Hypnosis

Pokemon: Gyarados
Nickname: Slip
Gender: Female
Ability: Intimidate
Nature: Quirky
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Surf, Strength, Whirlpool, Waterfall, Rock Smash, Dive, Ice Beam, Earthquake, Thunder Wave, Substitute, Roar, Flamethrower, Stone Edge

Items: 4x Park Ball; 2x SuperBall; 3x HyperBall; 2x Calming Fragrance Plus; 11x PokeDoll; 5x Honey; Squirtbottle; Pokeplayer; Digital Camera; Blank Disk x2; 7x Lava Cookie; Status Bomb x2; Pax-A-Punch; Oak's Trinket; Digital Camera Zoom Lens; Supreme Park Ball x2; Glossy Lens; Apricorn Box

*~~~~~~~~~*

 

Once the long blades were fully formed and shining a brilliant lime-green, Koma swung them through the air, testing the weight. They made a strange humming sound as they moved: if pushed to describe it, Jathan would say it sounded like the fusion of an automated Mareep shearing machine and the sound of a buzzsaw cutting through meat. It was actually kind of sickening, in a way, although the look of smug pleasure on Koma's face said that the Bisharp disagreed. He swung his swords around one last time before rushing towards his opponent in a steady, inexorable jog. Jathan was proud of Koma's speed, something that confused many a battler. Due to the weight of their metallic armour they usually relied on sheer bulk and defensive power, but Jathan had spent lots of time training Koma's speed. Koma kept his armour shiny-clean by habit because cleaning off those imperfections meant that he would move faster in battle. If incredible speed was required, they could use their secret Rock Polish technique, but generally Jathan liked to keep that as a trump card. It was Koma's most powerful technique: using it, he could outspeed even Dual.

As the Bisharp drew closer, Jathan was surprised by the Zorua yet again. It jumped backwards, took a breath, and then exhaled a surprising amount of fire in the form of a tall wide sheet of flames. It was far too late to dodge, so Koma barreled straight into the flames. His eyes tightened and his speed slowed as the fiery tongues licked along and around his finely-maintained armour. It was obvious that the Steel-type was in pain, but he refused to give in. He pushed through the fire and brought both of his blades swinging down towards the Zorua. The dark fox was quick, and leapt to the side in an attempt to dodge, but it only partly worked. Koma's right blade still managed to catch it down its side, and the force of his blow actually knocked it to the ground. Koma then jumped backwards, attempting to get out of the inferno as quickly as possible. Small rivulets of steam and smoke curled up into the air from his armour, and there was a slight stench of metal in the air. Thankfully, the fire didn't appear to have been of the magnitude required to actually melt steel: Koma's armour was merely scorched.

Jathan looked over at the Wild Pokemon and was shocked. There was a large cut down the fox's side. Thankfully, it didn't appear to be too deep, because blood was only dripping as opposed to sheeting down the Pokemon's side. On one hand, Jathan had commanded a powerful attack, but he seemed to have overestimated Koma's attack power. There was also the fox's taunts from earlier to consider: the Bisharp was probably still feeling the effects. The only thing to do was command a much less powerful attack. While Koma had been hurt, there was no doubt in Jathan's mind that the Zorua was hurt way worse. One more decent attack along with perhaps a Thunder Wave or a Toxic attack would leave it perfectly weakened for a capture attempt.

"Koma, great job! Now what I want is a Metal Claw attack, but go for a punch instead of a swipe," Jathan commanded. He hoped that this would lessen the chance of a fatal strike while still doing some noticeable damage. Koma nodded and clenched both of his fists. They started to shine brilliant silver, a sign that the Metal Claw was powering up. Normally, Koma would slash at his foe with his three fingers, elongated into claws, but this time he would (hopefully) just go for a few punches. Whether or not the attack succeeded as Jathan intended it to would dictate the closing act of this battle.

 

BP3 (vs Zorua)

Ranger Makina Auran

OOC: Sorry for the wait, weather/work/class is a terrible combination X.x
@ChainReaction01;

*~~~~~~~~~*

Upon seeing the results of Koma's attack on Zorua, Jathan looked shocked. Considering that X-Scissor was a powerful attack by itself and the Bisharp's strength had been amplified thanks to the fox brushing off his prior attack, Makina was surprised by the young Trainer's reaction. It was possible he had not known the effects of Swagger, but due to many Pokemon knowing the move it was unlikely.

Fortunately for his Pokemon, Jathan shook off surprise fairly quickly. “Koma, great job! Now what I want is a Metal Claw attack, but go for a punch instead of a swipe,” he called out to the Bisharp.

Koma complied, holding up his right arm as the claws on the appendage began to lengthen and sheen as an additional layer of metal was added to the tips. Something in the Bisharp's eyes wavered though, as if it was hard to keep focus. Annoyed, the Dark-type shook his head as if to shake off whatever was wrong with him.

Seeing the Bisharp's action, Makina attempted to puzzle out just what was wrong with Koma. Incinerate had left quite a mark on him, but not enough for the Pokemon to be in risk of fainting, not by a long shot. That meant that either something was affecting his sight or mind. The Ranger was leaning towards the latter, but considering her only Psychic-type was currently dealing with other matters she couldn't know for sure.

Zorua, on the other hand, seemed to know exactly what was wrong with his opponent. A large smirk was plastered on the Tricky Fox Pokemon's face, and he yapped out what sounded like another insult towards Koma.

On hearing Zorua's remark, Koma's eyes narrowed in anger and charged his attack faster, spurred on by his opponent's foolhardy actions. Once he made to dash towards the Dark-type though, the Bisharp stumbled and fell hard to the tiled floor, enough force in his movement that he actually tumbled forward about half a foot. While Koma managed to pick himself up from the ground, the Steel-type looked more than a little humiliated.

“What in the-” Makina began, but her words were cut off from Zorua's derisive laughter. Pierrot was snickering a little as well, the Banette using his hands to cover his zippered mouth as if trying to hide his amusement. There was nothing blocking Koma's path, so the Bisharp literally had nothing to trip up on save his own feet. The species wasn't exactly known for being clumsy, quite the opposite. That meant... “Koma is likely confused, try to snap him out of it,” she advised Jathan.

Koma was glaring daggers Zorua's way now, and forced himself to close the rest of the distance before attempting to land a jab on the annoying fox. Still laughing, Zorua attempted to sidestep once more but was unable to fully dodge the attack. Tumbling backwards, the wild Pokemon merely looked like a gray ball of fur for a moment as it was knocked back.

Zorua managed to right himself, the smile on the Pokemon's face never fading. The Dark-type split off into three multiple images, moving to circle Koma and possibly attempt to break his resolve. All of the Zorua looked worn out though- either this was a final gambit, or he somehow had yet more tricks to play.

*~~~~~~~~~*

Battle Statistics:

Brave Male Bisharp: 79%, ATK+2, CFN (used Metal Claw)
??? Male Zorua: 38%, SATK+2 (used Double Team)


*~~~~~~~~~*

Trainer Stats:


Name: Jathan
Location: Ruined Manor
Area Effects: 13 Encounters remaining
Weather: Indoors, ground nearby is slightly damp
Pokemon Encountered: Woobat, Zorua
Pokemon Captured:
CC since last Encounter: 19,886/25,000

Pokemon Statistics:

Pokemon: Bisharp
Nickname: Koma
Gender: Male
Ability: Inner Focus
Nature: Brave
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Cut, Toxic, Thunder Wave, Substitute, Protect, Taunt, Brick Break, Rock Polish, Stone Edge, X-Scissor, Psycho Cut, Sucker Punch

Pokemon: Ninetales
Nickname: Saya
Gender: Female
Ability: Drought
Nature: Gentle
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Solarbeam, Fire Blast, Substitute, Hidden Power[GROUND], Protect, Energy Ball, Overheat, Hypnosis

Pokemon: Gyarados
Nickname: Slip
Gender: Female
Ability: Intimidate
Nature: Quirky
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Surf, Strength, Whirlpool, Waterfall, Rock Smash, Dive, Ice Beam, Earthquake, Thunder Wave, Substitute, Roar, Flamethrower, Stone Edge

Items: 4x Park Ball; 2x SuperBall; 3x HyperBall; 2x Calming Fragrance Plus; 11x PokeDoll; 5x Honey; Squirtbottle; Pokeplayer; Digital Camera; Blank Disk x2; 7x Lava Cookie; Status Bomb x2; Pax-A-Punch; Oak's Trinket; Digital Camera Zoom Lens; Supreme Park Ball x2; Glossy Lens; Apricorn Box

*~~~~~~~~~*

 

OOC: No worries, take your time.

The familiar silvery sheen began to coat Koma's claws, and he started to move towards the Zorua. However, Jathan detected a slight falter in his steps. Right from the first move, the Zorua had been at the advantage in this battle because Jathan had not expected it to fight dirty. Furthermore, even though Koma was a Dark-type, he hadn't been expecting it either. This was probably due to Dual's noble-warrior influence too. The Zorua completely had Koma's number, and the only reason Koma was winning at this moment was because he had raw power behind him. It occurred to Jathan that it wasn't just the Pokemon that battled and gained experience; it was the Trainer's duty to learn and grow too. Jathan himself had been locked into a single line of thought and it was because of him that Koma was now hurt and confused. He owed his Pokemon more than that.

Suddenly, the Bisharp seemed to stumble a bit. For a second, Jathan thought he would recover, but sure enough the Steel-type went tumbling to the ground. Jathan scoured the ground with his eyes, but strangely enough, the floor on which Koma had been moving was one of the least-warped places in the entire room. The Zorua started to laugh again, that high-pitched yipping sound that shot straight through to the base of Jathan's skull. It was quite obviously making fun of the Bisharp, and Koma was letting it get to him. He struggled onto his feet and took the last few steps before swinging half-heartedly at the Zorua. The punch connected with the Wild Pokemon but it seemed to do very little damage. The Zorua continued to laugh.

"Koma is likely confused," the Ranger lady said. "Try to snap him out of it."

Jathan nodded, having some trouble understanding what was going on inside his Pokemon's head. There didn't seem to be any logical reason for his being so upset. Maybe it pertained to his sense of pride, something Jathan didn't really had. He had to find a way to calm the Bisharp down, but at the same time he had to keep on the offensive. Koma's warrior honour wouldn't allow him to take insults laying down.

The Zorua took a couple steps backwards and started to shudder. It split into three copies, and I had no clue which one was the real one. However, this turn of events made my decision very easy. If I was to command a regular attack, it would probably land on one of the fakes, which in turn would enrage Koma even more. The trick would be to use a move that was more of a counterattack. Thankfully, Koma had something in his repertoire that was exactly what I was looking for.

"Koma, buddy, listen to me carefully," Jathan said in his quiet voice, the one reserved strictly for family and small Pokemon. "You need to just calm down a little bit. You're a Dark-type Pokemon, right? That means the only thing that matters in a battle is winning. And the only way you can win is if you're calm, like Dual told you over and over. All I want you to do is stay still, and watch the Zorua. When it prepares to attack, one will move slightly faster than the others. That's when I want you to Sucker Punch it, and fire off a Thunder Wave when you make contact. Just take it slow, and wait for the Zorua to make the first move."

Of course, this plan could go to hell if the Zorua planned to continue its mental attack. Still, at some point the Wild Pokemon was going to have to make a direct attack; Jathan was gambling that this would be sooner as opposed to later.

 

BP4 (vs Zorua)

Ranger Makina Auran
@ChainReaction01;

*~~~~~~~~~*

Jathan began speaking quietly to Koma, his tone of voice calm as he conversed with the Bisharp. From his words, Makina assumed that the young Trainer was trying to snap Koma out of his confusion by spelling the situation out as clearly as possible. Not a bad tactic at all... if the Bisharp listened, that is. Some Pokemon were as stubborn as a Tauros.


Koma stood surprisingly still as he listened to Jathan's words. Despite the Steel-type's obvious confusion, he was obviously doing his best to listen to his Trainer's words- either Jathan's sudden change of tone had clued him in or Koma was especially attentive to commands.


While Jathan's voice was quiet, Makina managed to catch a snippet of what the young man was saying to Koma. “All I want you to do is stay still, and watch the Zorua. When it prepares to attack, one will move slightly faster than the others. That's when I want you to Sucker Punch it, and fire off a Thunder Wave when you make contact,” the Trainer said, outlining their strategy.


Makina mulled over Jathan's choice of moves. Sucker Punch was pretty risky, as the move had a high chance of failing if its target wasn't focused on attacking. This Zorua had already proven himself to be a lover of status moves, so if it decided to stick with taunting Koma the Bisharp would be left wide open. Thunder Wave, on the other hand, was a solid utility technique.


The Zorua clones circled Koma, their eyes glinting with what was likely more than just mischief. As one of them darted closer to the Bisharp, the Steel-type quickly shot his left claw towards the shape to intercept- only to have the image disappear upon contact. Oddly enough, Zorua didn't use Koma's mistake to counterattack; instead, the remaining images had identical shows of annoyance upon their faces.


“And that's what you get for trying to use nothing but tricks.” Makina couldn't help but grin triumphantly at Zorua's mistake. The young Dark-type had tried to Snatch a beneficial technique from Koma instead of attacking and had failed spectacularly. Sure, Koma had failed to land a hit as well, but Zorua was also down one clone. Now there were only three targets to pick from.


Koma was looking at Zorua with renewed focus, having apparently shaken off the effects of confusion. Wasting no time, he shot off a short pulse of electricity that surrounded the immediate area around him. Being still unable to see just who was the real Pokemon, he was aiming for all of them just to be safe. All three Zorua flinched as the attack surged through their bodies.


Once they were able to shake off the Wave, the Zorua images glared at Koma. All of them began to pulse with a midnight-black energy... and then shuddered as their limbs froze from paralysis. This would be a great time for the Bisharp to strike, if Jathan took advantage of it.

*~~~~~~~~~*

Battle Statistics:

Brave Male Bisharp: 79%, ATK+2, (used Sucker Punch, Thunder Wave)
??? Male Zorua: 38%, SATK+2, PRZ (used Snatch, Night Daze (failed))


*~~~~~~~~~*

Trainer Stats:


Name: Jathan
Location: Ruined Manor
Area Effects: 13 Encounters remaining
Weather: Indoors, ground nearby is slightly damp
Pokemon Encountered: Woobat, Zorua
Pokemon Captured:
CC since last Encounter: 23,328/25,000

Pokemon Statistics:

Pokemon: Bisharp
Nickname: Koma
Gender: Male
Ability: Inner Focus
Nature: Brave
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Cut, Toxic, Thunder Wave, Substitute, Protect, Taunt, Brick Break, Rock Polish, Stone Edge, X-Scissor, Psycho Cut, Sucker Punch

Pokemon: Ninetales
Nickname: Saya
Gender: Female
Ability: Drought
Nature: Gentle
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Solarbeam, Fire Blast, Substitute, Hidden Power[GROUND], Protect, Energy Ball, Overheat, Hypnosis

Pokemon: Gyarados
Nickname: Slip
Gender: Female
Ability: Intimidate
Nature: Quirky
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Surf, Strength, Whirlpool, Waterfall, Rock Smash, Dive, Ice Beam, Earthquake, Thunder Wave, Substitute, Roar, Flamethrower, Stone Edge

Items: 4x Park Ball; 2x SuperBall; 3x HyperBall; 2x Calming Fragrance Plus; 11x PokeDoll; 5x Honey; Squirtbottle; Pokeplayer; Digital Camera; Blank Disk x2; 7x Lava Cookie; Status Bomb x2; Pax-A-Punch; Oak's Trinket; Digital Camera Zoom Lens; Supreme Park Ball x2; Glossy Lens; Apricorn Box

*~~~~~~~~~*

 

The Zorua clones all approached Koma carefully, keeping their centre of gravity low to the ground so that they could dodge or strike at a moment's notice. The problem was that Jathan couldn't be sure if his Pokemon had yet managed to snap out of confusion. Until Koma could get his thoughts under control, they were largely at the Wild Pokemon's mercy. Thankfully, the Steel-type seemed to be taking Jathan's message to heart; he stood up straighter and pressed his hands together like a monk in prayer. This position was well known as a calming one amongst martial artists, it relaxed the body and yet allowed one to strike against attacks of opportunity.

One of the Zorua sneaked closer and suddenly darted towards Koma with its front paws glowing bright white. Quick as a cobra, Koma lashed out with one of his fists. The strike made contact, but instead of being knocked backwards the Zorua disappeared in a flash.

Oh no, it was a trick! Jathan screamed mentally.

Except, it wasn't. All of the remaining Zorua seemed rather displeased by this turn of events-a couple of them even snarled unhappily. Apparently the Zorua hadn't been planning a direct attack. Jathan realised that he probably shouldn't have anticipated one; the Wild Pokemon had used barely any directly-offensive techniques this entire battle.

"And that's what you get for trying to use nothing but tricks," Makina crowed, talking to the Zorua. Jathan wasn't sure what she meant or what the Zorua had intended, but he did know that the fox's plan had failed, which could only be good for Koma.

As it turned out, the Steel-type agreed. He brought his fists together quickly, slamming his knuckles together. He then dragged them apart, and I could see sparks playing in the area between them. The pulses of electricity started out small but rapidly grew in size, following the vacuum left by Koma's hands. In short order they expanded past the Bisharp's hands and out into the space around him in a spherical shape, striking all three of the Zorua. None of them faded like the one from before, but this was to be expected; the Thunder Wave didn't do any physical damage, it merely sapped at one's stamina. Hopefully this would have an accentuated effect on the Zorua, which would -have- to be tiring out by now.

The Zorua all flinched backwards from the wave and Jathan saw bright yellow sparks crawling over their night-black hides. Suddenly, their hides appeared even blacker; the young Breeder realised that the Zorua was using some kind of high-powered Dark-type technique, and the images were faking so as to not reveal the real one's position. The aura grew around them, but before it could reach Koma the clones all started convulsing. Their limbs were shaking wildly and they appeared to be using all of their energy just to remain standing. The night-black aura retreated, and Jathan shouted with joy as he saw that their attack had failed because of the Thunder Wave.

"Great job, Koma!" he exclaimed. He knew that this would be the perfect time to land a coup de grace on the Wild Pokemon and follow up with a Park Ball to the rear, but there was a slight problem. This paralysis wouldn't last for long, and there were still three clones. If Koma went and attacked with wrong one with a Brick Break or something, the real one might recover and counterattack. What Jathan needed was an attack that was guaranteed to hit, and thankfully, his Bisharp had access to one.

"Okay, time to finish this off. Close your eyes and sense the Zorua; its heartbeat, its movements, its energy. Strike it quickly with a Faint Attack, and be sure to use that jab that Dual showed you!" Jathan called out.

Short of a miracle, the Faint Attack would be guaranteed to hit the Zorua. The fox might be a tricky battler, but Koma was a Dark-type Pokemon too, and he had his own little bag of tricks. Jathan's main worry was that the Faint Attack wouldn't do much damage, but hopefully a Fighting-type-inspired punch would tip the scales in his favour. The boy pulled a Park Ball out of his pocket and expanded it, rubbing the camouflaged top for good luck. Now all he had to do was wait for his moment and pray that the Zorua was ready to give up.

 

Heh heh heh. You should know better that no attack is a guaranteed hit. Luckily, I felt merciful.

BP#1

Ranger Ivy Frost

---

When Ivy got the call, she was filling out paperwork from the last run she had finished. Without looking up from the form, she hit the speaker button on the unit next to the computer monitor.

“Ivy here,” she said as she finished the last entry in the “Withdrawn from Park” category. The last Trainer had only taken out two Pokemon compared to the usual three.

“Hi, Ivy,” one of the newer secretaries greeted. Shirley if she remembered right. “Makina is out on a run right now, but someone from the mainland called and wants her to go. Think you can take over for her?”

At the prospect of getting out of the stuffy office and out into the field, Ivy's mood increased exponentially. She threw her pen down with a flourish and got up to stretch, feeling the joints in her back pop.

“Sure thing. Send the information to my phone and I'll be out in a few minutes.”

From the couch pushed up against the wall, Haji, her Espeon, rose and stretched as well. Expectantly, he jumped down and sat down next to her desk while she gathered up her supplies.

When her phone beeped, she slid through the information on her next Trainer. A smile spread on her face as she read the name. “It's my favorite Trainer,” she told Haji, seeing Jathan's name on the screen. She wondered if he still thought her intimidating. The chance to test it out was pleasing.

Clipping her phone to her belt, she nodded to the psychic cat when she was ready. His energy rose, rippling the air around them, and then the office disappeared, replaced by nothing for an instant until they popped out along the edge of the trees in Meteor Valley.

Teleporting had always disoriented her a little, but at least now she wasn't thrown off so bad. Carefully moving branches so they wouldn't smack her in the face, they started weaving through the woods to get to the Manor. Haji could've probably warped them right to the front door, but since it was a haven for a lot of Dark-types, there was a risk of their energy disrupting the Espeon's. Ivy wasn't sure if she wanted to find out what happened when a teleport was jerked off-course.

Eventually, they made it to the clearing that housed the expansive Manor, a once-classy place now rotted away. The stairs creaked ominously as she ascended, but they were all talk. They handled a group of people just fine, even with the protests. Despite the unwelcoming decor, this place had been a hotspot since it opened. Their last Trainer had traveled here too.

“We're going to be sick of this place before this is over,” she said. Through their mental bond, she felt Haji's agreement. At least it wasn't Deckbi, she supposed.

It turned out that they didn't have to go far. When they came through the entryway, the main foyer blossomed with the noise of a battle. Jathan was easy to spot, standing next to Makina and her Banette. A sleek black and gray Bisharp was battling against what looked like three Zorua with yellow coils of electricity flickering over their fur.

Ivy was going to join them, but then she saw Jathan begin to speak. She didn't want to throw off his concentration.“Okay, time to finish this off. Close your eyes and sense the Zorua; its heartbeat, its movements, its energy. Strike it quickly with a Faint Attack, and be sure to use that jab that Dual showed you!” he called.

Speaking of Dual, where was the Gallade? He usually came with Jathan every time he visited the Park. Thanks to Chainy's job, Dual was often busy and didn't get to see his original Trainer very often. That he wasn't present was very strange.

Jathan also took out a Park Ball from his pocket and enlarged it, his body tensing to throw. As he did, the Bisharp—she couldn't remember his name—started to focus. As his Trainer instructed, he closed his eyes and felt with his other senses, heightening them. That would come in handy, as the Zorua seemed to be hiding among its copies.

Suddenly, the Steel-type moved, still with his eyes closed. Using his enhanced senses, he flashed forward, striking out with his fist just like Jathan had said. His concentration brought him right to the real Zorua, and it let out a quick yelp as the Bisharp attacked. It hadn't been expecting the technique to work.

Jathan didn't take long to adjust his arm and throw the ball, moving at nearly the same time as the Bisharp. Almost immediately after the fox was struck, the Park Ball came sailing in, bouncing off its fur and sucking the wild Pokemon up in a beam of red light. The ball was still for an instant, and then it started to shake violently.

Instead of locking closed, the capture device burst open with white light. The fox Snarled loudly, startled by the sudden action of both the Bisharp and the Park Ball. The noise put the Steel-type on guard instantly, throwing up his arms to block himself.

It was a good thing he did too, as the black fox then lashed out, scratching at the Bisharp's steel plates with teeth and claws. It didn't look like it was doing too much damage—just a retaliation move. Bisharp had scared it.

Furthermore, that attack and attempted capture had split the real Zorua from the copies, leaving Bisharp between them. The fox looked tensed and ready to dart away, but if Jathan and his Pokemon could keep an eye on the real thing, they might be able to try another capture.

“Tough,” Ivy said, coming up behind the group. “Doesn't look like the ball is damaged though. Hey, Makina,” she greeted. “You're needed back on the mainland. Shirley said someone called for you. I can cover here.” The other woman nodded, and Ivy waved to both her and the Banette that followed her out the door. Then she turned back to the Trainer. “Long time no see, stranger.”

---

Current Battle Stats:

Brave Male Bisharp: 72%, ATK+2, SPATK-1 [Used Feint Attack]
??? Male Zorua: 24%, SATK+2, PRZ [Used Snarl and Fury Swipes

---

Trainer Stats

Name: Jathan
Location: Ruined Manor
Area Effects: 13 Encounters remaining
Weather: Indoors, ground nearby is slightly damp
Pokemon Encountered: Woobat, Zorua
Pokemon Captured: None
CC since last Encounter: 27,539/25,000

Items: 4x Park Ball; 2x SuperBall; 3x HyperBall; 2x Calming Fragrance Plus; 11x PokeDoll; 5x Honey; Squirtbottle; Pokeplayer; Digital Camera; Blank Disk x2; 7x Lava Cookie; Status Bomb x2; Pax-A-Punch; Oak's Trinket; Digital Camera Zoom Lens; Supreme Park Ball x2; Glossy Lens; Apricorn Box
Event Items Found: None

Pokemon Statistics

Pokemon: Bisharp @ 72%
Nickname: Koma
Gender: Male
Ability: Inner Focus
Nature: Brave
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Cut, Toxic, Thunder Wave, Substitute, Protect, Taunt, Brick Break, Rock Polish, Stone Edge, X-Scissor, Psycho Cut, Sucker Punch

Pokemon: Ninetales
Nickname: Saya
Gender: Female
Ability: Drought
Nature: Gentle
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Solarbeam, Fire Blast, Substitute, Hidden Power[GROUND], Protect, Energy Ball, Overheat, Hypnosis

Pokemon: Gyarados
Nickname: Slip
Gender: Female
Ability: Intimidate
Nature: Quirky
TM/HM/BM/SM/MT: Surf, Strength, Whirlpool, Waterfall, Rock Smash, Dive, Ice Beam, Earthquake, Thunder Wave, Substitute, Roar, Flamethrower, Stone Edge

 

OOC: I finally worked up the courage to post in this. Remember, this is not a challenge run. I'm in tight with the Park Heads, if you're too mean to me I will lodge complaints.

~~~~~

Koma closed his eyes and began to concentrate on listening to every single minute movement the Wild Pokemon made. A very slight aura of darkness surrounded him, which meant that his concentration was succeeding. The Zorua seemed a bit confused by this, but was content to wach carefully. Jathan was sure that the Zorua was confident Koma would choose to attack the wrong target. As it turned out, the Zorua was wrong. Koma ran forwards, his movements blurred but not hidden completely by the cloak of darkness. He reached out and jabbed at one of the Zorua, and it was knocked backwards. If it had been a Double Team clone, it would have faded, so Jathan knew that this was the right one. He threw the Park Ball at the Wild Pokemon, and it was sucked inside.

Unfortunately, the Zorua did not stay in there. Almost immediately, it burst out in a flash of white light. It let out a menacing Snarl as it did so, causing enough fear in Koma to make him take a step back. The Zorua then darted forwards, raking and biting at the Bisharp's hard armour with its claws and teeth.

Jathan was surprised by the Zorua's resilience, but that just made him want to capture it even more. He also recognised that the Dark-type was getting more irrational; there was next to no point in using basic physical attacks like that on Koma because of his tough armour. The Wild Pokemon was hanging on with the last ounces of his strength, so one more good attack should put it into capture range.

"Tough. Doesn't look like the ball is damaged though," a voice behind them said. Jathan jumped slightly and turned around to see a familiar figure; Ivy Frost, one of the Elite Rangers. Jathan had met Ivy multiple times before. Dual always spoke highly of her and James cautioned against upsetting her. If even half of the stories he told was true, she was definitely a woman to be careful around. Jathan had nothing but respect for her. Well, maybe there was a little bit of fear mixed in there too.

"You're needed back on the mainland," Ivy said to Makina. "Shirley said someone called for you. I can cover here."

Makina nodded in response, and waved at her Banette to follow her. She smiled at Jathan once before leaving out the front door we had entered, leaving Jathan alone with Ivy. And, of course, her ever-present Espeon.

"Long time no see, stranger," Ivy said, an easy smile on her face as she looked down at the young boy.

"Nice to see you again, Miss Ivy," Jathan replied, standing up straight and twisting the back of his shirt in his hands. "I've missed the Park a lot so I thought I'd come back for another visit. Is James alright? I haven't heard from him for a few weeks."

Koma grunted sharply. He was a purebred warrior, and there was a fight going on. He had nothing against socialisation, but it was not good for one to get bogged down in idle converstion when enemies were present. Jathan shook his head to clear it of Ivy's powerful presence and turned back to the fight. The problem was that since he had turned around, he had lost sight of which Zorua was the real one. Even now, they were circling and climbing all over each other, obviously hiding the identity of the real one. Jathan needed an area-of-effect attack, one that could hit multiple targets in a pinch. Thankfully, Koma had access to one such technique. It could even be said that it was his most powerful technique.

"Koma, I want you to use a Metal Burst," Jathan instructed. "Make it a wide-bore one, but not too powerful. We don't want to cause any damage or make the Zorua faint."

Koma nodded, and lowered his centre of gravity. He held his hands out in front of him, cupped together. He slowly moved his hands backwards, and to one side. A silverly light bubbled into existence as he did so.

The Metal Burst was a technique that fed on the user's anger, usually from being damaged. It was made most famous by Steven Stone's Aggron, when he used it in the Hoenn Conference. Koma had spent extensive amounts of time training with this move at Jathan's insistence, mainly because it was one of the very few long-range attacks that the Bisharp could successfully perform. Traditionally, the attack was delayed so that the hurt was fresh in the user's mind, but that would actually play against Jathan. By only having access to the anger from the weak, recent attacks, the Metal Burst would be one of lower power. This meant that, hopefully, the Zorua clones would be destroyed and the Zorua itself wouldn't take enough damage to faint. Jathan pulled out a second Park Ball, preparing to throw it should his plan succeed.