Private/Closed PokéSync: Role Play Thread

[ThePlayfulFox]

Hilda read through Mathew's post and laughed her butt off before grabbing her guitar, going into her room, and putting it in its case. "Oh boy. He sure is in a tizzy." She wanted to post something, but she had to go. Well, pack up. She woke up late due to attending her going-away party last night. Her dad put together a little party for her departure, lots of singing and dancing around a large bonfire. Lots of laughing too. She chuckled at her thoughts to the previous night, her brother singing off-key, her dad dancing with his Liligant, and one of the farmhands singing a song so fast that they could hardly keep up while dancing and playing their instruments. All in all, it was an amazing night.

She placed two spare changes of clothes in her bag, a red long-sleeved button-up shirt, a floral button-up short-sleeved shirt, khaki pants, and blue-jean shorts. She also packed one thing of pajamas, though there wasn't much of significance there. She packed other necessities in her bag. Then she picked up the rose-like Pokeball and placed it in a box before setting it in her bag. "Well, then, I think that is almost it. Don't you, Felix?"

The dog was napping on the bed, possibly for the last time. He lifted his head groggily. "Hmm, what?"

Hilda chuckled. "Is there anything you want to bring with us?"

"Food. Bring food. I like my treats." He wagged his tail. "It shows that I've been a good boy. I like being a good boy. It means I'm a good dog."

"Alright then, I'll find that." She turned and left her room, going towards the kitchen. He isn't wrong. Bringing some food should be good. She felt a sensation of pride, not from her, but from an alternate source. The dog knew, and she honestly didn't mind. Didn't take her long to find and package what she was looking for and she placed it in her bag. "I think that'll be it, boy." Felix looked back up at her and yapped, not bothering her with his thoughts. She slung her bag and her guitar over her shoulders before taking Felix's Pokeball and retrieving him, the orb taking him into their dark depths.

She placed the orb on her belt and walked out to her dad's truck. Her dad was whistling while working nearby, knowing that she was going to be out there soon. He turned towards her. "Well, I guess you're be leavin' now, huh?"

Hilda chuckled. "Yeah. I told ya I was taking one of the boats to Sinnoh." Her father nodded. Hilda glanced at her dad's light blue pickup. "Can I dive her there?"

He smiled at her. "I don't see why not. I reckon this might be the last time of drivin' for you in a while." He tossed the keys over to her. "Now, how about you go shove your things in the truck." Hilda nodded and placed her guitar and bag in the back seat before sitting down in the leather driver's seat and stuck the key in the ignition. With a turn of the key, the truck roared to life, her dad sliding into the back with her.

The drive was uneventful, and in a few hours, Hilda drove to Virbank City, where there was a port out to sea. She parked in one of the lots near the port and stepped out, taking her stuff with her. Her dad soon stepped out as well. "Well then, I reckon you better git along to the ship, now. Doubt they'll wait for a cowgirl." He winked at her.

Hilda smiled and hugged her dad. "Love you." Her dad didn't reply, but squeezed her tighter, kissing the top of her head.

He let go of her, giving off a teasing smile. "Now what did I say? Run along now. Have fun. And be careful."

July 1st​

Hilda's boat was nearing the docks at the Battle Zone. She gave a sigh. Was she going to be duped? This was a random person she never met before who was on the internet. This was a terrible idea. She swallowed. Maybe she was wrong though. She hoped so.

The ship docked into the port, and Hilda stepped off the sea vessel, wearing a short-sleeved, ocean blue button-up top with blue jean shorts that came halfway down to her knees, a pair of brown cowboy boots, and a matching cowboy hat. People gawked at her, but she ignored them. After all, what did they know? She sighed and went off to the Pokemon Center.

She couldn't remember where Ron said he would be, which was bad. However, going to the Pokemon Center was a good idea. After all, just about everyone had to go there, especially to rest up.

The glass slid open for her as her boot clopped against the tile flooring. Felix was still in his Pokeball. "Well then, where is this Ron fellow, now?"

Spoiler: Hilda's Pack

• Guitar
• Spare Clothes
• Keepsake

***
​

Avery boarded a bus, her Dratini hung around her neck. A few days ago she confirmed going to Snowpoint City to start out, especially since she wanted a Wooper really badly. They just looked so cute! She chuckled to herself and smiled at the thought of owning a Wooper then a Quagsire. They just looked so weird they were adorable!

She glanced down at the pink Poketch her parents gave her last Christmas. It was currently on the watch application. It was 8:25, five minutes until the bus left for Snowpoint. Her hand dug into her bag and brought out one of the books she brought with her. According to the websites she read on being a trainer, there was a lot of waiting around, especially when one first starts. She also read that she wouldn't be able to make money easily too since she chose a dragon starter. She grimaced. Poor Lily. She scratched her Dratini's head, the serpent-like creature lifting up slightly before resting once more.

Hours later, Avery made it to Snowpoint City. Snow danced down from the sky as if they were tiny white ballerinas, dusting the buildings and ground with powder. She smiled, then shivered. Even in July, it was snowing. She was grateful, yet jealous that she didn't live in the snowy city. On one hand, she didn't have to deal with the absurdly cold temperatures year-round, but on the other, she missed out on the beauty that stood in front of her.

She gave a sigh before looking at Lily. The Dratini looked paler than usual and was shaking. Avery's eyes widened as she took out an orb and had Lily sucked into the sphere. "Poor thing, let's take you somewhere warm. Her eyes searched for a good place until she saw the eye-catching red roof of the Pokemon Center. Perfect place to warm up a poor dragon and find your other teammates.

She was pretty sure Noah was somewhere nearby. Aurora was also probably in the city, as it was apparently her home. Cress, on the other hand, she had no idea where she was currently.

Avery entered the Center, and it was packed. Apparently, she was not the only one who thought it was a good meet-up location. Avery clenched her teeth and lifted her arm to access her Poketech. Maybe she could message her team. However, she quickly found she couldn't. A Poketch without a Rotom or Porygon couldn't access the world-wide-web. She sighed angrily. How were they supposed to find her!

Spoiler: Avery's Supplies

• Pokecampers Feild Guide
• Fiction Book
• Spare Clothes

 

[RenzFlintrock]

June 30th
​

Noah sat in his room, slowly eating a small slice of fruit. Stella sat on his lap, taking bites much more frequently but only barely keeping pace with Noah due to her smaller mouth. Of course, they weren't actually competing to see who could finish first, just enjoying an evening snack together. The fact that Stella liked fruit was one of the many things Noah had learned in the last week, and he was glad to accommodate her tastes.

The two sat in companionable silence, with no sound but the crunching of crisp fruit slices. Noah's thumb gently stroked Stella's head, near the base of her horn, as he ate. He had found out two days prior through the bond that this felt good to Stella, like a nice back rub or a massage.

The peace of the moment was disturbed all too soon, though. Stella heard the noise first, the soft taps of feet coming towards the door. She stiffened a little, which surprised Noah, but before he could ask what had disturbed her, the sound of the door of his room slowly creaking open reached his ears.

There, standing in the doorway, were his parents. They hesitated before stepping into the room, eyeing Stella warily, but first his father and then his mother came into the room, taking seats on the bed. Neither of them spoke at first, and Noah waited for them to initiate conversation.

He had been trying to keep Stella and his parents from meeting for most of the last week. Admittedly, it hadn't been too hard, since Stella was shy and Noah's warnings that they probably wouldn't like her had been all the persuasion she needed to stick to his room or her Pokeball. Likewise, his parents didn't care for Pokemon anymore, so there had been no reason for them to meet her. But now they were here, and so was Stella.

And Stella was trying to tell him something.

"They're... scared."

"Huh?"

"They're terrified... not for themselves, for you. They fear that they will lose you."

"I guess... that makes sense. Um, let me try something."

Noah sat in the increasingly awkward silence of the room, reaching for his connection with Stella, trying to feel what she was sensing from his father and mother. He managed to grasp it, and sure enough he felt fear and heartache enter his soul, coming from his parents and transferred through the young Ralts. He took a breath and steadied himself as the connection was cut off, although he wasn't sure whether Stella had stopped using her power or he had stopped focusing and lost the impression.

"Noah... we... we know we can't change your mind about going on a Pokemon journey. So... we came to say goodbye."

His father's voice was a little unsteady as it broke the silence, if not the tension, of the room. Noah noticed this, and he began to realize just how hard this was for them. Their only child, leaving them and going off into danger that they couldn't protect him from.

"I was gonna come out in a bit and say goodbye, actually. I figured you wouldn't want to... y'know."

He glanced down at Stella, shooting a mental apology her way. He turned to attention back to his parents when his mother began to speak.

"Oh. Well. Ah, at least it-"

"She."

"At least she looks healthy. Um, that aside... what region are you going to travel in?"

"Here in Sinnoh."

His parents exchanged relieved glances when he said that. His father remained silent, as his mother continued the still-awkward conversation.

"That's good, that's good... is Avery going with you? She's that age, right?"

"Yeah, we'll be traveling together."

"What city are you traveling to first? Oreburgh?"

"We're actually going to Snowpoin-"

"Snowpoint?! But that's so far away, and you're both here already!"

"We're meeting up with our other two teammates there, and Avery wants to catch a Pokemon that's congregating in that area right now."

"Snowpoint... well, it's a bit of a long drive, but I can bring you there tomorrow."

"What?"

"I'll drive you to Snowpoint."

"I was just going to take the bus-"

Noah began to protest, but he saw his mother's face and hesitated. He wasn't quite sure what that expression was, but it was very sad. He couldn't bring himself to refuse.

"But... I guess I'll take a ride. Thanks. I'll just have to let Avery know I won't be going up with her."

His mother sighed, seemingly relieved. Her expression cleared, and settled back into a passive state.

"Alright, we'll load everything in the car tomorrow and drive up. And... if you ever ever want to come back home, just call us."

"Thanks."

There was another awkward pause. Stella seemed to wish she could leave without attracting attention, which Noah couldn't help but empathize with her a little. After a moment, the silence was once again broken by his father, who cleared his throat and stood up.

"I have to leave early for work tomorrow. So... Goodbye, son. I love you."

The older man hesitated in front of his son, and then began walking towards the door. Noah hurriedly picked up Stella and put her on the ground, then stood up and ran the few steps to catch up to his father. He put a hand on his shoulder to stop him, and when the older man turned around Noah pulled him into a hug.

"Love you too."

The words were muffled, spoken into the folds of an old and worn shirt, but they were heard.

July 1st​

The next morning, Noah woke up and went through his morning routine. He left Stella to wander around his room for the time, since she probably wouldn't be out of her Pokeball until they arrived in Snowpoint. After checking that his bag did indeed have all the things he wanted to bring with him, and eating his breakfast, it was time to leave. He retrieved Stella from his room and went to the car, and he was soon joined by his mother. Once she had asked if he had everything and was ready to go, and he gave his confirmation, she turned on the car and began the long drive north. They were on the road by 7:30.

The length of the car ride to Snowpoint gave Noah plenty of time to think.

He remembered the night before, when he had done some final preparations once his parents left his room. He had sent a message to Avery to let him know that his mom had requested to drive him up, and mentioned his guess that she wanted to spend a little more time with him. He also talked with Stella a little bit about his parents, explaining why they disliked Pokemon now, which he had neglected to do before. He told her about his dad's old job and the people he had lost to Pokemon.

His thoughts shifted to the 'training' sessions he and Stella had done earlier in the week. They hadn't been able to do any actual battling, but during the first one Noah had asked Stella to show him all the moves she knew. He wanted to learn her limits, but quickly found out that it wasn't just hers he would need to worry about. Using all of those moves had drained a lot of his energy and left him feeling sore, as if he had been doing some physically exerting task for several hours. It wasn't as bad as the headaches and nausea he experienced on that first day, once he had bonded with Stella, but it certainly made him aware of the cost of using too many of her moves before he had improved his own Fortitudes.

The other two times they 'trained' were mostly Noah lecturing on battle strategies he wanted to try, occasionally interrupted by Stella interjecting with her preferences or limitations. They came up with several interesting strategies, and one of them was actually put to the test. It was a move Noah tentatively dubbed the Decoy Switch. Stella would use Double Team to make an illusory double of herself and use Teleport at practically the same time to go a short distance away, leaving the clone exactly where she had been a moment before. It seemed like it could be a valuable strategy, but it was pretty draining to use, so Noah resolved to keep it on a back burner, and Stella agreed.

He didn't get to think for much longer before his mother's voice reached him. He had been staring out the window as he thought, but now he turned his attention to her politely.

"Noah, I spy with my little eye... something white."

Noah paused. They had always played this game when he was little, even on a short trip of a few blocks. He took a breath, and let the memories flow over him. After a moment, he looked out the window, and into the sky.

"The clouds?"

"Yep. Your turn!"

"Hm. I spy, with my little eye, something... round."

There was a pause as his mother scanned the road ahead, making sure to continue paying attention to the flow of traffic while she played. After she guessed at the tires on the car ahead of them, and found her guess was wrong, she asked about the round ornament on the antenna of the car on the next lane over. Noah confirmed that she had guessed correctly, and the game went on for a while longer.

After a time, though, the game came to a halt. Noah let loose a sigh, and went back to staring out the window. He was realizing that while he was still incredibly happy to be going on his journey... he was still going to miss his parents. For so long, all of them had been at odds over his choice to become a trainer. He had almost forgotten how much they all cared about one another. For a while, he had gone so far as seeing his parents as merely the people in the way of his dream. Now... he felt a sense of melancholy growing.

The time passed, and soon they were driving into Snowpoint. His mom informed him that she would drop him off at the Pokemon Center, and then head back home.

"And... you don't have to, but your father and I would both appreciate it if you'd call us often. Please."

"Okay, mom. I'll try to call when I have time."

"Thank you, Noah."

- - - - - - - - - - 0 - - - - - - - - - -

After grabbing his bag and exchanging goodbyes with his mom, Noah headed into the Pokemon Center. Snow was gently falling as he walked the few yards from where his mom had dropped him off to the Pokemon Center's sliding glass doors. Inside, it was pleasantly warm, or perhaps a little too warm with the multitude of people crowding inside. It seemed that all the seats were full already, and many young trainers were bustling around. There were Pokemon everywhere, and Noah made a note to see if there were any he didn't recognize once he found a place to stand.

He settled for an empty patch of wall near one of the PCs, and set down his bag. He also grabbed Stella's Pokeball, and released her onto the ground nearby. She gave a small yawn and a stretch, and Noah got a sense of sleepiness from her. He guessed that she had probably gotten bored during the car ride and taken a nap.

Suddenly realizing how many people were around her, the shy little Pokemon shuffled over to his legs and hid behind them. Noah sent a mental apology.

"Sorry, Stella, I just figured you might want to move around a little, I forgot you probably wouldn't like the crowd."

"Mm."

"You can go back in your Pokeball if you want."

"Okay."

Apparently deciding she didn't want to deal with all the noise and bustle for an indefinite amount of time, Stella returned to her Pokeball. Noah settled in to wait. However, he soon noticed that there was a denser crowd near one of the desks, and then caught a glimpse of a sign which told that it was the place to get your Rotom Phone from the League.

He picked up his bag again so he wouldn't lose it, and walked over to the line. It wasn't very orderly, and someone cut in front of him when he was almost to the front. However, he eventually managed to get to the counter, showed his Trainer Card, and was given a Rotom Phone to use. It was inside of a small tote bag, and along with it was a packet of screen cleaner wipes, and a small guide. The first page told him that the Rotom that was inhabiting his phone was named Clive, as well as the basic information on the phone's features and some usage tips. There was more information in the pamphlet, but he didn't bother to finish it. Now that he had the Rotom Phone, he could message the group and let them all know he was at the Pokemon Center.

He walked back to his spot by the wall, set his bag down, and held the Rotom Phone in his hands.

"Hey Clive, I'm Noah. I'll be working with you and this phone during the Bronze League, so I thought I'd go ahead and say hi."

The screen flared to life with his first couple of words, and the face of a Rotom stared at him from its center. Its grin widened, and the face bounced up and down. Noah took this as a sign that it appreciated his introduction.

"Could you pull up the Bronze League forums, please, Clive? I'd like to message my teammates."

The face disappeared, and after a few seconds the forums were loading in. With a muttered, "Sweet, thanks Clive!" he found the page he was looking for and began drafting a message. It didn't take long, and soon he hit send and tucked the phone away.

Hey, Team Happy Campers! I'm in the Snowpoint Pokemon Center right now. If you all want to meet up here, they've got the Rotom and Porygon Phones from the League available. See you soon, hopefully!

- - - - - - - - - - 0 - - - - - - - - - -

Noah leaned against the wall, watching the people and Pokemon around the Pokemon Center as he waited for any news of his teammates. Several Pokemon caught his eye, including a Scraggy, a Torchic, and a Swinub, all of which Noah thought had the potential to become great battlers. He was following the Swinub and its Trainer with his eyes as they headed for the Center's exit, when he spotted a familiar face coming in.

"Avery!"

He stooped and snatched up his bag, then lifted an arm to wave at her as he approached.

"Hi! You made it! How was the bus ride? Oh, and just in case you didn't see my message, they have a Rotom Phone area over there," he gestured with a hand in the direction of the desk, nearly knocking off the hat of a passerby in the process, "Sorry! As I was saying, over there, and you just have to show your Trainer ID. I forgot to mention that part in my message."

- - - - - - - - - - 0 - - - - - - - - - -

Spoiler: Noah's Inventory

-Clothes and accessories.
-A travel sleeping bag which can be rolled up tightly to help conserve space, and is mostly waterproofed.
-A ‘good luck charm’ in the form of a shirt he had when he was a kid, a souvenir from the first big league battle he got to watch in person. It's far too small for him to wear, but it holds many joyous memories.
-A book about wild berries and herbs.
-A long coil of rope.
-A small kit with toiletries, although some things will have to be re-stocked as they run out.
-A pair of black fingerless gloves, which he doesn't often wear but keeps in case they're needed.
-Several rubbery-plastic utensils and a medium sized skillet, which is normally tucked beneath the sleeping bag. The handle is removable, and can be reattached by screwing it in.
-Two water bottles, one strapped on each side of his bag for easy access and to conserve space inside.
-A box of matches.

 

[Hecotoro]

Ron looked at the image of Hilda again on the phone before putting it away and looking around. He pretty much knew what she would look like, but some people liked to use filters on their pictures, making it hard to recognize them in real life. For example when Ron's friend, Benard Affleck, thought he was making out with a girl dressed like Wonder Woman. In his defense though, he did look a lot like a girl in his Pikagram. They made fun of him for weeks until he revealed they had started dating and they moved in together in Blackthorn city. It had been a nice wedding, despite them being so young.

Ron was beginning to laugh at the good memories when he saw a girl that looked very much like Hilda and had a strong early Taylor Swift vibe. He raised his hand to wave hello but she walked in to the Pokemon Center. Ron groaned as he figured he would have to enter the packed building and probably have to search for the girl, although her outfit was probably easy to spot. With a loud sigh Ron head into the Pokemon Center, Furia following closely, not trusting any of the people around them. He looked around, searching within the crowd for the cowboy hat he saw the girl wearing. He noticed a cute girl wearing a happy punk outfit, long blonde hair and would probably would sing something like "I don't like your girlfriend", but he needed to focus and kept searching for Hilda. Finally he saw her up ahead.

"Yo." Ron said as he approached Hilda. "I'm Ron, saw you come inside." He looked down at his Cyndaquil. "This is Furia, she's a Cyndaquil." He stated the obvious, "So you really wanna team up? I don't have any other team members at the moment though."

 

[OmnipotentOnion]

The bright rays of the late morning sun peeked through the blinds of Kyran's window as he was gently stirred awake by the sounds of nature outside his home. Drowsily rubbing his eyes in a state of half-consciousness, the teen scooted his way into a slouched lean against the wall next to his bed and inhaled deeply. It was a perfect morning; as Kyran stretched and basked in the warmth of the sun and the gentle breeze of the A/C, he let out an exhale of content, closing his eyes and smiling in satisfa--

THUNK

"..hnngWHUH--"

The sudden impact of an unknown object crashing into the side of his head caused Kyran to recoil sharply, and he slammed the back of his head against the wall behind him. Crumpling back into a fetal position on his bed with a pained groan, he could do nothing but whimper softly as his older sister's sharp voice cut through the tranquility. As he struggled to see through the tears blurring his vision, Kyran could barely make out the outline of a small parcel sitting right in front of him.

"A package for you arrived 3 hours ago; you gotta stop waking up so late," Karice reprimanded, her voice dull yet cutting as she said no more and left the room.

Package? As Kyran gingerly rubbed the back of his head, he sat upright--definitely fully awake at this point--and took the parcel into his hands, examining it briefly before tearing it open.

Right, it was probably that. Feeling a card-like object as he dug into the package, Kyran pulled it out and inspected it, a smile pulling at his corners. His new Trainer ID for the United Pokemon League had also come with a folded piece of paper, the contents of which read a letter of congratulations, and after another delighted scan of his card, Kyran quickly reached for his Poketch and accessed the United League app to begin completing his next steps. After quickly tapping away at the screen to enter his identification number, however, the trainer's glowing demeanor quickly began to dim, and his smile contorted into a shocked frown.

The forums had been quite active, with other fellow Bronze League trainers making small talk (or big talk, considering the messages pertaining to the region selection); Kyran's eyes darted frantically from thread to announcement to thread as he soon realized that most of the action had already begun without him. The region had already been decided, and though Kyran benefited from the Bronze League taking place in his home region, further venturing into the competitor posted threads revealed that people were already forming teams.

Now exhaling a stressed sigh, Kyran waved a mental white flag and started a new post in the Bronze League forum, typing away silently and in shame.

Hey all, I'm Kyran Kang; I guess I showed up pretty late, so better now than never, huh? I'm also looking for a group to travel with here in Sinnoh, so if anyone wouldn't mind having a tagalong who enjoys battling, I'd appreciate any opportunity to spend time with other trainers in the League. Feel free to reply here or shoot me a PM if any of you are interested, cheers

With that taken care of, Kyran muttered a quiet prayer to any god that might listen and tapped on the tab labeled "Pokemon Project", scrolling through the list of Pokemon that appeared. Luckily, the still vast selection of Pokemon available was enough to slightly ease Kyran's stress of failing to handle things earlier, and after a few more flicks of his finger, his eyes rested on a starter that quickly caught his attention.

"....this little guy, huh? Sounds interesting enough."

With his mind quickly made up (best not to waste anymore time, he decided), Kyran sucked in a breath and tapped "Confirm selection".

Sandshrew (Alolan Form): the Mouse Pokemon.

 

[Malcolm102]

Mahogany Town, Jotho July 1st

Andy would just have finished up his 18th birthday, the usual presents, cake, and song being sung. Now that left Andy waiting for a package that was meant to be delivered and hadn't arrived yet. Two minutes later the doorbell rings. Andy heading to the door to sign and take the package. The package itself is rather plain with the contents being one singular pokeball, 5000 pokeyen, and a pokephone. The pokemon within the pokeballl would be obvious as he had sent in his application with a request for this starter.

Letting out the pokemon. Andy would be met with a very familiar blue mouse who would be bouncing lightly in place as she appears with a soft squeak. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you Aquamarine," he smiles looking out to the rest of Mahogany Town for a bit, his mind flashing back for a second to meeting her on the beach that long time ago. A squirt of water brings him back to reality for now, "Eh, eager aren't you?" he chuckles looking to place her on his left shoulder before looking to the pokephone for a moment and powering it on which immediately gets some disclaimer that he would glaze over as well as the guidelines for the Bronze League he had signed up for.

With that, it was time to officially get going, "Bye mom and Dad" he would say turning to them.

"You have fun but make sure you came back safely," Bob says while Martha waves them off, Andy heading to purchase a plane ticket to fly over to Sinnoh. Within a few hours, the two would be high in the skies of Johto heading to Sinnoh and the start of a new adventure.

Inventory- 5000pokeyen

 

[MegaAbsol]

Today, the moon shines especially bright… Breaths quickened and his eyes darted about, in desperate purchase around the room. I hate it, I hate this night. I want to breathe, I want to wake up, I hate this dream. Bump, bump, bump, went his heart deep in his chest, beating rapidly to the rhythm of his flailing appendages as he tried to slow himself down. He struggled, but it was all ocean with no floor. Help me, I’m falling, being swallowed by this lunatic night. Trapped, unable to get a grip on himself. Why was it so dark? Was this blood or tears? He couldn’t really tell. Could they hear him, his heartbeat calling out to them; within this childish madness, the one who relied on them for salvation? Feathers fell like snow, like snow that fell apart little by little. Fell apart like dry flower petals. Help me, I need your help, save me before I fall.

---

I hate this night… I want to breathe…

I want to wake up, I hate this dream.


“Come now, hurry up or you’re going to miss the whole thing!” Clara scolded, leading (read, dragging) a grinning Mari by the hand to the interiors of the establishment. The building had certainly been eye-catching even amidst the overwhelmingly populated town for Mari, a giant among men, and the explanation of why was revealed as they passed through the swinging blue doors.

The part of the building visible to the newcomer as you enter the sliding glass door was only a small section of it; for here was where the remaining expanse of land went. And how it bustled with activity! The floor was carpeted and sections of it were cordoned off in tiny playpens and littered with various colourful items. The walls were painted bright, playful colours and one wall to the far right sported a suspiciously black stain, one that a lady was frantically trying to wipe off. And easily the most surprising factor of it all – Pokemon! Tens or maybe hundreds of pokemon wandered the room, either engaged in their own activities or interacting with the many people scattered around the room, likewise also busy in their own duties and responsibilities. One man seemed to be crouched over a Vulpix, swabbing inside the little fox’s mouth. Another lady was in the corner, arms spread wide over a cowering Meditite. As soon as the little pokemon made a dash for it, the lady, evidently a seasoned veteran in pokemon wrangling, lunged and scooped up the flailing baby pokemon. Still protesting, the Meditite was carted off to the front desk, where in a flurry of experienced hands it was given some medication (eye drops? She couldn’t even see, they were too fast) and then let loose, following which it promptly ran back to the same corner and proceeded to sulk.

Several pokemon noticed the entrance of Clara and Mari and approached excitedly to greet the faces, familiar and new alike. A bird flapped over, white in body with a bright orange beak, blue stripes on its wings flashing as it neared raucously, cawing the whole way for food, attention, or both. A curious metallic-blue… thing, floated over as well, ominously silent in contrast to the obnoxious gull. A little brightly-coloured fuzzball, also screeching flew by closely – oh! Mari didn’t recognize it at first but she knew what this one was! It was a Woobat! There were plenty of them back at home but this one looked so fluffy and well-kept in comparison that it was practically unrecognizable at first glance. Mari stood there wide-eyed, blinking at the wide variety of pokemon that milled around Clara, who cooed and greeted them all one by one, allowing a large red crab to grasp her skirt in its claws and picking up a small Machop in her arms – yet another pokemon Mari could barely recognize owing to its well-maintained physique and the sheer friendliness it showed. Why, the way there was no hint of aggression was enough to paint it as a completely different species in Mari’s book. Or at best, an outlier from the norm, one that certainly wouldn’t survive long in the wild the way it was.

As Clara stepped away from the throng, followed by a solitary… candle looking one, she beckoned for Mari to follow. The starstruck girl obeyed, still open-mouthed about the sheer scale of their operations. “And this, dear, is our back-end server. Most people never really need to come in here, now that we’ve shifted all our work online, so everyone just avails of it all in the comfort of their homes. Quite a marvel, technology…” Clara mused with a smile, sidestepping a fluttering mess of wings and feathers, allowing the red and gray avian creature to come to a bouncing halt on the carpet. The young girl paused to look at the dazed bird – yet another pokemon unfamiliar to her – and watched it for a couple of minutes, as it got back to its feet, unhurt, shook itself off and resumed evidently learning how to fly. “Ah, that one, yes, that Fletchling is rather young. Recently hatched, born here in the facility. A fairly popular pick for trainers, actually. Powerful fliers like Talonflame are always in demand,” Clara piped up, gently moving aside a lounging bug with proportionally giant pincers, which obligingly rolled off the table and fell to the floor. It didn’t even seem to mind, and in the same casual nature, rolled off somewhere without taking the effort to stand. Were… were every pokemon this easy going here?

Apparently not. She must have jinxed it or something, because suddenly a ruckus broke out behind her. As she turned to look, a blast of heat hit her face and forced her to scrunch her eyes closed. It was the Vulpix from before – or perhaps a different one? There were certainly more than one roaming around, but this one wasn’t as sleek as the one that had come up to Clara, now that she took a closer look. This one looked more suited to survival in the wild, fur awry and claws sharp, tail tousled and form perfectly in a battle stance as it faced off a hissing… sea creature, she presumed. She’d never seen that pokemon before, a smooth bodied slug-like beast, with a singular giant claw and some whisker-like antenna waving about threateningly. Men and women jumped in immediately to break up the fight as other pokemon watched on, some warily and some as though they were itching for a fight. Others still barely looked up from their meal, while some cowered back in fear and apprehension. One particularly fragile little bipedal pokemon tipped over into a dead faint.

Mari forced her wandering eyes back to the scene of interest, where the bristling little wild beast was barking and snapping at the blue crustacean, who shook its claw threateningly. “Ah, that one. Yes, that Vulpix is a recent addition. Difficult to work with, still on edge from the incident and won’t settle down,” Clara sighed, picking up a form from the table for Mari. “Wot? Wot… inciden’?” Clara looked at her sympathetically, also swiping a pen and walking away towards the centre of the room. Mari hesitated, and then followed.

“Well, you see, Mari, this is a Pokemon shelter, of sorts. It’s where nearly every rescued, newborn or… failed pokemon encounter end up. For whatever reason, these young mons,” Clara paused to pet a nearby red bipedal, who had also taken to grab her skirt, and had a very fancy hair-do, “have almost definitely had prior contact with a human. And were deemed… unwanted. These are abandoned pokemon.” She paused to bite her lip, looking up hesitantly at the young girl.

“Abandoned…?” The teenager whispered, eyes wandering but glazed, mind racing but offering only the single, simple clear picture of The Darkest Day, as one by one, each domesticated pokemon broke free of the shackles of ownership… and abandoned them all as they left. Loneliness is hardly new to the little clan; Jacket had been abandoned for years, after all, had he not? Surrounded by people and yet so, so lonely.


I’m trapped, it’s dark. Why is it so dark?

…I don’t want to be lonely. Please, help me, save me.


Why is it so dark when you’re not here? Can you hear my heartbeat? It calls out to you on its own. Please, come find me. The tiny, frightened bird’s eyes darted this way and that, taking in the bright lights, warm smell and the overwhelming presence of pokemon. Most of them seemed just like him, young, frightened pokemon stripped bare of their natural tendencies, either cowering and wishing as ardently to return to a life of normalcy as he did, or slowly crawling out of their shells and exploring around, making friends. Friends… friends… where were his friends? His… siblings? Did he have any? All he remembered was the night, rushing past in a flurry as nature took hold of his fragile life. The force of the leaves against his face, the bite of the night deep into his bones. The silence that pervaded, as though all around him held their breath, to see if Nature would spare one so young. Yes, that’s right, silence. Silence was all he remembered. The moon shone more than usual, vacant room in his memories. Swallowed by this lunatic night, in this darkness, you shine so bright…


Encouraged by Clara and a few more waitstaff, Mari had taken a seat at the centre of the room, waiting patiently to find her partner. A few pokemon came up to her curiously, including the rowdy Vulpix from earlier, and emboldened by her cheeky grin at it, it came right up to her, paws on her legs and muzzle challengingly thrust right in her face. “Aw, push off, ya runt. Ain’t n’un to pick a’ faight wif’ ‘ere,” Mari chuckled through gritted teeth, roughly running her fingers through the Vulpix’s tufts of fur and behind its ears, and pushed it off of her. The vulpine gave a few delighted barks and ran off to the next shiny thing, complacent in the same understanding that the two reached in their brief interaction – they were too alike. Not enough time to wax philosophical on the epiphany, here came along a new contender. “Wail! Why, Pappy woodve been trilled ta know they got pigs round’in ‘ere! That’s a mighty fine swine-“ Hardly had Mari finished than the ‘mighty fine swine’ did a hard pass and pointedly wandered off to greener pastures. Rude.

“Heh, they’ve all got their own distinct personalities, haven’t they?” Clara offered weakly, swiftly checking a beeping pager at her waist and scooping up the heifer. “Eh? Where’n ya takin’ ‘er?” The girl quizzically tilted her head, watching the older lady walk to the desk and withdraw the hog into a pokeball. “Well, it’s her lucky day! She got chosen! Some trainer wants to travel with her! Hope they get along well,” The people at the desk smiled encouragingly at her and the pokeball because she set it down on a glowing panel… and it simply disappeared.

“Whu- where’d’n int go? Whe-“ She sharply gasped, breath caught in her chest. Jacket. Or what he looked like, years ago atleast. A tiny shambling grey mound, with all the young innocence of a pokemon untainted by the cruelty of man. But before she could say anything, it too was cruelly snatched away by fate. Withdrawn into a pokeball and sent off into space and time, with all the crisp swiftness of yet another day, yet another delivery. And now that she noticed it, she saw that pokemon were disappearing at a rapid rate, and every so often an employee would wheel in a new batch of pokeballs and cages full of pokemon. Some pokemon were barely even released out of their confines before they were snatched up by thousands of Bronze League aspirants, just like her. She had been told that this wasn’t the only floor the pokemon were kept in, to allow each pokemon sufficient space, but this was certainly an office building through and through, and even in the back-end there always seemed to be some work left to do.

“It’s not always this bad. The rage just picks up every six months or so, whenever a new League starts,” Someone piped up, their words being met with sagely nods and one man lay his hand on a sleeping brown cub on the counter. “I think Little Red here is our oldest one up for adoption. He’s been here… what, four months now?” He looked around and was met once again with confirming nods, and without opening his eyes, Little Red flicked an ear and swished his tail affectionately around the man’s arm. But Mari had no eyes for Little Red, her gaze was darting around searching frantically for the pokemon she knew was gone already. Maybe… maybe it was still ar-

“Tha’- tha’ pokemon, who was it?” She asked, urgently tugging on Clara’s sleeve. “What? Which poke-“ “Th’ one wif’ metal plates an’ like grey armour like- like a jacket!” Her tone grew insistent, and as though in response, something in her bag beeped helpfully, as though asking for attention. “Oh, I didn’t see, but looks like your Pokedex did.” Clara chirped, mirroring the Dex’s cheery demeanour, and held the bag’s mouth open as she rummaged inside and brought out the sleek gray device. It flipped open on its own and lit up, showing the picture of… the pokemon she had seen.

“Aron, the Iron Armour pokemon”

It flashed, beeping out the data in a mechanical voice. Mari blinked once or twice, trying to adjust to the overwhelmingly busy screen, as reams of data scrolled past in an instant, but one thing was unmistakeable – the image of the “Aron” on the screen. The girl hesitated, and tapped on the image, which then reeled back out to show its evolutionary line; there he was. Jacket. This little Aron thing evolved into… “Eh… Ehg..rawn. Ehgrawn? Thas’ what Jacket is?” She awkwardly let the word roll about in her mouth for a bit.

“Ah, close enough. Aron evolves into Aggron. My, your, um, Jacket must be a big strong pokemon,” Clara smiled, peeking over Mari’s shoulder to look into the dex. The three pokemon of the evolutionary line looked back at her until the girl snapped it shut and tossed it into her bag with a resigned gesture. “Aye… aye… he were real strong. He were there fo’ us durin’… the day, y’know,” She gestured again, this time vaguely, “Th’ day it awl wen’ down. He were there fo’ us. But… We….”



Why does Arceus… make us so lonely? The little Hoothoot quivered, nervously shifting from one foot to the other. Deep in his bones, he felt the stirrings of a habit long lost… what time was it? He wanted to cry out, as he did back at home. Home… he glanced down, claws sinking into the velvety rug. He wanted to go home. Where was home? How could he get back? He could fly. He had wings. But… he can’t fly. What good are these wings… if they can’t guide me home? A fresh wave of fear and sorrow drowned out his thoughts. Home. No good. Lost. Don’t know. Alone. Scared. Don’t know. Don’t know. Don’t know.

Anger was an easier mask to wear than fear. The little bird lashed out, striking his own wing against the closest wall before fiercely biting on it and ripping out feathers. No good, no good! He was lost and alone and scared and- his angry little rampage cause other baby pokemon to jump out of his way left and right until- a dark shadow descended over him, and held him still with strong but firm hands. The murmur of voices, unlike pokemon… yes, voices, like those that he had once heard. Heard on a moonlit night. The night he fell from home, the night he was lost and cold and lonely. The night he was afraid-

“Ya’re afraid, ain’tcha?” A voice spoke, a rough but young voice, and the bird thrashed harder, trying to get loose. It was in vain, the hands held steady; practiced and accurate. “Settle dawn b’for aye pluck oot de rest o’ ye fetters,” The voice spoke again, louder this time, more assertive. More dangerous. The Hoothoot stopped immediately, falling limp in her hands, as though accepting his imminent death. Or perhaps… fearful of it too? ‘Do what you must’, spake the brave façade he wore over his quivering core. Shame Mari couldn’t read.

“Lil handful, ain’tcha. I like it, ya got spirit,” Mari paused, sitting down and loosening her grip on the owl. She’d never seen its likes before, but what she could recognize nearly immediately… was the fear it reeked of. Fear manifested in many forms, pokemon cowered in corners or nervously wet themselves or ran hither and thither to find a way to escape, a way out. But this one.. “Yer scared, and ye want ta scream, don’tcha?”

The bird trembled, feeling her coarse hand pass over his feathers, now gentle, while losing none of its firm strength. “Yer scared and ye dinnae know wha’ ta do an’ ye jus’ wanna scream and scream,” The voice went on, settling into a calming rhythmic rasp, “An’ ye got nawhere t’ go an’ nawhere to jus’- curl up and cry,”

“An’ ye miss yer family terribly and ye wonder how they doin’ without ya and if they miss ya as much as ya miss ‘em. Ya wonder what ye’r gunna do withou’ em. Alone. Afraid. Lonely.” The girl mused on and on, and the pokemon chanced a peek at her, emboldened by the hand that continually descended upon him but inflicted no hurt. Those hands… human hands grabbed and twisted and pinched and hurt. But these ones passed and came and went with no harm. In fact… it felt good. To be held, to be soothed. The warmth… reminded him of home. “Lonely, an’ knowin’ ya got en whol’ life ahead without ‘em. Knowin’… that the laife ya gotta leave behin’ is your very first death.”

To not see familiar faces, to not hear their comforting cries anymore… to never feel their warmth, or a kind touch… If Hoothoot could have cried, he would have, but as it stood, he simply buried his face into the girl’s shirt and stood still. Mourning. Knowing loss and fear and anger and sadness and enveloping darkness and knowing he would have to face it all alone from now. His body threatened to shiver and break, shatter into a million different pieces, unable to get a grip on itself.

No. Not alone. In this pitch darkness, she shone so bright. His sorrow, held only by hands, their warmth so, so comforting.

-

To be a black swan, figuratively, is a great privilege, and a great burden. It means to be the first of its species. Centuries ago when the first black swan was found, it was a matter of great debate. No one had ever seen before, and their existence was unheard of, much less seen. An unexpected surprise that no one saw possible. The first of its kind. The burden comes from the fear of ridicule, the fear of sticking out, of being different. Unknown, misunderstood, unnatural. But the privilege… oh, the privilege when the restraint of expectation falls away. The freedom to disregard all fears, the freedom to become what you wish and choose what you want, to set the path ahead for the rest to come. For none have existed before you, and perhaps none ever will. But all you know is you are alive and your heart beats as true as any other, black or white. To embrace who you are and find your own path.

An unexpected surprise that no one saw possible.

-

Heartbeat racing in his ears, bump, bump, bump; rapidly to the beat of his quickened breath, as he looked down at the girl, arms outstretched. He remembered this feeling, falling. Wings flailing uselessly as they struggled, but it was no use, it was all ocean with no floor. Feathers falling like snow, snow that fell apart little by little, like little specks of dust- Into the maw, he had to jump, jump, jump-!!

“Come awn, Aves! Ya can deo et! Com’awn! I’ll catch ya!”

Squeezing his eyes shut, he leaped, wings outstretched to catch the wind. Every moment becomes eternity; darker, yes I think it’s getting darker. Those hands that I chose to trust… No, just let go of me. Let my own feet carry me. But for now, for today… save me. Save me, I need your help, save me before I fall-!

“Hehe, gotcha! Told ya’ I’d catch ya, dinnae I? Good jawb, kid, reckon ya did well, now what-do say we ge’ some nosh? I hear’ we gots some real nice taters ken on the maenew…”


This road may be long and hard…


“Aye, pappy’s gunna be real ‘appy to read it, tae! Aye, o’course, an’ dun forget tah mention tha’ weird roun’ furreh thin’ we sae! Aye, th’ real mean-lookin’ feral ‘un! That’un were a real varmint, it were! All gray an’ tough-lookin’. Oh! Oh! An’ that bloo feller tae! Aye, th’un that looken like a whole-ass person’n ‘e turned oot ta be a Pokemon!” Mari briefly paused to burst into peals of laughter, holding her stomach and gripping the table to prevent herself from falling off. Clara smiled sympathetically, not understanding a single word of what she was saying but dutifully noting it all down anyway. The letter was held steady in her practiced hand, and she continued writing steadily as the girl yapped on excitedly. “Ay! An’ tha’un too, the lil feller who were’n ‘ot his knickers in’an twist. Aye, the lil snake-bellied ‘un, aye. Th’un with a real loong yapper an’ had teef ‘alf a mile lawng. Aye, looked like ‘e used to could bite en whole car righ’ en half! Oh! An’ ken forge’ tha’ nag neither! Why, tha lil brat really tho’ the sun came up to hear ‘er crow! Aye, aye, en we gotta pu’in a pickchure o’ Avery ‘ere too! Gotta show Pappy who’s comin’ along wit’me, nae? Hehe, maybe we’ll pu’in a foo’prin’ o’yers, aye, an’ mebbe Clara ‘ere gun shou us ho’tae put in a pickchure proper’, eh?”


But will you walk it with me?


She remembered back then, the days of her teens, the days they burned up when they couldn’t see an inch in front of their faces. Oh, they laughed, they cried, and life seemed so much simpler and that it would all be okay. Those days now, those moments had become memories, and here she was, cradling pieces of her heart, holding herself together as tightly as she could. Her wandering feet stuck in a rut; sinking slowly, in a trance, into an ocean with all light silenced. The fear of falling apart, the fear of being forgotten, the fear of losing her way… deeper, yeah I think it’s getting deeper. There was no helping hand to embrace her pain now, she just kept losing focus. No, just let me go. Let my own feet carry me. The gentle beat of wings in the night caused her to crack her eyes open, and she felt the gentle weight of a familiar creature land on her. Blindly, she reached out with a curious hand, and she felt the touch of warm feathers, of a familiar, comforting rise and fall of a tiny chest, so small, yet so strong. Without repulsion, the warm living creature accepted her, and she felt flush with courage and silent cheers. The sounds of the night, the glint of the stars; through the little owl, she could hear the gentle thrum of the world, to the beat of his heart, keep track of every passing second, every excruciating moment that had become a memory and every moment yet to come. Like clockwork, his heart ticked away, little mechanical beats thrummed inside the softly breathing creature. She closed her eyes, hearing the calls of critters out in the wild, hearing the gentle tinkle of glassware downstairs, hearing voices from afar, muted dialogue and the crinkling of paper. The bubble of the brook further down the wilderness, the patch of forest he so loved; the stream dipped and weaved into dark secrets of pool and cascade, and by the time it reached the workings of the city, it turned into a quiet, well-conducted little stream. She idly turned to gaze out her window, her view now specked with nodding, slender birches, greened over by a tangle of vines. She closed her eyes, and she could almost sense the air, sweet with the breath of the many pine trees that sloped away into the horizon mists of her village, and she knew Avery could see it too. In the half daylight they used to receive, birds used to sing as though it were the only day of summer in all their lives, and in her minds eye, she could see amber-hued belt of rock dunes shut in from the crystal white mountains beyond. The lake they frequented would have been a glory of many shifting hues a little later down the year – a most spiritual shading of crocus and rose and ethereal green, with other elusive tintings for which no name has ever been found. She reached into Avery’s memories, and found one such place dear to him as well; he offered the thought up willingly, and together they sat silently as though to not break the veil of exploration they shared. Above the bridge the pond ran up into fringing groves of fir and maple and lay all darkly translucent in their wavering shadows. Here and there a wild plum leaned out from the bank like a white-clad girl tip-toeing to her own reflection. From the marsh at the head of the pond came the clear, mournfully-sweet chorus of the frogs. With a sigh of rapture, Mari released a breath, suddenly not feeling so lonely anymore. Avery sat silently for a moment, before offering yet another memory to share, to bask in together and to admire. They were on the crest of a hill. The sun had set some time since, but the landscape was still clear in the mellow afterlight. To the west a dark church spire rose up against a marigold sky. Below was a little valley and beyond a long, gently-rising slope with snug farmsteads scattered along it. From one to another the child’s eyes darted, eager and wistful, watched over carefully by her avian companion. At last they lingered on one away to the left, far back from the road, dimly white with blossoming trees in the twilight of the surrounding woods. Over it, in the stainless southwest sky, a great crystal-white star was shining like a lamp of guidance and promise.

Deeper, yeah I think I’m going deeper. Just let me go, let my own feet carry me. Mari reached out and pulled the owl closer again and together they sat there, without repulsion, each accepted the other. So they sat, to greet the morning together. Let me go, let my own feet carry me. I’ll go in myself… and in the deepest depths, I saw myself. Wild waves, moments and memories, even if you pass me by, I’ll never get dragged away again. My heartbeat calls out to you at it’s own will. In this pitch black darkness, you shine so bright. But eyes wide open in the forest, I wanted to shout, I wanted to scream with ferocity. Nothing can devour me, because when I think of you, the sun comes out. Inside, in the deepest depths, I saw myself, I saw myself.


We may fall, and sometimes get hurt…


All of this is no coincidence, Avery thought, sitting and watching Mari struggle with her Pokedex (“gosh darn hot diggity goddamn piece of sh-“) If everything since the creation of the universe is predestined, then this is no coincidence. He could feel it. The world was different from yesterday, just from her joy. Is happiness meant to be? Did the universe move for them, without missing a single thing? Everytime he wanted to give up, she was there, by his side, saying ‘bastard, you can really do it’. Yeah… yeah he remembered back then, when he was fed up and lost. When he fell prey to despair, when he pushed her away. When he resented meeting her, she was firmly by his side. She didn’t have to say anything, she was there; without repulsion, she accepted him. All of this must be the providence of the universe, it has to be. As much as his heart glowed with warmth, he was worried; does the universe grow jealous of others’ happiness? Is happiness meant to be? But when he felt the warm touch of her gentle hand, he knew, he knew. She would hold him, so he wouldn’t be afraid anymore. If she was together with him, he could smile. Will you walk with me? Will you fly with me? I can feel the warmth of the hand that gently holds me. Please, feel me too, you’re not alone. I wish I could thank you, for letting me be me. For giving me wings, for helping me fly. For straightening the me who was wrinkled, for ironing them all out, for waking me from being suffocated, for waking me from a dream which was all I was living in. When I think of you, the sun comes out. I wish I could thank you.


But will you stay with me?


Thank you, for letting ‘me’ be ‘us’.

 

[OmnipotentOnion]

Within a few minutes after Kyran had made his starter selection, his Poketch chimed with a notification from the United Pokemon League app. Apparently, his selection had been processed, and his Pokemon would be delivered within the hour. Taking a deep breath, Kyran jumped out of bed and made a beeline for the bathroom, getting ready and preparing himself physically and mentally. After washing up, he quickly dressed into a simple tee and jeans and headed downstairs into the living room. His sister was now laying on the couch, watching what seemed like a rather intense Pokemon Battle, and after scarfing down a granola bar, Kyran walked up behind the couch to tune in as well.

"Got your Trainer ID?"

"Uh, yeah; did all the registration stuff, too."

"Picked a starter?"

"Sandshrew. Alolan, which is pretty cool. He'll be here in about an hour."

"You sure you're ready?"

"...I hope so."

"Can't just hope. Not with something like this."

".....Yeah. I know."

- - -​

The two had continued to watch in silence—aside from the occasional crunch of an apple—and when the hour had finally elapsed, there came a knocking at the door, followed by a voice.

“Delivery for a Mr. Kyran Kang?”

Kyran stood up straight and immediately started for the front door, while Karice promptly got up from the couch and went upstairs to her room, leaving the boy with only a curt “good luck”. Kyran opened the door to greet the delivery man, accepting the container from him with a smile.

“If you’d just sign here….. alright, thank you! Take care—oh! And do be careful. I must say, that Alolan Sandshrew's quite the energetic and spirited one; it's turned away a number of trainers before they could even establish a Synchronization Bond.”

Kyran paused briefly before nodding in gratitude, and he sent the man off before making his way to the living room couch. Energetic and spirited, huh? As he carefully set the container down onto the table, the teen took a deep breath before pushing a button, unlocking the container and causing it to open with a click and soft hiss.

Looking eagerly into the box as the lid opened slowly, Kyran could barely keep his legs and arms from shaking with excitement, but once he could see the contents of the container, it only grew. Though he could make out the distinct red and white coloring and spherical shape of a Pokeball, it seemed to be obscured in some sort of mist, and upon Kyran's opening of the box, a sudden chill had begun to emanate around it. He had done his research on his soon-to-be partner Pokemon, and he recalled his fascination upon discovering that an Alolan Sandshrew was an Ice and Steel-type, in stark contrast to its more well known Ground-type form.

As he reached into the container to pick the capsule up, the slightest waves of discomfort began to stir in the back of Kyran's mind, but in his excitement, he carried on, ignoring the pain that had seemingly begun to intensify. Finally, Kyran gingerly took hold of the Pokeball, cradling it in his hand as he felt the cold begin to permeate throughout his body.

In that moment, Kyran fully felt.... well, everything. Following the frigid, seemingly living energy coursing from the Pokeball came a now searing pain, and Kyran sucked in a deep breath, clenching his teeth through the pounding in his head. It didn't take long at all for Kyran to also realize that, despite there being no one else in the room, he was being watched. And with palpable intensity.

Straining his neck through the cold and pain, the teen stared at the Pokeball he held, and immediately after his eyes rested on the capsule, another wave resonated through him, shaking his entire being. Sweat ran down his face as he gasped for air, but though his chest heaved and his limbs shook, a bright grin began to tug at his lips.

...Sandshrew? Can you hear me?

Attempting to initiate first contact, Kyran asked a single thought, hoping that the Pokemon he now held could hear his voice and respond. Immediately, his head was filled with a rush of thoughts, his heart swelling with a rush of emotions, and his body now bearing the weight of another. A voice, like that of a child yet burning with intensity and excitement, then rang in his head, and the owner of the voice soon made his intentions perfectly clear.

Are you strong?

Despite the pain coursing through and rattling his body, as well as the tears welling in his eyes, Kyran couldn't help but let out a chuckle, and with great effort, he held the Pokeball with both hands as he replied.

I'll be as strong as you need me to be. And then, we'll get even stronger together.

...Thank you.

Finally, after what felt like hours, the waves of pain began to subside, allowing Kyran to breathe in as much air as he needed, and the harsh cold from earlier was now gentle as the mist cleared. Once he had regained his bearings, the teen stood up shakily, relying on the couch to stand as he continued to stare at the Pokeball. After a few more moments of silence, Kyran smiled and activated the capsule, pointing it away from him as it began to open, releasing a bright blue light that began to morph into a silhouette.

"It's nice to meet you..... 'Frost'."

 

[Alternate_Mystery]

July 1st, Sunyshore City

Spoiler: Ivory’s Inventory

5000 Cash
First-Aid Kit
Map of Sinnoh
Backup Clothes
Package of Sandwiches
Water Canteen
Pokénav

“Hey, Ive, we’re here. You dozed off for a bit.”

Ivory blinked her heavy eyes open, and realised where she was. It had taken a fair while, but she, Flex and her mother were nestled in the bustling port town of Sunyshore City. It felt incredible to have arrived in such a large place where this journey of hers would begin. They were landed on the sand at the north point of the city, and the Gym could be faintly seen atop the rocky hills ahead.

The young Treecko seemed to be entranced by the scent of the sea breeze, but he was brought back to reality when his trainer gave him a light tap on his back as she dismounted the loyal Altaria who played a huge part in getting here. Seeing his trainer start to leave, Flex panicked and hopped down onto her head.

“T-TRE! (H-HEY! Don’t leave without me…)”
“Aw, don’t worry about it. I wasn’t gonna leave you behind anyways.”

Ivory giggled a bit as the little wood gecko hissed a bit at the reply. She knew that disagreements were bound to happen, and some would probably be a lot worse then this. But that’s just how life seems to work, and that was okay for the young teen.

As she and her partner began walking down the road to the Pokemon Centre, they heard a cheerful cry as wings flapped away, meaning there was no way out now. They were in this league whether they liked it or not. Flex shivered a tad, but Ivory stopped midway as she typed something down on her team’s forum before picking up pace again.

Hey there team! Currently in Sunyshore City if that location works for you guys, omw to the Pokémon Centre as I’m typing. Hope to see you there. ;p

 

[JadeStar]

*** July 1st, Sunyshore ***

Akane smiled widely while looking around the new city she had arrived in. Michi was actively running around her, very excited to be starting the new journey in Sinnoh. To make sure they never forgot the feelings they currently had, Akane picked up Michi and took a quick selfie with her. They both stuck their tongue out playfully while hiding from the sun under Akane's big white hat, something she bought on the last minute before leaving Vermillion.

Both girls walked down the city, snapping pictures of people and Pokemon as they passed by. Her phone showed she had just received a message from one of her teammates, someone she had met on the forum. Meeting at the Pokemon Center had been the best idea and Akane could just not remember why they had chosen Sunnyshore, but rest assure, they were going to have fun no matter where they began. Soon they finally saw the Pokemon Center up ahead, where some trainers were already gathered.

Within the crowd she spotted Ivory, recognizing her from her profile picture, "Ivory!" Akane called out as she ran over to the young trainer.

Michi seemed just as excited, she began to run circles around Ivory and her Pokemon. Akane caught her breath and stretched out her hand towards her new teammate.

"I'm Akane, nice to meet you! Oh and that little one running around is Michi, my partner."

The red head could not help but also notice a Cubchoo and his trainer close by, the two seemed odd but the Pokemon was too adorable to pass up the opportunity to take a picture of it. Click! She snapped a quick shot of the two before turning her attention quickly back to Ivory.

Spoiler: Akane's Bag

5000$
Camera
Sketchbook
Tablet
*Camping materials*
Change of clothes
A photo of Blue shirtless

 

[Clite of Dragonbow]

Spoiler: Bag of Shiro

Sketchbook and Notebook
Moneeeey
Change of clothes
Glacier Scarf

Glacier looked by the window, while Shiro was simply waiting for rest of the team, suddenly shiro seemed overexcited. "What happend?" he asked his pokemon and looked outside to see two girls. They seemed like the ones he was supposed to team up with. Well, they would come to him as they enter pokemon center.

But Glacier wasn't as patient and ran up to them.

"Cub-choo, choo, chooo!" Cubchoo cry sounded in entire city and small pokemon fell at his face right in front of two trainers and barely hold its tears.

"Sorry!" said Shiro as he run down the mountain. "Glacier saw you on a street and got excited to see you" he explained then smiled. "My name is Shiro and this little clumsy bear is my partner, Glacier the Cubchoo.. You okay buddy?"
Cubchoo got up and wiped the dust out of him.
"Cub-choo!" He told his trainer, informing he is okay and Shiro picked him up.

 

[Alternate_Mystery]

July 1st, Sunyshore City

Spoiler: Inventory

5000 Cash
First-Aid Kit
Map of Sinnoh
Backup Clothes
Package of Sandwiches
Water Canteen
Pokénav

Well, it seemed like these two excited folk were most likely her teammates. Like, it was fine that they had just ran into her face, even with the slight scare it gave her. Besides, their energy would probably help out on this crazy journey of theirs, so she figured she might as well introduce herself properly.

“Right! Just to clarify for no reason in particular, the name’s Ivory! Hopefully a prize winning Coordinator in the making, heh…. anyways, this is my partner Flex. Picked him up yesterday at best.”

Despite getting as scared as Ivory was for a moment, the little Treecko nodded and sat up on his trainer’s shoulder, giving a small wave in the process. Unsurprisingly, he was a bit unnerved by the Cubchoo below him because, y’know, Ice being strong to Grass and all, not to mention that Flex could have SWORN a fire type was around too. Ivory quickly noticed the concern.

“Whoa, easy bud. We aren’t going into any battles with our teammates without permission, but training is a useful factor here if we want to make it big on the Contest scene. Besides, Sinnoh is THE region for Contests, if not Hoenn.”

That caused Flex to stop worrying for the most part, but he gave a bit of a look to that Cubchoo (most likely asking him not to try anything) before clambering onto Ivory’s mess of brown hair which earned him a small laugh from the girl.

 

[Retro Master]

June 28th, Iron Island

High up on a mountain in Iron Island, the sound of forceful thumping could be heard. There, punching away at a large and darkish rock like structure was a lone bipedal Pokémon. The little gray humanoid figure relentlessly struck the rock, grunting softly after each strike. It chipped away at the hard stone with small amounts of black debris trickling down following every hit. One would think a fighting type Pokémon would’ve been able to destroy any rock with ease, but this one was as hard as steel. The Pokémon wasn’t putting its own energy into the punches either, perhaps to avoid destroying it quickly with a fighting type move.

‘100 more punches. If I can’t do that, then 200 kicks. If not, then 300 head butts. Everyone else can destroy this with their bare hands. I have to get stronger. Whatever it takes.’

It was already starting to get late now and the young Pokémon knew it would probably be scolded for not returning back to their camp before the sky was coated in darkness. Yet, he still continued whittling away at the unusually tough stone. Well, tough rock like this wasn’t anything unusual on this island. The only thing strange would actually be the group consisting of Machop, Tyrogue, and the rest of their evolutionary line on an island inhabited by mostly steel types. With the limited knowledge this youngling possessed, it was difficult to even speculate how they had come to live on this island. What the Machop did know was that as fighting types, they were seen as threats to the steel types. This meant they had plenty of enemies on the island. Fortunately, they were able to establish some form of dominance over the other communities and it was all thanks to the powerful leader Machop looked up to.

‘I should head back now. Everyone already considers me to be the weakest and if I get attacked, that would just confirm it.’

With its shoulders slumping down, the Machop dropped his arms and turned to see the grand view of the ocean in the distance that had been tinted a burning red by the setting sun. The thin, wispy clouds were hard to find in the fierce and crimson sky even though the Machop was up on a mountain. No matter how high up the Machop was lifted, it felt like reaching to the clouds was impossible. If only he could raise himself to reach greater heights. Unfortunately, the Machop knew it wouldn’t be able to finish its routine once again today. The Pokémon knew better than to stay out late alone. After one final glance at the orange waves of the ocean colored by the dying light of the sun, the Machop decided it was time to leave. However, before it could take even more than two tiny steps, there was a loud rumble before the earth underneath it began to shake. Fear immediately crept up its spine and eventually into its large red eyes. The fear was not only for himself, but also for the rest of the tribe.

Without much hesitation, the Machop sprinted down the rocky mountain, going as fast as it’s little feet could take him. He nearly tripped on more than one occasion, but was more concerned about getting home than his own well-being. There was no time to navigate a safe path down. As the Machop drew closer to his destination, he could start to hear the war cries of multiple Pokémon. Machop was quick to assume that they had been assaulted yet again by one of rival groups on the island. It didn’t take long for this suspicion to be confirmed. Out of nowhere, the Machop rammed straight into a huge gray boulder, almost knocking himself out. Taking a step back, he noticed that there appeared to be a line of similar shaped boulders blocking the path for some reason. Seeing as there was no time to waste, the Machop gathered some energy and aimed to use a Karate Chop to split the rock in front of him. Unfortunately, that would turn out to be quite the mistake as not only did the chop barely leave a dent, but also all the rocks began to slowly start moving. They all seemed to connect as if part of a giant chain. It didn’t take long for the Machop to realize what the boulders were as most of them soon lifted up off the ground.

“I-I’m sorry ab-about that!”

Stuttering out of fear, the Machop cried out its apology to the huge rock snake Pokémon. Dark black eyes gazed down at its prey, as if it was about to pounce on the young Machop. Knowing that it would certainly meet an ugly demise if it remained paralyzed in fear, the Machop suddenly made a burst forward and cut to the left of the Onix as soon as the rocky Pokémon dove down. The Onix’s head plunged into the earth, it’s mouth only finding dirt. It was furious and quickly raised itself out, sending debris flying in all directions, before chasing after the fleeing Machop. It was so close to reaching the others, but the Onix was gaining on him quickly. Soon enough, a shadow began to creep over the Machop, indicating that the Onix was directly over it. The Machop turned slightly to see the gaping mouth of the Onix ready to consume him. Closing its eyes, the Machop prepared for its demise, but it never came. Instead, there was a loud bang and then a comforting warmth of arms around him.

“There you are my baby! We were so worried!”

The concerned voice of his mother caused the Machop to open its eyes to find itself ensnared in a tight hug by a Machoke. Looking to his left, he could see the downed Onix struggling to move away. His mother must’ve landed a good hit on the Onix for it to be damaged to be so much. Probably a fighting type move. In the near distance, Machop could see its fellow fighting types battling against a group of steel types like Magneton and Bronzor. The Machop felt so pathetic for how weak it was currently. He had to be saved yet again and was unable to assist its fellow fighting types against what was most definitely a planned assault on the group. The numbers advantage was definitely with the steel types. However, though they were only a small group of fighting types, they still managed to fend off the opposing forces quite well. Even the Bronzor, who the young Machop heard to be wary of for some reason, were being taken down. At this rate, it was only a matter of time before the fighting types reaffirmed their dominance.

“Everyone watch out!”

Out of nowhere, his mother shouted a warning. The Machop didn’t understand why since they were clearly gaining the upper hand. It was only when the earth shook and the ground beneath a fellow Machoke cave in, did the little Pokémon’s heart drop. Out from the ground erupted a colossal silvery serpentine pokemon. The Machoke was swallowed up in one bite as it’s wide jaw closed, showing only a set of large square teeth. Its huge gray body possessed many scrapes and chips on its rock-like sections, indicating that it had gone through its own fair share of struggles. Without much warning, its tail began to glow brightly before it swung around, knocking down anything in its path. Both the fighting types and whatever steel types comrades unfortunately happened to be in its area of effect of the Iron Tail sustained a decent amount of damage. His own mother made sure to keep them back far enough to avoid being indirectly hit. With his father, along with a few others out and their forces having been injured, things were starting to look really bad. There was only one last hope.

“I know you’re in there! This place is not your home! You don’t belong here, so come out and leave!”

Dark red eyes gazed down at a makeshift cave nearby as the Steelix roared its demands. Silence soon descended upon the battlefield as all the Pokémon looked expectantly towards the cave. The young Machop could hear its own heart pounding in its own chest, the sound of thumping soon rising in the background as the sound of footsteps gradually grew louder. Soon enough, the one everyone had been waiting for stepped out of the cave. Glaring at the Steelix, the mighty four-armed Pokémon tightened what resembled a championship belt around its waist as a female Machoke stepped out from behind him. From what the young Machop knew, the couple had been together for a while now and even had multiple children together. Machamp was once the partner of one of those Pokémon trainers, which is why one could assume that’s how it was able to evolve. Things happened and the Machamp eventually came back to the wild for some reason unknown to the Machop. Presumably Iron Island where it quickly became the dominant force. There was also some human, who went by the name of Byron, that would come to the island to train. The man would sometimes seek out the Machamp, leading to fierce battles against a Bastiodon a majority of the time. It was clear to any Pokémon watching that the elderly man was a skilled trainer. He was the only one that could push the Machamp to its limit, even with a steel type. The young Machop’s own father, a Hitmonchan, attempted to challenge Byron once, only to get folded by his Excadrill. It was a bit embarrassing, but the punching Pokémon took it as a learning experience and became a better fighter because of what it took from that battle.

In any case, it appeared the couple had been in the middle of something when the Steelix had interrupted them. The Machoke stepped to the side as the Machamp stepped up to face the Steelix. They both stood still and just stared at each other. Perhaps they were just sizing up their opponent or just waiting for the other to make the first move. Not a word needed to be spoken for even the young Machop to feel the animosity between the two Pokémon. If looks could kill, well, one of them would certainly be dead. The two Slowly, an orange glow began emanating from the Machamp. Even the solid earth underneath the muscular Pokémon began to crack due to the sheer power of the energy that grew within the Machamp. The same could be said about the Steelix as its entire body was now glowing white.

“Bulk Up and Iron Defense. Offense vs Defense. This might be interesting.”

His mother commented on the battle with her arms crossed as she, along with everyone else, watched on. The Machop didn’t really know what the moves did, but they were clearly powering up the two Pokémon. After a few more tense moments, the glowing died down and they finally seemed like they were ready as Machamp entered into a fighting stance. Then it answered with a calm tone.

“You misunderstand...” The Machamp paused as it glanced around at its fallen comrades, even making eye contact with the young Machop. In that one moment, the Machop felt an overwhelming feeling rise up. It felt like he couldn’t breathe for a second, but at the same time, the Machop felt a sense of calmness. Like everything was going to be alright. To Machamp, every single one of the fellow fighting types here were its family as far as it was concerned and so, it made that clear to its bloodlusted opponent. “I am home.”

The steel giant let out a mighty roar, disapproving of the answer, before it bolted towards the Machamp head first. A rich silver glow began to color its sturdy head as it charged forward, aiming to directly strike Machamp. As it did, the Machamp dropped its guard completely and lunged forward as well, with one of its four arms beginning to glow a bright orange. For some reason, the Machamp chose not to defend or dodge the powerful attack directed at it. Machop was confused and worried at the same time, but his calm mother gave him a whisper to ease his concerns.

“Don’t worry. Watch closely.”

With his red eyes, the Machop watched as the two Pokémon clashed. A Dynamic Punch made direct contact with the Iron Head. Upon impact, the Machop had to cover his ears due to the loud screeching sound that occurred. Little did the Machop know that if it weren’t for the energy that protected Pokémon from fatal blows, the Steelix’s face would’ve been crushed inwards. With the Machamp having No Guard up, the Machop was visibly shocked by how confident the leader of the fighting types had been. However, the Machamp was not finished there. No. The Steelix would pay dearly for the damage done. With an unexpected burst of speed, the Machamp grabbed the iron hard tail of the Steelix with all four hands and actually began to lift it. Slowly, it began to spin the struggling steel giant around in a circle. After a few spins, the Machamp then threw the Steelix up into the sky with a Seismic Toss. At this point, all the steel Pokémon in the vicinity were either turning away to escape or just frozen in fear. The earth shattered from beneath the Machamp as it leaped into the air and even went above the Steelix. It raised all four of its arms, each one of them now glowing a distinct gold color. His mother now had a concerned expression on her face and suddenly pulled the Machop back.

“He really intends to do that here. That idiot! We need to move back now. It’s too dangerous to remain here.”

While the mother moved them both away from the battle as fast as she could, the young Machop turned around to try and witness the finale. It could only watch in awe as the Machamp delivered a devastating Hammer Arm with all four of its muscular arms directly into the Steelix’s body. A deafening crack could be heard before the once mighty steel type shot down into the ground, which sent out a shockwave in all directions. All the Pokémon that had remained nearby were all sent flying back, with some even being knocked out by the powerful force. If his mother wasn’t holding him firmly, the Machop would have certainly been sent flying. Fortunately, it hadn’t been hit by the shockwave at all and the mother finally let him go once the aftershocks were over. The Machamp had landed right beside the knocked out Steelix and glanced around at the remaining few steel types. Their fighting spirit had also been crushed with the Steelix. As if to cement its dominance once more, the Machamp placed a foot over the body of the Steelix before raising its arms and letting out a loud, victorious roar.

Watching silently as it stood free from the grasp of the Machoke, the young Machop only had one thought in its head. Perhaps even a goal. The Machop couldn’t know of it’s future yet, but it could wonder.

‘Can I become strong like that?’

————————
​

“Yeah, we will. See you later.”

Acer replied to the cruise attendant who had been in the hallway where his room was located. He had approached the young blonde woman to ask her some questions related to the luxury cruise he had chosen to take to arrive in Sinnoh and they ended up chatting for a bit. With a smile, she told him to enjoy his stay before walking away, leaving Acer to finally enter the room. As soon as he entered, the teen was pleased by what he saw. While it wasn’t anything too crazy, the room was still pretty good. There were two TVs, with one his own room. Two dining areas, one inside and one outside if one wanted to enjoy the sea breeze and take in the ocean view. All he had to do was head out the sliding glass doors and head onto the spacious private balcony. A little pool was out there as well. There was even a grand piano back inside. Perhaps the coolest part was the entertainment area of the room which had a pool table and a ping pong table. It sucked that Acer didn’t know anyone else on the ship that he could invite to play with him. Maybe he could find someone to play with later on.

Although the room wasn’t the best suite in the cruise, since the League wasn’t generous enough to give teenagers that for free, it was still pretty good for a room for one person. However, in this case, there were two individuals. Releasing Zola from its pokeball, Acer was ready to enjoy such a grand beginning to the journey with his partner pokemon. This would be an experience the young Ralts would never forget.

 

[silverwind2020]

Ryder looked around the bus he was on. He was on the bus heading to Sinnoh, Sunnyshore City. The Bronze League had started yesterday, and him, being a bit late, was in a rush. Striker the Scorbunny stayed in Ryder's bag, refusing to go near other people at all. Ryder got onto the Bronze League Page and decided to start saying hi to people. He started with someone named Shino.

Hi, Shiro! I heard you have a Cubchoo. It must be sooo cute! My name is Ryder, and I hope we can become good friends soon.

After this, Ryder decided to feed Striker. He took some Poke Beans he got from a trip and fed Striker. He had briefly forgot that Striker only liked the red ones, though, leading to some confusion. An hour after, Ryder and Striker took a small nap. It was going to be a few days before they reached Sinnoh.

A few days passed, and the routine stayed the same: Feed, sleep, play some Pokemon on the Nintendo Switch...just the usual. Eventually, they reached Sinnoh. Once the bus stopped, Ryder was rudely awakened by his Scorbunny jumping on his stomach, him yelling and alerting everyone on the bus. Ryder put Scorbunny in his bag as he exited the bus, checking the Bronze League Feed a final time before heading to the Pokemon Center for more food for Striker. Once he entered, he saw some kids he ASSUMED were his age, and decided to walk over and say..."Hi!"

 

[ThePlayfulFox]

Hilda looked over at the boy who approached her. He certainly looked like one of those edgy teens that her father refused to allow to work at the farm unless they were there due to community service or something due to doing something stupid. She gave him a smile. Judging by appearance was not right, ever. Besides, he seemed alright. Despite his strange accent. Though that could totally be on her end, not his. "Hilda, Felix is in his Pokeball right now. Don't want him causing a ruckus with all his racket, do we now?" She chuckled at the thought of him doing that. "Felix is my Lillipup. Sweet thing too. Only vice is his constant barkin'. Mostly out of warnin'." She realized that she was going on and on about her Pokemon, totally dodging the question about them teaming up. She tilted her hat, acting natural. "Anyway, I'd love to team up. Need to for strong Pokemon. And honestly, we can probably get more people to team up with us anyway." Hilda thought for a second. "How about we go recruitin' right now?"

***​

Avery smiled at Noah, Lily wrapped around her neck. "Pretty good! I was wondering where you were at." Then he mentioned the Rotom and Porygon handout. "Sweet! I'll be right back!" Noah was really the best. Well, her best friend, anyway. She rushed over to where Noah pointed to. She didn't have a phone, however, she had a Poketch. Presumably, she could use that instead? She sure did hope so. Did she want a Porygon or a Rotom though? Porygons were more blocky. She preferred the sleekness of the Rotom. But then again Rotoms were known for wreak havoc, unlike Porygon, who was considered more loyal and whatnot, as they were man-made. Although, why would the official league hand out the Rotom freely if they were going to destroy their objects? She narrowed her eyes and committed to the Rotom version.

The line was long, and Avery was getting frustrated. She tapped her foot and peeked out towards the counter. How much longer was this line going to be? Two heads in front of her. Good. Almost there. One more head. So close. Her turn. She smiled and showed her trainer ID to the person handing out the Rotoms. He gave her a nod. "Do you need a phone too?" he asked, clearly bored.

"Nope! Got a Poketch!" He motioned for her to hand over the device for a moment, and Avery obliged, excited. After a few seconds, he handed the watch back to her.

"It should have more functions now too." She placed it back on her wrist and walked away. She would check it out more later. Right now, she wanted to catch up with Noah.

She made her way back to him and sat on a bench. "So, where were you?"

 

[Foxex]

Ceres looked around the empty house after being called down from her room. Their home was bathed in orange light as the setting sun peeked through the windows, the house was still, distant muffled sounds of Ceres’s brothers playing outside was the only sounds that could be heard in the house.

Looking out of the windows by the kitchen, Typhon was actually grounded in the back yard, Ceres’s mother was standing by him along with her father. They seemed to be waiting for her. She could feel Snips pulling her along while wrapped around her arm towards the back door.

Come on! I bet we get to watch Typhon kill something!

I highly doubt that….

Walking out of the house Ceres was greeted with a strange sight. Typhon was rather tense staring something down that Ceres couldn’t currently see.

“Come here Dear!” her mother signaled her over. “I hope you’re down for a battle? Shouldn’t be too much trouble witch how much you’ve been practicing for the last few months.”

“Absolutely! Am I battling Felix again?” Ceres looked at the Pokémon that was in front of Typhon, it was clearly not Felix. Frozen in fear and cowering in place a few yards in front of Typhon was a tiny little purple quadrupedal baby with a tail. The way it hid under its forelegs refusing to even look at Typhon and visibly shaking, Ceres could only feel pity for the little Pokémon that unknowingly wandered onto the territory of one of the most respected and powerful Pokémon in Galar.

“Typhon here, found this little Toxel wandering around,” Ceres’s dad explained Pyron sat down next to him, his tail wagging as he cocked his head from side-to-side looking at the intruder. “If it wasn’t for your mum, this little guy would be a burnt crisp by now. I would expect that its parents are no longer with us, or has abandoned it. Pyron couldn’t pick up any scent to help it get home….”

“Well, thank you for sparing its life Typhon.” Ceres chuckled awkwardly, Her heart sank at the possibilities of why this Pokémon was here alone. The Salamance glanced at her and let out a huff of fire and smoke before looking back at the Toxel. He was clearly irritated that he had been stopped from guarding his territory, but he would rather be disappointed than to go against his trainer’s wishes. “Mum… is it right to battle it? I mean, look at em’?”

Ceres’s mother smiled, “Don’t be swayed by how it’s acting Dear.” With a slight wave Typhon backed down and relaxed slightly, “You haven’t even started your journey yet so I’m not expecting you to have known, but this little Toxel is currently utilizing Tearful Look, doesn’t really affect Typhon at all, but the effects are effecting you and probably Snips, right now.”

Ceres was a bit taken aback, she couldn’t help but feel bad for the baby Pokémon, but she understood better now that Pokémon, like anything else alive, will do whatever it takes to survive when its life is in danger.

Snips unwound from Ceres’s arm and flew forward. Confidence poured into Ceres and she reciprocated the feeling. Typhon lied down in the grass and watched with amusement.

We’re doing this now!

Yes. May the light of Arceus shine upon us, guide us through this humble battle, and pass fair judgement by the divine light, for we are not worthy. By this battle, we perform for you.

AMEN!

“Toxel!” Ceres called to the cowering purple Pokémon, it looked up at her then looked at Snips in front of it looking as fierce as a little green floating ghost snake could look. The Toxel suddenly looked a lot less frightened though it was still wary of Typhon keeping its distance as far away as possible from him. “Please calm down and listen, the Salamance isn’t going to hurt you.” Ceres glanced at Typhon, who snorted again, “I don’t know how you ended here by our home, but would you like to come with me?”

It was an odd question, but the Toxel seemed to give the proposition some thought then it squared up and puffed up as best as it could, it was quite cute, puffing out its cheeks and the odd white bolt of lightning on its head flickered and sparked with wisps of electricity, “TWAAA!” it roared, ready to fight.

“DRAAA!” Snips roared back, not as robust as the Toxel but still quite formidable. Ceres reached into the picket of her dress and took out a small brown and well used ocarina. She blew into it and produced a clear and pure tone, Snips perked up and focused in response. Ceres’s mother and father looked at her with curiosity, Typhon as well, Ceres had has always been musically talented, often singing, humming, and whistling when she was doing chores around the house and sometimes to soothe and calm her brothers and other Pokémon when they were upset, and from a young age she had played the ocarina in her free time often enticing wild Pokémon around her to gather and listen to her music.

Ceres’s playing calmed down to a simple gentle rhythmic drone as the Toxel attacked, it spat out a jet of dark violet vicious liquid at Snips. Ceres’s playing suddenly shifted, transitioned by a trill into a simple upbeat three four rhythm.

Snips suddenly rolled to the side dodging the Acid attack and vanished, only to suddenly appear right in the Toxel’s face, his body was covered in faint purple ghost energy as he charged through the Toxel’s face knocking it onto its back, the momentum causing it to roll several times. Snips disappeared and reappeared again flying in concentric circles upwards into the air few feet in front of the Toxel.

The Toxel managed to sit back up after rolling but it was still slightly dazed and flinching from the Astonish. It quickly got up as it body flash a white light as it shot out more acid into the air at Snips, it eyes teary and scared. Snips effortlessly evaded the attack and vanished again. Ceres’s playing changed and switched to a steady five four rhythm.

Snips reappeared near the ground glowing white as he darted around extremely before shooting like a bullet at the Toxel knocking the poor thing flying over Snips as he shot past in a Quick Attack. The Toxel was getting mad puffing up again as he landed on all fours, its body and head surged with electricity and charged at Snips. It moved quicker than it had in the past and managed to catch Snips head-butting him and shocking him with Nuzzle. Snips hissed, squirmed, and strained its entire body around his attacker as it shocked him. Dark energy spewed from Snips’s mouth as he reflexively used Bite on Toxel’s face and whatever he could bite down on causing it to retreat back with incredible speed in pain and fear as it body flashed a white light again. The sudden jerk of the Toxel’s retreat threw Snips off of it and he landed in the grass.

Ceres altered her playing once again back to a three three rhythm. Snips shook off the Nuzzle attack and shot forward again like a dart leaving behind a trail of white energy in another Quick Attack and caught the Toxel as it reeled away in fear and pain from the Bite. The Quick Attack knocked the Toxel onto its side and sent it rolling a few times where it remained. Ceres stopped playing and calmly reached into her dress pocket and took out a Pokéball, she pushed the central button to enlarge it and then threw it at the Toxel. Upon contact the Toxel transformed into pure light as the ball opened and sucked the light into it before closing and falling to the ground. It shook as the dot on the Pokéball blinked.

Once.

Twice.

Still.

Good job Snips!

Snips flew back to Ceres and raised one of his flipper hands into the air in triumph then twisted himself around her arm. As he did so Ceres’s mother sprayed him with a potion, Snips nodded thankfully at her.

Well? Gonna go get em’?

Yea… but not yet….

Ceres hesitated, staring at the Pokéball. She was unsure, her chest was tight and her palm were sweaty, she was more nervous than she was battling. Bonding with another Pokémon? Snips was a newborn and her first one. Bonding with a wild caught Pokémon would be completely different.

“Here.” Her mother handed her a glove, “Whenever you’re ready. Congratulations.” She smiled warmly and turned her attention to Typhon.

“Thanks….” Ceres said absently, slipping on the glove and picking up the Pokéball. Looking at it she smiled. Her first actual capture, the fun of battle, exhilarating.

“Well that was a great battle Songbird. Proud of you, you’ll be a fierce trainer in no time, I’m sure of it.” her father put a arm around her. Songbird, a pet name that her parents and relatives called her since she was little.

~Later that evening~​

Ceres sat on her bed holding her knees to her chest while staring at the Pokéball opposite of her. Snips was curled up and buried in his nest of pillows and blankets gently sleeping,

Should bond with him soon… but what will it be like this time? The words of her father echoed in her mind. Abandoned or dead… well I don’t think our little family here is too bad. Ceres glanced at Snips’s nest, “Well, let’s do this then.” she took in a deep breath and fortified her mind like how her mother had taught her and braced herself, then reached out.

Nothing, emptiness, darkness again just like before with Snips. Ceres felt a numbing coldness spread though her body that radiated from her heart. She was no longer in her bed, she was weightless, in another mind space. She knew that she was standing there was a familiar sensation tickling her feet. A gentle breeze began to blow against her that smelled of fresh post rain air followed by brief flashes of light above her. Lightning? The area around her faded into view from blackness. Ceres recognized where she was, it was the wild area but the view of the place seemed warped, the impressive spires and odd wing-like constructions of Hammerlocke Castle were warped, they appeared several times larger and taller than she remembered.

“Toxel!”

Ceres turned around to see the Toxel wandering around the open fields, tears in its eyes, looking around and occasionally tripping over itself as it moved around. “Hello?”

The Toxel looked at her and tried to scurry away but it fell over its own tail causing it to roll slightly away from her.

Ceres frowned, “Calm down little one, I’m sorry about earlier, I didn’t mean to hurt you….” The Toxel righted itself and Ceres approached it with light slow steps, putting her hand in front of her showing it that she means no harm. The Toxel was clearly upset as it teared up and began to cry and scream. The sudden loudness of the crying was loud enough to cause Ceres to cover her ears. Fear stabbed at her heart as the coldness she was feeling earlier crept closer to the edges of her body. Ceres pressed forward and knelt down to the Toxel gently stroking its back like she would when her youngest brother was in distress, “Calm down little one, There is no fear now… I’m here for you….” Ceres’s words seemed to have slightly worked, the Toxel was no longer screaming, and its crying had dulled to a steady sobbing. Feeling that Toxel was no longer trying to escape from her, Ceres pulled it slightly closer to her wrapping her arms around it and eventually picked it up still gently rhythmically patting its back.

The stabbing fear seemed to have subsided replaced by a wash of calmness, though the cold still spread. Ceres began to hum a simple lullaby in an attempt to further coax the Toxel to a better mood, it was the same one her mother taught her to help her brothers when they were younger, and even Snips when he was frightened when he had experienced his first thunderstorm. “I’m sorry about what happened to you, but we will be you’re new family, I’m sure you’ll love it! You’ve shown me you’re a fighter, and I can train you to be strong, and together we will become one of the greats! What do you say?”

A sense of curiosity brushed against Ceres’s mind as the Toxel looked up at her, its eyes were hopeful and full of determination, she smiled back. “We will make them proud, don’t you worry!” Ceres said with a grin. The Toxel nodded and nestled into her chest, and Ceres closed her eyes and held it closer to her.

Ceres awoke the following morning finding the Toxel snuggled up next to her under her arm sleeping peacefully, the sun was just peeking into her room window bathing the room in a light yellow light. She didn’t even remember falling asleep the previous night, she formed the bond with the Pokémon and that was the last things she could remember. Snips was already awake and he was at her desk playing with her phone. “Did you sleep well?” she asked.

Snips left the phone and floated over onto her bed and nodded, he was looking at the Toxel. You know that that’s a boy? What do you plan on calling him?

I dunno yet… but know that it’s a he definitely helps, was thinking Toxie? You know like a play on words for moxie?

I like it.

Ceres smiled, she just sat in her bed and gently patted the sleeping Toxel while staring out her window. Thinking about the rapidly approaching Bronze League, it was time to prove herself that she could follow in her mother’s footsteps and even surpass her, to become the strongest trainer the Birds of Passage will ever see, that was her goal from when she experienced her first Pokémon battle. She held onto her father’s arm as she sat next to him next to the arena, watching her mother, Typhon, and the rest of her team batting Champion Leon. She didn’t even understand what the battle was for, but there was so much excitement in the atmosphere it was intoxicating, and Ceres was completely entranced by it all.

Oi! He’s waking up!

Ceres turned her attention back to the Toxel, “Hey there. Hope you’re feeling better.” The Toxel yawned and stretched before sitting up on the bed looking at Ceres and Snips. “I’ve decided to call you Toxie, what do you think of the name?” Ceres said with a smile. The Toxel nodded eagerly. At that moment the door to Ceres’s room creaked open, startling Toxie causing him to push up close to Cere’s side, but it was only Ester. The Espeon tilted her head slightly before continuing into Ceres’s room and hoppling onto her bead and lying down on her usual spot to bathe in the morning sun. She showed little interest in the Toxel. “Don’t worry Toxie, that’s just Esther, she’s usually super kind and caring, but she needs her morning sun first.”

Toxie cautiously moved around from Ceres’s side and slowly approached the Espeon. Esther was laying with her front legs crossed looking snug and classy. She was grooming herself as Toxie approached and stopped to look at him when he got slightly too close. Toxie froze in place as Esther inspected him, the red jewel on her forehead flashed and she resumed her grooming. Toxie managed to get within touching range of Esther and he did touch her back slowly and gently like he was trying to pet her.

Annoyed, Esther stopped and looked back at Toxie as he was suddenly lifted a few inches into the air, causing him to panic and struggle and flail in the air, but Esther simply gently floated him back into Ceres’s arms. “See. Esther just needs her morning sun, she will play with you later, just not right now.” Ceres cradled Toxie in her arms, he was like a heavy baby, it would be a little while before their bond will be strong enough to telepathically communicate.

~July 1st, Snowpoint City~
​

Ceres held onto the saddle handle tightly as Typhon pierced through the sky like a comet despite carrying two people and some light travel supplies, he was completely unhindered. After a bit of discussion with Avery and a few others that decided to join the group, they had decided to meet in Snowpoint City. The trip had been quick thanks to Typhon, the dragon loved to fly, and loved flaying fast even more. Looking through her goggles Ceres could see the signature red topped roofs of the city in the distance.

The cold weather was a bit of a concern for Snips, but after being explaining what snow was, Snips seemed more excited than anything.

Are we there yet? Snips asked.

No, but we’ll be there in the next few minutes, just hold on a bit longer.

Snips groaned.

Typhon eventually slowed down as they reached the outskirts of the city, the Pokémon Center was near the center of town, Typhon was slowly descending as they approached, flying just above the roofs. Ceres noticed that other flying Pokémon in the area quickly cleared away from Typhon as he approached, even some of the Pokémon on the ground seemed to be afraid and some even scamper away into nearby hiding spaces. With a mighty beat of his wings Typhon landed in front of the Pokémon Center kicking up a large gust of snow around himself. With another flap of his wings the swirling snow around them was blasted away as well as causing some of the windows of the Pokémon Center to rattle.

The other trainers and people around the area murmured in hushed voices and skirted cautiously around Typhon as they made their way to their destinations. Ceres’s mother dismounted from the Salamance and took her goggles off. Before Ceres could even remove her own goggles Snips erupted from his Pokéball and zoomed around her. Oh my gosh! This is amazing! Snips darted into a bank of snow and began rolling around in it.

Slow down there Snips, you’ll freeze if you roll around in there for too long. A young boy’s voice said in Ceres’s head, it was Toxie, he knew what snow was, being formally from the Wild Area he had seen and experienced snow before.

This is so cool…. Snips returned to Ceres holding a tiny snowball.

Ceres just smiled and dismounted Typhon and took her goggles off, then fixed her hair and checked her outfit, she was dressed in a white and light brown dress made of thicker insulating material that would handle the cold temperatures just fine along with a light darker brown jacket with a thick fluffy hood and snow boots. She wasn’t used to waring such heavy warm clothing, but it was surprisingly comfortable, the weight of the clothes brought a sense of security to her. Her mother was dressed in a similar way, it was way too warm and uncomfortable when they started their trip, but as soon as Typhon had reached a comfortable speed and height, the warm clothes were perfect until they landed in Snowpoint. Her mother pointed to the League officials near the Pokémon Center and Ceres nodded in return understanding what she meant. Her mother turned her attention back to Typhon, he was looking around at the small crowd of people that was beginning to gather around.

Snips dropped the snowball he was holding and flew into Ceres’s hood, her mother had modified it to have several hidden pockets that he could utilize. Snips’s entire body was cold and he was slightly shaking. Told ya… Toxie laughed in their link. Ceres made her way to the League officials and gave them her registration papers, trainer ID, and her phone, it was pre-registered so after a brief inspection from the official a Rotom was introduced and bound to the phone. He handed her phone back with a smile. “Thanks, have a good day.” Ceres took the phone back along with her ID. We’re official now guys! Ceres said to Snips and Toxie. She was grinning as wide as she could, barely able to contain herself. The League officials seemed more preoccupied with looking at Typhon, it was to be expected he was quite magnificent and definitely not a common Pokémon often seen, especially one of his caliber.

WOO WOO! It begins now brother! Our path to greatness and beyond! Snips wiggled with excitement in Ceres’s hood.

Can’t wait to get started and meet the others that we’ll be traveling with! Toxie sounded just as excited, he seemed rather shay at first but over a few weeks Toxie was actually very excitable, curious, and very outgoing.

“Good Day Miss Aeons! I am Nino the Rotom! I will be accompanying you and your Pokémon on your journey through the Bronze Legue, if you have any questions about the league I would be more than happy to be of assistance! I am also able to assist you in various other aspects should you need it!”

“Fancy, nice to meet you too Nino, you can call me Ceres, and this is Snips.” Ceres said pointing to Snips that was poking over her shoulder looking at the modified phone. “I’ve got Toxie too, he’s a Toxel, and would rather not wandering around in the snow so he’s in his Pokéball.

“Wow, you guys are from Galar? That’s really far, well it’s very nice meeting you and I look forward to working with you all!” The Rotom phone floated around excitedly before inserting itself into Ceres’s pocket.

“So, any troubles?” Ceres’s mother asked walking up to her holding her loaded backpack attached with some light camping gear.

Ceres shook her head, “Nope, everything went well.” Ceres said slipping on the backpack with her mother’s help careful with her hood and Snips. “Good to go! Just gotta meet up with Avery, Noah, and Aurora. They should be around here….”

“Have you checked inside the Pokémon Center? They’re probably already inside, if not, it will be the best place to meet up….” Her mother trailed off, she was tearing up, something that Ceres hated seeing. Her mother had always been her bastion of inspiration, strength, and wisdom. And seeing her cry only made her want to cry. “I’m so proud of you!” she began, “I knew this day would come, and I still remember back when I started my journey so long ago with Typhon.” She embraced her daughter and kissed her cold rosy cheeks followed by her forehead before burying her in her bosom, clutching her tightly, “We’re all going to miss you, the house won’t be the same without you. I love you sweetheart!”

Ceres simply hugged her mother, her eyes stung from the cold as her tears rolled down her face, “I love you too mom, I will make you and dad proud.” Ceres said almost whispering, taking in the sweet scent of her mother’s hair, the warmth of her face pressed against hers and the softness, gentleness, and the familiarity of her touch.

After a brief moment she released Ceres and she straightened herself up and cleaned up with a handkerchief. “Ok, if everything is good then I’ll be heading back. Keep in touch all right? Snips and Toxie, keep her out of safe for me all right?”

Snips rubbed his head against Ceres’s neck affectionately. As Toxie grunted in agreeance. Ceres nodded wiping away her own tears. “Always….”

Her mother mounted Typhon again, looking down at Ceres one last time and nodded at her with a smile before giving Typhon the order to take off. Typhon turned to face Ceres and roared into the sky spewing out a jet of brilliant fire and flexing his wings in an arch before looking back down at Ceres, he bowed his head at Ceres and looked at Snips and nodded then with a powerful flap of his wings he took off, rocketing into the sky and within seconds, they were gone.

I’m going to kick his butt one day! Snips said.

That’s a good dream to have. Toxie laughed.

We will one day Snips, but you know as well as I do that Typhon will not go down without a fight, and we got our own journey to go through before we can even think about challenging him. Ceres cleaned herself up and sighed deeply, “Time to get started yea?” she turned and entered the Pokémon Center.

Spoiler: Inventroy

5K Monies
Simple Camping Supplies
Cooking utensils
Ocarina
Light Clothing
Heavy Clothing

​

 

[ThAtGuY101]

~Guy Jonah...~

Guy held his phone to his ear, and chuckled.
~phone call...~

"Are you at Alola yet?" Guy asked.
"Ye... Wait... is that you Guy? When the distortion world did you get a phone" Craig said.
"Not important, guess who's having more fun than yooou?
"Uuuugh... Fawke Love?" Craig asked.
"What...? Who? No! I meant me!" Guy said. Guy was completely lying and had nothing going on. No plans. No goals. Almost no clue where he wants to go. He was going on an adventure soon and his planning was practically nonexistent. Craig bursted into laughter and tears because he assumed as much. The two continued chatting for a few whole minutes. They talked about pokémon, Steven Stone, how to stretch role play posts, and back to pokémon. The phone call eventually ended.

~end of call...~

Guy looked at the forums, agaiiin. He figured he'd look at it and figured he'd drop a post.

Looks like it's now or never! Time to start this adventure, anybody here starting their journey as well?

Guy ended his post with a happy picture of Goju(bonsly).

 

[Godjacob]

Ally course had been focused on her Pokesketch, but she had to multi-task as her family got the car ready and she had to pack her belongings as well as change for the annual bonding ceremony; nerves had never been a factor in Ally's life. Regardless of what she had faced in her life, however major or minor, she always approached with an enthusiastic energy. She had a knack for focusing simply on what there was to be excited about rather than dwell on any worry or concern that had come with whatever she had been set to do.

But, when it had come to her own participation in this right of passage....she for once, had felt those nerves, but thankfully a notification on her Pokesketch had distracted this concern as she worked to respond to Guy's reply to her reply.

Yeah I personally am a fan of a classic Pokemon Battle, even if my passion is in that mixed with performance. But cool! Will let him know you are cool with it, lol look forward to where we end up being sent to. No matter where I am so excited for what is to come! GTG for now, big ceremony here in Alola, once the announcement comes we can plan where to go for a meet up. I hope we have a fun adventure together!

@ThAtGuY101

Quickly Ally worked to send a message back Kenzo's way, he had yet to reply to her original message but she figured it was only fair to give the update before she had to go to the ceremony.

Good news Kenzo my buddy Guy is cool with you joining the gang! I think we'll make a great team, and with our diverse goals we should get a full taste of the beauty of...well wherever we end up going lol. Anyway gotta keep this short and sweet will chat latter GTG for a big ceremony. I hope we get along well and wherever we end up going I hope the best for all of us

@Pinch

Ally sighed as she managed to get her messages out and checked the main Union page in case any major announcements had come. And sue enough, her eyes widened when she saw the main bulletin point and clicked on it as her eyes seemed to widen as she processed the announcement of the location for where this Bronze League was to be held.

O-o-ooooh Tapu Koko....we're...we're going to Sinnoh!


Quickly Ally had paused what she was doing in order to reply a message to both Kenzo and Guy separately as she seemed almost frantic as it was slightly tricky to type and move down the stairs but she had made it work enough to get this reply.

OMG OMG guys guys check the main site news, we're going to Sinnoh! I am freakin out right now, where do you want to go? How do you want to meet it's just >-< so crazy. Sorry trying to catch my breath but check it out guys no joke I promise!

 

[kyuukestu]

July 1, Fight Zone

"Alright, one last check before we leave..."

Esther sat in her cabin, her belonging spread across the room. The trip from Almia to Sinnoh hadn't been short; there had been more than enough time for her—or Pyrrha—to misplace their belongings. With tight regulations on what they could bring with them into the Bronze League and the consideration that most of her journey would be made on foot to conserve money, the goth had carefully packed her belongings, only the absolute essentially had made the trip. Anything else would need to be bought in region.

"Camp set...Top & Bottom Quilt...check!"

Ultra-Light Weight and suitable for sub-zero conditions, Esther had chosen a quilt-set over a traditional sleeping bag. She had done extensive research on the advantages and the articles she'd read online made convincing arguments: the versatility of the quilt allowed her to wrap up and keep her warm in the iciest of fields while also staying cool and airy on a hot summer's day. It was the best of both worlds and had only cost her parents nearly 400 dollars. Quite a steal, all things considered. She would know, she'd read the reviews.

"Hammock...Gear Loft...Tarp...Rope Kit...check! check! check! and check!!"

Again, extremely convincing arguments by acclaimed hammock experts had swayed the girl's decision away from the traditional set-up of a tent. Instead, she had fully committed to the free-hanging life-style of a hammock and it's ancillary paraphernalia. An extended test run in the confines of her cabin had left he so satisfied that the bed that had been provided for her had gone completely untouched.

"Two sets of clothes...check! Swimsuit...check!"

Including what she was wearing, Esther had packed three sets of clothing; technically four. since she didn't mind parading around in her swimsuit. That meant she'd have to wash once or twice a week.

"Swim Goggles...check! Aviator Goggles...check!"

Those were self-explanatory, goggles for use underwater and in the sky.

"Flashlight with solar charger...check!"

"First Aid Kit...check!"

"Hygiene kit...check!"

"Water Bottle with filter...check!"

She had enough toiletries and resources to last her a month if needed. Camping in the wild certainly didn't mean becoming an uncivilized barbarian. Pooping in holes? Wiping with leaves? Perish the thought!

Altogether her gear weighed in at least than 20 lbs and fit into her backpack with plenty of space to spare. Esther could set up and pack up in less than ten minutes, which she demonstrated in preparation to depart the boat.

"Alright, we should have everything."

『Did you really need to check THREE times!』

Bemoaning frustration bled through the bond and Esther giggled sheepishly.

"Better safe than sorry, I'd check again if I had to."

A white-hot flash of exasperation followed a white-bright flash of light.

『Too slow!』

Esther was momentarily stunned as the little dragon broke free of its pokeball and bolted for the door. She could feel steely resolution through their shared link—Pyrrha was disembarking, with or without her trainer. A small panic set in as Esther grabbed her bag and gave chase.

"Hey, wai—Pyrrhaaaa!"

....

"Do you have to be so impatient?"

『Do you have to be so slow?』

Lips pressed into a line, Esther kept mum. She had dallied long enough that they were among the last to leave the ship. This had the unintended effect of letting them pass through the port quickly, as the crowd had already gone ahead. She looked around, curiously observing the high-rise buildings and the hubbub of trainers; she had never seen a crowd that large before. In fact, she was certain there were more passengers on the ship than people in her hometown. It was an exciting yet nerve-wracking experience.

Above the crowd of trainers she could see strange flying machines busily zipping across the skies and it wasn't long before one approached her. Esther's brow furrowed with unease as she wondered if she'd done anything...wrong.

"bzzzt! Scanning...bzzzt...Scanning...Complete! Trainer identified...Esther Rosana Sophys...Bronze League Entrant....bzzzt!... No traces of fortitude-items found in trainer's possession...bzzzt!"

With that the small drone flew away leaving a mildly confused Esther. Her eyes followed the drone as it hovered over another trainer and moments later...

"BZZZT....BZZZT...BZZZT! Leaf Stone detected! Trainer Identified...Bronze League Entrant...As per league rules dictate, the cost of the stone shall be deducted from your funds...Calculating...BZZZT! Cost $60,000. BZZZT! $5,000 deducted from Trainer's account...Calculating...BZZZT...unpaid balance of $55,000...BZZZT! Trainer has reached $0 and is does not have enough funds to continue the Bronze league! BZZZT! Trainer disqualified!"

Understanding dawned on the girl. The drones must've been how the League enforced its rules on what trainers were allowed to carry with them into the Bronze League. Violators were evidently punished expeditiously.

Esther cast a pitiless gaze to the poor trainer who'd been disqualified on the first day of the league and then, without further ado, she walked off.

 

[RenzFlintrock]

Once Avery had returned from getting her Poketch upgraded, he began to answer her question. "Like I said in my message last night, my mom was being kind of insistent that she drive me up here. I think she wanted to have a bit more time to say goodbye, or something... Uhm, so we drove up, played some car games for a little while. It was... kinda nice, honestly." He sighed, letting his eyes fall shut for a moment. His head fell back loosely, and he took a deep breath before straightening his posture and continuing to speak. "So yeah, I got here a little less than an hour ago, got a Rotom to upgrade my phone, and messaged the group. No word from them since I last checked, but I'm sure we'll hear from them eventually. How was your ride up, though? And how's Lily doing?"

 

[Hecotoro]

Ron was a little taken back when he heard Hilda's accent. He was so used to the accents in Kalos and then in Goldenrod, hearing someone from the fields threw him off. He smiled and decided not to comment on it, probably not a good way to start. He did however wonder what her boots were made of. Probably something he should ask once they were more acquainted with each other.

"Right, we need at least two more members, the recommended amount." Ron nodded his head slowly as he looked around at the Pokemon Center full of people. "But this is probably not the best place to look."

He began to feel Furia's uncomfortable feeling of being around so many people and Ron was not a big fan either. The only moments he liked big crowds were when he was up on the stage or in a concert of a good band. The current situation was a bunch of teenagers running around trying to find teams, specially some males trying to show off how cool they are to some girls. Ron shivered at the though of some idiot trying that with one of his younger sisters. Good thing he is going to be in shape to stomp them if they do.

"Let's head outside." Ron said quickly, shaking off the former thought.

He made sure not to walk too fast so Hilda would have no trouble following him. Once outside, the fresh air certainly made Ron and Furia feel better, for some reason the crowd outside was moving on to a new location. Ron was a bit glad the place was beginning to clear up, but Furia's curiosity grabbed his attention. He wasn't exactly sure, but where the crowd of trainers was rushing off to, was in the same direction Furia was looking at. He could feel how anxious and excited she was, as if she was watching something very impressive.

"Flint is battling the Gold League Champ!" A nearby trainer called out as he almost tripped while running towards the crowd.

Ron's eyes widen, he heard some high ranked trainers played out exhibition matches for rookies on the first day, but he never thought he would be lucky enough to be near one, and out of all the high ranked trainers, Flint. He had heard a lot about the Elite Four member from his sister Maker, she was a huge fan. If he didn't record the battle on video... he shuttered at the thought.

"Hilda, we have to watch this, come on!" Ron began running after the crowd, towards a nearby battle arena.

It was rough to get inside, with all the people rushing in at the same time. Ron mashed to make way while Furia grabbed on to his shoulder, hopefully Hilda was able to make it through just fine. Once they got inside, the place looked impressive. The arena was a big grassy field, big and very spacious, expected considering how big or destructive Pokemon can become. Ron was amazed by how quickly the seats were being filled up, but his gazing was cut short by Furia tugging on his ear to find a spot. Ron looked around and soon rushed over to two nearby spots, good enough for him and Hilda. He picked up his Rotom Phone and began recording, ready to send it to his younger sister.

"Ladies and gentleman! Welcome, take a seat, take a bow, take a look at what's happening now! Feast your eyes on this upcoming match, don't look away or you might miss this clash! These two trainers are some of the best, some of the strongest and even some of the boldest!" The voice boomed across the arena, followed by cheers and whistles from the spectators. "On this corner, the current Gold League Champion, a Platinum Rank trainer, the platonic crush for some and the inspiration for all! Gave a round of applause for..." Drum roll. "..Reina!"

From the left entrance emerged a young woman, about twenty years old. She had long straight black hair, with bangs cut above her green emerald eyes. She wore a white shirt with that was button up to her neck and wrist with a black skirt down to her knees. She waved and smiled at the crowd around her, looking like she was enjoying the attention placed on her. She blew a kiss to the crowd on her right and got a booming reaction, but the left roared louder when she blew one towards them, as if it was some sort of competition between the two sides.

"Now, her opponent is a stranger to none, his passion burns brighter than the sun! His flame will never burn out, his spirit ignites with every battle he fights! He is an Elite Four Member, a master of the fire types and a High Master ranked battler, ladies and gentleman, give it up for... Flint!"

To the surprise of many, two loud fireworks announced the entrance of Flint, his red afro bobbing as he made his way into the battle field. He had a confident smirk on his face as his gray eyes scanned the people around him. He lifted his right hand and waved, causing the spectators to go wild, Ron even saw one foam at the mouth and faint. The cheering suddenly stopped though when Flint's gaze landed on Reina's eyes. The two looking at each other with a big smile on their face. Despite the absence of noise, the excitement was building up in the arena, Ron could hear his and Furia's hearts pounding at their ears.

"This will be a one on one battle." The voice at the intercom sounded different and more boring. "First Pokemon to faint will be declared the loser."

"Let's get ready...." The fun voice was on once again. " To rumble! Begin!"

The two trainers didn't wait a second before they had already tossed their Pokeballs into the air, both Ultra Balls spinning perfectly until hitting the ground and bouncing back. From Reina's side, a big fully grown Tauros emerged, in almost three meters of height, about ten feet for others. The big beast snarled and began shaking his head violently and stomped the ground a few times with his front hooves, his tails slashing at the air. On the other side, a Houndoom appeared, at the same height of the Tauros, looking more calm while the grass around him slowly began to ignite and burn to crisp. The two Pokemon looked at each other, neither flinching. just waiting for their trainers to give the first command.

Without a warning, the Tauros quickly charged towards the Houndoom, running quickly across the field despite it's big size. The fire Pokemon ran towards one side and began running in a big circle around the field. The Tauros did not seem confused though, like the crowd watching, instead it stomped the ground underneath it and caused big spike pillars to emerged from the ground in front of the Houndoom's way, but the agile fire type managed to dodge them as it continued running its course until making a complete circle. Once it reached its starting point, it whipped its head to the side and a trail of fire followed the exact same path Houndoom had ran earlier. The heat could be felt across the stadium as the edges of the battle field ignited and slowly began to burn in a swirling pattern towards the Tauros in the center.

"Tauros began with a simple Take Down, follow by a Stone Edge but was countered by a fierce Fire Spin! How will Reina fight out of this one?!"

The Tauros began shaking his and roaring towards the sky, causing big black clouds to quickly gather and let a sudden down pour fall upon the field, causing the swirling flames to shrink inside before enveloping Tauros and disappearing. While the Tauros was summoning rain though, the Houndoom stood watching him, with a sinister look on its face while a dark aura increased around it.

"Watch out!" Reina called out.

The Houndoom gathered a pitch black sphere of energy in front of it and then roared as it exploded in a singular wave towards the Tauros. The bull Pokemon managed to bring up a defensive barrier just in time, but the impact caused a mild explosion, forcing Tauros to jump back a few feet. The normal type looked angry as it stood on it's two back legs and let the front ones smash against the ground, sending powerful wave that rattled the arena. But that wasn't all, it then charged behind the wave, ducking its head down and horns first.

Houndoom reacted by measuring the incoming ground attack, then leaping over it, but it didn't see the incoming Tauros. The bull smashed head first into the fire hound in mid air. A high pitched cry was heard as Houndoom flew across the field, past Flint and crashed into a side wall. The crowd burst into cheers as Tauros puffed his chest snarled proudly at his accomplishment.

"Houndoom tried to end things quickly with a powered up Dark Pulse, but was countered with a devastating Double-Edge attack!"

Flint had a smirk on his face as he crossed his arms and shook his head while Reina was obviously having a difficulty catching her breath. The crowed cheered as Houndoom stood up and began walking back to the battle field, with a more menacing look. Tauros showed its teeth as it seemed ready to attack, but Houndoom suddenly vanished and in an instant reappeared in front of Tauros. The dark type move it's tail lightning quick, striking Tauros in the face with it and then quickly reappeared back to it's former spot. The normal type took the hit with an annoyed shake of its head and once again stomped the ground, its hooves sinking in as another shock wave traveled underground towards Houndoom. However, this time the fire Pokemon took the hit, closing its eyes in pain as the shock wave traveled through its body. Tauros saw its opportunity and roared as it charged ahead, going for another Double-Edge.

The Houndoom stared at the incoming attacker while the shock wave that traveled through its body seemed to have transformed into energy around it. Right before Tauros could impact its opponent, Houndoom let out an explosive wave of energy, that sent Tauros flying, rolling on the ground and stopping just in front of Reina.

Reina fell to her knees, looking exhausted as a drop of sweat went down her forehead and to the ground. She took out the UltraBall from earlier and returned Tauros into it, causing a silence from the crowd as they grasped the situation.

"What a Counter attack from Houndoom! Incredible!"

The audience began to cheer and applaud as Flint returned his Pokemon and ran across the field to help Reina to her feet. Ron leaned back on his chair, sighed loudly, for some reason he felt like he had been in the battle himself. He patted Furia's head while she was standing on his right leg looking out at the field, where Flint and Reina were waving at the crowd. Ron could feel Furia's inspiration and her need to battle strong opponents like the ones they had just witnessed. Ron smiled at the thought of them doing an exhibition match one day. He looked over at Hilda.

"That was a nice battle, what do you think?"

 

[=Nightshade=]

“I’m soooooo hungry~!” Paige whined as she walked through Sunyshore, Niku hovering behind her. She was unsure how much of the hunger she was feeling was hers, and how much was the Solosis’s. She had gone to the meeting place and waited for over an hour past the time they had agreed on for her team, but both of them were no-shows. “Just my luck…”

-Hey, over there!- Niku’s voice in her head caused her to lift her gaze from the rock she had just prepared to punt across the planet. His voice had manifested to sound like a young boy, maybe ten years old, a couple weeks ago, although “sound” probably wasn’t the best way to describe it. -There’s a sweets shop, see?-

At the words “sweets shop,” Paige’s attention suddenly focused as she scanned the row of buildings until she located it. She emerged five minutes later, ten dollars poorer, and a lot less hungry. Plus, she had taken some pastries for the road. She could sense Niku’s satisfaction with the croissant he had just absorbed.

Something else caught her attention again as soon as it began to wander. |Hey, there’s a Pokemon Center over there,| Paige noted to her partner. |I wonder if they’re any different than the ones in Kalos?| Niku certainly didn’t seem to know, so she turned from her meandering path and set off towards the Pokemon Center.

As she approached, Paige was greeted with a sight she found out of the ordinary. A group of people, about her age, all seemed to be gathered in front of it… and what’s more, they all had Pokemon with them! They clearly weren’t the team she had agreed to join, but since her team was a no-show and weren’t responding to the dozens of messages she must’ve sent already…

-Wait, Paige, what are you—-

|You know what I’m thinking, there’s no need to ask, right~?|

-Oh, man. Alright, I’ll pull out the puppy-dog eyes. Maybe if they find me cute enough they’ll be more susceptible to— hey, wait up!-

The Solosis sped up to catch up with Paige as she approached the group. “Heyyyyy~! Are you all trainers? My team ditched me— I mean they never actually showed up so I guess that’s not right— omigosh your Pokémon are all so adorable!” She covered her mouth, embarrassed, and stepped back a little. “Oops, I’m rambling. Anywho, I’m Paige, and this is Niku!”

Spoiler: Inventory

4,990 monies haha forgot the currency name are we doing dollars or what—
Fresh pastries
A wide assortment of granola bars and other non-perishable snacks
Rotom phone
Two empty Pokeballs, taken from home
Dream journal
First-aid kit
An empty notebook + pen for jotting down observations

 

[Chiphead_]

Gene was dead silent as he stared down the package he held in his hands. He couldn't talk. Just lost in thought. Thinking of a year ago, where this could have been his fate much earlier.

After Gene Jeneta had graduated High School, he really had about two options that dramatically appealed to him. The first was going to College, obviously what his parents had wanted without even telling him. And the second was this Pokemon Journey. It appealed to him exclusively when he was of a younger age, but now...well...all of the hype around it had fairly decreased. He had found hobbies and actual studies that kept him busy and working while at College rather than taking the time to train Pokemon. Sure he had Shrumm, but from the conversations that they had it also seemed like he was uninterested.

So he had chosen school. But now that it was over, he felt lost. As a Photographer, the competition is extremely expansive given that everyone has cameras on their person. Gene figured that he would encounter some wonderful sights and maybe get lucky while pursuing the things he loved. Plus, it would be an unforgettable experience. So why not?

*************

Stepping out of the plane from Hoenn to Sinnoh, he could be seen wearing black dress pants, a button up collar shirt with plaid blue and green designs, and a navy and yellow diagonal striped tie that hung firm on his shirt, but fluttered in the wind. Gene squinted out into the regions expanse, and tried to hold back a smile. It was really happening. His childhood dream was coming to life.

However, flying had made him nauseous. "I'm thinking about stopping somewhere to rest up a bit, would you be okay with that?" He said looking down on his Shroomish.

"All we did was fly Gene. We don't need a break, besides, what if we miss out on something big?"

Gene couldn't help but laugh. Shrumm's voice was hilariously deep for such a little Pokemon, and hearing him telepathically tell him that he was weak added all to it.

"Alright, alright. We'll keep going," Gene said with a newly painted smile on his face. "There should be a Pokemon Center somewhere around here."

"Indeed. Only then will we be fully capable of completing our mission."

This time Gene held his laughter.

***************

Luckily, they had found a Pokemon Center nearby, and it was bustling with Pokemon trainers. Upon entering, Gene had been awestruck, his mouth hanging open loosely in shock of how many people were actually going through with this. Trainer cards were being exchanged, Pokemon Partners were being showed off, and business in the shops were going smoothly. In a place full of young casually dressed seventeen year olds, he stuck out like a sore thumb looking more like a chaperone than an actual competitor. More mature, professionally dressed, and taller than most of them. The fact that he had a backpack slung over his shoulder and a camera hanging around his neck only added to the picture. He casually fixed his hair to a nice comb over that hung over his forehead, and started wandering around. While he had no problem talking to strangers, many of the trainers that were already there seemed to have their own groups already. Being one to not intrude or make things particularly awkward, he did not but in. Even so, many of the young trainers awarded him with various facial expressions. Meanwhile, Shrumm was bouncing around from group to group and socializing with other Pokemon. Gene envied him. He made sure not to say that telepathically.

Walking out of the center feeling defeated, he stumbled into a huge opportunity. Flint of all people was starting to battle an unfamiliar trainer. Flint! Gene's heart was pounding. He did a complete 360 spin to look at everyone watching, and the results made his smile broaden. There were no other Professional Photographers there. The complete spontaneousness of this event lead there to no preparation. He was the only one there. In a flash, he ran off to a good angle, placing himself 10 meters behind the female trainer, and got to work.

*Snip*

*Snip Snip*

While he was busy, some of the 17 year old trainers saw that he was taking pictures, but what had gotten their attention more, was that he was taking pictures almost directly behind the female trainer. So when the battle was over, and Flint was pronounced the victor, the teenagers sprinted off to confront Gene with grins on their face. Standing up from his crouched position, he smiled as he saw the boys approach him.

"I can't believe you did that!" Dude, you've got guts!" "Lemme see those pictures man!"

Gene happily obliged, and to the teenagers disappointment, they were not the pictures they were expecting. Gene had strategically assigned himself there because of his knowledge of the move fire spin. He got the perfect angle where in the photo, the rings of fire spin act as a frame for the raging face of Houndoom. A masterpiece in his book, but not a Davinci for the boys. They sulked off, but even that couldn't break Gene's mood. Feeling a new sense of pride, he went back to the outside area where trainers had been watching to meet back with Shrumm.

"Well? Have you acquired a photograph suited to your liking?"

Gene kneeled down to his partner and smiled. "Indeed I have."

He held the camera up to Shrumm and started scrolling through the pictures, and slowly, his expression started to change for the better.

 

[Clite of Dragonbow]

Before the 1st July
Shiro tend to prepare himself for the fatefull day, He and Glacier were preparing together, sometimes he trained Glacier, who was battling Karma's Sceptile....
Well...
It was more of a Cubchoo using Icy wind on Sceptile till he gets visible demage than anything else.

He suddenly received a message from a person that was named Ryder and decided to reply.

Thanks! Your partner is a Scorbunny, right? I never had seen one before in my life.. If you are interested we could form team, what do you think about it?

July 1st

Cubchoo seemed visibly down and sad as Treeko didn't seem to become friends with him, but Pichu seemed like a great companion to play with in a future and that tought cheered up a little white bear pokemon.

"Its nice to meet you, Akane, Ivory!" said Shiro with visible smile on his face as he thought about all the adventures they are about to have. He was a bit nervous at first but now... With a group of friends, everything should be easier!

A sudden arrival of a boy telling them 'hi' made Shiro smile and wave in his direction then he notice the new person partner pokemon. "Oh, you are Ryder aren't you? And this..." He walked up and patted Scorbunny "Must be Scorbunny. Hey there pal" He smiled to pokemon.

Before he added anything else, another new face showed up, well... Two in fact.. And one of them was levitating.
He listened to her story and let a sigh, feeling bad for her. Cubchoo on a meantime was jumping trying to catch and hug in his paws levitating psychic pokemon,Niku.

"Ouch... Sorry about that... Hey, how about you join us, Paige? I mean, there is always a room for one more person and friend in a squad and its always better to travel together" He gave her a proposition.

@JadeStar @=Nightshade= @silverwind2020 @Alternate_Mystery

 

[MegaAbsol]

The wind billowed powerfully under Avery’s outstretched wings, threatening to bowl him over and send him hurtling into the sea if it wasn’t for his trainer’s powerful grip on him and the steady supply of fortitude she supplied him. ‘Go awn, Aves, don’ be shy, take sum’ore,’ He felt her encourage him, accompanied by a fresh wave of overwhelming power, surging over him and striking him much harder than the battering wind. He barely felt the hands around his round body loosen, so enamoured was he by the high the strength offered, but the same power threatened to cripple his still-weak physical body, and he felt his wings falter. Not to worry, Mari was ever-vigilant and snatched the bird out of the air before his wings even buckled under the duress. She held him close, smoothening down his ruffled feathers and he could feel the thrum of energy from deep within her, one so familiar to him. She’d told him, of course, of how she grew up around powerful pokemon, both the singular domesticated one and wild pokemon alike; her crudely trained Fortitude was still a well deeper than one Avery could fully tap into and harness, but each day he spent by her side, he could feel himself grow stronger, faster, more capable.

Mari set down her companion, making sure he got a good grip on her weighted bag before letting him go, watching him clumsily preen his feathers against the boisterous sea breeze. He was certainly bigger than when she got him nearly a week ago, and his progress was marked; he almost didn’t fit in her arms anymore. Clara had been kind enough to give her a thick falconer’s glove to carry Avery around and now his claws were nearly up to her elbow. His weight wasn’t a problem yet to the athletic little troublemaker but she suspected the day wasn’t far off.

The girl diverted her eyes to the expanse of sea in front of her, as the ship cruised on smoothly through the waves, the glittering waters so nostalgic of the crystal snow back home, and yet so different. Such promises shone ahead of the vast pelagic stretch; she couldn’t wait.

Déjà vu waited for none, it seemed; hardly had Mari docked to.. well, wherever the hell this boat took her, she should have asked Clara more questions, and followed the milling trainer crowd to a particularly red building did she feel it; the familiar yet unfamiliar sense of power. Waves of strength washed over her, not unlike what she would feel from Jacket or The King, but also… so different. It was different like water and snow were different, like the rains and the wildfire, like a tributary river; they stemmed from a common sourced, but branched uniquely off into their own paths. She couldn’t quite pin the source; it certainly wasn’t from the crowd of new Bronze entrants, much like her—

“Ugh, these damn country hicks,”

Arceus must be testing her.

“They’re really letting anyone into the Bronze League these days,” The voice continued, the sneer barely hidden in the male’s voice. Mari could barely keep herself from baring her teeth as she swivelled; slowly, carefully, to take in the appearance of the one who spoke. Avery trembled under the yoke of her malignant energy, radiating unhindered from her core as she took gentle, measured steps towards the boy. “Oh? Can you speak, little girl? You better leave the League stuff to us, the actual trainers. Bet you don’t know the first thing about training a pokemon,” The leering intensified as the boy noticed her glaring at him, and while Mari was the tall girl, the pesky interloper had a few inches on her, and stooped over to get right up in her face. “Then again, judging by your pokemon choice, I doubt you’d even get far-“

May Arceus have mercy on his soul, for I certainly won’t.

It was inadvisable to get up close to an adversary bigger than yourself; Mari knew that much from her time scrapping with much larger men back at home – and it was no different here, for when the girl dropped to her haunches and leapt at the boy, her legs finding purchase around his waist and bound in tight, cementing her to him. Her weight and momentum alone weren’t enough to make the boy lose his footing. But the open palm she thrust with all her strength at his chin was. His head snapped back with satisfying force as he teetered, dazed from the sudden attack and fell like, well, a felled tree. Mari loosened her vicegrip just before impact, and slammed down on all fours above him, making quick work of putting him in a binding hold; flipping him like a pancake and crossing his arms over his chest before pressing him down flat with her body. The boy barely had time to yell in pain before she grabbed his head with her free hand and pressed his face to the floor.

“Ya messed ‘ith th’ w’ong county hick, byoi,” Mari growled, grinning ear to ear in the familiar thrill of the fight. Her heart pounded loudly in her ears, over the sounds of panicked shuffling as trainers moved left and right to clear out space for the wrestling duo; well, the one-sided wrestling that is. Mari struck first, and she struck hard, and while there would likely be repercussions later, for now, all that was there now was the girl and the hunt.

Spoiler: Mari's Inventory

• Closed-cell foam sleeping pad
• Coupler strap
• Sleeping bag
• Wool base layers
• Socks, gloves, and a technical cold-weather hat
• Grooved wind-resistant tent stakes
• Nutrient-dense snacks
• Reusable straw
• Tent brush
• All purpose survival tools
• A week's worth of clothes
• Aviator goggles
• Flashlight and fire kit, complete with tinder and pressurized gas
• First aid kit (only bandages and a rudimentary form of penicillin)
• Bottle insulator
• Collapsible multi-purpose pot
• Stainless steel water bottle with a warming sleeve

 

[Alternate_Mystery]

July 1st, Sunyshore City

Spoiler: Ivory’s Inventory

5000 Cash
First-Aid Kit
Map of Sinnoh
Backup Clothes
Package of Sandwiches
Water Canteen
Pokénav

While her teammates were talking, Ivory had pulled out her Pokénav to check something, to be specific a timetable she had found for the league. Carefully glancing around the page, she seemed to struggle to find something and it made her mood drop a little. But she was SURE it would be there and so she continued to search.

Fortunately, Flex had noticed what she was looking for before she did and so the Treecko pointed it out, catching the girl’s attention. Sure enough, the info she wanted to see was written neatly on the square her partner had pointed out to her.

‘Lilypad Contest: July 10’

Seeing that honestly made Ivory worry. Lilypad Town was so far from here, but getting a bus would probably be the best call…but she couldn’t just leave her team behind. And if she missed this, the next Contests wouldn’t be for a good while.

Sure, it would be great training time if she missed this, but she really wanted to get to this thing in a way that wouldn’t disrupt her team members’ plans. So after a slight encouragement in the form of a tail slap from Flex, she spoke up, but somewhat timidly.

“Hey, uh, guys? Is it possible we try and get to Lilypad Town without disrupting any of your plans? It’s just that there’s a Contest there in around nine days, and I’d like to participate in it.”

She felt a bit stupid for being so awkward about that, but she got the message out and as a result she was overall happy with herself for getting it out.

 

[JadeStar]

"It's so nice to finally meet you all!" Akane said.

She placed her hands in front of her and offered a lift to Michi. The little Pichu ran around the group one more time before jumping into Akane's arms. Akane smiled and looked at the new arrival, another girl for the team, that seemed to make Akane feel more comfortable.

"Wow five us? That would be a great number! You should definitely tag along."

Her attention shifted to Ivory. Akane was so focused on getting pictures and drawing material she completely forgot this was a competition. The contest in Lilypad seemed like a wonderful idea. Maybe she wasn't the strongest battler, but she was definitely willing to learn and try it out.

"I agree with Ivory, it seems like a great place to start. We could head in that direction as much as possible and if we don't make it in 9 days, then we could easily take a bus."

 

[Hecotoro]

"The sun sure is bright, isn't it Cat?"

Victor petted the light green Caterpie standing on his shoulder. The two had been traveling abroad a ferry towards Snowpoint city, where they had decided to begin the Bronze League. They had been together for almost a week, but Cat's cheerful personality and Victor's gentle attitude made them bond quickly, sharing thoughts and feelings. The small green bug Pokemon looked very innocent next to the big man Victor was, but that didn't seem to bother the two.

"Good thing we got some winter clothes right?" Victor adjusted the pink scarf on Cat.

As the boat arrived to the harbor, the two carefully made their way off the ship, avoiding bumping into anyone, Victor's size was not good within big crowds. After making their way of the docks along with the crowd of young trainers, the two entered Snowpoint City, feeling the snow crunch under Victor's boots seemed to entertain the Caterpie while her trainer looked around and admired the different winter clothing people were using, specially the locals. He already had a name for a winter line of clothing in mind, "Cute and Fluffy.", but that could change over time. Right now, was more focused on actually becoming someone capable of being a coordinator and then a designer.

"Okay, let's check out the Pokemon Center and check for potential teammates, maybe someone with a sense of fashion or a good battler?" Victoria gentle patted Cat's small head while the Caterpie wiggled with joy. "Honestly, anybody is fine, a good team can be the key to success in this league."

Victor stepped into the Pokemon Center and looked around at the area flooded with trainers and their Pokemon. He could feel some confused stares from people, probably Cat's scarf was on backwards, which was embarrassing, but they could say they were making a fashion statement. They kept walking until Victor noticed a young girl talking to her Rotom Phone, made him think he should consider doing the same with his, but it would be awkward to do it after he saw someone else doing it. Were they even allowed to? It was a weird thing to do, but the Pokemon was going to follow you everywhere...

"Excuse me miss..." Victor approached Ceres. "Do you happen to know the Rotom inside the phone?"


$5000

Spoiler: Victor's bag

Camping kit
Cooking kit
Personal hygiene products, including skin care
1 meter of red, green, blue, pink, purple, yellow, orange, black and white cloth.
Sewing kit

 

[kyuukestu]

July 1, Fight Zone

Esther. Trapinch. Catch.

That was the game-plan. The entire reason Esther had traveled hundreds—maybe even thousands—of miles and to the further corners of the Sinnoh region. Now that she was in the Fight Area, it was time to execute with single-minded focus and an obsessive enthusiasm.

But all that enthusiasm and verve seemed to come to naught as the objection of her affection remained beyond the horizon, within the depths of Route 228—an arid, craggy, ravined stretch of land raked by constant sandstorms. Or...that was the story she had been fed by the map-application on her Rotom-enhanced Poketch. Given how treacherous the terrain supposedly was, Esther was hesitant.

In her hesitation, the Oblivian had decided to seek out more information at the local...Pokemon Center? Was that what it was called? They didn't have them in Oblivia, but nevertheless, Esther recognized the red-roofed building immediately; It's design was quite distinctive.

The Pokemon Center was a major hub for trainers within any city. It operated 24/7 and for the small fee of $100 would patch all your Pokemon up to full health; for an additional $100, you could even spend the night well-fed and accommodated. That said, many frugal trainers choose to sleep within Pokemon Centers whenever they were in town. It ran them about the same price per night as a 3—maybe 4—star hotel, but came with a number of added benefits. Though none of that mattered to Esther, since her interests lay in directions and possibly a few tips on catching Pokemon.

It was to those ends that the goth found herself in the Pokemon Center as a minor kerfuffle began to brew.

“Ugh, these damn country hicks,”

“They’re really letting anyone into the Bronze League these days,”

“Oh? Can you speak, little girl? You better leave the League stuff to us, the actual trainers. Bet you don’t know the first thing about training a pokemon,”

While the spew of invective had not been directed at her, the flippant words polluting the room had drawn Esther's ire. She swiveled in her seat and was just in time to catch as a small, fierce little chit rag-dolled herself through the air and chose violence. Esther was with raised brows. She felt a sense of camaraderie with the demeaned girl; she too would've been incensed if someone had targeted her for her humble origins. Though, witnessing the girl throw hands, she couldn't help but click her tongue in disapproval.

Eyes flashing, Esther ultimately decided the conflict was none of her business. Instead, she directed her attention to the television gracing the Pokemon Center's lounge, where replays of the battle between High Master Flint of the Sinnoh Elite 4 and the previous champion of the Gold League—Reina?—were being broadcast. The battle ended in Flint's victory, as expected, but as the camera's panned over both combatants, Esther quietly mused.

Reina was a Platinum Ranked trainer and to that effect, had a lot more energy at her disposal than a bronze-rank like herself. In spite of that and the battle's swift conclusion, the camera could catch the beads of perspiration that wet her skin and the thirsty heaves of her lungs. A few moves shouldn't have caused that...she'd seen her brother accomplish more and he was only at the beginnings of Gold Rank...

So the question was...why?

 

[Grand Master Koop]

A week before July 1
"So we're going to stay in Sinnoh." Laying on her bed, Joan held her brand new Rotom phone as she read the new announcements on the league's website. "Come to think of it, I don't think we've explored our home region that much have we Snover?" She asked, realizing that she has a very limited experience of the Sinnoh despite living here her whole life. Sitting by her bed, the Grass/Ice Type Pokemon turned around for a second and shook his head. "Hmm, I suppose this could be a good experience." Joan turned to look at the calendar on her wall. "One week before the league starts, what to do to maximize productivity during that time."

Joan rubbed her chin as she pondered, she could use the time to continue training with Snover. However, there isn't much she can think of that they haven't already done in the year that they spent together and there is little merit to doing the same things more times than necessary. She could spend the week doing research on the region and learn new skills that might be useful on her journey, but doing nothing but that for a whole week sounded very dull and boring. Joan needed something new to do. This leaves one idea in the young woman's head. "Hey Snover, how about we go find another team member?"

July 1, Hunter residence
Standing outside on their front yard stood a blindfolded Joan and Snover who was holding one of his snow berries. "Alright Snover, throw your berry towards my general direction when you're ready." Joan instructed. After a second of delay, Snover pulled back his arm and softly tossed the berry in an arc towards Joan.

Without even changing the direction of her gaze, Joan suddenly reached out her arm and caught the berry midair. The girl let out a deep breath. "Phew, I got it." She said out loud as she removed her blindfold while wiping sweat from her forehead. A Cutiefly descended from the sky and landed on the girl's head. "I'm impressed we were able to make this much progress in just a week Cutiefly. But still, this is simply practice done in a controlled environment, we will need to keep working on this if we want to use this ability practically." She theorized before biting down on the berry she now held. "I am glad that I caught you Cutiefly, this aura sensing ability you have will be very useful once we get the hang of it. Also I read that your evolution Ribombee can produce an edible pollen so I'm looking forward to that." Cutiefly chirped timidly upon hearing this, still not use to her new trainer's weird obsession.

After finishing her snack, Joan turned towards the house. "We should go grab our stuff and prepare to set off, come on let's go." Her two pokemon each let out a small cheer before following their trainer. Before entering, Joan looked off towards the distance. "Though I wonder where I should go after this."

 

[ThePlayfulFox]

Hilda followed Ron to the stadium and sat next to him. She watched the two competitors walk out onto the field, much fanfare for both. Though, Hilda could care less about the challengers. Though it was slightly interesting that an Elite Four member would fight against the Gold League champion. Too bad she was not paying attention to the various leagues lately. She watched as the Gold Champion threw out her Pokeball. Out came a Tauros. She flinched at the impressive size. How is it so big?
"Who?! Who?!" she felt the all too familiar voice intrude her mind. She closed her eyes and let Felix out onto her lap with a push of a button, the puppy shaking with excitement. Panting from the heat too.
"Stay quiet and I'll let you stay out. Deal?"
He licked his nose, his tail waving so fast it could hurt. "OK! OK! I'll stay quiet! I promise!"
Hilda rolled her eyes and refocused on the battle. Flint, the Elite Four member, had sent out a Houndoom. Both Pokemon were impressive. Well-cared for. What did she expect though? The Tauros' pelt reflected the sun off, making a glossy look. The muscles were also well defined, even from her distance. And the mane! The mane! It was so thick, a clear indication of how much she took care of her Tauros.
And Flint's Houndoom? His pelt was also glossy, the bones were a pure white. Although she personally had never cared for a Houndoom, in her experience with dealing with other Pokemon, she was certain this Houdoom got premiere care, something that only the very rich could give to a Pokemon.

As the battle went on, she noted the moves. Although the moves were impressive, she still caught on to the way the two Pokemon looked more than the actual moves. She would definitely have to ask them how they cared for their Pokemon. When the battle finished up, she glanced at Ron. "Yes sir, it sure was. Both of them were quite well-cared for, too. Could tell by those glossy coats." She chuckled and stood up, Felix leaping out of her lap. "How about we go gather some supplies then look for more teammates."

"Oh, so this is the guy you teamed up with. He looks weird." Felix's nose twitched. "Smells weird too."
She glared at her puppy. "I thought I told you to be quiet."
"I am! See, no noise! Just my voice in your mind!" He ran in a circle around her feet, clearly trying not to bark. Hilda's frown curved into a smile as she chuckled at her Lillipup and picked him up, going to the Pokemart.

The Pokemart was lined with shelves stocked with various items, though some of them required badges. Though, she didn't care. She didn't need an Ultra Ball anyway. Just a regular Pokeball would do nicely. She picked up five of them and also got two potions before going to the counter. The cashier was on her phone, texting away. She blew a bubble with her pink gum as Hilda gave a fake cough and slid her trainer ID over to the woman. She glanced over at the young woman and rolled her eyes, pocketing her phone. "The new trainer season started already? Oh boy. I'm going to need to see your Rotom or Porygon in whatever device you're using."
Hilda winced at the cashier's tone and the fact that she didn't have a Rotom or a Porygon. "Uh, well, um..."
"Don't tell me you don't have a Rotom or Porygon." Hilda's silence was all that the part-time worker received. She brought a hand to her head. "Do you at least have a device?"
"Uh...
"I'm going to take that as a no." The cashier brushed her blue-dyed hair back some. "Ok, ok, I'm not authorized to hand out phones and whatnot. Something about me being under eighteen." She rolled her eyes. "Let me get someone that can help you. Be right back."
The cashier left the register before returning with a clean-shaven man. "So you need a device and a Porygon?" He rose a brow as Hilda nodded. The man disappeared for a second, the teen tapping her foot impatiently for his return. He quickly returned with a blocky phone. "Here, it has a Porygon inside. These are special league-given ones that will be taken back at the end of this year's Bronze League. Now, I'll take care of your items. Once you sign in any way." He glanced at the teen. "Can you go restock the Pokeball Shelf? I'll take over once this customer is done." The teen rolled her eyes and huffed but didn't protest.

It didn't take long for the purchase to complete, and Hilda was handed the items. "You should have about, let me think, 4,400 Pokedollars left."
Hilda nodded and smiled. "Thank you, sir."
The man nodded, and Hilda left the building, Felix at her heels. "Thanks for not-"
"Bothering you? You have no idea how much restraint that took. I think I deserve a treat!"
Hilda rolled her eyes as she reached into her bag and pulled out a Ziploc bag full of treats. "Sit."
"Come on! I deserve it!" Hilda gave the metal command again. "Ugg, fine." Felix sat.
"Wait." She placed the treat on his nose.
"You just had to put the treat on my nose. Sometimes I think you do this just to torture me." Hilda sighed and rolled her eyes at her dog before giving him a mental command to take the treat. Felix flicked the treat into the air before catching it before it hit the ground. From the corner of the Pokemart, a blue bear-like creature locked onto the treats, its endless pit of a stomach yearning for them.

Spoiler: Hilda's Pack

3,600P
5 Pokeballs
2 Potions

***​

Avery chuckled. "Alright. It was a bus. Anywho, Lily is doing fine, right girl?" Avery patted the snake's head as the blue serpent lifted her head and cooed. Avery glanced around the Pokemon Center, looking for Aurora and Ceres. "The other two should be here soon, right? I mean, Aurora lives here. And Ceres knows to meet us in this town. The Pokemon Center is the most obvious meet-up!" Avery lifted a finger to her chin and narrowed her eyes. "Maybe too obvious." Avery's eyes darted around the Center until she saw a girl near the entrance with a Dreepy on her head. Was that Ceres? Only one way to find out. "Hey! Noah! I'm going to talk to this girl! I think she is Ceres!" Avery sped walked over to the girl, just as another person met up with her. A tall muscular man. Avery gulped at the sight of him and waved at the girl. "So, are you Ceres? I'm Avery, from the Happy Campers. If you aren't, I'm sorry for bothering you!" Avery glanced at the man, before pointing to where Noah pointed her to.

 

[RenzFlintrock]

Noah nodded, and quietly followed Avery over to the girl that might or might not be their new teammate. He had a little trouble catching up to Avery, since a pair of trainers cut in front of him and he had to halt to prevent a collision. It was only a minor delay, though, and he came up behind his friend in time to catch the tail end of her sentence.

Noah was trying to decide whether or not he was supposed to introduce himself when he picked up a sense of nervousness from Stella. The little psychic type had gotten more comfortable around Noah in the last week, and was also decently used to Avery, if only from the comfort of her Pokeball. But meeting another person through Noah's eyes that Noah didn't already know and trust was making her a little nervous. Especially as it was a person they might be stuck with for several months.

"I'm a little nervous, too, Stella, but it should be alright. She seemed nice enough when we were messaging her."

"Mmh."

"Maybe you can try taking a nap until we're done meeting up with everyone?"

"I napped on the way here... not really tired."

"Okay then. Well, hopefully everything will go fine."

Stella didn't respond after that, so Noah assumed the conversation was probably over. He turned his mental focus back on his friend and the girl that might be Ceres.

 

[Chiphead_]

Gene seemed content with Shrumm's approval of his work, and upon that note he ventured inside of the Pokemon Center once again. Now in a good mood, he payed little attention to the others around him and instead decided to visit some of the shops that were residing in the Center. As he made his way towards the Pokemart, Shrumm went sprinting in the direction of the trainer who was finishing up her purchase. Gene immediately noticed and swiftly put his leg in front of his partner. The mushroom Pokemon not being able to stop itself, bonked its head into the new barrier.

"Is there a reason for what you are doing?" Gene asked condescendingly as he looked down at his partner.

Shrumm looked up with a stern face, one also full of confidence and concern. "Of course. I never go through with my actions before thinking them over."

"...I'll take that as the truth for now."

Shrumm looked away from Gene, and directed his attention to the trainers Pokemon, a Lilipup. "That Pokemon, is in danger," Shrumm stated boldly, his deep voice making it seem like an intense voice line from a trailer of a thriller movie.

Gene smirked. He knew what was about to happen. "Uh huh. And what might your explanation be as to why it is in danger?"

Shrumm's cold gaze seemed to harden. "It's going to destroy itself. It's already in the process of doing so. Look! The pace at which it is vibrating, and spinning! It's gone mad!"

Gene looked at the Pokemon in question. It was just a hyper little puppy. Yes, its tail was wagging at an alarming rate, but it was obviously still young. A misconception on Shrumm's behalf, not knowing what a Lilipup was or how one acted. But while Gene was thinking, Shrumm was revving up, and charged at the girls partner. "It's going to explode! I must defeat it before it dooms everyone!"

Luckily, they were still a few meters away from the shop, and Shrumm was not a fast runner. And in response, he casually took out his Pokeball and returned him. No one saw the incident, and thankfully that included the girl who was now done. He sighed, and squeezed the bridge of his nose with his free hand. An act of dissapointment. "Have you no manners? Use your common sense before antagonizing others, or just refrain from doing that in the first place. I will decide when you will come out again. Maybe once your tantrum is over," he said telepathically.

This may have looked like an infrequent occurrence, but on Gene's standards, and Shrumm's desire for fighting, it had happened way too much.

***********************
However, now with that event unfolded, he completely forgot that he was about to go to one of the stores, and instead sat down in the cafe's seating area. He fiddled with his camera, and then with his Porygon phone, and then back to his camera. Just proceeding through the process of wirelessly transferring his pictures on his camera to his Phone. He sighed. He was doing this just to pass the time.

But what he really needed was a team. And a behaving partner. And some coffee.

 

[Hecotoro]

Ron placed his hands behind his head as he waited for Hilda to buy her stuff. He wondered himself if he should even consider buying Pokeballs yet, since he had no idea what kind of Pokemon he wanted to capture. But maybe it was better to be safe than sorry, besides, how hard could it possible be to manage money?

Ron made up his mind and approached the the front counter, he wondered if he could get the phone number of the girl chewing bubble gum, but unfortunately he was attended by a different cashier, a boy with glasses, mushroom like hair cut and a weird smile. He adjusted his glasses, which seemed to shine as he did so, while snorting.

"Welcome to the PokeMart, where you will find all your needs, including items for young trainers, veterans and a variety collection of Poke Dolls, include the infamous Clefairy, which is currently at a 50 percent discount if you purchase a Moon Stone which we currently don't have a stock. How can I help you?" The cashier's voice seemed to annoy Ron and Furia for some reason.

Ron gave a look of disgust as the cashier looked at him. "Five Premier Balls, two Potions and an Antidote." He looked down at Furia, but the Cyndaquil was distracted by Felix and other Pokemon around her.

"Ah yes, I love them white balls." The cashier burst into an annoying laughter and adjusted his glasses before he continued. "Get it?"

"No." Ron replied coldly. "Just do your job man..."

The nerdy cashier shrugged and went to gather Ron's materials, he returned and passed each one over the scanner and then looked up, adjusting his glasses again, which again were shinning. "One thousand, six hundred." He snorted as Ron's Rotom Phone came out of his pocket and ended the transaction, removing the funds from Ron's account. "You and your cute little Cyndaquil have a nice day sir, remember we are open 24/7 and have different discounts you can enjoy, make sure to follow our social media..."

Ron grabbed his stuff and walked away, since the guy kept looking at Furia while talking and it made her began to feel uncomfortable. The two were about to joined Hilda and where about to follow along with the plan to find a teammate, when a commotion broke out. Out of pure instinct, Ron returned Furia to her Pokeball, make sure to keep her safe as a group of people gathered and formed a circle. Ron pushed his way through the crowd until he was in front of the fight going on between some girl and some guy, although the beating the girl gave the guy wouldn't be called a fight. Ron chuckled at the sight of the scene, remembering his classic bar fights. Just like back in those days, the loser has someone try to break in and help him. A guy wearing dark sunglasses, funny since they were inside, burst into the scene was going to attack the girl from behind. Ron sighed loudly, he couldn't stand by and watch two guys attacking one person, so he ran towards sunglasses guy and rammed his right shoulder into him.

Sunglasses guy stumbled to the side and gave Ron a wild surprised look while the people seemed to be enjoying the show. Ron held up his hands as to show he didn't want to fight. "Can't let you attack someone like that from behind man, just let them..." Ron was interrupted by the guy's right fist connecting to the side of his left eye.

The punk stumbled backwards and placed his left hand over the impacted area while he said words not suitable for minors. He had tried to settle things peacefully, but it seemed once again he had to fight his way out of the current situation. Ron tightened his right fist, he could feel Furia's excitement pumping through his own as the thrill of being in a fight gave off. He straightened himself up and threw a right fist at the incoming attacker, aiming for the left side of his face, but to his surprise, Sunglasses guy tried to dodge and Ron's fist ended up hitting him directly in the left eye. Ron felt as the Sunglasses smashed under the force of his fist against the victim's eye. Fearing he went to far, Ron took a step back to get a good look.

"What the hell!" Sunglasses guy screamed as he covered the left side of his face with both his hands. "Why would you do that?!" His right, good eye wide open looking at Ron.

"You're the one who put his eyeball in front of my fist, I was aiming for the rest of your face!" Ron looked worried, expecting blood anytime from Sunglasses guy's eye.

"You're paying for new glasses!" The guy uncovered his eye, showing it was just red, but no blood, and raised his fists up, ready to fight again.

"Punch him in the heart! That's his most vital organ." Furia's voice sounded for the first time in Ron's head.

The Punk was so shocked by hearing his partner's voice that he did exactly what she said, he threw another right punch directly at the man's chest, something he wasn't expecting as he raised his forearms to cover his face.

"What the hell is wrong with you!?" Sunglasses man shouted as he felt the strong hit on his chest. "Did you just punch my heart?! This isn't Mortal Kombat dude!"

Ron felt bad for what he had just done. "Sorry, honestly I usually don't fight this dirty, just my Cyndaquil suggested..."

"Well your Cyndaquil is stupid!" Sunglasses man shouted as he charged towards Ron.

The words hit Ron like bombs as his temper exploded, nobody talked about Furia that way. He put all his force on his right foot as he Spartan kicked the man coming at him, the surprised and painful expression on Sunglasses man's face gave Ron a satisfied smile as the man went down and fall on his back. The crowd was both surprised and amused as they laughed and pointed at the man on the ground. Ron was not finished however, he walked towards Sunglasses guy and kicked him on the ribs, he felt he should hurt him more for offending his Pokemon, but before he could deliver anymore punishment another man tackled him down from behind and began throwing punches at Ron's face while Ron used his forearms to try and defend himself.

Spoiler: Ron's Bag

x5 Premier Balls
x2 Potions
x1 Antidote

Money $3600

 

[Mango137]

SCREEEEEECH….. THUD!

“Owwwww, what the hell was that?” Acacia rubbed his shaken skull, trying to assess if he had already incurred a concussion before setting foot on Sinnoh. He looked around a bit, his vision was definitely blurred but that was to be expected from any head trauma. At the very least he wasn’t seeing double and his little bit of nausea could easily be attributed to seasickness. Not enough to make a diagnosis for sure… next a memory test. How did I get here…?

Acacia’s mind drifted back a few days prior to the evening he left Cinnabar. He had been standing on the docks having one last conversation with Blaine.

“Well that’s one way to milk the league!” The scientist joked, looking at the massive cruise ship approaching from the horizon.

“Yeah, I figured if I gotta slum it on my own for a few months I should enjoy a last little taste of the high life.”

“Not a bad idea, speaking of which, what all did you pack? It’s important to find a balance between niceties and necessities.”

“Yeah I think I’ll be alright. This bag I got from galar is pretty nice. It’s not much heavier than my normal backpack but it can fit a lot more.” He took his thumb and gestured to the brown leather-trimmed bag he now wore on his back. Acacia had packed it full of what he deemed the essentials: an insulated hammock, camping knife, filtering water bottle, first aid kit, 4 more pokeballs that he had bought to hopefully last him the rest of his journey, and a few changes of clothes for different situations. The boy prided himself on being a light packer and was content with having a bit of extra space for anything he might pick up along the way.

Their conversation pleasantly continued on for a while until eventually the boat had reached the dock and it was time to say their goodbyes. Acacia and Blaine just smiled and shook hands, not wanting to get sentimental in public and he boarded the cruise liner. With Nix on his shoulder, Windie by his side, and the sea breeze in his face, Acacia took one last look at Cinnabar island as the sunset over it. When it rose again it would be the dawn of his new adventure in Sunnyshore City.

….or at least that was the plan. Certainly, Acacia hadn’t anticipated that he’d sleep through most of the cruise and find himself shipwrecked before ever reaching his warm destination. Begrudgingly, he collected his bearings and headed outside the boat to be greeted by the image of hundreds of trainers and tourists venturing around a gray island that seemed to be devoid of vegetation.

“What’s going on?” He approached a man who was nonchalantly smoking a pipe on the bow of the beached ship that he recognized as the ship’s captain.

“Diablo’s Ocean, that’s what happened. I reckon the lords of the sea were angry today, ran my beauty straight into a stone and left a hole the size of a donphan right in her bow. We might be stuck here for a few days so I suggest you make yourself comfortable, the rangers can only rescue so many people at once and they’re prioritizing the non-trainer civilians.”

“What!?” Anger coursed through Acacia’s veins. This was the first day of the bronze league and he had no intention of falling behind the pack. “Isn’t there anything we can do!? I can’t afford to be stranded on an island.”

“Slow your roll lad. If you wanna go gather the resources to fix the ship yourself be my guest, hell I might even pay you for it. But unless you wanna be part of the solution you better quit your yappin.”

That was all the permission Acacia needed, he climbed down the side of the boat and began venturing towards a tunnel he spotted not far down the coast.

“Rotom, where are we?” He asked while marching along.

“Bzzzt- Iron Island, located to the northeast of Canalav City. It was once a prosperous ore mine, but was shut down after the ore reserves dried up. Since then, it was kept open as a training area and habitat for wild Pokémon -Bzzt.”

Hmmm… Iron Island, perfect. If we look hard enough we’re bound to find some resources those miners missed.

On that note, he entered the cavern. Determined to brave whatever challenges lay in front of him and start his journey with out delay.

 

[=Nightshade=]

Sunyshore City

Spoiler: Inventory

$4,590
Fresh pastries
A wide assortment of granola bars and other non-perishable snacks
Rotom phone
Two empty Pokeballs, taken from home
Dream journal
First-aid kit
An empty notebook + pen for jotting down observations

“Whoa, really? Thanks, you guys!” Paige said brightly, flashing a relieved grin. She was touched by the other trainers’ willingness to take her into their group, and also felt extremely lucky that she’d run into others participating in the Bronze League, not to mention trainers as flexible as these.

-It was my puppy eyes that did it, hundred percent.- Niku’s voice echoed slightly in her head. -You lucked out big time, anyways…-

|Aw, cmon, give me a little credit~| Paige responded mentally, although the Solosis could plainly feel her sheepishness. |It wasn’t ALL luck…|

-You were literally just thinking about how lucky it was that you ran into other trainers, “especially these ones,”- Niku teased back. -Anyways. Lilypad Town for contests seems cool, right? You’ll be able to check out other trainers’ moves ‘nd stuff, write some notes or whatever you do. Maybe we could participate too, who knows? Might be fun.-

Paige nodded in agreement, both to Akane’s words and Niku’s thoughts. “Sounds great to me! I’d be down for a contest, could give me some close-up experience for gathering data.”

(OOC: pft I said I’d post today and I posted today at like 10 pm but still)

 

[Clite of Dragonbow]

"Welcome aboard officialy then" Shiro told to Paige and then his attencion returned to the Ivory that asked if they could go to a contest, as Shiro knew that gyms wont escape anywhere from him, he thought that journey to Lilypad can be a really good thing. "Well, I am on to go with you guys to Lilypad too! Well, I don't know much about contests, but will cheer on you.. Also, while we will be at Lilypad we can visit ancient pokemon colloseum that people and their pokemons used in a past before even pokeballs were invented!" He couldn't hide his excitment of visitibg new places, which was shown on his smiling face.

Glacier was even more excited on a thought of an adventure with new friends. He ran around the trainers with a smile on his small face and his nose was even more running than before. He slipped, turled around a bit and hit on Shiro leg.

@JadeStar @=Nightshade= @silverwind2020 @Alternate_Mystery

Spoiler: Future shopping xP

2 potions and 3 pokeballs = (-1000P)

 

[Foxex]

Startled by the man and his sudden question, Ceres was too focused on trying to spot potentially who Avery and Noah was among the crowds of trainers, trying to figure out just how to go about doing such a task.

“My apologies.” Ceres looked up at Victor, the man was huge, if he was a new trainer he was definitely the tallest one she’s ever seen “I wouldn’t say that I know the Rotom really well, we just met after all, but they all seem friendly enough. The Rotoms in my mum’s and dad’s phones are probably some of the friendliest and helpful Rotoms I’ve met, and I’m sure Nino here is just as good, if not better.” Ceres said smiling and taking Nino out of her pocket.

“I will certainly try my best!” Nino saluted and waved at Victor before promptly returning to Ceres’s pocket.

“Thanks Nino, you’ll be amazing I believe in you.” Ceres laughed lightly, such and odd individual asking about something as mundane as a Rotom phone, they were something that she had grown up around with all of her life, wildly popular in Galar, “I don’t think I ever caught your name. I’m Ceres and this is Snips.” Ceres introduced, Snips waved at the large young man.

"So, are you Ceres? I'm Avery, from the Happy Campers. If you aren't, I'm sorry for bothering you!" a dark hair girl asked approaching her.

Hey! It’s Avery! Snips said before Ceres could even react.

“Pardon me a moment.” Ceres said to Victor with a quick smile.

“Avery! I was just looking for you and Noah. I am Ceres! It’s nice to meet you in person!” Ceres grinned at Avery, “And this is Snips.” She pointed to him on top of her head. He maneuvered himself so he was resting in her hood with his head on Ceres’s shoulder, he gave Avery a wave and a nod, his attention was more on the Dratini around Avery’s neck. “That’s an adorable Dratini! What’s its name?” Ceres asked leaning slightly forward to get a closer look at it along with Snips. Ceres’s mind and heart was filled with so much of Snips’s excitement and wonder that caused Ceres to smile and practically shudder with excitement, her belly was tingling and her heart was fluttering in her chest like the anticipation for a long awaited gift.

What is THAT! Snips asked.

Oh, they are known as Dratini, it’s what Dragonites looks like when they are little and young.

Get out! No way! Dreepy exclaimed. It’s tiny!

For sure! That is what Bubbles used to look like when he first hatched from his egg. But I don’t think they’re supposed to be that small….

 

[sSoul]

June 30th
It had been six days since Robert and Floru met, and the former had been putting his remaining time in Kanto to use. His packing was basically complete at this point, his room was cleaned to near perfection, and most importantly, he watched his little Bulbasaur mature to some degree or another. Although a week wasn't enough time for a Pokémon to begin to articulate thoughts in words that he could understand, the new trainer realized that his Bulbasaur was beginning to feel safer and more comfortable around him. However, Rob noticed that he was rather shy around most people. The only other person that Floru didn't shy away from seemed to be Robert's father, who was able to endear himself to the newborn Pokémon through his experience in dealing with his peers and his general fatherly attitude. Though the Seed Pokémon's development brought a smile to Robert's face, it didn't distract him from the fact that today would be his last day in Kanto. His feelings on the matter were mixed overall, overjoyed to begin the next phase of his life(especially since that phase would be inaugurated with a luxury cruise ride) yet somewhat despondent over leaving the life he knew behind. At the moment, the rookie trainer was sitting at his desk, pondering and processing his emotions over the impending journey.

"Robert, can you come downstairs?!" The yell of a familiar voice broke the aforementioned adolescent out of his trance. After making sure that Floru was in his ball, he decided to approach the voice, knowing that the voice would eventually receive an appearance. Unexpectedly, the appearance was that of his mother. Normally, his father was responsible for managing the Daycare while his mother was usually busy with her work for Silph Corporation as a researcher. Smiling, Robert gave his mom a quick hug before leaving to get his bag. Earlier, he received a text notifying him of the situation involving his trip to the Vermillion Seaport, so he knew what to do when his mother arrived. With his bag in tow, it was finally time for the family to part ways. Robert approached his father with a heavy heart, having a million things to say but none of the words to express them.

"Uh...dad, I-" Robert was cut off by his father simply choosing to give his son a hug with a couple of pats on the back. After some hesitation, the new trainer reciprocated. After finishing their embrace, Rob looked around to see if he could find Marie anywhere, but she was completely out of site.

Eh she's probably upstairs. If she really cared she'd be here right now.

With a final shrug, the young adult left with his mom for the Vermillion Port. The trip itself was uneventful, but while he was walking, he got a call from Patricia seeing him off.

"Hey Rob, I heard you were leaving today."

"Yup, I'm on my way to the Vermillion Port right now. I'll be catching a cruise there."

"Lucky...I wish I could go on a cruise right now..."

"Y'know you could always register for the next league..."

"Fat chance of that, I don't really need any Pokémon draining my energy, I need all of it for myself"

"Yeah, especially since it takes all of your energy to move a box from one shelf to another."

"Stooooopp."

"Well look on the bright side, you won't have to deal with me pestering you with this kinda junk 24/7."

"Thank Arceus..."

"I'm gonna miss ya Trish"

"Well, if you're ever feeling lonely, gimme a call Robby." That was the end of the phone call(apart from an eyeroll from Robby), leaving one more person to see off: his mother. Given that the cruise ship was on the horizon, it would be in their best interest to keep the farewells brief.

"Stay safe sweetie," Mrs. Dean decided to go with the traditional option when it came to seeing off her son, if only because there wasn't much else to say at the moment.

"I'll do my best," Robert chuckled before giving his mom a loving embrace. After what seemed to be a minute of hugging, Robert finally got on the ship, setting sails for new experiences.
July 1st
A "new experience" was one way to sum up the recent events. After getting on the ship, Robert let Floru out to soak in the ocean blue. While showing the outside world to the young Bulbasaur, the new trainer surveyed his peers, or more accurately, the competition. Out of all the attendants on the boat, the person that stuck out the most was a dude with golden eyes and messy brown hair. Outside of the unusual eye color, what stuck out to Rob was the fact that he was accompanied by two Pokémon: a Growlithe and a Zorua, while most trainers seemed to only have one. Besides that observation, the boat ride was rather peaceful, if a bit uneventful up until the ship came to a literal crashing halt in the middle of the ocean. Although Robert was able to keep all of his things together, the event still rattled him to a great extent. As he approached the captain to check on the status of their trip, he noticed that golden eyed boy from before was talking to the captain before walking off into a cave. Curious, Rob decided that he'd follow this interesting individual intending to inspect their endeavors.

"I should get a refund..." Rob sarcastically mumbled to himself while on his path, quickly becoming bored and irritable due to the previous events.

 

[Malcolm102]

July 1st Hearthrome City, Sinnoh

Andy had arrived in Sinnoh after a three hour plane ride. Once off the plane, he browsed the Bronze League forums for any people that still needed a companion, most requests were already taken by others that had previously went through the forums, however, he did see one that possibly was still available.

Looks like it's now or never! Time to start this adventure, anybody here starting their journey as well?

ended with a picture of a Bonsly.

Andy replied with,

I would be welcome to journeying together with you if you are still looking. I only recently arrived in Sinnoh, Hearthrome City specifically. You would find me at the city's pokecenter.

his reply ended with an Azurill.

Soon enough, Andy and Aqua arrived at the pokecenter, and waited for a reply or the person he had replied to., taking in the sights of the city as well.

Inventory- 5000pokeyen, pokephone

 

[DarkHydraT]

Ezio sighed as he slumped down onto the ground, what a start to his adventure. The first time he left Unova was immediately met with disaster. A shipwreck, it was a miracle that he wasn't hurt and that his supplies were still with him. He'd checked his backpack after hitting dry land and had let out a sigh of relief after seeing his tent, sleeping bag, sleeping mat and clothes were all okay. Lenora would kill him if he ruined the supplies that she let him borrow. Letting Silicobra out, the boy began to pet the snake as it showed clear apprehension at the ocean and began hissing at it, inflating its neck pouch in an attempt to intimidate the ocean. Ezio chuckled at the display, scratching his partner underneath their chin. "Good job buddy, the ocean is terrified." His words seemed to calm the Ground type down, as it deflated its pouch and curled around its trainer's arm. The seven foot long snake was a bit cumbersome, but Ezio would manage. Getting himself up from the ground, he looked around and saw two people walk towards a cave. "I really cannot use that today." Muttering to himself, he followed them to make sure that they were safe. Whilst he had yet to battle with Silicobra and the wild Pokémon here would inevitably be powerful, he could atleast try to save some lives.

Spoiler: Inventory

4400 dollar
Popup tent
Sleeping bag
Sleeping mat
Spare clothes
3x Pokéballs