Ask to Join Ultra Sinnoh Adventure RP

[BriefStar]

Discussion: https://pokecharms.com/threads/ultra-sinnoh-sign-up-discussion.24309/

Alola Region

Inside the Aether Paradise was a man wearing a futuristic outfit standing in front of a computer downloading something. While two similarly dressed people stood guard. "Finally we have what we came for with this I am one step closer to making my plans a reality" said the man holding up a flash-drive with the freshly downloaded contents. As he sad this the sounds of fast approaching foots could be heard.

"Who are you and what business do you have with our Ultra Wormhole data!" said a woman with long blonde hair as she glared at the man.

"Why hello President Lusamine my name is Paradox I am the leader of Team Ultra Galactic and as for what we have planned for your data. Its quite simply really we wish to rule not only this world but all worlds and thanks to your research we now one step closer to that goal you have my thanks" said Paradox grinning.

"Like I'll let you leave with that data" said Lusamine as she pulled out a Pokeball, "Go, Milotic!" in a flash a large serpent-like Pokemon appears.

"Oh, you think you can stop me fine I'll show the power of future ruler of all worlds go Malamar" Paradox grins tossing a Pokeball. Releasing a purple squid-like Pokemon, "Malamar put them in their place use Psychic!" Malamar's eyes began to glow as it fired a powerful blast of psychic energy from its eyes.

"Quick Milotic use Scald!" Lusamine ordered, Milotic quickly fired a blast of scalding hot water. As the two attacks collided it resulted in a explosion sending her and Milotic back. As she started to get back up and the smoke started to clear Paradox and his group was no longer there. "Oh, no they managed to escape" she groaned as she looked for any sign of them.

Sinnoh [Present Day]

"Alright just little bit further and I'll be at Sandgem Town" smiled a boy with pink hair as he was about to continue walking he could hear someone yelling. Following the noise he could see a guy a few years older than myself being chased by a Mightyena.

"Oh, come on this is not my day!" said a young man with a lab coat running for his life while carrying a heavy looking suitcase, "Someone, anyone help!!"

As he said that the boy with pink hair suddenly run from where he was. Now standing in the way of the angry dog. "Hey how about I be your opponent" the pink haired boy grinned getting into a fighting stance while holding a Pokeball, "Jango-o battle stance!" the boy called out sending out a small dragon with gold and pink scales. Mightyena growled angrily as it lunged towards the small dragon planning to bite down on its foe. "Quick Jangmo-o dodge it, then strike back with Headbutt" Jangmo-o leaped out of the way of attack as it quickly dashed towards Mightyena headbutting it from the side sending it flying.

The Dark-type pick itself back up angrier than before its maw begun to fill with flames. As it once again started to charge at Jangmo-o. "Alright, Jangmo-o meet the attack use Counter!" the boy smiled, Jangmo-o nodded as its large scale begun to glow orange with energy rushing towards the fast approaching foe. Jangmo-o crashes into Mightyena using its force against it knocking it back, "Lets wrap this up Jangmo-o, Dragon Tail" before its opponent had a chance to react Jangmo-o slams its tail down on Mightyena knocking it out.

The boy in the lab coat stopped running turning to see his savior. He looked on amazement as he watched the younger boy's dragon defeat the Mightyena. "Thanks for the help I thought I was goner my names Lucas I'm an assistant at Professor Rowan's Lab" Lucas greeted walking up to the boy extending his hand.

"It was no problem the names Leo and this is Jangmo-o" Leo smiled shaking Lucas's hand as he introduced himself and his Pokemon, "So what was you out here doing before you got chased?"

"I was out here researching the new species of Pokemon that were founded living in this area. Next thing I knew I was being chased" Lucas said while letting out a heavy sigh, "What about you Leo why are you out here?"

"I'm making my way to Sandgem Town to receive everything I need from Professor Rowan so I can start my journey" Leo said excitedly.

"Oh, I was actually on my way back before you know.." Lucas trailed off, "Why don't I take you there its the least I can do for saving me" Lucas offered perking back up.

"Really thanks lets go!" Leo said pumping his fist. As the two were walking Lucas was having trouble walking while carrying the large suitcase, "You need help carrying that?" Leo asked pointing to the suitcase.

"No it fine its just a little on the heavy side I don't want you to hurt yourself trying to help" Lucas tried to reassure him now dragging the case.

"Dude don't worry about me see" Leo said taking the case and tossing it over his shoulder like it was nothing to the shock of Lucas, "See I told you lets get a move on I want to get there as soon as possible" Leo told him continuing to walk.

"Umm..thanks" Lucas said now walking beside him, "Hey Leo that was some amazing battling you did back there you must be an amazing trainer."

"I don't think I'm that great of a trainer when it comes to battling other trainers I often lose but I seek to get stronger through training along side my Pokemon" Leo said with a look of determination.

 

[TheRowdyPegasus]

Verity was staring at the Town map board at the entrance to Sandgem town, tilting her head back and forth while trying to decipher the faded legend to see where she could stock up on food, potions and hopefully Pokeballs for the journey to the next town. Her money was in short supply but building a team to defeat trainers would be a great first step in getting an income in this new place.

However, the first step was supplies and reading the new language she had learned in Kanto was difficult.

Sinnoh was a far cry from home but Verity was grateful that her aunt and uncle allowed her to head out on a journey despite what her parents had said on the matter. The Shinx her aunt and uncle bred purred and kneaded the ground, loving the outdoors and new scents.

 

[Darkmaster006]

Spoiler: Stella

Credit: [x] [x]

Spoiler: Dan, the Mareep

Credit: [x]
Dan, the Mareep (M), Lvl. 15
- Mareep, the Wool Pokémon. Mareep store static electricity in their wooly coats. They avoid battles and have mild dispositions.
- Lively and protective. Tries to outdo himself every time to impress Stella. Tends to move in an elegant way. He met Stella when she was out strolling through the part and decided to stay with her. He looked at her, she looked at him, and he thought she looked really cool so she started following her around. Eventually, they ended up going home together. Dan is really attached to Stella now and always wants to be out of his Pokeball and be with her and he takes care of her.
Type: Electric
Ability: Static
Moves:
Tackle
Thunder Shock
Cotton Spore
Charge

Location: South Entrance, Sandgem Town, Sinnoh Region
Time: Mid-day.
Wearing: light blue dress shirt, blue chino pants, her yellow diamond-shaped pendant, brown stilysh shoes.
Items: Camera, Backpack (a drawing notebook, various Sinnoh maps, etc.).

Stella was finally starting a journey through another region, Sinnoh! She was in Jubilife City just last night, but Daisy, her mother's friend, made her relay something to a friend in Sandgem so now she was here in this little town that stretched towards the southwestern part of Sinnoh. And today, she was out with Dan, her Mareep, just strolling around the city, ambling around, watching the people mill about their daily life. There farms on the distance, and little houses littered the half-paved streets. It was a nice and cozy little town.

Eventually, she'd ended up walking towards the town map at the south entrance to Sandgem, that is, where it meets Route 201 and Twinleaf Town to the south. But she caught sight of someone else who was standing there, looking confused, tilting her head back and forth. It was a tall, muscular girl wearing a very... martial-artist-like outfit, unlike Stella, who wore a light blue dress shirt and blue chino pants, as well as her yellow diamond-shaped pendant (a gift from Alicia) and brown stilysh shoes. She had a Pokeball belt with only a yellow Pokeball on it, to the leftmost position. From a vantage position, a bit away, trying not to be caught, she grabbed her camera (that she always carried on her neck), and took a photo of the girl and the Shinx in front of the sign. Fun.

She slowly walked towards the sign, eyeing the girl in front of her. Even though her sense of style was different from Stella's... she was attractive, Stella couldn't deny that. Beside her was a Shinx playing around with the ground and purring. The scene was pretty cute. But the girl seemed even more confused as the seconds passed, so Stella decided to intervene, and, well, maybe ultimately get to know this beau-uh, nice girl, right? She could do with more friends. She took out one of her Sinnoh maps (she'd brought several, just in case) from her yellow-and-black backpack. "Uhm, do you need help?"

Tagged: @TheRowdyPegasus

 

[TheRowdyPegasus]

Verity jumped a bit but gave an easy smile as soon as she saw who spoke. "Uhmm, yeahh..." She turned a light pink in the face and looked back to the map, covering her eyes from the sun above. "I never had to read growing up so it's a bit hard to get a grip on now... And with everything so faded I barely know up from down. Can you tell me where the General Store* is, please?" She hadn't yet noticed the map in Stella's hands and was furrowing her brow, putting her hand down which was instantly attacked by Shinx.

"Hey!" Verity distracted from the issue momentarily, grinning from ear to ear. "You're rude!" She chuckled, swatting at Shinx's playful paws, the hindlegged antics kicking up dust before picking him up and holding him as one would do a baby. "Sorry, he's a handful. Anyhow! I'd love help if you don't mind." Verity concluded, looking back up at Stella and meeting her dark eyes.

Spoiler

How'd you already know her business? XD

@Darkmaster006

Admin edit: Fixed that present tensing and unnecessary bold tag abuse for you. Keep a better eye on that next time.

 

[Darkmaster006]

Spoiler: Stella

Credit: [x] [x]

Spoiler: Dan, the Mareep

Credit: [x]
Dan, the Mareep (M), Lvl. 15
- Mareep, the Wool Pokémon. Mareep store static electricity in their wooly coats. They avoid battles and have mild dispositions.
- Lively and protective. Tries to outdo himself every time to impress Stella. Tends to move in an elegant way. He met Stella when she was out strolling through the part and decided to stay with her. He looked at her, she looked at him, and he thought she looked really cool so she started following her around. Eventually, they ended up going home together. Dan is really attached to Stella now and always wants to be out of his Pokeball and be with her and he takes care of her.
Type: Electric
Ability: Static
Moves:
Tackle
Thunder Shock
Cotton Spore
Charge

Location: South Entrance, Sandgem Town, Sinnoh Region
Time: Mid-day.
Wearing: light blue dress shirt, blue chino pants, her yellow diamond-shaped pendant, brown stilysh shoes.
Items: Camera, Backpack (a drawing notebook, various Sinnoh maps, etc.).

Stella smiled at the girl. So she had never read growing up? Where could she have been raised for that to happen? Well, Stella was clueless. She didn't even notice the pink on the girl's cheeks, and so she just went with a polite option. "Ah, the map here looks very... faded, huh? I can definitely do that..."

While she talked, the girl's Shinx playfully attacked the girl's hand, and Verity grinned and laughed. At that, Stella giggled. And at that moment, too, a Pokemon came out of the only Pokeball that Stella held in her belt, it was a yellow one. And a Mareep came out. "Dan, it's too early!" Stella said, but the Mareep pouted and wouldn't budge, so Stella let him stay out. He had been told to stay on the Pokeball for a set time to rest by the nurse but... well, he was just like that.

"Anyways, feels like we both got a handful with these babies... ehm, would you want me to show you the way? I also have a Sinnoh map here for you, if you need it," Stella said as she looked at the map and then at the girl, who was staring at her, right at her eyes, intently. Stella slightly blushed. She actually had a book with maps from everywhere from the Sinnoh region that her mother's friend had gifted her, maybe she'd need to use it later. Thankfully, she'd seen the General Store on the way here, so she was sure she could there... hopefully.

@TheRowdyPegasus

 

[TheRowdyPegasus]

"Dan? Is that his name?" Verity's eyes brighten up immediately, gazing at the Mareep with wonder. She'd never seen anything like it, and it was so similar to Shinx! But... So different. Stella spoke again, and Verity looked back up to her face, taking notice of her slight sunburn as she continued. "I would really appreciate that, and if you don't mind my saying, could get some sunscreen." Verity punctuates this with a gesture across her own face, pointing to where the blush was on Stella's face.

Her attention shifted back to the Mareep which was still a cause for curiosity. "Should we start walking?"

 

[Darkmaster006]

"Yeah, he's Dan, my Mareep! He just loves walking around with me," she bended down slightly and ruffled Dan's fur carefully, smiling blissfully. She loved him, and he loved her all the same; he probably couldn't stay out while she was hanging out with other people, lest they be dangerous or something.

"Eh? Sunscreen?" Stella's confusion lasted only after she saw Verity gesticulating at her her face... could it be that she was blushing? Yeah, her face tended to redden easily but she seldom noticed it. Verity pointing it out probably didn't help it to recede. "Ehem, yeah, we should," so she decided to just drop it, "just, uh, walk beside me?" she asked tentatively. Dan, meanwhile, was having his fun looking intently at the Shinx, she had seen only one other Shinx before, so his curiosity got the best of him and he was eager to interact, going so far as to extend his right fore paw in an attempt to touch the Shinx's star-shaped tail tip.

 

[TheRowdyPegasus]

Shinx purred and made a chirp murmur as he felt a touch on his tail. He squirmed in Verity's arms, looking for the cause of the contact. Upon sight of Dan, he kicked off of Verity's torso and landed neatly in front of the other Pokemon, sniffing warily and approaching slowly. A curious purr followed, Shinx looking intently at the other Pokemon.

Verity, who had just been effectively kicked right under the chest let out an audible huff of air followed by a quick return to her composure. She playfully stuck her tongue out at Shinx who was still occupied. She rolled her eyes, holding back a smile before her attention was on Stella again. "Beside you, got it!" She said cheerfully, waiting for her new acquaintance to lead the way.

People here are nice. Verity muses to herself, thinking about how kind almost all the people she had ever encountered were.

 

[Darkmaster006]

Dan smiled at the Shinx's forwardness, it sniffled him and approached, slowly. Dan heard a purr, and the end of his tail made a sudden, spontaneous 'zap!' sound. He wagged his tail, looked at the Shinx, and then kept on walking, beckoning Shinx to follow him.

Stella, meanwhile, looked at Verity through it all, from her funny 'huff' to her smile, and it was definitely endearing, silly, and cute. She was just... really spontaneous.

As they walked, side by side, with Shinx and Dan walking just ahead of them, the sandy terrain, the unpaved roads, and the old, quaint houses lined their path to the center of the town, where, from high up, one would be able see a few buildings near the northern part of the town, the General Store was one of them. The houses were sparsely distributed in the south, but soon turned closer and closer as they walked to the north.

"So, uhm, does your Shinx have a name?" she inquired, looking at the side, at Verity, who, she now realised more than ever, was pretty tall.

 

[TheRowdyPegasus]

Shinx followed gladly, keeping side by side pace with Dan while keeping his tail raised, occasionally pressing it to Dan's tail or side and giving small shocks as electric types do to communicate.

Verity was caught up in all the new sights. She came from Pewter City after being taken from the ruins and the forest so the somewhat older and smaller buildings, especially built in such a different look were strange to her. So many different ways to do the same things! If there are different ways for everything than anyone can do anything! Verity hummed to herself while taking a small bit of time to focus on every new thing. The sandy slopes and beaten dirt trails didn't bother her, and she was grateful for their unusual lack of dust. Keeping clean was very important when she lived in Pewter, it would likely be the same here.

When Stella spoke, Verity responded while still looking around but this time turning her head towards the girl next to her. "No, I can't think of anything suiting. I really want to give him a name but I don't want what I pick to be a mistake." A light sigh escaped her and Verity shook her head slightly to clear the notion for the time being. "How did you come up with 'Dan' for your Pokemon?"

@Darkmaster006

 

[Darkmaster006]

Stella kept her gaze now fixed on Verity, who seemed to be amazing at all the things the town had to offer... from old houses to unpaved roads to downtrodden electric cables. Not that she disliked it... but Stella didn't feel at home at all. While the buildings in Ecruteak, her home-town, were old, their style was radically different than the one from here. Still, the wonder with which Verity looked at the world, eyes open and scanning everyplace, was encouraging to see. She'd have to think about how to take a photo with her looking like that sometime.

Dan kept walking beside Shinx, poking at him with his own tail in retribution while his fluffy wool became bigger and bigger from being doubly-charged.

"Nothing big, actually... my mom was just listing off names for me to choose and Dan kinda resonated with me, you know, short, fun, fluffy?" Stella answered. If she had to be completely honest, she had no idea why she'd chosen Dan. Didn't even know what it meant. "But, hey, no name is a mistake! I can help you choose, too," she said, smiling, and then added, flustered and wailing her arms around "if you want, of course!"

 

[TheRowdyPegasus]

Shinx noticed the static gain in Dan's wool and pointed with his nose to a patch of dirt to which he ran off without Verity seeing. He promptly rolled in the dirt and then got back on his feet to shake off the excess dirt his coat had picked up. He always did that to get extra static off.

Verity noticed the arms being moved and reached up to give a high-five to each. "I'd love to have help! You're so nice, errm...." Verity hesitated as the realization struck that she didn't know Stella's name, nor had she given her own. "Oh, Helix how rude of me!!" She exclaims while putting a hand to her face. "My name's Verity, what's yours?" After the introduction she extends he hand to be shaken, giving a nervous smile.

 

[Darkmaster006]

Dan looked at Shinx, who went and got himself dirty... for no reason at all, apparently. It puzzled him, but, well, what could he do? He just waited for him to shake off some of the dirt and continued walking. "Mareep, reep!?"

For some reason, Verity gave her a high-five in each hand. Verity's hands looked... callused, tanned, and strong. She probably did lots of manual work.

What a way to make a first impression: Stella wanted to face-palm herself right then and there for forgetting to introduce herself like a bumbling idiot! Instead, she bowed deeply. "I'm the one who should be sorry! Ah, my name is Stella, it's nice to meet you, Verity," she shook her hand, put on a smile, and looked right at Verity's eyes. They were violet, super awesome compared to her dull brown eyes.

 

[Captain Cardboard]

"Sandgem town, finally. And more importantly.... Sinnoh!" The Blastoise finally made its way to the beach, it's blue haired trainer climbing of the back of the Water-Type's shell and onto the sandy beach. Robin took his large backpack off of the Blastoise and began to remove the waterproof coverings. The Blastoise merely grunted, moving onto his hind legs and sitting down. Robin unwrapped his bag, revealing a sheathed sword. Slinging both the sheathed sword and backpack on his back, he tossed a pair of Leppa Berries to his Pokemon.
"Here, Turk. You earned it buddy." Robin said. The Blastoise caught the two berries, inspecting them for a moment before looking down at his trainer with a scarred grin.

Taking a moment for Turk to eat his berries, Robin returned the Blastoise to his Pokeball and began to stretch. From his memory, Sandgem Town didn't have any gyms. So he'd have to see about other means for making money. If he could remember, Sandgem Town wasn't known for its tough trainers either. So he'd just have to do it the old fashioned way.

Finding an open area near the General Store and Pokemon Center, Robin began to set up. The swordsman took a Pokeball from his belt, sending out the Pokemon contained inside. His Plusle, Cherry, appeared in a burst of light.
"Plu, plu!" Cherry said happily. Robin petted his small electric Pokemon happily.
"Hey, Cherry! Go see if you can get some people for the show!" Robin said. Cherry gave her trainer a thumbs up before running down the street.

Having sent Cherry on her mission, Robin began to set up his show. The swordsman unfolded a cardboard sign and propped it up in front of him, which read "Robin Deux, Swordsman Extraordinaire, TM salesman, and Move Tutor. Donations are appreciated." as well as prices for said TMs. Laying out a blanket, Robin placed the TMs out on it. Nearly complete, Robin took out a Great Ball from his belt and sent out another Pokemon. This one was his Gallade, Q.

"Alright, buddy. We got another show. The routine still fresh?" Robin asked his Gallade. The Psychic type nodded, and the pair began to stretch and get ready for their performance.

 

[TheRowdyPegasus]

Verity was caught off guard by how Stella's brown eyes caught the sunlight, turning them swirling amber colors with hints of gold. Forgetting that she hadn't let go of Stella's hand, her eyes went wide and she almost completely froze. "Your eyes, they're so pretty!"

Shinx tried to gesture for Dan to come over, rubbing his face with a paw to show the lack of static in his fur before he let out a small huff and got back to Dan. He made sure not to get any of his new dirt on Dan, Verity had been very clear during their friendship, if someone wants to be dirty, they'll do it themselves.

Finally seeing her hand caught up in the handshake for what was far too long, Verity let go and cleared her throat awkwardly. "Shinx?" She called for her Pokemon, which made him bound towards her right away. "Buddy, where did all that dirt come from?"

 

[Darkmaster006]

"Eh?" Stella was, frankly, surprised. It was like she'd read her mind! Did she really think her eyes were pretty? I mean, it seemed like Verity mostly said what was on her mind, right? And was overtly-excited, so, yeah... she turned a slight pink, of course. I mean, Verity was cute, yes, she was strong, yes, and, frankly, she was beautiful. Agh, but she couldn't just go on falling for every pretty girl out there, righT? But, at least she wanted to become her friend! "Um, thank you..."

And when Verity didn't let go of her hand for a while, she didn't care. But eventually she did, and called out to Shinx. Who knew if that had been on purpose or just Verity being awkward!? Now was not the time for overthinking, but she was a master at overthinking! This was gonna be one hell of a ride.

Dan, completely oblivious to her trainer's confused thoughts, looked at the Shinx jumping towards Verity, and so, he did what everyone would do, she jumped towards her own trainer, of course! Stella made sure to grab him up and hold him with both hands.

"Ah! So, what did you need from the General Store?" was the first thing that she thought of asking as they resumed walking, she looked at the dirty Shinx and hoped Dan's fur wasn't as dirty as she caressed it.

 

[TheRowdyPegasus]

"Just some basic pokeballs, a couple potions and a restock on my camping supplies," Verity answered, catching a leaping Shinx shortly after the statement. He wriggled for comfort and purred softly, getting dirt on his trainer in the process.

"Dangit, Shinx!" Verity said in fake frustration, holding her partner just the way he liked. More purrs emitted from him and she shook her head. "He didn't get Dan, did he?" She asked, trying to spot possible dirt on his coat from here. She would examine closer but personal space was a lesson long since learned. While walking, Verity got used to the new surrounds little by little and eventually stopped boggling upon reaching the General Store. "Wow, this is actually smaller than the one in Pewter City."

 

[Darkmaster006]

"Oooh," well, maybe Stella should buy some Pokeballs and potions too, as well as, yeah, camping supplies. She really didn't know her way around that, and Verity probably knew her way around that well, she'd have to ask later for help.

Stella looked as Shinx jumped right on top of Verity, who didn't seem in the least affected by the dirt, only joking about it. "Oh, don't worry, he didn't, my clothes are all fine!" she said as she tugged and held up the upper edge of her light blue dress shirt, which, thankfully, hadn't caught any dirt. Wouldn't count on it being that clean after a full day, camping and sleeping including, but, well, she'd have to make do. Could always wash it in a lake, right?

"Well, Sandgem is a little town, after all. But, oh, Pewter City, is that where you're from?" she asked, genuinely interested.

The General Store was a a two-story building built in full white with a sign that read 'General Store' and 'Get everything you need here!' below it.

 

[TheRowdyPegasus]

"I'm glad he didn't get you." Verity said before perking up at the question. "Yeah, at least, relatively? I lived there for 4 years and it's the first and now that I think of it only city I've ever lived in..." A second of musing was followed by Verity pulling open the door and gesturing for Stella to walk through. "Ladies first" It didn't seem to occur to her the irony of that statement. It just seemed to be what people said when holding doors for girls, and Verity wanted to be polite.

"Even though it's smaller it'll still have all the goods in sections, right?" She asked apprehensively. Verity couldn't stand the idea of looking like a fool. Especially in front of a new possible friend. Stella was her friend right? How does making someone your friend even work?

 

[Darkmaster006]

"Mhm," then, Stella pondered, "Hmm..." If Verity had lived only for four years but it was her homecity, then, what, it didn't really make sense, did it? But doubts had to be postponed for later, as Verity opened the door for Stella.

"Sure," she giggled. She had no idea what that joke even meant, maybe because of how she was dressed? But either way, she was glad that Verity was well-mannered and fun to be around, and there was no harm in it; plus, she was still holding Dan, so she appreciated the gesture.

"Eh? Sure, I mean, I think? I haven't actually been here either," she said, and looked forwards at all the different aisles that stood beyond the counters; they had potions, pokeballs of all kinds, water bottles, berries, fruits, just, everything you could imagine. The first floor occupied quite a large room, with stairs at the right to go to the second floor. It was well-lit with white lights and there were a few people milling about. "Let's just go look around," she looked at Verity, she kind of wanted to hold her hand but refrained from it, ugh, what was with her and her dumb semi-romantic thoughts. She let Dan back down on the floor so that he could have fun with Shinx and waited for Verity to follow her.

 

[TheRowdyPegasus]

Verity seemed not to hear Stella for a bit as she entered the store and instantly withdrew into herself a bit. The aisles were utterly different from Pewter city's store and she couldn't read the signs that hung above each aisle very easily. However, divulging that would be very embarrassing so she simply became quiet. There were also more people in here. Verity didn't want to disturb anyone by chance.

"Y-Yeah, looking around is good." Knowing the store's layout as soon as possible would give the extra knowledge needed for a possible quick escape if it became called for. "Is there anything you think we should get first?" Verity had become noticeably quieter, staying in step with Stella and staying what might be considered too close for many people. However, personal space was more of a concern for other store patrons in Verity's mind.

 

[Darkmaster006]

Stella walked around the aisles, with Verity beside her, very close to her... I mean, she didn't mind it, at all, in fact it was cool; but, Verity had grown quiet and had even stuttered before, did anything happen to her? Hopefully Stella had not been found out?! Was she weirded out? Or did she make something to make her feel bad? Maybe she was just overthinking, it's not like Verity had done anything either...

"Uuuh, camping stuff? I have no idea about camping so I was hoping you could, like, uhm, teach me or something," Stella said, a little abashedly, but still she wanted to turn over a new leaf and not have the two of them be two awkward messes or it'd get, well, awkward. Maybe she'd ask Verity later if she was feeling alright, for now, hopefully Verity knew about camping and it would cheer her up?

 

[TheRowdyPegasus]

Verity made sure to stay as far away from strangers as possible, making sure to respect their space, not being mindful of those she didn't know was once a cause of public scolding towards her, and Verity was a very fast learner. "Yeah, camping's an expertise of mine if I say so myself." Her face fell, and she looked around with a frown "I hate to ask but reading's kind of hard for me, would you mind leading me to the camping aisle?" After this question, Verity wrung her hands. The fluorescent lights didn't help her nerves. Artificial sunlight was off putting and always seemed so harsh to her.

"Light bulbs are so strange..." She muttered to herself, glancing upwards. Without a grasp of how they worked, Verity didn't trust bulbs. Especially not after knowing their outer shell was glass. Glass is sharp.

 

[Darkmaster006]

Contrary to what Stella hoped, mentioning camping didn't help at all, even though apparently it was something Verity liked to do. She looked to wary to stray out of the path, and kind of annoyed that she couldn't read, though it didn't bother Stella at all. She wanted to reassure Verity that it was alright, but she was out of words. So the next thing she did was kind of unexpected, even for her, but it was the only thing that came to mind and she remembered how her mother had told her 'to stop worrying and just do', or something along those lines, since it'd been hard for her to simply start a conversation or a friendship or whatever, like, taking that first step was hard, but once she was in the water she always felt better and more at ease. So she went and held Verity's left hand with her own right hand.

"Hey, it's okay," she said soothingly and looked up at her. "We... we are friends... right? So, I don't mind helping you at all, Verity," she squeezed her hand softly in an attempt to make her understand that there was nothing wrong with not being able to read and that everyone learnt at different paces and that she didn't mind. "I can teach you to read, too... so, uhm, like, it's totally fine, yeah?" she said. She didn't catch that about light bulbs, so maybe she'd ask later... her mother was an electrician, too, so maybe that'd come in handy somehow? But right now, she wanted to help Verity with whatever was making her feel bad.

 

[TheRowdyPegasus]

With a slight pause and an expression of hesitation, Verity held Stella's hand, letting both fall to her sides. It took a moment but she made eye contact with the other girl. "I'm okay..." She whispers, comforting words to hear and say. The friends part caught Verity off guard a bit and a small smile spread across her face with her muscles relaxing a bit. "Yeah, you'd be a good teacher, I'd like that." She leaned in slightly and lifted her free arm but quickly stopped. "Can I hug you?" She asked.

"But..." Verity squeezed Stella's hand, "Don't let go of my hand." At this point this was like a tether, a good way to keep from getting lost or distressed by other stimuli. She was safe as long as she could find Stella. New places are dangerous. Especially indoors.

 

[Darkmaster006]

"Of-of course you can," Stella stuttetered at the suddenness. Is this real? Ohmygod how is this going so well? Well, no fretting over it, leap paid off and the most important thing now is to make sure Verity doesn't feel constricted by whatever's bothering her. She giggled, "Thanks, and I won't let go, don't worry," and then she hugged her, and waited until Verity felt like letting it go, it felt more like Verity was comforting Stella since she was taller but, well, I mean, Stella didn't mind it at all. None of it. In fact, she could get used to this... more than used to it, actually. Her face was probably flushing as of now.

"Feeling better? You can hug me anytime." And kiss me anytime. She barely knew Verity yet she could barely hide her attraction... she was really excited to get to know her better, to be honest, maybe someday, if she sorted out her feelings and they solidified, she'd confess them, and maybe Verity would reciprocrate but... for now, she really was fine with being her friend and helping her out and doing whatever she wanted to do together, would they journey together from now on? So many questions and no answers, and yet the future looked bright and Stella was excited to see whatever it was that it was going to bring.

 

[TheRowdyPegasus]

Verity hugged Stella tightly, increasing the hold on her hand as well. She lingered for however long, she didn't know. She was simply trying to calm down a bit and not become even more vulnerable. When she finally let go, Verity had a bit of tearing in her eyes that was quickly blinked away and forgotten. "A-Anytime? I'll hold you to that." She said with a weak smile that soon became a bit more solid. "I do feel much better."

A small thump noise caught Verity's attention and she pivoted on one foot to look behind her. Shinx was halfway up one of the shelves and still trying to keep climbing, "Shinx, no!" This time a real smile was accompanied by the ring of laughter. "By Helix! Why would you do this here?" Her tone didn't match her words as with her remaining hand, she scooped up the Pokemon and put him on her shoulder.

 

[Darkmaster006]

"Sure... I'm glad," Stella smiled warmly, like she just wanted to rid Verity of her problems right then and there. Abruptly, though, Verity looked back... Shinx was climbing up one of the shelves like a goof, while Dan looked at him, astounded, curious as to why he'd do that. Verity laughed, and Stella laughed after her. She had no idea why she mentioned Helix, whatever it was.

Well, thankfully, Verity didn't let go, instead Shinx found himself up in Verity's shoulder, lifted with her remaining hand... Stella knew that was out of her own capacity, at least, but Verity made it looks effortless. "Seems like he's having fun, huh?" Stella giggled, "Well then, on to camping, right? Just follow me and don't let go," Stella announced, and again started walking slowly towards wherever the camping equipment was, of course, she didn't know, but, hey, more time with Verity couldn't hurt, so they'd just look around until Stella saw the sign, and maybe help Verity read some of the signs along the way too. "So, there it says 'berries', can you see it?" she pointed at the first sign they saw when they exited the alley they were on. Stella was going to have to make some notes for Verity later so that she could remember, maybe drawing or something, although she wasn't that good at drawing but... she could try.

 

[BriefStar]

After awhile of walking Leo and Lucas finally made it to Sandgem Town. "So this is Sandgem Town I thought it would be bigger" Leo said while looking over the small town.

"Yeah, it may not be as grand as Jubilife City but this small town as its charms" Lucas said with a smile, "How about you walk around for a bit take it in seeing as this is your first time in Sandgem. While you do that I'll head back to the lab to let the Professor know that I'm back." Lucas told the pink haired boy taking back the heavy suitcase as he walked off.

Watching Lucas walk off in the direction of where the Professor's lab most likely is. Leo decided it couldn't hurt to explore the town like Lucas suggested. "Wow, this place is so peaceful and quiet its even got a nice view of the ocean from here" Leo said to himself as continued through the town until something caught his attention. He could see a older guy with blue hair setting up a shop near the Pokemon Center along side a strong looking Gallade. Leo made this way towards the man taking note of the sign as he got closer, "Robin Deux, Swordsman Extraordinair, huh? I take it you're a pretty capable fighter and your Gallade looks very skilled" Leo smiled looking up at the man.

@Captain Cardboard

 

[TheRowdyPegasus]

Verity nodded as they headed for camping supplies. At the stop, Verity squinted at the sign. "The letters here are so different... But which ones make which noise?" She'd been taught to read during her 4 years of Pewter living but despite the language in Sinnoh staying the same, the alphabets were entirely different. Even with her knowledge reading Kantonian script was a challenge, she often had to read out loud or ask for help pronouncing words. If she could figure out which letters make what sounds it became a matter of memorizing, something that Verity was familiar with.

"Why are the words the same and the letters different?" She asked, a bit frustrated. It didn't make sense to have different letters for the same words, but then again people who lived in cities all their lives didn't seem to question it. Maybe she was the strange one? After all, letters beyond words was already a concept needing to be more so understood. Verity has never needed to read, or write for that matter until she lived in Pewter.

 

[Darkmaster006]

They stopped at the berries sign, and Verity couldn't decipher it. Of course, the script used in Sinnoh was different from the one used in Kanto and Johto. Since Kanto and Johto were next to each other, they shared the same script, but Sinnoh was another thing entirely in terms of script. "Well... that's because of regional customs, but hey, isn't it better if things are diverse? I mean, it's harder but... it's also fun to learn," she said, squeezing Verity's hand again. Yes, she could get used to this. So much.

Stella then pointed at the sign and smiled, looking back at Verity. "Plus, I'm here, right?" she pointed at herself with her free hand, "so just repeat after me... first letter is the consonant that you do when you place your lips together and you go 'ba', you got it? Repeat after me... then second is the vowel, 'e', you open your mouth a little and pronounce it, 'e', how is it? I'll make a list later, I love to write, you know, I write stories and stuff," she said, trying to lighten up the conversation so that it felt exciting rather than just what could be interpreted as boring learning, and it's always good to lead the conversation in positive ways when teaching.

Meanwhile, Dan rubbed his cotton body on Stella's leg, sensing that she was doing her best, while Shinx was still atop Verity's shoulder.

 

[TheRowdyPegasus]

"Fun to learn." Verity nodded, although less so in agreeance and more so in understanding of Stella's point. However she couldn't help but crack a small smile, pulling on Stella's hand lightly in response to the squeeze. However, she burst into laughter when Stella began enunciating. "Nono, I can pronounce things, I wanna know what letters in Sinnoh are what letters in Kanto script." Verity was famously bad at communicating properly and a smaller vocabulary may have been a part in such.

"A list would be very good, though." She said with an encouraging beam, looking down as Dan walked nearby. Pokemon from other places don't act much different from the Pokemon Verity was familiar with at all.

 

[Darkmaster006]

"Yes, fun to learn!" Stella repeated, just to make her point even clearer. Hopefully Verity would end up thinking it was fun to learn, I mean, it was! But Stella also hoped her own presence would make it fun for Verity.

Stella chuckled. "Mmm, weeell, if you know how to pronounce the new letters, you'll also know how to link them to the old letters, won't you? You know, if 'x' is pronounced 'a' and 'x two' is pronounced 'a', then you know both are the same!" Stella motioned with her free hand in the air, drawing letters excitedly as if Verity could understand, she looked a bit confused but hopefully she'd get it.

Then she stopped, "but, I'll make you a list later, sure!" she looked at Verity's smiled and found it was very fun to be in a new region like this, then she pulled onto her hand to guide them to where the camping equipment, she thought, was.

 

[Captain Cardboard]

Robin was finishing setting up for his act when a teenager approached. The start of a crowd, fantastic! He was a shorter kid with spiky pink hair, and was that... pink eyes? Interesting. Robin hadn't met anyone like that before.
"Thanks, kiddo. I'm glad that, at the very least, I look like I can back up what my sign says." Robin said, flashing Leo a grin. The Gallade had watched as Leo approached, and nodded to the boy at the compliment. "Now you might want to back up. Stick around if you want to see something cool."

Robin stepped forward, drawing his sword from his sheath and twirling it. It appeared to be a strange mix of both Johtoan and Galarian design. He glanced back to his Gallade.
"You ready, Q?" Robin asked. Q nodded, approaching Robin and taking a fighting stance. Making sure that others were located a safe distance away, the pair began what appeared to be a very dramatic, choreographed sparring match. It was almost more of a dance, demonstrating the strength and prowess of both Pokemon and human. The Gallade used its blades, its attacks lighting up periodically with dark, nature, or psychic energy. One familiar with these techniques would be able to identify them as Night Slash, Leaf Blade, and Psycho Cut respectively. Robin's fighting style, on the other hand, seemed to resemble various techniques from both Kendo and HGMA (Historical Galarian Martial Arts), as well as a few other techniques made up on his own.

It was a very dramatic display, but a display was all it was. Hopefully the performance would drum up at least some interest in his TM stand, or perhaps some donations.

 

[Red Gallade]

Tony walked through the streets of Sandgem Town with his hands in the pockets of his black coat, from the dark clothing he wore to the scowl he always had on his face, it was easy for people to mistake him for a gothic individual, not that he minded. Close to Tony was a Zorua who happily tailed the boy with an occasional look around to get familiar with her surroundings and often practiced with her illusion skills by changing her appearance to any Pokemon she liked the look of... which tended to be almost every Pokemon she saw.

"Let's get our hands on some supplies for the journey ahead, Zorua. After that, whaddya say you and I do some training?" Tony asked to which the black fox Pokemon barked in agreement, Tony nodded and began to make his way over towards the nearest Poke-mart he could find. When both trainer and Pokemon managed to find what they were searching for, they stepped inside and went to look for anything he might need from food to camping equipment. Zorua on the other hand was more interested in the threats they sold here which Tony tended to by on occasions, given the fact that he focused more on the 'important' stuff, Zorua tended to pass her time looking at the Pokemon to memorize their appearance for more convincing illusions in the future, often at times, she unintentionally creeped out Pokemon after she stared at them for too long.

 

[Merciless Medic]

It's been a long few days traveling to the Sinnoh region again. A tall, blue-haired man had to take a leave of absence from his work as a detective so he may attempt to achieve his aspirations in the contests of Sinnoh. He had arrived in Jubilife City after an airlift by a friendly Drifblim (who was a lot larger than the average Drifblim), and ended up exploring the sights the city had to offer. However, the city was getting too loud for him and the beach was nearby, so he took a room at a hotel and planned to start his journey to Sandgem Town.

The night's sleep was wonderful and he woke up promptly at 5 o'clock. He gathered his things, got himself dressed and put on his dress coat before traveling to Sandgem Town. If he hurried, he could get through the rather long and winding path of Route 202 in little under a few hours. He was walking, yes, but it didn't hurt to enjoy the sights set before you. Maybe even get some inspirations while he was at it.

When he found himself before the Sandgem Town's locales by the time mid-morning rolled around, he breathed in the fresh, salty air of the sea ahead. It definitely was a special day today. He heard some commotion and walked over to the Pokemon Center to find a booth was set up beside the orange and blue roofed buildings. He and another pink-haired kid watched as a young man in blue hair fought against his Gallade.

The poise.

The grace.

The form.

The agility and quickness.

Yes, this was person was highly skilled in swordsmanship. While he noticed it seemed rather dramatic and scripted (as no sane person would ever actively try to hurt their Pokemon with a stick or a sword - by their own hand at least), it was still rather well done. The way they fought and be in sync with one another seemed to awaken some inspiration within him. He had swam and skated with his Pokemon, but never sparred with them in a friendly duel and showmanship. After ripping his eyes away from the match, the gentleman noticed the stand before him was to sell TMs and receive donations. Feeling rather generous, he came over and dropped some PokeYen notes on his stand. Just a few notes, which amounted to 10,000 PokeYen. Due to his occupation, money never really came in such low shortages so it was nothing. Besides, he was here to be frivolous. He noticed the Gallade knew Leaf Blade, Night Slash, and Psycho Cut after picking apart the performance, three moves he had seen his family's Pokemon use.

It seemed like the swordsman and Pokemon knew, trusted, and respected each other very well to pull of an amazing display. So, after they were done, he clapped for them, a sweet smile spreading on his lips.

"Bravo. That was very well done, you two. What TMs do you have? Are these breakable?" He glanced down at the items before him, curious as to what they were and if any of his Pokemon were capable of using any.

 

[BriefStar]

"Wow, you and Gallade are awesome from how perfect your stances were along with the speed and power of each blow." Leo said with stars in his eyes as the swordsman and Pokemon ended their spare. "Hey Robin I couldn't help but notice is your fighting style somewhat based on Galarian Martial Arts?" Leo asked while remembering a stoic looking girl from Galar that he fought when his family's dojo was holding a decently large Martial Arts Tournament.

 

[Captain Cardboard]

The little street performance coming to an end, the few people that had been watching applauding politely. Robin and Q both bowed, Robin breathing heavily. The Gallade went back to leaning against the wall, while Robin sat down at his makeshift TM stand. The swordsman collected the donations people had given him, nodding and smiling gratefully at the crowd. The kid with pink hair approached him once again, asking about his act. Robin nodded.
"Why thank you!" Robin said to Leo. "Yeah, it is actually. I was lucky enough to travel for quite a while with someone who had trained in HGMA swordsmanship. We took turns teach each other some stuff, since I grew up being taught some swordsmanship techniques myself."

Another person approached, another man with blue hair and paler skin. He had been one of the few bystanders who had left a donation for the performance.
"Hey, thanks for the compliment and donation! I've got quite a few TMs, some of them are breakable and some of them aren't. I've got your standard HMs that most people look for, with Surf, Fly, Rock Climb, the lot. The weather moves, and a lot of other common TMs like Return and Toxic. I've even got a few TRs from Galar. Are you looking for any moves in particular, or any types of moves in particular?" Robin asked. Reaching into his backpack, Robin pulled out his TM case.

 

[TheRowdyPegasus]

@Darkmaster006


Verity followed, mulling over the short lesson in her head. If the first letter sounds the same as the second letter, that's the first letter but looking different. She nodded when the list was mentioned again and smiled as they reached the camping gear. The brands were different but she'd know what to look for. "What do you need in particular?" She asked, using her free hand to reach for a water filter. Verity knew just how easy it could be to get sick from water found in the wilderness.

After that she scanned for some basic utility rope, awaiting a reply from her companion. Good thing these packages were clear or else the script might end up being another road block for her.

 

[Darkmaster006]

Stella walked in tune with Verity, still holding her hand as both of them seemed as used as they could to it by now, and she wouldn't let go unless Verity told her so.

"Actually... I have, like, zero idea... so Daisy, a friend of my mom, she kinda told me that I needed a tent and... I don't remember what else... uhm, so I'm, like, clueless," Stella probably didn't realise she was saying 'like' every one second as she got more and more nervous for not knowing such basic stuff that would probably make her look like an idiot in front of Verity. Actually, if they travelled together, this would pretty much be solved. She did want to learn what one had to get from camping, though! But... just a thought.

@TheRowdyPegasus