[IC] Pokemon: Luminous Dawn- Chapter 3: Finally, Striation City!

[Chim]

Striaton City, Gate Battlefield - "Beaten and Bloodied! Stop the Feeding Frenzy!" – Brendan

 

The rookie trainer knew he had to come up with a new strategy. Even with raised defenses Titan wouldn’t be able to withstand many more attacks. “Crash into him with a Headbutt! Use the impact to roll away,” he instructed.

 

The crash wasn’t pretty to watch for Brendan. The Tyrunt’s teeth found their prey but were also met with a crash from Titan. The attack was reckless and Brendan didn’t even care if the damage was successful. Sometimes the better choice was to accept the attack power of your opponent and meet him with full force. The resulting crash should throw the weaker one backwards and that was all Brendan aimed for.

 

His Roggenrola struggled to get back on his feet but stood firm nonetheless. The distance Brendan craved for was created but didn’t solve the issue if the Tyrunt could easily dodge incoming rocks.

 

“Shoot rocks to your left and right side. Burry them into the ground but leave an open path straight ahead.”

 

Titan’s moveset didn’t contain much variety, forcing Brendan to get creative. So if he couldn’t slow down the Tyrunt he could try to control where that damned thing moved. “If he comes straight ahead or jumps up, give him a full powered barrage with everything you have left!" 

[Jory]

Striation City, Gate Battlefield- "Beaten and Bloodied! Stop the Feeding Frenzy!"

 

Benga

The punk Trainer nodded his head, snorting. "Well, I guess you're not a complete waste of space after all, kid. You're half right about Overgrow, but you're an ignorant piece of trash if you think all it does is power up your moves. Since you're clearly such a no-lifer bookworm, I was sure you'd know that research has shown that in addition to powering up moves, it also makes your Pokemon stronger across the board. But, when it wears off, the boosts go with it." He grinned, cocking his head. "This sure ain't looking good for me, though. My partner getting her ass kicked like that is a real drag." He said, crossing his arms. "Still, we're giving it everything we've got 'til the end."

 

Jason

The Amateur nodded appreciatively at Mio. "Thanks," he said quickly, not noticing his partner's blush. He turned to Benga. "Guess you're regretting accepting that challenge, huh?" Without looking he spoke to Mio. "Gomez looks good to battle. So let's hit him hard with a double attack!" He turned back to the battlefield. "Gomez, Quick Attack!" The Treecko, newly re-energized, powered down, and very pissed off, dashed toward the Larvesta in a serpentine pattern. He zigzagged forward, leaving a white trail behind him as he began maneuvering in for an attack against his weakened foe.

 

Leon

The Tyrunt was caught by surprise, not having expected the Roggenrola to go full tilt on the attack. The Hardened body of the Roggenrola cracked the Tyrunt in the mouth and landed a critical hit as he attempted to attack, causing him to stumble backward after landing his Bite! "Grrr...." came a growl from Leon's Trainer Box. The pompous rich boy was steamed, annoyed that his ace in the hole hadn't secured him victory already. Still, he was confident in his ability to win the battle. "Rex, that's it! Just Dragon Dance again!" he ordered. The Tyrunt stumbled from leg to leg for a moment before nearly falling over to the side. He barely caught himself in time, shifting his weight to remain upright. "What kind of nonsense jig are you doing over there? I said Dragon Dance!" the Trainer cried out in frustration. As Leon dealt with his technical difficulties, the stoic Titan fired off two Rock Blast attacks for a total of seven boulders, making the path that his Trainer had suggested. He carefully positioned himself at the outlet, awaiting the Tyrunt's next move.

 

"Screw it! Attack! Use Bite!" Leon commanded. " The Tyrunt shook his head, clearing his vision, and began to charge toward the Roggenrola once more. This time, he was sure to keep his mouth closed until just before he reached the Roggenrola. Rex leapt into the air, clearing the boulders and diving toward his opponent.

 

???

The two attacks collided essentially head-on as Jack had planned, completely negating any positive impact that using a serpentine movement pattern might have had on the battle. The Shinx was absolutely destroyed by the attack, having absolutely wasted his teammate's sacrifice by confronting the Jigglypuff's fourth consecutive Rollout with what at an Amateur level amounted to a full frontal assault against an opponent who was a higher level and full evolutionary stage ahead to begin with instead of simply attempting to move to the side. He flew backward out of the battlefield and into Jack's chest, once again pummeling him with his own partner. It was a clean one-hit KO, and Jack should have considered himself lucky that his Pokemon's injuries were not severe enough to warrant immediate emergency treatment.

 

The girl burst out laughing, joined by her Jigglypuff and the rest of her team, including Perona. Even her loss seemed to pale in comparison to how thorough a thrashing Jack had gotten due to his lack of forethought and refusal to reuse a successful tactic. "Thanks for playing~" the girl said with an evil grin. "You're obviously an Amateur. I can't see you winning at the Striation Gym with moves as bad as those ones," she taunted.

 

Benga

"Like I said, we won't give up! String Shot around you, and make them attack from the air!" came the command from the flameheaded Trainer. His Larvesta began spewing goo all over the battlefield in front of him. Unable to stop in time, Gomez ran directly into it. He felt himself slow considerably as the gunk began to cling to his feet, making it somewhat difficult to move them at their normal breakneck pace. The Trainer looked at his opponents, his face hiding well the panic he was feeling deep inside. I can't lose to them. I'm the greatest there will ever be! he thought to himself, trying to rally his fighting spirit. "Great work, Helios! This is our moment! Ember!"

 

Jason

 Noting that Gomez's Quick Attack had failed due to the String Shot, Jason thought on his feet. "Abandon the attack! Get out of the way!" he ordered. Gomez sprang backward toward Meena, narrowly avoiding another blast of sparks from the fiery little Bug-type. Despite its benign appearance, Benga's Larvesta definitely packed a punch. Getting hit by another one of those Embers was not exactly at the top of the Treecko's to-do list. "Nice!" he commended Gomez, earning a nod of acknowledgement from the Grass-type. 

 

"Mio, you started this! Finish it, and I'll back you up!" he said, pumping his fist back. Maybe Meena would have better luck landing a blow on the Larvesta.

 

Bianca

After chatting and catching up with Juniper for awhile, the Research Assistant had ducked into the woods to change out of her skirt and into green pants more suitable for an adventure than for lab work. To her dismay, the first sight she was greeted with was Jack being rocked in the sternum with a flying Leonidas. "Crap!" she exclaimed, running down toward the battlefields. It seemed to be about the time for her to intervene on Jack's behalf.

[starkidcosmo]

Striaton City, Gate Battlefield - "Beaten and Bloodied! Stop the Feeding Frenzy!" - Mio

 

"I thought that much was obvious," Mio mumbled in response to Benga's taunts. In reality, he'd just plain forgotten about those studies, but no one needed to know that. Besides, they were relatively new and Mio was both caught off guard and under a good amount of pressure. 

 

Jason's double attack plan was cut off before it could be launched in earnest, but Mio was undeterred. Following Jason's shout of encouragement, he nodded and turned to Meena.

 

"Meena, use Scratch! Put all your weight behind it, but watch out for that Ember!" 

 

Meena spared no time, setting off in a sprint as soon as Mio was done speaking. She reached the edge of the gooey mess Helios had made and tensed her back legs, as if she were about to jump, but instead darted left, circling around behind the Larvesta as fast as she could. She leaped at him, all four sets of claws bared and ready to dig into her opponent.

[K_H]

Striaton City, Gate Battlefield - "Beaten and Bloodied! Stop the Feeding Frenzy!" - Jack
Jack returned Leonidas to his capsule, then stood up, a little winded from both of his partners having collided with him in the chest. After a few seconds, he brushed the dirt and dust off of himself again, and spoke up.
"It's not that I was bad, it's merely that you had an advantage, and a big one at that, much like with your fight against Hugh a little bit ago. You seem rather petty to me if you're willing to beat up on those that you have an advantage against just to get a bit of fun. Now, If you'll excuse me, I have a Pokécenter to get to."
As he finished speaking and turned towards the Pokécenter, he saw Bianca start to head his way.

[Chim]

Striaton City, Gate Battlefield - "Beaten and Bloodied! Stop the Feeding Frenzy!" – Brendan

Brendan was relieved when the Tyrunt didn’t manage to pull off a second Dragon Dance. That would have been the end of the battle with their loss. But right now, as the small dragon prepared an aerial assault, they had the advance. This was it. Win or lose. Titan’s defenses might hold for one more attack but not a second. And there was his stamina to take into account.

 

“Rock Blast! Hit ‘em with everything you have left!”

 

The Roggenrola stood firm once more as he started to launch his most powerful attack towards Rex. And he too realized that if the little dragon managed to break through, his loss was almost guaranteed.

[Jory]

Striation City, Gate Battlefield- "Beaten and Bloodied! Stop the Feeding Frenzy!"

 

???

As Jack once again engaged with the blonde girl, he failed to notice the two who hadn't been participating in battles circle around behind him. So, when he tried to walk away, he found his path blocked by the lanky, greasy Trainer and the well-dressed one. The greasy Trainer wore a blank expression save for his eyes, which practically glittered with excitement and joy. On the other hand, the well-dressed Trainer seemed kind of uncomfortable. He shifted from foot to foot and kept looking around, as though expecting someone to come charging in to save Jack at any moment. Meanwhile, the blonde girl giggled to herself for a moment before replying to Jack. "If I'm being completely honest, the appetizer was more fun than the entree. That cute little Trainer from earlier was much feistier than you were. Judging by how quick you were to mouth off, I thought you'd put up more of a fight. And don't forget that you had two advantages, Mr. Sore Losery Pants!" she said sweetly.

 

"You had two Pokemon, and poor widdle me only had Ms. Puff! And even though she was healed after the last battle, she hasn't slept or been returned to her Poke Ball. Make all the excuses you want, but if you're just going to give up every time you're down on your luck then I'm done playing with you for good. It's no fun when people can't accept the blame for losing~" she chided him, stepping close enough to waggle her finger in his face. "Now that one," she said wistfully, licking her lips as she looked over to Brendan's battle. "He looks like he'll be fun to play with next time. I hope he's readyyyy~" she nearly sang, daydreaming about beating down Brendan in a Pokemon Battle. 

 

Leon

Titan fired five shots one after the other, putting all of his strength into stopping the Tyrunt in its tracks. As the attacks sped along their collision course, time seemed to slow down for both Trainers. A line of five boulders soared through the air, opposed by a Dragon- and Rock-type bullet. The flying dinosaur broke through the first of Titan's attacks, wincing as it exploded into dust. The second rock impacted Rex directly on the nose, missing the focal point of the Tyrunt's attack and impacting cleanly. The second rock hit Rex in the face again, slowing his movement toward Titan. Then, the next three hit one after the other, sending the Tyrunt crashing to the ground directly in front of Titan. He streaked toward the rocks already on the ground, landing precisely in the runway titan had constructed. Hurt but still able to fight, Rex began to stand up, a mere foot and a half separating Leon's Pokemon and Brendan's.

 

He made it to a crouching position, then began to strain upwards. He kept attempting to move, but found himself unable to. Upon closer inspection, the truly devastating result of Brendan's strategy was revealed. The Tyrunt's hips were stuck between the rocks, unable to rise above a certain point. His crash to the ground had occurred at an unnatural angle and at a relatively high speed and with the assistance of the force of gravity. That much had been enough to get him wedged. However, without assistance from those sources he found himself hard-pressed to stand up, let alone move in for an attack.

 

Benga

"Counter with Take Down!" Benga ordered. His Larvesta hovered and began thrusting itself harshly and recklessly toward Meena, aiming to at least bring down one of his opponents before the fight was finished. His Trainer was right; there was no point in quitting now, not after coming this far.

 

Jason

"Mega Drain! Stop him in his tracks!" came the order from Mio's side. Gomez's fist glowed green and he slammed it into the ground, once again trapping the Larvesta in a sizable rush of creepers while managing to circumvent the String Shot field effect. Despite the larval moth's powerful jet boosts, Helios found himself trapped in his enemy's web and waiting for the finishing blow to land. It didn't take long for Meena's claws to find their target after that, slicing through the creepers and hitting her opponent hard. Helios fainted almost instantly, having sustained more damage than any Larvesta should have been able to take.

 

Benga

The punk Trainer sighed and pulled his Ball off his belt, returning his Larvesta. "Thanks, Helios. You did your best," he muttered to the Ball before hooking it back onto his belt. He then took the cash Hugh had handed him from his pocket in a wad, waving it around. "You guys did this for your buddy, right? Here's his cash," he said, stepping forward into the Battlefield. "You two scrubs got lucky this time, you know." He shook his head, fuming. "I can't believe we just lost to you two." He then looked Mio in the eyes, unblinking. "You have balls, kid," he admitted, continuing toward Jason and Mio. "I can't deny that. Far as I know, no other Trainer with one Badge is on my level." He looked to Jason, and then over at Leon's less-than-ideal situation.

 

"We picked the wrong fight today, but you can be damn sure you haven't seen the last of me. Now that you've beaten me, I have an obligation to myself to kick your asses," he said with his first genuine grin of the day. "And you both know how I like a challenge." He paused for a moment, seeming to think as he reached his opponents. "You two are more than strong enough to beat the Striation City Gym. So do me a fuckin' favor, will you? Earn that badge so I don't have to say I lost to a couple of rank Amateurs." The thug reached his hand out toward Mio, Hugh's money folded neatly in his palm. "A loss is a loss, even if it's to a couple of losers like you. Take this as the prize money."

 

Bianca

The Veteran Trainer strode toward Jack, brushing past the blonde girl as she went. Even though the creepy Trainer began ranting something or other about how she was a horrible tramp, Bianca wasn't fazed. The older Trainer stood casually next to her charge, staring down the blonde girl. "I toooootally get where you're coming from about the excuses," she led off, patting Jack on the head. "He needs to be more accountable. He also needs to give you your prize money, right Jack?" she asked with concern as she turned toward the Amateur Trainer. She then looked to the other two Trainers as if noticing them for the first time. "You know, usually I say the more the merrier, but this is a liiiiittle ridiculous. Can you please move? Jack needs a Pokemon Center, and you're in his way," she asked politely.

 

The two Trainers seemed taken aback by her more relaxed approach. The blonde girl, however, wasn't having any of it. "Do Ms. Puff and I need to teach more lessons today?" she asked hopefully. "Do we get to play with you, too?" she continued with her trademark horrifying giggle. Bianca scratched her head, shifting her overly large hat as she did so. 

 

"Oh, no, I don't think you want to play with me," she said with a smile, closing her eyes. "Besides, you've already had so much fun today!"

 

The Fairy Girl giggled once more, shaking her head. "But I want to play with you! If you're with him, I won't let him leave until you do!"

 

Bianca sighed. "Why? Why is it always the hard way with people like you?" she asked aloud, mostly to herself. She shrugged. "Maybe I have something that can make you reconsider?" she asked sweetly.

 

"Unless it's another playmate, I don't think so~"

 

Bianca quickly reached down to her belt and pulled the regular Poke Ball from her fifth slot. "You could call him that," she said, her tone suddenly more serious. "Pumba, come on out." Bianca snapped her fingers and flung her ball skyward. A huge flash of light erupted from the ball, followed by a shadow that seemed to block out the sun. It dropped quickly to the ground, a huge crash causing the Gate Battlefield to rumble in response. The impact threw up a dust cloud around the new arrival. It began dissipating quickly, revealing the recently released Pokemon. A pair of jet-black ears on an orange head cleared the dust, followed by a collar of flames. The cloud cleared completely, a seven-foot tall Emboar standing in its place. He growled menacingly at the Fairy Girl and her goons, causing them all to take a step back in fear. 

 

"Jack, give the girl her prize," Bianca said without turning to the Amateur Trainer. "Since she doesn't care about money, two hundred dollars should do."

 

 

 

[K_H]

Striaton City, Gate Battlefield - "Beaten and Bloodied! Stop the Feeding Frenzy!" - Jack

Jack looked at Bianca, and spoke.
"Actually, I stated before this Battle began that there would be no exchange of prize money, regardless of the outcome."

[starkidcosmo]

Striaton City, Gate Battlefield - "Beaten and Bloodied! Stop the Feeding Frenzy!" - Mio

 

Mio let out a shuddering sigh as Meena's attack landed and Helios went down, thanks to Gomez and Jason. All the adrenaline in his system vanished with the last dregs of dust kicked up by the battle, leaving him weak and exhausted. It took all his strength not to just fall over on the spot. 

 

Meena trotted over to him, bruised and battered but otherwise fine. She was riding high on her conquest, although she did spare a grateful nod to Gomez. She was proud; not stupid. Even she knew she would've been toast if he hadn't have been there. Mio leaned down and and jumped up to his shoulder, curling around his neck as he stood. She practically radiated heat, and the combination of that, her soft fur, and her gentle purring made him even sleepier than he had already been.

 

Still, Benga's little speech made his gut swirl with mixed emotions. He was glad to be praised by such a strong trainer, and glad to see that he wasn't as cruel as he'd originally seemed, but Mio wasn't happy to hear that he'd be back. He took the money Benga offered and shoved it in his pockets to give to Hugh later.

 

"I guess next time you'll have to take us seriously," he said. "Maybe try and get better taunts by then though? My dad is--" He nearly jumped out of his skin as a crash sounded from behind him and he whipped around, suddenly back on high alert. His eyes lit up like the sun as he spotted the source: a massive, imposing Emboar. It was probably two feet taller than him and looked like it could crush him with its bare hands. 

 

Letting out a soft gasp of adoration, Mio hurried over to the Emboar without a second thought for his new rivals. Meena dropped from his shoulder as he did so, clearly not sharing her trainer's love for disgustingly powerful Pokemon. She instead sat rather huffily next to Jason, her tail thumping the dirt in irritation.

 

"An Emboar!" Mio cooed, sounding more like he was talking to a baby Lillipup than a full-grown sumo-wrestling pig that could kill him with ease. He looked around, trying to deduce who its trainer was. Not Jack's, probably not the creepy pink girl or her friends', which left...

 

"Bianca, is this... are you this Emboar's trainer?" he asked, eyes glittering. "Can-- May I have a look? It's been so long since I've seen a fully-evolved, three-stage pokemon up close out of battle, I have to study it, do you mind?" 

[Chim]

Striaton City, Gate Battlefield - "Beaten and Bloodied! Stop the Feeding Frenzy!" – Brendan

 

Brendan sighed in relief when his strategy worked, although not entirely how he had imagined it. For a second he thought they had lost when the Tyrunt took all of Titan’s remaining power head on and was still able to fight. A truly fearsome opponent. But luck was on their side. Rex was stuck between Titan’s rocks and was unable to free himself. Finally the battle would come to an end.

 

“Titan, end this battle. Knock Rex out,” Brendan said to his Roggenrola. The small rock type didn’t move for almost half a minute before hopping just outside of Rex’s range. There he gathered all the strength he had collected during the last thirty or so seconds and stored it above his crevice.

 

Titan’s forehead, if he actually had one, glowed for a second before the Roggenrola jumped up and slammed straight into the small dragon. He then jumped back once again. His little feet were trembling from exhaustion. All he longed for was a nice and long rest.

 

Brendan said nothing and stared at his partner with pride in his eyes. He was so focused on the end of his battle he didn’t pay much attention to the others until a loud crash came from Jack’s location. At first Brendan thought his travel companion was in serious trouble but when he saw the mighty Emboar belonged to Bianca, he sighed in relief once more. Jack seemed to be perfectly fine and judging by Mio’s behavior he and Jason won their battle.

 

“Look at that,” he said to Leon. “I think that Emboar might be a little too much for anyone here to handle. And I’m pretty sure your leader lost to my friends over there as well. So let’s end this already.”

[Jory]

Striation City, Gate Battlefield- "Beaten and Bloodied! Stop the Feeding Frenzy!"

 

Leon

Titan's Headbutt attack collided with the Tyrunt after the long wait, knocking him out cold. Leon sighed angrily and returned Rex to his Luxury Ball, shaking his head. "Beginner's luck..." he muttered, not wanting to look Brendan in the eye after all his talk. "Not like a noob like you could have beaten me without those hax, anyway," he said much more audibly. "Still, you won, so I owe you. And next time, you won't get so lucky." He crossed the field and took a bundle of PokeDollars out of his pocket, handing it to Brendan. Without another word, sigh, or condescending snort the arrogant Trainer retreated toward Benga.

 

Jason

The Amateur Trainer facepalmed, looking after Mio as he darted toward Bianca's Emboar in a fangasmic frenzy. He then addressed Benga, who had yet to leave. "You know, Benga, I see right through you," he said quietly. The red-haired Trainer glared at his opponent, daring him to continue speaking. Jason accepted this challenge and plowed recklessly ahead. "You may have that whole crew fooled with the tough-guy act, but the way you've bonded with Helios tells me you're not a bad guy. Do what you will with that," he said, shrugging before walking after Mio. That Emboar was pretty interesting, after all.

 

Benga

The punk Trainer remained silent, his face a stony mask of disapproval and condescension save for the corner of his mouth turning up in a slight grin. Leon reached him shortly after, and the two shared a meaningful look. The arrogant Trainer's face was contorted in anger and disappointment, still raw from his loss to the Amateur with the Roggenrola. Benga could understand where his friend was coming from; they had never expected to lose so thoroughly to this group. "I know how you feel," he said sincerely. "This is why we train Pokemon. To become stronger. Without a loss here and there, we'd never make progress." That said, he followed the other Trainers to the Emboar, glad for the opportunity to observe such a powerful Fire-type up close. Leon followed him, trying to make sense of how he had managed to lose to the underleveled Roggenrola. The idea that it had been holding an Eviolite never occurred to him.

 

???

The blonde girl's eyes were practically glittering with excitement. "My, my. What a powerful playmate~." Then, she giggled. "Want to beat up on Ms. Puff? Oh, but I don't think that would be very fair!" she said, beginning to pout. "But he's right. He doesn't owe me anything. We were just playing~" she said happily, her lips curled up in a smile. "But then he wanted to leave! And if he'd left, I wouldn't have had a playmate while my friends finished their playdates. But everyone's done now! And so unsatisfying, too," she continued, her face growing redder and redder. "If you try to leave me behind again, I'll scream!" she warned, her voice getting higher.

 

Bianca

The older Trainer pinched the bridge of her nose. "Okay, look. We're just gonna go. You can throw your damn hissy fit whenever, but these Trainers have been traveling all day and they deserve their beauty sleep." She then turned to face Mio, incredulous. "Not the time, Mio. Let's go," she finished, whirling on her heel and striding toward the Striation City Gate. Her Emboar gave Benga's crew one final intimidating glare before stomping off after its Trainer. The Fire-type picked up Jack and Mio by their backpacks and followed Bianca toward the Gate. Jason and Brendan, seeing their fellow Trainers heading for some well-deserved R&R, ran to catch up.

 

Benga's crew was left standing outside the gate, waiting for a bit to separate themselves from the dangerous Amateurs before heading to the Pokemon Center themselves.

 

Jason, Brendan, and Mio have completed their battles! Rank A!

-Rascal and Gomez each gained 8 EXP!

-Loam and Meena each gained 8 EXP!

-Titan gained 8 EXP!

 

Jack has completed his battle! Rank D!

-Lara and Leonidas each gained 2 EXP!

 

Quest complete! "Beaten and Bloodied! Stop the Feeding Frenzy!"

-All Pokemon have gained 5 EXP!

-Jason, Mio, and Brendan gained $500!

-Mio picked up Hugh's Money (Key Item)

 

Quest added! "A Long Awaited Arrival!"

-Follow Bianca into Striation City

-(Optional) Disembark from the Emboar

[starkidcosmo]

Striaton City - "A Long Awaited Arrival!" - Mio

 

Mio winced as Bianca snapped at him, but he didn't have time to mumble an apology. Before he knew it, the Emboar he'd been drooling over grabbed him by his backpack and lifted him into the air. The group made off towards the Pokecenter, leaving Benga's group behind without further ado.

 

Mio was ecstatic. He wasn't exactly heavy, but still, seeing firsthand the raw strength of a fully evolved, three-stage pokemon was a treat. Especially when it wasn't trying to kill him. He reached for his Pokedex and scanned his ride with it, devouring all the information it gave him. He reached up and patted the Emboar's arm as he did so, both as an appreciative gesture and to get a sense of its musculature. 

 

"Mega Fire Pig," he mumbled. "Average of three hundred and thirty pounds, fire and fighting types... oh, there's no details on anatomy." He scowled at his dex. "Well, most organic pokemon have fairly high bone density and extra fat for padding... Fighting types also tend to have higher muscle mass than other types. What I really want to know is how you produce your fire." He craned his neck up to look at the Emboar's 'beard' of fire. "I guess it's some kind of chemical produced by the skin? But there must also be some kind of internal organ..." He trailed off, realizing Bianca's pokedex would probably have more information. Still, she'd clearly been in a bad mood just a few minutes earlier and he didn't want to push too hard. Bianca was a little too high-energy for him, but she wasn't like Benga and company. Mio actually cared about her opinion of him.

 

"Bianca..." he began, but changed his mind mid-sentence. "Um. N-never mind. Sorry." He gritted his teeth, berating himself mentally. That was almost worse than just spitting it out. 

[Jory]

Striation City- "A Long Awaited Arrival!"

 

Bianca

The Emboar's Trainer giggled lightly at Mio's discomfort. "Sorry for snapping at you, but you were nerding out at, like, the worst possible time! It's okay though, Mio! I still love you~" she said jokingly, doing her best to turn her charge bright red. "Anyway, you're right about Twist's biology. If you compare the flame glands in his neck to the one on Typlosion's, you'd find that they have very similar configurations. The Unova Pokemon League actually uses a chart that Professor Juniper and I designed together in their Trainer School!" she said, beaming with pride. If there was one way to get on Bianca's good side, it was discussing Pokemon research. Bianca continued walking merrily along as Twist, Jason, and Brendan followed closely behind her. The group passed through the gate, a rather boring building with white tile floors and blue walls. A news ticker ran along the left wall, accompanied by a TV monitor. The monitor was currently displaying some kind of commercial for a yellow super towel.

 

The group proceeded through the double doors at the other end of the gatehouse, emerging into Striation City proper. Unlike Accumula Town, Striation City was supremely flat. It was a rather small city, with the Trainers able to see the trees at the other end of the area simply by gazing down the main thoroughfare. Most of the buildings were a few stories tall and narrow, pushed up against one another like so many dominoes in a row. Many had small shops on the bottom floor, with the plants and Pokemon seen through windows making it obvious that there were apartments up above. Some of the buildings were built in the townhouse style, with the main entrance on the second floor and a small staircase leading to a basement unit. As they moved farther down the street, the buildings began to space out a little bit. Most, unlike the Pokemon Center they could see peeking its trademark red roof between the buildings, were painted either brown, gray, or left the same color as the red bricks they were built with.

 

"Well, welcome to Striation City! To be frank it's more of a town than a city, but there are more than enough points of interest to warrant the name. I'm sure you're all beat, so the first order of business is to get you all rested up at the Pokemon Center. Tomorrow morning, I'll meet up with you again. A good friend of mine wants to meet all of you." That said, she began walking backward, sure to point out interesting things.

 

"As you all can see, most of the buildings here are residential. The businesses tend to occupy bottom floors, while tenants are up top. Instead of growing outward and negatively impacting the surrounding forest, Striation's city council elected to build up. You can't see it from here, but there used to be a huge laboratory on the Eastern side of town. A few years back, there was a terrible accident. Most of the staff and their Pokemon got out alive, but a ton of research was lost in the flames. The company that owned the building is still trying to recover from the loss. Doctor Fennel, the friend I was talking about, used to work there." Bianca grew quiet for a moment before a huge grin appeared on her face. "It's just around this corner! Come on!" she said, beckoning to the group.

 

They rounded the corner onto a narrower road, one that led straight to another gatehouse. This one was shorter than the main street as well. On their right a few blocks down, they could see the Pokemon Center. It was the same style as the other buildings; narrow, with four floors and a red roof. Bianca walked them to the Pokemon Center, gesturing for Twist to put down the Trainers. Once he did, she returned him to his Poke Ball. "Well, this is where we part ways. I'll be staying at Fennel's. It's just a couple of blocks back the way we came, but I'll be here tomorrow to show you all around." She sighed.

 

"I remember the first day of my journey. Don't worry about it ending; you've all just begun!"

 

Quest complete: "A Long Awaited Arrival!"

-Brendan found Half-smoked, smushed cigarette butt on the ground!

-The party has gone to sleep

-All Pokemon have been fully healed

 

End of Day 1! Stay tuned for the next update!

[Jory]

Striation City, Main Street- 9:00 AM the Next Day

 

Bianca led the Amateur Trainers back through the city streets, heading for Fennel's house. She'd woken them up an hour earlier, making sure there was time enough for her charges to feed themselves and their Pokemon before resuming their journey. She'd found each of them splayed out on a bed in their hostel-like room in the upstairs of the Pokemon Center. Jason appeared bleary-eyed and duller than usual, exhausted from the excitement of the day before. As usual Rascal reflected his Trainer's mood, his head sticking out of his Trainer's pack. Somehow, Bianca was as perky and energetic as usual. Years of journeying through Unova showed in her attitude, not letting tiredness impact her.

 

Soon enough, the group found themselves at the foot of the stairs leading into one of the many brownstones lining Striation's Main Street. Bianca turned quickly on her heel, smiling broadly at the group of Trainers before her. "Well, here we are. I guess 'here' is kind of vague, but I'll explain! So we're at Dr. Fennel's house. She can be a tad touchy, but I promise she's suuuuper nice! Fennel studies all kinds of different energy that's created by Pokemon and can power all kinds of useful stuff! You know how Castelia City converted from Electrode power to hydroelectric turbine power last year? Well, she figured out that if you use the Electrodes as amplifiers rather than producers of Electric-type power, you can more than quadruple the amount of energy produced!"

 

Bianca grinned. "I'm lucky to know someone as smart as her! I may be Professor Juniper's assistant, but everyone knows that it's the real eggheads like her that make the world go round. Juniper and I learned what we know about Pokemon from living and experimenting with them, but Fennel's really got the theoretical science down. Anything you need to know, she could probably answer twice as well as I could." She then shrugged. "Anyway, we should head inside. Fennel's a... punctual type. We don't want her any more uptight than she is, so let's get moving."

 

 

Fennel's House

 

Bianca knocked on the door three times. She waited for a few moments before the door was opened by a small man in a lab coat. "Ah, Bianca," he said quickly. He retrieved a metal device from his pocket. When he waved his hand over it, it expanded into a rectangle. The frame filled with light, becoming an interactive display. The man pressed a few buttons, his eyes scanning the holopad. "Dr. Fennel has been expecting you. You're late," he noted, indicating that the holopad read "9:02." Bianca sighed in response, shaking her head. 

 

The lab assistant led them through the door. The first sight that greeted Bianca and the Amateur Trainers was a living room converted into a full, working laboratory complete with some of the same high-tech machines that were in Juniper's lab. Mio in particular might have been interested to see several different types of Pokemon connected to electrodes while lab assistants scurried around, taking readings and ensuring the Pokemon remained docile. The diminutive lab assistant led them up the stairs in the back of the first floor and into a second-floor lab. 

 

This lab seemed different from the one on the first floor, mostly due to the twin beds scattered throughout it. Each was surrounded by a number of different monitors with different readouts, suggesting that each bed contained a different experiment. Continuing to follow the assistant, the small group ended up at a door marked simply, "Office." The assistant knocked three times, then nodded to Bianca and walked off to resume his usual, non-hosting duties.

 

Shortly after, a pneumatic hiss could be heard as the seemingly ordinary door released a cloud of steam and slid open. A very distraught-looking woman came to the door and ushered them in before tapping a few commands into her holopad, causing the door behind her to close once again. When she finally stopped pacing and sat down, the Amateurs got their first good look at her. Fennel couldn't have been a few years older than Bianca, but the stress of her work had clearly gotten to her. Where once there were laughter lines, the Amateurs could see the beginnings of crows' feet. She had long, navy blue hair and wore glasses with small rectangular frames. They kept sliding down her steeply sloped nose, causing her to push them up with one finger every so often. Her lab coat draped heavily over her slender form, making her look somewhat childish despite her age. 

 

"Well? What do you want?" she asked, exasperated already. Bianca giggled and looked over the desk at her friend.

 

"Fennel, that's no way to greet your new guests!" she admonished the scientist.

 

"Right, sorry. I'm Fennel, this is my lab. I apologize for my brusque manner; your visit is causing me a great deal of inefficiency as it is. However, I have a task for you. Bianca said I could make use of you; something about it being good training to run errands." She removed her glasses, rubbing the bridge of her nose for a moment before continuing. She input more commands into her holopad, causing the wall behind her to turn white. A projector above the door displayed a large facility on the whiteboard. 

 

"This is the Dreamyard two years ago." She flipped to the next picture. "And this is it today." The large, intact domelike structure suddenly developed a crater in the middle of it, with the rest of the building in ruins and collapsed in various places.  "I used to run a project at that lab. I was taking a 'sick day' for health reasons when it went up in a fireball. No one knows what really happened. Those who know are either dead or are halfway across the globe right now. My point," she concluded, "is that I need to know what went wrong. Your task should be simple enough for four Trainers to handle- go in, recover the last set of logs from the mainframe, and bring them back to me." She looked around nervously.

 

"I can't go myself. I'm still a suspect just because I wasn't there, and I don't want any more prying eyes on my research than there need to be. After all, it's hard enough complying with government regulations without being actively investigated. No one's been able to access the mainframe before now because anyone with an Admin level password is, like I said, either dead or missing. Last week I was sent this code through an encrypted channel protected by more than one proxy server. I can't figure out whose it was, only that they worked in a project I'd never heard of: the Energy Imperative. I was hoping maybe I might be able to recover some of their notes to use in my own research. Any questions?" she asked the group.

 

"Yeah, I get that you're a suspect and all, but why us? Why not get some of your assistants to go?" Jason asked. "It's been two years. I'm sure everything that's been recovered has been by now. I doubt anyone's watching the place.

 

"You don't get to where I am without taking precautions. Honestly, I'm sending you because I'm not much of a Trainer and it's safer than going myself. Anyone else?"

 

Quest added: "Let's Go Dig Up the Dreamyard!"

-Travel to the Dreamyard

-Enter the ruins of the old research complex

-Find the Energy Imperative Lab

-Copy data logs from Energy Imperative

[Sutoratosu]

 Dreamyard, Mid-morning

long, dried grasses and overgrown shrubbery swayed in the morning wind, the quiet howl of nature filling the area, machinery and the remnants of machinery that had been fully functional only years prior dotting the landscape like moss and vine covered obelisk to the age passed not so long ago, as if a madman had planted a field during one of his frenzied experiments and in the end, simply ran out of cares to give as it ravaged his workplace and his research. Yes, truly, the yard was, all at once, both a place of barren destruction and twisted metal- scraps of enterprises long since abandoned, the memories of disaster ever etched into the scarred and ruined land and it's structures like the obituary on a grave to the advancement of science- and yet just as much a haven of bustling life and activity, a display of what nature did when left to it's own devices, devoid of the meddling of fools and the sons of fools who sought to harness, and unfailingly, eventually abuse what it willingly provided them, letting the seeds of greed sprout ever deeper into their souls until it all culminated into collapse and ruination, the death of the light of innocence itself. For such was the way of men.

     But yet even for all his folly, nature had yet to fully turn herself against the mortals. Despite having retaken the area as her own, the abandoned lot of broken dreams had yet to bare the fangs of hostility back onto the former masters of the land- evidenced by the lone figure scouting the wreckages of the abandoned labs, holding nigh impunity as wilders watched all the while and merely returned to their business... for now. Perhaps it was something in particular about the being's presence that worked pacified them, mayhaps the determined swagger of their stride, or the manner in which they held themselves- like an alpha among betas... or mayhaps the snarling flame hund ever by their side, nose to the ground but still radiating an aura of nigh boisterous conviction that matched that of his master. Yes... perhaps it was the power of a bond that the wilders sensed... the power that made some of them edge away and others maintain weary vigilance as the two went about their business...

   

Little did any of them know however, just how deceptive initial impressions could be...

 

"That's the third time since we got here," The figure sighed from beneath their black hood, the tiger pup raising it's nose from the earth to gaze upon where it's latest trail had taken them... right into a giant wall of slagged metal and stone wreckage. The hund looked back almost apologetically into the gleaming pricks of amber peering beneath the shadows. The master did little more than around and back the winding way they'd come. "I guess we're gonna be spending a lot longer here then... damn place is like it's own anomaly."

     The words weren't spoken lightly, as they stopped once more, having walked into another wall where before, they'd been certain there was an open path. It was as if the instinctual compass they'd come to rely so heavily on was at the mercy of a force entirely foreign to their experiences, senses and directions toyed with like the blocks in a wooden tower. Even now, they could still sense it, even stronger than it had been at the entrance- the same permeating wave of psionics that awashed the place in a heavy wave of presence.  Prescence... yes, that was the right to describe it. The figure grit their teeth.

     "Saul, where are you?"

      A bark, not that far away as the hund darted into view. Yes, a presence, that's what this power was- so great that it could suppress the tell-tale feeling of their own partner even when he was mere meters away. A power that left them turned around and lost even in such a relatively open place. A power that was beginning to make them bristle as they turned and began walking again.

      "Screw this... I've had enough traipsing around like we're on some drug trip. It's time to lea-" the breaking of twigs, the rustling of underbrush far off in the distance. Both master and hound alike turned with equal swiftness to face the new sound, heads practically on a swivel as they watched for the wilder they were both expecting to pop out. The growlithe took a ready stance, the small black stone affixed to his collar gleaming with near ominous light as the slightest hints of flame billowed around his mouth.

 

But no Wilder popped out at them. No territorial mon attack in an attempt to drive off would be intruders. Just another rustle and a crash and curse, several of them from the same voice, sounding off in equal parts frustration and pain. The hund and figure looked to one another for only a brief moment, then back to the source of the ruckus. Already, they took a few tentative steps closer, edging off the path they'd once walked and deeper into the brush as it all grew louder. And even despite the sickening thickness of the psionic air, both of them still picked up on the nearing presence... prescences. 

 

Could it be yet another trick of this place and it's fickle nature? or had they truly completely missed another party altogether during their roundabout excursion...

 

 

 

[starkidcosmo]

Striaton City, Fennel's House - "Let's Go Dig Up the Dreamyard!" - Mio

 

Mio had passed out almost immediately after reaching the Pokecenter the night before, both Meena and a freshly-revived Loam curled up next to him. Consequently, he was feeling refreshed and energetic. As the group approached Dr. Fennel's house, he was practically bouncing with excitement. 

 

Dr. Fennel's research wasn't exactly within his field of study, but he made it his business to know as much as he could about any given science-related subject. Her recent project on Castelia's power source had been of particular note to him, although that was mainly because it involved Electrode.

 

They stepped into Dr. Fennel's house and Mio could barely restrain himself from letting out a small gasp. It was a fairly small area, but every inch of it had been converted into lab space. He craned his neck as Dr. Fennel's assistant led them to the stairs, deeply regretting he couldn't stay and examine some of the experiments. He really  wanted the data on the various Pokemon scattered around the room.

 

Upstairs, Dr. Fennel wasted no time before launching into her explanation of the "errand." She seemed harried, which he decided meant that she would not appreciate any off-topic questions.

 

When she was finished with Brendan, Mio chimed in. "About the Dreamyard, is there anything in particular we should know? Unusually strong Pokemon, active security systems left over from the facility... anything else that could be used as a trap? Or... just anything out of the ordinary in general, actually." He definitely didn't want to walk into another Braviary-type situation without some forewarning.

[Jory]

Striation City, Fennel's House... Lab... Thing...- "Let's Go Dig Up the Dreamyard!"

 

Fennel

"Quite a useful question, and packed to the brim with information you will surely need. Excellent inquiry. I assume you are Mio, the one Bianca told me actually has two bits of a brain to rub together. No offense to the rest of you; Pokemon Trainers just aren't usually the brightest bulbs in the bunch. Anyhow, the wing of the Dreamyard where the explosion originated was a wing that specialized in doing research on Psychic-type Pokemon. One of the anomalies of the Dreamyard is that the Psychic energy left over from the blast can affect the area in a number of different ways. Floating objects, altered perception, and intra-site teleportation are a few of the more common ones.

 

"Again, though, I'm sure you'll all be fine. Bianca tells me you are a precocious group, so I have full faith in your ability to get this done. Just remember one thing- Psychic energy can do a lot of things, but it cannot harm you directly. Floating objects dropping out of the sky are a different matter entirely." The scientist paused for a moment. "Since you are Trainers, you might be interested to know that Pokemon with Psychic predilections tend to congregate around the Dreamyard. The collapse of the building has created several localized biomes, so you should be able to find some outside. However, once you're inside be on the lookout for stray Electric-types. They are there to feed, not to sightsee. Be on your guard." She then opened a drawer in her desk, taking out a flash drive and handing it to Jason. "Just stick this in the mainframe once you're there. It'll sift through the files by keyword and find what I need. It should take about an hour to hack in and get what I wanted."

 

Jason received Energy Imperative Access Codes (x1)!

 

With that said, Fennel clapped her hands. "Now, kindly get the fuck out of my laboratory. And don't come back without those logs." On cue the door hissed open and the same irritated looking assistant was there to usher them out. On their way downstairs, Mio was able to scan the data of a small Flying-type Pokemon into his Dex:

 

Pokedex

Spoiler

Quote

Fletchling, the Tiny Robin Pokemon. This amiable Pokemon is easy to train. In battles, however, it shows its ferocious side. When it gets excited, hormone production can cause its body temperature to rise to twice its resting state. Though they communicate with beautiful chirps and whistles, they are merciless toward those who threaten their nests.

 

Bianca

The older Trainer led them to the Northern exit of Striation City. After leading them through the gate, which was virtually identical to all the others, Bianca turned to face the group. "Well, here you guys are! I hope you have fun doing a little dirty work for Fennel. I know she seems a bit weird, but she's a books-first kind of girl!" she said with a giggle. "Anyway, there are some neat-o Pokemon around here, especially if you're interested in Psychic- and Electric-types." She quickly checked her XTransceiver, then put it away. "I'm needed at the Pokemon Gym. Once you guys are done dropping off the data logs at Fennel's, how about you drop by? Hugh's heading over there soon. See you later~" she said loudly, skipping off into the gateway.

 

 

Jason

The group of Amateur Trainers turned around to face the Dreamyard. The gate let them out at the treeline of a large clearing that had obviously been cut in the forest to make room for the research facility. Once Bianca was gone and no longer distracting them, they could feel the Psychic energy that Fennel had described permeating the clearing. Try as they might to see an entrance to the lab from where they were standing, they were impeded by a distorted landscape. There was a ring of debris floating in a perfect circle above the main structure, slowly orbiting the perimeter of one of the wings. Jason pointed to it and Rascal ran out along his arm, standing on his forearm in order to join his Trainer in pointing at the anomaly.

 

"If I were a betting man, I'd say that's the Psychic Energy wing. Even over here, you can feel how weird this place is. It's like the energy has settled into the earth itself." He paused for a moment. "Anyone care to take the lead on this? Psychic-types aren't really in my wheelhouse. I'm more of an earth-tones kinda guy."

[Chim]

Brendan – Dreamyard

 

During their visit at Fennel’s lab Brendan remained silent and at the back of the group. Some things he saw peeked his curiosity but there didn’t seem to be any ongoing research he was really interested in. And even if there was, he doubted he could get some information going by Fennel’s to the point attitude. But Brendan had to admit the job she gave them did sound interesting. Especially the part about Psychic types.

 

When they finally arrived at the Dreamyard Brendan didn’t really listen to Bianca. The idea of capturing a new partner had been in his mind for a while now. During his adventure so far he had been relying on Titan but the small rock type couldn’t handle everything. And a psychic type could not only help with Titan’s fighting weakness but also be an asset when Brendan finally became an archeologist. At least more of an asset than an electric type at this point in time.

 

“Sure, I’ll take the lead,” he replied to Jason. “I’m interested in getting a psychic type to help Titan out in future battles.” He tapped the shoulder of his friend and started to walk towards the structure with the floating debris.

 

[K_H]

Jack - Dreamyard Entrance - "Let's Go Dig Up the Dreamyard!"
Upon hearing Brendan finish with what he was saying, Jack sent out Lara, and spoke.
"Psychic-Type moves can't do much to Dark Types, so I should also probably be close to the front. I would take the lead, but I'll let Brendan do that, as he volunteered for doing so."

He then started walking towards the structure being orbited by the debris, following Brendan.

[Jory]

Dreamyard, Exterior- "Let's Dig Up the Dreamyard!"

 

Jason

The Amateur Trainer followed after Brendan and Jack, hanging back to keep Mio compnay as they journeyed through the mysterious area. As Brendan led them closer to the abandoned research facility and the floating rubble above it, vegetation became more sparse. The trees were replaced with strange gray grass that grew up to their hips. The sounds of Pokemon in the forest became but a distant memory, fading with both time and distance as they made their march toward their destination. Before they'd gone more than a hundred yards the group's perception began to become warped.

 

Everything around them began to coalesce into a small spiral, then went white. The landscape reappeared around them moments later; however, Jason could swear that the floating rubble had moved. Before, it was straight ahead in the distance. Now, it was slightly to the left and substantially closer. Taking another look around, he realized the gate back to Striation City was no longer in view. He began to take stock of the situation. The building in front of him was still the same one, for sure. 

 

"I think we're on the other side of the facility," Jason said to the rest of the group. "Fennel wasn't wrong about this place being weird, that's for sure."

 

He looked toward the building once more. On the other side, the grass had retaken the area to the point of growing in some of the building's windows. Instead, a series of large yet shallow pools of water dotted the landscape on the way to the Dreamyard's research facility.

 

"Either way, we should keep-"

 

"Slooooooow." 

 

Jason looked around once again, looking for the source of the sound. "Did one of you say something?" he asked the group. 

"Poooooooke."

 

Finally, Jason felt his sock beginning to grow wet. He looked down and, to his surprise, found himself standing in one of the shallow pools he'd seen in front of him. Even more surprising was that when he looked around at his friends' feet, he saw a big pink lump sticking out from under Brendan's. More specifically its tail.

 

"Uh... Buddy?" he asked his friend, trying to get his attention. "Might want to mind your feet."

[K_H]

Jack - Dreamyard Entrance - "Let's Go Dig Up the Dreamyard!"

Jack looked down when he heard Jason's comment about minding feet, and saw that Brendan was standing on a slowpoke's tail. His face took on a look of 'uh-oh.', and a drop of sweat beaded down the side of his forehead as he spoke.

"Um... Brendan? You might want to look at what you're standing on before it attacks you..."

[Jory]

Dreamyard- "Let's Go Dig Up the Dreamyard!"

 

The Slowpoke continued staring blankly ahead. Its eyes stayed totally unfocused as the pink Psychic-type continued lounging in the water.

[Chim]

Brendan – Dreamyard

 

The young amateur was having a blast. Adventures like this were the whole reason he signed up in the first place. He loved the mysterious energy going on and the sudden change of the landscape. He was still taking in the change of scenery when Jason and Jack warned him.

 

“There’s nothing un-,” he started until he quickly jumped back. “Holy Arceus, I’m so sorry Slowpok! I didn’t see you there,” he apologized. Half waiting for the Slowpoke to retaliate, Brendan took two steps back and let his eyes meet with those of the pink psychic type.

 

Immediately a warm feeling fell over Brendan. His expression changed unconsciously to match the Slowpoke as the two continued to stare at each other. His brain threatened to shut down when a dozen thoughts popped up in his mind at the same time. But Brendan knew. He knew from the moment he saw the Slowpoke he wanted to catch it. Not only was it a psychic type, but also part water. One of the other typing’s that was high on Brendan’s list.

 

The longer he stared into the Slowpoke’s eyes, the more he was convinced. This particular Slowpoke had appeared on his path for a reason. Brendan knew deep down, behind that dopey face, Slowpoke felt the same way; this was the start of a beautiful Bromance.

 

Brendan bend through his knees, picked up the psychic type, and rose back to his full length. The Slowpoke dangled in his hands as Brendan turned him around so the pink Pokémon faced the rest of the group. Then he stretched his arms and told his friends with pride: “This guy will be my new partner!”

 

 

Spoiler

[Jory]

Dreamyard- "Let's Go Dig Up the Dreamyard!"

 

As Brendan held the Slowpoke out for his friends to see, a bead of sweat grew on his brow followed by another. His arms began to grow tired as the eighty pound, four foot long Pokemon hung suspended in the air by the sheer force of Brendan's excitement. However, he knew he was in big trouble when his back began hurting. That would be the last time Brendan tried deadlifting a new Pokemon. The Slowpoke simply said, "Sloooooow," as if mirroring Brendan's sentiment. Its mouth hung open after the utterance, as it had forgotten to close it. However, its facial expression remained blank. 

 

Jason

The Amateur was taken aback by Brendan's forthright approach, and couldn't help but laugh as Brendan began to struggle with the heavy Pokemon. "You know, you could also put him in a Poke Ball," Jason suggested. "I've heard that if a Pokemon wants to join you, it won't even resist being encoded." Suddenly, there was a rustle from the grass surrounding the pool. Jason and Rascal were promptly on guard, searching the area using Rascal's keen hearing and the Trainer's sharp eyesight. Just as quickly as the rustling had started, it vanished into the distance. 

 

"I think we should keep going ASAP. We got lucky this time." Jason gave the grass around them another look before turning toward the Dreamyard's main facility. "I'm glad you caught a Pokemon though, Brendan. With a Gym right here in Striation, you needed something to shore up your weaknesses." Rascal began to climb down Jason's arm before taking a look at the water and, making a quick decision, turning around and climbing back up to the relative comfort of his Trainer's shoulder.

 

"Next time, we may land near a Pokemon that's looking for a fight. So be on your guard as we walk," he cautioned.

[starkidcosmo]

Dreamyard - "Let's Go Dig Up the Dreamyard!" - Mio

 

Mio blinked as Brendan hefted the slowpoke into the air, trying to remember the average weight of a slowpoke. He couldn't remember exactly, but it was in the ballpark of 'fairly heavy.' 

 

"Wow, Brendan," he said. "You must be pretty strong! Aren't slowpoke... seventy pounds or so?" He pulled out his pokedex and scanned Brendan's new friend, eyebrows raising as he looked over the data. "Wow, yeah, eighty pounds on average..." he trailed off as he studied the other information, eyeing some of it skeptically. He barely noticed the noise that had Jason on edge, and merely nodded absently as his friend urged them onward. 

 

"We should probably stick together as much as possible, too." Mio said, although he was still concentrating mostly on his Pokedex. He hadn't had a chance to really look into the data from the Fletchling he'd scanned earlier and was now going through that. A flying type would be a fantastic addition to his team, especially considering Loam's soon to be double weakness to grass-types. But Meena was terrified of birds... he frowned, deep in thought. Still pouring over the Pokedex, he started to move forwards, narrowly missing a pool of water.

[Chim]

Brendan – Dreamyard

 

“Eighty pounds? Are you kidding me?” Brendan asked as his arms started to tremble and his back could give out any moment. He quickly put the Slowpoke back on the ground and had to place his hand on his lower back to get up. “I didn’t know Slowpoke weighs this much,” he mumbled while making some stretching movements. "I think I ripped some muscles I didn't even know existed..."

 

The Slowpoke gave him a goofy look and began to stare straight at his new trainer. “Gotcha,” Brendan said as he threw the Pokéball. There were no signs of the psychic type trying to resist and after three small shakes the capture was complete.

 

Carefully, like some old grandpa with back problems, Brendan managed to grab the capsule. “Jack, you can take the lead. Your Pokémon are more suited for stuff like that anyway,” he said before moving over to Mio and placing half his weight on his friend’s shoulder by leaning onto him. “Do me a favor and warn me next time before I do something stupid, okay?” he grinned as his eye fell onto Mio’s Pokédex. You want one of those?” he asked, pointing at the Fletching.