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 Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2015 10:06 am
Taavetti Ward's Field Notes1. Intro & Directory
2. Taavi
3. Pokémon listing
4. History
5. Inventory
6. Friends
7. RP log
8. Writing log
Tracks
Up to the Roof
Unwritten Rumours & Wanted!
Last Updated: 5th September 2015
Common Rumors:
He's only recently arrived in Kodo.
He really loves pokemon! He seems to know a whole lot about them too.
He's a nice guy, he'd do anything for anyone!
He came to Kodo to see the Egg of Arceus.
Uncommon Rumors:
He hates being the centre of attention.
He seems to really hate confrontation.
He's got great survival skills! Take him on your next camping trip.
He's a little clingy, hu?
He makes awesome wood carvings!
Rare Rumors:
Arguments actually make him freak out a bit.
His father was killed by pokemon poachers.
He left home when he was sixteen, bad relationship with his mother apparently.
Legendary Rumors:
He's really evasive about the period between leaving home and arriving in Hoenn....
Usual Haunts:
"Meat Palace" Camphoreon
Anywhere in Camphoreon
Any wild place!
Seeking:
Friends! Taavi is knew to the region and, well, he knows nobody. Halp?
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Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2015 10:43 am
Taavi  Basics
Surname: Ward
Forenames: Taavetti Mark (TAH:-vet-tee)
Nickname: Taavi
Gender: Male
D.O.B: 21/04/1995, 22yrs
Family
Father: Mark Ward (deceased)
Mother: Iida Cooper
Other: Tristan Cooper (stepfather), Lauren Cooper (half sister), other extended family but none close
Description
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 135lbs
Build: Lanky, lean and toned
Skin: Mid brown, clear
Hair: Black, wavy, slightly past shoulder length
Eyes: Light olive green
Face: Diamond shaped, sharp and pointy featured
Manner: Fidgety, often smiling, fair posture but hunches and makes himself small in large groups or when under close scrutiny
Detailed description: Taavetti is a lanky wiry muscled young man with mid brown skin, sharp features, and a tendency to fidget. Testament to this often restless energy is the usual state of his hair; it is long, black, thick, slightly wavy and usually full of little plaits and braids he has put into it without really realising he’s doing it until he’s tying off the end of one. If asked what his favourite feature about himself is he would probably reply his eyes, they’re a light olive green and he’s shyly fond of the contrast between them and his dark features. Taavetti’s clothes are always practical and generally cheap but it’s notable that he always has a pair of good boots and a warm coat for the winter, you can’t go far without good boots and hypothermia is not fun!
Abilities & Preferences
Skills: Wilderness survival, DIY & general handyness, athletic, extensive knowledge of pokemon, wood carving
Weaknesses: Shy in large groups, not all that highly educated in anything other than pokemon, easily influenced by friends
Hobbies: Camping, pokemon watching, training his pokemon, wood carving
Likes: Exploring, practically anything pokemon related, spicy food, and you know how you hang out with a friend and chat on and off but also just your own thing but in the same place? That thing.
Dislikes: Being the centre of attention, mistreatment and or poor care of pokemon, cruelty in general, confrontation.
Relationship with...
Pokémon: Pokemon are amazing and glorious and he could talk to you about them all day, about how any relationship with them must be based on mutual respect and how you have to try extra hard to understand their needs because you can’t understand them like they can you. The power of legendary pokemon awes him, he regards them as Gods to greater and lesser degrees and definitely believes that Arceus is the Creator of the world. The idea of capturing them is sacrilege.
Bad husbandry of pokemon - be it deliberate or through ignorance - makes him really angry, as does irresponsible capturing and so on. His ire soon cools off if somebody seems genuinely sorry for their mistakes and in such cases he's more than happy to correct and educate, but when people stubbornly insist things like 'it's fine to feed my Pyroar vegan diet, she loves it' there is pretty much no redeeming them in his eyes.
People: Taavi views humans he doesn't know much as he views pokemon he doesn’t know; they might be nice, but they might also attack you so approach with caution! Also if they’re in a big group and you’re alone probably better give it a miss. Initial shy wariness aside Tavvi warms up quite quickly to individuals and will give anyone a chance; while he doesn’t believe that everyone in the world is nice he does believe that you don’t know until you try and that you can’t judge a book by its cover.
Personality
Taavetti - call him Taavi - is a soft spoken young man with a soft heart, iron hard principles, a difficulty in speaking up for said principles but not in acting on them.
Wherever possible Taavi will help those in need whether he knows them or not; he’s the sort of person who would stop to tape a plastic bag over a car window left open in the rain, or who can be counted on to help a friend retype their dissertation in one night after the file went corrupt. He finds it very difficult to say no too so he is also the kind of person who will remain in an uncomfortable conversation with a stranger because he doesn’t want to be rude, who an unscrupulous ‘friend’ could use very easily, and who just finds himself stuck doing things he didn’t really want to because he couldn’t refuse. Sometimes - a lot of the time - he wishes he had more backbone in this way but he’s torn on the matter because he also wants to make people happy, and also he really really wants to avoid confrontation please.
Indeed confrontation is just about Taavi’s least favourite thing ever especially if it’s with a friend. He would much rather not get his way than fight over something and if other people are fighting in his vicinity he will generally leave if he possibly can. Verbal confrontation is much much worse than physical confrontation in his book probably because he’s experienced a great deal more of the former (mainly between his parents) and has come to regard it with a sick dread that everything is going to be horrible forever, and is probably somehow his fault too. Logically he knows that doesn’t make sense but that doesn’t stop him feeling it when people start raising their voices.
The fact that he doesn’t cringe away from physical conflict like he does verbal conflict doesn’t mean that Taavi likes to fight or is short tempered, it’s just that when he sees no alternative he isn’t afraid to act to defend himself, his friends, or those who can’t defend themselves. Once he has convinced himself that there is no other way and that he has to fight for what’s right he may well make stupid decisions such as charging into a situation he couldn’t possibly handle, or for say joining Team Plasma. Yeah that wasn’t a great idea but he damn well believed in it and fought with all his heart for what he believed was right.
If there’s one thing that Taavi loves, really loves, it’s Pokemon. He is (or was) a Ranger so this is probably a given but Taavi buys into the mythos around legendary pokemon wholesale. If something to do with a legendary comes up; a news article, a new discovery, a theory, then he will be all over it. If there’s a sighting anywhere near him (like in the same region) he will want to go there if he can, and if he felt that a place had a special connection to a legendary (especially one of the more powerful, awe inspiring ones) there will be no stopping him from going there.
He doesn’t think that pokemon in general are better than people on the whole - though he would, if pressed, say that legendaries are - but he would argue that pokemon don’t go around causing mass pollution… er.... well most of them don’t, but you get his point? They’re not better but maybe they’ve got life figured out better. Anyway he thinks that pokemon ought to be respected and treated well just like people, but he also believes in the ‘great circle of life’ as it were; things eat other things in order to live, so long as you hunt humanely and don’t waste then it’s all as nature intended and all fine. This extends to humans too however, he doesn’t have much sympathy for idiots who wander into the wilds unprepared and get themselves eaten by a predatory pokemon.
Taavi is happiest when he’s with a small groups friends and their respective pokemon. Having spent a lot of his life feeling pretty isolated he really hates being alone, and as a friend he can be kind of clingy and needy. What his friends think of him is very important to Taavi, perhaps too important. He’s quite easily influenced both because he wants to avoid conflict and also because he’d desperate to be liked by the people he likes; overly accommodating and completely indecisive because he doesn’t want to say something somebody might not like thy name is Taavi. In order to go against the influence of his friends he would have to seriously believe in whatever it was that was in question, and he wouldn't feel good about 'disappointing' them. That said he doesn’t actually demand much from his friends other than their presence, he just wants to hang out. If they talk, cool, but he’s also fine just being near one another while everyone does their own thing. When he is chatting with friends and is in a relaxed state Taavi is actually quite witty, able to pull a joke to funny comment out of just about anything. His humour is never unkind however unless it be self deprecating; he really can’t stand cruelty, nastiness, bitching and so on and should it occur around him he’ll probably go silent and wait for it to stop.
In very large groups of unfamiliar people however Taavi is awkward and shy, he hates being the center of attention and will do anything he can to deflect the focus onto somebody else. Strangers on their own or maybe in pairs are usually okay and if they look friendly he might even strike up conversation but in order to speak up in a large group the matter would have to be very urgent and he’d have to be confident in what he was talking about. Parties and things are fine so long as he’s with friends but please don’t expect him to sing karaoke or otherwise draw attention to himself!
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Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2015 10:46 am
Pokémon listing Valour
Braviary - #628 - Valiant Pokémon
They fight for their friends without any thought about danger to themselves. One can carry a car while flying.
Aerial Ace (lv), Superpower (evo) Strength (HM), Giga Impact (tm)
Swift
Ninetales - #039 - Fox Pokémon
Said to live for a thousand years, this Pokémon uses its supernatural abilities to manipulate fire. It can burn its prey to a crisp as it pleases.
Heat Wave (egg), Quick Attack (lv), Confuse Ray (lv), Flamethrower (lv)
Melody
Chimecho - #358 - Wind Chime Pokémon
Its cries echo inside its hollow body to emerge as beautiful notes for startling and repelling foes.
Future Sight (egg), Extrasensory (lv), Heal Bell (lv), Shock Wave (tutor)
Kielo
Milotic - #350 - Tender Pokémon
It is said to live at the bottom of large lakes. Considered to be the most beautiful of all Pokémon, it has been depicted in paintings and statues.
Hypnosis (egg), Disarming Voice (lv), Water Pulse (lv), Ice Beam (tm)
Scully
Dragonair - #148 - Dragon Pokémon
It is said to live in seas and lakes. Even though it has no wings, it has been seen flying occasionally.
Extreme Speed (egg), Thunder Wave (lv), Dragon Tail (lv), Thunderbolt (tm)
Mulder
Lapras - #131 - Transport Pokémon
It ferries people across the sea on its back. It may sing an enchanting cry if it is in a good mood.
Freeze-Dry (egg), Sing (lv), Confuse Ray (lv), Water Pulse (lv)
Strikes the Sky
Scizor - #212 - Pincer Pokémon
Once it has identified an enemy, this Pokémon smashes it mercilessly with pincers hard as steel.
Bullet Punch (lv), Agility (lv), Wing Attack (lv), Swords Dance (lv)
Aurelia
Vulpix - #037 - Fox Pokémon
As each tail grows, its fur becomes more lustrous. When held, it feels slightly warm.
Ember (lv), Tail Whip (lv), Baby-Doll Eyes (lv), Quick Attack (lv)
Nebula
Eevee - #133 - Evolution Pokémon
Its ability to evolve into many forms allows it to adapt smoothly and perfectly to any environment.
Helping Hand (lv), Growl (lv), Tackle (lv), Tail Whip (lv)
Dawn
Lucario - #448 - Aura Pokemon
High Jump Kick (egg), Power-Up Punch (lv), Bone Rush (lv), Water Pulse (tutor)
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Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2015 10:48 am
History 1995 - Taavetti was born, which is a pretty good start. Iida, his mother, has Finnish roots and got to name him given she did all the hard work; she works in a local diner. His father, Mark, is a Ranger; his side of the family have lived in Unova since forever but they’re on the other side of the region and don’t see one another much, they rather wanted Mark to go to university rather than messing around with pokemon and didn’t think much of his choice of wife either. Taavi grew up adoring his father’s pokemon and being doted on by the quartet in return. (For the sake of interest they were: Emboar, Buddy; Zebstrike, Striker; Zoroark, Guise; and Swanna, Grace)
2001 - Taavi’s parents began to argue a lot when he was six, most often about money which his father was never very good with or about other men which his mother was good with. Taavi didn’t understand the implications of the latter until a couple of years later. Despite severe animosity however they stayed together both for financial reasons - they had a mortgage to pay - and because they were under the unfortunate impression that it would be better for Taavi for them to be together. It was not. He spent a lot of time hiding in his room pretending not to hear them shouting, often curled up with one of his father’s pokemon.
Taavi’s happiest times during his childhood were the camping trips he would take with his father during school holidays. On these trips he started to learn survival skills (finding and making shelter without a tent, foraging, navigation, and so on); over the years they visited just about every wild place you can in Unova and Taavi loved all of them in all weathers.
2005 - Taavi’s 10th birthday present from his father was a trainer’s license and an aberrant coloured Rufflet who was captured by the Rangers to keep him out of the breeding pool. To say that Taavi was ecstatic would be an understatement. The Rufflet had been named Valour by the Ranger who caught him and Taavi decided he liked it so he kept it. Around this age he also picked up the hobby of wood carving and he was encouraged in this by his father, it was a good thing to be busy at around a campfire. Early attempts occasionally resulted in cut fingers and always in vague blocky lumps but he persevered, inspired by the many and varied forms of pokemon.
The arguments between his parents were growing ever worse however and Taavi retreated more into himself, buried himself in everything Pokemon related to try to shut the fighting out. He became absorbed in the mythos surrounding legendary pokemon around this time and started to revere them greatly. His closeness to his father meant that he had always thought pokemon were important and had to be treated with great respect but these feelings grew and he began to grow quietly angry with the poor husbandry he sometimes saw around him. His shyness in big groups of people meant that he’d struggled to make friends at school and this relative isolation probably only encouraged him to focus more on his growing fascinations, plus the fact that the couple of good friends he did have were also heavily into pokemon.
2008 - Taavi’s parents finally divorced and his father moved away across Unova to live with a friend, having managed to get a transfer to a ranger station in the area. Taavi had hoped to go with him - he was much closer to him than to his mother - but Mark never contested custody with Iida. Taavi interpreted this as abandonment and a sign his father didn’t really love him like he’d thought he did, which was understandable but incorrect. Once again with the assumptions Mark had thought it better not to move Taavi away from his school and his little group of friends and also that it wouldn’t be a good idea to move him into a house shared with unfamiliar adults, but he had thought that Taavi would realise this when he clearly hadn’t. For some time Taavi ignored his father’s attempts at communication but eventually they start to email and call but things weren’t the same, and the misunderstanding over why Mark didn’t try to take Taavi with him was never cleared up.
2009 - Iida’s new boyfriend Tristan moved in early in the year, he and Taavi did not get on. Tristan was and is a Man’s Man and so he took a poor view of Taavi’s shy nature to begin with, plus the fact that he wasn’t keen on having another man’s kid in the house, he wanted his own with Iida. Before long Iida was pregnant, Taavi was unhappy about this and withdrew further. Tristan successfully used this as a wedge to drive Taavi and his mother further apart, starting with calling him a selfish kid who didn’t care that his mother wanted to expand her family and then slowly starting to point out other failings too: Taavi wasn’t doing well in school so clearly he was lazy, he spends all his time shut away and never talks so he’s ungrateful to Iida for raising him, he’s messy, he’s got no ambition to do anything other than play with pokemon… Little by little the already strained relationship got worse, Iida shouted more, Taavi got more stressed which meant he became more withdrawn and did worse at school, and so the cycle went on. If anyone in the family could communicate worth a damn things might have been rather different.
At this point Taavi’s school friends were starting to grow out of the pokemon obsessive phase and he found the he had less and less in common with them. They remained friendly at school but they didn't really hang out anymore, leading Taavi to feel more isolated and unhappy than ever.
2011 - Just after New Year Taavi’s father was killed in a confrontation with poachers who were trying to shoot a shiny Absol for its pelt. This was the straw that broke the camel’s back as it were; Taavi dropped out of school and left home. By this time his relationship with his mother was so bad that she was glad to let him, she did feel like she’d failed him somehow, but guess who still couldn't talk about their feelings properly? She swore she’d do better by her little daughter though.
Sixteen year old Taavi started to travel across Unova with the now evolved Valour. He spent a lot of time staying in pokemon centres, earning just about enough from battles with other trainers to feed himself but Valour had to find his own dinners. After a few months of this Taavi was exhausted, hungry, lonely, and wondering if he’d made a horrible mistake. At this vulnerable point in his life he ran into Team Plasma doing one of their public speeches, and he couldn’t help but feel that they had good points. Humans did often treat pokemon badly even when they don’t mean to, but on the other hand bonds between trainers and pokemon are wonderful and people surely people who are well meaning just need better education...? After the speech he approached one of the recruiters to talk about what he felt they had right but also his reservations about the extremity of their message. Said recruiter wasn’t a recruiter for nothing, she was a smooth talker and suddenly all of Taavi’s objections seemed very silly to him and she was so kind, she bought him lunch and… well, suffice to say that he joined up despite how silly he thought the uniform was. In the spirit of Team Plasma he released Valour from his pokeball and the Braviary remained with him as a free partner, not that their relationship actually changed but Taavi had become convinced that pokeballs were Shackles To Be Destroyed.
Of course it wasn’t long after this that everything went horribly wrong for Team Plasma. Taavi fled the region with Valour, lost and disillusioned as he realised how their King and their ideals had been manipulated. He ended up in Hoenn and went back to hopping from pokemon centre to pokemon centre but as he had previously discovered this really isn’t a sustainable lifestyle and so he soon settled in Mauville City and managed to get a job in the pokemart.
2012-2013 - After working his horrible retail job for a while Taavi managed to get himself sort of informally apprenticed to a handyman who lived in the apartment opposite him. The pay is was worse than it had been at the mart but at least he didn’t get abuse shouted at him by entitled middle aged middle class people anymore, and was learning useful skills. In his free time he managed to get a volunteer position with the nearest ranger station. Having now been carving pokemon figurines as a hobby for many years Taavi had actually got rather good at it and he set up a little online shop, it never make him a huge amount of money but every cent counted at that point. During this time he also acquired Valour a pokeball again, mainly because it was in the terms of his apartment lease.
2014 - Taavi managed to get a full time job as a ranger! He was ecstatic. He moved home in order to be closer to his new work and he ended up moving in with another ranger who was looking for a roommate to share the rent. For once the future was looking pretty good, the pay wasn’t amazing as a junior ranger but it was enough to live on and there was prospect for promotion. Taavi started to feel like he might actually have ‘made it’ or have the makings of making it anyway, and also that he’s not a complete failure and he might know what he’s doing!
2015 - As soon as news of the Egg of Arceus reached Taavi however his sort of planned out life of staying in Hoenn and progressing as a Ranger went out of the window. His fervent belief in the Legendary pokemon had never diminished and so how could he stay away from a land so clearly touched by the Alpha Pokemon? It might not have been a sensible decision but Taavi could no more resist the draw of pilgrimage than a moth can resist the call of a flame. He saved up as much as he could within the space of a couple of months, paid off a few months rent with his exasperated roomate, sold anything he couldn’t fit into a large backpack and bought a ferry ticket to Kodo. One way please.
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Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2015 10:55 am
Inventory Usually on person
Accessories: Belt with belt pouches, sunglasses, flying goggles, golden Arceus totem necklace.
Tools: Flashlight, compass, lighter, multi-tool/penknife type object, a few small sharp knives for wood carving.
Gadgets: Pokegear, about three years old and bought second hand. The case is a bit scuffed but the screen has been well looked after.
Other gear: Water flask, small first aid kid, a few pokeballs, a box for berries.
Usually at home
Backpack: It's huge; a tough, scuffed affair in hard-wearing dark blue canvas.
Clothing: Several sets of underwear and socks, two quick drying long-sleeved shirts, two t-shirts, a thick sweater, two pair of pants, a pair of shorts, a pair of swim shorts, a coat, a pair of sandals, a pair of trainers.
Accessories: Belt with belt pouches, a beanie, a wide-brimmed canvas hat, a scarf, a pair of gloves, sunglasses, flying goggles.
Tools: Flashlight, compass, lighter, multi-tool/penknife type object, a large hunter's knife, small home toolkit with screwdrivers/pliers/etc, a few small sharp knives for wood carving.
Gadgets: Pokegear, about three years old and bought second hand. The case is a bit scuffed but the screen has been well looked after.
Other gear: Water flask, small frying pan and pot for cooking, plate and set of cutlery, sleeping bag, small first aid kid, a few pokeballs, a box for berries.
Toiletries etc: Soap, shampoo, razor, washcloth, quick-dry camping towel, hairbrush.
Personal items: A wooden box with the makings for a little shrine complete with a couple of incense sticks, a much worn toy Zorua.
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Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2015 10:55 am
Friends Abel Gray
Communication type: Ground
Thoughts: Abel's my best friend in Kodo, maybe in the world now. I haven't said that, I feel like that would be kinda awkward, but yeah; he's a great guy. I just hope we both catch a break soon. Well... wow. It happened! We're free! It feels amazing. Abel is like, pretty much my brother at this point. Also he needs to stop pining and ask Zev out.
Akira Midoriyama
Communication type: ???
Thoughts:
Alice Carter
Communication type: ???
Thoughts: She seems really cool! Another artist! Maybe we can meet again sometime for art and.. artyness. Stuff!
"Carl"
Communication type: ???
Thoughts: I hope I never meet him again. Ugh. Not a nice man.
Dominic
Communication type: ???
Thoughts:
Nicolae
Communication type: ???
Thoughts: %!@#$%!
Henrietta Kassle
Communication type: Fire
Thoughts: Well she's very enthusiastic! I think we made friends? Her Totodile is very strange, I have to wonder how he was bred.
Ion
Communication type: ???
Thoughts: Uuuuuugh, I feel really bad! I thought he was his a*****e brother, they look exactly the same I swear! He seems really nice, maybe we'll run into each other again?
Jasper
Communication type: ???
Thoughts:
Lin
Communication type: ???
Thoughts: Lin's great! Um, we have a lot in common and I really like him. We're going to be penpals!
"Sasha"
Communication type: Dark
Thoughts: I'm not sure if I've ever been in love before. It's a good feeling. We're very different people but I think that's good? And I feel good about myself when we're together. <******** you. ...What did I do wrong?
Sera
Communication type: Ghost
Thoughts: Ah. Well, she rescued Isaac and she's obviously good to her pokemon... I'm not sure we're ever going to be friends but she's a good person and I'm grateful for everything she did for Isaac. I... I don't know what to say. She's a good person even if she's harsh and... and nobody deserved that. Could I have done more?
Zevran
Communication type: ???
Thoughts: I don't think his flirt switch turns off! I like him though, he's fun and he's kind- sweet event! Also he and Abel need to date already. Seriously.
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Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2015 11:08 am
RP log Active [2] ~ Complete [49] ~ Inactive [3] ~ Total [54]
[A] 0 - [C] 9 - [In] 1
[C] Fresh Inspiration - After getting off the ship Taavi meets a fellow artist and they go for lunch together! - Alice, Camphoreon City
[C] Curriculum Vitae - Taavi's paper is burned by a rogue Charmeleon but he makes a friend! - Abel, Camphoreon City
[C] Adventure at the Eastern Center! - Taavi meets Hen, who is very excited about Valour! - Hen, Eastern Trainer's Centre
[C] Songs Around the Campfire - Taavi meets Lin! He likes him a lot and they promise to become penpals. - Lin, west of Camphoreon
[C/I] Flower Power! - ... - Jasper, Calamus Plains
[In] Starving Artists - ... - Dominic, Sandalwood City
[C] A Little Fishy - On a trip to a faire in Makko Town Taavi meets 'Carl' and spends most of the encounter wanting to crawl into a hole and die - 'Carl' (Clancy), Makko Town
[C] The Customer is Always Right! - Hen turns up at the Meat Palace, much to Taavi's surprise. They eat together, chat, and end up being invited to a gig one of Taavi's coworkers is playing at - Hen, Meat Palace (Camphoreon)
[C] Local Talent - Taavi meets 'Sasha' at a gig, they hit it off really rather well. Taavi doesn't expect to ever hear from him again though. - 'Sasha' (Lex), Camphoreon City
[C] Winding Down - Taavi befriends Akira and rambles to him about pokemon a lot. - Akira, Meat Palace (Camphoreon)
[A] 0 - [C] 9 - [In] 1
[C] So Kiss Me? - A date with Sasha ends well. Ahem. - 'Sasha' (Lex), Camphoreon City
[0] A Passion for People and Pokemon - ... - Izaya, Camphoreon
[C] [ORP] Jumping at Shadows! - Taavi attends a pre-halloween event at a haunted house and befriends a Chingling!
[C] Welcome to Hell - Taavi has a horrible, horrible customer who gives him hell and then gets him fired. Yay! - 'Green hair guy' (Sync). Meat Palace
[C] Lamenting the Loss of a Lousy Livelihood - Taavi has a good rant to Abel and feels a little better about it. - Abel, Camphoreon
[A/I] Time on Your Hands - Taavi meets a friendly trainer at the northern centre and learns more about the KSO - Rosie, Northern Trainers' Centre
[C] Hellbent - 'Sasha' brings Taavi gifts from himself, his sister and his mother! He then takes Taavi out for dinner; Taavi feels a bit awkward about not being able to respond in kind to any of them. - Sasha, Camphoreon
[C] So Many Question Marks - Taavi thinks he has found that green-haired a*****e and shouts at him. Woops, wrong guy! - Ion, Camphoreon
[C] Alfresco Living - Taavi admits to being slightly homeless, so Abel agrees to let him stay at his place for a few days - Abel, Camphoreon
[C] What are you hiding? - Alyssa appears on the scene. This can't be good! - Abel, Abel's apartment
[A] 0 - [C] 10 - [In] 0
[C] Slight Setbacks - Taavi finally admits to Sasha that he's kinda homeless - Sasha, Camphoreon
[C] Read Between the Lines - Taavi does not like Alyssa. At all. What does she know?? - Abel, Camphoreon
[C] [ORP] Not a Three Hour Tour - Taavi takes a trip to Peppermint Island where he befriends a Dratini and a Lapras! - Abel & Sasha, Peppermint Island
[C] Everything is Fine - Nothing is wrong at all! - Abel, Camphoreon
[C] Think Fast! - Taavi gets a new job! Yay! - Abel, Camphoreon
[C] The Best Kinds of Presents - Everything is ******** - Abel, Camphoreon
[C] Where Do We Go From Here? - As above so below - Abel, Camphoreon
[C] Confession - Taavi makes a couple of very different confessions to Sasha - Sasha, Camphoreon
[C] Check Yourself - Running into people is unfun - Sera, Camphoreon
[C] Tonights Gonna Be a Good Night - Legal birthday drinking! - Sasha, Camphoreon
[A] 0 - [C] 10 - [In] 0
[C] Misunderstandings - A lot of s**t happens, mainly good? Mainly. And Taavi owes Sera a sculpture - Sera & Houndoom, Camphoreon
[C] Give and Take - Good friends are good, and Scully evolves - Abel, Camphoreon
[C] Discoveries Abound - On a berry gathering trip Taavi happens across and injured Scyther, and also discovers his communcation type! Sort of. It's a bit confusing. - Abel, Sandalwood forest
[C] Table for Three - This is not quite how Taavi expected the evening to pan out... - Sasha & Zev, Camphoreon
[C] Backup - Taavi helps clean Zevran up after he plays with a knife bird, also despises Alyssa still - Abel & Zev, Camphoreon
[C] [ORP] Spice Up Summer - On a trip to Tarragon Island Taavi acquires another Vulpix and snuggles with Sasha - Sasha, Tarragon Island
[C] [ORP] The Floor is Lava! - Taavi attends a fun day out with obstacles courses and mud put on by the league and acquires a very dramatic Spinarak - Camphoreon
[C] Token of Gratitude - Taavi meets up with Sera to give her the sculptures he made for her as thanks for saving Isaac, and in the course of events they end up saving a Diancie! - Sera, Camphoreon
[C] Not Such a Good Evening - When Abel brings home a very drugged Zevran Taavi helps to take care of him, and also despises Alyssa even more than usual - Abel & Zev, Camphoreon
[C] We Have to Stop Meeting Like This - After Abel has been missing all night Taavi gets a call to come to Camphoreon's central hospital. He knows who to blame - Dith, Abel & Zev
[A] 0 - [C] 9 - [In] 1
[C] When Paths Cross - A pretty bad day is had when Jacques is killed by a dark Scyther and Valour is stolen by his trainer - Sera, Sandalwood Forest - Abel & Zev, Camphpreon
[C] Pancacke Party - Breakfast is had, under a cloud of gloom in Taavi's case - Abel & Zev, Camphpreon
[In] Loyalties - ... - Sasha, Camphoreon
[C] Lovely Start to the Day - Taavi has been dumped - Abel & Zev, Camphpreon
[C] Handling It - Taavi meets up with Sera and her pokemon - Sera, Camphoreon
[C] Happy Suffergiving! - Abel hits Alyssa. Woops. - Abel, Camphpreon
[C] Who Will it Be? - Alyssa gives Abel an ultimatum - Abel, Camphpreon
[C] Broken Bonds - Freedom is celebrated, Zev is adorable - Abel & Zev, Camphpreon
[C] Caught a Chill - Zev turns up with an Articuno he just caught, as you do. Valour returns home! - Abel & Zev, Camphpreon
[C] Home for Christmas
[A] 2 - [C] 2 - [In] 0
[A] The Highest Mountain
[C] We Don't Know How It Got There!
[C] Precautions
[A] Picking up the Pieces
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Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2015 11:10 am
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Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2015 12:13 pm
 History: Valour was given to Taavi by his father Mark on his 10th birthday along with a trainer's licence. The then Rufflet had been captured by the rangers in order to keep his aberrant colouring out of the gene pool, as there was concern that he could have come from an ethically challenged breeder's inbreeding lines. Valour evolved some three years later and the pair took to long flights together to escape the house. Two years after that Valour accompanied Taavi when he left home and subsequently joined Team Plasma. Released from his pokeball he spent several months as a 'free partner' before everything went south for Plasma and the pair fled to Hoenn. Valour then had a pokeball again and didn't much mind the difference.
Personality:
- Confident, a little proud
- Friendly, compassionate
- Protective (of Taavi and anyone else who needs it)
- Steadfast
- Good humoured
- Hard-working
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Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2015 3:13 pm
Today was his last day in work, a simple patrol down route 110. He’d handed in his notice a month ago, he’d given Ron three months of rent a week ago, and last night he’d packed his bag. He’d left his keys to the apartment on the counter this morning so his bag was waiting for him back at the office. They all thought he was crazy. Was he crazy? Maybe a little bit but he wasn’t going to change his mind, this was important. His phone buzzed, drawing a heavy sigh from the young ranger. After a quick check of his surroundings he fetched it out and read the message, from Ron of course.
//I talked 2 the boss and she says u can have ur job back if u change ur mind. Go for a week then come back or something.//
For a little while he just stared at the message, trying to work out what to say in response that he hadn’t already said to them. They thought he was crazy. They thought he was stupid. //Not changing my mind,// he sent eventually. After a few moments he added; //I respect your beliefs, please respect mine.// He didn’t want this to turn into an argument, make that he didn’t want it to turn into an argument again. The way Ron had reacted when he’d first told him… Taavi bit his lip, trying to remember when Ron’s shift ended so he could be sure he didn’t run into him when he went to get his bag. He was just worried, Ron had said, he didn’t want to see him throw away his career over something stupid. Stupid. Why was it so stupid to want to live somewhere that Arceus had touched? It was important, it felt like the most important thing that had ever happened to him. Maybe that was stupid. Ron made him feel like it was. His phone buzzed again.
//Ur making a mistake. What r u going 2 do when u get there?//
Taavi started a message in response, looked at the screen for a while, and then deleted it. The message had started ‘I’ and then stopped, he hadn’t known what else to put. What was he going to do? He didn’t know. He’d tried to do some research into the island, its recent past was chaotic to say the least. What was he thinking going somewhere like that without an apartment lined up, without a whisper of a job opportunity, without knowing anyone or anything? Except he had to go there, see the Egg, experience its effects for himself. He’d tried to tell the others that but much as they cared for pokemon they didn’t think how he thought, they didn’t believe like he believed.
Taavi shook his head and put his phone away; today might be his last day but that didn’t mean he was going to slack off, there was a Chatot nest further down the route and he needed to check it was undisturbed.
After a couple of minute’s walk the telltale sounds of a battle reached Taavi’s ears and he quickened his pace, it wasn’t possible to tell from this distance what kind of battle it was and so whether somebody might have got themselves into more trouble than they could handle.
As he moved under where the raised track of cycling road passed over the southern end of the route he spotted the battle going on near the treeline ahead and though he was a fair way off yet he could pretty clearly tell that somebody had indeed got into trouble. Muttering a curse under his breath Taavi released Valour from his pokeball, climbed onto his back and gestured ahead. “Get us over there!” At least a minor crisis was better than having to think of a response to Ron’s text.
With Valour flying low to the ground it took them hardly any time at all to reach the scene of the fight which turned out to be between a small boy, what was presumably his Bulbasaur, and… a very angry looking pair of Chatot. Of course.
“Waaaah! Bulbasaur use Solarbeam!” the boy yelled, trying to flap the birds away with his hat using one hand as he fumbled in his bag with the other.
The Bulbasaur made a confused noise and tried to tackle one of the Chatot but just ended up cannoning into his trainer, sending the boy sprawling and scattering the contents of his bag.
“Not Take Down, use Solarbeam!” the boy yelped, hurling the pokeball he’d managed to get hold of up into the air. It came down and smacked the Bulbasaur on the head.
At times like this Taavi really despaired at people, was it not obvious to the boy that a) his pokemon didn’t know either of those moves and b) the Chatot just wanted him to get away from their nest? There were signs for crying out loud; ‘Nesting Chatot, do not disturb!’ Taavi jumped to the ground from a couple of feet up, rolling as he landed to lose momentum while Valour flew onward and placed himself between the child and his fellow flying types, wings flared protectively.
Taavi came up running, reached the boy’s side, and grabbed him by the shoulder. “Come on, back off! They just want you to leave!”
The boy shook free and looked up at him with wide eyes. “No way man, I want to capture them!”
“Y-wuh?” Taavi spluttered and gestured to one of the signs, its bold red letters very much legible. “Can’t you read? You can’t capture them, they’re nesting!”
“Oh...” The boy looked at the sign and blinked. “Oh, I didn’t see that, I never check the signs because I have everything I need on this pokegear my dad gave me.”
The Chaot were screeching at Valour now, who was replying in placating tones. The rather battered looking Bulbasaur was peeking cautiously out from behind him.
Taavi looked from the boy, to the scene of pokemon, and then back again. “You… really need to pay more attention to your surroundings,” he managed to say with patience he didn’t feel. Who just wandered around blindly where there were wild pokemon? The same sort of person who thought that a clearly very young Bulbasaur knew Solarbeam. “Call back your Bulbasaur and come with me.” As he spoke he quickly gathered the boy’s things back into the bag and handed it over.
The boy took the bag hesitantly, giving Taavi a faintly wary look. “Dad says I shouldn’t talk to strangers… but you’re a ranger right?”
“Right,” Taavi agreed, “so let’s go, I’ll take you to the edge of Slateport and you can take your Bulbasaur to a pokemon centre from there. Oh, and you should really check what moves it has because it doesn’t know Solarbeam or Take Down. At most it might know Vine Whip. How long have you had it?”
The boy reluctantly recalled his pokemon and, with a last regretful glance at the Chatot, turned away from them with Taavi. “Got it for my birthday yesterday, Dad said I could take him out as far as the entrance to cycling road but then I saw a Chatot and I followed it.”
Taavi rubbed his forehead, opened his mouth, and then closed it again. Sometimes he wondered if it wouldn’t be better to let natural selection take its course. He didn’t really mean it but ugh! “Right,” he said, “well… well… obviously you….” He honestly couldn’t think of a single thing to say. “You know you put yourself and your partner in a lot of danger, right?” he managed eventually.
The boy actually had the decency to look sheepish. “I… guess so. Sorry sir, I just wanted to catch my first pokemon so much!”
Ugh. The enthusiasm was endearing but the ignorance… Oh well, they had a way to walk, he might as well try to instill a bit of education. “Well, you’ve learned an important lesson. Now, what can you tell me about your Bulbasaur’s type?...”
_________________
The working day was over and Taavi was on his way back to the station, soaring high above the route on Valour’s back. The wind on his face felt good, and up here he could almost forget about the problems waiting for him when he landed. Almost. He never had replied to that text and several more had come in throughout the day, he hadn’t even dared to read them and in fact he was deliberately coming back late so that he might manage to avoid meeting any of the others when he went into the office.
Was he just as foolish as the boy who’d charged off after a Chatot without thinking things through?... No, no he’d been planning this for months and even if he didn’t know exactly what he was going to do when he arrived he had a little bit of money and he was confident he could find some kind of a job. He didn’t want to be as concerned as he was about what the other rangers thought of him, of his decision, but he couldn’t help it; they were his friends and what they thought meant a lot to him but he had to do this, and no matter how he tried to explain they didn’t understand.
They landed outside the office and Taavi dismounted, shaking his head at himself and trying to steel himself for some kind of an encounter with Ron. He left Valour waiting outside to facilitate a quick exit if he needed one, took a breath, and stepped inside. Keeping his eyes lowered and walking quickly he went into the locker room and changed out of his uniform into jeans and a t-shirt. He’d keep the uniform - he’d paid for it and he could wear pieces of it combined with other things. His ID badge on the other hand… Taavi took it off his jacket and ran his thumb over it. He was going to miss this; this place, this job, these people but he had to go, he had to. Arceus had touched that land and so that was where he had to be even if it was a reckless choice.
Taavi let out a slow breath, got to his feet, and hastened to turn in his ID badge. It was after hours so reception was closed now just as he’d hoped, it meant that he was able to put it into the post dropbox and get out before he ran into anyone who might still be hanging around saw him. As he stepped outside he heard somebody call to him - Ron - but he didn’t want to face his friend and so he jumped onto Valour and urged him into the air without a backward glance.
_________________
Later that night, standing on the deck of the ferry bound for Kodo, Taavi finally plucked up the courage to get his phone out. Instead of reading what Ron had sent to him throughout the day however he deleted the message thread and started a fresh one.
//I know you don’t understand. I know you think I’m being stupid. I don’t think I can change that but I want you to know this isn’t a decision I’ve made lightly. I’ll miss you all and I’ll miss the job but I have to go. Kodo is where I belong now and you can’t change my mind on that.// After some hesitation Taavi sent the text and then lent back against the rail, rubbing his face wearily.
After a few moments his phone buzzed. He took it back out of his pocket with a sinking feeling and read the message.
//You’re going to regret this.//
Taavi closed his eyes, the horrible cold sinking feelings growing worse. He hadn't wanted to part with his friend like this, he hadn't! Why couldn't Ron just respect his decision? Why did he have to treat him like he was just a stupid kid? Eventually he put the phone away again, message unanswered, and wandered up towards the prow; there was nothing he could do about his friend's disapproval so right now it felt like the best thing he could do was look ahead and try to forget what was behind. Seemed like he was pretty good at running away from things but so far where he'd ended up each time had been better than what he'd left and he felt certain that that pattern was going to continue.
He was going to Kodo.
He was going to see the Egg of Arceus.
It was really happening, after months of planning it was happening!
This was his decision and he would not regret it.
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Posted: Tue Aug 04, 2015 3:12 pm
He wasn't sure if the pictures in the ad had been old or if they were photoshopped but they certainly didn't look a whole lot like the place he found himself sitting in. He looked at the pictures, looked around himself, and sighed.
The laminate floor that had been laid down throughout the one room apartment for reasons known only to the landlord while not grimy had seen better days, it was curling up a bit by some of the walls and worn by the tread of feet that didn't take off their shoes indoors. The couch was shabby, duller red than in the pictures, and smelled of cigarettes. Nothing that looked like wood actually was wood and the mattress.... Who left a mattress behind? He was getting a new mattress just as soon as he could spare the money. It had stains.
All in all his new home was not as advertised but even having seen it he'd decided to lease it because it was cheap and because the worst of the problems with it he could do something about. He could fix the badly hung kitchen cupboards, sand down the bathroom door that wouldn't quite close properly, put new washers on the leaky taps, and he could probably even work out where the damp was coming from and at least patch it. He just needed to remember that this wouldn't be for too long, once he had a job he'd start looking for somewhere better to live with a roommate maybe and....
Taavi sighed again, slipped the advert back into his folder of important papers and lay back on the couch. Tomorrow was another day.
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Posted: Sat Aug 08, 2015 12:50 pm
U-Job ad #1175 Server / Waiter / WaitressMeat Palace, Camphoreon.We are looking for applicants who are dedicated, adaptive, passionate, and intelligent, and hard working, to join our team here at the renowned family friendly Meat Palace. This is a very important role for us at Meat Palace as we rely heavily on our serving staff as they manage the heartbeat of the dining room and ensure patrons have a memorable meaty experience! This is a great position for anyone who loves people, and is driven too boost their earnings by giving a great experience. Requirements/Responsibilities: - Professional in appearance. - A warm and outgoing personality with a passion for food and customer service. - Must have a commitment to deliver a unique and memorable guest experience - Punctual, patient, and mindful. - Excellent people skills and the ability to remain calm under pressure. - Good team player - Provide warm, professional, & knowledgeable service. - The ability to multi task, and work well in a high volume work environment at work - Fluent in English and proficiency in other languages is a plus. - Willing to smile at all times!!!
Taavi exhaled and opened up the message box to reply to the interview offer.Re: U-Job ad #1175 Dear Danny Thank you very much for replying to my application, I would love to come for an interview at Meat Palace! The 8:00am Monday 10th slot you offered would be perfect for me. I look forward to meeting you then. Many thanks, Taavetti Ward.
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Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2015 4:13 pm
"So.... Tarvat-tie?" The man gave a plastic smile.
"Um," Taavi swallowed, "Tah-vet-tee, sir."
"Tahvatty, right, so what previous experience do you have that you'd consider relevant to this role?"
"I...." Taavi stared between the two men sitting opposite him like a Deerling transfixed by the headlights of an oncoming truck. "Well I... I.... I'm... used to um... delivering good customer service." That sounded like a good start! "And I can work under pressure." Like small natural disaster sort of pressure (okay more natural inconvenience really), not angry customers pressure. He hadn't done well at the 'mart, and when he'd spent a spell as a handyman he'd hidden behind his boss when customers got unpleasant. "And.... I like people?" Taavi licked his lips and glanced at Danny - who hadn't spoken since inviting him in - for help. Danny seemed nicer than Tony, Danny smiled less but when he did he smiled with his eyes.
To his credit Danny gave an encouraging nod and a small reassuring smile. "Okay, I think we can see that from your resume so we can move on Tony?" When he got a nod of approval he cleared his throat and looked down at the sheet of paper before him. "So let's try this, a Customer," the word felt capitalized, "tells you that you got their order wrong when you bring them their food but you're sure you got it right. What do you do?"
Taavi felt on slightly firmer ground here but only slightly and so he still sounded unsure when he said; "I... take the food back and get them what they tell me they want? Because at Meat Palace the Customer is King. Um." Right?
Danny nodded again and gave a soft chuckle. "Ahh, somebody's been reading right Tony?"
Tony nodded, beaming his bright wide beam. "Sure. So, do you have reliable transportation?...."
________________________
There were a few more questions, Taavi stumbled through them somehow and before he knew what was happening he found himself shaking hands with Danny and Tony, relief flooding through his body like a soothing tide. "Thank you! I can't wait to start!" The sooner the better, he really wanted to buy food and if he knew he had some shifts coming up he could spend some of the money he'd been holding back for rent.
"Heh, well glad you're keen," said Danny before deferring to Tony with a glance.
Tony nodded again and smiled, it still looked plastic to Taavi. "Well good, you can start tomorrow then.... There's just one little thing."
Taavi's own smile froze and his insides seemed to as well. "Um... Yes sir?"
"It's the name is all," Tony shook his head, "it doesn't really go with the Meat Palace image, you know what I'm saying? If Customers can't pronounce your name it makes them feel uncomfortable and it's our business to give the best experience possible so we can't have that, Customers should feel at home with us. Is there something else we can put on your name badge for work like...." He referred briefly to Taavi's resume before concluding with; "Mark? Your middle name right? Mark would work, I like Mark. What do you say?"
For a moment Taavi could only stare. It hurt. It hurt a lot more than it should. Taavetti was his name. Mark had been his dad's name. "I...." Tony was looking at him with that plastic smile still in place. "That... that would be fine sir. I wouldn't want to cause a problem."
"Great!" Tony slapped him on the shoulder. "Welcome aboard then Mark, turn up tomorrow at seven am and you can pick up your uniform from Danny here."
Taavi gave a plastic smile. "Um. Thank you sir. I'll be here, bright and early! Can't wait."
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Posted: Sun Aug 23, 2015 7:40 am
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Posted: Thu Aug 27, 2015 6:52 am
That time when Taavi....
Got stung by a Beedrill four times on his third week as a ranger in an art gallery. (Two stings on the left thigh, on the back of the right shoulder, one on the upper right arm).
Fell down a rockface after successfully rescuing a kid who'd been ditched by his sister's Nidoking. He fell off after having gone back up for the kid's Charmander, and likes to blame either a) the torrential rain that was coming down or b) perhaps being pushed by a Geodude. (Concussion, cracked ribs, broke his left arm. Still has surgical scars from that one.)
Had to pretend not to speak English for a whole four hour train trip because he'd not answered a question the person sitting next to him asked quickly enough, they assumed he didn't speak English, and he was too embarrassed to correct them so he ended up having an awkward semi-conversation with them in Finnish because they happened to speak a few snatches. Of course they did.
Was accidentally punched in the face by a drunk Machoke that was having a friendly brawl with its drunk workmates, after they'd all got into the wine at a bar they were doing some renovations on.
Ate mildly poisonous berries as a child on a camping trip with his Dad thinking he was So Smart finding them all on his own. That trip ended in a trip to A&E and a few days of unpleasant stomach cramps for mini Taavi.
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