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 Posted: Sun Jun 16, 2013 11:32 pm
'Oh no!' Ben thought as the owl started sending out the sleep waves. "Pidgey, be careful not to look it in the eye!!" he yelled, the bird turning its head to look back at its trainer with a low coo. "That bird's not going anywhere - shut your eyes and give it your strongest Gust attack!" He knew that while Pidgey was sightless, the broad-ranged wind attack would be much more likely to strike than a physical Tackle. And though it hadn't seemed very effective last time, he hoped that with a little more umph behind it, the owl would take some damage. Ben watched as he Pidgey did as commanded, shooting off a blind Gust as powerfully as his wings could pump, the trainer impressed by the sizable amount of wind whipping at his clothes.
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Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2013 6:18 am
"I wouldn't worry," Nurse Joy said once she'd given Sewaddle a full exam. "He'll be just fine; all he just needs something nutritious to eat and a good night's sleep." She gestured to the bug, who was currently sitting on a small Pokémon bed, chewing happily on a large and juicy looking Sitrus Berry. He looked better already and when he saw Juliet watching him, he gave a happy little cry; apparently there were no hard feelings for the battle earlier.
"That's a relief," Juliet sighed, resting her elbows on the counter with her chin in her palms as she continued to watch the little Pokémon. Charlotte, now sitting on the edge of the counter, nodded in agreement, though she was looking at that plump and juicy berry quite enviously. Luckily for her, the very nice Nurse Joy was aware of this fact and handed the Riolu a Sitrus Berry of her very own.
"That'll restore your Riolu's energy, as well," Joy said knowledgably. She'd given Charlotte a quick once over but of course she was just fine, if not a little tired from battling Sewaddle before. "Any idea of what you're going to do now?" she asked.
Juliet exchanged glances with Charlotte, and both shrugged. "I'm not entirely sure," she said finally. "I guess for now I'm just exploring. Charlotte gave a slight growl before stuffing the last of her Sitrus Berry in her mouth. "Right; and I want to help make Lottie stronger, as well," she added. Lottie looked quite pleased with Juliet's amendment to her statement, which made both Juliet and Joy laugh.
"Have you considered trying for the Unova League?" Joy went on once their laughter had stopped. "Many trainers aim to win eight gym badges from the Unova Region in order to gain entry into the League Championship."
Juliet nodded; her mother had done just that, and made it all the way to the top four – twice. Her eldest brother, Geoffrey had in fact competed in the Unova League last year and he'd made it past the qualification round but lost in the first round. Though the least emotional of the Forbes Siblings, it had been easy to see just how disappointed he'd been with his early loss. "Eight badges, though," the blonde trainer murmured, staring down at the faux-marble countertop. "It seems so… unobtainable."
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Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2013 6:21 am
"Ri-ah?!" Lottie jumped to her feet and tottered along the edge of the desk until she was staring down at the back of Juliet's long ponytail. "Ri-ah! Riahh!" Her paw made impact with the side of her trainer's head, causing Juliet to look up at her.
"It seems to me like Lottie wants to go for it," Joy said, smiling despite the obvious observation.
"Yeah, I can see that," Juliet grumbled, rubbing her temple where Lottie had smacked her. "Chill, Lottie. I never said we weren't gonna try. All I meant was that it seems so far away is all." She flinched as for a moment it seemed like the Riolu was gonna whack her again, but instead she jumped up onto Juliet's shoulder and wrapped her arms around her trainer's head and face. "You wanna go for it, then?"
"Ri-ah!"
"It isn't going to be easy."
"Ri!"
"We're going to have to travel a lot."
"Rii!"
"And train hard. Every single day."
"Riiii!"
"The roads will be fraught with danger. Fraught, I tell you!"
"Riiah!" Lottie trilled, not entirely sure just what 'fraught' meant, but she laughed in the face of danger!
"Aaaand… we'll get to make us some new friends along the way," Juliet added, prompting another eager trill from the excited Riolu. "Okay then. We'll do it. We'll earn ourselves eight gym badges, and enter the Unova League. And, we'll do what Mom and Geoff couldn't – we're gonna win it all!"
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Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2013 10:28 am
With a new sense of purpose (and a few yummy snacks for the road), Juliet and Lottie said farewell to Nurse Joy and Sewaddle and set back out into the streets of Nacrene City. Joy had given them the locations of the three closest gyms – there was one right here in Nacrene, there was one in the next town over – Striaton City – and of course there was one back in Castelia City. It seemed that most new trainers just starting out on their badge quest began in Striaton, and according to Joy it was headed by a trio of triplet brothers, but she didn't say any more than that. She'd also suggested that Juliet try and capture at least one new Pokémon to add to her roster before making her first gym challenge and both Juliet and Lottie were in full agreement with that. Battles were much easier to win when you had more Pokémon on your team, after all.
"So we're in search of new friends," Juliet murmured as she unlocked her bike and climbed on, having returned the little Riolu to her Poké Ball for now. Juliet intended to do a bit more battling before the day was over and she needed for Lottie to conserve as much energy as possible. The day was still relatively early, and though she wasn't exactly in a rush to get to Striaton City and meet these gym leader triplets, she did want to get out of Nacrene and start making her way along Route 3. With any luck, there'd be plenty of trainers and wild Pokémon out that way and Juliet intended to battle them all.
A while later, Juliet had passed through the small building that signaled the shift from Nacrene City to Route 3, the change from the colorful cityscape wasn't all that drastic as the route was lush and green. Immediately ahead, Juliet could see a large pond spreading out before her, a splash from somewhere in the middle causing the calm surface to ripple. "Wow," she murmured, slowly pedaling her bike until she reached a long, wooden bridge. "It's so nice out here." Having live in the city all her life, Juliet wasn't used to such quiet scenery and fresh air.
The water rippled again and she pedaled out onto the middle of the bridge, looking across the clean, blue water. A greenish fish Pokémon with a red stripe running along the top of its body was only just visible below the surface, and Juliet quickly dug her Pokédex out of her bag, really putting it to use for the first time since her mother had given it to her yesterday.
"Basculin, Red-Stripe Form," the device spoke in its mechanical, monotonous voice after scanning the Water-type. "The Hostile Pokémon. Red- and blue-striped Basculin get along so poorly that they'll start fighting instantly, though sometimes members of one school might mingle with the other's school. These Pokémon are very hostile, and surprisingly are remarkably tasty."
"Ugh, no thanks," Juliet muttered, sliding the Pokédex closed. She wasn't the biggest fan of seafood, though if she ever found herself stranded she'd have to keep that in mind.
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Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2013 12:34 pm
The Double Team was very much unexpected, but as far as she knew, battles always came with complications like this. Otherwise, people wouldn't do them so much because they'd get boring so quickly. Amy wasn't sure how she was feeling about the battle (or battling in general), but it certainly wasn't bored. Her heart racing was a clear indicator of that. She adjusted her glasses, looking at all of the Raichu, trying to discern which was the real one. Marshall hadn't come up to surface yet -- was he stalling or waiting for her command? She was almost afraid to give it. What if he hit a fake and got hit by that Mega Punch? Amy took a breath, trying to clear her head. Panicking would do her no good now. Looking at the doubles, she tried, and mostly failed, to think of some sort of strategy. Well, this battle wouldn't ever end if she didn't move forward, right?
"N-now, Marshall!" she called out uncertainly, and the ground to the left of one of the Raichu erupted as the Wooper launched himself like a missile for its side. He did have a very hard head, after all. Amy doubted that it was the genuine Raichu, but she watched the battlefield carefully, as if to see which one of them would move first. Surely, there had to be some indicator of which was the real one.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Jade was certainly pleased that they got to save the day (well, morning, whatever), so she couldn't help but grin a little as the crowd cheered. She noticed Jake's blue-haired friend cheering quite loudly; her own friends had disappeared, probably some time ago. Whatever, she didn't need them gawking at her. It only made her feel nervous.
She was quite surprised by Jake's hug, gasping in surprise as he spun her around. What was even more surprising, however, was the kiss he planted on her shortly after. Before the dark-haired girl could even comprehend what the hell had just happened, Jake was already retreating and apologizing profusely. Jade stood there like a moron, blinking, color rushing to her cheeks. Part of her was mad that he surprised her like that, and in front of a whole group of people, too, but there was another part of her that felt... strange. She swayed, looking back to the crowd, eyes resting upon the blue-haired girl again.
"Uh," she said, quieter than ever, "I... I think your friend over there wants to talk to you." She didn't even care if that girl wanted to talk to Jake or not, she just needed an excuse to gather her head for a moment. "I'll be right over here," Jade said lamely, waving her hand as she went over to sit down on a nearby bench, for she was beginning to feel dizzy. As she watched the blonde, her thoughts buzzed with excitement, or nervousness, or both. It was hard to tell how she was feeling right then. Or how Jake was feeling, for that matter. A dozen questions popped to mind that she wanted to ask him, but she swallowed them down, promising herself that they'd talk when he returned. For now, she just needed to sit back and... calm down. Jade leaned her head back, feeling the sunlight on her face. What a mess, she thought.
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Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2013 6:59 pm
For some completely random and unknown reason, as Koffing unleashed her putrid Poison Gas all over Allan's poor, immobile Tangela, Jasper found himself suddenly thinking about the two girls that had defeated Jett and Scarlet in that tag battle the other day. Miharu and... Sam? Yeah, that had been their names, and they'd been kinda cute, too... That had been a double battle as well, but with four trainers instead of just two, it certainly added a different element to the fight. 'So much to learn,' the youth thought, suddenly overwhelmed by the thought of how much he just didn't yet know. All of these trainers he kept meeting were younger than he was and were already that much more experienced, and for a fleeing moment, Jasper felt an unfamiliar feeling of anger bubbling up in his insides and he actually had to close his eyes and focus in order to calm himself. 'Okay, enough of that, getting angry won't accomplish anything,' he thought, looking up as Allan had called for his now-poisoned Tangela to grab onto Koffing with a Bind attack, and struggle as she might, Koffing couldn't get away. 'You're doing it again,' he scolded himself. 'Pay attention to the battle, Jasper!'
Allan could see that his opponent was somewhat distracted, though he wasn't sure if it was because Jasper was just nervous or really had no clue what he was doing out there. "Tangela, now would be a good time for Sleep Powder," the boy called out. The Vine Pokemon was in perfect agreement and started to shake the vines that were currently not preoccupied with entangling Koffing. A shimmering, blue powder polluted the air and Koffing's brain barely had time to appreciate the irony of it all before she'd been forced into a deep slumber. In the meantime, the call for a Quick Attack was issued to the Yanma and it sped toward the still-cowering Paras. Allan was fairly certain his bug type was faster than Jasper's and this proved to be true as Yanma rocketed in and sideswiped Paras before speeding off again.
'Wait, doesn't Paras have...?' Jasper thought, scratching his chin as he watched the other bug type retreat. Its flying seemed to become a little erratic, almost as though its wings had become paralyzed. "Effect Spore!" Jasper laughed, snapping his fingers. So, with Koffing asleep and Yanma paralyzed and Tangela poisoned, this was quickly becoming a war of the status ailments.
* * * * * * * * * *
"Quick, Sandshrew! Follow it up with a Scratch attack!" sour Jerry called, deciding it best to take advantage of Kaylee's blindness. His Sandshrew couldn't agree more, quickly rushing in on all fours and leaping at the Pikachu, its sharp claws extended and eager to find something soft and plushy to sink themselves into.
"Kaylee, Tail Whip!" Hayley all but screeched, flailing her arms around. About all the Pikachu could really think about was the sand stinging at her eyes, both of her front paws drawn up to try and clear it away. Not really sure why her trainer was calling for such a strange tactic, she did as told anyway, hunkering down and spinning around her back end and whipping her tail around. While it didn't exactly hurt Sandshrew, suddenly being buffeted in the face by a bright yellow tail would startle most people and the ground type gave a surprised cry. It didn't stop his attack from hitting, judging by the squeak of pain given by Kaylee.
Jerry frowned, but refused to even think along the lines that he might have underestimated Hayley and her Pikachu. The one thing he did know (or at least hoped) was that while his Sandshrew had a few ranged moves to choose from, other than her electric attacks, the Pikachu did not. "Swipe at it with a Metal Claw and get away," the unhappy camper called and his mouse Pokemon did just that; claws shining like a row of tiny, steel daggers as he took a wild swing at the electric type. Kaylee yelped as second time as she once again felt the bite of the Sandshrew's claws in her, and she wheeled around, still pawing at her eyes, which had thankfully started to water.
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Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2013 8:54 pm
Hearing Mike say that he loved her was something else Kasiya could add to the ever-growing list of things she'd never grow tired off, along with the feel of his warm skin against hers, his sweet kisses and just the feeling of being in his arms. Being his. Being just as new to all of this as he was, however, all she could do was stumble along after his equally awkward lead. To say she wasn't scared would be an outright lie, as her heart felt as though it were going to explode even as he kissed her more deeply and more passionately than she'd ever been kissed in her relatively short life thus far she felt herself shaking, both from her own desire and sheer nervousness.
Her arms curled up under his, her hands finding their way up to his back and she allowed her fingernails to lightly scratch against his skin as he continued to kiss her, almost not even realizing that he'd positioned himself above her - perhaps it was because he was putting virtually none of his weight on her. She was almost a little disappointed when he pulled back, as she'd managed to sort of breathe enough through her nose so as not to completely deprive herself of air. Drawing back her right hand, Kasiya ran her fingers along his cheekbones, looking up at him with nothing less than adoring, trusting eyes. Most normal people would probably worry for their own safety considering the very special set of circumstances surrounding Mike and his abilities, but not Kasiya. She knew without a doubt that he wouldn't hurt her, not even accidentally, and when she saw his gaze flicker to her shirt in a questioning manner, she smiled, answering his silent inquiry by unfastening the top button herself.
By the time Kasiya opened her eyes the next morning, annoying sunlight was streaming into the room, and pretty much right into her face. The storm from the previous night was nothing but a distant memory and she groaned, closing her eyes in defiance of the daylight. She sighed deeply and rolled over, her temporary rebellion against the sun causing her to open her eyes and blink in surprise as she bumped into something solid - a solid, warm someone, actually, and she smiled as realization settled in. Propping herself up an elbow, she looked over at the still soundly-sleeping Mike and smiled. He looked so happy and peaceful that she decided it would be a sin to wake him, as sleep was a rare and precious commodity for him these days. Instead, she gently kissed his forehead and smoothed back some of his ruffled brown hair before finally leaving the bed, managing to find enough clothing to make herself decent to the public world. She ran her fingers through her tangled hair but only threw it all back in a loose ponytail for now, and being sure to leave her things within his line of sight in case he did wake up before she returned, she quietly slipped out of the room, though in a rare display of foresight, she didn't shut it tightly.
After a quick wash in the bathroom, Kasiya followed her nose to the cafeteria, where breakfast was still being served. It was much later than she'd anticipated - after ten! - and she quickly grabbed the largest tray she could find and began to load it with all sorts of food - scrambled eggs, stacks of pancakes and waffles and french toast, syrup and peanut butter packets, orange juice for herself and a bottle of cold water for Mike, an obscene amount of bacon and sausage that made some of the others in line give the relatively small-framed girl some harsh, almost judging stares. For once, Kasiya could care less what anyone else thought of her right; the only opinion that mattered to her belonged to the sweet boy she loved and was (hopefully) still snoozing back in their room.
After being sure to pick out a nice assortment of fresh fruit for herself, Kasiya carefully balanced the heavy tray of breakfast yummies out of the uncrowded cafeteria and back down the hall, smiling at her own cleverness for not closing the door all the way as she gently bumped it open with her hip. Genuinely pleased with herself for not having a klutz attack (she didn't spill so much as a crumb), she set the tray down on the small table nearby and flopped down on the bed, having decided that her love had slept enough for now. "Mikey," she whispered, laying her head down on his chest. "Wakey, wakey! Eggs and bacon! And a whole lot of other stuff, too," she added with a gentle nudge. "If you don't open your eyes, I'm gonna eat it all!" she threatened, though she knew he would never take that one seriously. "Seriously, though. I brought you bacon. Bacon Mountain. Literally, a mountain of bacon." To prove her point, she leaned over and snatched up a slice of it from the tray and took a bite of it.
=-=-=-=-=
Well, she hadn't hauled off and decked him, which was both surprising and relieving to Jaeshan, but more surprising than either of those things was the fact that she looked more awkward and embarrassed than angry. He glanced over at the blue-haired girl as Jade gestured to her, but his gaze immediately went back to the raven-haired girl. "I... have never seen that girl before in my life," he responded almost immediately, but she didn't seem to care all that much and had already started to walk away - Jae felt his stomach bottom out. "Oh, okay then," he said, his own voice slightly subdued as a painful feeling had settled into his chest to go along with the large rock that had settled into his stomach.
Way to ruin everything, he thought sullenly as he looked back at the other girl, whom he admittedly couldn't care less about but made his way over to regardless, an obvious lag in his step. "Hey," he said, finally making real eye contact with her, and he quickly noticed that her eyes were a lovely shade of greenish blue. "Is there something I can help you with or are you lost or something?"
The girl leaned back on her heel and adjusted her white and pink visor. "Lost? No," she said, her voice surprisingly familiar somehow. "But I'm starting to think that you are, Jaeshan," she said, looking past the blond at the dark-haired girl seated on a nearby bench. "Your girlfriend doesn't look so happy, either."
"She's not my girlfriend," Jae muttered quietly, refusing to look over at Jade even though he almost desperately wanted to, and instead allowed for his gaze to fall on the ruined concrete at their feet and also giving him a good view of the girl's black and pink high-top sneakers. She also wore black leggings that accented her very long legs all the way up to her pink short-shorts, though being the gentleman he was, Jaeshan didn't allow his gaze to linger for longer than just an observational gaze. It hit him, however, just then that she knew his name. "Wait, you know me?" he asked, meeting her eyes once more. "You know who I am?"
=-=-=-=-=
Neither Surge nor his Raichu were strangers to the wiles of Ground-type Pokemon, and they both scoured the battlefield for signs of the ground moving or really, any indication of where the pesky Wooper would surface. While it was terribly annoying to not be able to use Raichu's potent Electric-type attacks, the one thing they both knew that they had on their side was speed. Surge's eyes narrowed as his challenger gave the word, though she seemed a little uncertain about it, and the gym leader's experienced eyes were quick to focus on the point where Marshall was about to surface.
"Raichu, go!" he thundered, and the Mouse Pokemon was off like a comet. Marshall had attacked the clone closest to the real Raichu and he broke into a Quick Attack, streaking toward the Wooper with his impressive speed. It wasn't the mouse's strongest attack, but right now any contact from him gave them a chance of paralyzing Marshall with Raichu's Static ability.
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Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2013 9:50 pm
As she'd expected, the Raichu Marshall struck wasn't real -- but also as Amy expected, the real one revealed itself in record time. The Wooper was disappointed to fall short of attacking something and quickly wheeled around to see a white blur barreling towards him. That wide, gaping smile faltered, just a bit. "Marshall!" Amy yelled, worry flickering across her features, for she was unsure of what to command. Should he hide back and use Dig or use a different attack or just plain run? In a momentary lapse of rational thought, the bespectacled girl simply shouted, "Do something!"
The Water Fish Pokemon closed his mouth, eyes widening as he braced himself for the Quick Attack coming. When Raichu rammed into him, he skidded back a few feet but held strong, the upper half of his body comically bending backwards. But then it snapped back and, with a muffled "Woop!", he spat up another Mud Bomb at a considerably closer range, right for that quick mouse's face. Amy swallowed thickly. She was glad that her Pokemon were considerably better thinkers than she was. And, fortunately for her, Marshall had so far avoided the annoying side effects of Raichu's Static ability. The bespectacled girl took a deep breath, hands balling into fists as she watched the two Pokemon. They seemed like they would get right down to the wire.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
The belated realization that her first reaction to Jake kissing her was to send him away to talk to another girl finally dawned upon Jade, and although she didn't regret it in the slightest because she could not form coherent thoughts in the moment, let alone full-fledged sentences, she still felt bad. She didn't owe him anything, certainly not a kiss or like, some big, dramatic romance, but he was her friend and she had hurt him. She looked down at her hands folded in her lap, scowling more than usual.
Who the hell was that blue-haired chick, anyways? The thought roused her and the dark-haired girl looked up at the two, eyes narrowing. Jake said he didn't know her, but she was so obviously trying to get his attention. Like, really obvious. And, now that she could notice, what an obnoxiously bright outfit! Who did she think she was? Reaching brand new levels of petty, Jade wondered if she had any trouble getting past those bikers. It was no question as to what she hoped was the answer. What did she even want with Jake in the first place? Why was he bothering talking to her?
Because you told him to, whatever was left of the logical part of her brain told her. That gave Jade pause and she shrank back. She hadn't really meant those things she was thinking about that blue-haired girl, anyways. Well, most of those things. The outfit was still a bit much for her personal taste, but whatever. Deciding that sitting there getting angry at a girl that probably wasn't even a threat (a threat to what? She didn't want to answer that question), Jade did the next best thing she could and tried to listen in on what they were saying, to satiate her curiosity. Unbeknownst to her, being consumed with thoughts of varying emotion had made her miss the Jaeshan bit, so she only caught Jake's "You know who I am?" The two weren't that far away, and what was left of the crowd had dispersed, so it wasn't hard to make out their conversation if she concentrated. But Jade examined Aquarius' Pokeball, just to make it look like she was doing something aside from eavesdropping.
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Posted: Tue Jun 18, 2013 4:34 am
After crossing the bridge, a field of deep, green grass lay directly ahead of her, but the well-traveled path turned to the left so Juliet followed it. Other than the Basculin she'd seen in the water (a bit more watching and she'd seen the blue-striped form as well), she had yet to see any Pokémon out this way. She did hear a commotion from up ahead of her, however. Intrigued, she pressed onward, anxious to see what was going on. Juliet didn't have to go far before she would discover where all the noise was coming from, as no sooner had she passed the far edge of the lake did she spot two boys, probably somewhere close to her own age, currently engaged in a Pokémon battle. Annoyingly enough, they were pretty much blocking the road and Juliet slowed to a stop before reaching them, giving them plenty of room to finish their match.
"I hate to say it, but we've got you this time, Brett," the boy closest to her called. He appeared to be giving commands to a small bird Pokémon.
"Not this time, Jack," the other boy shouted back. In front of him was a small, cute puppy-like Pokémon. Both creatures looked as though they'd been battling for a while now as fatigue had settled in, but they both looked determined to win for their trainers.
Juliet knew both Pokémon to be a Pidove and Lillipup respectively, but she checked her Pokédex anyway. "Pidove, the Tiny Pigeon Pokémon. Accustomed to people, these Pokémon often live in cities, gathering in large flocks in parks and plazas. Pidove will follow their Trainer's orders as best as they can, though they sometimes fail to understand complex commands." Next Pokémon. "Lillipup, the Puppy Pokémon. A very brave species of Pokémon, Lillipup will face strong opponents with great courage. They are intelligent enough to check their foe's strength and will flee if at a disadvantage. The long hair around its face provides amazing radar that lets it sense subtle changes in its surroundings."
Pokédex still in hand, Juliet looked on as Jack's Pidove unleashed a blast of wind at the Puppy Pokémon, the attack identified as a Gust thanks to her 'Dex. Lillipup stood strong against it, hunkering low to the ground to try and give less wind resistance. Brett commanded a Bite from Lillipup and the little pooch raced ahead, jumping at the pigeon Pokémon with great ambition.
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Posted: Tue Jun 18, 2013 4:48 am
As soon as Ben gave his command, Falkner grinned. Almost every trainer that faced Hoothoot's Hypnosis reacted the same way - one could not be hypnotized if they couldn't see it, after all. The moment Ben's Pidgey shut its eyes, Falkner raised his arm. "Aerial Ace," he called coolly. If Ben thought they were going to sit there and do nothing, he was sadly mistaken! This was a gym battle, after all, and first gym in the Johto line-up or not, trainers were expected to bring their best! Without making a sound, Hoothoot kicked off the ground with both feet, wincing slightly from the Gust attack as he used the noise it made to mask his approaching attack. As it approached the other Flying-type, his claws began to glow brightly and he lashed out, making full use of Falkner's trademark, no-miss attack.
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Posted: Tue Jun 18, 2013 5:39 am
Juliet watched with rapt attention; other than the training matches and practice scuffles she'd had with her brothers' Pokémon, she'd never had an actual battle with another trainer before. As far as she could tell, however, the Lillipup and Pidove seemed fairly evenly matched as the pigeon shook off the Bite attack, now glaring down at the puppy Pokémon as it flapped its wings to stay airborne. I should definitely capture a Flying-type at some point, she thought, recalling the strong and reliable Unfezant belonging to her mother back at home. Or even a Normal-type like Lillipup. Brendan's Stoutland is something else, too. So many options for Pokémon to capture, though she knew the majority of the ones she would meet and befriend would be mostly due to luck and circumstance. She also wasn't eager to copycat any of the Pokémon species belonging to her family members, as she wanted to be different.
Jack's Pidove gave a loud trilling which brought Juliet back to attention, and she looked over in time to see the Normal- and Flying-type racing toward Lillipup at blinding speeds. "Quick Attack," Her Pokédex told her, "a first-strike attack in which the user moves at such high speed that it appears almost invisible." This appeared to be true as Pidove landed a solid strike against Lillipup, enough to bring the poor little thing down to its belly where it lay, panting.
"I told you, Brett," Jack laughed as his Pidove circled back for another attack. "Pidove's Super Luck is unbeatable. You guys should just give up now, before you embarrass yourselves." Again Juliet found herself consulting her 'Dex, this time learning that Super Luck was an ability that Pidove could have which allowed it to land more critical strikes.
"Never," Brett growled, his downcast gaze casting a dark and almost sinister shadow across his face. "We'll never give up! Not for anything! Lillipup, we can do this! Take Down!" he shouted, hands balled into fists as he gave the command to his Pokémon. Lillipup seemed to gain strength from his Trainer's words and it got to its feet and charged forward, its normally cute face twisted into a fierce snarl. With a burst of speed and agility that seemed to surprise everyone but Brett and his Pokémon, the pup jumped up high, managing to catch Pidove with its paws and the two of them began a rapid descent toward the ground.
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Posted: Tue Jun 18, 2013 5:58 am
Looking on fearfully at the two Pokémon as the ground raced toward them, Juliet couldn't help but think how exciting battles were, even as Lillipup and Pidove struggled to gain the upper-hand over one another before hitting the ground. Both Brett and Jack were shouting out encouragements to their Pokémon, as obviously they both wanted to be the one to come out on top, but in the end, it would seem that Lillipup would be that Pokémon. Finding one last surge of adrenaline, the pup placed its paws squarely on Pidove's shoulders and effectively rode the poor little bird into the ground, kicking up a large cloud of dust as they made impact. Without realizing it, Juliet had covered her mouth with her hands, unable to believe what she'd just witnessed.
As the dust finally began to settle, the victor of the battle became clear. Lillipup, appearing to be only just able to remain standing, only now releasing the downed Pidove before limping back over to Brett's side. "Lillipup! I knew you could do it," Brett laughed, bending down to embrace the victorious Puppy Pokémon. Lillipup gave a weak bark, its tiny pink tongue licking happily at its Trainer's cheek.
"Oh man, what a Take Down," Jack sighed, staring down at his KO'd Pidove in dismay. "Return, buddy. You were awesome, really, but they were just a bit better this time. We'll get 'em next battle though, okay?" Now holding up a red and white Poké Ball, the small Flying-type was recalled to safety by a bright, glowing red beam. "How's Lillipup doing?" he asked, neither he nor Brett having noticed their female spectator as of yet.
"He's a bit roughed up, but he's okay. We definitely need to go back and see Annie," Brett answered, standing up. "Okay Lillipup, time to return for a little bit, okay?" Holding up his own Poké Ball, the red beam stretched out to engulf the pup. Lillipup, however, didn't seem to like that idea, instead growling sharply and jumping back. "Lillipup? What's going on with you?" Brett asked, trying again to return the Normal-type to its ball, but again, Lillipup dodged the beam.
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Posted: Tue Jun 18, 2013 6:36 am
"Dude, what's up with Lillipup?" Jack asked, his Pidove's Poké Ball clutched tightly in his hand.
"I don't know," Brett said, taking a cautious step back from the growling Pokémon. Even small ones could be dangerous when angered. Lillipup was still panting despite its obvious agitation, the lengthy battle having taken its toll on him. "He's never acted like this before."
Juliet looked on from nearby, watching the Lillipup with great interest as she tried to recall what she knew from watching Brendan with his. She'd only seen her brother's Pokémon as a little pup a few time, and hardly at all when it was in its middle stage, though she was quite familiar with its final form, Stoutland. She'd actually seen it evolve from Lillipup to Herdier, as it had happened during Brendan's first visit home after setting out on his Pokémon journey. Brendan's Stoutland acted really aggressive just before he evolved, she thought, watching the Normal-type carefully. She leaned forward as she thought she saw a shimmer pass through its fur, and she smiled, her suspicions now confirmed as she dismounted her bike and walked it forward. "Your Lillipup – I think it's ready to evolve," she said, causing both boys to turn and look at her.
It seemed to take a moment for her words to sink in, but when they did, Brett smiled. "Really, Lillipup? That's great," he said, bending down to pat the pup, but he quickly decided against it as the little critter gave off another warning growl.
"Well, we knew it was going to happen sooner or later," Jack commented, his attention more on Juliet now than his friend and Pokémon. "It seems it's happening sooner rather than later."
Sooner it was, indeed as no sooner had the three young trainers all turned to look back at the Normal-type when its body shimmered again, this time beginning to shine with a bright, bluish-white light. The evolution was quick, but its effects were quite astounding as soon the tiny Lillipup was tiny no more, and now standing proudly in its place was a strong and confident-looking Herdier.
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Posted: Tue Jun 18, 2013 7:08 am
"Herdier, the Loyal Dog Pokémon," Juliet's Pokédex informed them all in its monotone, robotic voice. "Herdier have black, cape-like fur that is very hard and decreases the amount of damage they receive in battle. They loyally follow their Trainer's every command. For ages, they have helped Trainers to raise and care for other Pokémon." When the machine had finished giving them the information, Juliet closed it, slipping it into the side pocket of her bag.
"Hey, how did you know he was going to evolve?" Brett asked, his newly-evolved Herdier suddenly much more obedient as it sat patiently by his side. It looked pretty tired still, but quite happy regardless. "My name's Brett, by the way."
"Jack," the other boy said quickly, stepping forward and holding out his hand. "My name's Jack. You have a very nice… bike," he added awkwardly.
"Juliet," the blonde trainer answered, shaking Jack's hand. "Thank you, it was a gift," she continued, either not noticing Jack's awkwardness or flat-out ignoring it. Juliet knew she was an attractive girl, and it wasn't uncommon for boys to act a little strange around her, as she was almost always brimming with confidence. Most boys settled down once they got to know her, however, as her tomboyish side was a lot more fun than her girlish one. "My older brother raised a Lillipup," she answered, more than a little pleased with herself for seeming so knowledgeable.
"He acted the same way just before he evolved, so I thought it might be that. Guess I wasn't wrong," she added with a laugh, now fully taking in the boys' appearances. Jack was slightly taller than Brett, with short brown hair and dark eyes. The jeans and simple graphic tee he wore gave the impression he preferred comfort over style, as did his sneakers which looked as though they'd seen better days. Brett, on the other hand, had almost scraggly, dirty-blond hair that was in need of a trim as it hung down more than an inch in front of his eyes, which were a nutty hazel in color. Brett's clothing implied that he too didn't care about style, as the rumpled, blue-striped polo shirt he wore looked as though it had been pulled off the floor and given the sniff test for cleanliness quality. He wore jean cut-off shorts and his shoes were in slightly better condition than Jack's, though he was sockless. Quite a pair, these two young Trainers were.
"I'm glad you weren't wrong," Brett said, only now returning his Herdier to its Poké Ball. "We've been training hard the past few days, and like Jack said, we knew it was due to happen soon." Clipping the sphere onto his belt, he nodded to Jack. "We should get back and see Annie. I bet she's wondering where we are."
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Posted: Tue Jun 18, 2013 7:27 am
"Annie?" Juliet repeated curiously. "Who's Annie?"
"She's my older sister," Brett sighed, apparently not overly proud of that fact. "She helps run the Daycare, further down the route. She's really, uh… nice," he said finally, though Juliet quickly got the impression that nice was not the word he'd initially intended to use.
Jack, on the other hand, seemed to brighten up slightly at the mention of her name. "Yeah, you're right," he said, checking his watch and giving it a shake just for good measure. "I bet she's got lunch ready for us."
"Yeah, and if we're late getting back, we'd be better off just going and being trampled by a herd of Bouffalant," Brett muttered dryly. Juliet held back a laugh – this Annie girl seemed a little strict.
"Oh, chill, Brett. She'll understand when we show her Herdier," Jack said dismissively. "Say, Julia-"
"Juliet," she corrected quickly yet politely, much to Jack's embarrassment. It was Brett's turn to snicker quietly.
"Juliet," the boy emphasized, shooting a death glare at his friend. "Did you wanna come back to the Daycare Center and have lunch with us? I'm sure there'll be room for one more and Annie won't mind-"
"She'll mind for sure if we're late," Brett interjected, already starting along down the route a few steps, but he stopped, and looked back at the blonde girl. "But you're more than welcome to join us, if you'd like."
"Thank you, that sounds wonderful," Juliet answered, pushing her bike along.
"Let me get that for you!" Jack shouted, and all but yanked the bicycle from her hands. He made it about three steps before it wobbled and threatened to fall over. It didn't help that his focus was soon drawn to a pair of girls that appeared to be twins as they walked by him, giggling between themselves.
Brett slowed his pace and fell into stride alongside a smirking Juliet – Jacks antics were quite amusing. "You'll have to forgive my friend," Brett said in a low voice. "He's a little…"
"Girl-crazy?" Juliet offered.
"I was going to say hormonal, but that works, too," Brett chuckled. "So, Juliet, where are you from? Are you a Trainer, as well?" The two chatted between themselves at Jack brought up the rear, occasionally able to hear him muttering as he dealt with Juliet's bike.
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