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 Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2011 8:32 am
Robert blinked a bit at the girl's tantrum. He could only guess by her words that she was competing in the tournament. "Are you alright?" Robert asked as he watched her bumping into glass doors, scratching the back of his head with one hand while placing his other hand on his side. She seemed rather out of it, either that or simply not paying attention to her surroundings. If she was going to be in the tournament, he hoped she was more on the ball than this.
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Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2011 8:49 am
By the time Robert had expressed his concern, Salieri was already out of earshot and out the doors. What was it that she was getting again? Melons? That's right, melons to eat. Or was it break? Well, whatever. The drunken teen continued down the damp streets of Nacrene to it's marketplace.
Meanwhile N, now christened as Norbert, bent down to pick up the can Wayne and Solosis had freed for him. He said nothing as Wayne walked away, only looking at the can that had been given to him. He did recall giving Wayne his extra lemonade. One lemonade = another lemonade. Therefore, they were, in fact, even. Wayne's math seemed to check out.
Zero licked her lips. [I'm thirsty,] she whispered to N, being quiet enough to not give away her invisible position. N looked around. The only other nearby human was Robert, who was standing next to some sort of foreign pokemon. A Combusken.
So the odds were that he started his training in another country. He wanted to see what the views of pokemon training were like on a global scale. Curious, N walked over to Robert while opening the lemonade can. "I see that you have a very rare pokemon for Unova. Did your training begin in a different-"
FSSSSH!
The lemonade sprayed out forcefully like a Water Gun attack into N's face. N blinked a few times before retrieving a napkin from his pocket and dabbing his soaked face with it. Humans are terrible.
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Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2011 9:04 am
All three of Robert's Pokemon were out at his side. He was about to answer, but N's lemonade sprayed N in the face. He began to wonder if there was some sort of bad luck aura following him, as crazy as it sounded. First a girl slamming into the glass doors, then this. Robert walked over to the vending machine and bought a lemonade. Tapping the top with his finger to disturb the inside pressure, he proceeded to open it without being sprayed. He offered the can to N to replace the amount of lemonade he lost. "Here." Robert said before going into his answer. "I'm originally from the Sinnoh Region. I grew up with these two," Robert said as he glanced to his Combusken and Lucario, "...and my Gardevoir here decided to join my group about a week ago when I first came here to the Unova region." he finished in his reply before he held out a hand in greeting. "My name's Robert. What's your name?" Robert asked in a friendly tone of voice.
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Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2011 9:18 am
((Ah, whoops))
N took the can from Robert. "Thanks, I'm N," he mumbled, not meeting Robert's eyes while he quickly shook the teen's hand for barely a second. Zero licked her lips, stifling laughter from N's mishap. Although she was thirsty, that was pretty funny to see.
He took a quick glance a the three foreign pokemon. They looked like they were healthy, and certainly not unhappy. But given Robert's choice of dress, he couldn't help but think that they were raised so healthily in order to become better fighters. Fighters in battles that were a meaningless test of strength that, in the end, amounted to nothing.
But he didn't convey this sense of disdain on his face, remaining mostly expressionless like always. "I take it that you are a pokemon trainer. Tell me, do you not carry around your pokemon in pokeballs? Or did I just happen to catch a time when they were outside of them?"
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Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2011 9:42 am
“Mmm, where’s it?” Salieri groaned, hiccupping while she rummaged through her belt bag that seemed to be able to carry anything at all. Finally, she pulled out her pokeflute and sat down at a bench on the side of the road. Chen Zhen followed, sitting besides his trainer. Weren’t they going to get something or the other? Eh, doesn’t matter time for flute.
Salieri began to play. It was a quick tune with a celtic vibe, giving off the impression of mystery before going into an upbeat, partying tone. And surprisingly enough, Chen Zhen and other pokemon who passed by began to look more alive as the music reached their ears. For some reason, the sound of the pokeflute could make anybody become more awake instantly. For Chen Zhen, he was experiencing a moment of alcoholic revelation.
[Salieri, I –hic- really like Salem.]
“Uh-huh,” Sal answered, taking her lips off the flute for a second. She couldn’t really understand what her Pansage was saying, but she still acknowledged that she could hear him. Right now, she could barely understand what most people were saying anyway. “Wait…I coulda swon, tha’ we came outta there for a higher purpose, Chen Shen.”
Chen Zhen frowned. He couldn’t talk to Sal when he was like this and she was like this. Maybe he could get some more help from Liuye Dao. Now that Wukong had joined the team, he felt that there was possible competition that could bubble up. And he wasn’t sure he would be able to compete against the Monferno for Salem’s affection. Wukong was what humans referred to as “hot”…or at least, that’s what Chen Zhen thought. His tail was on fire, anyway, so he had to be hot? Right?
[Maybe I could light my tail on fire…]
“Oh, NOW I remember.” Salieri put her pokeflute away and rubbed her hands on her face. “We shoulda go-gotten the melons by now, huh? Kay, well let’s split up.” The Battle Girl took out her wallet and handed it to Chen Zhen. “If you shee tha melon man, you tell ‘im to gimme some melons, ight?”
Her Pansage nodded, but then Salieri furrowed her brow. “Wait, but if I find melon people first, how am I gonna get ‘em? –hic- Hmm, gimme dat wallet back now, kay?” She took the wallet back, then looked at in confusion.
“…this isn’t gonna work. Oh, Chen Zhen, I’m a hoooooorrible trainer!” she lamented as she grabbed her Pansage and hugged him tightly to her body in shame. “I cannot even go get the melons!”
Chen Zhen sighed. As far as he knew, Salieri had never had alcohol before. She was an incredibly sloppy drunk. Then again, just how much moonshine is too much moonshine at her size? She hiccupped again and let go of her pokemon, ruffling the leaves on his head fondly with a dopey smile. “Let’s go ask a friend for some help with the melons…gotta catch ‘em all.”
Well, at least her speech has gotten clearer, he thought hopefully while she stood up, stretching her arms above her head before doing a power walk back towards the pokemon center.
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Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2011 10:32 am
"I prefer not to carry my Pokemon around in their balls . There are a few exceptions, like when it was raining earlier. Garnet hates the rain. Pokeballs for me act simply as protection from the elements for my Pokemon, Pokemon Center treatments work better and more quickly, and perhaps mostly as an agreement." Robert explained. "I never 'catch' Pokemon, not in the normal sense. If a Pokemon shows interest in joining me, I set the ball down on the ground and I explain everything that traveling with me entails. From that point, they can either touch the ball, or they can leave back into the wilderness. It also prevents other less scrupulous people from stealing my friends away with their Pokeballs." Robert explained. "Life is a journey best shared with friends. I want my friends to share all of my experiences with me, and I never ask of them anything I'm not willing to put myself through. That's why I keep them outside of their Pokeballs as often as possible. We experience new lands, make new friends and we grow stronger and wiser with every encounter. And perhaps most importantly, we take care of each other."
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Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2011 10:50 am
N simply nodded as he took the last sip from the first lemonade can while Robert spoke. I asked about pokeballs, not your life story... Still, it was interesting to hear Robert's point of view on what the purpose of pokeballs were and his method of capture. When the fighter was done, N spoke.
"If a human friend of yours wanted to travel with you, they'd be able to leave on their own free will. If a pokemon friend of yours joins you, they are still bound to the pokeball. So if they'd like to leave, they'd have to consult you first. That's a power trainers hold over their so-called friends. The power to say no."
The green haired trainer absentmindedly tipped the lemonade can over, and the invisible Zero began to drink as the sweet juice poured down. To anybody else, the liquid would almost reach the floor and then magically disappear as if sucked into another world. In reality, the invisible Zorua was simply drinking it all up.
"Now, let's say that there was no such thing as a pokeball. Then, if a pokemon wanted to travel with you, they'd be able to leave whenever they chose. Then and only then are pokemon truly perfect, because they have finally gained a real sense of freedom. They are naturally gifted with tools that help them survive the elements of the wild. The only thing they really have to fear when they are in the wild is capture by humans. Pokemon will never be free as long as pokeballs still exist."
The last drop of lemonade spilled out, and dropped onto the ground. It was the only bit of lemonade to reach the floor. "I acknowledge that you wish to truly respect your pokemon. It's commendable. But if that is your goal, perhaps you can start by removing their shackles."
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Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2011 12:56 pm
Robert shook his head a bit. "If they wished to leave my company, all they have to do is say so. Both Beatrix and Freya have the ability to telepathically communicate with me, and either one can translate for Garnet. While some people would use that 'power', I respect my Pokemon. They have always shared their thoughts and feelings with me. I do agree that Pokeballs have their downsides, but they have their uses as well. They are a technology, and are only as good or evil as the person that uses them. I'd prefer not to use them, but then my friends would be vulnerable to others with Pokeballs and could be stolen away. So unless they wish to be free of me, or until there does come such a time when Pokeballs no longer exist and thus no need to worry about theft, I will have to keep their Pokeballs intact."
Freya would notice a second aura from N's shoulder. While she couldn't see the Zorua, she could feel its energy. She looked curiously at N's shoulder. "But in the end, I think the ones you should be asking about the Pokeballs and whether or not they're a vice isn't me." Robert spoke before gesturing to his Pokemon. "They can tell you how they feel better than I can."
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Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2011 8:15 pm
((What N needs to do is find some way to travel back in time to before pokéballs were ever invented and somehow stop their creation from happening. That's what he needs to do.))
"This is a bad idea," they slid down the cliff face, stopping at ledges, climbing down quickly, "Like, on the list of worst ideas ever it'd be right up there with hiring Gary Glitter as a babysitter and giving women the vote."
"Quit complaining," Tess said, kicking off the rock and landing on a small verge covered with grass that had iced-over tips. She turned around as Wayne skidded down next to her, dust and pebbles flying up behind him. They were both a little breathless and sweaty, which just served to make the cold canyon even colder, "And for your information there hasn't been a vote for anyone in the last 50 years."
"Chill, I was just trying to be offensive, no need to get all FYI," Wayne knelt down and looked over the rocks and towards their destination. It was surrounded by dried out ground and dead-looking grass. The cave of Kyurem. Or at least the gaping hole in the canyon wall that lead to the cave where Kyurem was was said to reside.
It was nighttime. Snow fell in the Giant Chasm but didn't settle. Lacunosa Town nearby would have fallen into a deep slumber by now; its residents remaining indoors for fear of old legends. Living in fear of Kyurem and its appetite for humans. Tess walked ahead, silently observing her surroundings, her eyes keen to any movement.
"Man, it's so cold," Wayne shivered, "Why don't we turn back now? I bet old legends are just that, y'know?"
"Baby," Tess muttered, running her fingertips across a small pool of still water. It rippled, and the pokémon inside fled. This place wasn't completely dead after all. If pokémon were living here then rumors of Kyurem's appetite were probably exaggerated. Probably.
"Hey, what's that up there?" Wayne asked and Tess followed his gaze to a rise of rocks, black and white pokémon atop. It stared down at the two humans, eyes narrow and observing, the black blade attached to its head an unspoken threat.
"An Absol," Tess said as it fled from sight, "Nothing to worry about. Let's go."
The girl headed towards the cave entrance and Wayne chased after her, his arms around his torso to keep warm; Tess' were at her side as if the cold didn't bother her in the slightest. Wayne grabbed her wrist. She stopped and looked at him.
"Hey, I've heard about Absol," Wayne told her darkly, "They cause disasters. There's no way that one is 'nothing to worry about'."
Tess snatched her arm back, "If you're so scared then you should just go home. If you can."
"What do you mean if?" Wayne looked back and his face dropped slightly. While getting down had been easy, getting out of the Giant Chasm was looking a trick more difficult. It might have been the angles, but he couldn't see anywhere to start climbing back up to the top. No routes. Nothing. "Well, no use wasting time here then. Let's go find us a Legendary!"
Tess rolled her eyes as Wayne led them into the cave. It was dark at first, like a tunnel but with a bright light at the end. Wind whistled as they walked the dry, icy ground and when the two broke through darkness and they were met with the sight of an underground forest. Trees stretched up to the cave ceiling but not quite touching. The rock itself seemed to give off some kind of blue glow.
"Well that's really weird," Wayne whispered, "Guess this thing really is from space..."
The legend stated that Kyurem had come to earth in a meteor. Could it be that the meteor was still intact and its innards were now housing pokémon? If that much was true then the notion of Kyurem living here might not be so wild after all. Tess could feel a tinge of excitement inside. Suppressing her quiet smile, she pushed on ahead.
"The pokémon here aren't approaching us," she said, noting the foreign-looking pokémon watching them; Tangela and Swellow stared from the grass while Lunatone and Drifblim floating silently amidst the trees, slipping in and out of view as Tess' sight washed over and past them.
"Guess they're not used to people," Wayne muttered. He looked over at some and grinned, "No need to worry!" but they quickly turned tail and fled. Wayne pouted before sticking his hands in his pockets and following behind Tess. "Y'know, I think it's actually getting colder. Brrrr!"
"Thanks for that," Tess said, "I hadn't noticed."
"Ugh, not as cold as you," Wayne grumbled. The forest seemed pretty natural, but there appeared to be a kind of path carved out with clearings and such. Like they were being directed through. Or it was the favourite trail of something big, "No guy is ever gonna be interested in you if you're all 'Thanks for that, Waaaayne, I hadn't noticed!'"
Tess' pale cheeks flushed red and she turned around with a glare, "I do not talk like that!"
"You so do"
"No I don't and you know I don't!"
The pokémon, wary already were slowly widening their eyes, their collection of countenances pale and scared. They leaned back without really realising it as the two humans complained at each other. Humans; a wild and fickle bunch.
"Ugh, this is getting us nowhere," Tess said turning back and hurrying along, "You can stay here if you want. I've got a legendary to find."
***
"This... this is it?"
"Yeah..."
***
"s**t! s**t! Tess where are you?!"
***
"Hey! Can you move! Tess! TESS!"
***
"I'm alr-ah!"
"You're bleeding!"
"It got my leg. s**t."
***
"Here, let me-"
"Get off! Kyurem. Where is it?"
"Kyurem's gone. We gotta get you out of here!"
***
"Wayne?"
"Yeah?"
"Sorry for snapping back there."
"It's okay, don't worry about it."
"You didn't have to carry me, you know."
"I said don't worry. Just leave it to me."
***
"...I can't believe it."
"Yeah."
"I'll find it again."
"If that's the case, you're gonna want to defend yourself, y'know."
***
"My dad's ---- --------"
"What. Are you serious? Isn't he like a terrorist?"
"Haaa... the jury's still kinda out on that one. But he retired when he adopted me. If you want I could ask him."
"Yeah, I mean I heard the stories but..."
***
"Tess? You do know that-"
***
"...I love you," Wayne muttered, fingers slowly clenching the bedding. His eyesight stung and blurred even though it was dark. Had he been asleep? That memory. It was years ago now. He turned onto his back, wishing there was a ceiling fan that he could stare at.
"What am I doing?" he grumbled, turning over again but this time onto his side. Solosis had rolled onto the floor but was still sleeping. Petilil had drifted off as well. Who knew what Hitmonlee was doing. Probably meditating or something. Wayne heaved a deep breath and closed his eyes.
He didn't want to do anything right now. No urge to get up and train. No desire to win badges. The battle this morning, where his inner fire had been burning so intensely, seemed like a lifetime ago. A different world. A different Wayne.
Hunger wracked his body and he thought about getting something to eat. But no. It'd require getting up and facing the hustle and bustle, the liveliness that he could do without. He breathed out through his nose, wanting to get back to sleep. To get back to the memories and not think so hard about reality.
As Wayne lay still, Hitmonlee peeked his eye, watching the solemn trainer do nothing. If he had a neck he'd shake his head. Instead, the pokémon just closed his eyes again, arms folded across his chest as he sat in the corner on a chair. Wayne was proving his weakness over and over.
[Pathetic,] the pokémon remarked quietly, [Like I'd ever submit to that.]
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Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2011 9:07 pm
((In his airship?))
N began to try and rationalize what Robert was trying to tell him. They seemed to have a very similar opinion. While his outlook on pokeballs was more positive than N's, he still held a fear of pokeballs being put to evil uses. And this fear was a primary factor in his usage of pokeballs in a strange twist of fate.
Perhaps his Gardevoir and Lucario could communicate with humans telepathically, but what about the other several hundreds of species in the pokemon world? There was a bigger picture here, and it all rooted down to one thing: the evil that humans could create with their forced technology propels the fear that causes humans to use these methods anyway. How bitterly ironic.
But all of that could change. Although N wasn't exactly sure of where Robert would stand if he divulged more information to the blue haired teen, he did want to keep him in his sights for observation. Someone with such views could be swung into a radically new position. Robert could prove to be a powerful ally in his quest for liberation.
In the end, N decided that he had had enough. Robert was proving to be an interesting piece of this equation, and could very well be a new variable in the journey to save the world.
"I believe you," he curtly answered as he turned away. Over his shoulder, he continued to speak while walking towards the exit to the pokemon center. "When you see the evils this world has had to offer, I'm sure that we will speak again. And our talk will be far different."
N left the center after that, disappearing into the crowded, misty streets of Nacrene City.
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Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2011 9:19 pm
A few minutes after Wayne awoke, there was a rapid knocking at his door. "Wa~~~~yne, open up your doooooor," came a slightly slurred female voice.
Somehow, the still drunk Salieri had managed to convince the nurse down stairs to give her the check-in list of names in the center by saying the was a "backup *hic* volunteer nurse" from Striaton who had to relocate from the fire. And after that, she managed to find Wayne's room.
"Chen Zhen, he could be a sleepin' you know."
"Pa paaaaan."
"Or maybe what if he's all in trouble and stuff?"
"Sa-pan!"
"Holy Milktank, you're probably righta-bout somethin' Chen Zhen! We needa save Wayne!"
From inside his room, Wayne would be able to hear footsteps backing up. "Chen Zhen, get outta my way. *hic*. I'm gonna give it the ol' Del Force beatdown. The door's gonna be dead."
There was a tap on his door, coming from around where the doorknob is. "One Inch Punch!"
Unless Wayne got up to open the door in this time period, there'd be a fist sized hole splintered through his door within the next two seconds, with which Salieri would reach in and open the door for herself to walk inside.
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Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2011 9:23 pm
((Er, Tk, N kinda stopped that battle a handful of posts ago sweatdrop ))
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Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2011 9:26 pm
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Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2011 9:42 pm
((Sorry for cutting it short dude, I didn't know if Otakon was gonna get in the way of your posting for a while))
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