[@hatakekuro][@Savo] The elderly Gym Leader looked over as Basil and Cyril came over, the older man holding a light smile as he both watched the children play with Stoutland for a bit and look the two of them over. [color=d4b6a1]‘You heard correctly,’[/color] Dorian answered Basil’s statement. [color=d4b6a1]‘I am Dorian, Gym Leader of the Major League Gym here in Pureplain City. Should you decide to make winning in Pokémon battles your goal throughout your journey, then I imagine that one day your journey will take you to my Gym. My goal has always been to procure the perfect Pokémon, and for that the Normal-type has attracted me for its lack of weaknesses. But of course, there is no Pokémon without flaw, or we would not have such an exciting stage for them. Hoho…’[/color] the old man said and chuckled a bit for himself, looking decently at peace with himself. Johannes meanwhile stood on the side, not expecting to be talked to, but then Cyril turned and complimented his Shuppets. He looked a bit taken aback for a moment, and the Shuppets hid as if their presence had been a secret, but… [color=ebb178]‘… Thank you,’[/color] Johannes replied. [color=ebb178]‘They decided to hang around my house a while back. At first I thought them a nuisance and had a trainer chase them off, but then I realized their presence actually comforted me… so I let these ones hang around,’[/color] he explained, looking a bit awkward to actually address them, on top of looking constantly exhausted. Anyways. That’s all I really got. [hider=Suggestions to actions]1. Pokémon School Park. [i]There’s a small park of grass in here. What kind of Pokémon might be in it?[/i] 2. Talk. [i]Plenty of students and teachers. This is a wellspring of knowledge, someone must know something.[/i] 3. Challenge. [i]Work your way up the leaderboard! Specify the level of opponent.[/i] 4. Specify. [i]If you specify what you want to do, the GM will take it into account and tell the result.[/i] 5. Trigger random event. [i]Force the GM to use his imagination to make a scenario for you.[/i] 6. Study. [i]You want to know something? Feel free to learn about it here![/i] 6.1. Pokémon Habitats. [i]Learn where you might find a specific kind of Pokémon![/i] 6.2. Isson Geography. [i]Learn more about the different places in Isson![/i] 6.3. Names to Remember. [i]Learn about Gym Leaders, Elite Four, or the like![/i] 6.4. Local Legends. [i]Learn about different tales from around Isson![/i] 6.5. Pokémon Breeding. [i]That’s also a subject.[/i] 6.6. Battling Basics. [i]You likely know them already.[/i] 6.7. Specify. [i]Tell what you want to learn and we’ll see if we have a course![/i] [i]Connected areas: [/i] Pureplain City. [i]All around, of course.[/i] [hider=Trainers’ School, known Pokémon]Common: Varies~ Uncommon: Varies~[/hider][/hider] __________________________ [@Typical] [right][sub][sub][sub][url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h__JJ7yX8X0]Random music I listened to while writing.[/url][/sub][/sub][/sub][/right] [color=7eab87]‘If I truly see no use for a Pokémon, then I will release it. Otherwise, I will keep it in the box for the purpose of testing future tactics. I will need a diverse team to take on the varying challenges the Gym Leaders will throw at me, but at the end I will also need to craft a team of six capable of overcoming any challenge. But, I should keep more than six around to change up my plans. I must be ready to adapt to an evolving competitive scene, after all,’[/color] Oaken replied to Eryn’s question, and with this the GM reminds that there should no negative stigma against storing Pokémon in boxes in this world, usually. Up to the individual character, of course, but in general. And that’s where we cut that conversation because stuff started happening. [color=EE839D]‘Miiiime,’[/color] Mr. Mime called back to her thanks, still not looking thrilled. Now, while Eryn was able to convince herself that the thoughts that occurred to her was part of the test, they wouldn’t stop coming just because she figured that out. Armed with the knowledge, however, she’d be able to more easily brave the unwarranted impulses, and slowly but surely, she was able to make progress… __________________________ [@Gardevoiran] [color=b5e6e2]‘Gh,’[/color] Vivia frowned a bit as she was told the plan to simply let the room fill up with water and swim up to the edge. [color=b5e6e2]‘Right. Alright. Let us do this. I don’t really look forward to getting soaked, but let us do this,’[/color] she muttered decently unhappily, but she went along with it. So time passed, during which the Mr. Mime eventually had enough of triggering the Claydol, and hid behind a pillar and took it easy. Eventually, though, he looked over at Skylar and Vivia curiously, even as the water started building up beneath their feet. Vivia quivered a bit, clearly worried about the water, but she stood firm. As they waited, it became immediately clear that neither other Pokémon in this room was actually particularly bothered by the rising water. Claydol simply floated above the rising surface, and Mr. Mime was standing on top of the water, on his own reflective barrier just on the water’s surface. Eventually, the water got high enough that the two of them had to either swim or hold onto something to “climb”, Vivia definitely selecting the latter option. At some point, the Claydol floated away and inserted himself into an indent in the wall at a higher level, the doll turning itself off as the room for its operations ceased. Now without its playmate, Mr. Mime walked over to inspect Skylar and Vivia a bit. Vivia looked back at him with a bit of a worry, before the weird humanoid Psychic-type just smiled at them. [color=EE839D]‘Mr. Miiiime~!’[/color] he called, before walking up a staircase of barrier and walking off the north path. Some time later, which Vivia could inform Skylar of when it was time, they could make their way to the northern exit, climb up, and then make their way down the corridor. [color=b5e6e2]‘Oooogh, I really don’t like this…’[/color] Vivia complained a bit as all her clothes were now drenched, but anyway, they headed on, and arrived to… __________________________ The room before them had strange mechanical pillars sticking out of the ground, and grass and moss grew in between it all. Some fallen over pillars still showed sign of where they’d once stood, and small chutes for water flowed between the pillars as if supplying each of them with water. And… Eryn entered from the south-eastern end. As she entered, the oppressive thoughts vanished, and everything became clearer. Oaken breathed out in relief as to where they’d arrived, looking around. Mr. Mime was still being dragged along. And… Then Skylar and Vivia came in from the east, their clothes drenched from their most recent endeavour, and just as they entered, the Mr. Mime they’d seen was standing leaning immediately to the right from where they entered. And over there, was Eryn and Oaken, for whatever reason. Not soaked. [color=7eab87]‘… Vivia?’[/color] Oaken asked, a raised eyebrow. Also threw a look at Skylar, because, huh. [color=b5e6e2]‘Oaken!? And… Eryn, right?’[/color] Vivia asked, just needing to remember Eryn a bit from the time when Eryn had just received her first Pokémon and so. [color=b5e6e2]‘What are you doing here!?’[/color] [color=7eab87]‘… Hmpf,’[/color] Oaken made a slightly displeased noise, because clearly there wasn’t much time to deliberate. Water was still rising, and this room was higher up, but the water level had not stopped rising, hence Oaken looked for ways out of this room. So, there was five exits out of this room. There was the dark corridor that Eryn had come from to the south-east, and there was the soaked corridor to the east that Skylar had come from. There was a path west, but it ended in a sudden and unmistakable dead end, no progress in sight. There was a path south, but unfortunately that was an incline downwards into a room that had already been flooded. That left the path north, which by looking from the flow of water they could actually tell that the water was coming from. The problem was… [center][url=https://cdn.bulbagarden.net/upload/2/2c/606Beheeyem.png][img]https://i.imgur.com/pJSfKjo.png[/img] [img]https://i.imgur.com/pJSfKjo.png[/img] [img]https://i.imgur.com/pJSfKjo.png[/img] [img]https://i.imgur.com/pJSfKjo.png[/img] [img]https://i.imgur.com/pJSfKjo.png[/img][/url] [color=6ecff6][i]Pokédex Entry #606 – Beheeyem, the Cerebral Pokémon. It can use its psychic powers to manipulate memory. It communicates with others of its kind by flashing with its three differently-coloured fingers, but the patterns have been impossible to decipher. In battle, it uses its psychic power to tamper with an opponent’s mind.[/i][/color][/center] … The path north was once again blocked by five floating Beheeyems. What would Skylar and Eryn do here? [hider=Map][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/tk1cwof.png[/img][/center] Blue dot - Entrance. Actually maybe kinda orange/pink dot - Eryn. Dark green dot - Oaken. Purple dot - Skylar. Cyan dot - Vivia. Red dot - Claydol. Pinker dots - Mr. Mimes[/hider] __________________________ [@BlackMaiden] Ellyn looked towards Ryu, her face looking mildly troubled for a moment, before she nodded a bit. [color=507173]‘… Right. Guess I should start acting like an upperclassman,’[/color] Ellyn said, before taking a deep breath and straightening her back. [color=507173]‘I am Ellyn, Pokémon Trainer. I already started my journey and have the bug and grass gym-badges. You have some catching up to do. But, for this battle, I suppose I will be given a new Pokémon that is closer to your level. … Where’s Jacques?’[/color] Ellyn asked, starting to look around… And as if on cue, the great Aerodactyl swooped in again, and the glassed man in a top-hat jumped down to land, his knees bending expertedly to absorb the impact. He quickly returned his great mount to its Pokéball, and then turned to Ellyn. [color=EF284F]‘I am glad you could make it. Thank you for your help, Eugene. Here you go,’[/color] Jacques said, handing over the payment to the Freecape Ferryman that had brought her here. Eugene nodded to him as he accepted the payment. [color=b5bdba]‘Always a pleasure to be of service to you, sir Jacques. Now, if that was all, I’ll return to my duties…’[/color] Eugene stated, starting to turn around… [color=507173]‘Nope. You stay. You’re going to fly me back after the battle. Jacques will pay for that trip, too,’[/color] Ellyn declared in a non-committal tone. Eugene paused, and threw a glance over at Jacques, who simply did an amused shrug and handed over another payment. [color=507173]‘You had something for me, did you?’[/color] Ellyn then asked, holding out her hand to Jacques. Jacques took a look over her, giving a slight smile. [color=EF284F]‘You sure got more assertive. In the beginning, you seemed like any sort of effort was a pain. Is this Maple’s influence?’[/color] Jacques asked, placing a Pokéball in Ellyn’s hand. [color=507173]‘That oblivious girl would charge headlong into every danger she came across and drag me along into it unless I learned how to speak up to persuade her to be more careful,’[/color] Ellyn said with a sigh. [color=507173]‘… but besides that, being dragged back here was not my choice, and very sudden, because you needed me. Hence, I get to act as queen for the duration of my stay,’[/color] she then declared, like it was natural. She inspected the Pokéball a bit, and… [color=507173]‘Now, what’s this?’[/color] she asked, as the Pokéball opened and something came out of it… [color=EF284F]‘Well, since you wanted cake so much…’[/color] Jacques commented… [center][url=https://cdn.bulbagarden.net/upload/0/05/868Milcery.png][img]https://i.imgur.com/1FgpaAu.png[/img][/url] [color=6ecff6][i]Pokédex Entry #868 – Milcery, the Cream Pokémon. It is a Pokémon born from sweet-smelling particles in the air. Its body is made out of cream. They say that any patisserie visited by Milcery is guaranteed success and good fortune. It has a unique evolution method triggered by being whipped together with some form of fruit or sweets.[/i][/color][/center] [color=82c6cf]‘Oooh…! That one’s not native to Isson!’[/color] Kalmia said with a realization, looking over at Jacques… who was looking decently pleased with himself. [color=EF284F]‘It is not, but since Zachery just came back from his oversea trip with his hull full of foreign Pokémon, I thought I’d ask him for a favor,’[/color] Jacques told, voice also pleased. [color=EEE8C9]‘Milcery?’[/color] the floating wad of cream asked, looking back at an unconvinced-looking Ellyn. [color=507173]‘That’s, like, a floating wad of cream, not a cake…’[/color] Ellyn said, sounding slightly disappointed, looking over at Jacques… who quickly hurried over to Ellyn and showed her something on his phone. [sup][color=EF284F]‘It can become this,’[/color][/sup] he whispered. This was the moment when Ellyn’s mouth fell open, her eyes widened somewhat, a couple of stars appeared in her eyes and a slight bit of drool leaked on the right side of her mouth. [color=507173]‘… CAKE!’[/color] Ellyn called, turning towards the Pokémon, suddenly brimming with determination, arms crossed as she faced the Pokémon. [color=507173]‘I am Ellyn! I am your trainer! Together, we will conquer Isson and make you a cake, Cake!’[/color] Ellyn declared, while Jacques was snickering and escaping from Ellyn’s immediate vicinity. [color=EEE8C9]‘… Milcery!’[/color] a slightly confused cream Pokémon responded, regardless seeming cheerful. [color=507173]‘Our first opponent is this kid that just got his own first Pokémon, Ryu! Tackle that Fennekin, and don’t get yourself baked!’[/color] Ellyn called, and Milcery was quick to spin around to face off against Fennekin! [color=EEE8C9]‘Milceeeeee~!’[/color] it called out as it floated forth at Fennekin…! The scene of the battle was the front yard of Kalmia’s lab. There was a suitable amount of grass, but there was also the road. There wasn’t really a fence between the grass and the road. There was a small asphalted path up to the house between the plains of grass. There may also have been signs of recent battle, a puddle of water in one place, and a field of grass that had been torn up by a Rollout that dug itself into the ground, and a bucket nobody has picked up yet. With that, the stage was set for battle. What would Ryu and Fennekin do? [sub][color=82c6cf]‘… If you showed her the picture I think you did, it can’t actually become that kind of cake in Isson, can it?’[/color] Kalmia asked Jacques in the background. [color=EF284F]‘Shhh. Excitement comes now, disappointment comes later,’[/color] Jacques replied, looking overly pleased with himself still.[/sub] __________________________ [@Joshua Tamashii] [sub][@BlackMaiden][/sub] [color=465c99]‘Ah, well! No worries! I’ll be riding about the western seas of Isson, if you change your mind! Farewell for now!’[/color] Zachery called in response to Amelia’s eventual decision, holding nothing against her, and with that she could turn and leave and go after Jacques. Now, Jacques rode back on an Aerodactyl, so it makes sense he’d arrive back way beforehand, so the above scene can have happened first. Then Amelia arrived at the scene, a suitable amount of time after having departed from the harbor. [color=EF284F]‘Hello again, Amelia. Our two your hopefuls are just about starting their battle,’[/color] Jacques said, gesturing forward at the would-be battle. [color=82c6cf]‘You’re not interrupting anything. You’re always welcomed back, though I haven’t yet had time to make much progress on your request,’[/color] Kalmia said, and yeah, she’d been busy with new hopefuls all day. [color=82c6cf]‘Can I help you with anything?’[/color] Anything Amelia wanted here? And yeah, Ryu could possibly see this young girl arriving with an entourage of ghost-Pokémon on the side starting to talk with Jacques and Kalmia. If he found a time to look away from Ellyn and Milcery, anyway.