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[b]Word Count:[/b] 2,342
[b]Level 10 Roxas:[/b] 75/100
[b]Exp Gained:[/b] +3
[b]NEW EXP Balance---[/b] 78/100

[h3]Frozen Highland ~ Midnight Walk[/h3][/center]

Roxas hung around the stagecoach at least for a little while after he and Ganondorf brought back the seeds and vegetubes. Like many of the Seekers, Roxas helped himself to a bowl of stew from the pot that was simmering, grateful for something warm to eat in this cold environment. He released his Pokemon from their respective Poke Balls, as he usually did during downtime such as this. But doing so also gave the Nobody a startling reminder. He didn’t have anything to feed his Pokemon. Well, that simply wasn’t going to do.

[color=gold]”Okay, guys.”[/color] Roxas reassured his Pokemon, giving Scamp an affectionate pat on the head. [color=gold]”Here’s what we’ll do. There’s some wooded areas around so if we go looking, I’m sure we’ll find some berries out there we can gather. Sound good?”[/color] His Pokemon all offered eager noises of agreement. [color=gold]”Okay then, let’s go berry hunting!”[/color] So after Roxas finished his bowl of stew he set out on his own into the Midnight Walk with just his beloved Pokemon keeping him company.

The Midnight Walk itself was pretty much as it had been since the Seekers had begun traveling through it. Occasional pine forests, rocky outcrops, and - of course - the ever present snowfields. Roxas trudged along, and at one point even hitched a ride on Turbo for greater expediency. He decided he needed to focus his searches on the pine forests, figuring that those were the most likely places he would find berries growing. And he did find some occasional shrubberies, one a group of four each containing either 2 Oran Berries or 2 Rawst Berries. That gave him four each right off the bat, which Roxas thought was a pretty good start to his berry hunting side quest.

But the Nobody wasn’t always that fortunate. Other shrubs or berry trees found were in smaller clusters or even just growing individually. At one point Roxas counted 8 Oran Berries and 8 Rawst Berries in total in his Berry Pouch. That was plenty for feeding one or two Pokemon. But Roxas had four to feed, and he was also thinking Geralt might appreciate some Berries being brought back for Tirn as well. [color=gold]”Guess we’ve just gotta keep foraging.”[/color]

But Berries weren’t the only things Roxas was coming across. In his search for Berries that Pokemon liked to eat, he naturally found himself seeing wild Pokemon as well. Mostly Snover and Snorunt, but also the occasional Cubchoo as well. Roxas mostly tried not to agitate the Cubchoo, afraid there might be a Mama or Papa Beartic around that might get aggressive at anyone that threatened their young. But he did allow himself to occasionally battle against the Snover and Snorunt, mostly relying on Scamp’s Fire Fang to make quick work of them. As he did, Roxas noticed they were leaving little bits of them behind after fleeing. Snovers were leaving behind little berries that Roxas assumed was growing within their natural leaves, and Snorunts were leaving behind little tufts of their fur. He wasn’t sure what purpose they served, if any, but something in Roxas’s gut told him they could be of use somewhere down the road.

As such, after defeating 2 of each, Roxas found himself with 4 Snover Berries and 4 tufts of Snorunt Fur that he put in his bag, using the TM Pocket since the Nobody did not possess any Technical Machines at this time. This also made him momentarily distracted from his Berry Hunting, resulting in Roxas only getting 2 Orans and 2 Rawsts that he added to his Berry Pouch. That was 20 total, and so Roxas decided to take a break and split his berries up among his Pokemon.

[color=gold]”Let’s look around a little deeper in the forest before we head back.”[/color] Roxas told his Pokemon as they eagerly ate their food. When he explored deeper in the Pine Forest, Roxas started finding pig-like Swinub and snowflake-shaped Cryogonal in addition to the Snovers and Snorunts. The Cubchoos were also a bit more common as well, resulting in Roxas finally deciding to risk battling a few of them. He still let himself rely on Scamp’s Fire Fang but he also called out Turbo to give the Boltund a bit of relief from the battling.

Similarly to the Snorunts, the Swinub and Cubchoo left behind tufts of their hair when they fled and Roxas pocketed 2 of them in his TM Pocket. Meanwhile, the Cryogonal left behind a couple of shavings of their ice. But before Roxas could forage any berries from a nearby pair of trees he was walking toward, he heard rustling and saw a shadow dart around between pine trees. It was moving too fast and differently to be like any of the Pokemon he had encountered already. And whatever it was, it apparently had its sights set on the berries that Roxas was about to forage.

[center][youtube]https://youtu.be/yNp4KPmsOr4[/youtube][/center]

[color=gold]”On your toes, Scamp!”[/color] Roxas said sharply as Scamp’s muscles tensed and he growled a bit in anticipation. [color=gold]”We’ve got company!”[/color] And that’s when a [url=https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcplk9zwXm4Dzu1COOlZ6iGEvodI94mcQqwpBQ5XZCjPN_Ugo4dBYVVOmcHfoMSdDaGgH6Rk9a8v_MhURqhUE62yrhgXPpEdFhblfBw6jGCol9ntmMojNr1YgNn3sjl_8BYhRJ6IBChZQ/s1600/Sneasel.full.1425346.jpg]black bipedal creature[/url] darted from its hiding place and lunged for Scamp. Roxas scrambled for his Rotom Phone to identify the attacker. [color=gold]”A Sneasel… a Dark and Ice type…”[/color] Roxas observed, but the biggest thing he noticed was the lack of glowing red eyes. This Sneasel was not gleaming.

[color=gold]”Dodge and use Nuzzle!”[/color] Roxas commanded. Scamp did as ordered and dodged the Sneasel’s claw attack. But when he went to counter with Nuzzle, the dark Pokemon proved too fast and managed to dodge as well. Then it appeared to sharpen its claws, probably a preparation for a future attack. [color=gold]”Watch those claws, Scamp!”[/color]

As predicted, the Sneasel swiped at Scamp again. But this time the attack managed to hit. And it was now that Roxas’s Rotom Phone was able to identify that the moves Sneasel used were Hone Claws followed by Metal Claw. Hone Claws raised both Attack and Accuracy, while Metal Claw carried a small chance to also raise the user’s Attack when it lands. Meaning this could potentially snowball into a disaster if Roxas wasn’t careful. [color=gold]”Don’t let him scare you, Scamp!”[/color] Roxas called, [color=gold]”Use Nuzzle again!”[/color] Roxas couldn’t afford to let this Sneasel take advantage of its Speed. And thankfully, Scamp was also just about equally fast. The Nuzzle managed to connect this time, inflicting Sneasel with Paralysis.

That would certainly help matters. In response, the Sneasel’s eyes glinted and it used Hone Claws yet again. Not it was definitely trying to set itself up for a devastating sweep. Roxas had to nip this at the bud before it was too late. Using Fire Fang would deal a lot of damage, but unfortunately Scamp had used up a lot of his PP for that move battling other Wild Pokemon. Just as well, the Nobody’s goal was to [i]weaken[/i] the Sneasel, not defeat it outright. [color=gold]”Use Bite!”[/color] Scamp lunged and snapped his jaws against the Wild Pokemon.

Sneasel, being a Dark type, wasn’t too terribly affected by a Dark type move such as Bite. But Scamp’s Strong Jaw made his biting attacks noticeably more powerful. As such, the Dark/Ice type almost flinched in surprise at how hard the Bite managed to hit it. Static ran along its body to indicate the Paralysis, but Roxas was about to learn that the status ailment wouldn’t necessarily matter. Miraculously, the Sneasel managed to move through its halved speed and still attack with blinding speed. This time it created sharpened shards of Ice that it flung at Scamp like kunai or shuriken. And the attack was too fast for Scamp to dodge, resulting in the Boltund taking yet another hit.

[color=gold]”How is that possible?”[/color] Roxas asked, frantically looking to his Rotom Phone for answers. [color=gold]”Ice Shard?”[/color] He learned that the move Ice Shard was fast enough to always attack first, regardless of the Pokemon’s speed. A phenomenon known as “priority moves” according to the Pokedex App. That just meant that Sneasel had a way to overcome being slowed by Paralysis. Still, the status would continue to occasionally prevent it from moving at all, so Roxas wasn’t completely out of luck.

As such, Scamp and the Sneasel traded blows yet again. Sneasel’s Ice Shard hit its mark, but Scamp fought through the hit and countered with another Strong Jaw-powered Bite. Sneasel had to be getting weaker by now, but so was Scamp. If Scamp could just land one more Bite, then maybe that would do it. And this time, Sneasel’s Paralysis got the better of it, keeping it locked in place for this moment. [color=gold]”Now’s your chance, Scamp! Bite!”[/color] Roxas called without hesitation. The Boltund growled and barked as he lunged and snapped his jaws once more. The hit was clean, and Sneasel was finally looking like it was standing on its last legs.

[color=gold]”My turn now.”[/color] Roxas said, [color=gold]”Let’s see how well those Balls we made work.”[/color] He chose one of the 4 Great Balls he brought with him and gave it a throw. The blue-and-white ball arced through the air in a curved trajectory before bouncing off of the Sneasel’s body and drawing it into its open maw before snapping back shut. And then, the waiting game happened. One shake. Two shakes. Three. Roxas tensed but his muscles relaxed when he heard the click as the ball’s red light shut itself off. Confirmed capture.

[center][hider=New Pokemon]
[img]https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcplk9zwXm4Dzu1COOlZ6iGEvodI94mcQqwpBQ5XZCjPN_Ugo4dBYVVOmcHfoMSdDaGgH6Rk9a8v_MhURqhUE62yrhgXPpEdFhblfBw6jGCol9ntmMojNr1YgNn3sjl_8BYhRJ6IBChZQ/s1600/Sneasel.full.1425346.jpg[/img]
[b]Species:[/b] Sneasel
[b]Gender:[/b] Female
[b]Held Item:[/b] Razor Claw - increases Critical Hit rate
[b]Lv: 30[/b]
[b]Ability:[/b] [i]Pickpocket[/i] - Allows the user to steal an opponent’s held item when attacked by a move that makes physical contact.
[u][b]Moveset[/b][/u]
[list]
[*] [b]Ice Shard[/b] (40 base power, physical attack, Ice-type, attacks with priority +1, allowing it to always go first regardless of the user’s or opponent’s speed)
[*] [b]Feint Attack[/b] (60 base power, physical attack, Dark-type, this bypasses Accuracy buffs and Debuffs and always lands without fail)
[*] [b]Metal Claw[/b] (50 base power, 95 Accuracy, Steel-type, has small chance to increase user’s Attack by 1 stage)
[*] [b]Hone Claws[/b] (N/A base power, status move, Dark-type, increases user’s Attack and Accuracy by 1 stage)
[/list]
[/hider][/center]

[color=gold]”Great job, Scamp. I knew I could count on you.”[/color] Roxas said, petting the Boltund’s head before he went ahead and released Sneasel from her Great Ball. [color=gold]”Welcome to the team.”[/color] Roxas said, then used his Rotom Phone to scan her for details, including the fact that she had been holding an item called a Razor Claw which slightly increased her chance of landing a critical hit. [color=gold]”You’re a girl, huh? I’m Roxas, and these are my Pokemon. We’re a lot like you, different from other people. You can sense something different about yourself, can’t you? I’m guessing that’s why you were being aggressive.”[/color]

The Sneasel looked dismissive at first, as if trying to remain aloof. But Roxas could see the flicker of a falter in her expression. He’d hit the nail on the head, even if the Sneasel didn’t outwardly admit it. [color=gold]”It’s okay, you’re with friends now. You don’t have to be alone anymore.”[/color] Roxas assured the Dark/Ice type. [color=gold]”You know… the way you fight reminds me of someone I used to know.”[/color] That made the Sneasel tilt her head with curiosity. [color=gold]”She was someone I used to… work with I guess. She wasn’t exactly the nicest person but the way she could move and fight was a lot like you. How would you feel about the name… Larxene?”[/color] The Sneasel looked like she was thinking about before eventually nodding her head with approval.

[color=gold]”Alright, then!”[/color] Roxas said, offering his fist for a bump, [color=gold]”Welcome to the team, Larxene.”[/color] The Sneasel hesitated only for a moment before bumping her fist against his in return. A new friendship had been forged. Larxene helped Roxas harvest the berries from the tree they had just been battling over. And after giving an Oran Berry to both Larxene and Scamp to help them recover from the battle, Roxas was left with one Oran Berry and 3 Rawst Berries. He and his new Sneasel friend found another tree containing 2 more Oran Berries, and Roxas figured that was all they needed.

[color=gold]”Great job, guys.”[/color] Roxas praised his Pokemon, [color=gold]”Managed to get you all fed up, and with a handful left over we can share with Geralt and Tirn back at the stagecoach.”[/color] Between that and the new Pokemon Roxas had made friends with, he’d definitely call this a good haul for a side quest. And now, he decided, it was time to get back with the rest of the Seekers.

[center][hider=Roxas’ Current Haul]
Rawst Berry x3 (will be given to Geralt)
Oran Berry x2 (will be given to Geralt)
Snover Berry x4
Snorunt Fur x4
Swinub Hair x2
Cubchoo Fur x2
Cryogonal Ice x2
Sneasel Claw x2
Razor Claw (held by Larxene)
[/hider][/center]

Eventually Roxas made his way back to the stagecoach where he saw it had been outfitted with a lightning rod attachment while he was away, providing some power for at least one of the Vegetubes that he and Ganondorf had scavenged. He also caught a glimpse of the Creature Chamber that Edward had brought back, and wondered if this was something those materials the wild Pokemon dropped could be used for. But for now he decided to table his curiosity because it wasn’t too long before the journey resumed. Thankfully Roxas was able to take a brief moment first to give the Berries he brought back with him to Geralt so he feed them to Tirn later.

And unfortunately, when they reached a field of deep snow, the stagecoach became under attack by monkeys of all things. Surprisingly well-armed monkeys at that. [color=gold]”Here we go again.”[/color] Roxas murmured to himself. Acting fast, Roxas instinctively began casting Tailwind and Aeroga on various Seekers around him. He wasn’t sure he’d have enough time to buff everyone with both, but he did at least try to focus on giving Tailwind to slower allies and Aeroga to some of the more fragile or squishy allies.