[center][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/221005/7d7c778891f3387ab231a2bbd26f2d1e.png[/img]
[img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/220729/023912a75a8a9b16c801799640a60148.png[/img]

[b]Word Count:[/b] 845 (+829 for Roxas)
[b]Level 8 Ganondorf:[/b] 20/80
[b]Level 10 Roxas:[/b] 78/100
[b]Exp Gained:[/b] +2 (+2 Roxas)
[b]NEW EXP Balance---[/b] 22/80, 82/100

[h3][b][u]Frozen Highlands
Gründachdorf -> The Midnight Walk[/u][/b][/h3][/center]

The small medieval-esque town didn’t offer a whole lot. There were some places and amenities to see but none that really stood out to Roxas as he was looking around. That is until he saw the dim glow of a certain [url=https://scarletviolet.pokemon.com/_images/news/aug_3/p05_02.jpg]red roof[/url]. It was sort of an outdoor kiosk or rest stop, and the white logo on the center of the roof was unmistakably the shape of a Poke Ball. Roxas jogged toward what he quickly figured out was a Pokemon Center, albeit one with limited facilities due to its size. It was only manned by two individuals. One was a young guy standing behind the blue section of the counter, and the other was a [url=https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F5sHsUgXMAAGeDF.jpg]pink-haired nurse[/url] attending the red section of the counter that contained the same kind of machine Roxas saw Rui use to heal Pokemon with back at the adoption center in Port Meridia.

“Hi there!” Said the Nurse with a chipper smile, “Are your Pokemon in need of treatment?”

Now that he thought about it, Roxas’ Pokemon did use up a lot of energy battling those Wild Pokemon earlier. And Larxene was still weakened somewhat from when he captured her as well. [color=gold]”Sure, how much do I owe you?”[/color]

“Oh no.” the Nurse replied with a bright smile, “Pokemon Center healing services are free for everyone. May I see your Pokemon for a moment?”

Surprised, Roxas handed over his five Poke Balls, which the Nurse slotted into the machine. The screen showed images of the Pokemons’ appearances that then flashed for a couple of moments with pulsing green plus signs as a short little chime went off.

“There you go, all better.” the Nurse said, returning the Pokemon back to Roxas. “If you need supplies, talk to my colleague over here. Our inventory selection is limited out here, but we at least offer the basics - Potions, Antidotes, Paralyze Heals, and - of course - Poke Balls.”

“Well, did you want to buy any supplies?” the guy chimed in. “We accept both zenny and League Points as currency here. You can also use the TM Machine here if you need it.”

[color=gold]”Um… what are those?”[/color] Roxas asked, not knowing about either League Points or TMs.

“You almost have a full Pokemon Team and you’ve never used those before?” the guy asked, somewhat surprised, “Well, it’s simple really. League Points are a form of currency that is accepted for purchasing supplies at Poke Marts if you don’t have regular money. This machine is called a Technical Machine Machine, or TM Machine. TMs, Technical Machines, are small disks that contain the data for a specified move that you can use to teach it to a Pokemon as long as that Pokemon is compatible. The TM Machine is used to craft TMs utilizing materials you’ve no doubt been collecting from defeating Pokemon in the wild.”

Roxas blinked. It was true, he did collect some materials that Wild Pokemon had been dropping. [color=gold]”So that’s what they’re used for?”[/color] He asked, [color=gold]”How does it work?”[/color]

“Here, I’ll show you.” The Poke Mart clerk approached the green counter where the machine sat and booted it up, “You just scroll through this screen like on a Rotom Phone to select a TM you want to print. Then you just deposit the correct materials and the TM is printed for you. In exchange for a small fee of League Points of course.” The attendant demonstrated by inserting some unfamiliar Pokemon materials and choosing a selection. With a bzzt, the machine then spat out a gray colored disk. “And there you have it. Why don’t you keep this TM as a free sample? It’s TM032, and it teaches the move Swift. It’s pretty compatible with just about any Pokemon, so feel free to teach it to one of your Pokemon if you feel like it. And to help get you started, I’ll transfer 500 League Points to your Rotom Phone. Spend it wisely.”

Roxas did a quick look at the Poke Mart’s inventory, but didn’t find anything he felt like he needed. “Since you have a Rotom…” the clerk said, setting a peculiar magazine on the counter and sliding it forward, “...I’d be happy to sell you this Catalogue for 50 League Points.”

[color=gold]”Catalogue?”[/color] Roxas asked, somewhat confused.

“It's an item you can use repeatedly on Rotom to help them change forms on the fly.” He explained, “Very helpful for a trainer who’s raising one, like you are.”

[color=gold]”Really?”[/color] Roxas said, then nodded eagerly. [color=gold]”You got a deal, I’ll take it.”[/color]

The clerk grinned and completed the LP transfer, “All yours. Hope you get good use out of it. And good luck in your travels, Trainer.” Both attendants waved Roxas off as he departed with his new items in tow.

[hider=Items Obtained]
League Points: 500 -> 450 (50 spent)
Catalogue
TM032 Swift
[/hider]

Roxas quickly caught back up with the stagecoach as it was departing for the next area on their route.

[hr]

For the first couple legs of the trek, both Roxas and Ganondorf remained mostly stationary. His size and lack of aerial mobility forced the Gerudo King to spend a chunk of time seated within the stagecoach, where he had overheard snippets of conversation that he barely paid any attention to. Roxas, while also lacking aerial mobility, had opted to ride on top of the stagecoach rather than inside it. This at least gave him the vantage to take shots with his RockGun if needed, and be able to spring into action at a moment's notice.

For a while things seemed to be well enough in hand. But they did go a bit sideways when Mokou investigated a swampy body of water that then produced a big aquatic creature, its head around the same size as the stagecoach. Ganondorf clicked his tongue when he heard commotion outside. When he poked his head out to look, the head of the monster reminded him vaguely of the feral River Zoras in Hyrule - although he doubted this was the same thing. Atop the stagecoach, Roxas quickly cast Tailwind and Aeroga on himself. Then he watched in horror as the monster’s hand managed to grab Mokou in the sky. Then he vanished from view.

Barely a moment later, Roxas reappeared right next to the Leviathan’s hand where he tagged it with his StepSword and carried his aerial momentum into a flurry of Keyblade strikes on the hand and wrist to weaken its grip on Mokou so she could break free. [color=gold]”Wind!”[/color] The Nobody was quick to chant, casting a protective Aeroga on Mokou that would halve the damage she took from future attacks for the next 18 seconds. Meanwhile, Ganondorf had pulled his larger frame up onto the Stagecoach roof. His hand snagged one of Mokou’s feathers that had been fluttering around in the air from her previous attacks.

Just like before, the feather ignited him only to proc his Flash Fire ability. [color=797979]”Burn!”[/color] The Warlord barked his warcry as he summoned the Acidic Crystal Spear to his hand. He Bullet Jumped from the stagecoach and jumped again in midair to come plunging down onto the Leviathan’s head with his Warlock Kick. Once he was holding onto it, Ganondorf inhaled and treated the Leviathan to a boosted fire breath attack.

As the Leviathan’s head was trying to buck the Gerudo from it, its hand was trying in vain to snatch Roxas as it previously did to Mokou. But the Nobody was fast, generating a set of virtual cubes to launch himself between using Flow Motion as a way to stay on the move and prove too fast for the lumbering hand to grab. Of course, none of this went noticed. The Leviathan flashed its Eyes of the Storm, resulting in both Roxas and Ganondorf feeling somewhat strange as they were marked by the fishfolk boss.

Then with another movement, the Leviathan performed its Tidal Surge. The hand slapped the water and the head thrashed, generating dangerous waves and sprays of water around it. Ganondorf had no choice to Bullet Jump off the Leviathan’s head back toward the stability of the stagecoach while Roxas was fortunate that his Aeroga was still active to blunt a lot of the damage he would have otherwise suffered. He nevertheless was thrown back to the marshy shore where he staggered back to his feet, not yet ready to give up on this fight. Despite their determination, both Seekers had in fact been marked with a Stress token.

Roxas generated a line of virtual cubes that he could launch to in order to regroup with the stagecoach. As he made it back, Ganondorf had summoned a squad of Moblin Archers behind the stagecoach to shoot volleys of fire arrows at the Leviathan. As much as the warlord’s pride may have wanted him to keep fighting and finish off the Leviathan, he also knew this thing wasn’t actually their target and was simply in the way. So perhaps the prudent thing to do was to merely distract the behemoth long enough for the stagecoach to pass through the area.

The Moblins seemed to be doing the trick for now, managing to draw the Leviathan’s Baleful Gaze toward them. But it still remained to be seen if this alone was going to be enough of a distraction for the stagecoach to finish passing through the area. To that end, both Ganondorf and Roxas kept their guard up, unwilling to leave this to chance. Ganondorf in particular summoned Blast Hornet to take to the sky and let off its Search Strike, reasoning that it would also draw attention away from the stagecoach and hopefully dispel before it could be hit by retaliation.

Said retaliation came in the form of the Leviathan performing Eye of the Storm, marking several Moblins with its baleful gaze. So it seemed to have turned its attention away from the Stagecoach after all. But now that they’d encountered something like this, neither Roxas nor Ganondorf were willing to relax their guard again through the remainder of this trek.