[color=ffe150][b][u]Toshi[/u][/b][/color] Toshi thanked Camphor for the pokédex and scanned Nincada before frowning as he read the little guy's pokédex entry. While he could admit to having limited knowledge when it came to pokémon that rarely if ever made an appearance in the competitive scene, he had taken the time to do his research on the pre-evolved forms of pokémon species he had his eye on. Nincada almost always had the ability Compound Eyes, and it wasn't just for show; Nincada were proven to have pretty good accuracy with their attacks compared to other pokémon, it just seldom came up since it didn't learn many tricky moves in the first place. They were also known for having a relatively sturdy carapace; sturdier than their evolved forms, at least. They didn't have the stamina to endure too many attacks, sure, but the same could be said about most young pokémon. Deciding to ignore it, he began scanning the starter pokémon of the other trainers, starting with the big ol' Onix he kinda wanted to climb up on, but he was a bit too distracted with his new companion to ask about doing so. In fact, he was kind of still distracted now, with Nincada's antennae ocassionally tickling the back of his head or his cheek as he shifted about on Toshi's back. Maybe Nincada was feeling the same thing Toshi was; antsy as all hell. A feeling of prickly unrest vibrated underneath his skin, now that the metaphorical doors to the start of the rest of his life were open to him. He should probably at least finish scanning everyone's starter and telling people his plans before running off. It'd be best if he could run into some of them later on so they could battle, do some training together, and generally help point out each other's blind spots. To that end, he didn't know all that much about most of the other pokémon here, and decided he should probably scan them and check over their entries later. As he finished scanning as many pokémon as he could, (and reciprocating for anyone else who felt it worthwhile) he would walk by Frieda on his way out. [color=ffe150]"Yo, Frieda. I'm gonna jet, but text me Camphor's payout criteria, if you know what it is."[/color] Then, before actually leaving, he'd turn back towards the group as a whole. [color=ffe150]"I'm hittin' up the parks of Byjerlfal to get in some training with my new friend here, and to gather some travelling funds. If any of y'all wanna travel together or otherwise end up lingering in Byjerlfal for a bit before leaving, feel free to give me a call. Better not to travel alone, yeah?"[/color] He made double pistols with his hands, smiled, gave everyone a wink, then turned and left so he could travel to the parks of Byjerlfal alone. Excitement was written all over his face. He couldn't wait any longer. [@Savo][@Rune_Alchemist][@Renose][@Floofenstein][@Crusader Lord][@Azure Bubbles][@Psyker Landshark][@Double][@PlatinumSkink][@Xaltwind][@Yankee] [hr] Toshi had a big damn journey to go on, but before he could go wandering off into the great outdoors, his first order of business was stocking up on supplies, and as he told everyone back in the lab, he wanted to pay a visit to the less great outdoors so he could get a feel for Nincada, gather some funds, and quickly heal Nincada up as needed at the local pokécenter. He returned Nincada to his Poké Ball so the little guy's limbs wouldn’t get tired before the real exercise began and went over to the nearest pokémart. Ten Poké Balls and a premier ball ran him 2000[img]https://i.imgur.com/doNb8PU.png[/img], though if he and Nincada did a good job weakening wild pokémon, the Poké Balls should pay for themselves. He picked up some nice and healthy pokémon food appropriate for Nincada and a small supply of less essential snacks while he was at it, having set aside the appropriate funds for such after Camphor sent her acceptance video. It wasn’t enough to splurge for vitamins or anything like that, but it should keep him and his pokémon from going hungry. Vitamins and other such luxuries would be nice, but they’d have to wait, and any veteran trainer would tell him that they didn’t offer his pokémon anything that couldn’t be gained through hard work. Leaving the city’s shops behind, he navigated towards the parks of Byjerlfal as Frieda recommended - the largest one also just so happened to be relatively nearby. With any luck, he could find a good spot to do some training with Nincada, and then they could go looking for wild pokémon in the surrounding area. When he arrived, he found the park to be just what he had been looking for. Large fields broken up by rows of trees and sparse pathways winding around the park rather than straight through it. It offered plenty of open space for people and pokémon. After wandering off the beaten path a bit and finding a good spot somewhat obscured by the trees, Toshi pulled out Nincada’s Poké Ball and casually tossed it onto the ground, releasing him. After getting his bearings, The little bug looked back up at Toshi expectantly, with eyes that seemed to gleam like he was looking at the stars. It made Toshi a bit uncomfortable, if he was being honest with himself, not that he’d ever show as much. [color=ffe150]“Yo.”[/color] He gave a casual wave while giving his pokémon his award-winning (and definitely not shit-eating) smile. [color=ffe150]“So, Nincada, I wanted to talk to you about the future. Battles. Evolution. [i]Plans[/i] ‘n shit. That kind of stuff.”[/color] Nincada let out an incomprehensible noise that could be vaguely approximated as [color=#D2E5B1]“Zhazhit.”[/color] Toshi took it to mean that Nincada understood him, so he simply nodded as if he had understood Nincada perfectly. [color=ffe150]“So, have you ever seen your evolved forms? Ninjask and Shedinja?”[/color] Nincada made another noise and shook his head. [color=ffe150]“Oh? Well, then I have good news. You, my friend, are going to be the fastest pokémon in the whole damn world!”[/color] He gave Nincada a huge grin, letting some of his own excitement show at the prospect of becoming not just one of the pokémon trainers he would watch on TV, but the trainer of a pokémon that was, in his [i]objective opinion,[/i] really fucking cool. At this, Nincada simply tilted his head. He had lived a mostly hermetic lifestyle in his underground burrows. If anything, stealth and the sturdiness of his carapace seemed more vital to his survival than his speed, currently. Seeing Nincada not share in his enthusiasm, Toshi simply smirked and shook his head. [color=ffe150]“No need to be skeptical. After you evolve, you’ll be a Ninjask, gaining a pair of wings and becoming the fastest pokémon us humans have ever documented. As a matter of fact, You’ll be so fast that to most, you’ll be virtually invisible, faster than their eyes could possibly follow. You with me so far?”[/color] Nincada paused, processing the concept of becoming so comically, ludicrously fast. It was hard to imagine, frankly, but when the little insect thought about it, he came to realize that the idea was extremely appealing. At that speed, couldn't he functionally be everywhere at once? Every berry and yummy tree root would be his to sample as he pleased, and if a super fast bird came barreling at two friends at the same time, if he were fast enough, couldn't he save them both instead of choosing one or the other? He nodded at Toshi, letting out an excited trill. He then made a bit more noise, asking for details, though that part was unfortunately lost in translation. Barreling on, Toshi nevertheless began to explain. “Right, so, Nincada go through a super-unique evolution. Unlike all other pokémon, instead of evolving into one pokémon, Nincada are known to evolve into two - simultaneously. Not a split evolution, not a choice between one or the other, as far as I know. You’ll just - uh… well, one day, [i]you[/i] will be [i]two[/i]. Two pokémon.” [color=#D2E5B1]“Zzhizzh?”[/color] Nincada gave Toshi a look that he wasn’t sure how to interpret. Maybe Nincada was mildly alarmed? Or perhaps not, and he was just asking a question? Toshi made a mental note to work on his pokémon communication skills, but in his defense, insectoid faces didn’t really make human-like facial expressions. Ultimately Toshi decided to assuage any potential worries, since that seemed more important. He gave Nincada a reassuring smile and continued explaining. [color=ffe150]“Don’t worry! Your other evolution is awesome as hell, too. They’re called Shedinja. Unlike Ninjask, which is a bug-flying type, Shedinja is a bug-ghost type. When you evolve into a Ninjask, a part of your… uh, soul? Spirit? Ghostliness? Eh. Well, [i]something[/i] is left behind, and that something combines with the shell you shed in your evolution and becomes a Shedinja."[/color] Nincada seems to ponder the idea, rubbing his two foreclaws together. He stops, shudders, then continues rubbing his claws together, antennae twitching in what Toshi assumes to be contemplation. [color=ffe150]“Now, Shedinja are maybe the most unique pokémon - like, ever. Even legendary pokémon don’t have the mojo one half of you will one day. They’re tricky to use in battle because whatever makes them tick has a tendency to immediately go on holiday when they take any damage, at least until they are able to recover. They aren’t super fast like Ninjask either, so in a bad matchup, they’re often sitting Duckletts.”[/color] Nincada seemed to droop as he went on, but it was important that the limitations of Shedinja weren’t sugar-coated. [color=ffe150]“But! What makes Shedinja special isn’t that they’re easy to take down. It’s the opposite in fact. Your ability is Compound Eyes, right? You’ve always been handy with your moves even if other Nincada or birds or whatever throw sand at you, yeah?”[/color] Nincada nodded, not sure where this was going. [color=ffe150]“Right. Well, Ninjask have the ability Speed Boost - They just get faster the more time they’ve had to get going, and they can even pass on this speed-up with the move Baton Pass. It’s a pretty strong ability, but it’s nothing compared to what is universally agreed to be the most powerful ability in the pokémon world: Wonder Guard.”[/color] Nincada let out a trill of awe. Telling someone they would one day be among the best at not one, but two unrelated talents, was quite a lot to take in, after all. [color=ffe150]“What Wonder Guard does is protect Shedinja from any moves they’re not weak to. Since it’s a bug-ghost type, that means they can only take damage from fire, flying, rock, ghost, and dark moves. They can stand their ground against the fiercest of raging tides, shrug off the pull of the strongest psychics, and clash with the sharpest of steel blades. They’re comfortable in the most biting of blizzards, can take on the most devastating draco meteors, and dance among lightning that splits the sky, without any fear. Can you think of anything more badass!?"[/color] Nincada’s eyes sparkled, well and truly hyped up by Toshi’s explanation. He began letting out excited cries that Toshi was beginning to think were pretty cute, oblivious to his Nincada telling him that he was already immune to lightning strikes, but the rest sounded cool. [color=ffe150]“So, Nincada. Now that you know what your future holds, I’ll tell you what I hope for mine: I want to be the best. I want them to be singing my praises from the rooftops. When I walk down the street, I want people to ask me for my autograph because I’m so awesome. And I want you to be one of the pokémon there, by my side, not just basking in my radiance, but joining in. I want you to be so amazing that you have your own fan clubs. So amazing that people can’t help but gasp in awe at how amazing all the things you can do are. It will be a lot. It will be hard. Getting even a little close to being that awesome will be hard. A struggle. A lot of fuckin’ work. Once you evolve, we’ll have only reached the base of the mountain we have to climb. Two mountains, even, since you’re evolving into two pokémon. Like a huge pair of breasts, with just as much back pain.”[/color] Nincada, being of a species without mammaries, had no idea what the fuck Toshi was going on about, but he understood the mountain metaphor well enough. [color=ffe150]“So, do you think you can handle it? A trainer like me, I mean. One who will shoot for nothing less than the heavens! And, uh… stuff.”[/color] Toshi petered off, his smile twitching a bit as he rubbed the back of his neck and diverted his gaze to the side. Nincada caught the twitch with his sharp eyes, but wasn’t well-versed enough in human mannerisms to think anything of it. Instead, it simply nodded. [color=#D2E5B1]“Zhazhit!”[/color] Without realizing his expression was any different, Toshi gave Nincada a goofy smile before leaning down to give him a totally casual bro-hug. As he stood back up, his grin turned sharp, and he began explaining his plans for Nincada’s training regiment. In short, because both of Nincada’s evolutions were lacking in durability, it would be best to focus on training both of them in speed and offense. Other than Shedinja’s ability, evasion was the best form of defense both evolutions would have. He’d have to adapt the actual form their training takes based on location and evolution, but running laps and fucking up some tree bark would do well enough for now. Despite being a novice trainer, he has consumed enough media related to pokémon battling to know that training alongside your pokémon is said to help motivate them. While he didn’t really know if it would actually help, it would be great for staying in shape, and he had to put in the work if he wanted to look his best up on the winner’s podium. [hr] Toshi was panting heavily, hands on knees, as his first training session with his pokémon came to a close. It was rather freeing, to be able to go out and get his blood pumping without worrying about snide remarks from his family, and all the better to have a partner to do it with, even if failing to match the intensity of his pokémon's training was inevitable. Still, he was satisfied with the progress they'd made for now. It was a good baseline for future training sessions that they could build upon as they went. He retrieved a juice box from his bag, inserted the straw, and handed it to Nincada (more accurately, set it on the ground in front of him) before taking a moment to hydrate himself and consider his next steps. Considering they were just starting out, they’d need to go over a bit more than rote physical training to get started properly. When Nincada had finished the juice box, he first had him demonstrate all the moves it knew. [color=ffe150]“Alright Nincada, next up, I want you to show me your stuff!”[/color] [color=#D2E5B1]“Zhazh?”[/color] [color=ffe150]“You know! Show me your sick skills!”[/color] Nincada did not know, and its skills were perfectly healthy, thank you very much. After eventually taking the time to stop and explain what he wanted Nincada to do and subsequently getting familiarized with Nincada’s current moveset, he began going over some simple code phrases for moves he expected Nincada to get lasting mileage out of. Not many did it even at the highest level, and verbal commands didn’t always travel across the field, but people needed to be heard by their pokémon, and there was no point in telegraphing what they would do to your opponent if it could be avoided. If he was going to establish code phrases at all, it was best to do so from the start, and like he said to Melissa, he was aiming to reach the level where he'd want and need every advantage he could get. He didn’t bother for all of Nincada’s moves; there wasn’t much point hiding a command for scratch if its role in battle would mostly be replaced by other moves later on. It might even throw people off if he randomly gave a straightforward command to use such a move. Something like Night Slash, however, was easy to abbreviate as N.S. or ‘Enz’, if he were to verbalize the abbreviation with minimum syllables. If it took his opponents even one extra second to think about what the command was, it was worth practicing the ability to give out such commands. Personally though, if time wasn’t of the essence, he preferred code phrases like ‘Dark as Night’. It was just as vague for his opponent and just as intuitive for his Nincada, who only knew one dark move, but sounded much cooler. He helped Nincada memorize these phrases by playing a game of Simon says with it. A famous trainer had recommended it during an interview for getting pokémon comfortable with following commands. For code phrases in particular, it definitely seemed to be worth the time investment. He’d have to continue this exercise as Nincada learned more moves and as his team expanded. The famous trainer didn’t say anything about letting your pokémon take on the role of Simon, but nobody he knew was around to see him make a fool of himself - as if the people who were around even care, and he could use the communication practice. He certainly didn’t do as well as Nincada did, mostly because he didn’t understand what Nincada wanted him to do, but he did get a couple of commands right based on context, which he considered to be valuable progress. Nincada seemed to enjoy it, in any case. What else was there to do? Ah, right. Camphor's request. He should probably get on that. [color=ffe150]“Ready for your first battle, Nincada? We’ve got to catch as many new pokémon we come across as we can for Camphor, and that means weakening them first. It should also help you get a sense for following orders in battle. It may take a bit before we’re perfectly in sync, but you know what they say: practice makes perfect.”[/color] Nincada had never heard that saying before in its life, but the idea sounded pleasant. Toshi’s dreams were huge and dazzling, and he did want to have what it took to be there with him, living those dreams. Toshi said it would be hard, but it seemed like the kind of hard where they would traverse that tunnel when they came to it. Nincada nodded its head, letting Toshi know it was ready. [color=ffe150]“Cool. Then let’s get to it.”[/color] They left the small open area they had been training in in search of wild pokémon in the park, if any hadn’t already been attracted by what noise they had made earlier. [hider=Status] [b]Inventory[/b]: 1000[img]https://i.imgur.com/doNb8PU.png[/img] → 2000[img]https://i.imgur.com/doNb8PU.png[/img] → 0[img]https://i.imgur.com/doNb8PU.png[/img] [b]Items[/b]: [list][*]Potion x1 [*]Poké Ball x0 → x10 [*]Premier Ball x0 → x1[/list] [b]Pokémon[/b]: [hider=Nincada][img]https://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/ani/nincada.gif[/img] [color=#D2E5B1][b]Type:[/b][/color] [img]https://www.serebii.net/pokedex-bw/type/bug.gif[/img][img]https://www.serebii.net/pokedex-bw/type/ground.gif[/img] [color=#D2E5B1][b]Gender:[/b][/color] [color=cyan]♂[/color] [color=#D2E5B1][b]Level:[/b][/color] 5 [color=#D2E5B1][b]Moves:[/b][/color] [list][*]Night Slash [*]Scratch [*]Harden [*]Sand Attack[/list][color=#D2E5B1][b]Ability:[/b][/color] Compound Eyes [color=#D2E5B1][b]Held Item:[/b][/color] N/A[/hider][/hider] [@Savo][@Rune_Alchemist]