STATUS:
To those I RP with, I haven't dropped off of the face of the earth, just had a mental health crash but am recovering. Now to catch up on posting.
3 yrs ago
Current
To those I RP with, I haven't dropped off of the face of the earth, just had a mental health crash but am recovering. Now to catch up on posting.
7
likes
3 yrs ago
The worst thing about mental illness is you have to look after yourself a disgusting amount. I know it's the only way to actually be in a fit state to look out for others, but it still feels wrong.
4
likes
3 yrs ago
Emeth: Then I'll be that friend who's the opposite kind of annoying, whispering "Do it, you know you want to..."
5
likes
3 yrs ago
Judging by the Internet's definitions of introversion and extraversion, you'd think everyone's either an extreme hermit or a party animal with no in between.
6
likes
3 yrs ago
Krystal: All part and parcel of the job.
4
likes
Bio
A frazzled British thirtysomething cat mum with something of a tea addiction.
I like a wide range of RP genres, but have two absolute favourites: Pokemon and magical girls. (If someone manages to combine the two, I'll be VERY happy!) I post fairly regularly, but sometimes shit mental health days crop up - if that causes any delays, I'll try to resume posting ASAP.
Act normal. What with everything going on, Jess didn't even know what was normal any more. "Thanks. I'll... I'll make sure she doesn't suspect anything," she replied, although this was less than likely to convince Roxy. She couldn't even convince herself. How many more sources of stress would she end up heaping on the anchor?
She sat back down, still trying to figure out what to type. She was no good at hiding things, even from strangers, going by the reactions of customers and the till person in the cafe. How on earth was she going to hide this from family?
By starting small, she decided, tapping the keys. If she couldn't put up a convincing act face to face yet, maybe she could do so over emails. She read over the message she'd decided on, simply asking her mother when she was next free, making sure it seemed cheerful and casual enough. Then, trying to ignore the squirming in her stomach, she pressed the button.
There. She'd sent it. She couldn't really have sent any other message. In between now and when she next saw her mom, she'd have to learn to put up a better facade if she was to keep the three of them safe. Which would take time, but if she'd made excuses not to meet after such a long absence, her mother would have gotten suspicious - not of criminal activity, but of Roxy. Which wouldn't have helped the situation for any of them.
"Then..." Dragging her feet and still leaning on the sturdy Steel type, Sophia nodded. "I'll come along." An hour or so ago, the thought of Oscar of all people getting a badge first would have sent the shame and bitterness of her loss roiling through her again. Now that such a victory might aid an orphaned Pokemon's recovery, things were different. To think she actually wanted to see her rival win... Following close behind, she stepped into the lobby.
Here they were, away from the cave and its dangers, in the light and safety of the Pokemon centre. She straightened her back, letting go of the Bronzor. Everything wavered around her as she swayed, then forced herself to stand steady. The others shouldn't have to look after her as well as the Jangmo-o, and she shouldn't even need looking after anyway.
"Gothi!" Lacey gave her a pointed look, hands on hips, then turned her attention to a chair. It scraped forward across the tiles, stopping beside Sophia. "Gothi-gothi-ta!" the childlike Pokemon insisted.
"Don't worry yourself, Lacey," the drained psychic said, although she eased herself into the chair anyway. "I'm going to be alright."
She hoped the Jangmo-o would be, too, as she watched Oscar lead him to the desk.
"As long as he's alright watching a battle," Amber commented as she followed the others inside, "that sounds like a good plan."
The lobby was fairly crowded, some trainers chatting face to face or on phones, others feeding and grooming Pokemon. Did everyone in this rest stop experience such things? Had they had their own brushes with death? Had they witnessed it? Was this a normal part of being a trainer?
"Amber." At the sound of her name, she turned to meet that steely blue gaze. "You didn't have to follow. But..." Something glimmered in Vivianne's eyes, and the corners of her mouth lifted a fraction. "Thank you." Face turning stern again, the other researcher continued. "Just be careful. Believe me, reading about how tough this world can be is one thing, experiencing it is another."
Amber gave a nod. "I will. And... I know." She didn't, though, she acknowledged deep down. Even after recent events, she didn't know the half of it, not yet. This journey was bound to bring greater and greater difficulties for everyone.
Ever since she'd caught the Jigglypuff in France, guilt had worn at Mililani about leaving Pokemon in the headquarters after promising to care for them. They'd be alright, given how Pokeballs worked, but she didn't want to leave them to find several months had passed without their knowledge. It was bad enough that her Pokemon back in Alola would go through that. Were they even still in the PC, or had they ended up elsewhere too?
Now, as she brought the Pokeball with the Spritzee inside it to Professor Birch's office, she acknowledged the reasons for her reluctance to switch out. One, it would bring back memories of those awful two months she'd spent separated from her Pokemon. The second was the thought of leaving any of her current team with people whose motives she questioned made her uneasy - but they were already a part of this anyway. There was no avoiding the fact.
"Aouli, I'll get you back out soon," she whispered to a Pokeball she took from her belt, even though it was like talking to someone in a deep sleep. "When the world's more used to Pokemon." Taking her Drampa out flying always attracted attention here, excessive fascination in some cases, fear in others. "And Keahi, hopefully it won't be long until people start to calm down." Alolan variants really had proven popular with Earth people, who would fuss over them even if they didn't want to be fussed over.
Her hands felt oddly heavy as she held out the capsules. "Professor. I have two Pokemon here to be kept safely in storage," she said, looking up at him with her sharp, wary gaze. "As for this Spritzee, and the Jigglypuff... I can't just catch Pokemon and not spend time with them." From what she'd heard, the storage system was advanced enough to easily transport Pokemon between headquarters. She just hoped Mahina wouldn't be too bewildered at yet another unfamiliar place.
Pokemon Team:
Primarina ♀ (Naia), lv34
Comfey ♂ (Liko), lv34
Lucario ♀ (Ohanna), lv34
Oricorio ♀ (Palila), lv34
Drampa ♂ (Aouli), lv34
Alolan Marowak ♂ (Keahi), lv34
Pokemon Reserves:
Jigglypuff ♀ (Mahina), lv9
Spritzee ♀ (currently unnamed), lv18
Items:
Pokeball x1
Ryan Harrell
May 17th, mid afternoon, Greater Cairo, Egypt
Ryan watched the ball give one, two, three shakes on the ground. His luck seemed to be holding out... Until the capsule broke open, releasing the Eevee.
"Ehh, you're still hungry, aren't you?" Ryan said as the fox picked up the berry and started to withdraw into a corner. He wondered if it would run away, but instead, it dropped the fruit and resumed eating. Its wary glances became less frequent. He must have been a little too hasty there, Ryan thought, waiting for the Eevee to finish. Maybe Corentin's boundless energy was rubbing off on him.
Once it had eaten the last of the berry, the Eevee raised its head and slowly drew closer. Ryan picked up the Pokeball again, watching for the Pokemon's reaction. "Are you ready?" he softly asked. As much as he'd love to get an Eevee, if it really didn't want to be caught, he'd respect that.
The evolution Pokemon took a step forward, then another. It hesitated, tilting its head, then gave Ryan's hand a gentle nuzzle. "Vee!" it yapped.
On the second throw, the Pokeball only shook once before settling still on the ground. The Eevee had made its choice.
...
The first thing Ryan did when he reached the headquarters was place the newly occupied Pokeball in the machine. Thankful for the much more bearable temperature, he leaned against the wall as he waited. His skin felt sore and dry, most likely from sunburn, but it had been worth it.
At the sound of a "ping", he retrieved the Pokeball and let out his third team member. "Ee?" the fox squeaked, staring around the room like a puppy introduced into a new home. She looked down at herself, stretching out her limbs, which no longer bore any wounds.
"You see? I told you," Ryan said, crouching and slowly holding out a hand. The Eevee inched forward, sniffing, then let him stroke her.
Corentin, squealing with delight at the new addition to the team, barrelled forward to join in the befriending. "Cast?" He tilted his head in confusion when the Eevee bolted, peering out at him from under a chair, her fur fluffed up.
"Please, Corentin, give her some space," Ryan urged. "Alexandria needs time to settle in." He approached the Eevee, trying to coax her out. "Alexandria. That's what I'll call you. I mean we're nowhere actually near the city, but how's that as a name?"
Alexandria shuffled from her hiding place, allowing her trainer to pet her once again. She hunched a little as Corentin floated over, but this time he made no sudden movements.
"Gilkey, meet Alexandria." Trusting the Foongus to keep her cool, Ryan let her out. "Xandri, Gilkey." The Foongus stayed in place for a moment, then hopped closer with a gentle "Foo?" At ease from the much more subdued reaction, Alexandria padded over and squeaked in response.
Half a team already, Ryan thought as he watched his three Pokemon. This was going even better than he'd expected.
May 18th, morning, Greater Cairo, Egypt
Ryan headed down to the breakfast hall, Alexandria in his arms. Even if Pokemon didn't look quite like they did in the games, he was sure an Eevee wasn't supposed to be this skinny. "Let's get you another good meal," he said, cradling her in one arm and tickling her behind the ears.
The fox tensed, ears pricking up at shouts and mewling noises from a nearby room. Tightening his grip, Ryan turned to the open door of the battle room, where two trainers had found a way to fully wake themselves and their Pokemon up for the day ahead. Alexandria squealed, claws digging into her trainer's skin as a Litten pounced at a Glameow. Both cats rolled across the floor.
"Ow! Uh... Let's move along." Remembering the thieving cat from yesterday, Ryan stepped away. To his puzzlement, Alexandria kept her eyes on the doorway, watching the Glameow jump back up and giggle. The elation was just as clear on the Pokemon's faces as on those of the trainers. Craning her neck, the Eevee began to relax as the battle unfolded - a friendly competition, which she seemed able to tell apart from a fight with more vicious intentions.
"Hm? Xandri?" Ryan ruffled Alexandria's fur to make sure she'd be comfortable. "You're ok watching this?" As the Eevee took in the scene, Corentin bobbed in the air, babbling something to her. Gilkey, meanwhile, stood by her trainer's feet, silently observing as usual.
Once the victorious Litten had held its head high and both Pokemon had been returned, Ryan continued on his way to the hall. "So... You'd be alright doing that?" he asked Alexandria, gesturing towards her, then towards the training room to ensure she'd know what he was talking about. The Eevee glanced back at the doorway, then nodded.
Maybe she wants to get stronger, after having been picked on, Ryan thought. "Alright, let's see if we can find someone to challenge later on. But first, breakfast - Hey, wait, Corentin!"
He didn't know if it was because of the battle or the promise of food, but once again Corentin was zooming ahead of him. He sprinted after the little weather Pokemon, Alexandria leaping from his arms and scampering beside him, Gilkey hopping along as fast as her stalk would carry her.
Well, at least this meant they'd all get their own morning workout.
@Balthazar007 So, how do we get Alolan forms of Marowak, Raichu and Exeggutor? Is there a way for Cubone, Pikachu and Exeggcute to evolve into those forms, or do the evos have to be caught in the wild? For example, in some fan games you can evolve Cubone into Alolan Marowak, but it has to be at night.
As with New World, is it a case of it's possible as long as we make sure there's a justification?
At the sound of the maid's voice, Gabrielle cringed. She hadn't trusted her or Florentine right away, but she couldn't help feeling bad about how they'd gotten into trouble going to get her. She let out a long sigh. "It's just there's surely a better dress around here," she grumbled.
Once the mess was cleaned up, Gabrielle climbed out of the bath, ears trailing on the floor from the weight of the soaked fluff. She rubbed the back of her aching neck, the heavy wrist fuzz making it a more difficult task than it should have been. How would she ever get used to this?
"All this is going to take forever to dry," she moaned as she strode back into the bedroom, watching Simone hastily plug in the hairdryer and start it up.
Mira
Mira turned around, trying not to squint and blink too much against the hall lights. "There's nothing to worry about," she replied. "I'm alright." Even as she tried to reassure Florentine, she knew neither her words nor her body language would bring comfort. It wasn't easy to hide things from a psychic, particularly a Gallade, and even before the transformation, he'd been good at reading her. His protectiveness meant it was in his nature to worry about others.
"Well... I will be," she continued as she moved away from the door, looking over in a gesture for him to follow. She wanted to make sure both Normal types would be ok, but intervening further would cause Florentine more stress, and she didn't want to be overly harsh with the Lopunny after her experience. At least the guest had stopped yelling - for now.
"Both of you in there," the head housekeeper called towards the door, "if there's a problem at all, please report it to me." Simone wasn't the type to report rudeness, but she shouldn't have to suffer in silence, and if the Lopunny was unhappy with something, Mira would rather get vented at than let it happen to someone else.
Alyssa
Alyssa was singing to herself as she watered a bed of roses, the sweet-smelling blooms being by far her favourites in the garden. They reminded her of a certain someone...
She turned her head as the door opened. "Hey there!" she greeted the Emboar. "No problem! So, I'd better pick a few extra, right? I hear we've got a guest." Her tone lost some of its brightness. "Someone in the same boat as us... That must have been especially tough, if they thought they were alone." She perked back up, a smile lighting her face, as she continued. "But a good meal and some company has to be just what they need!"
As Porscine left, Alyssa grabbed a basket and skipped towards the vegetable patch - well, tried to skip. She'd only just gotten the hang of walking on her tiny leaf feet without falling over. Plucking tomatoes from vines and mushrooms from a stack of logs, she thought over the best ways to cheer up the new arrival and make them feel at home.
Sophia gave a slight huff at Oscar's attempt at sageliness - was now really the time for that? - but his words were true. And the way he lived up to that philosophy... Well, she couldn't deny it to herself, that was what she admired about him. Even if he had gone and put himself in danger, he'd saved a Pokemon in the process.
The Pokecentre was just coming into view when Oscar suggested heading back to the gym. In other circumstances, Sophia would have bigged up her battling skill and told him she was sure she could get a badge first. As it was, she glanced from him to the Jangmo-o, then turned her solemn gaze back towards him.
Amber turned at Sophia's protest. "It depends on what he wants," she chipped in. "He might need time to come to terms with everything, or he might want to battle as a way of bonding with a new trainer. Apparently, many Dragon types, after... after something like this, channel trauma into training to protect themselves and those they're close to."
At her side, a sombre-faced Vivianne nodded.
"But whether it's the best way to cope has to be his choice," Amber continued. "Even if he isn't ready to battle, the monastery might be the peaceful place he needs right now."
Jess didn't blame Roxy for heading to her room. If it truly was the safest thing for both of them, the empath couldn't protest. She'd tried reaching out, and failed. Maybe Roxy still thought she didn't care about her. Maybe they'd both be better off if she thought that. Jess didn't know. There was so little she knew about this, for good reason, but that didn't make the uncertainty any less terrifying.
With a faint smile, she muttered, "Thanks," then sat down to check her messages. The skepticism was still clear in her mother's writing, from the line, Please make sure you let me know if there's a problem.
At the next paragraph, Jess went cold. She gripped the phone, her mind a complete blank as to how to reply. She'd known deep down her mother was likely to ask something like this, and now here it was, as if everything were normal. How could she answer a question about the best time to next see each other?
With a deep breath, she stood up and headed towards Roxy's door. "Uh... Roxy," she said, in little more than a whisper. She knew they were both away from the watchers for the time being, but talking quietly was something she couldn't help doing right now. "How safe is it for someone to come over? Or to go to see them?"
She was sure she already knew the answer. What if her mother ended up in trouble? Or looked too deeply into the matter, with disastrous consequences for all three of them?
"Hey, slow down!" Ryan panted as he chased Corentin through the market-lined streets. Egypt was a place he'd always wanted to visit, but this heat was the biggest downside. Corentin, on the other hand, seemed to love the extreme weather, warmth radiating from orange spheres around his head as he raced through the air. "Not everyone has your energy in this heat!"
He leaned against a wall to catch his breath, wiping sweat from his forehead and adjusting his baseball cap, watching as the Castform did several flips in the air before finally returning to his side. Despite having called him over, Ryan didn't know if Corentin's proximity was a good or bad thing - it was like having a portable heater by his side. Not exactly what he needed.
Growls and hisses snapped him out of his sun-induced grogginess. He turned to see a cat - not a Pokemon, just a large tabby - lash its claws at what looked like a long-eared fox cub, making it drop a piece of kofta meat. Ryan instantly recognised the creature for what it was.
He rushed over as the Eevee kicked sand at the cat, but before it could retrieve its meal, the feline had run away with the piece of food. At Ryan's approach, the Pokemon backed into a corner, trembling. Its eyes darted around as if it searched for an escape route.
"It's alright, I've got something here you can have," Ryan said, slowing his pace and crouching down to present the Eevee with a berry box. "Corentin here will make sure nobody steals these." The little fox stayed back for a few seconds, then took a step closer and sniffed at the berries. As it pulled one out and started nibbling at it, glancing this way and that every few moments, Ryan took in the scratch and bite marks the cat had inflicted.
Of course he hoped to catch an Eevee - who didn't? - and those injuries needed seeing to, but he wasn't going to traumatise a terrified puppy by battling it just to make it easier to capture. "How about you come with me? You can get healed up at the headquarters," he explained. He knew the Eevee most likely had no idea what he was saying - even if it could understand human speech to any extent, it wouldn't have heard English before - but hopefully a gentle tone of voice would be enough to soothe it.
As he took out one of the Pokeballs he'd been given, the Eevee gave it a wary gaze, then edged forward. Ryan smiled. "Come on, then," he said, throwing the capsule.
It was hotter outside than even she was used to, but once again Mililani had been tasked with showing a bunch of fledgling trainers the ropes. So far, the search around the town had only resulted in sweat, groaning and flagging from the formerly excited Earth people, by far the less accustomed ones to the heat.
"Well," Mililani sighed, "this is the life of a trainer for you. Don't expect it to be the easiest job in the world." She pressed the button on a Pokeball, letting out her Primarina. "Naia, would you mind helping us cool off with those water bubbles of yours?"
Naia nodded, glancing around to make sure there wasn't too big a crowd around before starting to sing. Her Sparkling Aria was softer than that of most Primarinas, but still had the same otherworldly beauty. A water orb formed in front of her. Instead of careening forward like it did in battle, it broke apart into several tiny bubbles that floated and brushed around the trainers.
Just as everyone began to relax, Naia's song petered out into a coughing fit at a sudden overwhelming perfume smell. All the bubbles popped. "W-What?" Mililani spluttered, covering her nose against the cloying scent. She glanced over as one of the trainers pointed, catching sight of a flash of pink vanishing under a row of stalls. A few seconds later, a group of people appeared from behind a corner at the end of the street, chatting happily, only to double over hacking. There was a giggle from under a table, then a little pink bird flew out.
One of the stall owners, once he caught his breath, called something out to the trainers and gestured towards the bird. Mililani hadn't gotten the hang of Arabic, but it was easy to figure out what the guy was asking - he must have recognised them as trainers from the Pokeballs and presence of Naia, and wanted them to deal with the little prankster of a Pokemon.
The bird - a Spritzee, which Mililani had never seen, but as a wildlife enthusiast had heard of - seemed up for a challenge. It flew right over with a loud chirp, wafting around more perfume as it fluttered its wings.
"Alright, Liko, we've got a challenger here." Mililani sent out the Pokemon most used to strong floral scents, her Comfey. "Start with Draining Kiss!" The two Fairy types sped towards each other, launching into battle.
@Balthazar007 Spritzee, female, lv18, Mililani will try to catch it if she wins
Despite Roxy's glare, Jess knew she wasn't angry. Not at her, anyway. In fact, the emotions her jumpiness had set off in the anchor were more worry and guilt than anything else, eating away at her as she kept them bottled up under that tough exterior.
Jess only spoke to thank the till person, then remained silent on the way back to the garage. One, she didn't want to say anything that could be overheard by the wrong people. Two, trying to convince Roxy she didn't have to beat herself up hadn't worked earlier. The anchor avoided eye contact, not out of rudeness, but out of concern. Concern about what would happen if they didn't keep such a distance.
The irony of it, Jess thought as she trailed behind. They were bound, yet had to keep a wall between each other, and she'd have to find a way to keep loved ones on the right side of that wall.
A frazzled British thirtysomething cat mum with something of a tea addiction.
I like a wide range of RP genres, but have two absolute favourites: Pokemon and magical girls. (If someone manages to combine the two, I'll be VERY happy!) I post fairly regularly, but sometimes shit mental health days crop up - if that causes any delays, I'll try to resume posting ASAP.
<div style="white-space:pre-wrap;">A frazzled British thirtysomething cat mum with something of a tea addiction. <br><br>I like a wide range of RP genres, but have two absolute favourites: Pokemon and magical girls. (If someone manages to combine the two, I'll be VERY happy!) I post fairly regularly, but sometimes shit mental health days crop up - if that causes any delays, I'll try to resume posting ASAP.</div>
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