@Joshua Tamashii Dorian patiently waited for Amelia’s answer (and thoroughly extending the wait-time for those behind her, but heck, Dorian is the Gym Leader and he chooses how he wants to spend his time), and then listened to what she said with his normal, seemingly serenely calm expression. And at the end of it… he smiled.
'Good answer.' He said, looking pleased.
'It is true what you say. After all, without freedom, I would not have been free to strive for perfection, would I? And indeed, perfection may be a myth that will never be achieved. No matter what, there will always be a fatal flaw, or someone who can make something better, and so it would make my endeavour seem futile.' He responded, while his Snorlax stood towering over all of them, just slowly looking back and forth between the two.
'Yet, never once did I call my goal to achieve perfection, did I? Merely strive for it. For perfection is an evolving thing, what might be perfect one day will need to adapt to the standards of tomorrow. And wherever it goes, I hunt for it. Perfection is my ever elusive prey, and I’m constantly tracking it.' He kept his smirk for a little longer, before the smile reverted to the calm that had preceded it. Then, it was onto the matter of trying herself against Gym Leaders to know her limits…
'Your reasoning is sound, but I still feel I should inform you, for it appears you haven’t been informed.' Dorian would then continue.
'There are two types of Gyms in Isson, the Minor League and the Major League. New trainers are supposed to start at the Minor League to grow stronger, to eventually challenge the Major League Gyms. You may find that, for instance, the Minor League Gym in Highhill Town to be a more suitable place to test yourself against the next obstacle to overcome, rather than my Major League Gym.' He said, nodding to her. Though…
'But I accept all challengers. If you wish to see just how far you have left to go, then I will show you. As a Gym Leader to a Pokémon Trainer.' He said, holding his eyes (he has eyes, right? they look constantly closed to Amelia) on the Pokémon Trainer. Then… he smiled a little again, before speaking with a certain little fondness to his tone.
'You are wise beyond your years, young one. What is your name?' Dorian asked, having taken an interest in the young trainer standing before him.
__________________________
@Rune_Alchemist ‘Nice person!? You were going to-!’ Then she seemingly started to rethink what actually had occurred, for long enough that Claire could invite her down again.
‘… You weren’t actually going to mind-flay my Zigzagoon, were you? So you’re not going to actually do terrible things to me for attacking you?’ She had actually jumped up here as a means of self-preservation. The girl sighed, and then pushed her hands to jump off the roof and fall down, bending her knees well to absorb the force of the fall.
‘I’m Anise. I’m a disciple of the Gym Leader of Redcoast City.’ She said, looking a little awkwardly between Lure and Claire for the moment. The Zigzagoon suddenly came dashing through the shrine, and Anise blinked at it before leaning down to pat it as it came snuggling to her, while also crying out in a sad tone. She breathed out a little sigh and handed it back the nugget.
‘Don’t drop it again, okay?’ The Zigzagoon looked momentarily overjoyed that it wasn’t punished more before she returned him to a Pokéball.
‘So, uh. Guess I should explain. This rain…’ She breathed out, and looked off into the skies, looking as the water started coming down with an increasing ferocity. She very intentionally moved to stand under the shrine’s roof.
‘… Is not entirely natural. Something makes its home around this area, here, Rainrock City and Route 3, in Northern Silent Forest. Something causing winds and storms, lightning…’ And just as she said that, a lightning strike stuck not too far from their location, among the abandoned houses just by the Abandoned Shrine. Anise shuddered a little, before continuing.
‘They say that once upon a time, the beast that caused rain went on a rampage, but it was calmed. I’m afraid it might be preparing to rampage, once again. There’s also a local legend that goes “When the Strong One is reflected in the shrine’s mirror, the beasts will revert to their true form, and nature will be calmed”… Or something along those lines. It may have changed over the decades of oral transition.’ She then shrugged.
‘… So, I have no idea what or who the “Strong One” is supposed to be, so I’ve been luring trainers here to show the mirror Pokémon Battles, hoping it’d feel someone it watched was “strong”, or something.’ She said. She looked a little awkward recounting this.
‘That’s about it. Everyone else I tell this to tell me I’m worrying too much, because it has rained like this for decades and nothing has happened… but I’m still worried. So I’m… experimenting. Because I’d rather be able to do something before it’s a public menace rather than wait to see everyone freak out about doing something when it does, if it ever will. So… yeah.’ She said, looking a little awkward.
‘It’s, eh. Nothing you need to worry about. You can continue your adventure. Sorry for, uh, ambushing you.’ She said, looking a little apologetically at Claire. She then waved and turned, expecting Claire to get going. Her choice if she will.
__________________________
@Pikmin Eye@Eklispe@Pyromaniacwolf Karl and Anabelle looked at the three, Karl with a frown and Anabelle with a worried look. Dawkin’s statement that he had information elicited a glare from Karl. Meanwhile, Anabelle turned to answer Lucian’s statement.
‘We don’t know. We’re going to check if it is stolen. All Pokémon owned by Team Amethyst are potentially stolen.’ Anabelle said, looking a bit uneasy, looking from Lucian to Martin to Dawkin. Then… Karl smirked under his frown.
‘Oh, now I see.’ Karl said, in a tone that suddenly elicited confidence and self-perceived cleverness, all while gripping a squirming Ducklett. Anabelle looked over at him, surprised. Karl dropped the smile and started talking.
‘Had a little internal dispute, didn’t you!? But it ended up in a situation where your friends had to leave their Ducklett, so you went to get it back! But now, you showed your true colors when you just had to try to go in for the extra cash-grab, to sweeten the deal… I WILL NOT BE TRICKED, AMETHYST SPIES!’ … It should be remembered by anyone who knows Team Virtue by reputation, that they’re slightly infamous for commonplace mistaken accusations making the roads more dangerous during the Team Wars.
‘Shieldon, use-!’ That was followed with the sound of a hand clasping hard over his mouth, Anabelle having slipped over behind him during his speech to strike her palm onto his mouth to shut him up, herself looking as pale as a sheet. Karl struggled himself a little, frowning angrily, while Shieldon kind of stumbled in place, looking back surprised at the trainers.
‘S-sorry. We, uh, best be going now. G-good luck on your trip…!’ Anabelle said with a forced smile before quickly whispering something into Karl’s ear, stepping backwards. Buuuuuuuuuuuut… she stepped right off the end of the shallow water-part onto the somewhat deeper part, and…
‘Wah-’‘IIP!’ … Both of them fell clumsily into the water, making a considerable splash as both of them started struggling to get their heads over the surface. And, then, from that, a small blue shape rapidly swung away from them, underwater first but then dived out to attempt flying past the three trainers towards the exit of the cave, as Karl’s grip had slipped.
‘DUCKLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEETT…!’ “FREDOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM…!” Ducklett looked really elated. The trainers are free to react as they please.
Savo,
Xaltwind,
Lunamaria Hawke,
Kon Kon,
vue2026,
Floofenstein,
RPM,
Renose,
Rune_Alchemist,
adncod
