[X] My Assistant

[Duck Tape]

This RP is private, between Alexis (Fei Fei), Mercedes (Charlie Pears), and Dynh (Myself)
Please do not post unless you are one of those three.

Dynh groaned as she walked past the same bookstore somewhere in Barley for the third time. Where was home? That wasn't a deep question; she was seriously asking where the location of her house was. After being tied up by her father and thrown into some kind of moving vehicle, she found herself in a far off place with no idea where she was. Another sigh as she past a fisher’s market again. She really had to think about why she was in this situation. What was wrong with her intense internet usage? Why were her parents so angry about that? It was just the internet, and she would use free sites, unless it was something really good, then she would use the money she would earn from internet games to fund her temperately favorite site obsession. CC didn't seem to mind the lack of doing anything else. Sure she’d eaten all the way through the rug, but what did that matter? It was an ugly throw rug her father had put in her room, and it was kept there by the desk, her heavy bed, and the book shelf on the corners of it.

CC came out of her pokeball, the one that rested in an odd compartment in Dynh's right heel. The small Caterpie bit into Dynh's heel as said girl kept walking. "CC have you ever seen this place before?" Dynh asked, and then hit her forehead with her hand. "Never mind. Of course you haven't. This is the first time you've been out of that stupid town... what the hell was the name of that place?" she asked rhetorically, crossing her arms across her chest and pondering that. The high school happened to have the name of the town in it.... but Dynh was always too absent minded or too busy doing other things to worry about anything like the name of her hometown. Worrying about the internet took all of her time. There were goblins to kill on one site, pokemon eggs to click on another, RPs to be had on yet another, and a number of different activity websites she had in her arsenal of favorites and bookmarks. But that was all gone now; she would never see her lovely computer again! The mere thought made Dynh whimper in disgust, anguish, anger, and almost relief. No more jumping between tabs, constantly worrying about attacks, clicks, new chapters or posts! AH! Free at last!

But wait! That's what the government would want her to think! They want her to go out and be 'productive' and a 'good member of the community,' Ohohohoho, they are tricky ones, they are! She could be just as productive on the internet! She had money making websites, she could buy nearly anything off of ebay, and she could look up the name of some take out restaurant for delivered food. There was absolutely no reason that anyone in their right mind would want her to be a good member of society. She had even attempted this once… in third grade, maybe? The stupid other kids made fun of her anyway, so it was easier to just be her own self. She didn't want to become a drone of the government! That would be terrible!

“CC, please refrain from taking my whole heel off.” Dynh said, looking down at the terribly confused Caterpie. “I'll take you to the pokemon center and get you some food, okay? … What do pokemon eat? Dad would always feed you.... hmmmm. I wonder.” There was no way she was ready for this kind of adventure. No way, no how. She just didn't know anything about anything or anyone or anywhere at all. “Well at least I have enough sense to know what and where a pokemon center would be located!” she said punching the air in her small victory. Picking up CC, she started to the pokemon center. Once she’d gotten there, she sat down in one of the plush couches along the wall, but not before requesting some pokemon food first. She set down the bowl for CC and called out her Combee, Killer Queen, and her Nincada, Cook Wilber, to eat as well. “You guys enjoy this ya hear!” She said with a sigh, now contemplating taking a sneak bite of their strange, pellet like meal.

She kept an eye out, constantly scanning her surrounding for anything suspicious. The government was controlling the Gym leaders, that much she knew, but she didn't know the extent of the power of those gym leaders. They could be lurking anywhere, listening to her conversations, listening to her thoughts! Oh the humanity! I'M ON TO YOU! Damn it, she would yell it out loud if there weren't so many innocent civilians around. Sure they could also be working for the government, but there also had to be people for the government to manipulate and lie to. They can't ALL be against her the people!

[Charlie Piers]

Mercedes stretched as she finished dressing, and took a quick inventory of her room. Kepri and Fatima were sleeping on the desk chair provided in the room, her bag was neatly packed and ready to go, set next to the door, and her small stack of fliers were on the desk by her sleeping monsters. Iris was sitting next to them, as though guarding them. The monster's gesture brought a smile to Mercedes' lips as her eyes continued to scan the room. She hadn't even made much of a mess, but she still took it upon herself to clean the room. The Nurse Joys were so kind to provide rooms for travelers in the back of their Centers, it was only right to leave the place clean. Mercedes wasn't even a nurse yet, and she knew that such an occupation took up the majority of one's time. One last look around told her that everything was in order, so she whistled lightly, causing the heads of the two sleeping pokemon and the one sentry to pop up and look to her. Iris flew over to be admitted to her pokeball, Fatima following soon after, albeit more slowly and groggily than the flying monster. A red light illuminated the dark room for a flash, then blinked out as the pokemon returned to resting in their balls. Kepri, rather than following suit, grabbed the stack of papers with her four upper-most arms and buzzed over to her trainer with a joyful 'ba ba!', and followed Mercedes out of the room as the trainer-nurse switched off the few lights that were still on. Pokemon and trainer ambled down the hall towards the main congregation room of the center, making a bee-line for the counter where the resident Nurse Joy was prepping the machines for any early-comers.

"Good Morning, Ms. Joy." Mercedes smiled by way of greeting, hoisting her bag further up her shoulder. "I would firstly like to thank you for letting me spend the night. It was very kind of you."

The good Nurse smiled. "It was no problem. That's what these Centers are for, after all. Honestly, I don't think these young children think much on the fact that embarking on an adventure also means camping out under the stars; rain or shine. We're always here in just such an event." She sighed affectionately. "But you've been staying here a while now, Ms. Dorian. Have you decided to head out once again? Did you get that cellular telephone you were saving up for? You really were such a great help around the Center." The Nurse put a hand to her chin with a frown. "It wasn't even a problem to pay you, small amount as it was. Do you really have to go? It's so dangerous out there, and it's been a wonderful help to me..."

Mercedes looked apologetic. "Yes, I've got to get on the road again. And I know it's dangerous out there, but that's precisely why I want to go. It's those children who don't think about having to sleep out in the rain who also don't think about the other hardships they may encounter so far from home; it's for them that I want to do this. Someone has to make sure they make it to the next Center intact." She smiled. "I was actually going to ask you if there was a community cork board that I could post my flier on where travelers will be able to see it. I want to get going, and this is my last order of business."

Nurse Joy shook her head with a smile. "I will tell you, nursing is a calling. You seem to have that. There's a bulletin board right over there by the doors." She pointed it out. "Well, if you're going to go, I wish you the best of luck. Have a safe trip; do your best. I'm sure my sisters will be jealous that I had such good help for so long." She smiled with a final wave.

Mercedes returned the gesture affectionately, then made her way over to door, stepping aside for a tall young woman and her caterpie, and posted her paper up on the board in a free space, advertising on-the-road, any-where assistance for needy travelers, with her name and new phone number on the bottom.

She was about to leave when the lost-looking girl slumped down at a table and ordered food for her Pokemon. Curious that someone should wander so early into the Center, Mercedes walked over to the table.

"You know, Nurse Joy would be happy to make you a sandwich, if you were hungry." Mercedes offered with a genial smile to the unknown traveler, noting her eyeballing the pokemon pellets. Kepri patted the smaller caterpie gently on the head in greeting.

[Fei Fei]

Morning. Too early, if you ask me. Alex rolled over in the cot that was provided in every back-room of the Pokemon Center. It was a tad stiff, but light-years better than sleeping in the forest (or, Arceus-forbid, a park bench. Hobo, much?). She swung her feet around, stretching her arms and back as she put them on the (thankfully) carpeted floor. Standing up, she looked around the room, and smiled as her eyes came to the corner of the room. Hirro, Ouji, and Hime were cuddled up together in the old arm-chair at the back of the room, covered with a small blanket the could only have been from the closet.

She stepped lightly over to where she’d left her clothes last night, folded atop a small folding chair that was up against the wall by the door. Quickly getting dressed, leaving the lights off, she gathered her things into her backpack.

“Alright dudes. Time to wake up,” she said, laughing quietly as she nudged Hiiro, only to get a small, sleepy snort in response. I’ll just put them back into their poke balls. That shouldn’t wake them up. I’ll have to remember to pick up some poke-chow, since I guess they won’t be joining me for breakfast.

She returned her monsters to their respective balls before turning and heading out the door. The back hallway was deserted, with all the trainers who’d stayed the night either still sleeping or already departed from the Center. It was late when I got here, I guess. I didn’t see anyone last night, either.

The main room of the Pokemon Center was brighter than she’d though. I really must have slept in…With a quick glance around the room, she decided that she’d thank Nurse Joy before setting on her way. That is, until she saw a very, very unexpected familiar face.

“Ariani?” She craned her neck, trying to look past the other, standing girl at the tall girl who was sitting in one of the Center’s couches. It can’t be…she never leaves her house except for school.

Diverting her course from the Center’s counter to the two girls near the windows, she stopped just behind the standing girl with lilac hair, stepping to the side so that she could see both of them. “Dynh Ariani? Is that you?” Noticing that it could, in fact, not be anyone else, she smiled. “Hey! It’s me, Alex Treinem! I sat behind you in English class. What are you doing all the way here in Barley town?”

This post has been edited by Fei Fei: Jun 30 2009, 11:48 AM

[Duck Tape]

Dynh looked up with a bit of a jolt as Mercedes walked up. She had caught her unexpectedly at a moment when she’d looked down to CC. “I umm.... et...it...mayhhhhhbe!?” she said almost incoherently. “I mean … NO!” she shouted quiet loudly. “I'm not hungry!!!” She said then cast her eyes quickly around her. “You have to be careful what you say.” she whispered to Mercedes quietly. The government couldn't know that she was hungry! That would ruin her whole plan! And they were watching, listening. Yes, if they knew that she was hungry then that would just open Pandora’s Box! Ohohohoho. That just could not happen! That would be inconceivable!

CC looked up at Kepri, squeaked a bit and sniffed the monster’s outstretched hand, getting ready to munch down.

“No CC!” Dynh said quickly spying the old Caterpie's intentions; she picked up her pokemon and set the small bug on her lap to be lectured. “You do not eat... things that are not meant to be eaten... like my shoes! Or that rug....” she sighed, then looked up at Mercedes. “You might want to stay away from CC. Cook Wilber and Killer Queen are good, though.” Dynh gave her Combee and Nincada a smile and thumbs up. “They are the smarter ones.”

“But where are my manners!?” Dynh asked exuberantly, albeit fake. The government MUST not know she was onto them! They would kill her! And that's bad. “I'm -” she was cut off by the arrival of a new girl.

“Dhyn Ariani? Is that you?” Dynh jumped to her feet. “Ahhh!!! I didn't do it! I swear!” she nearly yelled. “It's not what it seems! It's not a SWAN!” she cried doing an epic face plant into the floor. “... I took English Class?” she questioned now looking confused.

[Charlie Piers]

Mercedes blinked at the atypical, more-than-odd reaction, and took an involuntary half-step backwards. But her usual placid smile returned as she bent to look at Wilbur and Queen, then to CC. Kepri trilled in mild alarm and fluttered to a safer distance from the voracious bug.

"Does CC bite often?" Mercedes asked. "Bug-type pokemon undergo evolution more quickly than other types. If she seems to be eating a lot, then perhaps she's getting close to evolving. It almost seems like it. She looks about as hungry as you do." She teased with a small laugh. "You don't have to be so careful in a Pokemon Center, though. They're safe places." Mercedes straightened up, Kepri flying to her shoulder, and listened as the girl was about to introduce herself, when a third party arrived.

Apparently the two girls knew each other, or, at least the newest one knew the other. Mercedes was not exactly sure what CC's owner was talking about at the moment, but she appeared to be more confused than not. Well, at least Mercedes wasn't the only one.

She smiled politely, though, and looked between the new girl and the one she had just been talking to.

"Do the two of you know each other, then?" Taking a better look at the newcomer, a face clicked in Mercedes' head. "Oh, you came here last night, didn't you?" Mercedes, on her last night of work, had helped Nurse Joy take care of the girl's tired, but otherwise fine, monsters. "Did you spend the night in the center, then? You're not from around here?"

This post has been edited by Charlie Piers: Jun 17 2009, 06:26 PM

[Fei Fei]

Alex turned to look back at Mercedes. “Oh, yeah. I’m sorry ‘bout that. Being rude, wasn’t I, ignoring you? Yeah, I saw you too, when I came in last night. I didn’t register much, being as it was so late and all, but I distinctly remember you helping the good Nurse with my monsters. Thanks for that, by the way.” She turned to more fully face Mercedes, rather than keeping her head twisted around to look at the girl, and stepped back so that she could more easily see Dynh as well.

“I know Dynh here from school. We’re both from Fidonia. I just started out from there the other day, actually. I came here on the ferry, which got into port late last night, hence my arrival here at certain ungodly hours. Dynh here, though, I certainly didn’t expect to see.” Alex turned her attention more to Dynh for this tangent of conversation. “Are you here on a pokemon journey, or for something else? I hope you don’t mind my saying, but you really don’t seem the type to be doing something that…far away from the computer.” She may as well be frank about it; there was no sense in trying to sugar-coat the obvious.

Moving to sit in a seat close by, Alex hooked her foot around the leg of another chair and slid it over to Mercedes. "You may as well sit down, miss. My monsters need breakfast, and seeing as we're now set in this leisurely chat, we may as well make ourselves comfortable, don'tcha think?" She winked at the standing girl, smiling. She turned her head, and waved the Nurse over, requesting another set of pokemon-breakfasts before smiling at the Nurse as she walked away. Now that her only other business was settled, she turned her attention back to Dynh, now ready for the other girl's reply.

This post has been edited by Fei Fei: Jun 30 2009, 11:47 AM

[Duck Tape]

Dynh huffed and sighed, letting her shoulders slouch forward a bit as she returned to her seat after her long and tiresome internal rant. “Well I'm here because my parents kicked me out. And then dropped me off here... where ever here is, and now I have to go get married to a stupid gym leader so that my mother will let me back... even though the one in our town happened to be a guy.” she groaned. “Why me!?” she asked rhetorically as she slammed her head into the table.

Dynh's stomach growled a bit and CC climbed her way to the top of her head. “I know CC.” she said to her monster. “They ARE everywhere!” she looked over to Mercades who she still had yet to answer. “I doubt she's ready to evolve, she's been eating stuff like that for years now. She's just... really stupid.”

“Chupa Chubs! Chupa Chubs for sale!” Called a man standing at a snack cart, from outside the center.

“Get that food to go! We're leaving right NOW!” Dynh said jumping up quickly. “We need to go get outside!” she said bouncing around. Chupa Chubs, her one weakness, the sugary goodness made even CC melt at the tought. Speaking of CC the small Caterpie was currently on the floor a little shaken from Dynh's sudden movement, she feel from her odd perch on the top of her head to the ground and hit her head, her eyes were now swirls as if she lost a pokebattle. CC verses floor, floor wins.

[Fei Fei]

Alex looked up at the bouncing Dynh, then over to Mercedes, giving the other girl a rather wry look of amusement. Still, she stood from her chair, and walked over to the counter, requesting from the Nurse there a bag of pokemon food, rather than a bowl.

“Thank you, ma’am. I’m sorry for the inconvenience. A friend of mine decided that we needed to depart immediately,” she explained as she put her backpack up on the counter so as to get the bag of food into one of its many compartments more easily.

The Nurse smiled back at her. “That’s quite alright. She seems rather excited to go.” A small laugh. “Do be careful, now, and good luck on your journey.”

Alex smiled back. “Thank you very much, Nurse. Good luck yourself.” With a last small wave, Alex turned and walked back to where Mercedes was standing, watching Dynh practically salivate at the prospect of a sugary future.

“Well then, I’m ready to go. You’d better hurry, Dynh, or that man and his cart will be down the street before you get out the door.” She doubted that the more than slightly paranoid girl needed such teasing comments to add to her delusions, but Alex couldn’t help it. Good natured banter was a constant friend of hers.

This post has been edited by Fei Fei: Jun 30 2009, 11:47 AM

[Charlie Piers]

Mercedes looked amused at the chaos Dynh was bringing upon herself, and the not-quite-so-gentle teasing of the new comer.

"You can go on, Dynh. I'll take CC to Nurse Joy, and bring her out to you so you don't miss your...lolli-pop salesman?"

She shook her head lightly as she picked up the bug pokemon and brought her to the counter.

"One more customer, and then I shall officially be on my way." Mercedes smiled apologetically at the Nurse as she took the pokemon and looked her over.

"It's just a bump on the head." Nurse Joy laughed. She dressed it with a bandage and a potion and returned it to Mercedes. "There you go. No major injuries here. She may want ice, though, but it probably isn't needed. I suppose I'll say good-bye again." She chuckled lightly again. "Have a safe trip, though not of the same sort this Caterpie took here. We hope to see you again."

Mercedes waved and walked back over to the table, returning the pokemon to her trainer. She in turn gathered up her own pack, returned Kepri to her pokeball and turned to Alex.

"I don't believe I got your name before. I'm Mercedes; Mercedes Dorian. It's a pleasure to meet you." The Nurse-to-be offered a kindly smile in greeting and held out a hand.

[Duck Tape]

Dynh wiggled around a bit as she watched the Nurse take care of CC. True, she may have been crazy but she wasn't cruel, and CC had truly been her best friend all her life. Sure, the small monster was annoying with her constant eating and occasional biting of people... breaking things too, as well as sleeping when she shouldn't.... why did Dynh like such a worthless pokemon again? Contemplating that question took up all of three seconds and the thought left her before she could get her answer. CC was 'discharged', so Dynh recalled the caterpie into her pokeball.

“Okay CC, let’s go get us some Chupa Chubs! I know you love them as much as I do!” she giggled, also recalling Cook Wilber and Killer Queen.

“Okay let's go get some candy!” Dynh said racing out of the pokemon center and into the streets. Down one, turn this corner here; where did that guy go, again? Left here past the mossy rock. Some weird looking tree. And here-

Dynh came to a stop and growled. “What is this!?” she nearly screamed. She was in a forest.

And she was completely and totally lost.

[Charlie Piers]

Mercedes looked about her, panting slightly from trying to keep up with the sporadic girl.

"I-I don't know. I tried to call out for you to stop, but you didn't hear me. I didn't want you to get lost, but it appears that that was a futile endeavor, in the end." She straightened and looked about her. "I don't see any signs or trail markers around, either. Oh, did that other girl, that friend of yours, manage to keep up, as well." Mercedes looked around to try and spot their third party.

[Fei Fei]

Alex watched as Mercedes took the dazed caterpie to the counter and smiled. What a nice girl. 'Mercedes Dorian?" Long name. Needs a nickname. How about MD? She wants to be a doctor, so it fits perfectly. She turned to look at Dynh, who was switching from foot to foot in an anxious manner. She shook her head, smiling. No comment on her. Cute, though. As Mercedes came back to the ragtag threesome, Alex turned to say goodbye one last time to the Nurse, when she heard a rather loud cry of 'Chuppa Chups!' and then the loud clamoring sound of stumbling feet. She whirled around to just barely catch the backs of the two girls before they rounded the corner outside of the Center. With a startled 'Hey!', Alex shouldered her bag and ran after them, barely making it through the closing automatic doors.
--
There was a slight crunching and rustling sound from behind the two winded girls, and Alex came out through a bush, pushing a few of it's branches aside as she nearly tripped into the clearing the three now found themselves in. She quickly scanned the area around them before closing her eyes with an exasperated smile and a small snort.

"Well, you asked me a question, Ms. Mercedes, and then before I'd turned around you two had run off. I had to full out sprint to keep up with you, and I think I almost impaled myself on a tree branch. I've got to say, though, that is the quickest time from perfectly safe to hopelessly lost I've ever seen." She looked around once more, with less intensity than before, as she approached Dynh and Mercedes in the middle of the clearing.

This post has been edited by Fei Fei: Jun 30 2009, 11:48 AM

[Duck Tape]

Dynh smiled to Alex and Mercedes before she jumped at a bush, “OH MY GOD A SHAYMIN!” she squeeled. Now that they were away from the prying eyes of the government, she could act a bit more like her self. It took this crazy young girl a good fifteen minutes to figure out that it was just a bush she had pounced, a bush with a flower. It wasn't even a pink flower. It was a yellow flower. Her attitude turned sour as her hopes came crashing down back to earth. It would probably take her whole life to see a legendary Pokemon. It's not like some kid just goes around seeing them all the time! “Nevermind it's a bush. False alarm...” she said with a pout and sigh.

This post has been edited by Duck Tape: Jun 17 2009, 08:59 PM

[Charlie Piers]

Mercedes took a long look at Dynh as she became familiar with the tree, and her subsequent disappointment. She shook her head with a sigh, and instead took out a pokeball from her belt, and released the pidgey from inside.

"Come on out, Iris. I would like to ask you to please fly above these trees here and see if you can see the town we were just in, and if you can, what direction it's in."

The pidgey nodded by way of response and flapped her way up into the dense foliage of the forest. She returned only a second later, however, flying frantically out of the canopy like a bat out of hell, followed closely by a horde of at least ten mankey, all screeching angrily at having been disturbed in the early morning.

Mercedes gasped in alarm as she caught the pidgey who flew straight into her arms for refuge.

"N-no, Iris," she gasped, both at having the wind slightly knocked out of her from having a fast-flying bird crash into her chest, as well as because she had never yet been faced with such a sheer quantity of opponents. "You've got to fight. You're the only one I've got with a type advantage."

She straightened and let Iris loose.

"Now, girl, use sand attack. Let's see if we can get away first!"

[Fei Fei]

Knowing more than a little bit about type advantages and other such battling mechanics, Alex sent out Hime, her female nidoran. The little lady may have been slightly weaker then her male companions, but she knew peck, which was classified as a flying-type move, and if Alex had learned anything over her years of pokemon experience, it was that fighting pokemon typically bowed before the strength of a well-aimed flying move.

Unfortunately for Alex, Hime had been asleep in her pokeball until only moments ago, and the sleepy poison-rabbit looked around lethargically, having been rudely awoken and thrown into some strange situation. Also, the poor thing wasn't actually the nidoran of hers that knew Peck, so on second-thoughts, perhaps the little princess wasn't the primera option for such a battle.

"Hime! Just use Tackle on the first thing you see!" Alex yelled in minor panic, noting the increasing anger of the mankeys as MD's pidgey swept sand and dirt into their faces.

Luckily, Hime had enough sense in her to wake up when she noticed the hoard of enraged primates, and did as she was told. Hitting a confounded mankey square in the back, the monster gave a sharp screech which startled the other fighting-type monsters into a frenzy. Alex slapped a hand across her face. We're all going to die, she thought with grim, sarcastic amusement.

"Hime! One more time! Try to knock it out with the next hit! Tackle it with your horn, try and poison it!" A complicated set of instructions, maybe, but if Hime's Poison Point ability took effect, dealing with a poisoned opponent would result in a much easier battle.

Hime quickly dodged a scratch from the mankey she'd hit with peck, and charged in a wide circle, coming back around to nail him in the side with her charging tackle, hitting him point blank with her poisonous horn. Knocked backwards a few feet and landing on it's side, the mankey looked as if it was about to get up and charge Hime, but it quickly fell back to it's knees, it's side pulsing with a faint purple that showed it's poisoned status.

Yes! Alex mentally cheered. "Alright, Hime! Come back!" The little poison pokemon was panting, never having been in such an intense battle, and welcomed the rest. "Come on out, Ouji!" The male nidoran came out of his pokeball fully aware of the situation it was in and was eager to impress his would-be girlfriend. With a quick tackle at a mankey that had been charging him, he looked back at Alex for instruction.

Alex, in turn, looked over her shoulder to look for Dynh and MD. "Hey! How are you two doing?!" Another quick turn to see the same mankey charging for Ouji again. "Ouji, Double Kick!" The small pink rabbit jumped up and spun around in the air, kicking the mankey with both of his hind feet in an overly dramatic version of the move. The money pokemon fell back, eyes in a swirl.

Man, these must be some low leveled mankeys. Count your blessings, Alex, she thought to herself, relieved to note that she'd taken down two of her opponents.

This post has been edited by Fei Fei: Jun 30 2009, 11:49 AM

[Charlie Piers]

Mercedes wasn't stupid. Far from it. She knew when to count her losses. Right now was not exactly the time to let all of her pokemon faint in a battle that was already lost. But she was going to do her best, regardless. Mercedes beat one mankey off with her backpack, really only agitating it, rather than harming it, and turned around to check on Iris.

The pidgey was keeping high above the cluster of mankey that had decided to surround her and her master. Unfortunately, the only attack she could perform from so high up was sand attack. It was working, to a certain extent. A few of the enraged pokemon's attacks weren't even coming close to hitting, but there were still those who came too close, or who actually got a hit in.

Even ten feet or higher up, Iris was tiring from trying to stay aloft while also taking the beatings. Additionally, there was the problem of actually having to dive into the fray, eventually, to make a hit. Neither Iris nor her trainer actually thought she'd come out of such an encounter unscathed. At least, with Iris' Keen Eye, she was still able to see through the cloud of dust she was creating.

Mercedes grit her teeth as she took in Iris' situation. She's have to have the small bird attack, or this would never end, and they'd never manage to beat off enough mankey to escape. At worst, Mercedes would have to heal Iris up later and use some of her supplies earlier on than she had expected. At best, her tough little bird would manage to survive for another attack.

"Iris, dear, fly in and Tackle whichever mankey you have the clearest shot of!" Mercedes tried to speak calmly so as to firstly not agitate the foul-tempered pokemon further, as well as to not put so much pressure on Iris. Hopefully, the flying pokemon would perform better if she didn't think her trainer was nervous.

Iris trilled in acknowledgment, and switched from her hovering position into a nosedive as she made a direct bee-line for the closest mankey to her. Hopefully, the momentum would add to the power of the Tackle. She hit it head on with her beak, nailing it in the head. The pokemon swiped at her, sending her flying into a tree, sustaining a Scratch across her eye.

"Iris!" Mercedes screamed in alarm as her precious pokemon was flung, rag-doll like, into the tree. The bird rallied to the cry, and swooped shakily out of the way as the makney she had hit came towards her again. Mercedes grit her teeth. This was really no time for extensive maneuvering, but she didn't want to see Iris hurt like that again. She looked around, and an idea came to her suddenly. The one mankey Iris had hit was now following her around determinedly.

"Iris! Have it chase you into the tree!" She ordered her monster. The pidgey nodded wearily and flapped as hard as she could into the relative safety of the foliage. As Mercedes had expected, the monkey pokemon followed the bird pokemon into the trees. It landed on a high branch, looking around in search of the bird...

"IRIS! NOW! Tackle it out of the tree!" Mercedes shouted. Having had a moment to rest and breathe, Iris burst from the treetop with slightly renewed speed and strength, Tacking the pokemon straight out of the tree. It landed right on its head, and immediately went swirly-eyed in defeat.

This post has been edited by Charlie Piers: Jun 17 2009, 10:51 PM

[Duck Tape]

Dynh laughed nervously at the nearing swarm of Mankey. “... Type advantage!?” she asked Mercedes helplessly, a frantic note to her voice. “Wh-wha-what!? I don't know how to fight!” She whined as she pulled a random pokeball from her heel. “Go Killer Queen! Do something!” She yelled in a panic as she released her Combee.

Killer Queen responded to her master's desperation by quickly using a Gust attack, taking out two of the smaller Mankey, managing only to enrage the rest. She moved quickly back, hovering high in the air while awaiting another order, watching the angered monkeys with a weary gaze. She had always been a very protective, motherly type monster, and though she didn’t want to do any more damage then she had to, she would fight to protect her master and her friends. She would one day make a good Vespiquen in that regard.

“Come on out! CC! Cook Wilber! You guys help too!” Dynh said, calling out her Caterpie and her Nincada. “Tackle that one! Get him! Get him good!!!!” she ordered, pointing wildly around at the drove of mankey around her.

Cook Wilber looked at her like she was an idiot. After all, he didn't know that move, and while his back was turned the Mankey took him out in one hit.

Dynh was forced to call back her Nincada, but did so with a grimace. “Get revenge for our fallen friend CC!” Dynh yelled, flailing her arms around in a panicked state.

Caterpie followed her orders and tackled the Mankey, though it did very little in the way of damage to the mankey. She certainly had a growing headache, though. “Now! Gust, Killer Queen!” The combo finally took this third Mankey out.

Dynh was forced back a bit as the monkeys moved forward, coming in towards her. “Crap!” she groaned, now trying to formulate something resembling a plan.

[Charlie Piers]

Mercedes had no choice but to recall Iris back to her pokeball. The little pokemon had done fantastically, but she was simply just too tuckered out to fight anymore, and Mercedes couldn't afford to deal with any fainted pokemon, not when they didn't even know the general direction of the pokemon center.

"Switch out! Come back, Iris!" The red light enveloped the weary bird pokemon even as she flew unsteadily towards her trainer. Now Mercedes had to choose who to switch out. Fatima had absolutely no battle experience, and was the lowest leveled in her party, but Kepri was a bug-type, and she was at a type disadvantage such that any hits the mankey dealt would probably result in as much damage done to the bug-type as it would to the sheep-like pokemon.

Mercedes uttered a frustrated noise, and chose Kepri from her belt. At least Kepri could fly and try to out maneuver the mankey.

"Kepri!" She tossed the pokeball away from the cluster of mankey. "Use Supersonic to confuse them!" The red light solidified into the red lady-bug monster, and Kepri narrowed her eyes, ready for battle. She opened her mouth to emit a multi-pitched frequency that drove the mankey into a frenzy, but a good few of them began hitting each other or themselves in their Confusion. Unfortunately, some of the monster broke free of their Confusion, or managed a hit regardless, and Kepri had to do some fancy flying so as to not get hit, narrowly missing a few Scratches and sustaining one or two hits on her underbelly.

"Kepri! Spot a mankey that's hurt itself in it confusion and attack that one!" Mercedes ordered. "Try to keep hitting it until it goes down!"

The little bug nodded with a determined expression, and dove hard and fast for one mankey that she had seen repeatedly hit itself. It was already looking tired, losing that fiery glint of rage in its eye. Kepri knocking right into it, Tackling it into the mankey beside it. Angry and confused, the second mankey delivered a Scratch to the one who had knocked into it. Kepri dove in under the Scratch and hit the first mankey a second time. It slumped to the ground as it fainted.

But before Kepri could get out of close-combat range, a mankey leaped out of the fray and delivered a mean Fury Swipe to Kepri, getting in a direct hit. The bug pokemon was flung backwards and she had to fly high into the canopy to avoid the second or third hits from the move.

Mercedes wanted to curse. Using Fury Swipes meant that that mankey was at a higher level than the others. She couldn't do this anymore. Her monsters weren't up to it. She turned to Dynh.

"Dynh! Have Queen use Sweet Scent! Maybe we can try to get out of here!"

[Fei Fei]

Not waiting even a moment to think if her current plan was anywhere near intelligent, Alex quickly called back Ouji. "Alright Ouji, that's enough!" The poison rabbit nodded, jumping out of the way of a swiping mankey as the red light enveloped his body.

"Come on out Hiiro! We need some fire power!" Alex yelled out as she threw the pokeball containing her charmander. Her first monster and best friend came out of his pokeball, eyes narrowed and alert, ready for trouble. "Hiiro! Use ember! Set the area around the mankeys on fire to distract them!" Hiiro nodded, spreading his arms wide behind him as he blew the small but concentrated flame from his mouth. The mankey around the fire quickly drew back, stepping away quickly as the grass at their feet caught fire. A few of the fainted ones groggily woke up and started scampering away into the trees, and the more feisty ones, of which there were thankfully few by now, looked as if they would retreat as well.

"Now, Hiiro! Use Leer!" As a few of the more vitalized mankey seemed to be braving the flames near their feet, Hiiro threw an intense, menacing glare their way, and they shrank back a yard or two. Unfortunately, by now the fire was dying down almost completely, the wind in the clearing having picked up from so many uses of the move Gust, and the last two braver mankey couldn't be held back by a mere Leer attack.

"Guys!" Alex called over her shoulder, "Most of the mankey are gone now, but I don't think these two are backing down for anything! We should make a run for it! I don't think they'll follo- ah! Hiiro, dodge that Fury Swipe!" Hiiro had to leap out of the way of a particularly mean-spirited mankey that had rushed towards the fire-salamander. The hit glanced off of his side, thankfully, but the mankey managed to land in a small pile of dwindling embers, which served only to further enrage the monkey pokemon. Hiiro sweatdropped as the fighting primate started chasing him in circles around the clearing. Alex slapped a hand to her face once again. This is getting out of control.

[Duck Tape]

Dynh nodded.

“You heard her, Killer Queen. Sweet Scent! And just for good measure we'll use this too!” she said, throwing a jar of honey across at a tree while her Combee used sweet scent. The move caused the mankey to calm down, even if just slightly.

“Alright, now we RUN!” Dynh yelled, already a good ten feet in the lead. Killer Queen turned to see her master already gone and freaked out a little, flying at her full speed to catch up.