[X] My Assistant

[ROMANA]

Connie looked down at her army surplus backpack and scuffed the dirt with her boot. All of a sudden, the bag looked very small and the world felt very big. Someone plonked a straw hat on her head. She jumped and looked up. Her mum was smiling at her.

"Cheer up, kiddo," she said with a grin, "you're going to have fun."

Connie tried to smile. Her mouth quirked up at one side, but she still looked dubious.

"But, Mum..."

"We've all done it, love," her mum said, kindly. "All of us. Torchie, Mary and Victoria will look after you. And you'll look after Verity and Butchette will take care of you all. You'll do fine. Enjoy it."

"But, Mum..."

"And Verity has a phone, so you can always say hello to me and your Nanna if you want to. I bet you'll be far too busy and excited to call much, though."

"But, Mum..."

A wail interrupted this attempt. Connie stopped, distracted. Verity was clinging to her mother and brother and crying. Poor Verity, she must be very scared. Her own worries forggotten for the moment, Connie went to look after her friend.

This post has been edited by ROMANA: Jun 21 2009, 04:16 AM

[Verity Lily]

Verity had managed to keep a stiff, if somewhat trembly, upper lip while her mother Bill helped her pack supplies for her pokemon and all the books and maps Verity needed to feel safe into her fluffy pink jigglypuff backpack, the new egg carefully wrapped in Verity's best pink party dress. I'm going to be a pokemon master, I'm going to be a pokemon master, she kept repeating to herself, trying to hold back her tears.

On being instructed to give her baby brother Fidelius a last kiss and cuddle goodbye, Verity's self-control broke and she wailed with distress, clinging to the baby.

"Fiddy's going to forget me," she sobbed. "Everyone on Butterfree Farm will. And I'll won't remember what's on all the maps and we'll get lost and starve to death and I don't remember enough about pokemon and I won't ever get a gym badge and Mummy I want to stay hooooooome!" Her voice rose to a crescendo of grief.

"Verity Grace Lynn, stop that caterwauling this moment!" Bill said sharply. "Have you ever heard of an amazon carrying on like this?" Verity immediately choked off a sob, and Bill sighed and put her arms around her and the baby.

"You're the best big sister ever; Fiddy will remember that. And remember, you have a new baby to look after, don't you?" Bill opened the backpack a little to give Verity a peek at her new egg. "And you have Connie, and Courage, and you must remember that Butchette is the descendent of the most awesome pokemon ever." Butch, Bill's partner Machamp, grunted affirmation. "You and Butchette are going to go off and learn all about new places and people and pokemon, and when you come back Butch and I will be very, very proud of you both."

[ROMANA]

Connie slipped her arm around Verity's waist, joining in the family hug. It was apparently easier to brave when you had someone else to look after.

"We can level up our pokemon really quickly," she said, "and get our gym badges and be home in no time. We could try for a new record."

There was a snort from above them, that sounded almost like someone was trying not to laugh.

"Hayfever," said Bill, her explanation muffled by the handkerchief she had been handed by Connie's mum. Bill set about blowing her nose loudly.

"We both know the way to Barley really well," said Connie reassuringly. "We'll go there first and then, and then..." Her courage could only take her so far. She couldn't quite get beyond the well-known nearby town where they had often gone with their mothers to sell produce and buy supplies. "And then... we'll be on our way." It wasn't exactly the most all-encompassing statement of intent, but Connie did look determined. Verity's sobs had subsided to a damp sniffling.

Connie let go of her friend's waist and picked up the Jigglypuff bag. She hooked the strap over her left shoulder and then retrieved her own bag, slipping it onto her other shoulder. Verity's bag was noticeably heavier than her own. What had she forgotten that her friend had remembered, she wondered.

"Oh!" her mother's exclamation interrupted her worried musings. "Wait a second, I just remembered..." Connie's mum went into the shed next to the barn. There was a loud clang. Apparently in her hurry to find whatever she had remembered, she had overturned one of the empty milk churns. Its lid came rolling out of the door and wobbled to a halt, falling over with a clatter. "Got it," came the triumphant announcement as her mum came back, brandishing a stick. "It's your Nanna's old rod. She caught her Magikarp with it." The elderly Magikarp had determinedly resisted evolving, managing to faint at the first hint of a battle that might push it into gaining any more experience. It lived on the farm now, flopping and splashing happily in the Psyduck pond.

Connie's mum stuck the rod through the straps of Connie's rucksack and gave both girls a big hug.

"Butterfree Farm will be waiting when you're ready to come home, and you can always pop in if you're passing, you know," she said, giving both girls a big hug. "We're all so proud of you both."

[Verity Lily]

Verity managed a wobbly smile. It was much easier trying to be an amazon when she got lots of cuddles. And Barely... Barley wasn't too bad. She and Butchette and Courage went to Barley lots, to battle the schoolkids there. She could manage Barley.

"Bye Mummy, bye Fiddy," she managed. "Bye, um, Connie's mum." She kissed Bill and Fiddy and Connie's mother for good measure. "We're going to be pokemon masters!"

After one final round of farewells, the girls set off together, Verity bobbing a little anxiously around Connie. It was so, so sweet of Connie to carry her bag, but Verity felt very far away from her books and maps and, worst of all, her pokedex. What if they came to a crossroads and forgot which way to go? What if they saw a caterpie and she couldn't remember what it's special ability was? Still, she didn't quite like to ask for it back when Connie was being so brave and strong. And besides, it was heavy.

As soon as they were around the first bend, out of sight of the farmhouse, Verity sneaked her pokeball off her belt and released Butchette. She reached down her hand and took Butchett's, hoping Connie wouldn't notice that she was holding hands with her pokemon.

A few steps later, Verity's free hand crept into Connie's, as well. Holding hands with a Machop on one side and her best friend on the other, it was much easier to be brave and excited.

[ROMANA]

Connie felt Verity's hand slip into hers and she smiled at her friend; the smile grew wider when she saw Butchette marching along happily hanging on to Verity's other hand. They really couldn't have chosen a better day to start on their adventure: the sun was shining, the sky was blue, the long grass across the path ahead was a lovely green. The long grass... was getting awfully close. It wasn't even that this particular patch of long grass should be particularly ominous. They had been making their way through it all their lives, accompanied by one of the adults with their pokemon when they were younger but since they had been ten they had been old enough to come on their own, with their very own pokemon.

And yet, today felt... different. Today, they were Pokemon Trainers. Proper ones. On their own. Not going home again today, after their trip into town. Connie felt herself gradually slowing down. She pulled a pokeball from her pocket and released Torchie.

With a deep breath, she took her first step into the long grass. A breeze rippled the blades of the grass and Connie jumped. No big, scary pokemon jumped out at her and she giggled with relief. She wasn't sure what she was expecting, really, the scariest pokemon they had ever encountered on their way to Barley was a Rattata. No, better not think about those, the teeth bothered her.

There, they were nearly through and yet nothing had -

"Oddish!"

She had been so intent on ploughing through at top speed, she'd nearly trodden on the Oddish that was glaring up at her from underfoot. She hopped back and tried to regain her balance.

"Um... oh, I... um... Torchie, I choose you!" Connie tried to look properly like a trainer about to battle and placed her hands defiantly on her hips. The pose was somewhat spoiled by her promptly having to readjust her sleeves so that they weren't hanging down past her hands. Torchie obediently hopped fowards to face the Oddish.

"Oddish!" Torchie and the girls were suddenly enveloped in a haze of flowery scent.

"Oh, that's really pretty," said Connie, distractedly. "I mean, Torchie, scratch!" Torchie launched himself at the Oddish and attempted to scratch it with his claws. The Oddish didn't look very happy. Connie wondered if she'd got a tough one and she should withdraw poor little Torchie.

[Verity Lily]

Verity hopped anxiously from foot to foot, clutching Butchette's paw more tightly. There was a pokemon, and her pokedex was so close she could almost smell it... She wondered if it would distract Connie too much if she made a grab for the jigglypuff backpack.

Instead, she racked her brain for anything she could remember about oddishes. They were weak to flying... oh... starly! But she didn't want to step in on Connie's very first battle as a real trainer, and besides, Courage only knew Quick Attack anyway.

Probably Connie would be hurt if she tried to help. Only maybe she'd be upset with Verity if Verity didn't help her. Verity hopped faster in her anxiety, caught her half-tied shoelace under the sole of one foot, and overbalanced.

Butchette hauled her trainer back onto her feet. "Maachomp," she said, feelingly.

Verity beamed back at her, despite having smeared sticky mud all over the pretty fabric rose she'd spent last evening sewing onto her jeans. She'd just remembered that grass types were also weak to fire - she'd forgotten it in her initial excitement.

"Go for it, Connie!" she cheered. "Use a fire attack!"

This post has been edited by Lindley: Jun 21 2009, 02:08 PM

[ROMANA]

Connie had, in her excitement, managed not to notice the anxious bobbing in the background. It was only when there was the noise of her freind falling and the concerned "Maachomp," behind her that she thought to check on her friend. She dumped the bags and looked around to make sure that Verity was being looked after by Butchette.

"Go for it, Connie!" said Verity as she turned. "Use a fire attack!"

At the same time, there was a determined "Odd-ISH!"

The Oddish seemed to be trying to suck in a green haze that was drifting from Torchie. Torchie staggered.

"Torchie, are you ok?" Connie sat down to get closer to Torchie's level. "You can do it!" Torchie seemed to have recovered well. The Oddish's attack hadn't hit it too hard, thank goodness. She assumed the type advantage was helping. Verity was right, if only Torchie did know a fire attack! "Keep going, you can do it! Scratch!"

From the outside, a battle consisting of 'Scratch', 'Absorb', 'Scratch', 'Absorb' ad infinitum with minimal damage done with each hit might seem dull almost to the point of tedium. Connie, however, was in her element. She was a Pokemon Trainer, and this was her art. She had left home and gone out into the world. This battle symbolised her first tentative steps toward womanhood. Oddish looked to have been affected more by that last hit than by any of the previous Scratches. Connie pulled her bag towards her and pulled out a Pokeball.

"Oddish..." said the Oddish, weakly.

Connie knew timing was important. The battle felt like it had been raging forever, surely now would be the time...

She threw the pokeball. Oddish looked for a second like it might run away, but it was caught. The ball wobbled once... twice... it settled. She had done it! She picked up the ball and reverently popped it into her pocket.

"How are you, Torchie?" she asked, picking up and cuddling the little pokemon. "You did really well, I'm so proud of you. We did it, Verity! We caught the Oddish! Um... can I borrow your Pokedex?"

[Verity Lily]

Verity managed to sustain her enthralled, supportive excitement for quite a while. Several scratches and absorbs later, she was still enthralled and supportive, but less excited. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, she settled on just being supportive.

She called Butchette back to her pokeball and sidled carefully over to the discarded backpacks. "Keep it up, Torchie!" she called encouragingly, as she opened the jigglypuff bag, took out the mystery egg so carefully wrapped in her best dress, and cuddled it on her knee.

"Look, little egg," she said softly. "Soon you'll be having pokemon battles just like that, if you come out of your shell and be a big, brave... pokemon."

She cast a longing glance at her books, as Connie and Torchie seemed to have settled in for the long haul, but decided that Torchie would be far more effective if she concentrated harder on lending moral support. Instead, she pulled out her pokedex, and consulted it about Oddishes. It told her that they were common dual grass/poison pokemon, just like it had the last six times she'd looked, but Verity always thought it was better to be sure. It also said they were nocturnal, but maybe this one had been attracted by the way the sunlight brought out the sweet smell of the flowers in the long grass. Verity could certainly understand that, even though the backs of her hands were already stinging from the sun.

Idly weaving a crown of tiny pink flowers for her egg, Verity setlled back to enjoy the glorious sunshine and flowers, and try very hard to enjoy the battle.

When the Oddish at last gave in, Verity clapped her hands with genuine delight. "Connie! Your first pokemon as a real trainer, and we've only just set out! At this rate, we'll complete our pokedexes - can you imagine how happy everyone will be when we send back one of every kind of pokemon to Butterfree Farm?! I wonder where they'll keep an Onix?" She giggled.

She wrapped her egg back up, forgetting in her ecitement to take out the flowers so that they wouldn't crush and stain her beloved dress, and happily handed her pokedex over to Connie. "What are you going to call it?"

[Cube]

I figured I'd do a quick introductory post before we meet up in town. Is that okay?

Meanwhile...

"Kris sent out Lucario!"
"Go! Garchomp!"
"Garchomp used Earthquake!"
"It's super effective!"
"Lucario lost 99% of his health."
"Lucario hung on using it's Focus Sash!"
"Lucario used Ice Punch!"
"It's super effective!"
"Garchomp lost 100% of his health."
"Garchomp Fainted!"
"SpencerT is out of usable Pokémon!"
"Kris Wins!"

"Shoot... I forgot about the elemental punches. If I hadn't sent out Charizard so early, I might have won that one..."

Spencer stroked his chin as he stared at the PC's screen. A log of the battle was displayed next to heavily stylized pictures of a Lucario and a Garchomp, the entire battle having been nothing more than a simple text based simulation. The dark haired young man logged out of the Business Center's PC. The ship would be docking soon anyway, and he simply didn't feel like wasting anymore time fooling around with low quality sim battles.
He gathered his things and left the PC behind, where it was quickly claimed by another passenger.

Spencer couldn't remember exactly how long it had been since they had left Gateon Port. Three days? Four perhaps? Everything seemed to meld together into a stretch of mind numbing boredom punctuated by sleep, sim battles, and crappy buffet food. But it would all be worth it soon...

A light jingle emanated from the P.A. "Attention passengers," a soothing female voice announced; "The S.S. Aquarius Express Ferry from Lilycove City to Port Barley - with stops in Gateon, Vermilion, and Canaclave - will reaching it's destination shortly. Please gather your belongings and make your way to the nearest exit. Thank you for sailing with the Lapras Ferry Line."

"How is it an Express Ferry if it stops at practically every port in the country?" wondered Spencer, as he checked his belongings. "Clothes, travel gear, money, PDA..." his hand stopped on three hand painted Poke Balls, one of which was gently shaking. "I know you want out Nils." said Spencer, though he was unsure if the Pokémon inside could even here him; "But we're about to reach port. Can't you just wait a little while longer?"

The little green poke ball shook harder. The young man rolled his eyes. "I promise I'll buy you some candy if you stay in your Poke Ball for just a little while longer."

The ball stopped shaking almost instantly. "Alright then. Now what else... Poke Balls, Potions, Scooter! I need my scooter!"

The young man made a dash in the direction of the ship's garage, narrowly avoiding Pokémon and their trainers along the way. Something about the prospect of finally arriving in Furoh ignited something in Spencer. In just a half hour, he was finally going to get started on his Pokémon Journey, a prospect he had been dreaming of all his life.
He was finally free of that God forsaken, criminal infested wasteland. Orre didn't have a Pokemon League. Hell, it wouldn't even have Pokemon if people hadn't shipped them in. Spencer had no idea why anyone would want to live there in the first place. He suspected it involved oil, or cheap land or something. Regardless, Spencer was finally in a real region. One with gyms, and contests, and all of the amazing things that the trainers in Agate had told him about. For the first time in his life, Spencer was about to become a Trainer, rather than just a breeder.

...But first, he really needed that scooter. The thing had cost him a huge chunk of Poké, and he was not going to leave it on some random ship.

[Ganymede]

Like CubeB, making a small intro post. Also, Cube gave me permission to (very slightly!) godmod Spencer. Now, enter Waker~!

Waker sighed happily and gazed at the blue sea rushing by. His awe at seeing the ocean for the first time hadn't lessened since his first glimpse at Vermillion City. That, of course, had been days and days ago. Waker briefly wondered why the ferry had made so many stops when so few people got on at each port. Maybe they needed fuel?


Waker felt a light tug on his pants. Looking down, he saw Azzy pulling on this clothes, a slightly worried look on the Nidoran's face. Waker laughed soundlessly and picked up the poison Pokemon, setting him down gently on the rail of the ship. The poor Pokemon had been locked in his ball since they left Vermillion, due to the ship's "No Pokemon on Deck" rule. Waker had, of course, snuck both Azzy and Pora out many times during the past days, although Pora seemed to be seasick most of the time. In the end, he simply let Azzy roam free - Waker could deal with whatever consequences they handed him when they reached port.


"Ni! Ni! Nido!" Azzy cried excitedly, ears straight in the air. His small eyes were fixed on the glistening sea, which Waker noted was moving by much slower now. Maybe they were finally nearing Barley?


"Attention passengers. The S.S. Aquarius Express Ferry from Lilycove City to Port Barley - with stops in Gateon, Vermilion, and Canaclave - will reaching it's destination shortly." Waker smiled. As amazing as the sea was, it'd be a relief to be back on land - and in a new region. "Please gather your belongings and make your way to the nearest exit. Thank you for sailing with the Lapras Ferry Line."


All right, here we go! Waker thought. He swept Azzy off the rail - ignoring his now-outraged cries - and turned to gaze across the ship. His smile slowly faded as he realised that he had no idea where the exit was. He placed Azzy in his bag and walked over to an attendant he'd seen around earlier that week. He gently tapped her shoulder and she spun around.


"Oh! Hello there; can I help you?" she said, the very picture of a kind older sister. Waker nodded and motioned to a door, making small walking movements with his hands. The lady frowned quizzically and shook her head slowly. "I'm sorry, but I can't understand you," she said. "Can't you talk? No, wait here. I'll get the first mate." With one quick glance back at Waker, she walked off, towards a large, bulky man in a sailor's outfit. Waker sighed. He didn't feel like writing down something as simple as Where is the exit?. He'd just find it on his own.


"Ni, Ni?" Azzy questioned from inside the bag. He poked his head out and looked around. "Ni, Nidoran," he muttered. He nudged Waker and pointed toward a sign that read "GARAGE". "Nido?"


Waker smiled and absentmidnedly patted Azzy on the head. He turned and began walking briskly towards the garage, not noticing the tall black shadow that was quickly approaching him. His thoughts were in Barley, where his first Contest would be. He knew, in his heart, that Azzy and Pora would sweep the Cool and Smart Contests. And he'd be able to explore a whole new world! He vaguely wondered if there were and poison Pokemon near Barley when the black shadw crashed into him, sending Waker to the ground.

This post has been edited by Nezzie: Jun 22 2009, 09:43 PM

[Cube]

The ship's garage was located just on deck, though it was rarely used by trainers. Most of them opted to walk, or to use Pokemon for transportation. Spencer was somewhat of an anomaly in that sense. He has purchased the dull grey scooter back home in Orre, where owning some sort of motor vehicle was a necessity rather than a luxury.
He had ridden from Agate to Realgam a hundred times on that thing, and was not willing to let some sailor have his Machoke cart it off the boat for him. Spencer's mind raced as he ran across the deck.

"I really hope they didn't scratch it..." he thought. "What if one of the Machoke's on deck used it to practice Rock Smash or something? Maybe I should have payed the storage insur-OOF!"

Spencer cried out as he collided with someone in front of the garage, sending them both to the ground. Spencer slid a few feet across deck, clutching his abdomen. "Ow..."

Three Poke Balls rolled out of Spencer's bag, each hand painted with a different pattern. A green one - hand painted to look like it was made of leaves - rolled out first, followed shortly by a black Poke Ball decorated with red hot rod flames, and a blue Poke Ball, delicately painted to look like an Empoleon.

The green Poke Ball opened first, with a flash of green light, revealing a very relieved looking green lizard.

"Treecko..." sighed the Pokemon, relieved to finally have a chance to breath some fresh air. "Ko? TREECKO!" the wood gecko Pokemon cried out as it saw it's trainer sprawled out on the floor. It darted to the other two Pokeballs, slapping the buttons with a tiny green claw. With two more flashes of light, a Charmander and a Piplup appeared on the deck.

"Treecko! TREECKO!" cried the grass type, obviously overblowing the situation in his head. The Piplup shook it's head. "Lup..." it sighed, waddling over to it's trainer. The Piplup and the Treecko took positions behind their trainer's shoulders, working together to prop him up. From the look of things, this has happened before. The Charmander, obviously the eldest of the group, looked down at the other trainer. He couldn't have been older than thirteen, though he didn't seem to be too injured by the collision. A male Nidoran peeked out of his bag. "Charmander..." said the lizard Pokemon, in what sounded like an attempt at an apology. The fire lizard grabbed the young man by the hand and attempted to help him into a sitting position.

Spencer shook his head, trying to recompose himself. "Thanks Nils... Celia..." he said, still a bit sore. The Treecko and the Piplup patted Spencer on the shoulder. It took him a few seconds to register exactly what he had collided with. "OH MY GOD!" he cried climbing to his feet. "I'm so sorry! I didn't see you, I was distracted and..." he started frantically spewing apologies, holding out his hand to help the other trainer up.

The trio of Pokemon gathered behind him, obviously exasperated by this whole situation.

Obviously, all this would sound like to a human is just Pokemon making Pokemon noises. My Pokemon cannot talk, though talking amongst themselves is fine, I guess. XD
Other RPers do it.

<"When will Dad learn to look where he's going while he's running?"> sighed the Charmander.
<"I don't know Vincent... I really don't know..."> said the Piplup.
<"Do you think we can get more candy out of this?">
<"Please be quiet Nils...">
The Charmander shook his head. What a wonderful way to start a journey...

[Ganymede]

Cube, I hope you don't mind, but I'm going to borrow your Pokespeak idea for a bit. .)

"Ni! Ni! NIDORAN!" Azzy cried. He pushed his way out of the bag and, with a passing glance at the Charmander, began to poke Waker with one of his small claws. Waker exhaled and sat up, rubbing his head. That hurt, he thought dazedly. What happened? It felt like a Snorlax had tackled him - his back hurt and his neck felt funny. He blinked a few times and shook his head a little, wincing as his neck cracked. The two pokeballs attached to his bag had dug into his chest a little, but they seemed fine. His bag was next to him and - Wait! Was Azzy hurt? He grabbed at his bag frantically, until he heard the poison Pokemon's small cries to his right.


He looked at Azzy, who appeared to be unharmed and was frantically pointing upwards. Waker jerked his head up and almost collided with an outstretched hand. Still blinking, he grabbed it and allowed himself to be hauled off the ground.


The other trainer was much taller than him, and he had to crane his neck to see him properly. From his looks, he was definately much, much older than Waker. He felt a little like he was standing directly beneath the Brass Tower at Ecruteak. Waker opened his mouth, paused, and then reached for his bag. A moment of digging yielded his notebook and a large black pen. He hastily flipped the notebook open to the first page, where a message had already been written.

HELLO! My name is WAKER!
I am from Ecruteak City, Johto, and I can't speak.
My Pokemon are AZZY, a male Nidoran, and PORA, a female Nidoran.
I'm on a journey to become a Contest Coordinator!
We can't battle very well, but we'll accept any challenge!
It's very nice to meet you!

Waker waited until he was sure the other trainer was done reading. He then flipped to the next page and began writing hastily. He noticed that, along with the Charmander, a Piplup and Treecko were hovering around the other trainer. Azzy looked at them curiously, his head tilted to the side. Pora's Pokeball shook gently. Waker quickly finished writing and held up the notebook again.

I'm so so sorry!
I cant find the exit and Azzy thought it was over here!
I wasnt paying attn to what was going on!
Are you and your Pokemon allright?

Waker bit his lip nervously as he waited. He somehow knew this would turn out okay, but he couldn't help but think that he had done something very, very bad. A cold fear settled in his stomach. What if they sent him back to Johto? He rapidly shook his head. No. No bad thoughts. We came here to win, and we're not gonna let anything stop us!




Azzy was very curious about these new Pokemon. He'd seen plenty of trainer-owned pokemon back in Ecruteak, and they were always polite and friendly. "Ni," Azzy said quitely. He took a step forward and glanced up at Waker before taking another step towards the strange Pokemon. <"Hello? Is anyone hurt? I'm sorry about him,"> Azzy motioned to Waker. <"He's very clumsy.">

[Cube]

Spencer leaned over to stare at the other trainer's notebook, slightly confused.

"Um... hello Waker. My name's Spencer, and I'm from Agate Village, Orre. These three are Vincent, Celia, and Nils."
He gestured to the Charmander, Piplup, and Treecko respectively.

"I'm really sorry for what just happened, I wasn't looking where I was going, and I didn't see you, and..."
He shook his head. "My Pokemon and I are fine. Are you okay?"

Spencer couldn't help but feel a bit awkward. He wasn't much of an extrovert himself, but he had no idea how to converse with someone who couldn't talk at all!

Spencer glanced down toward the Nidoran by his feet. It didn't seem injured, much to Spencer's relief.

Vincent stepped forward to greet the Poison Pin Pokemon. <"We're all fine. Our dad's just a bit...">

<"...Of an absent minded bufoon."> said Celia, with a ruffle of her feathers.

<"That's a fancy human word for someone who acts like a Bidoof..."> whispered the Treecko.

[Ganymede]

Waker nodded happily. He flipped to yet another page in his notebook and began writing. He finished and held out the notebook.

Hello, Spencer from Orre!
I'm fine! Azzy is too.
It's very nice to meet you and your Pokemon!
If you dont mind me asking, why did you come to Furoh?

Waker smiled up at Spencer. He hoped he wasn't being to invasive - his mother told him to never ask really persoal questions right off the bat - but he was sure he was doing okay. He noticed that Azzy was sitting with Spencer's team and decided that Pora needed some fresh air. He deftly tapped the Pokeball on his bag and Pora appeared on deck in a flash of blue light. She immediately ran over to the group of Pokemon, announcing her arrival loudly. Waker shifted his feet and hoped all the sailors were busy.




<"Bidoof?"> Azzy looked at Celia blankly. He was beginning to feel a little nervous around the trio; and seasick, even though the boat had slowed down considerably. <"Um, I'm sorry, but I don't know wha-">


<"A Bidoof is a small rodent Pokemon native to the Sinnoh region,"> Pora interrupted, her eyes gleaming. <"They're not very smart, and they like to stare at people."> She puffed out her chest and smiled. Azzy stared at her.


<"...I honestly don't know where you learn this stuff. Oh, um, I'm Azzy and this is Pora. Waker's our trainer!"> Azzy said, running back and tapping Waker's leg gently. Waker looked down at the Poison Pokemon and laughed soundlessly. <"He can't talk.">

[Cube]

"Because Orre doesn't have a Pokemon League." said Spencer. "...Or Pokemon, really. It's not really a good environment for a Pokemon Trainer." Spencer laughed, slightly nervous. "I'm actually more of a Breeder than a trainer right now. My family breeds starter Pokemon for beginning trainers all over the world. Um... what brings you here from Johto? I thought they had a Pokemon League?"

Spencer recalled the boy's first note, mentioning his dream of becoming a coordinator. "Oh! Right!" said Spencer, slapping his forehead. "Johto doesn't have a Grand Festival! You came here to participate in contests, right?"

Celia perked up at the mention of the word "Contest".

<"Contests?! Oooh my..."> The Piplup's eyes seemed to sparkle as she drifted off into a daydream about participating in Furoh's Grand Festival, lost in a sea of poffins and glitter...

<"She really likes contests..."> said Vincent, shaking his head.

<"Hey! Hey!"> The little Treecko seemed to bounce in place, speaking rapidly.<"Why can't your trainer talk? Was he cursed by a Ninetails? Did a Gengar steal his voice like on that TV show? How does that work in battles? Are you like one of those psychic types who can read people's minds? Can he-" >

"HEY!" a voice shouted from the Garage. "Staff Pokemon on deck only!"

"Oh! Sorry sir!" said Spencer, recalling his Pokemon and dropping the balls back into his bag. "Hey, Waker, I was going to go pick up my scooter from the garage. I guess we can continue our tal... conversation, in there."

This post has been edited by CubeB: Jun 23 2009, 12:42 AM

[Ganymede]

Waker frowned. No Pokemon? It sounded...terrible. He shuddered thinking about it. He wondered what kind of environment was harsh enough so that even Pokemon couldn't live there.


Waker brightened at the mention of breeding. When he was still very young, his parents had taken him south to Goldenrod City for a day. The trip had been nice, but the Day Care just outside of the city was the most interesting. The lady there had laughed at his pantomimes and gestures and, before he left, had given him the egg that would later hatch into Azzy. He promptly decided to ask Spencer more about breeding later.


Half-daydreaming, he barely caught Spencer's words. "...participate in contests, right?" the older trainer said. Waker perked up and nodded, the smile returning to his face. once again, he turned to his notebook.

Yes! Azzy's going to win all the cool contests,
and Pora's going to win all the smart contests!

He drew crude imitations of contest ribbons underneath, and then continued writing.

I'm hoping to catch more Pokemon so I can enter more contests!

Pora jumped on the chance to make a friend. <"Oh! We love contests! Waker came to Furoh to win the Grand festival with us!> Pora did an excited little turn as Azzy sat, hopelessly caught in Nils' monolouge. <"N-no, he's not cursed, and - no, we've never even met a Gengar! We do fine in battles, it's just->


Azzy was cut off abruptly as Waker, blushing and refusing to look at the sailor, returned both Poison Pin Pokemon to their Pokeballs. He turned back to Spencer and nodded, noting his odd hesitation.


I guess...the people here won't be used to being around a mute... he thought dejectedly. Well, then...it's time to teach them! Waker suddenly smiled and, with a burst of energy, raced into the garage.

[Cube]

The garage was mostly empty, save for the odd car someone had decided to ship along with them. Spencer could see his scooter parked comfortably against a wall, thankfully unharmed.

The sailor who had the mind numbingly boring duty of manning the garage glared at Spencer and Waker as the entered. For a moment, Spencer wondered if this was the same man whose job it was to swab the decks later... They didn't call it the "poop" deck for nothing, after all...

"Um... I'm here to pick up a motor scooter. Registered under the name "Thorn" please?" The sailor tossed Spencer his key with a scowl. "Um... thank you." said Spencer, quietly edging away from the counter.

"So... Ecruteak City... I remember hearing about that place from someone. Some sort of old legend..."

Spencer tried to recall the old story. "There were two towers... but one of them burned down... and there were birds... and dogs or something. I can't really remember."

Spencer dropped the key into his pocket as he flicked the kickstand of his scooter up. Carefully maneuvering it to face the opposite direction, he wheeled the vehicle back toward the entrance of the garage, the sailor still scowling.

[Ganymede]

Waker shrunk back against Spencer, trying to escaps the sailor's scowl. He wanted to be out of the garage and away from the sailor as soon as possible.


Waker looked at the scooter with interest. He'd seen a few bikes during is trip to Goldenrod, but for the most part, people in his part of Johto either walked or rode Pokemon wherever they went. He began to reach out to touch the scooter, then quickly drew his hand back. He really didn't want to seem rude; not when Spencer was looking more and ore like a potential friend. He cast one more longing look at the scooter before turning the page in his notebook.

My mother used to tell me th story before I went to bed.
The Tin Tower burned down one day and the two birds flew away.
But, the brave one with the shining wings came back!
It was sad that some Pokemon died in the fire,
so it brought them back to life!

Waker waited until he thought Spencer was done reading, then carefully put the notebook and pen back into his back. He followed Spencer and the scooter out of the garage, just in time to hear the announcement.


"Attention passengers," the cool female voice announced. "The S.S. Aquarius Express Ferry from Lilycove City to Port Barley - with stops in Gateon, Vermilion, and Canaclave - has reached its destination of Port Barley. Please gather your belongings and make your way to the nearest exit. Thank you for sailing with the Lapras Ferry Line."


Waker earnestly tugged on Spencer's sleeve and smiled nervously. He couldn't wait to see what Furoh was like.

[Cube]

Spencer thought for a few moments. "Oh yeah! I remember now! Here, let me look it up."

He fished through his bag for a small rectangular device, which he flipped open to reveal a pair of small screens, not unlike those of a Pokedex. "This is my PDA. I can't remember how I lived without this thing." he said as he flicked out a stylus to press a small globe shaped button that had appeared on the bottom screen. "Let's see... "Towers of Ecruteak..." he said, as he typed on a tiny virtual keyboard. After a few moments, a picture of two large bird Pokemon appeared on the top screen, with a small text read out on the bottom. Spencer pressed a small button that looked like an ear on the corner of the screen. The device began to speak in a robotic voice:

"'The Towers of Ecruteak City'
During the Heian Period in Johto, a pair of towers intended as temples to Pokemon (known during this period as Majuu, or "Magical Beasts", as the Poke Ball would not be invented until the 1900s) were built in what would become Ecruteak City. The legendary "majuu" Lugia, Master of the Sea, and Ho-Oh, master of the sky, chose the Brass and Tin towers as their perches. During the Great War between the Kanto and Johto regions, an attack on Ecruteak resulted in the destruction of the Brass Tower in a fire. During this blaze, three Pokemon who would later be known as Entei, Suicune, and Raikou were trapped in the tower's basement, and lost their lives in the blaze. Angered by this senseless loss of life, Ho-Oh and Lugia left their perches. However, prior to leaving, Ho-Oh used it's powers to revive the fallen Pokemon as the three legendary beasts. The Great War soon ended in a truce, and none of the various regions of the nation have engaged in war since."

Spencer flipped the PDA shut, dropping it back into his bag. "Of course... that's just the alleged story of how the legendary beasts came to be. Even if they were revived by Ho-Oh, there's apparently scientific evidence that they have some sort of an ability to reproduce in the wild. It's just impossible to recreate those conditions in captivity for some reason. Not that I've ever had a chance to breed a rare Pokemon like that of course. My parents have though. This weird blue one. It made them switch bodies for a few hours. Funniest day of my life."

Spencer was interrupted by an announcement over the P.A. System. They had arrived!
"Whoa... we're finally here!" Spencer grinned. Finally... after all of these years, he'd get a chance to actually catch a wild Pokemon! "Oh yeah, you still need to find the exit, right? Here, I'll show you the way." The breeder had an excited grin on his face as he wheeled the scooter toward a small off ramp a few decks below, pulling his new friend along with him.

[ROMANA]

"What are you going to call it?" Verity asked.

Connie pondered this as she took the pokedex and got herself settled on the grass. Retrieving the newly inhabited pokeball from her pocket, she let her new Oddish out and pointed the pokedex at it.

"Oddish, the weed pokemon," it entoned. Connie learned that her new pokemon was grass and poison types and that she had caught a girl.

"So, you're a girl, and you know Absorb and I think that was Sweet Scent," she said and patted the little pokemon. "What would you like to be called?"

"Oddiiiiish?" the poor little thing looked all worn out.

Connie pulled a fresh water from her bag and helped first the Oddish and then Torchie to drink some.

"I think I'll call her Carmilla," she said. She got the two pokemon back into their balls and picked up her bag. Verity seemed rather attached to the Jigglypuff bag and, if she was being entirely honest, Connie wasn't going to miss carrying it. It felt like her friend had packed several bricks! Taking Verity's hand with a cheerful grin, she started off in the direction of Barley again.

"I'm looking forward to battling more," she said. "Do you want to try and catch an Oddish? There might be more around." Connie suddenly looked alarmed. "What if there are little baby Oddishes and I've stolen their mum? I should stop and try and catch them, too." With a determined expression, she once again dropped her bag and fished for a pokeball. "I don't want them to die!"