Pokemon: Aschen Adventures (IC)

[Gorgondantess]

TJ/Adela/Newguy:
The girl wrenches the Abra away before the pokeball can come near.
"No! No pokeballs!"
And with that, she starts sprinting towards town, Abra in arms.

[Ajadea]

Adela watches the girl in the straw hat run off, unconscious Abra in her arms. Brought back memories, of the sort that were best not remembered. She is remarkably still for someone holding back a flailing Riolu. She turns around, or at least walks around Vichi so that she's facing the other way. "So, me'n TJ here know each other, but neither of us know you," she says to the stranger. "So, what're you doing out here?"

[Irony]

Byrd's eyes track the fleeing girl. He looks saddened, but relieved. After all, it was one less problem he'd have to worry about. He fixed his hat, adjusted his bag, and then turned his attention to the young lady with the broken nose.

The name's Thomas Byrd. Call me Byrd though, I'm not too keen on my first name. I'm a journalist from Goldenrod City in the Johto region... I was born in Kanto though. I've been here for the past couple weeks doing some research on the local wildlife (that's why I was camped on the side of the road), but after seeing that Team Eclectia in action, I reckon I'll stay around. Much better story than the ecology of Magikarp and Bidoof.

Byrd fidgets, looks around momentarily, almost as to consider something, then curses under his breath. He then deftly reaches into his messenger bag and pulls out a fresh pack of cigarettes, smoothly lighting one and taking a drag before launching back into his monologue.

Sorry 'bout the smoking. I'd offer you one but they'd throw me in jail. Probably. You don't LOOK old enough to be smoking. Well, strictly speaking, neither do I. How old are you kids anyway? Eh, I've definitely seen younger on the road. Once got my ass beat by a 10 year old with a Snorlax. Where was I? Oh right, I'm thinking I'm gonna hit all the major towns in the region, probably get a few badges along the way. I'm going back to Axelo first, then to Moira.

Pausing to drag his cigarette, Byrd notices Gonzo playing with a stone on the side of the road. The Magby looks at Byrd and then goes back to playing with the pebble.

Don't mind him. That's Gonzo, one of my companions. He's a moody SOB, but he holds his own and is pretty goddamn cuddly to boot.

So where you kids heading?

[Ajadea]

At the very mention of Team Eclectia, Adela frowns. "Yeah, I remember them. One of them had an Ursaring that bashed me into a counter pretty good. Um, I'm headed to Axelo. Dunno where beyond that, really. Just kinda wanted to go somewhere else, preferably without having to pay for a boat ticket. See some new and strange Pokemon. Hopefully ones that have manners, unlike the Pidgeotto here. It's been trained before, so I can't capture it properly - I really need to get to a center to do that. And get a shower. Stupid bird thinks my lap is a good place to put guts it doesn't want to eat."

[Irony]

At the mention of showers, Byrd sniffs his pits then recoils in disgust. Uggh, a shower sounds good. I know how Pokemon can get, but patience is key. Duke, my Elekid, still thinks that shocking me awake is an affectionate way to wake a man up.

The squirming Riolu catches Byrd's eye.

Aww. That lil blue guy's pretty adorable. Looks pretty strong though. He a good battler?

[Ajadea]

Adela grimaces. "Vichi's okay. In a loose sense of the term. I've got a Magikarp that'd probably do better than him in battle, given a good bit of water to work with. Honestly. I pulled it out of the water and it was flopping around everywhere and trying to chase me."

[OrchestraHc]

"Wait! You don't have any money, remember? I"m sorry! I'll still pay for the center. I'll meet you there!" T.J. shouts down the road. How did she still have so much energy through this whole thing?

He turns to the others with a look of defeat on his face. "I-I'm very sorry for wasting your time, Mr. Byrd," he says as he hands back the borrowed pokeball. He finally gets to returning Dancho to his ball as well, when he notices a rather familiar bird. "Hey, is that you?" he asks the bird. "A-Adela, I think I've met your bird before. N-Not that I'm calling dibs or anything! Just saying, i-it's quite the coincidence."

[Ajadea]

"Road's not that long," Adela says dismissively. "Can see why you gave up on the bugger though. Anyways, I'm heading down to the center. The less time I have to deal with this mess, the better." It's not clear whether she's referring to the Pidgeotto or to the guts on her shirt. She begins walking down the road, letting Vichi's paw go. The Riolu quite literally runs circles around his trainer for about a minute before he slows down to a more reasonable pace.

[Bad Situation]

Unfortunately, his own resolve did not necessarily agree with the 'good' doctors at the Pokemon Center. Apparently, the Bibarel had done quite a number on his abdomen, and the only reason he had not collapsed on the spot was that his head injuries had sent him into a state of delirium. A day later and a clean bill of health proved Nathan healthy enough for travel. Thankfully the costs had been taken care of by the Pokemon League, or else he would have very good reason to believe the Center was scabbing him.

Still, the whole situation put him in a bad mood. Another day behind in his journey, all because of the incessant ministrations of the hospital attendants. Though he knew it was being childish, he let his glare linger on the desk nurse for longer than was necessary. Then, as he turned to leave, he was halted by another distraction. This distraction however, he willingly allowed his attention.

In his most level tone he asked, "What are you doing here Sven?"

[BluesEclipse]

Waking up, Gavin quickly goes through his morning preperations, and takes a quick look around the small room to make sure he hasn't forgotten anything. Now then... off to Moira Town. Perhaps I'll find someone capable there, given that they do have one of the main Gyms of the region. Nodding to himself, Gavin grabs his pack, along with the Pokeball that contains Zen, he steps out of the room and makes his way into the main room of the Pokemon Center. As he approaches the counter, he notices the young man from Heartshome, Nathan, speaking with someone else near the door. Hmm... looks like he ran into some trouble himself. Oh, well... Retrieving Lyle and Archon, and sparing a brief thought wishing he had a couple doses of Omni on hand, Gavin heads towards the door, slowing a bit as he nears Nathan and the other man he's speaking with, hoping to catch a bit of their conversation and see if it's anything of relevance.

Spoiler

Show

Yes, Gavin is attempting to eavesdrop on Nathan. Also, Gorgondantess, I still need to know how much the treatment for Pokemon costs, so that I can adjust my funds accordingly.

[Saint Anti]

Standing in the doorway to Nathan's emergency care room in the pokemon center was a tall, 17 year old boy wearing a simple light green shirt, brown pants, and a makeshift backpack made from a wooden box and leather belts. He had medium length white hair which covered his left eye, and he looked tired and worn out, more than he had all those years ago.

"How long has it been, 7 years now? 9? I've lost track."

Sven gave a small, tired smile. Nathan had never seen Sven smile before. Sven wasn't the kind of person who smiled.

"Lots of things have changed, I heard you were hospitalized, and, well, I was on the road since I ran away from home, and... I thought to myself, I really should pay you a visit after all these years." Sven's eye glowed for a brief moment with nostalgia and reminiscence, but after the sweet memory passed his eye once more settled down to usual calm, and weary state. Sven held an unlit cigarette between his middle and index fingers, toying with it in his hand, unsure if he was allowed to smoke in the hospital.

[Bad Situation]

A pleasantly gutted feeling welled up in Nathan's chest, something of a cross between happiness and dread. More than anything he wanted to clap Sven on the back and talk about the old days, but he found that he could not. It had been too long, and there was no telling what his best friend had become in the absence. Would he like this 'new' Sven? Would this new Sven like him? A hitch in his throat kept him from speaking. Instead, he settled on a neutral answer. Sven's sudden appearance made him happier beyond belief, but only time would tell if the feeling would stay. Best to play it safe.

"How are you feeling? Has the traveling been tough on you?"he asked in a clipped tone.

Lord knew it had been tough on him...

[Saint Anti]

"The Traveling?" Sven began, the smile on his face persisted, but his voice carried the same worn out tone. "The Traveling was the easy part, the hard part was leaving everything behind."

Sven's eye darted to the ground for an instant, as he seemed to remember more than a one unpleasant memory.

"Well... not everything. Some things a man just can't part with." Sven took off his makeshift wooden backpack, and unloaded its contents onto the floor. Among the clamor of falling metallic parts and assorted gizmos, was a mechanical arm.

"I did bring this thing with me. Made it out of my own design, I didn't have the heart to just leave it behind." Sven's mind was all over the place. He wanted to get acquainted with his old friend again, but they had grown distant after such a long time, and it was awkward to find the right words to say to him. Sven's smile had left his face.

"Do you still like steel types?"

Sven had hoped at least that hasn't changed.

[Bad Situation]

He had actually remembered. Though, having an annoying friend who would gush about Pokemon at every opportunity was probably difficult to forget. It touched him, so much in fact, that it almost made him regret his next statement.

"Yes. Statistics have shown that steel types hold a considerable edge in league tournaments. Only good trainers know how to effectively counter them, and only the best know how to utilize them to utmost efficiency."

Nathan pushed up his glasses for emphasis. He had learned early on in school that his spazzing out over Pokemon made him a prime target for teasing and bullying. So he had learned to adapt. Hopefully Sven would understand. Friend's did that sort of thing right?

[Irony]

Byrd starts walking and looks on quizzically. Hey, TJ and Adela ? Would either of you care to travel together? Safety in numbers you know. Plus, I could use a little outside input with my project; some experience with other trainers from this region would be helpful.

[OrchestraHc]

"I-I wouldn't mind a traveling partner," T.J. answers, following the two, "that is, if you don't mind me squaring everything away with that girl first. What exactly is your project?

[Saint Anti]

Sven let out a small sigh of relief.

"He still hasn't changed, atleast, not by much." Sven thought to himself. Sven picked up the pokeball on the floor, which he had dumped carelessly out of his backpack but a few moment earlier along with the rest of his inventory, and released the Metang inside. "Then you might like this pokemon."

The Metang didn't let out an audible noise, but instead floated and examined the room carefully, for a moment it seemed afraid of something, but soon the fear passed and it looked over at Nathan.

"I got him right when I moved away, but he's just recently evolved. I'm not an experienced trainer, atleast not yet, just take a look at him for me and tell me whatever you can figure out."

[Bad Situation]

This was not happening. Or rather, he could not believe that it was happening. The Steel/Psychic Pokemon floated in place, almost as if it were mocking Nathan's lack of a pseudo-legendary. He had waved the researcher's Larvitar capture as a fluke, he didn't like Rock-types anyway. But now, here was his best (maybe) friend, with one of his favorite Pokemon. A longing sensation bubbled inside his stomach. Most would call the feeling 'jealousy' which was preposterous; Nathan Frost did not get jealous.

It took a considerable amount of effort to prevent from spazzing out on the spot. But there wasn't time for that, he could pat himself on the back for his restraint another time. There was work to be done. In a flash of movement he grabbed Sven roughly by the shoulders and asked in strained voice, "Do you know how rare and popular those things are?"

[BluesEclipse]

Lingering nearby, Gavin raises an eyebrow at the Metang that Nathan's acquaintance releases. I can only wonder where he acquired that... it's certainly a decent Pokemon to have. As he sees Nathan's reaction, his other eyebrow raises as he watches, moving a bit closer to get a better look at the hovering Pokemon himself - and to better hear what's said between the two other trainers.

[Saint Anti]

Sven was taken aback for a moment from his friends sudden reaction to his Metang. "Oh... no, no not really."

"He must have been worth a lot though, that much I knew, my father was overjoyed the day he brought him home from his usual gambling spot."

For once, it looked like his father had realized the worth of something close to him. Sven was glad, it means his Pokemon wasn't a dud.

"Why is it so rare and valuable then?" Sven asked, feeling a tinge of curiosity.

The Metang floated through the room, suspiciously eyeing Nathan and even his owner Sven with cold eyes.

[Bad Situation]

Nathan wanted to bury his face in the palms of his hands, but he settled for openly balking instead. Still, he was not entirely surprised by Sven's ignorance on such matters. As a child Sven had never displayed much interest in Pokemon, an indifference that had likely carried its way to young adulthood. However, he also knew that Sven was undoubtedly lucky, and if he played his cards he could make that luck pay dividends. "Simply put, Metagross are very powerful competetive battlers."

Keeping his expression guarded, Nathan pushed his agenda further, "I was actually heading out to catch one myself. Would you like to accompany me Sven?"

[Gorgondantess]

A week passes.

Gavin:
You make your way over to Moira town, a quaint little place at the edge of the forest. While it is essentially the logging equivalent of Axelo, it also has a lot more, other travel going through; a Badge gym is there, lots of good areas to catch pokemon (forests, plains, hills, mountains), and some world-famous hiking trails just across the road. The forests really are magnificent, all sorts of green trees creating a lush canopy overhead, cracks in the leaves flecking the ground with spots of sunlight.
You've found the trainers on the way here... mediocre at best. Moira tends to be a setting-off point for most, so things like metapod, taillow, bidoofs and the like abound. Still, it's been difficult with the pokemon you have- a very young abra and a violent, dangerous aerodactyl, specifically- and there have been enough bad slips and talented trainers that you've lost a good handful of battles. For example, against the trainer who just trounced you.
He's a young man- tall and lean, but judging by the sparseness of the red stubble on his chin, no more than 16 or 17. You looked forward to wiping the smirk off his face when he challenged you, but it proved to be well earned: his magmar was able to bring down even the mighty Archon, and though you were able to bring it down with your larvitar, when he responded with an empoleon (as well as a pokemon still in reserve!) you decided it would be best to surrender.
Through the battle, you noticed that his magmar used multiple moves that must've been learned through expensive TMs, and that each of his pokeballs are of obviously custom make (not Rocket, though). Still, he only has three pokemon, so he must not be too experienced- probably got his money from some sort of inheritance. It's certainly given him an edge, at the very least.
He shakes your hand after the battle, smiling a broad grin. "Keep your change- battling an Aerodactyl was reward enough for me. I must admit, you had me worried there a moment- I thought my magmar might not cut it!"
A Kantonese accent- old money. He'd be good help, if he decided to come with you, but you have the feeling that he wouldn't care much for a simple money payment.

Spoiler

Show

You've earned 1,500 poke over the week (win a few, lose a few) and have 10,000 xp to divide among your pokemon. You must level up each pokemon at least twice. Currently, Archon is usable, but has a small chance to disobey orders or act as if it has lower speed each round, due to its wild nature.
You gain a leaf stone from radiate stone, a bug gem (single use, held item, increases damage of the next bug attack used by 50%), and a water shard (3 makes a water stone). Do note a week has passed, so you can use radiate stone again.
Also, do you remember the sum I was going to add to the recruitment fund?

Adela:
You manage to get the pidgeotto well and captured, at the pokemon center.
It takes a couple hours of dealing with its squawking and stubbornness, but it gets done, and it is yours.
So that's your team.
Vichi, who gets stronger every battle. Also more cocky and willful than ever, with the strength to go with it.
And then you have a killer magikarp, and now a killer pidgeotto!
Never a dull moment with this team, but you can't argue with the results: you win more often than not, and against some pretty competent trainers. Still, none of your pokemon seem to want to get along with each other: the pidgeotto thinks the others are food, and Vichi isn't particularly fond of Bane (for likely obvious reasons).
It's been rather difficult to train Bane, anyways. He's not exactly the best fighter, and when it comes to land battles... well, the term "fish out of water" resounds. Sure, he's won a few matches, but most of the time you've had to bring in one of your other pokemon to mop up after him, and finding a body of water where he can shine has been difficult. Despite all this, he should be well and ready to evolve- he's large enough, and he's even started to grow teeth. Still, it's not happened.
Though this might be promising. While hiking in the mountains, you were directed to something of an underground lake in the range's labyrinthine cavern system. You have a good lantern, but you're deep enough that there is absolutely NO light from above, and you start wondering just how long the battery life on these things is good for.
The lake before you is huge- you can't see across to the other side, and probably can't even see halfway, either.
It's still, and quiet. You might be able to find some pokemon in this lake to train Bane, but you also might find some to give a light snack.

Spoiler

Show

You get 8,000 xp to divide among your pokemon, and 3,500 poke. You must raise each of your pokemon's levels by at least 1.

Your pidgeotto:
Female, Ability Keen Eye, Jolly Nature, level 23, +2 to Attack and +1 to Speed due to vitamins.
TMs: Fly.
Tutor Moves: Pursuit.

Your Magikarp learns Bite.

TJ, Nathan, & Sven: I'll get to ya.

[BluesEclipse]

Despite the loss, a smile finds its way onto Gavin's face as he shakes his opponent's hand. "Indeed, Archon is truly a magnificent specimen - and fortunately, more cooperative now than he was when I first captured him. He hasn't tried eating me again recently, at any rate. And your own Pokemon are certainly impressive as well... I do find myself wondering what you held back, given the quality of the ones you used in the battle." Releasing the man's hand, he thinks to himself, This fellow seems capable enough... and if I'm right, he's the sort who would savor the challenge as opposed to simply seeking pay. Perhaps he can be convinced to join my cause... His face adopting a more serious expression, though the smile not vanishing completely, Gavin says, "I will say, though... you seem like the sort of individual who has both skill and a good head on his shoulders... just the kind who might be able to aid me in my own endeavors. You see, I'm trying to form a team for an expedition to study the ruins found in the deserts here... I've heard rumors of fossils, remnants of as-of-yet undiscovered Pokemon species having been sighted there, and intend to see what I can find there. Perhaps you'd care to assist?"

[Ajadea]

Adela eyes the lake. The last two days had given that old saying about people biting the hand that fed them new meaning. A lot of new meaning, actually. Mostly empirical. She knew that when babies were getting their first teeth, they began chewing on everything. She hadn't, however, quite realized that that might apply to teething Magikarp as well.

And then there was the bit where Screech (she hadn't been in a particularly inventive mood that day, and now the dumb bird wouldn't answer to anything else) still seemed to consider the other two a good snack. Vichi seemed to be infused with a boundless energy and an equally boundless appetite at all times, though that was hardly news.

All the same, it was amazing. Every few feet seemed to have another scenic view or another new thing to ogle (and keep her hungry Pokemon from consuming). And, she reflected, pretty rewarding too. The majority of trainers here seemed to be either searching for Rock-type Pokemon or training their newfound acquisitions of that type. Given that most of them had no clue what a Riolu was, that made it very easy for her to train Vichi.

And now here she was, underground, in front of an eerily still lake. For once, she was alone. Vichi had pretty much freaked out once the natural light was gone, and so sat in his pokeball for now. And at the moment, there were no Zubats around. Small mercies.

She picks up a rock and tosses it into the lake. Given how much time she had spent training Bane, she had no desire to feed it to the local Pokemon. If something large and hungry woke up, she'd keep her Pokemon. If something smaller did, she'd have a good target for Bane to bite (other than her fingers).

[Gorgondantess]

Nathan:
You make the uneventful trip towards Moira town. Trainers and pokemon alike are few and far between, and those that can be found are pretty subpar.
Of course, this works out as some excellent training for Simon.
While there, you manage to trounce just about every trainer, you meet, save for one or two who simply have more money and experience than you- high tier, evolved pokemon. These are mainly those challenging the local gym leader, who has a special, more involved method of attaining a badge than most, and so allows only those who have already gained at least one badge to challenge him.
After exhausting the local trainers, you turn your sights toward the surrounding forests: pokemon abound in that area. Just metapods and the like, primarily, though you hear tell of stronger sorts- misdreavus, yanma, gligar... scyther.
You were about ready to head back to Moira town after one weedle sting too many, and no pokemon of note, when you noticed a rustling in the canopy above you.
There it was- long, curved blades, sleek, aerodynamic form and all. It stared at you for a moment, having been noticed, and then immediately darted off through the trees.
Naturally, you followed in hot pursuit.
It hopped from branch to branch, agile, but it didn't seem to be exactly comfortable with such a mode of locomotion- gripping on tight to each branch, and hesitating between jumps.
The trees begin to clear out, and within a minute of pursuit you come to a sizable clearing- the trees give way to a field, likely near the edge of the forest, into Rapid Plains. The scyther leaps out of the trees, into the tall grass... and disappears.
The breeze rustles the grass. A taillow hops about, pecking at seeds. And the scyther is nowhere to be seen.

Spoiler

Show

You gain 7,500 xp to divide among your pokemon, and 5,000 poke from training.

TJ:
When you arrive to Axelo, the girl is nowhere to be found. You ask the nurse at the pokemon center, and she says yes, a girl in a straw hat did come in to have an abra treated for some minor injuries, no, it wasn't in a pokeball, very strange, and yes, she had money to pay for the treatment, and even buy a super potion.
And of course she did, as you later find out the cash she thrust at you, that you pocketed, was primarily small bills, and only came to about 50 poke. Small bills that you certainly didn't offer up before.
You pause a moment to let this all sink in, and come to the only logical conclusion.
The mines aren't exactly welcoming, at least towards casual trainers. Sure, they're okay if you want to clear out some of the zubats, geodude, roggenrola, other super common, weak pokemon, etc. in the higher levels... but they don't advise going into the lower levels that REALLY need clearing out unless you have a few badges under your belt- a golbat bite is going to be the least of your worries down there.

Spoiler

Show

If you want to catch one of these super common cave pokemon, just give me the word and we'll work it out.

You make your way over to Moira town. It's relatively uneventful, but you manage to battle a few trainers along the way successfully.
You spend a couple days exploring Moira town. Most of the pokemon in the immediate vicinity have been scared away by the logging operations, though, and a good portion of the trainers here are well above your level, those with badges challenging the gym leader. So, times got a little unproductive.
One evening, while you're resting at the pokemon center, there's a bustle at the door. About a dozen boys all enter the center at once, all young (none over the age of 18, and many no older than TJ), loud, and boisterous- and all trainers judging by the pokeballs they carry. You've heard about these- groups of young trainers who band up to travel and train together, really just to always have a like-minded training partner handy, and company on the long road to become a pokemon champion.
One of the boys- the tallest by far, likely 17 or 18, heads straight over to the nurse's station and has the boys all file up to turn in their weary pokemon. He helps the nurse keep things organized, though ignores her repeated attempts to get him to put out his cigarette. He seems to be something of a leader of these boys- they all listen to him, and silence themselves to hear his laconic orders.
While you're watching this, one of the older ones on the sidelines breaks off towards you. He seems much less relaxed than the other boy... but then again, that one is about as relaxed as a person can be. This one isn't tense, or anything, just high energy. He strides over to your position, extending a friendly hand. "Hey there, kid! The name's Jack. Where you from?"

Spoiler

Show

You gain 7,000 xp from training to divide amongst your pokemon, and 1,500 poke.

[OrchestraHc]

It had been a weird start to T.J.'s journey. First Eclectics, then a scam artist. That would have been enough to turn anyone off training, but there was a weird way about it all turned out that kept him going. His meeting with Eclectics had given him Big Dipper, his real power house. The scam artist cost him some money, but he took that as a lesson in his naivety. He had to learn to balance his kindness with common sense, to not let the experience turn him suspicious when interacting with everyone. It's at least worth noting, he has no intention of being so nice to her to the next time they meet. He would have harsh words for the girl if they ever met again. But speaking of interaction...

"H-hi. I'm Timothy, but I prefer T.J." he said to Jack. "I'm from Heartshome. It's, um, nice to meet you." A bit awkward as always, he stuck out his hand for a shake.

[Gorgondantess]

Sven:
You break off from Nathan, not really in the mood to go on a long adventure. You'll catch up with him. Eventually.
You spend a while in town, checking out the mines, drawing stuff. You're tolerated by the miners, so long as you stay out of the way... barely. They don't really like people who don't pull their weight around here.
So, the same day you volunteer your services to the mine. You're not much of a worker, even with the mechanical arm... but your metang is, and so soon enough it's doing all the work, while you observe, drawing sketches mainly- of the people, the supports, the lifts and machinery and such, as well as some pokemon. After such close study, and working with all of it, you feel you have a greater understand of mining structures and machinery.
You end up catching a roggenrola during this time, but aside from things like zubats and geodudes, most pokemon aren't seen much- just the extremely common ones around caves. All others are captured, inadvertently killed by the mining operations, or simply scared off.
One day, though, during your break you start wandering around while you're sketching, and you come to a part of the mine you've never gone in before. It seems to be mostly abandoned, though still lit. You're about to head back when you notice a joltik sitting on a boulder. The joltik sees you and, scared, scurries off into a small offshoot of the cave.

Spoiler

Show

Metang, rather than gaining experience, learns Rock Smash & Strength. You get a level 6 roggenrola- male, Relaxed nature, no egg moves. It'll cost you the price of 2 pokeballs.
Meanwhile, you're paid 10,000 poke for your services- minus 200 a night at the pokemon center, and 600 for the two pokeballs, it comes to 8,000. You can retroactively spend that on equipment.
Finally, for the purposes of the Watcher advanced class, you may qualify for it with Charisma 16, and all class features will function off your Charisma score.

[Bad Situation]

And just like in every other aspect of his adventure so far, Nathan found himself standing in the middle of nowhere, scratched, scraped and with nothing to show for it. But unlike his first few encounters with the wilderness, he was actually enjoying himself. Well, enjoying the dirt and danger as best as one could given the circumstances. The talk with Sven helped him set some priorities, and reaffirm his stance on Pokemon training. It ...hurt when Sven announced his decision to stay behind but Nathan couldn't bring himself to hate him for it. Sven had his own life, and he had his own.

Simon and Ender were growing at quite a clip, powerful enough to challenge the next gym with a little luck (and a large amount of skill). It irked him somewhat that Moira Town had such strange challenge requirements but he paid it no mind. He would simply gather information about a more suitable gym for his Pokemon and return to Moira Town at a later date.

Nathan continued toward the town with a renewed vigor, making plans to stop and relax in the town before setting off again. After he obtained his information of course.

[Gorgondantess]

Gavin:
The boy smiles, and shrugs. "Just a raichu. My first, though she's been lagging behind lately. I really should train her more, but I've had to focus on my other for this next challenge..."
He shrugs again, and smiles.
"It sounds like it may well be quite challenging with my current team."
Of course- Laura Tierra, the gym leader of Sandberg, is a specialist with desert pokemon- primarily, ground types. With a steel type, a fire type, and an electric type, it'll be a risky bet, to say the least. Even if the empoleon is packing water type moves, one wrong turn may well end him.
He narrows his eyes at your proposition.
"I'll admit, I am heading towards Sandberg... but I'm not in the business of charity here. What's in it for me?"

Adela:
As soon as the rock plops into the water, something thin and grey surfaces, snatching at it, and promptly returning to the bleak depths. It's quick, though, and difficult to make out details here- but it almost looks like it might've been the spine of a dratini! The colors match, and the general shape. You may well have come here to train, and instead have found a rare find- after all, it's said the dratini were hunted out of the lakes here years ago.

Nathan:
You go back to Moira town, heading to the public library (once you catch a quick shower at the center, of course).
You jump on a terminal, and go to the Pokemon League website. Instantly you're bombarded with ads- some for new series on the Pokemon World channel (Mewtwo: the Walking Disaster [a documentary on the great legendary pokemon, likely a bunch of theories and fluff and no real information], Battling with Ancients: Omastar and Omanyte [a part of the ongoing Battling with Ancients program, focusing on a different pair of fossil pokemon every time]), new products (Omni: Unlock Everything, a new product from E.N.K.A. [the company that's the largest seller and designer of pokemon TMs, HMs and vitamins], just click on this handy link for a video primer, preorder now and in small letters at the bottom A subsidiary of Rocket, inc., as well as the steep preorder price 50,000 poke), and others of the like. It takes you a few minutes of slogging through corporate morass to get to the information you seek.
The badge town, going by routes, is Sandberg. It's an outback town, lots of rangers and country folk, and not much city at all. The leader there is Laura Tierra, the desert queen, who is as fierce as the blinding sun and blah blah blah. She focuses on pokemon found in the desert, primarily ground types (hippowdon, sandslash and the like), but she utilizes others as well (steelix, cacturne, etc.). It's a safe bet to NOT use electric or fire types against her. Or anything else that would be KO'd by one earthquake. At the same time, though, she has enough variety that she should be able to provide an advantageous type to any comer.
The closest badge town as the murkrow flies, meanwhile, is Platinum Valley. It's about half the distance that Sandberg is, but all through Ao Forest (going through routes or plains instead adds a good amount of distance). Ironically, despite this wild route, Platinum Valley is much more metropolitan than Sandberg, a small but urban city with the highest density of technology of anywhere in Aschen. The leader there is Wayne Brenson, who has a sort of technological theme. He was a part of the team that designed the disk to evolve Porygon 2 into Porygon Z, and uses all three of that line, as well as plenty of steel types- Magnezone, Metagross, etcetera.

[Ajadea]

Adela inhales sharply. Well, that was something she didn't want Bane to mangle horribly. She'd thought that all there would be down here were tentacools and clamperls and other such things. She errs on the side of caution, however, and throws another rock or two in the water. There were white-and-blue fins on Gyarados, too, after all... and Bane was nowhere near capable of fighting one of his evolutions.

Besides, she wanted to get a better look at that thing.