The Hayle Region (IC)

[CosmicOccurence]

"It was nothing," Marcus mutters, a little embarrassed by all the attention following his rescue. Either way, Marcus spends a little more time with the miners that night, more to make sure nothing else came out of the mines than anything, and also to give his team a chance to rest up a bit since half of them had been more than a little injured in the previous battle. The next morning (after a short bout of training) Marcus thanks the miner that handed him the note one last time before making his way on to Thousand Acres.

On the way, Marcus lets out both Gelver and Quicksilver, looking over the newly evolved Froakie with more than a little pride. Only this far in his journey and he was already getting his Pokemon to evolve? He was doing just fine so far.

"Good job buddy," he says, still a little awkward with the whole congratulating his Pokemon thing. "On evolving and all that. I'll help," he says, less than enthused for Gelver's reaction to his awkward praise before turning to Quicksilver.

"So now that we're no longer in a mine with evil Digletts everywhere, mind telling me what exactly you are?"

I'm a Sneseal of course it said with a wry grin. A talking Sneseal sure, but a Sneseal nevertheless. My birthing process was ... well let's just call it nontraditional, so I'm a bit wonky in the head. Sorry about the whole failing-to-sneak-up-on-the-Dugtrio thing. Usually my prey doesn't have three sets of eyes. Hard to be sneaky when they can look all around them at once.

The weasal pokemon plopped on the ground, chewing on a piece of grass, his demeanor becoming more serious. That probably wasn't the answer you were looking for though. Look, I can't tell you much, but I can tell you this. My parentage means that I'll be more powerful than your average pokemon, and I'm here to help you achieve your goals. Consider me a particularly insolent partner in crime or something.

I am curious why I ended up paired with you though. What's your endgame? What are you working towards? The master plan? I'm a fan of political revolution myself, but if you're not into that I'm cool doing economic espionage too.

[CosmicOccurence]

Adam spends most the the trip back talking with the young ralts; both to teach him the ground rules he'd have to follow in towns as part of their little 'pack', as well as simply learning how to best handle the psychic pokemon. It was a rough learning curve to say the least, trying to find just how to properly communicate with a pokemon that was so eloquent; yet wasn't quite at the human level, almost like dealing with a preschoolers in some ways. He just hoped he learned fast enough to do a good job training him. By the time they'd reached the trio had settled on Milo for their newest members name, and had gone over the basics of battling and the sort of things they'd be doing together.

With cash in hand the boy made a quick stop at a pokemart, spending 2000 poke on assorted medicine and traveling goods in preparation for his journey tomorrow, before finally taking his pokemon to the Center; taking the opportunity to officially register Milo, and get both his mon a clean bill of health, before waiting for Niles at the front of the Pokemon Center just he'd promised.

Spoiler

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Query: Do Flashlights fall under 'assorted camping goods we're assumed to have' or do I actually have to buy one/borrow one from my house?

Spoiler

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Flashlight you're going to have to buy since seeing in the dark is a distinct advantage in some cases, especially if you don't have darkvision mons.

Hey Niles said, I hope training went well. If you caught a new pokemon, I'd love to have a 1v1 with just our new captures. Since our starters already have some experience, this could be a good opportunity to get some experience working with a pokemon we are less familiar with.

[CosmicOccurence]

Dominic got fully dressed before coming out of the tent, yawning unusually loudly due to his disturbed sleep. Seeing the group talking about the girl from last night, he feels kind of guilty, but doesn't say anything. Whatever was going on with that girl, she was going to get hers one day. He didn't need to provoke it. It was enough to have beaten her and rescued Deadshot. Speaking of which... he needed to have a talk with the cacnea, but when there were less people around for sure.

That being said, there wasn't much really to go on about this early. Feeding his pokemon, training them, and taking whatever Arlo happened to find. The rest of the trip was, in his own changed opinion, blessedly quiet. Even Arlo seemed more mellowed out by what had happened and Dominic didn't tell Deadshot that he'd almost been poke-napped.

Spoiler

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I don't know how many days are left, so... babyfood, training and pickup rolls will have to wait until I discover such things!

It was another six days before you reached Central, though thankfully you only had to spend one more day in the desert before you emerged into a slowly grassier environment. Heck, you even crossed a few rivers. Outside of its titular water supply, Hidden Oasis didn't have any sort of natural water supply, let alone moving water.

You caught sight of the city the day before you arrived, a halo of light on the horizon during the middle of the night that turned into a silhouette of massive skyscrapers as the sun rose and you approached the city. Central was massive. All of Hidden Oasis could fit into one of the residential districts, of which there were eighteen. Houses were rare, especially in poorer areas, and most people lived in apartment complexes in District Four, where you entered.

The Ironwalls dropped the group off at a Pokemon Center near a tram station that could take you to most parts of the city. Things seemed a bit more normal in this area of town, as it looked like a fairly normal suburban, and there was an upbeat atmosphere as people walked around in clothing that seemed more fashion forward than you'd ever seen at the Oasis. Of course, they didn't have to worry about a spontaneous sandstorm, so they had a few more options as far as clothing went.

The pokemon center had maps of the city, locating tourist attractions, shopping malls, and a variety of other places of interest. It seemed that the gym was located in the Varro District, at the edge of complexes of the massive corporation. However, there was so much more to do in Central than just a gym. Heck, it even had an entire theme park tucked away in a portion of the city.

[Prehysterical]

You got back to the pokemon center at around noon, and found Horan easily. He was out of hospital care now and was sleeping in a room just like all the other trainers.

It would not be proper for Angus to disturb the young man while he slept. Angus props the spear in the corner of the room and takes a blank note from the desk. He writes a note saying:

Spoiler: Note

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Horan,

I fear that this city is no place for me. I need to see the grey stone of mountains, the green tops of trees... I cannot stay here.

I'm heading down to the departure point to meet up with the Ironwalls. My plan is to head to Thousand Acres. The open fields and smell of crops will be a welcome change from the smog and towers of steel in this place.

I am sorry to not say goodbye personally, but I did not wish to disturb your rest. I hope this spear will help you in your quest, whatever it may be. Gods be with you, Horan.

Angus

Leaving the note at the foot of Horan's bed, Angus departs. After asking the nurse for a recommendation, Angus heads down to somewhere where he can grab a bite to eat before continuing. His stomach growls as it reminds him that it had not touched food since yesterday. "Do you not eat, Gauntlet? I know that Gladia doesn't and you're a golem, but... This is all very new to me."

[Regalus]

Spoiler

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Flashlight you're going to have to buy since seeing in the dark is a distinct advantage in some cases, especially if you don't have darkvision mons.

Hey Niles said, I hope training went well. If you caught a new pokemon, I'd love to have a 1v1 with just our new captures. Since our starters already have some experience, this could be a good opportunity to get some experience working with a pokemon we are less familiar with.

"That's perfect! Yeah, I actually had a little guy join me today; so this should be great for both of them!" Adam agreed excitedly, "so were do ya wanna have the match?"

[Jacior]

Dominic is a little cowed by it all. It was even bigger than he remembered it being. And it was so much cooler. He was glad for what he was wearing. He might have actually shivered if he wasn't. But the sheer size of the place was what really awed him. He was glad that he'd gotten a map from the pokemon center... cause he'd be lost in a minute without it. Arlo seemed similarly shocked, hanging from the top of Dominic's head and looking at the huge new world they'd entered. It was enough to make Dominic doubt for a second if he could really become Champion. So many people... there had to be ones who were better than him out here.

"Ok, lets go find that place where we can get this fossil turned back into a pokemon!" He says to Arlo, only sounding a little shaky. Looking at the map, he tried to figure out where exactly that was supposed to be and heads there.

[Arcran]

"How the hell do you even know what espionage is? You're what, a day old? You shouldn't even be able to talk, much less understanding complex ideas," Marcus states, his confusion obvious. "And espionage? Political revolution? I just want a position at the Academy. I'm not trying to take anything over," Marcus adds at the end, a tinge of fear sneaking into his voice. What exactly had he been paired up with?

[CosmicOccurence]

It would not be proper for Angus to disturb the young man while he slept. Angus props the spear in the corner of the room and takes a blank note from the desk. He writes a note saying:

Spoiler: Note

Show

Horan,

I fear that this city is no place for me. I need to see the grey stone of mountains, the green tops of trees... I cannot stay here.

I'm heading down to the departure point to meet up with the Ironwalls. My plan is to head to Thousand Acres. The open fields and smell of crops will be a welcome change from the smog and towers of steel in this place.

I am sorry to not say goodbye personally, but I did not wish to disturb your rest. I hope this spear will help you in your quest, whatever it may be. Gods be with you, Horan.

Angus

Leaving the note at the foot of Horan's bed, Angus departs. After asking the nurse for a recommendation, Angus heads down to somewhere where he can grab a bite to eat before continuing. His stomach growls as it reminds him that it had not touched food since yesterday. "Do you not eat, Gauntlet? I know that Gladia doesn't and you're a golem, but... This is all very new to me."

Golems do not require food Gauntlet said as you passed several food stalls. While sentient, we technically do not live in the same way as you, and we have no biological processes. In that manner, we were created to be the perfect workers, servants, and warriors for our creators.

As you walked down a street with various storefronts for quick meals, you noticed an advert for the train that travelled to and from Thousand Acres Ranch. It only cost 200 and got you to the destination in a day, as opposed to the week it would take you if you went on foot.

[CosmicOccurence]

"That's perfect! Yeah, I actually had a little guy join me today; so this should be great for both of them!" Adam agreed excitedly, "so were do ya wanna have the match?"

Niles took you to a spot on the edge of town, where he released a small pokemon. It was small and cream colored, with what seemed to be a large coin attached to its head.

I'm ready when you are Niles said. So long as we stay out of people's hair, we can go crazy, though our pokemon aren't really powerful enough to go crazy yet.

Spoiler

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Meowth Speed 15

I don't think we'll need a map for this

[CosmicOccurence]

Dominic is a little cowed by it all. It was even bigger than he remembered it being. And it was so much cooler. He was glad for what he was wearing. He might have actually shivered if he wasn't. But the sheer size of the place was what really awed him. He was glad that he'd gotten a map from the pokemon center... cause he'd be lost in a minute without it. Arlo seemed similarly shocked, hanging from the top of Dominic's head and looking at the huge new world they'd entered. It was enough to make Dominic doubt for a second if he could really become Champion. So many people... there had to be ones who were better than him out here.

"Ok, lets go find that place where we can get this fossil turned back into a pokemon!" He says to Arlo, only sounding a little shaky. Looking at the map, he tried to figure out where exactly that was supposed to be and heads there.

It took you a while, but eventually in one of the directories you saw that there was an Ancient Life Laboratory on the edge of the Varro Corporation's research and development division. It put out an ad that it could revive pokemon. It likely wouldn't be free, but it seemed like a place to start.

[CosmicOccurence]

"How the hell do you even know what espionage is? You're what, a day old? You shouldn't even be able to talk, much less understanding complex ideas," Marcus states, his confusion obvious. "And espionage? Political revolution? I just want a position at the Academy. I'm not trying to take anything over," Marcus adds at the end, a tinge of fear sneaking into his voice. What exactly had he been paired up with?

Well, this isn't exactly the first time that I've been born you see. I lived for a while after the fall of the Zahaard Empire. It must have been, what, 977 years ago when I died the first time. Anyways, my first trainer was an assassin that went by the name of Horokuei. We had a lot of fun together. Anyways, we were killed by some chick by the name of Zorra that used a pretty monstrous Delphox. I must say its weird not being a Weavile anymore, but I'm digging this whole ice-claw thing. They were not this cool last time. Quicksilver explained all this in a more nonchalant way than might be appropriate, considering it was talking about its own death.

Spoiler

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If you want to make education checks about any of this, go for it. General education for most, although you could also make an Occult check for Zorra

[Jacior]

Dominic didn't worry about the price, Savannah had said she'd taken care of it already after all. Following the map, directories and such, he made his way to the research place.

[Regalus]

"Okay Milo; be careful and do your best alright," he encourages the ralts as it steps away from its training to stand across it's foe with a bit of uncertainty. Thistle all the while cheering his new teammate to victory!

Spoiler

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Milo
*Speed 10
*Evasion 2

MEowth goes first. This is gonna sting n_n

[Prehysterical]

Golems do not require food Gauntlet said as you passed several food stalls. While sentient, we technically do not live in the same way as you, and we have no biological processes. In that manner, we were created to be the perfect workers, servants, and warriors for our creators.

As you walked down a street with various storefronts for quick meals, you noticed an advert for the train that travelled to and from Thousand Acres Ranch. It only cost 200 and got you to the destination in a day, as opposed to the week it would take you if you went on foot.

For a split-second, Angus is tempted to take the train. So much faster... But he shakes himself of his momentary weakness and finds his resolve. You are a knight of Zahaard. The easy way is not always the right way. Besides, he was in no great hurry to get anywhere. Just away from home...

Angus finally stops to try a "cheeseburger", a breaded meat topped with cheese and various vegetables. He's happy to purchase some apple cider to wash it down. After downing his own meal, a thought strikes him. He buys a few various kinds of vegetables before finding a nice, quiet corner somewhere (probably in a park, if there are any nearby). He releases Lamorak from his pokeball and the rock-headed Pokemon shakes his head and stretches his limbs as he is freed from captivity. Wheeling to face Angus, Lamorak glares at him as Angus tries offering various items to him. Carrots, leeks, potatoes... Each is stubbornly refused and both of them start to lose their patience.

Finally, holding the last plant, Angus scowls at him. "You want to hit me, don't you?" Lamorak straightens up, scratching the ground and lowering his head as he snorts. "Well, fine then! I'm right here! Come on!" Lamorak surges forward as Angus braces for impact, ready to finally show this human show strong he could be-

Only for his head to collide with the coconut held in Angus's hands. While the impact causes no damage, the unexpected resistance causes Lamorak to back off just enough for Angus to show him the coconut halves dripping with milk. Sniffing curiously, Lamorak extends a curious tongue into the liquid before sticking his whole face inside the shell and gulping it down. After the milk is gone, his hard beak scrapes off the "meat" inside before he looks up curiously at Angus. Turning around, Lamorak devours the other vegetables before letting out a content belch. Angus gives a small smile at the sight. Not the most noble bearing, but it's a start. As Lamorak lays down to digest, Angus triggers the rune on his worldseed and returns the hardhead to his prison.

With that matter taken care of, Angus starts heading southward. His mind is set on getting out of the city as fast as possible. If he has to take a bus to do it, so be it. But once he was back out in the wilderness, he would be walking from here on out. The thought was more pleasant than one would have thought.

Spoiler: OOC

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Basically, Angus is going to keep on going until something happens.

[CosmicOccurence]

Dominic didn't worry about the price, Savannah had said she'd taken care of it already after all. Following the map, directories and such, he made his way to the research place.

Spoiler

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Totally forgot that Savannah was doing that *thankfully tosses sidequest to make resurrection free into the trash*

It took you a few hours to reach the building you were looking for. The Varro District itself was rather imposing, as the tallest building in town, the Varro Mall, dominated the entire district. After the bus dropped you off, you had to walk down several pristine roads to get to the laboratory that you were looking for. It was tucked away next to a tall, thick wall that seperated most of the Varro District from the rest of the city. In fact, Varro Corp seemed to be a city in and of itself. Employees casually strolled down the street, ate at restaurants, took smoking breaks in the park, and even worked out at a gymnasium that you passed. It seems like working for Varro has its perks.

This building wasn't one of the nicer ones in town. While it was quite large, it desperately needed a new paintjob, and the flowers weren't in bloom as they were around the better kept labs. You were forced to use the visitor entrance in the front, although you did spot a few rather scraggly looking individuals going in and out of side doors.

When you were inside the lab, you were greeted by an empty desk in a waiting room with a clock, a few plants, and some cushioned chairs that had more stains on them than you'd like. You had to ring a bell at the front desk several times before a rather flustered looking girl with frizzy hair greeted you. Her nametag indicated that she was an intern that went by the name of Perry. Sorry for the wait, she said, slightly out of breath. We were just chasing down the ... oh nevermind. How can I help you?

[CosmicOccurence]

"Okay Milo; be careful and do your best alright," he encourages the ralts as it steps away from its training to stand across it's foe with a bit of uncertainty. Thistle all the while cheering his new teammate to victory!

Spoiler

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Milo
*Speed 10
*Evasion 2

MEowth goes first. This is gonna sting n_n

We'll get the quick advantage! Niles cried as his Meowth leapt forwards to slash at the Ralts.

Spoiler

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Scratch AC 2 (1d20)[12]
(2d6+22)[31]

[CosmicOccurence]

For a split-second, Angus is tempted to take the train. So much faster... But he shakes himself of his momentary weakness and finds his resolve. You are a knight of Zahaard. The easy way is not always the right way. Besides, he was in no great hurry to get anywhere. Just away from home...

Angus finally stops to try a "cheeseburger", a breaded meat topped with cheese and various vegetables. He's happy to purchase some apple cider to wash it down. After downing his own meal, a thought strikes him. He buys a few various kinds of vegetables before finding a nice, quiet corner somewhere (probably in a park, if there are any nearby). He releases Lamorak from his pokeball and the rock-headed Pokemon shakes his head and stretches his limbs as he is freed from captivity. Wheeling to face Angus, Lamorak glares at him as Angus tries offering various items to him. Carrots, leeks, potatoes... Each is stubbornly refused and both of them start to lose their patience.

Finally, holding the last plant, Angus scowls at him. "You want to hit me, don't you?" Lamorak straightens up, scratching the ground and lowering his head as he snorts. "Well, fine then! I'm right here! Come on!" Lamorak surges forward as Angus braces for impact, ready to finally show this human show strong he could be-

Only for his head to collide with the coconut held in Angus's hands. While the impact causes no damage, the unexpected resistance causes Lamorak to back off just enough for Angus to show him the coconut halves dripping with milk. Sniffing curiously, Lamorak extends a curious tongue into the liquid before sticking his whole face inside the shell and gulping it down. After the milk is gone, his hard beak scrapes off the "meat" inside before he looks up curiously at Angus. Turning around, Lamorak devours the other vegetables before letting out a content belch. Angus gives a small smile at the sight. Not the most noble bearing, but it's a start. As Lamorak lays down to digest, Angus triggers the rune on his worldseed and returns the hardhead to his prison.

With that matter taken care of, Angus starts heading southward. His mind is set on getting out of the city as fast as possible. If he has to take a bus to do it, so be it. But once he was back out in the wilderness, he would be walking from here on out. The thought was more pleasant than one would have thought.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Basically, Angus is going to keep on going until something happens.

The walk to Thousand Acres Ranch was calm, and the road was well marked and well travelled. Aside from one day of rain, you made good time with a small horde of other trainers who were travelling to Thousand Acres. Most of them talked about challenging the gym as one of their first challenges.

The land was mostly rolling hills, a big change from your rocky homeland. After about four days you started passing through farm fields, miltank pastures, and ranch houses. There were wayfair stations if you wanted to sleep inside, though they charged 50 dollars per night. Wild pokemon were almost unheard of on the trail, aside from the occasional bug type. Even the road was well paved.

It was six days before you arrived at an official welcome center for Thousand Acres, although the map said that the largest settlement, which included the gym, was still two days on. It turns out Thousand Acres was actually a collection of smaller towns, each with their own shops, governments, and quirks. The one you were in now was called Lovendale, while the central settlement went by Osage City. Lovendale seemed to be primarily a ranching town, where the land was less farmable than other places nearby. It also had a flourishing breeder population, as many trainers settled here to raise pokemon to sell or trade to trainers who would take care of them.

[Prehysterical]

Although the terrain is different from home, there is a soothing comfort to be had in simply marching among the green rolling hills. Eventually, Angus is able to relax as he realizes how tame the area is compared to the Claw. He releases Lamorak out of his pokeball, content to let the Pokemon stretch his legs. Lamorak eyes the trainer warily at first, but soon realizes that Angus is not putting him back in immediately. The rockhead takes the time to run around and sniff random plants, so different from the flora he had been used to in the north. By the third day, Lamorak had settled into a comfortable march alongside Angus and Gauntlet. Even Gladia sometimes drifted off of Angus's back to investigate various rocks and trees as they traveled on.

Angus decided against staying in the wayfair stations, instead practicing his foraging and camping techniques. The witch's teachings helped him forage from the surprisingly bountiful countryside and neither he nor Lamorak went hungry. His only complaint was about marching in the rain. I'll have to buy a cloak from someone in the next town. Not good practice to let your armor get wet.

Finally arriving in Lovendale, Angus stops to take a moment to appreciate the scenery. It was obvious that the people here worked by the sweat of their brow, not trusting machines to the task of raising living things. The thought was a comforting one after what he had seen in Central. His stomach gurgles as the smell of something good drifts on the wind. He rubs his stomach and looks down at Lamorak with a grin. "What say we find a place to sit and get some real food? Between trail rations and the fast food from Central, I could use a real meal." Lamorak glares at him, only for his own stomach to gurgle in agreement. He looks down at the ground stubbornly, unable to concede the point. Angus begins looking for a restaurant, preferably one that looks family-run or homey.

[Regalus]

Adam whinced sympatheticly when he saw the strength behind the attack...this was not the best start for little Milo's first match.

"Come on Milo; give'm your best shot!" he cheered on as the ralts focused, wrapping the catscratch pokemon in azure light as it unleashed it's telepathic assault!

Spoiler

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Adam
*Focused COmmand: +1 to Acc, +2 to skill checks

Milo
*HP: 17/45
*Confusion
**AC 2: (1d20+2)[10]; Damage: (2d6+20)[24]
**Confuses on roll of +18.

[CosmicOccurence]

Although the terrain is different from home, there is a soothing comfort to be had in simply marching among the green rolling hills. Eventually, Angus is able to relax as he realizes how tame the area is compared to the Claw. He releases Lamorak out of his pokeball, content to let the Pokemon stretch his legs. Lamorak eyes the trainer warily at first, but soon realizes that Angus is not putting him back in immediately. The rockhead takes the time to run around and sniff random plants, so different from the flora he had been used to in the north. By the third day, Lamorak had settled into a comfortable march alongside Angus and Gauntlet. Even Gladia sometimes drifted off of Angus's back to investigate various rocks and trees as they traveled on.

Angus decided against staying in the wayfair stations, instead practicing his foraging and camping techniques. The witch's teachings helped him forage from the surprisingly bountiful countryside and neither he nor Lamorak went hungry. His only complaint was about marching in the rain. I'll have to buy a cloak from someone in the next town. Not good practice to let your armor get wet.

Finally arriving in Lovendale, Angus stops to take a moment to appreciate the scenery. It was obvious that the people here worked by the sweat of their brow, not trusting machines to the task of raising living things. The thought was a comforting one after what he had seen in Central. His stomach gurgles as the smell of something good drifts on the wind. He rubs his stomach and looks down at Lamorak with a grin. "What say we find a place to sit and get some real food? Between trail rations and the fast food from Central, I could use a real meal." Lamorak glares at him, only for his own stomach to gurgle in agreement. He looks down at the ground stubbornly, unable to concede the point. Angus begins looking for a restaurant, preferably one that looks family-run or homey.

You quickly found a mom & pop place that served traditional Thousand Acres dishes. A host of Torchic ran around out back, guarded by a few Growlithe, and they were serving fried eggs with a sizable chunk of Miltank steak. The food was a bit on the spicy side compared to the blander Pidgey eggs that were served in Zahaard.

The place was pretty crowded, with a bar and a few tables where old men played Kreino, a traditional strategy game of Hayle that dated back hundreds of years. Younger folks were playing billiards and smoking cigarettes. An Oddish sat in a pot by the window, occasionally popping out of the soil to grin at guests before slipping back into the soil.

A teenager about your age flitted between tables taking orders and bringing food. She introduced herself as Jenny when she took your order. She had her hair pulled up in a ponytail, and a couple pokeballs hung on her belt. Her shirt bore two logos, that of the restaurant, and another of a Dragonite carrying a basket of eggs while it flew. Like most people here, she did a double take at the sword on your back, and she kept glancing at you as she was serving guests. Eventually, she asked you a question when she was refilling your water.

Can I ask you something? I get that you're a trainer and that its a dangerous job and everything, but why the sword?

[CosmicOccurence]

Seeing that your pokemon was almost fainted, Niles shouted Good work, finish it!The Meowth leaped forward again, slashing at the Ralts with its calws.

Spoiler

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Scratch (1d20)[2]
(2d6+22)[29]

[Regalus]

Adam's eyes glinted upon witnessing the young ralts narrowly evade the Meowth's furious claws, "Quick, counter!!" the young man exclaimed with great urgency.

Deciding to go along with it, the young ralts began to sing an enchanting melody; causing waves of pink energy to radiate outwards from it, and crash into the meowth as it tried to regain it's footing from the missed attack.

Spoiler

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Ralts
*Disarming Voice
**Disarming Voice cannot miss.
**Damage: (2d6+20)[30] S-Fairy

[CosmicOccurence]

Adam's eyes glinted upon witnessing the young ralts narrowly evade the Meowth's furious claws, "Quick, counter!!" the young man exclaimed with great urgency.

Deciding to go along with it, the young ralts began to sing an enchanting melody; causing waves of pink energy to radiate outwards from it, and crash into the meowth as it tried to regain it's footing from the missed attack.

Spoiler

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Ralts
*Disarming Voice
**Disarming Voice cannot miss.
**Damage: [roll0] S-Fairy

The Meowth crashed to the ground, physically blown backwards by the attack. Niles returned the pokemon, shaking his head. I could have sworn that I had that one in the bag. I guess I'll have to work on my pokemon battling in addition to the capture techniques I've been working on. That was a good battle. I look forward to seeing you again when you make it into Ranger School with me.

After exchanging pokegear numbers and healing up your pokemon, Niles heads off to Stormwrack to apply for Ranger School after challenging Augustus to battle.

[Prehysterical]

You quickly found a mom & pop place that served traditional Thousand Acres dishes. A host of Torchic ran around out back, guarded by a few Growlithe, and they were serving fried eggs with a sizable chunk of Miltank steak. The food was a bit on the spicy side compared to the blander Pidgey eggs that were served in Zahaard.

The place was pretty crowded, with a bar and a few tables where old men played Kreino, a traditional strategy game of Hayle that dated back hundreds of years. Younger folks were playing billiards and smoking cigarettes. An Oddish sat in a pot by the window, occasionally popping out of the soil to grin at guests before slipping back into the soil.

A teenager about your age flitted between tables taking orders and bringing food. She introduced herself as Jenny when she took your order. She had her hair pulled up in a ponytail, and a couple pokeballs hung on her belt. Her shirt bore two logos, that of the restaurant, and another of a Dragonite carrying a basket of eggs while it flew. Like most people here, she did a double take at the sword on your back, and she kept glancing at you as she was serving guests. Eventually, she asked you a question when she was refilling your water.

Can I ask you something? I get that you're a trainer and that its a dangerous job and everything, but why the sword?

Angus's table was both crowded and strange in this place. Gauntlet had scrambled up into a chair and was sitting quietly. Lamorak lay near the legs of the table, quietly snoring on the wood floor with a what's left of a plate of steamed vegetables beside him. Angus himself had laid his shield upon the table in traditional dining custom and dug voraciously into this new food with gusto. After so long without a real meal by a hearth, he deemed it a meal fit for a king.

At Jenny's question, he smiles good-naturedly. "I'm a knight. I wouldn't be a real one without a weapon, would I? But she's not just a sword." Gladia drifts off of Angus's back and regards the girl with her eye, floating above the table. "This is Gladia. She was my first Pokemon. We've been through a lot together, haven't we, girl?" Gladia closes her eye and wags her tassel-tail in agreement.

[Jacior]

Dominic is very much awed at the sights of the city. But... was somehow disappointed by the building for the fossils. It was laskluster compared to the other ones. When the girl came around the corner, he grinned. "I'm here to get my fossil resurrected!" He pulled the big stone out of his backpack, setting the heavy thing on the counter. "... What were you chasing?"

[Regalus]

The Meowth crashed to the ground, physically blown backwards by the attack. Niles returned the pokemon, shaking his head. I could have sworn that I had that one in the bag. I guess I'll have to work on my pokemon battling in addition to the capture techniques I've been working on. That was a good battle. I look forward to seeing you again when you make it into Ranger School with me.

After exchanging pokegear numbers and healing up your pokemon, Niles heads off to Stormwrack to apply for Ranger School after challenging Augustus to battle.

"I did too for a bit; Milo here's just full of surprises," Adam said proudly as after congratulating his newest member and the close win, "See you later man, and best of luck," he added agreeably as the two young trainers parted ways with the promise of meeting each other once more upon the field of their dreams.

With the battle over Adam opted to head back to the Center to get Milo patched up before having a celebratory lunch with his new buddies, and dazzling Milo with some good food. Yes the fight could have gone a bit better, but for his first fight the young ralts had preformed extraordinarily well; and Thistle made sure to make Milo know it. It had been a close match, but now he had a solid grasp on how what to focus Milo's training on. He still wasn't too sure on how best to raise a mon as smart as Milo, but now he was sure he'd be able to do a good job at least.

After lunch the trio would go searching around for more odd jobs and training opportunities; both to get some much needed funds for their journey, get Milo used to being in a city, and to show his two mon around the closest thing he had to a hometown. Oh sure, Thistle had been born and raised in Town but he had barely been allowed outside of the gym. This was just as much for their newest member, as it was for the spiky ball of exuberance; and Adam was determined to make sure the two enjoyed themselves.

Though once it got late enough for the sun to set, he'd be sure to head home with them. They had a big day to plan for tomorrow after all.

Spoiler

Show

CO, how much XP did Milo get for the fight?

[CosmicOccurence]

Angus's table was both crowded and strange in this place. Gauntlet had scrambled up into a chair and was sitting quietly. Lamorak lay near the legs of the table, quietly snoring on the wood floor with a what's left of a plate of steamed vegetables beside him. Angus himself had laid his shield upon the table in traditional dining custom and dug voraciously into this new food with gusto. After so long without a real meal by a hearth, he deemed it a meal fit for a king.

At Jenny's question, he smiles good-naturedly. "I'm a knight. I wouldn't be a real one without a weapon, would I? But she's not just a sword." Gladia drifts off of Angus's back and regards the girl with her eye, floating above the table. "This is Gladia. She was my first Pokemon. We've been through a lot together, haven't we, girl?" Gladia closes her eye and wags her tassel-tail in agreement.

A look of shock passed over Jenny's face, but she quickly turned it into a laugh as Gladia's tassel began to wag. A knight huh she said. Didn't know there were any of those left in the world. I guess the rumors about Zahaard living in the past were true. I'd always assumed people were just yanking our chains. Gullible southerners and everything. Anyways, wereabouts in Thousand Acres were you thinking of heading? Looking for anything in particular down in these parts?

[CosmicOccurence]

Dominic is very much awed at the sights of the city. But... was somehow disappointed by the building for the fossils. It was laskluster compared to the other ones. When the girl came around the corner, he grinned. "I'm here to get my fossil resurrected!" He pulled the big stone out of his backpack, setting the heavy thing on the counter. "... What were you chasing?"

Oh nothing to worry about. A few of the Archen's got loose, and they're kind of a pain to collect now that we've mixed their DNA with Aerodactyl. Those things are fast.

The intern's eyes lit up when you said 'ressurected'. Oh my god, a customer! We haven't had one in ages. People keep deciding to go for cybernetic augmentations instead, so we're about to go out of business. She quickly swiped your trainer card through a machine. The machine took a second to process it, the computer beeping unintelligibly. And it looks like you've been prepaid already. That's weird. Usually we get random explorer types who have a bunch of sand-riddled wallets. Whatever, its above my pay grade to think about things like that. Heck, I don't even have a pay grade. Here. Come on to the back. Its not like anybody else is going to visit anyways.

She flipped up a part of the counter to let you through and led you back through the doorway. After a short hallway, you entered into a large warehouse-like room filled with huge machines. Large generators buzzed softly in a corner, and thick black cords snaked their way toward what must be the reanimation machines. Large drill-like objects with glass tips pointed at beds that were filled with scorch marks, and small wooden rooms with tinted glass sat by each machine, clearly meant to protect viewers from whatever process the reanimation went through.

As the two of you walked into the back room, a bedraggled man with a patchy beard, bald head, and spiky glasses emerged from behind one of the machines panting heavily. He held a net in one hand that had been cut through in many places. You noticed several bird like pokemon up in the rafters.

This is Professor Gneisso Penny said, indicating the man. He's the only person currently working in the field of fossil reanimation professionally. Professor, this is the man that Professor Hawethorne mentioned in her communique

The Professor finally gave you a good look. Suddenly, as if some switch had been flipped in his head he broke into a smile. So you're Dominic. You look just like your ... uhh he paused awkwardly, obviously trying to swallow his words. Your father. Yes that's it. Wonderful man. He and Hawethorne are my two best customers, and I used to go on field missions then when my beard didn't have quite so many grey hairs in it. She's taken care of all the arrangements, so you don't have to worry about a thing. Besides, your father got me out of a few tight spots back in the day. Happy to help his son out, though I still couldn't afford it if Savannah hadn't paid for the whole thing.

[CosmicOccurence]

"I did too for a bit; Milo here's just full of surprises," Adam said proudly as after congratulating his newest member and the close win, "See you later man, and best of luck," he added agreeably as the two young trainers parted ways with the promise of meeting each other once more upon the field of their dreams.

With the battle over Adam opted to head back to the Center to get Milo patched up before having a celebratory lunch with his new buddies, and dazzling Milo with some good food. Yes the fight could have gone a bit better, but for his first fight the young ralts had preformed extraordinarily well; and Thistle made sure to make Milo know it. It had been a close match, but now he had a solid grasp on how what to focus Milo's training on. He still wasn't too sure on how best to raise a mon as smart as Milo, but now he was sure he'd be able to do a good job at least.

After lunch the trio would go searching around for more odd jobs and training opportunities; both to get some much needed funds for their journey, get Milo used to being in a city, and to show his two mon around the closest thing he had to a hometown. Oh sure, Thistle had been born and raised in Town but he had barely been allowed outside of the gym. This was just as much for their newest member, as it was for the spiky ball of exuberance; and Adam was determined to make sure the two enjoyed themselves.

Though once it got late enough for the sun to set, he'd be sure to head home with them. They had a big day to plan for tomorrow after all.

Spoiler

Show

CO, how much XP did Milo get for the fight?

Spoiler

Show

Whoops! 2 Trainer Exp. 18 Pokemon. I don't really have anything more for you to be honest. Feel free to do the whole leaving the first town/venture into the wilds/starting adventure post.

Also, 'clearing' the opening town grants you a trainer level, so have that.

Where are you heading by the way?

[Prehysterical]

A look of shock passed over Jenny's face, but she quickly turned it into a laugh as Gladia's tassel began to wag. A knight huh she said. Didn't know there were any of those left in the world. I guess the rumors about Zahaard living in the past were true. I'd always assumed people were just yanking our chains. Gullible southerners and everything. Anyways, wereabouts in Thousand Acres were you thinking of heading? Looking for anything in particular down in these parts?

"Aye, there's some of us left. Good thing, too, seeing as the countryside up north is apparently rife with bandits stirring up the wild Pokemon. That one down there near sent a cliff tumbling down on our caravan." Lamorak opens his eyes and snorts in annoyance, but eventually closes his eyes and settles as he decides it is not worth getting up over. "As for my destination... None in particular. After the festering pool of filth and smog that Central turned out to be, I decided that I needed to see some honest countryside again. Not so much getting somewhere as... getting away." Angus sighs and his tone becomes wistful as he looks beyond the walls of the restaurant.

"I wonder if I could settle here. Nothing like the solid mountain rock of the Claw or the crisp air of the highlands, but... It does seem really nice here. A place where folk can remember what it was like when Pokemon worked as partners instead of servants. I just long for a hearth where I can find myself at home. Trainers run around all the time, but I've no real desire to go hopping from gym to gym. The only reason I even applied for a trainer's license was so that I could give Gladia a home." He laughs darkly at the irony. "I failed in that respect. I cannot go back to Zahaard, so we just wander aimlessly. Trying to find a new home." Angus comes back down to earth and looks at Jenny as she stands there while he waxes lyrical. "Oh, I'm sorry. You didn't ask for my life story. Very unfair of me to pile that on you." Angus forks another bite of steak into his mouth.