Trog's Tavern CCLI

[Rebonack]

Geneva nods. "It does. It might just not be common knowledge that monsters are sapient. And I think some incarnations of the pokemon universe have pokemon that aren't sapient at all," she admits. "Which might skew things. But because there are some at least with sapient monsters, I think that's enough of a reason to play it safe and just outlaw the use of pokeballs in general."

No doubt the Nexus branch of Silph-Co would be upset by that development.

They like money!

The young woman nods as Fred recounts his recent services, though at the mention of a certain girl's family she perks up immediately. "Wait, her family is fine? As in... family here in the Nexus, or family back in her home universe?"

Because that right there is an important distinction.

Make no mistake.

As for Xun, she gets more pets.

"Way too big, I would prefer not to advertise where I'm doing my work since there are some people in the Nexus who don't like it, and we're using an exotic matter reactor right now that runs off negative-mass annihilation," Geneva rattles off. "It's the only way to get space to bend right."

[Fenric]

Frederick tilts his head

back in her home universe, of course. As long as it has some level of magic, I can usually get at least a bit of information... With someone right there to give me a bearing, usually at least one path gets through.

[Rebonack]

Geneva's expression brightens considerably at that revelation! "I had a friend back home, Dawn Williams. We were exploring an old lab and I couldn't help but fiddle with a teleporter we found. Blew up in my face and I woke up in the Nexus. Ever since then, I've been wondering if she's alright. Do you think you might be able to-"

*WHAM!*

Geneva jumps when a kid, maybe sixteen or so, slams his palms down on her table. He takes a couple steps back and crosses his arms, trying to look cool. "Are you Geneva Fischer?"

The young woman peers at the youth, trying to figure out whether or not she knows him from anywhere. "Yeeeeees...? Is there something I can help you with?"

A smirk slowly grows on the kid's face as he spins his cap around, reaching into his pack and pulling out a weird multi-colored orb with purple dots. "Maybe. I'm just about done filling in my Kanto pokedex."

Before Geneva can reply, the kid hurls the ball to the floor near her feet, causing it to release a thick cloud of purple vapor. Said vapor is utterly harmless. To Freddie's sensitive nose, it'll have a strong herbal scent and nothing more. But to Geneva? Well, she nearly falls over backwards out of her chair, covering her face as her eyes begin watering. Her form begins to pixelate and flicker like a poorly encoded digital movie, revealing her true mew shape below the transformation. After a couple seconds of violent coughing her human disguise gutters out completely.

"Man, the rumor was true," the kid mutters as he pulls out an ultraball. "I've seen dittos try to look human before, but that's something else. Welp! Time to bag number one fifty one! GO AEGISLASH!" the kid yells as he releases a huge possessed sword and shield into battle! The cursed weapon pokemon immediately raises its shield, readying itself to intercept any attacks aimed at it or its master.

Music begins to play...

[WarKitty]

Well that was...surprisingly expected, given that this is Trog's. Xun jumps down off the table, morphing as she does so into a rather large panther, covered in a shimmering force field. She circles around the strange figure cautiously, trying to sniff out how this new magic works as she does so.

[5a Violista]

!

I am reminded that I have a pokémon-style character.

Alaine, the girl who looks reminiscent of a Misdreavus and is clutching a Banette doll in her hands, notices the Pokémon battle. This is so cool! she thinks. It has been a while since she has seen a proper battle, and here's one with a Mew!

She watches the battle. A smile creeps onto her face, in spite of herself.
It may be noteworthy to mention that her feet aren't exactly touching the ground, but it's hard to tell because of how long her dress is, and people who try to look at children's dresses are pretty rare anyways.


There is also another woman present. She, of course, has never participated in a pokémon battle but she has been in a tavern before. She walks into the tavern and takes a deep breath, taking in the intoxicating smells. The sweet scent of smoke, sweat, and vomit can hardly compare with the smell of well-cooked food.

This woman has a sword, but doesn't everybody? She is also wearing a very natural lightweight and thin leaf-cloth armor, probably of necessity. Since that's how things tend to go around here. Its green color goes well with her braided red hair.

She, too, watches the pokémon battle; but it is only briefly. She has more important things to do, such as eating.

[Zefir]

"Devas are beings of flame, serving our god," Fayyaad says. "They take a great many forms. Some say faithful of the Lord of Flame become devas after death, but I don't know if it's true."

"Guess they don't appear in our world." he sais. "Now I'm out of questions."

[Fenric]

Frederick is an Arcane Historian... he studied divination frontwards, backwards, sideways, roundaboutways, inside-out, upside-down, and cartoon.

He has an awful spell. No, not a "terrible, awful spell"... just awful. It's called "perspective". It's not nearly as bad as the "Total Perspective Vortex"... but it's the same general idea. Like it or not, the target gains a full and unquestionable understanding of what they are doing and the reprucussions of those actions.

LEAVE HER ALONE!

And Frederick casts that on the newcomer.

[Morty]

"Guess they don't appear in our world." he sais. "Now I'm out of questions."

"What do you intend to do, then, now that you're here?" Fayyaad asks. "I know being transported into the Nexus can be disorienting."

[Reinholdt]

Flaming hawt humanoid fey form Reinholdt enters the tavern. He ducks around the unusual random encounter going on and heads to the closest bar stool, slumping into place and rapping his knuckle on the bar to catch the waiter's attention. "Rum please. Actually make it two. No wait, leave the bottle. Both of them." That way he can have one for here and one to keep him warm on the way home. He pays the man before shooing him off, diving into his arduous task of drinking this bottle of rum, pocketing the other away for safe keeping.

[Rebonack]

Yep. This is totally a pokemon battle.

The strange possessed sword (and shield) pokemon makes an arcane gesture in Fredrick's general direction, flawlessly blocking the fox-wizard's attack! Freddie will likely be able to tell that it was something akin to a counter-spell. Though considering the pokemon in question probably knows nothing of magic that seems awful sketchy. The trainer waggles a finger at the fox.

"Ah ah ah! No attacking trainers in a pokemon battle," the elite trainer smarms at Fredrick. "This is between me and the mew. But if you're going to insist, I can start breaking rules, too," he adds, gesturing at the other five balls on his belt.

"I'm on the no-catch list you dolt!" Geneva yells at the trainer, finally able to catch her breath. "Just look at your pokedex! I'm off limits, registered with the Inside City Gym."

The kid raises and eyebrow and glances down at his pokegear. "Nope, sorry. Not getting anything on you. No one on this list except a joeykhan named 'Khannie Vallarm'. Nice bluff, though."

Geneva grinds her teeth, "Fortunaaaa..." she growls. Looks like this is going to come down to a fight one way or the other. She focuses her power, manifesting a hemisphere of psionic force between herself and the sword pokemon!

"Smart, buffing up instead of attacking when it would just be blocked by Aegislash's King's Shield. You're going to go great on my team," the trainer boasts as the sword and board pokemon's shield loses its spectral luster.

Geneva raises a little paw, causing a trio of orbs to ignite above her paw. One crackling with lightning, one roiling with flame, and the third shimmering with frost. As she charges the attack, her fur lengthens into a silky tan coat speckled with brown rosettes. Then with a, "KIAH!" she thrusts her paw toward Aegislash, causing a searing beam of flame to scorch the pokemon! Fire licks over it, causing tears of molten steel to plop to the floor with a hiss.

The trainer just... gapes with wide eyes. "Oh. Uh... ouch. Guess she knows Tri-Attack."

[WarKitty]

Xun carefully studies this counterspell ability. For right now she does nothing, but should the ability be used again she'll try to turn it into a simple redirect - preferably onto the trainer.

[Fenric]

Frederick Elteron NorZilliar

The name has certain connotations... and not all of them are pleasant.

I don't know what weird reggae-inspired world your psycho self came from, but I don't feel much hesitation to counter-attacking someone who's after my friends while in Trog's... "mon"

Frederick's eyes glow red and the color drains from his red-brown fur as he goes gently transparent.

To quote one of my best friends: Imma eat you!

It's Spring Attack time! Frederick will drain 2 points of strength on a successful attack.

[Rebonack]

Fredrick leaps on the trainer, who topples over backwards with an angry fox on him! "Oow, what the hell, get off!" the kid yells, reaching into his backpack and pulling out-!

A metal flute!

A really heavy looking metal flute.

He begins flailing at Fredrick with it in a bid to get him to go away. With his other hand, he reaches down to his belt and pulls lose another pokeball, releasing something VERY big and VERY angry.

A bipedal flaming chicken aims to kick Fredrick in the gut! That's gotta hurt. Physically and in terms of pride. Who ever heard of a chicken beating up a fox?

Meanwhile!

Aegislash's blade ignites with spectral energy and swipes at Geneva-!

Passing right through her.

"What the hell!" the trainer yells from under an angry werefox. "She changed her type? SHE HAS PROTEAN!? HOLY **** SHE'S A PROTEAN MEW!"

The possessed sword pokemon begins to raise its shield again, only for said shield to flop off its sash-like arm and flop to the ground thanks to Xun. The sword stares at its fallen protective item.

"Gotta hate those fumbles," Geneva jeers as her fur turns pitch-black and her normally pink rings a neon shade of magenta. Her little grin spreads into a toothy Cheshire cat leer as her normally brightly colored psionic aura is stained with sooty blackness. "And speaking of hate, have a taste of all my loathing for scum like you!" And with a shriek of rage and disgust, she looses a beam of dread darkness that pierces straight through the ghostly sword pokemon, sending it clattering to the ground.

[Zefir]

"What do you intend to do, then, now that you're here?" Fayyaad asks. "I know being transported into the Nexus can be disorienting."

"I don't know." he says and shrugs. "Best I take a look around, maybe I find someone to help me or at least earn some coins if I have to stay here."

[WarKitty]

Xun pounces the chicken, aiming to take it down to the ground. As a rather large panther there's a lot of weight behind said pounce. What kind of magic is this, slaver magic?

[Fenric]

Frederick's breath is quite literally kicked out of him: the kick lifting him into the air and knocking him free of the trainer. Fortunately, having taken on shadow form means that he isn't on death's door with ruptured organs and broken ribs puncturing things... but he's really really sore for a moment before the energy he just drained goes to healing such damage as there was.

But he's out of breath and on his hands and knees, trembling a bit from the shock of the blow and just a trifle incredulous

You called up... a giant... firey... chicken?!

[Morty]

"I don't know." he says and shrugs. "Best I take a look around, maybe I find someone to help me or at least earn some coins if I have to stay here."

"Summoning sounds like a valuable skill, so you shouldn't have trouble with that," Fayyaad says. "Maybe someone can help with your... name problem, too."

[Rebonack]

The giant flaming chicken speeds up.

She does a graceful pirouette, dodging Xun's pounce and aiming to follow up with an axe-kick as the panther streaks past. Given that said axe-kick is also on fire, that would probably hurt. Say no to burning axe kicks!

"Sure did! And she's one of the strongest giant flaming chickens in the world!" the trainer boasts as he shakily rises to his feet again, pulling another ball from his belt. "And since you guys apparently don't feel like following the rules, I guess that means I shouldn't have to follow them either! Go Garchomp!"

A flash of light and a terrifying roar later, a new foe has entered the fray! A massive blue and red monster stands hunched in the tavern, looking for all the world like a cross between a shark, a dinosaur, and a dragon. With a bellowing roar, it fills the tavern (though not the Non-Smoking section, obviously) with a blinding sandstorm! The huge pokemon's colors shift and waver in the swirling vortex of sand, making it difficult to precisely judge its location.

Geneva flinches as the sand grates against her, tearing at her skin and irritating her eyes. "You already know I'm packing Tri-Attack, why would you send out someone who's so weak to ice?" she yells into the storm, causing a trio of elemental orbs to burst into existence around her outstretched paw. She makes a throwing motion toward the dragon pokemon, causing a beam of chilling frost to explode from her limb and-

-completely miss Garchomp.

Now one of the walls of the tavern is rimed in ice.

"Whoops."

[5a Violista]

1: Watching the not-quite Pokémon battle
Alaine, the girl who is watching the battle with her doll, is clearly smiling. Sure, she's getting hit by the Rock-type Sandstorm move, but it's not like it's super-effective, or anything.
"Yes! This is getting exciting," she tells her doll. "Did you see that? That shark is pretty cool. What do you think will happen next?"

Her doll clearly doesn't say anything, because it's a doll. A doll that looks exactly like the Marionette Pokémon, sure, but still a doll.


2: Trying to eat food in the middle of a sandstorm
The woman in green who entered the tavern started eating. Since her food arrived. It's really bothersome to eat with a sandstorm raging on, however. She should find this wild battle more distracting, but she heard it's normal in here. Since it's normal, there's no reason to pay attention to it. It'll eventually go away.

However, she pulls her hood up. The sand was starting to get in her hair and down her neck and into her shirt. Very irritating. At least the hood will keep it out so she can eat.


3: Having a pleasant conversation with Ethriel
Kamaria nods. "Okay," she says. If it's best not to ask about it, then it's best not to ask about it. "I'll bet it's on the WHO's list of things that cause cancer. Is it?" she asks.

She continues eating.

[Zefir]

A sandstorm in a tavern? That's unusual, but doesn't seem like it reached the two talking right now.

"Oh yeah." he says and laugths "I alreeady forgot that I forgot my name.
I doupt there is a name regain service around?"

[Morty]

"Not specifically," Fayyaad says. "It's not something that happens often, even here. I've heard of people who can examine thoughts... they're called psychics, or similar. Maybe they could help."

[WarKitty]

The energy field surrounding Xun flickers as the strike hits, dissipating the fire away. Still, the kick knocks her to the ground hard, before she slinks away quickly. As a new creature is released, she decides to focus her energy on figuring out the magic bond between the little balls and the creatures within them. Maybe she can disrupt them somehow?

[Fenric]

Frederick also resumes being upright unhindered by sand and wind, shadow-eyes burning red with hunger and anger

Not sure when Trog's Tavern brawls acquired rules, but you ain't seen nothing, yet, kid.

A fool attacks, and wit he lacks
Our friend to seize, dust making us sneeze
a violent endeavor must now end forever
come eat this dolt with a dire jolt
and quash his pokemon too

KEIKO, I CHOSE YOU!

Keiko snakes out from the shadow of a large potted plant, and sneezes at the dusty sand blowing all around.

That was awful, Freddie!

But seriously... you wamme to eat that kid over there? And who's he trying to get...

oh...

No way!

Not Geneva!

Her fins all bristle up and...

ROOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAARRRRRRRR!

[Rebonack]

The balls don't appear to have any connection to the pokemon that are out at the moment. At least nothing that's magical in any sense of the word. The tech that powers them is certainly approaching Sufficiently Advanced, though. With Xun focused on trying to disrupt the balls, she might not notice that the flaming chicken just sped up some more. In a blur of motion, she leaps across the room and aims to smash poor Xun in the face with DYNAMIC PUNCH! The attack may leave her temporarily confused due to the brain-rattling force.

And then dragongodroar!

The force of Keiko's bellowing voice blasts all the sand away, cleanly ending the Sand Storm. No doubt much to the pleasure of everyone in the tavern. The kid frowns at this display, quite irritated that another person has joined the battle.

"On come on, seriously? Alrighty, if that's how you want to do things. Come on out, Azumarill!" the trainer yells, releasing YET ANOTHER pokemon!

Now there's a big blue and white fat rabbit thing sitting in front of Keiko. He bounces side to side, looking generally pleased with himself as he waddles up to the dragon and attempts to engage her in a tickle fight. For reasons not particularly clear, Keiko may find this rough play extremely debilitating.

Geneva, meanwhile, blinks the last of the sand out of her eyes just in time to take huge razor sharp dragon fin right to the-

-barrier that she created earlier. It briefly flickers into visibility, but holds.

"Point blank icy death for you now, mister!" Geneva hollers at the Garchomp before blasting it in the gut with a freezing beam of cold. This time around, there's no dodging. The giant dragon gets turned into a pretty ice sculpture on the spot. Times four weaknesses are the worst.

[WarKitty]

Mercs don't last by being unobservant. Xun dives out of the way, although not quite fast enough to avoid being hit hard in the shoulder. She tumbles expertly and lands on her feet, then slips back into her smaller form and scrambles for the rafters. She'll try to see...are these monsters serving the trainer willingly, or is there some sort of bond that could be disrupted?

[Fenric]

Beautiful, vicious, deadly Keiko is rendered a giggling, wiggling pile on the floor by the merciless tickling of the really quite ridiculous-looking blue rabbit Pokémon.

Frederick, meanwhile, snarls ferally and executes a Spring Attack again: seeking to drain the trainer once more and attempting to do both halves of the move this time - springing away after the touch attack.

[Zefir]

"Not specifically," Fayyaad says. "It's not something that happens often, even here. I've heard of people who can examine thoughts... they're called psychics, or similar. Maybe they could help."

"Sounds like that kind of people you won't have in your mind." he says. " They sure make a big mess there."

[Morty]

"It does sound like a risky proposition. I've never met one in person, much less had any work on me," Fayyaad says. "But maybe they can help. Losing your name sounds inconvenient."

[Rebonack]

Xun won't be able to sense any active effect mind-controlling the pokemon. If being caught did anything to their loyalty, it was likely a single-alteration effect. Given that the balls convert the pokemon into information to store them, there's a pretty good chance the balls modify that information to make the captured monsters slavishly obedient to their captor. A nice thought, though. If these were traded pokemon, then disrupting the trainer's badges probably would have worked.

With Xun retreating to the rafters, the flamin' chicken quickly swaps targets as she speeds up once more. By this time she's becoming difficult to follow with the naked eye. In a blur of motion, she interposes herself between Fredrick and her master, taking the ATK draining swipe like a champ. As Fredrick springs away, the blaziken springs forward, aiming to plant a flying knee burning with FIGHTING SPIRIT right in the middle of the fox' solar plexus.

"Smell ya later, foxy!" the youth jeers as he flees, holding his hat with one hand and tossing out another pokeball with the other.

The weird blue rabbit continues tickling Keiko! Keiko may find it difficult to breath, what with all the tickling.

With her foe incapacitated, Geneva zeros in on the sound of labored laughter. She knows exactly what's going on here. That tickling might look innocent enough, but the attack is just as potentially deadly as any fireball or lightning bolt. She raises one paw, summoning her elemental orbs again and feeding power to the crackling ball of lightning. Just a few moments more and she'll be able to save Keiko!

CRUNCH!

"Aaaah!"

Powerful jaw gnash straight through Geneva's barrier, dig into her flesh, and give her a few vicious shakes before flinging her across the room. The tiny psychic pokemon lands with an, "Uuf!" right in the middle of a tavern patron's table. She rises, shakily, her vision blurry as she tries to focus on the mountain of rocky green armor that just sank some teeth into her.

The trainer's tyranitar gives a bellowing roar as another sandstorm begins kicking up. There's no end to them!

[WarKitty]

Xun decides to aim for the trainer. She drops down from the rafters aiming to land on it, shifting as she falls back into her panther form. Force field armor crackles over her extended claws as she shifts. This is not going to be pretty if she hits.