Chapter 1.

"Well first I should probably make an introduction," he said as he walked with the group "I'm Jak and this is my Doduo, Strickz."
Strickz let out a short shrill of acknowledgement.

"Well he seems happy to finally have some travelling companions, We have travelled all the way from Celadon and we are looking to go wherever the road takes us. I'm sure I could provide a few valuable services along the way if you would be willing to let us join you."

"Travelling companions...?" said Claire questioningly, then realising what Jak seemed to think she continued
"oh no, we're not a group, haha. We're all in the same boat as you actually, we only just met each other".
Jak let out a silent 'ah', nodding slightly.
"Us randomly forming a group and travelling together would seem really contrived actually..." she said with a little laugh, which the others joined in.
"Anyway, I'm Claire and this is Skirmish" she said, inclining her head towards jak,
"As for my plans; I was considering heading down towards Cerulean City. I heard there is a cave there that has some really powerful pokemon... though honestly if the rumours are true I somehow doubt my luck in taming any" She was looking over at her Shroomish, which had made it's way back over and was sitting down and munching at some composted dirt near her feet. It looked a little less addled now, which was a good sign.
"It's actually on the way to a friends old house." Claire continued, referring to Cerulean and the cave. "They're a pokemon breeder and I was thinking of acquisitioning some of their stock for my journey." there was a pause.
"...I'm sure I could con him into giving me a discount" she finished, the grin on her face becoming notably more impish.

Caitlin could not help but overhear Claire, seeing as they were sat less than five feet apart.

"You're thinking of heading into Cerulean Caves?" she exclaimed, unable to quite believe the degree to which this foreign girl had deluded herself. A would-be pokémon ranger with a pet mushroom and no idea of the world, she thought. I hope for everyone's sake the Rangers don't accept her. That would say some terrible things about their standards these days.

"I read that's where the toughest pokémon are," Claire said, apparently not quite grasping the meaning of her words. Caitlin sought to help her out.

"Alright, allow me to explain this for you. Cerulean Caves are full of the toughest and most dangerous wild pokémon in Kanto. There is nowhere you will find stronger pokémon except the League. The Caves are a self-contained ecosystem underground where the last however-many generations of evolution have made them all stronger and more completely freaking insane than anywhere else." Claire looked a little more suitably apprehensive at this point, but Caitlin was rather enjoying the fact that everyone was listening to her, so she carried on. "Rumour is that even the zubats in there have poison potent enough that one spore will kill you. Why do you think the entrance is always guarded?"

"What would happen if the pokémon in there broke out?" asked Jak, the most recent arrival.

"Most of them are natural cave-dwellers, so hopefully that'll never be a problem," Caitlin told him. There were a few moments of silence before Claire spoke up.

"Maybe I'll wait a while before I head in there," she declared. There were a couple of chuckles and normal conversation resumed around the room. Jorah leaned in close to Caitlin, speaking in a low voice, making sure his words did not carry.

"How much do you really know about what's hiding in those caves?" he murmured. "Because it's possible this is a myth, but I've heard a couple of times now that there's something in there more powerful than anything anyone's ever seen."

"If nobody's ever seen it, how do we know it's in there?" she replied in the same careful tone. Jorah shrugged.

"Just something I've heard." After that he raised his voice back to normal pitch and resumed the conversation from where Caitlin had broken off earlier.

* * * * * * * *

The next morning Caitlin sat outside the little hostel, Isolde prowling around in the grass by the side of the road. It wasn't long enough for anything dangerous to be hiding in; Isolde was just feeling a little restive after getting spored into unconsciousness the day before so now she refused to sit still. She always intended to be off early, to make the most of the day. She had got used to short nights and a lack of sleep in the mountains, out on hikes and surveys and every night in the winter when the wind grew so harsh that everyone was on constant watch for tumbling boulders and broken bits of houses, and of course the usual starving pokémon breaking into gardens. It wasn't an easy life, but she had found herself missing it all the same.

As she was lacing up her boots (quite an effort, but they were comfortable and durable enough to be worth the extra effort every day) Killian emerged from the woods in which they had been battling last night. Caitlin looked around for his spearow but didn't see it until she heard it keening high up above. Killian came over to sit next to her and grinned idly.

"Growlithes need walking every day, spearows need flying," he commented by way of explanation.

"I was more wondering why you were up so early," Caitlin replied.

"Habit," he said. "People want their post first thing in the morning, so that means I'm up with the dawn every day. What's your excuse?"

"Habit again," she told him. She didn't feel like going into detail. He gestured to her boots.

"Were you hoping to slip off before anyone else was awake?" he enquired. She shrugged. "You know, you might benefit from some company. I know I would," he carried on, disregarding her attempts to ignore him. "I've been finding myself having whole conversations with Ariel, which would be fine if not for the fact that I think she's started replying." He chuckled. "Anyway, I heard you saying you were planning on visiting Saffron next, which I guess I could have worked out seeing as we're on the Saffron road, so it was pretty much a 50-50 thing. But yeah, I'm heading that way too, and I think Pat said he wanted to see the big city too, so you wouldn't even be going out of your way."

"I was about to leave," Caitlin said coolly. There was a time and a place for company, and right now Caitlin did not feel this was it.

"At least wait until after breakfast?" Caitlin thought about it for a moment, then sighed.

"Fine."



((So who's going where now? Don't feel like you have to follow me if you have other ideas. Also, IRS, I apologise for borrowing Killian, but from what we know so far he's the only one that made sense to be up so early. Hopefully I got him right.))

((comment moved to the discussion thread))

Claire had awoken to a throbbing in her leg, and a sharp stabbing pain as she lifted it out from the covers. Apparently she had slept on it funny and being in it's current state 'funny' was anything but.
She dutifully replaced the bandages, noticing a good bruise now spreading purple and off yellow across the area (nothing to worry about, but unsightly all the same).
Shroomish slept in one of the pot plants, but hearing her movements his eyes had opened. He stayed put, watching Claire expressionlessly. Claire stretched, and got to her feet.

((not much of a post i know, but it's getting late and I got distracted part way through typing. I'll wait for some more posts before I add something more))

Killian ate quickly; another habit that he had picked up in the postal service. He sat next to Jak as he idly fed Ariel bread crumbs. "That doduo of yours seems like a fine bird," he said conversationally. "Where'd you get him? Ariel here was a going-away present from my parents before I went to university. They thought having a post bird of my own might encourage me to send them letters more often, but Ariel didn't want to be separated from me." He stroked an errant feather back into place. "She's quite loyal. Sometimes I get the feeling that we don't deserve this kind of loyalty from our pokemon. One of life's wonders, isn't it?"

He thought about where to go next. His parents had wanted him to find another city their post office could expand to, and Saffron seemed to be their best bet. As one of the largest cities in Kanto, its population would certainly have many more letters to send, and the training he and his parents had given their birds would certainly help with that.

"Surprisingly enough I got this little chap from the wild. He was just an egg and the mother doduo was away hunting so I snatched the egg out of the nest." Replied Jak

Killian seemed interested so Jak continued on.

"Although thats not to say I kept him without any trouble," He said smiling. "The mother actually raised hell for days and the police actually had to put her done when she came into Celadon. The police then questioned everyone in the town about if anyone disturbed it. Ofcourse I told them I had no idea and that I was working on a new refrigation technique to keep food cooled as opposed to the usual, and sometimes cruel, Pokemon method."

With the mention of technology he could see Killian was losing interest so Jak quickly changed the topic.

"Would you like to play a bit of cards perhaps? Know how to play Go Karp?" Jak said with a somewhat mischievious smirk.

Kano woke up at dawn for the first time in his life.
With a crink in his neck and a dry mouth, looking around him hoping to find his Rattata.
Fearless is the adventurous type and often got into trouble Kano feared for him since this is his first day away from home in a area little known to him.

Kano calls out for Fearless but here's no response moving about he calls some more then suddenly he hears a shrill cry.

The cry sounded all too familiar it was definitely the call of a Spearow this Kano knew well and still bears the scar from a Spearow.
Frantically running towards the noise he sees his Rattata bruised and frightened being swooped by the Spearow.
Looking around Kano spots a branch nearby and grabs hoping to fend off the attacking Spearow.
Running and yelling loudly swinging the branch wildly again and again hoping that it'll give up.

Eventually he makes contact and the Spearow drops to the ground stunned but as Kano runs towards it not sure whether he wants to catch it or injure it, the Spearow flies away.

Running to Fearless Kano picks him up in his arms and takes him back to his camp hoping the injuries look worse than they really are.

As he tends to Rattata he thinks of quitting and returning home and not for the last time.

((This is the first time I've ever RP'd so hope it went well))
((VORT: Seems fine to me. We don't get a lot of people writing in the present tense. I like it.))

Caitlin sat silently, barely touching her food, having eaten an hour or so ago just after she awoke. Isolde, on the other hand, had no reservations about a free second breakfast and was happily tucking in to some steak offcuts. Beside her, Yorick the cubone nibbled at his little chunk of meat through the unnerving skeletal formation that covered his head. Not for the first time since she had seen that little creature, Caitlin wondered how Jorah had ever got used to seeing that every day. She could understand entirely why people in the past had thought cubones to be harbingers of death.

It wasn't long until she had had enough of this little charade. She spoke up, cutting through the little buzz of conversation.

"I'm heading to Saffron. If anyone else is, you're welcome to come with me, but I'm leaving now. Lot of ground to cover." She stood up and whistled a summons to Isolde, who trotted over to her side with perfect grace and poise. She seemed to have entirely recovered from the effects of the shroomish's spores. In spite of herself, Caitlin couldn't help but think that the little mushroom must not be very strong if a young vulpix was up and around and her usual self by the next morning. In her village, one man had had an ivysaur that had once knocked out a geodude for well over a week. They had felt bad enough that the villagers had collected some meat and ground limestone to help it recover once it woke up.

Kano ran to his bag to try and find bandages and a map.
Digging through the bag recklessly worried about the fate of his best friend.
All of a sudden Kano looked down to see a tired Fearless rubbing against his leg, Kano took a breath and calmed down.
"Fearless should be ok as long as he gets some rest" Kano thought to himself so he grabbed a blanket and wrapped him up in it and placed him in his backpack.
Kano put the backpack on and started walking hoping to get to a town.

Kano walked for a while unaware of a set of eyes watching him as he went.

Sebastian Callahan woke to forceful stream of water to the face. "You really need to stop that, Thalassa" he sputtered as the stream died down. "It was cute when you were little, but it's become rather annoying." Thalassa simply stared him down with an expression that seemed vaguely disapproving. "Fine, fine, you win. Let's pack up and go." Sebastian rolled up his bedding and shouldered his pack as Thalassa put out the fire. Taking out his map, he checked the distance to the nearest city. "Well Thalassa, the closest city is Vermilion, but I'd rather not go back there quite yet. Let's turn north and head to Saffron." Thalassa nodded in what Sebastian hoped was approval. That feeling was confirmed when the wartortle jumped on his back. Sebastian winced. "Once again, this was adorable when you were small, but you've become rather heavy for this." Thalassa stared at him with that same disapproving expression. "There is just no arguing with you, is there?" Thalassa settled in as Sebastian started towards Saffron.

Keiran woke late as usual, Nero missing, also as usual, but he wouldn't be far, he never was. Keiran got up slowly, his legs a little stiff from walking. He walked over to a group who's names he couldn't remember "Have any of you seen Nero? I'm not worried, he usually goes away in the morning, I'm just wondering."

Kano walked for an hour or more the day was quiet with only the wind passing through the trees, some Pidgey cooing in the distance and Fearless snoring
gently from his backpack.
After some more walking Kano heard an unmistakable sound the sound of water, there must be a stream nearby maybe it will be a good place to stop and eat.

Kano walked to the bank of the stream it was deeper than he thought the water looked good for fishing.
Taking Fearless out of the backpack being careful not to wake him Kano fished through his bag for his fishing rod.
Maybe he'll catch some lunch or maybe even a new Pokemon.

((The hell with this, I'm making some assumptions and carrying shit on.))

Caitlin simply could not fathom this. She had spent so long on her own that this much company all at once simply made no sense to her. Isolde, by contrast, was having a brilliant time, gambolling around the edges of the road with Yorick and Nero.

"I do like Saffron," Claire said to Caitlin, who was only half-listening. She said something non-committal by way of response and Claire carried on, oblivious. "There's just so much to do all the time! People who have never been there all seem to think Saffron's only about Silph, but there's a whole city besides."

"People talk about the gyms too," Caitlin put in quietly.

"Oh yes, the gyms." Claire sounded a little sour about that. Caitlin felt like pressing Claire for a few more details there, but she really didn't have to. "They're always fighting each other, you know. Mr. Kiyo does his best, but Sabrina just won't let him be. She thinks just because she's League-approved that makes her better than him, but he's so nice! All she ever does is hurt people." Claire looked like she would have gone on to far greater lengths, but ahead of them Caitlin heard Isolde's defiant barking, backed up by Nero's furious growling and Ariel's cawing. Without needing to exchange a single word, all seven human members of the group hurried forward to see what the situation was. Around a corner they found their wandering pokémon confronted by another group, three young men with five pokémon between them. Hurriedly Caitlin checked them off in her head: growlithe, mankey, pidgeotto, ivysaur, drowzee. The apparent leader of that little group approached with a confident swagger, belied by his youthful appearance - he could not have been more than 19.

"Looks like your little trio's getting away from you, girls." He spoke loudly enough for everyone to hear him. Behind Caitlin the rest of the group arrived, accompanied by the rest of the pokémon. The young man's confidence seemed entirely unaffected by the presence of greater numbers. "And I'd say you're all getting right in our way." He whistled sharply and the mankey leaped forward, aiming straight at Yorick. It lashed out with it's long arms, seemingly spindly but surprisingly powerful, but Yorick successfully fended it off, retreating back while Isolde and Nero hissed and spat at the others. The young man spoke to his friends, but loudly enough that the others could all hear him perfectly well. "Looks like we found us a bit of practice, lads."



((Pokémon battle! No holds barred! Get in there, guys! Oh, and in case you're wondering, the only people we're missing here are Radspakr and Elvenlord. Everyone else is involved in this battle.))

Killian whistled sharply, and Ariel flew down to land on his wrist. He glared at the Pidgeotto's owner. "A pity that you haven't learned humility. Perhaps I should teach you that." He whistled again, and the spearow flew up into the air, circling around lazily above them. "Let's see how well you've trained him, shall we?"

((hey guys, i'm back. Lets see if we can't get this show on the road once more!))

Somewhat taken aback at first, everyone seemed to recover quickly as the other pokemon moved forward menacingly.

Claire watched the leader of the group sneer as his mankey went on a furious attack. It leaped through the air and with a heavy thud narrowly missed Yorick once more, it's thunderous punch instead hitting the ground and leaving a fist-shaped indent in the soil. In the blink of an eye it had bolted forward, and with one fluid motion it had leaped up, grabbed onto one of Strickz's necks and used this to loop around past its second head, taking hold and pile-driving both into the ground simultaneously, cutting off the twin startled squawks coming from the bird mid-cry.
It waved its arms over its head, hollering menacingly for a moment in that typical primeape manner, before leaping back to pursue Jorick once more.

While all this was happening, the man also nodding to his Ivysaur, who stepped forward and selected its target (choosing the snarling Nero). Rightfully so the Nidoran seemed intimidated, as the Ivysaur was one brutish looking beast, with an air of smug cruelty to match its masters. Of all the pokemon before them it seemed the nastiest.

The second man had also taken action, commanding both his Pidgetto and Growlith with one sweeping hand motion. The bird soaring into the sky at impressive speed, intercepting the Spearow with a puff of feathers. Both birds began to plummet, grappling mid air in a fearsome embrace. Before Claire could see the conclusion to this though her attention was drawn back down to ground level, as the trainer cried:
"Show them whose boss Growlithe!"
It was now that she saw the Growlithe had stepped forward into battle with Isolde, and although young this pup was still twice the size of the little fox.
As it rumbling growl sounded Claire could see the heat haze emanating from its mouth, and after two repeated horking motions (similar to what Isolde would do when getting ready to attack), the canine let out not a small globule of incendiary spittle, but a full blown spray of flame that left everyone shying away, and sent Isolde leaping backwards to escape the flames (turning her own growl into a sharp yelp for a moment).
Gingerly the Vulpix stepped back to where she was, and this time Prome stepped forward too, (Patrick doing the same, to stand in beside Caitlin, and giving a nod).


Killian let out a triumphant cry as his Spearow managed to get in a hit on the Pidgetto, but it was clear to Claire as she watched the scene unfold that these pokemon were definitely stronger than their own. No wonder these trainers had showed such swagger, even with two on one they would be hard pressed to match these fighters...

And that's when Claire realised, the Drowzee. It was just standing there, swaying slightly as if it had a case of sea legs, or was feeling slightly pickled, its dazed eyes having a vacant quality, if it it saw all and nothing both at the same time. Its trainer stood apart too, staring out nonchalantly into the woods at the side of the road, not even paying any attention to the battle before them.

Claire stared, as if in a daze of her own.
Another thud as the Mankey sent Yorick sprawling with a powerful kick. A yelp as the Ivysaurs vines lashed out at Nero. A angry squawk from an attacking Strickz. The third trainer finally turned towards the battle, and with that the moment was broken. Claire looked down at the Shroomish butting at her leg softly.
"Right, helping the others" she said, looking over towards the Ivysaur, which tanked a headbutt from Nero with little more than a nudge and was now moving in to show the Nidoran how its really done. Direct attacks weren't going to well, so stepping in beside Kieran Claire pointed at the Ivysaur said:
"hey Kieran, lets give this a try... Shroomish, you know what to do!".

Edited by some_weirdGuy, 06 November 2011 - 01:25 PM.

Caitlin exchanged a look with Patrick. He raised an eyebrow, and Caitlin responded by nodding once. She whistled sharply and Isolde scurried back to her defensive position, stood directly between her master and the enemy. Beside her, Patrick called Prome back, the two fire pokémon standing shoulder to shoulder as the mankey prowled closer to them. Caitlin spoke to Isolde, calmly and unhurried: her demeanour would spread to her pokémon, and she needed Isolde to be on top of her game for this.

"Light him up."





((I know this isn't much, and what it is is much later than promised, but I've been bloody swamped. Anyway, all y'all can make this fight scene happen. Seriously. You have the power. I believe in you.))

The Ivysaur copped a face full of paralysing power as Skirmish dived in. Sheepishly the shroomish skitted back, as the tougher pokemon lashed sideways with its vines. In the same motion it let out its own array of harmful poison spores, which blew down wind into shroomish, and right on past to interrupt the attack coming from Isolde.

Yorick and the Mankey turned back to each other, the intruding Isolde and Prome were intercepted once more by the large growlith, leaving the two rivals to continue their ferocious battle.

"Yeah, thats the way you two!" came a cry from the opposing trainer as the Pidgetto made a dive towards Nero, striking a glancing blow while artfully dodging the attack of the pursuing Ariel. At the same time the trainers Growlith, while in a pursuit of it's own against the fleeing Prome, landed a clipping headbutt onto the cyndaquill's rear as it rounded a corner, sending the smaller pokemon spinning out into a tree with a squeak.
With a small yelp the growlith jumped away as a flaming attack from Isolde singed it's side, (the small fox and her trainer having used the Canine's distraction to her advantage), only to have the Growlith fight back with it's own spray of much bigger flames.

Claire watched as the stun spores from earlier began taking effect on the ivysaur, she could see it's mouth drooping as it lost the movement in its face and front leg. That should make it harder to keep track of our pokemon, and without the use of its front leg it should move slower now, Looking to her own pokemon she grinned, the poisons that had reached shroomish from ivysaur's attack hadn't had an effect, leaving both Skirmish and Nero with the advantage of numbers and fighting condition despite their opponents initial superior strength.

Edited by some_weirdGuy, 09 December 2011 - 12:58 AM.