ITT: We are all Pokémon Trainers

Route 1

Joseph: You know. Your aura-thing. You're...psychic, right? And, well, you kinda...project. Like, I'm a Heart of Gold so I can feel you anyway, but it makes it really really intense.

Route 1

Daydre isn't quite sure what they're talking about at this point, so she stays quiet.

Gogie: <Yeah, I'm just a Mightyena who's human sometimes.>

<And, uh, yeah, he did know. I'd generally prefer peoplemons not tell others willy-nilly, but since we might be running into each other. It's fine. You can tell Lightning if you want too.>

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-The aura gives a sharp jump in realization before it retracts and the area feels warm and fuzzy again.-

Ludmilla: Sorry. Not used to other people being around for that, and Dad doesn't feel it either, so...

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Joseph: Oh...

...well, maybe it should work now? And mons will come near you?

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Ludmilla: Right. I need to find somewhere else to train, though - every time I try and train Hermes, a bunch of Pichu come out and we can't get anything done.

-She points to the south, towards Ten Carat Hill.-

Ludmilla: Maybe I should try that hill over there. People say it's dangerous, but I know how to climb.

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Joseph: OK!

-thinks-

Joseph: Can I come with you? I don't want anything to happen to you!

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-Ludmilla nods, a small blip of elation slipping through.-

Ludmilla: Sure! C'mon.

-She hops up and jogs down the path to the entrance of the hill's cave.-

Ludmilla: They say you need a big ol' bull Pokemon to break the rocks, but that's silly. You can just climb over them!

Shaun: "For the record, Jess, Ace knows too. I guess at this point we should tell the rest of the team."

Shaun: "So, Gogie, what've you been up to?"

Melemele Beach

(Alex hasn't even bothered doing the Trials, but is still planning to head for Akala simply because everyone else will be there. For now, though, he's taking one last leisurely stroll down Melemele's beaches. Accompanying him are three mons, two new, one older.)

Svavel: <Remind me what sort of "adventures" you've been on again?>

Isbrand: <Ah, but one such as yourself could not possibly hope to comprehend the wonders I have seen and the trials I have faced! Only those with the spirit of adventure guiding them are blessed with such knowledge!>

Svavel: <Well, you're skilled at dodging questions, anyway. Frankly, I smell Tauroscrap.>

(Isbrand looks highly offended.)

Isbrand: <How dare you insult Alola's greatest adventurer in this manner, O Irascible One of the Rising Flames! When the Dread Mistress Kali Yuga is threatening to harvest your internal organs to power her vile devices, then perhaps you shall respect the good I do for this region!>

Svavel: <..."Irascible One of the Rising Flames". I like that.>

(Altair is holding his pseudopods over his face, hoping the conversation becomes literally anything other than this pointless argument. Seconds later, he gets his wish.)

Isbrand: <Oh... oh no...>

Alex: Wha-huh? What is it, foxy?

Isbrand: <I... I do believe we are trespassing upon the most evil territory in Alola... I can only hope mine eyes are deceiving me...>

(Altair, who had started to slide his appendages away from his eyes, groans and firmly clamps them in place again.)

Altair: <Ooooh Arceus I know what this is about.>

Svavel: <Well, what is it? A translation for her babble would be much appre->

(Before he can finish, Isbrand lets out an ear-piercing shriek of sheer terror. Several distant sunbathers turn their heads in alarm, wondering whether someone is torturing the foxmon.)

Isbrand: <S-sweet egads, it is as I feared! We have stumbled upon the most horrendous, imposing force this world has to offer!>

(She quakes as she stares at a sandcastle that looks as if it was once elaborate and highly detailed, but has crumbled significantly thanks to exposure to the humid seaside air. On the ground beside it lies a wooden sign, facing downwards in a position that suggests it fell off the castle.)

Isbrand: <Be on your guard, companions! I can only hope she has not sensed our presence...>

(There is a long silence. Svavel looks to Altair, thoroughly confused. Altair is too busy wishing he could dissolve into the sand to look back.)

(Then a rhythmic squelching sound emanates from inside the sandcastle, and Isbrand squeals again.)

Distant Female Swimmer: Arceus above, what are you doing to that poor Vulpix?

Isbrand: <Egads! We are doomed, my follows!>

Svavel: <What? What's going on?>

Isbrand: <I tried to warn you, knave, but did you listen? No! Your worldly arrogance shall now prove your demise, just as I predicted!>

Altair: <aaaaaa I'm gonna die of embarrassment>

Isbrand: <Ah, but if only you were to have such a kind fate, my squire! Instead, we are doomed to a painful demise at the hands of the most twisted being in all reality...>

(Tilting her head back, Isbrand positively howls the next words with enough force to send Pikipek flying from the nearby forest in great agitated flocks.)

Isbrand:

(...)

Svavel: <I see absolutely nothing.>

Alex: What's a Dread Mistress even supposed to look like, any- ooh, what's that?

(He heads over to a small, spiked purple and blue bundle that definitely wasn't planted outside the sandcastle before. As he approaches, the bundle slowly unfurls, revealing a tiny sharp-toothed head with heavily lidded yellow eyes, surrounded by large tentacles.)

???: <Oh, hey, she stopped shouting.>

(The starfish mon slowly, dispassionately turns to those assembled who are not a certain Alolan Vulpix currently writhing in silent, apoplectic terror.)

Kali Yuga the Mareanie♀: <'Sup.>

Everyone Else Except Isbrand: (<)...(>)

edited 26th Mar '17 5:43:17 PM by Uilleam

Gogie: <Uh... finishing up with work for the season, came back here for vacation, now trying to figure out if I should do anything with it more specific than hang out with people and sightsee a bit and now talking with Jessica.>

<You?>

edited 26th Mar '17 5:46:09 PM by CorvusAtrox

Route 1

Joseph: If you say so...

Joe's Imagination

-solemnly, Joseph is led to a guillotine by Dune, Deziree, Ludmilla (with a small bandage covering a bump on her head) and a round executioner wearing a hood. His head is put through the hole at the base, and the four congregated nod-

Dune: Executioner, if you please.

-the hood comes off, revealing a furious Chansey-

Doomsday: <This is too kind for you.>

-biting his lip, Joseph nods in agreement-

Joseph: May Arceus have mercy on my soul.

-Ludmilla gently massages the small bump on her head and gives a curt nod to Doomsday-

Route 1

Joseph: I just don't want you to get hurt!

Shaun: "Yeah, sometimes it feels like we're all just wasting time until something big happens. Personally, I'm still doing the trials, and I just motivated a kid my age to continue searching for his lost parents."

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Ludmilla: Don't worry, this is a LOT less slippery than what I used to climb over!

-The Trial Guide stutters as Ludmilla slips between the rocks, but stops when he realizes that he isn't really allowed to bar anyone. The rocks usually did that for him. He shrugs and goes back to his spot.-

Ludmilla: C'mon, Uncle Joseph!

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Joseph: O-okay! Just keep in mind that I'm not as-oof! Agile as when I was your age.

-he climbs carefully, in contrast to Ludmilla's exuberance-

edited 26th Mar '17 5:51:31 PM by ILoveDogs

Heahea, far past

-To Other!Tangent-

...That's the first I'm hearing it.

Route 4, today

-Walking down the route, possibly-

So Paniola Town shouldn't be too far from here.

Muddy: <Isn't Paniola like the Alolan word for "cowboy" or something like that?>

Tyto: <Yup!>

Yeah, and it's surrounded by pasture for as far as the eye can see, hence why just north of it is the ranch where they train Ride Pokémon.

Ten Carat Cave

-Ludmilla takes out a little lamp her dad gave her and turns it on while strapping it to her belt.-

Ludmilla: This is cooooool!

-A Zubat pops out, and Ludmilla sends out Hermes. The Pichu zaps the bat, and Ludmilla continues onward.-

Ten Carat Cave

Joseph: Ooooh...darn! I've been wanting to train Alisa, but if it's full of Zubats...

Alisa: <Feh. Collectivists, the lot of 'em.>

Joseph: Well, I guess I could train Pagliacco!

Pagliacco: -honks-

Ten Carat Cave

-As Ludmilla goes along, she finds more Zubat to zap with Hermes, until she comes across a strange find.-

Ludmilla: ...?

-Three little yellow strands poke out of the ground. Ludmilla squats down and looks at them.-

Ludmilla: ...

-She pulls on one, and a Diglett pops up.-

Diglett: <'Eh, watch da hair!>

Ludmilla: Oh! Sorry!

Diglett: <Ye, I betchu are.>

Royal Avenue

Ever: I'm pretty sure it's pink.

Muninn: <It looks fairly purple to me.>

Ever: I'm not buying it. Custard, back me up.

Custard: <I can't see anything, it's too dark.>

Muninn: <In fairness, you can't see anything when it's not dark.>

Custard: <I walked into that.>

Ever: Muninn, be nice.

Muninn: <You have to understand that I literally cannot help it in her case.>

Ever: ...

-he sighs-

Ever: Estoc? What about you?

Estoc: <I don't really know. This bubble makes everything look a little weird.>

Ever: Narrow? I guess you're the deciding opinion.

Narrow: <I don't know, okay?! This is a lot of pressure!>

Ever: Okay, okay, so we have one vote for pink, one vote for purple, two votes for unsure, and one vote for existential panic. Let's just ask someone else...

-he turns to a passerby-

Ever: Excuse me, miss?

Passerby: Hmm?

Ever: Would you say those flowers are more pink or purple?

-she peers at them-

Passerby: They look purple to me.

-and she walks off, removing her blue-tinted sunglasses-

Muninn: <Sounds like someone owes someone an apology.>

Ever: I'm not going to apologize to you; you tried to kill me twice and controlled my brain for a month and a half.

Muninn: <Hmph. Narrow, sip away.>

Ever: It doesn't strike you at all as weird that we were told that the purple flowers were on a totally different island?

Muninn: <Not really. Ribombee are idiots.>

Ever: -sighs- Whatever.

-Narrow flutters over to the flower and sips a bit of nectar-

-their feathers suddenly, and very dramatically, molt away, to be replaced by bright pink ones-

Ever: Um.

Muninn: <....In my defense, I'm used to seeing shades you couldn't even comprehend.>

Narrow: <...I don't feel very ghostly.>

Estoc: <I'm pretty sure you're Psychic-type now.>

Narrow: <...Yike.>

Ten Carat Cave

-Joseph reels back and squawks-

Joseph: What fresh hell is this?

Ten Carat Cave

Diglett: <Wha, chu gotta problem with the hair?>

-Ludmilla goes looking through her "Pokemon At A Glance" notebook.-

Ludmilla: That's a... um... A Diglett! An Alolan Diglett!

Diglett: <An' donchu foggetaboutit!>

Ludmilla: They're... Steel-Type? Huh.

Ten Carat Cave

Joseph: ...a what now?

-Pagliacco simply honks in confusion up at his trainer-

Ten Carat Cave

-The Diglett wanders off as Ludmilla shows Joseph some pages from her book.-

Ludmilla: Alola has a bunch of variants of Kanto Pokemon, thanks to them being brought over by early explorers. Ratatta, Meowth, Grimer, Diglett...

-She flips through a couple of pages.-

Ludmilla: Even a tribe of Cubone change when they evolve!

Ten Carat Cave

-Joseph flips through them, squinting so he can see in the dark of the cave-

Joseph: ...oooh, that Raichu looks cute!