Hello everyone and welcome back to this (surprisingly popular) liveblog! Yesterday, a got a new game session, filled with somewhat less adventure but some interesting developments. A Filler episode, we could say. It should be mentioned that the entire game took place while I was suffering my biggest cold in a long while, meaning I had to took medication twice during the game just to keep going. A sad excuse for not bringing my A-game that day, I agree. Anyway, let's dive right into!
When we last left our heroes, they were about to leave Nebula Harbor to go to... where, exactly? Well, Aelya wanted to be in Nova on a certain date, about a month away from now, but had nothing to do before that. Abel, on the other end, desire to head to the Void Fields as quickly as possible. Maybe because he wants to mourn the loss of some family member, but, more probably, because he freaking like Ghost Pokémons. A few looks to their map designed the following road trip: first, they head to Mercuryville on foot for about a week of travel, then take a train who will lead them to Meteor Mount and Starlight City, and then finally, another week of forced march until Void Fields. That way is much quicker, and allows them to bypass Pulsar Research Center completely, since Aelya's father is there and it would be an awkward situation for sure.
So, after buying some camping tents (separate camping tents, mind you), our dear protagonists take the road! And so started a... pretty long and somewhat boring travel. I don't know if it's because of my sickness or just that my players were not interested, but they didn't bite on some of the plot hooks I gave them. I had actually planned the whole travel to have something to do almost every day.
On the second day of travel, they bumped into a full group of kindergarten kids and their responsible teachers, on their way to visit one of those educational museum lost in the middle of nowhere. The theme of the year was bugs (Pokémons of course), and there was some fun to be had. But apparently not eager to spend too much time with screaming overexcited children, they part their way quickly.
On the third day of travel, I tried to gave them some opportunity to actually do something with those level 1 Eevee they got. So, while they were eating, some Rattatas
tried to sneak some food out of their backpack. Instead of hitting them like any average PC would do, they just shoo them away. Not going to give up an idea like that, the rats came back, and got shooed again. Three times. I was just this close to send them a level 20 Raticate to make my point clear, but at this very moment, Aelya gave them some left-over from their own meal to keep them away. It was so sickeningly sweet I just couldn't do it anymore.
On the fourth day of travel, they meet a traveling sweets seller in need of help to change a flattened tire. Of course, they gave him a hand, and actually got some candy and a hitchhike for a few hours. None of them would buy those delicious Pokémon candy that would have probably made them very happy, but oh well. They still told him some advices to expand his very niche market, and they part on good terms.
On the fifth day of travel, my true love gave to me... Ahem. A completely out-of-season rain poured on them the whole day, ruining any advantage they could have got with the previous day hitchhiking.
On the sixth and final day of travel, they were close to Mercuryville when suddenly, a thick glasses-bearing man (immediately nicknamed "the geek") run towards them, purchased by five Poochyenas. I could feel the glee coming from Abel's player miles away from him. Anyway, battle time! Not quite as hectic as the previous battles, Sheol managed to easily deal with his opponents, allowing Abel to capture one without much sweat. Aelya's Pokémon, on the other hand, were not that lucky: Nebul got bitten hard by the pack leader, prompting Aelya to get her Eevee (nicknamed Olympee) out. A level one Eevee. I went easy on him, but he actually fainted during the battle. Seeing he might get some XP from it, Abel got his own Eevee (Kuro) out, but used a more sensible technique: using Helping Hand, it buffed Sheol enough to hit another Poochyena. With a critical hit, killing it instantly. Ouch. The last two remaining from the pack fled away... prompting Sheol to use Pursuit and fainting another one. With two fainting, one kill and one capture, Abel's team defintively won the game.
So, Olympee and Kuro got four to five level each for this intense battle, and it's finally time to meet the geek. Who turns out to be Henry, THE SUPER-REPORTER! (and yes, the emphasis is mandatory when we speak of him). Apparently an extremely sneaky and important reporter to the Elonta Inquirer, he has to use several aliases just to keep his identity secret. He likes to delve into the nastiest, most vile aspects of the society and bring them to the outside world. Everything he says may or may not be true. Anyway, he immediately befriends Aelya, supporting her in her dreams of glory in the harsh world of reporters, and actually forces her to buy a phone just so they could exchange numbers!
They finally arrive to Mercuryville while chatting with Henry, THE SUPER-REPORTER!. The city is beautiful, made to look like the best Italian architecture, and also full of rich people. Every house is luxurious enough for anyone to be jealous, shops keeps selling incredibly fine products at frankly ridiculous prices, and everyone there rich enough to not work is snotty as all Hell. Our heroes had a fun time just finding an hotel they could afford.
Our protagonists split for a little while in order to get something out of the city. Abel goes to the local Gym, which turns to be a staggering manor, even compared to the other houses around. Unfortunately, the butler informs him that the arena is currently in renovation, and that the Gym Leader will be unable to receive his challenge (something I did mention as a not-so-throw-away line in the previous session, by the way). He also get a nice reminder that he needs to get a League license in order to compete. Woops. But since he's more than 16, he can just go to any Pokémarket and get it in a few days anyway.
Aelya, following Henry (THE SUPER-REPORTER!)'s advice, went to the Media Tower, a modern building centralizing all radio, television and press of Mercuryville, in order to try to sell some of her pictures she keeps taking all the time. She is grated by an Expy of Jonah Jameson, who quickly shun her for her ridiculous pictures that has no worth whatsoever, and prompt her to abandon her dreams without even a second look. Aelya, who do not like to be told her way, actually talk him back... which attract the attention of the real boss, a beautiful but very quiet woman. She takes a look at the pictures, actually liked a few of them, but then challenges Aelya's view of the world. Aelya wants to show people the beauty of the world via pictures of Pokémon in their natural way of life; the woman replies that she can't touch the heart of anyone by using pictures of things they can see every day. Especially if she keeps snapping pictures without thinking and hope she'll get lucky to have any selected. Slightly shaken, Aelya leaves, but the woman said she can always come back if she can show her something no-one else could.
A last adventure awaits our heroes: a contest! Yes, a contest is held in the city for any beginners who never get a ribbon before. Both jumps at the prospective of fame, money and trainer levels (probably in that order). But the concurrence is rude: a very rich girl, named Maria, keeps bragging she's the pupil of Claudia, head of most contest judges and Gym Leader of the city, and that she can't actually loose. And guess what?
... She was right. Even tough she was unexperienced, she went first place in the contest with her Misdreavus without much resistance. Aelya got second, though, and got a consolation prize. Before our defeated protagonists went out, Abel suddenly recognize one of the three judges: it is Claudia we were just talking about! But then, in a weird moment of both maturity and wuss-out, he realizes he can't possibly challenge her and win with is current team of ragtags quadrupeds, and leave, promising himself he'll come back to get her.
That was pretty much the entire session for us. Not as much impressive stuff as the first one, and the contest didn't feel like a climax enough. We'll have to work harder on the follow-up! See you next time for new adventures in Elonta.
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