ITT: We are all Pokémon Trainers

Wild Area, past

Channah: ...And here I was gonna be gracious and send out my Pokémon first. Whatevs. Go, Jack!

-A Cinderace takes the stage-

Jack: <Howdy there! Incoming!> -dances toward Ananpi with a Cotton-eyed Joe-style Blaze Kick-

The Wild Area Battle

(Ananpi promptly notices Jack and backs away.)

Ananpi: <W-whoa!>

(He jumps over to the side to dodge the attack, making a very frog-like BOINGING noise as he does so. Ingrid, meanwhile, turns to face him.)

Ingrid: "A Cinderace... That's going to be a bit of a challenge for us. Nothing we can't handle, though! Ananpi, use Bounce!"

Ananpi: (nods, then bounces on his fake makeshift Pikachu tail) <Wheeeeeeeeeee-!>

Edited by OPALGARNET16 on Sep 25th 2021 at 10:07:32 AM

Stormchaser Training Room, past

Chiyo: -Blinks near-imperceptibly and looks like she's about to say something before thinking better of it and doing an eyebrow raise- Not "entirely"?

She feels... insecure...

What happened there? This someone we need to worry about?

Glimwood Tangle, yesterday

Not another damned artifact...

Might be their specialty, like Chiyo's barriers or Molybdenum's mind alteration...

-To Aislinn-

How quickly? I need to know if we end up fighting him.

Glimwood Tangle

Aislinn: "Hm. Well I stabbed him and it started healing immediately. I'm not sure if I could give you exact timestamps because I was busy being slammed into a wall, but he seemed to be just fine or on his way to it a minute later."

"He was at least well enough to parkour his way up the sides of two apartment buildings."

Kalos Forest

"So…" Kendall started. "It’s shredded and with enough we can put it back together?"

Wyndon Stadium

Sierra performs another Flame Charge after recovering from the Psychic.

Glimwood Tangle, yesterday

The pastels are like the colors on some venomous Pokémon obviously.

-To Aislinn-

I'm aware that some of us can use our powers to speed up the healing process of ourselves or others, I know someone who can knit their wounds together with their barriers, but no one I've met can just shrug off a stab wound like nothing happened once the adrenaline wears off.

-Pacing-

If this was a fight to the death I'd recommend lopping off their limbs or, better yet, burning them to a crisp, just any techniques that would overload their abilities faster than they could heal, but that's not really necessary. The key would be figuring out how to defeat them with maiming them, if we assume that status moves fall under their "healing factor" purview. Dropping oxygen could work but it's also risky because we could give them brain damage so...

Edited by rmctagg09 on Sep 25th 2021 at 10:50:51 AM

Stormchaser Training Room, past

Channah: Huh? Oh, everyone in the world except Tagg has this baseline level of repulsiveness. You're not special.

Aztec Camera: <There Have Been Four (4) Humans To Whom Channah Has Applied The {Friend} Tag Over Her Lifetime. Relatedly: ID:Dolabella ^{Description:Immature Human-Phobic Cinccino.} Has Applied This Tag To More Than Three (3) Times That Number Of Humans.>

Channah: -after question- -sighs- It's nothing, stupid shit. This Galarian bitch who harasses Tagg and I sometimes. Tagg wouldn't let me kill him. Sorry if you're Galarian, I dunno, but like 75% of the people in this country are goddamned nutbars.

Wild Area, past

Jack: <Oooh! Hey, I can do that too!> -also Bounces- <Hullo! Lovely weather up here, innit?>

Grove of Death

-there's not a lot to go over. Just some bookkeeping-

-that's a fun word, bookkeeping. Three doubled letters in a row-

-it's an orthographically pleasing word-

-and it gets used in all kinds of inappropriate places-

-death and taxes are the two inevitables of the world, and as a consequence, they are so often used to describe each other. Human lives are treated as nothing more than an accounting problem on a page-

-expendable-

Muninn: ~Thank you.~

~I'll see you again shortly.~

-he sheathes Zayna's consciousness-

-armors it in shadow-

-the same shadows claw out the truthfire that burns through the mind. The damage is done-

-truth past a limit is only viciousness-

-pain and sorrow are taken away, and without much left, it's a simple enough way of inducing sleep-

-sans a psychic to piggyback off of, Muninn's ability to really manipulate thoughts is limited-

-but a dream spun of good memories of the lost is within possibility-

-and finally, he deactivates the parts of the brain that handle Psychic abilities, nesting packets of obscura inside them for if Ribot comes calling-

-alienated-

Nuckelavee: -horses aren't very good at a swift retreat-

-someone should be there to back her up-

-but Adelinde's distracted. Nuckelavee shoves Tea away, turning to make space-

-Curry's kick hits her across the back, instead of over the head-

-there's a sharp crack-

-removed-

Adelinde: -   [[purple:conjures]]   -

-...-

-   [[purple:conjures]]   -

Adelinde:

-removed-

-the forest goes quiet. The lights vanish-

-Ephemera pauses, confused and suddenly less overstimulated than she has been all fight-

-Ever touches her shoulder-

Ephemera: -Pincurchin! Muk!-

Ever: -pat cat-

Adelinde: (softly, voice neutral) Nuck. Return.

-flickering light withdraws the Rapidash, who hasn't gotten up, from the battlefield-

-she draws two more knives, one a short penknife, the other long and curved-

-debris rises from the ground. Sharp branches, jagged bits of armor-

-points her away from Molybdenum, and at Adelinde-

Adelinde: (razor-edged voice, vein in forehead)    I've tasted this fire before.   

   I will tell you a truth, Hiro Alíthea.   

   Your brother died for nothing.   

Ephemera: -Yveltal?-

Ever: -pets-

Ephemera: -nodnod-

-Adelinde is blasted through a tree-

-realistically, people do not get up from that-

-but there's a practical reason for wearing a big, flowy coat in combat, and it's that in times like this, it can be telekinetically manipulated to slow, say, an uncontrolled flight through a forest-

-still. She needs a minute-

Ever: -knocked flat on back by recoil-

-points at Hiro-

-points at Tea-

-points at self-

-points at Zayna-

-gives Mo a look-

Well?

Edited by memyselfandI2 on Sep 25th 2021 at 8:17:11 AM

The Wild Area

Ananpi: (in the air) <Yep~! It's a great day, chuu~>

Edited by OPALGARNET16 on Sep 26th 2021 at 3:52:01 PM

Stormchaser, past

Chiyo: Tagg has his hands full obviously...

-To Channah-

Why's that? That you think almost everyone not named Tagg is repulsive? I was decanted in Alola, if they think I can be placed anywhere people tend to think I'm either that or Angelan, and I'm good at sounding like either, so I let them think whatever they want so that I'm less easy to track.

Edited by rmctagg09 on May 30th 2022 at 4:31:54 AM

Glimwood Tangle, yesterday

Aislinn seems to be taking mental notes.

Aislinn: "Hm. Some of those aren't really an option for me, but I'll keep that in mind. If it helps, it seemed like aura was coming out of him whenever he healed, that could be something."

Daydre has been mostly quiet this whole time, unsure of how to broach the subject of how to beat this guy up without killing him.

Glimwood Tangle, past

Heal Block might work then, if it comes down to that...

-To Aislinn-

What about the woman, anything you know about her apart from being the senior employee?

Khan stretched a bit, supposedly Silas had found a way to crack the helmet open and was ready to try it out. He was flattered at the idea but he wasn't... ready yet. Over his time here, he had slowly been getting used to everything, but kept his distance, he even slept in a different cabin.

The ship was an oddity, the crew were an oddity, and every so often he saw a Lucario with a metal arm wearing a green striped scarf wandering around the vessel. Far as he knew Silas only had one Lucario, and that was Hacks.

Occasionally he would see a Sylveon as well, wandering around wearing a light blue scarf, and then she'd be gone. The ship wasn't haunted... unless you counted the Rampant Porygon running its brain as a ghost.

The doors hissed open and in walked the other Lucario, Khan stared at it intensely. The metal arm seemed familiar in a way but Khan could swear there was something on it that made it hard to discern.

<Oh hey Khan,> The Lucario said with a yawn, <Given anymore thought to the Helmet removal?>

Khan blinked, the Lucario spoke in a voice very similar, there was no way... the Lucario removed the scarf and in an instant, wearing a simple undershirt and some black sweatpants was Silas, he flexed his metal arm a bit, "Something up?"

Khan just stared at him, <...The hell kind of ship am I on?>

Silas stood there staring until he realized, "Oh. Right, it's a long story. For why you didn't recognize the bionic arm, there is a perception charm on it meant to help protect my identity."

Khan blinked, <This is normal for you isn't it?>

"Normal and abnormal have become very blurred yes."

Wedgehurst, Hotel Room

Xaster lies on his bed, staring blankly up at the ceiling. He is expressionless, and behind his dull eyes is a mind wishing for more time to indulge in this silence.

Sighing, he gets to his feet and switches the light on in the room. The lighting isn't right, so he spends some time adjusting his camera and other equipment so that he will appear in a favourable light.

Ri Ri turns on the camera and nods. Xaster's blank expression morphing seamlessly into a confident grin.

Xaster: Hey there, contest fans, Xaster here! Welcome to contest basics episode seven, The Big Entrance!

A display at the bottom of the screen shows that already over a thousand people are watching, and the number continues to quickly rise. Messages flash up, too fast for Xaster to possibly read them, but he quickly notes some of the usernames.

Xaster: Hey there, J-Fan 13452. Glad you could make it.

The fans like when he acknowledges someone personally.

Xaster: So, in a contest the most important thing is that you make a great first impression. If the judges aren't enraptured by you the second they see you, then you can kiss that big win goodbye.

Xaster: That's why I like to use these stickers, courtesy of Jubilife Trendsetters. More on them at the end.

He makes a show of taking out a sheet of stickers and carefully placing several of them on one of his pokéballs, narrating how important it is to get the placement right for the best effect.

Xaster: And now, Bu Bu, come on out!

He throws the pokéball gently, so that it doesn't collide with anything in the relatively small room. Bu Bu emerges from the light of the pokéball, which has been dyed a brilliant green by the stickers. She twirls in the air, and illusory leaves, the effect of another sticker, form around her like a carapace, before unfolding in a brilliant storm. Flowers emerge from the leaves and blossom in an instant, and as Bu Bu lands on the floor of the room multicoloured petals rain gently around her.

Xaster scoops her into his arms and addresses the camera.

Xaster: That needed a few stickers to do, but by mixing and matching you can get millions of effects. Make sure you try them out!

They finish off the stream with their sponsor segment, where they read out a slightly modified script sent by Jubilife Trendsetters, which is just modified enough to not sound like a script.

Xaster: Now, the Wedgehurst contest is in a few days guys, so I won't be able to go live because I'll be preparing.

This last point was a big thing in Xaster's contracts. He always made sure that he got time off before contests, to avoid burnout.

Xaster: Until next time guys, keep being fabulous!

He strikes a pose that he always ends with. Ri Ri hits the button to end the stream, and his face falls back into a blank one. He collapses back onto the bed, and continues to stare at the ceiling as he did before. Bu Bu and Ri Ri share worried looks, then climb onto the bed next to him and shake him gently.

Ri Ri: Zu, zu, azu.

Xaster: Right, yeah, I'll go and get something to eat soon. There's food for you guys in my bag if you want something now.

Bu Bu: Dew!

Xaster: I know, but I promise I will this time. That was a bad day, okay?

Ri Ri tries to say something else, but Xaster brushes him off. The two sigh, and go to collect their food.

Stormchaser Training Room, past

Channah: Oh, huh. Why do I think that? - yawns- Uh, because it's true - Like 98% of people are incredibly, sickeningly one-dimensional, myself included. -shrugs, clearly unwilling to elaborate-

Wild Area, past

Jack: -flapping his arms inanely, looking around- <Well, it's quite breezy up here, but I don't think I can breakdance mid-air. Toodles!> -cancels his attack and dances his way back down-

Channah: ...Jack, what the hell man.

The Wild Area

(And Ananpi promptly takes that opportunity. He continues bouncing up and down in the air happily, and then eventually— lands right on Jack.)

Ananpi: <How about this move, chuu~?>

(And then he shocks him.)

Glimwood Tangle, Past

Aislinn "She seems to have been Morata's primary caretaker, but aside from that... Her background is murky. I've heard rumors that she's a force to be reckoned with in terms of battling, but it's not like there's that many opportunities for her to prove them true or false."

Wyndon Stadum

-The Flame Charge K Os Kofun-

Neon: "Argh! Go Catty! Stone Edge!>

-Catty is sent out-

Catty: <Insufferable birdbrain!>

-Launches pointy rocks-

Bleachers

Cavendish: <That goose is cooked!>

Dakota: <I thought it was a falcon.>

Spikemuth Alley

???: "Well duh, of course I do. But you seem to... Understand them."

Kalos Forest

-The confetti fills the hole-

Olivia: <Nice! Though you should have done sound-effects...>

-If the group crosses they will find Olivia stuck in the ground headfirst-

Olivia: <Oh no... I hope you won't always remember me for this moment alone J-Team... Maybe you can get my head unstuck somehow.>

-Seems like this will take the entire team-

Stormchaser Training Room

Burst!Owen: It worked!

Odin: Finally, after attempt... Wow, 6245?

-Owen is now covered head to toe in sleek blue and green Porygon-Z themed bio-armor, with a translucent visor over his face-

Burst!Owen: Feels tingly... Anyway off to fight crime!

...Dad do you know any crime I could fight?

Odin: ...I do not.

Burst!Owen: Really? No School appearances? No Cipher remnants? No Aurabolt parties I can crash? Nothing?

Odin: You should probably... Wait until the right opportunity.

Burst!Owen: Ugh, fine dad.

-Reverts to normal-

But just you wait! Soon the world will know the might of the ORAN OBLITERATOR!

Owen: ...THAT'S the name we're going with?

Owen: It's on brand AND alliterative!

Edited by Umbramatic on Sep 26th 2021 at 6:40:21 AM

Kalos Forest, August 31st

Ann: -Starts trying to pull Olivia out-

Stormchaser Training Room, September 21st

Chiyo: -To Channah- I don't think I'd agree, almost everyone has some depth to them, whether that's good or bad.

-Slightly saddened-

Tagg doesn't seem like the sort who'd date someone who he'd consider "one-dimensional", but even more importantly, you especially shouldn't think of yourself like that.

Glimwood Tangle, past

-To Aislinn-

We'll have to watch for them as well then. I suppose we can start with the actual heist planning now.

-Beat-

What about their mons, I didn't notice any while we were there, but they have to have them. I'd assume Pokémon that are or in some way relate to masks.

Kalos Forest, past

Kamon: Hmm... Oh! Matti, go help her out! -sends out a dreary-looking, slumping Inteleon-

Mattimeo: <Sure... I probably won't be any help, though.> -goes over and tries to tug Olivia out by the leg- <See? Nothing doing. I'm so weak...>

Wild Area, past

Jack: -shuffle dances out of the way of the Bounce and straight into the Thunderbolt, bringing him to 2/3 health- <Ouch, tingly!>

Channah: Pyro Ball.

-Jack kicks a stone into the air and punts it, now blazing, at Ananpi-

The Wild Area

(Ingrid notices, and her eyes grow wide.)

Ingrid: "A-Ananpi! Dodge it!"

(Ananpi quickly jumps to the side, avoiding the Pyro Ball attack.)

Ingrid: "Great! Now, use Thunder Wave!"

(Ananpi nods, and then:)

Ananpi: (to Jack) <Sorry!>

(Ananpi promptly releases golden rings of energy from his mouth directly towards Jack.)

Glimwood Tangle, Past

Aislinn: "Well, the servant who fought me had a Lucario and a Gallade... Otherwise I was assaulted by a horde of Unovan Yamask before he got there."

"I don't know much about Morata's personal pokemon, if she has them."

Stormchaser Training Room, past

Aztec Camera: -hurriedly waves her wings in a "no-go" motion while Chiyo's speaking, behind Channah's back-

Channah: -narrows her eyes- Yeah, nah. I think that's enough psychoanalyzing for today. We just fucking met, man.

Wild Area, past

Channah: -as Jack is paralyzed- C'mon, Jack, I'm getting bored and you're not impressing me. Again.

Jack: <Domo - arigato - mister - > -does a very truncated, jerky Robot, managing to launch another Pyro Ball in the process-

The Wild Area

(This one, meanwhile, hits, throwing Ananpi backwards.)

Ananpi: (as he is thrown back) <W-whoa...!>

Ingrid: "Ananpi!"

(Ananpi falls to the floor, clearly damaged by the attack.)

Ingrid: "Ananpi! C-can you still fight?"

(Ananpi pushes himself back up- somehow not having managed to lose his fake Pikachu tail in the process- and nods.)

Ingrid: "Great! Alright, Ananpi! Use Electro Ball!"

(Ananpi nods, and then, happily, jumps up into the air.)

Ananpi: <Hey~! Wanna play catch?>

(He promptly shoots out a ball of electricity, and then proceeds to hit it with his "tail" as he sends it directly towards Jack.)

Wild Area, past

A wild narrator appears. Hi. Test format plz ignore.

Jack stumbles as the Electro Ball connects, doing moderate damage.

Channah: Not bad. Flame Charge.

Jack: <...> (remains in place)

Channah: ...Never mind!

Edited by Metanoia on Sep 26th 2021 at 9:39:28 AM