Thread: Individual RP: Sky Lark

Ranger: Trainer Sara
NBP #1


“Yeah, just have someone bring him over, or get a Pokemon to Fly or Teleport him here once he’s ready,” I said, nodding a few times as the receptionist on the other line confirmed a few things. “We’ll be waiting for him, just tell him to look for the blonde with the Serperior.” After another moment of exchanging goodbyes, I hung up the receiver and spun in my office chair. I was currently sitting in the main office of the Deckbi Outpost, finalizing some paperwork that had needed to be taken care of in light of a rock slide that had been caused by a rampant Steelix tunneling everywhere. Standing, I stretched for a moment before exiting the office, dumping the stack of signed paperwork in a bin to be filed later.

I headed outside after stopping near the storage PC to shuffle my team around accordingly. We were headed to the Gardens again, where a good number of Grass and Normal Pokemon dwelt; in the case of the latter, many of the Pokemon were large and strong, and in cases like Tauros and Bouffalant, aggressive as well. I’d be taking some of my bulkier Pokemon with me today, just in case we ran into any trouble. Seagem and Vice were intimidating, and Seagem would be able to Fly me to the Outpost in minutes. On top of that, both had type advantages and resistances towards Grass Pokemon. Imperious was a Grass-type herself, but she had a wide array of moves and was a very agile Pokemon; normally she could chase off rowdy Pokemon with just a brief display of her speed and power. And finally, Bloodstone would be coming along as well, thanks to being completely immune to Normal-type attacks and being more than able to lay down numerous status moves on any Pokemon that decided to try and cause trouble. With moves like Confuse Ray, Will-o-Wisp, and Torment, he’d be able to turn any overly-aggressive encounter into a confused mess that would hardly be a threat.

Once outside, I released Seagem from her PokeBall. The regal Dragonite appeared with a ringing cry, spreading her wings and stretching before glancing back at me. I thumped her side and, with the ease of many years of practice, settled myself on her wide back.

“We’re headed to the Gardens,” I told her. “We’re stopping by the Outpost to wait for our Trainer.” Seagem nodded once and within seconds we were airborne, winging our way towards the Outpost for the Botanic Garden. It didn’t take long, maybe eight minutes, for us to arrive at our destination. After Seagem had landed and I’d dismounted, I had a quick look around to make sure Eric, the young man I’d be guiding today, hadn’t arrived yet. I didn’t see him, so I recalled Seagem and released Imperious next. The Serperior made no noise as she materialized from her Ball, but simply held her head high and immediately took on a posture of one who was exceptionally egotistical. I resisted the urge to laugh and instead motioned for her to follow me, heading inside the Outpost just to make sure Eric wasn’t waiting inside.

“Looks like we might be in for a storm,” I commented as we entered the Outpost. “Hopefully we can get this run over before it hits, but if not, I hope Eric doesn’t mind getting a bit wet.” Imperious made a sort of snorting noise, flicking her tail in disdain. It was clear she wouldn’t stand for being outside in the rain, and I couldn’t help but chuckle a bit. The Serperior gave me a look at being laughed at, but remained silent. “Oh, come on, you know I wouldn’t make you stay out in bad weather if you didn’t wanna, silly girl. But come on, a Grass Pokemon who doesn’t like the rain? It’s funny and you know it.” Imperious sniffed and turned away, but I knew she didn’t take offense at being poked at. Seagem, on the other hand, was a lot sassier than Imperious and would have probably thwacked me with her tail for having a laugh at her expense. I had a knack for getting the more eccentric-natured Pokemon.

===

TRAINER INFORMATION:

*Name: Eric Lundt
*Location: Botanic Gardens
*Trainer Items: x5 ParkBall ; x1 Super Ball ; Digital Camera

*Area Effects: 15 Encounters Remaining | Warm, very windy and heavily overcast
*Pokemon Encountered: n/a
*Pokemon Captured: n/a

*MCR Count: n/a
*Pokemon Stats:

-Docile Male Gengar @ Levitate w/ EMs TM Telekinesis ; TM Counter ; TM Focus Blast ; TM Snatch ; TM Thunderbolt ; MT Pain Split | In Ball | 100%

-Gentle Female Togekiss @ Serene Grace w/ EMs TM Captivate ; TM Roost ; TM Substitute ; TM Psych Up ; BM Psycho Shift ; MT Heal Bell ; SM Tri Attack ; MT Softboiled | In Ball | 100%


@Sky Lark

@Dog of Hellsing

OOC: I’m prone to using the same sentence structure over and over again, so please tell me if that happens.

I woke up with a start, remembering that I had scheduled a journey through the park today. Worried that I might've been running late, I immediately checked the alarm clock on my bedside table. To my relief, I had not overslept. I then grabbed my clothes, jumped in the shower, and got ready for my expedition.

After a bowl of cereal, I knew it was about time to set off, but the beeping of my phone stopped me in my tracks. Hastily, I checked the messages on my phone. “Huh. A message from the ranger base. I wonder what it’s about.” I quickly scanned through its contents, taking note of the fact that I was to meet my ranger at the outpost in the Botanical Gardens. After, I grabbed my backpack and rummaged through its contents to see if I had all my supplies. I quickly went through my mental checklist of the things I would need. It wasn’t really a long list of supplies – a raincoat, in case the weather took a turn for the worse, a shiny, brand new camera, in case I spotted any rare pokemon, and some empty pokeballs which were specially designed for the park. To my surprise, I found a dark blue unwashed jacket in the front pocket of my backpack. “Oh yeah,” I said, frowning. I had completely forgotten about the last time I had used this jacket. I had worn it a few weeks ago during my journey through Meteor Valley. I reluctantly held it close to my nose and took a whiff. “Ugh. This stinks.” Thinking the garment wouldn’t be needed for the day, I threw it in the corner of my room and made a mental note before heading down the hall.

As soon as I exited my house, I was greeted by the sweet scent of fresh morning air. The grass glistened with dew, and the sky was clear, promising, what I hoped to be, good weather for the day. After taking in a breath of air, I unclipped a pokeball from my belt and tossed it in the air. A bright light shot out of the pokeball and revealed one of the pokemon I was bringing with me today. “Good morning. I hope you’re up for a good expedition,” I said. The Togekiss affectionately cooed as I ran my fingers through her feathers. “Shall we get going then?” Gently, I mounted onto the Togekiss’ back and prepared for a relaxing flight. “Off we go to the Botanical Gardens then.”

The flight was mostly uneventful. The most exciting part of the flight was Togekiss and me passing by a couple of trainers who were also on their way to various outposts in the park. Soaring among the clouds was one of the best feelings in the world. Euphoria overcame me as we weaved our way through flocks of Pidgey and Pidgeotto, which were clearly enjoying the cool morning air as well.

As we reached the outpost, I noticed that the clouds were getting thicker. “Mmm. I hope the weather won’t change,” I mumbled to myself. We landed a few meters from the outpost, and I took a pokeblock from my backpack, offering it to the Togekiss. “Thanks for the flight, buddy.” After she swallowed the pokeblock, I recalled her into her pokeball. As I entered the outpost, I noticed that there was only one person inside. She had long, flowing, blond hair and was dressed in red and black. “Quite petite,” I whispered to myself, assuming she was the one who’d lead me through my journey. “She’s a ranger though, so I guess she can hold her own.” She didn’t notice my entrance as her face was turned towards the window on the other side of the room. I overheard her mention the possibility of a storm, and my heart sank. The botanical gardens could get pretty muddy, and my sneakers wouldn’t handle mud well. The Serperior was also turned away as I silently walked towards the ranger. I stopped a few steps behind her and wondered how I would introduce myself. I regularly had trouble conversing with people. A lack of social skills was one of my faults. Nervously, I decided to go with the standard greeting. “Hi. I’m Eric Lundt. The ranger base told me to meet my ranger here. I assume you’re the one.” I hoped I didn't startle her with my sudden arrival.

Ranger: Trainer Sara
NBP #2

We didn’t have long to wait before Eric arrived. I heard the door to the Outpost open, but didn’t bother to turn at the moment. Imperious briefly glanced towards the door, but other than a quick dart of her eyes, she gave no indication of really inspecting who’d come in. A few moments later I heard a voice speaking behind us. It was a young man who sounded a bit uncertain as he introduced himself.

“Hi. I’m Eric Lundt. The Ranger base told me to meet my Ranger here. I assume you’re the one.” I turned and clasped my hands behind my back, smiling at the Trainer and nodding.

“Yep, that’d be me. I’m Trainer Sara, and I’ll be leading you through the Botanic Gardens today.” I then waved to the window to indicate outside, adding, “I’d like to say ‘I’ll be leading you through the Gardens this fine afternoon’, but as you can see, it doesn’t look very fine out there at the moment. With any luck we can complete your run before the storm hits. The forecaster for the island said it probably won’t hit for about another hour or so, so it might be close, but it’s definitely possible to wrap things up before then, especially if we get lucky with your encounters. Now, let’s get this party started!” I clapped my hands together and motioned for Eric to follow as I headed out of the Outpost, Imperious following beside me.

We didn’t travel for more than perhaps five minutes before a brightly-colored bird flew out of a nearby tree, making a beeline for us. It landed perhaps seven or eight feet away, almost hidden by the tall grass. The only part of it that was still visible was its head, which quickly ducked down out of sight. A moment later the Pokemon’s head popped back up, a small fruit of some kind in its beak. It blinked at us for a moment, but it seemed my initial impression of it was wrong. I’d thought it was approaching us, but apparently it was just looking for food and we’d happened to be nearby.

“I’ve heard Chatot can be pretty interesting little Pokemon,” I offered. “They can learn Agility and Encore; apparently people like to have them use Agility, and then if the enemy used some sort of move to set up before, they’ll Encore them. Pretty nasty combo, but effective if that’s you’re style of battling. At any rate, would you be interested in trying to catch this little fella?”

===

TRAINER INFORMATION:

*Name: Eric Lundt
*Location: Botanic Gardens
*Trainer Items: x5 ParkBall ; x1 Super Ball ; Digital Camera

*Area Effects: 14 Encounters Remaining | Warm, very windy and heavily overcast
*Pokemon Encountered: Chatot
*Pokemon Captured: n/a

*MCR Count: 3,980
*Pokemon Stats:

-Docile Male Gengar @ Levitate w/ EMs TM Telekinesis ; TM Counter ; TM Focus Blast ; TM Snatch ; TM Thunderbolt ; MT Pain Split | In Ball | 100%

-Gentle Female Togekiss @ Serene Grace w/ EMs TM Captivate ; TM Roost ; TM Substitute ; TM Psych Up ; BM Psycho Shift ; MT Heal Bell ; SM Tri Attack ; MT Softboiled | In Ball | 100%


@Sky Lark

@Dog of Hellsing

“Yep, that’d be me. I’m Trainer Sara, and I’ll be leading you through the Botanic Gardens today. I’d like to say ‘I’ll be leading you through the Gardens this fine afternoon’, but as you can see, it doesn’t look very fine out there at the moment. With any luck we can complete your run before the storm hits. The forecaster for the island said it probably won’t hit for about another hour or so, so it might be close, but it’s definitely possible to wrap things up before then, especially if we get lucky with your encounters. Now, let’s get this party started!”

I sighed a little as my ranger confirmed my suspicions. I was in for some rain. With a half-hearted wave of my hand, I said, “Huzzah." Sarcasm aside, I nodded and expressed my consensus with regards to starting the run. I was about to mention how it was just my luck that I’d visit the park on a rainy day, but it was then that I had an idea. Maybe the rain would encourage flying types to return to their roosts as I wasn’t particularly keen on encountering them.

“Quite interesting pokemon, Serperior,” I quipped as we started walking outside the outpost. It seemed as if this particular Serperior was not one that would disprove my notion of Serperior being haughty, prideful pokemon. “Don’t you find it odd that they can perform Aerial Ace?” Just as I made that statement, a blur of colors landed in the grass a short distance away from us. I couldn’t distinguish it at first because it was obscured by the tall grass, but as soon as it showed its head, it was obvious. The plumage should’ve been a dead giveaway. It was a Chatot. I knew it was a Chatot because of its distinct note-shaped head and metronome-shaped tail. In its mouth was what seemed to be a berry. I wasn’t one for contests and gardening. I wasn’t sure, but I had a feeling that it was a lum berry. “It seems as if the Chatot just used the move ‘pluck’. How interesting it is to see a pokemon attack outside of battle.”

“I’ve heard Chatot can be pretty interesting little Pokemon. They can learn Agility and Encore; apparently people like to have them use Agility, and then if the enemy used some sort of move to set up before, they’ll Encore them. Pretty nasty combo, but effective if that’s you’re style of battling. At any rate, would you be interested in trying to catch this little fella?”

“Cool combo,” I responded. Although Chatot were seemingly fun companions, what with them being able to learn Chatter, I wasn’t aiming to catch one. In a soft voice, I said, “I’d rather not, though. They’re not that common in the wild. However, cities are teeming with them, and I’d rather go after something I can’t find elsewhere. On that note, do you think we might be able to spot a Castform in this weather?” I nodded to the left, implying that I wanted to walk away without bothering the Chatot. That was when I remembered I had forgotten something in my checklist. I would’ve facepalmed if I was sure it wouldn’t attract the attention of the avian pokemon. “This is quite embarrassing, but I forgot to bring pokedolls. Just in case the Chatot wants a fight, could you throw one over? I’ll pay you at the end of the run.”

Ranger: Trainer Sara
NBP #3

Eric opted against trying to catch Chatot, mentioning that he’d pay for a PokeDoll at the end of the run if we needed to use one. Luckily, we were able to move on without Chatot seeming to care; with its prize clamped in its beak, it took flight and headed for the tree it had flown out of. Perhaps it had young to feed or was simply stocking up. Either way, it didn’t pose any problems for us, leaving us free to continue with the run.

On that note, do you think we might be able to spot a Castform in this weather?” the Trainer asked as we moved on. I glanced around, noting a grove of trees in the distance and waving to it.

“There’s a chance we might find one or two once the rain starts and their Ability kicks in, but they’re probably all just hanging out in random places for the time being. We can head over to those trees and see if there are any over there; in this kind of weather they tend to get a little confused, so they don’t move around too much and tend to hang out in sheltered areas.” I then fell silent, waiting for Eric’s answer, but he didn’t have a chance to reply before Imperious suddenly started to hiss loudly at something. I glanced over at her, where she was slithering along beside us, and found she was actually several paces behind us. The first six or so feet of her body was lifted clear off the ground and she was twisted around, facing the way we’d come. I couldn’t understand what had her so upset at first, but then her tail abruptly snapped up into view and revealed a small Pokemon with a round, dark-blue body grasping the Serperior’s tail. In fact, it looked like part of one of the leafy protrusions was in the Pokemon’s mouth. Imperious hissed again furiously, whipping her tail sharply and dislodging the Pokemon nibbling on the appendage. It hit the ground and tumbled, sitting up and looking dazed but not hurt. Imperious, free from her assailant, glared at it balefully as she slithered over to join us. I patted the snake’s head to try and calm her as I faced Eric.

“I don’t have any idea why that Munchlax was trying to eat Imperious’ tail, but it’s a good thing she has a smidgen of self-control, or else you wouldn’t have the chance to try and catch that little guy if you want it. One of my other Pokemon would have knocked it for a loop for doing that.”

===

TRAINER INFORMATION:

*Name: Eric Lundt
*Location: Botanic Gardens
*Trainer Items: x5 ParkBall ; x1 Super Ball ; Digital Camera

*Area Effects: 13 Encounters Remaining | Warm, very windy and heavily overcast
*Pokemon Encountered: Chatot ; Munchlax (Rare – 35,000 characters minimum)
*Pokemon Captured: n/a

*MCR Count: 3,161
*Pokemon Stats:

-Docile Male Gengar @ Levitate w/ EMs TM Telekinesis ; TM Counter ; TM Focus Blast ; TM Snatch ; TM Thunderbolt ; MT Pain Split | In Ball | 100%

-Gentle Female Togekiss @ Serene Grace w/ EMs TM Captivate ; TM Roost ; TM Substitute ; TM Psych Up ; BM Psycho Shift ; MT Heal Bell ; SM Tri Attack ; MT Softboiled | In Ball | 100%

@Sky Lark

@Dog of Hellsing

OOC: I apologize in advance for the “choosing which pokemon to use” paragraphs.
Apart from the weather starting to take a turn for the worse, it seemed as if luck was on my side. I didn’t want to waste any time by battling the Chatot, so I avoided making any sound at all as we slowly crept away from the Chatot. Seeing as the Chatot didn’t even turn its head when I accidently stepped on a branch, causing it to audibly snap into two, I concluded that the Chatot was too focused on its current task, whatever it was.

Just as we were about to move on, I looked back to where the Chatot was and was surprised by a sudden flurry of movement. The Chatot started rapidly flapping its wings and started to take off. It seemed unperturbed by the foliage that surrounded it. With the fruit in its mouth, the Music Note pokemon flew back to where it came from. As I attempted to follow the blue flash, which was now becoming smaller by the moment, with my eyes, I could only make out the few feathers which had fallen off the pokemon’s plumage. I couldn’t help admiring the myriad of colors as it wasn’t every day that one spotted four different colors on one bird. Blue, green, white, and yellow feathers lazily danced in the air as the wind started to pick up.

Ranger Sara, her Serperior, and I then proceeded along the path which wasn’t very well-defined due to the sprawling underbrush. For a moment, I lost some of my focus on my current expedition. My mind wandered as I was distracted by my surroundings. I noticed the multiple dark, large clouds which were gathering overhead. The wind was clearly picking up. The clouds seemed to be moving at a higher speed than before. Apart from this, the sound of wind whistling through the branches of the trees, which was barely audible a few moments ago, now filled the atmosphere. Although I wasn’t too fond of the rain, I had to admit that the wind that often came along with rain created cool effects. Right now, Ranger Sara and I were being enveloped by falling dried up leaves. To be honest, it was a little surreal. The scene was reminiscent of the images portrayed in Japanese anime where the air was filled with falling cherry blossoms. I noted what seemed to be a large, pristine lake off in the distance. The air was also getting more humid.

Because I lived in the city, it wasn’t often that I had the opportunity to be surrounded by nature. I could say in all honesty that I was a nature lover. I simply loved the feeling of being surrounded by the outdoors and being able to lose myself in my surroundings. The only reason I didn’t visit the park more often was because I was too busy with my commitments. Whenever I could afford to take a vacation, I always made it a point to go somewhere which was relatively untouched by humans. It just seemed calmer. I enjoyed any and all activities which could be done outdoors, whether it was star gazing, scuba diving, or mountain climbing.

I was so lost in my thoughts that I was surprised when Ranger Sara answered my previous question about Castform. Pointing to a group of trees a little far off, Ranger Sara explained how the chances of spotting Castform would increase once the rain started. She also explained how the Castform were most probably hiding in sheltered areas at the moment due to confusion with regards to the current weather.

Although I didn’t say anything, I was impressed how she could predict the behavior of pokemon based on the current state of events. I guess that was something that came with being a ranger for quite some time. Before I could start replying to her explanation, aggravated hissing sounds filled the air. I wasn’t quite sure where the sound was coming from. I was about to ask my ranger what the origin of the sound might have been when I noticed that she had turned around. Following her gaze, I saw her Serperior which had its back towards us. It seemed incredibly tense and agitated. “Odd,” I mused aloud. That was when I saw the pokemon which was sucking on its tail. The first thing I noticed about the pokemon was its diminutive stature and its rotund belly. Most of its body was covered in dark blue green fur. From what I could see, only the lower half of its head and its feet were colored differently. It was a Munchlax!

The Serperior was clearly fed up with the Big Eater pokemon. It menacingly glared at the Munchlax while making a sharp, venomous hiss. In a graceful but violent movement, the Serperior swiftly raised its tail. A sudden flick caused the Munchlax to release its grasp and fall onto the ground. Luckily the thick grass cushioned the impact of its fall. The Munchlax seemed to be confused by the sudden motion as it simply sat up and stared into space for a few moments. With this, the Serperior slithered towards its trainer.

Ranger Sara reassuringly pet her pokemon on its head, trying to calm it down. She then turned to me and said, “I don’t have any idea why that Munchlax was trying to eat Imperious’ tail, but it’s a good thing she has a smidgen of self-control, or else you wouldn’t have the chance to try and catch that little guy if you want it. One of my other Pokemon would have knocked it for a loop for doing that.”

At that instant, I made a mental note to stay clear from any of her pokemon, and I responded. “It seems as if you must have some pretty wild pokemon. It must be difficult, trying to manage multiple pokemon with vastly different personalities. I think the Munchlax was just looking for another meal. You know how they are,” I said with a chuckle. “Don’t you think it’s strange how the personalities of Munchlax and Snorlax are so different? Both of them eat a lot of food, but Munchlax run all over the place in seemingly hyperactive states, constantly looking for food as opposed to Snorlax which can be commonly seen sleeping. I suppose Munchlax burn an excessive amount of energy, with them running around all over the place. Maybe that’s the reason they seem to be perpetually in search of food. Kind of a vicious cycle, if that’s the case, though.”

Unlike my first time in the national park, I had come fully prepared. I was determined to not have to repeat the occurrences in that run. I had gone to Meteor Valley, and being a newbie, I only brought a Gengar, a ghost and poison type pokemon, along. In hindsight, I should’ve gone somewhere else. Bringing a Gengar to that area was an enormous mistake. Because of its typing, it was weak to psychic type, dark type, and ghost type attacks. That coupled with the fact that almost every pokemon which could be found in Meteor Valley belonged to those types caused me to avoid pokemon encounters since I didn’t want my Gengar to faint. That, in turn, led to me not being able to capture many pokemon. This time, even before scheduling my run, I had made sure that I had pokemon that would be able to handle any pokemon I might possibly see in the area. I read all the various informational posters which lined the reception area of the main ranger outpost, wanting to gather as much information as I could before making an appointment. While pokemon like Oddish, Hoppip, and Taillow were common sights in the Botanic Gardens, I had heard rumors that the legendary pokemon Mew, Shaymin, and Virizion could be seen in this area of the park. From the looks of it, the Botanic Gardens were filled with grass type, flying type, and normal type pokemon. There were also a few bug type pokemon around. I made my decision regarding which pokemon I would bring based on this information. Grass types were definitely not an option. They were weak to flying type and bug type attacks, two types which were very common in the park. Apart from that fact, unless they had a secondary type, grass type pokemon wouldn’t be able to do much damage against fellow grass types. I considered fighting type pokemon because they could inflict a high amount of damage against normal type pokemon. However, they would be ineffective against grass types and would be weak to flying types. A fire type would’ve been a good choice, considering the fact that they were strong against both grass types and bug types. However, I didn’t have one at the moment. Finally, I decided that I would bring my Gengar and my Togekiss along. Weakening opponent pokemon was my primary concern, so type effectiveness played a large factor in my decision. It also didn’t hurt for my Gengar and Togekiss to have strong special attacks. Gengar, being a ghost type, couldn’t be hit by normal type attacks. It knew thunderbolt, which was what I would use to deal with flying types. For poison types, on the other hand, I would resort to a hypnosis and dream eater combo. Sadly, I didn’t have any money to teach my Gengar a poison type attack to deal with grass types, but that was what my Togekiss was for. My Togekiss knew Air Slash, which was a flying type attack – one that was very effective against grass type pokemon. It could also perform Aura Sphere which was definitely more reliable than my Gengar’s Focus Blast attack. This would be my main attack against normal type pokemon. Apart from causing damage, I liked using Air Slash because it could cause the target to flinch. Also, this time, I had brought a camera along. Although I liked taking pictures of nature, I also liked collecting pictures of rare pokemon. However, for some reason, taking pictures always caused wild pokemon to run away. I was absolutely confident I was ready this time.

I knew that Munchlax were hard to come by. I wanted to capture one since they evolved into powerful Snorlax. Snorlax had massive endurance (HP) and special defense, allowing them to withstand many powerful attacks. Also, they could deal heavy damage with their high attack capabilities. As if those weren’t enough, Snorlax were also able to perform Belly Drum, allowing them to receive a massive increase in power. Body Slam, another move which Snorlax could perform, wasn’t bad either. Being hit by Body Slam could cause paralysis, and in trainer battles, that could be the difference between winning and losing.

I quickly looked over the Munchlax. It was pretty typical as it looked quite like the average Munchlax. The only thing unique to it was a nip in its right ear. I hypothesized that in the past, this Munchlax might have nibbled on a pokemon, similar to what it had done with the Serperior, and gotten nicked in the ear as a result. Smiling, I asked the Munchlax while digging in my backpack for a pokeblock, “Hungry little fellow, aren’t you?” I quickly found one and tossed it over to the Munchlax. As I was doing this, I grabbed my phone and started looking up data on Munchlax to weigh out the pros and cons to determine which pokemon I would use. “Hmm. Its HP, attack, and special defense stats stand out, but its speed is dismal. It has Odor Sleuth, so using Gengar might not be that much of an advantage.” I frowned as I noticed that it was capable of performing the move “Amnesia”. That move would cause the Munchlax’s special defense to drastically increase, and I wasn’t ready for that. If I decided to go with Gengar, I would need to watch out for Lick, Shadow Ball, Pursuit, and Psychic. If I went with Togekiss, I’d need to be wary against Rollout, Ice Beam, Blizzard, Thunderbolt, Thunder, and Rock Tomb. Normally, I’d be wary of a Rollout attack, but I’d be especially cautious this time around because Munchlax were able to perform Defense Curl, which doubles the damage dealt by Rollout. Afterwards, I considered what my pokemon could do against the Munchlax. Both of my pokemon had attacks which were very effective against the Munchlax. Gengar was impervious to normal type attacks, and both pokemon could cause the Munchlax to fall asleep. However, Gengar’s Focus Blast and Hypnosis attacks were more likely to miss. Also, it might be interesting to see what results from Togekiss’ Tri Attack. With that, I made up my mind and unclipped a pokeball from my belt. I glanced towards Ranger Sara, waiting for her OK signal to start the battle. As soon as she did, I’d send out Togekiss and ask it to get airborne, reminding it to try to stay out of reach of the Munchlax’s attacks. Then, I’d ask it to fly into the clouds to possibly gather an electrical charge and use Tri Attack while descending.

Ranger: Trainer Sara
BP #1

===

“It seems as if you must have some pretty wild Pokemon,” Eric commented as I worked to soothe Imperious’ wounded pride. “It must be difficult, trying to manage multiple Pokemon with vastly different personalities. I think the Munchlax was just looking for another meal. You know how they are,” he added with a short laugh. “Don’t you think it’s strange how the personalities of Munchlax and Snorlax are so different? Both of them eat a lot of food, but Munchlax run all over the place in seemingly hyperactive states, constantly looking for food as opposed to Snorlax which can be commonly seen sleeping. I suppose Munchlax burn an excessive amount of energy, with them running around all over the place. Maybe that’s the reason they seem to be perpetually in search of food. Kind of a vicious cycle, if that’s the case, though.”

“They have surprisingly high metabolisms,” I replied as Imperious hissed at Munchlax, still clearly angry with the smaller Pokemon. “And Snorlax, despite being largely inactive, have even higher metabolisms for some reason. Even though they’re quite bulky, it’s a shock that they burn through calories so quickly, and that they remain so large regardless.” After that I fell silent, moving back a few paces as it seemed Eric was going over his options. He eventually settled on what to do, releasing his Togekiss and commanding her to fly up into the sky before descending to unleash a Tri Attack.

The Jubilee Pokemon gave a cry of acknowledgment and pumped her wings, soaring into the air as Munchlax tilted his head to the side and watched her go. He didn’t seem too awfully concerned with the whole thing, but instead started to poke through the grass. Most likely he was looking for something to eat; as Eric had said, Munchlax were perpetually looking for food. This one, not seeming to realize he was in a battle, was simply doing what his kind always did.

It wasn’t more than a few moments before Togekiss came back into view from where she’d flown up into the air. There were three spheres of energy swirling in front of her; as she snapped her wings down to stop her free-fall, the orbs of yellow, blue, and red light released beams of energy that shared the color of their source. The beams twisted together as they flew at Munchlax, hitting him dead-on as he bent over to inspect something out of sight in the long grass. He was knocked flat onto his belly and laid like that for several moments before struggling to his feet. There was a scorch mark on the back of his head where the Tri Attack had hit, and he was moving more gingerly now than he had been before. Most likely Togekiss’ attack had landed a Burn.

Munchlax, finally seeming to understand what was going on, turned to face Togekiss with a displeased noise. His eyes narrowed a little as tendrils of bright yellow electricity started to twist away from his body; with little warning, a massive bolt of lightning abruptly burst from the little Pokemon and arched into the air, streaking down towards Togekiss after reaching its zenith. Togekiss, momentarily startled by the sudden counterattack, was too slow to evade the Thunder altogether and ended up getting clipped on the right side as she did a sort of midair roll to dodge it. She winced as the current raced through her body, but she seemed none worse for the wear. It helped that Munchlax didn’t have the best Special Attack score and, in comparison, Togekiss were renowned for their exceptional Special Defense stat.

===

BATTLE STATISTICS:


Gentle Female Togekiss
Last Used Move: Tri Attack
Stats: Normal
Status: Normal
HP: 90.64%

VS


??? Male Munchlax
Last Move Used: Thunder
Stats: Normal
Status: BRN
HP: 78.05%

MRC: 15,376/35,000 (19,624 characters remaining)


===

TRAINER INFORMATION:

*Name: Eric Lundt
*Location: Botanic Gardens
*Trainer Items: x5 ParkBall ; x1 Super Ball ; Digital Camera

*Area Effects: 13 Encounters Remaining | Warm, very windy and heavily overcast
*Pokemon Encountered: Chatot ; Munchlax
*Pokemon Captured: n/a

*MCR Count: n/a
*Pokemon Stats:

-Docile Male Gengar @ Levitate w/ EMs TM Telekinesis ; TM Counter ; TM Focus Blast ; TM Snatch ; TM Thunderbolt ; MT Pain Split | In Ball | 100%

-Gentle Female Togekiss @ Serene Grace w/ EMs TM Captivate ; TM Roost ; TM Substitute ; TM Psych Up ; BM Psycho Shift ; MT Heal Bell ; SM Tri Attack ; MT Softboiled | Out of Ball | Currently In Battle | 90.64%

@Sky Lark

@Dog of Hellsing

I fixed my gaze on Togekiss as it started ascending. Flapping its wings in rhythmic, gentle strokes, Togekiss easily managed to reach the low-hanging clouds. Togekiss didn’t stop there, though. Flying straight into the clouds, Togekiss continued gaining altitude until it was completely obscured.

A few moments passed before Togekiss emerged from the clouds. Togekiss, however, didn’t appear in the same location in which it had entered the clouds. Not too distant from where it disappeared but not too close either, Togekiss, acting like a bird of prey, emerged and silently headed straight towards the Munchlax with orbs of elemental energy in tow. A wide grin spread across my face. It was comforting to know that Togekiss had the presence of mind to recall what we had previously practiced; Togekiss’ level head during battles was one of the reasons I enjoyed battling with it.

It was only recently that I had the idea of using the cover provided by clouds to my advantage. The idea was simple enough. Togekiss would enter the clouds at one point and exit at another. This strategy had two obvious benefits. Pokemon that tried attacking Togekiss would have a harder time hitting it, and Togekiss could come out of the clouds at any moment from any position, invariably surprising its opponent.

This would’ve been one of those times, had the Munchlax actually been paying attention. I stared in disbelief as the Munchlax eagerly got up and went on its merry little way, stumbling around in the grass. It seemed as if getting tossed into the air by Imperious had absolutely no effect on the single-minded creature. It was still looking for something to snack on. Determined little bugger, isn’t it? I thought. Sure. Imperious wasn’t actually trying to inflict much pain on it, but I’d get pretty shaken up if I was the one who was sent flying off a pokemon’s tail. With a slightly confused look on my face, I stood in place, watching the Munchlax’s actions. Either it’s extremely determined to find its next meal or it’s just got thick skin. I’ll find out pretty soon which one it is based on its reaction to Togekiss’ attack.

As if on cue, Togekiss stopped its descent, crying out and whipping both of its wings forward just as my trail of thought ended. The spheres of energy in front of Togekiss simultaneously started losing their color, their energy seemingly draining into the beams that were spiraling towards the Munchlax. Twisting around each other, the three beams started merging to form a single, blinding, white beam that found the hunched form of the Munchlax without any problems, knocking the wild pokemon onto its round belly.

For a few moments, the Munchlax simply lay there, unmoving as Togekiss maintained its position, hovering among the clouds. Slowly, it rose to its feet. Pain was etched across the Big Eater pokemon’s face as it slowly turned its head upwards to face Togekiss. I noticed some of the fur on the Munchlax’s head seemed darker than before; it was as if the hairs had been singed by the immense energy of the Tri Attack.

“Wow. That was lucky,” I commented. Tri Attack had the potential to cause the target pokemon to become burned, frozen, or paralyzed, and while there was a good chance for those added effects to happen when other pokemon used the move, it seemed as if the added effects were more likely to occur when Togekiss was the one who performed the attack. My theory was that instead of focusing on inflicting damage, Togekiss, having a gentle nature, was able to redirect the energy used in the attacks in order to bolster the possibility of added effects. Also, I believed that Togekiss’ behavior was the exact opposite of pokemon who had the Sheer Force ability. Those pokemon preferred to use brute force their way through battle, not bothering with subtlety or risk anything on chancy gambits. Why waste time trying to add fancy extra effects to its attacks when it could just use that energy to pile on even more damage, right? I had no idea how to validate my theory, but that was what I was going with to explain the concept behind Serene Grace. I considered explaining my theory to Trainer and asking her opinions on it, but now wasn’t a good time.

Munchlax, clearly having taken offense at the attack, had just made a loud grumbling noise. Without warning, the sound of a large clap of thunder emanated throughout the area as the Munchlax released an immense amount of energy, exciting the electrons in the air and causing a current to head straight for Togekiss. I didn’t have time to react as I saw the Thunder zip through the air. Luckily, Togekiss had been paying a little more attention than I had and was able to react before the attack had hit, performing a somewhat awkward roll as it momentarily plummeted to the ground. However, Togekiss’ evasive maneuver apparently wasn’t enough to dodge the attack as it cried out, wincing from the pain.

I couldn’t help feeling a pang of guilt. Togekiss had gotten hurt just because I was in search of an adventure. It was time to focus and figure out a sensible strategy. Previously, I would’ve started talking to myself and voicing out my thoughts, but I had learned the hard way that wild pokemon tended to listen in. Right. That attack didn’t seem to hurt Togekiss too much, but we were lucky. The attack had barely hit Togekiss. If a glancing blow was enough to cause Togekiss to cry out, I didn’t want to know what the attack would be able to do if it found its mark. Feeling my left leg starting to get numb, I shifted my weight and crossed my arms before resuming my train of thought. [i]I definitely don’t want to further anger the Munchlax. Although its special attack isn’t that spectacular, another Thunder attack might cause some serious damage. If Togekiss got paralyzed or another attack hit its wing, Togekiss might actually plummet straight for the earth. There goes my strategy of hiding in the clouds.[i] I disappointedly sighed. High flying was definitely out of the picture. I immediately waved my hand, calling Togekiss to come to my side. I whispered in its ear, hoping that the Munchlax wouldn’t be able to overhear any of my commands. “Togekiss, we’re trying a different approach. I want you to avoid flying at high altitudes for the moment. Your wing is injured, and I don’t want to risk you falling and hurting yourself even more. A happy pokemon, hopefully, is a gentle pokemon. I want you to try your best to convey to the Munchlax that we don’t really want to hurt it. We just want to be its friend.” As I spoke, I grabbed a pokeblock from my backpack and handed it to Togekiss. What better peace offering to a Munchlax than a snack? “First, I want you to Bestow the pokeblock upon Munchlax. Hopefully it’ll get distracted by the pokeblock and stop attacking. Next, use Captivate. I want you to pull out all the stops and make yourself as appealing to the Munchlax as possible. It’ll probably hold back while attacking if you succeed. Finally, seal the deal with a Sweet Kiss.” I encouragingly pat Togekiss’ head and motioned for it to go ahead. Hopefully, the string of attacks would calm down Munchlax.